way to Falaise the Gentleman knowing him humbly craved the cause of his so strange and untimely riding alone The Duke told it him and this Gentleman called Robert de Rie lent him a fresh Horse and sent his two sons with him to conduct him the next way to Falaise No sooner were they got out of sight but the Conspirators came posting after and enqured of the same Gentleman whether he saw the Duke He answered that he was gone a little before such away shewing them another path and offering his service to Count Bessin rode on with them but led them so about that the Duke had gotten into Falaise whereupon being disappointed they returned to their homes so strengthening themselves that the Duke thought fit to retreat into Roan and from thence to the King of France to crave his aid putting him in mind what faithfull service his Father had done for him That he was his Homager under his Protection and that he had no other sanctuary to flee unto for succour against his mutinous and unruly Nobility And he was so importunate that the King aided him in Person with a Royal Army against his Competitors whom they met in the Vale of Dunes as ready to resist them with as great a power and resolution as the other were to assault them The Battel was very fierce and bloody wherein the King of France and Duke William bestirred themselves lustily yet had not Ralfe de Tesson been false to his fellows to recover the favour of the Duke they had hardly carried the victory After this diverse of the Conspirators who had too great hearts to submit passed over the Alps into Italy where they grew very famous for their Valour But here ended not the Dukes troubles For Guy de Burgagne escaping by flight fortified the Castles of Briorne and Verneil yet in the end was forced to submit both them and himself to the Dukes mercy and now became his Pensioner who before was his Competitor This gentle act of the Dukes brought in many others to yield up themselves and had their Signiories redelivered to them but their Castles were demolished Shortly after our Duke was called into action again by Geffry Martel Earl of Anjou who usurped Alanson Damfront and Passais members of the Dutchy of Normandy to recover which the Duke raised an Army and first got Alanson where because he was opprobriously scorned by them and called the son of an Harlot he used extream cruelty Then laid he siege to Damfront to relieve which Count Martel came with a great Army and our Duke to discover his strength sent Roger de Montgomery and two other Knights to deliver this message to the Earl That if he came to victual Damfront he should there find him the Porter to keep him out Whereunto the Earl answered Tell your Duke that to morrow at break a day he shall have me there on a white Horse ready to give him the Combate and I will enter Damfront if I can And that he may know me I will wear a shield d'Or without any devise Roger replyed Sir You shall not need to take that paines for to morrow morning you shall have the Duke in this place mounted on a bay Horse and that you may know him he shall wear upon the point of his Launce a Streamer of Taffaty to wipe your face So returning each side prepared for the morning But the Earl busied in ordering his Battels was informed by two Horsmen that came crossing the field that Damfront was for certain surrendred to the Duke whereupon in a great rage he presently departed with his Army part whereof as they passed a streight were cut off by Vicount Neel who by that service redeemed his former offence and was restored to the Dukes favour whom ever after he served faithfully From Damfront the Duke with his Engines removed to Hambrieres a Frontier Town of Count Martels But by the way had he not discovered it himself he had been entrapped in an Ambush and overthrown yet before he could clear himself he lost many brave men wherewith he was so enraged that pressing into the midst of his Enemies he made at Count Martel strake him down with his Sword clave his helmet and cut off an eare yet he escaped out of the press though diverse of his men were taken and the rest routed But whilst he was thus contending with outward Enemies two of his own conspired against him William Guelan Earl of Mortagne and William Earl of Eu both pretenders to the Dutchy of Normandy But the first upon suspicion the second upon proof of intention were both banished And the Earldomes of Mortagne he gave to Robert and that of Eu to Odo both his Brethren by the Mothers side And all these difficulties he encountred withall before he was full twenty two years old Now the more to confirm and strengthen his Estate against future practices he assembled a Parlament of his Bishops Barons and Gentlemen causing them to take their Oath of Allegiance and to raze their Castles After which he married Matilda the Daughter of Baldwin the fifth Earl of Flanders but not without some opposition For his Uncle Mauger Archbishop of Roan excommunicated him for marrying her who was his Cosen German To expiate which offence though the Pope dispensed with it he was enjoyned to build some Hospitals for blind People and two Abbyes one for men and the other for women which were built at Caâ—n These his successes made him the object of envy to the French Court who incensed the King against him to abate his power and to find a quarrel which borderers easily may do to set upon him The King who was forward enough of himself to make his cause the fairer pretends to correct the insolencies of the Normans committed in his Territories and to relieve Count Martel oppressed by the Duke He alleadged also that it concerned him in honour and justice to have that Province which held of his Crown to be Governed by a Prince of lawfull blood wherefore he resolved utterly to extirpate Duke William and to settle a legitimate Prince in that Dutchy For which end he raised two Armies through all his Dominions whereof one he sent along the River Seine the other into the Countrey of Bessin meaning to encompass him The Duke hereupon divided his Forces also into two parts and sent the one under his Brother Odo Earl of Eu Walter Guiffard Earl of Longevil and others into the Countrey of Caux Himself with the other advanced toward Eureux to oppose the King who was at Mentz He also withdrew all the Cattel and Provisions out of the Countrey into Cities and Fortresses The Kings Army marching to Mortimer and finding the Countrey to abound with all plenty fell to makeing good cheer thinking that Duke William with his men was yet at Eureux which the Army of Odo understanding marched all night and at break
Wilhelmus Conquestor Rex Anglia Dux Norman etc. THE Life Death OF WILLIAM Surnamed The Conqueror King of ENGLAND and Duke of NORMANDY Who dyed Anno Christi 1087. By Samuel Clarke late Minister of Bennet-Finck London LONDON Printed for Simon Miller at the signe of the Star at the West end of St Pauls 1671. THE Life and Death of WILLIAM Sirnamed the CONQUEROUR KING of ENGLAND and Duke of NORMANDY Who dyed Anno Christi 1087. THE Normans issued out of Denmark and Norway the Inhabitants of which Countries in those times were so fruitful in the Procreation of Children that they were forced oft-times to send multitudes abroad to seek new habitations Amongst whom there was one Roul a great Commander attended with many lusty lads who in the dayes of King Alfrid first landed in England where finding no room empty nor any imployment was content upon some relief received to seek imployment else-where which he did against Rambalt Duke of Frize and Reiver Duke of Chaumont and Henalt with whom he often encountred and made great spoiles in their Countries Then passing along the Coast of France he entred the mouth of the River Seine and sackt all the Country up to Roan where the People having been a little before miserably spoiled by an other Invader were so terrified by the coming of these new Forces that the Archbishop of Roan by the peoples consent offered him the obedience of that City and Country upon condition that he would protect them and govern them according to the Laws of Christ and the customes of their Countrey For Charles the Simple the present King of France being otherwise embroiled about the right of his Crown neglected to defend them So that Roul shortly after attempted the Conquest of Paris itself and therein gave some notable overthrowes to some of the French Commanders So that King Charles was forced to buy his Peace by entering into alliance with and giving over to Roul his right to Normandy formerly called Nuestria And hereupon Roul turned Christian and was baptized by the name of Robert Thus he came to his Estate which he governed with such Judgment and equity that he left his Name honourable and his successours a firme foundation to build upon From him in a direct line descended six Dukes of Normandy that inherited that Dukedome the last of which was also called Robert who out of blind devotion resolving to visit Christ's Sepulchre acquainted his Nobles therewith They disswaded him all they could because he had no issue and Allaire Earl of Britaine and the Earle of Burgundy were already contending which of them should succeed him whereby their Country was like to become a Prey to the Souldiers from which he in conscience was bound to secure it The Duke told them that he had a little Bastard of whom he had great hopes whom he would invest with that Dutchy as his Heir and therefore he prayed them thenceforth to take him for their Lord. And said he To shew my trust in him I will make the Earl of Britaine his Governour and Seneschal of Normandy and the King of France shall be his Guardian and so I will leave him to God and your Loyalty Shortly after the Bishops and Barons did their homage to this base Son named William whom his Father begat on one Arlet a mean woman of Falaise And Duke Robert delivered the Child with his own hand to Henry first King of France whom he had greatly assisted in keeping his Crown against an other Competitor and therefore he might the more presume if good-turns done to Princes could weigh down self-respects to have found a faithful discharge of his trust He caused also young William to doe his homage for the Dutchy of Normandy to the King and so committed him to his Royal Faith and going his joruney he dyed in Asia William being then but nine years old Soon after the news of his Father's death the Nobles of Normandy by much intreaty gat him out of the French King's hand knowing that they having him amongst them would countenance his Counsellers and such as were in Office But they soon found that his Person without power did but increase their discord and factions For presently after his right was questioned by Competitors And first Robert de Tresny an experienced Souldier bringing a fair line from Roul intertained and feasted the chiefest men amongst them urging to them what a wrong it was to him that a Bastard and a Child should be preferred before him in the Dutchy which his Ancestors had gotten by their Valour and what a shame it was for the Normans to be governed by such an one And when words prevailed not he brought it to the tryal of the Sword in a great Battel in which by the valour of Roger de Beaumont he was defeated and himself and his two Brethren slain Not long after the King of France violating the trust that was reposed in him assisted in Person William Earl of Arques another pretender to the Dutchy descended also from Roul and brought to his aid a mighty Army yet Count Guifford Duke William's General by a stratagem training the French into an Ambush overthrew them and caused the King to return to Paris with great loss and dishonour and forced Arques to seek relief from the Earl of Bologne where yet he found little favour few regarding men that are overthrown and low This storm past a worse succeeds There lived with Duke William a young Lord of the like years called Guy descended also from Roul who coming to be sensible of his Interest was advised by some stirring spirits to put in for the Dutchy which they said was his right and but usurped by the Bastard And to promote his affairs there fell out a deadly feud between two of the greatest Lords Vicount Neel and the Earl of Bessin whose quarrel Duke William either did not or could not pacifie whereupon this Guy who was lately made Earl of Briorn and Vernon interposed to end this discord and by the advice of Grimolt de Plessis brought it to pass that both these great men turned the point of their malice against Duke William for not ending the difference and therefore conspired with Guy to murther him at unawares which also they had effected had not a Fool whom they suspected not noting their preparations got away in the night to Valogne knocking and crying at the Gates till he was admitted to the Dukes presence who was now about seventeen years old whom he willed presently to flee or he would be murthered The Duke seeing the Fool so affrighted contemns not the information but presently takes Horse and all alone posts towards Falaise his strongest place By the way his Horse was tired and at break a day coming to a Village called Rie it fell out that a Gentlemen was standing at his door ready to ride abroad of him the Duke enquired the next
of day gave them so hot an Alarm that he put them all into a rout leaving their Horses and Armour to the Normans who in the pursuit of fourty thousand left not a fourth part of them alive The King of France thus defeated returned home with disgrace and our Duke with the price of the Prisoners recovered his Peace and the Castle of Thuilliers which had been taken from him in his minority Cout Martel though much discouraged with the Kings overthrow yet made some attempts for the recovery of his Towns but without success Wherefore the next spring he went again to sollicit the French King to aid him against the Duke who said he is now grown insolent upon the victory he stole last year so that there is no living by him Besides he suggested that the Normans extreamly derided the French and had a base esteem of them making their last overthrow the subject of their sport and Rhimes as if the King of France upon such an inconsiderable loss durst not break a dishonourable Peace The King being stung with this reproach raised a mighty Army far greater than the former wherein were three Dukes and twelve Earls and notwithstanding the solemne peace made and so lately sworn with the Duke he entered Normandy in the Harvest time spoiling all before him along the Countrey of Bessin From thence he passed to Bayeux and Caen purposing to pass the River Dine at Verruil and to destroy all as far as to Roan Coming thither he found the Causeway long and Bridge narrow wherefore he caused his Van to pass over first and to secure his Rere lead by the Duke of Berry himself staid behind in Caen till his men and Carriages were passed Duke William all this while was storing his Fortresses with men and victuals strengthening himself and Falaise as much as he could yet had no Army in the Field but only a running Camp ready to take all advantages and so lets the fury of this storm spend itself till being informed of their passage over the Bridge and then marching all night with ten thousand men in the morning early he set upon the Rereward with so dreadfull a cry and fury that such as were upon the Causeway being affrighted thrust forward such as were before them hasting to get over the Bridge which by reason of the great press brake so that many were drowned and such as were got over could not return to aid the rest Nor the King by reason of the marishes on both sides could not yield any succor to his people but stood a spectator of their slaughter there were very many slain and six of the Kings Earls taken Prisoners This shameful overthrow was so laid to heart by the King of France that he died shortly after and the Duke of Normandy enjoyed peace which he imployed nobly in ordering and beautifying his State building and endowing Churches and Monastries He erected also a Tomb for himself and his wife at Caen Feasting and rewarding his Nobles and other men of worth whereby he so engaged their hearts to him that they were wholly his to do what he pleased In the time of this calm he sailed over into England pretending a visit to King Edward his kinsman who because he had been protected and bred in Normandy by Duke Richard the second Grandfather to them both gave him most Royal entertainment Probably he came to see and to be seen to make way for his future designs And not long after Herald whether on purpose or by some casualty of weather was driven into France is uncertain but he was gallantly entertained in Normandy by Duke William and at Roan something was concluded betwixt them whether to divide the Kingdom of England between them or that Herald being a coast-dweller should let in Duke William after the decease of King Edward the Confessour and do his best to help him to his Kingdom is uncertain but whatever it was it was solemnly sworn to upon the holy Evangelists and all the Reliques in Roan And for more assurance Herald was betrothed to Adeliza the Dukes Daughter and his Brother Wolnot was lest as a pledge for the performance Sure it is that so much was done either by our King Edward who by Will left the Crown to him or by Herald or both as gave him ground to challenge the Crown of England and to pursue the getting of it Though indeed it was not in either of their powers to prejudice our State or to alter the conse of a right succession As soon as Duke William heard of the death of King Edward and of the Election and Coronation of Herald he assembled the States of Normandy and acquainted them with the right he had to England intreating their utmost assistance for the recovery of it and to avenge him on the perjur'd Usurper Herald shewing them what a strong party he had in England and the distractions of the people which made his attempt very probable He told them what Glory Wealth and greatness the obtaining of such a Kingdom would add to them Yet notwithstanding all he could say there were but few that liked of this attempt and they which did were such as had long followed him in the wars and thereby had exhausted their estates and were content to run any adventure that might promise hope of advantage Of the rest some thought it best to hold and defend their own Countrey without adventuring to conquer an other and this was the richer sort Others were willing to contribute but did it so sparingly that it little advanced the design and the rest were so tyred with former Wars and so willing to enjoy the blessing of Peace that they were unwilling to forgoe a certain for an uncertain good The Duke meeting with these discouragements was much perplexed which made him to deal more particularly with his best Friends whom he knew to affect Honour and that they would adventure their whole estates with him These were William Fitz-Auber Earl of Brettevil Gualter Guifford Earl of Longevil Roger Lord de Beaumont c. especially his own brothers Odo Bishop of Bayeux and Robert Earl of Mortagne These he procured in a full Assembly to make their offers which they did so liberally Fitz Auber promising to furnish fourty ships with men and Amunition the Bishop of Bayeux fourty the Bishop of Mentz thirty c. that the rest of the assembly doubting that if without their help the Duke should carry on his design he would not forget their backwardness they came off more liberally The Duke finding them yielding yet not so forward as was requisite for such an undertaking dealt with the Bishops and great men apart getting that of them severally which of all together he could not attain and causing every mans contribution to be recorded kindled such an emulation amongst them that they which before would do nothing now strove who should do most By his fair perswasions also he