and where his competitor Edgar liued to beget and nurse perpetuall matter for their hopes and at hand for all aduantages he enters that kingdome with a puissant Army which incountring with more necessities then forces soone grew tired and both Kings considering of what difficulties the victorie would consist were willing to take the safest way to there endes and vpon faire ouertures to conclude a peace Articling for the boundes of each kingdome with the same title of dominion as in former times All delinquents and their partakers generally pardoned Heere with the vniuersall turne of alteration thus wrought in England Scotland being a part of the bodie of this Isle is noted to haue likewise had a share and as in the Court of England the French tongue became generally spoken so in that of Scotland did the English by reason of the multitude of this Nation attending both the Queene and her brother Edgar and daily repairing thither for their safetie and combination against the common enemie of whom diuerse abandoning their natiue distressed Country were by the bountie of that King preferred and there planted spread their off-spring into many noble families remaining to this day The titles for distinguishing degrees of honour as of Duke Marquesse Earle Baron Rider or Knight were then as is thought first introduced and the nobler sort began to be called by the title of their Signories according to the French manner which before bare the name of their Father with the addition of Mac after the fashion of Ireland Other innouations no doubt entred there likewise at the opening of this wide mutation of ours fashion and imitation like weedes easily growing in euery soile Shortly after this late made peace Edgar Etheling voluntarily came in and submitted himselfe to the King being then in Normandy and was restored to grace and a faire maintenance which held him euer after quiet And it made well at that time for the fortune of the King howsoeuer for his owne being thought to haue ill-timed his affaires either through want of seasonable intelligence or dispaire of successe in making too soone that submission which was latter or neuer to haue bene done For in this absence of the King Roger fits Auber the yong Earle of Hereford contrary to his expresse commaundement gaue his sister in marriage to Ralph Waher Earle of Northfolke and Suffolke and at the great solemnization thereof the two Earles conspired with Eustace Earle of Boloigne who secretly came ouer to this festiuall and with the Earle Waltheof and other English Lords to call in the Danes and by maine power to keepe out and dispossesse the King Who hauing thus passed ouer so many gulfes of forraine dangers might little imagine of any wracke so neere home and that those whom he had most aduanced should haue the especiall hand in his destruction But no rewards are benefits that are not held so nor can euer cleere the accounts with them that ouer-value their merits And had not this conspiracie bene opportunely discouered which some say was by the Earle Waltheof moued with the vglinesse of so foule an ingratitude they had put him againe to the winning of England But now the fire bewrayed before it flamed was soone quenched by the diligence of Odon the Kings Vice-gerent the Bishop of Worcester and others who kept the conspirators from ioyning their forces So that they neuer came to make any head but were either surprized or forced to flie The Earle Roger fitz Auber was taken and some say executed and so was shortly after the Earle Waltheof whose dissent from the act could not get him pardon for his former consent though much compassion in respect of his great worthinesse But the wide distent of these tumors fed from many secret veines seemed to be of that danger as required this extremity of cure especially in a part so apt for infection vpon any the like humors For this conspiracie seemes to take motion from a generall league of all the neighbour Princes here about as may well be gathered by their seuerall actions First in the King of France by defending Dole in Britaigne a Castle of Raph de Waher against the King of England and in likelihood imploying the Earle of Boloigne towards the conspirators In Swayne King of Denmarke by sending a Nauy of two hundreth saile vnder the conduct of his sonne Knut and others In Drone King of Ireland by furnishing the sonnes of Harald with 65 ships In Malcoline and the Kings of Wales by their readinesse to assist But the Danes being on the coast and hearing how their confederates had sped with the great preparations the king had made after some pillage taken vpon the shores of England and Flanders returned home and neuer after arriued to disturbe this land Though in Anno Reg. 19. Knute then king of Denmarke after the death of Swaine intending to repaire the dishonour of his two last aduentures past and put for the Crowne of England his predecessors had holden prepared a Nauie of a thousand saile and was aided with sixe hundreth more by Robert le Frison Earle of Flanders whose daughter he had maried But the winds held so contrary for two yeares together as vtterly quasht that enterprize and freed the king and his successors for euer after from future molestation that way But this businesse put the State to an infinit charge the king entertaining all that time besides his Normans Hugh brother to the king of France with many companies of French Finding the English in respect of many great families allied to the Danes to incline rather to that nation then the Norman and had experience of the great and neere intelligence continually passing betweene them And these were all the warres he had within the kingdome sauing in Anno Regni 15. he subdued Wales and brought the kings there to do him homage His warres abroad were all about his dominions in France first raised by his owne sonne Robert left Lieftenant gouernour of the Duchy of Normandy the Countie of Mayne who in his fathers absence tasting the glorie of commaund grew to assume the absolute rule of the Prouince causing the Barons there to doe him homage as Duke not as Lieftenant and leagues him with the King of France who working vpon the easinesse of his youth and ambition was glad to apprehend that occasion to disioynct his estate who was growen too great for him And the profuse largesse and disorderlie expence whereto Robert was addicted is nourished by all wayes possible as the meanes to imbrake him in those difficulties of still getting money that could not but needes yeild continuall occasion to intertayne both his owne discontent and theirs from whom his supplies must be raised And though therby he purchased him the title of Courtois yet he lost the opinion of good gouernment and constrayned the estates of Normandie to complaine to his father of the great concussion and violent exactions he vsed amongst them The King
vnderstanding the fire thus kindled in his owne house that had set others all in combustion hastes with forces into Normandie to haue surprized his sonne who aduertised of his comming furnisht with 2000. men at armes by the King of France lay in ambush where hee should passe sets vpon him defeited most of his people and in the pursuite hapned to incounter with himselfe whom he vnhors'd and wounded in the arme with his Launce but perceauing by his voice it was his father he hasted to remounte him humbly crauing pardon for his offence which the father seeing in what case he was granted howsoeuer he gaue and vpon his submission tooke him with him to Rouen whence after cured of his hurt hee returned with his sonne William likewise wounded in the fight into England Long was it not ere he was againe inform'd of his sonnes remutyning and how hee exacted vpon the Normans vsurpt the intire gouernment and vrged his fathers promise thereof made him before the King of France vpon his Conquest of England which caused his litle stay heere but to make preparatiōs for his returne into those parts whether in passing he was driuen on the Coast of Spaine but at length ariuing at Burdeaux with his great preparations his sonne Robert came in and submitted himselfe the second time whom hee now tooke with him into England to frame him to a better obedience imploying him in the hard and necessitous warres of Scotland the late peace beeing betweene the two Kings againe broken and after sent him backe and his yong sonne Henry with the association of charge and like power but of more trust to the gouernment of Normandie After the two Princes had beene there a while they went to visite the King of France at Conflance where feasting certaine dayes vpon an after dinner Henry wanne so much at chesse of Louis the Kings eldest sonne as he growing into choller called him the sonne of a Bastard and threw the Chesse in his face Henry takes vp the Chesse-bord and strake Louis with that force as drew bloud and had killed him had not his brother Robert come in the meane time and interposed himselfe Whereupon they suddenly tooke horse and with much adoe they recouered Pontoise from the Kings people that pursued them This quarrell arising vpon the intermeeting of these Princes a thing that seldome breeds good bloud amongst them re-inkindled a heate of more rancor in the fathers and beganne the first warre betweene the English and French For presently the King of France complots againe with Robert impatient of a partner enters Normandie and takes the Citie of Vernon The King of England inuades France subdues the Countrie of Zaintonge and Poictou and returnes to Rouen where the third time his sonne Robert is reconciled vnto him which much disappoints and vexes the King of France who thereupon summons the King of England to do him homage for the kingdome of England which he refused to do saying he held it of none but God and his sword For the Duchie of Normandie he offers him homage but that would not satisfie the King of France whom nothing would but what he could not haue the Maistery and seekes to make any occasion the motiue of his quarrell and againe inuades his territories but with more losse then profite In the end they conclude a certaine crazie peace which held no longer then King William had recouered a sicknes whereinto through his late trauaile age and corpulencie he was falne at which time the King of France then yong and lustie ieasting at his great belly whereof hee said he lay in at Rouen so irritated him as being recouered he gathers all his best forces enters France in the cheifest time of their fruites making spoile of all in his way till he came euen before Paris where the King of France then was to whom he sendes to shew him of his vp-sitting and from thence marched to the Citie of Mants which he vtterly sackt and in the distruction thereof gate his owne by the strayne of his horse among the breaches and was thence conueyed sicke to Rouen and so ended all his warres NOw for his gouernment in peace and the course he held in establishing the kingdome thus gotten first after he had represt the conspiracies in the North and well quieted all other partes of the State which now being absolutely his he would haue to be ruled by his owne law beganne to gouerne all by the Customes of Normandie Whereupon the agreeued Lordes and sadde people of England tender their humble petition beseeching him in regard of his oath made at his Coronation And by the soule of Saint Edward from whom he had the Crowne and kingdome vnder whose lawes they were borne and bred That he would not adde that miserie to deliuer them vp to be iudged by a strange law they vnderstood not And so earnestly they wrought that he was pleased to confirme that by his Charter which hee had twice fore-promised by his oath And gaue comaundement to his Iusticiaries to see those lawes of Saint Edward so called not that he made them but collected them out of Merchen-law Dane law and Westsex law to be inuiolablie obserued throughout the kingdome And yet notwithstanding this confirmation and the Charters afterward granted by Hen. 1. Hen 2. and King Iohn to the same effect there followed a generall innouation both in the lawes and gouernment of England So that this seemes rather done to acquiet the people with a shew of the continuation of their ancient customes then that they enioyed them in effect For the little conformitie betwene those lawes of former times and these that followed vpon this change of State shew from what head they sprang And though there might be some veynes issuing from foriner originals yet the mayne streame of our Comon law with the practice thereof flowed out of Normandie notwithstanding all obiections can be made to the contrary For before these collections of the Confessors there was no vniuersall law of the kingdome but euery seuerall Prouince held their owne customes all the inhabitants from Humber to Scotland vsed the Danicque law Merchland the midle part of the Countrie and the State of the West Saxons had their seuerall constitutions as being seuerall dominions And though for some few yeares there seemed to be a reduction of the Heptarchie into a Monarchie yet held it not so long together as wee may see in the succession of that broken gouernment as to setle one forme of order current ouer all but that euery Prouince according to their perticuler founders had their customes a part and held nothing in comon besides religion and the constitutions thereof but with the vniuersalitie of Meum Tuum ordered according to the rites of nations and that ius innatum the Comon law of all the world which wee see to be as vniuersall as are the cohabitations and societies of men and serues the turne to hold them together
to whom the father and mother had left much treasure and for the same ingages the Country of Constantine and leauies an Army for England But William newlie inuested in the Crowne though well prepared for all assaults had rather purchace a present peace by mediation of the Nobles on both sides till time had better setled him in his gouernment then to rayse spirits that could not easily be allayed And an agreement betweene them is wrought that William should hold the crowne of England during his life paying to Robert 3. thousand Marks Per annum Robert hauing closed this businesse resumes by force the Country of Costantin out of his brother Henries hands without discharge of those summes for which he had ingaged it Whereupon King William obrayds Henry with the great gayne he had made by his vsurie in lending mony to depriue him of his Crowne And so Henry gote the hatred of both his brothers and hauing no place safe from their danger where to liue surprized the Castle of Mount Saint Michel fortifies him therein gets ayde of Hugh Earle of Britaigne and for his mony was serued with Bretons who committed great spoyles in the Countries of Costantin and Bessin Odon Byshop of Bayeux returning into England after his imprisonment in Normandie and restored to his Earldom of Kent finding himselfe so far vnder what he had bene and Lanfranc his concurrent now the onely man in councell with the King complots with as many Norman Lords as he found or made to affect change and a new maister and sets them on worke in diuers parts of the Realme to distract the Kings forces as first Geoffery Bishop of Constans with his nephew Robert de Mowbray Earle of Northumberland fortifie them selues in Bristow and take in all the Country about Roger de Bigod made himselfe strong in Northfolke Hugh de Grandmenill about Leicester Roger de Mongomerie Earle of Shrewsbery with a powre of Welshmen and other there about sets out accompanied with William Byshop of Durham Bernard de Newmarch Roger Lacie and Raulfe Mortimer all Normans and assayle the Cittie of Worcester making themselues strong in those parts Odon himselfe fortifies the Castle of Rochester makes good all the coast of Kent sollicites Robert to vse what speed he could to come with all his power out of Normandie which had he done in time and not giuen his brother so large oportunitie of preuention he had carried the kingdome but his delay yeeldes the King time to confirme his frends vnder-worke his enemies and make him strong with the English which he did by granting relaxation of tribute with other relieuements of their doleances and restoring them to their former freedom of hunting in all his woodes and forests a thing they much esteemed whereby he made them so strongly his as he soone brake the necke of all the Norman conspiracies they being egar to reuenge them of that nation and here they learned first to beat their Conquerors hauing the faire aduantage of this action which cut the throtes of many of them Mongomerie being wonne from his complices and the seuerall conspirators in other parts represt the King comes with an Army into Kent where the head of the faction lay and first wonne the Castle of Tunbridge and that of Pemsey which Odon was forced to yeeld and promise to cause those which defended that of Rochester which were Eustace Earle of Bologne and the Earle of Mortaigne to render likewise the same But being brought thither to effect the businesse they within receiuing him detayned him as he pretended prisoner and held out stoutly against the King vpon a false intelligence giuen of the ariuall of Duke Robert at Southampton but in the end they were forced to quit the place and retyre into France and Odon to abiure England And to keepe off the like danger from hence he transports his forces into Normandie there to waste and weaken his brother at home So as might hold him from any future attempts abroad for euer after Where first he obtaines Saint Valery and after Albemarle with the whole Country of Eu Fescampe the Abathie of monte Saint Michel Cherburge and other places Robert seekes ayde of Phillip King of France who comes downe with an Army into Normandie but ouercome with the power of mony wherewith King William assayled him did him little good and so retired Whereupon Duke Robert in the end was driuen to a dishonorable peace concluded at Caen with these Articles 1. that King William should hold the County of Eu Fescampe and all other places which he had bought and were deliuered vnto him by William Earle of Eu and Stephen Earle of Aumal sisters sonne to William the first 2. He should aide the Duke to recouer all other peeces which belonged to his Father and were vsurped from the Duchy 3. That such Normans as hadlost their estates in England by taking part with the Duke should be restored thereunto 4. That the suruiuer of either of them should succeed in the dominions both of England and Normandie After this peace made by the mediation of the King of France whilst William had a strong Army in the field Duke Robert requested his aid against their brother Henry who still kept him in the fort of mount Saint Michel vpon his gard holding it best for his saftie For being a Prince that could not subsist of himselfe as an earthen vessel set amongst iron pots he was euery way in danger to be crusht and seeing he had lost both his brothers by doing the one a kindnesse if he should haue toke to either their turne being serued his owne might be in hazard and so betooke him to this defence Forty daies the 2. Princes layd siege to this Castle and one day as the King was alone on the shore there sallies out of the Forte a companie of horse whereof three ran at him so violently and all strooke his horse together with their lances as they brake pectorall girses and all that the horse slips away and leaues the King and the saddle on the ground the King takes vp the saddle with both hands and therewith defendes himselfe till rescue came and being blamed by some of his people for putting himselfe thus in perill of his life to saue his saddle answered it would haue angred him the Bretons should haue bragged they had wonne the saddle from vnder him and how great an indignitie it was for a King to suffer inferiors to force any thing from him In the end Henry grew to extreame want of drinke and water allthough he had all other prouision sufficient within his forte and sends to Duke Robert that he might haue his necessitie supplied the Duke sendes him a Tunne of wine and grantes him truce for a day to furnish him with water Wherewith William being displeased Duke Robert told him it was hard to deny a brother meate and drinke which craued it and that if he perisht they had not a brother Wherewith William
fractures here at home the vnrepairable breaches abroad were such as could giue the king no longer assurednesse of quiet then the attempters would and that all the Christian world was out either at discord amongst themselues or in faction by the schisme of the Church Pope Vrban assembling a generall Councell at Cleirmont in Auuergne to compose the affaires of Christendome exhorted all the Princes thereof to ioyne themselues in action for the recouery of the holy land out of the hands of infidels Which motion by the zealous negotiation of Peter the Hermit of Amiens tooke so generally meeting with the disposition of an actiue and religious world as turn'd all that flame which had else consumed each other at home vpon vnknowne nations that vndid them a broad Such and so great grew the heate of this action made by the perswasion of the iustice thereof with the state and glory it would bring on earth and the assurednesse of heauen to all the pious vndertakers that none were esteemed to containe any thing of worth which would stay behind Each giues hand to other to leade them along and example ads number The forwardnesse of so many great Princes passing away their whole estates and leauing all what the deernesse of their Country contained drewe to this warre 300000 men all which though in armes passed from diuerse countries and ports with that quietnesse as they seemed rather Pilgrimes then Souldiers Godefroy of Bouillon nephew and heire to the Duke of Lorrayne a generous Prince bred in the warres of the Emperour Henry 4. was the first that offered vp himselfe to this famous voyage and with him his two brothers Eustace and Baudouin by whose examples were drawne Hugh le Grand Count de Vermendois brother to Philip king of France Robert Duke of Normandy Robert le Frison Earle of Flanders Stephen Earle of Blois Chartres Aimar Byshop of Puy William Byshop of Orange Raimond Earle of Tholouse Baudouin Earle of Hainaut Baudouin Earle of Rethel and Garnier Earle of Gretz Harpin Earle of Bourges Ysoard Earle of Die Ramb and Earle of Orange Guillaum Conte de Forests Stephen Conte de Aumaul Hugh Earle of Saint Pol Rotron Earle of Perche and others These were for France Germany and the Countries adioyning Italie had Bohemond Duke of Apulia and England Beauchampe with others whose names are lost Spayne onely had none being afflicted at that time with the Sarazins Most of all these Princes and great personages to furnish themselues for this expedition sold or ingaged their possessions Godefroy sold the Duchie of Bologne to Aubert Byshop of Liege and Metz to the Cittizens besides he sold the Castle of Sarteney and Monsa to Richard Byshop of Verdun and to the same Byshop Bandouin his brother sold the Earldome of Verdun Eustace likewise sold all his liuelihood to the Church Herpin Earle of Bourges his Earldome to Phillip King of France and Robert morgaged his Duchie of Normandie the Earldome of Maine and all he had to his brother King William of England Whereby the Pope not onely weakened the Empire with whom the Church had to the great affliction of Christendome held a long and bloudie businesse about the inuestitures of Byshops tooke away and infeobled his partisans abated as if by Ostrocisme the power ofany Prince that might oppose him but also aduanced the State Ecclefiasticall by purchasing these great temporalties more honorable for the sellers then the buyers vnto a greater meanes then euer For by aduising the vndertakers seing their action was for CHRIST and his Church rather to make ouer their estates to the Clergie of whom they might againe redeeme the same and be sure to haue the fayrest dealing then vnto lay men he effected this worke Whereby the third part of the best Fiefs in France came to be possest by the Clergic and afterward vpon the same occasion many things more sold vnto them in England especially when Richard 1. vndertooke the voyage who passed ouer diuers Mannors to Hugh Byshop of Durham and also for his mony created him Earle of Durham This humor was kept vp and in motion aboue 200. yeares notwithstanding all the discouragements by the difficulties in passing the disasters there through contagion arysing from a disagreeing clime and the multitudes of indigent people cast oftentimes into miserable wants It consumed infinit treasure and most of the brauest men of all our West world and especially France For Germanie and Italie those who were the Popes friends and would haue gone were stayd at home by dispensation to make good his partie against the Emperour who notwithstanding still strugled with him but in the end by this meanes the Pope preuayled But these were not all the effects this voyage wrought the Christians who went out to seeke an enemy in Asia brought one thence to the danger of all Christendome the losse of the fairest part thereof For this long keeping it in a warre that had many intermissions with fits of heates and coldnesses as made by a league consisting of seuerall nations emulous and vnconcurrent in their courses taught such as were of an entire bodie their weakenesses the way to conquer them This was the great effect this voyage wrought And by this meanes king William here was now rid of an elder brother and a Competitor had the possession of Normandy during his raigne and a more absolutenesse and irregularity in England Where now in making vp this great summe to pay Robert he vsed all the extreme meanes could be deuised as he had done in all like businesses before Whereby he incurred the hatred of his people in generall and especially of the Clergie being the first king which shewed his successors an euill precedent of keeping their Liuings vacant and receiuing the profits of them himselfe as he did that of Canterbury foure yeares after the death of Lanfranc and had holden it longer but that being dangerously sicke at Glocester the sixth yeare of his raigne his Clergie in the weaknesse of his body tooke to worke vpon his minde so as he vowed vpon his recouerie to see it furnished which he did but with so great ado as shewed that hauing escaped the danger he would willingly haue deceiued the Saint And Anselme an Italian borne though bred in Normandy is in the end preferred to that Sea But what with his owne stiffenesse and the kings standing on his regalitie he neuer enioyed it quietly vnder him For betweene them two began the first cōtestation about the inuestitures of Bishops and other priuiledges of the Church which gaue much to do to many of his successors Anselme not yeelding to the Kings will forsooke the Land whereupon his Byshopricke was re-assumed and the King held in his hands at one time besides that of Canterburie the Byshopricks of Winchester Sarum and eleuen Abayes whereof he tooke all the profits He vsually sold all sprituall preferments to those would giue most and tooke fines of Priests for fornication he vexed
And here Robert who stood in a fayre possibility of two Crownes came to be depriued of his Duchy and all he had brought prisoner into England and committed to the Castle of Cardiffe Where to adde to his miserie he had the misfortune of a long life suruiuing after he lost himselfe 26. yeares whereof the most parte he saw not hauing his eyes put out whereby he was onely left to his thoughts a punishment barbarously inflicted on him for attempting an escape He was a Prince that gaue out to the world very few notes of his ill but many of his noblenesse and valour especially in his great voyage where he had the second command and was in election to haue bene the first preferred to the Crowne of Ierusalem and missed it hardly Onely the disobedience in his youth shewed to his father which yet might proceed from a rough hand borne ouer him and the animation of others rather then his owne nature set a stayne vpon him and then his profusion which some would haue liberalitie shewed his impotencie and put him into those courses that ouerthrew him All the reuenues of his Duchie which should serue for his maintenance he sold or ingaged and was vpon passing the Cittie of Roan to the Citizens Which made him held vnfit for the gouernment and gaue occasion to his brother to quarrell with him And thus came Henry freed from this feare and absolute Duke of Normandie had many yeares of quiet gathered great treasure and intertayned good intelligence with the neighbour Princes Scotland by his Match and doing their Princes good he held from doing him hurte clearing them from vsurpations Wales though vnder his title yet not subiection gaue him some exercise of action which he ordred with great wisedome First he planted with in the bodie of that Country a Colonie of Flemings who at that time much pestred this kingdome being admitted here in the raigne of King William 1. marrying their Country woman and vsing their helpe in the action of England where they daylie increased in such sorte as gaue great displeasure to the people But by this meanes both that greuance was eased and the vse of them made profitable to the State for being so great a number and a strong people they made roome for themselues held it in that sorte as they kept the Welsh all about them in very good awe Besides the King tooke for Ostages the chiefe mens sonnes of the Country and hereby quieted it For France he stood secure so long as Phillip 1. liued who wholy giuen ouer to his ease and luxurie was not for other attempts out of that course but his sonne he was to looke vnto whensoeuer he came to that Crowne With the Earle of Flanders he had some debate but it was onely in words and vpon this occasion King William the first in retribution of the good his father in law Baldâ—â—in 5. had done by aiding him in the action of England gaue him yearely 300 markes and likewise continued it to his sonne after him Now Robert Earle of Flanders of a collaterall line returning emptie from the holy warres and finding this summe paid out of England to his predecessors demaundes the same of king Henry as his due who not easie to part with money sends him word that it was not the custome of the kings of England to pay tribute If they gaue pensions they were temporanie and according to desert Which answer so much displeased the Earle that though himselfe liued not to show his hatred yet his sonne did and aided afterward William the sonne of Robert Curtoys in his attempts for recouerie of the Duchie of Normandy against king Henry Thus stood this king in the first part of his raigne in the other he had more to do abroad then at home where he had by his excellent wisedome so setled the gouernment as it held a steady course without in interruption all his time But now Lewis le Gros succeeding his father Philip the first gaue him warning to looke to his State of Normandy and for that he would not attend a quarrell he makes one taking occasion about the Cittie of Gisors scituate on the riuer Epre in the confines of Normandy whilst Louys was trauailed with a stubborne Nobility presuming vpon their Franchises within their owne Signories whereof there were many at that time about Paris as the Contes of Crecy Pissaux Dammartin Champagne and others who by example and emulation would bee absolute Lords without awe of a maister putting themselues vnder the protection of Henry who beeing neere to assist them fostred those humors which in sicke bodies most shew themselues But after Louys by yeares gathering strength dissolued that compact and made his meanes the more by their confiscations Now to entertaine these two great Princes in worke the quarrell betweene the Pope and the Emperour ministred fresh occasion The Emperour Henry 5. hauing by the Popes instigation banded against his father Henry 4. who associated him in the Empire and held him prisoner in that distresse as he died toucht afterward with remorse of this act and reproach of the State for abandoning the rights of the Empire leuies sixtie thousand foote and thirtie thousand horse for Italy constraines the Pope his Colledge to acknowledge the rights of the Empire in that forme as Leo 4. had done to Otho 2. and before that Adrian to Charlemaigne according to the decree of the Councell of Rome and made him take his Oath of fidelitie betweene his hands as to the true and lawfull Emperour The Pope so soone as Henry was departed home assembles a Councell nullifies this acknowledgment as done by force and shortly after deceased The Emperour to make himselfe the stronger against his successor enters into aliance with the King of England takes to wife his daughter Maud being but fiue yeares of age After this Calixte sonne of the Conte de Borgogne comming to bee Pope and beeing French to their great applause assembles a Councell at Reimes where by Ecclesiasticall sentence Henry 5. is declared enemy of the Church and degraded of his Imperiall dignitie The King of England seeing this Councell was held in France composed chiefly of the Galicane Church desirous to ouer-maister Louys incenses his sonne in law the Emperour stung with this disgrace to set vpon him as the Popes chiefe piller on one side and hee would assaile him on the other The Emperour easily wrought to such a businesse prepares all his best forces the King of England doth the like The King of France seeing this storme comming so impetuously vpon him wrought so with the Princes of Germany as they weighing the future mischife of a warre vndertaken in a heare with the importance of a kinde neighbourhood aduise the Emperour not to enter there into till hee had signified to the King of France the causes of his discontent Where upon an Embassage is dispatched the King of France answeres that hee grieued much to
THE FIRST PART OF THE HISTORIE Of England BY SAMVEL DANYEL LONDON Printed by Nicholas Okes dwelling neere Holborne bridge 1612. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE SIR ROBERT CARR VISCOVNT ROCHEster Knight of the most Noble Order of the Garter and one of his Maiesties most Honourable Priuy Councell TO giue a reason of my worke is in my part as well as to do it And therefore my Noble Lord why I vndertooke to write this History of England I alledge that hauing spent much time of my best vnderstanding in this part of humane Learning Historie both in forraine countries where especially I tooke those notions as made most for the conduct of businesse in this kind and also at home where it hath bene in my fortune besides conference with men of good experience to haue seene many of the best discourses negotiations instructions and relations of the generall affaires of the World I resolued to make triall of my forces in the contexture of our owne Historie which for that it lay dispersed in consused peeces hath bene much desired of many And held to be some blemish to the honour of our Country to come behinde other Nations in this kind when neither in magnificence of State glory of action or abilities of nature we are any way inferior to them Nor is there any Nation whose Ancestors haue done more worthy things both at home and abroad especially for matter of war For since the Romans no one people hath fought so many battailes prosperously And therfore out of the tender remorse to see these men much defrauded of their glory so deerely bought and their affaires confusedly deliuered I was drawne though the least able for such a worke to make this aduenture which howsoeuer it proue will yet shew the willingnesse I haue to do my Countrey the best seruice I could and perhaps by my example induce others of better abilities to vndergoe the same In the meane time to draw out a small substance of so huge a masse as might haue something of the vertue of the whole could not be but an extraction worthy the paines seeing it concernes them most to know the generall affaires of England who haue least leasure to read them And the better to fit their vse I haue made choyce to deliuer onely those affaires of action that most concerne the gouernment diuiding my worke into three Sections according to the Periods of those Ages that brought forth the most remarkable Changes And euery Section into three Bookes Whereof the first briefly relates the various mutations of State plantation and supplantation of the inhabitants in the chiefest part of this Isle before the comming of the Norman The second booke containes the life and Raigne of William the first The third the succession of William the second Henry the first and Stephan And this part I haue here done The second Section begins with Henry the second the first of the royall family of Plantagenet containes the liues of foureteene Princes of that Line and takes vp 339 yeares A space of time that yeelds vs a view of a wider extent of Dominion by the accession of a third part of France to the Crowne of England more matter of action with a greater magnificence and glory of State then euer in ermixt with strange varieties and turnes of Fortune the inflammation of three ciuill warres besides popular insurrections the deposing of foure kings and fiue vsurpations which in the end so rent the State as all the glory of forraine greatnesse which that line brought expired with it selfe The third Section containes the succession of fiue Soueraigne Princes of the Line of Tewdor and the space of 129 yeares A time not of that virilitie as the former but more subtile and let out into wider notions and bolder discoueries of what lay hidden before A time wherein began a greater improuement of the Soueraigntie and more came to be effected by wit then the sword Equall and iust incounters of State and State in forces and of Prince and Prince in sufficiencie The opening of a new world which strangely altered the manner of this inhancing both the rate of all things by the induction of infinite Treasure opened a wider way to corruption whereby Princes got much without their swords Protections Confederations to counterpoyse preuent ouer-growing powers came to bee maintained with larger pensions Leidger Ambassadors first imployed abroad for intelligences Common Banks erected to returne and surnish moneys for these businesses Besides strange alterations in the State Ecclesiasticall Religion brought forth to bee an Actor in the greatest Designes of Ambition and Faction To conclude a time stored with all varietie of accidents fit for example and instructi-on This is the scope of my designe And this I addresse to you my Noble Lord not onely as a testimonie of my gratitude for the honorable regard you haue taken of mee but also in respect you being now a publick person and thereby ingaged in the State of England as well as incorporated into the Body thereof may here learne by the obseruance of affaires past for that Reason is strengthned by the successe of exāple to iudge the righter of things present And withall that herein you seeing many precedents of such as haue runne euen and direct courses like your owne howsoeuer the successe was neuer wanted glory may therby be comforted to continue this way of integrity and of being a iust seruant both to the King and the Kingdome nor can there be a better testimony to the world of your owne worth then that you love and cherish the same wheresoeuer you finde it in others And if by your hand it may come to the sight of his Royall Maiesty whose abilities of nature are such as whatsoeuer comes within his knowleldge is presently vnder the dominion of his iudgement I shall thinke it happy and though in it selfe it shall not be worthy his leasure yet will it bee much to the glory of his Reigne that in his daies there was a true History written a liberty proper onely to Common-wealths and neuer permitted to Kingdomes but vnder good Princes Vpon which liberty notwithstanding I will not vsurpe but tread as tenderly on the graues of his magnificent Progenitors as possibly I can Knowing there may in a kind be Laesa Maiestas euen against dead Princes And as in reuerence to thē I will deliuer nothing but what is fit for the world to know so through the whole worke I will make conscience that it shall know nothing but as faithfully as I can gather it Truth protesting herein to haue no other passion then the zeale thereof nor to hold any stubborna opinion but lyable to submission and better information Your Lordships to command SAMVEL DANYEL THE FIRST BOOKE of the Historie of England Containing A briefe relation of the State of this land from the first knowledge we haue thereof to the comming of William the Norman I Intend by the helpe of God and your
Robert Bluet Bishop of Lincolne in suite till he payd him 5000. pounds And now the Clergie vpon this taxe complaining their wants were answered that they had Shrines of gold in their Churches and for so holy a worke as this warre against infidels they should not spare them He also tooke money of Iewes to cause such of them as were conuerted to renounce Christianity as making more benifit by their vnbeleefe then their conuersion Wherein he discouered the worst peece of his nature irreligion Besides his great taxations layd on the Laity he set informers vpon them and for small transgressions made great penalties These were his courses for raising moneys wherein he failed not of fit ministers to execute his wil among whom was chiefe Ranulph Bishop of Durham whom he had corrupted with other Bishops to counterpoyze the Clergie awe the Layty and countenance his proceedings All which meanes he exhausted either in his buildings which were the new Castle vpon Tine the City of Carleil Westminster Hall and the walles of the Tower of London or else in his prodigall gifts to strangers Twice he appeased the king of France with money and his profusion was such as put him euermore into extreme wants This one act which shewes both his violence and magnanimitie remaines As he was one day hunting a messenger comes in all hast out of Normandy and tels him how the City of Mans was surprised by Hely Conte de la Flesche who by his wife pretended right thereunto and was aided by Fouques d' Angiers the ancient enemy of the Dukes of Normandy and that the Castle which held out valiantly for him was without present succour to be rendred He sends backe the messenger instantly wils him to make all the speed he could to signifie to his people in the Castle that he would be there within eight dayes if Fortune hindred him nor And suddenly he asks of his people about him which way Mans lay a Norman being by shewed him Presently he turnes his horse towards that coast and in great hast rides on when some aduised him to stay for fit prouisions and people for his iourney he said They who loue me will follow me And comming to imbarke at Dartmouth the maister told him the weather was rough and there was no passing without eminent danger Tush said he set forward I neuer yet heard of king that was drowned By breake of day he ariued at Harfleu sends for his Captaines and men of warre to attend him all at Mans whither he came at the day appointed Conte de la Flesche hauing more right then power after many skirmishes was taken by a stratagem and brought prisoner to Rouen where more inraged then dismaide with his fortune he let fall these words that had he not bene taken with a wile he would haue left the king but little land on that side the sea and were he againe at liberty they should not so easily take him Which being reported theking sent for him set him at liberty gaue him a faire horse bad him go his way and do his worst Which act ouercame him more then his taking and a quiet end was made betweene them The King returnes into England with great iollitie as euer bringing home better fortune out of Normandy then from any his Northerne expeditions Feasts his Nobility with all magnificence in his new hall lately finished at Westminster wherewith he found much fault for being built too little saying it was fitter for a chamber then a Hall for a king of England and takes a plot for one farre more spacious to be added vnto it And in this gaytie of state when he had gote aboue all his businesses betakes him wholly to the pleasure of peace and being hunting with his brother Henry in the new Forest Walter Terell a Normand and his kinsman shooting at a Deere whether mistaking his marke or not is vncertaine strake him to the heart And so fell this fierce king in the 43 yeare of his age A Prince who for the first two yeares of his raigne whilst held in by the graue counsell of Lanfranc and his owne feares bare himselfe most worthily and had beene absolute for State had he not after sought to be absolute in power which meeting with an exorbitant will makes both Prince and People miserable Henry the First HEnry the yongest sonne of William the first being at hand and borne in England which made much for him was elected and crowned within foure dayes after his brothers death it being giuen out that Robert who should haue succeeded William was chosen king of Ierusalem and not like to giue ouer that kingdome for this Wherefore to settle Henry in the possession of the Crowne all expedition possible was vsed least the report of Roberts returning from the holy warres being now in Apulia comming home might be noysed abroad to stagger the State which seemed generally willing to accept of Henry The first actions of his gouernment tended all to baite the people and sugar their subiectiō as his predecessor vpon the like interposition had done but with more moderation and aduisednesse this being a Prince better rectified in iudgement and of a nature more allayed both by his sufferings hauing sighed with other men vnder the hand of oppression that taught him patience and also by hauing somewhat of the booke which gote him opinion and the title of Beauclerke First to fasten the Clergie he furnishes with fit men all those vacancies his brother had kept emptie recals Anselme home to his Bishopricke of Canterbury and restores them to all whatsoeuer priuiledges had bene infringed by his predecessor And for the Layety he not only pleased them in their relieuments but in their passion by punishing the chiefe ministers of their exactions which euermore eases the spleene of the people glad to discharge their Princes of the euils done them knowing how they cannot worke without hands and lay them on their officers who haue the actiue power where themselues haue but the passiue and commonly turne as they are moued Raulfe Byshop of Durham chiefe counsaylor to the late King a man risen by subtletie and his tongue from infimous condition to the highest imployments was committed to a streight and loath some prison being famed to haue put his maister into all these courses of exaction and irregularities and remaynes amongst the examples of perpetuall ignominie All dissolute persons are expelled the Courte the people eased of their impositions and restored to their lights in the night which after the Couerfeu Bell were forbidden them vpon great penaltie since the beginning of William I. Many other good orders for the gouernment of the kingdom are ordayned and besides to make him the more popular and beloued he matches in the royall bloud of England taking to wife Matilde daughter of Margueret late Queene of Scots and neece to Edgar Atheling discended from Edmond Ironside A Ladie that brought with her the inheritance of goodnesse
she had from a blessed mother and with much a do was wonne from her cloyster and her vow to God to discend to the world and be a wife to a King Thus stood he intrenched in the State of England when his brother Robert returning from the holy warres and receiued with great applause into his Duchie of Normandy shakes the ground of all this businesse the first yeare threatning the second ariuing with a strong Army at Portsmouth to recouer the Crowne appertayning to him by the course of right hauing a mighty partie in England of the Norman Nobilitie who either moued with conscience or their discontent a sickenesse rising of selfe opiniō ouer-expectatiō made any light occasion the motiue of reuolt The Armyes on both sides meete and are readie to incounter when for auoyding Christian bloud a treatie of peace was moued and in the end concluded with these articles that seing Henry was borne since his father was King of England which made him the eldest sonne of a King though the last of a Duke and now inuested in the Crowne by the act of the kingdom he should inioy the same during his life paying to Robert 3000. markes per annum and Robert suruiuing to succeed him that all who had taken part with Robert should haue their pardon and receiue no detriment This businesse thus fairely passed ouer Robert of a generous and free nature staies and feasts with his brother here in England from the beginning of August till Michelmas and then returnes into Normandie When Henry rid of this feare takes to a higher strayne of regalitie and now standes vpon his Prerogatiue for the inuestitures of Byshops and collation of other Ecclesiasticall estates within his kingdome oppugned by Anselme who refused to consecrate such as he preferred alledging it to be a violation of the sacred rites and Ceremonies of the Church lately decreed concerning this businesse in so much as the King dispatches an Embassage to Pope Paschal with declaration of the right he had to such inuestitures from his predecessors the Kings of England who euermore conferred the same without interruption till now of late Anselme followes after these Ambassadours goes likewise to Rome to make good the opposition The King banishes him the kingdom and takes into his hands the Byshopricke The Pope standes stifly to the power assumed by the Church but in the end seeing the King fast strong and lay too far off out of his way to be constrayned and hauing much to do at that time with the Emperour and other Princes about the same businesse takes the way of perswasion to draw him to his will soliciting him with kinde letters full of protestations to further any designes of his that might concerne his state if he would desist from this proceeding The King prest with some other occasions that held him in and hauing purposes of that nature as by forbearance of the Church might be the better effected consents to satisfie the Popes will and becomes an example to other Princes of yeelding in this case Anselme is re-called after a yeares banishment and the Ambassadors returne with large remunerations Whilst these things were managing at Rome there burst out here a flame which consumed the parties that raised it and brought the king more easily to his ends then otherwise he could euer haue expected Robert de Belesme Earle of Shrewsbury sonne to Roger de Mongomery a fierce youth presuming of his great estate and his friends fortifies his Castles of Shrewsbury Bridgenorth Tickhill and Arundell with some other peeces in Wales belonging to him and combines with the Welch to oppose against the present State out of a desire to set all in combustion for his owne ends that were vncertaine which put the king to much trauaile and charge but within 30. dayes by imploying great forces and terrors mixt with promises he scattered his complices and tooke all his Castles except that of Arundell which rendred vpon condition that the Maister might be permitted to retire safe into Normandy which the king easily granted seeing now he was but the body of a silly naked creature that had lost both feathers and wings And it made well for the king his going thither For from the loosing of his owne estate in England and thereby aduancing the kings reuenues he goes to loose Normandy also and bring it to this Crowne For as soone as he came thither he fastens amitie with one of like condition and fortune as himselfe an exiled man whose insolencie had likewise stript him out of all his estate in England and much wasted that in Normandie which was William Earle of Mortaigne sonne to Robert halfe brother to King William I. Who being also Earle of Cornewall made sute likewise to haue that of Kent Which his vnkle Odon lately held but being denyed it and also euicted by law of certayne other parcels of Land which he claymed retires with great indignation into Normandie where not onely he assaults the Kings Castles but also vsurps vpon the State of Richard the young Earle of Chester then the Kings warde These two Earles combine themselues and with their adherents committed many outragious actions to the great spoyle and displeasure of the Country whereof though they complayned to Duke Robert they found litle remedie For he being now grown poore by his out-lauishing humor began it seemes to be little respected or els falne from action those greatnesses his expectation had shewed him was as commonly great mindes dasht with ill fortunes are falne likewise in spirit and giuen ouer to his ease Whereupon the people of Normandie make their exclamations to the King of England who sendes for his brother Robert reprehendes him for the sufferance of these disorders aduises him to act the parte of a Prince and not a Monke and in conclusion whether by detention of his pension or drawing him being of a facile nature to some act of releasing it sendes him home so much discontented as he ioynes with these mutinous Earles and by their instigation was set into that flame as he raysed all his vtmost forces to be reuenged on his brother The King touched in conscience with the fowlenesse of a fraternall war which the world would take he being the mightier to proceed out of his designes stood doubtfull what do when Pope Pasehall by his letters written with that eloquēce saith Malmesbury wherein he was quicke perswaded him that herein he should not make a ciuill warre but do a noble and memorable benefit to his Country Whereby payde for remitting the inuestitures he held himselfe countenanced in this businesse Whereon now he sets with more alacritie and resolution And after many difficulties and losse of diuers worthy men in a mightie battayle nere the Castle of Tenerchbray his enemies with much a do were all defeited Whereby England wonne Normandie and on the same day by computation wherein 40. yeares before Normandie ouer-came England such are the turnings in affaires of men
see the two great pillers of the Church thus shaken with these dissentions whereby might bee feared the whole frame would be ruined that hee was friend to them both and would gladly be an inter-dealer for concord rather then to carry wood to a fire too fierce already which hee desired to extinguish for the good and quyet of Christendome This Embassage wrought so as it disarmed the Emperour glad to haue Louys a mediator of the accord betweene the Pope and him to the great displeasure of the King of England who expected greater matters to haue risen by this businesse The accorde is concluded at Wormes to the Popes advantage to whom the Emperour yeelds vp the right of inuestitures of Bishops and other Benifices But this was onely to appease not cure the maladie The King of England disapoynted thus of the Emperours assistance proceedes notwithstanding in his intentions against Louys And seeing he failed of outward forces he sets vp a partie in his kingdome to confront him ayding Theobald Conte de Champagne with so great power as hee stood to do him much displeasure besides hee obtained a strong side in that kingdome by his aliances for Stephen Earle of Blois had married his sister Adela to whom this Theobald was neere in bloud and had wonne Foulke Earle of Aniou an important neighbour and euer an enemy to Normandy to be his by matching his sonne William to his daughter Louys on the other side failes not to practise all meanes to vnder-worke Henries estate in Normandy and combines with William Earle of Flanders for the restoring of William the sonne of Robert Curtoys to whom the same appertained by right of inheritance and had the fairer shew of his actions by taking hold on the side of iustice Great and many were the conflicts betweene these two Princes with the expence of much bloud and charge But in the end being both tired a peace was concluded by the mediation of the Earle of Aniou And William sonne to King Henry did homage to Louys for the Dutchy of Normandy And William the son of Robert Curtoys is left to himselfe and desists from his claime Vpon the faire cloze of all rhese troubles there followed presently an accident which seasoned it with that sowrenesse of griefe as ouercame all the ioy of the successe William the yong Prince the onely hope of all the Norman race at 17 yeares of age returning into England in a ship by himselfe accompanyed with Richard his base brother Mary Countesse of Perch their sister Richard Earle of Chester with his wife the kings Neece and many other personages of honour and their attendants to the number of 140. besides 50 Mariners setting out from Harflew were all cast away at Sea The Prince had recouered a Cock-boat and in possibility to haue beene saued had not the compassion of his sisters cryes drawne him backe to the sinking ship to take her in and perish with his company Which sodaine clap of Gods iudgement cōming in a calme of glory whē all these bustlings seemed past ouer might make a conscience shrinke with terror to see oppression and supplantation repayd with the extinction of that for which so much had beene wrought and the line masculine of Normandy expired in the third heire as if to begin the fate layd on all the future succession wherein neuer but once the third in a right discent inioyed the Crowne without supplantation or extinction to the great affliction of the kingdome and himselfe to leaue his other issue subiect to the like ouerturnings which may teach Princes to obserue the wayes of righteousnesse and let men alone with their rights and God with his prouidence But in hope to repaire this losse King Henry within 5 moneths after married Adalicia a beautifull yong Lady daughter to the Duke of Lovaine and of the house of Loraine but neuer had issue by her nor long rest from his troubles abroad For this rent at home crackt all the chaine of his courses in France Normandy it selfe became wauering and many adhered to William the Nephew his great confederats are most regayn'd to the king of France Foulke Earle of Aniou quarrels for his daughters dower Robert de Mellent his chiefe friend Councellour a man of great imployment fell from him conspired with Hugh Earle of Monfort and wrought him great trouble But such was his diligence and working spirit that hee soone made whole all those ruptures againe The two Earles himselfe surprizes and Aniou death which being so important a neighbour as we may see by matching a Prince of England there the King fastens vpon it with another aliance and discends to marry his daughter and now onely childe which had bin wife to an Emperour desired by the Princes of Lumbardy and Loraine to the now Earle Geffrey Plantagenet the sonne of Foulke The King of France to fortifie his opposition entertaines William the Nephew where now all the danger lay and aydes him in person with great power to obtaine the Earledome of Flanders wherunto he had a faire Title by the defailance of issue of the late Earle Baldouin slaine in a battaile in France against King Henry But William as if heire also of his fathers fortunes admitted to the Earledome miscarried in the rule was depriued and slaine in battaile and in him all of Robert Curtoys perished And now the whole care of king Henry was the setling of the succession vpon Maude of whom hee liued to see two sonnes borne for which hee conuokes a Parliament in England wherein an oath is ministred to the Lords of this land to bee true to her her heires and acknowledge them as the right inheritors of the Crowne This oath was first taken by Dauid king of Scots vnkleto Maude and by Stephen Earle of Bollogne and Mortaine Nephew to the King on whom he had bestowed great possessions in England and aduanced his brother to the Bishopricke of Winchester And to make all the more fast this oath was afterward ministred againe at Northampton in another Parliament So that now all seemes safe and quiet but his owne sleepes which are said to haue beene very tumultuous and full of affrightments wherein hee would often rise take his sword and be in act as if hee defended himselfe against assaults of his person which shewed all was not well within His gouernment in peace was such as rankes him in the list amōgst our Kings of the fayrest marke holding the kingdome so well ordred as during all his raigne which was long he had euer the least to do at home At the first the competition with his brother after the care to establish his succession held him in to obserue all the best courses that might make for the good and quiet of the State hauing an especiall regarde to the due administration of Iustice that no corruption or oppression might disease his people whereby things were carryed with that cuennes betweene the Great men and the
Bishop of Salisbury one of the principall men then in councell yeelded another reason for the discharge of this oath which was that seeing the late King had married his daughter out of the Realme and without the consent thereof they might lawfully refuse her And so was Stephen hauing no Title at all by meere election aduanced to the Crowne For if hee should claime any right in the Succession as being the sonne of Adela then must Theobald Earle of Blois his elder brother haue beene preferred before him and Henry Fitz Empresse if they refused the mother was neerer in bloud to the right Stem then either But they had other reasons that ruled that time Stephen was a man and of great possessions both in England and France had one brother Earle of Bloss a Prince of great estate another Bishop of Winchester the Popes Legat in England of power eminent was popular for his affability goodly personage and actiuenesse and therefore acceptable to the Nobility who at that time were altogether guided by the Clergy and they by the working of the Bishop of Winchester induced to make choyce of him hauing an opinion that by preferring one whose Title was least would make his obligation the more to them and so they might stand better secured of their liberties then vnder such a one as might presume of an hereditary succession And to be the more sure thereof before his admittance to the Crowne hee takes a priuate oath before the Bishop of Canterbury to confirme the ancient liberties of the Church and had his brother to vndertake betwixt God and him for the performance thereof But being now in possession of the kingdome and all the treasure his vnkle had in many yeares gathered which amounted to one hundred thousand pounds of exquisite siluer besides plate and iewels of inestimable value after the funerals performed at Reading hee assembles a Parliament at Oxford wherein herestored to the Clergy all their former liberties and freed the Laytie from their tributes exactions or whatsoeuer grieuances opprest them confirming the same by his Charter which faithfully to obserue hee tooke a publique oath before all the Assembly where likewise the Bishops swore fealty vnto him but with this condition so long as hee obserued the tenor of this Charter And now as one that was to make good the hold he had gotten with power his sworde prepares for all assaults which he was sute to haue come vpon him And first graunts licence to all that would to build Castles vpon their owne Landes thereby to fortifie the Realme and breake the force of any ouerrunning inuasion that should maister the feild Which in setled times might be of good effect but in a season of distraction and part-takings very dangerous And being to subsist by frendes he makes all he could creates new Lords giues to many great possessions and hauing a full purse spares for no cost to buy loue and fidelitie a purchace very vncertayne when there may be other conucyances made of more strength to carry it Two wayes he was to looke for blowes from Scotland on one side and France on the other Scotland wanted no instigators Dauid their King moued both with nature and his oath to his Neece turnes head vpon him Stephen was presently there with the shew of a strong Army and appeased him with the guift of Cumberland and his sonne Henry Prince of Scotland with the Earldome of Huntingdon the last tooke an oath of fealtie vnto him which the father refused as hauing first sworne to Maude wherein he satisfied not the King who returning from this voyage found some defection of his Nobilitie which presently put him into another action that intertayned him sometime After which he falles dangerously sicke in so much as he was noysed to be dead by which sickenesse he lost more then his health For his frendes put in danger thereby cast to seeke another partie to beare them vp it wakened Aniou and sets him on to surprize certayne peeces in Normandie to prepare for the recouerie of his wiues right and made all this kingdome wauer Thus was his first yeare spent which shewed how the rest of 18. would proue wherein we are to haue no other representations but of reuoltes beseiging of Castles surprizings recouerings loosings againe with great spoyles and destruction in briefe a most miserable face of a distracted State that can yeeld vs no other notes of instruction but such as are generall in all times of like disposition and therefore herein we may the better forbeare the rehearsall of many perticulars being all vnder one head of action and like nature The King hauing recouered would make the world know he was aliue and presently passes with forces into Normandy ouercame the Earle of Aniou in battayle after makes peace with him and vpon renouncing of the clayme of Maude couenants to giue them 5000. markes per annum he intertaynes amitie with King Louys 7. and causes his sonne Eustace to do him homage for the Duchy of Normandie wherein he was inuested besides to content his elder brother Theobald Earle of Blois he giues him a pension of 2000. markes and so returnes againe into England to a warre against Scotland which in this meane time made incursions on the kingdome where whilst he was held busie in worke Robert Earle of Glocester base sonne to Henry 1. a man of high spirit great direction and indefatigable industry an especiall actor that performed the greatest part in these times for his sister Maude had surprized the Castle of Bristow and procured confederates to make good other peeces abroade in diuers parts as William Talbot the Castle of Hereford Paynel the Castle of Ludlow Louell that of Cary Moune the Castle of Dunstor Robert de Nichol that of Warham Eustace Fitz Iohn that of Walton and William Fitz Allan the Castle of Shrewsbury Stephen leaues the prosecution of the Scottish warres to Thurstan Archbyshop of Yorke whom he made his lieutenant and furnished with many valiant leaders as Walter Earle of Albemarle William Peuerell of Nottingham Walter and Gilbert Lacies Himselfe brauely attended bendes all his power to represse the conspirators which he did in one expedition recouers all these Castles by reason of their distances not able to succour one another and draue the Earle of Glocester home to his sister into Aniou No lesse successe had his forces in the North against the Scots whom in a great battayle they discomfeited and put to flight which great fortunes meeting together in one yeare brought forth occasion of bad in that following for now presuming more of himfelfe he fell vpon those rockes that rent all his greatnesse He calles a Councell at Oxford where occasion was giuen to set him out with the Clergie that had onely put him into the State The Byshops vpon the permission of building Castles so out-went the Lords in magnificence strength and number of their erections and especially the Byshop of Salisbury that their greatnesse
Guien grew into such an odious conceipt of her vpon the notice of her lasciuious behauiour in those partes as the first worke he doth vpon his comming backe he repudiates and turnes her home with all her great dowrie rather content to loose the mightie estate she brought then to liue with her With this great Lady matches Henry before he was 20. yeares of age being now Duke of Normandie his father deceased who had recouered it for him and had by her the possession of all those large and rich Countries apertaining to the Duchy of Guien besides the Earldome of Poicton Whereupon Louys inraged to see him inlarged by this great accession of State who was so neere and like to be so dangerous and eminenta neighbour combines with Stephan and aydes Eustace his sonne with mayne power for the recouery of Normandie wherein he was first possest But this young Prince furnished now with all this powerfull meanes leaues the management of the affayres of England to his frendes defendes Normandie wrought so as the King of France did him little hurt and Eustace his competitor returned home into England where shortly after he dyed about 18. yeares of his age borne neuer to see out of the calamities of warre and was buried at Feuersham with his mother who deceased a little before and had no other ioy nor glorie of a Crowne but what we see Stephan whilst Duke Henrie was in Normandie recouers what he could and at length besieges Wallingsord which seemes in these times to haue bene a peece of great importance and impregnable and reduced the Defendants to that extremitie as they sent to Duke Henrie for succour who presently thereupon in the middest of winter ariues in England with 3000. foot and 140. horse Where first to draw the King from Wallingford he layes siege to Malmesbury and had most of all the great men in the West and from other partes comming in vnto him Stephan now resolued to put it to the tryall of a day brings thither all the power he could make and far ouer-went his enemy in number but flouds and stormes in an vnseasonable winter kept the Armies from incountring till the Bishops doubtfull of the successe and seeing how dangerous it was for them and the whole State to haue a young Prince get the maistry by his sworde mediated a peace which was after concluded in a Parlement at Winchester vpon these conditions 1 That King Stephan during his naturall life should remayne King of England and Henrie inioy the Dukedome of Normandie as discended vnto him from his mother and be proclaymed heire apparent to the kingdome of England as the adopted sonne of King Stephan 2 That the partizans of either should receiue no damage but inioy their estates according to their ancient rights and titles 3 That the king should resume into his hands all such parcels of inheritance belonging to the Crowne as had beene aliened by him or vsurped in his time And that all those possessions which by intrusion had beene violently taken from the owners since the dayes of king Henry should be restored vnto them who were rightly possessed therein when the said king raigned 4 That all such Castles as had beene built by the permission of Stephan and in his time which were found to be 1117 should be demolished c. There is a Charter of this agreement in our Annals which hath other Articles of reseruation for the estates of particular persons And first for William the second sonne of Stephan to enioy all the possessions his father held before he was king of England and many other particulars of especiall note After this pacification and all businesse here setled Duke Henry returnes into Normandy and likewise there concludes a peace with the king of France and for that he would be sure to haue it buyes it with twenty thousand Markes And now king Stephan hauing attained that he neuer had Peace which yet it seemes he enioyed not a yeare after vses all the best meanes he could to repaire the ruines of the State makes his progresses into most parts of the kingdome to reforme the mischiefes that had growne vp vnder the sword and after his returne cals a Parliament at London to consult of the best meanes for the publicke good After the Parliament he goes to meete the Earle of Flanders at Douer who desired conference with him and hauing dispatcht him fals presently sicke dies within few dayes after and was buried in the Abbey he founded at Feuersham with the vnfortunate Princes A man so continually in motion as we cannot take his dimension but onely in passing and that but on one side which was war on the other we neuer saw but a glance of him which yet for the most part was such as shewed him to be a very worthy Prince for the gouernment He kept his word with the State concerning the relieuement of Tributes and neuer had Subsidie that we find But which is more remarkeable hauing his sword continually out and so many defections and rebellions against him he neuer put any great man to death Besides it is noted that notwithstanding all these miseries of warre there were more Abbaies built in his raigne then in 100. yeares before which shewes though the times were bad they were not impious The end of the third Booke Errata For the Faults committed herein Charitable Reader know they are not the Printers who hath bin honestly carefull for his part but meerly mine owne freely confessing my selfe to be more an honorer then searcher of antiquities that lie far off from vs and onely studious of the generall notions which especially concerne the succession of affaires of action which is the part I haue vndertake And therefore I trust all worthy spirits in that respect will pardon me and reforme my knowledge rather by way of conference then detraction for no man truly ingenious is malignant And if Iliue after this priuate impression which is but of a few coppies for my friends I will amend what is amisse in the publique I haue gote ouer the worst and roughest part of this worke and am now come into a more playne and open passage where I shall be better able to stand to answer for what shall be done and I trust haue more helpes of my frendes and all worthy men that are furnisht with matter of this nature whom I inuoke to assist mee and who seeing my honest ends I trust will not deny their Country the knowledge of what they haue And especially herein I rely vpon the ayde of the right worthy and well-deseruing knight Sir Robert Cotton who out of his choyce and excellent store can best furnish this worke FINIS Caes. comment libro 5. Complures sunt apud cos dominationes Strabo lib. 4. Cic. in Ep. ad Atticum vbi belli Britannici exitiâ— expectari scribit nullius ex ea spem praedae nisi ex mancipijs ait ex quibus nullos puto te literis aut musicis cruditos expectare Et lib. de Nat. Deorum paris eos cum Scithis barbaries insimulat Ingenio GalloruÌ„ partim simileis sunt partim simplicioreis magis barbari Srabo lib. 4. And it was after the subiection of Gaule that they intertayned Philosophers and physitions for publique Readings and became a schoole for those parts as we may perceiue by Strabo libro 2. Nostra aetate inquit Strabo lib. 4. Regulorum quidem Britanicorum legationibus officys amicitiam Augusti Caef. consecuti donarâ—a in Capitolio dedicarunt familiaremque Romanis totam pene insulam redigerunt And at that time it seemes by Strabo held it not worth the garding for that it would not quit the charge Camolodunum now Maldon Noticia The end of the Romans Gouerment in Britayne Anno. 447. Gildas de excidio Britaniae The State of the Saxons Vortigern is deposed Vortimer elected King of Brittayne King Arthur The seuerall entries made by the Saxons The absolute subuersion of Britayne Egbert obteyned the kingdome which by him was named EngLind Anno. 802. The discription of the Danes Alfred 872. Mat. Westm. The first furuay of the kingdome Edwardus Senior 900. Anno. 924. Edmond 940. Edred or Eldred 946. Edwin 959. Saint Edward 975. Elfred his stepmother is sayd to haue murthered him hunting in the Isle of Purbeck Ethelred 978. The originall of Dane gelt the first imposition laid vpon the kingdome The massacre of the Danes 1002. Edmond Ironside sonne to Ethelred by his first wife Ethelgina 1016. The death of King Edmond Ironside at Oxford Knute the first Danic King 1018. 1038. Harald Hardiknute 1041. The reason of the extinction of the Danes in England Anno 1043. Edward the Confessor 1043. Harald the Second 1066. Malmsbury The originall of the Normans Or Osborne The English Nobilitie forsake the kingdome Scotland before this time generally spake a Kind of Irish. Edgar Atheling submitted himselfe to King William His gouernment in peace Geruasius Tilburiensis The new Forest in Hamshire His Councellors Roger Houedew An Emperour of Germanie 2. Kings of France with their wiues a King of England and a King of Norwey went all thither in person The antiquity of Informers This Ranulph gaue a thousand pounds for his Bishopricke and was the Kings Chancellour Anno Reg. 20. Queene Maud liued not to see this disaster Anno Reg 21 His gouernment in peace The cause of Progresses The begining of Parlements The first Parlement at Salisbury Anno. Reg 15. His reformations His meanes to raise monies His Councellors His personage Presumptions 1154. He raigned 18 yeares and 10 moneths
and would not release him but vpon the graunt of three Prouinces more Also the long life of Hengist a pollitique leader of almo st 40. yeares continuance made much for the settling heere of their estate which yet they could not effect but with much trauaile and effusion of bloud For the Britaynes now made martiall by long practice and often battailes grew in the end so inraged to see their countrie surprized from vnder their feet as they sold the inheritance thereof at a very deere rate Wherein we must attribute much to the worthines of their leaders whence the spirit of a people is raised who in these their greatest actions were especially Ambrosius the last of the Romans and Arthur the noblest of Britaynes A man in force and courage aboue man and worthie to haue beene a subiect of truth to posteritie and not of fiction as legendary writers haue made him for whilst he stood he bare vp the sinking State of his countrie and is said to haue incountered with the Saxons in 12. set battailes wherein he had either victory or equall reuenge In the end himselfe ouerthrowne by treason the best men consumed in the warres and the rest vnable to resist fled into the mountaines and remote desarts of the west parts of the Isle and left all to the inuadors daily growing more and more vpon them For many principall men of Saxony seeing the happie successe and plantation heere of Hengist entred likewise on diuers coastes to get Estates for themselues with such multitudes of people as the Britaynes making head in one place were assaulted in another and euerywhere ouerwhelmed with new encreasing numbers For after Hengist had obtained the dominion of Kent which from him became to be a kingdome and Otha and Ebuse possest of all the North countries from Humber to Scotland Ella and his sonnes conquered the South-Easte parts and beganne the kingdome of the south Saxons contayning Sussex and part of Surrey Then Cerdic and his sonnes landed at Portsmouth inuaded the South and west parts and beganne the kingdome of the west Saxons which after contayned the countries of Hamsheire Berkesheire Wiltshire Dorcetshire Somersetshire and Deuonshire And about the same time Vffa inuaded the North cast parts and beganne the kingdome of the East Angles conteyning Northfolke Suffolke Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Eley Erkenwin beganne the kingdome of the East Saxons contayning Essex Middlesex and a part of Hertfordshire Hauing thus in a manner surrounded the best of the whole State of Britayne they after inuaded the inner middle part And Cridda beganne the kingdome of Mercna-land or middle Angels conteyning Lincolnshire North-hamptonshire Huntingdonshire Rutlandshire Bedford Buckinghā Oxfordshire Chesshire Derbie Nottingham and Staffordshire with part of the shires of Hereford Hartford Warwicke Shropshire Lancaster and Gloucestershire And with all these Princes and leaders before they could establish their dominions the Britaines so desperately grappled as plant they could not but vpon distruction and dessolation of the whole countrie wherof in the end they extinguished both the religion lawes language and all with the people and name of Britaine Which hauing beene so long a Prouince of great honour and benefit to the Roman Empire could not but partake of the magnificence of their goodly structures Thermes Aquaductes High wayes and all other their ornaments of delight ease and greatnesse which all came to be so vtterly razed and confounded by the Saxons as there is not left standing so much as the ruynes to point vs where they were for they being a people of a rough breeding that would not be taken with these delicacies of life seemed to care for no other monuments but of earth and as borne in the field would build their fortunes onely there Witnesse so many Intrenchments Mounts and Borroughs raised for tombes and defences vpon all the wide champions and eminent hils of this Isle remayning yet as the characters of the deepe scratches made on the whole face of our country to shew the hard labour our Progenitors endured to get it for vs. Which generall subuersion of a State is very seeldome seene Inuasion and deuastation of Prouinces haue often beene made but in such sort as they continued or recouered with some commixtion of their owne with the generation of the inuadors But in this by reason of the vicinage and innumerous populacie of that nation transporting hither both sexes the incompatibility of Paganisme Christianitie with the immens bloud shed on both sides wrought such an implacable hatred as but one must possesse all The conquest made by the Romans was not to extirpate the nation but to maister it The Danes which afterward inuaded the Saxons made onely at the first depredations on the coast and therewith for a time contented themselues When they grew to haue further interest they sought not the subuersion but a community and in the end a soueraigntie of the State matching with the weomen they heere found bringing few of their owne with them The Normans dealt the like with the Prouince of Nuestria in France and after they had the dominion and what the victorie would yeeld them in England were content to suffer the people heere to haue their being intermatched with them and so grew in short space into their bodie But this was an absolute subuersion and concurred with the vniuersall mutation which about that time happened in al these parts of the world whereof there was no one country or Prouince but chaunged boundes inhabitants customes language and in a manner all their names For vpon the breaking vp of the Roman Empire first deuided into two and then by faction disioynted in each part imploying the forces of many strange nations to fortifie their sides were made so wide ruptures in the North and North East boundes of that Empire as there burst out infinite streames of strange people that ouer-ranne and laide open the world againe to libertie other formes and lymits of State wherupon followed all these transmigratiōs shiftings of people from one countrey to another The Francs and Burgognons dispossest the Gaules and gaue the names of France and Burgogne to their Prouince The Gaules transplanted themselues on some coastes of Spaine where they could finde or make their habitation and of them had Gallicia and Portugall their names The Hunnes and Auari subdued Pannonia and there to gaue the name of Hungarie The Longbeardes a people of Germany bordering vpon the Saxons entred Italie got the greatest part therof and left there their name to a principall Prouince remayning to this daie The Gothes and Vandales miserably afflicted the rest sackt Rome and after subdued peopled and possest Spaine So that it was not in the fate of Britayne alone to be vndone but to perish almost with the generall dissolution of other States which hapned about the same age Wherefore wee are now heere to beginne with a new Bodie of people with a new State and gouernment of
his kingdome with exemption of all regall seruice for the seruice of God besides an annuitie of 300 markes to be bestowed in pious vses at Rome whither he went twice in person with his yongest sonne Alfred whom he especially loued and whom Pope Leo 4 annointed a King at eleuen yeares of age as if deuining of his future fortune Vpon his last iorney and whole yeares stay at Rome Aethelbald his eldest sonne combin'd with the nobilitie of the Westsaxons to keepe him out and depriue him vtterlie of his gouernment and wrought so as notwithstanding the great loue his people bare him he was brought to yeeld vp the kingdome of the Westsaxons to Aethelbald and retaine onely the kingdome of the East Angles a State of far lesse dignitie to himselfe After which raigning but two yeares Aethelbald succeeded in the whole and with great infamy marrying his fathers widow Iudith daughter to Charles le Chauue King of Fraunce enioyed it but two yeares and a halfe when Aethelred the second sonne of Aethelulph entred to the gouernment which hee held 5 yeares in continuall conflict with the Danes After whome Alfred the mirrour of Princes made a King before he had a kingdome at 22 yeres of his age and in a yeere wherin eight seuerall battailes had beene giuen to the Danes by the Saxons begane his troublous raigne wherin he was perpetually in warre either against his enimies or cls against vices First after a great danger to lose all hee was forced to yeild vp a part of the kingdome which was that of the East Angles and Northumberland to Guthrun leader of the Danes whome vpon his baptization he made his confederate and owner of that by right which before he vsurped by violence And notwithstanding all the continuall and intricate toile he indured amidst the clattering and horror of armes he performed all noble actions of peace collecting first the lawes of his predecessors and other the Kings of the Saxons as if Offa King of Merena-land and Aethelbert the first christian english King of which by the graue aduise and consent of his States assembled hee makes choice of the fittest antiquates those of no vse and ads other according to the necessitie of the time And for that the wildenes of warre by reason of these perpetual conflicts with strangers had so let out the people of the Land to vnlawfull riots and rapine that no man could trauaile without conuoy hee ordained the diuisions of shires hundreds and tithings that euery Englishman now the generall name for all the Saxons liuing legally might be of a certaine hundred or tithing out of which hee was not to remoue without securitie and out of which if he were accused of any crime hee was likewise to produce sureties for his behauiour which if hee could not finde hee was to indure the punishment of the law If any malefactor before or after hee had put in sureties escaped all the Tithing or Hundred were fined to the King by which meanes he secured trauailers and the peace of his countrie The opinion he had of learning made him often complaine the want therof imputing it amongst his greatest infortunes to haue beene bred without it and to haue his kingdome so vtterly destitute of learned men as it was through the long continuance of this barbarous warre which made him send out for such as were any way famous for letters and hauing gotten them hee both highlie preferred them and also as they doe who know not to much themselues held them in great veneration rarenes then setting a higher price on meaner parts then after plenty did on more perfections Grimbald and Scotus hee drew out of France Asser who wrote his life out of wales others from other parts he was the first lettered Prince we had in England by whose meanes and incouragement publique schooles had here either their reuiuing or beginning Those wants of his owne made him take a greater care for the education of his sonnes with whome were bred vnder most deligent masters almost all the children of the Nobilitie within his kingdome All his owne time he could cleere from other businesse hee bestowed in studie and did himselfe and caused others to translate many things in the vulgar tongue which he laboured it seemes much to adorne and especially affected the Saxon meeters whereby to glorifie that of a King hee attained the title of Poet. The naturall daie consisting of 24 howers he cast into 3 parts whereof eight he spent in prayer studie and writing eight in the seruice of his bodie and eight in the affaires of his States Which spaces hauing then no other engine for it hee measured by a great waxe light deuided into so many parts receauing notice by the keeper thereof as the seuerall howres passed in the burning With as faire an order did he proportion his reuenues equalling his liberalities to all his other expences whereof to make the current runne more certaine hee tooke a precise notice of them and made a generall suruay of the kingdome and had all the particulers of his estate registred in a booke which hee kept in his treasurie at Winchester And within this circumference of order he held him in that irregularitie of fortune with a weake disposition of bodie and raigned 27 yeares leauing his sonne Edward a worthie succestor to mainteine the lyne of noblenes thus begun by him EDward though he were farre inferiour to him in learning went much beyond him in power for he had all the kingdome of Mercna-land in possession whereof Alfred had but the homage and some write helde soueraignitie ouer the east Angles and Northumbrians though wee finde in the ioynt lawes that hee and Guthrun made together they held the same confederation fore-concluded by Alfred Hee also subdued the Britaynes in wales fortified and furnished with garrisons diuers townes in England that lay fit to preuent the incursions of the Danes and was all his raigne of 23 yeares in continuall action and euer before hand with fortune And surely his father hee and many that succeeded during this Danicque warre though they lost their ease wonne much glory and renowne For this affliction held them so in as hauing little out-lets or leisure for ease and luxury they weare made the more pious iust and carefull in their gouernment otherwise it had beene impossible to haue held out against the Danes as they did a people of that power and vndauntable stomacke as no fortune could deterre nor make to giue ouer their holde And the imbecillitie of some vnactiue Prince at that time had beene inough to haue let them quite into the whole which may be the cause that in the succession of some of these Kings were certaine ruptures made out of course in respect of their ablenes As first after the death of this renowned King Edward Senior his sonne Athelstan of full yeares and spirit was notwithstanding the bracke in his birth preferred before his
England but a collected power out of all France and Flanders with the aydes of other Princes And by these meanes made he good his vndertaking and within eight monethes was readie furnished with a powrefull army at Sainct Valerie in Normandie whence he transported the same into England in 896. ships as some write And this was the man and thus made to subdue England And now hauing gotten the great and difficult battaille before remembred at Hastings the fourtenth of October 1066. he marched without any opposition to London where Edwin and Morchar Earles of Northumberland and Mercland brothers of eminent dignitie and respect in the kingdome had laboured with all their power to stirre the harts of the people for the conseruation of the State and establishing Edgar Atheling the next of the Royall issue in his right of the Crowne whereunto other of the Nobilitie had likewise consented had they not seene the Byshops auerse or wauering For asthen to the Clergie any King so a Christian was all one they had their Prouince a parte deuided from secular domination and of a Prince though a stranger who had taken vp so much of the world before hand vpon credite and fame of his piety and bountie they could not but presume well for their estate and so were content to giue way to the present Fortune The Nobilitie considering they were so borne and must haue a King not to take him that was of power to make himselfe would shew more of passion then prouidence and to be now behinde hand to receiue with more then submission was as if to withstand which with the distrust of each others faith made them stryue and runne headlong who should be first to pre-occupate the grace of seruitude and intrude them into forrayne subiection The Commons like a strong vessell that might haue beene for good vse was heereby left without a sterne and could not moue but irregularly So that all estates in generall either corrupted with new hopes or transported with feare forsooke themselues and their distressed Countrie Vpon his approach to London the gates were all set open the Archbyshope of Canterburie Stigand with other Byshops the Nobilitie Magistrates and people rendring themselues in all obedience vnto him and he returning plausible protestations of his future gouernment was on Christmas day then next following crowned King of England at Westminister by Aldred Arch-byshop of Yorke for that Stigand was not held canonically inuested in his Sea and yet thought to haue beene a forward mouer of this alteration Heere according to the accustomed forme at his Coronation the Byshops and Barons of the Realme tooke their oath to be his true and loyall subiects and he reciprocally being required thereunto by the Arch-byshope of Yorke made his personall oth before the Altar of Saint Peter to defend the holy Churches of God and the Rectors of the same to gouerne the Vniuersall people subiect vnto him iustly to establish equall lawes and to see them ducly executed Nor did he euer clayme any power by conquest but as a regular Prince submitted himselfe to the orders of the kingdome desirous rather to haue his Testamentarie title howsoeuer weake to make good his succession rather then his sword And though the Stile of Conquerer by the flatterie of the time was after giuen him he shewed by all the course of his gouernment he assumed it not introducing none of all those alterations which followed by violence but a milde gathering vpon the disposition of the State and the occasions offered and that by way of reformation And now taking hostages for his more securitie and order for the defence and gouernment of his kingdome at the opening of the spring next he returnes into Normandie so to settle his affaires there as they might not distract him from his businesse in England that required his whole powers And to leaue here all sure behind him he commits the rule of the kingdome to his brother the Bishop of Bayeux and to his cosin Fitz Auber whom he had made Earle of Hereford taking with him all the chiefe men of England who were likest to be heads to a reuolt As Edger Atheling the Arch-bishop Stigand lately discontented Edwyn and Morchar with many other Bishops and Noble men Besides to vnburthen his charge and dis-impester his Court he tooke backe with him all the French aduenturers and such as were vnnecessary men rewarding them as farre as his treasure would extend and the rest he made vp in faire promises In his absence which was all that whole sommer nothing was here attempted against him but onely that Edric surnamed the Forrester in the County of Hereford called in the kings of the Welsh to his aide and forraged only the remote borders of that country The rest of the kingdome stood quiet expecting what would become of that new world wherein as yet they found no great alteration their lawes and liberties remaining the same they were before and might hope by this accession of a new Prouince the state of England would be but inlarged in dominion abroad and not impaired in profit at home by reason the nation was but small and of a plentifull and not ouer-peopled country likely to impester them Hauing disposed his affaires of Normandy he returnes towards winter into England where he was to satisfie three sorts of men first such aduenturers with whom he had not yet cleered Secondly those of his owne people whose merits or neernesse looked for recompence whereof the number beeing so great many must haue their expectations fed if not satisfied Thirdly the people of this kingdome by whom he must now subsist for being not able with his owne nation so to impeople the same as to hold and defend it if he should proceed to an extirpation of the naturall inhabitants he was likewise to giue them satisfaction Wherein he had more to do then in his battell at Hastings seeing all remunerations with supplies of money must be raised out of the stocke of the kingdome which could not but be irkesome to the State in generall and all preferments and dignities conferd on his to be either by vacancies or displacing others which must needs breed very feeling grieuances in perticular And yet we finde no great men thrust out of their roomes but such as put themselues out by reuolting after his establishment and their fealtie giuen So that it seemes he contented himselfe and his for the time onely with what he found here ready and with filling vp their places who were slaine in the battell or fled as many were with the sonnes of Harald out of the kingdome Such Gentlemen as he could not presently preferre and had a purpose to aduance he dispersed abroad into Abbeys there to liue till places fell out for them and 24 he sent to the Abby of Eley whereby he not onely lessened the multitude of attendants and suitors at Court eased that eye-sore of strangers but also had them a watch ouer the
the yongest his treasure with an annuall pension to be paid him by his brothers Richard who was his second sonne and his darling a Prince of great hope died in his youth of a surfeit taken in the new Forest and began the fatalnesse that followed in that place by the death of William the second there slaine with an arrow and of Richard the sonne of Robert Duke of Normandie who brake his necke His eldst daughter Cicilie became a Nunne Constance maried to the Earle of Britaine Adula to Stephen Earle of Blois who likewise rendred her selfe a Nunne in her age such was then their deuotion and so much were these solitary retires affected by the greatest Ladies of those times the other two died before mariage Now what he was in the circle of himselfe in his owne continent we find him of an euen stature comely personage of good presence riding sitting or standing till his corpulency increasing with age made him somewhat vnwildy of so strong a constitution as he was neuer sickly till a few moneths before his death His strength such as few men could draw his bow and being about 50 of his age when he subdued this kingdome it seemes by his continuall actions he felt not the weight of yeares vpon him till his last yeare What was the composition of his minde we see it the fairest drawne in his actions and how his abilities of Nature were answerable to his vndertakings of Fortune as pre-ordain'd for the great worke he effected And though he might haue some aduantage of the time wherein we often see men preuaile more by the imbecility of others then their owne worth yet let that season of the world be well examined and a iust measure taken of his actiue vertues they will appeare of an exceeding proportion Nor wanted he those incounters and concurrencies of sufficient able Princes to put him to the triall thereof Hauing one side the French to grapple withall on the other the Dane farre mightier in people and shipping then himselfe strongly sided in this kingdome as eager to recouer their former footing here as euer and as well or better prepared For his deuotion and mercy the brightest starres in the Spheare of Maiestie they appeare aboue all his other vertues and the due obseruation of the first the Clergie that loued him not confesse the other was seene in the often pardoning and receiuing into grace those who had forfeited their loyalties and dangerously rebelled against him as if he held submission satisfactorie for the greatest offence and sought not to defeit men but their enterprises For we find but one Noble man executed in all his raigne and that was the Earle Waltheof who had twise falsified his faith before And those he held prisoners in Normandie as the Earles Morchar and Siward with Wolfnoth the brother of Harald others vpon compassion of their indurance he released a little before his death Besides he was as farre from suspition as cowardize and of that confidence an especiall note of his magnanimity as he gaue Edgar his competitor in the Crowne the liberty of his Court And vpon his suite sent him well furnisht to the holy warre where he nobly behaued himselfe and attained to great estimation with the Emperours of Greece and Almaine which might haue bin held dangerous in respect of his alliances that way being as some write graund-child to the Emperour Henry 3. But these may be as well vertues of the Time as of Men so the age must haue part of this commendation Magnificent he was in his Festiuals which with great solemnity and ceremony the formall entertainers of reuerence and respect he duly obserued Keeping his Christmas at Glocester his Easter at Winchester and Penticost at Westminster whither he sommoned his whole Nobility that Embassadors and Strangers might see his State and largenesse Nor euer was he more mild and indulgent then at such times And these ceremonies his next Successor obserued but the second omitted The end of the second Booke THE THIRD BOOKE of the Historie of England William the second WIlliam second sonne to William 1. not attending his Fathers funerals hastes into England to recouer his Crowne where by the especiall mediation of the Arch-byshop Lanfranc his owne large bountic and wide promises he obtayned it according to his fathers will to whom by his obsequiousnesse he had much indeered himselfe especially after the abdication of his elder brother Robert He was a Prince more gallant then good and hauing bene bred with the sword alwayes in action and on the better side of fortune of a nature rough and hautie whereunto his youth and soueraignty added a greater widenesse Comming to succeed in a gouernment fore-ruled by mature and gray counsell he was so ouer-whelmed with his fathers worth and greatnesse as made him appeare of a lesser Orbe then otherwise he would and then the shortnesse of his raigne beeing but of 13. yeares allowed him not time to recouer that opinion which the errors of his first gouernment had lost or his necessities caused him to commit For the succession in right of Primogeniture being none of his and the elder brother liuing howsoeuer his fathers will was he must now be put and held in possession of the Crowne by the will of the kingdome which to purchace must be by large conditions of relieuements in generall and profuse gifts in perticular Wherein he had the more to do being to deale with a State consisting of a twofold bodie and different temperaments where any inflammation of discontent was the more apt to take hauing a head where-to it might readily gather Which made that vnlesse he would lay more to their hopes then another he could not hope to haue them firmely his And therefore seeing the best way to winne the Normans was by money and the English with liberties he spared not at first to bestow on the one and to promise the other more then fitted his estate and dignitie which when afterward fayling both in supplies for great giuers must alwayes giue and also in performances gote him far more hatred then otherwise he could euer haue had being forced to all the dishonorable shifts for raysing monyes that could be deuised and euen to resume his owne former grantes And to begin at first to take the course to be euer needie presently after his Coronation he goes to Winchester where his Fathers treasure lay and empties out all that which with gteat prouidence was there amassed whereby though he wonne the loue of many he lost more being not able to content all And now although his brother Robert had not this great ingine of men mony he had to giue hopes and there were here of the Normans as Oáon his vnkle Roger de Mongomerie Earle of Shrewesbury with others who were mainly for him and worke he doth all he can to batter his brothers fortunes vpon their first foundation And for this purpose borowes great summes of his younger brother Henry
likewise relenting they sent for Henry and an agreement is made he should hold in morgage the Country of Costantine till the mony was paide and a day appointed to receiue it at Rouen Which accord King William the rather wrought to draw as much from Robert as he might whom by this voyage he not onely had wasted but possest himselfe of a safe and continuall landing place with a part of his Duchy caused him to put from him and banish out of Normandy Edgar Etheling whom Robert held his Pensioner and as a stone in his hand vpon all occasions to threaten William with anothers right if his owne preuailed not And besides he wrought so as either through promise of money or some farther ratification to be made here he brought his brother Robert with him ouer into England and tooke him along in an expedition against Malcolin who had incroched vpon his territories during his absence Which businesse ebing determined without battell Robert soone after returnes much discontented into Normandie and as it seemes without money to satisfie his brother Henry Who repairing to Rouen at his day appointed in stead of receiuing it was committed to prison and before he could be released forced to renounce the country of Costentine and sweare neuer to claime any thing in Normandy Henry complaines of this grosse iniustice to Philip king of France who gaue him a faire entertainement in his Court Where he remained not long but that a knight of Normandy named Hachard vndertaking to put him into a Fort maugre his brother Robert within the Duchy conueyed him disguised out of the Court and wrought so as the Castle of Damfronc was deliuered vnto him whereby shortly after he got all the country of Passays about it and a good part of Costentine by the secret aide of king William Richard de Riuieres and Roger de Manneuile Duke Robert leuies forces and eagerly wrought to recouer Damfronc but finding how Henry was vnderset inueighes against the persidie of his brother of England in so much as the flame of rankor burst out againe more then euer And ouer passes king William with a great Army but rather to terrifie then do any great matter as a Prince that did more cōtend then warre and would be great with the sword yet seldome desired to vse it if he could get to his ends by any other meanes seeking rather to buy his peace then win it Many skirmishes interpassed with surprisements of Castles but in the end a treatie of peace was propounded wherein to make his conditions what he would king William seemes hard to be wrought and makes the more shew of force sending ouer into England for an Army of 30000 men which being brought to the shore ready to be shipped an offer was made to be proclaimed by his Lieftenant that giuing ten shillings a man whosoeuer would might depart home to his dwelling Whereby was raised so much as discharged his expence and serued to see the king of France vnder-hand for his forbearing aide to Duke Robert who seeing himselfe left by the French must needes make his peace as the other would haue it Now for his affaires at home the vncertaine warres with Wales and Scotland gaue him more businesse then honour Being driuen in the one to incounter with mountaines in stead of men to the great losse and disaduantage of his people and in the other with as many necessities Wales he sought to subdue Scotland so to restraine as it might not hurt him For the last after much broyle both kings seeming more willing to haue peace then to seeke it are brought to an enteruiew Malcolin vpon publicke faith and safe-conduit came to Glocester where vpon the hautinesse of king William looking to be satisfied in all his demands and the vnyeeldingnesse of king Malcolin standing vpon his regalitie within his owne though content to be ordred for the confines according to the iudgement of the Primare of both kingdomes nothing was effected but a greater disdaine and rankor in Malcolin seeing himselfe dispised and scarce looked on by the king of England So that vpon his returne armed with rage he raises an Army enters Northumberland which foure times before he had depopulated and now the fifth seeking vtterly to destroy it and to haue gone farther was with his eldest sonne Edward slaine rather by the fraud then powre of Robert Mowbray Earle of that County The griefe of whose deaths gaue Margueret that blessed Queene hers After whom the State elected Dufnald brother to Malcolin and chased out all the English which attended the Queene and were harbored or preferred by Malcolin King William to set the line right and to haue a king there which should be beholding to his power aides Edgar the second sonne to Malcolin who had serued him in his warres to obtaine the Crowne due vnto him in right of succession by whose meanes Dufnald was expeld and the State receiued Edgar but killed all the aide he brought with him out of England and capitulated that he should neuer more entertaine English or Norman in his seruice This businesse setled Wales strugling for liberty and reuenge gaue new occasion of worke whither he went in person with purpose to depopulate the country but they retiring into the Mountaines and the Isle of Anglesey auoided the present furie But afterward Hugh Earle of Shrewsbury and Hugh Earle of Chester surprising the Isle their chicfest retreit committed there barbarous examples of cruelty by excoecations and miserable dismembring the people which immanity was there sodenly auenged on the Earle of Shrewsbury with a double death first shot into the eye and then tumbling ouer-boord into the sea to the sport and scorne of his enemy the king of Norway who either by chance or of purpose comming vpon that coast from taking in the Orchades encountred with him and that force he had at sea These were the remote businesses when a conspiracie brake out within the body of the kingdome complotted by Robert Mowbray Earle of Northumberland William d' Ou and many other which gaue the King more trouble then danger for by the speedy and maine prosecution of the businesse wherein hee vsed the best strength of England it was soone ended with the confusion of the vndertakers But it wrought an ill effect in his nature by hardening the same to an extreme rigor for after the feare was past his wrath and cruelty were not but which is hideous in a Prince they grew to be numbred amongst incurable diseases Many accusations of great men followed vpon this act and were easily beleeued howsoeuer proued William de Aluerie a man of goodly personage his Aunts sonne and his Sewer was at a Councell holden at Salisbury condemned to be hanged when both in his confession to Osmond the Bishop there and to all the people as he passed to his execution he left a cleere opinion of his innocency and the wrong he had by the king But now whilst these
Commons as gaue all satisfaction He made diuers progresses into remote partes of the Land to see how the State was ordred And for that purpose when so euer he was in England he kept no certayne residence but solemnized the great festiuals in seuerall and far distant places of the kingdome that all might pertake of him And for that he would not wreste ny thing by an imperiall powre from the kingdome which might breede vlcers of dangerous nature he tooke a course to obtayne their free consents to serue his occasions in their generall Assemblies of the 3. estates of the Land which he first and often conuoked and which had from his time the name of Parlement according to the manner of Normandie and other States where Princes keepe within their circles to the good of their people their owne glorie and securitie of their posteritie He was a Prince that liued formally himselfe and repressed those excesses in his subiects which those times interrayned as the wearing of long hayre which though it were a gaytie of no charge like those sumptuous braueries that waste kingdomes in peace yet for the vndecencie there of he reformed it and all other dissolutenesse His great businesses and his wantes taught him frugalitie and warynesse of expence and his warres being seldome inuasiue and so not getting put him often to vse hard courses for his suppliments of treasure Towards the marriage of his daughter with the Emperour and the charge of his warre he obtayned as it might seeme at his first Parlement at Salisbury Anno. Reg. 15. three shillings vpon euery hide-land but he had no more in all his raigne except one supply for his warres afterward in France He kept Byshopricks and Abbayes voyd in his hands as that of Canterbury 5 yeares together By an act of Parlement at London Anno. Reg. 30. he had permission to punish mariage and incontinencie of Priests who for fines notwithstanding he suffred to inioy their wiues but hereby he displeased the Clergie and disappoynted that reformation Punishments which were mutilation of member he made pecuniarie And by reason of his often and long being in Normandie those prouisions for his house which were vsed to be payde in kinde were rated to certayne prices and receiued in mony by the consent of the State and to the great content of the subiect who by reason that many dwelling far off throughout all shires of England were much molested with satisfying the same otherwife He resumed the liberties of hunting in his Forests which tooke vp much faire ground of the kingdome and besides renuing former penalties made an Edict that if any man in his owne priuate woodes killed the Kings Deere should forfeit his woodes to the King But he permitted them inclosures for Parkes which vnder him seemes to haue their originall by the example of that of his at Woodstoke and after their multitude grew to be a diseaze His expences were cheifly in his warres and his many and great fortifications in Normandie His buildings were the Abbay of Reading the Mannour of Woodstoke and the great inclosure about that Parke The most eminent men of his Councell were Roger Byshop of Sarum and the Earle of Mellent both men of great experience in the affaires of the world Roger was euer as Viceroy had the whole management of the kingdome in his absence which was sometimes three and foure yeares together He had managed the Kings monyes and other affayres of his house when he was a poore Prince and a priuat man whereby he gayned an especiall trust with him euer after and discharged his part with great policie and vnderstanding had the title of Iusticiarius totius Anglia Of whose magnificence and spacious mynde we haue more memorials left in notes of stone then of any one Man Prince or other of this kingdome The ruynes yet remayning of his stately structures especially that of the Deuises in Wiltshire thewes vs the carkasse of a most Roman-like Fabricke Besides he built the Castles of Malmsburie and Shirburne two strong and sumptuous peeces new walled and repayred the Castle of Salisburie but all these he liued to see rent from him and seased into the next Kings handes as being thinges donne out his parte and ly now deformed heapes of rubble But the goodly Church of Salisburie a worke appertayning to his function remaynes as of another fate Robert Earle of Mellent was the sonne of Roger Beaumont who of all the great men which followed William I. in his ciuill warres of Normandie refused to attend him in his expedition for England though with large promises inuited thereunto saying The inheritance left him by his predecessors was sufficient to maintaine his estate at home and hee desired not to thrust himselfe into other mens possessions abroad But his sonne Robert was of another mind and had a mighty estate both in England and Normandy Was a man of great direction in Councell and euer vsed in all the waighty affaires of the State His parsimony both in apparell and diet was of such example being a man of eminent note as did much good to the kingdome in those dayes But in the end he fell into disgrace the fate of Court and eminency opposed against the king and died bereft of his estate Besides these this king was serued with a potent and martiall Nobility whom his spirit led to affect those great designes of his in France for the preseruation of his state in Normandy Whither in the 32 yeare of his raigne he makes his last voyage to dye there and in his passage thithe happened an exceeding great Ecclips of the Sunne which was taken to fore-signifie his death for that it followed shortly after in the thirty fiue yeare of his reigne Hee was of a gracefull personage quicke-eyed browne haire a different complexion from his brothers and of a close compacted temperament wherein dwelt a minde of a more solid constitution with better ordered affections Hee had in his youth some taste of learning but onely as if to set his stomake not to ouer-charge it therewith But this put many of his subiects into the fashion of the Booke and diuers learned men flourished in his time King Stephen THE Line Masculine of the Norman extinct and onely a daughter left and she married to a French-man Stephen Earle of Bologne and Mortagne son of Stephen Earle of Blois and of Adela daughter to William I. was notwithstanding the former oath taken for Maud elected by the State and inuested in the Crowne of England within 30 dayes after the death of Henry Vpon what reasons of Councell we must gather out of the circumstances of the courses held in that time Some imagine the state refused Maude for not being then the custome of any other kingdome Christian whose Kings are annoynted to admit women to inherite the Crowne and therefore they might pretend to be freed from their oath as being vnlawfull But Roger
in their former estates otherwise by the law of Nations being dissaised they shall not hold their Plea After much debate the Kings cause was vpon a motion put off till the next day to the end the Arch-bishop of Roan an especiall instrument for the King might bee there who deliuering his opinion said That if the Bishops could rightly proue by the Canons they ought to haue Castles they should hold them but if they could not it proceeded of great improbitie to striue to do otherwise And be it said he their right to haue them yet in a suspected time according to the manner of other Nations all great men ought to deliuer the keyes of their Fortresses to bee at the Kings pleasure who is to fight for the peace of all But it is not their right by the decree of the Canons to haue Castles and if by the Princes indulgence it be tollerated yet in a time of necessitie they ought to deliuer the keyes The Lawyer Alberic addes That it was signified to the King how the Bishops threatned and had furnished some to goe to Rome against him But said he the King would haue you know that none of you presume to do it for if any goe out of England contrary to his will and the dignitie of the kingdome it will be hard returning In conclusion the Councell brake vp nothing was done The Bishops durst not excommunicate the King without the Popes priuitie and besides they saw the swords to busie about them yet failed not the Legat and the Archbishop to prosecute their parts and from authority fell to prayer and at the Kings feete in his chamber besought him that hee would pitty the Church pitty his owne soule and his fame not to fuffer dissention to bee betweene the kingdome and the Priest-hood The king returned them faire wordes but held what hee had gotten Shortly after through griefe dyed the Bishop of Salisbury and according to the fate of ouer-eminent and greedy Officers vnpittied He was a man in his latter time noted of much corruption and vnsatiable desire of hauing For whom the present King in the beginning of his reigne had done very much making one of his Nephewes Chancellor the other Treasurer and vpon his sute gaue to himselfe the Borough of Malmesbury insomuch as the King would say to his familiars about him If this man will begge thus still I will giue hm halfe the Kingdome but I will please him and first shall he be weary of crauing ere 1 of granting And sure the King had great reason to suspect his adhering to Maud whose part he began to fauour onely out of the hatred he bare to Winchester who yet was content to forsake his owne brother in regard by his ingagement hee was preferred to the Crowne rather then to loose his good will and the rest of the Clergie But yet this breaking of the King into the Church which had made him vtterly dissolued him For presently here upon all his power fell asunder the Empresse found now a way open to let her in and the Earle of Glocefter presuming of a sure side conducted her into England onely with 150. men puts her into the Castle of Arundell and himselfe attended but with 12. horse passed away cleere through all the country to Bristow and from thence to Glocester where he had leasure without opposition to rayse all the country to take part with the Empresse who from Arundell castle was afterward by the Legate himselfe and the Kings permission conueyed to Bristow receiued with all obedience grew daily in strength as shee went and came at length to her brother who had taken in Hereford made himselfe strong with the Welsh and setled those parts to gather vp more of the kingdome by shewing herselfe and her power in diuers places Stephan hauing no part cleere by reason the Castles vpon which hee spent both his time and meanes lay so thicke blockes in his way as he could not make that speed to stoppe this streame as otherwise he would holding it not safe to go forward and leaue dangers bebehinde that might ouer-take him And first he layes siege to the Castle of Wallingford which Brian sonne to the Earle of Glocester held against him then to the Castle of Bristow and other places working much but effecting little which seeing to get time and stagger the swift proceeding of this new receiued Princesse hee causes a treatie of peace to be propounded at Bath where the Legat who likewise earnestly solicited the same with the Arch-bishop of Canterbury were appoynted Commissioners for the King and the Earle of Glocester for the Empresse but nothing was effected both returne to make good their sides The Empresse seckes to recouer more the King what he had lost And least the North parts might fall from him and the King of Scots come on he repaires thitherward and finding the Castle of Lincolne possest by Ralfe Earle of Chester who had married a daughter of the Earle of Glocester and holding it not safe to be in the hands of such a maister in such a time seekes to take it in by force The Earle of Chester who held Newtrall attempting nothing against the King tooke it ill and stood vpon his defence but being ouer-layd by power conueyes himselfe out of the Castle leaues his brother wife within to defend it and procures ayde of his father in law the Earle of Glocester to succour him The Earle takes in hand this businesse sets out of Glocester with an Army of Welshmen and others attended with Hugh Bigod and Robert de Morley ioynes with the Earle of Chester marches to Lincolne where in the battaile King Stephan was taken carried prisoner to Glocester presented to the Empresse and by her sent to be kept in the Castle of Bristow but in all honourable fashion till his attempts to escape layd fetters on him Hereupon the Empresse as at the top of her fortune labours the Legat to bee admitted to the kingdome as the daughter of the late King to whom the Realme had taken an oath to accept for soueraigne in the succession and wrought so as a Parle was appoynted for this purpose on the Plaine neere to winchester where in ablustring sad day like the fate of the businesse they met and the Empresse swore and made affidation to the Legar that all the great businesses especially the donation of Bishoprickes and Abbyes should bee at his disposing if he with the Church would receiue her as Queene of England and hold perpetuall fidelitie vnto her The same oath and affidation tooke likewise her brother Robert Earle of Glocester Brian his sonne Marquisse of Wallingford Miles of Glocester after Earle of Hareford with many others for her Nor did the Bishop sticke to accept her as Queene though she neuer came to be so and with some few other made like wife affidatiō for his part that so long as she infringed not her couenant he would also hold his
fidelity to her The next day she was receiued with solemne procession into the Bishops Church at Winchester the Bishop leading her on the right hand and Bernard Bishop of Saint Dauids on the left There were present many other Bishops as Alexander Bishop of Lincolne and Nigel Bishop of Ely the nephews of Roger lately imprisoned Robert Bishop of Bath and Robert Bishop of Worcester with many Abbots Within a few dayes after came Theobald Archbishop of Canterbury to the Empresse inuited by the Legat but deferred to do fealty vnto her as holding it vnworthy his person and place without hauing conferd first with the king And therefore he with many Prelats and some of the Layty by permission obtained went to the king to Bristow The Councell brake vp the Empresse keepes her Easter at Oxford being her owne towne Shortly vppon Easter a Councell of the Clergie is againe called to Winchester where the first day the Legat had secret conference with euery Bishop apart and then with euery Abbot and other which were called to the Councell the next day he makes a publicke speech Shewing how the cause of their Assembly was to consult for the peace of their country in great danger of vtter ruine Repeates the flourishing raigne of his vnkle the peace wealth and honour of the kingdome in his time and how that renowned king many yeares before his death had receiued an oath both of England and Normandy for the succession of his daughter Maude and her Issue But said he after his decease his daughter being then in Normandy making delay to come into England where for that it seemed long to expect order was to be taken for the peace of the countrey my brother was permitted to raigne And although I interposed my selfe a surety betweene God and him that he should honour and exalt the holy Church keepe and ordaine good lawes Yet how he hath behaued himselfe in the kingdome it gricues me to remember and I am ashamed to repeate And then recounts he all the Kings courses with the Bishops and all his other misgouernments And then saide he euerie man knowes I ought to loue my mortall brother but much more the cause of my immortall Father therfore seeing God hath shewed his iudgment on my brother and suffered him without my knowledge to fall into the hand of Power that the kingdome may not miscary for want of a Ruler I haue called you all hither by the power of my Legation Yesterday the cause was moued in secret to the greatest part of the Clergie to whom the right appertaines to elect and ordaine a Prince And therefore after hauing inuoked as it is meete the Diuine aide we elect for Queene of England the daughter of the peacefull glorious rich good and in our time the incomparable king and to her we promise our faith and allegiance When all who were present either modestly gaue their voyce or by their silence contradicted it the Legate ads The Londoners who are in respect of the greatnesse of their City as among the optimacie of England we haue by our messengers summoned and I trust they will not stay beyond this day to morrow we will expect them The Londoners came were brought into the Councell shewed How they were sent from the Communaltie of London not to bring contention but prayer that the King their Lord might be fred from captiuitie and the same did all the Barons receiued within their Liberties earnestly beseech of my Lord Legate and all the Clergie there present The Legat answers them at large and loftily according to his speech the day before and added That the Londoners who were held in that degree in England ought not to take their parts who had forsaken their Lord in the warre by whose Councell the Church had beene dishonoured and who fauoured the Londoners but for their owne gaine Then standes there vp a Chaplayne to Queene Maude wife to Stephan and deliuers a letter to the Legat which he silently read and then said alowd that it was not lawfull in the assembly of so many reuerend and religious persons the same should be publikly read containing matter reprehensible The Chaplayne not to fayle in his message boldly reades the letter himselfe which was to this effect That the Queene earnestly intreates all the Clergie there assembled namely the Bishop of Winchester the brother of her Lord to restore him vnto the kingdome whom wicked men which were also his subiects held prisoner To this the Legat answeres as to the Londoners and shortly after the Councell brake vp where in many of the Kings part were excommunicated namely William Martell an especiall man about the King who had much displeased the Legat. Hereupon a great part of England willingly accepted of Maude in whose businesses her brother Robert imployes all his diligence and best care reforming iustice restoring the Lawes of England promising relieuements and whatsoeuer might be to winne the people the Legat seconding all his courses But now she being at the point of obtayning the whole kingdome all came sodainly dasht by the practise of the Londoners who adhering to the other side began openly to inueigh against her who in something whatsoeuer it were had displeased them and they had plotted to surprize her in their Cittie whereof she hauing notice secretly withdrawing herselfe accompanied with her vnkle Dauid King of Scots who was come to visit her and her brother Robert vnto Oxford a place of more securitie The Legat himselfe takes or makes an occasion to be flacke in her cause vpon her denying him a sute for his Nephew Eustace the sonne of Stephan about the inheritance of his Earldome of Mortaigne in Normandie Besides the Queene regnant watchfull ouer all oportunitie found meanes to parle with the Legat sets vpon him with her teares intreatie promises and assurances for the Kings reformation in so much as she recalled him to the affections of nature brought him about againe to absolue such of the Kings part as he had lately excommunicated The Earle of Glocester seeing this sudden and strange relaps of their affaires striues by all meanes to hold vp Opinion and re-quicken the Legats disposition which to keepe sound was all He brings the Empresse to Winchester setles her and her guard in the Castle where she desires to speake with the Legat who first delayes then denies to come Whereupon they call their best friends about them Queene Maude and the Lords incompasse the Towne and cut off all victuall from the Empresse so that in the end the Earle of Glocester wrought meanes to haue her conueyd from thence to the Vies but himselfe was taken and in him most of her This sets the sides both euen againe into the Lists of their triall the two prisoners are to redeeme each other The disproportion of the quality betweene them shewed yet there was an euennesse of power and the Earle would not consent to the Kings deliuery who onely in that was