and said I perceiue now that I haue liued too long that my brother doth clothe me like his almoseman with cast and torne garments So hee grew weary of his life and his disease encreasing with his discontentment pined away and in short time after died and was buried at Glocester And this was the end of that excellent commander brought to this game and gaze of fortune after many trauerses that he had troden He was for courage and direction inferiour to none but neither prouident nor constant in his affaires whereby the true end of his actions were ouerthrowen His valour had triumphed ouer desperate dangers and verely he was no more setled in valour then disposed to vertue and goodnesse neuer wilfully or willingly doing euill neuer but by errour as finding it disguised vnder some maske of goodnesse His performances in armes had raised him to a high point of opiniō for his prowesse which made him the more vnhappy as vnhappie after a fall from high state of honor He had one sonne named William vpon whose birth the mother died of this William shall somewhat hereafter be said And now as Princes oftentimes doe make aduantage of the calamity of their neighbours so vpon this downefall of the Duke of Normandie Fulke Earle of Aniou sharing for himselfe seized vpon Maine and certain other places made large waste tooke great booties and spoyles not onely out of ancient and almost hereditary hate against the hose of Normandie but as fearing harme from the King of England hee endeauoured to harme him first In like sort Baldwine Earle of Flanders declared in armes against the King for a yeerely pension of 300. markes the occasion of which demand was this King William the first in recompence of the ayde which he receiued in his enterprise for England from Baldwine 5. Earle of Flanders payd him yeerely three hundred markes which after his death was continued to his sonne Robert Earle of Flanders from a collaterall line demanded the same Pension but it was denied him by K. Henrie wherefore Baldwine his sonne attempted now to recouer it by Armes With these or rather as principall of these Lewes the grosse King of France seeing his ouersight in permitting Normandie to bee annexed to the Realme of England assembled a great armie and vpon pretence of a trifling quarrell about the demolishing of the Castle of Gisors declared William sonne to Robert Curtcuise for Duke of Normandie and vndertooke to place him in possession of that state which his vnfortunate father had lost And besides those open hostilities in Armes Hugh the kings Chamberlaine and certaine others were suborned traiterously to kill the King but the practise was in good time discouered and the conspirators punished by death Hereupon the King both with celeritie and power answerable to the danger at hand passed the Seas into Normandie hauing first drawen to his assistance Theobald Earle of Champaine the Earles of Crecie Pissaux and Dammartine who aspired to be absolute Lords within their territories as were many other Princes at that time in France These deteined the French King in some tariance in France whilest the King of England either recouered or reuenged his losses against the Earle of Aniou At the last hee was assailed in Normandie on three parts at once by the Earle of Aniou from Maine from Ponthieu by the Earle of Flanders and by the French King betweene both The King of England appointed certaine forces to guard the passages against the Earle of Aniou with directions to hold themselues within their strength and not to aduenture into the field Against the Earle of Flanders hee went in person and in a sharpe shocke betweene them the Earle was defeated and hurt and as some Authors affirme slaine albeit others doe report that hee was afterwards slaine in a battaile betweene the two Kings of England and of France After this he turned against Lewes King of France and fought with him before the towne of Nice in Normandie which towne the French had surprised and taken from the King of England This battaile continued aboue the space of nine houres with incredible obstinacie the doubt of victory being no lesse great then was the desire and yet neither part so hastie to end as not to stay for the best aduantage The first battaile on both sides was hewen in pieces valour of inestimable value was there cast away much braue blood was lost many men esteemed both for their place and worth lay groaning and grinning vnder the heauy hand of death The sad blowes the grisle wounds the grieuous deathes that were dealt that day might well haue moued any man to haue said That warre is nothing else but inhumane manhood The Kings courage guided with his Fortune and guarded both with his strength and his skill was neuer idle neuer but working memorable effects In all places his directions were followed by his presence being witnesse both of the diligence and valour of euery man and not suffering any good aduantage or aduise for want of timely taking to be lost He aduentured so farre in perfourming with his hand that his armour in many places was battered to his body and by reason of the sturdie strokes set vpon his helme he cast blood out of his mouth But this was so farre from dismaying his powers that it did rather assemble and vnite them so as aduancing his braue head his furie did breath such vigour into his arme that his sword made way through the thickest throngs of his enemies and hee brake into them euen to the last ranckes He was first seconded by the truely valiant whose vndanted spirits did assure the best and therewith contemne the very worst Then came in they whom despaire the last of resolutions had made valiant who discerned no meanes of hope for life but by bold aduenturing vpon death Lastly he was followed by all being enflamed by this example to a new life of resolution Generally the swords went so fast that the French vnable to endure that deadly storme were vtterly disbanded and turned to flight K. Henry after a bloody chase recouered Nice and with great triumph returned to Roan Afterwards he would often say That in other battailes he fought for victory but in this for his life and that hee would but little ioy in many such victories Vpon this euent the King sent certaine forces into France to harrase the countrey and to strike a terrour into the enemie The French King besides the abatement of his power by reason of his late ouerthrow was then preparing in Armes against Henry the Emperour who intended to destroy Rhemes partly drawen on by Henry King of England whose daughter he had taken to wife but chiefly for that a Councell had bene there held against him by Pope Calixtus a French man wherein the Emperour was declared enemie to the Church and degraded from his Imperiall dignitie This brought the English to a carelesse conceit and to a loose and licentious demeanure
of Warwicke the Hospitall of Kepar the Priorie of Osney neere Oxeford the Hospital of S. Crosse neere Winchester the Priorie of Norton in Cheshire with diuers others The King also founded and erected the Priorie of Dunstable the Abbey of Circester the Abbey of Reading the Abbey of Shirebourne Hee also changed the Abbey of Eley into a Bishops Sea he erected a Bishopricke at Caerlile placed Chanons there and endowed it with many honours These and many other Religious buildings either done or helped forward or permitted and allowed by the King much encreased the affection of the Clergie towards him Now to draw the loue of the common people he composed himselfe to a sober ciuilitie easie for accesse faire in speach in countenance and behauiour kind his Maiestie so tempered with mildnèsse and courtesie that his Subiects did more see the fruits then feele the weight of his high estate These were things of great moment with the vulgar sort who loue more where they are louingly intreated then where they are benefited or happely preserued He eased them of many publicke grieuances Hee restored them to the vse of fire and candle after eight of the clocke at night which his father had most straitly forbidden Punishments of losse of member vsed before he made pecuniarie Hee moderated the Law of his brother which inflicted death for killing any of the Kings Deere and ordeined that if any man killed a Deere in his owne wood the wood should be forfeited to the King He permitted to make enclosures for Parkes which taking beginning in his time did rise to that excessiue encrease that in a few succeeding ages more Parkes were in England then in all Europe beside He promised that the Lawes of K. Edward should againe be restored but to put off the present performance he gaue forth that first they should be reuiewed and corrected and made appliable to the present time And albeit in trueth they were neuer either reuiewed or corrected yet the onely hope thereof did worke in the people a fauourable inclination to his part Whilest the King did thus Immure himselfe in the state of England as well by ordering his affaires as by winning the hearts of the people vnto him Duke Robert was returning from Palestine by easie and pleasurable iourneys vsing neither the celeritie nor forecast which the necessitie of his occasions did require Hee visited many Princes by the way and consumed much time in entertainments and other complements of Court Hee tooke to wife as he came Sibell the daughter of Roger Duke of Apulia and Earle of Cicill vvho was a Norman and the great portion of money which he receiued for her dower he loosely lauished foorth amongst his followers of whom he receiued nothing againe but thankes when he scattered rather then gaue and pitie when he wanted At the last he arriued in Normandie and foorthwith was sollicited out of England by letters from many who either vpon conscience or discontentment fauoured his Title and especially from Radulph Bishop of Durham who had lately escaped out of prison a man odious ynough to vndoe a good cause that he would omit no time that hee would let fall no diligence to embarke himselfe in the enterprise for England that he had many friends there both powerfull and sure who would partake with him in his dangers although not in the honour atchieued by his dangers that therewith the peoples fauour towards the King did begin to ebbe and that it was good taking the first of the tide Hereupon he shuffled vp an Armie in haste neither for number nor furniture nor choise of men answerable to the enterprise in hand Then he crossed the Seas landed at Portesmouth and marched a small way into the Countrey vainely expecting the concourse and ayd which had bene assured him out of England But King Henry had made so good vse both of his warning and time to prouide against this tempest that hee did at once both cut from the Duke all meanes of ayd and was ready to encounter him in braue appointment Hereupon many who were vnable by Armes to relieue the Duke by aduise did to him the best offices they could For they laboured both the King and him to a reconcilement The King with respect of his new vnsettled estate the Duke with respect of his weakenesses and wants both with regard of naturall duetie and loue knit betweene them by band of blood So after some trauaile and debatement a peace was concluded vpon these Conditions That Henry should reteine the kingdome of England and pay to his brother Robert 3000. markes yeerely That if either of them should die without issue the suruiuour should succeed That no man should receiue preiudice for following the part of the one or of the other These conditions being solemnely sworne by the king and the Duke and twelue Noble men on either part the Duke returned into Normandie and about two yeeres after went againe into England to visit the King and to spend some time with him in feasting and disport At which time to requite the Kings kind vsage and entertainment but especially to gratifie Matild the Queene to whom he was godfather he released to the King the annuall payment of 3000. markes But as a wound is more painefull the day following then when it was first and freshly taken so this loose leuitie of the Duke which was an exceeding sad and sore blow to his estate was scarce sensible at his departure out of England but most grieuous to him after hee had remained in Normandie a while whereby many motions were occasioned as well in the one place as in the other The Duke complained that hee had bene circumuented by his brother the King that his courtesies were nothing else but allurements to mischiefe that his gifts were pleasant baites to couer and conuey most dangerous hookes that his faire speaches were sugred poysons that his kinde embracements were euen to tickle his friends to death Robert Belasme Earle of Shrewsbury a man of great estate but doubtfull whether of lesse wisedome or feare tooke part with the Duke and fortified the Towne and Castle of Shrewsbury the Castles of Bridgenorth Tichel and Arundel and certaine other pieces in Wales against King Henry And hauing drawen vnto him some persons of wretched state and worse minde whose fortunes could not bee empaired by any euent hee entred Stafford-shire and droue away light booties of cattell being prepared neither in forces nor in courage to stay the doing of greater mischiefe But neither was this sudden to the King neither was he euer vnprouided against sudden aduentures Wherefore encountring the danger before it grew to perfection and strength he first brought his power against the Castle of Bridgenorth which was forthwith rendred vnto him The residue followed the example which in enterprise of armes is of greatest moment and submitted themselues to the Kings discretion Onely the Castle of Arundel yeelded vpon condition that Robert Belasme their Lord
many chases vpon them but found nothing worthy the name either of enemie or of warre Wherefore by maintaining garrisons and light troups of Souldiers he consumed the most obstinate and reduced the rest to his allegeance receiuing the sonnes of their Nobilitie for hostages At that time many Flemings inhabited in England of whom some came ouer in the time of King William the first by occasion of his mariage with Matild daughter to Baldwine their Earle but the greatest part came vnder the reigne of this King Henrie by reason that Flanders at that time by irruption of the sea was in many places ouerflowen The King was willing to entertaine them because they brought with them both industrie and trades because they made the Countrey both populous and rich For in making a place populous it is thereby also made rich draw people to a place and plentie will follow driue away people and it is vndone They were first planted neere the riuer of Tweede besides those who dispersed into diuers Townes But at this time the King sent many of them into Rose in Pembrokeshire whose progeny did euer since maintaine themselues in good condition against the Welsh being a people euen at this day distinguished from all other bordering vpon them both in language and in nature and in fashion of life On a time as the king marched through Powesland in Southwales hee came to certaine streights through which his maine army could not passe by reason of their 〈◊〉 and traine of cariage wherefore hee sent the greatest part a further way about and himselfe with a small company tooke the neerer way thorow those streights When he was well entred he was charged very sharpely but rudely and disordredly by the Welsh who hauing the aduantage both in number and in place did much annoy him from the higher ground but durst not approach to close fight at hand The King himselfe was smitten with an arrow full vpon the breast whereat hee swore By our Lords death which was his vsuall oath that it was no Welsh arme which shot that arrow Many of his men also were hurt and the residue strangely disordred the amazement being farre greater then the distresse But the king with a firme countenance retired in time the enemies not daring to pursue him any further then they might be assured by aduantage of place Then he sent peaceably vnto them and after some ouertures brought them to agree that for a thousand head of cattell the passage should be left open vnto him IN this politicke gouernment he so managed the State that neither subiects wanted iustice nor Prince obedience He repaired many defects hee reformed many abuses which would in the meane time enfeeble and at last oppresse the Common-wealth Hee ordred his affaires with such moderation that he was not onely well obeyed by his subiects but highly honoured and respected by forreine Princes wherby it appeared that learning may be both a guard and guide to Princes if it be not so immoderately affected as to bereaue them either of the minde or time for action He vsed much seueritie in punishing offenders seueritie the life of iustice of iustice the most assured preseruer of States affording no more fauour for the most parr then dead mercilesse law did allot Against the eues he prouided that no money should saue them from hanging He ordeined that counterfeitures of money should loose both their eyes and be depriued of their priuie parts He tooke away the deceit which had been occasioned by varietie of measures and made a measure by the length of his owne arme which hath been Commonly vsed euer since by the name of a yard And wheras there are two infallible signes of a diseased State excesse in eating and in attire which could neuer be restrained by penalties or feare but the more the people are therin forbidden the more are they rauished into riot and vanitie the King by two meanes cast a general restraint vpon them both by example and by reproofe which by reason of the inclination of men to imitate and please their Prince haue alwayes been of greater force then lawes to reforme abuses in that kind He much abhorred excesse in eating and drinking and was so moderate in his owne diet that he seemed to feede onely for necessitie of nature Hee both vsed and commended ciuill modestie in apparell especially he could not endure an absurd abuse of men in those times in wearing long haire like vnto women And when their owne haire failed they set artificiall Peruques with long locks vpon their heads whereas by censure of the Apostle it is reprochfull for men to weare long haire He discharged his Court of many loose lasciuious persons affirming that they were no good instruments of the kingdome as being in peace chargeable and vnprofitable for warre During his absence in Normandie which was sometimes three or foure yeeres together he committed the gouernement of his Realme to Roger Bishop of Salisburie A man harmelesse in life in mind flourishing and fresh in intention vpright most wise in taking and most faithfull and fortunate in giuing aduise Hee had gouerned the Kings expenses of house when hee was but a Prince of priuate estate whereby he gained that reputation for integritie and skill which aduanced him to a higher trust He was Doctor of the Canon and Ciuill lawes as most of the Bishops at that time were and did beare the title and name of Iusticiarius totius Angliae Hee built the Deuises in Wiltshire the Castles of Malmesburie and Shireburne He repaired the Castle of Salisburie and enuironed the same with a wall hee built the stately Church at Salisburie destined to a longer life then any of his other workes And further by reason of the Kings much abode in Normandie the prouisions of his house were valued at certaine prices and receiued in money to the great contentment and ease of the people In these times were mighty woods about the place where the two high wayes Watling and Ikening doe ioyne together which woods were a safe couert and retreite for many robbers who much infested those high wayes The most famous thiefe among them was named Dunne a man mischieuous without mercie equally greedie of blood and of spoile the first infamie of his name Hee was in a sort as the most villanously aduentrous and vile for in lewd actions the worst are greatest Commander ouer the rest and of him the place was called Dunstable To represse this annoyance the King caused the woods to bee cut downe built there a Borough to which hee granted Faire Market and that the Burgesses should be so free as any other Burgesses within the Realme Hee erected there also a Palace for himselfe and also a faire Church or Priorie whereto he gaue large priuiledges and endowments By these meanes hee made the place first populous and consequently both plentifull and safe Many other royall workes hee performed some for Religion as the Religious
plentifull Countrey as the purchase of their prowesse as the gaine and reward of their aduenture by putting them in minde that they were in a Countrey both hostile vnknowne before them the sword the vast Ocean behind no place of retreit no surety but in valour and in victory so as they who would not contend for glory were vpon necessitie to fight for their liues Lastly by assuring them that as he was the first in aduise so would he be the foremost in aduenture being fully resolued either to vanquish or to die The King encouraged his men by presenting to their remembrance the miseries which they susteined not long before vnder the oppression of the Danes which whether they were againe to endure or neuer to feare it lieth said he in the issue of this field The King had the aduantage both for number of men and for their large able bodies The Duke both in Armes especially in regard of the Bow and arrowes and in experience and skill of Armes both equall in courage both confident alike in the fauour of Fortune which had alwayes crowned their courage with victory And now by affronting of both the Armies the plots and labours of many moneths were reduced to the hazard of a few houres The Normans marched with a song of the valiant acts of Rowland esteeming nothing of perill in regard of the glory of their aduenture When they approched neere their enemies they saluted them first with a storme of Arrowes Robert Fitz-Beaumant a yong Gentleman of Normandie beginning the fight from the right Wing This maner of fight as it was new so was it most terrible to the English so were they least prouided to auoyd it First they opened their rancks to make way for the Arrowes to fall but when that auoydance did nothing auaile they cloased againe and couered themselues with their Targets ioyned together in maner of a pendhouse encouraging one another to hast forward to leape lustily to hand-strokes and to scoure their swords in the entrailes of their enemies Then the Duke commanded his horsemen to charge but the English receiued them vpon the points of their weapons with so liuely courage in so firme and stiffe order that the ouerthrow of many of the foremost did teach their followers to aduenture themselues with better aduise Hereupon they shifted into wings and made way for the footmen to come forward Then did both armies ioyne in a horrible shocke with Pole-axes the Prince of weapons the sword maintaining the fight with so manlike furie as if it had bene a battaile of Giants rather then of men And so they continued the greatest part of that day in close and furious fight blow for blow wound for wound death for death their feet steadie their hands diligent their eyes watchfull their hearts resolute neither their aduisement dazeled by fiercenesse nor their fiercenesse any thing abated by aduisement In the meane time the horsemen gaue many sharpe charges but were alwayes beaten backe with disaduantage The greatest annoyance came from the Archers whose shot showred among the English so thicke as they seemed to haue the enemy in the middest of their Armie Their armour was not sufficiently either compleate or of proofe to defend them but euery hand euery finger breadth vnarmed was almost an assured place for a deepe and many times a deadly wound Thus whilest the front was maintained in good condition many thousands were beaten downe behind whose death was not so grieuous vnto them as the maner of their death in the middest of their friends without an enemie at hand vpon whom they might shew some valour and worke some reuenge This maner of fight would soone haue determined aswell the hopes as the feares of both sides had not the targets of English been very seruiceable vnto them Had not King Harold also with a liuely and constant resolution performed the part not onely of a skilfull commander by directing encouraging prouiding relieuing but of a valiant Souldier by vsing his weapon to the example of his Souldiers In places of greatest danger hee was alwayes present repayring the decayes reforming the disorders and encouraging his company that in doing as men whether they preuailed or whether they perished their labour was alwayes gloriously employed So they knit strongly together and stood in close and thicke array as if they had been but one body not onely bearing the brunt of their enemies but making such an impression vpon their squadron that the great bodie began to shake The Duke aduentured in person so farre moued no lesse by his naturall magnanimitie then by glory of the enterprise that besides his often alighting to fight on foote two or as some report three horses were slaine vnder him And hauing a body both able by nature and by vse hardened to endure trauaile hee exacted the greater seruice of his Souldiers commending the forward blaming the slow and crying out according to his nature with vehement gesture and voice vnto all that it was a shame for them who had been victorious against all men with whom they dealt to be so long held by the English in delay of victory So partly by his authoritie and partly by his example he retained his Souldiers and imposed vpon them the fayrest necessitie of courage whilest euery man contended to win a good opinion of their Prince Then the fight entred into a new fitte of heate nothing lesse feared then death the greatnesse of danger making both sides the more resolute and they who could not approach to strike with the hand were heard to encourage their fellowes by speach to pursue the victory to pursue their glory not to turne to their owne both destruction and disgrace The clashing of armour the iustling of bodies the resounding of blowes was the fairest part of this bloody medley but the grislinesse of wounds the hideous fals and groanes of the dying all the field desiled with dust blood broken armour mangled bodies represented Terrour in her foulest forme Neuer was furie better gouerned neuer game of death better played The more they fought the better they fought the more they smarted the lesse they regarded smart At the last when the Duke perceiued that the English could not be broken by strength of arme he gaue direction that his men should retire and giue ground not loosely not disorderly as in a fearefull and confused haste but aduisedly and for aduantage keeping the front of their squadron firme and close without disbanding one foote in array Nothing was more hurtfull to the English being of a franke and noble spirit then that their violent inclination caried them too fast into hope of victory For feeling their enemies to yeeld vnder their hand they did rashly follow those who were not hasty to flee And in the heate of their pursuit vpon a false conceit of victory loosed and disordered their rankes thinking then of nothing but of executing the chase The Normans espying the aduantage to be ripe
tooke his sister Margaret to wife He possessed himselfe of a great part of Cumberland and of Northumberland wherewith the people were well content for that hee was their Earles sisters sonne Hereupon King William sent against him first Roger a Norman who was traiterously slaine by his owne Souldiers then Gospatrick Earle of Gloucester These did onely represse the enemie but were not able to finish the warre fully Lastly hee went himselfe with a mighty armie into Scotland where hee made wide waste and in Lothiam found King Malcolme prepared both in force and resolution to entertaine him with battell The great armie of King William their faire furniture and order their sudden comming but especially their firme countenance and readinesse to fight much daunted the Scots whereupon King Malcolme sent a Herault to King William to mooue him to some agreement of peace The more that the King was pleased herewith the more hee seemed vnwilling and strange the more he must be perswaded to that which if it had not bin offered he would haue desired At the last a peace was concluded vpon conditions honourable for King William and not vnreasonable for the King of Scots whereby all the English were pardoned who had fled into Scotland and borne armes against their King As for the Welsh albeit both their courage and their power had been extreamely broken in the time of King Edward and that by the valour and industry of Harold yet vpon aduantage of these troubled times they made some incursions into the borders of England but in companies so disordered and small so secretly assaulting so suddenly retiring so desirous more of pillage then of blood that they seemed more like to ordinarie robbers then to enemies in field Against these the King ledde an armie into Wales reduced the people both to subiection and quiet made all the principall men tributary vnto him receiued pledges of all for assurance of their obedience and faith Whilest the King thus setled his affaires abroad he secured himselfe against his subiects not by altering their will but by taking away their power to rebell The stoutest of the Nobilitie and Gentlemen were spent either by warre or by banishment or by voluntary auoidance out of the Realme All these hee stripped of their states and in place of them aduanced his Normans insomuch as scarce a ny noble family of the English blood did beare either office or authoritie within the Realme And these ranne headlong to seruitude the more hasty and with the fairer shew the more either countenanced or safe These he did assure vnto him not onely by oath of fidelitie and homage but either by pledges or else by reteining them alwaies by his side And because at that time the Clergie were the principall strings of the English strength he permitted not any of the English Nation to be aduanced to the dignities of the Church but furnished them with Normans and other strangers And whereas in times before the Bishop and Alderman were absolute Iudges in euery Shire and the Bishop in many causes shared in forfeitures and penalties with the King he clipped the wings of their Temporall power and confined them within the limits of their Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction to maintaine the Canons and customes of the Church to deale in affaires concerning the soule He procured Stigand Archbishop of Canterburie Agelwine Bishop of East-Angles and certaine other Bishops and Abbots to be depriued by authoritie from Rome and deteined them in prison during their liues that strangers might enioy their places The matters obiected against Stigand were these 1 That hee had entruded vpon the Archbishopricke whilest Robert the Archb. was in life 2 That he receiued his Pall from Benedict the fifth who for buying the Papacie had bene deposed 3 That hee kept the Sea of Winchester in his handes after his inuestiture into the Sea of Canterburie He was otherwise also infamous in life altogether vnlearned of heauie iudgement and vnderstanding sottishly seruiceable both to pleasure and sloath in couetousnesse beneath the basenesse of rusticitie insomuch as he would often sweare that he had not one penie vpon the earth and yet by a key which hee did weare about his necke great treasures of his were found vnder the ground And this was a griefe and sicknesse to honest mindes that such spurious and impure creatures should susteine or rather destaine the reuerence and maiestie of Religion Further the King caused all the Monasteries and Abbeys to be searched pretending that the richer sort of the English had layd vp their money in them vnder colour whereof he discouered the state of all and bereaued many of their owne treasure Some of these Religious houses he appropriated wholly to himselfe of diuers others he seized the liberties which they redeemed afterward at a very high and excessiue rate Those Bishopricks and Abbeis which held Baronies and had bene free before from secular subiection he reduced vnder the charge of his seruice appointing how many Souldiers and of what sort they should furnish for him and his successours in the time of their warres Those strangers which he entertained in pay he dispersed into Religious houses and some also among the Nobilitie to be maintained at their charge whereby he not onely fauoured his owne purse but had them as a watch and sometimes as a garrison ouer those of whose alleageance he stood in doubt Now against the inferiour sort of people knowing right well that hee was generally hated hee prepared these remedies for his estate All their armour was taken from them they were crushed downe with change of calamity which held them prostrate vnder yoke and brake the very heart of their courage leauing them no hope to be relieued no hope to rise into any degree of libertie but by yeelding entire obedience vnto him Those who either resisted or fauoured not his first entrance he bereaued of all meanes afterward to offend him holding them downe and keeping them so lowe that their very impotencie made him secure All such as had their hand in any rebellion albeit they were pardoned their liues lost their liuings and became vassals to those Lords to whom their possessions were giuen And if they attained any thing afterward they held it onely at the pleasure of their Lords at the pleasure of their Lords they might bee despoyled Hee much condemned the iudgement of Swanus the Dane sometimes King of England who permitted those whom hee had vanquished to retaine their former both authoritie and estates whereby it happened that after his death the inhabitants were of force to expell the strangers and to quit themselues both from their societie and subiection Hereupon many seuere lawes were made diuers of all sorts were put to death banished stripped of their wealth disabled in their bodies by vnusuall variety of punishments as putting out the eyes cutting off the hands and such like not onely to diminish his feares if they were suspected but sometimes if they were of