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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
this Land which retained nothing of the former nor held other memory but that of the dissolution thereof where scarce a Citie Dwelling Riuer Hill or Mountayne but changed names Britayne it selfe was now no more Britayne but New Saxonie and shortly after either of the Angles the greatest people of the inuadors or of Hengist called Engist-Land or England The distance made by the rage of warre lay so wide betweene the conquering and conquered people that nothing either of lawes rites and customes came to passe ouer vnto vs from the Britaynes nor had our Ancestors any thing from them but their countrie which they first diuided into eight kingdomes all which continued to the last extermination of the Britaynes vnder Caretius their King with whome they were driuen ouer Seuerne 136. yeeres after the first entertainement of Hengist And soone after the Saxons encroching vpon each othe rs parts or States which neuer held certaine boundes and the stronger vsurping vpon their weaker neighbours reduced them to seauen kingdomes that of the Northanimbrians being made one of two and then to sixe the west Saxons taking in the kingdome of Sussex to their dominion And so it continued about 250 yeares At the first by the space of 150 yeares they were meerely gouerned by their owne lawes without mixture of any other But after Augustine the Monke sent with 40 others by Pope Gregorie had conuerted Aethelbert King of Kent and some other they all shortly after receiued the Christian faith and had their lawes and rites ordered according to Ecclesiasticall constitutions Many of their Kings when their sterne asperitie grew molified by humility of the religion beganne to raise presently so many and great monuments of their piety in all parts of the Land as if they striued who should exceed therein and had no other glorie Diuers of them renounced their temporall dignities for Spirituall solitude and became Monkes as Aetheldred and Kinred Kings of Merena-Land Offa King of the East Saxons Kadwalla and Ina Kings of the west Saxons Eadberte King of the Northumbrians c. At length the kingdomes of Merc-naland and west Sax so far ouergrew the others in power as betweene them two it lay who should haue all For Ina a martiall wise and religious Prince gouerning the west Saxons first aduaunced that kingdome to a preheminencie did much to haue subdued Mercna-land but yet Offa afterwards King thereof was in faire possibility to haue swallowed vp both the west Saxons and all the rest of the kingdomes For whilst hee liued which was in the time of Carolus Magnus with whom hee held league and amity hee was esteemed as the especiall King of the Land But the many wrongs he did and the murther committed in his house vpon Aethelbert King of the East Angles comming to him vnder publique faith and a suitor to his daughter were iustly reuenged vpon his posteritie which after him declining in the end lost all For Egbert discended from Inegild the brother of Ina attayning the kingdome of the west Saxons beganne the way to bring all the rest into subiection And being a Prince who from a priuate fortune wherin he liued below with and not aboue other men had learned sufferance and moderation and by the Estate of an exile experience grew to haue great aduantages ouer the time and others borne fortunes and rose by these meanes Ina his great vncle renouncing the world with his kingdome and dying without issue left the succession imbroiled and out of the direct royall lyne as hee found it So that those foure Kings of the west Saxons who seuerally succeeded him Ethelard Sigibert Kinulph and Britric were rather Kings by election and their owne power then by right of discent And Britric knowing the weakenesse of his title and the much promising forwardnes of Egbert with his propinquitie in bloud to the former Kings practized to haue him made away which he perceauing fled first to Offa King of Mercna-land where finding little security in regard Britric had to strength himselfe married the daughter of that king hee escaped into France and there remayned till the death of Britric and then returning obtaines the kingdome of the Westsaxons subdues Cornewall inhabited by the Britaynes and after sets vpon Bernulph newly inuested in the kingdome of Mercna-land a State by the rupture of the Royall lyne likewise growne tottering For Egferth the sonne of Offa enioyed but. 4. monethes the inheritance of his fathers immanitie whereby that kingdome discended collaterally to Kennulph who left it to Kenelme a child after murthered by his sister Quinred Ceolulph brother to Kennulph succeeding after his first yeares raigne was expeld by Bernulph and Bernulph by Egbert who made that kingdome tributarie to the west Saxons as he did after that of the South and East Saxons with the kingdome of Northumberland And by this meanes in a manner attained to a soueraignty of the whole But the Danes imbroiling his peace in the end of his raigne held him backe from enioying such a fulnesse of power as that wee may account him the absolute Monarch of the kingdome nor yet any of his successors so long as the Danes continued vnsubiected For they hauing first made irruptions into the State in the raigne of the late King Britric his predecessor euer after held a part thereof and afflicted the whole till they had attayned the absolute soueraigntie to themselues The Danes were a people of Germanie next neighbours to the Saxons and of language and manners little different possessing besides Cimbrica Chersonesus now called Denmarke all the Isles adiacent in the Baltique Sea and sometimes the kingdome of Norway A mightie rough and martiall nation strong in shipping through their exercise of piracie and numerous in people for all suppliments Who perceauing heere the happie successe and plantation of the Saxons were drawne with desire and emulation likewise to put in for a part the coaste lying open to inuasion and the many diuisions of the Land with the discord of Princes making them an easie way thereunto So that in a manner as soone as the Saxons had ended their trauailes with the Britaynes and drew to settling of a Monarchie the Danes as if ordain'd to reuenge their slaughters beganne to assault them with the like āfflictions The long the many and horrible encounters betwene this two fierce nations with the bloudshed and infinit spoiles committed in euery part of the Land are of so disorded and troublous memory that what with their asperous names together with the confusion of place times and persons intricately deliuered is yet a warre to the reader to ouer-looke them And therefore to fauour myne owne paines and his who shall get little profit thereby I passe them ouer After the death of Egbert Aethelwolph his sonne succeeded in the State with the title of King of the west Saxons only and was a Prince more addicted to deuotion then action as may be seene by his donation of the tenth part of
legittimate sonne Edmond vnder age Nor did Athelstan disappoint the kingdome in this worke but performed all noble parts of religion iustice and magnanimitie after 16 yeares raigne dying without issue Edmond his brother succeeded him A Prince likely to haue equalled the worth of his predecessors had hee not vntimely perished by the hand of a base outlaw in his owne house at a festiuall amidst his people that deerely loued and honoured him And though he left two sonnes yet was Edred his brother preferred to the kingdome before them who making no variation from the lyne of virtue continued by his auncestors was held perpetuallie in worke by the Danes during the whole time of his raigne which was of 10 yeares Edwin his nephew the eldest sonne of Edmond succeeded him an irregular youth who interrupting the course of goodnesse liued dissolutely and died wishedly Otherwise had Edgar the other sonne of Edmond continued that rare succession of good Princes without the interposition of any ill Edgar though he were but 16 yeares of age yet capeable of councell was by the graue aduise of his Bishops who in that time of zeale held especially the raines on the hearts and affections of men put and directed in the way of goodnesse and became a most heroicall Prince Amongst other his excellent actions of gouernement he prouided a mightie Nauy to secure his coasts from inuasion which now he found though late was the onely meane to keepe out these miseries from within that thus lamentably afflicted the land euer before negligent or not inured to sea-affaires For when the Romans first subdued the same there was no shipping but a few small vessels made of wicker and couered with hides whereby they and after the Danes both mightie as those times gaue in shipping found that easie footing they had Yet Egbert is said to haue prouided a strong Nauie about the yeare 840. And Alfrid 30 or 40 yeares after did the like But either now dis-used or consumed by the enemy Edgar re-edifies and sets forth a Fleet consisting as some write of 1600 saile others a farre greater number and those he deuides and places in foure parts of the Realme making his progresses yearly with part of this mightie Nauie round about the whole Isle whereof he assumed the title of king And to reduce it all to one name and Monarchie he was intitled king of all Albion as testifies his Charter granted to the Abby of Maldesmesbury in these ' words Ego Edgarus totius Albionis Basileus nec non Maritimorum seu insulanorum Regum circum habitantium c. For he hauing first of all other made peace with the Danes and granted them quiet cohabitation through all his dominions had the soueraigntie ouer them And Kenneth king of Scots did him homage whether for Cumberland and Westmerland giuen to that Crowne by king Edmond his father or for his whole kingdome I cannot say And fiue kings of Wales did the like for their countrey and came all to his Court at Cardiffe So that he seemes the first and most absolute Monarch of this land that hitherto we find The generall peace that held all his time honored his name with the title of Pacificus and rendred his kingdome neuer before acquainted with the glory of quietnesse very flourishing But as if the same had bene giuen to shew and not to vse like a short calme betwixt stormes it lasted but little beyond his raigne of sixteene yeares being too short to close the disseuered ioynts of a commixed kingdom which was onely to haue bene the worke of Time and that none of these late Princes who were best like to haue aduanced and confirm'd the State of a Monarchie were ordained to haue But all as if things would another way were put off from their ends by their vntimely deaths as was this glorious young Prince in the 32 yeare of his age leauing his sonne Edward a child to vndergo the miseries of nonage to be made a sacrifice for ambition and a Saint by persecution through the hand of a step-mother who to aduance her owne sonne Ethelred brake in ouer the bounds of nature and right to make his way and is sayd her selfe to haue murthered him comming to her house estrayed in hunting and discompanied BVt Ethelred as if ill set prospered not on this ground the enterance to whose raigne was bloud the middle misery and the end confusion They write Saint Dunstan preaching at his Coronation prophetically foretold him of these calamities would follow this transgression saying For that thou hast aspired to the Crowne by the death of thy brother murthered by thy mother thus saith the Lord the sword shall neuer depart from thy house raging against thee all the daies of thy life slaying those of thy seede till the kingdome be transferred to another whose fashion and language thy people shall not know Nor shall thy sinne nor the sinne of thy ignominious mother with her councellors be expiated but by long auengement And this whether so vttered or not was ratified in the euent For either this vniust disordring the succession or the concurrency of hidden causes meeting with it so wrought as this late begunne Monarchie fell quite asunder and begat the occasion of two conquests by forraine nations within the space of 50 yeares For the Danes hauing now beene so long inmates with the English dispread ouer all partes by intermatching with them and multiplying with the late peace and confederations had their party though not their rule greater then euer so that this oportunitie of a yong and vnsettled Prince in a new branling State drew ouer such multitudes of other of the same nation as euery coast and part of the Land were miserablie made the open rodes of spoile and saccage in such sort as the State knew not where to make any certaine head against them for if incountred in one place they assaild another and had so sure intelligence what and where all preparations were raised as nothing could be effected auaylable to quayle them Whereupon Ethelred in the end was faine seing hee could not preuaile with the sword to assaile them with money and bought a peace for ten thousand pounds which God wot proued after a very dere penny-worth to the cōmon wealth shewing the seller thereof how much was in his power and the buyer at how hard a rate his necessitie was to be serued and yet not sure of his bargaine longer then the contractor would Who hauing found the benefite of this market raised the price thereof almost euery yeare And yet had not Ethelred what hee paid for the Land in one part or other neuer free from spoile and inuasion but rather the more now opprest both by the warre and this taxation Which was the first wee find in our annales laid vpon the kingdome and with heauie greeuance raised in a poore distressed State continewing many ages after the
occasion was extinct And in the end though in another name became the vsuall supplyment in the dangers of the kingdome and the occasions of Princes And hereby Ethelred both inlarged the meanes and desire of the enemy so that at length came Swayn King of Denmarke and Aulafe King of Norway in person as if likewise to receaue hire for committing outrage and were both returned with great sums and Aulafe of a milder disposition with baptisme These calamities from abroad were made more by the disloyalties at home faith and respect being seldome found safe in lost fortunes held not in most of the principall men imployed in the defence Aelfric Admirall of the Nauy is said to haue giuen intelligence of all Sea-preparations and disappointed that worke The Earles Fran Frithigist Godwin and Turkettle discended of Danicke progeny and of greatest comaund deceiued the armies by Land and were the aucthors of discouragement to the people they led Edric Earle of Mare-land after them made Generall of the Kings forces is branded with euerlasting ignominie and the title of False for his barbarous disloyaltie frustrating all attempts wherin he was imployed Wolnod a nobleman for his misdemeanor outlawed made depredations on the coastes with 20 ships and was the cause that 80 more sent to take him in were vtterly consumed This defection of his nobilitie howsoeuer it might be by their owne discontent emulation corruption or affection is laid to the pride of Ethelred whom yet wee finde more vnfortunate then weake howsoeuer they haue set his marke and neglected no occasion to make resistance and reparations against all euents bringing often his affaires to the very point of dispatch and yet put by at an instant from all as if nothing went with him bur his will to do worthily which howsoeuer it were besides the miserie to loose he must haue that which accompanies infelicity Blame and Reproch Though the many and desperate battailes he made the good constitutions for the gouernment the prouisions to supply all important occasions shew that he was not much behind the best Princes but onely in fortune By the example of Edgar his father he procured a mightie Nauie causing of euery 310 hide or plough-land throughout the kingdome a ship to be built and of euery eighth a Corslet to be found Yet all this shipping stood him in little stead but was either quasht with tempest consumed with fire by the enemy or otherwise made vnusefull by neglect or ignorance whereby the hope and infinite charge of the State were disappointed Famine and mortality the attendants of warre with strange inundations wrought likewise their part as if conspirators of destruction and all concur'd to make a dismall season Many yeares it was not ere Swaine king of Danes returned to raise againe new summes by new afflictions and totmenting here this poore turmoyled people more then euer receiues a fee for bloud-shed to the summe of 48000 pounds granted in the generall assembly of the States at London and a peace or rather paction of seruitude concluded with quiet cohabitation vse of like liberties and a perfect vnion betweene the two nations confirmed by oaths of either part and hostages deliuered of ours But this as a breathing time scarse held out the yeare When the occasion of greater mischiefes was giuen by a vniuersall massacre of the Danes suddenly here contriued and effected by the kings commandement vpon the suggestion of Hune a great Commander and a violent warrier of that time Vrging the insolencie of the Danes that now growne haughty with this peace Committed many outrages violating the wiues and daughters of great men with many other intollerable disorders Such and so suddaine was the generall execution of this act throughout all parts of the kingdome at one instant as shewed the concurrencie of an inueterate rankor and incompatability of these two nations impossible to be conioyned So that neither Temples Altars Supplications nor any band of aliance were auaileable to saue them from slaughter Wherein to incense the more their king Gunild his sister a woman of masculine courage who had a little before receaued Christendome a mediator pledge of the peace hauing first her husband and sonne slayne in her sight rather with a threatning then appaled countenance met her death making imprecation for reuenge and foretelling her bloud would as it did cost England deere Soone was the notice of this enormious act giuen to Swaine and as soone armed with rage and power reentred he the kingdome hauing now a fayrer shew to doe fowly then euer wrong had made him a right who had none before and the people of the Land not so forward to maintayne their act as to commit it rather were content to giue him the possession of their country then that he should wyn it the greatest part of the kingdome submitting themselues vnto him onely the citie of London which Ethelred held fortified made noble resistance till he left them and conueyed himselfe first into the Isle of Wight and after into Normandie whither hee had sent Emma his Queene with their 2 sonnes Aelfrid and Edward before from the rage of this tempest But within 2 moneths he was recalled home by the people of England vpon the death of Swaine who at the point to haue beene crowned King and had generally taken ostages and oathes of fealty died suddenly leauing his sonne Knute to succeede his fortunes and accomplish what he intended Ethelred returning was soone furnisht with an Army sets vpon Knute in Lindsey where he lay with his fathers shipping and Hostages and draue him to take the seas wherewith inraged making about to Sandwich he miserably mangled and dismembred those hostages and so sent them home himselfe with the spoiles his father and he had gotten returned to his countrey to make greater preparations for the prosecution of his purpose Ethelred in the meane time to increase the summe of reuengement with more wrath at a generall Assembly at Oxford caused many of the Danicque Nobilitie to be murthered Among which were Sigifrith and Morchar Earles of Northumberland whom the false Edric who had a hand on each side for mischiefe inuiting them to his lodging vnder pretence of feasting barbarously caused to be slaine their followers after they had so long as they could desperately defended themselues and their maisters fled into a Church where they were with the same burnt Knute armed with the greatest of his owne neighbours powers made his confederates landed againe within the yeare at Sandwich without resistance had all the West parts rendred vnto him with pledges for their obedience and furnishment with horse and armor Here the false Edric leaues his Liege-lord yeelds vp 40 ships and his periur'd faith to Knute Ethelred languishing in minde and body Edmond his sonne surnamed Ironside to oppose youth to youth was imployed against this rabious inuador A Prince worthy of a better time and had he found faith had made it so and
deliuered his country at that turne from the worst of miseries the conquest by strangers BVt now vpon the death of Ethelred whose 37 yeares raigne shewes that infelicity shall haue time too much and happinesse too little Knute was by most of the Clergie and Nobility chosen king onely the City of London with some of the Nobility thereabout made election of Edmond and furnished him with that power as thereby with the couragious ardour of his youth which commonly is most in the first attempts he had the better in three imminent battels within 3 moneths and had likewise obtained the fourth at Essendon likely to haue bene the last with the Danes but that the disloyall Edric late renouncing his new Lord seeing Edmonds part in possibility to preuaile againe betrai'd his trust withdrew himselfe and the charge he had to the enemy This fatall battell lost England here perished the best flower of honor it then had Here amongst the rest was slaine Vlkill an Earle of Essex of euer memorable worth who had long stood vp for the kingdom and in the time of Swaine was the first that shewed there was hope and possibility to quaile the enemy had there bene an vnion in loyalty From this bloudy worke Edmond escapes to Glocester to recollect new forces nor was he so forsaken with this fortune but that he soone recouered another armie to re-assaile the enemie that might be idle vpon this victorie But Knute as prouident in the prosecution of his businesse as fortunate therein makes after Here when both Armies were at the point to incounter a motion of peace was propounded Some say the two Kings by single combat consented to decide their fortunes and the ouer-commer to take all and that in an Isle of the riuer Seuern their Armies on either shore spectators of the act they tried the maistery for the prize of a kingdome After long and equall fight finding each others worth they cast away their weapons imbraced and concluded the peace But howsoeuer it seemes both sides tyred with the miserie of a consuming warre neuer like to be ended but by the vtter extirpation of the one and considering the danger of either and incertaintie of the future were easily perswaded to imbrace a present agreement which was made by parting England betwixt them two and confirm'd by Oath and Sacrament putting on each others Apparell and Armes as a ceremonic to expresse the attonement of their mindes as if they made transaction of their persons each to other Knute became Edmond and Edmond Knute A fatall exchange for so free and magnanimous a Prince as Edmond who indeede was now no more himselfe and being but halfe a king was in so few dayes after none as makes this peace shew fouler then warre for that armed him for life this exposed him naked to death which was shortly after treacherously giuen him at Oxford some say by the sonne of Edric as if to shew he would be the heire of his father also in Treason whereby both the hope and the other halfe of England were vtterly lost as determinable with his raigne which with all we haue else of his magnanimous actiōs took vp scarce the circuit of one whole yeare And yet had that bene space enough for gloric whose measure is to be taken rather by the profundity then the length which seldome holds long and euen could he haue had that cleere and better for his renowne to haue died at the battaile of Essendon with England then discended to haue made it halfe Denmarke and liue BVt by this meanes Knute attayned the absolute dominition of the whole kingdome which he gouerned with better Iustice then he got conforming his natiue roughnes to a more ciuile and regular fashion of life And to haue England see that now he was hers he sendes away his Nauie stipendary soldiers home to their countries and puts himselfe wholy vpō this people taking the way of mildnesse a better meanes for his establishment then force but the Land paid for the remuneration of his people this euacuation of Strangers 83000 pounds of siluer which it rather cōsented to do at once then to haue them a daily burthen to pester the Statefor euer At his first comming to the Crowne he sought to ridde himselfe as well of his friends as of those might proue his enemies Edric who came first to salute him sole King of England as if to tell that hee made him so hee caused his head to be set on the highest part of the Towre of London therin performing his promise of aduancing him aboue any Lord of the Land and thereby discharged himselfe of such a debt which though hee should haue paid would neuer yet be held fully cleered giuing a generall satisfaction to the people that reioyced to see Treason so iustly rewarded Like compensation had shortly after the Earles Turkil Erick who being banished the Land were executed vpon their arriuall in Denmarke But the loue and high opinion of Iustice he got in these were lost againe in those actions wherin he tooke counsell onely of his feares for the extirpation of all those of the Royall bloud of England As of Edwin and Edward the sonnes of the late King Edmond to whome apperteyned the moyetie of the kingdom by contract of Edwin his brother which three he sent to be murthered abroad to beguile the rumor at home But which is strange those times though rough afforded not yet an instrument for the execution of his desire and all these Princes were preserued and conueyed out of danger by those who should haue made them away The two last were bred by Salomon King of Hungarie where Edward suruiuing his brother maried Agatha sister to that Queene And some write daughter to the Emperour Henry 3 by whom hee had two sonnes Edmond and Edgar daughters Margaret and Christina Aelfred and Edward sonnes of King Ethelred by Emme were preserued by Richard Duke of Normandie their vnkle and so lay out of his way This priuate iniustice which often may be more in compassion then hurt to the State hee sought to recompence with all publique satisfactions repairing the naufrage of the common-wealth made by the rage of warre both in ornament and order erecting Churches and Monasteries with large patents of prouisions both for the expiation of his inmanities fore-committed and to memorize the places of his victories with his thankefulnesse to God The Constitutions Ecclesiastical and Ciuile diuulged in the language of that time testifie his tender piety and care of Iustice and are so full of religious admonitions as it seemes he held the best meanes to haue lawes obserued was to haue them first enacted in the consciences of men Amongst others hee inflicted exact punishment on all intemperances of his people and offences committed against publique manners Seuere he was but not cruell few of his lawes sanguinarie as being not the custome of the time which though rough
surnamed Atheling to say the noble Edgar either by reason of his youth which yet was no barre to his right or being borne and bred a stranger little knowing or knowne to the kingdome had his claime neglected vpon the death of this pious king ANd Harald sonne to the Earle Godwin the next day after was preferredto the Crowne whether by any title he might pretend from the Danicque kings as discended from that nation and as some report sonne to Githa sister to Swayne or by meere election of the greater part of the Nobilitie we cannot say but it seemes the pressing necessitie of the time that required a more man to vndergo the burthen of warre and that trouble the world was like to fall into by reason of the claimes now made both by the Dane and Norman cast it suddenly vpon him as the most eminent man of the kingdome both by the experience of his owne deseruings and the strength of his alliance Neither did he faile but in fortune to make good this election taking all the best courses both for the well-ordering of the State and all prouisions for defence that a politicke and actiue Prince could do But being to deale in a broken world where the affections of men were all disioynted or dasht with the terror of an approching mischiefe failing as vsually is seene in these publicke feares both in their diligence and courage to withstand it soonefound more then enough to do And the first man which began to disturbe his new gouernment was his owne yonger brother Toustayne who in the time of the late king Edward hauing the gouernment of Northumberland was for his pride and immanities shewed in those parts banished the kingdome and now by reason of his former conceiued hatred against his brother easily set on by the Duke of Normandie and Baldouin Earle of Flanders whose two daughters the Duke and he had maried assailes first the Isle of Wight and after sets vpon the coast of Kent whence he was chased by the power of Harald and forced to withdraw into the North parts and there seeking to land was likewise repulsed by the Earles Morchar and Edwyn whose sister Harald had maried Then craues he aide of the Scots and after of Harald surnamed Harfager king of Norwey being then taking in the Orchades and exercising piracie in those parts whom he induced with all his forces to inuade England And landing at Tinmouth discomfeiting their first incounters they marched into the heart of the kingdome without resistance Neere Stamford king Harald of England met them with a puissant armie and after long and eager fight ended the day with victory and the death of his brother Toustayne and the king of Norwey But from hence was he called with his wearied and broken forces to a more fatall businesse in the South For now William Duke of Normandie pretending a right to the Crowne of England by the testament of the late king Edward his kinsman vpon the aduantage of a busie time and the disfurnishment of those parts landed at Pemsey not farre from Hastings in Sussex neere to which place was tried by the great Assize of Gods iudgement in battell the right of power betweene the English and Norman Nation A battaile the most memorable of all other and howsoeuer miserably lost yet most nobly fought on the part of England and the many wounds of Harald there slaine with the heapes of thousands of the English shew how much was wrought to haue sau'd their country from the calamitie of forraine seruitude And yet how so great a kingdome as England then was could with one blow be subdued by so small a prouince as Normandy in such sort as it could neuer after come to make any generall head against the Conquerour might seeme strange did not the circumstances fore-noted and other concurrent causes in the next booke to be declared giue vs faire and probable reason thereof Besides the indisposition of a diseased time as it is described by such as liued neerest it may giue vs great euidence in this examination For they say the people of this kingdome were by their being secure from their former enemy the Dane and their long peace which had held in a manner from the death of king Edmond Ironside almost 50 yeares growne neglectiue of armes and generally debaushed with luxurie and idlenesse the Cleargie licentious and onely content with a tumultuary learning The Nobility giuen to gluttony venery and oppression the common sort to drunkennesse and all disorder And they say that in the last action of Harald at Stamford the brauest men perished and himselfe growing insolent vpon the victorie retaining the spoyles without distribution to his souldiers not inured to be commanded by martiall discipline made them discontent and vnruly and comming to this battell with many mercinary men and a discontented Army gaue great occasion to the lamentable losse thereof Besides the Normans had a peculiar fight with long bowes wherewith the English then altogether vnacquainted were especially ouerthrowne And yet their owne Writers report how the maine battallion of the English consisting of Bils their chiefe and antient weapon held in a body so close lockt together as no force could dissolue them till the Normans faining to fly drew them to a disordered pursuite And so they excuse the fortune of the day And thus my noble Lord haue I in the streightest course the vneuen compasse of Antiquitie could direct me got ouer the wide and intricate passage of those times that lay beyond the worke I purpose more particularly to deliuer The end of the first Booke THE SECOND BOOKE of the Historie of England The life of William 1. I Come now my noble Lord of Rochester to write of a time wherin the State of England receiued an alteration of lawes customes fashion manner of liuing language writing with new formes of fights fortifications buildings and generally an innouation in most thinges but Religion So that from this mutation which was the greatest it euer had wee are to beginne with a new accompt of an England more in dominion abroade more in State and ability at home and of more honour and name in the world then heretofore which by being thus vndone was made as if it were in her fate to get more by her losses then her better fortunes For as first the conquest of the Danes brought her to the intyrest Gouernment shee euer possest at home and made her most redoubted of all the kingdomes of the North so did this of the Norman by comming in vpon her make a way to let her out and stretch her mightie armes ouer the Seas into the goodly Prouinces of the South For before these times the English nation from their first establishment in this Land about the space of 500 yeares neuer made any sally out of the Isle vpon any other part of the world but busied at home in a deuided State held a broken gouernment with the Danes
in all Countries howsoeuer they may differ in their formes So that by these passages we see what way we came where we are and the furthest end we can discouer of the originall of our Comon law and to striue to looke beyond this is to looke into an vncertaine vastnesse beyond our discerning Nor can it detract from the glory of good Customes if they bring but a pedigree of 600. yeares to approue their gentilitie seeing it is the equity and not the antiquity of lawes that makes them venerable and the integritie of the professors thereof the profession honored And it were well with mankinde if dayes brought not their corruptions and good orders were continued with that prouidence as they were instituted But this alteration of the lawes of England bred most heauie doleances not onely in this Kings time but long after For whereas before those lawes they had were written in their owne tongue intelligible to all now are they translated into Latine and French and practized wholly in the Norman forme and language thereby to draw the people of this kingdome to learne that speech for their owne neede which otherwise they would not doc And seeing a difference in tongue would continue a difference in affections all meanes was wrought to reduce it to one Idiom which yet was not in the power of the Conqueror to doe without the extirpation or ouerlaying the Land-bred people who being so far in number as they were aboue the inuadors both carry the mayne of the language and in few yeares haue those who subdued them vndistinguishablie theirs For notwithstanding the former conquest by the Danes and now this by the Norman the solid bodie of the kingdome still consisted of the English and the accession of strange people was but as Ryuers to the Ocean that changed not it but were changed into it And though the king laboured what he could to turne all to French by enioyning their children here to vse noc other language with their Grammer in schooles to haue the lawes practized in French All petitions and businesse of Court in French No man graced but he that spake French yet soone after his dayes all returnes naturall English againe but law and that still held forraine and became in the end wholly to be inclosed in that language nor haue we now other marke of our subiection and inuassellage from Normandie but only that and that still speakes French to vs in England And herewithall new Termes new Constitutions new formes of Pleas new Offices and Courts are now introduced by the Normans a people more inured to litigation and of spirits more impatient and contentious then were the English who by reason of their continuall warre wherein law is not borne and labour to defend the publicke were more at vnitie in their priuate and that small time of peace they had deuotion and good fellowship entertained For their lawes and constitutions before we see them plaine briefe and simple without perplexities hauing neither fold nor plaite commaunding not disputing Their graunts and transactions as briefe and simple which shewed them a cleere-meaning people retaining still the nature of that plaine realnesse they brought with them vncomposed of other fashion then their owne and vnaffecting imitation For their tryals in cases criminall where manifest proofes failed they continued their antient custome held from before their Christianitie vntill this great alteration which trials they called Ordeal Or signifying right Deale part whereof they had these kinds Ordeal by fire which was for the better sort and by water for the inferiour That of Fire was to go blindfold ouer certaine plough-shares made red hote and laide an vneuen distance one from another That of Water was either of hot or cold in the one to put their armes to the elbow in the other to be cast headlong According to their escapes or hurts they were adiudged such as were cast into the riuers if they sancke were held guiltlesse ifnot culpable as eiected by that Element These trials they called the iudgements of God and they were performed with solemne Oraisons In some cases the accused was admitted to cleere himselfe by receiuing the Eucharist or by his owne oath or the oaths of two or three but this was for especiall persons and such whose liuings were of a rate allowable thereunto the vsuall opinion perswading them that men of ability held a more regard of honesty With these they had the triall of Campe-fight or single combat which likewise the Lumbards originally of the same German nation brought into Italy permitted by the law in cases either of safetie and fame or of possessions All which trials shew them to be ignorant in any other forme of law or to neglect it Nor would they be induced to forgo these customes and determine their affaires by Imperiall or Pontificiall Constitutions no more then would the Lumbards forsake their duellary lawes in Italy which their Princes against some of their wils were constrained to ratifie as Luytprandus their king thus ingeniously confesses We are vncertaine of the iudgement of God and we haue heard many by fight to haue lost their cause without iust cause yet in respect of the custome of our nation we cannot auoide an impious law But all these formes of iudgements and trials had their seasons Those of Fire and Water in short time after the Conquest grew disused and in the end vtterly abrogated by the Pope as deriued from Paganisme That of combat continues longer-liued but of no ordinarie vse And all actions now both criminall and reall began to be wholly adiudged by the verduit of 12 men according to the custome of Normandy where the like forme is vsed and called by the name of Enquest with the same cautions for the Iurors as it is here continued to this day Although some hold opinion that this forme of triall was of vse in this kingdome from all antiquitie and alledge an ordinance of king Ethelred father to the Confessor willing in their Gemote or conuentions monethly held in euery hundred twelue graue men of free condition should with the Greut the chiefe Officer amongst them sweare vpon the Euangelists to iudge euery mans cause aright But here we see twelue men were to be assessors with the Greue to iudge and no Iurors according to this manner of triall now vsed Besides had there beene any such forme we should aswell haue heard thereof in their laws and practise as of those other kinds of Ordeal onely and vsually mentioned But whatsoeuer innouations were in all other things the gouernment for the peace and securitie of the kingdome which most imported the King to looke vnto seemes to be continued as before and for that businesse he found here better laws established by the wary care of our former kings then any he could bring Amongst which especially was the Boroh law whereby euery free man of the Comons stood as surety for each others behauiour in this sort The kingdome
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
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
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
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