Wilhelmus Conquestor Rex Anglia Dux Norman etc. THE Life Death OF WILLIAM Surnamed The Conqueror King of ENGLAND and Duke of NORMANDY Who dyed Anno Christi 1087. By Samuel Clarke late Minister of Bennet-Finck London LONDON Printed for Simon Miller at the signe of the Star at the West end of St Pauls 1671. THE Life and Death of WILLIAM Sirnamed the CONQUEROUR KING of ENGLAND and Duke of NORMANDY Who dyed Anno Christi 1087. THE Normans issued out of Denmark and Norway the Inhabitants of which Countries in those times were so fruitful in the Procreation of Children that they were forced oft-times to send multitudes abroad to seek new habitations Amongst whom there was one Roul a great Commander attended with many lusty lads who in the dayes of King Alfrid first landed in England where finding no room empty nor any imployment was content upon some relief received to seek imployment else-where which he did against Rambalt Duke of Frize and Reiver Duke of Chaumont and Henalt with whom he often encountred and made great spoiles in their Countries Then passing along the Coast of France he entred the mouth of the River Seine and sackt all the Country up to Roan where the People having been a little before miserably spoiled by an other Invader were so terrified by the coming of these new Forces that the Archbishop of Roan by the peoples consent offered him the obedience of that City and Country upon condition that he would protect them and govern them according to the Laws of Christ and the customes of their Countrey For Charles the Simple the present King of France being otherwise embroiled about the right of his Crown neglected to defend them So that Roul shortly after attempted the Conquest of Paris itself and therein gave some notable overthrowes to some of the French Commanders So that King Charles was forced to buy his Peace by entering into alliance with and giving over to Roul his right to Normandy formerly called Nuestria And hereupon Roul turned Christian and was baptized by the name of Robert Thus he came to his Estate which he governed with such Judgment and equity that he left his Name honourable and his successours a firme foundation to build upon From him in a direct line descended six Dukes of Normandy that inherited that Dukedome the last of which was also called Robert who out of blind devotion resolving to visit Christ's Sepulchre acquainted his Nobles therewith They disswaded him all they could because he had no issue and Allaire Earl of Britaine and the Earle of Burgundy were already contending which of them should succeed him whereby their Country was like to become a Prey to the Souldiers from which he in conscience was bound to secure it The Duke told them that he had a little Bastard of whom he had great hopes whom he would invest with that Dutchy as his Heir and therefore he prayed them thenceforth to take him for their Lord. And said he To shew my trust in him I will make the Earl of Britaine his Governour and Seneschal of Normandy and the King of France shall be his Guardian and so I will leave him to God and your Loyalty Shortly after the Bishops and Barons did their homage to this base Son named William whom his Father begat on one Arlet a mean woman of Falaise And Duke Robert delivered the Child with his own hand to Henry first King of France whom he had greatly assisted in keeping his Crown against an other Competitor and therefore he might the more presume if good-turns done to Princes could weigh down self-respects to have found a faithful discharge of his trust He caused also young William to doe his homage for the Dutchy of Normandy to the King and so committed him to his Royal Faith and going his joruney he dyed in Asia William being then but nine years old Soon after the news of his Father's death the Nobles of Normandy by much intreaty gat him out of the French King's hand knowing that they having him amongst them would countenance his Counsellers and such as were in Office But they soon found that his Person without power did but increase their discord and factions For presently after his right was questioned by Competitors And first Robert de Tresny an experienced Souldier bringing a fair line from Roul intertained and feasted the chiefest men amongst them urging to them what a wrong it was to him that a Bastard and a Child should be preferred before him in the Dutchy which his Ancestors had gotten by their Valour and what a shame it was for the Normans to be governed by such an one And when words prevailed not he brought it to the tryal of the Sword in a great Battel in which by the valour of Roger de Beaumont he was defeated and himself and his two Brethren slain Not long after the King of France violating the trust that was reposed in him assisted in Person William Earl of Arques another pretender to the Dutchy descended also from Roul and brought to his aid a mighty Army yet Count Guifford Duke William's General by a stratagem training the French into an Ambush overthrew them and caused the King to return to Paris with great loss and dishonour and forced Arques to seek relief from the Earl of Bologne where yet he found little favour few regarding men that are overthrown and low This storm past a worse succeeds There lived with Duke William a young Lord of the like years called Guy descended also from Roul who coming to be sensible of his Interest was advised by some stirring spirits to put in for the Dutchy which they said was his right and but usurped by the Bastard And to promote his affairs there fell out a deadly feud between two of the greatest Lords Vicount Neel and the Earl of Bessin whose quarrel Duke William either did not or could not pacifie whereupon this Guy who was lately made Earl of Briorn and Vernon interposed to end this discord and by the advice of Grimolt de Plessis brought it to pass that both these great men turned the point of their malice against Duke William for not ending the difference and therefore conspired with Guy to murther him at unawares which also they had effected had not a Fool whom they suspected not noting their preparations got away in the night to Valogne knocking and crying at the Gates till he was admitted to the Dukes presence who was now about seventeen years old whom he willed presently to flee or he would be murthered The Duke seeing the Fool so affrighted contemns not the information but presently takes Horse and all alone posts towards Falaise his strongest place By the way his Horse was tired and at break a day coming to a Village called Rie it fell out that a Gentlemen was standing at his door ready to ride abroad of him the Duke enquired the next
incensed King William that speedily raising an Army he entered Northumberland pittifully wasted by the Danes and made spoil of all and with a good summe of money purchased the departure of the Danes These devastations in sundry Counties made such a Dearth that the People were forced to eat Horses Dogs Cats Rats c. and between York and Durham for the space of sixty miles for nine years together there was such an utter desolation that neither House was left standing nor field tilled After this great defeat most of the Lords came in upon the publick Faith and were conducted to Barkhansted by the Abbot Frederick where upon their submission and Oath of Allegiance retaken they were restored to his favour and to give them satisfaction King William before the Archbishop Lankfranc and the Lords again sware to observe the antient Laws of the Realm established by his Noble Predecessors especialy those of Saint Edward Yet not long after these Lords upon new discontents brake out again But Earl Edwin making towards Scotland was murthered by the way by his own men The Lords Morchar and Hereward betook themselves to the Isle of Ely intending to secure themselves there for that Winter to whom also repaired Earl Syward and the Bishop of Durham out of Scotland But the King who was no time giver presently besieged them with flat Boats on the East and made a Bridge two miles long on the West and so brought his men upon them who seeing themselves surprised yielded to the Kings mercy Only Hereward desperatly marched with his People through the Fens and fled into Scotland the rest were sent to diverse Prisons where they dyed or remained during the Kings life Those Lords that continued Loyal upon the late submission were imployed and preferred by the King As Edric the Forrester And Gospatrice was made Earl of Northumberland and sent against King Malcolme who wasted the Countries of Tisdale Cleaveland and Cumberland Waltheoff the Son of Earl Syward he married to his Neece Judith a very valiant man shewing a Noble nature to love vertue even in his enemies And now King William finding Scotland to be a place of retreat for all his discontented Subjects and where his Competitor Edgar lived he entered the Kingdom with a great Army which encountring more with wants than Forces and both Kings considering the uncertain events of War upon fair overtures concluded a Peace agreeing upon the bounds of each Kingdom and Delinquents with their partakers were generally pardoned And shortly after Edgar Etheling came in volutarily and was restored to the Kings favour who allowed him a liberal maintenance which held him ever after quiet King William being now gone into Normandy there was amost dangerous Conspiracy begun against him by Ralph de Waher Earl of Suffolk and Norfolk Roger Fitz Aubre or Osburne Earl of Hereford Waltheoff Earl of Northumberland with Eustace Earl of Bulloine suborned as it was thought by the King of France there unto These Lords conspired to keep William in Normandy and to dispossess him of his Kingdom for which end they agreed to joyn theirs with the Danish Forces whom they intended to call in This was a dangerous Combination the King being in Normandy besieging the Castle of Dole in Britaine belonging unto Ralph Waher and defended against him by the King of France and at such a time when all his Neighbor Princes were jealous of him and ill affected to him The King of Scotland and the Princes of Wales ready to joyn with them at home Swaine King of Denmark with a Navy of two hundred sail ready to invade England to which Drone King of Ireland joyned sixty five ships And this did more distract and incense him because most of these great Lords were either his kinsmen or nearly allied to him This grand Conspiracy was discovered by Waltheoff to Archbishop Lankfranc who perswaded the Earl to go to the King and to inform him of the greatness of his danger Yet notwithstanding this discoverie Roger and Ralph proceed in their intentions and raise Forces But by the diligence of Odo Bishop of Baiaux the Kings Brother the Bishop of Worcester and the Abbot of Evesham they were so prevented that they could never unite their Forces Whereupon Ralph fled into France Roger was taken and imprisoned Waltheoff was beheaded and so this flame was extinct The greatest and last insurrection was in Normandy by King William's own Son Robert who by the instigation and assistance of Philip King of France envying Williams greatness entered Normandy and claimed it as his own right His Father indeed had promised him it long before but Robert impatient of delaies endeavored by a strong hand to wrest it from his Father King William hearing hereof passed with a strong Army over into Normandy where in a Battel meeting with his Son hand to hand he was by him unhorsed and hurt in the arm But his Son perceiving by his voice that it was his Father suddenly leaped off his Horse took him up in his armes fell down at his feet and humbly intreated his pardon which his Father easily granted embraced his Son and ever after they lived in mutual love After this King William sent this his Son Robert with an Army against Malcolm King of Scots who had invaded Northumberland who at the coming of Duke Robert retired At which time Duke Robert began to found a Castle upon the River of Tine whereof the Town of Newcastle did take its beginning and Name which formerly was called Moncaster These frequent Wars put the State to an infinite charge the King entertaining all this while besides Normans very many French Finding the English in respect of many great Families that were allied to the Danes rather to incline to that Nation than to the Normans In the fifteenth year of his Reign he subdued Wales and brought the King thereof to do him Homage And presently after quarrels arose between King William and the King of France The King of France invades Normandy and takes the City of Vernon The King of England invades France and subdued the Country of Xantoigne and Poicton and so returned to Roan Then did the King of France summon our King to do him Homage for England which he refused saying he held it of none but God and his sword But for the Dutchy of Normandy he offered him Homage which yet would not satisfie the King of France Whereupon he made a new invasion but with more loss than profit In the end they concluded a crazy Peace which held only till King William had recovered a sickness whereinto through his travel age and corpulency he was faln which occasioned the young and lusty King of France jeeringly to say that he lay in of his great belly in Roan This so irritated King William that so soon as he was recovered he gathered a very strong Army with which he entered France in
following sailed into Normandy taking with him all the chief men of England who were likeliest to make a party against him in his absence As Edgar Etheling Stigand Archbishop of Canterbury the two great Earls Edwin and Morchar Frederick Abbot of Saint Albanes Agelnothus Abbot of Glastenbury Walteof Earl of Northumberland Roger Earl of Hertford Rainulph Earl of Cambridge Gospatrick Earl of Cumberland c. And in his absence which was all the Summer nothing was here attempted against him save that Edrick surnamed the Forester in the County of Hereford calling in the Welch to his assistance forraged the remoter borders of that County The rest of the Kingdom was quiet expecting what would become of this new World wherein as yet they found no great alteration their Laws and Liberties remaining the same they were and they might hope that by this accession of a new Province England would have her Dominion enlarged abroad and her profit not impaired at home King William having disposed his affairs in Normandy towards Winter returned into England where he had three sorts of men to satisfie 1. Such as had adventured their Lives and estates with him 2. Those of his own Countrey whose merits and propinquity looked for recompence whereof the number was very great 3. The people of England by whom he must now subsist wherein he had more to doe than in his Battel at Hastings seeing that all rewards with money must be raised out of the stock of the Kingdom which must needs be distastfull to the State in general and if he preferred any of his to dignities by displacing others it must needs bring very feeling grievances to the persons displaced But he thrust no great men out of their room but such as put themselves out by revolting after they had given their Fealty to him So that it seems he contented himself and his for the present only with what he found ready filling up their places who were slain in the Battel or fled away as many were with Herald's Sons out of the Kingdom Such of desert as he could not presently prefer he sent abroad into the Abbeys there to live till places fell void for them whereof twenty four he sent to the Abbey of Ely by which policy he not only lessened his Suitors at Court and eased the eye sore of the English but had a watch over the Clergy who were then of the greatest power in the Kingdom and might prevail much with the people But the English Nobility thinking that their splendor was darkned by the interposition of so many strangers and fearing that yet it would be further eclypsed Conspired together and fled some into Scotland and others into Denmark to try if by forraign aid they could recover themselves Amongst whom Edgar Etheling with his Mother and two Sisters intending for Hungary where he was born was driven into Scotland where he was kindly entertained by Malcolin the third whose former sufferings in exile had taught him to pity others in the like distress and whom also it concerned to look to his own now his neighbours House was on fire This induced him also to make a League with Edgar and to tie it the stronger he took to wife Margret the sister of Edgar a very virtuous Lady by whom the blood of our antient Kings was preserved and conjoyned with the Normans in King Henry the second and so became English again Edgar being thus in Scotland there repared to him the Earls Edwin and Morchar Hereward Gospatrice Siward and others and shortly after Stigand and Aldrid the two Archbishops with diverse of the Clergy who in that third year of King William's Reign raised great commotions in the North and sought most eagerly to recover their lost Country But it now proved too late the King having setled the Government of the Kingdom so that instead of prevailing they gave advantage to the Conquerour to make himself more than he was For all oppositions made by Subjects against their Soveraigns do if they succeed not tend much to their advancement and nothing gave deeper rooting to the Normans here then the petty revolts made by scattered Troops in several places begun without Order and followed without resolution King William foreseeing new stirs from Scotland sent to Malcolme to deliver up to him his enemy Etheling which if he refused he threatned him with Wars Malcolme returned answer That it was unjust and wicked especially in a Prince to betray to his enemy one that came to his Court for protection especially being now so nearly allied to him William thus disappointed feared a dangerous Rebellion in his Kingdom to prevent which he built four strong Castles One at Hastings A second at Lincoln A third at Nottingham And a fourth at York in all which he placed strong Garrisons And disarming the English he commanded every Housholder to put out both fire and candle at eight a clock at night at which hour he appointed that in every Town a Bell should be rung called by the French Coverfew or Cover fire to prevent nightly tumults which otherwise might arise Then did he give the Earldom and all the Lands that Edwin held in York-shire to Allain Earl of Britaine The Archbishoprick of Conterbury he conferred on Lankfranc Abbot of Caen. That of Tork upon Thomas his Chaplaine and all the rest of the English which were out in Rebellion had their places supplied by the Normans Shortly after Goodwin and Edmund the sons of the late King Herald coming with some Forces out of Ireland landed in Summersetshire and fought with Adnothus one of King William's Captains whom they slew with many others and taking great booties in Cornwall and Devonshire returned back into Ireland Exeter also thought to shake off the Norman yoak And Northumberland to recover their former liberties took Armes against whom the King sent Robert Cumin and himself went against Exeter and besieged it and at last the Citizens opened their Gates and submitted to his mercy the Ring-leaders escaping into Flanders But in the North Cumin lying secure in Durham was suddenly in the night surprised by Edgar Etheling and his followers who slew Cumin and all his Normans being about seven hundred one onely escaping to carry the ill newes to King William During these stirs in England the English fugitives in Denmark so far prevailed with King Swaine that he sent a strong Navy of three hundred ships well fraught with Souldiers under his two Sons Harold and Canute who arriving in Humber marched to York to whom also Edgar and his associats out of Scotland joyned themselves At whose approach the Citizens were so terrified that they set fire on the suburbs and the flame by an high wind was driven over the wall whereby a great part of the City was consumed together with the Cathedral Church and a famous Library of great worth and the Garrison of Normans consisting of 3000. were all slain This so
the chiefest time of their Fruits spoiling all before him till he came to Paris where the King of France then was to whom he sent to shew him of his upsiting From thence he marched to Mentz which he wholly sackt where he caught the occasion of his Death by the strain of his Horse amongst the breaches from whence he was conveighed sick to Roan Anno Christi 1078. King William before his going into Normandy the more to assure himself and his successors of the English Crown on the East side of London built a strongly fenced Castle or Magazine for his Warlike Amunition which he entrenched with a long and deep Ditch 〈◊〉 now called the Tower of London the Surveyor of which worke was Gundulphus Bishop of Rochester the mortar of it being tempered with the blood of Beasts Then to fill his Coffers he imposed great Subsidies upon the Land causing an exact survey to be taken of the whole kingdom yea and of every particular part and commodity thereof so that there was not a Hide of Land Lake Water or Wast but he knew the value the Owners and Possessors together with the Rents and profits therof As also of all Cities Towns Villages Monasteries and Religious Houses Causing all the People in England to be numbered their Names to be taken with notice what every one might dispend by the year their substance money and Bondmen were recorded How many yoak of Oxen and plough-lands were in the Realm and what services they owed that held of him in Fee All which was certified by Oaths of the Commissioners This done he caused six shillings to be paid him for every Hide of Land The Book that cōtained this Survey was called the Roule of Winchester as being kept there at first But ever since it hath been called Doomsday Book because of the General and inevitable censure thereof and since it hath been kept in the Kings Exchequer at Westminster This grievous exaction made the English miserably groan under their present State whereby the King and his Normans were daily more hated and he on the contrary loved them so little that he fought by all means to bring the English Name and Nation to ruine He gave also further offence both to God and Man by depopulating the fruitful Country lying South from Salisbury to the Sea pulling down Towns and Villages with thirty six Parish Churches and so laid open all the Country for thirty miles space for wild beasts for his own Game in Hunting which place hath ever since been called the New Forrest He also imposed such severe punishments upon such as offended in hunting his Game that he was called the Father of wild Beasts But God's severe Judgment pursued him for his wickedness for in this Forrest Richard his second Son was gored by a Deer whereof he dyed Rufus an other of his Sons being taken for a Deer was shot thorow with an Arrow and slain Henry his Grandson by Robert Curtoise his Eldest Son eagerly pursuing a Deer was by a bough struck into the jawes and left hanging till he died Although King William at his Coronation had taken an oath to observe the Laws of King Edward then in use which oath he renewed at Barkhamsted yet did he abbrogate many of them and brought in the Norman Laws written in French commanding that all Causes should be pleaded and all matters of Form dispatched in French either on purpose to entrap men through ignorance of the Language or else to make the Normans Language predominant in this Kingdom which yet he could never effect there being not so much as any footsteps of that Language remaining in the English Tongue Forms of Judgment by Fire and Water called Ordeal formerly much used were now antiquated and shortly after quite abolished by the Pope as savouring too much of Paganism That of Combat continued longer but was of no ordinary use Actions both Criminal and Real began now wholly to be judged by the verdict of twelve men called by the name of Enquest And whereas the Bishops formerly dealt in Secular Causes and shared with the King in many Mulcts imposed on Delinquents now the King confined all the Clergy within the compass of their own Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction to meddle only in matters concerning mens Souls He set up Sheriffs in every Shire and Justices of Peace to punish Malefactors And lastly he ordainned his Councel of State his Chancery his Exchequer and his Courts of Justice which alwayes removed with his Court These places he furnished with Officers and assigned four Terms in the year for determining controversies amongst the People commonly held at Westminster As for his Provisionary Revenues his Tenants who held Lands of the Crown paid him no mony but only Corn and Victuals and a just note of the quality and quantity of everyman's ratement was taken through all the Shires of the Kingdom and leavied constantly for the maintenance of the Kings House One Law he made which was extreamly distastfull to the Gentry That whereas they might at their pleasure hunt take Deer which they found abroad in the woods now it was ordained that upon penalty of putting out their eyes none should presume to take or kill any of them the King preserving them for his own Game In the first year of his Reign he granted to the City of London their first Charter and Liberties in as Large a manner as they enjoyed them under King Edward the Confessor which he did at the request of William a Norman Bishop of London in grateful remembrance whereof the Lord Major and Aldermen upon their solemn days of their resort to Pauls do still walk to the Grave-stone where this Bishop lies interred Also this King was the first that brought the Jewes into England He also enacted a Law that whosoever forced a woman should lose his Genitals In his time the use of long Bows came first into England which as they were the weapons wherewith under this King France Conquered England so they were the weapons with which England under succeeding Kings conquered France This King also appointed a Constable at Dover Castle and a Lord Warden of the Cinque-Ports In short He ordained such good Laws and had them so well executed that a Girle might carry a bag of money all the Country over without danger of being rob'd And in his time the setting of Seals to Bonds and writings was first used In King William's time Stigand Archbishop of Canterbury was removed from his See and kept Prisoner during his Life in the Castle of Winchester and Lanfranc an Italian succeeded him who in a Synod at London removed the Bishops Sees from small Towns to Cities as from Silliway to Chichester from Kyrton to Exeter from Wells to Bath From Sherborn to Salisbury from Dorcester to Lincolne and from Lichfield to Chester and from thence again to Coventry He founded the Abbey of Battel in Sussex where