that the King gained nothing but losse and dishonour and the greater his desire was of victorie and reuenge the more foule did his foiles and failings appeare which so brake both his courage and heart that with griefe thereof as it was conceiued hee ended his life And thus during all the time that he was onely Duke of Normandy he was neuer free from action of armes in all his actions of armes hee was caried with a most rare and perpetuall felicitie As he grew in yeeres so did he in thicknesse and fatnesse of body but so as it made him neither vnseemely nor vnseruiceable for the warres and neuer much exceeding the measure of a comely corpulencie He was most decent and there with terrible in armes He was stately and maiesticall in his gesture of a good stature but in strength admirable in so much as no man was able to draw his bow which hee would bend sitting vpon his horse stretching out the string with his foot His countenance was warlike and manly as his friends might terme it but as his enemies said truculent and fierce He would often sweare By Gods resurrection and his brightnesse which he commonly pronounced with so furious a face that hee strooke a terrour into those that were present His head was bald his beard alwayes shauen which fashion being first taken vp by him was then followed by all the Normans Hee was of a firme and strong constitution for his health so as he neuer was attached with sicknesse but that which was the summons of his death and in his age seemed little to feele the heauie weight and burthen of yeeres In his first age he was of a mild and gentle disposition courteous bountifull familiar in conuersation a professed enemie to all vices But as in Fortune as in yeres so changed he in his behauiour partly by his continuall following the warres whereby he was much fleshed in blood and partly by the inconstant nature of the people ouer whom he ruled who by often rebellions did not onely exasperate him to some seueritie but euen constraine him to hold them in with a more stiffe arme So hee did wring from his subiects very much substance very much blood not for that he was by nature either couetous or cruell but for that his affaires could not otherwise be managed His great affaires could not be managed without great expence which drew a necessity of charge vpon the people neither could the often rebellions of his Subiects be repressed or restrained by any mild and moderate meanes And generally as in all States and gouernments seuere discipline hath alwayes bin a true faithfull mother of vertue and valour so in particular of his Normans he learned by experience and oftentimes declared this iudgement That if they were held in bridle they were most valiant and almost inuincible excelling all men both in courage and in strength and in honourable desire to vanquish their enemies But if the reines were layd loose vpon their necke they were apt to runne into licentiousnes and mischiefe ready to consume either themselues by riot and sloath or one another by sedition prone to innouation and change as heauily mooued to vndertake dangers so not to bee trusted vpon occasion He tooke to wife Matilde daughter to Baldwin Earle of Flanders a man for his wisedome and power both reuerenced and feared euen of Kings but because she was his cousin Germane he was for his marriage excommunicate by his owne vnckle Mauger Archbishop of Roan Hereupon he sued to Pope Victor and obteined of him a dispensation and afterwards so wrought that by a prouinciall Councell his vncle Mauger was depriued of his dignitie But by this meanes both he his issue were firmely locked in obedience to the Sea of Rome for that vpon the authoritie of that place the validitie of his marriage and consequently the legitimation of his issue seemed to depend When he was about 50. yeeres of age Edward King of England ended his life This Edward was sonne to Egelred King of England by Emma sister to Richard the second Duke of Normandie who was grandfather to Duke William so as King Edward and Duke William were cousins germane once remoued At such time as Egelred was first ouercharged with warres by the Danes he sent his wife Emma with two sonnes which she had borne vnto him Alphred and Edward into Normandie to her brother where they were enterteined with all honourable vsage for many yeeres Afterward giuing place to the malice of his Fortune he passed also into Normandie and left his whole state in the possession and power of Swanus King of Denmarke But after the death of Swanus partly by the aide of the Normans and partly by fauour of his owne people he recouered his Kingdome and left the same to his eldest sonne Edmund who either for the tough temper of his courage and strength or for that he almost alwayes liued in Armes was surnamed Ironside Hereupon Canutus the sonne of Swanus made sharpe warre first against Egelred then against Edmund and finally after many varieties of aduenture but chiefly by the fauour of the Clergie of England because they had sworne allegiance to his father spread the wings of his victory ouer the whole Kingdome He expelled out of the Realme Edwine and Edward the two sonnes of King Edmund of whom Edwine married the Kings daughter of Hungarie but died without issue Edward was aduanced to the marriage of Agatha daughter to the Emperour Henry and by her had issue two sonnes Edmund Edgar and so many daughters Margaret and Christine The same Canutus tooke Emma to wife who had bene wife to King Egelred by whom he had a sonne named Hardicanutus After the death of Canutus Alphred the sonne of Egelred came out of Normandie and with fiftie saile landed at Sandwich with purpose to attempt the recouerie of his fathers kingdome In which enterprise hee receiued not onely encouragement but good assurance from many of the English Nobilitie But by Earle Goodwine he was abused and taken his company slaine his eyes put out and then sent to the I le of Elie where in short time hee ended his life Edward also arriued at Hampton with 40. ships but finding the Countrey so farre from receiuing as they were ready to resist him he returned into Normandie and attended the further fauour of time So after Canutus succeeded in England first Harold sirnamed Harefoot bastard sonne to Canutus and after him Hardicanutus sonne to Canutus by Emma mother also to King Edward Hardicanutus being dead the Nobilitie of the Realme sent into Normandie for Edward to be their King whereto also he was appointed as some haue written by Hardicanutus But because Alphred his brother vpon the like inuitation had bene traiterously taken and slaine before William at that time Duke of Normandie would not permit him to depart vntill he had receiued for pledges of his safety Woolnoth son to Earle Goodwine and Hacon sonne
that as he rode in chase hee was hanged vpon the bow of a tree by the chaps others more probably doe write that he perished by a fal from his horse He was buried at Winchester with this inscription Hic iacet Richardus filius Wilielmi senioris Berniae Dux William did succeed next to his father in the Kingdome of England To Henry the King gaue at the time of his death fiue thousand pounds out of his treasure but gaue him neither dignitie nor lands foretelling that hee should enioy the honour of both his brothers in time and farre excel them both in dominion and power Whether this was deuised vpon euent or whether some doe prophesie at their death or whether it was coniecturally spoken or whether to giue contentment for the present it fell out afterward to be true For hee succeeded William in the Kingdome of England and wrested Normandie out of the possession of Robert Of these two I shall write more fully hereafter His daughter Cicelie was Abbesse of Caen in Normandie Constance was married to Allen Fergant Earle of Britaine Adela was wife to Stephen Earle of Blois to whom she bare Stephen who after the death of Henry was King of England Margaret was promised in marriage to Harold she died before hee attained the Kingdome for which cause he held himselfe discharged of that oath which he had made to the Duke her father Elianor was betroathed to Alphonso King of Gallicia but she desired much to die a Virgine for this she daily prayed and this in the end she did obtaine After her death her knees appeared brawnie and hard with much kneeling at her deuotions Assuredly it will be hard to find in any one Familie both greater Valour in sonnes and more Vertue in daughters In the beginning of this Kings reigne either no great accidents did fall or else they were obscured with the greatnesse of the change none are reported by the writers of that time In the fourth yeere of his reigne Lanfranke Abbot of Caen in Normandie but borne in Pauie a Citie of Lumbardie was made Archbishop of Canterbury And Thomas a Norman and Chanon of Bayon was placed in the Sea of Yorke Betweene these two a controuersie did arise at the time of their consecration for prioritie in place but this contention was quieted by the King and Thomas for the time subscribed obedience to the Archb. of Canterbury After this they went to Rome for their Palles where the question for Primacie was againe renued or as some affirme first moued before Pope Alexander The Pope vsed them both with honorable respect and especially Lanfrank to whom he gaue two Palles one of honour and the other of loue but their controuersie he referred to be determined in England About two yeeres after it was brought before the King and the Clergie at Windsore The Archbishop of Yorke alleadged that when the Britaine 's receiued the Christian faith in the time of Lucius their King Eleutherius then Bishop of Rome sent Faganus and Damianus vnto them who ordeined 28. Bishops and two Archbishops within the Realme one of London and the other of Yorke Vnder these the Church of Britaine was gouerned almost three hundred yeeres vntill they were subdued by the Saxons The Saxons remained Infidels vntill Gregorie Bishop of Rome sent Augustine vnto them By his preaching Ethelbert King of Kent was first conuerted to the Christian faith By reason whereof Augustine was made Archbishop of Douer by appointment of Pope Gregorie who sent vnto him certaine Palles with his letter from Rome By this letter it is euident that Gregorie intended to reduce the Church of the Saxons to the same order wherein it was among the Britaines namely to be vnder twelue Bishops and two Archbishops one of London and the other of Yorke Indeede he gaue to Augustine during his life authority and iurisdiction ouer all Bishops and Priests in England but after his decease he ioyneth these two Metropolitanes in equall degree to constitute Bishops to ouersee the Church to consult and dispose of such things as appertaine to the gouernement thereof as in former times among the Britaines Betweene these he put no distinction in honour but only as they were in prioritie of time and as he appointeth London to be consecrated by no Bishop but of his own Synod so he expresseth that the Bishop of Yorke should not bee subiect to the Bishop of London And albeit Augustine for the reason before mentioned translated the Sea from London to Douer yet if Gregorie had intended to giue the same authoritie to the successours of Augustine which hee gaue vnto him he would haue expressed it in his Epistle but in that he maketh no mention of his successours he concludeth or rather excludeth them by his silence The Archbishop of Canterbury alleaged that from the time of Augustine vntill the time of Bede which was about 140. yeeres the Bishops of Canterburie which in ancient time said he was called Douer had the Primacie ouer the whole land of Britaine and of Ireland that they did call the Bishops of Yorke to their Councels which diuers times they kept within the Prouince of Yorke that some Bishops of Yorke they did constitute some excommunicate and some remoue He alleaged also diuers priuiledges granted by Princes for the Primacie of that Sea diuers graunted from the Apostolike Sea to confirme this dignitie in the successours of Augustine that it is reason to receiue directions of well liuing from whence we first receiued directions of right beleeuing therfore as the Bishop of Canterbury was subiect to the Bishop of Rome because hee had his faith from thence for the very same cause the Bishop of Yorke should be in subiection to the Bishop of Canterbury that like as the Lord said that to all the Bishops of Rome which hee said to S. Peter so that which Gregorie said to Augustine hee said likewise to all his successours And whereas much is spoken of the Bishop of London what is that to the Archbishop of Canterbury For neither is it certaine that Augustine was euer resident at London neither that Gregorie appointed him so to be In the end it was decreed That Yorke for that time should be subiect to Canterburie that wheresoeuer within England the Archbishop of Canterburie should hold his Councell the Archbishop of Yorke should come vnto it with the Bishops of his Prouince and be obedient to his decrees that when the Archbishop of Canterburie should decease the Archbishop of Yorke should goe to Canterburie to consecrate him that should succeed that if the Archbishop of Yorke should decease his successour should goe to Canterbury or to such place as the Archbishop of Canterburie should appoint there to receiue his Consecration making first his oath of Canonicall obedience And thus was the contention for this first time taken vp but in succeeding times it was often renued and much busied the Clergie of the Realme In the ninth yeere of the
and said I perceiue now that I haue liued too long that my brother doth clothe me like his almoseman with cast and torne garments So hee grew weary of his life and his disease encreasing with his discontentment pined away and in short time after died and was buried at Glocester And this was the end of that excellent commander brought to this game and gaze of fortune after many trauerses that he had troden He was for courage and direction inferiour to none but neither prouident nor constant in his affaires whereby the true end of his actions were ouerthrowen His valour had triumphed ouer desperate dangers and verely he was no more setled in valour then disposed to vertue and goodnesse neuer wilfully or willingly doing euill neuer but by errour as finding it disguised vnder some maske of goodnesse His performances in armes had raised him to a high point of opiniō for his prowesse which made him the more vnhappy as vnhappie after a fall from high state of honor He had one sonne named William vpon whose birth the mother died of this William shall somewhat hereafter be said And now as Princes oftentimes doe make aduantage of the calamity of their neighbours so vpon this downefall of the Duke of Normandie Fulke Earle of Aniou sharing for himselfe seized vpon Maine and certain other places made large waste tooke great booties and spoyles not onely out of ancient and almost hereditary hate against the hose of Normandie but as fearing harme from the King of England hee endeauoured to harme him first In like sort Baldwine Earle of Flanders declared in armes against the King for a yeerely pension of 300. markes the occasion of which demand was this King William the first in recompence of the ayde which he receiued in his enterprise for England from Baldwine 5. Earle of Flanders payd him yeerely three hundred markes which after his death was continued to his sonne Robert Earle of Flanders from a collaterall line demanded the same Pension but it was denied him by K. Henrie wherefore Baldwine his sonne attempted now to recouer it by Armes With these or rather as principall of these Lewes the grosse King of France seeing his ouersight in permitting Normandie to bee annexed to the Realme of England assembled a great armie and vpon pretence of a trifling quarrell about the demolishing of the Castle of Gisors declared William sonne to Robert Curtcuise for Duke of Normandie and vndertooke to place him in possession of that state which his vnfortunate father had lost And besides those open hostilities in Armes Hugh the kings Chamberlaine and certaine others were suborned traiterously to kill the King but the practise was in good time discouered and the conspirators punished by death Hereupon the King both with celeritie and power answerable to the danger at hand passed the Seas into Normandie hauing first drawen to his assistance Theobald Earle of Champaine the Earles of Crecie Pissaux and Dammartine who aspired to be absolute Lords within their territories as were many other Princes at that time in France These deteined the French King in some tariance in France whilest the King of England either recouered or reuenged his losses against the Earle of Aniou At the last hee was assailed in Normandie on three parts at once by the Earle of Aniou from Maine from Ponthieu by the Earle of Flanders and by the French King betweene both The King of England appointed certaine forces to guard the passages against the Earle of Aniou with directions to hold themselues within their strength and not to aduenture into the field Against the Earle of Flanders hee went in person and in a sharpe shocke betweene them the Earle was defeated and hurt and as some Authors affirme slaine albeit others doe report that hee was afterwards slaine in a battaile betweene the two Kings of England and of France After this he turned against Lewes King of France and fought with him before the towne of Nice in Normandie which towne the French had surprised and taken from the King of England This battaile continued aboue the space of nine houres with incredible obstinacie the doubt of victory being no lesse great then was the desire and yet neither part so hastie to end as not to stay for the best aduantage The first battaile on both sides was hewen in pieces valour of inestimable value was there cast away much braue blood was lost many men esteemed both for their place and worth lay groaning and grinning vnder the heauy hand of death The sad blowes the grisle wounds the grieuous deathes that were dealt that day might well haue moued any man to haue said That warre is nothing else but inhumane manhood The Kings courage guided with his Fortune and guarded both with his strength and his skill was neuer idle neuer but working memorable effects In all places his directions were followed by his presence being witnesse both of the diligence and valour of euery man and not suffering any good aduantage or aduise for want of timely taking to be lost He aduentured so farre in perfourming with his hand that his armour in many places was battered to his body and by reason of the sturdie strokes set vpon his helme he cast blood out of his mouth But this was so farre from dismaying his powers that it did rather assemble and vnite them so as aduancing his braue head his furie did breath such vigour into his arme that his sword made way through the thickest throngs of his enemies and hee brake into them euen to the last ranckes He was first seconded by the truely valiant whose vndanted spirits did assure the best and therewith contemne the very worst Then came in they whom despaire the last of resolutions had made valiant who discerned no meanes of hope for life but by bold aduenturing vpon death Lastly he was followed by all being enflamed by this example to a new life of resolution Generally the swords went so fast that the French vnable to endure that deadly storme were vtterly disbanded and turned to flight K. Henry after a bloody chase recouered Nice and with great triumph returned to Roan Afterwards he would often say That in other battailes he fought for victory but in this for his life and that hee would but little ioy in many such victories Vpon this euent the King sent certaine forces into France to harrase the countrey and to strike a terrour into the enemie The French King besides the abatement of his power by reason of his late ouerthrow was then preparing in Armes against Henry the Emperour who intended to destroy Rhemes partly drawen on by Henry King of England whose daughter he had taken to wife but chiefly for that a Councell had bene there held against him by Pope Calixtus a French man wherein the Emperour was declared enemie to the Church and degraded from his Imperiall dignitie This brought the English to a carelesse conceit and to a loose and licentious demeanure
other legitimate kindred behind him Will. Malmesburie and some others haue reported that albeit hee was borne out of marriage yet Duke Robert his father did afterwards entertaine his mother for lawfull wife which by the Law of that Countrey agreeable in that point to the Ciuill and Canon Lawes sufficed to make the issue inheritable although borne before And further it was a generall custome at that time in France that bastards did succeed euen in dignities of highest condition no otherwise then children lawfully begotten Thierrie bastard of Clouis had for his partage with the lawfull children of the same Clouis the Kingdome of Austrasie now called Lorraine Sigisbert bastard of King Dagobert the first had his part in the Kingdome of France with Clouis the 12. lawfull sonne to Dagobert Loys and Carloman bastards of King Loys le Begue succeeded after the death of their father So likewise in England Alfride bastard sonne of Oswine succeeded his brother Egfride So Adelstane the bastard sonne of Edward the elder succeeded his father before Edmund and Eldred his yonger brother notwithstanding they were lawfully begotten So Edmund surnamed the Martyr Bastard sonne to King Edgar succeeded him in the state before Ethelbred his lawfull issue Afterward Harold surnamed Harefoote bastard to Canutus succeeded him in the kingdome before Hardicanutus his lawfull sonne The like custome hath been obserued in Spaine in Portugale and in diuers other countreys And it is probable that this vse was grounded vpon often experience that bastards as begotten in the highest heate and strength of affection haue many times been men of excellent proofe both in courage and in vnderstanding This was verified in Hercules Alexander the Great Romulus Timotheus Brutus Themistocles Arthur in Homer Demosthenes Bion Bartholus Gratian Peter Lumbard Peter Comestor Io. Andreas and diuers of most flourishing name among whom our Conquerour may worthily be ranged And yet in the third race of the Kings of France a law was made that bastards should not inherite the Crowne of the Realme This custome was likewise banished out of England and other countreys of Europe Notwithstanding in France other bastards of great houses were still aduowed The exercises of this Duke from his verie youth were ingenuous manly decent such as tended to actiuitie and valure Hee was of a working minde and vehement spirit rather ambitious then onely desirous of glory of a piercing wit blind in no mans cause and well sighted in his owne of a liuely and present courage neither out of ignorance or rash estimation of dangers but out of a true iudgement both of himselfe and of them In peace he was politicke In warre valiant and very skilfull both to espie and to apprehend and to follow his aduantages this valure and skill in militarie affayres was alwayes seconded with good successe He was continually accustomed both to the weight and vse of armour from his very childhood Oftentimes hee looked death in the face with a braue contempt He was neuer free from actions of armes first vpon necessity to defend himselfe afterwards vpon ambition to offend and disturbe the possessions of others In his first age he was much infested with rebels in Normandie who often conspired both against his life and against his dignitie and State traducing him as a bastard as a boy as borne of a base ignoble woman as altogether vnworthy to be their Prince Of these some he appeased and reconciled vnto him others he preuented and dispersed their power before it was collected others hee encountred in open field before he had any haire vpon his face where hee defeated their forces in full battell then tooke their strong holds and lastly chased them out of his dominion And first Roger Tresuye hauing gained exceeding great both fauour and reputation by his seruices against the Sarasins in Spaine made claime to the duchie of Normandie as one lawfully descended from Rollo their first Duke And albeit many others were before him in title yet said he if they will sit still if they either through sloath which is ill or through feare which is worse will abandone the aduenture he alone would free the Normans from their infamous subiection He was followed by many partly vpon opinion of his right but chiefly of his valour But when he brought his cause to the arbitrement of Armes hee was ouerthrowne in a strong battaile wherein his claime and his life determined together After this William Earle of Arques sonne to Richard the second and vnckle to Duke William vpon the same pretence declared himselfe against his nephew And albeit the Normans were heauie to stirre in his fauour yet hee so wrought with the French King by assuring him great matters in Normandie that with a mightie armie of his owne people hee went in person to place him in possessiō of that dutchy The way which the King tooke led him to a large valley sandie and full of short bushes and shrubs troublesome for horsemen either to fight or to march On either side were rising hils very thicke set with wood Here the Armie entred with small aduisement either for clearing the passage or for the safetie of their carriages The Vaward consisted chiefly of battle-axes and pikes In the right wing were many Almans among the French In the left were many of Aniou and Poictou After these followed the baggage with an infinite number of scullians carters and other base drudges attending vpon it Next came the French King with the maine battaile consisting for the most part of valiant and worthy Gentlemen brauely mounted The lances and men at Armes cloased the Rereward When they were well entred this valley the Normans did liuely charge vpon them in head they deliuered also their deadly shot from the hils on both sides as thicke as haile Notwithstanding the Vantgard casting themselues into a pointed battaile in forme of a wedge with plaine force of hand made themselues way and marching in firme and close order through the thickest of their enemies gained albeit not without great losse the top of a hill and there presently encamped themselues The like fortune happily might the residue haue had if they had followed with the like order and courage But failing herein the right wing was hewed in pieces the left wing was broken and beaten vpon the carriages where ouerbearing and treading downe one an other they receiued almost as much hurt from themselues as they did from their enemies The maine battaile and Rereward aduancing forward to rescue the carriage were first miserably ouerwhelmed with a storme of arrowes from the hill on both sides and the gallant horses once galled with that shot would no more obey or endure their riders but flinging out either ouerthrew or disordred all in their way And the more to encrease the miserie of that day the dust and light sand which was raised partly by the feete of horses and men and partly by violence of the wind which then blew full in the
cannot Foule weather may much hinder the discharge of the piece but it is no great impediment to the shot of the Bow A horse strooke with a bullet if the wound be not mortall may performe good seruice but if an arrow be fastened in his flesh the continuall stirring thereof occasioned by the motion of himselfe will enforce him to cast off all command and either beare downe or disorder those that are neere But the cracke of the piece will some man say doeth strike a terrour into the enemie True if they bee such as neuer heard the like noise before But a little vse wil extinguish these terrours to men yea to beasts acquainted with these cracks they worke a weake impression of feare And if it be true which all men of action doe hold that the eye in all battailes is first ouercome then against men equally accustomed to both the sight of the arrow is more auaileable to victorie then the cracke of the piece Assuredly the Duke before the battaile encouraged his men for that they should deale with enemies who had no shot But I will leaue this point to be determined by more discerning iudgements and happily by further experience in these affaires and returne againe to my principall purpose The next day after the victorie the Duke returned to Hastings about seuen miles from the place of the encounter partly to refresh his Armie and partly to settle in aduise and order for his further prosecution First he dispatched messengers to signifie his successe to his friends abroad to the Pope he sent King Harolds Standerd which represented a man fighting wrought curiously with golde and precious stones Afterwards placing a strong garrison at Hastings he conducted his Armie towards London not the direct way but coasted about through part of Kent through Sussex Surrey Hampshire and Barkeshire the wayes where hee passed being as free from resistance as his thoughts were from change At Walling ford he passed ouer the Thames and then marched forward through Oxford shire Buckinghamshire and Hartford-shire vntill he came to the Castle at Berkhamstead In this passage many of his Souldiers languished and died of the Fluxe And whether it were vpon licentiousnesse after the late victorie or whether for want of necessary prouision or whether to strike a terrour into the English or whether to leaue no danger at his backe he permitted the sword to range at large to harrie freely to defile many places with ruine and blood In the meane time the English Lords assembled at London to aduise vpon their common affaires but the varietie of opinions was the chiefe impediment to the present seruice the danger being more important then the counsaile resolute or the confidence assured The Nobilitie enclined to declare Edgar grandchild to Edmund Ironside to be their King and with these the Londoners wholy went But those of the Clergie were of opinion some vpon particular respects all vpon feare to displease the Pope to yeeld to the storme and streame of the present time to yeeld to the mightie Arme of GOD that their forces being prostrated their hopes feeble and forlorne they must be content not to be constrained they must not prouoke the Victor too farre against whose forces and felicities time gaue them not power to oppose This deliberation held so long that all the time of action was spent For the Duke approched so neere the Citie that many preferring their safetie before other respects withdrew themselues and went vnto him Hereupon the residue dissolued and Alfred Archb. of Yorke Wolstane Bishop of Worcester Wilfire B. of Hereford and many other Prelates of the Realme went vnto the Duke at Berkhamstead accompanied with Edgar Earle Edwine Earle Morchar and diuers others of the Nobilitie who gaue pledges for their allegiance and were thereupon receiued to subiection and fauour The Duke presently dispatched to London was receiued with many declarations of ioy the lesser in heart the fairer in appearance and vpon Christmas day next following was crowned King Now the meanes whereby this victory was assured were the very same whereby it was atchieued euen by a stiffe and rigorous hand For whosoeuer supposeth that a State atteined by force can be reteined by milder meanes he shall find himselfe disappointed of his hopes A people newly subdued by force will so long remaine in obedience as they finde themselues not of force to resist And first he endeauoured either to preuent or appease all forren warres especially against the Danes who were then chiefly feared in England as well in regard of their former victories as for that they pretended title to the Crowne And herein two things did especially fauour his affaires One for that the Normans were in some sort allied to the Danes being the progenie of those Noruegians and Danes which vnder the conduct and fortune of Rollo inuaded France after many great atchieuements seated in Normandie The other was for that after the death of Canutus the state of Denmarke was much infeebled by diuision For the Noruegians set vp Magnus the sonne of Olaus for their King but the Danes acknowledged Canutus the third of that name by meanes whereof that puissant empire did languish in consumption of it selfe and could not be dangerous to any neighbour Countrey Yet ceased they not for many yeeres to continue claime to the Crowne of England But King William had purchased many sure and secret friends in that diseased state wherein all publike affaires were set to sale especially he vsed the authoritie of Adelbert Archbishop of Hamburgh either to crosse all counsaile of hostilitie against him or else to delay and thereby to delude the enterprise or lastly so to manage the action that it should noâ—… worke any dangerous effect After the death of Swaine Canutus prepared a Nauie of one thousand saile for inuasion of England and was aided with sixe hundred more by Robert le Frizon whose daughter hee had taken to wife But either for want or else by negligence or happily of purpose this Nauie continued partly in preparation and partly in a readinesse the space of two yeeres and then the voyage was layd aside The cause was attributed to contrarietie of winds but the contrariety of wils was the truest impediment Likewise Swaine had furnished against England a Nauie of 204. sayle commanded by Earle Osborne his brother Another fleete of 200. saile was set foorth vnder the charge of Earle Hacon But King William so corrupted them both that the one departed out of the Realme without performing any great exploit the other neuer would arriue Also out of those confusions in England Malcolme King of Scots did take his opportunitie for action Hee receiued into protection many English who either for feare or for discontentment forsooke their Countrey of whom many families in Scotland are descended and namely these Lindsey Vaus Ramsey Louell Towbris Sandlands Bissart Sowlis Wardlaw Maxwell with diuers others Hee entertained into his Court Edgar Atheling and
his fat belly did beare so hard vpon the pommell of his saddle that hee tooke a rupture in his inner parts And so ouercharged with sickenesse and paine and disquietnesse of minde hee returned to Roan where his sickenesse increased by such dangerous degrees that in short time it led him to the period of his dayes During the time of his sickenesse hee was much molested in conscience for the blood which hee had spilt and for the seueritie which he had vsed against the English holding himselfe for that cause more guilty before God then glorious among men Hee spent many good speeches in reconciling himselfe to God and the world in exhorting others to vertue and Religion He gaue great summes of money to the Clergie of Meux and of some other places in France to repaire the Churches which a little before he had defaced To some Monasteries he gaue tenne markes of gold and to others sixe To euery Parish Church hee gaue fiue shillings and to euery Borough Towne a hundred pounds for reliefe of the poore Hee gaue his Crowne with all the ornaments therto belonging to the Church of Saint Stephen in Caen which hee had founded for redeeming whereof King Henry the first did afterwards giue to the same Church the Mannour of Brideton in Dorcetshire Hee reteined perfect memorie and speach so long as he reteined any breath Hee ended his life vpon the ninth day of September full both of honour and of age when hee had reigned twenty yeeres eight moneths and sixteene dayes in the threescore and fourth yeere of his age So soone as he was dead the chiefe men that were about him went to horse and departed forthwith to their owne dwellings to prouide for the safety of themselues and of their families and estates For all men were possessed with a marueilous feare that some dangerous aduentures would ensue The seruants and inferiour Officers also fled away and to double the basenesse of their disposition tooke with them whatsoeuer was portable about the king his Armour plate apparell household-stuffe all things were held as lawfull bootie Thus the dead body was not onely abandoned but left almost naked vpon the ground where it remained from prime vntil three of the clocke neither guarded nor regarded by any man In the meane time the Religious persons went in procession to the Church of S. Geruase there commended his soule to God Then William Archb. of Roan commaunded that his body should be caried to Caen to be there buried in the Church of S. Stephen But hee was so forsaken of all his followers that there was not any found who would vndertake either the care or the charge At the last Herlwine a countrey Knight vpon his owne cost caused the body to be embalmed and adorned for funerall pompe then conueyed it by coach to the mouth of the Riuer Some and so partly by land and partly by sea brought it to Caen. Here the Abbot with the Couent of Monks came foorth with all accustomed ceremonies to meet the corps to whom the whole multitude of the Clergie and Lay-people did adioyne But when they were in the middest of their sad solemnities a fire brake out of a certaine house and suddenly embraced a great part of the towne Hereupon the Kings body was once againe abandoned all the people running from it in a headlong haste some to saue their goods others to represse the rage of the flame others as the latest nouelty to stand and looke on In the end a few Moncks returned and accompanied the Hearse to the Abbey Church Afterward all the Bishops and Abbots of Normandy assembled to solemnize the funerall And when the diuine Office was ended and the coffin of stone set into the earth in the presbytorie betweene the Quire and the Altar but the body remained vpon the Herse Guislebert bishop of Eureux made a long Sermon wherein hee bestowed much breath in extolling the honourable actions of the King In the end he concluded That forsomuch as it was impossible for a man to liue much lesse to gouerne without offence First by reason of the multitude of a Princes affaires Secondly for that he must commit the managing of many things to the conscience and courtesie of others Lastly for that personall grieuances are many times beneficiall to the maine body of State in which case particular either losses or harmes are more then manifoldly recompenced by the preseruation or quiet of the whole If therefore any that were present did suppose they had receiued iniurie from the King he desired that they would in charitie forgiue him When the Bishop had finished his speach one Anselme Fitz-Arthur stood vp amongst the multitude and with a high voice said This ground whereupon wee stand was sometimes the floore of my fathers house which that man of whom you haue spoken when he was Duke of Normandie tooke violently from my father and afterward founded thereon this Religious building This iniustice hee did not by ignorance or ouersight not vpon any necessitie of State but to content his owne couetous desire Now therefore I doe challenge this ground as my right and doe here charge you as you will answere it before the fearefull face of Almightie God that the body of the spoiler be not couered with the earth of mine inheritance When the Bishops and Noble men that were present heard this and vnderstood by the testimony of many that it was true they agreed to giue him three pounds presently for the ground that was broken for the place of burial and for the residue which he claimed they vndertooke he should be fully satisfied This promise was performed in short time after by Henrie the Kings sonne who onely was present at the Funerall at whose appointment Fitz-Arthur receiued for the price of the same ground one hundred pounds Now when the body was to be put into the earth the sepulchre of stone which stood within the graue was hewen somewhat too strait for his fat belly whereupon they were constrained to presse it downe with much strength By this violence whether his bowels burst or whether some excrements were forced out at their natural passage such an intolerable stinck proceeded from him as neither the perfumes that smoaked in great abundance nor any other meanes were able to qualifie Wherefore the Priests hasted to finish their office and the people departed in a sad silence discoursing diuersly afterward of all these extraordinarie accidents A man would thinke that a sepulchre thus hardly attained should not easily againe bee lost But it happened otherwise to this vnquiet King not destined to rest either in his life or after his death For in the yeere 1562. when Castilion tooke the Citie of Caen with those broken troupes that escaped at the battaile of Dreux certaine sauage Souldiers of diuers nations led by foure dissolute Captaines beate downe the Monument which King William his sonne had built ouer him and both curiously and richly adorned
reigne of King William a Councell was holden at London where another matter of like qualitie and nature was decreed namely that Bishops should translate their Sees from villages to Cities whereupon in short time after Bishops Sees were remoued from Selese to Chichester from Cornewall to Exeter from Wells to Bath from Shirbourne to Salisburie from Dorcester to Lincolne from Lichfield to Chester and from thence againe to Couentree And albeit the Archbishop of Yorke did oppose against the erecting of a Cathedrall Church in Lincolne because he challenged that Citie to be of his Prouince yet Remigius Bishop of Dorchester being strong both in resolution and in friends did prosecute his purpose to effect Not long before the Bishopricke of Lindafferne otherwise called Holy land vpon the riuer Tweed had bene translated to Durhame In the tenth yeere of his reigne the cold of Winter was exceeding memorable both for sharpenesse and for continuance For the earth remained hard frozen from the beginning of Nouember vntill the middest of April then ensuing In the 15. yere a great earthquake happened in the month of April strange for the strong trembling of the earth but more strange for the dolefull and hideous roaring which it yeelded foorth In the 20. yeere there fell such abundance of raine that the Riuers did greatly ouerflow in all parts of the Realme The springs also rising plentifully in diuers hils so softned and decaied the foundations of them that they fell downe whereby some villages were ouerthrowne By this distemperature of weather much cattel perished much cornevpon the ground was either destroyed or greatly empaired Herehence ensued first a famine and afterwards a miserable mortalitie of men And that all the Elements might seeme to haue conspired the calamity of the Realme the same yeere most of the principall Cities in England were lamentably deformed with fire At London a fire began at the entry of the West gate which apprehending certaine shops and Ware-houses wherein was Merchandise apt to burne it was at once begun and suddenly at the highest Then being caried with a strong wind and the Citie apt to maintaine the flame as well by reason of the crooked and narrow streets as for that the buildings at that time had open and wide windowes and were couered with base matter fit to take fire the mischiefe spread more swiftly then the remedies could follow So it raged vntill it came to the Eastgate prostrated houses and Churches all the way being the most grieuous that euer as yet hath happened to that Citie The Church of S. Paul was at that time fired Whereupon Maurice then Bishop of London began the foundation of the new Church of S. Paul A worke so admirable that many did iudge it would neuer haue bene finished yet all might easily esteeme thereby his magnanimitie his high erected hopes his generous loue and honour to Religion The King gaue towards the building of the East end of this Church the choise stones of his Castle at the West end of the Citie vpon the bancke of the Riuer Thames which Castle at the same time was also fired in place whereof Edward Killwarby Archbishop of Canterburie did afterwards found a Monasterie of blacke Friers The King also gaue the Castle of Storford and all the lands which thereto belonged to the same Maurice and to his successours in that See And doubtlesse nothing more then either parcimonious or prophane expending the Treasures of the Church hath since those times much dried vp those fountaines which first did fill them After the death of Maurice Richard his next Successour as well in vertue as in dignitie bestowed all the Rents rising out of this Bishopricke to aduance the building of this Church maintaining himselfe by his Patrimonie and friendes and yet all which hee could doe made no great shewe so that the finishing of this worke was left to many other succeeeding Bishops Hee purchased the ground about the Church whereupon many buildings did stand and inclosed the same with a strong wall of stone for a place of buriall It seemeth that this wall was afterwards either battered and torne in some ciuill warres or else by negligence suffered to decay for that a graunt was made by King Edward the second that the Church-yard of Saint Pauls should bee enclosed with a wall because of the robberies and murthers that were there committed Many parts of this wall remaine at this time on both sides of the Church but couered for the most part with dwelling houses The same yeere in Whitsun-weeke the King honoured his sonne Henrie with the order of Knighthood What Ceremonies the King then vsed it is not certainly knowen but before his time the custome among the Saxons was thus First hee who should receiue the order of Knighthood conâ—…essed himselfe in the euening to a Priest Then hee continued all that night in the Church watching and applying himselfe to his priuate deuotions The next morning he heard Masse and offered his sword vpon the Altar After the Gospel was read the sword was hallowed and with a benediction put about his necke Lastly he communicated the mysteries of the blessed body of Christ and from that time remained a lawfull Souldier or Knight This custome of Consecrating Knights the Normans did not onely abrogate but abhorre not for any euill that was therein but because it was not altogether their owne This yeere in a Prouince of Wales called Rosse the Sepulchre of Wawyn otherwise called Gawen was found vpon the Sea shore Hee was sisters sonne to Arthur the great King of the Britaines a man famous in our Britaine Histories both for ciuill courtesie and for courage in the field I cannot but esteeme the report for fabulous that his bodie was fourteene foote in length I doe rather coniecture that one credulous writer did take that for the length of his body which happily might bee the length of his â—…ombe It is constantly affirmed that the ground whereon the English and the Normans did combate doth shew after euery raine manifest markes of blood vpon the grasse which if it was not a proprietie of the soyle before it is hard now to assigne either from what naturall cause it doth proceede or what it should supernaturally portend K. WILLIAM THE SECOND sirnamed RVFVS KIng WILLIAM the Victor when hee drew towards the end of his dayes commended the Kingdome of England to his second sonne William with many blessings with many admonitions with many prayers for the prosperous successe of his succession And because the presence of the next successour is of greatest moment to establish affaires the King a little before his passage to death dispatched him into England with letters vnder his owne Seale to Lanfranck then Archbishop of Canterbury a man highly esteemed in forraine Countreys but with the Cleargie and vulgare people of the Realme his authoritie was absolute In these letters the King expressed great affection and care towards his sonne William commending him with many kind
words for his sufficiencies for diuers vertues especially for that hee did alwayes stand firmely by him alwayes declare himselfe both a faithfull Subiect and dutifull sonne It was also coniectured by some that the King was guided in this choise no lesse by his iudgement then by his affection for that he esteemed the fierce disposition of his sonne William more fit to gouerne a people not well setled in subiection then the flexible and milde nature of his eldest sonne Robert So William taking his last leaue of his father who was then taking his last leaue of this world iourneyed towards England and in short time arriued at the port called Whitesand where he receiued the first report of his fathers death Hereupon with all speed hee posted to Lanfranck deliuered his fathers letters and foorthwith was declared King vpon the 9. day of September in the yere 1087. and vpon the first of October next ensuing was by the same Lanfranck with al ceremonies and solemnities perteining to that action crowned at Westminster Robert either by negligence and want of foresight or by the perpetuall malice of his destinie or happily not without his fathers contriuance was absent in Germanie whilest his yonger brother William did thus possesse himselfe both of the Kingdome of his father and of his treasure Otherwise he wanted neither pretence nor purpose nor fauour of friends to haue empeached his brothers proceedings For it was then doubted by many and since hath bene by many debated whether in any case vpon any cause or consideration whatsoeuer a King hath power to disinherite his eldest sonne and to appoint another to succeed in his estate That a King may aduance any of his sonnes to bee his successour without respect of prioritie in birth there seemeth to want neither warrant of example nor weight of authoritie Dauid a man greatly prooued and approoued by God did preferre Solomon to succeede him before his eldest sonne Adonia And in like sort Rehoboam the sonne of Solomon appointed the yongest of all his sonnes to succeed him in the Kingdome So some Lawyers affirme That a King may determine in his life which of his sonnes shall reigne after him But this must be vnderstood either when a State is newly raised to the title of a kingdome or else when by Conquest Vsurpation or some other meanes of change the gouernment thereof is newly transferred from one stemme to another For then because there is no certaine Law or Custome of succession in force the right seemeth to dâ—…pend vpon the disposition of the Prince And yet euen in this case the eldest or neerest cannot be excluded without iust cause For so when Iacob depriued his eldest sonne Reuben of his priuiledge of birth he expressed the cause For that he had defiled his fathers bed which fact of his Hierome applieth to the case in question So when Ptolemie the first King of Egypt commended the State to his yongest sonne he yeelded a reason for that which he did So Henrie the fourth Emperour crowned Henrie his yonger sonne King reiecting Conrade his eldest sonne for that hee had borne armes against him and ioyned in league with his open enemies But when by expresse Lawe or long grounded Custome the Succession of a State is established to the eldest sonne the best approoued interpreters of the Canon and Ciuill law doe conclude that the father hath no power to inuert or peruert that course of order For parents may debarre their children of that which proceedeth from themselues of that which dependeth vpon their appointment but of that which is due by nature by the immutable law of the State the parents can haue no power to dispose When by a fundamentall Lawe or Custome of State Succession is annexed to the dignity of a Crowne according to prioritie in birth it followeth that so soone as the first borne commeth into light the right of succession is fixed in him not in hope onely but also in habite whereof neither the father nor any other can dispossesse him And therefore when Prusias intended to depriue his eldest sonne Nicomedes of his prerogatiue of birth and to preferre his yonger sonnes which he had by another wife in succession before him he could not assure it by any meanes but by determining the death of Nicomedes which Nicomedes to preuent dispoiled his father both of kingdom and of life Ptolemie the first King of Egypt of that name who after the death of Alexander the great possessed himselfe of Egypt part of Arabia and of Affrick left his kingdom to the yoÌ„gest of his sons but afterward when Ptolemie surnamed Phiscon vpon the importunity of his wife Cleopatra attempted the like the kingdome being then setled in succession the people opposed reuersed his order after his death So Pepine after hee had made seisure of the kingdome of France ordered all things which he thought necessary for the suerty therof disposed the succession therein by his Testament leauing the Realme of Noion to his sonne Charles and to Carloman his other sonne the Realme of Soissons The like was done by some other of the first Kings of his race But since that time the custome hath been strongly stablished that the kingdome passeth entirely to the eldest sonne and possessions are assigned to the rest vnder the name of Appanage And therefore the French writers affirme that the eldest sonne of France cannot be depriued of succession vpon any cause of ingratitude against his parents and that if the King should institute his eldest sonne yet cannot hee take the kingdome by force of his fathers guift but onely by the immutable law of the Realme Yea Girard writeth of Charlâ—â— the simple that hee was King of France before hee was borne And in this regard the Glossographer vpon the Decrees noteth that the sonne of a King may bee called King during the life of his father as wanting nothing but administration And the same also doth Seruius note out of Virgil where hee saith of Aescanius regémque requirunt his father Aeneas being then aliue Now then for that the right of Succession to the Crowne of England was not at that time so surely setled as it hath been since but had waued in long vncertainetie First in the Heptarchie of the Saxons and English afterward betweene the English and the Danes and was then newly possessed by the Normane and that chiefly by the sword For that also Robert the Kings eldest sonne gaue iust cause of offence by bearing armes against his father it may seeme that the King might lawfully direct the succession to his second sonne And yet because as Herodotus saith It is a generall custome amongst all men that the first in birth is next in succession because as Baldus affirmeth Semper fuit semper erit c. Alwayes it hath been and alwayes it shall bee that the first borne succeedeth in
most capitall offence in the eye of enuie of Lanfrank Archbishop of Canterburie by means whereof many of the conspirators liued in farre meaner reputation then their ambitious minds could easily breake but chiefly it was vpon a more particular grudge which Odo did beare against the same Lanfranck because by his perswasion Odo had been committed to prison by King William the elder For when the King complained to Lanfranck of the intolerable both auarice and ambition of his brother Odo the Archbishop gaue aduise that hee should bee restrained of his libertie And when the King doubted how he being a Bishop might be committed to prison without impeaching the priuiledges of the Church indeede answered Lanfranck you may not imprison the Bishop of Baion but you may doe what you please with the Earle of Kent The publike and open pretenses were these Robert Duke of Normandie had the prerogatiue of birth which being a benefit proceeding from nature could not bee reuersed by his fathers acte He had also wonne a most honorable reputation for his militarie vertues and had by many trauels of warre wasted the wilde follies of youth Hee was no lesse famous for courtesie and liberalitie two most amiable ornaments of honour being so desirous that no man should depart discontented from him that he would oftentimes promise more then hee was able to performe and yet performe more then his estate could expediently afford As for K. William besides that he was the yonger brother his nature was held to be doubtfull and suspect and the iudgement of most men enclined to the worst And what are we then aduantaged said they by the death of his father if whom he hath fleeced this shall flay if this shall execute those whom he hath fettered and surely bound If after his seuerities that are past wee shall be freshly charged with those rigours which tyrants in the height and pride of their Fortune are wont to vse And as stronger combinations are alwayes made betweene men drawne together by one common feare then betweene those that are ioyned by hope or desire so vpon these iealousies and feares accompanied also with vehement desires the Confederats supposed that they had knit a most assured league Now it happened that at the time of the death of William the elder Robert his eldest sonne was absent in Almaine and at once heard both of the death of his father and that his brother William was acknowledged to be King Hereupon in great hast but greater heat both oâ—… anger and ambition he returned into Normandie and there whilest he was breathing foorth his discontentment and desire of reuenge he receiued a message from the Confederats in England that with all speed hee should come ouer vnto them to accomplish the enterprise to furnish their forces with a head that they had no want of able bodies they wanted no meanes to maintaine them together they wanted onely his person both to countenance and conduct them The Duke thought it no wisdome to aduenture himselfe altogether vpon the fauour and faith of discontented persons and he had bene so loosely liberall before that he was vnprouided of money to appoint himselfe with any competent forces of his owne Hereupon he pawned a part of Normandie to his brother Henry for waging Souldiers many also flocked voluntarily vnto him vpon inducement that hee who of his owne nature was most liberall full of humanitie would not faile both of pay and reward vnlesse by reason of disabilitie want In the meane time the Confederats resolued to breake forth in Armes in diuers parts of the Realme at once vpon conceit that if the King should endeuour to represse them in one place they might more easily preuaile in the other And so accordingly Odo fortified and spoiled in Kent Geoffrey Bishop of Exceter with his nephew Robert Mowbray Earle of Northumberland at Bristow Roger Montgomerie in Northfolke Suffolke and Cambridgeshire Hugh de Grandmenill in Leicestershire and Northamptonshire William Bishop of Durhame in the North parts of the Realme diuers others of the Clergie and Nobilitie in Herefordshire Shropshire Worcestershire and all the Countreys adioyning to Wales And as in time of pestilence all diseases turne to the plague so in this generall tumult all discontentments sorted to Rebellion Many who were oppressed with violence or with feare many who were kept lower either by want or disgrace then they had set their mounting minds adioyned daily to the side and encreased both the number and the hope And thus was all the Realme in a rumous rage against K. William who wanted neither courage to beare nor wisdome to decline it And first hee endeuoured by all meanes to make the English assured vnto him And albeit few of them were at that time in any great place either of credite or of charge but were all wounded by his fathers wrongs yet for that they were the greatest part he made the greatest reckoning of them For this cause hee released many English Lords who had bene committed to custodie by his father He composed himselfe to courtesie and affabilitie towards the people and distributed much treasure among them But especially hee wanne their inclination by promises of great assurance to restore vnto them their ancient lawes to ease them of tributes and taxations and to permit them free libertie of hunting which being their principall pleasure and exercise before was either taken away or much restrained from them by King William the elder Herewith he applied himselfe to appease the mutinous minds of his Nobilitie to seuer the Confederats to breake the faction to diuide it first and thereby to defeat it To this purpose he dealt with Roger Montgomerie who next vnto Odo was a principall both countenance and strength to the reuolt he dealt also with diuers others inferiour vnto him in authority and degree that he could not coniecture for what cause they were so violent against him did they want money His fathers treasure was at their deuotion desired they encrease of possessions they should not be otherwise bounded then by their owne desires that hee would willingly also giue ouer his estate in case it should be iudged expedient by themselues whom his father had put in trust to support him that they should doe wel to foresee whether by ouerthrowing his fathers iudgement in appointing the kingdome vnto him they should not doe that which might be preiudiciall to themselues for the same man who had appointed him to bee King had also conferred vnto them those honours and possessions which they held Thus sometimes dealing priuately with particulars and sometimes with many together and eftsoones filling them with promises and hopes and that with such new vehemencie of words as they beleeued could not proceede from dissembled intents he so preuailed in the end that hereby and by example of some inducing the rest Roger Montgomerie and diuers others were reconciled to the King in whom was thought to rest no smal matter to hold
setled in a certaine course of succession because the dignitie is inherent in the blood of that stocke because it is not taken from the father but from the ancestors because it is not taken onely from the ancestors but from the fundamentall law of the State the eldest sonne shall indistinctly succeede although hee were borne before his father was King And therefore after the kingdome of Persia had been caried by succession in some descents when Darius the King had foure sonnes Artaxerxes the eldest Cyrus the next and two others Parysates the wife of Darius hauing a desire that Cyrus should succeede in the kingdome alleaged in his behalfe the same reason wherewith Xexes had preuailed before to wit that shee had brought foorth Artaxerxes to Darius when hee was in priuate state but Cyrus was borne to him when he was a King Yet Plutarch affirmeth that the reason which she vsed was nothing probable and that Artaxerxes the eldest sonne was appointed to be King And so Blondus and Ritius doe report that Bela the King of Hungarie being dead Geysa succeeded although borne vnto him before he was a King Others inferiour in number but not in weight of Iudgement do affirme that whether a Kingdome be setled in succession or whether by any other title newly attained the right to succeed by all true grounds of law pertaineth to the eldest sonne albeit borne before his fathers aduancement to the kingdome in case there be no expresse law of the state to the contrary The principall reason is because this is the nature of all successions by way of inheritance For if a father purchaseth lands leases cattell or other goods the inheritance shall bee transmitted to his eldest sonne although borne before the purchase Likewise if a father be aduanced to any title of honour as Duke Earle Marquesse c. it was neuer I will not say denied but once doubted but that the eldest sonne should succeede in the same albeit he was borne before the aduancement And therefore seeing this is the generall rule of all other inheritable successions and there is no reason of singularitie in a kingdome it followeth that in like case the succession of a kingdome should also descend to the eldest sonne although borne before the kingdome were atchieued Againe the sonne who was borne before his father was a King had once a right to succeede in the kingdome for if another sonne had not afterwards beene borne without all question hee should haue succeeded But a right which a man by his owne person hath acquired albeit in some cases it may be diminished yet can it not bee altogether extinguished by any externall or casuall euent which hath no dependencie vpon himselfe And so the right which the eldest sonne hath to his fathers inheritance may bee diminished by the birth of other children in regard of those goods which are to bee distributed in parts among them but it cannot possibly be extinguished Neither can it bee diminished in those things which are not of nature to bee either valued or diuided of which sort a Kingdome is the chiefe but doe passe entirely vnto one For the right of blood which onely is regarded in lawfull successions is acquired and held from the natiuitie of the childe and doth not begin at the fathers death at which time the inheritance doth fall Lastly if it be true in sonnes that he shal succeede in a kingdome who is first borne after the father is exalted to bee a King then is it true also in other remote degrees of consanguinitie And hereby it should often happen that when a King dieth without issue of his body they who are not onely inferiour in age but more remote in degree should exclude both the elder and the neerer in blood because perhaps borne after the kingdome was attained which is against all lawes of lawfull succession Howsoeuer the right standeth Henry the yonger brother to King William Rufus vpon aduantage of the absence of Duke Robert his eldest brother formed this title to the Crowne of England In which pretence he was strongly supported first by a generall inclination of the common people for that he had both his birth and education within the Realme and they were well perswaded of his good nature and disposition Secondly by the fauour and trauaile of many of the nobilitie especially of Henry Neuborow Earle of Warwicke Thirdly for that the sailes of popular fauours are filled most violently with reports by his giuing forth that his brother Robert intended neuer to returne for that he was elected King of Hierusalem and of all those large Countreys in Asia which the Christians had lately wrung out of the Saracens hands Lastly by vsing celeritie the very life of actions for he was Crowned at Westminster as it hath bene said vpon the fifth day of August in the yeere 1100. which was the third day after his brothers death In person he was both stately and strong tall broad brested his limmes fairely fourmed well knit and fully furnished with flesh He was exceeding both comely and manly in countenance his face wel fashioned his colour cleere his eyes liuely and faire his eye-browes large and thicke his haire blacke and somewhat thinne towards his forehead He was of an excellent wit free from ostentation his thoughts high yet honourable and iust in speach ready and eloquent much graced with sweetnesse of voyce In priuate he was affable open wittily pleasant and very full of merrie simplicitie in publicke he looked with a graue Maiestie as finding in himselfe cause to be honoured He was brought vp in the studie of Liberall Arts at Cambridge where he attained that measure of knowledge which was sufficient both for ornament and vse but ranne not into intemperate excesse either for ostentation or for a cloake to vnprofitable expense of time By his example the yong Nobilitie of the Realme began to affect a praise for learning Insomuch as at a certaine enteruiew betweene the King and Pope Innocent the 2. the sonnes of Robert Earle of Mellent maintained open disputations against diuers Cardinals and Chapleines of the Pope He was an exact esteemer of himselfe not so much for his strength as for his weakenesses lesse inclined to confidence then to distrust and yet in weighty affaires resolute and firme neuer dismaied and alwayes fortunate his spirits being of force to oppose against any sort of difficulties or doubts Extremities made him the more assured and like a well knit Arch hee then lay most strong when hee sustained the greatest weight Hee was no more disposed to valour then well setled in vertue and goodnes which made his valour of more precious valuation He had good command ouer his passions and thereby attained both peace within himselfe and victory ouer others In giuing hee was moderate but bountifull in recompence his countenance enlarging the worth of his gift Hee was prone to relieue euen where there was least likelihood of requitall
He hated flatterie the poysoned sugar the counterfeit ciuilitie and loue the most base brokery of wordes yet was no musicke so pleasing vnto him as well deserued thankes He was vigilant and industrious in his affaires knowing right well that honour not onely hath a paineful and dangerous birth but must in like manner be nourished and fed He was somewhat immoderate and excessiue as well in aduancing those he fauoured as in beating downe and disabling his enemies The sword was alwayes the last of his trials so as he neuer either sought or apprehended occasions of warre where with honour he could reteine peace But if it were iniuriously vrged he wanted neither wisedome nor diligence nor magnanimous heart to encounter the danger to beare it ouer with courage and successe He was frugall of the blood and slaughter of his Souldiers neuer aduenturing both his honour their liues to the hazard of the sword without either necessitie or aduantage He oftentimes preuailed against his enemies more by policie then by power and for victories thus attained he attributed to himselfe the greatest glory For wisedome is most proper to man but force is common and most eminent in beasts by wisedome the honour was entire to himselfe by force it was participated to inferiour Commanders to euery priuate ordinarie Souldier the effects of force are heauie hideous and sometimes inhumane but the same wrought to euent by wisedome is as lesse odious so more assured and firme After that he was mounted into the seate of Maiestie hee neglected no meanes to settle himselfe most surely therin against the returne of his brother Robert To this end he contracted both amitie and alliance with Edgar King of Scots by taking his sister Matild to wife by which meanes he not onely remoued his hostilitie but stood assured of his assistance in case his occasions should so require Shee was daughter to Malcolme King of Scots by Margaret his wife who was sister to Edgar surnamed Adeling and daughter to Edward sonne to Edmund Ironside the most valiant Saxon King the scourge and terrour of the Danes So as after the death of Adeling who left no issue this Matild was next by discent from the Saxon Kings to the inheritance of the Crowne of England and by her entermariage with King Henry the two families of Normans and Saxons were vnited together both in blood and title to the Crowne This more then any other respect made the whole nation of the English not onely firme to King Henrie against his brother but loyall and peaceable during all his reigne for that they saw the blood of their Saxon Kings restored again to the possession of the Crowne Shee was a Lady vertuous religious beautifull and wise farre from the ordinary either vices or weakenesses incident to her sexe She had been brought vp among the Nunnes of Winchester and Rumsey whether professed or onely veiled our writers doe diuersly report but most affirme that shee was professed Yet for the common good for the publique peace and tranquilitie of the State shee abandoned her deuoted life and was ioyned to King Henrie in mariage by consent of Anselme without any dispensation from Rome Of this Matild the King begate William a sonne who perished by shipwracke and Matild a daughter first married to Henry the fifth Emperour by whom she had no issue afterward to Geoffrey Plantagenet Earle of Aniou by whom shee brought foorth a sonne named Henrie in whom the blood of the Saxon Kings was aduanced againe to the gouernment of this Realme Now to purchase the fauour of the Clergie he called Anselme out of exile and restored him both to the dignitie and reuenues of the Sea of Canterbury Other Bishoprickes and Abbeys which King William kept voide at the time of his death hee furnished with men of best sufficiencie and reputation Hee committed Radulph Bishop of Durham to prison who had been both authour and agent to King William in most of his distastfull actions against the Clergie This Radulph was a man of smooth vse of speach wittie onely in deuising or speaking or doing euill but to honestie and vertue his heart was a lumpe of lead Enuious aboue all measure nothing was so grieuous to his eyes as the prosperitie nothing so harsh to his eares as the commendations of others His tongue alwayes slauish to the Princes desires not regarding how truely or faithfully but how pleasingly he did aduise Thus as a principall infamie of that age hee liued without loue and died without pitie sauing of those who thought it pitie that he liued so long Further to make the Clergie the more assured the King renounced the right which his Ancesters vsed in giuing Inuestitures and acknowledged the same to appertaine to the Pope This hee yeelded at his first entrance partly not knowing of what importance it was and partly being in necessitie to promise any thing But afterwards he resumed that right againe albeit in a Councell not long before held at Rome the contrary had bene decreed For hee inuested William Gifford into the Bishopricke of Winchester and all the possessions belonging to the same He gaue the Archbishopricke of Canterburie to Radulph Bishop of London and inuested him therein by a Ring and a staffe he inuested also two of his Chapleins at Westminster Roger his Chanceller in the Bishopricke of Salisburie and Roger his Larderer in the Bishopricke of Hereford Further he assumed the custome of his father and brother in taking the reuenues of Bishopricks whilest they remained void and for that cause did many times keepe them a longer season vacant in his hands then many of the Clergie could with patience endure But especially the Clergie did fauour him much by reason of his liberall leaue either to erect or to enlarge or else to enrich Religious buildings For to these workes the King was so ready to giue not onely way but encouragement and helpe that in no Princes time they did more within this Realme either flourish or increase And namely the house of S. Iohn of Hierusalem was then founded neere Smithfield in London with the house of Nunnes by Clerken well Then were also founded the Church of Theukesburie with all Offices thereto belonging the Priorie and Hospitall of S. Bartholomewes in Smithfield the Church of S. Giles without Creeplegate the Colledge of Seculare Canons in the castle of Leicester the Abbey without the Northgate of the same towne called S. Mary deprato Also the Monasterie of S. Iohn of Lanthonie by Glocester the Church of Dunmow in Essex the Monasterie of S. Iohn at Colchester which was the first house of Augustine Chanons in England the Church of S. Mary Oueries furnished with Chanons in Southwarke the Priory of the holy Trinity now called Christs Church within Algate and the Hospitall of S. Giles in the field The Priorie of Kenelworth The Abbey of Kenshame The Monasterie of Plimpton in Deuonshire with the Cathedrall Church of Exceter the Priorie of Merton the Colledge