this Land which retained nothing of the former nor held other memory but that of the dissolution thereof where scarce a Citie Dwelling Riuer Hill or Mountayne but changed names Britayne it selfe was now no more Britayne but New Saxonie and shortly after either of the Angles the greatest people of the inuadors or of Hengist called Engist-Land or England The distance made by the rage of warre lay so wide betweene the conquering and conquered people that nothing either of lawes rites and customes came to passe ouer vnto vs from the Britaynes nor had our Ancestors any thing from them but their countrie which they first diuided into eight kingdomes all which continued to the last extermination of the Britaynes vnder Caretius their King with whome they were driuen ouer Seuerne 136. yeeres after the first entertainement of Hengist And soone after the Saxons encroching vpon each othe rs parts or States which neuer held certaine boundes and the stronger vsurping vpon their weaker neighbours reduced them to seauen kingdomes that of the Northanimbrians being made one of two and then to sixe the west Saxons taking in the kingdome of Sussex to their dominion And so it continued about 250 yeares At the first by the space of 150 yeares they were meerely gouerned by their owne lawes without mixture of any other But after Augustine the Monke sent with 40 others by Pope Gregorie had conuerted Aethelbert King of Kent and some other they all shortly after receiued the Christian faith and had their lawes and rites ordered according to Ecclesiasticall constitutions Many of their Kings when their sterne asperitie grew molified by humility of the religion beganne to raise presently so many and great monuments of their piety in all parts of the Land as if they striued who should exceed therein and had no other glorie Diuers of them renounced their temporall dignities for Spirituall solitude and became Monkes as Aetheldred and Kinred Kings of Merena-Land Offa King of the East Saxons Kadwalla and Ina Kings of the west Saxons Eadberte King of the Northumbrians c. At length the kingdomes of Merc-naland and west Sax so far ouergrew the others in power as betweene them two it lay who should haue all For Ina a martiall wise and religious Prince gouerning the west Saxons first aduaunced that kingdome to a preheminencie did much to haue subdued Mercna-land but yet Offa afterwards King thereof was in faire possibility to haue swallowed vp both the west Saxons and all the rest of the kingdomes For whilst hee liued which was in the time of Carolus Magnus with whom hee held league and amity hee was esteemed as the especiall King of the Land But the many wrongs he did and the murther committed in his house vpon Aethelbert King of the East Angles comming to him vnder publique faith and a suitor to his daughter were iustly reuenged vpon his posteritie which after him declining in the end lost all For Egbert discended from Inegild the brother of Ina attayning the kingdome of the west Saxons beganne the way to bring all the rest into subiection And being a Prince who from a priuate fortune wherin he liued below with and not aboue other men had learned sufferance and moderation and by the Estate of an exile experience grew to haue great aduantages ouer the time and others borne fortunes and rose by these meanes Ina his great vncle renouncing the world with his kingdome and dying without issue left the succession imbroiled and out of the direct royall lyne as hee found it So that those foure Kings of the west Saxons who seuerally succeeded him Ethelard Sigibert Kinulph and Britric were rather Kings by election and their owne power then by right of discent And Britric knowing the weakenesse of his title and the much promising forwardnes of Egbert with his propinquitie in bloud to the former Kings practized to haue him made away which he perceauing fled first to Offa King of Mercna-land where finding little security in regard Britric had to strength himselfe married the daughter of that king hee escaped into France and there remayned till the death of Britric and then returning obtaines the kingdome of the Westsaxons subdues Cornewall inhabited by the Britaynes and after sets vpon Bernulph newly inuested in the kingdome of Mercna-land a State by the rupture of the Royall lyne likewise growne tottering For Egferth the sonne of Offa enioyed but. 4. monethes the inheritance of his fathers immanitie whereby that kingdome discended collaterally to Kennulph who left it to Kenelme a child after murthered by his sister Quinred Ceolulph brother to Kennulph succeeding after his first yeares raigne was expeld by Bernulph and Bernulph by Egbert who made that kingdome tributarie to the west Saxons as he did after that of the South and East Saxons with the kingdome of Northumberland And by this meanes in a manner attained to a soueraignty of the whole But the Danes imbroiling his peace in the end of his raigne held him backe from enioying such a fulnesse of power as that wee may account him the absolute Monarch of the kingdome nor yet any of his successors so long as the Danes continued vnsubiected For they hauing first made irruptions into the State in the raigne of the late King Britric his predecessor euer after held a part thereof and afflicted the whole till they had attayned the absolute soueraigntie to themselues The Danes were a people of Germanie next neighbours to the Saxons and of language and manners little different possessing besides Cimbrica Chersonesus now called Denmarke all the Isles adiacent in the Baltique Sea and sometimes the kingdome of Norway A mightie rough and martiall nation strong in shipping through their exercise of piracie and numerous in people for all suppliments Who perceauing heere the happie successe and plantation of the Saxons were drawne with desire and emulation likewise to put in for a part the coaste lying open to inuasion and the many diuisions of the Land with the discord of Princes making them an easie way thereunto So that in a manner as soone as the Saxons had ended their trauailes with the Britaynes and drew to settling of a Monarchie the Danes as if ordain'd to reuenge their slaughters beganne to assault them with the like āfflictions The long the many and horrible encounters betwene this two fierce nations with the bloudshed and infinit spoiles committed in euery part of the Land are of so disorded and troublous memory that what with their asperous names together with the confusion of place times and persons intricately deliuered is yet a warre to the reader to ouer-looke them And therefore to fauour myne owne paines and his who shall get little profit thereby I passe them ouer After the death of Egbert Aethelwolph his sonne succeeded in the State with the title of King of the west Saxons only and was a Prince more addicted to deuotion then action as may be seene by his donation of the tenth part of
his kingdome with exemption of all regall seruice for the seruice of God besides an annuitie of 300 markes to be bestowed in pious vses at Rome whither he went twice in person with his yongest sonne Alfred whom he especially loued and whom Pope Leo 4 annointed a King at eleuen yeares of age as if deuining of his future fortune Vpon his last iorney and whole yeares stay at Rome Aethelbald his eldest sonne combin'd with the nobilitie of the Westsaxons to keepe him out and depriue him vtterlie of his gouernment and wrought so as notwithstanding the great loue his people bare him he was brought to yeeld vp the kingdome of the Westsaxons to Aethelbald and retaine onely the kingdome of the East Angles a State of far lesse dignitie to himselfe After which raigning but two yeares Aethelbald succeeded in the whole and with great infamy marrying his fathers widow Iudith daughter to Charles le Chauue King of Fraunce enioyed it but two yeares and a halfe when Aethelred the second sonne of Aethelulph entred to the gouernment which hee held 5 yeares in continuall conflict with the Danes After whome Alfred the mirrour of Princes made a King before he had a kingdome at 22 yeres of his age and in a yeere wherin eight seuerall battailes had beene giuen to the Danes by the Saxons begane his troublous raigne wherin he was perpetually in warre either against his enimies or cls against vices First after a great danger to lose all hee was forced to yeild vp a part of the kingdome which was that of the East Angles and Northumberland to Guthrun leader of the Danes whome vpon his baptization he made his confederate and owner of that by right which before he vsurped by violence And notwithstanding all the continuall and intricate toile he indured amidst the clattering and horror of armes he performed all noble actions of peace collecting first the lawes of his predecessors and other the Kings of the Saxons as if Offa King of Merena-land and Aethelbert the first christian english King of which by the graue aduise and consent of his States assembled hee makes choice of the fittest antiquates those of no vse and ads other according to the necessitie of the time And for that the wildenes of warre by reason of these perpetual conflicts with strangers had so let out the people of the Land to vnlawfull riots and rapine that no man could trauaile without conuoy hee ordained the diuisions of shires hundreds and tithings that euery Englishman now the generall name for all the Saxons liuing legally might be of a certaine hundred or tithing out of which hee was not to remoue without securitie and out of which if he were accused of any crime hee was likewise to produce sureties for his behauiour which if hee could not finde hee was to indure the punishment of the law If any malefactor before or after hee had put in sureties escaped all the Tithing or Hundred were fined to the King by which meanes he secured trauailers and the peace of his countrie The opinion he had of learning made him often complaine the want therof imputing it amongst his greatest infortunes to haue beene bred without it and to haue his kingdome so vtterly destitute of learned men as it was through the long continuance of this barbarous warre which made him send out for such as were any way famous for letters and hauing gotten them hee both highlie preferred them and also as they doe who know not to much themselues held them in great veneration rarenes then setting a higher price on meaner parts then after plenty did on more perfections Grimbald and Scotus hee drew out of France Asser who wrote his life out of wales others from other parts he was the first lettered Prince we had in England by whose meanes and incouragement publique schooles had here either their reuiuing or beginning Those wants of his owne made him take a greater care for the education of his sonnes with whome were bred vnder most deligent masters almost all the children of the Nobilitie within his kingdome All his owne time he could cleere from other businesse hee bestowed in studie and did himselfe and caused others to translate many things in the vulgar tongue which he laboured it seemes much to adorne and especially affected the Saxon meeters whereby to glorifie that of a King hee attained the title of Poet. The naturall daie consisting of 24 howers he cast into 3 parts whereof eight he spent in prayer studie and writing eight in the seruice of his bodie and eight in the affaires of his States Which spaces hauing then no other engine for it hee measured by a great waxe light deuided into so many parts receauing notice by the keeper thereof as the seuerall howres passed in the burning With as faire an order did he proportion his reuenues equalling his liberalities to all his other expences whereof to make the current runne more certaine hee tooke a precise notice of them and made a generall suruay of the kingdome and had all the particulers of his estate registred in a booke which hee kept in his treasurie at Winchester And within this circumference of order he held him in that irregularitie of fortune with a weake disposition of bodie and raigned 27 yeares leauing his sonne Edward a worthie succestor to mainteine the lyne of noblenes thus begun by him EDward though he were farre inferiour to him in learning went much beyond him in power for he had all the kingdome of Mercna-land in possession whereof Alfred had but the homage and some write helde soueraignitie ouer the east Angles and Northumbrians though wee finde in the ioynt lawes that hee and Guthrun made together they held the same confederation fore-concluded by Alfred Hee also subdued the Britaynes in wales fortified and furnished with garrisons diuers townes in England that lay fit to preuent the incursions of the Danes and was all his raigne of 23 yeares in continuall action and euer before hand with fortune And surely his father hee and many that succeeded during this Danicque warre though they lost their ease wonne much glory and renowne For this affliction held them so in as hauing little out-lets or leisure for ease and luxury they weare made the more pious iust and carefull in their gouernment otherwise it had beene impossible to haue held out against the Danes as they did a people of that power and vndauntable stomacke as no fortune could deterre nor make to giue ouer their holde And the imbecillitie of some vnactiue Prince at that time had beene inough to haue let them quite into the whole which may be the cause that in the succession of some of these Kings were certaine ruptures made out of course in respect of their ablenes As first after the death of this renowned King Edward Senior his sonne Athelstan of full yeares and spirit was notwithstanding the bracke in his birth preferred before his
occasion was extinct And in the end though in another name became the vsuall supplyment in the dangers of the kingdome and the occasions of Princes And hereby Ethelred both inlarged the meanes and desire of the enemy so that at length came Swayn King of Denmarke and Aulafe King of Norway in person as if likewise to receaue hire for committing outrage and were both returned with great sums and Aulafe of a milder disposition with baptisme These calamities from abroad were made more by the disloyalties at home faith and respect being seldome found safe in lost fortunes held not in most of the principall men imployed in the defence Aelfric Admirall of the Nauy is said to haue giuen intelligence of all Sea-preparations and disappointed that worke The Earles Fran Frithigist Godwin and Turkettle discended of Danicke progeny and of greatest comaund deceiued the armies by Land and were the aucthors of discouragement to the people they led Edric Earle of Mare-land after them made Generall of the Kings forces is branded with euerlasting ignominie and the title of False for his barbarous disloyaltie frustrating all attempts wherin he was imployed Wolnod a nobleman for his misdemeanor outlawed made depredations on the coastes with 20 ships and was the cause that 80 more sent to take him in were vtterly consumed This defection of his nobilitie howsoeuer it might be by their owne discontent emulation corruption or affection is laid to the pride of Ethelred whom yet wee finde more vnfortunate then weake howsoeuer they haue set his marke and neglected no occasion to make resistance and reparations against all euents bringing often his affaires to the very point of dispatch and yet put by at an instant from all as if nothing went with him bur his will to do worthily which howsoeuer it were besides the miserie to loose he must haue that which accompanies infelicity Blame and Reproch Though the many and desperate battailes he made the good constitutions for the gouernment the prouisions to supply all important occasions shew that he was not much behind the best Princes but onely in fortune By the example of Edgar his father he procured a mightie Nauie causing of euery 310 hide or plough-land throughout the kingdome a ship to be built and of euery eighth a Corslet to be found Yet all this shipping stood him in little stead but was either quasht with tempest consumed with fire by the enemy or otherwise made vnusefull by neglect or ignorance whereby the hope and infinite charge of the State were disappointed Famine and mortality the attendants of warre with strange inundations wrought likewise their part as if conspirators of destruction and all concur'd to make a dismall season Many yeares it was not ere Swaine king of Danes returned to raise againe new summes by new afflictions and totmenting here this poore turmoyled people more then euer receiues a fee for bloud-shed to the summe of 48000 pounds granted in the generall assembly of the States at London and a peace or rather paction of seruitude concluded with quiet cohabitation vse of like liberties and a perfect vnion betweene the two nations confirmed by oaths of either part and hostages deliuered of ours But this as a breathing time scarse held out the yeare When the occasion of greater mischiefes was giuen by a vniuersall massacre of the Danes suddenly here contriued and effected by the kings commandement vpon the suggestion of Hune a great Commander and a violent warrier of that time Vrging the insolencie of the Danes that now growne haughty with this peace Committed many outrages violating the wiues and daughters of great men with many other intollerable disorders Such and so suddaine was the generall execution of this act throughout all parts of the kingdome at one instant as shewed the concurrencie of an inueterate rankor and incompatability of these two nations impossible to be conioyned So that neither Temples Altars Supplications nor any band of aliance were auaileable to saue them from slaughter Wherein to incense the more their king Gunild his sister a woman of masculine courage who had a little before receaued Christendome a mediator pledge of the peace hauing first her husband and sonne slayne in her sight rather with a threatning then appaled countenance met her death making imprecation for reuenge and foretelling her bloud would as it did cost England deere Soone was the notice of this enormious act giuen to Swaine and as soone armed with rage and power reentred he the kingdome hauing now a fayrer shew to doe fowly then euer wrong had made him a right who had none before and the people of the Land not so forward to maintayne their act as to commit it rather were content to giue him the possession of their country then that he should wyn it the greatest part of the kingdome submitting themselues vnto him onely the citie of London which Ethelred held fortified made noble resistance till he left them and conueyed himselfe first into the Isle of Wight and after into Normandie whither hee had sent Emma his Queene with their 2 sonnes Aelfrid and Edward before from the rage of this tempest But within 2 moneths he was recalled home by the people of England vpon the death of Swaine who at the point to haue beene crowned King and had generally taken ostages and oathes of fealty died suddenly leauing his sonne Knute to succeede his fortunes and accomplish what he intended Ethelred returning was soone furnisht with an Army sets vpon Knute in Lindsey where he lay with his fathers shipping and Hostages and draue him to take the seas wherewith inraged making about to Sandwich he miserably mangled and dismembred those hostages and so sent them home himselfe with the spoiles his father and he had gotten returned to his countrey to make greater preparations for the prosecution of his purpose Ethelred in the meane time to increase the summe of reuengement with more wrath at a generall Assembly at Oxford caused many of the Danicque Nobilitie to be murthered Among which were Sigifrith and Morchar Earles of Northumberland whom the false Edric who had a hand on each side for mischiefe inuiting them to his lodging vnder pretence of feasting barbarously caused to be slaine their followers after they had so long as they could desperately defended themselues and their maisters fled into a Church where they were with the same burnt Knute armed with the greatest of his owne neighbours powers made his confederates landed againe within the yeare at Sandwich without resistance had all the West parts rendred vnto him with pledges for their obedience and furnishment with horse and armor Here the false Edric leaues his Liege-lord yeelds vp 40 ships and his periur'd faith to Knute Ethelred languishing in minde and body Edmond his sonne surnamed Ironside to oppose youth to youth was imployed against this rabious inuador A Prince worthy of a better time and had he found faith had made it so and
surnamed Atheling to say the noble Edgar either by reason of his youth which yet was no barre to his right or being borne and bred a stranger little knowing or knowne to the kingdome had his claime neglected vpon the death of this pious king ANd Harald sonne to the Earle Godwin the next day after was preferredto the Crowne whether by any title he might pretend from the Danicque kings as discended from that nation and as some report sonne to Githa sister to Swayne or by meere election of the greater part of the Nobilitie we cannot say but it seemes the pressing necessitie of the time that required a more man to vndergo the burthen of warre and that trouble the world was like to fall into by reason of the claimes now made both by the Dane and Norman cast it suddenly vpon him as the most eminent man of the kingdome both by the experience of his owne deseruings and the strength of his alliance Neither did he faile but in fortune to make good this election taking all the best courses both for the well-ordering of the State and all prouisions for defence that a politicke and actiue Prince could do But being to deale in a broken world where the affections of men were all disioynted or dasht with the terror of an approching mischiefe failing as vsually is seene in these publicke feares both in their diligence and courage to withstand it soonefound more then enough to do And the first man which began to disturbe his new gouernment was his owne yonger brother Toustayne who in the time of the late king Edward hauing the gouernment of Northumberland was for his pride and immanities shewed in those parts banished the kingdome and now by reason of his former conceiued hatred against his brother easily set on by the Duke of Normandie and Baldouin Earle of Flanders whose two daughters the Duke and he had maried assailes first the Isle of Wight and after sets vpon the coast of Kent whence he was chased by the power of Harald and forced to withdraw into the North parts and there seeking to land was likewise repulsed by the Earles Morchar and Edwyn whose sister Harald had maried Then craues he aide of the Scots and after of Harald surnamed Harfager king of Norwey being then taking in the Orchades and exercising piracie in those parts whom he induced with all his forces to inuade England And landing at Tinmouth discomfeiting their first incounters they marched into the heart of the kingdome without resistance Neere Stamford king Harald of England met them with a puissant armie and after long and eager fight ended the day with victory and the death of his brother Toustayne and the king of Norwey But from hence was he called with his wearied and broken forces to a more fatall businesse in the South For now William Duke of Normandie pretending a right to the Crowne of England by the testament of the late king Edward his kinsman vpon the aduantage of a busie time and the disfurnishment of those parts landed at Pemsey not farre from Hastings in Sussex neere to which place was tried by the great Assize of Gods iudgement in battell the right of power betweene the English and Norman Nation A battaile the most memorable of all other and howsoeuer miserably lost yet most nobly fought on the part of England and the many wounds of Harald there slaine with the heapes of thousands of the English shew how much was wrought to haue sau'd their country from the calamitie of forraine seruitude And yet how so great a kingdome as England then was could with one blow be subdued by so small a prouince as Normandy in such sort as it could neuer after come to make any generall head against the Conquerour might seeme strange did not the circumstances fore-noted and other concurrent causes in the next booke to be declared giue vs faire and probable reason thereof Besides the indisposition of a diseased time as it is described by such as liued neerest it may giue vs great euidence in this examination For they say the people of this kingdome were by their being secure from their former enemy the Dane and their long peace which had held in a manner from the death of king Edmond Ironside almost 50 yeares growne neglectiue of armes and generally debaushed with luxurie and idlenesse the Cleargie licentious and onely content with a tumultuary learning The Nobility giuen to gluttony venery and oppression the common sort to drunkennesse and all disorder And they say that in the last action of Harald at Stamford the brauest men perished and himselfe growing insolent vpon the victorie retaining the spoyles without distribution to his souldiers not inured to be commanded by martiall discipline made them discontent and vnruly and comming to this battell with many mercinary men and a discontented Army gaue great occasion to the lamentable losse thereof Besides the Normans had a peculiar fight with long bowes wherewith the English then altogether vnacquainted were especially ouerthrowne And yet their owne Writers report how the maine battallion of the English consisting of Bils their chiefe and antient weapon held in a body so close lockt together as no force could dissolue them till the Normans faining to fly drew them to a disordered pursuite And so they excuse the fortune of the day And thus my noble Lord haue I in the streightest course the vneuen compasse of Antiquitie could direct me got ouer the wide and intricate passage of those times that lay beyond the worke I purpose more particularly to deliuer The end of the first Booke THE SECOND BOOKE of the Historie of England The life of William 1. I Come now my noble Lord of Rochester to write of a time wherin the State of England receiued an alteration of lawes customes fashion manner of liuing language writing with new formes of fights fortifications buildings and generally an innouation in most thinges but Religion So that from this mutation which was the greatest it euer had wee are to beginne with a new accompt of an England more in dominion abroade more in State and ability at home and of more honour and name in the world then heretofore which by being thus vndone was made as if it were in her fate to get more by her losses then her better fortunes For as first the conquest of the Danes brought her to the intyrest Gouernment shee euer possest at home and made her most redoubted of all the kingdomes of the North so did this of the Norman by comming in vpon her make a way to let her out and stretch her mightie armes ouer the Seas into the goodly Prouinces of the South For before these times the English nation from their first establishment in this Land about the space of 500 yeares neuer made any sally out of the Isle vpon any other part of the world but busied at home in a deuided State held a broken gouernment with the Danes
legittimate sonne Edmond vnder age Nor did Athelstan disappoint the kingdome in this worke but performed all noble parts of religion iustice and magnanimitie after 16 yeares raigne dying without issue Edmond his brother succeeded him A Prince likely to haue equalled the worth of his predecessors had hee not vntimely perished by the hand of a base outlaw in his owne house at a festiuall amidst his people that deerely loued and honoured him And though he left two sonnes yet was Edred his brother preferred to the kingdome before them who making no variation from the lyne of virtue continued by his auncestors was held perpetuallie in worke by the Danes during the whole time of his raigne which was of 10 yeares Edwin his nephew the eldest sonne of Edmond succeeded him an irregular youth who interrupting the course of goodnesse liued dissolutely and died wishedly Otherwise had Edgar the other sonne of Edmond continued that rare succession of good Princes without the interposition of any ill Edgar though he were but 16 yeares of age yet capeable of councell was by the graue aduise of his Bishops who in that time of zeale held especially the raines on the hearts and affections of men put and directed in the way of goodnesse and became a most heroicall Prince Amongst other his excellent actions of gouernement he prouided a mightie Nauy to secure his coasts from inuasion which now he found though late was the onely meane to keepe out these miseries from within that thus lamentably afflicted the land euer before negligent or not inured to sea-affaires For when the Romans first subdued the same there was no shipping but a few small vessels made of wicker and couered with hides whereby they and after the Danes both mightie as those times gaue in shipping found that easie footing they had Yet Egbert is said to haue prouided a strong Nauie about the yeare 840. And Alfrid 30 or 40 yeares after did the like But either now dis-used or consumed by the enemy Edgar re-edifies and sets forth a Fleet consisting as some write of 1600 saile others a farre greater number and those he deuides and places in foure parts of the Realme making his progresses yearly with part of this mightie Nauie round about the whole Isle whereof he assumed the title of king And to reduce it all to one name and Monarchie he was intitled king of all Albion as testifies his Charter granted to the Abby of Maldesmesbury in these ' words Ego Edgarus totius Albionis Basileus nec non Maritimorum seu insulanorum Regum circum habitantium c. For he hauing first of all other made peace with the Danes and granted them quiet cohabitation through all his dominions had the soueraigntie ouer them And Kenneth king of Scots did him homage whether for Cumberland and Westmerland giuen to that Crowne by king Edmond his father or for his whole kingdome I cannot say And fiue kings of Wales did the like for their countrey and came all to his Court at Cardiffe So that he seemes the first and most absolute Monarch of this land that hitherto we find The generall peace that held all his time honored his name with the title of Pacificus and rendred his kingdome neuer before acquainted with the glory of quietnesse very flourishing But as if the same had bene giuen to shew and not to vse like a short calme betwixt stormes it lasted but little beyond his raigne of sixteene yeares being too short to close the disseuered ioynts of a commixed kingdom which was onely to haue bene the worke of Time and that none of these late Princes who were best like to haue aduanced and confirm'd the State of a Monarchie were ordained to haue But all as if things would another way were put off from their ends by their vntimely deaths as was this glorious young Prince in the 32 yeare of his age leauing his sonne Edward a child to vndergo the miseries of nonage to be made a sacrifice for ambition and a Saint by persecution through the hand of a step-mother who to aduance her owne sonne Ethelred brake in ouer the bounds of nature and right to make his way and is sayd her selfe to haue murthered him comming to her house estrayed in hunting and discompanied BVt Ethelred as if ill set prospered not on this ground the enterance to whose raigne was bloud the middle misery and the end confusion They write Saint Dunstan preaching at his Coronation prophetically foretold him of these calamities would follow this transgression saying For that thou hast aspired to the Crowne by the death of thy brother murthered by thy mother thus saith the Lord the sword shall neuer depart from thy house raging against thee all the daies of thy life slaying those of thy seede till the kingdome be transferred to another whose fashion and language thy people shall not know Nor shall thy sinne nor the sinne of thy ignominious mother with her councellors be expiated but by long auengement And this whether so vttered or not was ratified in the euent For either this vniust disordring the succession or the concurrency of hidden causes meeting with it so wrought as this late begunne Monarchie fell quite asunder and begat the occasion of two conquests by forraine nations within the space of 50 yeares For the Danes hauing now beene so long inmates with the English dispread ouer all partes by intermatching with them and multiplying with the late peace and confederations had their party though not their rule greater then euer so that this oportunitie of a yong and vnsettled Prince in a new branling State drew ouer such multitudes of other of the same nation as euery coast and part of the Land were miserablie made the open rodes of spoile and saccage in such sort as the State knew not where to make any certaine head against them for if incountred in one place they assaild another and had so sure intelligence what and where all preparations were raised as nothing could be effected auaylable to quayle them Whereupon Ethelred in the end was faine seing hee could not preuaile with the sword to assaile them with money and bought a peace for ten thousand pounds which God wot proued after a very dere penny-worth to the cōmon wealth shewing the seller thereof how much was in his power and the buyer at how hard a rate his necessitie was to be serued and yet not sure of his bargaine longer then the contractor would Who hauing found the benefite of this market raised the price thereof almost euery yeare And yet had not Ethelred what hee paid for the Land in one part or other neuer free from spoile and inuasion but rather the more now opprest both by the warre and this taxation Which was the first wee find in our annales laid vpon the kingdome and with heauie greeuance raised in a poore distressed State continewing many ages after the
deliuered his country at that turne from the worst of miseries the conquest by strangers BVt now vpon the death of Ethelred whose 37 yeares raigne shewes that infelicity shall haue time too much and happinesse too little Knute was by most of the Clergie and Nobility chosen king onely the City of London with some of the Nobility thereabout made election of Edmond and furnished him with that power as thereby with the couragious ardour of his youth which commonly is most in the first attempts he had the better in three imminent battels within 3 moneths and had likewise obtained the fourth at Essendon likely to haue bene the last with the Danes but that the disloyall Edric late renouncing his new Lord seeing Edmonds part in possibility to preuaile againe betrai'd his trust withdrew himselfe and the charge he had to the enemy This fatall battell lost England here perished the best flower of honor it then had Here amongst the rest was slaine Vlkill an Earle of Essex of euer memorable worth who had long stood vp for the kingdom and in the time of Swaine was the first that shewed there was hope and possibility to quaile the enemy had there bene an vnion in loyalty From this bloudy worke Edmond escapes to Glocester to recollect new forces nor was he so forsaken with this fortune but that he soone recouered another armie to re-assaile the enemie that might be idle vpon this victorie But Knute as prouident in the prosecution of his businesse as fortunate therein makes after Here when both Armies were at the point to incounter a motion of peace was propounded Some say the two Kings by single combat consented to decide their fortunes and the ouer-commer to take all and that in an Isle of the riuer Seuern their Armies on either shore spectators of the act they tried the maistery for the prize of a kingdome After long and equall fight finding each others worth they cast away their weapons imbraced and concluded the peace But howsoeuer it seemes both sides tyred with the miserie of a consuming warre neuer like to be ended but by the vtter extirpation of the one and considering the danger of either and incertaintie of the future were easily perswaded to imbrace a present agreement which was made by parting England betwixt them two and confirm'd by Oath and Sacrament putting on each others Apparell and Armes as a ceremonic to expresse the attonement of their mindes as if they made transaction of their persons each to other Knute became Edmond and Edmond Knute A fatall exchange for so free and magnanimous a Prince as Edmond who indeede was now no more himselfe and being but halfe a king was in so few dayes after none as makes this peace shew fouler then warre for that armed him for life this exposed him naked to death which was shortly after treacherously giuen him at Oxford some say by the sonne of Edric as if to shew he would be the heire of his father also in Treason whereby both the hope and the other halfe of England were vtterly lost as determinable with his raigne which with all we haue else of his magnanimous actiōs took vp scarce the circuit of one whole yeare And yet had that bene space enough for gloric whose measure is to be taken rather by the profundity then the length which seldome holds long and euen could he haue had that cleere and better for his renowne to haue died at the battaile of Essendon with England then discended to haue made it halfe Denmarke and liue BVt by this meanes Knute attayned the absolute dominition of the whole kingdome which he gouerned with better Iustice then he got conforming his natiue roughnes to a more ciuile and regular fashion of life And to haue England see that now he was hers he sendes away his Nauie stipendary soldiers home to their countries and puts himselfe wholy vpō this people taking the way of mildnesse a better meanes for his establishment then force but the Land paid for the remuneration of his people this euacuation of Strangers 83000 pounds of siluer which it rather cōsented to do at once then to haue them a daily burthen to pester the Statefor euer At his first comming to the Crowne he sought to ridde himselfe as well of his friends as of those might proue his enemies Edric who came first to salute him sole King of England as if to tell that hee made him so hee caused his head to be set on the highest part of the Towre of London therin performing his promise of aduancing him aboue any Lord of the Land and thereby discharged himselfe of such a debt which though hee should haue paid would neuer yet be held fully cleered giuing a generall satisfaction to the people that reioyced to see Treason so iustly rewarded Like compensation had shortly after the Earles Turkil Erick who being banished the Land were executed vpon their arriuall in Denmarke But the loue and high opinion of Iustice he got in these were lost againe in those actions wherin he tooke counsell onely of his feares for the extirpation of all those of the Royall bloud of England As of Edwin and Edward the sonnes of the late King Edmond to whome apperteyned the moyetie of the kingdom by contract of Edwin his brother which three he sent to be murthered abroad to beguile the rumor at home But which is strange those times though rough afforded not yet an instrument for the execution of his desire and all these Princes were preserued and conueyed out of danger by those who should haue made them away The two last were bred by Salomon King of Hungarie where Edward suruiuing his brother maried Agatha sister to that Queene And some write daughter to the Emperour Henry 3 by whom hee had two sonnes Edmond and Edgar daughters Margaret and Christina Aelfred and Edward sonnes of King Ethelred by Emme were preserued by Richard Duke of Normandie their vnkle and so lay out of his way This priuate iniustice which often may be more in compassion then hurt to the State hee sought to recompence with all publique satisfactions repairing the naufrage of the common-wealth made by the rage of warre both in ornament and order erecting Churches and Monasteries with large patents of prouisions both for the expiation of his inmanities fore-committed and to memorize the places of his victories with his thankefulnesse to God The Constitutions Ecclesiastical and Ciuile diuulged in the language of that time testifie his tender piety and care of Iustice and are so full of religious admonitions as it seemes he held the best meanes to haue lawes obserued was to haue them first enacted in the consciences of men Amongst others hee inflicted exact punishment on all intemperances of his people and offences committed against publique manners Seuere he was but not cruell few of his lawes sanguinarie as being not the custome of the time which though rough
yet found meanes to maintayne publique order without the luctuall remedie of bloud No punishments capital vnles conspiracies the rest were all pecuniaric mulcts banishments bondage or imprisonment To shew his clemency this amongst many is one example there was a law that whosoeuer had committed thest and the goods found in his house all his family were made bond euen to the child in the cradle This he antiquates as most vniust and ordaines that onely the malefactor and such as could aide him should endure the punishment and that the wife vnlesse the thing stolne were found vnder her locke should not be guilty of her husbands offence Thus was hee to his people with whome hee is said to haue so well cleered himselfe howsoeuer he did with God that he became King of their affections as well as of their countrie And to maintayne this opinion hee did many popular acts as first all rites of honor and reuerence to the memorie of the late King Edmond his confederate besides the executing all such as could be found to haue had any hand in that murther Then married he heere at home Emme late wife to King Ethelred though it were more for his honour then hers to accept his bed that had beene the persecutor of her husband and children whereby he held the Duke of Normandie from attempting any thing for his nephewes in regard his sister might haue other by him Hauing thus established this mightie kingdome occasion prepares him another The people of Norway cōtemning the debilitie of their King and conspiring to depose him grew into faction wherupon he fastens and with the great forces he brought out of England the might of money and high estimation of his worthinesse so preuailed as hee soone obteyned that kingdome and was now the most renowned and potent Prince in all these parts of the world intitled King of England Denmarke and Norwey Herewithall grew his magnificence as wide as his power and was especiallie extended to the Church which hee laboured most to gratifie either for the conscience of his deedes or that his people generally addicted to deuotion might be made the more his And holding it not enough to poure out his immense bounty here within the land seekes to make Rome also feele the fulnesse thereof whither he went in person and performed many famous workes of charitie and honor both there and in all his voyage He freed the Saxon schoole his predecessors of England had founded from all imposition as he did likewise all streights and passages where trauellers were with rigor constrained to pay toll Of his entertainment at Rome with the Pope Conrade the Emperour and diuerse other Princes of the Christian world himselfe writes to the Bishops and Nobilitie of England and withall exhorts them very powerfully to haue an especiall regard to the due administration of Iustice to all his subiects alike without doing the least wrong for his gaine hauing no need to aduance his reuenue by sinne And also charges them to see all Chirchscot and Romescot fully cleered before his returne The actiue vertue of this Prince being the mightiest and most absolute Monarch that cuer yet appeared in this kingdome the author of a cloze and first of a new Gouernment is such as shewes he striued by all worthie wayes to lay the ground-worke of a State which according to his frame was either to hold good to his posteritie or not And as likely was he to haue bene the roote of a succession spreading into many discents as was afterward the Norman hauing as plentifull an issue masculine as he besides he raigned neere as long farre better beloued of disposition more bountifull and of power larger to do good But it was not in his fate his children miscaried in the succession and all this great worke fell in a manner with himselfe HArald the eldest sonne of Knute some write by his fathers ordinance others by the election of the Danicque Nobilitie in an assembly at Oxford was made king whereas Godwin Earle of Kent and the Nobility of England would haue chosen Hardiknute borne of Queene Emme or else Alfride the sonne of Ethelred who is sayd to haue come out of Normandy vpon the death of Knute to claime the Crowne But Harald being at hand caried it The first act of whose raigne was the banishment and surprizing all the Treasure of his step-mother Queene Emme Then the putting out the eies of Alfrid her sonne his competitor and committing him to a loathsome prison where he died For which deed the Earle Godwyn beares a foule marke as betraying him Queene Emme repaires to Baldouin Earle of Flanders her kinsman where she remained during the raigne of Harald which was but offoure yeares and then with her sonne Hardiknute who came out of Denmarke as it seemes prepared for some thing else then to visit her at Bridges returned into England THis Hardiknute inuested in the Gouernement soone frustrated the hope and opinion fore-conceiued of him and first in like sort began with that degenerous act of reuenge wherein none are sayd so much to delight in as women causing the body of the late king to be vntomb'd the head cut off throwne into Thames Then makes inquisition for such as were guiltie of the death of Alfride his brother by the mother whereof Earle Godwyn and the Bishop of Worcester are accused The Bishop is disposest his Sea and the Earle with a rich and rare deuised present in forme of a ship of gold appeased that furie making publicke protestation of his innocency before the whole Nobility with whom in respect his deepe roote had spread so many branches he stood firme and all the blame was laide to the violence and rankor of the late king Besides the offending these great men he added a generall grieuance to the whole kingdome by a prodigall largesse giuing to euery Mariner of his Nauy eight Markes and to euery Maister ten which he imposed to be paid by the State But after hauing called home Edward his other halfe-brother out of Normandy he liued not long for farther violences Dying suddenly the second yeare of his raigne in the celebration of a mariage at Lambeth in his greatest iolity not without suspition of poyson ANd with him ended the gouernmēt of the Danes in England hauing only continued 26 yeares vnder these three last Kings and that without any cracke or noyse by reason the nation had no predominant side that might sway the State in respect of the remission of their power home in the first yeare of Knute and no great admission of others after and that such as were here before were now so incorporated with the English as they made one bodie and most of them planted in the remote parts of the kingdome that lay ouer against Denmarke where by that which with all the strugling no power or dilligence of man could resist expired of it selfe leauing England to a King of her
inkindled with this affront spared not his person to auenge his wrath Duke William likewise as it stood him most vpon shewed effects of an all-daring and magnanimous Prince And yet had not Ralfe de Tesson beene false to his fellowes to recouer faith with him hee had not carried as hee did the victory After which diuers of the conspirators who had too great hartes to yeild passed the mountaines into Italie to Robert Guiscard their countryman who of a priuate gentleman was now by his prowesse become Lord of Apulia Calabria and Cicile within the space of 12 yeares to whom they were exceeding wellcome and especially Guilleson for hauing incountred with a King in the middest of his battaile which made him of wider note But the better to knowe what starre these Norman spirits had as borne for the reuolutions of those times it shall not lye out of our way to shew how they first came into Italie vpon this occasion There hapned a debate betweene one Osmond Drengot and William Repostell gentlemen both valiant and of great parentage in Normandie who as they hunted in the forrest of Rouuerie neere Rouan with Duke Robert Drengot slewe Repostell in his presence and fearing the fury of the Duke and the frendes of the slayne fled to Rome and so to Naples where hee with his small company of Normans that followed him was entertayned of the Duke de Beneuento to serue him against the Sarasins and Affricans which miserablie infested Apulia and Calabria at that time The bruite of which intertaynement was no sooner spred in Normandy but diuers valiant Gentlemen and Soldiers allured with the hope of good fortune passed the Alpes gote to their nation so wrought as they grew formidable to these Barbarians and in the end vtterly chaced and extinguished them The Calabrians and Apulians seeing themselues rid of their enimies would haue beene glad likewise their turne serued to be rid of their frendes and either vsing them more vnkindely then of custome or they presuming more of desert turned their swordes vpon their intertayners And first got a little place which they fortified for their Rendeuous and receipt of booty And so augmenting still their winnings obteyned Territories Cities and Fortresses After the death of Drengo succeeded other gallant leaders and at length Tancred Signor de Hauteuille in Constantine with his 12. sonnes came into Apulia of whom his third sonne Robert surnamed Guiscard attayned the commaund and was a man of a faire stature cleere iudgement and indefatigable courage Hee conquered all Apulia Callabria and Cicile passed the Sea into Greece releiued Michaell Diocrisius Emperour of Constantinople defeited Nicephorus that vsurped the Empire and shortly after Alexius attempting the like and in one yeare vanquished two Emperours the one of Greece the other of Germanie Swayed the whole Estate of Italie and was in a faire way to haue attayned the Empire of Constantinople for himselfe had hee not dyed in the expedition Beomond his eldest sonne by his first wife became after Prince of Antioch and is much renowned in the holie warres Roger of his second marriage with the daughter of the Prince of Salerno succeeded in the States of Italie as more theirs by birth and bloud His daughters were all highlie marryed Thus from a priuate gentleman came this famous Norman to leaue a succession of Kings and Princes after him and died the same yeare as did this William his concurrent in the loue and fauour of fortune And to this man fled all the discontented and desperate Normans during these ciuill warres the Duke had with so many competitors and cuery ouerthrow hee gaue them augmented Guiscards forces in Italie and especially this battaile of Dunes which ended not the Dukes trauailes for Guy de Burgogne escaping the fight fortified the Castles of Briorn and Verneuille but in the end was faine to render them both and himselfe to the Dukes mercie and became his pencioner who was his competitor which act of clemency in the Duke brought in many other to submit themselues whereby they re-obteyned their segniories but had their Castles demolished Hauing ended this worke new occasion to keepe him in action was ministred by Geoffry Martle Earlc of Aniou who warring vpon the Poictouins incroached also vpon his neighbours States vsurped Alençon Dampfront and Passais members of the Duchy of Normandie which to recouer the Duke leauies an Armie and first got Alençon where for that he was opprobriously skorned by the beseiged who when they saw him would cry La Pel La Pel in reproach of the basenesse of his mother and the trade of the place of his birth he shewed extreame cruelty Then layes hee seige to Dampfront which to releiue Conte Martel comes with his greatest forces and the Duke to take notice of his strength sendes out Roger de Mongomerie with 2. other knights to deliuer this message to the Earle that if he came to victuall Damfronte hee should finde him there the Porter to keepe him out whereto the Earle returnes this answere Tell the Duke to morrow by day breake hee shall haue me there on a white horse readie to giue him the combare and I will enter Damfront if I can And to the end he shall know me I will were a sheild d'or without any deuise Roger replies Sir you shall not neede to take that paynes for to morrow morning you shall haue the Duke in this place mounted on a bay horse And that you may know him he shall were on the point of his Launce a streamer of taffata to wipe your face Herewith returning each side prepares for the morning when the Earle busy in ordering his battailes was aduertised by two horsemen that came crossing the feild how Damfronte for certaine was rendred to the Duke whereupon in great rage hee presently departs with his army whereof a part was in passing a streight cut off by Viconte Neel who for that seruice redeemed his former offence and was restored to the Dukes fauor whom euer after he faithfully serued Those of Damfronte desperate of succour presently yeeld themselues to the Duke who with his ingines and forces remoues from thence to Hambrieres a frontier towne of Conte Martels and by the way had it not bene by himselfe discouered he had beene vtterly ouerthrowen by an ambush which gaue him much to doe and lost him verie many braue men Wherewith he grew so inraged that he forced into the troupes of his enimies made at Conte Martel stracke him downe with his sworde claue his helmet and cut of an eare but yet he escaped out of the preasse though diuers were taken and the Aniouuins vtterly defeited Whilst thus he was trauayled with an outward enemy two more were found at home to conspire against him william Guelan Earle of Mortagne discended from Richard the second And William Earle of Eu and Montreul yssuing from William the brother of the same Richard and of Esselin Countesse of Montreul the first vpon suspition the
the yongest his treasure with an annuall pension to be paid him by his brothers Richard who was his second sonne and his darling a Prince of great hope died in his youth of a surfeit taken in the new Forest and began the fatalnesse that followed in that place by the death of William the second there slaine with an arrow and of Richard the sonne of Robert Duke of Normandie who brake his necke His eldst daughter Cicilie became a Nunne Constance maried to the Earle of Britaine Adula to Stephen Earle of Blois who likewise rendred her selfe a Nunne in her age such was then their deuotion and so much were these solitary retires affected by the greatest Ladies of those times the other two died before mariage Now what he was in the circle of himselfe in his owne continent we find him of an euen stature comely personage of good presence riding sitting or standing till his corpulency increasing with age made him somewhat vnwildy of so strong a constitution as he was neuer sickly till a few moneths before his death His strength such as few men could draw his bow and being about 50 of his age when he subdued this kingdome it seemes by his continuall actions he felt not the weight of yeares vpon him till his last yeare What was the composition of his minde we see it the fairest drawne in his actions and how his abilities of Nature were answerable to his vndertakings of Fortune as pre-ordain'd for the great worke he effected And though he might haue some aduantage of the time wherein we often see men preuaile more by the imbecility of others then their owne worth yet let that season of the world be well examined and a iust measure taken of his actiue vertues they will appeare of an exceeding proportion Nor wanted he those incounters and concurrencies of sufficient able Princes to put him to the triall thereof Hauing one side the French to grapple withall on the other the Dane farre mightier in people and shipping then himselfe strongly sided in this kingdome as eager to recouer their former footing here as euer and as well or better prepared For his deuotion and mercy the brightest starres in the Spheare of Maiestie they appeare aboue all his other vertues and the due obseruation of the first the Clergie that loued him not confesse the other was seene in the often pardoning and receiuing into grace those who had forfeited their loyalties and dangerously rebelled against him as if he held submission satisfactorie for the greatest offence and sought not to defeit men but their enterprises For we find but one Noble man executed in all his raigne and that was the Earle Waltheof who had twise falsified his faith before And those he held prisoners in Normandie as the Earles Morchar and Siward with Wolfnoth the brother of Harald others vpon compassion of their indurance he released a little before his death Besides he was as farre from suspition as cowardize and of that confidence an especiall note of his magnanimity as he gaue Edgar his competitor in the Crowne the liberty of his Court And vpon his suite sent him well furnisht to the holy warre where he nobly behaued himselfe and attained to great estimation with the Emperours of Greece and Almaine which might haue bin held dangerous in respect of his alliances that way being as some write graund-child to the Emperour Henry 3. But these may be as well vertues of the Time as of Men so the age must haue part of this commendation Magnificent he was in his Festiuals which with great solemnity and ceremony the formall entertainers of reuerence and respect he duly obserued Keeping his Christmas at Glocester his Easter at Winchester and Penticost at Westminster whither he sommoned his whole Nobility that Embassadors and Strangers might see his State and largenesse Nor euer was he more mild and indulgent then at such times And these ceremonies his next Successor obserued but the second omitted The end of the second Booke THE THIRD BOOKE of the Historie of England William the second WIlliam second sonne to William 1. not attending his Fathers funerals hastes into England to recouer his Crowne where by the especiall mediation of the Arch-byshop Lanfranc his owne large bountic and wide promises he obtayned it according to his fathers will to whom by his obsequiousnesse he had much indeered himselfe especially after the abdication of his elder brother Robert He was a Prince more gallant then good and hauing bene bred with the sword alwayes in action and on the better side of fortune of a nature rough and hautie whereunto his youth and soueraignty added a greater widenesse Comming to succeed in a gouernment fore-ruled by mature and gray counsell he was so ouer-whelmed with his fathers worth and greatnesse as made him appeare of a lesser Orbe then otherwise he would and then the shortnesse of his raigne beeing but of 13. yeares allowed him not time to recouer that opinion which the errors of his first gouernment had lost or his necessities caused him to commit For the succession in right of Primogeniture being none of his and the elder brother liuing howsoeuer his fathers will was he must now be put and held in possession of the Crowne by the will of the kingdome which to purchace must be by large conditions of relieuements in generall and profuse gifts in perticular Wherein he had the more to do being to deale with a State consisting of a twofold bodie and different temperaments where any inflammation of discontent was the more apt to take hauing a head where-to it might readily gather Which made that vnlesse he would lay more to their hopes then another he could not hope to haue them firmely his And therefore seeing the best way to winne the Normans was by money and the English with liberties he spared not at first to bestow on the one and to promise the other more then fitted his estate and dignitie which when afterward fayling both in supplies for great giuers must alwayes giue and also in performances gote him far more hatred then otherwise he could euer haue had being forced to all the dishonorable shifts for raysing monyes that could be deuised and euen to resume his owne former grantes And to begin at first to take the course to be euer needie presently after his Coronation he goes to Winchester where his Fathers treasure lay and empties out all that which with gteat prouidence was there amassed whereby though he wonne the loue of many he lost more being not able to content all And now although his brother Robert had not this great ingine of men mony he had to giue hopes and there were here of the Normans as Oáon his vnkle Roger de Mongomerie Earle of Shrewesbury with others who were mainly for him and worke he doth all he can to batter his brothers fortunes vpon their first foundation And for this purpose borowes great summes of his younger brother Henry
Commons as gaue all satisfaction He made diuers progresses into remote partes of the Land to see how the State was ordred And for that purpose when so euer he was in England he kept no certayne residence but solemnized the great festiuals in seuerall and far distant places of the kingdome that all might pertake of him And for that he would not wreste ny thing by an imperiall powre from the kingdome which might breede vlcers of dangerous nature he tooke a course to obtayne their free consents to serue his occasions in their generall Assemblies of the 3. estates of the Land which he first and often conuoked and which had from his time the name of Parlement according to the manner of Normandie and other States where Princes keepe within their circles to the good of their people their owne glorie and securitie of their posteritie He was a Prince that liued formally himselfe and repressed those excesses in his subiects which those times interrayned as the wearing of long hayre which though it were a gaytie of no charge like those sumptuous braueries that waste kingdomes in peace yet for the vndecencie there of he reformed it and all other dissolutenesse His great businesses and his wantes taught him frugalitie and warynesse of expence and his warres being seldome inuasiue and so not getting put him often to vse hard courses for his suppliments of treasure Towards the marriage of his daughter with the Emperour and the charge of his warre he obtayned as it might seeme at his first Parlement at Salisbury Anno. Reg. 15. three shillings vpon euery hide-land but he had no more in all his raigne except one supply for his warres afterward in France He kept Byshopricks and Abbayes voyd in his hands as that of Canterbury 5 yeares together By an act of Parlement at London Anno. Reg. 30. he had permission to punish mariage and incontinencie of Priests who for fines notwithstanding he suffred to inioy their wiues but hereby he displeased the Clergie and disappoynted that reformation Punishments which were mutilation of member he made pecuniarie And by reason of his often and long being in Normandie those prouisions for his house which were vsed to be payde in kinde were rated to certayne prices and receiued in mony by the consent of the State and to the great content of the subiect who by reason that many dwelling far off throughout all shires of England were much molested with satisfying the same otherwife He resumed the liberties of hunting in his Forests which tooke vp much faire ground of the kingdome and besides renuing former penalties made an Edict that if any man in his owne priuate woodes killed the Kings Deere should forfeit his woodes to the King But he permitted them inclosures for Parkes which vnder him seemes to haue their originall by the example of that of his at Woodstoke and after their multitude grew to be a diseaze His expences were cheifly in his warres and his many and great fortifications in Normandie His buildings were the Abbay of Reading the Mannour of Woodstoke and the great inclosure about that Parke The most eminent men of his Councell were Roger Byshop of Sarum and the Earle of Mellent both men of great experience in the affaires of the world Roger was euer as Viceroy had the whole management of the kingdome in his absence which was sometimes three and foure yeares together He had managed the Kings monyes and other affayres of his house when he was a poore Prince and a priuat man whereby he gayned an especiall trust with him euer after and discharged his part with great policie and vnderstanding had the title of Iusticiarius totius Anglia Of whose magnificence and spacious mynde we haue more memorials left in notes of stone then of any one Man Prince or other of this kingdome The ruynes yet remayning of his stately structures especially that of the Deuises in Wiltshire thewes vs the carkasse of a most Roman-like Fabricke Besides he built the Castles of Malmsburie and Shirburne two strong and sumptuous peeces new walled and repayred the Castle of Salisburie but all these he liued to see rent from him and seased into the next Kings handes as being thinges donne out his parte and ly now deformed heapes of rubble But the goodly Church of Salisburie a worke appertayning to his function remaynes as of another fate Robert Earle of Mellent was the sonne of Roger Beaumont who of all the great men which followed William I. in his ciuill warres of Normandie refused to attend him in his expedition for England though with large promises inuited thereunto saying The inheritance left him by his predecessors was sufficient to maintaine his estate at home and hee desired not to thrust himselfe into other mens possessions abroad But his sonne Robert was of another mind and had a mighty estate both in England and Normandy Was a man of great direction in Councell and euer vsed in all the waighty affaires of the State His parsimony both in apparell and diet was of such example being a man of eminent note as did much good to the kingdome in those dayes But in the end he fell into disgrace the fate of Court and eminency opposed against the king and died bereft of his estate Besides these this king was serued with a potent and martiall Nobility whom his spirit led to affect those great designes of his in France for the preseruation of his state in Normandy Whither in the 32 yeare of his raigne he makes his last voyage to dye there and in his passage thithe happened an exceeding great Ecclips of the Sunne which was taken to fore-signifie his death for that it followed shortly after in the thirty fiue yeare of his reigne Hee was of a gracefull personage quicke-eyed browne haire a different complexion from his brothers and of a close compacted temperament wherein dwelt a minde of a more solid constitution with better ordered affections Hee had in his youth some taste of learning but onely as if to set his stomake not to ouer-charge it therewith But this put many of his subiects into the fashion of the Booke and diuers learned men flourished in his time King Stephen THE Line Masculine of the Norman extinct and onely a daughter left and she married to a French-man Stephen Earle of Bologne and Mortagne son of Stephen Earle of Blois and of Adela daughter to William I. was notwithstanding the former oath taken for Maud elected by the State and inuested in the Crowne of England within 30 dayes after the death of Henry Vpon what reasons of Councell we must gather out of the circumstances of the courses held in that time Some imagine the state refused Maude for not being then the custome of any other kingdome Christian whose Kings are annoynted to admit women to inherite the Crowne and therefore they might pretend to be freed from their oath as being vnlawfull But Roger