plentifull Countrey as the purchase of their prowesse as the gaine and reward of their aduenture by putting them in minde that they were in a Countrey both hostile vnknowne before them the sword the vast Ocean behind no place of retreit no surety but in valour and in victory so as they who would not contend for glory were vpon necessitie to fight for their liues Lastly by assuring them that as he was the first in aduise so would he be the foremost in aduenture being fully resolued either to vanquish or to die The King encouraged his men by presenting to their remembrance the miseries which they susteined not long before vnder the oppression of the Danes which whether they were againe to endure or neuer to feare it lieth said he in the issue of this field The King had the aduantage both for number of men and for their large able bodies The Duke both in Armes especially in regard of the Bow and arrowes and in experience and skill of Armes both equall in courage both confident alike in the fauour of Fortune which had alwayes crowned their courage with victory And now by affronting of both the Armies the plots and labours of many moneths were reduced to the hazard of a few houres The Normans marched with a song of the valiant acts of Rowland esteeming nothing of perill in regard of the glory of their aduenture When they approched neere their enemies they saluted them first with a storme of Arrowes Robert Fitz-Beaumant a yong Gentleman of Normandie beginning the fight from the right Wing This maner of fight as it was new so was it most terrible to the English so were they least prouided to auoyd it First they opened their rancks to make way for the Arrowes to fall but when that auoydance did nothing auaile they cloased againe and couered themselues with their Targets ioyned together in maner of a pendhouse encouraging one another to hast forward to leape lustily to hand-strokes and to scoure their swords in the entrailes of their enemies Then the Duke commanded his horsemen to charge but the English receiued them vpon the points of their weapons with so liuely courage in so firme and stiffe order that the ouerthrow of many of the foremost did teach their followers to aduenture themselues with better aduise Hereupon they shifted into wings and made way for the footmen to come forward Then did both armies ioyne in a horrible shocke with Pole-axes the Prince of weapons the sword maintaining the fight with so manlike furie as if it had bene a battaile of Giants rather then of men And so they continued the greatest part of that day in close and furious fight blow for blow wound for wound death for death their feet steadie their hands diligent their eyes watchfull their hearts resolute neither their aduisement dazeled by fiercenesse nor their fiercenesse any thing abated by aduisement In the meane time the horsemen gaue many sharpe charges but were alwayes beaten backe with disaduantage The greatest annoyance came from the Archers whose shot showred among the English so thicke as they seemed to haue the enemy in the middest of their Armie Their armour was not sufficiently either compleate or of proofe to defend them but euery hand euery finger breadth vnarmed was almost an assured place for a deepe and many times a deadly wound Thus whilest the front was maintained in good condition many thousands were beaten downe behind whose death was not so grieuous vnto them as the maner of their death in the middest of their friends without an enemie at hand vpon whom they might shew some valour and worke some reuenge This maner of fight would soone haue determined aswell the hopes as the feares of both sides had not the targets of English been very seruiceable vnto them Had not King Harold also with a liuely and constant resolution performed the part not onely of a skilfull commander by directing encouraging prouiding relieuing but of a valiant Souldier by vsing his weapon to the example of his Souldiers In places of greatest danger hee was alwayes present repayring the decayes reforming the disorders and encouraging his company that in doing as men whether they preuailed or whether they perished their labour was alwayes gloriously employed So they knit strongly together and stood in close and thicke array as if they had been but one body not onely bearing the brunt of their enemies but making such an impression vpon their squadron that the great bodie began to shake The Duke aduentured in person so farre moued no lesse by his naturall magnanimitie then by glory of the enterprise that besides his often alighting to fight on foote two or as some report three horses were slaine vnder him And hauing a body both able by nature and by vse hardened to endure trauaile hee exacted the greater seruice of his Souldiers commending the forward blaming the slow and crying out according to his nature with vehement gesture and voice vnto all that it was a shame for them who had been victorious against all men with whom they dealt to be so long held by the English in delay of victory So partly by his authoritie and partly by his example he retained his Souldiers and imposed vpon them the fayrest necessitie of courage whilest euery man contended to win a good opinion of their Prince Then the fight entred into a new fitte of heate nothing lesse feared then death the greatnesse of danger making both sides the more resolute and they who could not approach to strike with the hand were heard to encourage their fellowes by speach to pursue the victory to pursue their glory not to turne to their owne both destruction and disgrace The clashing of armour the iustling of bodies the resounding of blowes was the fairest part of this bloody medley but the grislinesse of wounds the hideous fals and groanes of the dying all the field desiled with dust blood broken armour mangled bodies represented Terrour in her foulest forme Neuer was furie better gouerned neuer game of death better played The more they fought the better they fought the more they smarted the lesse they regarded smart At the last when the Duke perceiued that the English could not be broken by strength of arme he gaue direction that his men should retire and giue ground not loosely not disorderly as in a fearefull and confused haste but aduisedly and for aduantage keeping the front of their squadron firme and close without disbanding one foote in array Nothing was more hurtfull to the English being of a franke and noble spirit then that their violent inclination caried them too fast into hope of victory For feeling their enemies to yeeld vnder their hand they did rashly follow those who were not hasty to flee And in the heate of their pursuit vpon a false conceit of victory loosed and disordered their rankes thinking then of nothing but of executing the chase The Normans espying the aduantage to be ripe
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
wealth to satisfie therewith either his pleasure or wants His cruelty made the people rebellious and their rebellions made him the more cruell in which case many Innocents were made the oblations of his ambitious feares Many heauy taxations were imposed vpon them their ancient Lords were remoued their ancient lawes and policies of State were dashed to dust all lay couched vnder the Conquerours sword to bee newly fashioned by him as should bee best fitting for his aduantage Hee erected Castels in diuers parts of the Realme of which the Towre neere London was the chiefe which afterward was increased both in compasse and in strength by addition of the outward walls In these he planted garrisons of Normans as if it had bene in a hostile Countrey not without oppression to the people although they remained quiet and sufficient to suppresse them if they should rebell Thus he secured the Realme against a generall defection as for particular stirres they might happily molest him but endanger him they could not Exceter Northumberland and some other parts did rise against him in armes but being vnable to maintaine their reuolt their ouerthrow did much confirme his State Hee either imitated or concurred with Caesar in aduise For as Caesar inuaded the Germans which kept the great forrest of Ardenna not with his owne Souldiers but with his aides out of Gallia gaining thereby victory ouer the one and securitie from the other without any dispence of the Romane blood so after the Kings great victory against the valiant but too aduenturous King Harold when many of the English fled into Ireland and from thence with fresh both courage and supplies returned into England commaunded by two of Harolds sonnes hee encountred them onely with English forces In the first conflict the Kings partie was ouerthrowen and the valiant leader Ednothus slaine who had bene master of the horses to King Harold In the second his enemies were so defeated as they were neuer able to make head againe So the victorers being weakened and the vanquished wasted the King with pleasure triumphed ouer both Likewise when he was occasioned to passe the Seas into Normandie either to establish affaires of gouernement or to represse rebellions which in his absence were many times raised he drew his forces out of England and that in a more large proportion then the importance of the seruice did require Hee also tooke with him the chiefe men of English blood as well to vse their aduise and aide as also to hold them and their friends from working innouation in his absence He enclosed the great Forrest neere vnto the Sea in Hamshire for which he dispeopled villages and townes about the space of thirtie miles to make a desert for beasts of chase in which place afterward two of his sonnes Richard and William ended their liues Richard by a fall from his horse and William by the stroke of an arrow The Kings great delight in hunting was made the pretence of this Forrest but the true end was rather to make a free place of footing for his Normans and other friends out of France in case any great reuolt should be made Diuers other parts of the Realme were so wasted with his warres that for want both of Husbandrie and habitation a great dearth did ensue whereby many were inforced to eate horses dogs cats rats and other loathsome and vile vermine yea some absteined not from the flesh of men This famine and desolation did especially rage in the North parts of the Realme For the inhabitants beyond Humber fearing the Kings secret hate so much the more deepe and deadly because vniust receiued without resistance and perhaps drew in the Armie of the King of Sueueland with whom Edgar Atheling and the other English that fled into Scotland ioyned their power The Normans within Yorke fired the suburbs because it should not be a lodging for their enemies but the strength of the winde caried the flame into the Citie which consumed a great part thereof with the Minster of S. Peter and therein a faire Librarie And herewith whilest the Normans were partly busied and partly amazed the enemies entred and slue in Yorke in Duresme and thereabout three thousand Normans among whom were many of eminent dignitie as well for birth as for place of their charge But in short time the King came vpon them and hauing partly by Armes and partly by gifts dispatched the strangers exercised vpon the English an ancient and assured experience of warre to represse with maine force a rebellion in a State newly subdued Insomuch as all the land betweene Duresme and Yorke except onely the territorie of S. Iohn of Beuerlace lay waste for the space of nine yeeres without inhabitants to manure the ground And because conspiracies and associations are commonly contriued in the night he commanded that in all Townes and villages a Bell should be runge in the euening at eight of the clocke and that in euery house they should then put foorth their fire and lights and goe to bed This custome of ringing a Bell at that houre in many places is still obserued And for that likenesse is a great cause of liking and of loue he enioyned the chiefe of the English and these were soone imitated by the rest to conforme themselues to the fashions of Normandie to which they had made themselues no strangers before Yea children in the schoole were taught their letters and principles of grammar in the Norman language In their speech attire shauing of the beard seruice at the Table in their buildings and houshold furniture they altogether resembled the Normans In the beginning of his reigne he ordeined that the Lawes of King Edward should be obserued together with those Lawes which hee did prescribe but afterwards he commanded that 9. men should be chosen out of euery shire to make a true report what were the Lawes and customes of the Realme Of these hee changed the greatest part and brought in the customes of Normandie in their stead commanding also that causes should be pleaded and all matters of forme dispatched in French Onely hee permitted certaine Dane-Lawes which before were chiefly vsed in Northfolke Suffolke and Cambridge-shire to be generally obserued as hauing great affinitie with his Norman-customes both being deriued from one common head Likewise at the great suit of William a Norman then Bishop of London he granted a Charter of libertie to that Citie for enioying the vse of K. Edwards Lawes a memoriall of which benefite the Citizens fixed vpon the Bishops graue being in the middest of the great West I le of S. Pauls Further by the counsaile of Stigand Archb. of Canterburie and of Eglesine Abbot of S. Augustines who at that time were the chiefe gouernours of Kent as the King was riding towards Douer at Swanescombe two mile from Grauesend the Kentish men came towards him armed and bearing boughes in their hands as if it had bene a moouing wood they encloased him vpon the sudden and with
did there with defend himselfe for a time But because to stand vpon defence onely is alwayes vnsure he drew his sword and would not depart one foot from his saddle but making shew of braue ioy that he had nothing to trust vnto but his owne valour he defended both his saddle and himselfe till rescue came Afterward when some of his Souldiers in blaming maner expostulated with him wherefore he was so obstinate to saue his saddle his answere was that a King should loose nothing which he can possibly saue It would haue angred mee said he at the very heart that the knaues should haue bragged that they had wonne the saddle from mee And this was one of his perpetuall felicities to escape easily out of desperate dangers In the end Henry grew to extreeme want of water and other prouisions by which meanes he was ready to fall into the hands of those who desired to auoyd necessitie to hurt him And first he sent to the Duke his brother to request some libertie to take in fresh water The Duke sent to him a tunne of wine and granted a surcease of hostilitie for one day to furnish him with water At this the King seemed discontented as being a meanes to prolong the warre But the Duke told him that it had bene hard to deny a brother a little water for his necessitie Here with like wise the King relenting they sent for their brother Henry and wisdome preuailing more then iniuries or hate they fell to an agreement That vpon a day appointed Henry should receiue his money at Roan and that in the meane time hee should hold the countrey of Constantine in morgage The King enterteined with pay many of his brother Henries souldiers especially he receiued those who ouerthrew him to a very neere degree of fauour And thus all parties ordered their ambition with great modestie the custome of former warres running in a course of more humanitie then since they haue done The King was the more desirous to perfect these agreements of Peace for that Malcolme King of Scots as Princes often times make vse of the contentions of their neighbours tooke occasion vpon these confusions to enterprise vpō the parts of England which confined vpon him So as he inuaded Northumberland made great spoile tooke much prey caried away many prisoners whose calamitie was the more miserable for that they were to endure seruitude in a hard Countrey For this cause the King with his accustomed celeritie returned into England accompanied with the Duke of Normandie his brother and led a mighty armie against the Scots by land and sent also a nauie to infest them by sea But by a sudden and stiffe storme by a hideous confusion of all ill disposed weather his ships were cruelly crushed and hauing long wrought against the violence and rage of the tempest were in the end dispersed and diuers of them cast away Many of his souldiers also perished partly by penurie and want and partly by the euill qualitied ayre Notwithstanding the Scots knowing the King of England to bee an enemie mighty and resolute began to wauer in their assurance framing fearefull opinions of the number valour and experience of his armie Hereupon some ouertures of Peace were made the Scots expecting that the King by reason of his late losses would be the more moderate in his demands But hee then shewed himselfe most resolute and firme following his naturall custome not to yeelde to any difficulty King Malcolme coniecturing that such confidence could not be without good cause consented at the last to these conditions That King Malcolme should make a certaine satisfaction for the spoyles which hee had done in England That King William should restōre to him certaine lands in England That K. Malcolme should doe homage to King William Now the day was come wherein Henrie was appointed to receiue his money at Roan from the Duke of Normandie But as affaires of Princes haue great variations so they are not alwayes constant in their Counsels And so the Duke caried by his occasions and ready to lay downe his faith and word more to the traine of times then to the preseruation of his honour instead of paying the money committed his brother Henry to prison from whence he could not be released vntill hee renounced the Countie of Constantine and bound himselfe by oath neuer to claime any thing in Normandie Henrie complained hereof to Philip King of France who gaue him a faire enterteinement in his Court but was content rather to feede then finish the contention either expecting thereby some opportunitie to himselfe or els the opinion of his owne greatnesse not suffring him to feare that others might grow to haue fortune against him Henry had not long remained in the Court of France but a Normane Knight named Hacharde conueyed him disguised into Normandie where the Castle of Damfronç was deliuered vnto him and in short time after hee gate all the Countrey of Passays and a good part of Constantine either without resistance or without difficultie and perill Hereupon the Duke leuied his forces and earnestly assayed to recouer Damfronç but then hee found that his brother Henrie was secretly yet surely vnderset by the king of England Hereupon incensed with the furie of an iniuried minde hee exclaimed against his brother of England and almost proclaimed him a violater of his league On the otherside the King of England iustified his action for that hee was both a meanes and a partie to the agreement and therefore stood bound in honour not onely to vrge but to enforce performance So the flame brake foorth more furious then it was before and ouer went King William with an able armie where hee found the Duke also in good condition of strength commanding the field And albeit in so neere approach of two mighty enemies equall both in ambition and power it is hard to conteine men of seruice yet was nothing executed betweene them but certaine light skirmishes and surprizements of some places of defence In the end the King hearing of new troubles in England and the Duke finding himselfe vnable either to preuaile with few souldiers or to maintaine many and both distrusting to put a speedie end to the warre they were easily drawne to capitulations of peace And thus ended the contention betweene these brethren who vntill this time had continued like the waues of the Sea alwayes in motion and one beating against the other Besides these businesses which befell the King against his Nobilitie against the Duke of Normandie his brother and against the King and nation of the Scots the Welshmen also who alwayes struggled for libertie and reuenge perceiuing that the King was often absent and much entangled with hostile affaires enforced the fauour of that aduantage to free themselues from subiection of the English and happily to enlarge or enrich themselues vpon them So hauing both desire and opportunitie they wanted not meanes to assemble in armes to expell the English that
were amongst them and to cast downe the Castles erected in their Countrey as the principall yoakes of their subiection Afterwards rising in boldnesse with successe they made diuers incursions vpon the bordering parts of England spoiled the Citie of Glocester and exercised all those outrages which vnciuill people incensed both with want and with hate doe not vsually omit But being a company neither in discipline nor pay raw and vnarmed they proceeded more like to robbers then to Souldiers hauing no intention to vanquish but to spoile Hereupon the King twice in person inuaded Wales but with small shew of successe for the present For the Welsh-enemies scattered the warre by diuiding themselues into small companies and retiring into the mountaines and woods and other places of naturall defence Here they trauailed the King with a fugitiue fight flying when they were pursued and houering vpon him when they were giuen ouer cutting off many stragling souldiers and taking some carriages which in those rough places could not easily either be passed or defended And so by shifting alwayes into places of aduantage they sought at one time both to auoyd fighting and to hinder the King from doing any thing of importance At the last the King hauing made sufficient proofe how vaine it is to follow a light footed enemie with a heauie Armie pestered with traine of carriage in places where the seruice of horsemen is almost vnprofitable he gaue ouer the pursuit and retired into England But first he repaired those Castles which the Welsh had destroyed and built new Castles also vpon the frontiers and within the bosome of Wales which he furnished with so sure garrisons as might suffice with fauour of opportunitie either to weary or consume the enemies And indeed the Welsh being by this meanes alwayes exercised and dayly wasted declined in short time no lesse to cowardise then to wearinesse and wants so as Hugh Earle of Chester Hugh Earle of Shrewesbury dispossessed them of the Isle of Anglesey which they had surprised not long before The Welsh that were there taken were very hardly or rather vnmercifully and cruelly entreated Some had their eyes pulled out some their hands cut off some their armes some their noses some their genitalles An aged Priest named Kenredus who had bene a chiefe directer of the common affaires was drawne out of a Church whereinto he had fled had one of his eyes pulled out and his tongue torne from his throat I make no doubt but these seuerities were vsed against them vpon some sauage outrages which they had done wherein the lesse compassion was borne to their calamities for the cowardise which they shewed in their owne defence Shortly after Magnus King of Norway the sonne of Olaus the sonne of Harold Harfager hauing brought the Isles of Orkeney vnder his dominion subdued also from the Welsh the Isle of Man and enterprised vpon the Isle of Anglesey against the English But at his landing he was encountred by the Earle of Shrewsbury and the Earle of Chester in which fight the Norwegians were vanquished and repelled but the Earle of Shrewsbury with too braue boldnesse lost his life leauing his honourable both actions and end as an excellent ornament to his posteritie Afterwards the Earle of Chester led an armie into Wales and found the people so consumed by the English garisons that he easily reduced many to professe obedience to the Crowne of England and disabled others hauing no leaders of experience and valour for shewing their faces as enemies in the field Also vpon some variances which did rise betweene Iustinus sonne to Gurguntus Earle of Glamorgane and Morganock and Rhesus sonne to Theodore Prince of Southwales Iustinus not of power to maintaine either his right or his will sent Aeneas sonne to Genidorus sometimes Lord of Demetia to craue aide in England This he obtained not onely readily but in greater measure then the seruice did require Robert Fitzhamond was generall Commander of the English armie who encountred Rhesus at a place called Blackhill and in that fight Rhesus was slaine after whose death the name of King ceased in Wales Then Iustinus failing and happily not able to performe such conditions as in necessitie hee had assured Fitzhamond turned his forces against him chased the Welsh out of the champaine Countrey and diuided the same among his principall Gentlemen These erected Castles in places conuenient for their mutuall ayde and so well defended themselues that they left the Countrey to their posterity Thus was the Lordship of Glamorgane and Morganock which conteineth 27. miles in length 22. in bredth subdued to the English giuing example how dangerous it is for any people to call in a greater force of strangers to their ayde then being victorious they may easily be able to limit and restraine This being a Lordship marcher hath enioyed royall liberties since the time wherein it was first subdued It hath acknowledged seruice and obedience onely to the Crowne It hath had the triall of all actions as well reall as personall and also held Pleas of the Crowne with authority to pardon all offences Treason onely excepted Whilest the King was entertained with these chases rather then warres in Wales hee lay at Gloucester many times as not esteeming that his presence should alwayes be necessary and yet not farre off if occasion should require To this place Malcolme King of Scots came vnto him vpon an honourable visitation But the King hauing conceiued some displeasure against him refused to admit him to his presence Hereupon King Malcolme full of fury and disdaine returned into Scotland assembled an armie enuaded Northumberland harrased and spoyled a great part thereof hauing done the like foure times before Such is the heate of hate in mindes that are mighty who seldome hold it any breach of Iustice to bee reuenged of him who offereth dishonor When he was come neere to Alnewicke and his souldiers were much pestered with prey a notable impediment both for readinesse and resolution to fight hee was set vpon both suddenly and sharply by Robert Mowbray Earle of Northumberland his troupes hewen in pieces himselfe together with his eleest sonne Edward slaine The third day ensuing Margaret wife to King Malcolme and sister to Edgar Adeling not able to beare so sad and heauie a blow of fortune ended also her life Shee was famous for pietie and for modestie two excellent endowments of that Sexe By her perswasion Malcolme made a law that whereas by a former law made by King Eugenius the Lord enioyed the first night with any new married woman within his dominion the husband might redeeme that abuse by paiment of halfe a mark of siluer King Malcolme being slaine Dunwald his brother vsurped the kingdome but after a few dayes he was dispossessed thereof by Duncane bastard son to K. Malcolme In this action Duncane was chiefly supported by the King of England with whom he had remained in hostage and to whom hee had made his submission by oath