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
that the King gained nothing but losse and dishonour and the greater his desire was of victorie and reuenge the more foule did his foiles and failings appeare which so brake both his courage and heart that with griefe thereof as it was conceiued hee ended his life And thus during all the time that he was onely Duke of Normandy he was neuer free from action of armes in all his actions of armes hee was caried with a most rare and perpetuall felicitie As he grew in yeeres so did he in thicknesse and fatnesse of body but so as it made him neither vnseemely nor vnseruiceable for the warres and neuer much exceeding the measure of a comely corpulencie He was most decent and there with terrible in armes He was stately and maiesticall in his gesture of a good stature but in strength admirable in so much as no man was able to draw his bow which hee would bend sitting vpon his horse stretching out the string with his foot His countenance was warlike and manly as his friends might terme it but as his enemies said truculent and fierce He would often sweare By Gods resurrection and his brightnesse which he commonly pronounced with so furious a face that hee strooke a terrour into those that were present His head was bald his beard alwayes shauen which fashion being first taken vp by him was then followed by all the Normans Hee was of a firme and strong constitution for his health so as he neuer was attached with sicknesse but that which was the summons of his death and in his age seemed little to feele the heauie weight and burthen of yeeres In his first age he was of a mild and gentle disposition courteous bountifull familiar in conuersation a professed enemie to all vices But as in Fortune as in yeres so changed he in his behauiour partly by his continuall following the warres whereby he was much fleshed in blood and partly by the inconstant nature of the people ouer whom he ruled who by often rebellions did not onely exasperate him to some seueritie but euen constraine him to hold them in with a more stiffe arme So hee did wring from his subiects very much substance very much blood not for that he was by nature either couetous or cruell but for that his affaires could not otherwise be managed His great affaires could not be managed without great expence which drew a necessity of charge vpon the people neither could the often rebellions of his Subiects be repressed or restrained by any mild and moderate meanes And generally as in all States and gouernments seuere discipline hath alwayes bin a true faithfull mother of vertue and valour so in particular of his Normans he learned by experience and oftentimes declared this iudgement That if they were held in bridle they were most valiant and almost inuincible excelling all men both in courage and in strength and in honourable desire to vanquish their enemies But if the reines were layd loose vpon their necke they were apt to runne into licentiousnes and mischiefe ready to consume either themselues by riot and sloath or one another by sedition prone to innouation and change as heauily mooued to vndertake dangers so not to bee trusted vpon occasion He tooke to wife Matilde daughter to Baldwin Earle of Flanders a man for his wisedome and power both reuerenced and feared euen of Kings but because she was his cousin Germane he was for his marriage excommunicate by his owne vnckle Mauger Archbishop of Roan Hereupon he sued to Pope Victor and obteined of him a dispensation and afterwards so wrought that by a prouinciall Councell his vncle Mauger was depriued of his dignitie But by this meanes both he his issue were firmely locked in obedience to the Sea of Rome for that vpon the authoritie of that place the validitie of his marriage and consequently the legitimation of his issue seemed to depend When he was about 50. yeeres of age Edward King of England ended his life This Edward was sonne to Egelred King of England by Emma sister to Richard the second Duke of Normandie who was grandfather to Duke William so as King Edward and Duke William were cousins germane once remoued At such time as Egelred was first ouercharged with warres by the Danes he sent his wife Emma with two sonnes which she had borne vnto him Alphred and Edward into Normandie to her brother where they were enterteined with all honourable vsage for many yeeres Afterward giuing place to the malice of his Fortune he passed also into Normandie and left his whole state in the possession and power of Swanus King of Denmarke But after the death of Swanus partly by the aide of the Normans and partly by fauour of his owne people he recouered his Kingdome and left the same to his eldest sonne Edmund who either for the tough temper of his courage and strength or for that he almost alwayes liued in Armes was surnamed Ironside Hereupon Canutus the sonne of Swanus made sharpe warre first against Egelred then against Edmund and finally after many varieties of aduenture but chiefly by the fauour of the Clergie of England because they had sworne allegiance to his father spread the wings of his victory ouer the whole Kingdome He expelled out of the Realme Edwine and Edward the two sonnes of King Edmund of whom Edwine married the Kings daughter of Hungarie but died without issue Edward was aduanced to the marriage of Agatha daughter to the Emperour Henry and by her had issue two sonnes Edmund Edgar and so many daughters Margaret and Christine The same Canutus tooke Emma to wife who had bene wife to King Egelred by whom he had a sonne named Hardicanutus After the death of Canutus Alphred the sonne of Egelred came out of Normandie and with fiftie saile landed at Sandwich with purpose to attempt the recouerie of his fathers kingdome In which enterprise hee receiued not onely encouragement but good assurance from many of the English Nobilitie But by Earle Goodwine he was abused and taken his company slaine his eyes put out and then sent to the I le of Elie where in short time hee ended his life Edward also arriued at Hampton with 40. ships but finding the Countrey so farre from receiuing as they were ready to resist him he returned into Normandie and attended the further fauour of time So after Canutus succeeded in England first Harold sirnamed Harefoot bastard sonne to Canutus and after him Hardicanutus sonne to Canutus by Emma mother also to King Edward Hardicanutus being dead the Nobilitie of the Realme sent into Normandie for Edward to be their King whereto also he was appointed as some haue written by Hardicanutus But because Alphred his brother vpon the like inuitation had bene traiterously taken and slaine before William at that time Duke of Normandie would not permit him to depart vntill he had receiued for pledges of his safety Woolnoth son to Earle Goodwine and Hacon sonne
estranged himselfe as it was enterpreted to be a reuolt being charged with intent to aduance William cousin to William sonne to Robert Curtcuise to the Duchie of Normandie Wherefore the King besieged and at last tooke his chiefe Castle called Pont. Audomer and at the same time enuironed the towre of Roan with a wall He also repaired and fortified the Castles of Caen Arches Gisore Falace Argentine Donfronç Oxine Aubrois Nanroye Iuta and the Towne of Vernone in such sort as at that time they were esteemed impregnable and not to bee forced by any enemie except God or gold In the meane time the Earle of Mellent with Hugh Geruase his sonne and Hugh de Mountfort his sisters sonne calling such as either alliance or friendship did draw vnto them besides those whom youthful either age or minds had filled with vnlimited desires whom discontentment also or want did vainly feed with hungry hopes entred into Normandy in armes being so transported with desire to hurt and troubled with feare of receiuing hurt that they had neuer free scope of iudgement either to prepare or manage the meanes to hurt They were no sooner entred the Confines of Normandie but William Tankeruill the kings Chamberlaine came against them brauely appointed and resolute to fight The very view of an enemie turned their euill guided furie into a feare and whatsoeuer they did proceeding rather from violence of passion then ground of reason made them stumble whilest they ran and by their owne disorders hindered their owne desires So with small difficultie they were surprised and taken and brought to the King who committed them to streit prison at Roan An ordinary euent when rage runneth faster then iudgement and power are able to hold pace About this time Charles Earle of Flanders as he was at his deuotions in the Church of S. Donatus in Bruxels was suddenly slaine by conspiracie of his owne people And because hee left no issue in life Lewes King of France inuested William sonne to Robert Curtcuis late Duke of Normandie in the Earledome of Flanders as descended from Earle Baldwine sirnamed the Pious whose daughter Matilde was wife to King William the first and grandmother to this William This he did not so much in fauour to William or in regard of his right as to set vp an assured enemie against King Henry an enemie not onely of singular expectation but proofe whose courage was apt to vndertake any danger whether for glory or for reuenge And herein his proiect did nothing faile For no sooner was the Earle aduanced to that estate but he raised a great hostilitie against the King of England as well to recouer the Duchie of Normandie as either to relieue or to reuenge the hard captiuitie of his father In this warre the Earle did winne a great opinion both for iudgement to discerne and for valour to execute what hee did discerne shewing himselfe in nothing inferiour to his vnckle the king but onely in treasure and command of men For this cause he craued supply of Lewes king of France who as he was the first that blew the cole so was he alwayes ready to put fuell to the flame But the King of England entered France with a strong Armie where his sword ranged and raged without resistance and yet more in prosecution of prey then in execution of blood He lodged at Hesperdune the space of 8. dayes no lesse quietly no lesse safely then if he had bene in the principall Citie of his kingdome By this meanes hee kept the French King from sending succour to the Earle of Flanders And in the meane season drew Theodoricke Earle of Holsteine nephew to Robert who had bene Earle of Flanders and Arnoldus sisters sonne to Earle Charles not long before slaine to inuade Earle William Both pretending title to his dignitie both bringing seueral armies consisting of men tough in temper and well exercised in affaires of the field Theodorick vpon his first approch tooke Bruges Ipres and Gandt either willingly yeelding or with small resistance and vpon the necke thereof Arnoldus tooke the strong towne of S. Omer Earle William being thus set as it were betweene the beetle and the blocke was nothing deiected nothing dismayed either in courage or in hope And first he went against Arnoldus with a small company but with such a liuely countenance of a Souldier that Arnoldus fell to capitulation for his safe departure and so returned home as if he had bene vanquished Then the Earle made head against Theodorick and gaue him battaile albeit farre inferious to him both for number and furniture of his men The fight betweene them was long furious and doubtfull The Germans confident in their number which made them trust the lesse to their valour the Flemings rather desperate then resolute vpon importance of their danger And indeed it often happeneth that good successe at the first doeth occasion the ouerthrow of many great actions by working in the one side a confidence in themselues and contempt of their enemies and by making the other more earnest and entire So at the last the violent valour of the Earle well followed with the braue and resolute rage of his Souldiers did such effects that the Germans were shaken and disordered many slaine in the field and the residue chased out of Flanders The Earle hauing now no enemie in open field layed siege to the castle of Alhurst which was defended against him by the English The assaults were so liuely enforced and with such varietie of inuention and deuise that a wide way was opened through all impediments and the defendants were constrained by many necessities to desire faire conditions of yeelding This whilest the Earle delayed to grant he receiued in a certaine light cōflict a wound in his hand whereof in a short time after he died hauing first raised himselfe very high in opinion with all men for his courage industrie and skill in Armes And thus Duke Robert and his sonne William were brought to their vnhappy ends rather through the malice of their Fortune then through any bad merit or insufficiencie in themselues whereby the Duchie of Normandie which had bene both the cause and the seate of very great warres was then strongly setled in possession of King Henry Hee was neuer infested with domesticall warres which in regard of those tumultuous times is a manifest argument both of his iustice and prouidence the one not giuing cause the other no hope for his subiects to rebel The King of Scots did homage vnto him for what territories I doe not determine Morcard King of Ireland and some of his successors were so appliable vnto him that they seemed to depend vpon his command The Welsh who hated idlenesse and peace alike did striue beyond their strength to pull their feete out of the mire of subiection but in loose straggling companies without either discipline or head For this cause hee made diuers expeditions into Wales where he had many bickerings and put
many chases vpon them but found nothing worthy the name either of enemie or of warre Wherefore by maintaining garrisons and light troups of Souldiers he consumed the most obstinate and reduced the rest to his allegeance receiuing the sonnes of their Nobilitie for hostages At that time many Flemings inhabited in England of whom some came ouer in the time of King William the first by occasion of his mariage with Matild daughter to Baldwine their Earle but the greatest part came vnder the reigne of this King Henrie by reason that Flanders at that time by irruption of the sea was in many places ouerflowen The King was willing to entertaine them because they brought with them both industrie and trades because they made the Countrey both populous and rich For in making a place populous it is thereby also made rich draw people to a place and plentie will follow driue away people and it is vndone They were first planted neere the riuer of Tweede besides those who dispersed into diuers Townes But at this time the King sent many of them into Rose in Pembrokeshire whose progeny did euer since maintaine themselues in good condition against the Welsh being a people euen at this day distinguished from all other bordering vpon them both in language and in nature and in fashion of life On a time as the king marched through Powesland in Southwales hee came to certaine streights through which his maine army could not passe by reason of their 〈◊〉 and traine of cariage wherefore hee sent the greatest part a further way about and himselfe with a small company tooke the neerer way thorow those streights When he was well entred he was charged very sharpely but rudely and disordredly by the Welsh who hauing the aduantage both in number and in place did much annoy him from the higher ground but durst not approach to close fight at hand The King himselfe was smitten with an arrow full vpon the breast whereat hee swore By our Lords death which was his vsuall oath that it was no Welsh arme which shot that arrow Many of his men also were hurt and the residue strangely disordred the amazement being farre greater then the distresse But the king with a firme countenance retired in time the enemies not daring to pursue him any further then they might be assured by aduantage of place Then he sent peaceably vnto them and after some ouertures brought them to agree that for a thousand head of cattell the passage should be left open vnto him IN this politicke gouernment he so managed the State that neither subiects wanted iustice nor Prince obedience He repaired many defects hee reformed many abuses which would in the meane time enfeeble and at last oppresse the Common-wealth Hee ordred his affaires with such moderation that he was not onely well obeyed by his subiects but highly honoured and respected by forreine Princes wherby it appeared that learning may be both a guard and guide to Princes if it be not so immoderately affected as to bereaue them either of the minde or time for action He vsed much seueritie in punishing offenders seueritie the life of iustice of iustice the most assured preseruer of States affording no more fauour for the most parr then dead mercilesse law did allot Against the eues he prouided that no money should saue them from hanging He ordeined that counterfeitures of money should loose both their eyes and be depriued of their priuie parts He tooke away the deceit which had been occasioned by varietie of measures and made a measure by the length of his owne arme which hath been Commonly vsed euer since by the name of a yard And wheras there are two infallible signes of a diseased State excesse in eating and in attire which could neuer be restrained by penalties or feare but the more the people are therin forbidden the more are they rauished into riot and vanitie the King by two meanes cast a general restraint vpon them both by example and by reproofe which by reason of the inclination of men to imitate and please their Prince haue alwayes been of greater force then lawes to reforme abuses in that kind He much abhorred excesse in eating and drinking and was so moderate in his owne diet that he seemed to feede onely for necessitie of nature Hee both vsed and commended ciuill modestie in apparell especially he could not endure an absurd abuse of men in those times in wearing long haire like vnto women And when their owne haire failed they set artificiall Peruques with long locks vpon their heads whereas by censure of the Apostle it is reprochfull for men to weare long haire He discharged his Court of many loose lasciuious persons affirming that they were no good instruments of the kingdome as being in peace chargeable and vnprofitable for warre During his absence in Normandie which was sometimes three or foure yeeres together he committed the gouernement of his Realme to Roger Bishop of Salisburie A man harmelesse in life in mind flourishing and fresh in intention vpright most wise in taking and most faithfull and fortunate in giuing aduise Hee had gouerned the Kings expenses of house when hee was but a Prince of priuate estate whereby he gained that reputation for integritie and skill which aduanced him to a higher trust He was Doctor of the Canon and Ciuill lawes as most of the Bishops at that time were and did beare the title and name of Iusticiarius totius Angliae Hee built the Deuises in Wiltshire the Castles of Malmesburie and Shireburne He repaired the Castle of Salisburie and enuironed the same with a wall hee built the stately Church at Salisburie destined to a longer life then any of his other workes And further by reason of the Kings much abode in Normandie the prouisions of his house were valued at certaine prices and receiued in money to the great contentment and ease of the people In these times were mighty woods about the place where the two high wayes Watling and Ikening doe ioyne together which woods were a safe couert and retreite for many robbers who much infested those high wayes The most famous thiefe among them was named Dunne a man mischieuous without mercie equally greedie of blood and of spoile the first infamie of his name Hee was in a sort as the most villanously aduentrous and vile for in lewd actions the worst are greatest Commander ouer the rest and of him the place was called Dunstable To represse this annoyance the King caused the woods to bee cut downe built there a Borough to which hee granted Faire Market and that the Burgesses should be so free as any other Burgesses within the Realme Hee erected there also a Palace for himselfe and also a faire Church or Priorie whereto he gaue large priuiledges and endowments By these meanes hee made the place first populous and consequently both plentifull and safe Many other royall workes hee performed some for Religion as the Religious