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
in their action a most assured token of some mischiefe at hand And so as they scattered and ranged after prey as greedy men are seldome circumspect they were suddenly set vpon by Almaricke Earle of Mountfort appointed by the French K. to defend the Country with no small execution put to the chase The more they resisted the greater was their losse The sooner they fled the more assured was their escape And for that they were dispersed into many small companies they had the better opportunitie to saue themselues Many other like aduentures were enterprised betweene the two Kings and their adherents some in France and some in Normandie with large losse on both sides But especially the King of France was most subiect to harme for that his countrey was the more ample open and rich The King of England held this aduantage that no aduantage could be wonne against him which in regard of the number valour and greatnesse of his enemies was a very honourable aduantage indeed At the last he made peace with the Earle of Aniou taking the Earles daughter to be wife to his sonne William whom he had declared for successour in his estate to whom all the Nobilitie and Prelates were sworne and who seemed to want nothing through all his fathers dominions but onely the name and Title of King This sinew being cut from the King of France and also for that Henry the Emperour made preparation of hostilitie against him he fell likewise to agreement of peace By the conditions whereof William sonne to the King of England was inuested into the Duchie of Normandie doing homage for the same to the K. of France In this peace was comprised on the part of the French K Williā son to Robert Curtcuise who had bene declared Duke of Normandie On the part of the king of England the Earle of Champ◅igne and certaine other Lords were comprised who had either serued or aided him against the king of France After this the warres betweene the Emperour and the French king did forthwith dissolue King Henry hauing happily finished these affaires returned out of Normandie and loosing from Barbeflote vpon the 24. of Nouember towards euening with a prosperous gale arriued in England where great preparation was made to entertaine him with many well deuised honours His sonne William then duke of Normandie and somewhat aboue 17. yeeres of age tooke another ship and in his company went Mary his sister Countesse of Perch Richard his brother begotten of a concubine as some affirme and the Earle of Chester with his wife Lucie who was the Kings niece by his sister Adela Also the yong Nobilitie and best knights flocked vnto him some to discharge their dueties others to testifie their loue and respect Of such passengers the ship receiued to the number of 140. besides 50. sailers which belonged vnto her So they loosed from land somewhat after the King and with a gentle winde from the Southwest danced through the soft swelling floods The sailers full of proud ioy by reason of their honourable charge and of little feare or forecast both for that they had bene accustomed to dangers and for that they were then well tippeled with wine gaue forth in a brauery that they would soone outstrip the vessell wherein the King sailed In the middest of this drunken ioylitie the ship strake against a rocke the head whereof was aboue water not farre from the shoare The passengers cried out and the sailers laboured to winde or beare off the ship from the danger but the labour was no lesse vaine then the cry for she leaned so stiffely against the rocke that the sterage brake the sides cracked and the Sea gushed in at many breaches Then was raised a lamentable cry within the ship some yeelding to the tyrannie of despaire betooke themselues as in cases of extremitie weake courages are wont to their deuotions others emploied all industrie to saue their liues and yet more in duetie to nature then vpon hope to escape all bewailed the vnfortunate darkenesse of that night the last to the liues of so many persons both of honour and of worth They had nothing to accōpany them but their feares nothing to helpe them but their wishes the confused cries of them al did much increase the particular astonishment of euery one And assuredly no danger dismayeth like that vpon the seas for that the place is vnnaturall to man And further the vnusuall obiects the continuall motion the desolation of all helpe or hope will perplexe the minds euen of those who are best armed against discouragement At the last the boat was hoysed foorth and the Kings sonne taken into it They had cleered themselues from the danger of the ship and might safely haue rowed to land But the yong Prince hearing the shrill shrikes of his Sister Mary Countesse of Perch and of the Countesse of Chester his cousin crying after him and crauing his help he preferred pitie before safety commanded the boat to be rowed back to the ship for preseruatiou of their liues But as they approached the boate was suddenly so ouercharged with those who strugling to breake out of the armes of death leaped at all aduentures into it that it sunke vnder them and so all the company perished by drowning Onely one ordinary Sayler who had been a butcher by swimming all night vpon the mast escaped to land reserued as it may seeme to relate the manner of the misaduenture This ship raised much matter of nouelty and discourse abroad but neuer did ship bring such calamitie to the Realme especially for that it was iudged that the life of this Prince would haue preuented those intestine warres which afterwards did fall betweene King Steuen and Matild daughter to King Henry The King was so ouercharged with this heauy accident that his reason seemed to bee darkened or rather drowned in sorrow Hee caused the coasts a long time after to bee watched but scarce any of the bodies were euer found Afterwards he tooke to wife Adalisia daughter to Godfrey Duke of Louaine of the house of Lorraine She was crowned at Westminster by Roger B. of Salisburie because Radulph Archbishop of Canterburie by reason of his palsey was vnable to performe that office And yet because Roger was not appointed by him the doting old man fell into such a pelting chafe that hee offered to strike the Kings Crowne from his head And albeit this Lady was in the principall flower both of her beauty and yeeres yet the King had no issue by her Now as after a storme a fewe gentle drops doe alwayes fall before the weather turnes perfectly fayre so after these great warres in France certaine easie conflicts did ensue neither dangerous nor almost troublesome to the King For Robert Earle of Mellent who for a long time had continued both a sure friend and most close and priuate in counsaile with the King vpon some sudden either discontentment on his part or dislike on the Kings so
which in former times the Kings of England did yeeld to the See of Rome desiring againe that he might not be abridged of such vsages as his father did enioy concluding that during his life hee would not suffer the dignities of his Crowne to be empaired and if he should so doe yet the Nobilitie and common people of the Realme would in no case permit it but would rather recede from obedience to his See The Pope wrote backe againe to Anselme that for one mans pleasure hee would not reuerse the decrees of former Popes and therefore gaue him both encouragement charge to continue constant and to see them obserued in euery point Hee directed also his letters to the King which the King did suppresse but his Embassadours declared by word that the Pope permitted Inuestitures to the King so as in other things hee would execute the Office of a good Prince Anselme called for the Popes letters The King answered that his Bishops were to be credited before the Monckes who were disabled either for voyce or testimonie in Secular affaires Anselme said that he was desirous to yeeld vnto the King but he durst not although it should cost him his head vnlesse he had a warrant from Rome and therefore he would send thither againe to haue a more full and ample answere The King and diuers of the Nobilitie perswaded him to goe in person to trauaile to the Pope and to trauaile with him for the quiet of the Church and of his countrey With much adoe he was entreated and so set forth on his iourney towards Rome and after followed the kings Embassadour Wiliam Warlewast new elect Bishop of Exceter When the Bishop came to the Popes presence he declared vnto him what great commodities did rise out of England to the See of Rome that the Inuesting of Prelats had bene an ancient right to the crowne of that Realme that as the King was by nature liberall so was he stout and resolute in courage that it should be a great dishonour to him who in power exceeded any of his ancesters if hee should not maintaine the dignities which they held that for this cause the Pope should doe well to preferre to his consideration what preiudice might follow to his Estate if hee should remit nothing of the seuerities of those Canons which had bene lately made The Pope gaue an attentiue eare and seemed to pause vpon that which had been sayd Which the Kings Ambassadour taking to be a degree of yeelding did more earnestly insist and said that the King his master would not for the Crowne of his Realme loose the authoritie of inuesting his Prelates Hereto the Pope with a starting voice and countenance answered Neither will I lose the disposing of spirituall promotions in England for the Kings head that beareth the Crowne before God said hee I aduow it His flattering followers applauded this speach as proceeding from a magnanimous courage or rather as some flash of diuine inspiration and the Kings Ambassador not a little abashed was content to descend to lower demands In the ende it was ordered that the King should be restored to certaine customes which had been vsed by his father but that all they who had bin inuested by the King should be excōmunicate that their satisfaction and absolution should be committed vnto Anselme Thus Anselme with full saile of victorie and ioy returned towards England but the Kings Ambassadour stayed behind to assay whether by any meanes hee could worke the Pope to a milder minde But when hee saw that he trauailed in vaine he followed Anselme and ouertooke him at Placentia and there deliuered vnto him certaine priuate instructions from the King that if he would come into England and behaue himselfe as his predecessours had done towards the Kings father hee should be welcome otherwise you are wise enough said hee you know what I meane and may easily coniecture what will ensue With these words he flang suddenly away by occasion whereof his speaches setled with a more strong impression and multiplied many doubtfull constructions So the Embassadour returned to the King but Anselme went to Lions and remained there a yeere and halfe In the meane time much posting was made betweene England Lions and Rome but nothing was concluded nothing could please For neither the Pope would yeeld to the King nor the King to Anselme At the last Anselme threatned to excommunicate the King whereof the King being aduertised by the Countesse Adela his sister hee desired her to come to him into Normandy and to bring Anselme with her Here the King restored Anselme to his former possessions but his returne into England was respited vntill the Pope had confirmed certaine things which Anselme did assure So the King tooke his passage into England and Anselme abode at the Abbey of Beck Then were dispatched for Rome William Warlewast mentioned before and Baldwine Abbot of Ramsey by whose meanes the controuersie was composed betweene the King and the Pope that the King should receiue homage of Bishops elect but should not inuest them by Staffe and Ring After this the king went into Normandie and there agreed to Anselme in these points following 1 That all his Churches which had been made tributary to King William the second should bee set free 2 That the King should require nothing of the sayd Churches whilest the Sea should remaine vacant 3 That such Priests as had giuen money to the King to reteine their wiues should surcease from their function the space of three yeeres and that the king should take no more after such maner 4 That all such goods fruits and possessions as the King had taken from the Sea of Canterbury should bee restored to him at his returne into England Thus Anselme returned into England and after a short time the king followed hauing taken his brother prisoner and subdued Normandie to his subiection Forthwith Anselme by permission of the K. assembled a great Councell of the Clergie at Westminster wherein hee so wrought with the King that at length albeit not without great difficultie it was newly decreed that no temporal man should giue inuestiture with Crosse or with Ring or with Pastoral staffe Also he directed 〈◊〉 to the Priests of his Prouince that they and their wiues should neuer meete within one house that they should not keepe any woman in their house but such as were next in kinred vnto them That hee who held his wife and presumed to say Masse within eight dayes after should solemnely be excommunicate That all Archdeacons and their Officials should bee sworne not to winke at the meetings of Priests and their wiues for any respect and if they would not take this oath then to lose their office that such Priests as would forsake their wiues should cease fourty dayes from ministration in their office and performe such penance as should be enioyned them by their Bishop The execution of these Canons importing both a great and sudden alteration
should be permitted to depart safely into Normandie And vpon the same condition they of Shrewsbury sent to the King the keys of their Castle and therewith pledges for their allegeance Then Robert with his brother Ernulphus and Roger of Poictiers abiured the Realme and departed into Normandie where being full of rashnesse which is nothing but courage out of his wits and measuring their actions not by their abilities but by their desires they did more aduance the Kings affaires by hostilitie then by seruice and subiection they could possibly haue done Also William Earle of Mortaigne in Normandie and of Cornewall in England sonne of Robert vncle to the king and brother to king William the first required of the King the Earledome of Kent which had been lately held by Odo vncle to them both And being a man braue in his owne liking and esteming nothing of that which hee had in regard of that which hee did desire he was most earnest violent peremptorie in his pursuit Insomuch as blinded with ambitious haste he would often say that hee would not put off his vpper garment vntill hee had obtained that dignitie of the King These errours were excused by the greenenesse of his youth and by his desire of rising which expelled all feare of a fall Wherefore the King first deferred and afterwards moderately denied his demaund But so farre had the Earle fed his follies with assured expectation that he accompted himselfe fallen from such estate as his hungry hopes had already swallowed Hereupon his desire turned to rage and the one no lesse vaine then the other but both together casting him from a high degree of fauour which seldome stoppeth the race vntill it come to a headlong downefall For now the King made a counter-challenge to many of his possessions in England and thereupon seazed his lands dismantled his castles and compelled him in the end to forsake the Realme Not for any great offence he had done being apt to the fault rather of rough rage then of practise and deceit but his stubborne stoutnesse was his offence and it was sufficient to hold him guiltie that he thought himselfe to haue cause and meanes to be guiltie So hauing lost his owne state in England he departed into Normandie to further also the losse of that countrey There he confederated with Robert Belasme and made diuers vaine attempts against the Kings castles neither guided by wisedome nor followed by successe Especially hee vented his furie against Richard Earle of Chester who was but a childe and in wardship to the King whom he daily infested with inuasions and spoiles being no lesse full of desire to hurt then voyd of counsaile and meanes to hurt On the other side diuers of the Nobilitie of Normandie finding their Duke without iudgement to rule had no disposition to obey but conceiued a carelesse contempt against him For he seemed not so much to regard his substantiall good as a vaine breath of praise and the fruitlesse fauour of mens opinions which are no fewer in varietie then they are in number All the reuenues of his Duchie he either sold or morgaged all his Cities he did alien and was vpon the point of passing away his principall Citie of Roan to the Burgers thereof but that the conditions were esteemed too hard Hereupon many resolued to fall from him and to set their sailes with the fauourable gale which blew vpon the fortune of the King To this end they offered their submission to the King in case he would inuade Normandie whereto with many reasons they did perswade him especially in regard of the late hostile attempts there made against him by the plaine permission of the Duke his brother and not without his secret support The King embraced the faire occasion and with a strong Armie passed into Normandie Here he first relieued his forts which were any wayes distressed or annoyed then he recouered those that were lost Lastly he wanne from the Duke the towne and castle of Caen with certaine other castles besides And by the help of the President of Aniou fiâ—…ed Baion with the stately Church of S. Marie therein Vpon these euents all the Priories of Normandie resembling certaine flowers which open and close according to the rising or declining of the Sunne abandoned the Duke and made their submission to King Henry So the King hauing both enlarged and assured his state in Normandie by reason of the approach of winter departed into England but this was like the recuiling of Rammeâ—… to returne againe with the greater strength He had not long remained in England but his brother Robert came to him at Northampton to treat of some agreement of peace Here the words and behauiours of both were obserued At their first meeting they rested with their eyes fast fixed one vpon the other in such sort as did plainely declare that discourtesie then trencheth most deep when it is betweene those who should most dearely loue The Duke was in demaunds moderate in countenance and speech enclined to submisnesse and with a kinde vnkindnesse did rather entreate then perswade that in regard of the naturall Obligation betweene them by blood in regard of many offices and benefits wherewith he had endeuoured to purchase the Kings loue all hostilitie betweene them all iniurie or extremitie by Armes might cease For I call you said he before the Seate of your owne Iudgement whether the relinquishing of my Title to the Crowne of England whether the releasing of my annuity of 3000. markes whether many other kindnesses so much vndeserued as scarce desired should not in reason withdraw you from those prosecutions where warre cannot be made without shame nor victory attained without dishonour The King vsed him with honourable respect but perceiuing that he was embarked in some disaduantage conceiuing also that his courage with his Fortune began to decline he made resemblance at the first to be no lesse desirous of peace then the Duke But afterwards albeit he did not directly deny yet hee found euasions to auoyd all offers of agreement The more desirous the Duke was of peace the greater was his disdaine that his brother did refuse it Wherefore cleering his countenance from all shewes of deiection or griefe as then chiefly resolute when his passion was stirred with a voice rather violent then quicke he rose into these words I haue cast my selfe so low as your haughty heart can possibly wish whereby I haue wronged both my selfe and you my selfe in occasioning some suspition of weakenesse you in making you obstinate in your ambitious purposes But assure your selfe that this desire did not proceed from want either of courage or of meanes or of assistance of friends I can also be both vnthankefull and vnnaturall if I bee compelled And if all other supportance faile yet no arme is to be esteemed weake which striketh with the sword of necessitie and Iustice. The King with a well appeased stayednesse returned answere that he could easily endure the iniurie