of day gave them so hot an Alarm that he put them all into a rout leaving their Horses and Armour to the Normans who in the pursuit of fourty thousand left not a fourth part of them alive The King of France thus defeated returned home with disgrace and our Duke with the price of the Prisoners recovered his Peace and the Castle of Thuilliers which had been taken from him in his minority Cout Martel though much discouraged with the Kings overthrow yet made some attempts for the recovery of his Towns but without success Wherefore the next spring he went again to sollicit the French King to aid him against the Duke who said he is now grown insolent upon the victory he stole last year so that there is no living by him Besides he suggested that the Normans extreamly derided the French and had a base esteem of them making their last overthrow the subject of their sport and Rhimes as if the King of France upon such an inconsiderable loss durst not break a dishonourable Peace The King being stung with this reproach raised a mighty Army far greater than the former wherein were three Dukes and twelve Earls and notwithstanding the solemne peace made and so lately sworn with the Duke he entered Normandy in the Harvest time spoiling all before him along the Countrey of Bessin From thence he passed to Bayeux and Caen purposing to pass the River Dine at Verruil and to destroy all as far as to Roan Coming thither he found the Causeway long and Bridge narrow wherefore he caused his Van to pass over first and to secure his Rere lead by the Duke of Berry himself staid behind in Caen till his men and Carriages were passed Duke William all this while was storing his Fortresses with men and victuals strengthening himself and Falaise as much as he could yet had no Army in the Field but only a running Camp ready to take all advantages and so lets the fury of this storm spend itself till being informed of their passage over the Bridge and then marching all night with ten thousand men in the morning early he set upon the Rereward with so dreadfull a cry and fury that such as were upon the Causeway being affrighted thrust forward such as were before them hasting to get over the Bridge which by reason of the great press brake so that many were drowned and such as were got over could not return to aid the rest Nor the King by reason of the marishes on both sides could not yield any succor to his people but stood a spectator of their slaughter there were very many slain and six of the Kings Earls taken Prisoners This shameful overthrow was so laid to heart by the King of France that he died shortly after and the Duke of Normandy enjoyed peace which he imployed nobly in ordering and beautifying his State building and endowing Churches and Monastries He erected also a Tomb for himself and his wife at Caen Feasting and rewarding his Nobles and other men of worth whereby he so engaged their hearts to him that they were wholly his to do what he pleased In the time of this calm he sailed over into England pretending a visit to King Edward his kinsman who because he had been protected and bred in Normandy by Duke Richard the second Grandfather to them both gave him most Royal entertainment Probably he came to see and to be seen to make way for his future designs And not long after Herald whether on purpose or by some casualty of weather was driven into France is uncertain but he was gallantly entertained in Normandy by Duke William and at Roan something was concluded betwixt them whether to divide the Kingdom of England between them or that Herald being a coast-dweller should let in Duke William after the decease of King Edward the Confessour and do his best to help him to his Kingdom is uncertain but whatever it was it was solemnly sworn to upon the holy Evangelists and all the Reliques in Roan And for more assurance Herald was betrothed to Adeliza the Dukes Daughter and his Brother Wolnot was lest as a pledge for the performance Sure it is that so much was done either by our King Edward who by Will left the Crown to him or by Herald or both as gave him ground to challenge the Crown of England and to pursue the getting of it Though indeed it was not in either of their powers to prejudice our State or to alter the conse of a right succession As soon as Duke William heard of the death of King Edward and of the Election and Coronation of Herald he assembled the States of Normandy and acquainted them with the right he had to England intreating their utmost assistance for the recovery of it and to avenge him on the perjur'd Usurper Herald shewing them what a strong party he had in England and the distractions of the people which made his attempt very probable He told them what Glory Wealth and greatness the obtaining of such a Kingdom would add to them Yet notwithstanding all he could say there were but few that liked of this attempt and they which did were such as had long followed him in the wars and thereby had exhausted their estates and were content to run any adventure that might promise hope of advantage Of the rest some thought it best to hold and defend their own Countrey without adventuring to conquer an other and this was the richer sort Others were willing to contribute but did it so sparingly that it little advanced the design and the rest were so tyred with former Wars and so willing to enjoy the blessing of Peace that they were unwilling to forgoe a certain for an uncertain good The Duke meeting with these discouragements was much perplexed which made him to deal more particularly with his best Friends whom he knew to affect Honour and that they would adventure their whole estates with him These were William Fitz-Auber Earl of Brettevil Gualter Guifford Earl of Longevil Roger Lord de Beaumont c. especially his own brothers Odo Bishop of Bayeux and Robert Earl of Mortagne These he procured in a full Assembly to make their offers which they did so liberally Fitz Auber promising to furnish fourty ships with men and Amunition the Bishop of Bayeux fourty the Bishop of Mentz thirty c. that the rest of the assembly doubting that if without their help the Duke should carry on his design he would not forget their backwardness they came off more liberally The Duke finding them yielding yet not so forward as was requisite for such an undertaking dealt with the Bishops and great men apart getting that of them severally which of all together he could not attain and causing every mans contribution to be recorded kindled such an emulation amongst them that they which before would do nothing now strove who should do most By his fair perswasions also he
drew in most of the Princes and Nobles of France to adventure their Persons and much of their estates with him As Robert Fitz Harvay Duke of Orleance the Earls of Britaine Ponthieu Bulloigne Poyctou Maine Nevers Hiesms â—umarl Signior de Tours yea and Martel his enemy Earl of Anjou Indeed it was strange that these great men of France should adventure their lives and Fortunes to add England to Normandy and so great a Crown to a Duke who was too great for them already But where God hath determined alterations in Kingdoms and States all things shall concurr to promote the same The King of France who should have most opposed was now a Child and under the Tutorship of Baldwin Earl of Flanders Duke William's Father in Law and therefore from thence he was sure of furtherance rather than hinderance And to delude the young King he promised faithfully if he conquered England to hold it of the Crown of France as he did his Dutchy of Normandy And to make the Pope his friend he promised him to hold it of the Apostolick See Whereupon the Pope sent him a consecrated Banner an Agnus Dei and one of Saint Peter's haires The Emperour also sent him some Forces under the command of one of the Princes of the Empire And being thus encouraged and furnished within eight months he was ready with a powerful Army at Saint Valery in Normandy to transport himself into England in 896 Ships But now let us see how affairs stood in England King Edward the Confessor being himself without issue had in his lifetime sent into Hungary for his Nephew Edward called the Outlaw the Son of Edmund Ironside intending to make him his Successour to the Crown but he dying soon after his arrival in England King Edward then gave his Son Edgar the name of Etheling or Prince Edgar meaning to design him for his successour but was prevented by death before he had fully established him and Edgar Etheling though he had right yet being young and a stranger here and so wanting power to make good his right Herald the Son of Earl Godwin stept into the Throne and though hereby violating of holy Rights he offended the Clergy yet not any either of the Clergy or Laity durst oppose him as being the most Martiall man in the Kingdom and such an one as the state of the Realm then stood in need of And besides his own worth he had the assistance of Edwin and Marchar the two great Earls of Yorkshire and Chester Indeed King Edward had appointed the Crown sometimes to William Duke of Normandy sometimes to Edgar Etheling and sometimes to this Herald who was now Crowned by Aldred Archbishop of York And being possessed of the Throne he was able to make good his Title yet to make Prince Edgar some part of amends he created him Earl of Oxford And Herald being thus setled carried himself with great valour and Justice for the time he enjoyed it which was but nine months He made all provisions for defence that a politick and active Prince could do The first man that begun to disturb his new Government was his younger Brother Toustaine who in King Edward's Reign being made Governour of Northumberland for his pride and barbarous cruelty was banished the Kingdom and now by reason of his former hatred against his Brother was easily set on by the Duke of Normandy and Baldwin Earl of Flanders who had married his two Daughters to Duke William and Toustaine to assail Herald He first assailed the Isle of Wight and then set upon the coast of Kent from whence he was chased by Herald and forced to withdraw into the North where seeking to land he was thence repulsed by the Earls Marchar and Edwin whose Sister Herald had married Then he craved aid of the Scots and afterwards of Harald Harfager King of Norwey who was excercising Piracy about the Orchades with him he prevailed and so uniting their Forces they landed about Tinmouth and from thence marched into the heart of the kingdom But near Stamford King Herald of England met them with a strong Army and after a long and cruel fight ended the day with victory and the death both of Toustaine and the King of Norway No sooner was this Battel over but with his wearied and broken Forces he was called to a more fatal business in the South For now Duke William of Normandy pretending a right to the English Crown by the Testament of the late King Edward his kinsman upon the advantage of King Herald's being so far off with his Army landed at Pemsey near to Hastings in Sussex and Herald being informed of it gathering together his broken Forces increasing them as much as he could by the way with all possible speed he hasted to give the Duke Battel Duke William as soon as he had landed his men sent his ships away that so they might think of nothing but either Victory or Death Then going himself on land his foot slipt and he fell down which some of his company took for an ill signe No said he I have by this taken possession of this Land Many attempts were made to compound the difference between Herald and William but Herald would hearken to none presuming of success and judging it a disgrace to capitulate for that which was his own And when one of his Brothers called Gyrth intreated him to consider what a fearful thing it was to break an Oath which he had so solemnly sworn Herald judged that nothing which he had done being a private man could be of force to him being now a Prince Anno Christi 1066. October the fourteenth being also Herald's Birthday and his Soldiers thinking to honour him thereby having spent the night in revelling and drinking whereas the Dukes men spent it in quietness and devotion they joyned Battel the Kentish men being placed in the Front as by antient custom was their due and King Herald with his Londoners leading the main Battel where though the number of their Armies was not much unequall each of them having above sixty thousand men yet was there great odds in the expertness of the Souldiers and more in their weapons For the Duke had with him all the flower of France and Flanders whereas King Herald had lost his best men in the late fight and for weapons the Normans had long Bowes which then were not in use among the English it 's no marvel then though the Normans got the Victory And though Herald lost his life yet he lost not his credit and the English shewed no less valour though they were Conquered than the other did in Conquering For King Herald like an expert General had ordered his men in so firme a Body that no power of the Normans could disorder their ranks till Duke Wìlliam used this Stratagem He made his men to retire and to counterfeit flight by which meanes he drew the English on upon an
hollow ground covered over with earth wherein many of them fell and perished as also into an Ambush of his Horsemen which unexpectedly fell upon them and cut them in peices Indeed Duke William fought that day so valiantly that he had three Horses slain under him But King Herald shewed no less valour in killing many of the Normans with his own hands Insomuch as the fight continued doubtfull for a long time till at last King Herald being struck into the braines with an Arrow fell down dead upon whose fall a base Norman cut off one of his thighs for which Duke William was so offended that he disarmed the Souldier and cashier'd him Thyra King Herald's Mother proffered a great some of money for his Body which the Duke nobly refused and gave it her freely who buried it in Walltham Abby And no marvel if the English had such ill success For the People being secure from their former enemies the Danes which peace had continued now about the space of fifty years had discontinued the use of Armes and were generally debauched with Luxury and idleness The Clergy was grown licentious and well content with little Learning The Nobility given to Gluttony Venery and oppression the common sort to drunkenness and all disorder Duke William as his Valour won him the Victory so his Victory won him a Crown and suddenly of an old Duke he became a young King Wherefore having returned publick thanks to God for his good success in the place which he called Battel field near Hastings in Surrey he led his Army towards London yet not the direct way for fear of an other encounter but thorow Kent Sussex Surry Hampshire and Bark shire and so coming to Wallingford he there crossed the Thames and passed through the Counties of Oxford Bucks and Hertford And whilst he staid at Barkamsted Aldred Archbishop of York Woolstan Bishop of Worcester Walter Bishop of Hereford with the Earls Edwin and Morchar the greatest men in the Kingdome yea and Edgar Etheling himself came and yielded their Allegiance to him the Pope having cursed all such as would not accept of him From hence as William passed towards London he found his way stopt up with multitudes of great Trees which by Frederick Abbot of Saint Albans a man of Noble blood were caused to be felled to secure his Monastery from being spoiled by the Normans whereat William both wondering and fret ting sent for the Abbot under assurance of his safe return and asked him why he did it Frederick stoutly replied I have done the Duty both of my Birth and Profession and if others of my rank had done the like as they might and ought to have done it had not been in thy power to have pierced the Land so far From hence William marched to London where the Gates were set open and the Bishops Lords and People entertained him with great signes of joy though with small gladness and though he had not their hearts yet he had their knees for in most humble manner they accepted of him for their Sovereign and upon Christ-mass day after he was Crowned at Westminster by Aldred Archbishop of York For that Stigand Archbishop of Canterbury was not held Canonically invested in his See Here according to the accustomed form the Bishops and Nobles took their oaths to be his true and faithful subjects and he being required by the Archbishop of York takes his Oath before the Altar of Saint Peter to defend the Right of the Church to establish good Laws and to see Justice uprightly and impartially administred as became a good King Nor did he ever claim any power by Conquest but as a Regular Prince submitted himself to the orders and customs of the Kingdom desiring rather to hold the Scepter by his Testamentary Title than to claim it by the sword So that though the name of Conquerour by the flattery of the times was given to him yet he shewed by all the course of his Government that he assumed it not Being thus setled he chose for his Counsel such men as he knew to be of greatest Wisdom and experience then he applied his thoughts to secure his new-gotten Empire For which end he fortified such places as lay open to danger placed strong Garrisons upon the Coasts and provided Ships to ride in those Harbors which lay most open to Invasions he marched also towards Dover the Lock and Key of the Kingdom to secure that place and to overaw that Kentish a most strong and populous Province But when Stigand the Archbishop of Canterbury and Eglesigne the Abbot of Saint Austins who were the cheifest Lords and Governours of Kent heard of it they assembled the Commons at Canterbury laying before them the dangers of their Province the miseries of their Neighbours the Pride of the Normans and the wrongs of the Church All which say they are too apparent The English till now were ever free and the name of Bondmen not heard among them But now servitude attends us if we yield to the pride of this insulting enemy to withstand which we are ready to adventure our lives with you This resolution drew the people willingly to joyn with them who appointed to meet at a Bay at Swanscomb within two miles of Graves end Accordingly there they met at the day and kept themselves secret in the woods waiting the coming of the Conquerour agreeing to carry before them great branches of Trees whereby they might conceal themselves and if need were impede the march of the Normans Which device daunted King William at his approach who judging himself secure was thus before he was aware suddenly beset on every side with enemies For now the Kentish men having environed his Army round threw down their Boughs and with bent Bowes prepared for Battel So that he which even now thought himself secure of the Kingdom began to dispair of his Life in which amazement Stigand and Eglesine pesented themselves before him and said Most Noble Duke behold here the Commons of Kent are come forth to meet and receive you as their Sovereigne requiring your Peace and their own Freedom and the enjoyment of their ancient Lawes If these be denied they are resolved to submit their tryall to a Battel fully purposing rather to dye than lose their Laws and Liberties and so to live servilely in Bondage which Name and Nature is and ever shall be strange unto us and not to be endured William being brought into this strait and loath to hazard all upon so nice a point more warily than willingly granted their desires and Pledges being given on both sides for performance Kent yielded to him her Earldom and Dover her Castle When King William had established all things for Englands security he committed the Government of it to Odo Bishop of Bayeux his brother by the Mothers side and to his Cousin Fitz-Auber whom he made Earl of Hereford and in the Lent
following sailed into Normandy taking with him all the chief men of England who were likeliest to make a party against him in his absence As Edgar Etheling Stigand Archbishop of Canterbury the two great Earls Edwin and Morchar Frederick Abbot of Saint Albanes Agelnothus Abbot of Glastenbury Walteof Earl of Northumberland Roger Earl of Hertford Rainulph Earl of Cambridge Gospatrick Earl of Cumberland c. And in his absence which was all the Summer nothing was here attempted against him save that Edrick surnamed the Forester in the County of Hereford calling in the Welch to his assistance forraged the remoter borders of that County The rest of the Kingdom was quiet expecting what would become of this new World wherein as yet they found no great alteration their Laws and Liberties remaining the same they were and they might hope that by this accession of a new Province England would have her Dominion enlarged abroad and her profit not impaired at home King William having disposed his affairs in Normandy towards Winter returned into England where he had three sorts of men to satisfie 1. Such as had adventured their Lives and estates with him 2. Those of his own Countrey whose merits and propinquity looked for recompence whereof the number was very great 3. The people of England by whom he must now subsist wherein he had more to doe than in his Battel at Hastings seeing that all rewards with money must be raised out of the stock of the Kingdom which must needs be distastfull to the State in general and if he preferred any of his to dignities by displacing others it must needs bring very feeling grievances to the persons displaced But he thrust no great men out of their room but such as put themselves out by revolting after they had given their Fealty to him So that it seems he contented himself and his for the present only with what he found ready filling up their places who were slain in the Battel or fled away as many were with Herald's Sons out of the Kingdom Such of desert as he could not presently prefer he sent abroad into the Abbeys there to live till places fell void for them whereof twenty four he sent to the Abbey of Ely by which policy he not only lessened his Suitors at Court and eased the eye sore of the English but had a watch over the Clergy who were then of the greatest power in the Kingdom and might prevail much with the people But the English Nobility thinking that their splendor was darkned by the interposition of so many strangers and fearing that yet it would be further eclypsed Conspired together and fled some into Scotland and others into Denmark to try if by forraign aid they could recover themselves Amongst whom Edgar Etheling with his Mother and two Sisters intending for Hungary where he was born was driven into Scotland where he was kindly entertained by Malcolin the third whose former sufferings in exile had taught him to pity others in the like distress and whom also it concerned to look to his own now his neighbours House was on fire This induced him also to make a League with Edgar and to tie it the stronger he took to wife Margret the sister of Edgar a very virtuous Lady by whom the blood of our antient Kings was preserved and conjoyned with the Normans in King Henry the second and so became English again Edgar being thus in Scotland there repared to him the Earls Edwin and Morchar Hereward Gospatrice Siward and others and shortly after Stigand and Aldrid the two Archbishops with diverse of the Clergy who in that third year of King William's Reign raised great commotions in the North and sought most eagerly to recover their lost Country But it now proved too late the King having setled the Government of the Kingdom so that instead of prevailing they gave advantage to the Conquerour to make himself more than he was For all oppositions made by Subjects against their Soveraigns do if they succeed not tend much to their advancement and nothing gave deeper rooting to the Normans here then the petty revolts made by scattered Troops in several places begun without Order and followed without resolution King William foreseeing new stirs from Scotland sent to Malcolme to deliver up to him his enemy Etheling which if he refused he threatned him with Wars Malcolme returned answer That it was unjust and wicked especially in a Prince to betray to his enemy one that came to his Court for protection especially being now so nearly allied to him William thus disappointed feared a dangerous Rebellion in his Kingdom to prevent which he built four strong Castles One at Hastings A second at Lincoln A third at Nottingham And a fourth at York in all which he placed strong Garrisons And disarming the English he commanded every Housholder to put out both fire and candle at eight a clock at night at which hour he appointed that in every Town a Bell should be rung called by the French Coverfew or Cover fire to prevent nightly tumults which otherwise might arise Then did he give the Earldom and all the Lands that Edwin held in York-shire to Allain Earl of Britaine The Archbishoprick of Conterbury he conferred on Lankfranc Abbot of Caen. That of Tork upon Thomas his Chaplaine and all the rest of the English which were out in Rebellion had their places supplied by the Normans Shortly after Goodwin and Edmund the sons of the late King Herald coming with some Forces out of Ireland landed in Summersetshire and fought with Adnothus one of King William's Captains whom they slew with many others and taking great booties in Cornwall and Devonshire returned back into Ireland Exeter also thought to shake off the Norman yoak And Northumberland to recover their former liberties took Armes against whom the King sent Robert Cumin and himself went against Exeter and besieged it and at last the Citizens opened their Gates and submitted to his mercy the Ring-leaders escaping into Flanders But in the North Cumin lying secure in Durham was suddenly in the night surprised by Edgar Etheling and his followers who slew Cumin and all his Normans being about seven hundred one onely escaping to carry the ill newes to King William During these stirs in England the English fugitives in Denmark so far prevailed with King Swaine that he sent a strong Navy of three hundred ships well fraught with Souldiers under his two Sons Harold and Canute who arriving in Humber marched to York to whom also Edgar and his associats out of Scotland joyned themselves At whose approach the Citizens were so terrified that they set fire on the suburbs and the flame by an high wind was driven over the wall whereby a great part of the City was consumed together with the Cathedral Church and a famous Library of great worth and the Garrison of Normans consisting of 3000. were all slain This so
succeeded his Father in the Dutchy of Normandy whereof he was dispossessed by his Brother Henry King of England at the Battel of Ednarchbray Anno. 1106. where being taken Prisoner his eyes were put out and he was sent to the Castle of Cardiff in Wales and after twenty years imprisonment died there William the elder surnamed Miser who in the right of Queen Maud was Earl of Flanders who died six years before his Father Richard was born in Normandy and as he was hunting in the new Forrest whilst he was young was slain by a Stag. William surnamed Rufus who succeeded his Father in the Kingdom of England Henry surnamed Beau-clerk or the Fine Schollar who after his Brothers Death came to be King of England and Duke of Normandy Cicily his eldest Daughter was by her Father made a Nun and afterwards was chosen Abbess in the Monastery built by her father in Caen. Constance his second Daughter was first married to Allain Earle of Little Britaine who was afterwards by King William made Earl of Richmond Alice his third Daughter was married to Steven Earl of Bloys Gundred his fourth Daughter was married to William Warren who was the first Earl of Surry in England Ella his fifth Daughter some say she dyed young Margeret his youngest Daughter who was contracted to Alphonso King of Galicia in Spain but dyed before the marriage was consummated There was one Randolph Peverel to whom Edward the Confessor was very bountifull because he had married his kinswoman the Daughter of Ingelrick a man of great Nobility among the English Saxons A Lady of that admirable beauty that with her looks she conquered the Conquerour William who desired nothing more than to be her Prisoner in Armes which to effect he begins to express a kind of love to the remembrance of her deceased Father Ingelrick enriching the Colledge of Martins Le Grand in London first founded by him and her Uncle Edward Then he honours and advances her two Brethren William Peverel Castellane or keeper of Dover Castle and Payne Peverel Baron of Bourn in Cambridgshire the Founder of Barnwell Abbey and Standard-bearer to Robert Duke of Normandy in the Holy War against the Infidels He prefers her kindred and Friends He sollicites her by the Messengers of the Devils Bedchamber his fly Enchanting Bawdes and comes sometimes himself like Jupiter in a Golden shower Thus by these forcible demonstrations of his love and unavoidable allurements especially from a King she was brought at length to his unlawfull Bed unto whom she bare a Son named William who was Lord of Nottingham and Founder of Lenton Abby The Lady his Mother touched with remorse of Conscience for her sin to expiate her guilt for such was the Doctrine taught in those dayes founded a College in Hatfield Peverel in Essex wherein setting apart all worldly imployments she spent the remainder of her dayes King William having once setled himself in the Kingdom divided a great part of it among his followers To Allen surnamed the Red Earl of Britain who came into England with him and was his Son in Law he gave the Honour and County of Edwin within the Province of York by his Charter in these words I William surnamed the Bastard King of England give and grant to thee my Nephew Allen Earl of Britain and to thy Heirs for ever all those Villages Towns and Lands which were late in the possession of Earl Edwin in Yorkshire with Knights Fees Churches and other liberties and customes as freely and as honourably as the said Edwin held them Given at the siege before York FINIS His Pedigree * or Rolls His Birth and Parentage He is made Duke of Normandy and commited to the French King He comes into Normandy His troubles by Competitors The King of France against him New troubles Treason against him A special Providence He retires to the French King His Valour and Victory His meekness His new troubles He recovers his Towns His Valour A new Conspiracy He calls a Parlament His Marriage He is envied by the French King who invades his Country The French beaten The King of France invades his Country again and is again beaten The King of France dies He goes into England His preparations His Policy His subtilty The affairs in England Herald made King An. 1066. His prudence and policy His opposition and successe His victory Duke William comes into England His policy The Battel between him and Herald Their mutual valour Herald slain Englands sins Duke Williams victory His Progress The English submit to him A stout Abbot He comes to London Is received with Joy His Coronation No Conquerour His Prudence The Kentish mens Policy * or Fitz-Osburne King William goes into Normandy Returns into England His Prudence and Policy The English rebel * or Malcolâ—â— He built 4 Castles Troubles out of Ireland In the West and North. England invaded by the Danes and Scots York burnt King William goes against them Woful devastations The King Conquers New discontents Ely taken King William's clemency Peace with Scotland A new Conspiracy Discovered Prevented His son Robert rebels Is reconciled to his Father New-Castle built Quarrels with France The French King jeers him His reveng His sickness The Tower built England surveied Dooms-day Book New forrest made Remarkable Judgments The Laws in French Bishops Power abated His houshold Provision The Charter of London renewed Bishops Sees Changed his works of Piety Pauls Church burnt and reedified Great Judgments He despoiles the Monasseries His last VVill. His Death Vanity of Vanties His Charecter His Wife His Sons His Daugters
he overcame Herald The Abbey of Selby in Yorkshire And a third near London called Saint Saviours He founded also the Priory of Saint Nicholas at Exeter and gave great Priviledges to Saint Martins Le Grand in London In Normandy he founded an Abby at Caen and he gave to the Church of Saint Stephens there two Mannors in Dorsetshire one in Devonshire an other in Essex much Land in Bark shire some in Norfolk an house in Woodstreet London with many Avowsions of Churches In his time Saint Pauls Church being burnt down Maurice Bishop of London began this which is now standing A work so admirable and stupendious that many thought it would never have been finished Towards the building of the East end of it the King gave the choice Stones of his Castle in the West end of the City in which place afterwards was founded a Monastery of Black Friers And after the death of Maurice Richard his next successor gave all the Rents of his Bishoprick towards the building of this Church yet the finishing of it was left to his successors About the same time William Bishop of Durham founded University Colledge in Oxford In the twentieth year of his Reign their happened so great a fire in London that from the West Gate to the East Gate it consumed all the Houses and Churches at which time as was said before Pauls Church was burnt down Burning Feavers also consumed the People Murrains devoured an infinite number of Cattel great Rains and Floods destroyed the Fruites of the Earth whence ensued a great Famine and by them the Hills were so softned and undermined that some of them fell and overwhelmed the Neighbouring Villages Tame Fowls as Hens Geese Peacocks c. fled into the Woods and Forests and turned wild Odo the Kings Brother Bishop of Bayeux hoping to obtain the Popedom had heaped up vast Treasures for the purchasing of it But as he was about to begin his journey he was seized upon by the King and imprisoned and his House being searched there were found such heaps of Gold as caused admiration in all that saw it and many of his Bags were drawn out of Rivers where they were laid full of Gold beaten to Powder King William wanting mony seized upon the Plate Jewels and Treasure within all the Monastries in England Pretending that the Rebels had conveyed their Riches into these Religous Houses as into Sanctuaries and priviledged places to defraud him thereof He made also all Bishopricks and Abbyes that held Baronies alwayes free before to contribute to his Wars and other occasions We left King William sick at Roan occasioned partly by heat and partly by the leap of his Horse which brake the inward Rim of his Belly And perceiving his approaching Death he made his Will wherein he commanded that all his Treasure should be distributed to Churches Ministers and the Poor appointing to each their several portions His Dukedom of Normandy he left to his eldest Son Robert to whom he had formerly given it His Kingdom of England he left to his second Son William And Henry his youngest Son surnamed Beauclark hearing himself neglected by his Father with tears said And what Father do you give me the King answered Five thousand pounds of Silver out of my Treasury But replied he what shall I do with the Treasure if I want an Habitation His Father answered Be patient my son and comfort thyself in God suffer quietly thy Elder Brothers to go before thee Robert shall have Normandy and William England but thou in time shalt have intirely all the honour that I have gotten and shalt excell thy Brethren in Riches and Power His Son William he sent away into England and by him Letters to Archbishop Lanfranc His Prisoners he commanded to be set at liberty and then dyed September the ninth in the fifty sixth year of his Dutchy the twenty first of his Kingdom and the sixty fourth of his age Anno Christi 1087. No sooner had this late Glorious Princes Soul left his Body but his Dead Corps was presently abandoned by his chiefest Followers who posted away every one to defend his own whilst his menial Servants despoiled him of his Armor Vessels Apparel and all princely furniture leaving his Dead Body naked upon the floor where it lay stinking till one Harluins a poor Country Knight at his own cost undertook to cary it to Caen unto Saint Stevens Church formerly founded by this King At his entrance into Caen the Monks came forth to meet him But at the very instant a sudden fire happening presently invaded a great part of the City whereupon his Hearse was forsaken by all every one applying himself to help to quench the fire After which being carried to Church and the Stone Coffin set ready which was to receive the Body one Ascelinus Fitz-Arthur stood up and forbad the burial saying This very place was the floor of my Fathers House which this dead Duke violently took from him and here upon part of my Inheritance founded this Church This ground therefore I challenge and in Gods behalf forbid that the Body of my Despoiler he covered in my Earth neither shall it be interred within the precincts of my right Whereupon they were forced to compound with him for a present sum of money and for one hundred pound weight of Silver afterwards to be paid and so the Exequies went forward But when the Corps came to be laid into the Tomb it proved too litle and the belly being pressed and not bowelled brake and with an intollerable stink so offended the by-standers that with great amazement they all hasted away and the poor Monks were left to shuffle up the Burial who also were glad when they gat to their Cells He was of an indifferent stature of a comly person of a good presence till his corpulency increasing with age made him unweildy of so strong a constitution that he was never sick till a litle before his Death His strength such that few men could draw his Bow Of wit ready and very Politick In Speech Eloquent Resolute in attempts In hazards valiant A great Souldier and very successful His Charters of an other tenour and very brief as may appear by one that run thus 1 William the third year of my Reign Give to thee Norman Hunter to me that art both leese and Deer The Hop and the Hopton and all the Bounds up and down Under Earth to Hell above the Earth to Heaven From me and mine to thee and thine As good and as faire as ever they mine wear To witness that this is sooth I bite the whitewax with my Tooth Before Jugg Maud and Marjery and my youngest Son Henry For a Bow and a broad Arrow when I come to hunt upon Yarrow His only wife was Mathilda or Maud Daughter to Baldwin the fifth surnamed the Gentle Earl of Flanders by whom he had Robert surnamed Curtois or Short Thighs who