be not satisfied and apt to breake forth into dangerous attempts Of those who any wayes declared themselues in his fauour or defence some were despoiled of their goods some were banished the Realme others were punished with losse of their eyes or of their eares or of some other part of their bodie William d'Owe was accused in a Councell holden at Salisbury to bee a complice of this Treason And albeit he challenged his accuser to the combate yet his eyes were pulled out and his stones cut off by commandement of the King And yet some authours affirme that he was ouercome in combate before For the same cause the King commanded William Aluerie to be hanged a man of goodly personage and modest behauiour the Kings â—…ewer his Aunts sonne and hiâ—… godfather Before his execution hee desired to be whipped through manie Churches in London he distributed his garments to the poore and bloodied the street as he went with often kneeling vpon the stones At the time of his death he tooke it vpon the charge of his soule that he was cleere of the offence for which he suffered And so committing his innocencie to God and to the world his complaints he submitted himselfe to the Executioners hands leauing an opinion in some a suspition in many that others also died without desert For the king gaue an easie eare to any man that would appeach others for his aduantage whereby it sometimes happened that offenders were acquited by accusing innocents He was liberall aboue measure either in regard of his owne abilities or of the worthinesse of the receiuers Especially hee was bountifull if that terme may be applyed to immoderate lauishing to men of warre for which cause many resorted to him from farre Countries for entertainement To winne and retaine the fauour of these hee much impouerished his peaceable people From many he tooke without iustice to giue to others without desert esteeming it no vnequall dealing that the money of the one should bee aduentured and expended with the blood of the other He much exceeded in sumptuousnes of diet and of apparell wherewith great men vse to dazel the eyes of the people both which waies he esteemed the goodnesse of things by their price It is reported that when his Chamberlaine vpon a certaine morning brought him a new paire of hose the King demaunded what they cost and the Chamberlaine answered three shillings Hereat the King grew impatient and said What heauie beast doest thou take these to be conuenient hose for a King Away begger and bring me other of a better price Then the Chamberlaine departed and brought a farre worse paire of hose for a better could not at that time bee found and told the king that they cost a marke The king not onely allowed them for fine enough but commended them also as exceeding fit Assuredly this immoderate excesse of a King is now farre exceeded by many base shifting vnthrifts In building his expences were very great He repaired the Citie and Castle of Caerlile which had been wasted by the Danes 200. yeres before Hee finished New castle vpon Tine Many other Castles he erected or repaired vpon the frontiers of Scotland many also vpon the frontiers and within the very brest of Wales Hee much enlarged the Towre of London and enuironed it with a new wall Hee also built the great Hall at Westminster which is 270. foote in length and 74. foote in breadth And when many did admire the vast largenes thereof he would say vnto them that it was but a bed chamber but a closet in comparison of that which he intended to build And accordingly he layd the foundation of another Hall which stretched from the Riuer Thames to the Kings high street the further erection wherof with diuers other heroicall enterprises ceased together with his life Thus partly by reason of his infinite plots and inuentions and partly by his disorders and vnbrideled liberalities he alwayes liued at great charges and expences which whilest the large treasure lasted which his father left him were borne without grieuance to the subiects But when that was once drained he was reduced to seeke money by extraordinary meanes So many hard taxes were laidvpon the people partly for supplie to his owne necessities and partly to imitate the policie of his father that the people being busied how to liue should reteine small either leisure or meanes to contriue innouations For this cause he was supposed vpon purpose to haue enterprised many actions of charge that thereby he might haue colour to impose both imployments and taxations vpon the people And because the riches of the clergie at that time were not onely an eye-sore vnto many but esteemed also by some to bee very farre aboue due proportion Hee often fleeced them of great summes of money For which cause it is euident that the writers of that age who were for the most part Clergie men did both generally enueigh against him and much depraue his particular actions He withheld his annuall paiment to the Sea of Rome vpon occasion of a Schisme betweene Vrbane at Rome and Clement at Rauenna He claimed the inuestiture of Prelates to be his right Hee forbade Appeales and entercourse to Rome For which and other like causes he had a very great contention with the Clergie of his Realme especially with Anselme Archbishop of Canterbury The seedes of this contention were cast when Anselme was first receiued to his Sea For at that time two did striue for the Papacie of Rome Vrbanus and Guibert called Clement the third some Christian States fauouring the one and some the other King William inclined to Clement the third and with him the Realme generally went but Anselme did fully goe with Vrbane making so his condition before he did consent to accept his dignitie When he was elected and before his consecration the King demanded of him that such lands of the Church of Canterbury as the King had giuen to his friends since the death of Lanfranck might still be held by them as their lawfull right but to this Anselme would in no case agree Hereupon the King stayed his consecration a certaine time but at length by importunitie of the people hee was content to receiue his homage and to giue way to his consecration Not long after the Archbishop desired licence of the king to goe to Rome to receiue his Pall which when the King refused to grant he appealed to the Sea of Rome Now this was the first Appeale that euer before had been made in England For Appeales were not here in ordinarie vse vntil after this time vnder the reigne of King Stephen when Henrie Bishop of Wint. being the Popes Legate brought them in Wherefore the King offended with this noueltie charged Anselme with breach of his fealtie and oath Anselme answered that this was to be referred to the iudgement of a Councell whether it bee a breach of allegiance to a terrene Prince if a man appeale to the
Vicar of Christ. The King alleaged that the custome of his Realme admitted no appeale from the king that supreame appeale was a most principall marke of Maiestie because no appeale can be made but to a superiour that therefore the Archbishop by appealing from him denied his Souereignty derogated from the dignitie of his Crowne and subiected both him and that to another Prince to whom as to a superiour he did appeale That herein hee was an enemie and a Traitour to him and to the State Anselme replyed that this question was determined by our Lord who taught vs what allegiance is due to the Pope where he saith Thou art Peter and vpon this Rocke will I build my Church c. And againe To thee will I giue the Keyes of the Kingdome of Heauen c. And againe in generall Hee that heareth you heareth me and who despiseth you despiseth me And againe He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of my eye But for the allegiance due to the King he saith Giue to Caesar that which belongeth to Caesar and to God what pertaineth to God To this the king finally said That hauing made themselues Masters to interprete and giue sence to the Scriptures it was easie to maintaine by them whatsoeuer they desired or did it was easie for them to burst their ambition with their swelling greatnes But well he was assured that CHRIST intended not to dissolue orders for Ciuill gouernment to ruine kingdoms to embase authority and right of Kings by meanes of his Church this right of a King he had and this right he would maintaine In this contention few of the Bishops did openly take part with Anselme but some and especially the Bishop of Durhame did directly declare against him The residue when he asked their aduise would answere him That he was wise ynough and knew what was best for him to doe as for them they neither durst nor would stand against their Lord. By assistance of these the King purposed to depriue Anselme and to expell him out of the Realme But Anselme auowed That as he was ready to depart the Realme so would he take his authoritie with him though he tooke nothing else Now the King had sent two messengers to Pope Vrbane at Rome to entreat him to send the Pall to the King to be disposed by him as he should thinke fit These messengers were by this time returned and with them came Guibert the Popes Legate who brought the Pall. The Legate went first priuily to the King and promised that if Vrbane should be receiued for Pope in England the King should obtaine of him whatsoeuer he would The King required that Anselme might be remoued The Legate answered that it could not be that such a man without iust cause should be remoued Notwithstanding some other things being granted to the King Vrbane was declared to be lawfull Pope and the King was content to swallow downe that moâ—…sel which had bene so vnpleasant for him to champe on The Pall was caried to Anselme with great pompe in a vessell of siluer and he came foorth bare footed in his Priestly Vestments to meete and to receiue it The yeere next following the King inuaded Wales where he repressed the rebellious enemies and returned victorious Anselme prepared to goe vnto him to salute him to congratulate his good successe But the King preuented him by messengers who layde to his charge both the small number and euill appointment of the Souldiers which he sent to that seruice and therefore warned him to appeare at the Court to make his answere Happely also the King was incensed by matters more light but taken in the worst part as it commonly falleth out in suspitions and quarels At the day appointed Anselme appeared but auoyded his answere by appealing to the Pope for prosecution whereof hee made suit for the Kings licence to goe to Rome The King said as before That this appeale was against the custome of the Realme and against the dignitie of his Crowne to both which Anselme had sworne Anselme answered That he was sworne to neither of them but so farre as they were consonant to the Lawes of GOD and to the rules of equitie and right The King replied That no limitation being expressed it was not reasonable that vpon his owne conceit of pietie or equitie he should slip out of the band of his oath Thus was the contention on both sides obstinately maintained and for a long time Anselme was commanded to attend the Court. At the last hee was released but vnder expresse charge that he should not depart out of the Realme or if he did that it should neuer be lawfull for him to returne Anselme departed from the Court went streight to Douer with purpose to passe the Seas into France Here hee was either awaited or ouertaken by William Warlewast the Kings officer not to stay him from his passage but to rifle him of all that he had Others also were appointed to seise his goods in other places and to conuert the profits of his Archbishopricke to the vse of the King making a bare allowance to the Monks of meat drinke and cloathing So the Archbishop crossed the Seas into France rested a while at Lions and then trauailed ouer the Alpes to Rome where he was enterteined by Pope Vrbane with more then ordinarie ceremonies of honour And first the Pope wrote to the king of England on the behalfe of Anselme and reteined him in his Palace vntill he should receiue answere from the king When the messenger was returned with such answere as Anselme did not like he desired of the Pope to be discharged of his dignitie which he had found he said a wearisome stage whereon hee played a part much against his will But hereto the Pope would in no case agree charging him vpon vertue of his obedience That wheresoeuer he went he should beare both the name and honour of Archbishop of Canterburie As for these matters said he we shall sufficiently prouide for them at the next Councell where your selfe shal be present When the Councell was assembled Anselme fate on the outside of the Bishops but the Pope called him vp and placed him at his right foot with these words Includamus hunc in orbe nostro tanquam alterius orbis Papam Afterwards in all generall Councels the Archb. of Canterburie tooke the place In this Councell the points of difference betweene the Greeke and Latine Churches were strongly debated especially concerning the proceeding of the Holy Ghost and for leauened bread in the administration of the Eucharist wherein Anselme shewed such deepe learning weight of iudgement and edge of wit that he approched neerer admiration then applause These matters determined complaints were brought against the King of England and the Pope is said to haue bene ready to excommunicate him but Anselme kneeled before the Pope and obteined for the King a longer terme The Pope was then at great contention with Henry the fourth Emperour who
and said I perceiue now that I haue liued too long that my brother doth clothe me like his almoseman with cast and torne garments So hee grew weary of his life and his disease encreasing with his discontentment pined away and in short time after died and was buried at Glocester And this was the end of that excellent commander brought to this game and gaze of fortune after many trauerses that he had troden He was for courage and direction inferiour to none but neither prouident nor constant in his affaires whereby the true end of his actions were ouerthrowen His valour had triumphed ouer desperate dangers and verely he was no more setled in valour then disposed to vertue and goodnesse neuer wilfully or willingly doing euill neuer but by errour as finding it disguised vnder some maske of goodnesse His performances in armes had raised him to a high point of opiniō for his prowesse which made him the more vnhappy as vnhappie after a fall from high state of honor He had one sonne named William vpon whose birth the mother died of this William shall somewhat hereafter be said And now as Princes oftentimes doe make aduantage of the calamity of their neighbours so vpon this downefall of the Duke of Normandie Fulke Earle of Aniou sharing for himselfe seized vpon Maine and certain other places made large waste tooke great booties and spoyles not onely out of ancient and almost hereditary hate against the hose of Normandie but as fearing harme from the King of England hee endeauoured to harme him first In like sort Baldwine Earle of Flanders declared in armes against the King for a yeerely pension of 300. markes the occasion of which demand was this King William the first in recompence of the ayde which he receiued in his enterprise for England from Baldwine 5. Earle of Flanders payd him yeerely three hundred markes which after his death was continued to his sonne Robert Earle of Flanders from a collaterall line demanded the same Pension but it was denied him by K. Henrie wherefore Baldwine his sonne attempted now to recouer it by Armes With these or rather as principall of these Lewes the grosse King of France seeing his ouersight in permitting Normandie to bee annexed to the Realme of England assembled a great armie and vpon pretence of a trifling quarrell about the demolishing of the Castle of Gisors declared William sonne to Robert Curtcuise for Duke of Normandie and vndertooke to place him in possession of that state which his vnfortunate father had lost And besides those open hostilities in Armes Hugh the kings Chamberlaine and certaine others were suborned traiterously to kill the King but the practise was in good time discouered and the conspirators punished by death Hereupon the King both with celeritie and power answerable to the danger at hand passed the Seas into Normandie hauing first drawen to his assistance Theobald Earle of Champaine the Earles of Crecie Pissaux and Dammartine who aspired to be absolute Lords within their territories as were many other Princes at that time in France These deteined the French King in some tariance in France whilest the King of England either recouered or reuenged his losses against the Earle of Aniou At the last hee was assailed in Normandie on three parts at once by the Earle of Aniou from Maine from Ponthieu by the Earle of Flanders and by the French King betweene both The King of England appointed certaine forces to guard the passages against the Earle of Aniou with directions to hold themselues within their strength and not to aduenture into the field Against the Earle of Flanders hee went in person and in a sharpe shocke betweene them the Earle was defeated and hurt and as some Authors affirme slaine albeit others doe report that hee was afterwards slaine in a battaile betweene the two Kings of England and of France After this he turned against Lewes King of France and fought with him before the towne of Nice in Normandie which towne the French had surprised and taken from the King of England This battaile continued aboue the space of nine houres with incredible obstinacie the doubt of victory being no lesse great then was the desire and yet neither part so hastie to end as not to stay for the best aduantage The first battaile on both sides was hewen in pieces valour of inestimable value was there cast away much braue blood was lost many men esteemed both for their place and worth lay groaning and grinning vnder the heauy hand of death The sad blowes the grisle wounds the grieuous deathes that were dealt that day might well haue moued any man to haue said That warre is nothing else but inhumane manhood The Kings courage guided with his Fortune and guarded both with his strength and his skill was neuer idle neuer but working memorable effects In all places his directions were followed by his presence being witnesse both of the diligence and valour of euery man and not suffering any good aduantage or aduise for want of timely taking to be lost He aduentured so farre in perfourming with his hand that his armour in many places was battered to his body and by reason of the sturdie strokes set vpon his helme he cast blood out of his mouth But this was so farre from dismaying his powers that it did rather assemble and vnite them so as aduancing his braue head his furie did breath such vigour into his arme that his sword made way through the thickest throngs of his enemies and hee brake into them euen to the last ranckes He was first seconded by the truely valiant whose vndanted spirits did assure the best and therewith contemne the very worst Then came in they whom despaire the last of resolutions had made valiant who discerned no meanes of hope for life but by bold aduenturing vpon death Lastly he was followed by all being enflamed by this example to a new life of resolution Generally the swords went so fast that the French vnable to endure that deadly storme were vtterly disbanded and turned to flight K. Henry after a bloody chase recouered Nice and with great triumph returned to Roan Afterwards he would often say That in other battailes he fought for victory but in this for his life and that hee would but little ioy in many such victories Vpon this euent the King sent certaine forces into France to harrase the countrey and to strike a terrour into the enemie The French King besides the abatement of his power by reason of his late ouerthrow was then preparing in Armes against Henry the Emperour who intended to destroy Rhemes partly drawen on by Henry King of England whose daughter he had taken to wife but chiefly for that a Councell had bene there held against him by Pope Calixtus a French man wherein the Emperour was declared enemie to the Church and degraded from his Imperiall dignitie This brought the English to a carelesse conceit and to a loose and licentious demeanure
donation of Earle Herebert as before it is shewed And by donation of the King of Britaine Hengist obtained Kent the first kingdome of the English Saxons in Britaine After which time the Countrey was neuer long time free from inuasion first by the English and Saxons against the Britaines afterward by the seuen Saxon kingdomes among themselues and then lastly by the Danes By meanes whereof the kingdome at that time could not bee setled in any certaine forme of succession by blood as it hath been since but was held for the most part in absolute dominion and did often passe by transaction or gift and he whose sword could cut best was alwaies adiudged to haue most right But of this question more shall hereafter be said in the beginning of the life of King William the second Touching his propinquity in blood to King Edward by the mothers side he enforced it to be a good title because King Edward not long before had taken succession from Hardicanutus to whom hee was brother by the mothers side And although King Edward was also descended from the Saxon Kings yet could not he deriue from them any right For that Edgar and his sisters were then aliue descended from Edmund Iron side elder brother to King Edward Hee could haue no true right of succession but onely from Hardicanutus the Dane So Pepine when he was possessed of the State of France did openly publish that hee was descended of the blood of Charles the Great by the mothers side And albeit the said Edgar was both neerer to King Edward then the Duke of Normandie and also ioyned to him in blood by the fathers side yet was that no sufficient defence for Harold The vsurped possession of Harold could not be defended by alleaging a better title of a third person The iniurie which hee did to Edgar could not serue him for a title against any other These grounds of his pretence beautified with large amplifications of the benefits which he had done to King Edward he imparted to the Bishop of Rome who at time was reputed the arbitrator of controuersies which did rise betweene princes And the rather to procure his fauour and to gaine the countenance of religion to his cause hee promised to hold the kingdome of England of the Apostolike Sea Hereupon Alexander then Bishop of Rome allowed his title and sent vnto him a white hallowed banner to aduance vpon the prowe of his ship also an Agnus Dei of gold and one of S. Peters haires together with his blessing to begin the enterprise But now concerning his further proceedings concerning his victorious both entrance and cōtinuance within the Realme of England two points are worthy to be considered one how he being a man of no great either power or dominion did so suddenly preuaile against a couragious King possessed of a large and puissant State The other is how he so secured his victorie as not the English not the Britains not the Danes not any other could dispossesse or much disturbe him his posteritie from enioying the fayre fruits thereof And if we giue to either of these their true respects wee shall find his commendation to consist not so much in the first as in the second because that was effected chiefly by force this by wisedome only which as it is most proper to man so few men doe therein excell Hee that winneth a State surmounteth onely outward difficulties but he that assureth the same trauaileth as well against internall weaknes as external strength To attaine a Kingdome is many times a gift of Fortune but to prouide that it may long time continue firme is not onely to oppose against humane forces but against the very malice of Fortune or rather the power and wrath of time whereby all things are naturally inclineable to change For the first then besides the secret working and will of God which is the cause of all causes besides the sinnes of the people for which the Prophet saith Kingdomes are transported from one Nation to another King Edward not long before made a manifest way for this inuasion and change For although he was English by birth yet by reason of his education in Normandie he was altogether become a Normane both in affection and in behauiour of life So as in imitation of him the English abandoned the ancient vsages of their Country and with great affection or affectation rather conformed themselues to the fashions of France His chiefe acquaintance and familiar friends were no other then Normans towards whom being a milde and soft spirited Prince he was very bountifull and almost immoderate in his sauours These he enriched with great possessions these he honoured with the highest places both of dignitie and charge Chiefly he aduanced diuers of them to the best degrees of dignitie in the Church by whose fauour Duke William afterward was both animated aided in his exploit Generally as the whole Clergie of England conceiued a hard opinion of Harold for that vpon the same day wherein King Edward was buried he set the Crowne vpon his owne head without Religious Ceremonies without any solemnities of Coronation so they durst not for feare of the Popes displeasure but giue either furtherance or forbearance to the Dukes proceedings and to abuse the credite which they had with the people in working their submission to the Normans Now of what strength the Clergie was at that time within the Realme by this which followeth it may appeare After that Harold was slaine Edwine and Morcar Earles of Northumberland and Marckland brothers of great both authoritie and power within the Realme had induced many of the Nobilitie to declare Edgar Athelinge to be their King but the Prelates not onely crossed that purpose but deliuered Edgar the next heire from the Saxon Kings to the pleasure of the Duke Againe when the Duke after his great victorie at Hastings aduanced his armie towards Hartford-shire Fredericke Abbot of S. Albanes had caused the woods belonging to his Church to be felled and the trees to be cast so thicke in the way that the Duke was compelled to coast about to the castle of Berkhamstead To this place the Abbot vnder Suerties came vnto him and being demanded wherefore he alone did offer that opposition against him with a confident countenance he returned answere that he had done no more then in conscience and by Nature he was bound to doe and that if the residue of the Clergie had borne the like minde hee should neuer haue pierced the land so farre Well answered the Duke I know that your Clergie is powerfull indeed but if I liue and prosper in my affaires I shall gouerne their greatnesse well ynough Assuredly nothing doeth sooner worke the conuersion or subuersion of a State then that any one sort of Subiects should grow so great as to be able to ouerrule all the rest Besides this disposition of the Clergie diuers of the Nobilitie also did nothing fauour King Harold or
his cause for that he was a manifest vsurper naked of all true title to the Crowne pretending onely as borne of the daughter of Hardicanutus the Dane Yea he was infamous both for his iniurie and periurie towards the Duke and no lesse hatefull for his disloyaltie in former times in bearing Armes with his father against King Edward Hereupon the Nobilitie of the Realme were broken into factions Many of whom his owne brother Tosto was chiefe inuited Harold King of Norway to inuade with whom whilest Harold of England was incountring in Armes the residue drew in Duke William out of Normandie And these also were diuided in respects Some were caried by particular ends as being prepared in diuers maner by the Normane before hand others vpon a greedy and for the most part deceiueable ambition in hunting after hazard and change others were led with loue to their Countrey partly to auoyd the tempest which they saw to gather in clouds against them and partly to enlarge the Realme both in dominion and strength by adioyning the Country of Normandie vnto it In which regard because the lesse doeth alwayes accrue to the greater they thought it more aduantageable to deale with a Prince of an inferiour state then with a Prince of a state superiour or equal As for Edgar Atheling the next successour to the Crowne in right of blood he was not of sufficient age of a simple wit and slow courage not gracious to the English as well for his imperfections both in yeeres and nature as for that he was altogether vnacquainted with the customes and conditions of their Countrey vnfurnished of forces and reputation vnfurnished of friends vnfurnished of all meanes to support his title So Duke William hauing better right then the one and more power then the other did easily cary the prize from both Now touching the state of his owne strength albeit Normandie was but little in regard of England yet was it neither feeble nor poore For the people by reason of their continuall exercise in Armes by reason of the weightie warres which they had managed were well inabled both in courage and skill for all Militarie atchieuements Their valour also had bene so fauoured by their Fortune that they were more enriched by spoile then drawne downe either with losses or with charge Hereupon when preparation was to be made for the enterprise of England although some disswaded the Duke from embracing the attempt affirming that it was a vaine thing to streine at that which the hand is not able to conteine to take more meat then the stomacke can beare that he who catcheth at matters too great is in great danger to gripe nothing Yet did others not onely encourage him by aduise but enable him by their aide Among which William Fitz-Auber did furnish 40. ships with men and munition The Bishop of Baieux likewise 40 the Bishop of Mans 30 and in like sort others according to the proportion of their estates And yet he drew not his forces onely out of Normandie but receiued aide from all parts of France answerable not onely to his necessitie but almost to his desire Philip King of France at that time was vnder age and Baldwine Earle of Flanders was gouernour of the Realme whose daughter the Duke had taken to wife By his fauour the Duke receiued large supplies from the state of France both in treasure and in men of warre for countenance whereof it was giuen foorth that the Duke should hold the Realme of England as hee did the Duchie of Normandie vnder homage to the Crowne of France Hereupon diuers Princes of France did adioyne to his aide and especially the Duke of Orleance the Earles of Britaine Aniou Boloigne Ponthieu Neuers Poictou Hiesmes Aumale and the Lord of Tours Many other of the Nobilitie and Gentlemen did voluntarily aduenture both their bodies and whole estates vpon the euent of this enterprise So greatly had he either by courtesie wonne the loue or by courage erected the hopes of all men yea of many who had bin his greatest enemies With these also the Emperour Henry 4. sent him certaine troupes of Souldiers commanded by a Prince of Almaine Hee receiued also many promises of fauour from Swaine King of Denmarke And who can assure for the sequele maketh the coniecture probable that he held not intelligence with Harold Harfager King of Norway to inuade England with two armies at once So partly by his owne Subiects and partly by supply from his Alleys and friends hee amassed a strong Armie consisting chiefly of Normans Flemings French and Britaines to the number of fiftie thousand men and brought them to S. Valeries before which Towne his ships did ride Here he stayed a certaine time attending the wind as most writers doe report but rather as it may be coniectured to awaite the arriuall of Harold Harfager K. of Norway knowing right well that the inuasion of Harold of Norway vpon the North parts of the realme would draw away Harold of England to leaue the coasts towards the South vndefended During his abode at S. Valeries certaine English espials were taken whom King Harold had sent to discouer both the purposes and power of the Duke When they were brought to his presence with a braue confidence he said vnto them Your Lord might well haue spared this charge hee needed not to haue cast away his cost to vnderstand that by your industrie and faith which my owne presence shall manifest vnto him more certainly more shortly then he doth expect Goe your wayes goe tell him from me If he find me not before the end of this yeere in the place where hee supposeth that hee may most safely set his foote let him neuer feare danger from mee whilest hee liue Many Normans disliked this open dealing of the Duke preferring to his iudgement the valour and experience of King Harold the greatnesse of his treasure the number and goodnes of his men but especially his strong Nauie and expert Saylers accustomed both to the fights and dangers of the Sea more then any other people in the world To these the Duke turned and sayd I am glad to heare this opinion run both of his prowesse and of his power the greater shall our glory bee in preuailing against him But I see right well that I haue small cause to feare his discouery of our strength when you who are so neere vnto mee discerne so little Rest your selues vpon the Iustice of your cause and foresight of your Commaunder Who hath lesse then hee who can iustly tearme nothing his owne I know more of his weakenesse then euer he shall know of my strength vntill he feele it Performe you your parts like men and he shall neuer be able to disappoint either my assurance or your hopes Now Harold King of England had prepared a fleet to resist the inuasion of the duke of Normandie but by reason of his long stay at S. Valeries speeches did spread whether by error or subornation
with gold costly stones Then they opened his Tombe not finding the treasure which they expected they threw forth his bones with very great derision despight Many English souldiers were then in the Towne who were very curious to gather his bones whereof some were afterwards brought into England Hereby the report is conuinced for vaine that his body was found vncorrupt more then foure hundred yeeres after it was buried Hereby also it is found to be false that his body was eight foote in length For neither were his bones proportionable to that stature as it is testified by those who saw them and it is otherwise reported of him by som who liued in his time namely that he was of a good stature yet not exceeding the ordinary proportion of men And this was the last end of all his fortunes of all that was mortall in him besides his fame whose life is too much extolled by the Normans and no lesse extenuated by the English Verely he was a very great Prince full of hope to vndertake great enterprises full of courage to atchieue them in most of his actions commendable and excusable in all And this was not the least piece of his Honour that the Kings of England which succeeded did accompt their order onely from him not in regard of his victorie in England but generally in respect of his vertue and valour For his entrance was not by way of conquest but with pretence of title to the Crowne wherein he had both allowance and aide from diuers Christian Princes in Europe He had also his partie within the Realme by whose meanes he preuailed against the opposite faction as Caesar did against Pompey and not against the entire strength of the State Againe hee did not settle himselfe in the chaire of Soueraignetie as one that had reduced all things to the proud power and pleasure of a Conquerour but as an vniuersall successor of former Kings in all the rights and priuiledges which they did enioy Hee was receiued for King by generall consent He was crowned with all Ceremonies and Solemnities then in vse Hee tooke an oath in the presence of the Clergie the Nobilitie and of much people for defence of the Church for moderate and carefull gouernement and for vpright administration of iustice Lastly during the whole course of his gouernement the kingdome receiued no vniuersall change no losse or diminution of honour For neither were the olde inhabitants expelled as were the Britaines neither was the kingdome either subiected or annexed to a greater but rather it receiued encrease of honour in that a lesse State was adioyned vnto it The change of customes was not violent and at once but by degrees and with the silent approbation of the English who haue alwaies been inclinable to accommodate themselues to the fashions of France The grieuances and oppressions were particular and with some appearance either of iustice or of necessitie for the common quiet such as are not vnusuall in any gouernement moderately seuere So the change was chiefly in the stemme and familie of the King which whether it be wrought by one of the same nation as it was in France by Pepine and Capett or by a stranger as in the same Countrey by Henry 5. and Henry 6. Kings of England it bringeth no disparagement in honour it worketh no essentiall change The State still remained the same the solid bodie of the State remained still English the comming in of many Normans was but as Riuers falling into the Ocean which change not the Ocean but are confounded with the waters thereof This King had by his wife Matild daughter to Baldwine Earle of Flanders foure sonnes Robert Richard William and Henrie Hee had also fiue daughters Cicely Constance Adela Margaret and Elianor Robert his eldest sonne surnamed Courtcuise by reason of the shortnesse of his thighs succeeded him in the duchie of Normandie He was a man of exceeding honourable courage and spirit for which cause he was so esteemed by the Christian Princes in the great warre against the Saracens that when they had subdued the Citie and territorie of Hierusalem they offered the kingdome thereof first vnto him Yet afterwards either by the malice of his Fortune or for that he was both suddaine and obstinate in his owne aduise two great impediments that valour cannot thriue he receiued many foiles of his enemies which shall be declared in their proper place Before the King made his descent into England hee gaue the duchie of Normandie vnto him but whether he did this onely to testifie his confidence or whether afterwards his purpose changed being often demanded to performe this gift he would neither deny nor accomplish his word but enterposed many excuses and delayes affirming that he was not so surely setled in England but the duchie of Normandie was necessary vnto him both for supply for his seruices which he found like Hydraes heads to multiply by cutting off and also for an assured place for retreit in case hee should be ouercharged with extremities Hereupon Robert vnable to linger and pine in hopes declared openly against him in armes Philip King of France was ready to put fuell to the flame who as he neuer fauoured in his owne iudgement the prosperous encreases of the King of England so then he was vigilant to embrace all occasions either to abate or limit the same And thus Robert both encouraged and enabled by the King of France inuaded Normandie and permitted his souldiers licentiously to wast to satisfie those by spoile which by pay he was not able to maintaine At the last he encountred the King his father in a sharpe conflict before the castle of Gerberie wherein the King was vnhorsed and wounded in the arme his second sonne William was also hurt and many of his souldiers slaine And albeit Robert so soone as he knew his father by his voyce allighted forthwith mounted him vpon his owne horse and withdrew him out of the medley yet did he cast vpon his sonne a cruell curse which lay so heauie vpon him that he neuer prospered afterward in any thing which hee vndertooke And although after this he was reconciled to his father and imployed by him in seruices of credit and weight yet did the King often bewray of him an vnquiet conceit often did he ominate euill vnto him yea a little before his death he openly gaue forth That it was a miserable Countrey which should be subiect to his dominion for that he was a proud and foolish knaue and to be long scourged by cruell Fortune Richard had erected the good expectation of many as well by his comely countenance and behauiour as by his liuely and generous spirit But he died yong by misaduenture as he was hunting within the New-forrest before he had made experiment of his worth Some affirme that he was goared to death by the Deere of that Forrest for whose walke his father had dispeopled that large compasse of ground others report
that as he rode in chase hee was hanged vpon the bow of a tree by the chaps others more probably doe write that he perished by a fal from his horse He was buried at Winchester with this inscription Hic iacet Richardus filius Wilielmi senioris Berniae Dux William did succeed next to his father in the Kingdome of England To Henry the King gaue at the time of his death fiue thousand pounds out of his treasure but gaue him neither dignitie nor lands foretelling that hee should enioy the honour of both his brothers in time and farre excel them both in dominion and power Whether this was deuised vpon euent or whether some doe prophesie at their death or whether it was coniecturally spoken or whether to giue contentment for the present it fell out afterward to be true For hee succeeded William in the Kingdome of England and wrested Normandie out of the possession of Robert Of these two I shall write more fully hereafter His daughter Cicelie was Abbesse of Caen in Normandie Constance was married to Allen Fergant Earle of Britaine Adela was wife to Stephen Earle of Blois to whom she bare Stephen who after the death of Henry was King of England Margaret was promised in marriage to Harold she died before hee attained the Kingdome for which cause he held himselfe discharged of that oath which he had made to the Duke her father Elianor was betroathed to Alphonso King of Gallicia but she desired much to die a Virgine for this she daily prayed and this in the end she did obtaine After her death her knees appeared brawnie and hard with much kneeling at her deuotions Assuredly it will be hard to find in any one Familie both greater Valour in sonnes and more Vertue in daughters In the beginning of this Kings reigne either no great accidents did fall or else they were obscured with the greatnesse of the change none are reported by the writers of that time In the fourth yeere of his reigne Lanfranke Abbot of Caen in Normandie but borne in Pauie a Citie of Lumbardie was made Archbishop of Canterbury And Thomas a Norman and Chanon of Bayon was placed in the Sea of Yorke Betweene these two a controuersie did arise at the time of their consecration for prioritie in place but this contention was quieted by the King and Thomas for the time subscribed obedience to the Archb. of Canterbury After this they went to Rome for their Palles where the question for Primacie was againe renued or as some affirme first moued before Pope Alexander The Pope vsed them both with honorable respect and especially Lanfrank to whom he gaue two Palles one of honour and the other of loue but their controuersie he referred to be determined in England About two yeeres after it was brought before the King and the Clergie at Windsore The Archbishop of Yorke alleadged that when the Britaine 's receiued the Christian faith in the time of Lucius their King Eleutherius then Bishop of Rome sent Faganus and Damianus vnto them who ordeined 28. Bishops and two Archbishops within the Realme one of London and the other of Yorke Vnder these the Church of Britaine was gouerned almost three hundred yeeres vntill they were subdued by the Saxons The Saxons remained Infidels vntill Gregorie Bishop of Rome sent Augustine vnto them By his preaching Ethelbert King of Kent was first conuerted to the Christian faith By reason whereof Augustine was made Archbishop of Douer by appointment of Pope Gregorie who sent vnto him certaine Palles with his letter from Rome By this letter it is euident that Gregorie intended to reduce the Church of the Saxons to the same order wherein it was among the Britaines namely to be vnder twelue Bishops and two Archbishops one of London and the other of Yorke Indeede he gaue to Augustine during his life authority and iurisdiction ouer all Bishops and Priests in England but after his decease he ioyneth these two Metropolitanes in equall degree to constitute Bishops to ouersee the Church to consult and dispose of such things as appertaine to the gouernement thereof as in former times among the Britaines Betweene these he put no distinction in honour but only as they were in prioritie of time and as he appointeth London to be consecrated by no Bishop but of his own Synod so he expresseth that the Bishop of Yorke should not bee subiect to the Bishop of London And albeit Augustine for the reason before mentioned translated the Sea from London to Douer yet if Gregorie had intended to giue the same authoritie to the successours of Augustine which hee gaue vnto him he would haue expressed it in his Epistle but in that he maketh no mention of his successours he concludeth or rather excludeth them by his silence The Archbishop of Canterbury alleaged that from the time of Augustine vntill the time of Bede which was about 140. yeeres the Bishops of Canterburie which in ancient time said he was called Douer had the Primacie ouer the whole land of Britaine and of Ireland that they did call the Bishops of Yorke to their Councels which diuers times they kept within the Prouince of Yorke that some Bishops of Yorke they did constitute some excommunicate and some remoue He alleaged also diuers priuiledges granted by Princes for the Primacie of that Sea diuers graunted from the Apostolike Sea to confirme this dignitie in the successours of Augustine that it is reason to receiue directions of well liuing from whence we first receiued directions of right beleeuing therfore as the Bishop of Canterbury was subiect to the Bishop of Rome because hee had his faith from thence for the very same cause the Bishop of Yorke should be in subiection to the Bishop of Canterbury that like as the Lord said that to all the Bishops of Rome which hee said to S. Peter so that which Gregorie said to Augustine hee said likewise to all his successours And whereas much is spoken of the Bishop of London what is that to the Archbishop of Canterbury For neither is it certaine that Augustine was euer resident at London neither that Gregorie appointed him so to be In the end it was decreed That Yorke for that time should be subiect to Canterburie that wheresoeuer within England the Archbishop of Canterburie should hold his Councell the Archbishop of Yorke should come vnto it with the Bishops of his Prouince and be obedient to his decrees that when the Archbishop of Canterburie should decease the Archbishop of Yorke should goe to Canterburie to consecrate him that should succeed that if the Archbishop of Yorke should decease his successour should goe to Canterbury or to such place as the Archbishop of Canterburie should appoint there to receiue his Consecration making first his oath of Canonicall obedience And thus was the contention for this first time taken vp but in succeeding times it was often renued and much busied the Clergie of the Realme In the ninth yeere of the
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
had bene excommunicated before by Hildebrand and was then againe excommunicate by Vrbane being the first Christian Prince with Souereigne power who was euer excommunicate by any Pope And for that Vrbane at that time had his hands full against the Emperour for that also hee would not make the example too odious at the first he was willing ynough to forbeare excommunication against the King And the rather for that Anselme had intelligence from his friends in England that the excommunication would not be regarded Hereupon accompting it a sufficient declaration of his power for the time to haue menaced excommunication he caused a generall decree to be made That as well all Lay-persons who should giue inuestiture of Churches as those of the Clergie who should be so inuested also those who should yeeld themselues in subiection to Lay-men for Ecclesiastical liuings should be excōmunicate This generall sentence was pronounced The Pope also signified by letters to the King that if he would auoyd particular proceeding against himselfe he should foorth with restore Anselme to the exercise of his Office in his Church and to all the goods and possessions perteining thereto Hereupon the King sent messengers to the Pope who declared vnto him That their great Master the King marueiled not a litle wherefore he should so sharply vrge the restitution of Anselme seeing it was expresly told him That if he departed out of England without licence he should expect no other vsage Well said the Pope Haue you no other cause against Anselme but that he hath appealed to the Apostolicall Sea and without licence of your King hath trauailed thither They answered No. And haue you taken all this paines said he haue you trauailed thus farre to tell me this Goe tell your Lord if he will not be excommunicate that he presently restore Anselme to his Sea And see that you bring mee answere hereof the next Councell which shal be in the third weeke after Easter make haste and looke to your terme lest I cause you to be hanged for your tarryance The messenger was herewith much abashed yet collecting himselfe he desired priuate audience of the Pope affirming that he had some secret instructions from the King to impart vnto him What this secret was it is vnknowne Whatsoeuer it was a longer day was obtained for the King vntill Michaelmas then next ensuing And when that day was come albeit complaints were renued yet was nothing done against the King The Archb. seeing the small assurance of the Pope returned to Lions in France and there remained vntil the death first of Pope Vrbane and afterwards of the king which was almost the space of 3. yeeres By this great conflict the king lost the hearts of many of the Clergie but his displeasure had seasoned reuenge with contentment and finding himselfe sufficient both in courage and meanes to beare out his actions he became many other wayes heauie vnto them When any Bishopricke or Monasterie fell voyd he kept them vacant a long time in his hands and applied the profits to himselfe At the last hee would set them to open sale and receiue him for Prelate who would giue for them the greatest price Herehence two great inconueniences did ensue the best places were furnished with men of least sufficiencie and worth and no man hoping to rise by desert the generall endeuour for vertue and knowledge were layd aside the direct way to aduancement was by plaine purchase from the king In this seazing and farming and marchandizing of Church-liuings one Ranulph commonly called the Kings Chapleine was a great agent for the King Hee was a man of faire vse of speach and liuely in witte which hee made seruants to licentious designes but both in birth and behauiour base and shamelesse in dishonestie a very bawde to all the Kings purposes and desires Hee could be so euill as hee li◅ted and listed no lesse then was to his aduantage The King would often laugh at him and say that he was a notable fellow to compasse matters for a King And yet besides more then ordinary fauour of countenance the King aduanced him first to be his Chancellour and afterward to be Bishop of Duresme By his aduise so soone as any Church fell voide an Inuentory was made of all the goods that were found as if they should bee preserued for the next successor and then they were committed to the custodie of the King but neuer restored to the Church againe So the next incumbent receiued his Church naked and bare notwithstanding that he paid a good price for it From this King the vse is said to haue first risen in England that the Kings succeeding had the Temporalties of Bishops Seas so long as they remained voide Hee also set the first enformers to worke and for small transgressions appointed great penalties Hee is also reported to haue been the first King of this Realme who restreined his subiects from ranging into forreine Countreys without licence And yet what did the King by this sale of Church dignities but that which was most frequent in other places For in other places also few attained to such dignities freely The difference was this here the money was receiued by the King there by fauorites or inferiour officers here it was expended in the publike vses of the State there to priuate and many times odious enrichments this seemeth the more easie that the more extreme pressure as done by more hungrie and degenerous persons this may bee esteemed by some the more base but assuredly it was the better dealing And further it is euident that the King did freely aduance many excellent persons to principall dignities in the Church and especially Anselme to the Archbishopricke of Canterburie who was so vnwilling to accept that honour that the King had much to doe to thrust it vpon him And the rather to enduce him he gaue him wholly the citie of Canterburie which his predecessors had held but at the pleasure of the King This Anselme was one whose learned labours doe plainely testifie how little his spirits were fed with the fulsome fumes of surfeting and ease which to many others together with their bodies doe fatten and engrosse their mindes He so detested singularitie that he accounted it the sinne which threw Angels out of Heauen and man out of Paradise This detestation of singularitie might happily encline him to the other extreme to adhere ouer lightly to some common receiued errours It is attributed to him that hee would often wish to bee rather in hell without sinne then with sinne in heauen The king also aduanced Robert Bloet to the Bishopricke of Lincolne a man whose wisedom was highly graced with goodly personage and good deliuery of speach from whom notwithstanding the king afterwards wiped fiue thousand markes Hee also freely receiued Hugh de Floriaco a man for his vertue much esteemed to be Abbot of the Monastery of S. Augustines in Canterburie and likewise diuers others to other Ecclesiasticall preferments
setled in a certaine course of succession because the dignitie is inherent in the blood of that stocke because it is not taken from the father but from the ancestors because it is not taken onely from the ancestors but from the fundamentall law of the State the eldest sonne shall indistinctly succeede although hee were borne before his father was King And therefore after the kingdome of Persia had been caried by succession in some descents when Darius the King had foure sonnes Artaxerxes the eldest Cyrus the next and two others Parysates the wife of Darius hauing a desire that Cyrus should succeede in the kingdome alleaged in his behalfe the same reason wherewith Xexes had preuailed before to wit that shee had brought foorth Artaxerxes to Darius when hee was in priuate state but Cyrus was borne to him when he was a King Yet Plutarch affirmeth that the reason which she vsed was nothing probable and that Artaxerxes the eldest sonne was appointed to be King And so Blondus and Ritius doe report that Bela the King of Hungarie being dead Geysa succeeded although borne vnto him before he was a King Others inferiour in number but not in weight of Iudgement do affirme that whether a Kingdome be setled in succession or whether by any other title newly attained the right to succeed by all true grounds of law pertaineth to the eldest sonne albeit borne before his fathers aduancement to the kingdome in case there be no expresse law of the state to the contrary The principall reason is because this is the nature of all successions by way of inheritance For if a father purchaseth lands leases cattell or other goods the inheritance shall bee transmitted to his eldest sonne although borne before the purchase Likewise if a father be aduanced to any title of honour as Duke Earle Marquesse c. it was neuer I will not say denied but once doubted but that the eldest sonne should succeede in the same albeit he was borne before the aduancement And therefore seeing this is the generall rule of all other inheritable successions and there is no reason of singularitie in a kingdome it followeth that in like case the succession of a kingdome should also descend to the eldest sonne although borne before the kingdome were atchieued Againe the sonne who was borne before his father was a King had once a right to succeede in the kingdome for if another sonne had not afterwards beene borne without all question hee should haue succeeded But a right which a man by his owne person hath acquired albeit in some cases it may be diminished yet can it not bee altogether extinguished by any externall or casuall euent which hath no dependencie vpon himselfe And so the right which the eldest sonne hath to his fathers inheritance may bee diminished by the birth of other children in regard of those goods which are to bee distributed in parts among them but it cannot possibly be extinguished Neither can it bee diminished in those things which are not of nature to bee either valued or diuided of which sort a Kingdome is the chiefe but doe passe entirely vnto one For the right of blood which onely is regarded in lawfull successions is acquired and held from the natiuitie of the childe and doth not begin at the fathers death at which time the inheritance doth fall Lastly if it be true in sonnes that he shal succeede in a kingdome who is first borne after the father is exalted to bee a King then is it true also in other remote degrees of consanguinitie And hereby it should often happen that when a King dieth without issue of his body they who are not onely inferiour in age but more remote in degree should exclude both the elder and the neerer in blood because perhaps borne after the kingdome was attained which is against all lawes of lawfull succession Howsoeuer the right standeth Henry the yonger brother to King William Rufus vpon aduantage of the absence of Duke Robert his eldest brother formed this title to the Crowne of England In which pretence he was strongly supported first by a generall inclination of the common people for that he had both his birth and education within the Realme and they were well perswaded of his good nature and disposition Secondly by the fauour and trauaile of many of the nobilitie especially of Henry Neuborow Earle of Warwicke Thirdly for that the sailes of popular fauours are filled most violently with reports by his giuing forth that his brother Robert intended neuer to returne for that he was elected King of Hierusalem and of all those large Countreys in Asia which the Christians had lately wrung out of the Saracens hands Lastly by vsing celeritie the very life of actions for he was Crowned at Westminster as it hath bene said vpon the fifth day of August in the yeere 1100. which was the third day after his brothers death In person he was both stately and strong tall broad brested his limmes fairely fourmed well knit and fully furnished with flesh He was exceeding both comely and manly in countenance his face wel fashioned his colour cleere his eyes liuely and faire his eye-browes large and thicke his haire blacke and somewhat thinne towards his forehead He was of an excellent wit free from ostentation his thoughts high yet honourable and iust in speach ready and eloquent much graced with sweetnesse of voyce In priuate he was affable open wittily pleasant and very full of merrie simplicitie in publicke he looked with a graue Maiestie as finding in himselfe cause to be honoured He was brought vp in the studie of Liberall Arts at Cambridge where he attained that measure of knowledge which was sufficient both for ornament and vse but ranne not into intemperate excesse either for ostentation or for a cloake to vnprofitable expense of time By his example the yong Nobilitie of the Realme began to affect a praise for learning Insomuch as at a certaine enteruiew betweene the King and Pope Innocent the 2. the sonnes of Robert Earle of Mellent maintained open disputations against diuers Cardinals and Chapleines of the Pope He was an exact esteemer of himselfe not so much for his strength as for his weakenesses lesse inclined to confidence then to distrust and yet in weighty affaires resolute and firme neuer dismaied and alwayes fortunate his spirits being of force to oppose against any sort of difficulties or doubts Extremities made him the more assured and like a well knit Arch hee then lay most strong when hee sustained the greatest weight Hee was no more disposed to valour then well setled in vertue and goodnes which made his valour of more precious valuation He had good command ouer his passions and thereby attained both peace within himselfe and victory ouer others In giuing hee was moderate but bountifull in recompence his countenance enlarging the worth of his gift Hee was prone to relieue euen where there was least likelihood of requitall
of Warwicke the Hospitall of Kepar the Priorie of Osney neere Oxeford the Hospital of S. Crosse neere Winchester the Priorie of Norton in Cheshire with diuers others The King also founded and erected the Priorie of Dunstable the Abbey of Circester the Abbey of Reading the Abbey of Shirebourne Hee also changed the Abbey of Eley into a Bishops Sea he erected a Bishopricke at Caerlile placed Chanons there and endowed it with many honours These and many other Religious buildings either done or helped forward or permitted and allowed by the King much encreased the affection of the Clergie towards him Now to draw the loue of the common people he composed himselfe to a sober ciuilitie easie for accesse faire in speach in countenance and behauiour kind his Maiestie so tempered with mildnèsse and courtesie that his Subiects did more see the fruits then feele the weight of his high estate These were things of great moment with the vulgar sort who loue more where they are louingly intreated then where they are benefited or happely preserued He eased them of many publicke grieuances Hee restored them to the vse of fire and candle after eight of the clocke at night which his father had most straitly forbidden Punishments of losse of member vsed before he made pecuniarie Hee moderated the Law of his brother which inflicted death for killing any of the Kings Deere and ordeined that if any man killed a Deere in his owne wood the wood should be forfeited to the King He permitted to make enclosures for Parkes which taking beginning in his time did rise to that excessiue encrease that in a few succeeding ages more Parkes were in England then in all Europe beside He promised that the Lawes of K. Edward should againe be restored but to put off the present performance he gaue forth that first they should be reuiewed and corrected and made appliable to the present time And albeit in trueth they were neuer either reuiewed or corrected yet the onely hope thereof did worke in the people a fauourable inclination to his part Whilest the King did thus Immure himselfe in the state of England as well by ordering his affaires as by winning the hearts of the people vnto him Duke Robert was returning from Palestine by easie and pleasurable iourneys vsing neither the celeritie nor forecast which the necessitie of his occasions did require Hee visited many Princes by the way and consumed much time in entertainments and other complements of Court Hee tooke to wife as he came Sibell the daughter of Roger Duke of Apulia and Earle of Cicill vvho was a Norman and the great portion of money which he receiued for her dower he loosely lauished foorth amongst his followers of whom he receiued nothing againe but thankes when he scattered rather then gaue and pitie when he wanted At the last he arriued in Normandie and foorthwith was sollicited out of England by letters from many who either vpon conscience or discontentment fauoured his Title and especially from Radulph Bishop of Durham who had lately escaped out of prison a man odious ynough to vndoe a good cause that he would omit no time that hee would let fall no diligence to embarke himselfe in the enterprise for England that he had many friends there both powerfull and sure who would partake with him in his dangers although not in the honour atchieued by his dangers that therewith the peoples fauour towards the King did begin to ebbe and that it was good taking the first of the tide Hereupon he shuffled vp an Armie in haste neither for number nor furniture nor choise of men answerable to the enterprise in hand Then he crossed the Seas landed at Portesmouth and marched a small way into the Countrey vainely expecting the concourse and ayd which had bene assured him out of England But King Henry had made so good vse both of his warning and time to prouide against this tempest that hee did at once both cut from the Duke all meanes of ayd and was ready to encounter him in braue appointment Hereupon many who were vnable by Armes to relieue the Duke by aduise did to him the best offices they could For they laboured both the King and him to a reconcilement The King with respect of his new vnsettled estate the Duke with respect of his weakenesses and wants both with regard of naturall duetie and loue knit betweene them by band of blood So after some trauaile and debatement a peace was concluded vpon these Conditions That Henry should reteine the kingdome of England and pay to his brother Robert 3000. markes yeerely That if either of them should die without issue the suruiuour should succeed That no man should receiue preiudice for following the part of the one or of the other These conditions being solemnely sworne by the king and the Duke and twelue Noble men on either part the Duke returned into Normandie and about two yeeres after went againe into England to visit the King and to spend some time with him in feasting and disport At which time to requite the Kings kind vsage and entertainment but especially to gratifie Matild the Queene to whom he was godfather he released to the King the annuall payment of 3000. markes But as a wound is more painefull the day following then when it was first and freshly taken so this loose leuitie of the Duke which was an exceeding sad and sore blow to his estate was scarce sensible at his departure out of England but most grieuous to him after hee had remained in Normandie a while whereby many motions were occasioned as well in the one place as in the other The Duke complained that hee had bene circumuented by his brother the King that his courtesies were nothing else but allurements to mischiefe that his gifts were pleasant baites to couer and conuey most dangerous hookes that his faire speaches were sugred poysons that his kinde embracements were euen to tickle his friends to death Robert Belasme Earle of Shrewsbury a man of great estate but doubtfull whether of lesse wisedome or feare tooke part with the Duke and fortified the Towne and Castle of Shrewsbury the Castles of Bridgenorth Tichel and Arundel and certaine other pieces in Wales against King Henry And hauing drawen vnto him some persons of wretched state and worse minde whose fortunes could not bee empaired by any euent hee entred Stafford-shire and droue away light booties of cattell being prepared neither in forces nor in courage to stay the doing of greater mischiefe But neither was this sudden to the King neither was he euer vnprouided against sudden aduentures Wherefore encountring the danger before it grew to perfection and strength he first brought his power against the Castle of Bridgenorth which was forthwith rendred vnto him The residue followed the example which in enterprise of armes is of greatest moment and submitted themselues to the Kings discretion Onely the Castle of Arundel yeelded vpon condition that Robert Belasme their Lord
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
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
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
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
occasioned much disquiet and disorder in many parts of the Realme In the same Councel the censure of Excommunication was cast vpon those who did exercise the vile vice of Sodomitrie and it was further decreed that the same sentence should be published euery Sonday in al the parish Churches of England But afterward it was esteemed fit that this general excommunication should be repealed The pretence was for that the prohibiting yea the publike naming of that vice might enflame the hearts of vngracious persons with desire vnto it But wise men coniectured that after this seuere restreint of marriage in the Clergie it did grow so frequent and familiar among them that they would not giue way to so generall a punishment It is certaine that in this Kings dayes Io. Cremensis a Priest Cardinal by the Kings licence came into England and held a solemne Synode at London where hauing most sharpely enueighed against the marriage of Priests the night following hee was taken in adulterie and so with shame departed the Realme It is certaine also that Anselme the most earnest enforcer of single life died not a Virgine as by the lamentation which hee wrote for the losse thereof it may appeare Not long after Anselme died being of the age of 70. yeeres He had bestowed much money on Christs Church in Canterburie as well in buildings as in ornaments and encrease of possessions Other workes of charge he left not many neither in very deed could he by reason of his often banishments and the seasures of the reuenues of his Church But this he did more then liberally supply by the eternall labours of his penne After his decease the Archbishopricke remained voyd fiue yeeres during which time the King applied the fruits to himselfe The like hee did to other vacant Churches and compounded also with Priests for reteining their wiues and made his profit by Ecclesiasticall persons and liuings more largely and freely then he had done before For which cause it is not vnlike that the imputation of couetousnesse was fixed vpon him At the last Radulph Bishop of Rochester was aduanced to the See of Canterburie and notwithstanding all former agreements and decrees the King inuested him with Ring and with Staffe But howsoeuer we may either excuse or extenuate the two vices of crueltie and couetousnesse wherewith he is charged his immoderate excesse in lust can no wayes be denied no wayes defended And when age had somewhat abated in him the heat of that humour yet was hee too much pleased with remembrance of his youthfull follies For this vice it is manifest as well by the sudden and vnfortunate losse of his children as for that he was the last King by descent from males of the Norman race that the hand of God pressed hard vpon him As Radulph succeeded Anselme in the See of Canterburie So after the death of Thomas Thurstine the Kings Chapplaine was elected Archb. of Yorke And because he refused to acknowledge obedience to the See of Canterbury hee could not haue his Consecration but was depriued of his dignitie by the King Hereupon he tooke his iourney to Rome complained to the Pope and from him returned with a letter to the King that the putting of a Bishop elect from his Church without iudgement was against diuine Iustice against the decrees of holy Fathers that the Pope intended no preiudice to either Church but to maintaine the constitution which S. Gregorie the Apostle of the English Nation had stablished betweene them that the Bishop elect should be receiued to his Church and if any question did rise between the two Churches it should be handled before the King Vpon occasion of this letter a solemne assembly was called at Salisburie where the variance betweene the two Prelats was much debated Radulph would not giue Imposition of hands to Thurstine vnlesse hee would professe obedience Thurstine said that he would gladly embrace his benediction but professe obedience to him he would not The King signified to Thurstine that without acknowledgement of subiection to the Archb. of Canterburie hee should not be Consecrated Archb. of Yorke Thurstine replied nothing but renounced his dignitie and promised to make no more claime vnto it Not long after Calixtus Bishop of Rome assembled a Councell at Rhemes and Thurstine desired licence of the King to goe to that Councell This hee obtained vnder faithfull promise that he should there attempt nothing to the preiudice of the Church of Canterburie In the meane time the King dealt secretly with the Pope that Thurstine should not bee consecrated by him This the Pope did faithfully assure and yet by meanes of some of his Cardinals whom Thurstine had wrought to bee suiters for him by reason also of his hate against Radulph for taking Inuestiture from the King The Pope was drawen to giue him consecration and there with the Pall. For this cause the King was displeased with Thurstine and forbad him to returne into the Realme After this the Pope came to Gisors to which place the King went vnto him and desired that he would not send any Legates into England except the King should so require The reason was for that certaine Legates had come into England lately before to wit one Guidâ—… and another named Anselme and another called Peter who had demeaned themselues not as Pillars of the Church but as Pillagers of all the Realme Also he required that hee might reteine all such customes as his auncestors had vsed in England and in Normandie The Pope vpon promise that the King should ayd him against his enemies yeelded to these demands and required againe of the King to permit Thurstine to returne with his fauour into England The King excused himselfe by his oath The Pope answered that he might and would dispence with him for his oath The King craued respite affirming that he would aduise with his Counsaile and then signifie to the Pope what he should resolue So in short time hee declared to the Pope that for loue to him Thurstine should bee receiued both into the Realme and to his Church vpon condition that he should professe subiection to the Sea of Canterburie as in former times his predecessors had done otherwise said hee so long as I shall bee King of England hee shall neuer sit Archbâ—…shop of Yorke The yeere following the Pope directed his letters to the King and likewise to Radulph And herewith he interdicted both the Church of Canterburie and the Church of Yorke with all the Parish Churches of both Prouinces from Diuine seruice from Buriall of the dead from all other offices of the Church except onely baptizing of children and absolution of those who shal lie at the point of death vnlesse within one moneth after the receit of the same letters Thurstine should be receiued to the Sea of Yorke without acknowledging subiection to the Sea of Canterburie It was further signified to the King that he should also be excommunicate vnlesse hee would consent to the same
yeere the Citie of London was very much defaced with fire The yeere next following many prodigies happened which seemed to portend the death of the King or rather the troublesome times which did thereupon ensue In the moneth of August the Sunne was so deepely eclipsed that by reason of the darkenesse of the ayre many starres did plainely appeare The second day after this defect of light the earth trembled with so great violence that many buildings were shaken downe Malmesb. sayth that the house wherein he sate was lift vp with a double remooue and at the third time setled againe in the proper place The earth in diuers places yeelded foorth a hideous noyse It cast foorth flames at certaine rifts diuers dayes together which neither by water nor by any other meanes could be suppressed During the time of the eclipse mentioned before the King was trauersing the sea into Normandie whither hee vsually went sometimes euery yeere but euery third yeere at the furthest Here he spent the whole yeere following in ordering affaires of State and in visiting euery corner of the Countrey He neuer gaue greater contentment to the people as well by his gifts as by his gentle and courteous behauiour he neuer receiued greater contentment from them by the liuely expressing of their loue But nothing did so much affect him with ioy as that his daughter Matild had brought foorth other two sonnes Geoffrey and William whereby hee conceiued that the succession of his issue to the Crowne of England was so well backed that he needed not to trouble his thoughts with any feare that his heires would faile At the last he began to languish a little and droupe in health and neither feeling nor fearing any great cause hee rode on hunting to passe it ouer with exercise and delight Herewith being somewhat cheered hee returned home and eate of a Lamprey albeit against his Physicians aduise which meate he alwayes loued but was neuer able well to digest After this and happely vpon this vicious feeding he fell into a feuer which increased in him by such dangerous degrees that within seuen dayes it led him to the period of his life Hee died vpon the first of December in the 67. yere of his age when hee had reigned 35. yeeres and foure moneths wanting one day His bowels and eyes were buried at Roan The rest of his bodie was stuffed with salt wrapped vp in Oxe hides and brought ouer into England and with honourable exequies buried in the Monastery of Reading which hee had founded His Physician who tooke out his braines by reason of the intolerable stinch which breathed from them in short time after ended his life So of all that King Henrie slue this Physician was the last He had by his first wife a sonne named William who perished by shipwracke and Matild a daughter who was espoused to the Emperour Henrie the 5. when she was scarce sixe yeeres olde and at the age of eleuen yeeres was married vnto him When shee had been married vnto him twelue yeeres he died and shee returned to the King her father both against her owne minde and against the desire of the greatest Princes of the Empire who in regard of her wise and gracious behauiour were suitors to the King more then once to haue her remaine as Empresse among them But the king would not consent to their intreatie For that shee was the onely heire to his Crowne Then many great Princes desired her in marriage But the King bestowed her vpon Geoffrey sonne to Fulke Earle of Aniou somewhat against her owne liking but greatly to the suretie of his estate in France By him she had Henrie who afterwards was King of England Further the King had by a Concubine Richard a sonne and Mary a daughter who were lost vpon the sea with their brother William By another Concubine hee had a sonne named Robert whom he created Earle of Glocester a man for valour of minde and abilitie of bodie inferiour to none in counsailes so aduised as was fit for a right Noble commander By his faith industrie and felicitie chiefly his sister Matild did afterwards resist and ouerbeare both the forces and fortunes of King Stephen He is reported to haue had 12. other bastards which were of no great either note or continuance according to that saying of the Wise man Bastard plants take no deepe rootes This King in the beginning of his Reigne made many fauourable lawes And namely That he would reserue no possessions of the Church vpon their vacancies that the heires of his Nobilitie should possesse their fathers lands without redemption from him and that the Nobilitie likewise should afford the like fauour to their Tenants that Gentlemen might giue their daughters and kinsewomen in marriage without his licence so it were not to his enemie that the widow should haue her ioynture and not be compelled to marrie against her owne liking that the mother or next of kinred should bee Guardian of the lands of her children that all debts to the Crowne and certaine offences also should bee remitted But these lawes afterwards were but slenderly obserued Three vertues were most famous in him wisedome courage and sweetenesse of speach By the last hee gained much fauour from the people By the other two he purchased both peace at home and victory abroad He was noted also for some vices but out of doubt they were farre exceeded by his vertues And for these vices also being himselfe of a pleasant disposition he was well pleased with pleasant reproofes Guymund his Chapleine obseruing that vnworthy men for the most part were aduanced to the best dignities of the Church as he celebrated Diuine seruice before him and was to read these words out of S. Iames It rained not vpon the earth iij. yeres and vj. moneths Hee did read it thus It rained not vpon the earth one one one yeres and fiue one moneths The King obserued this reading and afterwards rebuked his Chapleine for it But Guymund answered that he did it of purpose for that such readers were soonest preferred by the King The King smiled and in short time after preferred him to the gouernment of S. Frideswides in Oxeford In this King failed the heires male of King William the first and then the Crowne was possessed by Title of heires generall In these times flourished two excellent ornaments of the Church Anselme in England and Bernard in France both of them enrolled in the list of Saints And no lesse infamous for vice was Gerard Archbishop of Yorke a man of some learning not so much in substance as in seeming and shew of commendable wit which he applied chiefly to giue a couler for euery vice of his owne and for euery vertue of others either a slander or a ieast Of enuious disposition plagued lesse with his owne calamities then with the well either doing or being of other men in wiping money from his Subiects by dishonest meanes subtill and shamelesse and
THE LIVES OF THE III. NORMANS KINGS OF ENGLAND WILLIAM the first WILLIAM the second HENRIE the first Written by I. H. MART. Improbè facit qui in alieno libro ingeniosus est ¶ IMPRINTED AT LONDON BY R. B. ANNO 1613. TO THE HIGH AND MIGHTIE PRINCE CHARLES Prince of Wales MOst Illustrious PRINCE OVr late too late borne or too soone dying Prince HENRY of famous memorie your deceased brother sent for mee a few monethes before his death And at my second comming to his presence among some other speeches hee complained much of our Histories of England and that the English Nation which is inferiour to none in Honourable actions should be surpassed by all in leauing the memorie of them to posteritie For this cause hee blamed the negligence of former ages as if they were ignorant of their owne deseruings as if they esteemed themselues vnworthie of their worth I answered that I conceiued these causes hereof One that men of sufficiencie were otherwise employed either in publicke affaires or in wrestling with the world for maintenance or encrease of their priuate estates Another is for that men might safely write of others in maner of atale but in maner of a History safely they could not because albeit they should write of men long since dead and whose posteritie is cleane worne out yet some aliue finding themselues foule in those vices which they see obserued reproued condemned in others their guiltinesse maketh them apt to conceiue that whatsoeuer the words are the finger pointeth onely at them The last is for that the Argument of our English historie hath bene so foiled heretofore by some vnworthie writers that men of qualitie may esteeme themselues discredited by dealing in it And is not this said he an errour in vs to permit euery man to be a writer of Historie Is it not an errour to be so curious in other matters and so carelesse in this We make choise of the most skilfull workemen to draw or carue the portraiture of our faces and shall euery artlesse Pensell delineate the disposition of our minds Our apparell must be wrought by the best Artificers and no soile must be suffered to fall vpon it and shall our actions shall our conditions be described by euery bungling hand Shall euery filthie finger defile our reputation Shall our Honour be basely buried in the drosse of rude and absurd writings Wee are carefull to prouide costly Sepulchers to preserue our dead liues to preserue some memorie what wee haue bene but there is no monument either so durable or so largely extending or so liuely and faire as that which is framed by a fortunate penne the memory of the greatest Monuments had long since perished had it not bene preserued by this meanes To this I added that I did alwayes conceiue that we should make our reckoning of three sorts of life the short life of nature the long life of fame and the eternall life of glorie The life of glorie is so farre esteemed before the other two as grace is predominant in vs the life of fame before our naturall life is so farre esteemed as a generous spirit surmounteth sensualitie as humane nature ouerruleth brutish disposition So farre as the noble nature of man hath dominion in our minds so farre do we contemne either the incoÌ„modities or dangers or life of our body in regard of our reputation and fame Now seeing this life of fame is both preserued and enlarged chiefly by history there is no man I suppose that will either resist or not assist the commendable or at least tolerable writing thereof but such as are conscious to themselues either that no good or that nothing but ill can bee reported of them In whom notwithstanding it is an errour to thinke that any power of the present time can either extinguish or obscure the memorie of times succeeding Posteritie will giue to euery man his due Some ages hereafter will affoord those who will report vnpartially of all Then he questioned whether I had wrote any part of our English Historie other then that which had been published which at that time he had in his hands I answered that I had wrote of certaine of our English Kings by way of a briefe description of their liues but for historie I did principally bend and binde my selfe to the times wherein I should liue in which my owne obseruations might somewhat direct me but as well in the one as in the other I had at that time perfected nothing To this he said that in regard of the honour of the time hee liked well of the last but for his owne instruction he more desired the first that he desired nothing more then to know the actions of his Auncestours because hee did so farre esteeme his descent from them as he approached neere them in honourable endeauours Hereupon beautifying his face with a sober smile he desired mee that against his returne from the progresse then at hand I would perfect somewhat of both sorts for him which he promised amply to requite and was well knowen to be one who esteemed his word aboue ordinary respects This stirred in mee not onely a will but power to perfourme so as engaging my duety farre aboue the measure either of my leisure or of my strength I finished the liues of these three Kings of Norman race and certaine yeeres of Queene ELIZABETHS Reigne At his returne from the Progresse to his house at S. Iames these pieces were deliuered vnto him which hee did not onely courteously but ioyfully accept And because this seemed a perfect worke he expressed a desire that it should be published Not long after he died and with him died both my endeauours and my hopes His death alasse hath bound the liues of many vnto death face to face being no wayes able either by forgetfulnesse to couer their griefe or to diminish it with consideration For in trueth he was a Prince of a most Heroical heart Free from many vices which sometimes accompanie high estates full of most amiable and admirable vertues of whose perfections the world was not worthy His eyes were full of pleasant modestie his countenance manly beautifull in bodie both strongly and delicately made in behauiour sweetâ—…ly sober which gaue grace to whatsoeuer he did He was of a discerning wit and for the facultie of his mind of great capacitie and power accompanied with equall expedition of will much foreseeing in his actions and for passions a commander of himselfe and of good strength to resist the power of prosperitie In counsaile he was ripe and measured in resolution constant his word euer led by his thought and followed by his deede And albeit hee was but yong and his nature forward and free yet his wisedome reduced both to a true temper of moderation his desires being neuer aboue his reason nor his hopes inferiour to his desires In a word hee was the most faire fruit of his Progenitours an excellent ornament of the present
King William the second was in Palestina when King William was slaine being one of the principal leaders in that Heroical warre which diuers Christian Princes of Europe set vp to recouer Hierusalem out of the power and possession of the Saracens In this expedition hee purchased so honourable reputation for skill industrie and valour of hand that when the Christian forces had surprised Hierusalem and diuers other Cities in those quarters the kingdome thereof was offered vnto him But the Duke whether he coniectured the difficulties of that warre for that the enemie was both at hand and vnder one command but the Armie of the Christians was to be supplied from farre and also consisted of many Confederats In which case albeit sometimes men performe well at the first yet in short time inconueniences encreasing they alwayes either dissipate and dissolue or else fall into confusion Or whether he heard of the death of his brother to whose Kingdome he pretended right as well by prerogatiue of blood as by expresse couenant betweene them confirmed by oath refused the offer which was the last period of all his honour and in short time after tooke his iourney from Palestine towards France But Henry the Kings yonger brother apprehending the opportunitie of the Dukes absence did foorthwith seaze vpon the treasure of the King and thereby also vpon his State and so was crowned at Westminster vpon the second day of August in the yeere 1100. by Maurice Bishop of London because Anselme Archb. of Canterburie was then in exile This enterprise was much aduanced by the authoritie and industrie of Henry Newborow Earle of Warwicke who appeased all opposition that was made against it The people also albeit they had bene managed so tame as easily to yeeld their backe to the first sitter yet to Henry they expressed a prone inclination for that hee was borne in England at a place called Selby in Lincolneshire since his father was crowned King whereas Duke Robert his brother was borne before his father attained the kingdome This serued Prince Henry not onely to knit vnto him the affections of the people but also to forme a title to the Crowne For it hath bin a question often debated both by Arguments and by Armes and by both trials diuersly decided when a king hath two sonnes one borne before he was King and the other after whether of them hath right to succeed Herodotus writeth That when Darius the sonne of Hysdaspis King of Persia made preparation for warre against the Graecians and Egyptians he first went about to settle his succession because by the Lawes of Persia the King might not enter into enterprise of Armes before he had declared his successour Now Darius had three children before he was King by his first wife the daughter of Gobris After he was King he had other foure by Atossa the daughter of Cyrus Artabazanes or as other terme him Arthemenes was eldest of the first sort Xerxes of the second Artabazanes alleaged that he was the eldest of all the Kings sonnes and that it was a custome among all nations That in principalities the eldest should succeed Xerxes alleaged that he was begotten of Atossa the daughter of Cyrus by whose valour the Persians had obteined their Empire Before Darius had giuen sentence Demaratus the sonne of Aristo cast out of his kingdome of Sparta and then liuing an exile in Persia came vnto Xerxes and aduised him further to alleage that he was the eldest sonne of Darius after hee was King And that it was the custome of Sparta that if a man had a sonne in priuate state and afterwards another when he was King this last sonne should succeed in his kingdome Vpon this ground Artabazanes was reiected and Darius gaue iudgement for Xerxes This history is likewise reported by Iustine and touched also by Plutarch although they disagree in names and some other points of circumstance So when Herode King of Iudea appointed Antipater his eldest sonne but borne to him in priuate state to succeed in his Royaltie and excluded Alexander and Aristobulus his yonger sonnes whom he had begot of Mariamne after he had obteined his kingdome Iosephus plainly reprehendeth the fact and condemneth the iudgement of Herode for partiall and vniust So Lewes borne after his father was Duke of Milane was preferred in succession before his brother Galeace who was borne before And so when Otho the first was elected Emperour his yonger brother Henry pretended against him for that Otho was borne before their father was Emperour and Henry after In which quarrell Henry was aided by Euerharde Earle Palatine and Giselbert Duke of Lorreine with diuers other Princes of Almaine But when the cause came to be canuased by the sword the victorie adiudged the Empire to Otho Furthermore this right of title seemeth to be confirmed by many grounds of the Imperial Law As that sonnes borne after their father is aduanced to a dignitie doe hold certaine priuiledges which sonnes formerly borne doe not enioy That those children which are borne after a person is freed from any infamous or seruile condition doe participate onely of that libertie and not they who were borne before That if a man taketh a wife in the Prouince wherein he holdeth office the mariage is good if after the time his Office shall expire they continue in the same consent but so that the children borne before shall not be thereby helde for legitimate That those children which are borne after their father is honoured with the title of Clarissimus do enioy the rights due vnto that degree of dignitie and not they who were borne before That as a sonne borne after the father hath lost his kingdome is not esteemed for the sonne of a King so neither hee that is borne before the father be a King And although these and diuers like passages of Law commonly alleadged doe seeme little or nothing pertinent to this purpose for that they concerne not any vniuersall right of inheritance which is due vnto children after the death of their parents but certaine particular piuiledges and rights attributed vnto them whilest their parents were in life which for the most part are arbitrarie and mutable as depending vpon the pleasure of the Prince Yet many Interpreters of both Lawes haue bene drawen by these reasons to subscribe their iudgements for this kind of Title and namely Pet. Cynus Baldus Albericus Iac. Rebuffus Luc. Penna Also Panormitane Collect. Dynus Franc. Cremen Marti Laud. Card. Alexander Phil. Decius Alceat Bon. Curti. And lastly Anton. Corsetta deliuereth it for a common receiued and followed opinion Which must be vnderstood with this distinction if the kingdome be either newly erected or else newly acquired by Conquest Election or any such title other then by hereditarie succession according to proximitie in blood For if the kingdome bee once