following sailed into Normandy taking with him all the chief men of England who were likeliest to make a party against him in his absence As Edgar Etheling Stigand Archbishop of Canterbury the two great Earls Edwin and Morchar Frederick Abbot of Saint Albanes Agelnothus Abbot of Glastenbury Walteof Earl of Northumberland Roger Earl of Hertford Rainulph Earl of Cambridge Gospatrick Earl of Cumberland c. And in his absence which was all the Summer nothing was here attempted against him save that Edrick surnamed the Forester in the County of Hereford calling in the Welch to his assistance forraged the remoter borders of that County The rest of the Kingdom was quiet expecting what would become of this new World wherein as yet they found no great alteration their Laws and Liberties remaining the same they were and they might hope that by this accession of a new Province England would have her Dominion enlarged abroad and her profit not impaired at home King William having disposed his affairs in Normandy towards Winter returned into England where he had three sorts of men to satisfie 1. Such as had adventured their Lives and estates with him 2. Those of his own Countrey whose merits and propinquity looked for recompence whereof the number was very great 3. The people of England by whom he must now subsist wherein he had more to doe than in his Battel at Hastings seeing that all rewards with money must be raised out of the stock of the Kingdom which must needs be distastfull to the State in general and if he preferred any of his to dignities by displacing others it must needs bring very feeling grievances to the persons displaced But he thrust no great men out of their room but such as put themselves out by revolting after they had given their Fealty to him So that it seems he contented himself and his for the present only with what he found ready filling up their places who were slain in the Battel or fled away as many were with Herald's Sons out of the Kingdom Such of desert as he could not presently prefer he sent abroad into the Abbeys there to live till places fell void for them whereof twenty four he sent to the Abbey of Ely by which policy he not only lessened his Suitors at Court and eased the eye sore of the English but had a watch over the Clergy who were then of the greatest power in the Kingdom and might prevail much with the people But the English Nobility thinking that their splendor was darkned by the interposition of so many strangers and fearing that yet it would be further eclypsed Conspired together and fled some into Scotland and others into Denmark to try if by forraign aid they could recover themselves Amongst whom Edgar Etheling with his Mother and two Sisters intending for Hungary where he was born was driven into Scotland where he was kindly entertained by Malcolin the third whose former sufferings in exile had taught him to pity others in the like distress and whom also it concerned to look to his own now his neighbours House was on fire This induced him also to make a League with Edgar and to tie it the stronger he took to wife Margret the sister of Edgar a very virtuous Lady by whom the blood of our antient Kings was preserved and conjoyned with the Normans in King Henry the second and so became English again Edgar being thus in Scotland there repared to him the Earls Edwin and Morchar Hereward Gospatrice Siward and others and shortly after Stigand and Aldrid the two Archbishops with diverse of the Clergy who in that third year of King William's Reign raised great commotions in the North and sought most eagerly to recover their lost Country But it now proved too late the King having setled the Government of the Kingdom so that instead of prevailing they gave advantage to the Conquerour to make himself more than he was For all oppositions made by Subjects against their Soveraigns do if they succeed not tend much to their advancement and nothing gave deeper rooting to the Normans here then the petty revolts made by scattered Troops in several places begun without Order and followed without resolution King William foreseeing new stirs from Scotland sent to Malcolme to deliver up to him his enemy Etheling which if he refused he threatned him with Wars Malcolme returned answer That it was unjust and wicked especially in a Prince to betray to his enemy one that came to his Court for protection especially being now so nearly allied to him William thus disappointed feared a dangerous Rebellion in his Kingdom to prevent which he built four strong Castles One at Hastings A second at Lincoln A third at Nottingham And a fourth at York in all which he placed strong Garrisons And disarming the English he commanded every Housholder to put out both fire and candle at eight a clock at night at which hour he appointed that in every Town a Bell should be rung called by the French Coverfew or Cover fire to prevent nightly tumults which otherwise might arise Then did he give the Earldom and all the Lands that Edwin held in York-shire to Allain Earl of Britaine The Archbishoprick of Conterbury he conferred on Lankfranc Abbot of Caen. That of Tork upon Thomas his Chaplaine and all the rest of the English which were out in Rebellion had their places supplied by the Normans Shortly after Goodwin and Edmund the sons of the late King Herald coming with some Forces out of Ireland landed in Summersetshire and fought with Adnothus one of King William's Captains whom they slew with many others and taking great booties in Cornwall and Devonshire returned back into Ireland Exeter also thought to shake off the Norman yoak And Northumberland to recover their former liberties took Armes against whom the King sent Robert Cumin and himself went against Exeter and besieged it and at last the Citizens opened their Gates and submitted to his mercy the Ring-leaders escaping into Flanders But in the North Cumin lying secure in Durham was suddenly in the night surprised by Edgar Etheling and his followers who slew Cumin and all his Normans being about seven hundred one onely escaping to carry the ill newes to King William During these stirs in England the English fugitives in Denmark so far prevailed with King Swaine that he sent a strong Navy of three hundred ships well fraught with Souldiers under his two Sons Harold and Canute who arriving in Humber marched to York to whom also Edgar and his associats out of Scotland joyned themselves At whose approach the Citizens were so terrified that they set fire on the suburbs and the flame by an high wind was driven over the wall whereby a great part of the City was consumed together with the Cathedral Church and a famous Library of great worth and the Garrison of Normans consisting of 3000. were all slain This so
incensed King William that speedily raising an Army he entered Northumberland pittifully wasted by the Danes and made spoil of all and with a good summe of money purchased the departure of the Danes These devastations in sundry Counties made such a Dearth that the People were forced to eat Horses Dogs Cats Rats c. and between York and Durham for the space of sixty miles for nine years together there was such an utter desolation that neither House was left standing nor field tilled After this great defeat most of the Lords came in upon the publick Faith and were conducted to Barkhansted by the Abbot Frederick where upon their submission and Oath of Allegiance retaken they were restored to his favour and to give them satisfaction King William before the Archbishop Lankfranc and the Lords again sware to observe the antient Laws of the Realm established by his Noble Predecessors especialy those of Saint Edward Yet not long after these Lords upon new discontents brake out again But Earl Edwin making towards Scotland was murthered by the way by his own men The Lords Morchar and Hereward betook themselves to the Isle of Ely intending to secure themselves there for that Winter to whom also repaired Earl Syward and the Bishop of Durham out of Scotland But the King who was no time giver presently besieged them with flat Boats on the East and made a Bridge two miles long on the West and so brought his men upon them who seeing themselves surprised yielded to the Kings mercy Only Hereward desperatly marched with his People through the Fens and fled into Scotland the rest were sent to diverse Prisons where they dyed or remained during the Kings life Those Lords that continued Loyal upon the late submission were imployed and preferred by the King As Edric the Forrester And Gospatrice was made Earl of Northumberland and sent against King Malcolme who wasted the Countries of Tisdale Cleaveland and Cumberland Waltheoff the Son of Earl Syward he married to his Neece Judith a very valiant man shewing a Noble nature to love vertue even in his enemies And now King William finding Scotland to be a place of retreat for all his discontented Subjects and where his Competitor Edgar lived he entered the Kingdom with a great Army which encountring more with wants than Forces and both Kings considering the uncertain events of War upon fair overtures concluded a Peace agreeing upon the bounds of each Kingdom and Delinquents with their partakers were generally pardoned And shortly after Edgar Etheling came in volutarily and was restored to the Kings favour who allowed him a liberal maintenance which held him ever after quiet King William being now gone into Normandy there was amost dangerous Conspiracy begun against him by Ralph de Waher Earl of Suffolk and Norfolk Roger Fitz Aubre or Osburne Earl of Hereford Waltheoff Earl of Northumberland with Eustace Earl of Bulloine suborned as it was thought by the King of France there unto These Lords conspired to keep William in Normandy and to dispossess him of his Kingdom for which end they agreed to joyn theirs with the Danish Forces whom they intended to call in This was a dangerous Combination the King being in Normandy besieging the Castle of Dole in Britaine belonging unto Ralph Waher and defended against him by the King of France and at such a time when all his Neighbor Princes were jealous of him and ill affected to him The King of Scotland and the Princes of Wales ready to joyn with them at home Swaine King of Denmark with a Navy of two hundred sail ready to invade England to which Drone King of Ireland joyned sixty five ships And this did more distract and incense him because most of these great Lords were either his kinsmen or nearly allied to him This grand Conspiracy was discovered by Waltheoff to Archbishop Lankfranc who perswaded the Earl to go to the King and to inform him of the greatness of his danger Yet notwithstanding this discoverie Roger and Ralph proceed in their intentions and raise Forces But by the diligence of Odo Bishop of Baiaux the Kings Brother the Bishop of Worcester and the Abbot of Evesham they were so prevented that they could never unite their Forces Whereupon Ralph fled into France Roger was taken and imprisoned Waltheoff was beheaded and so this flame was extinct The greatest and last insurrection was in Normandy by King William's own Son Robert who by the instigation and assistance of Philip King of France envying Williams greatness entered Normandy and claimed it as his own right His Father indeed had promised him it long before but Robert impatient of delaies endeavored by a strong hand to wrest it from his Father King William hearing hereof passed with a strong Army over into Normandy where in a Battel meeting with his Son hand to hand he was by him unhorsed and hurt in the arm But his Son perceiving by his voice that it was his Father suddenly leaped off his Horse took him up in his armes fell down at his feet and humbly intreated his pardon which his Father easily granted embraced his Son and ever after they lived in mutual love After this King William sent this his Son Robert with an Army against Malcolm King of Scots who had invaded Northumberland who at the coming of Duke Robert retired At which time Duke Robert began to found a Castle upon the River of Tine whereof the Town of Newcastle did take its beginning and Name which formerly was called Moncaster These frequent Wars put the State to an infinite charge the King entertaining all this while besides Normans very many French Finding the English in respect of many great Families that were allied to the Danes rather to incline to that Nation than to the Normans In the fifteenth year of his Reign he subdued Wales and brought the King thereof to do him Homage And presently after quarrels arose between King William and the King of France The King of France invades Normandy and takes the City of Vernon The King of England invades France and subdued the Country of Xantoigne and Poicton and so returned to Roan Then did the King of France summon our King to do him Homage for England which he refused saying he held it of none but God and his sword But for the Dutchy of Normandy he offered him Homage which yet would not satisfie the King of France Whereupon he made a new invasion but with more loss than profit In the end they concluded a crazy Peace which held only till King William had recovered a sickness whereinto through his travel age and corpulency he was faln which occasioned the young and lusty King of France jeeringly to say that he lay in of his great belly in Roan This so irritated King William that so soon as he was recovered he gathered a very strong Army with which he entered France in
succeeded his Father in the Dutchy of Normandy whereof he was dispossessed by his Brother Henry King of England at the Battel of Ednarchbray Anno. 1106. where being taken Prisoner his eyes were put out and he was sent to the Castle of Cardiff in Wales and after twenty years imprisonment died there William the elder surnamed Miser who in the right of Queen Maud was Earl of Flanders who died six years before his Father Richard was born in Normandy and as he was hunting in the new Forrest whilst he was young was slain by a Stag. William surnamed Rufus who succeeded his Father in the Kingdom of England Henry surnamed Beau-clerk or the Fine Schollar who after his Brothers Death came to be King of England and Duke of Normandy Cicily his eldest Daughter was by her Father made a Nun and afterwards was chosen Abbess in the Monastery built by her father in Caen. Constance his second Daughter was first married to Allain Earle of Little Britaine who was afterwards by King William made Earl of Richmond Alice his third Daughter was married to Steven Earl of Bloys Gundred his fourth Daughter was married to William Warren who was the first Earl of Surry in England Ella his fifth Daughter some say she dyed young Margeret his youngest Daughter who was contracted to Alphonso King of Galicia in Spain but dyed before the marriage was consummated There was one Randolph Peverel to whom Edward the Confessor was very bountifull because he had married his kinswoman the Daughter of Ingelrick a man of great Nobility among the English Saxons A Lady of that admirable beauty that with her looks she conquered the Conquerour William who desired nothing more than to be her Prisoner in Armes which to effect he begins to express a kind of love to the remembrance of her deceased Father Ingelrick enriching the Colledge of Martins Le Grand in London first founded by him and her Uncle Edward Then he honours and advances her two Brethren William Peverel Castellane or keeper of Dover Castle and Payne Peverel Baron of Bourn in Cambridgshire the Founder of Barnwell Abbey and Standard-bearer to Robert Duke of Normandy in the Holy War against the Infidels He prefers her kindred and Friends He sollicites her by the Messengers of the Devils Bedchamber his fly Enchanting Bawdes and comes sometimes himself like Jupiter in a Golden shower Thus by these forcible demonstrations of his love and unavoidable allurements especially from a King she was brought at length to his unlawfull Bed unto whom she bare a Son named William who was Lord of Nottingham and Founder of Lenton Abby The Lady his Mother touched with remorse of Conscience for her sin to expiate her guilt for such was the Doctrine taught in those dayes founded a College in Hatfield Peverel in Essex wherein setting apart all worldly imployments she spent the remainder of her dayes King William having once setled himself in the Kingdom divided a great part of it among his followers To Allen surnamed the Red Earl of Britain who came into England with him and was his Son in Law he gave the Honour and County of Edwin within the Province of York by his Charter in these words I William surnamed the Bastard King of England give and grant to thee my Nephew Allen Earl of Britain and to thy Heirs for ever all those Villages Towns and Lands which were late in the possession of Earl Edwin in Yorkshire with Knights Fees Churches and other liberties and customes as freely and as honourably as the said Edwin held them Given at the siege before York FINIS His Pedigree * or Rolls His Birth and Parentage He is made Duke of Normandy and commited to the French King He comes into Normandy His troubles by Competitors The King of France against him New troubles Treason against him A special Providence He retires to the French King His Valour and Victory His meekness His new troubles He recovers his Towns His Valour A new Conspiracy He calls a Parlament His Marriage He is envied by the French King who invades his Country The French beaten The King of France invades his Country again and is again beaten The King of France dies He goes into England His preparations His Policy His subtilty The affairs in England Herald made King An. 1066. His prudence and policy His opposition and successe His victory Duke William comes into England His policy The Battel between him and Herald Their mutual valour Herald slain Englands sins Duke Williams victory His Progress The English submit to him A stout Abbot He comes to London Is received with Joy His Coronation No Conquerour His Prudence The Kentish mens Policy * or Fitz-Osburne King William goes into Normandy Returns into England His Prudence and Policy The English rebel * or Malcolâ—â— He built 4 Castles Troubles out of Ireland In the West and North. England invaded by the Danes and Scots York burnt King William goes against them Woful devastations The King Conquers New discontents Ely taken King William's clemency Peace with Scotland A new Conspiracy Discovered Prevented His son Robert rebels Is reconciled to his Father New-Castle built Quarrels with France The French King jeers him His reveng His sickness The Tower built England surveied Dooms-day Book New forrest made Remarkable Judgments The Laws in French Bishops Power abated His houshold Provision The Charter of London renewed Bishops Sees Changed his works of Piety Pauls Church burnt and reedified Great Judgments He despoiles the Monasseries His last VVill. His Death Vanity of Vanties His Charecter His Wife His Sons His Daugters