cannot Foule weather may much hinder the discharge of the piece but it is no great impediment to the shot of the Bow A horse strooke with a bullet if the wound be not mortall may performe good seruice but if an arrow be fastened in his flesh the continuall stirring thereof occasioned by the motion of himselfe will enforce him to cast off all command and either beare downe or disorder those that are neere But the cracke of the piece will some man say doeth strike a terrour into the enemie True if they bee such as neuer heard the like noise before But a little vse wil extinguish these terrours to men yea to beasts acquainted with these cracks they worke a weake impression of feare And if it be true which all men of action doe hold that the eye in all battailes is first ouercome then against men equally accustomed to both the sight of the arrow is more auaileable to victorie then the cracke of the piece Assuredly the Duke before the battaile encouraged his men for that they should deale with enemies who had no shot But I will leaue this point to be determined by more discerning iudgements and happily by further experience in these affaires and returne againe to my principall purpose The next day after the victorie the Duke returned to Hastings about seuen miles from the place of the encounter partly to refresh his Armie and partly to settle in aduise and order for his further prosecution First he dispatched messengers to signifie his successe to his friends abroad to the Pope he sent King Harolds Standerd which represented a man fighting wrought curiously with golde and precious stones Afterwards placing a strong garrison at Hastings he conducted his Armie towards London not the direct way but coasted about through part of Kent through Sussex Surrey Hampshire and Barkeshire the wayes where hee passed being as free from resistance as his thoughts were from change At Walling ford he passed ouer the Thames and then marched forward through Oxford shire Buckinghamshire and Hartford-shire vntill he came to the Castle at Berkhamstead In this passage many of his Souldiers languished and died of the Fluxe And whether it were vpon licentiousnesse after the late victorie or whether for want of necessary prouision or whether to strike a terrour into the English or whether to leaue no danger at his backe he permitted the sword to range at large to harrie freely to defile many places with ruine and blood In the meane time the English Lords assembled at London to aduise vpon their common affaires but the varietie of opinions was the chiefe impediment to the present seruice the danger being more important then the counsaile resolute or the confidence assured The Nobilitie enclined to declare Edgar grandchild to Edmund Ironside to be their King and with these the Londoners wholy went But those of the Clergie were of opinion some vpon particular respects all vpon feare to displease the Pope to yeeld to the storme and streame of the present time to yeeld to the mightie Arme of GOD that their forces being prostrated their hopes feeble and forlorne they must be content not to be constrained they must not prouoke the Victor too farre against whose forces and felicities time gaue them not power to oppose This deliberation held so long that all the time of action was spent For the Duke approched so neere the Citie that many preferring their safetie before other respects withdrew themselues and went vnto him Hereupon the residue dissolued and Alfred Archb. of Yorke Wolstane Bishop of Worcester Wilfire B. of Hereford and many other Prelates of the Realme went vnto the Duke at Berkhamstead accompanied with Edgar Earle Edwine Earle Morchar and diuers others of the Nobilitie who gaue pledges for their allegiance and were thereupon receiued to subiection and fauour The Duke presently dispatched to London was receiued with many declarations of ioy the lesser in heart the fairer in appearance and vpon Christmas day next following was crowned King Now the meanes whereby this victory was assured were the very same whereby it was atchieued euen by a stiffe and rigorous hand For whosoeuer supposeth that a State atteined by force can be reteined by milder meanes he shall find himselfe disappointed of his hopes A people newly subdued by force will so long remaine in obedience as they finde themselues not of force to resist And first he endeauoured either to preuent or appease all forren warres especially against the Danes who were then chiefly feared in England as well in regard of their former victories as for that they pretended title to the Crowne And herein two things did especially fauour his affaires One for that the Normans were in some sort allied to the Danes being the progenie of those Noruegians and Danes which vnder the conduct and fortune of Rollo inuaded France after many great atchieuements seated in Normandie The other was for that after the death of Canutus the state of Denmarke was much infeebled by diuision For the Noruegians set vp Magnus the sonne of Olaus for their King but the Danes acknowledged Canutus the third of that name by meanes whereof that puissant empire did languish in consumption of it selfe and could not be dangerous to any neighbour Countrey Yet ceased they not for many yeeres to continue claime to the Crowne of England But King William had purchased many sure and secret friends in that diseased state wherein all publike affaires were set to sale especially he vsed the authoritie of Adelbert Archbishop of Hamburgh either to crosse all counsaile of hostilitie against him or else to delay and thereby to delude the enterprise or lastly so to manage the action that it should noâ—… worke any dangerous effect After the death of Swaine Canutus prepared a Nauie of one thousand saile for inuasion of England and was aided with sixe hundred more by Robert le Frizon whose daughter hee had taken to wife But either for want or else by negligence or happily of purpose this Nauie continued partly in preparation and partly in a readinesse the space of two yeeres and then the voyage was layd aside The cause was attributed to contrarietie of winds but the contrariety of wils was the truest impediment Likewise Swaine had furnished against England a Nauie of 204. sayle commanded by Earle Osborne his brother Another fleete of 200. saile was set foorth vnder the charge of Earle Hacon But King William so corrupted them both that the one departed out of the Realme without performing any great exploit the other neuer would arriue Also out of those confusions in England Malcolme King of Scots did take his opportunitie for action Hee receiued into protection many English who either for feare or for discontentment forsooke their Countrey of whom many families in Scotland are descended and namely these Lindsey Vaus Ramsey Louell Towbris Sandlands Bissart Sowlis Wardlaw Maxwell with diuers others Hee entertained into his Court Edgar Atheling and
But the King staied him fell downe at his feet desired pardon and promised satisfaction in the best maner that he could The Nobilitie that were present put the Archbishop in minde that he should cause the King to arise Nay answered the Archb. let him alone Let him still abide at S. Peters feet So with much adoe he was appeased and entreated to accept his suite And so the name of Saint Peter and of the Church hath been often vsed as a mantle to couer the pride passions and pleasures of disordered men He founded and enlarged many houses of Religion Hee furnished Ecclesiasticall dignities with men of more sufficiencie and worth then had been vsuall in former times And because within his owne Dominions studies did not flourish and thriue by reason of the turbulent times by reason of the often inuasions of barbarous people whose knowledge lay chiefly in their fists hee drew out of Italy and other places many famous men both for learning and integritie of life to wit Lanfranke Anselm Durand Traherne and others These he honoured these hee aduanced to these hee expressed great testimonies both of fauour and regard And yet he preferred Odo his brother by the mothers side to the Bishopricke of Baion and afterwards created him Earle of Kent A man proud vaine mutinous ambitious outragious in oppression cruelty and lust a prophaner of Religion a manifest contemner of all vertue The King being called by occasions into Normandie committed vnto him the gouernment of the Realme In which place of credite and command he furnished himselfe so fully with treasure that hee aspired to the Papacie of Rome vpon a prediction then cast abroad which commonly deceiue those that trust vnto them that the successour of Hildebrand was named Odo So filled with proud hopes hee purchased a palace and friends at Rome hee prepared for his iourney and drew many gentlemen to be of his traine But the King returning suddenly out of Normandie met with him in the Isle of Wight as he was ready to take the Seas There hee was arrested and afterwards charged with infinite oppressions also for seducing the Kings subiects to forsake the Realme and lastly for sacrilegious spoyling of many Churches Hereupon his treasure was seized and he was committed to prison not as Bishop of Baion but as Earle of Kent and as an accomptant to the King And so he remained about foure yeeres euen vntill the death of the King His seruants some in falshood and some for feare discouered such hidden heapes of his gold as did exceede all expectation yea many bagges of grinded gold were drawen out of riuers wherein the Bishop had caused them for a time to be buried After this hee was called the Kings spunge as being preferred by him to that place of charge wherein he might in long time sucke that from others which should at once be pressed from himselfe By this meanes the King had the benefit of his oppression without the blame and the people being no deepe searchers into secrets of State were so well pleased with the present punishment as they were thereby although not satisfied yet well quieted for all their wrongs Towards the end of his reigne he appointed his two sonnes Robert and Henry with ioynt authoritie gouernours of Normandie the one to suppresse either the insolencie or leuitie of the other These went together to visit the French King lying at Conflance where entertaining the time with varietie of disports Henry played with Louis then Daulphine of France at Chesse and did win of him very much Hereat Louis beganne to growe warme in words and was therein little respected by Henry The great impatiencie of the one and the small forbearance of the other did strike in the end such a heate betweene them that Louis threw the Chesse-men at Henries face and called him the sonne of a bastard Henrie againe stroke Louis with the Chesse-boord drew blood with the blowe and had presently slaine him vpon the place had hee not been stayed by his brother Robert Hereupon they presently went to horse and their spurres claimed so good haste as they recouered Pontoife albeit they were sharpely pursued by the French It had been much for the French King to haue remained quiet albeit no prouocations had happened in regard of his pretence to many pieces which King William did possesse in France But vpon this occasion he presently inuaded Normandie tooke the Citie of Vernon and drew Robert King Williams eldest sonne to combine with him against his owne father On the other side King William who neuer lost any thing by loosing of time with incredible celeritie passed into France inuaded the French Kings dominions wasted and tooke many principall places of Zantoigne and Poictou returned to Roan and there reconciled his sonne Robert vnto him The French King summoned him to doe his homage for the kingdome of England For the Duchie of Normandie he offered him homage but the kingdome of England he said he held of no man but onely of God and by his sword Hereupon the French King came strongly vpon him but finding him both ready and resolute to answere in the field finding also that his hazard was greater then his hope that his losse by ouerthrow would farre surmount his aduantage by victory after a few light encounters he retired preferring the care to preserue himselfe before the desire to harme others King William being then both corpulent and in yeeres was distempered in body by meanes of those trauailes and so retired to Roan where hee remained not perfectly in health The French King hearing of his sickenesse pleasantly said that hee lay in child-bed of his great belly This would haue been taken in mirth if some other had spoken it but comming from an enemie it was taken in scorne And as great personages are most sencible of reproach and the least touch of honour maketh a wide and incurable wound so King William was so nettled with this ieast that hee swore By Gods resurrection and his brightnesse for this was the vsuall forme of his oath that so soone as hee should be churched of that child he would offer a thousand lights in France So presently after his recouery hee entred France in armes tooke the Citie of Meux set many Townes and Villages and corne fields on fire the people abandoning all places where he came and giuing foorth that it was better the nests should be destroyed then that the birds should be taken in them At the last he came before Paris where Philip King of France did then abide to whom he sent word that he had recouered to be on foote and was walking about and would be glad likewise to find him abroad This enterprise was acted in the moneth of August wherein the King was so violent and sharpe that by reason both of his trauaile and of the vnseasonable heate he fell into a relapse of his sicknesse And to accomplish his mishap in leaping on horse-backe ouer a ditch
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
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
vndaunted countenance and heart conducted his Armie into Sussex and encamped within seuen miles of the Normans who thereupon approched so neere to the English that the one Armie was within view of the other First espials were sent on both sides 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 uer the state and condition of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They who were sent from the English 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 large report both of the number and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ment and discipline of the Normans Whereupon Girth yonger brother to King Harold presented him with aduise not to play his whole State at a cast not to bee so caried with desire of victory as not to awaite the time to attaine it that it is proper to Inuaders presently to fight because they are then in the very pride and flourish of their strength but the assailed should rather delay battell rather obserue only and attend their enemies cut off their reliefe vexe them with incommodities weary them and weare them out by degrees that it could not be long before the Dukes armie being in a strange Countrey would be reduced to necessities it could not bee long but by reason it consisted of diuers nations it would draw into disorder that it was proper to an armie compounded of different people to be almost inuincible at the first whilest all contend to excell or at least to equal other in braue performance but if they be aduisedly endured they will easily fall into disorders and lastly of themselues dissolue Or if sayd he you resolue to fight yet because you are sworne to the Duke you shall doe well to withdraw your presence to imploy your authoritie in mustering a new armie to bee readie to receiue him with fresh forces And if you please to commit the charge of this incounter vnto me I will not faile to expresse both the loue of a brother and the care and courage of a Commander For as I am not obliged to the Duke by oath so shall I either preuaile with the better cause or with the quieter conscience die Both these counsailes were reiected by Harold The first out of a violent vehemencie of these Northerne nations who doe commonly esteeme delay of battell a deiected cowardise a base and seruile deflouring of time but to beare through their designes at once they account a point of honourable courage The second he esteemed both shamefull to his reputation and hurtfull to the state of his affaires For what honour had he gained by his former victories if when he came to the greatest pinch of danger hee should fearefully shrinke backe with what heart should the Souldiers fight when they haue not his presence for whom they fight when they haue not their Generall an eye witnesse of their performance when they want his sight his encouragement his example to enflame them to valour The presence of the Prince is worth many thousands of ordinarie Souldiers The ordinary Souldier wil vndertake both labour and danger for no other respects so much as by the presence of the Prince And therefore he did greatly extenuate the worth of the Normans terming them a company of Priests because their fashion was to shaue their faces But whatsoeuer they were as he had hee said digested in his minde the hardest euents of battell so either the infamie or suspicion of cowardise in no case hee would incurre Hee resolued not to ouerliue so great dishonour he resolued to set vp as his last rest his Crowne and Kingdome and life withall And thus oftentimes Fortune dealeth with men as Executioners doe with condemned persons she will first blindfold and then dispatch them After this the Norman sent a Monke to offer the choise of these conditions to Harold Either to relinquish his kingdome vpon certaine conditions or to hold it vnder homage to the Duke or to try their cause by single combate or to submit it to the iudgement of the Pope according to the Lawes of Normandy or of England which he would Againe some conditions were propounded from K. Harold to the Duke But their thoughts were so lifted vp both with pride and confidence by reason of their former victories that no moderate ouerture could take place and so they appointed the day following which was the 14. of October to determine their quarrell by sentence of the sword This happened to be the birth day of K. Harold which for that cause by a superstitious errour he coniectured would be prosperous vnto him The night before the battaile for diuers respects was vnquiet The English spent the time in feasting and drinking and made the aire ring with showtings and songs the Normans were more soberly silent and busied themselues much in deuotion being rather still then quiet not so much watchful as not able to sleepe At the first appearance of the day the 〈◊〉 and the Duke were ready in Armes enâ—…ging their Souldiers and ordering them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in whose eyes it seemed that 〈◊〉 did sparckle and that in their face and gesture victorie did sit The Duke put certaine reliques about his necke vpon which King Harold had sworne vnto him It is reported that when he armed the backe of his Curasses was placed before by errour of him that put it on some would haue bin dismayed hereat but the Duke smiled and said Assuredly this day my Fortune will turne I shall either be a King or nothing before night The English were knit in one maine body on foot whereof the first rancks consisted of Kentishmen who by an ancient custome did challenge the honour of that place the next were filled with Londoners then followed the other English Their chiefe weapons were pole-axe sword and dart with a large target for their defence They were paled in front with paueises in such wise that it was thought impossible for the enemie to breake them The King stood on foot by his Standard with two of his brothers Girth and Leofwine as well to relieue from thence all parts that should happen to be distressed as also to manifest to the Souldiers that they reteined no thought of escaping by flight On the other side the Normans were diuided into three battailes The first was conducted by Roger Montgomerie and William Fitz-Osborne it consisted of horsemen of Aniou Maine and Britaine commanded by a Britaine named Fergent It caried the Banner which the Pope had sent The middle battaile consisting of Souldiers out of Germanie and Poictou was led by Geoffrye Martell and a Prince of Almaine The Duke himselfe closed the last battaile with the strength of his Normans and the flowre of his Nobilitie The Archers were diuided into wings and also dispersed by bands through all the three battails Thus were both sides set vpon a bloody bargaine ambition hope anger hate enflaming them to valour The duke edged his Souldiers by declaring vnto them the noble Acts of their ancesters the late admirable atchieuement of their fellow Normans in subduing the Kingdome of Sicill their owne braue exploits vnder him by shewing them all that pleasant and
ensued that riuers were passable with loaden carts The yeere next ensuing was exceeding remarkeable both for the number and fashion of gliding Starres which seemed to dash together in maner of a conflict About this time Pope Vrbane assembled a Councell at Cleremont in Auergne wherein hee exhorted Christian Princes to ioyne in action for recouery of Palestine commonly called The Holy Land out of the seruile possession of the Saracenes This motion was first set on foote and afterwards pursued by Peter the Heremite of Amiens which falling in an age both actiue and Religious was so generally embraced as it drew 300000. men to assemble together from diuers Countreys and that with such sober and harmlesse behauiour that they seemed rather Pilgrimes then Souldiers Among others Robert Duke of Normandie addressed himselfe to this Voyage and to furnish his expenses therein he layed his Duchie of Normandie to gage to his brother of England for 6666. li. or as other Authors report for 13600. pounds of Siluer This money was taken vp part by imposition and part by loane of the most wealthy inhabitants within the Realme But especially the charge was layd vpon religious persons for that it was to furnish a religious warre When many Bishops and Abbots complained that they were not able to satisfie such summes of money as the King demanded of them vnles they should sel the Chalices siluer vessels which pertained to their Churches Nay answered the King you may better make meanes with the siluer and gold which vainely you haue wrapped about dead mens bones meaning thereby their rich Relickes and Shrines The yeare following a blasing starre appeared for the space of fifteene dayes together the greatest bush whereof pointed towards the East and the lesser towards the West Gliding starres were often seene which seemed to dart one against another The people began as to mindes fearefull all fancies seeme both weightie and true to make hard constructions of these vnusuall sights supposing that the heauens did threaten them not accustomed to shew it selfe so disposed but towards some variation In the 13. yeere of his reigne the Sea surmounted his vsuall bounds in diuers parts of England and Scotland whereby not only fields but many villages castles and townes were ouerflowen and some ouerturned and some ouerwhelmed with sand much people and almost innumerable cattel was destroyed At the same time certaine lands in Kent which did once belong to Godwine Earle of Kent were ouerflowed and couered with sand which to this day do beare the name of Godwins sands Thunders were more frequent terrible then had been vsuall through violence whereof diuers persons were slaine Many feareful formes and apparitions are reported to haue bin seene whether errours or inuentions or truethes I will not aduow The heauens often seemed to flame with fire At Finchamsted in Barkeshire neere vnto Abington a spring cast vp a liquor for the space of fifteene dayes in substance and colour like vnto blood which did taint and infect the next water brooke whereinto it did runne The King was often terrified in his sleepe with vncouth ougly vnquiet dreames and many fearefull visions of others were oftentimes reported vnto him At the same time hee held in his handes three Bishoprickes Canterburie Winchester and Salisburie and twelue Abbeys The same yeere vpon the second of August a little before the falling of the Sunne as the King was hunting within the newe forrest at a place called Choringham where since a Chappell hath beene erected hee strooke a Deere lightly with an arrow The Deere ranne away and the King stayed his horse to looke after it holding his hand ouer his eyes because the beames of the Sunne which then drew somewhat lowe much dazeled his sight Herewith another Deere crossed the way whereat a certaine Knight named Sir Walter Tirrell aimed with an arrow and loosing his bowe either too carelesly at the Deere or too steadily at the King strooke him therewith full vpon the brest The King hauing so receiued the wound gaue foorth a heauie groane and presently fell downe dead neither by speach nor motion expressing any token of life Onely so much of the arrowe as was without his bodie was found broken whether with his hand or by his fall it is not certainely knowen The men that were neere vnto him especially Sir Walter Tirrell galloped away some for astonishment others for feare But a fewe collecting themselues returned againe and layd his bodie vpon a Colliers Cart which by aduenture passed that way wherin it was drawen by one leane euill-fauoured base beast to the Citie of Winchester bleeding abundantly all the way by reason of the rude iogging of the Carte The day following hee was buried without any funerall pompe with no more then ordinarie solemnities in the Cathedrall Church or Monasterie of Saint Swithen vnder a plaine flat marble stone before the Lectorne in the Quire But afterwards his bones were translated and layd by King Canutus bones Most writers doe interprete this extraordinarie accident to bee a iudgement of God for the extraordinarie loose behauiour of the King But it may rather seeme a iudgement of God that King William the first who threw downe Churches and dispeopled Villages and Townes who banished both the seruice of God and societie of men to make a vaste habitation for sauage beasts had two sonnes slaine vpon that place It may also seeme a iudgement of God that King William the second who so greatly fauoured beastes of game that he ordeined the same penaltie for killing of a deere as for killing of a man should as a beast and for a beast and among beasts be slaine And thus God doth often punish vs by our greatest pleasures if they be either vnlawfull or immoderately affected whereby good things become vnlawfull Hee died in the principall strength both of his age and of his distastfull actions wherein hee had bene much carried by the hoate humour of his courage and youth his iudgement not then raised to that stayednesse and strength whereto yeeres and experience in short time would haue brought it Hee reigned in great varietie of opinion with his Subiects some applauding his vertues others aggrauating his vices twelue yeeres eleuen moneths wanting eight dayes and was at his death fourtie and three yeeres old At this time he presumed most highly and promised greatest matters to himselfe hee proiected also many difficult aduentures if his life had continued the naturall course wherein his hopes were nothing inferiour to his desires Hee gaue to the Monckes of Charitie in Southwarke his Mannour of Bermondsey and built for them the great new Church of Saint Sauiour Also of an old Monasterie in the Citie of Yorke he founded an Hospitall for the sustentation of poore persons and dedicated it to S. Peter This Hospitall was afterward augmented by King Stephen and by him dedicated to S. Leonard KING HENRY THE FIRST Sirnamed BEAVCLERKE ROBERT Duke of Normandie the eldest brother to