whereby I am confirmed in opinion that many odious imputations against the king were either altogether inuented or much enlarged aboue the trueth It happened vpon auoidance of a certaine Monastery that two Monkes went to the king either of them contending as well by friends as by large offer of purse to procure to be made Abbot of the place The ◅ing espying a third Monke standing by who came with the other two either to accompany them or to obtaine some inferiour place vnder him that should preuaile demaunded of him what hee would giue The Monke answered that hee had small meanes and lesse minde to purchase that or any other dignitie of the Church For with that intention did he first betake himselfe to a religious life that holding riches and honour the two beauties of the world in contempt he might more freely and quietly dispose himselfe to the seruice of God The King replied that he iudged him most worthy of that preferment and therefore first offred it vnto him then intreated and lastly enioyned him to accept it Assuredly the force of vertue is such that often times wee honour it in others euen when we little esteeme it in our selues He is charged with some actions and speaches tending to profanenesse The Iewes at Roan so preuailed with him by gifts that they drew him to reprehend one who had forsaken their superstition At London a disputation was appointed betweene certaine Christians and Iewes The Iewes a little before the day prefixed brought to the King a rich present At which time he encouraged them no doubt but by the way of ioylitie and mirth to acquite themselues like tall fellowes and if they preuailed by plaine strength of trueth hee sware as was his vsuall by S. Lukes face that hee would become one of their Secte These things happely not much spoken amisse might easily bee depraued by report It is affirmed of him that he so much exceeded in bodily lust then which nothing maketh a man more contemptible that thereby hee seemed to decline from the Maiestie of a Prince This vice did cast a great mist ouer his glorie And yet neither is it infrequent in lusty bodies placed in a State both prosperous and high neither can the pleasure of one man that way extend it selfe to the iniurie of many The worst was that after his example many others did follow licentious traces examples of Princes being alwayes of greater force then their Lawes to induce the people to good or to euill As the King turned the prosperitie of his actions to serue his vanities and delights so his followers by felicitie became insolent and let goe at aduenture serious affaires not receiuing into their thoughts any other impression then of brauery and pleasure And they who were greatest in the counsailes and fauours of the King respected all things no further then as they were aduantageable to themselues Then rose vp costly apparell and dainty fare two assured tokens of a diseased State the one the vainest the other the grossest prodigalitie that can be Then was brought into vse the laying out of haire strange fashions and disguisings in attire and all delicacies pertaining to the bodie Then were practised nice treadings lasciuious lookes and other dissolute and wanton behauiour many effeminate persons did accompanie the Court by whose immodest demeanour the maiestie of that place was much embased From hence also the poyson brake foorth first into the citie and after wards into other places of the Realme for as in fishes so in families and so likewise in States putrifaction commonly beginneth at the head IN the second yeere of this kings reigne Lanfranck Archb. of Canterburie ended his life A man highly esteemed with good men for his learning and integritie with great men for his diligence and discretion to sound deepely into affaires with the common people for his moderate and modest behauiour King William the first did honour and embrace him with great respect and was much guided by his aduise He was as a Protector to King William the second When he went to Rome to obteine his Pall the Pope rose from his chaire stepped forwards to meet him and with many ceremonies of courtesie did enterteine him Then he returned to his seat and said Now Lanfrancke I haue done to thee what is due to thy vertue come thou and doe to me what apperteineth to my place He was an earnest enemie to all vices especially to auarice and pride the two banes of all vertues He renued the great Church of Canterburie and enriched it with 25. mannours He repaired the walles of that Citie and built two Hospitals therein one of S. Iohn the other Harlebaldowne He gaue a thousand markes towards the repairing and enlarging of the Abbey of S. Albones and procured Redbourne to be restored thereto By his Testament hee gaue to the same Church 1000. pounds besides many rich ornaments He tooke great paines in purging ancient Authors frō such corruptions as had crept into them diuers workes also he wrote of his owne but the greatest part of them are perished Thus he liued in honour and died with fame his time imployed in honest studies and exercises his goods to good and Religious vses The same yeere a strange and great earthquake happened throughout all the Realme after which ensued a great scarciti◅ of fruit and a late haruest of corne so as much graine was not fully ripe at the end of Nouember In the fourth yere of the reigne of his King a strong stroke of lightning made a hole in the Abbey steeple at Winchelscombe neere to the top rent one of the beames of the Church brake one of the legges of the Crucifixe cast downe the head thereof together with the Image of the Virgine Marie that was placed by it Herewith a thicke smoke darkened the Church and breathed foorth a marueilous stincke which annoyed the Church a long time after In the same yeere a mightie winde from the south-Southwest did prostrate 606. houses in London And breaking into the Church of S. Mary Bow in Cheape slew two men with some part of the ruines which it made raised the roofe of the Church and carried many of the beames on such a height that in the fall six of them being 27. or 28. foot in length were driuen so deepe into the ground the streets not then paued with stone that not aboue 4. foote remained in sight and so they stood in such order and rancke as the workemen had placed them vpon the Church The parts vnder the earth were neuer raised but so much was cut away as did appeare aboue the groūd because it was an impediment for passage The Tower of London at the same time was also broken and much other harme done The next yeere Osmund Bishop of Salisbury finished the Cathedrall Church of old Salisburie and the fifth day after the Consecration the steeple thereof was fired with lightning The yeere following much raine fell and so great frosts
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
wealth to satisfie therewith either his pleasure or wants His cruelty made the people rebellious and their rebellions made him the more cruell in which case many Innocents were made the oblations of his ambitious feares Many heauy taxations were imposed vpon them their ancient Lords were remoued their ancient lawes and policies of State were dashed to dust all lay couched vnder the Conquerours sword to bee newly fashioned by him as should bee best fitting for his aduantage Hee erected Castels in diuers parts of the Realme of which the Towre neere London was the chiefe which afterward was increased both in compasse and in strength by addition of the outward walls In these he planted garrisons of Normans as if it had bene in a hostile Countrey not without oppression to the people although they remained quiet and sufficient to suppresse them if they should rebell Thus he secured the Realme against a generall defection as for particular stirres they might happily molest him but endanger him they could not Exceter Northumberland and some other parts did rise against him in armes but being vnable to maintaine their reuolt their ouerthrow did much confirme his State Hee either imitated or concurred with Caesar in aduise For as Caesar inuaded the Germans which kept the great forrest of Ardenna not with his owne Souldiers but with his aides out of Gallia gaining thereby victory ouer the one and securitie from the other without any dispence of the Romane blood so after the Kings great victory against the valiant but too aduenturous King Harold when many of the English fled into Ireland and from thence with fresh both courage and supplies returned into England commaunded by two of Harolds sonnes hee encountred them onely with English forces In the first conflict the Kings partie was ouerthrowen and the valiant leader Ednothus slaine who had bene master of the horses to King Harold In the second his enemies were so defeated as they were neuer able to make head againe So the victorers being weakened and the vanquished wasted the King with pleasure triumphed ouer both Likewise when he was occasioned to passe the Seas into Normandie either to establish affaires of gouernement or to represse rebellions which in his absence were many times raised he drew his forces out of England and that in a more large proportion then the importance of the seruice did require Hee also tooke with him the chiefe men of English blood as well to vse their aduise and aide as also to hold them and their friends from working innouation in his absence He enclosed the great Forrest neere vnto the Sea in Hamshire for which he dispeopled villages and townes about the space of thirtie miles to make a desert for beasts of chase in which place afterward two of his sonnes Richard and William ended their liues Richard by a fall from his horse and William by the stroke of an arrow The Kings great delight in hunting was made the pretence of this Forrest but the true end was rather to make a free place of footing for his Normans and other friends out of France in case any great reuolt should be made Diuers other parts of the Realme were so wasted with his warres that for want both of Husbandrie and habitation a great dearth did ensue whereby many were inforced to eate horses dogs cats rats and other loathsome and vile vermine yea some absteined not from the flesh of men This famine and desolation did especially rage in the North parts of the Realme For the inhabitants beyond Humber fearing the Kings secret hate so much the more deepe and deadly because vniust receiued without resistance and perhaps drew in the Armie of the King of Sueueland with whom Edgar Atheling and the other English that fled into Scotland ioyned their power The Normans within Yorke fired the suburbs because it should not be a lodging for their enemies but the strength of the winde caried the flame into the Citie which consumed a great part thereof with the Minster of S. Peter and therein a faire Librarie And herewith whilest the Normans were partly busied and partly amazed the enemies entred and slue in Yorke in Duresme and thereabout three thousand Normans among whom were many of eminent dignitie as well for birth as for place of their charge But in short time the King came vpon them and hauing partly by Armes and partly by gifts dispatched the strangers exercised vpon the English an ancient and assured experience of warre to represse with maine force a rebellion in a State newly subdued Insomuch as all the land betweene Duresme and Yorke except onely the territorie of S. Iohn of Beuerlace lay waste for the space of nine yeeres without inhabitants to manure the ground And because conspiracies and associations are commonly contriued in the night he commanded that in all Townes and villages a Bell should be runge in the euening at eight of the clocke and that in euery house they should then put foorth their fire and lights and goe to bed This custome of ringing a Bell at that houre in many places is still obserued And for that likenesse is a great cause of liking and of loue he enioyned the chiefe of the English and these were soone imitated by the rest to conforme themselues to the fashions of Normandie to which they had made themselues no strangers before Yea children in the schoole were taught their letters and principles of grammar in the Norman language In their speech attire shauing of the beard seruice at the Table in their buildings and houshold furniture they altogether resembled the Normans In the beginning of his reigne he ordeined that the Lawes of King Edward should be obserued together with those Lawes which hee did prescribe but afterwards he commanded that 9. men should be chosen out of euery shire to make a true report what were the Lawes and customes of the Realme Of these hee changed the greatest part and brought in the customes of Normandie in their stead commanding also that causes should be pleaded and all matters of forme dispatched in French Onely hee permitted certaine Dane-Lawes which before were chiefly vsed in Northfolke Suffolke and Cambridge-shire to be generally obserued as hauing great affinitie with his Norman-customes both being deriued from one common head Likewise at the great suit of William a Norman then Bishop of London he granted a Charter of libertie to that Citie for enioying the vse of K. Edwards Lawes a memoriall of which benefite the Citizens fixed vpon the Bishops graue being in the middest of the great West I le of S. Pauls Further by the counsaile of Stigand Archb. of Canterburie and of Eglesine Abbot of S. Augustines who at that time were the chiefe gouernours of Kent as the King was riding towards Douer at Swanescombe two mile from Grauesend the Kentish men came towards him armed and bearing boughes in their hands as if it had bene a moouing wood they encloased him vpon the sudden and with