vp the reputation of the enterprise And further hee prepared a nauie to guard the seas and to impeach the passage of his brother into England Hee prepared great forces also by meanes of the treasure which his father had left and disposed them in places conuenient either to preuent or to represse these scattered tumults But the successe of his affaires was by no meanes so much aduanced as by Lanfranck Archbishop of Canterbury and by Woolstane Bishop of Worcester the authority of which two men the one for his learning wisedome and mild moderation the other for his simple sanctitie and integritie of life was greatly regarded by all sorts of people By encouragement of Woolstane not onely the citie of Worcester was maintained in firme condition for the King but his enemies receiued there a famous foyle the greatest part being slaine and the residue dispersed This was the first sad blow which the confederates tooke afterward they declined mainely and the King as mainly did increase The King in person led his chiefe forces into Kent against Odo his vncle the principall firebrand of all this flame Hee tooke there the castle of Tunbridge and of Pemsey which Odo had fortified and lastly hee besieged Odo himselfe in the castle of Rochester and with much trauell tooke him prisoner and compelled him to abiure the Realme Vpon these euents the Bishop of Durham aduising onely with feare and despaire fled out of the Realme but after three yeeres he was againe restored to the dignitie of his Sea The residue did submit themselues to the Kings discretion and were by him receiued all to pardon some to gracious and deare account For in offences of so high nature pardon neuer sufficeth to assure offenders vnlesse by further benefits their loyaltie bee bound Robert Duke of Normandy was busied all this time in making preparation for his iourney into England but his delayes much abated the affections of those who fauoured either his person or cause At the length hauing made vp a competent power he committed to sea where his infelicities concurring with his negligence diuers of his ships which he had sent somewhat before him to assure the confederats of his approach were set vpon and surprised by the nauie of King William After this hee arriued in England sent vnto many of his secret friends and made his comming knowen vnto all but no man resorted to him he receiued no aduertisement from any man but plainely found that by the fortunate celeritie of King William the heart of the conspiracie in all places was broken So the Duke returned into Normandie hauing then good leisure to looke into the errour of his leisurely proceedings When the King had in this sort either wisely reconciled or valiantly repressed his domesticall enemies because an vnperfect victory is alwayes the seede of a new warre he followed his brother with a mighty armie and remoued the seate of the warre into Normandie For he coniectured as in trueth it fell out that the Duke his brother vpon his returne would presently disperse his companies for want of money and for the same cause would not easily be able to draw them together againe So his valour and his power being much aduantaged by his sudden comming ioyned to the want of foresight and preparation in the Duke he tooke in short time the Castles of Walerick and Aubemarle with the whole Countrey of Eu the Abbacie of Mount S. Michael Fescampe Chereburge and diuers other places which he furnished with men of Armes and Souldiers of assured trust The Duke feeling his owne weakenesse dealt with Philip King of France and by liberall promises so preuailed with him that he descended into Normandie with a faire Armie and bent his siege against one of those pieces which K. William had taken But he found it so knottie a piece of worke that in short time wearied with hardnesse and hazards of the field he fell to a capitulation with King William and so departed out of Normandie receiuing a certaine summe of money in regard of his charges and conceiuing that he had won honour ynough in that no honour had bene won against him The money that was payd to the King of France was raised in England by this deuise King William commanded that 20. Thousand men should be mustered in England and transported into Normandie to furnish his warres against the French When they were conducted neere to Hastings and almost ready to be embarked it was signified to them from the King that aswell for their particular safeties as not to disfurnish the Realme of strength whosoeuer would pay 10. shillings towards the waging of Souldiers in Normandie he might be excused to stay at home Among 20. Thousand scarce any was found who was not ioyfull to embrace the condition who was not ready to redeeme his aduenture with so small a summe which being gathered together was both a surer and easier meanes to finish the warres then if the King had still struggeled by force of Armes For when the French King had abandoned the partie Duke Robert being prepared neither with money nor constancie of mind to continue the warre enclined to peace which at the last by diligence of friends was concluded betweene the two brothers vpon these conditions That the Duke should yeeld to the King the Countie of Eu the Abbey of Fescampe the Abbey of S. Michaels mount Chereburge and all other Castles and fortifications which the King had taken That the King should subdue to the vse of the Duke all other Castles and houldes which had reuolted from him in Normandie That the King should giue to the Duke certaine dignities and possessions in England That the King should restore all those to their dignities and lands in England who had taken part with the Duke against him That if either of them should die without issue male the suruiuour should succeed in his estate These Articles were confirmed by twelue Barons on the Kings part and as many on the part of the Duke so long obserued as either of them wanted either power or pretence to disanull them This peace being made the Duke vsed the aide of King William to recouer the fort of Mount S. Michael which their brother Henrie did forceably hold for the money which hee had lent to the Duke of Normandie Fourtie dayes they layed siege to this castle hauing no hope to carrie it but by the last necessity which is hunger Within the compasse of this time as the King straggled alone vpon the shoare certaine horsemen salied foorth and charged vpon him of whom three strooke him together so violently with their lances as because he could not be driuen out of his saddle together with his saddle he was cast vpon the ground and his horse slaine vpon the place for which he had payed the same day 15. markes Extremitie of danger as it often happeneth tooke from the King all feare of danger wherefore taking vp his saddle with both his hands he
made a stiffe stand redoubled vpon the English and pressing on with a furie equall to their fauourable fortune with a cruell butchery brake into them On the other side it is scarce credible with what strength both of courage and hand the English euen in despight of death sustained themselues in this disorder drawing into small squadrons and beating downe their enemies on euery hand being resolued to sell their liues with their place But a mischiefe is no mischiefe if it comes alone Besides this disaduantage of disarray the shot of the Normans did continually beate vpon the English with a grieuous execution Among other King Harold about the closing of the euening as he was busie in sustaining his armie both with voyce and with hand was strooke with an arrow through the left eye into his braines of which wound hee presently died His two brothers Girth and Leofwine were also slaine and also most of the nobilitie that were present So long as the King stood they stood stoutly both with him and for him and by him his directions supported them his braue behauiour breathed fresh boldnesse and life into them But his death was a deadly stabbe to their courage vpon report of his death they began to wauer in resolution whether to trust to the force of their armes or to commend their safetie to their good footemanship In this incertainty many were slaine Many retired in reasonable order to a rising ground whither they were closely followed by the Normans but the English hauing gotten aduantage of the place and drawing courage out of despaire with a bloody charge did driue them downe Count Eustachius supposing fresh forces to be arriued fled away with fiftie Souldiers in his company and meeting with the Duke rounded him secretly in his eare that if hee went any further hee was vndone Whilest he was thus speaking hee was strooke betweene the shoulder with so violent a blowe that he fell downe as dead and voided much blood at his nose and mouth In this conflict many of the noblest Normans were slaine which mooued the Duke to make a strong ordered stand giuing libertie therby for those English to retire Others fled through a watery channell the passages whereof were well knowen vnto them and when the Normans did more sharpely then aduisedly pursue the place being shadowed partly with Sedges and Reedes and partly with the night they were either stifled in the waters or easily destroyed by the English and that in so great numbers that the place was filled vp with dead bodies The residue scattered in smaller companies and had their flight fauoured by increasing darkenesse the enemie not aduenturing to follow both in a strange Countrey and in the night Earle Edwine and Earle Morcher brothers of approoued both courage and faith did great seruice at that time in collecting these dispersed Troupes and leading them in some fashion to London Duke William surprised with Ioy gaue publike charge for a solemne thanksgiuing to God Then he erected his pauilion in the middest of the field among the thickest of those bodies whom death had made to lie quietly together There he passed the residue of that night and the next morning mustered his souldiers buried those that were slaine and gaue libertie to the English to do the like The bodie of King Harold could not be knowen by his face it was so deformed by death and by his wound by his armour and by certaine markes vpon his body it was knowen As it lay vpon the ground a Norman Souldier did strike it into the legge with his sword for which vnmanly acte he was cassed by the Duke with open disgrace It was caried into the Dukes Pauilion vnder the custodie of William Mallet And when his mother made suite for it to bee buried the Duke denied it at the first affirming that buriall was not fit for him whose ambition was the cause of so many Funerals The mother besides her lamentations and teares offered for it as one Norman writer affirmes the weight thereof in gold But the Duke with a manly compassion gaue it freely as holding it dishonourable both to value the bodie of a King and make sale of a slaine enemie So his body was buried by his mother at Waltham Crosse within the monasterie which hee had founded Verely there was nothing to be blamed in him but that his courage could not stoupe to be lower then a King I haue been the more long in describing this battel for that I esteem it the most memorable and best executed that euer was fought within this land as well for skilfull direction as for couragious performance and also for the greatnesse of the euent The fight continued with very great both constancie of courage and variety of fortune from seuen of the clocke in the morning vntill night Of the Normans were slaine 6000. and more besides those that were drowned and beaten downe in the water The slaughter of the English is vncertainely reported but certainely it was farre greater then that of the Normans Certaine also that their death was most honourable and faire not any one basely abandoning the fielde not any one yeelding to bee taken prisoner And yet one circumstance more I hold fit to bee obserued that this victory was gotten onely by the meanes of the blowe of an arrow The vse whereof was by the Normans first brought into this land Afterward the English being trained to that fight did thereby chiefly maintaine themselues with honourable aduantage against all nations with whom they did contend in armes being generally reputed the best shot in the world But of late yeeres it hath bene altogether layed aside and in stead thereof the harquebuze and calliuer are brought into vse yet not without contradiction of many expert men of Armes who albeit they doe not reiect the vse of these small pieces yet doe they preferre the Bow before them First for that in a reasonable distance it is of greater both certainty and force Secondly for that it dischargeth faster Thirdly for that more men may discharge therewith at once for onely the first rancke dischargeth the piece neither hurt they any but those that are in front but with the bow 10. or 12. rancks may discharge together and will annoy so many ranckes of the enemies Lastly for that the arrow doeth strike more parts of the body for in that it hurteth by discent and not onely point blancke like the bullet there is no part of the body but it may strike from the crowne of the head euen to the nayling of the foot to the ground Hereupon it followeth that the arrowes falling so thicke as haile vpon the bodies of men as lesse fearefull of their flesh so more slenderly armed then in former times must necessarily worke most dangerous effects Besides these generall respects in many particular seruices and times the vse of the Bow is of greatest aduantage If some defence lye before the enemy the arrow may strike where the bullet
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