it euer a barre in his way and hindred his standing cleere stood he neuer so highe The nobles of Normandie soone after his fathers death by much intreaty got him out of the French Kings handes thinking the hauing him amongst them would adde more grace to his Counsellors and such as were in office and the State of a Court awe his State the better But soone they found the hauing his person without his powre was but to put them out into more discord and faction For presently followed the murthering and poysoning of Gouernors displacing Officers intrusion supplantation surprizings and recouerings of his person by a Nobilitie stubborne haughtie and incompatible of each others precedencie or neerenes But this was the least as being done all for his person Now followed more daungerous practises against it His right was quarrelled by competitors cleere in bloud and great in meanes Whereof the first though farthest off in discent was Roger de Tresny bringing a faire lyne from Roule and much proofe of his owne worth by hauing gotten great experience in the Sarazine warre in Spaine whereby vpon his returne entertayning and feasting the great and especiall men of worth he was growen powerfull well followed and beloued of many in so much that at length measuring his owne height he vrges what wrong it was that a Bastard and a childe should be preferred before him in the succession of that Duchie his auncestors had noblie gotten and what a shame the Normans a people of that worth would indure to be so gouerned seeing they had others of the renowned race of Roule William and Richard Dukes of Normandie of a lawfull and direct lyne if they held him vnworthie to inherite the State and impatient as is ambition that cuer rides without raines of any long delay brings his claime to a strong battaile in the feild which by the valiancie of Roger de Beaumount was vtterly defeited and himselfe with his 2. brethren slayne Whereby all feare that way was extinquished and the reputation of the Duke and his so much aduanced as the King of France notwithstanding his tutelarie charge tooke from him the Castle of Thuilliers and demolisht it pretending the insolencies committed there by the Garrisons vpon his subiects and makes shew as yet only to keepe things euen But long it was not ere he plainely bewrayed his minde aiding in person William Earle of Arques brother to Duke Robert and sonne to Richard 2. making his clayme to the Duchie and bringes a mightie armye to succour Arques assieged by Conte Guiffard the Dukes Generall who by a stratageme so trayned the French into an ambushe as he ouerthrew their whole power and returnes the King to Paris with great losse and dishonor leauing Arques the first Arch of tryumphe to this conquerour not yet ariued to 17 yeares of age and the discomfeited competitor to seeke his fortunes with Eustace Earle of Bologne finding vpon his returne litle grace in Court where fortune euer alters credite and few regard men ouerthrowne This storme ouerpast another succedes more dangerous there liued with Duke William a young Lord of like yeares named Guy sonne to Regnalt Earle of Borgogne and Alix daughter to Richard 2. who comming to be sensible of his interest was aduised by some stirring spirits to attempt for the Duchie which they said apperteyned to him in right and was wrongfully vsurped by the Bastard And to aduance his purpose happens deadly hostility betweene two of the greatest Lords of Normandie Viconte Neele and the Earle of Bessin whose debate Duke William did not or could not pacific This Guy lately made Earle of Bryorn and Vernon interposed himselfe to compose this discord and by the aduice of Grimoult de Plessis a principall mouer in this worke so wrought that either of these Lords turned the point of their malice vpon him who in their quarrell fauouring neither made both to hate him and easily conspire with Guy to murther him at vnawares which they had done had not a certaine Foole whome for being held a naturall they suspected not noting their preparations got away in the dead of the night to Valogne knocking and crying at the gate till he was admitted to the Dukes presence whome he willed in all hast to fly or he would be murthered The Duke seeing the Foole in this affright thought dangers were not be weighed by the worth of the reporter but by their likelyhood and knowing his fortune was liable vnto all suddaine assasinations instantly takes horse and all alone postes to Fallaise his especiall place of strength on the way his horse being tyred about breake of daie hee comes to a litle village called Rye where by good fortune the gentleman of the place was standing at his dore readie to goe abrode of whom the Duke enquires the next way to Fallaise The gentleman perceiuing who he was though as then very vnwilling to be knowne humblie craues the cause of his so strange and vntimely riding alone The Duke seeing himselfe discouered tels the occasion the gentleman whose name was Robert de Rye furnishes him with a fresh horse and sendes two of his sonnes to conduct him the neerest way to Fallaise Noe sooner was he gone out of sight but after post the conspirators enquiring of the same gentleman whether hee saw the Duke who answered that hee was gone a little before such a way shewing them a diuers path and rode on with them offering his seruice to Conte Bessin of whom he held that village vnder the Duke and so long he lead them about that the Duke had recouered Fallaise Whereupon disappointed of their purpose they returned into the Countries of Constantin and Bessin where they made themselues so powrefull as the Duke withdrewe him to Roan and from thence to the King of France to craue his aide putting him in minde of the faithfull seruice his father had done him how he was his homager vnder his tutelarie charge and had no other sanctuary of succour to flie vnto in this case of his mutinous and turbulent nobilitie the effect whereof was of dangerous consequence to that Crowne And so far vrged the importancie of releife as the King at length who seemes was yet content to haue him be though not too strong and peraduenture rather him then his competitor Guy de Burgogne aided him in person with a puissant army against these competitors whom they found in the vale of Dunes with as great power and resolution to bid them battayle as they to assaile them Here one Guilleson vncle to Viconte Neel by the mother forced his horse into the battaillon of the French and made at the King strake him downe with his Launce which Conte Saint Paule perceauing hastes to incounter him with that violence as both fell to the earth but Guilleson soone gets vp and though his horse was slaine vnder him by Chastillon he escapes out of the presse and after fled into Apulia with others The King recouered and more
Cleargie who then were of great and eminent power in the kingdome and might much preuaile with the people But the English Nobilitie incompatible of these new concurrents found notwithstanding such a disproportion of grace and darkning of their dignities by the interposition of so many as must needes lessen their splendour that many of the cheifest doubting to be more impayred in honor and estate conspired together and fled some into Scotland and some into Denmarke to trie if by aid from abroad they might recouer themselues and their lost fortunes againe at home Amongst which the cheife was Edgar Atheling termed Englands Dearling which shewed the peoples zeale to his bloud who with his mother Agatha and his two sisters Margaret and Christin intending to retire into Hungarie their natiue Country were driuen by tempest on the coast of Scotland where they were with all Hospitable comfort interteyned by Malcolin 3. whose former suffrings in his exile had taught him to compassionate others like distresses and whom it concerned now to looke to his owne his neighbours house being thus on fire and to foster a partie against so dangerous an in-commer that was like to thrust them all out of dore Which induced him not only to entertayne this Prince dispossest of his right but to enter league with him for the publique safetie And to inchaine it the stronger he takes to wife Margaret the sister of Edgar a Ladie indued with all blessed vertues by whom the bloud of our auncient Kings was preserued and conioyned with the Norman in Hen. 2. and so became English againe Vnto Edgar in Scotland repaired the Earles Edwin and Morchar Hereward Gospatric Siward with others and shortly after Stigand and Aldred Arch-byshops with diuers of the clergie who in the third yeare of this Kings raigne raised very great commotions in the North beyond Humber and wrought most egarly to recouer their lost Countrie but being now to late and the occasion not taken before the settling of the gouern ment whilst it was new and branling they preuailed nothing but gaue aduantage to the conquerour to make himselfe more then he was For all conspiracies of subiects if they succeede not aduaunce the soueraigntie and nothing gaue roote to the Norman planting here more then the petty reuolts made by discattred troupes in seuerall parts begunne without order and followed without resolution whereas nothing could be done for a generall recouery but by a generall sulleuation of the people for which all wary preuention was vsed and they had waytes enough laid on to hold them downe And though these Lordes imbroiled themselues and held him doing in the North yet hee hauing all the South parts setled vnder his domination with well practized and prepared forces there could be litle hope of good whilst all their great estates furnisht the Normans both in state and meanes to ruyne them The Earledome and all the Landes which Edwyn held in Yorkeshire were giuen to Alain Earle of Britayne kinsman to the Conqueror The Arch-byshopricke of Canterburie conferd on Lanfranc Abbot of Caen. That of Yorke on Thomas his Chapline and all the rest both of the Clergie and others which were out had their places within supplied by Normans And after King William had appeased a commotion in the West which the sonnes of Harrald with forces out of Ireland had raised and also repressed the rebellions of Excester and Oxford hee takes his iorney in person Northward with all expedition least the enemy there should grow too high in heart and opinion vpon the great slaughter of his people made at Yorke and the defeiture of his Brother Leiuetenant Robert Earle of Mortaigne slaine with 700. Normans at Durham where at his first comming he so wrought that he either discomfeited or corrupted the generalls of the Danicque forces newly arriued to aid the Lords andsent by Swayn King of Denmarke vnder the conduct of his two sons Harrald and Knute with a Nauie of 300. saile and after sets vpon the army of the Lords weakened both in strength and hope by this departure of their confederates and puts them to slight Which done hee vtterly wasted and laid desolate all that goodly Countrie betweene Yorke and Durham the space of 60. myles that it might be no more a succour to the enemy And the like course he vsed on all the Coastes where any apt landings lay for inuasions and so returnes to London Most of the Lords after this great defeit came in vpon publique faith giuen them and were conducted to Barkehamsted by the Abbot Fredricke where vpon their submission and oath of allegeance retaken they had their pardon and restitution of grace graunted by the King who it seemes was so willing to acquiet them that againe he takes his personall oath before the Arch-byshop Lanfranck and the Lords to obserue the auncient lawes of the Realme established by his Noble predecessors the Kings of England and especially those of Saint Edward Whereupon these stormy dispositions held calme a while But long it was not ere many of these Lords whether vpon intelligence of new hopes from Edgar who was still in Scotland or growne desperate with new displeasures at home finding small performance of promises made rupture of oath all other respects and brake out againe The Earle Edwyn making towardes Scotland was murthered by his owne people The Lords Morchar Hereward betooke them to the Isle of Eley meaning to make good that place for that winter whether also repaired the Earle Syward and the Byshop of Durham out of Scotland But the King who was no tyme-giuer vnto growing dangers beset all the Isle with flat boates on the East and made a bridge of two miles long on the West and safely brought in his people vpon the enemy who seeing themselues surprized yeilded all to the Kings mercy except Hereward who desperatly marched with his people through the Fennes and recouered Scotland The rest were sent to diuers prisons where they dyed or remayned during the Kings life Those Lords who persisted loyall vpon this last submission were all imployed and well graced with the King as Edric the Forester and first that rebelled in his raigne was held in cleere trust and neere about him Gospatrice he made Earle of Northumberland and sent him against Malcolin who in this time subdues the Countries of Tisdall Cleueland and Comberland Waltheof sonne to the Earle Syward he held so worthie to be made his as he married him to his neece Iudith though hee had beene a principall actor in the Northerne commotion and in defending the Citie of Yorke against him is said to haue striken off the heades of diuers Normans one by one as they entered a breach to the admiration of all about him shewing therin that true touch of the noblest nature to loue vertue euen in his enemies And now seeing Scotland to be the especiall retrayt for all conspirators and discontented in his kingdome yeilding them continuall succour and assistance
to whom the father and mother had left much treasure and for the same ingages the Country of Constantine and leauies an Army for England But William newlie inuested in the Crowne though well prepared for all assaults had rather purchace a present peace by mediation of the Nobles on both sides till time had better setled him in his gouernment then to rayse spirits that could not easily be allayed And an agreement betweene them is wrought that William should hold the crowne of England during his life paying to Robert 3. thousand Marks Per annum Robert hauing closed this businesse resumes by force the Country of Costantin out of his brother Henries hands without discharge of those summes for which he had ingaged it Whereupon King William obrayds Henry with the great gayne he had made by his vsurie in lending mony to depriue him of his Crowne And so Henry gote the hatred of both his brothers and hauing no place safe from their danger where to liue surprized the Castle of Mount Saint Michel fortifies him therein gets ayde of Hugh Earle of Britaigne and for his mony was serued with Bretons who committed great spoyles in the Countries of Costantin and Bessin Odon Byshop of Bayeux returning into England after his imprisonment in Normandie and restored to his Earldom of Kent finding himselfe so far vnder what he had bene and Lanfranc his concurrent now the onely man in councell with the King complots with as many Norman Lords as he found or made to affect change and a new maister and sets them on worke in diuers parts of the Realme to distract the Kings forces as first Geoffery Bishop of Constans with his nephew Robert de Mowbray Earle of Northumberland fortifie them selues in Bristow and take in all the Country about Roger de Bigod made himselfe strong in Northfolke Hugh de Grandmenill about Leicester Roger de Mongomerie Earle of Shrewsbery with a powre of Welshmen and other there about sets out accompanied with William Byshop of Durham Bernard de Newmarch Roger Lacie and Raulfe Mortimer all Normans and assayle the Cittie of Worcester making themselues strong in those parts Odon himselfe fortifies the Castle of Rochester makes good all the coast of Kent sollicites Robert to vse what speed he could to come with all his power out of Normandie which had he done in time and not giuen his brother so large oportunitie of preuention he had carried the kingdome but his delay yeeldes the King time to confirme his frends vnder-worke his enemies and make him strong with the English which he did by granting relaxation of tribute with other relieuements of their doleances and restoring them to their former freedom of hunting in all his woodes and forests a thing they much esteemed whereby he made them so strongly his as he soone brake the necke of all the Norman conspiracies they being egar to reuenge them of that nation and here they learned first to beat their Conquerors hauing the faire aduantage of this action which cut the throtes of many of them Mongomerie being wonne from his complices and the seuerall conspirators in other parts represt the King comes with an Army into Kent where the head of the faction lay and first wonne the Castle of Tunbridge and that of Pemsey which Odon was forced to yeeld and promise to cause those which defended that of Rochester which were Eustace Earle of Bologne and the Earle of Mortaigne to render likewise the same But being brought thither to effect the businesse they within receiuing him detayned him as he pretended prisoner and held out stoutly against the King vpon a false intelligence giuen of the ariuall of Duke Robert at Southampton but in the end they were forced to quit the place and retyre into France and Odon to abiure England And to keepe off the like danger from hence he transports his forces into Normandie there to waste and weaken his brother at home So as might hold him from any future attempts abroad for euer after Where first he obtaines Saint Valery and after Albemarle with the whole Country of Eu Fescampe the Abathie of monte Saint Michel Cherburge and other places Robert seekes ayde of Phillip King of France who comes downe with an Army into Normandie but ouercome with the power of mony wherewith King William assayled him did him little good and so retired Whereupon Duke Robert in the end was driuen to a dishonorable peace concluded at Caen with these Articles 1. that King William should hold the County of Eu Fescampe and all other places which he had bought and were deliuered vnto him by William Earle of Eu and Stephen Earle of Aumal sisters sonne to William the first 2. He should aide the Duke to recouer all other peeces which belonged to his Father and were vsurped from the Duchy 3. That such Normans as hadlost their estates in England by taking part with the Duke should be restored thereunto 4. That the suruiuer of either of them should succeed in the dominions both of England and Normandie After this peace made by the mediation of the King of France whilst William had a strong Army in the field Duke Robert requested his aid against their brother Henry who still kept him in the fort of mount Saint Michel vpon his gard holding it best for his saftie For being a Prince that could not subsist of himselfe as an earthen vessel set amongst iron pots he was euery way in danger to be crusht and seeing he had lost both his brothers by doing the one a kindnesse if he should haue toke to either their turne being serued his owne might be in hazard and so betooke him to this defence Forty daies the 2. Princes layd siege to this Castle and one day as the King was alone on the shore there sallies out of the Forte a companie of horse whereof three ran at him so violently and all strooke his horse together with their lances as they brake pectorall girses and all that the horse slips away and leaues the King and the saddle on the ground the King takes vp the saddle with both hands and therewith defendes himselfe till rescue came and being blamed by some of his people for putting himselfe thus in perill of his life to saue his saddle answered it would haue angred him the Bretons should haue bragged they had wonne the saddle from vnder him and how great an indignitie it was for a King to suffer inferiors to force any thing from him In the end Henry grew to extreame want of drinke and water allthough he had all other prouision sufficient within his forte and sends to Duke Robert that he might haue his necessitie supplied the Duke sendes him a Tunne of wine and grantes him truce for a day to furnish him with water Wherewith William being displeased Duke Robert told him it was hard to deny a brother meate and drinke which craued it and that if he perisht they had not a brother Wherewith William
and of no great regard it seemes with other nations till Knute lead them forth into the kingdome of Norwey where they first shewed effects of their valour and what they would be were they imployed But the Normans hauing more of the sunne and ciuilitic by their commixtion with the English begat smoother fashions with quicker motions And being a nation free from that dull discease of drinke wherewith their former conquerours were naturally infected induced a more comely temperance with a neerer regard of reputation honour For where as before the English liued loose in little homely cottages where they spent all their reuenewes in good fare caring for little other gaitie at all Now after the Norman manner they build them stately houses prouide furnishments erect Castles after the architecture of France which before were otherwise They inclose parkes for their priuat pleasure being debar'd the generall liberty of hunting which heretofore they enioyed whereupon all the terms of building hunting tooles of workmen names of most handy-crafts apperteyning to the delights adornements of life came all to be in French And withall the Norman habits fashion of liuing became generally assumed both in regard of noueltie to take away the note of difference which could not be well lookt on in this change And though the bodie of our language remayned the Saxon yet it came so altered in the apparraile of the French tongue as now we hardly know it in the auncient forme it had and not so much as the character wherin it was written but was altred to that of the Roman and French now vsed But to the end wee may the better know the man and the nation that thus subdude vs wee must take our course vp to the head of their originals The Normans wee finde to haue issued out of Norway and Denmarke and were of like manners as the rest of those Northerne countries which by reason of the apt mixture of their phlegmatique and sanguine complexions with their promiscuous ingendring without any tye of marriage yeelded that continuall surchargement of people as they were forced to vnburthen themselues on other countries wheresoeuer their violence could make them roome And out of this redundancie Roul or Rou a great Cmmaunder amongst them furnished a robustious powre in the time of King Alfrid and first landed in England that euer lay in the Roade to all these inuadors where finding no roome empty nor any imployment was content vpon some releife receiued to vse his forces otherwhere which he did against Rambalt Duke of Prize Reignier Duke of Chaumont and Hennalt with whome hee had many violent incounters and committed great spoiles in their countries Which done hee passed along the coast of France entred the mouth of Seine and sackt all the countrie vp to Roan where the people hauing beene lately before miserablie afflicted by Hasting another inuador of the same Nation were so terrified by the approach of these new forces that the Arch-byshop of Roan by the consent of the people offered him the obedience of that Citie and the Countrie about on condition he would defend them and minister Iustice according to the lawes of CHRIST and the Customes of the Countrie For Charles the Simples then King of France yeelding no present succour being otherwise imbroiled about the right of his Crowne gaue him the opportunitie to plant him in that place and to grow so powrefull as shortly after hee attempted the conquest of Paris and gaue many notable defeits to the French Leaders So that in the end Charles was faine to buye his peace with the price of an alliance and the whole countrie of Nuestria or Westrish which of the Normans was after called Normandie And thereupon Roul became a Christian and baptized had the name of Robert giuen by Robert brother to Eudes late King of France who then stood in competition for that Crowne with Charles the Simples and is said to haue vnder-aided Roul secretly of purpose to make him frend his diseignes though after he vrged it an article against Charles the giuing away his Countrey and the fauouring of strangers And thus came Roul to establish a State to his posteritie ordering the same with that Iudgement and equitie as he left his name in a perpetuall reuerence and his successors a firme foundation to plant vpon From him in a direct lyne descended sixe Dukes of Normandie in the space of 120 yeares William the first Richard 1. Richard 2 who had two sonnes Richard and Robert that successiuely inherited the Dukedome Robert after hauing gouerned eight yeares either meerely for deuotion which charitie ought rather deeme or expiation for some secret guilt wherewith his conscience might stand charged about his brothers death which because it was vntimely might be thought vnnaturall resolues to visite the holie Sepulchre And acquainting his Nobility therewithall was by them much diswaded in regard he had no issue and that already they said Alain Earle of Britayne and the Earle of Burgogne were in contestation who should succeede him in the Duchie so that vpon his death and their strife the Countrie was like to become a prey to the Souldier from which in conscience hee was bound by his best meanes to secure it The Duke willed them to be content I haue said he a little Bastard of whose worthines I haue great hope and I doubt not but he is of my begetting him will I inuest in the Duchie as mine heire And from hence forth I pray you take him for your Lord. The Earle of Britayne notwithstanding his competition to shew the affiance I haue in him I will constitute his gouernour and Seneschall of Normandie the King of France shal be his Guardian and so I will leaue him to God and your loyalties Shortly after the Byshops and Barons did their homage to this base sonne named William who was the sixth Duke of Normandie after Roule begotten on Arlette a meane woman of Falaise And Duke Robert taking his intended iourney deliuers the child with his owne hand to Henrie 1. King of France whome before he had mainely aided in preseruing his Crowne left him by his father King Roberts Testament against his elder brother and his mother Consiance which with a great side of Nobilitie stood for the right of Primogeniture according to the custome of France And therefore might the more presume if good turnes done to Princes could waighe so much as their selfe-respects would not turne the skale to haue had a faire discharge of his trust and him for a protector whose power was best able to be so And causing the childe to do homage for his Duchie of Normandie commits him to his Royall faith departs his Court and shortly after his life in Asia Whereupon his successor but 9 yeares of age became obnoxious to all the miseries that afflict Princes in their pupillage besides the reproach of his birth which though his honour and vertue might get ouer yet lay