Wilhelmus Conquestor Rex Anglia Dux Norman etc. THE Life Death OF WILLIAM Surnamed The Conqueror King of ENGLAND and Duke of NORMANDY Who dyed Anno Christi 1087. By Samuel Clarke late Minister of Bennet-Finck London LONDON Printed for Simon Miller at the signe of the Star at the West end of St Pauls 1671. THE Life and Death of WILLIAM Sirnamed the CONQUEROUR KING of ENGLAND and Duke of NORMANDY Who dyed Anno Christi 1087. THE Normans issued out of Denmark and Norway the Inhabitants of which Countries in those times were so fruitful in the Procreation of Children that they were forced oft-times to send multitudes abroad to seek new habitations Amongst whom there was one Roul a great Commander attended with many lusty lads who in the dayes of King Alfrid first landed in England where finding no room empty nor any imployment was content upon some relief received to seek imployment else-where which he did against Rambalt Duke of Frize and Reiver Duke of Chaumont and Henalt with whom he often encountred and made great spoiles in their Countries Then passing along the Coast of France he entred the mouth of the River Seine and sackt all the Country up to Roan where the People having been a little before miserably spoiled by an other Invader were so terrified by the coming of these new Forces that the Archbishop of Roan by the peoples consent offered him the obedience of that City and Country upon condition that he would protect them and govern them according to the Laws of Christ and the customes of their Countrey For Charles the Simple the present King of France being otherwise embroiled about the right of his Crown neglected to defend them So that Roul shortly after attempted the Conquest of Paris itself and therein gave some notable overthrowes to some of the French Commanders So that King Charles was forced to buy his Peace by entering into alliance with and giving over to Roul his right to Normandy formerly called Nuestria And hereupon Roul turned Christian and was baptized by the name of Robert Thus he came to his Estate which he governed with such Judgment and equity that he left his Name honourable and his successours a firme foundation to build upon From him in a direct line descended six Dukes of Normandy that inherited that Dukedome the last of which was also called Robert who out of blind devotion resolving to visit Christ's Sepulchre acquainted his Nobles therewith They disswaded him all they could because he had no issue and Allaire Earl of Britaine and the Earle of Burgundy were already contending which of them should succeed him whereby their Country was like to become a Prey to the Souldiers from which he in conscience was bound to secure it The Duke told them that he had a little Bastard of whom he had great hopes whom he would invest with that Dutchy as his Heir and therefore he prayed them thenceforth to take him for their Lord. And said he To shew my trust in him I will make the Earl of Britaine his Governour and Seneschal of Normandy and the King of France shall be his Guardian and so I will leave him to God and your Loyalty Shortly after the Bishops and Barons did their homage to this base Son named William whom his Father begat on one Arlet a mean woman of Falaise And Duke Robert delivered the Child with his own hand to Henry first King of France whom he had greatly assisted in keeping his Crown against an other Competitor and therefore he might the more presume if good-turns done to Princes could weigh down self-respects to have found a faithful discharge of his trust He caused also young William to doe his homage for the Dutchy of Normandy to the King and so committed him to his Royal Faith and going his joruney he dyed in Asia William being then but nine years old Soon after the news of his Father's death the Nobles of Normandy by much intreaty gat him out of the French King's hand knowing that they having him amongst them would countenance his Counsellers and such as were in Office But they soon found that his Person without power did but increase their discord and factions For presently after his right was questioned by Competitors And first Robert de Tresny an experienced Souldier bringing a fair line from Roul intertained and feasted the chiefest men amongst them urging to them what a wrong it was to him that a Bastard and a Child should be preferred before him in the Dutchy which his Ancestors had gotten by their Valour and what a shame it was for the Normans to be governed by such an one And when words prevailed not he brought it to the tryal of the Sword in a great Battel in which by the valour of Roger de Beaumont he was defeated and himself and his two Brethren slain Not long after the King of France violating the trust that was reposed in him assisted in Person William Earl of Arques another pretender to the Dutchy descended also from Roul and brought to his aid a mighty Army yet Count Guifford Duke William's General by a stratagem training the French into an Ambush overthrew them and caused the King to return to Paris with great loss and dishonour and forced Arques to seek relief from the Earl of Bologne where yet he found little favour few regarding men that are overthrown and low This storm past a worse succeeds There lived with Duke William a young Lord of the like years called Guy descended also from Roul who coming to be sensible of his Interest was advised by some stirring spirits to put in for the Dutchy which they said was his right and but usurped by the Bastard And to promote his affairs there fell out a deadly feud between two of the greatest Lords Vicount Neel and the Earl of Bessin whose quarrel Duke William either did not or could not pacifie whereupon this Guy who was lately made Earl of Briorn and Vernon interposed to end this discord and by the advice of Grimolt de Plessis brought it to pass that both these great men turned the point of their malice against Duke William for not ending the difference and therefore conspired with Guy to murther him at unawares which also they had effected had not a Fool whom they suspected not noting their preparations got away in the night to Valogne knocking and crying at the Gates till he was admitted to the Dukes presence who was now about seventeen years old whom he willed presently to flee or he would be murthered The Duke seeing the Fool so affrighted contemns not the information but presently takes Horse and all alone posts towards Falaise his strongest place By the way his Horse was tired and at break a day coming to a Village called Rie it fell out that a Gentlemen was standing at his door ready to ride abroad of him the Duke enquired the next
of day gave them so hot an Alarm that he put them all into a rout leaving their Horses and Armour to the Normans who in the pursuit of fourty thousand left not a fourth part of them alive The King of France thus defeated returned home with disgrace and our Duke with the price of the Prisoners recovered his Peace and the Castle of Thuilliers which had been taken from him in his minority Cout Martel though much discouraged with the Kings overthrow yet made some attempts for the recovery of his Towns but without success Wherefore the next spring he went again to sollicit the French King to aid him against the Duke who said he is now grown insolent upon the victory he stole last year so that there is no living by him Besides he suggested that the Normans extreamly derided the French and had a base esteem of them making their last overthrow the subject of their sport and Rhimes as if the King of France upon such an inconsiderable loss durst not break a dishonourable Peace The King being stung with this reproach raised a mighty Army far greater than the former wherein were three Dukes and twelve Earls and notwithstanding the solemne peace made and so lately sworn with the Duke he entered Normandy in the Harvest time spoiling all before him along the Countrey of Bessin From thence he passed to Bayeux and Caen purposing to pass the River Dine at Verruil and to destroy all as far as to Roan Coming thither he found the Causeway long and Bridge narrow wherefore he caused his Van to pass over first and to secure his Rere lead by the Duke of Berry himself staid behind in Caen till his men and Carriages were passed Duke William all this while was storing his Fortresses with men and victuals strengthening himself and Falaise as much as he could yet had no Army in the Field but only a running Camp ready to take all advantages and so lets the fury of this storm spend itself till being informed of their passage over the Bridge and then marching all night with ten thousand men in the morning early he set upon the Rereward with so dreadfull a cry and fury that such as were upon the Causeway being affrighted thrust forward such as were before them hasting to get over the Bridge which by reason of the great press brake so that many were drowned and such as were got over could not return to aid the rest Nor the King by reason of the marishes on both sides could not yield any succor to his people but stood a spectator of their slaughter there were very many slain and six of the Kings Earls taken Prisoners This shameful overthrow was so laid to heart by the King of France that he died shortly after and the Duke of Normandy enjoyed peace which he imployed nobly in ordering and beautifying his State building and endowing Churches and Monastries He erected also a Tomb for himself and his wife at Caen Feasting and rewarding his Nobles and other men of worth whereby he so engaged their hearts to him that they were wholly his to do what he pleased In the time of this calm he sailed over into England pretending a visit to King Edward his kinsman who because he had been protected and bred in Normandy by Duke Richard the second Grandfather to them both gave him most Royal entertainment Probably he came to see and to be seen to make way for his future designs And not long after Herald whether on purpose or by some casualty of weather was driven into France is uncertain but he was gallantly entertained in Normandy by Duke William and at Roan something was concluded betwixt them whether to divide the Kingdom of England between them or that Herald being a coast-dweller should let in Duke William after the decease of King Edward the Confessour and do his best to help him to his Kingdom is uncertain but whatever it was it was solemnly sworn to upon the holy Evangelists and all the Reliques in Roan And for more assurance Herald was betrothed to Adeliza the Dukes Daughter and his Brother Wolnot was lest as a pledge for the performance Sure it is that so much was done either by our King Edward who by Will left the Crown to him or by Herald or both as gave him ground to challenge the Crown of England and to pursue the getting of it Though indeed it was not in either of their powers to prejudice our State or to alter the conse of a right succession As soon as Duke William heard of the death of King Edward and of the Election and Coronation of Herald he assembled the States of Normandy and acquainted them with the right he had to England intreating their utmost assistance for the recovery of it and to avenge him on the perjur'd Usurper Herald shewing them what a strong party he had in England and the distractions of the people which made his attempt very probable He told them what Glory Wealth and greatness the obtaining of such a Kingdom would add to them Yet notwithstanding all he could say there were but few that liked of this attempt and they which did were such as had long followed him in the wars and thereby had exhausted their estates and were content to run any adventure that might promise hope of advantage Of the rest some thought it best to hold and defend their own Countrey without adventuring to conquer an other and this was the richer sort Others were willing to contribute but did it so sparingly that it little advanced the design and the rest were so tyred with former Wars and so willing to enjoy the blessing of Peace that they were unwilling to forgoe a certain for an uncertain good The Duke meeting with these discouragements was much perplexed which made him to deal more particularly with his best Friends whom he knew to affect Honour and that they would adventure their whole estates with him These were William Fitz-Auber Earl of Brettevil Gualter Guifford Earl of Longevil Roger Lord de Beaumont c. especially his own brothers Odo Bishop of Bayeux and Robert Earl of Mortagne These he procured in a full Assembly to make their offers which they did so liberally Fitz Auber promising to furnish fourty ships with men and Amunition the Bishop of Bayeux fourty the Bishop of Mentz thirty c. that the rest of the assembly doubting that if without their help the Duke should carry on his design he would not forget their backwardness they came off more liberally The Duke finding them yielding yet not so forward as was requisite for such an undertaking dealt with the Bishops and great men apart getting that of them severally which of all together he could not attain and causing every mans contribution to be recorded kindled such an emulation amongst them that they which before would do nothing now strove who should do most By his fair perswasions also he
incensed King William that speedily raising an Army he entered Northumberland pittifully wasted by the Danes and made spoil of all and with a good summe of money purchased the departure of the Danes These devastations in sundry Counties made such a Dearth that the People were forced to eat Horses Dogs Cats Rats c. and between York and Durham for the space of sixty miles for nine years together there was such an utter desolation that neither House was left standing nor field tilled After this great defeat most of the Lords came in upon the publick Faith and were conducted to Barkhansted by the Abbot Frederick where upon their submission and Oath of Allegiance retaken they were restored to his favour and to give them satisfaction King William before the Archbishop Lankfranc and the Lords again sware to observe the antient Laws of the Realm established by his Noble Predecessors especialy those of Saint Edward Yet not long after these Lords upon new discontents brake out again But Earl Edwin making towards Scotland was murthered by the way by his own men The Lords Morchar and Hereward betook themselves to the Isle of Ely intending to secure themselves there for that Winter to whom also repaired Earl Syward and the Bishop of Durham out of Scotland But the King who was no time giver presently besieged them with flat Boats on the East and made a Bridge two miles long on the West and so brought his men upon them who seeing themselves surprised yielded to the Kings mercy Only Hereward desperatly marched with his People through the Fens and fled into Scotland the rest were sent to diverse Prisons where they dyed or remained during the Kings life Those Lords that continued Loyal upon the late submission were imployed and preferred by the King As Edric the Forrester And Gospatrice was made Earl of Northumberland and sent against King Malcolme who wasted the Countries of Tisdale Cleaveland and Cumberland Waltheoff the Son of Earl Syward he married to his Neece Judith a very valiant man shewing a Noble nature to love vertue even in his enemies And now King William finding Scotland to be a place of retreat for all his discontented Subjects and where his Competitor Edgar lived he entered the Kingdom with a great Army which encountring more with wants than Forces and both Kings considering the uncertain events of War upon fair overtures concluded a Peace agreeing upon the bounds of each Kingdom and Delinquents with their partakers were generally pardoned And shortly after Edgar Etheling came in volutarily and was restored to the Kings favour who allowed him a liberal maintenance which held him ever after quiet King William being now gone into Normandy there was amost dangerous Conspiracy begun against him by Ralph de Waher Earl of Suffolk and Norfolk Roger Fitz Aubre or Osburne Earl of Hereford Waltheoff Earl of Northumberland with Eustace Earl of Bulloine suborned as it was thought by the King of France there unto These Lords conspired to keep William in Normandy and to dispossess him of his Kingdom for which end they agreed to joyn theirs with the Danish Forces whom they intended to call in This was a dangerous Combination the King being in Normandy besieging the Castle of Dole in Britaine belonging unto Ralph Waher and defended against him by the King of France and at such a time when all his Neighbor Princes were jealous of him and ill affected to him The King of Scotland and the Princes of Wales ready to joyn with them at home Swaine King of Denmark with a Navy of two hundred sail ready to invade England to which Drone King of Ireland joyned sixty five ships And this did more distract and incense him because most of these great Lords were either his kinsmen or nearly allied to him This grand Conspiracy was discovered by Waltheoff to Archbishop Lankfranc who perswaded the Earl to go to the King and to inform him of the greatness of his danger Yet notwithstanding this discoverie Roger and Ralph proceed in their intentions and raise Forces But by the diligence of Odo Bishop of Baiaux the Kings Brother the Bishop of Worcester and the Abbot of Evesham they were so prevented that they could never unite their Forces Whereupon Ralph fled into France Roger was taken and imprisoned Waltheoff was beheaded and so this flame was extinct The greatest and last insurrection was in Normandy by King William's own Son Robert who by the instigation and assistance of Philip King of France envying Williams greatness entered Normandy and claimed it as his own right His Father indeed had promised him it long before but Robert impatient of delaies endeavored by a strong hand to wrest it from his Father King William hearing hereof passed with a strong Army over into Normandy where in a Battel meeting with his Son hand to hand he was by him unhorsed and hurt in the arm But his Son perceiving by his voice that it was his Father suddenly leaped off his Horse took him up in his armes fell down at his feet and humbly intreated his pardon which his Father easily granted embraced his Son and ever after they lived in mutual love After this King William sent this his Son Robert with an Army against Malcolm King of Scots who had invaded Northumberland who at the coming of Duke Robert retired At which time Duke Robert began to found a Castle upon the River of Tine whereof the Town of Newcastle did take its beginning and Name which formerly was called Moncaster These frequent Wars put the State to an infinite charge the King entertaining all this while besides Normans very many French Finding the English in respect of many great Families that were allied to the Danes rather to incline to that Nation than to the Normans In the fifteenth year of his Reign he subdued Wales and brought the King thereof to do him Homage And presently after quarrels arose between King William and the King of France The King of France invades Normandy and takes the City of Vernon The King of England invades France and subdued the Country of Xantoigne and Poicton and so returned to Roan Then did the King of France summon our King to do him Homage for England which he refused saying he held it of none but God and his sword But for the Dutchy of Normandy he offered him Homage which yet would not satisfie the King of France Whereupon he made a new invasion but with more loss than profit In the end they concluded a crazy Peace which held only till King William had recovered a sickness whereinto through his travel age and corpulency he was faln which occasioned the young and lusty King of France jeeringly to say that he lay in of his great belly in Roan This so irritated King William that so soon as he was recovered he gathered a very strong Army with which he entered France in