obstinately brake all besides hee was certainely informed that shoe and hers had plotted both against his dignitie and life But God in his mercy contrarie to her desire had turned the businesse so as hee escaped the daunger and his brother was deliuered out of bands And therefore hee from the part of God and the Pope willed them with all their vtmost power to aide the King annointed by the consent of the People and the Sea Apostolique and to Excommunicate all the disturbers of the peace that fauoured the Countesse of Aniou There was in the Councell a Lay Agent for the Empresse who openly charged the Legat That in respect of the faith he had giuen the Empresse to passe no act there preiudiciall to her Honour hauing sworne vnto her neuer to aide his brother with aboue twentie souldiers that her comming into England was vpon his often Letters vnto her and his cause it was that the King was taken and held prisoner This and much more sayd the Agent with great austerity of words wherewith the Legat seemed not to bee mooued at all nor would stoope to reply Both parts thus set at libertie were left to worke for themselues holding the State broken betweene them and no meanes made to interpose any barre to keepe them asunder Their borders lay euery where and then the ingagements of their Partakers who looke all to be sauers or to recouer their stakes when they were lost which makes them neuer giue ouer entertaine the contention But the best was they were rather troubles then warres and cost more labour then bloud Euery one fought with Bucklers and seldome came to the sharpe in the field which would soone haue ended the businesse Some few moneths after these inlargements stood both sides at some rest but not idle casting how to compasse their ends The Empresse at the Vies with her Councell resolues to send ouer her brother into Normandy to solicit her husband the Earle of The Earle of Glocester gets to Normandie Aniou to come to aide her with forces from thence Her brother the better to secure her in his absence setles her in the Castle of Oxford well furnished for all assaults and takes with him the sonnes of the especiall men about her as pledges to hold them to their fidelity Stephen seekes to stop the Earles passage but could not and then layes siege to the Castle of Oxford which held him all the time the Earle was abroad Geffrey Earle of Aniou desirous rather to haue Normandie whereof in this meane time he had attained the most part and in possibility of the rest then to aduenture for England which lay in danger refused to come in person but sends some small aide and his eldest sonne Henry being then but eleuen yeares of age that he might looke vpon England be shewed to the people to try if that would mooue them to a consideration of his right which proned of more effect then an Army The Earle of Glocester safely returning makes towards Oxford to releeue the Empresse The Earles retuine with the Empresses eldest sonne Henry who had secretly conueyed her selfe disguised out at a posterne gate onely with foure persons got ouer the Thames passed a foot to Abington and from thence conuayd to Wallingford where her brother and sonne met her to her more comfort after hard distresses Stephen seeing his enemy thus supplied and like to grow labours to winne friends 1143. Anno. Reg. 8. but money failes which made diuers of his Lords and especially his mercinaries wherof he had many out of Flanders to fall to the rifling of Abbayes which was of dangerous consequence And for Armies there was no meanes onely about Castles with small powers lay all the businesse of these times and they being so many were to small effect but onely to hold them doing which was for many yeares The Earle of Glocester the chiefe pillar of the Empresse within two yeares after his The Earle of Glocester dies last comming out of Normandie died and shortly after Miles Earle of Hereford an especiall man of hers which had vtterly quasht her but that in stead of a brother shee had a sonne grew vp to bee of more estimation with the Nobility and shortly after of ablenesse to vndergoe the trauailes of warre His first expedition at sixteene yeares of age was Northward to combine him with Dauid King of Scots his great Vncle to whom his mother had giuen the Country of Northumberland After him followes Stephen with an Army to Yorke least hee should surprize that Citie and to inter cept him in his returne but according to his vsuall manner and French-like after the first heate of his vndertakings which were quicke and braue hee quailes nothing was effected and both returne without incountring Now to aduance the State and meanes of Henry fortune as if in loue with young Princes presents this occasion Louys the seuenth King of France going in person to the Holy warres and taking with him his wife Elenor the onely daughter and heire of William Duke of Guien grew into such an odious conceipt of her vpon the notice of her lasciuious behauiour in those parts as the first worke hee doth vpon his comming backe hee repudiates and turnes her home with all her great dowrie rather content to loose the mightie estate she brought him then to marry her person With this great Lady matches Henry before he was twenty yeares of age being now Duke of An. 1151. Normandie his father deceased who had recouered it for him and had by her the possession of all those large and rich Countries apertayning to the Dutchy of Guien besides the Earldome of Poictou Whereupon Louys inraged to see him inlarged by this great accession of State who was so neere and like to be so dangerous and eminent a neighbour combines with Stephen and aydes Eustace his sonne whom hee married to his Sister Constance with maine power for the recouery of Normandie wherein hee was first possest But this young Prince furnished now with all this powerfull meanes leaues the management of the affaires of England to his friends defends Normandie wrought so as the King of France did him little hurt and Eustace his competitor returned home into England where shortly after hee died about 18 yeares of his age borne neuer to see out of the calamities of warre and was buried at Feuersham with his mother who deceased a little before and had no other ioy nor glorie of a Crowne but what we see Stephen whilst Duke Henrie was in Normandie recouers what hee could and at length besieges Wallinford which seemes in these times to haue beene a peece of great importance and impregnable and reduced the Defendants to that extremitie as they sent to Duke Henrie for succour who presently thereupon in the middest of Winter ariues in England with 3000 foot and 140 horse Where first to draw the King from Wallingford he layes siege to Malmesbury and had most
of a thousand saile and was aided with sixe hundreth more by Robert le Frison Earle of Flanders whose daughter he had married But the winds held so contrary for two yeares together as vtterly quasht that enterprize and freed the King and his successors for euer after from future molestation that way But this businesse put the State to an infinit charge the King entertayning all that time besides his Normans Hugh brother to the King of France with many companies 1078. Anno. Reg. 12. of French Finding the English in respect of many great families allied to the Danes to incline rather to that Nation then the Norman and had experience of the great and neere intelligence continually passing betweene them And these were all the warres he had within the Kingdome sauing in An. Regni 13. he subdued Wales and brought the kings there to doe him homage His warres abroad 1079. Anno. Reg. 13 were all about his Dominions in France first raised by his owne sonne Robert left Lieuftenant gouernor of the Dutchie of Normandy and the Countie of Mayne who in his fathers absence tasting the glorie of commaund grew to assume the absolute The Kings of wales doe homage to King william rule of the Prouince causing the Barons there to do him homage as Duke not as Lieutenant leagues him with the King of France who working vpon the easinesse of his youth and ambition was glad to apprehend that occasion to disioynt his estate who was growen too great for him And the profusse largesse and disorderlie expence whereto Robert was addicted is nourished by all waies possible as the meanes to imbrake him in those difficulties of still getting mony that could not but needs yeeld continuall occasion to intertain both his own discontent theirs from whom his supplies must be raised And though thereby he purchased him the title of Courtois yet he lost the Robert of Normandy titled Courtois opinion of good gouernment and constrayned the estates of Normandie to complaine to his father of the great concussion and violent exactions he vsed amongst them The King vnderstanding the fire thus kindled in his owne house that had set others all in combustion hasts with forces into Normandie to haue surprized his sonne who aduertised of his comming furnisht with two thousand men at Armes by the King of France lay in ambush where he should passe sets vpon him defeited most of his people and in the pursuite happened to incounter with himselfe whom hee vnhorsed and wounded in the arme with his Launce but perceiuing by his voice it was his father he hasted to remounte him humbly crauing pardon for his offence which the father seeing in what case he was granted howsoeuer he gaue and vpon his submission tooke him with him to Rouen whence after cured of his hurt hee returned with his sonne William likewise wounded in the fight into England Long was it not ere he was againe inform'd of his sonnes remutyning and how hee exacted vpon the Normans vsurpt the intire gouernment and vrged his fathers promise 1080. Anno. Reg. 14. thereof made him before the King of France vpon his Conquest of England which caused his litle stay heere but to make preparations for his returne into those parts whether in passing he was driuen on the Coast of Spaine but at length ariuing at Burdeaux with his great preparations his sonne Robert came in and submitted himselfe Robert rebels against his father the second time whom he now tooke with him into England to frame him to a better obedience imploying him in the hard and necessitous warres of Scotland the late peace being betweene the two Kings againe broken and after sent him backe 1081. Anno. Reg. 15. and his young sonne Henry with the association of charge and like power but of more trust to the gouernment of Normandie After the two Princes had beene there a while they went to visite the King of France at Constance where feasting certaine dayes vpon an after dinner Henry wanne 1082. Anno. Reg. 16. so much at chesse of Louis the Kings eldest sonne as hee growing into choller called him the sonne of a Bastard and threw the Chesse in his face Henry takes vp the Chesse-bord and strake Louis with that force as drew bloud and had killed him had not his brother Robert come in the meane time and interposed himselfe Whereupon Louis and Henry sonnes of the Kings of France and England they suddenly tooke horse and with much adoe they recouered Pontoise from the Kings people that pursued them This quarrell arising vpon the in-ter-meeting of these Princes a thing that seldome breeds good bloud amongst them re-enkindled a heate of more rancor in the fathers and beganne the first warre betweene the English and French For presently the King of France complots againe with Robert impatient of a partner cnters Normandie and takes the Citie of Vernon The King of England inuades France subdues the Country of Zaintonge and Poictou and returnes to 1026. Anno. Reg. 20 Rouen where the third time his sonne Robert is reconciled vnto him which much disappoints and vexes the King of France who thereupon summons the King of England to doe him homage for the Kingdome of England which he refused to doe saying Hce held it of none but God and his sword For the Dutchie of Normandie hee offers him homage but that would not satisfie the King of France whom nothing would but what King William denies to do homage for England to the King of France he could not haue the Maistery and seekes to make any occasion the motiue of his quarrell and againe inuades his territories but with more losse then profit In the end they conclude a certaine crazie peace which held no longer then King William had recouered a sicknesse whereinto through his late trauaile age and corpulencie he was falne at which time the King of France then yong and lustie ieasting at his great belly wherof he said he lay in at Rouen so irritated him as being recouered he gathers al 1087. Anno. Reg. 21. his best forces enters France in the chiefest timeof their fruits making spoile of all in his way till hee came euen before Paris where the King of France then was to whom he sends to shew him of his vp-sitting and from thence marched to the Citie of Mants which he vtterly sackt and in the distruction thereof gate his owne by the straine of his horse among the breaches and was thence conueyed sicke to Ronen and so ended all his warres Now for his gouernment in peace and the course hee held in establishing the His gouernment in peace Kingdome thus gotten first after he had represt the conspiracies in the North and well quieted all other parts of the State which now being absolutely his hee would haue to bee ruled by his owne Law hee beganne to gouerne all by the Customes of Normandie Whereupon the agreeued Lords and
certaine daies the same businesses should bee determined in such place as he would appoint where New orders instituted by the Normans hee constituted Iudges to attend for that purpose and also others from whom as from the bosome of the Prince all litigators should haue Iustice and from whom was no appeale Others hee appointed for the punishment of malefactors called Iusticiarij Pacis What alteration was then made in the tenure of mens possessions or since introduced The alteration of Tenures we may find by taking note of their former vsances Our Auncestors had onely two kinde of tenures Boke-land and Folk-land the one was a possession by writing the other Lambert without That by writing was as free-hold and by Charter hereditarie with all immunities and for the free and nobler sort That without writing was to hold at the will of the Lord bound Freehold to rents and seruices and was for the rurall people The inheritances discended not alone but after the German manner equally deuided amongst all the children which they called Land-skiftan The Tenure of Gauel kin to say Part-land a custome yet continued in some places of Kent by the name of Gauel-kin of Gif eal kin And hereupon some write how the people of that Country retayned their auncient Lawes and liberties by especiall graunt from the Conquerour who after his battaile at Hastings comming to Douer to make all sure on that side was incompassed by the whole people of that Prouince carrying boughs of trees in their hands and marching round about him like a moouing wood With which strange and suddaine show being much mooued the Arch-bishop Stigand and the Abbot Egelsin who had raised this commotion by showing the people in what daunger they The Customs of Kent preserued by the mediation of the Archbishop Stigand were vtterly to loose their liberties and indure the perpetuall misery of seruitude vnder the domination of strangers present themselues and declared How they were the vniuersall people of that Countrey gathered together in that manner with boughes in their hands either as Oliue branches of intercession for peace and libertie or to intangle him in his passage with resolution rather to leaue their liues then that which was deerer their freedome Whereupon they say the Conquerour graunted them the continuation of their former Customes and Liberties whereof notwithstanding they now retaine no other then such as are common with the rest of the Kingdome Geruasius Tilburieasis Dialog Scacc. For such as were Tenants at the will of their Lords which now growne to a greater number and more miserable then before vpon their petition and compassion of their oppression he releeued their case was this All such as were discouered to haue had a hand in any rebellion and were pardoned onely to enioy the benefit of life hauing all their liuelihood taken from them became vassals vnto those Lords to whom the possessions were giuen of all such lands forfeited by attaindors And if by their diligent seruice they could attaine any portion of ground they held it but onely so long as it pleased their Lords without hauing any estate for themselues or their children and Villenage were oftentimes violently cast out vpon any small displeasure contrary to all right whereupon it was ordained that whatsoeuer they had obtained of their Lords by their obsequious seruice or agreed for by any lawfull pact they should hold by an inuiolable Law during their owne liues The next great worke after the ordering his Lawes was the raising and disposing of his reuenues taking a course to make and know the vtmost of his estate by a genesuruey of the Kingdome whereof he had a president by the Dome booke of Winchester taken before by King Alfride But as one day informes another so these actions of profit A suruay made of the Kingdome grew more exact in their after practise and a larger Commission is graunted a choice of skilfuller men imployed to take the particulars both of his owne possessions and euery mans else in the Kingdome the Nature and the quality of their Lands their estates and abilities besides the descriptions bounds and diuisions of Shieres and Hundreds and this was drawne into one booke and brought into his treasurie Geruasius Tilburien de Scatc Dome booke then newly called the Exchequer according to the soueraigne Court of that name of Normandy before termed here the Taleè and it was called the Dome booke Liber iudiciarius for all occasions concerning these particulars All the Forests and Chases of the Kingdome hee seized into his proper possession Ibid. and exempted them from being vnder any other Law then his owne pleasure to serue as Penetralia Regum the withdrawing Chambers of Kings to recreate them after their serious labours in the State where none other might presume to haue to doe and where all punishments and pardons of delinquents were to bee disposed by himselfe absolutely and all former customes abrogated And to make his command the more he increased the number of them in all parts of the Land and on the South coast dispeopled the Country for aboue thirty miles space making of old inhabited possessions a new Forest inflicting most seuere punishments for hunting his Deere and thereby The new Forest in Hamshire much aduances his reuenues An act of the greatest concussion and tyranny hee committed in his raigne and which purchased him much hatred And the same course held almost euery King neere the Conquest till this heauie grieuance was allayed by the Charter of Forests granted by Henry the third Besides these he imposed no new taxations on the State and vsed those hee found very moderately as Dangelt an imposition of two shillings vpon euery hide or plough-land He imposed no new taxations raised first by King Ethelred to bribe the Danes after to warre vpon them hee would not haue it made an Annuall payment but onely taken vpon vrgent occasion and it was seldome gathered in his time or his successors saith Geruasius yet wee finde in our Annals a taxe of 6. shillings vpon euery hide-land leauied presently after the generall suruey of the Kingdome Esouage whether it were an imposition formerly The occasion of paying Escuage laide though now newly named I doe not find was a summe of money taken of euery Knights fee In after times especially raised for the seruice of Scotland And this also saith Geruasius was seldome leauied but on great occasion for stipends and donatiues to souldiers yet was it at first a due reserued out of such lands as were giuen by the Prince for seruice of warre according to the Custome of other Nations As in the Romans time wee finde Lands were giuen in reward of seruice to the men of warre for terme of their liues as they are at this day in Turkey After they became Patrimoniall The Custome of Eiefs hereditarie to their children Seuerus the Emperor was the first who permitted the
King of France who gaue him a faire entertainement in his Court Where he remained not long but that a Knight of 1093. Anno. Reg. 6. Normandy named Hachard vndertaking to put him into a Fort maugre his brother Robert within the Duchy conueyed him disguised out of the Court and wrought so as the Castle of Dampfront was deliuered vnto him whereby shortly after he got all the Countrey of Passays about it and a good part of Constantine by the secret aide of King William Richard de Riuteres and Roger de Manneuile Duke Robert leuies forces and eagerly wrought to recouer Dampfront but finding how Henry was vnderset inueighes against the perfidie of his brother of England in so much as the flame of rankor burst out againe more then euer And ouer passes King William with a great Army but rather to terrifie then do any great matter as a Prince that did more contend then warre and would be great with the sword yet seldome desired to vse it if he could get to his ends by any other meanes seeking rather to buy his peace then winne it Many skirmishes interpassed with surprisements of Castles but in the end a treaty of peace was propounded wherein to make his conditions what he would King William seemes hard to be wrought and makes the more shew of force sending ouer into England for an Army of thirty thousand men which being brought to the shore ready to be shipped an offer was made to be proclaimed by his Lieftenant that giuing ten shillings a man whosoeuer would might depart home to his dwelling Whereby was raised so much as discharged his expence and serued to see the King of France vnder-hand for his forbearing aide to Duke Robert who seeing himselfe left by the French must needes make his peace as the other would haue it Now for his affaires at home the vncertaine warres with Wales and Scotland gaue him more businesse then honour Being driuen in the one to incounter with mountaines in stead of men to the great losse and disaduantage of his people and in the other with as many necessities Wales he sought to subdue Scotland so to restraine as it might not hurt him For the last after much broyle both Kings seeming more willing to haue peace then to seeke it are brought to an enteruiew Malcolin vpon publicke faith and safe-conduit came to Glocester where vpon the haughtinesse of King William looking to be satisfied in all his demaunds and the vnyeeldingnesse of King Malcolin standing vpon his regality within his owne though content to be ordered for the confines according to the iudgement of the Primate of both Kingdomes nothing 1084. Anno. Reg. 7. was effected but a greater disdaine and rankor in Malcolin seeing himselfe dispised and scarce looked on by the King of England So that vpon his returne armed with rage he raises an Army enters Northumberland which foure times before he had depopulated and now the fifth seeking vtterly to destroy it and to haue gone farther The King of Scots his son Edward slaine causes Queene Margaret to dy with griefe Roger Houeden was with his eldest sonne Edward slaine rather by the fraude then power of Robert Mowbray Earle of that County The griefe of whose deaths gaue Margaret that blessed Queene hers After whom the State elected Dufnald brother to Malcolin and chased out all the English which attended the Queene and were harbored or preferred by Malcolin King William to set the line right and to haue a King there which should be beholding to his power aides Edgar the second sonne to Malcolin who had serued him in his wars to obtaine the Crowne due vnto him in right of succession by whose meanes Dufnald was expeld and the State receiued Edgar but killed all the aide he brought with him out of England and capitulated that he should neuer more entertaine English or Norman in his seruice This businesse setled Wales strugling for liberty and reuenge gaue new occasion of 1085. Anno. Reg. 8. worke whither he went in person with purpose to depopulate the Countrey but they retiring into the Mountaines and the Isle of Anglesey auoided the present furie But afterward Hugh Earle of Shrewsbury and Hugh Earle of Chester surprising the Isle their chiefest retreit committed there barbarous examples of cruelty by exoecations and miserable dismembring the people which immanity was there suddenly auenged on the Earle of Shrewsbury with a double death first shot into the eye and then tumbling ouer-boord into the sea to the sport and scorne of his enemy the King of Norway who either by chance or of purpose comming vpon that coast from taking in the Orchades encountred with him and that force he had at sea These were the remote businesses when a conspiracy brake out within the body of the Kingdome complotted by Robert Mowbray Earle of Northumberland William d'Ou and many others who are sayd to haue sought the destruction of the King and the aduancement of Stephen Earle of Albemare his Aunts sonne to the Crowne which gaue the King more trouble then danger for by the speedy and maine prosecution of the businesse wherein hee vsed the best strength of England it was soone ended with the confusion of the vndertakers But it wrought an ill effect in his nature by hardening the same to an extreme rigor for after the feare was past his wrath and cruelty were not but which is hideous in a Prince they grew to bee numbred amongst incurable diseases The Earle was committed to the Castle of Windsor William d' Ou at a Councell at Salisbury being ouercome in Duell the course of triall had his eyes put out and his priuie members cut off William de Alueric his Sewer a man of goodly personage and allyed vnto him was condemned to be hanged though both in his confession to Osmond the Bishop there and to all the people as hee passed to his execution hee left a cleere opinion of his innocency and the wrong hee had by the King But now whilst these fractures heere at home the vnrepairable breaches abroad were such as could giue the King no longer assurednesse of quiet then the attempters would and that all the Christian world was out either at discord amongst themselues or in faction by the schisme of the Church Pope Viban assembling a generall Councell at Cleirmont in Auergne to compose the affaires of Christendome exhorted all the Princes thereof to ioyne themselues in action for the recouery of the Holy Land out of the hands of infidels Which motion by the zealous negotiation of Peter the Hermit of Amiens tooke so generally meeting with the disposition of an actiue and religious world as turn'd all that flame which had else consumed each other at home vpon vnknowne Nations that vndid them abroad Such and so great grew the heate of this action made by the perswasion of the Iustice thereof with the state and glory it would bring on earth and the assurednesse of heauen
Informers small transgressions made great penalties These were his courses for raysing moneys wherein he failed not of fit Ministers to execute his will among whom was chiefe Ranulph Bishop of Durham whom he had corrupted with other Bishops to counterpoise This Raunlph gaue a thousand pounds for his Bishopricke and was the Kings Chancellour Profusion euer in want the Clergie awe the Layety and countenance his proceedings All which meanes he exhausted either in his buildings which were the new Castle vpon Tine the Citty of Carleil Westminster-Hall and the walles of the Tower of London or else in his prodigall gifts to strangers Twice he appeased the King of France with money and his Profusion was such as put him euermore into extreme wants This one Act shewes both his violence and magnanimity As he was one day hunting a Messenger comes in all haste out of Normandy and tels him how the Citty of Mans was surprised by Hely Conte de la Flesche who by his Wife pretended right therunto and was aided by Fouques d' Angiers the antient enemy to the Dukes of Normandy and that the Castle which held out valiantly for him was without present succour to be rendered He sends backe the Messenger instantly wils him to make all the speed he could to signifie to his people in the Castle that he would be there within eight daies if Fortune hindred him not And sodainely he askes of his people about him which way Mans lay and a Norman being by shewed him Presently he turnes his Horse towards that Coast and in great haste rides on when some aduised him to stay for fit prouisons and people for his iourney hee said They who loue mee will follow me And comming to imbarke at Dartmouth the Maister told him the weather was rough and there was no passing without eminent danger Tush said he set forward I neuer yet heard of King that was drowned By breake of day he arriued at Harfleu sends for his Captaines and men of warre to attend him all at Mans whither hee came at the day appointed Conte de la Flesche hauing more right than power after many skirmishes was taken by a stratagem and brought prisoner to Rouen where more inraged then dismaide with his fortune he let fall these words that had hee not beene taken with a wile hee would haue left the King but little Land on that side the sea and were hee againe at libertie they should not so easily take him Which being reported the King sent for him Set him at libertie gaue him a faire Horse bad him goe his waie and doe his worst Which act ouercame the Conte more then his taking and a quiet end was made betweene them That he affected things of cost euen in the smallest matters is shewed in the report of his finding fault with his seruant which brought him a new paire of hose whereof he demanding the price was told how they cost threc shillings wherewith being angrie he asked his seruant if that were a fit price of a paire of hose for a King and willed him to goe presently and to buy those of a marke which being brought him though they were farre worse yet he liked them much better in regard they were said to haue cost more An example of the Weare of the time the humor of the Prince and the deceipt of the seruant The King returnes into England with great iollity as euer bringing home better fortune out of Normandy then from any his Northerne expeditions Feasts his Nobilitie with all Magnificence in his new Hall lately finished at Westminster wherewith he found much fault for being built too little saying It was fitter for a Chamber then a Hallfor a King of England and takes a plot for one farre more spacious to be added vnto it And in this gayetie of State when hee had got aboue all his businesses betakes him wholly to the pleasure of peace and being hunting with his Brother Henry in the New Forrest Walter Terell a Norman and his kinsman shooting at a Deere whether mistaking his marke or not is vncertaine strake him to the heart And so fell this fierce King in the 43 yere of his age when he had raigned nie 12 yeres A Prince who for the first two yeares of his raigne whilst held in by the graue counsell of Lanfrance and his owne feares bare himselfe most worthily and had beene absolute for State had hee not after sought to bee absolute in power which meeting with an exorbitant will makes both Prince and people miserable The end of the Life and Raigne of William the second The Life and Raigne of Henry the first HHNRY the yongest sonne of William the first being at hand and 1100 Anno. Reg. 1. borne in England which made much for him was elected and crowned within foure dayes after his Brothers death it being giuen out that Robert who should haue succeeded William was chosen King of Ierusalem and not like to giue ouer that Kingdome for this Wherefore to settle Henry in the possession of the Crowne all expedition possible was vsed least the report of Roberts returning from the Holy warres being now in Apulia comming home might be noysed abroad to stagger the State which seemed generally willing to accept of Henry The first actions of his gouernment tended all to bayte the people and sugar their subiection as his predecessor vpon the like interposition had done but with more moderation and aduisednesse this being a Prince better rectified in iudgement and of a Nature more alayed both by his sufferings hauing sighed with other men vnder the hand of oppression that taught him patience also by hauing somewhat of the Booke which got him opinion the Title of Beauclarke First to fasten the Clergy Hee furnishes with fit men all those Vacancies which his Brother had kept emptie recals Anselme home to his Bishopricke of Canterbury and restores them to all whatsoeuer priuiledges had beene infringed by his Predecessor And for the Layetie Hee not onely pleased them in their releeuements but in their passion by punishing the chiefe Ministers of their exactions which euermore eases the The ministers of exactions punished spleene of the people glad to discharge their Princes of the euills done them knowing how they cannot worke without hands and lay them on their Officers who haue the actiue power where themselues haue but the passiue and commonly turne as they are mooued Ralph Bishop of Durham chiefe Counsellor to the late King a man risen by subtlety Ralph Bishop of Durham committed to prison of his Tongue from infimous condition to the highest employments was committed to a streight and loathsome prison being famed to haue put his Maister into all these courses of exaction and irregularities and remaines amongst the examples of perpetuall ignominie All dissolute persons are expelled the Court the people cased of their impositions and restored to their lights in the night which after the Couerfeu Bell were
of all the great men in the West and from other parts comming in vnto him Stephen now resolued to put it to the tryall of a day brings thither all the power hee could make and far ouer-went his enemy in number but flouds and stormes in an vnseasonable Winter kept the Armies from incountring till the Bishops doubtfull of the successe and seeing how daungerous it was for them and the whole State to haue a young Prince get the maistry by his sword mediated a peace which was after concluded in a Parliament at Winchester vpon these conditions 1 That King Stephen during his naturall life should remaine King of England and Henrie inioy the Dukedome of Normandie as discended vnto him from his mother and bee proclaymed heire apparent to the Kingdome of England as the adopted sonne of King Stephen 2 That the partizans of either should receiue no damage but inioy their Estates according to their ancient Rights and Titles 3 That the King should resume into his hands all such parcels of inheritance belonging Resumptions to the Crowne as had beene aliened by him or vsurped in his time And that all those possessions which by intrusion had beene violently taken from the owners since the dayes of King Henry should bee vestored vnto them who were rightly possessed therein when the said King raigned 4 That all such Castles as had beene built by the permission of Stephen and in his time which were found to be 1117 should be demolished c. There is a Charter of this agreement in our Annals which hath other Articles of reseruation for the Estates of particular persons And first for William the second sonne Vide Append. of Stephen to enioy all the possessions his father held before hee was King of England and many other particulars of especiall note After this pacification and all businesse here setled Duke Henry returnes into Normandy and likewise there concludes a peace with the King of France and for that hee would be sure to haue it buyes it with twenty thousand markes And now King Stephen hauing attained that hee neuer had Peace which yet it seemes he enioyed not a yeare after vses all the best meanes he could to repaire the ruines of the State makes his progresses into most parts of the Kingdome to reforme the mischiefes that had growne vp vnder the sword and after his returne cals a Parliament An. 1154. at London to consult of the best meanes for the publicke good After the Parliament He raigned 18 yeares and 10 moneths he goes to meete the Earle of Flanders at Douer who desired conference with him and hauing dispatcht him fals presently sicke dies within few dayes after and was buried in the Abbey he founded at Feuersham with the vnfortunate Princes A man so continually in motion as we cannot take his dimension but onely in passing and that but on one side which was warre on the other we neuer saw but a glaunce of him which yet for the most part was such as shewed him to bee a very worthy Prince for the Gouernment He kept his word with the State concerning the relieuement of Tributes and neuer had Subsidy that we find But which is more remarkeable hauing his sword continually out and so many defections and rebellions against him He neuer put any great man to death Besides it is noted that notwithstanding all these miseries of warre There were more Abbeys built in his Raigne then in an hundreth yeares before which shewes though the times were bad they were not impious The end of the Life and Raigne of King Stephen The Life and Raigne of Henry the Second And first of the Line of Plantagenet THAT short time of peace before the death of Stephen had so allayed 1154. Anno. Reg. 1. the spirit of contention and prepared the Kingdome wearied and defaced with warre to that disposition of quietnesse as Henry Plantagenet though a French-man borne and at that time out of the Land long detained with contrary winds yet a Prince of so great possessions abroad as might make him feared to be too mighty a maister at home or doubtfull where hee would set his seate whither carry England thither or bring those great States to this was notwithstanding generally admitted without any opposition or capitulation other then the vsuall oath to the Crowne of England which he receiued at the hands of Theobald Arch-bishop of Canterbury the twentieth day of December Anno 1154 about the three and twentieth yeare of his age And though he where a Prince Yong Actiue Pawerfull and had all that might make him high and presuming yet the necessity of his owne affaires were so strong raines to hold him in from all exorbitant courses as made him wary to obserue at first all meanes to get and retaine the loue and good opinion of this Kingdome by a regular and easie Gouernment being sure to haue the King of France perpetually awake for all aduantages both in regard of daily quarrels commune to mighty neighbours as also for matching with her that came out of his bed and brought away those mighty Prouinces from that Crowne whereby he comes now to ouer-match him being thus inuested in this powerfull Kingdome of England Where after hauing made a choice of graue Councellors such as best vnderstood the state thereof he began at a Councell or Parliament held at Wallingford with an Act that both serued his owne turne and much eased the stomakes of his people which was the expulsion of Strangers wherewith Expulsion of Strangers the Land was much pestered by reason of the late warres that had drawne great numbers of them and especially of Flemings and Picards whom King Stephen especially trusted in his greatest actions after he grew doubtfull of the English fidelity and had made their Leader Williamd ' Ipres Earle of Kent who likewise was turned home and his estate seized into the Kings hands Then that he might subsist by his owne meanes without pressure of his subiects Resumption of Crowne Lands whose voluntary seruices and contributions would yeeld him more in measure then if exacted He lookes to the State and ordering of his reuenues reformes the Exchequer and reuokes all such Lands belonging to the Crowne as had any way bene alienated or vsurped And though some of the great Lords stood out for the holding what they had in possession as Hugh de Mortimer for his Castles of Clebury Wigmore and Bridgenorth and Roger Fits Miles Earle of Hereford for the City and Land of Glocester Yet the King tooke them by force as appertaining to the Crowne Besides he resumed the Castle of Skarborough which William Earle of Albemarle held and diuers other Lands and Castles in Yorkeshire possessed by priuate men Hugh Bigot resigned his Castles into the Kings hands And more he tooke from William Earle of Mortaine and Warren base sonne to King Stephen the Castle of Pemsey the City of Norwitch with other Townes and Castles
notwithstanding himselfe graunted the same in his agreement with Stephen alledging They were of the Demaynes of the Crowne and could not be alieâ—ed Onely he suffered him to inioy such lands as his father King Stephen held in England in the time of Henry the first Then goes he Northward and recouers the Citty of Carlile seizes all Cumberland into his hands and after takes the Towne of New-castle with the Castle of Bamberge and so resumed all Northumberland which his Mother the Empresse had before granted to Dauid King of Scets her Vnkle Grand-father to Malcolin who now reigned as being not in his Mothers power nor his to giue away any part of the Kingdome Notwithstanding he was content Malcolin should inioy the Earledome of Huntingdon which King Stephen had giuen to Henry Prince of Scotland father to Malcolin as being a peece in the heart of England whereof he could make no vse but at the Kings pleasure and besides was a meanes to hold him his Homager and to performe those seruices belonging to that Earledome And the same course tooke he with the Alienations and vsurpations formerly made of the Demaines of the Duchy of Normandy and forced Theobald Earle of Blois to resigne into his hands two Castles and Petroch Earle of Perch other two These reuocations whereby so many were indamaged in their estates and Grants both of his Predecessors and his owne vtterly nullified might seeme to be an act of great iniustice and in a new Gouernment of little safety But in regard the Common-wealth had thereby a benefit and but few though great interessed it passed as a worke vniuersally necessary seeing his Maintenance otherwise must be made vp out of publicke taxations which would turne to a generall grieuance But the resuming of the Earledome of Aniou The King resumes the Earledome of Aniou out of his brother Geffryes hands contrary to his Oath cannot but be held a strayne beyond conscience and good nature For his father Geffrey Plantagenet desirous to leaue some estate to his second sonne Geffrey ordained by his Testament That when Henry had recouered the Kingdome of England the other should haue the County of Aniou and in the meane time put Geffrey in possession of the Castles and Townes of Chinon Lodun and Mirabel whereby he might both haue maintenance for his estate and a readier meanes to come to the rest when occasion serued And least his sonne Henry should not performe this Will he got certaine Bishops and other Nobles to sweare that they would not suffer his body to be interred till Henry who was then absent had sworne to fulfill his Testament Henry rather then to suffer his Fathers body to lye vnburied With great vnwillingnesse takes this oath But afterward being inuested in the Crowne of England and Geffrey seazing vpon the Earledome of Aniou he passes ouer into France and not onely takes from him the Earledome but also those three Townes he had in possession alledging It was no reason a forced Oath vpon such an occasion should bind him to forgoe the inheritance of his Birth-right being all the Patrimony that was to discend vnto him from his Father and though he had recouered the Kingdome of England that was not his Fathers worke but by an other right And although he held his brother deere vnto him yet hauing Children of his owne he was to prouide that what was his should discend to them But yet was content to allowe his brother an honorable pension of a thousand pounds English and two thousand pounds of Aniouin money yearely for the maintenance of his estate and obtained of Pope Adrian the seuenth an English man borne a dispensation for his Oath made in this case 1156. Anno. Reg. 2. And now the first occasion that put him here into action of warre was the rebellion of the Welsh who according to their vsuall manner euer attempted some thing in the beginning of the Raigne of new Princes as if to try their spirits and their owne fortunes Against whom hee goes so prepared as if hee ment to goe through with his worke Wherein at first he had much to doe passing a streight among the Mountaines His first expedition into Wales where he lost with many of his men Eustace Fitz Iohn and Robert Curcy eminent persons and himselfe noysed to be slaine so much discouraged that part of the Army which had not passed the Streights as Henry an Earle of Essex threw downe the Kings Standard which he bare by inheritance and fled but soone the King made it knowne hee was aliue discomfited his enemies and brought them to seeke their peace with submission The Earle of Essex was after accused by Robert de Monfort The punishment of Corwardize for this misdeed had the Combat was ouercome pardoned yet of life but condemned to be shorne a Monke put into the Abbay of Reading and had his Lands seised into the Kings hands It was now the fourth yeare of the raigne of this King when all his affaires were in 1158. Anno. Reg. 4. prosperous course his State increasing his Queene fruitefull and had borne him three sonnes in England Henry Richard and Geffrey his eldst sonne William to whom hee had caused the Kingdom to take an Oath of fealty died shortly after his comming to the Crowne so that now the same Oath is tendred to Henry and all is secure and well on this side The King of France who would gladly haue impeached the mighty current of this Kings fortune was held in and fettered with his owne necessities his iourney to the Holy Land had all exhausted his Treasure and since his comming home the Pope had exacted great summes of him for dispensing with his second marriage which was with Constantia daughter to Alphonso King of Galicia a feeble alliance and farre off so that all concurred to increase the greatnesse of this King of England who The resignation of Nants to the King of England hauing now almost surrounded France by possessing first all Normandie with a great footing in Brittaine by the resignation of Nants with the Country there about which Conan the Duke was forced lately to make vnto him then the Earledome of Maine Poictou Touraine Aniou with the Dutchy of Guien he also laies claime to the rich Earledome of Tholouse vpon this Title William Duke of Aquitaine granfather to Queene Elioner married the daughter and King Henries claime to the Earldome of Tholouse heire of the Earle of Tholouse and going to the holy warres ingaged that Earldome to Raymond Earle of Saint Gayles and neuer returned to redeeme it William his sonne father to Queene Elionor either through want of meanes or neglect delayed likewise the redemption thereof so that the Earle of Saint Gyles continuning in possession whilst hee liued left it to his sonne Raymond of whom King Louys of France hauing married Elionor the daughter and heire of the last William demanded the restitution with tender of the summe for which
it was ingaged Raymond refuses it and stands to his possession as of a thing absolutely sold or forfeited but being too weake to contend with a King of France fell to an accord and married his sister Constans widdow of Eustace sonne to King Stephen and so continues the possession Now King Henry hauing married this Elionor and with her was to haue all the Rights shee had tenders likewise as the King of France had done in the same case the summe formerly disbursed vpon the morgage of that Earledome And with all makes ready his sword to recouer it and first combines in league and amity with such whose Territories bordred vpon it as with Raymond Earle of Barcelona who had married the daughter and heire of the King of Arragon a man of great Estate in those parts intertayning him with conference of a match betweene his second sonne Richard and his daughter with couenant that Richard should haue the inheritance of the Dutchy of Aquitaine and the Earledome of Poictou Besides hee takes into his protection William Lord of Trancheuille possessing likewise many great Signories in the Countrey and one who held himselfe much wronged in his Estate by the Earle of Tholouse These ay des prepared he leauies an Army and goes in person to besiege the Citie of Tholouse and takes along with him Malcolin King of Scots who comming to his 1159. Anno. Reg. 5. Court to doe him homage for the Earledome of Huntingdon and to make claime for those other peeces taken from his Crowne was entertayned with so many faire words and promises of King Henry as drew him along to this warre The Earle of Tholouse vnderstanding the intentions of the King of England craues ayde of his brother in Law the King of France who likewise with a strong Army comes downe in person to succour Tholouse and was there before the King of England could arriue with his forces whereupon seeing himselfe preuented and in disaduantage King Henry fell to spoyling the Countrey and takes in Cahors in Quercy where he places a strong Garrison to bridle the Tholousains and so returnes into Normandy gaue the order of Knight hood to King Malcolin at Tours augments his forces and enters the Countrey of Beauuoisin where he destroyes many Castles and commits great spoyles And to adde more anoyance to the King of France he obtained of the Earle de Auranches the two strong Castles Rochfort and Monfort which furnished with Garrisons impeached the passage twixt Orleance and Paris in so much as the warre and weather grew hote betwixt these two great Princes and much effusion of bloud was like to follow but that a mediation of peace was made and in the end concluded With a match betweene the young Prince Henry not seuen yeares of age and the 1160. Anno. Reg. 6. Lady Margaret eldest daughter to the King of France scarce three weake linkes to hold in so mighty Princes The yong Lady was deliuered rather as an Ostage then a Bride to Robert de Newburge to be kept till her yeares would permit her to liue with her Husband In the meane time notwithstanding many ruptures hapned betweene the Parents The first whereof Prince Henry contracted to Margaret daughter to the King of France grew vpon the King of Englands getting into his owne hand the Castle of Gisors with two other Castles vpon the Riuer Eata in the confines of Normandy deliuered vp before the due time By three Knights Templars to whom they were committed in trust till the marriage were consummated And this cost some bloud the Knights Templars are persecuted by the King of France and the King of England receiues them But now the aduantage of power lying all on this side and the King seeing himselfe at large and how much he was abroad beganne to be more at home and to The King seekes to abate the power of the Clergy the cause therof looke to the Prerogatiues of his Crowne which as he was informed grew much infringed by the Clergy which since the time of Henry the first Were thought to haue inlarged their iurisdiction beyond their vocation and himselfe had found their power in the election of King Stephen with whom they made their owne conditions with all aduantages for themselues whereby they depriued his Mother and her issue of their succession to the Crowne And though afterwards by their mediation the peace twixt him and Stephen was concluded and his succession ratified yet for that might he thanke his Sword the Iustice of his cause and strong party in the Kingdome What they did therein shewed him rather their power then their affection and rather put him in mind of what they had done against him at first then layed any obligation on him for what they did afterward And his owne example seeing them apt to surprise all aduantages for their owne aduancement made him doubt how they might deale with his Posterity if they found occasion and therefore is he easily drawne to abate their power in what he could To this motion of the Kings dislike the Lay Nobility emulous of the others authority layed more waights alledging how the immunities of the Clergie tooke vp so much Complaints against the Clergie from the Royalty as his execution of Iustice could haue no generall passage in the Kingdome the Church held their Dominion apart and free from any other authority then their owne and being exempt from Secular punishments many enormious acts were committed by Clergie-men without any redresse to be had and it was notified to the King that since the beginning of his Raigne There had beene aboue a hundreth Man-slaughters committed within the Realme of England by Priests and men within Orders Now had the King a little before vpon the death of Theobald Arch-bishop of Canterbury 1161. Anno. Reg. 7. preferred Thomas Becket a creature and seruant of his owne to that Sea A man whom first from being Arch-deacon of Canterbury he made his Chancelor and finding him Diligent Trusty and Wise imployes him in all his greatest businesses of the State by which tryall of his seruice and sidelity he might expect to haue him euer the Thomas Becket preferred to the Sea of Canterbury readier to aduance his affaires vpon all occasions And besides to shew how much he respected his worth and integrity he commits vnto him the education of the Prince a charge of the greatest consequence in a Kingdome which shall be euer sure to find their Kings as they are bred At the beginning of this mans promotion this reformation of Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction is set vpon a worke in regard of that time of deuotion of great difficultie the Bishops hauing from the beginning of Christianitie first vnder the Saxon Kings principally swaded the State and though at the entrance of the Norman they were much abriged of their former liberties they held themselues if not content yet quiet For albeit they had not that power in temporall businesses as
ill and threatnes King Henry the Father with warre if it were not presently done which causes him to make more haste backe againe into Normandy leauing the young King in England to satisfie or preuent this quarreling Prince And whilst he remained there meanes was made that the Archbishop of Canterbury who had beene now sixe yeares in exile was brought to haue conference with the King by the mediation of the King of France Theobald Earle of Bloys and diuers great Bishops which the King of England was the more willing to accept in regard hee saw this breach with the Church might much preiudice his temporall businesses whensoeuer they should breake out and how the Archbishop continually was working the Pope and all the great Prelates of the Christian world against him which How much such a party as swayed the Empire of Soules might doe in a time of zeale against a ruler of bodies was to bee considered And therefore discends he from the higth of his will to his necessity and they meete at Montmiriall before the King of France where the Archbishop kneeling at the feete of his Soueraigne Lord the King of England sayd Beckets submission to the King Hee would commit the whole cause in controuersie to his Royall Order Gods honour onely reserued The King who had beene often vsed to that reseruation grew into some choller and sayd to the King of France and the rest What soeuer displeaseth this man hee would haue to be against Gods honour and so by that shift will challeng to himselfe all that belongs to mee But because you shall not thinke mee to goe about to resist Gods honour and him in what shall bee The Kings offer to Becket fit looke what the greatest and most Holy of all his Predecessors haue done to the meanest of mine let him doe the same to mee and it shall suffice Which answere being beyond expectation so reasonable turn'd the opinion of all the company to the Kings cause in so much as the King of France sayd to the Archbishop Will you bee greater then Saints better than Saint Peter what can you stand vpon I see it is your fault if your peace bee not made The Archbishop replied to this effect That as the authority of Kings had their beginning by Beckets reply Degrees so had that of the Church which being now by the prouidence of God come to that Estate it was they were not to follow the example of any that had beene faint or yeelding in their places The Church had risen and increased out of many violent oppressions and they were now to hold what it had gotten Our Fathers sayd hee suffred all manner of afflictions because they would not forsake the name of Christ and shall I to be reconciled to any mans fauour liuing derogate any thing from his honour This hauty reply of a subiect to so yeelding an offer of his Soueraigne so much distasted the hearers as they held the maintenance of his cause rather to proceed from obstinacy then zeale and with that impression the conference for that time brake vp But after this were many other meetings and much debate about the businesse And the King of France at whose charge lay the Archbishop all this while came to another conference with them vpon the Confines of Normandie Where the King of England tooke the Archbishop apart and had long speech with him twice they alighted from their horses twice remounted and twice the King held the Archbishops bridell and so againe they part prepared for an attonement but not concluding any In the end by mediation The King and Becket accorded of the Archbishop of Rouen the matter is quietly ended before the Earle of Bloys at Amboys And thereupon Henry the father writes to Henry the sonne being then in England in this wise Know yee that Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury hath made peace with me to my will and therefore I charge you that hee and all his haue peace and that you cause to bee restored vnto him and to all such as for him went out of England all their substances in as full and honourable manner as they held it three monethes before their going c. And thus by this letter we see in which King the command lay Becket returnes into England The Archbishop returning into England not as one who had sought his peace but inforced it with larger power to his resolution then before Suspends by the Popes Bull the Archbishop of Yorke from all Episcopall Office for Crowning the young King within the Prouince of Canterbury without his leaue and against the Popes commandement and without taking according to the custome the Cautionary Oath for conseruation of the liberties of the Church Hee brought also other letters to suspend in like manner The Bishops of London Salisbury Oxford Chester Rochister Saint Asaph and Landaff for doing seruice at the Coronation and vphoulding the Kings cause against him And by these Letters were they all to remaine suspended till they had satisfied the Archbishop in so much as he thought fit Thus to returne home shewed that hee had the better of the time and came all vntied which so terrified the Bishops that presently hauing no other refuge they repaire to the King in Normandie and shew him this violent proceeding of the Archbishop How since his returne hee was growne so imperious as there was no liuing vnder him Wherewith the King was so much mooued as hee is sayd in extreame passion to haue vttered these words In what a miserable State am I that cannot bee quiet in mine owne Kingdome for one onely Priest is there no man will ridde mee of this trouble Whereupon they report foure Knights Sir Hugh Moruille Sir William Tracy Sir Richard Brittaine and Sir Raynold Fitz Vrs then attending vpon the King and gessing his desire by his words depart presently into England to bee the vnfortunate executioners of the same but by some it seemes rather these foure gentlemen were sent with Commission from the King to deale with the Archbishop in another manner And first to wish him to take his Oath of Fealty to the young King then to restore these Bishops to the execution of their function and thirdly to beare himselfe with more moderation in his place whereby the Church might haue comfort vpon his returne and the Kingdome quietnesse But they finding the Arch-bishop not answering their humor but peremtory vntractable without regarding their Masters message grew into rage first from threatning The murthering of Becket force fell to commit it and that in an execrable manner putting on their armor to make the matter more hideous they entred into the Church whither the Arch-bishop was with-drawn the Monks at Diuine Seruice and there calling him Traytor and furiously reuiling him gaue him many wounds and at length strake out his braines that with his bloud besprinkled the Altar His behauiour in this act of death his courage to
to the King of England and peace with a reconciliation is concluded betweene him and his sonnes But with more reseruation on his part then had beene by the former treatie offered as hauing now more of powre and the aduantage of fortune and yet yeelding so much as shewed the goodnesse of his Nature was not ouer swayed by his ambition all his proceeding in this warre witnessing that necessity did euer worke more then his will And at the signing of the Charter of this Peace when his sonne Henry would haue Vide Append. done him homage which is personall seruice he refused to take it because hee was a King but receiued it of Richard and Geffrey Yet after this Henry the sonne to free his father of all scruple became his Liege-man and swore Fealty vnto him against all men in the presence of the Archbishop of Rouen the Bishop of Bayeux the Earle Mandeuile and a great Nobilitie At the concluding this Peace the Earle of Flaunders yeelded vp to King Henrie the Father the Charter made vnto him by the Sonne for his remuneration and had another confirmed for the pension hee had yearely out of England before this warre which was one thousand Markes out of the Eschequer afterward granted vpon condition of Homage and for finding the King of England yearely fiue hundred souldiours for the space of fortie daies vpon summons giuen This businesse ended the Father and Sonne make their Progresses into all their Prouinces on that side to visit and reforme the disorders of Warre and to settle their affaires there Richard is sent into Aquitaine and Geffrey into Brittaine vpon the same businesse and there left with their Counsells to looke to their owne The two Kings Father and Sonne shortly after returne into England where reformation 1175. Anno. Reg. 21. in the Gouernment needed as much as in France and here had the Archbishoppe of Canterburie sommoned a Councell of the Clergie wherein were manie enormities of the Church reformed as may bee seene in the Canons of that Synod The King supplies all Vacancies and giues to Iohn de Oxenford that great Minister Vide Append. of his the Bishopricke of Norwich then takes hee into his hands all the Castles hee could seize on amongst other the Towre of Bristoll which was rendred by All Vacancies supplied by the King the Earle of Glocester and was neuer in his hands before Hee takes penalties both of Clerkes and Lay-men who had trespassed his Forests in time of Hostility for which hee is taxed of wrong Richard Lucy Iustice of England hauing warrant by the Kings precept to discharge them for the same But the profit which they yeelded him made him take the stricter regard therein For after the death of Alain de Neuile which had beene chiefe Iustice of all the Forrests of England hee deuides them into diuers parts appointing to euerie part foure Iustices whereof two to bee Clerkes and two Knights and two Seruants of his Houshold to bee Keepers of the Game ouer all other Forresters either of the Kings Knights or Barons whatsoeuer and gaue them power to implea according to the Assiese of the Forrest The King beeing at Yorke there came vnto them William King of Scots with almost all the Bishoppes Abbots and Nobilitie of Scotland and confirmed 1176. Anno. Reg. 22. the Peace and finall concorde which had formerly beene in the time of his imprisonment at Faleise in Normandie before all the greatest Estates of both Kingdomes the Tenour whereof is to bee seene in Roger Houeden After this a Councell is called at Windsor whither repaire certaine Bishoppes Vide Append. of Ireland and the Chauncelour of Rodoric King of Conaught for whom a finall concord is concluded vpon doing Homage Fealty and a tribute to bee paide which was of euerie tenne Beasts one sufficient Hide within his Kingdome and those Prouinces that held thereof Within a while after a Councell or Parliament is assembled at Nottingham and by aduice and consent thereof the King caused The Kingdome to bee deuided into sixe parts and constitutes for euerie part three Iustices itinerants causing them to The Kingdom deuided into sixe parts for Iustice. take an Oath vpon the Holie Euangelists faithfullie for themselues to obserue and cause inuiolablie to bee obserued of all his Subiectes of England the Assises made at Claringdone and renued at Northamton which Assises were chiefly for Murther Vide Append. Theft Roberie and their receiuers for deceipts and burning of Houses which facts if found by the Verdict of twelue men the accused were to passe the tryall of Water Ordeil Vide Append. whereby if not acquitted their punishment was losse of a legge or banishment that Age seeming to hold it a greater example of a Malefactor miserably liuing then of one dead for as yet they came not so farre as bloud in those cases And yet wee finde in the raigne of this King that one Gilbert Plumton Knight accused for a Rape before Ranulph de Glanuile chiefe Iustice of England desirous sayth Houeden by vniust sentence to condemne him was adiuged to bee hanged on a Gibbet whereunto when hee was brought and in the hands of the Executioner the people ranne out crying that an innocent and iust person ought not so to suffer Balduin Bishoppe of Worcester a religious man and fearing God hearing the clamor of the people and the iniury done to this miserable creature came foorth and forbad them from the part of the Omnipotent God and vnder paine of Excommunication that they should not put him to death that day being Holy and the Feast of Saint Mary Magdelene whereupon the excution was put off till the morrow That night meanes was wrought to the King who commanded a stay to bee made till other order were taken being informed that for the enuie which Glanuile bare to this Plumton hee was desirous to put him to death in regard hee had married the danghter of Roger Gulwast an inheritrix whom hee would haue had Reiner his Shriefe of Yorkeshire to haue had which act leaues a foule staine of Iniustice vpon the memory of this Chiefe Iustice Glanuile in the time of whose Office a tract of the Lawes and Customes of the Kingdome of England was composed which now passes vnder his name The charge giuen for businesses in these Assises consisted but of very few points Vide Append. besides those felonies and was especially for taking Homage and Ligeancie of 1177. Anno. Reg. 13. all the Subiects of England demolishing of Castles the Rights of the King his Crowne and Eschequour The multitude of actions which followed in succeeding times grew out of new transgressions and the increase of Law and Litigation which was then but in the Cradle William King of Sicile sends and craues to haue Ioan the Kings daughter in marriage William King of Sicile matches with Ioan the Kings Daughter Rog. Houed Vide Append. Whereupon the King calls a Parliament
blessed Martyre and glorious Bishoppe Thomas lately shedde his bloud especially since your father and brother of cleere memory late Kings of England haue in the hands of the Legats of the Apostolique Sea abiureá that impious Custome Wee if you acquite your selfe will sufficiently take care for you and yours that no preiudice shall arise vnto you hereby Dated at Lateran the 10 yeare of our Pontificat Thus we see how these two mighty powers striue to make good each other prerogatiue and defend their interests with words But when the Pope vnderstood how the King of England had proceeded against the Church of Canterbury hee sends presently his Mandate to the Bishop of London Ely and Worcester to deale with the The Popes Mandat to the B B. King by way of exhortation to reforme himselfe and if they found him still contumacious they should interdict the whole Kingdome of England If that would not correct him then himselfe would lay a seuerer hand vpon him and withall charged the Bishops suffragans of the Church of Canterbury by vertue of their obedience to receiue for father the Archbishop Stephan and to obay him withall respect The Bishops as they were inioyned repaire to the King Shew the Popes Mandat and with teares besought him as hee had God before his eyes to call home the Archbishop and the Monkes of Canterbury to their Church and voutsafe to vse them with Honour and Charity thereby to auoyde the scandall of interdiction c. The King interrupting the Bishops speech breakes out into violent rage against the Pope and the Cardinall swearing by the teeth of God That if they or any other King Iohns answere to the B B. should dare to put his Kingdome vnder interdiction he would presently send all the Clergie of England to the Pope and confiscat their goods Besides if any of Rome were found within any part of his Land he would cause their eyes to bee put out their noses cut and so sent home that by these markes they might be knowne of other Nations Charging moreouer the Bishop plresently to auoyde his presence as they would auoyde their owne daunger Of this their ill satisfaction the Bishop certifies the Pope and shortly after the 1208. Anno. Reg. 11. whole Kingdome of England is interdicted all Ecclesiasticall Sacraments cease except Confession Extreame Vnction and Baptisme of Children the dead are carried out and put into the earth without Priest or prayer The Bishops of London Ely Worcester Bathe and Hereford secretly get out of the Kingdome To answere this violence with the like the King sends presently his Shriefes and other his ministers to command all Prelates and their seruants forth-with to depart out of the Kingdome deputes the Bishopricks Abbayes and Priories into the hands of Lay men confiscating all theis reuenues but the Prelates themselues get into Monasteties and would not out except expelled by force which the officers would not doe hauing no Commission for the same but they seize on all their goods to the Kings vse Here the Monasticall Writers of that time of whom onely we haue notice of these proceedings aggrauate the rigorous course taken in this businesse telling vs that religious men of what Order soeuer found trauayling were pulled from their horses robb'd and vily treated by the Kings seruants and none to doe them Iustice. And how the seruants of a Shriefe bringing bound vnto the King a theese who had robbed and killed a Priest to know what should be done with him the King said loose him and let him goe he hath killed our enemy But howsoeuer this were there were Excesses to many committed in a time so vntied as this was The King to preuent the defection of his subiects which hee dayly doubted would The King takes pledges of his Nobles for their fidelitie follow vpon this his breach with the Church sends with a militarie powre to all the Potent men of the Kingdome to require pledges for the assurance of their fidelitie wherein many of them satisfied the Kings will sending some their sonnes some their Nephewes other the nearest of their kinne William de Brause a Noble man beeing required to deliuer his pledge his wife preuenting her husbands answere tells the Commissioners that the King should haue none of her sonnes to keepe that was so ill a keeper of his owne brothers sonne Arthur For which sodaine and intemperat speech the Baron sharply reprehending his wife before the Kings seruants told them he was ready if he had offended to satisfie the King without any pledge according to the iudgement of his Court or that of his Peeres at any time or place wheresoeuer Vpon the report of this answere the King sends downe priuely to apprehend the His crueltie she wed to the wife and children of W. Brause Baron but he hauing notice or doubting what would follow fled with his Wife and Children into Ireland where afterward this afflicted Lady to recouer mercy of the King is said to haue sent Queene Isabel foure hundred kine and a Bull which yet could not mediate her pardon or pacifie his wrath But in the end she was there taken with her 2 sons the husband escaping into France and sent prisoner to the Castle of Windsor where she with her innocent children were famished to death so deerely payed she for the offence of her rash tongue The King displeased with the Londoners remoued his Eschequer to Northampton and The Eschequer remooued to Northampton with a great army marches towards Scotland to make warre vpon that King for receiuing his enemies and ayding them against him But by mediation an accord is made in this sort that the King of Scots should pay eleuen thousand markes of siluer and deliuer vp his two daughters pledges for securing the peace Returning backe hee caused all inclosures within his forests to be layde open a worke of great griefe to his subiects whom though in nothing hee sought to satisfie yet seeks he what he may to fasten them in their obedience whereof loue and not rigour is the surest bond and takes homage of all free Tenants yea euen of Children of twelue yeares of age throughout the Kingdome Two yeares to the great distraction of the State the interdiction held when the King Iohn excommunicated Pope seeing no yeelding in the King proceeds to the excommunication of his person that extreame course of abscicion which his Predicessor Alexander better aduised forbare to take vpon suggestion of a more hainous act committed by Henry the second vpon the person of Thomas Becket and by this violence thinking to quaile the heart of a most vnmaisterable King put him into more desperate rage with the Clergie who notwithstanding the Popes mandate durst not execute the same for many dayes after And first one Geffery Archdeacon of Norwich seruing in the Kings Exchequer conferring with the rest of his assistants about this Sentence affirmed it was not safe for men beneficed to
instantly out of his presence and court Yet afterward to vnderstand some more particulars of the madnes of this King of England he called for Robert the Clearke and had priuat conference with him apart about many particulars which hee himselfe reuealed to many in the hearing of Mathew the monke of Saint Albons who wrot and declared these things discribing the person of this Robert to be of a low stature blacke one arme shorter then another two fingers vnnaturally growing together of visage like a Iew c. which relation we are not vtterly to contemne proceeding from an Author of that grauity and credit and liuing so neere those times though to vs that are so farre off both in fashion and faith it may seeme improbable in some part yet if we consider whereto the desperat violence of this King who had made vtter wracke of conscience and all humane respect might carry him seeing himselfe in that Estate he was we may not thinke it voyd of likelihood to haue had this dealing with an heathen king who in that time was formidable to all Christendome and had on foot the mightiest army that euer the Moores had in Spaine which might either be to hold amity with him or intertayne him otherwise for his owne ends Though for the point of offring to forgoe the Christian fayth we may in charity forbeare to make it a part of ours Although this relator giues vs a note amongst other which hee supprest that poynted at the irreligion of this King who at the opening of a fat Stag iestingly said see how prosperously this beast hath liued and yet neuer heard Masse Which skoff in regard of the zeale then professed sauored of an impiety vnsitting the mouth of a religious A note of the Kings irreligion King and gaue scandall to the hearers who tooke it according to their apprehension apt to censure whatsocuer comes from the mouth of Princes which may warne them to be wary what they vtter in publique But this Embassage either neglected by Miramumalim or disappointed by the ouer throw of his great army with the death of his Sonne which shortly after followed King Iohn sets vpon another course assayles Pope Innocentius prone to be wrought by guifts to doe any thing with great summes of money and a reassurance of his tributary subiection which shortly after he confirmes by a new oath and a new Charter before the Popes Legat the Bishop of Tusculum sent ouer for the same purpose and King Iohn bribes the Pope and renewes his oath with full autority to compose the dissentions betweene the Kingdome and Priesthood Which at many Assemblies in diuers places was after debated and in the end order was taken for a plenary satisfaction to be made for the damages done to the Church For which the King vpon account already had payd twenty seauen thousand Markes and thirteene thousand more were vndertaken by Suerties to be answered by a certaine daie And herevpon is the interdiction released hauing continued sixe yeares three moneths and fourteene dayes to the inestimable losse of the Church and Churchmen The interdiction released whereof an innumerable multitude of all orders now repayre to the Legat for satisfaction of damages receiued by the Kings ministers during this interdiction To whom 1214. Anno. Reg. 16. the Legat answeres that it was not in his commission to deale for restititution to be made vnto them all but aduises them to complaine to the Pope and craue of him plenary iustice Wherevpon they depart much discontented holding the Legats proceeding for that he pleased not them inclining onely to please the King Who now is recommended to Rome for a most tractable obedient and indulgent Sonne of the Church and the Clergy heares of blame for their obstinacy vsed towards him The King hauing referred the ending of all this controuersie to the Legat and some other of his owne ministers being assured of the Popes fauour was now gone into Poictou to assayle according to his former designe the King of France on that side whilest his forces with those of the Emperour Otho by the way of Flanders inuaded him on the other And being with his Queene landed at Rochel many principall Barons of Poictou apter to promise then performe their faith came and swore fealty vnto him With whom he marches forward into the Country recouers many Castles and peeces of importance Whereof particularly by his owne letters from Parthenai he certifies his Iustices of the Eschecquer And withall shewes them how hee had Vide Append. graunted to the Sonne of the Earle of March his daughter Ioan in mariage though said he the King of France desired her for his Sonne but fraudulently c. After this he goes into Brittaine takes in the city of Nantes prepares to incounter with Louys the French Kings Sonne who was come downe with a mighty army to oppose his proceeding But the Poictouins distrusting his power or he them hauing discouered the forces of the Enemy refused to fight Wherevpon the King of England to his extreame griefe forsooke the field and made a dishonorable truce with the King The famous battaile of Bouines of France and this was the last of his transmarine attempts His forces in Flanders had far worse successe for the King of France with all the power he could possibly make incounters them at the bridge of Bouines and ouerthrew the Emperour Otho and the whole army of the confederates wherein are reported to haue beene an hundred and fifty thousand foote besides horse and in the battaile slaine a thousand fiue hundred Knights and taken prisoners Ferrand the Earle of Flaunders the Earles of Salisbury and Bologne And as report the Annales of Flanders the Earle of Sauoy the Dukes of Brabant and Lamburg and the Earle of Luxemburg the Emperour Otho 4. hardly escaped The death of the Emp. Otho and liued not long after Vpon these misfortunes and fearing the outrage of a necessitous and distempred King the Barons of England assemble themselues at S. Edmondsbury where they confer of the late produced Charter of Henry the first and swore vpon the high Altar that if King Iohn refused to confirme and restore vnto them those liberties the rights of the Kingdome they would make war vpon him vntill he had satisfied them therein and further agreed that after Christmas next they would petition him for the same and in the meane time prouide themselues of horse and furniture to be ready if the King should start from his Oath made at Winchester at the time of his absolution for the confirmation of these liberties and compell him to satisfie their demand After Christmas K. Iohn takes vpon him the crosse to secure himselfe from the Barons they repaire in a military manner to the King lying in the new Temple vrging their desire with great vehemency the king seeing their resolution and inclination to war made answere that for the matter they required hee would
executions who vnderstands not as well the Counsailors as the Councell Resolued he is giuen ouer to confusion and reuenge to dissolue this tye and priuily withdrawes himselfe into the Isle of Wight from whence hee sends his Agents to Rome Retires into the Isle of Wight writes to the Pope where now he could doe any thing to complaine of this inforced act to the Pope who by a definitiue Sentence first condemnes and nullifies what was done and after excommunicates the Barons who during this absence and retire of their King knowing the violence of his nature and doubting their owne danger keepe in and about the The Pope excommunicates the Barons Citie of London and there vnder collour of Turnements and exercise of armes inuite those who were abroad to resort vnto them and so retaine themselues together in a combination for their owne defence without seeking farther to interrupt their Kings courses either by surprise of his person which they being of so great strength might easily haue done or vsing meanes to intercept his Agents and take from him those Limbes of his powre that might worke to offend them But this must either argue that their end was onely to haue but what they had obtayned The error of the Barons the restitution of the Liberties of the Kingdome which though thus recouered by violence they seemed desirous to hold with peace or els their negligence which may be thought strange in those wakefull and actiue times to be such as to leaue a displeased King alone to his owne working especially remoued to a place where the sea being open vnto him his outsendings might bee without view or noting vnlesse either they presumed of his little credit abroad or their owne powre at home But during this his retyre in the Isle which was three monthes he slacks no time to put his desires in execution and besides his dispatch to Rome sends the Bishop of Worcester Chancellor of England the Bishop of Norwich and others with his seale to procure The King sends to leauy forraine forces him forraine forces out of such parts beyond the seas as held correspondency with him appoynting them to make their repaire to Douer about Michaelmas next In the mean time without any royall shew or stir attended with some borrowed seruants of the Bishop of Norwich marriners of the Cink-ports whom he intertayned he as they write fell to piracy exercised himself at sea whiles various reports are made of him here on land some giuing out that he was turned Fisher some a Merchant others a Pirate But at the time appoynted he meetes at Douer with those forraine forces drawne He meetes with them at Douer together out of Poictou and Gascony vnder the Conduct of Sauarie de Malleon Geffrey and Oliuer Buteuile brothers with others out of Louayne and Brabant vnder Walter Buck Gerrard Sotin and Godshall all desperate aduenturers leading an excecrable sort of people whose miserable fortunes at home easily drew thē to any mischiefes abroade with these is King Iohn furnished to set vpon his owne people And had not Hugh Hugh de Boues with forty thousand men c. comming out of Flanders drowned de Boues to whom the Countries of Suffolke Norfolk were allotted for seruice to be done setting foorth from Calice with 40 thousand more men women and children beene by sodaine tempest drowned in the Sea hee had made an vniuersall Conquest of the Kingdome far more miserable then the Norman considering that with those hee had he wrought so much as we shall heare presently he did For after he had recouered the Castle of Rochester which William de Albinet with memorable courage held out three monthes against all that mighty powre of his the The King in halfe a yeare recouers all his Castles Barons not able or not aduenturing to succour him hee marched ouer the most of the Kingdome and within halfe a yeare got in all the Castles of the Barons euen to the borders of Scotland and was absolute Maister of all England except the Citie of London on which he forbare to aduenture in regard of the close vnited powre of the 1216. Anno. Reg. 18. Barons that resolutely held and vowed to die together and seperate them hee could not and therefore from Rochester he marches to Saint Albones where the first publication of the Popes excommunication of the Barons is pronounced And here hee deuides his Army consisting most of rauenous strangers in two King Iohn at Saint Albons deuides his armie in two parts parts appoynting his brother William Earle of Salisbury with Falcasius Sauarie de Malleon leader of the Poictouins Briwer and Buc of the Flemings and Brabantines to gard the Countries and Castles about the Citie of London to cut off all prouisions and anoy the Barons by all meanes possible himself with the other part of his forces drawes Northward and layes waste all the Countries before him and both these Armies set onely vpon distruction inflict all those calamities that the rage of a disorderly war could commit vpon a miserable people that made no head at all against them All Countries suffer in this affliction and King Iohn marching as farte as Berwike had purposed to haue carried it farther threatning Alexander King of Scots that hee would hunt the Foxe to his hole alluding to his red haire had hee not beene called from that attempt to come backe to these parts vpon discouerie of new designes practised by the Barons who seeing themselues depriued of their Estates giuen away to Strangers The Barons sollicit Louys the French Kings sonne to take vpon him the Crowne of England their wiues and daughters violated all their substance consumed desperatly fall vpon another extreme making out for succour to Louys the French Kings sonne solliciting him to take vpon him the Crowne of England wherein they promised by their free Election to inuest him and to send pledges for the performance thereof being perswaded that those forces of the French which King Iohn had intertayned would vpon the comming of those aides from the King of France being their Soueraigne forsake him This message is intertayned a Parliament is called at Lions by King Philip the father of Louys the businesse consulted and resolued vpon Louys besides the assurance made of this proffered election relies vpon a title which he claymes by his wife Blanch daughter to the Sister of King Iohn and writes to the Barons that hee would shortly send them succour and not be long behinde to be with them in person The intelligence of this designe is soone intimated to the Pope who presently sends The Pope writes to diuert Louys from the enterprise his Agent to the King of France with letters to intreat him not to suffer his sonne to inuade or disquiet the King of England but to defend him in regard he was a vassall of the Roman Church and the Kingdome by reason of Dominion
they vnderstood no other ayd then spirituall and holesome councell So nothing was obtained but denyalls in this Parliament The Legat likewise imploies sollicitors to perswade the disherited LL. which held the Isle of Ely to returne to the faith and vnity of the Church the peace of the King according to the forme prouided at Couentry for redeeming their inheritances from such as held them by guift from the King for 7. yeares profits and to leaue of their robberies The disherited returne answer to the Legat. First that they held the faith they receiued from their Catholicke Fathers and their obedience to the Roman Church as the head of all Christianity but not to the auarice and willfull exaction of those who ought to gouerne the same And how their Predicessors whose heyres they were hauing conquered this land by the sword they held themselues vniustly disherited that it was against the Popes Mandat they should be so delt withall That they had formerly taken their Oath to defend the Kingdome and Holy Church all the Prelats thundring the sentence of excommunication against such as withstood the same and according to that Oath they were prepared to spend their liues And seeing they warred for the benefit of the Kingdome and Holy Church they were to sustaine their liues by the goods of their Enemies who detained their Lands which the Legat ought to cause to bee restored vnto them that they might not be driuen to make depradation in that manner which yet was not so great as was reported for that many of the Kings and Princes followers made rodes and committed great robberies which to make them odious were imputed and giuen out to bee done by them wherefore they wish the Legat to giue no credit to such reports for if they should finde any such amongst them they would themselues doe Iustice vpon them without delay Besides they declare to the Legat that hee had irreuerently eiected out of the Kingdome the Bishops of Winchester London and Chichester men circumspect and of deepe iudgement whereby the Councell of the Kingdom was in great part weakned to the daunger therof and therefore willed him to looke to the reformation of the same and that they might bee restored to their Lands without redemption That the proutsions of Oxford might bee obserued That they might haue Ostages deliuered them into the Island to hold the same peaceably for fiue yeares to come untill they might perceiue how the King would performe his promises Thus they treat not like men whom their fortunes had layde on the ground but as they had beene still standing so much wrought either the opinion of their cause or the hope of their party But this stubbornesse so exasperates the King as the next yeare following hee prepares a mighty Army besets the Isle so that he shuts them vp and Prince Edward with bridges made on Boates enters the same in diuers places and constraines them to yeeld In the meane time the Earle of Glocester with his army collected on the borders of Wales to ayde them marched to London where by the Citizens he was receiued but the Legat who kept his residence in the Towre so preuayled The Earle of Glocester reconciled with him as he againe renders himselfe to the King to whom hee was afterward reconciled by the mediation of the King of Romans and the Lord Philip Basset vpon forfeiture of twelue thousand Markes if euer after he should raise any commotion This effected the King goes with an Army into Wales against Lewellin for ayding Simon Monfort and the Earle of Glocester in their late attempts against him but his wrath being by the guift of 32 thousand pounds sterling appeased peace is concluded betwixt them and foure Cantreds which had by right of war been taken from him restored And here was an end of the first Barons Warres of England wherein wee see what effects it wrought how no side got but misery and vexation whilst the one struggled to doe more then it should and the other to doe lesse then it ought they both had the worst according to the usuall euents of such imbroylements The next yeare after this appeasement the Legat Ottobon signes with the 1269. Anno. Reg. 53. Croissado both the Kings sonnes Edward and Edmond the Earle of Glocester and diuers Noblemen induced to vndertake the Holy Warre by the sollicitation of him and the King of France who notwithstanding his former calamities indured in that action would againe aduenture therein So much either the desire of reuenge with the Prince Edw. his brother and others vndertake the Holy Warre recouery of his fame and honour or the hope of enioying another World prouoked him to forgo this and haste to his finall distruction And for that Prince Edward wanted meanes for his present furnishment this King of France lent him 30 thousand Markes for which hee morgaged vnto him Gascoigny An act which subtler times would interpret to be rather of Policie then Piety in this King to ingage in such manner and vpon so especiall a caution a young stirring Prince likely in his absence to imbroyle his Estate at home and to draw him along in the same aduenture with himselfe without any desire otherwise either of his company or ayde considering the inconueniences that stung these seuerall Nations heretofore by their incompetability in the same action but here it were sinne to thinke they disguised their ends or had other couerings for their designes then those through which they were seene their spirits seeme to haue beene warmed with a Nobler flame And now whilst this preparation is in hand King Henry labours to establish the Peace of the Kingdome and reforme those excesses the warre had bred causing by 21 Parliament at Marleborough proclamation stealth of Cattle to bee made a cryme Capitall and the first that suffred for the same was one of Dunstable who had stolne twelue Oxen from the inhabitants of Colne and being persued to Redburne was by the Bayliffe of Saint Albones according to the Kings Proclamation condemned and beheaded And the same yeare the King assembles his last Parliament at Marleborugh where the Statutes of that Title were inacted Nere two yeares it seemes to haue beene after the vndertaking the Crosse before 1271. Anno. Reg. 55. Prince Edward set forth a time long ynough if those resolutions would haue beene shaken to haue bred an alteration of desire but so strong was the current of this humour as no worldly respects could giue any the least stoppage thereunto Otherwise a Prince so well acquainted with action so well vnderstanding the world so forward in yeares being then 32 so neere the possession of a Kingdome would not haue leaft it and an aged father broken with daies and trauaile to haue betaken himselfe with his deare and tender consort Elionor and as it seemes then young with childe to a voyage that could promise nothing but daunger toyle miserie and affliction So powrefull are
Kingdome might seeme as if quite ouercome Most of the estates of the Earles and Barons of Scotland with their titles that had stood out were bestowed on the English Nobility to make them the more egar to maintaine A Parliament at St. Andrewes prosecute this Conquest And a Parliament is called at Saint Andrewes where all the great men of that Kingdome except onely Wallice againe sweare Fealtie to the King of England The Scottish writers here set a wide marke of Tyrannie vpon King Edward in this The Scotish writers inueigh against the tyranny of K. Ed. expedition as not content to carry away captiue all such as might seeme to haue any the least ability to stirre but also endeauours to extinguish if it were possible the very memory of the Nation abolishing all their ancient lawes traducing their Ecclesiasticall rights to the custome of England dispoiling them of their Histories their instruments of State their Antique Monuments left either by the Romanes or erected by themselues transporting all their Bookes and Bookemen into England Sending to London the Marble stone wherein as the Vulgar were perswaded the Fate of the Kingdome consisted and left them nothing that might either encite them to remember their former fortune or instruct generous spirits in the way of Vertue and worthinesse So that he bereaued them not onely of their strength but of their mindes supposing thereby to est ablish a perpetuali Domination ouer that Kingdome This iourney ended a Parliament is called at Westminster wherein the promised confirmation A Parliament at Weatminster of the Two Charters and the allowance of what disforrestation had heretofore beene made was earnestly vrged and in the end with much a doe granted with omission of the Clause Saluo Iure Coronae nostrae which the King laboured to haue inserted but the people would not indure the same the perambulation of the Forrests of England is committed to Thre Bishops Three Earles Three Barons In this little pause of Peace at home a Concord is by the mediation of Pope Boniface Reg. 28. Anno. 1301. concluded with the King of France whose sister Margeret the King of England takes to wife in the Sixty two yeare of his age somthing too late for so young a Match and the Daughter of the same King is likewise affianced to the Prince And thereupon restitution made of what had been vsurped by the French King in Gasconie Burdeaux returnes to the obedience of the King of England to the Merchants of which Citie he paid 150 Thousand poÌ„uds for his brother Edmonds expences in the late wars all is well on that side Besides the same Pope obtained permission for Iohn Baliol the captiue King of Scots to depart and liue in France vpon certaine lands he had there and vndertooke for his obseruation of the Peace and his confinement who shortly after dies hauing had little ioy of a Crowne or scarce leasure to know hee was a King The Decrying and calling in of certaine base Coine named Crocard and Pollard with the new stamping them againe yeelded something to the Kings Coffets which must be emptied in Scotland whither againe hauing beene scarce Eighteene moneths at home he makes his Third expedit but did little besides the regaining of Sterling Castle which held out Three moneths siege against all his power and Ingines reared with insinite charge and labour And in the end not wonne but yelded vp by the Defendant William Oliuer vpon promise which was not kept with him The rest of the Scots made no head but kept in the Mountaines and Fastnesses of their Country whereby the Kings Armie hauing more to doe with barrennesse then men suffered much affliction and many Horses were starued Now vpon this Peace with France the Scots being excluded and hauing none to relieue them send their lamentable complaints to Pope Boniface shewing him the afflicted state of their Countrie the vsurpation of the King of England vpon them and his most tyrannicall proceeding with them contrarie to all right and equity Protesting they neuer knew of any Soueraigntie he had ouer them but that they were a free kingdome of themselues and so at first hee dealt with them vpon the death of their last King Alexander both in the treaty of the mariage for his sonne Edward with Margaret the beire of Scotland and also after her death for the decision of the Title wherein he sought by their consents to be made Arbitror as hee was Howsoeuer afterward they were constrained to giue way to his will yet what they euer yeelded vnto was by reason they were otherwise vnable to resist c. Vpon this remonstrance of the Scots the Pope writes his powerfull letters to the King of England to forbeare any further proceeding against them Claiming withall the Soueraintgie of that Kingdome as belonging to the Church The King answeres the Popes Letters at large Alledging from all Antiquity how the direct and superiour Dominion of Scotland had euer appertained to this Crowne euen from Brute to his owne time And withall the whole Nobilitie write to the Pope auowing the same right And absolutely conclude that the King their Lord should in no sort vndergoe his Holinesse iudgement therein Neither send his Procurators as was required about that businesse whereby it might seeme that doubt were made of their Kings Title to the preiudice of the Crowne the Royall Dignity the Liberties Customes and Lawes of England which by their oath and dutie they were bound to obserue and would defend with their liues Neither would they permit nor could any such vn-usuall vn-lawfull and detrimentall proceeding Nor suffer their King if hee would to doe or any way to attempt the same And therefore besought his Holinesse to intermeddle no more in this matter These Letters subscribed with all their Vid. Apend names were dated at Lincolne where then was held the Parliament Anno Domini 1301. The Pope vpon this answere or rather hauing his hands full of other businesse stirs no more in this The King of France whom hee had excomunicated and giuen away his Kingdome to the Emperour Albert of Austrich shortly after so wrought as his Spiritualty was surprized at Anagne a City of Abruzzo whither he was retyred from the troubles of Rome and so violently treated by Sciarra Colonesse a Banditto of Rome and Nogâ—ret an Albigioye whom he had both persecuted as in extreame rage and anguish within few daies after he ends his turbulenr life And the King of England hauing been supplied with a Fifteenth vpon Confirmation Reg. 32. Anno. 1305. of the Charters againe at the Parliament at Lincolne hee makes his Fourth expedition into Scotland and as it were the Fourth Conquest thereof hauing had Foure times Homage and Fealtie sworne vnto him Which might seeme sufficient to confirme his Soueraingtie whereof now he rests secure and home returnes in triumphant manner Remoues his Eschequer from Yorke Feasts his Nobilitty at Lincolne with all
to the Prince being now their Lord and shew him How they were better to trade with Sarazins and Infidels then thus to be vsed here as they were The Prince addresses him to his father and craues redresse herein but the Officers hauing beene with An ill Office of Officers the K. before to preuent the clamors of the Gascoignes and telling him how they falsely exclayme relying wholly vpon the Princes fauor who tooke vpon him their vniust cause and that there ought to be but one in England to whom the ordring of Iustice appertayned put him into so great a rage with the Prince as he breakes out into these words See now my bloud and mine owne bowells impugne mee behold my sonne as my brother hath done is bent to afflict mee the times of my grandfather Henry the second are againe renued what will become of vs but this passion being allayed by Councell he dissembles the matter and giues order that these iniuries should bee redressed But yet the Prince for more caution amplyfing his trayne rode with 200 horse So easily are iealosies by euill Ministers infused into Kings who are of themselues too apprehensiue in that kinde being a thing that soone turnes the bloud And now to adde to the misery of these times there are new mischiefes committed by the insolence of the Seruants of the Prince who being himselfe young was attended by many youthfull and violent spirits many strangers and men without meanes who wheresoeuer he went made spoyle and tooke for their owne whatsoeuer Insolencies committed by the Princes seruants they could fasten on to the extreame vexation of the subiect And they report how this Prince meeting a young man trauayling on the way caused one of his eares to bee cut off and one of his eyes put out which foule act made many to suspect his disposition and what hee would proue here after And indeed had hee not beene indued with an innated Noblenesse of Nature which with his long experience in trauaile and great actions ouercame the Vices the loosenesse of the time and his owne breeding contracted hee might haue prooued as bad as any other For vnlesse Princes of themselues by instinction from aboue bee not indued with a naturall goodnesse they shall gaine little by their education wherein they are rather shewed what they are then what they should be and are apter to learne to know their greatnesse then themselues being euer soothed in all whatsoeuer they doe These youthfull actions of this Prince with his ryotous trayne which are said to be more rauenous then those which Louys brought out of France with him put out the Welsh of whom he had now the gouernment into open act of rebellion and to make spoyle of the English as his did ofthem whereupon he craues meanes of his father the Queene and his Vncle Richard to suppresse them But all was vented already the Kings treasure was gone ouer the Alpes Earle Richard had lent more then hee could get in and the Earle of Sauoy in his warres had spent that of the Queenes The King is still at his shifts to supply his euerlasting necessities Now he comes himselfe into his Exschequer and with his owne voyce pronounced That euery Shriefe which appeared not yearely in the Octaues of Saint Michel with his money as well of his Farmes as amercements and other dues for the first day should be amerced fiue Markes for the second ten for the third fifteene for the fourth to bee redeemed at the Kings pleasure In like sort that all Cities and Freedoms which answere by their Bayliffes vpon the same default should bee amerced and the fourth day to loose their freedomes Besides euery Shriefe through out England is amerced in fiue Markes for that they did not distraine within their Counties vpon whomsoeuer held 10 pound land per annum and came not to be made knight or freed by the King Then falls he to the examination of measures for Wine and Ale for Bushels and Weights which likewise brought in some small thing and euery yeare commonly hath one quarrell or other to the Londoners and gets some thing of them But now there fell out 2 businesse that intertayned some time and gaue occasion to amuze the world with conceipts of some great aduantage and honor to the Kingd by the Election of Richard Earle of Cornewall to bee King of Romans which was as our The Earle of Cornwall Elected King of the Romans Writers say by the generall consent of all the Electors and by them is he sent for to receiue that Crowne the matter is here debated in Councell Some who thought his presence necessary to sway businesses in the Kingdome were vnwilling and diswade him by example of the miserable distruction of two lately elected to that dignity Henry the Lantgraue of Turing and William Earle of Holland but others and especially the King who was willing to be rid of him as one he had often found too great for a subiect and being a King abroad hee might make vse of him perswades him to take it vpon him which he is easily though seeming otherwise induced to doe But the Germaine Writers who are best witnesses of their owne affaires declare how after the murther of the Earle of Holland the Electors were deuided about the choyce of a successor Some stiffe to vphold their auncient Custome in Electing one of their owne Country which was more naturall Others of a stranger who might better support their declyning State which was more politike Long were the conflicts of their Councells hereupon in the end their voyces who stood for strangers were most but they likewise disagreed among themselues some would haue Richard brother to the King of England others Alphonsus King of Spain both of them not only contending who should haue it but who should giue most to buy it in the end Richard being nerest at Richard Crowned at Aquisgraue hand his mony the redier is preferred by the Bishop of Metz the Bishop of Cologne and the Palsgraue whose voyces he is said to haue bought and afterward is crowned at Aquisgrane Now to confirme himselfe say they in his State he proceeds in all violent and hostile manner according as he was set on against those who opposed his Election and hauing consumed himselfe both by his excessiue guifts in purchasing the suffrages he had and by this prosecution he came to bee dispossessed forsaken and forced to returne into England to his brother Henry then in warre with his Nobles Thus they deliuer it But before the Earle departed out of England the Earle of Glocester and Sir Iohn Mansel were sent into Germany to sound their affections and how they stood disposed towards him They returne well perswaded of the businesse and shortly after the Archbishop of Cologne comes to conduct him ouer on whom the Earle bestowes 500 Markes towards his charges and a rich Miter set with precious stones This Prince the Earle of Cornwall
both In the Fift a Twentieth of their goods His many supplies means for Money towards the Welsh Warres In the seauenth the Old Money was called in and New coyned in regard it had beene much defaced by the Iewes for which 297. were at one time executed at London and this brought him in a great benefit In Anno Reg. 8. seeking to examine Mens Titles to their Lands by a Writt of Quo Warranto which opposed by the Earle Warreine who drew out his Sword vpon the Writt saying How by the same hee held his Land and thereby would make good his Tenure the King desists obtaines a Fifteenth of the Clergie In the Eleauenth he had a Thirtieth of the Temporaltie a Twentieth of the Clergie for the Welsh Warres In the Thirteenth Escuage forty shillings for euery Knights fee for the same purpose In the Fourteenth he had a Thousand Marks of certaine Marchants fined for false Weights In the Seauenteenth those fines fore-declared of the Iudges In the Eighteenth this Confiscation of Iewes a Fifteenth of the English After this Anno Reg Nineteenth pretending a Voyage to the Holy-Land the Clergie grants him an Eleauenth part of all their Moueables and shortly after the Pope procures him a Tenth for Six yeeres to bee collected in England Scotland and Ireland and laid vp in Monasteries vntill hee were entred into Mare Maggior But hee made the Collectors pay him the money gathered for Three yeeres without going so farre hauing occasion to vse it at home about the purchase of a new Kingdome For the crowne of Scotland vpon the death of King Alexander of the Daughter of Reg. 17. Anno. 1290. his daughter Margaret who was to inherit was now in controuersie Six Competitors pretend title thereunto all discending from Dauid earle of Huntingdon younger brother to William King of Scots and great Vncle to this late King Alexander This title King Edward takes vpon him to decide pretending a right of Superioritie from his Ancestors The occasion of his Warres with Scotland ouer that Kingdome The Scotts which swayed the Interregnum are constrayned for auoyding further inconueniences to make him Arbiter thereof and the Six Competitors bound to stand to his Award Two are especially found betweene whome the Right lay Iohn Baliol Lord of Galloway and Robert Bruce the one descending King Edward chosen by the Scots to arbitrate the right of the pretenders to that Crowne from an elder Daughter the other from a Sonne of a younger Daughter of Alan who had Married the Eldest Daughter of this Dauid Brother to King William The Controuersie held long Twelue of eyther Kingdome learned in the Laws are elected to debate the same at Berwick All the best Ciuilians in the Vniuersities of France are sollicited to giue their oppinions the differences and perplexednes whereof made the decission more difficult According to the Nature of Littigation that euer begetts rather Doubts then Resolutions and neuer knows well how to make Reg. 18. Anno 1291. an End King Edward the better to sway this businesse by his presence takes his Iourney Northward and whilst hee sought to compasse greater felicitie hee lost the better part of what hee had in this world his deere consort Elionor who had euer attended Queene Elionor dies Her Prayse him in all his Fortunes the Paragon of Queenes and the honor of Woman-hood who is said to haue sucked the Poyson out of the Wound giuen him by the Assasin in the East when no other meanes could preserue his Life dies by the way in Lincolnshire With whose Corps in extreame griefe hee returnes back to Westminster causing at all especiall places where it rested by the Way goodly engrauen Crosses with her Statue to bee erected As at Stamford Waltham West-Cheape Charing and others Gratefull Monuments of his Affection and her renowned Faithfulnes Her Funeralls performed back hee returnes to his Scottish businesse And now Six yeeres it was since the Death of King Alexander and much time hauing beene Scottish Hist. spent and nothing concluded in this controuersie King Edward that would be sure whosoeuer preuailed to haue the hand that should make him deales priuately with Bruce who had the weaker Title but the more friends and promises him if he would yeeld Fealtie and Homage to the Crowne of England he would inuest him in that of Scotland Bruce answeres Hee was not so desirous of Rule as thereby to infringe the Liberties of his Countrie Then with the like offer hee sets vpon Baliol who hauing better right but lesse loue of the people and more greedy of a Kingdome then honour Bal ol made King of Scotland yeelds thereunto is Crowned King at Scone hath Fealty done him of all the chiefe Nobility except Bruce comes to New-castle vpon Tyne where King Edward then lay and there with many of his Nobles sweares Fealtie and did Homage vnto him as his Soueraigne Lord. Which Act as hee thought done to secure him ouer-threw Reg. 21. Anno. 1294. him For being little beloued before hereby hee became lesse such as stood for Bruce and others of the Nobility more tender of the preseruation of their Countries libertie grew into Stomack against him as hauing not onely discontented them in this Act but shortly after in his Iustice in the case of the Earle of Fife one of the sixe Gouernours in the time of the Anarchie who had beene slaine by the Famelie of Aberneth And the brother of this Earle now prosecuted in Law before King Balioll in his high Court of Parliament where hauing no right done him King Baliol giuing Iudgement on the side of the Aberneths the wronged Gentleman appeales to the Court of the King of England King Baliol is thither summoned appeares sits with King Edward in his Parliament till his cause was to be tried and then is hee cited by an Officer to arise and stand at the place appointed for pleading He craues to answere by a Procurator it is denied then himselfe arises and discends to the ordinary place and defends his cause With which Indignity as hee tooke it hee returnes home with a brest full Baliol discontented returnes into Scotland charged with indignation Meditates reuenge renewes the ancient League with France Confirmes it with the marriage of his sonne Edward with a daughter of Charles brother to King Philip glad in regard of late offences taken against the Reg. 23. An. 1296. King of England to imbrace the same Which done Baliol defies King Edward renounces his Allegiance as vnlawfully done being not in his powre without the consent of the State to doe any such act Hereupon brake out that mortall dissention betweene the two Nations which during the raigne of the three last Scottish Kings had held faire correspōdence together that consumed more Christian bloud wrought more spoyle and distruction and continued longer then euer quarrell wee read of did betweene any two people of the World For hee
Earle of Warwick in France to haue a hand in the execution of the Accorde King Iohn is honourably conducted to Calais attending the promised Summe the first gage of his libertie Anno Reg. 35. 1361. The Citie of Paris yeelds one thousand Royals by whose Example other Cities contribute according to their proportions And thus is King Iohn deliuered after hauing remained Prisoner in England neere about fiue yeeres And both Kings depart in kinde manner with all demonstrations of brotherly Loue. King Edward returning with his Crownes calles a Parliament wherein the forme of the Accord was read and allowed of all the Estates and an Oath taken by the Nobles to obserue the same for their partes Heere the King restorees to the Priors Aliens their Houses Lands Tenements which he had taken from them Anno Reg. 12. for the maintenance of his French Warres which now being ended he grants by his Letters Pattents in as free manner as before they helde them A rare Example of a iust King being seldome seene that Princes let go any thing whereon they haue once fastned Now againe was the ioy and glorie that England receiued by their gettings seasoned The second great Pestilence with the sowrenesse of another mortalitie called The second Pestilence whereof dyed many Noble men the chiefe was Henry Duke of Lancaster of the Royall blood a Prince of great note for wisedome and valour who had beene an especiall Actor in all these Warres and a principall Pillar of the Crowne of England whose Daughter and Heyre was a little before marryed to Iohn of Gaunt by dispensation being neere of consanguinitie whereby hee is made Duke of Lancaster And shortly after by the like Dispensation the Prince of Wales marryes the Countesse Anno Reg. 36. of Kent Daughter to Edmond brother to Edward the second And so both are prouided of Matches within the Kingdome The King giues to the Prince of Wales the Duchy of Aquitaine reseruing to himselfe Homage and Fealtie and shortly after sends him ouer with his wife and Court to liue there His sonne Lionell Earle Vlster is sent into Ireland with a regiment of 1500 men to guard his Eatledome against the Irish and was created Duke of Clarence in the next Parliament held at Westminster in Nouember which continued vntill the feast of Saint Brice King Edwards Birth-day and the Fiftith yeare of his age Wherein for a Iubilie hee shewes himselfe extraordinarily gracious to his people freely pardoning many offences releasing prisoners reuoking Exiles c. And vpon petition of the Commons causes Pleas which before were in French to be made in English that the subiect might vnderstand the Lawe by which hee holdes what hee hath and is to know what hee doth A blessed act and worthy so great a King who if hee could thereby haue rendered the same also perspicuous it had beene a work of eternall honour but such is the Fate of Law that in what language soeuer it speakes it neuer speakes plaine but is wrapt vp in such difficulties and mysteries as all professions of profit are as it giues more affliction to the people then it doth remedy Here was also an act passed for Purueiors as there had beene many before in his time that nothing should bee taken vp but for ready money vpon strict punishment For retribution of which relieuements the Parliament granted sixe and twenty shillings eight pence for tranportation Vid. Stat. of euery sacke of woole for three yeares Thus all were pleased sauing the remouing of the Saple from the Townes of England to Calais was some grieuance to those whom it concerned Yet the Kings desire to inrich that Towne being of his owne acquisition and now a member of the Crowne of England might herein be well borne withall And sure this King the most renowmed for Valour and Goodnesse that euer raigned in this kingdome not onely laboured to aduance the State by enlarging the Dominions thereof but to make his people as well good as great by reforming their vices whereunto fortunate and opulent States are euermore subiect as may be noted in the next Parliament held at Westminster Anno Reg. 37. wherein for the publique Good certaine Sumptuary lawes the most necessarie to preuent Ryot that dissoluing sicknesse the feuer Hectique of a State were ordayned both for Apparell Diet appointing euery degree of men from the Shepheard to the Prince the Stuffe Habits they should weare prohibiting the adornements of gold and Siluer Silkes and rich Furres to all except eminent persons Vid. Stat. Whereby forraine superfluities were shut out home-made Cōmodities only vsed The Labourer and Husbandman is appointed but one meale a day and what meates he should eate c. whereby Gluttony Drunkennesse those hideous euils which haue since vtterly disfashioned infeebled the English Nation were auoided So carefull was this frugall King for preseruing the estates of his subiects from Excesse And as prouident was hee for the ordering of his owne committing his treasure to the safest Chest that Religion could keepe lockt For by a certificat Anno Cleargy men Officers to the King Reg. 39. sent to Pope Vrbane concerning Plut alities and the estates of Church-men in England there were found more of the Spirtualty which bare office about this King then any other of Christendome beside As first Simon Langham Archbishop of Canterbury was Chancelor of England William Wickham Archdeacon of Lincolne Keeper of the Priuy Seale Dauid Weller Parson of Somersham Maister of the Rolles Ten beneficed Priests Ciuilians Maisters of Chancery William Mulse Deane of Saint Martins le Grand Chiefe Chamberlayne of the Exchecquer Receiuer and Keeper of the Kings treasure and Iewels William Askby Archdeacon of Northampton Chancelor of the Exchecquar William Dighton Pribendary of Saint Martins Clarke of the Priuy Seale Richard Chesterfield Prebend of Saint Staphans Treasurer of the Kings house Henry Snatch Parson of Oundall Maister of the Kings Ward-robe Iohn Newnham Parson of Fenni-stanton one of the Chamberlaines of the Exchequer and keeper of the Kings Treasurie and Iewels Iohn Rousbie Parson of Harwick Surueior and Comptroler of the Kings works Thomas Britingham Parson of Asbie Treasurer to the King for the parts of Guisnes and the Marches of Calais Iohn Troys Tresurer of Ireland a Priest and beneficed there These men being without those Feminine Ginnes of attraction and consumption deuoted onely to Sanctitie were thought then fittest to be husbands for his profit Shortly after three Kings came to visite the King of England The King of France the King of Scots and the King of Cypres The occasions that mooued the French king might be diuers but it seems the especial wereto free some Hostages that remained heere and to cleare such imputations as were had of him for not obseruing in all points the late Accorde wherewith his Nobles were much discontented and many dissiculties arose among them so that in an Assembly of the States at Paris certaine
doe but so long as you shewed him fatherly Grace hee would loue you as a Father reuerence and cherish the Church as his Mother And humbly obay your sacred Decrees sauing his owne Dignity and that of his Kingdome and if of late hee hath not respected you with any reuerence the cause was that hauing with all his affection and all his powre stood to you in your necessitie hee was not answered worthily to his deserts vpon his recourse to you by his Ambassadours but in euery petition had the repulse And for hindring any which are willing to visit your Holinesse hee answeres hee will not nor hath hitherto done But for Appeales by the ancient custome of the Kingdome Hee chalenges that honour and cumber to himselfe that no Clergie man for any ciuill cause shall goe out of the Land till hee hath tried whether hee may obtaine his right by his Royall Authority and Iustice at home which if hee cannot hee may without any hinderance when hee will make his Appeale Wherein if any way hee doth preiudice Your Honour hee offers by the helpe of God to correct it as it shall bee ordred by the Councell of the whole Church of his Kingdome And for the Emperour though hee knew him a Scismatique hee neuer vnderstood hee was excommunicate But if hee bee by vs informed thereof or hath entred vnlawfull league with him or any other hee promises likewise to redresse the same by the sayd Ecclesiasticall Councell of his Kingdome And for our Father the Lord of Canterbury hee sayth that hee neuer expelled him out of his Kingdome but as hee went out of his owne accord so that at his pleasure it was free for him to returne to his Church in peace prouided that his Maiestie might bee satisfied concerning those complaints of his and haue him to obserue his Royall Dignity And if it can bee proued that any Church or Churchman hath beene opprest by the King or any of his hee is ready to make full satisfaction as shall bee thought fit by the whole Councell of the Church of his Kingdome This say they wee haue receiued in answere from our Lord the King and wish wee could haue had it fully according to your desire but these things wee thought good to notifie to your Highnesse that your Discretion may perceiue what is like to bee the conclusion of this businesse The King stands vpon the iustification of his owne cause ready to obey the Councell and iudgement of the Church of England Whereupon wee thought good to beseech your Highnesse that you would moderate for a time that zeale which by the fire of the deuine Spirit is worthily inkindled to reuenge any iniury done to the Church of God and forbeare to pronounce any sentence of interdiction or that last iudgement of abscision whereby inumerable Churches may bee miserably subuerted and both the King and an infinite number of people with him irreuocably which God forbid auerted from your obedience Then they tell him That better it were to haue a member bad then cut off abscision brought desperation a skilfull Chirurgion might recouer an infected part and how it were filter to imploy meanes to heale the wound then by cutting off a most noble part of the Church of God to bring more disturbance to the same that hath to much alreadie Though the King were stiffe they ought not dispare of the grace of God that a Kings stomacke was then to bee wonne when hee had wonne and might not blush to yeelde when hee had ouercome Patience and Meekenesse must pacifie him c. And inconclusion wee speake foolishly say they but yet withall Charitie if it come to passe that the Lord of Canterbury loose both his goods and liue besides in perpetuall exile and England which God forbid fall away from your obedience were it not better to forbeare for a time then with such zeale of seuerity to foster vp a party what if persecution cannot seperate many of vs from you yet will not there want knees to bow to Baall and receiue the Pall of Canterbury at the hands of an Idoll without choyce of religion or Iustice neither will there want suppliers of our Chayres that will obey him with all deuotion and already many deuoure these hopes wishing that scandalls may come and streight waies bee made crooked Thus much out of their letters which are the best peeces of History in the world and shew vs more of the inside of affaires then any relations else And by this wee truely see what barres kept these two mighty powers back from their wills and yet how lowde they threaten and both a feard of each other But the King of England stood safe ynough and was like to haue his businesses runne in a strong and intire course when by casting to make things safer then fast he layes open a way both to disioynt his owne power and imbroyle his people with diuision which was by the association of his sonne Henry in the gouernment an act without example in this Kingdome and strange that a Parliament an assembly of the State Prince Henry crowned King conuoked for the same businesse would in so wise times consent to communicate the Crowne and make the Common-wealth a Monster with two heads But it seemes the 1170. Anno. Reg. 16. strong desire of the King was such for the loue he bare his sonne as he would not bee denied in this motion nor hold it a sufficient Security to haue twice before caused all the Kingdome to take an Oath of Fealty vnto him to haue designed vnlesse he were Crowned King as he was with all vsuall solemnities the 14 day of Iune 1170. by Roger Archbishop of Yorke and had homage done vnto him that day by the King of Scots Dauid his brother and all the Nobility of England But now with what reseruations this was done wee are not particularly informed whether there was an equall participation of rule or onely but of Title and that the Father notwithstanding this Act was to haue the especiall manage of the Gouernment and the Sonne though a King yet a Sonne with a limited powre Howsoeuer this young King shewed shortly after That a Crowne was no State to bee made ouer in trust and layd much griefe and repentance vpon his Fathers forwardnesse What mooued the King with this precipitation to be before hand with his Graue may be deemed the iealosie he had apprehended by his Mothers example who for all the Oath of Fealtie sooften taken for her succession was yet put by it through the working of the Clergie and now considering in what termes hee stood with them and that although he had wonne some few Bishops vnto him was sure they loued him not and what they might worke with the people if himselfe should faile made him ouer doe his worke The King of France vnderstanding that his daughter was not Crowned with her husband which by reason of her tender age was deferred tooke it