8.10. William duke of Normandie prepa|reth to inuade England and to conquere it, the earle of Flanders and the French king assist him, the number of his ships, his arriuall at Peuen|sey in Sussex, vpon what occasions he entred this realme; the pope liked well duke Williams attempt, why king Harold was hated of the whole court of Rome; why duke Wil|liam would not suffer his souldiers to wast the countries where they came; Harold goeth towards his enimies, why his vn|skilfull espials tooke the Normans (being old beaten souldi|ers) for priests; Girth dissuadeth his brother Harold from present incountering with the duke; where note the conscience that is to be had of an oth, and that periurie can not scape vnpunished. The tenth Chapter.

William duke of Normandie prepa|reth to inuade England and to conquere it, the earle of Flanders and the French king assist him, the number of his ships, his arriuall at Peuen|sey in Sussex, vpon what occasions he entred this realme; the pope liked well duke Williams attempt, why king Harold was hated of the whole court of Rome; why duke Wil|liam would not suffer his souldiers to wast the countries where they came; Harold goeth towards his enimies, why his vn|skilfull espials tooke the Normans (being old beaten souldi|ers) for priests; Girth dissuadeth his brother Harold from present incountering with the duke; where note the conscience that is to be had of an oth, and that periurie can not scape vnpunished. The tenth Chapter.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 _WIlliam duke of Norman|die hauing knowledge after what maner K. Harold was busied in the north parts of his realme, and vnderstan|ding that the south parts thereof remained destitute of due prouision for necessa|rie defense, hasted with all diligence to make his purueiance of men and ships, that he might vpon such a conuenient occasion set forward to inuade his enimie.Ia. Meir. And amongest other of his friends,Baldwine earle of Flan|ders aided duke William to conquere England. vnto whome he laboured for aid, his father in law Bald|wine earle of Flanders was one of the chiefest, who vpon promise of great summes of monie and other large offers made, did aid him with men, mu|nition, ships, and victuals, verie freelie. The French king also did as much for his part as laie in him to helpe forwards this so high an enterprise. Where|fore when all things were now in a readinesse, he came to the towne of S. Ualerie,Wil. Geme. where he had as|sembled tigither an huge nauie of ships (to the num|ber (as some authors affirme) of three hundred saile;The chroni|cles of Nor|mandie haue 896 ships. and when he had taried there a long time for a con|uenient wind, at length it came about euen as he himselfe desired. Then shipping his armie which con|sisted of Normans, Flemings, Frenchmen, and Britains, with all expedition he tooke the sea, and di|recting his course towards England, he finallie lan|ded at a place in Sussex,Duke wil|liam landed at Peuensey, now Pemsey. ancientlie called Peuen|sey, on the 28 day of September, where he did set his men on land, & prouided all things necessarie to in|courage and refresh them.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 At his going out of his ship vnto the shore, one of his féet slipped as he stepped forward, but the other stacke fast in the sand: the which so soone as one of his knights had espied, and séeing his hand where|vpon he staied full of earth, when he rose, he spake alowd and said:

Now sir duke, thou hast the soile of England fast in thy hand, & shalt of a duke yer long become king.

The duke hearing this tale, laughed merilie thereat, and comming on land, by and by he made his proclamation, declaring vpon what occa|sions he had thus entered the realme.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 The first and principall cause which he alleged,Hen. Hunt. was for the chalenge his right, meaning the dominion of the land that to him was giuen and assigned (as he said) by his nephue king Edward late ruler of the same land.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 The second was, to reuenge the death of his ne|phue Alured or Alfred the brother of the same king Edward, whome Goodwine earle of Kent and his adherents had most cruellie murthered.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 The third was to be reuenged of the wrong doone vnto Robert archbishop of Canturburie, who (as he was informed) was exiled by the meanes and labor EEBO page image 175 of Harold in the daies of king Edward.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 Wherein we haue to note, that whether it were for displeasure that the pope had sometime conceiued for the wrong doone to the archbishop;Wil. Lamb. or at the onlie sute of duke William,The pope fa|uored duke Williams en|terprise. certeine it is that the pope, as then named Alexander the second, fauored this enterprise of the duke, and in token thereof sent him a white banner, which he willed him to set vp in the decke of the ship, wherein he himselfe should saile. In déed (as writers report) the pope with his car|dinals, and all the whole court of Rome had king Harold euer in great hatred and disdaine, because he had taken vpon him the crowne without their con|sent, or anie ecclesiasticall solemnitie or agréement of the bishops. And although the pope and his bre|thren the said cardinals dissembled the matter for the time,Matth. West. yet now beholding to what end his bold presumption was like to come, with frowning for|tune they shewed themselues open aduersaries, in|clining streightwaies to the stronger part, after the manner of couetous persons, or rather of the réed shaken with a sudden puffe of wind.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 Duke William at his first landing at Peuen|sey or PemseyGemeticensis. (whether you will) fortified a péece of ground with strong trenches, and leauing therein a competent number of a men of warre to kéepe the same, he sped him toward Hastings, and comming thither, he built an other fortresse there with all spéed possible, without suffering his souldiers to rob or har|rie the countrie adioining, saieng that it should be great follie for him to spoile that people, which yer manie daies to come were like to be his subiects. K. Harold being as yet in the north parts, and hearing the duke William was thus landed in England,Wil. Malm. sped him southward, and gathering his people togi|ther out of the countries as he went forwards, at length came néere his enimies: and sending espials into their campe to vnderstand of what strength they were;Matth. West. the vnskilfull messengers regarding smallie their charge, brought woord againe of nothing else, but that all duke Williams souldiers were priests. For the Normans had at that time their vpper lips and chéekes shauen,Normans berds shauen. whereas the Englishmen vsed to suffer to haire of their vpper lips to grow at length.Wil. Malm. But Harold answered,Hen. Marle. that they were not priests, but wether-beaten and hardie souldiers, and such as were like to abide well by their capteine.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 In the meane season, Girth one of Harolds yoon|ger brethren (considering that periurie is neuer left vnpunished)Girth would not haue his brother king Harold fight himselfe. aduised his brother not to aduenture himselfe at this present in the battell,Gemeticensis. for so much as he had beene sometime sworne to duke William, but rather to suffer him and other of the nobilitie to incounter with the said duke, that were not bound to him by former oth, or otherwise: but Harold an|swered that he was free from anie such oth, and that in defense of his countrie he would fight boldly with him as with his greatest enimie. ¶Where (by the waie) would be noted the conscience which Girth a yoonger brother made of an oth, not concerning himselfe directlie, but his elder brother Harold, who had sworne the same; meaning nothing lesse than the performance therof, as the sequele of his dooings to his discredit and vndooing euidentlie declared, which euents might séeme countable to him as due punishments and deserued plagues inflicted vpon him and others, for his same; sith he made no recko|ning of violating a vow ratified with an oth to a prince of no small puissance, who afterwards became a whip vnto him for his periurie; a sinne detested of the heathen, and whereof the poet notablie speaketh, saieng:

Ah miser,Tibul. lib. 1. & si quis primò periuria celat,

Sera tamen tacitis poena venit pedibus.