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1587

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¶ Here it shall not be amisse to compare the two sonnes of William the Conquerour; namelie Wil|liam Rufus, and Henrie Beauclerke togither; and to consider among other euents the supernaturall dreames wherewith they were admonished, to excel|lent good purpose (no doubt) if they could haue applied them to the end whereto they were directed. For William Rufus (as you shall read in pag. 26. col. 2.) neglecting to be admonished by a dredfull dreame wherewith he was troubled, shortlie after recei|ued his deaths wound by casualtie or chancemedlie, euen in the prime of his pastime and disport. This o|ther brother H. Beauclerke had the like warnings by the same meanes, and (to a good effect) as the lear|ned doo gather. Their rash opinion therefore is much to be checked, which contemne dreames as meere de|lusorie, alledging by waie of disproofe an old erroni|ous verse:

Somnia ne cures, nam fallunt plurima plures,
Speaking indefinitelie of dreames without distin|ction: whereas in truth great valure is in them in respect of their kind and nature. For though some sort of dreames (as those that be physicall) are not greatlie to be relied vpon; yet those of the metaphy|sicall sort, hauing a speciall influence from aboue na|tures reach, are not lightlie to be ouerslipped. To de|termine this matter I remit the studious readers to that excellent chapter of Peter Martyr, in the first part of his common places, pag. 32. columne 2. where dreames In genere are copiouslie handled.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 Polydor. About the same time, Maud daughter of this Hen|rie, being forsaken of hir husband Geffrey earle of Aniou, came to hir father then being in Normandie. What the cause was why hir husband put hir from him, is not certeinlie knowen: but the matter (be|like) was not verie great, sith shortlie after he recei|ued hir againe, and that of his owne accord. During the time also that king Henrie remained in Nor|mandie, pope Innocent the 2. came into France, to auoid the danger of his enimies: and holding a councell at Cleremont, he accursed one Peter Fitz Leo, who had vsurped as pope, and named himselfe Anacletus.1131 Anno Reg. 32. Afterward at breaking vp of the same counsell at Cleremont, he came to Orleance, and then to Charters,King Henrie and pope In|nocent méet at Charters. meeting king Henrie by the waie, who offered vnto the pope to mainteine his cause a|gainst his enimies to the vttermost of his power, for the which the pope gaue the king great thankes: and séeming as though he had beene more carefull for the defense of the common cause of the christian com|mon-wealth than for his owne, he exhorted king Henrie to make a iournie into the holie land, a|gainst the Saracens and enimies of the christian re|ligion.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 Wil. Malm. In this enteruiew betwixt the pope and the king, the Romans were mooued to maruell greatlie at the wisedome and sharpnesse of wit which they per|ceiued in the Normans. For king Henrie, to shew what learning remained amongst the people of the west parts of Europe,The sons of Robert erle of Melent prai|sed for their learning. caused the sonnes of Robert earle of Melent to argue and dispute in the points and subtill sophisines of Logike, with the cardinals and other learned chapleins of the pope there pre|sent, who were not ashamed to confesse, that there was more learning amongst them here in the west parts, than euer they heard or knew of in their owne countrie of Italie.

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