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1587

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Compare 1577 edition: 1 His vertues.He excelled in three vertues, wisedome, eloquence, and valiancie, which notwithstanding were somewhat blemished with the like number of vices that reig|ned in him;His vices. as couetousnesse, crueltie, and fleshlie lust of bodie. His couetousnesse appeared, in that he sore oppressed his subiects with tributes and impositi|ons. His crueltie, in that he kept his brother Robert Curtehose in perpetuall prison, and likewise in the hard vsing of his coosine Robert earle of Mortaigne, whome he not onelie deteined in prison, but also cau|sed his eies to be put out: which act was kept secret till the kings death reuealed it. And his fleshlie lust was manifest, by kéeping of sundrie women.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 His wisdome.But in his other affaires he was circumspect, in defending his owne verie earnest and diligent. Such wars as might be auoided, with honourable peace he euer sought to appease; but when such iniuries were offered as he thought not meet to suffer, he was an impatient reuenger of the same, ouercomming all perils with the force of vertue and manlie courage,His manlie courage. shewing himselfe either a most louing fréend, or an extreame enimie: for he would subdue his foes to the vttermost, and aduance his fréends aboue mea|sure.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 With iustice he ruled the commons quietlie, and enterteined the nobles honorablie. Théeues,His zeale to iustice. counter|feiters of monie, and other transgressors he caused to be sought out with great diligence, and when they were found, to be punished with great seueritie. Neither did he neglect reformations of certeine naughtie abuses. Simon Dun. Théeues ap|pointed to be hanged. And (as one author hath written) he ordeined that théeues should suffer death by hang|ing. When he heard that such peeces of monie as were cracked would not be receiued amongest the people, although the same were good and fine siluer, he caused all the coine in the realme to be either broken or slit. He was sober of diet, vsing to eat rather for the quailing of hunger, than to pamper himselfe with manie daintie sorts of banketting dishes. He neuer dranke but when thirst mooued him, he would sléepe soundlie and snore oftentimes till he awaked there|with.His policie. He pursued his warres rather by policie than by the sword, and ouercame his enimies so neere as he could without bloudshed, which if it might not be, yet with as little slaughter as was possible. To con|clude,His praise for his princelie gouernment. he was not inferiour to any of the kings that reigned in those daies, in wisedome and policie, and so behaued himselfe, that he was honoured of the Nobles, and beloued of the commons. He builded diuerse abbeies both in England and Normandie, but Reading was the chéefe.Reading ab|bey builded. He builded the manour of Woodstocke, with the parke there, wherein (beside the great store of deere) he appointed diuerse strange beasts to be kept and nourished, which were brought and sent vnto him from forren countries, farre dis|tant, as lions, leopards, lynxes, and porcupines. His estimation was such among outlandish princes, that few would willinglie offend him.

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