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Compare 1577 edition: 1 Thus came things to passe in sundrie places wi [...]h so good successe as duke Henrie could wish, where|vpon meaning to follow the steps of prosperous for|tune, he marched foorth to Stamford,Stamford was taken. Simon Dun. Ger. Dor. and taking the towne at his first comming laid siege to the castell. Now they that had it in keeping sent messengers to king Stephan, requiring rescue, but the same time he had laid siege to the castell of Gipswich, which Hugh Bigot kept against him:Gipswich or Ipswich be|sieged. and bicause he wold not depart from that siege till he had the castell gi|uen vp into his hands (which came at last to passe) in the meane time the castell of Stamford was yéelded vp to duke Henrie, N. Triuet. who immediatlie therevpon de|parted from Stamford eastward, meaning to come to the succour of his fréends besieged at Gipswich or Ipswich (as it is commonlie called) not vnderstan|ding as yet that they had surrendred the hold: but ha|uing knowledge by the way what was happened, he returned and marched streight to Notingham, and got the towne easilie;Notingham. for they within the castell had set it on fire, therfore he besieged the castell stan|ding vpon the point of a stéepe craggie rocke, and was furnished with a strong garison of men, and all things necessarie for defense, so that it could not ea|silie be woone.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 When duke Henrie had assaied all the waies how to take it, and saw that he could not preua [...]le,Duke Henrie raiseth his siege from Notingham. Polydor. he min|ded to loose no more time: but raising his siege from thence, he ranged abroad to get other places into his possession, and finallie came to his mother, and laie at Wallingford. King Stephan in the meane time being strong in the field, sought time and place to haue Henrie at s [...]me aduantage, who in his yoong yeares (as yet not hauing tasted any misfortune) he thought would rashlie attempt some vnaduised en|terprise. ¶ But whereas the realme of England had béene now manie yeares miserablie turmoiled with ciuill warre (which the verie heathen haue so de|tested,The miserie of this land in time of the ci|uill warre. that they haue exclaimed against it with a kind of irksomnesse; as:

EEBO page image 61
Eheu cicatricum & sceleris pudet,Hor. lib. car. 1. ode. 35.
Fratrúmque: quid nos dura refugimus
Aetas? quid intactum nefasti
Linquimus? vnde manus iuuentus
Metu deorum continuit? quibus
Pepercit aris?Idem. lib. car. 2. ode. 1. iam litui strepunt,
Iamfulgor armorum fugaces
Terret equos equitúmque vultus)
Wherein (besides millians of extremities) honest matrones and mens wiues were violated, maids and virgins rauished, churches spoiled, townes and villages robbed, whole flocks and heards of shéepe and beasts destroied (wherein the substance of the realme cheeflie consisted) and men without number slaine and murthered, it pleased the goodnesse of al|mightie God at length to deliuer the land of these miseries, which were notified to all countries round about that sore lamented the same.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 Now whereas king Stephan was the cause of all the troubles, in hauing vsurped an other mans right|full inheritance, it pleased God to mooue his hart at length to desire peace which he had euer before abhor|red. The cause that mooued him chéefelie to change his former purpose, was for that his sonne Eustace by speedie death was taken out of this world (as be|fore you haue heard) which losse séemed great not one|lie to the father, but also to all those lords and others which had alwaies taken his part, bicause he was a yoong man so well liked of all men, that he was iud|ged to be borne to much honour. But his wife Con|stance tooke his death verie sorowfullie,The ladie Constance wife to Eu|stace sent home. and the more indeed, for that she had no issue by him, wherevpon shortlie after she was sent honourablie home to hir father king Lewes with hir dower, and other rich and princelie gifts.

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