Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 King Stephan also after the end of the parlement went to Douer,The earle of Flanders. there to meet the earle of Flan|ders, who came thither to talke with him of certeine businesse. The earle was no sooner returned backe, but the king fell sicke, and was so gréeuouslie tor|mented with a paine in his bellie, and with an old dis|ease also,King Ste|phan depar|ted this life. wherewith (as should appeare) he had beene often troubled, namelie, the emrods, that finallie he died in the abbey on the fiue and twentith day of Oc|tober, in the nine and fortith yeare of his age, and af|ter he had reigned eighteene yeares, ten moneths, and od daies, in the yeare after the birth of our Saui|our 1154. Matth. Paris. N. Triuet. His bodie was interred in the abbeie of Feuersham in Kent, which he had builded, where his wife also, and his sonne Eustace were buried before. ¶ Thus farre of the acts and deeds of Stephan; now a little of other breefe remembrances, and first tou|ching the profopographie or description of his per|son.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 He was comelie of stature, of a verie good com|plexion and disposition, of great strength,His stature. in quali|ties of mind verie excellent, expert in warre, gentle, curteous, and verie liberall. For though he continued all his time in a maner in the maintenance of wars, yet he leuied but few tributs, or almost none at all. Indéed he put diuers bishops to greeuous fines, and that not without the iust iudgement of Almightie God, that they might so be punished duelie for their periurie committed in helping him to the crowne. Uices wherewith he should be noted I find none, but that vpon an ambitious desire to reigne, he brake his oth which he made vnto the empresse Maud.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 In his daies, the abbeies of Tiltey, Fontneis,Abbeies founded. Coggheshall he founded himselfe, and Fontneis in Lancashire, & Feuersham in Kent. Rieualle, Coggeshall in Essex, Newbourgh and Béeland, Meriuale in Warwikeshire, Garedon in Leicestershire, Kirkstéed in Yorkeshire, with diuerse other in other parts of the realme, were founded, in so much that more abbeis were erected in his daies, than had béene within the space of an hundred yeares EEBO page image 65 before, Wil. Paruus. as William Paruus writeth.