1.1. The politique Conqueſte of VVilliam the firſt.
The politique Conqueſte of VVilliam the firſt.
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Anno. I._THIS William Duke of Norman|die, baſe ſonne of Robert the ſixt duke of Normandie,
and Nephew vnto Ed|warde king of Eng|land, ſurnamed the Confeſſour, hauing
thus vanquiſhed the Engliſh power, and ſlaine Harolde in the fielde, began
his reigne ouer Englande the .xv. day of
October beeing Sunday, in the yeare after the creation of the worlde .5033.
(as William Hari|ſon gathereth) and after the birth of our Sauiour
1066.1066 which was in the tenth yeare of the
Empe|rour Henry the fourth, in the ſixt of Pope Alex|ander the ſecond, in
the ſixt yere of Philip king of Fraunce, and about the tenth yeare of
Malcolme the third, ſurnamed Camoir, king of Scotlande.
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Sim. Dun.Immediatly after he had thus wonne the
vic|torie in a pight field (as before ye haue heard) hee firſt returned to Haſtings, and after ſet forwarde
towards London, waſted the Countries of Suſ|ſex, Kent, Hamſhire, Southerie,
Middleſex, and Herefordſhire, burning the townes, and ſleaing the people,
til he came to Beorcham. In the mean time, immediately after the
diſcomfiture in Suſ|ſex, the two Earles of Northumberlande and Mercia;Edwyn and Marchar Edwyn, and Marchar, who had
with|drawne themſelues from the battail togither with their people came to
London, and with all ſpeede ſent their
ſiſter Queene Aldgitha vnto the Citie of Cheſter,Queene
Ald|githa ſent to Cheſter. and herewith ſought to perſwade the
Londoners, to aduaunce the one of them to the kingdome (as Wil.VVil. Mal. Simon Dun. Mal. wryteth.) But Simon of
Durham ſayth, that Aldred Archbiſhoppe of Yorke, and the ſayde Earles with
other, woulde haue made Edgar Etheling king. But whileſt many of the Noble
men and other prepared to make themſelues readie to giue a new battaile to
the Normãs, (how or whatſoeuer was the cauſe) the ſayde Earles drewe
homewardes with theyr powers, to the great diſcomfort of their friends.
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1 Wil. Malm.
VVil. Malm. The Biſhops blamed. ſeemeth to put blame in
the Biſhoppes for that the Lordes went not forward with their purpoſe in
aduauncing Edgar Ethe|ling to the Crowne. For the Biſhops (ſayth he) refuſed
to ioine with the Lords in that behalf, and ſo through enuie and ſpite which
one part bare to an other, when they coulde not agree vpon an Engliſhe man,
they receyued a ſtraunger, inſo|much that vpõ king William his comming
vn|to Beorcham, Aldred Archbiſhop of York,The Archbi|ſhop
of Yorke and other ſub|mit themſel|ues to king William. Wol|ſtane
Biſhop of Worceſter, and Walter Biſhop of Hereforde, Edgar Etheling, and the
foreſayd Earles Edwyn and Marchar, came and ſubmit|ted themſelues vnto him,
whome he gently recey|ued, and incontinently made an agreemente wyth them,
taking theyr othe and Hoſtages, (as ſome wryte) and yet neuertheleſſe hee
per|mytted hys people to ſpoyle and burne the Countrey.
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1 But nowe when the feaſt
of Chriſtmaſſe was at hande, hee approched to the Citie of London, and
comming thither, cauſed his vauntgarde firſt to enter into the ſtreetes,
where finding ſome reſiſtance, be eaſily ſubdued the Citizens that thus
tooke vpon them to withſtand him, though not without ſome bloudſhed, (as
Gemeticen.Gemeticenſes. writeth) But as by
other it ſhould appeare, he was recey|ued into the Citie without any
reſiſtance at all, And ſo being in poſſeſſion thereof, he ſpake many
friendly wordes to the Citizens, and promiſed that he woulde vſe them in
moſt liberall and cur|teous maner.
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1 And ſoone after when
things were brought in order (as was thought requiſite) he was crowned king
vpon Chriſtmas day following,Williã Cõque|rour crowned
1067. accor|ding to their account which begin the yere on the day of
Chriſt his Natiuitie. by Aldred Archbiſhop of Yorke. For he would
not receyue the Crowne at the handes of Stigande Archbi|ſhop of Canterburie,
bycauſe he was hated, and furthermore iudged to bee a verie lewde perſon,
and a naughtie liuer.
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1 At his Coronation, he
cauſed the Biſhops and Barons of the realme to take their othe, that they
ſhould be his true and loyall ſubiectes (according to the maner in that caſe
accuſtomed.) And being requyred thereto by the Archbiſhop of Yorke, he tooke
his perſonall othe before the Aulter of Saint Peter at Weſtminſter, to
defende holy Church, and Rulers of the ſame, to gouerne the people EEBO page image 292 in iuſtice as became a King to doe, to ordeyne
righteous lawes, and keepe the ſame, ſo that all maner of bribing, rapine,
and wrongfull iudge|ments ſhould for euer hereafter be aboliſhed.
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Polidor.
1067
After this, hee tooke order howe to keepe the realme in good and
quiet gouernment, fortifying the neceſſarie places, and furniſhing them wyth
gariſons. He alſo appoynted officers and Coun|ſaylers ſuch as hee thought to
bee wiſe and diſ|crete men, and appoynted ſhippes to be in the ha|uens by
the coaſt for the defence of the land, as he thought moſt expedient. And
eyther nowe af|ter his coronation, or rather before (as by ſome Authours it ſhoulde ſeeme) euen preſentlye vppon
obteyning of the Citie of London,Iohn Stow. hee
tooke his iourney towardes the Caſtell of Do|uer to ſubdue that,Tho. Sprot. and the reſt of Kent alſo: which when the
Archebyſhoppe Stygande, and Egelſin the Abbot of Saint Auguſtines (bee|ing
as it were the chiefeſt Lordes and Gouer|nours of all Kent) did perceyue and
conſyder, that the whole Realme was in an euyll ſtate, and that where as in
thys Realme of Eng|lande, before the
comming in of the foreſayde Duke Wylliam, there was no bondemenne: nowe all,
as well Noble men as the common people, were without reſpect made ſubiect
vnto the perpetuall bondage of the Normans, taking an occaſion by the perill
and daunger that theyr neighbours were in, to prouide for the ſafegarde of
themſelues and theyr Countrey. They cau|ſed to aſſemble at Canterburie, all
the people of the Countie of Kent, and declared to them the perilles and daungers imminent, the miſerie that
their neighbours were come into, the pride and inſolencie of the Normans,
and the hard|neſſe and griefe of bondage and ſeruile eſtate: Wherevppon all
the people rather chooſing to ende theyr vnfortunate life, than to ſubmytte
themſelues to an vnaccuſtomed yoke of ſeruitude and bondage, with a common
conſente de|termined to meete Duke William, and to fight with him for the
lawes of theyr Countrey. And the foreſayde Stigande the Archebyſhoppe, and
the Abbot Egelſin, chooſing rather to die in bat|taile, than to ſee theyr
Nation in ſo euell an e|ſtate, being encouraged by the examples of the holy
Machabees, became Captaynes of the ar|mie. And at a day appoynted, all the
people met at Swaneſcombe, and being hidden in the woods lay priuily in
wayte for the comming of the fore|ſayde Duke William.
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1 And bycauſe it cannot
hurt to take greate heede, and to be verie warie in ſuche caſes, they agreed
before hande, that when the Duke was come, and the paſſages on euery ſide
ſtopped, to the ende he ſhould no way be able to eſcape, eue|rye one of
them, as well horſemen as footemen ſhould beare boughes in their handes.
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1 The next daye after, when
the Duke was come into the fieldes and territories neare vnto Swaneſcombe,
and ſawe all the Countrey ſette and placed about him, as it had beene a
ſtyrring and moouing Woodde, and that with a meane pace they approched and
drewe neare vnto him, with great diſcomforte of minde he wondered at that
ſight.
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1 And aſſoone as the
Captaynes of the Ken|tiſh men ſawe that Duke William was enclo|ſed in the
middeſt of theyr armie, they cauſed the Trumpettes to bee ſounded, theyr
Ban|ners to bee diſplayed, and threwe downe theyr boughes, and wyth theyr
Bowes bent, theyr Swordes drawne, and theyr Speares and o|ther kind of
weapons ſtretched forth, they ſhewed themſelues readie to fight.
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2 Duke William and they
that were wyth him ſtoode (as no maruayle it was) ſore aſtonied, EEBO page image 293 and amazed. And he which thought that he had alreadie [...]ll [...] Englande faſt in his fyſt, did nowe diſpayre of his owne li [...]. Therefore on the be|halfe of the Kentiſhe men, were ſente vnto Duke
William the Archcbiſhop Stigande, and E|gleſin Abbot of Saint Auguſtins who
told him theyr meſſage in this ſort: My Lorde Duke, beholde the people of
Kent commeth forth to meete you, and to receyue you as theyr liege Lorde,
requiring at your handes the thinges which
perteyne to peace, and that vnder this con|dition, that all the people of
Kent, enioy for euer their auncient liberties, and maye for euermore vſe the
lawes and cuſtomes of the Countrey: otherwiſe they are readie preſently to
bidde bat|taile to you, and them that hee with you, and are mynded rather to
die here altogither, than to departe from the lawes and cuſtomes of theyr
Countrey, and to ſubmitte themſelues to bondage, whereof as yet they neuer
had expe|rience.
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1 The Duke ſeeing himſelfe
to bee driuen to ſuch a ſtayghte and narrowe Pinche, conſulted a while with
them that came with him, pru|dently conſidering, that is he ſhoulde take any
re|pulſe or diſpleaſure at the handes of this people, which be the Key of
Englande, all that euer he had done before ſhoulde be vndone againe, and of
no effect, and all his hope and ſafetie ſhoulde ſtande in daunger and
ieopardie: not ſo willing|ly as wiſelye
hee graunted the people of Kent theyr requeſt. So when the couenant was
eſta|bliſhed, and pledges giuen on bothe ſydes: The Kentiſhe men beeing
ioyfull, conducted the Nor|mans, who alſo were glad) vnto Rocheſter, and
yeelded vp to the Duke the Earledome of Kent, and the noble Caſtell of
Douer.
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1 Thus the auncient
liberties of Englande, and the lawes and cuſtomes of the Countrey,The auncient liberties and lawes of Eng|lande remaine in
Kent onely. which before the comming of Duke William out of
Normandie, were equally kepte throughoute all englande, doe (throughe this
induſtrie and earneſt trauayle of the Archebyſhoppe Stigande and Egelſin
Abbot of Sainte Auguſtines) re|maine inuiolably obſerued vntyll thys day
with|in that Countie of Kent.
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1 Thus farre Thomas
Spot,VVil. Thorne and after him William Thorne
wryteth the ſame. Of the which the former (that is Spotte) liued in the
dayes of King Edwarde the firſt, and William Thorne in the dayes of King
Richarde the ſe|conde.
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1 But nowe before we
proceede any further in recitall of the Conquerours doings, we haue here in
a Table noted all the noble Captaynes and Gentlemen of name, aſwell Normans
as other ſtraungers, which aſſiſted Duke William in the conqueſt of this
land. And firſt, as we finde them written in the Chronicles of Normandie by
one William Tailleur.
The Catalogue of ſuch Noble men, Lordes and Gentlemen of name, as came
into this lande with VVilliam Conquerour.
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1 - Odd Biſhoppe of Bayeulx
- Robert Earle of Mor|taing
- Roger Earle of Beau|mont, ſurnamed a la Barbe
- Guillaume Mallet ſeig|neur de Montfort.
- Henrie ſeigneur de Fer|rers.
- Guillaume d'Aubelle|mare ſeig. de Fou|gieres.
- Guillaume de Rountare ſeig. de Lithare
- Le ſeigneur de Tonque.
- Le ſeig de la Mare.
- Neel le Viconte.
- Guillaume de Vepont.
- Le ſeig. de Magneuille.
- Le ſeigneur de Groſ|menil.
- Le ſeigneur de Saint Martin.
- Le ſeig. de Puis.
- Guillaume Creſpin.
- Guillaume de Moyenne
- Guillaume Deſmoul|lins.
- Guillaume Deſgaren|nes.
- Hue de Gourney, alias Geneuay.
- Le ſeig. de Bray.
- Le ſeig. de Gouy.
- Le ſeig. de Laigle.
- Le ſeigneur de To|varts.
- Le ſeigneur de Auren|chin.
- Le ſeig. de Vitrey.
- Le ſeigneur de Traſſy, alias Tracy.
- Le ſeigneur de Pic|quigny.
- Le ſeigneur d'Eſpinay.
- Oſmond ſeigneur du Pout.
- Le ſeigneur de Eſtoute|vile.
- Le ſeigneur de Torchy.
- Le ſeigneur de Barna|boſt.
- Le ſeigneur de Brebal.
- Le ſeig. de Seeulme.
- Le ſeigneur du Ho|ume.
- Le ſeigneur de Sou|choy.
- Le ſeig. de Cally.
- Le ſeigneur de la Ri|uere.
- Euldes de Beauieu.
- Le ſeigneur de Rou|milly.
- Le ſeig. de Glotz.
- Le ſeig. du Sap.
- Le ſeigneur de Van|ville.
- Le ſeigneur de Bran|chou.
- Le ſeigneur Balleul.
- Le ſeigneur de Beau|ſault.
- Le ſeig. de Telleres.
- Le ſeig. de Senlys.
- Le ſeigneur de Bacque|uille.
- Le ſeig. de Preaulx.
- Le ſeig. de Iouy.
- Le ſeigneur de Longue|uille.
- Le ſeig. d'Aquigny.
-
EEBO page image 294Le ſeigneur de Paſſy
- Le ſeig. de Tournay
- Le ſeig. de Colombieres
- Le ſeig. de Bollebet
- Le ſeig. de Garenſieres
- Le ſeig. de Longueile
- Le ſeig. de Houdetot
- Le ſeig. de Malletot
- Le ſ. de la Haie Malerbe
- Le ſei. de Porch Pinche
- Le ſeig. de Ivetot
- The erle of Tãquervile
- The erle d'Eu
- The erle d'Arques
- The erle of Aniou
- The erle of Neuers
- Le ſeig. de Rouuile
- Le prince de Alemaigne
- Le ſeig. de Pauilly
- Le ſeig. de S. Cler
- Le ſeig. d'Eſpinay
- Le ſeig. de Bremetot
- Alain Fergant Earle of Britaigne
- Le ſeig. de la Ferte
- Robert fils Heruays duc de Orleans
- Le ſeig. de la Lande
- Le ſeig. de Mortimer
- Le ſeig. de Clere
- Le ſeig. de Magny
- Le ſeig. de Fontnay
- Roger de Montgomery
- Amaury de Touars
- Le ſeig. de Hacquevile
- Le ſeig. de Neanſhou
- Le ſeig. de Perou
- Robert de Beaufou
- Le ſeig. Deauvon
- Le ſeig. de Sotevile
- Euſtace de Ambleville
- Geoffray Bournom
- Le ſeig. de Blainvile
- Le ſeig. de Mannevile
- Geoffrey de Moyenne
- Auffray and Mauger de Carteny
- Le ſeig. de Freanvile
- Le ſeig. de Moubray
- Le ſeig. de Iafitay
- Guillaume Patays ſieg+neur de la Lande
- Eulde de Mortimer
- Hue erle of Gournay
- Egremont de Laigle
- Richard d'Aurinchin
- Le ſeig. de Bearts
- Le ſeig. de Soulligny
- e Bouteclier d'Aubigny
- Le ſeig. de Marcey
- Le ſeig. de Lachy
- Le ſeig. de Valdere
- Eulde de Montfort
- Henoyn de Cahieu
- Le ſeig. de Vimers
- Guillaume de Movion
- Raoul Teſſon de Tig|nolles
- Anguerand Earle of Hercourt
- Roger Marmion
- Raoul de Gayel
- Auenel de Viers
- Panvel du Montier Hubert
- Robert Bertraule Tort
- Le ſeig. de Srulle
- Le ſeig. de Doriual
- Le ſeig. de la Hay
- Le ſeig. de S. Iohn
- Le ſeig. de. Sauſſy
- Le ſeig. de Brye
- Richard Dollebee
- Le ſeig. du Monfiquet
- Le ſeig. de Breſey
- Le ſeig. de Semilly
- Le ſeig. de Tilly
- Le ſeig. de Preaux
- Le ſeig. de S. Denis
- Le ſeig. de Meuley
- Le ſeig. de Monceaue
- The archers of Bretvile
- The archers of Van|breuile
- Le ſeig. de S. Sain.
- Le ſeig. de Breauſon
- Le ſeig. de Saſſy
- Le ſeig. de Naſſy
- Le vidame de Chartres
- Le ſeig de Ieanvile
- Le vidam du Paſſays
- Pierre du Bailleul ſeig|neur de Feſcamp.
- Le ſeneſchal de Torchy
- Le ſeig. de Griſſey
- Le ſeig. de Baſſey
- Le ſeig. de Tourneur
- Guillaume de Colom|bieres.
- Le ſeig. de Bonnebault
- Le ſeig. de Ennebault
- Le ſeig. de Danuillers
- Le ſeig. de Bervile
- Le ſeig. de Crevecueur
- Le ſeig. de Breaute
- Le ſeig. de Coutray
- The erle of Eureux
- Le ſeig. de ſeynt Valery
- Thomas erle d'Aumale
- The erle de Hieſmes
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1 with other Lordes and men
of account in great nembers, whoſe names the Author of the Chro|nicles of
Normandie coulde not come by (as he himſelf confeſſeth.) In conſideration
wherof, and bycauſe diuerſe of theſe are ſet forth only by theyr titles of
eſtate, and not by their ſurnames, we haue thought it conuenient to make you
partaker of the roll which ſometime belonged to Battaile Abbay, conteyning
alſo (as the tytle thereof im|porteth) the names of ſuch Nobles and
Gentle|men of Marque, as came in at this time with the Conqueror, wherof
diuerſe may be the ſame per|ſons whiche in the catalogue aboue written are
conteyned, bearing the names of the places wher|of they were poſſeſſours and
owners, as by the ſame Catalogue it may appeare.
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1
2 Thus when hee hadde ſet
all things in order through the moſt part
of the Realme, hee deliue|red the guiding thereof vnto his brother Odo,Sim. Dunel. the Biſhop of Bayeux, and to his couſin
William Fitz Oſberne whome he had made Erle of Her|ford: and in Lent
following, he ſayled into Nor|mandy,King William goeth
ouer into Normãdy Hen. Hunt. Polichron. Simon Dun.
leading with him the pledges and other of the chiefeſt Lordes of the
Engliſhe nation: a|mong whom, the two Earles Edwin and Mor|kar, Stigand the
Archbiſhop, Edgar, Etheling, Waltheof ſonne to Siwarde ſometime Duke of
Northumberland, and the Abbot of
Glaſtenbu|ry Agelnothus were ye moſt famous. Soone after his departing.
Edrike ſurnamed Siluaticus, ſon to Alfricke that was brother to Edricke de
Stre|ona,Edricke Silua|ticus. refuſing to
ſubmit himſelfe vnto the Kyng, rebelled and aroſe againſte ſuche as he had
left in his abſence to gouerne the land, wherevpon, thoſe that lay in the
Caſtell of Hereford, as Richarde Fitz Scrope and others,Richard Fitz Scrope. did oftentimes inuade his Lands, and waſted
the goodes of his farmors and tenantes. But yet ſo often as they attemp|ted
to inuade him, they loſt many of theyr owne Souldiers, and men of warre.
Moreouer, ye ſayde Edricke calling to his ayde the Kyngs of the Welchmen,
Bleothgent, and Rithwalle, the ſaid Edricke about the feaſt of the
aſſumption of our Lady, waſted the countrey of Hereford, euen to ye bridge
of the Riuer of Wye,The Riuer of Wye. and obteyned
out of thoſe quarters a maruellous great ſpoyle. In the winter following
alſo,King Williã returneth into England. and
after King William had ordred his buſineſſe in Normandy, he retur|ned into
England, and euen then began to han|dle the Engliſhmen ſomewhat ſharply,
ſuppo|ſing thereby to keepe them the more eaſily vnder his obedience. He
ſpoyled in like maner dyuers of the nobilitie, and others of the welthier
ſort, of al their liuings, and gaue ye ſame to his Normans.H. Hunt.
EEBO page image 298 Moreouer, he reyſed greate payments and ſubſe|dies
through the Realme:Hen. Hunt. the Engliſhe
nobilitie alſo he nothing regarded, ſo yt they whiche before thought
themſelues to bee made for euer by brin|ging a ſtranger into the Realme, do
now ſee thẽ|ſelues troden vnder foote, and to bee deſpiſed and mocked on
all ſides,Math. Paris. in ſo much, that many of
thẽ were conſtreyned (as if were for a further teſti|monie of ſeruitude and
bondage) to ſhaue theyr beards, to round their heare, and to frame
them|ſelues as well in apparrell, as in
ſeruice and dyet at their tables, after the Norman manner, ryghte ſtrange,
and farre differing from the auntient cu|ſtomes and olde vſages of theyr
countrey: other vtterly refuſing to ſuſteyne ſuche an intollerable yoke of
thraldom as was dayly layd vpon thẽ by ye Normans, choſe rather to leaue
all, both goods and lands, and after the manner of outlawes got them to the
wooddes with their wiues,Engliſhmen withdrawe thẽ to the
woodes [...] outlawes. children, and ſeruauntes, meaning frõ
thencefoorth whol|ly to liue vpon the
ſpoyle of the countreys adioy|ning, and take whatſoeuer came to hand.
Wher|vpon it came to paſſe within a while, that no mã might in ſafetie
trauayle from his owne houſe or towne to his next neighbors, and euery quiet
and honeſt mans houſe became as it were an hold or fortreſſe, and furniſhed
for defence with bowes & arrowes, billes, polle axes, ſwordes,
clubbes and ſlaues, ye dores kept locked, and ſtrongly boulted, namely in
the night ſeaſon, for feare to be ſurpri|ſed as it had bin in time of open war, and amõgſt publike enimies. Prayers
were ſayde alſo by the maſter of the houſe, as though they had bin in the
middeſt of the Seas in ſome ſtormy tempeſt, and when the windowes or dores
ſhould be ſhut in & cloſed, they vſed to ſay Benedicite,
& other to aun|ſwer Dominus, with moſt zealous and
reuerende deuotion, whiche cuſtome then taking place, through feare of
preſent daunger, hathe euer ſince remayned in vſe till theſe our preſent
dayes. But for all this, K. William ſought
to fame and van|quiſh thoſe of the Engliſh nobilitie, which would not be
vnder his obeyſance. They againe on the other ſide made themſelues ſtrong,
the better to reſiſt him, chooſing for their chiefe Captaines and leaders,
the Erles Edwin and Edgar Etheling, which valiantly reſiſted the Normans,
and ſlew many of them with great rage and crueltie. And as they thus
proceeded in their matters, K. Wil|liam being a politike Prince, forwarde
& payne|full in his buſineſſe, ſuffered thẽ not altogyther to
eſcape cleere away, but did ſore anoy and put thẽ oft to irrecouerable
loſſes, though he ſuffered in ye meane time many laborious iourneys,
ſlaughters of his people, & damages of his perſon. Herevpon ye
Engliſh nobilitie euer after, yea in time of peace were hated of ye K.
& his Normans, & at lẽgth wer kept ſo ſhort, yt being
moued partly with diſdeine,
Polidor. An. Reg. 2 Math. Paris. Mat. VVeſt. Diuers
with|draw foorth of their coũtrey.
1068
and partly with dread, they gote them out of the Realm, ſome into
Scotlãd, ſome into Denmark, other into Norway, & amõg theſe, the
two Erles Edwin & Marcar, with certayn Biſhops and o|ther of ye
Cleargie, beſides many alſo of the tem|poraltie, eſcaped into Scotland.
Marleſwin and Goſpatric, with a great nũber of other ye Nobles of
Northumberland, Edgar Ethling wt his mo|ther Agatha, & his ſiſters
Chriſtine & Margaret, chãced alſo to be driuẽ into Scotland by
tempeſt, as they were ſayling towardes ye coaſtes of Ger|many, in purpoſe
to haue returned into Hungary wher ye ſaid Edgar was borne: howbeit being
ar|riued in Scotland, he found ſo friendly entertain|mẽt there, that
finally Malcolme ye third then K. of that Realm, tooke his ſiſter Margaret
to wife, and Chriſtin became a Nonne, as in ye Scottiſh Chronicles more
plainely doth appeare. K. Wil|liam hereby perceiuing dayly how willing ye
eng|liſhmẽ wer to be vnder his obeiſance was in feare of Rebellious
cõmotiõs,Polidor. & therfore to
maſter thẽ ye better, he builded .4. Caſtels, one at Notinghã,
[figure appears here on page 298]
EEBO page image 299 an other at Lincolne,Two at
York, wherein hee left fiue hun|dred men in garriſon. Simon Dun.
the thirde at Yorke, and the fourth neere vnto Haſtings, where hee
landed at his firſt comming into England.
Compare 1587 edition:
1 Moreouer, to reduce the
Engliſh people from their fierce wildneſſe vnto a more ciuilitie &
qui|et trade of life, he tooke frõ them all their armoure and weapons.The conque|ror taketh from the Eng|liſhmen theyr
armour. And agayne, he ordeyned that the maſter of euery houſhold
about eyght of ye clocke in the euening, ſhoulde cauſe his fire to be
couered with aſhes, and thervppon goe to bed: and to the ende that euery man mighte haue knowledge of that houre
when hee ſhould to goe to reſt, he gaue order, that in all Cities, Townes,
and Villages, where any Church was, there ſhoulde bee a Bell roong at the
ſayd houre, whiche cuſtome is ſtill v|ſed euen vnto this daye, and commonly
called by the French word Cover fewe.
Cover few firſt inſtituted 1068
Mat. VVeſt.
Compare 1587 edition:
1 Moreouer, this yere on
Whitſonday, Mande the Wife of King William was crowned Q. by Aeldred
Archbyſhop of Yorke. The ſame yere alſo was Henry his ſon borne here in
Eng|land, for his other two ſonnes Robert and Wil|liam wereborne in
Normandy, before hee had conquered this lande.
Compare 1587 edition:
1 About ye ſame time
alſo,Edmund the great Goodwin & Edmund
ſurnamed the great, that were ſonnes to K. Har|rold, came out of Ireland,
and landing in Som|merſetſhire, ſoughte with Adnothus that had bin maſter of
their fathers Horſe, whome they ſlewe, with a greate nũber of others, and
ſo hauing got|ten
[figure appears here on page 299] this victory, returned into
Irelãd, frõ whẽce they came, with a greate booty whiche they tooke before
their returne out of ye Countreis of Corne|wall, and Deuonſhire, and other
the places there|about. In like manner, Exeter did as then Re|bell, and
likewiſe the countrey of Northumber|land,
wherevpon,VVil. Malm. Simon Dun. the King
appoynted one of hys Captaines named Roberte, ſurnamed Cumin, a right noble
perſonage (but more valiant than cir|cumſpect) to goe againſte the Northren
people with a part of his army, whileſt he himſelfe with the other part
wente to ſubdue them of Execter: where at his comming afore the Citie, the
Cit|tizens prepared themſelues to defende their gates and walles: but after
that hee began to make hys approch to aſſayle them, part of the Citizens
re|penting their fooliſh attemptes, opened
the gates, and ſuffered him to enter. Thus hauing ſubdued them of Exeter, he
greeuouſly puniſhed the chiefe offendours. But the Counteſſe Gita, the
ſiſter of Swayne K. of Denmarke, & ſometime wife to Earle Goodwin,
and mother to the laſt K. Har|rolde, with diuers other that were gote into
that Citie, founde meanes to flie, and ſo eſcaped ouer into Flaunders. King
William hauing diſpat|ched his buſineſſe in ſue [...] wiſe in Deuonſhire, hee haſted backe towards Yorke, beeing aduertiſed
in the way that the Northumbers hauing know|ledge by their Sp [...]a [...]les, that Roberte generall of the Normans being [...] to Durham, dyd not ſo gently cauſe watche and warde to be kepte about
the town in the night ſeaſon as was requi|ſite, they did ſet vpon him about
midnighte,This chaun|ced the .28. of Ianuary on a
wedneſday. Polidor.
and founde fortune ſo greatly fauourable to them in their
enterpriſe, that they ſlew the ſame Roberte with all his companie, ſo that
of ſeuen hundred which he broughte with him, there was but one that eſcaped
to bring tidings to the King.
Compare 1587 edition:
1 He hearde alſo, how Edgar
Etheling at the ſame time, being in the countrey, riding abroade with a
troupe of Horſemen, and hearing of the diſcomfiture of thoſe Normans,
purſued them e|grely; and ſlewe greate numbers of them,Polidor. as they were about to ſaue themſelues by flighte, with
whiche newes beeing in no ſmall furie, he made ſpeede forwarde, and comming
at the laſt into Northumberland, he eaſily vanquiſhed the afore|ſayd Rebels,
and putting the chiefe Authors of EEBO page image 300 this buſineſſe
to deathes hee reſerued ſome of the reſt as Captiues, and of other ſome, hee
cauſed the hands to be chopped off in token of their incõ|ſtancie, and
Rebellions dealing. After this, he cõ|meth to Yorke, and there in like
forte puniſhed thoſe that had ayded Edgar, whiche done hee re|turned to
Londõ,1069 where he intended to ſoiourne for a
ſeaſon.
Compare 1587 edition:
1
2 Of this iourney, Simon
Dunel. ſpeaketh not a word, but ioyning the arriuall of the Daniſhe
fleete to followe after the ſlaughter
of the Nor|mans at Durham, ſheweth at large what enſued vpon their arriuall
in thoſe parties, but whether ye Northumberlande men reſted in quiet after
they hadde ſlayne the Normans at Durham, till the comming of the Danes, or
whether immediate|ly therevpon they were inuaded by King Willi|am, as it is
moſt like they were, true it is, that in the meane time, thoſe Engliſhmen
that were fled (as you haue heard) into Denmarkt, by conti|nuall ſuite made vnto Sueno then King of that
Realme,Swayne and Osborne hath Math Paris. to
procure him to make a iourney into Englande for recouerie of the righte
diſcended to him from his aunceſtors, at length they obteyned their purpoſe,
in ſo much, that K. Sueno ſent hys ſonnes Harrold and Canutus toward
England, who with a nauie of two hũdred ſayle,Three
hun|dred ſayles ſaith M. W. but Sim. Dun. hath. 240. in the
cõ|pany of Oſborne their Vncle, arriued in ye mouth of Humber betweene the
two later Lady days, & there landing their people with the Engliſh
out|lawes which they had brought with
them, they ſtraight ways marched towards Yorke, waſting and ſpoyling the
countrey with greate cruelty as they paſſed: ſoone after alſo came Edgar,
and ſuch other engliſh exiles as had before fled into Scot|land, and ioined
their forces with them. Whẽ the newes of theſe things were brought to
Yorke, the people there wer ſtriken with a maruellous feare, in ſo muche,
that Aldred the Archbiſhop through very greefe and anguiſhe of minde
departed thys life. The Normans alſo whiche lay there in gar|riſon, after
they vnderſtoode by their ſpies that the enimies were come within two dayes
iourney of them, began not a little to miſtruſt the faythe of the Citizens,
and bycauſe the ſuburbes ſhould not be any ayde vnto them, they ſet fire on
the ſame, which by the hugeneſſe of the wind that ſuddain|ly aroſe herewith,
at the ſame time the flame be|came to bigge, and mounted on ſuch height,
that it tooke into the Citie alſo, and conſumed a great part thereof to
aſhes, togither with the miniſter of S. Peter, and a famous library
belonging to the ſame, the Normans and Citizens in like maner beeing
coñſtreyned to iſſue foorthe euen at the ſame time,Yorke
brent. and beeing vppon the enimies before they had any knowledge
of their approche, were forced to trie the matter by diſordred battayle, and
albeit their number was farre infecious, and nothing equall vnto theirs, yet
they valiantly de|fended themſelues for a time, til beeing oppreſſed with
multitude, they were ouercome and ſlayne,Normans
ſlayne. ſo that there periſhed in this conflict, to the num|ber
[figure appears here on page 300] of three thouſand of them. Many of the
Eng|liſhmen alſo that came with them to the fielde, were ſaued by the
enimies,Simon Dun. to the end they mighte gayne
ſomewhat by their raunſomes, as Willi|am
Mallet Sherife of the Shire, with his wife & two of their childrẽ,
and Gilbert de Gaunt, with diuers other. This ſlaughter chanced on a
Sa|terday, beeing the nineteenth day of September. The two breethren hauing
thus obteyned thys victory went on further into ye countrey of
Nor|thumberland, and brought the ſame wholly vnto their obeyſance in ſomuch,
yt al the North partes were at their comandemẽt. After this, they meant to
haue gone towardes, London, to haue proued their fortune likewiſe in ye
South partes,A ſharp win|ter, an enimie to warlike
enterpriſes. if ye ex|treame & hard winter which chanced
ye yeare, had not ſtayed them of their purpoſe in like caſe as it did K.
Williã frõ aſſailing them, who hearing of all the doings of his enimies in
the North coun|trey would gladly haue ſet vppon them, if eyther the ſeaſon
of the yere or weather had ſerued anye thing at all to the furtherance of
his iourney.The Danes where they wintered. Hen.
Hunt.
In the mean time ye Danes wintered in Yorkſhire, betwixt the two
Riuers of Duſe & Trent, but ſo EEBO page image 301 ſoone as the Snow
began to melt,Polidor. and the Ife to thaw and
weare away, King William ſped him with great haſt towarde his enimies into
York|ſhire, and comming to the Riuer of Trent, where it falleth into Humber,
he pitched his tents there, to refreſhe his people, and ſo much the rather,
by|cauſe he vnderſtoode his enimies were at hande, The day following, he
bringeth his army into ye field to fight with the Daniſh Princes, who
like|wiſe hadde ſet their people in order of battayle, ſo that it was not
long ere both the hoſtes were met and ioyned togither: thus there began a
right ſore and terrible battayle, commiting a long ſpare in equall ballance,
till at length in one of the wings the Norman Horſemen had put their enimies
to flight, which when the reſidue of the Danes per|ceyued,
[figure appears here on page 301] and beeing put in a ſuddayne feare with|all, they likewiſe
fledde. Harrold & Canutus with a company of hardie Souldiers that
tarried a|bout them, retired backe (though
with much adoe and great daunger) vnto their Ships, Edgar al|ſo by help of
good horſes, eſcaped into Scotlande with a fewe in his company. Earle Waltir
who had fought moſt manfully in that battayle,Math.
Paris. and ſlaine many Normans with his owne handes, was
reconciled into the Kings fauoure:Hen. Hunt. but
the reſidue were for the moſt part takẽ priſoners, and killed. William of
Malmeſbury writeth, that King William comming at that time into the
North parties,VVil.
Malm. beſieged the Citie of Yorke, & put|ting to flight a
gret Army of his enimies yt came to the ſuccours of thẽ within, not
without greate loſſe of his owne Souldiers, at length, the Citie was
deliuered into his handes, the Citizens and other that kept it, as Scottes,
Danes, and Eng|liſhmen, being conſtreyned thereto through lacke of
vittayles.Sim. Dunel. Other write, how the
Danes beeing loden with riches and ſpoyles, gote in the coun|trey, were
departed to their Shippes before the
comming of King William. Heere is not to bee forgotten, yt as Iohn Lelande
hath noted, whi|leſt the Conquerour helde ſiege before Yorke, at the earneſt
requeſt of his wife Queene Maude, he aduanced his Nephewe Alane Earle of
Brit|tayne with the gift of all thoſe landes that ſome|time belonged vnto
Earle Edwin,Earle Edwines lands giuen vnto Alane Erle of
Bri|taine. the tenor of which gift heere enſueth, Ego
Gulihelmus cogno|mine Baſtardus, do et cõcedo tibi nepoti meo Alano
Britanniae comiti, & haeredibus tuu in perpetuum, omnes illas
villas & terras quae nuper fuerunt co|mitis Eadwini in
Eboraſhita, cũ feodis militum & alijs libertatibus &
conſuetis dinibus, ita liberè & honorificè ſicut ide Eadwinus ea
tenuit. Dat. in ob|ſidione coram ciuitate Eboraci. The ſame in
Eng|liſh is thus, I VVilliam ſurnamed Baſtard, King of England, do giue
and graunt to thee my Ne|phew Alane Erle of Britayne, and to thine heires
for euer, all the Townes and lands that lately be|longed to Earle Eadwine
in Yorkſhire, with the Knightes fees, and other liberties and cuſtomes,
ſo freely and honorably as the ſaid Eadwine held the ſame. Giuen in our
ſeege before the Citie of Yorke.
Compare 1587 edition:
1 The Earle of Britayne
being a mã of a ſtoute ſtomack, and meaning to defend that which was thus
giuen to him, built a ſtrong Caſtel, neere to his manor of Gillingham, and
named it Rich|mont. To ſhewe therefore ſomewhat alſo of the firſte originall
line of the Earles of Richmõnt (that bare their title of honor of this
Caſtell and Towne of Richmont, as Leland hath ſet downe the ſame) This it
is, Eudo Erle of Britayne, the ſonne of Geffrey begate three ſonnes, Alane
le Rous, otherwiſe Fregaunte, Alane the blacke, & Stephan: theſe
three breethren after their fathers deceſſe, ſucceeded one after another in
the Earle|dome of Britayne, the two elder, Alane the red, & Alane
the blacke, died without iſſue. Stephan be|gate EEBO page image 302
gate a ſonne named Alane, who left a ſonne whi|che was his heire named
Conane, which Conan married Margaret the daughter of William Kyng of
Scotlande, who bare him a daughter named Conſtantia, which Conſtantia was
cou|pled in marriage with Geffrey, ſonne to Kyng Henry the ſecond, who had
by hir Arthur, whom hys Vncle King Iohn, for feare to be depriued by him of
the Crowne, cauſed to bee made away as ſome haue written. But nowe hauing
thus farre ſtepped from the matter whiche
we haue in hand, it is time to returne where we left touching the Danes.
Surely the Daniſhe writers make no mention in the life of that Kanute or
Cnute,Albertus Grantz. whiche raigned at thys
ſeaſon in Denmarke, of anye ſuche voyage made by him, but declare howe hee
prepared to haue come into England, but was letted, as in their hiſtory more
playnely appeareth:Simon Dun. but verily Simon
Dunel. affirmeth, that Harrold and Canute or Cnute the ſonnes of Sweyne Kyng of Denmarke,Math. Paris maketh men|tion but of Sweyne and Osberne whome he calleth
bree|thren. with theyr Vncle Earle Oſborne, and one Chriſtianus a
Biſhoppe of the Danes, and Earle Turketillus were guiders of this Daniſhe
army, and that af|terwardes, when Kyng William came into Northumberland, hee
ſent vnto Earle Oſborne, promiſing to him, that hee would permitte hym, to
take vp vittayles for his army about the Sea coaſtes, and further, to giue
him a portion of money, but ſo that he ſhould departe and returne home, ſo ſoone as the winter was paſſed. But
howſoeuer the matter wente with the Danes, certayne it is by the whole
conſente of Writers, that King William hauing thus ſubdued his e|nimies in
the Northe, hee tooke ſo greate diſplea|ſure with the inhabitauntes of the
Countrey of Yorkſhire and Northumberland, that he waſted all the land
betwixt Yorke and Durham,VVil. Mal. ſo that for
the ſpace of ſixtie miles, there was left in ma|ner no habitation for the
people, by reaſon wher|of it lay waſt and deſerte for the ſpace of nine or
tenne yeares. The goodly Cities with theyr Towers and Steeples ſet vp on a
ſtately height, and reaching as it were into the aire: the beau|tifull
fieldes and paſtures, watered with the courſe of ſweete and pleaſant Riuers,
if a ſtraun|ger ſhoulde then haue behelde and alſo knowen before they were
thus defaced, hee woulde ſurely haue lamented: or if anye olde inhabiter had
bene long abſent, and nowe returned thither, had ſeene this pitifull face of
the countrey, hee woulde not haue knowen it, ſuch deſtruction was made
tho|rough out all thoſe quarters, whereof Yorke it ſelfe felt not the
ſmalleſt portion. The Biſhop of Durham Egelwinus with his Cleargie fledde
into holy Iland, with S. Cutberts body and o|ther iewels of the Churche of
Durham,Simon Dun. where they tarried three
monethes and odde dayes, be|fore they returned to Durham agayne. The Kings
army comming into the countrey that lyeth betwixt the Riuers Theiſe
& Tyne, found nothing but voyde fieldes and bare walles, the people
with their goodes and Cattell being fled and withdrawen into the Wooddes and
Moun|taynes, if any thing were forgotten behinde,
Anno. 4. theſe new geſtes were dilgent inough to finde it
out.
Compare 1587 edition:
1 In the beginning of the
ſpring,1070 King Willi|am returned to London,
and now after all theſe troubles, he began to conceyue greater hatred
a|gainſt the Engliſhmen than euer he hadde done before,Polidor. and therefore ſuppoſing hee ſhoulde neuer with
gentleneſſe winne their good willes, he now determined to keepe them vnder
with feare & op|preſſion: a great number he baniſhed and ſpoyled of
all their goodes, and not only ſuch as he ſuſpec|ted, but alſo thoſe of
whome hee was in hope to gaine any great portion of ſubſtance.
Compare 1587 edition:
1 Thus were ye Engliſhmẽ
generally in danger
[figure appears here on page 302]
EEBO page image 303 to loſe life lands and goodes, without knowledge, or
orderly proceeding vnto iudgement, ſo that no greater miſerie in the earthe
coulde be imagined, than that into the whiche our nation was nowe fallen. He
tooke from the Townes and Cities, from the Biſhoppes Secs and Abbeyes all
theyr auncient priuiledges and freedomes,Priuileges and
freedoms reuoked. to the ende they ſhould not only be cut ſhort
and made wea|ker, but alſo that they might redeeme the fame of him, for ſuch
ſummes of money, as pleaſed hym to
appointe, to obteyne their quietneſſe. And among other things, he ordeyned
that in time of warre,Math. Paris. they ſhoulde
ayde him, in ſuche wiſe, with armoure, Horſe and money, and accordyng to
that order which he ſhould then preſcribe.
Compare 1587 edition:
1 Heereof alſo he cauſed a
Regiſter to be written
[figure appears here on page 303]
and enrolled, the whiche he willed to be
layde vp in his treaſurie, and whereas diuerſe of the ſpiri|tuall perſons
woulde not obey this ordinance, hee baniſhed them without remorſe.
Compare 1587 edition:
1
2
3
Stigand. Alexander Biſhop of Lincolne.About the
ſame time alſo, the Archbiſhoppe Stigand and Alexander Biſhop of Lincolne
fled into Scotlande, and there kepe themſelues [...]oſe for a ſeaſon. But the Kyng ſtill continued in his hard proceeding againſte the Engliſhmen, in ſo much,
that now proteſting how he came to the gouernance of the Realme onely by
playne con|queſt,
Polidor.
The hard dea|ling of Kyng William a|gainſt the Engliſhmen.
hee ſeyled into his hands the moſt parte of euery mans poſſeſſions,
cauſing them to redeeme the ſame at his handes agayne, and yet reteyned a
propertie in the moſt part of them, ſo that thoſe that ſhould afterwardes
enioy them, ſhoulde ac|knowledge themſelues to holde them of him, in
yeelding an yerely rent to him and his ſucceſſors for euer, with certayne other prouiſions, whereby in
caſes of forfeyture the ſame landes ſhoulde re|turne to him, and hys ſayde
ſucceſſors agayne. The like order he appoynted to bee vſed by other
poſſeſſors of lands, in letting them foorth to their Tenauntes. Hee ordeyned
alſo, that ye Tearmes ſhould be kept four times in the yere, in ſuche
pla|ces as he ſhould nominate, and that the Iudges ſhould ſit in their
ſeuerall places to iudge and de|cide cauſes and matters in controuerſie
betwixte partie and partie, in manner as is vſed vnto thys day. Hee decreed
moreouer, that there ſhoulde bee Sherifes in euery ſhire, and Iuſtices of
the peace to keepe the countreys in good quiet, and to ſee offendors
puniſhed. Furthermore, hee inſtituted the Court of the Excheker,The Excheker and the officers belõ|ging to the ſame,
as the Barons, the Clearkes,The Chance|rie. and
ſuch other, alſo ye high Court of the Chance|rie. And after he had in this
wiſe ordeyned his Magiſtrates and Miniſters of the lawes, hee laſtly tooke
order what ordinãces he would haue obſerued, and therevpon abrogating in
manner all the aunciente lawes vſed in times paſt, and inſtituted by the
former Kyngs for the good or|der and quietneſſe of the people he made
new,New lawes. no|thing ſo equall or eaſie to
bee kept, the whiche ne|uertheleſſe, thoſe that came after, not withoute
theyr greate harme, were conſtreyned to obſerue, as though it had bin an
high offence againſt God to aboliſhe thoſe euill lawes, which King Willi|am
(being a Prince, nothing friẽdly to the Eng|liſh nation,) had firſte
ordeyned, and to bring in other more eaſie and tollerable neyther can I in
this place omitte to giue a note of that whiche may ſeeme to ſuch as do
indifferently conſider of things a greate abſurditie, videlicet, that thoſe
lawes whiche touched all men, and ought to bee knowen of all men, were
notwithſtanding writ|ten in the Norman tong,The lawes
were written in the Normã tong. which the Engliſhmen vnderſtood
not, ſo that euen at the beginning you ſhould haue great numbers, partly by
the iniqui|tie of the lawes, and partly by ignorance, in miſ|conſtruing the
ſame to bee wrongfully condem|ned, ſome to deathe, and ſome in the
forfeyture of their goodes, other were ſo ent [...]ngled in ſutes and cauſes, that by no meanes they knew how to get out,
but continually were toſſed as a poſt to [...]|ler in ſuche wiſe, that in their mindes they cured the tyme that euer
theſe vnequall lawes were made. The manner for the trial of cauſes in
con|trouerſie, was deuiſed in ſuch ſort as is yet vſed.Matters to be tried by a iu|rie of .12. mẽ. Twelue aunciẽt men
(but moſt commonly vn|learned in the lawes) beeing of the ſame Countie where
the ſute lay, were appoynted by ye Iudges to goe togither into ſome cloſe
chamber, where they ſhould bee ſhut vp, till vpon diligent exami|nation of
the matter they ſhoulde agree vpon the condemnation or acquiting of the
priſoner, if it were in criminall cauſes, or vppon the deciding in whom the
right remayned, if it were vpõ triall of things in controuerſie: and when
they were once agreed, theſe .12. men, as it were the .12. Apo|ſtles (yt in
the nũber yet ſome reſpect of religion euen wiſe appere) came in before the
iudges, de|claring what they had agred vpon, which done, the iudges opened
it to ye offẽdors or ſutors, and EEBO page image 304 withall they pronounced
them according as the qualitie of ye cauſe did inforce and require. Thus at
the firſte were the twelue men appoynted, and the ſame order is ſtill
obſerued in matters of con|trouerſie vnto this day: their iudgemente alſo or
conſent is called a verdict, that is to ſaye, a true ſaying: but I woulde to
God that name myghte rightly and with good cauſe be euer applyed ther|to,
that men mighte haue their cauſes iuſtly ad|iudged, rather than preiudiced
by the verdictes of ſuche freeholders as
are accuſtomed to ſerue the Prince and their Countreys at aſſiſes and
Seſ|ſions. There may happily be (as Polidor Vergill ſayth) that will
mayneteyne how this manner of proceeding in the adminiſtration of iuſtice by
the voyces of a Iurie, was in vſe before the Conque|roures dayes, but they
are not able ſo to prooue it by any auntient recordes of writers, as he
thyn|keth: albeit by ſome of our hiſtories they ſhoulde ſeeme to bee firſte
ordeyned by Ethelred or E|gelred. But this
is moſt true, that the Norman Kings themſelues would confeſſe, that the
lawes deuiſed and made by the Conqueroure, were not moſt equall, in ſo
muche, that William Rufus, and Henry the ſonnes of the Conquerour, would at
all times whẽ they ſought to purchaſe the peo|ples fauor, promiſe to
aboliſh the lawes ordeyned by theyr father, and eſtabliſhe other more
equall, and to reſtore thoſe whiche were vſed by Kyng Edwardes dayes. The
lyke kynde of purcha|ſing fauoure, was vſed by King Stephen, and other Kings
that followed him. But their mea|ning was ſo far to the contrary, that their
deedes declared theyr diſſimulatiõ, ſo that many of thoſe Norman lawes
remayne in force euen vnto theſe dayes. The cauſe as ſome thinke is, for
that they make more to the Princes behoofe, than to the commoditie of the
people. But now to the matter, King William after hee hadde made theſe
ordinances to keepe the people in order, hee ſet his minde to enriche his
cofers, and therevppõ he firſt appoynted a tribute to be leuied of the
cõ|mons, then hee cauſed the Abbeyes to be ſearched,
Math. Paris. Mat. VVeſt. VVil. Malm. VVi. Thorne.
Abbeys ſear|ched.
Polidor. Simon Dun.
and all ſuche money as any of the Engliſhmen hadde layde vp in the
ſame, to bee kepte, and like|wiſe their charters of priuileges made to them
by the Saxon Kyngs of the lande hee ſeaſed into hys handes, and ſpared not
ſo muche as the ie|wels and plate dedicate to ſacred vſes. And all this did
hee (as ſome write) by counſell of the Earle of Hertford.
Compare 1587 edition:
1 Shortly after alſo
betwixte Eaſter & Whit|ſontide,VVi.
Thorne. a greate Counſell was holden at Win|cheſter by the Biſhops
and Cleargie, where Er|menfred the Biſhoppe of Sion or Sitt [...]n,Polidor. Sim. Dunel. with two Cardinals
Iohn and Peter ſente thither frõ Pope Alexander the ſecond, did ſit as
chiefe com|miſſioners. And in this Counſell was Stigan|dus
[figure appears here on page 304] the Archbiſhoppe of Canterbury depriued of his
Biſhopricke,Stigand Arch|biſhop of Can|terbury
de|priued. for three ſpeciall cauſes.
Compare 1587 edition:
1 The firſt, for that hee
had wrongfully holden that Biſhopricke whileſt the Archbiſhop Roberte was
liuing.
Compare 1587 edition:
1 Secondly, for that hee
kepte alſo the See of Wincheſter in his handes, after his inueſtiture vnto
Canterbury, whiche hee ought not to haue done.
Compare 1587 edition:
1
2
3 Thirdly, for that hee had
receyued the Palle at the handes of Pope Benedict the tenthe, whome the
Cardynalles as one not lawfully e|lected, had depoſed. But many Winters
bur|den Kyng William (who was preſente at thys Counſell) for the procuring
of Stigand his de|priuation, to the ende he myghte place a ſtraun|ger in his
roome, for in manner as he hadde rooted out the Engliſhe nobilitie, and
giuen away their lands and liuings to his Normans, ſo meant hee to returne
the Engliſhe Cleargie from bearing EEBO page image 305 any office of
honor within the Realme, whiche his meaning did well appeare at his Counſell
in the which diuers other Biſhops with Abbots and Priors were depoſed,
Agelmarus Biſhop of Thetford was one that was depoſed.
Simon Dun. Mat. Paris.
Thomas a Canon of Bay|eux made Archbiſhop of Yorke.
and Normans preferred in their places. Stigande after his
depriuation, was kept in perpetuall priſon at Wincheſter, till he di|ed, and
yet as ſome write, the ſame Stigand was an helper vnder hande for King
William to at|teyne the Crowne. In the feaſt of Pentecoſt next enſuing, the
King beeing at Windſor, gaue the
Archbiſhoprike of Yorke vnto one Thomas, a Canon of Bayeux, and to Walkelme
one of his Chaplaynes hee gaue the Biſhopricke of Wincheſter.Lanfranke conſecrated Archbiſhop of Canterbury. After
this, calling one Lanfranke an Italian from Caen where he was Abbot, hee
made him Archbiſhop of Canterbury, who was
[figure appears here on page 305]
conſecrated there in the feaſt of S. Iohn
Bap|tiſt in the yeare following,
Math. Weſt. hath the eight Kal. of May, but Wil. Mal. and Eadmerus the
fourth Kal. of Sep|tember.
1071
An. Reg. 5.
VVil. Mal.
whiche was after the birthe of our Sauiour .1071. The foreſayd
Tho|mas was the fiue and twentith Biſhop that had gouerned in that ſee of
Yorke, and Lanfranke the three and thirtith in the Sea of Canterbury: but
ere long, betwixte theſe two Archbiſhops, there roſe great contention for
the ſuperioritie of theyr Churches, in ſo muche, that the Archbiſhoppe of
Yorke appealed to Rome, where they both
ap|peared in proper perſons afore Pope Alexander,Eadmerus. in whoſe preſence Lanfrankes cauſe was ſo much
fauoured, that not only the foreſayd Tho|mas, but alſo Remigius the Biſhop
of Dorche|ſter were for reaſonable cauſes depriued of theyr Croſiers and
Kings, and Lanfranke at theyr humble requeſt was a meane to the Pope for
thẽ in the ende, that they mighte bee reſtored to theyr ſtaues agayne,
whych was in like manner accor|dingly
obteyned: for when the Pope hearde Lan|franke declare in their fauour how
neceſſary their ſeruice myght be to the Kyng in the eſtabliſhmẽt of his new
gotten kingdom, he ſayd to Lãfranke, well, looke you then to the matter,
you are the fa|ther of that countrey, and therefore conſider what is
expedient to be done therein: their ſtaues which they haue ſurrended vp,
there they bee, take them, and diſpoſe them as you ſhall thinke moſt
profi|table for the aduauncement of the Chriſtian Re|ligion in that
countrey. Wherevpon, Lanfranke tooke the ſtaues, and deliuered them to the
for|mer poſſeſſours, and ſo were they in the Popes preſence reſtored to
their former dignities again.
Compare 1587 edition:
1
2 The cauſe why Thomas was
depriued (if the writers diſſemble not, though to mee it ſeeme vn|likely)
was, for that hee had holpen Duke Willi|am toward his iourney into England
when hee came to conquer it, for the which pleaſure to him then ſhewed, the
Duke promiſed hym a Byſhop|ricke, if euer hee obteyned the victory of the
Eng|liſhe: the other, for that he was a Prieſtes ſonne. Furthermore, when
the Pope vnderſtoode the full ground of their contention for the primacie of
the two Sees, Canterbury and Yorke,VVil. Malm. and
had heard what could be alledged on both ſydes, he remitted the
determination thereof to the Kyng and By|ſhops of England, that by the
hiſtories and Re|cordes of the lande, the matter myghte bee tryed, iudged
and ordered. And thus for the time, did the Pope ridde hys hands of theſe,
and the like mat|ters. Wherefore at their comming home, and af|ter long
debating and diſcuſſing of the cauſe (as in William Marleburgh it appeareth
more at large) at a Synode holden at Windſor, in the yeare .1072.
An. reg. 6.
1072
Math. VVeſt.
The ſubiectiõ of the Archbi|ſhopricke of Yorke, to the
Archbiſhop|ricke of Can|terbury.
ſentence was gyuen on Lanfrankes ſyde, ſo that in all things
concerning Religion, and the fayth of holy Churche, the Archbiſhop of Yorke
ſhould be euer ſubiect to the Archbiſhop of Canterbury, and come with all
the Biſhops of his prouince to anye ſuche place as the Archby|ſhop of
Canterbury ſhoulde call anye counſell within the Realme of Englande.
Compare 1587 edition:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8 Moreouer, when any
elected Biſhop of Can|terbury was to be ſacred, the Archbiſhop of Yorke for
the time beeing ſhould come to Canterbury, and ſacre hym there, and if the
Archbiſhoppe of Yorke was to be ſtalled and ſacred, then ſhoulde he come
vnto Canterbury, or elſe where it ſhould pleaſe the Archbiſhop of Canterbury
to aſſigne and there to be ſacred of hym, taking an oth with hys profeſſion
of due obedience vnto the higher ſee. And nowe heere is to bee noted, that
as the ſayde Thomas of Yorke dyd yeelde obedience to Lanfranke of
Canterbury, ſo lykewiſe the electe Biſhop of Glaſcowe in Scotlande named
Mi|chaell, was ſoone after conſecrated of the foreſayd Thomas Archbiſhop of
Yorke,
Polidor.
The Archbi|ſhop of Yorke acknowledged primate of all Scotlande.
and made an oth of obedience vnto the ſayde Archbiſhop, as to the
primate of all Scotland, and after him Tothade the Biſhop of Saint Androwes
did the like, by commaundemente of Malcolme the third of that name, Kyng of
Scotlande, and Margaret hys wife, who thoughte good by this recogniſance of
obedience and duetie, ſo to prouide againſte fur|ther inconuenience to come,
that heereafter, one EEBO page image 306 of the Biſhops of their Realme
ſhoulde not take vpon them to conſecrate an other, or do any thing contrary
to the ancient decrees of the old fathers, that mighte be preiudiciall to
the authoritie of the Archbiſhop of Yorke, at whoſe appoyntmẽt thoſe and
the like things were accuſtomed to bee done. But to leaue this, and to
ſpeake of other thyngs which chaunced in the meane time that this
con|trouerſie depended betwixt the two Archbiſhops, I finde that Edwin
& Marchar Earles of Mer|tia and
Northumberland, being reconciled with the K. of Englande, and hauing of late
obteyned pardon for their former miſdeameanor, began now ſo muche to miſlike
the ſtate of the worlde agayne, as euer they did before: for perceyuing howe
the Engliſhmenne were ſtill oppreſſed and thralled with miſerie on eache
hand, they conſpi|red and began a new Rebellion, but with very ill ſucceſſe,
as ſhall heereafter appeare. The Kyng vnderſtanding of theyr dealings,Mat. Paris. and beeing not only armed thoroughly with temporall force, but alſo
endued with the ſpiritual power of his Arch|biſhop Lanfranke, who aided him
in all that hee might, for the ſuppreſſing of thoſe Rebels, waſted the
countreys exceedingly, where hee vnderſtoode that they had gotten any
releefe, minding vtterly to vanquiſh them with ſword, fire, and hunger, or
by extreame penurie to bring them to ſome or|der. They on the other part
make as ſtout reſi|ſtance, and now perceyuing that it ſtoode thẽ vp|pon,
either to vanquiſh or to fall into
vtter ruine, they reiſe a mighty ſtrong hoſt, and made Ed|gar Etheling their
Captaine, a comely gẽtle mã, & a valiãt, in whom alſo ye whole
hope of ye Eng|liſh nation repoſed, as appeareth by thys by worde Edgar
Ethling Englandes dearling, which was dayly rehearſed of him. And
amongſt other noble men that were chiefe doers in the aſſemblyng of this
army, Fredericke Abbot of S. Albons was one of the chiefe, a Prelate of
greate wealth, and no leſſe puiſſance. The
King perceyuing hys e|ſtate to be nowe brought into no ſmall daunger, is by
reaſon thereof in a great perplexitie what to do, in the end, he counſelleth
with the Archbiſhop Lanfranke of Canterbury, how he might remedy the matter,
who told him that in ſuch a deſperate caſe, the beſt way for hym ſhoulde bee
to ſeeke by fayre words and friendly offers how to pacifie ye Engliſh
nobilitie, whiche by all meanes poſſible, would neuer ceaſſe to moleſt him
in the recouerie of their libertie.
Herevppon therefore, hee made meanes to come to ſome agreement with them,
and ſo well the matter proceeded on his ſide, that the Engliſhmen deceiued
through his faire pro|miſes, were contente to commune of peace, for whiche
purpoſe they came alſo vnder the conduit of the Abbot Fredericke vnto
Berkamſted, where after much reaſoning and debating of the matter for the
concluſion of amity betwixte them, Kyng William in the preſence of the
Archbiſhop Lan|franke & other of his Lords, toke a perſonall othe,
vpon al ye reliques of the Church of S. Albons, & the holy
Euangeliſts, the Abbot Frederick mini|ſtring ye ſame vnto him, that he
would frõ thenſ|foorth obſerue and keepe the good and aunciente approued
lawes of the Realme, whiche the noble Kings of England his aunceſtors had
made, and ordeined heretofore, but namely thoſe of S. Ed|ward, which were
ſuppoſed to be the moſt equall and indifferent. The peace being thus
concluded, and the Engliſhmẽ growen therby to ſome hope of further
quietneſſe, they began to forſake theyr allies, & returne eache one,
eyther to his own poſ|ſeſſiõs, or attẽdance vpon ye K. but he warely
clo|king his inward purpoſed intẽt, & notwithſtãding ye vnitie
lately made, determineth particularly to aſſaile his enimies (whoſe power
without doubt ſo long as it was vnited, could not poſſibly be o|uercome as
he thought) & therefore being now by reaſõ of this peace diſſeuered
& diſperſed, he thoght it high time to practiſe his ſecrete
purpoſes, and therevpon taking them at vnwares, thinking of nothing leſſe
than warres and ſuddayne inuaſiõ, he impriſoneth many, killeth diuers,
& purſueth ye reſidue wt fire & ſword, ſpoiling thẽ of
their goods, poſſeſſions, lãds & inheritances, & baniſhing
them out of ye Realm altogither at his pleaſure. In the meane time, thoſe
of the Engliſhe nobilitie which could eſcape this his outrageous tirannie,
got a|way, & amõgſt other, Edgar Etheling fled again into Scotland:
but Edwin was ſlain of his own ſouldiers, as he rode alſo towards
Scotlãd.Ran. Higd. H. Hunt. Mat. Paris. Erle
Marchar & one Hereward, with the Biſhoppe of Durham named Egelwinus,
got into the Iſle of Ely, in purpoſe there to defend themſelues frõ the
iniurie of ye Normans, bycauſe they tooke ye place by reaſon of ye
ſituatiõ of ye ſame to be of no ſmall ſtrength, but K. Williã,
endeuouring to cut thẽ ſhort in ye beginning, reiſed a power, &
firſt ſtop|ped all ye paſſages on ye Eaſt ſide, and on the weſt part he
made a cauſey through ye Fennes,Polidor. Hen. Hunt.
Math. Paris. of two miles in length, whereby he got vnto them
& con|ſtreyned thoſe his enimies in ye end to yeld them|ſelues by
force vnto his mercy. Howbeit Mar|char, (or as others haue) Herewarde,
percey|uing before hand the imminent danger likely to take effect, made
ſhift to get out of ye Iſle by bote, & ſo by ſpeedy flight eſcaped
into Scotland. The Biſhop of Durham being taken,Simon
Dun. was ſent to the Abbey of Abingdõ, to be kept as a priſoner,
where he was ſparingly fed, that within a ſhort ſpace,Some write that he was ſo ſtubborne harted, that after he knew he ſhould
re|mayne in per|petuall priſon, he refuſed his meate, and ſo pined
himſelfe to death. he died for hunger. In this mean time, and
whi|leſt K. Williã was thus occupyed in ridding out the Engliſh rebelles,
Malcolme King of Scot|lãd had waſted the countreys of Theiſedale, and
Cleueland, & the lands of S. Cutbert, with ſun|dry other places in
the North partes, wherevpon Goſpatrick being lately recõciled to ye K.
& made EEBO page image 307 Earle of Northumberland, was ſente
agaynſte hym, who waſted and deſtroyed that parte of Cumberlande in like
manner, whiche the ſayde Malcolme had by violence brought vnder hys
ſubiection. At the ſame time, Malcolme was at Weremouth, beholding the fire
whiche hys peo|ple had kindled in the Church of Saint Peeter to burne vp the
ſame, and there hearing what Goſ|patricke had done, he tooke ſuch
diſpleaſure there|withall, that he commaunded his men that they ſhould ſpare none of the Engliſhe nation alyue,
but put them all to the ſworde withoute pitie or compaſſion, ſo oft as they
came to hand. The bloudy ſlaughter therefore whiche was made at thys tyme by
the Scottes, through that cruell commaundement of Malcolme, was pitifull to
conſider, for women, children, old men, and yong wente all one way, howbeit,
many of thoſe that were ſtrong and able to ſerue for drudges and ſlaues,
were reſerued, and carried into Scotlande
as priſoners, where they remayned many yeares after, in ſo muche, that there
were fewe houſes in that Realme, but had one or more Engliſhe ſer|uauntes
and captiues, whiche they gate at thys vnhappy voyage. Thus we may behold a
myſe|rable face of the Engliſh nation at this preſente, for they do not
onely conſume one another, but the Scottes on the one ſide, and Kyng William
on the other, doe make greate hauocke, and op|preſſe them altogyther. But to
returne agayne to the purpoſe in hand,
King William hearyng of all theſe things, was not a little moued at the
ſame, but chiefly with Malcolme K. of Scottes, for that his countrey was the
onely place where|in all the Rebels of his Realme had theyr refuge.
Wherefore, thinking to reuenge the loſſe of hys ſubiectes, and bring that
Realme alſo vnto hys ſubiection, hee went thither with an huge army, about
the midle of Auguſt, where he firſt inuaded the boundes of Galloway,Polidor. bycauſe he heard howe the Engliſh Rebels were lately fled thither, but after he
had wearied his Souldiers in vayne pur|ſuite of thẽ (who kept thẽſelues in
ye Mountaines and Marres ground) hee gaue ouer the enterpriſe, &
drew towards Lothiã, wher he vnderſtood, that K. Malcolme lay with all his
power, & findyng him there, encountred with ſundry Engliſh
fugi|tiues, he determined by battayle, to make an ende of his trouble,
& eyther purchaſe his quietneſſe, or finiſh his worldly life at this
momẽt & time: thus each one
prepared to ye field, but as both ye Kings with their armies were ready to
ioine, Malcolme began to doubt ſomewhat of the fierceneſſe of the
battel,Math. Paris. bycauſe he ſaw the great
puiſſance & ready willes to fighte of the army of Engliſhmen and
Normans, which K. William had brought with him,H.
Hunt. and therevppon ſente an Harrold to Kyng William to treate of
a peace, which K. William was cõtent at the laſt, though with muche ado to
heare of, and ſo an vnitie yet enſued betwixte the two Princes, vpõ theſe
conditions, that K. Mal|colme ſhould do homage vnto K. William for ye Realm
of Scotland, & therevpon delyuer ſuffici|ent hoſtages: and that on
the other ſide, K. Willi|am ſhoulde perpetually pardon all the Engliſhe
outlawes whiche then rebelled againſt him. The place where this peace was
concluded, was cal|led Abirneth [...]. After which, K. William returned into England, where he ere long
tooke the Earle|dome of Northumberlande, from Goſpatricke,Simon Dun. & gaue it to Waltheof ye ſon of Siward,
bycauſe yt of right it ſeemed to diſcende vnto him frõ his fa|ther, but
chiefly frõ his mother Alfreda, who was the daughter of Aldred ſometime
Earle of that countrey. At the ſame time alſo, ye K. cauſed a Caſtell to be
built at Durham, & after he had ſped his buſineſſe in thoſe parties,
he returned to Lon|dõ, where he receiued aduertiſement yt his ſubiects in
Normãdy toward the parties of Angiew had begun a Rebellion againſt him.
Heerevpon with al ſpeede he leuied an army, whereof the moſt part conſiſted
of Engliſhmen (whoſe ſeruice hee choſe rather in a foraine countrey than in
their owne,) and with this army being once put in a readines, he ſailed ouer
into Normandy, & eaſily ſubdued his enimies by help of ye
Engliſhmen, whom frõ thenceforth he began ſomewhat to fauoure &
bet|ter thinke of, than hee had bin before accuſtomed to do. Yong Edgar alſo
came into very good cre|dite with him, for though he had twice brokẽ hys
oth of allegiaunce, and runne to the Scottes as a Rebell, yet now of his
owne motiõ, returning to ye K. & aſking pardon, he was not only
receyued,
An. Reg. 8.
1074
but alſo highly honored & preferred in his courte. The yere
.1074. ther were three Monks of ye pro|uince of Mercia, yt which in
purpoſe to reſtore re|ligiõ after their maner within ye prouince of
Nor+thumberlande, came vnto Yorke, and required of Hugh Fitz Baldricke (as
then Sherife of ye ſhire) to haue a guide to ſaulfe cõduite them vnto
Mõ|kaſter, which afterwards hight New Caſtel, and ſo is called vnto this
day. Theſe three Moonkes whoſe names wer Aldwine, Alfwin & Remfred,
cõming vnto the foreſayd place, found no tokẽ or remnant of any religious
perſons, whiche ſome|time had habitation there, for al was defaced and gone:
wherevpõ, after they had remayned in that place a certaine time, they
remoued to Iarrowe, wher finding ye ruines of olde decayed buildings
& churches perteining in times paſt to ye Monkes yt there
inhabited, they founde ſuch aſſiſtance at the hands of ye Biſhop of Durham,
Walkher, that at length, by the diligente trauell and ſute of theſe three
Monks, there were three Monaſteries newly founded and erected in the North
partes, as one at Durham, and an other at Yorke, EEBO page image 308
and the third at Whitby. For you muſt conſider, that by the inuaſion of the
Danes, the Churches and Monaſteries through out Northumberland were ſo
vtterly deſtroyed and throwen downe, that vnneth ſhould a man finde a
Churche ſtan|ding in all that countrey, and thoſe fewe that re|mayned, were
couered with broome or thatch: but as for any Abbey or Monaſterie, there was
not one left in all the countrey, neyther for the ſpace of two hundred
yeares was there any man that tooke care
for the repayring or buyldyng vp of any thyng, ſo that the people of that
countrey wiſt not what a Monke meant, and if they ſawe any, they wondred at
the ſtraungeneſſe of the ſyght.
Compare 1587 edition:
1
2
An. Reg. 9.
1075
Whyleſt the Kyng remayned thus in Nor|mandy, Roger Earle of Hereford
contrary to the Kyngs mynde and pleaſure, married hys ſiſter vnto Raulfe
Earle of Cambridge,
[...]aufe Earle of [...]ambridge.
Mat. VVeſt. Math. Paris. Hen. Hunt. [...]imon Dun.
[...] Rebellion [...] vſed againſt [...] William.
or as other haue Northfolke, and withall began a new con|ſpiracie
againſt hym. Amongſt other alſo of the
aſſociates, Earle Walteif the ſonne of Earle Si|ward was one, who afterwarde
miſtruſting the ſucceſſe of this deuiſe, firſte vttered it to the
Arch|biſhop Lanfranke, and by his aduice ſayled ouer into Normandy, and
there diſcloſed the whole matter to Kyng William: but in the mean time, the
other two Earles of Hereforde and Cam|bridge had gone ſo farre already in
ye matter, that they were vp in armour. Howbeit Wolſtan Bi|ſhop of
Worceter, and Egelwine Abbot of E|ueſham, with the Sherife of Worceter, and
Walter Lacey, ſo reſiſted the Earle of Hereford, that he could not paſſe the
Seuerne to ioyne with the Earle of Cambridge. And on the other ſyde,Iohn. Pike. Odo the Biſhop of Bayeux, and Geffrey ye
Bi|ſhoppe of Conſtances purſued the Erle of Cam|bridge ſo narrowly with an
other army whyche they hadde gathered of Engliſhmen and Nor|mans,
An. Reg. 10.
1076
yt they conſtreyned hym to flee into Bri|tayne, whereby the
Rebellion was very well ap|peaſed. In the meane tyme, the Kyng
vnder|ſtanding by Erle Waltheof how ye matter went in Englande, came ouer,
with all ſpeede out of Nomandy, and within a ſhort ſpace, brought ye
reſidue of the conſpiratours into ſuch a feare, that they ſcattered and
fled, without attempting any further exployte or conſpiracie againſt him.
Ma|ny of them alſo were apprehended and put to death, among whiche, Roger
and Walteif were the moſt famous. Though Walteif (as ye haue heard before)
diſcloſed the treaſon,
H. Hunt.
Earle Walteof beheaded.
yet to the ende he ſhould offend no more heereafter, hee was
be|headed at Wincheſter by the Kyngs commaun|dement,
[figure appears here on page 308] and his body being firſt buried in ye ſame place where he
ſuffered, was after conueyed vnto Crowland, and there more honorably
enterred.
Compare 1587 edition:
1 This Earle Walteof or
Waldeue was ſonne (as yee haue hearde) to
the Noble Earle of Nor|thumberlande Siwarde, of whoſe valure in the tyme of
Kyng Edward the Confeſſor yee haue heard. His ſonne the foreſaid Walteif in
ſtrength of body and hardineſſe, did not degenerate from his father, for he
was talle of perſonage, in ſinews and muſcules very ſtrong and mightie. In
the ſlaughter of the Normans at Yorke, hee ſhewed proofe of his proweſſe, in
ſtriking off the heads of many of them with his own hands as they came
foorthe of the gates ſingly one by one: yet after|wardes, when the King had
pardoned hym of all former offences, and receyued hym into fauoure, he gaue
to hym in marriage his neece Iudith the daughter of Lambert Erle of Le [...]s ſiſter to Ste|phan Earle of Albermare, and with hir he had of the
Kings gift, all the landes and liberties belon|ging to the honor of
Huntington: and in conſide|ration thereof, he aſſigned foorth to hir in name
of hir dower, all hys landes that he held from Trent EEBO page image 309 Southward. Shee bare of hym two daughters, Maude and Alice. We finde,
that he was not on|ly Earle of Northumberlande, but alſo of Nor|thampton,
and Huntington. The Conqueroure was noted of no ſmall crueltie, for the
puttyng of this noble man to death, ſith he reuolted from hys confederates,
to aduertiſe hym of all theyr practi|ſes, whereby hee was the better able to
ſubdue them, as in the end he dyd.
Compare 1587 edition:
1
Mat. Paris.The Counteſſe of Cambridge, (or
North|folke as other haue) wife of Earle
Raulf, beeyng withdrawen into the Citie of Norwiche, was beſieged in the
ſame with an army ſente thyther by the Kyng, till through famine ſhee
yeelded the place, but vpon compoſition, that thoſe that were beſieged
within, ſhoulde departe the Realme, as perſons abiured and baniſhed the
lande for euer. And thys was the ende of the foreſayde conſpira|cie:
howbeit, ſuche was the deſtiny of the Kyng, that he was neuer ridde of one
vexation, but ano|ther enſued, as it were,
in the necke of that whych went before: for the Danes being alſo ſolicited
by the forenamed conſpirators, and hauing made their prouiſion to ſet
forwarde on their iourney, vnder the leading of Cnuto, ſonne to Sueno, and
Earle Haco,Polidor. Hen. Hunt. Simon Dun. Mat.
Par. doe nowe vnlooked for ariue here in Englande with two hundred
ſayles. But hea|ring by good hap that the ciuill tumulte was en|ded in ſuch
wiſe, as you haue heard, and ſeeing no man ready to encourage them in their
enterpriſe, they returned firſte into
Flaunders, whiche they ſpoyled, and after into their own countrey, with|out
eyther will or purpoſe for euermore to come agayne into Englande. Kyng
William alſo vnderſtanding that they were thus departed, paſ|ſed ouer into
Britayne, and there beſieged the Caſtell of Dolle, that belonged to Raulf
Earle of Cambridge, or Northfolke: but by the comming of the French Kyng
Philip, King William, be|ing not prouided of ſufficiente vittayles for hys
army, was cõſtreyned to reyſe his ſiege, although with great loſſe both of
his men and Horſes.
An. Reg. 11.
1077
Mat. Paris.
Compare 1587 edition:
1 The ſeuen and twentith
day of Marche, there was a generall Earthquake in Englande, and in the
Winter following, a froſt that continued from the firſte of Nouember vnto
the middle of Aprill. A blaſing Starre appeared on Palme Sunday, being the
ſixteenth day of Aprill, about ſixe of ye clocke, when ye aire was fayre
& cleere.
Compare 1587 edition:
1 About the ſame ſeaſon,
Pope Gregory per|ceyuing that married Prieſtes choſe rather to runne into
the daunger of his curſe, than to for|ſake their lawfull wiues, thought to
bridle them by an other meane, as thus: he gaue commaun|demẽt by his Bulle
publiſhed abroade,
An. Reg. 12.
1078
Polidor.
A Synode holden at London.
that none ſhould beare the Maſſe of a married Prieſt.
Compare 1587 edition:
1 K. Williã after his
comming from the ſiege of Dolle, remayned a certayne time in quiet, during
which meane while, Lanfranke the Archbiſhoppe called a Counſell of the
Cleargie at London, in
[figure appears here on page 309] the whiche amongſt
other things it was ordey|ned,Biſhops Sees
remoued. that certaine Biſhops Sees ſhould be remo|ued from ſmall Townes vnto Cities of more fame, wherby
it came to paſſe, that Chicheſter, Exeter, Bath, Saliſburie, Lincolne and
Cheſter were honored with new fees and Palaces of Bi|ſhops, where before
they kepte their reſidence at Sellewey, Kirton, Welles, Shireborne,
Dorche|ſter and Liechfielde.Woolſtan.
Compare 1587 edition:
1
2 At this Counſell alſo
Woolſtan Biſhoppe of Worceter was preſent, whom Lanfrank would haue depriued
for his inſufficiencie of learnyng, as he coulourably pretended, but indeede
to plea|ſure the Kyng, who woulde fayne haue placed a Norman in hys roome:
but (as they ſay) o mi|racle whiche hee preſently wroughte, in cauſing his
croſier ſtaffe to ſticke faſt in the Tombe of holy Sainte Edwarde (to whome
he proteſted and ſayde hee woulde reſigne it, for that hee ob|teyned the
ſame by hys gifte) hee dyd putte EEBO page image 310 the King and the
Archbiſhop into ſuche a feare, that they ſuffered him ſtill to enioy his
Biſhop|rick without any further vexation. Theſe things with other, touching
a reformatiõ in the Church and Cleargie, being handled in this Counſell, it
was ſoone after diſſolued.
An. Reg. 13.
1079
In the yeare following, King William led a mighty army into Wales,
and ſubdued that countrey to himſelfe, receyuing of the Rulers and Princes
there their homages,Mat. Paris. Math. VVeſt. at
the handes of faithfull hoſtages. Aboute the ſame time, Robert the Kyngs eldeſt ſon, a right worthy perſonage, but yet
as one of nature ſome|what vnſtable, beeing pricked forward, and ſup|ported
by the Frẽch K. entred into Normãdy as a Rebell to his father, and by
force tooke dyuerſe places into his hands. This was done I ſaye by the
practiſe of Philip the Frenche Kyng, who nowe began to doubt of the greate
puiſſaunce of King William, as foreſeing how much it might preiudice him,
and the whole Realme of Fraunce in time to
come.The French King ſetteth the ſonne a|gainſt the
fa|ther. And therefore to ſtop the courſe of his proſperous
ſucceſſe, he deuiſed a meane to ſet the ſonne againſt the father. True it
is, that King William had promiſed long afore, to re|ſigne the gouernemente
of Normandy, vnto the ſayd Robert his ſonne. Wherevpon, the yong man, being
himſelfe of an ambitious nature, and now pricked forward by the ſiniſter
aduice of the French, ſeeketh to obteyne that by violence whi|che he thought
would be very long ere he ſhoulde atteyne by curteſie. King William heereof
ad|uertiſed, was not a little mooued againſte hys diſobediente ſonne, and
curſed both hym,Sim. Dunel. Mat. Paris. and the
tyme that euer he begate him. Finally, reyſing an army, he marched towards
him, ſo that they met in the field. Aſſoone as the one came in ſight of ye
other, they buckle togither at a place called Ar|chenbray, and whileſt the
battayle was at the whotteſt, and that the footemen were moſt buſi|ed in the
fighte, Roberte appoynted a power of Horſemẽ to breake in vpon the
hindermoſt ward of his aduerſaries, and hee himſelfe following af|ter with
all his mighte, chanced among other to cope with his owne father, ſo that
thruſting him
[figure appears here on page 310] through the arme with his
launce, he bare hym beſide his Horſe,The ſonne
o|uerthroweth the father. and ouerthrew hym to ye groũd. The
Kyng being falne, called to his menne to re|mount him againe. Roberte
vnderſtoode, and by his voyce perceyued how he had borne downe his father,
wherfore he ſpedily alighted, and toke him vp, aſking him for that fact
forgiueneſſe, and ſet|ting him vp on his owne Horſe, he broughte him out of
the preaſe, and ſuffered him to departe in
ſafetie. King William being thus eſcaped out of that preſent daunger,Simon Dun. and perceyuing himſelf not able to reſiſt
the puiſſance of his aduerſaries, lefte the fielde to his ſonne, hauing loſt
many of hys men that were ſlayne in the battell and chaſe, be|ſides a great
number that were hurte and woun|ded, among whome, his ſecond ſonne William
ſurnamed Rufus or the red,Mat. Paris. was one, and
there|fore (as ſome write) hee curſed righte bitterly hys ſonne Robert, by
whome hee had ſuſteyned ſuche iniurie, loſſe, and diſhonor. Howbeit, other
write, that for the curteſie whiche his ſonne ſhewed in releeuing hym and
helping him out of daunger when he was by him caſt down beſide his Horſe,
hee was mooued with ſuch a fatherly affection,The father
and the ſonne are made friendes. that preſently after they were
made friends, the father remitting to his ſonne all his former offen|ces,
and therevppon, founde him euer after more tractable and obedient, than
before he had done.
Compare 1587 edition:
1 After this battell,
An. Reg. 14.
1080
Kyng William being thus accorded with his ſonne, hee returned with
him into Englande, and immediately the King ſente hym agaynſte Malcolme Kyng
of Scotlande, who hauing broken the truce in time of the trou|ble betwixte
Kyng William and his ſonne, had EEBO page image 311 done much hurt by forrayes
made vpõ the Eng|liſh bor [...]es,Sim. Dunel. waſting all Northumberland
[...] to the Riuer of Tyne. Howbeit, when hee hearde that Roberte the King
of Englandes ſonne ap|proched with his army towards hym, hee with|drewe hym
agayne into Scotland. Robert Cur|th [...]e then lodged with his army vpon the bankes of the Riuer of Tyne,
where hee began the foun|dation of a Caſtell,The
founda|tion of newe Caſtell vpon Tine, which before that ſeaſon was
called Mon|caſter. whereof the Towne of New Caſtell did after take
both beginning and name, for before this
ſeaſon it was called Mon|caſter.
Compare 1587 edition:
1 About the ſame time, Odo
ye Biſhop of Bay|eux was ſent into Northumberlande to reuenge the death of
Walcher Biſhop of Durham, whom lately before the people of Northumberlande
had ſlayne in a tumult by them reyſed. The occaſion of his death grewe by
the deathe of one Liulfus, a noble man of thoſe parties,Simon Dun. and highly beloued of the people, bycauſe hee was
deſcended of no|ble parentage, and had
married the Lady Al|githa, that was daughter vnto Earle Ale [...]d, and ſiſter to Alfleda, the mother of Earle Walteif.
Compare 1587 edition:
1 This Liulfus beeing a man
of great poſſeſſi|ons through England, nowe that the Normans ruled in all
places, was quietly withdrawen vnto Durham, and growen into ſuch
familiaritie and credit with the Biſhoppe there, that touching the order of
temporall matters, he would do nothing
without his aduice. Hereof one Leofwin the Bi|ſhops Chaplayne conceyued
ſuche enuie chiefly for that he was not ſo often called to counſell as
before, that finally he procured by his malicious meanes one Gilbert (to
whome the Biſhop had committed the rule of the Earledome) to mur|ther the
foreſayde Liulfus one night in his man|ſion houſe or manor place, wherein he
remayned not farre from Durham: wherevpon, the Biſhop hauing vnderſtanding
of the thyng, and knowing that the matter
would be greeuouſly taken of the people, ſente out letters and meſſengers
into the countrey, offering to purge himſelf of the ſlaugh|ter of this
manne, according to the order of the Canon lawes.
Compare 1587 edition:
1 He alſo alledged, that
hee hadde baniſhed Gil|bert and other (that had committed the murther) out
of Northumberlande, which hee dyd not, and therevppon kindled the malice of
the people a|gainſt hym: for when it was knowen that he had receyued the murtherres into his houſe, and had
them in lyke fauoure as before, they ſtomaked the matter highly, and
heerevpon, when by the trauel of thoſe that wente too and fro betwixte the
Bi|ſhop and the kinneſfolkes of Liulfe, a daye was appoynted, on the which
the Biſhop ſhould come to a farther communication with them at Gates
head.
Compare 1587 edition:
1 He repaired thyther
according to his promiſe but refuſing to talke with them abrode, hee kepte
himſelfe ſtill within the Church, and ſente foorth ſuch of hys counſell as
ſhoulde commune with them: but when the people that were there gathe|red in
greate numbers, had ſignified in playne wordes howe that hee ſhould eyther
come foorthe and ſhewe hymſelfe amongſt them, or elſe that they woulde fyre
the place where he [...]te: he cau|ſed fyrſte Gilbert to goe foorthe vnto them, whome they
ſlewe, togyther with thoſe that came out of the Churche to defende him, and
when the peoples furie was not ſo quenched, the Biſhop himſelfe caſting the
ſkirtes of his gowne ouer his face, came likewiſe foorthe, and was
in|continently murthered amongſt them. After this, they ſet fyre on the
Churche, bycauſe the
[figure appears here on page 311] Byſhops Chapleyne
Leofwine and other, were yet within, and refuſed to come foorthe: but in the
ende, beeing compelled by the rage of fire to come out, the ſayde Leofwine
was alſo ſlayne and cut in peeces as he had well deſerued, beeyng the chiefe
procurer of all the miſchiefe.
Compare 1587 edition:
1 Thus may wee ſee what
followed of the neg|lecting of iuſtice, in the Byſhoppe: for if he hadde
eyther baniſhed Gilbert and other hys compli|ces in the murther accordingly
as hee pretended to doe, or otherwiſe, haue ſeene due puniſhmente executed
agaynſte them, the peoples rage had ne|uer proceeded ſo farre as it dyd, for
they coulde not perſwade themſelues to thynke, but that the Biſhoppe was
giltie and priuie to Liulfes death, ſith he hadde receyued the murtherers
into hys houſe the ſame nyghte in whiche the facte was done, and kepte them
ſtill about hym, whyche hys [...]earing with them, coſt hym hys owne lyfe (as before yee haue hearde,)
whereby it appeareth, that it is not inough for a go|uernoure to bee cleere
from the knowledge of euill before the fact [...], and at the tyme EEBO page image 312 in which it is done by
others, if hee ſee not them that do it duly puniſhed for their offences:
bycauſe that when iuſtice is ſuppreſſed, and hathe not hir due courſe, thoſe
that ſuſteine iniurie, are euer de|ſirous of reuenge, beeing ready to
attempte it by vnlawfull meanes of themſelues in priuate ſorte, when through
lacke of ordinarie courſe of lawes they are debarred from it. But nowe to
the pur|poſe of the Hiſtorie.
Compare 1587 edition:
1 When Biſhoppe Odo was
come into thoſe partice to reuenge the
Biſhops death with an ar|my as we haue ſayde, hee ſore afflicted the
coun|trey by ſpoyling it on euery ſide, with great cruel|tie. Heere yee
ſhall vnderſtand, that King Wil|liam placed, and eftſoones remoued dyuers
Ru|lers ouer the Northumbers, for firſte hee appoin|ted one Copſius to haue
the rule of that coun|trey in place of Markar that before had helde the
ſame.Sim. Dunel.
Compare 1587 edition:
1 This Copſie expulſed
Oſulfe the ſonne of Earle Edulfe that was
brother to Earle Aldred, whiche Oſulfe was ſubſtitute vnto the Earles Edwyne
and Morkar, who although hee was dryuen out of hys gouernamente by Copſi,
yet recouering his forces againe, hee ſlewe the ſame Copſie as hee entred
into the Churche of Newburne, but within a fewe monethes after, the ſame
Oſulfe as hee ranne with hys Horſe a|gainſte a Theefe, hee was thruſt
through the body with a Speare, whyche the Theefe helde in his hande, and ſo dyed. Then Goſpatrike that was ſonne
to Aldgitha the daughter of V|thred ſometyme Earle of Northumberland [...], was aſſigned by Kyng William the Conque|rour, to haue the
gouernemente there. Hys mo|ther Aldgitha was daughter to Vthred ſome|tyme
Earle of Northumberlande begote vpon Elfgina the daughter of Kyng
Egelred.
Compare 1587 edition:
1 Some write, that
Goſpatricke purchaſed the Earledome of Kyng William, and ſo helde it
for a tyme, till the ſame Kyng tooke it
from him agayne, and then gaue it vnto Earle Walteife or Waldeue, and then
nexte after hym, the fore|ſayde Biſhoppe of Durham Walcher hadde the whole
adminiſtration committed to hym, but after hys deceſſe (hee beeyng ſlayne as
yee haue hearde,) one Albericke ruled that countrey, and laſtly, Roberte
Mulbray a ryghte noble perſo|nage (and for hys wiſedome and valiauncie,
highly renowmed with all men,) was created
Earle of Northumberlande, and gouerned the people of thoſe parties in ſuche
politique and wiſe order,
The founda|tion of Vni|uerſitie col|ledge in Ox|forde.
An. Reg. 15.
1081
that during hys tyme, it is hard to ſay, whether hys quietneſſe, or
the obediẽce of hys people was lykely to be the greater.
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1
2 In like manner, after the
foreſayde Walcher, one William was created Biſhop of Durham, who was the
originall founder of the Vniuerſitie Colledge in Oxford, and by whoſe
aſiſtance, the Monkes gaping both for riches, eaſe, and poſſeſ|ſions, founde
the meanes to diſplace the ſecular Prieſtes of the Colledge of Durham,
An. Reg. 16.
1082
that they mighte get into theyr roomes as they did indeede ſoone
after, to thi [...]e greate lucre and aduantage. But to returne againe to the courſe of
the hiſto|rie. Shortly after the reuenge of the deathe of Walcher the Biſhop
of Durham, the forenamed Biſhop Odo the Kyngs brother was ſuſpected of ſome
vntroth and ſiniſter dealing, and there|vpon was ſent as a baniſhed man into
Normã|dy, or rather as other write, committed to priſon,
An. Reg. 17.
1083
where hee remayned not as a Clearke, but as a Baron of the Realme,
for he was both Biſhoppe and Earle of Kente. The Kyng hauyng at length
obteyned ſome reſt from warres, dothe practiſe by ſundry meanes howe to
enriche hys coffers, and therefore hee rayſed a tribute tho|rough out all
the Kyngdome, for the better le|uying whereof, hee appoynted all the
ſubiectes of hys Realme to be numbred, alſo all the Cities and Townes,
Villages, and Hamlets, Abbeys, Monaſteries, & Priories to bee
regiſtred. More|ouer, hee cauſed a certificate to be made of euery mannes
ſubſtaunce, and what hee myghte diſ|pende by yeare, and cauſed theyr names
to bee written whyche helde Knyghtes fees, and were bounde thereby to ſerue
hym in the warres. Like|wiſe hee tooke the tale of euery yoke of Oxen, and
what number of plough landes, and how many bondmen were within the Realme,
whereby the certificate thereof beeyng once made, and broughte vnto him, hee
came to full vnderſtan|dyng what wealthe yet remayned among the
Engliſhmenne, and therefore hee rayſed hys tribute ſo muche the more,Plow lande. taking ſixe Shillings for euery hyde of
land through out his Realme, whyche amounted to an ineſtimable ſumme when it
was all broughte togither into his Ex|chequer.
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1 Heere note by the
way,
Geruaſius Tilberenſis.
The true de|finition of a hide of lande.
that an hyde of lande includeth an hundred acres, and an acre
contey|neth fortie perches in length, and foure in bredth, the length of a
pearch conteyning ſixteene foote and an halfe, ſo that the common acre
ſhoulde conteyne .240. perches, and eyght hydes or .800. acres is a Knyghts
fee, after the beſt approoued Writers and playne demonſtration.
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1
2 Thoſe are therefore
deceyued, that take an hyde of lande to conteine twentie acres, as Wil|liam
Lambert hath well noted in his treatiſe, de priſcis Anglorum
legibus, where hee expoundeth the meaning of the olde Saxon tearmes
pertey|ning to the lawes but to proceede, and come a|little after temporals
dealing to ſome of the ſpiri|tuall affayres. It hapned about the ſame time,
yt K. Williã had finiſhed ye rating of his ſubiects, EEBO page image 313 that the [...] r [...]ſe a ſtrife betwixt Thurſtan Abbot of Glaſtenburie a Norman and the
Monkes of that houſe:
Regni. 18.
1084
VVil. Mal. Simon Dun.
Thurſtan Ab|bot of Gla|ſtenburie. William of Feſtampe.
[...] thereof was for that the Abbot woulde haue compelled them to haue
left the plaine ſong or note for the ſeruice which Pope Gregorie had ſet
forth, and to haue vſed an other kinde of [...] deuiſed by [...] William of Fe|ſcampe [...] this the ſayd [...] Abbot ſpent, and waſted the goodes that belonged to the houſe in
ryot, lecherie, and by ſuch other inſolent meanes (withdrawing alſo from the Monkes their olde [...] for the which they firſt fell at [...] wordes, and afterwarde to plaine fighting.
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1
Hen. Hunt. VVil. Malm. hath two ſlaine and .xiiii.
hurt.The Abbot got armed men aboute him, and falling vpon the Monkes,
he ſlue three of them at the high Aultar, and wounded .xviij. And yet the
Monkes for their partes played the pretie [...], with Formes and Candleſticks defending them|ſelues aswell as they
might, ſo that they ha [...] di|uerſe of the Abbottes ſide,Mat. VVeſt. and droue them oute of the Quiere.
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1 In the ende the complaint
hereof was brought before the king, by whoſe iudgement the matter was ſo
ordered, that Thurſtan loſt his roome, & returned againe vnto Cane
in Normandie from whence he came, and the Monkes were ſpredde abroade in a
diuerſe houſes of Religion through the Realme, Glaſtenburie being
repleniſhed with more quiet perſons, and ſuche as were ſuppoſed readier to pray than quarel as the other did: yet
is it ſayde, that in the time of William Rufus this Thurſton obteyned the
rule of that Abbay againe for a portion of money, amounting to the ſumme of
fiue hundred pounde.
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1 There be alſo which
write, that the numbring of men and of the places,Sim.
Dunel. Hen. Marle. Math. Paris. the valuation of their goodes and
ſubſtance, as well in cattell as in rea|die monie, was not taken till about
the .xix. yeare of this kings raigne (although the ſubſedie afore mentioned was gathered aboute two yeares be|fore
of euery hide of lande as aboue ye haue heard) and that the certificate
hereof being enrolled,Hen Marle. An. reg. 19.
Simon Dun. was put into the kings treaſure at Wincheſter, in the
xix. yeare of his raigne, and not in the .xvj. But in what yeare ſoeuer it
was leuied, and howſoe|uer the writers diſagree in their Hiſtories, certain
it is, that rayſed it was, to the great griefe and impoueriſhment of the
people, who ſore lamen|ted their miſerable eſtate whereinto they were
brought and thralled,Polidor. Mat. Par. ſo that they hated the Nor|mans in their
hearts with deadly malice. How|beit the more they ſpake and ſeemed to grudge
a|gaynſt ſuch ſore tolles and tallages, cruell cu|ſtomes, and other
oppreſſions, as were dayly de|uiſed to their vndoing, the more they were
bur|thened, after the maner of the bondage which the children of Iſraell
ſometime ſuffered in Egypt, for on the other ſide,The
Conque|ror ſeeketh to keepe the Eng|liſh men low. the Normans with
theyr king perceyuing the hatred whiche the Engliſhe men bare towards them,
were ſore offended in theyr myndes, and therefore ſought by all maner of
wayes how to kepe them vnder. Such as were called Iuſtices, were enimies to
all iuſtice, wher|vpon greeter burdens dayly grewe towardes the Engliſh
Nation,Polidor. inſomuche that after they had
bene robbed & ſpoyled of their goodes vnder pre|tence of Iuſtice,
they were alſo debarred of theyr cuſtomed ſportes and paſtimes: for where
naturally (as they doe vnto this daye) they tooke their great pleaſure in
hunting Deere, both redde and fallow, in the Wooddes and Forreſts about
without reſtraint,The Forreſtes ſeaſed into the kings
handes. king William ſeaſing the moſt part of the ſame Forreſtes
into his owne handes; did ſet a puniſhment to bee executed agaynſt all thoſe
that ſhould kil any of the ſame Deere,Mat. Par.
which was to haue their eyes put out. And to bring the greater number of
menne in daunger of thoſe his penall lawes, (a peſtilent pollicie of a
ſpitefull minde, and [...]auouring altogither of his Frenche ſlauerie) hee deuiſed meanes howe
to breed, nou|riſh and increaſe the multitude of Deere, and alſo to make
rowmth for thẽ in that part of the realm whiche lyeth betwixte Saliſburie
and the Sea Southward: he pulled downe townes, villages, and Churches, with
all other buyldings for the ſpace of .xxx. myles, to make thereof a Forreſt,
which vnto this day is called the newe Forreſt,New
Forreſt. the people as then ſore bew [...]ling their fortune, and greatly lamenting that they muſt thus leaue
houſe and home, with lande and all vnto the vſe of ſauage beaſtes, which
crueltie, not onely mor|tall men liuing here on earth, but alſo the earth it
ſelfe might ſeeme to deteſt,
Mat. Par.
An earth|quake.
as by a wonderfull ſignification it ſeemed to declare, by the
ſhaking and roaring of the ſame, which chaunced about the .xiiij. yeare of
his raigne, (as wryters haue recorded.)
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1 There be that ſuppoſe how
the King made that part of the realme waſt and barraine vpon a
pollicie,Polidor. to the intent that if his
chaunce were to be expulſed by ciuill warres, and compelled to leaue the
lande, there ſhoulde be no inhabiters in that part of the lande to reſiſt
his arriuall vppon his new returne. But whatſoeuer cauſe moued him thereto,
it was a wicked and right heynous act, ſo to decay the increaſe of mankinde,
& to re|pleniſhe the Countrey with brute and ſauage beaſtes.
Compare 1587 edition:
1 But to go forth with our
purpoſe.
Simon Dun.
1085
A rumor ſpred of the cõming of the Danes.
About the ſame time, a rumor was ſpred in England that Sueyn king of
Denmarke ment to inuade Eng|lande with a puiſſant armie, and the aſſiſtance
of the Earle of Flaunders, whoſe daughter hee had maried, wherevpon king
William being then in Normandie, reteyned a great [...] Fr [...]nche EEBO page image 314 ſouldiers, both Archers and footemen,
which togi|ther with a number of his owne people the Nor|mans he brought
ouer into England in the Har|ueſt ſeaſon, and meaning vtterly to diſburthen
himſelfe of the charge of theyr keeping, he cauſed prouiſion to be made for
their finding and pay|ment of wages, by the Lordes and Peeres of the realme,
and alſo by the Sherifs of the ſhires, and other his officers.
Anno. 20. Howbeit when he vnderſtoode that the Danes had
chaunged their purpoſe, and woulde not
keepe on their iourney, he diſcharged part of his forces, and ſent them home
againe, ke|ping notwithſtanding the reſidue all the Winter with him here in
England, readie of purpoſe for his defence if any rebelliõ or other
neceſſitie ſhuld befal, wherin their ſeruice might ſtãd him in ſteed.
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1
1086
Mat. VVeſt.
1084
An othe taken to be true to the king.
The ſame yeare, he helde his Chriſtmaſſe at Glouceſter, and made his
ſonne Henrie knight at Weſtminſter in the Whitſonweeke enſuing, ſhortly
after calling togither as well the Lordes
ſpirituall as temporall, hee cauſed them all to ſweare to be true to him,
and to his heyres after him in the poſſeſſion of this kingdome.
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1
Great ſickneſſe reigning.About which ſeaſon, the
people euerie where began to be miſerably vexed with ſickneſſe, name|ly wyth
burning feuers, which ſlue and brought many to their ende. A death alſo and
murraine came amongſt their cattell,
Murraine of cattaile.
Math. VVeſt.
ſo that a wonderfull number died of all ſortes. And at the ſame tyme
(whiche is more maruellous) tame foules, as Hennes, Geeſe, and Peacocks, withdrawing thẽ|ſelues from the owners
houſes, fled to the woods and became wilde. No leſſe hurt was done in many
partes of this realme by fire, and ſpecially in the citie of London, where
vpon the .vij. day of Iuly a ſodain flame began, which burnt ye church of
S. Paule,Simon Dun. with a great part of the Citie
downe to the very ground.
Compare 1587 edition:
1 After that king William
had taken the othe of obedience of all his Lordes,Ran.
Higd. Sim. Dun. Edgar Etheling who was reconciled vnto his fauour
as you haue heard, obteyning licence of him to bee out of the realme for a
certaine ſeaſon, ſayled into Puglia with two hundred ſouldiers but of his
acts there and returne againe into Englande I finde ſmall reherſall, and
therfore I paſſe ouer to ſpeake any more of him,An. reg.
21.
con [...]ecting any ſtile to king Willi|am, who hauing now brought the
Engliſhmẽ ſo lowe and bare, that little more was to be got out of their
hands, went once againe ouer into Nor|mandie with an huge Maſſe of money,
and there ſoone after chaunced to fall ſicke, ſo that he was conſtrayned to
keepe his bed longer than hee had bene accuſtomed to do, wherat Philip the
French king in leaſ [...]ing maner ſayde, howe king Willi|am his couſin did nowe lie in
childbed (alluding partly to his great fat belly,VVil.
Mal Mat. Par. bycauſe he was very corpulent) and withall added, Oh
what a number of Candles muſt I prouide to offer vp at his go|ing to Church,
certenly I thinke that .100000. will not ſuffice. &c. which talke ſo
moued the king when it came to his care, that hee made this an|ſwere: well,
I truſt when I ſhal be churched, that our couſin ſhall bee at no ſuche
coſt,VVil. Malm. Ran. Higd. but I will helpe to
finde him a thouſande Candelles my ſelfe, and light them vp to ſome of their
paynes, if God doe graunt mee life: and this promiſe hee bound with an othe,
which in deed he performed: for in the Moneth of Iuly enſuing, when their
corne, fruit, and grapes were moſt floriſhing,He inuadeth
Fraunce. and readie to come to proufe, he entred France with a
great army, & ſet on fire many of their Cities and townes in the
weſtſide of that Countrey, & laſtly came to the citie of Maunt,
Gemeticenſis. The Citie of Maunt burnt by K. William
Mat. VVeſt.
which he bunrt with the Church of our Ladie, and therein an Ankreſſe
encloſed in the wall thereof, as an holy recluſe, for the force of the fire
was ſuche as all wente to wrecke.
[figure appears here on page 314]
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1
EEBO page image 315Howbeit in this heate, king William tooke ſuch a ſickneſſe
(which was not diminiſhed by the fall of an horſe as he rode to and
fro,Math. Paris. bycauſe hee was not able to
trauaile on foote aboute his Pa|lace by reaſon of his diſeaſe) that coſt him
hys life in the ende,
King William departed this life.
Simon Dun. Mat. VVest.
The .lix. of his age hath VVil. Mal.
ſo that when he had ordeyned his laſt will, and taken order for the
ſtay of things after his deceaſe, hee departed this life on the .ix. day of
September, in the yeare after the byrth of our Sauiour .1087. and .lxxiiij.
(as Polidor ſaith) of his age, hauing
gouerned Normandie aboute lj. yeares, and reigned ouer Englande .xx. yeares,
tenne monethes, and .xxviij. dayes (as all the writers doe report.)
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1 Not long before his
death, he releaſed alſo out of priſon his brother Odo the biſhop of
Bayeux,He ſet all pri|ſoners at liber|tie ſayth
VVil. Malm.
Marchar Earle of Northumberland, and Wil|notus the ſonne of king
Harolde, or (as ſome ſay) his brother.
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1
Polidor.Moreouer he repented him (as ſome ſay)
when he lay on his death bed, for his
cruell dealing with the Engliſh men, conſidering that by them he had
atteyned to ſuch honour and dignitie, as to weare the crowne and ſcepter of
a kingdome: but whe|ther he did ſo or not, or that ſome Monke deuiſed the
excuſe in fauor of the Prince: Surely he was a famous knight, and though his
time was trou|bleſome, yet hee was right fortunate in all his attempts.
Againe if a man ſhall conſider howe that in a ſtraunge realme he coulde make
ſuche a conqueſt, and ſo perfitely and
ſpeedily eſtabliſh the ſame to his heyres, with newe lawes, orders, and
conſtitutions (whiche as appeare are moſte like euer to endure) he woulde
thinke it a thing al|togither voyde of credite. Yet ſo it was, and ſo
ho|nourable were his doings, and notable in ſight of the worlde here, that
thoſe kings which haue ſuc|ceeded ſithence his death, beginne their account
at him, as from one that had by his prudence re|nued the ſtate of the
realme, and inſtituted an o|ther forme of
regiment, in atchieuing whereof he did not ſo much pretende a rightfull
chalenge by the graunt of his coſin king Edwarde the Con|feſſor, as by the
law of armes, and plaine con|queſt, than the which as he ſuppoſed, there
coulde be no better tytle.
Compare 1587 edition:
1 Herevpon alſo thoſe that
haue ſithence ſuccee|ded him, vſe the ſame armes as peculiar to the crowne
of Englande, which he vſed in his time, that is to witte,He bare but two Lions or rather Leo|pards as ſome thinke. three
Lions paſſant golde in a fielde gewles (as
Polidor writeth) the three floure Delices were ſince that time annexed
thereto by Edward the third, by reaſon of his clayme to the crowne of
Fraunce, whereof hereafter yee ſhall heare more.
Compare 1587 edition:
1
Polidor.There be alſo that write, how the
inconſtancie of the Engliſh people by their oft rebellions occa|ſioned the
king to be ſo heauie Lorde and maſter vnto them. Where he of his naturall
diſpoſition was rather gentle and curteous than ſharpe and cruell, diuerſe
mẽ might be perſwaded ſo to thinke of him in deed, if he had ceaſſed frõ
his rough go|uerning yet in the ende: but ſithence he continued his rigor
euen to his laſt days, we may rather be|leeue that although happily from his
childhoode he ſhewed ſome tokens of clemencie, bountie, and liberalitie, yet
by following the warres and prac|tiſing to raigne with ſterneneſſe, he
became ſo in|vred therewith, that thoſe peaceable vertues were quite altered
in him, & in maner clearly extinct: in whoſe place cruel rigor,
auaritious couetouſneſſe, and vnmercifull ſeueritie, caught roote and were
planted. Yet is he renoumed to haue reteyned ſtill a certaine ſtouteneſſe of
courage and ſkil in feates of warre, which good happe euer followed.
More|ouer he was free from lecherous luſtes, and with|out ſuſpition of
bodily vices, quicke and ſubtile of wit, deſirous of honor, and coulde very
well ſu|ſteyne trauail, watching, colde, and heate, though he were tall of
ſtature, and very groſſe of bodie.
Compare 1587 edition:
1
2
3 In like maner toward the
ende of his dayes he began to waxe verie deuout, and ſomewhat to bend toward
the aduauncing of the preſent eſtate of the church, inſomuch that he builded
three Ab|bayes in ſeuerall places, endowing them with fayre lands and large
poſſeſſions, as two in Eng|land, one at the place where hee vanquiſhed King
Harolde, fiue miles diſtant from Haſtings, which he named Battaile, of the
field there foughten: the other at Celby in Yorkſhire: & ye third
in Normã|die at Caen, where alſo wife Queene his Mawd had buylded a
Nunnerie, which Mawde died in in the yeare .1084. before the king hir
huſband. Af|ter his death, his bodie was buried in Caen, in S. Stephens
church, but before it could be commit|ted to the grounde,They gaue him an hun|dred pounde ſayth Hen. Marle.
the executors were conſtray|ned to agree with a certaine man that
claymed to be Lord of the ſoyle where the Church ſtoode, and which (as he
ſayd) the king in his life time had in|iuriouſly taken from him, and gaue
him a greate ſumme of money to releaſe his title: wherby you may cõſider
the great miſerie of mans eſtate, and how that ſo mightie a Prince as the
Conquerour was, coulde not haue ſo much grounde after hys death as to couer
his dead corps, without doing iniurie to an other: which may be a noble
leſſon for all other men, and namely for Princes, noble men and gentlemen,
who oftentimes to enlarge their owne commodities, doe not regarde what wrong
to the inferior ſort they offer.
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1 Furthermore, King William
had iſſue by Mawde his wife, the daughter of Baldwin Erle of Flaunders,
foure ſonnes, Robert ſurnamed Curthoſe (vnto whom he bequeathed the duchie
of Normandie) Richard died yong, William ſur|named Rufus (to whom he gaue by
his teſtament EEBO page image 332 the realme of Englande) and Henrie
ſurnamed Beauclerk, for his cunning and perfit knowledge in learning, vnto
whom he bequethed all his trea|ſure and moueable goods, with the poſſeſſions
that belonged to his mother.Hen. Marle. Beſides
theſe four ſonnes he had alſo by his wife fiue daughters, Cecillie, which
became a Nunne: Conſtance, maried to Alane duke of Britaine: Adela, giuen in
mariage to Stephen Earle of Bloys: (of whom that Ste|phen was borne which
raigned after Henrie the firſt) Adeliza,
promiſed in mariage to Harold K. of England (as before ye haue heard) but
ſhe died before ſhe was maried either to him, or to any o|ther, and ſo
likewiſe did the fift, whoſe name I cannot reherſe.
Compare 1587 edition:
1 Among other grieuances
which the Engliſhe men ſuſteyned by the hard dealing of the Cõque|rour,
this is alſo to be remembred, that he brought the Iewes into this land frõ
Rouen and appoin|ted them place here to inhabite.
Compare 1587 edition:
1
2 But now to conclude,
though king William helde the Engliſh ſo vnder foote, that in his dayes
almoſt no Engliſh man bare any office of honor or rule in his time,Iohn Rous. yet he ſomewhat fauoured the Citie of
London, and at the earneſt ſute of Wil|liam a Norman, then Biſhop there, he
graunted vnto the Citizẽs the firſt Charter, which is writ|ten in the Saxon
tongue, ſealed with green wax, and expreſſed in .viij. or .ix. lines at the
moſt. But howſoeuer he vſed the reſt of the Engliſhmẽ,Math. Paris. Hen. Hunt. this is
recorded of ſome writers, that by his rigorous proceedings agaynſt thẽ, he
brought to paſſe that the Countrey was ſo rid of theeues and robbers, that
at length a mayd might haue paſſed through the land with a bag ful of golde,
and not haue met with any miſdoer to haue bereft hir of the ſame, which was
a thing right ſtraunge to conſider, ſith that in the beginning of his reigne
there was ſuch great companies of Outlawes and robbers, that vneth were men
warranted within their owne houſes, though
the ſame were neuer ſo ſtrong and well prouided of defence.
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Iohn Rous. Hen Marle.Among many other lawes alſo
made by him, this one is to be remembred, that ſuche as forced any woman,
ſhould loſe their genitals.
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1 In this William the
Conquerors dayes liued Oſmond the ſeconde Biſhop of Saliſburie, who compiled
the Church ſeruice,Salisburie vſe. which in times
paſt they commonly called after Saliſburie vſe.
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Shooting.The vſe of the long Bow (as Iohn Rous
teſti|fieth) came firſt into Englande with
this king William the Conquerour, for the Engliſh men before that time vſed
to fight cõmonly with axes and ſuch hand weapons, and therfore in the
orati|on made by the Conqueror before he gaue battail to king Harolde, the
better to encourage his men, he tolde them they ſhould encounter with
enimies that wanted ſhotte.
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1 In the yeare of our Lorde
.1542. Monſeur de Caſtres Biſhop of Baieulx, and Abbot of Saint Eſtiennie in
Caen, cauſed the Sepulchre of this noble prince William the Conqueror to be
ope|ned, within the which his body was found whole, fayre and perfite, of
limmes large and big, of ſta|ture and perſonage longer than the common ſort
of men of our age by two foot: within the ſame ſe|pulchre or tombe, was
found a copper plate, fayre gylt, conteyning this Epitaph.
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Qui rexit rigidos Northmannos, at Britannos
Audacter vicit, fortiter obtinuit,
Et Coenomenſes virtute contundit enſes,
Imperij ſui legibus applicuit:
Rex magnus parua iacet hac Guilhelmus in vrna:
Sufficit & magno parua domus domino,
Ter ſeptem gradibus, ſe voluerat at duobus,
Virginis in gremio Phoebus, & hic obijt.
In Engliſh thus.
H.F
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Who ouer Normãs rough did rule, & ouer Britõs bolde
Did cõqueſt ſtoutly win, & conqueſt won did ſtrongly holde:
Who by his valure great the fatall vprores calmde in Mayne,
And to obey his power and lawes, the Manceaux did conſtrayne:
This mightie king within this little vault entombed lyes,
So great a Lorde ſomtime, ſo ſmall a rowmth doth now ſuffiſe.
When three times ſeuen and two by iuſt degrees the Sun had tooke
His wonted courſe in Virgos lap, then he the worlde forſooke.
Here to fill vp this
page, I haue thought good to ſet downe the Charter which this king Wil. the
Conqueror graunted vnto the Citie of Lon|don, at the ſpecial ſute of William
then Biſhop of the ſame Citie, aſwel for the briefneſſe thereof (&
yet conteyning matter ſufficient in thoſe dayes to warrant his meaning) as
alſo for the ſtrange|neſſe of the Engliſh then in vſe.
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VVilliem Kyng grets VVilliem Biſceop & God|fred
Porterefan,
The charter of K. William the firſt.
1067
& ealle ya Burghwarn binnen Lõdon frenciſce,
& Engliſce frendlice, & Ic kiden eoy, yeet Ic wille
that git ben ealra weera lagay|weord, ye get weeran on Eadwerds daege
kings, and Ic will yeet aelc child by his fader yrfnume, aefter his
faders daege. And Ic nellege wolian, yeet aenig man eoy aenis wrang
beode. God eoy heald.
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VVilhelmus rex ſalutat VVilhelmum Epiſcopum, & Goffridũ
Portegrefiũ & omnẽ Burghware in|fra London Franſ. &
Angl. amicabiliter. Et vobis notũ facio, quòd ego volo, quòd vos
ſitis omni lege illa digni quae fuistis Edwardi diebus regis. Et volo
quòd omnis puer ſit patris ſui haeres post diem patris ſui. Et ego
nolo pati quod aliquis homo aliquam in|iuriam vobis inferat. Deus vos
ſaluet.
