Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 Thus were the Englishmen generallie in danger to lose life, lands and goods, without knowledge, or orderlie proceeding in iudgement, so that no greater miserie in the earth could be imagined, than that whereinto our nation was now fallen. He tooke from the townes and cities,Priuileges and fréedoms reuoked. from the bishops sées and abbeies all their ancient priuileges and freedoms, to the end they should not onelie be cut short and made weaker, but also that they (for the obteinment of their quietnesse) might redeeme the same of him for such summes of monie as pleased him to exact. Among other things, he ordeined that in time of warre they should aide him with armor, Matth. Paris horsse and monie, according to that order which he should then prescribe: all which he caused to be registred, inrol|led, and laid vp in his treasurie. But diuerse of the spirituall persons would not obey this ordinance, whom he banished without remorse.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 Stigand. Alexander bishop of Lin|colne.About this time the archbishop Stigand, and A|lexander bishop of Lincolne fled to Scotland, where they kept themselues close for a season. But the king still continued in his hard procéeding against the Englishmen, insomuch that now protesting how he came to the gouernance of the realme only by plaine conquest, Polydor. The hard de|ling of K. Wil|liam against the English|men. he seized into his hands most part of eue|rie mans possessions, causing them to redeeme the same at his hands againe, and yet reteined a proper|tie in the most part of them; so that those that should afterwards enioy them, should acknowledge them|selues to hold them of him, in yéelding a yéerlie rent to him and his successors for euer, with certeine o|ther prouisions, whereby in cases of forfeiture the same lands should returne to him, and his said suc|cessors againe. The like order he appointed to be v|sed by other possessors of lands, in letting them forth to their tenants. He ordeined also, that the Termes should be kept foure times in the yéere,The instituti|on of the foure Termes. in such pla|ces as he should nominate, and that the iudges shuld sit in their seuerall places to iudge and decide causes and matters in controuersie betwixt partie and par|tie, in manner as is vsed vnto this day. He decréed moreouer, that there should be shiriffes in euerie shire, and iustices of the peace to keepe the countries in quiet, and to sée offendors punished. Further|more, he instituted the court of the Excheker, and the officers belonging to the same,

The Exche|ker.

The Chan|cerie.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 After he had in this sort ordeined his magistrates and ministers of the lawes, he lastlie tooke order what ordinances he would haue obserued: wherevpon a|brogating in maner all the ancient lawes vsed in times past, and instituted by the former kings for the good order and quietnes of the people, he made new, nothing so equall or easie to be kept;New lawes. which neuerthe|lesse those that came after (not without their great harme) were constreined to obserue: as though it had béene an high offense against GOD to abolish those euill lawes, which king William (a prince no|thing friendlie to the English nation) had first ordei|ned, and to bring in other more easie and tollerable. ¶ Here by the waie I giue you to note a great absur|ditie; namelie, that those lawes which touched all, and ought to be knowne of all, were notwithstan|ding written in the Norman toong,The lawes were written in the Nor|man toong. which the En|glishmen vnderstood not; so that euen at the begin|ning you should haue great numbers, partlie by the iniquitie of the lawes, and partlie by ignorance in misconstruing the same, to be wrongfullie condem|ned: some to death, and some in the forfeitures of their goods; others were so intangled in sutes and causes, that by no means they knew how to get out, but continuallie were tossed from post to piller; in such wise that in their minds they curssed the time that euer these vnequall lawes were made.