Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 4 Thus far the Charter: and now to proceed with the historie. Immediatlie after Christmasse,1154 Ger. Dor. Anno Reg. 19. euen in the Octaues of the Epiphanie, the king and duke Henrie met againe at Oxenford, where all the earls and barons of the land being assembled, sware feal|tie vnto duke Henrie, their allegiance due vnto king Stephan, as to their souereigne lord and su|preme gouernour so long as he liued, alwaies reser|ued. The forme of the peace was now also ingrossed and registred for a perpetuall witnesse of the thing, in this yeare 1154. after their account that begin the yeare at Christmasse, as about the feast of S. Hi|larie in Ianuarie commonlie called the twentith daie. Thus was Henrie the sonne of the empresse made the adopted sonne of king Stephan, and there|vpon the said Henrie saluted him as king, and na|med him father. After conclusion of this peace, by the power of almightie God, all debate ceassed, in such wise, that the state of the realme of England did maruelous [...]ie for a time flourish, concord being mainteined on ech hand. ¶ There be which affirme, that an other cause bound king Stephan to agrée to this attonement chiefelie, namelie for that the em|presse (as they saie) was rather king Stephans par|amour than his enimie: Polydor. and therefore (when she saw the matter growne to this point, that they were rea|die to trie battell with their armies readie ranged on a plaine in the westerne parts called Egelaw heath) she came secretlie vnto king Stephan, Matth. Paris. Egelaw heath. & spake vnto him on this wise: What a mischieuous and vn|naturall thing go ye about?The words of the empresse to king Ste|phan.

Is it méet that the father should destroie the sonne? Is it lawfull for the sonne to kill the father? For the loue of God (man) refraine thy displeasure, and cast thy weapons out of thy hand, sith that (as thou thy selfe knowest full well) Henrie is thine owne sonne.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 The king by such tokens as the empresse gaue him, tooke hir words to be true, and therevpon all his malice was streightwaies quenched: so that calling foorth the archbishop of Canturburie, he vttered to him the whole matter, and tooke therewith such dire|ction, in sending to his aduersaries for auoiding bat|tell at that present, that immediatlie the armies on both sides wrapped vp their ensignes, and euery man was commanded to kéepe the peace, that a commu|nication might be had about the conclusion of some pacification, which afterwards ensued in maner a|boue mentioned.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 ¶ But whether this or some other cause moued the king to this peace, it is to be thought that God was the worker of it. And surelie a man may thinke it good reason, that the report of such secret companie-keeping betwixt the king and the empresse,Slanders de|uise [...] by mali|cious heads. was but a tale made among the common people vpon no ground of truth, but vpon some slanderous deuice of a malicious head. And admit that king Stephan had to doo with hir; yet is it like that both of them would doo for best to kéepe it secret, that no such reproch might be imputed either to Henrie, who was taken to be legitimate; or to his mother, whose honour ther|by EEBO page image 64 should not a little be stained.