[1] This Henrie therefore comming thus to the crowne, considered furthermore with himselfe, that hereafter, when his eldest brother Robert should re|turne, and vnderstand how the matter was brought about, he would thinke himselfe to haue had much wrong, and béene verie euill dealt withall, sith that as well by birthright, as also by agreement made with his brother William Rufus, he ought of right to be preferred, and therevpon would not faile but make earnest claime against him.The king [...]keth to win the peoples fauour. Wherefore yer he should come home out of the holie land (where he then remained) the king studied by all possible meanes how to gratifie all the states of his realme, & to plant in their harts some good opinion of him. And first of all he reformed such things as his brother had left verie preiudiciall to the estate of the church, setting the same frée which before was s [...]re oppressed. And furthermore, somwhat to reléeue the cõmon-wealth, he promised to restore the lawes of good king Ed|ward, Simon Dun. Hen. Hunt. Matth. Paris. and to abolish or amend those which by his fa|ther and brother were alreadie ordeined to the hurt & preiudice of the old ancient liberties of the realme of England.Anselme cal|led home. He reuoked Anselme the archbishop of Canturburie out of exile, who fled (as yee haue heard) to auoid the wrath of king William. More|ouer, he placed in the see of Winchester, Wil. Malm. William Gif|ford bishop of Winchester. Hen. Hunt. one Willi|am Gifford, a graue and discréet person, and also or|deined moonkes of honest reputation to be abbats in certeine abbeis which had beene long void, and in the hands of William his brother: in like maner he re|mitted certeine paiments which his brother and pre|decessour had caused to be raised by waie of taxes and customes. Besides this, on the 8. daie of Sep|tember,

Rafe bishop of Durham com|mitted to the Tower.

Simon Dun. The first or|deining of the yard measure. Wil. Malm.

he committed Rafe bishop of Durham to the Tower of London, by whose lewd counsell his said brother being seduced, had in his life time doone manie oppressions to his people. He ordeined also that one length of measuring should be vsed through this realme, which was a yard, appointing it to be cut after the length of his owne arme. Manie other things he redressed, to the contentation and commo|ditie of his subiects, who gaue God thanks that he had in such wise deliuered them out of the hands of cruell extortioners.