After this, bicause he was in dispaire to haue issue by his second wife,
about Whitsuntide he sent ouer his daughter Maud the empresse into
Normandie, that she might be married vnto Geffrey Plantagenet earle of
Aniou, and in August after he followed himselfe. Now the matter went so
forward, that the mariage was celebrated betwixt the said earle and
empresse vpon the first sundaie in Aprill, which fell vpon the third of
the moneth, and in the 27. of his reigne.
[Sidenote: An. Reg. 28.] [Sidenote: _Matth. Paris._] [Sidenote: 1128.]
In the yeare ensuing, king Henrie meaning to cause the French king to
withdrawe his helping hand from his nephue William earle of Flanders,
passed foorth of Normandie with an armie, and inuading France, remained
for the space of eight daies at Hipard, in as good quiet as if he had
béene within his owne dominions, and finallie obteined that of the
French king which he sought for; namelie, his refusall to aid his nephue
the said earle of Flanders. [Sidenote: An. Reg. 29.] Who at length
contending with other that claimed the earldome, chanced this yeare to
be wounded, as he pursued his enimies vnto the walls of a towne called
Albust, [Sidenote: _Ia. Meir._] and soone after died of the hurt the 16.
of August.
[Sidenote: William earle of Flanders deceaseth of a wound.] ¶ It was
thought that the great felicitie of king Henrie was the chiefe occasion
of this earles death, who meant (if he might haue brought his purpose to
passe, and be once quietlie set in the dominion of Flanders) to haue
attempted some great enterprise against king Henrie for the recouerie of
Normandie, and deliuerie of his father out of prison. [Sidenote: The
fortunat & good hap of K. Henrie.] Which was knowen well inough to king
Henrie, who mainteined those that made him warre at home, both with men
and monie; [Sidenote: William de Hypres.] namelie, William of Hypres,
who tooke vpon him as regent in the name of Stephan earle of Bullongne,
whome king Henrie procured to make claime to Flanders also, in the title
of his grandmother queene Maud, wife to William Conqueror. But to
procéed with our historie.
[Sidenote: 1129. An. Reg. 30.] When king Henrie had sped his businesse
in Normandie, where he had remained a certeine space, both about the
conclusion and solemnizing of the mariage made betwixt his daughter Maud
the empresse and the earle of Aniou, and also to see the end of the wars
in Flanders, he now returned into England, [Sidenote: 1130. An. Reg.
31.] where he called a great councell or parlement at London, in August:
wherein (amongst other things) it was decreed, [Sidenote: _Matth.
Paris._ _Polydor._ An act against vnchast préests.] that préests, which
liued vnchastlie, should be punished, and that by the kings permission,
who hereby tooke occasion to serue his owne turne: for he regarded not
the reformation which the bishops trusted (by his plaine dealing) would
haue followed, but put those préests to their fines that were accused,
and suffered them to kéepe their wiues still in house with them, which
offended the bishops greatlie, who would haue had them sequestred
asunder.
After this parlement ended, the king kept his Christmasse at Worcester,
and his Eastermasse following at Woodstocke, where a certeine noble man
named Geffrey Clinton was accused to him of high treason. In this 31.
yeare of king Henries reigne, great death and murren of cattell began in
this land so vniuersallie in all places, that no towne nor village
escaped frée: [Sidenote: _Wil. Malm._ In nouella historia. _Polydor._]
and long it was before the same discontinued or ceased. King Henrie
passing ouer into Normandie, was troubled with certeine strange dreames
or visitations in his sléepe. For as he thought, he saw a multitude of
ploughmen with such tooles as belong to their trade and occupation;
after whom came a sort of souldiers with warlike weapons: and last of
all, bishops approching towards him with their crosier staues readie to
fall vpon him, as if they meant to kill him. Now when he awaked, he lept
foorth of his bed, got his sword in his hand, & called his seruants to
come & helpe him. Neuerthelesse, repressing those perturbations, and
somewhat better aduising himselfe, partlie by his owne reason and
partlie by the counsell of learned gentlemen, was persuaded to put such
fantasies awaie, and was admonished withall, that whilest he had time
and space here on earth, he should redeeme his passed offenses and
sinnes committed against God, with repentance, almesdéeds, and
abstinence. Wherefore being moued herewith, he began to practise an
amendment of his former lewd life.
¶ Here it shall not be amisse to compare the two sonnes of William the
Conquerour; namelie William Rufus, and Henrie Beauclerke togither; and
to consider among other euents the supernaturall dreames wherewith they
were admonished, to excellent good purpose (no doubt) if they could haue
applied them to the end whereto they were directed. For William Rufus
(as you shall read in pag. 44.[16]) neglecting to be admonished by a
dredfull dreame wherewith he was troubled, shortlie after receiued his
deaths wound by casualtie or chancemedlie, euen in the prime of his
pastime and disport. This other brother H. Beauclerke had the like
warnings by the same meanes, and (to a good effect) as the learned doo
gather. Their rash opinion therefore is much to be checked, which
contemne dreames as meere delusorie, alledging by waie of disproofe an
old erronious verse:
Somnia ne cures, nam fallunt plurima plures,
Speaking indefinitelie of dreames without distinction: whereas in truth
great valure is in them in respect of their kind and nature. For though
some sort of dreames (as those that be physicall) are not greatlie to be
relied vpon; yet those of the metaphysicall sort hauing a speciall
influence from aboue natures reach, are not lightlie to be ouerslipped.
To determine this matter I remit the studious readers to that excellent
chapter of Peter Martyr, in the first part of his common places, pag.
32. columne 2. where dreames In genere are copiouslie handled.
[Sidenote: _Polydor._] About the same time, Maud daughter of this
Henrie, being forsaken of hir husband Geffrey earle of Aniou, came to
hir father then being in Normandie. What the cause was why hir husband
put hir from him, is not certeinlie knowen: but the matter (belike) was
not verie great, sith shortlie after he receiued hir againe, and that of
his owne accord. During the time also king Henrie remained in Normandie,
pope Innocent the 2. came into France, to auoid the danger of his
enimies: [Sidenote: 1131. An. Reg. 32.] and holding a councell at
Cleremont, he accursed one Peter Fitz Leo, who had vsurped as pope, and
named himselfe Anacletus. Afterward at breaking vp of the same counsell
at Cleremont, he came to Orleance, and then to Charters, [Sidenote: King
Henrie and pope Innocent méet at Charters.] meeting king Henrie by the
waie, who offered vnto the pope to mainteine his cause against his
enimies to the vttermost of his power, for the which the pope gaue the
king great thankes: and séemed as though he had beene more carefull for
the defense of the common cause of the christian common-wealth than for
his owne, he exhorted king Henrie to make a iournie into the holie land,
against the Saracens and enimies of the christian religion.
[Sidenote: _Wil. Malm._] In this enteruiew betwixt the pope and the
king, the Romans were mooued to maruell greatlie at the wisedome and
sharpnesse of wit which they perceiued in the Normans. For king Henrie,
to shew what learning remained amongst the people of the west parts of
Europe, [Sidenote: The sons of Robert erle of Melent praised for their
learning.] caused the sonnes of Robert earle of Melent to argue and
dispute in the points and subtill sophismes of Logike, with the
cardinals and other learned chapleins of the pope there present, who
were not ashamed to confesse, that there was more learning amongst them
here in the west parts, than euer they heard or knew of in their owne
countrie of Italy.
[Sidenote: King Henrie returneth into England.] King Henrie after this
returned into England, and vpon the sea was in danger to haue drowned by
tempest: so that iudging the same to be as a warning for him to amend
his life, he made manie vowes, and after his landing went to S.
Edmundsburie in Suffolke to doo his deuotions vnto the sepulchre of that
king. Now at his comming from thence, being well disposed, towards the
reliefe of his people, he lessened the tributes and impositions, and did
iustice aswell in respect and fauour of the poore as of the rich.
[Sidenote: 1132. An. Reg. 33] Not long after, Geffrey earle of Aniou had
a son named Henrie by his wife the empresse, who (as before is said) was
after king of England: for his grandfather king Henrie hauing no issue
male to succeed him, caused the empresse and this Henrie hir sonne to be
established heires of the realme: all the Nobles and other estates
taking an oth to be their true and loiall subiects. [Sidenote: 1133. An.
Reg. 34.] After this king Henrie kept his Christmasse at Dunstable, and
his Easter at Woodstocke. In the same yeare, or (as some haue) in the
beginning of the yeare precedent, or (as other haue) in the yeare
following, king Henrie erected a bishops sée at Carleil, [Sidenote:
_Matth. Paris._ Prior of L. Oswald as _Wil. Thorne._ hath, and likewise
_Matth. Paris._ and _Matt. Westm._] in which one Arnulfe or rather
Athelwoolfe, who before was abbat of S. Bothoulfs, and the kings
confessor, was the first bishop that was instituted there. This man
immediatelie after his consecration placed regular canons in that
church.
Not long after, or rather before (as by Wil. Malmes. it should séeme)
king Henrie passed ouer into Normandie, from whence (this being the last
time of his going thither) he neuer returned aliue. And as it came to
passe, he tooke ship to saile this last iournie thither, euen the same
daie in which he had afore time receiued the crowne. [Sidenote: An
eclipse[17].] On which daie (felling vpon the Wednesdaie and being the
second of August) a wonderfull and extraordinarie eclipse of the sunne
and moone appeared, in somuch that Wil. Malmes. who then liued, writeth
that he saw the starres plainlie about the sunne at the verie time of
that eclipse. [Sidenote: An earthquake.] On the fridaie after such an
earthquake also happened in this realme, that manie houses and buildings
were ouerthrowne. This earthquake was so sensible, or rather so visible,
that the wall of the house wherein the king then sat was lift vp with a
double remoue, at the third it setled it selfe againe in his due place.
Moreouer at the verie same time also fire burst out of certeine riffes
of the earth in so huge flames, that neither by water nor otherwise it
could be quenched.
[Sidenote: _Matth. Paris._ _Matth. West._] [Sidenote: An. Reg. 35.] In
the 34. yeare of his reigne, his brother Robert Curthose departed this
life in the castell of Cardiff. It is said that on a festiuall daie king
Henrie put on a robe of scarlet, the cape whereof being streict, he rent
it in striuing to put it ouer his head: and perceiuing it would not
serue him, he laid it aside, and said; "Let my brother Robert haue this
robe, who hath a sharper head than I haue." Which when it was brought to
duke Robert, and the rent place not sowed vp, he perceiued it, and asked
whether any man had worne it before. The messenger told the whole matter
how it happened. [Sidenote: The deceasse of Robert Curthose.] Wherewith
duke Robert tooke such a greefe for the scornefull mocke of his brother,
that he waxed wearie of his life, and said: "Now I perceiue I haue liued
too long, that my brother shall cloth me like his almes man with his
cast and rent garments." Thus cursing the time of his natiuitie, he
refused from thencefoorth to eat or drinke, and so pined awaie, and was
buried at Glocester.
King Henrie remaining still in Normandie, rode round about a great part
of the countrie, shewing no small loue and courtesie to the people,
studieng by all meanes possible to win their fauours, and being merie
amongst them. Howbeit nothing reioised him more than that his daughter
Maud the empresse at the same time was deliuered of hir second sonne
named Geffrey, so that he saw himselfe prouided of an assured successor.
[Sidenote: _Polydor._] [Sidenote: 1135. An. Reg. 35.] But whilest he
thus passed the time in mirth and solace, he began soone after to be
somewhat diseased, and neuer could perceiue any euident cause thereof.
[Sidenote: _Matth. West._ _Sim. Dunel._] Wherefore to driue his greefe
away, he went abrode to hunt, and being somewhat amended thereby (as he
thought) at his comming home he would néeds eat of a lampry, though his
physician counselled him to the contrarie: but he delighting most in the
meat (though it be in qualitie verie hurtfull to health) would not be
dissuaded from it, so that his stomach being annoied therewith he fell
immediatelie into an ague, [Sidenote: King Henrie departeth this life.]
and so died shortlie after, on the first day of December being as then
about 67. yeares of age after he had reigned 35. yeres, and foure
moneths lacking foure daies. His bodie was conueied into England, and
buried at Reading within the abbey church which he had founded, and
endowed in his life time with great and large possessions. [Sidenote:
_Matth. West._ _Ran. Higd._ _Sim. Dunel._] It is written, that his
bodie, to auoid the stench which had infected manie men, was closed in a
buls hide, and how he that clensed the head died of the sauour which
issued out of the braine.
¶ Thus we sée that euen princes come to the like end by as base meanes
as other inferiour persons; according to that of the poet:
[Sidenote: Horat. lib. car. 1. ode. 28.]
Dant alios furiæ toruo spectacula Marti,
Exitio est auidis mare nautis:
Mista senum ac iuuenum densantur funera, nullum
Sæua caput Proserpina fugit.
And here we haue to note the neglect of the physicians counsell, and
that same ill disposition in diet which the king chose rather to
satisfie, than by restraining it to auoid the danger whereinto he fell.
But this is the preposterous election of vntoward patients, according to
that:
Nitimur in vetitum semper, cupimúsq; negata.
[Sidenote: The issue of king Henrie the first.] Touching his issue, he
had by his first wife a sonne named William, drowned (as ye haue heard)
in the sea: also a daughter named Maud, whome with hir sonnes he
appointed to inherit his crowne and other dominions. He had issue also
by one of his concubins, euen a sonne named Richard, and a daughter
named Marie, who were both drowned with their brother William. By an
other concubine he had a sonne named Robert, who was created duke of
Glocester.
[Sidenote: His stature.] He was strong of bodie, flehise, and of an
indifferent stature, blacke of haire, and in maner bald before, with
great and large eies, of face comelie, well countenanced, and pleasant
to the beholders, speciallie when he was disposed to mirth.
[Sidenote: His vertues.] He excelled in three vertues, wisedome,
eloquence, and valiancie, which notwithstanding were somewhat blemished
with the like number of vices that reigned in him; [Sidenote: His
vices.] as couetousnesse, crueltie, and fleshlie lust of bodie. His
couetousnesse appeared, in that he sore oppressed his subiects with
tributes and impositions. His crueltie, in that he kept his brother
Robert Curtehose in perpetuall prison, and likewise in the hard vsing of
his cousine Robert earle of Mortaigne, whome he not onelie deteined in
prison, but also caused his eies to be put out: which act was kept
secret till the kings death reuealed it. And his fleshlie lust was
manifest, by kéeping of sundrie women.
[Sidenote: His wisdome.] But in his other affaires he was circumspect,
in defending his owne verie earnest and diligent. Such wars as might be
auoided, with honourable peace he euer sought to appease; [Sidenote: His
manlie courage.] but when such iniuries were offered as he thought not
meet to suffer, he was an impatient reuenger of the same, ouercomming
all perils with the force of vertue and manlie courage, showing himselfe
either a most louing fréend, or an extreame enimie: for he would subdue
his foes to the vttermost, and aduance his fréends aboue measure.
[Sidenote: His zeale to iustice.] With iustice he ruled the commons
quietlie, and enterteined the nobles honorablie. Théeues, counterfeiters
of monie, and other transgressors he caused to be sought out with great
diligence, and when they were found, to be punished with great
seueritie. Neither did he neglect reformations of certeine naughtie
abuses. [Sidenote: _Simon Dun._ Théeues appointed to be hanged.] And (as
one author hath written) he ordeined that théeues should suffer death by
hanging. When he heard that such peeces of monie as were cracked would
not be receiued amongest the people, although the same were good and
fine siluer, he caused all the coine in the realme to be either broken
or slit. He was sober of diet, vsed to eat rather for the quailing of
hunger, than to pamper himselfe with manie daintie sorts of banketting
dishes. He neuer dranke but when thirst mooued him, he would sléepe
soundlie and snore oftentimes till he awaked therewith. [Sidenote: His
policie.] He pursued his warres rather by policie than by the sword, and
ouercame his enimies so neere as he could without bloudshed, which if it
might not be, yet with as little slaughter as was possible. [Sidenote:
His praise for his princelie government.] To conclude, he was not
inferiour to any of the kings that reigned in those daies, in wisedome
and policie, and so behaued himselfe, that he was honoured of the
Nobles, and beloued of the commons. [Sidenote: Reading abbey builded.]
He builded diuerse abbeies both in England and Normandie, but Reading
was the chéefe. He builded the manour of Woodstocke, with the parke there,
wherein (beside the great store of deere) he appointed diuerse strange
beasts to be kept and nourished, which were brought and sent vnto him
from foreign countries farre distant, as lions, lepards, lynxes, and
porcupines. His estimation was such among outlandish princes, that few
would willinglie offend him.
[Sidenote: Murcherdach K. of Ireland.] Murcherdach king of Ireland & his
successors had him in such reuerence, that they durst doo nothing but
what he commanded, nor write any thing but what might stand with his
pleasure, though at the first the same Morchad attempted something
against the Englishmen more than held with reason, but afterward (vpon
restraint of the entercourse of merchandize) he was glad to shew
himselfe more fréendlie.
[Sidenote: The earle of Orkney.] Moreouer the earle of Orkney, although
he was the king of Norwaies subiect, yet did he what he could to procure
king Henries fréendship, sending such strange beasts and other things to
him oftentimes as presents, wherein he knew the king tooke great delight
and pleasure. [Sidenote: Roger bishop of Salisburie.] He had in singular
fauour aboue all other of his councell, Roger, the bishop of Salisburie,
a politike prelate, and one that knew how to order matters of great
importance, vnto whome he committed the gouernment of the realme most
commonlie whilest he remained in Normandie.
As well in this kings daies, as in the time of his brother William
Rufus, men forgetting their owne sex and state, transformed themselues
into the habit and forme of women, [Sidenote: The abuse of wearing long
haire.] by suffering their haire to grow in length, the which they
curled and trimmed verie curiouslie, after the maner of damosels and
yong gentlewomen: insomuch that they made such account of their long
bushing perukes, that those which would be taken for courtiers,
contended with women who should haue the longest tresses, and such as
wanted, sought to amend it with art, and by knitting wreathes about
their heads of those their long and side locks for a brauerie.
[Sidenote: 1127.] [Sidenote: _Matth. West._] Yet we read that king
Henrie gaue commandment to all his people to cut their haire, about the
28. yeare of his reigne. Preachers indeed inueied against such vnseemlie
maners in men, as a thing more agréeable and seemelie for the contrarie
sex.
Wil. Malm. reciteth a tale of a knight in those daies that tooke no
small liking of himselfe for his faire and long haire, who chanced to
haue a verie terrible dreame. For it séemed to him in his sléepe that
one was about to strangle him with his owne haire (which[18] he wrapped
about his throte and necke) the impression whereof sanke so deepelie
into his mind, that when he awaked out of his sléepe, he streightwaies
caused so much of his haire to be cut as might seeme superfluous. A
great number of other in the realme followed his commendable example,
but the remorse of conscience herein that thus caused them to cut their
haire, continued not long, for they fell to the like abuse againe, so as
within a twelue moneths space they excéeded therein as farre beyond all
the bounds of séemelie order as before.
¶ In this Henrie ended the line of the Normans as touching the heires
male, and then came in the Frenchmen by the title of the heires
generall, after that the Normans had reigned about 69. yeares: for so
manie are accounted from the comming of William Conquerour, vnto the
beginning of the reigne of king Stephan, who succéeded the said Henrie.
Thus farr the succession and regiment of the Normans; namelie,
William Conquerour the father, William Rufus, and Henrie Beauclerke
the sonnes.
Transcriber's notes
There are no footnotes in the original. The original spelling and
punctuation have been retained, with the exception of obvious errors
which have been corrected by reference to the 1587 edition of which
the original is a transcription.
[1] Original reads 'Robert de Bélesme'; changed to 'Robert de Belesme'.
[2] Original reads 'conuient'; changed to 'conuenient'.
[3] Original reads 'according to'; changed to '(according to'.
[4] Original reads 'York'; changed to 'Yorke'.
[5] The passage referred to is in the section on William the Conqueror,
in Anno. Reg. 6. 1073.
[6] The passage referred to is in the section on William the Conqueror,
in Anno. Reg. 6. 1073.
[7] Original reads 'Constanc'; changed to 'Constances'.
[8] Original reads 'and being'; changed to 'and (being'.
[9] Original reads 'pop'; changed to 'pope'.
[10] Original reads 'emperour to to'; changed to 'emperour to'.
[11] Original reads 'subiets'; changed to 'subiects'.
[12] Original refers to page 69, which is an obvious error for page
39. The passage referred to is in the section on William Rufus, in
An. Reg. 12. 1099.
[13] Original reads 'euen in the the'; changed to 'euen in the'.
[14] Original reads 'the sea being'; changed to 'the sea (being'.
[15] Original reads 'appointd'; changed to 'appointed'.
[16] Original refers to page 26. col 2., which is the location in
the 1587 edition; changed to page 44, which is the correct page
number in this edition. The passage referred to is in the section
on William Rufus, in An. Reg. 13. 1100.
[17] Original reads 'eclips'; changed to 'eclipse'.
[18] Original reads 'owne haire, which'; changed to 'owne haire (which'.