=Source.=--Richard, Prior of Hexham, _De Gestis regis Stephani_, ed.
Howlett, vol. iii., p. 142. (Rolls Series--Chronicles of Stephen, Henry
II., and Richard I.)
Henry, by the grace of God king of the English, to all his faithful, as
well French as English, of the whole of England, greeting.
Know ye that I, by the mercy of God and by the common counsel of the
barons of the realm of England, have been crowned king of the same
realm. And because the realm was oppressed by unjust exactions, I, out
of reverence for God and out of the love which I have towards all of
you, grant first that the Holy Church of God be free, so that I will
neither sell it nor put it to farm, nor, upon the death of archbishop
or bishop or abbot, will I take aught of the lordship of the church or
of the men, until a successor enter therein. And all the evil customs,
with which the realm of England was unjustly oppressed, will I remove
therefrom. Which evil customs I set forth in part here.
If any of my barons or earls or others who hold of me shall die, his
heir shall not redeem his land as he did in the time of my brother, but
he shall relieve it with a lawful and just relief. In like manner the
men of my barons shall relieve their lands from their lords by a lawful
and just relief.
And if any of my barons or other men wish to give his daughter in
marriage, or his sister or niece or kinswoman, he shall speak with me
thereon. But neither will I take anything of his for licence herein,
nor will I forbid him from giving her in marriage, unless he wish to
unite her with my enemy. And if, upon the death of a baron or other
man of mine, his daughter be left heir, I will give her in marriage
with her land by the counsel of my barons. And if a husband die and
his wife be left and she have no children, she shall have her dower
and marriage, and I will not give her to a husband except according to
her will; and if a wife be left with children, she also shall have her
dower and marriage, so long as she live chastely, and I will not give
her in marriage except according to her will; and the guardian of the
children’s land shall be either the wife or another kinsman, who shall
have the juster claim. And I command that my barons behave in like
manner towards the sons or daughters or wives of their men.
The common moneyage which was taken by cities and by counties, which
also was not taken in the time of king Edward, I wholly forbid
henceforth. If any man be taken, whether moneyer or other man, with
false money, right justice shall be done thereon.
All pleas and all debts which were due to my brother, I pardon,
except my right farms, and except those which were agreed upon for
the inheritances of others, or for those matters for which others
were justly liable. And if any man have made any covenant for his own
inheritance, I pardon it, and all reliefs which were agreed upon for
right inheritances.
And if any of my barons or men shall fall sick, I grant that, as he
shall give his money, or dispose it to be given, it shall be so given.
But if he be prevented by battle or sickness and do not give his money
or dispose it to be given, his wife or children or kinsfolk, and his
lawful men, shall divide it for his soul as shall seem best to them.
And if any of my barons or men shall do amiss, he shall not pledge
his money by way of mercy, as he did in the time of my father or my
brother, but according to the manner of the fault, so shall he make
amends, as he would have made amends before the time of my father in
the time of other my predecessors. And if he be convicted of treason or
crime, he shall make amends in like manner.
I pardon also all murder-fines incurred before the day on which I was
crowned king. And for such as shall be made hereafter, amends shall be
made justly, according to the law of king Edward.
By the common consent of my barons I have retained the forests in my
hand as my father had them. Of my own gift I grant to the knights,
who do service for their lands by hauberk, the lands of their demesne
ploughs quit of all gelds and of all work, so that, as they have been
relieved at so great a burden, they may so equip themselves well with
horses and arms, that they may be prompt and ready for my service and
for the defence of my realm.
I establish a firm peace in the whole of my realm and command it to be
henceforth observed. I give back to you the law of king Edward, with
those amendments by which my father amended it by the counsel of his
barons.
If any man have taken aught of mine or of any other man since the death
of king William, my brother, the whole shall be restored speedily
without amends. And if any man shall retain aught thereof, he in whose
possession it shall be found shall make heavy amends to me.
Witness: Maurice bishop of London, and William bishop-elect of
Winchester, and Gerard bishop of Hereford, and Henry the earl, and
Simon the earl, and Walter Giffard the earl, and R. de Muntfort, and
Eudo the butler, and Roger Bigot. Fare ye well.
HENRY I.’S APOLOGY TO ANSELM FOR BEING CROWNED IN THE LATTER’S ABSENCE
(1100).
=Source.=--_Epistolæ Anselmi._
Henry by the grace of God king of the English to his most pious
spiritual father, Anselm archbishop of Canterbury, greeting and all
affection.
Know, dear father, that my brother king William is dead, and that I, by
the will of God, elected by the clergy and by the people of England,
and now consecrated king, though reluctantly by reason of your absence,
request you as my father, together with all the people of England,
that as soon as you can you come to give your counsel to me, your son,
and to the said people, the care of whose souls has been committed to
you. I commit myself and the people of the whole realm of England to
the counsel of you and of those who ought with you to give me counsel;
and I pray you not to be vexed that I have received the blessing as
king in your absence; for as touching that, I would have received it
more gladly from you than from any other. But necessity compelled, for
enemies wished to rise up against me and the people whom I have to
govern, and therefore my barons and the same people refused to permit
that it should be longer delayed; wherefore on that account I received
it from your vicars. Indeed I would have sent to you certain from my
side; by whom I would have also despatched some of my money to you, but
by the death of my brother the whole world was so unsettled touching
the kingdom of England, that they could not in any wise have come
safely to you. Therefore I recommend and warn you not to come through
Normandy but by Witsand, and I will cause my barons to meet you at
Dover and money to be brought to you; and you shall find resources, God
willing, wherefrom you shall be well able to repay any loan you have
received. Therefore, my father, make haste to come, that our mother
church of Canterbury, long troubled and desolate for your sake, suffer
no longer the desolation of souls. Witness bishop Gerard, and William,
bishop elect of Winchester, and William Warelwast, and earl Henry,
and Robert FitzHamon, and Hamon the sewer,[27] and others as well my
bishops as my barons. Farewell.