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diff --git a/old/50778-0.txt b/old/50778-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 4e1dc3c..0000000 --- a/old/50778-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,23692 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of William of Malmesbury's Chronicle of the -Kings of England, by J. A. Giles - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: William of Malmesbury's Chronicle of the Kings of England - From the earliest period to the reign of King Stephen - -Author: J. A. Giles - -Release Date: December 28, 2015 [EBook #50778] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CHRONICLE OF KINGS OF ENGLAND *** - - - - -Produced by Charlie Howard and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - - - - - - - - - -Transcriber’s Notes - - -Table of Contents added by Transcriber and placed into the Public -Domain. - -The Timeline in the page headers of the original book is represented -here by sidenotes, beginning with “[A.D. year]”, placed between nearby -paragraphs, and shaded in some versions of this eBook. - -Other notes may be found at the end of this eBook. - - - - -[Illustration: _An Anglo-Saxon Chief._] - - - - - WILLIAM OF MALMESBURY’S - - CHRONICLE - - OF THE - - KINGS OF ENGLAND. - - FROM THE EARLIEST PERIOD TO THE REIGN OF KING STEPHEN. - - - With Notes and Illustrations. - - - BY J. A. GILES, D.C.L., - LATE FELLOW OF CORPUS CHRISTI COLLEGE, OXFORD. - - - LONDON: - HENRY G. BOHN, YORK STREET, COVENT GARDEN. - M.DCCC.XLVII. - - - - - J. HADDON. PRINTER, CASTLE STREET, FINSBURY. - - - - -EDITOR’S PREFACE. - - -“WILLIAM of MALMESBURY,” according to archbishop Usher, “is the chief -of our historians;” Leland records him “as an elegant, learned, and -faithful historian;” and Sir Henry Saville is of opinion, that he is -the only man of his time who has discharged his trust as an historian. -His History of the Kings of England was translated into English by the -Rev. John Sharpe, and published in quarto, in 1815. - -Though the language of Mr. Sharpe’s work is by no means so smooth -as the dialect of the present day would require, yet the care with -which he examined MSS., and endeavoured to give the exact sense of -his author, seemed so important a recommendation, that the editor of -the present volume has gladly availed himself of it as a ground-work -for his own labours. The result of this plan is, that the public are -enabled to purchase without delay and at an insignificant expense, the -valuable contemporary historian, who has hitherto been like a sealed -book to the public, or only accessible through a bulky volume, the -scarcity of which served to exclude it from all but public libraries or -the studies of the wealthy. - -But the translation of Mr. Sharpe has by no means been reprinted -verbatim. Within the last ten years a valuable edition of the original -text, with copious collations of MSS., has been published by the -English Historical Society. This edition has been compared with the -translation, and numerous passages retouched and improved. Some -charters, also, have been added, and a large number of additional -notes appended at the foot of the pages, together with a few other -improvements and additions calculated to render this interesting -history more acceptable to the reading public. - - J. A. G. - - _Bampton, June, 1847._ - - - - -THE - -TRANSLATOR’S PREFACE. - - -The author whose work is here presented to the public in an English -dress, has, unfortunately, left few facts of a personal nature to be -recorded of him; and even these can only be casually gleaned from his -own writings. It is indeed much to be regretted that he who wrote -so well on such a variety of topics, should have told so little to -gratify the curiosity of his readers with respect to himself. Every -notice of such an ardent lover of literature as Malmesbury, must have -been interesting to posterity, as a desire to be acquainted with the -history of those who have contributed to our instruction or amusement -seems natural to civilized man. With the exception indeed of the -incidental references made by successive chroniclers, who borrowed -from his history, there is nothing to be learned of him from extrinsic -sources till the time of Leland, who indignantly observes, that even at -Malmesbury, in his own monastery, they had nearly lost all remembrance -of their brightest ornament. - -To himself then we are indebted for the knowledge of his being -descended from both English and Norman parents; his father having -probably come hither at the conquest. The exact time of his birth -cannot be ascertained; though perhaps an approximation to it may be -made. In the “Commentary on Jeremiah,”[1] Malmesbury observes, that -he “had long since, in his youthful days, amused himself with writing -history, that he was now forty years of age;” and, in another place, he -mentions a circumstance which occurred “in the time of king Henry;”[2] -apparently implying that Henry was then dead. Now, admitting the -expression of “long since” to denote a period of ten years, this, as -his “Histories of the Kings” and “of the Prelates” were completed in -the year 1125, must have been written about 1135, the time of Henry’s -death, and would of course place his own birth about 1095 or 1096.[3] - -The next circumstance to be noticed is, that when a boy, he was placed -in the monastery whence he derived his name, where in due time he -became librarian, and, according to Leland, precentor; and ultimately -refused the dignity of abbat. His death is generally supposed to have -taken place about 1143; though it is probable that he survived this -period some time: for his “Modern History” terminates at the end of -the year 1142; and it will appear, from a manuscript hereafter to be -described, that he lived at least long enough after its publication to -make many corrections, alterations, and insertions, in that work as -well in the other portions of his History. - -With these facts, meagre as they are, the personal account of him must -close. But with regard to his literary bent and attainments there is -ample store of information in his writings. From his earliest youth -he gave his soul to study, and to the collecting of books;[4] and -he visited many of the most celebrated monasteries in the kingdom, -apparently in prosecution of this darling propensity. The ardour of -his curiosity, and the unceasing diligence of his researches, in -this respect, have perhaps been seldom surpassed. He seems to have -procured every volume within his reach; and to have carefully examined -and digested its contents, whether divinity, history, biography, -poetry, or classical literature. Of his acquirements as a scholar it -is indeed difficult to speak in terms of sufficient commendation. -That he had accurately studied nearly all the Roman authors, will be -readily allowed by the classical reader of his works. From these he -either quotes or inserts so appositely, as to show how thoroughly he -had imbibed their sense and spirit. His adaptations are ever ready and -appropriate; they incorporate with his narrative with such exactness -that they appear only to occupy their legitimate place. His knowledge -of Greek is not equally apparent; at least his references to the -writers of Greece are not so frequent, and even these might probably be -obtained from translations: from this, however, no conclusion can be -drawn that he did not understand the language. With respect to writers -subsequent to those deemed classics, his range was so extensive that it -is no easy matter to point out many books which he had not seen, and -certainly he had perused several which we do not now possess. - -Malmesbury’s love of learning was constitutional: he declares in one of -his prefaces, that had he turned to any other than literary pursuits, -he should have deemed it not only disgraceful, but even detrimental to -his better interest. Again, his commendations of Bede show how much he -venerated a man of congenial inclinations and studies; and how anxious -he was to form himself on the same model of accurate investigation and -laborious research, and to snatch every possible interval from the -performance of his monastic duties, for the purposes of information and -improvement. - -His industry and application were truly extraordinary. Even to the -moment when we reluctantly lose sight of him, he is discovered -unceasingly occupied in the correction of his works.[5] In the MSS. -of the “History of the Kings” may be found traces of at least four -several editions; and the “History of the Prelates” supplies nearly -as many varieties. And though it may reasonably be imagined that a -great portion of the alterations are merely verbal, and of course -imperceptible in a translation, yet they contribute in an extraordinary -degree to the polish and elegance of his style.[6] Another excellent -feature of Malmesbury’s literary character is, his love of truth. He -repeatedly declares that, in the remoter periods of his work, he had -observed the most guarded caution in throwing all responsibility, for -the facts he mentions, on the authors from whom he derived them; and -in his own times he avers, that he has recorded nothing that he had -not either personally witnessed, or learned from the most credible -authority. Adhering closely to this principle, he seems to have been -fully impressed with the difficulty of relating the transactions of -the princes, his contemporaries, and on this account he repeatedly -apologizes for his omissions. But here is seen his dexterous management -in maintaining an equipoise between their virtues and vices; for he -spares neither William the First, nor his sons who succeeded him: -indeed several of his strictures in the earlier editions of this work, -are so severe, that he afterwards found it necessary to modify and -soften them. - -His character and attainments had early acquired a high degree of -reputation among his contemporaries. He was entreated by the monks of -various monasteries to write either the history of their foundations, -or the lives of their patron saints. He associated with persons of the -highest consequence and authority; and in one instance, at least, he -took a share in the important political transactions of his own times. -Robert earl of Gloucester, the natural son of Henry the First, was -the acknowledged friend and patron of Malmesbury. This distinguished -nobleman, who was himself a profound scholar, seems to have been the -chief promoter of learning at that period. Several portions of our -author’s work are dedicated to him, not merely through motives of -personal regard, but from the conviction that his attainments as a -scholar would lead him to appreciate its value as a composition, and -the part which he bore in the transactions of his day, enable him to -decide on the veracity of its relation. - -Having thus stated the leading features of Malmesbury’s life, his -avocations and attainments, it may not be irrelevant to consider the -form and manner which he has adopted in the history before us. A -desire to be acquainted with the transactions of their ancestors seems -natural to men in every stage of society, however rude or barbarous. -The northern nations, more especially, had their historical traditions, -and the songs of their bards, from the remotest times. Influenced -by this feeling, the Anglo-Saxons turned their attention to the -composition of annals very early after their settlement in Britain; -and hence originated that invaluable register the SAXON CHRONICLE,[7] -in which facts are briefly related as they arose;--in chronological -order, indeed, but without comment or observation. After the Norman -conquest, among other objects of studious research in England, -history attracted considerable attention, and the form, as well as -the matter, of the Saxon Chronicle, became the prevailing standard. -It might readily be supposed that Malmesbury’s genius and attainments -would with difficulty submit to the shackles of a mere chronological -series, which afforded no field for the exercise of genius or judgment. -Accordingly, following the bent of his inclination, he struck into a -different and freer path; and to a judicious selection of facts gave -the added charm of wisdom and experience. It may therefore be useful -to advert to the exemplification of this principle in the scope and -design of the work immediately before us. His first book comprises the -exploits of the Anglo-Saxons, from the period of their arrival till the -consolidation of the empire under the monarchy of Egbert. Herein too -is separately given the history of those powerful but rival kingdoms, -which alternately subjugated, or bowed down to the dominion of, each -other, and deluged the country with blood, as the love of conquest or -the lust of ambition prompted. The second portion of the work continues -the regal series till the mighty revolution of the Norman conquest. -The three remaining books are occupied with the reigns of William and -his sons, including a very interesting account of the first Crusade. -His Modern History carries the narrative into the turbulent reign of -Stephen. - -Such is the period embraced: and to show these times, “their form -and pressure,” Malmesbury collected every thing within his reach. -His materials, as he often feelingly laments, were scanty and -confined, more especially in the earlier annals. The Chronicles of -that era afforded him but little, yet of that little he has made -the most, through the diligence of his research and the soundness -of his judgment. His discrimination in selecting, and his skill in -arranging, are equally conspicuous. His inexhaustible patience, his -learning, his desire to perpetuate every thing interesting or useful, -are at all times evident. Sensibly alive to the deficiencies of the -historians who preceded him, he constantly endeavours to give a clear -and connected relation of every event. Indeed, nothing escaped his -observation which could tend to elucidate the manners of the times in -which he wrote. History was the darling pursuit of Malmesbury, and more -especially biographical history, as being, perhaps, the most pleasing -mode of conveying information. He knew the prevailing passion of -mankind for anecdote, and was a skilful master in blending amusement -with instruction. Few historians ever possessed such power of keeping -alive the reader’s attention; few so ably managed their materials, -or scattered so many flowers by the way. Of his apt delineation of -character, and happy mode of seizing the most prominent features of his -personages, it is difficult to speak in terms of adequate commendation. -He does not weary with a tedious detail, “line upon line,” nor does -he complete his portrait at a sitting. On the contrary, the traits -are scattered, the proportions disunited, the body dismembered, as it -were; but in a moment some master-stroke is applied, some vivid flash -of Promethean fire animates the canvass, and the perfect figure darts -into life and expression: hence we have the surly, ferocious snarl -of the Conqueror, and the brutal horse-laugh of Rufus. Malmesbury’s -history, indeed, may be called a kind of biographical drama; where, by -a skilful gradation of character and variety of personage, the story -is presented entire, though the tediousness of continued narrative is -avoided. Again, by saying little on uninteresting topics, and dilating -on such as are important, the tale, which might else disgust from the -supineness or degeneracy of some principal actor, is artfully relieved -by the force of contrast: and the mind, which perhaps recoils with -indignation from the stupid indifference of an Ethelred, hangs, with -fond delight, on the enterprising spirit and exertion of an Ironside. - -It may be superfluous, perhaps, after enumerating qualities of this -varied kind, in an author, who gives a connected history of England -for several centuries, to observe, that readers of every description -must derive instruction and delight from his labours. Historians, -antiquaries, or philosophers, may drink deeply of the stream which -pervades his work, and find their thirst for information gratified. -The diligent investigator of the earlier annals of his own country, -finds a period of seven hundred years submitted to his inspection, -and this not merely in a dry detail of events, but in a series of -authentic historical facts, determined with acuteness, commented on -with deliberation, and relieved by pleasing anecdote or interesting -episode. When the narrative flags at home, the attention is roused by -events transacting abroad, while foreign is so blended with domestic -history, that the book is never closed in disgust. The antiquary here -finds ample field for amusement and instruction in the various notices -of arts, manners, and customs, which occur. The philosopher traces -the gradual progress of man towards civilization; watches his mental -improvement, his advance from barbarism to comparative refinement; -and not of man alone, but of government, laws, and arts, as well as -of all those attainments which serve to exalt and embellish human -nature. These are topics carefully, though perhaps only incidentally, -brought forward; but they are points essentially requisite in every -legitimate historian. Here, however, it must be admitted, that in the -volume before us, a considerable portion of the marvellous prevails; -and though, perhaps, by many readers, these will be considered as among -the most curious parts of the work, yet it may be objected, that the -numerous miraculous tales detract, in some measure, from that soundness -of judgment which has been ascribed to our author. But it should be -carefully recollected, that it became necessary to conform, in some -degree, to the general taste of the readers of those days, the bulk -of whom derived their principal amusement from the lives of saints, -and from their miracles, in which they piously believed: besides, no -one ever thought of impeaching the judgment of Livy, or of any other -historian of credit, for insertions of a similar nature. Even in these -relations, however, Malmesbury is careful that his own veracity shall -not be impeached; constantly observing, that the truth of the story -must rest on the credit of his authors; and, indeed, they are always so -completely separable from the main narrative, that there is no danger -of mistaking the legend for history. - -Having thus noticed the multifarious topics embraced by Malmesbury, -it may be necessary to advert to his style: although, after what has -been premised, it might seem almost superfluous to add, that it admits -nearly of as much variety as his facts. This probably arises from that -undeviating principle which he appears to have laid down, that his -chief efforts should be exerted to give pleasure to his readers; in -imitation of the rhetoricians, whose first object was to make their -audience kindly disposed, next attentive, and finally anxious to -receive instruction.[8] Of his style, therefore, generally speaking, it -may not be easy to give a perfect description. To say to which Roman -author it bears the nearest resemblance, when he imitated almost every -one of them, from Sallust to Eutropius, would be rash indeed. How shall -we bind this classical Proteus, who occasionally assumes the semblance -of Persius, Juvenal, Horace, Lucan, Virgil, Lucretius; and who never -appears in his proper shape so long as he can seize the form of an -ancient classic?[9] Often does he declare that he purposely varies -his diction, lest the reader should be disgusted by its sameness; -anxiously careful to avoid repetition, even in the structure of his -phrases. It may be said, however, that generally, in his earlier works, -(for he was apparently very young when he wrote his History of the -Kings,) his style is rather laboured; though, perhaps, even this may -have originated in an anxiety that his descriptions should be full; -or, to use his own expression, that posterity should be wholly and -perfectly informed. That his diction is highly antithetical, and his -sentences artfully poised, will be readily allowed; and perhaps the -best index to his meaning, where he may be occasionally obscure, is the -nicely-adjusted balance of his phrase. That he gradually improved his -style, and in riper years, where he describes the transactions of his -own times, became terse, elegant, and polished, no one will attempt to -dispute; and it will be regretted, that this interesting portion of -history should break off abruptly in the midst of the contest between -the empress Maud and Stephen. - -In this recapitulation perhaps enough has been said to make an attempt -at translating such an author regarded with kindness and complacency. -To prevent a work of such acknowledged interest and fidelity from -remaining longer a sealed book to the English reader, may well -justify an undertaking of this kind; and it should be remarked that a -translation of Malmesbury may serve to diffuse a very different idea -of the state of manners and learning in his days from that which has -been too commonly entertained; and at the same time to rescue a set -of very deserving men from the unjust obloquy with which they have -been pursued for ages. For without the least design of vindicating the -institutions of monachism or overlooking the abuses incident to it, we -may assert that, in Malmesbury’s time, religious houses were the grand -depositaries of knowledge, and monks the best informed men of the age. - -It remains briefly to speak of the mode in which the translation has -been conducted. The printed text of Malmesbury[10] was found so -frequently faulty and corrupted that, on a careful perusal, it was -deemed necessary to seek for authentic manuscripts. These were supplied -by that noble institution, the British Museum; but one more especially, -which, on an exact comparison with others, was found to possess -indisputable proofs of the author’s latest corrections. This, Bib. Reg. -13, D. II, has been collated throughout with the printed copy; the -result has produced numerous important corrections, alterations, and -insertions, which are constantly referred to in the notes. In addition -to this, various other MSS. have been repeatedly consulted; so that it -is presumed the text, from which the translation has been made, is, by -these means, completely established. - -As the plan pursued by Malmesbury did not often require him to affix -dates to the several transactions, it has been deemed necessary to -remedy this omission. The chronology here supplied has been constructed -on a careful examination and comparison of the Saxon Chronicle and -Florence of Worcester, which are considered the best authorities; -although even these occasionally leave considerable doubt as to the -precise time of certain events. The remoteness of the period described -by Malmesbury makes notes also in some measure indispensable. These -are derived as frequently as possible from contemporary authors. -Their object is briefly to amend, to explain, and to illustrate. By -some perhaps they may be thought too limited; by others they may -occasionally be considered unnecessary; but they are such as were -deemed likely to be acceptable to readers in general. - -With these explanations the translator takes leave of the reader, -and is induced to hope that the present work will not be deemed an -unimportant accession to the stock of English literature. - - - - -TABLE OF CONTENTS - - - EDITOR’S PREFACE. v - - THE TRANSLATOR’S PREFACE. vi - - THE AUTHOR’S EPISTLE TO ROBERT, EARL OF GLOUCESTER, SON OF - KING HENRY. 1 - - PREFACE. 3 - - - BOOK I. - - CHAP. I. _Of the arrival of the Angles, and of the Kings of - Kent._ [A.D. 449.] 5 - - CHAP. II. _Of the kings of the West Saxons._ [A.D. 495.] 17 - - CHAP. III. _Of the kings of the Northumbrians._ [A.D. 450.] 40 - - CHAP. IV. _Of the kings of the Mercians._ [A.D. 626-874.] 70 - - CHAP. V. _Of the kings of the East Angles._ [A.D. 520-905.] 88 - - CHAP. VI. _Of the kings of the East Saxons._ [A.D. 520-823.] 90 - - - BOOK II. - - PROLOGUE. 93 - - CHAP. I. _The history of king Egbert._ [A.D. 800-839.] 94 - - CHAP. II. _Of king Ethelwulf._ [A.D. 839-858.] 97 - - CHAP. III. _Of Ethelbald, Ethelbert, and Ethelred, sons of - Ethelwulf._ [A.D. 858-872.] 110 - - CHAP. IV. _Of king Alfred._ [A.D. 872-901.] 113 - - CHAP. V. _Of Edward the son of Alfred._ [A.D. 901-924.] 122 - - CHAP. VI. _Of Athelstan, the son of Edward._ [A.D. 924-940.] 128 - - CHAP. VII. _Of kings Edmund, Edred, and Edwy._ [A.D. 940-955.] 141 - - CHAP. VIII. _Of king Edgar, son of king Edmund._ - [A.D. 959-975.] 147 - - CHAP. IX. _Of St. Edward king and martyr the son of Edgar._ - [A.D. 975-978.] 162 - - CHAP. X. _Of king Ethelred and king Edmund._ - [A.D. 979-1017.] 165 - - CHAP. XI. _Of king Canute._ [A.D. 1017-1031.] 196 - - CHAP. XII. _Of king Harold and Hardecanute._ [A.D. 1036-1042.] 205 - - CHAP. XIII. _Of St. Edward, son of king Ethelred._ - [A.D. 1042-1066.] 213 - - - BOOK III. - - PREFACE. 258 - - - BOOK IV. - - PREFACE. 325 - - CHAP. I. _Of William the Second._ [A.D. 1087-1100.] 327 - - CHAP. II. _The Expedition to Jerusalem._ [A.D. 1095-1105.] 355 - - - BOOK V. - - PREFACE. 424 - - - THE MODERN HISTORY. - - PREFACE, ADDRESSED TO ROBERT, EARL OF GLOUCESTER. 480 - - BOOK I. 481 - - BOOK II. 498 - - BOOK III. 513 - - - INDEX. 536 - - - FOOTNOTES. - - - Transcriber’s Notes. - - - - -THE AUTHOR’S EPISTLE - -TO - -ROBERT, EARL OF GLOUCESTER,[11] - -SON OF KING HENRY. - - - _To my respected Lord, the renowned Earl Robert, son of the King, - health, and, as far as he is able, his prayers, from William, - Monk of Malmesbury._ - -The virtue of celebrated men holds forth as its greatest excellence, -its tendency to excite the love of persons even far removed from it: -hence the lower classes make the virtues of their superiors their own, -by venerating those great actions, to the practice of which they cannot -themselves aspire. Moreover, it redounds altogether to the glory of -exalted characters, both that they do good, and that they gain the -affection of their inferiors. To you, Princes, therefore, it is owing, -that we act well; to you, indeed, that we compose anything worthy of -remembrance; your exertions incite us to make you live for ever in -our writings, in return for the dangers you undergo to secure our -tranquillity. For this reason, I have deemed it proper to dedicate the -History of the Kings of England, which I have lately published, more -especially to you, my respected and truly amiable Lord. None, surely, -can be a more suitable patron of the liberal arts than yourself, in -whom are combined the magnanimity of your grandfather, the munificence -of your uncle, the circumspection of your father; more especially as -you add to the qualities of these men, whom you alike equal in industry -and resemble in person, this peculiar characteristic, a devotion to -learning. Nor is this all: you condescend to honour with your notice -those literary characters who are kept in obscurity, either by the -malevolence of fame, or the slenderness of their fortune. And as -our nature inclines us, not to condemn in others what we approve in -ourselves, therefore men of learning find in you manners congenial to -their own; for, without the slightest indication of moroseness, you -regard them with kindness, admit them with complacency, and dismiss -them with regret. Indeed, the greatness of your fortune has made no -difference in you, except that your beneficence can now almost keep -pace with your inclination. - -Accept, then, most illustrious Sir, a work in which you may contemplate -yourself as in a glass, where your Highness’s sagacity will discover -that you have imitated the actions of the most exalted characters, -even before you could have heard their names. The Preface to the first -book declares the contents of this work; on deigning to peruse which, -you will briefly collect the whole subject-matter. Thus much I must -request from your Excellency, that no blame may attach to me because my -narrative often wanders wide from the limits of our own country, since -I design this as a compendium of many histories, although, with a view -to the larger portion of it, I have entitled it a History of the Kings -of England. - - - - -PREFACE. - - -The history of the English, from their arrival in Britain to his -own times, has been written by Bede, a man of singular learning and -modesty, in a clear and captivating style. After him you will not, in -my opinion, easily find any person who has attempted to compose in -Latin the history of this people. Let others declare whether their -researches in this respect have been, or are likely to be, more -fortunate; my own labour, though diligent in the extreme, has, down to -this period, been without its reward. There, are, indeed, some notices -of antiquity, written in the vernacular tongue after the manner of a -chronicle,[12] and arranged according to the years of our Lord. By -means of these alone, the times succeeding this man have been rescued -from oblivion: for of Elward,[13] a noble and illustrious man, who -attempted to arrange these chronicles in Latin, and whose intention -I could applaud if his language did not disgust me, it is better to -be silent. Nor has it escaped my knowledge, that there is also a work -of my Lord Eadmer,[14] written with a chastened elegance of style, in -which, beginning from King Edgar, he has but hastily glanced at the -times down to William the First: and thence, taking a freer range, -gives a narrative, copious, and of great utility to the studious, until -the death of Archbishop Ralph.[15] Thus from the time of Bede there is -a period of two hundred and twenty-three years left unnoticed in his -history; so that the regular series of time, unsupported by a connected -relation, halts in the middle. This circumstance has induced me, as -well out of love to my country, as respect for the authority of those -who have enjoined on me the undertaking, to fill up the chasm, and -to season the crude materials with Roman art. And that the work may -proceed with greater regularity, I shall cull somewhat from Bede, whom -I must often quote, glancing at a few facts, but omitting more. - -The First Book, therefore, contains a succinct account of the English, -from the time of their descent on Britain, till that of King Egbert, -who, after the different Princes had fallen by various ways, gained the -monarchy of almost the whole island. - -But as among the English arose four powerful kingdoms, that is to say, -of Kent, of the West Saxons, of the Northumbrians, and of the Mercians, -of which I purpose severally to treat if I have leisure; I shall begin -with that which attained the earliest to maturity, and was also the -first to decay. This I shall do more clearly, if I place the kingdoms -of the East Angles, and of the East Saxons, after the others, as little -meriting either my labours, or the regard of posterity. - -The Second Book will contain the chronological series of the Kings to -the coming of the Normans. - -The three following Books will be employed upon the history of three -successive kings, with the addition of whatever, in their times, -happened elsewhere, which, from its celebrity, may demand a more -particular notice. This, then, is what I purpose, if the Divine favour -shall smile on my undertaking, and carry me safely by those rocks of -rugged diction, on which Elward, in his search after sounding and -far-fetched phrases, so unhappily suffered shipwreck. “Should any one, -however,” to use the poet’s expression,[16] “peruse this work with -sensible delight,” I deem it necessary to acquaint him, that I vouch -nothing for the truth of long past transactions, but the consonance -of the time; the veracity of the relation must rest with its authors. -Whatever I have recorded of later times, I have either myself seen, -or heard from credible authority. However, in either part, I pay but -little respect to the judgment of my contemporaries: trusting that I -shall gain with posterity, when love and hatred shall be no more, if -not a reputation for eloquence, at least credit for diligence. - - - - -THE HISTORY - -OF THE - -KINGS OF ENGLAND. - - - - -BOOK I. - - - - -CHAP. I. - -_Of the arrival of the Angles, and of the Kings of Kent._ [A.D. 449.] - - -In the year of the incarnation of our Lord 449, Angles and Saxons -first came into Britain; and although the cause of their arrival is -universally known, it may not be improper here to subjoin it: and, -that the design of my work may be the more manifest, to begin even -from an earlier period. That Britain, compelled by Julius Cæsar to -submit to the Roman power, was held in high estimation by that people, -may be collected from their history, and be seen also in the ruins of -their ancient buildings. Even their emperors, sovereigns of almost -all the world, eagerly embraced opportunities of sailing hither, and -of spending their days here. Finally, Severus and Constantius, two of -their greatest princes, died upon the island, and were there interred -with the utmost pomp. The former, to defend this province from the -incursions of the barbarians, built his celebrated and well-known -wall from sea to sea. The latter, a man, as they report, of courteous -manners, left Constantine, his son by Helena, a tender of cattle,[17] a -youth of great promise, his heir. Constantine, greeted emperor by the -army, led away, in an expedition destined to the continent, a numerous -force of British soldiers; by whose exertions, the war succeeding -to his wishes, he gained in a short time the summit of power. For -these veterans, when their toil was over, he founded a colony on the -western coast of Gaul, where, to this day, their descendants, somewhat -degenerate in language and manners from our own Britons, remain with -wonderful increase.[18] - -In succeeding times, in this island, Maximus, a man well-fitted for -command, had he not aspired to power in defiance of his oath, assumed -the purple, as though compelled by the army, and preparing immediately -to pass over into Gaul, he despoiled the province of almost all its -military force. Not long after also, one Constantine, who had been -elected emperor on account of his name, drained its whole remaining -warlike strength; but both being slain, the one by Theodosius, the -other by Honorius, they became examples of the instability of human -greatness. Of the forces which had followed them, part shared the fate -of their leaders; the rest, after their defeat, fled to the continental -Britons. Thus when the tyrants had left none but half-savages in the -country, and, in the towns, those only who were given up to luxury, -Britain, despoiled of the support of its youthful[19] population, and -bereft of every useful art, was for a long time exposed to the ambition -of neighbouring nations. - -For immediately, by an excursion of the Scots and Picts, numbers of the -people were slain, villages burnt,[20] towns destroyed, and everything -laid waste by fire and sword. Part of the harassed islanders, who -thought anything more advisable than contending in battle, fled for -safety to the mountains; others, burying their treasures in the earth, -many of which are dug up in our own times, proceeded to Rome to ask -assistance. The Romans, touched with pity, and deeming it above all -things important to yield succour to their oppressed allies, twice lent -their aid, and defeated the enemy. But at length, wearied with the -distant voyage, they declined returning in future; bidding them rather -themselves not degenerate from the martial energy of their ancestors, -but learn to defend their country with spirit, and with arms. They -accompanied their advice with the plan of a wall, to be built for their -defence; the mode of keeping watch on the ramparts; of sallying out -against the enemy, should it be necessary, together with other duties -of military discipline. After giving these admonitions, they departed, -accompanied by the tears of the miserable inhabitants; and Fortune, -smiling on their departure, restored them to their friends and country. -The Scots, learning the improbability of their return, immediately -began to make fresh and more frequent irruptions against the Britons; -to level their wall, to kill the few opponents they met with, and to -carry off considerable booty; while such as escaped fled to the royal -residence, imploring the protection of their sovereign. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 447.] REIGN OF VORTIGERN.] - -At this time Vortigern was King of Britain; a man calculated neither -for the field nor the council, but wholly given up to the lusts of the -flesh, the slave of every vice: a character of insatiable avarice, -ungovernable pride, and polluted by his lusts. To complete the picture, -as we read in the History of the Britons, he had defiled his own -daughter, who was lured to the participation of such a crime by the -hope of sharing his kingdom, and she had borne him a son. Regardless of -his treasures at this dreadful juncture, and wasting the resources of -the kingdom in riotous living, he was awake only to the blandishments -of abandoned women. Roused at length, however, by the clamours of the -people, he summoned a council, to take the sense of his nobility on -the state of public affairs. To be brief, it was unanimously resolved -to invite over from Germany the Angles and Saxons, nations powerful -in arms, but of a roving life. It was conceived that this would be -a double advantage: for it was thought that, by their skill in war, -these people would easily subdue their enemies; and, as they hitherto -had no certain habitation, would gladly accept even an unproductive -soil, provided it afforded them a stationary residence. Moreover, that -they could not be suspected of ever entertaining a design against the -country, since the remembrance of this kindness would soften their -native ferocity. This counsel was adopted, and ambassadors, men of -rank, and worthy to represent the country, were sent into Germany. - -The Germans, hearing that voluntarily offered, which they had long -anxiously desired, readily obeyed the invitation; their joy quickening -their haste. Bidding adieu, therefore, to their native fields and -the ties of kindred, they spread their sails to Fortune, and, with a -favouring breeze, arrived in Britain in three of those long vessels -which they call “ceols.”[21] At this and other times came over a -mixed multitude from three of the German nations; that is to say, -the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes. For almost all the country lying to -the north of the British ocean, though divided into many provinces, -is justly denominated Germany, from its germinating so many men. And -as the pruner cuts off the more luxuriant branches of the tree to -impart a livelier vigour to the remainder, so the inhabitants of this -country assist their common parent by the expulsion of a part of their -members, lest she should perish by giving sustenance to too numerous an -offspring; but in order to obviate discontent, they cast lots who shall -be compelled to migrate. Hence the men of this country have made a -virtue of necessity, and, when driven from their native soil, they have -gained foreign settlements by force of arms. The Vandals, for instance, -who formerly over-ran Africa; the Goths, who made themselves masters -of Spain; the Lombards, who, even at the present time, are settled in -Italy; and the Normans, who have given their own name to that part of -Gaul which they subdued. From Germany, then, there first came into -Britain, an inconsiderable number indeed, but well able to make up -for their paucity by their courage. These were under the conduct of -Hengist and Horsa, two brothers of suitable disposition, and of noble -race in their own country. They were great-grandsons of the celebrated -Woden, from whom almost all the royal families of these barbarous -nations deduce their origin; and to whom the nations of the Angles, -fondly deifying him, have consecrated by immemorial superstition the -fourth day of the week, as they have the sixth to his wife Frea. Bede -has related in what particular parts of Britain, the Angles, Saxons, -and Jutes,[22] fixed their habitations: my design, however, is not to -dilate, though there may be abundance of materials for the purpose, but -to touch only on what is necessary. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 449.] ARRIVAL OF HENGIST.] - -The Angles were eagerly met on all sides upon their arrival: from the -king they received thanks, from the people expressions of good-will. -Faith was plighted on either side, and the Isle of Thanet appropriated -for their residence. It was agreed, moreover, that they should exert -their prowess in arms for the service of the country; and, in return, -receive a suitable reward from the people for whose safety they -underwent such painful labours. Ere long, the Scots advanced, as -usual, secure, as they supposed, of a great booty with very little -difficulty. However, the Angles assailed them, and scarcely had they -engaged, before they were put to flight, whilst the cavalry pursued -and destroyed the fugitives. Contests of this kind were frequent, and -victory constantly siding with the Angles, as is customary in human -affairs, while success inflamed the courage of one party, and dread -increased the cowardice of the other, the Scots in the end avoided -nothing so cautiously as an engagement with them. - -In the meantime, Hengist, not less keen in perception than ardent in -the field, with consent of Vortigern, sends back some of his followers -to his own country, with the secret purpose, however, of representing -the indolence of the king and people, the opulence of the island, -and the prospect of advantage to new adventurers. Having executed -their commission adroitly, in a short time they return with sixteen -ships, bringing with them the daughter of Hengist; a maiden, as we -have heard, who might justly be called the master-piece of nature and -the admiration of mankind. At an entertainment, provided for them on -their return, Hengist commanded his daughter to assume the office of -cup-bearer, that she might gratify the eyes of the king as he sat -at table. Nor was the design unsuccessful: for he, ever eager after -female beauty, deeply smitten with the gracefulness of her form and -the elegance of her motion, instantly conceived a vehement desire for -the possession of her person, and immediately proposed marriage to her -father; urging him to a measure to which he was already well inclined. -Hengist, at first, kept up the artifice by a refusal; stating, that so -humble a connection was unworthy of a king: but, at last, appearing -to consent with reluctance, he gave way to his importunities, and -accepted, as a reward, the whole of Kent, where all justice had long -since declined under the administration of its Gourong (or Viceroy), -who, like the other princes of the island, was subject to the monarchy -of Vortigern. Not satisfied with this liberality, but abusing the -imprudence of the king, the barbarian persuaded him to send for his -son and brother, men of warlike talents, from Germany, pretending, -that he would defend the province on the east, while they might curb -the Scots on the northern frontier. The king assenting, they sailed -round Britain, and arriving at the Orkney Isles, the inhabitants of -which they involved in the same calamity with the Picts and Scots, at -this and after times, they finally settled in the northern part of the -island, now called Northumbria. Still no one there assumed the royal -title or insignia till the time of Ida, from whom sprang the regal line -of the Northumbrians; but of this hereafter. We will now return to the -present subject. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 520.] MASSACRE OF THE BRITISH NOBLES.] - -Vortimer, the son of Vortigern, thinking it unnecessary longer to -dissemble that he saw himself and his Britons circumvented by the craft -of the Angles, turned his thoughts to their expulsion, and stimulated -his father to the same attempt. At his suggestion, the truce was -broken seven years after their arrival; and during the ensuing twenty, -they frequently fought partial battles,[23] and, as the chronicle -relates, four general actions. From the first conflict they parted on -equal terms: one party lamenting the loss of Horsa, the brother of -Hengist; the other, that of Katigis, another of Vortigern’s sons. The -Angles, having the advantage in all the succeeding encounters, peace -was concluded; Vortimer, who had been the instigator of the war, and -differed far from the indolence of his father, perished prematurely, -or he would have governed the kingdom in a noble manner, had God -permitted. When he died, the British strength decayed, and all hope -fled from them; and they would soon have perished altogether, had not -Ambrosius, the sole survivor of the Romans, who became monarch after -Vortigern, quelled the presumptuous barbarians by the powerful aid of -warlike Arthur. It is of this Arthur that the Britons fondly tell so -many fables, even to the present day; a man worthy to be celebrated, -not by idle fictions, but by authentic history. He long upheld the -sinking state, and roused the broken spirit of his countrymen to war. -Finally, at the siege of Mount Badon,[24] relying on an image of the -Virgin, which he had affixed to his armour, he engaged nine hundred of -the enemy, single-handed, and dispersed them with incredible slaughter. -On the other side, the Angles, after various revolutions of fortune, -filled up their thinned battalions with fresh supplies of their -countrymen; rushed with greater courage to the conflict, and extended -themselves by degrees, as the natives retreated, over the whole island: -for the counsels of God, in whose hand is every change of empire, did -not oppose their career. But this was effected in process of time; for -while Vortigern lived, no new attempt was made against them. About -this time, Hengist, from that bad quality of the human heart, which -grasps after more in proportion to what it already possesses, by a -preconcerted piece of deception, invited his son-in-law, with three -hundred of his followers, to an entertainment; and when, by more -than usual compotations, he had excited them to clamour, he began, -purposely, to taunt them severally, with sarcastic raillery: this had -the desired effect, of making them first quarrel, and then come to -blows. Thus the Britons were basely murdered to a man, and breathed -their last amid their cups. The king himself, made captive, purchased -his liberty at the price of three provinces. After this, Hengist died, -in the thirty-ninth year after his arrival; he was a man, who urging -his success not less by artifice than courage, and giving free scope -to his natural ferocity, preferred effecting his purpose rather by -cruelty than by kindness. He left a son named Eisc;[25] who, more -intent on defending, than enlarging, his dominions, never exceeded -the paternal bounds. At the expiration of twenty-four years, he had -for his successors, his son Otha, and Otha’s son, Ermenric, who, in -their manners, resembled him, rather than their grandfather and great -grandfather. To the times of both, the Chronicles assign fifty-three -years; but whether they reigned singly, or together, does not appear. - -After them Ethelbert, the son of Ermenric, reigned fifty-three years -according to the Chronicle; but fifty-six according to Bede. The -reader must determine how this difference is to be accounted for; as -I think it sufficient to have apprized him of it, I shall let the -matter rest.[26] In the infancy of his reign, he was such an object of -contempt to the neighbouring kings, that, defeated in two battles, he -could scarcely defend his frontier; afterwards, however, when to his -riper years he had added a more perfect knowledge of war, he quickly, -by successive victories, subjugated every kingdom of the Angles, with -the exception of the Northumbrians. And, in order to obtain foreign -connections, he entered into affinity with the king of France, by -marrying his daughter Bertha. And now by this connection with the -Franks, the nation, hitherto savage and wedded to its own customs, -began daily to divest itself of its rustic propensities and incline to -gentler manners. To this was added the very exemplary life of bishop -Luidhard, who had come over with the queen, by which, though silently, -he allured the king to the knowledge of Christ our Lord. Hence it -arose, that his mind, already softened, easily yielded to the preaching -of the blessed Augustine; and he was the first of all his race who -renounced the errors of paganism, that he might obscure, by the glory -of his faith, those whom he surpassed in power. This, indeed, is -spotless nobility; this, exalted virtue; to excel in worth those -whom you exceed in rank. Besides, extending his care to posterity, -he enacted laws, in his native tongue, in which he appointed rewards -for the meritorious, and opposed severer restraints to the abandoned, -leaving nothing doubtful for the future.[27] - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 618.] EDBALD.] - -Ethelbert died in the twenty-first year after he had embraced the -Christian faith, leaving the diadem to his son Edbald. As soon -as he was freed from the restraints of paternal awe, he rejected -Christianity, and overcame the virtue of his stepmother.[28] But -the severity of the divine mercy opposed a barrier to his utter -destruction: for the princes, whom his father had subjugated, -immediately rebelled, he lost a part of his dominions, and was -perpetually haunted by an evil spirit, whereby he paid the penalty of -his unbelief. Laurentius, the successor of Augustine, was offended at -these transactions, and after having sent away his companions, was -meditating his own departure from the country, but having received -chastisement from God, he was induced to change his resolution.[29] The -king conversing with him on the subject, and finding his assertions -confirmed by his stripes, became easily converted, accepted the grace -of Christianity, and broke off his incestuous intercourse. But, that -posterity might be impressed with the singular punishment due to -apostacy, it was with difficulty he could maintain his hereditary -dominions, much less rival the eminence of his father. For the -remainder of his life, his faith was sound, and he did nothing to -sully his reputation. The monastery also, which his father had founded -without the walls of Canterbury,[30] he ennobled with large estates, -and sumptuous presents. The praises and merits of both these men ought -ever to be proclaimed, and had in honour by the English; because they -allowed the Christian faith to acquire strength, in England, by -patient listening and willingness to believe. Who can contemplate, -without satisfaction, the just and amiable answer which Bede makes king -Ethelbert to have given to the first preaching of Augustine? “That he -could not, thus early, embrace a new doctrine and leave the accustomed -worship of his country; but that, nevertheless, persons who had -undertaken so long a journey for the purpose of kindly communicating to -the Angles what they deemed an inestimable benefit, far from meeting -with ill-treatment, ought rather to be allowed full liberty to preach, -and also to receive the amplest maintenance.” He fully kept his -promise; and at length the truth of Christianity becoming apparent by -degrees, himself and all his subjects were admitted into the number of -the faithful. And what did the other? Though led away at first, more by -the lusts of the flesh than perverseness of heart, yet he paid respect -to the virtuous conduct of the prelates, although he neglected their -faith; and lastly, as I have related, was easily converted through -the sufferings of Laurentius, and became of infinite service to the -propagation of Christianity. Both, then, were laudable: both deserved -high encomiums; for the good work, so nobly begun by the one, was as -kindly fostered by the other. - -To him, after a reign of twenty-four years, succeeded Erconbert, his -son, by Emma, daughter of the king of France. He reigned an equal -number of years with his father, but under happier auspices; alike -remarkable for piety towards God, and love to his country. For his -grandfather, and father, indeed, adopted our faith, but neglected to -destroy their idols; whilst he, thinking it derogatory to his royal -zeal not to take the readiest mode of annihilating openly what they -only secretly condemned, levelled every temple of their gods to the -ground, that not a trace of their paganism might be handed down to -posterity. This was nobly done: for the mass of the people would be -reminded of their superstition, so long as they could see the altars -of their deities. In order, also, that he might teach his subjects, -who were too much given to sensual indulgence, to accustom themselves -to temperance, he enjoined the solemn fast of Lent to be observed -throughout his dominions. This was an extraordinary act for the king -to attempt in those times: but he was a man whom no blandishments of -luxury could enervate; no anxiety for power seduce from the worship of -God. Wherefore he was protected by the favour of the Almighty; every -thing, at home and abroad, succeeded to his wishes, and he grew old in -uninterrupted tranquillity. His daughter Ercongotha, a child worthy of -such a parent, and emulating her father in virtuous qualities, became a -shining light in the monastery of Kalas in Gaul.[31] - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 664-686.] EGBERT--LOTHERE.] - -His son Egbert, retaining his father’s throne for nine years, did -nothing memorable in so short a reign; unless indeed it be ascribed -to the glory of this period, that Theodore[32] the archbishop, and -Adrian the abbat, two consummate scholars, came into England in his -reign. Were not the subject already trite, I should willingly record -what light they shed upon the Britons; how on one side the Greeks, and -on the other the Latins, emulously contributed their knowledge to the -public stock, and made this island, once the nurse of tyrants, the -constant residence of philosophy: but this and every other merit of the -times of Egbert is clouded by his horrid crime, of either destroying, -or permitting to be destroyed, Elbert and Egelbright, his nephews.[33] - -To Egbert succeeded his brother Lothere, who began his reign with -unpropitious omens. For he was harassed during eleven years by Edric, -the son of Egbert, and engaged in many civil conflicts which terminated -with various success, until he was ultimately pierced through the body -with a dart, and died while they were applying remedies to the wound. -Some say, that both the brothers perished by a premature death as a -just return for their cruelty; because Egbert, as I have related, -murdered the innocent children of his uncle; and Lothere ridiculed the -notion of holding them up as martyrs: although the former had lamented -the action, and had granted a part of the Isle of Thanet to the mother -of his nephews, for the purpose of building a monastery. - -Nor did Edric long boast the prosperous state of his government; for -within two years he was despoiled both of kingdom and of life, and -left his country to be torn in pieces by its enemies. Immediately -Cædwalla, with his brother Mull, in other respects a good and able -man, but breathing an inextinguishable hatred against the people of -Kent, made vigorous attempts upon the province; supposing it must -easily surrender to his views, as it had lately been in the enjoyment -of long continued peace, but at that time was torn with intestine war. -He found, however, the inhabitants by no means unprepared or void of -courage, as he had expected. For, after many losses sustained in the -towns and villages, at length they rushed with spirit to the conflict. -They gained the victory in the contest, and having put Cædwalla to -flight, drove his brother Mull into a little cottage, which they set on -fire. Thus, wanting courage to sally out against the enemy, the fire -gained uncontrolled power, and he perished in the flames. Nevertheless -Cædwalla ceased not his efforts, nor retired from the province; but -consoled himself for his losses by repeatedly ravaging the district; -however, he left the avenging of this injury to Ina, his successor, as -will be related in its place. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 774-823.] DOWNFALL OF KENT.] - -In this desperate state of the affairs of Kent, there was a void of -about six years in the royal succession. In the seventh, Withred, the -son of Egbert, having repressed the malevolence of his countrymen -by his activity, and purchased peace from his enemies by money, was -chosen king by the inhabitants, who entertained great and well-founded -hopes of him. He was an admirable ruler at home, invincible in war, -and a truly pious follower of the Christian faith, for he extended its -power to the utmost. And, to complete his felicity, after a reign of -thirty-three years, he died in extreme old age, which men generally -reckon to be their greatest happiness, leaving his three children -his heirs. These were Egbert, Ethelbert, and Alric, and they reigned -twenty-three, eleven, and thirty-four years successively, without -deviation from the excellent example and institutions of their father, -except that Ethelbert, by the casual burning of Canterbury, and Alric, -by an unsuccessful battle with the Mercians, considerably obscured -the glory of their reigns. So it is that, if any thing disgraceful -occurs, it is not concealed; if any thing fortunate, it is not -sufficiently noticed in the Chronicles; whether it be done designedly, -or whether it arise from that bad quality of the human mind, which -makes gratitude for good transient; whereas the recollection of evil -remains for ever. After these men the noble stock of kings began to -wither, the royal blood to flow cold. Then every daring adventurer, -who had acquired riches by his eloquence, or whom faction had made -formidable, aspired to the kingdom, and disgraced the ensigns of -royalty. Of these, Edbert otherwise called Pren, after having governed -Kent two years, over-rating his power, was taken prisoner in a war with -the Mercians, and loaded with chains. But being set at liberty by his -enemies, though not received by his own subjects, it is uncertain by -what end he perished. Cuthred, heir to the same faction and calamity, -reigned, in name only, eight years. Next Baldred, a mere abortion of -a king, after having for eighteen years more properly possessed, than -governed the kingdom, went into exile, on his defeat by Egbert, king -of the West Saxons. Thus the kingdom of Kent, which, from the year of -our Lord 449, had continued 375 years, became annexed to another. And -since by following the royal line of the first kingdom which arose -among the Angles, I have elicited a spark, as it were, from the embers -of antiquity, I shall now endeavour to throw light on the kingdom of -the West Saxons, which, though after a considerable lapse of time, was -the next that sprang up. While others were neglected and wasted away, -this flourished with unconquerable vigour, even to the coming of the -Normans; and, if I may be permitted the expression, with greedy jaws -swallowed up the rest. Wherefore, after tracing this kingdom in detail -down to Egbert, I shall briefly, for fear of disgusting my readers, -subjoin some notices of the two remaining; this will be a suitable -termination to the first book, and the second will continue the history -of the West Saxons alone. - - - - -CHAP. II. - -_Of the kings of the West Saxons._ [A.D. 495.] - - -The kingdom of the West Saxons,--and one more magnificent or lasting -Britain never beheld,--sprang from Cerdic, and soon increased to great -importance. He was a German by nation, of the noblest race, being the -tenth from Woden, and, having nurtured his ambition in domestic broils, -determined to leave his native land and extend his fame by the sword. -Having formed this daring resolution he communicated his design to -Cenric his son, who closely followed his father’s track to glory, and -with his concurrence transported his forces into Britain in five ceols. -This took place in the year of our Saviour’s incarnation 495, and the -eighth after the death of Hengist. Coming into action with the Britons -the very day of his arrival, this experienced soldier soon defeated an -undisciplined multitude, and compelled them to fly. By this success he -obtained perfect security in future for himself, as well as peace for -the inhabitants of those parts. For they never dared after that day to -attack him, but voluntarily submitted to his dominion. Nevertheless he -did not waste his time in indolence; but, on the contrary, extending -his conquests on all sides, by the time he had been twenty-four years -in the island, he had obtained the supremacy of the western part of -it, called West-Saxony. He died after enjoying it sixteen years, and -his whole kingdom, with the exception of the isle of Wight, descended -to his son. This, by the royal munificence, became subject to his -nephew, Withgar; who was as dear to his uncle by the ties of kindred, -for he was his sister’s son, as by his skill in war, and formed a -noble principality in the island, where he was afterwards splendidly -interred. Cenric moreover, who was as illustrious as his father, after -twenty-six years, bequeathed the kingdom, somewhat enlarged, to his son -Ceawlin. - -The Chronicles extol the singular valour of this man in battle, so as -to excite a degree of envious admiration; for he was the astonishment -of the Angles, the detestation of the Britons, and was eventually the -destruction of both. I shall briefly subjoin some extracts from them. -Attacking Ethelbert king of Kent, who was a man in other respects -laudable, but at that time was endeavouring from the consciousness of -his family’s dignity to gain the ascendency, and, on this account, -making too eager incursions on the territories of his neighbour, he -routed his troops and forced him to retreat. The Britons, who, in the -times of his father and grandfather, had escaped destruction either -by a show of submission, or by the strength of their fortifications -at Gloucester, Cirencester, and Bath, he now pursued with ceaseless -rancour; ejected them from their cities, and chased them into -mountainous and woody districts, as at the present day. But about this -time, as some unluckly throw of the dice in the table of human life -perpetually disappoints mankind, his military successes were clouded -by domestic calamity: his brother Cutha met an untimely death, and -he had a son of the same name taken off in battle; both young men of -great expectation, whose loss he frequently lamented as a severe blow -to his happiness. Finally, in his latter days, himself, banished from -his kingdom, presented a spectacle, pitiable even to his enemies. For -he had sounded, as it were, the trumpet of his own detestation on -all sides, and the Angles as well as the Britons conspiring against -him, his forces were destroyed at Wodensdike;[34] he lost his kingdom -thirty-one years after he had gained it; went into exile, and shortly -after died. The floating reins of government were then directed by his -nephews, the sons of Cutha, that is to say, Celric during six, Ceolwulf -during fourteen years: of these the inferior with respect to age, but -the more excellent in spirit, passed all his days in war, nor ever -neglected, for a moment, the protection and extension of his empire. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 577-626.] CYNEGILS AND CUICHELM.] - -After him, the sons of Celric, Cynegils and Cuichelm, jointly put -on the ensigns of royalty; both active, both contending with each -other only in mutual offices of kindness; insomuch, that to their -contemporaries they were a miracle of concord very unusual amongst -princes, and to posterity a proper example. It is difficult to say -whether their courage or their moderation exceeded in the numberless -contests in which they engaged either against the Britons, or against -Penda, king of the Mercians: a man, as will be related in its place, -wonderfully expert in the subtleties of war; and who, overpassing the -limits of his own territory, in an attempt to add Cirencester to his -possessions, being unable to withstand the power of these united kings, -escaped with only a few followers. A considerable degree of guilt -indeed attaches to Cuichelm, for attempting to take off, by the hands -of an assassin, Edwin king of the Northumbrians, a man of acknowledged -prudence. Yet, if the heathen maxim, - - Who asks if fraud or force availed the foe?[35] - -be considered, he will be readily excused, as having done nothing -uncommon, in wishing to get rid, by whatever means, of a rival -encroaching on his power. For he had formerly lopped off much from the -West Saxon empire, and now receiving fresh ground of offence, and his -ancient enmity reviving, he inflicted heavy calamities on that people. -The kings, however, escaped, and were, not long after, enlightened with -the heavenly doctrine, by the means of St. Birinus the bishop, in the -twenty-fifth year of their reign, and the fortieth after the coming of -the blessed Augustine, the apostle of the Angles. Cynegils, veiling his -princely pride, condescended to receive immediately the holy rite of -baptism: Cuichelm resisted for a time, but warned, by the sickness of -his body, not to endanger the salvation of his soul, he became a sharer -in his brother’s piety, and died the same year. Cynegils departed six -years afterwards, in the thirty-first year of his reign, enjoying the -happiness of a long-extended peace. - -Kenwalk his son succeeded: in the beginning of his reign, to be -compared only to the worst of princes; but, in the succeeding and -latter periods, a rival of the best. The moment the young man became -possessed of power, wantoning in regal luxury and disregarding the -acts of his father, he abjured Christianity and legitimate marriage; -but being attacked and defeated by Penda, king of Mercia, whose sister -he had repudiated, he fled to the king of the East Angles. Here, by a -sense of his own calamities and by the perseverance of his host, he was -once more brought back to the Christian faith; and after three years, -recovering his strength and resuming his kingdom, he exhibited to his -subjects the joyful miracle of his reformation. So valiant was he, -that, he who formerly was unable to defend his own territories, now -extended his dominion on every side; totally defeating in two actions -the Britons, furious with the recollection of their ancient liberty, -and in consequence perpetually meditating resistance; first, at a place -called Witgeornesburg,[36] and then at a mountain named Pene;[37] and -again, avenging the injury of his father on Wulfhere, the son of Penda, -he deprived him of the greatest part of his kingdom: moreover he was -so religious, that, first of all his race, he built, for those times, -a most beautiful church at Winchester, on which site afterwards was -founded the episcopal see with still more skilful magnificence. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 658.] ACCOUNT OF GLASTONBURY.] - -But since we have arrived at the times of Kenwalk, and the proper -place occurs for mentioning the monastery of Glastonbury,[38] I shall -trace from its very origin the rise and progress of that church as -far as I am able to discover it from the mass of evidences. It is -related in annals of good credit that Lucius, king of the Britons, -sent to Pope Eleutherius, thirteenth in succession from St. Peter, to -entreat, that he would dispel the darkness of Britain by the splendour -of Christian instruction. This surely was the commendable deed of a -magnanimous prince, eagerly to seek that faith, the mention of which -had barely reached him, at a time when it was an object of persecution -to almost every king and people to whom it was offered. In consequence, -preachers, sent by Eleutherius, came into Britain, the effects of whose -labours will remain for ever, although the rust of antiquity may have -obliterated their names. By these was built the ancient church of St. -Mary of Glastonbury, as faithful tradition has handed down through -decaying time. Moreover there are documents of no small credit, which -have been discovered in certain places to the following effect: “No -other hands than those of the disciples of Christ erected the church -of Glastonbury.” Nor is it dissonant from probability: for if Philip, -the Apostle, preached to the Gauls, as Freculphus relates in the fourth -chapter of his second book, it may be believed that he also planted -the word on this side of the channel also. But that I may not seem to -balk the expectation of my readers by vain imaginations, leaving all -doubtful matter, I shall proceed to the relation of substantial truths. - -The church of which we are speaking, from its antiquity called by the -Angles, by way of distinction, “Ealde Chirche,” that is, the “Old -Church,” of wattle-work, at first, savoured somewhat of heavenly -sanctity even from its very foundation, and exhaled it over the whole -country; claiming superior reverence, though the structure was mean. -Hence, here arrived whole tribes of the lower orders, thronging every -path; here assembled the opulent divested of their pomp; and it became -the crowded residence of the religious and the literary. For, as we -have heard from men of old time, here Gildas, an historian neither -unlearned nor inelegant, to whom the Britons are indebted for whatever -notice they obtain among other nations, captivated by the sanctity of -the place, took up his abode for a series of years.[39] This church, -then, is certainly the oldest I am acquainted with in England, and from -this circumstance derives its name. In it are preserved the mortal -remains of many saints, some of whom we shall notice in our progress, -nor is any corner of the church destitute of the ashes of the holy. The -very floor, inlaid with polished stone, and the sides of the altar, and -even the altar itself above and beneath are laden with the multitude of -relics. Moreover in the pavement may be remarked on every side stones -designedly interlaid in triangles and squares, and figured with lead, -under which if I believe some sacred enigma to be contained, I do no -injustice to religion. The antiquity, and multitude of its saints, have -endued the place with so much sanctity, that, at night, scarcely any -one presumes to keep vigil there, or, during the day, to spit upon its -floor: he who is conscious of pollution shudders throughout his whole -frame: no one ever brought hawk or horses within the confines of the -neighbouring cemetery, who did not depart injured either in them or in -himself. Within the memory of man, all persons who, before undergoing -the ordeal[40] of fire or water, there put up their petitions, exulted -in their escape, one only excepted: if any person erected a building in -its vicinity, which by its shade obstructed the light of the church, -it forthwith became a ruin. And it is sufficiently evident, that, the -men of that province had no oath more frequent, or more sacred, than -to swear by the Old Church, fearing the swiftest vengeance on their -perjury in this respect. The truth of what I have asserted, if it -be dubious, will be supported by testimony in the book which I have -written, on the antiquity of the said church, according to the series -of years. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 676.] PYRAMIDS NEAR GLASTONBURY.] - -In the meantime it is clear, that the depository of so many saints -may be deservedly styled an heavenly sanctuary upon earth. There are -numbers of documents, though I abstain from mentioning them for fear -of causing weariness, to prove how extremely venerable this place was -held by the chief persons of the country, who there more especially -chose to await the day of resurrection under the protection of the -mother of God. Willingly would I declare the meaning of those pyramids, -which are almost incomprehensible to all, could I but ascertain the -truth. These, situated some few feet from the church, border on the -cemetery of the monks. That which is the loftiest and nearest the -church, is twenty-eight feet high and has five stories: this, though -threatening ruin from its extreme age, possesses nevertheless some -traces of antiquity, which may be clearly read though not perfectly -understood. In the highest story is an image in a pontifical habit. -In the next a statue of regal dignity, and the letters, Her Sexi, -and Blisperh. In the third, too, are the names, Pencrest, Bantomp, -Pinepegn. In the fourth, Bate, Pulfred, and Eanfled. In the fifth, -which is the lowest, there is an image, and the words as follow, Logor, -Peslicas, and Bregden, Spelpes, Highingendes Bearn. The other pyramid -is twenty-six feet high and has four stories, in which are read, -Kentwin, Hedda the bishop, and Bregored and Beorward. The meaning of -these I do not hastily decide, but I shrewdly conjecture that within, -in stone coffins, are contained the bones of those persons whose names -are inscribed without.[41] At least Logor is said to imply the person -from whom Logperesbeorh formerly took its name, which is now called -Montacute; Bregden, from whom is derived Brentknolle and Brentmarsh; -Bregored and Beorward were abbats of that place in the time of the -Britons; of whom, and of others which occur, I shall henceforward speak -more circumstantially. For my history will now proceed to disclose -the succession of abbats, and what was bestowed on each, or on the -monastery, and by what particular king. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 425-474.] DEATH OF ST. PATRICK.] - -And first, I shall briefly mention St. Patrick, from whom the series -of our records dawns. While the Saxons were disturbing the peace of -the Britons, and the Pelagians assaulting their faith, St. Germanus -of Auxerre assisted them against both; routing the one by the chorus -of Hallelujah,[42] and hurling down the other by the thunder of the -Evangelists and Apostles. Thence returning to his own country, he -summoned Patrick to become his inmate, and after a few years, sent him, -at the instance of Pope Celestine, to preach to the Irish. Whence it -is written in the Chronicles, “In the year of our Lord’s incarnation -425, St. Patrick is ordained to Ireland by Pope Celestine.” Also, -“In the year 433 Ireland is converted to the faith of Christ by the -preaching of St. Patrick, accompanied by many miracles.” In consequence -executing his appointed office with diligence, and in his latter -days returning to his own country, he landed in Cornwall, from his -altar,[43] which even to this time is held in high veneration by the -inhabitants for its sanctity and efficacy in restoring the infirm. -Proceeding to Glastonbury, and there becoming monk, and abbat, after -some years he paid the debt of nature. All doubt of the truth of this -assertion is removed by the vision of a certain brother, who, after -the saint’s death, when it had frequently become a question, through -decay of evidence, whether he really was monk and abbat there, had -the fact confirmed by the following oracle. When asleep he seemed to -hear some person reading, after many of his miracles, the words which -follow--“this man then was adorned by the sanctity of the metropolitan -pall, but afterwards was here made monk and abbat.” He added, moreover, -as the brother did not give implicit credit to him, that he could show -what he had said inscribed in golden letters. Patrick died in the year -of his age 111, of our Lord’s incarnation 472, being the forty-seventh -year after he was sent into Ireland. He lies on the right side of the -altar in the old church: indeed the care of posterity has enshrined his -body in silver. Hence the Irish have an ancient usage of frequenting -the place to kiss the relics of their patron. Wherefore the report -is extremely prevalent that both St. Indract and St. Briget, no mean -inhabitants of Ireland, formerly came over to this spot. Whether -Briget returned home or died at Glastonbury is not sufficiently -ascertained, though she left here some of her ornaments; that is to -say, her necklace, scrip, and implements for embroidering, which are -yet shown in memory of her sanctity, and are efficacious in curing -divers diseases. In the course of my narrative it will appear that St. -Indract, with seven companions, was martyred near Glastonbury, and -afterwards interred in the old church.[44] - -Benignus succeeded Patrick in the government of the abbey; but for how -long, remains in doubt. Who he was, and how called in the vernacular -tongue, the verses of his epitaph at Ferramere express, not inaptly: - - Beneath this marble Beon’s ashes lie, - Once rev’rend abbat of this monastery: - Saint Patrick’s servant, as the Irish frame - The legend-tale, and Beon was his name. - -The wonderful works both of his former life, and since his recent -translation into the greater church, proclaim the singular grace of -God which he anciently possessed, and which he still retains. - -The esteem in which David, archbishop of Menevia, held this place, is -too notorious to require repeating. He established the antiquity and -sanctity of the church by a divine oracle; for purposing to dedicate -it, he came to the spot with his seven suffragan bishops, and every -thing being prepared for the due celebration of the solemnity, on the -night, as he purposed, preceding it, he gave way to profound repose. -When all his senses were steeped in rest, he beheld the Lord Jesus -standing near, and mildly inquiring the cause of his arrival; and on -his immediately disclosing it, the Lord diverted him from his purpose -by saying, “That the church had been already dedicated by himself in -honour of his Mother, and that the ceremony was not to be profaned -by human repetition.” With these words he seemed to bore the palm of -his hand with his finger, adding, “That this was a sign for him not -to reiterate what himself had done before. But that, since his design -savoured more of piety than of temerity, his punishment should not be -prolonged: and lastly, that on the following morning, when he should -repeat the words of the mass, ‘With him, and by him, and in him,’ -his health should return to him undiminished.” The prelate, awakened -by these terrific appearances, as at the moment he grew pale at the -purulent matter, so afterwards he hailed the truth of the prediction. -But that he might not appear to have done nothing, he quickly built -and dedicated another church. Of this celebrated and incomparable man, -I am at a loss to decide, whether he closed his life in this place, -or at his own cathedral. For they affirm that he is with St. Patrick; -and the Welsh, both by the frequency of their prayers to him and by -various reports, without doubt confirm and establish this opinion; -openly alleging that bishop Bernard sought after him more than once, -notwithstanding much opposition, but was not able to find him. But let -thus much suffice of St. David. - -After a long lapse of time, St. Augustine, at the instance of St. -Gregory, came into Britain in the year of our Lord’s incarnation 596, -and the tradition of our ancestors has handed down, that the companion -of his labours, Paulinus, who was bishop of Rochester after being -archbishop of York, covered the church, built, as we have before -observed, of wattle-work, with a casing of boards. The dexterity of -this celebrated man so artfully managed, that nothing of its sanctity -should be lost, though much should accrue to its beauty: and certainly -the more magnificent the ornaments of churches are, the more they -incline the brute mind to prayer, and bend the stubborn to supplication. - -In the year of our Lord’s incarnation 601, that is, the fifth after -the arrival of St. Augustine, the king of Devonshire, on the petition -of abbat Worgrez, granted to the old church which is there situated -the land called Ineswitrin, containing five cassates.[45] “I, Maworn, -bishop, wrote this grant. I, Worgrez, abbat of the same place, signed -it.” - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 596-692.] GRANTS TO GLASTONBURY.] - -Who this king might be, the antiquity of the instrument prevents -our knowing. But that he was a Briton cannot be doubted, because he -called Glastonbury, Ineswitrin, in his vernacular tongue; and that, -in the British, it is so called, is well known. Moreover it is proper -to remark the extreme antiquity of a church, which, even then, was -called “the old church.” In addition to Worgrez, Lademund and Bregored, -whose very names imply British barbarism, were abbats of this place. -The periods of their presiding are uncertain, but their names and -dignities are indicated by a painting in the larger church, near the -altar. Blessed, therefore, are the inhabitants of this place, allured -to uprightness of life, by reverence for such a sanctuary. I cannot -suppose that any of these, when dead, can fail of heaven, when assisted -by the virtues and intercession of so many patrons. In the year of our -Lord’s incarnation 670, and the 29th of his reign, Kenwalk gave to -Berthwald, abbat of Glastonbury, Ferramere, two hides, at the request -of archbishop Theodore. The same Berthwald, against the will of the -king and of the bishop of the diocese, relinquishing Glastonbury, went -to govern the monastery of Reculver. In consequence, Berthwald equally -renowned for piety and high birth, being nephew to Ethelred, king of -the Mercians, and residing in the vicinity of Canterbury, on the demise -of archbishop Theodore, succeeded to his see. This may be sufficient -for me to have inserted on the antiquity of the church of Glastonbury. -Now I shall return in course to Kenwalk, who was of a character so -munificent that he never refused to give any part of his patrimony to -his relations; but with noble-minded generosity conferred nearly the -third of his kingdom on his nephew.[46] These qualities of the royal -mind, were stimulated by the admonitions of those holy bishops of his -province, Agilbert, of whom Bede relates many commendable things in -his history of the Angles, and his nephew Leutherius, who, after him, -was, for seven years, bishop of the West Saxons. This circumstance I -have thought proper to mention, because Bede has left no account of the -duration of his episcopacy, and to disguise a fact which I learn from -the Chronicles, would be against my conscience; besides, it affords -an opportunity for making mention of a distinguished man, who by a -mind, clear, and almost divinely inspired, advanced the monastery of -Malmesbury, where I carry on my earthly warfare, to the highest pitch. -This monastery was so slenderly endowed by Maildulph, a Scot, as they -say, by nation, a philosopher by erudition, and a monk by profession, -that its members could scarcely procure their daily subsistence; but -Leutherius, after long and due deliberation, gave it to Aldhelm,[47] a -monk of the same place, to be by him governed with the authority then -possessed by bishops. Of which matter, that my relation may obviate -every doubt, I shall subjoin his own words. - -“I, Leutherius, by divine permission, bishop supreme of the Saxon see, -am requested by the abbats who, within the jurisdiction of our diocese, -preside over the conventual assemblies of monks with pastoral anxiety, -to give and to grant that portion of land called Maildulfesburgh, to -Aldhelm the priest, for the purpose of leading a life according to -strict rule; in which place, indeed, from his earliest infancy and -first initiation in the study of learning, he has been instructed -in the liberal arts, and passed his days, nurtured in the bosom of -the holy mother church; and on which account fraternal love appears -principally to have conceived this request. Wherefore assenting to the -petition of the aforesaid abbats, I willingly grant that place to him -and his successors, who shall sedulously follow the laws of the holy -institution. Done publicly near the river Bladon;[48] this eighth -before the kalends of September, in the year of our Lord’s incarnation -672.” - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 670.] PIETY OF ALDHELM.] - -But when the industry of the abbat was superadded to the kindness -of the bishop, then the affairs of the monastery began to flourish -exceedingly; then monks assembled on all sides; there was a general -concourse to Aldhelm; some admiring the sanctity of his life, others -the depth of his learning. For he was a man as unsophisticated in -religion as multifarious in knowledge; whose piety surpassed even his -reputation; and he had so fully imbibed the liberal arts, that he was -wonderful in each of them, and unrivalled in all. I greatly err, if -his works written on the subject of virginity,[49] than which, in my -opinion, nothing can be more pleasing or more splendid, are not proofs -of his immortal genius: although, such is the slothfulness of our -times, they may excite disgust in some persons, not duly considering -how modes of expression differ according to the customs of nations. The -Greeks, for instance, express themselves impliedly, the Romans clearly, -the Gauls gorgeously, the Angles turgidly. And truly, as it is pleasant -to dwell on the graces of our ancestors and to animate our minds by -their example, I would here, most willingly, unfold what painful -labours this holy man encountered for the privileges of our church, -and with what miracles he signalized his life, did not my avocations -lead me elsewhere; and his noble acts appear clearer even to the eye -of the purblind, than they can possibly be sketched by my pencil. The -innumerable miracles which now take place at his tomb, manifest to the -present race the sanctity of the life he passed. He has therefore his -proper praise; he has the fame acquired by his merits.[50] We proceed -with the history. - -After thirty-one years, Kenwalk dying, bequeathed the administration of -the government to his wife Sexburga; nor did this woman want spirit for -discharging the duties of the station. She levied new forces, preserved -the old in their duty; ruled her subjects with moderation, and overawed -her enemies: in short, she conducted all things in such a manner, that -no difference was discernible except that of her sex. But, breathing -more than female spirit, she died, having scarcely reigned a year. - -Escwin passed the next two years in the government; a near relation -to the royal family, being grand-nephew to Cynegils, by his brother -Cuthgist. At his death, either natural or violent, for I cannot exactly -find which, Kentwin, the son of Cynegils, filled the vacant throne -in legitimate succession. Both were men of noted experience in war; -as the one routed the Mercians, the other the Britons, with dreadful -slaughter: but they were to be pitied for the shortness of their -career; the reign of the latter not extending beyond nine, that of the -former, more than two years, as I have already related. This is on the -credit of the Chronicles. However, Bede records that they did not reign -successively, but divided the kingdom between them. - -Next sprang forth a noble branch of the royal stock, Cædwalla, -grand-nephew of Ceawlin, by his brother Cutha: a youth of unbounded -promise, who allowed no opportunity of exercising his valour to escape -him. He, having long since, by his active exertions, excited the -animosity of the princes of his country, was, by a conspiracy, driven -into exile. Yielding to this outrage, as the means of depriving the -province of its warlike force, he led away all the military population -with him; for, whether out of pity to his broken fortunes, or regard -for his valour, the whole of the youth accompanied him into exile. -Ethelwalch, king of the South Saxons, hazarding an engagement with him, -felt the first effects of his fury: for he was routed with all the -forces he had collected, and too late repented his rash design.[51] The -spirits of his followers being thus elated, Cædwalla, by a sudden and -unexpected return, drove the rivals of his power from the kingdom. -Enjoying his government for the space of two years, he performed many -signal exploits. His hatred and hostility towards the South Saxons -were inextinguishable, and he totally destroyed Edric, the successor -of Ethelwalch, who opposed him with renovated boldness: he nearly -depopulated the Isle of Wight, which had rebelled in confederacy with -the Mercians: he also gained repeated victories over the people of -Kent, as I have mentioned before in their history. Finally, as is -observed above, he retired from that province, on the death of his -brother, compensating his loss by the blood of many of its inhabitants. -It is difficult to relate, how extremely pious he was even before -his baptism, insomuch that he dedicated to God the tenth of all the -spoils which he had acquired in war. In which, though we approve the -intention, we condemn the example; according to the saying: “He who -offers sacrifice from the substance of a poor man, is like him who -immolates the son in the sight of the father.” That he went to Rome to -be baptized by Pope Sergius, and was called Peter; and that he yielded -joyfully to the will of heaven, while yet in his initiatory robes, are -matters too well known to require our illustration. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 686-694.] INA.] - -After his departure to Rome, the government was assumed by Ina, -grand-nephew of Cynegils by his brother Cuthbald, who ascended -the throne, more from the innate activity of his spirit, than any -legitimate right of succession. He was a rare example of fortitude; a -mirror of prudence; unequalled in piety. Thus regulating his life, he -gained favour at home and respect abroad. Safe from any apprehensions -of treachery, he grew old in the discharge of his duties for -fifty-eight years, the pious conciliator of general esteem. His first -expedition was against the people of Kent, as the indignation at their -burning Moll had not yet subsided. The inhabitants resisted awhile: -but soon finding all their attempts and endeavours fail, and seeing -nothing in the disposition of Ina which could lead them to suppose he -would remit his exertions, they were induced, by the contemplation of -their losses, to treat of a surrender. They tempt the royal mind with -presents, lure him with promises, and bargain for a peace for thirty -thousand marks of gold, that, softened by so high a price, he should -put an end to the war, and, bound in golden chains, sound a retreat. -Accepting the money, as a sufficient atonement for their offence, he -returned into his kingdom. And not only the people of Kent, but the -East Angles[52] also felt the effects of his hereditary anger; all -their nobility being first expelled, and afterwards routed in battle. -But let the relation of his military successes here find a termination. -Moreover how sedulous he was in religious matters, the laws he enacted -to reform the manners of the people, are proof sufficient;[53] in which -the image of his purity is reflected even upon the present times. -Another proof are the monasteries nobly founded at the king’s expense. -But[54] more especially Glastonbury, whither he ordered the bodies of -the blessed martyr, Indract, and of his associates, to be taken from -the place of their martyrdom and to be conveyed into the church. The -body of St. Indract he deposited in the stone pyramid on the left -side of the altar, where the zeal of posterity afterwards also placed -St. Hilda: the others were distributed beneath the pavement as chance -directed or regard might suggest. Here, too, he erected a church, -dedicated to the holy apostles, as an appendage to the ancient church, -of which we are speaking, enriched it with vast possessions, and -granted it a privilege to the following effect: - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 725.] INA’S GRANTS.] - -“In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: I, Ina, supported in my -royal dignity by God, with the advice of my queen, Sexburga, and -the permission of Berthwald, archbishop of Canterbury, and of all -his suffragans; and also at the instance of the princes Baltred -and Athelard, to the ancient church, situate in the place called -Glastonbury (which church the great high-priest and chiefest minister -formerly through his own ministry, and that of angels, sanctified by -many and unheard-of miracles to himself and the eternal Virgin Mary, -as was formerly revealed to St. David,) do grant out of those places, -which I possess by paternal inheritance, and hold in my demesne, they -being adjacent and fitting for the purpose, for the maintenance of the -monastic institution, and the use of the monks, Brente ten hides, Sowy -ten hides, Pilton twenty hides, Dulting twenty hides, Bledenhida one -hide, together with whatever my predecessors have contributed to the -same church:[55] to wit, Kenwalk, who, at the instance of archbishop -Theodore, gave Ferramere, Bregarai, Coneneie, Martineseie, Etheredseie; -Kentwin, who used to call Glastonbury, “the mother of saints,” and -liberated it from every secular and ecclesiastical service, and granted -it this dignified privilege, that the brethren of that place should -have the power of electing and appointing their ruler according to the -rule of St. Benedict: Hedda the bishop, with permission of Cædwalla, -who, though a heathen, confirmed it with his own hand, gave Lantokay: -Baltred, who gave Pennard, six hides: Athelard who contributed Poelt, -sixty hides; I, Ina, permitting and confirming it. To the piety and -affectionate entreaty of these people I assent, and I guard by the -security of my royal grant against the designs of malignant men and -snarling curs, in order that the church of our Lord Jesus Christ and -the eternal Virgin Mary, as it is the first in the kingdom of Britain -and the source and the fountain of all religion, may obtain surpassing -dignity and privilege, and, as she rules over choirs of angels in -heaven, it may never pay servile obedience to men on earth. Wherefore -the chief pontiff, Gregory, assenting, and taking the mother of his -Lord, and me, however unworthy, together with her, into the bosom and -protection of the holy Roman church; and all the princes, archbishops, -bishops, dukes, and abbats of Britain consenting, I appoint and -establish, that, all lands, places, and possessions of St. Mary of -Glastonbury be free, quiet, and undisturbed, from all royal taxes and -works, which are wont to be appointed, that is to say, expeditions, the -building of bridges or forts, and from the edicts or molestations of -all archbishops or bishops, as is found to be confirmed and granted by -my predecessors, Kenwalk, Kentwin, Cædwalla, Baltred, in the ancient -charters of the same church. And whatsoever questions shall arise, -whether of homicide, sacrilege, poison, theft, rapine, the disposal -and limits of churches, the ordination of clerks, ecclesiastical -synods, and all judicial inquiries, they shall be determined by the -decision of the abbat and convent, without the interference of any -person whatsoever. Moreover, I command all princes, archbishops, -bishops, dukes, and governors of my kingdom, as they tender my honour -and regard, and all dependants, mine as well as theirs, as they value -their personal safety, never to dare enter the island of our Lord Jesus -Christ and of the eternal Virgin, at Glastonbury, nor the possessions -of the said church, for the purpose of holding courts, making inquiry, -or seizing, or doing anything whatever to the offence of the servants -of God there residing: moreover I particularly inhibit, by the curse -of Almighty God, of the eternal Virgin Mary, and of the holy apostles -Peter and Paul, and of the rest of the saints, any bishop on any -account whatever from presuming to take his episcopal seat or celebrate -divine service or consecrate altars, or dedicate churches, or ordain, -or do any thing whatever, either in the church of Glastonbury itself, -or its dependent churches, that is to say--Sowy, Brente, Merlinch, -Sapewic, Stret, Sbudeclalech, Pilton, or in their chapels, or islands, -unless he be specially invited by the abbat or brethren of that place. -But if he come upon such invitation, he shall take nothing to himself -of the things of the church, nor of the offerings; knowing that he has -two mansions appointed him in two several places out of this church’s -possessions, one in Pilton, the other in the village called Poelt, -that, when coming or going, he may have a place of entertainment. -Nor even shall it be lawful for him to pass the night here unless -he shall be detained by stress of weather or bodily sickness, or -invited by the abbat or monks, and then with not more than three or -four clerks. Moreover let the aforesaid bishop be mindful every year, -with his clerks that are at Wells, to acknowledge his mother church -of Glastonbury with litanies on the second day after our Lord’s -ascension; and should he haughtily defer it, or fail in the things -which are above recited and confirmed, he shall forfeit his mansions -above-mentioned. The abbat or monks shall direct whom they please, -celebrating Easter canonically, to perform service in the church of -Glastonbury, its dependent churches, and in their chapels. Whosoever, -be he of what dignity, profession, or degree, he may, shall hereafter, -on any occasion whatsoever, attempt to pervert, or nullify this, the -witness of my munificence and liberality, let him be aware that, with -the traitor Judas, he shall perish, to his eternal confusion, in the -devouring flames of unspeakable torments. The charter of this donation -was written in the year of our Lord’s incarnation 725, the fourteenth -of the indiction, in the presence of the king Ina, and of Berthwald, -archbishop of Canterbury.” - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 709.] ENDOWMENT OF GLASTONBURY.] - -What splendour he [Ina] added to the monastery, may be collected from -the short treatise which I have written about its antiquities.[56] -Father Aldhelm assisted the design, and his precepts were heard with -humility, nobly adopted, and joyfully carried into effect. Lastly, -the king readily confirmed the privilege which Aldhelm had obtained -from pope Sergius, for the immunity of his monasteries; gave much to -the servants of God by his advice, and finally honoured him, though -constantly refusing, with a bishopric; but an early death malignantly -cut off this great man from the world. For scarcely had he discharged -the offices of his bishopric four years, ere he made his soul an -offering to heaven, in the year of our Lord’s incarnation 709, on the -vigil of St. Augustine the apostle of the Angles, namely the eighth -before the Kalends of June.[57] Some say, that he was the nephew of -the king, by his brother Kenten; but I do not choose to assert for -truth any thing which savours more of vague opinion, than of historic -credibility; especially as I can find no ancient record of it, and the -Chronicle clearly declares, that Ina had no other brother than Ingild, -who died some few years before him. Aldhelm needs no support from -fiction: such great things are there concerning him of indisputable -truth, so many which are beyond the reach of doubt. The sisters, -indeed, of Ina were Cuthburga and Cwenburga. Cuthburga was given -in marriage to Alfrid, king of the Northumbrians, but the contract -being soon after dissolved, she led a life dedicated to God, first at -Barking,[58] under the abbess Hildelitha, and afterwards as superior of -the convent at Wimborne; now a mean village, but formerly celebrated -for containing a full company of virgins, dead to earthly desires, and -breathing only aspirations towards heaven. She embraced the profession -of holy celibacy from the perusal of Aldhelm’s books on virginity, -dedicated indeed to the sisterhood of Barking, but profitable to all, -who aspire to that state. Ina’s queen was Ethelburga, a woman of royal -race and disposition: who perpetually urging the necessity of bidding -adieu to earthly things, at least in the close of life, and the king as -constantly deferring the execution of her advice, at last endeavoured -to overcome him by stratagem. For, on a certain occasion, when they had -been revelling at a country seat with more than usual riot and luxury, -the next day, after their departure, an attendant, with the privity -of the queen, defiled the palace in every possible manner, both with -the excrement of cattle and heaps of filth; and lastly he put a sow, -which had recently farrowed, in the very bed where they had lain. They -had hardly proceeded a mile, ere she attacked her husband with the -fondest conjugal endearments, entreating that they might immediately -return thither, whence they had departed, saying, that his denial would -be attended with dangerous consequences. Her petition being readily -granted, the king was astonished at seeing a place, which yesterday -might have vied with Assyrian luxury, now filthily disgusting and -desolate: and silently pondering on the sight, his eyes at length -turned upon the queen. Seizing the opportunity, and pleasantly smiling, -she said, “My noble spouse, where are the revellings of yesterday? -Where the tapestries dipped in Sidonian dyes? Where the ceaseless -impertinence of parasites? Where the sculptured vessels, overwhelming -the very tables with their weight of gold? Where are the delicacies so -anxiously sought throughout sea and land, to pamper the appetite? Are -not all these things smoke and vapour? Have they not all passed away? -Woe be to those who attach themselves to such, for they in like manner -shall consume away. Are not all these like a rapid river hastening to -the sea? And woe to those who are attached to them, for they shall be -carried away by the current. Reflect, I entreat you, how wretchedly -will these bodies decay, which we pamper with such unbounded luxury. -Must not we, who gorge so constantly, become more disgustingly putrid? -The mighty must undergo mightier torments, and a severer trial awaits -the strong.” Without saying more, by this striking example, she gained -over her husband to those sentiments, which she had in vain attempted -for years by persuasion.[59] - -For after his triumphal spoils in war; after many successive degrees in -virtue, he aspired to the highest perfection, and went to Rome. There, -not to make the glory of his conversion public, but that he might be -acceptable in the sight of God alone, he was shorn in secret; and, clad -in homely garb, grew old in privacy. Nor did his queen, the author -of this noble deed, desert him; but as she had before incited him to -undertake it, so, afterwards, she made it her constant care to soothe -his sorrows by her conversation, to stimulate him, when wavering, by -her example; in short, to omit nothing that could be conducive to his -salvation. Thus united in mutual affection, in due time they trod the -common path of all mankind. This was attended, as we have heard, with -singular miracles, such as God often deigns to bestow on the virtues of -happy couples. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 725-741.] ETHELARD--CUTHRED.] - -To the government succeeded Ethelard, the cousin of Ina; though Oswald, -a youth of royal extraction, often obscured his opening prospects. -Exciting his countrymen to rebellion, he attempted to make war on the -king, but soon after perishing by some unhappy doom, Ethelard kept -quiet possession of the kingdom for fourteen years, and then left it to -his kinsman, Cuthred, who for an equal space of time, and with similar -courage, was ever actively employed:-- - -“In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I, Cuthred, king of the West -Saxons, do hereby declare that all the gifts of former kings--Kentwin, -Baldred, Kedwall, Ina, Ethelard, and Ethelbald king of the Mercians, -in country houses, and in villages and lands, and farms, and mansions, -according to the confirmations made to the ancient city of Glastonbury, -and confirmed by autograph and by the sign of the cross, I do, as was -before said, hereby decree that this grant of former kings shall remain -firm and inviolate, as long as the revolution of the pole shall carry -the lands and seas with regular movement round the starry heavens. -But if any one, confiding in tyrannical pride shall endeavour on any -occasion to disturb and nullify this my testamentary grant, may he be -separated by the fan of the last judgment from the congregation of the -righteous, and joined to the assembly of the wicked for ever, paying -the penalty of his violence. But whoever with benevolent intention -shall strive to approve, confirm, and defend this my grant, may he be -allowed to enjoy unfailing immortality before the glory of Him that -sitteth on the throne, together with the happy companies of angels and -of all the saints. A copy of this grant was set forth in presence of -king Cuthred, in the aforesaid monastery, and dedicated to the holy -altar by the munificence of his own hand, in the wooden church, where -the brethren placed the coffin of abbat Hemgils, the 30th of April, in -the year of our Lord 745.” - -The same Cuthred, after much toil, made a successful campaign against -Ethelbald, king of Mercia, and the Britons, and gave up the sovereignty -after he had held it fourteen years. - -Sigebert then seized on the kingdom; a man of inhuman cruelty among -his own subjects, and noted for cowardice abroad; but the common -detestation of all conspiring against him, he was within a year driven -from the throne, and gave place to one more worthy. Yet, as commonly -happens in similar cases, the severity of his misfortunes brought back -some persons to his cause, and the province which is called Hampshire, -was, by their exertions, retained in subjection to him. Still, however, -unable to quit his former habits, and exciting the enmity of all -against him by the murder of one Cumbran, who had adhered to him with -unshaken fidelity, he fled to the recesses of wild beasts. Misfortune -still attending him thither also, he was stabbed by a swineherd. Thus -the cruelty of a king, which had almost desolated the higher ranks, was -put an end to by a man of the lowest condition. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 776-784.] DEATH OF CYNEWOLF.] - -Cynewolf next undertook the guidance of the state; illustrious for -the regulation of his conduct and his deeds in arms: but suffering -extremely from the loss of a single battle, in the twenty-fourth year -of his reign, against Offa, king of the Mercians, near Bensington, -he was also finally doomed to a disgraceful death. For after he had -reigned thirty-one years,[60] neither indolently nor oppressively, -either elated with success, because he imagined nothing could oppose -him, or alarmed for his posterity, from the increasing power of -Kineard, the brother of Sigebert, he compelled him to quit the kingdom. -Kineard, deeming it necessary to yield to the emergency of the times, -departed as if voluntarily; but soon after, when by secret meetings -he had assembled a desperate band of wretches, watching when the king -might be alone, for he had gone into the country for the sake of -recreation, he followed him thither with his party. And learning that -he was there giving loose to improper desires, he beset the house on -all sides. The king struck with his perilous situation, and holding a -conference with the persons present, shut fast the doors, expecting -either to appease the desperadoes by fair language, or to terrify them -by threats. When neither succeeded, he rushed furiously on Kineard, and -had nearly killed him; but, surrounded by the multitude, and thinking -it derogatory to his courage to give way, he fell, selling his life -nobly. Some few of his attendants, who, instead of yielding, attempted -to take vengeance for the loss of their lord, were slain. The report -of this dreadful outrage soon reached the ears of the nobles, who were -waiting near at hand. Of these Esric, the chief in age and prudence, -conjuring the rest not to leave unrevenged the death of their sovereign -to their own signal and eternal ignominy, rushed with drawn sword upon -the conspirators. At first Kineard attempted to argue his case; to -make tempting offers; to hold forth their relationship; but when this -availed nothing, he stimulated his party to resistance. Doubtful was -the conflict, where one side contended with all its powers for life, -the other for glory. And victory, wavering for a long time, at last -decided for the juster cause. Thus, fruitlessly valiant, this unhappy -man lost his life, unable long to boast the success of his treachery. -The king’s body was buried at Winchester, and the prince’s at Repton; -at that time a noble monastery, but at present, as I have heard, with -few, or scarcely any inmates. - -After him, for sixteen years, reigned Bertric: more studious of -peace than of war. Skilful in conciliating friendship, affable with -foreigners, and giving great allowances to his subjects, in those -matters at least which could not impair the strength of the government. -To acquire still greater estimation with his neighbours, he married -the daughter of Offa, king of Mercia, at that time all-powerful; by -whom, as far as I am acquainted, he had no issue. Supported by this -alliance he compelled Egbert, the sole survivor of the royal stock, -and whom he feared as the most effectual obstacle to his power, to -fly into France. In fact Bertric himself, and the other kings, after -Ina, though glorying in the splendour of their parentage, as deriving -their origin from Cerdic, had considerably deviated from the direct -line of the royal race. On Egbert’s expulsion, then, he had already -begun to indulge in indolent security, when a piratical tribe of the -Danes, accustomed to live by plunder, clandestinely arriving in three -ships, disturbed the tranquillity of the kingdom. This band came over -expressly to ascertain the fruitfulness of the soil, and the courage -of the inhabitants, as was afterwards discovered by the arrival of -that multitude, which over-ran almost the whole of Britain. Landing -then, unexpectedly, when the kingdom was in a state of profound peace, -they seized upon a royal village, which was nearest them, and killed -the superintendent, who had advanced with succours; but losing their -booty, through fear of the people, who hastened to attack them, they -retired to their ships. After Bertric, who was buried at Warham, Egbert -ascended the throne of his ancestors; justly to be preferred to all the -kings who preceded him. Thus having brought down our narrative to his -times, we must, as we have promised, next give our attention to the -Northumbrians. - - - - -CHAP. III. - -_Of the kings of the Northumbrians._ [A.D. 450.] - - -We have before related briefly, and now necessarily repeat, that -Hengist, having settled his own government in Kent, had sent his -brother Otha, and his son Ebusa, men of activity and tried experience, -to seize on the northern parts of Britain. Sedulous in executing the -command, affairs succeeded to their wishes. For frequently coming -into action with the inhabitants, and dispersing those who attempted -resistance, they conciliated with uninterrupted quiet such as -submitted. Thus, though through their own address and the good will of -their followers, they had established a certain degree of power, yet -never entertaining an idea of assuming the royal title, they left an -example of similar moderation to their immediate posterity. For during -the space of ninety-nine years, the Northumbrian leaders, contented -with subordinate power, lived in subjection to the kings of Kent. -Afterwards, however, this forbearance ceased; either because the human -mind is ever prone to degeneracy, or because that race of people was -naturally ambitious. In the year, therefore, of our Lord’s incarnation -547, the sixtieth after Hengist’s death, the principality was converted -into a kingdom. The most noble Ida, in the full vigour of life and of -strength, first reigned there. But whether he himself seized the chief -authority, or received it by the consent of others, I by no means -venture to determine, because the truth is unrevealed. However, it is -sufficiently evident, that, sprung from a great and ancient lineage, -he reflected much splendour on his illustrious descent, by his pure -and unsullied manners. Unconquerable abroad, at home he tempered his -kingly power with peculiar affability. Of this man, and of others, in -their respective places, I could lineally trace the descent, were it -not that the very names, of uncouth sound, would be less agreeable to -my readers than I wish. It may be proper though to remark, that Woden -had three sons; Weldeg, Withleg, and Beldeg; from the first, the kings -of Kent derived their origin; from the second, the kings of Mercia; and -from the third, the kings of the West-Saxons and Northumbrians, with -the exception of the two I am going to particularize. This Ida, then, -the ninth from Beldeg, and the tenth from Woden, as I find positively -declared, continued in the government fourteen years. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 450-560.] IDA--ALLA.] - -His successor Alla, originating from the same stock, but descending -from Woden by a different branch, conducted the government, extended -by his exertions considerably beyond its former bounds, for thirty -years. In his time, youths from Northumbria were exposed for sale, -after the common and almost native custom of this people; so that, -even as our days have witnessed, they would make no scruple of -separating the nearest ties of relationship through the temptation -of the slightest advantage. Some of these youths then, carried from -England for sale to Rome, became the means of salvation to all their -countrymen. For exciting the attention of that city, by the beauty of -their countenances and the elegance of their features, it happened -that, among others, the blessed Gregory, at that time archdeacon of -the apostolical see, was present. Admiring such an assemblage of grace -in mortals, and, at the same time, pitying their abject condition, as -captives, he asked the standers-by, “of what race are these? Whence -come they?” They reply, “by birth they are Angles; by country are -Deiri; (Deira being a province of Northumbria,) subjects of King Alla, -and Pagans.” Their concluding characteristic he accompanied with -heartfelt sighs: to the others he elegantly alluded, saying, “that -these Angles, _angel_-like, should be delivered from (_de_) _ira_, -and taught to sing _Alle-luia_.” Obtaining permission without delay -from pope Benedict, the industry of this excellent man was all alive -to enter on the journey to convert them; and certainly his zeal would -have completed this intended labour, had not the mutinous love of his -fellow citizens recalled him, already on his progress. He was a man -as celebrated for his virtues, as beloved by his countrymen; for by -his matchless worth, he had even exceeded the expectations they had -formed of him from his youth. His good intention, though frustrated at -this time, received afterwards, during his pontificate, an honourable -termination, as the reader will find in its proper place. I have -made this insertion with pleasure, that my readers might not lose -this notice of Alla, mention of whom is slightly made in the life of -Pope Gregory, who, although he was the primary cause of introducing -Christianity among the Angles, yet, either by the counsel of God, or -some mischance, was never himself permitted to know it. The calling, -indeed, descended to his son. - -On the death of Alla, Ethelric, the son of Ida, advanced to extreme old -age, after a life consumed in penury, obtained the kingdom, and after -five years, was taken off by a sudden death. He was a pitiable prince, -whom fame would have hidden in obscurity, had not the conspicuous -energy of the son lifted up the father to notice. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 588-603.] ETHELFRID.] - -When, therefore, by a long old age, he had satisfied the desire of -life, Ethelfrid, the elder of his sons, ascended the throne, and -compensated the greenness of his years by the maturity of his conduct. -His transactions have been so displayed by graceful composition, that -they want no assistance of mine, except as order is concerned. Bede -has eagerly dwelt on the praises of this man and his successors; and -has dilated on the Northumbrians at greater length, because they were -his near neighbours: our history, therefore, will select and compile -from his relation. In order, however, that no one may blame me for -contracting so diffuse a narrative, I must tell him that I have done -it purposely, that they who have been satiated with such high-seasoned -delicacies, may respire a little on these humble remnants: for it -is a saying trite by use and venerable for its age, “that the meats -which cloy the least are eaten with keenest appetite.” Ethelfrid -then, as I was relating, having obtained the kingdom, began at first -vigorously to defend his own territories, afterwards eagerly to invade -his neighbours, and to seek occasion for signalizing himself on all -sides. Many wars were begun by him with foresight, and terminated with -success; as he was neither restrained from duty by indolence, nor -precipitated into rashness by courage. An evidence of these things is -Degstan,[61] a noted place in those parts, where Edan, king of the -Scots, envying Ethelfrid’s successes, had constrained him, though -averse, to give battle; but, being overcome, he took to flight, though -the triumph was not obtained without considerable hazard to the victor. -For Tedbald, the brother of Ethelfrid, opposing himself to the most -imminent dangers that he might display his zeal in his brother’s cause, -left a mournful victory indeed, being cut off with his whole party. -Another proof of his success is afforded by the city of Carlegion, -now commonly called Chester, which, till that period possessed by the -Britons, fostered the pride of a people hostile to the king. When he -bent his exertions to subdue this city, the townsmen preferring any -extremity to a siege, and at the same confiding in their numbers, -rushed out in multitudes to battle. But deceived by a stratagem, they -were overcome and put to flight; his fury being first vented on the -monks, who came out in numbers to pray for the safety of the army. -That their number was incredible to these times is apparent from so -many half-destroyed walls of churches in the neighbouring monastery, -so many winding porticoes, such masses of ruins as can scarcely be -seen elsewhere. The place is called Bangor; at that day a noted -monastery, but now changed into a cathedral.[62] Ethelfrid, thus, while -circumstances proceeded to his wishes abroad, being desirous of warding -off domestic apprehensions and intestine danger, banished Edwin, the -son of Alla, a youth of no mean worth, from his kingdom and country. -He, wandering for a long time without any settled habitation, found -many of his former friends more inclined to his enemy than to the -observance of their engagements; for as it is said, - - “If joy be thine, ’tis then thy friends abound: - Misfortune comes, and thou alone art found.”[63] - -At last he came to Redwald, king of the East Angles, and bewailing his -misfortunes, was received into his protection. Shortly after there -came messengers from Ethelfrid, either demanding the surrender of the -fugitive, or denouncing hostilities. Determined by the advice of his -wife not to violate, through intimidation, the laws of friendship, -Redwald collected a body of troops, rushed against Ethelfrid, and -attacked him suddenly, whilst suspecting nothing less than an assault. -The only remedy that courage, thus taken by surprise, could suggest, -there being no time to escape, he availed himself of. Wherefore, though -almost totally unprepared, though beset with fearful danger on every -side, he fell not till he had avenged his own death by the destruction -of Regnhere, the son of Redwald. Such an end had Ethelfrid, after a -reign of twenty-four years: a man second to none in martial experience, -but entirely ignorant of the holy faith. He had two sons by Acca, the -daughter of Alla, sister of Edwin, Oswald aged twelve, and Oswy four -years; who, upon the death of their father, fled through the management -of their governors, and escaped into Scotland. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 617-633.] EDWIN.] - -In this manner, all his rivals being slain or banished, Edwin, trained -by many adversities, ascended, not meanly qualified, the summit of -power. When the haughtiness of the Northumbrians had bent to his -dominion, his felicity was crowned by the timely death of Redwald, -whose subjects, during Edwin’s exile among them, having formerly -experienced his ready courage and ardent disposition, now willingly -swore obedience to him. Granting to the son of Redwald the empty -title of king, himself managed all things as he thought fit. At this -juncture, the hopes and the resources of the Angles centred totally -in him; nor was there a single province of Britain which did not -regard his will, and prepare to obey it, except Kent: for he had left -the Kentish people free from his incursions, because he had long -meditated a marriage with Ethelburga, sister of their king. When she -was granted to him, after a courtship long protracted, to the intent -that he should not despise that woman when possessed whom he so -ardently desired when withheld, these two kingdoms became so united -by the ties of kindred, that, there was no rivalry in their powers, -no difference in their manners. Moreover, on this occasion, the faith -of Christ our Lord, infused into those parts by the preaching of -Paulinus, reached first the king himself, whom the queen, among other -proofs of conjugal affection, was perpetually instructing; nor was -the admonition of bishop Paulinus wanting in its place. For a long -time, he was wavering and doubtful; but once received, he imbibed it -altogether. Then he invited neighbouring kings to the faith; then he -erected churches, and neglected nothing for its propagation. In the -meanwhile, the merciful grace of God smiled on the devotion of the -king; insomuch, that not only the nations of Britain, that is to say, -the Angles, Scots, and Picts, but even the Orkney and Mevanian isles, -which we now call Anglesey, that is, islands of the Angles, both feared -his arms, and venerated his power. At that time, there was no public -robber; no domestic thief; the tempter of conjugal fidelity was far -distant; the plunderer of another man’s inheritance was in exile: a -state of things redounding to his praise, and worthy of celebration in -our times. In short, such was the increase of his power, that justice -and peace willingly met and kissed each other, imparting mutual acts -of kindness. And now indeed would the government of the Angles have -held a prosperous course, had not an untimely death, the stepmother of -all earthly felicity, by a lamentable turn of fortune, snatched this -man from his country. For in the forty-eighth year of his age, and the -seventeenth of his reign, being killed, together with his son, by the -princes whom he had formerly subjugated, Cadwalla of the Britons and -Penda of the Mercians, rising up against him, he became a melancholy -example of human vicissitude. He was inferior to none in prudence: for -he would not embrace even the Christian faith till he had examined it -most carefully; but when once adopted, he esteemed nothing worthy to be -compared to it. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 635.] OSWALD.] - -Edwin thus slain, the sons of Ethelfrid, who were also the nephews of -Edwin, Oswald, and Oswy, now grown up, and in the budding prime of -youth, re-sought their country, together with Eanfrid, their elder -brother, whom I forgot before to mention. The kingdom, therefore, was -now divided into two. Indeed, Northumbria, long since separated into -two provinces, had elected Alla, king of the Deirans, and Ida, of the -Bernicians. Wherefore Osric, the cousin of Edwin, succeeding to Deira, -and Eanfrid, the son of Ethelfrid, to Bernicia, they exulted in the -recovery of their hereditary right. They had both been baptized in -Scotland, though they were scarcely settled in their authority, ere -they renounced their faith: but shortly after they suffered the just -penalty of their apostacy through the hostility of Cadwalla. The space -of a year, passed in these transactions, improved Oswald, a young man -of great hope, in the science of government. Armed rather by his faith, -for he had been admitted to baptism while in exile with many nobles -among the Scots, than by his military preparations, on the first onset -he drove Cadwalla,[64] a man elated with the recollection of his former -deeds, and, as he used himself to say, “born for the extermination of -the Angles,” from his camp, and afterwards destroyed him with all his -forces. For when he had collected the little army which he was able -to muster, he excited them to the conflict, in which, laying aside -all thought of flight, they must determine either to conquer or die, -by suggesting, “that it must be a circumstance highly disgraceful -for the Angles to meet the Britons on such unequal terms, as to fight -against those persons for safety, whom they had been used voluntarily -to attack for glory only; that therefore they should maintain their -liberty with dauntless courage, and the most strenuous exertions; but, -that of the impulse to flight no feeling whatever should be indulged.” -In consequence they met with such fury on both sides, that, it may be -truly said, no day was ever more disastrous for the Britons, or more -joyful for the Angles: so completely was one party routed with all -its forces, as never to have hope of recovering again; so exceedingly -powerful did the other become, through the effects of faith and the -accompanying courage of the king. From this time, the worship of idols -fell prostrate in the dust; and he governed the kingdom, extended -beyond Edwin’s boundaries, for eight years, peaceably and without -the loss of any of his people. Bede, in his History, sets forth the -praises of this king in a high style of panegyric, of which I shall -extract such portions as may be necessary, by way of conclusion. With -what fervent faith his breast was inspired, may easily be learned -from this circumstance. If at any time Aidan the priest addressed his -auditors on the subject of their duty, in the Scottish tongue, and -no interpreter was present, the king himself would directly, though -habited in the royal robe, glittering with gold, or glowing with -Tyrian purple, graciously assume that office, and explain the foreign -idiom in his native language. It is well known too, that frequently -at entertainments, when the guests had whetted their appetites -and bent their inclinations on the feast, he would forego his own -gratification;[65] procuring, by his abstinence, comfort for the poor. -So that I think the truth of that heavenly sentence was fulfilled even -on earth, where the celestial oracle hath said, “He that dispersed -abroad, he hath given to the poor, his righteousness remaineth for -ever.” And moreover, what the hearer must wonder at, and cannot deny, -that identical royal right hand, the dispenser of so many alms, -remains to this day perfect, with the arm, the skin and nerves, though -the remainder of the body, with the exception of the bones, mouldering -into dust, has not escaped the common lot of mortality. It is true the -corporeal remains of some of the saints are unconscious altogether of -decay. Wherefore let others determine by what standard they will fix -their judgment; I pronounce this still more gracious and divine on -account of its singular manifestation; because things ever so precious -degenerate by frequency, and whatever is more unusual, is celebrated -more generally. I should indeed be thought prolix were I to relate how -diligent he was to address his prayers on high, and to fill the heavens -with vows. This virtue of Oswald is too well known to require the -support of our narrative. For at what time would that man neglect his -supplications, who, in the insurrection excited by Penda king of the -Mercians, his guards being put to flight and himself actually carrying -a forest of darts in his breast, could not be prevented by the pain -of his wounds or the approach of death, from praying for the souls of -his faithful companions? In such manner this personage, of surpassing -celebrity in this world, and highly in favour with God, ending a -valuable life, transmitted his memory to posterity by a frequency of -miracles; and indeed most deservedly. For it is not common, but even -more rare than a white crow, for men to abound in riches, and not give -indulgence to their vices.[66] - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 642.] OSWALD.] - -When he was slain, his arms with the hands and his head were cut off -by the insatiable rage of his conqueror, and fixed on a stake. The -dead trunk indeed, as I have mentioned, being laid to rest in the -calm bosom of the earth, turned to its native dust; but the arms and -hands, through the power of God, remain, according to the testimony -of an author of veracity, without corruption. These being placed by -his brother Oswy in a shrine, at the city of Bebbanburg,[67] so the -Angles call it, and shown for a miracle, bear testimony to the fact. -Whether they remain at that place at the present day, I venture not -rashly to affirm, because I waver in my opinion. If other historians -have precipitately recorded any matter, let them be accountable: -I hold common report at a cheaper rate, and affirm nothing but -what is deserving of entire credit. The head was then buried by his -before-mentioned brother at Lindisfarne; but it is said now to be -preserved at Durham in the arms of the blessed Cuthbert.[68] When -Ostritha, the wife of Ethelred, king of the Mercians, daughter of -king Oswy, through regard to her uncle, was anxious to take the bones -of the trunk to her monastery of Bardney, which is in the country of -the Mercians not far from the city of Lincoln, the monks refused her -request at first; denying repose even to the bones of that man when -dead whom they had hated whilst living, because he had obtained their -country by right of arms. But at midnight being taught, by a miraculous -light from heaven shining on the relics, to abate their haughty pride, -they became converts to reason, and even entreated as a favour, what -before they had rejected. Virtues from on high became resident in this -place: every sick person who implored this most excellent martyr’s -assistance, immediately received it. The withering turf grew greener -from his blood, and recovered a horse:[69] and some of it being hung up -against a post, the devouring flames fled from it in their turn. Some -dust, moistened from his relics, was equally efficacious in restoring -a lunatic to his proper senses. The washings of the stake which had -imbibed the blood fresh streaming from his head, restored health to -one despairing of recovery. For a long time this monastery, possessing -so great a treasure, flourished in the sanctity of its members and the -abundance of its friends, more especially after king Ethelred received -the tonsure there, where also his tomb is seen even to the present day. -After many years indeed, when the barbarians infested these parts, the -bones of the most holy Oswald were removed to Gloucester. This place, -at that period inhabited by monks, but at the present time by canons, -contains but few inmates. Oswald, therefore, was the man who yielded -the first fruits of holiness to his nation; since no Angle before him, -to my knowledge, was celebrated for miracles. For after a life spent in -sanctity, in liberally giving alms, in frequent watchings and prayer, -and lastly, through zeal for the church of God, in waging war with an -heathen, he poured out his spirit, according to his wishes, before he -could behold, what was his greatest object of apprehension, the decline -of Christianity. Nor indeed shall he be denied the praise of the -martyrs, who, first aspiring after a holy life, and next opposing his -body to a glorious death, certainly trod in their steps: in a manner he -deserves higher commendation, since they barely consecrated themselves -to God; but Oswald not only himself, but all the Northumbrians with him. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 655-670.] OSWY. EGFRID.] - -On his removal from this world, Oswy his brother assumed the dominion -over the Bernicians, as did Oswin, the son of Osric, whom I have before -mentioned, over the Deirans. After meeting temperately at first on -the subject of the division of the provinces, under a doubtful truce, -they each retired peaceably to their territories; but not long after, -by means of persons who delighted in sowing the seeds of discord, the -peace, of which they had so often made a mockery by ambiguous treaties, -was finally broken, and vanished into air. Horrid crime! that there -should be men who could envy these kings their friendly intimacy, -nor abstain from using their utmost efforts to precipitate them into -battle. Here then fortune, who had before so frequently caressed Oswin -with her blandishments, now wounded him with her scorpion-sting. -For thinking it prudent to abstain from fighting, on account of the -smallness of his force, he had secretly withdrawn to a country-seat, -where he was immediately betrayed by his own people, and killed by -Oswy. He was a man admirably calculated to gain the favour of his -subjects by his pecuniary liberality; and, as they relate, demonstrated -his care for his soul by his fervent devotion. Oswy, thus sovereign of -the entire kingdom, did every thing to wipe out this foul stain, and to -increase his dignity, extenuating the enormity of that atrocious deed -by the rectitude of his future conduct. Indeed the first and highest -point of his glory is, that he nobly avenged his brother and his uncle, -and gave to perdition Penda king of the Mercians, that destroyer of -his neighbours, and fomenter of hostility. From this period he either -governed the Mercians, as well as almost all the Angles, himself, -or was supreme over those who did. Turning from this time altogether -to offices of piety, that he might be truly grateful for the favours -of God perpetually flowing down upon him, he proceeded to raise up -and animate, with all his power, the infancy of the Christian faith, -which of late was fainting through his brother’s death. This faith, -brought shortly after to maturity by the learning of the Scots, but -wavering in many ecclesiastical observances, was now settled on -canonical foundations:[70] first by Agilbert and Wilfrid, and next by -archbishop Theodore: for whose arrival in Britain, although Egbert, -king of Kent, as far as his province is concerned, takes much from his -glory, the chief thanks are due to Oswy.[71] Moreover he built numerous -habitations for the servants of God, and so left not his country -destitute of this advantage also. The principal of these monasteries, -at that time for females, but now for males, was situate about thirty -miles north of York, and was anciently called Streaneshalch, but -latterly Whitby. Begun by Hilda, a woman of singular piety, it was -augmented with large revenues by Elfled, daughter of this king, who -succeeded her in the government of it; in which place also she buried -her father with all due solemnity, after he had reigned twenty-eight -years. This monastery, like all others of the same order, was destroyed -in the times of the Danish invasion, which will be related hereafter, -and bereaved of the bodies of many saints. For the bones of St. Aidan -the bishop, of Ceolfrid the abbat, and of that truly holy virgin Hilda, -together with those of many others, were, as I have related in the book -which I lately published on the Antiquity of the Church of Glastonbury, -at that time removed to Glastonbury; and those of other saints to -different places. Now the monastery, under another name, and somewhat -restored as circumstances permitted, hardly presents a vestige of its -former opulence. - -To Oswy, who had two sons, the elder who was illegitimate being -rejected, succeeded the younger, Egfrid, legitimately born, more valued -on account of the good qualities of his most pious wife Etheldrida, -than for his own; yet he was certainly to be commended for two -things which I have read in the history of the Angles, his allowing -his wife to dedicate herself to God, and his promoting the blessed -Cuthbert to a bishopric, whose tears at the same time burst out with -pious assent.[72] But my mind shudders at the bare recollection of -his outrage against the holy Wilfrid, when, loathing his virtues, he -deprived the country of this shining character. Overbearing towards -the suppliant, a malady incident to tyrants, he overwhelmed the Irish, -a race of men harmless in genuine simplicity and guiltless of every -crime, with incredible slaughter. On the other hand, inactive towards -the rebellious, and not following up the triumphs of his father, -he lost the dominion of the Mercians, and moreover, defeated in -battle by Ethelred the son of Penda, their king, he lost his brother -also. Perhaps these last circumstances may be truly attributed to -the unsteadiness of youth, but his conduct towards Wilfrid, to the -instigation of his wife,[73] and of the bishops; more especially as -Bede, a man who knew not how to flatter, calls him, in his book of -the Lives of his Abbats, the most pious man, the most beloved by God. -At length, in the fifteenth year of his reign, as he was leading -an expedition against the Picts, and eagerly pursuing them as they -purposely retired to some secluded mountains, he perished with almost -all his forces; the few who escaped by flight carried home news of -the event; and yet the divine Cuthbert, from his knowledge of future -events, had both attempted to keep him back, when departing, and at the -very moment of his death, enlightened by heavenly influence, declared, -though at a distance, that he was slain. - -While a more than common report every where noised the death of Egfrid, -an intimation of it, “borne on the wings of haste,” reached the ears of -his brother Alfrid. Though the elder brother, he had been deemed, by -the nobility, unworthy of the government, from his illegitimacy, as I -have observed, and had retired to Ireland, either through compulsion or -indignation. In this place, safe from the persecution of his brother, -he had, from his ample leisure, become deeply versed in literature, and -had enriched his mind with every kind of learning. On which account the -very persons who had formerly banished him, esteeming him the better -qualified to manage the reins of government, now sent for him of their -own accord. Fate rendered efficacious their entreaties; neither did he -disappoint their expectations. For during the space of nineteen years, -he presided over the kingdom in the utmost tranquillity and joy; doing -nothing that even greedy calumny itself could justly carp at, except -the persecution of that great man Wilfrid. However he held not the -same extent of territory as his father and brother, because the Picts, -proudly profiting by their recent victory, and attacking the Angles, -who were become indolent through a lengthened peace, had curtailed his -boundaries on the north. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 685-730.] OSRED.--CEOLWULF.] - -He had for successor his son, Osred, a boy of eight years old; who -disgracing the throne for eleven years, and spending an ignominious -life in the seduction of nuns, was ultimately taken off by the -hostility of his relations. Yet he poured out to them a draught -from the same cup; for Kenred after reigning two, and Osric eleven -years, left only this to be recorded of them; that they expiated by -a violent death, the blood of their master, whom they supposed they -had rightfully slain. Osric indeed deserved a happier end, for, as a -heathen[74] says, he was more dignified than other shades, because, -while yet living he had adopted Ceolwulf, Kenred’s brother, as his -successor. Then Ceolwulf ascended the giddy height of empire, seventh -in descent from Ida: a man competent in other respects, and withal -possessed of a depth of literature, acquired by good abilities and -indefatigable attention. Bede vouches for the truth of my assertion, -who, at the very juncture when Britain most abounded with scholars, -offered his History of the Angles, for correction, to this prince more -especially; making choice of his authority, to confirm by his high -station what had been well written; and of his learning, to rectify by -his talents what might be carelessly expressed. - -In the fourth year of his reign, Bede, the historian, after having -written many books for the holy church, entered the heavenly kingdom, -for which he had so long languished, in the year of our Lord’s -incarnation 734; of his age the fifty-ninth. A man whom it is easier -to admire than worthily to extol: who, though born in a remote corner -of the world, was able to dazzle the whole earth with the brilliancy -of his learning. For even Britain, which by some is called another -world, since, surrounded by the ocean, it was not thoroughly known -by many geographers, possesses, in its remotest region, bordering -on Scotland, the place of his birth and education. This region, -formerly exhaling the grateful odour of monasteries, or glittering -with a multitude of cities built by the Romans, now desolate through -the ancient devastations of the Danes, or those more recent of the -Normans,[75] presents but little to allure the mind. Here is the river -Wear, of considerable breadth and rapid tide; which running into the -sea, receives the vessels, borne by gentle gales, on the calm bosom -of its haven. Both its banks[76] have been made conspicuous by one -Benedict,[77] who there built churches and monasteries; one dedicated -to Peter, and the other to Paul, united in the bond of brotherly love -and of monastic rule. The industry and forbearance of this man, any -one will admire who reads the book which Bede composed concerning his -life and those of the succeeding abbats: his industry, in bringing -over a multitude of books, and being the first person who introduced -in England constructors of stone edifices, as well as makers of glass -windows; in which pursuits he spent almost his whole life abroad: -the love of his country and his taste for elegance beguiling his -painful labours, in the earnest desire of conveying something to his -countrymen out of the common way; for very rarely before the time of -Benedict were buildings of stone[78] seen in Britain, nor did the -solar ray cast its light through the transparent glass. Again, his -forbearance: for when in possession of the monastery of St. Augustine -at Canterbury, he cheerfully resigned it to Adrian, when he arrived, -not as fearing the severity of St. Theodore the archbishop, but bowing -to his authority. And farther, while long absent abroad, he endured not -only with temper, but, I may say, with magnanimity, the substitution of -another abbat, without his knowledge, by the monks of Wearmouth; and -on his return, admitted him to equal honour with himself, in rank and -power. Moreover, when stricken so severely with the palsy that he could -move none of his limbs, he appointed a third abbat, because the other, -of whom we have spoken, was not less affected by the same disease. And -when the disorder, increasing, was just about to seize his vitals, he -bade adieu to his companion, who was brought into his presence, with -an inclination of the head only; nor was he better able to return the -salutation, for he was hastening to a still nearer exit, and actually -died before Benedict. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 690.] CEOLFRID.] - -Ceolfrid succeeded, under whom the affairs of the monastery flourished -beyond measure. When, through extreme old age, life ceased to be -desirable, he purposed going to Rome, that he might pour out, as he -hoped, his aged soul an offering to the apostles his masters. But -failing of the object of his desires, he paid the debt of nature at the -city of Langres. The relics of his bones were in after time conveyed -to his monastery; and at the period of the Danish devastation, with -those of St. Hilda, were taken to Glastonbury.[79] The merits of these -abbats, sufficiently eminent in themselves, their celebrated pupil, -Bede, crowns with superior splendour. It is written indeed, “A wise son -is the glory of his father:” for one of them made him a monk, the other -educated him. And since Bede himself has given some slight notices of -these facts, comprising his whole life in a kind of summary, it may be -allowed to turn to his words, which the reader will recognize, lest any -variation of the style should affect the relation. At the end then of -the Ecclesiastical History of the English[80] this man, as praiseworthy -in other respects as in this, that he withheld nothing from posterity, -though it might be only a trifling knowledge of himself, says thus: - -“I, Bede, the servant of Christ, and priest of the monastery of the -holy apostles Peter and Paul, which is at Wearmouth, have, by God’s -assistance, arranged these materials for the history of Britain. I was -born within the possessions of this monastery, and at seven years of -age, was committed, by the care of my relations, to the most reverend -abbat Benedict, to be educated, and, after, to Ceolfrid; passing -the remainder of my life from that period in residence at the said -monastery, I have given up my whole attention to the study of the -Scriptures, and amid the observance of my regular discipline and my -daily duty of singing in the church, have ever delighted to learn, -to teach, or to write. In the nineteenth year of my life, I took -deacon’s, in the thirtieth, priest’s orders; both, at the instance of -abbat Ceolfrid, by the ministry of the most reverend bishop John:[81] -from which time of receiving the priesthood till the fifty-ninth year -of my age, I have been employed for the benefit of myself or of my -friends, in making these extracts from the works of the venerable -fathers, or in making additions, according to the form of their -sense or interpretation.” Then enumerating thirty-six volumes which -he published in seventy-eight books, he proceeds, “And I pray most -earnestly, O merciful Jesus, that thou wouldst grant me, to whom thou -hast already given the knowledge of thyself, finally to come to thee, -the fountain of all wisdom, and to appear for ever in thy presence. -Moreover I humbly entreat all persons, whether readers or hearers, -whom this history of our nation shall reach, that they be mindful to -intercede with the divine clemency for my infirmities both of mind -and of body, and that, in their several provinces, they make me this -grateful return; that I, who have diligently laboured to record, of -every province, or of more exalted places, what appeared worthy of -preservation or agreeable to the inhabitants, may receive, from all, -the benefit of their pious intercessions.” - -Here my abilities fail, here my eloquence falls short: ignorant which -to praise most, the number of his writings, or the gravity of his -style. No doubt he had imbibed a large portion of heavenly wisdom, -to be able to compose so many volumes within the limits of so short -a life. Nay, they even report, that he went to Rome for the purpose -either of personally asserting that his writings were consistent with -the doctrines of the church; or of correcting them by apostolical -authority, should they be found repugnant thereto. That he went to Rome -I do not however affirm for fact: but I have no doubt in declaring that -he was invited thither, as the following epistle will certify; as well -as that the see of Rome so highly esteemed him as greatly to desire his -presence. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 701.] SERGIUS’S EPISTLE.] - -“_Sergius the bishop, servant of the servants of God, to Ceolfrid the -holy abbat sendeth greeting_:-- - -“With what words, and in what manner, can we declare the kindness -and unspeakable providence of our God, and return fit thanks for his -boundless benefits, who leads us, when placed in darkness, and the -shadow of death, to the light of knowledge?” And below, “Know, that -we received the favour of the offering which your devout piety hath -sent by the present bearer, with the same joy and goodwill with which -it was transmitted. We assent to the timely and becoming prayers of -your laudable anxiety with deepest regard, and entreat of your pious -goodness, so acceptable to God, that, since there have occurred certain -points of ecclesiastical discipline, not to be promulgated without -farther examination, which have made it necessary for us to confer with -a person skilled in literature, as becomes an assistant of God’s holy -universal motherchurch, you would not delay paying ready obedience -to this, our admonition; but would send without loss of time, to our -lowly presence, at the church of the chief apostles, my lords Peter -and Paul, your friends and protectors, that religious servant of God, -Bede, the venerable priest of your monastery; whom, God willing, you -may expect to return in safety, when the necessary discussion of -the above-mentioned points shall be, by God’s assistance, solemnly -completed: for whatever may be added to the church at large, by his -assistance, will, we trust, be profitable to the things committed to -your immediate care.” - -So extensive was his fame then, that even the majesty of Rome itself -solicited his assistance in solving abstruse questions, nor did Gallic -conceit ever find in this Angle any thing justly to blame. All the -western world yielded the palm to his faith and authority; for indeed -he was of sound faith, and of artless, yet pleasing eloquence: in all -elucidations of the holy scriptures, discussing those points from which -the reader might imbibe the love of God, and of his neighbour, rather -than those which might charm by their wit, or polish a rugged style. -Moreover the irrefragable truth of that sentence, which the majesty -of divine wisdom proclaimed to the world forbids any one to doubt the -sanctity of his life, “Wisdom will not enter the malevolent soul, nor -dwell in the person of the sinful;” which indeed is said not of earthly -wisdom, which is infused promiscuously into the hearts of men, and in -which, even the wicked, who continue their crimes until their last day, -seem often to excel, according to the divine expression, “The sons of -this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light;” -but it rather describes that wisdom which needs not the assistance -of learning, and which dismisses from its cogitations those things -which are void of understanding, that is to say, of the understanding -of acting and speaking properly. Hence Seneca in his book, “De -Causis,”[82] appositely relates that Cato, defining the duty of an -orator, said, “An orator is a good man, skilled in speaking.” This -ecclesiastical orator, then, used to purify his knowledge, that so he -might, as far as possible, unveil the meaning of mystic writings. How -indeed could that man be enslaved to vice who gave his whole soul and -spirit to elucidate the scriptures? For, as he confesses in his third -book on Samuel, if his expositions were productive of no advantage to -his readers, yet were they of considerable importance to himself, -inasmuch as, while fully intent upon them, he escaped the vanity and -empty imaginations of the times. Purified from vice, therefore, he -entered within the inner veil, divulging in pure diction the sentiments -of his mind. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 735.] DEATH OF BEDE.] - -But the unspotted sanctity and holy purity of his heart were chiefly -conspicuous on the approach of death. Although for seven weeks -successively, from the indisposition of his stomach, he nauseated all -food, and was troubled with such a difficulty of breathing that his -disorder confined him to his bed, yet he by no means abandoned his -literary avocations. During whole days he endeavoured to mitigate -the pressure of his disorder and to lose the recollection of it by -constant lectures to his pupils, and by examining and solving abstruse -questions, in addition to his usual task of psalmody. Moreover the -gospel of St. John, which from its difficulty exercises the talents of -its readers even to the present day, was translated by him into the -English language, and accommodated to those who did not understand -Latin. Occasionally, also, would he admonish his disciples, saying, -“Learn, my children, while I am with you, for I know not how long I -shall continue; and although my Maker should very shortly take me -hence, and my spirit should return to him that sent and granted it to -come into this life, yet have I lived long, God hath rightly appointed -my portion of days, I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ.” - -Often too when the balance was poised between hope and fear, he would -remark “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living -God.[83] I have not passed my life among you in such manner as to be -ashamed to live, neither do I fear to die, because we have a kind -Master;” thus borrowing the expression of St. Ambrose when dying. -Happy man! who could speak with so quiet a conscience as neither being -ashamed to live, nor afraid to die; on the one hand not fearing the -judgment of men, on the other waiting with composure the hidden will of -God. Often, when urged by extremity of pain, he comforted himself with -these remarks, “The furnace tries the gold, and the fire of temptation -the just man: the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be -compared to the future glory which shall be revealed in us.”[84] Tears -and a difficulty of breathing accompanied his words. At night, when -there were none to be instructed or to note down his remarks, he passed -the whole season in giving thanks and singing psalms, fulfilling the -saying of that very wise man,[85] “that he was never less alone than -when alone.” If at any time a short and disturbed sleep stole upon his -eye-lids, he immediately shook it off, and showed that his affections -were always intent on God, by exclaiming “Lift me up, O Lord, that the -proud calumniate me not. Do with thy servant according to thy mercy.” -These and similar expressions which his shattered memory suggested, -flowed spontaneously from his lips whenever the pain of his agonizing -disorder became mitigated. But on the Tuesday before our Lord’s -ascension his disease rapidly increased, and there appeared a small -swelling in his feet, the sure and certain indication of approaching -death. Then the congregation being called together, he was anointed and -received the sacrament. Kissing them all, and requesting from each that -they would bear him in remembrance, he gave a small present, which he -had privately reserved, to some with whom he had been in closer bonds -of friendship. On Ascension day, when his soul, tired of the frail -occupation of the body, panted to be free, lying down on a hair-cloth -near the oratory, where he used to pray, with sense unimpaired and -joyful countenance, he invited the grace of the Holy Spirit, saying, “O -King of glory, Lord of virtue, who ascendedst this day triumphant into -the heavens, leave us not destitute, but send upon us the promise of -the Father, the Spirit of truth.” This prayer ended, he breathed his -last, and immediately the senses of all were pervaded by an odour such -as neither cinnamon nor balm could give, but coming, as it were, from -paradise, and fraught with all the joyous exhalations of spring. At -that time he was buried in the same monastery, but at present, report -asserts that he lies at Durham with St. Cuthbert. - -With this man was buried almost all knowledge of history down to our -times, inasmuch as there has been no Englishman either emulous of his -pursuits, or a follower of his graces, who could continue the thread -of his discourse, now broken short. Some few indeed, “whom the mild -Jesus loved,” though well skilled in literature, have yet observed an -ungracious silence throughout their lives; others, scarcely tasting of -the stream, have fostered a criminal indolence. Thus to the slothful -succeeded others more slothful still, and the warmth of science for a -long time decreased throughout the island. The verses of his epitaph -will afford sufficient specimen of this indolence; they are indeed -contemptible, and unworthy the tomb of so great a man: - - “Presbyter hic Beda, requiescit carne sepultus; - Dona, Christe, animam in cœlis gaudere per ævum: - Daque illi sophiæ debriari fonte, cui jam - Suspiravit ovans, intento semper amore.”[86] - -Can this disgrace be extenuated by any excuse, that there was not to -be found even in that monastery, where during his lifetime the school -of all learning had flourished, a single person who could write his -epitaph, except in this mean and paltry style? But enough of this: I -will return to my subject. - -Ceolwulf thinking it beneath the dignity of a Christian to be immersed -in earthly things, abdicated the throne after a reign of eight years, -and assumed the monastic habit at Lindisfarne, in which place how -meritoriously he lived, is amply testified by his being honourably -interred near St. Cuthbert, and by many miracles vouchsafed from on -high. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 737, 738.] KING EADBERT.] - -He had made provision against the state’s being endangered, by placing -his cousin, Eadbert,[87] on the throne, which he filled for twenty -years with singular moderation and virtue. Eadbert had a brother -of the same name, archbishop of York, who, by his own prudence and -the power of the king, restored that see to its original state. -For, as is well known to any one conversant in the history of the -Angles,[88] Paulinus, the first prelate of the church of York, had -been forcibly driven away, and died at Rochester, where he left that -honourable distinction of the pall which he had received from pope -Honorius. After him, many prelates of this august city, satisfied -with the name of a simple bishopric, aspired to nothing higher: but -when Eadbert was seated on the throne, a man of loftier spirit, and -one who thought, that, “as it is over-reaching to require what is not -our due, so is it ignoble to neglect our right,” he reclaimed the -pall by frequent appeals to the pope. This personage, if I may be -allowed the expression, was the depository and receptacle of every -liberal art; and founded a most noble library at York. For this I -cite Alcuin,[89] as competent witness; who was sent from the kings -of England to the emperor Charles the Great, to treat of peace, and -being hospitably entertained by him, observes, in a letter to Eanbald, -third in succession from Eadbert, “Praise and glory be to God, who -hath preserved my days in full prosperity, that I should rejoice in -the exaltation of my dearest son, who laboured in my stead, in the -church where I had been brought up and educated, and presided over the -treasures of wisdom, to which my beloved master, archbishop Egbert, -left me heir.” Thus too to Charles Augustus:[90] “Give me the more -polished volumes of scholastic learning, such as I used to have in my -own country, through the laudable and ardent industry of my master, -archbishop Egbert. And, if it please your wisdom, I will send some of -our youths, who may obtain thence whatever is necessary, and bring back -into France the flowers of Britain; that the garden of Paradise may not -be confined to York, but that some of its scions may be transplanted to -Tours.” - -This is the same Alcuin, who, as I have said, was sent into France to -treat of peace, and during his abode with Charles, captivated either by -the pleasantness of the country or the kindness of the king, settled -there; and being held in high estimation, he taught the king, during -his leisure from the cares of state, a thorough knowledge of logic, -rhetoric, and astronomy. Alcuin was, of all the Angles, of whom I have -read, next to St. Aldhelm and Bede, certainly the most learned, and has -given proof of his talents in a variety of compositions. He lies buried -in France, at the church of St. Paul, of Cormaric,[91] which monastery -Charles the Great built at his suggestion: on which account, even at -the present day, the subsistence of four monks is distributed in alms, -for the soul of our Alcuin, in that church. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 738.] KINGS OF FRANCE.] - -But since I am arrived at that point where the mention of Charles the -Great naturally presents itself, I shall subjoin a true statement of -the descent of the kings of France, of which antiquity has said much: -nor shall I depart widely from my design; because to be unacquainted -with their race, I hold as a defect in information; seeing that they -are our near neighbours, and to them the Christian world chiefly looks -up: and, perhaps, to glance over this compendium may give pleasure to -many who have not leisure to wade through voluminous works. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 747-937.] CAROLOMAN--CHARLEMAGNE--LOUIS.] - -The Franks were so called, by a Greek appellative, from the ferocity -of their manners, when, by order of the emperor Valentinian the First, -they ejected the Alani, who had retreated to the Mæotian marshes. It -is scarcely possible to believe how much this people, few and mean at -first, became increased by a ten years’ exemption from taxes: such, -before the war, being the condition on which they engaged in it. -Thus augmenting wonderfully by the acquisition of freedom, and first -seizing the greatest part of Germany, and next the whole of Gaul, -they compelled the inhabitants to list under their banners. Hence the -Lotharingi and Allamanni, and other nations beyond the Rhine, who are -subject to the emperor of Germany, will have themselves more properly -to be called Franks; and those whom we suppose Franks, they call by an -ancient appellative Galwalæ, that is to say, Gauls. To this opinion -I assent; knowing that Charles the Great, whom none can deny to have -been king of the Franks, always used the same vernacular language with -the Franks on the other side of the Rhine. Any one who shall read the -life of Charles will readily admit the truth of my assertion.[92] In -the year then of the Incarnate Word 425 the Franks were governed by -Faramund, their first king. The grandson of Faramund was Meroveus, -from whom all the succeeding kings of the Franks, to the time of -Pepin, were called Merovingians. In like manner the sons of the kings -of the Angles took patronymical appellations from their fathers. For -instance; Eadgaring the son of Edgar; Eadmunding the son of Edmund, and -the rest in like manner; commonly, however, they are called ethelings. -The native language of the Franks, therefore, partakes of that of -the Angles, by reason of both nations originating from Germany. The -Merovingians reigned successfully and powerfully till the year of our -Lord’s incarnation, 687. At that period Pepin, son of Ansegise, was -made mayor of the palace[93] among the Franks, on the other side of -the Rhine. Seizing opportunities for veiling his ambitious views, he -completely subjugated his master Theodoric, the dregs as it were of the -Merovingians, and to lessen the obloquy excited by the transaction, -he indulged him with the empty title of king, while himself managed -every thing, at home and abroad, according to his own pleasure. The -genealogy of this Pepin, both to and from him, is thus traced: Ausbert, -the senator, on Blithilde, the daughter of Lothaire, the father of -Dagobert, begot Arnold: Arnold begot St. Arnulph, bishop of Metz: -Arnulph begot Flodulph, Walcthise, Anschise: Flodulph begot duke -Martin, whom Ebroin slew: Walcthise begot the most holy Wandregesil -the abbat: duke Anschise begot Ansegise: Ansegise begot Pepin. The son -of Pepin was Carolus Tudites, whom they also call Martel, because he -beat down the tyrants who were raising up in every part of France, and -nobly defeated the Saracens, at that time infesting Gaul. Following -the practice of his father, whilst he was himself satisfied with the -title of earl, he kept the kings in a state of pupilage. He left -two sons, Pepin and Caroloman. Caroloman, from some unknown cause, -relinquishing the world, took his religious vows at Mount Cassin. Pepin -was crowned king of the Franks, and patrician of the Romans, in the -church of St. Denys, by pope Stephen, the successor of Zachary. For -the Constantinopolitan emperors, already much degenerated from their -ancient valour, giving no assistance either to Italy or the church of -Rome, which had long groaned under the tyranny of the Lombards, this -pope bewailed the injuries to which they were exposed from them to -the ruler of the Franks; wherefore Pepin passing the Alps, reduced -Desiderius, king of the Lombards, to such difficulties, that he -restored what he had plundered to the church of Rome, and gave surety -by oath that he would not attempt to resume it. Pepin returning to -France after some years, died, leaving his surviving children, Charles -and Caroloman, his heirs. In two years Caroloman departed this life. -Charles obtaining the name of “Great” from his exploits, enlarged the -kingdom to twice the limits which it possessed in his father’s time, -and being contented for more than thirty years with the simple title -of king, abstained from the appellation of emperor, though repeatedly -invited to assume it by pope Adrian. But when, after the death of this -pontiff, his relations maimed the holy Leo, his successors in the -church of St. Peter, so as to cut out his tongue, and put out his eyes, -Charles hastily proceeded to Rome to settle the state of the church. -Justly punishing these abandoned wretches, he stayed there the whole -winter, and restored the pontiff, now speaking plainly and seeing -clearly, by the miraculous interposition of God, to his customary -power. At that time the Roman people, with the privity of the pontiff, -on the day of our Lord’s nativity, unexpectedly hailed him with the -title of Augustus; which title, though, from its being unusual, he -reluctantly admitted, yet afterwards he defended with proper spirit -against the Constantinopolitan emperors, and left it, as hereditary, -to his son Louis. His descendants reigned in that country, which is -now properly called France, till the time of Hugh, surnamed Capet, -from whom is descended the present Louis. From the same stock came the -sovereigns of Germany and Italy, till the year of our Lord 912, when -Conrad, king of the Teutonians, seized that empire. The grandson of -this personage was Otho the Great, equal in every estimable quality to -any of the emperors who preceded him. Thus admirable for his valour -and goodness, he left the empire hereditary to his posterity; for -the present Henry, son-in-law of Henry, king of England, derives his -lineage from his blood. - -To return to my narrative: Alcuin, though promoted by Charles the Great -to the monastery of St. Martin in France, was not unmindful of his -countrymen, but exerted himself to retain the emperor in amity with -them, and stimulated them to virtue by frequent epistles. I shall here -subjoin many of his observations, from which it will appear clearly how -soon after the death of Bede the love of learning declined even in his -own monastery: and how quickly after the decease of Eadbert the kingdom -of the Northumbrians came to ruin, through the prevalence of degenerate -manners. - -He says thus to the monks of Wearmouth, among whom Bede had both lived -and died, obliquely accusing them of having done the very thing which -he begs them not to do, “Let the youths be accustomed to attend the -praises of our heavenly King, not to dig up the burrows of foxes, -or pursue the winding mazes of hares; let them now learn the Holy -Scriptures, that, when grown up, they may be able to instruct others. -Remember the most noble teacher of our times, Bede, the priest, what -thirst for learning he had in his youth, what praise he now has among -men, and what a far greater reward of glory with God.” Again, to those -of York he says, “The Searcher of my heart is witness that it was not -for lust of gold that I came to France or continued there, but for the -necessities of the church.” And thus to Offa, king of the Mercians, “I -was prepared to come to you with the presents of king Charles and to -return to my country, but it seemed more advisable to me, for the peace -of my nation, to remain abroad, not knowing what I could have done -among those persons, with whom no one can be secure, or able to proceed -in any laudable pursuit. Behold every holy place is laid desolate by -Pagans, the altars are polluted by perjury, the monasteries dishonoured -by adultery, the earth itself stained with the blood of rulers and -of princes.” Again, to king Ethelred, third in the sovereignty after -Eadbert, “Behold the church of St. Cuthbert is sprinkled with the -blood of God’s priests, despoiled of all its ornaments, and the holiest -spot in Britain given up to Pagan nations to be plundered; and where, -after the departure of St. Paulinus from York, the Christian religion -first took its rise in our own nation, there misery and calamity took -their rise also. What portends that shower of blood which in the time -of Lent, in the city of York, the capital of the whole kingdom, in the -church of St. Peter, the chief of the apostles, we saw tremendously -falling on the northern side of the building from the summit of the -roof, though the weather was fair? Must not blood be expected to come -upon the land from the northern regions?” Again, to Osbert, prince of -the Mercians, “Our kingdom of the Northumbrians has almost perished -through internal dissensions and perjury.” So also to Athelard, -archbishop of Canterbury, “I speak this on account of the scourge which -has lately fallen on that part of our island which has been inhabited -by our forefathers for nearly three hundred and forty years. It is -recorded in the writings of Gildas, the wisest of the Britons, that -those very Britons ruined their country through the avarice and rapine -of their princes, the iniquity and injustice of their judges, their -bishops’ neglect of preaching, the luxury and abandoned manners of the -people. Let us be cautious that such vices become not prevalent in our -times, in order that the divine favour may preserve our country to us -in that happy prosperity for the future which it has hitherto in its -most merciful kindness vouchsafed us.” - -It has been made evident, I think, what disgrace and what destruction -the neglect of learning and the immoral manners of degenerate men -brought upon England! These remarks obtain this place in my history -merely for the purpose of cautioning my readers. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 758.] OSWULPH.] - -Eadbert, then, rivalling his brother in piety, assumed the monastic -habit, and gave place to Oswulph, his son, who being, without any cause -on his part, slain by his subjects, was, after a twelvemonth’s reign, -succeeded by Moll. Moll carried on the government with commendable -diligence for eleven years,[94] and then fell a victim to the treachery -of Alcred. Alcred in his tenth year was compelled by his countrymen -to retire from the government which he had usurped. Ethelred too, the -son of Moll, being elected king, was expelled by them at the end of -five years. Alfwold was next hailed sovereign; but he also, at the end -of eleven years, experienced the perfidy of the inhabitants, for he -was cut off by assassination, though guiltless, as his distinguished -interment at Hexham and divine miracles sufficiently declare. His -nephew, Osred,[95] the son of Alcred, succeeding him, was expelled -after the space of a year, and gave place to Ethelred, who was also -called Ethelbert. He was the son of Moll, also called Ethelwald, and, -obtaining the kingdom after twelve years of exile, held it during -four, at the end of which time, unable to escape the fate of his -predecessors, he was cruelly murdered. At this, many of the bishops -and nobles greatly shocked, fled from the country. Some indeed affirm -that he was punished deservedly, because he had assented to the unjust -murder of Osred, whereas he had it in his power to quit the sovereignty -and restore him to his throne. Of the beginning of this reign Alcuin -thus speaks: “Blessed be God, the only worker of miracles, Ethelred, -the son of Ethelwald, went lately from the dungeon to the throne, from -misery to grandeur; by the infancy of whose reign we are detained from -coming to you.”[96] Of his death he writes[97] thus to Offa king of -the Mercians: “Your esteemed kindness is to understand that my lord, -king Charles, often speaks to me of you with affection and sincerity, -and in him you have the firmest friend. He therefore sends becoming -presents to your love, and to the several sees of your kingdom. In -like manner he had appointed presents for king Ethelred, and for the -sees of his bishops, but, oh, dreadful to think, at the very moment of -despatching these gifts and letters there came a sorrowful account, by -the ambassadors who returned out of Scotland through your country, of -the faithlessness of the people, and the death of the king. So that -Charles, withholding his liberal gifts, is so highly incensed against -that nation as to call it perfidious and perverse, and the murderer of -its sovereigns, esteeming it worse than pagan; and had I not interceded -he would have already deprived them of every advantage within his -reach, and have done them all the injury in his power.” - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 796-827.] KING EGBERT.] - -After Ethelred no one durst ascend the throne;[98] each dreading the -fate of his predecessor, and preferring a life of safety in inglorious -ease, to a tottering reign in anxious suspense: for most of the -Northumbrian kings had ended their reigns by a death which was now -become almost habitual. Thus being without a sovereign for thirty-three -years, that province became an object of plunder and contempt to its -neighbours. For when the Danes, who, as I have before related from -the words of Alcuin, laid waste the holy places, on their return home -represented to their countrymen the fruitfulness of the island, and -the indolence of its inhabitants; these barbarians came over hastily, -in great numbers, and obtained forcible possession of that part of -the country, till the time we are speaking of: indeed they had a -king of their own for many years, though he was subordinate to the -authority of the king of the West Saxons. However, after the lapse -of these thirty-three years, king Egbert obtained the sovereignty of -this province, as well as of the others, in the year of our Lord’s -incarnation 827, and the twenty-eighth of his reign. And since we have -reached his times, mindful of our engagement, we shall speak briefly -of the kingdom of the Mercians; and this, as well because we admire -brevity in relation, as that there is no great abundance of materials. - - - - -CHAP. IV. - -_Of the kings of the Mercians._ [A.D. 626-874.] - - -In the year of our Lord’s incarnation 626, and the hundred and -thirty-ninth after the death of Hengist, Penda the son of Pybba, -tenth in descent of Woden, of noble lineage, expert in war, but at -the same time an irreligious heathen, at the age of fifty assumed the -title[99] of king of the Mercians, after he had already fostered his -presumption by frequent incursions on his neighbours. Seizing the -sovereignty, therefore, with a mind loathing quiet and unconscious how -great an enormity it was even to be victorious in a contest against -his own countrymen, he began to attack the neighbouring cities, to -invade the confines of the surrounding kings, and to fill everything -with terror and confusion. For what would not that man attempt, who, -by his lawless daring, had extinguished those luminaries of Britain, -Edwin and Oswald, kings of the Northumbrians, Sigebert, Ecgric, and -Anna, kings of the East Angles; men, in whom nobility of race was -equalled by sanctity of life? Kenwalk also, king of the West Saxons, -after being frequently harassed by him, was driven into exile; though, -perhaps, he deservedly paid the penalty of his perfidy towards God, -in denying his faith; and towards Penda himself, in repudiating his -sister. It is irksome to relate, how eagerly he watched opportunities -of slaughter, and as a raven flies greedily at the scent of a carcase, -so he joined Cadwalla,[100] and was of infinite service to him, in -recovering his dominions. In this manner, for thirty years, he attacked -his countrymen, but did nothing worthy of record against strangers. His -insatiable desires, however, at last found an end suitable to their -deserts; for being routed, with his allies, by Oswy, who had succeeded -his brother Oswald, more through the assistance of God than his -military powers, Penda increased the number of infernal spirits. By his -queen Kyneswith his sons were Peada, Wulfhere, Ethelred, Merwal, and -Mercelin: his daughters, Kyneburg, and Kyneswith; both distinguished -for inviolable chastity. Thus the parent, though ever rebellious -towards God, produced a most holy offspring for Heaven. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 655-661.] PEADA--WULFHERE.] - -His son Peada succeeded him in a portion of the kingdom, by the -permission of Oswy, advanced to the government of the South Mercians; -a young man of talents, and even in his father’s lifetime son-in-law -to Oswy. For he had received his daughter, on condition of renouncing -paganism and embracing Christianity; in which faith he would soon have -caused the province of participate, the peaceful state of the kingdom -and his father-in-law’s consent tending to such a purpose, had not his -death, hastened, as they say, by the intrigues of his wife, intercepted -these joyful prospects. Then Oswy resumed the government, which seemed -rightly to appertain to him from his victory over the father, and -from his affinity to the son. The spirit, however, of the inhabitants -could not brook his authority more than three years; for they expelled -his generals, and Wulfhere, the son of Penda, being hailed as his -successor, the province recovered its liberty. - -Wulfhere, that he might not disappoint the hopes of the nation, began -to act with energy, to show himself an efficient prince by great -exertions both mental and personal, and finally to afford Christianity, -introduced by his brother and yet hardly breathing in his kingdom, -every possible assistance. In the early years of his reign he was -heavily oppressed by the king of the West Saxons, but in succeeding -times, repelling the injury by the energy of his measures, he deprived -him of the sovereignty of the Isle of Wight; and leading it, yet -panting after heathen rites, into the proper path, he soon after -bestowed it on his godson, Ethelwalch, king of the South Saxons, as a -recompence for his faith. But these and all his other good qualities -are stained and deteriorated by the dreadful brand of simony; because -he, first of the kings of the Angles, sold the sacred bishopric of -London to one Wini, an ambitious man. His wife was Ermenhilda, the -daughter of Erconbert, king of Kent, of whom he begat Kinred, and -Wereburga, a most holy virgin who lies buried at Chester. His brother -Merewald married Ermenburga, the daughter of Ermenred, brother of the -same Erconbert; by her he had issue, three daughters; Milburga, who -lies at Weneloch; Mildritha in Kent, in the monastery of St. Augustine; -and Milgitha: and one son, Merefin. Alfrid king of the Northumbrians -married Kyneburg, daughter of Penda: who, after a time, disgusted with -wedlock, took the habit of a nun in the monastery which her brothers, -Wulfhere and Ethelred, had founded. - -Wulfhere died at the end of nineteen years, and his brother Ethelred -ascended the throne; more famed for his pious disposition than his -skill in war. Moreover he was satisfied with displaying his valour -in a single but illustrious expedition into Kent, and passed the -remainder of his life in quiet, except that attacking Egfrid, king of -the Northumbrians, who had passed beyond the limits of his kingdom, he -admonished him to return home, by the murder of his brother Elfwin. -He atoned however for this slaughter, after due deliberation, at the -instance of St. Theodore, the archbishop, by giving Egfrid a large -sum of money.[101] Subsequently to this, in the thirtieth year of -his reign, he took the cowl, and became a monk at Bardney, of which -monastery he was ultimately promoted to be abbat. This is the same -person who was contemporary with Ina, king of the West Saxons, and -confirmed by his authority also the privilege which St. Aldhelm brought -from Rome. His wife was Ostritha, sister of Egfrid, king of the -Northumbrians, by whom she had issue a son named Ceolred. - -He appointed Kenred, the son of his brother Wulfhere his successor, -who, equally celebrated for piety to God and uprightness towards -his subjects, ran his mortal race with great purity of manners, and -proceeding to Rome in the fifth year of his reign, passed the remainder -of his life there in the offices of religion; chiefly instigated -to this by the melancholy departure of a soldier, who, as Bede -relates,[102] disdaining to confess his crimes when in health, saw, -manifestly, when at the point of death, those very demons coming to -punish him to whose vicious allurements he had surrendered his soul. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 709-756.] BONIFACE’S EPISTLE.] - -After him reigned Ceolred, the son of Ethelred his uncle, as -conspicuous for his valour against Ina, as pitiable for an early death; -for not filling the throne more than eight years, he was buried at -Lichfield, leaving Ethelbald, the grand-nephew of Penda by his brother -Alwy, his heir. This king, enjoying the sovereignty in profound and -long-continued peace, that is, for the space of forty-one years, was -ultimately killed by his subjects, and thus met with a reverse of -fortune. Bernred, the author of his death, left nothing worthy of -record, except that afterwards, being himself put to death by Offa, -he received the just reward of his treachery. To this Ethelbald, -Boniface,[103] archbishop of Mentz, an Angle by nation, who was -subsequently crowned with martyrdom, sent an epistle, part of which I -shall transcribe, that it may appear how freely he asserts those very -vices to have already gained ground among the Angles of which Alcuin in -after times was apprehensive. It will also be a strong proof, by the -remarkable deaths of certain kings, how severely God punishes those -guilty persons for whom his long-suspended anger mercifully waits. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 756.] BONIFACE’S EPISTLE.] - -[104]“_To Ethelbald, my dearest lord, and to be preferred to all other -kings of the Angles, in the love of Christ, Boniface the archbishop, -legate to Germany from the church of Rome, wisheth perpetual health in -Christ._ We confess before God that when we hear of your prosperity, -your faith, and good works, we rejoice; and if at any time we hear -of any adversity befallen you, either in the chance of war or the -jeopardy of your soul, we are afflicted. We have heard that, devoted -to almsgiving, you prohibit theft and rapine, are a lover of peace, a -defender of widows, and of the poor; and for this we give God thanks. -Your contempt for lawful matrimony, were it for chastity’s sake, would -be laudable; but since you wallow in luxury and even in adultery with -nuns, it is disgraceful and damnable; it dims the brightness of your -glory before God and man, and transforms you into an idolater, because -you have polluted the temple of God. Wherefore, my beloved son, repent, -and remember how dishonourable it is, that you, who, by the grant of -God, are sovereign over many nations, should yourself be the slave of -lust to his disservice. Moreover, we have heard that almost all the -nobles of the Mercian kingdom, following your example, desert their -lawful wives and live in guilty intercourse with adultresses and nuns. -Let the custom of a foreign country teach you how far distant this -is from rectitude. For in old Saxony, where there is no knowledge of -Christ, if a virgin in her father’s house, or a married woman under -the protection of her husband, should be guilty of adultery, they -burn her, strangled by her own hand, and hang up her seducer over the -grave where she is buried; or else, cutting off her garments to the -waist, modest matrons whip her and pierce her with knives, and fresh -tormentors punish her in the same manner as she goes from town to town, -till they destroy her. Again the Winedi,[105] the basest of nations, -have this custom--the wife, on the death of her husband, casts herself -on the same funeral pile to be consumed with him. If then the gentiles, -who know not God, have so zealous a regard for chastity, how much more -ought you to possess, my beloved son, who are both a Christian and -a king? Spare therefore your own soul, spare a multitude of people, -perishing by your example, for whose souls you must give account. Give -heed to this too, if the nation of the Angles, (and we are reproached -in France and in Italy and by the very pagans for it,) despising -lawful matrimony, give free indulgence to adultery, a race ignoble and -despising God must necessarily proceed from such a mixture, which will -destroy the country by their abandoned manners, as was the case with -the Burgundians, Provençals, and Spaniards, whom the Saracens harassed -for many years on account of their past transgressions. Moreover, it -has been told us, that you take away from the churches and monasteries -many of their privileges, and excite, by your example, your nobility -to do the like. But recollect, I entreat you, what terrible vengeance -God hath inflicted upon former kings, guilty of the crime we lay to -your charge. For Ceolred, your predecessor, the debaucher of nuns, the -infringer of ecclesiastical privileges, was seized, while splendidly -regaling with his nobles, by a malignant spirit, who snatched away his -soul without confession and without communion, while in converse with -the devil and despising the law of God. He drove Osred also, king of -the Deirans and Bernicians, who was guilty of the same crimes, to such -excess that he lost his kingdom and perished in early manhood by an -ignominious death. Charles also, governor of the Franks, the subverter -of many monasteries and the appropriator of ecclesiastical revenues to -his own use, perished by excruciating pain and a fearful death.” And -afterwards, “Wherefore, my beloved son, we entreat with paternal and -fervent prayers that you would not despise the counsel of your fathers, -who, for the love of God, anxiously appeal to your highness. For -nothing is more salutary to a good king than the willing correction of -such crimes when they are pointed out to him; since Solomon says ‘Whoso -loveth instruction, loveth wisdom.’ Wherefore, my dearest son, showing -you good counsel, we call you to witness, and entreat you by the living -God, and his Son Jesus Christ, and by the Holy Spirit, that you would -recollect how fleeting is the present life, how short and momentary -is the delight of the filthy flesh, and how ignominious for a person -of transitory existence to leave a bad example to posterity. Begin -therefore to regulate your life by better habits, and correct the past -errors of your youth, that you may have praise before men here, and be -blest with eternal glory hereafter. We wish your Highness health and -proficiency in virtue.” - -I have inserted in my narrative portions of this epistle, to give -sufficient knowledge of these circumstances, partly in the words of the -author and partly in my own, shortening the sentences as seemed proper, -for which I shall easily be excused, because there was need of brevity -for the sake of those who were eager to resume the thread of the -history. Moreover, Boniface transmitted an epistle of like import to -archbishop Cuthbert, adding that he should remonstrate with the clergy -and nuns on the fineness and vanity of their dress. Besides, that he -might not wonder at his interfering in that in which he had no apparent -concern, that is to say, how or with what manners the nation of the -Angles conducted itself, he gave him to understand, that he had bound -himself by oath to pope Gregory the Third, not to conceal the conduct -of the nations near him from the knowledge of the apostolical see; -wherefore, if mild measures failed of success, he should take care to -act in such manner, that vices of this kind should not be kept secret -from the pope. Indeed, on account of the fine texture of the clerical -vestments, Alcuin obliquely glances at Athelard the archbishop, -Cuthbert’s successor, reminding him that, when he should come to Rome -to visit the emperor Charles the Great, the grandson of Charles of whom -Boniface was speaking above, he should not bring the clergy or monks -dressed in party-coloured or gaudy garments, for the clergy amongst the -Franks dressed only in ecclesiastical habits. - -Nor could the letters of so great a man, which he was accustomed -to send from watchful regard to his legation and pure love of his -country, be without effect. For both Cuthbert, the archbishop, and -king Ethelbald summoned a council for the purpose of retrenching the -superfluities which he had stigmatised. The acts of this synod, veiled -in a multiplicity of words, I shall forbear to add, as I think they -will better accord with another part of my work, when I come to the -succession of the bishops: but as I am now on the subject of kingly -affairs, I shall subjoin a charter of Ethelbald’s, as a proof of his -devotion, because it took place in the same council. - -“It often happens, through the uncertain change of times, that those -things which have been confirmed by the testimony and advice of many -faithful persons, have been made of none effect by the contumacy -of very many, or by the artifices of deceit, without any regard to -justice, unless they have been committed to eternal memory by the -authority of writing and the testimony of charters. Wherefore I -Ethelbald, king of the Mercians, out of love to heaven and regard for -my own soul, have felt the necessity of considering how I may, by good -works, set it free from every tie of sin. For since the Omnipotent God, -through the greatness of his clemency, without any previous merit on -my part, hath bestowed on me the sceptre of government, therefore I -willingly repay him out of that which he hath given. On this account -I grant, so long as I live, that all monasteries and churches of my -kingdom shall be exempted from public taxes, works, and impositions, -except the building of forts and bridges, from which none can be -released. And moreover the servants of God shall have perfect liberty -in the produce of their woods and lands, and the right of fishing, nor -shall they bring presents either to king or princes except voluntarily, -but they shall serve God without molestation.” - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 749-777.] LULLUS--OFFA.] - -Lullus[106] succeeded Boniface, an Englishman by birth also; of whose -sanctity mention is made in the life of St. Goar, and these verses, -which I remember to have heard from my earliest childhood, bear witness: - - “Lullus, than whom no holier prelate lives, - By God’s assistance healing medicine gives, - Cures each disorder by his powerful hand, - And with his glory overspreads the land.” - -However, to return to my history, Offa, descended from Penda in the -fifth degree, succeeded Ethelbald. He was a man of great mind, and one -who endeavoured to bring to effect whatever he had preconceived; he -reigned thirty-nine years. When I consider the deeds of this person, I -am doubtful whether I should commend or censure. At one time, in the -same character, vices were so palliated by virtues, and at another -virtues came in such quick succession upon vices that it is difficult -to determine how to characterize the changing Proteus. My narrative -shall give examples of each. Engaging in a set battle with Cynewulf, -king of the West Saxons, he easily gained the victory, though the -other was a celebrated warrior. When he thought artifice would better -suit his purpose, this same man beheaded king Ethelbert, who had come -to him through the allurement of great promises, and was at that very -time within the walls of his palace, soothed into security by his -perfidious attentions, and then unjustly seized upon the kingdom of the -East Angles which Ethelbert had held. - -The relics of St. Alban, at that time obscurely buried, he ordered -to be reverently taken up and placed in a shrine, decorated to the -fullest extent of royal munificence, with gold and jewels; a church -of most beautiful workmanship was there erected, and a society of -monks assembled. Yet rebellious against God, he endeavoured to remove -the archiepiscopal see formerly settled at Canterbury, to Lichfield, -envying, forsooth, the men of Kent the dignity of the archbishopric: -on which account he at last deprived Lambert, the archbishop, worn -out with continual exertion, and who produced many edicts of the -apostolical see, both ancient and modern, of all possessions within -his territories, as well as of the jurisdiction over the bishoprics. -From pope Adrian, therefore, whom he had wearied with plausible -assertions for a long time, as many things not to be granted may -be gradually drawn and artfully wrested from minds intent on other -occupations, he obtained that there should be an archbishopric of the -Mercians at Lichfield, and that all the prelates of the Mercians should -be subject to that province. Their names were as follow: Denebert, -bishop of Worcester, Werenbert, of Leicester, Edulph, of Sidnacester, -Wulpheard, of Hereford; and the bishops of the East Angles, Alpheard, -of Elmham, Tidfrid, of Dunwich; the bishop of Lichfield was named -Aldulph. Four bishops however remained suffragan to Lambert, archbishop -of Canterbury, London, Winchester, Rochester, and Selsey. Some of -these bishoprics are now in being, some are removed to other places, -others consolidated by venal interest, for Leicester, Sidnacester, and -Dunwich, from some unknown cause, are no longer in existence. Nor did -Offa’s rapacity stop here, for he showed himself a downright public -pilferer, by converting to his own use the lands of many churches, -of which Malmesbury was one. But this iniquity did not long deform -canonical institutions, for soon after Kenulf, Offa’s successor, -inferior to no preceding king in power or in faith, transmitted a -letter to Leo, the successor of Adrian, and restored Athelard who had -succeeded Lambert, to his former dignity. Hence Alcuin, in an epistle -to the same Athelard, says “Having heard of the success of your -journey, and your return to your country, and how you were received by -the pope, I give thanks with every sentiment of my heart to the Lord -our God, who, by the precious gift of his mercy, directed your way -with a prosperous progress, gave you favour in the sight of the pope, -granted you to return home with the perfect accomplishment of your -wishes, and hath condescended, through you, to restore the holiest seat -of our first teacher to its pristine dignity.” I think it proper to -subjoin part of the king’s epistle and also of the pope’s, though I may -seem by so doing to anticipate the regular order of time; but I shall -do it on this account, that it is a task of greater difficulty to blend -together disjointed facts than to despatch those I had begun. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 790.] KENULF’S EPISTLE.] - -“_To the most holy and truly loving lord Leo, pontiff of the sacred and -apostolical see, Kenulf, by the grace of God king of the Mercians, with -the bishops, princes, and every degree of dignity under our authority, -sendeth the salutation of the purest love in Christ._ - -“We give thanks ever to God Almighty, who is wont, by the means of -new guides, the former being taken to the life eternal, to guide the -church, purchased by his precious blood, amid the diverse storms of -this world, to the haven of salvation, and to shed fresh light upon -it, in order that it be led into no error of darkness, but may pursue -the path of truth without stumbling; wherefore the universal church -justly rejoices, that when the true rewarder of all good men took the -most glorious pastor of his flock, Adrian, to be eternally rewarded in -heaven, still his kind providence gave a shepherd to his flock, not -less skilled, to conduct the sheep of God into the fold of life. We -also, who live on the farthest confines of the world, justly boast, -beyond all other things, that the church’s exaltation is our safety, -its prosperity our constant ground of joy; since your apostolical -dignity and our true faith originate from the same source. Whentfore -I deem it fitting to incline the ear of our obedience, with all due -humility, to your holy commands, and to fulfil, with every possible -endeavour, what shall seem just to your piety for us to accomplish: -but to avoid, and utterly reject, all that shall be found inconsistent -with right. But now, I, Kenulf, by the grace of God king, humbly -entreat your excellence that I may address you as I wish, without -offence, on the subject of our progress, that you may receive me -with peaceful tranquillity into the bosom of your piety, and that -the liberal bounty of your benediction may qualify me, gifted with -no stock of merit, to rule my people; in order that God may deign, -through your intercession, to defend the nation, which, together with -me, your apostolical authority has instructed in the rudiments of the -faith, against all attacks of adversaries, and to extend that kingdom -which he hath given. This benediction all the Mercian kings before me -were, by your predecessors, deemed worthy to obtain. This, I humbly -beg, and this, O most holy man, I desire to receive, that you would -more especially accept me as a son by adoption, as I love you as my -father, and always honour you with all possible obedience. For among -such great personages faith ever should be kept inviolate, as well as -perfect love, because paternal love is to be looked upon as filial -happiness in God, according to the saying of Hezekiah, ‘A father will -make known thy truth to his sons, O Lord.’ In which words I implore -you, O loved father, not to deny to your unworthy son the knowledge of -the Lord in your holy words, in order that, by your sound instruction, -I may deserve, by the assistance of God, to come to a better course of -life. And moreover, O most affectionate father, we beg, with all our -bishops, and every person of rank among us, that, concerning the many -inquiries on which we have thought it right to consult your wisdom, -you would courteously reply, lest the traditions of the holy fathers -and their instructions should, through ignorance, be misunderstood by -us; but let your reply reach us in charity and meekness, that, through -the mercy of God, it may bring forth fruit in us. The first thing our -bishops and learned men allege is, that, contrary to the canons and -papal constitutions enacted for our use by the direction of the most -holy father Gregory, as you know, the jurisdiction of the metropolitan -of Canterbury is divided into two provinces, to whose power, by the -same father’s command, twelve bishops ought to be subject, as is read -throughout our churches, in the letter which he directed to his brother -and fellow bishop, Augustine, concerning the two metropolitans of -London and York, which letter doubtlessly you also possess. But that -pontifical dignity, which was at that time destined to London, with -the honour and distinction of the pall, was, for his sake, removed -and granted to Canterbury. For since Augustine, of blessed memory, -who, at the command of St. Gregory, preached the word of God to the -nation of the Angles, and so gloriously presided over the church of the -Saxons, died in that city, and his body was buried in the church of -St. Peter, the chief of apostles, which his successor St. Laurentius -consecrated, it seemed proper to the sages of our nation, that the -metropolitan dignity should reside in that city where rests the body of -the man who planted the true faith in these parts. The honour of this -pre-eminence, as you know, king Offa first attempted to take away and -to divide it into two provinces, through enmity against the venerable -Lambert and the Kentish people; and your pious brother and predecessor, -Adrian, at the request of the aforesaid king, first did what no one -had before presumed, and honoured the prelate of the Mercians with the -pall. But yet we blame neither of these persons, whom, as we believe, -Christ crowns with eternal glory. Nevertheless we humbly entreat your -excellence, on whom God hath deservedly conferred the key of wisdom, -that you would consult with your counsellors on this subject, and -condescend to transmit to us what may be necessary for us to observe -hereafter, and what may tend to the unity of real peace, as we wish, -through your sound doctrine, lest the coat of Christ, woven throughout -without seam, should suffer any rent among us. We have written this -to you, most holy father, with equal humility and regard, earnestly -entreating your clemency, that you would kindly and justly reply to -those things which have been of necessity submitted to you. Moreover we -wish that you would examine, with pious love, that epistle which, in -the presence of all our bishops, Athelard the archbishop wrote to you -more fully on the subject of his own affairs and necessities, as well -as on those of all Britain; that whatever the rule of faith requires in -those matters which are contained therein, you would condescend truly -to explain. Wherefore last year I sent my own embassy, and that of the -bishops by Wada the abbat, which he received, but idly and foolishly -executed. I now send you a small present as a token of regard, -respected father, by Birine the priest, and Fildas and Ceolbert, -my servants, that is to say, one hundred and twenty mancuses,[107] -together with letters, begging that you would condescend to receive -them kindly, and give us your blessing. May God Almighty long preserve -you safe to the glory of his holy church.” - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 787.] POPE LEO’S EPISTLE.] - -“_To the most excellent prince, my son Kenulf, king of the Mercians, of -the province of the Saxons, pope Leo sendeth greeting._ Our most holy -and reverend brother Athelard, archbishop of Canterbury, arriving at -the holy churches of the blessed apostles Peter and Paul, as well for -the faithful performance of his vow of prayer as to acquaint us with -the cause of his ecclesiastical mission to the apostolical see, hath -brought to us the enclosures of your royal excellence, where finding, -in two epistles filled with true faith, your great humility, we return -thanks to Almighty God, who hath taught and inclined your most prudent -excellence to have due regard with us in all things towards St. Peter, -the chief of apostles, and to submit with meekness to all apostolical -constitutions. Moreover, in one of these epistles we find that, were -it requisite, you would even lay down your life for us, for the sake -of our apostolical office. And again, you confess that you rejoice -much in the Lord at our prosperity, and that when these our letters of -kindest admonition reach the ears of your cordiality, you will receive -them with all humility and spiritual joy of heart, as sons do the gift -of a father. It is added too that you had ordered a small present -out of your abundance to be offered to us, an hundred and twenty -mancuses, which, with ardent desire for the salvation of your soul, -we have accepted. The aforesaid archbishop, with his attendants, has -been honourably and kindly received by us, and has been rendered every -necessary assistance. In the meantime, trusting to your most prudent -excellence when you observe, even in your own royal letters, that no -Christian can presume to run counter to our apostolical decisions, -we therefore endeavour, with all possible diligence, to transmit and -ordain what shall be of service to your kingdom, that as a canonical -censure enjoins your royal excellence, and all the princes of your -nation, and the whole people of God, to observe all things which the -aforesaid archbishop Athelard our brother, or the whole body of the -evangelical and apostolical doctrine and that of the holy fathers and -of our predecessors the holy pontiffs ordain, you ought by no means to -resist their orthodox doctrine in any thing, as our Lord and Saviour -says in the Gospel, “He who receiveth you receiveth me,” and “he who -receives a prophet, in the name of a prophet, shall receive a prophet’s -reward.” And how much more do we praise the Almighty for this same lord -archbishop, whom you have so highly commended to us as being, what -he really is, honourable, and skilful, and prudent, of good morals, -worthy before God and men. O loving son and excellent king, we praise -God, that hath pointed out to you a prelate who, like a true shepherd, -is able to prescribe due penance, according to the doctrine of the -holy Scriptures, and to rescue the souls of those who are under his -sacerdotal authority from the nethermost hell, snatching them from -inextinguishable fire, bringing them into the haven of salvation, and -offering for them to God Almighty a sacrifice, fit and pure in the -sight of the Divine Majesty. And since the aforesaid archbishop hath -pleased us extremely in every respect, in all holiness and conversation -of life, confiding much to him, we give him such prelatical power by -the authority of St. Peter, the chief of the apostles, whose office, -though unworthily, we fill, that if any in his province, as well -kings and princes as people, shall transgress the commandments of the -Lord, he shall excommunicate him until he repent; and if he remain -impenitent, let him be to you as an heathen and a publican. But with -respect to the aforesaid Athelard, archbishop of Canterbury, since -your excellent prelates have demanded from us that we do him justice -concerning the jurisdiction which he lately held, as well of bishops -as monasteries, and of which he has been unjustly deprived, as you -know, and which have been taken from his venerable see: we, making most -diligent search, have found in our sacred depository, that St. Gregory, -our predecessor, delivered that diocese to his deputed archbishop St. -Augustine, with the right of consecrating bishops, to the full number -of twelve. Hence we also, having ascertained the truth, have, by our -apostolical authority, placed all ordinations or confirmations on their -ancient footing, and do restore them to him entire, and we deliver to -him the grant of our confirmation, to be duly observed by his church, -according to the sacred canons.” - -In the meantime Offa, that the outrages against his countrymen might -not secretly tend to his disadvantage, in order to conciliate the -favour of neighbouring kings, gave his daughter Eadburga in marriage -to Bertric, king of the West Saxons; and obtained the amity of Charles -the Great, king of the Franks, by repeated embassies, though he could -find little in the disposition of Charles to second his views. They -had disagreed before, insomuch that violent feuds having arisen on -both sides, even the intercourse of traders was prohibited. There is -an epistle of Alcuin to this effect, part of which I shall subjoin, as -it affords a strong proof of the magnanimity and valour of Charles, -who spent all his time in war against the Pagans, rebels to God. He -says,[108] “The ancient Saxons and all the Friesland nations were -converted to the faith of Christ through the exertions of king Charles, -urging some with threats, and others with rewards. At the end of the -year the king made an attack upon the Sclavonians and subjugated them -to his power. The Avares, whom we call Huns, made a furious attempt -upon Italy, but were conquered by the generals of the aforesaid most -Christian king, and returned home with disgrace. In like manner they -rushed against Bavaria, and were again overcome and dispersed by the -Christian army. Moreover the princes and commanders of the same most -Christian king took great part of Spain from the Saracens, to the -extent of three hundred miles along the sea-coast: but, O shame! these -accursed Saracens, who are the Hagarens, have dominion over the whole -of Africa, and the larger part of Asia Major. I know not what will be -our destination, for some ground of difference, fomented by the devil, -has arisen between king Charles and king Offa, so that, on both sides, -all navigation is prohibited the merchants. Some say that we are to be -sent into those parts to treat of peace.” - -In these words, in addition to what I have remarked above, any -curious person may determine how many years have elapsed since the -Saracens invaded Africa and Asia Major. And indeed, had not the mercy -of God animated the native spirit of the emperors of the Franks, -the pagans had long since subjugated Europe also. For, holding the -Constantinopolitan emperors in contempt, they possessed themselves of -Sicily and Sardinia, the Balearic isles, and almost all the countries -surrounded by the sea, with the exception of Crete, Rhodes, and Cyprus. -In our time however they have been compelled to relinquish Sicily by -the Normans, Corsica and Sardinia by the Pisans, and great part of -Asia and Jerusalem itself by the Franks and other nations of Europe. -But, as I shall have a fitter place to treat largely of these matters -hereafter, I shall now subjoin, from the words of Charles himself, the -treaty which was ratified between him and Offa king of the Mercians. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 787.] EPISTLE OF CHARLEMAGNE.] - -“_Charles, by the grace of God king of the Franks and Lombards, and -patrician of the Romans, to his esteemed and dearest brother Offa -king of the Mercians, sendeth health_:--First, we give thanks to God -Almighty for the purity of the Catholic faith, which we find laudably -expressed in your letters. Concerning pilgrims, who for the love of -God or the salvation of their souls, wish to visit the residence of -the holy apostles, let them go peaceably without any molestation; but -if persons, not seeking the cause of religion, but that of gain, be -found amongst them, let them pay the customary tolls in proper places. -We will, too, that traders have due protection within our kingdom, -according to our mandate, and if in any place they suffer wrongful -oppression, let them appeal to us or to our judges, and we will see -full justice done. Let your kindness also be apprized that we have sent -some token of our regard, out of our dalmatics[109] and palls, to each -episcopal see of your kingdom or of Ethelred’s, as an almsgiving, on -account of our apostolical lord Adrian, earnestly begging that you -would order him to be prayed for, not as doubting that his blessed soul -is at rest, but to show our esteem and regard to our dearest friend. -Moreover we have sent somewhat out of the treasure of those earthly -riches, which the Lord Jesus hath granted to us of his unmerited -bounty, for the metropolitan cities, and for yourself a belt, an -Hungarian sword, and two silk cloaks.” - -I have inserted these brief extracts from the epistle that posterity -may be clearly acquainted with the friendship of Offa and Charles; -confiding in which friendly intercourse, although assailed by the -hatred of numbers, he passed the rest of his life in uninterrupted -quiet, and saw Egfert his son anointed to succeed him. This Egfert -studiously avoided the cruel path trod by his father, and devoutly -restored the privileges of all the churches which Offa had in his -time abridged. The possessions also which his father had taken from -Malmesbury he restored into the hands of Cuthbert, then abbat of that -place, at the admonition of the aforesaid Athelard archbishop of -Canterbury, a man of energy and a worthy servant of God, and who is -uniformly asserted to have been its abbat before Cuthbert, from the -circumstance of his choosing there to be buried. But while the hopes -of Egfert’s noble qualities were ripening, in the first moments of -his reign, untimely death cropped the flower of his youthful prime; -on which account Alcuin writing to the patrician Osbert, says, “I do -not think that the most noble youth Egfert died for his own sins, but -because his father, in the establishment of his kingdom, shed a deluge -of blood.” Dying after a reign of four months, he appointed Kenulf, -nephew of Penda in the fifth degree by his brother Kenwalk, to succeed -him. - -Kenulf was a truly great man, and surpassed his fame by his virtues, -doing nothing that malice could justly find fault with. Religious at -home, victorious abroad, his praises will be deservedly extolled so -long as an impartial judge can be found in England. Equally to be -admired for the extent of his power and for the lowliness of his mind; -of which he gave an eminent proof in restoring, as we have related, its -faltering dignity to Canterbury, he little regarded earthly grandeur in -his own kingdom at the expense of deviating from anciently-enjoined -canons. Taking up Offa’s hatred against the Kentish people, he sorely -afflicted that province, and led away captive their king Eadbert, -surnamed Pren; but not long after, moved with sentiments of pity, he -released him. For at Winchelcombe, where he had built a church to God, -which yet remains, on the day of its dedication he freed the captive -king at the altar, and consoled him with liberty; thereby giving a -memorable instance of his clemency. Cuthred,[110] whom he had made -king over the Kentish people, was present to applaud this act of royal -munificence. The church resounded with acclamations, the street shook -with crowds of people, for in an assembly of thirteen bishops and ten -dukes, no one was refused a largess, all departed with full purses. -Moreover, in addition to those presents of inestimable price and number -in utensils, clothes, and select horses, which the chief nobility -received, he gave to all who did not possess landed property[111] a -pound of silver, to each presbyter a marca of gold, to every monk a -shilling, and lastly he made many presents to the people at large. -After he had endowed the monastery with such ample revenues as would -seem incredible in the present time, he honoured it by his sepulture, -in the twenty-fourth year of his reign. His son Kenelm, of tender age, -and undeservedly murdered by his sister Quendrida, gained the title and -distinction of martyrdom, and rests in the same place. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 796-825.] KENELM--WITHLAF.] - -After him the kingdom of the Mercians sank from its prosperity, and -becoming nearly lifeless, produced nothing worthy to be mentioned in -history. However, that no one may accuse me of leaving the history -imperfect, I shall glance over the names of the kings in succession. -Ceolwulf, the brother of Kenulf, reigning one year was expelled in the -second by Bernulf; who in the third year of his reign being overcome -and put to flight by Egbert, king of the West Saxons, was afterwards -slain by the East Angles, because he had attempted to seize on East -Anglia, as a kingdom subject to the Mercians from the time of Offa. -Ludecan, after a reign of two years, was despatched by these Angles, -as he was preparing to avenge his predecessor: Withlaf, subjugated in -the commencement of his reign by the before-mentioned Egbert, governed -thirteen years, paying tribute to him and to his son, both for his -person and his property: Berthwulf reigning thirteen years on the same -conditions, was at last driven by the Danish pirates beyond the sea: -Burhred marrying Ethelswith, the daughter of king Ethelwulf, the son -of Egbert, exonerated himself, by this affinity, from the payment of -tribute and the depredations of the enemy, but after twenty-two years, -driven by them from his country, he fled to Rome, and was there buried -at the school of the Angles, in the church of St. Mary; his wife, at -that time continuing in this country, but afterwards following her -husband, died at Pavia. The kingdom was next given by the Danes to one -Celwulf, an attendant of Burhred’s, who bound himself by oath that he -would retain it only at their pleasure: after a few years it fell under -the dominion of Alfred, the grandson of Egbert. Thus the sovereignty -of the Mercians, which prematurely bloomed by the overweening ambition -of an heathen, altogether withered away through the inactivity of a -driveller king, in the year of our Lord’s incarnation eight hundred and -seventy-five. - - - - -CHAP. V. - -_Of the kings of the East Angles._ [A.D. 520-905.] - - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 616-793.] EORPWALD--EDMUND.] - -As my narrative has hitherto treated of the history of the four more -powerful kingdoms in as copious a manner, I trust, as the perusal of -ancient writers has enabled me, I shall now, as last in point of order, -run through the governments of the East Angles and East Saxons, as -suggested in my preface. The kingdom of the East Angles arose anterior -to the West Saxons, though posterior to the kingdom of Kent. The -first[112] and also the greatest king of the East Angles was Redwald, -tenth in descent from Woden as they affirm; for all the southern -provinces of the Angles and Saxons on this side of the river Humber, -with their kings, were subject to his authority. This is the person -whom I have formerly mentioned as having, out of regard for Edwin, -killed Ethelfrid, king of the Northumbrians. Through the persuasion of -Edwin too he was baptized; and after, at the instigation of his wife, -abjured the faith. His son, Eorpwald, embraced pure Christianity, and -poured out his immaculate spirit to God, being barbarously murdered -by the heathen Richbert. To him succeeded Sigebert, his brother by -the mother’s side, a worthy servant of the Lord, polished from all -barbarism by his education among the Franks. For, being driven into -banishment by Redwald, and for a long time associating with them, he -had received the rites of Christianity, which, on his coming into -power he graciously communicated to the whole of his kingdom, and also -instituted schools of learning in different places. This ought highly -to be extolled: as men heretofore uncivilized and irreligious, were -enabled, by his means, to taste the sweets of literature. The promoter -of his studies and the stimulator of his religion was Felix the bishop, -a Burgundian by birth, who now lies buried at Ramsey. Sigebert moreover -renouncing the world and taking the monastic vow, left the throne to -his relation, Ecgric, with whom, being attacked in intestine war by -Penda, king of the Mercians, he met his death, at the moment when, -superior to his misfortunes, and mindful of his religious profession, -he held only a wand in his hand. The successor of Ecgric was Anna, the -son of Eni, the brother of Redwald, involved in similar destruction -by the same furious Penda; he was blessed with a numerous and noble -offspring, as the second book will declare in its proper place. To Anna -succeeded his brother Ethelhere, who was justly slain by Oswy king of -the Northumbrians, together with Penda, because he was an auxiliary -to him, and was actually supporting the very army which had destroyed -his brother and his kinsman. His brother Ethelwald, in due succession, -left the kingdom to Adulf and Elwold, the sons of Ethelhere. Next came -Bernred. After him Ethelred. His son was St. Ethelbert, whom Offa king -of the Mercians killed through treachery, as has already been said, -and will be repeated hereafter. After him, through the violence of the -Mercians, few kings reigned in Eastern Anglia till the time of St. -Edmund, and he was despatched in the sixteenth year of his reign, by -Hingwar, a heathen; from which time the Angles ceased to command in -their own country for fifty years. For the province was nine years -without a king, owing to the continued devastations of the pagans; -afterwards both in it and in East Saxony, Gothrun, a Danish king, -reigned for twelve years, in the time of king Alfred. Gothrun had -for successor a Dane also, by name Eohric, who, after he had reigned -fourteen years, was taken off by the Angles, because he conducted -himself with cruelty towards them. Still, however, liberty beamed not -on this people, for the Danish earls continued to oppress them, or -else to excite them against the kings of the West Saxons, till Edward, -the son of Alfred, added both provinces to his own West Saxon empire, -expelling the Danes and freeing the Angles. This event took place in -the fiftieth year after the murder of St. Edmund, king and martyr, and -in the fifteenth[113] of his own reign. - - - - -CHAP. VI. - -_Of the kings of the East Saxons._ [A.D. 520-823.] - - -Nearly co-eval with the kingdom of the East Angles, was that of the -East Saxons; which had many kings in succession, though subject -to others, and principally to those of the Mercians. First, then, -Sleda,[114] the tenth from Woden, reigned over them; whose son, Sabert, -nephew of St. Ethelbert, king of Kent, by his sister Ricula, embraced -the faith of Christ at the preaching of St. Mellitus, first bishop -of London; for that city belongs to the East Saxons. On the death of -Sabert, his sons, Sexred and Seward, drove Mellitus into banishment, -and soon after, being killed by the West Saxons, they paid the penalty -of their persecution against Christ. Sigbert, surnamed the Small, -the son of Seward, succeeding, left the kingdom to Sigebert, the son -of Sigebald, who was the brother of Sabert. This Sigebert, at the -exhortation of king Oswy, was baptized in Northumbria by bishop Finan, -and brought back to his nation, by the ministry of bishop Cedd,[115] -the faith which they had expelled together with Mellitus. After -gloriously governing the kingdom, he left it in a manner still more -glorious; for he was murdered by his near relations, merely because, -in conformity to the gospel-precept, he used kindly to spare his -enemies, nor regard with harsh and angry countenance, if they were -penitent, those who had offended him. His brother Suidelm, baptized -by the same Cedd in East Anglia, succeeded. On his death, Sighere, -the son of Sigbert the Small, and Sebbi, the son of Seward, held the -sovereignty. Sebbi’s associate dying, he himself voluntarily retired -from the kingdom in his thirtieth year, becoming a monk, as Bede -relates. His sons Sighard and of Sighere, governed the kingdom for a -short time; a youth of engaging countenance and disposition, in the -flower of his age, and highly beloved by his subjects. He, through the -persuasion of Kyneswith, daughter of king Penda, whom he had anxiously -sought in marriage, being taught to aspire after heavenly affections, -went to Rome with Kenred king of the Mercians, and St. Edwin bishop of -Worcester; and there taking the vow, in due time entered the heavenly -mansions. To him succeeded Selred, son of Sigebert the Good, during -thirty-eight years; who being slain, Swithed assumed the sovereignty of -the East Saxons;[116] but in the same year that Egbert king of the West -Saxons subdued Kent, being expelled by him, he vacated the kingdom; -though London, with the adjacent country, continued subject to the -kings of the Mercians as long as they held their sovereignty. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 653-823.] OF THE KINGS OF KENT.] - -The kings of Kent, it is observed, had dominion peculiarly in Kent, in -which are two sees; the archbishopric of Canterbury, and the bishopric -of Rochester. - -The kings of the West Saxons ruled in Wiltshire, Berkshire, and -Dorsetshire; in which there is one bishop, whose see is now at Sarum -or Salisbury; formerly it was at Ramsbury, or at Sherborne: in Sussex, -which for some little time possessed a king of its own;[117] the -episcopal see of this county was anciently in the island of Selsey, -as Bede relates, where St. Wilfrid built a monastery; the bishop now -dwells at Chichester: in the counties of Southampton and Surrey; which -have a bishop, whose see is at Winchester: in the county of Somerset, -which formerly had a bishop at Wells, but now at Bath: and in Domnonia, -now called Devonshire, and Cornubia, now Cornwall; at that time there -were two bishoprics, one at Crediton, the other at St. German’s; now -there is but one, and the see is at Exeter. - -The kings of the Mercians governed the counties of Gloucester, -Worcester, and Warwick; in these is one bishop whose residence is -at Worcester: in Cheshire, Derbyshire, and Staffordshire; these -have one bishop, who has part of Warwickshire and Shropshire; his -residence is at the city of Legions, that is Chester or Coventry; -formerly it was at Lichfield: in Herefordshire; and there is a bishop -having half Shropshire and part of Warwickshire, and Gloucestershire; -whose residence is at Hereford: in Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, -Hertfordshire, Huntingdonshire, half of Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire, -Leicestershire, Lincolnshire; which counties are under the jurisdiction -of a bishop now resident at Lincoln, but formerly at Dorchester in the -county of Oxford: in Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire, which belong -to the diocese of York; formerly they had their own bishop, whose seat -was at Leicester. - -The kings of the East Angles had dominion over the county of Cambridge; -there is a bishop, whose seat is at Ely: and in Norfolk and Suffolk: -whose see is at Norwich; formerly at Elmham or Thetford. - -The kings of the East Saxons ruled in Essex, in Middlesex, and half of -Hertfordshire; where there anciently was, and still remains, the bishop -of London. - -The kings of the Northumbrians governed all the country which is beyond -the river Humber, even into Scotland; and there were the archbishop -of York, the bishops of Hexham, of Ripon, of Lindisfarne, and of -Candida Casa [Whitherne]; Hexham and Ripon are no more; Lindisfarne is -translated to Durham. - -Such were the divisions of the kingdom of England, although the kings, -according to the vicissitude of the times, now one, and then the other, -would exceed their boundaries through their courage, or lose them by -their indolence; but all these several kingdoms Egbert subjugated by -his abilities, and consolidated into one empire, reserving to each -their own laws. Wherefore, since I have passed beyond his times, -fulfilling my promise in a review of the different periods, I will -here fix the limits of my first volume, that the various tracks of the -different kingdoms may unite in the general path of the West Saxon -Empire. - - - - -BOOK II. - - - - -PROLOGUE. - - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 800.] PROLOGUE TO BOOK II.] - -A long period has elapsed since, as well through the care of my -parents as my own industry, I became familiar with books. This -pleasure possessed me from my childhood: this source of delight has -grown with my years. Indeed I was so instructed by my father, that, -had I turned aside to other pursuits, I should have considered it as -jeopardy to my soul and discredit to my character. Wherefore mindful -of the adage “covet what is necessary,” I constrained my early age -to desire eagerly that which it was disgraceful not to possess. I -gave, indeed, my attention to various branches of literature, but in -different degrees. Logic, for instance, which gives arms to eloquence, -I contented myself with barely hearing. Medicine, which ministers to -the health of the body, I studied with somewhat more attention. But -now, having scrupulously examined the several branches of Ethics, I -bow down to its majesty, because it spontaneously unveils itself to -those who study it, and directs their minds to moral practice; History -more especially; which, by an agreeable recapitulation of past events, -excites its readers, by example, to frame their lives to the pursuit -of good, or to aversion from evil. When, therefore, at my own expense, -I had procured some historians of foreign nations, I proceeded, during -my domestic leisure, to inquire if any thing concerning our own country -could be found worthy of handing down to posterity. Hence it arose, -that, not content with the writings of ancient times, I began, myself, -to compose; not indeed to display my learning, which is comparatively -nothing, but to bring to light events lying concealed in the confused -mass of antiquity. In consequence rejecting vague opinions, I have -studiously sought for chronicles far and near, though I confess I have -scarcely profited any thing by this industry. For perusing them all, I -still remained poor in information; though I ceased not my researches -as long as I could find any thing to read. However, what I have clearly -ascertained concerning the four kingdoms, I have inserted in my first -book, in which I hope truth will find no cause to blush, though perhaps -a degree of doubt may sometimes arise. I shall now trace the monarchy -of the West Saxon kingdom, through the line of successive princes, -down to the coming of the Normans: which if any person will condescend -to regard with complacency, let him in brotherly love observe the -following rule: “If before, he knew only these things, let him not be -disgusted because I have inserted them; if he shall know more, let -him not be angry that I have not spoken of them;” but rather let him -communicate his knowledge to me, while I yet live, that at least, those -events may appear in the margin of my history, which do not occur in -the text. - - - - -CHAP. I. - -_The history of king Egbert._ [A.D. 800-839.] - - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 800-828.] OF KING EGBERT.] - -My former volume terminated where the four kingdoms of Britain were -consolidated into one. Egbert, the founder of this sovereignty, -grand-nephew of king Ina, by his brother Ingild, of high rank in his -own nation, and liberally educated, had been conspicuous among the -West Saxons from his childhood. His uninterrupted course of valour -begat envy, and as it is almost naturally ordained that kings should -regard with suspicion whomsoever they see growing up in expectation -of the kingdom, Bertric, as before related, jealous of his rising -character, was meditating how to destroy him. Egbert, apprised of -this, escaped to Offa, king of the Mercians. While Offa concealed him -with anxious care, the messengers of Bertric arrived, demanding the -fugitive for punishment, and offering money for his surrender. In -addition to this they solicited his daughter in marriage for their -king, in order that the nuptial tie might bind them in perpetual -amity. In consequence Offa, who would not give way to hostile threats, -yielded to flattering allurements, and Egbert, passing the sea, went -into France; a circumstance which I attribute to the counsels of God, -that a man destined to rule so great a kingdom might learn the art of -government from the Franks; for this people has no competitor among -all the Western nations in military skill or polished manners. This -ill-treatment Egbert used as an incentive to “rub off the rust of -indolence,” to quicken the energy of his mind, and to adopt foreign -customs, far differing from his native barbarism. On the death, -therefore, of Bertric, being invited into Britain by frequent messages -from his friends, he ascended the throne, and realized the fondest -expectations of his country. He was crowned in the year of our Lord’s -incarnation 800, and in the thirty-fourth year of the reign of Charles -the Great, of France, who survived this event twelve years. In the -meantime Egbert, when he had acquired the regard of his subjects -by his affability and kindness, first manifested his power against -those Britons who inhabit that part of the island which is called -Cornwall, and having subjugated them, he proceeded to make the Northern -Britons,[118] who are separated from the others by an arm of the sea, -tributary to him. While the fame of these victories struck terror into -the rest, Bernulf king of the Mercians, aiming at something great, and -supposing it would redound to his glory if he could remove the terror -of others by his own audacity, proclaimed war against Egbert. Deeming -it disgraceful to retreat, Egbert met him with much spirit, and on -then coming into action, Bernulf was defeated and fled. This battle -took place at Hellendun, A.D. 824.[119] Elated with this success, the -West Saxon king, extending his views, in the heat of victory, sent his -son Ethelwulf, with Alstan, bishop of Sherborne, and a chosen band, -into Kent, for the purpose of adding to the West Saxon dominions that -province, which had either grown indolent through long repose, or was -terrified by the fame of his valour. These commanders observed their -instructions effectually, for they passed through every part of the -country, and driving Baldred its king, with little difficulty, beyond -the river Thames, they subjugated to his dominion, in the twenty-fourth -year of his reign, Kent, Surrey, the South Saxons, and the East Saxons, -who had formerly been under the jurisdiction of his predecessors. Not -long after the East Angles, animated by the support of Egbert, killed -by successive stratagems, Bernulf and Ludecan, kings of the Mercians. -The cause of their destruction was, their perpetual incursions, with -their usual insolence, on the territories of others. Withlaf their -successor, first driven from his kingdom by Egbert, and afterwards -admitted as a tributary prince, augmented the West Saxon sovereignty. -In the same year the Northumbrians perceiving that themselves only -remained and were a conspicuous object, and fearing lest he should -pour out his long-cherished anger on them, at last, though late, gave -hostages, and yielded to his power. When he was thus possessed of all -Britain, the rest of his life, a space of nine years, passed quietly -on, except that, nearly in his latter days, a piratical band of Danes -made a descent, and disturbed the peace of the kingdom. So changeable -is the lot of human affairs, that he, who first singly governed all -the Angles, could derive but little satisfaction from the obedience of -his countrymen, for a foreign enemy was perpetually harassing him and -his descendants. Against these invaders the forces of the Angles made -a stand, but fortune no longer flattered the king with her customary -favours, but deserted him in the contest: for, when, during the greater -part of the day, he had almost secured the victory, he lost the battle -as the sun declined; however, by the favour of darkness, he escaped the -disgrace of being conquered. In the next action, with a small force, -he totally routed an immense multitude. At length, after a reign of -thirty-seven years and seven months, he departed this life, and was -buried at Winchester; leaving an ample field of glory for his son, and -declaring, that he must be happy, if he was careful not to destroy, -by the indolence natural to his race, a kingdom that himself had -consolidated with such consummate industry. - - - - -CHAP. II. - -_Of king Ethelwulf._ [A.D. 839-858.] - - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 838-851.] OF KING ETHELWULF.] - -In the year of our Lord’s incarnation 837,[120] Ethelwulf, whom some -call Athulf, the son of Egbert, came to the throne, and reigned twenty -years and five months. Mild by nature he infinitely preferred a life -of tranquillity to dominion over many provinces; and, finally, content -with his paternal kingdom, he bestowed all the rest, which his father -had subjugated, on his son Ethelstan; of whom it is not known when, or -in what manner, he died. He assisted Burhred, king of the Mercians, -with an army against the Britons, and highly exalted him by giving -him his daughter in marriage. He frequently overcame the piratical -Danes, who were traversing the whole island and infesting the coast -with sudden descents, both personally and by his generals; although, -according to the chance of war, he himself experienced great and -repeated calamities; London and almost the whole of Kent being laid -waste. Yet these disasters were ever checked by the alacrity of the -king’s advisers, who suffered not the enemy to trespass with impunity, -but fully avenged themselves on them by the effect of their united -counsels. For he possessed at that time, two most excellent prelates, -St. Swithun of Winchester, and Ealstan of Sherborne, who perceiving the -king to be of heavy and sluggish disposition, perpetually stimulated -him, by their admonitions, to the knowledge of governing. Swithun, -disgusted with earthly, trained his master to heavenly pursuits; -Ealstan, knowing that the business of the kingdom ought not to be -neglected, continually inspirited him against the Danes: himself -furnishing the exchequer with money, as well as regulating the army. -Any peruser of the Annals[121] will find many affairs of this kind, -both entered on with courage, and terminated with success through his -means. He held his bishopric fifty years; happy in living for so long -a space in the practice of good works. I should readily commend him, -had he not been swayed by worldly avarice, and usurped what belonged to -others, when by his intrigues he seized the monastery of Malmesbury for -his own use. We feel the mischief of this shameful conduct even to the -present day, although the monastery has baffled all similar violence -from the time of his death till now, when it has fallen again into -like difficulty.[122] Thus the accursed passion of avarice corrupts -the human soul, and forces men, though great and illustrious in other -respects, into hell. - -Ethelwulf, confiding in these two supporters, provided effectually for -external emergencies, and did not neglect the interior concerns of -his kingdom. For after the subjugation of his enemies, turning to the -establishment of God’s worship, he granted every tenth hide of land -within his kingdom to the servants of Christ, free from all tribute, -exempt from all services. But how small a portion is this of his -glory? Having settled his kingdom, he went to Rome, and there offered -to St. Peter that tribute which England pays to this day,[123] before -pope Leo the fourth, who had also, formerly, honourably received, -and anointed as king, Alfred,[124] his son, whom Ethelwulf had sent -to him. Continuing there a whole year, he nobly repaired the School -of the Angles, which, according to report, was first founded by Offa, -king of the Mercians, and had been burned down the preceding year.[125] -Returning home through France, he married Judith, daughter of Charles, -king of the Franks. - - -OF THE SUCCESSORS OF CHARLEMAGNE. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 814-840.] SUCCESSORS OF CHARLEMAGNE.] - -For Louis the Pious, son of Charles the Great, had four sons; Lothaire, -Pepin, Louis, and Charles, surnamed the Bald; of these Lothaire, even -in his father’s life-time, usurping the title of emperor, reigned -fifteen years in that part of Germany situated near the Alps which -is now called Lorraine, that is, the kingdom of Lothaire, and in all -Italy together with Rome. In his latter days, afflicted with sickness, -he renounced the world. He was a man by far more inhuman than all who -preceded him; so much so, as even frequently to load his own father -with chains in a dungeon. Louis indeed was of mild and simple manners, -but he was unmercifully persecuted by Lothaire, because Ermengarda, -by whom he had his first family, being dead, he was doatingly fond of -Charles, his son by his second wife Judith. Pepin, another son of -Louis, had dominion in Aquitaine[126] and Gascony. Louis, the third son -of Louis, in addition to Norica, which he had already, possessed the -kingdoms which his father had given him, that is to say, Alemannia, -Thuringia, Austrasia, Saxony, and the kingdom of the Avares, that -is, the Huns. Charles obtained the half of France on the west, and -all Neustria, Brittany, and the greatest part of Burgundy, Gothia, -Gascony, and Aquitaine, Pepin the son of Pepin being ejected thence -and compelled to become a monk in the monastery of St. Methard; who -afterwards escaping by flight, and returning into Aquitaine, remained -there in concealment a long time; but being again treacherously -deceived by Ranulph the governor, he was seized, brought to Charles -at Senlis, and doomed to perpetual exile. Moreover, after the death -of the most pious emperor, Louis, Lothaire, who had been anointed -emperor eighteen years before his father’s decease, being joined by -Pepin with the people of Aquitaine, led an army against his brothers, -that is, Louis, the most pious king of the Bavarians, and Charles, -into the county of Auxerre to a place called Fontenai:[127] where, -when the Franks with all their subject nations had been overwhelmed -by mutual slaughter, Louis and Charles ultimately triumphed; Lothaire -being put to flight. After this most sanguinary conflict, however, -peace was made between them, and they divided the sovereignty of -the Franks, as has been mentioned above. Lothaire had three sons by -Ermengarda the daughter of Hugo: first, Louis, to whom he committed -the government of the Romans and of Italy; next, Lothaire, to whom he -left the imperial crown; lastly, Charles, to whom he gave Provence. -Lothaire died in the year of our Lord’s incarnation 855, of his reign -the thirty-third. Charles his son, who governed Provence, survived -him eight years, and then Louis, emperor of the Romans, and Lothaire -his brother, shared his kingdom of Provence. But Louis king of the -Norici, that is, of the Bavarians, the son of Louis the emperor, in the -year of our Lord’s incarnation 865, after the feast of Easter, divided -his kingdom between his sons. To Caroloman he gave Norica, that is, -Bavaria, and the marches bordering on the Sclavonians and the Lombards; -to Louis, Thuringia, the Eastern Franks, and Saxony; to Charles he -left Alemannia, and Curnwalla, that is, the county of Cornwall.[128] -Louis himself reigned happily over his sons, in full power for ten -years, and then died in the year of our Lord’s incarnation 876, when he -had reigned fifty-four years. Charles king of the West Franks, in the -thirty-sixth year of his reign, entering Italy, came to offer up his -prayers in the church of the apostles, and was there elected emperor -by all the Roman people, and consecrated by pope John on the 25th of -December, in the year of our Lord’s incarnation 875. Thence he had -a prosperous return into Gaul. But in the thirty-eighth year of his -reign, and the beginning of the third of his imperial dignity, he went -into Italy again, and held a conference with pope John; and returning -into Gaul, he died, after passing Mount Cenis, on the 13th of October, -in the tenth of the Indiction, in the year of our Lord 877, and was -succeeded by his son Louis. Before the second year of his reign was -completed this Louis died in the palace at Compeigne, on the sixth -before the Ides of April, in the year of our Lord 879, the twelfth -of the Indiction. After him his sons, Louis and Caroloman, divided -his kingdom. Of these, Louis gained a victory over the Normans in the -district of Vimeu, and died soon after on the 12th of August, in the -year of our Lord 881, the fifteenth of the Indiction, having reigned -two years, three months, and twenty-four days. He was succeeded in his -government by his brother Caroloman, who, after reigning three years -and six days, was wounded by a wild boar[129] in the forest of Iveline, -in Mount Ericus. He departed this life in the year of our Lord 884, -the second of the Indiction, the 24th of December. Next Charles king -of the Suavi, the son of Louis king of the Norici, assumed the joint -empire of the Franks and Romans, in the year of the Incarnate Word -885, the third of the Indiction; whose vision, as I think it worth -preserving, I here subjoin: - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 885.] CHARLES’S VISION.] - -“In the name of God most high, the King of kings. As I, Charles by -the free gift of God, emperor, king of the Germans, patrician of the -Romans, and emperor of the Franks, on the sacred night of the Lord’s -day, after duly performing the holy service of the evening, went to the -bed of rest and sought the sleep of quietude, there came a tremendous -voice to me, saying, ‘Charles, thy spirit shall shortly depart from -thee for a considerable time:’ immediately I was rapt in the spirit, -and he who carried me away in the spirit was most glorious to behold. -In his hand he held a clue of thread emitting a beam of purest light, -such as comets shed when they appear. This he began to unwind, and -said to me, ‘Take the thread of this brilliant clue and bind and tie -it firmly on the thumb of thy right hand, for thou shalt be led by -it through the inextricable punishments of the infernal regions.’ -Saying this, he went before me, quickly unrolling the thread of the -brilliant clue, and led me into very deep and fiery valleys which were -full of pits boiling with pitch, and brimstone, and lead, and wax, -and grease. There I found the bishops of my father and of my uncles: -and when in terror I asked them why they were suffering such dreadful -torments? they replied, ‘We were the bishops of your father and of -your uncles, and instead of preaching, and admonishing them and their -people to peace and concord, as was our duty, we were the sowers of -discord and the fomenters of evil. On this account we are now burning -in these infernal torments, together with other lovers of slaughter -and of rapine; and hither also will your bishops and ministers come, -who now delight to act as we did.’ While I was fearfully listening -to this, behold the blackest demons came flying about me, with fiery -claws endeavouring to snatch away the thread of life which I held in -my hand, and to draw it to them; but repelled by the rays of the clue, -they were unable to touch it. Next running behind me, they tried to -gripe me in their claws and cast me headlong into those sulphureous -pits: but my conductor, who carried the clue, threw a thread of light -over my shoulders, and doubling it, drew me strongly after him, and -in this manner we ascended lofty fiery mountains, from which arose -lakes, and burning rivers, and all kinds of burning metals, wherein -I found immersed innumerable souls of the vassals and princes of my -father and brothers, some up to the hair, others to the chin, and -others to the middle, who mournfully cried out to me, ‘While we were -living, we were, together with you, and your father, and brothers, and -uncles, fond of battle, and slaughter, and plunder, through lust of -earthly things: wherefore we now undergo punishment in these boiling -rivers, and in various kinds of liquid metal.’ While I was, with the -greatest alarm, attending to these, I heard some souls behind me crying -out, ‘The great will undergo still greater torment.’ I looked back -and beheld on the banks of the boiling river, furnaces of pitch and -brimstone, filled with great dragons, and scorpions, and different -kinds of serpents, where I also saw some of my father’s nobles, some of -my own, and of those of my brothers and of my uncles, who said, ‘Alas, -Charles, you see what dreadful torments we undergo on account of our -malice, and pride, and the evil counsel which we gave to our kings and -to you, for lust’s sake.’ When I could not help groaning mournfully -at this, the dragons ran at me with open jaws filled with fire, and -brimstone, and pitch, and tried to swallow me up. My conductor then -tripled the thread of the clue around me, which by the splendour of -its rays overcame their fiery throats: he then pulled me with greater -violence, and we descended into a valley, which was in one part -dark and burning like a fiery furnace, but in another so extremely -enchanting and glorious, that I cannot describe it. I turned myself -to the dark part which emitted flames, and there I saw some kings of -my race in extreme torture; at which, affrighted beyond measure and -reduced to great distress, I expected that I should be immediately -thrown into these torments by some very black giants, who made the -valley blaze with every kind of flame. I trembled very much, and, the -thread of the clue of light assisting my eyes, I saw, on the side of -the valley, the light somewhat brightening, and two fountains flowing -out thence: one was extremely hot; the other clear and luke-warm; two -large casks were there besides. When, guided by the thread of light, -I proceeded thither, I looked into the vessel containing boiling -water, and saw my father Louis, standing therein up to his thighs. He -was dreadfully oppressed with pain and agony, and said to me, ‘Fear -not, my lord Charles; I know that your spirit will again return into -your body, and that God hath permitted you to come hither, that you -might see for what crimes myself and all whom you have beheld, undergo -these torments. One day I am bathed in the boiling cask; next I pass -into that other delightful water; which is effected by the prayers of -St. Peter and St. Remigius, under whose patronage our royal race has -hitherto reigned. But if you, and my faithful bishops and abbats, and -the whole ecclesiastical order will quickly assist me with masses, -prayers and psalms, and alms, and vigils, I shall shortly be released -from the punishment of the boiling water. For my brother Lothaire and -his son Louis have had these punishments remitted by the prayers of -St. Peter and St. Remigius, and have now entered into the joy of God’s -paradise.’ He then said to me, ‘Look on your left hand;’ and when I had -done so, I saw two very deep casks boiling furiously. ‘These,’ said he, -‘are prepared for you, if you do not amend and repent of your atrocious -crimes.’ I then began to be dreadfully afraid, and when my conductor -saw my spirit thus terrified, he said to me, ‘Follow me to the right -of that most resplendent valley of paradise.’ As we proceeded, I -beheld my uncle Lothaire sitting in excessive brightness, in company -with glorious kings, on a topaz-stone of uncommon size, crowned with a -precious diadem: and near him, his son Louis crowned in like manner. -Seeing me near at hand he called me to him in a kind voice, saying, -‘Come to me, Charles, now my third successor in the empire of the -Romans; I know that you have passed through the place of punishment -where your father, my brother, is placed in the baths appointed for -him; but, by the mercy of God, he will be shortly liberated from those -punishments as we have been, by the merits of St. Peter and the prayers -of St. Remigius, to whom God hath given a special charge over the kings -and people of the Franks, and unless he shall continue to favour and -assist the dregs of our family, our race must shortly cease both from -the kingdom and the empire. Know, moreover, that the rule of the empire -will be shortly taken out of your hand, nor will you long survive. Then -Louis turning to me, said, ‘The empire which you have hitherto held -by hereditary right, Louis the son of my daughter is to assume.’ So -saying, there seemed immediately to appear before me a little child, -and Lothaire his grandfather looking upon him, said to me, ‘This infant -seems to be such an one as that which the Lord set in the midst of the -disciples, and said, “Of such is the kingdom of God, I say unto you, -that their angels do always behold the face of my father who is in -heaven.” But do you bestow on him the empire by that thread of the clue -which you hold in your hand.’ I then untied the thread from the thumb -of my right hand, and gave him the whole monarchy of the empire by that -thread, and immediately the entire clue, like a brilliant sun-beam, -became rolled up in his hand. Thus, after this wonderful transaction, -my spirit, extremely wearied and affrighted, returned into my body. -Therefore, let all persons know willingly or unwillingly, forasmuch -as, according to the will of God, the whole empire of the Romans will -revert into his hands, and that I cannot prevail against him, compelled -by the conditions of this my calling, that God, who is the ruler of -the living and the dead, will both complete and establish this; whose -eternal kingdom remains for ever and ever, amen.” - -The vision itself, and the partition of the kingdoms, I have inserted -in the very words I found them in.[130] This Charles, then, had -scarcely discharged the united duties of the empire and kingdom for two -years, when Charles, the son of Louis who died at Compeigne, succeeded -him: this is the Charles who married the daughter of Edward, king of -England, and gave Normandy to Rollo with his daughter Gisla, who was -the surety of peace and pledge of the treaty. To this Charles, in the -empire, succeeded Arnulph; a king of the imperial line, tutor of that -young Louis of whom the vision above recited speaks. Arnulph dying -after fifteen years, this Louis succeeded him, at whose death, one -Conrad, king of the Teutonians, obtained the sovereignty. His son -Henry, who succeeded him, sent to Athelstan king of the Angles, for -his two sisters, Aldgitha and Edgitha, the latter of whom he married -to his son Otho, the former to a certain duke near the Alps. Thus the -empire of the Romans and the kingdom of the Franks being severed from -their ancient union, the one is governed by emperors and the other by -kings. But as I have wandered wide from my purpose, whilst indulging in -tracing the descent of the illustrious kings of the Franks, I will now -return to the course I had begun, and to Ethelwulf. - -On his return after his year’s peregrination and marriage with the -daughter of Charles the Bald, as I have said, he found the dispositions -of some persons contrary to his expectations. For Ethelbald his son, -and Ealstan bishop of Sherborne, and Enulph earl of Somerset conspiring -against him, endeavoured to eject him from the sovereignty; but through -the intervention of maturer counsel, the kingdom was divided between -the father and his son. This partition was extremely unequal; for -malignity was so far successful that the western portion, which was the -better, was allotted to the son, the eastern, which was the worse, fell -to the father. He, however, with incredible forbearance, dreading “a -worse than civil war,” calmly gave way to his son, restraining, by a -conciliatory harangue, the people who had assembled for the purpose of -asserting his dignity. And though all this quarrel arose on account of -his foreign wife, yet he held her in the highest estimation, and used -to place her on the throne near himself, contrary to the West Saxon -custom. For that people never suffered the king’s consort either to be -seated by the king or to be honoured with the appellation of queen, on -account of the depravity of Eadburga, daughter of Offa, king of the -Mercians; who, as we have before mentioned, being married to Bertric, -king of the West Saxons, used to persuade him, a tender-hearted man, -as they report, to the destruction of the innocent, and would herself -take off by poison those against whom her accusations failed. This was -exemplified in the case of a youth much beloved by the king, whom she -made away with in this manner: and immediately afterwards Bertric fell -sick, wasted away and died, from having previously drunk of the same -potion, unknown to the queen. The rumour of this getting abroad, drove -the poisoner from the kingdom. Proceeding to Charles the Great, she -happened to find him standing with one of his sons, and after offering -him presents, the emperor, in a playful, jocose manner, commanded -her to choose which she liked best, himself, or his son. Eadburga -choosing the young man for his blooming beauty, Charles replied with -some emotion, “Had you chosen me, you should have had my son, but -since you have chosen him, you shall have neither.” He then placed her -in a monastery where she might pass her life in splendour; but, soon -after, finding her guilty of incontinence he expelled her.[131] Struck -with this instance of depravity, the Saxons framed the regulation I -have alluded to, though Ethelwulf invalidated it by his affectionate -kindness. He made his will a few months before he died, in which, after -the division of the kingdom between his sons Ethelbald and Ethelbert, -he set out the dowry of his daughter, and ordered, that, till the end -of time, one poor person should be clothed and fed from every tenth -hide of his inheritance, and that every year, three hundred mancas of -gold[132] should be sent to Rome, of which one-third should be given -to St. Peter, another to St. Paul for lamps, and the other to the pope -for distribution. He died two years after he came from Rome, and was -buried at Winchester in the cathedral. But that I may return from my -digression to my proposed series, I shall here subjoin the charter of -ecclesiastical immunities which he granted to all England. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 857.] ETHELWULF’S CHARTER.] - -“Our Lord Jesus Christ reigning for evermore. Since we perceive that -perilous times are pressing on us, that there are in our days hostile -burnings, and plunderings of our wealth, and most cruel depredations -by devastating enemies, and many tribulations of barbarous and pagan -nations, threatening even our destruction: therefore I Ethelwulf -king of the West Saxons, with the advice of my bishops and nobility, -have established a wholesome counsel and general remedy. I have -decided that there shall be given to the servants of God, whether -male or female or laymen,[133] a certain hereditary portion of the -lands possessed by persons of every degree, that is to say, the tenth -manse,[134] but where it is less than this, then the tenth part; that -it may be exonerated from all secular services, all royal tributes -great and small, or those taxes which we call Witereden. And let it -be free from all things, for the release of our souls, that it may be -applied to God’s service alone, exempt from expeditions, the building -of bridges, or of forts; in order that they may more diligently pour -forth their prayers to God for us without ceasing, inasmuch as we have -in some measure alleviated their service. Moreover it hath pleased -Ealstan bishop of Sherborne, and Swithun bishop of Winchester, with -their abbats and the servants of God, to appoint that all our brethren -and sisters at each church, every week on the day of Mercury, that -is to say, Wednesday, should sing fifty psalms, and every priest -two masses, one for king Ethelwulf, and another for his nobility, -consenting to this gift, for the pardon and alleviation of their sins; -for the king while living, they shall say, ‘Let us pray: O God, who -justifiest.’ For the nobility while living, ‘Stretch forth, O Lord.’ -After they are dead; for the departed king, singly: for the departed -nobility, in common: and let this be firmly appointed for all the times -of Christianity, in like manner as that immunity is appointed, so long -as faith shall increase in the nation of the Angles. This charter of -donation was written in the year of our Lord’s incarnation 844,[135] -the fourth of the indiction, and on the nones, i. e. the fifth day of -November, in the city of Winchester, in the church of St. Peter, before -the high altar, and they have done this for the honour of St. Michael -the archangel, and of St. Mary the glorious queen, the mother of God, -and also for the honour of St. Peter the chief of the apostles, and -of our most holy father pope Gregory, and all saints. And then, for -greater security, king Ethelwulf placed the charter on the altar of St. -Peter, and the bishops received it in behalf of God’s holy faith, and -afterwards transmitted it to all churches in their dioceses according -to the above-cited form.” - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 858.] WEST SAXON KINGS.] - -From this king the English chronicles trace the line of the generation -of their kings upwards, even to Adam, as we know Luke the evangelist -has done with respect to our Lord Jesus; and which, perhaps, it will -not be superfluous for me to do, though it is to be apprehended, that -the utterance of barbarous names may shock the ears of persons unused -to them. Ethelwulf was the son of Egbert, Egbert of Elmund, Elmund -of Eafa, Eafa of Eoppa, Eoppa was the son of Ingild, the brother of -king Ina, who were both sons of Kenred; Kenred of Ceolwald, Ceolwald -of Cutha, Cutha of Cuthwin, Cuthwin of Ceawlin, Ceawlin of Cynric, -Cynric of Creoding, Creoding of Cerdic, who was the first king of the -West Saxons; Cerdic of Elesa, Elesa of Esla, Esla of Gewis, Gewis of -Wig, Wig of Freawin, Freawin of Frithogar, Frithogar of Brond, Brond -of Beldeg, Beldeg of Woden; and from him, as we have often remarked, -proceeded the kings of many nations. Woden was the son of Frithowald, -Frithowald of Frealaf, Frealaf of Finn, Finn of Godwulf, Godwulf of -Geat, Geat of Tætwa, Tætwa of Beaw, Beaw of Sceldi, Sceldi of Sceaf; -who, as some affirm, was driven on a certain island in Germany, called -Scamphta, (of which Jornandes,[136] the historian of the Goths, -speaks,) a little boy in a skiff, without any attendant, asleep, with -a handful of corn at his head, whence he was called Sceaf; and, on -account of his singular appearance, being well received by the men -of that country, and carefully educated, in his riper age he reigned -in a town which was called Slaswic, but at present Haitheby; which -country, called old Anglia, whence the Angles came into Britain, is -situated between the Saxons and the Gioths. Sceaf was the son of -Heremod, Heremod of Itermon, Itermon of Hathra, Hathra of Guala, Guala -of Bedwig, Bedwig of Streaf, and he, as they say, was the son of Noah, -born in the Ark.[137] - - - - -CHAP. III. - -_Of Ethelbald, Ethelbert, and Ethelred, sons of Ethelwulf._ - -[A.D. 858-872.] - - -In the year of our Lord 857,[138] the two sons of Ethelwulf divided -their paternal kingdom; Ethelbald reigned in West Saxony, and Ethelbert -in Kent. Ethelbald, base and perfidious, defiled the bed of his -father by marrying, after his decease, Judith his step-mother. Dying, -however, at the end of five years, and being interred at Sherborne, -the whole government devolved upon his brother. In his time a band -of pirates landing at Southampton, proceeded to plunder the populous -city of Winchester, but soon after being spiritedly repulsed by the -king’s generals, and suffering considerable loss, they put to sea, and -coasting round, chose the Isle of Thanet, in Kent, for their winter -quarters. The people of Kent, giving hostages, and promising a sum of -money, would have remained quiet, had not these pirates, breaking the -treaty, laid waste the whole district by nightly predatory excursions, -but roused by this conduct they mustered a force and drove out the -truce-breakers. Moreover Ethelbert, having ruled the kingdom with -vigour and with mildness, paid the debt of nature after five years, -and was buried at Sherborne. - -In the year of our Lord 867, Ethelred, the son of Ethelwulf, obtained -his paternal kingdom, and ruled it for the same number of years as his -brothers. Surely it would be a pitiable and grievous destiny, that all -of them should perish by an early death, unless it is, that in such a -tempest of evils, these royal youths should prefer an honourable end -to a painful government. Indeed, so bravely and so vigorously did they -contend for their country, that it was not to be imputed to them that -their valour did not succeed in its design. Finally, it is related, -that this king was personally engaged in hostile conflict against the -enemy nine times in one year, with various success indeed, but for the -most part victor, besides sudden attacks, in which, from his skill in -warfare, he frequently worsted those straggling depredators. In these -several actions the Danes lost nine earls and one king, besides common -people innumerable. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 867-871.] BATTLE OF ESCHENDUN.] - -One battle memorable beyond all the rest was that which took place at -Eschendun.[139] The Danes, having collected an army at this place, -divided it into two bodies; their two kings commanded the one, all -their earls the other. Ethelred drew near with his brother Alfred. It -fell to the lot of Ethelred to oppose the kings, while Alfred was to -attack the earls. Both armies eagerly prepared for battle, but night -approaching deferred the conflict till the ensuing day. Scarcely had -the morning dawned ere Alfred was ready at his post, but his brother, -intent on his devotions, had remained in his tent; and when urged on by -a message, that the pagans were rushing forward with unbounded fury, -he declared that he should not move a step till his religious services -were ended. This piety of the king was of infinite advantage to his -brother, who was too impetuous from the thoughtlessness of youth, and -had already far advanced. The battalions of the Angles were now giving -way, and even bordering on flight, in consequence of their adversaries -pressing upon them from the higher ground, for the Christians were -fighting in an unfavourable situation, when the king himself, signed -with the cross of God, unexpectedly hastened forward, dispersing the -enemy, and rallying his subjects. The Danes, terrified equally by his -courage and the divine manifestation, consulted their safety by flight. -Here fell Oseg their king, five earls, and an innumerable multitude of -common people. - -The reader will be careful to observe that during this time, the -kings of the Mercians and of the Northumbrians, eagerly seizing the -opportunity of the arrival of the Danes, with whom Ethelred was -fully occupied in fighting, and somewhat relieved from their bondage -to the West Saxons, had nearly regained their original power. All -the provinces, therefore, were laid waste by cruel depredations, -because each king chose rather to resist the enemy within his own -territories, than to assist his neighbours in their difficulties; and -thus preferring to avenge injury rather than to prevent it, they ruined -their country by their senseless conduct. The Danes acquired strength -without impediment, whilst the apprehensions of the inhabitants -increased, and each successive victory, from the addition of captives, -became the means of obtaining another. The country of the East Angles, -together with their cities and villages, was possessed by these -plunderers; its king, St. Edmund, slain by them in the year of our -Lord’s incarnation 870, on the tenth of November, purchased an eternal -kingdom by putting off this mortal life. The Mercians, often harassed, -alleviated their afflictions by giving hostages. The Northumbrians, -long embroiled in civil dissensions, made up their differences on the -approach of the enemy. Replacing Osbert their king, whom they had -expelled, upon the throne, and collecting a powerful force, they went -out to meet the foe; but being easily repelled, they shut themselves -up in the city of York, which was presently after set on fire by the -victors; and when the flames were raging to the utmost and consuming -the very walls, they perished for their country in the conflagration. -In this manner Northumbria, the prize of war, for a considerable time -after, felt the more bitterly, through a sense of former liberty, -the galling yoke of the barbarians. And now Ethelred, worn down with -numberless labours, died and was buried at Wimborne. - - - - -CHAP. IV. - -_Of king Alfred._ [A.D. 872--901.] - - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 872-878.] ALFRED’S DREAM.] - -In the year of our Lord’s incarnation 872, Alfred, the youngest son -of Ethelwulf, who had, as has been related before, received the royal -unction and crown from pope Leo the fourth at Rome, acceded to the -sovereignty and retained it with the greatest difficulty, but with -equal valour, twenty-eight years and a half. To trace in detail -the mazy labyrinth of his labours was never my design; because a -recapitulation of his exploits in their exact order of time would -occasion some confusion to the reader. For, to relate how a hostile -army, driven by himself or his generals, from one part of a district, -retreated to another; and, dislodged thence, sought a fresh scene of -operation and filled every place with rapine and slaughter; and, if -I may use the expression, “to go round the whole island with him,” -might to some seem the height of folly: consequently I shall touch -on all points summarily. For nine successive years battling with his -enemies, sometimes deceived by false treaties, and sometimes wreaking -his vengeance on the deceivers, he was at last reduced to such extreme -distress, that scarcely three counties, that is to say, Hampshire, -Wiltshire, and Somersetshire, stood fast by their allegiance, as he -was compelled to retreat to a certain island called Athelney, which -from its marshy situation was hardly accessible. He was accustomed -afterwards, when in happier circumstances, to relate to his companions, -in a lively and agreeable manner, his perils there, and how he escaped -them by the merits of St. Cuthbert;[140] for it frequently happens -that men are pleased with the recollection of those circumstances, -which formerly they dreaded to encounter. During his retreat in this -island, as he was one day in the house alone, his companions being -dispersed on the river side for the purpose of fishing, he endeavoured -to refresh his weary frame with sleep: and behold! Cuthbert, formerly -bishop of Lindisfarne, addressed him, while sleeping, in the following -manner:--“I am Cuthbert, if ever you heard of me; God hath sent me to -announce good fortune to you; and since England has already largely -paid the penalty of her crimes, God now, through the merits of her -native saints, looks upon her with an eye of mercy. You too, so -pitiably banished from your kingdom, shall shortly be again seated -with honour on your throne; of which I give you this extraordinary -token: your fishers shall this day bring home a great quantity of large -fish in baskets; which will be so much the more extraordinary because -the river, at this time hard-bound with ice, could warrant no such -expectation; especially as the air now dripping with cold rain mocks -the art of the fisher. But, when your fortune shall succeed to your -wishes, you will act as becomes a king, if you conciliate God your -helper, and me his messenger, with suitable devotion.” Saying thus, -the saint divested the sleeping king of his anxiety; and comforted -his mother also, who was lying near him, and endeavouring to invite -some gentle slumbers to her hard couch to relieve her cares, with the -same joyful intelligence. When they awoke, they repeatedly declared -that each had had the self-same dream, when the fishermen entering, -displayed such a multitude of fishes as would have been sufficient to -satisfy the appetite of a numerous army. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 878-890.] DEFEAT OF THE DANES.] - -Not long after, venturing from his concealment, he hazarded an -experiment of consummate art. Accompanied only by one of his most -faithful adherents, he entered the tent of the Danish king under the -disguise of a minstrel;[141] and being admitted, as a professor of -the mimic art, to the banqueting room, there was no object of secrecy -that he did not minutely attend to both with eyes and ears. Remaining -there several days, till he had satisfied his mind on every matter -which he wished to know, he returned to Athelney: and assembling his -companions, pointed out the indolence of the enemy and the easiness of -their defeat. All were eager for the enterprise, and himself collecting -forces from every side, and learning exactly the situation of the -barbarians from scouts he had sent out for that purpose, he suddenly -attacked and routed them with incredible slaughter. The remainder, -with their king, gave hostages that they would embrace Christianity and -depart from the country; which they performed. For their king, Gothrun, -whom our people call Gurmund, with thirty nobles and almost all the -commonalty, was baptized, Alfred standing for him; and the provinces -of the East Angles, and Northumbrians[142] were given up to him, in -order that he might, under fealty to the king, protect with hereditary -right, what before he had overrun with predatory incursion. However, -as the Ethiopian cannot change his skin, he domineered over these -tributary provinces with the haughtiness of a tyrant for eleven years, -and died in the twelfth, transmitting to his posterity the inheritance -of his disloyalty, until subdued by Athelstan, the grandson of Alfred, -they were, though reluctantly, compelled to admit one common king of -England, as we see at the present day. Such of the Danes as had refused -to become Christians, together with Hastings, went over sea, where the -inhabitants are best able to tell what cruelties they perpetrated. For -overrunning the whole maritime coasts to the Tuscan sea, they unpeopled -Paris and Tours, as well as many other cities seated on the Seine and -Loire, those noted rivers of France. At that time the bodies of many -saints being taken up from the spot of their original interment and -conveyed to safer places, have ennobled foreign churches with their -relics even to this day. Then also the body of St. Martin, venerated, -as Sidonius says, over the whole earth, in which virtue resides though -life be at an end, was taken to Auxerre, by the clergy of his church, -and placed in that of St. German, where it astonished the people of -that district by unheard-of miracles. And when they who came thither, -out of gratitude for cures performed, contributed many things to -requite the labours of those who had borne him to this church, as is -commonly the case, a dispute arose about the division of the money; -the Turonians claiming the whole, because their patron had called the -contributors together by his miracles: the natives, on the other hand, -alleging that St. German was not unequal in merit, and was of equal -kindness; that both indeed had the same power, but that the prerogative -of their church preponderated. To solve this knotty doubt, a leprous -person was sought, and placed, nearly at the last gasp, wasted to a -skeleton, and already dead, as it were, in a living carcass, between -the bodies of the two saints. All human watch was prohibited for the -whole night: the glory of Martin alone was vigilant; for the next -day, the skin of the man on his side appeared clear, while on that of -German, it was discoloured with its customary deformity. And, that -they might not attribute this miracle to chance, they turned the yet -diseased side to Martin. As soon as the morning began to dawn, the man -was found by the hastening attendants with his skin smooth, perfectly -cured, declaring the kind condescension of the resident patron, who -yielded to the honour of such a welcome stranger. Thus the Turonians, -both at that time and afterwards, safely filled their common purse -by the assistance of their patron, till a more favourable gale of -peace restored them to their former residence. For these marauders -infesting France for thirteen years, and being at last overcome by -the emperor Ernulph and the people of Brittany in many encounters, -retreated into England as a convenient receptacle for their tyranny. -During this space of time Alfred had reduced the whole island to his -power, with the exception of what the Danes possessed. The Angles -had willingly surrendered to his dominion, rejoicing that they had -produced a man capable of leading them to liberty. He granted London, -the chief city of the Mercian kingdom, to a nobleman named Ethered, -to hold in fealty, and gave him his daughter Ethelfled in marriage. -Ethered conducted himself with equal valour and fidelity; defended -his trust with activity, and kept the East Angles and Northumbrians, -who were fomenting rebellion against the king, within due bounds, -compelling them to give hostages. Of what infinite service this was, -the following emergency proved. After England had rejoiced for thirteen -years in the tranquillity of peace and in the fertility of her soil, -the northern pest of barbarians again returned. With them returned -war and slaughter; again arose conspiracies of the Northumbrians and -East Angles: but neither strangers nor natives experienced the same -fortune as in former years; the one party, diminished by foreign -contests, were less alert in their invasions; while the other, now -experienced in war and animated by the exhortations of the king, were -not only more ready to resist, but also to attack. The king himself -was, with his usual activity, present in every action, ever daunting -the invaders, and at the same time inspiriting his subjects, with the -signal display of his courage. He would oppose himself singly to the -enemy; and by his own personal exertions rally his declining forces. -The very places are yet pointed out by the inhabitants where he felt -the vicissitudes of good and evil fortune. It was necessary to contend -with Alfred even after he was overcome, after he was prostrate; -insomuch that when he might be supposed altogether vanquished, he would -escape like a slippery serpent, from the hand which held him, glide -from his lurking-place, and, with undiminished courage, spring on his -insulting enemies: he was insupportable after flight, and became more -circumspect from the recollection of defeat, more bold from the thirst -of vengeance. His children by Elswitha, the daughter of earl Athelred, -were Ethelswitha, Edward who reigned after him; Ethelfled who was -married to Ethered earl of the Mercians; Ethelwerd, whom they celebrate -as being extremely learned; Elfred and Ethelgiva, virgins. His health -was so bad that he was constantly disquieted either by the piles or -some disorder of the intestines. It is said, however, that he entreated -this from God, in his supplications, in order that, by the admonition -of pain, he might be less anxious after earthly delights. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 893.] KING ALFRED’S INSTITUTIONS.] - -Yet amid these circumstances the private life of the king is to be -admired and celebrated with the highest praise. For although, as some -one has said, “Laws must give way amid the strife of arms,” yet he, -amid the sound of trumpets and the din of war, enacted statutes by -which his people might equally familiarise themselves to religious -worship and to military discipline. And since, from the example of -the barbarians, the natives themselves began to lust after rapine, -insomuch that there was no safe intercourse without a military guard, -he appointed centuries, which they call “hundreds,” and decennaries, -that is to say, “tythings,” so that every Englishman, living according -to law, must be a member of both. If any one was accused of a crime, -he was obliged immediately to produce persons from the hundred and -tything to become his surety; and whosoever was unable to find such -surety, must dread the severity of the laws. If any who was impleaded -made his escape either before or after he had found surety, all persons -of the hundred and tything paid a fine to the king. By this regulation -he diffused such peace throughout the country, that he ordered golden -bracelets, which might mock the eager desires of the passengers while -no one durst take them away, to be hung up on the public causeways, -where the roads crossed each other. Ever intent on almsgiving, he -confirmed the privileges of the churches, as appointed by his father, -and sent many presents over sea to Rome and to St. Thomas in India. -Sighelm, bishop of Sherborne, sent ambassador for this purpose, -penetrated successfully into India, a matter of astonishment even in -the present time. Returning thence, he brought back many brilliant -exotic gems and aromatic juices in which that country abounds, and -a present more precious than the finest gold, part of our Saviour’s -cross, sent by pope Marinus to the king. He erected monasteries -wherever he deemed it fitting; one in Athelney, where he lay concealed, -as has been above related, and there he made John abbat, a native of -Old Saxony; another at Winchester, which is called the New-minster, -where he appointed Grimbald abbat, who, at his invitation, had been -sent into England by Fulco archbishop of Rheims, known to him, as they -say, by having kindly entertained him when a child on his way to Rome. -The cause of his being sent for was that by his activity he might -awaken the study of literature in England, which was now slumbering -and almost expiring. The monastery of Shaftesbury also he filled with -nuns, where he made his daughter Ethelgiva abbess. From St. David’s -he procured a person named Asser,[143] a man of skill in literature, -whom he made bishop of Sherborne. This man explained the meaning of -the works of Boethius, on the Consolation of Philosophy, in clearer -terms, and the king himself translated them into the English language. -And since there was no good scholar in his own kingdom, he sent for -Werefrith bishop of Worcester out of Mercia, who by command of the -king rendered into the English tongue the books of Gregory’s Dialogues. -At this time Johannes Scotus is supposed to have lived; a man of clear -understanding and amazing eloquence. He had long since, from the -continued tumult of war around him, retired into France to Charles the -Bald, at whose request he had translated the Hierarchia of Dionysius -the Areopagite, word for word, out of the Greek into Latin. He composed -a book also, which he entitled περὶ φύσεων μερισμοῦ, or Of the Division -of Nature,[144] extremely useful in solving the perplexity of certain -indispensable inquiries, if he be pardoned for some things in which he -deviated from the opinions of the Latins, through too close attention -to the Greeks. In after time, allured by the munificence of Alfred, he -came into England, and at our monastery, as report says, was pierced -with the iron styles of the boys whom he was instructing, and was even -looked upon as a martyr; which phrase I have not made use of to the -disparagement of his holy spirit, as though it were matter of doubt, -especially as his tomb on the left side of the altar, and the verses of -his epitaph, record his fame.[145] These, though rugged and deficient -in the polish of our days, are not so uncouth for ancient times: - - “Here lies a saint, the sophist John, whose days - On earth were grac’d with deepest learning’s praise: - Deem’d meet at last by martyrdom to gain - Christ’s kingdom, where the saints for ever reign.” - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 893.] STORY OF JOHN THE SCOT.] - -Confiding in these auxiliaries, the king gave his whole soul to the -cultivation of the liberal arts, insomuch that no Englishman was -quicker in comprehending, or more elegant in translating. This was the -more remarkable, because until twelve years of age he absolutely knew -nothing of literature.[146] At that time, lured by a kind mother, -who under the mask of amusement promised that he should have a little -book which she held in her hand for a present if he would learn it -quickly, he entered upon learning in sport indeed at first, but -afterwards drank of the stream with unquenchable avidity. He translated -into English the greater part of the Roman authors, bringing off the -noblest spoil of foreign intercourse for the use of his subjects; of -which the chief books were Orosius, Gregory’s Pastoral, Bede’s History -of the Angles, Boethius Of the Consolation of Philosophy, his own -book, which he called in his vernacular tongue “Handboc,” that is, a -manual.[147] Moreover he infused a great regard for literature into -his countrymen, stimulating them both with rewards and punishments, -allowing no ignorant person to aspire to any dignity in the court. He -died just as he had begun a translation of the Psalms. In the prologue -to “The Pastoral” he observes, “that he was incited to translate these -books into English because the churches which had formerly contained -numerous libraries had, together with their books, been burnt by the -Danes.” And again, “that the pursuit of literature had gone to decay -almost over the whole island, because each person was more occupied in -the preservation of his life than in the perusal of books; wherefore -he so far consulted the good of his countrymen, that they might now -hastily view what hereafter, if peace should ever return, they might -thoroughly comprehend in the Latin language.” Again, “That he designed -to transmit this book, transcribed by his order, to every see, with -a golden style in which was a mancus of gold; that there was nothing -of his own opinions inserted in this or his other translations, but -that everything was derived from those celebrated men Plegmund[148] -archbishop of Canterbury, Asser the bishop, Grimbald and John the -priests.” But, in short, I may thus briefly elucidate his whole -life: he so divided the twenty-four hours of the day and night as to -employ eight of them in writing, in reading, and in prayer, eight in -the refreshment of his body, and eight in dispatching the business of -the realm. There was in his chapel a candle consisting of twenty-four -divisions, and an attendant, whose peculiar province it was to admonish -the king of his several duties by its consumption. One half of all -revenues, provided they were justly acquired, he gave to his[149] -monasteries, all his other income he divided into two equal parts, the -first was again subdivided into three, of which the first was given to -the servants of his court, the second to artificers whom he constantly -employed in the erection of new edifices, in a manner surprising and -hitherto unknown to the English, the third he gave to strangers. The -second part of the revenue was divided in such a mode that the first -portion should be given to the poor of his kingdom, the second to -the monasteries, the third to scholars,[150] the fourth to foreign -churches. He was a strict inquirer into the sentences passed by his -magistrates, and a severe corrector of such as were unjust. He had one -unusual and unheard-of custom, which was, that he always carried in his -bosom a book in which the daily order of the Psalms was contained, for -the purpose of carefully perusing it, if at any time he had leisure. In -this way he passed his life, much respected by neighbouring princes, -and gave his daughter Ethelswitha in marriage to Baldwin earl of -Flanders, by whom he had Arnulf and Ethelwulf; the former received -from his father the county of Boulogne, from the other at this day are -descended the earls of Flanders.[151] - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 893.] KING ALFRED’S DEATH.] - -Alfred, paying the debt of nature, was buried at Winchester, in the -monastery which he had founded; to build the offices of which Edward, -his son, purchased a sufficient space of ground from the bishop and -canons, giving, for every foot, a mancus of gold of the statute weight. -The endurance of the king was astonishing, in suffering such a sum -to be extorted from him; but he did not choose to offer a sacrifice -to God from the robbery of the poor. These two churches were so -contiguous, that, when singing, they heard each others’ voices; on this -and other accounts an unhappy jealousy was daily stirring up causes of -dissension, which produced frequent injuries on either side. For this -reason that monastery was lately removed out of the city, and became -a more healthy, as well as a more conspicuous, residence. They report -that Alfred was first buried in the cathedral, because his monastery -was unfinished, but that afterwards, on account of the folly of the -canons, who asserted that the royal spirit, resuming its carcass, -wandered nightly through the buildings, Edward, his son and successor, -removed the remains of his father, and gave them a quiet resting-place -in the new minster.[152] These and similar superstitions, such as that -the dead body of a wicked man runs about, after death, by the agency -of the devil, the English hold with almost inbred credulity,[153] -borrowing them from the heathens, according to the expression of Virgil, - - “Forms such as flit, they say, when life is gone.”[154] - - - - -CHAP. V. - -_Of Edward the son of Alfred._ [A.D. 901-924.] - - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 901.] EDWARD.] - -In the year of our Lord’s incarnation, 901, Edward, the son of Alfred, -succeeded to the government, and held it twenty-three years: he was -much inferior to his father in literature, but greatly excelled in -extent of power. For Alfred, indeed, united the two kingdoms of the -Mercian and West Saxons, holding that of the Mercians only nominally, -as he had assigned it to prince Ethelred: but at his death Edward first -brought the Mercians altogether under his power, next, the West[155] -and East Angles, and Northumbrians, who had become one nation with the -Danes; the Scots, who inhabit the northern part of the island; and all -the Britons, whom we call Welsh, after perpetual battles, in which he -was always successful. He devised a mode of frustrating the incursions -of the Danes; for he repaired many ancient cities, or built new ones, -in places calculated for his purpose, and filled them with a military -force, to protect the inhabitants and repel the enemy. Nor was his -design unsuccessful; for the inhabitants became so extremely valorous -in these contests, that if they heard of an enemy approaching, they -rushed out to give them battle, even without consulting the king or his -generals, and constantly surpassed them, both in number and in warlike -skill. Thus the enemy became an object of contempt to the soldiery and -of derision to the king. At last some fresh assailants, who had come -over under the command of Ethelwald, the son of the king’s uncle, were -all, together with himself, cut off to a man; those before, settled in -the country, being either destroyed or spared under the denomination -of Angles. Ethelwald indeed had attempted many things in the earlier -days of this king; and, disdaining subjection to him, declared himself -his inferior neither in birth nor valour; but being driven into exile -by the nobility, who had sworn allegiance to Edward, he brought over -the pirates; with whom, meeting his death, as I have related, he gave -proof of the folly of resisting those who are our superiors in power. -Although Edward may be deservedly praised for these transactions, -yet, in my opinion, the palm should be more especially given to his -father, who certainly laid the foundation of this extent of dominion. -And here indeed Ethelfled, sister of the king and relict of Ethered, -ought not to be forgotten, as she was a powerful accession to his -party, the delight of his subjects, the dread of his enemies, a woman -of an enlarged soul, who, from the difficulty experienced in her first -labour, ever after refused the embraces of her husband; protesting -that it was unbecoming the daughter of a king to give way to a delight -which, after a time, produced such painful consequences. This spirited -heroine assisted her brother greatly with her advice, was of equal -service in building cities, nor could you easily discern, whether it -was more owing to fortune or her own exertions, that a woman should -be able to protect men at home, and to intimidate them abroad. She -died five years before her brother, and was buried in the monastery of -St. Peter’s, at Gloucester; which, in conjunction with her husband, -Ethered, she had erected with great solicitude. Thither too she had -transferred the bones of St. Oswald, the king, from Bardney; but this -monastery being destroyed in succeeding time by the Danes, Aldred, -archbishop of York, founded another, which is now the chief in that -city. - -As the king had many daughters, he gave Edgiva to Charles, king of -France, the son of Lewis the Stammerer, son of Charles the Bald, whose -daughter, as I have repeatedly observed, Ethelwulf had married on his -return from Rome; and, as the opportunity has now presented itself, the -candid reader will not think it irrelevant, if I state the names of his -wives and children. By Egwina, an illustrious lady, he had Athelstan, -his first-born, and a daughter, whose name I cannot particularise, but -her brother gave her in marriage to Sihtric, king of the Northumbrians. -The second son of Edward was Ethelward, by Elfleda, daughter of earl -Etheline; deeply versed in literature, much resembling his grandfather -Alfred in features and disposition, but who departed, by an early -death, soon after his father. By the same wife he had Edwin, of whose -fate what the received opinion is I shall hereafter describe, not with -confidence, but doubtingly. By her too he had six daughters; Edfleda, -Edgiva, Ethelhilda, Ethilda, Edgitha, Elgifa: the first and third -vowing celibacy to God, renounced the pleasure of earthly nuptials; -Edfleda in a religious, and Ethelhilda in a lay habit: they both lie -buried near their mother, at Winchester. Her father gave Edgiva, as I -have mentioned, to king Charles,[156] and her brother, Athelstan, gave -Ethilda to Hugh:[157] this same brother also sent Edgitha and Elgifa to -Henry,[158] emperor of Germany, the second of whom he gave to his son -Otho, the other to a certain duke, near the Alps. Again; by his third -wife, named Edgiva, he had two sons, Edmund and Edred, each of whom -reigned after Athelstan: two daughters, Eadburga, and Edgiva; Eadburga, -a virgin, dedicated to Christ, lies buried at Winchester; Edgiva, a -lady of incomparable beauty, was united, by her brother Athelstan, to -Lewis, prince of Aquitaine.[159] Edward had brought up his daughters -in such wise, that in childhood they gave their whole attention to -literature, and afterwards employed themselves in the labours of the -distaff and the needle that thus they might chastely pass their virgin -age. His sons were so educated, as, first, to have the completest -benefit of learning, that afterwards they might succeed to govern the -state, not like rustics, but philosophers. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 912.] EDWARD.] - -Charles, the son-in-law of Edward, constrained thereto by Rollo, -through a succession of calamities, conceded to him that part of Gaul -which at present is called Normandy. It would be tedious to relate -for how many years, and with what audacity, the Normans disquieted -every place from the British ocean, as I have said, to the Tuscan sea. -First Hasten, and then Rollo; who, born of noble lineage among the -Norwegians, though obsolete from its extreme antiquity, was banished, -by the king’s command, from his own country, and brought over with -him multitudes, who were in danger, either from debt or consciousness -of guilt, and whom he had allured by great expectations of advantage. -Betaking himself therefore to piracy, after his cruelty had raged -on every side at pleasure, he experienced a check at Chartres. For -the townspeople, relying neither on arms nor fortifications, piously -implored the assistance of the blessed Virgin Mary. The shift too of -the virgin, which Charles the Bald had brought with other relics from -Constantinople, they displayed to the winds on the ramparts, thronged -by the garrison, after the fashion of a banner. The enemy on seeing it -began to laugh, and to direct their arrows at it. This, however, was -not done with impunity; for presently their eyes became dim, and they -could neither retreat nor advance. The townsmen, with joy perceiving -this, indulged themselves in a plentiful slaughter of them, as far -as fortune permitted. Rollo, however, whom God reserved for the true -faith, escaped, and soon after gained Rouen and the neighbouring cities -by force of arms, in the year of our Lord 876, and one year before -the death of Charles the Bald, whose grandson Lewis, as is before -mentioned, vanquished the Normans, but did not expel them: but Charles, -the brother of that Lewis, grandson of Charles the Bald, by his son -Lewis, as I have said above, repeatedly experiencing, from unsuccessful -conflicts, that fortune gave him nothing which she took from others, -resolved, after consulting his nobility, that it was advisable to make -a show of royal munificence, when he was unable to repel injury; and, -in a friendly manner, sent for Rollo. He was at this time far advanced -in years; and, consequently, easily inclined to pacific measures. It -was therefore determined by treaty, that he should be baptized, and -hold that country of the king as his lord. The inbred and untameable -ferocity of the man may well be imagined, for, on receiving this gift, -as the by standers suggested to him, that he ought to kiss the foot of -his benefactor, disdaining to kneel down, he seized the king’s foot -and dragged it to his mouth as he stood erect. The king falling on his -back, the Normans began to laugh, and the Franks to be indignant; but -Rollo apologized for his shameful conduct, by saying that it was the -custom of his country. Thus the affair being settled, Rollo returned to -Rouen, and there died. - -The son of this Charles was Lewis: he being challenged by one Isembard, -that had turned pagan, and renounced his faith, called upon his -nobility for their assistance: they not even deigned an answer; when -one Hugh, son of Robert, earl of Mont Didier, a youth of no great -celebrity at the time, voluntarily entered the lists for his lord and -killed the challenger. Lewis, with his whole army pursuing to Ponthieu, -gained there a glorious triumph; either destroying or putting to flight -all the barbarians whom Isembard had brought with him. But not long -after, weakened by extreme sickness, the consequence of this laborious -expedition, he appointed this Hugh, a young man of noted faith and -courage, heir to the kingdom. Thus the lineage of Charles the Great -ceased with him, because either his wife was barren, or else did not -live long enough to have issue. Hugh married one of the daughters of -Edward,[160] and begot Robert; Robert begot Henry; Henry, Philip; and -Philip, Lewis, who now reigns in France. But to return to our Edward: -I think it will be pleasing to relate what in his time pope Formosus -commanded to be done with respect to filling up the bishoprics, which I -shall insert in the very words I found it.[161] - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 912.] POPE FORMOSUS.] - -“In the year of our Lord’s nativity 904, pope Formosus sent letters -into England, by which he denounced excommunication and malediction to -king Edward and all his subjects, instead of the benediction which St. -Gregory had given to the English nation from the seat of St. Peter, -because for seven whole years the entire district of the Gewissæ, that -is, of the West-Saxons, had been destitute of bishops. On hearing -this, king Edward assembled a council of the senators of the English, -over which presided Plegmund, archbishop of Canterbury, interpreting -carefully the words of the apostolic legation. Then the king and the -bishops chose for themselves and their followers a salutary council, -and, according to our Saviour’s words, ‘The harvest truly is plenteous, -but the labourers are few,’[162] they elected and appointed one bishop -to every province of the Gewissæ, and that district which two formerly -possessed they divided into five. The council being dissolved, the -archbishop went to Rome with splendid presents, appeased the pope with -much humility, and related the king’s ordinance, which gave the pontiff -great satisfaction. Returning home, in one day he ordained in the city -of Canterbury seven bishops to seven churches:--Frithstan to the church -of Winchester; Athelstan to Cornwall; Werstan to Sherborne; Athelelm -to Wells; Aidulf to Crediton in Devonshire: also to other provinces he -appointed two bishops; to the South-Saxons, Bernegus, a very proper -person; and to the Mercians, Cenulph, whose see was at Dorchester, in -Oxfordshire. All this the pope established, in such wise, that he who -should invalidate this decree should be damned everlastingly.” - -Edward, going the way of all flesh, rested in the same monastery with -his father, which he had augmented with considerable revenues, and in -which he had buried his brother Ethelward four years before. - - - - -CHAP. VI. - -_Of Athelstan, the son of Edward._ [A.D. 924-940.] - - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 927.] ATHELSTAN.] - -In the year of our Lord’s incarnation 924, Athelstan, the son of -Edward, began to reign, and held the sovereignty sixteen years. His -brother, Ethelward, dying a few days after his father, had been buried -with him at Winchester. At this place, therefore, Athelstan, being -elected king by the unanimous consent of the nobility, he was crowned -at a royal town, which is called Kingston; though one Elfred, whose -death we shall hereafter relate in the words of the king, with his -factious party, as sedition never wants adherents, attempted to prevent -it. The ground of his opposition, as they affirm, was, that Athelstan -was born of a concubine. But having nothing ignoble in him, except -this stain, if after all it be true, he cast all his predecessors into -the shade by his piety, as well as the glory of all their triumphs, by -the splendour of his own. So much more excellent is it to have that -for which we are renowned inherent, than derived from our ancestors; -because the former is exclusively our own, the latter is imputable to -others. I forbear relating how many new and magnificent monasteries -he founded; but I will not conceal that there was scarcely an old one -in England which he did not embellish, either with buildings, or -ornaments, or books, or possessions. Thus he ennobled the new ones -expressly, but the old, as though they were only casual objects of his -kindness. With Sihtric, king of the Northumbrians, who married, as -I have before said, one of his sisters, he made a lasting covenant; -he dying after a year, Athelstan took that province under his own -government, expelling one Aldulph, who resisted him. And as a noble -mind, when once roused, aspires to greater things, he compelled -Jothwel, king of all the Welsh, and Constantine, king of the Scots, -to quit their kingdoms; but not long after, moved with commiseration, -he restored them to their original state, that they might reign under -him, saying, “it was more glorious to make than to be a king.” His last -contest was with Anlaf, the son of Sihtric, who, with the before-named -Constantine, again in a state of rebellion, had entered his territories -under the hope of gaining the kingdom. Athelstan purposely retreating, -that he might derive greater honour from vanquishing his furious -assailants, this bold youth, meditating unlawful conquests, had now -proceeded far into England, when he was opposed at Bruneford[163] by -the most experienced generals, and most valiant forces. Perceiving, -at length, what danger hung over him, he assumed the character of a -spy. Laying aside his royal ensigns, and taking a harp in his hand, -he proceeded to our king’s tent: singing before the entrance, and at -times touching the trembling strings in harmonious cadence, he was -readily admitted, professing himself a minstrel, who procured his -daily sustenance by such employment. Here he entertained the king and -his companions for some time with his musical performance, carefully -examining everything while occupied in singing. When satiety of eating -had put an end to their sensual enjoyments, and the business of war -was resumed among the nobles, he was ordered to depart, and received -the recompence of his song; but disdaining to take it away, he hid it -beneath him in the earth. This circumstance was remarked by a person, -who had formerly served under him, and immediately related it to -Athelstan. The king, blaming him extremely for not having detected his -enemy as he stood before them, received this answer: “The same oath, -which I have lately sworn to you, O king, I formerly made to Anlaf; and -had you seen me violate it towards him, you might have expected similar -perfidy towards yourself: but condescend to listen to the advice of -your servant, which is, that you should remove your tent hence, and -remaining in another place till the residue of the army come up, you -will destroy your ferocious enemy by a moderate delay.” Approving -this admonition, he removed to another place. Anlaf advancing, well -prepared, at night, put to death, together with the whole of his -followers, a certain bishop,[164] who had joined the army only the -evening before, and, ignorant of what had passed, had pitched his -tent there on account of the level turf. Proceeding farther, he found -the king himself equally unprepared; who, little expecting his enemy -capable of such an attack, had indulged in profound repose. But, when -roused from his sleep by the excessive tumult, and urging his people, -as much as the darkness of the night would permit, to the conflict, his -sword fell by chance from the sheath; upon which, while all things were -filled with dread and blind confusion, he invoked the protection of God -and of St. Aldhelm, who was distantly related to him; and replacing his -hand upon the scabbard, he there found a sword, which is kept to this -day, on account of the miracle, in the treasury of the kings. Moreover, -it is, as they say, chased in one part, but can never be inlaid either -with gold or silver. Confiding in this divine present, and at the same -time, as it began to dawn, attacking the Norwegian, he continued the -battle unwearied through the day, and put him to flight with his whole -army. There fell Constantine, king of the Scots, a man of treacherous -energy and vigorous old age; five other kings, twelve earls, and almost -the whole assemblage of barbarians. The few who escaped were preserved -to embrace the faith of Christ. - -Concerning this king a strong persuasion is prevalent among the -English, that one more just or learned never governed the kingdom. -That he was versed in literature, I discovered a few days since, in a -certain old volume, wherein the writer struggles with the difficulty of -the task, unable to express his meaning as he wished. Indeed I would -subjoin his words for brevity’s sake, were they not extravagant beyond -belief in the praises of the king, and just in that style of writing -which Cicero, the prince of Roman eloquence, in his book on Rhetoric, -denominates “bombast.” The custom of that time excuses the diction, and -the affection for Athelstan, who was yet living, gave countenance to -the excess of praise. I shall subjoin, therefore, in familiar language, -some few circumstances which may tend to augment his reputation. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 924.] ATHELSTAN.] - -King Edward, after many noble exploits, both in war and peace, a few -days before his death subdued the contumacy of the city of Chester, -which was rebelling in confederacy with the Britons; and placing a -garrison there, he fell sick and died at Faringdon, and was buried, -as I before related, at Winchester. Athelstan, as his father had -commanded in his will, was then hailed king, recommended by his -years,--for he was now thirty,--and the maturity of his wisdom. For -even his grandfather Alfred, seeing and embracing him affectionately -when he was a boy of astonishing beauty and graceful manners, had -most devoutly prayed that his government might be prosperous: indeed, -he had made him a knight[165] unusually early, giving him a scarlet -cloak, a belt studded with diamonds, and a Saxon sword with a golden -scabbard. Next he had provided that he should be educated in the court -of Ethelfled his daughter, and of his son-in-law Ethered; so that, -having been brought up in expectation of succeeding to the kingdom, by -the tender care of his aunt and of this celebrated prince, he repressed -and destroyed all envy by the lustre of his good qualities; and, after -the death of his father, and decease of his brother, he was crowned at -Kingston. Hence, to celebrate such splendid events, and the joy of that -illustrious day, the poet justly exclaims: - - Of royal race a noble stem - Hath chased our darkness like a gem. - Great Athelstan, his country’s pride, - Whose virtue never turns aside; - Sent by his father to the schools, - Patient, he bore their rigid rules, - And drinking deep of science mild, - Passed his first years unlike a child. - Next clothed in youth’s bewitching charms, - Studied the harsher lore of arms, - Which soon confessed his knowledge keen, - As after in the sovereign seen. - Soon as his father, good and great, - Yielded, though ever famed, to fate, - The youth was called the realm to guide, - And, like his parent, well preside. - The nobles meet, the crown present, - On rebels, prelates curses vent; - The people light the festive fires, - And show by turns their kind desires. - Their deeds their loyalty declare, - Though hopes and fears their bosoms share. - With festive treat the court abounds; - Foams the brisk wine, the hall resounds: - The pages run, the servants haste, - And food and verse regale the taste. - The minstrels sing, the guests commend, - Whilst all in praise to Christ contend. - The king with pleasure all things sees, - And all his kind attentions please. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 926.] ATHELSTAN.] - -The solemnity of the consecration being finished, Athelstan, that he -might not deceive the expectation of his subjects, and fall below -their opinion, subdued the whole of England, except Northumbria, by -the single terror of his name. One Sihtric, a relation of that Gothrun -who is mentioned in the history of Alfred, presided over this people, -a barbarian both by race and disposition, who, though he ridiculed the -power of preceding kings, humbly solicited affinity with Athelstan, -sending messengers expressly for the purpose; and himself shortly -following confirmed the proposals of the ambassadors. In consequence, -honoured by a union with his sister, and by various presents, he laid -the basis of a perpetual treaty. But, as I have before observed, dying -at the end of a year, he afforded Athelstan an opportunity for uniting -Northumbria, which belonged to him both by ancient right and recent -affinity, to his sovereignty. Anlaf, the son of Sihtric, then fled -into Ireland, and his brother Guthferth into Scotland. Messengers -from the king immediately followed to Constantine, king of the Scots, -and Eugenius, king of the Cumbrians, claiming the fugitive under a -threat of war. The barbarians had no idea of resistance, but without -delay coming to a place called Dacor, they surrendered themselves and -their kingdoms to the sovereign of England. Out of regard to this -treaty, the king himself stood for the son of Constantine, who was -ordered to be baptized, at the sacred font. Guthferth, however, amid -the preparations for the journey, escaped by flight with one Turfrid, -a leader of the opposite party; and afterwards laying siege to York, -where he could succeed in bringing the townsmen to surrender neither -by entreaties nor by threats, he departed. Not long after, being both -shut up in a castle, they eluded the vigilance of the guards, and -escaped. Turfrid, losing his life quickly after by shipwreck, became a -prey to fishes. Guthferth, suffering extremely both by sea and land, at -last came a suppliant to court. Being amicably received by the king, -and sumptuously entertained for four days, he resought his ships; an -incorrigible pirate, and accustomed to live in the water like a fish. -In the meantime Athelstan levelled with the ground the castle which the -Danes had formerly fortified in York, that there might be no place for -disloyalty to shelter in; and the booty which had been found there, -which was very considerable, he generously divided, man by man, to -the whole army. For he had prescribed himself this rule of conduct, -never to hoard up riches; but liberally to expend all his acquisition -either on monasteries or on his faithful followers. On these, during -the whole of his life, he expended his paternal treasures, as well as -the produce of his victories. To the clergy he was humble and affable; -to the laity mild and pleasant; to the nobility rather reserved, -from respect to his dignity; to the lower classes, laying aside the -stateliness of power, he was kind and condescending. He was, as we have -heard, of becoming stature, thin in person, his hair flaxen, as I have -seen by his remains, and beautifully wreathed with golden threads. -Extremely beloved by his subjects from admiration of his fortitude and -humility, he was terrible to those who rebelled against him, through -his invincible courage. He compelled the rulers of the northern Welsh, -that is, of the North Britons, to meet him at the city of Hereford, and -after some opposition to surrender to his power. So that he actually -brought to pass what no king before him had even presumed to think of: -which was, that they should pay annually by way of tribute, twenty -pounds of gold, three hundred of silver, twenty-five thousand oxen, -besides as many dogs as he might choose, which from their sagacious -scent could discover the retreats and hiding places of wild beasts; and -birds, trained to make prey of others in the air. Departing thence, he -turned towards the Western Britons, who are called the Cornwallish, -because, situated in the west of Britain, they are opposite to the -extremity of Gaul.[166] Fiercely attacking, he obliged them to retreat -from Exeter, which, till that time, they had inhabited with equal -privileges with the Angles, fixing the boundary of their province on -the other side of the river Tamar, as he had appointed the river Wye to -the North Britons. This city then, which he had cleansed by purging it -of its contaminated race, he fortified with towers and surrounded with -a wall of squared stone. And, though the barren and unfruitful soil -can scarcely produce indifferent oats, and frequently only the empty -husk without the grain, yet, owing to the magnificence of the city, -the opulence of its inhabitants, and the constant resort of strangers, -every kind of merchandise is there so abundant that nothing is wanting -which can conduce to human comfort. Many noble traces of him are to -be seen in that city, as well as in the neighbouring district, which -will be better described by the conversation of the natives, than by my -narrative. - -On this account all Europe resounded with his praises, and extolled his -valour to the skies: foreign princes with justice esteemed themselves -happy if they could purchase his friendship either by affinity or by -presents. Harold king of Norway sent him a ship with golden beak and a -purple sail, furnished within with a compacted fence of gilded shields. -The names of the persons sent with it, were Helgrim and Offrid: who, -being received with princely magnificence in the city of York, were -amply compensated, by rich presents, for the labour of their journey. -Henry the First, for there were many of the name, the son of Conrad, -king of the Teutonians and emperor of the Romans, demanded his sister, -as I have before related, for his son Otho: passing over so many -neighbouring kings, but contemplating from a distance Athelstan’s noble -descent, and greatness of mind. So completely indeed had these two -qualities taken up their abode with him, that none could be more noble -or illustrious in descent; none more bold or prompt in disposition. -Maturely considering that he had four sisters, who were all equally -beautiful, except only as their ages made a difference, he sent two to -the emperor at his request; and how he disposed of them in marriage -has already been related: Lewis prince of Aquitania, a descendant -of Charles the Great, obtained the third in wedlock: the fourth, in -whom the whole essence of beauty had centred, which the others only -possessed in part, was demanded from her brother by Hugh king of the -Franks.[167] The chief of this embassy was Adulph, son of Baldwin earl -of Flanders by Ethelswitha daughter of king Edward.[168] When he had -declared the request of the suitor in an assembly of the nobility at -Abingdon, he produced such liberal presents as might gratify the most -boundless avarice: perfumes such as never had been seen in England -before: jewels, but more especially emeralds, the greenness of which, -reflected by the sun, illumined the countenances of the by-standers -with agreeable light: many fleet horses with their trappings, and, -as Virgil says, “Champing their golden bits:” an alabaster vase so -exquisitely chased, that, the cornfields really seemed to wave, the -vines to bud, the figures of men actually to move, and so clear and -polished, that it reflected the features like a mirror; the sword of -Constantine the Great, on which the name of its original possessor -was read in golden letters; on the pommel, upon thick plates of gold, -might be seen fixed an iron spike, one of the four which the Jewish -faction prepared for the crucifixion of our Lord: the spear of Charles -the Great, which whenever that invincible emperor hurled in his -expeditions against the Saracens, he always came off conqueror; it was -reported to be the same, which, driven into the side of our Saviour by -the hand of the centurion,[169] opened, by that precious wound, the -joys of paradise to wretched mortals: the banner of the most blessed -martyr Maurice, chief of the Theban legion;[170] with which the same -king, in the Spanish war, used to break through the battalions of the -enemy however fierce and wedged together, and put them to flight: a -diadem, precious from its quantity of gold, but more so for its jewels, -the splendour of which threw the sparks of light so strongly on the -beholders, that the more stedfastly any person endeavoured to gaze, so -much the more he was dazzled, and compelled to avert his eyes; part -of the holy and adorable cross enclosed in crystal; where the eye, -piercing through the substance of the stone, might discern the colour -and size of the wood; a small portion of the crown of thorns, enclosed -in a similar manner, which, in derision of his government, the madness -of the soldiers placed on Christ’s sacred head. The king, delighted -with such great and exquisite presents, made an equal return of good -offices; and gratified the soul of the longing suitor by a union with -his sister. With some of these presents he enriched succeeding kings: -but to Malmesbury he gave part of the cross and crown; by the support -of which, I believe, that place even now flourishes, though it has -suffered so many shipwrecks of its liberty, so many attacks of its -enemies.[171] In this place he ordered Elwin and Ethelwin, the sons of -his uncle Ethelward, whom he had lost in the battle against Anlaf, to -be honourably buried, expressing his design of resting here himself: of -which battle it is now proper time to give the account of that poet, -from whom I have taken all these transactions. - - His subjects governing with justest sway, - Tyrants o’eraw’d, twelve years had pass’d away, - When Europe’s noxious pestilence stalk’d forth, - And poured the barbarous legions from the north. - The pirate Anlaf now the briny surge - Forsakes, while deeds of desperation urge. - Her king consenting, Scotia’s land receives - The frantic madman, and his host of thieves: - Now flush’d with insolence they shout and boast, - And drive the harmless natives from the coast. - Thus, while the king, secure in youthful pride, - Bade the soft hours in gentle pleasures glide, - Though erst he stemmed the battle’s furious tide, - With ceaseless plunder sped the daring horde, - And wasted districts with their fire and sword. - The verdant crops lay withering on the fields - The glebe no promise to the rustic yields. - Immense the numbers of barbarian force, - Countless the squadrons both of foot and horse. - At length fame’s rueful moan alarmed the king, - And bade him shun this ignominious sting, - That arms like his to ruffian bands should bend: - ’Tis done: delays and hesitations end. - High in the air the threatening banners fly, - And call his eager troops to victory, - His hardy force, a hundred thousand strong - Whom standards hasten to the fight along. - The martial clamour scares the plund’ring band, - And drives them bootless tow’rds their native land. - The vulgar mass a dreadful carnage share, - And shed contagion on the ambient air, - While Anlaf, only, out of all the crew - Escapes the meed of death, so justly due, - Reserved by fortune’s favor, once again - When Athelstan was dead, to claim our strain. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 937.] DEATH OF ELFRED.] - -This place seems to require that I should relate the death of Elfred -in the words of the king, for which I before pledged the faith of my -narrative. For as he had commanded the bodies of his relations to be -conveyed to Malmesbury, and interred at the head of the sepulchre of -St. Aldhelm; he honoured the place afterwards to such a degree, that -he esteemed none more desirable or more holy. Bestowing many large -estates upon it, he confirmed them by charters, in one of which, after -the donation, he adds: “Be it known to the sages of our kingdom, that -I have not unjustly seized the lands aforesaid, or dedicated plunder -to God; but that I have received them, as the English nobility, and -even John, the pope of the church of Rome himself, have judged fitting -on the death of Elfred. He was the jealous rival both of my happiness -and life, and consented to the wickedness of my enemies, who, on my -father’s decease, had not God in his mercy delivered me, wished to put -out my eyes in the city of Winchester: wherefore, on the discovery -of their infernal contrivances, he was sent to the church of Rome to -defend himself by oath before pope John. This he did at the altar of -St. Peter; but at the very instant he had sworn, he fell down before -it, and was carried by his servants to the English School, where he -died the third night after. The pope immediately sent to consult -with us, whether his body should be placed among other Christians. -On receiving this account the nobility of our kingdom, with the -whole body of his relations, humbly entreated that we would grant -our permission for his remains to be buried with other Christians. -Consenting, therefore, to their urgent request, we sent back our -compliance to Rome, and with the pope’s permission he was buried, -though unworthy, with other Christians. In consequence all his property -of every description was adjudged to be mine. Moreover, we have noted -this in writing, that, so long as Christianity reigns, it may never be -abrogated, whence the aforesaid land, which I have given to God and St. -Peter, was granted me; nor do I know any thing more just, than that -I should bestow this gift on God and St. Peter, who caused my rival -to fall in the sight of all persons, and conferred on me a prosperous -reign.” - -In these words of the king, we may equally venerate his wisdom, and -his piety in sacred matters: his wisdom, that so young a man should -perceive that a sacrifice obtained by rapine could not be acceptable -to God: his piety in so gratefully making a return to God, out of a -benefit conferred on him by divine vengeance. Moreover, it may be -necessary to observe, that at that time the church of St. Peter was the -chief of the monastery, which now is deemed second only: the church of -St. Mary, which the monks at present frequent, was built afterwards in -the time of king Edgar, under abbat Elfric. Thus far relating to the -king I have written from authentic testimony: that which follows I have -learned more from old ballads, popular through succeeding times, than -from books written expressly for the information of posterity. I have -subjoined them, not to defend their veracity, but to put my reader in -possession of all I know. First, then, to the relation of his birth. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 926.] BIRTH OF ATHELSTAN.] - -There was in a certain village, a shepherd’s daughter, a girl of -exquisite beauty, who gained through the elegance of her person what -her birth could never have bestowed. In a vision she beheld a prodigy: -the moon shone from her womb, and all England was illuminated by the -light. When she sportively related this to her companions in the -morning, it was not so lightly received, but immediately reached the -ears of the woman who had nursed the sons of the king. Deliberating on -this matter, she took her home and adopted her as a daughter, bringing -up this young maiden with costlier attire, more delicate food, and -more elegant demeanour. Soon after, Edward, the son of king Alfred, -travelling through the village, stopped at the house which had been -the scene of his infantine education. Indeed, he thought it would be a -blemish on his reputation to omit paying his salutations to his nurse. -He became deeply enamoured of the young woman from the first moment he -saw her, and passed the night with her. In consequence of this single -intercourse, she brought forth her son Athelstan, and so realized her -dream. For at the expiration of his childish years, as he approached -manhood, he gave proof by many actions what just expectations of noble -qualities might be entertained of him. King Edward, therefore, died, -and was shortly followed by his legitimate son Ethelward. All hopes -now centred in Athelstan: Elfred alone, a man of uncommon insolence, -disdaining to be governed by a sovereign whom he had not voluntarily -chosen, secretly opposed with his party to the very utmost. But he -being detected and punished, as the king has before related, there -were some who even accused Edwin, the king’s brother, of treachery. -Base and dreadful crime was it thus to embroil fraternal affection by -sinister constructions. Edwin, though imploring, both personally and -by messengers, the confidence of his brother, and though invalidating -the accusation by an oath, was nevertheless driven into exile. So far, -indeed, did the dark suggestions of some persons prevail on a mind -distracted with various cares, that, forgetful of a brother’s love, -he expelled the youth, an object of pity even to strangers. The mode -adopted too was cruel in the extreme: he was compelled to go on board -a vessel, with a single attendant, without a rower, without even an -oar, and the bark crazy with age. Fortune laboured for a long time -to restore the innocent youth to land, but when at length he was far -out at sea, and sails could not endure the violence of the wind, the -young man, delicate, and weary of life under such circumstances, put -an end to his existence by a voluntary plunge into the waters. The -attendant wisely determining to prolong his life, sometimes by shunning -the hostile waves, and sometimes by urging the boat forward with his -feet, brought his master’s body to land, in the narrow sea which -flows between Wissant and Dover. Athelstan, when his anger cooled, -and his mind became calm, shuddered at the deed, and submitting to a -seven years’ penance, inflicted severe vengeance on the accuser of -his brother: he was the king’s cup-bearer, and on this account had -opportunity of enforcing his insinuations. It so happened on a festive -day, as he was serving wine, that slipping with one foot in the midst -of the chamber, he recovered himself with the other. On this occasion, -he made use of an expression which proved his destruction: “Thus -brother,” said he, “assists brother.” The king on hearing this, ordered -the faithless wretch to be put to death, loudly reproaching him with -the loss of that assistance he might have had from his brother, were he -alive, and bewailing his death. - -The circumstances of Edwin’s death, though extremely probable, I the -less venture to affirm for truth, on account of the extraordinary -affection he manifested towards the rest of his brothers; for, as his -father had left them very young, he cherished them whilst children with -much kindness, and, when grown up, made them partakers of his kingdom; -it is before related to what dignity he exalted such of his sisters -as his father had left unmarried and unprovided for. Completing his -earthly course, and that a short one, Athelstan died at Gloucester. -His noble remains were conveyed to Malmesbury and buried under the -altar. Many gifts, both in gold and silver, as well as relics of -saints purchased abroad in Brittany, were carried before the body: -for, in such things, admonished, as they say, in a dream, he expended -the treasures which his father had long since amassed, and had left -untouched. His years, though few, were full of glory. - - - - -CHAP. VII. - -_Of kings Edmund, Edred, and Edwy._ [A.D. 940-955.] - - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 940-944.] KING EDMUND.] - -In the year of our Lord’s incarnation 940, Edmund the brother of -Athelstan, a youth of about eighteen, received and held the government -for six years and a half. In his time the Northumbrians, meditating a -renewal of hostilities, violated the treaty which they had made with -Athelstan, and created Anlaf, whom they had recalled from Ireland, -their king. Edmund, who thought it disgraceful not to complete his -brother’s victorious course, led his troops against the delinquents; -who presently retreating, he subjugated all the cities on this side the -river Humber. Anlaf, with a certain prince, Reginald,[172] the son of -that Gurmund of whom we have spoken in the history of Alfred, sounding -the disposition of the king, offered to surrender himself, proffering -his conversion to Christianity as a pledge of his fidelity, and -receiving baptism. His savage nature, however, did not let him remain -long in this resolution, for he violated his oath, and irritated his -lord. In consequence of which, the following year he suffered for his -crimes, being doomed to perpetual exile. The province which is called -Cumberland Edmund assigned to Malcolm, king of the Scots, under fealty -of an oath. - -Among the many donations which the king conferred on different -churches, he exalted that of Glastonbury, through his singular -affection towards it, with great estates and honours; and granted it a -charter in these words: - -“In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I Edmund, king of the Angles, -and governor and ruler of the other surrounding nations, with the -advice and consent of my nobility, for the hope of eternal retribution, -and remission of my transgressions, do grant to the church of the holy -mother of God, Mary of Glastonbury, and the venerable Dunstan, whom I -have there constituted abbat, the franchise and jurisdiction, rights, -customs, and all the forfeitures of all their possessions; that is -to say,[173] burhgeritha, and hundred-setena, athas and ordelas, and -infangenetheofas, hamsocne, and fridebrice, and forestel and toll, and -team, throughout my kingdom, and their lands shall be free to them, and -released from all exactions, as my own are. But more especially shall -the town of Glastonbury, in which is situated that most ancient church -of the holy mother of God, together with its bounds, be more free than -other places. The abbat of this place, alone, shall have power, as -well in causes known as unknown; in small and in great; and even in -those which are above, and under the earth; on dry land, and in the -water; in woods and in plains; and he shall have the same authority of -punishing or remitting the crimes of delinquents perpetrated within it, -as my court has; in the same manner as my predecessors have granted and -confirmed by charter; to wit, Edward my father, and Elfred his father, -and Kentwin, Ina, and Cuthred, and many others, who more peculiarly -honoured and esteemed that noble place. And that any one, either -bishop, or duke,[174] or prince, or any of their servants, should dare -to enter it for the purpose of holding courts, or distraining, or doing -any thing contrary to the will of the servants of God there, I inhibit -under God’s curse. Whosoever therefore shall benevolently augment my -donation, may his life be prosperous in this present world; long may he -enjoy his happiness: but whosoever shall presume to invade it through -his own rashness, let him know for certain that he shall be compelled -with fear and trembling to give account before the tribunal of a -rigorous judge, unless he shall first atone for his offence by proper -satisfaction.” - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 946.] EDMUND KILLED.] - -The aforesaid donation was granted in the year of our Lord Jesus -Christ’s incarnation 944, in the first of the indiction, and was -written in letters of gold in the book of the Gospels, which he -presented to the same church elegantly adorned. Such great and -prosperous successes, however, were obscured by a melancholy death. -A certain robber named Leofa, whom he had banished for his crimes, -returning after six years’ absence totally unexpected, was sitting, -on the feast of St. Augustine, the apostle of the English, and first -archbishop of Canterbury, among the royal guests at Puckle-church,[175] -for on this day the English were wont to regale in commemoration of -their first preacher; by chance too, he was placed near a nobleman whom -the king had condescended to make his guest. This, while the others -were eagerly carousing, was perceived by the king alone; when, hurried -with indignation and impelled by fate, he leaped from the table, caught -the robber by the hair, and dragged him to the floor; but he secretly -drawing a dagger from its sheath plunged it with all his force into the -breast of the king as he lay upon him. Dying of the wound, he gave rise -over the whole kingdom to many fictions concerning his decease. The -robber was shortly torn limb from limb by the attendants who rushed in, -though he wounded some of them ere they could accomplish their purpose. -St. Dunstan, at that time abbat of Glastonbury, had foreseen his -ignoble end, being fully persuaded of it from the gesticulations and -insolent mockery of a devil dancing before him. Wherefore, hastening -to court at full speed, he received intelligence of the transaction -on the road. By common consent then it was determined, that his body -should be brought to Glastonbury and there magnificently buried in -the northern part of the tower. That such had been his intention, -through his singular regard for the abbat, was evident from particular -circumstances. The village also where he was murdered was made an -offering for the dead, that the spot which had witnessed his fall might -ever after minister aid to his soul. - -In his fourth year, that is, in the year of our Lord 944, William, the -son of Rollo, duke of Normandy, was treacherously killed in France, -which old writers relate as having been done with some degree of -justice. Rinulph, one of the Norman nobility, owing William a grudge -from some unknown cause, harassed him with perpetual aggressions. -His son, Anschetil, who served under the earl, to gratify his lord -durst offer violence to nature for taking his father in battle: he -delivered him into the power of the earl, relying on the most solemn -oath, that he should suffer nothing beyond imprisonment. As wickedness, -however, constantly discovers pretences for crime, the earl, shortly -after feigning an excuse, sends Anschetil to Pavia bearing a letter -to the duke of Italy, the purport of which was his own destruction. -Completing his journey, he was received, on his entrance into the -city, in the most respectful manner; and delivering the letter, the -duke, astonished at the treachery, shuddered, that a warrior of such -singular address should be ordered to be despatched. But as he would -not oppose the request of so renowned a nobleman, he laid an ambush -of a thousand horsemen, as it is said, for Anschetil when he left -the city. For a long time, with his companions whom he had selected -out of all Normandy, he resisted their attack; but at last he fell -nobly, compensating his own death by slaying many of the enemy. The -only survivor on either side was Balso, a Norman, a man of small size, -but of incredible courage; although some say that he was ironically -called short. This man, I say, alone hovered round the city, and by his -single sword terrified the townspeople as long as he thought proper. -No person will deem this incredible, who considers what efforts the -desperation of a courageous man will produce, and how little military -valour the people of that region possess. Returning thence to his own -country, he laid his complaint of the perfidy of his lord before the -king of France. Fame reported too, that Rinulph, in addition to his -chains, had had his eyes put out. In consequence the earl being cited -to his trial at Paris, was met, under the pretence of a conference, -as they assert, and killed by Balso; thus making atonement for his -own perfidy, and satisfying the rage of his antagonist in the midst -of the river Seine. His death was the source of long discord between -the French and Normans, till by the exertions of Richard his son it -had a termination worthy such a personage. A truer history[176] indeed -relates, that being at enmity with Ernulph, earl of Flanders, he had -possessed himself of one of his castles, and that being invited out -by him to a conference, on a pretended design of making a truce, he -was killed by Balso, as they were conversing in a ship: that a key was -found at his girdle, which being applied to the lock of his private -cabinet, discovered certain monastic habiliments;[177] for he ever -designed, even amid his warlike pursuits, one day to become a monk at -Jumiéges; which place, deserted from the time of Hasten, he cleared of -the overspreading thorns, and with princely magnificence exalted to its -present state. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 946-955.] EDRED--EDWY.] - -In the year of our Lord 946, Edred, Edward’s third son, assuming the -government, reigned nine years and a half. He gave proof that he had -not degenerated in greatness of soul from his father and his brothers; -for he nearly exterminated the Northumbrians and the Scots, laying -waste the whole province with sword and famine, because, having with -little difficulty compelled them to swear fidelity to him, they broke -their oath, and made Iricius their king. He for a long time kept -Wulstan, archbishop of York, who, it was said, connived at the revolt -of his countrymen, in chains, but afterwards, out of respect to his -ecclesiastical dignity, released and pardoned him. In the meantime, the -king himself, prostrate at the feet of the saints, devoted his life to -God and to Dunstan, by whose admonition he endured with patience his -frequent bodily pains,[178] prolonged his prayers, and made his palace -altogether the school of virtue. He died accompanied with the utmost -grief of men, but joy of angels; for Dunstan, learning by a messenger -that he was sick, while urging his horse in order to see him, heard a -voice thundering over his head, “Now king Edred sleeps in the Lord.” He -lies buried in the cathedral at Winchester. - -In the year of our Lord 955, Edwy, son of Edmund, the brother of -Athelstan the former king, taking possession of the kingdom, retained -it four years: a wanton youth, who abused the beauty of his person -in illicit intercourse. Finally, taking a woman nearly related to -him as his wife, he doated on her beauty, and despised the advice -of his counsellors. On the very day he had been consecrated king, -in full assembly of the nobility, when deliberating on affairs of -importance and essential to the state, he burst suddenly from amongst -them, darted wantonly into his chamber, and rioted in the embraces of -the harlot. All were indignant of the shameless deed, and murmured -among themselves. Dunstan alone, with that firmness which his name -implies,[179] regardless of the royal indignation, violently dragged -the lascivious boy from the chamber, and on the archbishop’s compelling -him to repudiate the strumpet,[180] made him his enemy for ever. Soon -after, upheld by most contemptible supporters, he afflicted with -undeserved calamities all the members of the monastic order throughout -England,--who were first despoiled of their property, and then driven -into exile. He drove Dunstan himself, the chief of monks, into -Flanders. At that time the face of monachism was sad and pitiable. Even -the monastery of Malmesbury, which had been inhabited by monks for more -than two hundred and seventy years, he made a sty for secular canons. -But thou, O Lord Jesus, our creator and redeemer, gracious disposer, -art abundantly able to remedy our defects by means of those irregular -and vagabond men. Thou didst bring to light thy treasure, hidden for -so many years--I mean the body of St. Aldhelm, which they took up and -placed in a shrine. The royal generosity increased the fame of the -canons; for the king bestowed on the saint an estate, very convenient -both from its size and vicinity. But my recollection shudders even at -this time, to think how cruel he was to other monasteries, equally -on account of the giddiness of youth, and the pernicious counsel of -his concubine, who was perpetually poisoning his uninformed mind. -But let his soul, long since placed in rest by the interposition of -Dunstan,[181] pardon my grief: grief, I say, compels me to condemn -him, “because private advantage is not to be preferred to public loss, -but rather public loss should outweigh private advantage.” He paid the -penalty of his rash attempt even in this life, being despoiled of the -greatest part of his kingdom;[182] shocked with which calamity, he -died, and was buried in the new minster at Winchester. - - - - -CHAP. VIII. - -_Of king Edgar, son of king Edmund._ [A.D. 959-975.] - - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 959-975.] OF KING EDGAR.] - -In the year of our Lord’s incarnation 959, Edgar, the honour and -delight of the English, the son of Edmund, the brother of Edwy, a -youth of sixteen years old, assuming the government, held it for -about a similar period. The transactions of his reign are celebrated -with peculiar splendour even in our times. The Divine love, which -he sedulously procured by his devotion and energy of counsel, shone -propitious on his years. It is commonly reported, that at his birth -Dunstan heard an angelic voice, saying, “Peace to England so long as -this child shall reign, and our Dunstan survives.” The succession of -events was in unison with the heavenly oracle; so much while he lived -did ecclesiastical glory flourish, and martial clamour decay. Scarcely -does a year elapse in the chronicles, in which he did not perform -something great and advantageous to his country; in which he did not -build some new monastery. He experienced no internal treachery, no -foreign attack. Kinad, king of the Scots, Malcolm, of the Cambrians, -that prince of pirates, Maccus, all the Welsh kings, whose names were -Dufnal, Giferth, Huval, Jacob, Judethil, being summoned to his court, -were bound to him by one, and that a lasting oath; so that meeting him -at Chester, he exhibited them on the river Dee in triumphal ceremony. -For putting them all on board the same vessels he compelled them to -row him as he sat at the prow: thus displaying his regal magnificence, -who held so many kings in subjection. Indeed, he is reported to have -said, that henceforward his successors might truly boast of being -kings of England, since they would enjoy so singular an honour. Hence -his fame being noised abroad, foreigners, Saxons, Flemings, and even -Danes, frequently sailed hither, and were on terms of intimacy with -Edgar, though their arrival was highly prejudicial to the natives: for -from the Saxons they learned an untameable ferocity of mind; from the -Flemings an unmanly delicacy of body; and from the Danes drunkenness; -though they were before free from such propensities, and disposed to -observe their own customs with native simplicity rather than admire -those of others. For this history justly and deservedly blames him; for -the other imputations which I shall mention hereafter have rather been -cast on him by ballads. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 973.] KING EDGAR’S REFORMS.] - -At this time the light of holy men was so resplendent in England, that -you would believe the very stars from heaven smiled upon it. Among -these was Dunstan, whom I have mentioned so frequently, first, abbat -of Glastonbury; next, bishop of Worcester; and lastly, archbishop of -Canterbury: of great power in earthly matters, in high favour with God; -in the one representing Martha, in the other Mary. Next to king Alfred, -he was the most extraordinary patron of the liberal arts throughout -the whole island; the munificent restorer of monasteries; terrible -were his denunciations against transgressing kings and princes; -kind was his support of the middling and poorer classes. Indeed, so -extremely anxious was he to preserve peace ever in trivial matters, -that, as his countrymen used to assemble in taverns, and when a little -elevated quarrel as to the proportions of their liquor, he ordered -gold or silver pegs to be fastened in the pots, that whilst every man -knew his just measure, shame should compel each neither to take more -himself, nor oblige others to drink beyond their proportional share. -Osberne,[183] precentor of Canterbury, second to none of these times -in composition, and indisputably the best skilled of all in music, -who wrote his life with Roman elegance, forbids me to relate farther -praiseworthy anecdotes of him. Besides, in addition to this, if the -divine grace shall accompany my design, I intend after the succession -of the kings at least to particularize the names of all the bishops -of each province in England, and to offer them to the knowledge of -my countrymen, if I shall be able to coin anything worth notice out -of the mintage of antiquity. How powerful indeed the sanctity and -virtue of Dunstan’s disciples were, is sufficiently evidenced by -Ethelwold, made abbat of Abingdon from a monk of Glastonbury, and -afterwards bishop of Winchester, who built so many and such great -monasteries, as to make it appear hardly credible how the bishop of one -see should be able to effect what the king of England himself could -scarcely undertake. I am deceived, and err through hasty opinion, if -what I assert be not evident. How great are the monasteries of Ely, -Peterborough, and Thorney, which he raised from the foundations, and -completed by his industry; which though repeatedly reduced by the -wickedness of plunderers, are yet sufficient for their inhabitants. -His life was composed in a decent style by Wulstan,[184] precentor of -Winchester, who had been his attendant and pupil: he wrote also another -very useful work, “On the Harmony of Sounds,” a proof that he was a -learned Englishman, a man of pious life and correct eloquence. At that -time too Oswald, nephew of Odo, who had been archbishop before Dunstan, -from a monk of Flory becoming bishop of Worcester and archbishop of -York, claimed equal honours with the others. Treading the same paths, -he extended the monastic profession by his authority, and built a -monastery at Ramsey in a marshy situation. He filled the cathedral -of Worcester with monks, the canons not being driven out by force, -but circumvented by pious fraud.[185] Bishop Ethelwold, by the royal -command, had before expelled the canons from Winchester, who, upon -the king’s giving them an option either to live according to rule, or -depart the place, gave the preference to an easy life, and were at that -time without fixed habitations wandering over the whole island. In this -manner these three persons, illuminating England, as it were, with a -triple light, chased away the thick darkness of error. In consequence, -Edgar advanced the monastery of Glastonbury, which he ever loved beyond -all others, with great possessions, and was anxiously vigilant in all -things pertaining either to the beauty or convenience of the church, -whether internally or externally. It may be proper here to subjoin to -our narrative the charter he granted to the said church, as I have read -it in their ancient chartulary.[186] - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 973.] EDGAR’S CHARTER.] - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 973.] CHARTER OF GLASTONBURY.] - -“Edgar of glorious memory, king of the Angles, son of king Edmund, -whose inclinations were ever vigilantly bent on divine matters, often -coming to the monastery of the holy mother of God at Glastonbury, and -studying to honour this place with dignity superior to others, hath by -the common consent of the bishops, abbats, and nobility, conferred on -it many and very splendid privileges;--the first of which is, that no -person, unless a monk of that place, shall there be abbat, either in -name or in office, nor any other, except such as the common consent of -the meeting shall have chosen according to the tenor of the rule. But -should necessity so ordain, that an abbat or monk of another monastery -be made president of this place, then he deems it proper that none -shall be appointed, but such as the congregation of the monastery may -elect, to preside over them in the fear of the Lord; nor shall this be -done, if any, even the lowest of the congregation, can be there found -fit for the office. He hath appointed too, that the election of their -abbat shall rest for ever in the monks, reserving only to himself -and his heirs the power of giving the pastoral staff to the elected -brother. He hath ordained also, that so often as the abbat or the monks -of this place shall appoint any of their society to be dignified with -holy orders, they shall cause any bishop canonically ordained, either -in his own cathedral, or in the monastery of St. Mary at Glastonbury, -to ordain such monks and clerks as they deem fit to the church of St. -Mary. He hath granted moreover, that as he himself decides in his own -dominions, so the abbat or the convent shall decide the causes of -their entire island,[187] in all matters ecclesiastical or secular, -without the contradiction of any one. Nor shall it be lawful for any -person to enter that island which bore witness to his birth, whether -he be bishop, duke, or prince, or person of whatever order, for the -purpose of there doing any thing prejudicial to the servants of God: -this he forbids altogether, in the same manner as his predecessors have -sanctioned and confirmed by their privileges; that is to say, Kentwin, -Ina, Ethelard, Cuthred, Alfred, Edward, Athelstan, and Edmund. When, -therefore, by the common consent, as has been said, of his prelates, -abbats, and nobility, he determined to grant these privileges to the -place aforesaid, he laid his own horn, beautifully formed of ivory -and adorned with gold, upon the altar of the holy mother of God, and -by that donation confirmed them to the same holy mother of God, and -her monks, to be possessed for ever. Soon after he caused this horn -to be cut in two in his presence, that no future abbat might give or -sell it to any one, commanding part of it to be kept upon the spot -for a testimony of the aforesaid donation. Recollecting, however, how -great is the temerity of human inconstancy, and on whom it is likely -to creep, and fearing lest any one hereafter should attempt to take -away these privileges from this place, or eject the monks, he sent -this charter of royal liberality to the renowned lord, pope John, who -had succeeded Octavian in the honour of the pontificate, begging him -to corroborate these grants by an apostolical bull. Kindly receiving -the legation, the pope, with the assenting voice of the Roman council, -confirmed what had been already ordained, by writing an apostolical -injunction, terribly hurling on the violators of them, should any -be so daring, the vengeance of a perpetual curse. This confirmation -therefore of the aforesaid pope, directed to the same place, king -Edgar, of worthy memory, laid upon the altar of the holy mother of God -for a perpetual remembrance, commanding it to be carefully kept in -future for the information of posterity. We have judged it proper to -insert both these instruments, lest we should be supposed to invent -such things against those persons who seek to enter into the fold -of St. Mary, not like shepherds, by the door, but like thieves and -robbers, some other way. “Be it known to all the faithful, that I, -John the twelfth, through the mercy of God unworthy pope of the holy -Roman See, am intreated by the humble request of the noble Edgar, -king of the Angles, and of Dunstan, archbishop of the holy church of -Canterbury, for the monastery of St. Mary, Glastonbury; which, induced -by the love of the heavenly King, they have endowed with many great -possessions, increasing in it the monastic order, and having confirmed -it by royal grant, they pray me also so to do. Wherefore assenting to -their affectionate request, I take that place into the bosom of the -Roman church, and the protection of the holy apostles, and support -and confirm its immunities as long as it shall remain in the same -conventual order in which it now flourishes. The monks shall have -power to elect their own superior; ordination, as well of monks as -of clerks, shall be at the will of the abbat and convent. We ordain, -moreover, that no person shall have liberty to enter this island, -either to hold courts, to make inquiry, or to correct; and should any -one attempt to oppose this, or to take away, retain, diminish, or -harass with vexatious boldness, the possessions of the same church, -he shall become liable to a perpetual curse, by the authority of God -the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the holy mother of God, the holy -apostles Peter and Paul, and all saints, unless he recant. But the -peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all who maintain the rights of -the place aforesaid. Amen. And let this our deed remain unshaken. Done -in the time of Edward, abbat of the said monastery.” The aforesaid -king Edgar confirmed these things at London, by his solemn charter, in -the twelfth year of his reign; and in the same year, that is, of our -Lord 965,[188] the pope aforesaid allowed them in a general synod at -Rome, and commanded all members of superior dignity who were present at -the said general council, to confirm them likewise. Let the despisers -then of so terrible a curse consider well what an extensive sentence -of excommunication hangs over their heads: and indeed to St. Peter -the apostle, the chief of apostles, Christ gave the office either of -binding or loosing, as well as the keys of the kingdom of heaven. But -to all the faithful it must be plain and evident, that the head of -the Roman church must be the vicar of this apostle, and the immediate -inheritor of his power. Over this church then John of holy memory -laudably presided in his lifetime, as he lives to this day in glorious -recollection, promoted thereto by the choice of God and of all the -people. If then the ordinance of St. Peter the apostle be binding, -consequently that of John the pope must be so likewise; but not even -a madman would deny the ordinance of Peter the apostle to be binding, -consequently no one in his sober senses can say that the ordinance of -John the pope is invalid. Either, therefore, acknowledging the power -conferred by Christ on St. Peter and his successors, they will abstain -from transgressing against the authority of so dreadful an interdict, -or else contemning it, they will, with the devil and his angels, bring -upon themselves the eternal duration of the curse aforewritten. In -consequence, it is manifest that no stranger ever seized this monastery -for himself, who did not, as shall appear, disgracefully lose it again; -and that this occurred, not by any concerted plan of the monks, but by -the judgment of God, for the avenging his holy authority. Wherefore let -no man reading this despise it, nor make himself conspicuous by being -angry at it; for should he, perhaps he will confess that to be said of -himself which was designed to be spoken of another. The monastic order, -for a long time depressed, now joyfully reared its head, and hence it -came to pass that our monastery also resumed its ancient liberties: but -this I think will be more suitably related in the words of the king -himself. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 973.] ELFRIC GUARDIAN OF MALMESBURY.] - -“I, Edgar, king of all Albion, and exalted, by the subjection of the -surrounding kings maritime or insular, by the bountiful grace of God, -to a degree never enjoyed by any of my progenitors, have often, mindful -of so high an honour, diligently considered what offering I should -more especially make from my earthly kingdom, to the King of kings. -In aid of my pious devotion, heavenly love suddenly insinuated to my -watchful solicitude, that I should rebuild all the holy monasteries -throughout my kingdom, which, as they were outwardly ruinous, with -mouldering shingles and worm-eaten boards, even to the rafters, so, -what was still worse, they had become internally neglected, and almost -destitute of the service of God; wherefore, ejecting those illiterate -clerks, subject to the discipline of no regular order, in many places -I have appointed pastors of an holier race, that is, of the monastic -order, supplying them with ample means out of my royal revenues to -repair their churches wherever ruinated. One of these pastors, by -name Elfric, in all things a true priest, I have appointed guardian -of that most celebrated monastery which the Angles call by a twofold -name Maldelmes-burgh. To which, for the benefit of my soul, and in -honour of our Saviour, and the holy mother of God the virgin Mary, -and the apostles Peter and Paul, and the amiable prelate Aldhelm, I -have restored, with munificent liberality, a portion of land: and -more especially a piece of ground,[189] with meadows and woods. -This, leased out by the aforesaid priest, was unjustly held by the -contentious Edelnot; but his vain and subtle disputation being heard by -my counsellors, and his false defence being, in my presence, nullified, -by them, I have restored it to the use of the monastery in the year of -our Lord 974, in the fourteenth of my reign, and the first of my royal -consecration.” - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 973.] EDGAR’S VISION.] - -And here I deem it not irrelevant to commit to writing what was -supernaturally shown to the king. He had entered a wood abundant in -game, and, as usually happens, while his associates were dispersed in -the thicket for the purpose of hunting, he was left alone. Pursuing -his course, he came to the outlet of the wood, and stopping there -waited for his companions. Shortly after, seized with an irresistible -desire to sleep, he alighted from his horse, that the enjoyment of a -short repose might assuage the fatigue of the past day. He lay down, -therefore, under a wild apple-tree, where the clustering branches had -formed a shady canopy all around. A river, flowing softly beside him, -adding to his drowsiness, by its gentle murmur soothed him to sleep; -when a bitch, of the hunting breed, pregnant, and lying down at his -feet, terrified him in his slumbers. Though the mother was silent, yet -the whelps within her womb barked in various sonorous tones, incited, -as it were, by a singular delight in the place of their confinement. -Astonished at this prodigy, as he lifted up his eyes towards the summit -of the tree, he saw, first one apple, and then another, fall into the -river, by the collision of which, the watery bubbles being put in -commotion, a voice articulately sounded, “Well is thee.” Soon after, -driven by the rippling wave, a little pitcher appeared upon the stream, -and after that a larger vessel, overflowing with water, for the former -was empty: and although by the violence of the stream the greater -vessel pressed upon the lesser that it might discharge its waters -into it; yet it ever happened that the pitcher escaped, still empty, -and again, as in a haughty and insulting manner, attacked the larger. -Returning home, as the Psalmist says, “He thought upon what had been -done, and sought out his spirit.” His mother addressed him, however, -that she might cheer both his countenance and his heart; saying, it -should be her care to entreat God, who knew how to explain mysteries -by the light of his inspiration. With this admonition he dispelled his -grief and dismissed his anxiety, conscious of his mother’s sanctity, to -whom God had vouchsafed many revelations. Her name was Elfgiva, a woman -intent on good works, and gifted with such affection and kindness, that -she would even secretly discharge the penalties of those culprits whom -the sad sentence of the judges had publicly condemned. That costly -clothing, which, to many women, is the pander of vice, was to her the -means of liberality; as she would give a garment of the most beautiful -workmanship to the first poor person she saw. Even malice itself, as -there was nothing to carp at, might praise the beauty of her person and -the work of her hands. Thoroughly comprehending the presage, she said -to her son next morning, “The barking of the whelps while the mother -was sleeping, implies, that after your death, those persons who are -now living and in power, dying also, miscreants yet unborn will bark -against the church of God. And whereas one apple followed the other, -so that the voice, ‘Well is thee,’ seemed to proceed from the dashing -of the second against the first, this implies that from you, who are -now a tree shading all England, two sons will proceed; the favourers -of the second will destroy the first, when the chiefs of the different -parties will say to each of the boys, ‘Well is thee,’ because the dead -will reign in heaven, the living on earth, Forasmuch as the greater -pitcher could not fill the smaller, this signifies, that the Northern -nations, which are more numerous than the English, shall attack England -after your death; and, although they may recruit their deficiencies by -perpetual supplies of their countrymen, yet they shall never be able -to fill this Angle of the world, but instead of that, our Angles, when -they seem to be completely subjugated, shall drive them out, and it -shall remain under its own and God’s governance, even unto the time -before appointed by Christ. Amen.” - -Farther perusal will justify the truth of the presage. The manifest -sanctity both of parent and child ought here to be considered; that the -one should see a mystery when broad awake without impediment, and that -the other should be able to solve the problem by the far-discerning eye -of prophecy. The rigour of Edgar’s justice was equal to the sanctity -of his manners, so that he permitted no person, be his dignity what -it might, to elude the laws with impunity. In his time there was no -private thief, no public freebooter, unless such as chose to risk the -loss of life for their attacks upon the property of others.[190] How, -indeed, can it be supposed that he would pass over the crimes of men -when he designed to exterminate every beast of prey from his kingdom; -and commanded Judwall, king of the Welsh, to pay him yearly a tribute -of three hundred wolves? This he performed for three years, but omitted -in the fourth, declaring that he could find no more. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 973.] EDGAR’S CHARACTER.] - -Although it is reported that he was extremely small both in stature -and in bulk, yet nature had condescended to enclose such strength in -that diminutive body, that he would voluntarily challenge any person, -whom he knew to be bold and valiant, to engage with him, and his -greatest apprehension was, lest they should stand in awe of him in -these encounters. Moreover, at a certain banquet, where the prating -of coxcombs generally shows itself very freely, it is reported that -Kinad, king of the Scots, said in a sportive manner, that it seemed -extraordinary to him how so many provinces should be subject to such a -sorry little fellow. This was caught up with malignant ear by a certain -minstrel, and afterwards cast in Edgar’s teeth, with the customary -raillery of such people. But he, concealing the circumstance from his -friends, sent for Kinad, as if to consult him on some secret matter -of importance, and leading him aside far into the recesses of a wood, -he gave him one of two swords, which he had brought with him. “Now,” -said he, “as we are alone, I shall have an opportunity of proving your -strength; I will now make it appear which ought deservedly to command -the other; nor shall you stir a foot till you try the matter with me, -for it is disgraceful in a king to prate at a banquet, and not to be -prompt in action.” Confused, and not daring to utter a word, he fell at -the feet of his sovereign lord, and asked pardon for what was merely -a joke; which he immediately obtained. But what of this? Every summer, -as soon as the festival of Easter was passed, he ordered his ships to -be collected on each coast; cruising to the western part of the island -with the eastern fleet; and, dismissing that, with the western to the -north; and then again with the northern squadron towards the east, -carefully vigilant lest pirates should disturb the country. During the -winter and spring, travelling through the provinces, he made inquiry -into the decisions of men in power, severely avenging violated laws, -by the one mode advancing justice, by the other military strength; and -in both consulting public utility. There are some persons, indeed, -who endeavour to dim his exceeding glory by saying, that in his -earlier years he was cruel to his subjects, and libidinous in respect -of virgins. Their first accusation they exemplify thus. There was, -in his time, one Athelwold, a nobleman of celebrity and one of his -confidants. The king had commissioned him to visit Elfthrida, daughter -of Ordgar, duke of Devonshire, (whose charms had so fascinated the eyes -of some persons that they commended her to the king), and to offer -her marriage, if her beauty were really equal to report. Hastening on -his embassy, and finding everything consonant to general estimation, -he concealed his mission from her parents and procured the damsel for -himself. Returning to the king, he told a tale which made for his -own purpose; that she was a girl nothing out of the common track of -beauty, and by no means worthy such transcendent dignity. When Edgar’s -heart was disengaged from this affair, and employed on other amours, -some tattlers acquainted him, how completely Athelwold had duped him -by his artifices. Paying him in his own coin, that is, returning him -deceit for deceit, he showed the earl a fair countenance, and, as in -a sportive manner, appointed a day when he would visit his far-famed -lady. Terrified, almost to death, with this dreadful pleasantry, he -hastened before to his wife, entreating that she would administer to -his safety by attiring herself as unbecomingly as possible: then first -disclosing the intention of such a proceeding. But what did not this -woman dare? She was hardy enough to deceive the confidence of her -first lover, her first husband; to call up every charm by art, and to -omit nothing which could stimulate the desire of a young and powerful -man. Nor did events happen contrary to her design. For he fell so -desperately in love with her the moment he saw her, that, dissembling -his indignation, he sent for the earl into a wood at Warewelle,[191] -called Harewood, under pretence of hunting, and ran him through with -a javelin: and when the illegitimate son of the murdered nobleman -approached with his accustomed familiarity, and was asked by the -king how he liked that kind of sport, he is reported to have said, -“Well, my sovereign liege, I ought not to be displeased with that -which gives you pleasure.” This answer so assuaged the mind of the -raging monarch, that, for the remainder of his life, he held no one in -greater estimation than this young man; mitigating the offence of his -tyrannical deed against the father, by royal solicitude for the son. -In expiation of this crime, a monastery which was built on the spot by -Elfthrida is inhabited by a large congregation of nuns. - -To this instance of cruelty, they add a second of lust. Hearing of the -beauty of a certain virgin, who was dedicated to God, he carried her -off from a monastery by force, ravished her, and repeatedly made her -the partner of his bed. When this circumstance reached the ears of -St. Dunstan, he was vehemently reproved by him, and underwent a seven -years’ penance; though a king, submitting to fast and to forego the -wearing of his crown for that period.[192] They add a third, in which -both vices may be discovered. King Edgar coming to Andover, a town not -far from Winchester, ordered the daughter of a certain nobleman, the -fame of whose beauty had been loudly extolled, to be brought to him. -The mother of the young lady, shocked at the proposed concubinage of -her daughter, assisted by the darkness of night placed an attendant -in his bed; a maiden indeed neither deficient in elegance nor in -understanding. The night having passed, when aurora was hastening -into day, the woman attempted to rise; and being asked, “why in such -haste?” she replied, “to perform the daily labour of her mistress.” -Retained though with difficulty, on her knees she bewailed her wretched -situation to the king, and entreated her freedom as the recompence -of her connexion with him; saying, “that it became his greatness, not -to suffer one who had ministered to his royal pleasure, any longer -to groan under the commands of cruel masters.” His indignation being -excited, and sternly smiling, while his mind was wavering between -pity to the girl, and displeasure to her mistress, he, at last, as -if treating the whole as a joke, released her from servitude, and -dismissed his anger. Soon after, he exalted her with great honour, to -be mistress of her former tyrants, little consulting how they liked -it, loved her entirely, nor left her bed till he took Elfthrida, the -daughter of Ordgar, to be his legitimate wife. Elfthrida bore him -Edmund, who dying five years before his father, lies buried at Romsey, -and Ethelred, who reigned after him. Besides, of Egelfleda, surnamed -the fair, the daughter of the most powerful duke, Ordmer, he begot -Edward; and St. Editha of Wulfritha, who it is certain was not a nun -at that time, but being a lay virgin had assumed the veil through fear -of the king, though she was immediately afterwards forced to the royal -bed; on which, St. Dunstan, offended that he should desire lustfully a -person who had been even the semblance of a nun, exerted the pontifical -power against him. But however these things may be, this is certain, -that from the sixteenth year of his age, when he was appointed king, -till the thirtieth, he reigned without the insignia of royalty; for at -that time, the princes and men of every order assembling generally, he -was crowned with great pomp at Bath, survived only three years, and -was buried at Glastonbury. Nor is it to be forgotten, that when abbat -Ailward opened his tomb in the year of our Lord 1052, he found the body -unconscious of corruption; which instead of inclining him to reverence, -served only to increase his audacity. For when the receptacle which -he had prepared, seemed too small to admit the body, he profaned the -royal corpse by cutting it. Whence the blood immediately gushing out -in torrents, shook the hearts of the by-standers with horror. In -consequence his royal remains were placed upon the altar in a shrine, -which he had himself given to this church, with the head of St. -Apollinaris, and the relics of Vincent the martyr; which purchased, -at a great price, he had added to the beauty of the house of God. The -violator of the sacred body presently became distracted, and not long -after, going out of the church, met his death by a broken neck. Nor did -the display of royal sanctity stop thus; it proceeded still further, -a man, lunatic and blind, being there cured. Deservedly then does the -report prevail among the English, that no king, either of his own or -former times in England, could be justly and fairly compared to Edgar: -for nothing could be more holy than his life, nothing more praiseworthy -than his justice; those vices excepted which he afterwards obliterated -by abundant virtues: a man who rendered his country illustrious through -his distinguished courage, and the brilliancy of his actions, as well -as by the increase of the servants of God. After his departure, the -state and the hopes of the English met with a melancholy reverse.[193] - - - - -CHAP. IX. - -_Of St. Edward king and martyr the son of Edgar._ [A.D. 975-978.] - - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 975-977.] COUNCIL AT CALNE.] - -In the year of our Lord 975, Edward the son of Edgar began to reign, -and enjoyed the sovereignty for three years and a half. Dunstan, in -common consent with the other bishops, elevated him to the royal -dignity, in opposition, as it is said, to the will of some of the -nobility, and of his step-mother; who was anxious to advance her son -Ethelred, a child scarcely seven years of age, in order that herself -might govern under colour of his name. Then, from the increasing -malice of men, the happiness of the kingdom was impaired; then too, -comets were seen, which were asserted certainly to portend either -pestilence to the inhabitants, or a change in the government. Nor -was it long ere there followed a scarcity of corn; famine among men; -murrain among cattle; and an extraordinary accident at a royal town -called Calne. For as soon as Edgar was dead, the secular canons who -had been for some time expelled their monasteries, rekindled the -former feuds, alleging, that it was a great and serious disgrace, for -new comers to drive the ancient inmates from their dwellings; that -it could not be esteemed grateful to God, who had granted them their -ancient habitations: neither could it be so to any considerate man, -who might dread that injustice as likely to befall himself, which he -had seen overtake others. Hence they proceeded to clamour and rage, -and hastened to Dunstan; the principal people, as is the custom of the -laity, exclaiming more especially, that the injury which the canons -had wrongfully suffered, ought to be redressed by gentler measures. -Moreover, one of them, Elferius, with more than common audacity, had -even overturned almost all the monasteries which that highly revered -monk Ethelwold, bishop of Winchester, had built throughout Mercia. -On this account a full synod being convened, they first assembled at -Winchester. What was the issue of the contest of that place, other -writings declare;[194] relating, that the image of our Saviour, -speaking decidedly, confounded the canons and their party. But men’s -minds being not yet at rest on the subject, a council was called at -Calne; where, when all the senators of England, the king being absent -on account of his youth, had assembled in an upper chamber, and the -business was agitated with much animosity and debate; while the weapons -of harsh reproach were directed against that firmest bulwark of the -church, I mean Dunstan, but could not shake it; and men of every rank -were earnestly defending their several sides of the question; the floor -with its beams and supporters gave way suddenly and fell to the ground. -All fell with it except Dunstan, who alone escaped unhurt by standing -on a single rafter which retained its position: the rest were either -killed, or subjected to lasting infirmity. This miracle procured the -archbishop peace on the score of the canons; all the English, both at -that time and afterwards, yielding to his sentiments. - -Meanwhile king Edward conducted himself with becoming affection to -his infant brother and his step-mother; he retained only the name -of king, and gave them the power; following the footsteps of his -father’s piety, and giving both his attention and his heart to good -council. The woman, however, with that hatred which a step-mother -only can entertain, began to meditate a subtle stratagem, in order -that not even the title of king might be wanting to her child, and to -lay a treacherous snare for her son-in-law, which she accomplished -in the following manner. He was returning home, tired with the chase -and gasping with thirst from the exercise, while his companions were -following the dogs in different directions as it happened, when hearing -that they dwelt in a neighbouring mansion, the youth proceeded thither -at full speed, unattended and unsuspecting, as he judged of others -by his own feelings. On his arrival, alluring him to her with female -blandishment, she made him lean forward, and after saluting him while -he was eagerly drinking from the cup which had been presented, the -dagger of an attendant pierced him through. Dreadfully wounded, with -all his remaining strength he clapped spurs to his horse in order to -join his companions; when one foot slipping, he was dragged by the -other through the trackless paths and recesses of the wood, while the -streaming blood gave evidence of his death to his followers. Moreover, -they then commanded him to be ingloriously interred at Wareham; envying -him even holy ground when dead, as they had envied him his royal -dignity while living. They now publicly manifested their extreme joy -as if they had buried his memory with his body; but God’s all-seeing -eye was there, who ennobled the innocent victim by the glory of -miracles. So much is human outweighed by heavenly judgment. For there -lights were shown from above; there the lame walked; there the dumb -resumed his faculty of speech; there every malady gave way to health. -The fame of this pervading all England, proclaimed the merits of the -martyr. The murderess excited by it, attempted a progress thither; -and was already urging forward the horse she had mounted, when she -perceived the manifest anger of God; for the same creature which she -had heretofore constantly ridden, and which was used to outstrip the -very wind in speed, now by command of God, stood motionless. The -attendants, both with whips and clamours, urged him forward that he -might carry his noble mistress with his usual readiness; but their -labour was in vain. They changed the horse; and the same circumstance -recurred. Her obdurate heart, though late, perceived the meaning of -the miracle; wherefore, what she was not herself permitted to do, she -suffered to be performed by another: for that Elferius, whom I before -blamed for destroying the monasteries, repenting of his rashness, and -being deeply distressed in mind, took up the sacred corpse from its -unworthy burial-place, and paid it just and distinguished honours at -Shaftesbury. He did not escape unpunished, however, for, within a year -afterwards, he was eaten of the vermin which we call lice. Moreover, -since a mind unregulated is a torment to itself, and a restless spirit -endures its own peculiar punishment in this life, Elfthrida declining -from her regal pride, became extremely penitent; so that at Werewell, -for many years, she clothed her pampered body in hair-cloth, slept at -night upon the ground without a pillow; and mortified her flesh with -every kind of penance. She was a beautiful woman; singularly faithful -to her husband; but deserving punishment from the commission of so -great a crime. It is believed and commonly reported, that from her -violence to Edward, the country for a long time after groaned under the -yoke of barbarian servitude. - -At Shaftesbury, truly shines a splendid proof of royal sanctity; for -to his merit must it be attributed, that there a numerous choir of -women dedicated to God, not only enlighten those parts with the blaze -of their religion, but even reach the very heavens. There reside -sacred virgins wholly unconscious of contamination, there, continent -widows, ignorant of a second flame after the extinction of the first; -in all whose manner, graceful modesty is so blended with chastened -elegance, that nothing can exceed it. Indeed it is matter of doubt -which to applaud most, their assiduity in the service of God or their -affability in their converse with men: hence assent is justly given to -those persons who say that, the world, which has long tottered with the -weight of its sins, is entirely supported by their prayers. - - - - -CHAP. X. - -_Of king Ethelred and king Edmund._ [A.D. 979-1017.] - - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 978, 979.] ETHELRED--EDMUND.] - -In the year of our Lord’s incarnation 979, Ethelred, son of Edgar and -Elfthrida, obtaining the kingdom, occupied, rather than governed it for -thirty-seven years. The career of his life is said to have been cruel -in the beginning, wretched in the middle, and disgraceful in the end. -Thus, in the murder to which he gave his concurrence, he was cruel; -base in his flight, and effeminacy; miserable in his death. Dunstan, -indeed, had foretold his worthlessness, having discovered it by a very -filthy token: for when quite an infant, the bishops standing round, -as he was immersed in the baptismal font, he defiled the sacrament -by a natural evacuation: at which Dunstan, being extremely angered, -exclaimed, “By God, and his mother, this will be a sorry fellow.” I -have read, that when he was ten years of age, hearing it noised abroad -that his brother was killed, he so irritated his furious mother by his -weeping, that not having a whip at hand, she beat the little innocent -with some candles she had snatched up: nor did she desist, till herself -bedewed him, nearly lifeless, with her tears. On this account he -dreaded candles during the rest of his life, to such a degree that he -would never suffer the light of them to be brought into his presence. -The nobility being assembled by the contrivance of his mother, and -the day appointed for Dunstan, in right of his see, to crown him, he, -though he might be ill-affected to them, forbore to resist, being a -prelate of mature age, and long versed in secular matters. But, when -placing the crown on his head he could not refrain from giving vent -with a loud voice, to that prophetic spirit which he had so deeply -imbibed. “Since,” said he, “thou hast aspired to the kingdom by the -death of thy brother, hear the word of God; thus saith the Lord God: -the sin of thy abandoned mother, and of the accomplices of her base -design, shall not be washed out but by much blood of the wretched -inhabitants; and such evils shall come upon the English nation as they -have never suffered from the time they came to England until then.” Nor -was it long after, that is, in his third year, that seven piratical -vessels came to Southampton, a port near Winchester, and having ravaged -the coast fled back to the sea: this I think right to mention because -many reports are circulated among the English, concerning these vessels. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 988-994.] DUNSTAN’S PROPHECY.] - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1012.] TREACHERY OF EDRIC.] - -A quarrel between the king and the bishop of Rochester had arisen -from some unknown cause; in consequence of which he led an army -against that city. It was signified to him by the archbishop, that -he should desist from his fury, and not irritate St. Andrew, under -whose guardianship that bishopric was; for as he was ever ready to -pardon, so was he equally formidable to avenge. This simple message -being held in contempt, he graced the intimation with money, and sent -him a hundred pounds, as a bribe, that he should raise the siege and -retire. He therefore took the money, retreated, and dismissed his -army. Dunstan, astonished at his avarice, sent messengers to him -with the following words, “Since you have preferred silver to God, -money to the apostle, and covetousness to me; the evils which God has -pronounced will shortly come upon you; but they will not come while -I live, for this also hath God spoken.” Soon after the death of this -holy man, which was in the tenth year of his reign, the predictions -speedily began to be fulfilled, and the prophecies to have their -consummation. For the Danes infested every port, and made descents on -all sides with great activity, so that it was not known where they -could be opposed. But Siric, the second archbishop after Dunstan, -advised that money should repel those whom the sword could not: thus -a payment of ten thousand pounds satisfied the avarice of the Danes. -This was an infamous precedent, and totally unworthy the character -of men, to redeem liberty, which no violence can ever extirpate from -a noble mind, by money. They now indeed abstained a short time from -their incursions; but as soon as their strength was recruited by rest, -they returned to their old practices. Such extreme fear had seized -the English, that there was no thought of resistance: if any indeed, -mindful of their ancient glory, made an attempt to oppose, or engage -them, they were unsuccessful, from the multitude of their enemies, and -the desertion of their allies. The leader of revolt was one Elfric, -whom the king had appointed to command the fleet: he, instead of -trying his fortune, as he ought, in a naval conflict, went over, on -the night preceding the battle, a base deserter to the enemy, whom he -had apprised, by messengers, what preparations to make; and though -the king, for this perfidious crime, ordered his son’s eyes to be -put out, yet he returned again, and again deserted. All Northumbria -being laid waste, the enemy was met in battle and worsted. London was -besieged, but honourably defended by its citizens. In consequence, -the besiegers, after suffering severely and despairing of taking the -city, retired; and devastating the whole province to the eastward, -compelled the king to pay a sum of money, amounting to sixteen -thousand pounds. Moreover, hostages being given, he caused their king -Anlaf to come to him, stood for him at the font, and soothing him with -royal munificence, bound him by an oath that he should never return -into England again. The evil however was not thus put to rest. For -they could never provide against their enemies from Denmark, springing -up afresh, like the heads of the hydra. The province in the west of -England, called Devonshire, was laid waste; the monasteries destroyed; -and the city of Exeter set on fire: Kent was given up to plunder; the -metropolitan city and seat of the patriarchs, burnt; the holy patriarch -himself, the most reverend Elphege, carried away and bound in chains: -and at last, when required to plunder his tenants in order to ransom -himself, and refusing to do so, he was stoned, struck with a hatchet, -and glorified heaven with his soul. After he was murdered, God exalted -him; insomuch, that when the Danes, who had been instrumental to his -death, saw that dead wood besmeared with his blood miraculously grew -green again in one night, they ran eagerly to kiss his remains, and -to bear them on their shoulders. Thus they abated their usual pride, -and suffered his sacred corpse to be carried to London. There it was -honorably buried; and when taken up, ten years afterwards, free from -every taint of corruption, it conferred honour on his cathedral at -Canterbury.[195] To the present moment both its blood remains fresh, -and its soundness unimpaired, and it is considered a miracle, that -a carcass should be divested of life, and yet not decay. That I may -not be tedious in mentioning severally all the provinces which the -Danes laid waste, let it be briefly understood, that out of thirty-two -counties, which are reckoned in England, they had already overrun -sixteen; the names of which I forbear to enumerate on account of -the harshness of the language. In the meantime, the king, admirably -calculated for sleeping, did nothing but postpone and hesitate, and if -ever he recovered his senses enough to raise himself upon his elbow, -he quickly relapsed into his original wretchedness, either from the -oppression of indolence, or the adverseness of fortune. His brother’s -ghost also, demanding dire expiation, tormented him. Who can tell -how often he collected his army? how often he ordered ships to be -built? how frequently he called out commanders from all quarters? and -yet nothing was ever effected. For the army, destitute of a leader -and ignorant of military discipline, either retreated before it -came into action, or else was easily overcome. The presence of the -leader is of much avail in battle; courage manifested by him avails -also; experience, and more especially, discipline avail much; and as -I have said, the want of these, in an army, must be an irreparable -injury to its countrymen, as well as a pitiable object of contempt -to an enemy. For soldiers are a kind of men, who, if not restrained -before the battle, are eager to plunder; and if not animated during -it, are prone to flight. When the ships, built for the defence of the -sea-coast, were lying at anchor, a tempest suddenly arising dashed -them together, and rendered them useless by the destruction of their -tackling: a few, fitted from the wrecks of the others, were, by the -attack of one Wulnod, whom the king had banished, either sunk, or -burnt, and consequently disappointed the expectations of all England. -The commanders, if ever they met to confer, immediately chose different -sides, and rarely or never united in one good plan; for they gave more -attention to private quarrels, than to public exigences: and, if in -the midst of pressing danger, they had resolved on any eligible secret -design, it was immediately communicated to the Danes by traitors. For -besides Elfric, the successor of Elfere who had murdered the late king, -there was one Edric, a man infamously skilled in such transactions, -whom the king had made governor of the Mercians. This fellow was the -refuse of mankind, the reproach of the English; an abandoned glutton, -a cunning miscreant; who had become opulent, not by nobility, but by -specious language and impudence. This artful dissembler, capable of -feigning anything, was accustomed, by pretended fidelity, to scent out -the king’s designs, that he might treacherously divulge them. Often, -when despatched to the enemy as the mediator of peace, he inflamed them -to battle. His perfidy was sufficiently conspicuous in this king’s -reign, but much more so in the next; of which I shall have occasion to -speak hereafter. Ulfkytel, earl of the East Angles, was the only person -who, at that time, resisted the invaders with any degree of spirit; -insomuch that although the enemy had nominally the victory, yet the -conquerors suffered much more than the conquered:[196] nor were the -barbarians ashamed to confess this truth, while they so frequently -bewailed that victory. The valour of the earl was more conspicuously -eminent, after the death of Ethelred, in that battle which mowed down -the whole flower of the province; where, when he was surrounded from -the rear, deeming it disgraceful to fly, he gave fresh confidence to -the king by his blood; but this happened some time after.[197] At this -juncture, that the measure of king Ethelred’s misery might be full, a -famine ravaged all England, and those whom war had spared perished from -want. The enemy over-ran the country with such freedom, that they would -carry off their booty to their ships through a space of fifty miles, -without fearing any resistance from the inhabitants. In the midst of -these pressing evils, the expedient of buying off hostilities by money -was again debated and adopted; for first twenty-four, and soon after, -thirty thousand pounds were given to the Danes: with what advantage, -succeeding times will show. To me, indeed, deeply reflecting upon the -subject, it seems wonderful, how a man, as we have been taught to -suppose, neither very foolish, nor excessively heartless, should pass -his life in the wretched endurance of so many calamities. Should any -one ask me the reason of this, I could not easily answer, except by -saying, that the revolt of the generals proceeded from the haughtiness -of the king. Their perfidy has been spoken of before: I now hasten to -instances of his violence, which was so intolerable, that he spared not -even his own relations. For, besides the English, whom he despoiled -of their hereditary possessions without any cause, or defrauded of -their property for supposititious crimes: besides the Danes, whom, -from light suspicion only, he ordered to be all butchered on the same -day throughout England; which was a dreadful spectacle to behold; each -one compelled to betray his dearest guests, now become dearer from the -tenderest connexions of affinity, and to cut short their embraces with -the sword: yet besides all this, I say, he was so inconstant towards -his wife, that he scarcely deigned her his bed, and degraded the royal -dignity by his intercourse with harlots. She too, a woman, conscious of -her high descent, became indignant at her husband, as she found herself -endeared to him neither by her blameless modesty nor her fruitfulness; -for she had borne him two children, Elfred and Edward. She was the -daughter of Richard, earl of Normandy, the son of William, who, after -his father, presided over that earldom for fifty-two years, and died -in the twenty-eighth year of this king. He lies at the monastery of -Fescamp, which he augmented with certain revenues, and which he adorned -with a monastic order, by means of William, formerly abbat of Dijon. -Richard was a distinguished character, and had also often harassed -Ethelred: which, when it became known at Rome, the holy see, not -enduring that two Christians should be at enmity, sent Leo, bishop of -Treves, into England, to restore peace: the epistle describing this -legation was as follows:-- - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 991.] EPISTLE OF POPE JOHN XV.] - -“John the fifteenth, pope of the holy Roman church, to all faithful -people, health. Be it known to all the faithful of the holy mother -church, and our children spiritual and secular, dispersed through the -several climates of the world, that inasmuch as we had been informed -by many of the enmity between Ethelred, king of the West-Saxons, and -Richard the marquis, and were grieved sorely at this, on account of our -spiritual children; taking, therefore, wholesome counsel, we summoned -one of our legates, Leo, bishop of the holy church of Treves, and sent -him with our letters, admonishing them, that they should return from -their ungodliness. He, passing vast spaces, at length crossed the sea, -and, on the day of the Lord’s nativity, came into the presence of the -said king; whom, having saluted on our part, he delivered to him the -letters we had sent. And all the faithful people of his kingdom, and -senators of either order, being summoned, he granted, for love and -fear of God Almighty, and of St. Peter, the chief of the apostles, and -on account of our paternal admonition, the firmest peace for all his -sons and daughters, present and future, and all his faithful people, -without deceit. On which account he sent Edelsin, prelate of the holy -church of Sherborne, and Leofstan, son of Alfwold, and Edelnoth, son -of Wulstan, who passed the maritime boundaries, and came to Richard, -the said marquis. He, peaceably receiving our admonitions, and hearing -the determination of the said king, readily confirmed the peace for -his sons and daughters, present and future, and for all his faithful -people, with this reasonable condition, that if any of their subjects, -or they themselves, should commit any injustice against each other, -it should be duly redressed; and that peace should remain for ever -unshaken and confirmed by the oath of both parties: on the part of king -Ethelred, to wit, Edelsin, prelate of the holy church of Sherborne; -Leofstan, the son of Alfwold; Edelnoth, the son of Wulstan. On the part -of Richard, Roger, the bishop; Rodolph, son of Hugh; Truteno, the son -of Thurgis. - -“Done at Rouen, on the kalends of March, in the year of our Lord 991, -the fourth of the indiction. Moreover, of the king’s subjects, or of -his enemies, let Richard receive none, nor the king of his, without -their respective seals.” - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1002.] ISIDORE--GERBERT.] - -After the death of this John, Gregory succeeded; after whom came John -XVI.; then Silvester, also called Gerbert, about whom it will not be -absurd, in my opinion, if I commit to writing those facts which are -generally related about him.[198] Born in Gaul, from a lad he grew -up a monk at Flory; afterwards, when he arrived at the double path -of Pythagoras,[199] either disgusted at a monastic life or seized by -lust of glory, he fled by night into Spain, chiefly designing to learn -astrology and other sciences of that description from the Saracens. -Spain, formerly for many years possessed by the Romans, in the time -of the emperor Honorius, fell under the power of the Goths. The Goths -were Arians down to the days of St. Gregory, when that people were -united to the Catholic church by Leander bishop of Seville, and by king -Recared, brother of Hermengildus,[200] whom his father slew on Easter -night for professing the true faith. To Leander succeeded Isidore,[201] -celebrated for learning and sanctity, whose body purchased, for its -weight in gold, Aldefonsus king of Gallicia in our times conveyed to -Toledo. The Saracens, who had subjugated the Goths, being conquered -in their turn by Charles the Great, lost Gallicia and Lusitania, the -largest provinces of Spain; but to this day they possess the southern -parts. As the Christians esteem Toledo, so do they hold Hispalis, -which in common they call Seville, to be the capital of the kingdom; -there practising divinations and incantations, after the usual mode -of that nation. Gerbert then, as I have related, coming among these -people, satisfied his desires. There he surpassed Ptolemy with the -astrolabe,[202] and Alcandræus in astronomy, and Julius Firmicus in -judicial astrology; there he learned what the singing and the flight -of birds portended; there he acquired the art of calling up spirits -from hell: in short, whatever, hurtful or salutary, human curiosity -has discovered. There is no necessity to speak of his progress in the -lawful sciences of arithmetic and astronomy, music and geometry, which -he imbibed so thoroughly as to show they were beneath his talents, -and which, with great perseverance, he revived in Gaul, where they -had for a long time been wholly obsolete. Being certainly the first -who seized on the abacus[203] from the Saracens, he gave rules which -are scarcely understood even by laborious computers. He resided with -a certain philosopher of that sect, whose good will he had obtained, -first by great liberality, and then by promises. The Saracen had no -objection to sell his knowledge; he frequently associated with him; -would talk with him of matters at times serious, at others trivial, and -lend him books to transcribe. There was however one volume, containing -the knowledge of his whole art, which he could never by any means -entice him to lend. In consequence Gerbert was inflamed with anxious -desire to obtain this book at any rate, “for we ever press more eagerly -towards what is forbidden, and that which is denied is always esteemed -most valuable.”[204] Trying, therefore, the effect of entreaty, he -besought him for the love of God, and by his friendship; offered -him many things, and promised him more. When this failed he tried a -nocturnal stratagem. He plied him with wine, and, with the help of -his daughter, who connived at the attempt through the intimacy which -Gerbert’s attentions had procured, stole the book from under his pillow -and fled. Waking suddenly, the Saracen pursued the fugitive by the -direction of the stars, in which art he was well versed. The fugitive -too, looking back, and discovering his danger by means of the same art, -hid himself under a wooden bridge which was near at hand; clinging -to it, and hanging in such a manner as neither to touch earth nor -water.[205] In this manner the eagerness of the pursuer being eluded, -he returned home. Gerbert, then quickening his pace, arrived at the -sea-coast. Here, by his incantations, he called up the devil, and made -an agreement with him to be under his dominion for ever, if he would -defend him from the Saracen, who was again pursuing, and transport him -to the opposite coast: this was accordingly done. - -Probably some may regard all this as a fiction, because the vulgar are -used to undermine the fame of scholars, saying that the man who excels -in any admirable science, holds converse with the devil. Of this, -Boethius, in his book, On the Consolation of Philosophy, complains; -and affirms, that he had the discredit of such practices on account -of his ardent love of literature, as if he had polluted his knowledge -by detestable arts for the sake of ambition. “It was hardly likely,” -says he, “that I, whom you dress up with such excellence as almost to -make me like God, should catch at the protection of the vilest spirits; -but it is in this point that we approach nearest to a connection with -them, in that we are instructed in your learning, and educated in your -customs.” So far Boethius. The singular choice of his death confirms -me in the belief of his league with the devil; else, when dying, as we -shall relate hereafter, why should he, gladiator-like, maim his own -person, unless conscious of some unusual crime? Accordingly, in an old -volume, which accidentally fell into my hands, wherein the names and -years of all the popes are entered, I found written to the following -purport, “Silvester, who was also called Gerbert, ten months; this man -made a shameful end.” - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1002.] ROBERT, KING OF FRANCE.] - -Gerbert, returning into Gaul, became a public professor in the schools, -and had as brother philosophers and companions of his studies, -Constantine, abbat of the monastery of St. Maximin, near Orleans, to -whom he addressed the Rules of the Abacus;[206] and Ethelbald bishop, -as they say, of Winteburg, who himself gave proof of ability, in a -letter which he wrote to Gerbert, on a question concerning the diameter -in Macrobius,[207] and in some other points. He had as pupils, of -exquisite talents and noble origin, Robert, son of Hugh surnamed Capet; -and Otho, son of the emperor Otho. Robert, afterwards king of France, -made a suitable return to his master, and appointed him archbishop of -Rheims. In that church are still extant, as proofs of his science, a -clock constructed on mechanical principles: and an hydraulic organ, in -which the air escaping in a surprising manner, by the force of heated -water, fills the cavity of the instrument, and the brazen pipes emit -modulated tones through the multifarious apertures. The king himself, -too, was well skilled in sacred music, and in this and many other -respects, a liberal benefactor to the church: moreover, he composed -that beautiful sequence, “The grace of the Holy Spirit be with us;” -and the response, “He hath joined together Judah and Jerusalem;” -together with more, which I should have pleasure in relating, were -it not irksome to others to hear. Otho, emperor of Italy after his -father, made Gerbert archbishop of Ravenna, and finally Roman pontiff. -He followed up his fortune so successfully by the assistance of the -devil, that he left nothing unexecuted which he had once conceived. -The treasures formerly buried by the inhabitants, he discovered by the -art of necromancy, and removing the rubbish, applied to his own lusts. -Thus viciously disposed are the wicked towards God, and thus they abuse -his patience, though he had rather that they repent than perish. At -last, he found where his master would stop, and as the proverb says, -“in the same manner as one crow picks out another crow’s eyes,” while -endeavouring to oppose his attempts with art like his own. - -There was a statue in the Campus Martius near Rome, I know not whether -of brass or iron, having the forefinger of the right hand extended, -and on the head was written, “Strike here.” The men of former times -supposing this should be understood as if they might find a treasure -there, had battered the harmless statue, by repeated strokes of a -hatchet. But Gerbert convicted them of error by solving the problem -in a very different manner. Marking where the shadow of the finger -fell at noon-day, when the sun was on the meridian, he there placed -a post; and at night proceeded thither, attended only by a servant -carrying a lanthorn. The earth opening by means of his accustomed arts, -displayed to them a spacious entrance. They see before them a vast -palace with golden walls, golden roofs, every thing of gold; golden -soldiers amusing themselves, as it were, with golden dice; a king of -the same metal, at table with his queen; delicacies set before them, -and servants waiting; vessels of great weight and value, where the -sculpture surpassed nature herself. In the inmost part of the mansion, -a carbuncle of the first quality, though small in appearance, dispelled -the darkness of night. In the opposite corner stood a boy, holding a -bow bent, and the arrow drawn to the head. While the exquisite art of -every thing ravished the eyes of the spectators, there was nothing -which might be handled though it might be seen: for immediately, -if any one stretched forth his hand to touch any thing, all these -figures appeared to rush forward and repel such presumption. Alarmed -at this, Gerbert repressed his inclination: but not so the servant. -He endeavoured to snatch off from a table, a knife of admirable -workmanship; supposing that in a booty of such magnitude, so small -a theft could hardly be discovered. In an instant, the figures all -starting up with loud clamour, the boy let fly his arrow at the -carbuncle, and in a moment all was in darkness; and if the servant had -not, by the advice of his master, made the utmost despatch in throwing -back the knife, they would have both suffered severely. In this -manner, their boundless avarice unsatiated, they departed, the lantern -directing their steps. That he performed such things by unlawful -devices is the generally received opinion. Yet, however, if any one -diligently investigate the truth, he will see that even Solomon, to -whom God himself had given wisdom, was not ignorant of these arts: for, -as Josephus relates,[208] he, in conjunction with his father, buried -vast treasures in coffers, which were hidden, as he says, in a kind of -necromantic manner, under ground: neither was Hyrcanus, celebrated for -his skill in prophecy and his valour; who, to ward off the distress of -a siege, dug up, by the same art, three thousand talents of gold from -the sepulchre of David, and gave part of them to the besiegers; with -the remainder building an hospital for the reception of strangers. -But Herod, who would make an attempt of the same kind, with more -presumption than knowledge, lost in consequence many of his attendants, -by an eruption of internal fire. Besides, when I hear the Lord Jesus -saying, “My father worketh hitherto, and I work;” I believe, that -He, who gave to Solomon power over demons to such a degree, as the -same historian declares, that he relates there were men, even in his -time, who could eject them from persons possessed, by applying to the -nostrils of the patient a ring having the impression pointed out by -Solomon: I believe, I say, that he could give, also, the same science -to this man: but I do not affirm that he did give it. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1002.] POPE SILVESTER.] - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1002.] THE AQUITANIAN MONK.] - -But leaving these matters to my readers, I shall relate what I -recollect having heard, when I was a boy, from a certain monk of our -house, a native of Aquitaine, a man in years, and a physician by -profession. “When I was seven years old,” said he, “despising the mean -circumstances of my father, a poor citizen of Barcelona, I surmounted -the snowy Alps, and went into Italy. There, as was to be expected in -a boy of that age, having to seek my daily bread in great distress, I -paid more attention to the food of my mind than of my body. As I grew -up I eagerly viewed many of the wonders of that country and impressed -them on my memory. Among others I saw a perforated mountain, beyond -which the inhabitants supposed the treasures of Octavian were hidden. -Many persons were reported to have entered into these caverns for the -purpose of exploring them, and to have there perished, being bewildered -by the intricacy of the ways. But, as hardly any apprehension can -restrain avaricious minds from their intent, I, with my companions, -about twelve in number, meditated an expedition of this nature, either -for the sake of plunder, or through curiosity. Imitating therefore -the ingenuity of Dædalus, who brought Theseus out of the labyrinth by -a conducting clue, we, also carrying a large ball of thread, fixed a -small post at the entrance. Tying the end of the thread to it, and -lighting lanterns, lest darkness, as well as intricacy, should obstruct -us, we unrolled the clue; and fixing a post at every mile, we proceeded -on our journey along the caverns of the mountain, in the best manner -we were able. Every thing was dark, and full of horrors; the bats, -flitting from holes, assailed our eyes and faces: the path was narrow, -and made dreadful on the left-hand by a precipice, with a river flowing -beneath it. We saw the way strewed with bare bones: we wept over the -carcasses of men yet in a state of putrefaction, who, induced by hopes -similar to our own, had in vain attempted, after their entrance, to -return. After some time, however, and many alarms, arriving at the -farther outlet, we beheld a lake of softly murmuring waters, where the -wave came gently rolling to the shores. A bridge of brass united the -opposite banks. Beyond the bridge were seen golden horses of great -size, mounted by golden riders, and all those other things which are -related of Gerbert. The mid-day beams of Phœbus darting upon them, -with redoubled splendour, dazzled the eyes of the beholders. Seeing -these things at a distance, we should have been delighted with a nearer -view, meaning, if fate would permit, to carry off some portion of -the precious metal. Animating each other in turn, we prepared to pass -over the lake. All our efforts, however, were vain: for as soon as one -of the company, more forward than the rest, had put his foot on the -hither edge of the bridge, immediately, wonderful to hear, it became -depressed, and the farther edge was elevated, bringing forward a rustic -of brass with a brazen club, with which, dashing the waters, he so -clouded the air, as completely to obscure both the day and the heavens. -The moment the foot was withdrawn, peace was restored. The same was -tried by many of us, with exactly the same result. Despairing, then, -of getting over, we stood there some little time; and, as long as we -could, at least glutted our eyes with the gold. Soon after returning -by the guidance of the thread, we found a silver dish, which being cut -in pieces and distributed in morsels only irritated the thirst of our -avidity without allaying it. Consulting together the next day, we went -to a professor, of that time, who was said to know the unutterable name -of God. When questioned, he did not deny his knowledge, adding, that, -so great was the power of that name, that no magic, no witchcraft could -resist it. Hiring him at a great price, fasting and confessed, he led -us, prepared in the same manner, to a fountain. Taking up some water -from it in a silver vessel, he silently traced the letters with his -fingers, until we understood by our eyes, what was unutterable with -our tongues. We then went confidently to the mountain, but we found -the farther outlet beset, as I believe, with devils, hating, forsooth, -the name of God because it was able to destroy their inventions. In -the morning a Jew-necromancer came to me, excited by the report of -our attempt; and, having inquired into the matter, when he heard of -our want of enterprise, “You shall see,” said he, venting his spleen -with loud laughter, “how far the power of my art can prevail.” And -immediately entering the mountain, he soon after came out again, -bringing, as a proof of his having passed the lake, many things which -I had noted beyond it: indeed some of that most precious dust, which -turned every thing that it touched into gold: not that it was really -so, but only retained this appearance until washed with water; for -nothing effected by necromancy can, when put into water, deceive the -sight of the beholders. The truth of my assertion is confirmed by a -circumstance which happened about the same time. - -“There were in a public street leading to Rome, two old women, the -most drunken and filthy beings that can be conceived; both living in -the same hut, and both practising witchcraft. If any lone stranger -happened to come in their way, they used to make him appear either a -horse, or a sow, or some other animal; expose him for sale to dealers, -and gluttonize with the money. By chance, on a certain night, taking -in a lad to lodge who got his livelihood by stage-dancing, they turned -him into an ass: and so possessed a creature extremely advantageous -to their interests, who caught the eyes of such as passed by the -strangeness of his postures. In whatever mode the old woman commanded, -the ass began to dance, for he retained his understanding, though he -had lost the power of speech. In this manner the women had accumulated -much money; for there was, daily, a large concourse of people, from all -parts, to see the tricks of the ass. The report of this induced a rich -neighbour to purchase the quadruped for a considerable sum; and he was -warned, that, if he would have him as a constant dancer, he must keep -him from water. The person who had charge of him rigidly fulfilled his -orders. A long time elapsed; the ass sometimes gratified his master by -his reeling motions, and sometimes entertained his friends with his -tricks. But, however, as in time all things surfeit, he began at length -to be less cautiously observed. In consequence of this negligence, -breaking his halter, he got loose, plunged into a pool hard by, and -rolling for a long time in the water, recovered his human form. The -keeper, inquiring of all he met, and pursuing him by the track of his -feet, asked him if he had seen an ass; he replied that himself had -been an ass, but was now a man: and related the whole transaction. -The servant astonished told it to his master, and the master to pope -Leo, the holiest man in our times. The old women were convicted, and -confessed the fact. The pope doubting this, was assured by Peter -Damian, a learned man, that it was not wonderful that such things -should be done: he produced the example of Simon Magus,[209] who caused -Faustinianus to assume the figure of Simon, and to become an object of -terror to his sons, and thus rendered his holiness better skilled in -such matters for the future.” - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1050.] DEATH OF SILVESTER.] - -I have inserted this narrative of the Aquitanian to the intent that -what is reported of Gerbert should not seem wonderful to any person; -which is, that he cast, for his own purposes, the head of a statue, -by a certain inspection of the stars when all the planets were about -to begin their courses, which spake not unless spoken to, but then -pronounced the truth, either in the affirmative or negative. For -instance, when Gerbert would say, “Shall I be pope?” the statue would -reply, “Yes.” “Am I to die, ere I sing mass at Jerusalem?” “No.” -They relate, that he was so much deceived by this ambiguity, that he -thought nothing of repentance: for when would he think of going to -Jerusalem, to accelerate his own death? Nor did he foresee that at Rome -there is a church called Jerusalem, that is, “the vision of peace,” -because whoever flies thither finds safety, whatsoever crime he may -be guilty of. We have heard, that this was called an asylum in the -very infancy of the city, because Romulus, to increase the number of -his subjects, had appointed it to be a refuge for the guilty of every -description. The pope sings mass there on three Sundays, which are -called “The station at Jerusalem.” Wherefore upon one of those days -Gerbert, preparing himself for mass, was suddenly struck with sickness; -which increased so that he took to his bed: and consulting his statue, -he became convinced of his delusion and of his approaching death. -Calling, therefore, the cardinals together, he lamented his crimes for -a long space of time. They, being struck with sudden fear were unable -to make any reply, whereupon he began to rave, and losing his reason -through excess of pain, commanded himself to be maimed, and cast forth -piecemeal, saying, “Let him have the service of my limbs, who before -sought their homage; for my mind never consented to that abominable -oath.” - -And since I have wandered from my subject, I think it may not be -unpleasant to relate what took place in Saxony in the time of this -king, in the year of our Lord 1012, and is not so generally known. -It is better to dilate on such matters than to dwell on Ethelred’s -indolence and calamities: and it will be more pleasing certainly, and -nearer the truth, if I subjoin it in the original language of the -person who was a sufferer, than if I had clothed it in my own words. -Besides, I think it ornamental to a work, that the style should be -occasionally varied. - -“I Ethelbert,[210] a sinner, even were I desirous of concealing the -divine judgment which overtook me, yet the tremor of my limbs would -betray me; wherefore I shall relate circumstantially how this happened, -that all may know the heavy punishment due to disobedience. We were, on -the eve of our Lord’s nativity, in a certain town of Saxony, in which -was the church of Magnus the martyr, and a priest named Robert had -begun the first mass. I was in the churchyard with eighteen companions, -fifteen men and three women, dancing, and singing profane songs to such -a degree that I interrupted the priest, and our voices resounded amid -the sacred solemnity of the mass. Wherefore, having commanded us to be -silent, and not being attended to, he cursed us in the following words, -‘May it please God and St. Magnus, that you may remain singing in that -manner for a whole year.’ His words had their effect. The son of John -the priest seized his sister who was singing with us, by the arm, and -immediately tore it from her body; but not a drop of blood flowed out. -She also remained a whole year with us, dancing and singing. The rain -fell not upon us; nor did cold, nor heat, nor hunger, nor thirst, nor -fatigue assail us: we neither wore our clothes nor shoes, but we kept -on singing as though we had been insane. First we sank into the ground -up to our knees: next to our thighs; a covering was at length, by the -permission of God, built over us to keep off the rain. When a year had -elapsed, Herbert, bishop of the city of Cologne, released us from the -tie wherewith our hands were bound, and reconciled us before the altar -of St. Magnus. The daughter of the priest, with the other two women, -died immediately; the rest of us slept three whole days and nights: -some died afterwards, and are famed for miracles: the remainder betray -their punishment by the trembling of their limbs. This narrative was -given to us by the lord Peregrine, the successor of Herbert, in the -year of our Lord 1013.” - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1002.] THE ARCHBISHOP OF COLOGNE.] - -In that city, which formerly was called Agrippina, from Agrippa the -son-in-law of Augustus, but afterwards named Colonia by the emperor -Trajan, because being there created emperor he founded in it a colony -of Roman citizens; in this city, I repeat, there was a certain bishop, -famed for piety, though to a degree hideous in his person; of whom I -shall relate one miracle, which he predicted when dying, after having -first recorded what a singular chance elevated him to such an eminent -station. The emperor of that country going to hunt on Quinquagesima -Sunday, came alone, for his companions were dispersed, to the edge -of a wood, where this rural priest, deformed and almost a monster, -had a church. The emperor, feigning himself a soldier, humbly begs a -mass, which the priest immediately begins. The other in the meantime -was revolving in his mind why God, from whom all beautiful things -proceed, should suffer so deformed a man to administer his sacraments. -Presently, when that verse in the tract occurred, “Know ye that the -Lord himself is God,” the priest looked behind him, to chide the -inattention of an assistant, and said with a louder voice, as if in -reply to the emperor’s thoughts, “He made us; and not we ourselves.” -Struck with this expression, the emperor esteeming him a prophet, -exalted him, though unwilling and reluctant, to the archbishopric of -Cologne, which, when he had once assumed, he dignified by his exemplary -conduct; kindly encouraging those who did well, and branding with the -stigma of excommunication such as did otherwise, without respect of -persons. The inhabitants of that place proclaim a multitude of his -impartial acts; one of which the reader will peruse in that abbreviated -form which my work requires. In a monastery of nuns in that city, there -was a certain virgin who had there grown up, more by the kindness of -her parents than through any innate wish for a holy life: this girl, -by the attraction of her beauty and her affable language to all, -allured many lovers; but while others, through fear of God or the -censure of the world, restrained their desires, there was one who, -excited to wantonness by the extent of his wealth and the nobility -of his descent, broke through the bounds of law and of justice, and -despoiled her of her virginity; and carrying her off kept her as his -lawful wife. Much time elapsed while the abbess entreated, and his -friends admonished him not to persevere in so dreadful a crime. Turning -a deaf ear, however, to his advisers, he continued as immoveable as -a rock. By chance at this time the prelate was absent, occupied in -business at Rome; but on his return the circumstance was related to -him. He commands the sheep to be returned to the fold directly; and -after much altercation the woman was restored to the monastery. Not -long after, watching an opportunity when the bishop was absent, she -was again carried away. Excommunication was then denounced against the -delinquent, so that no person could speak to, or associate with him. -This, however, he held in contempt, and retired to one of his estates -afar off, not to put the command in force, but to elude its power: -and there, a turbulent and powerful man, he lived in company with his -excommunicated paramour. But when it pleased God to take the bishop -to himself, and he was lying in extreme bodily pain upon his bed, -the neighbours flocked around him that they might partake the final -benediction of this holy man. The offender alone not daring to appear, -prevailed on some persons to speak for him. The moment the bishop -heard his name he groaned, and then, I add his very words, spoke to -the following effect, “If that wretched man shall desert that accursed -woman, he shall be absolved; but if he persist, let him be ready to -give account before God, the following year, at the very day and hour -on which I shall depart: moreover, you will see me expire when the -bell shall proclaim the sixth hour.” Nor were his words vain; for he -departed at the time which he had predicted; and the other, together -with his mistress, at the expiration of the year, on the same day, and -at the same hour, was killed by a stroke of lightning. - -But king Ethelred, after the martyrdom of Elphege, as we have related, -gave his see to a bishop named Living.[211] Moreover, Turkill, the -Dane, who had been the chief cause of the archbishop’s murder, had -settled in England, and held the East Angles in subjection. For the -other Danes, exacting from the English a tribute of eight thousand -pounds, had distributed themselves, as best suited their convenience, -in the towns, or in the country; and fifteen of their ships, with the -crews, had entered into the king’s service. In the meantime Thurkill -sent messengers to Sweyn, king of Denmark, inviting him to come to -England; telling him that the land was rich and fertile, but the king -a driveller; and that, wholly given up to wine and women, his last -thoughts were those of war: that in consequence he was hateful to his -own people and contemptible to foreigners: that the commanders were -jealous of each other, the people weak, and that they would fly the -field, the moment the onset was sounded. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1013.] MASSACRE OF THE DANES.] - -Sweyn[212] was naturally cruel, nor did he require much persuasion; -preparing his ships, therefore, he hastened his voyage. Sandwich was -the port he made, principally designing to avenge his sister Gunhilda. -This woman, who possessed considerable beauty, had come over to England -with her husband Palling, a powerful nobleman, and by embracing -Christianity, had made herself a pledge of the Danish peace. In his -ill-fated fury, Edric had commanded her, though proclaiming that the -shedding her blood would bring great evil on the whole kingdom, to be -beheaded with the other Danes. She bore her death with fortitude; and -she neither turned pale at the moment, nor, when dead, and her blood -exhausted, did she lose her beauty; her husband was murdered before -her face, and her son, a youth of amiable disposition, was transfixed -with four spears. Sweyn then proceeding through East Anglia against -the Northumbrians, received their submission without resistance: not -indeed, that the native ardour of their minds, which brooked no master, -had grown cool, but because Utred, their prince, was the first to give -example of desertion. On their submission all the other people who -inhabit England on the north, gave him tribute and hostages. Coming -southward, he compelled those of Oxford and Winchester, to obey his -commands; the Londoners alone, protecting their lawful sovereign -within their walls, shut their gates against him. The Danes, on the -other hand, assailing with greater ferocity, nurtured their fortitude -with the hope of fame; the townsmen were ready to rush on death for -freedom, thinking they ought never to be forgiven, should they desert -their king, who had committed his life to their charge. While the -conflict was raging fiercely on either side, victory befriended the -juster cause; for the citizens made wonderful exertions, every one -esteeming it glorious to show his unwearied alacrity to his prince, -or even to die for him. Part of the enemy were destroyed, and part -drowned in the river Thames, because in their headlong fury, they had -not sought a bridge. With his shattered army Sweyn retreated to Bath, -where Ethelmer, governor of the western district, with his followers, -submitted to him. And, although all England was already bending to -his dominion, yet not even now would the Londoners have yielded, had -not Ethelred withdrawn his presence from among them. For being a man -given up to indolence, and, through consciousness of his own misdeeds, -supposing none could be faithful to him, and at the same time wishing -to escape the difficulties of a battle and a siege, he by his departure -left them to their own exertions. However, they applied the best remedy -they could to their exigencies, and surrendered after the example of -their countrymen. They were men laudable in the extreme, and such as -Mars himself would not have disdained to encounter, had they possessed -a competent leader. Even while they were supported by the mere shadow -of one, they risked every chance of battle, nay even a siege of several -months’ continuance. He in the meantime giving fresh instance of his -constitutional indolence, fled from the city, and by secret journeys -came to Southampton, whence he passed over to the Isle of Wight. Here -he addressed those abbats and bishops who, even in such difficulties, -could not bring themselves to desert their master, to the following -effect: “That they must perceive in what dreadful state his affairs, -and those of his family were; that he was banished from his paternal -throne by the treachery of his generals, and that he, in whose hands -their safety was formerly vested, now required the assistance of -others; that though lately a monarch and a potentate, he was now -an outcast and a fugitive; a melancholy change for him, because it -certainly is more tolerable never to have had power, than to have lost -it when possessed; and more especially disgraceful to the English, as -this instance of deserting their prince would be noised throughout the -world; that through mere regard to him they had exposed their houses -and property to plunderers, and, unprovided, taken to a voluntary -flight; food was matter of difficulty to all; many had not even -clothing; he commended their fidelity indeed, but still could find no -security from it; the country was now so completely subdued, the coast -so narrowly watched, that there was no escape unattended with danger: -that they should, therefore, confer together, what was to be done: -were they to remain, greater peril was to be apprehended from their -countrymen, than from their enemies, for perhaps they might purchase -the favour of their new master by joining to distress them; and -certainly to be killed by an enemy was to be ascribed to fortune, to be -betrayed by a fellow citizen was to be attributed to want of exertion; -were they to fly to distant nations, it would be with the loss of -honour; if to those who knew them, the dread would be, lest their -dispositions should take a tinge from their reverse of fortune; for -many great and illustrious men had been killed on similar occasions; -but, however, he must make the experiment, and sound the inclinations -of Richard, duke of Normandy, who, if he should kindly receive his -sister and nephews, might probably not unwillingly afford him his -protection. His favour shown to my wife and children,” continued he, -“will be the pledge of my own security. Should he oppose me, I am -confident, nay fully confident, I shall not want spirit to die here -with honour, in preference to living there with ignominy. Wherefore -this very month of August, while milder gales are soothing the ocean, -let Emma make a voyage to her brother, and take our children, our -common pledges, to be deposited with him. Let their companions be the -bishop of Durham and the abbat of Peterborough; I myself will remain -here till Christmas, and should he send back a favourable answer, I -will follow directly.” - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1013.] ETHELRED’S CONFERENCE.] - -On the breaking up of the conference, all obeyed; they set sail for -Normandy, while he remained anxiously expecting a favourable report. -Shortly after he learned from abroad, that Richard had received his -sister with great affection, and that he invited the king also to -condescend to become his inmate. Ethelred, therefore, going into -Normandy, in the month of January, felt his distresses soothed by -the attentions of his host. This Richard was son of Richard the -first, and equalled his father in good fortune and good qualities; -though he certainly surpassed him in heavenly concerns. He completed -the monastery at Feschamp, which his father had begun. He was more -intent on prayer and temperance, than you would require in any monk, -or hermit. He was humble to excess, in order that he might subdue by -his patience, the petulance of those who attacked him. Moreover it -is reported, that at night, secretly escaping the observation of his -servants, he was accustomed to go unattended to the matins[213] of -the monks, and to continue in prayer till day-light. Intent on this -practice, one night in particular, at Feschamp, he was earlier than -customary, and finding the door shut, he forced it open with unusual -violence, and disturbed the sleep of the sacristan. He, astonished at -the noise of a person knocking in the dead of night, got up, that he -might see the author of so bold a deed; and finding only a countryman -in appearance, clothed in rustic garb, he could not refrain from laying -hands on him; and, moved with vehement indignation, he caught hold of -his hair, and gave this illustrious man a number of severe blows, which -he bore with incredible patience, and without uttering a syllable. -The next day, Richard laid his complaint before the chapter,[214] and -with counterfeited anger, summoned the monk to meet him at the town of -Argens, threatening that, “he would take such vengeance for the injury, -so that all France should talk of it.” On the day appointed, while the -monk stood by, almost dead with fear, he detailed the matter to the -nobility, largely exaggerating the enormity of the transaction, and -keeping the culprit in suspense, by crafty objections to what he urged -in mitigation. Finally, after he had been mercifully judged by the -nobility, he pardoned him; and to make his forgiveness more acceptable, -he annexed all that town, with its appurtenances, reported to be -abundant in the best wine, to the office of this sacristan: saying, -“That he was an admirable monk, who properly observed his appointed -charge, and did not break silence, though roused with anger.” In the -twenty-eighth year of his dukedom, he died, having ordered his body to -be buried at the door of the church, where it would be subjected to the -feet of such as passed by, and to the spouts of water which streamed -from above. In our time, however, William, third abbat of that place, -regarding this as disgraceful, removed the long-continued reproach, and -taking up the body, placed it before the high altar. He had a brother, -Robert, whom he made archbishop of Rouen, though by this he tarnished -his reputation. For he, cruelly abusing this honour, at first, -committed many crimes and many atrocious acts; but growing in years, -he certainly wiped off some of them by his very liberal almsgiving. -After Richard, his son of the same name obtained the principality, but -lived scarcely a year. A vague opinion indeed has prevailed, that, by -the connivance of his brother Robert, whom Richard the second begat on -Judith, daughter of Conan, earl of Brittany, a certain woman, skilled -in poisons, took the young man off. In atonement for his privity to -this transaction he departed for Jerusalem, after the seventh year of -his earldom; venturing on an undertaking very meritorious at that time, -by commencing, with few followers, a journey, exposed to incursions of -barbarians, and strange, by reason of the customs of the Saracens. He -persevered nevertheless, and did not stop, but safely completed the -whole distance, and purchasing admission at a high price, with bare -feet, and full of tears, he worshipped at that glory of the Christians, -the sepulchre of our Lord. Conciliating the favour of God, as we -believe, by this labour, on his return homewards he ended his days at -Nice, a city of Bithynia; cut off, as it is said, by poison. This was -administered by his servant Ralph, surnamed Mowin, who had wrought -himself up to the commission of this crime, from a hope of obtaining -the dukedom. But on his return to Normandy, the matter becoming known -to all, he was detested as a monster, and retired to perpetual exile. -To Robert succeeded William, his son, then a child, of whom as I shall -have to speak hereafter, I shall now return to my narrative. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1013.] THE DUKES OF NORMANDY.] - -In the meantime Sweyn, as I have before related, oppressed England -with rapine and with slaughter: the inhabitants were first plundered -of their property, and then proscribed. In every city it was matter of -doubt what should be done: if revolt was determined on, they had none -to take the lead; if submission was made choice of, they would have -a harsh ruler to deal with. Thus their public and private property, -together with their hostages, was carried to the fleet; as he was not -a lawful sovereign, but a most cruel tyrant. The Deity, however, was -too kind to permit England to fluctuate long in such keen distress, for -the invader died shortly after, on the purification of St. Mary,[215] -though it is uncertain by what death. It is reported, that while -devastating the possessions of St. Edmund,[216] king and martyr, he -appeared to him in a vision, and gently addressed him on the misery of -his people; that on Sweyn’s replying insolently, he struck him on the -head; and that, in consequence of the blow, he died, as has been said, -immediately after. The Danes then elected Canute, the son of Sweyn, -king; while the Angles, declaring that their natural sovereign was -dearer to them, if he could conduct himself more royally than he had -hitherto done, sent for king Ethelred out of Normandy. He despatched -Edward, his son, first, to sound the fidelity of the higher orders -and the inclination of the people, on the spot; who, when he saw the -wishes of all tending in his favour, went back in full confidence for -his father. The king returned, and, being flattered by the joyful -plaudits of the Angles, that he might appear to have shaken off his -constitutional indolence, he hastened to collect an army against -Canute, who was at that time in Lindsey, where his father had left him -with the ships and hostages, and was levying fresh troops and horses, -that, mustering a sufficient force, he might make a vigorous attack -upon his enemies unprepared: vowing most severe vengeance, as he used -to say, on the deserters. But, circumvented by a contrivance similar -to his own, he retreated. Escaping at that time with much difficulty, -and putting to sea with his remaining forces, he coasted the British -ocean from east to south, and landed at Sandwich. Here, setting all -divine and human laws at defiance, he mutilated his hostages, who were -young men of great nobility and elegance, by depriving them of their -ears, and nostrils, and some even of their manhood. Thus tyrannizing -over the innocent, and boasting of the feat, he returned to his own -country. In the same year the sea-flood, which the Greeks call Euripus, -and we Ledo,[217] rose to so wonderful a height, that none like it was -recollected in the memory of man, for it overflowed the villages, and -destroyed their inhabitants, for many miles. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1015.] COUNCIL AT OXFORD.] - -The year following a grand council of Danes and English, was assembled -at Oxford, where the king commanded two of the noblest Danes, -Sigeferth, and Morcar, accused of treachery to him by the impeachment -of the traitor Edric, to be put to death. He had lured them, by his -soothing expressions, into a chamber, and deprived them, when drunk -to excess, of their lives, by his attendants who had been prepared -for that purpose. The cause of their murder was said to be, his -unjustifiable desire for their property. Their dependants, attempting -to revenge the death of their lords by arms, were worsted, and driven -into the tower of St. Frideswide’s church at Oxford, where, as they -could not be dislodged, they were consumed by fire: however, shortly -after, the foul stain was wiped out by the king’s penitence, and the -sacred place repaired. I have read the history of this transaction, -which is deposited in the archives of that church. The wife of -Sigeferth, a woman remarkable for her rank and beauty, was carried -prisoner to Malmesbury; on which account, Edmund, the king’s son, -dissembling his intention, took a journey into those parts. Seeing her, -he became enamoured; and becoming enamoured, he made her his wife; -cautiously keeping their union secret from his father, who was as -much an object of contempt to his family as to strangers. This Edmund -was not born of Emma, but of some other person, whom fame has left in -obscurity. With that exception, he was a young man in every respect of -noble disposition; of great strength both of mind and person, and, on -this account, by the English, called “Ironside:” he would have shrouded -the indolence of his father, and the meanness of his mother, by his own -conspicuous virtue, could the fates have spared him. Soon after, at -the instigation of his wife, he asked of his father the possessions -of Sigeferth, which were of large extent among the Northumbrians, but -could not obtain them; by his own exertions, however, he procured them -at last, the inhabitants of that province willingly submitting to his -power. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1016.] DEATH OF ETHELRED.] - -The same summer Canute, having settled his affairs in Denmark, and -entered into alliance with the neighbouring kings, came to England, -determined to subdue it or perish in the attempt. Proceeding from -Sandwich into Kent, and thence into West Saxony, he laid every thing -waste with fire and slaughter, while the king was lying sick at -Cosham.[218] Edmund indeed attempted to oppose him, but being thwarted -by Edric, he placed his forces in a secure situation. Edric, however, -thinking it unnecessary longer to dissemble, but that he might, now, -openly throw off the mask, revolted to Canute with forty ships, and -all West Saxony following his example, delivered hostages, and gave up -their arms. Yet the Mercians repeatedly assembling stood forward to -resist: and if the king would but come, and command whither they were -to march, and bring with him the leading men of London, they were ready -to shed their blood for their country. But he, accustomed to commit -his safety to fortifications, and not to attack the enemy, remained -in London; never venturing out, for fear, as he said, of traitors. -On the contrary, Canute was gaining towns and villages over to his -party; and was never unemployed; for he held consultations by night, -and fought battles by day. Edmund, after long deliberation, esteeming -it best, in such an emergency, to recover, if possible, the revolted -cities by arms, brought over Utred, an earl, on the other side of the -Humber, to the same sentiments. They imagined too, that such cities -as were yet doubtful which side to take, would determine at once, if -they would only inflict signal vengeance on those which had revolted. -But Canute, possessed of equal penetration, circumvented them by a -similar contrivance. Giving over the West Saxons and that part of -Mercia which he had subjugated, to the custody of his generals, he -proceeded himself against the Northumbrians; and, by depopulating the -country, compelled Utred to retire, to defend his own possessions; and -notwithstanding he surrendered himself, yet with inhuman levity he -ordered him to be put to death. His earldom was given to Eric, whom -Canute afterwards expelled England, because he pretended to equal power -with himself. Thus all being subdued, he ceased not pursuing Edmund, -who was gradually retreating, till he heard that he was at London with -his father. Canute then remained quiet till after Easter, that he might -attack the city with all his forces. But the death of Ethelred preceded -the attempt: for in the beginning of Lent, on St. Gregory’s day,[219] -he breathed out a life destined only to labours and misery: he lies -buried at St. Paul’s in London. The citizens immediately proclaimed -Edmund king, who, mustering an army, routed the Danes at Penn,[220] -near Gillingham, about Rogation-day. After the festival of St. John, -engaging them again at Sceorstan,[221] he retired from a drawn-battle. -The English had begun to give way, at the instance of Edric; who being -on the adversaries’ side, and holding in his hand a sword stained -with the blood of a fellow whom he had dexterously slain, exclaimed, -“Fly, wretches! fly! behold, your king was slain by this sword!” The -Angles would have fled immediately, had not the king, apprised of this -circumstance, proceeded to an eminence, and taking off his helmet, -shown his face to his comrades. Then brandishing a dart with all his -forces, he launched it at Edric; but being seen, and avoided, it missed -him, and struck a soldier standing near; and so great was its violence, -that it even transfixed a second. Night put a stop to the battle, the -hostile armies retreating as if by mutual consent, though the English -had well-nigh obtained the victory. - -After this the sentiments of the West Saxons changed, and they -acknowledged their lawful sovereign. Edmund proceeded to London, -that he might liberate those deserving citizens whom a party of the -enemy had blocked up immediately after his departure; moreover they -had surrounded the whole city, on the parts not washed by the river -Thames, with a trench; and many men lost their lives on both sides in -the skirmishes. Hearing of the king’s approach, they precipitately -took to flight; while he pursuing directly, and passing the ford called -Brentford, routed them with great slaughter. The remaining multitude -which were with Canute, while Edmund was relaxing a little and getting -his affairs in order, again laid siege to London both on the land and -river side; but being nobly repulsed by the citizens, they wreaked -their anger on the neighbouring province of Mercia, laying waste the -towns and villages, with plunder, fire, and slaughter. The best of the -spoil was conveyed to their ships assembled in the Medway; which river -flowing by the city of Rochester, washes its fair walls with a strong -and rapid current. They were attacked and driven hence also by the king -in person; who suddenly seizing the ford, which I have before mentioned -at Brentford,[222] dispersed them with signal loss. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1016.] BATTLE OF ASSINGDON.] - -While Edmund was preparing to pursue, and utterly destroy the last -remains of these plunderers, he was prevented by the crafty and -abandoned Edric, who had again insinuated himself into his good graces; -for he had come over to Edmund, at the instigation of Canute, that he -might betray his designs. Had the king only persevered, this would have -been the last day for the Danes; but misled by the insinuations of a -traitor, who affirmed that the enemy would make no farther attempt, -he brought swift destruction upon himself, and the whole of England. -Being thus allowed to escape, they again assembled; attacked the East -Angles, and, at Assandun,[223] compelled the king himself, who came to -their assistance, to retreat. Here again, the person I am ashamed to -mention so frequently, designedly gave the first example of flight. A -small number, who, mindful of their former fame, and encouraging each -other, had formed a compact body, were cut off to a man. On this field -of battle Canute gained the kingdom; the glory of the Angles fell; and -the whole flower of the country withered. Amongst these was Ulfkytel, -earl of East Anglia, who had gained immortal honour in the time of -Sweyn, when first attacking the pirates, he showed that they might -be overcome: here fell, too, the chief men of the day, both bishops -and abbats. Edmund flying hence almost alone, came to Gloucester, -in order that he might there re-assemble his forces, and attack the -enemy, indolent, as he supposed, from their recent victory. Nor was -Canute wanting in courage to pursue the fugitive. When everything -was ready for battle, Edmund demanded a single combat; that two -individuals might not, for the lust of dominion, be stained with the -blood of so many subjects, when they might try their fortune without -the destruction of their faithful adherents: and observing, that it -must redound greatly to the credit of either to have obtained so vast a -dominion at his own personal peril. But Canute refused this proposition -altogether; affirming that his courage was surpassing, but that he was -apprehensive of trusting his diminutive person against so bulky an -antagonist: wherefore, as both had equal pretensions to the kingdom, -since the father of either of them had possessed it, it was consistent -with prudence that they should lay aside their animosity, and divide -England.[224] This proposition was adopted by either army, and -confirmed with much applause, both for its equity and its beneficent -regard to the repose of the people who were worn out with continual -suffering. In consequence, Edmund, overcome by the general clamour, -made peace, and entered into treaty with Canute, retaining West Saxony -himself and giving Mercia to the other. He died soon after on the -festival of St. Andrew,[225] though by what mischance is not known, and -was buried at Glastonbury near his grandfather Edgar. Fame asperses -Edric, as having, through regard for Canute, compassed his death by -means of his servants: reporting that there were two attendants on the -king to whom he had committed the entire care of his person, and, that -Edric seducing them by promises, at length made them his accomplices, -though at first they were struck with horror at the enormity of the -crime; and that, at his suggestion, they drove an iron hook into his -posteriors, as he was sitting down for a necessary purpose. Edwin, -his brother on the mother’s side, a youth of amiable disposition, was -driven from England by Edric, at the command of Canute, and suffering -extremely for a considerable time, “both by sea and land,” his body, as -is often the case, became affected by the anxiety of his mind, and he -died in England, where he lay concealed after a clandestine return, and -lies buried at Tavistock. His sons, Edwy and Edward, were sent to the -king of Sweden to be put to death; but being preserved by his mercy, -they went to the king of Hungary, where, after being kindly treated -for a time, the elder died; and the younger married Agatha, the sister -of the queen. His brothers by Emma, Alfred and Edward, lay securely -concealed in Normandy for the whole time that Canute lived. - -I find that their uncle Richard took no steps to restore them to their -country: on the contrary, he married his sister Emma to the enemy -and invader; and it may be difficult to say, whether to the greater -ignominy of him who bestowed her, or of the woman who consented to -share the nuptial couch of that man who had so cruelly molested her -husband, and had driven her children into exile. Robert, however, whom -we have so frequently before mentioned as having gone to Jerusalem, -assembling a fleet and embarking soldiers, made ready an expedition, -boasting that he would set the crown on the heads of his grand-nephews; -and doubtlessly he would have made good his assertion, had not, as we -have heard from our ancestors, an adverse wind constantly opposed him: -but assuredly this was by the hidden counsel of God, in whose disposal -are the powers of all kingdoms. The remains of the vessels, decayed -through length of time, were still to be seen at Rouen in our days. - - - - -CHAP. XI. - -_Of king Canute._ [A.D. 1017-1031.] - - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1017.] OF KING CANUTE.] - -Canute began to reign in the year of our Lord 1017, and reigned twenty -years. Though he obtained the sovereignty unjustly, yet he conducted -himself with great affability and firmness. At his entrance on the -government, dividing the kingdom into four parts, himself took the -West Saxons, Edric the Mercians, Thurkill the East Angles, and Eric -the Northumbrians. His first care was to punish the murderers of -Edmund, who had, under expectation of great recompence, acknowledged -the whole circumstances: he concealed them for a time, and then brought -them forward in a large assembly of the people, where they confessed -the mode of their attack upon him, and were immediately ordered to -execution. The same year, Edric, whom words are wanting to stigmatize -as he deserved, being, by the king’s command, entrapped in the same -snare which he had so frequently laid for others, breathed out his -abominable spirit to hell. For a quarrel arising, while they were -angrily discoursing, Edric, relying on the credit of his services, and -amicably, as it were, reproaching the king, said, “I first deserted -Edmund for your sake, and afterwards even despatched him in consequence -of my engagements to you.” At this expression the countenance of Canute -changed with indignation, and he instantly pronounced this sentence: -“Thou shalt die,” said he, “and justly; since thou art guilty of -treason both to God and me, by having killed thy own sovereign, and -my sworn brother; thy blood be upon thy head, because thy mouth hath -spoken against thee, and thou hast lifted thy hand against the Lord’s -anointed:” and immediately, that no tumult might be excited, the -traitor was strangled in the chamber where they sat, and thrown out -of the window into the river Thames: thus meeting the just reward of -his perfidy. In process of time, as opportunities occurred, Thurkill -and Eric were driven out of the kingdom, and sought their native land. -The first, who had been the instigator of the murder of St. Elphege, -was killed by the chiefs the moment he touched the Danish shore.[226] -When all England, by these means, became subject to Canute alone, he -began to conciliate the Angles with unceasing diligence; allowing -them equal rights with the Danes, in their assemblies, councils, and -armies: on which account, as I have before observed, he sent for the -wife of the late king out of Normandy, that, while they were paying -obedience to their accustomed sovereign, they should the less repine -at the dominion of the Danes. Another design he had in view by this, -was, to acquire favour with Richard; who would think little of his -nephews, so long as he supposed he might have others by Canute. He -repaired, throughout England, the monasteries, which had been partly -injured, and partly destroyed by the military incursions of himself, -or of his father; he built churches in all the places where he had -fought, and more particularly at Assingdon, and appointed ministers -to them, who, through the succeeding revolutions of ages, might pray -to God for the souls of the persons there slain. At the consecration -of this edifice, himself was present, and the English and Danish -nobility made their offerings: it is now, according to report, an -ordinary church, under the care of a parish priest. Over the body of -the most holy Edmund, whom the Danes of former times had killed, he -built a church with princely magnificence, appointed to it an abbat, -and monks: and conferred on it many large estates. The greatness of -his donation, yet entire, stands proudly eminent at the present day; -for that place surpasses almost all the monasteries of England. He -took up, with his own hands, the body of St. Elphege, which had been -buried at St. Paul’s in London, and sending it to Canterbury, honoured -it with due regard. Thus anxious to atone for the offences of himself -or of his predecessors, perhaps he wiped away the foul stain of his -former crimes with God: certainly he did so with man. At Winchester, -he displayed all the magnificence of his liberality: here he gave so -largely, that the quantity of precious metals astonished the minds -of strangers; and the glittering of jewels dazzled the eyes of the -beholders: this was at Emma’s suggestion, who with pious prodigality -exhausted his treasures in works of this kind, while he was meditating -fierce attacks on foreign lands. For his valour, incapable of rest, and -not contented with Denmark, which he held from his father, and England, -which he possessed by right of war, transferred its rage against the -Swedes. These people are contiguous to the Danes, and had excited the -displeasure of Canute by their ceaseless hostility. At first he fell -into an ambush, and lost many of his people, but afterwards recruiting -his strength, he routed his opponents, and brought the kings of that -nation, Ulf and Eglaf, to terms of peace. The English, at the instance -of earl Godwin, behaved nobly in this conflict. He exhorted them, not -to forget their ancient fame, but clearly to display their valour to -their new lord: telling them, that it must be imputed to fortune, -that they had formerly been conquered by him, but it would be ascribed -to their courage, if they overcame those who had overcome him. In -consequence, the English put forth all their strength, and gaining -the victory, obtained an earldom for their commander, and honour for -themselves. Thence, on his return home, he entirely subdued the kingdom -of Norway, putting Olave, its king, to flight; who, the year following, -returning with a small party into his kingdom, to try the inclinations -of the inhabitants, found them faithless, and was slain with his -adherents. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1030, 1031.] CANUTE’S EPISTLE.] - -In the fifteenth year of his reign, Canute went to Rome, and after -remaining there some time, and atoning for his crimes by giving alms to -the several churches, he sailed back to England.[227] Soon after, with -little difficulty, he subdued Scotland, then in a state of rebellion, -and Malcolm her king, by leading an army thither. I trust it will not -appear useless, if I subjoin the epistle, which he transmitted to the -English, on his departure from Rome, by the hands of Living, abbat -of Tavistock, and afterwards bishop of Crediton, to exemplify his -reformation of life, and his princely magnificence. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1031.] CANUTE’S EPISTLE.] - -“_Canute, king of all England, Denmark, Norway, and part of the Swedes, -to Ethelnoth, metropolitan, and Elfric archbishop of York, and to -all bishops, nobles, and to the whole nation of the English high and -low, health._ I notify to you, that I have lately been to Rome, to -pray for the forgiveness of my sins; for the safety of my dominions, -and of the people under my government. I had long since vowed such a -journey to God, but, hitherto hindered by the affairs of my kingdom, -and other causes preventing, I was unable to accomplish it sooner. I -now return thanks most humbly to my Almighty God, for suffering me, -in my lifetime, to approach the holy apostles Peter and Paul, and all -the holy saints within and without the city of Rome, wherever I could -discover them, and there, present, to worship and adore according to -my desire. I have been the more diligent in the performance of this, -because I have learned from the wise, that St. Peter, the apostle, -has received from God, great power in binding and in loosing: that -he carries the key of the kingdom of heaven; and consequently I have -judged it matter of special importance to seek his influence with God. -Be it known to you, that at the solemnity of Easter, a great assembly -of nobles was present with pope John, and the emperor Conrad, that -is to say, all the princes of the nations from mount Garganus[228] -to the neighbouring sea. All these received me with honour, and -presented me with magnificent gifts. But more especially was I -honoured by the emperor, with various gifts and offerings, in gold -and silver vessels, and palls and costly garments. Moreover, I spoke -with the emperor himself, and the sovereign pope and the nobles who -were there, concerning the wants of all my people, English as well as -Danes; observing that there ought to be granted to them more equitable -regulations, and greater security on their passage to Rome; that -they should not be impeded by so many barriers[229] on the road, nor -harassed with unjust exactions. The emperor assented to my request, as -did Rodolph the king, who has the chief dominion over those barriers; -and all the princes confirmed by an edict, that my subjects, traders, -as well as those who went on a religious account, should peaceably go -and return from Rome, without any molestation from warders of barriers, -or tax-gatherers. Again I complained before the pope, and expressed my -high displeasure, that my archbishops were oppressed by the immense -sum of money which is demanded from them when seeking, according to -custom, the apostolical residence to receive the pall: and it was -determined that it should be so no longer. Moreover, all things which -I requested for the advantage of my kingdom, from the sovereign pope, -and the emperor, and king Rodolph, and the other princes, through whose -territories our road to Rome is situated, they have freely granted, -and confirmed by oath, under the attestation of four archbishops, and -twenty bishops, and an innumerable multitude of dukes and nobles who -were present. Wherefore I give most hearty thanks to God Almighty, for -having successfully completed all that I had wished, in the manner I -had designed, and fully satisfied my intentions. Be it known then, that -since I have vowed to God himself, henceforward to reform my life in -all things, and justly, and piously to govern the kingdoms and the -people subject to me, and to maintain equal justice in all things; -and have determined, through God’s assistance, to rectify any thing -hitherto unjustly done, either through the intemperance of my youth, -or through negligence; therefore I call to witness, and command my -counsellors, to whom I have entrusted the counsels of the kingdom, -that they by no means, either through fear of myself, or favour to any -powerful person, suffer, henceforth, any injustice, or cause such, -to be done in all my kingdom. Moreover, I command all sheriffs, or -governors throughout my whole kingdom, as they tender my affection, -or their own safety, not to commit injustice towards any man, rich or -poor, but to allow all, noble and ignoble, alike to enjoy impartial -law, from which they are never to deviate, either on account of royal -favour, the person of any powerful man, or for the sake of amassing -money for myself: for I have no need to accumulate money by unjust -exaction. Be it known to you therefore, that returning by the same -way that I went, I am now going to Denmark, through the advice of all -the Danes, to make peace and firm treaty with those nations, who were -desirous, had it been possible, to deprive me both of life and of -sovereignty: this, however, they were not able to perform, God, who by -his kindness preserves me in my kingdom and in my honour, and destroys -the power of all my adversaries, bringing their strength to nought. -Moreover, when I have established peace with the surrounding nations, -and put all our sovereignty here in the East in tranquil order, so that -there shall be no fear of war or enmity on any side, I intend coming -to England, as early in the summer as I shall be able to get my fleet -prepared. I have sent this epistle before me, in order that my people -may rejoice at my prosperity; because, as yourselves know, I have never -spared, nor will I spare, either myself or my pains for the needful -service of my whole people. I now therefore adjure all my bishops, and -governors, throughout my kingdom, by the fidelity they owe to God and -me, to take care that, before I come to England, all dues owing by -ancient custom be discharged: that is to say, plough-alms,[230] the -tenth of animals born in the current year,[231] and the pence owing to -Rome for St. Peter, whether from cities or villages: and in the middle -of August, the tenth of the produce of the earth: and on the festival -of St. Martin, the first fruits of seeds, to the church of the parish -where each one resides, which is called in English ‘Circscet.’[232] If -these and such like things are not paid before I come to England, all -who shall have offended will incur the penalty of a royal mulct,[233] -to be exacted without remission, according to law.” Nor was this -declaration without effect; for he commanded all the laws which had -been enacted by ancient kings, and chiefly by his predecessor Ethelred, -to be observed for ever, under the penalty of a royal mulct: in the -observance of which,[234] the custom even at the present day, in the -time of good kings, is to swear by the name of king Edward, not that he -indeed appointed, but that he observed them. - -At that time there were in England very great and learned men, the -principal of whom was Ethelnoth, archbishop after Living. He was -appointed primate from being dean,[235] and performed many works truly -worthy to be recorded: encouraging even the king himself in his good -actions by the authority of his sanctity, and restraining him in his -excesses: he first exalted the archiepiscopal cathedral by the presence -of the body of St. Elphege, and afterwards personally at Rome, restored -it to its pristine dignity.[236] Returning home, he transmitted to -Coventry the arm of St. Augustine[237] the teacher, which he had -purchased at Pavia, for an hundred talents of silver, and a talent of -gold. Moreover, Canute took a journey to the church of Glastonbury, -that he might visit the remains of his brother Edmund, as he used to -call him; and praying over his tomb, he presented a pall, interwoven, -as it appeared, with party-coloured figures of peacocks. Near the -king stood the before-named Ethelnoth, who was the seventh monk of -Glastonbury that had become archbishop of Canterbury: first Berthwald: -second Athelm, first bishop of Wells: third his nephew Dunstan: fourth -Ethelgar, first abbat of the New-minster at Winchester, and then bishop -of Chichester:[238] fifth Siric, who, when he was made archbishop, -gave to this his nursing-mother seven palls, with which, upon his -anniversary, the whole ancient church is ornamented: sixth Elphege, -who from prior of Glastonbury was, first, made abbat of Bath, and then -bishop of Winchester: seventh Ethelnoth, who upon showing to the king -the immunities of predecessors, asked, and obtained from the king’s own -hand a confirmation of them, which was to the following effect. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1031.] CHARTER OF GLASTONBURY.] - -“The Lord reigning for evermore, who disposes and governs all things by -his unspeakable power, who wonderfully determines the changes of times -and of men, and justly brings them to an uncertain end, according to -his pleasure; and who from the secret mysteries of nature mercifully -teaches us, how lasting, instead of fleeting and transitory, kingdoms -are to be obtained by the assistance of God: wherefore I Canute king -of England, and governor and ruler of the adjacent nations, by the -counsel and decree of our archbishop Ethelnoth, and of all the priests -of God, and by the advice of our nobility, do, for the love of heaven, -and the pardon of my sins, and the remission of the transgressions of -my brother, king Edmund, grant to the church of the holy mother of God, -Mary, at Glastonbury, its rights and customs throughout my kingdom, and -all forfeitures throughout its possessions, and that its lands shall -be free from all claim and vexation as my own are. Moreover, I inhibit -more especially, by the authority of the Almighty Father, Son, and -Holy Spirit, and the curse of the eternal Virgin, and so command it to -be observed by the judges and primates of my kingdom as they tender -their safety, every person, be they of what order or dignity they may, -from entering, on any account, that island;[239] but all causes, -ecclesiastical as well as secular, shall await the sole judgment of -the abbat and convent, in like manner as my predecessors have ratified -and confirmed by charters; that is to say, Kentwin, Ina, Cuthred, -Alfred, Edward, Ethelred, Athelstan, the most glorious Edmund, and the -equally glorious Edgar. And should any one hereafter endeavour, on any -occasion, to break in upon, or make void the enactment of this grant, -let him be driven from the communion of the righteous by the fan of -the last judgment; but should any person endeavour diligently, with -benevolent intention, to perform these things, to approve, and defend -them, may God increase his portion in the land of the living, through -the intercession of the most holy mother of God, Mary, and the rest of -the saints. The grant of this immunity was written and published in the -Wooden Church, in the presence of king Canute, in the year of our Lord -1032, the second indiction.” - -By the advice of the said archbishop also, the king, sending money -to foreign churches, very much enriched Chartres, where at that time -flourished bishop Fulbert, most renowned for sanctity and learning. -Who, among other demonstrations of his diligence, very magnificently -completed the church of our lady St. Mary, the foundations of which he -had laid: and which moreover, in his zeal to do every thing he could -for its honour, he rendered celebrated by many musical modulations. The -man who has heard his chants, breathing only celestial vows, is best -able to conceive the love he manifested in honour of the Virgin. Among -his other works, a volume of epistles is extant; in one of which,[240] -he thanks that most magnificent king Canute, for pouring out the bowels -of his generosity in donations to the church of Chartres. - -In the fifteenth year of Canute’s reign, Robert king of France, of -whom we have before briefly spoken, departed this life: a man so much -given to alms, that when, on festival days, he was either dressing, or -putting off the royal robes, if he had nothing else at hand, he would -give even these to the poor, if his attendants did not purposely drive -away the needy who were importuning him. He had two sons, Odo, and -Henry: the elder, Odo,[241] was dull: the other crafty and impetuous. -Each parent had severally divided their affections on their children: -the father loved the first-born, often saying that he should succeed -him: the mother regarded the younger, to whom the sovereignty was -justly due, if not for his age, yet certainly for his ability. It -happened, as women are persevering in their designs, that she did -not cease until, by means of presents, and large promises, she had -gotten to her side all the chief nobility who are subject to the power -of France. In consequence, Henry, chiefly through the assistance of -Robert the Norman, was crowned ere his father had well breathed his -last. Mindful of this kindness, when, as I before related, Robert went -to Jerusalem, Henry most strenuously espoused the cause of William, -his son, then a youth, against those who attempted to throw off his -yoke. In the meantime Canute, finishing his earthly career, died at -Shaftesbury, and was buried at Winchester. - - - - -CHAP. XII. - -_Of king Harold and Hardecanute._ [A.D. 1036-1042.] - - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1036.] HAROLD AND HARDECANUTE.] - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1041.] EXPULSION OF A BISHOP.] - -In the year of our Lord’s incarnation 1036,[242] Harold, whom fame[243] -reported to be the son of Canute, by the daughter of earl Elfelm, -succeeded, and reigned four years and as many months. He was elected -by the Danes and the citizens of London, who, from long intercourse -with these barbarians, had almost entirely adopted their customs. The -English resisted for a long time, rather wishing to have one of the -sons of Ethelred, who were then in Normandy, or else Hardecanute, the -son of Canute by Emma, at that time in Denmark, for their king. The -greatest stickler for justice, at this juncture, was earl Godwin; who -professing himself the defender of the fatherless, and having queen -Emma and the royal treasures in his custody, for some time restrained -his opponents by the power of his name: but at last, overcome by -numbers and by violence, he was obliged to give way. Harold, secure in -his sovereignty, drove his mother-in-law into exile. Not thinking she -should be safe in Normandy, where, her brother and nephews being dead, -disgust at the rule of a deserted orphan created great disorders, she -passed over into Flanders, to earl Baldwin, a man of tried integrity: -who afterwards, when king Henry died leaving a young son, Philip, -for some years nobly governed the kingdom of France, and faithfully -restored it to him, for he had married his aunt, when he came of age. -Emma passed three years securely under the protection of this man, -at the expiration of which, Harold dying at Oxford, in the month of -April,[244] was buried at Westminster. The Danes and the English -then uniting in one common sentiment of sending for Hardecanute, he -came, by way of Normandy, into England in the month of August. For -Ethelred’s sons were held in contempt nearly by all, more from the -recollection of their father’s indolence, than the power of the Danes. -Hardecanute, reigning two years except ten days, lost his life amid -his cups at Lambeth nigh London, and was buried near his father at -Winchester: a young man who evinced great affection towards his brother -and sister. For his brother, Edward, wearied with continual wandering, -revisiting his native land in the hope of fraternal kindness, was -received by him with open arms, and entertained most affectionately. -He was rash, however, in other respects, and at the instigation of -Elfric, archbishop of York, and of others whom I am loath to name, he -ordered the dead body of Harold to be dug up, the head to be cut off, -and thrown into the Thames, a pitiable spectacle to men! but it was -dragged up again in a fisherman’s net, and buried in the cemetery of -the Danes at London. He imposed a rigid, and intolerable tribute upon -England, in order that he might pay, according to his promise, twenty -marks to the soldiers of each of his vessels. While this was harshly -levied throughout the kingdom, two of the collectors, discharging -their office rather too rigorously, were killed by the citizens of -Worcester; upon which, burning and depopulating the city by means of -his commanders, and plundering the property of the citizens, he cast a -blemish on his fame and diminished the love of his subjects. But here -I will not pass over in silence, what tattlers report of Alfred the -first-born of Ethelred. Doubtful what to do between Harold’s death and -the arrival of Hardecanute, he came into the kingdom, and was deprived -of his eyes by the treachery of his countrymen, and chiefly of Godwin, -at Gillingham: from thence being sent to the monastery of Ely, he -supported, for a little time, a wretched subsistence upon homely food; -all his companions, with the exception of the tenth, being beheaded: -for by lot every tenth man was saved.[245] I have mentioned these -circumstances, because such is the report; but as the Chronicles are -silent, I do not assert them for fact. For this reason, Hardecanute, -enraged against Living, bishop of Crediton, whom public opinion pointed -out as author of the transaction, expelled him from his see: but, -soothed with money, he restored him within the year. Looking angrily -too upon Godwin, he obliged him to clear himself by oath; but he, to -recover his favour entirely, added to his plighted oath a present of -the most rich and beautiful kind; it was a ship beaked with gold, -having eighty soldiers on board, who had two bracelets on either arm, -each weighing sixteen ounces of gold; on their heads were gilt helmets; -on their left shoulder they carried a Danish axe, with an iron spear in -their right hand; and, not to enumerate everything, they were equipped -with such arms, as that splendour vying with terror, might conceal -the steel beneath the gold. But farther, as I had begun to relate, -his sister Gunhilda, the daughter of Canute by Emma, a young woman of -exquisite beauty, who was sighed for, but not obtained, by many lovers -in her father’s time, was by Hardecanute given in marriage to Henry, -emperor of the Germans. The splendour of the nuptial pageant was very -striking, and is even in our times frequently sung in ballads about -the streets: where while this renowned lady was being conducted to the -ship, all the nobility of England were crowding around and contributing -to her charges whatever was contained in the general purse, or royal -treasury. Proceeding in this manner to her husband, she cherished for -a long time the conjugal tie; at length being accused of adultery, -she opposed in single combat to her accuser, a man of gigantic size, -a young lad of her brother’s[246] establishment, whom she had brought -from England, while her other attendants held back in cowardly -apprehension. When, therefore, they engaged, the impeacher, through -the miraculous interposition of God, was worsted, by being ham-strung. -Gunhilda, exulting at her unexpected success, renounced the marriage -contract with her husband; nor could she be induced either by threats -or by endearments again to share his bed: but taking the veil of a nun, -she calmly grew old in the service of God. - -This emperor possessed many and great virtues; and nearly surpassed -in military skill all his predecessors: so much so, that he subdued -the Vindelici and the Leutici,[247] and the other nations bordering -on the Suevi, who alone, even to the present day, lust after pagan -superstitions: for the Saracens and Turks worship God the Creator, -looking upon Mahomet not as God, but as his prophet. But the Vindelici -worship fortune, and putting her idol in the most eminent situation, -they place a horn in her right hand, filled with that beverage, made -of honey and water, which by a Greek term we call “hydromel.” St. -Jerome proves, in his eighteenth book on Isaiah, that the Egyptians -and almost all the eastern nations do the same. Wherefore on the last -day of November, sitting round in a circle, they all taste it; and if -they find the horn full, they applaud with loud clamours: because in -the ensuing year, plenty with her brimming horn will fulfil their -wishes in everything: but if it be otherwise, they lament. Henry made -these nations in such wise tributary to him, that upon every solemnity -on which he wore his crown, four of their kings were obliged to carry -a cauldron in which flesh was boiled, upon their shoulders, to the -kitchen, by means of levers passed through rings. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1041.] ANECDOTES OF EMPEROR HENRY III.] - -Frequently, when disengaged from the turmoils of his empire, Henry -gave himself up to good fellowship and merriment, and was replete with -humour; this may be sufficiently proved by two instances. He was so -extremely fond of his sister, who was a nun, that he never suffered -her to be from his side, and her chamber was always next his own. As -he was on a certain time, in consequence of a winter remarkable for -severe frost and snow, detained for a long while in the same place, a -certain clerk[248] about the court, became too familiar with the girl, -and often passed the greatest part of the night in her chamber. And -although he attempted to conceal his crime by numberless subterfuges, -yet some one perceived it, for it is difficult not to betray guilt -either by look or action, and the affair becoming notorious, the -emperor was the only person in ignorance, and who still believed -his sister to be chaste. On one particular night, however, as they -were enjoying their fond embraces, and continuing their pleasures -longer than usual, the morning dawned upon them, and behold snow -had completely covered the ground. The clerk fearing that he should -be discovered by his track in the snow, persuades his mistress to -extricate him from his difficulty by carrying him on her back. She, -regardless of modesty so that she might escape exposure, took her -paramour on her back, and carried him out of the palace. It happened at -that moment, that the emperor had risen for a necessary purpose, and -looking through the window of his chamber, beheld the clerk mounted. He -was stupified at the first sight, but observing still more narrowly, -he became mute with shame and indignation. While he was hesitating -whether he should pass over the crime unpunished, or openly reprehend -the delinquents, there happened an opportunity for him to give a vacant -bishopric to the clerk, which he did: but at the same time whispered in -his ear, “Take the bishopric, but be careful you do not let women carry -you any more.” At the same time he gave his sister the rule over a -company of nuns, “Be an abbess,” said he, “but carry clerks no longer.” -Both of them were confused, and feeling themselves grievously stricken -by so grave an injunction, they desisted from a crime which they -thought revealed by God. - -He had also a clergyman about his palace, who abused the depth of his -learning and the melody of his voice by the vicious propensities of -the flesh, being extremely attached to a girl of bad character, in the -town; with whom having passed one festival night, he stood next morning -before the emperor at mass, with countenance unabashed. The emperor -concealing his knowledge of the transaction, commanded him to prepare -himself to read the gospel, that he might be gratified with the melody -of his voice: for he was a deacon. Conscious of his crime, he made use -of a multitude of subterfuges, while the emperor, to try his constancy, -still pressed him with messages. Refusing, however, to the very last, -the emperor said, “Since you will not obey me in so easy a command, I -banish you from the whole of my territories.” The deacon, yielding to -the sentence, departed directly. Servants were sent to follow him, and -in case he should persist in going, to bring him back after he had left -the city. Gathering, therefore, immediately all his effects together, -and packing them up, he had already gone a considerable distance, -when he was brought back, not without extreme violence, and placed in -the presence of Henry, who smiled and said: “You have done well, and -I applaud your integrity for valuing the fear of God more than your -country, and regarding the displeasure of heaven more than my threats. -Accept, therefore, the first bishopric, which shall be vacant in my -empire; only renounce your dishonourable amour.” - -As nothing however is lasting in human enjoyments, I shall not pass -over in silence a certain dreadful portent which happened in his time. -The monastery of Fulda, in Saxony, is celebrated for containing the -body of St. Gall, and is enriched with very ample territories. The -abbat of this place furnishes the emperor with sixty thousand warriors -against his enemies; and possesses from ancient times the privilege -of sitting at his right hand on the most distinguished festivals. -This Henry we are speaking of was celebrating Pentecost at Mentz. A -little before mass, while the seats were preparing in the church, a -quarrel arose between the attendants of the abbat, and those of the -archbishop, which of their masters should sit next the sovereign: one -party alleging the dignity of the prelate, the other ancient usage. -When words made but little for peace, as the Germans and Teutonians -possess untractable spirits, they came to blows. Some snatched up -staves, others threw stones, while the rest unsheathed their swords: -finally each used the weapon that his anger first supplied. Thus -furiously contending in the church, the pavement soon streamed with -blood: but the bishops hastening forward, peace was restored amid -the remains of the contending parties. The church was cleansed, and -mass performed with joyful sound. But now comes the wonder: when -the sequence was chanted, and the choir paused at that verse, “Thou -hast made this day glorious:” a voice in the air replied aloud, “I -have made this day contentious.” All the others were motionless with -horror, but the emperor the more diligently attended to his occupation, -and perceiving the satisfaction of the enemy: “You,” said he, “the -inventor and also the instigator of all wickedness, have made this day -contentious and sorrowful to the proud; but we, by the grace of God, -who made it glorious, will make it gracious to the poor.” Beginning the -sequence afresh, they implored the grace of the Holy Spirit by solemn -lamentation. You might suppose he had come upon them, for some were -singing, others weeping, and all beating their breasts. When mass was -over, assembling the poor by means of his officers, he gave them the -whole of the entertainment which had been prepared for himself and his -courtiers: the emperor placing the dishes before them, standing at a -distance according to the custom of servants, and clearing away the -fragments. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1042.] HENRY’S BENEFICENCE.] - -In the time of his father, Conrad, he had received a silver pipe, such -as boys in sport spirt water with, from a certain clerk, covenanting to -give him a bishopric, when he should become emperor. This, when he was -of man’s estate, on his application he readily gave to him. Soon after -he was confined to his bed with severe sickness: his malady increasing, -he lay for three days insensible and speechless, while the vital breath -only palpitated in his breast: nor was there any other sign of life, -than the perception of a small degree of breathing, on applying the -hand to his nostrils. The bishops being present, enjoined a fast for -three days, and entreated heaven with tears and vows, for the life of -the king. Recovering by these remedies, as it is right to think, he -sent for the bishop whom he had so improperly appointed, and deposed -him by the judgment of a council: confessing, that for three whole days -he saw malignant demons blowing fire upon him through a pipe; fire so -furious that ours in comparison would be deemed a jest, and have no -heat: that afterwards there came a young man half scorched, bearing a -golden cup of immense size, full of water; and that being soothed by -the sight of him, and bathed by the water, the flame was extinguished, -and he recovered his health: that this young man was St. Laurence, the -roof of whose church he had restored when gone to decay; and, among -other presents, had honoured it with a golden chalice. - -Here many extraordinary things occur, which are reported of this man; -for instance, of a stag, which took him on its back, when flying from -his enemies, and carried him over an unfordable river: and some others -which I pass by because I am unwilling to go beyond the reader’s -belief. He died when he had completed the eighteenth year of his -empire, and was buried at Spires, which he re-built, and called by that -name, on the site of the very ancient and ruined Nemetum: his epitaph -is as follows: - - Cæsar, as was the world once great, - Lies here, confin’d in compass straight. - Hence let each mortal learn his doom; - No glory can escape the tomb. - The flower of empire, erst so gay, - Falls with its Cæsar to decay, - And all the odours which it gave - Sink prematurely to the grave. - The laws which sapient fathers made, - A listless race had dared evade, - But thou reforming by the school - Of Rome, restor’dst the ancient rule. - Nations and regions, wide and far, - Whom none could subjugate by war, - Quell’d by thy sword’s resistless strife, - Turn’d to the arts of civil life. - What grief severe must Rome engross, - Widow’d at first by Leo’s loss, - And next by Cæsar’s mournful night, - Reft of her other shining light; - Living, what region did not dread, - What country not lament thee, dead? - So kind to nations once subdued, - So fierce to the barbarians rude, - That, those who fear’d not, must bewail, - And such as griev’d not, fears assail. - Rome, thy departed glory moan, - And weep thy luminaries gone. - -This Leo, of whom the epitaph speaks, had been Roman pontiff, called to -that eminence from being Bruno bishop of Spires. He was a man of great -and admirable sanctity; and the Romans celebrate many of his miracles. -He died before Henry, when he had been five years pope. - - - - -CHAP. XIII. - -_Of St. Edward, son of king Ethelred._ [A.D. 1042-1066.] - - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1042, 1043.] EDWARD THE CONFESSOR.] - -In the year of our Lord’s incarnation 1042, St. Edward, the son of -Ethelred, assumed the sovereignty, and held it not quite twenty-four -years; he was a man from the simplicity of his manners little -calculated to govern; but devoted to God, and in consequence directed -by him. For while he continued to reign, there arose no popular -commotions, which were not immediately quelled; no foreign war; all was -calm and peaceable both at home and abroad; which is the more an object -of wonder, because he conducted himself so mildly, that he would not -even utter a word of reproach to the meanest person. For when he had -once gone out to hunt, and a countryman had overturned the standings by -which the deer are driven into the toils, struck with noble indignation -he exclaimed, “By God and his mother, I will serve you just such a -turn, if ever it come in my way.” Here was a noble mind, who forgot -that he was a king, under such circumstances, and could not think -himself allowed to injure a man even of the lowest condition. In the -meantime, the regard his subjects entertained for him was extreme, -as was also the fear of foreigners; for God assisted his simplicity, -that he might be feared, for he knew not how to be angry. But however -indolent or unassuming himself might be esteemed, he had nobles capable -of elevating him to the highest pitch: for instance, Siward, earl of -the Northumbrians; who, at his command, engaging with Macbeth, the -Scottish king, deprived him both of life and of his kingdom, and placed -on the throne Malcolm, who was the son of the king of Cumbria:[249] -again, Leofric, of Hereford; he, with liberal regard, defended him -against the enmity of Godwin, who trusting to the consciousness of his -own merits, paid little reverence to the king. Leofric and his wife -Godifa, generous in their deeds towards God, built many monasteries, -as, Coventry, St. Mary’s at Stow, Wenlock, Leon, and some others; to -the rest he gave ornaments and estates; to Coventry he consigned his -body, with a very large donation of gold and silver. Harold too, of -the West Saxons, the son of Godwin; who by his abilities destroyed -two brothers, kings of the Welsh, Rees and Griffin; and reduced all -that barbarous country to the state of a province under fealty to the -king. Nevertheless, there were some things which obscured the glory of -Edward’s times: the monasteries were deprived of their monks; false -sentences were passed by depraved men; his mother’s property, at his -command, was almost entirely taken from her. But the injustice of these -transactions was extenuated by his favourers in the following manner: -the ruin of the monasteries, and the iniquity of the judges, are said -to have taken place without his knowledge, through the insolence of -Godwin and his sons, who used to laugh at the easiness of the king: -but afterwards, on being apprised of this, he severely avenged it by -their banishment: his mother had for a long time mocked at the needy -state of her son, nor ever assisted him; transferring her hereditary -hatred of the father to the child; for she had both loved Canute more -when living, and more commended him when dead: besides, accumulating -money by every method, she had hoarded it, regardless of the poor, -to whom she would give nothing, for fear of diminishing her heap. -Wherefore that which had been so unjustly gathered together, was not -improperly taken away, that it might be of service to the poor, and -replenish the king’s exchequer. Though much credit is to be attached -to those who relate these circumstances, yet I find her to have been -a religiously-disposed woman, and to have expended her property on -ornaments for the church of Winchester, and probably upon others.[250] -But to return: Edward receiving the mournful intelligence of the death -of Hardecanute, was lost in uncertainty what to do, or whither to -betake himself. While he was revolving many things in his mind, it -occurred as the better plan to submit his situation to the opinion -of Godwin. To Godwin therefore he sent messengers, requesting, that -he might in security have a conference with him. Godwin, though for -a long time hesitating and reflecting, at length assented, and when -Edward came to him and endeavoured to fall at his feet, he raised -him up; and when relating the death of Hardecanute, and begging his -assistance to effect his return to Normandy, Godwin made him the -greatest promises. He said, it was better for him to live with credit -in power, than to die ingloriously in exile: that he was the son of -Ethelred, the grandson of Edgar: that the kingdom was his due: that -he was come to mature age, disciplined by difficulties, conversant in -the art of well-governing from his years, and knowing, from his former -poverty, how to feel for the miseries of the people: if he thought -fit to rely on him, there could be no obstacle; for his authority so -preponderated in England, that wherever he inclined, there fortune was -sure to favour: if he assisted him, none would dare to murmur; and just -so was the contrary side of the question: let him then only covenant a -firm friendship with himself; undiminished honours for his sons, and a -marriage with his daughter, and he who was now shipwrecked almost of -life and hope, and imploring the assistance of another, should shortly -see himself a king. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1043.] EARL GODWIN.] - -There was nothing which Edward would not promise, from the exigency of -the moment: so, pledging fidelity on both sides, he confirmed by oath -every thing which was demanded. Soon after convening an assembly at -Gillingham, Godwin, unfolding his reasons, caused him to be received -as king, and homage was paid to him by all. He was a man of ready -wit, and spoke fluently in the vernacular tongue; powerful in speech, -powerful in bringing over the people to whatever he desired. Some -yielded to his authority; some were influenced by presents; others -admitted the right of Edward; and the few who resisted in defiance of -justice and equity, were carefully marked, and afterwards driven out of -England. - -Edward was crowned with great pomp at Winchester, on Easter-day, and -was instructed by Eadsine,[251] the archbishop, in the sacred duties -of governing. This, at the time, he treasured up with readiness in -his memory, and afterwards displayed in the holiness of his conduct. -The above-mentioned Eadsine, in the following year, falling into -an incurable disease, appointed as his successor Siward, abbat of -Abingdon; communicating his design only to the king and the earl, lest -any improper person should aspire to so great an eminence, either by -solicitation or by purchase. Shortly after the king took Edgitha, the -daughter of Godwin, to wife; a woman whose bosom was the school of -every liberal art, though little skilled in earthly matters: on seeing -her, if you were amazed at her erudition, you must absolutely languish -for the purity of her mind, and the beauty of her person. Both in her -husband’s life-time, and afterwards, she was not entirely free from -suspicion of dishonour; but when dying, in the time of king William, -she voluntarily satisfied the by-standers of her unimpaired chastity, -by an oath. When she became his wife, the king acted towards her so -delicately, that he neither removed her from his bed, nor knew her -after the manner of men. I have not been able to discover, whether he -acted thus from dislike to her family, which he prudently dissembled -from the exigency of the times, or out of pure regard to chastity: yet -it is most notoriously affirmed, that he never violated his purity by -connexion with any woman. - -But since I have gotten thus far, I wish to admonish my reader, that -the track of my history is here but dubious, because the truth of -the facts hangs in suspense. It is to be observed, that the king had -sent for several Normans, who had formerly slightly ministered to -his wants when in exile. Among these was Robert, whom, from being a -monk of Jumièges, he had appointed bishop of London, and afterwards -archbishop of Canterbury. The English of our times vilify this person, -together with the rest, as being the impeacher of Godwin and his sons; -the sower of discord; the purchaser of the archbishopric: they say -too, that Godwin and his sons were men of liberal mind, the stedfast -promoters and defenders of the government of Edward; and that it was -not to be wondered at, if they were hurt at seeing men of yesterday, -and strangers, preferred to themselves: still, that they never uttered -even a harsh word against the king, whom they had formerly exalted to -the throne. On the opposite hand the Normans thus defended themselves: -they allege, that both himself and his sons acted with the greatest -want of respect, as well as fidelity, to the king and his party; aiming -at equal sovereignty with him; often ridiculing his simplicity; often -hurling the shafts of their wit against him: that the Normans could not -endure this, but endeavoured to weaken their power as much as possible; -and that God manifested, at last, with what kind of purity Godwin had -served him. For, after his piratical ravages, of which we shall speak -hereafter, when he had been reinstated in his original favour, and was -sitting with the king at table, the conversation turning on Alfred, -the king’s brother, “I perceive,” said he, “O king, that on every -recollection of your brother, you regard me with angry countenance; but -God forbid that I should swallow this morsel, if I am conscious of any -thing which might tend, either to his danger or your disadvantage.” On -saying this, he was choked with the piece he had put into his mouth, -and closed his eyes in death: being dragged from under the table by -Harold his son, who stood near the king, he was buried in the cathedral -of Winchester. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1044-1052.] PARTIES AND FEUDS.] - -On account of these feuds, as I have observed, my narrative labours -under difficulties, for I cannot precisely ascertain the truth, by -reason either of the natural dislike of these nations for each other, -or because the English disdainfully bear with a superior, and the -Normans cannot endure an equal. In the following book, however, when -the opportunity occurs for relating the arrival of the Normans in -England, I shall proceed to speak of their habits; at present I shall -glance, with all possible truth, at the grudge of the king against -Godwin and his sons. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1050.] GODWIN BANISHED.] - -Eustace,[252] earl of Boulogne, the father of Godfrey and Baldwin, who, -in our times, were kings of Jerusalem, had married the king’s sister, -Goda, who had borne a son, named Ralph, to her former husband, Walter -of Mantes. This son, at that time earl of Hereford, was both indolent -and cowardly; he had been beaten in battle by the Welsh, and left his -county and the city, together with the bishop, to be consumed with fire -by the enemy; the disgrace of which transaction was wiped off by the -valour of Harold, who arrived opportunely. Eustace, therefore, crossing -the channel, from Whitsand to Dover, went to king Edward on some -unknown business. When the conference was over, and he had obtained his -request, he was returning through Canterbury,[253] where one of his -harbingers, dealing too fiercely with a citizen, and demanding quarters -with blows, rather than entreaty or remuneration, irritated him to -such a degree, that he put him to death. Eustace, on being informed -of the fact, proceeded with all his retinue to revenge the murder of -his servant, and killed the perpetrator of the crime, together with -eighteen others: but the citizens flying to arms, he lost twenty-one -of his people, and had multitudes wounded; himself and one more with -difficulty making their escape during the confusion. Thence returning -to court and procuring a secret audience, he made the most of his own -story, and excited the anger of the king against the English. Godwin, -being summoned by messengers, arrived at the palace. When the business -was related, and the king was dwelling more particularly on the -insolence of the citizens of Canterbury, this intelligent man perceived -that sentence ought not to be pronounced, since the allegations had -only been heard on one side of the question. In consequence, though the -king ordered him directly to proceed with an army into Kent, to take -signal vengeance on the people of Canterbury, still he refused: both -because he saw with displeasure, that all foreigners were gaining fast -upon the favour of the king; and because he was desirous of evincing -his regard to his countrymen. Besides, his opinion was more accordant, -as it should seem, with equity, which was, that the principal people -of that town should be mildly summoned to the king’s court, on account -of the tumult; if they could exculpate themselves, they should depart -unhurt; but if they could not, they must make atonement, either by -money, or by corporal punishment, to the king, whose peace they had -broken, and to the earl, whom they had injured: moreover, that it -appeared unjust to pass sentence on those people unheard, who had a -more especial right to protection. After this the conference broke -up; Godwin paying little attention to the indignation of the king, as -merely momentary. In consequence of this, the nobility of the whole -kingdom were commanded to meet at Gloucester, that the business might -there be canvassed in full assembly. Thither came those, at that time, -most renowned Northumbrian earls, Siward and Leofric, and all the -nobility of England. Godwin and his sons alone, who knew that they -were suspected, not deeming it prudent to be present unarmed, halted -with a strong force at Beverstone, giving out that they had assembled -an army to restrain the Welsh, who, meditating independence on the -king, had fortified a town in the county of Hereford, where Sweyn, -one of the sons of Godwin, was at that time in command. The Welsh, -however, who had come beforehand to the conference, had accused them of -a conspiracy, and rendered them odious to the whole court; so that a -rumour prevailed, that the king’s army would attack them in that very -place. Godwin, hearing this, sounded the alarm to his party; told them -that they should not purposely withstand their sovereign lord; but -if it came to hostilities, they should not retreat without avenging -themselves. And, if better counsels had not intervened, a dreadful -scene of misery, and a worse than civil war, would have ensued. Some -small share of tranquillity, however, being restored, it was ordered -that the council should be again assembled at London; and that Sweyn, -the son of Godwin, should appease the king’s anger by withdrawing -himself: that Godwin and Harold should come as speedily as possible to -the council, with this condition: that they should be unarmed, bring -with them only twelve men, and deliver up to the king the command of -the troops which they had throughout England. This on the other hand -they refused; observing, that they could not go to a party-meeting -without sureties and pledges; that they would obey their lord in the -surrender of the soldiers, as well as in every thing else, except -risking their lives and reputation: should they come unarmed, the loss -of life might be apprehended; if attended with few followers, it would -detract from their glory. The king had made up his mind too firmly, to -listen to the entreaties of those who interceded with him; wherefore an -edict was published, that they should depart from England within five -days. Godwin and Sweyn retired to Flanders, and Harold to Ireland. His -earldom was given to Elgar, the son of Leofric, a man of active habits; -who, receiving, governed it with ability, and readily restored it to -him on his return; and afterwards, on the death of Godwin, when Harold -had obtained the dukedom of his father, he boldly reclaimed it, though, -by the accusation of his enemies, he was banished for a time. All -the property of the queen was seized, and herself delivered into the -custody of the king’s sister at Wherwell, lest she alone should be void -of care, whilst all her relations were sighing for their country. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1051.] RETURN OF GODWIN.] - -The following year, the exiles, each emerging from his station, -were now cruising the British sea, infesting the coast with piracy, -and carrying off rich booty from the substance of their countrymen. -Against these, on the king’s part, more than sixty sail lay at anchor. -Earls Odo and Ralph, relations of the king, were commanders of the -fleet. Nor did this emergency find Edward himself inactive; since -he would pass the night on ship-board, and watch the sallies of the -plunderers; diligently compensating, by the wisdom of his counsel, -for that personal service which age and infirmity denied. But when -they had approached each other, and the conflict was on the eve of -commencing, a very thick mist arose, which in a moment obscured the -sight of the opponents, and repressed the pitiable audacity of men. -At last Godwin and his companions were driven, by the impetuosity of -the wind, to the port they had left; and not long after returning to -their own country with pacific dispositions, they found the king at -London, and were received by him on soliciting pardon. The old man, -skilled in leading the minds of his audience by his reputation and his -eloquence, dexterously exculpated himself from every thing laid to -his charge; and in a short time prevailed so far, as to recover his -honours, undiminished, for himself and for his children; to drive all -the Normans, branded with ignominy, from England; and to get sentence -passed on Robert, the archbishop, and his accomplices, for disturbing -the order of the kingdom and stimulating the royal mind against his -subjects. But he, not waiting for violent measures, had fled of his -own accord while the peace was in agitation, and proceeding to Rome, -and appealing to the apostolical see on his case, as he was returning -through Jumièges, he died there, and was buried in the church of St. -Mary, which he chiefly had built at vast expense. While he was yet -living, Stigand, who was bishop of Winchester, forthwith invaded the -archbishopric of Canterbury: a prelate of notorious ambition, who -sought after honours too keenly, and who, through desire of a higher -dignity, deserting the bishopric of the South Saxons, had occupied -Winchester, which he held with the archbishopric. For this reason he -was never honoured with the pall by the papal see, except that one -Benedict, the usurper, as it were, of the papacy, sent him one; either -corrupted by money to grant a thing of this kind, or else because bad -people are pleased to gratify others of the same description. But -he, through the zeal of the faithful, being expelled by Nicholas, -who legally assumed the papacy from being bishop of Florence, laid -aside the title he so little deserved. Stigand, moreover, in the -time of king William, degraded by the Roman cardinals and condemned -to perpetual imprisonment, could not fill up the measure of his -insatiable avidity even in death. For on his decease, a small key was -discovered among his secret recesses, which on being applied to the -lock of a chamber-cabinet, gave evidence of papers, describing immense -treasures, and in which were noted both the quality and the quantity of -the precious metals which this greedy pilferer had hidden on all his -estates: but of this hereafter: I shall now complete the history of -Godwin which I had begun. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1065.] GODWIN’S FAMILY.] - -When he was a young man he had Canute’s sister to wife, by whom he -had a son, who in his early youth, while proudly curveting on a horse -which his grandfather had given him, was carried into the Thames, -and perished in the stream: his mother, too, paid the penalty of her -cruelty; being killed by a stroke of lightning. For it is reported, -that she was in the habit of purchasing companies of slaves in England, -and sending them into Denmark; more especially girls, whose beauty and -age rendered them more valuable, that she might accumulate money by -this horrid traffic. After her death, he married another wife,[254] -whose descent I have not been able to trace; by her he had Harold, -Sweyn, Wulnod, Tosty, Girth, and Leofwine. Harold became king for a few -months after Edward; and being overcome by William at Hastings, there -lost his life and kingdom, together with his two younger brothers. -Wulnod, given by his father as an hostage, was sent over to Normandy -by king Edward, where he remained all that king’s time in inextricable -captivity; and being sent back into England during William’s reign, -grew old in confinement at Salisbury: Sweyn being of an obstinate -disposition, and faithless to the king, frequently revolted from his -father, and his brother Harold, and turning pirate, tarnished the -virtues of his forefathers, by his depredations on the coast: at last -struck with remorse for the murder of Bruno,[255] a relation, or as -some say, his brother, he went to Jerusalem, and returning thence was -surprised by the Saracens, and put to death: Tosty, after the death of -Siward, was preferred to the earldom of Northumbria by king Edward, -and presided over that province for nearly ten years; at the end of -which he impelled the Northumbrians to rebel, by the asperity of his -manners. For finding him unattended, they drove him from the district; -not deeming it proper to kill him, from respect to his dignity: but -they put to death his attendants both English and Danes, appropriating -to their own use, his horses, his arms, and his effects. As soon as -this rumour, and the distracted state of the country reached the king, -Harold set forward to avenge the outrage. The Northumbrians, though not -inferior in point of numbers, yet preferring peace, excused themselves -to him for the transaction; averring, that they were a people -free-born, and freely educated, and unable to put up with the cruelty -of any prince; that they had been taught by their ancestors either to -be free, or to die; did the king wish them to be obedient, he should -appoint Morcar, the son of Elgar, to preside over them, who would -experience how cheerfully they could obey, provided they were treated -with gentleness. On hearing this, Harold, who regarded the quiet of -the country more than the advantage of his brother, recalled his -army, and, after waiting on the king, settled the earldom on Morcar. -Tosty, enraged against every one, retired with his wife and children -to Flanders, and continued there till the death of Edward: but this I -shall delay mentioning, while I record what, as I have learned from -ancient men, happened in his time at Rome. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1065.] CHARACTER OF GREGORY VI.] - -Pope Gregory the Sixth,[256] first called Gratian, was a man of equal -piety and strictness. He found the power of the Roman pontificate so -reduced by the negligence of his predecessors, that, with the exception -of a few neighbouring towns, and the offerings of the faithful, he had -scarcely anything whereon to subsist. The cities and possessions at a -distance, which were the property of the church, were forcibly seized -by plunderers; the public roads and highways throughout all Italy were -thronged with robbers to such a degree, that no pilgrim could pass in -safety unless strongly guarded. Swarms of thieves beset every path, -nor could the traveller devise any method of escaping them. Their rage -was equally bent against the poor and the rich; entreaty or resistance -were alike unavailing. The journey to Rome was discontinued by every -nation, as each had much rather contribute his money to the churches in -his own country, than feed a set of plunderers with the produce of his -labours. And what was the state of that city which of old was the only -dwelling-place of holiness? Why there an abandoned set of knaves and -assassins thronged the very forum. If any one by stratagem eluded the -people who lay in wait upon the road, from a desire even at the peril -of destruction to see the church of the apostle; yet then, encountering -these robbers, he was never able to return home without the loss either -of property or of life. Even over the very bodies of the holy apostles -and martyrs, even on the sacred altars were swords unsheathed, and the -offerings of pilgrims, ere well laid out of their hands, were snatched -away and consumed in drunkenness and fornication. By such evils was -the papacy of Gregory beset. At first he began to deal gently with his -subjects; and, as became a pontiff, rather by love than by terror; he -repressed the delinquents more by words than by blows; he entreated -the townsmen to abstain from the molestation of pilgrims, and the -plunder of sacred offerings. The one, he said, was contrary to nature, -that the man who breathed the common air could not enjoy the common -peace; that Christians surely ought to have liberty of proceeding -whither they pleased among Christians, since they were all of the same -household, all united by the tie of the same blood, redeemed by the -same price: the other, he said, was contrary to the command of God, -who had ordained, that “they who served at the altar, should live by -the altar;” moreover, that “the house of God ought to be the house of -prayer, not a den of thieves,” nor an assembly of gladiators; that -they should allow the offerings to go to the use of the priests, or -the support of the poor; that he would provide for those persons whom -want had compelled to plunder, by giving them some honest employment to -procure their subsistence; that such as were instigated by avaricious -desire, should desist immediately for the love of God and the credit of -the world. He invited, by mandates and epistles, those who had invaded -the patrimony of the church, to restore what did not belong to them, or -else to prove in the Roman senate, that they held it justly; if they -would do neither, they must be told that they were no longer members -of the church, since they opposed St. Peter, the head of the church, -and his vicar. Perpetually haranguing to this effect, and little or -nothing profiting by it, he endeavoured to cure the inveterate disorder -by having recourse to harsher remedies. He then separated from the body -of the church, by the brand of excommunication, all who were guilty of -such practices, and even those who associated or conversed with the -delinquents. Though he acted strictly according to his duty, yet his -diligence in this business had well nigh proved his destruction; for -as one says, “He who accuses a mocker, makes himself an enemy,” so the -abandoned crew began to kick against this gentle admonition; to utter -their threats aloud; to clash their arms around the walls of the city, -so as nearly even to kill the pope. Finding it now absolutely necessary -to cut short the evil, he procured arms and horses from every side, -and equipped troops of horse and foot. Taking possession, in the first -place, of the church of St. Peter, he either killed or put to flight -the plunderers of the oblations. As fortune appeared to favour his -designs, he proceeded farther; and despatching all who dared resist, -restored to their original jurisdiction all the estates and towns which -had been for a considerable time lost, In this manner, peace, which -had been long driven into banishment by the negligence of many, was -restored to the country by the exertions of an individual. Pilgrims now -began securely to travel on the public ways, which had been deserted; -they feasted their eyes with pleasure on the ancient wonders within -the city; and, having made their offerings, they returned home with -songs of joy. In the meantime the common people of Rome, who had been -accustomed to live by theft, began to call him sanguinary, and not -worthy to offer sacrifice to God, since he was stained by so many -murders; and, as it generally happens that the contagion of slander -spreads universally, even the cardinals themselves joined in the -sentiments of the people; so that, when this holy man was confined by -the sickness which proved his death, they, after consulting among -themselves, with matchless insolence recommended him not to think of -ordering himself to be buried in the church of St. Peter with the rest -of the popes, since he had polluted his office by being accessory -to the death of so many men. Resuming spirit, however, and sternly -regarding them, he addressed them in the following manner: - -“If you possessed either a single spark of human reason, or of the -knowledge of divine truth, you would hardly have approached your -pontiff with so inconsiderate an address; for, throughout my whole -life, I have dissipated my own patrimony for your advantage, and at -last have sacrificed the applause of the world for your rescue. If any -other persons were to allege what you urge in defamation of me, it -would become you to silence them by explaining away the false opinions -of fools. For whom, I pray you, have I laid up treasure? For myself -perhaps? and yet I already possessed the treasures of my predecessors, -which were enough for any man’s covetousness. To whom have I restored -safety and liberty? You will reply, to myself perhaps? And yet I -was adored by the people, and did, without restraint, whatever I -pleased; entire orations teemed with my praises; every day resounded -my applause. These praises and these applauses have been lost to me, -through my concern for your poverty. Towards you I turned my thoughts; -and found that I must adopt severer measures. A sacrilegious robber -fattened on the produce of your property, while your subsistence was -only from day to day. He, from the offerings belonging to you, was clad -in costly silk; while you, in mean and tattered clothing, absolutely -grieved my sight. In consequence, when I could endure this no longer, I -acted with hostility to others, that I might get credit for the clergy, -though at the loss of the citizens. However, I now find I have lavished -my favours on the ungrateful; for you publicly proclaim what others -mutter only in secret. I approve, indeed, your freedom, but I look -in vain for your affection. A dying parent is persecuted by his sons -concerning his burial. Will you deny me the house common to all living? -The harlot, the usurer, the robber, are not forbidden an entrance -to the church, and do you refuse it to the pope? What signifies it -whether the dead or the living enter the sanctuary, except it be, that -the living is subject to many temptations, so that he cannot be free -from spot even in the church; often finding matter of sin in the very -place where he had come to wash it away; whereas the dead knows not -how, nay, he who wants only his last sad office, has not the power to -sin. What savage barbarity then is it to exclude from the house of God -him in whom both the inclination and the power of sinning have ceased! -Repent, then, my sons, of your precipitate boldness, if perchance God -may forgive you this crime, for you have spoken both foolishly and -bitterly even to this present hour. But that you may not suppose me to -rest merely on my own authority, listen to reason. Every act of man -ought to be considered according to the intention of his heart, that -the examination of the deed may proceed to that point whence the design -originated; I am deceived if the Truth does not say the same; ‘If thine -eye be simple thy whole body shall be full of light; if evil, all thy -body shall be dark.’ A wretched pauper hath often come to me to relieve -his distress. As I knew not what was about to happen, I have presented -him with divers pieces of money, and dismissed him. On his departure -he has met with a thief on the public road, has incautiously fallen -into conversation with him, proclaimed the kindness of the apostolical -see, and, to prove the truth of his words, produced the purse. On -their journey the way has been beguiled with various discourse, until -the dissembler, loitering somewhat behind, has felled the stranger -with a club, and immediately despatched him; and, after carrying off -his money, has boasted of a murder which his thirst for plunder had -excited. Can you, therefore, justly accuse me for giving that to a -stranger which was the cause of his death? for even the most cruel -person would not murder a man unless he hoped to fill his pockets with -the money. What shall I say of civil and ecclesiastical laws? By these -is not the self-same fact both punished and approved under different -circumstances? The thief is punished for murdering a man in secret, -whereas the soldier is applauded who destroys his enemy in battle; the -homicide, then, is ignominious in one and laudable in the other, as -the latter committed it for the safety of his country, the former for -the gratification of his desire for plunder. My predecessor Adrian the -First, of renowned memory, was applauded for giving up the investiture -of the churches to Charles the Great; so that no person elected could -be consecrated by the bishop till the king had first dignified him with -the ring and staff: on the other hand the pontiffs of our time have -got credit for taking away these appointments from the princes. What -at that time, then, might reasonably be granted, may at the present -be reasonably taken away. But why so? Because the mind of Charles the -Great was not assailable by avarice, nor could any person easily find -access unless he entered by the door. Besides, at so vast a distance, -it could not be required of the papal see to grant its consent to each -person elected, so long as there was a king at hand who disposed of -nothing through avarice, but always appointed religious persons to -the churches, according to the sacred ordinances of the canons. At -the present time luxury and ambition have beset every king’s palace; -wherefore the spouse of Christ deservedly asserts her liberty, lest -a tyrant should prostitute to an ambitious usurper. Thus, on either -side, may my cause be denied or affirmed; it is not the office of a -bishop either himself to fight, or to command others to do so; but it -belongs to a bishop’s function, if he see innocence made shipwreck of, -to oppose both hand and tongue. Ezekiel accuses the priests for not -strongly opposing and holding forth a shield for the house of Israel in -the day of the Lord. Now there are two persons in the church of God, -appointed for the purpose of repressing crimes; one who can rebuke -sharply; the other, who can wield the sword. I, as you can witness for -me, have not neglected my part; as far as I saw it could profit, I -did rebuke sharply. I sent a message to him whose business it was to -bear the sword; he wrote me word back, that he was occupied in his war -with the Vandals, entreating me not to spare my labour nor his expense -in breaking up the meetings of the plunderers. If I had refused, -what excuse could I offer to God after the emperor had delegated his -office to me? Could I see the murder of the townspeople, the robbery -of the pilgrims, and slumber on? But he who spares a thief, kills the -innocent. Yet it will be objected that it is not the part of a priest -to defile himself with the blood of any one: I grant it. But he does -not defile himself, who frees the innocent by the destruction of the -guilty. Blessed, truly blessed, are they who always keep judgment and -do justice. Phineas and Mattathias were priests most renowned in fame, -both crowned with the sacred mitre, and both habited in sacerdotal -garb; and yet they both punished the wicked with their own hands. The -one transfixed the guilty couple with a javelin: the other mingled the -blood of the sacrificer with the sacrifice. If then those persons, -regarding, as it were, the thick darkness of the law, were, through -divine zeal, transported for mysteries, the shadows only of those which -were to be; shall we, who see the truth with perfect clearness, suffer -our sacred things to be profaned? Azarias the priest drove away king -Ozias, when offering incense, and no doubt would have killed him, had -he not quickly departed; the divine vengeance, however, anticipated -the hand of the priest, for a leprosy preyed on the body of the man -whose mind had coveted unlawful things; the devotion of a king was -disturbed, and shall not the desires of a thief be so? It is not enough -to excuse, I even applaud this my conduct; indeed I have conferred a -benefit on the very persons I seem to have destroyed. I have diminished -their punishment in accelerating their deaths. The longer a wicked man -lives the more he will sin, unless he be such as God hath graciously -reserved for a singular example. Death in general is good for all; -for by it the just man finds repose in heaven,--the unjust ceases -from his crimes,--the bad man puts an end to his guilt,--the good -proceeds to his reward,--the saint approaches to the palm,--the sinner -looks forward to pardon, because death has fixed a boundary to his -transgressions. They then surely ought to thank me, who through my -conduct have been exempted from so many sufferings. I have urged these -matters in my own defence, and to invalidate your assertions: however, -since both your reasoning and mine may be fallacious, let us commit -all to the decision of God. Place my body, when laid out in the manner -of my predecessors, before the gates of the church; and let them be -secured with locks and bars. If God be willing that I should enter, you -will hail a miracle; if not, do with my dead body according to your -inclination.” - -Struck by this address, when he had breathed his last, they carried -out the remains of the departed prelate before the doors, which were -strongly fastened; and presently a whirlwind, sent by God, broke every -opposing bolt, and drove the very doors, with the utmost violence, -against the walls. The surrounding people applaud with joy, and the -body of the pontiff was interred, with all due respect, by the side of -the other popes. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1065.] STORY OF THE BERKELEY WITCH.] - -At the same time something similar occurred in England, not by divine -miracle, but by infernal craft; which when I shall have related, -the credit of the narrative will not be shaken, though the minds of -the hearers should be incredulous; for I have heard it from a man -of such character, who swore he had seen it, that I should blush to -disbelieve. There resided at Berkeley a woman addicted to witchcraft, -as it afterwards appeared, and skilled in ancient augury: she was -excessively gluttonous, perfectly lascivious, setting no bounds to -her debaucheries, as she was not old, though fast declining in life. -On a certain day, as she was regaling, a jack-daw, which was a very -great favourite, chattered a little more loudly than usual. On hearing -which the woman’s knife fell from her hand, her countenance grew pale, -and deeply groaning, “This day,” said she, “my plough has completed -its last furrow; to-day I shall hear of, and suffer, some dreadful -calamity.” While yet speaking, the messenger of her misfortunes -arrived; and being asked, why he approached with so distressed an air? -“I bring news,” said he, “from that village,” naming the place, “of -the death of your son, and of the whole family, by a sudden accident.” -At this intelligence, the woman, sorely afflicted, immediately took to -her bed, and perceiving the disorder rapidly approaching the vitals, -she summoned her surviving children, a monk, and a nun, by hasty -letters; and, when they arrived, with faltering voice, addressed them -thus: “Formerly, my children, I constantly administered to my wretched -circumstances by demoniacal arts: I have been the sink of every vice, -the teacher of every allurement: yet, while practising these crimes, I -was accustomed to soothe my hapless soul with the hope of your piety. -Despairing of myself, I rested my expectations on you; I advanced -you as my defenders against evil spirits, my safeguards against my -strongest foes. Now, since I have approached the end of my life, and -shall have those eager to punish, who lured me to sin, I entreat you -by your mother’s breasts, if you have any regard, any affection, at -least to endeavour to alleviate my torments; and, although you cannot -revoke the sentence already passed upon my soul, yet you may, perhaps, -rescue my body, by these means: sew up my corpse in the skin of a stag; -lay it on its back in a stone coffin; fasten down the lid with lead -and iron; on this lay a stone, bound round with three iron chains of -enormous weight; let there be psalms sung for fifty nights, and masses -said for an equal number of days, to allay the ferocious attacks of my -adversaries. If I lie thus secure for three nights, on the fourth day -bury your mother in the ground; although I fear, lest the earth, which -has been so often burdened with my crimes, should refuse to receive -and cherish me in her bosom.” They did their utmost to comply with her -injunctions: but alas! vain were pious tears, vows, or entreaties; so -great was the woman’s guilt, so great the devil’s violence. For on -the first two nights, while the choir of priests was singing psalms -around the body, the devils, one by one, with the utmost ease bursting -open the door of the church, though closed with an immense bolt, broke -asunder the two outer chains; the middle one being more laboriously -wrought, remained entire. On the third night, about cock-crow, the -whole monastery seemed to be overthrown from its very foundation, by -the clamour of the approaching enemy. One devil, more terrible in -appearance than the rest, and of loftier stature, broke the gates to -shivers by the violence of his attack. The priests grew motionless with -fear,[257] their hair stood on end, and they became speechless. He -proceeded, as it appeared, with haughty step towards the coffin, and -calling on the woman by name, commanded her to rise. She replying that -she could not on account of the chains: “You shall be loosed,” said he, -“and to your cost:” and directly he broke the chain, which had mocked -the ferocity of the others, with as little exertion as though it had -been made of flax. He also beat down the cover of the coffin with his -foot, and taking her by the hand, before them all, he dragged her out -of the church. At the doors appeared a black horse, proudly neighing, -with iron hooks projecting over his whole back; on which the wretched -creature was placed, and, immediately, with the whole party, vanished -from the eyes of the beholders; her pitiable cries, however, for -assistance, were heard for nearly the space of four miles. No person -will deem this incredible, who has read St. Gregory’s Dialogues;[258] -who tells, in his fourth book, of a wicked man that had been buried -in a church, and was cast out of doors again by devils. Among the -French also, what I am about to relate is frequently mentioned. Charles -Martel, a man of renowned valour, who obliged the Saracens, when they -had invaded France, to retire to Spain, was, at his death, buried in -the church of St. Denys; but as he had seized much of the property of -almost all the monasteries in France for the purpose of paying his -soldiers, he was visibly taken away from his tomb by evil spirits, and -has nowhere been seen to his day. At length this was revealed to the -bishop of Orleans, and by him publicly made known. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1137.] THE PRIEST PALUMBUS.] - -But to return to Rome: there was a citizen of this place, youthful, -rich, and of senatorial rank, who had recently married; and, who -calling together his companions, had made a plentiful entertainment. -After the repast, when by moderate drinking they had excited hilarity, -they went out into the field to promote digestion, either by leaping, -or hurling, or some other exercise. The master of the banquet, who was -leader of the game, called for a ball to play with, and in the meantime -placed the wedding ring on the outstretched finger of a brazen statue -which stood close at hand. But when almost all the others had attacked -him alone, tired with the violence of the exercise, he left off playing -first, and going to resume his ring, he saw the finger of the statue -clenched fast in the palm. Finding, after many attempts, that he was -unable either to force it off, or to break the finger, he retired in -silence; concealing the matter from his companions, lest they should -laugh at him at the moment, or deprive him of the ring when he was -gone. Returning thither with some servants in the dead of night, he was -surprised to find the finger again extended, and the ring taken away. -Dissembling his loss, he was soothed by the blandishments of his bride. -When the hour of rest arrived, and he had placed himself by the side -of his spouse, he was conscious of something dense, and cloud-like, -rolling between them, which might be felt, though not seen, and by -this means was impeded in his embraces: he heard a voice too, saying, -“Embrace me, since you wedded me to-day; I am Venus, on whose finger -you put the ring; I have it, nor will I restore it.” Terrified at such -a prodigy, he had neither courage, nor ability to reply, and passed a -sleepless night in silent reflection upon the matter. A considerable -space of time elapsed in this way: as often as he was desirous of the -embraces of his wife, the same circumstance ever occurred; though -in other respects, he was perfectly equal to any avocation, civil -or military. At length, urged by the complaints of his consort, he -detailed the matter to her parents; who, after deliberating for a time, -disclosed it to one Palumbus, a suburban priest. This man was skilled -in necromancy, could raise up magical figures, terrify devils, and -impel them to do anything he chose. Making an agreement, that he should -fill his purse most plentifully, provided he succeeded in rendering -the lovers happy, he called up all the powers of his art, and gave the -young man a letter which he had prepared; saying, “Go, at such an hour -of the night, into the high road, where it divides into four several -ways, and stand there in silent expectation. There will pass by human -figures of either sex, of every age, rank, and condition; some on -horseback, some on foot; some with countenances dejected, others elated -with full-swollen insolence; in short, you will perceive in their -looks and gestures, every symptom both of joy and of grief: though -these should address you, enter into conversation with none of them. -This company will be followed by a person taller, and more corpulent -than the rest, sitting in a chariot; to him you will, in silence, give -the letter to read, and immediately your wish will be accomplished, -provided you act with resolution.” The young man took the road he was -commanded; and, at night, standing in the open air, experienced the -truth of the priest’s assertion by everything which he saw; there -was nothing but what was completed to a tittle. Among other passing -figures, he beheld a woman, in meretricious garb, riding on a mule; her -hair, which was bound above in a golden fillet, floated unconfined on -her shoulders; in her hand was a golden wand, with which she directed -the progress of her beast; she was so thinly clad, as to be almost -naked, and her gestures were wonderfully indecent. But what need of -more? At last came the chief, in appearance, who, from his chariot -adorned with emeralds and pearls, fixing his eyes most sternly on the -young man, demanded the cause of his presence. He made no reply, but -stretching out his hand, gave him the letter. The demon, not daring to -despise the well-known seal, read the epistle, and immediately, lifting -up his hands to heaven, “Almighty God,” said he, “in whose sight every -transgression is as a noisome smell, how long wilt thou endure the -crimes of the priest Palumbus?” The devil then directly sent some of -those about him to take the ring by force from Venus, who restored it -at last, though with great reluctance. The young man thus obtaining his -object, became possessed of his long desired pleasures without farther -obstacle; but Palumbus, on hearing of the devil’s complaint to God -concerning him, understood that the close of his days was predicted. In -consequence, making a pitiable atonement by voluntarily cutting off all -his limbs, he confessed unheard-of crimes to the pope in the presence -of the Roman people. - -At that time the body of Pallas, the son of Evander, of whom Virgil -speaks, was found entire at Rome, to the great astonishment of all, for -having escaped corruption so many ages. Such, however, is the nature of -bodies embalmed, that, when the flesh decays, the skin preserves the -nerves, and the nerves the bones. The gash which Turnus had made in the -middle of his breast measured four feet and a half. His epitaph was -found to this effect, - - Pallas, Evander’s son, lies buried here - In order due, transfix’d by Turnus’ spear. - -Which epitaph I should not think made at the time, though Carmentis the -mother of Evander is reported to have discovered the Roman letters, but -that it was composed by Ennius, or some other ancient poet.[259] There -was a burning lamp at his head, constructed by magical art; so that no -violent blast, no dripping of water could extinguish it. While many -were lost in admiration at this, one person, as there are always some -people expert in mischief, made an aperture beneath the flame with an -iron style, which introducing the air, the light vanished. The body, -when set up against the wall, surpassed it in height, but some days -afterwards, being drenched with the drip of the eves, it acknowledged -the corruption common to mortals; the skin and the nerves dissolving. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1065.] PRODIGY NEAR NORMANDY.] - -At that time too, on the confines of Brittany and Normandy, a prodigy -was seen in one, or more properly speaking, in two women: there were -two heads, four arms, and every other part two-fold to the navel; -beneath, were two legs, two feet, and all other parts single. While -one was laughing, eating, or speaking, the other would cry, fast, or -remain silent: though both mouths ate, yet the excrement was discharged -by only one passage. At last, one dying, the other survived, and the -living carried about the dead, for the space of three years, till she -died also, through the fatigue of the weight, and the stench of the -dead carcass.[260] Many were of opinion, and some even have written, -that these women represented England and Normandy, which, though -separated by position, are yet united under one master. Whatever wealth -these countries greedily absorb, flows into one common receptacle, -which is either the covetousness of princes, or the ferocity of -surrounding nations. England, yet vigorous, supports with her wealth -Normandy now dead and almost decayed, until she herself perhaps shall -fall through the violence of spoilers. Happy, if she shall ever again -breathe that liberty, the mere shadow of which she has long pursued! -She now mourns, borne down with calamity, and oppressed with exactions; -the causes of which misery I shall relate, after I have despatched some -things pertaining to my subject. For since I have hitherto recorded -the civil and military transactions of the kings of England, I may be -allowed to expatiate somewhat on the sanctity of certain of them; and -at the same time to contemplate what splendour of divine love beamed -on this people, from the first dawning of their faith: since I believe -you can no where find the bodies of so many saints entire after death, -typifying the state of final incorruption. I imagine this to have -taken place by God’s agency, in order that a nation, situated, as it -were, almost out of the world, should more confidently embrace the -hope of a resurrection from the contemplation of the incorruption of -the saints. There are, altogether, five which I have known of, though -the residents in many places boast of more; Saint Etheldrida,[261] and -Werburga, virgins; king Edmund; archbishop Elphege;[262] Cuthbert the -ancient father: who with skin and flesh unwasted, and their joints -flexile, appear to have a certain vital warmth about them, and to be -merely sleeping. Who can enumerate all the other saints, of different -ranks and professions? whose names and lives, singly to describe, I -have neither intention nor leisure: yet oh that I might hereafter have -leisure! But I will be silent, lest I should seem to promise more than -I can perform. In consequence, it is not necessary to mention any of -the commonalty, but merely, not to go out of the path of my subject -history, the male and female scions of the royal stock, most of them -innocently murdered; and who have been consecrated martyrs, not by -human conjecture, but by divine acknowledgment. Hence may be known how -little indulgence they gave to the lust of pleasure, who inherited -eternal glory by means of so easy a death. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1035.] OSWALD, KING AND MARTYR.] - -In the former book, my history dwelt for some time on the praises of -the most holy Oswald, king and martyr; among whose other marks of -sanctity, was this, which, according to some copies, is related in the -History of the Angles.[263] In the monastery at Selsey, which Wilfrid -of holy memory had filled with Northumbrian monks, a dreadful malady -broke out, and destroyed numbers; the remainder endeavoured to avert -the pestilence by a fast of three days. On the second day of the fast, -the blessed apostles Peter and Paul, appearing to a youth who was sick -with the disorder, animated him by observing: “That he should not fear -approaching death, as it would be a termination of his present illness, -and an entrance into eternal life; that no other person of that -monastery would die of this disorder, because God had granted this to -the merits of the noble king Oswald, who was that very day supplicating -for his countrymen: for it was on this day that the king, murdered by -the faithless, had in a moment ascended to the heavenly tribunal: that -they should search, therefore, in the scroll, in which the names of -the dead were written, and if they found it so, they should put an end -to the fast, give loose to security and joy, and sing solemn masses -to God, and to the holy king.” This vision being quickly followed by -the death of the boy, and the anniversary of the martyr being found in -the martyrology, and at the same time the cessation of the disorder -being attested by the whole province, the name of Oswald was from that -period inserted among the martyrs, which before, on account of his -recent death, had only been admitted into the list of the faithful. -Deservedly, I say, then, deservedly is he to be celebrated, whose glory -the divine approbation so signally manifested, as to order him to be -dignified with masses, in a manner, as I think, not usual among men. -The undoubted veracity of the historian precludes the possibility of -supposing this matter to be false; as does also the blessed bishop -Acca,[264] who was the friend of the author. - -Egbert, king of Kent, the son of Erconbert, whom I have mentioned -before, had some very near relations, descended from the royal line; -their names were Ethelred[265] and Ethelbert, the sons of Ermenred his -uncle. Apprehensive that they might grow up with notions of succeeding -to the kingdom, and fearful for his safety, he kept them about him for -some time, with very homely entertainment: and, at last, grudging them -his regards, he removed them from his court. Soon after, when they had -been secretly despatched by one of his servants named Thunre, which -signifies Thunder, he buried them under heaps of rubbish, thinking -that a murder perpetrated in privacy would escape detection. The eye -of God however, which no secrets of the heart can deceive, brought -the innocents to light, vouchsafing many cures upon the spot; until -the neighbours, being roused, dug up the unsightly heaps of turf -and rubbish cast upon their bodies, and forming a trench after the -manner of a sepulchre, they erected a small church over it. There they -remained till the time of king Edgar, when they were taken up by St. -Oswald, archbishop[266] of Worcester, and conveyed to the monastery of -Ramsey; from which period, granting the petitions of the suppliant, -they have manifested themselves by many miracles. - -Offa king of the Mercians murdered many persons of consequence for -the security, as he supposed, of his kingdom, without any distinction -of friend or foe; among these was king Ethelbert;[267] thereby being -guilty of an atrocious outrage against the suitor of his daughter. -His unmerited death, however, is thought to have been amply avenged -by the short reign of Offa’s son. Indeed God signalised his sanctity -by such evident tokens, that at this very day the episcopal church of -Hereford is consecrated to his name. Nor should any thing appear idle -or irrelevant, which our pious and religious ancestors have either -tolerated by their silence, or confirmed by their authority. - -What shall my pen here trace worthy of St. Kenelm, a youth of tender -age? Kenulf, king of the Mercians, his father, had consigned him, when -seven years old, to his sister Quendrida, for the purpose of education. -But she, falsely entertaining hopes of the kingdom for herself, gave -her little brother in charge to a servant of her household, with an -order to despatch him. Taking out the innocent, under pretence of -hunting for his amusement or recreation, he murdered and hid him in -a thicket. But strange to tell, the crime which had been so secretly -committed in England, gained publicity in Rome, by God’s agency: for -a dove, from heaven, bore a parchment scroll to the altar of St. -Peter, containing an exact account both of his death and place of -burial. As this was written in the English language it was vainly -attempted to be read by the Romans and men of other nations who were -present. Fortunately, however, and opportunely, an Englishman was at -hand, who translated the writing to the Roman people, into Latin, -and gave occasion to the pope to write a letter to the kings of -England, acquainting them with the martyrdom of their countryman. In -consequence of this the body of the innocent was taken up in presence -of a numerous assembly, and removed to Winchcomb. The murderous woman -was so indignant at the vocal chaunt of the priests and loud applause -of the laity, that she thrust out her head from the window of the -chamber where she was standing, and, by chance, having in her hands a -psalter, she came in course of reading to the psalm “O God my praise,” -which, for I know not what charm, reading backwards, she endeavoured -to drown the joy of the choristers. At that moment, her eyes, torn -by divine vengeance from their hollow sockets, scattered blood upon -the verse which runs, “This is the work of them who defame me to the -Lord, and who speak evil against my soul.” The marks of her blood are -still extant, proving the cruelty of the woman, and the vengeance -of God. The body of the little saint is very generally adored, and -there is hardly any place in England more venerated, or where greater -numbers of persons attend at the festival; and this arising from the -long-continued belief of his sanctity, and the constant exhibition of -miracles. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1065.] SAINT WISTAN.] - -Nor shall my history be wanting in thy praise, Wistan,[268] blessed -youth, son of Wimund, son of Withlaf king of the Mercians, and of -Elfleda, daughter of Ceolwulf, who was the uncle of Kenelm; I will -not, I say, pass thee over in silence, whom Berfert thy relation so -atrociously murdered. And let posterity know, if they deem this history -worthy of perusal, that there was nothing earthly more praiseworthy -than your disposition; at which a deadly assassin becoming irritated, -despatched you: nor was there any thing more innocent than your purity -towards God; invited by which, the secret Judge deemed it fitting to -honour you: for a pillar of light, sent down from heaven, piercing the -sable robe of night, revealed the wickedness of the deep cavern, and -brought to view the crime of the murderer. In consequence, Wistan’s -venerable remains were taken up, and by the care of his relations -conveyed to Rependun;[269] at that time a famous monastery, now a villa -belonging to the earl of Chester, and its glory grown obsolete with -age; but at present thou dwellest at Evesham, kindly favouring the -petitions of such as regard thee. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1065.] CHARACTER OF ST. EDMUND.] - -Bede has related many anecdotes of the sanctity of the kings of the -East Saxons, and East Angles, whose genealogy I have in the first book -of this work traced briefly; because I could no where find a complete -history of the kings. I shall however, dilate somewhat on St. Edmund, -who held dominion in East Anglia, and to whom the time of Bede did -not extend. This province, on the south and east, is surrounded by -the ocean; on the north, by deep lakes, and stagnant pools, which, -stretching out a vast distance in length, with a breadth of two or -three miles, afford abundance of fish for the use of the inhabitants; -on the west it is continuous with the rest of the island, but defended -by the earth’s being thrown up in the form of a rampart.[270] The soil -is admirable for pasture, and for hunting; it is full of monasteries, -and large bodies of monks are settled on the islands of these stagnant -waters; the people are a merry, pleasant, jovial race, though apt -to carry their jokes to excess. Here, then, reigned Edmund; a man -devoted to God, ennobled by his descent from ancient kings, and though -he presided over the province in peace for several years, yet never -through the effeminacy of the times did he relax his virtue. Hingwar -and Hubba, two leaders of the Danes, came over to depopulate the -provinces of the Northumbrians and East Angles. The former of these -seized the unresisting king, who had cast away his arms and was lying -on the ground in prayer, and, after the infliction of tortures,[271] -beheaded him. On the death of this saintly man, the purity of his past -life was evidenced by unheard-of miracles. The Danes had cast away the -head, when severed from the body by the cruelty of the executioners, -and it had been hidden in a thicket. While his subjects, who had -tracked the footsteps of the enemy as they departed, were seeking it, -intending to solemnize with due honour the funeral rites of their -king, they were struck with the pleasing intervention of God: for the -lifeless head uttered a voice, inviting all who were in search of it -to approach. A wolf, a beast accustomed to prey upon dead carcasses, -was holding it in its paws, and guarding it untouched; which animal -also, after the manner of a tame creature, gently followed the bearers -to the tomb, and neither did nor received any injury. The sacred body -was then, for a time, committed to the earth; turf was placed over it, -and a wooden chapel, of trifling cost, erected. The negligent natives, -however, were soon made sensible of the virtue of the martyr, which -excited their listless minds to reverence him, by the miracles which -he performed. And though perhaps the first proof of his power may -appear weak and trivial, yet nevertheless I shall subjoin it. He bound, -with invisible bands, some thieves who had endeavoured to break into -the church by night: this was done in the very attempt; a pleasant -spectacle enough, to see the plunder hold fast the thief, so that he -could neither desist from the enterprise, nor complete the design. In -consequence, Theodred bishop of London, who lies at St. Paul’s, removed -the lasting disgrace of so mean a structure, by building a nobler -edifice over those sacred limbs, which evidenced the glory of his -unspotted soul, by surprising soundness, and a kind of milky whiteness. -The head, which was formerly divided from the neck, is again united to -the rest of the body showing only the sign of martyrdom by a purple -seam. One circumstance indeed surpasses human miracles, which is, that -the hair and nails of the dead man continue to grow: these, Oswen, a -holy woman, used yearly to clip and cut, that they might be objects of -veneration to posterity. Truly this was a holy temerity, for a woman -to contemplate and handle limbs superior to the whole of this world. -Not so Leofstan, a youth of bold and untamed insolence, who, with many -impertinent threats, commanded the body of the martyr to be shown to -him; for he was desirous, as he said, of settling the uncertainty of -report by the testimony of his own eyesight. He paid dearly, however, -for his audacious experiment; for he became insane, and shortly after, -died, swarming with vermin. He felt indeed that Edmund was now capable -of doing, what he before used to do; that is, - - “To spare the suppliant, but confound the proud,” - -by which means he so completely engaged the inhabitants of all Britain -to him, that every person looked upon himself as particularly happy, -in contributing either money or gifts to St. Edmund’s monastery: -even kings themselves, who rule others, used to boast of being his -servants, and sent him their royal crown; redeeming it, if they wished -to use it, at a great price. The exactors of taxes also, who, in other -places, gave loose to injustice, were there suppliant, and ceased their -cavilling at St. Edmund’s boundary,[272] admonished thereto by the -punishment of others who had presumed to overpass it. - -My commendations shall also glance at the names of some maidens of the -royal race, though I must claim indulgence for being brief upon the -subject, not through fastidiousness, but because I am unacquainted -with their miracles. Anna king of the East Angles had three daughters, -Etheldrida, Ethelberga, and Sexberga. Etheldrida, though married to two -husbands, yet by means of saintly continence, as Bede relates, without -any diminution of modesty, without a single lustful inclination, -triumphantly displayed to heaven the palm of perpetual virginity. -Ethelberga, first a nun, and afterwards abbess, in a monastery in -France called Brigis,[273] was celebrated for unblemished chastity; -and it is well worthy of remark, that as both sisters had subdued the -lusts of the flesh while living, so, when dead, their bodies remained -uncorrupt, the one in England, and the other in France; insomuch, that -their sanctity, which is abundantly resplendent, may suffice - - “To cast its radiance over both the poles.” - -Sexberga was married to Erconbert king of Kent, and, after his death, -took the veil in the same monastery where her sister Etheldrida was -proclaimed a saint. She had two daughters by king Erconbert, Earcongota -and Ermenhilda. Of Ercongota, such as wish for information will find -it in Bede;[274] Ermenhilda married Wulfhere, king of the Mercians, -and had a daughter, Werburga, a most holy virgin. Both are saints: the -mother, that is to say, St. Ermenhilda, rests at Ely, where she was -abbess after her mother, Sexberga; and the daughter lies at Chester, in -the monastery of that city, which Hugo earl of Chester, ejecting a few -canons who resided there in a mean and irregular manner, has recently -erected. The praises and miracles of both these women, and particularly -of the younger, are there extolled and held in veneration; and though -they are favourable to all petitions without delay, yet are they more -especially kind and assistant to the supplications of women and youths. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1065.] SAINTS MILDRITHA AND MILBURGA.] - -Merewald the brother of Wulfhere, by Ermenburga, the daughter of -Ermenred brother of Erconbert king of Kent, had two daughters: -Mildritha and Milburga. Mildritha, dedicating herself to celibacy, -ended her days in the Isle of Thanet in Kent, which king Egbert -had given to her mother, to atone for the murder of her brothers, -Ethelred and Ethelbert.[275] In after times, being transferred to St. -Augustine’s monastery at Canterbury, she is there honoured by the -marked attention of the monks, and celebrated equally for her kindness -and affability to all, as her name[276] implies. And although almost -every corner of that monastery is filled with the bodies of saints of -great name and merit, any one of which would be of itself sufficient to -irradiate all England, yet no one is there more revered, more loved, -or more gratefully remembered; and she, turning a deaf ear to none who -love her, is present to them in the salvation of their souls. - -Milburga reposes at Wenlock:[277] formerly well known to the -neighbouring inhabitants; but for some time after the arrival of -the Normans, through ignorance of the place of her burial, she was -neglected. Lately, however, a convent of Clugniac monks being -established there, while a new church was erecting, a certain boy -running violently along the pavement, broke into the hollow of the -vault, and discovered the body of the virgin; when a balsamic odour -pervading the whole church, she was taken up, and performed so many -miracles, that the people flocked thither in great multitudes. Large -spreading plains could hardly contain the troops of pilgrims, while -rich and poor came side by side, one common faith impelling all. Nor -did the event deceive their expectations: for no one departed, without -either a perfect cure, or considerable abatement of his malady, and -some were even healed of the king’s evil, by the merits of this virgin, -when medical assistance was unavailing. - -Edward the Elder, of whom I have before spoken at large, had by his -wife Edgiva, several daughters. Among these was Eadburga, who, when -she was scarcely three years old, gave a singular indication of her -future sanctity. Her father was inclined to try whether the little -girl was inclined to God, or to the world, and had placed in a chamber -the symbols of different professions; on one side a chalice, and the -gospels; on the other, bracelets and necklaces. Hither the child was -brought in the arms of her indulgent attendant, and, sitting on her -father’s knee, was desired to choose which she pleased. Rejecting the -earthly ornaments with stern regard, she instantly fell prostrate -before the chalice and the gospels, and worshipped them with infant -adoration. The company present exclaimed aloud, and fondly hailed -the prospect of the child’s future sanctity; her father embraced the -infant in a manner still more endearing. “Go,” said he, “whither the -Divinity calls thee; follow with prosperous steps the spouse whom thou -hast chosen, and truly blessed shall my wife and myself be, if we are -surpassed in holiness by our daughter.” When clothed in the garb of -a nun, she gained the affection of all her female companions, in the -city of Winchester, by the marked attention she paid them. Nor did the -greatness of her birth elevate her; as she esteemed it noble to stoop -to the service of Christ. Her sanctity increased with her years, her -humility kept pace with her growth; so that she used secretly to steal -away the socks of the several nuns at night, and, carefully washing and -anointing them, lay them again upon their beds. Wherefore, though God -signalized her, while living, by many miracles, yet I more particularly -bring forward this circumstance, to show that charity began all her -works, and humility completed them: and finally, many miracles in her -life-time, and since her death, confirm the devotion of her heart and -the incorruptness of her body, which the attendants at her churches at -Winchester and Pershore relate to such as are unacquainted with them. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1065.] ST. EDITHA’S CHASTITY.] - -St. Editha, the daughter of king Edgar, ennobles, with her relics, the -monastery of Wilton, where she was buried, and cherishes that place -with her regard, where, trained from her infancy in the school of -the Lord, she gained his favour by unsullied virginity, and constant -watchings: repressing the pride of her high birth by her humility. I -have heard one circumstance of her, from persons of elder days, which -greatly staggered the opinions of men: for she led them into false -conclusions from the splendour of her costly dress; being always -habited in richer garb than the sanctity of her profession seemed -to require. On this account, being openly rebuked by St. Ethelwold, -she is reported to have answered with equal point and wit, that -the judgment of God was true and irrefragable, while that of man, -alone, was fallible; for pride might exist even under the garb of -wretchedness: wherefore, “I think,” said she, “that a mind may be as -pure beneath these vestments, as under your tattered furs.” The bishop -was deeply struck by this speech; admitting its truth by his silence, -and blushing with pleasure that he had been chastised by the sparkling -repartee of the lady, he held his peace. St. Dunstan had observed her, -at the consecration of the church of St. Denys, which she had built -out of affection to that martyr, frequently stretching out her right -thumb, and making the sign of the cross upon her forehead; and being -extremely delighted at it, “May this finger,” he exclaimed, “never see -corruption:” and immediately, while celebrating mass, he burst into -such a flood of tears, that he alarmed with his faltering voice an -assistant standing near him; who inquiring the reason of it, “Soon,” -said he, “shall this blooming rose wither; soon shall this beloved bird -take its flight to God, after the expiration of six weeks from this -time.” The truth of the prelate’s prophecy was very shortly fulfilled; -for on the appointed day, this noble, firmly-minded lady, expired in -her prime, at the age of twenty-three years. Soon after, the same saint -saw, in a dream, St. Denys kindly taking the virgin by the hand, and -strictly enjoining, by divine command, that she should be honoured by -her servants on earth, in the same manner as she was venerated by her -spouse and master in heaven. Miracles multiplying at her tomb, it was -ordered, that her virgin body should be taken up, and exalted in a -shrine; when the whole of it was found resolved into dust, except the -finger, with the abdomen and parts adjacent. In consequence of which, -some debate arising, the virgin herself appeared, in a dream, to one -of those who had seen her remains, saying, “It was no wonder, if the -other parts of the body had decayed, since it was customary for dead -bodies to moulder to their native dust, and she, perhaps, as a girl, -had sinned with those members; but it was highly just, that the abdomen -should see no corruption which had never felt the sting of lust; as she -had been entirely free from gluttony or carnal copulation.” - -Truly both these virgins support their respective monasteries by their -merits; each of them being filled with large assemblies of nuns, who -answer obediently to the call of their mistresses and patronesses, -inviting them to virtue. Happy the man, who becomes partaker of those -virgin orisons which the Lord Jesus favours with kind regard. For, as I -have remarked of the nuns of Shaftesbury, all virtues have long since -quitted the earth, and retired to heaven; or, if any where, (but this I -must say with the permission of holy men,) are to be found only in the -hearts of nuns; and surely those women are highly to be praised, who, -regardless of the weakness of their sex, vie with each other in the -preservation of their continence, and by such means ascend, triumphant, -to heaven. - -I think it of importance to have been acquainted with many of the -royal family of either sex; as it may be gathered from thence that -king Edward, concerning whom I was speaking before I digressed, by -no means degenerated from the virtues of his ancestors. In fact he -was famed both for miracles, and for the spirit of prophecy, as I -shall hereafter relate. In the exaction of taxes he was sparing, and -he abominated the insolence of collectors: in eating and drinking he -was free from the voluptuousness which his state allowed: on the -more solemn festivals, though dressed in robes interwoven with gold, -which the queen had most splendidly embroidered, yet still he had such -forbearance, as to be sufficiently majestic, without being haughty; -considering in such matters, rather the bounty of God, than the pomp -of the world. There was one earthly enjoyment in which he chiefly -delighted; which was, hunting with fleet hounds, whose opening in the -woods he used with pleasure to encourage: and again, with the pouncing -of birds, whose nature it is to prey on their kindred species. In these -exercises, after hearing divine service in the morning, he employed -himself whole days. In other respects he was a man by choice devoted -to God, and lived the life of an angel in the administration of his -kingdom. To the poor and to the stranger, more especially foreigners -and men of religious orders, he was kind in invitation, munificent in -his presents, and constantly exciting the monks of his own country to -imitate their holiness. He was of a becoming stature; his beard and -hair milk-white; his countenance florid; fair throughout his whole -person; and his form of admirable proportion. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1065.] ORIGIN OF THE ROYAL TOUCH.] - -The happiness of his times had been revealed in a dream to Brithwin -bishop of Wilton, who had made it public. For in the time of Canute, -when, at Glastonbury, he was once intent on heavenly watchings, and -the thought of the near extinction of the royal race of the Angles, -which frequently distressed him, came into his mind, sleep stole upon -him thus meditating; when behold! he was rapt on high, and saw Peter, -the chief of the apostles, consecrating Edward, who at that time was -an exile in Normandy, king; his chaste life too was pointed out, and -the exact period of his reign, twenty-four years, determined; and, when -inquiring about his posterity, it was answered, “The kingdom of the -English belongs to God; after you he will provide a king according to -his pleasure.” - -But now to speak of his miracles. A young woman had married a husband -of her own age, but having no issue by the union, the humours -collecting abundantly about her neck, she had contracted a sore -disorder; the glands swelling in a dreadful manner. Admonished in -a dream to have the part affected washed by the king, she entered -the palace, and the king himself fulfilled this labour of love, by -rubbing the woman’s neck with his fingers dipped in water. Joyous -health followed his healing hand: the lurid skin opened, so that worms -flowed out with the purulent matter, and the tumour subsided. But as -the orifice of the ulcers was large and unsightly, he commanded her to -be supported at the royal expense till she should be perfectly cured. -However, before a week was expired, a fair, new skin returned, and -hid the scars so completely, that nothing of the original wound could -be discovered: and within a year becoming the mother of twins, she -increased the admiration of Edward’s holiness. Those who knew him more -intimately, affirm that he often cured this complaint in Normandy: -whence appears how false is their notion, who in our times assert, that -the cure of this disease does not proceed from personal sanctity, but -from hereditary virtue in the royal line. - -A certain man, blind from some unknown mischance, had persisted in -asserting about the palace, that he should be cured, if he could touch -his eyes with the water in which the king’s hands had been washed. This -was frequently related to Edward, who derided it, and looked angrily -on the persons who mentioned it; confessing himself a sinner, and that -the works of holy men did not belong to him. But the servants, thinking -this a matter not to be neglected, tried the experiment when he was -ignorant of it, and was praying in church. The instant the blind man -was washed with the water, the long-enduring darkness fled from his -eyes, and they were filled with joyful light; and the king, inquiring -the cause of the grateful clamour of the by-standers, was informed of -the fact. Presently afterwards, when, by thrusting his fingers towards -the eyes of the man he had cured, and perceiving him draw back his -head to avoid them, he had made proof of his sight, he, with uplifted -hands, returned thanks to God. In the same way he cured a blind man at -Lincoln, who survived him many years, a proof of the royal miracle. - -That you may know the perfect virtue of this prince, in the power of -healing more especially, I shall add something which will excite your -wonder. Wulwin, surnamed Spillecorn, the son of Wulmar of Nutgareshale, -was one day cutting timber in the wood of Bruelle, and indulging in a -long sleep after his labour, he lost his sight for seventeen years, -from the blood, as I imagine, stagnating about his eyes: at the end of -this time, he was admonished in a dream to go round to eighty-seven -churches, and earnestly entreat a cure of his blindness from the -saints. At last he came to the king’s court, where he remained for a -long time, in vain, in opposition to the attendants, at the vestibule -of his chamber. He still continued importunate, however, without being -deterred, till at last, after much difficulty, he was admitted by order -of the king. When he had heard the dream, he mildly answered, “By my -lady St. Mary, I shall be truly grateful, if God, through my means, -shall choose to take pity upon a wretched creature.” In consequence, -though he had no confidence in himself, with respect to miracles, -yet, at the instigation of his servants, he placed his hand, dipped -in water, on the blind man. In a moment the blood dripped plentifully -from his eyes, and the man, restored to sight, exclaimed with rapture, -“I see you, O king! I see you, O king!” In this recovered state, he -had charge of the royal palace at Windsor, for there the cure had been -performed, for a long time; surviving his restorer several years. On -the same day, from the same water, three blind men, and a man with -one eye, who were supported on the royal arms, received a cure; the -servants administering the healing water with perfect confidence. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1065.] KING EDWARD’S VISIONS.] - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1065.] POPES AND EMPERORS.] - -On Easter-day, he was sitting at table at Westminster, with the crown -on his head, and surrounded by a crowd of nobles. While the rest were -greedily eating, and making up for the long fast of Lent by the newly -provided viands, he, with mind abstracted from earthly things, was -absorbed in the contemplation of some divine matter, when presently he -excited the attention of the guests by bursting into profuse laughter: -and as none presumed to inquire into the cause of his joy, he remained -silent as before, till satiety had put an end to the banquet. After -the tables were removed, and as he was unrobing in his chamber, three -persons of rank followed him; of these earl Harold was one, the second -was an abbat, and the third a bishop, who presuming on their intimacy -asked the cause of his laughter, observing, that it seemed just matter -of astonishment to see him, in such perfect tranquillity both of time -and occupation, burst into a vulgar laugh, while all others were -silent. “I saw something wonderful,” said he, “and therefore I did -not laugh without a cause.” At this, as is the custom of mankind, -they began to inquire and search into the matter more earnestly, -entreating that he would condescend to disclose it to them. After -much reluctance, he yielded to their persevering solicitations, and -related the following wonderful circumstance, saying, that the Seven -Sleepers in mount Cœlius had now lain for two hundred years on their -right side, but that, at the very hour of his laughter, they turned -upon their left; that they would continue to lie in this manner -for seventy-four years, which would be a dreadful omen to wretched -mortals. For every thing would come to pass, in these seventy-four -years, which the Lord had foretold to his disciples concerning the -end of the world; nation would rise against nation, and kingdom -against kingdom; earthquakes would be in divers places; pestilence -and famine, terrors from heaven and great signs; changes in kingdoms; -wars of the gentiles against the Christians, and also victories of the -Christians over the pagans. Relating these matters to his wondering -audience, he descanted on the passion of these sleepers, and the make -of their bodies, though totally unnoticed in history, as readily as -though he had lived in daily intercourse with them. On hearing this -the earl sent a knight; the bishop a clergyman; and the abbat a monk, -to Maniches the Constantinopolitan emperor, to investigate the truth -of his declaration; adding letters and presents from the king. After -being kindly entertained, Maniches sent them to the bishop of Ephesus, -giving them at the same time what is called a holy letter, that the -martyr-relics of the Seven Sleepers should be shown to the delegates of -the king of England.[278] It fell out that the presage of king Edward -was proved by all the Greeks, who could swear they had heard from their -fathers that the men were lying on their right side; but after the -entrance of the English into the vault, they published the truth of -the foreign prophecy to their countrymen. Nor was it long before the -predicted evils came to pass; for the Hagarens, and Arabs, and Turks, -nations averse to Christ, making havoc of the Christians, overran -Syria, and Lycia, and Asia Minor altogether, devastating many cities -too of Asia Major, among which was Ephesus, and even Jerusalem itself. -At the same time, on the death of Maniches emperor of Constantinople, -Diogenes, and Michaelius, and Bucinacius, and Alexius, in turn hurled -each other headlong from the throne; the last of whom, continuing till -our time, left for heir his son John more noted for cunning and deceit -than worth. He contrived many hurtful plots against the pilgrims on -their sacred journey; but venerating the fidelity of the English, -he showed them every civility, and transmitted his regard for them -to his son.[279] In the next seven years were three popes, Victor, -Stephen, Nicholas,[280] who diminished the vigour of the papacy by -their successive deaths. Almost immediately afterwards too died Henry, -the pious emperor of the Romans, and had for successor Henry his son, -who brought many calamities on the city of Rome by his folly and his -wickedness. The same year Henry, king of France, a good and active -warrior, died by poison. Soon after a comet, a star denoting, as they -say, change in kingdoms, appeared trailing its extended and fiery -train along the sky. Wherefore a certain monk of our monastery,[281] -by name Elmer, bowing down with terror at the sight of the brilliant -star, wisely exclaimed, “Thou art come! a matter of lamentation to -many a mother art thou come; I have seen thee long since; but I now -behold thee much more terrible, threatening to hurl destruction on this -country.” He was a man of good learning for those times, of mature age, -and in his early youth had hazarded an attempt of singular temerity. -He had by some contrivance fastened wings to his hands and feet, in -order that, looking upon the fable as true, he might fly like Dædalus, -and collecting the air on the summit of a tower, had flown for more -than the distance of a furlong; but, agitated by the violence of the -wind and the current of air, as well as by the consciousness of his -rash attempt, he fell and broke his legs, and was lame ever after. He -used to relate as the cause of his failure, his forgetting to provide -himself a tail. - -Another prophecy similar to this, Edward uttered when dying, which I -shall here anticipate. When he had lain two days speechless, on the -third, sadly and deeply sighing as he awoke from his torpor, “Almighty -God,” said he, “as this shall be a real vision, or a vain illusion, -which I have seen, grant me the power of explaining it, or not, to the -by-standers.” Soon after speaking fluently, “I saw just now,” continued -he, “two monks near me, whom formerly, when a youth in Normandy, I knew -both to have lived in a most religious manner, and to have died like -perfect Christians. These men, announcing themselves as the messengers -of God, spake to the following effect: ‘Since the chiefs of England, -the dukes, bishops, and abbats, are not the ministers of God, but of -the devil, God, after your death, has delivered this kingdom for a year -and a day, into the hand of the enemy, and devils shall wander over all -the land.’ And when I said that I would show these things to my people; -and promised that they should liberate themselves by repentance, after -the old example of the Ninevites; ‘Neither of these,’ said they, ‘shall -take place; for they will not repent, nor will God have mercy on them.’ -When then, said I, may cessation from such great calamities be hoped -for? They replied, ‘Whenever a green tree shall be cut through the -middle, and the part cut off, being carried the space of three acres -from the trunk, shall, without any assistance, become again united to -its stem, bud out with flowers, and stretch forth its fruit, as before, -from the sap again uniting; then may a cessation of such evils be at -last expected.’” - -Though others were apprehensive of the truth of this prediction, yet -Stigand, at that time archbishop, received it with laughter; saying, -that the old man doted through disease. We, however, find the truth -of the presage experimentally; for England is become the residence of -foreigners, and the property of strangers: at the present time, there -is no Englishman, either earl, bishop, or abbat; strangers all, they -prey upon the riches and vitals of England; nor is there any hope of -a termination to this misery. The cause of which evil, as I have long -since promised, it is now high time that my narrative should endeavour -briefly to disclose. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1065.] DEATH OF EDWARD.] - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1066.] HAROLD.] - -King Edward declining into years, as he had no children himself, and -saw the sons of Godwin growing in power, despatched messengers to the -king of Hungary, to send over Edward, the son of his brother Edmund, -with all his family: intending, as he declared, that either he, or his -sons, should succeed to the hereditary kingdom of England, and that his -own want of issue should be supplied by that of his kindred. Edward -came in consequence, but died almost immediately at St. Paul’s[282] -in London: he was neither valiant, nor a man of abilities. He left -three surviving children; that is to say, Edgar, who, after the death -of Harold, was by some elected king; and who, after many revolutions -of fortune, is now living wholly retired in the country, in extreme -old age: Christina, who grew old at Romsey in the habit of a nun: -Margaret, whom Malcolm king of the Scots espoused. Blessed with a -numerous offspring, her sons were Edgar, and Alexander, who reigned -in Scotland after their father in due succession: for the eldest, -Edward, had fallen in battle with his father; the youngest, David, -noted for his meekness and discretion, is at present king of Scotland. -Her daughters were, Matilda, whom in our time king Henry has married, -and Maria, whom Eustace the younger, earl of Boulogne, espoused. The -king, in consequence of the death of his relation, losing his first -hope of support, gave the succession of England to William earl of -Normandy.[283] He was well worthy of such a gift, being a young man -of superior mind, who had raised himself to the highest eminence by -his unwearied exertion: moreover, he was his nearest relation by -consanguinity, as he was the son of Robert, the son of Richard the -second, whom we have repeatedly mentioned as the brother of Emma, -Edward’s mother. Some affirm that Harold himself was sent into Normandy -by the king for this purpose: others, who knew Harold’s more secret -intentions, say, that being driven thither against his will, by the -violence of the wind, he imagined this device, in order to extricate -himself. This, as it appears nearest the truth, I shall relate. Harold -being at his country-seat at Boseham,[284] went for recreation on -board a fishing boat, and, for the purpose of prolonging his sport, -put out to sea; when a sudden tempest arising, he was driven with his -companions on the coast of Ponthieu. The people of that district, as -was their native custom, immediately assembled from all quarters; and -Harold’s company, unarmed and few in number, were, as it easily might -be, quickly overpowered by an armed multitude, and bound hand and -foot. Harold, craftily meditating a remedy for this mischance, sent a -person, whom he had allured by very great promises, to William, to say, -that he had been sent into Normandy by the king, for the purpose of -expressly confirming, in person, the message which had been imperfectly -delivered by people of less authority; but that he was detained in -fetters by Guy earl of Ponthieu, and could not execute his embassy: -that it was the barbarous and inveterate custom of the country, that -such as had escaped destruction at sea, should meet with perils on -shore: that it well became a man of his dignity, not to let this pass -unpunished: that to suffer those to be laden with chains, who appealed -to his protection, detracted somewhat from his own greatness: and that -if his captivity must be terminated by money, he would gladly give -it to earl William, but not to the contemptible Guy. By these means, -Harold was liberated at William’s command, and conducted to Normandy -by Guy in person. The earl entertained him with much respect, both in -banqueting and in vesture, according to the custom of his country; and -the better to learn his disposition, and at the same time to try his -courage, took him with him in an expedition he at that time led against -Brittany. There, Harold, well proved both in ability and courage, won -the heart of the Norman; and, still more to ingratiate himself, he of -his own accord, confirmed to him by oath the castle of Dover, which was -under his jurisdiction, and the kingdom of England, after the death -of Edward. Wherefore, he was honoured both by having his daughter, -then a child, betrothed to him, and by the confirmation of his ample -patrimony, and was received into the strictest intimacy. Not long after -his return home, the king was crowned[285] at London on Christmas-day, -and being there seized with the disorder of which he was sensible he -should die, he commanded the church of Westminster to be dedicated on -Innocents-day.[286] Thus, full of years and of glory, he surrendered -his pure spirit to heaven, and was buried on the day of the Epiphany, -in the said church, which he, first in England, had erected after that -kind of style which, now, almost all attempt to rival at enormous -expense. The race of the West Saxons, which had reigned in Britain five -hundred and seventy-one years, from the time of Cerdic, and two hundred -and sixty-one from Egbert, in him ceased altogether to rule. For while -the grief for the king’s death was yet fresh, Harold, on the very -day of the Epiphany, seized the diadem, and extorted from the nobles -their consent; though the English say, that it was granted him by the -king: but I conceive it alleged, more through regard to Harold, than -through sound judgment, that Edward should transfer his inheritance to -a man of whose power he had always been jealous. Still, not to conceal -the truth, Harold would have governed the kingdom with prudence and -with courage, in the character he had assumed, had he undertaken it -lawfully. Indeed, during Edward’s lifetime, he had quelled, by his -valour, whatever wars were excited against him; wishing to signalize -himself with his countrymen, and looking forward with anxious hope -to the crown. He first vanquished Griffin king of the Welsh, as I -have before related, in battle; and, afterwards, when he was again -making formidable efforts to recover his power, deprived him of his -head; appointing as his successors, two of his own adherents, that is, -the brothers of this Griffin, Blegent and Rivallo, who had obtained -his favour by their submission. The same year Tosty arrived on the -Humber, from Flanders, with a fleet of sixty ships, and infested with -piratical depredations those parts which were adjacent to the mouth -of the river; but being quickly driven from the province by the joint -force of the brothers, Edwin and Morcar, he set sail towards Scotland; -where meeting with Harold Harfager king of Norway, then meditating an -attack on England with three hundred ships, he put himself under his -command. Both, then, with united forces, laid waste the country beyond -the Humber; and falling on the brothers, reposing after their recent -victory and suspecting no attack of the kind, they first routed, and -then shut them up in York. Harold, on hearing this, proceeded thither -with all his forces, and, each nation making every possible exertion, a -bloody encounter followed: but the English obtained the advantage, and -put the Norwegians to flight. Yet, however reluctantly posterity may -believe it, one single Norwegian for a long time delayed the triumph -of so many, and such great men. For standing on the entrance of the -bridge, which is called Standford Brigge,[287] after having killed -several of our party, he prevented the whole from passing over. Being -invited to surrender, with the assurance that a man of such courage -should experience the amplest clemency from the English, he derided -those who entreated him; and immediately, with stern countenance, -reproached the set of cowards who were unable to resist an individual. -No one approaching nearer, as they thought it unadvisable to come to -close quarters with a man who had desperately rejected every means -of safety, one of the king’s followers aimed an iron javelin at him -from a distance; and transfixed him as he was boastfully flourishing -about, and too incautious from his security, so that he yielded the -victory to the English. The army immediately passing over without -opposition, destroyed the dispersed and flying Norwegians. King -Harfager and Tosty were slain; the king’s son, with all the ships, was -kindly sent back to his own country. Harold, elated by his successful -enterprise, vouchsafed no part of the spoil to his soldiers. Wherefore -many, as they found opportunity, stealing away, deserted the king, as -he was proceeding to the battle of Hastings. For with the exception -of his stipendiary and mercenary soldiers, he had very few of the -people[288] with him; on which account, circumvented by a stratagem of -William’s, he was routed, with the army he headed, after possessing -the kingdom nine months and some days. The effect of war in this -affair was trifling; it was brought about by the secret and wonderful -counsel of God: since the Angles never again, in any general battle, -made a struggle for liberty, as if the whole strength of England had -fallen with Harold, who certainly might and ought to pay the penalty -of his perfidy, even though it were at the hands of the most unwarlike -people. Nor in saying this, do I at all derogate from the valour of -the Normans, to whom I am strongly bound, both by my descent, and for -the privileges I enjoy. Still[289] those persons appear to me to err, -who augment the numbers of the English, and underrate their courage; -who, while they design to extol the Normans, load them with ignominy. A -mighty commendation indeed! that a very warlike nation should conquer -a set of people who were obstructed by their multitude, and fearful -through cowardice! On the contrary, they were few in number and brave -in the extreme; and sacrificing every regard to their bodies, poured -forth their spirit for their country. But, however, as these matters -await a more detailed narrative, I shall now put a period to my second -book, that I may return to my composition, and my readers to the -perusal of it, with fresh ardour. - - - - -BOOK III. - - - - -PREFACE. - - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1066.] BATTLE OF HASTINGS.] - -Normans and English, incited by different motives, have written of -king William: the former have praised him to excess; extolling to the -utmost both his good and his bad actions: while the latter, out of -national hatred, have laden their conqueror with undeserved reproach. -For my part, as the blood of either people flows in my veins, I shall -steer a middle course: where I am certified of his good deeds, I shall -openly proclaim them; his bad conduct I shall touch upon lightly and -sparingly, though not so as to conceal it; so that neither shall -my narrative be condemned as false, nor will I brand that man with -ignominious censure, almost the whole of whose actions may reasonably -be excused, if not commended. Wherefore I shall willingly and carefully -relate such anecdotes of him, as may be matter of incitement to the -indolent, or of example to the enterprising; useful to the present age, -and pleasing to posterity. But I shall spend little time in relating -such things as are of service to no one, and which produce disgust in -the reader, as well as ill-will to the author. There are always people, -more than sufficient, ready to detract from the actions of the noble: -my course of proceeding will be, to extenuate evil, as much as can be -consistently with truth, and not to bestow excessive commendation even -on good actions. For this moderation, as I imagine, all true judges -will esteem me neither timid, nor unskilful. And this rule too, my -history will regard equally, with respect both to William and his two -sons; that nothing shall be dwelt on too fondly; nothing untrue shall -be admitted. The elder of these did little worthy of praise, if we -except the early part of his reign; gaining, throughout the whole of -his life, the favour of the military at the expense of the people. The -second, more obsequious to his father than to his brother, possessed -his spirit, unsubdued either by prosperity or adversity: on regarding -his warlike expeditions, it is matter of doubt, whether he was more -cautious or more bold; on contemplating their event, whether he was -more fortunate, or unsuccessful. There will be a time, however, when -the reader may judge for himself. I am now about to begin my third -volume; and I think I have said enough to make him attentive, and -disposed to receive instruction: his own feelings will persuade him to -be candid. - - -_Of William the First._ [A.D. 1066-1087.] - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1066.] WILLIAM THE FIRST.] - -Robert, second son of Richard the Second, after he had, with great -glory, held the duchy of Normandy for seven years, resolved on a -pilgrimage to Jerusalem. He had, at that time, a son seven years of -age, born of a concubine, whose beauty he had accidentally beheld, -as she was dancing, and had become so smitten with it, as to form a -connexion with her: after which, he loved her exclusively, and, for -some time, regarded her as his wife. He had by her this boy, named, -after his great-great-grandfather, William, whose future glory was -portended to his mother by a dream; wherein she imagined her intestines -were stretched out, and extended over the whole of Normandy and -England: and, at the very moment, also, when the infant burst into life -and touched the ground, he filled both hands with the rushes strewed -upon the floor, firmly grasping what he had taken up. This prodigy was -joyfully witnessed by the women, gossipping on the occasion; and the -midwife hailed the propitious omen, declaring that the boy would be a -king. - -Every provision being made for the expedition to Jerusalem,[290] the -chiefs were summoned to a council at Feschamp, where, at his father’s -command, all swore fidelity to William: earl Gilbert was appointed his -guardian; and the protection of the earl was assigned to Henry, king of -France. While Robert was prosecuting his journey, the Normans, each in -his several station, united in common for the defence of their country, -and regarded their infant lord with great affection. This fidelity -continued till the report was spread of Robert’s death, upon which -their affection changed with his fortune; and then they began severally -to fortify their towns, to build castles, to carry in provisions, and -to seek the earliest opportunities of revolting from the child. In -the meantime, however, doubtlessly by the special aid of God who had -destined him to the sovereignty of such an extended empire, he grew up -uninjured; while Gilbert, almost alone, defended by arms what was just -and right: the rest being occupied by the designs of their respective -parties. But Gilbert being at this time killed by his cousin Rodulph, -fire and slaughter raged on all sides. The country, formerly most -flourishing, was now torn with intestine broils, and divided at the -pleasure of the plunderers; so that it was justly entitled to proclaim, -“Woe to the land whose sovereign is a child.”[291] - -William, however, as soon as his age permitted, receiving the badge -of knighthood from the king of France, inspirited the inhabitants to -hope for quiet. The sower of dissension was one Guy, a Burgundian on -his father’s side, and grandson to Richard the Second by his daughter. -William and Guy had been children together, and at that time were -equally approaching to manhood. Mutual intercourse had produced an -intimacy between them which had ripened into friendship. Moreover, -thinking, as they were related, that he ought to deny him nothing, -he had given him the castles of Briony and Vernon. The Burgundian, -unmindful of this, estranged himself from the earl, feigning sufficient -cause of offence to colour his conduct. It would be tedious, and -useless, to relate what actions were performed on either side, what -castles were taken; for his perfidy had found abettors in Nigel, -viscount of Coutances, Ralph, viscount of Bayeux, and Haimo Dentatus, -grandfather of Robert, who was the occupier of many estates in England -in our time. With these persons, this most daring plunderer, allured -by vain expectation of succeeding to the earldom, was devastating -the whole of Normandy. A sense of duty, however, compelled the -guardian-king to succour the desperate circumstances of his ward. -Remembering, therefore, the kindness of his father, and that he -had, by his influence, exalted him to the kingdom, he rushed on the -revolters at Walesdun. Many thousands of them were there slain; many -drowned in the river Orne, by its rapidity, while, being hard-pressed, -they spurred their horses to ford the current. Guy, escaping with -difficulty, betook himself to Briony; but was driven thence by William, -and unable to endure this disgrace, he retired, of his own accord, -to Burgundy, his native soil. Here too his unquiet spirit found no -rest; for being expelled thence by his brother, William, earl of that -province, against whom he had conceived designs, it appears not what -fate befell him. Nigel and Ralph were admitted to fealty: Haimo fell in -the field of battle; after having become celebrated by his remarkable -daring for having unhorsed the king himself; in consequence of which -he was despatched by the surrounding guards, and, in admiration of his -valour, honourably buried at the king’s command. King Henry received a -compensation for this favour, when the Norman lord actively assisted -him against Geoffrey Martel at Herle-Mill, which is a fortress in -the country of Anjou. For William had now attained his manly vigour; -an object of dread even to his elders, and though alone, a match for -numbers. Unattended he would rush on danger; and when unaccompanied, or -with only a few followers, dart into the thickest ranks of the enemy. -By this expedition he gained the reputation of admirable bravery, -as well as the sincerest regard of the king; so that, with parental -affection, he would often admonish him not to hold life in contempt by -encountering danger so precipitately; a life, which was the ornament of -the French, the safeguard of the Normans, and an example to both. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1047.] GEOFFREY, EARL OF ANJOU.] - -At that time Geoffrey[292] was earl of Anjou, who had boastingly -taken the surname of Martel, as he seemed, by a certain kind of good -fortune, to beat down all his opponents. Finally, he had made captive, -in open battle, his liege lord, the earl of Poitou; and, loading -him with chains, had compelled him to dishonourable terms of peace; -namely, that he should yield up Bourdeaux and the neighbouring cities, -and pay an annual tribute for the rest. But he, as it is thought, -through the injuries of his confinement and want of food, was, after -three days, released from eternal ignominy by a timely death. Martel -then, that his effrontery might be complete, married the stepmother -of the deceased; taking his brothers under his protection until they -should be capable of governing the principality. Next entering the -territories of Theobald, earl of Blois, he laid siege to the city of -Tours; and while he was hastening to the succour of his subjects, made -him participate in their afflictions; for being taken, and shut up in -prison, he ceded the city from himself and his heirs for ever. Who -shall dare cry shame on this man’s cowardice, who, for the enjoyment of -a little longer life, defrauded his successors for ever of the dominion -of so great a city? for although we are too apt to be severe judges of -others, yet we must know, that we should consult our own safety, if we -were ever to be placed in similar circumstances. In this manner Martel, -insolent from the accession of so much power, obtained possession of -the castle of Alençon, even from the earl of Normandy; its inhabitants -being faithlessly disposed. Irritated at this outrage, William -retaliated, and invested Danfrunt, which at that time belonged to the -earl of Anjou. Geoffrey, immediately, excited by the complaints of the -besieged, hastily rushed forward with a countless force. Hearing of his -approach, William sends Roger Montgomery[293] and William Fitz-Osberne -to reconnoitre. They, from the activity of youth, proceeding many miles -in a short time, espied Martel on horseback, and apprized him of the -dauntless boldness of their lord. Martel immediately began to rage, to -threaten mightily what he would do; and said that he would come thither -the next day, and show to the world at large how much an Angevin -could excel a Norman in battle: at the same time, with unparalleled -insolence, describing the colour of his horse, and the devices on the -arms he meant to use. The Norman nobles, with equal vanity, relating -the same of William, return and stimulate their party to the conflict. -I have described these things minutely, for the purpose of displaying -the arrogance of Martel. On this occasion, however, he manifested none -of his usual magnanimity, for he retreated without coming to battle; on -hearing which, the inhabitants of Alençon surrendered, covenanting for -personal safety; and, afterwards, those of Danfrunt also, listed under -the more fortunate standard. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1047.] WILLIAM OF ARCHES.] - -In succeeding years William, earl of Arches, his illegitimate uncle, -who had always been faithless and fluctuating from his first entrance -on the duchy, rebelled against him; for, even during the siege of -Danfrunt, he had unexpectedly stolen away, and had communicated to -many persons the secrets of his soul. In consequence of this, William -had committed the keeping of his castle to some men, whom he had -erroneously deemed faithful; but the earl, with his usual skill in -deception, had seduced even these people to his party, by giving them -many things, and promising them more. Thus possessed of the fortress, -he declared war against his lord. William, with his customary alacrity, -contrary to the advice of his friends, laid siege to Arches, declaring -publicly, that the miscreants would not dare attempt any thing, if -they came into his sight. Nor was his assertion false: for more than -three hundred soldiers, who had gone out to plunder and forage, the -instant they beheld him, though almost unattended, fled back into -their fortifications. Being inclined to settle this business without -bloodshed, he fortified a castle in front of Arches, and turned to -matters of hostile operation which required deeper attention, because -he was aware that the king of France, who had already become adverse -to him from some unknown cause, was hastening to the succour of the -besieged. He here gave an instance of very laudable forbearance; for -though he certainly appeared to have the juster cause, yet he was -reluctant to engage with that person, to whom he was bound both by oath -and by obligation. He left some of his nobility, however, to repress -the impetuosity of the king; who, falling into an ambush laid by their -contrivance, had most deservedly to lament Isembard, earl of Ponthieu, -who was killed in his sight, and Hugh Bardulf, who was taken prisoner. -Not long after, in consequence of his miscarriage, retiring to his -beloved France, the earl of Arches, wasted with hunger, and worn to a -skeleton, consented to surrender, and was preserved, life and limb, an -example of clemency, and a proof of perseverance. During the interval -of this siege, the people of the fortress called Moulin, becoming -disaffected, at the instigation of one Walter, went over to the king’s -side. An active party of soldiers was placed there, under the command -of Guy, brother of the earl of Poitou, who diligently attended for some -time to his military duties: but on hearing the report of the victory -at Arches, he stole away into France, and contributed, by these means, -considerably to the glory of the duke. - -King Henry, however, did not give indulgence to inactivity; but, -muttering that his armies had been a laughing-stock to William, -immediately collected all his forces, and, dividing them into two -bodies, he over-ran the whole of Normandy. He himself headed all -the military power which came from that part of Celtic Gaul which -lies between the rivers Garonne and Seine; and gave his brother Odo -the command over such as came from that part of Belgic Gaul which -is situated between the Rhine and the Seine. In like manner William -divided his army, with all the skill he possessed; approaching by -degrees the camp of the king, which was pitched in the country of -Briony, in such a manner, as neither to come to close engagement, -nor yet suffer the province to be devastated in his presence. His -generals were Robert, earl of Aux; Hugo de Gournay, Hugo de Montfort, -and William Crispin, who opposed Odo at a town called Mortemar. Nor -did he, relying on the numerous army which he commanded, at all delay -coming to action; yet making only slight resistance at the beginning, -and afterwards being unable to withstand the attack of the Normans, -he retreated, and was himself the first to fly. And here, while Guy, -earl of Ponthieu, was anxiously endeavouring to revenge his brother, -he was made captive, and felt, together with many others surpassing -in affluence and rank, the weight of that hand which was so fatal to -his family. When William was informed of this success by messengers, -he took care that it should be proclaimed in the dead of night, near -the king’s tent. On hearing which he retired, after some days spent in -Normandy, into France; and, soon after, ambassadors passing between -them, it was concluded, by treaty, that the king’s partizans should be -set at liberty, and that the earl should become legally possessed of -all that had been, or should hereafter be, taken from Martel. - -It would be both tedious and useless, to relate their perpetual -contentions, or how William always came off conqueror. What shall we -say besides, when, magnanimously despising the custom of modern times, -he never condescended to attack him suddenly, or without acquainting -him of the day. Moreover, I pass by the circumstance of king Henry’s -again violating his friendship; his entering Normandy, and proceeding -through the district of Hiesmes to the river Dive, boasting that the -sea was the sole obstacle to his farther progress. But William now -perceiving himself reduced to extremities by the king’s perfidy, at -length brandished the arms of conscious valour, and worsted the royal -forces which were beyond the river--for part of them, hearing of his -arrival, had passed over some little time before--with such entire -loss, that henceforth France had no such object of dread as that -of irritating the ferocity of the Normans. The death of Henry soon -following, and, shortly after, that of Martel, put an end to these -broils. The dying king delegated the care of his son Philip, at that -time extremely young, to Baldwin earl of Flanders. He was a man equally -celebrated for fidelity and wisdom; in the full possession of bodily -strength, and also ennobled by a marriage with the king’s sister. His -daughter, Matilda, a woman who was a singular mirror of prudence in -our time, and the perfection of virtue, had been already married to -William. Hence it arose, that being mediator between his ward, and his -son-in-law, Baldwin restrained, by his wholesome counsels, the feuds of -the chiefs, and of the people. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1058.] FULK, EARL OF ANJOU.] - -But since the mention of Martel has so often presented itself, I shall -briefly trace the genealogy of the earls of Anjou,[294] as far as the -knowledge of my informant reaches. Fulk the elder, presiding over that -county for many years, until he became advanced in years, performed -many great and prudent actions. There is only one thing for which I -have heard him branded: for, having induced Herbert earl of Maine -to come to Saintes, under the promise of yielding him that city, he -caused him, in the midst of their conversation, to be surrounded by -his attendants, and compelled him to submit to his own conditions: -in other respects he was a man of irreproachable integrity. In his -latter days, he ceded his principality to Geoffrey his son so often -mentioned. Geoffrey conducted himself with excessive barbarity to the -inhabitants, and with equal haughtiness even to the person who had -conferred this honour upon him: on which, being ordered by his father -to lay down the government and ensigns of authority, he was arrogant -enough to take up arms against him. The blood of the old man, though -grown cold and languid, yet boiled with indignation; and in the course -of a few days, by adopting wiser counsels, he so brought down the proud -spirit of his son, that after carrying his saddle[295] on his back for -some miles, he cast himself with his burden at his father’s feet. He, -fired once more with his ancient courage, rising up and spurning the -prostrate youth with his foot, exclaimed, “You are conquered at last! -you are conquered!” repeating his words several times. The suppliant -had still spirit enough to make this admirable reply, “I am conquered -by you alone, because you are my father; by others I am utterly -invincible.” With this speech his irritated mind was mollified, and -having consoled the mortification of his son by paternal affection, -he restored him to the principality, with admonitions to conduct -himself more wisely: telling him that the prosperity and tranquillity -of the people were creditable to him abroad, as well as advantageous -at home. In the same year the old man, having discharged all secular -concerns, made provision for his soul, by proceeding to Jerusalem; -where compelling two servants by an oath to do whatever he commanded, -he was by them publicly dragged naked, in the sight of the Turks, to -the holy sepulchre. One of them had twisted a withe about his neck, the -other with a rod scourged his bare back, whilst he cried out, “Lord, -receive the wretched Fulk, thy perfidious, thy runagate; regard my -repentant soul, O Lord Jesu Christ.” At this time he obtained not his -request; but, peacefully returning home, he died some few years after. -The precipitate boldness of his son Geoffrey has been amply displayed -in my preceding history. He dying, bequeathed to Geoffrey, his sister’s -son, his inheritance, but his worldly industry he could not leave him. -For being a youth of simple manners, and more accustomed to pray in -church, than to handle arms, he excited the contempt of the people of -that country, who knew not how to live in quiet. In consequence, the -whole district becoming exposed to plunderers, Fulk, his brother, of -his own accord, seized on the duchy. Fulk was called Rhechin, from his -perpetual growling at the simplicity of his brother, whom he finally -despoiled of his dignity, and kept in continual custody. He had a wife, -who, being enticed by the desire of enjoying a higher title, deserted -him and married Philip king of France; who so desperately loved her, -regardless of the adage, - - “Majesty and love - But ill accord, nor share the self-same seat,” - -that he patiently suffered himself to be completely governed by -her, though he was at the same time desirous of ruling over every -other person. Lastly, for several years, merely through regard for -her, he suffered himself to be pointed at like an idiot, and to be -excommunicated from the whole Christian world. The sons of Fulk were -Geoffrey and Fulk. Geoffrey obtaining the hereditary surname of -Martel, ennobled it by his exertions: for he procured such peace and -tranquillity in those parts, as no one ever had seen, or will see in -future. On this account being killed by the treachery of his people, -he forfeited the credit of his consummate worth. Fulk succeeding to -the government, is yet living;[296] of whom as I shall perhaps have -occasion to speak in the times of king Henry, I will now proceed to -relate what remains concerning William. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1058.] GEOFFREY MARTEL.] - -When, after much labour, he had quelled all civil dissension, he -meditated an exploit of greater fame, and determined to recover those -countries anciently attached to Normandy, though now disunited by long -custom. I allude to the counties of Maine and Brittany; of which Mans, -long since burnt by Martel and deprived of its sovereign Hugo, had -lately experienced some little respite under Herbert the son of Hugo; -who, with a view to greater security against the earl of Anjou, had -submitted, and sworn fidelity to William: besides, he had solicited -his daughter in marriage, and had been betrothed to her, though he -died by disease ere she was marriageable. He left William his heir, -adjuring his subjects to admit no other; telling them, they might have, -if they chose, a mild and honourable lord; but, should they not, a -most determined assertor of his right. On his decease, the inhabitants -of Maine rather inclined to Walter of Mantes, who had married Hugo’s -sister: but at length, being brought to their senses by many heavy -losses, they acknowledged William. This was the time, when Harold was -unwillingly carried to Normandy by an unpropitious gale; whom, as is -before mentioned, William took with him in his expedition to Brittany, -to make proof of his prowess, and, at the same time, with the deeper -design of showing to him his military equipment, that he might perceive -how far preferable was the Norman sword to the English battle-axe. -Alan, at that time, earl of Brittany, flourishing in youth, and of -transcendent strength, had overcome his uncle Eudo, and performed many -famous actions; and so far from fearing William, had even voluntarily -irritated him. But he, laying claim to Brittany as his hereditary -territory, because Charles had given it with his daughter, Gisla, to -Rollo, shortly acted in such wise, that Alan came suppliantly to him, -and surrendered himself and his possessions. And since I shall have -but little to say of Brittany hereafter, I will here briefly insert an -extraordinary occurrence, which happened about that time in the city of -Nantes. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1065.] STORY OF TWO CLERKS.] - -There were in that city two clerks, who though not yet of legal age, -had obtained the priesthood from the bishop of that place, more by -entreaty than desert: the pitiable death of one of whom, at length -taught the survivor, how near they had before been to the brink of -hell. As to the knowledge of literature, they were so instructed, that -they wanted little of perfection. From their earliest infancy, they -had in such wise vied in offices of friendship, that according to the -expression of the comic writer,[297] “To serve each other they would -not only stir hand and foot, but even risk the loss of life itself.” -Wherefore, one day, when they found their minds more than usually free -from outward cares, they spoke their sentiments, in a secret place, -to the following effect: “That for many years they had given their -attention sometimes to literature, and sometimes to secular cares; -nor had they satisfied their minds, which had been occupied rather -in wrong than proper pursuits; that in the meanwhile, the bitter day -was insensibly approaching, which would burst the bond of union which -was indissoluble while life remained: wherefore they should provide -in time, that the friendship which united them while living should -accompany him who died first to the place of the dead.” They agreed, -therefore, that whichever should first depart, should certainly -appear to the survivor, either waking or sleeping, if possible within -thirty days, to inform him, that, according to the Platonic tenet, -death does not extinguish the spirit, but sends it back again, as -it were from prison, to God its author. If this did not take place, -then they must yield to the sect of the Epicureans, who hold, that -the soul, liberated from the body, vanishes into air, or mingles with -the wind. Mutually plighting their faith, they repeated this oath in -their daily conversation. A short time elapsed, and behold a violent -death suddenly deprived one of them of life. The other remained, and -seriously revolving the promise of his friend, and constantly expecting -his presence, during thirty days, found his hopes disappointed. At -the expiration of this time, when, despairing of seeing him, he had -occupied his leisure in other business, the deceased, with that pale -countenance which dying persons assume, suddenly stood before him, -when awake, and busied on some matter. The dead first addressing the -living man, who was silent: “Do you know me?” said he; “I do,” replied -the other; “nor am I so much disturbed at your unusual presence, as I -wonder at your prolonged absence.” But when he had accounted for the -tardiness of his appearance; “At length,” said he, “at length, having -overcome every impediment, I am present; which presence, if you please, -my friend, will be advantageous to you, but to me totally unprofitable; -for I am doomed, by a sentence which has been pronounced and approved, -to eternal punishment.” When the living man promised to give all his -property to monasteries, and to the poor, and to spend days and nights -in fasting and prayer, for the release of the defunct; he replied, -“What I have said is fixed; for the judgments of God, by which I am -plunged in the sulphureous whirlpool of hell, are without repentance. -There I shall be tossed for my crimes, as long as the pole whirls round -the stars, or ocean beats the shores. The rigour of this irreversible -sentence remains for ever, devising lasting and innumerable kinds of -punishment: now, therefore, let the whole world seek for availing -remedies! And that you may experience some little of my numberless -pains, behold,” said he, stretching out his hand, dripping with a -corrupted ulcer, “one of the very smallest of them; does it appear -trifling to you?” When the other replied, that it did appear so; he -bent his fingers into the palm, and threw three drops of the purulent -matter upon him; two of which touching his temples, and one his -forehead, penetrated the skin and flesh, as if with a burning cautery, -and made holes of the size of a nut. When his friend acknowledged the -acuteness of the pain, by the cry he uttered, “This,” said the dead -man, “will be a strong proof to you, as long as you live, of my pains; -and, unless you neglect it, a singular token for your salvation. -Wherefore, while you have the power; while indignation is suspended -over your head; while God’s lingering mercy waits for you; change -your habit, change your disposition; become a monk at Rennes, in the -monastery of St. Melanius.” When the living man was unwilling to agree -to these words, the other, sternly glancing at him, “If you doubt, -wretched man,” said he, “turn and read these letters;” and with these -words, he stretched out his hand, inscribed with black characters, -in which, Satan, and all the company of infernals sent their thanks, -from hell, to the whole ecclesiastical body; as well for denying -themselves no single pleasure, as for sending, through neglect of their -preaching, so many of their subject-souls to hell, as no former age had -ever witnessed. With these words the speaker vanished; and the hearer -distributing his whole property to the church and to the poor, went to -the monastery; admonishing all, who heard or saw him, of his sudden -conversion, and extraordinary interview, so that they exclaimed, “It -is the right hand of the Almighty that has done this.” - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1065.] NEGOTIATION OF WILLIAM I.] - -I feel no regret at having inserted this for the benefit of my readers: -now I shall return to William. For since I have briefly, but I hope not -uselessly, gone over the transactions in which he was engaged, when -only earl of Normandy, for thirty years, the order of time now requires -a new series of relation; that I may, as far as my inquiries have -discovered, detect fallacy, and declare the truth relating to his regal -government. - -When king Edward had yielded to fate, England, fluctuating with -doubtful favour, was uncertain to which ruler she should commit -herself: to Harold, William, or Edgar: for the king had recommended him -also to the nobility, as nearest to the sovereignty in point of birth; -concealing his better judgment from the tenderness of his disposition. -Wherefore, as I have said above, the English were distracted in their -choice, although all of them openly wished well to Harold. He, indeed, -once dignified with the diadem, thought nothing of the covenant between -himself and William: he said, that he was absolved from his oath, -because his daughter, to whom he had been betrothed, had died before -she was marriageable. For this man, though possessing numberless good -qualities, is reported to have been careless about abstaining from -perfidy, so that he could, by any device, elude the reasonings of men -on this matter. Moreover, supposing that the threats of William would -never be put into execution, because he was occupied in wars with -neighbouring princes, he had, with his subjects, given full indulgence -to security. For indeed, had he not heard that the king of Norway was -approaching, he would neither have condescended to collect troops, -nor to array them. William, in the meantime, began mildly to address -him by messengers; to expostulate on the broken covenant; to mingle -threats with entreaties; and to warn him, that ere a year expired, he -would claim his due by the sword, and that he would come to that place, -where Harold supposed he had firmer footing than himself. Harold again -rejoined what I have related, concerning the nuptials of his daughter, -and added, that he had been precipitate on the subject of the kingdom, -in having confirmed to him by oath another’s right, without the -universal consent and edict of the general meeting, and of the people: -again, that a rash oath ought to be broken; for if the oath, or vow, -which a maiden, under her father’s roof, made concerning her person, -without the knowledge of her parents, was adjudged invalid; how much -more invalid must that oath be, which he had made concerning the whole -kingdom, when under the king’s authority, compelled by the necessity -of the time, and without the knowledge of the nation.[298] Besides it -was an unjust request, to ask him to resign a government which he had -assumed by the universal kindness of his fellow subjects, and which -would neither be agreeable to the people, nor safe for the military. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1066.] PREPARATIONS FOR WAR.] - -In this way, confounded either by true, or plausible, arguments, the -messengers returned without success. The earl, however, made every -necessary preparation for war during the whole of that year; retained -his own soldiers with increased pay, and invited those of others: -ordered his ranks and battalions in such wise, that the soldiers -should be tall and stout; that the commanders and standard-bearers, -in addition to their military science, should be looked up to for -their wisdom and age; insomuch, that each of them, whether seen in -the field or elsewhere, might be taken for a prince, rather than a -leader. The bishops and abbats of those days vied so much in religion, -and the nobility in princely liberality, that it is wonderful,[299] -within a period of less than sixty[300] years, how either order should -have become so unfruitful in goodness, as to take up a confederate -war against justice: the former, through desire of ecclesiastical -promotion, embracing wrong in preference to right and equity; and the -latter, casting off shame, and seeking every occasion for begging -money as for their daily pay. But at that time the prudence of William, -seconded by the providence of God, already anticipated the invasion -of England; and that no rashness might stain his just cause, he sent -to the pope, formerly Anselm, bishop of Lucca, who had assumed the -name of Alexander, alleging the justice of the war which he meditated -with all the eloquence he was master of. Harold omitted to do this, -either because he was proud by nature, or else distrusted his cause; or -because he feared that his messengers would be obstructed by William -and his partisans, who beset every port. The pope, duly examining -the pretensions of both parties, delivered a standard to William, -as an auspicious presage of the kingdom: on receiving which, he -summoned an assembly of his nobles, at Lillebourne, for the purpose -of ascertaining their sentiments on this attempt. And when he had -confirmed, by splendid promises, all who approved his design, he -appointed them to prepare shipping, in proportion to the extent of -their possessions. Thus they departed at that time; and, in the month -of August, re-assembled in a body at St. Vallery,[301] for so that port -is called by its new name. Collecting, therefore, ships from every -quarter, they awaited the propitious gale which was to carry them to -their destination. When this delayed blowing for several days, the -common soldiers, as is generally the case, began to mutter in their -tents, “that the man must be mad, who wished to subjugate a foreign -country; that God opposed him, who withheld the wind; that his father -purposed a similar attempt, and was in like manner frustrated; that it -was the fate of that family to aspire to things beyond their reach, and -find God for their adversary.” In consequence of these things, which -were enough to enervate the force of the brave, being publicly noised -abroad, the duke held a council with his chiefs, and ordered the body -of St. Vallery to be brought forth, and to be exposed to the open air, -for the purpose of imploring a wind. No delay now interposed, but the -wished-for gale filled their sails. A joyful clamour then arising, -summoned every one to the ships. The earl himself first launching from -the continent into the deep, awaited the rest, at anchor, nearly in -mid-channel. All then assembled round the crimson sail of the admiral’s -ship; and, having first dined, they arrived, after a favourable -passage, at Hastings. As he disembarked he slipped down, but turned the -accident to his advantage; a soldier who stood near calling out to him, -“you hold England,[302] my lord, its future king.” He then restrained -his whole army from plundering; warning them, that they should now -abstain from what must hereafter be their own;[303] and for fifteen -successive days he remained so perfectly quiet, that he seemed to think -of nothing less than of war. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1066.] HAROLD’S SPIES TAKEN.] - -In the meantime Harold returned from the battle with the Norwegians; -happy, in his own estimation, at having conquered; but not so in -mine, as he had secured the victory by parricide. When the news of -the Norman’s arrival reached him, reeking as he was from battle, he -proceeded to Hastings, though accompanied by very few forces. No doubt -the fates urged him on, as he neither summoned his troops, nor, had -he been willing to do so, would he have found many ready to obey his -call; so hostile were all to him, as I have before observed, from his -having appropriated the northern spoils entirely to himself. He sent -out some persons, however, to reconnoitre the number and strength of -the enemy: these, being taken within the camp, William ordered to be -led amongst the tents, and, after feasting them plentifully, to be sent -back uninjured to their lord. On their return, Harold inquired what -news they brought: when, after relating at full, the noble confidence -of the general, they gravely added, that almost all his army had the -appearance of priests, as they had the whole face, with both lips, -shaven. For the English leave the upper lip unshorn, suffering the -hair continually to increase; which Julius Cæsar, in his treatise on -the Gallic War,[304] affirms to have been a national custom with the -ancient inhabitants of Britain. The king smiled at the simplicity of -the relators, observing, with a pleasant laugh, that they were not -priests, but soldiers, strong in arms, and invincible in spirit. His -brother, Girth, a youth, on the verge of manhood, and of knowledge and -valour surpassing his years, caught up his words: “Since,” said he, -“you extol so much the valour of the Norman, I think it ill-advised -for you, who are his inferior in strength and desert, to contend with -him. Nor can you deny being bound to him, by oath, either willingly, -or by compulsion. Wherefore you will act wisely, if, yourself -withdrawing from this pressing emergency, you allow us to try the -issue of a battle. We, who are free from all obligation, shall justly -draw the sword in defence of our country. It is to be apprehended, if -you engage, that you will be either subjected to flight or to death: -whereas, if we only fight, your cause will be safe at all events: for -you will be able both to rally the fugitives, and to avenge the dead.” - -His unbridled rashness yielded no placid ear to the words of his -adviser, thinking it base, and a reproach to his past life, to turn his -back on danger of any kind; and, with similar impudence, or to speak -more favourably, imprudence, he drove away a monk, the messenger of -William, not deigning him even a complacent look; imprecating only, -that God would decide between him and the earl. He was the bearer of -three propositions: either that Harold should relinquish the kingdom, -according to his agreement, or hold it of William; or decide the matter -by single combat in the sight of either army. For William[305] claimed -the kingdom, on the ground that king Edward, by the advice of Stigand, -the archbishop, and of the earls Godwin and Siward, had granted it -to him, and had sent the son and nephew of Godwin to Normandy, as -sureties of the grant. If Harold should deny this, he would abide by -the judgment of the pope, or by battle: on all which propositions, -the messenger being frustrated by the single answer I have related, -returned, and communicated to his party fresh spirit for the conflict. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1066.] BATTLE OF HASTINGS.] - -The courageous leaders mutually prepared for battle, each according -to his national custom. The English, as we have heard, passed the -night without sleep, in drinking and singing, and, in the morning, -proceeded without delay towards the enemy; all were on foot, armed with -battle-axes, and covering themselves in front by the junction of their -shields, they formed an impenetrable body, which would have secured -their safety that day, had not the Normans, by a feigned flight, -induced them to open their ranks, which till that time, according to -their custom, were closely compacted. The king himself on foot, stood, -with his brother, near the standard; in order that, while all shared -equal danger, none might think of retreating. This standard William -sent, after the victory, to the pope; it was sumptuously embroidered, -with gold and precious stones, in the form of a man fighting. - -On the other side, the Normans passed the whole night in confessing -their sins, and received the sacrament in the morning: their infantry, -with bows and arrows, formed the vanguard, while their cavalry, divided -into wings, were thrown back. The earl, with serene countenance, -declaring aloud, that God would favour his, as being the righteous -side, called for his arms; and presently, when, through the hurry of -his attendants, he had put on his hauberk the hind part before,[306] -he corrected the mistake with a laugh; saying, “My dukedom shall be -turned into a kingdom.” Then beginning the song of Roland,[307] that -the warlike example of that man might stimulate the soldiers, and -calling on God for assistance, the battle commenced on both sides. They -fought with ardour, neither giving ground, for great part of the day. -Finding this, William gave a signal to his party, that, by a feigned -flight, they should retreat. Through this device, the close body of -the English, opening for the purpose of cutting down the straggling -enemy, brought upon itself swift destruction; for the Normans, facing -about, attacked them thus disordered, and compelled them to fly. In -this manner, deceived by a stratagem, they met an honourable death -in avenging their country; nor indeed were they at all wanting to -their own revenge, as, by frequently making a stand, they slaughtered -their pursuers in heaps: for, getting possession of an eminence, they -drove down the Normans, when roused with indignation and anxiously -striving to gain the higher ground, into the valley beneath, where, -easily hurling their javelins and rolling down stones on them as -they stood below, they destroyed them to a man. Besides, by a short -passage, with which they were acquainted, avoiding a deep ditch, they -trod under foot such a multitude of their enemies in that place, that -they made the hollow level with the plain, by the heaps of carcasses. -This vicissitude of first one party conquering, and then the other, -prevailed as long as the life of Harold continued; but when he fell, -from having his brain pierced with an arrow, the flight of the English -ceased not until night. The valour of both leaders was here eminently -conspicuous. - -Harold, not merely content with the duty of a general in exhorting -others, diligently entered into every soldier-like office; often would -he strike the enemy when coming to close quarters, so that none could -approach him with impunity; for immediately the same blow levelled both -horse and rider. Wherefore, as I have related, receiving the fatal -arrow from a distance, he yielded to death. One of the soldiers with -a sword gashed his thigh, as he lay prostrate; for which shameful and -cowardly action, he was branded with ignominy by William, and dismissed -the service. - -William too was equally ready to encourage by his voice and by his -presence; to be the first to rush forward; to attack the thickest of -the foe. Thus everywhere raging, everywhere furious, he lost three -choice horses, which were that day pierced under him. The dauntless -spirit and vigour of the intrepid general, however, still persisted, -though often called back by the kind remonstrance of his body-guard; -he still persisted, I say, till approaching night crowned him with -complete victory. And no doubt, the hand of God so protected him, that -the enemy should draw no blood from his person, though they aimed so -many javelins at him. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1066.] CUSTOMS OF THE ENGLISH.] - -This was a fatal day to England, a melancholy havoc of our dear -country, through its change of masters. For it had long since adopted -the manners of the Angles, which had been very various according to the -times: for in the first years of their arrival, they were barbarians -in their look and manners, warlike in their usages, heathens in their -rites; but, after embracing the faith of Christ, by degrees, and in -process of time, from the peace they enjoyed, regarding arms only -in a secondary light, they gave their whole attention to religion. -I say nothing of the poor, the meanness of whose fortune often -restrains them from overstepping the bounds of justice: I omit men of -ecclesiastical rank, whom sometimes respect to their profession, and -sometimes the fear of shame, suffer not to deviate from the truth: I -speak of princes, who from the greatness of their power might have -full liberty to indulge in pleasure; some of whom, in their own -country, and others at Rome, changing their habit, obtained a heavenly -kingdom, and a saintly intercourse. Many during their whole lives in -outward appearance only embraced the present world, in order that they -might exhaust their treasures on the poor, or divide them amongst -monasteries. What shall I say of the multitudes of bishops, hermits, -and abbats? Does not the whole island blaze with such numerous relics -of its natives, that you can scarcely pass a village of any consequence -but you hear the name of some new saint, besides the numbers of whom -all notices have perished through the want of records? Nevertheless, in -process of time, the desire after literature and religion had decayed, -for several years before the arrival of the Normans. The clergy, -contented with a very slight degree of learning, could scarcely stammer -out the words of the sacraments; and a person who understood grammar, -was an object of wonder and astonishment. The monks mocked the rule -of their order by fine vestments, and the use of every kind of food. -The nobility, given up to luxury and wantonness, went not to church in -the morning after the manner of Christians, but merely, in a careless -manner, heard matins and masses from a hurrying priest in their -chambers, amid the blandishments of their wives. The commonalty, left -unprotected, became a prey to the most powerful, who amassed fortunes, -by either seizing on their property, or by selling their persons into -foreign countries; although it be an innate quality of this people, -to be more inclined to revelling, than to the accumulation of wealth. -There was one custom, repugnant to nature, which they adopted; namely, -to sell their female servants, when pregnant by them and after they -had satisfied their lust, either to public prostitution, or foreign -slavery. Drinking in parties was a universal practice, in which -occupation they passed entire nights as well as days. They consumed -their whole substance in mean and despicable houses; unlike the Normans -and French, who, in noble and splendid mansions, lived with frugality. -The vices attendant on drunkenness, which enervate the human mind, -followed; hence it arose that engaging William, more with rashness, -and precipitate fury, than military skill, they doomed themselves, -and their country to slavery, by one, and that an easy, victory. “For -nothing is less effective than rashness; and what begins with violence, -quickly ceases, or is repelled.” In fine, the English at that time, -wore short garments reaching to the mid-knee; they had their hair -cropped; their beards shaven; their arms laden with golden bracelets; -their skin adorned with punctured designs. They were accustomed to eat -till they became surfeited, and to drink till they were sick. These -latter qualities they imparted to their conquerors; as to the rest, -they adopted their manners. I would not, however, have these bad -propensities universally ascribed to the English. I know that many of -the clergy, at that day, trod the path of sanctity, by a blameless -life; I know that many of the laity, of all ranks and conditions, in -this nation, were well-pleasing to God. Be injustice far from this -account; the accusation does not involve the whole indiscriminately. -“But, as in peace, the mercy of God often cherishes the bad and the -good together; so, equally, does his severity, sometimes, include them -both in captivity.” - -Moreover, the Normans, that I may speak of them also, were at that -time, and are even now, proudly apparelled, delicate in their food, -but not excessive. They are a race inured to war, and can hardly live -without it; fierce in rushing against the enemy; and where strength -fails of success, ready to use stratagem, or to corrupt by bribery. As -I have related, they live in large edifices with economy; envy their -equals; wish to excel their superiors; and plunder their subjects, -though they defend them from others; they are faithful to their lords, -though a slight offence renders them perfidious. They weigh treachery -by its chance of success, and change their sentiments with money. -They are, however, the kindest of nations, and they esteem strangers -worthy of equal honour with themselves. They also intermarry with their -vassals. They revived, by their arrival, the observances of religion, -which were everywhere grown lifeless in England. You might see churches -rise in every village, and monasteries in the towns and cities, built -after a style unknown before; you might behold the country flourishing -with renovated rites; so that each wealthy man accounted that day lost -to him, which he had neglected to signalize by some magnificent action. -But having enlarged sufficiently on these points, let us pursue the -transactions of William. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1066.] WILLIAM’S CORONATION.] - -When his victory was complete, he caused his dead to be interred with -great pomp; granting the enemy the liberty of doing the like, if -they thought proper. He sent the body of Harold[308] to his mother, -who begged it, unransomed; though she proffered large sums by her -messengers. She buried it, when thus obtained, at Waltham; a church -which he had built at his own expense, in honour of the Holy Cross, -and had endowed for canons. William then, by degrees proceeding, -as became a conqueror, with his army, not after an hostile, but a -royal manner, journeyed towards London, the principal city of the -kingdom; and shortly after, all the citizens came out to meet him with -gratulations. Crowds poured out of every gate to greet him, instigated -by the nobility, and principally by Stigand, archbishop of Canterbury, -and Aldred, of York. For, shortly before, Edwin and Morcar, two -brothers of great expectation, hearing, at London, the news of Harold’s -death, solicited the citizens to exalt one of them to the throne: -failing, however, in the attempt, they had departed for Northumberland, -conjecturing, from their own feelings, that William would never come -thither. The other chiefs would have chosen Edgar, had the bishops -supported them; but, danger and domestic broils closely impending, -neither did this take effect. Thus the English, who, had they united in -one opinion, might have repaired the ruin of their country, introduced -a stranger, while they were unwilling to choose a native, to govern -them. Being now decidedly hailed king, he was crowned on Christmas-day -by archbishop Aldred; for he was careful not to accept this office from -Stigand, as he was not canonically an archbishop. - -Of the various wars which he carried on, this is a summary. Favoured by -God’s assistance, he easily reduced the city of Exeter,[309] when it -had rebelled; for part of the wall fell down accidentally, and made -an opening for him. Indeed he had attacked it with the more ferocity, -asserting that those irreverent men would be deserted by God’s favour, -because one of them, standing upon the wall, had bared his posteriors, -and had broken wind, in contempt of the Normans. He almost annihilated -the city of York, that sole remaining shelter for rebellion, and -destroyed its citizens with sword and famine. For there Malcolm, king -of the Scots, with his party; there Edgar, and Morcar, and Waltheof, -with the English and Danes, often brooded over the nest of tyranny; -there they frequently killed his generals; whose deaths, were I -severally to commemorate, perhaps I should not be superfluous, though I -might risk the peril of creating disgust; while I should be not easily -pardoned as an historian, if I were led astray by the falsities of my -authorities. - -Malcolm willingly received all the English fugitives, affording to each -every protection in his power, but more especially to Edgar, whose -sister he had married, out of regard to her noble descent. On his -behalf he burnt and plundered the adjacent provinces of England; not -that he supposed, by so doing, he could be of any service to him, with -respect to the kingdom; but merely to distress the mind of William, who -was incensed at his territories being subject to Scottish incursions. -In consequence, William, collecting a body of foot and horse, repaired -to the northern parts of the island, and first of all received into -subjection the metropolitan city, which English, Danes, and Scots -obstinately defended; its citizens being wasted with continued want. -He destroyed also in a great and severe battle, a considerable number -of the enemy, who had come to the succour of the besieged; though the -victory was not bloodless on his side, as he lost many of his people. -He then ordered both the towns and fields of the whole district to -be laid waste; the fruits and grain to be destroyed by fire or by -water, more especially on the coast, as well on account of his recent -displeasure, as because a rumour had gone abroad, that Canute, king of -Denmark, the son of Sweyn, was approaching with his forces. The reason -of such a command, was, that the plundering pirate should find no booty -on the coast to take with him, if he designed to depart again directly; -or should be compelled to provide against want, if he thought proper -to stay. Thus the resources of a province,[310] once flourishing, and -the nurse of tyrants, were cut off by fire, slaughter, and devastation; -the ground, for more than sixty miles, totally uncultivated and -unproductive, remains bare to the present day. Should any stranger -now see it, he laments over the once-magnificent cities; the towers -threatening heaven itself with their loftiness; the fields abundant -in pasturage, and watered with rivers: and, if any ancient inhabitant -remains, he knows it no longer. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1068.] SURRENDER OF MALCOLM.] - -Malcolm surrendered himself, without coming to an engagement, and for -the whole of William’s time passed his life under treaties, uncertain, -and frequently broken. But when in the reign of William, the son of -William, he was attacked in a similar manner, he diverted the king from -pursuing him by a false oath. He was slain soon after, together with -his son, by Robert Mowbray, earl of Northumberland, while, regardless -of his faith, he was devastating the province with more than usual -insolence. For many years, he lay buried at Tynemouth: lately he was -conveyed by Alexander his son, to Dunfermlin, in Scotland. - -Edgar, having submitted to the king with Stigand and Aldred the -archbishops, violated his oath the following year, by going over to -the Scot: but after living there some years, and acquiring no present -advantage, no future prospects, but merely his daily sustenance, -being willing to try the liberality of the Norman, who was at that -time beyond the sea, he sailed over to him. They say this was -extremely agreeable to the king, that England should be thus rid of -a fomenter of dissension. Indeed it was his constant practice, under -colour of high honour, to carry over to Normandy all the English he -suspected, lest any disorders should arise in the kingdom during his -absence. Edgar, therefore, was well received, and presented with a -considerable largess: and remaining at court for many years, silently -sunk into contempt through his indolence, or more mildly speaking, -his simplicity. For how great must his simplicity be, who would yield -up to the king, for a single horse, the pound of silver, which he -received as his daily stipend? In succeeding times he went to Jerusalem -with Robert, the son of Godwin,[311] a most valiant knight. This was -the time when the Turks besieged king Baldwin, at Rama; who, unable -to endure the difficulties of a siege, rushed through the midst of -the enemy, by the assistance of Robert alone, who preceded him, and -hewed down the Turks, on either hand, with his drawn sword; but, while -excited to greater ferocity by his success, he was pressing on with -too much eagerness, his sword dropped from his hand, and when stooping -down to recover it, he was surrounded by a multitude, and cast into -chains. Taken thence to Babylon, as they report, when he refused to -deny Christ, he was placed as a mark in the middle of the market-place, -and being transfixed with darts, died a martyr. Edgar, having lost -his companion, returned, and received many gifts from the Greek and -German emperors; who, from respect to his noble descent, would also -have endeavoured to retain him with them; but he gave up every thing, -through regard to his native soil. “For, truly, the love of their -country deceives some men to such a degree, that nothing seems pleasant -to them, unless they can breathe their native air.” Edgar, therefore, -deluded by this silly desire, returned to England; where, as I have -before said, after various revolutions of fortune, he now grows old in -the country in privacy and quiet. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1103.] OF EDWIN AND MORCAR.] - -Edwin and Morcar were brothers; the sons of Elfgar, the son of Leofric. -They had received charge of the county of Northumberland, and jointly -preserved it in tranquillity. For, as I have before observed, a few -days previous to the death of St. Edward the king, the inhabitants of -the north had risen in rebellion and expelled Tosty, their governor; -and, with Harold’s approbation, had requested, and received, one of -these brothers, as their lord. These circumstances, as we have heard -from persons acquainted with the affair, took place against the -inclination of the king, who was attached to Tosty; but being languid -through disease, and worn down with age, he become so universally -disregarded, that he could not assist his favourite. In consequence, -his bodily ailments increasing from the anxiety of his mind, he died -shortly after. Harold persisted in his resolution of banishing his -brother: wherefore, first tarnishing the triumphs of his family by -piratical excursions, he was, as I have above written, afterwards -killed with the king of Norway. His body being known by a wart between -the shoulders, obtained burial at York. Edwin and Morcar, by Harold’s -command, then conveyed the spoils of war to London, for he himself was -proceeding rapidly to the battle of Hastings; where, falsely presaging, -he looked upon the victory as already gained. But, when he was there -killed, the brothers, flying to the territories they possessed, -disturbed the peace of William for several years; infesting the woods -with secret robberies, and never coming to close or open engagement. -Often were they taken captive, and as often surrendered themselves, -but were again dismissed with impunity, from pity to their youthful -elegance, or respect to their nobility. At last, murdered, neither by -the force nor craft of their enemies, but by the treachery of their -partisans, their fate drew tears from the king, who would even long -since have granted them matches with his relations, and the honour of -his friendship, would they have acceded to terms of peace. - -Waltheof, an earl of high descent, had become extremely intimate with -the new king, who had forgotten his former offences, and attributed -them rather to courage, than to disloyalty. For Waltheof, singly, had -killed many of the Normans in the battle of York; cutting off their -heads, one by one, as they entered the gate. He was muscular in the -arms, brawny in the chest, tall and robust in his whole person; the son -of Siward, a most celebrated earl, whom, by a Danish term, they called -“Digera,” which implies Strong. But after the fall of his party, he -voluntarily surrendered himself, and was honoured by a marriage with -Judith, the king’s niece, as well as with his personal friendship. -Unable however to restrain his evil inclinations, he could not preserve -his fidelity. For all his countrymen, who had thought proper to resist, -being either slain, or subdued, he became a party even in the perfidy -of Ralph de Waher; but the conspiracy being detected,[312] he was -taken; kept in chains for some time, and at last, being beheaded, was -buried at Croyland: though some assert, that he joined the league of -treachery, more through circumvention than inclination. This is the -excuse the English make for him, and those, of the greater credit, -for the Normans affirm the contrary, to whose decision the Divinity -itself appears to assent, showing many and very great miracles at his -tomb: for they declare, that during his captivity, he wiped away his -transgressions by his daily penitence. - -On this account perhaps the conduct of the king may reasonably be -excused, if he was at any time rather severe against the English; -for he scarcely found any one of them faithful. This circumstance so -exasperated his ferocious mind, that he deprived the more powerful, -first of their wealth, next of their estates, and finally, some of -them of their lives. Moreover, he followed the device of Cæsar, who -drove out the Germans, concealed in the vast forest of Ardennes, -whence they harassed his army with perpetual irruptions, not by means -of his own countrymen, but by the confederate Gauls; that, while -strangers destroyed each other, he might gain a bloodless victory. -Thus, I say, William acted towards the English. For, allowing the -Normans to be unemployed, he opposed an English army, and an English -commander, to those, who, after the first unsuccessful battle, had -fled to Denmark and Ireland, and had returned at the end of three -years with considerable force: foreseeing that whichever side might -conquer, it must be a great advantage to himself. Nor did this device -fail him; for both parties of the English, after some conflicts -between themselves, without any exertion on his part, left a victory -for the king; the invaders being driven to Ireland, and the royalists -purchasing the empty title of conquest, at their own special loss, and -that of their general. His name was Ednoth,[313] equally celebrated, -before the arrival of the Normans, both at home and abroad. He was the -father of Harding, who yet survives: a man more accustomed to kindle -strife by his malignant tongue, than to brandish arms in the field -of battle. Thus having overturned the power of the laity, he made -an ordinance, that no monk, or clergyman, of that nation, should be -suffered to aspire to any dignity whatever; excessively differing from -the gentleness of Canute the former king, who restored their honours, -unimpaired, to the conquered: whence it came to pass, that at his -decease, the natives easily expelled the foreigners, and reclaimed -their original right. But William, from certain causes, canonically -deposed some persons, and in the place of such as might die, appointed -diligent men of any nation, except English. Unless I am deceived, their -inveterate frowardness towards the king, required such a measure; -since, as I have said before, the Normans are by nature kindly disposed -to strangers who live amongst them. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1074.] RALPH DE WALER.] - -Ralph, whom I mentioned before, was, by the king’s gift, earl -of Norfolk and Suffolk; a Breton on his father’s side; of a -disposition foreign to every thing good. This man, in consequence -of being betrothed to the king’s relation, the daughter of William -Fitz-Osberne, conceived a most unjust design, and meditated attack on -the sovereignty. Wherefore, on the very day of his nuptials, whilst -splendidly banqueting, for the luxury of the English had now been -adopted by the Normans, and when the guests had become intoxicated and -heated with wine, he disclosed his intention in a copious harangue. As -their reason was entirely clouded by drunkenness, they loudly applauded -the orator. Here Roger earl of Hereford, brother to the wife of Ralph, -and here Waltheof, together with many others, conspired the death of -the king. Next day, however, when the fumes of the wine had evaporated, -and cooler thoughts influenced the minds of some of the party, the -larger portion, repenting of their conduct, retired from the meeting. -Among these is said to have been Waltheof, who, at the recommendation -of archbishop Lanfranc, sailing to Normandy, related the matter to -the king; concealing merely his own share of the business. The earls, -however, persisted in their design, and each incited his dependents -to rebel. But God opposed them, and brought all their machinations to -nought. For immediately the king’s officers, who were left in charge, -on discovering the affair, reduced Ralph to such distress, that seizing -a vessel at Norwich, he committed himself to the sea. His wife, -covenanting for personal safety, and delivering up the castle, followed -her husband. Roger being thrown into chains by the king, visited, or -rather inhabited, a prison, during the remainder of his life; a young -man of abominable treachery, and by no means imitating his father’s -conduct. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1074.] WILLIAM FITZ-OSBERNE.] - -His father, indeed, William Fitz-Osberne,[314] might have been -compared, nay, I know not if he might not even have been preferred, to -the very best princes. By his advice, William had first been inspirited -to invade, and next, assisted by his valour, to keep possession of -England. The energy of his mind was seconded by the almost boundless -liberality of his hand. Hence it arose, that by the multitude of -soldiers, to whom he gave extravagant pay, he repelled the rapacity of -the enemy, and ensured the favour of the people. In consequence, by -this boundless profusion, he incurred the king’s severe displeasure; -because he had improvidently exhausted his treasures. The regulations -which he established in his county of Hereford, remain in full force -at the present day; that is to say, that no knight[315] should be -fined more than seven shillings for whatever offence: whereas, in -other provinces, for a very small fault in transgressing the commands -of their lord, they pay twenty or twenty-five. Fortune, however, -closed these happy successes by a dishonourable termination, when the -supporter of so great a government, the counsellor of England and -Normandy, went into Flanders, through fond regard for a woman, and -there died by the hands of his enemies. For the elder Baldwin, of whom -I have before spoken, the father of Matilda, had two sons; Robert, who -marrying the countess of Frisia, while his father yet lived, took the -surname of Friso: Baldwin, who, after his father, presided some years -over Flanders, and died prematurely. His two children by his wife -Richelda surviving he had entrusted the guardianship of them to Philip -king of France, whose aunt was his mother, and to William Fitz-Osberne. -William readily undertook this office, that he might increase his -dignity by an union with Richelda. But she, through female pride, -aspiring to things beyond her sex, and exacting fresh tributes from the -people, excited them to rebellion. Wherefore despatching a messenger to -Robert Friso, they entreat him to accept the government of the country; -and abjure all fidelity to Arnulph, who was already called earl. Nor -indeed were there wanting persons to espouse the party of the minor: so -that for a long time, Flanders was disturbed by intestine commotion. -This, Fitz-Osberne, who was desperately in love with the lady, could -not endure, but entered Flanders with a body of troops; and, being -immediately well received by the persons he came to defend, after some -days, he rode securely from castle to castle, in a hasty manner with -few attendants. On the other hand, Friso, who was acquainted with this -piece of folly, entrapped him unawares by a secret ambush, and killed -him, fighting bravely but to no purpose, together with his nephew -Arnulph. - -Thus possessed of Flanders, he often irritated king William, by -plundering Normandy. His daughter married Canute king of the Danes, -of whom was born Charles,[316] who now rules in Flanders. He made -peace with king Philip, giving him his daughter-in-law in marriage, -by whom he had Lewis, who at present reigns in France; but not long -after, being heartily tired of the match, because his queen was -extremely corpulent, he removed her from his bed, and in defiance of -law and equity, married the wife of the earl of Anjou. Robert, safe -by his affinity with these princes, encountered nothing to distress -him during his government; though Baldwin, the brother of Arnulph, -who had an earldom in the province of Hainault and in the castle of -Valenciennes, by William’s assistance made many attempts for that -purpose. Three years before his death, when he was now hoary-headed, -he went to Jerusalem, for the mitigation of his transgressions. After -his return he renounced the world, calmly awaiting his dissolution with -Christian earnestness. His son was that Robert so universally famed in -the expedition into Asia, which, in our times, Europe undertook against -the Turks; but through some mischance, after his return home, he -tarnished that noble exploit, being mortally wounded in a tournament, -as they call it. Nor did a happier fate attend his son Baldwin, who, -voluntarily harassing the forces of Henry king of England, in Normandy, -paid dearly for his youthful temerity: for, being struck on the head -with a pole, and deceived by the professions of several physicians, he -lost his life; the principality devolving on Charles, of whom we have -spoken before. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1073.] DEFEAT OF THE DANES.] - -Now, king William conducting himself with mildness towards the obedient -but with severity to the rebellious, possessed the whole of England -in tranquillity, holding all the Welsh tributary to him. At this time -too, beyond sea, being never unemployed, he nearly annihilated the -county of Maine, leading thither an expedition composed of English; -who, though they had been easily conquered in their own, yet always -appeared invincible in a foreign country. He lost multitudes of his men -at Dol,[317] a town of Brittany, whither, irritated by some broil, he -had led a military force. He constantly found Philip king of France, -the daughter of whose aunt he had married, unfaithful to him; because -he was envious of the great glory of a man who was vassal both to his -father and to himself. But William did not the less actively resist his -attempts, although his first-born son Robert, through evil counsel, -assisted him in opposition to his father. Whence it happened, that -in an attack at Gerborai, the son became personally engaged with -his father; wounded him and killed his horse: William, the second -son, departed with a hurt also, and many of the king’s party were -slain. In all other respects, during the whole of his life, he was -so fortunate, that foreign and distant nations feared nothing more -than his name. He had subdued the inhabitants so completely to his -will, that without any opposition, he first caused an account to be -taken of every person; compiled a register of the rent of every estate -throughout England;[318] and made all free men, of every description, -take the oath of fidelity to him. Canute, king of the Danes, who was -most highly elevated both by his affinity to Robert Friso and by -his own power, alone menaced his dignity; a rumour being generally -prevalent, that he would invade England, a country due to him from his -relationship to the ancient Canute: and indeed he would have effected -it, had not God counteracted his boldness by an unfavourable wind. But -this circumstance reminds me briefly to trace the genealogy of the -Danish kings, who succeeded after our Canute; adding at the same time, -somewhat concerning the Norwegians. - -As it has been before observed, Harold succeeded in England; -Hardecanute, and his sons, in Denmark: for Magnus the son of Olave, -whom I have mentioned in the history of our Canute, as having been -killed by his subjects, had recovered Norway, which Canute had subdued. -Harold dying in England, Hardecanute held both kingdoms for a short -time. On his decease, Edward the Simple succeeded, who, satisfied with -his paternal kingdom, despised his foreign dominions as burdensome and -barbarous. One Sweyn, doubtlessly a most exalted character, was then -made king of the Danes.[319] When his government had prospered for -several years, Magnus, king of the Norwegians, with the consent of some -of the Danes, expelled him by force, and subjected the land to his own -will. Sweyn, thus expelled, went to the king of Sweden, and collecting, -by his assistance, Swedes, Vandals, and Goths, he returned, to regain -the kingdom: but, through the exertions of the Danes, who were attached -to the government of Magnus, he experienced a repetition of his -former ill-fortune. This was a great and memorable battle among those -barbarous people: on no other occasion did the Danes ever experience -severer conflict, or happier success. Indeed, to this very time, they -keep unbroken the vow, by which they had bound themselves, before the -contest, that they would consecrate to future ages the vigil of St. -Lawrence, for on that day the battle was fought, by fasting and alms; -and then also Sweyn fled, but soon after, on the death of Magnus, he -received his kingdom entire. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1069.] DENMARK AND NORWAY.] - -To Magnus, in Norway, succeeded one Sweyn, surnamed Hardhand; not -elevated by royal descent, but by boldness and cunning: to him Olave, -the uncle of Magnus, whom they call a saint; to Olave, Harold Harvagre, -the brother of Olave, who had formerly, when a young man, served -under the emperor of Constantinople. Being, at his command, exposed -to a lion, for having debauched a woman of quality, he strangled the -huge beast by the bare vigour of his arms. He was slain in England by -Harold, the son of Godwin. His sons, Olave and Magnus, divided the -kingdom of their father; but Magnus dying prematurely, Olave seized -the whole. To him succeeded his son Magnus, who was lately miserably -slain in Ireland, on which he had rashly made a descent. They relate, -that Magnus, the elder son of Harold, was, after the death of his -father, compassionately sent home by Harold, king of England; and that -in return for this kindness, he humanely treated Harold, the son of -Harold, when he came to him after William’s victory: that he took him -with him, in an expedition he made to England, in the time of William -the younger, when he conquered the Orkney and Mevanian Isles,[320] -and meeting with Hugo, earl of Chester, and Hugo, earl of Shrewsbury, -put the first to flight, and the second to death. The sons of the -last Magnus, Hasten and Siward, yet reign conjointly, having divided -the empire: the latter, a seemly and spirited youth, shortly since -went to Jerusalem, passing through England, and performed many famous -exploits against the Saracens; more especially in the siege of Sidon, -whose inhabitants raged furiously against the Christians through their -connection with the Turks. - -But Sweyn, as I have related, on his restoration to the sovereignty -of the Danes, being impatient of quiet, sent his son Canute twice -into England; first with three hundred, and then with two hundred, -ships. His associate in the former expedition was Osbern, the brother -of Sweyn; in the latter, Hacco: but, being each of them bribed, they -frustrated the young man’s designs, and returned home without effecting -their purpose. In consequence, becoming highly disgraced by king -Sweyn for bartering their fidelity for money, they were driven into -banishment. Sweyn, when near his end, bound all the inhabitants by -oath, that, as he had fourteen sons, they should confer the kingdom -on each of them in succession, as long as his issue remained. On his -decease, his son Harold succeeded for three years: to him Canute, whom -his father had formerly sent into England. Remembering his original -failure, he prepared, as we have heard, more than a thousand vessels -against England: his father-in-law, Robert Friso, the possessor of -six hundred more, supporting him. But being detained, for almost -two years, by the adverseness of the wind, he changed his design, -affirming, that it must be by the determination of God, that he -could not put to sea: but afterwards, misled by the suggestions of -some persons, who attributed the failure of their passage to the -conjurations of certain old women, he sentenced the chiefs, whose -wives were accused of this transgression, to an intolerable fine; -cast his brother, Olave, the principal of the suspected faction into -chains, and sent him into exile to his father-in-law. The barbarians, -in consequence, resenting this attack upon their liberty, killed him -while in church, clinging to the altar, and promising reparation. -They say that many miracles were shown from heaven at that place; -because he was a man strictly observant of fasting and almsgiving, -and pursued the transgressors of the divine laws more rigorously than -those who offended against himself; from which circumstance, he was -consecrated a martyr by the pope of Rome. After him, the murderers, -that they might atone for their crime by some degree of good, redeemed -Olave from captivity, for ten thousand marks. After ignobly reigning -during eight years, he left the government to his brother Henry: -who living virtuously for twenty-nine years, went to Jerusalem, and -breathed his last at sea. Nicholas, the fifth in the sovereignty, still -survives.[321] - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1085.] ROBERT GUISCARD.] - -The king of Denmark then, as I have said, was the only obstacle to -William’s uninterrupted enjoyment: on whose account he enlisted such an -immense multitude of stipendiary soldiers out of every province on this -side the mountains, that their numbers oppressed the kingdom. But he, -with his usual magnanimity, not regarding the expense, had engaged even -Hugo the Great, brother to the king of France, with his bands to serve -in his army. He was accustomed to stimulate and incite his own valour, -by the remembrance of Robert Guiscard; saying it was disgraceful to -yield, in courage, to him whom he surpassed in rank. For Robert, born -of middling parentage in Normandy, that is, neither very low nor very -high, had gone, a few years before William’s arrival in England, with -fifteen knights, into Apulia, to remedy the narrowness of his own -circumstances, by entering into the service of that inactive race -of people. Not many years elapsed, ere, by the stupendous assistance -of God, he reduced the whole country under his power. For where his -strength failed, his ingenuity was alert: first receiving the towns, -and after, the cities into confederacy with him. Thus he became so -successful, as to make himself duke of Apulia and Calabria; his brother -Richard, prince of Capua; and his other brother, Roger, earl of Sicily. -At last, giving Apulia to his son Roger, he crossed the Adriatic with -his other son Boamund, and taking Durazzo, was immediately proceeding -against Alexius, emperor of Constantinople, when a messenger from -pope Hildebrand stopped him in the heat of his career. For Henry, -emperor of Germany, son of that Henry we have before mentioned, being -incensed against the pope, for having excommunicated him on account of -the ecclesiastical investitures, led an army against Rome; besieged -it; expelled Hildebrand, and introduced Guibert of Ravenna. Guiscard -learning this by the letter of the expelled pope, left his son Boamund, -with the army, to follow up his designs, and returned to Apulia; where -quickly getting together a body of Apulians and Normans, he proceeded -to Rome. Nor did Henry wait for a messenger to announce his approach; -but, affrighted at the bare report, fled with his pretended pope. Rome, -freed from intruders, received its lawful sovereign; but soon after -again lost him by similar violence. Then too, Alexius, learning that -Robert was called home by the urgency of his affairs, and hoping to -put a finishing hand to the war, rushed against Boamund, who commanded -the troops which had been left. The Norman youth, however, observant -of his native spirit, though far inferior in number, turned to flight, -by dint of military skill, the undisciplined Greeks and the other -collected nations. At the same time, too, the Venetians, a people -habituated to the sea, attacking Guiscard, who having settled the -object of his voyage was now sailing back, met with a similar calamity: -part were drowned or killed, the rest put to flight. He, continuing his -intended expedition, induced many cities, subject to Alexius, to second -his views. The emperor took off, by crime, the man he was unable to -subdue by arms: falsely promising his wife an imperial match. By her -artifices, he drank poison,[322] which she had prepared, and died; -deserving, had God so pleased, a nobler death: for he was unconquerable -by the sword of an enemy, but fell a victim to domestic treachery. He -was buried at Venusium in Apulia, having the following epitaph: - - Here Guiscard lies, the terror of the world, - Who from the Capitol Rome’s sovereign hurl’d. - No band collected could Alexis free, - Flight only; Venice, neither flight nor sea. - -And since mention has been made of Hildebrand, I shall relate some -anecdotes of him, which I have not heard trivially, but from the sober -relation of a person who would swear that he had learned them from the -mouth of Hugo abbat of Clugny; whom I admire and commend to notice, -from the consideration, that he used to declare the secret thoughts of -others by the prophetic intuition of his mind. Pope Alexander, seeing -the energetic bent of his disposition, had made him chancellor[323] of -the holy see. In consequence, by virtue of his office, he used to go -through the provinces to correct abuses. All ranks of people flocked -to him, requiring judgment on various affairs; all secular power was -subject to him, as well out of regard to his sanctity as his office. -Whence it happened, one day, when there was a greater concourse on -horseback than usual, that the abbat aforesaid, with his monks, was -gently proceeding in the last rank; and beholding at a distance the -distinguished honour of this man, that so many earthly rulers awaited -his nod, he was revolving in his mind sentiments to the following -effect: “By what dispensation of God was this fellow, of diminutive -stature and obscure parentage, surrounded by a retinue of so many -rich men? Doubtless, from having such a crowd of attendants, he was -vain-glorious, and conceived loftier notions than were becoming.” -Scarcely, as I have said, had he imagined this in his heart, when the -archdeacon, turning back his horse, and spurring him, cried out from -a distance, beckoning the abbat, “You,” said he, “you have imagined -falsely, wrongly deeming me guilty of a thing of which I am innocent -altogether; for I neither impute this as glory to myself, if glory -that can be called which vanishes quickly, nor do I wish it to be so -imputed by others, but to the blessed apostles, to whose servant it is -exhibited.” Reddening with shame, and not daring to deny a tittle, he -replied only, “My lord, I pray thee, how couldst thou know the secret -thought of my heart which I have communicated to no one?” “All that -inward sentiment of yours,” said he, “was brought from your mouth to my -ears, as though by a pipe.” - -Again, entering a country church, in the same province, they prostrated -themselves before the altar, side by side. When they had continued -their supplications for a long period, the archdeacon looked on the -abbat with an angry countenance. After they had prayed some time -longer, he went out, and asking the reason of his displeasure, received -this answer, “If you love me, do not again attack me with an injury of -this kind; my Lord Jesus Christ, beautiful beyond the sons of men, was -visibly present to my entreaties, listening to what I said and kindly -looking assent; but, attracted by the earnestness of your prayer, -he left me and turned to you. I think you will not deny it to be a -species of injury to take from a friend the author of his salvation. -Moreover, you are to know that mortality of mankind and destruction -hang over this place; and the token by which I formed such a conclusion -was my seeing the angel of the Lord standing upon the altar with a -naked sword, and waving it to and fro: I possess a more manifest proof -of the impending ruin, from the thick, cloudy air which, as you see, -already envelopes that province. Let us make haste to escape, then, -lest we perish with the rest.” Having said this, they entered an inn -for refreshment; but, as soon as food was placed before them, the -lamentations of the household took away their famished appetites: for -first one, and then another, and presently many of the family suddenly -lost their lives by some unseen disaster. The contagion then spreading -to the adjoining houses, they mounted their mules, and departed, fear -adding wings to their flight. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1085.] OF POPE GREGORY VII.] - -Hildebrand had presided for the pope at a council in Gaul, where many -bishops being degraded, for having formerly acquired their churches by -simony, gave place to better men. There was one, to whom a suspicion -of this apostacy attached, but he could neither be convicted by any -witnesses, nor confuted by any argument. When it was supposed he -must be completely foiled, still like the slippery snake he eluded -detection; so skilled was he in speaking, that he baffled all. Then -said the archdeacon, “Let the oracle of God be resorted to, let man’s -eloquence cease; we know for certain that episcopal grace is the gift -of the Holy Spirit, and that whosoever purchases a bishopric, supposes -the gift of the Holy Ghost may be procured by money. Before you then, -who are assembled by the will of the Holy Ghost, let him say, ‘Glory be -to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost,’ and if he shall -speak it articulately, and without hesitation, it will be manifest to -me that he has obtained his office, not by purchase, but legally.” -He willingly accepted the condition, supposing nothing less than any -difficulty in these words; and indeed he perfectly uttered, “Glory be -to the Father, and to the Son,” but he hesitated at the “Holy Ghost.” -A clamour arose on all sides, but he was never able, by any exertion, -either at that time or for the remainder of his life, to name the Holy -Spirit. The abbat so often mentioned was a witness of this miracle; -who taking the deprived bishop with him into different places, often -laughed at the issue of the experiment. Any person doubting the -certainty of this relation, must be confuted by all Europe, which is -aware that the numbers of the Clugniac order were increased by this -abbat. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1085.] DESIDERIUS--VICTOR--ODO.] - -On the death of Alexander, therefore, Hildebrand, called Gregory the -Seventh, succeeded.[324] He openly asserted what others had whispered, -excommunicating those persons who, having been elected, should receive -the investiture[325] of their churches, by the ring and staff, through -the hands of the laity. On this account Henry, emperor of Germany, -being incensed that he should so far presume without his concurrence, -expelled him from Rome, as I observed, after the expiration of eleven -years, and brought in Guibert. Not long after, the pope, being seized -with that fatal disease which he had no doubt would be mortal, was -requested by the cardinals to appoint his successor; referring him -to the example of St. Peter, who, in the church’s earliest infancy, -had, while yet living, nominated Clement. He refused to follow this -example, because it had anciently been forbidden by councils: he would -advise, however, that if they wished a person powerful in worldly -matters, they should choose Desiderius, abbat of Cassino, who would -quell the violence of Guibert successfully and opportunely by a -military force; but if they wanted a religious and eloquent man, they -should elect Odo bishop of Ostia. Thus died a man, highly acceptable -to God, though perhaps rather too austere towards men. Indeed it is -affirmed, that in the beginning of the first commotion between him -and the emperor, he would not admit him within his doors, though -barefooted, and carrying shears[326] and scourges, despising a man -guilty of sacrilege, and of incest with his own sister. The emperor, -thus excluded, departed, vowing that this repulse should be the death -of many a man. And immediately doing all the injury he was able to the -Roman see, he excited thereby the favourers of the pope, on every side, -to throw off their allegiance to himself; for one Rodulph, revolting at -the command of the pope, who had sent him a crown in the name of the -apostles, he was immersed on all sides in the tumult of war. But Henry, -ever superior to ill fortune, at length subdued him and all others -faithlessly rebelling. At last, driven from his power, not by a foreign -attack, but the domestic hatred of his son, he died miserably. To -Hildebrand succeeded Desiderius, called Victor, who at his first mass -fell down dead, though from what mischance is unknown; the cup, if it -be possible to credit such a thing, being poisoned. The election then -fell upon Odo, a Frenchman by birth, first archdeacon of Rheims, then -prior of Clugny, afterwards bishop of Ostia, lastly pope by the name of -Urban. - -Thus far I shall be pardoned, for having digressed, as from the mention -of William’s transactions, some things occurred which I thought it -improper to omit: now, the reader, who is so inclined, shall learn -the more common habits of his life, and his domestic manners. Above -all then, he was humble to the servants of God; affable to the -obedient; inexorable to the rebellious. He attended the offices of -the Christian religion, as much as a secular was able; so that he -daily was present at mass, and heard vespers and matins. He built -one monastery in England, and another in Normandy; that at Caen[327] -first, which he dedicated to St. Stephen, and endowed with suitable -estates, and most magnificent presents. There he appointed Lanfranc, -afterwards archbishop of Canterbury, abbat: a man worthy to be compared -to the ancients, in knowledge, and in religion: of whom it may be -truly said, “Cato the third is descended from heaven;” so much had an -heavenly savour tinctured his heart and tongue; so much was the whole -Western world excited to the knowledge of the liberal arts, by his -learning; and so earnestly did the monastic profession labour in the -work of religion, either from his example, or authority. No sinister -means profited a bishop in those days; nor could an abbat procure -advancement by purchase. He who had the best report for undeviating -sanctity, was most honoured, and most esteemed both by the king and -by the archbishop. William built another monastery near Hastings, -dedicated to St. Martin, which was also called Battle, because there -the principal church stands on the very spot, where, as they report, -Harold was found in the thickest heaps of the slain. When little more -than a boy, yet gifted with the wisdom of age, he removed his uncle -Malger, from the archbishopric of Rouen. He was a man not ordinarily -learned, but, through his high rank, forgetful of his profession, -he gave too much attention to hunting and hawking; and consumed the -treasures of the church in riotous living. The fame of this getting -abroad, he never, during his whole life-time, obtained the pall, -because the holy see refused the distinction of that honour, to a man -who neglected his sacred office. Wherefore being frequently cited, his -nephew reprehending his offences, and still conducting himself in the -same manner, he was, from the urgency of the case, ultimately degraded. -Some report that there was a secret reason for his being deprived: that -Matilda, whom William had married, was very nearly related to him: -that Malger, in consequence, through zeal for the Christian faith, -could not endure that they should riot in the bed of consanguinity; -and that he hurled the weapon of excommunication against his nephew, -and his consort: that, when the anger of the young man was roused by -the complaints of his wife, an occasion was sought out, through which -the persecutor of their crime might be driven from his see: but that -afterwards, in riper years, for the expiation of their offence, he -built the monastery to St. Stephen at Caen; and she also one, in the -same town, to the Holy Trinity;[328] each of them choosing the inmates -according to their own sex. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1085.] MAURILIUS RETURNS FROM THE DEAD.] - -To Malger succeeded Maurilius of Feschamp; a monk commendable for -many virtues, but principally for his abstinence. After a holy and -well-spent life, when he came, by the call of God, to his end, bereft -of vital breath, he lay, as it were, dead for almost half a day. -Nevertheless, when preparation was made to carry him into the church, -recovering his breath, he bathed the by-standers in tears of joy, and -comforted them, when lost in amazement, with this address: “Let your -minds be attentive while you hear the last words of your pastor. I have -died a natural death, but I am come back, to relate to you what I have -seen; yet shall I not continue with you long, because it delights me to -sleep in the Lord. The conductors of my spirit were adorned with every -elegance both of countenance and attire; the gentleness of their speech -accorded with the splendour of their garments; so much so, that I -could wish for nothing more than the attentions of such men. Delighted -therefore with their soothing approbation, I went, as it appeared to -me, towards the east. A seat in paradise was promised me, which I was -shortly to enter. In a moment, passing over Europe and entering Asia, -we came to Jerusalem; where, having worshipped the saints, we proceeded -to Jordan. The residents on the hither bank joining company with my -conductors, made a joyful party. I was now hastening to pass over -the river, through longing desire to see what was beyond it, when my -companions informed me, that God had commanded, that I must first be -terrified by the sight of the demons; in order that the venial sins, -which I had not wiped out by confession, might be expiated, by the -dread of terrific forms. As soon as this was said, there came opposite -to me, such a multitude of devils, brandishing pointed weapons, and -breathing out fire, that the plain appeared like steel, and the air -like flame. I was so dreadfully alarmed at them, that had the earth -clave asunder, or the heaven opened, I should not have known whither -to have betaken myself for safety. Thus panic-struck, and doubting -whither to go, I suddenly recovered my life, though instantaneously -about to lose it again, that by this relation I might be serviceable to -your salvation, unless you neglect it:” and almost as soon as he had -so said, he breathed out his soul. His body, then buried under ground, -in the church of St. Mary, is now, by divine miracle, as they report, -raised up more than three feet above the earth. - -Moreover, William, following up the design he had formerly begun in -Normandy, permitted Stigand, the pretended and false archbishop, to -be deposed by the Roman cardinals and by Ermenfred bishop of Sion. -Walkelin succeeded him at Winchester, whose good works, surpassing -fame, will resist the power of oblivion, as long as the episcopal see -shall there continue: in Kent succeeded Lanfranc, of whom I have before -spoken, who was, by the gift of God, as resplendent in England, - - As Lucifer, who bids the stars retire, - Day’s rosy harbinger with purple fire; - -so much did the monastic germ sprout by his care, so strongly grew -the pontifical power while he survived. The king was observant of his -advice in such wise, that he deemed it proper to concede whatever -Lanfranc asserted ought to be done. At his instigation also was -abolished the infamous custom of those ill-disposed people who used -to sell their slaves into Ireland. The credit of this action, I know -not exactly whether to attribute to Lanfranc, or to Wulstan bishop of -Worcester; who would scarcely have induced the king, reluctant from the -profit it produced him, to this measure, had not Lanfranc commended it, -and Wulstan, powerful from his sanctity of character, commanded it by -episcopal authority: Wulstan, than whom none could be more just; nor -could any in our time equal him in the power of miracles, or the gift -of prophecy: of which I propose hereafter to relate some particulars, -should it meet his most holy approbation. - -But since the die of fortune is subject to uncertain casts, many -adverse circumstances happened during those times. There was a -disgraceful contention[329] between the abbat of Glastonbury and his -monks; so that after altercation they came to blows. The monks being -driven into the church, bewailed their miseries at the holy altar. The -soldiers, rushing in, slew two of them, wounded fourteen, and drove -away the rest. Nay the rage of the military had even bristled the -crucifix with arrows. The abbat, rendered infamous by such a criminal -outrage, was driven into exile during the whole of the king’s life; -but, upon his decease, he was restored to his honours, a sum of money -being paid to such as interceded for him, for the expiation of his -transgression. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1080.] BISHOP WALKER MURDERED.] - -Again, a cruel and ignominious end overtook Walker bishop of Durham, -whom the Northumbrians, a people ever ripe for rebellion, throwing off -all respect for his holy orders, put to death, after having severely -insulted him. A considerable number of Lorrainers were killed there -also, for the bishop was of that country. The cause of the murder was -this. The bishop, independently of his see, was warder[330] of the -whole county: over public business he had set his relation Gilbert, -and over domestic, the canon Leobin; both men of diligence in their -respective employments, but rash. The bishop endured their want of -moderation in this respect, out of regard to their activity; and, -as he had placed them in office, treated them with great kindness. -“For our nature ever indulges itself, and favourably regards its own -kind works.” This Leobin caused Liwulph, a servant so dearly beloved -by St. Cuthbert that the saint himself used to appear to him, even -when waking, and prescribe his decisions; him, I say, he caused to -be killed by Gilbert; smitten with envy at his holding the higher -place in the prelate’s esteem for his knowledge and equity in legal -determinations. Walker, terrified with this intelligence, offered the -furious family of the deceased the result of a legal inquiry,[331] -affirming that Leobin would be the cause of his death and of that of -his friends. When the matter came to a trial, this ferocious race of -people were not to be soothed by reasons of any kind; on the contrary, -they threw the whole blame on the bishop, because they had seen both -the murderers familiarly entertained in his court after the death of -Liwulph. Hence arose clamour and indignation, and Gilbert, as he was -of his own accord, going out of the church, where he had been sitting -with the bishop, that he might, at his personal peril, save the life of -his master, was impiously slain. The bishop, while making overtures of -peace before the gates, next glutted the rage of the people with his -blood; the fomenter of the crime, too, Leobin, was half-burnt, as he -would not quit the church till it was set on fire, and when he rushed -out he was received on a thousand spears. This had been predicted by -Edgitha, relict of king Edward; for when she had formerly seen Walker, -with his milk-white hair, rosy countenance, and extraordinary stature, -conducted to Winchester to be consecrated; “We have here,” said she, “a -noble martyr:” being led to form such a presage by reflecting on the -mutinous disposition of that people. To him succeeded William, abbat of -St. Carilef, who established monks at Durham. - -Moreover, the year before the king’s death, there was a mortality -both among men and cattle, and severe tempests, accompanied with such -thunder and lightning, as no person before had ever seen or heard. And -in the year he died, a contagious fever destroyed more than half the -people; indeed the attack of the disease killed many, and then, from -the unseasonableness of the weather, a famine following, it spread -universally and cut off those whom the fever had spared. - -In addition to his other virtues he, more especially in early youth, -was observant of chastity; insomuch that it was very commonly reported -that he was impotent. Marrying, however, at the recommendation of the -nobility, he conducted himself, during many years, in such wise, as -never to be suspected of any criminal intercourse. He had many children -by Matilda, whose obedience to her husband and fruitfulness in children -excited in his mind the tenderest regard for her, although there are -not wanting persons who prate about his having renounced his former -chastity; and that, after he had acceded to the royal dignity, he was -connected with the daughter of a certain priest, whom the queen caused -to be removed, by being hamstrung by one of her servants; on which -account he was exiled, and Matilda was scourged to death with a bridle. -But I esteem it folly to believe this of so great a king; though I -decidedly assert that a slight disagreement arose between them, in -latter times, on account of their son Robert, whom his mother was said -to supply with a military force out of her revenues. Nevertheless, he -proved that his conjugal affection was not in the least diminished by -this circumstance, as he buried her with great magnificence, on her -death, four years before his own; and weeping most profusely for many -days showed how keenly he felt her loss: moreover, from that time, if -we give credit to report, he refrained from every gratification. The -queen[332] was buried at Caen, in the monastery of the Holy Trinity. -The same proof of regard was evident in the care he took of the funeral -of queen Edgitha; who, placed by his attention near her husband at -Westminster, has a tomb richly wrought with gold and silver. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1083.] OF KING WILLIAM’S CHILDREN.] - -His sons were Robert, Richard, William, and Henry, The two last reigned -after him successively in England: Robert, irritated that Normandy -was refused him during his father’s life-time, went indignantly to -Italy, that by marrying the daughter of Boniface the marquis, he might -procure assistance in those parts, to oppose the king: but failing of -this connexion, he excited Philip king of France against his father. -Wherefore, disappointed of his paternal blessing and inheritance, at -his death, he missed England, retaining with difficulty the duchy of -Normandy: and pawning even this, at the expiration of nine years, to -his brother William, he joined the expedition into Asia, with the other -Christians. From thence, at the end of four years, he returned with -credit for his military exploits; and without difficulty sat himself -down in Normandy, because his brother William being recently dead, -king Henry, unsettled on account of his fresh-acquired power, deemed -it enough to retain England under his command: but as I must speak of -this in another place, I will here pursue the relation I had begun -concerning the sons of William the Great. - -Richard afforded his noble father hopes of his future greatness; a -fine youth and of aspiring disposition, considering his age: but an -untimely death quickly withered the bud of this promising flower. -They relate that while hunting deer in the New-forest, he contracted -a disorder from a stream of infected air. This is the place which -William his father, desolating the towns and destroying the churches -for more than thirty miles, had appropriated for the nurture and refuge -of wild beasts;[333] a dreadful spectacle, indeed, that where before -had existed human intercourse and the worship of God, there deer, and -goats, and other animals of that kind, should now range unrestrained, -and these not subjected to the general service of mankind. Hence it -is truly asserted that, in this very forest, William his son, and -his grandson Richard, son of Robert, earl of Normandy, by the severe -judgment of God, met their deaths, one by a wound in the breast by an -arrow, the other by a wound in the neck, or as some say, from being -suspended by the jaws on the branch of a tree, as his horse passed -beneath it. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1087.] DAUGHTERS OF WILLIAM I.] - -His daughters were five; first, Cecilia, abbess of Caen, who still -survives: the second, Constantia, married to Alan Fergant, earl of -Brittany, excited the inhabitants, by the severity of her justice, to -administer a poisonous potion to her: the third, Adela, the wife of -Stephen, earl of Blois, a lady celebrated for secular industry, lately -took the veil at Marcigny. The names of the two others have escaped -me.[334] One of these, as we have said, was betrothed to Harold, and -died ere she was marriageable: the other was affianced, by messengers, -to Alphonso, king of Gallicia, but obtained, from God, a virgin death. -A hard substance, which proved the frequency of her prayers, was found -upon her knees after her decease. - -Honouring the memory of his father, by every practicable method, in -the latter part of his life, he caused his bones, formerly interred at -Nicea, to be taken up by means of a person sent for that purpose, in -order to convey them elsewhere; who, successfully returning, stopped -in Apulia, on hearing of the death of William, and there buried this -illustrious man’s remains. He treated his mother, who, before the -death of his father, had married one Herlewin de Conteville, a man -of moderate wealth, with singular indulgence as long as she lived. -William’s brothers, by this match, were Robert, a man of heavy, -sluggish disposition, whom he made earl of Moreton; and Odo, whom, -while he was earl, he made bishop of Bayeux; and when king, created -him earl of Kent. Being of quicker talents than the other, he was -governor of all England, under the king, after the death of William -Fitz-Osberne. He had wonderful skill in accumulating treasure; -possessed extreme craft in dissembling: so that, though absent, yet, -stuffing the scrips of the pilgrims with letters and money, he had -nearly purchased the Roman papacy from the citizens. But when, through -the rumour of his intended journey, soldiers eagerly flocked to him -from all parts of the kingdom, the king, taking offence, threw him -into confinement; saying, that he did not seize the bishop of Bayeux, -but the earl of Kent. His partisans being intimidated by threats, -discovered such quantities of gold, that the heap of precious metal -would surpass the belief of the present age; and, at last, many -sackfuls of wrought gold were also taken out of the rivers, which he -had secretly buried in certain places. When released, at the death of -his brother, he joined Robert’s party, as he was averse to his nephew -William: but then too matters turning out unfavourably, he was banished -England, and went over to his nephew and his bishopric in Normandy. -Afterwards, proceeding with him on his enterprize to Jerusalem, he died -at Antioch while it was besieged by the Christians. - -King William kindly admitted foreigners to his friendship; bestowed -honours on them without distinction, and was attentive to almsgiving; -he gave many possessions in England to foreign churches, and scarcely -did his own munificence, or that of his nobility, leave any monastery -unnoticed, more especially in Normandy, so that their poverty was -mitigated by the riches of England. Thus, in his time, the monastic -flock increased on every side; monasteries arose, ancient in their -rule, but modern in building: but here I perceive the muttering of -those who say, it would have been better that the old should have been -preserved in their original state, than that new ones should have been -erected from their plunder. - -He was of just stature, extraordinary corpulence, fierce countenance; -his forehead bare of hair: of such great strength of arm, that it -was often matter of surprise, that no one was able to draw his bow, -which himself could bend when his horse was on full gallop: he was -majestic, whether sitting or standing, although the protuberance of -his belly deformed his royal person: of excellent health, so that he -was never confined with any dangerous disorder, except at the last: -so given to the pleasures of the chase, that, as I have before said, -ejecting the inhabitants, he let a space of many miles grow desolate, -that, when at liberty from other avocations, he might there pursue -his pleasures. He gave sumptuous and splendid entertainments, at the -principal festivals; passing, during the years he could conveniently -remain in England, Christmas at Gloucester; Easter at Winchester; -Pentecost at Westminster. At these times a royal edict summoned thither -all the principal persons of every order, that the ambassadors from -foreign nations might admire the splendour of the assemblage, and the -costliness of the banquets. Nor was he at any time more affable or -indulgent; in order that the visitants might proclaim universally, -that his generosity kept pace with his riches. This mode of banqueting -was constantly observed by his first successor; the second omitted it. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1087.] WILLIAM’S LOVE OF MONEY.] - -His anxiety for money is the only thing for which he can deservedly be -blamed.[335] This he sought all opportunities of scraping together, he -cared not how; he would say and do some things, and, indeed, almost any -thing, unbecoming such great majesty, where the hope of money allured -him. I have here no excuse whatever to offer, unless it be, as one -has said, that, “Of necessity, he must fear many, whom many fear.” -For, through dread of his enemies, he used to drain the country of -money, with which he might retard or repel their attacks; very often, -as it happens in human affairs, where strength failed, purchasing -the forbearance of his enemies with gold. This disgraceful calamity -is still prevalent, and every day increases; so that both towns -and churches are subjected to contributions: nor is this done with -firm-kept faith on the part of the imposers, but whoever offers more, -carries the prize; all former agreements being disregarded. - -Residing in his latter days in Normandy, when enmity had arisen between -him and the king of France, he, for a short period, was confined to the -house: Philip, scoffing at this forbearance, is reported to have said, -“The king of England is lying-in at Rouen, and keeps his bed, like a -woman after her delivery;” jesting on his belly, which he had been -reducing by medicine. Cruelly hurt at this sarcasm, he replied, “When -I go to mass, after my confinement, I will make him an offering of a -hundred thousand candles.”[336] He swore this, “by the Resurrection and -Glory of God:” for he was wont purposely to swear such oaths as, by -the very form of his mouth, would strike terror into the minds of his -hearers. - -Not long after, in the end of the month of August, when the corn was -ripe on the ground, the clusters on the vines, and the orchards laden -with fruit in full abundance, collecting an army, he entered France in -a hostile manner, trampling down, and laying every thing waste: nothing -could assuage his irritated mind, so determined was he to revenge this -injurious taunt at the expense of multitudes. At last he set fire to -the city of Mantes, where the church of St. Mary was burnt, together -with a recluse who did not think it justifiable to quit her cell even -under such an emergency; and the whole property of the citizens was -destroyed. Exhilarated by this success, while furiously commanding his -people to add fuel to the conflagration, he approached too near the -flames, and contracted a disorder from the violence of the fire and -the intenseness of the autumnal heat. Some say, that his horse leaping -over a dangerous ditch, ruptured his rider, where his belly projected -over the front of the saddle. Injured by this accident, he sounded a -retreat, and returning to Rouen, as the malady increased he took to his -bed. His physicians, when consulted, affirmed, from an inspection of -his urine, that death was inevitable. On hearing this, he filled the -house with his lamentations, because death had suddenly seized him, -before he could effect that reformation of life which he had long since -meditated. Recovering his fortitude, however, he performed the duties -of a Christian in confession and receiving the communion. Reluctantly, -and by compulsion, he bestowed Normandy on Robert; to William he gave -England; while Henry received his maternal possessions. He ordered all -his prisoners to be released and pardoned: his treasures to be brought -forth, and distributed to the churches: he gave also a certain sum of -money to repair the church which had been burnt. Thus rightly ordering -all things, he departed on the eighth of the ides of September, [Sept. -6,] in the fifty-ninth year of his age: the twenty-second of his reign: -the fifty-second of his duchy: and in the year of our Lord 1087. -This was the same year, in which Canute, king of Denmark, as we have -before related, was killed; and in which the Spanish Saracens raging -against the Christians, were shortly compelled to retire to their own -territories by Alphonso, king of Gallicia; unwillingly evacuating even -the cities they had formerly occupied. - -The body, embalmed after royal custom, was brought down the river -Seine to Caen, and there consigned to the earth, a large assembly of -the clergy attending, but few of the laity. Here might be seen the -wretchedness of earthly vicissitude; for that man who was formerly the -glory of all Europe, and more powerful than any of his predecessors, -could not find a place of everlasting rest, without contention. For -a certain knight, to whose patrimony the place pertained, loudly -exclaiming at the robbery, forbade his burial: saying, that the -ground belonged to himself by paternal right; and that the king had -no claim to rest in a place which he had forcibly invaded. Whereupon, -at the desire of Henry, the only one of his sons who was present, a -hundred pounds of silver[337] were paid to this brawler, and quieted -his audacious claim: for at that time, Robert his elder born was in -France, carrying on a war against his own country: William had sailed -for England, ere the king had well breathed his last; thinking it more -advantageous to look to his future benefit, than to be present at the -funeral of his father. Moreover, in the dispersion of money, neither -slow, nor sparing, he brought forth from its secret hoard, all that -treasure which had been accumulated at Winchester, during a reign of so -many years: to the monasteries he gave a piece of gold; to each parish -church five shillings in silver: to every county a hundred pounds to -be divided to each poor man severally. He also very splendidly adorned -the tomb of his father, with a large mass of gold and silver and the -refulgence of precious stones. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1087.] BERENGAR OF TOURS]. - -At this time lived Berengar, the heresiarch of Tours, who denied, that -the bread and wine, when placed on the altar and consecrated by the -priest, were, as the holy church affirms, the real and substantial -body of the Lord. Already was the whole of Gaul infected with this -his doctrine, disseminated by means of poor scholars, whom he allured -by daily hire. On this account pope Leo, of holiest memory, alarmed -for the catholic faith, calling a council against him at Vercelli, -dispersed the darkness of this misty error, by the effulgence of -evangelical testimony. But when, after his death, the poison of heresy -again burst forth from the bosoms of some worthless people where it had -long been nurtured, Hildebrand, in councils, when he was archdeacon, -at Tours, and after, when pope, at Rome, compelled him, after being -convicted, to the abjuration of his opinion; which matters, any -person desirous of seeing will find recorded in their proper place. -Archbishop Lanfranc and Guimund, the most eloquent man of our times, -first monk of St. Leofrid, in Normandy, afterwards bishop of Aversa in -Apulia, confuted him; but principally and most forcibly the latter. -And, indeed, though Berengar disgraced the earlier part of his life -by defending certain heresies, yet he came so much to his senses in -riper age, that without hesitation, he was by some esteemed a saint; -admired for innumerable good qualities, but especially for his humility -and almsgiving: showing himself master of his large possessions, by -dispersing, not their slave by hoarding and worshipping them. He was -so guarded with respect to female beauty, that he would never suffer a -woman to appear before him, lest he should seem to enjoy that beauty -with his eye, which he did not desire in his heart. He was used -neither to despise the poor nor flatter the rich: to live by nature’s -rule, “and having food and raiment,” in the language of the apostle, -“therewith to be content.” In consequence, Hildebert, bishop of Mans, -a first-rate poet, highly commends him; whose words I have purposely -inserted, that I may show this celebrated bishop’s regard to his -master; and at the same time his opinion will serve for an example to -posterity, how he thought a man ought to live: although, perhaps, from -the strength of his affection, he may have exceeded the bounds of just -commendation. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1087.] PANEGYRIC ON BERENGAR.] - - Fame, which the world allows his due, - Shall Berengar, when dead, pursue: - Whom, plac’d on faith’s exalted height - The fifth day ravish’d with fell spite: - Sad was that day, and fatal too, - Where grief and loss united grew, - Wherein the church’s hope and pride, - The law, with its supporter, died. - What sages taught, or poets sung - Bow’d to his wit, and honey’d tongue. - Then holier wisdom’s path he trod, - And fill’d his heart and lips with God. - His soul, his voice, his action prov’d - The great Creator’s praise he lov’d, - So good, so wise, his growing fame - Shall soar above the greatest name: - Whose rank preserv’d his honours gain’d, - Preferr’d the poor to rich: maintain’d - The sternest justice. Wealth’s wide power - Ne’er gave to sloth, or waste, an hour, - Nor could repeated honours, high, - Seduce him from humility; - Who ne’er on money set his mind, - But griev’d he could no object find - Where he might give: and help’d the poor - Till poverty assail’d his door. - His life by nature’s laws to guide, - His mind from vice, his lips from pride, - Still was his care: to false, the true - Prefer, and nothing senseless do: - Evil to none, but good impart, - And banish lucre, hand and heart. - Whose dress was coarse, and temperance just - Awaited appetite’s keen gust: - Was chastity’s perpetual guest, - Nor let rank lust disturb his rest. - When nature form’d him, “See,” said she, - “While others fade, one born for me.” - Ere justice sought her place of rest - On high, he lock’d her in his breast. - A saint from boyhood, whose great name - Surpasses his exceeding fame, - Which, though the wide world it may fill, - Shall never reach his merit still. - Pious and grave, so humble yet, - That envy ne’er could him beset; - For envy weeps, whom still before - She hated, prone now to adore; - First for his life, but now his fate - She moans, laments his frail estate. - Man truly wise and truly blest! - Thy soul and body both at rest, - May I, when dead, abide with you, - And share the self-same portion too. - -You may perceive in these verses, that the bishop exceeded the just -measure of praise; but eloquence is apt to recommend itself in such -wise; thus a brilliant style proceeds in graceful strain; thus - - “Bewitching eloquence sheds purple flowers.” - -But though Berengar himself changed his sentiments, yet was he unable -to convert all whom he had infected throughout the world; “so dreadful -a thing it is to seduce others from what is right, either by example -or by word; as, perhaps, in consequence, you must bear the sins of -others after having atoned for your own.” Fulbert, bishop of Chartres, -whom Mary, the mother of our Lord, was seen to cure when sick, by the -milk of her breasts, is said to have predicted this; for, when lying in -the last extremity, he was visited by many persons, and the house was -scarcely large enough to hold the company, he darted his eye through -the throng, and endeavoured to drive away Berengar, with all the force -he had remaining; protesting that an immense devil stood near him, -and attempted to seduce many persons to follow him, by beckoning with -his hand, and whispering some enticement. Moreover, Berengar himself, -when about to expire on the day of the Epiphany, sadly sighing, at the -recollection of the wretched people whom, when a very young man, in the -heat of error, he had infected with his opinions, exclaimed, “To-day, -in the day of his manifestation, my Lord Jesus Christ will appear to -me, either to glorify me, as I hope, for my repentance; or to punish -me, as I fear, for the heresy I have propagated on others.” - -We indeed believe, that after ecclesiastical benediction, those -mysteries are the very body and blood of the Saviour; induced to -such an opinion, by the authority of the ancient church, and by many -miracles recently manifested. Such as that which St. Gregory exhibited -at Rome; and such as Paschasius relates to have taken place in Germany; -that the priest Plegild visibly touched the form of a boy, upon the -altar, and that after kissing him he partook of him, turned into the -similitude of bread, after the custom of the church: which, they -relate, Berengar used arrogantly to cavil at, and to say, that “it was -the treacherous covenant of a scoundrel, to destroy with his teeth, -him whom he had kissed with his mouth.” Such, too, is that concerning -the Jewish boy, who by chance running playfully into a church, with a -Christian of the same age, saw a child torn to pieces on the altar, and -severally divided to the people; which when, with childish innocence, -he related as truth to his parents, they placed him in a furnace, where -the fire was burning and the door closed: whence, after many hours, he -was snatched by the Christians, without injury to his person, clothes, -or hair; and being asked how he could escape the devouring flames, he -replied, “That beautiful woman whom I saw sitting in the chair, whose -son was divided among the people, always stood at my right hand in the -furnace, keeping off the threatening flames and fiery volumes with her -garments.” - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1087.] THE TOMB OF WALWIN.] - -At that time, in a province of Wales, called Ros, was found the -sepulchre of Walwin, the noble nephew of Arthur; he reigned, a most -renowned knight, in that part of Britain which is still named Walwerth; -but was driven from his kingdom by the brother and nephew of Hengist, -(of whom I have spoken in my first book,) though not without first -making them pay dearly for his expulsion. He deservedly shared, with -his uncle, the praise of retarding, for many years, the calamity of -his falling country. The sepulchre of Arthur is no where to be seen, -whence ancient ballads fable that he is still to come. But the tomb -of the other, as I have suggested, was found in the time of king -William, on the sea-coast, fourteen feet long: there, as some relate, -he was wounded by his enemies, and suffered shipwreck; others say, -he was killed by his subjects at a public entertainment. The truth -consequently is doubtful; though neither of these men was inferior to -the reputation they have acquired. - -This, too, was the period in which Germany, for fifty years, bewailed -the pitiable, and almost fatal government of Henry, of whom I have -spoken in the history of William. He was neither unlearned nor -indolent; but so singled out by fate for every person to attack, that -whoever took up arms against him seemed, to himself, to be acting for -the good of religion. He had two sons, Conrad and Henry: the first, not -violating the rights of nature towards his father, having subjugated -Italy, died at Arezzo, a city of Tuscany: the other, in his early -age, attacking his parent when he was somewhat at rest from external -molestation, compelled him to retire from the empire, and when he -died shortly after, honoured him with an imperial funeral. He still -survives, obstinately adhering to those very sentiments, on account of -which he thought himself justified in persecuting his father; for he -grants the investiture of churches by the staff and ring; and looks -upon the pope as not legally elected without his concurrence; although -Calixtus, who now presides over the papal see, has greatly restrained -this man’s inordinate ambition: but let the reader wait my farther -relation of these matters in their proper order. - -Moreover, pope Hildebrand dying, as I have said, and Urban being -elected by the cardinals, the emperor persisted in his intention of -preferring Guibert, of proclaiming him pope, and of bringing him -to Rome, by the expulsion of the other. The army, however, of the -marchioness Matilda, a woman, who, forgetful of her sex, and comparable -to the ancient Amazons, used to lead forth her hardy troops to -battle, espoused the juster cause, as it seemed, by her assistance, -in succeeding time, Urban obtaining the papal throne, held quiet -possession of it for eleven years. After him Paschal was appointed -by the Romans, who held Henry’s concurrence in contempt. Guibert yet -burdened the earth with his existence, the only sower of sedition, who -never, during his whole life, laid aside his obstinacy, nor conformed -to justice; saying, that the decision of the emperor ought to be -observed; not that of the assassins, or parchment-mongers of Rome.[338] -In consequence, both of them being excommunicated in several councils, -they treated the sentence with ridicule. Notwithstanding these -circumstances, there were many things praiseworthy in the emperor: -he was eloquent, of great abilities, well read, actively charitable; -had many good qualities, both of mind and person: was ever prepared -for war, insomuch that he was sixty-two times engaged in battle; was -equitable in adjusting differences; and when matters were unsuccessful, -he would prefer his griefs to heaven, and wait for redress from thence. -Many of his enemies perished by untimely deaths. - -I have heard a person of the utmost veracity relate, that one of his -adversaries, a weak and factious man, while reclining at a banquet, -was, on a sudden, so completely surrounded by mice, as to be unable to -escape. So great was the number of these little animals, that there -could scarcely be imagined more in a whole province. It was in vain, -that they were attacked with clubs and fragments of the benches which -were at hand: and though they were for a long time assailed by all, yet -they wreaked their deputed curse on no one else; pursuing him only -with their teeth, and with a kind of dreadful squeaking. And although -he was carried out to sea about a javelin’s cast by the servants, yet -he could not by these means escape their violence; for immediately so -great a multitude of mice took to the water, that you would have sworn -the sea was strewed with chaff. But when they began to gnaw the planks -of the ship, and the water, rushing through the chinks, threatened -inevitable shipwreck, the servants turned the vessel to the shore. -The animals, then also swimming close to the ship, landed first. Thus -the wretch, set on shore, and soon after entirely gnawed in pieces, -satiated the dreadful hunger of the mice. - -I deem this the less wonderful, because it is well known, that in Asia, -if a leopard bite any person, a party of mice approach directly, to -discharge their urine on the wounded man; and that a filthy deluge -of their water attends his death; but if, by the care of servants -driving them off, the destruction can be avoided during nine days; -then medical assistance, if called in, may be of service. My informant -had seen a person wounded after this manner, who, despairing of safety -on shore, proceeded to sea, and lay at anchor; when immediately more -than a thousand mice swam out, wonderful to relate, in the rinds of -pomegranates, the insides of which they had eaten; but they were -drowned through the loud shouting of the sailors. “For the Creator of -all things has made nothing destitute of sagacity; nor any pest without -its remedy.” - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1087.] OF MARIANUS SCOTUS.] - -During this emperor’s reign flourished Marianus Scotus,[339] first a -monk of Fulda, afterwards a recluse at Mentz, who, by renouncing the -present life, secured the happiness of that which is to come. During -his long continued leisure, he examined the writers on Chronology, and -discovered the disagreement of the cycles of Dionysius the Little with -the evangelical computation. Wherefore reckoning every year from the -beginning of the world, he added twenty-two, which were wanting, to the -above mentioned cycles; but he had few, or no followers of his opinion. -Wherefore I am often led to wonder, why such unhappiness should attach -to the learned of our time, that in so great a number of scholars and -students, pale with watching, scarcely one can obtain unqualified -commendation for knowledge. So much does ancient custom please, and so -little encouragement, though deserved, is given to new discoveries, -however consistent with truth. All are anxious to grovel in the old -track, and everything modern is contemned; and therefore, as patronage -alone can foster genius, when that is withheld, every exertion -languishes. - -But as I have mentioned the monastery of Fulda, I will relate what a -reverend man, Walker, prior of Malvern, whose words if any disbelieve -he offends against holiness, told me had happened there. “Not more -than fifteen years have elapsed,” said he, “since a contagious disease -attacked the abbat of that place, and afterwards destroyed many of -the monks. The survivors, at first, began each to fear for himself, -and to pray, and give alms more abundantly than usual. In process of -time, however, for such is the nature of man, their fear gradually -subsiding, they began to omit them; the cellarer more especially: who -publicly and absurdly exclaimed, that the stock of provision was not -adequate to such a consumption; that he had lately hoped for some -reduction of expense from so many funerals, but that his hopes were at -an end, if the dead consumed what the living could not. It happened -on a certain night, when, from some urgent business, he had deferred -going to rest for a long time, that having at length despatched every -concern, he went towards the dormitory. And now you shall hear a -strange circumstance: he saw in the chapter-house, the abbat, and all -who had died that year, sitting in the order they had departed: when -affrighted and endeavouring to escape, he was detained by force. Being -reproved and corrected, after the monastic manner, with a scourge, he -heard the abbat speak precisely to the following effect: that it was -foolish to look for advantage by another’s death, when all were subject -to one common fate; that it was an impious thing, that a monk who had -passed his whole life in the service of the church should be grudged -the pittance of a single year after his death; that he himself should -die very shortly, but that whatever others might do for him, should -redound only to the advantage of those whom he had defrauded; that he -might now go and correct, by his example, those whom he had corrupted -by his expressions.” He departed, and demonstrated that he had seen -nothing imaginary, as well by his recent stripes, as by his death, -which shortly followed. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1087.] CANTERBURY AND YORK.] - -In the meantime, while employed on other subjects, both matter and -inclination have occurred for the relation of what was determined in -William’s time, concerning the controversy still existing between the -archbishops of Canterbury and York. And that posterity may be fully -informed of this business, I will subjoin the opinions of the ancient -fathers. - - -_Pope Gregory to Augustine, first archbishop of Canterbury._ - -“Let your jurisdiction not only extend over the bishops you shall have -ordained, or such as have been ordained by the bishop of York, but also -over all the priests of Britain, by the authority of our Lord Jesus -Christ.” - - -_Boniface to Justus, archbishop of Canterbury._ - -“Far be it from every Christian, that anything concerning the city -of Canterbury be diminished or changed, in present or future times, -which was appointed by our predecessor pope Gregory, however human -circumstances may be changed: but more especially, by the authority -of St. Peter the prince of apostles, we command and ordain, that the -city of Canterbury shall ever hereafter be esteemed the metropolitan -see of all Britain; and we decree and appoint, immutably, that all -the provinces of the kingdom of England shall be subject to the -metropolitan church of the aforesaid see. And if any one attempt to -injure this church, which is more especially under the power and -protection of the holy Roman church, or to lessen the jurisdiction -conceded to it, may God expunge him from the book of life; and let him -know, that he is bound by the sentence of a curse.” - - -_Alexander to William, king of England._ - -“The cause of Alric, formerly called bishop of Chichester, we have -entrusted to our brother bishop, Lanfranc, to be by him diligently -reconsidered and determined. We have also commended to him the labour -of deciding the dispute which has arisen between the archbishop of -York, and the bishop of Dorchester, on matters belonging to their -dioceses; strictly ordering him to examine this cause most diligently -and bring it to a just termination. Besides, we have so fully -committed to him the authority of our personal and pontifical power in -considering and settling causes, that whatever he shall, according to -justice, have determined, shall be regarded as firm and indissoluble -hereafter, as though it had been adjudged in our presence.” - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1072] CANTERBURY AND YORK.] - -“In the year of our Lord Jesus Christ’s incarnation 1072, of the -pontificate of pope Alexander the eleventh, and of the reign of -William, glorious king of England, and duke of Normandy, the sixth; -by the command of the said pope Alexander, and permission of the -same king, in presence of himself, his bishops, and abbats, the -question was agitated concerning the primacy which Lanfranc,[340] -archbishop of Canterbury, claimed in right of his church, over that -of York; and concerning the ordination of certain bishops, of which -it was not clearly evident, to whom they especially pertained; and -at length, after some time it was proved and shown by the distinct -authority of various writings, that the church of York ought to be -subject to that of Canterbury, and to be obedient to the appointments -of its archbishop, as primate of all England, in all such matters as -pertained to the Christian religion. But the homage of the bishop -of Durham, that is of Lindisfarne, and of all the countries beyond -the limits of the bishop of Lichfield, and the great river Humber, -to the farthest boundaries of Scotland, and whatever on this side of -the aforesaid river justly pertains to the diocese of the church of -York, the metropolitan of Canterbury allowed for ever to belong to -the archbishop of York and his successors: in such sort, that if the -archbishop of Canterbury chose to call a council, wherever he deemed -fit, the archbishop of York was bound to be present at his command, -with all his suffragan bishops, and be obedient to his canonical -injunctions. And Lanfranc the archbishop proved from the ancient custom -of his predecessors, that the archbishop of York was bound to make -profession, even with an oath, to the archbishop of Canterbury; but -through regard to the king, he dispensed with the oath from Thomas, -archbishop of York; and received his written profession only: but not -forming a precedent for his successors who might choose to exact the -oath, together with the profession, from Thomas’s successors. If the -archbishop of Canterbury should die, the archbishop of York shall come -to Canterbury; and, with the other bishops of the church aforesaid, -duly consecrate the person elect as his lawful primate. But if the -archbishop of York shall die, his successor, accepting the gift of the -archbishopric from the king, shall come to Canterbury, or where the -archbishop of Canterbury shall appoint, and shall from him receive -canonical ordination. To this ordinance consented the king aforesaid, -and the archbishops, Lanfranc of Canterbury, and Thomas of York; and -Hubert subdeacon of the holy Roman church, and legate of the aforesaid -pope Alexander; and the other bishops and abbats present. This cause -was first agitated at the festival of Easter in the city of Winchester, -in the royal chapel, situated in the castle; afterwards in the royal -town called Windsor, where it received its termination, in the presence -of the king, the bishops, and abbats of different orders, who were -assembled at the king’s court on the festival of Pentecost. - -“The signature of William the king: the signature of Matilda the queen. - -“I Hubert, subdeacon of the holy Roman church, and legate from pope -Alexander, have signed. - -“I Lanfranc, archbishop of Canterbury, have signed. - -“I Thomas, archbishop of York, have signed. - -“I William, bishop of London, have assented. - -“I Herman, bishop of Sherborne, have signed. - -“I Wulstan, bishop of Worcester, have signed. - -“I Walter, bishop of Hereford, have assented. - -“I Giso, bishop of Wells, have assented. - -“I Remigius, bishop of Dorchester, have signed. - -“I Walkelin, bishop of Winchester, have signed. - -“I Herefast, bishop of Helmham, have signed. - -“I Stigand, bishop of Chichester, have assented. - -“I Siward, bishop of Rochester, have assented. - -“I Osberne, bishop of Exeter, have assented. - -“I Odo, bishop of Bayeux and earl of Kent, have assented. - -“I Gosfrith, bishop of Coutances and one of the nobles of England, have -assented. - -“I Scotland, abbat of St. Augustine’s monastery, have assented. - -“I Thurstan, abbat of the monastery which is situated in the isle of -Ely, have assented. - -“I Ailnoth, abbat of Glastonbury, have assented. - -“I Elfwin, abbat of the monastery of Ramsey, have assented. - -“I Wulnoth, abbat of Chertsey, have assented. - -“I Ailwyn, abbat of Evesham, have assented. - -“I Frederic, abbat of St. Alban’s, have assented. - -“I Goffrid, abbat of the monastery of St. Peter, near London, have -assented. - -“I Baldwin, abbat of St. Edmund’s monastery, have assented. - -“I Turald, abbat of Burgh, have assented. - -“I Adelelm, abbat of Abingdon, have assented. - -“I Ruald, abbat of the New minster at Winchester, have assented. - -“It becomes every Christian to be subject to Christian laws, and by -no means to run counter to those things which have been wholesomely -enacted by the holy fathers. For hence arise strifes, dissensions, -envyings, contentions, and other things, which plunge the lovers of -them into eternal punishment. And the more exalted the rank of any -person is, so much the more exact should be his obedience to divine -commands: wherefore I Thomas, now ordained metropolitan bishop of the -church of York, hearing and knowing your authorities, make unlimited -profession of canonical obedience to you, Lanfranc, archbishop of -Canterbury, and your successors; and I promise to observe whatever -shall be canonically enjoined me, either by you or them. Of this matter -I was doubtful, while I was yet about to be ordained by you: wherefore -I promised obedience unconditionally to you, but conditionally to your -successors.” - -The archbishop of Canterbury, as I remember to have observed in my -first book, originally had subject to him, these bishops: London, -Winchester, Rochester, Sherborne, Worcester, Hereford, Lichfield, -Selsey, Leicester, Helmham, Sidnacester, Dunwich; in the time of king -Edward the Elder were added, Cornwall, Crediton, Wells in West Saxony, -and Dorchester in Mercia, as I noticed in my second book. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1072.] PRIVILEGES OF THE ARCHBISHOP OF YORK.] - -The archbishop of York had all the bishops on the farther side of the -Humber subject to him, as Ripon, Hexham, Lindisfarne, Candida Casa, -which is now called Whitherne; and all the bishops of Scotland and -the Orkneys; as the archbishop of Canterbury had those of Ireland and -Wales. The bishoprics of Ripon and Hexham have long since perished by -hostile ravages; Leicester, Sidnacester, and Dunwich, by means that -I cannot account for; and, in the time of king Edward the Simple, -Cornwall and Crediton were united, and the bishopric translated to -Exeter. In king William’s time, at this council, it was determined -that, according to the decrees of the canons, the bishops should quit -the villages, and fix their abode in the cities of their dioceses; -Lichfield therefore migrated to Chester, which was anciently called the -City of Legions; Selsey to Chichester; Helmham first to Thetford, and -now, by bishop Herbert, to Norwich; Sherborne to Salisbury; Dorchester -to Lincoln. For Lindisfarne had long before passed to Durham, and -lately Wells to Bath. - -In this assembly Lanfranc, who was yet uninstructed in English matters, -inquired of the elder bishops, what was the order of sitting in -council, as originally appointed. They, alleging the difficulty of the -question, deferred their answer till the next day; when, carefully -calling circumstances to mind, they asserted that they had seen the -arrangement as follows: that the archbishop of Canterbury, presiding at -the council, should have, on the right hand, the archbishop of York, -and next him the bishop of Winchester; and on his left, the bishop of -London. But should it ever happen, through necessity, that the primate -of Canterbury should be absent, or should he be dead, the archbishop of -York, presiding at the council, should have the bishops of London on -his right hand, and of Winchester on his left; and the rest should take -their seats according to the time of their ordination. - -At that time, too, the claim of the archbishop of York on the see of -Worcester and Dorchester was decided and set at rest. For he said that -they ought to be subject to his jurisdiction; which, after having -pondered for some time in secret, when he proceeded to Rome with -Lanfranc to receive their palls from the pope, he brought publicly -before the Roman court. Lanfranc, though for the most part unmoved by -injury, could not help betraying, by his countenance, his emotion at -such a wanton and unheard-of attack, though he for some time refrained -from speaking. But pope Alexander, who felt much for Lanfranc’s -distress, for he had even condescendingly risen from his seat when -he approached, professing that he paid him this mark of respect, not -from honour to the archbishop but regard to his learning, removed from -himself the unpleasant task of deciding, and referred the adjudication -of it to an English council. In consequence, as I have related, the -matter, after deep investigation, came to this termination in the -present council; that, as these bishops were on this side of the -Humber, they should belong to Canterbury, but all beyond that river to -York. - -Here the pious simplicity of St. Wulstan, bishop of Worcester, and -his noble confidence in God, demand praise and approbation. For when -called in question as well concerning this business, as on his slender -attainments in learning, he had retired to consider more carefully -what answer he should make, his mind undisturbed by tumult: “Believe -me,” said he, “we have not yet sung the service for the sixth hour: -let us sing the service therefore.” And, on his companions suggesting -the necessity of first expediting the business they had met upon; that -there was ample time for singing, and that the king and the nobility -would laugh at them, if they heard of it: “Truly,” said he, “let us -first do our duty towards God, and afterwards settle the disputes -of men.” Having sung the service, he directly proceeded towards the -council-chamber, without devising any subterfuge, or any attempt to -disguise the truth. To his dependents, who were desirous of withholding -him, and who could not be persuaded but their cause was in danger, -he said, “Know for certain, that I here visibly perceive those holy -archbishops, Dunstan of Canterbury, and Oswald of York; who, defending -me this day with their prayers, will darken the understandings of my -gainsayers.” Then giving his benediction to a monk, a man of little -eloquence, but somewhat acquainted with the Norman language, on summing -up his cause, he obtained that he, who was before thought unworthy -of the management of his own diocese, should be humbly entreated by -the archbishop of York, to condescend to visit those parts of his -province, which himself, through dread of enemies, or ignorance of the -language, had refrained from approaching. But I will no longer torture -the patience of my readers, who perhaps do not regard this matter -with pleasure, as they are in expectation of the history of William’s -successors; though, if I am not too partial to myself, a variety of -anecdote can be displeasing to no one, unless he be morose enough to -rival the superciliousness of Cato. But whoever is so inclined, will -find such other matters in the fourth and fifth book, for here the -third shall terminate.[341] - - - - -BOOK IV. - - - - -PREFACE. - - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1072.] PREFACE TO BOOK IV.] - -I am aware, that many persons think it unwise in me, to have written -the history of the kings of my own time; alleging, that in such a -work, truth is often made shipwreck of, while falsehood meets with -support: because to relate the crimes of contemporaries, is attended -with danger; their good actions with applause. Whence it arises, say -they, that, as all things have, now, a natural tendency to evil rather -than to good, the historian passes over any disgraceful transaction, -however obvious, through timidity; and, for the sake of approbation, -feigns good qualities, when he cannot find them. There are others, -who, judging of us by their own indolence, deem us unequal to so great -a task, and brand our undertaking with malignant censure. Wherefore, -impelled by the reasoning of the one, or the contempt of the other, -I had long since voluntarily retired to leisure and to silence: but, -after indulging in them for a time, the accustomed inclination for -study again strongly beset me; as it was impossible for me to be -unoccupied, and I knew not how to give myself up to those forensic -avocations, which are beneath the notice of a literary character. -To this was to be added the incitements of my friends, to whose -suggestions, though only implied, I ought to pay regard: and they -indeed gently urged me, already sufficiently disposed, to prosecute -my undertaking. Animated, therefore, by the advice of those whom I -love most affectionately, I advance to give them a lasting pledge of -friendship from the stores of my research. Grateful also to those who -are in fear for me, lest I should either excite hatred, or disguise -the truth, I will, by the help of Christ, make such a return for their -kindness, as neither to become odious, nor a falsifier. For I will -describe, both what has been done well, or otherwise, in such wise, and -so safely steer between Scylla and Charybdis, that my opinions shall -not be concealed, though some matters may be omitted in my history. -Moreover, to those who undervalue the labours of others, I make the -same answer as St. Jerome formerly did to his critics; “Let them read -if they like: if not, let them cast it aside; because I do not obtrude -my work on the fastidious, but I dedicate it, if any think it worth -their notice, to the studious;” which even these men will readily -pronounce to be consonant to equity, unless they are of the number of -those, of whom it is said; “Fools are easy to confute, but not so easy -to restrain.” I will relate, then, in this, the fourth book of my work, -every thing which may be said of William, son of William the Great, in -such manner that neither shall the truth suffer, nor shall the dignity -of the prince be obscured. Some matters also will be inserted in these -pages, which in his time were calamitous in this country, or glorious -elsewhere, as far as my knowledge extends. More especially, the -pilgrimage of the Christians to Jerusalem, which it will be proper to -annex in this place; because an expedition, so famous in these times, -is well worth hearing, and will also be an incitement to valour. Not -indeed that I have any confidence these transactions will be better -treated by me than by others who have written on the subject, but that, -what many write, many may read. Yet, lest so long a preface should -disgust my reader, I will immediately enter on my work. - - - - -CHAP. I. - -_Of William the Second._ [A.D. 1087-1100.] - - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1087.] BIRTH OF WILLIAM II.] - -William then, the son of William, was born in Normandy many years -before his father came to England; and being educated with extreme care -by his parents, as he had naturally an ambitious mind, he at length -reached the summit of dignity. He would no doubt have been a prince -incomparable in our time, had not his father’s greatness eclipsed him; -and had not the fates cut short his years too early for his maturer -age to correct errors, contracted by the licentiousness of power, and -the impetuosity of youth. When childhood was passed, he spent the -period of youth in military occupations; in riding, throwing the dart, -contending with his elders in obedience, with those of his own age in -action: and he esteemed it injurious to his reputation, if he was not -the foremost to take arms in military commotions; unless he was the -first to challenge the adversary, or when challenged, to overcome him. -To his father he was ever dutiful; always exerting himself in his sight -in battle, ever at his side in peace. His hopes gradually expanding, -he already aspired after the succession, especially on the rejection -of his elder brother, while the tender age of the younger gave him no -uneasiness. Thus, adopted as his successor by his father during his -last illness, he set out to take possession of the kingdom ere the -king had breathed his last: where being gladly received by the people, -and obtaining the keys of the treasury, he by these means subjected -all England to his will. Archbishop Lanfranc, the grand mover of -every thing, had educated him, and made him a knight,[342] and now he -favoured his pretensions to the throne; by his authority and assistance -William was crowned on the day of the saints Cosmas and Damian,[343] -and passed the remainder of the winter quietly and with general favour. - -At the expiration of this period, in the beginning of spring, his -first contention was with his uncle, Odo, bishop of Bayeux. For when -Odo, on his release from confinement, as I have related, had firmly -established his nephew, Robert, in the duchy of Normandy, he came to -England, and received from the king the earldom of Kent. But when he -saw every thing in the kingdom managed, not at his own pleasure, as -formerly, for the administration of public affairs was now committed -to William, bishop of Durham, he was moved with envy, and having -revolted from the king, he tainted many others by insinuating, that the -kingdom belonged to Robert, who was of gentler disposition, and whose -youthful follies had been corrected by many adversities; that William, -delicately brought up, and overbearing from that ferocity of mind which -was manifest in his countenance, would dare every thing, in defiance of -right and equity: that it must soon come to pass, that they would lose -the honours they had already obtained with so much difficulty: that -nothing was gained by the father’s death, if those whom he had cast -into prison, were to be killed by the son. To this effect he used, at -first, secretly to mutter, together with Roger Montgomery, Gosfrith, -bishop of Coutances, with his nephew Robert earl of Northumberland, and -others; afterwards they were more open in their clamours, repeating -and disseminating them by letters and by emissaries. Moreover, even -William, bishop of Durham, the confidential minister of the king, had -joined in their treachery. This was matter of great concern to William, -it is said; because, together with the breach of friendship, he was -disappointed of the resources of the distant provinces. Odo now carried -off booty of every kind to Rochester, plundering the king’s revenues -in Kent, and especially the lands of the archbishop; breathing eternal -hatred against him, because, he said, it was by his advice, that his -brother had cast him into chains. Nor was this assertion false: for -when William the elder formerly complained to Lanfranc, that he was -deserted by his brother: “Seize, and cast him into chains,” said he. -“What!” replied the king, “he is a clergyman!” Then the archbishop with -playful archness, as Persius says, “balancing the objection with nice -antithesis,”[344] rejoined, “you will not seize the bishop of Bayeux, -but confine the earl of Kent.” - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1088.] CONSPIRACY OF THE NOBLES.] - -Bishop Gosfrith with his nephew, depopulating Bath, and Berkeley, and -part of the county of Wilts, treasured up their spoils at Bristol. -Roger Montgomery sending out his army with the Welsh from Shrewsbury, -plundered Worcestershire. They had now hostilely approached Worcester, -when the king’s soldiers who guarded it, relying on the blessing of -bishop Wulstan, to whom the custody of the castle was committed, though -few in number, dispersed this multitude; and after wounding and killing -many, took some of them prisoners. Moreover, Roger Bigod at Norwich, -and Hugo de Grentmeisnil at Leicester, each with their party, were -plundering in their respective neighbourhoods. In vain, however, did -the whole power of revolt rage against a man, who was deficient neither -in prudence nor in good fortune. For seeing almost all the Normans -leagued in one furious conspiracy, he sent alluring letters, summoning -to him such brave and honest English as yet remained; and complaining -to them on the subject of his wrongs, he bound them to his party, by -promising them wholesome laws, a diminution of tribute, and free leave -to hunt.[345] With equal cunning he circumvented Roger Montgomery, when -riding with him, with dissembled perfidy; for taking him aside, he -loaded him with odium, saying, that he would willingly retire from the -government, if it seemed meet to him and to the rest whom his father -had left as his guardians; that he could not understand, why they were -so outrageous; if they wanted money, they might have what they pleased; -if an increase of their estates, they might have that also; in short, -they might have whatever they chose; only let them be careful that the -judgment of his father was not called in question: for, if they thought -it ought to be disregarded in the instance of himself, it might be a -bad example for them: for the same person made him king, who had made -them earls. Excited by these words and promises, the earl, who, next to -Odo, had been the chief leader of the faction, was the first to desert. -Proceeding, therefore, immediately against the rebels, he laid siege -to the castles of his uncle at Tunbridge and at Pevensey, and seizing -him in the latter compelled him to swear, as he dictated, that he would -depart England, and deliver up Rochester. To fulfil this promise he -sent him forward with a party he could rely on, intending to follow -at his leisure. At that time almost all the young nobility of England -and Normandy were at Rochester: three sons of earl Roger, Eustace the -younger of Boulogne, and many others not deserving notice. The royal -party, accompanying the bishop, were few and unarmed, for who could -fear treachery where he was present? and going round the walls, they -called the townsmen to open the gates; for so the bishop in person, and -the absent king commanded. Observing from the wall, however, that the -countenance of the bishop ill agreed with the language of the speakers, -they suddenly sallied out, took horse in an instant, and carried off, -together with the bishop, the whole party, captive. The report of this -transaction quickly reached the king. Fierce from the injury, and -smothering his indignation, he calls together his faithful English -subjects, and orders them to summon all their countrymen to the siege, -unless any wished to be branded with the name of “Nidering,”[346] which -implies “abandoned.” The English who thought nothing more disgraceful -than to be stigmatised by such an appellation, flocked in troops to -the king, and rendered his army invincible. Nor could the townsmen -longer delay submission; experiencing, that a party, however noble, -or however numerous, could avail nothing against the king of England. -Odo, now taken a second time, abjured England for ever: the bishop of -Durham of his own accord retired beyond sea, the king allowing him to -escape uninjured out of regard to his former friendship: the rest were -all admitted to fealty. During the interval of this siege, some of the -king’s fleet destroyed a party which the earl of Normandy had sent to -assist the traitors, partly by slaughter, and partly by shipwreck; the -remainder, intent on escaping, endeavoured to make sail; but being soon -after disappointed by its falling calm, they became matter for laughter -to our people, but their own destruction; for, that they might not be -taken alive, they leaped from their vessels into the sea. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1088.] TREATY WITH ROBERT.] - -The next year, as the sense of injuries ever grows keener from -reconsideration, the king began carefully to examine, how he might -revenge his griefs, and repay his brother for this insult. In -consequence, by his practices, he bribed the garrison, and obtained -possession of the castle of St. Vallery, the adjoining port, and the -town which is called Albemarle. The earl had not the courage to resist, -but, by means of ambassadors, acquainted his lord, the king of France, -with the violence of his brother, and begged his assistance. The French -king, inactive, and surfeited with daily gluttony, came hiccupping, -through repletion, to the war: but, as he was making great professions, -the money of the king of England met him by the way; with which his -resolution being borne down, he unbuckled his armour, and went back to -his gormandizing. In this manner, Normandy, for a long time, groaned -under intestine war, sometimes one party, sometimes the other being -victorious: the nobility, men of fickle temper, and faithful to neither -brother, exciting their mutual fury. A few, better advised, attentive -to their own advantage, for they had possessions in both countries, -were mediators of a peace: the basis of which was, that the king -should get possession of Maine for the earl; and the earl should cede -to the king those castles which he already held, and the monastery of -Feschamp. The treaty was ratified and confirmed by the oath of the -nobles on both sides. - -Not long after the king went abroad to execute these conditions. Each -leader made great efforts to invade Maine; but when they had completed -their preparations, and were just ready to proceed, an obstacle arose, -through the spirit of Henry, the younger brother, loudly remonstrating -against their covetousness, which had shared their paternal possessions -between themselves, and blushed not at having left him almost -destitute. In consequence he took possession of Mount St. Michael, and -harassed, with constant sallies, the besieging forces of his brothers. -During this siege, a noble specimen of disposition was exhibited, -both by the king and by the earl: of compassion in the one, and of -magnanimity in the other. I shall subjoin these instances, for the -information of my readers. - -The king, going out of his tent, and observing the enemy at a distance, -proudly prancing, rushed unattended against a large party; spurred -on by the impetuosity of his courage, and at the same time confident -that none would dare resist him. Presently his horse, which he had -that day purchased for fifteen marks of silver, being killed under -him, he was thrown down, and for a long time dragged by his foot; the -strength of his mail, however, prevented his being hurt. The soldier -who had unhorsed him, was at this instant drawing his sword to strike -him, when, terrified at the extremity of his danger, he cried out, -“Hold, rascal, I am the king of England.” The whole troop trembled at -the well-known voice of the prostrate monarch, and immediately raised -him respectfully from the ground, and brought him another horse. -Leaping into the saddle without waiting assistance, and darting a keen -look on the by-standers: “Who unhorsed me?” said he. While the rest -were silent through fear, the bold perpetrator of the deed readily -defended himself, saying, “’Twas I, who took you, not for a king, but -for a soldier.” The king, soothed, and regaining the serenity of his -countenance, exclaimed, “By the crucifix[347] at Lucca,” for such was -his oath, “henceforth thou shalt be mine, and, placed on my roll, -shalt receive the recompence of this gallant service.” Nobly done, -magnanimous king! what encomium shall I pass on this speech! Equal to -Alexander the Great in glory; who, through admiration of his courage, -preserved, unhurt, a Persian soldier, who had attempted to strike him -from behind, but was frustrated in his design by the treachery of his -sword. - -But now to relate the compassion of the earl. When the blockade had -so far proceeded that the besieged were in want of water, Henry sent -messengers to Robert, to expostulate with him on the thirst he endured, -and to represent, that it was impious to deprive him of water, the -common right of mankind: let him try his courage another way if he -chose; and not employ the violence of the elements, but the valour of -a soldier. On which, wrought upon by the natural tenderness of his -disposition, he ordered his party to be more remiss in their duty where -they kept guard, that his thirsty brother might not be deprived of -water. This circumstance, when related to the king, who was always -inclined to warmth of temper, made him say to the earl, “You well know -how to carry on war indeed, who allow your enemies plenty of water: and -pray, how shall we subdue them, if we indulge them in food and drink?” -But he smiling, uttered this kind and truly laudable expression, “Oh, -shame! should I suffer my brother to die with thirst? and where shall -we find another, if we lose him?” On this the king, deriding the mild -temper of the man, put an end to the war without accomplishing his -design; and as the commotions of the Scots and Welsh required his -presence, he retired with both his brothers to his kingdom. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1091.] EXPEDITION AGAINST SCOTLAND.] - -Immediately he led an expedition, first against the Welsh, and then -against the Scots, in which he performed nothing worthy of his -greatness; but lost many of his soldiers, and had his sumpter-horses -intercepted. And, not only at that time, but frequently, in Wales, was -fortune unfavourable to him; which may seem strange to any one, when -the chance of war was generally on his side in other places. But it -appears to me that the unevenness of the country, and the badness of -the weather, as it assisted their rebellion, was also an impediment -to his valour. But king Henry, who now reigns, a man of excellent -talents, discovered a mode of counteracting their designs: which -was, by stationing in their country the Flemings, to be a barrier to -them, and constantly keep them within bounds. At that time, by the -industry of earl Robert, who had long since gained the good graces of -the Scot, the basis of a peace was laid between Malcolm and William. -But various grounds of difference still existing on both sides, and -justice wavering through their mutual animosity, Malcolm came of his -own accord to Gloucester, a hearty solicitor for peace, so that it -were on equitable conditions. He obtained, however, nothing more than -permission to return uninjured to his kingdom: for the king disdained -to take a man by subtlety, whom he might have conquered by arms. But -the next winter he was dispatched by the party of Robert, earl of -Northumberland, rather through stratagem than force. When his wife, -Margaret, a woman distinguished for almsgiving and for chastity, heard -of his death, disgusted with the continuance of life, she earnestly -entreated of God to die. They were both remarkable for piety, but the -queen more especially. For during her whole life, wherever she might -be, she had twenty-four poor persons whom she supplied with meat and -clothing. In Lent, waiting for the singing of the priests, she used to -watch all night in the church, herself assisting at triple matins, of -the Trinity, of the Cross, of St. Mary, and afterwards repeating the -Psalter; with tears bedewing her garments, and agitating her breast. -Departing from the church, she used to feed the poor; first three, then -nine, then twenty-four, at last three hundred: herself standing by -with the king, and pouring water on their hands. Edgar his son, when -expelled by his uncle, was restored by William; assuredly with a noble -compassion, and worthy of so great a personage, who, forgetting the -injuries of the father, replaced the son, when suppliant, on his throne. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1093.] CHARACTER OF WILLIAM II.] - -Greatness of soul was pre-eminent in the king, which, in process of -time, he obscured by excessive severity; vices, indeed, in place -of virtues, so insensibly crept into his bosom, that he could not -distinguish them. The world doubted, for a long time, whither he would -incline; what tendency his disposition would take. At first, as long -as archbishop Lanfranc survived, he abstained from every crime; so -that it might be hoped, he would be the very mirror of kings. After -his death, for a time, he showed himself so variable, that the balance -hung even betwixt vices and virtues. At last, however, in his latter -years, the desire after good grew cold, and the crop of evil increased -to ripeness: his liberality became prodigality; his magnanimity pride; -his austerity cruelty. I may be allowed, with permission of the royal -majesty, not to conceal the truth; for he feared God but little, man -not at all. If any one shall say this is undiscerning, he will not -be wrong; because wise men should observe this rule, “God ought to -be feared at all times; man, according to circumstances.” He was, -when abroad, and in public assemblies, of supercilious look, darting -his threatening eye on the by-stander; and with assumed severity -and ferocious voice, assailing such as conversed with him. From -apprehension of poverty, and of the treachery of others, as may be -conjectured, he was too much given to lucre, and to cruelty. At home -and at table, with his intimate companions, he gave loose to levity -and to mirth. He was a most facetious railer at any thing he had -himself done amiss, in order that he might thus do away obloquy, and -make it matter of jest. But I shall dilate somewhat on that liberality, -in which he deceived himself; and afterwards on his other propensities, -that I may manifest what great vices sprang up in him under the -semblance of virtues. - -For, in fact, there are two kinds of givers: the one is denominated -prodigal, the other liberal. The prodigal are such as lavish their -money on those things, of which they will leave either a transient, -or perhaps no memory in this world; neither will they gain mercy by -them from God. The liberal, are those who redeem the captive from the -plunderer, assist the poor, or discharge the debts of their friends. -We must give, therefore, but with discrimination and moderation; for -many persons have exhausted their patrimony by giving inconsiderately. -“For what can be more silly, than to take pains to be no longer able -to do that which you do with pleasure?”[348] Some, therefore, when -they have nothing to give turn to rapine, and get more hatred from -those from whom they take, than good will from those to whom they -give. We lament that thus it happened to this king; for, when in the -very beginning of his reign, through fear of tumults, he had assembled -soldiers, and denied them nothing, promising still greater remuneration -hereafter; the consequence was, that as he had soon exhausted his -father’s treasures, and had then but moderate revenues, his substance -failed, though the spirit of giving remained, which, by habit, had -almost become nature. He was a man who knew not how to take off from -the price of any thing, or to judge of the value of goods; but the -trader might sell him his commodity at whatever rate, or the soldier -demand any pay he pleased. He was anxious that the cost of his clothes -should be extravagant, and angry if they were purchased at a low price. -One morning, indeed, while putting on his new boots, he asked his -chamberlain what they cost; and when he replied, “Three shillings,” -indignantly and in a rage he cried out, “You son of a whore, how long -has the king worn boots of so paltry a price? go, and bring me a pair -worth a mark of silver.” He went, and bringing him a much cheaper -pair, told him, falsely, that they cost as much as he had ordered: -“Aye,” said the king, “these are suitable to royal majesty.” Thus -his chamberlain used to charge him what he pleased for his clothes; -acquiring by these means many things for his own advantage. - -The fame of his generosity, therefore, pervaded all the West, and -reached even to the East. Military men came to him out of every -province on this side of the mountains, whom he rewarded most -profusely. In consequence, when he had no longer aught to bestow, poor -and exhausted, he turned his thoughts to rapine. The rapacity of his -disposition was seconded by Ralph, the inciter of his covetousness; -a clergyman of the lowest origin, but raised to eminence by his wit -and subtilty. If at any time a royal edict issued, that England -should pay a certain tribute, it was doubled by this plunderer of the -rich, this exterminator of the poor, this confiscator of other men’s -inheritance. He was an invincible pleader, as unrestrained in his -words as in his actions; and equally furious against the meek or the -turbulent. Wherefore some people used to laugh,[349] and say, that he -was the only man who knew how to employ his talents in this way, and -cared for no one’s hatred, so that he could please his master. At this -person’s suggestion, the sacred honours of the church, as the pastors -died, were exposed to sale: for whenever the death of any bishop or -abbat was announced, directly one of the king’s clerks was admitted, -who made an inventory of every thing, and carried all future rents -into the royal exchequer. In the meantime some person was sought out -fit to supply the place of the deceased; not from proof of morals, -but of money; and, at last, if I may so say, the empty honour was -conferred, and even that purchased, at a great price. These things -appeared the more disgraceful, because, in his father’s time, after -the decease of a bishop or abbat, all rents were reserved entire, to -be given up to the succeeding pastor; and persons truly meritorious, -on account of their religion, were elected. But in the lapse of a very -few years, every thing was changed. There was no man rich except the -money-changer; no clerk, unless he was a lawyer; no priest, unless (to -use a word which is hardly Latin[350]) he was a farmer. Men of the -meanest condition, or guilty of whatever crime, were listened to, if -they could suggest any thing likely to be advantageous to the king: the -halter was loosened from the robber’s neck, if he could promise any -emolument to the sovereign. All military discipline being relaxed, the -courtiers preyed upon the property of the country people, and consumed -their substance, taking the very meat from the mouths of these wretched -creatures.[351] Then was there flowing hair and extravagant dress; and -then was invented the fashion of shoes[352] with curved points; then -the model for young men was to rival women in delicacy of person, to -mince their gait, to walk with loose gesture, and half naked. Enervated -and effeminate, they unwillingly remained what nature had made them; -the assailers of others’ chastity, prodigal of their own. Troops of -pathics, and droves of harlots, followed the court; so that it was -said, with justice, by a wise man, that England would be fortunate if -Henry could reign;[353] led to such an opinion, because he abhorred -obscenity from his youth. - -Here, were it necessary, I could add, that archbishop Anselm attempted -to correct these abuses; but failing of the co-operation of his -suffragans, he voluntarily quitted the kingdom, yielding to the -depravity of the times. Anselm, than whom none ever was more tenacious -of right; none in the present time so thoroughly learned; none so -completely spiritual; the father of his country, the mirror of the -world: he, when just about to set sail, after waiting in port for a -wind, was rifled, as though he had been a public robber; all his bags -and packages being brought out and ransacked. Of this man’s injuries I -could speak farther, had the sun witnessed any thing more unjust than -this single transaction, or were it not necessary to omit a relation, -which has been anticipated by the eloquence of the very reverend -Edmer.[354] - -Hence may be perceived how fierce a flame of evil burst forth from -what the king conceived to be liberality. In repressing which as he -did not manifest so much diligence as negligence, he incurred a degree -of infamy, not only great, but scarcely to be wiped out. I think -undeservedly, however; because he never could have exposed himself to -such disgrace, had he only recollected the dignity of his station. -I pass over, therefore, these matters slightly, and hasten in my -composition, because I blush to relate the crimes of so great a king; -rather giving my attention to refute and extenuate them. - -The Jews in his reign gave proofs of their insolence towards God. At -one time, at Rouen, they endeavoured to prevail, by means of presents, -on some converted Jews, to return to Judaism;[355] at another, at -London, entering into controversy with our bishops; because the -king, in jest, as I suppose, had said, that if they mastered the -Christians in open argument, he would become one of their sect. The -question therefore was agitated with much apprehension on the part -of the bishops and clergy, fearful, through pious anxiety, for the -Christian faith. From this contest, however, the Jews reaped nothing -but confusion: though they used repeatedly to boast that they were -vanquished, not by argument, but by power. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1096.] ROBERT PAWNS NORMANDY.] - -In later times, that is, about the ninth year of his reign, Robert, -earl of Normandy, at the admonition of pope Urban, as will be related -hereafter, took the resolution of going to Jerusalem, and pawned -Normandy to his brother, for the sum of ten thousand marks. In -consequence, an edict for an intolerable tax was circulated throughout -England. On this the bishops and abbats, in great numbers, went to -court, to complain of the injury; observing that they could not raise -so great an impost, unless they drove away their wretched husbandmen -altogether. To this the courtiers, with angry countenance, as usual, -replied, “Have you not shrines adorned with gold and silver, full -of dead men’s bones?” deigning the petitioners no other answer. In -consequence, perceiving the drift of the reply, they took off the gold -from the shrines of their saints; robbed their crucifixes; melted their -chalices; not for the service of the poor, but of the king’s exchequer. -For almost every thing, which the holy parsimony of their ancestors had -saved, was consumed by the rapacity of these freebooters. - -Just so, too, were their proceedings against their vassals; first -taking their money, then their land: neither the poor man’s poverty, -nor the rich man’s abundance, protecting him. He so restricted the -right of hunting, which he had formerly allowed, that it became a -capital offence to take a stag. This extreme severity, which was -tempered by no affability, was the cause of many conspiracies, among -the nobility, against his safety: one of whom, Robert de Mowbray earl -of Northumberland, in consequence of very high words between him -and the king, retired to his province, with the intention of making -powerful efforts against his lord; but William pursuing him, he was -taken, and doomed to perpetual captivity. Another, William de Hou, -being accused of treachery towards the king, challenged his accuser to -single combat; but being unable to justify himself in the duel, he was -deprived of his sight, and of his manhood. The same accusation involved -many innocent and honourable men; among whom was William de Aldrey, a -man of handsome person, who had stood godfather[356] with the king. -Being sentenced to be hanged, he made his confession to Osmund bishop -of Salisbury, and was scourged at every church of the town. Parting his -garments to the poor, he went naked to the gallows, often making the -blood gush from his delicate flesh by falling on his knees upon the -stones. He satisfied the minds of the bishop, and of the people who -followed him to the place of punishment, by exclaiming, “God help my -soul, and deliver it from evil, as I am free from the charge, of which -I am accused: the sentence, indeed, passed upon me will not be revoked, -but I wish all men to be certified of my innocence.” The bishop then, -commending his soul to heaven, and sprinkling him with holy water, -departed. At his execution, he manifested an admirable degree of -courage; neither uttering a groan before, nor even a sigh, at the -moment of his death. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1096.] WILLIAM’S MAGNANIMITY.] - -But still there are some proofs of noble magnanimity in the king, the -knowledge of which, I will not deny posterity. As he was once engaged -in hunting in a certain forest, a foreign messenger acquainted him -that the city of Mans, which he had lately added to his dominions on -the departure of his brother, was besieged. Unprepared as he was, he -turned his horse instantly, and shaped his journey to the sea. When his -nobles reminded him, that it would be necessary to call out his troops, -and put them in array; “I shall see,” said he, “who will follow me: do -you think I shall not have people enough? If I know the temper of the -young men of my kingdom, they will even brave shipwreck to come to me.” -In this manner he arrived, almost unattended, at the sea-coast. The -sky at that time was overcast, the wind contrary, and a tempest swept -the surface of the deep. When he determined to embark directly, the -mariners besought him, to wait till the storm should subside, and the -wind be favourable. “Why,” said William, “I have never heard of a king -perishing by shipwreck: no, weigh anchor immediately, and you shall -see the elements conspire to obey me.” When the report of his having -crossed the sea reached the besiegers, they hastily retreated. One -Helias, the author of the commotion, was taken; to whom, when brought -before him, the king said jocularly, “I have you, master.” But he, -whose haughty spirit, even in such threatening danger, knew not how to -be prudent, or to speak submissively, replied, “You have taken me by -chance; if I could escape, I know what I would do.” At this William, -almost beside himself with rage, and seizing Helias, exclaimed, “You -scoundrel! and what would you do? Begone, depart, fly: I give you leave -to do whatever you can; and by the crucifix at Lucca, if you should -conquer me, I will ask no return for this favour.” Nor did he falsify -his word, but immediately suffered him to escape; rather admiring -than following the fugitive. Who could believe this of an unlettered -man? And perhaps there may be some person, who, from reading Lucan, -may falsely suppose, that William borrowed these examples from Julius -Cæsar;[357] but he had neither inclination, nor leisure to attend -to learning; it was rather the innate warmth of his temper, and his -conscious valour which prompted him to such expressions. And indeed, -if our religion would allow it, as the soul of Euphorbus was formerly -said to have passed into Pythagoras of Samos, so might it equally be -asserted, that the soul of Julius Cæsar had migrated into king William. - -He began and completed one very noble edifice, the palace[358] in -London; sparing no expense to manifest the greatness of his liberality. -His disposition therefore the reader will be able to discover from the -circumstances we have enumerated. - -Should any one be desirous, however, to know the make of his person, -he is to understand, that he was well set; his complexion florid, his -hair yellow; of open countenance; different-coloured eyes, varying with -certain glittering specks; of astonishing strength, though not very -tall, and his belly rather projecting; of no eloquence, but remarkable -for a hesitation of speech, especially when angry. Many sudden and -sorrowful accidents happened in his time, which I shall arrange singly, -according to the years of his reign; chiefly vouching for their truth -on the credit of the Chronicles. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1092-1100.] ADVERSE EVENTS.] - -In the second year of his reign, on the third before the ides of -August, a great earthquake terrified all England with a horrid -spectacle; for all the buildings were lifted up, and then again settled -as before. A scarcity of every kind of produce followed; the corn -ripened so slowly, that the harvest was scarcely housed before the -feast of St. Andrew. - -In his fourth year was a tempest of lightning, and a whirlwind: -finally, on the ides of October, at Winchcombe, a stroke of lightning -beat against the side of the tower with such force, that, shattering -the wall where it joined to the roof, it opened a place wide enough to -admit a man; entering there, it struck a very large beam, and scattered -fragments of it over the whole church; moreover it cast down the head -of the crucifix, with the right leg, and the image of St. Mary. A -stench so noisome followed, as to be insufferable to human nostrils. -At length, the monks, with auspicious boldness, entering, defeated -the contrivances of the devil, by the sprinkling of holy water. But -what could this mean? such a thing was unknown to every previous age. -A tempest of contending winds, from the south-east, on the sixteenth -before the kalends of November, destroyed more than six hundred houses -in London. Churches were heaped on houses, and walls on partitions. The -tempest proceeding yet farther, carried off altogether the roof of the -church of St. Mary le Bow, and killed two men. Rafters and beams were -whirled through the air, an object of surprise to such as contemplated -them from a distance; of alarm, to those who stood nigh, lest they -should be crushed by them. For four rafters, six and twenty feet long, -were driven with such violence into the ground, that scarcely four feet -of them were visible. It was curious to see how they had perforated -the solidity of the public street, maintaining there the same position -which they had occupied in the roof from the hand of the workman, -until, on account of their inconvenience to passengers, they were cut -off level with the ground, as they could not be otherwise removed. - -In his fifth year, a similar thunder-storm at Salisbury entirely -destroyed the roof of the church-tower, and much injured the wall, only -five days after Osmund, the bishop of famed memory, had consecrated it. - -In his sixth year there was such a deluge from rain, and such incessant -showers as none had ever remembered. Afterwards, on the approach of -winter, the rivers were so frozen, that they bore horsemen and waggons; -and soon after, when the frost broke, the bridges were destroyed by the -drifting of the ice. - -In his seventh year, on account of the heavy tribute which the king, -while in Normandy, had levied, agriculture failed; of which failure -the immediate consequence was a famine. This also gaining ground a -mortality ensued, so general, that the dying wanted attendance, and the -dead, burial. At that time, too, the Welsh, fiercely raging against the -Normans, and depopulating the county of Chester and part of Shropshire, -obtained Anglesey by force of arms. - -In his tenth year, on the kalends of October, a comet appeared for -fifteen days, turning its larger train to the east, and the smaller -to the south-east. Other stars also appeared, darting, as it were, at -each other. This was the year in which Anselm, that light of England, -voluntarily escaping from the darkness of error, went to Rome. - -In his eleventh year, Magnus, king of Norway, with Harold, son of -Harold, formerly king of England, subdued the Orkney, Mevanian, and -other circumjacent isles; and was now obstinately bent against England -from Anglesey. But Hugh, earl of Chester, and Hugh, earl of Shrewsbury, -opposed him; and ere he could gain the continent, forced him to retire. -Here fell Hugh of Shrewsbury, being struck from a distance with a fatal -arrow. - -In his twelfth year an excessive tide flowed up the Thames, and -overwhelmed many villages, with their inhabitants. - -In his thirteenth year, which was the last of his life, there were many -adverse events; but the most dreadful circumstance was that the devil -visibly appeared to men in woods and secret places, and spoke to them -as they passed by. Moreover in the county of Berks, at the village of -Finchampstead, a fountain so plentifully flowed with blood for fifteen -whole days, that it discoloured a neighbouring pool. The king heard of -it and laughed; neither did he care for his own dreams, nor for what -others saw concerning him. - -They relate many visions and predictions of his death, three of which, -sanctioned by the testimony of credible authors, I shall communicate to -my readers. Edmer, the historian of our times, noted for his veracity, -says that Anselm, the noble exile, with whom all religion was also -banished, came to Marcigny that he might communicate his sufferings -to Hugo, abbat of Clugny. There, when the conversation turned upon -king William, the abbat aforesaid observed, “Last night that king -was brought before God; and by a deliberate judgment, incurred the -sorrowful sentence of damnation.” How he came to know this he neither -explained at the time, nor did any of his hearers ask: nevertheless, -out of respect to his piety, not a doubt of the truth of his words -remained on the minds of any present. Hugh led such a life, and had -such a character, that all regarded his discourse and venerated his -advice, as though an oracle from heaven had spoken. And soon after, the -king being slain as we shall relate, there came a messenger to entreat -the archbishop to resume his see. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1100.] DEATH OF WILLIAM II.] - -The day before the king died, he dreamed that he was let blood by -a surgeon; and that the stream, reaching to heaven, clouded the -light, and intercepted the day. Calling on St. Mary for protection, -he suddenly awoke, commanded a light to be brought, and forbade his -attendants to leave him. They then watched with him several hours until -daylight. Shortly after, just as the day began to dawn, a certain -foreign monk told Robert Fitz Hamon, one of the principal nobility, -that he had that night dreamed a strange and fearful dream about the -king: “That he had come into a certain church, with menacing and -insolent gesture, as was his custom, looking contemptuously on the -standers by; then violently seizing the crucifix, he gnawed the arms, -and almost tore away the legs: that the image endured this for a long -time, but at length struck the king with its foot in such a manner -that he fell backwards: from his mouth, as he lay prostrate, issued -so copious a flame that the volumes of smoke touched the very stars.” -Robert, thinking that this dream ought not to be neglected, as he -was intimate with him, immediately related it to the king. William, -repeatedly laughing, exclaimed, “He is a monk, and dreams for money -like a monk: give him a hundred shillings.” Nevertheless, being greatly -moved, he hesitated a long while whether he should go out to hunt, as -he had designed: his friends persuading him not to suffer the truth -of the dreams to be tried at his personal risk. In consequence, he -abstained from the chase before dinner, dispelling the uneasiness of -his unregulated mind by serious business. They relate, that, having -plentifully regaled that day, he soothed his cares with a more than -usual quantity of wine. After dinner he went into the forest, attended -by few persons; of whom the most intimate with him was Walter, surnamed -Tirel, who had been induced to come from France by the liberality of -the king. This man alone had remained with him, while the others, -employed in the chase, were dispersed as chance directed. The sun was -now declining, when the king, drawing his bow and letting fly an arrow, -slightly wounded a stag which passed before him; and, keenly gazing, -followed it, still running, a long time with his eyes, holding up his -hand to keep off the power of the sun’s rays. At this instant Walter, -conceiving a noble exploit, which was while the king’s attention was -otherwise occupied to transfix another stag which by chance came near -him, unknowingly, and without power to prevent it, Oh, gracious God! -pierced his breast with a fatal arrow.[359] On receiving the wound, -the king uttered not a word; but breaking off the shaft of the weapon -where it projected from his body, fell upon the wound, by which he -accelerated his death. Walter immediately ran up, but as he found him -senseless and speechless, he leaped swiftly upon his horse, and escaped -by spurring him to his utmost speed. Indeed there was none to pursue -him: some connived at his flight; others pitied him; and all were -intent on other matters. Some began to fortify their dwellings; others -to plunder; and the rest to look out for a new king. A few countrymen -conveyed the body, placed on a cart, to the cathedral at Winchester; -the blood dripping from it all the way. Here it was committed to the -ground within the tower, attended by many of the nobility, though -lamented by few. Next year,[360] the tower fell; though I forbear to -mention the different opinions on this subject, lest I should seem -to assent too readily to unsupported trifles, more especially as the -building might have fallen, through imperfect construction, even though -he had never been buried there. He died in the year of our Lord’s -incarnation 1100, of his reign the thirteenth, on the fourth before the -nones of August, aged above forty years. He formed mighty plans, which -he would have brought to effect, could he have spun out the tissue of -fate, or broken through, and disengaged himself from, the violence of -fortune. Such was the energy of his mind, that he was bold enough to -promise himself any kingdom whatever. Indeed the day before his death, -being asked where he would keep his Christmas, he answered, in Poitou; -because the earl of Poitou, wishing anxiously to go to Jerusalem, was -said to be about to pawn his territory to him. Thus, not content with -his paternal possessions, and allured by expectation of greater glory, -he grasped at honours not pertaining to him. He was a man much to be -pitied by the clergy, for throwing away a soul which they could not -save; to be beloved by stipendiary soldiers, for the multitude of his -gifts; but not to be lamented by the people, because he suffered their -substance to be plundered. I remember no council being held in his -time, wherein the health of the church might be strengthened through -the correction of abuses. He hesitated a long time ere he bestowed -ecclesiastical honours, either for the sake of emolument, or of -weighing desert. So that on the day he died, he held in his own hands -three bishoprics, and twelve vacant abbeys. Besides, seeking occasion -from the schism between Urban in Rome and Guibert at Ravenna, he -forbade the payment of the tribute[361] to the holy see: though he was -more inclined to favour Guibert; because the ground and instigation of -the discord between himself and Anselm was, that this man, so dear to -God, had pronounced Urban to be pope, the other an apostate. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1100.] OF THE CISTERTIAN ORDER.] - -In his time began the Cistertian order, which is now both believed and -asserted to be the surest road to heaven.[362] To speak of this does -not seem irrelevant to the work I have undertaken, since it redounds -to the glory of England to have produced the distinguished man who -was the author and promoter of that rule. To us he belonged, and in -our schools passed the earlier part of his life. Wherefore, if we -are not envious, we shall embrace his good qualities the more kindly -in proportion as we knew them more intimately. And, moreover, I am -anxious to extol his praise, “because it is a mark of an ingenuous -mind to approve that virtue in others, of which in yourself you regret -the absence.” He was named Harding, and born in England of no very -illustrious parents. From his early years, he was a monk at Sherborne; -but when secular desires had captivated his youth, he grew disgusted -with the monastic garb, and went first to Scotland, and afterwards -to France. Here, after some years’ exercise in the liberal arts, he -became awakened to the love of God. For, when manlier years had put -away childish things, he went to Rome with a clerk who partook of his -studies; neither the length and difficulty of the journey, nor the -scantiness of their means of subsistence by the way, preventing them, -both as they went and returned, from singing daily the whole psalter. -Indeed the mind of this celebrated man was already meditating the -design which soon after, by the grace of God, he attempted to put in -execution. For returning into Burgundy, he was shorn at Molesmes, a new -and magnificent monastery. Here he readily admitted the first elements -of the order, as he had formerly seen them; but when additional matters -were proposed for his observance, such as he had neither read in the -rule nor seen elsewhere, he began, modestly and as became a monk, to -ask the reason of them, saying: “By reason the supreme Creator has -made all things; by reason he governs all things; by reason the fabric -of the world revolves; by reason even the planets move; by reason the -elements are directed; and by reason, and by due regulation, our -nature ought to conduct itself. But since, through sloth, she too often -departs from reason, many laws were, long ago, enacted for her use; -and, latterly, a divine rule has been promulgated by St. Benedict, to -bring back the deviations of nature to reason. In this, though some -things are contained the design of which I cannot fathom, yet I deem it -necessary to yield to authority. And though reason and the authority of -the holy writers may seem at variance, yet still they are one and the -same. For since God hath created and restored nothing without reason, -how can I believe that the holy fathers, no doubt strict followers of -God, could command anything but what was reasonable, as if we ought to -give credit to their bare authority. See then that you bring reason, -or at least authority, for what you devise; although no great credit -should be given to what is merely supported by human reason, because -it may be combated with arguments equally forcible. Therefore from -that rule, which, equally supported by reason and authority, appears -as if dictated by the spirit of all just persons, produce precedents, -which if you fail to do, in vain shall you profess his rule, whose -regulations you disdain to comply with.” - -Sentiments of this kind, spreading as usual from one to another, -justly moved the hearts of such as feared God, “lest haply they should -or had run in vain.” The subject, then, being canvassed in frequent -chapters, ended by bringing over the abbat himself to the opinion that -all superfluous matters should be passed by, and merely the essence of -the rule be scrutinized. Two of the fraternity, therefore, of equal -faith and learning, were elected, who, by vicarious examination, -were to discover the intention of the founder’s rule; and when they -had discovered it, to propound it to the rest. The abbat diligently -endeavoured to induce the whole convent to give their concurrence, -but “as it is difficult to eradicate from men’s minds, what has early -taken root, since they reluctantly relinquish the first notions they -have imbibed,” almost the whole of them refused to accept the new -regulations, because they were attached to the old. Eighteen only, -among whom was Harding, otherwise called Stephen, persevering in their -holy determination, together with their abbat, left the monastery, -declaring that the purity of the institution could not be preserved in -a place where riches and gluttony warred against even the heart that -was well inclined. They came therefore to Citeaux; a situation formerly -covered with woods, but now so conspicuous from the abundant piety -of its monks, that it is not undeservedly esteemed conscious of the -Divinity himself. Here, by the countenance of the archbishop of Vienne, -who is now pope, they entered on a labour worthy to be remembered and -venerated to the end of time. - -Certainly many of their regulations seem severe, and more particularly -these: they wear nothing made with furs or linen, nor even that finely -spun linen garment, which we call Staminium;[363] neither breeches, -unless when sent on a journey, which at their return they wash and -restore. They have two tunics with cowls, but no additional garment in -winter, though, if they think fit, in summer they may lighten their -garb. They sleep clad and girded, and never after matins return to -their beds: but they so order the time of matins that it shall be light -ere the lauds[364] begin; so intent are they on their rule, that they -think no jot or tittle of it should be disregarded. Directly after -these hymns they sing the prime, after which they go out to work for -stated hours. They complete whatever labour or service they have to -perform by day without any other light. No one is ever absent from the -daily services, or from complines, except the sick. The cellarer and -hospitaller, after complines, wait upon the guests, yet observing the -strictest silence. The abbat allows himself no indulgence beyond the -others,--every where present,--every where attending to his flock; -except that he does not eat with the rest, because his table is with -the strangers and the poor. Nevertheless, be he where he may, he is -equally sparing of food and of speech; for never more than two dishes -are served either to him or to his company; lard and meat never but to -the sick. From the Ides of September till Easter, through regard for -whatever festival, they do not take more than one meal a day, except on -Sunday. They never leave the cloister but for the purpose of labour, -nor do they ever speak, either there or elsewhere, save only to the -abbat or prior. They pay unwearied attention to the canonical[365] -services, making no addition to them except the vigil for the defunct. -They use in their divine service the Ambrosian chants[366] and hymns, -as far as they were able to learn them at Milan. While they bestow care -on the stranger and the sick, they inflict intolerable mortifications -on their own bodies, for the health of their souls. - -The abbat, at first, both encountered these privations with much -alacrity himself, and compelled the rest to do the same. In process of -time, however, the man repented;[367] he had been delicately brought -up, and could not well bear such continued scantiness of diet. The -monks, whom he had left at Molesmes, getting scent of this disposition, -either by messages or letters, for it is uncertain which, drew him -back to the monastery, by his obedience to the pope, for such was -their pretext: compelling him to a measure to which he was already -extremely well-disposed. For, as if wearied out by the pertinacity of -their entreaties, he left the narrow confines of poverty, and resought -his former magnificence. All followed him from Citeaux, who had gone -thither with him, except eight. These, few in number but great in -virtue, appointed Alberic, one of their party, abbat, and Stephen -prior. The former not surviving more than eight years was, at the will -of heaven, happily called away. Then, doubtless by God’s appointment, -Stephen though absent was elected abbat; the original contriver of -the whole scheme; the especial and celebrated ornament of our times. -Sixteen abbeys which he has already completed, and seven which he -has begun, are sufficient testimonies of his abundant merit. Thus, -by the resounding trumpet of God, he directs the people around him, -both by word and deed, to heaven; acting fully up to his own precepts; -affable in speech, pleasant in look, and with a mind always rejoicing -in the Lord. Hence, openly, that noble joy of countenance; hence, -secretly, that compunction, coming from above; because, despising -this state of a sojourner, he constantly desires to be in a place -of rest. For these causes he is beloved by all; “For God graciously -imparts to the minds of other men a love for that man whom he loves.” -Wherefore the inhabitant of that country esteems himself happy if, -through his hands, he can transmit his wealth to God. He receives -much, indeed, but expending little on his own wants, or those of his -flock, he distributes the rest to the poor, or employs it immediately -on the building of monasteries; for the purse of Stephen is the public -treasury of the indigent. A proof of his abstinence is that you see -nothing there, as in other monasteries, flaming with gold, blazing with -jewels, or glittering with silver. For as a Gentile says, “Of what use -is gold to a saint?” We think it not enough in our holy vases, unless -the ponderous metal be eclipsed by precious stones; by the flame of -the topaz, the violet of the amethyst, and the green shade of the -emerald: unless the sacerdotal robes wanton with gold; and unless the -walls glisten with various coloured paintings, and throw the reflexion -of the sun’s rays upon the ceiling. These men, however, placing those -things which mortals foolishly esteem the first, only in a secondary -point of view, give all their diligence to improve their morals, and -love pure minds, more than glittering vestments; knowing that the -best remuneration for doing well, is to enjoy a clear conscience. -Moreover, if at any time the laudable kindness of the abbat either -desires, or feigns a desire, to modify aught from the strict letter -of the rule, they are ready to oppose such indulgence, saying, that -they have no long time to live, nor shall they continue to exist so -long as they have already done; that they hope to remain stedfast in -their purpose to the end, and to be an example to their successors, who -will transgress if they should give way. And, indeed, through human -weakness, the perpetual law of which is that nothing attained, even by -the greatest labour, can long remain unchanged, it will be so. But to -comprise, briefly, all things which are or can be said of them,--the -Cistertian monks at the present day are a model for all monks, a mirror -for the diligent, a spur to the indolent. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1100.] HERBERT, BISHOP OF NORWICH.] - -At this time three sees in England were transferred from their ancient -situations; Wells to Bath, by John; Chester to Coventry, by Robert; -Thetford to Norwich, by Herbert; all through greater ambition, than -ought to have influenced men of such eminence. Finally, to speak -of the last first: Herbert, from his skill in adulation, surnamed -Losinga,[368] was first abbat of Ramsey, and then purchased the -bishopric of Thetford, while his father, Robert, surnamed as himself, -was intruded on the abbey of Winchester. This man, then, was the great -source of simony in England; having craftily procured by means of his -wealth, both an abbey and a bishopric. For he hood-winked the king’s -solicitude for the church by his money, and whispered great promises -to secure the favour of the nobility: whence a poet of those times -admirably observes, - - “A monster in the church from Losing rose, - Base Simon’s sect, the canons to oppose. - Peter, thou’rt slow; see Simon soars on high; - If present, soon thou’d’st hurl him from the sky.[369] - Oh grief, the church is let to sordid hire, - The son a bishop, abbat is the sire. - All may be hoped from gold’s prevailing sway, - Which governs all things; gives and takes away; - Makes bishops, abbats, basely in a day.” - -Future repentance, however, atoned for the errors of his youth: he -went to Rome, when he was of a more serious age, and there resigning -the staff and ring which he had acquired by simony, had them restored -through the indulgence of that most merciful see; for the Romans -regard it both as more holy and more fitting, that the dues from each -church should rather come into their own purse, than be subservient -to the use of any king whatever. Herbert thus returning home, removed -the episcopal see, which had formerly been at Helmham, and was then -at Thetford, to a town, celebrated for its trade and populousness, -called Norwich. Here he settled a congregation of monks, famous for -their numbers and their morals; purchasing everything for them out of -his private fortune. For, having an eye to the probable complaints of -his successors, he gave none of the episcopal lands to the monastery, -lest they should deprive the servants of God of their subsistence, -if they found any thing given to them which pertained to their see. -At Thetford, too, he settled Clugniac monks, because the members -of that order, dispersed throughout the world, are rich in worldly -possessions, and of distinguished piety towards God. Thus, by the great -and extensive merit of his virtues, he shrouded the multitude of his -former failings; and by his abundant eloquence and learning, as well as -by his knowledge in secular affairs, he became worthy even of the Roman -pontificate. Herbert thus changed, as Lucan observes of Curio, became -the changer and mover of all things; and, as in the times of this king, -he had been a pleader in behalf of simony, so was he, afterwards, its -most strenuous opposer; nor did he suffer that to be done by others, -which he lamented he had ever himself done through the presumption of -juvenile ardour: ever having in his mouth, as they relate, the saying -of St. Jerome, “We have erred when young; let us amend now we are old.” -Finally, who can sufficiently extol his conduct, who, though not a very -rich bishop, yet built so noble a monastery; in which nothing appears -defective, either in the beauty of the lofty edifice, the elegance of -its ornaments, or in the piety and universal charity of its monks. -These things soothed him with joyful hope while he lived, and when -dead, if repentance be not in vain, conducted him to heaven.[370] - -John was bishop of Wells; a native of Touraine, and an approved -physician, by practice, rather than education. On the death of the -abbat of Bath, he easily obtained the abbey from the king, both because -all things at court were exposed to sale, and his covetousness seemed -palliated by some degree of reason, that so famed a city might be still -more celebrated, by becoming the see of a bishop. He at first began to -exercise his severity against the monks, because they were dull, and -in his estimation, barbarians; taking away all the lands ministering -to their subsistence, and furnishing them with but scanty provision -by his lay dependants. In process of time, however, when new monks -had been admitted, he conducted himself with more mildness; and gave a -small portion of land to the prior, by which he might, in some measure, -support himself and his inmates. And although he had begun austerely, -yet many things were there by him both nobly begun and completed, in -decorations and in books; and more especially, in a selection of monks, -equally notable for their learning and kind offices. But still he could -not, even at his death, be softened far enough totally to exonerate -the lands from bondage; leaving, in this respect, an example not to be -followed by his successors. - -There was in the diocese of Chester, a monastery, called Coventry, -which, as I have before related, the most noble earl Leofric, with his -lady Godiva, had built; so splendid for its gold and silver, that the -very walls of the church seemed too scanty to receive the treasures, -to the great astonishment of the beholders. This, Robert bishop of -the diocese eagerly seized on, in a manner by no means episcopal; -stealing from the very treasures of the church wherewith he might fill -the hand of the king, beguile the vigilance of the pope, and gratify -the covetousness of the Romans. Continuing there many years, he gave -no proof of worth whatever: for, so far from rescuing the nodding -roofs from ruin, he wasted the sacred treasures, and became guilty -of peculation; and a bishop might have been convicted of illegal -exactions, had an accuser been at hand. He fed the monks on miserable -fare, made no attempts to excite in them a love for their profession, -and suffered them to reach only a very common degree of learning; lest -he should make them delicate by sumptuous living, or strictness of rule -and depth of learning should spirit them up to oppose him. Contented -therefore with rustic fare, and humble literary attainments, they -deemed it enough, if they could only live in peace. Moreover, at his -death, paying little attention to the dictates of the canons, by which -it is enacted, that bishops ought to be buried in their cathedrals, -he commanded himself to be interred, not at Chester, but at Coventry; -leaving to his successors by such a decision, the task, not of claiming -what was not due to them, but as it were, of vindicating their proper -right. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1100.] JOSCELYN.] - -Here, while speaking of the times of William, I should be induced to -relate the translation of the most excellent Augustine, the apostle of -the English and of his companions, had not the talents of the learned -Joscelyn, anticipated me:[371] of Joscelyn, who being a monk of St. -Bertin, formerly came to England with Herman bishop of Salisbury, -skilled equally in literature and music. For a considerable time he -visited the cathedrals and abbeys, and left proofs of uncommon learning -in many places; he was second to none after Bede in the celebration of -the English saints; next to Osberne[372] too, he bore away the palm -in music. Moreover he wrote innumerable lives of modern saints, and -restored, in an elegant manner, such of those of the ancients as had -been lost through the confusion of the times, or had been carelessly -edited. He also so exquisitely wrought the process of this translation, -that he may be said to have realized it to the present race, and given -a view of it to posterity. Happy that tongue, which ministered to so -many saints! happy that voice, which poured forth such melody! more -especially as in his life, his probity equalled his learning. But, as I -have hitherto recorded disgraceful transactions of certain bishops, I -will introduce others of different lives and dispositions, who were in -being at the same time; that our age may not be said to have grown so -negligent as not to produce one single saint. Such as are desirous, may -find this promise completed in a subsequent book, after the narrative -of king Henry’s transactions. - - - - -CHAP. II. - -_The Expedition to Jerusalem._ [A.D. 1095-1105.] - - -I shall now describe the expedition to Jerusalem, relating in my own -words what was seen and endured by others. Besides too, as opportunity -offers, I shall select from ancient writers, accounts of the situation -and riches of Constantinople, Antioch, and Jerusalem; in order that he -who is unacquainted with these matters, and meets with this work, may -have something to communicate to others. But for such a relation there -needs a more fervent spirit, in order to complete effectually, what -I begin with such pleasure. Invoking, therefore, the Divinity, as is -usual, I begin as follows. - -In the year of the incarnation 1095, pope Urban the second, who then -filled the papal throne, passing the Alps, came into France. The -ostensible cause of his journey, was, that, being driven from home -by the violence of Guibert, he might prevail on the churches on this -side of the mountains to acknowledge him. His more secret intention -was not so well known; this was, by Boamund’s advice, to excite almost -the whole of Europe to undertake an expedition into Asia; that in -such a general commotion of all countries, auxiliaries might easily -be engaged, by whose means both Urban might obtain Rome; and Boamund, -Illyria and Macedonia. For Guiscard, his father, had conquered those -countries from Alexius, and also all the territory extending from -Durazzo to Thessalonica; wherefore Boamund claimed them as his due, -since he obtained not the inheritance of Apulia, which his father had -given to his younger son, Roger. Still nevertheless, whatever might -be the cause of Urban’s journey, it turned out of great and singular -advantage to the Christian world. A council, therefore, was assembled -at Clermont,[373] which is the most noted city of Auvergne. The number -of bishops and abbats was three hundred and ten. Here at first, during -several days, a long discussion was carried on concerning the catholic -faith, and the establishing peace among contending parties.[374] For, -in addition to those crimes in which every one indulged, all, on this -side of the Alps, had arrived at such a calamitous state, as to take -each other captive on little or no pretence; nor were they suffered to -go free, unless ransomed at an enormous price. Again too, the snake of -simony had so reared her slippery crest, and cherished, with poisonous -warmth, her deadly eggs, that the whole world became infected with her -mortal hissing, and tainted the honours of the church. At that time, I -will not say bishops to their sees merely, but none aspired even to any -ecclesiastical degree, except by the influence of money. Then too, many -persons putting away their lawful wives, procured divorces, and invaded -the marriage-couch of others. Wherefore, as in both these cases, there -was a mixed multitude of offenders, the names of some powerful persons -were singled out for punishment. Not to be tedious, I will subjoin -the result of the whole council, abbreviating some parts, in my own -language. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1095.] COUNCIL OF CLERMONT.] - -In a council at Clermont, in the presence of pope Urban, these articles -were enacted. “That the catholic church shall be pure in faith; free -from all servitude: that bishops, or abbats, or clergy of any rank, -shall receive no ecclesiastical dignity from the hand of princes, -or of any of the laity: that clergymen shall not hold prebends in -two churches or cities: that no one shall be bishop and abbat at the -same time: that ecclesiastical dignities shall be bought and sold -by no one: that no person in holy orders shall be guilty of carnal -intercourse: that such as not knowing the canonical prohibition had -purchased canonries, should be pardoned: but that they should be taken -from such as knew they possessed them by their own purchase, or that -of their parents: that no layman from Ash-Wednesday, no clergyman from -Quadragesima, to Easter, shall eat flesh: that, at all times, the first -fast of the Ember Weeks, should be in the first week of Lent: that -orders should be conferred, at all times, on the evening of Saturday, -or on a Sunday, continuing fasting:[375] that on Easter-eve, service -should not be celebrated till after the ninth hour: that the second -fast should be observed in the week of Pentecost: that from our Lord’s -Advent, to the octave of the Epiphany; from Septuagesima to the octaves -of Easter; from the first day of the Rogations to the octaves of -Pentecost; and from the fourth day of the week at sunset, at all times, -to the second day in the following week at sunrise, the Truce of God be -observed:[376] that whoever laid violent hands on a bishop should be -excommunicated; that whoever laid violent hands on clergymen or their -servants should be accursed: that whoever seized the goods of bishops -or clergymen at their deaths, should be accursed: that whoever married -a relation, even in the sixth degree of consanguinity, should be -accursed: that none should be chosen bishop, except a priest, deacon, -or subdeacon who was of noble descent, unless under pressing necessity, -and licence from the pope: that the sons of priests and concubines -should not be advanced to the priesthood, unless they first made their -vow: that whosoever fled to the church, or the cross, should, being -insured from loss of limb, be delivered up to justice; or if innocent, -be released: that every church should enjoy its own tithes, nor pass -them away to another: that laymen should neither buy nor sell tithes; -that no fee should be demanded for the burial of the dead. In this -council the pope excommunicated Philip, king of France, and all who -called him king or lord, and obeyed or spoke to him, unless for the -purpose of correcting him: in like manner too his accursed consort, -and all who called her queen or lady, till they so far reformed as -to separate from each other: and also Guibert of Ravenna, who calls -himself pope: and Henry, emperor of Germany, who supports him.” - -Afterwards, a clear and forcible discourse, such as should come from a -priest, was addressed to the people, on the subject of an expedition of -the Christians, against the Turks. This I have thought fit to transmit -to posterity, as I have learned it from those who were present, -preserving its sense unimpaired. For who can preserve the force of that -eloquence? We shall be fortunate, if, treading an adjacent path, we -come even by a circuitous route to its meaning. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1095.] POPE URBAN’S SPEECH.] - -“You recollect,”[377] said he, “my dearest brethren, many things which -have been decreed for you, at this time; some matters, in our council, -commanded; others inhibited. A rude and confused chaos of crimes -required the deliberation of many days; an inveterate malady demanded -a sharp remedy. For while we give unbounded scope to our clemency, our -papal office finds numberless matters to proscribe; none to spare. -But it has hitherto arisen from human frailty, that you have erred, -and that, deceived by the speciousness of vice, you have exasperated -the long suffering of God, by too lightly regarding his forbearance. -It has arisen too from human wantonness, that, disregarding lawful -wedlock, you have not duly considered the heinousness of adultery. -From too great covetousness also, it has arisen, that, as opportunity -offered, making captive your brethren, bought by the same great price, -you have outrageously extorted from them their wealth. To you, however, -now suffering this perilous shipwreck of sin, a secure haven of rest -is offered, unless you neglect it. A station of perpetual safety will -be awarded you, for the exertion of a trifling labour against the -Turks. Compare, now, the labours which you underwent in the practice -of wickedness, and those which you will encounter in the undertaking -I advise. The intention of committing adultery, or murder, begets -many fears; for, as Soloman says, ‘There is nothing more timid than -guilt:’ many labours; for what is more toilsome than wickedness? -But, ‘He who walks uprightly, walks securely.’ Of these labours, of -these fears, the end was sin; the wages of sin is death; the death -of sinners is most dreadful. Now the same labours and apprehensions -are required from you, for a better consideration. The cause of these -labours, will be charity; if thus warned by the command of God, you -lay down your lives for the brethren: the wages of charity will be -the grace of God; the grace of God is followed by eternal life. Go -then prosperously: Go, then, with confidence, to attack the enemies of -God. For they long since, oh sad reproach to Christians! have seized -Syria, Armenia, and lastly, all Asia Minor, the provinces of which -are Bithynia, Phrygia, Galatia, Lydia, Caria, Pamphylia, Isauria, -Lycia, Cilicia; and, now they insolently domineer over Illyricum, and -all the hither countries, even to the sea which is called the Straits -of St. George. Nay, they usurp even the sepulchre of our Lord, that -singular assurance of our faith; and sell to our pilgrims admissions -to that city, which ought, had they a trace of their ancient courage -left, to be open to Christians only. This alone might be enough to -cloud our brows; but now, who except the most abandoned, or the most -envious of Christian reputation, can endure that we do not divide the -world equally with them? They inhabit Asia, the third portion of the -world, as their native soil, which was justly esteemed by our ancestors -equal, by the extent of its tracts and greatness of its provinces, to -the two remaining parts. There, formerly, sprang up the first germs -of our faith; there, all the apostles, except two, consecrated their -deaths; there, at the present day, the Christians, if any survive, -sustaining life by a wretched kind of agriculture, pay these miscreants -tribute, and even with stifled sighs, long for the participation of -your liberty, since they have lost their own. They hold Africa also, -another quarter of the world, already possessed by their arms for more -than two hundred years; which on this account I pronounce derogatory -to Christian honour, because that country was anciently the nurse of -celebrated geniuses, who, by their divine writings, will mock the rust -of antiquity as long as there shall be a person who can relish Roman -literature:[378] the learned know the truth of what I say. Europe, the -third portion of the world remains; of which, how small a part do we -Christians inhabit? for who can call all those barbarians who dwell in -remote islands of the Frozen Ocean, Christians, since they live after a -savage manner? Even this small portion of the world, belonging to us, -is oppressed by the Turks and Saracens. Thus for three hundred years, -Spain and the Balearic isles have been subjugated to them, and the -possession of the remainder is eagerly anticipated by feeble men, who, -not having courage to engage in close encounter, love a flying mode -of warfare. For the Turk never ventures upon close fight; but, when -driven from his station, bends his bow at a distance, and trusts the -winds with his meditated wound; and as he has poisoned arrows, venom, -and not valour, inflicts the death on the man he strikes. Whatever he -effects, then, I attribute to fortune, not to courage, because he wars -by flight, and by poison. It is apparent too, that every race, born in -that region, being scorched with the intense heat of the sun, abounds -more in reflexion, than in blood; and, therefore, they avoid coming to -close quarters, because they are aware how little blood they possess. -Whereas the people who are born amid the polar frosts, and distant from -the sun’s heat, are less cautious indeed; but, elate from their copious -and luxuriant flow of blood, they fight with the greatest alacrity. You -are a nation born in the more temperate regions of the world; who may -be both prodigal of blood, in defiance of death and wounds; and are not -deficient in prudence. For you equally preserve good conduct in camp, -and are considerate in battle. Thus endued with skill and with valour, -you undertake a memorable expedition. You will be extolled throughout -all ages, if you rescue your brethren from danger. To those present, in -God’s name, I command this; to the absent I enjoin it. Let such as are -going to fight for Christianity, put the form of the cross upon their -garments, that they may, outwardly, demonstrate the love arising from -their inward faith; enjoying by the gift of God, and the privilege of -St. Peter, absolution from all their crimes: let this in the meantime -soothe the labour of their journey; satisfied that they shall obtain, -after death, the advantages of a blessed martyrdom. Putting an end to -your crimes then, that Christians may at least live peaceably in these -countries, go, and employ in nobler warfare, that valour, and that -sagacity, which you used to waste in civil broils: Go, soldiers every -where renowned in fame, go, and subdue these dastardly nations. Let the -noted valour of the French advance, which, accompanied by its adjoining -nations, shall affright the whole world by the single terror of its -name. But why do I delay you longer by detracting from the courage of -the gentiles? Rather bring to your recollection the saying of God, -‘Narrow is the way which leadeth to life.’ Be it so then: the track to -be followed is narrow, replete with death, and terrible with dangers; -still this path will lead to your lost country. No doubt you must, ‘by -much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.’ Place then, before -your imagination, if you shall be made captive, torments and chains; -nay, every possible suffering that can be inflicted. Expect, for the -firmness of your faith, even horrible punishments; that so, if it be -necessary, you may redeem your souls at the expense of your bodies. Do -you fear death? you men of exemplary courage and intrepidity. Surely -human wickedness can devise nothing against you, worthy to be put in -competition with heavenly glory: for the sufferings of the present -time are not worthy to be compared ‘to the glory which shall be -revealed in us.’ Know ye not, ‘that for men to live is wretchedness, -and happiness to die?’ This doctrine, if you remember, you imbibed -with your mother’s milk, through the preaching of the clergy: and this -doctrine your ancestors, the martyrs, held out by example. Death sets -free from its filthy prison the human soul, which then takes flight for -the mansions fitted to its virtues. Death accelerates their country -to the good: death cuts short the wickedness of the ungodly. By means -of death, then, the soul, made free, is either soothed with joyful -hope, or is punished without farther apprehension of worse. So long -as it is fettered to the body, it derives from it earthly contagion; -or to say more truly, is dead. For, earthly with heavenly, and divine -with mortal, ill agree. The soul, indeed, even now, in its state of -union with the body, is capable of great efforts; it gives life to -its instrument, secretly moving and animating it to exertions almost -beyond mortal nature. But when, freed from the clog which drags it to -the earth, it regains its proper station, it partakes of a blessed and -perfect energy, communicating after some measure with the invisibility -of the divine nature. Discharging a double office, therefore, it -ministers life to the body when it is present, and the cause of its -change, when it departs. You must observe how pleasantly the soul wakes -in the sleeping body, and, apart from the senses, sees many future -events, from the principle of its relationship to the Deity. Why then -do ye fear death, who love the repose of sleep, which resembles death? -Surely it must be madness, through lust of a transitory life, to deny -yourselves that which is eternal. Rather, my dearest brethren, should -it so happen, lay down your lives for the brotherhood. Rid God’s -sanctuary of the wicked: expel the robbers: bring in the pious. Let -no love of relations detain you; for man’s chiefest love is towards -God. Let no attachment to your native soil be an impediment; because, -in different points of view, all the world is exile to the Christian, -and all the world his country. Thus exile is his country, and his -country exile. Let none be restrained from going by the largeness of -his patrimony, for a still larger is promised him; not of such things -as soothe the miserable with vain expectation, or flatter the indolent -disposition with the mean advantages of wealth, but of such as are -shewn by perpetual example and approved by daily experience. Yet these -too are pleasant, but vain, and which, to such as despise them, produce -reward a hundred-fold. These things I publish, these I command: and -for their execution I fix the end of the ensuing spring. God will be -gracious to those who undertake this expedition, that they may have -a favourable year, both in abundance of produce, and in serenity of -season. Those who may die will enter the mansions of heaven; while the -living shall behold the sepulchre of the Lord. And what can be greater -happiness, than for a man, in his life-time, to see those places, where -the Lord of heaven was conversant as a man? Blessed are they, who, -called to these occupations, shall inherit such a recompence: fortunate -are those who are led to such a conflict, that they may partake of such -rewards.” - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1095.] EFFECT OF URBAN’S SPEECH.] - -I have adhered to the tenor of this address, retaining some few things -unaltered, on account of the truth of the remarks, but omitting many. -The bulk of the auditors were extremely excited, and attested their -sentiments by a shout; pleased with the speech, and inclined to the -pilgrimage. And immediately, in presence of the council, some of the -nobility, falling down at the knees of the pope, consecrated themselves -and their property to the service of God. Among these was Aimar, the -very powerful bishop of Puy, who afterwards ruled the army by his -prudence, and augmented it through his eloquence. In the month of -November, then, in which this council was held, each departed to his -home: and the report of this good resolution soon becoming general, -it gently wafted a cheering gale over the minds of the Christians: -which being universally diffused, there was no nation so remote, no -people so retired, as not to contribute its portion. This ardent love -not only inspired the continental provinces, but even all who had heard -the name of Christ, whether in the most distant islands, or savage -countries. The Welshman left his hunting; the Scot his fellowship with -lice;[379] the Dane his drinking party; the Norwegian his raw fish. -Lands were deserted of their husbandmen; houses of their inhabitants; -even whole cities migrated. There was no regard to relationship; -affection to their country was held in little esteem; God alone was -placed before their eyes. Whatever was stored in granaries, or hoarded -in chambers, to answer the hopes of the avaricious husbandman, or the -covetousness of the miser, all, all was deserted; they hungered and -thirsted after Jerusalem alone. Joy attended such as proceeded; while -grief oppressed those who remained. But why do I say remained? You -might see the husband departing with his wife, indeed, with all his -family; you would smile to see the whole household laden on a carriage, -about to proceed on their journey.[380] The road was too narrow for the -passengers, the path too confined for the travellers, so thickly were -they thronged with endless multitudes. The number surpassed all human -imagination, though the itinerants were estimated at six millions.[381] -Doubtless, never did so many nations unite in one opinion; never did -so immense a population subject their unruly passions to one, and -almost to no, direction. For the strangest wonder to behold was, that -such a countless multitude marched gradually through various Christian -countries without plundering, though there was none to restrain them. -Mutual regard blazed forth in all; so that if any one found in his -possession what he knew did not belong to him, he exposed it everywhere -for several days to be owned; and the desire of the finder was -suspended, till perchance the wants of the loser might be repaired.[382] - -The long-looked for month of March was now at hand, when, the hoary -garb of winter being laid aside, the world, clad in vernal bloom, -invited the pilgrims to the confines of the east; nor, such was the -ardour of their minds, did they seek delay. Godfrey, duke of Lorraine, -proceeded by way of Hungary: second to none in military virtue, and, -descended from the ancient lineage of Charles the Great, he inherited -much of Charles both in blood and in mind. He was followed by the -Frisons, Lorrainers, Saxons, and all the people who dwell between the -Rhine and the Garonne.[383] Raimund, earl of St. Giles, and Aimar, -bishop of Puy, nobly matched in valour, and alike noted for spirit -against the enemy and piety to God, took the route of Dalmatia. Under -their standard marched the Goths and Gascons, and all the people -scattered throughout the Pyrenees and the Alps. Before them, by a -shorter route, went Boamund, an Apulian by residence, but a Norman by -descent. For embarking at Brindisi, and landing at Durazzo, he marched -to Constantinople by roads with which he was well acquainted. Under his -command, Italy, and the whole adjacent province, from the Tuscan sea -to the Adriatic, joined in the war. All these assembling at the same -time at Constantinople, partook somewhat of mutual joy. Here, too, they -found Hugh the Great, brother of Philip, king of France: for having -inconsiderately, and with a few soldiers, entered the territories of -the emperor, he was taken by his troops, and detained in free custody. -But Alexius, emperor of Constantinople, alarmed at the arrival of -these chiefs, willingly, but, as it were, induced by their entreaties, -released him. Alexius was a man famed for his duplicity, and never -attempted any thing of importance, unless by stratagem. He had taken -off Guiscard, as I before related, by poison, and had corrupted his -wife by gold; falsely promising by his emissaries to marry her. Again, -too, he allowed William, earl of Poitou, to be led into an ambush of -the Turks, and, after losing sixty thousand soldiers, to escape almost -unattended; being incensed at his reply, when he refused homage to the -Greek. In after time, he laid repeated snares for Boamund, who was -marching against him to avenge the injuries of the crusaders; and when -these failed he bereaved him of his brother Guido, and of almost all -his army; making use of his usual arts either in poisoning the rivers, -or their garments: but of this hereafter. Now, however, removing the -army from the city, and mildly addressing the chiefs, his Grecian -eloquence proved so powerful, that he obtained from them all homage, -and an oath, that they would form no plot against him; and that if they -could subdue the cities pertaining to his empire, they would restore -them to him, thus purchasing another’s advantage at the expense of -their own blood. The credit of maintaining his liberty appeared more -estimable to Raimund alone; so that he neither did homage to him, nor -took the oath. Collecting, then, all their forces, they made an attack -on Nicea, a city of Bithynia: for they chose to assault this first, -both as it was an obstacle to the crusaders, and as they were eager to -revenge the death of those pilgrims who had recently been slain there. -For one Walter, a distinguished soldier, but precipitate, (for you -will scarcely see prudence and valour united in the same person, as -one retards what the other advances,) incautiously roaming around the -walls, had perished with a numerous party, which Peter the hermit had -allured, by his preaching, from their country. - -Now, too, in the month of September, Robert earl of Normandy, brother -of king William whose name is prefixed to this book, earnestly desiring -to enter on the expedition, had as his companions Robert of Flanders, -and Stephen of Blois who had married his sister. They were earls of -noble lineage and corresponding valour. Under their command were the -English and Normans, the Western Franks and people of Flanders, and all -the tribes which occupy the continental tract from the British Ocean to -the Alps. Proceeding on their journey, at Lucca they found pope Urban, -who being enraged at Guibert, as I have said, was, by the assistance -of Matilda, carrying war into Italy and around the city of Rome. He had -now so far succeeded that the Roman people, inclining to his party, -were harassing that of Guibert, both by words and blows; nor did the -one faction spare the other, either in the churches or in the streets, -until Guibert, being weakest, left the see vacant for Urban, and fled -to Germany. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1097.] ANCIENT ROME.] - -Of Rome, formerly the mistress of the globe, but which now, in -comparison of its ancient state, appears a small town; and of the -Romans, once “Sovereigns over all and the gowned nation,”[384] who are -now the most fickle of men, bartering justice for gold, and dispensing -with the canons for money; of this city and its inhabitants, I say, -whatever I might attempt to write, has been anticipated by the verses -of Hildebert, first, bishop of Mans, and afterwards archbishop of -Tours.[385] Which I insert, not to assume the honour acquired by -another man’s labour, but rather as a proof of a liberal mind, while -not envying his fame, I give testimony to his charming poetry. - - Rome, still thy ruins grand beyond compare, - Thy former greatness mournfully declare, - Though time thy stately palaces around - Hath strewed, and cast thy temples to the ground. - Fall’n is the power, the power Araxes dire - Regrets now gone, and dreaded when entire; - Which arms and laws, and ev’n the gods on high - Bade o’er the world assume the mastery; - Which guilty Cæsar rather had enjoyed - Alone, than e’er a fostering hand employed. - Which gave to foes, to vice, to friends its care, - Subdued, restrained, or bade its kindness share - This growing power the holy fathers reared, - Where near the stream the fav’ring spot appeared - From either pole, materials, artists meet, - And rising walls their proper station greet; - Kings gave their treasures, fav’ring too was fate, - And arts and riches on the structure wait. - Fall’n is that city, whose proud fame to reach, - I merely say, “Rome was,” there fails my speech. - Still neither time’s decay, nor sword, nor fire, - Shall cause its beauty wholly to expire. - Human exertions raised that splendid Rome, - Which gods in vain shall strive to overcome. - Bid wealth, bid marble, and bid fate attend, - And watchful artists o’er the labour bend, - Still shall the matchless ruin art defy - The old to rival, or its loss supply. - Here gods themselves their sculptur’d forms admire, - And only to reflect those forms aspire; - Nature unable such like gods to form, - Left them to man’s creative genius warm; - Life breathes within them, and the suppliant falls, - Not to the God, but statues in the walls. - City thrice blessed! were tyrants but away, - Or shame compelled them justice to obey. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1097.] DESCRIPTION OF ROME.] - -Are not these sufficient to point out in such a city, both the dignity -of its former advantages, and the majesty of its present ruin? But that -nothing may be wanting to its honour, I will add the number of its -gates, and the multitude of its sacred relics; and that no person may -complain of his being deprived of any knowledge by the obscurity of the -narrative, the description shall run in an easy and familiar style.[386] - -The first is the Cornelian gate, which is now called the gate of -St. Peter, and the Cornelian way. Near it is situated the church of -St. Peter, in which his body lies, decked with gold and silver, and -precious stones: and no one knows the number of the holy martyrs who -rest in that church. On the same way is another church, in which lie -the holy virgins Rufina and Secunda. In a third church, are Marius and -Martha, and Audifax and Abacuc, their sons. - -The second is the Flaminian gate, which is now called the gate of St. -Valentine,[387] and the Flaminian way, and when it arrives at the -Milvian bridge, it takes the name of the Ravennanian way, because it -leads to Ravenna; and there, at the first stone without the gate, St. -Valentine rests in his church. - -The third is called the Porcinian[388] gate, and the way the same; but -where it joins the Salarian, it loses its name, and there, nearly in -the spot which is called Cucumeris, lie the martyrs, Festus, Johannes, -Liberalis, Diogenes, Blastus, Lucina, and in one sepulchre, the Two -Hundred and Sixty,[389] in another, the Thirty. - -The fourth is the Salarian[390] gate and way; now called St. -Silvester’s. Here, near the road, lie St. Hermes, and St. Vasella, -and Prothus, and Jacinctus, Maxilian, Herculan, Crispus; and, in -another place, hard by, rest the holy martyrs Pamphilus and Quirinus, -seventy steps beneath the surface. Next is the church of St. Felicity, -where she rests, and Silanus her son; and not far distant, Boniface -the martyr. In another church, there are Crisantus, and Daria, and -Saturninus, and Maurus, and Jason, and their mother Hilaria, and others -innumerable. And in another church, St. Alexander, Vitalis, Martialis, -sons of St. Felicity; and seven holy virgins, Saturnina, Hilarina, -Duranda, Rogantina, Serotina, Paulina, Donata. Next the church of -St. Silvester, where he lies under a marble tomb; and the martyrs, -Celestinus, Philippus, and Felix; and there too, the Three Hundred and -Sixty-five martyrs rest in one sepulchre; and near them lie Paulus and -Crescentianus, Prisca and Semetrius, Praxides and Potentiana. - -The fifth is called the Numentan[391] gate. There lies St. Nicomede, -priest and martyr; the way too is called by the same name. Near the -road are the church and body of St. Agnes; in another church, St. -Ermerenciana, and the martyrs, Alexander, Felix, Papias; at the seventh -stone on this road rests the holy pope Alexander, with Euentius and -Theodolus. - -The sixth is the Tiburtine[392] gate and way, which is now called -St. Lawrence’s: near this way lies St. Lawrence in his church, and -Habundius the martyr: and near this, in another church, rest these -martyrs, Ciriaca, Romanus, Justinus, Crescentianus; and not far from -hence the church of St. Hyppolitus, where he himself rests, and his -family, eighteen in number; there too repose, St. Trifonia, the wife -of Decius, and his daughter Cirilla, and her nurse Concordia. And in -another part of this way is the church of Agapit the martyr. - -The seventh is called, at present, the Greater gate,[393] formerly the -Seracusan, and the way the Lavicanian, which leads to St. Helena. Near -this are Peter, Marcellinus, Tyburtius, Geminus, Gorgonius, and the -Forty Soldiers,[394] and others without number; and a little farther -the Four Coronati.[395] - -The eighth is the gate of St. John,[396] which by the ancients was -called Assenarica. The ninth gate is called Metrosa;[397] and in -front of both these runs the Latin way. The tenth is called the -Latin gate,[398] and way. Near this, in one church, lie the martyrs, -Gordianus and Epimachus, Sulpicius, Servilianus, Quintinus, Quartus, -Sophia, Triphenus. Near this too, in another spot, Tertullinus, and -not far distant, the church of St. Eugenia, in which she lies, and her -mother Claudia, and pope Stephen, with nineteen of his clergy, and -Nemesius the deacon. - -The eleventh is called the Appian gate[399] and way. There lie St. -Sebastian, and Quirinus, and originally the bodies of the apostles -rested there. A little nearer Rome, are the martyrs, Januarius, -Urbanus, Xenon, Quirinus, Agapetus, Felicissimus; and in another -church, Tyburtius, Valerianus, Maximus. Not far distant is the church -of the martyr Cecilia; and there are buried Stephanus, Sixtus, -Zefferinus, Eusebius, Melchiades, Marcellus, Eutychianus, Dionysius, -Antheros, Pontianus, pope Lucius, Optacius, Julianus, Calocerus, -Parthenius, Tharsicius, Politanus, martyrs: there too is the church -and body of St. Cornelius: and in another church, St. Sotheris: and -not far off, rest the martyrs, Hippolytus, Adrianus, Eusebius, Maria, -Martha, Paulina, Valeria, Marcellus, and near, pope Marcus in his -church. Between the Appian and Ostiensian way, is the Ardeatine way, -where are St. Marcus, and Marcellianus. And there lies pope Damasus in -his church; and near him St. Petronilla, and Nereus, and Achilleus, and -many more. - -The twelfth gate and way is called the Ostiensian, but, at present, St. -Paul’s,[400] because he lies near it in his church. There too is the -martyr Timotheus: and near, in the church of St. Tecla, are the martyrs -Felix, Audactus, and Nemesius. At the Three Fountains[401] is the head -of the martyr St. Anastasius. - -The thirteenth is called the Portuan[402] gate and way; near which in -a church are the martyrs, Felix, Alexander, Abdon and Sennes, Symeon, -Anastasius, Polion, Vincentius, Milex, Candida, and Innocentia. - -The fourteenth is the Aurelian[403] gate and way, which now is called -the gate of St. Pancras, because he lies near it in his church, and -the other martyrs, Paulinus, Arthemius, St. Sapientia, with her three -daughters, Faith, Hope, and Charity. In another church, Processus and -Martinianus; and, in a third, two Felixes; in a fourth Calixtus, and -Calepodius; in a fifth St. Basilides. At the twelfth milliary within -the city, on Mount Celius, are the martyrs Johannes, and Paulus, in -their dwelling, which was made a church after their martyrdom: and -Crispin and Crispinianus, and St. Benedicta. On the same mount, is -the church of St. Stephen, the first martyr; and there are buried the -martyrs Primus, and Felicianus; on Mount Aventine St. Boniface; and on -Mount Nola, St. Tatiana rests. - -Such are the Roman sanctuaries; such the sacred pledges upon earth: and -yet in the midst of this heavenly treasure, as it were, a people drunk -with senseless fury, even at the very time the crusaders arrived, were -disturbing everything with wild ambition, and, when unable to satisfy -their lust of money, pouring out the blood of their fellow citizens -over the very bodies of the saints.[404] The earls, confiding then in -Urban’s benediction, having passed through Tuscany and Campania, came -by Apulia to Calabria, and would have embarked immediately had not the -seamen, on being consulted, forbade them, on account of the violence -of the southerly winds. In consequence, the earls of Normandy and -Blois passed the winter there; sojourning each among their friends, as -convenient. The earl of Flanders, alone, ventured to sea, experiencing -a prosperous issue to a rash attempt: wherefore part of this assembled -multitude returned home through want; and part of them died from the -unwholesomeness of the climate. The earls who remained however, when -by the vernal sun’s return they saw the sea sufficiently calm for -the expedition, committed themselves to the ocean, and, by Christ’s -assistance, landed safely at two ports. Thence, through Thessaly, -the metropolis of which is Thessalonica, and Thracia, they came to -Constantinople. Many of the lower order perished on the march through -disease and want; many lost their lives at the Devil’s Ford, as it is -called from its rapidity; and more indeed would have perished, had -not the advanced cavalry been stationed in the river, to break the -violence of the current; by which means the lives of some were saved, -and the rest passed over on horseback. The whole multitude then, to -solace themselves for their past labours, indulged in rest for fifteen -days, pitching their camp in the suburbs of the city; of which, as the -opportunity has presented itself, I shall briefly speak. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1097.] CONSTANTINOPLE--ITS ORIGIN.] - -Constantinople was first called Byzantium: which name is still -preserved by the imperial money called Bezants. St. Aldhelm, in his -book On Virginity,[405] relates that it changed its appellation by -divine suggestion: his words are as follow. As Constantine was sleeping -in this city, he imagined that there stood before him an old woman, -whose forehead was furrowed with age; but, that presently, clad in an -imperial robe, she became transformed into a beautiful girl, and so -fascinated his eyes, by the elegance of her youthful charms, that he -could not refrain from kissing her: that Helena, his mother, being -present, then said, “She shall be yours for ever; nor shall she die, -till the end of time.” The solution of this dream, when he awoke, the -emperor extorted from heaven, by fasting and almsgiving. And behold, -within eight days, being cast again into a deep sleep, he thought -he saw pope Silvester, who died some little time before, regarding -his convert[406] with complacency, and saying, “You have acted with -your customary prudence, in waiting for a solution, from God, of that -enigma which was beyond the comprehension of man. The old woman you -saw, is this city, worn down by age, whose time-struck walls, menacing -approaching ruin, require a restorer. But you, renewing its walls, and -its affluence, shall signalize it also with your name; and here shall -the imperial progeny reign for ever. You shall not, however, lay the -foundations at your own pleasure; but mounting the horse on which, -when in the novitiate of your faith, you rode round the churches of -the apostles at Rome, you shall give him the rein, and liberty to -go whither he please: you shall have, too, in your hand, your royal -spear,[407] whose point shall describe the circuit of the wall on the -ground. You will be regulated, therefore, in what manner to dispose the -foundations of the wall by the track of the spear on the earth.” - -The emperor eagerly obeyed the vision, and built a city equal to -Rome; alleging that the emperor ought not to reign in Rome, where the -martyred apostles, from the time of Christ, held dominion. He built -in it two churches, one of which was dedicated to peace; the other to -the apostles; bringing thither numerous bodies of saints, who might -conciliate the assistance of God against the incursions of its enemies. -He placed in the circus, for the admiration and ornament of the city, -the statues of triumphal heroes, brought from Rome, and the tripods -from Delphi; and the images of heathen deities to excite the contempt -of the beholders. They relate that it was highly gratifying to the mind -of the emperor, to receive a mandate from heaven, to found a city in -that place, where the fruitfulness of the soil, and the temperature -of the atmosphere conduced to the health of its inhabitants: for as -he was born in Britain,[408] he could not endure the burning heat of -the sun. But Thracia is a province of Europe, as the poets observe, -extremely cool, “From Hebrus’ ice, and the Bistonian north;” and near -to Mœsia, where, as Virgil remarks, “With wonder Gargara the harvest -sees.”[409] Constantinople, then, washed by the sea, obtains the -mingled temperature both of Europe and of Asia; because, from a short -distance, the Asiatic east tempers the severity of the northern blast. -The city is surrounded by a vast extent of walls, yet the influx of -strangers is so great, as to make it crowded. In consequence they -form a mole in the sea, by throwing in masses of rock, and loads of -sand; and the space obtained by this new device, straitens the ancient -waters. The sea wonders to see fields unknown before, amid its glassy -waves; and surrounds and supplies its city with all the conveniences of -the earth. The town is encompassed on every side, except the north, by -the ocean, and is full of angles in the circuit of its walls, where it -corresponds with the windings of the sea; which walls contain a space -of twenty miles in circumference. The Danube,[410] which is likewise -called the Ister, flows in hidden channels under ground, into the city; -and on certain days being let out by the removal of a plug, it carries -off the filth of the streets into the sea. All vied with the emperor in -noble zeal to give splendour to this city, each thinking he was bound -to advance the work in hand: one contributing holy relics, another -riches, Constantine all things. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1097.] EMPERORS OF CONSTANTINOPLE.] - -After Constantine the Great, the following emperors reigned here. -Constantine his son; Julian the Apostate; Jovinian, Valens, Theodosius -the Great; Arcadius, Theodosius the Younger; Marchianus, Leo the First; -Zeno, Anastasius, Justin the Great; Justinian, who, famed for his -literature and his wars, built a church in Constantinople to Divine -Wisdom; that is, to the Lord Jesus Christ, which he called Hagia -Sophia; a work, as they report, surpassing every other edifice in -the world, and where ocular inspection proves it superior to its most -pompous descriptions: Justin the Younger; Tiberius, Mauricius, the -first Greek; Focas, Heraclius, Heracleonas, Constans, Constantine, the -son of Heraclius; who, coming to Rome, and purloining all the remains -of ancient decoration, stripped the churches even of their brazen -tiles, anxiously wishing for triumphal honours, at Constantinople, -even from such spoils as these; his covetousness, however, turned out -unfortunately for him, for being shortly after killed at Syracuse, he -left all these honourable spoils to be conveyed to Alexandria by the -Saracens; Constantine, Leo the Second; Justinian, again Justinian, -Tiberius, Anastasius, Philippicus, Theodosius, Leo the Third; all -these reigned both at Constantinople and at Rome: the following in -Constantinople only; Constantine, Leo, Constantine, Nicephorus, -Stauratius, Michael, Theophilus, Michael, Basilius, Leo, Alexander, -Constantine, two Romanuses, Nicephorus, Focas, Johannes, Basilius, -Romanus, Michael, Constantine, Theodora the empress, Michael, Sachius, -Constantine, Romanus, Diogenes, Nicephorus, Buthanus, Michael;[411] -who, driven from the empire by Alexius, secretly fled to Guiscard -in Apulia, and surrendering to him his power, imagined he had done -something prejudicial to Alexius: hence Guiscard’s ambition conceived -greater designs; falsely persuading himself that he might acquire by -industry, what the other had lost by inactivity: how far he succeeded, -the preceding book hath explained. In the same city is the cross of -our Saviour, brought by Helena from Jerusalem. There too rest the -apostles, Andrew, James the brother of our Lord; Matthias: the prophets -Elizeus, Daniel, Samuel, and many others: Luke the Evangelist: martyrs -innumerable: confessors, Johannes Chrysostom, Basilius, Gregorious -Nazianzen, Spiridion: virgins, Agatha, Lucia; and lastly all the saints -whose bodies the emperors were able to collect thither out of every -country. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1097.] SIEGE OF NICE.] - -The earls, then, of Normandy and Blois, did homage to the Greek. For -the earl of Flanders had already passed on, disdaining to perform this -ceremony, from the recollection that he was freely born and educated. -The others, giving and receiving promises of fidelity, proceeded in -the first week of June to Nice, which the rest had already besieged -from the middle of May. Uniting, therefore, their forces, much carnage -ensued on either side; since every kind of weapon could easily be -hurled by the townsmen on those who were beneath them; and the arm -even of the weakest had effect on persons crowded together. Moreover -the Turks dragged up, with iron hooks, numberless dead bodies of our -people, to mangle them in mockery; or to cast them down again when -stripped of their raiment. The Franks were grieved at this: nor did -they cease venting their rage by slaughter, till the Turks, wearied by -extremity of suffering, on the day of the summer solstice, surrendered -themselves to the emperor by means of secret messengers. He, who knew -only how to consult his own advantage, gave orders to the Franks to -depart: choosing rather, that the city should be reserved for the -undisguised disloyalty of the Turks, than the distrusted power of -the Franks. He ordered, however, silver and gold to be distributed -to the chiefs, and copper coin to those of inferior rank, lest they -should complain of being unrewarded. Thus the Turks, who, passing -the Euphrates, had now for the space of fifty years been possessed -of Bithynia, which is a part of Asia Minor that is called Romania, -betook themselves to flight to the eastward. Nevertheless, when the -siege was ended, they attempted, at the instigation of Soliman,[412] -who had been sovereign of all Romania, to harass the army on its -advance. This man collecting, as is computed, three hundred and sixty -thousand archers, attacked our people, expecting anything rather than -hostility, with such violence, that overwhelmed with an iron shower -of arrows, they were terrified and turned their backs. At that time, -by chance, duke Godfrey and Hugh the Great, and Raimund, had taken -another route, that they might plunder the enemies’ country to a wider -extent, and obtain forage with more facility. But the Norman, sensible -of his extreme danger, by means of expeditious messengers on a safe -track, acquainted Godfrey and the rest of the approach of the Turks. -They without a moment’s delay, turned against the enemy, and delivered -their associates from danger. For these were now indiscriminately -slaughtered in their tents, unprepared for resistance, and filling -the air with prayers and lamentations. Nor did the enemy take any -particular aim, but trusting his arrows to the wind, he never, from -the thickness of the ranks, drew his bow in vain. What alone retarded -destruction was, that the attack took place near a thicket of canes, -which prevented the Turks from riding full speed. At length, however, -perceiving the advanced guard of the approaching chiefs, the Christians -left the thicket, and shouting the military watch-word, “It is the -will of God,”[413] they attack the scattered ranks of the enemy, -making a signal to their companions, at the same time to assail them -in the rear. Thus the Turks, pressed on either side, forthwith fled, -shrieking with a dreadful cry, and raising a yell which reached the -clouds. Nor had they recourse to their customary practice of a flying -battle, but throwing down their bows, they manifested, by a flight of -three successive days, something greater than mere human apprehension. -Nor was there, indeed, any person to follow them; for our horses, -scarce able to support life on the barren turf, were unequal to a -vigorous pursuit: showing immediately their want of strength by their -panting sides. Asia was formerly, it is true, a land most fruitful -in corn; but, both in distant and in recent times, it had been so -plundered by the savage Turks, that it could scarcely suffice for the -maintenance of a small army, much less of a multitude, so vast as to -threaten devouring whole harvests and drinking rivers dry. For, when -they departed from Nice, they were still estimated at seven hundred -thousand: of the remainder, part had been wasted by the sword, part by -sickness, and still more had deserted to their homes. - -Thence, then, they arrived at Heraclea by the route of Antioch and -Iconium, cities of Pisidia. Here they beheld in the sky a portent -fashioned like a flaming sword; the point of which extended towards the -east. All the period from the kalends of July, when they left Nice, -till the nones of October, had elapsed when they arrived at Antioch -in Syria. The situation of this city, I should describe, had not my -wish in this respect been anticipated by the eloquence of Ambrosius in -Hegesippus:[414] were I not also fearful, that I may be blamed for the -perpetual digressions of my narrative. Still, however, I will relate so -much as the labour I have undertaken seems to require. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1097.] SIEGE OF ANTIOCH.] - -Antioch, which was named after his father, Antiochus, by Seleucus, -king of Asia, is surrounded with a vast wall, which even contains a -mountain within it. Next to Rome, and Constantinople, and Alexandria, -it obtains precedence over the cities of the world. It is secure -by its walls, lofty from its situation; and if ever taken, must be -gained more by ingenuity than force. The nearest river to it, which -I learn is now called Fervus, though originally Orontes, falls into -the sea twelve miles from the city; its tide impetuous, and growing -colder from its violence, ministers to the health of the inhabitants -by its effect on the atmosphere. Capable too of receiving supplies by -shipping for the service of its citizens, it can at all times mock the -perseverance of its besiegers. Here the venerable title of Christian -was first conceived: hence, first St. Paul, the spring and spur of this -religion, went forth to preach; here the first pontific seat was filled -by St. Peter; in honour to whom the church there founded remained -uninjured through the whole domination of the Turks: and equally also -did another, consecrated in honour of St. Mary, strike the eyes of -beholders with its beauty, exciting wonder that they should reverence -the church of him whose faith they persecuted. - -This city, then, the Franks invested from October till June;[415] -pitching their tents around the walls after they had passed the river. -Foreseeing, however, the difficulty of taking it, and judging it -expedient to provide against the cowardice of certain of their party, -the chiefs, in common, took an oath, that they would not desist from -the siege till the city should be taken by force or by stratagem. And, -that they might more easily complete their design, they built many -fortresses on this side of the river, in which soldiers were placed to -keep guard. Aoxianus, too, the governor of the city, observing that the -Franks acted neither jestingly nor coldly, but set heartily to besiege -it, sent his son Sansadol to the Sultan, emperor of Persia, to make -known the boldness of the Franks, and to implore assistance. Sultan -among the Persians implies the same as Augustus among the Romans: -Commander of all the Saracens, and of the whole east. I imagine this -empire has continued so long, and still increases, because the people, -as I have related, are unwarlike; and being deficient in active blood, -know not how to cast off slavery, when once admitted; not being aware, -as Lucan says,[416] that - - “Arms were bestowed that men should not be slaves.” - -But the western nations, bold and fierce, disdain long-continued -subjugation to any people whatever; often delivering themselves from -servitude, and imposing it on others. Moreover, the Roman empire first -declined to the Franks, and after to the Germans: the eastern continues -ever with the Persians. - -Sansadol therefore being despatched to the chief of this empire, -hastened his course with youthful ardour, while his father was by no -means wanting to the duties of a commander, in the protection of the -city. The valour of the besieged was not content merely to defend their -own party, but voluntarily harassed ours; frequently and suddenly -attacking them when foraging or marketing: for, making a bridge of the -vessels they found there, they had established a mart beyond the river. -Through Christ’s assistance, therefore, becoming resolute, they seized -their arms, and boldly repelled their enemies, so that they never -suffered them to reap the honour of the day. To revenge this disgrace, -the Turks wreaked their indignation on the Syrian and Armenian -inhabitants of the city; throwing, by means of their balistæ[417] and -petraries, the heads of those whom they had slain into the camp of the -Franks, that by such means they might wound their feelings. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1097.] ANTIOCH SURRENDERED.] - -And now, everything which could be procured for food being destroyed -around the city, a sudden famine, which usually makes even fortresses -give way, began to oppress the army; so much so, that the harvest not -having yet attained to maturity, some persons seized the pods of beans -before they were ripe, as the greatest delicacy: others fed on carrion, -or hides soaked in water; others passed parboiled[418] thistles through -their bleeding jaws into their stomachs. Others sold mice, or such -like dainties, to those who required them; content to suffer hunger -themselves, so that they could procure money. Some, too, there were, -who even fed their corpse-like bodies with other corpses, eating human -flesh; but at a distance, and on the mountains, lest others should be -offended at the smell of their cookery. Many wandered through unknown -paths, in expectation of meeting with sustenance, and were killed by -robbers acquainted with the passes. But not long after the city was -surrendered. - -For Boamund, a man of superior talents, had, by dint of very great -promises, induced a Turkish chief,[419] who had the custody of the -principal tower, on the side where his station lay, to deliver it up -to him. And he, too, to palliate the infamy of his treachery by a -competent excuse, gave his son as an hostage to Boamund; professing -that he did so by the express command of Christ, which had been -communicated to him in a dream. Boamund, therefore, advanced his troops -to the tower, having first, by a secret contrivance, obtained from the -chiefs the perpetual government of the city, in case he could carry it. -Thus the Franks, in the dead of the night, scaling the walls by rope -ladders, and displaying on the top of the tower the crimson standard -of Boamund, repeated with joyful accents the Christian watchword, “It -is the will of God! It is the will of God!” The Turks awaking, and -heavy from want of rest, took to flight through narrow passages; and -our party, following with drawn swords, made dreadful slaughter of -the enemy. In this flight fell Aoxianus, governor of the city, being -beheaded by a certain Syrian peasant: his head, when brought to the -Franks, excited both their laughter and their joy. - -Not long rejoicing in this complete victory, they had the next day to -lament being themselves besieged by the Turks from without. For the -forces which had been solicited by Sansadol were now arrived under the -command of Corbaguath, an eastern satrap, who had obtained from the -emperor of Persia three hundred thousand men,[420] under twenty-seven -commanders. Sixty thousand of these ascended over the rocks to the -citadel, by desire of the Turks, who still remained in possession of -it. These woefully harassed the Christians by frequent sallies: nor -was there any hope left, but from the assistance of God, since want -was now added to the miseries of war--want, the earliest attendant on -great calamities. Wherefore, after a fast of three days, and earnest -supplications, Peter the hermit was sent ambassador to the Turks, who -spake with his usual eloquence to the following effect: “That the Turks -should now voluntarily evacuate the Christian territory, which they had -formerly unjustly invaded; that it was but right, as the Christians -did not attack Persia, that the Turks should not molest Asia; that -they should therefore, either by a voluntary departure, seek their own -country, or expect an attack on the following morning; that they might -try their fortune, by two, or four, or eight, that danger might not -accrue to the whole army.” - -Corbaguath condescended not to honour the messenger even with a reply; -but playing at chess and gnashing his teeth, dismissed him as he came; -merely observing, “that the pride of the Franks was at an end.” Hastily -returning, Peter apprised the army of the insolence of the Turk. Each -then animating the other, it was publicly ordered, that every person -should, that night, feed his horse as plentifully as possible, lest -he should falter from the various evolutions of the following day. -And now the morning dawned, when, drawn up in bodies, they proceeded, -with hostile standard, against the enemy. The first band was led by -the two Roberts, of Normandy and Flanders, and Hugh the Great; the -second by Godfrey; the third by the bishop of Puy; the reserve by -Boamund, as a support to the rest. Raimund continued in the city, to -cover the retreat of our party, in case it should be necessary. The -Turks, from a distance, observing their movements, were, at first, -dubious what they could mean. Afterwards, recognizing the standard of -the bishop, for they were extremely afraid of him, as they said he was -the pope of the Christians and the fomenter of the war; and seeing our -people advancing so courageously and quickly, they fled ere they were -attacked. Our party, too, exhilarated with unexpected joy, slew them as -they were flying, as far as the strength of the infantry, or exertion -of the cavalry, would permit. They imagined, moreover, that they saw -the ancient martyrs, who had formerly been soldiers, and who had gained -eternal remuneration by their death, I allude to George and Demetrius, -hastily approaching with upraised banner from the mountainous -districts, hurling darts against the enemy, but assisting the Franks. -Nor is it to be denied, that the martyrs did assist the Christians, -as the angels formerly did the Maccabees, fighting for the self-same -cause. Returning, then, to the spoil, they found in their camp -sufficient to satisfy, or even totally to glut, the covetousness of the -greediest army. This battle took place A.D. 1098, on the fourth before -the kalends of July; for the city had been taken the day before the -nones of June. Soon after, on the kalends of the ensuing August, the -bishop of Puy, the leader of the Christians, and chief author of this -laudable enterprise, joyfully yielded to the common lot of mortals; and -Hugh the Great, by permission of the chiefs, as it is said, returned to -France, alleging as a reason, the perpetual racking of his bowels. - -But when, by a long repose of seven months at Antioch, they had -obliterated the memory of their past labours, they began to think of -proceeding on their route. And first of all Raimund, ever unconscious -of sloth, ever foremost in military energy; and next to him the two -Roberts, and Godfrey, proceeded upon the march. Boamund alone, for a -time, deferred his advance, lured by the prospect of a magnificent city -and the love of wealth. A plausible reason, however, lay concealed -beneath his covetousness, when he alleged, that Antioch ought not to be -exposed to the Turks without a chief, as they would directly attack it. -He therefore took up his residence in the city; and this harsh governor -drove Raimund’s followers, who occupied one of the streets, without the -walls. - -The others, however, passing through Tripoli,[421] and Berith, and -Tyre, and Sidon, and Accaron, and Caiphas, and Cæsarea of Palestine, -where they left the coast to the right hand, came to Ramula; being -kindly received by some of the cities, and signalizing their valour by -the subjugation of others. For their design was to delay no longer, -as it was now the month of April, and the produce of the earth had -become fully ripe. Ramula is a very small city, without walls: if we -credit report, the place of the martyrdom of St. George; whose church, -originally founded there, the Turks had somewhat defaced: but at that -time, through fear of the Franks, they had carried off their property -and retreated to the mountains. The next morning, at early dawn, -Tancred, the nephew of Boamund, a man of undaunted courage, and some -others, taking arms, proceeded to Bethlehem, desirous of exploring -its vicinity. The Syrians of the place, who came out to meet them, -manifested their joy with weeping earnestness, through apprehension -for their safety, on account of the smallness of their numbers; for -few more than a hundred horsemen were of the party. But our people -having suppliantly adored the sacred edifice,[422] immediately stretch -anxiously forward towards Jerusalem. The Turks, confident of their -force, fiercely sallied out, and for some time skirmished with our -troops, for the whole army had now come up; but they were soon -repulsed by the exertions of the Franks, and sought security from their -encircling walls. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1099.] APPROACH TO JERUSALEM.] - -The numbers who have already written on the subject, admonish me to -say nothing of the situation and disposition of Jerusalem, nor is it -necessary for my narrative to expatiate on such a field. Almost every -person is acquainted with what Josephus, Eucherius, and Bede, have -said: for who is not aware, that it was called Salem from Melchisedec; -Jebus from the Jebusites; Jerusalem from Solomon? Who has not heard -how often, falling from adverse war, it buried its inhabitants in -its ruins, through the different attacks of Nabugodonosor, of Titus, -or of Adrian? It was this last who rebuilt Jerusalem, called Ælia, -after his surname, enclosing it with a circular wall, of greater -compass, that it might embrace the site of the sepulchre of our Lord, -which originally stood without: Mount Sion, too, added to the city, -stands eminent as a citadel. It possesses no springs;[423] but water, -collected in cisterns, prepared for that purpose, supplies the wants of -the inhabitants: for the site of the city, beginning from the northern -summit of Mount Sion, has so gentle a declivity, that the rain which -falls there does not form any mire, but running like rivulets, is -received into tanks, or flowing through the streets, augments the brook -Kedron. Here is the church of our Lord, and the temple, which they -call Solomon’s, by whom built is unknown, but religiously reverenced -by the Turks; more especially the church of our Lord, where they -daily worshipped, and prohibited the Christians from entering, having -placed there a statue of Mahomet. Here also is a church of elegant -workmanship, containing the holy sepulchre, built by Constantine the -Great, and which has never suffered any injury from the enemies of our -faith, through fear, as I suppose, of being struck by that celestial -fire which brightly shines in lamps, every year, on the Vigil[424] -of Easter. When this miracle had a beginning, or whether it existed -before the times of the Saracens, history has left no trace. I have -read in the writings of Bernard[425] the monk, that about two hundred -and fifty years ago, that is, A.D. 870, he went to Jerusalem and saw -that fire, and was entertained in the Hospital which the most glorious -Charles the Great had there ordered to be built, and where he had -collected a library at great expense. He relates, that both in Egypt -and in that place, the Christians, under the dominion of the Turks, -enjoyed such security, that if any traveller lost a beast of burden by -accident, in the midst of the high road, he might leave his baggage -and proceed to the nearest city for assistance, and without doubt find -every thing untouched at his return. Still, from the suspicion that -they might be spies, no foreign Christian could live there securely, -unless protected by the signet of the emperor of Babylon. The natives -purchased peace from the Turks at the expense of three talents or -bezants annually. But as Bernard mentions the name of Theodosius, the -then patriarch, this gives me an occasion of enumerating the whole of -the patriarchs. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1099.] PATRIARCHS OF JERUSALEM.] - -James the brother of our Lord and son of Joseph; Simon son of -Cleophas, the cousin of Christ, for Cleophas was the brother of -Joseph; Justus, Zaccheus, Tobias, Benjamin, Johannes, Maccabæus, -Philip, Seneca, Justus, Levi, Effrem, Jesse, Judas; these fifteen -were circumcised: Mark, Cassian, Publius, Maximus, Julian, Gaius; who -first celebrated Easter and Lent after the Roman manner: Symmachus, -Gaius, Julian, Capito, Maximus, Antonius, Valens, Docilianus, -Narcissus, Dius, Germanio, Gordius, Alexander, Mazabanus, Irmeneus, -Zabdas, Ermon, Macharius; in his time the Holy Cross was found by -St. Helena: Cyriacus, Maximus, Cyrillus, who built the church of the -Holy Sepulchre, and of Mount Calvary, and of Bethlehem, and of the -Valley of Jehosaphat. All these were called bishops. After them arose -the patriarchs: Cyrillus the first patriarch; Johannes, Prailius, -Juvenalis,[426] Zacharias, in whose time came Cosdroe[427] king of -Persia to Jerusalem, and destroyed the churches of Judea and Jerusalem, -and slew with his army six and thirty thousand of the Christians: -Modestus, who was appointed patriarch by the emperor Heraclius, when -he returned victorious from Persia: Sophronius, in whose time the -Saracens came and thrust out all the Christians from Jerusalem, except -the patriarch, whom they suffered to remain out of reverence to his -sanctity: this was the period when the Saracens overran the whole of -Egypt, and Africa, and Judea, and even Spain, and the Balearic Isles. -Part of Spain was wrested from them by Charles the Great, but the -remainder, together with the countries I have enumerated, they have -possessed for nearly five hundred years, down to the present day: -Theodorus,[428] Ilia, Georgius, Thomas, Basilius, Sergius, Salomontes, -Theodosius, whom Bernard relates to have been an abbat, and that he -was torn from his monastery, which was fifteen miles distant from -Jerusalem, and made patriarch of that city: then too they say that -Michael was patriarch in Babylon over Egypt, the patriarchate of -Alexandria being removed thither: Ilia, Sergius, Leonthos, Athanasius, -Christodolus, Thomas, Joseph, Orestes; in his time came Sultan Achim, -the nephew of the patriarch Orestes, from Babylon, who sent his army to -Jerusalem, destroyed all the churches, that is to say, four thousand, -and caused his uncle, the patriarch, to be conveyed to Babylon and -there slain: Theophilus, Nicephorus: he built the present church of the -Holy Sepulchre, by the favour of Sultan Achim: Sophronius; in his time -the Turks, coming to Jerusalem, fought with the Saracens, killed them -all, and possessed the city; but the Christians continued there under -the dominion of the Turks: Cuthimus, Simeon; in whose time came the -Franks and laid siege to Jerusalem, and rescued it from the hands of -the Turks and of the king of Babylon. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1099.] THE SIEGE OF JERUSALEM.] - -In the fourth year, then, of the expedition to Jerusalem, the third -after the capture of Nice, and the second after that of Antioch, the -Franks laid siege to Jerusalem,--a city well able to repay the toils of -war, to soothe its labours, and to requite the fondest expectation. It -was now the seventh day of June, nor were the besiegers apprehensive -of wanting food or drink for themselves, as the harvest was on the -ground, and the grapes were ripe upon the vines; the care alone of -their cattle distressed them, which, from the nature of the place and -of the season, had no running stream to support them, for the heat of -the sun had dried up the secret springs of the brook Siloah, which, -at uncertain periods, used to shed abroad its refreshing waters. -This brook, when at any time swollen with rain, increases that of -Kedron; and then passes on, with bubbling current, into the valley -of Jehosaphat. But this is extremely rare; for there is no certain -period of its augmentation or decrease. In consequence, the enemy, -suddenly darting from their caverns, frequently killed our people, -when straggling abroad for the purpose of watering the cattle. In the -meantime the chiefs were each observant at their respective posts, -and Raymond actively employed before the tower of David.[429] This -fortress, defending the city on the west, and strengthened, nearly half -way up, by courses of squared stone soldered with lead, repels every -fear of invaders when guarded by a small party within. As they saw, -therefore, that the city was difficult to carry on account of the steep -precipices, the strength of the walls, and the fierceness of the enemy, -they ordered engines to be constructed. But before this, indeed, on -the seventh day of the siege, they had tried their fortune by erecting -ladders, and hurling swift arrows against their opponents: but, as -the ladders were few, and perilous to those who mounted them, since -they were exposed on all sides and nowhere protected from wounds, they -changed their design. There was one engine which we call the Sow, the -ancients, Vinea; because the machine, which is constructed of slight -timbers, the roof covered with boards and wickerwork, and the sides -defended with undressed hides, protects those who are within it, who, -after the manner of a sow, proceed to undermine the foundations of the -walls. There was another, which, for want of timber, was but a moderate -sized tower, constructed after the manner of houses:[430] they call it -Berefreid: this was intended to equal the walls in height. The making -of this machine delayed the siege, on account of the unskilfulness -of the workmen and the scarcity of the wood. And now the fourteenth -day of July arrived, when some began to undermine the wall with the -sows, others to move forward the tower. To do this more conveniently, -they took it towards the works in separate pieces, and, putting it -together again at such a distance as to be out of bowshot, advanced -it on wheels nearly close to the wall. In the meantime, the slingers -with stones, the archers with arrows, and the cross-bow-men with -bolts, each intent on his own department, began to press forward and -dislodge their opponents from the ramparts; soldiers, too, unmatched in -courage, ascend the tower, waging nearly equal war against the enemy -with missile weapons and with stones. Nor, indeed, were our foes at -all remiss; but trusting their whole security to their valour, they -poured down grease and burning oil upon the tower, and slung stones -on the soldiers, rejoicing in the completion of their desires by the -destruction of multitudes. During the whole of that day the battle was -such that neither party seemed to think they had been worsted; on the -following, which was the fifteenth of July, the business was decided. -For the Franks, becoming more experienced from the event of the attack -of the preceding day, threw faggots flaming with oil on a tower -adjoining the wall, and on the party who defended it, which, blazing by -the action of the wind, first seized the timber and then the stones, -and drove off the garrison. Moreover the beams which the Turks had left -hanging down from the walls in order that, being forcibly drawn back, -they might, by their recoil, batter the tower in pieces in case it -should advance too near, were by the Franks dragged to them, by cutting -away the ropes; and being placed from the engine to the wall, and -covered with hurdles, they formed a bridge of communication from the -ramparts to the tower. Thus what the infidels had contrived for their -defence became the means of their destruction; for then the enemy, -dismayed by the smoking masses of flame and by the courage of our -soldiers, began to give way. These advancing on the wall, and thence -into the city, manifested the excess of their joy by the strenuousness -of their exertions. This success took place on the side of Godfrey -and of the two Roberts; Raymond knew nothing of the circumstance, -till the cry of the fugitives and the alarm of the people, throwing -themselves from the walls, who thus met death while flying from it, -acquainted him that the city was taken. On seeing this, he rushed with -drawn sword on the runaways, and hastened to avenge the injuries of -God, until he had satiated his own animosity. Moreover, adverting to -the advantages of quiet for the moment, he sent unhurt to Ascalon five -hundred Ethiopians, who, retreating to the citadel of David, had given -up the keys of the gates under promise of personal safety. There was no -place of refuge for the Turks, so indiscriminately did the insatiable -rage of the victors sweep away both the suppliant and the resisting. -Ten thousand were slain in the temple of Solomon; more were thrown -from the tops of the churches, and of the citadel. After this, the -dead bodies were heaped and dissolved into the aery fluid by means of -fire; lest putrifying in the open air, they should pour contagion on -the heavy atmosphere. The city being thus expiated by the slaughter of -the infidels, they proceeded with hearts contrite and bodies prostrate -to the sepulchre of the Lord, which they had so long earnestly sought -after, and for which they had undergone so many labours. By what ample -incense of prayer, they propitiated heaven, or by what repentant tears -they once again brought back the favour of God, none, I am confident, -can describe; no, not if the splendid eloquence of the ancients could -revive or Orpheus himself return; who, as it is said, bent e’en the -listening rocks to his harmonious strain. Be it imagined then, rather -than expressed. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1099.] CAPTURE OF JERUSALEM.] - -So remarkable was the example of forbearance exhibited by the chiefs, -that, neither on that, nor on the following day, did any of them, -through lust of spoil, withdraw his mind from following up the -victory. Tancred alone, beset with ill-timed covetousness, carried off -some valuable effects from the temple of Solomon; but, afterwards, -reproved by his own conscience, and the address of some other persons, -he restored, if not the same things, yet such as were of equal -value.[431] At that time, if any man, however poor, seized a house, or -riches of any kind, he did not afterwards encounter the brawlings of -the powerful, but held, what he had once possessed, as his hereditary -right. Without delay, then, Godfrey, that brilliant mirror of Christian -nobility, in which, as in a splendid ceiling,[432] the lustre of every -virtue was reflected, was chosen king;[433] all, in lively hope, -agreeing, that they could in no wise better consult the advantage of -the church; deferring, in the meantime, the election of a patriarch, -who was to be appointed by the determination of the Roman Pontiff.[434] - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1099.] BATTLE OF ASCALON.] - -But the emperor of Babylon, not the city built by Nimrod and enlarged -by Semiramis and now said to be deserted, but that which Cambyses, son -of Cyrus, built in Egypt, on the spot where Taphnis formerly stood: -the emperor of Babylon, I say, venting his long-conceived indignation -against the Franks, sent the commander of his forces, to drive them, as -he said, out of his kingdom. Hastening to fulfil the command, when he -heard that Jerusalem was taken, he redoubled his diligence, though he -had by no means been indolent before. The design of the barbarian was -to besiege the Christians in Jerusalem, and after the victory, which -he, falsely presaging, already obtained in imagination, to destroy -utterly the sepulchre of our Lord. The Christians, who desired nothing -less than again to endure the miseries of a siege, taking courage -through God’s assistance, march out of the city towards Ascalon, to -oppose the enemy; and carry with them part of the cross of Christ, -which a certain Syrian, an inhabitant of Jerusalem, had produced, as -it had been preserved in his house, in succession from father to son. -This truly was a fortunate and a loyal device, that the secret should -be all along kept from the Turks. Obtaining moreover a great booty of -sheep and cattle, near Ascalon, they issued a general order, to leave -the whole of it in the open plain, lest it should be an impediment when -engaging the next morning, as they would have spoil more than enough -if they conquered, so that, free from incumbrance, they might avenge -the injuries of heaven. In the morning, therefore, as the army was on -its march, you might see, I believe by divine instinct, the cattle -with their heads erect, proceeding by the side of the soldiers, and -not to be driven away by any force. The enemy perceiving this at a -distance, and their sight being dazzled by the rays of the sun, lost -their confidence, ere the battle could commence, as they thought the -multitude of their opponents was countless: yet were they, themselves, -by no means deficient in numbers, and by long exercise, trained to -battle. They endeavoured therefore to hem in the Franks, who were -proceeding at a slow rate, by dividing their force into two bodies, -and by curving their wings. But the leaders, and more especially -Robert the Norman, who was in the advanced guard, eluding stratagem -by stratagem, or rather cunning by valour, led on their archers and -infantry, and broke through the centre of the heathens. Moreover the -Lorraine cavalry, which was stationed with its commander in the rear, -advancing by the flanks, prevented their flight, and occupied the whole -plain. Thus the Turks, penetrated in the front, and hemmed in on every -side, were slain at the pleasure of the victors; the remainder escaping -through favour of approaching night. Many golden utensils were found -in their camp; many jewels, which, though from their scarcity unknown -in our country, there shine in native splendour. Nor was there ever a -more joyful victory for the Christians, because they obtained the most -precious spoil without loss. - -Returning therefore to Jerusalem, when, by a rest of many days, -they had recruited their strength, some of them, sighing for their -native country, prepared to return by sea. Godfrey and Tancred only -remained; princes, truly noble, and, to whose glory, posterity, if -it judge rightly, never can set limits: men, who, from the intense -cold of Europe, plunged into the insupportable heat of the East: -prodigal of their own lives, so that they could succour suffering -Christianity. Who, besides the fears of barbarous incursions, in -constant apprehension from the unwholesomeness of an unknown climate, -despised the security of rest and of health in their own country; and -although very few in number, kept in subjection so many hostile cities -by their reputation and prowess. They were memorable patterns, too, -of trust in God; not hesitating to remain in that climate, where they -might either suffer from pestilential air, or be slain by the rage of -the Saracens. Let the celebration of the poets then give way; nor let -ancient fiction extol her earliest heroes. No age hath produced aught -comparable to the fame of these men. For, if the ancients had any -merit, it vanished after death with the smoke of their funeral pile; -because it had been spent, rather on the vapour of earthly reputation, -than in the acquisition of substantial good. But the utility of these -men’s valour will be felt, and its dignity acknowledged, as long as -the world shall continue to revolve, or pure Christianity to flourish. -What shall I say of the good order and forbearance of the whole army? -There was no gluttony; no lewdness, which was not directly corrected -by the authority of the commanders, or the preaching of the bishops. -There was no wish to plunder as they passed through the territories -of the Christians; no controversy among themselves, which was not -easily settled by the examination of mediators. Wherefore, since the -commendation of an army so well-ordered redounds to the glory of its -conductors, I will signalize, in my narrative, the exploits and the -adventures of each respective chief; nor will I subtract any thing from -the truth, as I received it on the faith of my relators. But let no -one who has had a fuller knowledge of these events, accuse me of want -of diligence, since we, who are secluded on this side of the British -ocean, hear but the faint echo of Asiatic transactions. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1099.] GODFREY OF BOUILLON.] - -King Godfrey takes the lead in my commendation: he was the son of -Eustace count of Boulogne, of whom I have spoken in the time of king -Edward, but more ennobled maternally, as by that line he was descended -from Charles the Great. For, his mother, named Ida, daughter of the -ancient Godfrey duke of Lorraine, had a brother called Godfrey after -his father, surnamed Bocard. This was at the time when Robert Friso, of -whom I have spoken above, on the death of Florence, duke of Friesland, -married his widow Gertrude; advancing Theodoric, his son-in-law, -to the succession of the duchy. Bocard could not endure this; but -expelling Friso, subjected the country to his own will. Friso, unable -to revenge himself by war, did it by stratagem; killing Bocard through -the agency of his Flemings, who drove a weapon into his posteriors, as -he was sitting for a natural occasion. In this manner the son-in-law -succeeded to the duchy, by the means of his father-in-law. The wife -of this Godfrey was the marchioness Matilda, mentioned in the former -book, who on her husband’s death spiritedly retained the duchy, in -opposition to the emperor; more especially in Italy, for of Lorraine -and the hither-countries he got possession. Ida then, as I began to -relate, animated her son Godfrey with great expectations of getting -the earldom of Lorraine: for the paternal inheritance had devolved on -Eustace her eldest son; the youngest, Baldwin, was yet a boy. Godfrey -arriving at a sufficient age to bear arms, dedicated his services to -the emperor Henry, who is mentioned in the preceding book. Acquiring -his friendship, therefore, by unremitting exertions, he received -from the emperor’s singular liberality the whole of Lorraine as a -recompence. Hence it arose, that when the quarrel broke out between the -pope and Henry, he went with the latter to the siege of Rome; was the -first to break through that part of the wall which was assigned for -his attack, and facilitated the entrance of the besiegers. Being in -extreme perspiration, and panting with heat, he entered a subterraneous -vault which he found in his way, and when he had there appeased the -violence of his thirst by an excessive draught of wine, he brought on -a quartan fever. Others say that he fell a victim to poisoned wine, as -the Romans, and men of that country, are used to infect whole casks. -Others report, that a portion of the walls fell to his lot, where the -Tiber flowing, exhales destructive vapours in the morning; that by -this fatal pest, all his soldiers, with the exception of ten, lost -their lives; and that himself, losing his nails and his hair, never -entirely recovered. But be it which it might of these, it appears that -he was never free from a slow fever, until hearing the report of the -expedition to Jerusalem, he made a vow to go thither, if God would -kindly restore his health. The moment this vow was made, the strength -of the duke revived; so that, recovering apace, he shook disease from -his limbs, and rising with expanded breast, as it were, from years of -decrepitude, shone with renovated youth. In consequence, grateful for -the mercies of God showered down upon him, he went to Jerusalem the -very first, or among the first; leading a numerous army to the war. And -though he commanded a hardy and experienced band, yet none was esteemed -readier to attack, or more efficient in the combat than himself. Indeed -it is known, that, at the siege of Antioch, with a Lorrainian sword, -he cut asunder a Turk, who had demanded single combat, and that one -half of the man lay panting on the ground, while the horse, at full -speed, carried away the other: so firmly the miscreant sat. Another -also who attacked him he clave asunder from the neck to the groin, -by taking aim at his head with a sword; nor did the dreadful stroke -stop here, but cut entirely through the saddle, and the back-bone of -the horse. I have heard a man of veracity relate, that he had seen -what I here subjoin: during the siege, a soldier of the duke’s had -gone out to forage; and being attacked by a lion, avoided destruction -for some time, by the interposition of his shield. Godfrey, grieved -at this sight, transfixed the ferocious animal with a hunting spear. -Wounded, and becoming fiercer from the pain, it turned against the -prince with such violence as to hurt his leg with the iron which -projected from the wound; and had he not hastened with his sword to -rip it up, this pattern of valour must have perished by the tusk of a -wild beast. Renowned from these successes, he was exalted to be king -of Jerusalem, more especially because he was conspicuous in rank and -courage without being arrogant. His dominion was small and confined, -containing, besides the few surrounding towns, scarcely any cities. For -the king’s bad state of health, which attacked him immediately after -the Babylonish war, caused a cessation of warlike enterprise; so that -he made no acquisitions: yet, by able management, he so well restrained -the avidity of the barbarians for the whole of that year, that nothing -was lost. They report that the king, from being unused to a state of -indolence, fell again into his original fever; but I conjecture, -that God, in his own good time, chose early to translate, to a better -kingdom, a soul rendered acceptable to him and tried by so many -labours, lest wickedness should change his heart, or deceit beguile -his understanding. Revolving time thus completing a reign of one year, -he died placidly, and was buried on Mount Golgotha;[435] a king as -unconquerable in death, as he had formerly been in battle; often kindly -repressing the tears of the by-standers. Being asked who was to succeed -him, he mentioned no person by name, but said merely, “whoever was most -worthy.” He never would wear the ensign of royalty, saying, “it was too -great arrogance for him to be crowned for glory, in that city, in which -God had been crowned in mockery.” He died on the fifteenth before the -kalends of August. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1100.] BALDWIN.] - -On Godfrey’s decease, Tancred and the other chiefs declared that -Baldwin, his brother, who was at that time settled in Mesopotamia, -should be king: for Eustace, the elder brother, who came to Jerusalem -with Godfrey, had long since returned to his native land. The acts of -Baldwin shall be related briefly, but with unsullied truth; supported -in their credibility by the narrative of Fulcher[436] of Chartres, who -was his chaplain, and wrote somewhat of him, in a style, not altogether -unpolished, but, as we say, without elegance or correctness, and -which may serve to admonish others to write more carefully. Baldwin, -undertaking the holy pilgrimage with the rest, had for companions -many knights of disposition similar to his own. Confiding in these -associates, he began to levy fresh troops for his purpose; to watch for -brilliant opportunities wherein to manifest his prowess: and, finally, -not content with that commendation which was common to all, leaving the -rest and departing three days’ journey from Antioch, he got possession, -by the consent of its inhabitants, of Tarsus, a noble city of Cilicia: -Tarsus, formerly the nursing-mother of the apostle Paul, in honour -of whom the cathedral there is dedicated. The Tarsians voluntarily -submitted to his protection, as they were Christians, and hoped by his -aid to be defended from the Turks. The Cilicians, therefore, eagerly -yielded to his power, more especially after the surrender of Turbexhel, -a town by situation impregnable, to whose sovereignty the inferior -towns look up. This being yielded, as I have said, the others followed -its decision. And not only Cilicia, but Armenia, and Mesopotamia, -eagerly sought alliance with this chief: for these provinces were -almost free from the domination of the Turks, though infested by their -incursions. Wherefore the prince of the city of Edessa, who was alike -pressed by the hatred of the citizens and the sword of the enemy, sent -letters to Baldwin, descriptive of his difficulties, desiring him to -come with all speed, and receive a compensation for the labour of his -journey, by his adoption, as he had no issue of either sex. This is a -city of Mesopotamia in Syria, very noted for the fruitfulness of its -soil and for the resort of merchants, twenty miles distant from the -Euphrates, and a hundred from Antioch. The Greeks call it Edessa; the -Syrians Rothasia. Baldwin, therefore, exacting an oath of fidelity from -the ambassadors, passed the Euphrates with only sixty-nine horsemen: -a wonderful instance, it may be said, either of fortitude, or of -rashness, in not hesitating to proceed among the surrounding nations of -barbarians, whom any other person, with so small a force, would have -distrusted either for their race or their unbelief. By the Armenians -and Syrians, indeed, coming out to meet him on the road with crosses -and torches, he was received with grateful joy, and kindly entertained. -But the Turks, endeavouring to attack his rear, were frustrated in all -their attempts by the skill of Baldwin: the Samosatians setting the -first example of flight. Samosata is a city beyond the Euphrates, from -which arose Paul of Samosata,[437] the confutation of whose heresy, -whoever is desirous may read in the History of Eusebius. And, if I well -remember, Josephus says, that Antony was laying siege to this city, -when Herod came to him. The Turks inhabiting that city then, who were -the first instigators of outrage against the Franks, were the first -to give way. Thus, Baldwin, coming safely to Edessa, found nothing to -disappoint his expectations: for being received with surpassing favour -by the prince, and soon after, on his being killed by his faithless -citizens, obtaining the lawful sovereignty of the city, for the -whole time during which the Franks were labouring at Antioch and at -Jerusalem, he was not free from hostilities; worsting his opponents in -repeated attacks. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1100.] BALDWIN’S MARCH TO JERUSALEM.] - -But in the month of November, being reminded by Boamund, prince of -Antioch, that they should enter on their progress to Jerusalem, he -prepared for marching, and by the single display of the white standard, -which was his ensign in battle, overthrowing the Turks who had broken -the peace on his expected departure, he left Antioch to the right; and -came to Laodicea. Here, by the liberality of earl Raymond, who presided -over the city, getting, at a cheap rate, a sufficiency of supplies -for his people, he passed Gibellum, and followed the recent track of -Boamund, who had encamped and awaited him. Daibert, archbishop of -Pisa, joined them for the march: he had landed his confederate party -at Laodicea, as did also two other bishops. These forces when united -were estimated at five and twenty thousand; many of whom, when they -entered the territories of the Saracens, were, through the scarcity of -commodities, overtaken by famine, and many were dismounted, from their -horses being starved. Their distress was increased by an abundance of -rain; for in that country it pours down like a torrent in the winter -months only. In consequence, these poor wretches, having no change -of garments, died from the severity of the cold; never getting under -cover during several successive days. For this calamity, indeed, -there was no remedy, as there was a deficiency both of tents and of -wood: but they in some measure appeased their hunger, by constantly -chewing the sweet reeds, which they call cannamel;[438] so denominated -from cane and honey. Thus, twice only, obtaining necessaries at an -exorbitant price from the inhabitants of Tripoli and Cæsarea, they came -to Jerusalem on the day of the winter solstice. They were met at the -gates by king Godfrey with his brother Eustace, whom he had detained -till this time, who showed them every degree of respect and generosity. -Having performed in Bethlehem all the accustomed solemnities of our -Lord’s nativity, they appointed Daibert patriarch: to which transaction -I doubt not, that the consent of pope Urban was obtained; for he was -reverend from age, eloquent, and rich. After the circumcision of our -Lord, therefore, assuming palms[439] in Jericho, which antiquity has -made the ensign of pilgrims, each one hastily endeavoured to reach -his home. The cause of their speed was the stench of the unburied -dead bodies, the fumes of which exhaled in such a manner as to infect -the air itself. In consequence, a contagious pestilence spreading in -the atmosphere, consigned to death many who had recently arrived. The -rest quickened their march, by the cities on the coast, that is to -say, Tiberias and Cæsarea Philippi; for they were urged by scantiness -of provision, and the fear of the enemy. Their want, as I have said, -was remedied by the celerity of their march; and to the fury of three -hundred soldiers who harassed them from the town of Baldac, they -opposed a military stratagem. For feigning a flight for a short time, -that by leaving the narrow passes themselves, they might induce the -Turks to enter them, they retreated purposely, and then returning, -routed the straggling enemy at their pleasure. They had supposed our -people unprepared for fight, as their shields and bows were injured by -the excessive rains; not being aware, that among men, victory consists -not in reliance on excellence of arms, or of armour, but in the more -noble power of courage, and of the well-nerved arm. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1100.] BOAMUND TAKEN PRISONER.] - -At that time, indeed, Baldwin returned safely to Edessa, and Boamund -to Antioch. But in the beginning of the month of July, a vague report -reached the ears of Baldwin, that the brilliant jewel of our commanders -was dimmed; Boamund being taken, and cast into chains, by one -Danisman, a heathen, and a potentate of that country. In consequence, -collecting a body of the people of Edessa and Antioch, he was in hopes -of revenging this singular disgrace of the Christians. Moreover the -Turk, who had taken this chieftain more by stratagem and chance than -by courage or military force, as he had come with a small party to -get possession of the city of Meletima, aware that the Franks would -use their utmost efforts against him for the disgrace of the thing, -betook himself to his own territories; marshalling his troops, not -as though he intended to retreat, but rather to exhibit a triumph. -Baldwin then proceeding two days’ march beyond Meletima, and seeing -the enemy decline the hazard of a battle, thought fit to return; but -first, with the permission of Gabriel the governor, brought over the -city to his own disposal. In the meantime, intelligence reaching him -of his brother’s death, and of the general consent of the inhabitants -and chiefs to his election, he entrusted Edessa to Baldwin, his -nearest relation by blood, and moreover a prudent and active man, and -prepared for receiving the crown of Jerusalem. Wherefore collecting -two hundred horse, and seven hundred foot, he proceeded on a march -pregnant with death and danger; whence many, who were falsely supposed -faithful, contemplating the boldness of the attempt, clandestinely -deserted. He, with the remainder, marched forward to Antioch, where -from the resources of his sagacious mind, he became the cause of great -future advantage to his distressed people, by advising them to choose -Tancred as their chief. Thence, he came to Tripoli, by the route of -Gibesium and Laodicea. The governor of this city, a Turk by nation, -but, from natural disposition, rich in bowels of mercy, afforded -him the necessary provisions without the walls; at the same time, -kindly intimating, that he should act cautiously, as Ducach, king of -Damascus, had occupied a narrow pass through which he had heard he -was to march. But he, ashamed of being moved by the threats of the -Saracen, resolutely proceeded on his destination. When he came to the -place, he perceived the truth of the governor’s information: for about -five miles on this side the city of Berith, there is a very narrow -passage near the sea, so confined by steep precipices, and narrow -defiles, that were a hundred men to get possession of the entrance, -they might prevent any number, however great, from passing. Such as -travel from Tripoli to Jerusalem have no possible means of avoiding -it. Baldwin, therefore, arriving on the spot, sent out scouts to -examine the situation of the place, and the strength of the enemy. The -party returning, and hardly intelligible through fear, pointed out -the difficulty of the pass, and the confidence of the enemy, who had -occupied it. But Baldwin, who fell little short of the best soldier -that ever existed, feeling no alarm, boldly drew up his army and led -it against them. Ducach then despatched some to make an onset, and -lure the party unguardedly forward; retaining his main body in a more -advantageous position. For this purpose, at first they rushed on with -great impetuosity, and then made a feint to retreat, to entice our -people into the defile. This stratagem could not deceive Baldwin, who, -skilled by long-continued warfare, made a signal to his men to make -show of flight; and to induce a supposition that they were alarmed, he -commanded the bag and baggage which they had cast down, to be again -taken up, and the cattle to be goaded forward, as well as the ranks to -be opened, that the enemy might attack them. The Turks at this began -to exult, and, raging so horribly that you might suppose the Furies -yelling, pursued our party. Some getting into vessels took possession -of the shore, others riding forward began to kill such pilgrims as -were incautiously loitering near the sea. The Franks continued their -pretended flight till they reached a plain which they had before -observed. No confusion deprived these men of their judgment; even the -very emergency by which they had been overtaken nurtured and increased -their daring; and though a small body, they withstood innumerable -multitudes both by sea and land. For the moment it appeared they had -sufficiently feigned alarm, they closed their ranks, turned their -standards, and hemmed in the now-charging enemy on all sides. Thus -the face of affairs was changed, the victors were vanquished, and the -vanquished became victors. The Turks were hewn down with dreadful -carnage; the remainder anxiously fled to their vessels, and when they -had gotten more than a bow-shot out to sea, they still urged them -forward as fiercely with their oars, as though they supposed they -could be drawn back to land by the arm of their adversaries. And that -you may not doubt of this miracle as fanciful, but as evident, feel -it as it were, only four Christian soldiers fell in procuring by -their blood this victory to the survivors. Wherefore I assert, that -the Christians would never be conquered by the pagans, were they to -implore the Divine assistance on their courage, ere they entered the -conflict; and, when in battle, conciliate the friendly powers of heaven -to their arms. But since, in peace they glut themselves in every kind -of vice, and in battle rely only upon their courage; therefore it -justly happens, that their valour is often unsuccessful. The earl then, -rejoicing in his splendid victory, on returning to spoil the slain, -found several Turks alive, whom he dismissed without personal injury, -but despoiled them of their wealth. To avoid any hidden stratagem, he -that night retreated with his party, and rested under the shelter of -some olive trees. Next day, at dawn, he approached the defile, with the -light troops, to be an eye-witness of the nature of the place; and, -finding everything safe, and making a signal by smoke, as had been -agreed upon, he intimated to his associates the departure of the enemy; -for the Turks, who the day before were wantonly galloping around the -hill, perceiving the carnage of their companions, had all fled in the -dead of the night. Laying aside every delay, they instantly followed -their commander. The governor of Berith sent them food on their -march, astonished at the valour of so small a force. The Tyrians and -Sidonians, and Accaronites, who are also called Ptholoamites, acted in -the same manner, venerating with silent apprehension the bravery of the -Franks. Nor were Tancred’s party, in Caiphas, less generous, although -he was absent. The ancient name of this town I am unable to discover; -because all the inland cities, which we read of in Josephus as formerly -existing, are either not in being, or else, changed into inconsiderable -villages, have lost their names; whereas those on the coast remain -entire. In this manner, by Cæsarea of Palestine, and Azotus, they came -to Joppa. Here he was first congratulated on his kingdom, the citizens -with great joy opening the gates to him. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1100.] DEFEAT OF THE TURKS.] - -Being afterwards accompanied by the inhabitants of Joppa to Jerusalem, -where he was favourably received, he indulged in a repose of seven -days’ continuance. Then, that the Turks might be convinced that the -spirit of his reign would proceed to their signal disadvantage, he -led his troops towards Ascalon. When at a short distance from that -city, he proudly displayed his forces, and with very little exertion -compelled the attacking Ascalonites to retreat, by waiting a favourable -opportunity for accomplishing his designs. Finally, conceiving his -glory satisfied for that time by their repulse, he drew off to the -mountains to pursue the enemy, and also at their expense to procure -necessaries for his troops, who were famished with hunger from the -barrenness of the land: for a scanty harvest had that year denied -sustenance; deceiving the expectations of the province by a meagre -produce. He ascended therefore the mountainous districts, whither the -Turkish inhabitants of the country had retreated on leaving their -towns, concealing the Syrians with them in sequestered caverns. The -Franks, however, discovered a mode of counteracting the device of -the fugitives, by letting smoke into their hiding-places; by which -the miscreants were dislodged, and came out one by one. The Turks -were killed to a man; the Syrians spared. The army turning aside -thence, and marching towards Arabia, passed by the sepulchres of the -patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and of their three wives, Sarah, -Rebecca, and Leah. The place is in Hebron, thirteen miles distant from -Jerusalem. For the body of Joseph lies at Neapolis, formerly called -Sichem, covered with white marble, and conspicuous to every traveller; -there, too, are seen the tombs of his brothers, but of inferior -workmanship. The army then came into the valley where God formerly -overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, darting fire from heaven on the wicked. -The lake there extends for eighteen miles, incapable of supporting -any living creature, and so horrible to the palate, as to distort the -mouths of such as drink it, and distend their jaws with its bitter -taste. A hill overhangs the valley, emitting, in various places, a salt -scum, and all over transparent, as it were, with congealed glass. Here -is gathered what some call nitre; some call it crystal salt. Passing -the lake, they came to a very opulent town, abundant in those luscious -fruits which they call dates; in devouring which they were hardly able -to fill the cavities of the stomach, or constrain the greediness of -their palates, they were so extremely sweet. Every thing else had -been taken away, through the alarm of the inhabitants, except a few -Ethiopians, the dark wool of whose hair resembled smut. Our people, -thinking it beneath their valour to kill persons of this description, -treated them, not with indignation, but with laughter. Adjacent to -this town is a valley, where to this day is seen the rock which Moses -struck, to give water to the murmuring tribes. The stream yet runs -so plentifully, and with such a current, as to turn the machinery -of mills. On the declivity of the hill stands a church in honour of -the legislator Aaron: where, through the mediation and assistance of -his brother, he used to hold converse with God. Here learning from -guides conversant in the roads, who from Saracens had been converted -to Christianity, that from hence to Babylon was all barren country, -and destitute of every accommodation, they returned to Jerusalem, -to consecrate to God the first fruits of his reign, acquired in the -subjugation of so many hostile countries. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1100.] BALDWIN’S CORONATION.] - -The royal insignia being prepared, Baldwin was crowned with great -ceremony, in Bethlehem, on Christmas-day, by Daibert the patriarch; -all wishing him prosperity. For both at that time, and afterwards, -he deserved, by his own exertions, and obtained, through the favour -of others, every degree of royal respect, though sovereign of a very -small, and I had almost said, a despicable kingdom. Wherefore the -Christians ought to regard the mercy of our Lord Christ, and to walk -in the contemplation of his power, through whose assistance they were -objects of apprehension, though unable to do harm. For there were -scarcely, in the whole service, four hundred horsemen and so many foot, -to garrison Jerusalem, Ramula, Caiphas, and Joppa. For those who came -thither by sea, with minds ill at ease, amid so many hostile ports, -after having adored the saints, determined to return home, as there -was no possibility of proceeding by land. Moreover, an additional -difficulty was, that in the month of March Tancred had departed to -assume the government of Antioch, nor could he or the king aid each -other from the length of the journey: indeed, should necessity require -it, he could not, without fear of irreparable loss, march his troops -from one town to another. I pronounce it therefore to be a manifest -miracle, that safe alone, through God’s protection, he was an object of -dread to such a multitude of barbarians. - -In this year, which was A.D. 1101, the sacred fire,[440] which used -to signalize the Vigil of Easter, delayed its appearance longer than -usual. For on the Saturday, the lessons being read, alternately in -Greek and Latin, the “Kyrie eleeson”[441] repeated thrice and the -melody of the clarions resounding, still when no fire appeared, and -the setting sun induced the evening and led on the night, then all -departed sorrowful to their homes. It had been determined, after mature -deliberation, that on that night no person should remain in the church -of the Holy Sepulchre, for fear any one of infected conscience should -irritate God still more through his irreverent intrusion. But when -the twilight was proceeding into day, a procession of the Latins was -ordered to go to the Temple of Solomon, that by prayer they might call -down the mercy of God: the same was performed around the Sepulchre -of our Lord, by the Syrians plucking their beards and hair through -violence of grief. The mercy of God could endure no longer, light being -instantly sent into one lamp of the Sepulchre. Which, when a Syrian -perceived glittering through a window, he expressed his joy by the -clapping of his hands, and accelerated the advance of the patriarch. -He, opening the recess of the sepulchral chamber by the keys which he -carried, and lighting a taper, brought forth the celestial gift,[442] -imparting it to all who crowded round him for that purpose; afterwards -the whole of the lamps, throughout the church, were divinely lighted -up, the one which was next to be illumined evincing its approaching -ignition by emitting smoke in a miraculous manner. Thus, doubtless, the -constant manner of Christ has been to terrify those he loved that he -might again kindly soothe them, and that the dread of his power might -redound to his praise. For since even the common gifts of God are -lightly esteemed by men merely from their constant recurrence, he often -enhances the grant of his indulgences by withholding them, that what -was most ardently desired might be more gratefully regarded. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1102.] SIEGE OF CÆSAREA.] - -At that time a fleet of Genoese and Pisans had touched at Laodicea, -and thence made a prosperous voyage to Joppa, and the crews, drawing -their vessels on shore, spent Easter with the king at Jerusalem. He, -bargaining for their services, engaged to give them the third of the -spoil of each city they should take, and any particular street they -might choose. Thus he impelled them, inconsiderate and blinded, more -through lust of gold than love of God, to barter their blood, and -lay siege immediately to Azotus, which they constrained to surrender -after three days. Nor did the townspeople yield very reluctantly, -as they feared the anger of the king should they be taken by storm: -for, the preceding year, assisted by the machination of fortune, they -had vigorously repulsed Godfrey when making a similar attempt. For, -indeed, when by means of scaling ladders he had advanced his forces -on the walls, and they, now nearly victorious, had gotten possession -of the parapet, the sudden fall of a wooden tower, which stood close -to the outside of the wall, deprived them of the victory and killed -many, while still more were taken and butchered by the cruelty of the -Saracens. Leaving Azotus, Baldwin laid siege to Cæsarea of Palestine, -with his whole force, and with determined courage; but perceiving the -resolution of its citizens and the difficulty of the enterprise, he -ordered engines to be constructed. Petraries[443] were therefore made, -and a great tower built of twenty cubits in height, surpassing the -altitude of the wall. Our people, however, impatient of delay and of -such lingering expectation, erecting their ladders and attempting to -overtop the wall, arrived at the summit by the energy of their efforts, -with conscious valour indignantly raging, that they had now been -occupied in conflict with the Saracens during fifteen days, and had -lost the whole of that time; and although the Cæsareans resisted with -extreme courage, and rolled down large stones on them as they ascended, -yet despising all danger, they broke through their opponents in a -close body, and fought with an outstretched arm, and a drawn sword. -The Turks, unable longer to sustain the attack and taking to flight, -either cast themselves down headlong, or fell by the hand of their -enemies. Many were reserved for slavery; a few for ransom. Among these -was the governor of the city, and a bishop named Arcadius. The scene -was enough to excite laughter in a by-stander, to see a Turk disgorging -bezants,[444] when struck on the neck by the fist of a Christian. -The wretched males, through fear of extreme indigence, had hid money -in their mouths; the females in parts not to be particularized: you -perceive that my narrative blushes to speak plainly, but the reader -understands what I wish, or rather what I wish not to speak. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1102.] DEFEAT OF THE SARACENS.] - -Still, however, the emperor of Babylon could not be at rest, but would -frequently send commanders and armies to attack the Franks. Arriving -at Ascalon on ship-board, they scoured about Ramula, taking advantage -of the king’s occupation, who was then busied in the contest with -Cæsarea. They frequently, therefore, by depopulating the country, -irritated him to engage. But he, with equal subtlety, that their mad -impetuosity might subside, suffered them, when eagerly advancing, to -grow languid by declining battle. By this procrastination he effected -that many, weary of delay, withdrew, while he attacked the remainder, -consisting of eleven thousand horse and twenty-one thousand infantry, -with his own two hundred and fifty cavalry and less than seven hundred -foot. Addressing a few words to his soldiers, to whom he pledged -victory if they persevered, and fame if they fell; and calling to -their recollection that if they fled France was a great way off, he -dashed first against the enemy; and the contest continuing for some -time, when he saw his ranks giving way, he remedied circumstances which -seemed almost bordering on desperation. Thus dismaying the Turks by -his well-known appearance, he laid their leader prostrate with his -lance; on whose death the whole battalions fled. Our soldiers, who in -the onset were so hemmed in as to be unable to see each other, then -exercised their valour in such wise, under the ensign of the Holy Cross -which preceded them, that they killed five thousand. Eighty of the -cavalry and rather more of the infantry were slain on the side of the -Franks. However subsequent successes consoled them, as they despatched -five hundred Arabian horse. These had been traversing before Joppa -for two days, but effecting little, they were returning to Ascalon, -and seeing our troops at a distance, and, hoping they were their own, -were approaching to congratulate them on their victory. But at length -perceiving, by the weapons hurled against them, that they were Franks, -they turned pale and, to use the words of the poet,[445] became like -him who, - - “With unshod foot, had trod upon a snake.” - -In consequence, enervated with astonishment, they exposed their backs -to their destroyers. Thus the king coming to Joppa, corrected, by a -true account, the falsity of the letter which had been sent to Tancred -by the people of that city, erroneously declaring that the king had -perished with his army. And, indeed, already had Tancred prepared for -his march to Jerusalem, when a messenger arriving, and showing the -royal signet, dispelled his sorrow, and restored his satisfaction. - -It would be tedious, if I were to relate all his contests; to tell -how he subdued Tiberias, Sidon, Accaron, that is, Ptolemais, and, -ultimately, all the cities on the coast; or, how he distinguished -almost each day by the slaughter of the Turks, either through secret -attack or open warfare. The relation of his exploits requires the -exclusive labours of a man who abounds in pompous diction, and -undisturbed leisure: I have neither; and, what chiefly acts as an -obstacle, want clear information on the subject. For it is by no -means the part of an historian of veracity to give entire credit -to flattering reports, or to deceive the credulity of his readers. -Consequently, I shall only subjoin what I have found recorded, whereby -this man’s exalted devotion may be clearly proved, and his good report -live for ever. This I may be bold to assert, that he often, with an -inconsiderable force, engaged in mighty conflicts, and that he never -fled the field, except at Ramula and at Accaron. And indeed signal -victories ensued to each of these flights, because they proceeded more -from rash valour, than from fear; as the reader will discover from the -insertion of a few facts. - -In the month of September, on the seventh before the ides of which the -battle aforesaid took place, William, earl of Poitou, proceeded towards -Jerusalem, leading with him troops estimated at sixty thousand horse -and still more foot. There accompanied him, Stephen, earl of Burgundy, -and Hugh de Lusignan, brother of earl Raymond, Hugh the Great, and -Stephen of Blois, anxious to atone for the disgrace of their former -desertion, by renovated and determined valour. Proceeding, therefore, -by Constantinople, after he had by an insolent answer, as I before -related, offended Alexius, he fell into the snares of Solyman; the -emperor rather procuring than preventing his disaster. For Solyman, -aware that the army was suffering from hunger and thirst, as they -had been wandering about the marshes and desolate places for several -days, encountered them with three hundred thousand archers. Never was -there conflict more disastrous to the Franks; as it was impossible -for flight to save the coward, or courage to rescue the bold from -danger: for the battle was fought in a confined situation, and nothing -could prevent the effect of clouds of arrows on men who were crowded -together. More than a hundred thousand were slain; and all the booty -carried off. Thus Solyman, obtaining splendid offerings to the manes -of his countrymen from the spoils of the Franks, revenged the loss of -Nice. But, as they had proceeded by many roads, all were not slain; -nor was every thing plundered. For, except the Poitevin, who lost -nearly whatever he possessed, the other earls had boldly defended -their baggage. All, therefore, except Hugh the Great, who died, and -was entombed in the city of Tarsus, collecting again their soldiers -after the flight, hastened to Antioch. Tancred, a knight of celebrated -kindness, gave them ample proof of his generosity; assisting them all, -as far as he was able, with money: but more especially William, whom -the inconstancy of Fortune had now as deeply depressed as she had -formerly highly exalted, who, in addition to the loss of treasure, by -which he was not so much affected as it was transitory and capable -of reparation, was left almost the sole survivor of so many valorous -soldiers. Proceeding on their march with renovated courage, they sought -every opportunity of giving battle. The city of Tortosa was the first -to feel their rage; by attacking and plundering which, they in some -degree compensated their former losses. Thence they came to the defile, -which I have mentioned above, where the king had long awaited them, in -order to give assistance in case the Turks should oppose their passage. -Defended by his valour, and meeting with kind entertainment at Joppa, -they proceeded the following Easter to Jerusalem, where they joyfully -beheld, and reverently adored the sacred fire. Returning afterwards to -Joppa, they took ship, each designing to revisit his native land. The -Poitevin, from the continued favour of the wind, reached home; the rest -were violently driven back. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1100.] RAMULA BESIEGED.] - -But now, in the beginning of May, the Turks and Arabs laid siege to -Ramula; recruiting the losses of their army in the former year, by -making up its original numbers. The bishop of the city, prudently -watching an opportunity, retired from the place and went secretly to -Joppa. Baldwin had already gone out, relying on a false assertion -that the enemy did not exceed five hundred; in consequence of which, -he neither put his forces in order, nor called out his infantry, the -trumpeters merely sounding for the cavalry to follow the king; though -his friends earnestly advised him, to be on his guard against the -subtlety of the Turks. The two Stephens, of Blois and of Burgundy, -followed the king on horseback, that, instead of being branded as -indolent and cowardly, they might return to their respective homes -partakers of the credit of the triumph: far different, however, from -their expectations, were the glory and the victory which the fates -were preparing for them. For Baldwin, perceiving the multitude of the -enemy and finding himself deceived in his opinion, filled with rage, -and fierce in conscious valour, hesitated what was to be done. If he -gave way, he contemplated the tarnish of his ancient glory; if he -fought, the destruction of his followers. Nevertheless, innate courage -prevailed, and fear had already yielded, when, swayed by the advice of -his comrades, he acquiesced in a plan of retiring, through the midst -of the enemy, into a castle. The rest, following with loud clamour, -broke through the thickest ranks, consecrating their souls to God, and -nobly avenging their deaths. The earls, too, so wearied with striking -that their hands grew stiff upon their swords, yielded to fate. The -king escaping to the fortress, had some few companions remaining out of -the two hundred he had led forth; who entreating that he would deign -to protract his life by flight, and observing that their danger was -of little consequence to the world, while his life was of advantage -to many, in as much as he would be an example of valour to every age, -by his singular constancy of mind though in adverse circumstances, -he esteemed himself worthy to live. Wherefore, accompanied by five -knights, he eluded his assailants, and escaped to the mountains. One -of the five was Robert the Englishman, as I said before; the others, -from the great distance, report has not brought to our knowledge: -he, with three more, was taken; the fifth escaped with the king. The -Turks vented the whole of their fury on those who had retired to the -castle, among whom was Hugh de Lusignan and Geoffrey de Vincennes: only -three survivors told their mournful tale to the people of Jerusalem. -The king, concealing himself during the day, and, at night, urging -his jaded courser through untrodden paths, arrived at Azotus, by the -singular and miraculous protection of God; as the Turks had but just -departed, after having been plundering around the city for the space -of two days. Coming thence by sea to Joppa, he despatched an account -of the certainty of his being still living to the people of Jerusalem. -The bearer of the epistle was a low Syrian fellow, who, even had he -been discovered, would have deceived the enemy, from the meanness of -his garb, and his using the common language of the country. Escaping -the hands of the infidels by lone paths with which he was acquainted, -he arrived the third day at Jerusalem. Upon this the cavalry who -garrisoned the city, taking with them the bands of auxiliary infantry, -and purposing to proceed to Joppa, took a route close to the sea; -avoiding the inland districts. The rear, however, of the party, were -cut off, by the Turks pressing on them; as they were left unprotected -either by horse or foot. Thus collecting ninety horse from Jerusalem, -and eighty from Tiberias, which Hugh, that most intrepid commander, had -brought to their assistance, the attendants also, through necessity, -were advanced to the rank of knights. The battle was delayed only -till the next day, the Turks being now so ferocious as to prepare -their engines, and to meditate an attack on the walls of Joppa. This -was prevented by the activity of Baldwin, and by the cross of Christ -preceding them, which had been wanting in the former battle. They then, -with all the force of the kingdom, rushed eagerly on the enemy, and the -contest was fierce: but they, after their usual custom, surrounding -our troops, thought they had completely overcome the Christians, and -shouted with cheerful cry: but the Lord Jesus was present; who, at -length looked down from heaven, and showering courage on the Franks, -put the enemy, driven from the field, to flight. It had happened in the -preceding action, that, though frequently driven from their tents, they -afterwards conquered through their numbers; but now, as the infantry -wounded them from a distance with their arrows, and the cavalry close -at hand with their lances, they placed all their hopes in swiftness, -and continued their flight. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1113.] BALDWIN’S MARRIAGE.] - -He fought another battle in later years, in which our soldiers, -pressed by the numbers of the Turks and compelled to fly, lost even -their protecting standard. But after they had fled some distance they -rallied; shame animating the timid to repel such ignominy. Then indeed -the contest was strenuous; fighting foot to foot, and breast to breast. -Our party recovered the cross, routing the enemy, and regaining the -field. Many fell here with whom I had been acquainted; among these was -Godfrey, Baldwin’s bastard-grand-nephew, who, from a boy, manifested -valour in his countenance and truth in his soul. In the beginning, -indeed, both retreats, as it may be said, were the source of ignominy; -but, in the end, true food for glory; the one more celebrated, the -other more advantageous. Finally, to repair his losses, and also to be -united with him in marriage, the countess of Sicily came shortly after -to Jerusalem, pouring such treasures into the royal palace, that it was -matter of surprise, whence a woman could accumulate such endless heaps -of precious utensils:[446] and at this time, indeed, he received her -to his bed, but shortly after he put her away. It is said that she was -afflicted with a cancerous complaint, which preyed upon her womb.[447] -This, however, is well known, that the king had no issue; nor is it -wonderful, that a man, to whom leisure was burdensome, should be averse -to the embraces of a wife, as he passed all his time in war. By these -exertions he effected, that his admirable and nearly godlike valour -should operate as an incitement to the present race, and be matter of -astonishment to posterity. He died, during an expedition into Arabia, -in the month of April, and was publicly buried at Jerusalem, near his -brother, as the fourth month was adding to the seventeenth year of his -reign. He was a man who gained his reputation by repeated labours, and -on whose fame envy hath cast no shade, except it be, that he was too -sparing of his money; though there is a ready and well-founded excuse -for such a fault, if it be considered, that the necessary largesses to -such as remained with him, prevented him from purchasing the favour of -those who departed. - -He was succeeded by his kinsman, Baldwin, prince of Edessa, already -celebrated for his former campaigns, whom he had, when dying, named as -king. He bravely defended the kingdom for many years, and augmented it -with the sovereignty of Antioch, which he obtained when Roger,[448] the -son of Richard, was killed. He governed both countries with laudable -conduct; with less presumptuous haughtiness, perhaps, but with great -and consummate prudence, though there are some who wound his fair fame, -accusing him of excessive parsimony. Wherefore, last year, when the -Turks had taken him, while riding a short distance from Jerusalem, his -people grieved but little for him, and for nearly a year it remained -unknown, both to subjects and even to tale-bearers, whither he was -taken, or whether or not he breathed the vital air. However, the people -of Jerusalem, nothing discouraged on account of his absence, refused -either to elect a king or to discontinue the order or command of the -soldiers, till the certainty of the matter could be known. At last, the -place where he lay captive being discovered, some knights of surpassing -boldness, assuming the guise of merchants, and hiding weapons beneath -their garments, entered the town, and rescued the king from jeopardy; -protesting, that they did not act thus through respect for his -niggardliness, but out of gratitude to Gozelin of Turbexhel,[449] who -never hesitated to bestow all he possibly could upon the military. -He has now lived long, a provident man, and subject to no other -imputation.[450] The principality of Antioch pertains to the son of -Boamund, of whom I proceed to speak. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1123.] BOAMUND.] - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1123.] BOAMUND’S MARRIAGE.] - -Boamund[451] was the son of Robert Guiscard by a Norman woman; he had -another son named Roger, born of an Apulian, who was, by his father, -surnamed “Purse,” because his paternal and attentive observation had -discovered, that, from a mere child, he had pleasure in counting money. -As to Boamund, who was somewhat older, he never could retain anything, -but even gave away his childish presents. Roger, therefore, received -Apulia, which seemed to belong to him in right of his mother: Boamund -went with his father to the Durazzian war. And when the townspeople, -through confidence of their walls, boasted, that the city was called -Durachium,[452] because it could endure all sieges undismayed; and “I,” -said Guiscard, “am called Durandus; and I will endure in besieging, -until I take away the name from the city; so that, henceforth it shall -no longer be called Durachium, but Mollucium.” The firmness of this -answer so terrified them, that they immediately opened their gates. -Thus, secure in his rear, he subdued, with the less difficulty, the -other cities as far as Thessalonica. He had now arrived there, and had -already, both by himself and by his son, taught Alexius that he might -be overcome, when, beguiled by the treachery of his wife, he failed, -by death, of a noble enterprise. Boamund, then, returning to Apulia, -possessed some castles through his brother’s indulgence, and acquired -many others by his own courage and prudence. Indeed the dukedom had -fallen to his brother only in appearance; all the most warlike spirits -following him. Nor was this of light importance: for, observant of his -father’s purpose, he was averse to Guibert, and strongly espoused the -cause of Urban; urging him, when hesitating, to proceed into France -to the council of Clermont, whither the letters of Raymond earl of -Provence, and of the bishop of Chorges, invited him. The council being -ended, he readily embraced the opportunity, and transported his forces -into Greece; and thence moving forward his army, he quietly awaited -Raymond and Godfrey. Joining them on their arrival, he possessed great -influence from his military skill and from his courage, which was -never surpassed. But, as what he performed in company with others, -only entitles him to a share in the general praise; and my former -narrative has related how he had been taken prisoner; it may be proper -to mention in what manner he rescued himself from captivity. When -Danisman perceived that no advantage resulted to him, from detaining -so great a man in confinement, he changed his intentions, and began -sedulously to treat of terms of peace; for he was neither inclined -to put him to death, lest he should excite the fierce hatred of the -Christians against himself; nor would he set him at liberty,[453] -without the hope of a lasting peace. Boamund, therefore, promising the -infidel perpetual amity, returned to Antioch, bringing with him the -silver fetters with which he had been confined; and being favourably -received by his people, he took possession of Laodicea, and the other -cities which Tancred, lest he should have been thought slumbering in -indolence, whilst his uncle was sighing in prison, had acquired during -his captivity. Not long after he came into France, offering up, in -honour of St. Leonard, the chains with which he had been burdened; -for this saint[454] is said to be so especially powerful in loosing -fetters, that the captive may freely carry away his chains, even in -the sight of his enemies, who dare not mutter a syllable. He then -married one of the daughters of the king of France, and sending another -to Tancred, went to Apulia, followed by the French nobility, who -deserted their country in hope of greater advantages, as well as to be -eye-witnesses of what could be effected by that energetic valour, which -was so universally extolled by fame. Wherefore arranging his affairs -in Apulia, he again burst forth against Alexius; alleging as a cause -of attacking him, his cruelty to the crusaders, for which he was very -noted. But being deceived by the subtlety of the emperor, who alienated -his commanders from him by bribery, or took them off by poison, he had -little or no success. Dejected at this, he returned to Apulia, where, -in a few days, while purposing to proceed to Antioch, he died, not an -old man, yet equal to any in prudence, leaving a son of tender age. -He was a man firm in adversity, and circumspect in prosperity; for he -had even provided himself an antidote, when apprehensive of poison. It -was a knife, which, placed before him when eating, strange to tell, -indicated, by the moistness of its handle, whenever poison was brought -into the apartment. After him Tancred presided over Antioch; a nephew -worthy of such an uncle. Tancred was removed from this world by an -early death, and Roger the son of Richard succeeded. Though rivalling -the fame of his predecessors in battle, yet he incurred the disgrace -of being avaricious. In consequence of this, when the soldiery avoided -him, he engaged the Turks with a trifling stipendiary, and a small -native force, and fell nobly revenging his death: for being taken by -them, stripped of his armour, and commanded to yield up his sword; he -refused to deliver it to any but the commander, as he considered all -present unworthy to receive the surrender of so dignified a character. -The unhappy chief gave credit to his specious words, and taking off -his helmet, stretched out his hand to receive Roger’s sword. When, -indignant, and mustering all his remaining powers for the effort, he -cut off the Turk’s head, and being immediately stabbed, escaped the -disgrace of slavery by the act his courage had suggested. Baldwin the -second, king of Jerusalem, revenging his death in a signal manner, -faithfully reserved the dominion of the city, and his daughter, for -Boamund the son of Boamund. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1119.] RAYMOND, EARL OF TOULOUSE.] - -Raymond was the son of the most noble William,[455] earl of Toulouse, -who, being a man of enterprise and ability, rendered his country, -which had been obscured through the indolence of his predecessors, -illustrious by his own good qualities. His wife Almodis was repeatedly -married to different persons, and had a numerous issue by them all; a -woman of such sad, unbridled lewdness, that, when one husband became -disgusting to her from long intercourse, she would depart and take up -her abode with another: to sum up all, she had been first united to the -earl of Arles; presently, becoming weary of him, she connected herself -with William; and then after bearing him two sons, she lured the earl -of Barcelona to marry her. Moreover, William, when at the point of -death, gave to his son of his own name but not of his own disposition, -the county of Toulouse, because, though he was of slender talents, the -people of Toulouse would attempt no innovation against him, as they -were accustomed to the government of his family. But Raymond, who was -of brighter abilities, received Chorges, and increased it wonderfully -by the addition of Arles, Narbonne, Provence, and Limoges. Again, he -purchased Toulouse of his brother who went to Jerusalem many years -previous to the grand crusade; but these things were achieved by a -considerable lapse of time, and a life expended on the labour. Thus, -ever engaged in war, he had no desire for a legitimate wife, enjoying -himself in unrestrained concubinage. Finally, he condescended to honour -with his adoption and inheritance, Bertrand, his son by one of his -mistresses, as he, in some respects, resembled his father. To this -son he married the niece[456] of Matilda the marchioness, a native of -Lombardy, that by such affinity he might secure his possessions on -that side. In the latter part of his life, too, he himself espoused -the daughter of the king of Tarragona, covenanting for a noble dowry; -namely, the perpetual peace of the adjacent provinces. Soon after this, -on contemplating his grey hairs, he made a vow to go to Jerusalem, -that his bodily powers, though decayed and feeble, might still, though -late, enter into the service of God. The chief promoter of this was -the bishop of Chorges, by whose especial exertions he had always -been thwarted, and in one contest, had even lost an eye, which mark -of deformity, so far from concealing, he was ever anxious to show, -boasting of it as a proof of his gallantry. But now, leagued in mutual -friendship, that they might employ their old age in religious services, -they stimulated Urban, already inclined to preach the crusade, to -pass the Alps and summon a council at Clermont, more especially as it -was a city adjacent to their territories, and convenient for persons -coming from every part of France. The bishop, however, died on his -way to the council. To his influence succeeded the bishop of Puy, of -whom we have before spoken: animated by whose advice, and protected by -whose assistance, Raymond was the first layman who assumed the cross; -making this addition to his vow, “that he would never return to his -country, but endeavour to lessen the weight of his past offences by -perpetual exertion against the Turks.” He had already given many proofs -of his prowess on the way,--the first to labour and the last to rest; -many also of forbearance, as he readily relinquished those places he -had first occupied at Antioch to Boamund, and the tower of David to -Godfrey. But at length, his patience being worn out by the unreasonable -demands of certain persons, he departed from his usual practice on -the subject of the surrender of Ascalon. For, on the first arrival of -the Franks, the townspeople, examining the disposition of our several -commanders, made choice of him for their patron; because many men, who -had come thither before by sea, from Montpelier to trade, had extolled -his sincerity and courage to the skies. In consequence, they delivered -to him their keys, and compelled him to make oath that he would never -give up the command of the city to any other of the Christians, should -he himself be either unwilling or unable to retain it. A murmuring then -arose among the chiefs, who required the surrender of the city to the -king; saying that his kingdom was of little value, unless he could hold -Ascalon, which would be a receptacle for the enemy and an obstacle to -our party. The king, indeed, set forth the matter mildly, as he did -everything else, with a placid countenance consistent with his manners; -the others rather more violently. However, he paid little attention to -their words, obviating their allegations by very substantial reasons; -saying that all his associates had secured a place of retreat; part -of them had returned home; part were occupying the provinces they had -acquired; that he alone, having abjured his native country, could -neither return thither, nor did he possess a place of refuge here; -that he had yielded in other points, but they must allow him to retain -Ascalon, under fealty to the Holy Sepulchre, as he had taken an oath -not to give it up. On hearing this, all began to clamour, and to call -him interested and faithless; indeed they could scarcely abstain from -laying hands on him. The earl, indignant at this reproach, failed in -the duty of a just and upright man, delivering the keys to the enemies -of God, and compensating the fear of perjury by the blood of many a man -in after time; for to this day that city has never been taken either by -force or by stratagem. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1099.] TANCRED’S DEATH.] - -Moreover, many of his people, delighted with the unbounded affluence -of the place, obtained the friendship of its citizens by denying -their faith. Thus leaving Jerusalem, he came to Laodicea, and having -subdued it, continued there some little time. Afterwards, when he -had gone to Constantinople, Tancred obtained Laodicea, though it is -dubious whether by force or favour. In the meantime, remaining at -Byzantium, he contrived by his consummate prudence to insinuate himself -into the favour of Alexius. Whence it happened, that, through the -kindness of the emperor, getting a safe passage, he escaped sharing -those calamities which, as we have before related, befell William of -Poitou and the others; with whom he took the city of Tortosa, and, -when the rest proceeded onwards, retained possession of it. To extend -his power, he fortified a town over against Tripoli, called Pilgrim’s -Castle, where he appointed abbat Herbert, bishop. And that the -shattered strength of his followers might recruit by repose, he made a -seven years’ league with the Tripolitans. Nevertheless, ere the time -appointed, the peace was broken, on account of a certain townsman being -found within the castle, with a poisoned dagger concealed beneath his -garments. And now truly would he have put the finishing hand to the -conquest of Tripoli, had not death, approaching almost immediately, -bereft his vital spirit, big with great achievements. On learning his -decease, William of Montpelier, and the other chiefs of the province, -provided that William the Pilgrim, scarcely four years of age, whom he -had begotten on a Spanish woman during the siege, should be conveyed -home, to be educated for the succession, with the anxious wishes of -all. Nor did Bertrand hear of this transaction with displeasure, -although he had never been consulted, as it enabled him to renew his -father’s fame. Wherefore, heading a vast army, and chiefly supported -by the Genoese and Pisans, who were allied to his wife, he attacked -Tripoli by sea and land, and when exhausted by a protracted siege, -reduced it to his dominion. To him succeeded Pontius, his son by the -Lombard; a youth who rivalled the glory of his ancestors, and who -obtained in marriage the relict of Tancred, formerly prince of Antioch. -This, when dying, he had commanded; affirming, that, the youth would -grow up a benefit to the Christians, and an utter destruction to the -Turks. Pontius therefore reigns at Tripoli, professing himself the -servant of the Holy Sepulchre; in this respect following the example of -his grandfather and father. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1105.] FLIGHT OF THE TURKS.] - -Robert, son of William the first king of England, was born in Normandy, -and already considered as a youth of excellent courage, when his -father came to England: of tried prowess, though of small stature and -projecting belly. He passed his early years amid the warlike troops of -his father, obedient to him in every respect: but in the vigorous heat -of youth, led by the suggestions of his idle companions, he supposed -he could obtain Normandy from the king, during his lifetime. But when -William refused this, and drove away the youth by the blustering of -his terrific voice, Robert departed indignantly, and harassed his -country by perpetual attacks. His father laughed at first, and then -added, “By the resurrection of God, this little Robin Short-boot will -be a clever fellow;” for such was his appellation, from his small -stature; though there was nothing else to find fault with; as he was -neither ill-made, nor deficient in eloquence, nor was he wanting in -courage or resources of mind. At length, however, the king was so -transported with anger, that he denied him his last blessing and the -inheritance of England; and it was with difficulty, and disgrace, that -he could retain even Normandy. After nine years he gave proof of his -manhood in the labours of the crusade, and in many instances appeared -wonderful, as neither Christian nor pagan could ever unhorse him: but -more especially in the battle of Antioch, where he graced the victory -by a singular achievement. For when the Turks, as we have related, were -suddenly dismayed and fled, and our party vehemently attacked them -in disorder, Corbanach, their leader, mindful of his native valour, -checked his horse, and rallied his people; calling them base slaves, -and forgetful of their ancient conquests, in suffering themselves, the -former conquerors of the east, to be driven from their territories by -a strange, and almost unarmed people. At this reproach, many, resuming -their courage, wheeled round, attacked the Franks, and compelled the -nearest to give way, while Corbanach continued to animate his men, and -to assault the enemy; nobly fulfilling his duty, both as a commander -and a soldier. But now the Norman earl and Philip the clerk, son of -Roger, earl of Montgomery, and Warin de Taney, a castle so named in -Maine, who had before made a feint of retreating, exhorting each other -with mutual spirit, turned round their horses, and each attacking his -man, threw them to the ground. Here Corbanach, though he knew the earl, -yet estimating him merely by his size, and thinking it inglorious to -fly, atoned for the boldness of attacking him, by a speedy exit; being -instantly deprived of life. The Turks, who were already clamouring -with boastful joy, on seeing his fall, now lost their lately-acquired -hopes, and redoubled their flight. In this contest Warin fell: Robert, -with Philip, gained the victory. The latter, who acquired renown by -this service, but afterwards, as they report, closed an honourable -career at Jerusalem, was celebrated for his learning as well as his -military prowess. Robert, thus coming to Jerusalem, tarnished his glory -by an indelible stain, in refusing a kingdom,[457] offered to him, as -a king’s son, by the consent of all; and this, as it is asserted, not -through awe of its dignity, but through the fear of endless labour. -However, returning home, where he had reckoned on giving himself up to -the full indulgence of sensual pleasure, God mercifully visited him, -as I believe, for this transgression; every where thwarting him, and -turning all his enjoyments into bitterness; as will be manifested by -the sequel. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1105.] STATE OF NORMANDY.] - -His wife, the daughter of William de Conversano, whom he had married in -Apulia on his return, and whose surpassing beauty, all endeavours to -describe are vain, died after a few years, by disease;[458] misled, as -it is said, by the advice of the midwife, who had ordered her breasts, -when in childbed, to be bound with a tight bandage, on account of the -copious flow of her milk. A great consolation, however, in this extreme -distress, was a son by his consort; who, called William by presage -of his grandfather’s name, gave hope of noble talents hereafter. -The immense sum which his father-in-law had given him, under the -appellation of dowry, that he might with it redeem Normandy,[459] he -lavished so profusely on buffoons, and worthless people, that, in a few -days, he was pennyless. He accelerated his disgrace by his ill-advised -arrival in England, to wrest the kingdom from his brother Henry; but, -failing of the assistance of the traitors who had invited him, he -easily yielded to his brother’s terms of peace: which, by the agreement -of the chiefs of either party, were, that, he should receive an annual -present of three thousand marks from England. These were mere words: -for the king had promised this without any design of fulfilling it; -but, aware of his brother’s easiness, had deluded his soft credulity, -till his warlike passion should subside. And he, too, as if contending -with fortune whether she should give or he squander most, discovering -the mere wish of the queen, silently intreating it, kindly forgave the -payment of this immense sum for ever; thinking it a very great matter, -that female pride should condescend to ask a favour; for he was her -godfather. Moreover he forgot offences, and forgave faults beyond what -he ought to have done: he answered all who applied to him, exactly as -they wished; and that he might not dismiss them in sadness, promised -to give what was out of his power. By this suavity of disposition, -with which he ought to have acquired the commendations and the love -of his subjects, he so excited the contempt of the Normans, that -they considered him as of no consequence whatever. For then, all the -nobility falling at variance, plunder was universal, and the commonalty -were pillaged. Although the inhabitants laid their injuries before the -earl, they gained no kind of redress; for though incensed at first, yet -his anger was soon appeased, either by a trifling present, or the lapse -of time. Roused, however, by the extremity of their distresses, they -determined to implore the assistance of king Henry to their suffering -country. Henry, according to Cæsar’s axiom,[460] “That if justice is -ever to be violated, it ought to be violated in favour of the citizens, -and that you may be observant of duty in other points,” transported his -forces several times into Normandy to succour expiring justice, and -at last was successful enough to subjugate the whole country, with the -exception of Rouen, Falaise, and Caen. Robert was now reduced so low, -as to wander, hardly to be recognised, through these towns, obtaining -a precarious subsistence from the inhabitants. Disgusted at this, -the people of Caen did not long regard their fidelity, but sending -messengers to the king, they closed the gates of their city, with locks -and bolts. Robert learning this, and wishing to escape, was hardly -allowed to depart; his attendant, with the furniture of his chamber, -being detained. Thence flying to Rouen, he had a conference with his -lord, the king of France, and his relation, the earl of Flanders, -on the subject of assistance; but obtaining none, he determined, as -his last resource, to risk a general action. In which, through the -persecution of fate, being taken prisoner, he was kept, by the laudable -affection of his brother, in free custody till the day of his death; -for he endured no evil but solitude, if that can be called solitude -where, by the attention of his keepers, he was provided with abundance -both of amusement and of food. He was confined, however, till he had -survived all his companions in the Crusade, nor was he liberated to -the day of his death.[461] He was so eloquent in his native tongue, -that none could be more pleasant; in other men’s affairs, no counsellor -was more excellent; in military skill equal to any; yet, through the -easiness of his disposition, was he ever esteemed unfit to have the -management of the state. But since I have already said all that I knew -of Hugh the Great, and of the earls of Blois and of Flanders, I think I -may, very properly here conclude my Fourth Book. - - - - -BOOK V. - - - - -PREFACE. - - -Summoned by the progress of events, we have entered on the times of -king Henry; to transmit whose actions to posterity, requires an abler -hand than ours. For, were only those particulars recorded which have -reached our knowledge, they would weary the most eloquent, and might -overload a library. Who, then, will attempt to unfold in detail all -his profound counsels, all his royal achievements? These are matters -too deep for me, and require more leisure than I possess. Scarcely -Cicero himself, whose eloquence is venerated by all the Western world, -would attempt it in prose; and in verse, not even a rival of the -Mantuan Bard. In addition to this, it is to be observed, that while I, -who am a man of retired habits, and far from the secrets of a court, -withhold my assent from doubtful relators, being ignorant of his -greater achievements, I touch only on a few events. Wherefore, it is -to be feared, that where my information falls beneath my wishes, the -hero, whose numerous exploits I omit, may appear to suffer. However, -for this, if it be a fault, I shall have a good excuse with him who -shall recollect that I could not be acquainted with the whole of his -transactions, nor ought I to relate even all that I did know. The -insignificance of my condition effects the one; the disgust of my -readers would be excited by the other. This fifth book, then, will -display some few of his deeds, while fame, no doubt, will blazon -the rest, and lasting memory transmit them to posterity. Nor will -it deviate from the design of the preceding four, but particularise -some things which happened during his time here and elsewhere, which -perchance are either unrecorded, or unknown to many: they will occupy, -indeed, a considerable portion of the volume, while I must claim the -usual indulgence for long digressions, as well in this as in the -others. - - -_Of Henry the First._ [A.D. 1100-1129.] - - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1100.] HENRY I.] - -Henry, the youngest son of William the Great, was born in England[462] -the third year after his father’s arrival; a child, even at that -time, fondly cherished by the joint good wishes of all, as being -the only one of William’s sons born in royalty, and to whom the -kingdom seemed to pertain. The early years of instruction he passed -in liberal arts, and so thoroughly imbibed the sweets of learning, -that no warlike commotions, no pressure of business, could ever erase -them from his noble mind: although he neither read much openly, nor -displayed his attainments except sparingly. His learning, however, to -speak the truth, though obtained by snatches, assisted him much in -the science of governing; according to that saying of Plato, “Happy -would be the commonwealth, if philosophers governed, or kings would -be philosophers.” Not slenderly tinctured by philosophy, then, by -degrees, in process of time, he learned how to restrain the people with -lenity; nor did he ever suffer his soldiers to engage but where he saw -a pressing emergency. In this manner, by learning, he trained his early -years to the hope of the kingdom; and often in his father’s hearing -made use of the proverb, that “An illiterate king is a crowned ass.” -They relate, too, that his father, observing his disposition, never -omitted any means of cherishing his lively prudence; and that once, -when he had been ill-used by one of his brothers, and was in tears, he -spirited him up, by saying, “Weep not, my boy, you too will be a king.” - -In the twenty-first year,[463] then, of his father’s reign, when he -was nineteen years of age, he was knighted by him at Westminster -during Pentecost; and then accompanying him to Normandy, was, shortly -after, present at his funeral; the other brothers departing whither -their hopes led them, as my former narrative has related. Wherefore, -supported by the blessing of his father, together with his maternal -inheritance and immense treasures, he paid little regard to the -haughtiness of his brothers; assisting or opposing each of them as -they merited. More attached, however, to Robert for his mildness, he -took every means of stimulating his remissness by his own spirit. -Robert, on the other hand, through blameable credulity, trusting to -tale-bearers, injured his innocent brother in a way which it may not be -irrelevant briefly to relate. - -At the time when the nobility of England were rebelling against -William the Second, while Robert was waiting a wind to sail over from -Normandy, Henry had, by his command, departed into Brittany; when, -eagerly seizing the opportunity, he expended on his troops all the -large sum of money, amounting to three thousand marks, which had been -bequeathed to the young man by the will of his father. Henry, on his -return, though perhaps he endured this with difficulty, yet observed a -cautious silence on the subject. However, hearing of the restoration -of peace in England, the service was ended, and they laid aside their -arms. The earl retired to his own territories: Henry to those which his -brother had either given, or promised to give him. Indeed he placed -his promises to account, retaining the tower of Rouen under fealty -to Robert. But, by the accusation of some very infamous persons, his -fidelity proved disadvantageous to him; and for no fault on his part, -Henry was, in this very place, detained in free custody, lest he should -escape the vigilance of his keepers. Released at the expiration of -half a year, on the invitation of his brother William he offered him -his services; but he, remunerating the young man no better, put him -off, though in distress, with empty promises for more than a year. -Wherefore, Robert, by his messengers, offering reparation for what had -been done, he came to Normandy; having experienced attempts on his -person from each of his brothers. For the king, angry at his departure, -had in vain commanded him to be detained: and the earl, swayed by the -arts of his accusers, had changed his intention; so that, when lured to -him by soothing measures, he would not easily suffer him to depart. But -he, escaping every danger by the providence of God and his own prudent -caution, compelled his brother gladly to accede to peace, by seizing -Avranches and some other castles. Soon after, William coming into -Normandy to revenge himself on his brother Robert, Henry manifested -his regard to the earl at Rouen. Finally, the king’s party coming -thither in the day time, he spiritedly expelled them, when already, -through the treachery of the citizens, they had over-run the whole -city; sending a message to the earl, to oppose them in front, while he -pressed upon their rear. In consequence of this transaction, one Conan -was accused of treachery to the earl; who designed to cast him into -chains: supposing that no greater calamity could be inflicted on the -wretch, than dooming him to drag out a hated existence in prison. But -Henry requested to have this Conan committed to his care; which being -granted, he led him to the top of the tower at Rouen, and ordering -him carefully to survey the surrounding territory from the heights -of the citadel, ironically declaring it should all be his, he thrust -him suddenly off the ramparts into the Seine below; protesting to his -companions, who at the same time assisted him, that no respite was due -to a traitor; that the injuries of a stranger might be endured in some -manner or other; but that the punishment of a man who with an oath had -done homage, when once convicted of perfidy, never should be deferred. -This action weighed little with Robert, who was a man of changeable -disposition, for he immediately became ungrateful, and compelled his -deserving brother to retire from the city. This was the period in -which, as has been before mentioned, Henry, as well for his security as -for his fame, made a stand against both Robert and William at Mount St. -Michael’s. Thus, though he had been faithful and serviceable to either -brother, they, vouchsafing no establishment to the young man, trained -him up, as he grew in years, to greater prudence, from the scantiness -of his means. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1091.] HENRY ELECTED KING.] - -But on the violent death of king William, as before related, after the -solemnization of the royal funeral, he was elected king; though some -trifling dissensions had first arisen among the nobility which were -allayed chiefly through the exertions of Henry earl of Warwick, a man -of unblemished integrity, with whom he had long been in the strictest -intimacy. He immediately promulgated an edict throughout England, -annulling the illegal ordinances[464] of his brother, and of Ranulph; -he remitted taxes; released prisoners; drove the flagitious from court; -restored the nightly use of lights within the palace, which had been -omitted in his brother’s time;[465] and renewed the operation of the -ancient laws,[466] confirming them with his own oath, and that of the -nobility, that they might not be eluded. A joyful day then seemed to -dawn on the people, when the light of fair promise shone forth after -such repeated clouds of distress. And that nothing might be wanting to -the aggregate of happiness, Ranulf, the dregs of iniquity, was cast -into the gloom of a prison, and speedy messengers were despatched -to recall Anselm. Wherefore, all vying in joyous acclamation, Henry -was crowned king at London, on the nones of August, four days after -his brother’s death. These acts were the more sedulously performed, -lest the nobility should be induced to repent their choice; as a -rumour prevailed, that Robert earl of Normandy, returning from -Apulia, was just on the point of arriving. Soon after, his friends, -and particularly the bishops, persuading him to give up meretricious -pleasures and adopt legitimate wedlock, he married, on St. Martin’s -day, Matilda,[467] daughter of Malcolm king of Scotland, to whom he -had long been greatly attached; little regarding the marriage portion, -provided he could possess her whom he so ardently desired. For though -she was of noble descent, being grand-niece of king Edward, by his -brother Edmund, yet she possessed but little fortune, being an orphan, -destitute of either parent; of whom there will be more ample matter of -relation hereafter. - -In the meantime, Robert, arriving in Normandy, recovered his earldom -without any opposition; on hearing which, almost all the nobility of -this country violated the fealty which they had sworn to the king: some -without any cause; some feigning slight pretences, because he would -not readily give them such lands as they coveted. Robert Fitz-Haymon, -and Richard de Rivers, and Roger Bigod, and Robert earl of Mellent, -with his brother Henry, alone declared on the side of justice. But all -the others either secretly sent for Robert to make him king, or openly -branded their lord with sarcasms; calling him, Godric,[468] and his -consort, Goddiva. Henry heard these taunts, and, with a terrific grin, -deferring his anger, he repressed the contemptuous expressions cast -on him by the madness of fools, by a studied silence; for he was a -calm dissembler of his enmities, but, in due season, avenged them with -fierceness. This tempest of the times was increased by the subtlety -of Ranulf. For, concerting with his butler, he procured a rope to be -sent him. The deceitful servant, who was water-bearer, carried him a -very long one in a cask; by which he descended from the wall of the -tower, but whether he hurt his arms, or grazed the skin off his hands, -is a matter of no importance.[469] Escaping thence to Normandy, he -stimulated the earl, already indignant and ripe for war, to come to -England without a moment’s delay. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1101.] ROBERT LANDS AT PORTSMOUTH.] - -In the second year, then, of Henry’s reign, in the month of August, -arriving at Portsmouth, he landed, divided and posted his forces -over the whole district. Nor did the king give way to indolence, but -collected an innumerable army over against him, to assert his dignity, -should it be necessary. For, though the nobility deserted him, yet -was his party strong; being espoused by archbishop Anselm, with his -brother bishops, and all the English. In consequence, grateful to -the inhabitants for their fidelity, and anxious for their safety, he -frequently went through the ranks, instructing them how to elude the -ferocity of the cavalry by opposing their shields, and how to return -their strokes. By this he made them voluntarily demand the fight, -perfectly fearless of the Normans. Men, however, of sounder counsel -interfering, who observed, that the laws of natural affection must be -violated should brothers meet in battle, they shaped their minds to -peace; reflecting, that, if one fell, the other would be the weaker, as -there was no surviving brother. Besides, a promise of three thousand -marks deceived the easy credulity of the earl; who imagined that, -when he had disbanded his army, he might gratify his inclinations with -such an immense sum of money: which, the very next year, he cheerfully -surrendered to the queen’s pleasure, because she desired it. - -The following year Robert de Belesme, eldest son of Roger de -Montgomery, rebelled, fortifying the castles of Bridgenorth and Arundel -against the king; carrying thither corn from all the district round -Shrewsbury, and every necessary which war requires. The castle of -Shrewsbury, too, joined the rebellion, the Welsh being inclined to -evil on every occasion. In consequence, the king, firm in mind and -bearing down every adverse circumstance by valour, collecting an army, -laid siege to Bridgenorth, from whence Robert had already retired to -Arundel; presuming from the plenty of provision and the courage of the -soldiers, that the place was abundantly secure. But, after a few days, -the townsmen, impelled by remorse of conscience and by the bravery of -the king’s army, surrendered: on learning which, Arundel repressed -its insolence; putting itself under the king’s protection, with this -remarkable condition; that its lord, without personal injury, should -be suffered to retire to Normandy. Moreover, the people of Shrewsbury -sent the keys of the castle to the king by Ralph, at that time abbat -of Sees, and afterwards archbishop of Canterbury, as tokens of present -submission, and pledges of their future obedience. Thus, this fire of -dissension which was expected to become excessive, wasted to ashes -in the course of very few days; and the avidity of the revolters, -perpetually panting after innovation, was repressed. Robert, with his -brothers, Ernulph, who had obtained the surname of his father, and -Roger the Poitevin, so called because he had married his wife from that -country, abjured England for ever; but the strictness of this oath was -qualified with a proviso, “unless he should satisfy the king on some -future occasion, by his obedient conduct.” - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1102.] TROUBLES IN NORMANDY.] - -The torch of war now lighted up in Normandy, receiving fresh fuel by -the arrival of the traitors, blazed forth and seized every thing within -its reach. Normandy, indeed, though not very wide in its extent, is -a convenient and patient fosterer of the abandoned. Wherefore, for a -long time, she well endures intestine broils; and on the restoration -of peace, rises soon to a state more fruitful than before; at her -pleasure ejecting her disturbers, when detected by the province, by -an easy egress into France. Whereas England does not long endure the -turbulent; but when once received to her bosom, either surrenders, or -puts them to death; neither, when laid waste by tumult, does she again -soon rear her recovering head. Belesme, then, arriving in Normandy, -had, both at that time and afterwards, accomplices in his malignity, -and lest this should seem too little, inciters also. Among others was -William earl of Moreton, the son of Robert, the king’s uncle. He, from -a boy, had been envious of Henry’s fame, and had, more especially, on -the arrival of the Norman, manifested his evil disposition. For not -content with the two earldoms, of Moreton in Normandy, and Cornwall -in England, he demanded from the king the earldom of Kent, which Odo -his uncle had held; so troublesome and presumptuous was he, that, -with shameless arrogance, he vowed, that he would not put on his -cloak till he could procure the inheritance derived to him from his -uncle; for such was his expression. But even then the king, with his -characteristic circumspection, beguiled him by the subtlety of an -ambiguous answer. The tumult, however, being allayed and tranquillity -restored, he not only refused assent to his demand, but persisted in -recovering what he unjustly retained; though he did it with moderation, -and the sanction of law, that none of his actions might appear illegal, -or contrary to equity. William, ousted by the sentence of the law, -retired, indignant and furious into Normandy. Here, in addition to his -fruitless attacks upon the royal castles, he assailed Richard earl of -Chester, the son of Hugh; invading, plundering, and destroying some -places which formed part of his possessions: the earl himself being at -that time a minor, and under the protection and guardianship of the -king. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1102.] BATTLE AT TENERSEBREY.] - -These two persons, then, the leaders of faction and fomenters -of rebellion, in conjunction with others whom I am ashamed to -particularize, harassed the country, far and wide, with their -devastations. Complaints from the suffering inhabitants on the subject -of their injuries, though frequent, were lavished upon the earl in -vain. He was moved by them, it is true; but fearing on his own account, -lest they should disturb his ease if offended, he dissembled his -feelings. King Henry, however, felt deeply for his brother’s infamy, -carried to the highest pitch by the sufferings of the country: aware, -that it was the extreme of cruelty, and far from a good king’s duty, -to suffer abandoned men to riot on the property of the poor. In -consequence, he once admonished his brother, whom he had sent for -into England, with fair words; but afterwards, arriving in Normandy, -he severely reminded him, more than once, by arms, to act the prince -rather than the monk. He also despoiled William, the instigator of -these troubles, of every thing he had in England; razing his castles -to the ground. But when he could, even thus, make no progress towards -peace, the royal majesty long anxiously employed its thoughts, whether, -regardless of fraternal affection, it should rescue the country from -danger, or through blind regard, suffer it to continue in jeopardy. -And indeed the common weal, and sense of right, would have yielded to -motives of private affection, had not pope Paschal, as they say,[470] -urged him, when hesitating, to the business by his letters: averring, -with his powerful eloquence, that it would not be a civil war, but a -signal benefit to a noble country. In consequence, passing over,[471] -he, in a short time, took, or more properly speaking, received, the -whole of Normandy; all flocking to his dominion, that he might provide, -by his transcendent power, for the good of the exhausted province. Yet -he achieved not this signal conquest without bloodshed; but lost many -of his dearest associates. Among these was Roger of Gloucester, a tried -soldier, who was struck on the head by a bolt from a cross-bow, at the -siege of Falaise; and Robert Fitz-Haymon, who receiving a blow on the -temple, with a lance, and losing his faculties, survived a considerable -time, almost in a state of idiotcy.[472] They relate, that he was thus -deservedly punished, because, for the sake of liberating him, king -Henry had consumed the city of Bayeux, together with the principal -church, with fire. Still, however, as we hope, they both atoned for -it. For the king munificently repaired the damage of that church: and -it is not easy to relate, how much Robert ennobled, by his favour, -the monastery of Tewkesbury; where the splendour of the edifice, and -the kindness of the monks, attract the eyes, and captivate the minds -of the visitors. Fortune, however, to make up for the loss of these -persons, put a finishing hand to the war, when at its height, and with -little labour, gave his brother, when opposing him with no despicable -force, together with William earl of Moreton, and Robert de Belesme, -into his power. This battle was fought at Tenersebrey, a castle of the -earl of Moreton’s, on Saturday the Vigil of St. Michael. It was the -same day, on which, about forty years before, William had first landed -at Hastings: doubtless by the wise dispensation of God, that Normandy -should be subjected to England on the same day that the Norman power -had formerly arrived to subjugate that kingdom. Here was taken the -earl of Moreton, who came thither to fulfil his promise of strenuous -assistance to the townsmen, as well as in the hope of avenging his -injuries. But, made captive, as I have related, he passed the residue -of his life in the gloom of a prison; meriting some credit from the -vivacity of his mind, and the activity of his youth, but deserving an -unhappy end, from his perfidy. Then, too, Belesme[473] escaped death by -flight at the first onset; but when, afterwards, he had irritated the -king by secret faction, he also was taken; and being involved in the -same jeopardy with the others, he was confined in prison as long as he -lived. He was a man intolerable from the barbarity of his manners, and -inexorable to the faults of others; remarkable besides for cruelty; -and, among other instances, on account of some trifling fault of its -father, he blinded his godchild, who was his hostage, tearing out -the little wretch’s eyes with his accursed nails: full of cunning and -dissimulation, he used to deceive the credulous by the serenity of his -countenance and the affability of his speech; though the same means -terrified those who were acquainted with his malignity; as there was -no greater proof of impending mischief, than his pretended mildness of -address. - -The king, thus splendidly successful, returned triumphant to his -kingdom, having established such peace in Normandy as it had never -known before; and such as even his father himself, with all his mighty -pomp of words and actions, had never been able to accomplish. Rivalling -his father also, in other respects, he restrained, by edict,[474] the -exactions of the courtiers, thefts, rapine, and the violation of women; -commanding the delinquents to be deprived of sight, as well as of their -manhood. He also displayed singular diligence against the mintmasters, -commonly called moneyers; suffering no counterfeiter, who had been -convicted of deluding the ignorant by the practice of his roguery, to -escape, without losing his hand. - -Adopting the custom of his brother, he soothed the Scottish kings -by his affability. For William made Duncan, the illegitimate son of -Malcolm, a knight; and, on the death of his father, appointed him king -of Scotland. When Duncan was taken off by the wickedness of his uncle -Donald, he promoted Edgar to the kingdom; the above-mentioned Donald -being despatched by the contrivance of David, the youngest brother, -and the power of William. Edgar yielding to fate, Henry made affinity -with Alexander, his successor, giving him his illegitimate daughter in -marriage, by whom he had no issue that I know of; and when she died, -he did not much lament her loss: for there was, as they affirm, some -defect about the lady, either in correctness of manners, or elegance -of person. Alexander resting with his ancestors, David the youngest -of Malcolm’s sons, whom the king had made a knight and honoured with -the marriage of a woman of quality, ascended the throne of Scotland. -A youth more courtly than the rest, and who, polished, from a boy, -by intercourse and familiarity with us, had rubbed off all the rust -of Scottish barbarism. Finally, when he obtained the kingdom, he -released from the payment of taxes, for three years, all such of his -countrymen as would pay more attention to their dwellings, dress more -elegantly, and feed more nicely. No history has ever recorded three -kings, and at the same time brothers, who were of equal sanctity, or -savoured so much of their mother’s piety; for independently of their -abstemiousness, their extensive charity, and their frequency in prayer, -they so completely subdued the domestic vice of kings, that no report, -even, prevailed, that any entered their bed except their legitimate -wives, or that either of them had ever been guilty of any unlawful -intercourse. Edmund was the only degenerate son of Margaret, who, -partaking in his uncle Donald’s crime, and bargaining for half his -kingdom, had been accessary to his brother’s death. But being taken, -and doomed to perpetual imprisonment, he sincerely repented; and, on -his near approach to death, ordered himself to be buried in his chains: -confessing that he suffered deservedly for the crime of fratricide. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1106.] HENRY’S EXPEDITION TO WALES.] - -The Welsh, perpetually rebelling, were subjugated by the king in -repeated expeditions, who, relying on a prudent expedient to quell -their tumults, transported thither all the Flemings then resident in -England. For that country contained such numbers of these people, who, -in the time of his father, had come over from national relationship -to his mother, that, from their numbers, they appeared burdensome to -the kingdom. In consequence he settled them, with all their property -and connexions, at Ross, a Welsh province, as in a common receptacle, -both for the purpose of cleansing the kingdom, and repressing the -brutal temerity of the enemy. Still, however, he did not neglect -leading his expeditions thither, as circumstances required: in one of -which, being privily aimed at with an arrow from a distance, though -by whose audacity is unknown, he opportunely and fortunately escaped, -by the interposition of his firmly mailed hauberk, and the counsel of -God at the same time frustrating this treachery. But neither was the -director of the arrow discovered at that time, nor could he ever after -be detected, although the king immediately declared, that it was not -let fly by a Welshman, but by a subject; swearing to it, by the death -of our Lord, which was his customary oath when moved, either by excess -of anger or the importance of the occasion. For at that very time the -army was marching cautiously and slowly upon its own ground, not in -an enemy’s territory, and therefore nothing less was to be expected -than an hostile attack. But, nevertheless, he desisted not from his -purpose through fear of intestine danger, until the Welsh appeased the -commotion of the royal spirit, by giving the sons of their nobility as -hostages, together with some money, and much of their substance. - -By dint of gold, too, he brought the inhabitants of Brittany to his -views, whom, when a young man, he had had as neighbours to his castles -of Danfrunt and Mount St. Michael’s; for these are a race of people, -poor at home, and seeking abroad to support a toilsome life by foreign -service. Regardless of right and of affinity, they decline not even -civil war, provided they are paid for it; and, in proportion to the -remuneration, are ready to enter any service that may be offered. Aware -of this custom, if, at any time he had need of stipendiary troops, he -used to lavish money on these Bretons; thereby hiring the faith of a -faithless nation. - -In the beginning of his reign he offended Robert, earl of Flanders, -from the following cause: Baldwin the Elder, the grandfather of this -Robert, had powerfully assisted William, when going to England, by -the wisdom of his councils, for which he was famed, and by a supply -of soldiers. William had frequently made splendid returns for this; -giving, every year, as they report, three hundred marks[475] of silver -to his father-in-law, on account of his fidelity and affinity. This -munificence was not diminished towards his son Baldwin; though it was -dropped through the evil disposition of Robert Friso, as my history -has already recorded. Moreover this Robert, the son of Friso, easily -obtained the omitted largess from William the Second, because the one -alleged his relationship, and the other possessed a boundless spirit in -squandering money. But Henry giving the business deeper consideration, -as a man who never desired to obtain money improperly, nor ever -wantonly exhausted it when acquired, gave the following reply to -Robert, on his return from Jerusalem, when imperiously making a demand, -as it were, of three hundred marks of silver. He said, “that the kings -of England were not accustomed to pay tribute to the Flemings; and -that he would not tarnish the liberty of his ancestors by the stain -of his cowardice; therefore, if he would trust to his generosity, -he would willingly give him, as a kinsman and as a friend, whatever -circumstances would permit; but if he thought proper to persist in his -demand, he should refuse it altogether.” Confuted by this reasoning, -he, for a long time, cherished his indignation against Henry; but -getting little or nothing by his enmity, he bent his mind to milder -measures; having discovered that the king might be wrought upon by -intreaty, but not by imperious insolence. But now, the change of times -had given his son, Baldwin, matter of offence against Henry; for, -wishing to place William,[476] the son of Robert the Norman, in his -inheritance, he voluntarily busied himself in the affairs of others, -and frequently made unexpected attacks upon the king’s castles in -Normandy. He threatened extreme trouble to the country, had the fates -permitted; but engaging at Arques with a larger party of soldiers than -he had apprehended, he accelerated his death; for his helmet being -battered with repeated strokes, he received an injury in his brain. -They relate, that his disorder was increased from having that day -eaten garlic with goose, and that he did not even abstain from carnal -intercourse at night. Here let posterity contemplate a noble specimen -of royal attention; for the king sent a most skilful physician to -the patient, bewailing, as we may believe, that person’s perishing -by disease, whom, through admiration of his valour, he had rather -seen survive. Charles, his successor, never annoyed the king; and -first, with a doubtful, but afterwards, a formal treaty, embraced his -friendship. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1119.] PHILIP, KING OF FRANCE.] - -Philip, king of France, was neither friendly nor hostile to our -king, being more intent on gluttony than business; neither were his -dominions situated in the vicinity of Henry’s castles; for the few -which he possessed at that time in Normandy were nearer to Brittany -than France. Besides, as I have said before, Philip growing in years -was oppressed by lust; and, allured by the beauty of the countess of -Anjou, was enslaved to illicit passion for her. In consequence of his -being excommunicated by the pope, no divine service could be celebrated -in the town where he resided; but on his departure the chiming of the -bells resounded on all sides, at which he expressed his stupid folly by -laughter, saying, “You hear, my fair, how they drive us away.”[477] He -was held in such contempt by all the bishops of his kingdom, that no -one, except William,[478] archbishop of Rouen, would marry them: the -rashness of which deed he atoned for by being many years interdicted, -and was with difficulty, at last, restored to apostolical communion -by archbishop Anselm. In the meanwhile, no space of time could give -satiety to Philip’s mad excess, except that, in his last days, being -seized with sickness, he took the monastic habit at Flory.[479] She -acted with better grace and better success; as she sought the veil of -a nun at Fontevrault, while yet possessed of strength and health, and -undiminished beauty. Soon after she bade adieu to the present life: -God, perhaps, foreseeing that the frame of a delicate woman could not -endure the austerities of a monastery. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1119.] LEWIS, KING OF FRANCE.] - -Lewis, the son of Philip, was very changeable; firmly attached to -neither party. At first, extremely indignant against Robert, he -instigated Henry to seize Normandy; seduced by what had been plundered -from the English, and the vast wealth of the king. Not indeed, that the -one offered it, but the other invited him; exhorting him, of his own -accord, not to suffer the nerves of that once most flourishing country, -to be crippled by his forbearance. But an enmity afterwards arose -between them, on account of Theobald, earl of Blois, son of Stephen who -fell at Ramula; Theobald being the son of Stephen by Adala, daughter -of William the Great. For a considerable time, messengers on the part -of the king wasted their labour, entreating that Lewis would condescend -to satisfy Theobald. But he, paying little regard to entreaties, caused -Theobald to be excommunicated by the pope, as arrogant and a rebel to -God; who, in addition to the austerity of his manners, which seemed -intolerable to all, was represented as depriving his lord of his -hereditary possessions. Their quarrel being thus of long continuance, -when, each swollen with pride, neither would vail his consequence to -the other, Lewis entered Normandy, proudly devastating every thing -with overbearing violence. These things were reported to the king, who -shut himself up in Rouen until the common soldiers infested his ears, -by saying, “That he ought to allow Lewis to be driven back; a man who -formerly kept his bed through corpulency, but was now, by Henry’s -forbearance, loading the very air with threats.” The king, mindful -of his father’s example, rather preferred crushing the folly of the -Frenchman by endurance, than repelling it by force. Moreover, he kindly -soothed his soldiers, by addressing them to the following effect, “That -they ought not to wonder if he avoided lavishing the blood of those -whom he had proved to be faithful by repeated trials: that it would be -impious, in achieving power to himself, to glory in the deaths of those -persons who had devoted their lives to voluntary conflicts for his -safety; that they were the adopted of his kingdom, the foster-children -of his affection; wherefore he was anxious to follow the example of a -good king, and by his own moderation to check the impetuosity of those -whom he saw so ready to die for him.” At last, when he beheld his -forbearance wrongly interpreted, and denominated cowardice, insomuch -that Lewis burnt and plundered within four miles of Rouen; he called -up the powers of his soul with greater effort, and, arraying his -troops, gloriously conquered: compensating his past forbearance by a -sanguinary victory. But, however, soon afterwards, peace was concluded, -“Because there is a change in all things, and money, which is capable -of persuading what it lists, extenuates every injury.” In consequence -William, the son of our king, did homage to the king of France for -Normandy, holding that province, in future, by legal right from him. -This was the period when the same youth married the daughter of Fulco, -earl of Anjou, and obtained, by the careful management of his father, -that, through the mediation of money and of affinity, no tumults should -affect the son. - -At this time, pope Calixtus,[480] of whom I shall relate much -hereafter, approached the confines of Normandy, where the king of -England, entering into conference with him, compelled the Romans to -admire and proclaim the ingenuity of the Normans. For he had come, -as was reported, ill-disposed towards Henry; intending severely to -expostulate with him, for keeping his brother, the pilgrim of the Holy -Sepulchre, in confinement. But being pressed by the king’s answer, -which was specious, and by his plausible arguments, he had little -to reply. For even common topics may avail, through eloquence of -speech; and, more especially, that oratory cannot be despised, which -is seasoned with valuable presents. And that nothing might be wanting -to the aggregate of glory, he provided some youths of noble family, -the sons of the earl of Mellent, to dispute with the cardinals in -logic. To whose inextricable sophisms, when, from the liveliness of -their arguments, they could make no resistance, the cardinals were not -ashamed to confess, that the Western climes flourished with greater -literary eminence, than they had ever heard of, or imagined, while yet -in their own country. Wherefore, the issue of this conference, was, -that the pope declared, that nothing could be more just than the king -of England’s cause; nothing more conspicuous than his prudence, or more -copious than his eloquence. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1119.] ROBERT, EARL OF MELLENT.] - -The father of these youths was Robert, earl of Mellent, as I observed, -the son of Roger de Beaumont, who built the monastery of Preaux in -Normandy; a man of primitive simplicity and sincerity, who, being -frequently invited by William the First, to come to England, and -receive, as a recompence, whatever possessions he chose, always -declined; saying, that he wished to cultivate the inheritance of his -forefathers, rather than covet or invade foreign possessions which -did not belong to him. He had two sons, Robert, of whom we are -speaking, and Henry. Henry earl of Warwick, a man of sweet and placid -disposition, passed and ended his days, in occupations congenial to his -habits. The other, more shrewd, and of a subtler character, in addition -to his paternal inheritance in Normandy and large estates in England, -purchased from the king of France a castle called Mellent, which -Hugh the son of Gualeraun, his mother’s brother, had held. Conducted -gradually by budding hope towards fame in the time of the former -kings, he attained to its full bloom in Henry’s days; and his advice -was regarded as though the oracle of God had been consulted: indeed he -was deservedly esteemed to have obtained it, as he was of ripe age to -counsel; the persuader of peace, the dissuader of strife, and capable -of very speedily bringing about whatever he desired, from the powers -of his eloquence. He possessed such mighty influence in England, as to -change by his single example the long established modes of dress and of -diet. Finally, the custom of one meal a day, is observed[481] in the -palaces of all the nobility through his means; which he, adopting from -Alexius, emperor of Constantinople, on the score of his health, spread, -as I have observed, among the rest by his authority. He is blamed, -as having done, and taught others to do this, more through want of -liberality, than any fear of surfeit, or indigestion; but undeservedly: -since no one, it is said, was more lavish in entertainments to others, -or more moderate in himself. In law, he was the supporter of justice; -in war, the insurer of victory: urging his lord the king to enforce the -rigour of the statutes; himself not only following the existing, but -proposing new ones: free himself from treachery towards the king, he -was the avenger of it in others.[482] - -Besides this personage king Henry had among his counsellors, Roger[483] -bishop of Salisbury, on whose advice he principally relied. For, -before his accession, he had made him regulator of his household, -and on becoming king, having had proof of his abilities, appointed -him first chancellor and then a bishop. The able discharge of his -episcopal functions led to a hope that he might be deserving of a -higher office. He therefore committed to his care the administration -of the whole kingdom, whether he might be himself resident in England -or absent in Normandy. The bishop refused to embroil himself in -cares of such magnitude, until the three archbishops of Canterbury, -Anselm, Ralph, William, and lastly the pope, enjoined him the duty -of obedience. Henry was extremely eager to effect this, aware that -Roger would faithfully perform every thing for his advantage. Nor did -he deceive the royal expectation; but conducted himself with so much -integrity and diligence, that not a spark of envy was kindled against -him. Moreover, the king was frequently detained in Normandy, sometimes -for three, sometimes four years, and sometimes for a longer period; -and on his return to his kingdom, he gave credit to the chancellor’s -discretion for finding little or nothing to distress him. Amid all -these affairs, he did not neglect his ecclesiastical duties, but daily -diligently transacted them in the morning, that he might be more ready -and undisturbed for other business. He was a prelate of a great mind, -and spared no expense towards completing his designs, especially in -buildings, which may be seen in other places, but more particularly at -Salisbury and at Malmesbury. For there he erected extensive edifices, -at vast cost, and with surpassing beauty; the courses of stone being so -correctly laid that the joint deceives the eye, and leads it to imagine -that the whole wall is composed of a single block. He built anew the -church of Salisbury, and beautified it in such a manner that it yields -to none in England, but surpasses many, so that he had just cause to -say, “Lord, I have loved the glory of thy house.” - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1119.] MURCARD, KING OF IRELAND.] - -Murcard, king of Ireland, and his successors, whose names have not -reached our notice, were so devotedly attached to our Henry that they -wrote no letters but what tended to soothe him, and did nothing but -what he commanded; although it may be observed that Murcard, from -some unknown cause, acted, for a short time, rather superciliously -towards the English; but soon after on the suspension of navigation -and of foreign trade, his insolence subsided. For of what value could -Ireland be if deprived of the merchandize of England? From poverty, or -rather from the ignorance of the cultivators, the soil, unproductive -of every good, engenders, without the cities, a rustic, filthy swarm -of natives; but the English and French inhabit the cities in a greater -degree of civilization through their mercantile traffic. Paul, earl of -Orkney, though subject by hereditary right to the king of Norway, was -so anxious to obtain the king’s friendship, that he was perpetually -sending him presents; for he was extremely fond of the wonders of -distant countries, begging with great delight, as I have observed, -from foreign kings, lions, leopards, lynxes, or camels,--animals which -England does not produce. He had a park called Woodstock, in which he -used to foster his favourites of this kind. He had placed there also -a creature called a porcupine, sent to him by William of Montpelier; -of which animal, Pliny the Elder, in the eighth book of his Natural -History, and Isodorus, on Etymologies, relate that there is such a -creature in Africa, which the inhabitants call of the urchin kind, -covered with bristly hairs, which it naturally darts against the dogs -when pursuing it: moreover, these are, as I have seen, more than a -span long, sharp at each extremity, like the quills of a goose where -the feather ceases, but rather thicker, and speckled, as it were, with -black and white. - -What more particularly distinguished Henry was that though frequently -and long absent from his kingdom on account of the commotions in -Normandy, yet he so restrained the rebellious, by the terror of his -name, that peace remained undisturbed in England. In consequence, -foreigners willingly resorted thither, as to the only haven of secure -tranquillity. Finally, Siward king of Norway, in his early years -comparable to the bravest heroes, having entered on a voyage to -Jerusalem, and asking the king’s permission, wintered in England. -After expending vast sums upon the churches, as soon as the western -breeze opened the gates of spring to soothe the ocean, he regained -his vessels, and proceeding to sea, terrified the Balearic Isles, -which are called Majorca and Minorca, by his arms, leaving them an -easier conquest to the before-mentioned William of Montpelier. He -thence proceeded to Jerusalem with all his ships in safety except one; -she, while delaying to loose her cable from shore, was sucked into -a tremendous whirlpool, which Paul[484] the historian of Lombardy -describes as lying between the coasts of the Seine and Aquitaine, -with such a force of water that its dashing may be heard at thirty -miles’ distance. Arriving at Jerusalem he, for the advancement -of the Christian cause, laid siege to, battered, and subdued the -maritime cities of Tyre and Sidon. Changing his route, and entering -Constantinople, he fixed a ship, beaked with golden dragons, as a -trophy, on the church of Sancta Sophia. His men dying in numbers in -this city, he discovered a remedy for the disorder, by making the -survivors drink wine more sparingly, and diluted with water; and this -with singular sagacity; for pouring wine on the liver of a hog, and -finding that it presently dissolved by the acridity of the liquor, he -immediately conjectured that the same effect took place in men, and -afterwards dissecting a dead body, he had ocular proof of it. Wherefore -the emperor contemplating his sagacity and courage, which promised -something great, was inclined to detain him. But he adroitly deluded -the expectation in which he was already devouring the Norwegian gold; -for, obtaining permission to go to a neighbouring city, he deposited -with him the chests of his treasures, filled with lead and sealed up, -as pledges of a very speedy return; by which contrivance the emperor -was deceived, and the other returned home by land. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1119.] CHARACTER OF HENRY I.] - -But my narrative must now return to Henry. He was active in providing -what would be beneficial to his empire;[485] firm in defending -it; abstinent from war, as far as he could with honour; but when -he had determined no longer to forbear, a most severe requiter of -injuries, dissipating every opposing danger by the energy of his -courage; constant in enmity or in affection towards all; giving too -much indulgence to the tide of anger in the one, gratifying his -royal magnanimity in the other; depressing his enemies indeed even -to despair, and exalting his friends and dependants to an enviable -condition. For philosophy propounds this to be the first or greatest -concern of a good king, - - “To spare the suppliant, but depress the proud.”[486] - -Inflexible in the administration of justice, he ruled the people with -moderation; the nobility with condescension. Seeking after robbers -and counterfeiters with the greatest diligence, and punishing them -when discovered; neither was he by any means negligent in matters of -lesser importance. When he heard that the tradesmen refused broken -money,[487] though of good silver, he commanded the whole of it to be -broken, or cut in pieces. The measure of his own arm was applied to -correct the false ell of the traders, and enjoined on all throughout -England. He made a regulation for the followers of his court, at -whichever of his possessions he might be resident, stating what they -should accept without payment from the country-folks; and how much, -and at what price, they should purchase; punishing the transgressors -by a heavy pecuniary fine, or loss of life. In the beginning of his -reign, that he might awe the delinquents by the terror of example, -he was more inclined to punish by deprivation of limb; afterwards by -mulct. Thus, in consequence of the rectitude of his conduct, as is -natural to man, he was venerated by the nobility, and beloved by the -common people. If at any time the better sort, regardless of their -plighted oath, wandered from the path of fidelity, he immediately -recalled them to the straight road by the wisdom of his plans, and -his unceasing exertions; bringing back the refractory to soundness -of mind by the wounds he inflicted on their bodies. Nor can I easily -describe what perpetual labour he employed on such persons, while -suffering nothing to go unpunished which the delinquents had committed -repugnant to his dignity. Normandy, as I have said before, was the -chief source of his wars, in which, though principally resident, yet -he took especial care for England; none daring to rebel, from the -consideration of his courage and of his prudence. Nor, indeed, was -he ever singled out for the attack of treachery, by reason of the -rebellion of any of his nobles, through means of his attendants, except -once; the author of which was a certain chamberlain, born of a plebeian -father, but of distinguished consequence, as being keeper of the king’s -treasures; but, detected, and readily confessing his crime, he paid -the severe penalty of his perfidy.[488] With this exception, secure -during his whole life, the minds of all were restrained by fear, their -conversation by regard for him. - -He was of middle stature, exceeding the diminutive, but exceeded by -the very tall: his hair was black, but scanty near the forehead; his -eyes mildly bright; his chest brawny; his body fleshy: he was facetious -in proper season, nor did multiplicity of business cause him to be -less pleasant when he mixed in society. Not prone to personal combat, -he verified the saying of Scipio Africanus, “My mother bore me a -commander, not a soldier;” wherefore he was inferior in wisdom to no -king of modern time; and, as I may almost say, he clearly surpassed -all his predecessors in England, and preferred contending by counsel, -rather than by the sword. If he could, he conquered without bloodshed; -if it was unavoidable, with as little as possible. He was free, during -his whole life, from impure desires;[489] for, as we have learned from -those who were well informed, he was led by female blandishments, not -for the gratification of incontinency, but for the sake of issue; nor -condescended to casual intercourse, unless where it might produce that -effect; in this respect the master of his natural inclinations, not the -passive slave of lust. He was plain in his diet, rather satisfying the -calls of hunger, than surfeiting himself by variety of delicacies. He -never drank but to allay thirst; execrating the least departure from -temperance, both in himself and in those about him. He was heavy to -sleep, which was interrupted by frequent snoring. His eloquence was -rather unpremeditated than laboured; not rapid, but deliberate. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1119.] PIETY OF HENRY I.] - -His piety towards God was laudable, for he built monasteries in -England and in Normandy: but as he has not yet completed them, I, in -the meantime, should suspend my judgment, did not my affection for -the brotherhood at Reading forbid my silence. He built this monastery -between the rivers Kennet and Thames, in a place calculated for the -reception of almost all who might have occasion to travel to the more -populous cities of England, where he placed monks of the Clugniac -order, who are at this day a noble pattern of holiness, and an example -of unwearied and delightful hospitality. Here may be seen what is -peculiar to this place: for guests arriving every hour, consume -more than the inmates themselves. Perhaps, some person may call me -over-hasty and a flatterer, for so signally celebrating a congregation -yet in its infancy; unconscious what future times may produce: but -they, as I hope, will endeavour, by the grace of God, to continue in -virtue; and I blush not at commending men of holiness, and admiring -that excellence in others which I possess not myself. He yielded up -the investiture[490] of the churches to God and St. Peter, after -much controversy between him and archbishop Anselm, scarcely induced, -even at last, to consent, through the manifold grace of God, by an -inglorious victory over his brother. The tenor of these disputes Edmer -has recorded at great length; I, to give a completer knowledge of -the matter, shall subjoin the letters of the so-often-mentioned pope -Paschal on the subject. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1119.] PASCHAL ON INVESTITURES.] - -“Paschal the bishop to king Henry, health. From your letters, lately -transmitted to us by your servant, our beloved son, William the clerk, -we have been certified both of the safety of your person, and of those -prosperous successes which the divine favour hath granted you in the -subjugation of the adversaries of your kingdom. We have heard too, -that you have had the male issue you so much desired, by your noble -and religious consort. As we have derived pleasure from this, we -think it a good opportunity to impress the commands and will of God -more strongly upon you, at a time when you perceive yourself indebted -to his kindness for such ample favours. We also are desirous of -associating our kindness with the benefits of God towards you; but it -is distressing, that you should seem to require what we cannot possibly -grant. For if we consent, or suffer, that investitures be conferred by -your excellence, no doubt it will be to the great detriment both of -ourselves, and of you. In this matter we wish you to consider, what -you lose by not performing, or gain by performing. For we, by such a -prohibition, obtain no increase of influence, or patronage, over the -churches; nor do we endeavour to take away any thing from your just -power and right; but only that God’s anger may be diminished towards -you, and thus every prosperity attend you. God, indeed, hath said, -‘Those that honour me, I will honour; and those that despise me, shall -be lightly esteemed.’ You will say then, ‘It is my right;’ no truly, it -is neither an imperial nor royal, but a divine right; it is His only, -who has said, ‘I am the door:’ wherefore I entreat for his sake, whose -due it is, that you would restore and concede it to him, to whose love -you owe what you possess. But why should we oppose your pleasure, or -run counter to your good will, unless we were aware, that in consenting -to this matter, we should oppose the will of God, and lose his favour? -Why should we deny you any thing, which might be granted to any man -living, when we should receive greater favours in return? Consider, my -dearest son, whether it be an honour, or a disgrace that Anselm, the -wisest, and most religious of the Gallican bishops, on this account, -fears to be familiar with you, or to continue in your kingdom. What -will those persons think, who have hitherto had such favourable -accounts of you? What will they say, when this gets noised abroad? The -very people who, before your face, commend your excess, will, when out -of your presence, be the first more loudly to vilify the transaction. -Return then to your understanding, my dearest son, we entreat you, for -the mercy of God, and the love of his Only-begotten Son: recall your -pastor, recall your father; and if, what we do not imagine, he hath in -anything conducted himself harshly towards you, and hath opposed the -investitures, we will mediate according to your pleasure, as far as God -permits: but nevertheless, remove from your person and your kingdom the -infamy of such an expulsion. If you do this, even although you should -ask very difficult matters of us; still if, with God’s permission, we -can grant, you shall certainly obtain, them: and we will be careful to -entreat the Lord for you, himself assisting, and will grant indulgence -and absolution, as well to your sins, as to those of your consort, -through the merits of the holy apostles. Moreover, we will, together -with you, cherish the son whom you have begotten on your exemplary and -noble consort; and who is, as we have heard, named after your excellent -father, William, with such anxious care, that whosoever shall injure -either you, or him, shall be regarded as having done injury to the -church of Rome. Dated at the palace of Lateran, the ninth before the -kalends of December.” - -“Paschal to Anselm. We have received those most gratifying letters of -your affection, written with the pen of charity. In these we recognise -the fervency of your devotion, and considering the strength of your -faith, and the earnestness of your pious care, we rejoice; because, by -the grace of God, neither promises elevate, nor threats depress you. We -lament, however, that after having kindly received our brother bishops, -the ambassadors of the king of England, they should, on their return -home, report what we never uttered, or even thought of. For, we have -heard, that they said, if the king conducted himself well in other -respects, we should neither prohibit the investiture of the churches, -nor anathematize them, when conferred; but that we were unwilling -thus to write, lest from this precedent other princes should exclaim. -Wherefore we call Jesus, who trieth the hearts and reins, as witness to -our soul, if ever such a horrid crime, even entered our imagination, -since we assumed the care of this holy see.” And again below. “If, -therefore, a lay hand present the staff, the sign of the shepherd’s -office, or the ring, the emblem of faith, what have the bishops to -do in the church? Moreover, those bishops who have changed the truth -into a lie, that truth, which is God, being the criterion, we separate -from the favour of St. Peter and our society, until they have made -satisfaction to the church of Rome. Such, therefore, as have received -the investiture,[491] or consecration, during the aforesaid truce,[492] -we regard as aliens to our communion and to the church.” - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1119.] LETTER OF POPE PASCHAL.] - -“Paschal to Anselm. Since the condescension of Almighty God hath -inclined the heart of the king of England to obedience to the papal -see, we give thanks to the same God of mercies, in whose hand are -situated the hearts of kings. We believe it indeed to have been -effected through favour to your charity, and the earnestness of -your prayers, that in this respect the heavenly mercy hath regarded -the people over whom your watchfulness presides. But whereas we -so greatly condescend to the king and those who seem culpable, you -must know that this has been done from kindness and compassion, that -we may lift up those that are down. And you, also, reverend and -dearest brother in Christ, we release from the prohibition or, as you -conceive, excommunication, which, you understand, was denounced against -investitures or homage by our predecessor of holy memory pope Urban. -But do you, by the assistance of God, accept those persons who either -receive investitures, or consecrate such as have received them, or -do homage on making that satisfaction which we signify to you by our -common legates William and Baldwin, faithful and true men, and absolve -them by virtue of our authority. These you will either consecrate -yourself, or command to be consecrated by such as you choose; unless -perchance you should discover somewhat in them on account of which they -ought to be deprived of their sacred honours. And if any, hereafter, -in addition to the investitures of the churches, shall have accepted -prelacies, even though they have done homage to the king, yet let them -not, on this account, be denied the office of consecration, until by -the grace of Almighty God, the heart of the king may be softened, by -the dew of your preaching, to omit this. Moreover, against the bishops -who have brought, as you know, a false report from us, our heart is -more vehemently moved, because they have not only injured us, but have -led astray the minds of many simple people, and impelled the king to -want of charity for the papal see. Wherefore, by the help of God, we -suffer not their crime to pass unpunished: but since the earnestness of -our son the king unceasingly entreats for them, you will not deny, even -them, the participation of your communion. Indeed, you will, according -to our promise, absolve from their transgressions and from penance the -king and his consort, and those nobles who for this business, together -with the king, have by our command been under sentence, whose names you -will learn from the information of the aforesaid William. We commit the -cause of the bishop of Rouen to your consideration, and we grant to him -whatsoever you may allow.” - -In this manner acted Paschal the supreme pope, anxious for the liberty -of the churches of God. The bishops whom he accuses of falsehood, were -Girard archbishop of York, and Herbert of Norwich, whose errors were -discovered by the more veracious legates, William afterwards bishop of -Exeter, and Baldwin monk of Bec. Anselm[493] the archbishop was now -again, in the time of this king, an exile at Lyons, resident with Hugh, -archbishop of that city, when the first letter which I have inserted -was despatched; for he himself possessed no desire to return, nor did -the king, through the multitude of sycophants, suffer his animosity -to be appeased. He deferred, therefore, for a long time, recalling -him or complying with the papal admonition; not from desire of power, -but through the advice of the nobility, and particularly of the earl -of Mellent, who, in this affair, running counter to reason more from -ancient custom than a sense of right, alleged that the king’s majesty -must be much diminished if, disregarding the usage of his predecessors, -he ceased to invest the elected person with the staff and ring. The -king, however, considering more attentively what the clear reasoning -of the epistles, and the bountiful gift of divine favours, plentifully -showered down upon him, admonished, yielded up the investiture of the -ring and staff for ever, retaining only the privilege of election and -of the temporalities. A great council, therefore, of bishops, nobles, -and abbats, being assembled at London, many points of ecclesiastical -and secular business were settled, many differences adjusted. And -not long after, five bishops were ordained in Kent, on the same day, -by archbishop Anselm: William to the see of Winchester; Roger to -Salisbury; William to Exeter; Reinald to Hereford; Urban to Glamorgan. -In this manner a controversy, agitated by perpetual dissensions, and -the cause of many a journey to and from Rome by Anselm, met with a -commendable termination. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1107.] ACCOUNT OF QUEEN MATILDA.] - -Henry’s queen, Matilda, descended from an ancient and illustrious race -of kings, daughter of the king of Scotland, as I have said before, -had also given her attention to literature, being educated, from her -infancy, among the nuns at Wilton and Romsey. Wherefore, in order to -have a colour for refusing an ignoble alliance, which was more than -once offered by her father, she wore the garb indicative of the holy -profession. This, when the king was about to advance her to his bed, -became matter of controversy; nor could the archbishop be induced to -consent to her marriage, but by the production of lawful witnesses, -who swore that she had worn the veil on account of her suitors, but -had never made her vow. Satisfied with a child of either sex, she -ceased having issue, and enduring with complacency, when the king -was elsewhere employed, the absence of the court, she continued many -years at Westminster; yet was no part of royal magnificence wanting -to her; but at all times crowds of visitants and talebearers were, in -endless multitudes, entering and departing from her superb dwelling; -for this the king’s liberality commanded; this her own kindness and -affability attracted. She was singularly holy; by no means despicable -in point of beauty; a rival of her mother’s piety; never committing -any impropriety, as far as herself was concerned; and, with the -exception of the king’s bed, completely chaste and uncontaminated -even by suspicion. Clad in hair cloth beneath her royal habit, in -Lent, she trod the thresholds of the churches barefoot. Nor was -she disgusted at washing the feet of the diseased; handling their -ulcers dripping with corruption, and, finally, pressing their hands, -for a long time together to her lips, and decking their table. She -had a singular pleasure in hearing the service of God; and on this -account was thoughtlessly prodigal towards clerks of melodious voice; -addressed them kindly, gave to them liberally, and promised still -more abundantly. Her generosity becoming universally known, crowds -of scholars, equally famed for verse and for singing, came over; and -happy did he account himself who could soothe the ears of the queen by -the novelty of his song. Nor on these only did she lavish money, but -on all sorts of men, especially foreigners, that through her presents -they might proclaim her celebrity abroad; for the desire of fame is -so rooted in the human mind, that scarcely is any one contented with -the precious fruits of a good conscience, but is fondly anxious, if -he does any thing laudable, to have it generally known. Hence, it was -justly observed, the disposition crept upon the queen to reward all the -foreigners she could, while the others were kept in suspense, sometimes -with effectual, but oftener with empty promises. Hence, too, it arose -that she fell into the error of prodigal givers; bringing many claims -on her tenantry, exposing them to injuries, and taking away their -property; by which obtaining the credit of a liberal benefactress, she -little regarded their sarcasms. But whoso shall judge rightly, will -impute this to the designs of her servants, who, harpy-like, conveyed -everything they could gripe into their purses or wasted it in riotous -living. Her ears being infected with the base insinuations of these -people, she induced this stain on her noble mind, holy and meritorious -in every other respect. Amid these concerns she was snatched away from -her country, to the great loss of the people, but to her own advantage; -for her funeral being splendidly celebrated at Westminster, she entered -into rest; and her spirit manifested, by no trivial indications, that -she was a resident in heaven. She died, willingly leaving the throne, -after a reign of seventeen years and six months, experiencing the fate -of her family, who almost all departed in the flower of their age. To -her, but not immediately, succeeded Adala,[494] daughter of the duke of -Louvain, which is the principal town of Lorraine. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1116.] PRINCE WILLIAM DROWNED.] - -By Matilda king Henry had a son named William, educated and destined to -the succession,[495] with the fondest hope, and surpassing care. For -to him, when scarcely twelve years of age, all the free men of England -and Normandy, of every rank and condition, and under fealty to whatever -lord, were obliged to submit themselves by homage, and by oath. When -a boy, too, he was betrothed to and received in wedlock, the daughter -of Fulco[496] earl of Anjou, who was herself scarcely marriageable; -his father-in-law bestowing on him the county of Maine as her dower. -Moreover, Fulco, proceeding to Jerusalem, committed his earldom to the -king, to be restored, should he return, but otherwise, to go to his -son-in-law. Many provinces, then, looked forward to the government of -this boy: for it was supposed that the prediction of king Edward would -be verified in him; and it was said, that now might it be expected, -that the hopes of England, like the tree[497] cut down, would, through -this youth, again blossom and bring forth fruit, and thus put an end -to her sufferings: but God saw otherwise; for this illusion vanished -into air, as an early day was hastening him to his fate. Indeed, -by the exertions of his father-in-law, and of Theobald the son of -Stephen, and of his aunt Adala, Lewis king of France conceded the -legal possession of Normandy to the lad, on his doing him homage. The -prudence of his truly careful father so arranged and contrived, that -the homage, which he, from the extent of his empire, disdained to -perform, should not be refused by his son, a youth of delicate habit, -and not very likely to live. In discussing and peaceably settling -these matters, the king spent the space of four years; continuing -the whole of that time in Normandy. Nevertheless, the calm of this -brilliant, and carefully concerted peace, this anxious, universal hope, -was destroyed in an instant by the vicissitudes of human estate. For, -giving orders for returning to England, the king set sail from Barfleur -just before twilight on the seventh before the kalends of December; -and the breeze which filled his sails conducted him safely to his -kingdom and extensive fortunes. But the young man, who was now somewhat -more than seventeen years of age, and, by his father’s indulgence, -possessed everything but the name of king, commanded another vessel -to be prepared for himself; almost all the young nobility flocking -around him, from similarity of youthful pursuits. The sailors, too, -immoderately filled with wine, with that seaman’s hilarity which their -cups excited, exclaimed, that those who were now a-head must soon be -left astern; for the ship was of the best construction, and recently -fitted with new materials. When, therefore, it was now dark night, -these imprudent youths, overwhelmed with liquor, launched the vessel -from the shore. She flies swifter than the winged arrow, sweeping the -rippling surface of the deep: but the carelessness of the intoxicated -crew drove her on a rock, which rose above the waves not far from -shore. In the greatest consternation, they immediately ran on deck, -and with loud outcry got ready their boat-hooks, endeavouring, for a -considerable time, to force the vessel off: but fortune resisted and -frustrated every exertion. The oars, too, dashing, horribly crashed -against the rock,[498] and her battered prow hung immoveably fixed. -Now, too, the water washed some of the crew overboard, and, entering -the chinks, drowned others; when the boat having been launched, the -young prince was received into it, and might certainly have been saved -by reaching the shore, had not his illegitimate sister, the countess -of Perche, now struggling with death in the larger vessel, implored -her brother’s assistance; shrieking out that he should not abandon -her so barbarously. Touched with pity, he ordered the boat to return -to the ship, that he might rescue his sister; and thus the unhappy -youth met his death through excess of affection: for the skiff, -overcharged by the multitudes who leaped into her, sank, and buried -all indiscriminately in the deep. One rustic[499] alone escaped; who, -floating all night upon the mast, related in the morning, the dismal -catastrophe of this tragedy. No ship was ever productive of so much -misery to England; none ever so widely celebrated throughout the world. -Here also perished with William, Richard, another of the king’s sons, -whom a woman of no rank had borne him, before his accession; a youth -of intrepidity, and dear to his father from his obedience: Richard -earl of Chester, and his brother Otuell, the tutor and preceptor of -the king’s son: the countess of Perche, the king’s daughter, and his -niece the countess of Chester, sister to Theobald: and indeed almost -every person of consequence about court, whether knight, or chaplain, -or young nobleman, training up to arms. For, as I have said, they -eagerly hastened from all quarters, expecting no small addition to -their reputation, if they could either amuse, or show their devotion -to the young prince. The calamity was augmented by the difficulty -of finding the bodies, which could not be discovered by the various -persons who sought them along the shore; but delicate as they were, -they became food for the monsters of the deep. The death of this youth -being known, produced a wonderful change in existing circumstances. His -father renounced the celibacy he had cherished since Matilda’s death, -anxious for future heirs by a new consort: his father-in-law, returning -home from Jerusalem, faithfully espoused the party of William, the -son of Robert earl of Normandy, giving him his other daughter[500] -in marriage, and the county of Maine; his indignation being excited -against the king, by his daughter’s dowry being detained in England -after the death of the prince. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1120.] PRINCESS MATILDA.] - -His daughter Matilda, by Matilda, king Henry gave in marriage to Henry -emperor of Germany,[501] son of that Henry mentioned in the third -book. Henry was the fifth emperor of the Germans of this name; who, -although he had been extremely incensed at his father for his outrages -against the holy see, yet, in his own time, was the rigid follower -of, and stickler for, the same sentiments. For when Paschal, a man -possessed of every virtue, had succeeded pope Urban, the question again -arose concerning the investiture of the churches, together with all -the former contentions and animosities: as neither party would give -way. The emperor had in his favour all the bishops and abbats of his -kingdoms situated on this side of the mountains; because Charles the -Great, to keep in check the ferocity of those nations, had conferred -almost all the country on the churches: most wisely considering, that -the clergy would not so soon cast off their fidelity to their lord as -the laity; and, besides, if the laity were to rebel, they might be -restrained by the authority of their excommunication, and the weight -of their power. The pope had brought over to his side the churches -beyond the mountains, and the cities of Italy scarcely acknowledged -the dominion of Henry; thinking themselves exonerated from servitude -after the death of his brother Conrad, who, being left by his father as -king of Lombardy, had died at Arezzo. But Henry, rivalling the ancient -Cæsars in every noble quality, after tranquillizing his German empire, -extended his thoughts to his Italian kingdom: purposing to quell -the revolt of the cities, and decide the question of investitures, -according to his own pleasure. This progress to Rome, accomplished by -great exertion of mind, and much painful labour of body, hath been -described by David, bishop of Bangor, a Scot; though far more partially -to the king than becomes an historian. Indeed he commends highly even -his unheard-of violence in taking the pope captive, though he held -him in free custody; citing the example of Jacob’s holding the angel -fast till he extorted a blessing. Moreover, he labours to establish, -that the saying of the apostle, “No servant of God embroils himself in -worldly business,” is not repugnant to the desires of those bishops, -who are invested by the laity, because the doing homage to a layman, by -a clergyman, is not a secular business. How frivolous such arguments -are, any person’s consideration may decide. In the meantime, that I -may not seem to bear hard on a good man by my judgment, I determine -to make allowances for him, since he has not written a history, but -a panegyric. I will now therefore faithfully insert the grant and -agreement extorted from the pope, by a forcible detention of three -weeks; and I shall subjoin, in what manner they were soon after made of -none effect, by a holier council. - -“The sovereign pope Paschal will not molest the sovereign king, nor -his empire nor kingdom, on account of the investiture of bishoprics -and abbeys, nor concerning the injury suffered by himself and his -party in person and in goods; nor will he return evil to him, or any -other person, on this account; neither, on any consideration, will -he publish an anathema against the person of king Henry; nor will -the sovereign pope delay to crown him, according to the ritual; and -he will assist him, as far as possible, by the aid of his office, to -retain his kingdom and empire. And this the sovereign pope will fulfil -without fraud or evil design.” These are the names of the bishops and -cardinals who, at the command of the sovereign pope Paschal, confirmed -by oath the grant to, and friendship with, the sovereign emperor -Henry: Peter, bishop of Porto; Censius, bishop of Sabina; Robert, -cardinal of St. Eusebius; Boniface, cardinal of St. Mark; Anastasius, -cardinal of St. Clement; Gregory, cardinal of the apostles Peter and -Paul; also Gregory, cardinal of St. Chrysogonus; John, cardinal of -St. Potentiana; Risus, cardinal of St. Lawrence; Remerus, cardinal of -Saints Marcellinus and Peter; Vitalis, cardinal of St. Balbina; Teuzo, -cardinal of St. Mark; Theobald, cardinal of John and Paul; John, deacon -in the Greek School;[502] Leo, dean of St. Vitalis; Albo, dean of -Sergius and Bacchius. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1119.] OATH OF HENRY V.] - -The king also made oath as follows: “I, Henry, the king, will, on -the fourth or fifth day of the ensuing week, set at liberty the -sovereign pope, and the bishops and cardinals, and all the captives -and hostages, who were taken for him or with him; and I will cause -them to be conducted, safely, within the gates of the city, beyond the -Tiber;[503] nor will I hereafter seize, or suffer to be seized, such -as remain under fealty to the lord Paschal: and with the Roman people, -and the city beyond the Tiber, I will, as well by myself as by my -people, preserve peace and security, that is, to such persons as shall -keep peace with me. I will faithfully assist the sovereign pope, in -retaining his papacy quietly and securely. I will restore the patrimony -and possessions of the Roman church which I have taken away; and I will -aid him in recovering and keeping every thing which he ought to have, -after the manner of his predecessors, with true faith, and without -fraud or evil design: and I will obey the sovereign pope, saving the -honour of my kingdom and empire, as Catholic emperors ought to obey -Catholic Roman pontiffs.” And they who swore on the part of the king -are these: Frederic, archbishop of Cologne; Godebard, bishop of Trent; -Bruno, bishop of Spires; Berengar, earl; Albert, chancellor; Herman, -earl; Frederic, count palatine; Boniface, marquis; Albert, earl of -Blandriac; Frederic, earl; Godfrid, earl; Warner, marquis. - -This treaty being settled and confirmed by the oath of the aforesaid -bishops and cardinals, and mutual embraces exchanged, the sovereign -pope, on Sunday, the fourth before the ides of April, celebrated the -mass, “As though just born,” in which, after his own communion, and -that of the ministers at the altar, he gave the body and blood of our -Lord to the emperor with these words: “This body of the Lord, which -the truly holy church retains, born of the Virgin Mary, exalted on the -cross for the redemption of mankind, we give to thee, my dearest son, -for the remission of thy sins, and for the preservation of the peace -and true friendship to be confirmed between me and thee, the empire -and the priesthood.” Again, on the next day, the pope and the king met -at the columns[504] which are in the Forum, guards being stationed -wherever it was deemed necessary, that the consecration of the king -might not be impeded. And at the Silver[505] gate he was received by -the bishops and cardinals, and all the Roman clergy; and the prayer -being begun, as contained in the ritual, by the bishop of Ostia, as -the bishop of Albano, by whom it ought to have been said, had he been -present, was absent, he was conducted to the middle of the Rota,[506] -and there received the second prayer from the bishop of Porto, as the -Roman ritual enjoins. After this they led him, with litanies, to the -confessionary of the Apostles,[507] and there the bishop of Ostia -anointed him between the shoulders and on the right arm. This being -done he was conducted, by the sovereign pontiff, to the altar of the -aforesaid apostles, and there the crown being placed on his head by the -pope himself, he was consecrated emperor. After putting on the crown, -the mass of the Resurrection of the Lord was celebrated, in which, -before the communion, the sovereign pope, with his own hand, gave to -the emperor the grant, in which he conceded to him and his kingdom what -is underwritten; and in the same place confirmed it by the sanction of -a curse. - -“Pope Paschal, servant of the servants of God, sendeth health and his -apostolical benediction, to his dearest son in Christ, Henry Augustus, -by the grace of Almighty God, emperor of the Romans. The Divine -disposal hath ordained, that your kingdom shall unite with the holy -Roman church, since your predecessors, through valour and surpassing -prudence, have obtained the crown and sovereignty of the Roman city; -to the dignity of which crown and empire, the Divine Majesty, by the -ministry of our priesthood, hath advanced your person, my dearest son -Henry. That pre-eminence of dignity, then, which our predecessors have -granted to yours, the Catholic emperors, and have confirmed in the -volume of grants, we also concede to your affection, and in the scroll -of this present grant confirm also, that you may confer the investiture -of the staff and ring on the bishops or abbats of your kingdom, freely -elected, without violence or simony: but, after their investiture, -let them receive canonical consecration from the bishop to whom it -pertains. But if any person shall be elected, either by the clergy or -the people, against your consent, unless he be invested by you, let him -be consecrated by no one; excepting such, indeed, as are accustomed -to be at the disposal of the archbishops, or of the Roman pontiff. -Moreover, let the archbishops or bishops have permission, canonically, -to consecrate bishops or abbats invested by you. Your predecessors, -indeed, so largely endowed the churches of their kingdom of their -royalties, that it is fitting that kingdom should be especially -strengthened by the power of bishops or abbats; and that popular -dissensions, which often happen in all elections, should be checked by -royal majesty. Wherefore, your prudence and authority ought to take -more especial care to preserve the grandeur of the Roman church, and -the safety of the rest, through God’s assistance, by your gifts and -services. Therefore, if any ecclesiastical or secular person, knowing -this document of our concession, shall rashly dare oppose it, let him -be bound with the chain of an anathema, unless he recant, and hazard -his honour and dignity. But may God’s mercy preserve such as keep it, -and may he grant your person and authority to reign happily to his -honour and glory.” - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1111.] HENRY V CONSECRATED EMPEROR.] - -The whole ceremony of the consecration being completed, the pope -and the emperor, joining their right hands, went with much state to -the chamber which fronts the confessionary of St. Gregory, that the -pope might there put off his pontifical, and the emperor his regal -vestments. As the emperor retired from the chamber divested of his -royal insignia, the Roman patricians met him with a golden circle, -which they placed upon his head, and by it gave him the supreme -patriciate[508] of the Roman city, with common consent and universal -approbation. - -All this parade of grants and consecration I have taken literally from -the narrative of the aforesaid David, written, as I said, with too -great partiality towards the king. In the following year, however, -a council was assembled at Rome, rather by the connivance than the -command of the pope, and the grant was nullified. The authors of -its reversal, were, the archbishop of Vienne, who afterwards ruled -the papal see;[509] and Girard, bishop of Angouleme: who stimulated -their brother bishops, to make these concessions of none effect. The -proceedings of that council were as follow. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1112.] COUNCIL AT ROME.] - -“A.D. 1112, the fifth of the indiction, in the thirteenth year of -the sovereign pope Paschal the second, in the month of March, on the -fifteenth before the kalends of April, a council was held at Rome, -at the Lateran, in the church of Constantine;[510] where, when pope -Paschal, together with the archbishops, bishops, and cardinals and a -mixed company of clergy and laity, had, on the last day of the council, -taken his seat; making public profession of the Catholic faith, lest -any one should doubt his orthodoxy, he said, “I embrace all the Holy -Scripture of the Old and New Testament; the Law written by Moses, and -by the holy prophets: I embrace the four Gospels; the seven canonical -Epistles, the Epistles of the glorious preacher St. Paul, the apostle, -the holy canons of the apostles; the four Universal councils, as the -four gospels, the Nicene, Ephesian, Constantinopolitan, Chalcedonian: -moreover the council of Antioch and the decrees of the holy fathers, -the Roman pontiffs; and more especially the decrees of my lords pope -Gregory the seventh, and pope Urban of blessed memory. What they have -approved, I approve: what they held, I hold: what they have confirmed, -I confirm: what they have condemned, I condemn: what they have -opposed, I oppose: what they have interdicted, I interdict: what they -have prohibited, I prohibit: I will persevere in the same in every -thing and through every thing.” This being ended, Girard, bishop of -Angouleme, legate in Aquitaine, rose up for all, and by the unanimous -consent of pope Paschal and of all the council, read the following -writing. “That grant which is no grant, but ought more properly to -be called an abomination,[511] for the liberation of captives and of -the church, extorted from the sovereign pope Paschal by the violence -of king Henry, the whole of us in this holy council assembled, with -the sovereign pope, condemn by canonical censure, and ecclesiastical -authority, by the judgment of the Holy Spirit; and we adjudge it to -be void, and altogether nullify it: and that it may have neither -force nor efficacy, we interdict it altogether. And it is condemned, -on this account; because in that abomination it is asserted, that a -person canonically elected by the clergy and the people, shall not be -consecrated by any one, unless first invested by the king; which is -contrary to the Holy Spirit and to canonical institution.” This writing -being read, the whole council, and all present, unanimously cried out -Amen, Amen: So be it, so be it. - -The archbishops there present with their suffragans were these: John, -patriarch of Venice: Semies of Capua: Landulf of Benevento: Amalfi, -Reggio, Otranto, Brindisi, Capsa, Cerenza;[512] and the Greeks, -Rosanus, and the archbishop of St. Severina; the bishops were, Censius -of Sabina, Peter of Porto, Leo of Ostia, Cono of Prænesti, Girard of -Angouleme, Galo of Leon, legate for Berri and the archbishop of Vienne, -Roger of Volaterra, Gaufrid of Sienna, Rolland of Populonia, Gregory -of Tarracina, William of Turin,[513] William of Syracuse, legate for -all the Sicilians, and near a hundred other bishops. Siwin, and John -bishop of Tusculum, though at Rome, were not present on that day of the -council; but they afterwards, on the reading of the condemnation of the -grant, assented and approved of it. - -These things gaining publicity, all France made no scruple of -considering the emperor as accursed by the power of ecclesiastical -zeal hurled against him. Roused at this, in the seventeenth[514] year -of pope Paschal, he proceeded to Rome, to inflict signal vengeance -on him. But he, by a blessed departure,[515] had avoided all earthly -molestation, and from his place of repose on high, laughed at the -threats of the angry emperor; who having heard of his death, quickened -his journey, in order that ejecting John Gaitan, chancellor to the -late pope, who had been already elected and called Gelasius, he might -intrude Maurice,[516] bishop of Brague, surnamed Bourdin, on the See: -but the following epistle of Gelasius will explain the business more -fully. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1119.] EPISTLE OF GELASIUS.] - -“Gelasius, servant of the servants of God to the archbishops, bishops, -abbats, clergy, princes, and other faithful people throughout Gaul, -health. As you are members of the church of Rome, we are anxious to -signify to your affection what has there lately taken place. Shortly -after our election, then, the sovereign emperor coming by stealth -and with unexpected haste to Rome, compelled us to depart the city. -He afterwards demanded peace by threats and intimidation, saying he -would do all he might be able, unless we assured him of peace by oath. -To which we replied thus: Concerning the controversy which exists -between the church and the empire, we willingly agree to a meeting -or to legal discussion, at proper time and place; that is to say, -either at Milan or Cremona, on the next feast of St. Luke, at the -discretion of our brethren, who, by God, are constituted judges in the -church, and without whom this cause cannot be agitated. And since the -sovereign emperor demands security from us, we promise such to him, -by word and by writing, unless in the interim himself shall violate -it: for otherwise to give security is dishonourable to the church, and -contrary to custom. He, immediately, on the forty-fourth day after our -election, intruded into the bosom of the church, the bishop of Brague, -who, the preceding year had been excommunicated by our predecessor -pope Paschal, in a council at Benevento; and who had also, when he -formerly received the pall from our hands, sworn fidelity to the same -pontiff, and his catholic successors, of whom I am the first. In -this prodigious crime, however, thanks to God, the sovereign emperor -had no single Roman associate; only the Guibertines, Romanus of St. -Marcellus, Censius, who was called of St. Chrysogon; Teuzo, who for a -long time was guilty of many excesses in Dacia; these alone transacted -so shameless a deed. We command your wisdom, therefore, on the receipt -of these presents, that, deliberating on these matters in common, by -the grace of God, you be prepared, by his help, to avenge the mother -church, as you are aware ought to be done by your joint assistance. -Done at Gaeta on the seventeenth before the kalends of February.” - -Gelasius after his expulsion, embarking at Salerno, came thence to -Genoa, and afterwards proceeded by land to Clugny, where he died.[517] -Then, that is A.D. 1119, the cardinals who had accompanied him, -together with the whole Cisalpine church, elevating with great pomp -Guido, archbishop of Vienne, to the papacy, called him Calixtus; -hoping, from the consideration of his piety and energy, that through -his power, as he possessed great influence, they might be able -to withstand the force of the emperor. Nor did he deceive their -confidence: for soon after calling a council at Rheims, he separated -from the churches such as had been, or should be, invested by the -laity, including the emperor also, unless he should recant. Thus -continuing for some time in the hither districts, to strengthen his -party, and having settled all affairs in Gaul, he came to Rome, and -was gladly received by the citizens, as the emperor had now departed. -Bourdin then, deserted, fled to Sutri, determining to nurture his power -by many a pilgrim’s loss; but how he was ejected thence, the following -epistle explains. - -“Calixtus, the bishop, servant of the servants of God, to his beloved -brethren, and sons, the archbishops, bishops, abbats, priors, and other -faithful servants of St. Peter, clergy as well as laity, situated -throughout Gaul, health and apostolical benediction. As the people -have forsaken the law of the Lord, and walk not in his judgments, God -visits their iniquities with a rod, and their sins with stripes: but -retaining the bowels of paternal love, he does not desert such as trust -in his mercy. For a long time indeed, their sins so requiring, the -faithful of the church have been disturbed by Bourdin, that idol of the -king of Germany; nay, some have been taken captive, others afflicted, -through want in prison, even unto death. Lately, however, after -celebrating the festival of Easter, when we could no longer endure the -complaints of the pilgrims, and of the poor, we left the city with the -faithful servants of the church, and laid siege to Sutri, until the -Divine power delivered that Bourdin aforesaid, the enemy of the church, -who had there made a nest for the devil, as well as the place itself, -entirely into our power. We beg your brotherly love therefore, with us, -to return thanks to the King of kings, for such great benefits, and to -remain most firmly in obedience and duty to the catholic church, as you -will receive from God Almighty, through his grace, due recompence for -it, both here and hereafter. We beg, too, that these letters be made -public, with all due diligence. Done at Sutri on the fifth before the -kalends of May.” - -How exquisite and refined a piece of wit, to call the man he hated, the -idol of the king of Germany! for the emperor certainly held in high -estimation Maurice’s skill in literature and politics. He was, as I -have said, bishop of Brague, a city of Spain: a man whom any one might -highly reverence, and almost venerate, for his active and unwearied -assiduity; had he not been led to make himself conspicuous by so -disgraceful an act: nor would he have hesitated to purchase the holy -see, if he could have found as desperate a seller as he was a buyer. -But being taken, and made a monk, he was sent to the Den,[518] for so -is the monastery called. - -The laudable magnanimity of the pope proceeded still farther in the -promotion of justice, to the end that he might repress the boundless -and innate cupidity of the Romans. In his time there were no snares -laid for the traveller in the neighbourhood of Rome; no assaults on -him when he arrived within the city. The offerings to St. Peter, -which, through insolence, and for their lusts, the powerful used to -pillage, basely injuring such preceding popes as dared to complain, -Calixtus brought back to their proper use; that is to say, for the -public service of the ruler of the holy see. Neither could the desire -of amassing money, nor the love of it when collected, produce in his -breast any thing repugnant to justice: so that he admonished the -English pilgrims, on account of the length of the journey, rather to -go to St. David’s[519] than to Rome; allowing the benefit of the same -benediction to such as went twice to that place, as resulted to those -who went once to Rome. Moreover that inveterate controversy between the -empire and the priesthood, concerning investiture, which for more than -fifty years had created commotions, to such a degree, that, when any -favourer of this heresy was cut off by disease or death, immediately, -like the hydra’s heads, many sprouted up afresh; this man by his -diligence cut off, brought low, rooted out, or plucked up: beating down -the crest of German fierceness by the vigorous stroke of the papal -hatchet. This, the declaration of the emperor, and of the pope, will -shew to the world in the following words: - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1119.] POPE CALIXTUS II.] - -“I, Calixtus, bishop, servant of the servants of God, do grant unto -you, my beloved son, Henry Augustus, by the grace of God, emperor of -the Romans, that the election of bishops and abbats of the German -empire, who pertain to the regality, shall take place in your presence -without simony, or any violence: so that if any discord shall arise -between the parties, you may give your assent, or aid, to the worthier -side, by the counsel or judgment of the metropolitan or suffragans: but -the elect shall receive the royalties from you, and do whatever, by -these, he is lawfully bound to perform to you: but any one consecrated -in the other parts of the empire, shall, within six months, receive his -royalties from you, by your sceptre, and do whatever, by these, he is -lawfully bound to perform to you; all things excepted which are known -to belong to the Roman church. Moreover in those matters whereof you -have complained, and demanded my assistance, I will afford you aid -according to the duty of my office. I grant firm peace to you and to -all, who are, or were aiding you at the time of this dispute. Farewell.” - -“In the name of the Holy and Undivided Trinity, I Henry Augustus, by -the grace of God, emperor of the Romans, for the love of God, and of -the holy Roman church, and of the sovereign pope Calixtus; and for the -release of my soul, do grant unto God, and the holy apostles Peter and -Paul, and to the holy catholic church, all investitures by the ring -and staff, and do allow canonical election, and free consecration to -take place, in all churches of my kingdom or empire. The possessions -and regality of St. Peter, which, from the beginning of this dispute -to the present day, have been taken away, either in my father’s or -my own time, and which I now hold, I restore to the same holy Roman -church: and such as I do not possess, I will faithfully assist her in -recovering. And of the possessions of all other churches, princes, -and others, clergy as well as lay, which have been forfeited in this -contention by the advice of my princes, or by course of law, such as I -have, I will restore; and such as I do not possess, I will faithfully -assist in recovering. And I grant firm peace to the sovereign pope -Calixtus, and to the holy Roman church, and to all, who are, or have -been on her side: and I will faithfully assist her in every thing in -which she requires assistance: and will afford her due justice in such -matters whereof she shall have complained. All these affairs were -transacted by the consent and counsel of the nobility, whose names are -here subscribed. Albert, archbishop of Mentz: Frederic, archbishop of -Cologne: the bishop of Ratisbon: the bishop of Bamburg: Bruno, bishop -of Spires: the bishop of Augsburg: the bishop of Utrecht: the bishop -of Constance: the abbat of Fulda: duke Herman: duke Frederic: Boniface -the marquis: Theobald the marquis: Ernulf count palatine: Othbert count -palatine: earl Berengar.” - -The inveterate malady which had disturbed the church being thus -cured, every true Christian greatly rejoiced that this emperor, who, -in military glory trod fast upon the footsteps of Charles the Great, -neither degenerated from his devotion to God: for, in addition to nobly -quelling the rebellions of his German empire, he subdued his Italian -dominions in such wise as none had done before. Entering Italy thrice, -within the space of ten years, he restrained the pride of the cities: -at his first coming he exterminated by fire, Novaria, Placentia, -Arezzo: at the second, and third, Cremona, and Mantua; and quieted the -sedition at Ravenna, by a siege of a few days’ continuance: for the -Pisans and Pavians, with the people of Milan, embraced his friendship, -rather than encounter the weight of his enmity. The daughter of the -king of England, who, as I said before, was married to him, resembled -her father in fortitude, and her mother in sanctity: piety and -assiduity vied with each other in her character, nor was it easy to -discern, which of her good qualities was most commendable. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1119.] WILLIAM, EARL OF POITOU.] - -At that time lived William earl of Poitou; a giddy unsettled kind of -man; who, after[520] he returned from Jerusalem, as the preceding -book relates, wallowed as completely in the sty of vice, as though -he had believed that all things were governed by chance, and not by -Providence. Moreover, he rendered his absurdities pleasant, by a kind -of satirical wit: exciting the loud laughter of his hearers. Finally -he erected, near a castle called Niort, certain buildings after the -form of a little monastery, and used to talk idly about placing -therein an abbey of prostitutes, naming several of the most abandoned -courtezans, one as abbess, another as prioress; and declaring that -he would fill up the rest of the offices in like manner. Repudiating -his lawful consort, he carried off the wife of a certain viscount, of -whom he was so desperately enamoured, that he placed on his shield the -figure of this woman; affirming, that he was desirous of bearing her -in battle, in the same manner as she bore him at another time. Being -reproved and excommunicated for this by Girard bishop of Angouleme, and -ordered to renounce this illicit amour, “You shall curl with a comb,” -said he, “the hair that has forsaken your forehead, ere I repudiate -the viscountess;” thus taunting a man, whose scanty hair required no -comb. Nor did he less when Peter bishop of Poitou, a man of noted -sanctity, rebuked him still more freely; and, when contumacious, began -to excommunicate him publicly: for, becoming furious, he seized the -prelate by the hair, and flourishing his drawn sword: “You shall die -this instant,” said he, “unless you give me absolution.” The bishop, -then, counterfeiting alarm, and asking leave to speak, boldly completed -the remainder of the form of excommunication; suspending the earl so -entirely from all Christian intercourse, that he should neither dare -to associate, nor speak with any one, unless he speedily recanted. -Thus fulfilling his duty, as it appeared to him, and thirsting for -the honour of martyrdom, he stretched out his neck, saying, “Strike, -strike.” But William, becoming somewhat softened, regained his usual -pleasantry, and said, “Certainly I hate you so cordially, that I will -not dignify you by the effects of my anger, nor shall you ever enter -heaven by the agency of my hand.” After a short time, however, tainted -by the infectious insinuations of this abandoned woman, he drove the -rebuker of his incest into banishment: who there, making a happy end, -manifested to the world, by great and frequent miracles, how gloriously -he survives in heaven. On hearing this, the earl abstained not from -his inconsiderate speeches, openly declaring, that he was sorry he had -not despatched him before; that so his pure soul might chiefly have to -thank him, through whose violence he had acquired eternal happiness. -The following verses are a tribute of applause to the life and death of -Peter. It was said of him, when alive,-- - - Coarse food, his body: and the poor, his store - Consum’d: while study morals gave, and lore. - Virtues he rear’d, check’d faults, encouraged right, - And law: in peace, not tumult, did delight. - Help to the wretch, to sinners pardon gives, - And, for his friend, his ardour ever lives. - Busy for man was Martha; Mary’s heart, - Intent on God, assumed the better part: - So ’twas in him; for God his soul possess’d, - Unmix’d: his friendless neighbour had the rest, - Rachael he lov’d: nor Leah’s hopes depriv’d - Of joy: another Jacob, doubly-wiv’d; - Dotes on the one, for beauty’s matchless grace; - Regards the other, for her numerous race. - -And when dead, it was said of him,-- - - Poor and confin’d, and exiled from his see, - The virtuous prelate bore each injury: - Now rich, free, fix’d, his suff’rings are made even, - For Christ he follows, and inherits heaven. - His life, religion: and a judgment sound, - His mind adorn’d; his works his fame resound, - Reading his knowledge, and a golden mean - His words, arrang’d: in his decisions seen - Was law: severity his justice arm’d, - And graceful beauty in his person charm’d: - His breast was piety’s perpetual stand, - The pastor’s crosier well-became his hand: - The pope promotes him, but the earl deprives: - Through Christ to joy eternal he survives. - -The contemporaries and associates in religion of this Peter, were -Robert de Arbrisil,[521] and Bernard[522] abbat of Tyron, the first of -whom was the most celebrated and eloquent preacher of these times: so -much did he excel, not in frothy, but honeyed diction, that from the -gifts of persons vying with each other in making presents, he founded -that noble monastery of nuns at Font-Evraud, in which every secular -pleasure being extirpated, no other place possesses such multitudes of -devout women, fervent in their obedience to God. For in addition to -the rejection of other allurements, how great is this! that they never -speak but in the chapter: the rule of constant silence being enjoined -by the superior, because, when this is broken, women are prone to vain -talk. The other, a noted admirer of poverty, leaving a most opulent -monastery, retired with a few followers into a woody and sequestered -place, and there, “As the light could not be hidden under a bushel,” -vast numbers flocking to him, he founded a monastery, more celebrated -for the piety and number of the monks, than for the splendour and -extent of its riches. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1119.] SERLO, ABBAT OF GLOUCESTER.] - -And, that England may not be supposed destitute of virtue, who can -pass by Serlo, abbat of Gloucester, who advanced that place, almost -from meanness and insignificance, to a glorious pitch? All England is -acquainted with the considerate rule professed at Gloucester, which the -weak may embrace, and the strong cannot despise. Their leader, Serlo’s -axiom, was, “Moderation in all things.” Although mild to the good, he -was fierce and terrific to the haughty; to corroborate which, I shall -insert the verses of Godfrey the prior concerning him:-- - - The church’s bulwark fell, when Serlo died, - Virtue’s sharp sword, and justice’s fond pride: - Speaker of truth, no vain discourse he lov’d, - And pleas’d the very princes he reprov’d: - A hasty judgment, or disorder’d state - Of life, or morals, were his utter hate. - The third of March was the propitious day, - When Serlo wing’d, through death, to life his way. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1119.] DEATH OF ST. LANZO.] - -Who can in silence pass Lanzo, who flourished at that time, equal to -any in sanctity? A monk of Clugny, and prior of St. Pancras[523] in -England; who, by his worth, so ennobled that place with the grace of -monastic reverence, that it might be justly declared the peculiar -habitation of virtue. As nothing I can say will equal the merits of his -life, I shall merely subjoin, in the language I found it, an account of -his death; that it may plainly appear, how gloriously he had lived, who -died so highly favoured. - -“The affectionate Lord who scourges every son whom he receives,--who -promises the just, that they shall be partakers of his sufferings as -well as of his consolation; permitted Lanzo to approach his death by -such bitter sickness, during three days, that if any spot from earthly -intercourse had adhered to his pure soul, it must no doubt have been -wiped away by that suffering. For, as that great apostle, who reclined -on the breast of our Lord, says, ‘If we say that we have no sin we -deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us;’ and since Christ will -judge every sin, either lightly here or more severely hereafter, he -was unwilling that any offence should be in the way of him after -death, whom he knew to have loved him with all his heart. Wherefore, -if there was anything which he thought worthy of examination in Lanzo, -he was desirous of consuming it in his lifetime. To this assertion -his confidence in death bore witness. For when in full health, on the -fifth day of the week before the passion of our Lord, having read -the psalter, according to the daily custom of Lent, and being about -to celebrate mass at the third hour, he had robed himself to the -chasuble,[524] and had proceeded in the service till mass was on the -eve of beginning, he was suddenly seized with such an acute disorder, -that himself laying aside the garments he had put on, he left them not -even folded up.[525] Departing from the oratory, he was afflicted for -two days, without intermission, that is, till the Saturday, having no -rest either sitting, walking, standing, lying, or sleeping. During the -nights, however, he never spoke to his brethren, though entreating -him to break silence; but to this he did not consent, beseeching them -not to sully the purity of his vow; for since he had assumed the -monastic habit, whenever he had gone out from complines, he had never -spoken till primes of the ensuing day. But on the Saturday, though -so convulsed as to expect dissolution every moment, he commanded the -brethren, now rising for matins, to come and anoint him: and when he -was anxious to kiss them, after being anointed, as is the custom, -through excess of love he saluted them, not lying or sitting, but, -though agonized to death, standing, supported in their arms. At dawn, -being conducted to the chapter-house,[526] when he had taken his seat, -he asked all the brethren to come before him, and giving them the -paternal benediction and absolution, he entreated the like from them. -He then instructed them what they were to do in case he died: and -so, returning whence he came, he passed the rest of the day with the -succeeding Sunday, rather more tranquilly; but, behold, after this, -that is, after Sunday, signs of approaching death were discovered; and -having his hands washed, and his hair combed, he entered the oratory -to hear mass; and receiving the body and blood of the Lord retired to -his bed. After a short time he became speechless, gave his benediction -to the brethren singly as they came before him, and in like manner -to the whole society. But lifting his eyes to heaven, he attempted -with both hands to bless the abbat, with all committed to his charge. -Being entreated by the fraternity to be mindful of them with the Lord, -to whom he was going, he most kindly assented by an inclination of -his head. After he had done thus, he beckoned for the cross to be -presented to him, which, adoring with his head and indeed with his -whole body, and embracing with his hands, he appeared to salute with -joyful lips and to kiss with fond affection, when he distressed the -standers-by with signs of departing, and, being caught up in their -arms, was carried yet alive into the presbytery before the altar -of St. Pancras. Here, surviving yet a time, and pleasing from the -rosy hue of his countenance, he departed to Christ, pure, and freed -eternally from every evil, at the same hour of the day on which, for -his purification, he had been stricken with disease. And behold how -wonderfully all things corresponded; the passion of the servant with -the passion of the Lord; the hour of approaching sickness with the -hour of approaching eternal happiness; the five days of illness which -he endured for purifying the five senses of the body, through which -none can avoid sin. Moreover, from his dying ere the completion of the -fifth day, I think it is signified that he had never sinned in the last -sense which is called the touch. And what else can the third hour of -the day, in which he fell sick, and by dying entered into eternal life, -signify, than that the same grace of the Holy Spirit, by which we know -his whole life was regulated, was evidently present to him, both in his -sickness and his death. Besides, we cannot doubt but that he equalled -our fathers Odo and Odilo,[527] both in virtue and in its reward, as a -remarkable circumstance granted to them was allowed to him also. For -as the Lord permitted them to die on the octaves of those festivals -which they loved beyond all other, (as St. Odo chiefly loved the feast -of St. Martin, and St. Odilo the nativity of our Lord, and each died -on the octaves of these tides), so to Lanzo, who beyond all of this -age observed the rule of St. Benedict, and venerated the holy mother -of God and her solemnities with singular regard, it happened that, as, -according to his usual custom, both on the demise of St. Benedict, -and on the festival of St. Mary, which is called the Annunciation, -he celebrated high mass in the convent: so on the eighth from the -aforesaid anniversary of St. Benedict, being stricken with sickness, -he also on the eighth day from the annunciation departed to Christ. -Wherefore, he who is unacquainted with the life of Lanzo, may learn -from his death, how pleasing it was to God, and will believe with us -that these things, which I have mentioned, did not happen after the -common course of dying persons, as he was a man surpassed by none, in -the present times, for the gifts of the Holy Spirit.” - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1119.] GODFREY, PRIOR OF WINTON.] - -Nor ought the memory of Godfrey, prior of Winchester, to decay, who -was celebrated in these times for his learning and his piety: his -learning is attested by many works and epistles composed in his -familiar and pleasing style, but principally by his epigrams, written -after the manner of satires, and his verses in celebration of the chief -personages of England.[528] Indeed he restored every divine office to -its native grace, from the manner in which he treated it, though before -it had become obsolete from antiquity. The laws of religion and of -hospitality, already happily traced out, he strongly impressed on the -monks, who to this day so closely follow the footsteps of the prior in -both, that they deserve all or nearly all possible commendation; indeed -in this house there is a place of entertainment to any extent, for -travellers of every description by sea or land, with boundless expense -and ceaseless attention. Among other things this holy man was noted -for his humility, so that nothing but what savoured of modesty and -sweetness proceeded from this singular depository of philosophy. How -great indeed must this commendation seem? for there is hardly any one, -even the least tinctured with learning, who does not appear to consider -others beneath his dignity, by his haughty gestures and proud gait -proclaiming the consciousness of his own erudition. However, that no -perfection might be wanting to his pure soul, he kept his lowly bed for -many years, equally consuming his vitals and his transgressions in the -furnace of lasting sickness. - -But why should I enlarge on such characters? There were, indeed, at -that time in England many persons illustrious both for learning and -for piety, whose virtue was the more commendable in proportion to its -constancy and vigour in these degenerate times. By a blameless life, -therefore, they gave credibility to ancient histories, and freed them -from any suspicion of falsehood, as they produced modern example of the -possibility of doing what was there recorded. Moreover, were there any -prelates apparently degenerating from the sanctity of ancient times, -that is to say, skilled in secular, indolent in spiritual matters? -If there were such, I say, they endeavoured to shade their failings -by costly ornaments for their cathedrals. Each of them erected new -churches, and adorned the bodies of their saints with silver and gold; -lavish of expense to secure the good opinion of the beholders. Among -these is Ranulf before-mentioned, who, being made bishop of Durham, -purchased some glory for his name, by new buildings for the monks, and -by regard to St. Cuthbert. His fame is exalted by his translation of -the holy body, which when taken from its resting-place he exhibited to -all who wished to behold it. Radulf, at that time bishop of Sees, and -afterwards archbishop of Canterbury, with fortunate temerity, handled -and displayed the uncorrupted body; for it had become matter of doubt -with certain persons whether the miracle of the incorruption of the -corpse, which had formerly been reported, still had effect. About the -same time, in the monastery of Ely, under abbat Richard, the virgin -reliques of St. Etheldritha, subjects of amaze and reverence to the -beholders, were seen entire. This monastery, lately changed by king -Henry into a bishopric, had Hervey, as its first prelate; who, from -the scantiness of its revenues, had deserted Bangor, where he had -been enthroned. And that the bishop of Lincoln might not complain of -the mutilation of his diocese, the king made up his loss, out of the -possessions of Ely, and satisfied his claim. Indeed, whatever, in his -time, was unjustly purloined, or violently taken, from the primacy of -the two metropolitans of Canterbury and York, I will relate in its -proper place. For having now ended the series of the kings, it seems -incumbent on me, to speak of that of the bishops of all England: -and here I wish I had abundant matter for relation, in order that -such splendid luminaries of the country might no longer be lost in -obscurity. Moreover, there will perhaps be many in different parts -of England, who may say, that they have heard and read some things -differently related from the mode in which I have recorded them: but -if they judge candidly, they will not, on this account, brand me with -censure: since, following the strict laws of history, I have asserted -nothing but what I have learned either from relators, or writers, of -veracity. But be these matters as they may, I especially congratulate -myself on being, through Christ’s assistance, the only person, or at -least the first, who, since Bede, have arranged a continued history of -the English. Should any one, therefore, as I already hear it intimated, -undertake, after me, a work of a similar nature, he may be indebted to -me for having collected materials, though the selection from them must -depend upon himself.[529] - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1119.] CONCLUSION, TO EARL ROBERT.] - -Thus much then, my venerated lord, I have had to relate, concerning the -history of the English, from their first arrival in this country, till -the twentieth year of your father’s most happy reign: the remainder -will occupy a separate volume, if you condescend a kind regard to -these. For when I had finished this work, after contemplating many -characters, I determined that it ought more especially to be dedicated -to you: as, when I examine others, I observe nobility in one; in -another military science; in a third learning; justice in a fourth; -but munificence in few indeed. Thus, I admire some things in one, some -in another; but in you the aggregate of all. For, if ever any man was -truly noble, you certainly excel in that quality; being descended -from the most glorious kings and earls, and resembling them in your -disposition. From the Normans, therefore, you derive your military -skill; from the Flemings your personal elegance; from the French your -surpassing munificence. Of your activity in war, who can doubt, when -your most excellent father himself looks up to it? For whenever any -tumults are reported in Normandy, he despatches you before him, in -order that, what is suspicious may be dispelled by your valour, and -peace may be restored by your sagacity. When he returns to his kingdom, -he brings you with him, as a safeguard to him abroad, a delight at -home, and an ornament every where. - -So devoted are you to literature, that though distracted by such -a mass of business, you yet snatch some hours to yourself, for the -purpose either of reading, or of hearing others. Justly do you -regulate, indeed, your exalted rank in life, neither omitting the -toils of war for literature, nor contemning literature, as some do, -for military service. Here, also, the excess of your learning appears; -for, whilst you love books, you manifest how deeply you have drunk -of the stream. For many things, indeed, are eagerly desired when not -possessed, but no person will love philosophy, who shall not have -imbibed it thoroughly. The fame of your justice reaches even our -parts; for a false sentence has never been extorted from you, either -by elevation of rank, or by scantiness of fortune. The person who -wishes to subvert justice, finds in your breast nothing conducive to -his design, either by the offering of presents, or by the charm of -favour. Your munificence and disregard of money, is amply shown by -the monastery of Tewkesbury; from which, as I hear, you not only do -not extort presents but even return its voluntary offerings. You must -be well aware, how noble such a proceeding is, more especially at -the present time; how much it redounds to your glory among men, how -productive of the favour of God. Happy, then, according to Plato, is -the republic whose ruler is a philosopher, whose sovereign delights -not in gifts. More could I add on such subjects, did not the suspicion -of flattery on my part, and commendable modesty on yours, restrain my -tongue. In truth, my design was, not to pass by in silence the things -I have uttered, in order that, by my agency, your worth might reach -posterity; and that it may continue to proceed from virtue to virtue. -Moreover, it was long since my intention, at the instance of certain -persons, to subjoin to this work, whatever I may deem of importance, -according to the successive years: but it appears advisable rather to -form another volume of such matters, than to be perpetually adding -to that already completed. Nor can any one say, that I engage in a -superfluous work, if I record the transactions of the most celebrated -among the kings of his time. Indeed my lowly condition is much indebted -to his greatness, and will be still more so, were it for nothing -else, than his being able to pride himself on such a son.[530] For, -when he had most auspiciously begotten, he first commanded you to be -instructed, not superficially, as plainly appears at the present day, -in science; he next made you master of a most princely fortune; and, at -this moment he reposes his paternal regards upon you. Let this volume -then, whatever its merits or defects, be altogether dedicated to your -fame; in the next my life and my history will terminate together. -Farther, kindly accept this my offering, that I, whose judgment has not -erred in its choice, may be gratified by the good wishes of my patron. - - - - -THE MODERN HISTORY. - - - - -PREFACE, - -ADDRESSED TO ROBERT, EARL OF GLOUCESTER. - - -To his most loving lord, Robert, son of king Henry, and earl of -Gloucester, William, librarian of Malmesbury, wishes, after completing -his victorious course on earth, eternal triumph in heaven. Many of the -transactions of your father, of glorious memory, I have not omitted to -record, both in the fifth book of my Regal History, and in those three -smaller volumes, which I have intituled Chronicles.[531] Your highness -is now desirous that those events which, through the miraculous -power of God, have taken place in modern time, in England, should be -transmitted to posterity: truly, like all your other desires, a most -noble one. For what more concerns the advancement of virtue; what -more conduces to justice; than to recognize the divine favour towards -good men, and his vengeance upon the wicked? What, too, can be more -grateful, than to commit to the page of history, the exploits of brave -men, by whose example others may shake off their indolence, and take up -arms in defence of their country? As this task is committed to my pen, -I think the narrative will proceed with exacter order, if, going back a -little, I trace the series of years from the return of the empress into -England, after the death of her husband. First, therefore, invoking -the help of God, as is fitting, and purposing to write the truth, -without listening to enmity, or sacrificing to favour, I shall begin as -follows. - - - - -BOOK I. - - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1126.] THE EMPRESS MATILDA.] - -In the twenty-sixth year of Henry king of England, which was A.D. -1126, Henry, emperor of Germany, to whom Matilda the aforesaid king’s -daughter had been married, died[532] in the very bloom of his life and -of his conquests. Our king was at that time residing in Normandy, to -quell whatever tumults might arise in those parts. As soon as he heard -of the death of his son-in-law, he recalled his daughter by honourable -messengers despatched for that purpose. The empress, as they say, -returned with reluctance, as she had become habituated to the country -which was her dowry, and had large possessions there. It is well known, -that several princes of Lorraine and Lombardy came, during succeeding -years, repeatedly into England, to demand her as their sovereign; -but they lost the fruit of their labours, the king designing, by the -marriage of his daughter, to procure peace between himself and the earl -of Anjou. He was certainly, in an extraordinary degree, the greatest of -all kings in the memory either of ourselves, or of our fathers: and yet -nevertheless, he ever, in some measure, dreaded the power of the earls -of Anjou. Hence it arose, that he broke off and annulled the espousals -which William, his nephew, afterwards earl of Flanders, was said to be -about to contract with the daughter of Fulco, earl of Anjou, who was -afterwards king of Jerusalem. Hence, too, it arose, that he united a -daughter of the same earl to his son William, while yet a stripling; -and hence it was, that he married his daughter, of whom we began to -speak, after her imperial match, to a son of the same Fulco, as my -narrative will proceed to disclose. - -In the twenty-seventh year of his reign, in the month of September, -king Henry came to England, bringing his daughter with him. But, at the -ensuing Christmas, convening a great number of the clergy and nobility -at London, he gave the county of Salop to his wife, the daughter of -the earl of Louvain, whom he had married after the death of Matilda. -Distressed that this lady had no issue, and fearing lest she should -be perpetually childless, with well-founded anxiety, he turned his -thoughts on a successor to the kingdom. On which subject, having held -much previous and long-continued deliberation, he now at this council -compelled all the nobility of England, as well as the bishops and -abbats, to make oath, that, if he should die without male issue, they -would, without delay or hesitation, accept his daughter Matilda, the -late empress, as their sovereign: observing, how prejudicially to the -country fate had snatched away his son William, to whom the kingdom by -right had pertained: and, that his daughter still survived, to whom -alone the legitimate succession belonged, from her grandfather, uncle, -and father, who were kings; as well as from her maternal descent for -many ages back: inasmuch as from Egbert, king of the West Saxons, -who first subdued or expelled the other kings of the island, in the -year of the incarnation 800,[533] through a line of fourteen kings, -down to A.D. 1043, in which king Edward, who lies at Westminster, was -elevated to the throne, the line of royal blood did never fail, nor -falter in the succession.[534] Moreover, Edward, the last, and at the -same time the most noble, of that stock, had united[535] Margaret, -his grand-niece by his brother Edmund Ironside, to Malcolm, king of -Scotland, whose daughter Matilda, as was well known, was the empress’s -mother. All therefore, in this council, who were considered as persons -of any note, took the oath: and first of all William, archbishop of -Canterbury; next the other bishops, and the abbats in like manner. -The first of the laity, who swore, was David, king of Scotland, uncle -of the empress; then Stephen, earl of Moreton and Boulogne, nephew -of king Henry by his sister Adala; then Robert, the king’s son, who -was born to him before he came to the throne, and whom he had created -earl of Gloucester,[536] bestowing on him in marriage Mabil, a noble -and excellent woman; a lady devoted to her husband, and blessed in a -numerous and beautiful offspring. There was a singular dispute, as -they relate, between Robert and Stephen, contending with rival virtue, -which of them should take the oath first; one alleging the privilege -of a son, the other the dignity of a nephew. Thus all being bound by -fealty and by oath, they, at that time, departed to their homes; but -after Pentecost, the king sent his daughter into Normandy, ordering -her to be betrothed,[537] by the archbishop of Rouen, to the son of -Fulco aforesaid, a youth of high nobility and noted courage. Nor did -he himself delay setting sail for Normandy, for the purpose of uniting -them in wedlock. Which being completed, all declared prophetically, -as it were, that, after his death, they would break their plighted -oath. I have frequently heard Roger, bishop of Salisbury, say, that he -was freed from the oath he had taken to the empress: for that he had -sworn conditionally, that the king should not marry his daughter to -any one out of the kingdom without his consent, or that of the rest of -the nobility: that none of them advised the match, or indeed knew of -it, except Robert, earl of Gloucester, and Brian Fitzcount, and the -bishop of Louviers. Nor do I relate this merely because I believe the -assertion of a man who knew how to accommodate himself to every varying -time, as fortune ordered it; but, as an historian of veracity, I write -the general belief of the people. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1128.] OF THE SUCCESSION.] - -The remaining years of the life and reign of Henry, I must review -briefly, in order that posterity may neither be defrauded of a -knowledge of these events, nor that I may seem to dwell on topics -little relevant to this history. In his twenty-eighth year, the -king[538] returned from Normandy; in his twenty-ninth, a circumstance -occurred in England which may seem surprising to our long-haired -gallants, who, forgetting what they were born, transform themselves -into the fashion of females, by the length of their locks. A certain -English knight, who prided himself on the luxuriancy of his tresses, -being stung by conscience on the subject, seemed to feel in a dream -as though some person strangled him with his ringlets. Awaking in a -fright, he immediately cut off all his superfluous hair. The example -spread throughout England; and, as recent punishment is apt to affect -the mind, almost all military men allowed their hair to be cropped -in a proper manner, without reluctance. But this decency was not of -long continuance; for scarcely had a year expired, ere all who thought -themselves courtly, relapsed into their former vice: they vied with -women in length of locks, and wherever they were defective, put on -false tresses; forgetful, or rather ignorant, of the saying of the -apostle, “If a man nurture his hair, it is a shame to him.”[539] - -In his thirtieth year, king Henry went into Normandy. Pope Honorius -dying in this year, the church of Rome was agitated by great -contentions about electing his successor. There were, at that time, -in the city, two very celebrated cardinals, Gregory, deacon of St. -Angelo, and Peter, cardinal-priest, son of Leo, prince of the Romans; -both noted for learning, and activity, nor could the people easily -discern which of them more justly ought to be elected by the clergy. -The party, however, which favoured Gregory took the lead, and ordaining -him pope, called him Innocent. Moreover a rumour was disseminated among -the people, that Honorius was still just alive, and had commanded this -to be done. The promoters of this choice were, William, bishop of -Præneste, Matthew of Albano, Conrad of Sabina, John of Ostia, Peter of -Crema, cardinal of St. Chrysogonus, and Haimer the chancellor. But the -other party, after Honorius was buried, at the instigation of Peter’s -brothers, who were the most opulent and powerful of the Romans, having -elected and consecrated him, gave him the name of Anaclet. The chief -adviser and instigator to this ordination was Peter, bishop of Porto, -whose letter, if I subjoin it, will disclose the whole controversy; -although it inclines rather to Anaclet. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1130.] OF THE POPE’S ELECTION.] - -“Peter, bishop of Porto, to the four bishops, William of Præneste, -Matthew of Albano, Conrad of Sabina, John of Ostia. How great is the -tribulation of my heart for you, he only knows, who knows all things; -indeed, you would have already been acquainted with it, in part, by my -letters, did not the sentence and the common authority of the church -prohibit. Of the praise or dispraise of those persons, concerning whom -various discourses are at present held, it is not of this world to -judge: there is who may seek and judge. But if any be ready to accuse, -one will be ready, and who is also bound, to reply; more especially -when both in your and my sight, and in that of the whole church, each -of them has lived discreetly and honestly; and has hitherto executed -his office impartially. It rather concerns you to abstain from idle -language and the words of haste. If the question be of report, the -business is far different from what your letters to me declare. In -addition to this, if you regard the accounts you have published, and -the order of proceeding, with due reverence be it spoken, by what -boldness, by what assurance, do you presume to call that usurpation of -yours an election? Why do you call that man of yours ordained, when -there was no order whatever in his case? Have you so learned to elect -a pope? What, in a corner, in a hidden place, in darkness, and in the -shadow of death? If you were desirous that a living should succeed to -a dead pope, why would you give out that the deceased was still alive? -It were much better, surely, to pay the last sad offices to the dead, -and in this manner provide for the succour of the living: but, behold, -while you seek succour for the living from the dead, you destroy both -the living and the dead at the same time. Lastly, it was neither your -office nor mine to elect; but rather to refuse, or to approve, when -elected by the brethren. Since, therefore, in neglect of the ritual, -contempt of the canon, and disregard of the very anathema, framed -by yourselves; without consulting me, your superior, or your elder -brethren and superiors, or even summoning, or waiting for them; when -you were inexperienced, and but very few in number, you have presumed -to do this; you must be sensible, from your own estimation of the case, -that it must be considered void and of no avail whatever. The Lord, -however, was quickly present to us, and pointed out a method whereby -to obviate your error. For, indeed, your brethren the cardinals, who -possess the chief power of electing, together with the whole clergy, -at the request of the people, and with the consent of the nobility, -openly, in the light of day, have unanimously, and heartily, elected -the noble cardinal Peter, as Roman pontiff, by the title of Anaclet. -I have witnessed this election canonically celebrated; and confirmed -it by the authority of God. The church accepts and venerates him; and, -by the grace of God, the bishops and abbats, chief princes and barons, -some by themselves, and others by their delegates, acknowledge him in -our presence. The robbery and cruelty you mention, I do not perceive: -whoever goes to him for consultation, or on business, is kindly -received, and still more kindly dismissed. Return, then, return to your -understanding, do not make a schism in the church, to the perdition of -souls: do not persist any farther; let the fear of God possess you, -not worldly shame: does any sleep, will he not add, that he must rise -again? Cease now from lies, in which the wicked put their hope. The -lord Tiburtius hath testified by oath, in writing, that I have deemed -the deacon of St. Angelo, the only fit person for the office of pope: -let him look to what he hath said: I have spoken nothing in secret; no -person hath ever heard such a word as this from my mouth. My opinion -always was, that till the pope was buried no mention should be made of -his successor. I have held, and will hold, the unity of the church; I -will be careful to adhere to truth and justice; confidently hoping, -that truth and justice will set me free.” - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1131.] DEATH OF ANACLET.] - -After this manner wrote the aforesaid Peter, bishop of Porto, rather -partial to Peter, the son of Leo. Nor did the other party at all give -way; but called Peter himself a lion’s whelp,[540] and his partizans, -the leaders of a faction. And they, indeed, acted variously among -themselves, under these doubtful circumstances. Innocent, however, -excluded from Rome, passed the Alps and went into France. Here he was -immediately received by all the churches on this side the mountains; -and moreover, even king Henry, who did not very well know how to be -driven from an opinion he had once taken up, willingly acknowledged -him at Chartres; and, at Rouen, condescended to honour him, not only -with presents from himself, but also from the nobility, and even the -Jews. Yet Innocent, though greatly assisted by the kings of England and -France, and the emperor of Germany, could never enjoy peace so long as -Anaclet occupied the see of Rome. However, Anaclet himself dying in the -eighth year of his usurped papacy, as it was called, Innocent enjoys -the papal dignity unmolested to the present time.[541] - -In the thirty-first year of his reign, king Henry returned to England. -The empress, too, in the same year, arrived on her native soil, and a -full meeting of the nobility being held at Northampton, the oath of -fidelity to her was renewed by such as had already sworn, and also -taken by such as hitherto had not. In the same year[542] Lewis, king -of France, growing aged and unwieldy through extreme corpulency, -commanded his son to be crowned as successor to the kingdom; who dying -soon after by the fall of his horse, he caused another of his sons to -be consecrated king, by the hands of the Roman pontiff. He, as they -relate, not degenerating from the ancient valour of the French, hath -also acquired Aquitain, as the marriage portion of his wife, which, it -is well known, the kings of France have never held in their own right -since Lewis, son of Charles the Great. - -In the thirty-first[543] [second] year of king Henry, a dreadful -murrain among domestic animals extended over the whole of England. -Entire herds of swine suddenly perished; whole stalls of oxen were -swept off in a moment: the same contagion continued in the following -years, so that no village throughout the kingdom was free from this -calamity, or able to exult at the losses of its neighbours. At this -time, too, the contention between Bernard, bishop of St. David’s, and -Urban, of Landaff, on the rights of their dioceses, which Urban had -illegally usurped, was finally put to rest. For, after being agitated -by so many appeals to the court of Rome, so many expensive journeys, -so many debates of lawyers, for a number of years, it was at last -terminated, or rather cut short, by the death of Urban at Rome. The -pope also, weighing the equity of the case, did justice to the piety -and right of the bishop of St. David’s by a suitable judgment. In the -same year William, archbishop of Canterbury, personally obtained the -legation of England, through the indulgence of the see of Rome. - -The day after the thirty-second[544] year of his reign was completed, -Henry, on the nones of August, the very day on which he had formerly -been crowned at Westminster, set sail for Normandy. This was the last, -the fatal voyage of his reign. The providence of God, at that time, -bore reference in a wonderful manner to human affairs: for instance, -that he should embark, never to return alive, on that day on which he -had originally been crowned, so long and prosperously to reign. It was -then, as I have said, the nones of August; and, on the fourth day of -the week, the elements manifested their sorrow at this great man’s last -departure. For the sun on that day,[545] at the sixth hour, shrouded -his glorious face, as the poets say, in hideous darkness, agitating the -hearts of men by an eclipse: and on the sixth day of the week, early in -the morning, there was so great an earthquake, that the ground appeared -absolutely to sink down; a horrid sound being first heard from beneath -the surface. During the eclipse I saw stars around the sun: and, at the -time of the earthquake, the wall of the house in which I was sitting -was lifted up by two shocks, and settled again with a third. The king, -therefore, continued in Normandy for the space of three[546] whole -years, and so much longer, as from the nones of August, on which day, -as has been said, he crossed the sea, to the kalends of December, on -which night he died. Doubtlessly he performed many things worthy of -record while in Normandy, but it was my design to omit whatever did not -come authenticated to my knowledge. Divers expectations of his return -to England were all frustrated, by some adverse fate, or by the will of -God. - -He reigned, then, thirty-five years, and from the nones of August to -the kalends of December, that is, four months, wanting four days. -Engaged in hunting at Lihun, he was taken suddenly ill. His malady -increasing, he summoned to him, Hugo, whom, from prior of Lewes, he -had made abbat of Reading, and afterwards archbishop of Rouen, who was -justly indebted to him and his heirs for such great favours. The report -of his sickness quickly gathered the nobility around him. Robert, too, -his son, the earl of Gloucester, was present; who, from his unblemished -fidelity and matchless virtue, has deserved to be especially signalized -throughout all ages. Being interrogated by these persons, as to his -successor, he awarded all his territories, on either side of the sea, -to his daughter, in legitimate and perpetual succession; being somewhat -displeased with her husband, as he had irritated him both by threats -and by certain injuries. Having passed the seventh day of his sickness, -he yielded to nature about midnight. I waive describing his magnanimous -character in this place, as I have been diffuse upon it in the fifth -book of my Regal History. In how Christian a manner he departed, the -following epistle of the aforesaid archbishop of Rouen, will testify. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1093.] DEATH OF HENRY I.] - -“To his lord and father, pope Innocent, due obedience from his -servant, Hugo, priest of Rouen. I have deemed it proper to write to -your fatherly affection concerning the king my master, never to be -remembered but with grief: for, being seized with sudden sickness, he -wished for me to console his sufferings, and sent messengers as soon -as possible for that purpose. I went, and passed three melancholy days -with him. Agreeably to my suggestion, he confessed his sins, he beat -his breast, and he laid aside all his animosities. Through the grace -of God, and through our advice and that of the bishops, he promised -to attend to the amendment of his life. Under this promise, according -to our office, on the third day, and three days successively, we gave -him absolution. He devoutly adored the cross of our Lord, received his -body and blood; bestowed his alms thus; saying, ‘Let my debts be paid, -let the wages[547] and stipends which I owe be discharged, let the -remainder be distributed to the poor.’ I wish they who held, and do -hold, his treasures had done thus. At last I earnestly stated to him -our duty concerning the unction of the sick, which the church adopted -from the apostle St. James, and, at his own devout request, I anointed -him with holy oil. Thus he rested in peace; and may God grant him the -peace he loved.” These circumstances relating to the faith of king -Henry when dying, were truly attested by the aforesaid archbishop of -Rouen. - -The body, royally attended and borne by the nobility in turn, was -brought to Rouen; where, in a certain retired part of the principal -church, it was embowelled, lest, through time, becoming putrid, it -should offend the senses of those who approached it. The intestines -were buried in the monastery of St. Mary des Prees, near the city, -which, as I hear, he had honoured with no mean presents, as it -had been begun by his mother. His body was kept at Caen, till the -season, which was then very boisterous, became more tranquil. In -the meantime, Stephen earl of Moreton and Boulogne, nephew of king -Henry, as I have before said, who, after the king of Scotland, was -the first layman that had sworn fidelity to the empress, hastened his -return into England by Whitsand. The empress, from certain causes, as -well as her brother, Robert earl of Gloucester, and almost all the -nobility, delayed returning to the kingdom. However, some castles in -Normandy, the principal of which was Danfrunt, espoused the party of -the heiress. Moreover, it is well known, that, on the day on which -Stephen disembarked in England, there was, very early in the morning, -contrary to the nature of winter in these countries, a terrible peal -of thunder, with most dreadful lightning, so that the world seemed -well-nigh about to be dissolved. He was received, however, as king, -by the people of London and of Winchester, and gained over also Roger -bishop of Salisbury, and William Pont de L’Arche, the keepers of the -royal treasures. Yet, not to conceal the truth from posterity, all -his attempts would have been vain, had not his brother, Henry bishop -of Winchester, who is now legate of the papal see in England, granted -him his entire support: allured indeed by the fullest expectation that -Stephen would follow the example of his grandfather William in the -management of the kingdom, and more especially in the strictness of -ecclesiastical discipline. In consequence, when Stephen was bound by -the rigorous oath which William archbishop of Canterbury required from -him, concerning restoring and preserving the liberty of the church, the -bishop of Winchester became his pledge and surety. The written tenor of -this oath, I shall be careful hereafter to insert in its proper place. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1135.] STEPHEN, KING OF ENGLAND.] - -Stephen, therefore, was crowned king of England on Sunday the -eleventh[548] before the kalends of January, the twenty-second day -after the decease of his uncle, anno Dom. 1135, in the presence of -three bishops, that is, the archbishop, and those of Winchester and -Salisbury; but there were no abbats, and scarcely any of the nobility. -He was a man of activity, but imprudent: strenuous in war; of great -mind in attempting works of difficulty; mild and compassionate to his -enemies, and affable to all. Kind, as far as promise went; but sure -to disappoint in its truth and execution. Whence he soon afterwards -neglected the advice of his brother, befriended by whose assistance, as -I have said, he had supplanted his adversaries and obtained the kingdom. - -In the year of our Lord 1135, on the prevalence of gentler gales, the -body of king Henry was, immediately after Christmas, put on ship-board, -and brought to England; and, in the presence of his successor in the -kingdom, was buried at the monastery of Reading, which he had liberally -endowed, and filled with an order of monks of singular piety. Shortly -after, a little before Lent, king Stephen went into Northumberland, -that he might have a conference with David king of Scotland, who -was said to entertain hostile sentiments towards him. From David he -readily obtained what he wished; because, being softened by the natural -gentleness of his manners, or by the approach of old age, he willingly -embraced the tranquillity of peace, real or pretended. - -In the same year, after Easter, Robert earl of Gloucester, of whose -prudence Stephen chiefly stood in awe, came to England. While he was -yet resident in Normandy, he had most earnestly considered, what line -of conduct he should determine upon in the present state of affairs. -If he became subject to Stephen, it seemed contrary to the oath he had -sworn to his sister; if he opposed him, he saw that he could nothing -benefit her or his nephews, though he must grievously injure himself. -For the king, as I said before, had an immense treasure, which his -uncle had been accumulating for many years. His coin, and that of the -best quality,[549] was estimated at a hundred thousand pounds; besides -which, there were vessels of gold and silver, of great weight, and -inestimable value, collected by the magnificence of preceding kings, -and chiefly by Henry.[550] A man possessed of such boundless treasures, -could not want supporters, more especially as he was profuse, and, what -by no means becomes a prince, even prodigal. Soldiers of all kinds, and -light-armed troops, were flocking to him, chiefly from Flanders and -Brittany. These were a most rapacious and violent race of men; who made -no scruple to violate church-yards,[551] or rob a church. Moreover, not -only would they drag men of the religious order from their horses, but -also make them captive: and this was done not merely by foreigners, but -even by the native soldiers, who had abhorred the tranquillity of king -Henry’s time, because it subjected them to a life of poverty. All these -most readily resorted to the prince whom they could easily incline to -their purposes, pushing their fortune at the expense of the people. -Stephen, indeed, before he came to the throne, from his complacency -of manners, and readiness to joke, and sit, and regale, even with -low people, had gained so much on their affections, as is hardly to -be conceived: and already had all the nobility of England willingly -acknowledged him. The most prudent earl therefore was extremely -desirous to convince them of their misconduct, and recall them to -wiser sentiments by his presence; for, to oppose Stephen’s power, he -was unable, from the causes aforesaid: indeed he had not the liberty -of coming to England, unless, appearing as a partaker of their revolt, -he dissembled for a time his secret intentions. He did homage to the -king, therefore, under a certain condition; namely, so long as he -should preserve his rank entire, and maintain his engagements to him; -for having long since scrutinized Stephen’s disposition, he foresaw the -instability of his faith. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1135.] KING STEPHEN’S CHARTER.] - -In the same year, soon after the earl’s arrival, the bishops swore -fidelity to the king, “so long as he should maintain the liberty of -the church, and the vigour of its discipline.” He himself also swore -according to the tenor of the following instrument. - -“I Stephen, by the grace of God, elected king of England by the consent -of the clergy and of the people, and consecrated by the lord William, -archbishop of Canterbury and legate of the holy Roman church, and -afterwards confirmed by Innocent, pope of the holy Roman see, through -respect and love towards God, do grant the holy church to be free, -and confirm to it all due reverence. I promise that I will neither do -any thing simoniacally, nor permit it to be done, in the church, or -in matters ecclesiastical. The jurisdiction and power over beneficed -clergy, and over all persons in orders, and their property, and the -distribution of effects of ecclesiastics, I admit to be in the hands -of the bishops, and confirm it so to be. I grant and appoint, that the -immunities of the churches, confirmed by their charters, and their -customs observed from ancient usage, do remain inviolate. All the -possessions of the churches, and the tenures which they held during the -life, and at the death of my grandfather king William, I grant to them -free, and discharged from the claim of all parties: but if the church -shall hereafter claim any thing held, or possessed, before the death -of the king, of which it is now deprived, I reserve such matter for -discussion, or restitution at my will and pleasure. Moreover, whatever, -since that king’s death, has been obtained by the liberality of kings, -or the gift of princes; by offerings, or purchase, or by any exchange -of the faithful, I confirm. I pledge myself to keep peace, and do -justice to all, and to preserve them to my utmost ability. I reserve -to myself the forests which king William, my grandfather, and William -the Second, my uncle, have made and possessed: all the rest which king -Henry added, I give and grant, without molestation, to the churches, -and the kingdom. And if any bishop or abbat, or other ecclesiastical -person, shall have severally distributed[552] his property before his -death, or appointed such distribution, I allow it to remain good: -but if he shall have been suddenly seized by death, before making a -disposition, let the said distribution be made, at the discretion of -the church, for the repose of his soul. Moreover, when the sees shall -be vacant, let both them, and their whole possessions, be committed -into the hands and custody of the clergy, or of lawful men of the same -church, until a pastor be canonically appointed. I entirely do away -all exactions, mischeningas,[553] and injustices, whether illegally -introduced by the sheriffs, or any one else. I will observe the good -and ancient laws, and just customs, in murders, pleas, and other -causes, and I command and appoint them to be so observed. Done at -Oxford, A.D. 1136, in the first year of my reign.” - -The names of the witnesses, who were numerous, I disdain to -particularize, because he as basely perverted almost every thing, as if -he had sworn only that he might manifest himself a violator of his oath -to the whole kingdom. This easy man must pardon me for speaking the -truth; who, had he entered on the sovereignty lawfully, and not given a -ready ear to the insinuations of the malevolent in the administration -of it, would have wanted little in any princely quality. Under him, -therefore, the treasures of several churches were pillaged, and their -landed possessions given to laymen; the churches of the clergy were -sold to foreigners; the bishops made captive, or forced to alienate -their property; the abbeys given to improper persons, either through -the influence of friendship, or for the discharge of debts. Still I -think such transactions are not so much to be ascribed to him as to his -advisers; who persuaded him, that, he ought never to want money, so -long as the monasteries were stored with treasure. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1137.] THE KING LEAVES ENGLAND.] - -In the year of our Lord 1137, in the beginning of Lent, the king -crossed the sea. The earl, too, having thoroughly sounded, and -discovered the inclinations of such as he knew to be tenacious of -their plighted oath, and arranged what he conceived proper to be done -afterwards, himself embarked on Easter-day, and prosperously reached -the continent. Not long after, he had very nearly experienced the -malignity of adverse fortune: for the king endeavoured to intercept -him by treachery, at the instigation of one William de Ipres. The -earl, however, informed of it by one of the accomplices, avoided the -snare prepared for him, and absented himself from the palace, whither -he was repeatedly invited, for several days. The king, troubled at -having succeeded so little by his artifices, and thinking to effect his -design by cunning, endeavoured, by a serene countenance and unrequired -confession, to extenuate the enormity of his crime. He swore, in words -framed at the earl’s pleasure, never again to give countenance to such -an outrage: and still more to recover his good graces, he confirmed -his oath, by Hugo, archbishop of Rouen, giving his hand to Robert. This -he did, it is true; but he never bestowed his unreserved friendship -on that man, of whose power he was ever apprehensive. Thus, in his -presence he would pleasantly and affably call him “earl:” when he was -absent, he would vilify him, and would deprive him, clandestinely, of -such portions of his estates as he was able. Robert, too, artfully -eluding his duplicity, disguised his feelings, and allowing the king to -depart peaceably to his kingdom, continued in Normandy, intent on his -own concerns. Wherefore while Stephen, perplexed by many commotions in -England, and first attacking one, and then another, justly verified, -what was said of Ishmael, “That the hands of all were against him, and -his hand against all,” Robert passed that whole year in Normandy in -perfect quiet. The king pointedly, as it is reported, used frequently -to say of his rebellious subjects, “Since they have elected me king, -why do they desert me? By the birth of God, I will never be called a -fallen king!” Robert, placed, as it were, on an eminence, watched the -event of circumstances, and earnestly revolved how he might escape, -before God and man, the imputation of falsifying the oath he had sworn -to his sister. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1139.] TROUBLES IN ENGLAND.] - -In the year of our Lord 1138, England was shaken with intestine -commotions. For many persons, emboldened to illegal acts, either by -nobility of descent or by ambition, or rather by unbridled heat of -youth, were not ashamed, some to demand castles, others estates, -and indeed whatever came into their fancy, from the king. When he -delayed complying with their requests, alleging the dismemberment -of his kingdom, or that others would make similar claims, or were -already in possession of them; they, becoming enraged immediately, -fortified their castles against him, and drove away large booties from -his lands. Nor, indeed, was his spirit at all broken by the revolt -of any, but attacking them suddenly in different places, he always -concluded matters more to his own disadvantage than to theirs; for, -after many great but fruitless labours, he gained from them, by the -grant of honours or castles, a peace, feigned only for a time. He -created likewise many earls,[554] where there had been none before, -appropriating to them possessions and rents, which rightfully belonged -to the crown. They were the more greedy in asking, and he the more -profuse in giving, because a rumour was pervading England, that Robert -earl of Gloucester, who was in Normandy, would shortly espouse the -cause of his sister, after first renouncing his fealty to the king. -This report was in fact well-founded: for shortly after Pentecost, -despatching some of his people to Stephen from Normandy, he, according -to ancient usage, renounced his fealty and friendship, and disannulled -his homage; assigning as a just reason for so doing, that the king had -illegally aspired to the kingdom, and neglected his plighted faith to -him, not to say absolutely belied it: and, moreover, that he himself -had acted contrary to law; who, after the oath sworn to his sister, had -not blushed to do homage to another, during her lifetime. Doubtless -also his mind was biassed by the answers of many ecclesiastics, whom -he had consulted upon the subject; who declared that he could by no -means pass the present life without ignominy, nor deserve the happiness -of the next, if he violated the oath made to paternal affection. In -addition to this, he contemplated the tenor of the papal decree, -commanding obedience to the oath taken in the presence of his father: -a copy of which decree I shall be careful to give in my next book. -Robert, who had imbibed knowledge by a copious draught from the fount -of science, was aware that these things would be of great advantage -to him hereafter. But the king, indignant at the spirit of the earl, -deprived him, as far as he was able, of all his possessions in England; -and levelled some of his castles to the ground. Bristol alone remained, -which not only expelled the enemy, but even harassed the king by -frequent incursions. But as it may suffice to have brought the first -book of modern history, from the return of the empress to her father -after the death of her husband, to this period, I shall now begin the -second, from the year in which this heroine came to England, to assert -her right against Stephen. - - - - -BOOK II. - - -In the year 1139, the venom of malice, which had long been nurtured -in the breast of Stephen, at length openly burst forth. Rumours were -prevalent in England, that earl Robert was on the very eve of coming -from Normandy with his sister: and, when under such an expectation, -many persons revolted from the king, not only in inclination but in -deed, he avenged himself for this injury, at the cost of numbers. He, -also, contrary to the royal character, seized many at court, through -mere suspicion of hostility to him, and obliged them to surrender -their castles, and accede to any conditions he prescribed. There -were, at that time, two very powerful bishops, in England, Roger of -Salisbury, and his fraternal nephew, Alexander of Lincoln. Alexander -had built the castle of Newark, as he said, for the defence and dignity -of the bishopric. Roger, who wished to manifest his magnificence -by building, had erected extensive castles at Sherborne, and more -especially at Devizes. At Malmesbury, even in the church-yard, and -scarcely a stone’s throw from the principal church, he had begun a -castle. He had gotten into his custody the castle of Salisbury, which -being royal property, he had obtained from king Henry, and surrounded -with a wall. Some powerful laymen, hurt at the probability of being -surpassed by the clergy, in extent of riches and magnitude of their -towns, took offence at this, and fostered the latent wound of envy in -their bosoms. Wherefore they poured forth their imagined grievances to -the king; observing, that the bishops, regardless of their order, were -mad for erecting castles: that none could doubt, but that they were -designed for the overthrow of the king; for, as soon as the empress -should arrive, they would, induced doubtless by the recollection of -her father’s kindness to them, immediately greet their sovereign with -the surrender of their fortresses: that, therefore they ought to be -prevented, and compelled to give up their strong holds; otherwise the -king would repent too late, when he saw in the power of the enemy, that -which, had he been wise, he might have applied to his own purpose. -Such were the frequent insinuations of the nobility. The king, though -far too partial to them, for some time pretended not to listen to what -gratified his ear so much; assuaging the bitterness of delay, either by -his respect for the piety of the bishops, or, as I rather think, from -apprehension of the odium he might incur, by seizing their castles. -Finally, he only postponed the execution of what the nobles had urged -him to, till an opportunity presented itself for his purpose: which was -as follows. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1139.] COUNCIL AT OXFORD.] - -A great assembly of the nobles being held at Oxford about the eighth -before the kalends of July, the prelates above-mentioned also repaired -thither. The bishop of Salisbury set out on this expedition with great -reluctance; for I heard him speaking to the following purport: “By my -lady St. Mary, I know not why, but my heart revolts at this journey: -this I am sure of, that I shall be of much the same service at court, -as a foal is in battle:” thus did his mind forbode future evils. Here, -as though fortune would seem subservient to the king’s wishes, a -quarrel arose between the servants of the bishops and those of Alan, -earl of Brittany, about a right to quarters, which had a melancholy -termination; as the bishop of Salisbury’s retainers, then sitting at -table, left their meal unfinished and rushed to the contest. At first, -they contended with reproaches, afterwards with swords. The domestics -of Alan were put to flight, and his nephew nearly killed: nor was the -victory gained without bloodshed on the bishops’ side; for many were -wounded, and one knight[555] even slain. The king, eagerly seizing the -opportunity, ordered the bishops to be convened by his old instigators, -that they might make satisfaction to his court, as their people had -infringed his peace: that this satisfaction should be, the delivery -of the keys of their castles, as pledges of their fidelity. Though -prepared to make compensation, they hesitated at the surrender of their -fortresses; and in consequence, lest they should depart, he ordered -them into close confinement. He therefore conducted bishop Roger, -unfettered, but the chancellor, the nephew, or as it was reported, -more than the nephew,[556] of the bishop, in chains, to Devizes; a -castle, erected at great and almost incalculable expense, not, as the -prelate himself used to say, for the ornament, but as the real fact -is, to the detriment of the church. At the first summons, the castles -of Salisbury, Sherborne, and Malmesbury were yielded to the king. -Devizes also surrendered at the end of three days, after the bishop had -voluntarily enjoined himself abstinence from all food, that, by his -personal sufferings, he might subdue the spirit of the bishop of Ely, -who had taken possession[557] of it. Nor did the bishop of Lincoln act -more perseveringly; for he purchased his liberty by the surrender of -his castles of Newark and Sleaford. - -This transaction of the king’s gave rise to the expression of many -different opinions. Some observed, that the bishops were justly -dispossessed of their castles, as they had built them in opposition -to the injunction of the canons: they ought to be glad preachers -of peace, not builders of houses which might be a refuge for the -contrivers of evil. Such was the doctrine enforced with ampler reasons -and discourses, by Hugo, archbishop of Rouen: as far as his eloquence -extended, the strenuous champion of the king. Others took the opposite -side of the question. This party was espoused by Henry, bishop of -Winchester, legate of England from the papal see, and brother to -king Stephen, as I have said before, whom no fraternal affection, no -fear of danger, could turn aside from the path of truth. He spake to -this effect: “If the bishops had in anything overpassed the bounds -of justice, the judging them did not pertain to the king, but to the -ecclesiastical canons: that they ought not to be deprived of any -possession but by a public and ecclesiastical council: that the king -had not acted from zealous regard to right, but with a view to his -own advantage; as he had not restored the castles to the churches, at -whose expense, and on whose land they were built, but had delivered -them to laymen, and those by no means of religious character.” Though -the legate made these declarations not only privately, but publicly -also before the king, and urged him to the liberation and restitution -of the bishops, yet, being entirely disregarded, he lost his labour. -In consequence, deeming it proper to resort to canonical power, he -summoned his brother, without delay, to be present at a council he -intended to hold at Winchester, on the fourth before the kalends of -September. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1139.] COUNCIL AT WINCHESTER.] - -On the appointed day, almost all the bishops of England, with -Theobald, archbishop of Canterbury, who had succeeded William, came to -Winchester. Thurstan, archbishop of York, excused himself, on account -of the malady with which he was afflicted; for he was so enfeebled, as -to be hardly able to guide his steps: the others apologized for their -absence, by letter, on account of the war. The bull of pope Innocent -was first read in the council, whereby, even from the kalends of March, -if I rightly remember, he had enjoined the administration of his -anxious charge to the lord bishop of Winchester, as legate in England. -This was received with much good-will, as the bishop had shown his -forbearance by the lapse of time, and had not proclaimed himself legate -with precipitate vanity. Next followed, in the council, his address, in -the Latin tongue, directed to the learned, on the disgraceful detention -of the bishops: “of whom the bishop of Salisbury had been seized in -a chamber of the palace, Lincoln in his lodgings, and Ely, fearing -a similar treatment, had escaped the calamity by a hasty retreat to -Devizes:” he observed, “that it was a dreadful crime, that the king -should be so led away by sinister persons, as to have ordered violent -hands to be laid on his subjects, more especially bishops, in the -security of his court: that, to the king’s disgrace was to be added the -offence against God, in despoiling the churches of their possessions, -under pretext of the criminality of the prelates: that, the king’s -outrage against the law of God, was matter of such pain to him, that he -had rather himself suffer grievous injury, both in person and property, -than have the episcopal dignity so basely humiliated; moreover, that -the king, being repeatedly admonished to amend his fault, had, at -last, not refused that the council should be summoned: that therefore, -the archbishop and the rest should deliberate what was proper to be -done; and he would not be wanting to execute the sentence of the -council, either through regard to the friendship of the king, who was -his brother, or loss of property, or even danger of life.” - -When he had gradually expatiated on these matters, the king, not -distrusting his cause, sent certain[558]earls into the council to -demand wherefore he was summoned. The legate briefly replied, “that, -when he recollected he was in subjection to the faith of Christ, he -ought not to be displeased, if, when guilty of a crime, such as the -present age had never witnessed, he was required, by the ministers of -Christ, to make satisfaction: that it was the act of heathen nations -to imprison bishops, and divest them of their possessions: that they -should tell his brother, therefore, that if he would deign a patient -assent to his advice, he would give him such, by the authority of God, -as neither the church of Rome, nor the French king’s court, nor even -earl Theobald, their common brother, a man of surpassing sense and -piety, could reasonably oppose; but such as they ought favourably to -embrace: that, at present, the king would act advisedly, if he would -either account for his conduct, or submit to canonical judgment: it -was, moreover, a debt he owed, to favour the church, by whose fostering -care, not by military force, he had been promoted to the kingdom.” -The earls retiring after this speech, returned shortly with an answer -prepared. They were accompanied by one Alberic de Ver, a man deeply -versed in legal affairs. He related the king’s answer, and aggravated -as much as possible the case of bishop Roger, for bishop Alexander -had departed; but this he did with moderation, and without using -opprobrious language, though some of the earls, standing by, repeatedly -interrupted his harangue by casting reproaches on the bishop. - -The sum of what Alberic had to allege, was as follows: “That bishop -Roger had greatly injured king Stephen; that he seldom came to court, -but his people, presuming on his power, excited tumults; that they -had, frequently at other places and very lately at Oxford, attacked -the attendants, and even the very nephew of earl Alan, as well as -the servants of Hervey de Lyons, a man of such high nobility, and so -extremely haughty, that he had never deigned to visit England though -king Henry had invited him; that the injury, therefore, of such -violence having been offered him, doubly recoiled on king Stephen, -through respect to whom he had come hither; that the bishop of Lincoln -had been the author of the tumult excited by his followers from ancient -enmity to Alan; that the bishop of Salisbury secretly favoured the -king’s enemies, though he disguised his subtlety for the moment; that -the king had discovered this beyond all doubt, from many circumstances, -more especially, however, from the said bishop’s having refused -permission to Roger de Mortimer with the king’s soldiers whom he was -conducting, when under the greatest apprehensions from the garrison of -Bristol, to continue even a single night at Malmesbury; that it was in -every person’s mouth, that, as soon as the empress should arrive, he -would join her party, with his nephews and their castles; that Roger, -in consequence, was made captive, not as a bishop but as the king’s -servant who had administered his affairs and received his wages; that -the king had not taken their castles by violence, but that both bishops -had surrendered them voluntarily to escape the punishment due to the -disturbance they had excited in the court; that the king had found -some trifling sums of money in the castles which must lawfully belong -to himself, as bishop Roger had collected it from the revenues of the -exchequer in the times of his uncle and predecessor king Henry; that -the bishop had readily relinquished this money as well as the castles -through consciousness of his offences, of which the king did not want -for witnesses; that, therefore, he was willing that the conditions -entered into by himself and the bishops should remain in force.” - -It was rejoined by bishop Roger, in opposition to the speech of -Alberic, that he had never been the minister of king Stephen; nor had -he received his wages. This spirited man, too, who blushed at being -cast down by adversity, threatened, that if he could not have justice -for the property which had been wrested from him, in that council, he -would seek it in the audience of a higher court. The legate mildly, -as usual, observed that every allegation against the bishops ought to -be made and the truth of it inquired into in an ecclesiastical court, -before passing sentence, contrary to the canons, on innocent persons; -that the king ought therefore to do as was incumbent in civil courts, -that is, re-invest the bishops with their own property, otherwise, -being disseized, by the law of nations, they will not plead. - -Many arguments of this kind being used on both sides, the cause, at the -king’s request, was adjourned to the next day; then, on the morrow, -prolonged still a day farther till the arrival of the archbishop of -Rouen. - -When he came, while all were anxious to hear what he had to allege, he -said he was willing to allow the bishops their castles if they could -prove by the canons that they ought justly to possess them; but as they -were not able to do this it was the height of impudence to contend -against the canons. “And admitting,” said he, “that it be just for them -to possess castles, yet most assuredly, as the times are eventful, all -chiefs, after the custom of other nations, ought to deliver up the -keys of their fortifications to the will of the king, who is bound to -wage war for the common security.” Thus the whole plea of the bishops -was shaken: for, either according to the decrees of the canons, it was -unjust for them to have castles, or, if that were allowed by the king’s -indulgence, they ought to yield to the emergency of the times, and give -up the keys. - -To this, the aforesaid pleader Alberic added that it had been signified -to the king that the bishops muttered among themselves, and had even -made preparation for some of their party to proceed to Rome against -him. “And this,” said he, “the king advises that none of you presume to -do; for if any person shall go from England to any place, in opposition -to him and to the dignity of his kingdom, perhaps his return may not -be so easy. Moreover, he, as he sees himself aggrieved, of his own -accord summons you to Rome.” When the king had sent such a message, -partly advising and partly threatening, it was perceived what was his -design. In consequence the council broke up, as he would not submit to -canonical censure; and the bishops deemed it unadvisable to enforce -it against him for two reasons: first, because it was a rash act to -excommunicate the king without the knowledge of the pope; secondly, -because they understood, or some of them even saw, that swords were -unsheathed around them. The contention was no longer of mere words, but -nearly for life and for blood. The legate and the archbishop still, -however, were anxiously observant of their duty. They humbly prostrated -themselves before the king in his chamber, entreating him to take pity -on the church, and to consider his soul and his reputation, and that -he would not suffer a schism to be made between the empire and the -priesthood. Although he in some measure removed the odium of his former -conduct, by condescendingly rising to them, yet, prevented by ill -advice, he carried none of his fair promises into effect. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1139.] ARRIVAL OF EARL ROBERT.] - -The council broke up on the kalends of September; and on the day -previous to the kalends of October, earl Robert, having at length -surmounted every cause of delay, arrived with the empress his sister -in England, relying on the protection of God and the observance of his -lawful oath; but with a much smaller military force than any other -person would have required for so perilous an enterprise; for he had -not with him, at that time, more than one hundred and forty horsemen. -My assertion is supported by persons of veracity; and did it not -look like flattery, I would say that he was not inferior to Julius -Cæsar, at least in resolution, whom Livy[559] relates to have had but -five cohorts when he began the civil war, with which he attacked the -world; though the comparison between Julius and Robert is invidious. -For Julius, an alien to the true faith, reposed his hope on his good -fortune, as he used to say, and the valour of his legions; Robert, -celebrated for Christian piety, relied only on the assistance of the -Holy Spirit and the lady St. Mary. The former had partizans in Gaul, -in part of Germany, and Brittany, and had attached to him by means of -presents all the Roman people with the exception of the senate; the -latter, bating a very few who regarded their plighted oath, found the -nobility in England either opposing or affording him no assistance. -He landed, then, at Arundel, and for a time delivered his sister into -the safe keeping, as he supposed, of her mother-in-law, whom Henry, -as I have before related, had taken to his bed on the death of the -empress’s mother. Himself proceeded through the hostile country to -Bristol, accompanied, as I have heard, by scarcely twelve horsemen, -and was joined in the midst of his journey by Brian Fitz-Count of -Wallingford. Nor was it long ere he learned that his sister had -quitted Arundel; for her mother-in-law, through female inconstancy, -had broken the faith she had repeatedly pledged by messages sent into -Normandy. The earl, therefore, committed the empress to Henry bishop of -Winchester and Waleran earl of Mellent for safe conduct, a favour never -denied to the most inveterate enemy by honourable soldiers. Waleran, -indeed, declined going farther than Calne, but the bishop continued his -route. The earl, therefore, quickly collecting his troops, came to the -boundary appointed by the king, and placed his sister in safe quarters -at Bristol. She was afterwards received into Gloucester by Milo, who -held the castle of that city under the earl in the time of king Henry, -doing him homage and swearing fidelity to him; for this is the chief -city of his county. - -On the nones of October one Robert Fitz-Hubert, a savage barbarian, by -night clandestinely entering the castle of Malmesbury, which bishop -Rochester had inauspiciously founded, and burning the town, boasted -of the deed, as though he had gained a great triumph. But, within a -fortnight, his joy was at an end, being put to flight by the king. -Stephen, in the meantime, commanded possession to be kept of the -castle, until, on the restoration of peace, it might be destroyed. -The king, moreover, before he came to Malmesbury, had occupied, and -placed a garrison in a small fortress called Cerney, belonging to -the aforesaid Milo. In consequence, thinking he should be equally -successful elsewhere, as at that place and at Malmesbury, he assailed -a castle called Trowbridge, belonging to Humphrey de Bohun, who was of -the empress’s party, but he departed without success. - -The whole country then around Gloucester to the extremity of Wales, -partly by force, and partly by favour, in the course of the remaining -months of that year, gradually espoused the party of their sovereign -the empress. The owners of certain castles, securing themselves within -their fastnesses, waited the issue of events. The city of Hereford -was taken without difficulty; and a few soldiers, who determined on -resistance, had thrown themselves into the castle, were blocked up. -The king drew nigh, if possible, to devise means for their assistance; -but frustrated in his wishes, he retired with disgrace. He also -approached Bristol, and going beyond it, burnt the neighbourhood around -Dunstore, leaving nothing, as far as he was able, which could minister -food to his enemies, or advantage to any one. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1139.] BISHOP OF SALISBURY’S DEATH.] - -On the third before the ides of December, Roger bishop of Salisbury, -by the kindness of death, escaped the quartan ague which had long -afflicted him. They assert that his sickness was brought upon him -through grief at the severe and repeated injuries he had received from -king Stephen. To me it appears, that God exhibited him to the wealthy -as an example of the mutability of fortune, in order that they should -not trust in uncertain riches, which, as the apostle says, “while -some have coveted, concerning faith have made shipwreck.” He first -ingratiated himself with prince Henry, who became afterwards king, by -his prudence in the management of domestic matters, and by restraining -the excesses of his household. For, before his accession, Henry had -been careful and economical in his expenses, compelled thereto by -the scantiness of his resources, and the illiberal treatment of his -brothers, William and Robert. Knowing his disposition this way, Roger -had deserved so well of him in his time of need, that, when he came -to the throne, he denied him scarcely any thing he thought proper to -ask; gave him estates, churches, prebends, entire abbeys of monks, -and, lastly, committed even the kingdom to his fidelity: made him -chancellor, in the beginning of his reign, and not long after, bishop -of Salisbury. Roger, therefore decided causes; he regulated the -expenditure; he had charge of the treasury. Such were his occupations -when the king was in England: such, without associate or inspector, -when he resided in Normandy; which took place repeatedly, and for a -long time together. And not only the king, but the nobility, even -those who were secretly stung with envy at his good fortune, and more -especially the ministers and debtors of the king, gave him almost -whatever he could fancy. Was there any thing contiguous to his property -which might be advantageous to him, he would directly extort it, either -by entreaty or purchase; or, if that failed, by force. With unrivalled -magnificence in their construction, as our times may recollect, he -erected splendid mansions on all his estates; in merely maintaining -which, the labour of his successors shall toil in vain. His cathedral -he dignified to the utmost with matchless ornaments and buildings on -which no expense was spared. It was truly wonderful to behold in this -man, what abundant power attended him in every kind of dignity, and -flowed as it were to his hand. How great was the glory, indeed, what -could exceed it, that he should have made his two nephews, by virtue of -his education, men of noted learning and industry, bishops; and, not -of mean sees; but of Lincoln and Ely, than which, I know not whether -there be more opulent in England? He was sensible of his power, and, -somewhat more harshly than became such a character, abused the favours -of heaven. Lastly, as a certain poet observes of a rich man,[560] - - “He builds, destroys, and changes square for round,” - -so Roger attempted to turn abbeys into bishoprics, and bishoprics into -abbeys. The most ancient monasteries of Malmesbury and Abbotsbury, -he annexed, as far as he was able, to his see. He changed the priory -of Sherborne, which is subject to the bishop of Salisbury, into an -abbey; and the abbey of Hortun was forthwith dissolved and united to -it. These events took place in the time of king Henry, under whom, -as I have observed, his prosperity reached its zenith: for under -Stephen, as I have before related, it began to decline; except that in -the beginning of his reign, he obtained for one of his nephews, the -chancellorship; for the other the office of treasurer; and for himself -the town of Malmesbury; the king repeating often to his companions, “By -the birth of God, I would give him half England, if he asked for it: -till the time be ripe, he shall tire of asking, ere I tire of giving.” -But fortune, who, in former times, had flattered him so long and so -transcendently, at last cruelly pierced him with scorpion-sting. Such -was that instance, when he saw those whom he dearly regarded, wounded; -and his most favoured knight killed before his face; the next day, -himself, and, as I said before, his nephews, very powerful bishops, the -one compelled to fly, the other detained, and the third, a young man -to whom he was greatly attached, bound with chains: on the surrender -of his castles, his treasures pillaged, and himself afterwards, in the -council, loaded with the most disgraceful reproaches. Finally, as he -was nearly breathing his latest sigh, at Salisbury, the residue of his -money and utensils, which he had placed upon the altar for the purpose -of completing the church, was carried off against his will. The height -of his calamity, was, I think, a circumstance which even I cannot help -commiserating; that, though he appeared wretched to many, yet there -were very few who pitied him: so much envy and hatred had his excessive -power drawn on him, and undeservedly, too, from some of those very -persons whom he had advanced to honour. - -In the year of the Incarnate Word 1140, the monks of those abbeys -which Roger had unjustifiably usurped, waiting on the king, were -permitted to enjoy their ancient privileges, and abbats, as formerly. -John, a monk of that place, a man highly celebrated for the affability -of his manners and the liberality of his mind, was elected abbat of -Malmesbury by the monks, according to the tenor of the privilege which -St. Aldhelm had obtained from pope Sergius four hundred and sixty-six -years before, and had caused to be confirmed by the kings, Ina of the -West Saxons, and Ethelred of the Mercians. The legate approved the -claim, but disapproved of the person: for he could not be induced to -believe that the king had consented to the election but by a gift in -money. And, indeed, a small sum had been promised, on the score of -liberating the church, not for the election of the person. Wherefore -John, though taken off by a premature death within the year, still left -a lasting and laudable memory of himself to all succeeding ages. For no -monk of that place, I confess the truth, would have pursued a task of -such difficulty, had not John begun it. Wherefore let his successors -be praised, if they shall preserve the liberty of that church; he -certainly rescued it from thraldom. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1140.] DISTRESSED STATE OF ENGLAND.] - -The whole of this year was embittered by the horrors of war. -There were many castles throughout England, each defending their -neighbourhood, but, more properly speaking, laying it waste. The -garrisons drove off from the fields, both sheep and cattle, nor did -they abstain either from churches or church-yards. Seizing such of -the country vavassours[561] as were reputed to be possessed of -money, they compelled them, by extreme torture, to promise whatever -they thought fit. Plundering the houses of the wretched husbandmen, -even to their very beds, they cast them into prison; nor did they -liberate them, but on their giving every thing they possessed or -could by any means scrape together, for their release. Many calmly -expired in the midst of torments inflicted to compel them to ransom -themselves, bewailing, which was all they could do, their miseries to -God. And, indeed, at the instance of the earl, the legate, with the -bishops, repeatedly excommunicated all violators of church-yards and -plunderers of churches, and those who laid violent hands on men in -holy or monastic orders, or their servants: but this his attention -profited but little. It was distressing, therefore, to see England, -once the fondest cherisher of peace and the single receptacle of -tranquillity, reduced to such a pitch of misery, that, not even the -bishops, nor monks, could pass in safety from one town to another. -Under king Henry, many foreigners, who had been driven from home by the -commotions of their native land, were accustomed to resort to England, -and rest in quiet under his fostering protection: in Stephen’s time, -numbers of freebooters from Flanders and Brittany flocked to England, -in expectation of rich pillage. Meanwhile, the earl of Gloucester -conducted himself with caution, and his most earnest endeavours were -directed to gaining conquests with the smaller loss to his adherents. -Such of the English nobility as he could not prevail upon to regard -the obligation of their oath, he held it sufficient if he could so -restrain, that, if they did not assist, they would not injure the -cause: being willing, according to the saying of the comic writer, -“To do what he could, when he could not do what he would.” But when -he saw the opportunity present itself, he strenuously performed the -duty both of soldier and of general; more especially, he valiantly -subdued those strong holds, which were of signal detriment to the -cause he had espoused; that is to say, Harpetrey, which king Stephen -had taken from certain soldiers of the earl before he came to England, -and many others; Sudley, Cerney, which the king had garrisoned, as -I have said; and the castle which Stephen had fortified over against -Wallingford, he levelled to the ground. He also, in these difficult -times, created his brother Rainald, earl of Cornwall. Nor indeed did -the king show less spirit in performing the duties of his station; for -he omitted no occasion of repeatedly beating off his adversaries, and -defending his own possessions. But he failed of success, and all things -declined, for lack of justice. Dearth of provisions, too, increased by -degrees, and the scarcity of good money was so great, from its being -counterfeited, that, sometimes out of ten or more shillings, hardly -a dozen pence would be received. The king himself was reported to -have ordered the weight of the penny, as established in king Henry’s -time, to be reduced, because, having exhausted the vast treasures of -his predecessor, he was unable to provide for the expense of so many -soldiers. All things, then, became venal in England; and churches and -abbeys were no longer secretly, but even publicly exposed to sale. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1140.] ROBERT FITZ-HUBERT.] - -During this year, in Lent, on the thirteenth before the kalends of -April, at the ninth hour of the fourth day of the week, there was an -eclipse, throughout England, as I have heard. With us, indeed, and -with all our neighbours, the obscuration of the sun was so remarkable, -that persons sitting at table, as it then happened almost every where, -for it was Lent, at first feared that chaos was come again: afterwards -learning its cause, they went out, and beheld the stars around the sun. -It was thought and said by many, not untruly, that the king would not -continue a year in the government. - -In the following week, that is, during the time of the Passion, on -the seventh before the kalends of April, the forementioned barbarian, -Robert Fitz-Hubert, a character well calculated for the stratagems -of war, surprised the castle of Devizes:[562] a man, by far the most -cruel of any within the circle of this age’s memory: blasphemous, -also, towards God. He used voluntarily to boast of having been -present at a place where twenty-four monks were burnt, together with -the church, declaring, that he too would frequently do the like in -England, and grieve God, by the plunder of the church of Wilton; and -the destruction of Malmesbury, with the slaughter of all its monks: -that he would return them this good office, because they had admitted -the king, to his disadvantage: for of this he accused them, though -without foundation. I myself have heard, when, at any time, which was -extremely rare indeed, he liberated his captives without torture, -and they thanked him for it, on the part of God, I have heard him, I -say, reply; “never let God owe me any thanks.” He used to expose his -prisoners, naked and rubbed with honey, to the burning heat of the sun; -thereby exciting flies, and other insects of that kind, to sting them. -But, having now got possession of Devizes, he hesitated not to boast, -that, he should gain, by means of this castle, the whole district from -Winchester to London; and that he would send to Flanders for soldiers -to defend him. While meditating, however, such a scheme, divine -vengeance overtook him through the agency of one John Fitz-Gilbert, a -man of surprising subtlety, who had a castle at Marlborough. For being -thrown into chains by him, because he refused to surrender Devizes -to his sovereign, the empress, he was hanged, like a common thief. -Wonderful was the judgment of God on this sacrilegious wretch, that he -should meet with such an ignominious end, not from the king, to whom -he was inimical, but from the very persons he appeared to favour. The -authors of his death ought worthily to be extolled, for having freed -the country from such a pest, and justly despatched an intestine enemy. - -In the same year, during Pentecost, the king resided at London, in the -Tower, attended only by the bishop of Sees, for the others disdained, -or feared, to come thither. Some little time after, by the mediation -of the legate, a conference was appointed between the empress and the -king, that, if possible, by the inspiration of God, peace might be -restored. To this conference, near Bath, were sent on the part of the -empress, her brother Robert, and others of her friends: on the king’s, -the legate, the archbishop, and also the queen. But they wasted words -and time, to no purpose, and departed without being able to conclude -a peace. Nor was the ground of separation equal on both sides, as the -empress, more inclined to justice, had declared, that she was not -averse to the decision of the church: but the king most cautiously -avoided this; fondly trusting to the counsels of those persons who -loved nothing less than peace, so long as they could make their -ascendency over him answer their own purposes. In the latter end of -September, the legate, who knew that it was the especial duty of his -office to restore peace, undertaking the toil of a foreign voyage for -its accomplishment, hastened to sail over to France. Here, a long and -anxious discussion, for tranquillizing England, taking place, between -the king of France, earl Theobald, and many of the clergy, he returned, -nearly at the end of November, bringing back counsels wholesome for -the country, could they have been carried into effect. And indeed the -empress and the earl assented to them immediately, but the king delayed -from day to day, and finally rejected them altogether. Upon this, at -last, the legate discontinued his exertions, waiting, like the rest, -for the issue of events: for what avails it to swim against the stream? -and, as some one observes, “To seek odium only by one’s labours is the -height of madness.” - - - - -BOOK III. - - -I now attempt to give a clue to the mazy labyrinth of events and -transactions which occurred in England, during the year 1141,[563] lest -posterity, through my neglect, should be unacquainted with them; as -it is of service to know the volubility of fortune and the mutability -of human estate, God only permitting or ordaining them. And, as the -moderns greatly and deservedly blame our predecessors, for having left -no memorial of themselves or their transactions since the days of Bede, -I think I ought to be very favourably regarded by my readers, if they -judge rightly, for determining to remove this reproach from our times. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1141.] SIEGE OF LINCOLN.] - -King Stephen had peaceably departed from the county of Lincoln before -Christmas, and had augmented the honours of the earl of Chester,[564] -and of his brother; of whom the earl, long since, in the time of king -Henry, had been married to the daughter of the earl of Gloucester. In -the meanwhile, the citizens of Lincoln, who wished to acquire great -favour with the king, certified him by a message, when resident in -London, that the two brothers had taken up their abode in security, -in the castle of that city: and that, suspecting nothing less than -the arrival of the king, they might be very easily surprised, while -themselves would provide that he should get possession of the castle -as secretly as possible. As Stephen never wished to neglect any -opportunity of augmenting his power, he gladly repaired thither. In -consequence, the brothers were surprised and besieged, even in the -Christmas holidays. This step appeared unjustifiable to many, because, -as I have observed, he had left them before the festival, without -any suspicion of enmity; nor had he, even now, after ancient usage, -abjured his friendship with them, which they call “defying.” However, -the earl of Chester, though surrounded with imminent dangers, adroitly -escaped from the castle. By what management this was accomplished I -know not; whether through consent of some of the besiegers, or whether, -because valour, when taken by surprise, frequently tries variety -of methods, and often discovers a remedy for its emergencies. Not -content with his own escape, he earnestly cast about, how to devise -the safety of his brother and of his wife, whom he had left in the -fortress. The more prudent mode seemed to be, to request assistance -from his father-in-law, although he had long since offended him on -many accounts, but principally because he appeared staunch to neither -party. He sent messengers, therefore, promising eternal fidelity to the -empress, if, induced more by affectionate regard than any desert of -his, he would rescue those from danger, who were already in the very -jaws of captivity. - -Unable to endure this indignity, the earl of Gloucester readily -assented. Weary of delay, too, as the fairest country was harassed -with intestine rapine and slaughter, for the sake of two persons, he -preferred bringing the matter to an issue at once, would God permit. -He hoped, also, for the Divine assistance on his undertaking, as the -king had molested his son-in-law, without any fault on his part; was at -that moment besieging his daughter; and had castellated the church of -the holy mother of God in Lincoln. How much ought these things to weigh -in the mind of a prince? Would it not be better to die, and fall with -honour, than endure so marked a disgrace? For the sake then of avenging -God, and his sister, and liberating his relations, he entered on this -perilous undertaking. The supporters of his party readily accompanied -him; the major part of whom being deprived of their inheritances, were -instigated to hostility by rage at their losses, and the consciousness -of their valour. However, during the whole extended march, from -Gloucester to Lincoln, he studiously concealed his intention, leaving -all the army, with the exception of a very few, in suspense, by his -mysterious conduct. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1141.] STEPHEN DEFEATED.] - -At length, on the day of the Purification of the blessed Mary, they -arrived at the river flowing between the two armies, called the -Trent, which, from its springs, together with floods of rain, had -risen so high, that it could not possibly be forded. Here, at last, -disclosing his intention to his son-in-law, who had joined him with a -strong force, and to those he had brought with him, he added, that, -“He had long since made up his mind, never to be induced to fly, be -the emergency what it might; if they could not conquer, they must die -or be taken.” All encouraged him to hope the best; and, wonderful to -hear, though on the eve of hazarding a battle, he swam over the rapid -river I have mentioned, with the whole of his party. So great was the -earl’s ardour to put an end to calamity, that he preferred risking -extremities to prolonging the sufferings of the country. The king, -too, with many earls, and an active body of cavalry, abandoning the -siege, courageously presented himself for battle. The royalists began -the prelude to the fight, which they call the “joust,”[565] as they -were skilled in that exercise: but when they saw that the consular -party, if they may be so called, did not attack from a distance with -lances, but at close quarters with swords, and broke the king’s ranks -with violent and determined onset, the earls, to a man, for six of -them had entered the conflict, together with the king, consulted their -safety by flight. A few barons, of laudable fidelity and valour, who -would not desert him, even in his necessity, were made captive. The -king, though he by no means wanted spirit to defend himself, being -at last attacked on every side by the earl of Gloucester’s soldiers, -fell to the ground by a blow from a stone; but who was the author of -this deed is uncertain. Thus, when all around him were either taken -or dispersed, he was compelled to yield to circumstances and become a -captive. On which the truly noble earl of Gloucester commanded the king -to be preserved uninjured, not suffering him to be molested even with -a reproach; and the person, whom he had just before fiercely attacked -when dignified with the sovereignty, he now calmly protected when -subdued: that the tumults of anger and of joy being quieted, he might -show kindness to his relation, and respect the dignity of the diadem -in the captive. The citizens of Lincoln were slaughtered on all sides -by the just indignation of the victors, and without commiseration on -the part of the conquered, as they had been the origin and fomenters of -this calamity. - -The king, according to the custom of such as are called captives, -was presented to the empress, at Gloucester, by her brother, and -afterwards conducted to Bristol. Here, at first, he was kept with -every mark of honour, except the liberty of going at large: but in -succeeding time, through the presumption of certain persons, who said -openly and contumeliously, that it did not behove the earl to treat -the king otherwise than they chose; and also, because it was reported, -that having either eluded or bribed his keepers, he had been found, -more than once, beyond the appointed limits, more especially in the -night-time, he was confined with fetters. - -In the meanwhile, both the empress and the earl dealt by messengers -with the legate his brother, that he should forthwith receive her into -the church,[566] and to the kingdom, as the daughter of king Henry, -to whom all England and Normandy had sworn allegiance. This year, the -first Sunday in Lent happened on the fourteenth before the kalends of -March. By means of negotiators on either side, the business was so far -forwarded, that they agreed to meet in conference, on an open plain -on this side of Winchester. They assembled, therefore, on the third -Sunday in Lent, a day dark and rainy, as though the fates would portend -a woeful change in this affair. The empress swore, and pledged her -faith to the bishop, that all matters of importance in England, and -especially the bestowing of bishoprics and abbeys, should await his -decision, if he, with the holy church, would receive her as sovereign, -and observe perpetual fidelity towards her. Her brother, Robert, earl -of Gloucester, swore as she did, and pledged his faith for her, as did -also Brian Fitz-count, lord Marcher[567] of Wallingford, and Milo of -Gloucester, afterwards earl of Hereford, with some others. Nor did the -bishop hesitate to receive the empress as sovereign of England, and, -together with certain of his party, to pledge his faith, that so long -as she did not infringe the covenant, he would observe his fidelity -to her. On the morrow, which was the fifth before the nones of March, -a splendid procession being formed, she was received in the cathedral -of Winchester; the bishop-legate conducting her on the right side, -and Bernard, bishop of St. David’s, on the left. There were present -also, Alexander, bishop of Lincoln, Robert of Hereford, Nigel of Ely, -Robert of Bath: the abbats, Ingulf of Abingdon, Edward of Reading, -Peter of Malmesbury, Gilbert of Gloucester, Roger of Tewkesbury, and -some others. In a few days, Theobald, archbishop of Canterbury, came -to the empress at Winchester, by invitation of the legate: but he -deferred promising fidelity to her, deeming it beneath his reputation -and character to change sides, till he had consulted the king. In -consequence, he, and many other prelates, with some few of the laity, -were allowed to visit Stephen and converse with him: and, graciously -obtaining leave to submit to the exigency of the times, they embraced -the sentiments of the legate. The empress passed Easter, which happened -on the third before the kalends of April, at Oxford; the rest returned -to their respective homes. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1141.] CONFERENCE AT WINCHESTER.] - -On the day after the octaves of Easter, a council began, with -great parade, at Winchester, consisting of Theobald, archbishop of -Canterbury, all the bishops of England, and many abbats: the legate -presiding. Such as were absent, accounted for it by messengers and -letters. As I was present at the holding of this council, I will -not deny posterity the truth of every circumstance; for I perfectly -remember it. On the same day, after the letters were read by which -some excused their absence, the legate called the bishops apart, -and discoursed with them in secret of his design; then the abbats, -and, lastly, the archdeacons were summoned. Of his intention nothing -transpired publicly, though what was to be done engrossed the minds and -conversation of all. - -On the third day of the week, the speech of the legate ran nearly to -this effect: “That, by the condescension of the pope, he acted as his -vicegerent in England: wherefore, by his authority, the clergy of -England were assembled at this council to deliberate on the peace of -the country, which was exposed to imminent danger: that, in the time of -king Henry, his uncle, England had been the peculiar abode of peace; -so that by the activity, and spirit, and care of that most excellent -man, not only the natives, of whatever power or dignity, dared make no -disturbance; but, by his example, each neighbouring king and prince, -also, yielded to peace, and either invited, or compelled, his subjects -to do the like: moreover, that this king, some years before his -death, had caused the whole realm of England, as well as the duchy of -Normandy, to be engaged, by the oaths of all the bishops and barons, to -his daughter, late the empress, who was his only surviving issue by his -former consort, if he should fail of male offspring by the wife he had -espoused from Lorraine: and adverse fortune,” said he, “was envious of -my most excellent uncle, and suffered him to die in Normandy without -male issue. Therefore, as it seemed long to wait for a sovereign who -delayed coming to England, for she resided in Normandy, we provided -for the peace of the country, and my brother was allowed to reign. And -although I gave myself as surety between him and God, that he would -honour and advance the holy church, and uphold good, but abrogate evil, -laws; yet it grieves me to remember, shames me to say, how he conducted -himself in the kingdom: how justice ceased to be exerted against the -daring; how all peace was annihilated, almost within the year: the -bishops made captive, and compelled to give up their possessions; the -abbeys sold; the churches robbed of their treasures; the counsels of -the abandoned regarded: while those of the virtuous were postponed or -totally despised. You know how often I addressed him, both by myself -and the bishops, more especially in the council held last year for -that purpose, and that I gained by it nothing but odium. Every one, -who shall think rightly, must be aware, that I ought to love my mortal -brother, but that I should still more regard the cause of my immortal -Father. Wherefore, since God has exercised his judgment on my brother, -by permitting him, without my knowledge, to fall into the hands of -the powerful, I have invited you all here to assemble by virtue of -my legation, lest the kingdom should fall to decay through want of a -sovereign. The case was yesterday agitated in private, before the major -part of the English clergy, to whose right it principally pertains to -elect the sovereign, and also to crown him. First, then, as is fitting, -invoking God’s assistance, we elect the daughter of that peaceful, that -glorious, that rich, that good, and, in our times, incomparable king, -as sovereign of England and Normandy, and promise her fidelity and -support.” - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1141.] MATILDA ELECTED SOVEREIGN.] - -When all present had either becomingly applauded his sentiments, or, -by their silence, not contradicted them, he added: “We have despatched -messengers for the Londoners, who, from the importance of their city in -England, are almost nobles, as it were, to meet us on this business; -and have sent them a safe-conduct: and we trust they will not delay -their arrival beyond to-morrow: wherefore let us give them indulgence -till that time.” - -On the fourth day of the week the Londoners came; and being introduced -to the council, urged their cause, so far as to say, that they were -sent from the fraternity, as they call it, of London, not to contend, -but to entreat that their lord the king might be liberated from -captivity: that all the barons, who had long since been admitted to -their fellowship, most earnestly solicited this of the lord legate and -the archbishop, as well as of all the clergy who were present. The -legate answered them copiously and clearly: and, that their request -might be the less complied with, the speech of the preceding day was -repeated, with the addition, that it did not become the Londoners, who -were considered as the chief people of England, in the light of nobles, -to side with those persons who had deserted their lord in battle; by -whose advice the king had dishonoured the holy church; and who, in -fact, only appeared to favour the Londoners, that they might drain them -of their money. - -In the meantime, a certain person, whose name, if I rightly remember, -was Christian, a clerk belonging to the queen, as I heard, rose up, -and held forth a paper to the legate. He having silently perused it, -exalted his voice to the highest pitch, and said, that it was informal, -and improper to be recited in so great an assembly, especially of -dignified and religious persons. For, among other offensive and -singular points, the signature of a person was affixed to it, who, in -the preceding year, at a similar council, had attacked the venerable -bishops with opprobrious language. The legate thus baffling him, the -clerk was not wanting to his mission, but, with notable confidence, -read the letter in their hearing; of which this was the purport. “The -queen earnestly entreated the whole clergy assembled, and especially -the bishop of Winchester, the brother of her lord, to restore the -said lord to his kingdom, whom abandoned persons, and even such as -were under homage to him, had cast into chains.” To this suggestion, -the legate answered to the same effect as to the Londoners. These -conferring together, declared, that they would relate the decree of the -council to their townsmen, and give it their support as far as they -were able. - -On the fifth day of the week the council broke up, many of the royal -party having been first excommunicated; more especially William -Martel, who had formerly been cup-bearer to king Henry, and was -at that time butler to Stephen; for he had sorely exasperated the -legate, by intercepting and pilfering much of his property. It was -now a work of great difficulty to soothe the minds of the Londoners: -for though these matters, as I have said, were agitated immediately -after Easter, yet was it only a few days before the Nativity of St. -John that they would receive the empress. At that time great part -of England readily submitted to her government; her brother Robert -was assiduously employed in promoting her dignity by every becoming -method; kindly addressing the nobility, making many promises, and -intimidating the adverse party, or even, by messengers, exhorting them -to peace; and already restoring justice, and the law of the land, and -tranquillity, throughout every district which favoured the empress; -and it is sufficiently notorious that if his party had trusted to -Robert’s moderation and wisdom, it would not afterwards experienced -so melancholy a reverse. The lord legate, too, appeared of laudable -fidelity in furthering the interests of the empress. But, behold, at -the very moment when she imagined she should get possession of all -England, every thing was changed. The Londoners, ever suspicious and -murmuring among themselves, now burst out into open expressions of -hatred; and, as it is reported, even laid wait for their sovereign and -her nobles. Aware of and escaping this plot, they gradually retired -from the city, without tumult and in a certain military order. The -empress was accompanied by the legate and David king of Scotland, the -heroine’s uncle, together with her brother Robert who then, as at every -other time, shared her fortune; and, in short, all her partizans to a -man escaped in safety. The Londoners, learning their departure, flew to -their residence and plundered every thing which they had left in their -haste. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1141.] THE EMPRESS AND THE LEGATE.] - -Not many days after, a misunderstanding arose between the legate and -the empress which may be justly considered as the melancholy cause of -every subsequent evil in England. How this happened I will explain. -King Stephen had a son named Eustace, begotten on the daughter of -Eustace earl of Boulogne. For king Henry, the father of the empress, -that I may go back somewhat to acquaint posterity with the truth of -these transactions, had given Mary, the sister of his wife, the mother -of this lady, in marriage to the aforesaid earl, as he was of noble -descent and equally renowned for prudence and for valour. By Mary, -Eustace had no issue except a daughter called Matilda. When she became -marriageable, after the death of her father, the same truly magnificent -king gave her in wedlock to his nephew Stephen, and also procured by -his care the county of Boulogne for him, as he had before conferred -on him that of Moreton in Normandy. The legate had justly proposed -that these counties should be bestowed on his nephew Eustace, whom I -mentioned, so long as his father should remain in captivity. This the -empress altogether opposed, and it is doubtful whether she had not even -promised them to others. Offended at the repulse, he kept from her -court many days; and though repeatedly sent for, persisted in refusing -to go thither. In the meanwhile, he held a friendly conference with the -queen, his brother’s wife, at Guildford, and being wrought upon by her -tears and concessions, bent his mind to the liberation of Stephen. He -also absolved, without consulting the bishops, all those of the king’s -party whom he had excommunicated in the council, while his complaints -against the empress were disseminated through England, that she wished -to seize his person; that she observed nothing which she had sworn to -him; that all the barons of England had performed their engagements -towards her, but that she had violated hers, as she knew not how to use -her prosperity with moderation. - -To allay, if possible, these commotions, the earl of Gloucester, with -a retinue not very numerous, proceeded to Winchester; but, failing in -his endeavours, he returned to Oxford, where his sister had for some -time established her residence. She therefore understanding, as well -from what she was continually hearing, as from what she then learned -from her brother, that the legate had no friendly dispositions towards -her, proceeded to Winchester with such forces as she could muster. -Being immediately admitted into the royal castle, with good intentions -probably she sent messengers to the bishop, requesting that, as she was -upon the spot, he would come to her without delay. He, not thinking -it safe to go, deceived the messengers by an evasive manner, merely -saying, “I will prepare myself:” and immediately he sent for all such -as he knew were well-disposed to the king. In consequence almost all -the earls of England came; for they were full of youth and levity, and -preferred military enterprise to peace. Besides, many of them were -ashamed at having deserted the king in battle, as has been said before, -and thought to wipe off the ignominy of having fled, by attending this -meeting. Few, however, attended the empress: there were David king of -Scotland, Robert earl of Gloucester, Milo de Hereford, and some barons; -for Ranulf earl of Chester came late, and to no purpose. To comprise, -therefore, a long series of events within narrow limits: the roads on -every side of Winchester were watched by the queen and the earls who -had come with her, lest supplies should be brought in to those who had -sworn fidelity to the empress. The town of Andover also was burned. -On the west, therefore, necessaries were procured but scantily and -with difficulty; some persons found on the road, being intercepted -and either killed or maimed; while on the east, every avenue towards -London was crowded with supplies destined for the bishop and his -party; Geoffrey de Mandeville, who had now again revolted to them, for -formerly after the capture of the king he had sworn fidelity to the -empress, and the Londoners, lending every possible assistance, and -omitting no circumstance which might distress that princess. The people -of Winchester were, though secretly, inclined to her side, regarding -the faith they had before pledged to her, although they had been in -some degree compelled by the bishop to such a measure. In the meanwhile -combustibles were hurled from the bishop’s castle on the houses of -the townspeople, who, as I have said, rather wished success to the -empress than to the bishop, which caught and burned the whole abbey of -nuns within the city, and the monastery which is called Hyde without -the walls. Here was an image of our Lord crucified, wrought with a -profusion of gold and silver and precious stones, through the pious -solicitude of Canute, who was formerly king and presented it. This -being seized by the flames and thrown to the ground, was afterwards -stripped of its ornaments at the command of the legate himself: more -than five hundred marks of silver and thirty of gold, which were -found on it, served for a largess to the soldiers. The abbey of nuns -at Warewell was also burned by one William de Ipres, an abandoned -character who feared neither God nor man, because some of the partizans -of the empress had secured themselves within it. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1141.] RETREAT OF THE EARL OF GLOUCESTER.] - -In the meantime, the earl of Gloucester, though suffering, with -his followers, by daily contests with the royalists, and though -circumstances turned out far beneath his expectation, yet ever -abstained from the burning of churches, notwithstanding he resided in -the vicinity of St. Swithun’s. But unable to endure any longer the -disgrace of being, together with his party, almost besieged, and seeing -fortune inclining towards the enemy, he deemed it expedient to yield -to necessity; and, having marshalled his troops, he prepared to depart. -Sending his sister, therefore, and the rest, in the vanguard, that she -might proceed without interruption, he himself retreated gently, with -a chosen few, who had spirit enough not to be alarmed at a multitude. -The earls immediately pursuing him, as he thought it disgraceful, and -beneath his dignity to fly, and was the chief object of universal -attack, he was made captive. The rest, especially the chiefs, proceeded -on their destined journey, and, with the utmost precipitation, -reached Devizes. Thus they departed from Winchester on the day of the -exaltation of the holy cross, which at that time happened on a Sunday, -having come thither a few days before the assumption of the holy -mother of God. It appeared to some rather miraculous, and was matter -of general conversation in England, that the king on the Sunday of the -purification of our lady, and the earl on the Sunday of the exaltation -of the life-imparting cross, should each experience a similar fate. -This, however, was truly worthy of remark and admiration, that, no one, -on this mischance, ever beheld the earl of Gloucester either dispirited -or dejected in countenance. He breathed too high a consciousness of -dignity, to subject himself to the caprice of fortune; and, although -he was at first invited by soothing measures, and afterwards assailed -by threats, he never consented to treat of his liberation, except with -the privity of his sister. At last the affair was thus decided: that -the king and himself should be liberated on equal terms; no condition -being proposed, except that each might defend his party, to the utmost -of his abilities, as before. These matters, after repeated and long -discussion, from the exaltation of the holy cross, to the festival of -All Saints, then came to a suitable conclusion. For on that day, the -king, released from his captivity, left his queen, and son, and two of -the nobility at Bristol, as sureties for the liberation of the earl; -and came with the utmost speed to Winchester, where the earl, now -brought from Rochester, whither he had first been taken, was at this -time confined. The third day after, when the king came to Winchester, -the earl departed, leaving there on that day his son William, as a -pledge, till the queen should be released. Performing with quick -despatch the journey to Bristol, he liberated the queen, on whose -return, William, the earl’s son, was set free from his detention. -It is, moreover, sufficiently notorious, that, although, during the -whole of his captivity and of the following months till Christmas, -he was enticed by numberless and magnificent promises to revolt from -his sister; yet he always deemed his fraternal affection of greater -importance than any promise which could be made him. For leaving his -property and his castles, which he might have quietly enjoyed, he -continued unceasingly near the empress at Oxford, where, as I have said -before, fixing her residence, she held her court. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1141.] COUNCIL AT WESTMINSTER.] - -In the meantime, the legate, a prelate of unbounded spirit, who was -never inclined to leave incomplete what he had once purposed, summoned -by his legatine authority a council at Westminster, on the octaves of -St. Andrew. I cannot relate the transactions of this council with that -exact veracity with which I did the former, as I was not present. We -have heard that a letter was then read from the sovereign pope, in -which he gently rebuked the legate for not endeavouring to release -his brother; but that he forgave him his former transgression, and -earnestly exhorted him to attempt his liberation by any mode, whether -ecclesiastical or secular: that the king himself entered the council, -and complained to the reverend assembly, that his own subjects had both -made captive, and nearly killed him by the injuries they inflicted on -him, who had never refused them justice. That the legate himself, too, -by great powers of eloquence, endeavoured to extenuate the odium of -his own conduct: that, in truth, he had received the empress, not from -inclination, but necessity; for, that, while his brother’s overthrow -was yet recent, all the earls being either dispersed or waiting the -issue of events in suspense, she had surrounded Winchester with her -party: that she had obstinately persevered in breaking every promise -she had made pertaining to the right of the churches: and that he had -it from unquestionable authority, that she, and her partisans, had not -only had designs on his dignity, but even on his life: that, however, -God, in his mercy, had caused matters to fall out contrary to her -hopes, so that he should himself escape destruction, and rescue his -brother from captivity: that he commanded therefore, on the part of -God and of the pope, that they should strenuously assist the king, -anointed by the will of the people and with the approbation of the holy -see: but that such as disturbed the peace, in favour of the countess of -Anjou, should be excommunicated, with the exception of herself, who was -sovereign of the Angevins. - -I do not say, that this speech was kindly received by all the clergy, -though certainly no one opposed it; for all bridled their tongues -either through fear, or through reverence. There was one layman sent -from the empress, who openly forbade the legate, by the faith which he -had pledged to her, to ordain any thing, in that council, repugnant -to her honour; and said, that he had made oath to the empress, not -to assist his brother, unless, perchance, by sending him twenty -horsemen at the utmost: that her coming to England had been effected -by his frequent letters: that her taking the king, and holding him in -captivity, had been done principally by his connivance. The advocate -affirmed these and many other circumstances, with great harshness of -language, and by no means sparing the legate. However, he could not be -prevailed upon, by any force of argument, to lay aside his animosity: -for, as I have said before, he was an active perseverer in what he had -once taken in hand. This year, therefore, the tragedy of which I have -briefly related, was fatal, and nearly destructive, to England; during -which, though conceiving that she might now, perhaps, experience some -little respite, yet, she became again involved in calamity, and, unless -God’s mercy shall shortly come to her relief, must there long continue. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1142.] ROBERT, EARL OF GLOUCESTER.] - -It seems fitting that I should commence the transactions of this year, -which is A.D. 1142, with certain events which were unnoticed in the -former; and, at the same time, briefly recapitulate what has been said, -in various places, of Robert, earl of Gloucester, son of king Henry, -and submit it, thus arranged, to the consideration of the reader. For, -as he was the first to espouse the just defence of his sister, so did -he persevere with unshaken constancy in her cause without remuneration; -I say without remuneration, because some of her supporters, either -following the course of fortune, are changed with its revolutions, or -having already obtained considerable benefits, fight for justice under -expectation of still further recompence: Robert, alone, or nearly -alone, uninfluenced by such considerations, was never swayed, as will -appear hereafter, either by hope of advantage, or fear of loss. Let -no one, therefore, suspect me of adulation, if I relate these matters -circumstantially: for I shall make no sacrifice to favour; but pure -historical truth, without any stain of falsehood, shall be handed down -to the knowledge of posterity. - -It has been related of the earl, how, first[568] of all the nobility, -after David, king of Scotland, he confirmed, by oath, his fealty to -his sister, the empress, for the kingdom of England, and the duchy -of Normandy, in the presence of his father Henry. There was some -contention, as I have said, between him and Stephen earl of Boulogne, -afterwards king of England, who should swear first; Robert alleging the -preference of a son, Stephen the dignity of a nephew. - -It has been recorded too, what reasonable causes, from December, -when his father died, till after the ensuing Easter, detained him in -Normandy, from coming immediately into England to avenge his sister’s -injuries. And when at last he did come, with what just deliberation, -and with what proviso, he consented to do homage to the king; and how -justly, in the following year, and thenceforward, he abjured it. - -Nor has his second arrival in England from Normandy, after his father’s -death, with his sister, been omitted: where, relying on the favour of -God, and his innate courage, he ventured himself, as into a desert full -of wild beasts, though scarcely accompanied by one hundred and forty -horsemen. Neither has it been unnoticed, that, amid such tumult of war, -while anxious watch was kept on all sides, he boldly came to Bristol -with only twelve horsemen, having committed his sister to safe custody, -as he supposed, at Arundel: nor with what prudence, at that time, -he received her from the very midst of her enemies, and afterwards -advanced her in all things to the utmost of his power; ever busied on -her account, and neglecting his own interest to secure hers, while some -persons taking advantage of his absence, curtailed his territories on -every side: and, lastly, urged by what necessity, namely to rescue his -son-in-law, whom the king had besieged, he engaged in a hazardous -conflict, and took the king prisoner. This fortunate event, however, -was somewhat obscured by his own capture at Winchester, as I have -recorded in the transactions of the former year; though by the grace of -God, he showed himself, not so much an object of commiseration, as of -praise, in that capture. For, when he saw that the royalist earls were -so persevering in the pursuit that the business could not be gotten -through without loss on his part, he sent forward all those for whom -he was under apprehension, and more especially the empress. When they -had proceeded far enough to escape in safety, he followed leisurely, -that the retreat might not resemble a flight, and received the attack -of the pursuers himself; thus purchasing, by his own detention, the -liberty of his friends. And now, even at the moment of his capture, no -one, as I have said above, perceived him either dispirited, or humbled -in language: he seemed so far to tower above fortune, that he compelled -his persecutors, for I am loth to call them enemies, to respect him. -Wherefore the queen, though she might have remembered, that her husband -had been fettered by his command, yet never suffered a bond of any -kind to be put upon him, nor presumed on her dignity to treat him -dishonourably. And finally at Rochester, for thither he was conducted, -he went freely whither he pleased, to the churches below the castle, -and conversed with whom he chose, the queen only being present (for -after her departure he was held in free custody in the keep) and so -calm and serene was his mind, that, getting money from his vassals in -Kent, he bought some valuable horses, which were both serviceable and -beneficial to him afterwards. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1142.] EARL ROBERT IN PRISON.] - -The earls, and those whose business it was to speak of such matters, at -first, tried if he would allow of the king and himself being liberated -on equal terms. Though his countess, Mabil, out of solicitude for her -beloved husband, would have embraced these terms the moment she heard -them, being, through conjugal affection, bent on his liberation, yet -he, in his wiser policy, refused: asserting that a king and an earl -were not of equal importance; however, if they would allow all who -had been taken with him, or for him, to be set at liberty, to this he -might consent. But the earls and other royalists would not assent to -these terms; they were anxious indeed for the king’s liberty, but not -at their own pecuniary loss: for earl Gilbert had taken William of -Salisbury: and William de Ipres, Humphry de Bohun; and others had made -such captures as they could, at Winchester, greedily expecting large -sums for their ransom. - -Next attacking the earl another way, they were anxious to allure him -with magnificent promises, if so they might effect their purpose. -Would he go over to the king’s side, and dismiss his sister, he should -govern the whole country: all things should await his decision: the -crown should be the only distinction between him and the king: over all -others he should rule as he pleased. The earl rejected these unbounded -promises, with a memorable reply, which I wish posterity to hear, and -to admire: “I am not my own master,” said he, “but am in another’s -power; when I shall see myself at my own disposal, I promise to do -every thing which reason dictates on the matter you propound.” - -Irritated and incensed at this, when they could do nothing by fair -means, they began to menace, that they would send him over sea to -Boulogne, and keep him in perpetual bondage till death. Still, however, -with a serene countenance, dispelling their threats, he firmly and -truly protested, that he feared nothing less. For he relied on the -spirit of his wife, the countess, and the courage of his partizans, who -would immediately send the king into Ireland, if they heard of any foul -deed perpetrated against himself. - -A month elapsed in these transactions; so difficult a work was it -to effect the liberation of princes whom fortune had fettered with -her chain.[569] But, at length, the supporters of the empress having -conferred together, entreated the earl by divers messages, that “as he -could not do what he would,” according to the comic writer, “he would -do what he could:” he should allow therefore, the king and himself to -be set at liberty, on equal terms, “otherwise,” said they, “we fear -lest the earls, inspirited by the consciousness of their great and most -distinguished exploit in making you captive, should attack us one by -one, reduce our castles, and even make an attempt upon your sister.” - -Robert, wrought upon at length, assented to the proposal of the legate -and archbishop, but still on condition that none of the castles, -or territory, should be restored, which had come under the power of -the empress or of any of her faithful adherents, since the capture -of the king: but he could not by any means obtain the release of his -friends, as he had given offence to some persons, in rejecting, with -a kind of superciliousness their magnificent promises with respect -to the government of the whole kingdom. And as they were extremely -anxious that, for the royal dignity, the king should be first set at -liberty, and then the earl; when he demurred to this, the legate and -the archbishop made oath, that if the king, after his own liberation, -refused to release the earl, they would forthwith deliver themselves up -into Robert’s power, to be conducted wherever he pleased. Nor did he -rest here; for his sagacious mind discovered an additional security. -It might fall out, that the king, as often happens, listening to -evil counsel, would consider the detention of his brother, and of -the archbishop, as of very little consequence, so that he himself -were at his ease. He demanded, therefore, from them both, separately, -instruments, with their seals, addressed to the pope, to the following -effect; “That the sovereign pope was to understand, that they, for -the liberation of the king and the peace of the kingdom, had bound -themselves to the earl by this covenant, that, if the king refused -to liberate him after his own release, themselves would willingly -surrender to his custody. Should it, therefore, come to this calamitous -issue, they earnestly entreated, what it would well become the papal -goodness voluntarily to perform, that he would release them, who were -his suffragans, as well as the earl, from unjustifiable durance.” There -was something more to the same effect. - -These writings, received from either prelate, Robert deposited in a -place of safety, and came to Winchester with them and a great company -of the barons. The king also, as has been before observed, coming -thither soon after, had a friendly interview with the earl. But -although he, and all the earls present, eagerly busied themselves in -bringing over Robert to their wishes, yet, “firm as a rock amid the -ocean” in his resistance, he rendered their attempts abortive, or -refuted them by argument. He affirmed, that, it was neither reasonable -nor natural, that he should desert his sister, whose cause he had -justly espoused, not for any benefit to himself, nor so much out of -dislike to the king, as regard to his oath, which, they also ought to -remember, it was impiety to violate, especially when he called to mind, -that he had been enjoined by the pope to respect the oath he had taken -to his sister in the presence of his father. Thus failing of peace, -they severally departed. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1142.] DESIGNS OF THE EMPRESS.] - -The reason why I have not incorporated these events with the -transactions of the former year is that I did not then know them; for -I have always dreaded to transmit anything to posterity, through my -narrative, the truth of which I could not perfectly vouch for. What, -then, I have to relate of the present year will commence as follows. - -The respective parties of the empress and of the king, conducted -themselves with quiet forbearance from Christmas to Lent, anxious -rather to preserve their own, than to ravage the possessions of others. -The king went to a distant part of the kingdom for the purpose of -quelling some disturbances. Lent coming on gave all a respite from -war; in the midst of which the empress came with her party to Devizes, -where her secret designs were debated. So much of them, however, -transpired that it was known that all her partizans had agreed to send -for the earl of Anjou, who was most interested in the defence of the -inheritance of his wife and children in England. Men of respectability -were, therefore, despatched and such as might fitly execute a business -of such magnitude. Not long after, nearly on the Easter holidays, -the king, while meditating, as it is said, some harsh measures, was -detained by an acute disease at Northampton; so severe, indeed, that -he was reported, almost throughout England, as being at the point of -death. His sickness continued till after Pentecost, when returning -health gradually restored him. In the meantime, the messengers -returning from Anjou, related the result of their mission to the -empress and the princes in a second council, held at Devizes on the -octaves of Pentecost. They said that the earl of Anjou in some measure -favoured the mission of the nobility, but that among them all he was -only well acquainted with the earl of Gloucester, of whose prudence and -fidelity, greatness of mind and industry, he had long since had proof. -Were he to make a voyage to him he would, as far as he was able, accede -to his wishes: but that all other persons would expend their labour in -passing and repassing to no purpose. - -The hopes of all the assembly being thus excited, they entreated that -the earl would condescend to undertake this task on account of the -inheritance of his sister and of his nephews. At first he excused -himself, alleging the difficulty of the business, the perilous journey, -beset with enemies on either side of the sea; that it would be attended -with danger to his sister, as in his absence those persons would be -hardly able to defend her, who, distrusting even the strength of their -own party, had nearly deserted her during his captivity. Yielding at -length to the general desire, he demanded hostages, especially from -those who were considered as the chief persons, to be taken with -him into Normandy, and to be pledges, as well to the earl of Anjou -as to the empress; and that all, continuing at Oxford, should unite -in defending her from injury to the utmost while he was absent. His -propositions were eagerly approved, and hostages given him to be -conducted into Normandy. - -Robert, therefore, bidding adieu to his sister, and taking with him his -hostages and some light troops, proceeded by safe marches to Wareham, -which town and castle he had long since entrusted to his eldest son -William. There, soon after the festival of St. John, committing -himself, by the grace of God, to the ocean, with such vessels as he -then possessed, he weighed anchor. When they were about mid-sea, a -tempest arising, all except two were dispersed; some were driven back, -and some carried beyond their destination. Two only, in one of which -was the earl with his most faithful adherents, keeping their course, -arrived in the wished-for port. Proceeding thus to Caen, he sent -messengers for the earl of Anjou. The earl came without reluctance, -but stated his difficulties, and those not a few, to the object of the -embassy when proposed to him; among others that he should be detained -from coming into England by the rebellion of many castles in Normandy. -This circumstance delayed the earl of Gloucester’s return longer than -he had intended: for, that he might deprive the earl of Anjou of every -evasion, he assisted him in subduing ten castles in Normandy. The -names of which were Tenerchebrei, Seithilaret, Brichesart, Alani, -Bastenborg, Triveres, Castel de Vira, Placeit, Vilers, Moreton. Yet -even by this activity, he furthered the end of his mission but little. -The earl of Anjou stated fresh causes, as the former were done away, -to excuse his coming into England. Indeed, as a very singular favour, -he permitted his eldest son, by the empress, to accompany his uncle to -England, by whose presence the chiefs might be encouraged to defend -the cause of the lawful heir. The youth is named Henry, after his -grandfather; may he hereafter resemble him in happiness and in power. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1142.] RETURN OF THE EARL OF GLOUCESTER.] - -In England, in the meantime, the king seizing the opportunity of the -earl’s absence came unexpectedly to Wareham, and finding it slightly -garrisoned, he burned and plundered the town, and immediately got -possession of the castle also. Not content with this, as he saw fortune -inclined to favour him, three days before the festival of St. Michael, -by an unexpected chance,[570] he burned the city of Oxford, and laid -siege to the castle, in which was the empress with her domestic guards. -This he did with such determined resolution, that he declared no hope -of advantage or fear of loss should induce him to depart till the -castle was delivered up, and the empress surrendered to his power. -Shortly after, all the nobility of the empress’s party, ashamed of -being absent from their sovereign in violation of their compact, -assembled in large bodies at Wallingford, with the determination of -attacking the king if he would risk a battle in the open plain; but -they had no intention of assailing him within the city, as Robert -earl of Gloucester had so fortified it with ditches that it appeared -impregnable unless by fire. - -These rumours becoming prevalent in Normandy, Robert hastened his -return. He embarked, therefore, somewhat more than three, but less -than four hundred horsemen, on board fifty-two vessels; to these -were added two which he took at sea on his return. God’s grace so -singularly favoured his pious resolution that not one ship, out of -so great a number, was separated, but all nearly close together, or -gently proceeding one before the other, ploughed the calm bosom of the -deep. Nor did the waves violently dash against the fleet, but rather -seemed subserviently to further their passage, like that most beautiful -appearance at sea when the wave gradually approaching gently breaks -upon the shore. Thus making the port of Wareham, these favoured vessels -restored the earl and all his companions to the wishes of their friends. - -He had at first thought of landing at Southampton, at once to wreak -his vengeance both on its inhabitants and on their lord: but this -resolution was changed through the repeated entreaties of the Vituli, -who were fearful that their dearest connexions, who resided at -Southampton, would be involved in the general calamity. These are a -kind of mariners, who are known by the name of Vituli; and as they are -his faithful adherents he thought fit to listen to their petitions, -and desist from his design. Again, it appeared more dignified to -return to the place whence he had departed, and to recover by force -what he had lost by a similar mode. Reducing, therefore, immediately -the port and town, he laid siege to the castle, which by its strength -stimulated the spirit, not to call it obstinacy, of those of the -king’s choicest troops who defended it. Yet, nevertheless, soon after, -the garrison, shaken in their resolution by the engines of the earl, -and greatly alarmed, begged a truce, that, as is the custom of the -military, they might demand assistance from the king, consenting to -deliver up the castle if he refused to come by a certain day. This, -though he was possessed with the utmost impatience to become master of -the fortress, was very agreeable to the earl, as it led him to suppose -it might draw off Stephen from besieging his sister. We may imagine -what firmness of mind this man possessed who, with little more than -three hundred horsemen, and as yet joined by no succours in England, -could undauntedly await the king, who was reported to have more than a -thousand; for many persons had joined the siege, not so much through -dislike to the empress as through the hope of plunder. - -However, when it was certified that the king, from that resolution -which I have before mentioned, refused assistance to the besieged at -Wareham, the earl obtained the castle, and with the same attack subdued -the island of Portland, which they had fortified, as well as a third -castle, called Lullewarden, which belonged to a certain chamberlain, -called William of Glastonbury, who had lately revolted from the -empress. Robert then, at the beginning of Advent, summoned the whole of -Matilda’s partisans to Cirencester: where all resolving to afford their -sovereign every possible assistance, they meditated a march to Oxford; -courageously determining to give the king battle, unless he retreated. -But as they were on their route, the pleasing account reached them, -that the empress had escaped from the blockaded castle at Oxford, and -was now at Wallingford in security. Turning aside thither, then, at the -suggestion of their sovereign, since the soldiers who had remained at -her departure, after delivering up the castle, had gone away without -molestation, and the holidays admonished them to repose awhile, they -resolved to abstain from battle, and retired to their homes. - -[Sidenote: [A.D. 1142.] ESCAPE OF THE EMPRESS.] - -I would very willingly subjoin the manner of the empress’s liberation, -did I know it to a certainty; for it is undoubtedly one of God’s -manifest miracles. This, however, is sufficiently notorious, that, -through fear of the earl’s approach, many of the besiegers at Oxford -stole away wherever they were able, and the rest remitted their -vigilance, and kept not so good a look out as before; more anxious -for their own safety, in case it came to a battle, than bent on the -destruction of others.[571] This circumstance being remarked by the -townsmen, the empress, with only four soldiers, made her escape through -a small postern, and passed the river. Afterwards, as necessity -sometimes, and indeed, almost always, discovers means and ministers -courage, she went to Abingdon on foot, and thence reached Wallingford -on horse-back. But this I purpose describing more fully, if, by God’s -permission, I shall ever learn the truth of it from those who were -present. - - - - -INDEX. - - - Adultery, punished in Old Saxony, 74. - - Ælla founds the kingdom of Sussex, 92. - - Aimar, bishop of Puy, 363, 365. - - Alcuin, 62; - his epistles, 66, 79, 84. - - Aldhelm, abbat of Malmesbury, 29; - made bishop of Sherborne, 35. - - Aldred, abp. of York, crowns William I, 281. - - Aldrey, William de, account of, 340. - - Alexander, bp. of Lincoln, imprisoned, 500. - - Alexius I, emperor of Constantinople, 365. - - Alfwold, king of Northumbria, 68. - - Alfred, king of England, anointed by pope Leo, 99; - ascends the throne, 113; - retires to Athelney, ib.; - assumes the garb of a minstrel, 114; - routs the Danes, 116; - his personal bravery, 117; - his children, ib.; - founds various monasteries, 118; - his love of literature, ib.; - dies, 121. - - Alfred, the son of Ethelred, 207. - - Alfrid, king of Northumbria, 52. - - Alla, king of Northumbria, 41. - - Almodis, countess of Toulouse, 416. - - Ambrosius, monarch of Britain, 11. - - Analaf, 129, 136; - created king by the Northumbrians, 141. - - Angles and Saxons invited from Germany, 7; - arrive in Britain, 8. - - Angle-School at Rome, 99. - - Anjou, earls of, account of, 265. - - Anjou, Geoffrey earl of, account of, 261. - - Anlaf, king of Norway, baptized, 168. - - Anselm, abp. of Canterbury, quits the kingdom, 338; - recalled, 428; - his contest with king Henry, 448. - - Anschetil, a Norman nobleman, 144. - - Antioch, description and siege of, 378-382. - - Aoxianus, governor of Antioch, 379, 381. - - Arbrisil, Robert de, account of, 471. - - Architecture, new style of at Westminster, 55; - at Salisbury and Malmesbury, 442. - - Armorica or Bretagne, British settlement of, 6. - - Arthur assists Ambrosius, 11; - his sepulchre never found, 315. - - Asia Minor, its ancient fruitfulness, 377. - - Ass, a man transformed into one, 180. - - Asser, bishop of Sherborne, account of, 118. - - Assingdon, consecration of church at, 198. - - Athelard, abp. of Canterbury, 82. - - Athelstan, king of Mercia, 128-140. - - Athelwold, the confidant of Edgar, 159. - - Augustine, St., converts the king of Kent to Christianity, 12, 26. - See Joscelyn. - - Azotus, siege of, 405. - - - Babylon in Egypt, formerly Taphnis, 390. - - Badon, Mount, siege of, 11. - - Bayeux, city of, burned, 433. - - Baldred, king of Kent, 17; - expelled, 96. - - Baldwin I, king of Jerusalem, 395-412. - - Baldwin II, king of Jerusalem, 412. - - Baldwin, earl of Flanders, 206. - - Balista, what, 380. - - Ballads, ancient historical, 138, 148, 315. - - Balso the Short, story of, 145. - - Bangor, monastery of, 44. - - Battles at Aylesford, 194; - Antioch, 382; - Ascalon, 391; - Assingdon, 194; - Bensington, 38; - Bruneford or Brumby, 129; - Degstan, 43; - Dol, 291; - Eschendun, 111; - Gerborai, 291; - Hastings, 257, 276, 280; - Hellendun, 96; - Penn, near Gillingham, 193; - Sceorstan, ib.; - Standford-bridge, 256; - Tenersebray, 433; - Walesdun, 260; - Witgeornesbrug, 20; - Wodensdike, 19. - - Battle abbey, founded by William I, 300. - - Bede, Venerable, 3, 54, 56, 59. - - Belesme, Robert de, 430, 433. - - Benedict Biscop, founder of Wearmouth, 54. - - Benignus, St. 25; - his epitaph, ib. - - Berefreid, what, 388. - - Berengar of Tours, account of, 311. - - Bernard, abbat of Tyron, account of, 471. - - Bernard, the monk, 385. - - Bernicia, kingdom of, 46. - - Bernulph, king of Mercia, 87, 96. - - Berthwulf, king of Mercia, expelled, 88. - - Bertric, king of Wessex, 40; - expels Egbert, 95; - poisoned, 106. - - Bethlehem, church of St. Mary, at, 383. - - Bezants, money so called, 372, 406. - - Bishoprics, extinct or consolidated, 78. - Extent of, 92; - removal of, 78, 352; - precedence of, 22. - - Bishops, seven, story of, 127, 128. - - Blois, Theobald earl of, 438. - - Blois, Henry de, bishop of Winton, and legate, 501; - his treaty with the empress Maud, 517; - holds a council at Winton, 518; - his quarrel with the empress, 523. - - Blois, Stephen earl of, joins the crusade, 366, 408; - killed at Ramula, 410. - - Blood, its physical effects, 361; - shower of, 67. - - Boamund, his design in urging the crusade, 356, 365; - account of, 413. - - Boniface, archbishop of Mentz, 73. - - Boy, Jewish, legendary story of, 314. - - Bracelets exposed by Alfred on highways, 118. - - Briget, St. 25. - - Britons, avarice and rapine of, 67. - - Britons, western, or Cornwallish, 134. - - Brithwin, bishop of Wilton, 247. - - Burgundy, Stephen earl of, 408. - Killed at Ramula, 410. - - Burhred, king of Mercia, 88. - - - Cadwalla, king of the Britons, 46. - - Cædwalla, king of Wessex, 16. - Baptized, and called Peter, 31. - - Caerleon, or Chester, 43. - - Cæsarea, siege of, 405. - - Cæsar, Julius, subdues Britain, 5. - - Calixtus II, pope, his letter on reducing Sutri, 466; - accommodation with the emperor Henry V, 467. - - Calne, remarkable accident at, 163. - - Canons, secular, expelled Winchester, 149; - Attempt to recover their monasteries, 162. - - Canterbury, see of, attempt to remove it to Lichfield, 78; - controversy with see of York, 319. - - Canterbury, city of, burnt, 16. - Dreadful outrage at, 218. - - Canute, elected king by the Danes, 190; - lands at Sandwich, 192; - divides the kingdom with Edmund Ironside, 195; - assumes the sovereignty of England, 196; - conquers the Swedes and Norwegians, 198; - his epistle from Rome, 199; - his death, 205. - - Caradoc of Lancarvon, his Life of Gildas, 22, _note_. - - Ceawlin, king of Wessex, his character, 18. - - Ceolwulf, king of Northumbria, 53; - becomes a monk, 61. - - Centuries, or hundreds, instituted, 117. - - Cenric, king of Wessex, his character, 18. - - Ceolfrid, abbat of Wearmouth, 51, 55. - - Ceols, vessels so called, described, 8, 18. - - Cerdic, founds the kingdom of Wessex, 17. - - Charles the Great (Charlemagne), 65, 85. - - Charles the Bald, king of France, 125. - - Charles the Simple, king of France, 124. - - Charles the Fat, king of France, 102. - - Charters, Ethelbald’s, 76. - Ethelwulf’s, 107. - Edmund’s, to Glastonbury, 141. - Edgar’s, to Glastonbury, 151. - To Malmesbury, 155; - Canute’s, to Glastonbury, 203. - Stephen’s, 493. - - Chartres, siege of, 125. - Church of, 204. - - Chasuble, meaning of, 473, _note_. - - Chester, reduced by Edward the elder, 131. - - Chorges, bishop of, account of, 414, 417. - - Christianity, introduced into Mercia, 71. - - Chronicle, Saxon, 3, 30, 39, 98. - - Churchyards, privileges of, 492, _note_. - - Circscet, what, 202. - - Cissa, king of Sussex, 92, _note_. - - Cistertian order, origin of, 347; - observances of, 349. - - Clergy, vanity of their dress condemned, 76. - - Clerks, two, at Nantes, story of, 268. - - Clermont, council of, its enactments, 356. - - Clock, mechanical, 175. - - Cologne, abp. of, his exemplary conduct, 183. - - Comet, appearance of, 251, 343. - - Complines, what, 350, _note_. - - Constantine the Great, exhausts Britain, 6. - - Constantine, elected emperor, and slain, 6. - - Constantine, king of Scots, expelled his kingdom, 129; - killed, 130. - - Constantinople, described, 372. - Its emperors, 374. - - Corbaguath, or Corbanach, commander of the Persian forces, 381. - His death, 421. - - Councils, ecclesiastical, civil, &c., 76, 127, 163, 191, 311, 356, - 462, 499, 501, 517, 525. - - Court, licentiousness of Rufus’s, 337. - - Courtiers, their insolence to the clergy, 339. - - Crida, king of Mercia, 70, _note_. - - Cross, part of our Saviour’s, 118, 136, 390, 411. - - Crucifix, said to have spoken, 163. - Celebrated one at Lucca, 332. - At Winchester, 523. - - Crusaders, march of, 364. - Their extreme distress, 377. - Their admirable conduct, 387-391. - - Cuichelm, king of Wessex, 19, 20. - - Cumberland, assigned to Malcolm, 141. - - Curfew, supposed abolition of, 428, _note_. - - Cuthbert, St. 52. - Appears to Alfred, 113. - His incorruption, 236. - - Cuthburga, abbess of Wimborne, 35. - - Cuthred, king of West Saxons, 37. - - Cynegils, king of Wessex, account of, 20. - - Cynewolf, king of West Saxons, 38. - - - Dancers and profane singers punished, 182. - - Danes, invade England, 40, 96. - Ravages of, 69, 112, 167. - Butchered by Ethelred, 169. - Exact tribute, 185. - - Danube, the river, described, 374. - - Daibert, abp. of Pisa, joins the Crusade, 397. - Made patriarch of Jerusalem, 398. - - Dalmatic, garment so called, what, 85. - - Danfrunt, siege of, 263. - Castle of, 436. - - David, St. 26. - - David, tower of, at Jerusalem described, 387. - - David, king of Scotland, his character, 434. - - Decennaries, or tithings instituted, 117. - - Deira, province of, 42. - - Den, a monastery so called, 466. - - Denmark, succession of its kings, 292. - - Devices, on armour or shields, 262, 469. - - Devil, visible appearance of, 343. - - Dionysius the Areopagite, 119. - - Domesday-book, account of, 291. - - Drinking by pegs, account of, 148. - - Dunstan, abp. of Canterbury, 141, 167, 245. - - Durham, privileges of the see of, 303. - - - Eadbert, king of Northumbria, 61-67. - - Eadburga, daughter of Edward the Elder, 125, 244. - - Eadburga, queen of Wessex, 106. - - Eadbald, king of Kent, 13. - - Eadbert Pren, king of Kent, 17, 87. - - Eadgaring, meaning of, 64. - - Eadmer, the historian, 3, _note_. - - Ealstan, bishop of Sherborne, 106, 108. - - Earls, their official honours, 496, _note_. - - Earthquake, terrible, 342. - - East Anglia, kingdom of, 88. - Extent of, 92. - Plundered by the Danes, 112. - Account of, 240. - - Ecclesiastics, their property seized at death, 494. - - Eclipse, terrific, 488, 511. - - Edan, king of Scots, 43. - - Edessa, in Mesopotamia, described, 396. - - Edgar, king of England, 147-162. - - Edgar Etheling, son of Edward the Exile, 253. - His character, 284. - - Edgitha, wife of the Confessor, 216. - - Edifices, stone, first builders of in England, 54. - - Editha, daughter of Edgar, 161, 245. - - Edmund, St. king of East Anglia, 89. - Slain, 112. - His incorruption, 236. - His boundary, 242. - Church built in honour of him, 198. - - Edmund, king, 141. - His death, 143. - - Edmund Ironside, 191-195. - - Edred, king of England, 145. - - Edric, duke of Mercia, 169, 191, 197. - - Edward the Elder, 122. - His issue, 124. - Education of his children, 125. - - Edward the Martyr, 162-165. - - Edward the Confessor, 213. - Crowned at Winchester, 216. - His character, 247. - His predictions, 251. - Dies, 253. - - Edward the Exile comes to England, 253. - - Edwin, king of Northumbria, 45. - - Edwin, brother of Athelstan, 139. - - Edwin, brother of Edmund Ironside, 196. - - Edwin and Morcar, earls of Northumbria, 285. - - Edwy, king of England, 145-147. - - Egbert, king of Kent, 15. - - Egbert, archbishop of York, 61. - - Egbert, king of Wessex, 94-97. - - Egfert, king of Mercia, 86. - - Egfrid, king of Northumbria, 51. - - Eginhard, his life of Charlemagne, 64, _note_. - - Eisc, son of Hengist, king of Kent, 12. - - Elbert, and Egelbright, 15, 237, 243. - - Eleutherius, bishop of Rome, 21. - - Elfred, the rival of king Athelstan, 128; - His singular death, 137. - - Elferius, destroys monasteries, 164, 165. - - Elfgiva, concubine of king Edwy, 146. - - Elfthrida, wife of king Edgar, 159, 161; - Causes the murder of king Edward, 164. - - Elmer, a monk, flies like Dædalus, 252. - - Elphege, archbishop of Canterbury, 168; - his body translated to Canterbury, 202; - its incorruption, 236. - - Elward, or Ethelwerd, abridger of the Saxon Chronicle, 3, _note_. - - Ely, church of, made a cathedral, 476. - - Emma queen of Ethelred, 187; - her liberality to Winchester, 215; - story of the ploughshares, ib. _note_. - - England, divisions of, geographical and ecclesiastical, 91-93; - oppressed state of after the conquest, 235, 253; - its lamentable condition in the time of Stephen, 496, 509. - - Erconbert, king of Kent, 14. - - Ercongotha, St. 15, 242. - - Erie, expelled the kingdom by Canute, 197. - - Ermenhilda, St. 242. - - Ethelbald, king of Mercia, 73-77. - - Ethelbald, king of Wessex, 110. - - Ethelbert, king of Kent, 12; - his answer to Augustine, 14; - converted to Christianity, ib. - - Ethelbert, St. king of East Anglia, killed, 78. - - Ethelbert, king of Kent, Essex, &c., 110. - - Ethelbert, son of Ermenred, murdered, 15, 237, 243. - - Ethelburga, queen of Ina, her art, 36. - - Etheldrida, St. her incorruption, 242. - - Ethelfrid, king of Northumbria, 43. - - Ethelnoth, archbishop of Canterbury, 203. - - Ethelred, king of Mercia, 72. - - Ethelred, son of Ermenred, murdered, 15, 237, 243. - - Ethelred, or Ethelbert, king of Northumbria, 68. - - Ethelred, king of Wessex, 111. - - Ethelred II, king of England, 165, 186-193. - - Ethelfleda, lady of the Mercians, 123. - - Ethered, earl, governor of Mercia, 116. - - Ethelric, king of Northumbria, 42. - - Ethelwald opposes Edward the Elder, 123. - - Ethelwalch, king of Sussex, 30. - - Ethelwold, bishop of Winchester, 149. - - Ethelwulf, king, 97; - his grant of tithes, 98; - marries Judith, 99; - returns from Rome, 106; - his charter, 107; - his descent, 109. - - Euripus, or sea-flood, destroys villages, 191. - - Eustace, earl of Boulogne, his affray, 218. - - Exeter, fortified and walled by Athelstan, 134; - burnt, 168; - reduced by Wm. I, 281. - - - Famine, ravages England, 170. - - Feudal law, practices connected with, 447, _note_. - - Fire, sacred, miracle of, at Jerusalem, 384, 404. - - Fitz-Hubert, Robert, 506, 511. - - Fitz-Osberne, William, 288. - - Flanders, Robert earl of, 366, 436. - - Formosus, pope, his pretended epistle, 127. - - Forest, New, account of, 306. - - Franks, origin of, 63; - their character, 95. - - France, recapitulation of kings of, 64, 99. - - Frea, wife of Woden, 8. - - Frideswide, St. church at Oxford burnt, 191. - - Fulcher of Chartres, on Syrian transactions, 395. - - Fulbert of Chartres, his character, 204, 314. - - Fulda, monastery of, 210; - disease at, 318. - - Fulk, earl of Anjou, account of, 265. - - - Gelasius II, pope, expelled Rome, 464. - - Geoffrey, Martel, account of, 267. - - Gerbert, pope Sylvester II, 172-181. - - German, St. 24; - his miracles, 116. - - Gildas, the historian, 22, 67. - - Girth, or Gurth, son of Godwin, 222, 275. - - Glastonbury, antiquities of, by William of Malmesbury, 51; - account of, 21; - its privileges, 142, 150; - Canute’s presents to, 203; - contention at, 303. - - Gosfrith, bishop of Coutances, 328, 329. - - Gloucester, Robert earl of, prefatory epistle to, 1. - Conclusion of Regal History addressed to, 477; - his character, 478; - Modern History addressed to, 480; - conduct with respect to Stephen, 492; - with respect to his sister, 497; - arrives in England, 505-531; - his death, 1, _note_. - - Godfrey, duke of Lorraine, account of, 365. - - Godfrey of Boulogne, account of, 392; - joins the crusade, 394; - chosen king of Jerusalem, 390, 394; - dies, 395. - - Godfrey, prior of Winton, account of, 475. - - Godwin, earl, defeats the Swedes, 198; - supports Emma, 206; - murders Alfred the son of Ethelred, 207; - his character and death, 221; - his family, 223. - - Golgotha, church of, 395, _note_. - - Gothrun, a Danish king, baptized, 115. - - Gregory I, pope, 42; - dialogues of, 119, 232; - his pastoral translated by Alfred, 120. - - Gregory VI, pope, otherwise Gratian, 223-230. - - Gregory VII, pope, otherwise Hildebrand, 298. - - Gregory VIII, pope, otherwise Maurice Bourdin, 464. - - Griffin, king of the Welsh, 214, 256. - - Grimbald, abbat of Winton, 118, 120. - - Guimund, bp. of Avers, his eloquence, 312. - - Guiscard, or Wiscard, Robert, 294, 413. - - Gunhilda, married to Hen. III, 207; - accused of adultery, 238. - - Gunhildis, sister of Swayne, murdered, 185. - - - Handboc, Alfred’s, 120, and _note_. - - Hardecanute, 205; - dies at Lambeth, 206. - - Harold, sends presents to Athelstan, 134. - - Harold, son of Canute, 205; - dies, 206. - - Harold, son of Godwin, 214; - banished, 220, 254; - seizes the crown of England, 55, 275; - his death, 277-280. - - Harold Harfager, king of Norway, 256, 257. - - Harding, founder of Cistertians, 347. - - Hastings the Dane, his ravages, 115. - - Hastings, battle of, 276-280. - - Head, magical, formed by Gerbert, 181. - - Hegesippus, a Greek author, 378. - - Helena, mother of Constantine the Great, 5. - - Helias de la Fleche, 341. - - Hengist, king of Kent, his origin, 8; - arrives in Britain, 9; - his son and brother arrive at Orkney, 10; - settle in Northumbria, ib.; - his massacre of the British nobles, 11; - death, ib. - - Henry I, king of England, 425; - elected king, 427; - marries Matilda of Scotland, 428; - gets possession of Normandy, 431; - his wholesome laws, 434; - his transactions with the Scots, ib.; - subdues the Welsh, 435; - quarrel with earl of Flanders, 436; - interview with pope Calixtus, 440; - passion for exotic animals, 443; - recapitulation of his character, 445; - his person and habits, 446; - espouses Adala of Louvain, 454; - transactions till his death, 483-490. - - Henry III, emperor of Germany, 208-212. - - Henry IV, emperor, excommunicated, 358. - - Henry V, his contest with the pope, 457. - - Hereford, Roger earl of, rebels, 288. - - Herbert, bishop of Norwich, account of, 353. - - Hildebrand, pope Gregory VII, 295; - his conduct to the emperor Henry V, 298. - - Hildebert of Mans, verses on Berengar, 312, 367. - - Hingwar, the Dane, ravages Northumbria, 240. - - Horsa, brother of Hengist, his death, 10. - - Horæ, what, 350, _note_. - - Hospital, erected at Jerusalem, 385. - - Hubba the Dane, brother of Hingwar, 240. - - Hugh the Great, brother of Philip, joins the Crusade, 365. - His death, 408. - - Hugo, abbat of Clugny, his account of Hildebrand, 296. - Announces the death of Rufus, 344. - - Hugo, abp. of Rouen, his letter, 489. - - Hunting, right of, restricted by Will. II, 339. - - Hyde monastery, Winton, 122; - burnt, 523. - - Hyrcanus, digs gold from David’s sepulchre, 177. - - - Ida, king of Northumbria, 41. - - Ina, king of Wessex, 31. - Abdicates and dies at Rome, 37. - His grant to Glastonbury, 32. - - Indract, St. account of, 26. - - Investiture of churches, 298, 447. - Pope Paschal’s epistle on, 448. - Contests about, 458. - - Ipres, William de, his perfidy, 495. - Burns the abbey of Warewell, 523. - - Ireland, converted, 24. - Its dependence on England, 443. - - - Jerusalem, expedition to, or Crusade, 355. - Approach to by Crusaders, 383. - Description of, 384. - Patriarchs of, 385. - Siege of, 387. - Capture of, 389. - - Jews, their insolence, 338. - - Jewish youth, anecdote of, 338, _note_. - - John XIII, pope, his epistle to Alfric, 151. - Confirms the grants to Glastonbury, 153. - - John XV, pope, makes peace between Ethelred and Richard duke of - Normandy, 171. - - John Fitz-Gilbert, 512. - - Joscelyn of St. Bertins, account of, 355. - His translation of St. Augustine, ib. - - Jothwel, king of the Welsh, 129. - - Joust, meaning of that term, 515, _note_. - - Jutes, a German tribe, settled in Britain, 9. - - - Katigis, son of Vortigern, death of, 10. - - Kenelm, St. 87. - Murdered by his sister, 238. - - Kenred, king of Northumbria, 53. - - Kenred, or Kinred, king of Mercia, 72. - - Kent. Its conversion to Christianity, 13. - Annexed to West Saxons, 17. - Ravaged by Ina, 31. - Its extent, 91. - - Kentwin, king of Wessex, 30. - - Kenwalk, king of Wessex, 20; - his death, 30. - - Kenulph, king of Mercia, 79-86. - - Kinad, king of Scots, 147, 158. - - Knights, order of, among the Anglo-Saxons, 131. - - - Lambert, abp. of Canterbury, deprived, 78. - - Lamp, perpetual, 234. - - Lanfranc, abp. of Canterbury, 300, 323. - - Lanzo, prior of Lewes, account of, 472. - - Laurentius, abp. of Canterbury, chastized by St. Peter, 13. - - Legion, Theban, account of, 136, _note_. - - Leo III, pope, 79. - His epistle, 82. - - Leofa, murders king Edmund, 143. - - Leofric, earl of Hereford, 214. - - Leonard, St. his peculiar power, 415, _note_. - - Leutherius, bishop, founds Malmesbury, 28. - - Lewis VI, king of France, account of, 438. - - Library, noble one at York, 62; - at Jerusalem, 385. - - Libraries formerly attached to churches, 120. - - London, ravaged, 97; - granted by Alfred to earl Ethered, 116; - besieged by Danes, 167; - by Canute, 194; - dreadful tempest at, 342. - - Longinus, St. legend of, 136, _note_. - - Lothere, king of Kent, 15. - - Lucius, king of the Britons, baptized, 21. - - Luidhard, bishop, exemplary life of, 12. - - - Mabil, wife of Robert earl of Gloucester, 1, _note_; 433, _note_, - 483, 528. - - Malcolm, king of the Cumbrians, 147. - - Malcolm II, king of Scotland, 199. - - Malcolm III, placed on the throne of Scotland, by Edward the - Confessor, 214; - receives the English fugitives, 282; - slain, 283, 333. - - Malger, archbp. of Rouen, account of, 300. - - Malmesbury, monastery of, founded, 28; - seized by Offa, 78; - by Alstan, 98; - its possessions restored, 86; - monks expelled by Edwy, 146; - seized by Roger bishop of Salisbury, 508; - singular account of one of its monks, 177. - - Malmesbury, John abbat of, his character, 509. - - Malmesbury, William monk of, his motives for writing history, 1; - his history of Glastonbury, 21; - his love of learning and fondness for books, 93; - of Norman and English parentage, 258; - his diffidence, 414; - first regular historian of the English after Bede, 477; - three small volumes of his works supposed to be lost, 480, _note_; - residence at Malmesbury, 28; - indignation at oppression of his monastery, 78, 98, 146, 508; - his design of writing the lives of the prelates, 148. - - Magus, Simon, legend of, 180, _note_. - - Mancus, value of, 82, _note_. - - Manse, signification of, 108, _note_. - - Marchio, its signification, 517, _note_. - - Margaret, wife of Malcolm king of Scots, her issue, 253; - her piety and death, 333. - - Martin, St. his relics cure a leprous person, 116. - - Matilda, wife of William I, 265, 305. - - Matilda, wife of Henry I, account of, 253, 428; - her piety, learning, and death, 452. - - Matilda, or Maud, married to Henry V, 457; - returns to England, 481; - succession of England settled on her, 482; - married to Fulco earl of Anjou, 483; - succession again confirmed to her, 487; - elected queen, 519; - designs of, 531; - escape from Oxford, 535. - - Maurilius of Feschamp, account of, 301. - - Mayors of the palace, 64, _note_. - - Maximus, assumes the empire, 6; - his expedition to Gaul, and death, ib. - - Mellent, Robert earl of, account of, 441. - - Mercia, kings of, 70; - extent of, 92; - Mercians unite with the Danes, 112; - their noble stand in favour of Ethelred, 192. - - Mice, singular tales concerning, 316, 317. - - Milburga, abbess of Wenlock, 243. - - Miles, ambiguity of that term, 289, _note_; 499. - - Miracles, Oswald’s, 49; - of pope Leo III, 65; - of St. Martin, 116; - St. Edward’s, 164; - of St. Magnus, 182; - of Ethelred and Ethelbert, 238; - of St. Kenelm, ib.; - St. Wistan, 239; - St. Edmund, 240; - St. Milburga, 243; - Eadburga, 244; - Editha, 245; - of Edward the Confessor, 248. - - Money, debased state of in time of king Stephen, 511. - - Montgomerie, Roger, conspires against William II, 329. - - Morcar, son of Elgar, made earl of Northumbria, 223; - defeated by Danes, 256; - his death, 285. - - Moreton, William earl of, rebels against Henry I, 431. - - Mountain, perforated, tale of, 178. - - Murrain, dreadful, 417. - - - Necromancy, 180, 232. - - Nice, in Bithynia, siege of, 366, 377. - - Nidering, or Nithing, signification of, 330. - - Normandy, granted to Rollo, 125; - distracted state of, 260, 331, 422, 431. - - Normandy, William I, duke of, account of, 143. - - Normandy, Richard I, duke of, his pacification with Ethelred, 171. - - Normandy, Richard II, duke of, account of, 188. - - Normandy, Robert I, duke of, account of, 259; - his expedition to Jerusalem, 189. - - Normandy, Robert II, Curthose, duke of, pawns his duchy, 339; - joins the crusade, 366, 410; - account of, 420; - arrangement with Henry I, 422; - imprisoned till death, 423. - - Normans, subdue part of Gaul, 8; - unjust preference of after the conquest, 253; - dislike to William II, 329; - feuds of with the English, 217; - manners and customs of, 280. - - Northumberland, Robert, earl of, 323, 339. - - Northumbria, kingdom of, 41; - divided into two provinces, 46; - its extent, 93; - yields to Egbert, 96; - unites with Danes, 112; - subdued by Athelstan, 129. - - Norwegian, singular courage of one, 256. - - Norway, succession of its kings, 292. - - - Odo, archbishop of Canterbury, separates Edwy from Elfgiva, 146. - - Odo, bishop of Bayeux and earl of Kent, 307; - rebels against Rufus and is banished, 328. - - Offa, king of Mercia, his character, 77; - rapacity, 78; - treaty with Charlemagne, 84. - - Offa, king of Essex, becomes a monk, 91. - - Ordeal, account of, 22, _note_. - - Order, monastic, afflicted by Edwy, 146; - revives under Edgar, 155. - - Organ, hydraulic, account of, 175. - - Orkney, isles of, subdued by Magnus, 343; - Paul earl of, 443. - - Osberne, precentor of Canterbury, his life of Dunstan, 146; - his skill in music, 148. - - Osbert, king of Northumbria, 112. - - Osred, king of Northumbria, 68. - - Oswald, king of Northumbria, 46; - his death, 48; - miracles, 49, 237. - - Oswin, king of Northumbria, 50. - - Oswy, king of Northumbria, 50, 51. - - Otha, brother of Hengist, settles in Northumbria, 40. - - Otho, the Great, 66. - - - Pallas, his body found at Rome, 234. - - Palling, a Danish noble murdered, 185. - - Palms, assumed by pilgrims, and why, 398. - - Palumbus, a priest, 233; - his death, 234. - - Paschal II, pope, his letter to Henry I, on investitures, 448; - to Anselm, 450; - contest with the emperor Henry V, 457. - - Paschasius, his story of the Host, 314. - - Patrick, St. 24. - - Patrician of Rome, its office, 462. - - Paul, of Samosata, 396. - - Paulinus, 26; - converts the Northumbrians, 45. - - Penda, king of Mercia, his character, 70; - his death, 71. - - Peter the Hermit, account of, 366, 381. - - Peter-pence, origin of, 98, 202. - - Petrary, meaning of that term, 380, 405. - - Philip I, king of France, 206. - His infatuated conduct, 437. - - Philip the clerk, account of, 420. - - Places, holy, Bede’s account of, 57. - - Plegmund, abp. of Canterbury, 120. - - Plough-alms, what, 201. - - Poison, antidote against, 415. - - Poitou, Peter, bishop of, account of, 469. - - Poitou, William, earl of, defeated by the Turks, 408. - His licentious conduct, 469. - - Prodigy, of the double woman, 235. - - Pythagoras, his double path, 172. - - - Quendrida, murders her brother Kenelm, 87, 238. - - - Ramula, description of, 383. - Siege of, 409. - - Ranulf, or Ralph, bishop of Durham, his character, 336, 476. - Imprisoned, 428. - His escape, 429. - - Raymond, earl of St. Giles, joins the crusade, 365. - Account of, 416. - - Reading monastery, 447. - - Redwald, king of the East Angles, 41, 88. - - Repasts, custom concerning in England, changed, 441, _note_. - - Richard, son of Will. I, his untimely death, 306. - - Ring, with Solomon’s impression, 177. - - Ritual, Ambrosian, 350, _note_. - Gregorian, ib. - - Robert, archbishop of Canterbury, 217. - He flies, proceeds to Rome, and dies, 221. - - Robert, bishop of Chester, account of, 354. - - Robert Curthose. See Normandy. - - Robert, earl of Moreton, brother of Will. I, 307. - - Robert Fitz-Hubert, 511. - - Robert Friso, earl of Flanders, account of, 289. - - Robert Guiscard, account of, 295. - - Robert, king of France, his character, 204. - - Robert, son of Godwin, account of, 284. - - Roger, bishop of Salisbury, account of, 441. - Imprisoned, 500. - Death and character, 507. - - Rollo the Dane, obtains Rouen, 125. - His insolence, 126. - - Romans finally quit Britain, 6. - - Rome, dreadful state of, 224. - Citizen of, singular story of, 232. - Poetical description of, 367. - Account of its gates, churches, &c., 368. - Schism in church of, 484. - - Rome-scot, 98, 202. - - Ross, in Wales, Flemings settled at, 435. - - Rouen, William, archbishop of, account of, 438. - - - Sabert, king of East Saxons, baptized, 90. - - Saints, incorruption of several, after death, 48, 236. - - Salisbury, tempest at, 343; - cathedral, 442. - - Saracens, their learning and divination, 173. - Defeat of at Ascalon, 407. - - Saxons, invited over from Germany, 7. - - Saxons, East, kingdom of, 90. - Its extent, 92. - - Saxons, West kingdom of, 17. - Its extent, 92. - - Schools instituted in East Anglia, 88. - - Scotland, subdued by Canute, 199. - - Scots, defeated by the Angles, 9. - Characterized, 364. - Civilized by king David, 434. - - Scotus, Johannes, account of, 119. - - Scotus, Marianus, account of, 317. - - Selsey, monastery of, 92. - Singular circumstance at, 236. - - Sepulchre, holy, church of, 384, 389. - - Serlo, bishop of Sees, trims the beard of Henry I, 445, _note_. - - Serlo, abbat of Gloucester, account of, 471. - - Severus, dies in Britain, 5. - - Shift of the Virgin, confounds the Danes, 125. - - Ship, a magnificent, presented to Athelstan, 134. - - Shoes with curved points, 337, _note_. - - Sibilla, duchess of Normandy, 421, _note_. - - Sigebert, king of Wessex, 38. - His death, ib. - - Sigebert, king of East Anglia, 89. - - Sighelm, bishop of Sherborne, sent to India by Alfred, 118. - - Simony, its extensive spread, 357. - - Siric, abp. of Canterbury, 167. - - Sithtric, king of Northumbria, 129, 132. - - Siward, earl of Northumbria, kills Macbeth, 214. - Supports Edward the Confessor, 219. - - Siward, king of Norway, winters in England, 444. - His voyage to Jerusalem, ib. - - Slaves, female, prostituted and sent to Denmark, 222. - Custom of selling, 279. - - Sleepers, seven, story of, 250, _note_. - - Solyman, sovereign of Romania, his army defeated, 376. - Defeats the Franks, 408. - - Sow, a warlike engine so called, 388. - - Spear of Charlemagne, which pierced our Saviour, 135. - - Spike, used at the Crucifixion, 135. - - Statue, in the Campus Martius, 176. - - Statue, brazen, at Rome, story of, 232. - - Stephen, earl of Moreton, account of, 482. - Comes to England and is chosen king, 490. - Crowned, and goes into Scotland, 491. - His character, 495. - His perfidy to Robert, earl of Gloucester, 496. - His violent conduct, 500. - Contest with his brother the legate, 504. - Conflicts with the Empress’s party, 506, 507. - Besieges Lincoln, 514. - Defeated and made captive, 515. - Liberated, 524. - Plunders Wareham, 533. - Burns Oxford, ib. - - Stigand, bishop of Winton, 221, 253, 281, 302. - - Sugar-cane, account of, 397, _note_. - - Suger, abbat of St. Denis, his account of Henry I, 446, _note_. - - Sultan, meaning of that term, 379. - - Superstition, singular, 122, and _note_. - - Sussex, kingdom of, 92, _note_. - - Sweyn, king of Denmark, invades England, 185. - His conduct, 189, and death, 190. - - Sweyn, son of Godwin, 219, 222. - Goes to Jerusalem and is killed by the Saracens, ib. - - Swithun, St., bishop of Winchester, 98. - - Sword, miraculous, Athelstan’s, 130; - Constantine’s, 135. - - - Tancred, prince of Antioch, enters Bethlehem, 383; - his covetousness, 390; - his conduct and death, 419. - - Tewkesbury, monastery of, 433. - - Thanet, isle of, appropriated to the Angles on their arrival, 9. - - Thanet, monastery of, minster, 15. - - Theodore, archbishop of Canterbury, 15, _note_, 51. - - Thorns, crown of, 136. - - Thurkill, the Dane, invites Sweyn, to England, 185; - his expulsion and death, 197. - - Time, division of by candle, 121. - - Tirel, Walter, kills W. Rufus, 345. - - Tosty, son of Godwin, expelled by the Northumbrians, 222; - retires to Flanders, 223; - his attempts against Harold, 256; - defeated and slain, 257, 285. - - Tower of London, its origin, 341. - - Truce of God, why so called, 358, _note_. - - Tudites, or Martel, Carolus, 64; - his body carried off by evil spirits, 232. - - Turks, their extensive dominion, 360; - crafty mode of fight, 361; - cruelty at the siege of Nice, 376; - at Antioch, 379; - defeated near Berith, 401; - bodies burnt to obtain money they had swallowed, 406, _note_; - besiege Baldwin at Rama, 284. - - - Ulfkytel, earl of Essex, attacks the Danes at Thetford, 69; - killed at Assingdon, 170, 194. - - Urban II, pope, 299; - instigates the first crusade, 357; - his speech at the council of Clermont, 359; - contests with Guibert, 414. - - Utred, earl of Northumbria, 192; - defeated and put to death by Canute, 193. - - - Vavassour, meaning of, 510, _note_. - - Vallery, St., his body brought forth to implore a wind, 273. - - Ver, Albric de, his harangue in favour of king Stephen, 502. - - Vindelici, account of, 208. - - Virginity, Aldhelm’s commendation of, 29, 36. - - Visions, of Charles king of France, 102; - of Athelstan’s mother, 139; - of Edgar, 156; - of Edward Confessor, 249; - of Constantine the Great, 372. - - Vortigern, his character, 7, 11. - - Vortimer, the son of Vortigern, 10. - - - Waher, Ralph de, rebels against William I, 287. - - Wales, reduced to a province, 214; - pays tribute to Athelstan, 134. - - Walkelin, bishop of Winchester, 302. - - Walker, bishop of Durham, murdered, 303. - - Walwin, nephew of Arthur, his sepulchre, 315. - - Waltheof, earl, account of, 386; - his death, ibid. - - Warewell, or Whorwell, 160; - monastery of, ib. - - Warwick, Henry earl of, 441. - - Welsh, subdued by Edward the Elder, 123; - by Harold, 256; - by Henry I, 435. - - Werburga, patroness of Chester, 72, 236, 243. - - Werefrith, bishop of Worcester, 118. - - Westminster Abbey consecrated, 255. - - West-Saxon kings, geneology of, 109. - - Wight, Isle of, given to Withgar, 218; - converted to Christianity, 71. - - Wilfrid, bishop of Hexham, expelled his see, 51. - - William I, king of England, 253; - his early history, 259; - his conquests, 268; - is crowned, 281; - summary of his wars, 282; - his issue, 305; - munificence to monasteries, 308; - death, 310. - - William II, king of England, his birth and education, 327: - contentions with his nobles, 328; - seizes castles of Tunbridge and Pevensey, 319; - contests and treaty with his brother Robert, 330; - his expedition against Wales and Scotland, 333; - character, 334, 346; - calamitous events of his reign, 342; - singular tokens and manner of his death, 344. - - William of Carilef, bishop of Durham, 304. - - William, earl of Arches, 263. - - William Fitz-Osberne, account of, 289. - - William, son of Henry I, 454. - - Winchelcumb, dreadful tempest at, 342. - - Winchester, church at, 21, 39; - Canute’s liberality to, 198. - - Windows, glass, first makers of in England, 54. - - Wistan, St. account of, 239. - - Witch, Berkeley, account of, 230. - - Witches, two at Rome, account of, 180. - - Withlaf, king of Mercia, 88, 96. - - Withred, king of Kent, 16. - - Woden, account of, 8. - - Wolves, tribute of, paid to Edgar, 158. - - Woodstock Park, menagerie at, 443. - - Worcester, insurrection at, 207. - - Wulnod, destroys Ethelred’s fleet, 169. - - Wulnod, son of Godwin, 222. - - Wulstan, precentor of Winchester, 149; - his book on the harmony of sounds, ib. - - Wulstan, archbishop of York, confined by Edred, 145. - - Wulstan, bishop of Worcester, account of, 303. - - Wulfhere, king of Mercia, 71, 72. - - - York, city of, burnt, 112; - besieged, 133; - destroyed, 282. - - York, see of, controversy with Canterbury, 319; - with Worcester and Dorchester, 323. - - Youths, from England, exposed to sale at Rome, 42. - - -J. HADDON, PRINTER, CASTLE STREET, FINSBURY. - - - - -FOOTNOTES - - -[1] “_Olim_ enim _cum historias lusi_, viridioribus annis rerumque -lætitiæ congruebat rerum jocunditas. Nunc ætas progressior, et fortuna -deterior, aliud dicendi genus expostulant. _Quadragenarius sum hodie_,” -&c. Prol. in expos. Thren. Hierem. MS. Bodl. 868. - -[2] “Ista autem avis (struthio) membrorum grandium, pennas quidem -habens, sed volatu carens. Qualem in Angliâ vidimus, _tempore regis -Henrici_ externorum monstrorum appetentissimi.” Ch. iv. v. 31. - -[3] He has afforded another notice of time, but not equally precise. -Godfrey is said to have been abbat of Malmesbury from the year 1084 -till 1105; and Malmesbury mentions certain transactions which took -place in Godfrey’s time as beyond his memory; and others which happened -when he was a boy. Anglia Sacra, II. 45-7. If Malmesbury wrote the -miracles of St. Andrew, a work which is attributed to him, he was born -the 30th of November. - -[4] He says he also collected many books for the monastic library: and -mentions others which he had seen at Canterbury, Bury St. Edmunds, &c. -Gale, tom. iii. pp. 376, 298. - -[5] Some notion of his diligence may perhaps be afforded by the -following list of his writings. - -1. _De Gestis Regum._ The History of the Kings of England. The first -three books were probably written soon after the year 1120. Malmesbury -intimates that he then hesitated for a time on the expediency of -continuing his history; but at length having determined on prosecuting -his design, he dedicated the fourth and fifth books to Robert earl of -Gloucester; at whose request he afterwards composed - -2. _Historiæ Novellæ._ The Modern History. This appears to have been -begun after the death of Henry I; probably not long before 1140. - -3. _De Gestis Pontificum._ The History of the Prelates of England -containing, in four books, an account of the bishops, and of the -principal monasteries, from the conversion of the English, by St. -Augustine, to 1123; to which he added a fifth - -4. _De Vita Aldhelmi._ The Life of St. Aldhelm: which was completed in -1125. It is very reasonably conjectured that this last was published -separately and some time after the others; as, though there are many -ancient MSS. of the first four books, one copy only has yet been -discovered with the fifth. The former were published by Saville, but -from very faulty and scanty MSS. The latter by H. Wharton, and by Gale; -but also very defectively. - -5. _De Vita S. Dunstani._ The Life of S. Dunstan, in two books. MS. -Bodley Rawlinson, 263. This was written at the request of the monks of -Glastonbury, for whom he had previously composed the following three: - -6. _Vita S. Patricii._ The Life of S. Patrick, in two books. Leland, -Collectanea, 3, 272, has extracts from it, but no MS. has hitherto -occurred. - -7. _Miracula S. Benigni._ The Miracles of S. Benignus. This has not -occurred. - -8. _Passio S. Indracti._ The Martyrdom of S. Indract. MS. Bodley Digby, -112. This he translated and abridged from the Anglo-Saxon. Abbreviated -in Capgrave’s Legenda Nova. - -9. _De Antiquitate Glastoniensis Ecclesiæ._ The History of Glastonbury. -It is addressed to Henry bishop of Winchester, and was of course -written after 1129. Printed in Gale’s Collection, t. 3, and by Hearne, -from an interpolated MS. - -10. _Vita S. Wulstani Episcopi Wigorniensis._ The Life of S. Wulstan, -Bishop of Worcester. A Translation from the Anglo-Saxon, addressed to -Prior Guarin, between 1124 and 1140. The greater part of it has been -printed. Anglia Sacra, t. 2. - -11. _Chronica._ Chronicles, in three books. See p. 480. This work is -probably lost. - -12. _Miracula S. Elfgifæ._ The Miracles of Elfgifa, in metre. A -specimen of these rhymes, there printed as prose, may be seen in the De -Gestis Pontif. f. 143: they were apparently written while he was very -young; as, before 1125, he says, “_quondam_ cecini.” - -13. _Itinerarium Joannis Abbatis Meldunensis versus Romam._ The -Itinerary of John Abbat of Malmesbury to Rome. This was drawn up, -after 1140, from the relation of another monk of that foundation who -accompanied the abbat. Leland, Collect. 3, 272, ed. 1774, mentions it -as being very curious. It does not occur, but it was formerly in the -possession of Bale. - -14. _Expositio Threnorum Hieremiæ._ A Commentary on the Lamentations of -Jeremiah. MS. Bodley, 868. Abridged from Paschasius Radbert, probably -about 1136. - -15. _De Miraculis Divæ Mariæ libri quatuor Gul. Cantoris Malmsburie._ -The Miracles of the Blessed Virgin, in four books. Leland, Coll. 4. 155. - -16. _De Serie Evangelistarum, Carmine._ The Order of the Evangelists, -in verse. Leland, Collect. 4. 157. These two have not occurred. - -17. _De Miraculis B. Andreæ._ The Miracles of S. Andrew. MS. Cotton. -Nero, E. 1. Abridged from a very prolix work. - -18. _Abbreviatio Amalarii de Ecclesiasticis Officiis._ Amalarius on -Ecclesiastical Offices, abridged. MS. Lambeth. 380. - -19. _Epitome Historiæ Aimonis Floriacensis._ The History of Haimo of -Flory, abridged. MS. Bodley, Selden. Arch. B. 32. - -Several other works are attributed to him by Tanner, on the authority -of Bale and Pits. - -[6] These remarks on the character and style of our author must be -received, as they say, _cum grano salis_. They more justly evince the -zeal of Mr. Sharpe than the merits of Malmesbury’s composition. The -classical reader will probably lament with me that our early historians -should have used a style so cumbersome and uninviting. To this general -censure Malmesbury is certainly no exception. His Latinity is rude and -repulsive, and the true value of his writings arises from the fidelity -with which he has recorded facts, which he had either himself witnessed -or had obtained from eye-witnesses. - -[7] This valuable work has been published, together with Bede’s -Ecclesiastical History, in a preceding volume of this series. - -[8] See his prologue to the Life of Wulstan, Anglia Sacra, ii. 243. - -[9] Some of these allusions are occasionally marked in the notes. - -[10] A considerable portion of the present work was printed anonymously -as a continuation of Bede, at Heidelberg, in 1587. The whole, -together with the History of the Prelates, was first printed by Sir -Henry Saville, who appears to have consulted several copies in the -“Scriptores post Bedam,” London, 1596, fol. This was reprinted, but -with many additional errors, at Frankfort, 1601, fol. Saville’s -division into chapters, in the second book more especially, has no -authority; but as it appeared sufficiently convenient, it has been -adopted: the division of the sections is nearly the same throughout all -the MSS. - -[11] Robert, Earl of Gloucester, the Mecænas of his age, was a natural -son of Henry I., and a man of great talents and of unshaken fidelity. -He married Mabil, daughter of Robert Fitzhamon, by whom he had a -numerous issue. He died October 31, A.D. 1147. - -[12] This alludes to those invaluable records, the Saxon Chronicles. -These, as originally compiled, have been already published in the -present Series of Monkish Historians. - -[13] Elward, or Ethelwerd, was a noble Saxon, great-great-grandson -of King Ethelred, brother of Alfred. He abridged and translated the -Saxon Chronicle into Latin, published in the present Series. He lived -apparently in the time of Edgar, towards the close of the tenth century. - -[14] Eadmer, a monk and precentor of Christ-Church, Canterbury, and -pupil of Archbishop Anselm, together with a variety of other works, -wrote “Historia Novorum,” or, a history of modern times, from A.D. 1066 -to 1122. - -[15] MS. Anselmi. Eadmer at first brought down his history to the death -of Archbishop Anselm only, A.D. 1109, but afterwards continued it to -the decease of Ralph, A.D. 1122. - -[16] Virgilii Ecl. VI. v. 10. - -[17] Helena’s origin has been much contested: Gibbon decides that she -was daughter of an innkeeper. The word “Stabularia,” literally implies -an ostler-wench; and it has been conjectured that it was applied to -her, by the Jews and Gentiles, on account of her building a church on -the spot where stood the stable in which our Lord was born. - -[18] Various periods have been assigned for the British settlement -in Armorica, or Bretagne; but the subject is still involved in great -obscurity. - -[19] Some MSS. read _juvenilis_, others _militaris_. - -[20] Some MSS. read _succensæ_. - -[21] These are supposed to be long vessels, somewhat like galleys, and -it would appear, as well from Brompton, col. 897, as from so small -a number containing a body equal to a military enterprise like that -described here and in other places, that they were of considerable -burden. - -[22] Bede i. 15. The people of Kent and of the Isle of Wight were -Jutes; the East, South, and West Saxons, were Saxons; and of the Angles -came the East-Angles, Mid-Angles, Mercians, and Northumbrians. For the -limits of the several kingdoms of the Heptarchy, see Chap. VI. The -Cottonian MS. (Claud. ix.) reads, _Wichtis_. - -[23] At Aylesford, A.D. 455; at Crayford, 457; at Wippedsfleet -(supposed, but very doubtful, Ebbsfleet, in Thanet), 465; and the -fourth, A.D. 473, the place not mentioned. See Saxon Chronicle, A.D. -465. - -[24] Said to be Bannesdown, near Bath. Giraldus Cambrensis says, the -image of the Virgin was fixed on the inside of Arthur’s shield, that he -might kiss it in battle. Bede erroneously ascribes this event to A.D. -493. (Bede’s Ecclesiastical History, b. i. c. 6.) - -[25] According to Sprott, Hengist died in 488, and was succeeded by -his son Octa, vel Osca. Osca died A.D. 408, and Esc, his son, ascended -the throne. In the year 522 Ermenric, the father of king Ethelbert, -reigned. Ethelbert became king of Kent in 558. - -[26] The difference seems to have arisen from carelessness in the -scribe; as the Saxon Chronicle states him to have ascended the throne -A.D. 560, and to have died 616: which is exactly fifty-six years, -although it asserts him to have reigned only 53. - -[27] See Wilkins’s “Leges Anglo-Saxonicæ,” and the Textus Roffensis. - -[28] The name of the second queen of Ethelbert is not mentioned, -probably on account of this incest. - -[29] St. Peter, it is said, appeared to Laurentius at night, and -reproaching him for his cowardice, severely chastised him with a -scourge; the marks of which had the effect here mentioned the next day. -Bede ii. 6. According to Sprott, St. Laurentius became archbishop of -Canterbury, A.D. 610. - -[30] St. Augustine’s, Canterbury, completed, according to Sprott, A.D. -663. - -[31] Chelles, near Paris. - -[32] Theodore, archbishop of Canterbury, was a native of Tarsus in -Cilicia, and a prelate of great learning; but it being apprehended by -Pope Vitalian that he might rather incline to the doctrines of the -Greek Church, Adrian was sent with him, as a kind of superintendent, -and was appointed abbat of St. Augustine’s. - -[33] See book ii. chap. 13, “but this and every other,” &c. Some -editions omit this passage altogether. - -[34] Wansdike, in Wiltshire. - -[35] Virgil, Æn. ii. 390. - -[36] Bradford on Avon. See Sax. Chron. A.D. 652. - -[37] Pen, in Somersetshire. - -[38] Malmesbury wrote a History of Glastonbury, which is printed -in Gale’s Collection, vol. iii. and by Hearne, in the History of -Glastonbury, and from this work he extracts this account. Sharpe gives -it [from “But since,” &c. to “character so munificent” in page 28, line -2], in a note as a various reading of one of the MSS. The note occupies -the greater part of seven pages from 25 to 31 in Sharpe’s original -volume. - -[39] There is a Life of Gildas, written not long after this history, by -Caradoc of Lancarvon, in which we are told, that, while he was residing -at Glastonbury, a prince of that country carried off Arthur’s queen and -lodged her there; that Arthur immediately besieged it, but, through the -mediation of the abbat, and of Gildas, consented, at length, to receive -his wife again and to depart peaceably. - -[40] The ordeal was an appeal to heaven to decide immediately on the -justice of the cause. There were many modes of this whimsical trial; -as by handling hot iron, plunging the arm into hot water, throwing the -accused into water, &c. If, after three days, the party exhibited no -mark of burning in the two former; or if he did not sink in the latter -experiment, he was considered innocent. The whole was conducted with -great solemnity; the ritual may be seen in Spelman, voce Ordalium. - -[41] The Saxon mode of interment appears frequently to have been under -pyramids or obelisks. See Anglia Sacra, ii. 110. - -[42] St. Germanus drew up a body of his new converts in a valley -surrounded on every side by mountains, and, on the approach of their -enemies, ordered that on a given signal, all should shout “Hallelujah.” -The sudden sound, being reverberated by the surrounding mountains, -struck their foes with such a panic, that they instantly fled. See -Bede, Hist. Eccl. b. i. c. 20. - -[43] Patrick is said to have floated over, from Ireland, on this altar, -and to have landed near Padstow in Cornwall. Gough’s Camden, i. 19. -Malmesbury appears to have been misled by the Glastonbury historian, so -as to confound St. Patrick with St. Petrock. From the latter, the town -of Padstow derives its name, as is proved by Whitaker, in his Ancient -Cathedral of Cornwall. - -[44] On their return from a pilgrimage to Rome they designed visiting -Glastonbury, out of respect to St. Patrick; and filled their scrips -with parsley and various other seeds, which they purposed carrying to -Ireland, but their staves being tipped with brass, which was mistaken -for gold, they were murdered for the supposed booty. - -[45] It is understood as synonymous with hide, or as much land as one -plough could till. - -[46] Cuthred. According to the Saxon Chronicle, he bestowed on him 3000 -hides of land. - -[47] Bede, in “Chronicles of the Anglo-Saxons,” p. 267. - -[48] Where this river was is not known: it has been conjectured it -should be Avon. Malmesbury is also said to have been originally called -Bladon. - -[49] De Laudibus Virginitatis. His “Commendation of Virginity,” was -first written in prose: and was printed by H. Wharton, 4to. 1693. He -afterwards versified it with occasional amplifications or omissions. -Some MSS. give the date as 671: others 672; and others again 675. -See Canisius, Antiquæ Lectiones, t. i. 713. Ed. Basnagii. The whole -works of Aldhelm have been collected for the first time by the present -editor, and form vol. i. of PATRES ECCLESIÆ ANGLICANÆ. - -[50] Malmesbury afterwards wrote the life of Aldhelm. It ought to form -the fifth book “_de Gentis Pontificum_,” but has never yet been printed -in the same volume with the four preceding books. - -[51] See Bede, b. iv. c. 15. - -[52] The Saxon Chronicle and Florence of Worcester mention his attacks -on the South Saxons, but do not notice the East Angles. - -[53] See Wilkins’s Leges Anglo-Saxonicæ. - -[54] Some manuscripts omit all that follows to “Berthwald, archbishop -of Canterbury,” p. 35, and insert in place of it “More especially that -at Glastonbury most celebrated in our days, which he erected in a low -retired situation, in order that the monks might more eagerly thirst -after heavenly, in proportion as they were less affected by earthly -things.” Sharpe inserts the shorter passage in his text, and gives the -longer in a note. - -[55] See Kemble’s Charters, vol. i. p. 85. - -[56] The Antiquities of Glastonbury were published about the same time -by Gale, vol. iii. and by Hearne. - -[57] The 25th of May. - -[58] Bede, Eccl. Hist. b. iv. c. 7-10. - -[59] All this passage, from “What splendour, p. 35, to persuasion,” is -omitted in some MSS., and is given in a note by Hardy and Sharpe; but -it seems almost necessary to the context. - -[60] Malmesbury here perpetuates the error of the transcriber of the -Saxon Chronicle, in assigning thirty-one years to Cynewolf, for as -he came to the throne in 756, and was killed in 784, consequently he -reigned about twenty-nine years. Perhaps he wrote, correctly, “_uno de -triginta annis_,” conjectures Mr. Hardy. - -[61] Supposed Dalston near Carlisle, or Dawston near Ichborough. - -[62] Malmesbury here confounds the ancient monastery of Banchor, near -Chester, with the more modern see of Bangor in Carnarvonshire. - -[63] Ovid. Trist. 1. 9, v. 5. - -[64] Cadwalla, king of the Britons, having slain Eanfrid and Osric, -A.D. 634, had usurped the government of Northumbria. - -[65] When he was seated at table and just about to commence dinner, -the royal almoner informed the king that a great number of poor were -assembled in the street, asking relief; on which he immediately ordered -the whole of the provisions to be distributed, and the silver dish also -to be cut into pieces, and divided amongst them. See Bede, b. iii. c. 6. - -[66] Juv. Sat. vii. 202. - -[67] Bambrough in Northumberland. Bede iii. 6, p. 118. - -[68] St. Cuthbert is represented as holding the head of Oswald in his -arms. Bede’s bones were afterwards laid in the same coffin. - -[69] The horse lay down under his rider in great agony; but recovered -by rolling on the spot and cropping the grass. A person carried away -some of the earth, which he hung up against a post in the wall: the -house caught fire and was burnt with the exception of the timber to -which the bag was tied. See Bede, b. iii. c. 9, 10; and for the other -stories, c. 13. - -[70] The principal points in dispute were, the time of celebrating -Easter and the form of the tonsure. See Bede, Eccl. Hist. iii. 25. - -[71] See Bede, Hist. Eccl. iii. 29. - -[72] Bede’s Life of St. Cuthbert, c. 24. - -[73] Ermenburga, the second wife of Egfrid. The first, Etheldrida, was -divorced from him, on account of her love of celibacy, and became a -nun. Wilfrid, bishop of Hexham, was several times expelled his see. -Elected bishop of York, A.D. 664, he was expelled in 678. He was -recalled to Northumbria in 687, and again expelled 692. He died A.D. -709, having been reinstated by the pope. See Bede v. 19. and Sax. Chron. - -[74] Virg. Æn. vi. 815. - -[75] The country was laid waste by the Danes, A.D. 793, and continued -to be disturbed by them throughout the reigns of Alfred and Ethelred. -The great devastation was made by William the Conqueror A.D. 1069. - -[76] This is not quite correct: Jarrow, one of Benedict’s monasteries, -is on the river Tyne. - -[77] Benedict surnamed Biscop, a noble Northumbrian, quitted the -service of king Oswy, when he had attained his twenty-fifth year, and -travelled to Rome five several times; occupying himself while there, -either in learning the Roman ritual, or in collecting books, pictures, -and ornaments of various descriptions for the monasteries he had -founded at Wearmouth: he also brought over masons from France to build -a church after the Roman manner; as well as artificers in glass. See -Bede’s Lives of the Abbats of Wearmouth and Jarrow. - -[78] “... lapidei tabulatus,” this seems intended to designate -buildings with courses of stone in a regular manner, which is also -implied by him, De Gestis Pontif. lib. iii. f. 148. Bede, whom he here -follows, affords no assistance as to the precise meaning: he merely -states, that Benedict caused a church to be erected after the Roman -model. - -[79] The monks of Glastonbury used all possible means to obtain -relics of saints. See the curious account of a contention concerning -the body of St. Dunstan, which those monks asserted they had stolen -from Canterbury, after it had been burnt by the Danes, in the time of -Ethelred, in Whartoni Anglia Sacra, vol. ii. p. 222. - -[80] Eccles. Hist., book v. ch. 24. - -[81] John of Beverley, bishop of Hexham, A.D. 686. He was made bishop -of York, A.D. 705, and died 7th of May, 722. See Bede, b. v. c. 2-6. - -[82] Seneca, Controvers. lib. 1. - -[83] Hebrews x. 31. - -[84] Romans viii. 18. - -[85] Scipio Africanus was accustomed to observe, “that he was never -less idle than when unoccupied, nor never less alone than when by -himself.” _Cicero de Offic._ 1. 3. - -[86] These lines are thus rendered into English: - - “Beneath this stone Bede’s mortal body lies; - God grant his soul may rest amid the skies. - May he drink deeply, in the realms above, - Of wisdom’s fount, which he on earth did love!” - -[87] Called Egbert by some writers. - -[88] Paulinus had departed from Northumbria, in consequence of the -confusion which prevailed on the death of Edwin. Bede, b. ii. c. 20. He -died Oct. 10, 644. - -[89] Alcuin, a native of Northumbria, and educated at York, through -his learning and talents became the intimate friend and favourite of -Charlemagne, for whom he transcribed, with his own hand, the Holy -Scriptures. This relic is now preserved in the British Museum. - -[90] See this epistle at length in Alcuini Op. vol. i. p. 52. Epist. 38. - -[91] Others say he was buried at St. Martin’s, at Tours, where he died, -April 18, 804. His works will be included in PATRES ECCLESIÆ ANGLICANÆ. - -[92] The Life of Charlemagne, by Eginhard, who was secretary to that -monarch. Du Chesne Script. Franc. tom. ii. It is one of the most -amusing books of the period. - -[93] The mayors of the palace seem originally to have merely regulated -the king’s household, but by degrees they acquired so much power, -that Pepin the elder, maternal grandfather of him here mentioned, had -already become in effect, king of France. They first appear to have -usurped the regal power under Clovis II. A.D. 638. - -[94] Malmesbury differs from all the best authorities, who assign -only six years to his reign. He ascended the throne A.D. 759, and was -expelled A.D. 765. - -[95] Osred, through a conspiracy of his nobles, had been deposed, and, -after receiving the tonsure, was compelled to go into exile. Two years -after, induced by the promises and oaths of certain of the Northumbrian -chiefs, he returned, but being deserted by his forces, he was made -prisoner and put to death by the order of Ethelred. Sim. Dunelm. A.D. -790-2. Osred was expelled from his kingdom, A.D. 790, and Ethelred was -restored after an exile of twelve years.--HARDY. - -[96] This letter is not yet published in Alcuini Opera. - -[97] Epist. xlii. Op. tom. i. p. 57. - -[98] This is not quite correct: Osbald was elected by a party to -succeed him; but after a very short period he was deposed, and the -government devolved on Eardulf. Eardulf after a few years was driven -into exile; went to Rome, and, it would seem, was restored to his -kingdom, by the influence of Charlemagne, A.D. 808. V. Sim. Dunelm. -col. 117, and Eginhardi Annales, Duchesne, 2, 255. - -[99] It would appear that Penda was not the first king, but the first -of any note. Hen. Huntingdon assigns the origin of the kingdom to about -the year 584 under Crida, who was succeeded, in the year 600, by Pybba; -Ceorl came to the throne in 610, and Penda in 626. See H. Hunt, f. 181, -184--b. - -[100] King of the Britons, see Bede, b. ii. ch. 20. It was by his -assistance that Cadwalla defeated Edwin, king of Northumbria, at -Hatfield, Oct. 12, A.D. 633. - -[101] This was by paying to his relatives his weregild, or the legal -price of his blood; for all, from the king to the slave, had their -established value. One moiety, only, of the weregild went to the family -of the murdered person; the other went into the public purse. - -[102] Ethelbald had been frequently exhorted by the king to make -confession of his transgressions, but had constantly declined it. At -last being seized with sickness, he appears to have imagined that he -saw two angels approach with a very small volume, in which were written -the few good actions he had ever performed; when immediately a large -company of demons advancing, display another book of enormous bulk and -weight, containing all his evil deeds, which are read to him; after -which, asserting their claim to the sinner against the angels, they -strike him on the head and feet, as symptoms of his approaching end. -Bede, b. v. c. 13. - -[103] Boniface, whose original name was Winfred, after unwearied labour -in the conversion of various nations in Germany, by which he acquired -the honourable appellation of Apostle of the Germans, at length -suffered martyrdom in Friesland. A collected edition of his works forms -volumes xv. and xvi. of PATRES ECCLESIÆ ANGLICANÆ by the editor of -this work. One of the original churches, built by him in Saxony, still -exists in the Duchy of Gotha, at a little village called Gierstedt. - -[104] See this epistle at length in Spelmanni Concilia, vol. i. page -232, and reprinted by Wilkins, Concilia, i. 87, also in Bonifacii -Opera, &c. - -[105] The Winedi were seated on the western bank of the Vistula, near -the Baltic. In Wilkins, it is “apud Persas,” among the Persians. - -[106] Lullus was appointed his successor by Boniface, on setting out -for Friesland, in 755; he died A.D. 785. - -[107] The value of the mancus is doubtful; sometimes it appears to mean -the same with the mark, at others it is supposed equal to thirty pence -of the money of that time. The gold manca is supposed to be eight to -the pound, which was probably the coin sent to the pope. - -[108] See this entire, Usserii Veterum Epistolarum Hibernicarum -Sylloge, epist. 18. p. 36; and Alcuini Opera, tom. i. p. 6, epist. 3. - -[109] The dalmatic was a garment worn by the clergy, and sometimes by -princes. Its name is said to have been derived from its invention in -Dalmatia. The pall here apparently signifies an upper vesture also, -in form resembling a cloak without sleeves; but it has a variety of -meanings. See Du Cange, and note at p. 44, of Bede’s Eccles. History. - -[110] Kenulf made Cuthred king of Kent, A.D. 798. Eadbert had been -dreadfully mutilated by having his eyes put out and his hands cut off. -See chap. i. - -[111] “Qui agros non habebant.” These words refer to an inferior class -of gentry, as he mentions the people at large, “populus,” afterwards. - -[112] Redwald was not the first king of East Anglia, but the first who -became distinguished. In the year 571, Uffa assumed the title of king: -he was succeeded by his son, Titil, in 578 who was followed by Redwald, -his son. See Bede, b. ii. c. 15. - -[113] According to the Saxon Chronicle, A.D. 921, that is, the 21st of -Edward the Elder, and the fiftieth from the murder of king Edmund. Now -following this statement, as Edward succeeded his father, Alfred A.D. -901, the expulsion of the Danes would be the twentieth of his reign. In -Florence of Worcester the union of the kingdoms under Edward the Elder -is assigned to the year 918.--HARDY. - -[114] Sleda was not the first, but their times are uncertain. See -Florence of Worcester, who calls him the son of Escwine, whom Henry of -Huntingdon considers to have been the first king of Essex. - -[115] Brother to St. Chad, bishop of Lichfield. See Bede, b. iii. c. 22. - -[116] Here seems an oversight which may be supplied from Florence of -Worcester. “Swithed succeeded Selred, and held the sovereignty some -years; after whom few native kings ruled in Essex, for in the same year -that Egbert conquered Kent, they surrendered to his power.” Selred died -746; their submission took place 823. It would appear, however, from -the authorities adduced by Mr. Turner, Hist. of Anglo-Saxons, vol. i. -p. 318, that Selred was in fact king of East Anglia. - -[117] The kingdom of Sussex was founded by Ælla, who arrived in Britain -with three vessels, and accompanied by his three sons, A.D. 477. He -seems to have attained a very high degree of power, and was succeeded -by his son Cissa.--The affairs of this kingdom are extremely obscure; -it appears to have been sometimes dependent on Kent and sometimes on -Wessex until finally united to the latter by Egbert, A.D. 823. - -[118] The early adventures of Egbert are found only in Malmesbury. He -does not observe the order in which these events happened. - -[119] The printed text of the former editions places the battle of -Hellendun, A.D. 806. Several MSS. have 826, one 825, and two only -appear to adopt the correct year 824, as inserted above. These are--The -Arundel MS. No. 35, Brit. Mus. and the MS. in Trinity Coll. Cam. R. 14. -The place is variously conjectured: Wilton in Wiltshire; Hillingdon in -Middlesex; and near Highworth in Wilts. - -[120] Malmesbury, in following the Saxon Chronicle, is two years -earlier than the Northern Chronicles. - -[121] See Saxon Chronicle, A.D. 823-825. - -[122] Roger, bishop of Salisbury, seized it in like manner to his own -use, A.D. 1118, and held it till his death, 1159. - -[123] Alluding to the Rome-scot, or Peter’s-pence, a penny from each -house, paid on the festival of St. Peter. Its origin and application -seem obscure: Higden interpolates Malmesbury, as assigning its first -grant to Ina: Henry of Huntingdon says, Offa. This grant is supposed -by Spelman to have been made in a General Council of the nation. A -similar payment appears to have been made by other nations. It is to be -observed that Asser mentions only Ethelwulf’s donation of three hundred -mancuses. - -[124] Asser relates that pope Leo stood sponsor for, and confirmed -Alfred, who had been sent to Rome by his father the preceding year. - -[125] The conflagration here named seems that mentioned by Anastasius, -who tells us, that, shortly after the accession of Pope Leo the -fourth, a fire broke out in the Saxon street, but the pope, making -the sign of the cross with his fingers, put a stop to it. (Anastas. -Biblioth. p. 319.) From this author’s account it appears to have been -a street or quarter of considerable extent, and near to St. Peter’s. -There were schools of this kind belonging to various nations at Rome. -Matt. Westminster says it was founded by Ina, with the consent and -approbation of Pope Gregory, that priests, nobles, prelates, or kings, -of the English nation, might be entertained there during their stay -for the purpose of being thoroughly instructed in the Catholic faith; -for that, from the time of Augustine, the doctrine and schools of the -English had been interdicted by the popes on account of the various -heresies which had sprung up among them; that, moreover, Ina bestowed a -penny from each house, or Rome-scot, for the support of these persons. -(Matt. West. A.D. 727.) It was destroyed by fire in the year 816, and -partially again A.D. 854. Our text, therefore, is at variance with the -account given by Anastasius, and the latter is probably incorrect. - -[126] The divisions of France were liable to considerable variation: -but it may be sufficient to observe, that Aquitaine lay between the -Garonne and Loire; Vasconia, from the Garonne to the Pyrenees; Gothia, -from the Pyrenees along the coast to the eastward; Austrasia or East -France, besides various tracts beyond the Rhine, lay between that river -and the Meuse; Neustria or West France, from the Channel to the Loire -with the exception of Brittany. - -[127] The battle of Fontenai is considered as the most calamitous in -the French annals; more than one hundred thousand men having, it is -said, perished in it. It was fought on the 25th of June, A.D. 841, a -memorable month in the annals of France. - -[128] Cornu-guallia, i.e. the Horn of Gaul from the projection of -Brittany. - -[129] Some pretend that he was accidentally wounded by Bertholde, one -of his attendants; and that the story of the boar was invented in order -to screen him from punishment. Malmesbury, however, follows Asser, the -Saxon Chron., &c. - -[130] This vision is copied from Hariulfe’s Chronicle, lib. iii. cap. -21. The Annals ascribed to Asser also recite the vision, sub anno -886.--_See Mr. Hardy’s Note_, vol. i. p. 160. - -[131] Asser had conversed with many persons who afterwards saw her -begging for a subsistence in Pavia, where she died. - -[132] One hundred were for the pope, and the other two hundred to be -divided between the churches of St. Peter and St. Paul, to provide -lights on Easter-eve. - -[133] Ingulf, who likewise gives this charter, reads, “laicis miseris,” -the poor laity. - -[134] Manse implies generally a dwelling and a certain quantity of land -annexed; sometimes it is synonymous with a hide, or plough-land. - -[135] Ingulf has A.D. 855: 3 indict, which agrees with Asser, who -assigns that year for the grant. It appears to be the charter which -Malmesbury before referred to on the king’s going to Rome, and has -given rise to much controversy; some holding that it conveyed the -tithes of the land only, while others maintain that it was an actual -transfer of the tenth part of all lands in the kingdom. See Carte, vol. -i. 293. Both opinions are attended with considerable difficulties. Mr. -Carte very inadvertently imagines this charter and the copy in Ingulf -to be distinct grants: the latter being, he says, a confirmation and -extension of the former, after Ethelwulf’s return from Rome: but the -false date in Malmesbury is of no importance, some MSS. having even -814, and 855 was the year of his departure, not of his return. - -[136] Jordanes, or Jornandes, was secretary to the kings of the Goths -in Italy. He was afterwards bishop of Ravenna, and wrote, _De Rebus -Gothicis_; and also, _De Regnorum et Temporum Successione_.--HARDY. - -[137] A similar list of the genealogy of the West Saxon kings, will be -found in the Saxon Chronicle, A.D. 855. - -[138] Malmesbury’s Chronology to the accession of Edward the Elder, -is a year later than the Saxon Chronicle, Asser, and Florence of -Worcester. His computation rests on fixing the death of Ethelwulf in -857, who went to Rome in 855, stayed there a year, and died in the -second year after his return. Allowing ten years for Ethelbald and -Ethelbert, it brings the accession of Ethelred to 867, and five years -added to this give 872 for Alfred’s accession. After the death of -Ethelbald Judith returned to France. She left no children; but marrying -afterwards Baldwin, count of Flanders, she bore him Matilda, wife of -William the Conqueror. - -[139] Supposed Aston, near Wallingford, Berks. Others think Ashendon in -Bucks. The Latin and Saxon names, _Mons Fraxini_, and Eschendun, seem -to favour the latter. - -[140] This legend will be found in the curious “account of the -translation of the body of St. Cuthbert from Lindisfarne to Durham,” -which we shall give in “Anglo-Saxon Letters, Biographies,” &c. It is -taken from the Acta Sanctorum, iii. March, p. 127. - -[141] This story rests upon the authority of Ingulf and William of -Malmesbury. Asser does not notice it. - -[142] This seems a mistake as far relates to Northumbria. The -Saxon Chronicle has “Northerna,” and Florence of Worcester “Rex -Northmanicus,” which at a first glance might easily be converted into -Northumbria. - -[143] Asser, the faithful friend and biographer of this great king. His -Life of Alfred, alike honourable to his master and himself, is free -from flattery. It is given in one of the volumes of our Series. - -[144] It has been printed by Gale, Oxon, 1681. - -[145] John the Scot is generally supposed to have died in France before -A.D. 877, as the letter of Anastasius (Usher’s Sylloge, Ep. 24,) -addressed to Charles the Bald, who died in that year, seems strongly -to imply that he was not then living. There is, however, no positive -notice of the time of his death. The story indeed has so much the air -of one told in Asser of John abbat of Athelney, that one would almost -suspect it was formed from it: especially as Malmesbury seems to speak -in a very hesitating manner on the subject. V. Asser, à Wise, p. 62. - -[146] Asser says he first began his literary education, Nov. 11, 887. - -[147] Alfred’s Manual, from the description which Asser gives of it, -appears to have contained psalms, prayers, texts of Scripture, etc.: -Malmesbury, however, in his Lives of the Bishops, quotes anecdotes of -Aldhelm from it also. - -[148] Plegmund is said to have written part of the Saxon Chronicle; -Asser was archbishop of St. David’s, and biographer of Alfred; -Grimbald, abbat of St. Omers; and John of Corvey, a German Saxon, whom -Alfred invited into England. - -[149] Asser says he devoted one half of his income “to God;” which part -was afterwards subdivided for the poor, for the two monasteries he had -founded, for the school he had established, for other monasteries and -churches, domestic and foreign. - -[150] This proportion was for both teachers and pupils in the school he -founded for the young nobility.--_Lappenberg_, vol. i. p. 340. - -[151] Matilda, queen of William the First, was daughter of Baldwin earl -of Flanders, the fifth in descent from Ethelswitha. See note, p. 110. - -[152] On its removal called Hyde Abbey. - -[153] The popular notion was, that the devil re-animated the corpse, -and played a variety of pranks by its agency; and that the only remedy -was to dig up and consume the body with fire. See Will. Neubrig v. 22. - -[154] Virg. Æneid, x. 641. - -[155] By West-Angles he probably intends the people of Essex or -East-Saxons. See Florence of Worcester. - -[156] Charles the Simple had one son by her, Louis II., surnamed -D’Outremer. - -[157] Surnamed the Great: father of Hugh Capet: she had no issue by him. - -[158] Henry, surnamed the Fowler, father of Otho the Great. She had a -son and daughter by him. One of Edward’s daughters, called Adela, is -said to have been married to Ebles, earl of Poitiers, by whom she had -two sons. See L’Art de Verifier les Dates, ii. 312. - -[159] This seems to have been Lewis the Blind, king of Arles: and if -so, she must have been one of the elder daughters, as he appears not -to have survived A.D. 930. She had, at least, one son by him, Charles -Constantine, earl of Vienne. See L’Art de Verifier les Dates, ii. 429. - -[160] This is a mistake: Hugh is confounded with his father, who -married Edward’s daughter. There is no notice of this exploit of Hugh’s -in Bouquet, though Isembard is mentioned as the nephew of Lewis, who, -being unjustly banished, returns accompanied by a large body of Danes -and Normans, but is defeated. Bouquet, Recueil, &c. tom. ix. 58. Lewis, -however, left issue, and it was on the death of his grandson Lewis, -that Hugh Capet became king of France. - -[161] This story of pope Formosus and the seven bishops is to be found -verbatim in a MS. (Bodley, 579) which was given to the cathedral -of Exeter by bishop Leofric, who died A.D. 1073. Its difficulties -therefore are not to be imputed to our author. But though it may -not be easy to assign a rational motive for the invention of such -an instrument, it is a decided forgery; and all the ecclesiastical -writers, from Baronius to Wilkins, [See Concilia, i. p. 201,] have -utterly failed in their conjectural attempts to uphold it: even the -temperate, the acute, the learned Henry Wharton [Anglia Sacra, i. 554, -5], who rejects decidedly the epistle, gives but an unsatisfactory -solution of the seven vacant sees. Its repugnancies will be seen at a -glance, when it is recollected, that Formosus died A.D. 896; Edward -did not reign till A.D. 901; and Frithstan did not become bishop of -Winchester before A.D. 910. - -[162] Matt. ix. 37. - -[163] In the Saxon Chronicle it is called Brumby. [See Chronicles of -the Anglo-Saxons, in Bohn’s Antiquarian Library, pp. 376, 377.] Its -site is not exactly known, but it was probably not far from the Humber. - -[164] Said to be Werstan, bishop of Sherborne. See Malmesbury’s Gesta -Pontificum; or, Lives of the Bishops, to be hereafter translated and -published in this series. - -[165] This passage is thought to prove the existence of knights as -a distinct order among the Saxons; and, coupled with the case of -Hereward, it has very much that air. See Mr. Turner’s Anglo-Saxons, -4, 171, et inf. But perhaps in the present instance, it may amount -to nothing more than bestowing his first arms on him. Lewis the -Debonnaire received his arms, “ense accinctus est,” at thirteen years -old.--Duchesne, t. ii. 289. - -[166] Cornu Galliæ, a fanciful etymology. - -[167] Improperly called king: it was Hugh the Great, father of Hugh -Capet. Malmesbury was probably deceived by a blunder of Ingulf’s. - -[168] This is a mistake, she was daughter of Alfred. See chap. iv. p. -117. - -[169] The legend of St. Longinus makes the centurion mentioned in the -Gospel, the person who pierced the side of our Lord; with many other -fabulous additions. See Jac. a Voragine, Legenda Sanctorum. - -[170] The Theban legion refusing, in the Diocletian persecution, to -bring the Christians to execution, were ordered to be decimated; and on -their persisting in the same resolution at the instigation of Maurice, -the commander of the legion, they were, together with him, put to cruel -deaths. V. Acta Sanctor. 22 Sept. - -[171] He has, apparently, the oppressions of bishop Roger constantly -before him. - -[172] Reginald was not the son of Gurmund, but of Guthferth, who was -driven out of Northumberland by Athelstan. See Saxon Chronicle, A.D. -927-944. - -[173] The exact meaning of some of these terms is not easily -attainable, but they are generally understood to imply--jurisdiction -over the burgh, or town--hundred court--oaths and ordeals--thieves -taken within the jurisdiction--housebreakers--breach of peace--offences -committed on the highways, or forestalling--tolls--warranty, or a right -of reclaiming villains who had absconded. The charter therefore conveys -a right to hold various courts, and consequently to try, and receive -all mulcts arising from the several offences enumerated, which being -generally redeemable by fine, produced considerable sums; besides, what -was perhaps of more importance, exemption from the vexations of the -king’s officers. - -[174] Duke is often used in charters, &c. as synonymous with earl. - -[175] In Gloucestershire. - -[176] See Will. Gemeticensis, lib. iii. c. 11. - -[177] These were a woollen shirt and cowl. Will. Gemet. lib. iii. c. 12. - -[178] Edred is described by Bridferth as being constantly oppressed -with sickness; and of so weak a digestion, as to be unable to swallow -more than the juices of the food he had masticated, to the great -annoyance of his guests. Vita Dunstani, Act. Sanct. 19 Maii. - -[179] A quibble on his name, as compounded of “hill” and “stone.” - -[180] Much variation prevails among the earliest writers concerning -Elfgiva. Bridferth (Act. Sanct. 19 Maii) says, there were two women, -mother and daughter, familiar with Edwy. A contemporary of Bridferth -(MS. Cott. Nero, E. I.) asserts, that he was married, but fell in love -with, and carried off, another woman. A MS. Saxon Chron. (Cott. Tib. b. -iv.) says, they were separated, as being of kin. Osberne, Edmer, and -Malmesbury, in his Life of Dunstan (MS.), all repeat the story of the -two women. - -[181] Dunstan, learning that he was dead, and that the devils were -about to carry off his soul in triumph by his prayers obtained his -release. A curious colloquy between the abbat and the devils on the -subject, may be found in Osberne’s Life of Dunstan, Anglia Sacra, ii. -108. - -[182] The Mercians had revolted, and chosen Edgar king. - -[183] Osberne’s Life of St. Dunstan is published in the Anglia Sacra, -vol. ii. - -[184] Wulstan’s Life of Ethelwold is printed by Mabillon, and in the -Acta Sanctorum, Antwerp. Aug. tome i. - -[185] He erected another church at Worcester, in which he placed monks. -The canons finding the people desert them in order to obtain the favour -of the new comers, by degrees took the monastic habit. See Malmesbury -de Gest. Pontif. lib. iii. - -[186] Some MSS. omit from “Edgar of glorious memory, &c.” to “spoken of -another. The monastic order,” &c. in page 155, and insert the charter -at length, together with what follows it, thus: - -“In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: although the decrees of pontiffs -and the decisions of priests are fixed by irrevocable bonds, like the -foundations of the mountains, yet, nevertheless, through the storms -and tempests of secular matters, and the corruptions of reprobate men, -the institutions of the holy church of God are often convulsed and -broken. Wherefore I perceive that it will be advantageous to posterity -that I should confirm by writing what has been determined by wholesome -counsel and common consent. In consequence, it seems proper that the -church of the most blessed mother of God, the eternal virgin Mary, of -Glastonbury, inasmuch as it has always possessed the chief dignity in -my kingdom, should be honoured by us with some especial and unusual -privilege. Dunstan, therefore, and Oswald, archbishops of Canterbury -and York, exhorting thereto, and Brithelm, bishop of Wells, and other -bishops, abbats, and chiefs assenting and approving, I, Edgar, by -the grace of God, king of the English, and ruler and governor of the -adjacent nations, in the name of the blessed Trinity, for the soul of -my father who reposes there, and of my predecessors, do by this present -privilege decree, appoint, and establish, that the aforesaid monastery -and all its possessions shall remain free and exonerated from all -payments to the Exchequer now and for ever: they shall have soc and -sac, on stronde and on wude, on felde, on grithbrice, on burgbrice, -hundredsetena, and mortheras, athas, and ordelas, ealle hordas bufan -eorthan, and beneothan: infangenetheof, utfangenetheof, flemenefertha, -hamsocne, friderbrice, foresteal, toll and team, just as free and -peaceably as I have in my kingdom: let the same liberty and power -also as I have in my own court, as well in forgiving as in punishing, -and in every other matter, be possessed by the abbat and monks of -the aforesaid monastery within their court. And should the abbat, or -any monk of that place, upon his journey, meet a thief going to the -gallows, or to any other punishment of death, they shall have power of -rescuing him from the impending danger throughout my kingdom. Moreover, -I confirm and establish what has hitherto been scrupulously observed by -all my predecessors, that the bishop of Wells and his ministers shall -have no power whatever over this monastery, or its parish-churches; -that is to say, Street, Miricling [Merlinge], Budecal, Shapwick, Sowy, -or their chapels, or even over those contained in the islands, that is -to say, Beokery, otherwise called Little Ireland, Godney, Martensia, -Patheneberga, Adredseia, and Ferramere, except only when summoned by -the abbat for dedications or ordinations, nor shall they cite their -priests to their synods or chapters, or to any of their courts, nor -shall they suspend them from their holy office, or presume to exercise -any right over them whatever. The abbat shall cause any bishop of the -same province he pleases to ordain his monks, and the clerks of the -aforesaid churches, according to the ancient custom of the church of -Glastonbury, and the apostolical authority of archbishop Dunstan, and -of all the bishops of my kingdom; but the dedications of the churches -we consign to the bishop of Wells, if he be required by the abbat. At -Easter let him receive the chrism of sanctification, and the oil from -the bishop of Wells, according to custom, and distribute them to his -before mentioned churches. This too I command above all other things: -on the curse of God, and by my authority, saving the right of the -holy Roman church, and that of Canterbury, I inhibit all persons, of -whatever dignity, be they king, or bishop, or earl, or prince, or any -of my dependants, from daring to enter the bounds of Glastonbury, or -of the above named parishes, for the purpose of searching, seizing, -holding courts, or doing any thing to the prejudice of the servants of -God there residing. The abbat and convent shall alone have power in -causes known and unknown, in small and in great, and in every thing -as we have before related. And whosoever, upon any occasion, whatever -be his dignity, whatever his order, whatever his profession, shall -attempt to pervert or nullify the pre-eminency of this my privilege by -sacrilegious boldness, let him be aware that he must without a doubt -give account thereof, with fear and trembling, before a severe Judge, -unless he first endeavour to make reparation by proper satisfaction.” -The charter of this privilege the aforesaid king Edgar confirmed by his -own signature at London, in the twelfth year of his reign, with the -common consent of his nobles; and in the same year, which was the 965th -of our Lord’s incarnation, and the 14th of the indiction, pope John, -in a general assembly, authorized it at Rome, and made all the men of -chief dignity who presided at that council confirm it; and also, from -motives of paternal regard, sent a letter to the following effect to -earl Alfric, who was then grievously persecuting the aforesaid church:-- - -“Bishop John, servant of the servants of God, to Alfric the -distinguished earl, and our dearly beloved son in the Spirit, perpetual -health and apostolical benediction. We have learned, from the report of -certain faithful people, that you commit many enormities against the -church of the holy mother of God, called Mary of Glastonbury, which is -acknowledged to belong solely to, and to be under the protection of, -the Roman Pontiff, from the earliest times; and that you have seized -with boundless rapacity upon its estates and possessions, and even -the churches of Brent and Pilton, which, by the gift of king Ina, it -legally possesses, together with other churches, that is to say, Sowy, -Martine, Budecal, Shapwick, and that on account of your near residence -you are a continual enemy to its interests. It would, however, have -been becoming, from your living so near, that by your assistance the -holy church of God might have been much benefited and enriched; but, -horrible to say! it is impoverished by your hostility, and injured -by your deeds of oppression; and since we doubt not that we, though -unworthily, have received from St. Peter the apostle the care of all -the churches, and solicitude for all things; we therefore admonish your -affection, to abstain from plundering it, for the love of the apostles -Peter and Paul, and respect to us, invading none of its possessions, -churches, chapels, places, and estates; but if you persist, remember, -that by the authority of the chief of the apostles, committed unto -us, you shall be excommunicated and banished from the company of the -faithful, subjected to a perpetual curse, and doomed to eternal fire -with the traitor Judas.” - -[187] Glastonbury is situated on land which was once an island formed -by a stagnation of inland waters, in a low situation. - -[188] The twelfth of Edgar was 971. - -[189] Here is an omission, apparently, which may be supplied from the -Ang. Sac. ii. p. 33. “A piece of ground, to wit, of ten farms (or -manors), called Estotun,” &c. G. Malm. de Vita Adhelmi. - -[190] Edgar’s laws for the punishment of offenders were horribly -severe. The eyes were put out, nostrils slit, ears torn off, hands and -feet cut off, and, finally, after the scalp had been torn off, the -miserable wretches were left exposed to birds or beasts of prey. V. -Acta Sanctor. Jul. 2, in Vita Swythuni. - -[191] Whorwell, Hants. - -[192] This seems to have been founded on the singular circumstance of -his not having been crowned till within two years of his death. - -[193] Virg. Æn. ii. 169. - -[194] When the question was agitated, whether the monks should be -supported or the canons restored, the crucifix is said to have -exclaimed, “Far be it from you: you have done well; to change again -would be wrong.” See Edmer, and Osberne, Angl. Sacra, ii. 219, 112. - -[195] The life of Elphege, by Osberne, is in the Anglia Sacra, ii. 122. - -[196] Ulfkytel attacked the Danes near Thetford, A.D. 1004, and though -compelled to retreat, yet occasioned so severe a loss to the enemy, -that they are said to have acknowledged that they had never endured a -more powerful attack. See Flor. Wigorn., and the Saxon Chronicle, A.D. -1004. - -[197] At Assingdon in Essex, A.D. 1016. - -[198] In several of the manuscripts there is an omission of several -words which has made nonsense of the whole paragraph. Its restoration -is due to Mr. Hardy, in whose edition of William of Malmesbury it is -given correctly from MS. authority. - -[199] That is, when he had attained that age when a man settles, or -chooses his future line of conduct; or, to years of discretion. This -Pythagoras represented by the form of the letter Y, or the Greek -_gamma_. - -[200] Hermenegild the eldest son of Leovigild. He was invested by -his father with the royal diadem and the principality of Bœtica, and -contracted an alliance with Ingundis, daughter of Sigebert, king -of Austrasia. Ingundis was persecuted, and at length killed by her -husband’s mother, on account of her Catholic faith. Leander, archbishop -of Seville, easily persuaded Hermenegild to resent the treatment of -his bride, and assisted him in an attempt to dethrone his father. -Hermenegild was taken and sentenced to death for his rebellion. The -inflexible constancy, with which he refused to accept the Arian -communion, from which he had been converted by Leander, as the price -of his safety, procured for him the honour of being enrolled among the -saints of the Romish church.--HARDY. - -[201] Isidore was bishop of Seville in the sixth century. - -[202] An instrument for making celestial observations. The reader who -is conversant with the Arabian Nights’ Entertainments will remember its -being frequently mentioned in that amusing book. - -[203] The abacus was a counting table: here it seems used -metaphorically for arithmetic, Gerbert having written a treatise on -arithmetic with that title. The authors of the Hist. Litt. de la -France, t. vi. understand him literally, as stealing a book containing -the principles of the science, and then confound this supposed book -with the conjuring treatise mentioned below. They also seem very -much displeased with Malmesbury for relating these tales of their -countryman, and attribute them to cardinal Benno; but there is nothing -of this kind in his work published by Goldastus, and in Brown’s -Fasciculus, t. i. - -[204] Ovid. Amor. iii. iv. 17. - -[205] This was perhaps a necessary precaution, according to the rules -of the necromantic art. - -[206] His treatise so called. - -[207] Macrob. in Somn. Scip. i. 20. - -[208] Josephus Antiq. Jud. 1. vii. c. 15. viii. 2. - -[209] In the fabulous Itinerary of St. Peter, falsely attributed to -Clemens Romanus, Simon is represented as causing Faustinianus to assume -his countenance, by rubbing his face with a medicated unguent, to the -great alarm of his sons, who mistook him for Simon, and fled until -recalled by St. Peter. - -[210] Other MSS. read Otbert. - -[211] “Living, formerly called Elfstan, was translated from Wells to -Canterbury in the year 1013; he died, 12th June, 1020.”--HARDY. - -[212] Malmesbury seems to have fallen into some confusion here. The -murder of the Danes took place on St. Brice’s day, A.D. 1002, and -accordingly we find Sweyn infesting England in 1003 and the following -year (see Saxon Chronicle): but this his second arrival took place, -A.D. 1013: so that the avenging the murder of his sister Gunhilda could -hardly be the object of his present attack. - -[213] Matins were sometimes performed shortly after midnight. - -[214] It was customary to hold a chapter immediately after primes. - -[215] Sweyn died Feb. 3, A.D. 1014. - -[216] The monastery of St. Edmundbury. - -[217] He here considers Ledo to imply the spring tide; but others say -it means the neap, and express the former by Malina. See Du Cange. - -[218] Corsham, in Wiltshire? - -[219] March 12th, but the Saxon Chronicle says St. George’s day, 23d -April. - -[220] In Somersetshire? - -[221] Sceorstan is conjectured to be near Chipping Norton.--SHARP. -Supposed to be a stone which divided the four counties of Oxford, -Gloucester, Worcester and Warwick.--HARDY. - -[222] He passed the Thames at Brentford, followed them into Kent, and -defeated them at Aylesford. Saxon Chron. - -[223] Thought to be either Assingdon, Ashdown in Essex, or Aston in -Berkshire. - -[224] Henry Huntingdon says they actually engaged, and that Canute -finding himself likely to be worsted, proposed the division.--H. Hunt. -1. 6. - -[225] “Florence of Worcester and the Saxon Chronicle place his death -on the 30th of November, 1016. Florence, however, adds the year of the -indiction, which corresponds with A.D. 1017.”--HARDY. - -[226] The Danish chiefs were apprehensive that he would excite -commotions in their country; in consequence of which he was ultimately -despatched.--Ang. Sac. ii. 144. - -[227] He returned by the way of Denmark. Florence of Worcester. - -[228] St. Angelo in Calabria. - -[229] The several princes, through whose territories their passage lay, -exacted large sums for permission to pass; apparently in the defiles of -the Alps. - -[230] A penny for every plough, that is, for as much land as a plough -could till, to be distributed to the poor: it was payable in fifteen -days from Easter. - -[231] Payable at Whitsuntide. - -[232] A certain quantity of corn. Though it also implies, occasionally, -other kinds of offerings. - -[233] A forfeiture to the king, but varying according to the nature of -the offence. - -[234] This seems to be the meaning: he has probably in view the -practice of the early princes of the Norman line, who swore to observe -the laws of king Edward. - -[235] Dean of Canterbury. - -[236] This appears merely intended to express that he received the pall -from the pope. The two transactions are inverted; he went to Rome A.D. -1021, and translated Elphege’s body A.D. 1023. - -[237] Augustine, bishop of Hippo. - -[238] He was bishop of Selsey, which see was afterwards removed to -Chichester. - -[239] The whole country round Glastonbury is flat and marshy, bearing -evident marks of having formerly been covered by water. - -[240] “See the letter of Fulbert to king Canute (an. 1020 aut 1021.) -No. xliv., p. 466. tom. x. Rec. des Hist. de la France. Fulberti -Carnot. Episc. Op. Var. 8vo. par. 1608. Epist. xcvii. p. 92.”--HARDY. - -[241] Though several French chronicles give nearly the same account of -Odo being the elder brother, the learned editors of the Recueil des -Historiens de France insist that the assertion is false. - -[242] “After the death of Canute, the kingdom was at first divided: the -northern part fell to the share of Harold, and Hardecanute obtained the -southern division. In the year 1037, Harold was chosen to reign over -all England, (Flor. Wigorn.)”--HARDY. - -[243] This he notices, because there was a suspicion that she had -imposed the children of a priest and of a cobbler on Canute as her own. -V. Flor. Wigorn. - -[244] The Saxon Chronicle says March 17: it also makes Hardecanute -arrive on the 18th of June. - -[245] The printed Saxon Chronicle has no mention of this transaction, -but there are two manuscripts which relate it. The story appears true -in the main, but it is told with so much variety of time, place, &c., -that it is difficult to ascertain its real circumstances. See MSS. -Cott. Tib. b. i. and iv. - -[246] It seems to mean a page, or personal attendant: some MSS. read -“alumnus sturni;” apparently the keeper of her starling. There appears -to have been a sort of romance on this subject. The youth is said to -have been a dwarf, and therefore named Mimicon: his gigantic adversary -was Roddingar. V. Matt. West. and Joh. Brompton. - -[247] These people inhabited the country on and near the southern coast -of the Baltic. - -[248] Clerk was a general term including every degree of orders, from -the bishop downwards to the chanter. A story near similar has been -told of the celebrated Eginhard and the daughter of Charlemagne. V. Du -Chesne, Script. Franc. T. ii. - -[249] This brief allusion to Macbeth rather disproves the historical -accuracy of Shakespere. See the Saxon Chronicle. - -[250] This seems the foundation of the fable of Emma and the -Ploughshares: as the first apparent promulgator of it was a constant -reader and amplifier of Malmesbury. See Ric. Divisiensis, MS. C. C. C. -Cant. No. 339. - -[251] “Eadsine was translated from Winchester to Canterbury in 1038. -The Saxon Chronicle (p. 416) states, that he consecrated Edward, at -Winchester, on Easter day, and before all people well admonished -him.”--HARDY. - -[252] Eustace II, surnamed _Aux Grenons_. He succeeded his father, -Eustace I, in 1049; and married, in 1050, Goda, daughter of king -Ethelbert, and widow of Gauthier comte de Mantes, by whom he had no -issue; but by his wife Ida he left three sons; Eustace, who succeeded -him, Godefroi, created, in 1076, marquis d’Anvers by the emperor Henry -IV, and afterwards duc de Bouillon, was elected king of Jerusalem in -1099, (23rd July); and, dying 18th July, 1100, was succeeded by his -brother Baudouin, comte d’Edesse.--HARDY. - -[253] He means Dover; according to the Saxon Chronicle, from which he -borrows the account. Eustace stopped at Canterbury to refresh himself, -and his people, and afterwards set out for Dover.--Sax. Chron. page 421. - -[254] Earl Godwin’s second wife’s name was Gytha. (Saxon Chron. and -Flor. Wigorn.)--HARDY. - -[255] Sweyn had debauched an abbess, and being enraged that he was not -allowed to retain her as his wife, he fled to Flanders. Shortly after -he returned, and intreated Bruno or Beorn to accompany him to the king, -and to intercede for his pardon: but it should seem this was a mere -pretence; as he forced him on ship-board, and then put him to death. V. -Flor. Wigorn, A.D. 1049. Chron. Sax. A.D. 1046, p. 419. - -[256] “Pagi places the commencement of Gregory’s papacy in May 1044, -but Ughelli cites a charter in which the month of August, 1045, is -stated to be in the first year of his pontificate. He was deposed at a -council held at Sutri, on Christmas-day, A.D. 1046, for having obtained -the holy see by simony. Mr. Sharpe remarks that Malmesbury’s character -of this pope is considered as apocryphal. Compare Rodul Glaber, lib. v. -c. 5.”--HARDY. - -[257] “Steteruntque comæ, et vox faucibus hæsit.”--Virgil, Æneid iii. -48. - -[258] There are various stories of this kind in Gregory’s Dialogues. - -[259] The original is as follows: - - Filius Evandri Pallas, quem lancea Turni - Militis occidit, more suo jacet hic. - -I am unable to say who was the author of this epigram, but it is not -too hazardous to assert that it was not composed either by Ennius or by -any other ancient poet. - -[260] There seems no reason to doubt the truth of this circumstance, -since the exhibition of the Siamese twins, the most extraordinary -_lusus naturæ_ that has occurred in the nineteenth century. Medical -science, aided by comparative anatomy, has ascertained that the bodies -of both man and the brute creation are susceptible of combinations--not -usually occurring in the course of nature,--which in former times were -thought impossible, and as such were universally disbelieved. - -[261] Sometimes called St. Audry. She was abbess of Ely monastery. St. -Werburga was patroness of Chester monastery. - -[262] Archbishop of Canterbury, from A.D. 1006 to 1012. See Sax. -Chronicle, pp. 402, 403. - -[263] Bede, book iv. chap. 14. There are some MSS. which want this -chapter. The former editor of Bede accounts for it very satisfactorily; -stating that a very ancient MS. in the Cotton Collection has a note -marking that a leaf was here wanting; and that those which want the -chapter were transcripts of this imperfect MS. - -[264] Acca, bishop of Hexham, A.D. 710, and a great friend of venerable -Bede, who inscribed to him many of his works. - -[265] Or Elbert. See b. i. c. i. p. 15. - -[266] He was at the same time bishop of Worcester, and archbishop of -York. - -[267] See b. i. c. 4, p. 78. - -[268] “Concerning St. Wistan, consult MSS. Harl. 2253. _De Martyrio S. -Wistani._”--HARDY. - -[269] Repton. - -[270] Thought to be the Devil’s Dyke, on Newmarket Heath. - -[271] He was tied to a tree, and shot to death with arrows. Abbo -Floriacensis. - -[272] This boundary is said to have been formed by Canute, in -consequence of his father Sweyn having been killed by St. Edmund in -a vision for attempting to plunder his territory. See Malm. de Gest. -Pontif. lib. ii. f. 136, b. edit. Lond. - -[273] Faremoutier in Brie. - -[274] Hist. Eccl. b. iii. c. 8, p. 122. - -[275] In b. i, c. 1, p. 15, it is said the compensation for their -murder was made to their mother; but here she is called their sister, -which is the general account. When it was left to her to estimate this -compensation (i. e. their weregild), she asked as much land as her stag -should compass, at one course, in the Isle of Thanet; where she founded -the monastery of Minster. Vide W. Thorn. col. 1910, and Natale S. -Mildrythæ; (Saxonicè), MS. Cott. Calig. A. xiv. 4. - -[276] “Mild” gentle. - -[277] In Shropshire. - -[278] The Seven Sleepers were inhabitants of Ephesus; six were persons -of some consequence, the seventh their servant. During the Decian -persecution they retired to a cave, whence they despatched their -attendant occasionally to purchase food for them. Decius, hearing this, -ordered the mouth of the cave to be stopped up while the fugitives were -sleeping. After a lapse of some hundred years, a part of the masonry -at the mouth of the cave falling, the light flowing in awakened them. -Thinking they had enjoyed a good night’s rest, they despatched their -servant to buy provision. He finds all appear strange in Ephesus, and -a whimsical dialogue takes place, the citizens accusing him of having -found hidden treasure, he persisting that he offered the current coin -of the empire. At length the attention of the emperor is excited, and -he goes in company with the bishop to visit them. They relate their -story and shortly after expire. In consequence of the miracle they were -considered as martyrs. See Capgrave, Legenda Nova. - -[279] On the Norman conquest many English fled to Constantinople, where -they were eagerly received by Alexius, and opposed to the Normans under -Robert Guiscard. Orderic. Vitalis, p. 508. - -[280] Victor II. succeeded Leo IX. in 1056, and died in 1057. Stephen -or Frederic, brother of duke Godefroi, succeeded Victor II. on the -second of August, 1057, and Nicolaus became pope in 1059. - -[281] That is, of Malmesbury. This Elmer is not to be confounded with -Elmer or Ailmer prior of Canterbury. - -[282] Died and was buried at St. Paul’s. Sax. Chron. A. 1057. - -[283] It is hardly necessary to observe, that the succession of William -is one of the most obscure points in our history. - -[284] Near Chichester. - -[285] It was customary for the king to wear his crown on the solemn -festivals of Easter, Whitsuntide, and Christmas: it being placed on his -head in due form by the archbishop. - -[286] “Westminster Abbey was consecrated on the 28th of December, 1065. -Ailred of Rievaulx, in his Life of Edward, states that the church had -been commenced some years before, in performance of a vow the king had -made to go to Rome; but being dissuaded from it, he sent to the pope -to obtain his dispensation from that journey; the pope granted it, on -condition that Edward should, with the money he would have spent in -that voyage, build a monastery in honour of St. Peter.”--HARDY. - -[287] The battle of Stanford-bridge was fought on the 25th of -September, 1066. See Saxon. Chron. p. 440. - -[288] What Malmesbury here relates is highly probable, from the -shortness of the time which elapsed from William’s landing, to the -battle of Hastings,--only fifteen days. In this period, therefore, the -intelligence was to be conveyed to York, and Harold’s march into Sussex -to be completed; of course few could accompany him, but such as were -mounted. - -[289] Will. Pictaviensis, to whom he seems here to allude, asserts that -Harold had collected immense forces from all parts of England; and that -Denmark had supplied him with auxiliaries also. But the circumstances -mentioned in the preceding note show the absurdity of this statement. - -[290] “Robert’s expedition to Jerusalem was in 1035,” (Bouq. 14, 420.) - -[291] Ecclesiast. x. 16. - -[292] Geoffrey II., son of Foulques III., earl of Anjou, whom he -succeeded, A.D. 1040. - -[293] “He was the son of Hugh de Montgomery and Jemima his wife, -daughter of Turolf of Pont-Andomare, by Wora, sister of Gunnora, -great-grandmother to the Conqueror. He led the centre of the army -at the battle of Hastings, and was afterwards governor of Normandy. -William the Conqueror gave him the earldoms of Arundel and Shrewsbury. -See more of him in Sir H. Ellis’s Introduction to Domesday, vol. i. p. -479.”--HARDY. - -[294] “For an account of the earls of Anjou consult the Gesta Consulum -Andegavensium, auctore Monacho Benedictino Majoris Monasterii (apud -Acherium, tom, iii.)”--HARDY. - -[295] To carry a saddle was a punishment of extreme ignominy for -certain crimes. See another instance in W. Gemeticensis, Du Chesne, -p. 259, and Du Cange, in voce “Sella;” who very justly supposes the -disgrace to arise from the offender acknowledging himself a brute, and -putting himself entirely in the power of the person he had offended. - -[296] “From this passage it is clear that Foulques IV. was still -the reigning earl of Anjou, which therefore proves that Malmesbury -had finished this work before 1129, in which year Geoffrey le Bel, -better known as Geoffrey Plantagenet, son of Foulques, became earl of -Anjou.”--HARDY. - -[297] Terent. Andr. iv. 1. - -[298] “These words seem to imply that the Great Council of the kingdom -had never agreed to any settlement of the crown on the duke; and -without such sanction no oath made by Harold in favour of William would -have been binding.”--HARDY. - -[299] Some copies omit from “it is wonderful,” to “But,” and substitute -as follows:-- ... “that in the course of a very few years, many, if not -all, things were seen changed in either order. The former became, in -some respects, more dull but more liberal: the latter, more prudent in -every thing, but more penurious; yet both, in defending their country, -valiant in battle, provident in counsel; prepared to advance their own -fortune, and to depress that of their enemies.” - -[300] This passage enables us to ascertain nearly the year in which -William of Malmesbury’s work was written. - -[301] “There are two places called St. Valeri; one in Picardy, situated -at the mouth of the Somme, and formerly called Leugonaus; the other is -a large sea-port town, situated in Normandy, in the diocese of Rouen, -and was formerly called S. Valeri les Plains, but now S. Valeri en -Caux. It seems to be the former place to which Malmesbury here refers, -‘In Pontivo apud S. Walericum in ancoris congrue stare fecit,’ writes -William of Jumièges.”--HARDY. - -[302] This was said in allusion to the feudal investiture, or formal -act of taking possession of an estate by the delivery of certain -symbols. “This story, however, is rendered a little suspicious by these -words being in exact conformity with those of Cæsar, when he stumbled -and fell at his landing in Africa, _Teneo te, Africa_. The silence of -William of Poitou, who was the duke’s chaplain, and with him at his -landing, makes the truth of it still more doubtful.”--HARDY. - -[303] “Whatever may have been the conqueror’s orders, to restrain his -army from plundering, it is conclusive, from the Domesday Survey, that -they were of no avail. The whole of the country, in the neighbourhood -of Hastings, appears to have been laid waste. Sir Henry Ellis, in -the last edition of his General Introduction to Domesday, observes, -that the destruction occasioned by the conqueror’s army on its first -arrival, is apparent more particularly under Hollington, Bexhill, -&c. The value of each manor is given as it stood in the reign of the -conqueror; afterwards it is said, ‘vastatum fuit;’ and then follows -the value at the time of the survey. The situation of those manors -evidently shows their devastated state to have been owing to the -army marching over it; and this clearly evinces another circumstance -relating to the invasion, which is, that William did not land his -army at one particular spot, at Bulwerhithe, or Hastings, as is -supposed,--but at all the several proper places for landing along the -coast, from Bexhill to Winchelsea.”--HARDY. - -[304] Lib. v. c. 14. - -[305] This is from W. Pictaviensis, who puts it in the mouth of the -conqueror, but it is evidently false; for Godwin died A.D. 1053, Siward -A.D. 1055, and in 1054 we find Edward the Confessor sending for his -nephew from Hungary, to make him his successor in the kingdom, who, -accordingly, arrives in A.D. 1057, and dies almost immediately after. -He could not, therefore, have made the settlement as here asserted. - -[306] As the armour of that time was of mail, this might easily happen. - -[307] What this was is not known; but it is supposed to have been -a ballad or romance, commemorating the heroic achievements of the -pretended nephew of Charlemagne. - -[308] “There seems to have been a fabulous story current during the -twelfth century, that Harold escaped from the battle of Hastings. -Giraldus Cambrensis asserts, that it was believed Harold had fled from -the battle-field, pierced with many wounds, and with the loss of his -left eye; and that he ended his days piously and virtuously, as an -anchorite, at Chester. Both Knighton and Brompton quote this story. -W. Pictaviensis says, that William refused the body to his mother, -who offered its weight in gold for it, ordering it to be buried on -the sea-coast. In the Harleian MS. 3776, before referred to, Girth, -Harold’s brother, is said to have escaped alive: he is represented, in -his interview with Henry II. to have spoken mysteriously respecting -Harold, and to have declared that the body of that prince was not at -Waltham. Sir H. Ellis, quoting this MS., justly observes, that the -whole was, probably, the fabrication of one of the secular canons, who -were ejected at the re-foundation of Waltham Abbey in 1177.”--HARDY. - -[309] Four manuscripts read _Exoniam_, and one, namely, that which -was used by Savile, read _Oxoniam_. But Matthew Paris also seems to -have read _Exoniam_, for such is the text of the two best MSS. of -that author. (Reg. 14, c. vii. and Cott. Nero, D. V.) Upon a passage -in the Domesday Survey, describing Oxford as containing 478 houses, -which were so desolated that they could not pay gold, Sir H. Ellis -remarks: “The extraordinary number of houses specified as desolated at -Oxford, requires explanation. If the passage is correct, Matthew Paris -probably gives us the cause of it, under the year 1067, when William -the Conqueror subdued _Oxford_ in his way to York:--‘Eodem tempore rex -Willielmus urbem Oxoniam sibi rebellem obsidione vallavit. Super cujus -murum quidam, stans, nudato inguine, sonitu partis inferioris auras -turbavit, in contemptum videlicet Normannorum; unde Willielmus in iram -conversus, civitatem levi negotio subjugavit.’ (Matt. P. ed. Watts, -sub ann. 1067, p. 4.) The siege of Exeter in 1067 is also mentioned -by Simeon of Durham, col. 197; Hoveden, col. 258; Ralph de Diceto, -col. 482; Flor. of Worces. fol. Franc. 1601, p. 635; and by Ordericus -Vitalis, p. 510.”--HARDY. - -[310] Domesday Book bears ample testimony to this statement; and that -which closely follows, viz. that the resources of this once-flourishing -province were cut off by fire, slaughter, and devastation; and -the ground, for more than sixty miles, totally uncultivated and -unproductive, remains bare to the present day. The land, which had -belonged to Edwin and Morcar in Yorkshire, almost everywhere in -the Survey is stated to be _wasta_; and in Amunderness, after the -enumeration of no fewer than sixty-two places, the possessions in -which amounted to one hundred and seventy carucates, it is said, -‘Omnes hæ villæ jacent ad Prestune, et tres ecclesiæ. Ex his 16 a -paucis incoluntur, sed quot sint habitantes ignoratur. Reliqua sunt -wasta.’ Moreover, _wasta_ is added to numerous places belonging to the -archbishop of York, St. John of Beverley, the bishop of Durham, and -to those lands which had belonged to Waltheof, Gospatric, Siward, and -Merlesweyne!--HARDY. - -[311] Fordun has a story of Edgar’s being cleared from an accusation of -treason against W. Rufus, by one Godwin, in a duel; whose son, Robert, -is afterwards described as one of Edgar’s adherents in Scotland. L. v. -c. 27-34. “The Saxon Chronicle states, that in the year 1106, he was -one of the prisoners taken at the battle of Tinchebrai, in Normandy. -Edgar is stated, by Dr. Sayers, in his Disquisitions, 8vo, 1808, p. -296, upon the authority of the Spelman MSS., to have again visited -Scotland at a very advanced period of life, and died in that kingdom in -the year 1120. If this date can be relied upon, the passage above noted -would prove that Malmesbury had written this portion of his history -before the close of that year.”--HARDY. - -[312] “Earl Waltheof, or Wallef, as he is always styled in Domesday -Book, was, according to the Saxon Chronicle, beheaded at Winchester on -the 31st May, 1076. The Chronicle of Mailros and Florence of Worcester, -however, assign this event to the preceding year.”--HARDY. - -[313] “Harold’s master of the horse. He was killed in 1068, in -opposing the sons of Harold, when they came upon their expedition from -Ireland.”--HARDY. - -[314] “W. Fitz-Osberne was only the father-in-law of Ralph de -Guader.”--HARDY. - -[315] There is considerable difficulty in distinguishing exactly -the various meanings of the term “miles.” Sometimes it is, in its -legitimate sense, a soldier generally; sometimes it implies a horseman, -and frequently it is to be taken in its modern acceptation for a -knight; the latter appears to be the meaning here. - -[316] “Charles, called the Good. He was the son of Canute IV, king of -Denmark, and Adele, daughter of Robert le Frison. He succeeded Boudouin -VII, as earl of Flanders (17th June, 1119,) and died 2nd March, -1127.”--HARDY. - -[317] “King William now went over sea, and led his army to Brittany, -and beset the castle of Dol; but the Bretons defended it, until the -king came from France; whereupon king William departed thence, having -lost there both men and horses, and many of his treasures, (Sax. Chron. -A.D. 1076.) This event is more correctly attributed by Florence and -others to the preceding year.”--HARDY. - -[318] Domesday book. This invaluable record, which has been printed -by order of the House of Commons, contains a survey of the kingdom, -noting, generally, for there are some variations in different counties, -the proprietors and value of lands, both at the time of the survey -and during the reign of Edward the Confessor, the quantity of arable, -wood, and pasture, &c. the various kinds of tenants and slaves on each -estate, and, in some instances, the stock; also the number of hides -at which it was rated, for the public service, with various other -particulars. - -[319] Sweyn succeeded to the kingdom of Denmark on the death of Magnus -in 1047. - -[320] Man and Anglesey. - -[321] Nicolas reigned from A.D. 1105 to A.D. 1135, June 25, when he was -murdered. - -[322] “Hoveden, who follows Malmesbury, adds that Alexius married, -crowned, and then burnt alive his female accomplice.”--HARDY. - -[323] Archdeacon, and afterwards chancellor. Baronius, x. 289. - -[324] He was elected pope the 22nd of April, 1073, and died 25th May, -1085.--HARDY. - -[325] Investiture was a symbolical mode of receiving possession of a -benefice, dignity, or office. - -[326] This seems intended to denote his absolute submission, and -willingness to undergo any kind of penance which might be enjoined upon -him. Sometimes excommunicated persons wore a halter about their necks; -sometimes they were shorn or scourged prior to receiving absolution. -Vide Basnage, pref. in Canisium, p. 69, 70. - -[327] “The abbey of St. Stephen’s, Caen, is stated to have been -completed in 1064, but when it was dedicated is not accurately known: -some fix the dedication in 1073, others in 1081, and Orderic in 1077. -There was, however, a foundation charter granted subsequently to 1066, -for in it William styles himself King.”--HARDY. - -[328] “The convent of the Holy Trinity was founded by Matilda 1066, and -its church dedicated on the 18th of June in that year. Duke William -on the same day, presenting at the altar his infant daughter Cecilia, -devoted her to the service of God in this monastery, where she became -the second abbess.”--HARDY. - -[329] “This disgraceful contention happened in the year 1083. It seems -to have arisen from the abbat (Thurstan) attempting to introduce a new -chant, brought from Feschamp, instead of the Gregorian, to which the -monks had been accustomed.”--HARDY. - -[330] Bracton says (lib. ii. c. 8, sec. 4), that the bishop of Durham -had as full power in the county of Durham as the king in his own -palace. The privileges of the see of Durham trace back to the time of -St. Cuthbert. - -[331] Walker offered to purge himself by oath from all participation in -the murder. See Flor. Wig. A.D. 1080. - -[332] “Matilda died 2nd Nov. 1083. She bequeathed to this monastery -her crown, sceptre, and ornaments of state. A copy of her will may be -seen in the Essais Historiques, by the Abbé de la Rue, tom. ii. p. -437.”--HARDY. - -[333] Some MSS. omit from “a dreadful spectacle,” to the end of the -paragraph, and substitute thus, “Here he willingly passed his time, -here he delighted to follow the chase, I will not say for days but even -months together. Here, too, many accidents befell the royal race, which -the recent recollection of the inhabitants supplies to inquirers.” - -[334] Agatha and Adeliza were their names, according to Ordericus -Vitalis, (lib. iv. 512.) - -[335] Some MSS. omit from “money,” to “I have,” and substitute, This he -sought all opportunities of collecting, provided he could allege that -they were honourable, and not unbecoming the royal dignity. But he will -readily be excused, because a new government cannot be administered -without large revenues. I have, &c. - -[336] The Romish ritual directs the woman to kneel, with a lighted -taper in her hand, at the church door, where she is sprinkled with holy -water, and afterwards conducted into the church. The practice seems -connected with the festival of the Purification. Vide Durand, lib. vii. -c. 7. - -[337] Sixty shillings down, and as much more afterwards. Orderic. Vital. - -[338] ... lanistarum vel pellificum. It seems a sneer at the sanguinary -disposition of the Roman people, and at the bulls of the pope. In a -dispute on the credibility of evidence adduced, it is observed, that -the oral testimony of three bishops was certainly to be preferred “to -sheep-skins blackened with ink and loaded with a leaden seal.” Edmer. -Hist. Nov. p. 65. - -[339] Marianus was born in Ireland A.D. 1028, and was compiler of a -celebrated chronicle, which is the basis of Florence of Worcester. His -imagined correction of Dionysius is founded in error. - -[340] See the letters which passed on this subject between Lanfranc and -Thomas archbishop of York in Lanfranci Opera, ed. J. A. Giles, 2 vols. -8vo. forming vols. 21 and 22 of Patres Ecclesiæ Anglicanæ. - -[341] Two of the MSS., used by Mr. Hardy, place here the dedicatory -epistle of the author to Robert Earl of Gloucester, which we have -placed at the commencement of the work. - -[342] “At this period the custom of receiving knighthood from the -hands of bishops or abbats yet obtained. There is a law of Henry I., -prohibiting abbats from making knights.”--HARDY. - -[343] The 27th of September. - -[344] Persius, Sat. i. 85. - -[345] On their own lands, it should seem from Sax. Chron., p. 465. - -[346] Nidering is supposed by Somner to denote such as were infamous -enough to rifle a dead body. Gavelk. 65. Lye renders it, nequam, -exlex,--infamous, outlaw. MS. Nithing. Spelman derives it from nidus: -but there is no authority for either interpretation; and in such -cases it is safer, to confess ignorance than to mislead the reader by -fanciful etymologies. - -[347] This crucifix was very celebrated; it being pretended that it was -the work of Nicodemus. “See further on this subject in the Rev. J. E. -Tyler’s interesting volume, entitled, ‘Oaths, their origin, nature, and -history.’ London: 8vo, pp. 289-296.”--HARDY. - -[348] Cicero de Officiis, ii. 15. Much of the argument is borrowed from -the same source. - -[349] Some read, “The king used to laugh,” &c. - -[350] This is unintelligible to the English reader. The author uses the -word “firmarius,” which certainly would not have conveyed the idea of a -“farmer” to the mind of either Cicero or Horace. - -[351] Those who followed the court, being under no kind of control, -were in the habit of plundering and devastating the country wherever -they went. When they were unable to consume whatever they found in -their lodgings, they would sell it to the best bidder, or destroy it -with fire; or if it were liquor, after washing their horses’ legs with -a part, they let the remainder run. “As to their cruelty towards their -hosts, or their unseemly conduct towards their wives and daughters, it -is shameful even to remember.”--Edmer. Hist. Nov. p. 94. - -[352] These shoes, which gave occasion for various ordinances for their -regulation or abolition, during several successive centuries, are said -to have owed their invention to Fulk, earl of Anjou, in order to hide -his ill-formed feet. Orderic. Vitalis, p. 682: who also observes, that -the first improver, by adding the long curved termination, was a fellow -(quidam nebulo) in the court of William Rufus, named Robert. - -[353] Others read, “The palace of the king was not the abode of -majesty, but the stews of pathics.” - -[354] Edmer, besides constant mention of Anselm in his Historia -Novorum, wrote his life also, in a separate form. - -[355] A Jewish youth imagined that St. Stephen had appeared to him, and -commanded him to be baptized: this he obeyed. His father immediately -flew to the king, earnestly entreating an order for his son to be -restored to the faith of his ancestors. The king not discovering any -advantage as likely to accrue to himself, remained silent: on this the -Jew offers him sixty marks, on condition that he would restore his -son to Judaism. William then orders the youth to be brought before -him; relates his father’s complaint, and commands him to renounce his -baptism. The lad, astonished, replies, “Your majesty is joking surely.” -“I joke with thee,” exclaims the king, “thou son of ordure! begone, -and obey my commands instantly, or by the cross at Lucca I will have -your eyes torn out.” The young man remaining inflexible, he drove him -from his presence. The father was then ordered before the king, who -desired him to pay down the money he had promised; but, on the Jew’s -remonstrating that he had not reconverted his son, and the king’s -declaring that his labour was not to go unrewarded, it was agreed that -he should receive half the sum. Edmer, Hist. Novor. p. 47. - -[356] “Compater” sometimes means a friend or companion. - -[357] Pharsalia, lib. ii. 515--v. 580. - -[358] “It has been inferred from this passage, that Malmesbury states -the tower of London was built by William Rufus. There appears, however, -little doubt that the principal building, now called the White Tower, -was commenced by the Conqueror, and finished by Rufus, under the -superintendence of Gundulph, bishop of Rochester.”--HARDY. - -[359] “The tradition of William having met his death by the hand of Sir -Walter Tirel, whilst hunting in the New Forest, is generally received; -but Suger, a contemporary historian, and, as it seems, a friend of -Tirel, in his Life of Louis le Gros, king of France, alluding to the -death of Rufus, observes, ‘Imponebatur a quibusdam cuidam nobili -Gualtero Tirello quod eum sagitta perfoderat: quem, cum nec timeret nec -speraret, jurejurando sæpius audivimus quasi sacrosanctum asserere, -quod ea die nec in eam partem silvæ, in qua rex venebatur, venerit, nec -eum in silva omnino viderit.’ See also Edmer, Hist. Nov. p. 54, and -Ord. Vit. Hist. Eccles. lib. x. p. 783.”--HARDY. - -[360] It fell A.D. 1107. An. Winton. - -[361] By this probably is to be understood the payment of Peter-pence. -Anselm had offended the king, by acknowledging Urban without consulting -him. - -[362] Juvenal, Sat. i. 37. - -[363] A kind of woollen shirt. - -[364] The concluding psalms of the matin service. - -[365] The Horæ, or canonical services, were matins, primes, tierce, -sexts, nones, vespers, and complines. - -[366] The Ambrosian ritual prevailed pretty generally till the time of -Charlemagne, who adopted the Gregorian. Durandus (lib. v. c. 1) has a -curious account of an experiment, on the result of which was founded -the general reception of the latter, and the confining the former -chiefly to Milan, the church of St. Ambrose. - -[367] The learned Mabillon appears much displeased with Malmesbury, for -the motives here assigned for abbat Robert’s quitting Citeaux. Vide -Ann. Benedictinor. - -[368] From the French “losenge,” adulation. - -[369] Alluding to the legend of St. Peter and Simon Magnus; who having -undertaken by means of enchantment, to fly, was, by the adjuration -of St. Peter, dashed to the earth and killed. Vide Fabricius, Codex -Apocryphus. - -[370] His letters, long supposed to be lost, were found by the editor -of this work in a MS. belonging to the Burgundian library at Brussels, -and have been since published by R. Anstruther, 8vo. Bruxellis, 1845. - -[371] Joscelyn’s “Life and Translation of St. Augustine” is printed in -the “Acta Sanctor. Antwerp. 26 Maii.” See the Preface to Bede, p. xxxix. - -[372] Another famous writer of Lives of Saints, several of which exist -still in MS. - -[373] “The council of Clermont, in Auvergne, continued from 18th to -28th of Nov. A.D. 1095; wherein the decrees of the councils held by -pope Urban at Melfe, Benevento, Troie, and Plaisance, were confirmed, -and many new canons made. Malmesbury’s is perhaps the best account -now known of that celebrated council. See the acts of the council of -Clermont; Conc. tom. xii. p. 829, &c.”--HARDY. - -[374] The practice of private wars; for an account of which, see -Robertson’s Hist. of Charles V. vol. i. - -[375] If orders could not be completely conferred on Saturday, the -ceremony might be performed on Sunday; and the parties continuing to -fast the two days were considered as one only.--DURAND. - -[376] The Truce of God, was so called from the eagerness with which its -first proposal was received by the suffering people of every degree: -during the time it endured, no one dared infringe it, by attacking his -fellows. See Du Cange: and Robertson’s Charles V. vol. i. It was blamed -by some bishops as furnishing an occasion of perjury, and was rejected -by the Normans, as contrary to their privileges. The Truce of God was -first established in Aquitaine, 1032. - -[377] There are other orations, said to have been delivered by Urban -in this council, remaining; and L’Abbe (Concil. T. x.) has printed one -from a Vatican MS.; but they are all very inferior to Malmesbury. - -[378] He alludes to St. Augustine and the fathers of the African church. - -[379] This gratuitous insult on a brave and noble people is unworthy -a writer like William of Malmesbury; but the monkish historians were -as deficient in taste as in style. The cloister was a useful seminary -to teach the plodding accuracy which is required to write a chronicle; -but for elevation of mind and diffusion of liberal sentiment, it was as -inefficient as it is still. - -[380] The rustic, observes Guibert, shod his oxen like horses, and -placed his whole family on a cart; where it was amusing to hear the -children, on the approach to any large town or castle, inquiring, if -that were Jerusalem. Guib. Novigent. Opera, p. 482. - -[381] Fulcher says, those who assumed the cross were estimated at that -number; but that multitudes returned home ere they passed the sea. -Fulcherius Carnotensis ap. Gesta Dei per Francos, p. 387. - -[382] However repugnant this representation may be to the generally -received opinion, it is that of an eye-witness, when describing the -army assembled at Constantinople. Fulch. Carnot. p. 389. - -[383] It should probably be the Elbe, as he appears to describe the -people of northern Germany. - -[384] Virgil, Æneid i. 281. - -[385] “Hildebert was translated to Tours, A.D. 1125, upon the death of -Gislebert, who died at Rome about the middle of December, 1124, in the -same week with pope Calixtus. (Ord. Vit. lib. xii. p. 882.)”--HARDY. - -[386] For a very interesting account of the walls and gates of Rome, -see Andrew Lumisden’s “Remarks on the Antiquities of Rome and its -Environs, London, 4to. 1797.” - -[387] Now called Porta del Popolo. - -[388] Porta Pinciana. - -[389] The Two Hundred and Sixty are said to have been shot with arrows -in the amphitheatre, by order of Claudius. The Thirty suffered under -Diocletian. - -[390] Porta Salaria. - -[391] Porta Pia. - -[392] Porta di San Lorenzo. - -[393] Porta Maggiore. - -[394] The Forty Soldiers suffered martyrdom under Licinius at Sebastia -in Armenia. - -[395] So called, because for a long time after they had suffered -martyrdom (martyrio coronati) their names were unknown; and though -afterwards their real names were revealed to a certain priest, yet they -still continued to retain their former designation. - -[396] Porta di San Giovanni. - -[397] There is no notice of this in Lumisden: it is probably now -destroyed. - -[398] Porta Latina. - -[399] Porta di San Sebastiano. - -[400] Porta di San Paolo. - -[401] Aquas Saluias, now Trefontane. The tradition is, that St. Paul -was beheaded on this spot: that his head, on touching the ground, -rebounded twice, and that a fountain immediately burst forth from each -place where it fell. See Lumisden. - -[402] Porta Portese. - -[403] Porti di San Pancrazio. - -[404] Sacred places and bodies of saints long since deceased, are but -feeble safeguards against the outbreak or even moderate agency of human -passions, which, in every country and under every form of superstition, -act always in the same way. - -[405] Aldhelmi Opera, page 28. - -[406] The story of Silvester’s having baptized Constantine is -considered as altogether unfounded. See Mosheim, vol. i. - -[407] This, in Aldhelm, is the Labarum, or imperial standard. - -[408] The place of his birth is contested. - -[409] Geor. i. 103. - -[410] “The Danube empties itself through six mouths into the Euxine. -The river Lycus, formed by the conflux of two little streams, pours -into the harbour of Constantinople a perpetual supply of fresh water, -which serves to cleanse the bottom, and to invite the periodical -shoals of fish to seek their retreat in the capacious port of -Constantinople.”--HARDY. - -[411] After all the researches of the last fifty years, the “Decline -and Fall of the Roman Empire,” by Gibbon, will be found to contain the -best history of these Byzantine emperors. - -[412] His Turkish name was Killidge-Arslan: his kingdom of Roum -extended from the Hellespont to the confines of Syria, and barred -the pilgrimage of Jerusalem. (See De Guignes, tom. iii. p. 2, pp. -10-30.)--HARDY. - -[413] When Urban II addressed the multitude from a lofty scaffold in -the market-place of Clermont, inciting the people to undertake the -crusade, he was frequently interrupted by the shout of thousands in -their rustic idiom exclaiming “Deus lo vult!” “It is indeed the will of -God!” replied the pope; “and let those words, the inspiration surely of -the Holy Spirit, be for ever adopted as your war-cry.”--HARDY. - -[414] Hegesippus, a Greek author of the second century, wrote an -account of the Jewish war, and of the destruction of Jerusalem; said -to have been translated into Latin by St. Ambrose. He also wrote an -ecclesiastical history, in five books, a fragment of which only remains. - -[415] “The siege of Antioch commenced on the 21st of October, 1097, and -ended 3rd June, 1098.”--HARDY. - -[416] Pharsalia, iv. 579. - -[417] The balista was a warlike engine for casting either darts or -stones: the petrary, for throwing large stones only. - -[418] Owing to the scarcity of fuel. - -[419] “Phirouz, a Syrian renegade, has the infamy of this perfidious -and foul treason.”--HARDY. - -[420] “In describing the host of Corbaguath, most of the Latin -historians, the author of the Gesta, (p. 17,) Robertus monachus, (p. -56,) Baldric, (p. 3,) Fulcherius Carnotensis, (p. 392,) Guibert, (p. -512,) William of Tyre, (lib. vi. c. 3, p. 714,) Bernardus Thesaurarius, -(c. 39, p. 695,) are content with the vague expressions of ‘infinita -multitudo,’ ‘immensum agmen,’ ‘innumeræ copiæ,’ ‘innumeræ gentes.’ The -numbers of the Turks are fixed by Albertus Aquensis at two hundred -thousand, (lib. iv. c. 10, p. 242,) and by Radulphus Cadomensis (c. 72, -p. 309) at four hundred thousand horse. (Gib. Decl. Rom. Emp. vii. pp. -364, 5.)”--HARDY. - -[421] The greatest part of their march is most accurately traced in -Maundrell’s Journey from Aleppo to Jerusalem.--HARDY. - -[422] The church of St. Mary, at Bethlehem, contained within its walls -a sort of grotto, in which it was pretended Christ was born.--See Bede, -de Locis Sanctis. - -[423] “Jerusalem was possessed only of the torrent of Kedron, dry in -summer, and of the little brook or spring of Siloe, (Reland, tom. i. -pp. 294, 300). Tacitus mentions a perennial fountain, an aqueduct, and -cisterns of rain-water. The aqueduct was conveyed from the rivulet -Tekoe, or Etham, which is likewise mentioned by Bohadin, (in Vit. -Saladin. p. 238.)”--HARDY. - -[424] It was pretended that the lamps in the church of the Holy -Sepulchre were miraculously ignited on Easter Eve. - -[425] Bernard, with two companions, sailed from Italy to Alexandria, -and travelled thence by land to Jerusalem in the year 870. Their -travels are printed in “Mabillon’s Acta Benedictinorum.” The account is -short, but has several interesting particulars. There is also a good -MS. in the British Museum, Bib. Cott. Faust, b. 1, where, by a mistake -of the scribe, it is dated A.D. 970, but this is clearly wrong, for -Bernard mentions Lewis, king of Italy, as then living, and he died A.D. -875. - -[426] Some MSS. insert the name of another John after Juvenalis, but -no patriarch of this name is known to have lived at that period. -Malmesbury has, moreover, omitted the names of eleven patriarchs, -between Juvenal, who died A.D. 458, and Zacharias who died A.D. 609. - -[427] Cosroes, or Chosroes the Second, king of Persia. - -[428] “The church of Jerusalem was vacant after the death of -Sophronius, A.D. 644, until the year 705, when John V succeeded, whom -Theodorus followed, A.D. 754.”--HARDY. - -[429] “The tower of David was the old tower Psephina or Neblosa; it -was likewise called Castellum Pisanum, from the patriarch Daimbert. -(D’Anville, pp. 19-23.)”--HARDY. - -[430] That is to say, with several floors or apartments, one above the -other; each of which contained soldiers. - -[431] Interested motives and conduct, it is to be observed, are several -times imputed to the adventurers from Sicily and Calabria. - -[432] In allusion to the custom of painting and gilding the ceilings. - -[433] Godfrey would not, however, accept the name of king, nor wear -a crown of jewels in a city where his Saviour had been crowned with -thorns. He therefore contented himself with the title of “Defender and -Baron of the Holy Sepulchre.” - -[434] Pope Urban however died fourteen days after the taking of -Jerusalem. Daibert was appointed patriarch of the captured city. - -[435] The church of Golgotha contains within it the rock on which the -cross was fixed for the crucifixion. Bede, Eccles. Hist. p. 264. - -[436] Fulcher wrote an account of the transactions in Syria, where he -was present, from A.D. 1095 to 1124. Malmesbury condenses much of his -narrative with his usual ability. It is printed in the Gesta Dei per -Francos, and, ap. Duchesne Hist. Franc. Scriptor. tom. iii. - -[437] Paul was bishop of Antioch in the third century. “He was better -pleased with the title of ducenarius than with that of bishop. His -heresy, like those of Noetus and Labellius in the same century, tended -to confound the mysterious distinction of the Divine persons. He was -degraded from his see in 270, by the sentence of eighty bishops, and -altogether deprived of his office in 274 by Aurelian (Mosheim’s Ecc. -Hist. vol.i. p. 702, &c.)”--HARDY. - -[438] The sugar cane. “This kind of herb is annually cultivated with -great labour. When ripe they pound it in a mortar, strain off the -juice, and put it in vessels until it coagulates, and hardens in -appearance like snow or white salt. This they use scraped and mixed -with bread, or dissolved in water. The canes they call Zucra.” Albertus -Aquensis, ap. Gesta Dei, p. 270. - -[439] In token of victory, or the completion of their purpose, by -having visited the holy sepulchre. Vide Albert. Aquens. ubi sup. p. 290. - -[440] See note, p. 384. - -[441] “Lord have mercy upon us,” thrice repeated, three times. - -[442] Bernard the monk notices the custom of imparting the holy light, -in order that the bishops and people might illuminate their several -residences from it. Fulcher describes this event at great length, and -observes that each person had a wax taper in his hand for the purpose -of receiving the holy fire. Gesta Dei, p. 407. - -[443] Engines made to cast stones. - -[444] Fulcher relates, with great coolness, that he saw the bodies of -the Turks, who were slain at Cæsarea, piled up and burned, in order to -obtain the bezants which they had swallowed. Hist. Hierosol. ap. Du -Chesne, tom. iv. 845. This practice of swallowing money is referred to -by pope Urban, and, by his account, the merely burning dead bodies to -obtain the hoard was a very humble imitation of the Saracen custom, -with respect to those who visited Jerusalem before the crusades; which -was to put scammony in their drink to make them vomit, and if this did -not produce the desired effect, they proceeded to immediate incision! -Guibert Abbas. Opera, p. 379. - -[445] Juvenal, Sat. i. 43. - -[446] Among a variety of instances adduced of her wealth, it is stated, -that the mast of the vessel which conveyed her to Palestine, was -covered with pure gold. Alb. Aquens. ap. Gesta Dei, p. 373. - -[447] Fulcher assigns a different reason for her being divorced. -The king, being extremely ill and thinking he should not survive, -recollected that he had another wife living, to whom he had been -previously married at Edessa. Du Chesne, t. iv. 864. He had been twice -married before. His first wife, an English woman, accompanied him on -the Crusade, and died in Asia: the second, daughter of Taphnuz, an -Armenian nobleman, following him, by sea, to Jerusalem, was taken by -pirates; and being suspected of improper conduct during her absence, -was, on her arrival at Jerusalem, about A.D. 1105, repudiated, and -shut up in the convent of St. Anne. Alb. Aquens. ubi sup. Guib. Abbat. -Opera, p. 452. - -[448] “Roger, prince-regent of Antioch, son of Richard, seneschal -of Apulia, married Hodierna, sister of Baldwin II. He was slain in -1119.”--HARDY. - -[449] This account appears in some measure incorrect. Gozelin and the -king were both confined in the same castle. On its being seized Gozelin -escaped, and collected troops to liberate his friends, who were now -themselves besieged. But ere his arrival, the Turks had made themselves -masters of the fortress and carried off the king, who did not recover -his liberty for some time, and then only by paying a considerable -ransom. Fulch. Carnot. et Will. Tyr. ap. Gesta Dei. - -[450] Baldwin died 21st August, A.D. 1131.--HARDY. - -[451] Boamund was baptized Mark; but his father hearing a tale related -of a giant named Buamund, gave him that appellation. When, after his -captivity, he returned to France, many of the nobility requested him -to stand for their children; this he acquiesced in, and giving them -his own name, it became frequent in these parts, though before nearly -unknown in the West. Ord. Vital. p. 817. - -[452] There is a play here on the words Mollucium and Durachium, -intended to imply soft and hard, “mollis” and “durus,” which it is not -easy to translate. - -[453] Orderic. Vital. p. 797, gives a different account of his -deliverance, and which has quite a romantic air. - -[454] Leonard was godson to Clovis king of France, and obtained, -through the favour of that monarch, that, whenever he should see any -one who was in chains, he should immediately be set at liberty. At -length it pleased God to honour him to that degree, that, if any person -in confinement invoked his name, their chains immediately fell off, and -they might depart; their keepers themselves having no power to prevent -them. Vide Surius, Vitæ Sanct. Nov. 6. - -[455] He is called Pontius in Bouquet, Rec. 13, 7. - -[456] Helena, daughter of Otho I. duke of Burgundy. Bouquet, Rec. 13, 7. - -[457] None of the original historians of the crusade mention Robert, by -name, as refusing the crown. Henry of Huntingdon however records it, -and Albertus Aquensis observes, that it was first offered to Raymond, -earl of Toulouse, who declining to accept it, and the other chiefs -in succession following his example, Godfrey was, with difficulty, -prevailed on to ascend the throne. Alb. Aquens. 1. vi. c. 33. and -Villehardouin, No. 136. - -[458] “Sibilla, duchess of Normandy, died by poison, according to -Ordericus Vitalis, and the Continuator of William of Jumièges. -Malmesbury’s account does not appear to be supported by any -contemporary testimony.”--HARDY. - -[459] “Normandy was only mortgaged for 10,000 marks, about the 100th -part of its present value.”--HARDY. - -[460] Cicero de Offic. 1. iii. But Malmesbury seems to have thought it -necessary to soften it; as Cæsar’s axiom says, “for the sake of power.” - -[461] Instead of these words “nor was he liberated, &c.,” another -manuscript reads, “and whether he ever will be set free, is doubtful.” -Upon which Mr. Hardy observes that these various readings of the MSS. -seem to mark the periods when the author composed and amended his -history. In other words, the reading in the text was substituted by the -author, when he revised his work after Robert’s death, for the reading -in the note, which is copied from a MS. written whilst Robert was still -in prison. - -[462] “Henry was born in 1068, not in 1070, as stated by Ordericus -Vitalis, (Annal. Burton, apud Fell, inter Rer. Anglic. Script. v. p. -246.)”--HARDY. - -[463] “William the Conqueror was abroad at Pentecost in the 21st year -of his reign, A.D. 1087. Henry undoubtedly received knighthood in the -year 1086, in the 20th year of his father’s reign.”--HARDY. - -[464] Wilkins, Leges Anglo-Saxonicæ, 233. - -[465] This has been taken to mean the abolition of the Curfew, by which -it is said, all fires were ordered to be extinguished at eight o’clock; -but it may be doubted, whether it does not rather refer to some -regulation of the court merely. - -[466] Those called the Confessor’s. - -[467] Matilda having taken the veil, though only for a purpose, -scruples were raised as to the propriety of her entering the marriage -state: a synod was therefore called at Lambeth by archbishop Anselm, -and it was there determined that Matilda, not having voluntarily become -a nun, might marry according to the law of God. See Edmer, pp. 56, -57.--HARDY. - -[468] These appellations seem intended as sneers at the regular life of -Henry and his queen. Godric implies God’s kingdom or government. - -[469] For the particulars of the bishop’s escape, see Ordericus Vitalis -p. 787. - -[470] “There is no vestige of this exhortation in any letter of pope -Paschal to king Henry now known. Indeed Paschal, writing to archbishop -Anselm, enjoins him to effect a reconciliation between the king and his -brother. See Anselmi Opera, edit. nov. p. 382, col. 2.”--HARDY. - -[471] Orderic. Vital. [p. 815.] relates a circumstance highly -indicative of the troubled state of Normandy. Henry, on his arrival, -was immediately welcomed by Serlo bishop of Sees; who, on conducting -him into the church, pointed out the area nearly filled with boxes -and packages brought thither for security from plunderers, by the -inhabitants. - -[472] His daughter Mabil became the wife of Robert earl of Gloucester, -to whom Malmesbury dedicated this work. - -[473] Robert de Belesme was seized by order of king Henry in 1112, -having come to him in Normandy as ambassador from the king of France to -treat of peace. Robert was in the following year sent over to England, -and confined in Wareham Castle until his death.--HARDY. - -[474] “The laws of Henry I. have lately been reprinted in the ‘Ancient -Laws and Institutes of England,’ under the able editorship of Mr. -Thorpe.”--HARDY. - -[475] “It appears from two charters, printed in Rymer’s Fœdera, vol. -i. pp. 6, 7, that Henry agreed to pay a pension of four hundred marks, -annually, to Robert, earl of Flanders, for the service of one thousand -knights.”--HARDY. - -[476] “William, surnamed Clito [the Clito], son of Robert, duke of -Normandy, and Sibilla de Conversano, succeeded to the earldom of -Flanders upon the death of Charles le Bon, A.D. 1127.”--HARDY. - -[477] He probably intended a joke on the custom of ringing the bells to -scare evil spirits. - -[478] “Ordericus Vitalis attributes this act to Odo, bishop of Bayeux; -but Pope Urban II., in his Epistle to Raynald, archbishop of Rheims, -ascribes it to Ursio, bishop of Senlis.”--HARDY. - -[479] “Although king Philip, a few years before his death, entertained -some notion of embracing a monastic life, as is seen in the epistle -written to him by Hugh, abbat of Cluni, yet it appears that he never -carried his design into effect.”--HARDY. - -[480] “Pope Calixtus met king Henry at Gisors on his return from the -council at Rheims, held in October 1119.”--HARDY. - -[481] This practice is referred to by Henry Huntingdon, when speaking -of Hardecanute, who had four repasts served up every day, “when in our -times, through avarice, or as they pretend through disgust, the great -set but one meal a day before their dependents.”--H. Hunt. lib. vi. p. -209. - -[482] “Henry of Huntingdon, in his epistle to Walter (Anglia Sacra, -pars ii., p. 695) gives a flattering character of Robert. Ordericus -Vitalis places his death on the first June, A.D. 1118.”--HARDY. - -[483] Roger had a church in the neighbourhood of Caen, at the time -that Henry was serving under his brother William. Passing that way, -he entered in, and requested the priest to say mass. Roger began -immediately, and got through his task so quickly that the prince’s -attendants unanimously declared, “no man so fit for chaplain to men -of their profession.” And when the royal youth said, “Follow me,” he -adhered as closely to him, as Peter did to his heavenly Lord uttering -a similar command; for Peter, leaving his vessel, followed the King -of kings; he, leaving his church, followed the prince, and appointed -chaplain to himself and his troops, became “a blind guide to the -blind.” Vide G. Neubrig, 1. 6. - -[484] “Paulus Diaconus, also called Winfrid, was secretary to -Desiderius, last of the native princes of Lombardy. Paulus wrote his -History of the Lombards, in six books, before the empire by Charlemagne -was founded.”--HARDY. Malmesbury seems to imply that the vessel was -lost in the Mediterranean; but if so, he misunderstood Paulus Diaconus, -who is speaking of the race of Alderney. Vide Paul. Diac. lib. i. c. 6, -ap. Muratori. Rer. Ital. Script. t. 1. - -[485] Of Henry’s prudent accommodation to the times, a curious anecdote -is related by Ordericus Vitalis, p. 815. When Serlo bishop of Sees -met him on his arrival in Normandy, he made a long harangue on the -enormities of the times, one of which was the bushyness of men’s -beards which resembled Saracens’ rather than Christians’, and which -he supposes they would not clip lest the stumps should prick their -mistresses’ faces; another was their long locks. Henry immediately, to -show his submission and repentance, submits his bushy honours to the -bishop, who, taking a pair of shears from his trunk, trims his majesty -and several of the principal nobility with his own hands. - -[486] Virg. Æn. vi. 853. - -[487] Whilst endeavouring to distinguish good coin from counterfeits, -the silver penny was frequently broken, and then refused. Henry’s -order, therefore, that all should be broken, enabled any one -immediately to ascertain the quality, and, at the same time, left no -pretext for refusing it on account of its being broken money.--Vide -Edmerum Hist. Novor. p. 94. - -[488] Suger relates, that Henry was so terrified by a conspiracy among -his chamberlains, that he frequently changed his bed, increased his -guards, and caused a shield and a sword to be constantly placed near -him at night: and that the person here mentioned, who had been favoured -and promoted in an especial manner by the king, was, on his detection, -mercifully adjudged to lose only his eyes and his manhood, when he -justly deserved hanging.--De Vit. Lud. Grossi. Duchesne, iv. 308. - -[489] “Compare Malmesbury’s character of Henry in this particular with -that given of him by Henry of Huntingdon.”--HARDY. - -[490] The ceremony of giving possession of lands or offices, was, by -the feudal law, accompanied with the delivery of certain symbols. In -conformity to this practice, princes conferred bishoprics and abbeys -by the delivery of a crozier and a ring, which was called their -investiture: and as consecration could not take place till after -investiture, this, in fact, implied their appointment also. The popes -at length finding how much such a practice tended to render the clergy -dependent on the temporal power, inhibited their receiving investiture -from laymen by the staff and ring, which were emblems of their -spiritual office. The compromise of Henry with Paschal enacted, that -in future the king would not confer bishoprics by the staff and ring; -but that the bishops should perform the ceremony of homage, in token of -submission for their temporals: the election by these means, remaining, -nominally, in the chapter, or monastery. - -[491] The printed copy, as well as such manuscripts as have been -consulted, read, “investituras consecrationum:” evidently wrong; the -true reading, as appears from Edmer, p. 72, where the whole instrument -is inserted, being “investituram vel consecrationem.” - -[492] On Anselm’s return, shortly after Henry’s accession, it was -agreed that all matters should remain in abeyance, until both parties -should have sent messengers to the pope, for his decision on the -subject of investitures. See Edmer, p. 56. - -[493] He had been recalled on the king’s accession, but afterwards -quitted the kingdom again. - -[494] “Henry married Adala, daughter of Godfrey, conte de Louvain, in -February, 1121.”--HARDY. - -[495] “Bromton (col. 1013, x. Scrip.) ascribes to Malmesbury -words which are no where to be found in this author, ‘Willelmus -Malmesbiriensis dicit, quod ille Willelmus regis primogenitus palam -Anglis fuerat comminatus, quod, si aliquando super eos regnaret, -faceret eos ad aratrum trahere quasi boves: sed spe sua coruscabili Dei -vindicta cum aliis deperiit.’”--HARDY. - -[496] “The nuptials of prince William with Matilda, daughter of the -earl of Anjou, were celebrated in June, 1119, before the council of -Rheims.”--HARDY. - -[497] See page 252. - -[498] Virgil Æneid. v. 206. - -[499] He is called a butcher by Orderic Vitalis, p. 867, who has many -particulars of this event. - -[500] “The marriage of William, son of the duke of Normandy, with -Sibilla, in 1123, was dissolved, at the instance of king Henry, in the -following year, by the pope’s legate.”--HARDY. - -[501] “Matilda was betrothed to the emperor Henry V. in 1109, but was -not married to him until the 7th January, 1114.”--HARDY. - -[502] The church of St. Maria, in Scuola Græca, is so called, from -a tradition that St. Augustine, before his conversion, there taught -rhetoric.--See Lumisden, 318. - -[503] Trastevere, that part in which St. Peter’s is situated. - -[504] Three beautiful columns, supposed to be remains of the temple of -Jupiter Stator. - -[505] The principal entrance to St. Peter’s church, so called by way of -pre-eminence. - -[506] The Rota, which seems to have been a part of St. Peter’s church, -is not enumerated by Fontana, de Basilica Vaticana. - -[507] The chapel, in which the tombs of the apostles are said to be -placed. - -[508] The patrician of Rome appears to have been its chief magistrate; -derived from the office of prefect or patrician under the emperors of -Constantinople. - -[509] As pope Calixtus II. - -[510] The church of St. Saviour, or St. John Lateran, built by -Constantine the Great. - -[511] MS. pravilegium, a play on the words privilegium and pravilegium. - -[512] Cosenza, L’Abbe, tom. x. - -[513] Another MS. reads Troianus instead of Turianus. - -[514] “_Septimo decimo._ More correctly _octavo decimo_, as the emperor -went before Easter in the year 1117.”--HARDY. - -[515] “Paschal died in Jan. 1118.”--HARDY. - -[516] “Maurice Bourdin, archbishop of Brague, was elected pope by the -influence of the emperor Henry V, on the 9th of March, 1118, and took -the name of Gregory VIII.”--HARDY. - -[517] “Gelasius II, died at Clugny, 29th Jan. 1119.”--HARDY. - -[518] A monastery near Salerno, inaccessible, except by one passage. -Here were kept such as from their conduct had become either dangerous -or scandalous: they were supplied with every thing necessary, according -to their order, but were held in close confinement. Its name was given -from the untameable disposition of its inmates. See Orderic. Vital. 870. - -[519] This was a high compliment to the ancient Briton. - -[520] Guibert of Nogent excuses himself from commemorating the valour -of many of the crusaders, because, after their return, they had run -headlong into every kind of enormity. Opera, p. 431. - -[521] Robert de Arbrisil founded the monastery of Fontevrault in 1099, -and died in 1117. - -[522] “Bernard founded the abbey of Tyron in 1109, and died in -1116.”--HARDY. - -[523] At Lewes in Sussex. - -[524] The uppermost garment of the priest, covering the rest entirely. - -[525] Those who officiated were enjoined to fold up their garments. - -[526] It was customary to hold a short chapter immediately after primes. - -[527] Odo, second abbat of Clugny, was founder of the Clugniac rule in -the tenth century. Odilo was elected the fifth abbat of Clugny in 994. - -[528] Godfrey was prior of Winchester from A.D. 1082 to 1107. His -verses in commendation of the chief personages of England are in the -manner of those already inserted on Serlo abbat of Gloucester. Many of -his epigrams have very considerable merit. - -[529] He probably has Henry Huntingdon in view, who wrote a History of -England shortly after him. - -[530] Terentii Andria, i. 1. - -[531] What these were is unknown, as it is believed there is no MS. of -them now to be met with. - -[532] “The emperor Henry V. died on the 23rd of May, A.D. 1125; and -in September, A.D. 1126, king Henry returned from Normandy, with his -daughter the empress.”--HARDY. - -[533] “The union of the kingdoms under Egbert did not take place for -several years after his accession in 802.”--HARDY. - -[534] This must be understood with the exception of Canute and his -sons, between Edmund Ironside, and Edward the Confessor. - -[535] Here seems a mistake. Margaret was given to Malcolm by her -brother Edgar Atheling, while in exile in Scotland, A.D. 1067. See the -Saxon Chronicle. - -[536] “Robert was created earl of Gloucester in the year 1119. On the -Pipe-roll, 31 Hen. I., this entry occurs: ‘Glœcecestrescire. Et comiti -Glœc. xxii. numero pro parte sua comitatus.’”--HARDY. - -[537] “The nuptials of Matilda with Geoffrey Plantagenet, afterwards -earl of Anjou, were celebrated in the presence of her father, in Sept. -1127.”--HARDY. - -[538] “Henry completed the twenty-eighth year of his reign the 4th of -August, 1128; but the Saxon Chronicle places his return from Normandy -during the autumn of 1129.”--HARDY. - -[539] It is very remarkable what excessive pains were employed to -prevail on the young men to part with their locks. In the council held -at London by archbishop Anselm, A.D. 1102, it is enacted, that those -who had long hair should be cropped, so as to show part of the ear, and -the eyes. From the apparently strange manner in which this fashion is -coupled in Edmer, p. 81, one might be led to suspect, it was something -more than mere spleen which caused this enactment. See also Orderic. -Vitalis. - -[540] An allusion to his name, which signifies a lion. - -[541] Pope Innocent died A.D. 1143. - -[542] “Philippe, eldest son of Louis VI, was consecrated by command -of his father on the 14th April, 1129; but meeting with an accidental -death on the 13th October, 1131, the king, twelve days afterwards, -caused his second son, Louis, to be crowned at Rheims by the Roman -pontiff, Innocent II.”--HARDY. - -[543] Both the printed copy and the MSS., which have been consulted, -read here tricesimo primo, ‘thirty-first,’ [1131]; but it should be the -thirty-second, 1132.--See Hen. Hunt. - -[544] “Malmesbury seems to have committed two oversights here. Henry -went to Normandy for the last time on the third before the nones of -August, (that is, third, instead of fifth), A.D. 1133. This is evident -from the eclipse he mentions, which took place on that day, as well -as from the testimony of the continuator of Florence of Worcester, a -contemporary Writer.”--SHARPE. “Although all the MSS. read ‘tricesimo -secundo,’ yet it is evident, from the context, that it should be -‘tricesimo tertio;’ the completion of Henry’s thirty-third regnal year -being on the 4th of August, 1133. This, and other passages show, that -Malmesbury reckoned Henry’s reign to commence on the 5th of August, the -day of his consecration, and not on the 2nd of that month, the day of -his brother’s death.”--HARDY. - -[545] “The eclipse of the sun took place on the 2nd of August, 1133, at -mid-day.”--HARDY. - -[546] From what has been said above this should be two. - -[547] “Liberationes,” signifies, sometimes, what we now call liveries, -that is garments; sometimes money at stated periods, or, as we -should say, wages: it is here rendered in the latter sense, as being -distinct from “solidatæ,” pay or stipends. Perhaps it was intended -to distinguish two orders of persons by this bequest; servants and -soldiers: otherwise it may mean garments and wages. - -[548] “The majority of contemporary writers state that Stephen’s -coronation took place on the 26th December.”--HARDY. - -[549] “The author of the Dialogus de Scaccario states that for some -time after the Norman conquest there was very little money in specie in -the realm, and that, until the reign of Henry the First, all rents and -farms due to the king were rendered in provisions and necessaries for -his household; but Henry I ordered the payments to be made in money: -they were consequently made ‘ad scalam,’ and ‘ad pensum;’ ‘in numero,’ -or by tale; and ‘per combustionem,’ or melting, which latter mode was -adopted to prevent payment being made in debased money; hence perhaps -it was that Henry’s money was of the best quality.”--HARDY. - -[550] The progress of some of Henry’s treasure is curious. Theobald, -earl of Blois, gave many jewels, which had been bestowed on him by -Stephen, his brother, to certain abbeys, and these again sold them -for four hundred pounds to Suger, abbat of St. Denis. Henry, Suger -observes, used to have them set in most magnificent drinking vessels. -Suger, ap. Duchesne, t. iv. p. 345. - -[551] Church-yards were, by the canons, privileged, so that persons in -turbulent times conveyed their property thither for security. - -[552] It had been the practice to seize, to the king’s use, whatever -property ecclesiastics left behind them. Henry of Huntingdon relates, -that on the death of Gilbert the Universal, bishop of London, who was -remarkable for his avarice, all his effects, and among the rest, his -boots crammed with gold and silver, were conveyed to the exchequer. -Anglia Sacra, ii. 698. Sometimes, even what had been distributed on -a death-bed, was reclaimed for the king. Vide G. Neub. 3, 5. “This -practice of seizing the property of ecclesiastics at their death seems -subsequently to have settled down into a claim on the part of the king -of the cup and palfrey of a deceased bishop, prior, and abbat. See Rot. -Claus. 39 Hen. III, m. 17, in dorso.”--HARDY. - -[553] It seems to have been a vexatious fine imposed on litigants -when, in their pleadings, they varied from their declaration. Murder -is sometimes taken in its present acceptation; sometimes it means a -certain fine levied on the inhabitants where murder had been committed. - -[554] Earls, till this time, had apparently been official; each having -charge of a county, and receiving certain emoluments therefrom: but -these created by Stephen, seem to have been often merely titulary, with -endowments out of the demesnes of the crown. Rob. Montensis calls these -persons Pseudo-Comites, imaginary earls, and observes that Stephen had -completely impoverished the crown by his liberalities to them. Henry -the Second, however, on being firmly seated on the throne, recalled -their grants of crown lands, and expelled them the kingdom. - -[555] The term “miles” is very ambiguous: sometimes it is a knight; -sometimes a trooper; sometimes a soldier generally. In later times it -signified almost always a knight; but in Malmesbury, it seems mostly a -horseman, probably of the higher order. - -[556] “Roger, the chancellor of England, was the son of Roger, bishop -of Salisbury, by Maud of Ramsbury, his concubine.”--HARDY. - -[557] The author of the “Gesta Stephani,” says, the king ordered both -bishops to be kept without food, and threatened, moreover, to hang the -son of bishop Roger. Gest. Stephani, 944. The continuator of Flor. -Wigorn. adds, that one was confined in the crib of an ox-lodge, the -other in a vile hovel, A.D. 1138. - -[558] It has before been related that Stephen made many earls, -where there had been none before: these seem the persons intended -by Malmesbury in many places, when speaking of some of the king’s -adherents. - -[559] It would seem from this passage that he had seen Livy in a more -complete state than it exists at present. - -[560] Horat. Epist. i. 1, 100. - -[561] The meaning of vavassour is very various: here it seems to imply -what we call a yeoman. - -[562] This he effected by means of scaling ladders, made of thongs of -leather. Gest. Stephani, 951. - -[563] Several MSS., as well as the printed copy, read 1142, but one has -1141, which is right. - -[564] “Ranulf, earl of Chester, and his uterine brother, William de -Romare, were the sons of Lucia, countess of Lincoln.”--HARDY. - -[565] The joust signifies a contest between two persons on horseback, -with lances: each singled out his opponent. - -[566] That is, as appears after, to acknowledge her publicly as their -sovereign. - -[567] Marchio: this latterly signified marquis in the sense we now use -it; but in Malmesbury’s time, and long after, it denoted a guardian of -the borders: hence the lords marchers on the confines of Scotland and -Wales; though it does not appear very clearly how this should apply to -Wallingford, unless it was his place of birth. - -[568] This seems an oversight: as he had before related, more than once -that Stephen preceded Robert in taking the oath to Matilda. - -[569] Virgil, Æn. i. 33. - -[570] The garrison having sallied out against him, he suddenly passed -a ford which was not generally known and, repelling the enemy, entered -the town with them. Gesta Regis Stephani, 958. - -[571] One of the MSS. omits from, “This circumstance,” to the end, and -substitutes, ... “but these matters, with God’s permission, shall be -more largely treated in the following volume.” - - - - -Transcriber’s Notes - - -Simple typographical errors were silently corrected, except as noted -below. - -Punctuation, hyphenation, and spelling were made consistent when a -predominant preference was found in this book; otherwise they were not -changed. - -Many names were spelled in more than one way; in most cases, all -variants have been retained here. - -The spelling of non-English words was not checked. - -Ambiguous hyphens at the ends of lines were retained. - -The page headers of the original book contained a timeline. It is -represented in this eBook by sidenotes, beginning with “[A.D. year]”, -placed between paragraphs nearby their originally-printed positions, -and shaded in some versions of this eBook. Redundant headers have been -omitted, some of the dates are not in sequence, and some headers were -not printed near the topics to which they refer. - -All but three of the chapter headings used the abbreviation “CHAP.”, so -the three that were spelled out have been changed to abbreviations. - -The Index entries were not checked for proper alphabetization or -correct page references, but all of the “U” entries have been moved to -precede the “V” entries rather than to follow them. - -In the Index, inconsistent usage of periods and semi-colons at -the ends of main and sub-entries has not been changed; occasional -mis-capitalization following such punctuation has not been changed; -spellings that differ from the ones on the referenced pages have not -been changed. - -Unbalanced quotation marks in footnotes citing HARDY have been remedied. - -Page 19: “unluckly” was printed that way. - -Page 196: Shows “1017-1031” as the years of Canute’s reign, and also -says he “reigned twenty years”. - -Page 232: “to his day” appears to be a typographical error for “to this -day”. - -Page 256: Text uses “Standford Brigge” and “Stanford-bridge”; Index -uses “Standford Bridge” to refer to this page. All retained here. - -Page 462: The opening quotation mark before “A.D. 1112, the fifth of -the indiction,” has no obvious matching closing mark. - -Page 496: “none before, appropriating” was changed here from “none -before, appropropriating”, which appears to be a typesetting error. - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of William of Malmesbury's Chronicle of -the Kings of England, by J. A. 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