The Lives of the III Normans, Kings of England Part 9

He had by his first wife a sonne named _William_, who perished by s.h.i.+pwracke; and _Matild_ a daughter, who was espoused to the Emperour _Henrie_ the 5. when she was scarce sixe yeeres olde, and at the age of eleuen yeeres was married vnto him. When shee had been married vnto him twelue yeeres, he died; and shee returned to the King her father, both against her owne minde, and against the desire of the greatest Princes of the Empire: who in regard of her wise and gracious behauiour, were suitors to the King more then once, to haue her remaine as Empresse among them. But the king would not consent to their intreatie: For that shee was the onely heire to his Crowne. Then many great Princes desired her in marriage. But the King bestowed her vpon _Geoffrey_, sonne to _Fulke_ Earle of _Aniou_: somewhat against her owne liking, but greatly to the suretie of his estate in _France_. By him she had _Henrie_, who afterwards was King of _England_.

Further, the King had by a Concubine, _Richard_ a sonne, and _Mary_ a daughter; who were lost vpon the sea with their brother _William_. By another Concubine hee had a sonne named _Robert_, whom he created Earle of _Glocester_: a man for valour of minde and abilitie of bodie inferiour to none; in counsailes so aduised, as was fit for a right n.o.ble commander. By his faith, industrie, and felicitie chiefly, his sister _Matild_ did afterwards resist and ouerbeare, both the forces and fortunes of King _Stephen_. He is reported to haue had 12. other b.a.s.t.a.r.ds; which were of no great either note or continuance, according to that saying of the Wise man: _b.a.s.t.a.r.d plants take no deepe rootes_.[107]

This King in the beginning of his Reigne made many fauourable lawes: And namely, _That he would reserue no possessions of the Church vpon their vacancies: that the heires of his n.o.bilitie should possesse their fathers lands without redemption from him, and that the n.o.bilitie likewise should afford the like fauour to their Tenants: that Gentlemen might giue their daughters and kinsewomen in marriage without his licence, so it were not to his enemie: that the widow should haue her ioynture, and not be compelled to marrie against her owne liking: that the mother or next of kinred should bee Guardian of the lands of her children: that all debts to the Crowne and certaine offences also should bee remitted_. But these lawes afterwards were but slenderly obserued.

Three vertues were most famous in him; wisedome, courage, and sweetenesse of speach. By the last hee gained much fauour from the people. By the other two he purchased, both peace at home, and victory abroad. He was noted also for some vices: but out of doubt they were farre exceeded by his vertues. And for these vices also, being himselfe of a pleasant disposition, he was well pleased with pleasant reproofes.

_Guymund_ his Chapleine (obseruing that vnworthy men for the most part were aduanced to the best dignities of the Church) as he celebrated Diuine seruice before him, and was to read these words out of S.

_Iames_; [_It rained not vpon the earth iij. yeres and vj.

moneths_:][108] Hee did read it thus: [_It rained not vpon the earth one, one, one yeres, and fiue, one, moneths_.] The King obserued this reading, and afterwards rebuked his Chapleine for it: But _Guymund_ answered, that he did it of purpose, for that such readers were soonest preferred by the King. The King smiled, and in short time after preferred him to the gouernment of S. _Frideswides_ in _Oxeford_. In this King failed the heires male of King _William_ the first: and then the Crowne was possessed by t.i.tle of heires generall.

In these times flourished two excellent ornaments of the Church; _Anselme_ in _England_, and _Bernard_ in _France_: both of them enrolled in the list of Saints. And no lesse infamous for vice was _Gerard_, Archbishop of _Yorke_; a man of some learning; not so much in substance, as in seeming and shew; of commendable wit, which he applied chiefly, to giue a couler for euery vice of his owne, and for euery vertue of others either a slander or a ieast: Of enuious disposition; plagued lesse with his owne calamities, then with the well either doing or being of other men; in wiping money from his Subiects by dishonest meanes, subtill and shamelesse; and no lesse sordide in his expences: giuen to Magicall enchantments as many doe affirme. On a certaine day as he slept vpon a cus.h.i.+on after dinner, in his Garden at _Southwell_, and many of his Chapleines walked neere him; he was found in such a stiffe cold dead sleepe, as will require the trumpe of an Archangel to awake him. His face then looked with an ougly h.e.l.l-burnt hue. His body was caried to _Yorke_; few vouchsafing to accompany, none to meete it (according to the vse of Exequies) when it came to the Citie; but the boyes in scorne throwing stones at the hea.r.s.e. He was basely buried without the Church without any funerall solemnities, without any signe either of honour or of griefe.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] Senticetum.

[2] Scriptor omnium sceleratissimus.

[3] Mendacissimus.

[4] Adulator.

[5] _Lib._ 3. _in princ. Ingulph. lib._ 6. _cap._ 19.

[6] {pollakis de toi nothoi te polloi gnesion ameinones.} Eurip. in Androm.

[7]

_Rich. 1._ ----- ----- _Rich. 2._ _Emma._ 1. 1.

_Robert._ _Edward._ 1.

_William._

[8] _Heu vani monitus, fiustraq; morantia Parcas Prodigia. Lucan._

[9] _Flo. lib._ 2. _Eutr. lib._ 4. _epit. Liu._ 59.

[10] _Eutro. lib._ 6. _epit. Liu._ 93.

[11] _Cic. Agrar. orat._ 2. _Liu. lib._ 70.

[12] _Tacit. lib._ 14.

[13] _Tacit. An._ 17.

[14] _Sal.u.s.t. bel. Iug._

[15] 1. _Reg._ 9.

[16] _Geogr._ 3.

[17] _Tritem. cap._ 22.

[18] _Theod. Nehem. lib._ 2. _cap._ 25.

[19] _Arg. l. creditor. & l. Claudius. D qui pot. in pign. ha._

[20] _Moribus antiquis res stat Romana Virisque. Aeneid._

[21] _Imperium ijs artibus facilime retinetur quibus partum est. Sal.

Catil._

[22] _Quos viceris caue amicos tibi credas. Curt. lib._ 7.

[23] _Tranquil. in Calig_.

[24] _Nicet. pag._ 19. {houto chrono kratynthe ethos genous kai threskeias estin ischyroteron.}

[25] _Chrys. orat._ 76. {peri ethous}, _Suid. dict._ {ethos}.

[26] _Agath. lib._ 2. {eudelon men hoti de ton anthropeion ethnon hos hekastos eige hotodeoun nomo ek pleistou nenikekoti embioteusaien, touton de ariston hegountai kai thespesion.}

[27] _Temperatus enim timor est qui cohibet, a.s.siduus & acer ad vindictam excitat. Senec. 1. de clemen._

[28] _Perfecto demum scelere, magnitudo eius intelligitur. Tacit. xv.

Annal._

[29] 3. _Reg._ 1. & 2

[30] 2. _Paral._ 11.

[31] _Bald. in proem. decr. --. rex. nu._ 11. _Archid._ 2. _q._ 7. _-- item obijcitur._

[32] _Gen._ 49.

[33] _Iust. lib._ 16.

[34] _Host. Io. And. Collect. Pet. Anch. Anto. Imo. Card. Flo. & sere omnes in c. licet de Voto._

[35] _L. si arrogator. D. de Arrog. l. 3 de interd. & rel._

[36] _Io. And. in c. significasti de fo. comp. Pan. cons._ 85. _li._ 1.

_Molin. consuet. Paris. t.i.t._ 1. -- 85. _gl._ 3. _q._ 2. _infi._

[37] _Iust. lib._ 34

[38] _Iust. lib._ 16.