HENRIE THE SECOND, (continued 5)

Polydor. ¶ Some write, that the cheefest cause which mooued king Henrie to refuse to ioine his sonne earle Richard and the ladie Alice, daughter vnto the French king in marriage togither, was, for that he was linked in the cumbersome chaine of hot burning loue with the same ladie, and therefore he sought all the shifts of excuses & delaies that might be imagined; so that it appeared he had no mind to part with hir. The truth was (as writers affirme) he had alreadie persuaded hir to satisfie his lust, insomuch that he liked hir so well, that he ment to be diuorsed from his wife quéene Elianor, and to marrie this yoong ladie, which if he might bring to passe, and haue children by hir, he purposed to disherit those which he had by Elianor, and to make the other which he should haue by Rog. Houed. Adela his legitimat and lawfull heires. Yet before they departed from this communication, a truce was taken to endure till the feast of S. Hilarie. And Henrie bishop of Alba a cardinall that was sent from the pope to end this controuersie betwixt these two mightie princes, accursed Richard earle of Poictou, for that by his meanes the troubles rose and were continued betwixt them.

Beuerley burnt. William de Sempringham decesseth. Gilbert de Ogerstan. The towne of Beuerley, with the church of saint John the archbishop, was in maner wholie consumed with fire, on the 20. of September. Also the same yeare died William of Sempringham, the author and first founder of the religious order of Sempringham. Moreouer Gilbert de Ogerstan a knight templer put in trust by king Henrie, with others, to gather the tenths towards the reléefe of the holie land, was prooued to vse falshood in the receipt, and so was deliuered vnto the maister of the temple at London to be punished according to the statutes of his order. Also this yere in the vigill of S. Laurence, there was séene at Dunstable by diuerse persons a figure of the crosse verie long and large A strange apperance in the aire. in the aire, with the shape of a crucifix thereon, and streames of bloud to their sight seemed to run out of the wounds of the feet, hands and sides. This strange appearance continued in sight from noone till almost night.

¶ Some will deeme this a meere fable, and saie it sauoureth of grosse superstition and idolatrie, wherevpon they will conclude that no such fragments poudered with papistrie should be inserted into a chronicle. But (to auoid all suspicion of iustifieng the fansies of men) note you this, that in the ecclesiasticall historie, no small number of things no lesse strange and true than this seemeth vaine and false, are recorded; yea euen touching the verie crosse. But considering that this our age is verie nice and deintie in making choise of matter pleasing their owne humor we will not wade too farre in this kind of argument, which we know may as soone offend as it is taken, as a thorne may pricke, or a netle sting when it is touched. Neuerthelesse, we would not wish that the forme of a thing should be quite condemned for some scandalous peoples pleasures, whome nothing will please, vnlesse it come out of their owne drieuat or casket of conceits.

An. Reg. 35. 1189. King Henrie held his Christmas at Saumur in Aniou, but manie of his earles and barons were gon from him, and tooke part with the French king, and with his sonne Richard earle of Poictou. Now when the day was come, in which the truce expired, the Britains (which had a charter of couenants of the French king and earle Richard, that if they concluded any peace with king Henrie, the Britain should be partakers in the same) entred into the confines of those countries which still continued their due obedience towards king Henrie; spoiling and wasting the same on each A legat. side with barbarous crueltie. At which time also a legat came from the pope named John de Anagnia, who assaied both by courteous meanes and also by threats and menacings to reduce the parties vnto peace and concord: insomuch that by his procurement they met this yeare after Easter néere vnto Fiert Bernard, twise within a few daies togither, to trie if by talke they might sort to some reasonable conditions of agreement.

Matth. Paris. The last time of those their meetings was in the Whitsunwéeke, at what time the French king required not onelie to haue his sister Alice deliuered vnto earle Richard for wife, according to the former couenants, but also some assurance giuen vnto the same earle Richard, that he should inherit his fathers lands after his deceasse. Also he required that earle John might take vpon him the crosse to passe ouer into the holie land also; for otherwise earle Richard would not go. R. Houed. Howbeit king Henrie would in no wise consent to any of these demands: but yet as some write, he offered thus much vnto king Philip, that if he could be so content, his sonne John should marrie his sister Alice, and inioy with hir all such things as he demanded in preferment of his sonne Richard, and that in more large maner than he had requested the same; But king Philip would none of that.

Thus how soeuer it was, whilest the one demanded that which the other thought no reason to grant, they departed without concluding any King Phillip entereth into the countrie of Maine. agréement, so that king Philip hauing got by this meanes a good occasion to further his enterprises, with all his whole puissance entred into Maine, where he destroied a great part of that countrie, and approched to the citie of Mauns, where king Henrie as then laie, in purpose to besiege it; But king Henrie being warned of his comming set the suburbs on fire, bicause his enimies should haue no succour in them. Howbeit the flame of the fire was by force of the wind driuen so directlie into the citie, that what with heat and assault of the enimie, the king being without any store of souldiers to defend it longer, was constreined to forsake it. Herewith he was so mooued that in departing from the citie, The words of king Henrie in his displeasure towards earle Richard. he said these words of his sonne Richard to himselfe: "Sith thou hast taken from me this daie the thing that I most loued in this world, I will requite thee, for after this daie, I shall depriue thée of that thing which in me should most please thée, euen mine owne hart."

Mauns yéelded to the French king. Wil. Paruus. Being thus driuen to leaue the defaced citie of Mauns, he repaired vnto Chinon, the citizens whereof being left destitute of aid, yéelded themselues to the French king, who taking a great pride in his dooings for that victorie, passed ouer Loire, and wan the citie of Towrs, wherein he placed a garison, and so hauing sped his businesse with good Polydor. successe, brought home his armie laden with preies & booties. King Henrie being thus put to the worsse, and not perceiuing anie readie meane how to recouer his losses, began to despaire in himselfe, and therefore of necessitie thought it best to séeke for peace, but his suit The earle of Flanders séeketh to agrée the parties. Matth. Paris. was in vaine: for the enimie hauing now the aduantage, would not grant to agrée vpon any reasonable conditions.

At the last Philip the earle of Flanders and William archbishop of Reimes, with Hugh duke of Burgoine, came to king Henrie to moue waies of agréement, and to conclude the same betwixt him on the one partie, and the French king and earle Richard on the other partie. Earle Richard had the Britaines and them of Poictou confederate with him vnder such conditions, as he might not agrée with his father, vnlesse they might be A peace concluded. comprised in the agréement. At length they agreed vpon conditions, not altogither aduantageable to the king of England, yet in the end, Chateau Raoul was restored to king Henrie with all that had béene taken from him since the time that the French king & he tooke vpon them the crosse: on the other part king Henrie did homage to the French king, which, in the beginning of this warre he had surrendred and renounced. He was bound Thirtie thousand to the K. and twentie to the barons of France, saith Ger. Dor. also to paie to the French king 20. thousand markes for the aid which earle Richard had receiued of him: moreouer to resigne and acquite vnto the French king, all that which either he or his predecessours held or possessed within Aluergue. Other articles there were which king Henrie agréed vnto some against his will, as the deliuerie of the ladie Alice or Adela, and such other, which (as not much materiall) we passe ouer.

Rog. Houed. At Gisors saith Ger. Dor. This peace was concluded not farre from Towrs, in a place appointed conuenient for both the kings to méet in, about the feast of the apostles Peter and Paule. And (as writers record) there chanced great thunder and lightening at the verie time when the two kings came to enteruiew and talke togither, so that the thunderbolt did light betwixt Strange thunder & lightning. them two: & yet (notwithstanding such thunder & lightening) the aire was cleare and nothing troubled. The two kings parted a sunder through feare thereof for that day, and on the next day the like chance happened, greatlie to the terrour of them both. Which mooued king Henrie the sooner to condescend to the agreement.

Moreouer this is not to be forgotten, that when all matters were quieted and accorded amongst them, King Henrie required to haue all their names deliuered vnto him in writing, which had promised to take part (and were ioined as confederates) with the French king and earle Richard. This was granted, and when the roll was presented vnto him, he found his sonne John the first person that was named in that register, wherewith he was so troubled and disquieted in his mind, that comming to Chinon he felt such gréefe hereof, that he curssed euen the verie daie in which he was borne, and as was said, gaue to his sonnes Gods cursse and his, the which he would neuer release, although he was admonished to doo it both of sundrie bishops and other religious and godlie men. Thus saith Houeden.

Howbeit, it is not like that earle Richard at this time had procured his brother John to be confederate with him in his rebellious dealings, but rather bicause earle Richard had some suspicion, least his father would make John his heire and successour in the kingdome, it might be a policie wrought by the French king and earle Richard, to alienate his fathers mind from the said John.

¶ These euils were estéemed to fall vnto king Henrie by the iust iudgement of God, for that being admonished diuerse waies, as well by diuine reuelation, as by the wholesome aduise of graue men, as Hugh bishop of Lincolne and others, he would not reforme his licentious appetite of heaping vp sinne vpon sinne, but still wallowed therein to his owne destruction. Wherevpon being brought to such an extremitie as ye haue heard, he was taken with a greeuous sicknesse, which bringing him to vtter desperation of recouering of health, he finallie departed this life, though more through verie anguish and gréefe of his late losse and troubles susteined, than by the force of his bodilie disease King Henrie departeth this life. (as writers haue affirmed.) But howsoeuer it was, he ended his life the sixt of Julie in the 61. yeare of his age, and after he had reigned 34. yeares, nine moneths, and two daies, which was in the yeare after the 1189. birth of our sauiour 1189. and of the creation of the world 5155. His bodie was buried at Founteuerard, which is an abbeie situate not farre from the towne of the eagle within the dutchie of Alanson.

Immediatlie vpon his death, those that were about him, applied their market so busilie in catching and filching awaie things that laie readie for them, that the kings corps laie naked a longtime, till a child His surname whereof it came. couered the nether parts of his body with a short cloke, and then it séemed that his surname was fulfilled that he had from his childhood, which was Shortmantell, being so called, bicause he was the first that brought short clokes out of Aniou into England. As his sonne Richard met the corps going towards the buriall, suddenlie there issued bloud out of the dead bodies nosthrilles, which was taken for a signification that it abhorred the presence of so wicked a son, which in his life time had so persecuted the father. His death was signified by a maruellous strange A strange maner of fight betwixt fishes. woonder, for a few daies before he died, all the fishes in a certeine méere or poole in Normandie, leapt foorth on land in the night season, and fought togither with such a noise, that a great multitude of men came running thither to behold the woonder, and could not find on fish aliue in the meere.

The issue of Henrie the second. His sonnes. His daughters. He had issue by his wife quéene Elianor (as may appeare by that which alreadie is rehearsed) foure sonnes, Henrie, Richard, Geffrey, and John, besides two other that died yoong, as some authors haue recorded: also three daughters, Maud, married vnto Henrie the duke of Saxonie; Elianor the wife of Alfonse the eight of that name king of Castile, and Joane His base sons. giuen in marriage vnto William king of Sicill. He had also two bastard sonnes by a concubine, the one named William, & the other Geffrey. He The constitution of his bodie. was of bodie fleshie and strong, and could abide verie patientlie the displesures both of cold and heat, he had a large head, a broad breast, a broken voice, and was furthermore verie spare of diet, cheefelie bicause he would not be too fat; and therefore when he was at quiet without any trouble of warres, he would exercise himselfe in hunting or His stature. trauelling abroad. He was of a good stature and verie well-formed, of a comelie countenance, partlie red heared, with graie eies, of wit quicke, and of a perfect good memorie, so that he would long remember those His qualities and conditions of mind. things which he had either read, heard, or seene. He was stout of stomach, and more constant in time of aduersitie than in time of prosperitie, except at the time of his death, when being destitute in maner of all his fréends, he shewed himselfe almost in despaire. He was liberall towards all men, oftentimes giuing rewards to his souldiers ouer and besides their wages.

Radulphus de Diceto. Moreouer, of nature he was pitifull towards the poore, as it well appeared by diuerse his charitable deeds; as for example. When in the yeare 1176. there was a great dearth & scarsitie of bread in the parts of Aniou & Maine, he fed euerie daie with sufficient sustenance ten thousand persons, from the begining of Aprill, till the time that new corne was inned: and what prouision soeuer was laid vp in garners, cellers and storehouses, for the kings necessarie vses, he caused the same to be imploied towards the reléefe of religious houses, and poore people. He tooke of his subiects but sildome times any great tributes. He was verie expert in feats of warre, and right fortunate therein. He praised his capteins and men of warre when they were dead, and lamented their losse more than he shewed to loue them when they were aliue. And this did he of policie, that they might vnderstand that they should be honoured after death, and therefore feare it the lesse. He was somwhat learned, and also knowne to be wise.

Radulphus de Diceto. His care to haue iustice dulie ministred in his realme was exceeding great, insomuch that finding how the shirifes were rather inclined to seeke their owne gaine, than to deale vprightlie with his subiects, he appointed other officers to haue a regard to their dooings, as if they had béene controllers, that they knowing how there were such appointed to haue a sound ouersight in their dealings, might be the more circumspect in their duties. He ordeined also punishments for hunters in forrests and grounds of warren, either by fining them, or by imprisonment.

Moreouer, he ordeined that murtherers should suffer death by hanging: and so for other transgressours he appointed other kinds of punishments, as some to be condemned to exile, and other to losse of lims, &c.: according to the qualitie of the offense committed. And to haue the lawes dulie executed, and iustice vprightlie ministred on all hands, he was so carefull that he tried all orders of men, in placing them in roomes of iustice. And lastlie, trusting to find among the cleargie such as would not be corrupted with bribes, nor for respect of feare or Bishops chosen principall iustices. freendship decline from right iudgement, he chose foorth the bishops of Winchester, Elie and Norwich to be principall iustices of the relme, so as they might end and determine all matters, except in certeine cases reserued to the hearing of the prince himselfe.

The vices of K. Henrie. His vices were these, as they are remembred. In time of aduerse fortune no man could shew himselfe more courteous, gentle, méeke, and promising more largelie than he would. But when fortune once began to smile, no man was more sharpe, hard to deale with, nor more redie to breake his promise and faith. He was also partlie noted of couetousnesse: for although he was liberall towards souldiers and strangers, yet was he streict inough towards his owne people, and namelie towards his sonnes, which caused them to estrange themselues and their good wils from him. He was not so zealous toward the execution of right and equitie as to the furtherance of his owne priuat commoditie.

His incontinencie. He was out of measure giuen to fleshlie lust, and satisfieng of his inordinate concupiscence. For not contented with the vse of his wife, he kept manie concubines, but namelie he delited most in the companie of a pleasant damsell, whom he called the Rose of the world (the common people named hir Rosamund) for hir passing beautie, propernesse of person, and pleasant wit, with other amiable qualities, being verelie a Rosamund his concubine. rare and péerlesse péece in those daies. He made for hir an house at Woodstocke in Oxfordshire, like a labyrinth, with such turnings and windings in & out as a knot in a garden called a maze, that no creature might find hir nor come to hir, except he were instructed by the king, or such as were secret with him in that matter. But the common report of the people is, that the quéene in the end found hir out by a silken thread, which the king had drawne after him out of hir chamber with his foot, and dealt with hir in such sharpe and cruell wise, that she liued not long after. She was buried in the nunrie of Goodstow beside Oxford, with these verses vpon hir toome:

The meaning whereof may be found in Graftons large chronicle, page 77. in an English septenarie.

Ran. Higd. Long time after the death of this damsell, in the said abbeie was shewed a cofer, that sometimes was hirs, of the length of two foot, in the which appeared giants fighting, startling of beasts, swimming of fishes, and flieng of foules, so liuelie, that a man might woonder at the fine deuise thereof.

Moreouer, king Henrie was noted not to be so fauourable to the liberties & fréedoms of the church as he might haue béene. For besides the persecuting of the foresaid Thomas archbishop of Canturburie, he would not suffer the legats sent from the pope, to enter within the bounds of his dominion, till they had sworne that they should doo nothing preiudiciall to the customes of his kingdome, neither by prescribing His negligēce in aiding the Christians against the Saracens. orders, nor any other maner of act or meanes. He was thought to be negligent in aiding the christian commonwealth in the holie land. For though he had appointed twice or thrice to go thither in person, yet being letted by light occasions, he staied at home, and sent small reléefe thither, though he was earnestlie called vpon for the same. His estimation was such amongst forren princes, that Philip king of France being newlie entred into the gouernement of that realme after his fathers deceasse, committed[14] himselfe and his kingdome to the disposition and order of king Henrie, as if he had béene regent of his realme, and gouernour of his person.

There liued in the daies of this king Henrie the second, diuerse honourable personages and capteins of great fame, for their approued valiancie and experience in warlike enterprises, as Robert earle of Leicester, Hugh bigot earle of Northfolke, Reignold earle of Cornewall, Robert Ferreis earle of Darbie, Richard Lacie, Roger Mowbray, Rafe de Fulgiers, Humfrey Bohun conestable of England, Ranulfe Glandeuille, Bale. William Vesey, & Bernard de Ballioll. Also there flourished in his time here in this land, men of singular learning in arts and sciences, as Nicholas Breakespeare, Serlo surnamed Grammaticus, William Rheualensis, Adam de Euesham, Thomas of Munmouth, Adelbertus Leuita, Geruasius Cicestrensis, Odo Cantianus, Ealred Rhieuellensis, Johannes Sarisburiensis, Clemens Lanthoniensis, Walter Daniell, Robert Knought aliàs Camtus, Robert Folioth, William Ramsey, Senatus Brauonus, Robert the Scribe, Odo Miremouth, Hugh of Reading, Richard of Douer, William of Peterburough, Cicerciensis, Bartholomew Iscanus, and Gilbert de Sempringham, with others.

¶ And here to make an end with this high and mightie prince Henrie the second, I haue thought good to make you partaker of an epitaph, which we find in Matthew Paris and others written of him as followeth.

Epitaphium in Henricum secundum regem mortuum & hîc sepultum

Aliud.

An epitaph vpon king Henrie the second dead and heere intoomed.

An other.

¶ Here may be thought that the reigne of the Normans and French men ouer the realme of England tooke end, a hundred twentie two yeares after the comming in of the Conquerour; for those that reigned after this Henrie the second, we may rightlie estéeme to be Englishmen, bicause they were borne in England, and vsed the English toonge customes, and maners, according to the nature and qualitie of the countrie.

Thus farre the succession and regiment of the Frenchmen ouer this Iland; namelie, Stephan of Bullongne and Henrie the second.

Transcriber's notes

There are no footnotes in the original. The original spelling and punctuation have been retained, with the exception of obvious errors which have been corrected by reference to the 1587 edition of which the original is a transcription.