KING HENRY THE FIRST, Sirnamed Beavclerke. (continued 2)

In the 13. yeere the Citie of Worcester, and therein the chiefe Church, the Castle, with much people were consumed with fire. A pigge was farrowed with a face like a childe. A chicken was hatched with foure legs. The yeere next ensuing the riuer of Medeway so fayled for many miles, that in the middest of the channell the smallest boates could not floate. In the Thames also was such defect of water, that betweene the Tower and the Bridge many men and children did wade ouer on foote. This happened by reason of a great ebbe in the Ocean, which layd the sands bare many miles from the shoare, and so continued one whole day. Much rage and violence of weather ensued, and a blasing starre. The Citie of Chichester with the principall Monastery was burnt. The yeere next following almost all the Bridges in England being then of timber, by reason of a hard Winter were borne downe with Ice.

In the 17. yeere the towne of Peterborough with the stately Church were burned to the ground. The Citie of Bath also was much ruined and defaced with fire. In March there happened fearefull lightning, and in December grieuous thunder and haile. The Moone at both times seemed to be turned into blood, by reason of the euill qualited vapours through which it gaue light. The yeere following, Mathild the Queene departed this life: a woman in pietie, chastitie, modestie, and all other vertues nothing inferiour to her mother; but in learning and iudgement farre beyond her: who did not act, nor speake, nor scarce thinke any thing, but first it was weighed by wisdome and vertue. When the king desired her in marriage, for the publicke good and tranquilitie of the State, in reducing the Saxon blood to the Crowne; she first modestly, then earnestly refused the offer; shewing no lesse magnanimitie in despising honours, then others doe in affecting them. But when she was not so much perswaded as importuned to forsake her profession, she is reported by some to haue taken the matter so to heart, that she cursed such issue as she should bring forth: which curse did afterwards lie heauie vpon them. For her sonne William perished by shipwrack, and her daughter Matild was neuer voyd of great vexations. As she trauailed ouer the riuer of Lue, at the Old-foord neere London, she was well washed, and somewhat endangered in her passage: whereupon he caused two Stone-bridges to be built ouer the same riuer, one at the head of the towne of Stratford, the other ouer another streame thereof, commonly called Channels-bridge; and paued the way betweene them with grauel. She gaue also certaine mannours, and a mill called Wiggon mill, for repairing of the same bridges and way. These were the first Stone-bridges that were made in England. And because they were arched like a bow, the towne of Stratford was afterwards called Bow.

In the 20. yere, a great earthquake hapned, in the moneth of September. In the 22. yeere, the Citie of Glocester, with the principal Monasterie was fired againe. The yeere next following, the Citie of Lincolne was for the most part burned downe, and many persons perished with the rage of the flame. In the 27. yeere, the King receiued an oath of the chiefe of the Prelats and Nobilitie of the Realme; that after his death, they should maintaine the kingdom against al men for his daughter Matild, in case she should suruiue, and the king not leaue issue male in life.

In the 30. yeere, the Citie of Rochester was much defaced with fire, euen in the presence and view of the King. The yeere next following the oath to Matild was receiued againe. About this time the King was much troubled with fearefull dreames; which did so affright him, that he would often leape out of his bed, and lay hand on his sword, as if it were to defend himselfe. This yeere as he returned out of Normandie into England, when he had bene caried not farre from land, the winde began to rise, and the Sea swelled somewhat bigge. This weather did almost suddenly encrease to so dangerous a storme, that all expected to be cast away. The King, dismayed the more by his sonnes mishap, reconciled himselfe to God; and vowed to reforme many errours of his life, if he did escape. So after his arriuall, he went to the Monasterie of S. Edmund; and there both ratified and renued the promise he had made. After this he was better ordered in his actions; he erected a Bishopricke at Caerlile, and endowed it with many honours: he caused Iustice indifferently to be administred; and eased the people of the tribute called Dane guilt.

In the 32. yeere, Matilde daughter to the King was deliuered of a sonne, who was named Henry. Hereupon the king assembled his Nobilitie at Oxeford, where he did celebrate his feast of Easter; and there ordeined, that shee and her heires should succeed him in the kingdome. And albeit they were often sworne to this appointment; albeit Stephen Earle of Bloise was the first man who tooke that oath: yet was he the first who did rise against it; yet did many others also ioyne with him in his action. For oathes are commonly troden vnder foote, when they lye in the way, either to honour or reuenge. The same yeere the Citie of London was very much defaced with fire.

The yeere next following, many prodigies happened, which seemed to portend the death of the King, or rather the troublesome times which did thereupon ensue. In the moneth of August, the Sunne was so deepely eclipsed, that by reason of the darkenesse of the ayre, many starres did plainely appeare. The second day after this defect of light, the earth trembled with so great violence, that many buildings were shaken downe. Malmesb. sayth, that the house wherein he sate, was lift vp with a double remooue, and at the third time setled againe in the proper place. The earth in diuers places yeelded foorth a hideous noyse; It cast foorth flames at certaine rifts diuers dayes together, which neither by water nor by any other meanes could be suppressed.

During the time of the eclipse mentioned before, the King was trauersing the sea into Normandie; whither hee vsually went, sometimes euery yeere, but euery third yeere at the furthest. Here he spent the whole yeere following, in ordering affaires of State, and in visiting euery corner of the Countrey. He neuer gaue greater contentment to the people, as well by his gifts, as by his gentle and courteous behauiour: he neuer receiued greater contentment from them, by the liuely expressing of their loue. But nothing did so much affect him with ioy, as that his daughter Matild had brought foorth other two sonnes, Geoffrey and William: whereby hee conceiued, that the succession of his issue to the Crowne of England was so well backed, that he needed not to trouble his thoughts with any feare that his heires would faile.

At the last he began to languish a little and droupe in health; and neither feeling nor fearing any great cause, hee rode on hunting, to passe it ouer with exercise and delight. Herewith being somewhat cheered, hee returned home, and eate of a Lamprey, albeit against his Physicians aduise, which meate he alwayes loued, but was neuer able well to digest. After this, and happely vpon this vicious feeding, he fell into a feuer; which increased in him by such dangerous degrees, that within seuen dayes it led him to the period of his life. Hee died vpon the first of December, in the 67. yere of his age: when hee had reigned 35. yeeres and foure moneths, wanting one day. His bowels and eyes were buried at Roan: The rest of his bodie was stuffed with salt, wrapped vp in Oxe hides, and brought ouer into England; and with honourable exequies buried in the Monastery of Reading, which hee had founded. His Physician who tooke out his braines, by reason of the intolerable stinch which breathed from them, in short time after ended his life. So of all that King Henrie slue, this Physician was the last.

He had by his first wife a sonne named William, who perished by shipwracke; 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 Noble 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 bastards; which were of no great either note or continuance, according to that saying of the Wise man: Bastard 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 Nobilitie should possesse their fathers lands without redemption from him, and that the Nobilitie 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 Title 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 cushion 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 hell-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 hearse. He was basely buried without the Church without any funerall solemnities, without any signe either of honour or of griefe. * * *

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Escapes.

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