Raphael Holinshed

“ The maner of the parlement in England The maner of their consulting heere in England in their said assemblies of parlement is on this wise. Whereas they haue to intreat of matters touching the commoditie both of the prince and of the people, that euerie man may haue free libertie to vtter what he thinketh, they are appointed to sit in seuerall chambers, the king, the bishops, and lords of the realme sit in one chamber to conferre togither by themselues ”

“ Whervpon king Henrie desirous to tame their hautie stomachs (bicause it was a gréefe to him still to be vexed with such tumults and vprisings as they dailie procured) assembled a mightie armie and went into Wales. Now bicause he knew the Welshmen trusted more to the woods and mountains, than to their owne strength, he beset all the places of their refuge with armed men, and sent into the woods certeine bands to laie them waste, & to hunt the Welsh out of their holes. ”

“ In this yeare Charles earle of Flanders, the successor of earle Baldwin, was traitorouslie murthered of his owne people: & bicause he left no issue behind him to succéed as his heire, Lewes the French king made William the sonne of duke Robert Curthose earle of Flanders, as the next William sonne to Robert Curthose made erle of Flanders cousine in bloud to the same Charles. ”

“ The next daie after the king talked with him secretlie of his consecration, and vttered to him how he had no mind to haue him consecrated at the hands of Thurstan archbishop of Yorke. In which case when he was informed by the said Eadmer, that no such thing needed to trouble his mind, since the archbishop of Canturburie, being primate of all Britaine, might consecrate him as reason was; the king could not away with that answer, bicause he would not heare that the church of Canturburie should be preferred before the church of S. Andrews. ”

“ Neuerthelesse, at his comming thither, he so wrought with bribes and large gifts, that the popes court (a thing easilie doone in Rome) fauoured his cause; yea, such was his successe, that the pope consecrated him with his owne hands, although king Henrie had giuen notice to him of the controuersie depending betwixt Thurstane and Rafe the archbishop of Canturburie, requiring him in no wise either to consecrate Thurstane himselfe, or grant licence to anie other person to consecrate him ”

“ Moreouer, Henrie the sonne of earle Blois, who before was abbat of Glastenburie, was now made bishop of Winchester, a man for his singular bountie, gentlenesse and modestie greatlie beloued of the English.
But to returne to the affaires of the king. It chanced about this time, that the parts beyond the sea (being [14] now void of a gouernour (as they suppose) by meanes of the death of the kings sonne) began to make 1123.
An. Reg. 24. commotions. Soone after it came also to passe that Robert earle of Robert earle of Mellent rebelleth. ”

“ This king was consecrated and crowned at Westminster, the fift daie of August, by Thomas archbishop of Yorke, and Maurice bishop of London, bicause at that time Anselme archbishop of Canturburie was exiled. This prince had aforehand trained the people to his humor and veine, in Matth. Paris. bringing them to thinke well of him, and to conceiue a maruellous euill opinion of his brother duke Robert, persuading them moreouer, that the said duke was likelie to prooue a sharpe and rigorous gouernour, if he once obteined the crowne and dominion of the land. ”

“ I Thomas to be consecrated metropolitane archbishop of Yorke, professe my subiection and canonicall obedience vnto the holie church of Canturburie, and to the primate of the same church, canonicallie elected and consecrated, and to his successours canonicallie inthronized, sauing the faith which I owe vnto my souereigne lord Henrie king of the English, and sauing the obedience to be holden of my part, which Thomas my predecessour professed on his behalfe vnto the holie church of Rome. ”

“ This is the order of the lawgiuing of England; and in such decrees (established by authoritie of the prince, the lords spirituall and temporall, and the commons of this realme thus assembled in parlement) consisteth the whole force of our English lawes. Which decrees are called statutes, meaning by that name, that the same should stand firme and stable, and not be repealed without the consent of an other parlement, and that vpon good and great consideration. ”

“ Archbishop Rafe was contented to satisfie the request of king Alexander in that behalfe, and obteining the consent of king Henrie, he sent the said Eadmer into Scotland with letters of commendation vnto the said king Alexander, who receiued him right ioifullie, and vpon the third daie after his comming thither (being the feast of the apostles Peter & Paule) he was elected archbishop of S. Andrews by the clergie and people of the land, to the great reioicing of Alexander, and the rest of the Nobilitie. ”

“ So that from this Henrie it may be thought the first vse of the parlement to haue proceeded, which sith that time hath remained in force, and is continued vnto our times, insomuch that whatsoeuer is to be decreed touching the state of the commonwealth and conseruation thereof, is now referred to that councell. And furthermore, if any thing be appointed by the king or any other person to be vsed for the wealth of the realme, it shall not yet be receiued as law, till by authoritie of this assemblie it be established. ”

“ Now, as also before, the king continued his inordinate desire of inriching himselfe, for the fulfilling of which hungrie appetite (called Sacra of the poets Per antiphrasin) he pinched manie so sore, that they ceased not to speake verie ill of his dooings. He did also incurre the misliking of verie manie people, bicause he kept still the sée of Canturburie in his hands, and would not bestow it, for that he found sweetnesse in all the profits and reuenues belonging therevnto, during The archbishops sée of Canturburie in the kings hand foure years. ”

“ At length by the aduise of his councell, the pope granted the king certeine priuileges and customes, which his predecessours had vsed and enioied: but as for the inuestitures of bishops, he would not haue him in any wise to meddle withall: yet did he confirme those bishops whom the king had alreadie Polydor. created, least the refusall should be occasion to sowe any further discord. ”

“ But the French king (as their histories make mention) minding still to be reuenged of the earle Theobald, inuaded his countrie againe with a puissant armie, and had destroied the citie of Chartres, which belonged vnto the same earle, had not the citizens humbled themselues to his mercie: and so likewise did the earle, as may be thought. For in the warres which immediatlie followed betwixt Lewes and the emperour Henrie, the erle aided the French king against the same emperour to [10] the The king and the pope come to an enteruew at Gisors. ”

“ Afterward at breaking vp of the same counsell at Cleremont, he came to Orleance, and then to Charters, King Henrie and pope Innocent méet at Charters. meeting king Henrie by the waie, who offered vnto the pope to mainteine his cause against his enimies to the vttermost of his power, for the which the pope gaue the king great thankes: and séemed as though he had beene more carefull for the defense of the common cause of the christian common-wealth than for his owne, he exhorted king Henrie to make a iournie into the holie land, against the Saracens and enimies of the christian religion. ”

“ Herewith also the kings footmen, togither with the horssemen inuaded the Normans The Normans vanquished. afresh, who neuerthelesse resisted a while, till being compassed about in maner on euerie side, they began to flee: as oftentimes it chanceth, when a few driuen in sunder by a multitude, are assailed on all sides. The king then hauing vanquished his aduersaries, followeth the chase, and maketh great slaughter of them, though not without [56] some losse of his owne: for the Normans despairing of safetie, turned oftentimes againe vpon their pursuers.
The earle of Mortaigne. ”

“ The archbishop of Vienna the popes legat. About this season the archbishop of Vienna came ouer into England with the popes authoritie (as he pretended) to be legat ouer all Briteine, which was strange newes vnto England, and greatlie woondered at (as Eadmerus saith) of all men. For it had not beene heard of in England before that time, that any person should supplie the popes roome except He is not receiued for legat. the archbishop of Canturburie. And so he departed as he came, for no man receiued him as legat, neither did he exercise anie legantine authoritie. ”

“ Herevpon she was transported into England, and wedded to the king, who caused the archbishop Anselme to crowne hir queene on S. Martins daie, which fell vpon a sundaie, being the eleuenth of Nouember.
¶ It should séeme by Eadmerus, that she was neuer nunne, but onelie veiled by hir mother, and placed amongst nunnes against hir will (as she protested to the whole world) at such time as archbishop Anselme refused to solemnize the mariage betwixt them, till that doubt were cleared, and the occasion remoued, wherevpon euill disposed men would haue surmised ilfauoredlie, and reported the worst. ”

“ Factious persons practise to set the two brethren at variance. couzened. Diuerse in Normandie desired nothing more than to set the two brethren at square, and namelie Robert de Belesme earle of Shrewsburie, with William earle of Mortaigne: these two were banished the realme of England. The earle of Shrewesburie for his rebellious attempts (as The earle of Mortaigne. before you haue heard) and the earle of Mortaigne left the land of his owne willfull and stubborne mind, exiling himselfe onelie vpon hatred which he bare to the king. ”

“ Now bicause the house should not be troubled with multitude of vnlearned cōmoners, whose propertie is to vnderstand little reason, and yet to conceiue well of their owne dooings: there was a certeine order taken, what maner of ecclesiasticall persons, and what number and sort of temporall men should be called vnto the same, and how they [66] should be chosen by voices of free holders, that being as atturnies for their countries, that which they confessed or denied, should bind the residue of the realme to receiue it as a law. ”

“ The king raiseth an armie to go against the Welshmen. Whilest these things were thus a dooing, king Henrie was aduertised, that the Welshmen breaking the peace, did much hurt on the marshes, & speciallie in Cheshire where they had burned two castells. Meaning therefore to be reuenged on them to the vttermost, he assembled an armie out of all parts of his realme, and entred with the same into Wales. The Welshmen, hearing that the king was come with such puissance to inuade them, were afraid, and forthwith sent ambassadours, beséeching him to grant them pardon and peace. ”

“ In the yeare ensuing, king Henrie meaning to cause the French king to Matth. Paris. withdrawe his helping hand from his nephue William earle of Flanders, passed foorth of Normandie with an armie, and inuading France, remained 1128. for the space of eight daies at Hipard, in as good quiet as if he had béene within his owne dominions, and finallie obteined that of the French king which he sought for; namelie, his refusall to aid his nephue the said earle of Flanders. Who at length contending with other that An. ”

“ Yet we read that king Henrie gaue commandment to all his Matth. West. people to cut their haire, about the 28. yeare of his reigne. Preachers indeed inueied against such vnseemlie maners in men, as a thing more agréeable and seemelie for the contrarie sex.
Wil. Malm. reciteth a tale of a knight in those daies that tooke no small liking of himselfe for his faire and long haire, who chanced to haue a verie terrible dreame. ”

“ For William Rufus (as you shall read in pag. 44. [16] ) neglecting to be admonished by a dredfull dreame wherewith he was troubled, shortlie after receiued his deaths wound by casualtie or chancemedlie, euen in the prime of his pastime and disport. This other brother H. Beauclerke had the like warnings by the same meanes, and (to a good effect) as the learned doo gather. Their rash opinion therefore is much to be checked, which contemne dreames as meere delusorie, alledging by waie of disproofe an old erronious verse:
Somnia ne cures, nam fallunt plurima plures ”

“ In this yeare about the fiftéenth daie of October, the sea so decreased and shranke from the old accustomed water-markes and coasts of the land here in this realme, that a man might haue passed on foot ouer the sands and washes, for the space of a whole daie togither, so that it was taken for a great woonder. ”

“ Fond worshipping of men. 23 That no man should vpon some new rash deuotion giue reuerence or honour to any dead bodies, fountaines of water, or other things, without the bishops authoritie, which hath béene well knowne to haue chanced heretofore.
24 That there should be no more buieng and selling of men vsed in England, which was hitherto accustomed, as if they had béene kine or oxen. ”

“ He Roger bishop of Salisburie. had in singular fauour aboue all other of his councell, Roger, the bishop of Salisburie, a politike prelate, and one that knew how to order matters of great importance, vnto whome he committed the gouernment of the realme most commonlie whilest he remained in Normandie.
As well in this kings daies, as in the time of his brother William Rufus, men forgetting their owne sex and state, transformed themselues The abuse of wearing long haire. ”