bee his heire. Hereupon the Duke inuaded Maine, and in short time subdued the whole countrey, and built two fortifications for assurance thereof; hauing first sent word to the Earle of Aniou, vpo what day the worke should begin. The Earle vsed all diligence and means to impeach the buildings; but hee not onely failed of that purpose, but further lost the countie of Medune.Againe, Henry King of France did many other times with great preparation inuade his Countrey; sometimes with purpose to winne vpon him, and sometimes to keepe him from winning vpon others. Vpon a time the King30 led his troupes ouer the foord of Dine; and when halfe his army had passed, the other halfe by reason of the rising of the Sea, was compelled to stay. The Duke apprehending the aduantage, came vpo them with a furious charge, being now deuided from the chiefe of the Armie; and either slew them
or tooke them prisoners, in the plaine view of their King. After this they concluded a peace, whereof the conditions were, That the Duke should release such prisoners as he had taken; and that hee should retaine whatsoeuer he had wonne, or afterwards should winne from the Earle of Aniou. And yet the King did againe enterprise vpon him, with greater forces then at any time before: But the Duke entertained his Armies with so good order and valoure, that the King gained nothing but losse and dishonour: and the greater his desire was of victorie and reuenge, the more foule did his foiles and failings appeare; which so brake both his courage and heart, that with griefe thereof (as it was conceiued) hee ended his life. And thus during all the time that he was onely Duke of Normandy, he was neuer free from action of armes: in all his actions of armes hee was caried with a31 most rare and perpetuall felicitie. As he grew in yeeres, so did he in thicknesse and fatnesse of body: but so, as it made him neither vnseemely, nor vnseruiceable for
the warres; and neuer much exceeding the measure of a comely corpulencie. He was most decent, and therewith terrible in armes.
He was stately and maiesticall in his gesture; of a good stature, but in strength admirable: in so much as no man was able to draw his bow, which hee would bend sitting vpon his horse, stretching out the string with his foot. His countenance was warlike and manly as his friends might terme it; but as his enemies said, truculent and fierce. He would often sweare By Gods resurrection and his brightnesse: which he commonly pronounced with so furious a face, that hee strooke a terrour into those that were present. His head was bald; his beard alwayes shauen; which fashion being first taken vp by him, was then followed by all the Normans. Hee was of a firme and strong constitution for his health; so as he neuer was attached with sicknesse, but that which was the summons of his death: and in his age seemed little to feele the heauie weight and burthen of yeeres.
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In his first age he was of a mild and gentle disposition; courteous, bountifull, familiar in conuersation, a professed enemie to all vices. But as in Fortune, as in yeres, so changed he in his behauiour; partly by his continuall following the warres (whereby he was much
6
fleshed in blood) and partly by the inconstant nature of the people ouer whom he ruled: who by often rebellions did not onely ex-asperate him to some seueritie, but euen constraine him to hold them in with a more stiffe arme. So hee did wring from his subiects very much substance, very much blood; not for that he was by nature either couetous or cruell, but for that his affaires could not otherwise be managed. His great affaires could not be managed without great expence, which drew a necessity of charge vpon the people: neither could the often rebellions of his Subiects be repressed or restrained by any mild and moderate meanes. And generally as in all States and gouernments, seuere discipline hath alwayes bin a true faithfull mother of vertue and valour; so in particular of
his Normans he learned by experience, and oftentimes declared this iudgement: That if they were held in bridle, they were most valiant, and33 almost inuincible; excelling all men both in courage, and in strength, and in honourable desire to vanquish their enemies. But if the reines were layd loose vpon their necke, they were apt to runne into licentiousnes and mischiefe; ready to consume either themselues by riot and sloath, or one another by sedition: prone to innouation and change; as heauily mooued to vndertake dangers, so not to bee trusted vpon occasion.
He tooke to wife Matilde daughter to Baldwin Earle of Flanders, a man for his wisedome and power, both reuerenced and feared euen of Kings; but because she was his cousin Germane, he was for his marriage excommunicate by his owne vnckle Mauger Archbishop of Roan. Hereupon he sued to Pope Victor, and obteined of him a dispensation: and afterwards so wrought, that by a prouinciall Councell his vncle Mauger was depriued of his dignitie. But by this meanes both he & his issue were firmely locked in obedience to the Sea of Rome; for that vpon the authoritie of that place the validitie of his marriage, and consequently the legitima-tion of his issue seemed to depend.
When he was about 50. yeeres of age, Edward34 King of England ended his life. This Edward was sonne to Egelred King of England, by Emma, sister to Richard the second Duke of Normandie, who was grandfather to Duke William: so as King Edward and Duke William were cousins germane once remoued.[7]
At such time as Egelred was first ouercharged with warres by the Danes, he sent his wife Emma, with two sonnes which she had borne vnto him, Alphred and Edward, into Normandie to her brother; where they were enterteined with all honourable vsage for many yeeres. Afterward giuing place to the malice of his Fortune, he passed also into Normandie, and left his whole state in the possession and power of Swanus King of Denmarke. But after the death of Swanus, partly by the aide of the Normans, and partly by fauour of his owne people, he recouered his Kingdome, and left the same to his eldest sonne Edmund, who either for the tough temper of his courage and strength, or for that he almost alwayes liued in Armes, was surnamed Ironside.
Hereupon Canutus the sonne of Swanus made sharpe warre, first against Egelred, then against Edmund: and finally after many varie-
35ties of aduenture, but chiefly by the fauour of the Clergie of England (because they had sworne allegiance to his father) spread the wings of his victory ouer the whole Kingdome. He expelled out of the Realme Edwine and Edward the two sonnes of King Edmund: of whom Edwine married the Kings daughter of Hungarie, but died without issue; Edward was aduanced to the marriage of Agatha, daughter to the Emperour Henry, and by her had issue two sonnes, Edmund & Edgar, and so many daughters, Margaret and Christine. The same Canutus tooke Emma to wife, who had bene wife to King Egelred; by whom he had a sonne named Hardicanutus.
After the death of Canutus, Alphred the sonne of Egelred came out of Normandie, and with fiftie saile landed at Sandwich: with purpose to attempt the recouerie of his fathers kingdome. In which enterprise hee receiued not onely encouragement, but good assurance from many of the English Nobilitie. But by Earle Goodwine he was abused and taken; his company slaine, his eyes put out, and then sent to the Ile of Elie, where in short time hee ended his life. Edward also arriued at Hampton with 40. ships,36 but finding the Countrey so farre from receiuing, as they were ready to resist him, he returned into Normandie, and attended the further fauour of time. So after Canutus succeeded in England, first Harold sirnamed Harefoot, bastard sonne to Canutus; and after him Hardicanutus, sonne to Canutus by Emma, mother also to King Edward.
Hardicanutus being dead, the Nobilitie of the Realme sent into Normandie for Edward to be their King; whereto also he was appointed as some haue written by Hardicanutus. But because Alphred his brother vpon the like inuitation had bene traiterously taken and slaine before, William at that time Duke of Normandie would not permit him to depart, vntill he had receiued for pledges of
his safety, Woolnoth son to Earle Goodwine, and Hacon sonne to Swaine, Earle Goodwins eldest sonne. Vpon this assurance he was furnished by the duke his cousin, with all meanes fit both for his enterprise and estate. And so hee passed the Seas, arriued in England, and with generall ioy was receiued for King. He tooke to wife Edith the daughter of Earle Goodwine; but whether vpon vow of chastitie, or whether vpon impotencie of nature, or37 whether vpon hatred to her father, or whether vpon suspition against herselfe (for all these causes are alleaged by seuerall writers of those times) he forbore all priuate
