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AUTH O R . 
 
 MATTHEW OF 
 
 WESTMINSTER 
 
 TITLE: 
 
 FLOWERS OF HISTORY, 
 
 ESPECIALLY SUCH AS .. 
 
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 LONDON 
 
 DA TE : 
 
 1853 
 
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 PRESERVATION DEPARTMENT 
 
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 ««»«».. »mi» i iii l i jii« mi l )gp i H,- i »..,wn m t Wuj IH i 
 
 Matthew, of Westminster, reputed author. 
 
 The flowers of history, especially such as relate to the^ 
 ..^ affairs of Britain. • From the begiiiiiiog of the world to 
 . -the year 1307. Collected' by .Matthew/ of Westiriiiister 
 
 Tr. from the original by CD. Youge ... London, JL G, 
 
 Bonn, 1853. 
 
 2 V. 16i"™. iBohn's antiquarian library] 
 
 The part covering the period from a. d. 1259 to a. d. 1307 is lartrelv a 
 
 contemporaneous record. • «s / « 
 
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THE 
 
 FLOWERS OF HISTORY, 
 
 KSPECIALLV SUCH AS RELATE TO 
 
 THE AFFAIRS OF BRITAIN. 
 
 FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE WORLD TO THE YEAR 1307. 
 
 H 
 
 COLLECTED BY 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINCTEU. 
 
 ' - '» 
 
 - f 
 
 TRANSLATED, FRO:*l t TUK CK.UlNAJ^ 
 
 Tby 
 
 ^ - •» i 
 
 C. D. YON'<^-E, BA. 
 
 IN TWO VOLUMES. 
 
 VOL. I. 
 
 B.C. 4004 TO A.D. 1066. 
 
 LONDON : 
 HENRY G. BOHX, YORK STREET, COVENT GARDEN. 
 
 MDCCCLIII. 
 

 y V 
 
 O \ 
 
 
 
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 i-^*. 
 
 • • 
 
 • • • 
 
 ■ • * 
 
 •», 
 
 
 
 TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE. 
 
 
 The author of the following Chronicle was a Benedictine Monk, 
 who flourished probably in the early part of the fourteenth cen- 
 tury, though some place him near the end of it. It begins with 
 the creation of the world, and continues to the end of the reign 
 of Edward the First. In his Preface, the Author speaks as if he 
 intended to write the history of the whole world ; but after the 
 time of the Heptarchy, he very rarely mentions the affairs of any 
 country except Great Britain. The early portion of the work 
 is merely an abridgment of the Bible ; then he gives us a brief 
 sketch of Rome, making little mention of Greece, except where 
 its history is connected with that of the Jews or Komans. Of 
 our own early times he gives us the fabulous traditions of Brutus 
 ;(whom he represents as the great-grandson of -^neas), and Pan- 
 idrasus, and Corinaius, and Camber ; relates the sad story of 
 :^Lear, the prophecy of Merlin, and so conducts us through the 
 -^wars of Vortimer and Vortigem, &c., to the times of compara- 
 i3 lively certain history. It is, of course, after this point that his 
 ;gwork begins to be really valuable ; for he was not only a careful 
 ^observer, and a great master of plain and simple narrative, but, 
 5what was even more unconmion in the days in which he wrote, 
 -|^e paid great attention to order and chronology. As might be ex- 
 pected, he is very credulous on the subject of the miracles attested 
 5y the Eoman church, as performed by the early martyrs, dead and 
 4alive ; of which he gives us copious accounts : but the frequent 
 Recurrence of such marv^ellous stories ought not to diminish our 
 Confidence in him when relating facts, where there was no room 
 for ascribing them to supernatural agency ; for w^e must recollect 
 that the belief in such events was common in his time ; and not 
 only have we no right to quarrel with him for not being in 
 advance of his age on such points, but we may derive some in- 
 
 a 2 
 
n 
 
 TBANSLATOfi S PBEFACE. 
 
 struction from seeing what in those days the most learned men 
 could look upon as matters of sober history. In the reigns of 
 our kings after the Conquest, he is exceedingly minute and 
 careful ; and as such, is constantly referred to by Hume and other 
 historians. His account of the troubles of the reigns of John, 
 and Henry the Third, bears internal marks of accuracy and 
 fidelity ; and in his relation of the wars of Edward, he shows no 
 small power of vivnd description. 
 
 He is said to have formed his work very much upon the plan 
 of that of Matthew Paris, who lived in the preceding century ; 
 and both were largely indebted to Roger of Wendover, as far 
 as his history extended, which was to a.d. 1238. For the last 
 seventy-two years of his work, he appears to have drawn on his 
 own resources and industry. On the whole, there can be no 
 doubt that he is one of the most valuable authorities for the times 
 of which he treats, and well deserving the reputation which he 
 has earned among modern historians. 
 
 CONTENTS OF VOLUME I. 
 
 PREFACE 
 
 PAOB 
 i 
 
 THE FIRST AGE OF THE WORLD. 
 From b.c. 4004 to b.c. 2349. 
 
 The Creation — Adam is driven from Paradise— Cain and Abel — 
 Noah 
 
 THE SECOND AGE.— From b.c. 2318 to b.c. 1921. 
 
 The Deluge— The descendants of Noah— The different divisions of the 
 Nations— The reigns of Belus, Serairamis, Ninus, Astyages, Cyrus, 
 Darius — Tlie divisions of the world into Europe, Asia, and Africa 
 — The colonization of Europe — The tower of Babel . 
 
 THE THIRD AGE.— From b.c. 1921 to b.c. 1055. 
 
 The call of Abraham — The birth of Isaac and Ishmael — The foun- 
 dation of Argos, by Machus — The story of Esau and Jacob— Apis 
 arrives in Egypt— The history of Joseph— The Exodus— Moses a 
 contemporary of Cecrops — Joshua a contemporary of Bacchus — 
 Busiris, Cadmus, Europa — Apollo is born — The Jewish Judges — 
 Paris carries off Helen — Triptolemus— The Minotaur — Ampheon 
 — (Edipus— Danae— Fall of Troy, and arrival of ^neas in Italy — 
 Brutus, son of Silvius, is banished into Greece — An oracle warns 
 hira to go to Albion— Description of Albion — Brutus founds 
 London in the time of Saul — Descendants of Brutus — David is 
 king 
 
 THE FOURTH AGE.— From b.c. 1055 to b.c. 606. 
 
 Ebrancus founds York— Solomon builds the temple — The division of 
 the Jewish Tribes— Elijah— Bladud, king of Britain, is contempo- 
 rary of Elijah— Shishack plunders Jerusalem — Sardanapalus — End 
 of the kingdom of Assyria — History of king Lear — Rome is 
 
 13 
 
17 CONTENTS. 
 
 founded by Romulus and Remus — The old kings of Italy, Janus, 
 Saturn, Jupiter — Early history of Alba and Rome — Kings of Home 
 after Romulus — Constantinople is founded in the time of Tullug 
 Hortilius — Story of Lucretia — Nehemiah is a contemporary of 
 Spurius Cassius — Story of Esther — Regulus — List of the Jewish 
 kings — The prophecy of the Sibyls — The Jews are carried off to 
 Babylon 
 
 PAOC 
 
 CONTENTS- 
 
 CHAP. IV.— From ad. 118 to a.d. 284. 
 
 37 
 
 THE FIFTH AGE.— From b.c. 606 to b.c. 4. 
 
 Account of Babylon — Kings of Babylon — Jerusalem is restored — 
 List of the kings of Britain — Kings of Persia — Brennus, king of 
 England, makes war upon Rome — Alexander subdues Persia — 
 Division of the kingdom of Alexander — Antiochus — Ptolemy — 
 The Punic wars — Other wars of the Romans — The High Priests 
 of the Jews, Onias, Jason, &c. — Wars of the Maccabees — Csesar 
 invades Britain, is defeated by Cassibelaunus — Augustus Caesar — 
 Herod — Joseph is espoused to Mary 79 
 
 THE SIXTH AGE. 
 
 CHAP. I. — From b.c. 4 to a.d. 14. 
 
 The birth of Christ — Question when the Sixth Age of the world is 
 properly said to begin — Circumstances attending the birth and 
 early age of our Saviour — Invective against the Heathen Philoso- 
 phers and their theories— The wise men of the East — Herod's 
 massacre of the Innocents — Account of Josephus — Violence of 
 Herod to his own family — Treachery of Antipater — Cymbeline and 
 his sons in England— Death of Herod — His kingdom is divided — 
 Trogus — Archelaus — Death of Augustus Caesar . . . .116 
 
 CHAP. II.— From a.d. 15 to a.d. 38. 
 
 Reign of Tiberius — Livy — Ovid — A great earthquake in Asia Minor 
 — The invention of glass— Death of Cymbeline — History of Pilate 
 — The preaching of John — The principal events in our Saviour's 
 life— Judas Iscariot — Letter of Caesar to the Senate about Christ 
 — The Apostles— Saint Stephen — Saint Paul — Portrait of our 
 Saviour— Death of Pilate 129 
 
 CHAP. III.— From a.d. 39 to a.d. 117. 
 
 Herod is deprived of his kingdom — Caligula — Claudius — Saint Peter 
 is made Pope— Saint Mark— Guiderius and Arviragus, kings of 
 Britain — Famine at Rome — Nero — Festus — Saint James — Mary 
 Magdalene — Simon Magus — Nero sets fire to Rome — Galba — 
 Otho — Vitellius — Vespasian persecutes the Jews — Titus takes 
 Jerusalem — John, Simon — Livius succeeds Peter as Pope — Arvi- 
 ragus dies — The Picts, under Roderic, arrive in Britain — The Scots 
 — Marius, king of Britain — Domitian — Saint John is banished to 
 Patmos — Quinctilian — Clement is Pope — Trajan's reign, victories, 
 persecution of the Christians, and death 143 
 
 PAOK 
 
 Hadrian succeeds Trajan — Rebuilds Jerusalem — Lucius, king of 
 Britain — Antoninus Pius — The heresy of Valentinus — Galen — 
 Dispute about the day of Easter — Priycarp — Marcus Antoninus — 
 Two Emperors at a time — Commodus — Irenaeus — The Britons are 
 converted to Christianity by Faganus and Deruvianus — Pertinax — 
 Severus — He comes to Britain— Is slain there — TertuUian — Bas- 
 sianus — Macrinus — Alexander — The heresy of Sabellius — Origen 
 — Maximus — Gordian — Plulip — Decius — Gallus — Valerian — Galli- 
 enus— Cyprian — Claudius — Aurelian — Tacitus — The heresy of the 
 Manicbeans — Probus — Carus . . . . . . .158 
 
 CHAP, v.— From a.d. 285 to a.d. 340. 
 
 Diocletian's reign — Carausius in Britain — Constantius — Galerius, 
 Maximian — The empress Helena — The persecution of Diocletian 
 — Amphibolus — Saint Albanus — Diocletian and Maximian abdicate 
 the throne — Constantine is made emperor in Britain — Comes to 
 Rome — Octavius — Silvester — The Arrian heresy — Death of Con- 
 stantine . . . . . . . . . . .176 
 
 CHAP. VI.— From a.d. 341 to a.d. 434. 
 
 Constantius— Death of Arrius — The bones of Saint Andrew and 
 Saint Luke are taken to Constantinople — Julian — Eusebius dies — 
 Saint Hilary — The bones of John the Baptist are collected— Alaric 
 
 ~ — Valentinian and Valens — Octavius, king of Britain, dies — Gratian 
 — Maximianus becomes king of Britain — Conan — The Franks — 
 Pharamond— Death of Athanasius — Gregory Nazianzen— Basil — 
 Theodosius — Arcadius — Maximus, king of Britain — Death of 
 Maximus — Rufinus — Stilicho — Saint Ambrose dies — The Pelagian 
 heresy — Saint John Chrysostom — Saint Augustine — Honorius — 
 The Nestorian heresy — The Romans abandon Britain — The Scots 
 and Picts invade it 193 
 
 CHAP. VII.— From a.d. 435 to a.d. 464. 
 
 The Britons receive a king from Brittany — Attila — Vortigern — Saint 
 Germain — Wars between the Britons and the Picts and Scots — 
 The Saxons are invited into Britain — Meroveus, king of the Franks 
 — The Saxons arrive in Britain — Are defeated by Vortigern — The 
 Counc 1 of Chalcedon — Vortimer — Horsa — Hengist — Death of 
 Vortimer — Return of Hengist — The Saxons destroy the British 
 Churches — Merlin 208 
 
 CHAP. VIII.— From a.d. 465 to a.d. 498. 
 
 Prophecy of Merlin — The red dragon — The white dragon — The 
 Revolution in Britain — Aurelius returns to Britain — Death of 
 Vortigern— Of Alaric— Odoacer, king of the Goths — Theodoric, 
 king of the Goths— Au elius defeats Hengist, and puts him to 
 
 If 
 
■^ 
 
 VI 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGB 
 
 death— Restores the Churches— Saint Patrick in Ireland—Olla, 
 king of the South Saxons— Cedric, king of the West Saxons- 
 Death of Aurelius— Birth of Arthur, son of Uther Pendragon . 226 
 
 CHAP. IX.— From a.d. 499 to a.d. 585. 
 Clovis enriches the Church— The Saxons become nearly masters of 
 Britain— They are defeated by Uther Pendragon— 011a, king of the 
 Saxons, dies— Uther Pendragon dies— King Arthur is crowned— 
 His victories over the Saxons— Justin, emperor of Rome— Boethius 
 — The Saxons again invade Britain, and are defeated — Arthur's 
 sword, Caliban, and other arms— He restores the Churches — 
 Marries— Justinian, emperor of Rome— Saint Anthony— Saint 
 Denis— Saint Benedict— lotila— Arthur kills Mordred, and is 
 mortally wounded— Clothaire. king of the Franks— The Saxons 
 become masters of Britain— The Heptarchy 250 
 
 CHAP. X.— From a.d. 586 to a.d. 621. 
 
 The Britons retreat to Wales— And to Cornwall— The whole island 
 of Britain obtains the name of Anglia— Gregorv becomes pope- 
 Saint Augustine is sent to England— The English become Chris- 
 tians—The Church of Rome is declared the chief of all the churches 
 —Death of Ethelbert— Wars between the different kings in Eng- 
 land— Chosroes, king of Persia 27U 
 
 CHAP. XL— From a.d. 622 to a.d. 676. 
 The heresy of the Monothelites— The Saracens attack the Roman 
 Empire— Mahomet— His wife Cadijah— Pope Honorius— King Ed- 
 win becomes a Christian— Heraclius becomes a Monothelite— 
 CadwaUan, king of Wales— Oswald, king of Northumberland— 
 Oswy — The heresy of the Monothelites is condemned — King 
 Louis violates the tomb of Saint Denis— Cadwallan dies . . 289 
 
 CHAP. XIL— From a.d. 677 to a.d. 704. 
 Disputes and Ecclesiastical affairs in Britain— Wilfrid is deposed 
 from his Bishopric— Saint Etheldreda— Saint Hilda— A Council is 
 held at Hatfield- Saint Cuthbert, Bishop of Lindisfarne— Eg- 
 fnd IS killed— Cadwallader is baptized— Dies— The Histories of 
 Geoffrey of Monmouth, Caradocof Lancarban, William of Malmes- 
 bury, and Henry of Huntingdon -Pepin, king of France— Part 
 of the true cross is found at Rome— A Dead Man is restored 
 from purgatory in Northumberland-The Bishopric of Winchester 
 is divided ^is 
 
 CHAP. XHL— From a.d. 705 to a.d. 742. 
 Death of Ethelred— The See of Worcester is founded— Saint Guth- 
 lac of Croyland— Gregory is Pope— Ina, king of the West Saxons, 
 defeats and kills Eadbert— Bede writes his History— Schism of 
 the Iconoclasts— Wars of Ethelbald, king of Mercia— Death of 
 Bede— His character— Death of Gregorv ... 341 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAP. XIV.— From a.d. 713 to 802. 
 
 Vll 
 
 PACiK 
 
 ■Wars in Britain — Miracles wrought at the tomb of Benedict — Offa, 
 king of Mercia — Charlemagne makes war upon the Saxons and on 
 the Lombards — Allies himself with Offa— Honours paid to the 
 body of Saint Alban— Ethelbert, king of the East Angles and Mar- 
 tyr — Offa goes to Rome— Dies— Charlemagne goes to Home — 
 Egbert succeeds to the throne of tlie West Saxons . . . 308 
 
 CHAP. XV —From a.d. 803 to a.d. 870. 
 
 Egbert begins to subdue the other kingdoms of the Heptarchy — 
 Charlemagne summons five councils in France — Dies — Egbert be- 
 comes sole king of England— Subdues Wales-The Danes land at 
 Sheppey— Are defeated by Egbert— He dies— They return a se- 
 cond time — Constant wars between them and the English — Alfred, 
 son of Ethelwolf, is born — Story of the old woman of Berkeley — 
 Ethelwolf devotes a tenth part of his kingdom to the service of 
 God— He takes Alfred to Home— Ethelwolf dies— Saint Swithun 
 — Alfred marries — The Danes overrun England and Scotland — 
 Death of King Edmund 
 
 I!ll 
 
 !!i,:l(] 
 
 389 
 
 CHAP. XVI.— From a.d. 871 to a.d. 9U0. 
 
 The Danes invade the West Saxons— Reach Reading— Battles with 
 Alfred— King Ethelred dies and is succeeded by Alfred— The youth 
 and education of Alfred— His wisdom— Mis wars— Brithred, king 
 of Northumberland and Mercia— The body of Saint Cuthbert is 
 brought from Liitdisfarne— A truce is made between Alfred and 
 the Danes— It is broken— Alfred besieges Exeter and builds a fleet 
 —The Danes ravage Wiltshire— Alfred retires to Athelney— King 
 Gytro becomes a Christian — An account of John or Dun Scotus — 
 Alfred defeats the Danes— Story of a vision of the emperor Charles 
 about purgatory — Alfred becomes king of all Britain — A List of 
 the kings of the Heptarchy— Alfred founds monasteries— Appoints 
 governors throughout his kingdom— Story of Rollo, duke of Nor- 
 mandy — Death of Alfred .....••• 
 
 CHAP. XVII.— From a.d. 901 to a.d. 941. 
 
 Edward the Elder succeeds Alfred— A great council of the English 
 Church is held — Edward wars against the Danes— Rollo becomes a 
 Christian — The Danes continue their ravages— Many towns are 
 built throughout the kingdom— Edward dies — Athelstan succeeds 
 him— Saint Dunstan flourishes — Treaty of peace between Athel- 
 stan and Robert of Normandy— Athelstan puts his brother Edwin 
 to death — His wars with Constantine, king of Scotland, and An- 
 laf, king of Ireland— Otho becomes emperor of the Romans — 
 Athelstan dies, and is succeeded by Edmund— England is divided 
 between Edmund and Anlaf . 
 
 420 
 
 455 
 
viu 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAP. XVIII.— From a.d. 942 to ad. 975. 
 
 An'af dies— William, duke of Normandy, is murdered— Death of king 
 Edmund— Edred succeeds to the throne— His courage and death 
 — Edwy succeeds—Dunstan is banished— Edwy is banished, and 
 Edgar made king — Dunstan is recalled — Simony in the Church 
 — The wisdom and power of Edgar— He dies, and is succeeded by 
 Edward 
 
 CHAP. XIX.— From a.d. 976 to a.d. 1016. 
 
 The death of Edward the Martyr— Ethelred succeeds to the throne- 
 Death of Dunstan — Quarrel between Ethelred, and Richard of Nor- 
 mandy—Tribute is paid to the Danes— Death of Richard— Story 
 of Silvester or Gerebert— Ethelred builds a fleet — Slaughter of the 
 Danes— Sweyn, king of Denmark, subdues England— Ethelred 
 Hies to Normandy— Death of Sweyn— Return of Ethelred— He 
 dies, and is succeeded by Edmund Ironside — Edmund's victories — 
 His peace with Canute — His death 
 
 CHAP. XX.— From ad. 1017 to a.d. 1042. 
 
 Canute becomes sole king of England — Banishes the nobles — Marries 
 Emma, sister of Richard, duke of Normandy — A conference at Ox- 
 ford establishes the laws of Edward— Character of Canute— His 
 liberality — He subdues Norway — Birth of William of Normandy — 
 He succeeds to his father's dukedom— Death of Canute — Corona- 
 tion of Harold — Hardicanute is setup in opposition to him by God- 
 win, and is crowned king — Dies, and is succeeded by Edward the 
 Confessor 
 
 PAGS 
 
 472 
 
 487 
 
 517 
 
 CHAP. XXI.— From a.d. 1043 to a.d. 1066. 
 
 King Edwin marries earl Godwin's daughter — Godwin and his sons 
 become enemies to Edward — Death of Godwin — Siward defeats 
 Macbeth, and Malcolm is made king of Scotland — Edward sum- 
 mons from Hungary his nephew Edward to become his successor — 
 The story of Lady Godiva — A singular piece of sorcery is detected 
 at Rome — An agreement is made between Harold and William of 
 Normandy — Harold ravages Wales— Saint Oswin — Quarrel between 
 Tosti and Harold — Death of Edward — Harold is crowned king of 
 England — William of Normandy invades England — The Battle of 
 Hastings 533 
 
 THE 
 
 FLOWERS or HISTORY 
 
 ESPECIALLY SUCH AS 
 
 RELATE TO THE AFFAIRS OF BRITAIN. 
 
 FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE WORLD TO THE YEAR 1307. 
 
 COLLECTED BY 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 We have thought fit to set forth the chief accidents of the 
 times, and the series of events from the beginning of the 
 world to the present hour, and also the successions of certain 
 kingdoms and monarchs, for the instruction of future ages ; 
 in order that an attentive reader may, from our brief notices, 
 be led to gather a fuller knowledge of the facts related. 
 
 But what are we to say in reply to certain dull auditors, 
 who, in a spirit of detraction, say, " What occasion is there 
 to commit to writing the lives and deaths of men, and different 
 events which happen to mankind ? Why perpetuate by written 
 records the recollection of prodigies in heaven and earth, or 
 those which affect the other elements ?" Let them know that 
 the good lives and virtuous manners of men of old time, are 
 recorded to serve as patterns for the imitation of subsequent 
 ages ; and that the examples of the wicked are set forth, not 
 that they may be imitated, but that they may be shunned. 
 But prodigies and portents, in past time, threaten the faithful 
 
 VOL. I. B 
 
 Jl 
 
2 PEEFACE. 
 
 with famine, or mortality, or other sources of supreme ven- 
 geance. Therefore, the recollection of these events is handed 
 down in books, that if at any time similar occurrences should 
 take place, sinners who recollect that they have by any means 
 incurred the wrath of God, may flee to the remedy of repen- 
 tance, and appeasq God by such means. 
 
 It is on this account, therefore, (not but what there are 
 other sufficient reasons likewise) that Moses, the lawgiver, 
 sets before us, in his Divine History, the innocence of Abel, 
 the envy of Cain, the simplicity of Jacob, the craftiness of 
 Esau, the malice of the eleven sons of Israel, the goodness of 
 the twelfth, to wit, Joseph, and the punishment of the five 
 cities which were consumed by fire and brimstone ; in order 
 that we may imitate the good, and avoid being followers of 
 the wicked, and by shunning all temptations to sin, we may 
 radically weaken it ; and this is the eftect produced in us not 
 only by Moses, but by all the authors of the Holy Volume, 
 both in their historical and moral works, where they commend 
 virtue, and show their detestation of vice, and so teach us at 
 the same time to fear and to love God. 
 
 Those men, then, must not be listened to, who say that books 
 of Chronicles, and especially those published by Catholics, 
 ought to be neglected ; since by the study of them a diligent 
 enquirer may be able to discover by his memory, to under- 
 stand by his intelligence, and to set forth, with eloquence, all 
 that is necessary for human life, and for human safety. 
 
 B K I. 
 
 THE FIRST AGE OF THE WORLD. 
 FROM THE CREATION OF THE WORLD TO THE DELUGE. 
 
 B.C. 4004 — 2349. 
 
 THE CREATION — ADAM IS DKIVEI^ FEOM PAEADISE — CAIN 
 
 AND ABEL — NOAH. 
 
 Ch. I.— 'The Creation of the World. 
 In six days God accompHshed the creation of the world. 
 
 On the first day he made the light. 
 
 On the second day he poised the firmament of heaven in the 
 midst of the waters : the waters themselves, and the earth, to- 
 gether with the upper heaven, and those virtues which enabled 
 them to praise their maker, having been created before the be- 
 ginning of these six days. 
 
 On the third day, having collected the waters, which had 
 previously covered everything, into their place, he bade the 
 dry land appear. 
 
 On the fourth day he placed the stars in the firmament of 
 heaven, and that day, as far as we can now collect, by a cal- 
 culation of the equinox, was the twelfth day of the calends 
 of April (March 21). 
 
 On the fifth day he created all swimming and flying and 
 breathing creatures. 
 
 On the sixth day he formed the terrestrial animals, and the 
 man Adam himself, in the district of Damascus ; and from 
 the side of Adam, while he was sleeping, he produced Eve, 
 the mother of all living. And the day on which he did this, 
 was, according to the most credible conjecture, the tenth of 
 the calends of April (March 23). From which circumstance, 
 it is deservedly believed, (unless some more probable opinion 
 shall be maintained hereafter,) that on this same tenth day of 
 the calends of April the Lord was crucified. For God ap- 
 pointed that on one and the same day, not only of the week, 
 but also of the month, the second Adam, having been con- 
 
 B 2 
 
-I 
 
 I 
 
 MATTHEW OP WESTMINSTER. 
 
 B.C. 4003. 
 
 demned to the sleep of death, for the object of the Hfe-giving 
 salvation of the human race, and having produced the heavenly 
 sacraments out of his own side, shall sanctify to himself the 
 church as his spouse, on the same day on which he had 
 originally, himself, created Adam, and, taking a rib out of his 
 side, had formed a woman, by whose assistance the human 
 race might be propagated. 
 
 Ch. 11.— Adam w driven out of Paradise. 
 
 Adam having been transferred into Paradise, from whence the 
 four rivers^ arise, after he had given names to his wife and 
 to all the other animals and things, yielded to his wife in the 
 matter of eating the apple. After this, having made girdles 
 because of their feelings of shame at their nakedness, they 
 are driven by the Lord out of Paradise, and in the sweat of 
 their brow do they seek bread out of the earth, which has 
 been cursed. After this, cherubim armed with a flaming sword 
 are placed by the Lord before the gate of paradise, and not 
 only our first parents, but their whole posterity, are driven out 
 from the delights of paradise. 
 
 Ch. III. — The birth of Cain and Abel, and the death of Abel. 
 
 Adam knew his wife, not indeed while in Paradise, but after 
 he was guilty, and banished from it. And although the law- 
 giver Moses has given us a brief list of the generations of 
 Adam, as he was hastening on to the times of Abraham, the 
 father of the Hebrews, still he has passed over the names of 
 many sons and daughters of Adam. 
 
 But Methodius, the martyr, when he was in prison, prayed 
 to God, and the revelation which he prayed for, concerning 
 the beginning and end of the world, was given to him by the 
 Holy Spirit. And he has left us a written statement, (drawn 
 up indeed in a simple style) saying that they both, to wit, 
 Adam and Eve, were virgins when they departed from Paradise. 
 
 * The names of these rivers are thus given in the Bible, Genesis ii. 
 11 — 14. "The name of the first is Pison, that is it which compasseth 
 the whole land of Havilah : where there is gold. And the gold of that 
 land is good : there is bdellium and the onyx stone. And the name of 
 the second river is Gihon ; the same is it that compasseth the whole land of 
 Ethiopia. And the name of the third river is Hiddekel : that is it which 
 goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates." 
 
 B.C. 3000. 
 
 THE DESCENDANTS OF CAJN. 
 
 And in the fifteenth year of the life of Adam, Cain^ was bom 
 to him, and also his sister Calmana. Fifteen years later, Abel 
 was born to him, and also his sister Delbora. Then in the 
 hundred and thirtieth year of his (that is of Adam's) life, 
 Cain slew Abel, and Adam and Eve mourned for him a hundred 
 years, and then Seth was born to him in the thirtieth year of 
 the "first Chiliad, that is to say of the first age.^ 
 
 Ch. IV. — Cain becomes a Wanderer. 
 
 Cain the husbandman, grieving that his own offerings were 
 rejected, while those of Abel were not, slew his brother, al- 
 though for the action he was reproved by the Lord, and 
 destined to be punished by a sevenfold* sin. Subsequently 
 he was made a vagabond and a houseless man upon the face 
 of the earth, after he had been cursed by the Lord. 
 
 Ch. V. — The Descendants of Cain. 
 
 Cain knew his wife Calmana, and she brought him forth 
 Enoch ; Enoch begat Irad ; Irad begat Mamael ;* Mamat4 
 begat Matusael ; Matusael begat Lamech ; Lamech had two 
 wives, to wit, Adah and Zillah. By Adah he had a son named 
 Jabaal ;^ by Zillah he had Tubalcain and Naamah. This 
 Lamech was the first man who introduced bigamy ; and when 
 he had slain a man to his wounding, and a young man in his 
 envy, he foretold to his wives that on this account there was 
 a seventy-fold punishment due to him.' 
 
 2 The date of Cain's birth as at present believed, and inserted in the 
 margin of the Bible, is the year after the Creation of the World, viz. 
 4003. Abel's birth is supposed to have followed immediately ; the death 
 of Abel is by the same authority placed in the year 3875. 
 
 ^ This is not very plain ; the year of Seth's birth is usually given as 
 3769 B.C., 235 a.m., and, by the account of our author himself, it would 
 be the two hundred and thirtieth, or thirty-first of Adam's life, 
 
 ♦ This seems to refer to Gen. iv. 15. " And the Lord said unto Cain, 
 therefore whosoever slayelh Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him seven- 
 fold." See note on chap. v. 
 
 * The name in the Bible is Mehujael. 
 
 • The Bible tells us that Adah had two sons, Gen. iv. 20, 21. " And 
 Adah bare Jabal ; he was the father of all such as dwell in tents, and of 
 such as have cattle. And his brother's name was Jubal ; he was the father 
 of all such as handle the harp and organ." 
 
 ' This refers to Gen. iv. 23, 24. *' And Lamech said unto his wives, 
 Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice ; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto ray 
 speech ; for I have slain a man to ray wounding, and a young man to my 
 hurt : if Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and seven 
 fold." 
 
MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEE. 
 
 B.C. 234-8. 
 
 Jabaal, having invented portable tents for shepherds, was 
 the first man who distinguished flocks according to their 
 quality, and breed and age. Jabaal was the father of those 
 who play on the organ and the harp, that is to say, he was the 
 inventor of the art of music, and he engraved a description of 
 his art on two pillars, one of brick and the other of marble, 
 as a durable record, in case of fire or flood. 
 
 Tubalcain was the inventor of the smith's art ; he was a 
 fabricator of works of sculpture in metals ; and it was by 
 the sound of his hammers that Jabaal was delighted, and so 
 was the first person to lay down rules for the harmony of 
 sounds derived from these hammers. 
 
 Ch. VI. — The descendants of Seth, 
 
 Adam, as has been already mentioned, begat Seth ; Seth begat 
 Enos ; Enos begat Canaan ; Canaan begat Malaleel ; Malaleel 
 begat Jareth ; Jareth begat Enoch. This Enoch pleased God, 
 and being translated to Paradise, dwells there with Elias. 
 And Enoch, as some kind of letters had been invented, wrote 
 a book (as is stated in the Epistle of Jude).* And in his 
 time Adam is believed to have died. 
 
 Enoch begat Methusaleh ; Methusaleh begat Lamech ; La- 
 mech begat Noah. 
 
 But Adam lived nine hundred and thirty years ; Seth nine 
 hundred and twelve ; Enos, nine hundred and five ; Canaan, 
 nine hundred and ten ; Malaleel, eight hundred and ninety- 
 five ; Jareth, nine hundred and sixty-two ; Enoch, three hun- 
 dred and sixty-five ; Methusaleh, nine hundred and sixty-nine ; 
 Lamech, seven hundred and seventy-seven. When Noah was 
 five hundred years old, he begat Shem, Ham, and Japhet. 
 
 Heee ends THE FiKST Age — Containing, according to the 
 Hebrews, 16.56 years; according to the Seventy translators of 
 the Bible, 2242. 
 
 • This refers to Jude 14. "And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, 
 prophesied of these, saying, Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand 
 of his saints." 
 
 BOOK II. 
 
 THE SECOND AGE OF THE WORLD. 
 
 B.C. 2448 — 1921. 
 
 THE DELUGE THE DESCENDANTS OF NOAH — THE DIVISIONS 
 
 OF THE NATIONS — THE REIGNS OF BELUS, SEMIRAMIS,NINU8, 
 ASTTAGES, CTEUS, DARIUS — THE DIVISIONS OF THE WORLD 
 
 INTO EUROPE, ASIA, AND AFRICA THE COLONIZATION OF 
 
 EUROPE — THE TOWER OF BABEL. 
 
 Ch. L — The Deluffe, and Life and Death of Noah. 
 
 In the hundredth' year of his life, Noah, now that the flood 
 covered the earth, entered the ark with seven souls, which ark 
 he had finished twenty years before, as God had conversed 
 with him for a hundred years. And the waters increased upon 
 the earth for a hundred and fifty days, the Lord raining upon 
 it for forty days and nights ; when, on the twenty-seventh* 
 day of the seventh month, the ark rested on the mountains 
 of Armenia ; after forty days, Noah sent out a raven, and 
 after that a dove bearing an olive branch, and at last, on the 
 twenty-seventh day of the second month, he went forth out 
 of the ark, the year having come round again to the very 
 same day on which he had entered it; 'when the moon had 
 entered the seventeenth day of the second month. 
 
 And the sacrifice of Noah was accepted, and he received 
 permission to eat flesh, provided it was without blood ; and 
 the rainbow was placed in heaven, as a covenant the deluge 
 
 * This clearly means the hundredth year of Noah's life, after the birth 
 of Shem, Ham, and Japhet ; that is to say, when he was six hundred 
 years old. See, however, note on chap. vii. 
 
 2 Our author is not quite correct here ; the flood began on the seven- 
 teenth day of the second month (Gen. vii. 11), and on the seventeenth 
 day of the seventh month the ark rested on Ararat (Gen. viii. 4). On 
 the twenty-seventh day of the second month he left the ark (Gen. viii. 
 14). Moreover, he did not send out a dove bearing an olive branch ; but 
 he sent forth the dove, and she returned to him in the evening, " And lo, 
 in her mouth was an olive leaf plucked off" (Gen. viii. U). 
 
8 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMITfSTEE. 
 
 B.C. 2250. 
 
 was passed and should not return, and that what should here- 
 after come was a conflagration. 
 
 He got drunk with wine, of which he was the first inventor, 
 and was mocked by Ham ; on which account he cursed him, 
 but blessed his other sons. And so he died. 
 
 Ch. II. — The Generations of Noah. 
 
 Theee are seventy-two^ generations catalogued of the three 
 sons of Noah. To wit, fifteen of Japhet, thirty of Ham, and 
 seventeen of Shem. And these men were scattered over the 
 world. Shem obtained Asia, Ham Africa, and Japhet Europe ; 
 and the ancients distinguish their genealogies in this manner. 
 Shem, the eldest of the family, came into Asia, and ar- 
 ranged the provinces in this manner. 
 
 Ch. III. — The Divisions of the Nations — the Reigns of Belus, 
 SemiramiSy Ninus, in Assyria ; AstyageSy Cyrus, and Darius 
 in Persia. 
 As the people increased after the flood, there arose four prin- 
 cipal kingdoms ; that of the Assyrians in the East, where the 
 first king was Belus ; that of the Sicinii in the West, where 
 the first king was Egialeus ; that of the Scythians in the 
 North, where the first king was Tanus ; that of the Egyptians 
 in the South, where the first king was Myneus. Belus was 
 succeeded by his wife Semiramis, who made the district of 
 Babylon the metropolitan district of her kingdom. She was 
 succeeded by Ninus, who was the inventor of idols, making 
 au image in honour of his father Belus. At length came 
 Sardanapalus, from whom Arbaces wrested the kingdom and 
 transferred it to the Medes. And after a time,. Astyages be- 
 coming king of the Medes, gave his daughter to a prince* of 
 the Persians, who became the father of Cyrus, by whom 
 
 ' There is again some error here. Fifteen, thirty, and seventeen make 
 sixty-two, not seventy-two -, nor do the numbers exactly coincide with the 
 list of names given in the Bible, where (Geo. x. — 1 Chron. i.) we find 
 the names of fourteen descendants of Japhet, thirty of Ham, and twenty- 
 seven of Shem. 
 
 * Our author is mistaken here. Cambyses, the father of Cyrus, was 
 not a prince, though of a good family {pUirig iiyaQriQ. Hdt. i. 107). 
 And Darius did not reign as the colleague of Cyrus, but succeeded to the 
 kingdom on the death of Smerdis the Magus, seven or eight years after 
 the death of Cyrus (b c. 36), and he was the son of Hystaspes, not of 
 Astyages (Hdt. iii. 75). 
 
 B.C. 2250. 
 
 DITISIONS OF THE WORLD. 
 
 Astyages was conquered ; and when he died, the sovereignty 
 was transferred to the Persians, and Darius, the son of Asty- 
 ages, reigned with this same Cyrus as his colleague. 
 
 Ch. IV.— 7%e Divisions of the World; Europe, Asia, and 
 Africa — The Colonization of Europe. 
 
 This habitable world of ours, which is surrounded on all 
 sides by the ocean, has three principal divisions. To wit, 
 Asia, Africa, and Europe; but Asia is the largest. In it 
 there are the following countries :— India, Pailhia, Syria, 
 Persia, Media, Mesopotamia, Cappadocia, Palestiiia, Armenia, 
 Cihcia, Chaldsea, Biffamia, Lydia. In Africa there are these 
 provinces :— Lybia, Cyrene, PentapoUs, Ethiopia, Tripohtania, 
 Egypt, Gaetulia, Natabria, Numidia, the greater and the lesser 
 Syrtes. . 
 
 In Europe there are these countries : — Italy, Spam, Ger- 
 many, Macedonia, Thrace, Dalmatia, Pannonia, Gaul, Achaia, 
 the greater and the lesser Britain, Ireland, and the Northern 
 Isles beyond the ocean. 
 
 The first man of the race of Japhet who came to Europe 
 was named Alanus, and he came with his three sons, whose 
 names are as follows : Isicion, Armenion, and Negno. Isi- 
 cion had four sons; they are these: Francus, Romanus, 
 Alemannus, and Brito. Armenion had five sons, as follows : 
 Gothus, Valagothus, Csebidus, Burgundus, and Longobardus. 
 Negno had four sons, whose names are these : Wandalus, 
 Saxo, Bogarus, and Targus. From Isicion, the first-born of 
 Alanus, sprang four nations : the Latins, the Franks, the 
 Germans, and the Britons. From Armenion, the second son, 
 are descended the Goths, the Valagoths, the Caebidi, the Bur- 
 gundians, and the Lombards. From Negno, the third son, 
 are derived the Bogari, the Vandals, the Saxons, and the 
 Tharinci. And these nations are scattered over the whole 
 
 of Europe. 
 
 But Alanus was, as they say, the son of Frethevit, the son of 
 Ogomun, the son of Thay, the son of Boyb, the son of Simeon, 
 the son of Mayr, the son of Athach, the son of Aurtaach, the 
 son of Cephet, the son of Cozech, the son of Abrech, the son of 
 Ra, the son of Ezra, the son of Isram, the son of Bach, the 
 son of John, the son of Jabach, the son of Japhet, the son 
 of Noah. 
 
 Of Asia and Africa we will speak in another place. 
 
10 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 B.C. 2247. 
 
 Ch. Y.—The Tower of Bahel—The Descendants of Shem, 
 
 down to Thare or Terah, 
 
 Shem was a hundred years old when he begat Arphaxad, 
 whicli happened two years after the flood. Arphaxad begat 
 Sale, or Cainan. Sale founded a city, which he called after 
 his own name, Salem, and he was the father of Heber, from 
 whom the Hebrews (Hebraei) derive their name, or else they 
 are called so from Abraham, as if they were Abrahai. Heber 
 begat Phaleg, in whose time the sons of the sons of Noah, not 
 having faith in the covenant of God which he had made with 
 Noah, to the effect that there should not again be a flood, put 
 together bricks for stones, and bitumen for cement, in order 
 to build a tower, the height of which should reach to heaven ; 
 in order that if a flood should inundate the earth, they might 
 remain safe on its summit. And since they thought that they 
 m.ght be able by their own skill to escape all danger, from 
 either flood or fire, there was caused in that very place, 
 to wit, in the land of Shinar, a division or confusion of 
 tongues, so that no one of them could understand the lan- 
 guage of his neighbour ; therefore the Lord scattered them 
 over divers countries, and they left off building the tower. 
 And the name of that place was called Babel, that is to say, 
 confusion, because there the language of the whole earth was 
 confused. 
 
 And Phaleg, in whose family the Hebrew language re- 
 mained, which is the most ancient of all languages, was on 
 that account called Phaleg, that is to say, divided from the 
 others. Phaleg begat Ragau, Ragau begat Saruch, who begat 
 Nachor ; that Nachor, when he had departed from Chaldsea, 
 married a wife named Melcha, the daughter of his brother 
 who was dead, and dwelt in Charran of Mesopotamia. His 
 father having died there, and Abraham having taken up his 
 abode as a sojourner in Canaan, Nachor begat these three 
 brothers : Huz, Buz, and Bathuel, with five others, from one 
 of whom, namely, Buz, was descended Balaam, who, accord- 
 ing to the Hebrews, is the same person spoken of in Job as 
 Elihu the Buzite.* 
 
 That Nachor begat Thare, who, not being able to bear the 
 injuries that were inflicted on him in the matter of adoring 
 
 * Job xxxii. 6. 
 
 B.C. 2075. DEIGN ATsT) CHAEACTER OF SEMIRAMIS. 
 
 11 
 
 fire in Chaldsea, where they put to death his first-born son, 
 Aran, travelled awav with Abraham and Nachor, and the 
 family of Aran, to Charran in Mesopotamia, where Thare' 
 died, at the end of two hundred and five years. 
 
 Cn. VI. — The Reign and Character of S emir amis — Duration 
 
 of the Assyrian Monarchy. 
 
 In the times of Thare reigned Ninus, the most powerful king 
 of the Assyrians, the son of queen Semiramis. She, a woman 
 of manly strength of mind, governed the kingdom of the 
 Assyrians with great power, for two and thirty years. And in 
 order to resemble a man more closely, she clothed her legs 
 and arms in the dress of a man, and wore a tiara on her head. 
 And that she might not by any chance be supposed to con- 
 ceal any secret design under this unusual garb, she ordered 
 the people in general to wear the same dress, and ever since 
 the whole nation retains that fashion. 
 
 She performed great exploits ; and as she was a woman of 
 manly courage, she was not content with the boundaries of 
 her dominions, which had been acquired by her husband, and 
 to which she had succeeded, but she overwhelmed Ethiopia 
 with war. She carried her arms into India ; a country which 
 no one before her had ever subdued. 
 
 She it was who built the city of Babylon, and surrounded 
 it with a wall, and appointed it to be the metropolis of the 
 kingdom of the Assyrians. At last she was slain by her own 
 son ; and when he had succeeded his mother, he, being con 
 tent with the kingdom as it had been made by his parent's 
 toil, laid aside all thoughts of war ; and, as if he had changed 
 sexes with his mother, seldom came into the sight of men, 
 but grew old amid the bands of women. And his posterity 
 followed his example so far, as to give their answers to people 
 by the intervention of messengers. 
 
 After Ninus, thirty-six kings, in continual succession, pos- 
 sessed the monarchy of the Assyrians, for a period of thirteen 
 hundred years, down to the time of Sardanapalus. 
 
 Ch. VII. — Generations from Noah to Abraham. 
 
 But Noah lived after the deluge^ eight hundred and fifty 
 
 • Called Terah, in Genesis. 
 
 7 There is a difficulty here : if he means that Noah lived after the 
 
12 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 B.C. 1921. 
 
 years. Shem lived six hundred years. Arphaxad lived three 
 hundred and thirty-eight years. Heber lived four hundred 
 and sLxty-four years. Sale hved four hundred and thirty- 
 three years. Phaleg lived two hundred and thirty-nine years. 
 Ragau, or Reu, lived two hundred and thirty-nine years. Sarug 
 lived two hundred and thirty years. Nachor lived one hun- 
 dred and thirty-nine years. But Thare lived seventy years, and 
 begat Abraham in the forty-third year of the before-mentioned 
 Ninus king of the Assyrians. 
 
 In Thare, the Second Age of the world terminates, consisting, 
 according to the Hebrews, of 1292 years. According to the 
 seventy translators of the Bible, of 1072 years.® 
 
 deluge, and died at the age of eight hundred and fifty years, our author is 
 wrong, lor Noah's age was nine hundred and fifty years (Gen. ix. 29). If 
 he means that he lived eight hundred and fifty years after the flood, that 
 would make him out as having lived to the age of 1450. But, by com- 
 paring the statement in the first chapter of this book, it appears possible 
 that the writer may have fancied, by some mistake, that the flood took 
 place in the hundredth year of Noah's life, instead of the six hundredth. 
 
 8 The real date of the death of Thare, or Terah, was b.c. 1921. 
 A.M. 2083. 
 
 BOOK III. 
 
 THE THIRD AGE OF THE WORLD. 
 
 B.C. 1921—1055. 
 
 THE CALL OF ABRAHAM— THE BIBTH OF ISAAC AIH) I8HMAEL 
 
 THE FOUNDATION OF AEGOS BY MACHUS — THE STOEY OF 
 
 ESAU AND JACOB — APIS AEEIYES IN EGYPT THE HISTOET 
 
 OF JOSEPH — THE EXODUS — MOSES A CONTEMPORAEY OF 
 CECROPS — JOSHUA A CONTEMPORARY OF BACCHUS — BUSIRI8, 
 CADMUS, EUROPA — APOLLO IS BORN — THE JEWISH JUDGES 
 PARIS CARRIES OFF HELEN TRIPTOLEMUS — THE MINO- 
 TAUR — AMPHION — ^DIPUS DANAE FALL OF TROY AND 
 
 ARRIVAL OF .ENEAS IN ITALY — BRUTUS, SON OF SYLVIUS, 
 IS BANISHED INTO GREECE — AN ORACLE WAENS HIM TO GO 
 
 TO ALBION DESCRIPTION OF ALBION BRUTUS FOUNDS 
 
 LONDON IN THE TIME OF SAUL — DESCENDANTS OF BRUTUS 
 — DAVID IS KING. 
 
 Ch. I. — The Travels of Abraham — The chief events of his Life 
 — The Birth and Marriage of Isaac—The Birth of Esau and 
 Jacob. 
 
 Thare, as has been already said, begat Abraham, Aran, and 
 Nachor. Aran begat Milcah, Lot, and Sarah. When Lot had 
 departed from Sodom, after the destruction of the five cities, 
 he begat these two sons, Moab and Ammon, on his two daugh- 
 ters, having been made drunk by them. 
 
 Nachor begat Huz, Buz, and Bathuel, and their mother 
 was Milcah, the daugther of Aran. Bathuel begat Laban and 
 Rebecca. 
 
 Abraham had a wife by name Sarah, the daughter^ of Aran his 
 brother. He had also two handmaids, Hagar, an Egyptian, and 
 Cethura. By Sarah he became the father of Isaac ; by Hagar 
 of Ismael ; by Cethura of Madan and Madian. Ismael begat 
 
 \1}^ Bible speaks of Sarah as the daughter of Terah. Abraham says 
 to Abimelech (Gen. xx. VI), " And yet indeed she is my sister ; she is the 
 daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother ; and she be- 
 came my wife. ' 
 
14 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMiySTEE. 
 
 B.C. 1898. 
 
 Naiaboth and Cedar. This Abraham, after Aran his brother 
 had been sufifocated, adopted his sou Lot, and having taken 
 Sarah to wife, journeyed with his father into Carran. From 
 thence, after the death of his father, he came to Sichem, and 
 from thence to Pentapolis. After that, pitching his tent be- 
 tween Bethel and Hay, after he had in Egypt pretended that 
 his wife was his sister, he returned into the valley of Marare, 
 and tliere dwelt in agreement with his three brethren. Abra- 
 ham taught the Egyptians arithmetic and astronomy, from 
 which nation these arts subsequently passed into Greece. And 
 coming after the slaughter of the four kings, he was honoured 
 by Melchisedec, who received tithes from him ; and he obtained 
 a sign of the offspring that should be given him, in cattle and 
 
 lands. 
 
 After this, when he was seventy-five years of age, and was 
 attacked out of envy by the people of Chaldea and Mesopo- 
 tamia, because they themselves worshipped fire and images of 
 the gods ; but he himself worshipped one God alone, the 
 Creator of all things ; and asserted that the honour of wor- 
 ship, and the payment of thanks, were due to himalone. And that 
 the creature is governed by the power and rule of his Maker, 
 and does not exist by his own excellence. At the command of 
 the Lord, he left his nation and his country, and came into the 
 land of Canaan, receiving the promise that he should increase 
 and become a great nation ; having his name changed from 
 Abram to Abraham, which, being interpreted, is " A father 
 of many nations," and being also promised that in his seed 
 should all the nations of the earth be blessed. 
 
 Lastly, he receives this law from the divine will, that he should 
 circumcise himself and his offspring, not that God himself 
 had made anything superfluous in man which he subsequently 
 commanded to be cut off, but in order that the posterity of 
 the chosen man might be distinguished among other nations 
 by this bodily mark. And when he was now an old man he 
 begat Isaac. But he had previously, as I have already said, 
 begotten Ismael, from whom are descended the Arabs and 
 other nations who boast that they are sprung from the race of 
 Abraham. Isaac also was circumcised, on the eighth day after 
 his birth. Besides these things, when Abraham was now very 
 old, God again commanded him to sacrifice to him his before- 
 mentioned son Isaac on Mount Moriah. Which command he 
 
 B.C. 1739. 
 
 LIFE OF ISiAC AlfD OF JACOB. 
 
 15 
 
 ► 
 
 was willing to fulfil, being more desirous to obey his Creator 
 than to gratify his own aftections. But the Deity, who is never 
 harsh to believers, withheld the man, by the voice of an angel, 
 from the slaughter of his son, showing him a ram which he 
 might slay instead of his son, so that the sacrifice of such a 
 man might be consummated without the cost of any pious 
 
 afi'ection. 
 
 After these events, when Isaac was sixty years old, he begat 
 Esau and Jacob, the patriarchs of the Idumeean and Israelitish 
 nations. 
 Ch. II. — The Foundation of the Kingdom of Argos in Greece. 
 
 About this time the kingdom of the Argives was established, 
 of which Machus was the first king, who is reported to have 
 been the father of lo, the wife of Osiris, who is worshipped in 
 Egypt as a mighty goddess, because she ruled there with jus- 
 tice, and instructed the people of the country in hterature. 
 
 Cn. III. — The chief circumstances in the life of Isaac and of 
 
 Jacob— The Character of Esau. 
 Isaac, w^ho has been already mentioned, having gone with 
 Rebecca, who was great with child, and who had heard the 
 oracle that Esau should fear Jacob, to Abimelech in Gerar, 
 after he had called his wife his sister, and gathered crops 
 of an hundred-fold from his seed, and cleaned out three wells, 
 and digged a fourth in Beersheba, and made a treaty in the 
 same place with Abimelech and Phicol, without intending it, 
 rejected Esau and blessed Jacob, who having supplanted his 
 brother both in his birthright as the elder, and also in his 
 blessing, went into Mesopotamia, and on his way he erected a 
 pillar with an inscription on it near Luz ;' and he served a 
 servitude of fourteen years to Laban for Rachel and Leah, 
 and made a covenant with him to serve him seven years more 
 for his flocks ; but when this latter period, in which he varied 
 the rods, was scarcely fulfilled, he departed with his wives and 
 his eleven sons, and as Rachel had privily carried off his images 
 from Laban, he was caught by him at Galaad. There having 
 made a treaty with Laban, he stopped his bands at the stones 
 near Manaim,- where on his journey he saw camps of angels, 
 
 * This was the same as Bethel (Gen, xxviii. 19). 
 
 » Manaim, or Mahanaiin, means Two Hosts or Two Camps. " When 
 
16 
 
 MA-TTHEW OF WESTMINSTER, 
 
 B.C. 1747. 
 
 and he crossed the ford of Jaboch, and in the morning he 
 wrestled with an angel and injured his sinew. And then, 
 having had his name changed, he sent forward gifts to his 
 brother, and, being in great alarm, met him. Afterwards, 
 when his daughter Dinah had been injured by Sichem, and the 
 Sichemites had been treacherously slain, by the command of 
 God, he erected an altar at Bethel, and purified his house. 
 
 Esau was a hairy man and a hunter ; he sold his birthright as 
 the elder for a mess of pottage, and from the red pottage he 
 got the name of Edom. He married some Canaanitish wives, 
 Judith and Basemath, and though he had been supplanted by 
 his brother in the matter of his blessing, he met Jacob peace- 
 ably as he was returning from Mesopotamia with four hundred 
 
 men. 
 
 Moreover, it was Eliezer, the servant of Abraham, who 
 brought the mother of Esau and Jacob, namely Rebecca, to 
 Isaac, from Mesopotamia, and she was the sister of Laban, and 
 the daughter of Bathuel. 
 
 Ch. IV. — Of the Edomites and Balaam, 
 
 In the time of the sons of Isaac, as some authors relate, the 
 second king of Edom was Job, of the race of Huz, the son 
 of Nachor, called afterwards Balak, who is also called in Genesis 
 Jobab, the great grandson^ of Esau. But the Hebrews, as we 
 have already mentioned, assert that he was descended from 
 Huz, the first born son of Nachor. 
 
 At the same time Balaam was born, who in the book of Job 
 is called Elihu ; he was descended from Buz, and being hired 
 by Balak the king to curse Israel, blessed hira, his ass having 
 previously spoken to him ; and he prophesied about the rising 
 of the star and of the Saviour. 
 
 Cii. v.— 2%e Birth of the Patriarchs. 
 
 But the before-mentioned Jacob begat the twelve patriarchs, 
 from whom the twelve tribes of Israel derive their origin. For 
 he had by Leah, who was also called Weakeyed, Reuben, 
 Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zabulon, and Dinah his daugh- 
 ter, who is recorded to have been ravished by the Sichemites. 
 
 Jacob saw these (the angels), he said this is God's Hosts. And he called 
 the name of that place Mahanaim." (Gen. xxxii. 2.) 
 
 ' The steps of this genealogy, as given in Genesis (c. xxxvi.), are Esau, 
 Revel, Zerah, Jobab. 
 
 B.C. 1729. 
 
 EVENTS IN THE LIFE OF JUDAH. 
 
 17 
 
 By Bala^ he had Dan and Naphtali ; by Gelfa^ he had Gad and 
 Asser. By Rachel, who was called the Beautiful, he became 
 the father of Joseph and Benjamin. Joseph begat Manasseh 
 and Ephraim, each of whom makes a tribe by himself, the tribe 
 of Levi being removed from the lot of inheritance. 
 
 Ch. VI. — Apis comes into Egypt, and is deified. 
 About the same time Apis, the son of Phorceus, king of the 
 Argives, came by sea into Egypt. And after he had died in 
 that country, he was called Serapis, the greatest god of all the 
 Egyptians. And he is called Serapis, not Apis, because the 
 Egyptians call a sarcophagus Soros. And they began to 
 worship him while buried in a sarcophagus, before they built 
 hini a temple. His son was Argus, from whom the Argi derive 
 their name. 
 
 Ch.VII. — Joseph is sold by his Brethren^The famine in Egypt — 
 
 Jacob comes down to Egypt, and dies. 
 But when Joseph was fifteen years of age, he fed the flocks 
 with his brethren, while he himself was still a boy ; and he 
 was with the sons of Bala and Zelfa, the wives of his father. 
 And as he had accused his brethren before his father, and had 
 related many dreams which he had dreamt to his brethren, 
 they envied him, and sold him to the Egyptians. 
 
 But while Joseph was sojourning in Egypt, in the second 
 year of the famine, Jacob also came down thither with seventy- 
 two souls, and dwelt there ; and also died there, blessing all 
 his sons in regular order. 
 
 Ch. YUl.-^Events in the life of Judah. 
 Judah, the son of Jacob, had a wife named Shuah, and begat 
 Er, Onan, and Zela ; by Thamar he had Phares and Sarah. 
 Judah had given Thamar as a wife to his two sons Er and Onan 
 successively ; and when they had perished, owing to their 
 shameful wickedness, he sent her back to her father's house, 
 fearing to give her to Zela, as he ought to have done, for the 
 sake of raising seed. And afterwards, as she was sitting in the 
 road, Judah, going with Iram his shepherd, to the sheepshear- 
 ing, after the death of Shuah his wife, begat Phares and Sarah, 
 who were twins, thinking that Thamar was a harlot. And 
 afterwards, when she was being led to the stake as having 
 been detected in adultery, she delivered herself by the display 
 
 * Called Bilhah and Zilpah in the Bible. 
 
 VOL. I. n 
 
18 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEE. 
 
 B.C. 1531. 
 
 of his ring and staff and armlet which she had received as a 
 pledge. 
 
 Ch. IX.— The descendants of Jacob are oppressed in Egypt- 
 Moses is born— The Egyptians are lost in the Red Sea— God 
 leads the Israelites through the wilderness. 
 But after that Israel had died in Egypt, and had been carried 
 into Canaan, and buried there, the people of the Hebrews 
 increased wonderfully for many years, until the Egyptians 
 became jealous of their increase, and till their very fecundity 
 became troublesome to them. Then they began to oppress 
 them with many labours, but at length the Divine pity had 
 regard to the people. For in these days there went forth a 
 man of the house of Levi, by name, Amram, who, having re- 
 ceived a wife of his own family, by name Jochabeth, begat 
 Aaron, and Moses, and Miriam. Afterwards, when Moses 
 had grown up under the favour of the Lord, he led forth his 
 people from Egypt by great portents and prodigies, and they 
 crossed the Red Sea with dry feet. And when the king of 
 Egypt pursued them, being moved by repentance for having 
 permitted them to depart, he himself, with his chariots and 
 his horsemen, entered the middle of the dry sea ; but suddenly 
 the whole mass of water was poured back upon him from be- 
 hind, and he was overwhelmed there with his entire army. And 
 even now there exist on that shore the most undoubted traces 
 of this miracle ; unto this day the tracks of the wheels and 
 the footsteps of the horsemen and foot-soldiers are beheld 
 there, and if by any chance they are disturbed, they are re- 
 paired again at sunrise by Divine interposition. 
 
 But after the people of the Hebrews had passed the Red 
 Sea, they were in the desert of Sinai forty years ; in the first 
 of which years, they received a law from God by the hand of 
 Moses. Nevertheless, during all these years none of their 
 shoes or garments became worn out, nor did their hair or 
 nails grow long, so as to inconvenience them. But, as if 
 immortality had been restored to them, their simple integrity 
 preserved the form of man unchanged. And a column of 
 light preceded them by night as a guide to their road, which 
 by day bore the appearance of a cloud, and defended them 
 from any injury from the heat, so that the vast soUtude might 
 not overwhelm them with weariness. 
 
 B.C. 1490. 
 
 THE TEIBES OF ISEAEL. 
 
 19 
 
 Cii. X. — The founding of Athens — Cecrops — Atlas — Mercury. 
 
 But Moses led this people out of Egypt, in the latter days of the 
 life of Cecrops, king of the Athenians, who founded the city of the 
 Athenians, in honour of Minerva, and called the Attics Atheni- 
 ans, from her name.* For Minerva is called in Greek 'A&avdrr] 
 Hap&'svri, that is to say, * Immortal Virgin,' since Wisdom, of 
 which she is the goddess, can neither die nor be seduced. 
 She is said to have appeared of the age of puberty in the 
 times of Ogygius, at the lake which is called Imtonis. Owing 
 to which circumstance she was thought a goddess, the more 
 easily in proportion as her real origin was less known. 
 
 The Athenians are reported to have been the first to teach 
 the neighbouring nations the art of spinning wool, and the 
 use of oil and wine. It is also related of Cecrops, that he 
 was the first person who sacrificed an ox to Jupiter. More- 
 over, at this time they say that he formed men out of clay, 
 because he was a most excellent teacher of wisdom. His 
 brother was Atlas, ^ who was himself also a consummate as- 
 tronomer. 
 
 At this time also. Mercury, the grandson of Atlas by his 
 daughter Maia, is said to have Uved, a man who was an in- 
 ventor of many arts. 
 
 Cecrops was succeeded by Camao, in whose time the de- 
 luge of Deucalion took place. To this time is also ascribed 
 the fabulous conflagration of Phaethon. 
 
 Ch. XI. — The numbers of the Tribes of Israel, 
 
 While the children of Israel remained in the desert, the 
 Lord ordered Moses and Aaron to number them by pedigrees, 
 and houses, and families, and to count the names of each per- 
 son of twenty years of age and upwards, of the male sex, who 
 was able to go out to war. 
 
 And there were found to be of the tribe of Reuben, the 
 first-born son of Israel, forty-six thousand four hundred men. 
 
 » The Greek name of Minerva is 'AOfjVT}. 
 
 ^ This does not agree with any account that has come down to us. There 
 is no mention made of any parent of Cecrops, who is represented as earth- 
 boni ; while Atlas, according to Hesiod (Theog. 507), was son of Tarpetiis 
 and Ciymene. 
 
20 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 B.C. 1491. 
 
 I 
 
 Of the tribe of Simeon," seventy thousand three hundred Of 
 the tribe of Gad, forty-five thousand six hundred and fitty. 
 Of the tribe of Judah, seventy-four thousand six ^undred. 
 Of the tribe of Issachar, fifty-four thousand four hundred. 
 Of the tribe of Zebulon, fifty-seven thousand four hundred. 
 Of the tribe of Joseph, that is, of the sons of Ephraini, forty 
 thousand four hundred; and of the tribeof Manasseh,thebrother 
 of Ephraim, thirty-two thousand two hundred. Of the tnbe ot 
 Benjamin, thirty-five thousand four hundred Of the tribe of 
 Dan, seventy-two thousand seven hundred. Of the tnbe of Asaer, 
 forty-one thousand five hundred. Of the tnbe of Naphtah, 
 fifty-three thousand four hundred. And the sum of all the 
 children of Israel was six hundred and three thousand five 
 hundred and forty. The Levites were not numbered with the 
 rest but by the command of God, they were appointed to 
 bear the tabeniacle of the testimony, and all its utensils, and 
 were attached to the service of the tabernacle, and pitched 
 their camps around the circuit of the tabernacle. 
 
 Ch. XII.— 7^ different resting-places of tlie Israelites in the 
 
 wilderness. 
 
 In the first year of their wanderings, the first resting-place of 
 the people of Israel in the desert was Rameses ; the second, 
 Succoth ; the third, Echam ; the fourth, Phiairoth ; the fifth, 
 "Vlarah ; the sixth, Helem ; the seventh, the wilderness of bin ; 
 the eio-hth. Dephea ; the ninth, Alus ; the tenth, Raphidim ; 
 the eleventh, the wilderness of Sinai. In the second year, 
 their first resting-place was the Tomb of Concupiscence ; the 
 second was Mount Sepher ; the third, Mount Seroch ; the 
 fourth, Rechima ; the fifth, Remon Phares ; the sixth, Lebna ; 
 the seventh, Ressa : the eighth, Chelata ; the ninth, Arada ; 
 the tenth, Maceloth ; the eleventh, Chaach ; the twelfth, Mare ; 
 the thirteenth, Melcha ; the fourteenth, Esmena ; the fifteenth, 
 Bameca Cham ; the sixteenth. Mount Golgay ; the seventeenth, 
 Rechalathar ; the eighteenth, Ekona ; the nineteenth, Asion 
 
 " These numbers are not quite consistent with the account in the Bible 
 mumbers i.) or with themselves. The number of Simeon's tnbe is stated 
 in the Bible at 59,300 ; of Ephraim, at 40.500 ; and of Dan, at 62,/ 00. 
 And the total amount of the numbers mentioned m the text is not 
 603,540, as it is stated, but 624,450. 
 
 B.C. 1450. 
 
 JOSHUA SUCCEEDS MOSES. 
 
 21 
 
 Gaber ; the twentieth. Cades. In the third year their first 
 resting-place was Mount Hor ; the second, Salmana ; the 
 third, Phenou ; the fourth, Oboth ; the fifth, Jeabarim ; the 
 sixth, Gibon Gad ; the seventh, Hemon ; the eighth, Blataim ; 
 the ninth, Abarim ; the tenth, the plains of Moab.^ 
 
 Ch. XIII. — Joshua succeeds Moses — The story of Achan — Of the 
 Gibeonites — Jericho and Ai are taken — The sun and moon are 
 stopped in their course. 
 
 Aftee Moses died, Joshua, the son of Nun, succeeded him in 
 the leadership of the people of Israel, at the command of 
 God ; and he, having sent spies to Jericho, Sethim, after 
 seven days, crossed over Jordan with all the people with dry 
 feet. He brought twelve stones out of the bed of the river on 
 to the dry land, and also a second set of twelve out of the bed 
 of the river on to the dry land ;' and he renewed the people by a 
 second circumcision in Gilgal. He compassed the city of 
 Jericho for seven days, the priests clanging with trumpets, 
 and on the seventh day he destroyed it. He stoned Achan, 
 who had stolen a wedge of gold and a purple garment from 
 the offerings, because the Lord, being angry thereat, had slain 
 thirty-six men before Ai. He took the city of Ai by ambush, 
 and burnt it, and received the Gibeonites as slaves to hew wood 
 and draw water. He slew five kings who had besieged Gibeon, 
 having lengthened the space of day, the sun and moon stand- 
 ing still ; he also slew twenty-four kings who were with Jabin. 
 Having built an altar on Ebal, he ordered blessings and 
 curses to be proclaimed, and divided the land, giving it to 
 some by concession, to others by tradition. He dismissed two 
 tribes and a half, which, on their return after fourteen years, 
 had built an altar^ by the borders of Jordan ; and he wrote in 
 a book an account of his covenant with the people about wor- 
 shipping God, which was entered into with the effusion of 
 water.^ 
 
 s These wanderings of the IsraeUtes are recorded Numb. xi. xii. xx. xxi. 
 But the greater part of the names given here differ from those in the Bible. 
 
 ' This is a mistake ; the second set of stones were '* set up in the midst 
 of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests which bare the ark of 
 the covenant stood." (Josh. iv. 9.) 
 
 * See Josh. xxii. 10. - See Josh. xxiv. 14, 26. 
 
 
22 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMIXSTEE. 
 
 B.C. 1425. 
 
 Ch. XIV. — Mention is made of Bacchus, Cadmus, Apollo, 
 
 Perseus, ^c. 
 
 In the time of Joshua, Liber Pater is said to have revealed the 
 vine to his host in Greece. Also, about this time, Europa is 
 said to have been carried off, and her sons were Rhodoman- 
 thus, Sarpedon, and Minos. In these days also, lived Busiris, 
 a son of Neptune and Lybia, the daughter of Paphus, who 
 used to sacrifice his guests to his gods. 
 
 Phcenix and Cadmus having come from Thebes, a city of 
 Egypt, into Syria, reigned in the countries of Tyre and Sidon. 
 But as Cadmus migrated into Greece, the whole country got 
 the name of Phoenicia, from Phoenix. 
 
 Jupiter got possession of Europa, the daughter of Phcenix, 
 and Danaus by the means of his fifty daughters, slew the sons 
 of his brother ^Egisthus,^ one only being left alive, who suc- 
 ceeded him in the kingdom. 
 
 About this time Latona brought forth Apollo, not that Apollo 
 whose oracles used to be consulted, but the one who with Her- 
 cules became a slave of Admetus ; and he nevertheless was 
 accounted a god, so that many beUeve that he was one and 
 the same Apollo with the other. 
 
 Moreover at this time also Liber Pater warred in India ; 
 and it is said that he had many women in his army, who were 
 called Bacchae, celebrated not so much for their virtue as for 
 their madness. 
 
 About the same time also Perseus and his wife Andromeda 
 are said to have been received into Heaven. 
 
 Ch. XV. — Tlie Judges of Israel from Othniel to Sampson. 
 
 After the death of Joshua, the son of Nun, who succeeded 
 Moses, the people of the Hebrews continued under judges for 
 many years ; and the names of the judges are these : — Othniel, 
 Aioth, Deborah, Gideon, Abimelech, Mola, Jair, Jephtha, 
 Abesan, Aldon, Samson, Eh, and Samuel, who anointed Saul 
 to be king. 
 
 The above mentioned Othniel slew Carrathsepher, by which 
 exploit he gained his wife Achsah, who asked of her father 
 
 3 This is a mistake of our Chronicler for iEgyptus ; ^gislhus is known as 
 the paramour of Clytsemuestra. 
 
 B.C. 1161. 
 
 THE JUDGES OF ISRAEL. 
 
 23 
 
 II 
 
 the upper springs and the lower springs. He judged Israel 
 forty years. 
 
 He was succeeded by Aioth,^ who had equal use of both his 
 hands, and slew Eglon, a fat king, and so delivered Israel, and 
 himself defended Israel, and died the same year. He judged 
 Israel. 
 
 Eighty years afterwards, Shamgar slew six hundred men 
 with a. ploughshare. 
 
 Deborah, the wife of Barachor Lapidoth, Sisera having been 
 slain by the hand of Jael, the wife of Abner^ the Kenite, who 
 gave him a cup of milk, at length slew Jabin, whose general 
 Sisera was, and sang a song over him. Deborah judged Israel 
 forty years. 
 
 Gideon having been saluted by an angel to whom he ofiiered 
 flesh on Petra, and who was called Jerubbaal from having 
 destroyed an altar, having received a sign by means of a fleece, 
 with three hundred men who lapped water like dogs, with 
 broken pitchers and clanging trumpets, overthrew four kings, 
 Oreb, Zeb, Zeba, and Salmana. 
 
 Abimelech, the son of Jerubbaal by his concubine, being 
 made king in Sichem over the Sichemites, slew his seventy 
 brothers, leaving only one surviving, who told the Sichemites 
 a parable about the brier, the fig tree, the vine and the bram- 
 ble. He also destroyed this same Sichem, with Gaal, its king, 
 by means of Zebul, and died himself in the town of Thesbe, 
 having a millstone thrown upon him by the hand of a woman. 
 Abimelech, the son of Jerubbaal, reigned over Israel three years. 
 
 Thola succeeded Abimelech, and judged Israel twenty-three 
 years. 
 
 Jair judged for twenty-two years. 
 
 Jephthah, who had been discarded by the children of Israel 
 as illegitimate, and who abode in the country of Thob, was 
 afterwards made prince over them ; and, having bound himself 
 by a vow, in consequence of his victory over the Ammonites, 
 he sacrificed his daughter, after giving her two months and 
 forty days to bewail her virginity. Chechoiat® slew forty-two 
 thousand of Ephraim by Shibboleth and Sibboleth, trying them 
 at the fords of Jordan. Jephthah judged Israel six years. 
 After him Abesan judged Israel seven years. 
 
 • Called in the Bible Ehud. « Called in the Bible Heber. 
 
 6 Called in the Bible GHead. 
 
24 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 B.C. 1120. 
 
 Ailon judged Israel ten years. 
 
 Abdon, or Labdon, judged eight years. 
 
 Sampson judged Israel twenty years. This Sampson was 
 the son of Manoah of the tribe of Dan, and his birth was foretold 
 by an angel. He was a Nazarite, and he married a wife in Tim- 
 nath ; and he proposed a riddle about a Uon to guests, which was 
 solved by the treachery of his wife. He burnt the com crops 
 of his enemies by tying fire to the tails of foxes. He slew a 
 thousand men with the jawbone of an ass, which gave him 
 water in Ramathlesbi. He carried the gates of Gazah to the 
 mountain. At length, by the treachery of Dalilah his hair 
 was cut, and he was bhnded by the Philistines, and compelled 
 to grind corn ; but when his hair grew again, he, in the tem- 
 ple of Dagon, slew more men when dying than he had slain 
 while aUve. 
 
 Ch.XVI. — Oftherape of Helen — The Minotaur, the Centaurs, and 
 other monsters of Bellerophon, Amphion, Ganymede, Danae, Sfc. 
 
 During these years, in which the people of the Hebrews after 
 the death of Jehu or Joshua, were subject under judges to the 
 alternatives of humiliation and distress, of prosperity and 
 comfort, Alexander, called also Paris, carried ofif Helen ; and 
 the kingdom of the Argives was transferred to Mycenae, where 
 Agamemnon reigned. About the same time also some fables 
 were invented, which are celebrated among the grammarians. 
 To wit, the fable of Triptolemus, that he, at the command of 
 Ceres, being borne on the wings of serpents, bore corn, as 
 he flew, to the earth which as yet had none. 
 
 The fable of the Minotaur : how that it was a beast shut 
 up in a labyrinth, which when men had entered, they wore in- 
 volved in inextricable wanderings, so that they could not escape. 
 
 The fable of the Centaurs, that their nature was one com- 
 bined of that of horses and men. 
 
 That of Tricerberus, that he is a three-headed dog in the 
 shades below. 
 
 That of Phrixus and his sister Helle, that they were borne 
 on a ram, and so flew. 
 
 That of the Gorgon, that she had serpents for hair, and 
 turned those who beheld her into stone. 
 
 ThatofBellerophon, that hewas borne on a flying horse, which 
 was named Pegasus. 
 
 B.C. 1184. 
 
 THE FALL OP TEOT. 
 
 25 
 
 That of Amphion, that by the sweetness of his harp he 
 soothed stones and drew them after him. 
 
 That of Daedalus, the artist, and his son Icarus, that they 
 flew by means of wings which they fitted on. 
 
 That of (Edipus, that he compelled a certain monster which 
 was called the Sphinx, a quadruped with a human face, by 
 solving a riddle which she was in the habit of proposing as 
 unanswerable, to perish by a fall from her own precipice. 
 
 That of Antaeus, whom Hercules slew, which relates that he 
 was a son of the earth, and that consequently whenever he fell 
 to the ground he rose up more vigorous. 
 
 That of Ganymede, a boy carried off for lustful objects, 
 a crime which is said to have been committed in reaUty, not 
 by Jupiter to whom it is ascribed, but by Tantalus the king. 
 
 Danae too is said to have lain with Jupiter himself, who 
 descended in a shower of gold, by which fable it is imphed 
 that the chastity of the woman was corrupted by gold. 
 
 Ch. XVII. — The fall of Troy — ^neas arrives in Italy — 
 
 Ascanius, Sylvius, Brutus. 
 
 In this third age of the world, when Labdon had judged Israel 
 three years, the destruction of Troy took place, four thousand 
 nineteen years having been accomplished since the beginning of 
 the world, one thousand seven hundred and seventy-seven years 
 since the Deluge, fourteen hundred and three since the birth 
 of Abraham ; eight hundred and thirty-five since the age of 
 Ninus king of the Assyrians. 
 
 It was also four hundred and four years since the founda- 
 tion of the city of Alba, and four hundred and six before the 
 first Olympiad.^ And ^neas, the son of Venus and Anchises, 
 escaping from the destruction, came into Italy, in the third 
 year after that destruction. He fought with Turnus, the son 
 of Daunus, king of the Tuscans, and slew him ; and married 
 his betrothed wife Lavinia, daughter of king Latinus. 
 
 iEneas reigned as king of the Latins three years. And 
 when he died Ascanius succeeded to the kingdom, being the 
 son of ^neas, whom he had born to him in Troy, being the 
 son of his wife Creusa, and whom, when lie came into Italy, 
 
 ' Our historian probably refers to the institution of the Olympic games by 
 Hercules, not to the Olympiad of Coebus, from whence chronologists date 
 B.C. 776. The inconsistency of the previous dates it is hardly necessary 
 to point out. 
 
26 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMDfSTEE. 
 
 B.C. 1100. 
 
 he brought with him. Ascanius built Alba on the Tiber, and 
 begat a son whose name was Sylvius. He, indulging in 
 further love, married a granddaughter of Lavinia, and caused 
 her to be with child. And when the day of her delivery 
 arrived the woman brought forth a son, and died herself at 
 his birth. The boy is given to the midwife, and called 
 Brutus. Afterwards, when fifteen years had elapsed, the youth 
 was accompanying his father out hunting, and by an uninten- 
 tional wound of an arrow, he slew his father instead of a wild 
 beast. And after his death he was driven out of Italy, his 
 relations being indignant at his having committed such a 
 crime. 
 
 Ch. XVllL— Brutus goes to Greece— Collects the Trojans around 
 
 him — Pandrasus. 
 
 Beutus, therefore, being driven into exile, went to the land of 
 Greece, and there he found the posterity of Helenus, the son 
 of Priam, who were held in slavery under the power of 
 Pandrasus, the king of the Greeks. The fact was, that 
 Pyrrhus, the son of Achilles, after the overthrow of Troy, had 
 carried off vrith him in chains the before-mentioned Helenus, 
 and many other persons ; and had ordered them to be kept 
 in prison, that he might avenge on them the death of his 
 father. 
 
 Brutus now, recognising the pedigree of his ancient fellow- 
 citizens, remained among them. And he became so eminent 
 for military renown and for honesty, that he was beloved both 
 by the kings and princes beyond all the youth of the country. 
 For he was wise among the wise, impetuous among the war- 
 like, and whatever gold or silver or ornaments he acquired, he 
 gave wholly among the soldiers. Therefore, as his fame had 
 spread abroad among all nations, the Trojans began to flock 
 to him, entreating him to become their leader, and to deliver 
 them from their slavery to the Greeks, which they asserted 
 might easily be accomplished, as they had already multiplied 
 in the land to such an extent, that they were reckoned at 
 seven thousand souls besides women and children. There 
 was also a certain youth of the noblest blood in Greece, by 
 name Assaracus, who favoured the cause. For he was born 
 of a Trojan mother, and placed the greatest confidence in the 
 Trojans, so that by their assistance he resisted the unquiet 
 
 B.C. 1100. 
 
 betttus defeats pandeasus. 
 
 27 
 
 spirit of the Greeks. For his brother was accusing him for 
 the sake of three castles which his father, when dying, had 
 oMven to him, and he endeavoured to take them from him, 
 because he was the son of a concubine. But his brother was 
 a Greek on both the father s and the mother's side, and he 
 had won over the king and all the other Greeks to favour his 
 
 ^^Bmtus, therefore, beholding the multitude of the men, and 
 the castles of Assaracus, which were open to him, agreed to 
 their request the more fearlessly. Accordingly, being raised 
 to the office of their general, he collects the Trojans from all 
 quarters, and fortifies the castles of Assaracus. But he him- 
 self, and Assaracus, with the whole multitude of "a^n and 
 women which adhered to them, occupied the woods and hills. 
 Then he sent letters from himself to the king, entreating his 
 Highness and Mightiness to permit the people to migrate 
 to other lands and nations, or else to return to theur pristine 
 dignity in their own country. On this, Pandrasus, being 
 inflamed by great anger, collected a vast army to pursue the 
 Trojans and subject them to still more rigorous slavery, but 
 as he was marching by the city of Sparata, towards the 
 desert places in which he conjectured that they were assem- 
 bled, Brutus sallied out with three thousand men, and 
 attacked him quite suddenly, while he was expecting nothing 
 of the sort, and routed the whole of his army, and put the 
 chief part of it to the sword. But at last, as Mars turned 
 out favourable to him, he took Antigonus, the mother of the 
 king, and Anacletus his companion, and put them in chains. 
 
 Cii. W\.— Brutus defeats Pandrasus and takes him prisoner. 
 
 Beutus having gained this victory, fortified his city with six 
 hundred soldiers, and delivering his prisoners to guards, 
 again sought the more secret parts of the woods. But Pan- 
 drasus, being anxious, on account of his own defeat and the 
 captivity of his brother, employed his leisure in re-uniting 
 his distracted people, and when he had accomphshed his 
 object, he proceeded to besiege the town. For he thought 
 that Brutus had thrown himself into it with Antigonus, and 
 the rest of the prisoners whom he had taken. When there- 
 fore he came near the walls, he ordered some of his troops to 
 cut off all egress from the garrison, which was blockaded ; 
 
 
28 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 B.C. 1100. 
 
 others to turn the course of the river ; others to loosen the 
 fabric of the walls by frequent blows of the battering-ram 
 and other warhke engines. But Brutus desiring to bring aid 
 to the besieged, arranged to attack the camp of the Greeks 
 on the following night, in order that he might inflict a miser- 
 able slaughter on the Greeks, who would be weary in the 
 labour, heavy in sleep, and secure, as they fancied, from the 
 attack of the enemy, and afterwards might reduce them to 
 subjection to his will. 
 
 When therefore his forces were arranged, Brutus, with his 
 companions, boldly pierced the wedges of the enemy, and 
 penetrated to the king's tent, which, above all things, he 
 desired to reach. Having done this, they instantly draw 
 their swords, they enter the bed-chambers of the sleepers, 
 they redouble their deadly blows, and, showing no pity, they 
 traverse the whole camp in this manner, cruelly slaughtering 
 every one they meet. 
 
 Pandrasus himself, deprived of all comfort, was detained as 
 prisoner by Brutus, who ordered him to be bound and pre- 
 served with all respect. 
 
 Ch. XX. — Brutus marries the daughter of Pandrasus. 
 
 But Brutus, being delighted at his victory, asked his friends 
 what they would advise him to demand of Pandrasus, while 
 they, influenced by diff'erent passions, were recommending 
 different things : Mantritius rose, a man of great eminence 
 for wisdom, and having commanded silence, said, " To slay a 
 king from a desire of ruling, appears to me to be impious, as 
 it is lawful for all men to fight for their country. But I 
 recommend that we should demand of him his daughter in 
 marriage for our general, and gold and silver with her, and 
 ships, and corn, and all other things which may be necessary 
 for our march, in order that we may be able to proceed to 
 some desert country, where we and all our posterity, for ever, 
 may be able to reign by ourselves." And when this opinion 
 had gained the assent of them all, the king, at the command 
 of Brutus, was brought, with great respect, into the middle : 
 and when he had been informed of their proposal, he answered 
 with a lowly voice ; '* Since the hostile gods have dehvered 
 me and my brother Antigonus into your hands, I must 
 comply with your request, lest I lose my life, which can be 
 
 B.C. 1100. BEUTUS SETS SML TO SEEK A HOME. 
 
 29 
 
 either taken away from or granted to me at your pleasure. 
 Accordingly I give to your general my daughter Imogene ; I 
 give gold and silver, corn and wine and oil, and whatever you 
 think necessary for your march." 
 
 Accordingly, his daughter having been married to Brutus, 
 and everything else having been properly performed, the 
 king was released from prison, and the Trojans, havmg suc- 
 ceeded in their wishes, escaped from his power. 
 
 Ch. XXL— Brutus sets sail in quest of a home—Consults the 
 
 oracle of Diana. 
 Brutus, then, and his comrades having sailed two days and 
 one night with a fair wind, came to a certain island caUed 
 Leogicia, which having been laid waste in old time, was 
 inhabited by no one. Disembarking from their ships they 
 came to a certain deserted city, in which was a temple of 
 Diana, and they found an image of the goddess herself, which 
 gave answers if any question was put to it by any one. His 
 comrades suggest to the general to visit the temple, and 
 having off'ered propitiatory gifts, to enquire of the deity what 
 country would give them an abode and a secure resting-place. 
 Brutus acquiescing in their advice, stood before the a^^^ar of 
 the goddess, holding in his right hand a sacrificial vessel full 
 of wine and the blood of a white doe, and broke the silence 
 with these words : — 
 
 The Question put by Brutus to Diana. 
 
 Queen of the groves, of all wild beasts the foe, 
 
 You who through heav'n and shades below can roam ; 
 
 P.eveal, I pray, the future fates, and show 
 What land shall give us a safe, lasting home, 
 
 Where I may kindle you a sacred fire, 
 
 And build a temple for your virgin choir. 
 
 When he had repeated this nine times, he walked round the 
 altar four times, and poured forth the blood and wme which 
 he held on the altar, and lay down on the skin of the doe, 
 which he had stretched before the altar, and thus, having 
 invited slumber, he fell asleep. It was then about the third 
 hour of the night, when mortals are sunk m the most pleasant 
 sleep ; then it appeared to him that the goddess was standmg 
 before him, and addressing him in this manner :— 
 
30 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEB. B.C. 1100. 
 
 Answer of Diana. 
 
 In the far west, beyond the Gallic shore, 
 
 A seagirt isle in that vast ocean lies ; 
 A seagirt isle, which vvhilome giants bore, 
 
 Now desolate, invites your band's emprise. 
 Seek that, for it shall be your lasting home, 
 
 Your flag shall on a second Troy be unfurl'd ; 
 There, of your blood shall mighty monarchs come. 
 
 And to their mighty sway subject the world. 
 
 Ch. XXII. — Brutus proceeds on his voyage — Joins Cornnaus — 
 A battle with Gqfravius — Bravery of Corinceus and Turnus. 
 
 The leader being awakened by such a vision as this, reported 
 what he had heard to his companions ; they being elated with 
 great joy, immediately return to the ships. Passing over the 
 sea, after a voyage of thirty days, they came to Africa. From 
 thence they came to the altars of the Philaeni, and to the lake of 
 Sahvse, and sailed between Ruscitada and the mountain Azara. 
 Then crossing the river Malua, they went towards the pillars 
 of Hercules, and the Tyrrhenian sea, where, near the shore, 
 they found four families of Trojan exiles, which had accom- 
 panied Rutinor in his flight. Their leader was Corinseus, a 
 man of great wisdom, boldness and virtue. Brutus united 
 him, and the people which he governed, to himself. From 
 thence they proceeded to Aquitania, and entering the mouth of 
 the Lijer,^ they examined the situation of the country. Co- 
 rinaeus himself, disembarking from the ships, with two hun- 
 dred men, collected supplies with great bravery. And when 
 the news of that proceeding was brought to Goffrarius, who 
 at that time reigned in Aquitania, he came against him with 
 the Gauls and Aquitanians, and endeavoured to wrest their 
 booty from them. So a battle began, and a contest of great 
 fierceness on both sides ensues. But Corinaeus, with a dense 
 phalanx, forces his way through the squadrons of the enemy, 
 and put them to flight ; and as he had lost his sword by 
 accident, he wielded a battle-axe. One man's hand arm and 
 all he cuts off"; another's shoulder-blade he separates from his 
 body ; another's head he cuts off at one blow ; another's legs 
 he cuts asunder from their union ; all were rushing at him, 
 and he by himself was rushing against all. And Brutus, per- 
 
 » The Loire. 
 
 B.C. 1100. 
 
 BEUTUS ABRIVES IN BBITAIN. 
 
 31 
 
 ceiving this, inflamed with love for the man, came with one 
 squadron, and put Goffrarius the king, with the Pictavians* 
 and Gauls, to flight. 
 
 There was in the battle a Trojan, of the name of Turnus, 
 a nephew of Brutus, than whom there was no one more bold 
 or fearless, except Corinaeus. He with his single sword slew 
 six hundred men, but, alas ! was slain sooner than he deserved 
 to be, by the attacking Gauls. And from his name the city 
 of the Turni^ derived its appellation, because, as Homer bears 
 witness, he was buried there. And, although so important a 
 victory filled Brutus with the greatest joy, still he was also 
 afliicted with great grief, because he had lost his nephew, a 
 youth of such great excellence. 
 
 Without delay, he sought his fleet, with the consent of all his 
 companions, filling it with all the booty which he had acquired, 
 and embarking on board his ships, he approached the promised 
 island with a fair wind, and anchored on the Istonesian* 
 coast. 
 
 Ch. XXIII. — Brutus comes to Britain— Divides it among his 
 
 chief comrades. 
 
 The name of the island was at that time Albion, and it was 
 inhabited by no one except a few giants. Nevertheless, by 
 its pleasant situation, and the abundance of its rivers full of 
 fish, and the beauty of its groves, it inspired Brutus and his 
 companions with a desire of taking up their abode in it ; 
 accordingly, having traversed certain provinces, they drive the 
 giants whom they find into the caverns in the mountains ; they 
 divide the country, which their leader gives them, by lot ; 
 they begin to cultivate the land ; to build houses ; so that in a 
 short time you would have supposed that the island had been 
 inhabited from the earliest ages. 
 
 Lastly, Brutus calls the island Britain, after his own name, 
 ahd calls his comrades and friends Britons. For he wished 
 to leave behind him a perpetual recollection of himself, by 
 such a derivation from his name ; with which view subse- 
 quently, the language of the nation which was formerly called 
 Trojan, or crooked Greek, was now called British. 
 
 9 The inhabitants of the district of Poictiers. ^ Now Tours. 
 
 - This must be some mistake of the good monk. There is no such 
 
 place or people mentioned in Homer. ' Near Thionville, in Belghmi. 
 
32 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMENSTEE. 
 
 B.C. 1100. 
 
 But Corinseus called that portion of the kingdom which fell 
 to his lot Corinsea, after his own name ; and his people he 
 called Corinsean, following the example of his leader. And 
 the reason why he especially chose that district, which, from 
 being the horn (cornu) of Britain, is called Cornubea," was, 
 because above all things he was eager to fight the giants. 
 For there were a greater number of them there, than in any 
 other of the provinces which were distributed among his com- 
 panions. 
 
 In sooth, as it is read in the history of the Britons, he him- 
 self engaged in a personal combat with one of the giants, by 
 name of Gogmagog ; whose stature was twelve cubits high, and 
 putting him on his shoulders, he carried liim down to the sea- 
 shore, and throwing him down over the precipice, he dashed 
 him to pieces. 
 
 Ch. XXIV. — Brutus founds London. 
 
 At length, having divided the kingdom, Brutus was desirous 
 to found a city. Accordingly, proceeding to execute his wish, 
 he travelled round the whole country till he came to the river 
 Thames, where he found a situation suitable for his purpose. 
 Accordingly, he built a city there, and called it Troja Nova, which 
 name afterwards got corrupted, and was called Trinovantum.' 
 Then he dedicated it to the citizens who were to live in it, and 
 he gave them a law under which they might hve peaceably. 
 
 At that time the sons of Hector were reigning in Troy, 
 having expelled the posterity of Antenor. 
 
 Sylvius ^neas was reigning in Italy, the son of i^neas, and 
 grandfather, in the third degree, of the Brutus of the Latins. 
 
 Eh the priest was reigning in Judsea ; and the ark of the 
 covenant was taken by the Fhihstines, about the same time. 
 
 Ch. XXV. — Of the priesthood of the tribe of Levi — Of Corah, 
 Dathan, and Abiram — Of the taking of the ark and death of Eli. 
 
 It has been already mentioned, that by the command of the 
 Lord, the tribe of Levi was separated from the allotment ot 
 inheritance, for the purpose of ministering in the tabernacle 
 of the covenant, and of offering sacrifices and victims for 
 sin. That Levi begat Caath ; Caath, by his wife Jochabeth, 
 became the father of Ishar and Amram; Ishar, the first- 
 * Now Cornwall. * Now London. 
 
 B.C. 1491. THE STOEY OF ELKANAH, SAMUEL, ETC. 
 
 33 
 
 bom, begat Dorah ; Amram begat Aaron and Moses. This 
 Moses led the children of Israel out of the Egyptian bond- 
 age, as has been already mentioned. Aaron begat Nadab, 
 Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. The above-mentioned Corah 
 strove with Aaron in the wilderness about the priesthood, be- 
 cause he was the son of Ishar, the elder brother of Amram. 
 And on this account he perished by fire from heaven, with 
 two hundred and fifty of his followers. Also Dathan and 
 Abiram, and Nadab and Abihu were destroyed at the same 
 time. 
 
 The priests descended from Eleazar down to the time of 
 Christ, according to the appointment of the judges, kings and 
 prophets. Eleazar was succeeded by Phineaa, Phineas by 
 Abisve, Abisve by Boezi, Boezi by Ozi, after whom the priest- 
 hood was transferred from the line of Eleazar to Eli, who was 
 the son of Thamar, and Azariah, Meraioth, Amariah, and 
 Achitob were deprived of the priesthood. But EU was luke- 
 warm in correcting his sons, Hophni and Phineas, who, to- 
 gether with him, discharged the duties of the priesthood, and 
 treated the sacrifices at the altar with irreverence, and there- 
 fore it is related that he was rejected by the Lord. And 
 when he heard of the slaughter of his sons, and that the ark 
 of the Lord was taken by the Philistines, he fell down from 
 his seat, and broke his neck, and died. And he judged Israel 
 forty years. 
 
 Ch. XXVI. — The story of Elkanah, Samuel, and Saul. 
 
 In those days there was a man named Elkanah, descended 
 through Corah from Ishar, and he had two wives, Peninah 
 who was fruitful, and Hannah who was barren. And Hannah 
 having made a vow, that if God would grant her a male child, 
 she would make him a Nazarene, brought forth Samuel, who 
 was both prophet and judge. And he delivered Israel from 
 the Philistines by a lamb, which he slew on the stone of Help, 
 which was placed on the borders of the land, with reference 
 to the petition of Israel.^ 
 
 « The Bible account (1 Sam. vii. 12.) is, that Samuel sacrificed, "and 
 the Lord thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines 
 
 and discomfited them, and they were smitten before Israel Then 
 
 Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called 
 the name of it Ebenezer, \^The stone of help. Margin.] saying, hitherto 
 hath the Lord helped us." 
 
 VOL. I. D 
 
34 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMIKSTER. 
 
 B.C. 1095. 
 
 He anointed Saul, who was pointed out to him by the Lord 
 king over Israel, confirming his anointing by three signs, and 
 giyinehim an injunction, for transgressing which, subsequently 
 he w^ rejected by the Lord, and placed in such straits that he 
 tried to raise Samuel from the dead, by the assistance of the 
 magic art of a Pythoness. King Saul was descended by many 
 su^essions from Abel, through tlie tribe of Benjamm of whose 
 descendant Cis, he was the son. ^aul begat Jona ban 
 Joshua, Melchisiah, and Ishbosheth, and two daughters, Merob 
 and Mishcol. 
 
 Ch XXVn.— Brutus dies^-His sons divide his kingdom— The 
 invasion and death of Humber-Thefate of Estrildis-Locrtnus 
 marries Guendolen — Homer flourishes. 
 While that Saul reigned in Judaea, Brutus, the king of Britain 
 became the father of three sons by his wife, Imogene ; and 
 their names were Locrinus, Albanactus, and Camber, inese 
 men, after their father departed this life, in the twenty-fourth 
 year of his reign (and he was buried in the city which he 
 had built), divided the kingdom of Britain among them, and 
 departed each to his own place. Locrinus, wlio was the tirst- 
 born, possessed the middle portion of the island, which was 
 afterwards called Loegria, after his name. Camber took that 
 part which is beyond the river Severn, and which was atter- 
 wards called Cambria, from his name ; being the country 
 which is now caUed Wales. Albanactus, who was the youngest, 
 had that part which is now called Scotland, and he called it 
 Albania, from his own name. . 
 
 These men reigned a long time in peace and unanimity witn 
 one another, till Humber,the king of the Huns, invaded Albania, 
 and in a great battle with Albanactus, slew him. Iheretore 
 Locrinus, his elder brother, uniting with his brother Camber, 
 came to meet the king of the Huns on this side of the river 
 which is now called the Humber, where a battle took place, 
 and they put Humber the king to flight, who fled as far as 
 the river and was drowned in it, and bequeathed his name to 
 
 the nver. 
 
 After this victory Locrinus carried off" three maidens, one of 
 whom, by name Estrildis, was of wonderful beauty ; and she 
 was the daughter of some king of Germany. So Locrinus being 
 attracted by love for her, wished to unite her to himself m 
 
 B.C. 1050. 
 
 THE EEIGN AND DEATH OV MADDAN. 
 
 35 
 
 marriage. And when Corinseus heard this, he was exceedingly 
 indignant, because Locrinus had agreed to marry his daughter. 
 He therefore went to the king, and, partly by threats and 
 partly by caresses, compelled Locrinus to perform what he 
 had promised. Accordingly he married the daughter of Cori- 
 nseus, whose name was Guendolen ; but he did not for all that 
 forget his love for Estrildis, but having made a subterraneous 
 cave in the city Trinovantum, he was content to enjoy stolen 
 pleasures with her in that. In the mean time Estrildis be- 
 came with child, and brought forth a daughter, whom she 
 called Habre. And Guendolen too being pregnant, brought 
 forth a son, whom she called Maddan. But when Corinseus 
 died, then Locrinus forsook Guendolen, and made Estrildis his 
 queen : and in consequence, Guendolen became beyond all 
 measure indignant, and went to Cornwall. There she col- 
 lected an army and laboured to disturb Locrinus : and when 
 a battle took place near the river Styra, Locrinus received a 
 wound from an arrow, and died when he had reigned tea 
 
 years. 
 
 Then Guendolen, raging with a frenzy equal to that of her 
 father, orders Estrildis and her daughter Habre to be thrown 
 into the river, which was at the time called Habre, from her 
 name, but it is now corrupted into the pronunciation Sabrina,' 
 for she was wilhng to give her the honour of an eternal 
 memory, because her husband had begotten her. 
 
 At this time Homer lived, who was accounted an illustrious 
 orator and poet, and Samuel the prophet flourished in Judaea. 
 
 Ch. XXVIII. — Maddan' s reign and death. 
 
 Maddan being invested with thecrown, begottwo son8,Mempu- 
 hus and Malas, and administered the kingdom in peace for forty 
 years. When he died a quarrel arose between the above-men- 
 tioned brothers, because each of them wished to possess the 
 whole island. But Mempulius having slain his brother, be- 
 haved with such cruelty to the nation, that he laboured to put 
 to death nearly every man of the highest birth in the kingdom. 
 However, in the twentieth year of his reign, when he was out 
 hunting, he went out by himself and quitted his companions, 
 and was devoured by a troop of furious wolves. 
 
 ' The Severn, 
 
36 
 
 MATTUEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 B.C. 1045. 
 
 Ch. XXIX.— 0/ Me genealogy of our Saviour— the story o/Rahab, 
 
 The line of the genealog)- of the Saviour took its rise from 
 Abraham, in this third age of the world. , , , ^ 
 
 Abraham (as it has been said before) begat Isaac, Isaac begat 
 Jacob, Jacob begat Judah and his brethren ; Judah begat Pharez 
 and Zarah by Thamar, Pharez begat Esrom, Esrom begat Aram, 
 Aram begat Aminadab, Aminadab begat Naasson Ihis Naas- 
 8on departed from Egypt and was the pnnce of the tnbe ot 
 Judah, and that became true which God foretold to Abraham 
 in Genesis ; that in the fifth generation, reckoned accordmg 
 to the royal family, so ^hat we mean by generations, not persons, 
 but successions, the children of Israel depart from Egypt ; as 
 you may see if you calculate from Judah to Naasson. l^or m 
 that Ust the word "begot" occurs five times. But if that 
 succession is limited to the fourth generation m the sacerdotal 
 tribe, then those who make the calculation must proceed trom 
 
 Levi to Eleazar. • , t, i. u .u i, i ^ 
 
 Naasson begat Salmon, Salmon marned Rahab the harlot, 
 who received the spies in Jericho, and hid them under straw 
 of flax and let them down over the wall, and delivered her 
 own house by a scarlet thread, which she placed in the window, 
 while Jericho was being destroyed. By Rahab Salmon became 
 the father of Boaz. In the days of Boaz, Elimelech, a man of 
 Bethlehem, with his wife Naomi, and his sons Mahlon and 
 Chelion, came at a time of famine into Moab, where he ob- 
 tained wives for his sons, to wit, Ruth and Orpah. And when 
 he and his sons died, Naomi returned with Ruth the Moabi- 
 tess and by her Boaz became the father of Obed, raising up 
 seed to his dead kinsman. And Obed begat Isai or Jesse, for 
 he had two names ; and Jesse begat David and his brethren. 
 
 This David Samuel the prophet anointed to be king, when 
 Saul had been rejected for disobedience. 
 
 The End of the Third Age of the World, which ends 
 in Saul, consisting, according to the Hebrews, of 942 years ; 
 according to the seventy translators, of 940. 
 
 BOOK IV. 
 
 THE FOURTH AGE OF THE WORLD. 
 
 B.C. 10o5— 606. 
 
 EBRANCU8 FOUNDS YORK— SOLOMON BUILDS THE TEMPLE— 
 THE DIVISION OF THE JEWISH TRIBES — ELIJAH — BLADUD, 
 KING OF BRITAIN, IS CONTEMPORARY OF ELIJAH — SHISHAK 
 PLUNDERS JERUSALEM— SARDANAPALU8— END OF THE KING- 
 DOM OF ASSYRIA — HISTORY OF KINO LEAE — ROME IS 
 FOUNDED BY ROMULUS AND REMUS — THE OLD KINGS OF 
 ITALY, JANUS, SATURN, JUPITER— EARLY HISTORY OF ALBA 
 AND ROME— KINGS OF ROME AFTER ROMULUS— CONSTANTI- 
 NOPLE IS FOUNDED IN THE TIME OF TULLUS HORTILIUS — 
 STORY OF LUCRETIA — NEHEMIAH IS A CONTEMPORARY OF 
 SPURIUS CASSIUS— STORY OF ESTHER— BEGULUS— LIST OF 
 THE JEWISH KINGS— THE PROPHECY OF THE SIBYLS— THE 
 JEWS ARE CARRIED OFF TO BABYLON. 
 
 Ch. 1.-0/ the reign of David— SauVs visit to him— The 
 rebellion of Absolom—His death and character. 
 
 David, as it has been already said, though the youngest of 
 his brethren, was elected king by the Lord, and anointed 
 by Samuel in Bethlehem, as a token of his being king. After 
 that, he reigned in Hebron over the tribe of Judah seven years 
 and six months ; and thirdly, he reigned over the whole of 
 Israel thirty-three years. After the death of Goliah he soothed 
 the mind of Saul, by playing on the harp ; he gained the affec- 
 tions of Jonathan, and became the king's son-m-law. But 
 the king conceived envy against him because of the praises 
 which the virgins bestowed on him ; David, however, frustrated 
 his designs against him, and brought him a hundred foreskins ; 
 and avoided a blow from a lance which Saul aimed at him 
 while he was playing the harp ; and also he escaped from the 
 treacherous attack of his guards by the device of Michel, who 
 
38 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 B.C. 105^. 
 
 placed an image in liis bed instead of him. By the kmdness of 
 Samuel he saw Saul prophesying in Naioth, without receiving 
 any injury from him. And he made a treaty with Jonathan, who 
 practised shooting arrows.*^ In Nob he ate the priests' bread, 
 having pretended to be mad at Achish. 
 
 Abiathar was the only one of the priests who escaped when 
 the rest were slain by Doeg, after which David slew the robbers 
 and delivered Keilah. Once, while Saul was asleep, he pnvily 
 took away a pitcher of water and his spear, and forded the 
 fiver, delivering his lord the king from the enemies that were 
 coming against him. ^Afterwards, when Saul pursued him 
 be cut off the skirt of his garment. When Nabal, who was a 
 foolish man, died, he married his wife AbigaH. Keturning from 
 Achiah to Ziklag, he smote the Amalekites, and slew the man 
 who brought him news of Saul's death, and composed a mourn- 
 ful elegy over him, and lamented him. 
 
 After Ishbosheth died he reigned alone in Jerusalem, which 
 was formerly called Solema, casting the Jebusites out of it ; 
 and he built Mello. Having defeated the Philistines in Baal- 
 pharosin, the ark of the Lord is brought back to Jerusalem, 
 and David danced before the ark, for which he is laughed at 
 by Michal. Posterity is promised him, but he is forbidden 
 himself to build a house for the Lord. He measured the 
 Moabites with a hue and smote them, and overthrew the Philis- 
 tines and Edomites in the valley of Salt, and delivered Israel 
 out of their hands. He distributed official dignities, and slew 
 Uriah by the hand of the Ammonites. He fled before Abso- 
 lom, who had at first been rejected by him, and who after- 
 wards pursued him ; and when he was slain, and when Ahi- 
 tophel had hanged himself, he returned to Jerusalem, and by 
 numbering the people brought the anger of God upon himself. 
 
 David was both king and prophet, born of the iribe of 
 Judah, the son of Jesse, born in Bethlehem : as a boy he was 
 a keeper of sheep, he was the youngest of his brothers, but 
 superior to them in genius. He was called by the Lord to 
 the kingdom, and anointed king by the prophet. In war he 
 was brave, for personal courage he was conspicuous, he 
 triumphed gloriously : he was a veteran in victory, patient in 
 
 » Jonathan gave notice to David of Saul's disposition towards him by 
 shooting arrows, see 1 Sara. xx. 20. ^ David cut off Saul's skirt 
 
 before he took his spear and cruse, 1 Sam. xxiv. 4 ; xxiv. 12. 
 
 B.C. 1055. SOLOMON BTJILDS TUE TEMPLE. 39 
 
 adversity, prudent amid dangers, grieving for his own sins, 
 mournful for the deaths of others, prone to repentance, 
 swift to pardon, gentle as a companion, inclmed to mercy, 
 inasmuch as he did not injure the king who was his enemy, 
 when he might have done so ; and he did not only save him 
 when he was in his power, but he avenged him atter he had 
 been slain. He slew a lion and a bear without a sword ; he 
 drove away an unclean spirit by the sweetness of his harp- 
 playinsr, and he slew the giant. , ^^. , « , . 
 
 ^ Therefore he ended his life in the fiftieth year of his reign 
 and the seventieth of his life, and was buried m his city of 
 Bethlehem, which is called also by another name Ephrat^, 
 where also our Lord Jesus Christ was born atter the flesh, 
 and where also Rachel died after she had brought forth Benja- 
 min ; where also the tomb of Jesse the father of David is shown. 
 And this town is in the tribe of Judah, six miles from 
 Jerusalem, on the south, in the road to Hebron. 
 
 Ch. U.—Ebrancus founds York— Brutus II.—Leyl. 
 At the same time that David reigned in Judaea, Membritius, 
 the kins: of the Britons, died, and Ebrancus his son succeeded 
 to the kingdom, and reigned forty years m it. He was the 
 firs king since Brutus, who directed his fleet towards Gaul, 
 and he returned victorious. After that he founded a city 
 on the other side of the Humber, which he called after his 
 own name Caerbranc, that is, the City of Ebrancus 
 (At that time Sylvius Latinus was reigning in Italy.) 
 He also built the city of Alched towards Scotland and he 
 town of Mount Agnel, which is now called the Castle of the 
 Maids He begat twenty sons and thirty daughters, all of 
 whom he sent ^into Italy to Sylvius Alva, who succeeded 
 Sylvius Latinus in the kingdom, and there they became the 
 wives of the noble Trojan. After him, Brutus, surnamed 
 Green Shield, took the helm of the kingdom and reigned 
 twelve years. He was succeeded by his son Leyl. 
 Ch \\\.- Solomon builds the temple-Dies - Leyl founds 
 Carlisle-Vies, and is succeeded by Rudhudibras, who founds 
 Canterbury. 
 Afteb the death of King David, in the fourth age of the 
 world! Solomon his son succeeded him, having been anointed 
 
40 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEB. 
 
 B.C. 975. 
 
 king by Nathan the prophet, and by Zadok the priest. 
 After that, Joab being slain, and Shimei, and Adonijah his 
 brother, Solomon, having received wisdom from God after a 
 sacrifice which he offered, began to build a temple to the 
 Lord at Jerusalem, in the fourth year of his reign, and the 
 five hundred and second year after the Exodus of Israel from 
 Egypt ; on the thousand and twentieth' year of the arrival of 
 Abraham in the land of Canaan from Mesopotamia in Syria, 
 and the fourteen hundredth year after the flood. 
 
 In these days also, Leyl, king of the Britons, who was 
 mentioned in the last chapter, built a city and called it after 
 his own name Carlisle, that is to say, the city of Leyl. He 
 reigned twenty-five years. After him, his son Rudhudibras 
 took the kingdom ; he founded Caerceynt, that is, Canterbury, 
 and Caerguyent, that is, Winchester, and the town of Mount 
 Paladin, which is now called Septonia.^ 
 
 Solomon the son of David was the son of Bathsheba, and 
 born in Jerusalem. And before he was born it was pro- 
 nounced that he should be the wisest of men. He dedicated 
 the temple of the Lord ; he was prosperous in his empire, 
 though not 80 warhke a king as his father : he was beloved 
 by God, discreet in judgment, just in giving sentence, pacific 
 in his administration, one who begged for wisdom and gained 
 it to such a degree as to know the entire arrangement of the 
 world, the virtues of the elements, the power of the different 
 minerals and herbs, the nature of all animals and the thoughts 
 of men. His beginning was good, and his end evil. For 
 after wonderful glory on account of his virtues, he became 
 corrupted by his love for women, and lost the wisdom that he 
 had received, and sank in the deepest idolatry, which was his 
 ruin. He reigned forty years and lived fifty-two.' Then he 
 ended his life and his reign ; and he was buried in Bethlehem, 
 in the city of his father. 
 
 1 These dates are not quite correct, or quite consistent. The flood took 
 place B.C. 2349. The call of Abraham, 1921. The Exodus, 1491. The 
 distance of time between the call of Abraham and the departure from 
 Egypt being 430 years, not 518. 
 
 2 Now Shaftesbury. 
 
 *This is not quite correct. Solomon was bom b.c. 1033; David died 
 1015 ; Solomon died 975, so that he was fifty-eight years old, not fiftv- 
 two. ' 
 
 B.C. 1004. 
 
 DEDICATION OF THE TEMPLE. 
 
 41 
 
 Ch. IV. — Solomon dedicates the Temple — The reign of 
 Rehoboam — The separation of the kingdoms of Judah 
 and Israel. 
 
 The temple, as it has been mentioned, having been built by 
 Solomon, he consecrated it with great solemnity on the tenth 
 of September. The house of the forest of Lebanon, and the 
 royal palace, were built in a wonderful manner. The queen of 
 Sheba was received with great honour. But his praiseworthy 
 life was miserably stained by illicit love. 
 
 After Solomon, his son Rehoboam became king, against 
 whom there rose up Jeroboam of the tribe of Ephraim, and 
 he separated the ten tribes from Judah, and from the house 
 of David, which happened, not by chance, but by the decree 
 of God, on account of the offence of Solomon, who, after he 
 had built that most noble temple at Jerusalem, was seduced by 
 the blandishments of women, and fell into idolatry. But the 
 pitying and merciful God would not deprive him of the 
 kingdom of his father before his death, on account of David 
 his servant. 
 
 Afterwards, when each part, as it is written, began to have 
 its separate king, there remained with the tribe of Judah, and 
 the tribe of Benjamin, the tribe of Levi also, which was the 
 tribe of the priesthood, dedicated to the especial service of 
 the Lord. And after this time, these three tribes were called 
 the kingdom of Judah, and the other tribe had the name of 
 the kingdom of Israel. There adhered also to the people of 
 Israel the two tribes Manasseh and Ephraim, which are not 
 of the twelve tribes. For Joseph, who was one of the twelve 
 patriarchs, did not make one tribe like the other patriarchs, 
 but two, namely, those which we have just named. 
 
 Jeroboam being a man of perverse mind, estabhshed idola- 
 try in Samaria and throughout all his kingdom. For he 
 was afraid lest, by coming to the temple of God which was in 
 Jerusalem, and to which, according to the divine command, 
 the whole nation was bound to come for the purpose of 
 sacrificing, his people should be reduced and restored to the rule 
 of the race of David, as being the royal family. On which 
 account, as has been already said, he polluted the whole people 
 of Israel with wicked impiety. For he lived by the advice of 
 Abdo the prophet, and did not forsake his evil ways, and 
 
42 
 
 MATTHEW or WESTMINSTEE. 
 
 B.C. 850. 
 
 accordingly he received a severe announcement of his impend- 
 ing desolate condition from Ahijah at Shiloh, transmitted to 
 him by his wife, who consulted the prophet about the safety 
 of her child. After this he died, and he reigned twenty-two 
 years. 
 
 Ch. \, ^Different kings reign in Israel ^Elijah the Tishbite 
 flourishes— His actions—Prophecies about Antichrist— Bla- 
 dud succeeds Rudhudibras in Britain— He is succeeded by 
 Leyr—Ahab reigns in Israel and Jehu— Elisha flourishes— 
 His Character and Actions— The Israelites are carried into 
 Assyria by Tiglath, Pileser, and Shabnaneser, 
 
 AccoEDi]!TGLT, after the kingdom was divided, Jeroboam was 
 succeeded by Nadab his son, who reigned over Israel m 
 Samaria for two years. This Nadab besieged Gebbithon, a 
 city of the PhiUstines, and was slain by Baasha who succeeded 
 him, and reigned twenty-four years. This Baasha was re- 
 proved by Jehu the prophet, and nevertheless he built Rama 
 as a fortress against Asa, and being hindered by Benhadad he 
 died. But this Benhadad was one of the ancient kings of 
 Syria, who were always hostile to the kingdom of Israel. 
 Baasha was succeeded by Hela his son, and he reigned two 
 years ; and then becoming tipsy or drunk, he was slam by 
 Zimir. Zimir reigned in his stead for seven days, and then 
 being besieged by Omri, he was burnt alive in Titzah. Omri 
 succeeded him, and reigned twelve years. This Omri, three 
 years before he became sole king, was at war with Thebit, and 
 he built Samaria, and then he died. He was succeeded by 
 Ahab his son, who reigned after him twenty-two years. At 
 this time flourished the prophets Elijah, Michaiah, and Oba- 
 
 diah. 
 
 Elijah the Tishbite, a great priest and prophet, and a dweller 
 in the desert, a man full of faith, and of the greatest devotion, 
 brave in enduring labours, clean and industrious, of excellent 
 abilities, strict in the practice of discipUne, constant in holy 
 meditation, and fearless of death, scourged tyrants, put sacri- 
 legious persons to death, and was eminent for many acts of 
 virtue. Moreover, he closed up the heaven so that it should 
 not rain, and caused a drought for three years. Again he 
 prayed, and the heaven gave forth rain. He raised from death 
 
 B.C. ^ 
 
 50. 
 
 ELIJAH THE TISHBITE. 
 
 43 
 
 the son of the woman whose virtue he had rewarded, by pre- 
 venting her measure of meal from wasting, and by keeping 
 her cruse of oil flowing in a perpetual stream. At his word 
 fire from heaven descended on a sacrifice. He burned two 
 companies of fifty soldiers with their commanders, by fire from 
 heaven. When crossing Jordan, he divided the waters by a 
 touch of his mantle. After this, he was carried off in a fiery 
 chariot, and ascended into heaven ; being about to come 
 again, according to the prophet Malachi, at the end of the 
 world, and to precede Christ, and to announce his last advent, 
 with great wonder and prodigious portents ; so that Antichrist 
 will wage war against him, and he shall conquer him, and 
 slay him. And the carcasses of these men shall lie unburied 
 in the streets. After that, a great kingdom shall be raised by 
 the Lord, and shall smite the kingdom of Antichrist. After 
 this the Lord shall come, and shall slay Antichrist with the 
 sword of his mouth, and all those besides, who have worshipped 
 him ; and the Lord shall reign with all his people in everlast- 
 ing glory. 
 
 In the days of this Elijah the prophet, Bladud, the son of 
 Rudhudibras, succeeded to the kingdom of Britain, and held it 
 for twenty years. He built the city of Caerbodun, which is 
 now called Badonia (Bath) ; and he made in it warm baths 
 fit for the use of mankind, which he committed to the presi- 
 dency of Minerva ; in whose temple he established an ever- 
 lasting fire, which was never to burn away to ashes ; but as 
 soon as the flame gets feeble, it is turned into globes of stone. 
 He also taught necromancy throughout the kingdom of Britain. 
 And he was incessantly doing marvellous tricks, till at last he 
 made himself wings, and endeavoured to go through the air ; 
 and fell down on a temple of Apollo, just below the city Tri- 
 novantum, and was dashed to pieces. 
 
 He w as succeeded by Leyr, his son, who reigned forty years. 
 He founded a city on the river Sora, which is called in the Bri- 
 tish language, Caerleyer ; and in the Saxon language, Leicester. 
 At the same time that Elijah slew the priests of Baal, Aha- 
 ziah, his son, succeeded Ahab, and reigned two years. Ahaziah 
 was succeeded by Joram, his brother, who reigned twelve years. 
 Jehu slew Joram, having been anointed by the disciple of 
 Elisha, for the purpose of scattering the family of Ahab, ac- 
 cording to the prophecy of Elijah. And Jehu reigned twenty- 
 
44 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER, 
 
 B.C. 750. 
 
 eight years. He was succeeded by Joacham, his son, who 
 reigned seventeen years. In his reign, Ehsha the prophet 
 died, a man of a very illustrious hfe, and very glorious for his 
 miracles ; and he was buried in Samaria. 
 
 Ehsha, the disciple of Elijah, was a native of the town of 
 Amelmoth, and of the tribe of Reuben. At his birth, a golden 
 calf, which was in Gilgal, lowed ; and its voice sounded in 
 Jerusalem. Then a prophet, being inspired, said, " This day 
 is born in Jerusalem a man who shall destroy all idolatry.'* 
 He being glorified with a double portion of Elijah's spirit, was 
 distinguished by many important actions, and displays of vir- 
 tue. He divided Jordan, in order to pass through it, and 
 having checked the waters, he then turned them back to their 
 course. He threw a pitcher into the barren waters of Jericho, 
 and so embued them with fertility. By a single word, he gave 
 up some boys who mocked him to wild beasts. He made 
 waters run with blood, so as to cause the slaughter of his ene- 
 mies. By a word, he made a woman fruitful who before was 
 barren ; and when her son died, he raised him from the dead. 
 And he softened the bitterness of some men's food. He fed 
 the people with ten loaves, and collected fragments that were 
 left afterwards. He cleansed Naaman of the stain of leprosy, 
 by washing in Jordan ; and he inflicted the leprosy upon his 
 disciple, whom he cursed. He made the iron of an axe 
 which fell into the Jordan to float, by throwing a piece of wood 
 into the water. He smote the host of Syria with bhndness ; 
 he predicted death to one who did not beheve him. He put 
 the enemy to flight by the sound of chariots ; he dispersed a 
 besieging force ; he warded off" a famine. After his death, he 
 restored life to a dead corpse, and his sepulchre is shown to this 
 day in the city of Sebastia, deserving, indeed, of all honour, 
 and held in great veneration. 
 
 Joachim, the king of Israel, was succeeded by his son Joash, 
 who reigned sixteen years. After Joash, his son Jeroboam 
 reigned for fortyK)ne years. In his time, the prophets Hosea, 
 Amos, Joel, and Jonas prophesied. Jeroboam, the king, was 
 succeeded by his son Zechariah ; he reigned six months, and 
 was slain by his servant Shallum. After Shallum, who reigned 
 only one month, Menahem succeeded him, and reigned ten years. 
 This Menahem gave a thousand talents to Pul, the king of 
 the Assyrians, in order to let him depart from his kingdom ; 
 
 B.C. 700. 
 
 THE KINGS or JUDAH. 
 
 46 
 
 but provoked his anger by a gift of some false calves. After 
 Menahem, there reigned Pehahiah, his son, for two years. 
 Pehahiah was succeeded by Pekah, the son of Remaliah, under 
 whom Nahum the prophet flourished ; and Pekah reigned 
 twenty years. 
 
 But he could not resist Tiglath Pileser, or prevent his taking 
 prisoners two tribes and a half, and as many out of the trihe of 
 Zabulon and Naphtali as were equivalent to half a tribe 
 more. He was succeeded by Hoshea, who was taken prisoner 
 by Shalmanezer, king of the Assyrians, who removed the 
 Israelites into the country^ of the Assyrians, setthng them in 
 the cities of the Medes, near the river Goza. Under the 
 same Hoshea, although he had granted permission for them to 
 go thrice a year to Jerusalem, the ten tribes were taken by 
 Shalmaneser ; and among them was Tobias taken, whose his- 
 tory is well known. 
 
 Samaria having been besieged for three years, was filled 
 with Cutheans,- or Jacobites, or Samarians ; but though they 
 received the law from fear of lions, they did not cast away their 
 idols. 
 
 Ch. VI. — Of the Kings of Judah — Edom revolts — Character of 
 Sardanapalus — Abastus revolts from him — The Empire of the 
 Assyrians is transferred to the Medes — Amalius and Numitor 
 flourish in Italy. 
 
 We are now about to treat of those kings who were con- 
 temporaries of the kings of Israel ; and we will begin with 
 Rehoboam, the son of Solomon. This Rehoboam, when the 
 Lord had divided the kingdom, and when ten tribes followed 
 Jeroboam, retained only two with the tribe of Levi ; and his 
 kingdom was called the kingdom of Judah. And as their 
 sons provoked the Lord, Shishak, the king of Egypt, came 
 to Jerusalem, and despoiled the temple of the Lord. And he 
 took away the golden shields, and left brazen ones in their 
 
 ' "And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah 
 and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed thein 
 in the cities of Samaria, instead of the children of Israel ; and they pos- 
 sessed Samaria and dwelt in the cities thereof. And so it was at the be- 
 ginning of their dwelling there, that they feared not the Lord ; therefore 
 the Lord sent lions among them, which slew some of them." (2 Kings 
 xvii. 24, 25.) 
 
46 
 
 MATTHEW OF WLSTMINSTEB. 
 
 B.C. 700. 
 
 place. At this time prophesied Ahijah, Jehu, Amos, Joel, 
 Zachariah, and Elijah who was carried off by the Lord, and 
 was nowhere seen afterwards. Rehoboam reigned seven- 
 teen years, and was succeeded by Abijah, who reigned three 
 years ; Asa succeeded Abijah. This Asa fortified the cities of 
 Giboah and Masphat with the stones and timber which 
 Baasha had collected in Rama, and was reproved by Jehu, 
 because he had placed his hope in Benhadad ; and so he died 
 of a disease in the feet, the same which he had brought upon 
 the prophet by putting him in prison. He reigned fifty-one 
 years, and was succeeded by Jehosaphat. He reigned twenty- 
 five years ; and after Jehosaphat Joram reigned for twenty- 
 seven years ; while he was king, Edora revolted, and shook 
 off its allegiance to Judea, and appointed a king for itself. 
 
 Joram was succeeded by Othoziah, who reigued one year, 
 and he was also called Oziah and Azariah. And this Azariah, 
 with his son Joash, and his grandson Amaziah, the evangelist 
 Matthew has omitted from his genealogy of Christ. After 
 Azariah, Athaliah reigned for six years ; and after her, who 
 making a good beginning, but a most wicked ending, slew 
 Zachariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, between the temple 
 and the altar ; and he reigned forty years. After Joash came 
 Amaziah, who reigned twenty-nine years. 
 
 About this time, Sardanapalus was king of the Assyrians, 
 a man more profligate than any woman. He always Uved 
 among the women ; and when, on a certain day, Arbastus, 
 his prefect, whom he had appointed governor of the Medes, 
 had obtained admittance to him, he found him among troops 
 of harlots, dressed in woman's apparel, spinning purple on a 
 distaff, and distributing their tasks to the virgins, while he sur- 
 passed all the women who were in his company in the effemi- 
 nacy of his person, and the wanton carriage of his eyes. And 
 when Arbastus had seen tliis, he returned to his companions, 
 and related what he had seen, and declared that he could no 
 longer obey one who preferred being a woman to being a 
 man. So a conspiracy of the Medes is quickly excited against 
 the nation of the Assyrians, and war is proclaimed against 
 Sardanapalus ; and he, when he was no longer able to resist 
 the revolted nations, retired into his palace, where he had had 
 a funeral pile built ; and having set it on fire, he burnt him- 
 self and all his riches ; and so Sardanapalus, the king of the 
 
 B.C. 700. THE STOEY OF LETE AND HIS DAUGHTEES. 
 
 Assyrians, died, after he had reigned thirty-six years. And 
 the kingdom of the Assyrians was transferred to the Medes, 
 by means of Arbastus, the prefect of the Medes. 
 
 After this, the kingdom of the Medes ran on through a 
 succession of ages and of kings, till the time of Astyages, the 
 grandfather of Cyrus, a period of three hundred and fifty 
 years. But the kings of the Medes are not reckoned in the 
 number of illustrious kings, until we come to the before- 
 mentioned Cyrus, although they were all possessed of the 
 power of the Chaldseans, and were illustrious, too, from the 
 name of Babylon. 
 
 We must at the same time note this, that the kingdom of 
 the Assyrians was transferred to the Medes by the Arbastus 
 already spoken of; at the same time that Boras was king 
 among the Latins, being the father of Amulius and Numitor, 
 and the grandfather of Rhea Sylvia, who was the mother of 
 Romulus and Remus. 
 
 Ch. VIL — The conduct of King Leyr to his daughters — The 
 ingratitude of the two elder ^ and the affection of Cordelia — 
 Leyr dies — Cordelia succeeds him. 
 
 About this time, Leyr, king of the Britons, being very old, 
 and having no son, determined to marry his three daughters 
 to noble husbands, and to divide the kingdom among them. 
 But in order to know which of them was most worthy of the 
 best portion of his kingdom, he collected them all together, 
 putting questions to them, to see by which of them he was 
 most beloved ; and when two of them had answered that they 
 loved their father more than their own selves, the third, who 
 was the youngest, perceiving the flattery of her sisters, said, 
 " I have always loved you as my father, and in no other man- 
 ner, and if you wish to extort anything more from me, I tell 
 you, that as your wealth is, so is your influence, and I love you 
 HI that degree." And when the king heard this, he answered 
 with great indignation, " Since you have despised my old age 
 so greatly, in proportion as I have loved you more than the 
 others, I shall, for the future, be ashamed to love you at all, 
 nor shall you have any share in my kingdom with your 
 sisters." So when he had said this, he married the otlier 
 two girls whom I have mentioned, to the dukes of Cornwall 
 and Scotland, giving them each a half of Britain, in such a 
 
48 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 B.C. 650. 
 
 way, that after his death they were to enjoy the dominion of 
 the whole island. At length, when a report of this had 
 reached the ears of Aganippus, king of France, he immedi- 
 ately sent ambassadors to the before-mentioned king, entreat- 
 ing him to give him his younger daughter, whose name was 
 Cordelia, for his lawful wife. But the king persisting in his 
 indignation which I have spoken of, answered thus, " That 
 he wuold willingly give her to him, but it must be without 
 land, or money, or gold, or silver." And this was done. Then, 
 after some time, when king Eeyr began to grow feeble from 
 old age, the before-mentioned dukes, to whom he had given 
 his daughters and all Britain, made an insurrection against 
 him, and took the kingdom and all his royal power from 
 him. Therefore, the king, not knowing what to do, decided, 
 at length, to betake himself to his daughters, among whom 
 he had divided his kingdom, in order that, if possible, they 
 might support him .as long as he lived, and forty soldiers, 
 whom he kept about him. But they, taking his words out 
 of his mouth with great indignation, said that he was an old 
 man, a dotard and a beggar, and not worthy of the noble 
 family to which he belonged ; but if he chose, he might 
 remain with one soldier, provided he dismissed all the rest. 
 
 But the king, when he was thus recalled to a recollection 
 of his former dignity, wept, and uttered a groan, saying, ** 
 ray daughter, Cordelia, how true are those words which you 
 replied to me, to wit, * As your wealth is, so is your influence, 
 and I love you in that degree.' So while I had wealth, I had 
 power ; now I have no wealth, therefore I have no power. 
 From which it is plain that it was not myself that you loved, 
 but my gifts." Resolving these and similar thoughts fre- 
 quently in his mind, he at length determined to visit his 
 daughter who was in the countries across the sea, in order, 
 in his miserable and destitute condition, to try the disposition 
 of her whose kindness he had not all deserved. Accordingly, 
 he embarked on the sea in haste, and arrived on the other 
 side of the sea, having had a prosperous voyage. So he came 
 to Caricia, where his daughter was, and sent his messenger 
 to her to t^ell her to what a state of misery he was reduced. 
 But Cordelia, when she heard it, was much affected, and with 
 tears asked how many soldiers he had with him. And when 
 the messenger told her that he had come with only one soldier 
 
 B.C. 650. 
 
 REIGN AND DEATH OF CORDELIA. 
 
 49 
 
 and one armour-bearer, she immediately gave orders that he 
 should conduct her father to another city, and give him a 
 bath there and cherish him, and clothe him in royal apparel. 
 She also commanded that he should take forty soldiers with 
 noble equipments, and then announce to Aganippus, king of 
 France, that he had arrived. When this had been done, he 
 sent a messenger to the king and to his daughter, to in- 
 form them that he had been driven from the kingdom of Britain 
 by his sons-in-law, and that he had come to them, in order, 
 by their aid, to recover his kingdom. But they came to meet 
 him with their magistrates and nobles, and received him with 
 great honour ; and sending ambassadors throughout the whole 
 of France, they commanded all soldiers, and all who could 
 march to battle, to meet as speedily as possible, with horses 
 and arms, in order to invade Britain, with the father of the 
 queen. And when this was done, Leyr took with him his 
 daughter, with the multitude of warriors who had been col- 
 lected, and fought with his enemies, and gained the victory. 
 And when he had reduced both his sons-in-law under his 
 power, he died in the third year after. Aganippus, the king 
 of France, died also. Therefore, Cordelia, the daughter of the 
 king, succeeded to the helm of the kingdom, and buried her 
 father in a subterraneous cave, which she had commanded to 
 be made in Leicester, beneath the river Sera. 
 
 Cii. VIII. — The reign and death of Cordelia — She is attacked 
 hy her Nephews — They defeat her — They quarrel with one 
 another — Cunedagius becomes sole king. 
 
 When, therefore, Cordelia had governed the kingdom peace- 
 ably for five years, the two sons of her sisters, Marganus and 
 Cunedagius, began to disquiet her ; and they were the sons 
 of her sisters, by Maglaurus and Henorinus, the dukes of 
 Cornwall and Albany, and the young men themselves had the 
 character of being men of admirable virtue. Maglaurus was 
 the father of Marganus, and Henorinus of Cunedagius. These 
 youths then, when, after the deaths of their fathers, they had 
 succeeded to their dukedoms, felt indignant that Britain should 
 be subject to a woman.. Accordingly, having collected armies, 
 they rose up against the queen, and would not desist from 
 their ferocious hostility, until, after laying waste several pro- 
 vinces, they met her in battle. At last, she was taken, and 
 
 TOL. I. E 
 
50 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEB. 
 
 B.C. 650. 
 
 thrown into prison by them ; where, being overwhelmed with 
 grief, on account of the loss of the khigdom, she slew herself. 
 After this, the young men divided the island between them; 
 that part which is on the other side of the Humber, extending 
 towards Catanesia, fell to Marganus, and the other part, which 
 is on the other side of the river, and looks towards the west, 
 became subject to Cunedagius. -, • * 
 
 At the end of two years, some persons, who were desirous to 
 cause disturbances in the kingdom, came to Marganus, and 
 worked upon his mind, saying, that it was base and shameful 
 for him not to be lord of the whole island, as he ^^'as the first- 
 born. And when he had been excited by these and other argu- 
 ments, he led an army through the provinces of Cunedagius, 
 and be^^an to lay them waste with fire ; therefore, quarrels 
 sprune^'up between the kings, and Cunedagms came to meet 
 him with all his forces, and a battle took place, in which he in- 
 flicted great slaughter upon Marganus, and put him to flight. 
 Then as he fled, he pursued him from province to province, 
 and at last slew him, in a village of Cambria, which, after his 
 death, was called by the people of the village Margan, after 
 his name, and retains the appellation to this day. Iheretore, 
 Cunedagius having gained the victory, obtained the sove- 
 reignty of the whole island, and governed it gloriously tor 
 thirty-three years. 
 
 Ci£. IX. Rome is founded by Romuhis and Remus — The 
 
 former Kings of Italy y Janus, Saturn, Picus, Faunus, Lati- 
 
 nus—jEneas, his descendants; Amulius, Numiter— Birth 
 
 of Romulus and Remus— The institutions of Romulus— The 
 
 Senate— The Rape of the Sabines— Union of the Romans 
 
 and Sabines — Death of Remus and of Romulus. 
 
 About the same time the celebrated city of Rome was founded 
 
 by the twin brothers, Romulus and Remus, the origin of 
 
 whose kingdom I will proceed to explain in a few words, in 
 
 such a manner as not to exceed the moderate Umits that I 
 
 have allotted myself. 
 
 Of a surety, that nation carried its arms so extensively over 
 the world, that they who read the account of their exploits 
 and power, as it really was, are learning the history not of 
 the nation, but of the whole human race. For virtue and 
 fortune appear to have laboured in unison to build up their 
 empire. 
 
 B.C. 750. 
 
 FORMER KINGS OF ITALY. 
 
 51 
 
 According to some accounts, the first king who reigned in 
 Italy was Janus ; then came Saturn, who fleeing out of Greece 
 from his son Jupiter, came to a city which was called Saturnia, 
 from his name, the ruins of which are seen to this day on the 
 borders of Tuscany, not far from Rome ; and because Saturn 
 lay hid {latuit) in Italy, the country was called Latium' from 
 that fact. He taught the people, who as yet were quite un- 
 civilised, to build houses, to cultivate the land, to plant vine- 
 yards, and to live in such fashion as became men, when pre- 
 viously they had been half savage, supporting hfe only by the 
 nourishment derived from acorns, and living in caves or huts, 
 roofed with leaves and twigs. He also was the first to teach 
 men the use of brazen money, in return for which services he 
 was called a god by the ignorant and barbarous multitude. 
 
 After Saturn his son Picus reigned in Italy. And there is 
 a fable told about him, that because he despised the love of a 
 very celebrated sorceress named Circe, he was changed by her 
 into a bird of the same name, which is called pica (the wood- 
 pecker), to punish his disdain. After Picus, Faunus his son 
 became king ; he was the father of Latinus, whose mother, 
 Carmentis Nicostrata, is beheved to have been the inventress 
 of the Latin letters, in reference to which, some one has said — 
 
 " To wise Carmentis all our books we owe." 
 
 In the reigns of these sovereigns, a hundred and fifty years 
 are said to have elapsed. 
 
 During the rtign of Latinus, who corrected the Latin lan- 
 guage and called the people Latins after his own name, Troy 
 
 1 This is the etymology given by the purest Latin writers. Virgil says,— 
 
 .♦' Primus ab jethereo venit Saturnus Olympo, 
 Arma Jovis fugiens, et regnis exul ademptis. 
 Is genus indocile ac dispersum montibus altis 
 Composuit, legesque dedit : Latiumque vocari 
 Maluit, his quoniam latuisset tutus in oris."— ^n. viii. 323. 
 
 Which is thus rendered by Dryden — 
 
 " Then Saturn came, who fled the power of Jove, 
 Robb'd of his realms and banish'd from above ; 
 The men, dispers'd on hills to towns he brought, 
 And laws ordain'd and civil customs taught, 
 And Latmm called the land where safe he lay 
 From his unduteous son, and his usurping sway." — Ibid. 430. 
 
 E 2 
 
 ^'i^^*'****' 
 
62 
 
 MATTHEW or WESTMINSTER. 
 
 B.C. 1100. 
 
 was taken by the Greeks in the eight hundred and forty-third 
 year after the birth of Abraham, eight hundred and thirty-four 
 years after that of Ninus, king of Assyria ; forty-four years 
 before the foundation of Rome, and forty-six before the first 
 Olympiad. When therefore Troy was taken, as has been said 
 before, iEneas, the son of Venus and Anchises, came into Italy. 
 In the third year after the fall of Troy, he fought with Turnus, 
 and slew him. But Turnus was the son of Danaus, the king 
 of the Tuscans ; and Lavinia, the daughter of the king Latmus, 
 had been betrothed to him. She was now married to ^neas, 
 who called the town which he had founded Lavinium, after her 
 name, ^neas reigned over the Latins for three years after he 
 obtained the kingdom. After him Ascanius, who is also caUed 
 Juhus, the son of /Eneas, became king ; he left Sylvius Pos- 
 tumus his heir, being his own brother and the son of ^neas by 
 Lavinia, whom he had brought up with great atfection. Then 
 Ascanius begat Juhus, from whom the family of the Juln de- 
 scended : but he was only a child when Ascanius died, and 
 unequal as yet to govern his fellow-citizens. When Ascanius 
 had reigned thirty-eight years he died, and Sylvius Postumus 
 succeeded him. in the kingdom, and reigned twenty-nine years. 
 And he was called Postumus, because he was born after (jiost) 
 the death of his father, and Sylvius because he was bred up 
 in the country and in the woods (sylvis). And all the Alban 
 kings were called Sylvius from him. Sylvius Postumus was 
 succeeded by /Eneas Sylvius, who reigned thirty-one years. 
 After him Latinus Sylvius reigned fifty years. 
 
 About this time David the king of the Jews flourished. 
 Latinus Svlvius was succeeded by Alba Sylvius, who reigned 
 thirty -nine years. Alba Sylvius was succeeded by /Egyptus, 
 or Atis, his son, who reigned twenty-four years. He again 
 was succeeded by Capys Sylvius, the son of the preceding 
 kins, who reigned twenty-eight years, and founded Capua, in 
 Campania. Carpentus Sylvius, the son of Capys, succeeded 
 him, and reigned thirteen years. The next king was Tyberi- 
 nus, the son of Carpentus : his reign lasted nine years ; and it 
 was from him that the river Tyber derived its name, because 
 he was drowned in it ; as it had been previously called the 
 Albula, After him, Agrippa Sylvius reigned forty years. 
 About this time. Homer is said to have flourished in peace. 
 Agrippa Sylvius was succeeded by Aremus Sylvius, his son, 
 
 B.C. 1100. 
 
 ORIGIN OF TUE ROMAN EMPIRE. 
 
 53 
 
 who reigned nineteen years. He built a fortress for the Albans 
 amongst the mountains, where Rome now stands ; and being 
 a wicked man, was slain by a thunderbolt, for his wicked- 
 ness. Aventinus Sylvius succeeded him, and reigned thirty- 
 seven years ; and died and was buried on that mountain, 
 which is now part of the city of Rome, and he left his name 
 for ever to the place. Then Procas Sylvius, the son of Aven- 
 tinus, took the kingdom, and reigned twenty-three years. 
 
 About this time, Phedon, the Argive, invented weights and 
 measures. Also, among the Hebrews, Zechariah was king of 
 Judah, and Jeroboam of Israel. 
 
 The successor of Procas Sylvius was Amulius, his elder 
 son, who reigned forty-three years ; and was succeeded by 
 Numitor, the youngest son of king Procas, who having been 
 driven from the kingdom by his brother, Amulius, hved on 
 his own estate. Rhea Sylvia, the daughter of Numitor, had 
 been appointed a Vestal virgin, with the object of preventing 
 her from having any children. And as, in the seventh year 
 of her uncle's reign, she had twins, she was buried alive in 
 the earth, in accordance with the law which at that time ex- 
 isted. But Faustulus, the shepherd of the royal flock, took 
 the children, who had been exposed near the banks of the 
 river ; and brought them to Alia Laurentia, his wife, a woman 
 who, on account of her beauty, and the rapacity with which 
 she made money of it, was caUed Lupa (wo/f) by the neigh- 
 bours. And from her, even down to our own time, the harlots' 
 houses are called Lupanaria. When the children had grown 
 up, they collected a powerful band of shepherds and banditti, 
 to slay Amulius in Alba, and restore their grandfather, Numi- 
 tor, to the kingdom. 
 
 Therefore, the Roman Empire, than which none in the whole 
 world can be recollected by human memory, which was either 
 smaller at its beginning, or more mighty in its increase, derived 
 its origin from Romulus, who, being the son of Rhea Sylvia, 
 and, as it was thought, of Mars, was born at one birth with his 
 brother Remus. Romulus lived as a bandit among the shep- 
 herds, and when he was eighteen years old, he founded a 
 small city on the Palatine hill, on the tenth of the calends of 
 May (April 21), in the third year of the sixth olympiad, the four 
 hundred and nineteenth after the destruction of Troy, or the 
 four hundred and fourth as Rosius says, and six years before 
 
54 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMIXSTEB. 
 
 B.C. 720. 
 
 the ten tribes were carried off to the mountains of the Medes,* 
 by Sennacherib, king of the Chaldeans. Wlien then he had 
 built the city, which he called Roma, after his own name, and 
 from which name the citizens were called Romani, he acted 
 in the following manner. Having built a temple, which he 
 called Asylum, he promised freedom from punishment to all 
 who fled to it ; by which means he collected a multitude of 
 people from the neighbouring nations, who had got into any 
 trouble in their own country, and who now fled to him, and were 
 received as citizens in his new city. The Latin and Etruscan 
 shepherds, and the Iriges from across the sea, who had come 
 to Italy under ^neas, and the Arcadians, who had come with 
 Evander, all flocked to that place, and in this way, as it were, 
 composed one body out of various elements, and made one 
 Roman people. 
 
 He chose a hundred of the elders as a council, whose advice 
 he might take on every matter, and whom he called Senators, by 
 reason of their age (Senectus), and Fathers, from the resemblance 
 of their care to that of a father. He also chose a thousand (mille) 
 fighting men, whom he called Milites (soldiers), from their 
 number. Then, as neither he nor his people had any wives, 
 he invited all the nations which were neighbours to the city of 
 Rome, to a spectacle of games. And he carried off all their 
 virgins, in the fourth year after the building of Rome. And 
 one of the virgins, who was the most beautiful of all, is given 
 by acclamation on the part of all the ravishers, and by the 
 gift of Romulus, to the general Thalassus : on which account, 
 at the nuptial solemnities they commonly cry out "for Thalas- 
 sus," meaning that the bride is beautiful enough to be worthy 
 of Thalassus. As war was stirred up on account of the injury 
 done by carrying off the virgins, he conquered the people 
 of Csecina, of Antennae, of Crirstumium, the Sabines, the 
 people of Fidene, and the Brizantes, all which tribes sur- 
 round the city. Then also, the virgin Tarpeia was crushed 
 by the shields of the Sabines, on the hill, which from her name 
 was called the Tarpeian Mount, and on which the Capitol was 
 subsequently built. 
 
 However, the Romans made a treaty with the Sabines, 
 
 ^ This is not quite correct ; it was Shalmaneser, and not Sennacherib, who 
 defeated Ho:jea, took Samaria, and carried the I;iraehtes away to Assyria, 
 B.C. 724. 
 
 B.C. 715. 
 
 THE REIGN OF NUMA POMPILIUS. 
 
 55 
 
 whose daughters they had carried off, and a lasting friendship, 
 80 that Tatius, the king of the Sabines, reigned jointly with Ro- 
 mulus, and with equal power. And the Sabines and the Romans 
 became one people, and the Romans, to confirm the union, 
 placed the names of the Sabines before their own ; and in like 
 manner the Sabines prefixed Roman names to theirs ; and from 
 this time forth the custom prevailed, that no one of the Ro- 
 mans was without a prsenomen. It was from this union of 
 the two nations that Romulus got the name of lUirinus, as, 
 after the fashion of the Sabines, he used to carry a spear, which in 
 the Sabine language is called ** Quiris." And the Romans too 
 were called Quirites, either from the Quiris, that is to say, from 
 the spear, or from Quirinus. 
 
 Afterwards, Remus, the brother of Romulus, was slain by 
 Fabius, the general of Romulus, by a shepherd's rake ; 
 whether by the consent of Romulus or not, I know not. The 
 cause of his death was this : that he found fault with the ram- 
 part, as being insufficient for the protection of the new city, 
 and leapt over its scanty defence. 
 
 But Romulus having in the thirty-ninth year of his reign 
 disappeared near the Caprean Marsh, was believed to have been 
 translated to the gods, and was worshipped under the name of 
 Quirinus. After that the senators ruled at Rome, each govern- 
 ing for five days ; and their successive governments occupied 
 one year. 
 
 Ch. X. — The reigna of Numa^ TulItiSy Aulus, Tarquinius, 
 Servius — The first aensus is taken — Tarquinius the Proud — 
 Constantinople is fomdedy and Marseilles — Ar ion flourishes — 
 Nabuchodonosor takes Jerusalem — Belshazzar — Daniel — Cyrus. 
 
 After Romulus, Nunia Pompilius was created king over the 
 Romans, at the same time that Hezekiah was king over the 
 Jews. He carried on no wars, but he did not less good to the 
 state than Romulus had done. For he, like another Moses, 
 gave laws and customs to the Romans, who, from their constant 
 wars, hitherto appeared mere robbers and semi-barbarians. 
 He also divided the year into ten months, which had pre- 
 viously been confused, and left destitute of any accurate com- 
 putation, and he estabUshed an infinite number of sacrifices 
 and temples at Rome ; or, according to some accounts, he 
 
 •*:^ 
 
( 
 
 56 
 
 MATTHEW OF WE8TMINBTEE. 
 
 B.C. 672. 
 
 I 
 
 added two months, January and February, to the year ; as 
 there had been only ten months in the system estabUshed 
 among the Romans by Romuhis. He also built the Capitol 
 from its foundations, being especially devoted to reUgion and 
 sacred things, and he taught his people the observances of 
 sacrifices and ceremonies, and the whole worship of the gods. 
 He instituted the pontiffs, the augurs, and the other ranks 
 of the priesthood, and some other secret pledges of the em- 
 pire ; and the worship of Janus with two faces. He was 
 the first who delivered the sacred flame of Vesta to the virgins 
 to be taken care of by them, in order that a flame kindled from 
 the stars of heaven might watch for ever over his image, as a 
 guardian of the empire. For he was so much led away by 
 vanity, that he made many laws at the dictation of the devil, 
 which afterwards he perceived would be very injurious if they 
 ever came to the knowledge of men : but as he was afraid to 
 burn them, he buried them under ground secretly, near his 
 own tomb, where he thought that no one would come. But in 
 process of time, a certain countryman found these books, while 
 ploughing in that place. He brought them to the Praetor, and 
 the Prsetor laid them before the Senate. But the Senate, when 
 it saw them, was filled with detestation, and shuddered, and 
 committing them to the flames burnt them, lest the curiosity 
 of any one should reveal such guilt and such diabolical wick- 
 edness to the knowledge of man. Numa died of disease in 
 the forty-first year of his reign. 
 
 In the reign of Numa, Glaucua invented the way to solder 
 iron together. Also in his time, the prophets Isaiah and 
 Hosea flourished. 
 
 The successor of Numa was Tullus Hostilius, who estabhshed 
 all the details of military discipUne and of the art of war, 
 and he was the first of the Roman kings who wore the purple, 
 and used the fasces. 
 
 In his time Manasseh was king of Judah. 
 Tullus also enlarged the city by the addition of Mount 
 Cselius. When he had reigned thirty-two years, he was struck 
 by lightning and burnt in his palace. 
 
 About this time the city of Byzantium, which was afterwards 
 called Constantinople, was founded. 
 
 After him Aucus Martins, the grandson of Numa Pom- 
 
 ^ Meaning the Ancilia. 
 
 B.C. 550. 
 
 lOTMA AND HIS SUCCESSORS. 
 
 57 
 
 pilius by his daughter, succeeded to the kingdom, while Josiah 
 was king over the Jews. He built the city of Ostia, at a dis- 
 tance of sixteen miles from the city, at the spot where the river 
 and sea unite ; he fought against the Latins, and he added 
 the Aventine mount to the city, and also the Janiculan mount. 
 During his reign Epidamnus, which was afterwards called 
 Dyrrachium, was founded. He died of disease in the twenty- 
 third year of his reign. 
 
 After him, Tarquinius Priscus became king. He doubled 
 the number of the senate, he conquered the Sabines, and 
 joined no small quantity of land, which he took from them, 
 to the territory of the city ; and he was the first person who 
 celebrated a triumph in Rome. He built walls and towers, 
 he began the Capitol,- and subdued twelve tribes of Etruria. 
 In the thirty-seventh year of his reign he was slain by a son 
 of his predecessor Aucus. 
 
 In his reign Arion of Methymna is said to have been carried 
 by a dolphin to Taenarus. About the same time, Marseilles was 
 founded; also, Jerusalemwas subduedbyknig Nabuchodonosor. 
 After him, Servius Tullius reigned thirty-four years. 
 In his reign Belshazzar was king of the Chaldaeans, under 
 whom Daniel read the mystic writing on the wall, and inter- 
 preted it. 
 
 This Servius Tullius finally subdued the Sabines, and added 
 three hills, namely the Quirinal, Verrinal and Esquiline, to 
 the city. He was the first man who instituted the census. 
 In his time a census took place at Rome, and there were found 
 to be eighty-seven thousand men capable of bearing arms. 
 At last, Servius Tullius was slain by the wickedness of Tarquin 
 the Proud, his son-in-law, and the son of that king whom he 
 himself had succeeded, and of his own daughter, who was 
 Tarquin' s wife. 
 
 After him, Lucius Tarquin the Proud, the seventh and last 
 of the kings, seized upon the kingdom. 
 
 2 Our author has said above, that Numa built the Capitol ; the truth is, 
 that Numa huilt a small temple, dedicated to Jupiter, Juno and Minerva, 
 on the Esquiline Hill, which was not called Capitolium till after the 
 foundation of that which was built by Tarquin, and then it was distin- 
 guished as Capitolium Vetus, while the great Capitol, the temple of Jupiter 
 Opt. Max., was founded by Tarquinius Priscus, in consequence of a vow 
 made by him during the Sabine wars, and was finally completed by the 
 second ' Tarquin, though not dedicated till aftor his expulsion by M. 
 Horatius. 
 
58 
 
 MATTHEW or WESTMINSTEB. 
 
 B.C. 510. 
 
 In his time, by the indulgence of Cyrus, king of Persia, 
 forty-two thousand four hundred Jews returned to Jerusalem. 
 
 Tarquinwasthefirstinventor of the different modes of torture, 
 such as scourges of oxhide, clubs, red-hot plates, prisons, chains, 
 fetters, exile, working in mines. He completed the temple of 
 Jupiter, in the Capitol ; afterwards, while besieging Ardea, he 
 was expelled by the Romans, and lost his kingdom. For the 
 younger son of this Tarquin had violently ravished a most 
 noble matron of the Roman state, by name Lucretia, the wife of 
 CoUatinus, and a relation of Brutus, a man of most noble 
 birth ; and she, having complained to her husband CoUatmus, 
 and to her father, and to Brutus her kinsman, and to her other 
 friends and relations, of the injury done to her. and having 
 bound them by an oath to avenge her, chastising in her own 
 own person the foul crime which had been committed against 
 her, slew herself before them all. 
 
 And in this way seven kings reigned at Rome, for a period 
 of two hundred and forty-three years. 
 
 Ch. XI. — The Consular Government is established at Rome — The 
 war with Porsenna—The Dictatorship— The wars of Camillus 
 ^Rome is taken by the Gauls— History of Esther and Mor- 
 decai — Torquatus — Corvinus — Alexander the Great — Wars 
 with the Samnites—Papirius Cursor— The Caudine Forts- 
 War with Pyrrhus—Cineas—Fabricius— Death of Pyrrhus— 
 The first Punic war — Duilius's naval victory — Reguluis death. 
 Aftee this, two consuls began to be created instead of one 
 king ; with this view, that if one of them chose to be a bad 
 ruler, the other, who had equal power with him, might re- 
 strain him ; and it was determined that they should retain 
 their office more than one year, that they might not be made 
 insolent by a long duration of power. The consuls m the 
 first year were Lucius Junius, and Brutus,^ who had been the 
 main instrument of the expulsion of the Tarquins. And it 
 was determined that no one should remain in the city who 
 bore the name of Tarquin. 
 
 3 Our author is mistaken here ; it was Brutus whose praenomen was 
 Junius, and not Lucius CoUatinus his colleague ; but I shall not think it 
 necessary, except in very important instances, to point out the variations 
 between the account given in these chronicles and that which is more 
 usually received. 
 
 B.C. 450. CAMILLUS DELIYEES HOME FROM THE GAULS. 59 
 
 In the ninth year after the expulsion of the kings, when the 
 son-in-law of the younger Tarquin, Porsenna, king of Etruria, 
 had collected a numerous army, with the object of avenging 
 the injury done to his father-in-law, a new office was created 
 at Rome,' which was called the Dictatorship, being a magis- 
 tracy of greater power than the consulship. In the same 
 year, also, the master of the horse was created, who was to be 
 under the orders of the dictator. Nor can there be mentioned 
 a more lofty magistracy than the ancient dictatorship in the 
 whole history of the Roman empire, especially when Octavi- 
 anus Augustus, and Caius Caesar before him reigned under 
 the name and honours of the dictatorship. The first dictator 
 at Rome was Largus,^ and the first master of the horse was 
 Spurius Cassius, who was created sixteen years after the expul- 
 sion of the kings. 
 
 The Roman people rose in a formidable sedition, on the 
 plea that they were oppressed by the senate and consuls. 
 And at that time Spurius Cassius created tribunes of the 
 people, as if they were to be judges and defenders of himself, 
 80 that by their means he might be protected from the enmity 
 of thfe senate and the consuls. 
 
 About the same time, by the permission of Xerxes, king of 
 Persia, Nehemiah arrived in Judaea, and restored the walls and 
 the city. In the three hundred and second year after the 
 building of Rome, the consular form of government was put 
 an end to, and instead of the two consuls, ten magistrates 
 were appointed, who should exercise supreme power under 
 the name of decemvirs. In the three hundredth and fifteenth 
 year after the building of Rome, the people of Fidenae revolted 
 and attacked the Romans ; but they were defeated by them, 
 and submitted, and twenty years afterwards they revolted a 
 second time ; but Furius Camillus, the dictator, was sent 
 against them, and defeated them, and after a long siege he 
 took their city, which was very ancient, and afterwards he 
 took Fahsci, w'hich was another city of equal renown. 
 
 After this, the Galli Senones came against Rome and took 
 it, nor could any thing be defended except the Capitol. And 
 when they had besieged this last fortress for a long time, Ca- 
 millus, who was in banishment in a neighbouring city, came 
 upon the Gauls and defeated them with enormous slaughter. 
 
 • This should be Lartius. 
 
60 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMT>'STEll. 
 
 B.C. 400. 
 
 And 80 Camillu3 entered Rome, and was called a second 
 Romulus, as being the deliverer of his country. 
 
 At this time the illustrious queen Esther flourished, and 
 also Plato the philosopher. Queen Esther, daughter of the 
 brother of Mordecai, of the tribe of Benjamin, was a captive, 
 and was taken from Jerusalem to Susa, and on account of 
 her beauty and her very celebrated virtue, while only a girl, 
 she was united in marriage to the king of Persia. She ex- 
 posed herself to death, in order to deUver her people, and she 
 persuaded the king to crucify a friend of his, who was advismg 
 wicked measures against the people of God, on a cross, which 
 he had prepared for Mordecai. And so she saved a free 
 nation from destruction, and delivered them from slavery. 
 She is buried in Susa, a city of the Medes, in which she was 
 queen. In the three hundred and sixty-fifth year after the 
 foundation of Rome, military tribunes were created instead of 
 the two consuls, and under them the Roman affairs began to 
 prosper. The following year, an immense gulf, reaching down 
 to hell, suddenly opened in the middle of the city, and as it 
 remained a long time, and alarmed every one, and as the 
 soothsayers declared that it demanded the burial of a living 
 man within it, Marcus Curtius mounted his horse, and m 
 complete armour plunged into the gulf; and thus it was 
 closed. In the mean time, Titus Quintius the dictator was 
 sent against the Gauls, who had invaded Italy ; but the Gauls 
 were encamped four miles from the city, on the other side of 
 the river Anio, where a young man named Lucius Manlius, 
 one of the most nobly born of the whole senate, went forward 
 and slew a Gaul, who challenged him to single combat, and 
 having stripped him of his golden chain (torquis), and placed 
 it on his own neck, received in triumphant manner the name 
 of Torquatus, for himself and his posterity. Then the Gauls 
 were put to flight, and were also defeated soon after by Cams 
 
 Sulpicius. 
 
 Another time, a certain Gaul challenged the bravest o^ the 
 Romans. Then Marcus Valerius, a military tribune, offered 
 himself, and having gone forth in armour, a crow (corvus) 
 settled on his right arm. Presently, when he was fighting 
 with the Gaul, the same crow with his wings and talons 
 battered the eyes of the Gaul, so as to prevent him from look- 
 ing straight forward. And so he was slain by the tribune 
 
 B.C. 3C0. THE EOMANS WAE WITH THE SAMNITES. 
 
 61 
 
 Valerius, and gave him not only a victory, but also a name ; 
 for he was afterwards caUed Corvinus, and on account of this 
 exploit he was made consul, though he was only twenty-three 
 years old. About this time, the night was lengthened on one 
 occasion, and was seen to be extended over a great part of 
 the following day. And stones fell from the clouds. 
 
 About the same time Alexander the Great was bom. 
 
 Now the Romans began to be a powerful people, for a war 
 was carried onby them a hundred and thirty miles from the city, 
 against the Samnites, who are a people between Picenum 
 Campania and Apulia. If you enquire about their wealth, 
 they wear arms inlaid with gold and silver, and garments 
 embroidered down to the very edge. If you enquire about 
 their skill in manoeuvres and ambushes, you must know that 
 that nation owed its power to its defiles, and to the facilities 
 afforded by its mountains for manoeuvres. If about their rage 
 and madness, know that they hastened to the destruction of 
 the world with their sacrilege and human sacrifices. If you 
 would understand their obstinacy, think of that treaty which 
 they broke six times over ; so that their pertinacity was even 
 more violent than their enmity. Therefore, the Romans under- 
 took war against the Samnites on behalf of the Campanians 
 
 and Tidicini. 
 
 The district of Campania is the most beautiful of all the 
 regions, not in Italy only, but, I may almost say, in the whole 
 world. Lucius Papirius Cursor was despatched to that war, 
 with the appointment of dictator. And as he wished to 
 return to Rome, he left Fabius Maximus, his master of the 
 horse, in command of the army, with orders not to engage the 
 enemy in his absence. Fabius, however, having an oppor- 
 tunity offered him, fought a most successful battle, and 
 utterly routed the Samnites, on which account he was con- 
 demned to death by the dictator, because he had fought with- 
 out his permission ; but he was delivered by his great popu- 
 larity with both the soldiers and the people, as such a sedition 
 was excited against Papirius the dictator, that he was nearly 
 killed himself. Afterwards the Samnites defeated the Romans 
 in the consulship of Titus Veturius and SpuriuB Postu- 
 mius, when they were hemmed in, in a narrow strait at the 
 Candine Forts, with great disgrace. And their general Pontius 
 employed the security which his victory gave him, in consult- 
 
62 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMiySTEK. 
 
 B.C. 290. 
 
 ing bis father Herennius whether he should slaughter them, 
 hemmed iu as they were, or spare them now that they were 
 subdued. He eventually chose to keep them alive to disgrace 
 them. For he compelled the whole Roman army, which was 
 disgracefully taken prisoners, stripped of their arms, and even 
 of their clothing, only one single covering of the most trifling 
 nature being left them to cover their persons for modesty's 
 sake, to make a long procession, passing under the yoke, and 
 submitting to an act of slavery. Then having'taken six hun- 
 dred Roman knights as hostages, he sent back the rest loaded 
 as they were with ignominy, and the consuls too, stripped of 
 their arms, under such conditions of peace as the Samnites 
 chose to impose. And if the Romans, when subjected to the 
 Samnites, had preserved that faith in their treaty with them, 
 which is expected to be observed towards them by those who 
 become subject to them, there would either be no Romans at 
 this day, or they would be subjects to a Samnite master. 
 
 But the next year, at the command of the senate, the peace 
 which had been made with the Samnites was broken, and 
 Lucius Papirius sent against them as consul. For he had at 
 that time such a reputation as a soldier, that when it was said 
 that Alexander, king of Epirus, and brother of Olympia the 
 mother of Alexander the Great, was preparing to invade Italy, 
 the Romans chose him, as the chief of all their generals, to 
 resist his invasion. Accordingly the Samnites were defeated 
 in a battle with Papirius, seven thousand of them were made 
 to pass under the yoke, and Papirius celebrated a triumph for 
 their conquest. 
 
 About the same time Appius Claudius the Censor made the 
 Claudian aqueduct and the Appian road. 
 
 About this time also, Jaddua the High Priest flourished 
 at Jerusalem, whose brother Manasseh built the temple on 
 Mount Gerizim. 
 
 The Samnites having renewed the war, defeated Quintus 
 Fabius Maximus, with the slaughter of three thousand of his 
 men. Afterwards, when his father Fabius Maximus had been 
 given him as his lieutenant, he defeated the Samnites and took 
 several of their towns. After that, Publius CorneUus Rufinus 
 and Marcus Curius Dentatus, being both consuls, were sent 
 against the Samnites, and defeated them in great battles, 
 destroying the very ruins of their cities to such a degree, that 
 
 B.C. 280. WAR DECLAEED AGAINST THE TAEENTINES. 
 
 63 
 
 to this very day the town of Samnium is sought for in the 
 district, and cannot easily be found. And so the war, which 
 had been carried on against the Samnites for forty-nine years, 
 was put an end to, nor was there any enemy left in Italy to 
 give any more trouble to the Roman valour. 
 
 About the same time war was declared against the Tarentines, 
 who are a people at the extreme end of Italy, because they 
 had insulted the ambassadors of the Romans. They entreated 
 the aid of Pyrrhus, king of Epirus, who traced his descent 
 from Achilles, against the Romans. He immediately invaded 
 Italy, and that was the first occasion on which the Romans 
 fought with an enemy from beyond the sea. Against Pyrrhus 
 was sent the Consul Pubhus Valerius Lsevinus ; who, when 
 he had taken Pyrrhus' s spies, ordered them to be led through 
 the camp, and desired all the Roman army to be shown to 
 them, in order that they might tell Pyrrhus what was being 
 done by the Romans. Afterwards a battle took place, and 
 Pyrrhus, when on the point of being routed, restored the 
 battle, and defeated the Romans by the aid of his elephants, 
 of whom the Romans were afraid, because they were quite 
 strange to them. But night put an end to the battle : and 
 during the night, Lsevinus retreated. But Pyrrhus took 
 eighteen hundred Romans prisoners, and treated them with 
 great honour, burying the dead : and when he saw the corpses 
 with all their wounds iu front, lying, even after death, with 
 fierce countenances, he is said to have raised his hands to 
 heaven, with these words, " That he could become the master 
 of the world if he had such soldiers as them." After that 
 Pyrrhus marched towards Rome, and laid the whole country 
 waste with fire and sword, ravaged Campania, and came to 
 Prseneste, which is only eighteen miles from the city. But 
 presently, from fear of the army, with which the consul was 
 pursuing him, he retreated into Campania. The ambassadors 
 who were sent to him to treat about ransoming the prisoners, 
 were honourably treated by him, and he restored the captives 
 to the Romans without any payment ; one of the ambassadors 
 of the Romans, by name Fabricius, he admired so greatly, that, 
 knowing him to be a poor man, he sought to tempt him by 
 the offer of a fourth part of his kingdom, to come over to him, 
 but his offers were despised by the Roman, and at last, as on 
 all these accounts, he was possessed by a great adnnration for 
 
64 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMiySTEE. 
 
 B.C. 280. 
 
 the Romans, he sent an ambassador, one of his chief men, 
 whose name was Cineas, to propose peace on equal tenns, 
 provided Pyrrhus might be left in possession of that portion 
 of Italy which he occupied with his army. Cineas, his am- 
 bassador, the very next day after he arrived in Rome, addressed 
 the whole order of the knights and all the senators by their 
 names.^ The peace, however, which he proposed was not 
 agreed to, and he was sent back to Pyrrhus by the senate, 
 with the answer, that there could be no peace between him 
 and the Romans unless he withdrew from Italy. 
 
 Then the Romans ordered all the prisoners whom Pyrrhus 
 had restored, to be accounted infamous for having permitted 
 themselves to be taken prisoners with arms in their hands, 
 and decreed that they should not be restored to their former 
 condition, till they had brought back victorious spoils from 
 enemies whom they had slain. And so the ambassador of 
 Pyrrhus returned, and when Pyrrhus asked him what sort of 
 place he had found Rome, Cineas, the ambassador, replied that 
 ** he had seen a country of kings, and that nearly every one 
 there was equal to what Pyrrhus alone was thought in Epirus 
 and the rest of Greece." 
 
 So an army was again sent against Pyrrhus, under Publius 
 Sulpicius and Decius the consuls. A battle took place, in 
 which he was wounded, some of his elephants killed, twenty 
 thousand of the enemy slain, and five thousand of the Romans. 
 Pyrrhus was driven back to Tarentum. After an interval of 
 a year, Fabricius, who had formerly rejected the offers of 
 Pyrrhus when he tried to bribe him with a fourth part of his 
 kingdom, was sent against Pyrrhus. And as he and king Pyrrhus 
 had pitched their camps near one another, the physician of 
 Pyrrhus came to him by night, offering to take off Pyrrhus 
 by poison if he would promise him a reward. But Fabricius 
 put him in. chains, and ordered him to be led back to his 
 master king Pyrrhus, and ordered the king to be informed of 
 what his traitorous physician had offered against his life. On 
 which the king, struck with admiration, is reported to have 
 exclaimed, " Fabricius is a man whom it is more difficult to 
 
 * This fact is alluded to by Cicero,Tusc. Disp. i. 24,where he is speaking 
 of the memory of Cineas, and is expressly mentioned by Seneca, who, 
 however, substitutes for ** the knights," " every one of ihe common people 
 of the city that flocked round him," " Omnium urbanam circumtusara 
 plebem." — Contrw. Proism. 
 
 B.C. 260. THE AERICANS SEND MABCUS REGULITS TO HOME, ^b 
 
 turn from the path of honour, than it is to divert the sun 
 from Its course." Then Pyrrhus the king went to Sicily : 
 Fabricius having defeated the Tarentines, celebrated a triumph ; 
 but Pyrrhus, on his return to his own country, was killed at 
 Argos, a city of Greece. 
 
 About this time, among the Jews, Simon, the son of Onias, 
 flourished as high priest, he who was surnamed the Just. 
 
 At this time blood flowed from the springs in many places, 
 and milk fell from the clouds in the form of rain. 
 
 Up to the four hundred and seventy-seventh year of the 
 city, though the name of Rome was by this time illustrious, 
 still its arms had never been carried out of Italy. Therefore,' 
 that it might be known what was the amount of the forces of 
 the Romans, a census was taken, and there were found to be 
 two hundred and ninety-two thousand and three hundred and 
 thirty-four citizens, although wars had never ceased since the 
 first foundation of the city. 
 
 War was now commenced against the Africans, and in the 
 first and second year of it triumphs were celebrated for vic- 
 tories gained over them in Sicily. Duilius also defeated the 
 admiral of the Carthaginians in a pitched battle ; he took 
 thirty-two ships and sank twenty-four ; took seven thousand 
 of the enemy prisoners, and slew three thousand ; nor was 
 there any victory which caused more delight to the Romans, 
 because being previously invincible by land, they henceforth 
 were very powerful by sea also. At this time Aulus Regulus 
 killed a serpent of wonderful size near the river Bagrada ; its 
 skin was a hundred and twenty feet long, and it was brought 
 to Rome, where it was for a long time an object of astonish- 
 ment to all beholders. About this time silver money was 
 coined at Rome for the first time. 
 
 About the same time the Africans, after a battle with the 
 Romans, requested Marcus Regulus, the Roman general whom 
 they had taken prisoner in the war, to go to Rome and obtain 
 peace for them from the Romans, and effect an exchange of 
 prisoners. When he arrived in Rome he was introduced into 
 the senate ; but he refused to act as a free Roman. For he 
 said, that ever since the day on which he had fallen into the 
 hands of the Africans, he had ceased to be a Roman ; and in 
 order to confirm his assertion, he removed his wife from his 
 embrace. And he advised the senate not to make peace with 
 VOL. I. p 
 
 I 
 
66 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 B.C. 250. 
 
 the Africans ; for he asserted that they were so much broken 
 by their disasters that they had no hope of ^^^^^^"^g ^^^^«^- 
 Jlves and that it was not for the advantage of the Romans 
 hat s'o many thousand prisoners as they had should be restored 
 for the sake of himself, who was but one old man, and the few 
 Roman prisoners besides, whom the Carthaginians had taken 
 And so he carried his point ; for no one of the Romans voted 
 for the admission of the African ambassadors who had come 
 to ask for peace. And after he had given that advice he was 
 not compelled by the Romans to return to the Carthagimans, 
 since they strove to detain him by force,but because he hadsworu 
 'to the Carthaginians, he fulfilled his oath of his own accord. 
 Regulus having returned, announced to the Carthagmians 
 the answer of the Romans. But the Carthaginians put him 
 to death with unheard-of and horrible tortures lor they 
 fastened him in a narrow frame of wood in which he was com- 
 nelled to stand, which frame was filled on all sides with sharp 
 nails, so that he could not bend himself in any direction with- 
 out the most terrible suffering, and then, cutting off his eye- 
 lids, they murdered him by excessive want ot sleep. 
 
 About the same time the river Picenus flowed with blood, 
 and in Tuscany the sky was seen to be on fire, and there was 
 an extraordinary light visible at night, tliree moons appearing 
 in the heavens at the same time. 
 
 Ch XII —The kings of Judaa—Shalmaneser carries off the ten 
 iribes'-Pharaoh Necho carries off Jehoahaz to Egypt--Nebu. 
 chadnezzar carries offZedekiah to Babylon-Damel-Shedrach. 
 MeshacK and Abednego—End of the kingdom of Judah. 
 Hayits'O now explained these matters briefly, oiu- pen must 
 turn back to the Jewish history. After the reign of Amaziah, 
 kiuK of Judah, whom 1 have already mentioned, the people 
 remained without a king for thirteen years, as is proved by he 
 books of the Kings, and by a comparison of the years ot the 
 kings of Judah and of the kings of Israel After that interreg- 
 num, ^Ozias reigned fiftv-two years, and after him Jotham 
 1 Ozias, (called by this name also, Matth. i. 8) who is also called m 
 the Old Testament Uzziah, 2 Kings xv. 13, and Azanah 2 kings xv 1. 
 But our Chronicler appears to be mistaken as to ^l^^^^^^^S"^™! ™ 
 had no existence; he was n^i^^ed .^^^ ^ Kmgs xv 1 where ^h^^^^^^^^ 
 seventh year of Jeroboam's reign is spoken of. but that refers to his 
 partnership in the kingdom with his father ; it was only the sixteenth year 
 of his reign as sole monarch of Israel. 
 
 B.C. 750. 
 
 THE KINGS OF JUDJIA. 
 
 67 
 
 reigned sixteen years. He built the gate of the House of the 
 Lord, which in the Acts of the Apostles is called Beautiful, 
 by the Hebrews the Gate of Jotham, and by others the Tower 
 of the Flock. At this time the prophets Hosea, Amos, Isaiah, 
 and Jonah prophesied in Judaea. 
 
 After Jotham, Ahaz reigned sixteen years ; after Ahaz, Heze- 
 kiah reigned twenty-eight years ; and in the sixth year of his 
 reign, Shalmaneser the king of the Assyrians descended into 
 Samaria and carried off the ten tribes of Israel, and made them 
 dwellers in the land of the Assyrians ; and into their country' 
 he introduced in their stead the people who were called 
 Chusseans. And as they began to serve other gods in that 
 land, the Lord sent lions among them, who devoured them ; 
 and when king Shalmaneser heard this, he sent one of the 
 priests, who were his prisoners, to teach them the doctrines of 
 the law of Israel, and to convert them to the worship of the 
 God of that land, in hopes that by that remedy this annoy- 
 ance or curse might be removed from them. But they received 
 indeed the pentateuch of Moses, but did not desert the gods 
 of their fathers : and moreover, they erected an altar on Mount 
 Gerizim, and would never enter the temple which was at Jerusa- 
 lem, which they w ere enjoined by the law to go to, and in whicii 
 they were bound to pay their vows to God. And we read that 
 these people were called Samaritans from Samaria, and the Jews 
 abstained from all intercourse with them. 
 
 The years during which Israel was divided from Judah and 
 from the house of David were three hundred and sixty. 
 
 After Hezekiah, Manasseh reigned over Judah for thirty-five 
 years. After Manasseh, Amon reigned two years. After Amon, 
 Josiah reigned thirty-one years. He fought with Necho, king 
 of Egypt, and was slain in the plain of Megiddo. About this 
 time Jeremiah, Oldah, and Zephaniah prophesied in Judsea. 
 After Josiah, Joachaz reigned in Judaea three months ; and be- 
 fore the end of these months, Necho the king of Egypt, who 
 has been already mentioned, came to Jerusalem, and took 
 Joachaz prisoner, and carried him into Egypt, and set Eliachim, 
 whom he called Joachim or Jeconiah, the son of Josiah, over 
 his kingdom. And he condemned Judaea to pay a tribute of 
 a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. In the eleventh 
 year of EUachim, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came to 
 Jerusalem, demanding from him the tribute which he had 
 
 F 2 
 
68 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMI5STEB. 
 
 B.C. 610. 
 
 been accustomed to pay to the kmg of Egypt, and yl"ch he 
 for three vears was not ashamed to pay. But m the third 
 vear, heanng that the Egyptians were about to make war upon 
 Babylon, he postponed making the payment. On which ac- 
 count Nebuchadnezzar put him to death as a rebel, and lea 
 three thousand men of Judah captive to Babylon, among 
 whom was the prophet Ezekiel, who was as yet a boy ; and 
 then he set Joachim, who is also called Jeconiah, over theru 
 
 ^ But^not many days after, Nebuchadnezzar, in the eleventh 
 year of his reign, took Jeconiah, who was commg to meet 
 him with his mother and some of his people, and carried Inra 
 to Babylon, and instead of him he set Zedekiah, his uncle, 
 whom he also called Mattaniah, over Judah and Jerusalem. 
 But this Zedekiah, not long after, began to rebel against Nebu- 
 chadnezzar, who had adjured him by the Lord and to act 
 with hostility against his liberal benefactor. And then again 
 Nebuchadnezzar returned, to wit, in the eleventh year ot the 
 reign of Zedekiah, and carried him away captive to Babylon, 
 and threw down the wall of the city, and burnt the temple 
 and carried off all the vessels of the house of the Lord with 
 him, and placed them in the temple of his own god. Daniel 
 also and the three children, Ananias, Azarias, and iMisael, who 
 were of the royal blood, were carried off as captives whom 
 Nebuchadnezzar of his liberality caused to be instructed m the 
 literature of the province and also in that of the Chaldees. 
 
 Moreover the fire of the altar of burnt-offerings was taken 
 away by the priests, and hidden in a deep and dry well, and 
 there preserved with great diligence. There too Jeremiah 
 the prophet caused the tabernacle of the covenant and the 
 ark, and the altar of incense, to be taken with him to mount 
 Abaris, which Moses had once ascended, that he might see 
 the inheritance of the Lord ; and Jeremiah found a cave there, 
 and he placed those things in it, offering the sacrifice ot the 
 consummation of the temple. Then he blocked up the mouth 
 of the cave, and all those things are hidden there to this day. 
 But in the ark were contained the golden pot which held the 
 manna, and the rod of Aaron which had blossomed, and the 
 
 tables of the covenant. . , , , • i .1. 
 
 The kingdom of the nation of Judah remained there up to 
 the present devastation and destruction of the temple, nine 
 hundred and fourteen years and six months and ten days. 
 
 B,c. 600. 
 
 PEOPHECIES OF THE STBTL. 
 
 69 
 
 And this devastation is said to have been committed not in the 
 presence of Nebuchadnezzar himself, but by the agency of 
 Nabuzardan, the chief of his army. For he, after the return 
 of the king into Egypt, was sent to Jerusalem by him, and 
 utterly destroyed the temple, and threw down the wall of the 
 city, and led the people who remained there, captive to Baby- 
 lon. In this Zedekiah the kingdom was terminated, which 
 had lasted, according to Josephus, five hundred and fourteen 
 years, seven months and ten days ; but according to the books 
 of the Kings, not quite five hundred years. Four hundred 
 and eighty years, six months and ten days had elapsed since 
 the building of the temple. A thousand and seventy-two 
 years, six months and ten days since the departure of the 
 people from Egypt. 
 
 After this the administration of the state was in the hands 
 of the priests, subsequently to the return from the captivity, 
 except that about the time of Christ there were a few kings, 
 who are recorded hereafter, after the priests. 
 
 Ch. XI IL — List of the Priests, 
 
 The priests in this fourth 
 cording to the account of 
 maah, Azariah, Eleazar, 
 Achitob, Zadok, Shallum, 
 These are called not only 
 occupy a period of three 
 temple was overthrown in 
 after its foundation. 
 
 age of the world were sixteen, ac- 
 Ilegesippus. Abiathar, Zadok, Achi- 
 Oziel, Jehoiada, Azariah, Amariah, 
 Elkiah, Azariah, Saraiah, Josedech. 
 priests, but high priests ; and they 
 hundred and ten years. For the 
 the four hundred and thirtieth year 
 
 Ch. XIV. — An account of the Sibyl — Prodigies seen at Rome, 
 
 Theee was also a sibyl, the daughter of king Priam, her 
 mother's name was Hecuba, and she was called in the Greek lan- 
 guage Tyburcina, but in Latin Albunea. She, traversing the 
 different regions of the east, prophesied in Asia, Macedonia, 
 Herostaea, Pamphilia, Agalgudea, Cilicia, and Galatia. And 
 when she had filled all this part of the world with her pro- 
 phecies, she went from thence intoiEthiopia, Gabaon, Babylonia, 
 Africa, Libya, Pentapolis, Maritima, and Palestine. Through- 
 out all these provinces she, being inspired with prophetic spirit, 
 prophesied good things to the good, and evil things to the 
 evil, as the Lord had commanded her ; and we know that in 
 her prophecies she announced true things, and foretold what 
 
70 
 
 MATTHEW or WESTMINSTEE. 
 
 B.C. 1000. 
 
 would come to pass in the latter times. Accordmgly, the 
 Romans hearing of her fame, told all these things to their 
 leader • he therefore, in accordance with a vote of the Senate, 
 sent ambassadors to her, and inviting her, with great honour 
 caused her to be conducted to Rome. 
 
 It happened at that time that a hundred Romans of the 
 Senate saw a wonderful dream ; all seeing one and the same 
 vision on the same night. They saw in a vision of the night 
 nine suns shining in heaven, each of which bore a different 
 appearance in its face. The first was brilliant and shining 
 over the whole earth. The second was more brilliant, and 
 lar-er, being of a remarkable brightness. The third was of a 
 l)lood-red colour, fiery and terrible, and sufiiciently brilliant. 
 The fourth was red with blood, and four hues branched ott 
 from it towards the south. The fifth was dark, having doors 
 in it, as in a dark thunder-cloud. The sixth was dark, and 
 had a sting in it like the tail of a scorpion. The seventh was 
 dark, terrible, and of the colour of blood, havmg a stained 
 sword in it. The eighth was suffused, having a hue of blood 
 in the centre. The ninth was dark, having only one bright 
 
 *And when the sibyl entered Rome, the Romans, beholding 
 her, admired her exceeding beauty ; for she had a beautiful 
 face, an elegant person, was graceful in her gestures, copious 
 in eloquence, pouring forth to her hearers an acceptable dis- 
 course, fraught with proofs of great wisdom. 
 
 The men, then, who had seen these dreams came to her, 
 for her fame had been widely spoken of and celebrated ; and 
 thev say, "0 mistress and queen, we entreat you by the 
 irreat beauty of your person, and by the wisdom of your 
 mind, and by the eloquence of your mouth, such as we have 
 never found in any other woman, to explain and interpret to 
 us a certain wonderful dream, in which we all, a hundred in 
 number, saw separately in one night, and to set before us 
 what it indicates of futurity." The illustrious virgin answered 
 and said to them, " It is not proper to reveal a sacred mys- 
 tery in a dunghill or a place which is polluted with all sorts 
 of contamination." (For after she had heard the before- 
 mentioned dream related to her by them all, one after another, 
 she felt her spirit agitated, and was amazed at the strangeness 
 of the matter.) "Come, then," she added, ''and let ua 
 
 B.C. 1000. INTEBPRETATION OF THE SENATORS* DEEAM. 71 
 
 ascend the Aventine hill, and there I will foretell to you what 
 shall happen to the Roman state." And they did as she said. 
 And a second time the virgin demanded an account of the 
 vision from them ; and they, reciting it to her, did not vary 
 from their previous account ; and she said, " The nine suns 
 which you saw are nine different ages among the sons of 
 
 men. 
 
 Cu. X\.—The interpretation of the Dream of the Senators. 
 
 The first sun is the first generation ; and men shall be 
 simple, frank, loving liberty, veracious, gentle, kind, com- 
 forters of the poor, sufficiently wise. 
 
 The second sun is the second generation. Men shall live 
 splendidly, increasing in riches, fearing the Lord, Uving on 
 the earth without wickedness. 
 
 The third sun is the third generation ; and nation shall rise 
 against nation, and there shall be many battles in Rome. 
 
 The fourth sun is the fourth generation ; and men shall 
 deny the truth ; and in these days a woman shall arise, Mary 
 by name, having a husband whose name is Joseph, and she 
 shall bring forth a child, and she shall be a virgin before her 
 delivery and a virgin after her delivery. But the child that 
 shall be born of her shall be very God and very man, as the 
 prophets have predicted. He shall fulfil the law of the Jews 
 blamelessly, and shall add thereto laws of his own, and He 
 shall reign for ever and ever. Amen. 
 
 And when he is born there shall be a host of angels on the 
 right hand and on the left, saying, *' Glory to God in the 
 highest, and on earth peace to men of good will." And when 
 he is baptised in the water by John, his forerunner, a voice 
 shall come from heaven, saying, *' This is my beloved Son, in 
 whom I am well pleased ; hear ye him." But there were 
 then some of the priests of the Jews who heard these words, 
 and who were indignant at them, and said to her, "These 
 are terrible things ; let not the queen speak thus." The 
 Sibyl answered, and said, "0 Jews, it is inevitable that these 
 things must come to pass ; but you will not believe in Him." 
 " We do not believe," they reply, " because he has given His 
 everlasting word and covenant to our holy nation that He will 
 not take his protecting hand from us." She answered them, 
 a second time, and said, "The God of heaven is born the 
 
72 
 
 MA-TTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 B.C. 1000. 
 
 Son of a Virgin, as it is written ; and he shall be Hke his 
 Father, and he shall grow up in his age as a young child, 
 and the kings and princes of the earth shall rise up against 
 him. In those days the kingdom shall belong to Caesar 
 Augustus, and he shall reign in Rome, and subject all the 
 earth to himself. After these things, the priests of the 
 Hebrews will rise up against the Lord himself and against the 
 man whose name will be Jesus, because he will perform many 
 miracles, such as have never been heard of nor seen before ; 
 and they will take him, and give him slaps with hostile hands, 
 and will spit poisonous spittle at his sacred face, and they 
 will inflict stripes upon his holy back, and he shall receive 
 their buffets in silence. They shall give him gall for meat, 
 and vinegar to satisfy his thirst ; and, at length, they shall 
 hang him on the tree, and shall slay him ; and these things 
 shall avail them nothing ; because, on the third day, he shall 
 rise again, and shall show himself to his disciples, and in 
 their sight he shall ascend into heaven ; and of his kingdom 
 there shall be no end." 
 
 And to the chiefs of the Romans she said, the fifth sun is 
 the fifth generation ; and the Lord Jesus will choose himself 
 two fishermen of Galilee, and he will teach them his law, 
 saying, " Go ye and teach all nations the doctrine which you 
 have received from me, and teach all nations in seventy-two 
 languages.'* 
 
 The sixth sun is the sixth generation ; and the men shall 
 besiege this city for three years and three months. 
 
 The seventh sun is the seventh generation ; and men shall 
 arise and shall cause many persecutions in the land of the 
 Hebrews, on account of the Lord. 
 
 The eighth sun is the eighth generation ; and Rome shall 
 be a prey and a desolation, and men shall struggle, shall howl 
 in tribulation and pain, saying, '* Do you think we shall live 
 till the time of the delivery?" 
 
 The ninth sun is the ninth generation ; and princes of the 
 Romans shall arise to the destruction of many. Then shall arise 
 two kings out of Syria, and their army shall be increased to a 
 countless multitude, as the sand of the sea ; and they shall 
 be masters of the cities, and provinces, and countries of the 
 Jews as far as Macedonia, and then there shall be much 
 shedding of blood. All the people of the East shall fear at 
 
 B.C. 1000. INTEBPEETA.TION OP THE SEKATORs' DEEAM. ".3 
 
 their coming, and shall be scattered. And, after these things, 
 there shall arise two kings from Egypt, and shall conquer 
 four kings, and shall slay them and ail their army, and shall 
 reign for three years and six months. After them shall arise 
 a king, C. by name, mighty in war, and he shall reign thirty 
 years, and he shall build a temple to the Lord, and shall fulfil 
 the law, and shall do justice in the earth for the sake of the 
 Lord. And after him shall arise another, and shall reign a 
 short time, and barbarian nations shall conquer him and slay 
 him. 
 
 After him shall arise a king, B. by name ; and from B. shall 
 proceed Andon, the king ; and from Andon shall proceed 
 another A. ; and from A. shall proceed a third A. ; and from 
 him shall descend a fourth A., and he shall be of a too warlike 
 disposition and a victorious warrior. From him shall descend 
 a king, by name R., and to R. shall be born L., and he shall 
 have power over nineteen kings. After him shall arise a Salic 
 king in France, by name R. He shall be great, and very pious, 
 powerful, and merciful, and he shall execute judgment, and do 
 justice to the poor ; and so great shall be the power of the virtue 
 that is in him, that, as he goes on his way, the tops of mountains 
 and of trees shall bow before him, water shall stop when it 
 meets him, and there has been no king before him equal to 
 the Roman power, neither after him shall there be any. After 
 him shall come a king, by name L., and, after him, B., who 
 shall reign for twenty- three years upon the earth. From B. 
 shall descend A., and he shall be brave in battle and of a 
 warlike disposition ; and though he shall go a great deal over 
 sea and land, he shall not be given into the hands of his ene- 
 mies, but he shall die as an exile from his kingdom, and his 
 soul shall be in the hand of God. Then there shall rise up 
 another, V. by name, being in one part a Salic, in another part 
 a king, in another a Lombard, and he shall have power on earth, 
 and he shall die in battle against his enemies. 
 
 In those days there shall be one of the name of 0. ; he too 
 shall be very powerfiU, and brave, and good ; and he shall do 
 justice to the poor, and shall judge rightly. And from this O. 
 shall proceed another 0., a most powerful king ; and under 
 him there shall be battles between the Pagans and the Chris- 
 tians, and their blood shall be shed, and his heart shall be in 
 the hand of God, and he shall reign for seven years. And of 
 
74 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 B.C. 1000. 
 
 his wife shall be born another king named 0. ; he will be a 
 bloody and wicked man, destitute of faith and truth ; and by 
 his means many evils will exist, and there will be great blood- 
 shed, and cities too will be destroyed by his power, tor 
 there will be much tribulation and many battles in other 
 countries than his. Then nation shall rise up against nation in 
 Cappadocia, and in Pamphilia ; and nations will be made cap- 
 tive in his time ; because he did not enter the sheep fod by the 
 door : and he will reign four years. After him shall anse a 
 king whose name is H., and in Uke manner m his days slia 
 there be many battles. He shall conquer Syria and he shall 
 become master of Pentapolis by taking it, being himself a kmg 
 of the race of the Lombards. Then shaU there arise a king 
 named C, and shall subdue the Lombards, and there shall be 
 
 wars and battles. i» i i i. i,- i :„«. 
 
 And the SaUc king will be brave and powerful, but his kmg- 
 dom will endure but a short time. Then will arise Hagarenes 
 and tyrants, and will take Tarentum and Barro ; and wi 
 plunder the cities and will be eager to go to Rome and wiU 
 rage, nor will there be any one to resist them, except the God 
 of Gods and Lord of Lords. Then the Jews will come to 
 Persia, and will lay it waste, so that the cities that they plun- 
 der shall not recover. And the Persians hastening forwards 
 will pitch their tents near the ditch towards the J^ast and 
 will 4e Rome, and will obtain peace for a while. And there 
 will enter a warlike king of the Greeks, and will destroy 
 the temples of the idols ; by name Hierapolim. And locusts 
 and worms will come and will devour the trees and the crops 
 of Cappadocia and Cilicia. And the people wd be tormented 
 with famine, and afterwards there will be such things no more. 
 Then will there rise up another Sahc king, a brave man 
 and a warrior, and many of his neighbours, powerful nations, 
 will be indignant with him. In those days, brother will de- 
 liver brother to death, and father wdl deliver son Bro her 
 shall marry sister, and one man's wife sha I go with another 
 man ; fathers and sons and the whole family will work detes- 
 table works on the earth ; old men wdl he with virgins, and 
 priests of evil with deluded maidens. Bishops will be fol- 
 lowers of evil deeds ; and there wdl be shedding of blood in 
 the earth ; the temples of the saints will be polluted and there 
 wiU be filthy fornication, and the wickedness of bodom m 
 
 B.C. 1000. INTEEPEETATION OF THE SENATOES' DREAM. 75 
 
 the people. So that the sight of them will be manifest in their 
 insults, and there will be men rapacious, insolent, hating jus- 
 tice, and loving falsehood, and the Roman judges will be 
 changed. If they judge one thing to day, they will alter it the 
 next day for a bribe which they look to receive ; and they 
 will not judge what is true, but what is false. 
 
 In these days there will be perjured, rapacious men, loving 
 the rewards of falsehood, and law will be destroyed, and truth. 
 And there will be earthquakes in divers places, and the cities 
 and regions of islands will be submerged ; and there will be 
 in many places pestilences of men, and the earth will be de- 
 solated by enemies. And their vanity will not be able to com- 
 fort them. 
 
 After these things, there will arise a king by name H., 
 in whose time there will be wars, and he will reign two years. 
 After him, there will arise another king by name A. ; and 
 he, when he comes, will obtain the kingdom for a time, and 
 will come to Rome and take it. And his rival shall not be 
 mortified in the hands of his enemies. In the days of his life 
 he will be good and great, and he will do justice to the poor ; 
 and he will live a long time. After him will arise another 
 king by name H. ; and from this H. will proceed twelve more. 
 
 He wUl be a Lombard by birth, and will reign an hundred 
 years. And after him, there will arise another king H. by 
 name, and he will come from France. This shall then be the 
 beginning of sorrows, such as have not been since the beginning 
 of the world ; and in those days there shall be wars, and the tri- 
 bulation of many, and bloodshed, and earthquakes in cities and 
 in countries. And many cities will be taken, and there will be 
 no one who can resist the enemy, because God will at that 
 time be angry with the earth. Rome will be in striking, and 
 in the sword ; it will be stormed and taken in the hand of the 
 king himself. And men will be rapacious, covetous, tyrants, 
 hating the poor, oppressing the innocent, and saving the 
 guilty, and they will be unjust, wicked, condemners of the in- 
 nocent. They shall be taken from the borders of the earth, 
 and there shall be no one on the earth who can resist them, or 
 destroy them on account of their wickedness and covetousness. 
 Then there will arise a king of the Greeks, whose name will 
 be Constans ; and he will be king of Greeks and Romans. 
 He will be tall of stature, and beautiful in countenance ; splen- 
 
76 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 B.C. 1000. 
 
 did in appearance ; well made in all the outline of Ins limbs ; 
 and hi. reign will be ended in a hundred and twe ve years. 
 
 In his days there wiU be great riches, and the earth will 
 yield its fruit in abundance, so that a bushel of wheat shall be 
 sold for one penny, a measure of wine for one penny, a mea- 
 sure of oil for one penny. And he will be king, keeping the 
 scripture before his eyes; and the king of the Greeks and 
 Romans wiU claim all the kingdoms of Christendom for his 
 own He will lay waste all the cities and islands of the rebels, 
 and will destroy all the temples of the idols ; and will invite 
 all the heathen to baptism, and the cross of Jesus Christ wiU be 
 erected throughout all temples. Then Egypt will pass through 
 Ethiopia to submit to God. But they who do not adore the 
 cross of Jesus Christ shall be punished by the sword. And 
 when a hundred and seventy years are fulfilled the Jews will 
 be converted to Jesus, and his sepulchre will be glorious in 
 the eyes of all men. In those days, Judah will be saved, and 
 Israel will dwell fearlessly. 
 
 Ch. X\L— Continuation of the SihjVs prophecy— Of Anti- 
 christ—The (liferent Sibijls. 
 In that time shall arise a prince of the tribe of Dan, who shall 
 be called Antichrist; he will be the son of Perdition and the 
 teacher of error, the fulness of wickedness ; who will subvert 
 the world, and will do prodigies and great miracles by false 
 pretences, and will delude many by false pretences, and magic 
 art. So that he will appear to send fire from heaven, 
 and the years will be diminished like months, and months 
 like weeks, and days hke hours. Then too there wil 
 arise foul nations from the north (which Alexander hemmed 
 in), and Gog and Magog. These are the twenty-two kings 
 whose number is like 'the sand of the sea. But when th 
 king of the Romans comes, having collected an army. He 
 will subdue them and cnish them to their utter destruction 
 And after that he will come to Jerusalem and having there 
 laid down the crown from off his head and ^U his ki"gly/P- 
 parel. he will leave his kingdom to God the lather and to 
 
 Christ his Son. . .„ 
 
 But during his reign, two most illustrious men will come 
 forth, Ehas and Enoch, to announce the arrival of the Lord 
 Christ ; and Antichrist will slay them, and after three days 
 they wdl be raised again by the Lord. Then there shall be a 
 
 B.C. 1000. 
 
 THE DirrEEENT SIBYLS. 
 
 77 
 
 great persecution, such as never was before, and shall not be 
 afterwards. The Lord wiU shorten those days for his elect's 
 sake, and in the virtue of the Lord, Antichrist will be slain 
 on Mount Ohvet, by Michael the Archangel. 
 
 When the Sibyl had prophesied these and many other 
 future events to the Romans, as signs by which the Lord 
 might be known to be coming to judge the world, she pro- 
 ceeded in her prophecy, saying : — 
 
 J udgment shall make the earth to drip with sweat. 
 
 E ternal God shall then from heav'n descend — 
 
 S wift, to decide the fate of quick and dead ; 
 
 U pright and wicked men shall fear alike ; 
 
 S o shall each soul hefore its judge appear. 
 
 C lose darkness shall o'erwhelm the savage world ; 
 
 H ot flames shall scorch the earth, and sea, and heav'n. 
 
 R estore the dead, and all their wealth, grave — 
 
 I nquiring souls shall hurst the gates of hell. 
 
 S afe, holy light shall to all flesh he given, 
 
 T h* undying flame shall burn the guilty men, 
 
 U nveiling every secret act, and each thought 
 
 S urveyed beneath the light of God's pure word. 
 
 G rief shall make all men gnash their teeth in vain : 
 
 ne darkness shall envelop earth, sea, sky, 
 
 D im shall all the sunbeams be, and lost the stars ; 
 
 T he hills shall sink, the vallies shall uprise. 
 
 H ere shall no heights, no eminence be seen, 
 
 E ach mountain with the plain shall levelled be. 
 
 S eas shall their billows check, the earth shall melt ; 
 
 A 11 fountains dry, all rivers burn with flame — 
 
 V ainly lamenting human guilt and toil ; 
 
 1 nipeiuous trumpets a sad note shall pour, 
 
 Id earth shall gape, and hell's wide gulf display, 
 
 U nder the Lord's dread glance all kings shall stand 
 
 11 ound that great throne which with dread lightnings beams. 
 
 These things were spoken of the nativity, passion, resurrec- 
 tion, and second coming of Christ ; and are found to have in 
 Greek in their first letters the words 'Jr}ffovg X^lffrog v7og Icuri}^, 
 which is also seen when they are translated into Enghsh, 
 except that the propriety of the Greek letters could not be so 
 exactly observed. 
 
 Generally speaking, all female prophetesses are called 
 Sibyls in the Greek language, for the word <r/og in the ^ohc 
 dialect means God ; and the ^ovXri is the Greek for mind or 
 intention ; so that the name means the mind of God. And 
 80 they were called Sibyls because they were interpreters of 
 
78 
 
 MJLTTHEW OF WESTMINSTEE. 
 
 B.C. 1000. 
 
 the will of God. And as we call all men who prophecy pro- 
 phets or seers, so every woman who prophecies is called a 
 Sibyl. And by credible authors there are said to have been 
 ten sibyls. The first of whom came from the Persians; the 
 second was an African ; the third was a Delphian, born in the 
 temple of the Delphian Apollo ; she it was who predicted the 
 Roman wars. The fourth was the Cumsean Sibyl, m Italy. 
 The fifth was an Erythraean, by name Eriphile, and born m 
 Babylon; and sheit waswho prophesied to the Greeks when they 
 were engaged in the expedition against Troy, that Troy would 
 fall, and that Homer would write lies. The sixth was a Sa- 
 mian, who was called Femonote. The seventh was a Cumsean, 
 caUed Amalthea. The eighth was a native of the Hellespont, 
 born in the Trojan territory, and it is related that she lived in the 
 time of Solon and Cyrus. The ninth was Phrygian, who pro- 
 phesied at Ancyra. The tenth a native of Tibur, named Albunea. 
 There are verses of all of these prophetesses extant, in which 
 they are most evidently proved to have written about God 
 and Christ, and the heathen. But the Erythrean is said to 
 have been more celebrated than the rest, and she, in Greek, 
 was also called a native of Tibur, as has been previously men- 
 tioned. And some relate that she prophesied at the time 
 when Rome is proved to have first began to flourish ; when 
 Ahaz, or, as some say, when Hezekiah, who succeeded him, 
 reigned in Judea. And she wrote some prophecies manifestly 
 relating to Christ, as has been already mentioned. And a 
 most illustrious man, and most acute interpreter, Flaccianus, 
 has shown some verses of hers in a Greek manuscript, the 
 first letters of which make up the words 'In^ov; Xoiffrog viog 
 l.'jirr\o, which, in Enghsh, is Jesus Christ, the Son of God the 
 Saviour ; and these verses, the first letters of which give the 
 sense, some one, namely, Saint Augustine, has translated in 
 Latin verses, which are still extant. 
 
 And besides all these, they say that there was another Sibyl, 
 who adored and worshipped the wood of the cross, which was 
 for a long time despised by all men, and trampled on and 
 looked disdainfully on in Jesusalem. 
 
 Here ends the Foukth Age of the World ; consisting, 
 according to the Hebrews, of four hundred and seventy-three 
 years ; according to the seventy translators of the Bible, of 
 four hundred and eighty-four. 
 
 BOOK V. 
 
 THE FIFTH AGE OF THE WORLD 
 
 BEOrNS IN THE NINTH TEAR OF NEBUCHADNEZZAR, KINO 
 
 OF BABYLON, WHO LIVED AFTER THIS OVERTHROW 
 
 TWENTY-FIVE YEARS. 
 
 B.C. 696 — 4. 
 
 ACCOUNT OF BABYLON — KINGS OF BABYLON — JERUSALEM IS 
 RESTORED — LIST OF THE KINGS OF BRITAIN — KINGS OF 
 PERSIA — BRENNUS, KING OF ENGLAND, MAKES WAR UPON 
 ROME — ALEXANDER SUBDUES PERSIA — DIVISION OF THE 
 
 KINGDOM OF ALEXANDER ANTIOCHUS PTOLEMY' — THE 
 
 PUNIC WARS — OTHER WARS OF THE ROMANS — THE HIGH 
 
 PRIESTS OF THE JEWS, ONIAS, JASON, ETC. WARS OP 
 
 THE MACCABEES — CESAR INVADES BRITAIN, IS DEFEATED 
 BY CASSIBELANUS — AUGUSTUS CESAR — HEROD — JOSEPH 
 IS ESPOUSED BY MARY. 
 
 Cn. I. — Babylon, its situatioriy Sfc. — Croesus — Belshazzar — 
 Cyrus — The rebuilding of the temple of Jerusalem — The 
 restoration of Babylon — The successors of Cyrus — Nehe- 
 miah. 
 
 After the destruction of the temple of the Lord, in the 
 manner already spoken of, and the carrying away at the same 
 time of the people of the Jews to Babylon, they remained 
 there seventy years, at the end of which, Jeremiah had pro- 
 phesied that the captivity of the Jews would be terminated. 
 During which time there reigned over Persia, after Nebuchad- 
 nezzar, four kings, to wit, Evilmerodach, Labosardach, Egesar, 
 and Belshazzar, nor had the Jews any hope of escaping from 
 Babylon, which at that time was the strongest and richest, and 
 highest of all cities. In its circuit was four hundred and 
 eighty-six furlongs. And it was built in a plain, and in the 
 likeness of a camp, arranged with walls of equal length, so as 
 
so 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 B.C. 550. 
 
 to form a square. And the width of those waUs was fifty 
 cubits ; and tlieir highest was four times as great as their 
 width, and on the face of the walls were a hundred brazen 
 pates. And through the middle of the city ran the river Eu- 
 phrates, and outside the walls was a fosse of great width, like 
 a river, completing the entire circuit of the city. 
 
 The citadel, which commanded the city from within, is that 
 tower, which was began to be built after the flood of Nimrod, 
 a most famous giant, being in height five thousand one hun- 
 dred and seventy-four paces. And its width is well known to 
 be four thousand paces. There were besides, other houses in 
 the citv, consisting of eight towers piled one upon the other, 
 so as to be of a wonderful height, so that it seemed incredible 
 that such a city could ever be destroyed by human valour. 
 
 Croesus, the kin? of Lydia, had come thither, a king of great 
 renown for his riches, in order to assist the Babylonians, with 
 many other kings and princes. And when Belshazzar had 
 completed the seventeenth year of his reign, thinking the 
 prophecy of Jeremiah a vain one, in which he had prophesied 
 that after the seventieth year the captivity of the Jews should 
 be terminated, he caused the sacred vessels of the temple of 
 the Lord to be displayed on his own table, and contrary to all 
 divine and human law, he drank out of them. But Cyrus, the 
 grandson of king Astyages, being instigated by a divine oracle, 
 exacted punishment for this wickedness. 
 
 Cyrus had been educated among the Persians, and when he 
 grew up, having collected a powerful band of Persians he pro- 
 claimed war against his grandfather, and, having come to a 
 battle with him. he routed his army, and took Astyages him- 
 self prisoner. But he took nothing from him but the kingdom, 
 therefore Cyrus transferred that dignity from the Medes to 
 the Persians, and he subjugated Syria and Scythia ; and when 
 he had done this he then besieged Babylon ; and so Cyrus, ac- 
 cording to the prophecy of Isaiah, the prophet who had pre- 
 dieted that these things would hereafter come to pass, put to 
 flight the king and his defeated army, and entered the city. 
 And when he began to arrange the afi"airs of the city, he re- 
 laxed the captivity of the Jews and permitted nearly fifty 
 thousand men to return to Judaea, restoring to them the gold 
 and silver vessels of the temple of the Lord, which were five 
 thousand and forty in number, lie also commanded Josedech 
 
 B.C. 500. 
 
 REBUILDING OF THE TEMPLE. 
 
 81 
 
 the Priest, of the race of Aaron, who had been carried away 
 with his fathers to return to his country, in order that the 
 ancient rites of the sacred worship might be re-established by 
 the experience of an experienced priest. 
 
 The Jews therefore returning to Jerusalem, began to re- 
 build the temple of the Lord. But as the Samaritans hindered 
 them, the work was interrupted, till at last it was completed 
 under Darius, in the second year of his reign ; and we must 
 remark that at one and the same time that Babylon was taken, 
 by Babylon Rome was delivered from the arrogant domination 
 of the profligate king Tarquin. 
 
 Moreover, after the haughtiness of ancient Babylon had 
 been chastised by that most mighty monarch Cyrus, he built 
 in the same spot the city which is at present inhabited under the 
 name of Babylon, rejecting all the superstition of the ancient 
 Babylon ; and so the old Babylon, according to the prophecy 
 of the holy prophet Isaiah, was reduced to tlie waste condition 
 of a desert. At this time the prophets Ilaggai, and Zachariah 
 and Malachi, flourished in Judea. 
 
 Cambyses, the son of the before-mentioned Cyrus, is called 
 Nebuchadnezzar the Second. In his time, the events which 
 are contained in the history of Judith are supposed to have 
 happened. After his death two Magi reigned for eight years ; 
 and after their death, Darius,^ the son of Antipastes, was ap- 
 pointed king, w ho had married the daughter of Cyrus the king, 
 and had secured to himself the kingdom by his marriage with 
 the royal family, so that the kingdom did not appear to be 
 transferred to another house, but rather to be brought back 
 again to the family of Cyrus. And in the second year of the 
 reign of this Darius, as 1 have already said, the rebuilding of 
 the temple was completed in the forty-sixth year, that is, after 
 it was begun to be rebuilt. On which account, the Jews in 
 the gospel are reported to have said to our Lord, that '* this 
 temple was forty and six years in building," &c. &c. 
 
 * A great deal of this account is evidently taken from Herodotus i. 178, 
 who, however, does not mention the enormous and impossible height of the 
 tower here spoken of. Our author is mistaken in saying that the taking 
 of Babylon, which took place b.c. 536, was the same year as the expul- 
 sion of the Kings, b.c. 5u9. Also only one Magus, named Smerdis, reigned 
 after Cambyses, and he only reigned a few months. The name of the 
 father of Darius was Hystaspes, not Antipastes. 
 
 TOL. I. G 
 
82 
 
 MATfllEW OF WESTMINSTEB. 
 
 B.C. 460. 
 
 Darius was succeeded by Xerxes his son. In the seventh 
 year of whose reign Ezra, the scribe of the law of God, went 
 up from Babylon to Jerusalem, bringing to the temple ot the 
 Lord the sacred money, namely, six hundred and fitty talents 
 of silver, and vessels of silver of the weight of a hundred talents, 
 and vessels of gold of the weight of twenty talents ; and he 
 celebrated the solemn feast of tabernacles. Nehemiah also 
 who had been the cupbearer of the king himself, returned 
 from the camp at Susa, in the twentieth year of the same king s 
 reign ; and he rebuilt the walls of the city with the greatest 
 
 care. 
 
 Ch U —0/ the kings of Britain— Riwallvs, Gurgustus, Por- 
 rex, Molmutius—r/ie kingdom is divided between Belmus and 
 Brennius. 
 About this time Cunedagius, king of Britain, was succeeded 
 by Riwallus his sou, in whose time a shower of rain tell on 
 the earth, and lasted three days. He was succeeded by his 
 son Gurcustius, and he again by Sisillius, who was succeeded 
 bv Ja'-o, the grandson of Gurgustius, he by Cunarus the ^on 
 of SisTllius, and he by Gorbonego. This last monarch had 
 two sons, namely, Terrex and Porrcx, between whom a con- 
 test arose, after the death of their father, as to which of them 
 should obtain the sovereignity of Britain. But Porrex laying 
 an ambush for his brother, slew him ; and when their mother 
 became acquainted with this circumstance, she was exceedmgly 
 enraged at the death of her son. Accordingly, watching the 
 opportunity when Porrex was asleep, she with her hand-maidens 
 cut him in many pieces in a cruel manner. 
 
 After this, civil discord oppressed the people for a long 
 time and the kingdom fell into the hands of five kings, who 
 harassed one another with mutual disasters. At length, as time 
 wore on, Hurom excited a young man, the son of Clotho, king 
 of Cornwall, who is called Molmutius by Dunwall ; and he, 
 when he had succeeded to his father's kmgdom, rose up 
 against the kings of Loegria, and Wales, and Scotland, and 
 slew them, and from thenceforward he reigned by himselt. 
 He estabhshed the Molmutine laws, which to this day are 
 celebrated among the Enghsh. Moreover, he enacted tnat the 
 temples of the gods and their cities should have such dignity, 
 that whatever fugitive or criminal took refuge in them, he 
 might be allowed to depart unhurt through the midst ot his 
 
 B.C. 460. 
 
 XEBXES IS SLAIN. 
 
 83 
 
 enemies. He also made a law that the arable lands of the 
 farmers, and the roads which led to the before-mentioned tem- 
 ples or cities, should be confirmed in the same privilege. 
 
 After this, when he had maintained the kingdom forty 
 years in peace he died, and was buried in the city Trinovantum, 
 near the temple of Concord, which he himself had built, for 
 the purpose of giving confit'mation to his laws. 
 
 After that, his two sons, Belinus and Brennius, divided the 
 kingdom between them, in such a way that Belinus had Loe- 
 gria, Wales, and Cornwall ; and Brennius, who was the younger, 
 had Northumberland and Scotland. 
 
 Cn. TIL — The succession of the kings of Persia — The expedition 
 of Xerxes against Greece — Vashti — Esther — The war between 
 Artaxerxes and Cyrus — Aristotle. 
 
 After the before-mentioned Darius, son of Antipastes, Xerxes, 
 a most powerful monarch, and one of great riches and power, 
 reigned in the country of the Persians. He is said to have 
 had seventy thousand armed men, and three hundred thousand 
 auxiliary troops, in the army with which he marched to attack 
 Greece. Ke had also twelve hundred ships of war, and three 
 thousand transports. But all this great army was without a 
 general, for Xerxes was always seen to be the last in battle, and 
 the first in flight ; he was timid amid dangers, and insolent 
 the moment that he was released from fear ; owing to which, 
 before he commenced the war, he, relying on his great wealth, 
 levelled mountains with the plains, loaded seas with bridges, 
 and made enormous canals of water navigable. 
 
 But when he came to the straits of Thermopylae, which is 
 the entrance into Greece, he was shamefully defeated ; and 
 when he had returned from thence, having been defeated in 
 battles both by land and sea, he began to be despised by his 
 own subjects also. Accordingly, as the majesty of the king 
 grew less every day, Artabanus, his prefect, being led to en- 
 tertain a hope of obtaining the kingdom, entered the palace 
 in the evening, with seven strong young men, and slew him, 
 and took possession of the kingdom. And Artaxerxes Longi- 
 manus succeeded Artabanus. He, in the third year of his 
 reign, entertained all the nations which are subject to the Per- 
 sians, with their satraps and generals, for a hundred and 
 eighty days, with a magnificent and luxurious banquet. Also 
 
84 
 
 Mi^TTUEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 B.C. 400. 
 
 queen Vashti, his wife, entertained all the women at a feast "i 
 the most splendid and sumptuous manner. And as the kmg, 
 amid his ecstasy, wished to display the beauty of he queen to 
 his guests, he s^nt to desire her to come to him, but she, e a ed 
 with pride and arrogance, disdained to go to him ; and the 
 C being indignant at this conduct, deserted her, and ma - 
 ried Esther, a Hebrew maiden, who appeared to surpass all 
 the damsels of Babylon in the beauty and sweetness of her 
 
 """"ThtTrtaxerxes ordered all Greece, which was now sub- 
 dued in war, and which he claimed as his own, to lay down 
 arms, threatening that whoever spoke against peace, should 
 be punished with death ; and he did this not with the vrew o 
 consulting the welfare of the nation by peace, but ^n o^de^ ^« 
 be left in quiet as far as they were concerned, so as to be able 
 to occupy himself with other wars. . 
 
 Afler these events a civil war l»roke out among the Persians, 
 as Artaxerxes and Cvrus, being brothers, quarrelled about the 
 kin-dom ; and when both the brothers, coming in opposite 
 dire^ctions, met on horseback and fought together, Artaxerxes 
 was wounded, but was saved from death by the «wii ness of 
 his horse ; but Cyrus, being overwhelmed by t^^.S^l^^ff, «^^\^^, 
 king, was slain, and by his death put an end to the battle, and 
 so Artaxerxes confirmed the power of his kingdom by fratricide. 
 He also fought with success against the most powerful ot the 
 Persian prefects Phamalnyus and Sissaplurius ; and after much 
 labour he reduced Egypt under his dominion. 
 
 About this time Aristotle the philosopher flourished. 
 After Artaxerxes another Artaxerxes reigned, who was sur- 
 named Oethus. 
 
 Ch IV —0/ the quarrels between Belinus and Brennius—The 
 
 character of Brennius-The brothers are reconciled— Brenmus 
 
 invades Italy— The great reputation of the Gauls in Asia— 
 
 They get a footing in Bithynia. 
 
 In these days a great quarrel arose between the aforesaid 
 
 kin-s of Bntain, Belinus and Brennius, because each was 
 
 anxious to obtain the sovereignty of the whole island. And 
 
 as war was proclaimed on both sides, they both met with 
 
 their armies duly marshalled, and prepared for battle. When, 
 
 tlierefore, they had consumed a great part of the day m hgUt- 
 
 B.O. 380. 
 
 BRENNIUS ARRIVES IN BRITAIN. 
 
 85 
 
 ing, victory declared for Behnus, and the greater part of the 
 array of Brennius was slain, and the rest were put to flight. 
 But Brennius himself escaped with difficulty, and fled full of 
 anxiety to the Gauls. And when he had related his disaster 
 to the chief men of the country, he implored their aid, in 
 order to recover his lost kingdom. But after assistance had 
 been refused him by them all, he came at last to Seginus, the 
 duke of the Allobroges, and by him he was honourably re- 
 ceived. And as he stayed with him for some time, he became 
 so intimate with him that he was preferred by him to all the 
 nobles in his council, for he was energetic in war, tranquil in 
 peace, well-made in his limbs, full of expedients in counsel, 
 and sufficiently accomplished in the arts of hunting and fowl- 
 ing. And when the duke saw that so many excellencies were 
 met in one man, he determined in his mind to give him his 
 only daughter in marriage. And so, without delay, the damsel 
 is married to Brennius, and the chief men of the country are 
 made subordinate to him, and he obtains the ducal throne. 
 
 There did not elapse more than a year after this tinae, 
 before the last day of the duke's hfe arrived, which took him 
 from this world. Then Brennius, by liberally distributing the 
 duke's treasures to the chief men of the country, won the 
 good-will of all of them with great prudence, and was especially 
 liberal in entertaining them at feasts, which the men of that 
 province thought a great thing. When, therefore, all of them 
 were gained over to his friendship, he told them how he had 
 been driven from Britain by his brother Belinus. And when 
 the nobles heard his story they promised that they would go 
 with him, wherever he chose to conduct them. 
 
 Accordingly a great army was collected without delay, and 
 he set sail, and being borne on with a fair wind, he arrived in 
 Britain. Therefore, when his arrival was known, Behnus, 
 his brother, having enlisted the whole youth of the island, 
 went to meet him, with the intention of fighting him. 
 But when the armies were arrayed opposite to one another, 
 and had almost begun to engage, the mother of the two 
 princes came with speed, rushing through the marshalled 
 hosts, longing to see her son, whom she had not beheld for a 
 long time. When, therefore, she came to the place where her 
 son was, she threw her arms round his neck, and pressed her 
 long-desired kisses on his cheeks ; then, showing him her 
 
8fi 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 B.C. 385. 
 
 bosom, she addressed him in this manner, sobbing as she spoke : 
 "Remember, my dearest son, Brennius, remember these 
 breasts which you have sucked, remember your mother, whose 
 bowels brouglit you forth to the hght with intolerable agony. 
 Remembering, therefore, the anxiety which I have endured 
 on your account, pardon your brother at my request, and 
 check the anger which you have conceived aganist him. 
 Brennius, being moved at these and many other arguments 
 used by his mother, submitted to be pacified, and laying down 
 his helmet where he stood, he went forward with his mother 
 to meet his brother. And when Belinus perceived this, he 
 also threw away his arms and rushed forward to his embrace 
 with a kiss ; and, as they were thus made friends, they retired 
 to the city of Trinovantum, where, after they had taken coun- 
 sel as to what they should do, they determined to lead a joint 
 army into the country of Gaul, in order to reduce the neigh- 
 bouring nations under their power. 
 
 Then, after an interval of a year, they crossed the sea to 
 Gaul, and began to lay waste the country. And when news 
 of this was spread through those nations, all the chiefs of 
 the Gauls came against them, and a battle ensued. But the 
 Britons gained the victory, and the Gauls fled, their army 
 being severely damaged. And the Britons and Allobroges 
 pursued them and took them prisoners, and compelled them 
 to surrender. Moreover, after they had fortified some castles 
 and cities, they proceeded towards Rome. For such a mul- 
 titude of soldiers accompanied them, that they compelled all 
 the provinces through which they passed to pay them tribute. 
 Of these brothers the Roman history gives the following 
 account. Three hundred thousand Gauls having gone forth 
 to seek a new habitation, under the command of Belmus and 
 Brennius, invaded Rome, and stayed there some time. But 
 having received a thousand pounds' weight of gold from the 
 Romans as the price of their departure, they divided their 
 forces, and some proceeded onwards to Greece, some to Mace- 
 donia, and others to Thrace, and they filled the whole of Asia 
 with their posterity like a swarm of bees. And so great was 
 the dread of the Galhc name and-of the GaUic arms, and so 
 invincible was their prosperity in those days, that the kings ot 
 the east did not presume to carry on any war without the aid 
 of a mercenary force from their nation, and when they were 
 
 B.C. .380. 
 
 THE ROMANS UTTERLY ROUTED. 
 
 87 
 
 driven from their kingdoms, they never fled to any people 
 for aid but to the Gauls. For they did not think that they 
 could defend their majesty or recover what they had lost 
 except by the aid of Gallic valour. Therefore they were 
 summoned to the assistance of the king of Bithynia, and when 
 they had gained the victory they divided the kingdom with 
 him, and named all that district Gallo Graecia. 
 
 Cn.V. — The History of Rome — IVars with the Gauls — 
 Belinus and Brennius defeat the Romans — Belinus returns 
 to Enyland and reiyns i)eaceahly — Beautifies the Island — 
 Ireland is colonised — Martia — Aichiyallo — Elidurus's 
 three reigns. 
 
 The two consuls at that time at Rome were Gabius and Por- 
 senna, by whose wisdom the republic was governed. And 
 they, seeing that no one could resist the bravery of these 
 brothers, with the consent of the senators, came to them, ofl'er- 
 ing them many presents of gold and silver, and they promised 
 to pay them tribute every year. Therefore a treaty was made 
 and hostages given, and then the kings led their forces into 
 Germany. But when they were departed, then the Romans 
 were vexed at the before-mentioned treaty, and recovering 
 their courage, they went to the assistance of the Germans. 
 And when this was related to the brothers, they took counsel 
 how they might be able to subdue both the nations ; and hav- 
 ing decided, Belinus remained in Germany, to wage war 
 against the enemy in that country, but Brennius went to Rome, 
 in order to chastise the Romans for the violation of the treaty. 
 When, therefore, their armies were divided in this manner, 
 Gabius and Porsenna, by an unexpected chance, met Belinus, 
 and were eager to engage : there was no delay. The Romans, 
 being unable to bear the weight of the battle any longer, fled 
 from the field. And Belinus pursuing them without mercy, 
 did not cease slaughtering them till night came on, so that his 
 troops were unable to complete the massacre that they had 
 begun. The Romans, therefore, being utterly routed, BeHnus, 
 with his victorious army, arrived at Rome, where he found his 
 brother vigorously attacking the city ; therefore they joined 
 their forces, and did not cease battering the walls. And in 
 order to strike the enemy with the more alarm, they hung 
 the Roman hostages on a gallows before the gates of the city. 
 
88 
 
 MiLTTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 B.C. 380. 
 
 In the meantime the consuls Gabiua and Porsenna, having 
 recruited their armies, ordered the Romans to sally forth out 
 of the city with the dawn, and to attack the enemy vigorously, 
 while they themselves would set upon them in the rear, and 
 endeavour to slaughter them. As soon therefore as it was 
 dawn, the citizens in front, and the consuls in the rear, made 
 an attack on the AUobroges and Britons unexpectedly, and 
 there fell on each side many thousand armed men. But the 
 brothers, making many onsets, at last compelled the tmemy to 
 o-ive ground. At length, when Gabius was slain and Porsenna 
 taken prisoner, victory declared for the brothers, and the city, 
 with all the wealth of the citizens, fell into their power. Bren- 
 nins therefore remained in Italy, and oppressed the people with 
 unheard-of tyranny. And of him Lucan, an admirable poet, 
 speaks in the following lines : — 
 
 " When Brennus with his fierce victorious band 
 Planted his bannei on Tarpeia's hill.'* 
 
 That is, in the Capitol. But his other exploits I have decided 
 to pass over, because the Roman histories relate them fully, 
 and in order to prevent a feeling of weariness from growing 
 on my readers. 
 
 But Belinus. when he returned to Britain, governed his 
 country in tranquilUty. And he built a city near the mouth 
 of the Severn, on the river Usk, which he called Caeraski, 
 which was the metropoHs of Demecia, which, a long time 
 afterwards, the Romans called the city of Legions,^ because the 
 Roman legions used to winter in that place. He also built a 
 gate of wonderfid beauty in the city of Trinovantum, which to 
 this day is called Belinsgate, by the people of that part of the 
 city. When he died he was succeeded by Gurgunt Barbitul, his 
 son, who was a dihgent imitator of his father's actions, to 
 such a degree that he reduced all his adversaries to proper 
 
 subjection. 
 
 Among many other praiseworthy actions which he per- 
 formed, he led an army into Dacia, and compelled the Dacians 
 to pay him the tribute which they owed to his father. Then 
 returning after his victory, he found thirty ships coming through 
 the Orkney isles, full of men and women. And when he had 
 enquired the reason of their voyages, their leader, whose name 
 was Partholiam, answered that he was seeking a place in which 
 
 ^ Afterwaids Caerleon. 
 
 B.C. 3o0. 
 
 ARTIFICE OF ELIDURUS. 
 
 89 
 
 to dwell, and asked him to allot him a portion of the kingdom 
 of Britain, where he might live under his government. And 
 the king, being willing to listen to them, sent some of his 
 men with them to the island of Hibernia, which was at that 
 time utterly without any inhabitants, and he gave them that 
 country. Accordingly they increased in that place, and have 
 retained the island to this day by hereditary right. 
 
 When Gurgunt died, and was buried in the city of Legions, 
 Guithclin, his son, succeeded to the crown. And he had a 
 wife of noble birth, Martia by name, excellent in all accom- 
 plishments, and even the inventress of that code of laws 
 which the Britons call the Martian laws, and which afterwards, 
 Alfred, translating them into the Saxon language, called Mar- 
 chenleage. When Guithclin died, his son Sesillius succeeded 
 him, the name of whose eldest son was Cimaras. And his 
 brother's name was Elavius. He died, and was succeeded by 
 his son Morindus, who was born of a concubine. He, when 
 moved by anger, used to spare no one, but slew every one who 
 was standing near him. But a savage monster came out of 
 the Irish sea, and made him pay the penalty of his combat 
 with it. For as the report of the monster reached the king, 
 who heard that a monster of unheard-of savageness was de- 
 vouring the inhabitants of the coast, he himself went to fight 
 it. But he did not succeed, for the monster hastened towards 
 him, and opening its jaws swallowed him as if he had been a 
 little fish. After him his son Gorbonianus became king ; and 
 he was succeeded by his brother, Archigallo. He laboured to 
 depress all the nobles, and to exalt the lower orders. But the 
 nobles deposed him from the throne, and made his brother, 
 Elidurus, king. And he, after five years, coming into the 
 Calatrian wood, by chance met his brother, and being moved 
 at the circumstance, went with haste up to him, and throwing 
 his arms upon his neck gave him repeated kisses, leading them 
 to the town of Alclud, where he hid him in the royal bed- 
 chamber. After this, the king, pretending that he was unwell, 
 sent messengers unto all the borders of Britain, ordering the 
 princes who were subject to him to come with all the speed 
 possible to visit him. And when they had all assembled at 
 the king's command, he desired that they should enter his 
 chamber singly and without any noise, because his wickednesa 
 required silence. Accordingly, the nobles, believing the state- 
 
90 
 
 MATTKEW OF WESTMINSTEE. 
 
 B.C. 350. 
 
 ments of the king, all entered his bedchamher one after the 
 other. And Elidurus had commanded his servants to cut off 
 all their heads, that they might not again refuse to submit to 
 his brother Archigallo. And they, being influenced by fear, 
 obeyed him unanimously. And so, having made a secure 
 treaty with him, he took the crown from his own head, and 
 put it on that of his brother. 
 
 After which action Elidurus acquired the surname of Pius ; 
 afterwards Archigallo died, when he had been king ten years, 
 and was buried in the city of Caerleyr. So EUdurus becomes 
 king a second time, and i's restored to his former dignity ; but 
 iiis two younger brothers, Vigenius and Pendurus, having 
 collected a body of armed men from all quarters, and made 
 an insurrection against him, and having fought a battle, they 
 took him prisoner, and put him in prison in the city of Trino- 
 
 vantum. 
 
 After this, the kingdom being divided, they held it for seven 
 years, till at last they both died by sudden deaths ; and so 
 Elidurus was taken out of prison and raised to the kingdom a 
 third time. And having passed all his time in piety and justice, 
 he departed this life, leaving an example of piety to his suc- 
 cessors. 
 
 Ch. VI. — Nehemiah governs the Jeios. 
 
 In the meantime, Nehemiah, who has been mentioned before, 
 the scribe of the law of God, when he had restored the 
 ornaments of the temple of God, and all things which related 
 to the worship of religion, sent the grandsons of those priests 
 who had hidden the sacred tire of the altar of burnt-ofierings 
 in a dry well, its has been already mentioned, to look for it. 
 But they did not find the lire, but some thick water, which 
 they drew and brought to Nehemiah, and he ordered it to be 
 sprinkled on some logs and on a burnt-oflPering, and fire was 
 kindled from that water, so that all men marvelled. And 
 Nehemiah himself presided as priest in Jerusalem for twelve 
 
 years. 
 
 But after the return of the Jewish nation from Babylon, all 
 the government was carried on by the priests. Therefore 
 both he and Josedech, who, as it has been mentioned, returned 
 from Babylon by command of Cyrus, and fourteen men, their 
 descendants, filled the office of High Priest in a regular order 
 
 D •{^ * OOt)« 
 
 ALEXANDER SUBDUES DARIUS. 
 
 91 
 
 of succession from the return of the people till the time of 
 Antiochus Eupator, a period of three hundred and three years, 
 the most eminent in reputation of whom were Jesus the High 
 Priest, Joachim, Eliasaph, Simon, Qnias, and Jaddua. 
 
 Cif. VII. — Victories of Philip in Greece — Alexander subdues 
 
 Darius. 
 
 Moreover in the time of Jaddua, PhiHp, the son of Amyntas, 
 and father of Alexander the Great, king of Macedon, subdued 
 the Athenians and Phococans, and Tliessalians, and also re- 
 duced Cappadocia under his dominion. And when he died, 
 Alexander the Great succeeded him ; who, when he was twenty 
 years old, began to attack the kingdom of Persia, with an army 
 of thirty thousand infantry and four thousand five hundred 
 cavalry. And the ranks of this army were commanded by no 
 one under sixty years of age ; and if you had seen the chief 
 officers of the camp, you would have thought you were look- 
 ing upon a senate, and not upon a body of captains of an 
 army. No one of them all ever thought of flight in battle, or 
 of anything but victory, nor did any one place his hope in his 
 legs, but in his arms. 
 
 Moreover Darius the king, in the confidence of his strength, 
 thought it would be more glorious not to repel the enemy from 
 the borders of Persia, but to admit them within the bosom of 
 his kingdom ; and accordingly he allowed them to cross the 
 river Euphrates and the mountains of Cilicia without hindrance, 
 and at last in the plains of Adrastus he arrayed his army against 
 Alexander. And Darius had in that battle six hundred thou- 
 sand men. But that numerous army soon turned their backs, 
 conquered not less by the skill of Alexander than by the 
 valour of the Macedonians. There w^as a great slaughter of 
 the Persians in that battle ; but of the army of Alexander 
 there only fell nine hundred infantry and a hundred and twenty 
 cavalry. After this victory the greater part of Asia revolted 
 to Alexander. ' Subsequently, Alexander fought many battles 
 with the prefects of Darius, whom he defeated, not so much 
 by arms as by the terror of his name. For by this time the 
 soldiers of Alexander looked on the Persian gold, and the 
 riches of all the East, as their own booty, and took no thouo-ht 
 of the war or of dangers, but only of the riches that were to 
 be acquired. 
 
92 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEE. 
 
 B.C. 328 
 
 Cu VIII -ne last naory of Alexander over Darius. 
 APTEH 'these events. Darius again went f-tU to battl^. wUh 
 four hundred thousand infantry f »\:^^^,^;'^f;%, girwith 
 cavalry. Alexander met hun. -'l^-^ taUle^toth tSe kings 
 reTewTndirandte bt^evtas a lo"g tim-a doubt tdl 
 
 riLrDarius fled. , After that, '^^^^^^^^^f^XJt.l^i 
 sians occurred, for sixty-one thousand fantry and ten 
 
 ^rrp^rri^aX^t-"^^^^^^^^ 
 
 was found ; and among ^'f I'"-"««j'',° ^^s L and wo of 
 
 for their ransom, he could not obtain tucm. « 
 orde^d them to be treated like queens m I'-.X^FJ jt not 
 the daughters look forward to a marriage which should be 
 inferior to the rank of tlieir father. 
 
 Cu. U.-Darius dies-Ale.ander '«f- ^73'^""* 
 
 andria— Becomes Master of the East—JJies. 
 Aptkb these events Darius was bound ^thgoWenchams by 
 
 ^irn^ kin'S^ cte^irtl^prer^ot^;^ Mrdnians. 
 Sit hadftood for two Uundr<^ and tWty-one ye^^^^^^^^^ 
 
 Bat in the meantime Alexander took lyre, a most 
 .'city ; and he ^-U Alexandria on the river fhanai.^.^^^ 
 
 he marched "P°" ^'V^^ »' '" ;™: borders of the Eastern ocean ; 
 
 lirdX^^U^nCstS^ghtwith^ 
 
 monarch of 'the Indian nation i" -P ^^^ ^^s^^^ o'^^^^^^^^ 
 
 who was overthrown by the «i^'^* ^* '''VC gimrds Then 
 
 from death by the prompt ^f fe Titbu of Te East as far 
 
 Alexander, havmg subdued all ^"^ ' y^'""' " i„,d to return 
 
 B.C. 284. 
 
 PTOLEMY PUILADELPHT'S, 
 
 93 
 
 treachery of his own people in the same city, m the flower of 
 his ac'e, and at the summit of victory ; and died by poison, Jn 
 the thirty-second year of his age, and the twelfth of his reigu. 
 
 Cll. X.— The Division of Alexanders kingdom after his death— 
 Ptolemy — Philip— Seleucus—Antigonus. 
 
 After his death, his kingdom was immediately transferred to, 
 or divided among many successors. The first part of Egj'pt, 
 Africa, and Arabia fell'by lot to Ptolemy. , , , - 
 
 Phihp, who was also called Arrhidseus, the brother ot 
 Alexander, obtained Macedonia. 
 
 Seleucus obtained Syria, and Babylon, and all the kmgdoms 
 
 of the East. . 
 
 Antigonus obtained the kingdom of Asia Minor. 
 
 Besides this, other illustrious men, who had served under the 
 great Alexander, occupied different provinces, and becoming 
 kings, from having been prefects, they not only acquired vast 
 riches for themselves, but they also bequeathed them to their 
 posterity. But all these kings not long afterwards destroyed 
 one another by mutual wars and contests. Of them, however, 
 Seleucus founded Antioch, Laodicea, Seleucea, Apra, Esse, 
 Bersea and Fella ; all famous cities, and settled Jews in all of 
 them. The son of this Seleucus was Antiochus the Great. 
 
 Cll. XI. — Antiochus the Great, 
 
 This Antiochus released the priests and scribes and singers of 
 the temple of the Lord from tribute, and from the royal tax, 
 and from all other exactions. But Seleucus and Lysimachus 
 fought against one another with great vehemence. This was 
 the last war of the comrades of Alexander. And when they 
 were both slain, Ptolemy, the son of Lagus, reduced Judaea 
 and Jerusalem under his own power by treachery, and they 
 continued so for forty years. 
 
 Cu. XII. — Ptolemy Philadelphus. 
 
 After him Ptolemy Philadelphus became king, and he reigned 
 thirty-eight years, and sent many presents to Jerusalem ; and 
 he caused the Holy Scriptures to be translated out of the 
 Hebrew language into Greek, by seventy translators. In his 
 time silver money was first coined in the city. 
 
94 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 B.C. 219. 
 
 Ch. Xlll. ^Ptolemy Euergetes — Cleopatra — Seleucus—He- 
 liodorus profanes the Temple — Demetrius — Antiochus Epi- 
 phanes. 
 
 After him Ptolemy Euergetes reigned for twenty-six years. 
 
 In his time Jesus the son of Sirach composed the book of 
 
 Wisdom. 
 
 The daughter of this Ptolemy, Cleopatra by name, Antiochus 
 the Great made his lawful wife, receiving with her from the 
 aforesaid Ptolemy part of Syria and Samaria, and Judrea, and 
 Phoenicia, under the name of dowry. This Antiochus became 
 the father of Seleucus, and of his brother Antiochus. Of 
 whom, Seleucus sent Heliodorus to Jerusalem, to plunder the 
 treasury of the temple of the Lord, and to bring to him the 
 money which he procured from it. But when Heliodorus and 
 his guards, desiring to perform the command of the king, 
 had entered the temple, a certain terrible horse appeared to 
 him, which scourged him terribly, so that he went back and 
 returned to the king without having succeeded in his object. 
 
 The Parthians revolted from this Seleucus, and made Arsaces 
 their king. After the death of Seleucus, Antiochus, his 
 brother, who was called Epiphanes, that is to say illustrious, 
 obtained his kingdom. Seleucus, howxver, had a son, whose 
 name was Demetrius. 
 
 After the death of Ptolemy Euergetes, Ptolemy Sotor reigned 
 in Egypt, and he was succeeded by Ptolemy Epiphanes, and 
 Epiphanes left two sons, one of whom was called Philometer, 
 and the other was named Physcon. 
 
 Ch. Wf .—Hannibal— His Oath— He invades Italy— The Battle 
 
 of Lake Thrasymene. 
 
 At this time Hannibal, the son of Hamilcar, flourished at 
 Carthage. He was appointed commander-in-chief of the 
 Carthaginians and Africans ; which was a fatal misfortune not 
 so much to the Romans, as to Africa itself. When he was nine 
 years old he took an oath that he would never be a friend to the 
 Romans. And when he was appointed general, he, with the 
 purpose of invading the territories of the Romans, crossed the 
 Pyrenees; opened himself a way with a sword through the most 
 ferocious tribes of the Gauls, and marching from the Pyrenees to 
 the Alps, fought with Scipio, who was at tliat time consul at 
 
 B.C. 215. 
 
 DESCRIPTION OF CARTUAGE. 
 
 95 
 
 Rome, and defeated him. Afterwards he slew Flaminius, the 
 Roman consul, at lake Thrasymene, and utterly destroyed his 
 army. 
 
 Ch. W,—The Battle of Cannce— Scipio— The Battle of Zama. 
 
 Another time Lucius ^Emilius Paulus and twenty men of 
 consular and praetorian rank were slain by him at Cannae, a 
 small town of Apulia ; many senators also were taken prisoners 
 and slam ; and three hundred men of noble birth ; and Varro 
 the consul fled with fifty knights. Besides these, forty 
 thousand infantry soldiers and three thousand five hun- 
 dred knights perished. And Hannibal, in testimony of his 
 victory, sent three bushels of golden rings to Carthage, which 
 he had stripped off the hands of the Roman knights who had 
 been slain. So that nearly all the flower of the Roman troops 
 perished in that battle ; and the Romans were in such despair, 
 that they thought it fit tt ieliberate on the plan of leaving 
 Italy and seeking a new habitation. After this, the two brothers 
 Scipio, both consuls of the Romans, were slain in Spain by 
 Hannibal's lieutenants. But their nephew, Scipio, who was 
 called Africanus, having received, by lot, a command in Spain 
 as proconsul, bent all his thoughts on avenging his father and 
 nncle, and crossing the Pyrenees, defeated Hasdrubal, the 
 general of the Carthaginians, in a battle, and stripped him of 
 his camp, and reduced all Spain, from the Pyrenees as far 
 as the ocean, to be again a Roman province. And then at 
 length Hannibal was compelled to return into Africa in order 
 to assist the harassed Carthaginians, and Scipio defeated him 
 in a pitched battle. In that battle twenty thousand five hun- 
 dred and eighty Carthaginians were slain, and all the Car- 
 thaginian elephants either taken or killed. 
 
 Ch. XVI. — Description of Carthage — It is destroyed. 
 
 At last Carthage was destroyed by the Romans ; a city which 
 embraced thirty thousand paces within its walls, and was 
 almost entirely surrounded by the sea, except the entrance, 
 which was open for a space of three thousand paces. More- 
 over the town had a wall twenty feet thick, built of square 
 stone, and ten cubits high. The citadel of the same city, which 
 was called Byrse, contained a space of more than two thousand 
 paces. On one side of it, its wall which served also for the city 
 
96 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 B.C. 180. 
 
 wall, and hung over the 8ea The city was destroyed and burnt 
 seven hundred years after its original foundation ; and in this 
 manner the Punic war was finished. 
 Ch. XYU.— State of Numidia—And Mauritania— Jugurtha-- 
 
 Metellus — Marcius — Bocchus — Wars with the Romans in 
 
 Spain — Death of At talus. 
 
 At this time, Micipsa, a friend of the Homan people, was 
 reigning in Numidia. After his death, Jugurtha succeeded 
 to the kingdom ; and he provoked a war with the Romans by 
 the deaths of Adhubal and Hiempsal, the children of Micipsa. 
 On this occasion, Numidia was first conquered by Metellus, 
 the consul, and afterwards it was entirely subdued by Marcius. 
 
 So also Mauritania, which was governed by king Bocchus, 
 was subjugated by the Romans. 
 
 After that, the Biscayans, the people of Gallicia and Lusi- 
 tania, Spanish tribes, were almost M'holly conquered in a single 
 battle. In Italy too, the Epirots, who had conspired in Illy- 
 ricum with Pyrrhus, their king, against the Romans, were first 
 pacified and tranquilhsed, but afterwards were conquered and 
 compelled to submit to the Roman yoke, along with the 
 Achaeans and Messalians. 
 
 After this, the Roman fortune, not content with the limits 
 of Italy, began to extend itself over distant kingdoms. In 
 nearly almost this very time Attains, the king of Asia, died, and 
 by his last will left the Roman people the inheritors of his 
 
 kingdom 
 
 Ch. XVIII. — Antiochus — Onlas — Jason. 
 
 But to return to the Jewish history. The generals of Alexander 
 the Great being dead, by one fortune or another, then Antio- 
 chus Epiphanes, already spoken of, reigned in Syria, the son 
 of Antiochus, the great king, in about the hundred and thirty- 
 seventh year of the reign of the Greeks. In those days Onias 
 was the high priest at Jerusalem. And his brother Jason 
 being desirous to wrest the priesthood from him, began without 
 disguise to violate the laws of Judsea, and to trample on them 
 openly in all particulars, as if he were unable to gain the 
 priesthood, which he was desirous of, by any other means than 
 wickedness. 
 
 B.C. 170. 
 
 CRUELTIES OF AlfTIOCHUS. 
 
 97 
 
 Ch. XIX.— ne Wickedness of. Jason— The Sacrilege of Antiochus. 
 Fob he dared to construct a gymnasium under the very tower 
 of the temple, and to place all the best of the youths in bro- 
 thels, and to entitle those who were at Jerusalem Antiochians. 
 But the divine vengeance overtook the nefarious and unheard- 
 of wickedness of this impious Jason, who was no priest at all. 
 For to act impiously with respect to divine laws does not 
 usually escape unpunished. And at the end of three years, 
 Jason, who had violated the laws of God, and made his own 
 brother prisoner, was, by the command of king Antiochus, 
 banished to the district of Ammonitis, and a man of the name 
 of Menelaus, of the tribe of Benjamin, obtained the priesthood. 
 But by the contrivance of this Menelaus, Onias, who was a 
 pious priest, was treacherously slain by the agency of a certain 
 prefect of the king, named Andronicus. And not long after- 
 wards, Menelaus was removed from the priesthood, and his 
 brother Lysimachus succeeded him But as even then he 
 would not desist from his malpractices, he at length came to a 
 miserable end, being precipitated from a tower fifty cubits high. 
 Lysimachus too, after he had carried off a great quantity of 
 gold from the temple, was stoned by a concourse of the people 
 close to the treasury, and so died. 
 
 After these events, Antiochus, the king, who has been men- 
 tioned before, went up to Jerusalem, and entered the sanctuary 
 with great arrogance, and carried off the golden altar, and the 
 candelabrum, and the table of the shewbread, and the veil, and 
 the other ornaments of the temple, and returned to Antioch. 
 And after this, he proclaimed to all the nations of his domi- 
 nions, that they should be all one nation, and he forbade burnt- 
 offerings or sacrifices to be offered in the temple of the Lord ; 
 and he ordered the Jews to be polluted by being made to eat 
 unclean meats, in order that they might transgress the com- 
 mands of God. 
 
 Ch. XX.— The Cruelties of Antiochus towards the Jews. 
 In these days, a certain man named Eleazar, a very old man, was 
 endeavoured to be compelled to eat swine's flesh ; but he said, 
 " It is not worthy for Eleazar, who is ninety years old, to go over 
 to the fashion of foreigners." And preferring a glorious death 
 to an odious life, he died, worn out by many punishments, leav- 
 
 VOL. I. ^ 
 
98 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEB. 
 
 B.C. 170. 
 
 ♦ ' 
 
 ing to the younger men and tlie whole nation a noble exam- 
 ple of virtue and fortitude. 
 
 It happened at the same time, that seven brethren and their 
 mother were endeavoured to be compelled by scourges to eat 
 similar food, in the presence of that most cruel kmg. But 
 they chose rather to be put to death by tortures, than to eat 
 swine's flesh, contrary to divine and human law. And last 
 of all, their holy and noble mother suff'ered, after she had 
 already witnessed with calmness the deaths of all her seven 
 
 sons in one day. 11,1 
 
 Information was laid against two other women that they had 
 circumcised their children : and their sons were suspended 
 round thf^ir necks, and then the executioner led them pub- 
 Ucly through the city, and threw them down from the wall. 
 Besides this, all those in whose houses any books of the cove- 
 nant of the Lord were found, and all who observed the law of 
 Moses, were put to death in accordance with the command ot 
 the king. On which account the multitude of the people was 
 alarmed, and forsook the law of the Lord, according to the 
 commandment of king Antiochus, and sacrificed to idols, and 
 broke the sabbath, and built altars and temples to idols, after 
 the manner of the gentiles ; nor did any one dare openly to 
 confess himself to be a Jew ; but they imitated the pursuits of 
 the Greeks, and wished to become in all things like that people, 
 who had been their enemies and murderers. 
 
 Ch. XXI.— Of Judas Maccabcens, 
 
 In these days, Judas Maccabseus withdrew into the desert, 
 and there among the wild beasts he passed his life with his 
 friends, that he might not be a partaker in the pollutions and 
 errors of his nation. But although they who abode with him 
 were few in number, still they so defeated the numerous armies 
 and generals of Antiochus in many battles, that they recovered 
 the temple which was at Jerusalem, and the laws which had 
 been aboUshed were restored by their successful obstinacy. 
 By which it was made evidently plain, that the strength of men 
 was nothing against God. 
 
 Ch. XXlh—The Death 0/ Antiochus. 
 In the meantime Antiochus, the king, as he was unable to ac- 
 comphsh all the wickedness that he had conceived, because 
 
 B.C. 160. 
 
 NTCANOR SENT AGAINST THE JEWS. 
 
 99 
 
 God hindered him, sweUing with anger, was hastening to Jeru- 
 salem. And as he was on his way thither, it happened that he 
 fell from his chariot, and having some limbs broken by the 
 violence of the fall, he took to his bed, and after being afflicted 
 for a long time with miserable weakness, he died. But he 
 left a heir, a young son, also named Antiochus, whom he 
 called Eupator. 
 
 Ch. XXlll.— Demetrius recovers Syria— Death of Eupator— 
 Alchimus—Nicanor is sent against the Jews— Death of Judas 
 Maccahceus — Jonathan. 
 And when Demetrius, the son of Seleucus, whom we have 
 mentioned before, heard this, he escaped secretly from Rome, 
 where he was detained as a hostage, and hastened to come to 
 Syria, where he was received with great good will by the 
 people, and soon collected an army, and afterwards he took 
 Eupator, who was still a minor, and his guardian Lysias, and 
 put them both to death. 
 
 And when he was thus seated on the throne of his fathers, 
 that most wicked man, Alchimus, came to him, being of the 
 race of Aaron, indeed he was the brother of Onias, the high 
 priest, but he had nothing worthy of the priesthood about him. 
 For in the time of off'ence he had voluntarily polluted himself 
 out of flattery to king Antiochus, and so he began to speak 
 ill of the people of God, and to inflame the king by many 
 harangues against Judas Maccabseus. 
 
 For he used to say, " These men who are called Assideans 
 of the Jews, the head of whom is Judas Maccabaeus, nourish 
 wars and cherish seditions, and do not allow the kingdom to be 
 tranquil. On which account I, who have been defrauded of the 
 glory of my fathers, I mean the ofiice of high pnest, have 
 come hither, in the first place keeping my faith as regards 
 the service of the king, and in the second place consulting also 
 the good of my fellow-citizens. For owing to the wickedness 
 of the before-mentioned men, the whole of our nation is sadly 
 afflicted. But concerning all these matters, I beseech you, O 
 king, that you, according to your universal humanity towards 
 all men, will condescend to provide for the welfare of our coun- 
 try and nation." 
 
 Then the king sent to Jerusalem Nicanor, the master of his 
 elephants, with orders to take Judas Maccabaeus and to make 
 
100 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 B.C. 80. 
 
 I 
 
 Alchiraus high priest. But when Alchimus, inspired with 
 almost the ferocity of a wild beast, had come to Jerusalem, and 
 had obtained the office of high priest by bribery, in order to 
 leave no law human or divine unbroken, he ordered the walls 
 of the inner chamber of the holy temple, the work of the 
 holy prophets, to be broken down ; three hundred and three 
 years after the people had returned from Egypt. But he, 
 wretched man ! could not long escape the punishment of his 
 wickedness. For suddenly his mouth was closed, and he could 
 not speak, but being attacked by paralysis, he died miserably. 
 And so, as there were now no priests of the family of Aaron, ard 
 as Judas Maccabaeus had been slain by the chance of war, as he 
 was fighting in defence of the laws of his country, Jona- 
 than, his brother, obtained the chief command of the Jews, and 
 the office of high priest at the same time. 
 
 Ch. XXIV.— Z)me/WM.9 is slain by Alexander — Jonathan is 
 killed — Simon — Tryphon — John Hyrcanns — Pompey the 
 Great — The wars of the Romans in the East — Crassus — 
 Catiline — Cicero — Ptolemy. 
 But in the mean time, Alexander, the son of Antiochus Eupa- 
 tor, kills king Demetrius. But Demetrius had become the 
 father of a son, who was also named Demetrius, and who after- 
 wards slew the aforesaid Alexander, and who defeated the 
 Parthians in many battles ; but at last he was taken prisoner 
 by them, and died in Hyrcania. But king Alexander had en- 
 trusted his son, who was not yet grown up, to Tryphon, one 
 of his soldiers, that he might be brought up by him. And he, 
 believing that the young man, Demetrius, was dead, having slain 
 his ward, Anthinocor (for that was the name of the boy to 
 whom Tryphon ought to have been guardian), he invaded the 
 kingdom of Syria. And when he had made himself master of 
 it, he took Jonathan, the brother of Judas, and the high priest 
 of the Jews, by treachery, and put him to death. And not 
 long afterwards, Tryphon was defeated in battle by Antiochus, 
 the brother of Demetrius, who was bred up in Asia, and was 
 put to death. And so the kingdom of Syria came again into 
 the family of Demetrius. Jonathan was succeeded by his 
 brother Simon. And after Simon, the high priesthood came 
 to his son John, who from fighting against the Hyrcanians, got 
 the name of Hyrcanus. Hyrcanus was succeeded by Aristo- 
 
 B.C. 70. THE JEWS BECOME TBIBUTART TO EOME. 101 
 
 bulus, who was made both king and high priest ; Aristobulus 
 was in like manner succeeded by Alexander, who was also both 
 king and high priest. Alexander died and left two sons 
 surviving him, namely, Aristobulus and Hyrcanus. But he 
 ordered by his will, that Alexandra, his wife, should have the 
 administration of the kingdom till his sons grew up, leaving it 
 at the same time to her decision, to which of the two she 
 might think fit to entrust the office of high priest. 
 
 She appointed Hyrcanus to succeed his father as high 
 priest, on account of his prerogative as the elder, giving no 
 pubUc office to his brother Aristobulus. But after the death 
 of Alexandra, Aristobulus invaded the kingdom, and at last 
 Hyrcanus ceded to him the dignity of high priest. But sub- 
 sequently, the same Hyrcanus being stirred up by Antipater, 
 the father of Herod, repented of what he had done, and 
 betook himself in the first instance to the king of Arabia, and 
 afterwards to Pcmpey, the general of the Romans (who had 
 come into Syria with the object of subduing Tigranes, the 
 kin<'),and he laid before him his complaint about the conduct ot 
 his brother. On which occasion the same Pompey, the consul 
 of the Romans, besieged the city of Jerusalem, and poUuted 
 the temple, and sent Aristobulus, the high priest, prisoner to 
 Rome with his children ; and left the priesthood to Hyrcanus, 
 and appointed the before-mentioned Antipater governor ot the 
 
 whole kingdom. « , , , ^ u * ^ 
 
 And so at length the nation of the Jews became tnbutary 
 to the Roman empire, and in this way (as I have related) the 
 brothers Aristobulus and Hyrcanus, quarrelling with one 
 another about the kingdom, first gave occasion to the Romans 
 to invade Judaea. And in these days Pompems whom I have 
 mentioned above, and Gabinius, the consuls of the Romans, 
 reduced the whole of Syria under the power of the Romans, 
 and reduced it to the form of a province, and m this way the 
 east was graduaUy subjected to the Roman power. 
 
 In the mean time the conspiracy of Catihne, as it has been 
 related by Sallust, broke out at Rome. But it waB quickly 
 put an end to and extinguished by the vigilance of the consul, 
 Cicero. Crassus succeeded Gabinius, and Ptolemy Dionysius 
 succeeded Ptolemy Alexander, as king of Syria. 
 
102 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMI5STEE. 
 
 B.C. 70. 
 
 Ch. XXV.— 0/ some of the British kings — Regin, Margan, 
 
 Cinerus, 8fC. — Lud — Ca^sibelaunus — Trinovantum gets the 
 
 name of London. 
 In these days, after the reign of Elidurus, Idng of the Britons, 
 Regin, the son of Gorbonianus, succeeded to the kingdom. He 
 was succeeded in his turn by Maranus, the son of Archigallo. 
 He by his brother Ennianus, who in the sixth year of his 
 reign was deposed for the tyrannical conduct which he prac- 
 tised on his people, and in his place Idwallo, the son of Vige- 
 nius, became king. He was succeeded by Cinerus, the son of 
 Pendurius, he by Geroncius, he by Catellus, he by Coillas, 
 he by Porrex, he by Chuin. Chuin's three sons, Fulgenius, 
 Eldadus, and Androgius all reigned after him in succession. 
 After them came Urianus, the son of Androgius. He was suc- 
 ceeded by Ehud, he by Eledauch, he by Cloten, he by Gur- 
 guncius, he bv Morcan, he by Bledudo, he by Capetus, he by 
 CEnus, he by Sisellus, he by Bledgaberd, he by Atchival, he 
 by Eldol, he by Redion, he by Rederchius, he by SamuUus, he 
 by Penissel, he by Pyr, he by Capsyr, he by Degucillus, he by 
 HeU. HeU governed the realm for forty years. 
 
 He had three sons, namely, Lud, Cassibelaunus, and Nennius, 
 of whom Lud was the eldest, and obtained the kingdom after 
 tlie death of his father. He being a very celebrated builder 
 of cities, renewed the walls of the city of Trinovantum, and 
 surrounded it with a great number of towers. He also com- 
 manded the citizens to build themselves houses and edifices in 
 it, so that there was not ever in such distant kingdoms any 
 city which contained more beautiful palaces. He was a man 
 of a warhke disposition, and very liberal in making presents. 
 And though he had a great many cities, yet he loved this one 
 above them all, and he spent the greater part of the year in it, 
 from which circumstance it was subsequently named Caselud ; 
 and then, by corruption of the name, Caerlunden. And in later 
 ages, as the language changed, it was called Lundone, and 
 afterwards Lundres, which was the name given to it by the 
 foreigners who subjected this country to themselves. 
 
 When he died, his body was buried in the above-named 
 city, near that gate which is still called after his name, Port- 
 lud, in the British language, but Ludgate in Saxon. He had 
 two sons, Androgens and Tennancius. And as they, by reasoa 
 
 D«l^« 03* 
 
 JULIUS CJESAE IKYADES BRITAIN. 
 
 103 
 
 of their tender age, were unequal to the management of the 
 kingdom, his brother, Cassibelaunus, was raised to the throne 
 in their stead. Afterwards, when he was invested ^h the 
 crown, he began to be so celebrated for liberality and honour, 
 that his fame became known throughout distant kingdoms, 
 owing to which, it happened that the sovereignty over the 
 whole realm was given to him, and not to his nephews. 5itill, 
 Cassibelaunus gratified his natural affection by not leaving the 
 youna; men destitute of royal power, but by dividing a great 
 part of the kingdom among them. For he gave the city of 
 Trinovantum, in the duchy of Kent, to Androgens and the 
 duchy of Cornwall to Tennancius. But he himself retained the 
 kingly crown, and was supreme over them and all the other 
 princes in the whole island. 
 
 Ch XX\L— Julius Ccesar invades Britain— He is defeated and 
 
 returns to Gaul— The Death of Nennius. 
 In the mean time it happened, that Julius Csesar, having sub- 
 iugated Gaul, came to the coast of the Ruteni.^ And when he 
 beheld Britain from that point, he asked of the bystanders 
 what country it was, and what nation dwelt across the sea. 
 Then, when he had learnt the name of the island from his infor- 
 mants, he sent messengers over thither to the king of the island, 
 demanding, with threats, that he should pay him tribute every 
 year, in the same way that he received it from other nations 
 But Cassibelaunus, king of the Britons, when h^ had learnt the 
 object of the coming of the ambassadors, answered with 
 indignation, that he would by no means pay any tribute Ihe 
 Britons, said he, are of the same vein of nobility with the 
 Romans, being equally descended from the daughter of Priam 
 and ^neas, and our offspring is accustomed to enjoy such a 
 degree of liberty, as to be utterly ignorant what slavery is 
 And if the gods themselves were to attempt to deprive us of it 
 we would labour with all our energies to resist them, even it 
 we were forced to encounter death in the maintenance of it. 
 When the ambassadors returned, and when Julius Caesar had re- 
 ceived this answer, he was very angr^^ and ordered vessels to 
 be got ready, in order to prosecute by force the demand which 
 
 1 The Ruteni were a tribe of Northern France-their chief town wai- 
 Segedunum, now Rhodes. 
 
104 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEB. 
 
 S>C> 09< 
 
 h 
 
 he had made of Cassibelaunus. And as the fair wind offered 
 which he wished for, he entered the mouth of the river Thames 
 with his army. 
 
 At that moment, king Cassibela\nms, with all the bravest 
 men of his kingdom, was taking counsel how he might best 
 repel the enemy. Tiiere were present with him, Belinus, the 
 general of his army, and Androgeus, the duke of Trinovantum, 
 and Tennancius, duke of Cornwall. There were present also 
 three of his feudatory kings, namely, Cridiosus, king of Albany, 
 and Oquerth, a king of Penedocia, and Britael, king of Demecia. 
 At last, they all agreed in this, that they should attack the 
 camp of Caesar, and endeavour to drive him out of the country 
 before he had taken any city or town. Accordingly, the 
 opposing armies met and fought a long time with great vio- 
 lence. At last, when a cliance had opened to Nennius an 
 opportunity of meeting with Caesar, he rushed vehemently 
 upon him, and putting forth all his strength, he smote him on 
 the helmet, being greatly delighted at having the opportunity 
 of engaging sword in hand with so great a man. But Juhus 
 putting forth his shield, fought gallantly himself with his 
 drawn sword, and sriking him twice on the helmet, wounded 
 him mortally. And his sword gUded oif from the helmet of 
 Nennius to his shield, and being directed with all his strength, 
 stuck in it. 
 
 And so Nennius having in this manner got possession of 
 the sword of Csesar, did not desist from rushing upon his ene- 
 mies. And whoever he struck with it he disabled, striking oflf 
 his head or some one of his Umbs. While he was raging in this 
 manner, Labreuus, the tribime, met him, and was slain by 
 him. At last, when the greater part of the day was gone, 
 victory declared for the Britons. So when night came, Caesar 
 embarked his shattered legions on board his ships, and returned 
 to Gaul in great disorder. And it is with reference to this 
 retreat, that Lucan, an admirable poet, speaks thus in praise 
 of the Britons : — 
 
 ** What time great Caesar showed his back in flight 
 To the brave Britons, whom he sought as foes." 
 
 But Nennius, the brother of the king, having been mortally 
 wounded, as I have said before, died a fortnight after the 
 battle. And the Britons when they buried him, placed along 
 with him in his sarcophagus the sword of Caesar, which was 
 
 B.C. 53. CASSIBELAXmUS BETUENS TO TErNOTANTUM. 105 
 
 named Bloodv Death, because no one who was wounded by it 
 ever escaped alive. 
 
 Ch. XXYU.-Casar invades Britain a second time — Cassi- 
 belaunus defeats him — He returns to Gaul. 
 
 As Julius Caesar, therefore, had been put to flight in this 
 manner, not one single day passed without his bewailing his 
 own flight and the victory of the Britons. Then, after two 
 years had elapsed, he prepares again to cross the ocean and 
 to avenge himself on Cassibelaunus. And when Cassibelau- 
 nus learnt this from messengers, he fixed stout iron stakes in 
 the channel of the Thames, beneath the surface of the water, 
 as he expected that the general would sail up that river to- 
 wards Trinovantum, hoping that his ships would be dashed 
 to pieces if they came upon them. Accordingly, Juhus, when 
 he had prepared everytliing necessary for himself, arranged 
 to approach the city of Trinovantum by the river Thames. But 
 his ships, sticking on the stakes that I have already mentioned, 
 suddenly incurred great danger. For, in consequence, there 
 were about a thousand soldiers drowned, as the river, entering 
 in the holes made in the ships, sucked the vessels down. 
 Caesar, therefore, having suffered shipwreck in this manner, 
 with great difficulty reached the land with those of his men 
 who had escaped this danger. But Cassibelaunus, when he 
 saw this, made an attack on the Romans, who resisted the 
 onset of the Britons gallantly. But being in great danger in 
 the river, they suff'er more damage than they inflict. So, as 
 they were enfeebled in an excessive degree, the Britons gained 
 the triumph. But Caesar, flying with a few troops to his 
 ships, was quickly borne away by his vessels, and arrived at 
 the shores of the Morini, and entering a town which he had 
 previously built, and which was called Odrea, he there waited 
 for more numerous reinforcements of troops. 
 
 C^.W^lll.— Rejoicings for the Victory of Cassibelaunus— 
 His quarrel with Androgeus — Treason of Androgeus—Cas- 
 sibelaunus is defeated— Fays tribute to C<Esar—Dies — U 
 succeeded by Tennacius. 
 
 Theeefoee Cassibelaunus, being delighted at his repeated 
 victories, returned to the city of Trinovantum, with the whole 
 multitude of his kingdom, and ordered all men to pay due 
 
106 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMiySTEE. 
 
 B.C. 53. 
 
 honours and sacrifices to their gods, who had granted him 
 triumph over so great a general. Soon after therefore, as 
 soon as they had performed the proper solemnities due to 
 their gods, and had refreshed themselves with banquets and 
 drinking parties, they spent the rest of the day in arranging 
 games. While therefore they were playing, a great quarrel 
 arose between the grandson of the king and the grandson of 
 Androgens, duke of Trinovantum, wliich was carried to such 
 a height, that while they were quarrelling, the grandson of 
 the king lost his head. And, in consequence of his death, the 
 whole council was thrown into disorder, and the sad news 
 was brought to Cassibelaunus. 
 
 The king, being indignant at the misfortune of his grandson, 
 in his anger ordered Androgens to give up his grandson, and 
 prepare to submit to such a sentence as the nobles of the king- 
 dom should pass upon him. But Androgens, in reply, desired 
 the king to remember that it was he himself who had the 
 right of deciding about his own subjects, and that it was 
 before him that any complaint which any one might have to 
 bring against them ought to be decided. And as they, in 
 this manner, separated from one another with indignation, 
 Cassibelaunus hastened to lay waste the provinces of Andro- 
 gens, to carry fire and sword through them, and did not cease 
 to do him all the harm he could. Afterwards, as the king, 
 though often entreated by Androgens, would in no respect 
 abate his fury, Androgens being deprived of all comfort, sent 
 messengers with hostages to Julius Caesar, entreating his assist- 
 ance, in order that he, aided by Caesar's highness, might be 
 able to resist the injuries of Cassibelaunus. He also added 
 that, if by Caesar's power he were restored to his former dig- 
 nity, he would make Caesar master of the whole of Britain. 
 And Androgens sent him his son Sueva and thirty of the chil- 
 dren of the noblest birth in the kingdom, to give him a feel- 
 ing of security, giving him leave to kill them if he, in any 
 respect, behaved with falsehood towards him. 
 
 But when the Roman general heard an invitation of this kind 
 from the messengers who brought it to him, he ordered the 
 hostages to be detained in an honourable manner ; and being 
 elated with great joy, he quickly embarked on board his ships 
 with the whole of his army, and crossing rapidly with a fair 
 wind, he landed successfully at the harbour of Rutupium, 
 
 3.C. 53. BBITAIN BECOMES TIUBUTABT TO EOME. 
 
 lor 
 
 which is now called Sandwich ; there he found Androgeus the 
 duke of Trinovantum, who promised him faithful obedience, 
 and pointed out to him with great prudence how he ought to 
 proceed. 
 
 In the meantime king Cassibelaunus had besieged the city 
 of Trinovantum, but as soon as he heard of the arrival of Caesar 
 he hastened to meet him. When therefore the opposing 
 armies met in a certain valley near Dover, there ensued great 
 bloodshed on each side. And after they had spent a great 
 deal of the day in fighting, suddenly Androgeus appeared out 
 of a certain wood which was near at hand, with five thousand 
 armed men, and attacked the army of Cassibelaunus in the 
 rear, and, although with great difficulty, routed it. But the 
 king being compelled to flee with his army, occupied a high 
 and precipitous mountain, which had on its summit a thick 
 cover of hazel bushes, and was rocky ; and which had been 
 used at times by the Britons for an encampment. Caesar 
 therefore blockaded that mountain towards the close of day, 
 and cut the enemy off from all means of escape. 
 
 After a second day had elapsed, when Caesar was unable to 
 compel the Britons to surrender, he determined to reduce them 
 by famine, if Androgeus had not come to himself again, and 
 felt some pity for his own nation. Consequently he came to 
 Julius, and addressed him in this manner : " Behold you have 
 now sufficiently avenged yourself on Cassibelaunus, and you 
 have made all Britain subject to yourself by my assistance. 
 Our omnipotent gods are not willing that I should allow my 
 master to be condemned to a shameful death, or to be bound 
 with chains. Have pity on him therefore, because he cannot 
 be in danger as long as I am alive." Caesar therefore being 
 moved to thoughts of peace by the request of Androgeus, 
 came to a treaty in the terms that Cassibelaunus should pro- 
 mise to pay to Caesar from Britain, every year, three thousand 
 pounds weight of silver, under the name of tribute. Then, 
 having become friends, they gave one another mutual gifts. 
 And when seven more years had elapsed, Cassibelaunus died, 
 and was buried in York. He was succeeded by Tennacius, 
 the brother of Androgeus ; because Androgeus himself had 
 gone to Rome with the Roman general. 
 
108 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 B.C. 44y 
 
 I! 
 
 Ch. XXIX. — CiBsar returns to Rome — His war with Pompey 
 —Pompey is slain — and Caesar, 
 
 As Caesar had now finished all his wars in the west, in ten 
 years he hastened to Rome to oppose Pompey, being impatient 
 to reign alone. For as Lucan says, — 
 
 " Partners in power ne'er one another trust, 
 No king will bear a rival near his throne." 
 
 But as soon as his approach was made known to Pompey 
 and the Romans, they were alarmed, and voted that he should 
 not come into the city unless he first disbanded his army. 
 And Caesar, being indignant at this, proceeded towards Rome 
 in an hostile manner. But Pompey and all the Roman Senate 
 were struck with consternation, and fled to Greece. Then 
 Caesar, entering the city, took the money from the public trea- 
 sury, and gave it to his soldiers. At length, a battle was fought, 
 and Caesar put Pompey to flight, and drove him through Syria 
 into Egypt. In that battle twelve thousand of Pompey's sol- 
 diers and thirty-four centurions are said to have been slain. 
 But as soon as Pompey reached the shore, he was, for the 
 sake of gaining the favour of Caesar, murdered by command 
 of the young Pompey. 
 
 Then Caesar marched through all the kingdoms of the east, 
 and subjugated all that came in his way. Then he returned 
 to Rome, and by himself governed the whole republic, and 
 enjoyed supreme power. But while he was thus insanely new 
 modelling the whole constitution of the republic in a manner 
 contrary to the customs of his ancestors, he was pierced with 
 twenty-four wounds, and slain in the senate house, Brutus 
 and Cassius being the prime movers of the deed ; three years 
 and six months after he had attained absolute power. It is 
 said that two hundred and sixty men were privy to this con- 
 spiracy. 
 
 Ch. XXX.— TAe character and reign of Augustus— His mode- 
 ration — Antony — Cleopatra — Herod. 
 
 The second monarch of Rome was Augustus Octavianus, than 
 whom no commander was ever more successful in war, or 
 more moderate in peace. Having in his youth been involved 
 in civil wars, he without any difficulty made subject to the 
 
 B.C. 31. 
 
 THE PEDIGREE OF OUR SAVIOUR. 
 
 109 
 
 Roman empire all the kingdoms which he attacked. But 
 he attained the supreme power by himself ; the republic was 
 divided between him and his father-in-law Antony. At last, 
 when Antony had slain himself with his own hand for the 
 sake of Cleopatra his queen, who preferred espousing the 
 party of Augustus to his own, he by himself governed all the 
 countries of the world. For the princes of the very extremi- 
 ties of the earth, invited by the fame of his wisdom and kind- 
 ness, thought it desirable to live under him, and to take their 
 share in the government as his subordinates. For Augustus 
 did more among all men by the influence of his name, than 
 any other commander could have eftected by the might of his 
 arms. For Herod, the king of the Jewish nation, who had 
 received his crown from Antony, whom I have already men- 
 tioned, betook himself to Augustus of his own accord ; and 
 although he had come to him trembhng, because he had been 
 an adherent of Antony, he is said to have received the fol- 
 lowing reply : — 
 
 '* You are worthy to reign over many men, and you are full 
 of good dispositions, inasmuch as you do not desert a friend 
 who is placed in adverse circumstances. But it seems to us 
 an unworthy thing not to surpass in kindness a man whom 
 we have already subdued with our arms." 
 
 And when Augustus had said this, he placed a crown on his 
 head, giving him Godacus and Hippo, and Samona, and Ipe- 
 nus, and the tower of Strato, and the cities on the coast. 
 When therefore all the kingdoms all over the world were now 
 at peace, and when the whole tumult of war was put an end 
 to, he returned to Rome, and governed the republic in tran- 
 quillity, according to the Roman laws, giving to every one his 
 rights. 
 
 Ch. WW.— The pedigree of our Saviour— Ezra— Nehemiah. 
 
 The line of our Saviour, who was born in this fifth age of the 
 world, is traced from Salathiel, whom Jechoniah the younger 
 begot after the migration to Babylon. For the elder Jechoniah, 
 of whom we have already spoken, by the advice of Jeremiah 
 gave himself up into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, king of 
 Babylon; and with him about ten thousand of the Jews 
 migrated, among whom were Ezekiel and Daniel, and the 
 three children. But Salathiel begot Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel 
 
no 
 
 MATTHEW OP WESTMINSTEE. 
 
 B.C. 30. 
 
 |: 
 
 begot Alrud, in whose time Ezra, having founded a library, re- 
 turned to Jerusalem, with seventeen hundred of the Jews, and 
 cast out the foreign women from all commerce with the Jews. 
 
 About the same time, Nehemiah, coming to Jerusalem, built 
 the walls with six gates in a narrow place, and delivered the 
 people from usury. He kindled fresh fire from sticks which 
 had been hidden by Jeremiah. Esdras read in the tabernacle, 
 and caused the people to assemble to hear the law four times 
 every day, and four times by night, and he also led the people 
 to the celebration of the Sabbath. 
 
 Alrud begot Eliachim, Eliachim begot Azor, Azor begot 
 Achim, Achim begot Eliud, Eliud begot Eleazar. This Eleazar 
 stabbed an elephant, and perished with it. Eleazar begot 
 Mathan. Mathan by his wife Escha became the father of 
 Jacob. But when Mathan died, Mathas or Melchi took Escha 
 his wife, and by her had Heli, who was the uterine brother of 
 Jacob. And Jacob begot Joseph, the husband of Mary. Joseph 
 was the adopted son of HeU according to the law, and not ac- 
 cording to nature. With reference to which we read in the 
 Gospel of Luke the Evangelist : " Being as it was thought the 
 son of Joseph, who was the son of Heli." 
 
 This Joseph had a wife according to the law of the Jews, of 
 his own tribe and family, by name Mary. And of her, in 
 accordance with the announcement of an angel, a true king 
 and priest was born, Christ, the son of God, after the order 
 of Melchisedech. 
 
 Ch. XXXII. — The Tyranny and Cruelty of Herod — Marries 
 Mariamne — His Love for her — He kills her — The Wicked- 
 ness of Antipater — Birth of Herod Agrippa. 
 
 But now, when the legitimate line of kings and priests of the 
 Jews was extinct, Herod, who was a foreigner, the son of Anti- 
 pater, the prince, and of Cypis, an Arabian, was invested by the 
 Roman senate with the kingdom of the Jews, and, contrary to all 
 human and divine laws of the Jewish nation, he promoted all 
 the lowest of the people. He kept the vestments of the high 
 priest shut up, and never permitted any one to use them. And 
 in order to mingle his own posterity with the royal family of 
 the Jews, he repudiated Dosis, the wife whom he had originally 
 married, and married Mariamne, the granddaughter of king 
 Aristobulus, and the daughter of Hyrcanus, the high priest. 
 
 B.C. 30. 
 
 HEEOD PUTS MAETAMNE TO DEATH. 
 
 HI 
 
 And lest by any chance he might be proved to be a foreigner, 
 and not of the seed of Israel, he burnt all the books in which 
 the noble pedigrees of that nation were inscribed, and which 
 were preserved in the temple, in order that, when all evidences 
 were destroyed, he himself might appear to belong to it. He 
 is said to have had nine wives, two of whom brought him no 
 children. 
 
 But the one who had the most influence with him, of all of 
 them, was Mariamne, by reason of her extraordinary beauty, on 
 account of which he would never allow her to be annoyed. 
 For she bore him five sons, two of whom, Alexander and Aris- 
 tobulus, were conspicuous for their wit and manly courage. 
 And although Herod would never thwart Mariamne in anything, 
 she was by no means at any concern to requite her husband 
 with similar affection ; but having watched her opportunity, 
 because she had found out that Hyrcanus, her grandfather, had 
 been put to death by the contrivance of her husband, because 
 he erronously suspected him of having had a design upon the 
 kingdom, she attacked her husband with expressions of the 
 greatest hatred. Herod, hearing this, lays all the blame on 
 Slariamne, because he had sent her picture into Egypt to An- 
 tony, whom I have spoken of before, and had roused him by 
 the splendour of her beauty, and excited his passions, and he 
 was a man whom she knew to be violently given to all kinds 
 of amorous indulgences. And so Herod ordered her to be 
 put to death, though repentance for the deed very soon fol- 
 lowed upon the action. 
 
 Her sons, whom I have spoken of, succeeded their mother, 
 desirous to be avengers of her death, if they could ; asserting 
 that no sufiicient cause could be alleged to justify the crime of 
 parricide. By these circumstances, Herod was immoderately 
 enraged, so that there was no kind of ferocity to which he did 
 not give way ; he trusted no one, suspected every one. And 
 Antipater, the son of Herod and of his wife Dosis, whom I men- 
 tioned just now, seeing this, relying on two weapons, namely, 
 his skill in flattery and his cunning in simulation, began to 
 accuse his brethren before his father to such a degree, that 
 his father, forgetful of humanity, put them all to death in the 
 city of Sebaste. But the blood-thirsty mind of Antipater 
 was not satisfied with the death of his brothers, who were thus 
 slain ; but his impious mind, when he had no longer any 
 
112 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 S.Vy* o» 
 
 I 
 
 brethren to hate, began secretly to persecute his father. But 
 when the king discovered his intrigues, he suddenly caused 
 him to be decapitated. But before he was executed he begot 
 Herod Agrippa, of whom we shall speak hereafter. 
 
 Cu. XXXllL—0/the birth of John the Baptist. 
 Thehe was, in the days of Herod, king of Judaea, in the 
 twenty-ninth year of his reign, a priest of the name of Zecha- 
 riah, of the course of Abijah, and his wife Elizabeth was of 
 the family of Aaron. For David, the king, wishing to in- 
 crease the worship of the Lord, instituted twenty-four chief 
 priests, of whom, however, one was the principal, who was 
 called the Chief of the Priests. For he appointed sixteen men 
 of the family of Eleazar, and eight of the family of Ithamar, 
 and, according to lot, he gave each of them a week of their 
 turn. And Abijah had the eighth week, of whose fajnily 
 was Zechariah ; and when on the day of propitiation he was 
 offering incense, an angel foretold to him that he should have 
 a son born to him from his wife. But he, considering the 
 barrenness of his wife and the age of both himself and her, 
 did not believe it, and for this he was struck dumb till the 
 day of her delivery. The angel also told him what should 
 be the name of the child, and foretold to him his noble cha- 
 racter and his abstinence. So Elizabeth conceived, and hid 
 herself for five months. 
 
 Ch. XXXIV.— TAe Angel Gabriel is sent to the Virgin Mary, 
 But in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent to Naza- 
 reth, to Mary, who had been espoused to Joseph ; and when 
 he had saluted her and told her that she should bring fbrth 
 Jesus, the Son of the Highest, and when he had enquired 
 how this should be, seeing that she knew not a man, and had 
 even vowed not to do so, unless God arranged it otherwise, 
 the angel added that she should conceive, not by any man, 
 but by the operation of the Holy Spirit, and told her that her 
 cousin Elizabeth had already conceived. For the tribes of 
 the priesthood and of the kingdom were mingled. tor 
 Aaron had a wife named Elizabeth, of the tribe of Judah, the 
 sister of Naason ; and Jehoiada the priest had a wife named 
 Jochabeth, the daughter of king Jorara. And Mary answered, 
 " Be it done to me according to thy word." And immediately 
 Christ was conceived by the Virgin, a complete man in soul and 
 
 S.C Om 
 
 C^SAR S EDICT. 
 
 lUi 
 
 flesh, so that the lineaments of his limbs were discernible to 
 human vision. 
 
 And he is believed to have been conceived on the twenty- 
 fifth day of March, and when thirty-three years had elapsed, 
 to have died on the same day. And we must remark that 
 there were two sisters in Judsea, by name Hymeria and Anna, 
 the first of whom was the mother of Elizabeth, who brought 
 forth John, the forerunner of the Lord. The second had 
 three husbands, Salome, Joachim, and Cleophas. And Salome 
 begot Mary the wife of Zebedee, of whom were born James 
 the Greater, and John the Evangehst ; Cleophas begot Mary 
 the wife of Alphseus, of whom were born James the Less, and 
 Jude, or Thaddeus. And Joachim begot Mary, the Mother of 
 the Lord. And we have detailed these circumstances in order 
 to show the relationship between Elizabeth and the Mother of 
 the Lord ; as it was said by the angel, " Behold, your cousin 
 Ehzabeth has also conceived a son in her old age." 
 
 Ch. XXXV. — Joseph thinks of putting away Mary. 
 
 And immediately after the departure of the angel, Mary arose 
 and went into the city of Judah, and entered into the house of 
 Zechariah, and saluted Elizabeth, and remained there three 
 months, ministering to her cousin until she was delivered. 
 And when the child was circnmcised on the eighth day, and 
 was called John, Mary returned to her own home to Nazareth. 
 And when Joseph her husband knew that she was with child, 
 he was unwilling to divorce her, but was minded to put her 
 away privately. Then he was warned in his sleep by an angel 
 to take her as his wife, for the angel told him that her child 
 had been conceived by the Holy Ghost, and that he was one 
 who should save his people from their sins. So he, receiving 
 his wife, remained w ith her, both of them living in a state of 
 virginity, in order that she might enjoy the comfort of a hus- 
 band, and that the Son of God might be concealed from the 
 devil. 
 
 Ch. XXXVL — The circumstances preceding the Birth of otir 
 
 Saviour — Casars Edict — Christ is bom. 
 Then went forth an edict of Csesar Augustus, that a census 
 should be taken of all the world. The emperor wished to 
 know the number of countries in the world which were subject 
 to the Roman dominion, and also the number of the citizens 
 
 TOL. I. i 
 
114 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMIXSTEB. 
 
 B.C. 4. 
 
 m every country, and the number of heads in every city. He 
 also commanded that every one should come from all the sub- 
 urban towns and villages and boroughs to his own city, trom 
 which he derived his origin, and that each should bring a 
 piece of money for himself, which should be of the value ot 
 ten sesterces, and should have an image of Caesar and the 
 inscription of his name. And as Judaea appeared to be in the 
 very centre of our earth, the order was that this taxing should 
 
 be begun there. , , ^ • 
 
 Now this taxing was first made when Cyrinus was governor 
 of Syria, or else it mav^ be called " first," because it was the 
 first that took place after the entrance of Cyrinus on his 
 government, or it may be called " first," as being universal 
 and the greatest ever made by Augustus, because no such is 
 said to have been made either before or since. ^ ,. . 
 
 Joseph, therefore, went up from Nazareth to Bethlehem, 
 because he was of the family of David, in order to give m his 
 name with Mary, his wife, who was great with child. And 
 when she was there she brought forth her first-born son (nor 
 did she ever bring forth any one after him), and she wrapped 
 him in swaddUng clothes and laid him in a manger, between 
 an ox and an ass, which Joseph had, as it happened, brought 
 
 1 With respect to the difficulty which our chronicler here endeavours to 
 explain, I probably cannot do better than quote the note given m Do>^ey 
 and Mant's Bible (Luke ii. 2), condensed from Paley, Prideaux, and Dr. 
 Hammond :— " A difficulty has arisen respecting these words, fronii the cir- 
 cumstance of its appearing, from other historical records, that Cyremus 
 was not made governor of Syria till ten or twelve years after the birth of 
 Christ, and that at the beginning of his government an assessment was 
 made in Judaea. In order to meet this difficulty, it is to be stated that the 
 words in the original admit of being translated ' This was the first assessment 
 (or enrolment) of Cvrenius, the governor of Syria.' Thus we may suppose 
 that the assessment now spoken of, was made under the superintendence 
 of Cyrenius, who was afterwards the governor of Syna; and that as he was 
 subsequently well known by this title of governor of Syria, he is here by anti- 
 cipation called by that title. It should be observed that the assessment 
 here mentioned, is expressly said to be that ' first made,' an expression 
 which clearly has reference to a second assessment, that is, to the assess- 
 ment mentioned in history, about twelve years afterwards, when Lyrenius 
 was actual governor. An important confirmation of this mode of explain- 
 ing the difficulty is, that Josephus mentions the fact of the whole Jewish 
 nation having taken an oath to be faithful to Caesar, about the time ot 
 Christ's birth. And this may be the occasion of the very assessment or 
 enrolment of which we read in this verse." 
 
 B.C. 4. 
 
 JESUS CHRIST IS BORN. 
 
 115 
 
 with him to carry the things that were necessary for his jour- 
 ney. And because, on account of the number of rich 'men 
 who had come thither for the same purpose, there was no room 
 for poor people in the inn, they laid him in a manger, that the 
 Scripture might be fulfilled, " The ox knoweth his owner, and 
 the ass his master's crib." And Habakkuk' says, "You are 
 known between two animals." 
 
 Therefore, now as the legitimate line of kings had ceased, as 
 has already been said, there came, according to the prophecy 
 of Daniel, the expectation of all nations, Jesus Christ our Lord, 
 of the race of kings and priests, taking flesh upon him out of 
 his great mercy. 
 
 ^ It is not clear what passage in Habakkuk our author refers to here. 
 
BOOK VI. 
 
 THE SIXTH AGE OF THE WORLD.' 
 
 Ch. I.— FEOM B.C. 4 TO A.D. 15. 
 
 The Birth of Christ— Question tuhen the Sixth Age of the World 
 is properly said to begin— Circumstances attending the Birth 
 and Early Age of Our Saviour— Invective against the Heathen 
 Philosophers and their Theories— The Wise Men of the East 
 —Herod's Massacre of the Innocents— Account of Josephus— 
 Violence of Herod to his own Family— Treachery of Antipater 
 ^Cymheline and his sons in England— Death of Herod— His 
 kingdom is divided— Trogus—Archelaus— Death of Augustus 
 
 Casar. 
 
 In the fifty thousand nine hundred and ninety-ninth year 
 after the creation of the world, in the fifty-second year of the 
 reign^ of Augustus Caesar, and the thirtieth of the reign of 
 Herod, Cymbeline, the son of Tennancius, being king of 
 Britain, and in the third year of the hundred and ninety-third 
 Olympiad, in the fourth indiction,^ in the second existing 
 
 1 From this period, our Author no longer divides his work into Books 
 or Chapters but proceeds without any break to the coronation of Wilhara 
 the Conqueror. For the divisions into chapters, as given in this volume, 
 the Translator is responsible. , ., At 
 
 2 This looks as if he dated the reign of Augustus from the murder of 
 Julius Cffisar, which, however, took place b.c. 44, not b c 42. The 
 battle of Philippiwas b.c. 42. The battle of Actium not till e.g. 31. 
 The era a.d. coincides with the first year of the 195th Olympiad. 
 
 3 " The indiction, instituted by Constantme the Great, is properly a 
 cycle of tributes orderly disposed for fifteen years, and by it accounts or 
 that kind were kept. Afterwards, in memory of the great victory obtained 
 by Constantine over Megentius, 8 Cal. Oct. (24 Sept.) 312, by which an 
 entire freedom was given to Christianity, the CouncU of Nice, for the 
 honour of Constantine, ordained that the accounts of years should be no 
 longer kept by Olympiads, which till that time had been done, but that, 
 
 B.C. 4. 
 
 WHEN THE SIXTH AGE BEGAN. 
 
 117 
 
 epact,* and fifth concurrent,^ on the twenty-fifth day of 
 December, our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was born 
 in Bethlehem of Judsea, in order, by sanctifying the people of 
 the Gentiles, and the Jewish nation, to bind them together, 
 and unite them to himself. And he was born, according to 
 his most exactly ordered arrangement, on the night of the 
 Lord's day ; because, if you reckon back in the chronological 
 tables, you will find the fifth concurrent of this year, the third 
 regular of January. And when they are added together, and 
 seven are subtracted, one remains. And so you will find that 
 the first of January on that year fell on a Sunday, which 
 corresponds to my calculation. For on the same day in 
 which God said, '* Let there be light, and there was light,'* 
 the day-star from on high visited us, in order to give light to 
 those who sat in darkness, and to guide them into the way of 
 
 peace. 
 
 And the sixth age began, according to some people, with 
 the Nativity of Christ. According to the Apostle, for instance, 
 who says, " When the fulness of time shall have come," &c. 
 According to others, with the day on which he was baptized, 
 on account of the regenerative 'power given to the waters. 
 
 instead thereof, the indiction should be made use of by which to reckon, 
 and date tlieir years." — Johnson's Did. in voc. But this can hardly be 
 what our author means. Ducange says, " Indiction is a name given by 
 the Latins to a number of fifteen years, usually added to the years of 
 Christ, to prevent mistakes in chronology." The passage in the text is 
 not very clear, and Ducange confesses that there is great difficulty about 
 the word, on more accounts than one. 
 
 * " Epact, a number whereby we denote the excess of the solar year 
 above the lunar, and thereby may find out the age of the moon every year. 
 In the solar year consisting of' 365 days, and the lunar but of 354 ; the 
 lunations every year get eleven days before the solar year, and thereby, in 
 nineteen years, the moon completes 20 minutes (times ?) 12 lunations, or 
 gets up one whole solar year, and having finished that circuit, begins again 
 with the sun, and so from 19 to 19 yesLts:*— Johnson's Diet, in voc. 
 
 ' " Concurrents is a name given to a number of days never exceeding 
 seven, which, being added to the regulars, make up a festival." — Ducange 
 in voc. Cone. " In the works of the ecclesiastical chronologers, there are 
 solar and lunar regulars. A solar regular is an invariable number added 
 to a month, which, lieing added to a concurrent, points out in what day 
 of a week any month of which it is the regular begins. A lunar regular 
 is an invariable number added to a month, in order to find out the moon 
 in tJie calends of each month." — Ibid. Reyularis. 
 
118 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEB. 
 
 B.C. 4. 
 
 nt 
 
 According to others, with his Passion, because then the door 
 was opened, and the seventh glory of those at rest began. 
 Therefore, Christ put off his Advent to the sixth age, in order 
 that the length of time might not destroy the fulness of the 
 new law. For if he had come before, perhaps the length of 
 time would have effaced all the precepts of the new law. 
 Moreover, it was becoming that he who had made man on the 
 sixth day, should bring him to the fulness of the law in the 
 sixth age of the world, and as the world was now growing 
 old, should refresh it by his new arrival. 
 
 As shepherds, at a distance of one mile from Bethlehem, 
 were keeping the watches of the night, in attendance upon 
 their flocks, behold ! an angel of the Lord stood near them, 
 announcing that a Saviour had been born in Bethlehem, and 
 as a sign of it, he told them that the child was placed in a 
 manger. For it was a custom from old time among the Gen- 
 tiles, at each solstice, to keep the watches of the night, on 
 account of their veneration for the sun ; and this custom had 
 probably obtained among the Jews, from the practice of those 
 with whom they dwelt. 
 
 And when the angel departed, there appeared a multitude of 
 spirits, saying, *' Glory to God in the highest,'* &c. Very 
 deservedly, at the birth of the Lord, is the Song of Peace 
 heard from the angels, because by His birth peace was made 
 between God and man, between angel and man, and between 
 Jew and Gentile. Therefore, the shepherds going to Beth- 
 lehem, found there the Great Shepherd in the manger, and 
 related what they had heard and seen. But Mary kept all 
 these things in her heart. 
 
 And although Christ was thought the son of Joseph, still 
 his generation was in this manner. For the first creation of a 
 human being was out of the earth ; the second out of the side 
 of the man ; the third from man and woman ; and this one from 
 woman and the Holy Ghost, without a man. And on the 
 eighth day, Christ was circumcised, and his prepuce is said to 
 have been brought down by an angel, in the time of Charle- 
 magne, to the temple of the Lord at Jerusalem, and by him to 
 have been transferred to Aix la Chapelle, and afterwards to have 
 been placed by Charies the Bald in the Church of the Saviour, 
 at Carosium, and to have been reverently honoured in that 
 Church. 
 
 B.C. 4. 
 
 TARIOrS OPINIONS OF rniLOSOPHERS. 
 
 119 
 
 And after the days of the Purification of Mary were accom- 
 plished, his parents brought Jesus to Jerusalem, and offered 
 victims for him, a pair of turtle-doves and two young pigeons, 
 and moreover they redeemed him with five pieces of silver. 
 And there was at Jerusalem an old man, named Simeon, who 
 had received an answer from the Holy Spirit, that he should 
 not see death till he had first seen the Lord's Christ; and he 
 came with the Spirit into the temple, and took Jesus in his 
 arms. And in the same hour, Anna, the prophetess, coming 
 in, spoke of him to all those who were looking for the re- 
 demption of Israel. 
 
 Let, therefore, those philosophers of the Gentiles be con- 
 founded, who, by their sagacious investigations, have been 
 able to conjecture that the world and all the courses of things 
 are composed of four elements; and who, seeking for the 
 author of the world in the elements, have never been able to 
 find him. For Thales, the Milesian, having comprehended 
 the calculations of astronomy, began to predict the eclipses of 
 the sun and moon ; for he thought himself that water was 
 the origin of all things. Anaximander, his pupil, asserted 
 that all things were derived not from moisture, but from their 
 own several beginnings, and he taught that first principles 
 were infinite in number. And as Thales had asserted that 
 the origin of all things was to be found in water, Anaximenes in 
 air, the Stoics in fire, and Epicurus in atoms, Plato is praised, 
 who was the first person who divided Philosophy into three 
 divisions, namely, Moral Philosophy, which is conversant about 
 actions. Natural Philosophy, which is devoted to contemplation, 
 and Logical Philosophy, by which the truth is distinguished 
 from falsehood. 
 
 But the philosopher Pythagoras, when he was asked what 
 he professed, replied, ** That he was a philosopher, that is 
 to say, a lover of wisdom." For to profess himself a wise 
 man, appeared to him to be a most arrogant proceeding. 
 But all these men, because they sought for wisdom without 
 faith, perished on account of their folly. Were not these 
 men, the Holy Fathers of the Old and New Testament, wiser 
 than they ? for they, being clear-sighted with lynxes' eyes, 
 found God as he is ; while those who sought him in the ele- 
 ments, could never find him at all. 
 
 Also Abel the Just, by giving tithes and first-fruits, made God 
 
120 
 
 MATTUEW OF WESTMINSTEB. 
 
 A.D. 2. 
 
 
 J 
 
 propitious to himself, and was the first person who gained the 
 crown of martyrdom. Enoch, the seventh from God, pleased 
 God, and was translated into Paradise. Noah also by faith de- 
 livered himself and his children from the danger of the deluo-e. 
 Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righte- 
 ousness. Moses believed, and wrote that the Trinity created 
 the Heaven and the Earth and all that is therein. The holy 
 David and his son Solomon, and Isaiah, and Jeremiah, and 
 Ezekiel, and Daniel, and the rest of the Prophets preached 
 the true God and worshipped him, asserting that the natures 
 ryhich had been created by him, derived the beginning and 
 end of their existence and motion from him ; and that he 
 gave all living things that rational spirit which is called the 
 mind ; and that he regulated the human race in its beginning 
 and progress, and in its end. Lastly, these men, being inspired 
 with the Holy Spirit, announced to us that the Author and 
 Governor of all things, being fettered by no chains, and divi- 
 sible into no parts, is confined to no place, is in no part change- 
 able, filling heaven and earth with his power, but with a 
 nature which is in need of nothing ; and that he regulates 
 everything which he has created in such a manner that he 
 allo\«s it to practise and exercise its own appropriate motions. 
 
 Lastly, among those wise men of the world who are ac- 
 counted fools before God, there is found to be such excessive 
 disagreement, that it is difficult to perceive in what opinion 
 even a diligent reader may rest. But our writers, though they 
 were not contemporaries or fellow-disciples, are still found to 
 agree with one another, and to be at variance in no respect. 
 For they were the organs of God, and therefore they all, if 
 moved by the divine harmony, knew that there was one be- 
 ginning, one progress, and one end of all things. 
 
 A.D. 2. These astronom-ers, through their own skilfulness in 
 their art, without any divine inspiration, came to Jerusalem say- 
 ing, ''Where is he that is born king of the Jews ? For we have 
 seen his star in the East, and are come with gifts to worship him.'* 
 And when Herod heard this, he was alarmed, being a man who 
 had no connection with the royal family ; and having sent for the 
 doctors of the law, he asked of them where Jesus should be 
 born. And they said to him, '* In Bethlehem of Judah ; for 
 thus it is written in the book of Micah the Prophet. And 
 thou Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, art not by any means 
 
 A.D. 2. 
 
 THE LORD ADOBED BY THE MAGI. 
 
 121 
 
 the least among the princes of Judah, for out of thee shall 
 come a babe who shall rule my people Israel." Then Herod 
 having privily called the wise men, enquired of them carefully 
 the time of the star which had appeared to them. And send- 
 ing them to Bethlehem, he said, *' Go ye and enquire diligently 
 about the young child, and when ye have found him bring me 
 word, that I may go and worship him also." But he said this 
 treacherously, wishing to kill him, because he was to be the 
 king of the seed of David, who might be able to get posses- 
 sion of his kingdom. 
 
 Then the wise men, coming to the cradle of Christ, found 
 him with Mary his mother, and falling down they worshipped 
 him, and opening their treasures they ottered him gifts, gold, 
 frankincense, and myrrh. And when the duty of their devo- 
 tion had been wisely discharged, they omitted to return to 
 Herod ; on which account the king was alarmed with more 
 suspicion, and adopting a wicked counsel, he sent and slew all 
 the children who were in Bethlehem, from two years old and 
 under, hoping that among the boys of the same age, he should 
 slay the child Jesus. For he had learnt that the star had 
 arisen on the day in which the Lord was born, and according 
 to the rising of the star, he knew that Jesus was a year old, 
 and a few days over ; and therefore he let loose his fury upon 
 the children of two years old and under, down to the infant 
 who was only one night old. But Joseph, having been warned 
 by the voice of an angel, took the child and his mother and 
 lied into Egypt on the second of February, and remained there 
 till the death of Herod. In reference to which it is said that 
 as when the children of Israel departed from Egypt, there was 
 not one house in Egypt in which, by the contrivance of God, 
 there was not some one lying dead, so now there was not a 
 temple in Egypt in which an idol had not fallen down. 
 
 Some say that it was on the thirteenth day after his birth, 
 that the Lord was adored by the Magi, and that the star had 
 appeared to them a considerable time before Christ was born, 
 and that so they were able to come from a distance, or per- 
 haps they travelled over a wide extent of country, sitting on 
 dromedaries. But the account given by Josephus, appears to 
 contradict this opinion. For he says that Herod was summoned 
 by letter by Csesar Augustus, to go to Rome to answer the 
 accusations of his sons, whom I have spoken of above ; and 
 
122 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMIXSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 3. 
 
 I 
 
 that he took Alexander, his son, with hira to Rome, and ac- 
 cused him before Caesar of having prepared poison for him. 
 And as he was traveUing through Sicily, hearing that the ships 
 of the people of Tarshish had conveyed the Magi, he, being 
 vehemently enraged, burnt the ships of Tarshish, so that the 
 prophecy of the Psalmist was fulfilled, ** In an angry spirit," &c. 
 
 But when he had pleaded his cause against his sons, before 
 Caesar, a reconciliation was made up between them, on these 
 conditions, that the young men should obey their father in 
 all matters, and that he himself should leave his kingdom to 
 whoever he chose. And when he came to Jerusalem he con- 
 vened the people, and relating the peace that had been made 
 between them by Caesar, he declared that he would appoint an 
 heir. Thus being more firmly established in his kingdom 
 than before, he ordered the children to be put to death ; the 
 greater part of whom are buried at the third milestone from 
 Bethlehem, on the southern road. Chrysostom says that the 
 star appeared during the year before the Nativity of the Lord, 
 and that Herod believed that the Lord had been born at that 
 time, and therefore he thought that the Lord was two years 
 old with the addition of a few days ; and therefore he slew all 
 the children of two years old and upwards, up to five years, 
 but none less than two years old ; and he speaks below of the 
 age of two years according to his calculation of the number. 
 For as from a calculation of the time, those who are younger 
 than two years old are inferior to those who are born after 
 them, so by calculation of number, those who are more than 
 two years old are inferior to them, because they are reckoned 
 after them. And it appears, to prove this assertion, that some 
 bones of the Innocents are considered so large that they cannot 
 belong to children who were but two years old. But it may be 
 said to this, that men at that time were far taller and larger 
 than of late. This year also was Bissextile, consisting of 
 three hundred and sixty-six days, and it was called Bissextile, 
 because the sixth of the calends of March was reckoned 
 twice. 
 
 A.D. 3. By the cunning of the before-mentioned Antipater, 
 Alexander and Aristobulus were a second time rendered objects 
 of suspicion to Herod ; and on this account the father wrote to 
 Augustus and accused his sons of many crimes. Caesar there- 
 fore sent Saturninus and Piarius, his lieutenants, with a rescript, 
 
 A.D. 3. 
 
 HEBOD PUTS HIS SONS TO DEATH. 
 
 123 
 
 1 
 
 
 that they should bring the two young men before a council of 
 the nobles which they should convoke, and try the sons, and 
 that Herod should do what he pleased with them if he could 
 convict them. But when both sides had been heard, the 
 lieutenants pronounced that they deserved to be condemned, 
 but not to death. Then their father threw them into prison 
 at Sebaste, and ordered their accomplices to be put to the tor- 
 ture, in order that, by their confession, he might learn if his 
 sons were contriving anything against his Ufe. And one of 
 them confessed that he had had great promises made to him 
 by Alexander, if he would give his father poison. And his 
 barber confessed that great gifts had been promised him if, 
 while he was trimming their father's beard, he would cut his 
 throat. He added also, that Alexander had said that there 
 was no hope to be placed in an old man who dyed his hair in 
 order to seem young. 
 
 Herod, being influenced by these things, sent javelin men, 
 and ordered his sons to be put to death, and to be carried to 
 Alexandria, and to be buried there, with Alexander, his ma- 
 ternal grandfather. Then Herod made a will, and appointed 
 Antipater to be king after him, and Herod who was sumamed 
 Antipas, to govern in the place of Antipater ; but Antipater in- 
 curred intolerable hatred from the people, as every one knew 
 that he had heaped calumnies on his brothers and fellow sub- 
 jects ; and on this account, his father regarded him with an un- 
 favourable eye. Besides this, Antipater was displeased with his 
 father, because he had substituted his brother for him, and 
 shown that he was unwilling that the kingdom of Antipater 
 should come to his children. He had another and still more 
 influential cause of dislike towards his father. For he che- 
 rished with paternal aff'ection the youthful children of those 
 sons whom he had slain, joining them to other grandchildren of 
 his in matrimony. For, according to Josephus, there were little 
 children left by Aristobulus, namely, Herod Agrippa, who 
 slew James with the sword, and Herodias, whom Herod An- 
 tipas afterwards took away from his brother Philip. Anti- 
 pater, therefore, was afraid that, some time or other, Herod 
 would restore the kingdom to his brother's youthful children, 
 because he was related to them on the mother's side. He 
 also excited Feroras to a frantic hatred of Herod, to such a 
 degree, that Feroras left his father, and settled in the land 
 which had been granted to him on the other side of Jordan. 
 
121 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 4. 
 
 But Antipater himself, with even the consent of his father, 
 when he had devised some opportunity for doing so, went to 
 Rome, and procured a very efficacious poison from a certain 
 female poisoner of Arabia, and gave it to the wife of Feroras, 
 that while he himself was absent, it might be given to his 
 father by a servant whom he himself had bribed for the pur- 
 pose. But while Antipater was absent at Rome, Feroras died, 
 and Herod received information about the poison which was 
 thus stored up in the care of the wife of Feroras, from a hand- 
 maid who left her mistress in a passion. Accordingly, having 
 summoned his brother's widow, he orders her to bring him the 
 poison. She having left the palace as if for the purpose of 
 getting it, threw herself down a height, but being brought 
 half dead to the king, she said, ** When your brother and my 
 husband died, he said to me, wife bring hither the poison 
 that Antipater left us, and burn it in the fire before my eyes, 
 in order that I may not carry with me to the shades below, a 
 conscience which will be the avenger of my fratricide. But I 
 threw a great portion of it into the fire, but kept back a small 
 part for my own use in any doubtful circumstances, because 
 I was afraid of you." But when she had given him the box 
 she died. 
 
 And as he had received many other proofs that Antipater 
 was labouring to effect his father's death, Herod recalled him 
 suddenly, and repudiated his mother. And when he had pub- 
 licly accused his son of parricide, in the presence of Varus, 
 the governor of Syria, who had come to Jerusalem at that 
 time, he threw him into prison at Jericho. And when the 
 father sought for the accomplices of his son, in order to slay 
 them all together with his son by exquisite punishments, he 
 was hindered by a violent attick of illness. 
 
 The same vear John the Evangelist was born. 
 
 A.D. 4. Caesar Augustus was passing the forty-fifth year of 
 his reign. At which time there were two sophists in Jerusa- 
 lem, whom not a few of the young men used to follow when 
 they expounded the law. It seemed a good opportunity to 
 them while Herod was seen to throw down the golden eagle 
 which the king had set up contrary to the laws of his country 
 over the principal gate of the temple. And when it was thrown 
 down, the king being very angry, got the better of his disease 
 by the violence of his anger, and proceeding to the pubhc assem- 
 
 
 A.l). 7. HEBOD'S messes gees EETURN from ROME. 125 
 
 bly, endeavoured to revenge the insult upon all the people of 
 Jerusalem. But, yielding to the entreaties of the people, he 
 revenged himself on the authors of the action only. Accor- 
 dingly he took those who had been let down with ropes, to cut 
 the eagle to pieces, and burnt them alive with the two sophists. 
 
 After this he was afflicted with various distempers. For 
 he had no slight fever, and an intolerable itching over the 
 whole surface of his body ; he was harassed incessantly with 
 the pains of the cholic, his feet were swollen with dropsy, 
 rottenness in his members was breeding worms ; his panting 
 for breath was incessant, he was constantly giving vent to 
 broken sobs, which were referred by all people to the ven- 
 geance of God. He crossed the Jordan at Calirope, where he 
 took the warm baths, and as the physicians had recommended 
 the bathing his body with warm oil, he was placed in a ves- 
 sel full of it, and relaxed to such a degree that he even rolled 
 his eyes in a powerless manner, like a dead man. But then, 
 when the bystanders raised a shout, he with some difficulty 
 was brought to look up again. 
 
 A.D. 5. Cymbeline, the king who had reigned over Britain, 
 begot two sons, namely, Guiderius and Arviragus, of whom 
 Guiderius was the elder ; and when his father died, as is stated 
 below, he succeeded to the helm of the kingdom, and governed 
 the people who became his subjects in joy and peace. 
 
 About this time, Herod sent ambassadors to Home, and 
 brought many accusations against his son Antipater. 
 
 A.D. 6. Herod returning to Jericho, as he had heard that the 
 Jews had shown great joy at the news of his expected death, 
 ordered all the youths of noble birth in Judaea to be collected 
 and shut up in the hippodrome, that is to say, in the prison of 
 the Circus, giving a charge to his sister Salome, that when he 
 expired she should immediately put them to death, so that all 
 Judaea might mourn at his death as well as during liis life. 
 This year also was a Bissextile year. 
 
 A.D. 7. The messengers whom Herod had sent to Rome 
 returned, and brought a letter from Caesar, to the effect that he 
 might send Antipater into banishment, or, if he preferred it, 
 might condemn him to death ; and he was a little reinvigorated 
 by the messengers ; but afterwards he asked for an apple, (a 
 fruit that he was very fond of eating) and also for a knife to cut 
 it with ; and as on a sudden he was shaken by a violent cough. 
 
 I 
 
126 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEB. 
 
 A.D. 8. 
 
 he, looking round to see that there was no witness to hinder 
 him, raised his right hand to stab himself. But Asciabus, his 
 cousin, held his hand, and immediately a lamentation arose in 
 the king's palace, as if the king were dead. And Antipater 
 hearing it, exulted greatly, and promised the guards large 
 rewards to release him. And when Herod heard this, he was 
 more indignant at the exultation of his son than grieved at 
 death, and he instantly sent guards to execute him, and he 
 ordered him to be buried in Hyrcania. And immediately he 
 altered his will, and left Archelaus his son his successor in his 
 kingdom, but in such a manner that he was to receive the 
 diadem from Augustus. But five days after the death of his 
 son, Herod, who had lived miserably, died more miserably 
 still, in the forty-ninth year of the reign of Augustus ; and 
 Archelaus buried him in Herodium, according to his own in- 
 junction. And sitting in the tribunal, he said that he meant to 
 govern in the name of the king till his succession was con- 
 firmed by Caesar, promising to show himself a better governor 
 than his father in every respect. 
 
 But a sedition arose in Rome, a thing which often happens 
 under new kings ; and as Archelaus could not quell it, though 
 he sent a great body of guards and slew about nine thousand 
 men, he went to Rome himself, leaving Archelaus governor of 
 the kingdom. Herod Antipas, also, went in order to dispute 
 the possession of the kingdom with his brother. At length, 
 by the advice of the senate, Csesar divided the monarchy of 
 Herod ; giving the central part, that is Judaea and Idumaea, 
 to Archelaus. But he divided the central' part into two te- 
 trarchies, and the country on the other side of Jordan and 
 Galilee fell to the share of Herod, but Itursea and Trachonitis 
 were given to Philip. And so the three brothers were sent 
 back into Judsea, having remained four months at Rome, 
 awaiting the decision in the matter. But Archelaus raged 
 against his subjects more savagely than his father had done. 
 
 A.D. 8. The second year of the reign of Archelaus. The 
 angel told Joseph to return with his child and its mother 
 into the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus 
 was reigning in Judaea in his father's stead, he did not like to 
 go thither, but went to Galilee, and abode in Nazareth. 
 
 > There is evidently some error in the text here. The sense seems to 
 require caeteram, or some such word, instead of mediam, so that the 
 translation should be, " he divided the remainder." 
 
 A.D. 11. 
 
 CANINUS THE ORATOR DIES. 
 
 12: 
 
 A.D. 9. The fifty-first year of the reign of Caesar Augustus. 
 Trogus Pompeius- terminated his chronicles, in which he 
 had, as it were, handed down the course of the world which 
 was past to the memory of posterity. For he so relates the 
 history of the republic of the Romans, and of their arms which 
 that nation carried so widely over the whole world, from the 
 beginning to tlie present time, that any one who reads his 
 account may learn that virtue and fortune laboured together 
 to build up the Roman empire. 
 
 A.D. 10. The Athenians endeavoured to create a sedition in 
 their city against the Romans ; but were put down, and the 
 leaders of the insurrection were put to death. 
 
 About the same time, Archelaus, to show his contempt for 
 his family, repudiated Mariamne, his brother's daughter, 
 whom his father liad given him as his wife ; and married 
 Glasira, the daughter of the king of Cappadocia, and pre- 
 viously the wife of his brother Alexander, who had been mar- 
 ried after the death of Alexander to Juba, king of Libya ; 
 and ever since the death of Juba, had lived in widowhood with 
 her father. And when she had returned to Judaea, and mar- 
 ried Archelaus, she fancied that she saw Alexander standing 
 over her, and saying, ** Was not a lawful marriage enough to 
 content you, but must you again return to my house, and 
 form a shameless connection with my brother ? I will there- 
 fore, recover you though against your will." And she, after 
 she had related the dream, survived scarcely two days. 
 
 A.D. 1 1 . The fifty-second year of the reign of Augustus 
 Caesar, and the fifth of the reign of Archelaus, king of Judaea. 
 Caninus the orator died of starvation. 
 
 2 Trogus Pompeius was a Gaul by descent, whose grandfather received 
 the citizenship of Rome from Pompey the Great, during his war with 
 Sertorius. His history is not extant, but we have forty-four books of Jus- 
 tin's history, which the author tells us was entirely derived from the 
 universal history of Trogus Pompeius. And from Justin we learn that 
 Trogus's history consisted also of forty-four books, called Libri Historiarum 
 Phillipicarum, as the main object of the writer was to give an account of 
 the rise and fall of the Macedonian monarchy; though he digressed so 
 as to take in the history of the eastern nations : the Peloponesian war, 
 the Sacred war, the history of the Apulians, Sabines and Samnites, while 
 the last books contained a sketch of the Roman history and notices of 
 the Ligurians, Massilians and Spaniards. One of the last events men- 
 tioned in it was the recovery of the standards of Crassus from the Par- 
 thians, b.c. 20. 
 
128 
 
 MA.TTHEW OF WESTMINSTEB. 
 
 A.S. lb. 
 
 A.D. 21. THE TEMPERING OF GLASS DISCO VEltED. 
 
 129 
 
 A.D. 1*2. The boy Jesus remained in Jerusalem behind hiB 
 parents, and after three days he was found by his parents, sit- 
 ting in the middle of the doctors, both hearing and asking them 
 questions ; and all were astonished at his wisdom and answers. 
 
 A.D. 13. Augustus, with his son Tiberius, had a census of 
 Rome taken, and the population was found to amount to nine 
 million three hundred and seventy thousand. 
 
 A.D. 14. The fifty-fifth year of the reign of Augustus Caesar. 
 King Archelaus, who had been often accused, was sum- 
 moned before Csesar. And five days before he was to appear 
 before him, he dreamt that nine full and excellent ears of corn 
 were devoured by oxen. And while he was consulting the pro- 
 phets whom he had summoned respectingthis dream, Simon the 
 Essene interpreted the ears of corn as meaning years, and the 
 oxen the change of affairs, because oxen turn over and changes 
 the land by ploughing it. And he said, therefore, that tiie 
 dream portended that he should reign nine years, and die after 
 he had experienced several changes of circumstances. Accor- 
 dingly, coming to Rome in the ninth year of his reign, he was 
 condemned by Caesar, and sent into banishment to the city of 
 Vienne, in Gaul ; just at the time that an echpse of the sun 
 took place. 
 
 A.D. 15. Augustus Caesar was stricken by illness at Nola, 
 and died, after he had reigned fifty-seven' years, six months, 
 and ten days. For as the Lord was born in the forty-second 
 year of his reign, and was thirty years old in the fifteenth 
 year of the reign of Tiberius Csesar, it follows that Augustus 
 Caesar died when the Lord was in his fifteenth year. 
 
 And he died in the seventy-seventh year of his reign, at 
 Acella, a city of Campania ; and he was buried in the Campus 
 Martins, boasting above all things that he had left that a 
 marble city which he had found a brick one. 
 
 * Our Chronicler here is inconsistent with himself. If the fourteenth 
 year of the Incarnation of our Lord was the fifty-lift h year of Augustus' 
 reign, it is quite plain that in the next year he would not have reigned 
 fifty-seven years and a half. He is also not quite right ahout our Lord's 
 age. Augustus really died 14th Cal. September, 19th August, a.d. 14, 
 when our Saviour was in the eighteenth year of his age. Consequently, 
 the thirtieth year of his age coincides with the twelfth of the reign of 
 Tiberius. And the crucifixion took place ad. 33, in the thirty-seventh year 
 of his age. 
 
 Ch. IL — From a.d. 15 to a.d. 38. 
 Reign of Tiberius— Livy— Ovid— A great earthquake in Asia 
 Minor— Invention of Glass— Death of Cymbeline— History of 
 Pilate— The preaching of John— Principal events in ovr 
 Saviours life— Judas hcariot— Letter of Cctsar to the Senate 
 about Christ— The Apostles— St. Stephen— St. Paul— Portrait 
 of our Saviour — Death of Pilate. 
 
 A.D. 16. Tiberius Claudius, the son of Julia, and stepson of 
 Augustus Caesar, was raised to the empire ; and he reigned 
 twenty-two years. At first, he governed the republic with ^reat 
 moderation, so much so, that when some people advised^him 
 to increase the tribute imposed on the provinces, he answered 
 that It was the part of a good shepherd to sliear the sheen 
 and not to flay them. ^' 
 
 A.D. 17. Livy the Ortensian, the historian, finished his 
 history. And it was in this year, according to some authors 
 that Augustus Caesar died. For tho«e who adopt this opinion 
 reckon the half year and the few days that are over as an 
 entire year. 
 
 A.D. 18. The second year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar. 
 
 Ihe admirable poet Ovid died in exile. For he had been 
 
 banished by Augustus Caesar, and sent to an island in 
 
 Fontus, on account of Caesar's wife, with whom he was sus- 
 
 pected of too great an intimacy. It was also said that he 
 
 had composed some books in verse about her; and on that 
 
 account he was banished by the emperor her husband. 
 
 A.D. 19. Valerius, the historian, wrote an account of the 
 sayings and actions of the Romans. In the same year Ger- 
 manicus, the son of Drusus and father of Caligula, triumphed 
 over the Germans, against whom he had been sent by Augustus 
 v-'Sesar. 
 
 A.D. 20. Thirteen cities were overthrown by an earthquake 
 pkT?, x^^'^T'^^^^^^'^^' ^^"^^'^ Monestene,Hiero,C8csarea; 
 and H rcanta "'^'''* Themus, Cyme, Smyrna, Apollonia, 
 
 A.D. 21. Fenestella, a \vriter of histories and poetry, died in 
 he seventieth year of his age, and was buried at Cum^. in 
 the tenth indiction. 
 
 In the same year, a certain artist discovered how to temper 
 glass, making it flexible and ductile. And when he had been 
 brought before Tiberius Caesar, he ofl-ered him a small bottle • 
 
 TOL. I. ^ 
 
130 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 28. 
 
 at wliicli the emperor was indignant, and threw it down on 
 floor But the artist picked the bottle up from the floor, 
 whicii had become bent like a vessel of brass, and taking a 
 hammer out of his bosom, he beat the bottle into shape again. 
 When he had done this, Csesar said to the artist "Is anyone 
 else acquainted with this manufacture of glass? And when 
 he had affirmed with an oath that no one else understood it, 
 he ordered him to be decapitated, lest, if the art became 
 known gold might come to be esteemed as clay, and all the 
 value for the precious metals entirely destroyed ; because, in 
 fact, if glass vessels could not be broken, they would do better 
 than either golden or silver ones. 
 
 A D 22. King Cymbeline, in whose reign our Lord was 
 born died in Britain, and was succeeded by Guidenus, his son, 
 who disdained to pay the Romans the usual tribute, a thing 
 which none of his predecessors from the time of Julius Csesar 
 
 had dared to attempt. t n • 
 
 A D 23 Tiberius Caesar summoned a great number ot kings 
 before* him, and sent none of them back to their kingdoms, 
 but reduced all their kingdoms into provinces, and appomted 
 procurators where there had been kings. . 
 
 AD 24. Valerius Gracchus was sent as procurator of Judaea; 
 who thinking all gain to be piety, openly sold the office of high 
 priest, and removed Annas, and appointed Ishmaelhigh pnest. 
 
 AD 2.5. The ninth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar. 
 The theatre of Pompey was burnt, in the fifteenth indiction. 
 
 A D. 26. Gracchus, the procurator of Judsea, removed Ish- 
 maei the high priest, and appointed Eleazar, the son of Annas, 
 
 in his room. , 
 
 A.D. 27. The same procurator removed Lleazar, ana ap- 
 pointed Simon high priest. r, • i 
 
 AD 28. Simon is removed, and Josippus, who is also 
 called Caiaphas, appointed in his place. After which event 
 Valerius returns to Rome. There was a certain king, bv 
 name Tyrus, who had a carnal knowledge of a certain damsel 
 named Pila, the daughter of a certain miller, by name Atus, 
 and who compounded one name out of the two, and gave 
 the son whom the damsel bore the name of Pilatus. When 
 Pilatus was three years old, Pila sent him to the king. But 
 the king had also a son by his wife, who was very nearly 
 
 A.D. 28. 
 
 HISTORY or PILATE. 
 
 131 
 
 the same age as Pilate. Wliile the two children were growing 
 up to years of discretion, they constantly played together, 
 contending with one another in wrestling, and* boxing, and 
 sUnging. But the legitimate son of the king, as being of 
 noble blood, was found to have in every point more action than 
 Pilate, and more skilful in every kind of contest, and there- 
 fore Pilate, being moved with envy, and being excited with 
 bile and indignation, privily slew his brother. And the 
 king, hearing of this, was greatly grieved, and having sum- 
 moned an assembly, asked them what ought to be done with 
 this wicked homicide. And all cried out with one accord that 
 he was a criminal worthy of death. But the king, coming to 
 himself again, would not crown one iniquity with another, 
 but sent him to Rome as a hostage for the tribute which he 
 was bound annually to pay to the Romans, wishing both to be 
 innocent of the slaughter of his son, and at the same time to 
 be freed from the tribute to the Romans. 
 
 There was at this time at Rome the son of the king of the 
 Pranks, whom the king had sent to Rome in a similar manner, 
 on account of his tribute. Pilate associated with him, and 
 finding that he was surpassed by him in accomplishments 
 and energy, gave way to the stings of envy, and murdered 
 him. But when the Romans inquired what ought to be done 
 with him, they said this man, who has murdered his brother 
 and assassinated our hostage, will be very useful to the repubhc 
 if his life is spared, and being of a savage disposition himself, 
 will bow down the necks of our savage enemies. They said, 
 therefore, as he is guilty of a capital crime, let him be ap- 
 pointed judge in Pontus over those nations wiio would endure 
 no judge at all ; so that perhaps their obstinacy may be sub- 
 dued by his severity ; and if he does not succeed^ let him meet 
 with the punishment that he deserves. Accordingly, Pilate 
 was sent to that ferocious nation, which was in the habit of 
 murdering its judges, not being ignorant of the character of 
 the people among whom he was sent, and on what a thread 
 his life hung ; and so he, having due regard to so important 
 a matter, wished to save his own life, and by great severity he 
 utterly broke the spirit of the nation by threats and promises, 
 by punishments and bribery. 
 
 But Herod, when he heard of the energy of the man, felt 
 a kindred dehght in his cunning, being a cunning man him- 
 
 K 2 
 
132 
 
 MATTUEW OF WESTMINSTEB. 
 
 A.D. 30. 
 
 self and by gifts and messengers incited him to come and 
 see C: and gave him up his power and authonty over JudBea 
 and Jerusalem^. The aforesaid Pilate, when he I'ad collected 
 a countless sum of money, went to Rome without the know- 
 ledge of Herod, and offered a vast sum to the emperor Tiberms, 
 and prevaUed upon him, by presents to '=<'»«"".•'""'" ,°* 
 government, which at present he held from Herod. P™t'"« 
 Pilate therefore was sent by Tiberms as procurator of Jud^a 
 in whose time Herod Antipas called the town which he had 
 bnilt Tiberius, in honour of Tiberius. On this account, PiUite 
 and Herod became enemies, until, at the time of our Lord s 
 Passion, Pilate again made Herod his friend, by sending the 
 
 ''tnotheJ^cause is assigned for their enmity i" the scholastic 
 histories. For a certain person making himself out to be the 
 Sotof God,ledanumber'of the Galileans to Mount Genz.m 
 where he said that he would ascend into heaven. But^Pilate 
 loming upon them, slew him and all his followers, feanng 
 lest he might seduce the Jews m tlie same manner. Ajid on 
 to account they became enemies, because Herod was ruler 
 over the Galileans. And either cause may be the true one. 
 
 A.I). 29. Servius Plautus, being accii^ed of having cor- 
 rupted his son. and being convicted, kiUed himself, before 
 
 the tribunal.^^^^^ the Baptist, in the time of the high priests 
 Annas and Caiaphas, preached in the desert the bapt^m of 
 repentance for the remission of sms, because he moved 
 those who were to be baptized to repentance, and did not bap- 
 tize any, except those whom he saw to be repentant. 
 
 The same year, Jesus coming from Galilee to Jordan to him, 
 was baptized by him. And Jesus lumself began to be about 
 thirty years of age, that is to say, he had began his thirtieth 
 year, thirteen days of that year being passed. And according 
 to this, Jesus lived only thirty-two years and a halt. But 
 John Chrysostom was of another opinion. For the opinion of 
 some authors is, that in the same year the Lord called h^ 
 Apostles, began to teach the doctrine of the Gospel, fasted, 
 was temptedTand performed the miracle of the wine , because 
 it is read that he and his disciples were "'"t^d to a marriage 
 But the opinion of others is more probable, vvhich says that 
 he did all these things before John the Baptist was thrown 
 
 
 A.D. 31. 
 
 HISTOET OF JUDAS ISCAKIOT. 
 
 133 
 
 iato prison, but that he did them privately, and that after 
 that time he preached publicly ; and we shall follow this order 
 of events, without prejudice to the other opinion. 
 
 But we read in the Gospel that the Lord called the Apostles 
 twice. First of all, when lie saw Nathanael under the fig-tree ; 
 but they did not at that time follow him perfectly, because 
 they returned to their former occupations. A second time also 
 he called them, when crowds were flocking to him ; and when 
 he himself saw there two ships standing by the lake. And 
 then, leaving all, they followed him perfectly. 
 
 A.D. 31. On the thirteenth day, according to the opinion, 
 which I have already mentioned, the Lord turned the water 
 into wine, at the marriage of the governor of the feast, his 
 mother obtaining this favour from her Son. In the same year 
 we read that John was thrown into prison by Herod. In this 
 year, too, we read of the second calling of tlie Apostles, in 
 which Jesus chose twelve to preach the faith of the Gospel, 
 and to bear witness to the truth; among whom he had one 
 whose wickedness he turned to a good purpose, and so ful- 
 filled the sacrament of his Passion, and gave an example to 
 his church of enduring the injuries of wicked men. 
 
 We read in a certain history, that there was a man in Jeru- 
 salem, by name Reuben, who was also called Simon, of the tribe 
 of Judah, or, according to Hieronymus, of the tribe of Issachar, 
 who had a wife who was called Cyborea. Accordingly, one 
 night, when each of them was well satisfied with the other, 
 Cyborea being asleep, saw a dream, which she, being greatly 
 alarmed, related to her husband, with groans and sighs, saying, 
 *'It seemed to me that I was bringing forth a wicked son, who 
 was the cause of the destruction of the whole of our race." 
 And Reuben answered her, *'You are saying a shocking thing, 
 one which ought not to be said ; and 1 think you are hurried 
 away by a frantic spirit of divination." But she replied, "If I 
 feel that I have conceived, and if I bring forth a son, then 
 beyond all doubt it will have been no frantic spirit that pos- 
 sessed me, but a certain revelation." 
 
 Accordingly, as time went on, when she had brought forth 
 a son, his parents were greatly alarmed, and began to con- 
 sider what they should do with him. And as they were re- 
 luctant to put him to death, and yet were unwilling to breed 
 up the destruction of their race, they placed the child in a 
 
134 
 
 MATTUEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 31. 
 
 basket, and exposed him on the sea, and the waves of the sea 
 drove him upon an island which is called Scarioth. And from 
 that island he was called Judas Iscariot. But the queen of that 
 place, who had no children, happened to go down to the sea- 
 shore, for the sake of bathing, and when she saw a basket 
 tossed about by the waves of the sea, she ordered it to be 
 opened. And finding in it a child of elegant shape, she 
 sighed, and said, "0, if I were relieved by the comfort of such 
 an offspring, so that I might not be without a successor to 
 my kingdom !" Therefore, she caused the child to be secretly 
 bred up, and feigned that she herself was with child. At 
 length she pretended that she had been delivered ; and the 
 matter becomes known by common report over the whole 
 kingdom. All the princes are greatly rejoiced at the birth 
 of a child, and the common people are delighted with extrava- 
 gant joy. Accordingly, she causes the child to be bred up 
 in a way suited to the royal magnificence. 
 
 But not long afterwards, the queen did really conceive by 
 the king, and brought forth a son to his father. But when 
 the two children had grown up to some size, they were often 
 playing together, and Judas used to annoy the king's son 
 by repeated injuries, and often drove him to tears. But the 
 queen, being vexed at this, and knowing that Judas was not 
 in any way connected with her, used frequently to beat him. 
 But even then he did not desist from annoying the other boy. 
 
 At length the truth is made known, and it is divulged that 
 Judas is not the real son of the queen, but only a fouudhng. 
 And when Judas found this out, he was exceedingly ashamed, 
 and privily murdered his putative brother, the king's son. 
 And as he feared sentence of death for this action, he fled 
 with the tributaries to Jerusalem, and gave himself up to the 
 court of Pilate, who was governor at that time. And as the 
 circumstances of both of them were very much alike, and Pilate 
 found that Judaa very much resembled him in disposition, 
 therefore he began to feel a great afi'ection for him. There- 
 fore, Judas is appointed to preside over the whole of Pilate's 
 court, and every thing is regulated by his nod. Accordingly, 
 on a certain day, Pilate, who was looking from his palace at 
 a certain garden, was seized with such a longing for the apples 
 that grew there, that he appeared almost ready to faint. But 
 that orchard belonged to Reuben, the father of Jidas ; but 
 
 A.D. 3J. 
 
 JTDAS DAJNGS HIMSELF. 
 
 135 
 
 Judas did not recognise his father, nor did Reuben recognise 
 his son, because Reuben thought that he had perished in the 
 waves of the sea, and Judas was utterly ignorant who was his 
 father, or what was his country. 
 
 Accordingly, Pilate sent for Judas, and said to him, " I am 
 seized with such a longing for those apples, that if I am dis- 
 appointed of them, I shall die." Judas, therefore, being thus 
 excited, leaps into the orchard, and quickly gathers the apples. 
 In the meantime Reuben comes, and catches Judas while he 
 is stealing the apples ; therefore they both struggle together 
 vigorously, and there is a great quarrel. After the quarrel 
 they come to blows, and heap mutual injuries on one another. 
 At last Judas strikes Reuben with a stone in that part where 
 the head is joined to the neck, and kills him. And so he took 
 the apples, and went and told Pilate what had happened. 
 
 The day is sinking and the night coming on, when Reuben 
 is found dead, and is supposed to have been overtaken by 
 sudden death. Then Pilate gave Judas all the property be- 
 longing to Reuben, and gave Cyborea, the wife of Reuben, as 
 a wife to Judas. After this, when one day Cyborea was sigh- 
 ing bitterly, and Judas, her husband, asked her anxiously what 
 cause of grief she had, she answered, *' Alas! I am the most un- 
 happy of all women, because I have found my infant drowned in 
 the waves of the sea, and my husband overtaken by death ; but 
 Pilate has added grief to my grief, in making me a miserable 
 bride, and in giving me, against my will, in marriage a third 
 time.'* And when she had related the whole of the story about 
 her child, and Judas had told her all that had happened to 
 him, it was discovered that Judas had married his own mother, 
 and had slain his father. Being influenced, therefore, by re- 
 pentance, at the persuasion of Cyborea, he sought our Lord 
 Jesus Christ, and implored pardon for his sins, and became 
 the disciple of Christ. And afterwards, when Satan entered 
 into him, he sold his Lord and master for thirty pieces of 
 silver, namely, to the Jews, who bound him and led him away, 
 and gave him up to Pontius Pilate, under whom he suff'ered, 
 was crucified, died, and was buried. 
 
 And, as the history of the Gospels teaches us, Judas him- 
 self, when he saw that he had been condemned, threw down 
 the pieces of silver in the temple, and went away and hanged 
 himself and, while hanging, burst in the middle, and aU his 
 
136 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEB. 
 
 A.D. 33. 
 
 A.D. 33. 
 
 PILATE S LETTER TO C.llSAIl. 
 
 137 
 
 bowels were scattered. And the devil went off with that im- 
 pure and sordid soul of his through his belly, and not through 
 his mouth, as he had entered through his cheeks, in order 
 that he might have nothing to do with the mouth with which 
 he had kissed our Saviour. For that mouth which had touched 
 the glorious mouth of Christ was not to be polluted in so vile 
 a manner. It was fitting that the bowels which had conceived 
 such treachery should be burst and fall to pieces ; and that 
 the throat from which the words of treason had gone forth 
 should be pressed by a halter. For it very often happens that 
 the manner of the punishment intimates the manner of the 
 fault ; on which account the head of the body is cut off from 
 a man, because he himself has cut off the head of the mind, 
 that is to say, reason. And so Judas died in the air, to show 
 that he was to be associated with the powers of air. For it 
 was fitting that that man should be separated from the region 
 of men and angels, who was an object of detestation to both ; 
 and therefore, both the manner and the place of his punish- 
 ment corresponded to his crime. 
 
 A.D. 32. The beginning of the twentieth jubilee according 
 to the Hebrews. In this year also the Transfiguration 
 of our Lord is believed to have taken place, on the eighth 
 of the ides of August (6th August) ; an event which the 
 Lord forbade to be divulged, lest his Passion should be 
 hindered. At this time, also, our Lord Jesus Christ chose 
 seventy-two disciples, who were to go before him into every 
 place whither he himself was about to come ; and Matthias, 
 who succeeded the before-mentioned Judas, is believed to have 
 been one of them, and likewise Joseph, who was called the 
 Just, and Cleophas, who is related to have been the brother of 
 Joseph, the father of our Lord, and Barnabas, whom we have 
 mentioned before. All these men were sent to prepare the 
 gospel before the Lord, in order that their master, when he 
 came after them, might be more honoured. 
 
 A.D. 33. Our Lord Jesus Christ was betrayed by his dis- 
 ciple, and suffered under Pontius Pilate, as has been already 
 said, and was crucified on the twenty-fifth day of March, and 
 the twenty-fifth of the moon. And he rose again the third 
 day, in the month which is called by the Hebrews Nisam. 
 He ascended up to heaven on the fifth of May, and on the 
 fifteenth of the same month the Holy Ghost descended upon 
 the apostles. 
 
 Now concerning this Passion of our Lord, Pontius Pilate 
 wrote to Tiberius Csesar in the following manner : 
 
 "Pontius Pilate to his master Claudius, greeting. The 
 thing has lately happened, which I myself am also pleased at, 
 namely, that the Jews out of envy have ruined themselves and 
 their posterity with a cruel damnation. For as their fathers 
 had a promise that God would send them his Holy One from 
 heaven, who should be deservedly called their king, and had 
 promised that he would send him upon earth by means of a 
 virgin ; and when, during my government, the God of the 
 Hebrews had come, and they had seen Him give sight to the 
 blind, cleanse the lepers, cure the paralytic, drive devils out of 
 men, raise the dead, command the winds, walk over the sea 
 with dry feet, and do many other marvellous things, and when 
 all the people of the Jews called him the Son of God, then 
 the chief priests became full of envy towards him, and de- 
 livered him to me, and, telling all sorts of dift'erent falsehoods, 
 said that he was a sorcerer, and that he was acting contrary 
 to their law. And I believed that the fact was so, and having 
 scourged him, I gave him up to their will. And they crucified 
 him, and put guards over him after he was buried. But he, 
 though my soldiers were guarding him, rose again the third 
 day. But their envy was inflamed to such a height that they 
 gave the soldiers money, saying to them, * Say ye that his 
 disciples have stolen his body V But the soldiers, after they 
 had received the money, could not keep silence about what had 
 really happened. For they testified that he had risen again, 
 and that they had received money from the Jews, and there- 
 fore I have suggested this, that no one may speak falsely by 
 giving any other account of it, or may think it necessary to 
 believe the lies of the Jews." 
 
 Then Caesar, with an expression of great satisfaction, laid 
 the letter before the senate, requiring that Christ should be 
 considered a God. But the senate refused to consecrate Christ, 
 being moved with indignation because the letter had not been 
 laid before them first, according to custom. Then the senate 
 passed an edict that the Christians should be exterminated out 
 of the city. But Csesar, being indignant at this, threatened 
 their accusers with the death which they wished to inflict upon 
 the Christians. And from that day forth, the formerly much- 
 praised modesty of Caesar began to be changed, as a punish- 
 
138 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 AD. 33. 
 
 raent to the contradictory senate. For he behaved with such 
 savage cruelty to the Romans, that he scarcely left one of them 
 safe. And it so fell out that they who had hoped to be saved 
 by the guidance of Christ, were punished by their own Caesar. 
 For it was a scandalous thing that the consecration of Christ 
 should stand in need of human assistance. 
 
 But in the meantime the apostles at Jerusalem ordained 
 Matthias an apostle, and they ordained also seven deacons, 
 whose names are these, Stephen, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, 
 Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a stranger of Antioch ; from 
 whom arose the heresy of the Nicolaitans. When he went 
 forth to preach, he took with him a most beautiful wife ; and 
 when on a certain day he was reproached by his companions 
 with jealousy, he brought her forward into the middle of them, 
 that if any one chose he might abuse her. From which 
 circumstance, some heretics think that one may lawfully in- 
 dulge in promiscuous and illegitimate connections, taking in a 
 wicked way his contempt for that lust as a sanction for the 
 gratification of their own lusts. 
 
 Moreover, when the preaching of the word of God was ex- 
 tending itself widely abroad through diflferent provinces, Phihp, 
 going down into Samaria, preached there the word of God. 
 There was at that time in the city a certain magician, named 
 Simon, seducing the people ; and he was called by them the 
 Virtue of God : and he, seeing the miracles which Phihp per- 
 formed, believed, and was baptized by him. But when, a few 
 days afterwards, Peter and John arrived, and had laid their 
 hands on the heads of those who believed, they received the 
 Holy Ghost. And Simon seeing this, brought them money, in 
 order that he might receive this power. But Peter said to him, 
 " Thy money perish with thee, since thou hast thought that the 
 gift of God can be acquired by money." Simon then, being 
 confused by these words, departed, not being able to bear the 
 thunderbolt of the word of God. About the same time, James, 
 the brother of the Lord, was ordained by the apostles Patriarch 
 of Jerusalem ; and he was the son of Alpheus and Mary the 
 sister of the mother of the Lord. Then the apostles, being about 
 to go over the whole world, to preach the gospel to every creature, 
 arranged a creed, in order that, as they were going to different 
 nations, they might not preach different doctrines, but might 
 all deliver the same truths. And so Peter entered Pontus, 
 
 A.D. 3; 
 
 TIBEEirS SENDS TO PILATE TOE CUEIST. 
 
 139 
 
 Galatia, Cappadocia, and Bithynia ; Andrew went to Achaia, 
 Thomas to Indus, John to Asia, Matthew to Ethiopia, all with 
 one accord preaching the faith of the gospel everywhere, the 
 Lord working with them, and confirming their discourse with 
 signs following. 
 
 A.D. 34. Stephen, the deacon and protomartyr, was stoned 
 at Jerusalem by the Jews, and Saul, a young man, took care 
 of the garments of the Jews who stoned him. Peter held 
 the chair of Antioch seven years. 
 
 A.D. 3;"). Paul the Apostle is converted to the faith and is 
 baptized at Damascus by Ananias, and then immediately enter- 
 ing the synagogue, he confounded the Jews who dwelt at 
 Damascus. After that he filled all the provinces, from Jeni- 
 salem as far as lUyricum, with his preaching. 
 
 A.D. 36. The Apostle Matthew wrote his gospel, and from 
 having been an apostle became an evangelist. The same 
 year, Tiberius Claudius, after he had reigned twenty-two years, 
 was killed by the intrigues of Caligula. 
 
 A.D. 37' Caius, surnamed Caligula, succeeded to the king- 
 dom, and reigned for three years, ten months and two days. 
 Because he had been born in the army, he got the name of a 
 military boot, that is of a caligula.^ He, in the first year of 
 his reign, gave the kingdom of the Jews to Herod Agrippa, 
 the son of Aristobulus, adding to him the tetrarchies of Phihp, 
 Lysanias, and Herod, who had beheaded John the Baptist, 
 and who had clothed the Lord Jesus in a white robe, and 
 sent him back to Pilate. 
 
 When Tiberius lay ill of a severe attack of leprosy, news 
 was brought to him that there was at Jerusalem a certain 
 physician, who cured all diseases with a single word ; and he 
 was not aware that the Jews and Pilate had killed him. Accord- 
 ingly he said to Volusianus, who was his intimate friend, " Go 
 quickly across the sea, and tell Pilate to send this physician to 
 me, to restore me to my former health." And when Volusianus 
 had come to Pilate, and had reported to him the command of 
 the emperor, Pilate was alarmed, and asked for a fortnight's 
 respite. Within which space of time, Volusianus had ex- 
 amined a certain matron, by name Veronica, who was well 
 
 ' The name of the boot, however, was caliga, and those who wore it 
 were caligati. 
 
 Adjutor gelidos veniam caligatus in agros. Juv. 111. 322. 
 
140 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 38. 
 
 acquainted with Jesus, where Christ Jesus could be found, 
 and she repUed, "Alas! he was my Lord and my God, and Pilate, 
 when he had been deUvered to him, out of envy, condemned 
 him, and ordered him to be crucified." Then Volusianus, being 
 greatly grieved, said, ** I am greatly grieved that I cannot do 
 what my master had ordered." And Veronica said, " As my 
 Lord used to go about preaching, and as I was very unwilling 
 to be deprived of his presence, I wished to have his likeness 
 drawn for myself, that, while I was deprived of his presence 
 I might at least have, as a comfort, the figure of his resem- 
 blance. And as I was taking a linen cloth to the painter to be 
 painted, the Lord himself met me, and asked me whither I was 
 going ; and when I had told him the reason of my journey, he 
 asked me for the cloth, and gave it me back again, stamped with 
 a likeness of his adorable countenance. Now if your master 
 looks devoutly on this likeness of his, he will immediately 
 enjoy the blessing of health." And he rephed, '* Is not such 
 a resemblance as this to be acquired by silver or gold ?" And 
 she said, " No ; I therefore will go with you with serious feel- 
 ings of devotion, and I will bring to Caesar the likeness which 
 he must look at, and then I will return." 
 
 Accordingly, Volusianus went to Rome with Veronica : and 
 said to the emperor Tiberius, " Pilate and the Jews have given 
 up to death, and out of envy have crucified Jesus, who was 
 formerly much wished for by you ; therefore a certain matron 
 has come with me, bringing the likeness of Jesus himself ; and 
 if you look on that devoutly, you will presently obtain the 
 blessing of your health." Csesar therefore ordered the path 
 to be covered with silken cloths, and desired the likeness to 
 be shown to him. And presently, when he had gazed upon 
 it, he obtained his former health. And this likeness is kept 
 to this day at Rome, in the church of the Chief of the Apostles, 
 and is shown to the people, and it is called by some Veronica, 
 from the name of the woman who brought it to Rome. 
 
 A.D. 38. Pontius Pilate is taken by command of Csesar, 
 and is led to Rome. And when Caesar heard that Pilate had 
 arrived in Rome, he was filled with excessive fury, and caused 
 him to be brought before him. And Pilate brought with 
 him the robe of the Lord, which was without seam, and 
 he put it on, and wore it before the emperor. And presently, 
 when the emperor saw him, he laid aside all his anger, 
 
 A.D. 38. 
 
 PILATE KILLS HIMSELY. 
 
 141 
 
 and immediately rose up before him, and could not prevail 
 upon himself to speak to him harshly on any subject ; and 
 he, who in his absence appeared so terrible and cruel, is 
 now in his presence found to be very mild. And when 
 he had let him depart, he immediately became terribly 
 enraged with him, calling out that he was miserable, because 
 he had not at all explained to him the madness of his praetor ; 
 and immediately he caused him to be recalled, swearing and 
 vowing that he was the Son of Death, and that he was not 
 worthy to live upon the earth. But the moment that he saw 
 him again, he saluted him, and laid aside all his ferocity of 
 disposition. All marvel, and he marvelled himself, that he 
 was so enraged against Pilate while he was absent, and that 
 while he was present, he was unable to speak at all harshly 
 to him. And when this had happened three times, Veronica 
 came in, and said to Caesar, *' Lord Caesar, that wicked 
 man being clothed in the garment without seam, of my Lord 
 Jesus, which his most glorious mother made for him with her 
 own hands, makes every man peaceable towards him." Then 
 Caesar ordered him to be stripped at that time, and imme- 
 diately resumed towards him all his ferocity of disposition. 
 And when the emperor expressed great astonishment at this 
 circumstance, he was told that that had been the tunic of the 
 
 Lord Jesus. 
 
 Then the emperor ordered him to be thrown into prison, 
 while he was deliberating with the council of his wise men 
 what ought to be done with him. Sentence therefore was 
 given against Pilate, that he should be banished and con- 
 demned to the most shameful death. And Pilate, being ba- 
 nished by Caesar to Vienne, a city of Gaul, slew himself with 
 his own hand and with his own knife, and by such a death 
 escaped from a miserable life. And when Caesar heard of the 
 death of Pilate, he said, " He has truly died by a most shameful 
 death, when his own hand has not spared him." Therefore 
 he was fastened to a great weight, and thrown into the river 
 Tiber. But the malignant and sordid spirits, rejoicing in his 
 malignant and sordid body, and carrying it aloft in the air, 
 excited wonderful inundations in the waters, and produced 
 in a terrible manner, hghtnings, and tempests, and thunders, 
 and hailstorms in the air, so that all men were kept in a state 
 of fearful alarm. Wherefore the Romans dragged him out of 
 
142 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMXNSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 40. 
 
 A.D. 44. CLAUDIUS CEOSSES OVEB INTO BRITAIN. 
 
 143 
 
 the stream of the Tiber, and by way of derision took him to 
 Vigenna, and threw him into the Rhone. For it is called 
 Vigenna, as if it were Via Gehennse (the way to hell), because 
 it was then the place of a curse. But the wicked spirits 
 were there also, doing the same things in that place. There- 
 fore, these men, not being able to bear being infested with 
 daemons to such a degree, removed that vessel of cursing 
 from them, and sent it to be buried in the territory of the 
 city of Lausanne. The men of Lausanne, as they were also 
 greatly afflicted in consequence by such hostiUties as I have 
 already described, removed it from themselves, and threw it 
 down a well, which was surrounded on all sides by moun- 
 tains, where even to this day, according to some accounts, 
 some diaboUcal machinations are seen to be boihng over. 
 
 In the scholastic histories it is said that Pilate was accused 
 before Tiberius of the violent murder of the Innocents, and 
 because too, in spite of the outcries of the Jews, he had 
 placed images of the Gentile gods in the temple, and because 
 he had appropriated to his own purposes money which had 
 been laid up for Corban, and with it had made an aqueduct 
 leading to his own house ; and that for all these things he 
 was exiled to Lyons, where he was born ; in order that he 
 might die to the disgrace of his nation. 
 
 Ch. III. — From a.d. 39 to a.d. 117. 
 
 Herod is deprived of his kingdom — Caligula — Claudius— St. 
 Peter is made Pope — St. Mark — Guiderius and Arviragus, 
 kings of Britain — Famine at Rome — Nero — Festus — St. 
 James — Mary Magdalene — Simon Magus — Nero sets fire 
 to Rome — Galba — Otho — Vitellius — Vespasian persecutes 
 the Jews — Titus takes Jerusalem — John — Simon — Linus 
 succeeds Peter as Pope — Arviragus dies — The Picts under 
 Roderic arrive in Britain — The Scots — Inacus, king of Bri- 
 tain — Domitian — <S^ John is banished to Patmos — Quinc- 
 tilian — Clement is Pope — Trajan's reign, victories, persecutions 
 of the Christians, and death. 
 
 A.D. 39. The emperor stripped Herod of his kingdom, and 
 condemned him with the adulterous Herodias to eternal exile ; 
 the damsel who danced was swallowed up alive by the earth. 
 A.D. 40. Csesar ordered the temple which was at Jerusalem 
 to be profaned by the sacrifices of the Gentiles, and placed a 
 
 statue of Jupiter there, and ordered himself to be worship- 
 ped and adored as the Lord of heaven and earth. Then, 
 having become hated by all men, he was slain by his own 
 guards. In his secret repositories were found two documents, 
 in which were contained the names of picked men, who were 
 destined to death. And there was also found there a chest 
 full of all kinds of poisons. But by the command of his suc- 
 cessor Claudius, they were all thrown into the sea, where 
 they caused the death of a great many fish. 
 
 A.D. 41. Claudius, the uncle of CaHgula, was raised to the 
 empire, and reigned thirteen years and eight months. 
 
 At the beginning of his reign, Peter, who had previously 
 governed the church at Antioch, came to Rome, and taught 
 the saving faith to all who believed his faithful words ; and 
 there he held the episcopal chair for twenty-five years, that is 
 to say, till the last year of the reign of Nero. 
 
 A.D. 42. Mark the EvangeHst published first at Aquilia, the 
 Gospel, which he had written at the dictation of Philip, and 
 having ordained Ilermagoras his disciple at that place, he 
 went on to Egypt. 
 
 A.D. 43. Herod Agrippa desired to oppress some of the 
 Church. And he slew James, the brother of John, with the 
 sword ; and seeing that what had been done in the matter of 
 the death of James pleased the Jews, he apprehended Peter 
 the Apostle, and threw him into prison. But the angel of 
 the Lord released him from prison and caused him to depart 
 in safety. 
 
 A.D. 44. Tiberius Claudius, having crossed over into Britain, 
 which no one had ever dared to do before Julius Caesar, and 
 which no one had ventured to attempt since his time, landed 
 in the city of Caerperis, which is now called Porchester. 
 For Guiderius, king of the Britons, had disdained to pay the 
 tribute which had now for many years been accustomed to 
 be paid to the Romans. And Claudius, being indignant 
 at this, determined to recover it. But Guiderius, as soon 
 as he had heard of the arrival of Claudius, attacked the 
 army of the Romans, and in a pitched battle compelled 
 the Romans to flee to their ships. And LaeUus Hamo, the 
 general of the emperor's army, seeing this, threw away his 
 own arms, and took up British arms, and began to fight 
 as though against his own countrymen. He encourages 
 
 » 
 
144 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 44. 
 
 the Britons to pursue, promising them a speedy triumph. For 
 he had learnt their language and their customs, because he had 
 been brought up among the British hostages at Rome. At last, 
 coming by degrees to where the king was, he slew him with 
 his sword, while he was expecting no such thing. Then escap- 
 ing among the enemy, he joined his own men again with his im- 
 pious victory. But Arviragus, the king's brother, when he knew 
 that he was killed, clothed himself in the royal armour as if 
 he were Guiderius himself, and urged the Britons to persevere. 
 At length, the Romans dividing into two parts, basely left the 
 field to the enemy. Arviragus therefore did not desist from 
 pursuing the enemy, until he caught them on the sea-shore, 
 and came upon Lsehus Hamo unexpectedly and slew him. 
 And that port is to this very day called the port of Hamo, that 
 is Hampton [Southampton]. 
 
 In the meantime, Claudius having recruited his forces, be- 
 sieged Caerperis, that is Porchester, with great vigour, and 
 threw down the walls, and subdued the citizens. But Arvi- 
 ragus pursued him with a hostile army, and Claudius threw 
 himself into Winchester ; then Arviragus besieged that city, 
 and endeavoured to take it by all sorts of machines. But 
 Claudius having thrown the gates open, came forth with his 
 men to battle. But, before the armies closed, they sent mes- 
 sengers from one to the other, and made peace on these con- 
 ditions, that Claudius should give his daughter in marriage to 
 Arviragus, and that Arviragus should hold the kingdom of 
 Britain from the Romans, subject to tribute. Arviragus agreed 
 to this, and, by advice of his friends, made submission to Csesar. 
 
 After this, Claudius sent for his daughter, and in the mean- 
 time, by the assistance of Arviragus, he reduced the Orkney 
 islands under his power. Then when the winter was passed, 
 the ambassadors returned with his daughter, whose name was 
 Gevuisa, and she was married with all due ceremony to Arvi- 
 rao-us. But Arviragus built a city in honour of Claudius, and 
 to^preserve the recollection of such an honourable marriage, 
 which, from his name, was called Caerglou, that is to say the 
 city of Claudius, and it is even now called Gloucester. Then 
 when Claudius had returned to Rome, the whole government 
 of all the islands in the province fell into the hands of Arvi- 
 ragus. The same year Herod Agrippa was smitten by an 
 angel, and swelling over his whole body, expired in a miserable 
 
 tB^m/mutMta^^mi 
 
 A.D. 52. VESPASIAN SENT BY CLAUDIUS TO BRITAIN. I4o 
 
 manner. And he was succeeded by Agrippa, his son, and re- 
 mamed kmg till the ultimate destruction of the temple. X 
 
 A.D. 45. The twelfth year after the Passion of our Lord 
 The blessed Virgin Mary was taken up to heaven by angels. 
 She had lived and remained in the house of the blessed Evan-> 
 gehst St. John, to whom Christ, when on the cross, had 
 recommended her. And the same year, between Thera and 
 Therasia, an island rose out of the 'deep, being; thirty stadia 
 in extent. "^ 
 
 A.D 46. The Evangelist Mark, having strengthened the 
 churches throughout Libya, Marmorica, Ammoniaca, Penta- 
 polis, and Alexandria, was at last seized by the heathens, and 
 received the crown of martyrdom at Alexandria. The same 
 year, Paul and Barnabas, having taken upon themselves the 
 Apostleship, preached to the Gentiles. 
 
 A.D. 47. When Cumanus was procurator of Judea, a great 
 sedition arose at Jerusalem, in the days of unleavened bread ■ 
 to such a degree that the people were crowded together at the 
 entrance of the gates, and thirty thousand Jews are said to have 
 been trampled under foot, and suffocated by the pressure. 
 
 A.D. 48. A census of Rome was taken under Claudius,*and 
 there were found to be six millions nine hundred and forty- 
 four thousand Roman citizens. 
 
 A.D. 49. Claudius, the emperor, expelled the Jews from 
 Home, as they behaved seditiously; a fact which is mentioned 
 by Luke the Evangehst, in the Acts of the Apostles. 
 
 A.D. 50. The emperor was passing the tenth year of his 
 reign. And m his time a great famine took place throughout 
 ftyna ; but Helen, the queen of the Allabeni, who had been 
 converted to the faith of Christ, suppUed him most abundantly 
 tor the necessities of the Christians. 
 
 A.D. 51. There was so great a famine at Rome, that the 
 emperor was attacked with abuse by the populace, in the 
 middle of the forum, and was shamefully pelted with crusts 
 of bread. 
 
 A.D 52. Arviragus, king of Britain, arrived at such a pitch 
 ot pnde that he would not any longer be held in subjection 
 to the Roman power. Therefore Vespasian was sent by 
 tlaudius to Britain ; and when he had begun to anchor hii 
 vessels in the harbour of Sandwicli, Arviragus met him, and 
 forbade hira to enter the port. But Vespasian, backing his 
 
 VOL. I. _. 
 
w 
 
 146 
 
 MATTHETV OF WESTMINSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 57. 
 
 sails, anchored off the coast near Totness, and besieged the 
 city which was then called in the British language Carpenhuel- 
 goit, but which is now called Exeter. Then, when seven 
 days had elapsed, Arviragus arrived, and engaged the Romans 
 in a battle ; and when each army had received a great deal 
 of damage, by the mediation of Gevuisa, the daughter of 
 Claudius, the generals were made friends. Then Vespasian 
 returned to Rome, and Claudius remained in Britain. 
 
 After this, Arviragus began to hold a senate, and to exhibit 
 such proofs of honour and liberality that his fame was cele- 
 brated throughout all Europe. On which account Juvenal is 
 related to have addressed the emperor in the following manner, 
 speaking of Romulus, who had been taken : 
 
 " Then you will take a king, or else, perhaps, 
 Arviragus will fall from off the pole 
 Of the Britannic chariot." 
 
 A.D. 53. The Emperor Claudius disinherited his son Britan- 
 nicus, making him incapable of succeeding to the Roman em- 
 pire, and adopted Nero, the husband of Octavia, his daughter, 
 as his successor. And not long after, Claudius died by poison. 
 
 A.D. 54. Nero, the fifth emperor beginning from Augustus, 
 having attained the sovereign power, reigned there ten years 
 and eight months. He shewed himself not only the follower, 
 but even the surpasser of all the sins and wickednesses of 
 his uncle Caligula. In the first year of his reign, Anianus 
 undertook the presidency over the church of Alexandria, as 
 successor to the Evangelist St. Mark. 
 
 A.D. 55. Festus, having been appointed by Nero, succeeded 
 Felix as procurator of Judea. By whom Paul the Apostle was 
 sent bound to Rome, where he was detained for two years in 
 free custody. 
 
 A.D. 56. A man of the name of Longius, who had formerly 
 been a soldier of the governor Pilate, and who at the time of 
 our Saviour's Passion was converted to the true faith by a 
 miracle, and who atlerwards at Csesarea, in Cappadocia, was 
 instructed by the Apostles, and made a bishop, finished his 
 life by martyrdom. 
 
 A.D. 57. Paul is said to have travelled as far as Spain, and 
 to have left Trophius at Aries, and Crescens at Vienne, who 
 were both disciples of his, to preach the gospel in these places. 
 
 A.D. 60. 
 
 INHUMAN CONDUCT OF NERO. 
 
 14; 
 
 A.D. 58. Albinus succeeded Festus, as procurator of Judea. 
 And at this time, Nero, who was capable of scarcely any actions 
 of mihtary daring, very nearly lost Britain. 
 
 A.D. 59. Peter the Apostle ordained two bishops, namely, 
 Linus and Cletus, to perform all the duties to the people in 
 the city of Rome as his suffragans, and to preach the faith of 
 Christ to the infidels without ceasing. 
 
 A.D. 60. Nero slew Agrippina, his own wife, and the sister 
 of his father. And he indulged in luxury to such a degree, 
 that he used to be bathed in both cold and warm unguents, 
 and to fish with golden nets, which he drew up with purple 
 cords. 
 
 Nero, urged on by the madness of his wicked mind, or- 
 dered his mother to be slain and cut to pieces, that he might 
 see how it was that he was cherished in her womb. And his 
 physician used to say, accusing him of his wicked conduct 
 towards his mother, " All laws, both human and divine, forbid 
 a son to kill his mother, who has brought him forth with so 
 much pain, and has nourished him with so much trouble and 
 anxiety." And he answered them, ** Cause me then to be- 
 come pregnant with a boy, and afterwards to bring him forth, 
 that I may know how great was the pain which was endured 
 lay my mother." (And he had conceived this desire of bring- 
 ing forth a child, because while passing through the city he 
 heard a woman crying out.) They tell him that such a thing 
 is not possible, because it is contrary to nature ; nor can any- 
 thing be known which is inconsistent with reason. Nero re- 
 plied to them, " Unless you cause me to become pregnant with 
 a boy and to bring forth, I will cause you all to die by a 
 cruel death." Then they gave him a drink, and in it they 
 secretly gave him a frog to swallow, and by their devices they 
 caused this frog to grow in his belly. And presently his belly 
 began to swell, not being able to endure what was contrary to 
 his nature, so that Nero beUeved that he was pregnant witli 
 child. And they made him observe a regimen, such as they 
 were aware was adapted to nourish a frog, saying " that it 
 was necessary to adhere to such a diet, because of his preg- 
 nancy." At length, when he was harassed with excessive pain, 
 he said to the physicians, '* Hasten the time of my deliver}, 
 because my languor is such that I am unable to pant or 
 breathe." Then they gave him potions to cause him to vomit. 
 
148 
 
 MA-TTHEW OF W£5TMl2f9TEE. 
 
 A.D. 66. 
 
 and at last he brought up a frog of a terrible appearance, in- 
 fected with humours, and all stained with blood. And Nero 
 beholding what he had brought forth, abhorred it, and won- 
 dered at its being so monstrous a thing. But they said, ** that 
 he had brought forth so deformed an offspring, because he was 
 unwilling to wait patiently for the due time of his delivery.'* 
 And he said, "Was I such as that, when I first quitted the hiding- 
 place of my mother ?'* And they said, " Yes." Therefore he 
 ordered that this offspring of his should be bred up, and 
 should be shut up in a vault of stone, and kept so. So tlie 
 physicians going to Rome, found the frog lying hid in a vault, 
 and threw it out of the city and burnt it. And from this cir- 
 cumstance, as some people affirm, that part of the city where the 
 frog lay hid, received the name of Lateran, from the frog lying 
 hid {a latente rand). Nero, too, as it is related in the Chroni- 
 cles, married a man as his wife. 
 
 A.D. 61. Statins SuesulUus, of Toulouse, in Gaul, taught 
 rhetoric, a man perfect in every branch of knowledge relating 
 to that art. 
 
 A.D. 62. James, the brother of the Lord, who was called the 
 Just, and was the Bishop of Jerusalem, was stoned by the 
 Jews, and had his brains dashed out with a fuller's pole ; in 
 whose place Simeon the Second is made bishop. 
 
 A.D. 63. Mary Magdalene departed to the Lord ; she who 
 washed the feet of the Saviour with her tears, and wiped them 
 with the hair of her head. 
 
 A.D. 64. Florus succeeded Albinus as procurator of Judsea ; 
 and as tbe Jews could not endure his luxury and avarice, 
 and all his other wickednesses, they began to rebel against 
 the Romans. And Vespasian was sent by Nero to put them 
 down, with his son Titus ; and they took many cities of Judaea, 
 and utterly destroyed them. 
 
 A.D. 65. Persius the poet died. Lucretius was put to death 
 by Nero, and he also deprived of his life his own preceptor 
 Lucan, whom he caused to be bled to death in a bath, because 
 in his youth he had flogged him, saying that he could not bear 
 the sight of him. 
 
 A.D. 66. Simon Magus came to Rome, and by his magic 
 arts caused the people to go mad, to such a degree, that by 
 some he was adored as a god. But the Almighty Lord, as 
 we read in the Acts of the Apostles, discovered his vanities 
 
 A.D. 67. 
 
 VESPASIAN SLATS THE JEWS. 
 
 149 
 
 and insanities by means of his Apostle Peter, who exposed him 
 80, that he threw himself down from a height, and broke his 
 neck, and died. Then Nero, being perplexed, gave orders to 
 apprehend Peter ; but Peter being at that time desirous to 
 escape from the city, when he came to the gate, saw Christ 
 meet him; so he, adoring him, said, "Lord, whither goest 
 thou ? And he said " I am coming to Rome, to be cruci- 
 fied a second time Peter, understanding that it was in him- 
 self that the Lord was going to suffer, inasmuch as he suffers 
 m his saints, not by pain of body, but by the compassion of 
 his mercy, returned into the city, and was soon taken bv 
 his persecutors, and led to the cross. And he was crucified 
 with his head downwards ; and Paul, who had been a lone time 
 detained in the city as a prisoner, was beheaded the same day 
 
 A.D. 67. Nero ordered the city of Rome to be set on fire 
 And in order to behold a likeness of Troy when it was burn- 
 mg, he feasted his eyes for six days and six nights with a 
 view of the violent fire ; and while he was surveying it from 
 a lofty tower, he was singing the Ihad with great joy, dressed 
 m the dress of a tragedian. 
 
 While these things were being done at Rome, Vespasian 
 crushed the Jewish race with a miserable overthrow For 
 he took the city of Jocapata, and slew forty thousand men 
 in It. He took Joppa, and drowned in the sea, in cold blood 
 four thousand five hundred souls. In Tarichia, when it wa^ 
 taken, six thousand seven hundred persons were slain and 
 SIX thousand youths sent to Nero. He slew twelve hundred 
 more, and sold thirty thousand four hundred prisoners for 
 slaves. At the taking of Gamale, four thousand are stated 
 to have been slain, and five thousand perished by beinc^ 
 thrown down a precipice ; two thousand more, who followed 
 John as their leader, were slain in GUgala, and three thousand 
 sentenced to captivity. After this, Jericho was destroyed, and 
 mnety-two thousand two hundred people perished. Of this 
 destruction, Isaiah thus prophesied against the wicked Jews 
 saying, " Alas, sinful nation ! a people heavy with iniquity a 
 worthless son, impious chUdren : they have forsaken the 
 Lord, they have blasphemed the Holy One of Israel, they are 
 turned backwards." In this destruction, when Josephus the 
 histonan, and the mihtary general of the Jews, was on the 
 point of being slam by the Romans, he predicted to Vespa- 
 
150 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 71. 
 
 sian the death of Nero, and that he himself would be emperor 
 after him, and so for the time he escaped danger of death. 
 
 A.D. 68. Galba was created emperor of Spain, and Nero was 
 pronounced at Rome a pubUc enemy by the whole people. 
 And when Nero heard that Galba had been created emperor 
 by the Roman army, he lost all courage and hope, and flying 
 in a most ignominious manner from the city, slew himself at 
 the fourth mile-stone, and in him the whole family of Caesar 
 became extinct. Galba, coming to Rome, reigned six months 
 and six days. 
 
 A.D. 69. Otho, who was born of a most illustrious family in 
 the town of Ferentum, came to Rome, and slew Galba in the 
 middle of the forum, and usurped the empire. He reigned 
 tnree months. 
 
 In the mean time, Vitellius having been created emperor by 
 the German legions in Gaul, hastened on his march towards 
 Rome. But Otho met him, and fought with him, and de- 
 feated him in three battles. And in the fourth battle, when 
 Otho found that his troops were beaten, he slew himself; 
 and so ViteUius came to Rome, and he reigned there eight 
 months. 
 
 A.D. 70. As Vitellius was behaving in Rome with great 
 cruelty and wickedness, he was murdered by pricks of innu- 
 merable most minute wounds, and at last was thrown into 
 the Tiber, and deprived of common burial. 
 
 Therefore, Vespasian, having heard of the death of Nero, 
 and that Vitellius was slain, having taken a great many cities 
 of the Jews, turned his attention to besieging the city of 
 Jerusalem. And after he had blockaded an innumerable 
 multitude of the Jewish nation in the city, who were assembled 
 there on account of one of their festivals, he appointed his son 
 Titus governor in his stead, and came to Rome. For as he had 
 been elected by the senate on account of the nobiUty of his 
 family, and his bravery in war, he would not be wanting to 
 the Romans, nor would he spare the Jews, whom Titus his 
 son continued to attack. 
 
 A.D. 71 . Vespasian obtained the empire, and he reigned nine 
 years, eleven months, and twenty-two days. In the meantime, 
 Titus, his son, was pressing the Jews with a terrible and lasting 
 siege. For, as all the rights of law had been corrupted, and 
 all religion violated by them, God deserted them ; and not only 
 
 A.D. 71. 
 
 THE EOMANS BESIEGE JEfiUSALEM. 
 
 151 
 
 did the Romans press upon them, but they themselves also 
 afllicted one another by their domestic seditions. For they 
 were busy hunting for extravagances of luxury, and rare per- 
 fumes ; they were curling their hair with curling-irons, and 
 painting their eyes with antimony, and dressing themselves in 
 female attire, and imitating their delicacy ; trying even to make 
 their voices effeminate, to change their sex, to walk with a min- 
 cing pace, letting their hair grow, painting their faces white, 
 pumicing their cheeks, plucking out their beards, and besides 
 all these things, they delighted in the practice of intolerable 
 cruelty. 
 
 Terrible sedition was let loose among them, peace was 
 buried, faith was withered, avarice was dominant to such a 
 degree, that nothing appeared to them to be honourable which 
 was unconnected with money. 
 
 They had two especial encouragers of this baseness ; one of 
 whom was John, a fickle man, a pest of the people ; inferior 
 to no one in cunning, a man never free from a desire of doing 
 mjury, crafty and treacherous, learned in Ues, he beheved 
 that deceitfulness was virtue, and would circumvent his dearest 
 friends. The other was called Simon ; a man equal to the 
 other for cruelty ; of a harsh disposition, and savage, one who 
 could be moved by no impulse to pity. These men, under 
 the pretext of preserving hberty, let loose their rage against 
 the nobles, who were either attacked by false accusations and 
 put down, or else thrown into prison and murdered. Also 
 foreign priests, who had obtained the priesthood by the 
 employment of bribes, dragged on the ignoble common people 
 to every wickedness, at the pleasure of their iniquitous chiefs. 
 But while these things were being done by the Jews, the 
 Romans were endeavouring to batter down the walls of Jeru- 
 salem, with machines and every sort of warlike instru- 
 ment. Nor was there any intermission, nor was any respite 
 given. Despair gave courage to the Jews, desire of glory 
 increased the valour of the Romans. Numbers of men were 
 slain, while the ramparts of the walls were loosened by con- 
 tinued blows. 
 
 At length the Jews gave way, and the Romans entered the 
 outer wails of the city, not without great injury and loss 
 on their own side. Then the war was rekindled, because 
 there still remained the walls to be won. Titus exhorts his 
 
152 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 72. 
 
 A.D. 75. THE KING OF THE PICTS LANDS IN BEITAIN. 
 
 153 
 
 soldiers on the one side, on the other the Jews who were 
 hemmed in had leisure for defence. In the meantime, miserable 
 famine attacked the besieged, so much that the whole city 
 was filled with corpses. Sons tore the food from the mouths 
 of their parents, and parents from those of their sons ; some 
 tore to pieces the carcases of horses, others stripped off the 
 bark of trees. Mothers roasted their own children and 
 drowned them ; many fed on the vomiting and dung of others. 
 And so four years passed from the time that siege was first 
 laid to the city. Titus ascended the walls, not without great 
 loss on the side of his army, and obtained possession of the 
 fortifications of the city, polluted the temple and the Holy of 
 Holies, plundered the sacred vessels, and distributed the gold 
 and silver and precious stones among his soldiers. 
 
 At last the Romans, weary with the enormous slaughter, 
 sought for men to whom the captive slaves might be sold ; but 
 because they were very many to be sold, and few buyers were 
 found, thirty slaves were sold for one piece of money. But 
 ninety-seven thousand captives were led away, and some 
 of them were even thrown to wild beasts to be eaten by 
 them. This last destruction of the temple happened eleven 
 hundred and two years after its foundation ; and the city was 
 burnt on the eighth day of the seventh month, and the temple 
 was utterly destroyed. And these things were done at the 
 time of the solemnity of Easter, which the Jews used to call 
 Pascha. For it was' fitting that they should be slaughtered 
 on those same days of Pascha in which they had ignominiously 
 scourged the Saviour of the world, who would have been their 
 own Saviour too if they had been willing, and hung him on 
 the cross. The Lord himself showed in the Gospel that this 
 destruction would take place, when he wept over the city of 
 Jerusalem, saying, " The days will come upon thee, and thy 
 enemies shall surround thee with a trench, and shall dash thee 
 to the ground, and thy sons who are in thee, and shall not 
 leave in thee one stone upon another, because thou knewest 
 not the time of thy visitation." 
 
 At the same time, Linus, the second pope, succeeded Peter 
 the Apostle in the chair at Rome, and sat in it eleven years, 
 three months, and twelve days. 
 
 A.D. 72. Judsea having been subdued by Titus, and Jeru- 
 salem having been destroyed, a dispersion of the Jews over 
 
 the whole world took place ; and many signs and wonders 
 preceded their dispersion. For a star in the form of a sword 
 was seen to stand over the city of Jerusalem, and a comet 
 lasted an entire year. At Easter the eastern gate of the 
 temple, which was closed, and which could scarcely be moved 
 by twenty men, opened in the night of its own accord. 
 Chariots and armed bands were in like manner seen to 
 move through the air. At the solemn festival of Easter, 
 one night a light shone in the temple equal to the light 
 of day, for half an hour. An ox which was brought as a 
 victim, brought forth a lamb in the middle of the temple. At 
 Pentecost a voice was heard in the temple, saying, '* Let us 
 depart hence, let us depart hence, let us depart hence." Jesus, 
 the son of Anianus, a man of the common people, kept con- 
 tinually crying out four years before the commencement of 
 the war, "A voice from the east, a voice from the west, a voice 
 from the four winds ; a voice in Jerusalem and in the temple, 
 a voice against new husbands and new brides, and against all 
 this people." And even though he was scourged, without 
 cursing or blessing any one, he cried out without ceasing for 
 seven years and five months, '* Yloe to Jerusalem !" And he 
 never became hoarse, and never ceased crying out. During 
 the siege he stood upon the wall and cried, " Woe to the wicked 
 city! woe to the shrine! woe to the temple !" And when he 
 added, *' Woe to myself!" an enormous stone struck and killed 
 him. 
 
 A.D. 73. Arviragus, the king of the Britons, having fulfilled 
 the days of his life, died, and was buried by Claudius at Chester. 
 Marius, his son, succeeded him in his kingdom, a man of won- 
 derful wisdom and prudence, and who formed such a friendship 
 for the Roman people, that he took care without the least ob- 
 jection to pay the tribute which was required of him. 
 
 A.D. 74. A Colossus was erected at Rome, which was a hun- 
 dred and seven feet in height. 
 
 A.D. 75. Roderic, king of the Picts, coming from Scythia, 
 landed in the northern part of Britain, and began to lay 
 waste that province. But Marius, king of the Britons, attacked 
 him in a hostile manner, and slew him. After that, he grants 
 to the conquered people who had come with Roderic a part 
 of Albany to dwell in, which is called Caithness, a desert 
 district, previously destitute of all inhabitants. 
 
154 
 
 MATTHEW OF "WIJSTMIKSTER. 
 
 A.D. 82. 
 
 
 A.D. 76. The Picts who had come with Roderic into Britain, 
 having no wives, asked the Britons to give them their daughters 
 and kinswomen in marriage. But when they were refused, 
 they crossed over the sea into Ireland, and bnngmg back 
 women out of that country, they begot children who were 
 all after their own likeness, men of moderate stature. 
 
 A.D. n. The people who derived their origin from the Picts 
 and from the Irish, begun to be called Scots, as a people made 
 up of different nations. For that is called *' Scot" which is 
 collected from many things into one heap. I Moreover, that 
 land which was formerly called Albany, now gets the name of 
 Scotland from the Scots. , . v^ 
 
 A.D. 78. Marius, king of the Britons, departed thishfe, and 
 left Coillus, his son, as his successor. He having been brought 
 up in Rome from his infancy, was much beloved by the senate. 
 For he paid the tribute which was demanded of him, and ruled 
 his kingdom in peace and tranquillity. 
 
 A.D. 79. John the Evangehst was accounted very eminent 
 in the church of the Ephesians. For having founded seven 
 churches in that city, the names of which we read in the Apo- 
 calypse, he took care to ordain suitable ministers in all of 
 
 them. 
 
 A.D. 80. Vespasian died at Rome of a flux of the belly, in 
 the seventeenth year of his reign. But some say that he died 
 of a violent attack of fever. 
 
 A.D. 81. Titus, the son of Vespasian, succeeded to the em- 
 pire, and reigned two years, and as many months ; a man 
 admirable for every kind of virtue to such a degree, that he 
 was called the love and delight of the human race. He was 
 so merciful in his government that he shed no blood whatever, 
 but dismissed some men who had been convicted of conspi- 
 racy against him, and retained them in the same intimacy 
 with himself as they had previously been. 
 
 A.D. 82. Titus was passing the second year of his reign. 
 He built an amphitheatre at Rome, and at his dedication he 
 killed five thousand wild beasts. He was also so far the most 
 eloquent man of his day, that he pleaded causes in Latin, and 
 composed poems and tragedies in Greek. He also said that 
 he had lost a day, when one had passed in which he had done 
 no good. At last he died in the city of Rome, to the great 
 grief of all the citizens. 
 
 I 
 
 A.D. 94. THE NEW FAITH FOUNDED AMONG THE GAULS. 155 
 
 The same year, Cletus became the third pope, and occupied 
 the Roman chair eleven years, one month, and two days. 
 
 A.D. 83. Domitian, the younger brother of Titus, succeeded 
 to the empire. He reigned fifteen years and six months. He 
 advanced to such a pitch of' pride that he ordered himself to 
 be called God and Lord, and to be worshipped ; and he was 
 the second emperor after Nero, who endeavoured most crueUy 
 to persecute the Christians and the Church of Christ by formal 
 
 edicts. 
 
 A.D. 84. John the Apostle was sent by Domitian into exile, 
 to the island of Patmos. There he wrote the Apocalypse, 
 which is called or translated in Latin the Revelation. 
 
 A.D. 85. Domitian the emperor built the Pantheon, that is, 
 a temple in honour of all the gods. 
 
 A.D. 86. Habilius succeeded Anianus at Alexandria, who 
 had been the successor of Mark. 
 
 A.D. 87. Flavia Domicilla, the niece of Flavius Clemens, 
 the consul, by his sister's side, was banished to the isle of 
 Pontia, on account of. her bearing witness to the faith ; at 
 the same time, QuintiHan the orator flourished. 
 
 A.D. 88. Domitian banished the mathematicians and philo- 
 sophers from the city of Rome. 
 
 A.D. 89. Domitian caused the Jews of the seed of David to 
 be put to death with bitter torments, as if there might have 
 been some king among them, who might obtain possession of 
 his kingdom. 
 
 A.D. 90. The Capitol, the Forum of Trajan, the Warm 
 Baths of Trajan, the Morning School, the Pantheon, the 
 Golden Roll, and the Temple of Vespasian, were all completed 
 
 at Rome. 
 
 A.D. 91. Domitian the emperor triumphed gloriously over 
 the Dacians and Germans. 
 
 A.D. 92. Domitian ordered gold and silver statues to be 
 erected to him in the Capitol. The same year, Cletus, the pope, 
 received the crown of martyrdom from Domitian. 
 
 A.D. 93. Clemens was elected fourth pope. He occupied 
 the Roman chair nine years, two months, and ten days. 
 
 A.D. 94. Clement, the bishop of the Roman see, sent some 
 energetic and noble men to lay the foundation of the new 
 faith among the Gauls. He sent Dionysius to the Parisians, 
 Nicasius to the people of Senlis, Taurinus to Evreux, Trophi- 
 
156 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEE. 
 
 AD. 98. 
 
 I 
 
 mu8 to Aries, Paul to Narbonne, Saturninus to the people of 
 Toulouse, Astremonius to Rennes, Martial to the Limoisin, 
 Gratian to Tours, Juliau to Le Mans, Lucian to Beauvais, 
 Firmius to the people of Amiens, Photivus to Lyons. And by 
 their efforts an innumerable multitude of men was induced 
 to abandon the worship of idols. 
 
 A.D. 95. John the Apostle is related to have been thrown, 
 by the emperor Domitian, into a cauldron of boiling oil ; and 
 he was taken out of it completely unhurt, as he had always 
 remained free from all carnal corruption. 
 
 A.D. 96. ApoUonius and Euphrates flourished, who are ac- 
 counted illustrious philosophers. Dionysius and Nicasius with 
 their companions received the crown of martyrdom ; and Domi- 
 tian ordered every one of the seed of David to be put to death. 
 
 A.D. 97. St. Denis, the disciple of the blessed pope Clemens, 
 suffered with his companions, Rusticus the archbishop, and 
 Eleuthericus the archdeacon, under Fecennius Sisinnius the 
 proconsul, in the city of Paris, on the seventh of October. At 
 the same time, the' blessed Nicasius also suffered with his 
 companions, under the same proconsul, in the city of Rouen. 
 
 A.D. 98. Domitian was murdered in the city of Rome, in his 
 palace, by the senate. And his corpse was exposed on a com- 
 mon bier, and carried to burial by the common night buriers, 
 and ignominiously insulted. 
 
 The aged Nerva succeeded him, and reigned one year, five 
 months, and six days. He, by his first edict, ordered all the 
 exiles whom Domitian had banished, to be recalled. In con- 
 sequence, the Apostle John was released by this indul- 
 gence, and returned to Ephesus. And because he saw that 
 the faith of the church had, during his absence, been shaken 
 by heretics, he condemned the heresy of Cerinthus and Ebion 
 in that city. For they both made out the world to have been 
 created by angels, and asserted that Jesus was only a man, and 
 denied his resurrection. Nor did they beUeve in the resurrection 
 of the dead. The Apostle being urged by his brethren to 
 overturn this heresy, wrote his Gospel, showing in the be- 
 ginning of it, that " In the beginning was the word, and the 
 word was God, and by him all things were made." 
 
 Nerva the emperor wishing to provide for the welfare of 
 the afflicted republic, when dying, adopted Trajan, a man of 
 the most consummate wisdom, as his son. 
 
 A.D. 111. ANTIOCll DESTKOYED BY AN EAllTUQUAKE. 157 
 
 A.D. 99. Trajan succeeded to the Roman empire, and reigned 
 nineteen years, six months, and fifteen days. In his time, 
 John the Apostle being ninety-nine years of age, went to Christ, 
 havino- delivered a discourse to his disciples who were present. 
 
 A.D^ 100. Trajan subdued many nations on the other side 
 of the Danube, and reduced Germany on the other side of the 
 Rhine to its former condition. 
 
 A.D. 101 . Trajan occupied Seleucia, Ctesiphon, and Babylon ; 
 and was the first man, since Alexander, who marched as far as 
 the borders of India. 
 
 A.D. 102. After the death of the blessed Clement, Anacletus 
 sat in the Roman chair, and occupied it nine years and ten 
 months. And the see was vacant thirteen days. 
 
 A.D. 103. Trajan put in operation a persecution against the 
 Christians, and Simon, the son of Cleophas, bishop of Jeru- 
 salem, was crucified, and succeeded by Justus. 
 
 A.D. 104. Saint Ignatius, bishop of the city of Antioch, was 
 brought to Rome, and given to wild beasts to be devoured, on 
 the first of February. 
 
 A.D. 105. Alexander, bishop of Rome, received the crown ot 
 martyrdom, and is buried at the seventh milestone from the 
 city, on the Numantine road, on the spot where he was be- 
 headed. 
 
 A.D. 106. The aged Zachariah, bishop of the church at 
 Vienne, received the crown of martyrdom. And his predeces- 
 sors, of whom the first was Crescens, and the next Martinus, 
 were disciples of the apostles. 
 
 A.D 107. Phny the orator and historian, who among other 
 judges had been sent to prosecute the church, inflicted severe 
 death on no one, but, as soon as he was appointed, mode- 
 N-ated the original edict by rescripts of a more gentle tenor. 
 
 A.D. 108. The golden palace at Rome, which had been built 
 by Nero, was burnt by a sudden conflagration. 
 
 A.D. 109. The Pantheon at Rome, which Domitian had 
 built to the admiration of all men, was burnt by lightning. 
 
 A.D. 110. An earthquake destroyed almost the whole of the 
 city of Antioch, and many other cities also in diff'erent parts 
 
 of the world. 
 
 A.D. 111. Evaristus, the sixth pope, succeeded Anacletus, 
 the bishop of the Roman see, and governed the church fourteen 
 years. 
 
 II 
 
158 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 119. 
 
 A.D. 1 1 2. The Jews simu-ltaneously, and as if under the in- 
 fluence of frantic rage, rose in insurrection in different nations 
 of the world, and carried on most atrocious wars, until they 
 were put down by deserved slaughter, according to the com- 
 mand of the emperor. 
 
 A.D. 1 13. Vetus, bishop of Vienne, who had been one of the 
 disciples and hearers of the apostles, was very eminent for his 
 confessions of faith and doctrine. 
 
 A.D. 114. Phocas, bishop of the city of Cynops, endured 
 martyrdom most gloriously ; and his sacred remains were car- 
 ried to Vienne, a city of Gaul, and there placed in the church 
 of the Holy Apostles. 
 
 A.D. 115. Coillus, the king of the Britons, had an only son 
 born to him, whom he called Lucius, and who was born to the 
 great joy and exultation of his father, because he had begotten 
 him in his old age, when he had given up all hope of an heir. 
 
 A.D. 116. Justus was discharging the office of priest at Alex- 
 andria. 
 
 A.D. 1 1 7. Trajan died at Seleucia, a city of Isauria, and the 
 Romans burnt his body, and buried his ashes in a marble 
 column. 
 
 Ch. IV.— Feom A.D. 118 TO 284. 
 
 Hadrian succeeds Trajan — Rebuilds Jerusalem — Lucius king oj 
 Britain — Antoninus Pius — The Heresy of Valentinus — Galen 
 — Dispute about the day of Easter — Polycarp — Marcus Anto- 
 ninus — Two Emperors at a time — Commodus — Irencdus — The 
 Britons are converted to Christianity by Faganus and Deruvia- 
 nus — Pertinax — Severus — He comes to Britain — Is slain there 
 — Tertullian — Bassianus — Macrinus — A lexander — The Heresy 
 ofSabellius — Origen — Maximus- Gordian — Philip — Decius — 
 Gallus — Valerian — Gallienus — Cyprian — Claudius — Aurelian 
 — Tacitus — The Heresy of the Manicheans — Probus — Carus. 
 
 A.D. 118. iElius Adrian became master of the Roman empire, 
 and he reigned twenty-one years. He was the son of the cousin 
 of Trajan, a man of industry and discretion, and one who 
 was easily moved to mercy. 
 
 A.D. 1 19. Adrian the emperor regulated the republic with 
 moet just laws, so that he was called by the senate the " Father 
 of his Country." He was learned in both the Latin and Greek 
 
 A.D. 126. mark appointed BISHOP OT JERUSALEM. 159 
 
 languages, and built a Hbrary at Athens, which was a wonder- 
 ful building. 
 
 A.D. 120. Alexander succeeded pope Evaristus, and ruled 
 eighteen years, five months, and two days. He appointed 
 the words of the Lord about the bread and wine to be recited 
 in the canon, and ordered holy water to be sprinkled in the 
 habitations of men. 
 
 A.D. 121. The emperor Adrian was taught and instructed in 
 the books composed on the subject of the Christian rehgion, 
 by Quadratus, a disciple of the apostles, and Aristides an 
 Athenian, a man full of faith and wisdom, and by Serenus, his 
 lieutenant. On which account, in a letter addressed to the 
 proconsul of Asia, he enjoined that no one should be allowed 
 to condemn the Christians without accusing them of some 
 crime, and proving it. 
 
 A.D. 122. The emperor Adrian crushed, with tremendous 
 slaughter, the Jews who had rebelled and were laying waste 
 Palesti? e, which had formerly been their own province, and 
 he avenged the Christians. 
 
 A.D. 123. iEUus Adrian rebuilt Jerusalem, and ordered it 
 to be called ^lia, after his own name. He ordered, also, that 
 no Jew should be allowed to enter it, as the city was only open 
 to the Christians. 
 
 A.D. 124. Coillus, king of the Britons, died, and Lucius, his 
 son, was invested with the crown. He followed all the acts of 
 goodness of his father, and was esteemed by all men as Coillus 
 himself had been. 
 
 A.D. 125. Mark was appointed bishop of Jerusalem, being 
 the first of the Gentiles who ever was so, as all those were 
 now dead who had been bishops from the time of the Passion 
 of our Lord to the present moment. For the first bishop of 
 Jerusalem was James, the brother of our Lord. The second 
 was Simon, the son of Cleophas. The third, Justus ; the 
 fourth, Zaccheus ; the fifth, Tobias ; the sixth, Benjamin ; the 
 seventh, John ; the eighth, Matthias ; the ninth, Philip ; the 
 tenth, Seneca ; the eleventh, Justus ; the twelfth, Levi ; the 
 thirteenth, Ephraim ; the fourteenth, Joseph; the fifteenth 
 and last, Judas. 
 
 A.D. 126. Aquila the orator, a man of Pontus both by birth 
 and extraction, flourished ; and he was the first translator of 
 the divine lav/ since the seventy translators. 
 
 I 
 
A.D. 145. 
 
 HERUS APPOINTED BISHOP OF ANTIOCH. 
 
 161 
 
 160 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 136. 
 
 11 
 
 I 
 
 'U 
 
 A.D. 127. Justus, bishop of the church at Vienne, was 
 highly distinguished for his confession of Christ. 
 
 A.D. 128. Sixtus, the eighth pope, succeeded Alexander, and 
 ruled for ten years, three months, and twenty days. And the 
 see was vacant two days. 
 
 A.D. 129. PubUus, bishop of Athens and a disciple of the 
 apostles, received the crown of martyrdom on account of the 
 faith of Christ, and was succeeded by Quadratus, whom we 
 have mentioned before, who with great industry gathered the 
 church of Christ together again, which had been dispersed in 
 great alarm. 
 
 A.D. 130. Basihdes, the heresiarch, greatly polluted the 
 church of Christ by his treachery ; it was from him that the 
 BasiUdians, who adhered to his sect, derived their name. 
 These men, among other blasphemies which they have invented 
 about Christ, deny that he suffered. 
 
 A.D. 131. Cornelius was appointed fourth bishop of Antioch. 
 At the same time the blessed Cuthdrat, a bishop and disciple 
 of tlie apostles, suffered gloriously. He gathered together, by 
 his faith and energy, the church which had been scattered 
 abroad in great alarm by the persecution of Adrian. 
 
 A.D. 132. Nicopolis and Caesarea were destroyed by an 
 earthquake. At the same time. Saint Symphrosia suffered in 
 the city of Tibur, with seven of her sons ; first of all, her hands 
 were stricken off, then she was hung up by the hair, and last 
 of all she was thrown into the river. 
 
 A.D. 1 33. Hymenseus presided over the church at Alexandria 
 as bishop. At the same time. Saint Sabina, the martyr, suffered 
 most gloriously at Rome, under the emperor Adrian. She was 
 slain with the sword, and so flew to heaven with the palm of 
 martyrdom. 
 
 A.D. 134. Sylvius Julianus composed a perpetual edict. 
 Adrian having built some beautiful temples at Athens, also 
 built there a Ubrary of marvellous grandeur. 
 
 A.D. 135. The Jews flew to arms, and ravaged Palestine. 
 At the same time the blessed Aristides was deposed, who had 
 offered the emperor Adrian some works on the Christian 
 rehgion, and made him an elegant address, proving that Jesus 
 was the only God. 
 
 A.D. 136. The Jewish war which was being carried on in 
 Palestine was terminated. 
 
 p' 
 
 A.D. 137. Mark is appointed bishop of Jerusalem, being 
 the first of the Gentiles who was so,^ there being an end to 
 all those bishops who had been of the circumcision. 
 
 A.D. 138. Antoninus, surnamed Pius, was created emperor; 
 he reigned twenty years and not quite three months. He lived 
 in such tranquillity, that he was deservedly called *' Pious, and 
 the Father of his coimtry." 
 
 A.D. 139. Telesphorus was appointed pope, being the ninth 
 who had sat in the Roman chair. He ruled for eleven years, 
 three months, and twenty days, and the see was vacant seven 
 days. 
 
 A.D. 140. Antoninus, with his sons Aurelius and Lucius, 
 released all men from their debts and burnt their bonds, 
 throughout the whole Roman empire. 
 
 A.D. 141. Justin the philosopher gave to Antoninus a work 
 which he had composed on the subject of the Christian religion, 
 and rendered him favourable to the Christians. And Justin, 
 not long afterwards, wlien a persecution was set on foot, was 
 betrayed by Crescens Cinicus, and shed his blood for Christ's 
 sake. 
 
 A.D. 142. The heresy of Valentinus and Marcion wickedly 
 attacked the Church of Christ, and the inventors of this 
 wickedness set up ^Eones,^ that is to say, some wickednesses, 
 as the original creator of the world. They also affirmed th«t 
 Christ did not derive his body from a virgin's, but asserted 
 that he only passed through her as through a pipe. 
 
 A.D. 143. Galen, the eminent physician, a native of Perga- 
 mus, flourished at Rome. About the same time, in the reign 
 of the emperor Antoninus, Saint Alexander the bishop endured 
 martyrdom, and was slain by the sword, after the infliction 
 of many kinds of torture. 
 
 A.D. 144. Pius was ordained bishop of the Roman Church. 
 About the same time, Saint Concordius, a Presbyter, suffered 
 at Spoletum, and received the crown of martyrdom after the 
 endurance of many kinds of torture, being at last slain with 
 the sword. 
 
 A.D. 145. Herus was appointed bishop of Antioch. About 
 
 ' Our Chronicler has already stated this fact as having happened in the 
 year 125. 
 
 2 The theory of ^ones ifas asserted by Valentinus, not by Marcion. 
 See MosheimEccl. Hist. Cent. H. Part II. §§ vii.— xv. 
 
 VOL. I. 31 
 
 S 
 
162 
 
 MATTHEW OP WESTMINSTEE. 
 
 A.P. 156. 
 
 the same time, Saint Pontianus, at the command of the emperor 
 Antoninus, arrived nobly at the glory of martyrdom, and re- 
 ceived the palm of a martyr after the fire of many tribulations. 
 A.D. 146. Mark succeeded to the bishopric of Alexandria. 
 About' the same time, at Smyrna, Saint Poly carp was delivered 
 to the flames in the time of the emperor Antoninus ; and bemg 
 thoroughly tried, and found pure, deserved a crown from the 
 
 Lord. 
 
 A.D. 147. The heretic Valentinus became notonous, and 
 prevailed till the time of Nicetus. About the same time, the 
 Blessed Philip, bishop in the city of Cortina, being made per- 
 fect in holiness, fell asleep in the Lord. 
 
 A.D. 1 48. Vesomedius of Crete, a musical poet of lyric poems, 
 
 flourished. . i ., i i? i, 
 
 A.D. 149. Taurus Hyresius, an illustrious philosopher ot the 
 Platonic sect, flourished. About the same time. Saint Papy- 
 rus, the bishop, became a glorious martyr at Pergamus. 
 
 A.D. 150. Hyginus became pope, and sat in the Roman 
 chair four years, three months, and six days. He arranged 
 the order of the clergy, and settled the difl'erent ranks in 
 regular order. 
 
 A.D. 151. Apollonius the Stoic, and Basilida, both eminent 
 philosophers, flourished. About the same time, Maria, a virgin, 
 went to the Lord happily, being made a martyr by the com- 
 mand of the emperor Antoninus. 
 
 A.D. 152. Adrian of Nicomedia, and Maximus of Tyre, 
 flourished. At the same time. Saint Felicitas and her seven 
 sons were beheaded for Christ's sake, by command of the em- 
 peror Antoninus. 
 
 A.D. 153. Celadion flourished as bishop of the Church at 
 
 Alexandria. 
 
 A.D. 154. Pius satin the Roman chair ; he ruled his see for 
 eleven years, three months, and twenty-one days, and it was 
 vacant twenty- two days. 
 
 A.D. 155. Hermes wrote a book, which is called the " Shep- 
 herd's Book," in which is contained the precept of an angel, 
 that Easter should be always celebrated on the Lord's day. 
 
 A.D. 156. Polycarp, a disciple of the blessed Saint John, 
 came to Rome, and delivered many men from the taint of 
 heresy, who had been lately corrupted by the doctrine of 
 Valentine and Cerdo. 
 
 '^^^^^^■'^■^'^■^''"TfiflMftltii^^ 
 
 AD. 169. EAETHQFAKES AND rNTrXDATIOIfS OF EIVEBS. 1 G3 
 
 A.D. 157. Justus, bishop of the people of Vienne, and Pho- 
 tinus, bishop of Lyons, flourished in the Church of Christ. 
 
 A.D. 158. Antoninus, surnamed Pius, was attacked by dis- 
 ease, and died at the twelfth milestone from the city. 
 
 A.D. 159. Marcus Antoninus Verus obtained the Roman 
 empire, and reigned nineteen years and eleven months. He 
 took to himself as partner in the empire, Aurelius Commodus, 
 his relation. Up to this period, there was only one Augustus 
 at the same time. 
 
 A.D. 160. Marcus Antoninus and Aurelius Commodus car- 
 ried on war against the Parthians, with admirable virtue and 
 success. And at the same time, the fourth persecution against 
 the Christians since the time of Nero, was kmdled throughout 
 Asia and the Gauls. 
 
 A.D. 161. Pionius and Polycarp, disciples of the blessed 
 Saint John, and bishops of Smyrna, suff'ered a glorious mar- 
 tyrdom. 
 
 A.D. 162. A great many persons in the Gauls gloriously 
 shed their blood for the sake of Christ ; and among them, 
 Justus, bishop of Vienne, having been wasted away a long 
 time iu banishment, was mad« a glorious martyr. 
 
 A.D. 163. The heresy of Cataphrygians arose, which de- 
 rived its name from the province of Phrygia, where its authors 
 hved. 
 
 A.D. 1 64. Anicetus was appointed to the Roman chair, where 
 * he sat for eleven years. He estabhshed a rule that the clergy 
 should not wear long hair. 
 
 A.D. 165. Photinus, bishop of Lyons, an admirable old 
 man, suff'ered martyrdom, with forty-eight more, of the cities 
 of Vienne and Lyons. 
 
 A.D. 166. Severmus, Exuperius, and Fehcianus, received the 
 crown of martyrdom. 
 
 A.D. 167. A terrible plague spread over Italy, to avenge 
 the martyrs ; so that villages and farms in every direction 
 remained without cultivators or inhabitants, and even Gaul 
 did not escape unhurt by this pestilence. 
 
 A.D. 168. There were numbers of earthquakes, accompanied 
 by the destruction of cities and inundations of rivers, through- 
 out several provinces. Swarms of locusts also infested the 
 fields in every direction. 
 
 A.D. 169. Aurelius Commodus, while he was sitting in a car- 
 
 M 2 
 
1G4 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMiySTEK. 
 
 A.D. 178. 
 
 A.D. 185. 
 
 CHRISTIANITY SET FP IN BRITAIN. 
 
 165 
 
 riage with his brother, died of the disease which the Greeks 
 caU apoplexy. And after his death, Marcus Antoninus for some 
 time governed the repubhc by himself. 
 
 A.D. 170. Marcus Antoninus took Lucius Commodus, hia 
 son, as his partner in the kingdom. And he also moderated 
 the old severe laws by new constitutions. 
 
 A.D. 171. Marcus, with his son, ordered all the records of 
 the fiscal transactions, which were full of false accusations, to 
 be collected and burnt. 
 
 A.D. 172. Melletius Asianus, bishop of Sardicas, dehvered 
 to the emperor Marcus Antoninus an apology for the Christians. 
 
 A.D. 173. The heretics called the Montanists arose; who 
 got their name from the circumstance of their lying hid in the 
 mountains during the time of the persecution, on which oc- 
 casion they separated themselves from the body of the Catho- 
 
 hc Church. . i i • 
 
 A.D. 174. Marcus Antoninus, the emperor, with his son 
 Lucius, happily terminated the war with the Marcomanni. 
 But after the barbarian nations, namely, the Vandals and Sar- 
 matians, had surrounded nearly the whole of the German and 
 Roman army, certain Christian soldiers who were with the 
 emperor, invoking the name of Christ with great constancy, 
 threw the enemies into consternation, and put them to flight. 
 And the emperor wrote a letter to the senate to convey them 
 the information, and delightedly attributed his victory to Christ. 
 A.D. 175. Sother was elected pope, as successor to Anicetus. 
 He occupied the Roman chair nine years, three months, and 
 twelve days. And the see was vacant twenty-two days. He 
 established a rule that no monk should touch the sacred ves- 
 sels, or the sacred robe ; or should put incense on the incense - 
 
 burner. i i -i, 
 
 A.D. 176. Tatianus the heresiarch attempted to cloud the 
 Church of Christ with his own doctrines ; and from him arose 
 the Encratites, who were so called because they avoided eating 
 flesh. Severianus carried this error further still. From him 
 
 are derived the Severians. . r^-, i, c 
 
 A.D. 177. Theophilus, the sixth president of the Church ot 
 
 Antioch, flourished. And also Pinitus of Crete, bishop of the 
 
 city of Gnossus. . 
 
 A.D. 178. Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, the emperor, being 
 stationed in Pannonia, was attacked by sudden illness and died. 
 And after his death Lucius Antoninus Commodus, his son, 
 
 reigned fifteen years. He waged war successfully against the 
 Germans. 
 
 A.D. 179. Lucius Antoninus, being utterly depraved by 
 luxury and profligacy, and being rendered quite shameless, 
 constantly fought in arms among the gladiators in the schools, 
 and also in the amphitheatre, and constantly exposed himself 
 to fight with wild beasts. 
 
 A.D. 180. The Capitol of Rome was struck by lightning, 
 and that caused a conflagration, which burnt with its devour- 
 ing fury the library which had been collected by the care of 
 former ages, and several temples situated in the neighbourhood. 
 
 A.D. 181. The emperor Lucius murdered the senators, and 
 especially those whom he had observed to be eminent for 
 nobleness and energy. 
 
 A.D. 182. Irenseus, bishop of Lyons, flourished, and also 
 Dionysius, who had been a disciple of the disciples of Christ, 
 and who at that time governed the church at Corinth. 
 
 A.D. 183. The emperor had the head taken off" the Colossus, 
 and ordered one bearing his own resemblance, to be placed 
 upon it. 
 
 A.D. 184. Theodotius of Ephesus, the third translator of the 
 divine law, flourished with high reputation. 
 
 A.D. 185. Eleutherius was elected the fifteenth pope. He 
 sat in the Roman chair for fifteen years, six months, and five 
 days ; and the see was vacant six days. 
 
 About the same time, Lucius, king of the Britons, directed 
 letters to the same pope, entreating of him that he might be 
 made a Christian. And the blessed pontiff", having ascertained 
 the devotion of the king, sent to him some rehgious teachers, 
 namely, Faganus and Deruvianus, to convert the king to Christ, 
 and wash him in the holy font. And when that had been 
 done, then the different nations ran to baptism, following the 
 example of the king, so that in a short time there were no 
 infidels found in the island. Therefore, those blessed teachers, 
 when they had destroyed paganism throughout the whole of 
 Britain, dedicated the temples, which had been founded in 
 honour of many gods, to the one God, and to his saints, and 
 filled them with different companies of ordained priests ; 
 and they appointed in the different cities of the kingdom 
 twenty-eight bishops, who were under the supreme jurisdiction 
 of three archbishops and three metropolitan sees. The first 
 see was that of London, to which Cornwall and Loegria were 
 
1C6 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 192. 
 
 subject, provinces which the Severn separates from Wales. 
 The second was at York, to which Deira and Scotland were 
 subject, and which the great river Humber separates from 
 Loegria. The third was in Caerleon, to which Cambria, that is, 
 Wales, which the Severn separates from Loegria, was subject. 
 The old walls and buildings testify to us that this city was for- 
 merly situated on the river Usk, in Glamorgan. 
 
 A.D. 186. The blessed priests Faganus and Denivianus re- 
 turned to Rome, and easily prevailed on the most blessed pope 
 that all that they had done should be confirmed. And when it 
 had been, then the before-mentioned teachers returned to 
 Britain, with a great many more, by whose teaching the nation 
 of the Britons was soon founded on the faith of Christ, and 
 became eminent as a Christian people. And their names and 
 actions are found in the book which Gildas the historian wrote, 
 concerning the victory of Aurehus Ambrosius. 
 
 A.D. 187. Lucius, the glorious king of the Britons, when he 
 saw that the worship of the true faith was extended in his king- 
 dom, having with great liberality giving possessions and terri- 
 tories to the churches and to ecclesiastical men, confirmed all 
 his gifts by papers and muniments. And he appointed all 
 churches with their burying places to be free, so that whatever 
 malefactor fled to them, should remain unhurt by any one. 
 Then Uving happily in the love of God and of his neighbours, 
 he governed his kingdom in the greatest tranquillity. 
 
 A.D. 188. Eleutherius, bishop of the city of Rome, made 
 a law that no food should be rejected by Christians, which 
 was reasonable and fit for man. 
 
 A.D. 189. Hegesippus, bishop of Jerusalem for nineteen 
 years, and a most veracious writer of ecclesiastical history, 
 flourished. 
 
 A.D. 190. Lucius Commodus the emperor, who was a cruel 
 monster to all, died, being strangled in the temple of Vesta. 
 
 A.D. 191. Helvius Pertinax was created emperor by the 
 senate. He reigned six months, and they were scarcely com- 
 pleted, when he was murdered in his palace, by the wickedness 
 of Julian, who reigned after him for seven months. Severus 
 defeated Julian in civil war, and slew him. 
 
 A.D. 192. Severus, an African by descent, obtained the 
 Roman empire, and reigned eighteen years. He, being cruel 
 by nature, was often attacked by many wars. He governed the 
 republic with great courage, but with great difficulty. 
 
 A.D. 203. DEATH OF LUCIUS, KING OF THE BEIT0N8. 167 
 
 A.D. 193. Severus defeated all Cyzicus, and slew Pestenninus 
 Niger, who in Egypt and in Syria had aspired to the tyranny. 
 
 A.D. 194. Severus checked the Jews and Samaritans, who 
 were endeavouring to rebel with tlie sword ; and conquered 
 the Parthians, the Arabians, and the Alabeni. 
 
 A.D. 195. Severus began the fifth persecution after Nero, 
 against the Christians. And a great many saints in the different 
 provinces received the crown of martyrdom ; among whom 
 were Leonidas, the father of Origen, and Clement, the bishop 
 of the church at Alexandria. 
 
 A.D. 196. Irenaeus of Lyons, with a vast multitude of every 
 sex and age, underwent martyrdom for the sake of Christ. 
 
 A.D. 197. Claudius Albinus, who had made himself Caesar 
 in the Gauls, was slain at Lyons. 
 
 A.D. 198. Victor was appointed pontiff of the Roman see, 
 being the sixteenth pope. And he remained in it ten years, 
 two months, and ten days, and the see was vacant six days. 
 He established the rule of regulating Easter by the moon ; so 
 that it should be celebrated from the fourteenth day of the 
 first month to the twenty-first. 
 
 A.D. 199. Apollonius, a most discreet man, wrote against 
 Montanus, Prisca, and Maximilla, all heretics, who affirmed 
 that the Holy Ghost had been given not to the Apostles, but to 
 them. 
 
 A.D. 200. Serapion, bishop of the church at Antioch, and 
 Apollonius, a senator, were made martyrs. 
 
 A.D. 201. The illustrious king of the Britons, Lucius, was 
 taken in the midst of his good actions, and departed this life, 
 to go to Christ, at Claudiocestria ; and was honourably buried 
 in the church of the principal see. After his death, a dissen- 
 sion arose among the Britons, because he died without an heir, 
 and because the Roman power was weakened. And so Britain 
 remained in a state of division till the arrival of Severus, who 
 afterwards restored it to obedience to the Romans. 
 
 A.D. 202. At the command of Severus, Perpetua and FeU- 
 citas were in the camp at Carthage, in Africa, given up to 
 wild beasts, for Christ's sake, to be devoured by them, on the 
 seventh of March, and wdth them, Revocatus and Satuminus. 
 But Secundolus, after he had been a long time kept in prison, 
 fell asleep in Christ. 
 
 A.D. 203. Panthenus, a philosopher of the Stoic sect, was 
 
168 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEB, 
 
 A.D. 207. 
 
 sent to India, to teach the natives, by Demetrius, bishop of 
 Alexandria. And he was the first person who was sent thither ; 
 and he founded the church of Christ, by his industry and good 
 example. 
 
 A.D. 204. Symmachus, the fourth translator of the divine 
 law, flourished. 
 
 A.D. 20.5. Severus the emperor transferred the war to the 
 districts of Britain, where he reduced the greater part of the 
 island to obedience to him, by great battles often repeated. 
 But that part of the people whom he could not subdue at the 
 time, he put to flight, and drove across the Deira. And being 
 continually harassed by their formidable rebellions, he often 
 lost great numbers of his men. Therefore, he determined to 
 separate that part of the island which he had reduced, from 
 those tribes who were still unconquered, by fosses and walls, 
 so as to keep off" those indomitable enemies at a greater distance 
 from himself. Therefore he constructed a vast dyke, and with 
 a very strong wall, fortified with many towers ; extending a 
 hundred and thirty-two miles in length, from sea to sea, and 
 having stationed garrisons along it, he proceeded to York. 
 
 A.D. 206. Fulgentius, the leader of the people, who had been 
 put to flight, when he saw that he and his troops were cut off 
 by this wall, crossed the sea into Scythia, in hopes, by the assist- 
 ance of the Picts, to be restored to his former dignity. And 
 when he had collected there all the youth of his country, he 
 returned with a large fleet to Britain, and besieged York. And 
 when news of this event was brought to Severus, he immediately 
 marched his army to the besieged town. And a hard-fought 
 battle took place, and Severus, the emperor, was slain, and 
 Fulgentius was mortally wounded. Severus left two sons, 
 Bassianus and Geta, of whom the Britons elected Bassianus 
 for their king, because he was born of a British mother, and 
 the Romans elected Geta, because he was connected with them 
 on both sides of his house. But the brothers engaged in battle, 
 in which Geta was killed, and Bassianus gained the victory. 
 After that, he marched towards Rome with all speed. 
 
 A.D. 207. Bassianus Aurehus Antoninus Caracalla gained 
 the sovereign powers ; he reigned seven years, and showed 
 himself in all respects a sterner character than even his father 
 Severus. Moreover, he was so frantic in his lusts, that he 
 married his step-mother Julia. 
 
 A.D. 219. 
 
 CALIXTU8 ELECTED POPE. 
 
 169 
 
 A.D. 208. A fifth edition of the divine law was found at 
 Jericho ; the author of which is not known. 
 
 A.D. 209. Zephyrinus was elected pope. He sat in the 
 Roman chair eight years, six months, and ten days. And the 
 see was vacant six days. 
 
 A.D. 210. While Bassianus was emperor, Symmachus dif- 
 fused his heresy abroad, by preaching that Jesus was born of 
 Joseph in the natural way, and that the Mosaic law ought to 
 be observed according to the Jewish fashion. 
 
 A.D. 211. Alexander, bishop of Cappadocia, being full of a 
 desire to see the sacred places, came to Jerusalem, while Nar- 
 cissus, who was the bishop of that city, and a man of ex- 
 ceeding old age, was still alive ; and the Lord himself, in a 
 revelation, directing such a step, he is made bishop iu the room 
 of Narcissus. 
 
 A.D. 212. TertuUianus, an African, the son of a centurion 
 of proconsular rank, flourished ; he was celebrated in all the 
 churches, but afterwards he fell away, and embraced the doc- 
 trines of Montanus, and wrote books against the church. 
 
 A.D. 213. Bassianus the emperor waged a war against the 
 Parthians, and was surrounded by the enemy, between Edessa 
 and Carree, and slain. 
 
 A.D. 214. Macrimus the prefect usurped the empire, and 
 reigned one year. And when the year was passed, he was 
 slain in a tumult of the soldiers. 
 
 A.D. 215. Marcus Aurehus Antoninus succeeded to the em- 
 pire, and held it for four years^, 
 
 A.D. 216. The city of Nicopolis in Palestine, which was 
 formerly called Emmaus, was built. This is that Emmans, 
 which the Lord, after his resurrection, condescended to sanc- 
 tify by his entrance into it. 
 
 A.D. 217. Sabellius the heresiarch appeared, who asserted 
 that one ought to preach one person only, of the Father, Son, 
 and Holy Ghost. 
 
 A.D. 218. Alexander was created emperor, by the consent 
 of both the Senate and the soldiers, and reigned fifteen years 
 with great glory for his equity. 
 
 A.D. 219. Calixtus was elected the eighteenth pope. He sat 
 in the Roman chair five years, two months, and two days, and 
 the see was vacant six days. He appointed a fast to take 
 place at the fruit season every year, to obtain fine weather and 
 abundant crops. 
 
170 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 231. 
 
 A.D. 220. A sixth edition of the divine law was found at 
 Nicopolis ; the author of which is not known. 
 
 A.D. 221. Hippolytus the bishop, who was the author of 
 many small works, wrote a canon of the times, and brought 
 it down to his own day. 
 
 A.D. 222. Mammaea, the most Christian mother of the 
 emperor, was anxious to hear the presbyter Origen, and sent 
 for him from Antioch, and treated him with the greatest re- 
 spect. 
 
 A.D. 223. The emperor Alexander carried an expedition into 
 Persia, and defeated and subdued Xerxes, king of Persia. 
 
 A.D. 224. Urbanus was elected pope ; he held the Roman 
 chair eight years, ten months, and eleven days, and the see was 
 vacant seventeen days. He strengthened many nobles to pro- 
 fess the faith of Christ and to encounter martyrdom. 
 
 A.D. 225. Almachius, prefect of the city of Rome, raged 
 against the Christians with great cruelty, and brought the 
 blessed Csecilia to the palm of martyrdom. And influenced 
 by her miracles and example, Tiburtius, Valerianus, and Maxi- 
 mus, endured martyrdom in a glorious manner. 
 
 A.D. 226. The emperor Alexander most gloriously defeated 
 Xerxes, king of the Persians. 
 
 A.D. 227. Ulpian the lawyer, the assessor of Alexander, 
 flourished with great renown. At the same time, many mar- 
 tyrs were put to death, whom Alexander the emperor con- 
 demned by a capital sentence. 
 
 A.D. 228. Terninus, a presbyter of Antioch, Hippolytus, 
 Berillus, and Hostrenus, all flourished as eminent writers. 
 
 A.D. 229. The presbyter Calepodius suffered under the em- 
 peror Alexander, who caused him to be slain with the sword, 
 and his body to be dragged through the city, and at last thrown 
 into the Tiber. 
 
 A.D. 230. Zebennns, bishop of Antioch, flourished. About 
 the same time, Palmatius, the consul, with his wife and chil- 
 dren, find forty companions of both sexes, endured an illus- 
 trious martjrrdom. 
 
 A.D. 231. Origen of Alexandria, after he had castrated him- 
 self for the love of the kingdom of heaven, and had Hved 
 freely with both men and women, came from Alexandria to 
 Jerusalem ; on which account, he is celebrated over the whole 
 world ; and he was a man of so admirable a genius, that he 
 
 A.D. 240. 
 
 ORIGEN INSTRUCTS TWO BISHOPS. 
 
 171 
 
 surpassed in every kind of learning all the doctors of his 
 time. At last, however, this presbyter became infatuated and 
 deceived, and said, " That the Son could not see the Father, 
 nor could the Holy Spirit see the Son." He also said, " That 
 the souls had sinned in the beginning of the world, and had 
 deserved different torments for their diff'erent sins, and that 
 it was on this account that the world was made." He also said, 
 "That the Son was yet to suffer, and that he would redeem the 
 devils as well as men." When he argued on the right side 
 no man spoke better, when on the wrong side no man spoke 
 worse. 
 
 A.D. 232. Pontianus was elected into the Roman chair, and 
 he ruled four years, two months, and two days. 
 
 A.D. 233. The emperor Alexander was slain at Mayence, in 
 a tumult raised by the soldiers, after he had reigned thirteen 
 years. 
 
 A.D. 234. Maximinus was elected emperor by the army, 
 without the consent of the senate, after he had carried on the 
 war in Germany successfully ; and he reigned three years. 
 
 A.D. 235. The emperor Maximinus put in force a persecution 
 against the prelates of the Churches ; especiallv on account 
 of Mammsea, the mother of Alexander, whom 'he had suc- 
 ceeded, and her most Christian family ; in which many per- 
 sons flew to the kingdom of heaven, having obtained the crown 
 of martyrdom. 
 
 A.D. 236. Pontianus, bishop of the Roman see, received 
 the crown of martyrdom, and was buried in the cemetery of 
 pope Calixtus. 
 
 A.D. 237. Antherius was elected pope ; he sat in the Roman 
 chair one month and fifteen days ; at the expiration of which, 
 by the command of Maximinus, he went to heaven as a martyr. 
 But after a few days, Maximinus himself was slain by Pompey! 
 
 A.D. 238. Gordian obtained the Roman empire ; he reigned 
 six years. For Pompey, the slayer of Maximinus, and his bro- 
 ther Albinus, who had usurped the empire, were slain in the 
 palace. The same year, Fabian was elected pope, and sat in the 
 Roman chair fourteen years, eleven months, and eleven days. 
 
 A.D. 239. Lucianus Africanus flourished, among the eccle- 
 siastical writers. And he is spoken of as exceedingly learned 
 ui all philosophical studies, and in all the learning of the Greeks. 
 
 A.D. 240. Origen, in Csesarea of Palestine, instructed Theo- 
 
172 
 
 MATTIIEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 252. 
 
 A.D. 255. 
 
 VALEEIAN TAKEN PEISONEB. 
 
 J 73 
 
 dorus, surnamed Gregory, and Athenodorus, both bishops, in 
 divine philosophy. 
 
 A.D. 24 1 . Florentius, bishop of Vienne, was illustrious for 
 his life and learning, and he lived till the reign of Gallienus and 
 Volusianus, and was banished and endured martyrdom. 
 
 A.D. 242. Fabian ruled the Roman Church. At whose pro- 
 motion the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, descended on 
 his head. 
 
 A.D. 243. Gordian, who was still a boy, marching against 
 Parthia in the east, was slain by the treachery of his friends, 
 near Circea, on the Euphrates. 
 
 A.D. 244, Philip was elected emperor ; he reigned seven 
 years, and associated Philip, his son, with himself, as partner 
 in the empire. 
 
 A.D. 245. The emperor Philip is made a Christian, being the 
 first of all the emperors who was so. And he remained a Chris- 
 tian unto the end. 
 
 A.D. 246. Origen wrote eight volumes, disputing against a 
 certain Celsum, an Epicurean philosopher, who had written 
 books against us. And Hieronymus testifies that he had read 
 five thousand books of this writer. 
 
 A.D. 247. The year of the nativity of Christ was celebrated 
 by the most Christian emperor Philip. 
 
 A.D. 248. The third year of Philip's reign, the thousandth 
 year from the foundation of Rome was completed. 
 
 A.D. 249. Pope Fabian appointed that a new chrism should 
 be made every year, and the old one burnt. 
 
 A.D. 250. PhiUp, both the father and the son, were both, 
 although in different places, murdered in a military tumult by 
 the treachery of Decius. 
 
 A.D. 251. Decius, the originator of the civil war, became 
 emperor, and reigned a year and three months. He, out of 
 hatred of Philip, whom he had succeeded, disseminated deadly 
 edicts, for the persecution and slaughter of the Christians ; 
 and he was the seventh, since Nero, who had raged against the 
 worshippers of Christ. At this time, also the blessed Fabian 
 suffered at Rome. And at Ephesus the seven Holy Sleepers 
 lay hid on Mount Caelius. Alexander the bishop suffered at 
 Jerusalem, and Laurentius and Hippolytus at Rome. 
 
 A.D. 252. Gallus, having obtained the kingdom, with his son 
 Volusianus, held it for thirty-one years and five months. At 
 
 which time a terrible pestilence raged throughout almost all the 
 provinces of the Roman empire, beyond a question as divine 
 vengeance for the injuries done to the name of Christ. At the 
 same time, the presbyter Origen, whom we have spoken of above, 
 died. His writings are found, in some passages, to be corrupted 
 by heretical errors. For he asserted that all who had ended 
 their lives in sins, even in the greatest, and the devil and all his 
 angels, are to be purified after a long time, and restored to 
 the kingdom of God ; and that some again fall into torments, 
 and again return to happiness. And he says that all rational 
 creatures always have been, and always will be, going through 
 these alternations of happiness and misery. He is related to 
 have published a thousand tracts and more, and many books of 
 commentaries ; and he castrated himself for the sake of chastity, 
 although he did not do it scientifically. And he acted in that, 
 as the pilot of a ship would, who, seeing a tempest coming, 
 for the sake of avoiding the storm, were in a passion to break 
 his rudder, and bury the vessel in the waves. At the same 
 time, Cyprian, the hght of the doctors, flourished at Carthage. 
 
 In this year, also, Cornelius was elected bishop of the city 
 of Rome, and held the chair two years and as many months, 
 and ten days. He, being asked by a certain matron named 
 Lucinia, for the bodies of Peter and Paul, took them out of 
 the catacombs by night, and Lucinia placed the body of the 
 blessed Paul in her farm in the road to Ostia, where he was 
 beheaded. The corpse of the blessed Peter, pope Cornelius 
 placed near the spot where he had been crucified. The same 
 year, Gallus and Volusianus, while carrying on a civil war 
 against Jilmilianus, who was plotting a revolution, were slain : 
 and iEmilianus al§o died in the third month of his tyranny. 
 
 A.D. 253. Valerian succeeded to the empire with his son 
 Gallienus, and reigned fifteen years. He was the first person 
 who worshipped the saints to such a degree that his house 
 was believed by the faithful to be the church of God. 
 
 A.D. 254. Lucius was elected bishop of the city of Rome, 
 and held the chair three years, three months, and three days. 
 
 A.D. 255. Valerian, immediately after having set on foot 
 the eighth persecution against the Christians, was taken pri- 
 soner by Sapor, king of Persia, and deprived of his eyes, and 
 kept in ignominious slavery among the Persians as long as he 
 Uved ; and he hved to a great age. Gallienus, terrified by so 
 
174 
 
 MATTUEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 268. 
 
 clear a judgment of God, restored peace to the church by a 
 lukewarm satisfaction. 
 
 A.D. 256. Cyprian, bishop of Carthage, receives the crown of 
 martyrdom. His life, and an account of his passion, have been 
 written by Pontianus, his deacon, and left by him to the faith- 
 ful, for their edification. 
 
 A.D. 257. Stephen was elected to the Roman chair, which 
 he held four years, three months, and three days. He ordered 
 the priests aid Levites not to wear their sacred vestments in 
 daily use, but only in the church. 
 
 A.D. 258. The Germans invaded all Italy in a hostile man- 
 ner, and penetrated as far as Ravenna. 
 
 A.D. 259. Greece, Macedonia, Pontus, and Asia were de- 
 stroyed by an inundation of the Goths. 
 
 A.D. 260. Sixtus was elected to the Roman chair, and held 
 it for two years, eleven months, and six days, and then it was 
 vacant. 
 
 A..D. 261. Postumius, by means of great bloodshed for 
 twenty-one days, seized the supreme power in Gaul, and he 
 retained it ten years, displaying great virtue and moderation. 
 He expelled the enemies who had previously got the mastery, 
 but he was nevertheless slain in a sedition of the soldiers. 
 
 A.D. 262. Victorinus was created emperor by the Gauls, 
 and, after a short time, was slain at Vienne. 
 
 A.D. 263. Dionysius was appointed pope, and occupied the 
 Roman chair two years and two months. 
 
 A.D. 264. Gregory, bishop of Neo Caesarea in Pontus, wish- 
 ing to build a church, was hindered by some mountain. And 
 as there was not room for building the church, he, by his 
 prayers, removed the mountain, and founded the church. 
 
 A.D. 265. Felix was appointed to the Roman chair, and oc- 
 cupied it two years, ten months, and twenty-five days. About 
 the same time, also, Lupicinus, bishop of the church at Vienne, 
 flourished with great renown. 
 
 A.D. 266. Galhenus, the emperor, having deserted the repub- 
 lic, and given himself up to licentiousness at Milan, was slain. 
 
 A.D. 267. Claudius assumed the supreme power with the 
 good-will of the senate, and reigned two years. 
 
 A.D. 268. Eutychianus became pope of Rome, and continued 
 80 for eight years, ten months, and three days. And the see 
 was vacant eight days. 
 
 A.D. 277. ANATOLIUS, BISHOP OF LAODICEA. 
 
 175 
 
 A.D. 269. Claudius attacked the Goths, who had now for 
 fifteen years been devastating Illyricum and Macedonia, and 
 routed them with incredible slaughter. And a golden shield 
 in the senate house, and a golden equestrian statue in the 
 Capitol were decreed him by the senate. But immediately after 
 this, he fell sick and died at Smyrnium. 
 
 A.D. 270. Quintillus, the brother of Claudius, a man of sin- 
 gular moderation, having been elected emperor by the army, 
 was slain on the seventeenth day of his reign. The same 
 year, Madion, a presbyter of the church at Antioch, argued 
 against Paul of Samosata, the bishop of Antioch, who asserted 
 the doctrine that Christ was a man of common nature ; and 
 only notaries were present at the argument. 
 
 A.D. 271. Aurelian obtained the empire, and held it four 
 years and six months, a man eminent for military excellence. 
 
 A.D. 272. Aurehan undertook an expedition in the Danube, 
 and defeated the Goths in great battles. 
 
 A.D. 273. Aurelian surrounded the city of Rome with 
 stronger walls, and rendered it impregnable. The same year, 
 Paul, who has been mentioned above, is convicted of his heresy 
 at Antioch, and condemned. 
 
 A.D. 274. After Aurehan had decided to adopt measures of 
 persecution against the Christians, a thunderbolt fell at his 
 feet, to the great alarm of the bystanders. And not long 
 afterwards, he was killed on a journey. 
 
 A.D. 275. Tacitus became emperor. He reigned six months ; 
 and after he was slain in Pontus, Florian succeeded to the em- 
 pire, and reigned eighty-eight days, and was slain at Tarsus. 
 
 The same year, Eutychianus, bishop of Rome, received the 
 crown of martyrdom, and was buried in the cemetery of Cahx- 
 tus ; and he had buried three hundred and forty- two martyrs 
 with his own hand. 
 
 A.D. 276. Caius was made bishop of the city of Rome, and 
 remained so eleven years, four months. In which year, also, 
 Probus obtained the empire, and reigned six years and four 
 months. 
 
 A.D. 277. Anatolius, bishop of Laodicea, in Syria, flourished, 
 and was greatly celebrated. The greatness of his genius may 
 be plainly known from the book which he composed on the 
 subject of Easter, and from the ten books of his arithmetical 
 institution. 
 
176 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 285. 
 
 A.D. 278. The insane heresy of the Manicheaus rose up ; the 
 author of which was Manes. These men teach that there are 
 two principles, one of good and the other of evil, one of light 
 and the other of darkness ; they affirm that souls flow from 
 God as from a kind of spring ; they reject the Old Testament, 
 and receive the New in part. About the same time, Simplides, 
 bishop of Vienne, a man of wonderful sanctity, flourished. 
 
 A.D. 279. Probus, the emperor, completely dehvered France 
 from the barbarians by whom it had been long occupied, 
 having at last defeated the enemy, in many terrible battles. 
 
 A.D. 280. Probus carried on two wars, one in the east, 
 in which he defeated and took prisoner the tyrant Saturninus, 
 the other in which he defeated Proculus and Bonosus in great 
 battles at Agrippina, and slew them. Archelaus, bishop of Meso- 
 potamia, composed an account of the argument which he held 
 against Manichseus of Persia, which was published in the 
 Syrian language, but has been translated, and is in the hands 
 of many of the Greeks. 
 
 A.D. 281. The emperor Probus was slain at Sirmium in a 
 military tumult. The second year of his reign was, according 
 to the Hebrews, the beginning of the eighty-sixth jubilee, in 
 which are contained four thousand two hundred and fifty years. 
 
 A.D. 282. Cams became emperor, and reigned two years 
 with his sons Carinus and Numerianus. 
 
 A.D. 283. Phierius, presbyter of Alexandria, under Theo- 
 nas, the bishop, taught the people, and composed diff'erent 
 books of tracts. He was also master of so elegant a style, that 
 he was called the younger Origen. 
 
 A.D. 284. Cams being occupied with the Persian war, after 
 he had taken two most noble cities, Coelon and Ctesiphon, 
 and had triumplied over the Persians, was struck by hghtning 
 in his camp on the Tigris, and died. 
 
 Ch. v.— A.D. 28.5 TO 340. 
 
 Diocletian's reign — Carausius in Britain — Constatitius — Gale- 
 rius Maximian — The empress Helena — The persecvtion of 
 Diocletian — Amphihalus — Saint Albanus — Diocletian and 
 Maximian abdicate the throne — Constantine is made emperor 
 in Britain — Comes to Rome — Octamus — Silvester — The 
 Arrian heresy — Death of Constantine. 
 
 A.D. 285. Diocletian obtained the empire of Rome, and held 
 
 A.D. 292. ALECTUS IS SENT TO BEDUCE BEITAIN. 
 
 177 
 
 It twenty years ; and immediately, as soon as he had the power, 
 he slew with his own hand Aper, the slayer of Numerianus. 
 
 A.D. 286. There was in Britain a certain youth named Carau- 
 sius, of the lowest class of the people, who, having gone to 
 Rome, demanded permission from the senate to protect the 
 maritime coast of Britain from barbarian invasion with a fleet. 
 At last, after he had deceived the senate with his false promises, 
 he obtained what he asked, and departed for Britain with 
 sealed papers. Presently putting to sea, with a band of pirates 
 for his companions, he plundered the lands in all the islands 
 of the province, and overthrew the cities and towns, sparing 
 no one. All who coveted the property of others flocked to 
 him ; and he laboured to unite them into one band by con- 
 tinual largesses. Nevertheless he was uneasy in his mind from 
 being conscious of wickedness, and so he told the Britons 
 that if they would make him king, he would exterminate the 
 Romans, and dehver the whole island from that barbarous na- 
 tion. When they all consented, he assumed the royal diadem, 
 and reigned seven years, and disdained to pay the accustomed 
 tribute to the Roman senate. 
 
 A.D. 287. Cains, bishop of the city of Rome, received the 
 crown of martyrdom under the emperor Diocletian. 
 
 A.D. 288. Marcellinus succeeded to the Roman chair, and 
 filled it seven years, two months, and twenty-four days. And 
 the see was vacant for seven years and ten days. 
 
 A.D. 289. Diocletian, after a most difficult war and exceed- 
 ing labour, subdued Carinus, whom Carus Caesar had left in 
 Dalmatia. 
 
 A.D. 290. When Amandus and iElian had stirred up perni- 
 cious tumults in Gaul, Diocletian made Maximian, surnamed 
 Herculeus, Caesar and partner in the empire ; and sent him to 
 Gaul, where by his mihtary valour he easily routed the disor- 
 derly armies of uncivilised men. 
 
 A.D. 291. Sudden disturbances took place in nearly every 
 part of the Roman empire. On which Diocletian was moved, 
 and sent Constantius, Maximian, Galerius, and Maximin to 
 the different provinces, in order to defend the republic by 
 mihtary force. 
 
 A.D. 292. As Carausius was rebelling against the Romans 
 m Britain, the senate send Alectus to slay the tyrant and 
 reduce Britain to obedience to the Romans. And he haviu"- 
 
 VOL. I. X' ° 
 
178 
 
 MATTHEW or WESTMTNSTEB. 
 
 A.D. 299. 
 
 arrived in the island, fought a battle and ^^^^d Caransms. 
 After that, he made great slaughter among the Prions who, 
 having deserted the republic, had submitted themselves to the 
 commands of Carau.ins. And then, havmg himself assumed 
 the c'own of the kingdom, he held the island for three years 
 A.D. 293. Diocletian ordered jewels to be inserted in his 
 garments and shoes, a thing which none of his predecessors 
 had done, as hitherto the emperors had worn only the plain 
 
 ^Td.*294. Asclepiodotus, duke of Cornwall, coming as an 
 ally of the Britons, attacked Alectus while he was at London 
 offering sacrifices to his national gods. But Alectus, as soon 
 as he was informed of the arrival of Asclepiodotus, left the 
 sacrifice, and went forth against him, and having fought 
 a very severe battle, he was put to flight by ABckpiodotus 
 and all his army was routed. And as they fled the Britons 
 slew many thousands of them, and Alectus himself. But Lenius 
 Gallus, the colleague of Alectus, collected the rest of the 
 Romans in the city of London, to resist Aselepiodotus 
 and avoid the death that threatened them. Therefore the 
 Britons attacked the city with great vigour and endeavoured 
 to batter down the walls. And forming in close line of battle 
 they attacked the Romans, and in one day slew them all, at 
 the torrent below the city which the Bntons afterwards caUed 
 NantgaUus, from the name of the general, but m Saxon it was 
 
 styled Walbroke. . . i * u 
 
 A D. 295. Asclepiodotus, with the consent of the people, took 
 
 the crown of Britain, and reigned with great uprightness for 
 
 ^^YrSe. Constantius married the step-daughter of Her- 
 culeus Maximianus, whose name was Theodora. And by her 
 he had six sons, the brothers of Constantine. 
 
 A D 297. Constantius Caesar had his army so complete y 
 routed in his first battle against the Alemanni, that he could 
 scarcely escape himself; but he retrieved his fortunes by a 
 subsequent victory so complete, that seventy thousand of the 
 Alemanni are said to have been slain ma few hours 
 
 AD 298. Maximianus Herculeus subdued Achilleus, who 
 was rebelUng against the Romans in Egypt, and the Quinque- 
 
 ^^1^^299 Diocletian took Achilleus, who had been besieged 
 at Alexandria eight months, prisoner, and put him to death. 
 
 A.n. 303. THE TENTH PEESECUTION OF THE CHRISTIANS. 179 
 
 A.D. 300. Galerius Maximian, after he had already fought 
 two battles against Narses, was defeated in the third conflict, 
 and, having lost his army, fled to Diocletian. 
 
 A.D. 301. Ambrosius flourished, and taught rhetoric in 
 Africa, and published some admirable volumes against the 
 Gentiles. 
 
 A.D. 302. Marcellus was elected to the papal chair at Rome, 
 and occupied it four years and six months. 
 
 The same year, Coelus, dukeof Caercolun, that is of Colchester, 
 rose in insurrection against Asclepiodotus, king of Britain, and 
 in a pitched battle slew him, and obtained his kingdom. But the 
 Romans sent Constantius, a senator who had subdued Spain and 
 many other countries for them, that he might reduce Britain 
 to obedience to the Romans. But when Coelus, king of the 
 Britons, heard of his arrival, he was afraid to fight with him, 
 as the report of his wisdom and courage made hira out invin- 
 cible. When, therefore, Constantius had arrived in the island, 
 Coelus sent ambassadors to him, and asked for peace, and 
 promised submission. And Constantius agreed to his requests, 
 and demanded nothing more than the accustomed tribute. 
 But when peace had been made and hostages given, at the 
 end of the month Ccelus died. Then Constantius obtained 
 the crown, and united with himself in marriage Helena, the 
 daughter of king CceIus, a virg;in of great beauty, and most 
 perfectly accomplished in all liberal arts and musical instru- 
 ments. For her father had no other child to enjoy the throne 
 of the kingdom after him, on which account he had taken 
 care that she should be thoroughly accompUshed, so that she 
 might be able to rule the kingdom with honour and tranquil- 
 lity after his death. And Constantius had a son by her, and 
 called him Constantine. 
 
 A.D. 303. Which was the twenty-first year of the reign of 
 Diocletian, a terrible persecution of the Christians was com- 
 menced, being the tenth since the time of Nero ; in which 
 Christianity was almost destroyed throughout the whole world. 
 For Diocletian in the east, and Maximian Herculeus in the 
 west, ordered the churches to be destroyed, and the Christians 
 slain. An edict was likewise issued, that all the churches through- 
 out the whole world should be levelled with the ground, and 
 the sacred Scriptures burnt in the fire, in the middle of the mar- 
 ket place, and all those who presided over the different churches 
 
180 
 
 MA-TTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 303. 
 
 should be thrown into prison, and by exquisite tortures compelled 
 to sacrifice to the gods. Then some, being overwhelmed with fear, 
 yielded, but some were supported by divine virtue, and flew to 
 heaven through torments. In this slaughter, the legion of the 
 Holy Thebeans, which contained six thousand, six hundred and 
 sixty-six soldiers, sufifered, gloriously enduring martyrdom for 
 Christ's sake, at the command of Maximian. And of this 
 multitude of martyrs, some few names have been ascertained by 
 us, those, namely, of Mauricius, Exuperius, Candidus, Victor, 
 Innocentius, and Vitahs. But the other names, though they 
 are not known to us, are inscribed in the book of life. The 
 passion of Victor and Ursa took place at Castrum Solodi. 
 The martyrdom of Gereon and his companions, three hundred 
 and twenty-eight in number, took place at Cologne. 
 
 This persecution was so cruel and so bloody, that in one 
 month seventeen thousand martyrs are recorded to have been • 
 put to death. For it crossed over the sea, and kindled the 
 illustrious funeral piles of holy martyrs among the Britons, 
 since Saint Alban suffered among that nation ; of whom the 
 presbyter Fortunatus speaks, thus praising his martyrdom : 
 
 •' The fertile Britain boasts the noble Alban." 
 
 And this Alban, when the commands of the treacherous 
 emperors against the Christians were raging, received in hos- 
 pitality a certain clergyman, who was fleeing from his perse- 
 cutors. And seeing that he devoted himself to continual 
 prayers and watchings, he being suddenly filled with the divine 
 grace, began to imitate the example of his faith, and being 
 gradually instructed by his salutary exhortations, forsook the 
 darkness of idolatry, and became a Christian with his whole 
 heart. The name of that clergyman, although the Roman 
 histories pass it over, is nevertheless stated in the history of 
 the Britons. For it is said, that Alban, glowing with affec- 
 tionate gratitude, first of all, hid his confessor Amphibalus 
 from his persecutors when he was pursued by them, and then 
 changing garments with him, exposed himself to the danger 
 of death, in this imitating Christ, who laid down his life for 
 his sheep. 
 
 Therefore every day, when the hour of evening was coming 
 on, the master and the disciples, avoiding the society of men, 
 betook themselves to a more remote dwelling, which is called 
 
 A.D. 303. 
 
 SAINT ALBAN 13 SEIZED. 
 
 181 
 
 in the common language a cabin, and there spent the whole 
 night in the praise of God. And they did this, that their se- 
 cret might not become known to the infidels, who vied with 
 one another, not in imitating the worshippers of the Christian 
 rehgion or their faith, but in persecuting the faithful. But 
 after some time had elapsed, a certain gentile went boldly to 
 the judge, and told him what was done, omitting no statement 
 by which he more easily could injure the innocent, or stir up the 
 judges to fury. So when these things were known, the judge 
 was presently excited to great fury and anger, and ordered 
 Alban and his master to be summoned to his presence, to make 
 them sacrifice victims to his gods with all the reverence that 
 they deserved. And if they refused, he ordered them to be 
 arrested by force and violence, to be bound with chains, and 
 to be placed on the altars of the gods to be slain, like vic- 
 tims. But this decree was not unknown to Alban, who wishing 
 to escape the machinations of the ruler by any means possible, 
 exhorted Amphibalus to retire from the city, and take care of 
 himself, giving him a cloak embroidered with gold, that he 
 might be safer from his enemies. For a dress of this kind 
 was at that time held by all men in such honour and reverence, 
 that any one who was clad in it, might penetrate unhurt 
 through bands of enemies. But he himself returned the 
 cassock of his master, though he most certainly knew that his 
 enemies would not look upon it with favourable eyes, but would 
 be furious against it. Therefore Amphibalus, acquiescing in 
 the entreaties of Alban, fled before daylight, going by the road 
 which leads from the city to the north. And Alban conducted 
 him, as long as it seemed desirable to both of them. And 
 when they were departing from one another, and taking leave 
 of each other for the last time, who could recall their tears to 
 his recollection, without weeping himself.^ 
 
 Therefore Amphibalus hastened into Wales, to become a 
 martyr there. And Alban wore the dress of his master, that 
 by this course he might the more readily attract the rage of 
 the gentiles to himself alone. But when day broke, the horse- 
 men rushed with ferocious spirit to the house of Alban, and 
 hunted through every part of it, and at last they found 
 Alban himself in the cabin, in a foreign dress, barefoot before 
 the cross of the Lord which his master had left him, earnest 
 m prayer. Then seizing him inhumanly, they bound him 
 
182 
 
 MATTHEW OF WE8TMINSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 303. 
 
 with chains, and dragged him into the presence of the judge, 
 wheat that moment was, with the whole city, standing by the 
 altars, to sacrifice the victims to his gods. But Alban, to sliow 
 that he was the servant of the cross, bore aloft in his hand 
 the sign of the Lord without ceasing. And when the judge, 
 looking on him with a most ferocious countenance, com- 
 manded him to offer hbations to the gods, the blessed Alban 
 rephed, " I by no means sacrifice to your false gods, who 
 have never been able to help either themselves or others.*' Then, 
 by command of the judge, Alban was seized and stretched out 
 to be scourged, but amid the stripes his prayers to God were 
 heard without ceasing. And when the hands of the victors 
 were wearied, and the point was not gained, he was ordered 
 to be detained in the judge's prison six months and more. 
 But presently the elements began to testify to the wickedness 
 done to the martyr. For, from the time of his arrest to the 
 day when he was to be released from prison, no dew or rain 
 moistened the earth, but every day the whole country was 
 burnt up under a most scorching sun. No fields, no trees 
 produced any crops, the elements themselves fighting against 
 the wicked. But as the judge and the citizens of Verola- 
 mium could not bear such an infliction, they impeach Alban, 
 and having collected everybody into one place, they caused 
 him to be brought before them. And while he was standing 
 in the middle of the multitude, they all with one accord 
 gave sentence of death against this holy man of God. And 
 he, frequently kissing the cross of the Lord, which he held 
 in his hand, and praying, commended his cause to the Lord. 
 Therefore, Alban was dragged from the judgment-seat to 
 punishment. And when those who were leading him came to 
 a rapid river, he, uttering a prayer to God, opened a way for 
 the people through the waters. Then the soldier who was 
 dragging Alban to punishment, seeing the miracle, threw away 
 his sword, confessed his errors, and entreated pardon of the 
 Saint. After this circumstance, the enemies of the truth 
 seize the man, dash out his teeth, and in a merciless manner 
 break all his bones ; and though there was no part of his 
 body remained unhurt, still the faith which glowed in his 
 breast could not be impaired. 
 
 At length, ascending to the summit of a mountain, they 
 found there an innumerable crowd of men, who burning with 
 
 A.D. 303. 
 
 ALBAN BECOMES A MARTYR. 
 
 183 
 
 thirst beneath the scorching sun, were now at the very point 
 of death. And Alban, sympathising with their miseries, by 
 his prayers produced a spring on the top of the mountain ; 
 the infidels quenched their thirst, but still thirsted for human 
 blood. Why need I dwell on the circumstances ? Out of the 
 whole people one is selected as executioner, to perpetrate the 
 wickedness before them all. And he, with his whole force, 
 striking his sword against his neck, at one blow cut off the 
 martyr's head ; but as the eyes of him who gave the blow fell 
 on the ground at the same time as the head of the martyr, he 
 became utterly blind. And the cross which the holy man had 
 been used continually to bear in his hands, being now besprinkled 
 with his happy blood, fell on the ground, and a certain 
 Christian secretly carried it away, and hid it from the ignorant 
 pagans. And when this was done, the soldier whom the pagans 
 had a little while before left half dead, using all his efforts, 
 ascended the mountain by climbing. Then the judge, insulting 
 the wounds of the man, said : *' Pray now to Alban, that he 
 would condescend to restore your bones to their former con- 
 dition.'* " I do believe," he replied, *' that the blessed Alban 
 by his holy merits will be able to restore to me perfect 
 soundness, and to lead me to the mercy of the Saviour." 
 Then reverently taking hold of the head of the martyr, and 
 devoutly placing it close to his own body, he began to recover 
 his bodily strength, which before seemed hopeless, and having 
 been made sound, he did not cease from preaching the merits 
 of Alban and the power of Christ, in the hearing of all the 
 people. Then opening the earth, he buried the body of Alban 
 in the ground, and himself raised a mound over it. And when 
 this was seen, that soldier is ordered to be apprehended by the 
 enemies of the cross, and after punishments too horrid to 
 relate, as they tore his holy body limb from limb, at last they 
 cut off his head with a sword. And thus that soldier, per* 
 severing in the faith of Christ, deserved to be elevated to the 
 crown of martyrdom with the most blessed Alban. Accord- 
 ingly, on the following night, a column of light appeared to 
 rise from the tomb of the blessed martyr, and to penetrate 
 into heaven ; down which angels descending and ascending, 
 spent the whole night in praising God. And among other 
 things which they sung, this expression was frequently hoard : 
 " Alban, an illustrious man, has become a glorious martyr." 
 
184 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEB. 
 
 A.D. 303. 
 
 And when suddenly a great concourse of gentiles flocked to 
 behold this sight, one of them broke out into the following 
 language : " It is quite plain that Christ the Son of God is 
 effecting all these wonderful things which we have seen ; let 
 us go and seek out the man of God, because, as you know, 
 he by his preaching converted Alban to Christ." And as they 
 all approved of this advice, about a thousand men began to 
 journey towards Wales, and there they found Amphibalus, the 
 man of God, preaching the word of life to the men of that 
 country. And they, explaining to him the cause of their 
 coming, offered him the cross sprinkled with blood, which he 
 had formerly given to his dear Alban. And he, returning 
 thanks to God, preached about religion to his new hearers. 
 And they immediately with one accord eagerly took the sign 
 which is in Christ from his sacred hands. And when a few 
 days had passed, the news of the circumstance came to Vero- 
 lamium. And the citizens there, excited with immoderate fury, 
 set out on the journey with all their strength, and with great 
 uproar, as if they had been going to battle. But hearing of 
 the illustrious name of Amphibalus, after a few days they 
 found him, his fame acting as their guide, and as they went 
 they found those whom they sought listening eagerly to his 
 words. But the gentiles, carried away with diabohcal fury, 
 rushed with frantic wildness upon the saints of God, and 
 cutting their bodies into small pieces, sent their happy souls 
 with joy to heaven. And so father was slain by son, brother 
 by brother, and citizen by citizen. Of this Holy College one 
 alone survived, who being detained by the way by the infirmity 
 of his body, was not able to be present. The holy Amphibalus, 
 surrounded by the bodies of those who had been slain, re- 
 commended their blessed souls to the Lord, and then the 
 bloody executioners pouring forth all their rage upon him, 
 and binding his arms with the most cruel thongs, compelled 
 him to walk barefoot before their horses towards the city of 
 Verolamium. But the nearer he came to his dear Alban, the 
 more the roughness of the road and the pain of the toil be- 
 came softened in his eyes. 
 
 And as they proceeded on their journey, Amphibalus, though 
 in bonds himself, released a sick man, in the sight of them all, 
 from the bonds of his sickness. Then, when at . last they 
 came in sight of the walls of the city, they for a while laid 
 
 A.D. 303. 
 
 MARTYRDOM OF AMPHIBALUS. 
 
 185 
 
 down their shields in a desert place, and planted their spears 
 in the ground. But while all the others rested, Amphibalus 
 alone took no rest, but taught his persecutors the word of sal- 
 vation because the word of God could not be bound. 
 
 In the meantime the news was brought to the city that the 
 citizens had returned home, and had brought back with them 
 the master of Alban. It was also said that all those for whom 
 they had undertaken that laborious journey had perished in a 
 distant country. But when the judge was informed of this, 
 he said, in the presence of all tlie people, ** Let us all go forth 
 and meet our enemy, that he who is known to have offended., 
 may feel that vengeance is taken upon him by all." Then 
 each one exhorts his fellow to go more swiftly, and they excite 
 one another against their enemy. And ^s they proceeded on 
 the road which leads from the city towards the north, they 
 left the city nearly empty. And coming to the man of God, 
 they found him bound with chains. And presently they 
 seized him, and stripped him cruelly, and laid open his bowels 
 with the sword, and bound him to a stake which was fixed in 
 the ground, and caused the holy man of God to walk round 
 the stake. When Amphibalus, the man of God, placed among 
 all these terrible straits, still showed no sign of pain, the enemies 
 of the cross, becoming more exasperated, placed him as a 
 sign among them, and stab and break to pieces with knives 
 and spears all that there was left of his body. Then many men 
 beholding the constancy of the blessed martyr, and admiring 
 it more and more, submitted themselves to the faith of Christ, 
 praying to God with a loud voice, that by the merits and in- 
 tercession of the blessed martyr, they miglit deserve to become 
 partakers in eternal life. And when this was known, the 
 javeUn-men put a thousand men to death, the blessed Amphi- 
 balus looking on, and commending their souls to God. 
 
 After these events, the wicked raged to effect the death of 
 this innocent man, and in order to destroy his blessed life, 
 they pelt him cruelly with a shower of stones. But he, per- 
 sisting in his prayers, and minding nothing else, did not cease 
 for a moment. And when at length he was on the point of 
 restoring his invincible spirit to heaven, two angels, radiant 
 with heavenly brightness, came down from above to him, and 
 took up with them the soul of the blessed man, shining with 
 extraordinary brilhancy, and bore it off to heaven with hymns 
 
186 
 
 MATTHEW OF "WESTMINSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 310. 
 
 and praises. And a voice from heaven was heard addressing 
 him in this manner, in the hearing of all men : " Verily I 
 say unto you, this day you shall be with your disciple Alban 
 in paradise." Then a certain one of the faithful in Christ 
 secretly took away the body of the blessed martyr, and reve- 
 rently buried it in the earth. 
 
 About the same time there suffered in Britain, Aaron and 
 Julius, with many other men and women, who went up by 
 martyrdom to the desirable joy of the heavenly Jerusalem ; the 
 blessed Alban still being the protomartyr of the English, who 
 first purpled Britain with his blood. And in the same slaughter, 
 Pamphilus suffered, whose life has been written in three books 
 by Eusebius, bishop of Csesarea. 
 
 A.D. 304. Diocletian at Nicomedia, and Maximian Herculeus 
 at Milan, laid aside the purple ; but the persecution when it 
 had been once begun did not cease to rage till the seventh year 
 of Constantine. 
 
 A.D. 305. Galerius obtained the Roman empire, and reigned 
 three years. In the same year, which is the third year of the 
 persecution, Constaiitius, a man of the greatest magnanimity, 
 died in Britain at York. And his son Constantine succeeding to 
 the kingdom of Britain, laboured to govern his realm with the 
 greatest tranquillity and honour. 
 
 A.D. 306. Maximin and Severus, who had been made 
 Caesars by Galerius, increase the persecutions against the Chris- 
 tians. At this time, Peter, the bishop of Alexandria, suffered, 
 and many Egyptians with him. Lucian also suffered, a pres- 
 byter of the church of Antioch, and Timotheus was put to 
 death at Rome on the twenty-first of June. 
 
 A.D. 307. Constantine, son of Constantius and Helen, was 
 made emperor, from having been king of Britain, and reigned 
 twenty years and ten months. 
 
 A.D. 308. Nicolas, a man eminent for sanctity and virtue, 
 was consecrated bishop of Mirrhe, the metropohs. 
 
 A.D. 309. Eusebius was elected to the Roman chair, and 
 occupied it two years and two months. The same year, Gale- 
 nius died, and Constantine became sole emperor. 
 
 A.D. 310. Pascasius flourished in the church at Vienne, and 
 Phileas, the Egyptian, composed a book in most elegant style 
 in praise of martyrdom, and at last he gloriously ended his 
 own life by martyrdom. 
 
 A.D. 313. 
 
 PERSECUTION CEASES. 
 
 187 
 
 A.D. 311. Melchiades became pope; he occupied the Ro- 
 man chair three years, eight months, and eight days. 
 
 A.D. 312. Maxentius, son of Herculeus Maximian, was called 
 Augustus at Rome. He behaved with great tyranny towards the 
 Roman people, endeavouring to ruin all the most noble men of 
 the city. And as his savageness increased, men quitted their 
 country and fled into Britain to Constantine, and were ho- 
 nourably received by him. At last, as great numbers had 
 come to him, they excited him to hatred of Maxentius, often 
 addressing him in this manner : — ** You are the only one of 
 our race ; you, by expelling Maxentius, can restore to us what 
 we have lost, and by our assistance you will be able to obtain 
 the empire of Rome, which is your due. For you have great 
 wealth of gold and silver, and a great number of valiant sol- 
 diers." Constantine, therefore, being excited by these and 
 other inducements, prepared a fleet by the advice of the Ro- 
 mans, which he adopted in all particulars. 
 
 A.D. 313. Constantine, coming to Rome, led with him the 
 three uncles of Helena, his mother, namely, Trahernius, Marius, 
 and LeoUnus, and a countless number of soldiers. And when 
 Maxentius the tyrant had been expelled, he restored all whom 
 he had proscribed to their former dignity. He also advanced 
 his three uncles to the rank of senators, and after that he 
 governed the monarchy of the world with tranquillity. 
 
 The same year, the persecution of the Christians ceased, 
 and peace was given to the churches ; and this persecution 
 had lasted the preceding ten years, or something like it, as 
 Bede relates in the first book and sixth chapter of his History. 
 During which time, Diocletian in the east, and Maximian 
 Herculeus in the west, ordered the churches to be laid waste, 
 and the Christians to be afflicted and put to death, being the 
 tenth persecution since Nero. But when the whirlwind oi 
 this persecution had, after the lapse of ten years, become 
 calmed, then the faithful in Christ coming forth in pubUc, 
 (men who, during the time of danger, had hidden themselves 
 in remote woods, and desert places, and secret caves,) re- 
 newed the churches of the saints which had been thrown to 
 the ground, and founded, and built, and completed temples to 
 the Holy Martyrs, and set them up like victorious standards, 
 and celebrated days of festival, and performed sacrifices. 
 
 At this time, a temple is founded in honour of the blessed 
 
188 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEK. 
 
 A.D. 315. 
 
 Alban, tlie proto-martyr of the English, as Bede tells us, in 
 the first book and sixth chapter of his History, where he 
 relates the matter thus: "The blessed Alban suffered on 
 the twenty-first day of June, near the city of Verolamium, 
 which is now called Warlancestria, or Watlingecestria by the 
 nation of the English, where, in subsequent times, when the 
 Christians were in peace, a church of wonderful beauty, 
 and worthy of his martyrdom, was built, ten years after his 
 passion. In which spot to this very day, the cure of the 
 sick, and the manifestations of numerous virtues, are displayed 
 without ceasing. And the following is the reason why the 
 before- mentioned city is spoken of by two names ; for from 
 the river which is called the Warlame, and which flows 
 through the country to the east of the city, it is called Warlan- 
 cestria : but from the royal road, which is called Watlinge- 
 strete, and which Ues on the west of the city, it is called Wat- 
 lingecestria." 
 
 And peace now continued inviolate in the churches of Bri- 
 tain till the times of the Arrian heresy. 
 
 A.D. 314. Octavius, king of the Gcvisci, made an insurrec- 
 tion against the pro-consuls appointed by the Romans, to whom 
 the government of Britain had been entrusted, and having slain 
 them, made himself master of the kingdom. And when news 
 of this was brought to Constantine at Rome, he sent Trahernius, 
 the uncle of his mother, with three legions, to reduce the inland 
 again to obedience to the Romans. Trahernius therefore landed 
 in the island, and in two days took the city of Caerperis, which 
 is now called Porchester. And when this was known, Octa- 
 vius came to meet him with a powerful army, and a battle 
 was fought, in which he routed the forces of Trahernius and 
 put him to flight. But he retreated to Scotland by sea, and 
 began to lay waste the provinces. And Octavius having got 
 his forces together again, fought with him in the province 
 which is called Westmoreland ; but on this occasion, Octavius 
 was thrown into disorder and fled without the victory, and 
 Trahernius pursuing him, deprived him of the crown and king- 
 dom. And then Octavius went to Norway, and besought aid 
 from king Humbert. 
 
 A.D. 315. Saint Silvester was appointed pope ; and occupied 
 the Roman chair twenty-three years, ten months, and eleven 
 days, and the see was vacant fifteen days. This holy man is 
 
 A.D. 318. 
 
 CONSTANTINE IS BAPTIZED. 
 
 189 
 
 i 
 
 described as haying been of an angelic aspect, elegant in his 
 discourse, holy in his works, great in counsel, a catholic in 
 faith, most patient in hope, hberal in charity, the comfort of 
 orphans and widows, the support of the monks and clergy, 
 the defence of laymen and poor men, the succour of matrons 
 and virgins. His therefore being adorned by such eminent 
 and great virtues, was accounted honourable before God and 
 before man. 
 
 A.D. 316. The before-mentioned Octavius, being anxious on 
 account of the kingdom that he had lost, issued an edict to his 
 friends, to endeavour with all their efforts to kill Trahernius. 
 At last, when, one day, Trahernius was leaving the city of Lon- 
 don, a certain count laid wait for him in one of the suburbs in 
 a valley, and slew him. But Octavius returned into Britain, 
 and having routed the Romans, occupied the kingdom, and 
 governed it peaceably many years. 
 
 A.D. 317. Saint Silvester, fleeing from the persecution of 
 the emperor Constantine, lay hid in Mount Seraphus. 
 
 A.D. 318. After Constantine Augustus had made a great 
 slaughter of the Christians, he was violently attacked with 
 leprosy. And as he was advised to make himself a bath of the 
 blood of innocent children, three thousand were brought to him. 
 But their mothers, with dishevelled hair and naked breasts, 
 prostrated themselves before him, groaning and howling, and 
 caused great alarm to him and his nobles. Then the emperor, 
 abhorring such a crime, ordered the children to be restored to 
 their mothers with ample presents, in order that they who 
 had come weeping might return rejoicing. God having re- 
 gard for this pious action, the next night sent to him the 
 Apostles Peter and Paul, who addressed him in the following 
 manner: " Since, Constantine, you have abhorred the effusion 
 of innocent blood, we are sent by God to give you salutary 
 advice with reference to the recovery of your health ; send, 
 therefore, to Silvester, the bishop of the city of Rome, who is 
 lying hid in Mount Seraphus, by whose means, when you 
 have believed in the one God, and have been baptised in the 
 font in the baptismal water, you shall be cleansed from all 
 contagion of leprosy." 
 
 The emperor therefore, rising up, caused Silvester to come 
 to him, and carefully related to him all that had been said to, 
 and seen by him. Then the holy Silvester baptized him, 
 
190 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEB. 
 
 A.D. 323. 
 
 after he had been strengthened in the faith. And he, rising 
 up from the font, confessed that he had seen Christ, and 
 being perfectly cleansed from his leprosy, ordered by his 
 imperial edict, that the one true Almighty God should be 
 worshipped by the whole city, and that all those who despised 
 this order should be punished. 
 
 A.D. 319. The emperor Constantine, being now become a 
 Christian, gave leave freely to restore the churches, and to 
 build new ones in honour of Christ ; and he gave privileges 
 to the Christians throughout nearly the whole of the Roman 
 empire, so that the Christian people might live in freedom and 
 safety under bishops regularly ordained to their bishoprics. 
 
 A.D. 320. The Arrian heresy began, so called from Arrius, 
 a presbyter of Alexandria, who, not acknowledging the Son to 
 be co-eternal with the Father, asserted the existence of differ- 
 ent substances in the Trinity, saying, that one was greater 
 than the other, in contradiction of that Word of our Lord, '* I 
 and the Father are One." To condemn this man, and to re- 
 establish the pure faith, a council of three hundred and 
 eighteen bishops was assembled by Constantine from all quar- 
 ters of the world. 
 
 A.D. 321. The most sacred council of Aries was convened, 
 consisting of six hundred bishops ; Mauritius being at this 
 time bishop of the aforesaid city. 
 
 A.D. 322. The heresy of the Donatists arises in Africa, having 
 its beginning from a certain Donatus, who coming from Numi- 
 dia, deceived nearly all Africa by his persuasive eloquence, 
 asserting that the Son was inferior to the Father, and the 
 Holy Spirit inferior to the Son, and that Catholics required to 
 be baptised again after a lapse. 
 
 A.D. 323. A great multitude of barbarians was collected to- 
 gether on the river Danube, ready for war against the Romans, 
 which Constantine hearmg, prepared an army against them, 
 and went to meet them. And the following night there came 
 to him a person of great splendour, saying to him, " Constan- 
 tine, look up to Heaven, and see." But he, looking up to 
 Heaven, saw a figure of the Holy Cross, and ordered the 
 figure to march before him, trusting in it, because on it 
 he had seen inscribed, radiant with splendid brightness, " In 
 this sign shalt thou conquer." And when he had seen this 
 sight, he made a cross resembling it, to serve as the imperial 
 
 A.D. 329. POPE SILVESTER CONFOUNDS THE JEWS. 
 
 191 
 
 standard, a sign full of terrror to the enemy ; and the barbarians 
 coming on, fell in battle, being miserably slaughtered, and an 
 infinite multitude of them perished. And the Lord gave the 
 victory to Constantine by virtue of the Holy Cross. 
 
 A.D. 324. Helena, the mother of Constantine, being warned 
 by some divine visions, went to Jerusalem, and diligently 
 looking for the cross of the Lord, instead of one she found 
 three ; but the impossibility of distinguishing between the 
 several crosses disturbed her joy at the success of her search. 
 At last, of the three crosses which she had found she was 
 made undoubtedly sure which was the true one, by means of a 
 certain sick woman who was cured by the true cross. The nails 
 by which the body of our Lord had been fastened to the cross, 
 she with maternal affection brought to her son, and bade him 
 make bridle-bits of them, to use in any doubtful war, in order 
 that the prophecy might be fulfilled, *' And it shall come to 
 pass in that day, that in the bridle of a horse it shall be called 
 Holy to the Lord." 
 
 A.D. 325. Constantine built a baptistery at Rome, of won- 
 derful beauty, near the church of the blessed John the Baptist, 
 which was called Constantine's church, where he had formerly 
 been baptised ; and he also made a church for the blessed 
 Peter, out of a temple of Apollo, and another for the blessed 
 Paul. He also surrounded the body of each, to the height of 
 five feet, with beautiful brass. 
 
 A.D. 326. The emperor ordered a church to be built in the 
 Soran palace, which is called Jerusalem, where he deposited a 
 portion of the Holy Cross ; also a church to the blessed martyr 
 Agnes, at the request of Constantia his daughter, where Con- 
 stantia herself, the sister of Augustus, had been baptised. 
 
 A.D. 327. The same emperor built a church in honour of 
 Saint Lawrence the martyr, in the road to Tibur and the Vera- 
 nian field, where the martyr was buried. 
 
 A.D. 328. Pope Silvester enacted that the holy chrisra should 
 be reverently consecrated, not by presbyters, but by bishops. 
 
 A.D. 329. A hundred and twenty of the wisest of the Jews 
 were collected before Constantine and his mother Helena, to 
 argue against pope Silvester, maintaining that the faith of the 
 Christians was groundless, and invented not by God but by men 
 devoid of reason ; whom the holy Silvester, supported by a 
 band of twenty-four bishops, maEi'ully resisted and confused 
 
192 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEK. 
 
 A.J). 336. 
 
 A.D. 343. 
 
 JULIUS ELECTED POPE. 
 
 193 
 
 them all, and rendered them dumb, by the authority of the Old 
 as well as of the New Testament ; and the greater part of them, 
 leaving the blindness of Judaism, were converted to the faith of 
 the Trinity which they attacked. Also the faith of many 
 Christians was strengthened by the fact of a ferocious bull which 
 had been slain in a pasture of the Jews, who were unable to 
 recover him, being afterwards restored to life by the blessed 
 Silvester. 
 
 A.D. 330. The emperor Constantine built a church to the 
 blessed Peter and Paul the Apostles, in the Lavican road, be- 
 tween two bay trees. 
 
 A.D. 331. The emperor built a mausoleum, constructed witli 
 extraordinary beauty, where he afterwards buried his mother, 
 in a most costly sarcophagus. 
 
 A.D. 332. The emperor built a church in the city of Ostia, 
 near the gate of the city of Rome, in honour of the blessed 
 Apostles Peter and Paul, and Saint John the Baptist, and in 
 the city of Alba he built a church in honour of the same 
 Saint. 
 
 A.D. 333. The emperor Constantine built a church in the 
 city of Naples, of wonderful beauty, to all the apostles and 
 martyrs ; and in Drepana, a city of Bithynia, he built a church 
 in honour of the martyr Lucian. And he ornamented the city 
 with new buildings, and called it Helenopolis, from the name 
 of his mother. 
 
 A.D. 33 4. Marcus and Julius are appointed bishops of Rome. 
 The Romans defeated the Goths in the country of the Sarmatia. 
 In consequence of an edict of Constantine, the temples of the 
 gentiles were thrown down. 
 
 A.D. 335. The emperor Constantine built in Thrace a city, 
 which he honoured with the title of his own name, and 
 destined it to be the seat of the Roman empire, and the capi- 
 tal of the east, and Rome to be the capitol of the world, which 
 last city he bequeathed by will to the blessed Peter and Paul. 
 He also commanded the noblest of the Romans, and nearly 
 the whole body of the senators with their wives and children, 
 to take up their abode in the new Rome, that is, in Constan- 
 tinople. 
 
 A.l). 336. Reccius, bishop of Augustina, was greatly cele- 
 brated, and Juvencus, a Spanish presbyter, who turned the 
 four books of the Gospels into hexameter Terse. 
 
 A.D. 337. The emperor ordered (without putting any one to 
 death) that the temples of the pagans should be closed, and 
 all the altars of the gods to be broken to pieces. 
 
 A.D. 338. Firmian, who is also called Lactantius, a disciple 
 j of Arnobius, went to Nicomedia to write a treatise on rhetoric. 
 
 A.D. 339. James, bishop of the city of Nisibis, who in the 
 council of Nice, with the other bishops, condemned the Arrian 
 heresy, and who was besides the author of many books, flou- 
 rished with great distinction in the church. 
 
 A.D. 340. The noble emperor Constantine terminated his life 
 by a glorious death. In which year also, the holy Silvester, 
 going the way of all flesh, departed to the Lord. It was 
 in truth worthy, and altogether suitable, that those who had 
 laboured together so perseveringly for the increase of the 
 church, should together receive the deserved recompense of 
 their labours. 
 
 Cn. VI.—Feom A.D. 341 to a.d. 434. 
 
 Constantius — Death of Arrius—The bones of St. Andrew and 
 St. Luke are taken to Constantinople — Julian — Eusebius 
 dies— St. Hilary— The bones of John the Baptist are col- 
 lected-— Alaric — Valentinian and Valens — Oltarius, king of 
 Britain, dies — Gratian — Maximianus becomes king of Britain 
 —Conan — The Franks — Pharamond— Death of Athanasius 
 —Gregory Nazianzen —Basil— Theodosius — Arcadius— 
 Maximus, king of Britain— Death of Maxijnus-Rufinus— 
 Stilicho—St. Ambrose dies — The Pelagian heresy— St. John 
 Chrysostom — St. Augustine — Honorius — The Nestorian 
 heresy — The Romans abandon Britain — The Scots and Picts 
 invade it, 
 
 A.D. 341. Constantius with his brothers Constantine and 
 Constans became emperors, and reigned fourteen years. The 
 same year Marcius was elected pope, and occupied the Roman 
 chair two years, eight months, and twenty days. 
 
 A.D. 342. James, the bishop of Nisibis, a man of great learn- 
 ing, in both the divine and human writings, died. The same 
 year, Saint Nicholas, bishop of the metropohs of Mirrha, de- 
 parted to Christ. 
 
 A.D. 343. Julius was elected to the papal chair at Rome, 
 and held it eleven years, two months, and seven days. 
 VOL. I. o 
 
H 
 
 194 
 
 MATTUEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 352. 
 
 A.D. 344. The Arrian impiety persecuted first of all Atha- 
 nasius, the bishop of the city of Alexandria, and afterwards 
 other eminent bishops, with banishment, imprisonment, and 
 various kinds of affliction. 
 
 A.D. 345. Maximiu, bishop of Treves, flourished, by whom 
 Athanasius was honourably received and protected, while he 
 was being sought for by Constantine, who intended to punish 
 
 him. 
 
 A.D. 346. Nectarius, bishop of the church at Vienne, was 
 eminent for his learning and faith ; he was the principal per- 
 son at the council of Aries ; and he both taught and preached 
 in the church, that the essence of the Father, of the Son, and 
 of the Holy Ghost was of one nature, power, divinity, and 
 virtue. . 
 
 A.D. 347. Antony the monk departed to the Lord, in the 
 wilderness, in the hundred and fifth year of his age. 
 
 A.D. 348. The remains of the blessed Timothy were brought 
 to Constantinople. 
 
 A.D. 349. While the heretic Arrius, relying on the favour of 
 Constantine, was going to Constantinople to the church, with 
 the intention of contending for his beUef, against the faithful 
 in Christ, turning aside in the forum of Constantine to ease 
 himself, he suddenly left his bowels, and his life, and his heresy 
 at once on the same spot. 
 
 A.D. 350. Constantius having entered Rome, the bones of 
 Saint Andrew the Apostle and of Saint Luke the Evangelist 
 were brought to Constantinople, and deposited there with great 
 
 honour. 
 
 A.D. 351. Hilarius, the bishop of Poictiers, who havmg 
 been driven out by the Arrians, had gone into exile into Phry- 
 gia, gives a book to Constantius at Constantinople, and then 
 
 returned to Gaul. 
 
 A.D. 352. The heresy of the AnthropomorphitesUrose in Syria 
 and Macedonia, deriving its origin from a certain Anthropos, 
 who asserted that Jesus had only a human form, and that his 
 Godhead was distinct from his bodily parts ; which is contrary 
 to the Catholic faith. About the same time the bishop Paph- 
 nutius, a man of eminent virtue, flourished. 
 
 1 There is a manifest mistake in our author's statement here. The sect 
 of the Anthropomorphites derived its name from dvOpioiroQ, man, and 
 fiop^ri,form, and not from the name of its founder. 
 
 A.D. 363. SEEAPION, BISHOP OF THANES, DIES. 
 
 195 
 
 A.D. 353. Donatus, a writer and teacher of the art of gram- 
 mar, was celebrated at Rome. 
 
 A.D. 354. Eusebius, of Caesarea, in Palestine, a man most 
 learned in the Holy Scriptures, first fell into the Arrian heresy, 
 hut afterwards corrected himself before he died. 
 
 A.D. 355. Eustacius, bishop of Antioch, composed some 
 short works against the Arrian doctrines, and was afterwards 
 banished. 
 
 A.D. 356. When Eustacius, bishop of Antioch, was banished, 
 Liberius was appointed pope, and occupied the chair at Rome 
 ten years. 
 
 » 
 
 A.D. 357. Marcellus, bishop of Ancyra, who wrote many 
 things against the Arrians, was accused of the Sabellian heresy, 
 as Hilarius mentions. But he defended himself, denying that 
 he held the heresy of which he was accused. 
 
 A.D. 358. Basil, bishop of Ancyra, in Macedonia, with 
 Eustacius Sebasteus, was an eminent man, and very skilful 
 in tiie art of physic. 
 
 A.D. 359. Lucifer, bishop of Carela, was banished by Con- 
 stantius, because he would not condemn the Nicene creed. 
 But after he returned from exile, he agreed with the heretics! 
 and, departing from the communion of the church, he shared 
 the fall of his namesake and adviser Lucifer, the star of the 
 morning. 
 
 A.D. 360. Eusebius, bishop of Vercellse, on account of his 
 confession of faith, was banished by Constantius to Catapolis, 
 and when he returned from exile he was murdered by the 
 treachery of the Arrians. 
 
 A.D. 361. Hilary, bishop of Poictiers, in Aquitaine, was by 
 the contrivance of Saturninus, bishop of Aries, sent from the 
 council into exile in Phrygia, with the sanction of Constantius, 
 and he there wrote twelve books against the Arrians. And 
 when he returned from exile he wrote a book about the coun- 
 cils, addressed to the bishops of the Gauls. 
 
 A.D. 362. The emperor Constantius, on account of the per- 
 secution of the Arrians, banished Liberius, bishop of the 
 Roman see. And as he was going into exile, Fortunatius, 
 nishop of Aquileia, first tampered with him and corrupted 
 him, and dragged him into subscribing to heresy. 
 
 A.D, 363. Serapion, bishop of Thanes, a man of elegant 
 
 o2 
 
196 
 
 MATTHEW OP WESTMINSTEB. 
 
 A.D. 366. 
 
 genius, died, in the reign of Constantius ; a man illustrious 
 for his confession of faith. 
 
 A.D. 364. Acarius, bishop of Neo Csesarea, was so illustri- 
 ous during the reign of Constantius, that he consecrated Fehx 
 bishop of Rome, in the place of Liberius ; and he remained so 
 a whole year. 
 
 The same year the emperor Constantius died, and Julian 
 succeeded to the empire, and reigned two years and eight 
 months. He having become emperor from having been a 
 priest, fell into the worship of idols, and inflicted martyrdom 
 on the Christians, and, in his fierce hatred, sent them to 
 heaven. And among others who are found to have suffered 
 for the sake of Christ throughout the world, John and Paul 
 endured illustrious martyrdom at Rome. Julian also, out of 
 hatred towards the Christians, allowed the Jews to repair the 
 temple at Jerusalem. And when they, having collected out of 
 all the provinces, were laying new foundations, on a sudden 
 an earthquake took place at night, and all the stones are said 
 to have been shaken from the very bottom of the foundation, 
 and to have been scattered far and wide. Moreover, a ball 
 of fire came out of the inner part of the temple, and threw 
 down many of their houses with the conflagration which it 
 caused. 
 
 A.D. 36^. The pagans at Sebaste, a city of Palestine, entering 
 the sepulchre of the blessed John the Baptist, scattered his bones ; 
 they are again collected, and again they scatter them widely over 
 the fields, and burn them. But by the providence of God, 
 some monks from Jerusalem and some other persons were pre- 
 sent, who carried off all that they could, and bore them reve- 
 rently, first to their father Philip, and then to the chief pontiff. 
 At the same time, the apostate Julian ordered the bones of 
 the venerable James, bishop of Nisibis, to be carried out of the 
 aity. And not long afterwards, when he was marshalling his 
 crmy against the Persians, he was slain (by whom is uncer- 
 tain), and scattering his entrails in the air, he blasphemed 
 Christ the Lord in his frantic fury, crying out, ** You have 
 conquered, Galilean ! you have conquered !" This miracle, 
 however, is attributed to the Mother of the Saviour, who 
 admirably executed this revenge by the agency of the blessed 
 Mercurius, her soldier. 
 
 A.D. 366. Liberius, bishop of the city of Rome, after the 
 
 A.D. 373. VALENS PEESECUTES THE CHRISTIANS. 
 
 197 
 
 I 
 
 death of Felix, returned from banishment, and again sat in 
 the chair of Peter, and remained there five years. The same 
 year, Jovinian obtained the empire, and held it and reigned 
 one year and eight months. And as he immediately afiirmed 
 that he was a Christian, he said that he was unwilling to rule 
 over pagans. And the whole army, which, because of the 
 influence of Julian, had cast off the name of Christ, hearing 
 this, confessed themselves Christians. But a premature death 
 cut short the pious and joyful beginnings of this great emperor. 
 The same year, the council at Antioch was convened, consisting 
 of bishops from Miletus and the districts of Antioch, in which 
 the Macedonian doctrine was wrongfully established ; and it 
 derived its name from Macedonius, a bishop of Constantinople, 
 who deemed that the Holy Ghost was God. 
 
 A.D. 367. Valentinian, with his brother Valens, succeeded to 
 the empire, and reigned ten years. At the same time, Apolli- 
 naris, bishop of Laodicea, compiled many books on the subject 
 of our rehgion ; but afterwards, incautiously deviating from the 
 faith, he adopted the heresy which goes by his name, saying 
 that Christ took upon himself only body, without any soul. 
 
 A.D. 368. The heresy of Photinus and Eunomius flourished. 
 Photinus was bishop of the city of Sira, and asserted that 
 Christ was begotten on Mary, by Joseph, according to the 
 usual matrimonial process. 
 
 A.D. 369. The Goths in the Danube became divided into two 
 parts, under Frigedern and Alaric. But Frigedern subdued 
 Alaric by the assistance of Valens, and in requital of this 
 assistance, he, from having been a Catholic, became an Arrian 
 with the whole nation of the Goths. At this time, Hilary, 
 bishop of Poictiers, wrote. 
 
 A.D. 370. Vulfila, bishop of the Goths, being a master of 
 Gothic Uterature, translated each Testament into his own 
 language. 
 
 A.D. 371. Damasus was elected to the Roman chair, and 
 occupied it eighteen years, two months, and ten days. And the 
 see was vacant twenty-one days. Pope Damasus was accused 
 of adultery, but was acquitted by forty-four bishops. 
 
 A.D. 372. Pope Damasus built a church near his palace in 
 honour of Saint Laurence, and adorned it with most sump- 
 tuous presents. 
 
 A.D. 373. Valens, having been baptized by Eudoxius, bishop 
 of the Arrians, persecuted the Christians. 
 
 N 
 
198 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 379. 
 
 A.D. 374. Pope Damasus built a church at the Catacombs, 
 where the bodies of Saint Peter and Saint Paul lay, and 
 adorned with verses the street in which their holy bodies had 
 been placed. 
 
 A.D. 375. Octavius, the before-mentioned king of Britain, 
 died, being worn out with old age. He had one only daughter, 
 and no male offspring. Therefore Britain continued some time 
 in a state of dissension, because different people embraced 
 different opinions as to whom they should give the damsel who 
 had the kingdom for her dowry in marriage. 
 
 A.D. 376. Damasus established a rule of saying in church 
 at the end of the Psalms, " Glory be to the Father, and to 
 the Son, and to the Holy Ghost." 
 
 A.D. 377. Gratian became emperor of Rome, and reigned 
 six years. The same year, Ambrosius was consecrated bishop 
 of Milan, and by his industiy ail Italy was strengthened in the 
 faith of Christ. 
 
 A.D. 378. Valens and Gratian, having issued a law that the 
 monks should serve in the army, ordered those who refused, 
 to be beaten to death with clubs. 
 
 A.D. 379. The nobles of Britain, in order to enjoy a lasting 
 peace, sent ambassadors to Rome to invite Maximinianus, a 
 senator, to marry the daughter of Octavius, the knig of whom I 
 have before spoken. For he was a Briton on the father's side, 
 being the son of Leolinus, the uncle of Constantine ; but on 
 the mother's side he was a Roman ; and on both sides he 
 traced his origin up to royal blood. And when the messengers 
 had explained to Maximinianus the cause of their coming, he at 
 once agreed to their proposals, because he was treated in a 
 very hostile manner by Gratian and Valentinian ; and on his 
 way to Britain he overthrew the cities and fortifications of the 
 Franks, and reduced them to obedience to himself, and ac- 
 quired great riches in gold and silver. But when at length 
 he arrived in the port of Southampton, Conan, the grandson 
 of king Octavius, came to meet him with all the youth of the 
 kingdom, intending to fight with him, as he panted with all 
 his heart for the kingly power. But he defeated Conan with 
 the assistance of the Britons, and then they married the 
 daughter of the king to Maximinianus with all due ceremony. 
 But Conan, being beyond measure indignant, went to Scotland, 
 and occupied himself in collecting an army. There, with all 
 
 A.D. 387. 
 
 JUSTUS DIES IN EGrPT. 
 
 199 
 
 the whole multitude of his nation, he crossed the river Humber, 
 and began to ravage all the provinces. But Maximinianus 
 coming up, defeated liim in battle. However, at length, through 
 the intervention of friends, they made peace. 
 
 A.D. 380. The Franks uniting with the Romans, defeated 
 the Alemanni, who were in rebellion, between the Danube and 
 the sea of Azov. In reference to which victory, the emperor 
 Valentinian first gave that tribe the name of Franks, iii the 
 Achaean language, caUing them so from their fierceness, stern- 
 ness, and boldness. And they, a short time afterwards, as 
 they refused to pay tribute to the Romans, and would not 
 submit to the sovereignty of the Romans, quitted Sicambria,^ 
 and went to the most distant parts of the river Rhine, to the 
 cities of the Germans, who had been settled there for some 
 years, with their chiefs, Marcomirus and Subnon. And there 
 they elected Pharamond to be their first king, and submitted 
 to the laws which their former chiefs, Guisonastus and Sale- 
 gastus, had established. 
 
 A.D. 381. Titus, bishop of Ostia, a most energetic arguer 
 against the Manichaeaus, died. The same year, Athanasius, 
 bishop of Alexandria, having suffered much ill-treatment from 
 the Arrians under the sanction of the emperor Valentinian, 
 died. Priam, the first king of the Franks, reigned six years. 
 
 A.D. 382. Theodosius became emperor of Rome ; he reigned 
 sixteen years. In his time, Gregory Nazianzen, a most eloquent 
 man, and the teacher of Hieronymus, paid the debt of nature. 
 
 A.D. 383. Basil of Caesarea, and Effrem, a deacon of the 
 church at Edessa, died. 
 
 A.D. 384. Saint Martin was born. The same year, Theo- 
 dosius defeated the Alans, the Huns, and the Goths, in several 
 great battles. 
 
 Maximus also defeated the Picts and Scots, who invaded 
 
 Britain. 
 
 A.D. 385. The Arrians, unable to bear the emperor Theo- 
 dosius' s study of the faith, after forty years, abandoned the 
 churches which they held by force. 
 
 A.D. 386. Marcomir, king of the Franks, died, in thirty- 
 four days after he succeeded to the kingdom. Niceta, bishop 
 of Vienne, a most eminent man for learning, flourished. 
 
 A.D. 387. Justus, bishop of Lyons, who subsequently left 
 
 2 Sicambria was in Lower Germany, on the Rhine. 
 
200 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTAIIXSTEB. 
 
 A.D. 390. 
 
 A.D. 392. CONAN SENDS FOE WIVES FOE HIS SOLDIEES. 
 
 201 
 
 his see and chose the Hfe of an anchorite, died in Egypt. 
 The same year, a council of a hundred and fifty fathers was 
 assembled at Constantinople, against the heretic Macedonius, 
 while Damasns remained at Rome. 
 
 A.D. 388. Siricius was elected to the Roman chair ; he held 
 it fifteen years, eleven months, and ten days ; and the see was 
 vacant twenty days. 
 
 A.D. 389. Theodosius associated his son Arcadius with him- 
 self as partner in the kingdom. The same year, after the 
 death of Auxentius the bishop, a great defender of the errors 
 of the Arrian sect, when there was a discussion among the 
 CathoUcs about the election of his successor, and when Am- 
 brosius, a man of consular rank, had come forward to pacify 
 the people, on a sudden the voice of an infant was heard, 
 "That Ambrosius should be the bishop." And presently, 
 Ambrosius, who was at the time a catechumen, was taken and 
 baptized, and eight days afterwards was ordained bishop, to 
 the great joy of the people. And when, not long afterwards, 
 the same Ambrosius was sowing the word of God in the church 
 of God, one of the Arrians saw an angel of God standing at 
 the ear of the bishop, indicating to him what he ought to 
 announce to the people. And when he saw this miracle, he 
 began to defend the faith which he had previously attacked. 
 
 A.D. 390. Maximus, king of the Britons, in consequence of 
 the vast quantity of gold and silver of which he was possessed, 
 and of his great number of valiant soldiers, was so much 
 elated, that, as his kingdom was not sufficient for him, he be- 
 came desirous of subduing the country of Gaul, and subjecting 
 it to himself ; therefore, having prepared a fleet, he proceeded 
 towards the kingdom of the Armorici, which was afterwards 
 called Lesser Britain (Brittany). And he took with him such 
 a very numerous army, that he left almost the whole of Britain 
 entirely destitute of an armed force. When therefore he had 
 sailed with a fair wind to the before-mentioned country, and 
 had begun to ravage the neighbouring provinces, Unibald, the 
 duke of that country, met him, with fifteen thousand armed 
 men. But at their first meeting he was put to flight, and the 
 greater part of his army was slain. Therefore Maximus 
 summoned over Conan, from whom, as I have said before, he 
 had wrested the kingdom of Britain, and gave him the king- 
 dom of the Armorici, and ordered it to be called Lesser Britain. 
 
 But Conan, thanking him with an inclination of his head, 
 promised to remain faithful in his obedience to him as long as 
 they both should live. Then having united their armies, they 
 manfully reduced the cities and towns under their power. 
 And all that resisted they gave to the flames, and utterly 
 destroyed. And so, as all fled from him, Maximus within one 
 year reduced all that part of Gaul to obedience to himself, 
 sparing, however, the women and children. And he united to 
 himself all whom he was aware were discontented with the 
 existing state of things, and distributing silver and gold among 
 them, he allowed them to exult in their spoils and gains. 
 
 A.D. 391. Maximus the tyrant, wishing to fill the kingdom 
 which he had taken with British inhabitants, issued an edict, 
 that a hundred thousand men, taken from the common people, 
 should come to him from Britain, in order to fill that country* 
 and also thirty thousand soldiers to defend the bishops, who 
 were already ordained, from the incursions of enemies. And 
 when he had finished everything according to his wish, he 
 divided the land hberally among each of the nations, and 
 also the woods, and the rivers full of fish, with which that 
 region abounded. And committing to Conan the government 
 of the whole people, he appointed him king of that country, 
 and called the country the Lesser Britain, as has been already 
 mentioned. Then Maximus, advancing with his entire forces, 
 penetrated the interior of Gaul, and after some most severe 
 battles subjugated the whole of Germany. And placing the 
 throne of his empire at Treves, he attacked the two emperors 
 with such violence that he slew Gratian, and drove Valentinian 
 from the city of Rome. 
 
 A.D. 392. Conan, king of the Armorican Bretons, wish- 
 ing to give wives of his nation to his fellow-soldiers, that 
 they might not form a mixtiire of races with the Gauls, sent 
 to Dionotus, king of Cornwall, to whom Maximus had en- 
 trusted Britain in his absence, to desire him to manage this 
 matter, and to send the damsels to him with speed. Dionotus 
 therefore, having received the message of Conan, collected 
 throughout all the provinces the daughters of the nobles to the 
 number of eleven thousand ; and of others sprang from the 
 lower orders to the number of six thousand, all of whom em- 
 barked on board ship at London. There were, however, some 
 of them who, preferring chastity to marriage, would have chose 
 
202 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 393. 
 
 A.D. 401. 
 
 THE HERESY OF THE MESSALIANS. 
 
 203 
 
 rather to lose their lives than to be married to husbands, how- 
 ever noble, in this manner. When, thereft)re, the fleet entered 
 the sea by the mouth of the river Thames, a sudden tempest 
 arose, and they all began to be in danger, and the greater part 
 of them were drowned. And eleven thousand virgins, who 
 are said to have suffered at Cologne after this disaster, fell 
 m with the lawless army of Wannius, king of tlie Huns, and of 
 Melga, duke of the Picts, who by the orders of Gratian were 
 oppressmg the Maritime nations with terrible cruelty. These 
 troops, meeting with the before-mentioned damsels, and be- 
 holdmg their beauty, desired to wanton with them. And when 
 the damsels had refused, and had in a most Christian spirit 
 looked with due disdain on the pagans, both armies rushed 
 upon them. And in this way the chaste band, being cut to 
 pieces with bloody swords, went to the kingdom of heaven as 
 martyrs. 
 
 Then the wicked generals, when they had learnt that the 
 island of Britain was destitute of armed soldiers, march thither, 
 and invade the kingdom, which was without any ruler or de- 
 fender. For Maximian had taken away with him, as I have 
 already stated, all the soldiers and warlike youth, leaving only 
 the unwarlike rustics in the country ; and the chiefs, whom 
 I have spoken of, making vast slaughter of the common 
 people, began to lay waste the towns and cities. When there- 
 fore this sad calamity was announced to Maximus,^ he sent the 
 senator Gratian with two legions, who routed the enemy with 
 enormous slaughter, and drove them to Ireland. In the mean- 
 time, Maximus having been killed at Rome, the Britons who 
 were with him fled to their fellow-citizens in Lesser Britain. 
 Gratian therefore, when he heard of the death of Maximus, 
 assumed the crown, and made himself king. After this, he 
 behaved with such cruelty to the Britons, that the people as- 
 sembled and murdered him; and after he was dead, the 
 enemies who have been mentioned before, returned and afflicted 
 Britain with most terrible and lasting oppression. 
 
 A.D. 393. There flourished in the church of God, Gregory 
 Nazianzen, Gregory of Nyssa, Hilary of Poictiers, Martin of 
 
 » There is a great confusion of names in this account ; our Chronicler 
 sometimes speaks of Maximus, sometimes of Maximian. It is plain that 
 we are always to understand Maximus to be the person meant 
 
 
 Tonx, Ambrose of Milan, Jerome, abbot of Bethlehem, and 
 Pachomius, abbot of Egypt. 
 
 A.D. 394. The chronicles of Jerome and those of Gen- 
 nadius begin. The same year. Saint Patrick, a Scot, was 
 sold as a slave into Ireland, with his sisters ; and he became 
 the swineherd of the king, in which situation he was often 
 honoured with conferences with the angels. 
 
 A.D. 395. As Jerome translated the sacred scriptures of both 
 the Old and New Testaments into the Latin language, the 
 edition of the seventy translators began to be less thought of. 
 
 A.D. 396. The bodies of the prophets Habakkuk and Micah 
 are discovered. 
 
 A.D. 397. The bodies of the martyrs Nazarius and Celsus 
 were found at Milan by Ambrose, and taken up. 
 
 A.D. 398. On the death of Theodosius the great emperor, 
 Arcadius and Honorius, his sons, succeeded to the empire, 
 and reigned fourteen years ; and they dividing the monarchy 
 of the world between them, placed the principal seats of their 
 government, the one at Rome and the other at Constantinople. 
 And in their time Donatus, the bishop of Epirus, was eminent 
 for his virtues, who killed a savage dragon by spitting in his 
 mouth : a monster so large, that as it was desirable to destroy 
 him, lest he should taint the air, eight yoke of oxen could 
 scarcely drag it to the place where it was to be burnt. 
 
 A.D. 399. Ambrose first appointed hymns to be sung in the 
 church ; and at the same time Arsenius, from having been a 
 senator, became a monk. About the same time the temples 
 of the Gentiles, at the command of Theodosius, were destroyed 
 throughout the world, and in their stead temples of Christ are 
 built in every direction. 
 
 A.D. 400. Rufinus, the commander of the oriental army, 
 being carried away by the desire of empire, and rebelling, 
 from a hope of attaining the chief power, was slain by StiUcho, 
 the commander of the western army ; of whose death the ad- 
 mirable poet Claudian thus speaks : 
 
 " No longer do I grieve that wicked men 
 Rise to the topmost height of prosperous power — 
 They are but raised to fall more fatally. " 
 
 A.D. 401. The heresy of the Messalians arose; of those 
 men, that is to say, who say that devils can be driven out of 
 men by merely speaking to them. 
 
204 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMIN^STEE. 
 
 A.D. 407, 
 
 A.D. 402. There was a certain heretic, by name Eunomius, 
 who presumed to baptise by immersion, saying that people 
 ought to be baptised, not in the name of the Trinity, but in 
 that of the death of Christ ; and he used to rebaptise those 
 who had been baptised in the Trinity. 
 
 A.D. 403. Saint Ambrose finished his life gloriously, and 
 his actions and character are described in clear language to 
 the bishop Augustine by Paul, bishop of Nola. At the same 
 time, Sisinnius and Alexander received the crown of martyr- 
 dom in Italy. About the same time, Stilicho, wishing to disturb 
 the peace of the emperor, appointed Alaric, the king of the 
 Goths, his master of the soldiers. 
 
 A.D. 404. The Pelagian heresy arose, which was onginated 
 by a certain Pelagius, a native of Britain. He taught that 
 men could be saved without the grace of God, by their own 
 merits, and that every man was guided to justice by his own 
 will; that infants are born without original sin, and are as inno- 
 cent n& Adam was before his fall ; and that they require to be 
 baptised, not in order to be freed from sin, but that they may 
 be admitted to the kingdom of God by adoption ; though, even 
 if they were not baptised, there could still be for them a happy 
 and everlasting Ufe out of the kingdom of heaven. That Adam 
 was injured by his own sin alone, and that he died, not because 
 of his oftence as deserving of death, but because of the con- 
 dition of his nature, as he would have died even if he had not 
 sinned. He affirmed also, that all prayers which are offered 
 by the church, whether for the faithful or for infidels, are vain. 
 
 A.D. 405. Anastasius was appointed to the Roman chair, 
 and he occupied it two years and twenty-six days, and the see 
 was vacant twenty-one days. The same year, the abbot Pacho- 
 vius ended his life in virtue, in the hundred and tenth year of 
 his age. 
 
 A.D. 406. John Chrysostom was very eminent in the church 
 of Christ ; at the same time also, John, bishop of Constanti- 
 nople, and TheopUtus, bishop of Alexandria, flourished. 
 
 A.D. 407. A boy was born in a fortress of Judsea, by name 
 Emmaus, perfect from the navel, and divided upwards, so 
 that he had two bosoms, and two sets of arms, two heads, and 
 each body had its own separate sensations. But when one 
 ate the other did not eat, when one slept the other was awake ; 
 they played at the same time, and they lived nearly to the age 
 
 A.D. 417. COrNT CONSTAIfTirs EXPELS THE GOTHS. 
 
 205 
 
 of manhood. But after a time one body died, and the other 
 survived it three days. The same year, Innocent the First was 
 made pope, and he sat in the Roman chair fifteen years, two 
 months, and twenty days ; and the see was vacant fifteen days. 
 
 A.D. 408. Innocent, bishop of the city of Rome, dedicated 
 a church to the most blessed martyrs Gervasius and Prothatius ; 
 which was built by the devotion of a most illustrious woman, 
 by name Vestina. 
 
 A.D. 409. Pope Innocent made a rule that the kiss of peace 
 should be given at mass, and that the oil for the sick should 
 be consecrated by the bishop. 
 
 A.D. 410. Saint Alexius flourished at Rome; a man who 
 left his bride on the first night of his marriage, and travelled 
 eighteen years for Christ's sake. 
 
 A.D. 411. Saint Augustine, bishop of Hippo, was very much 
 distinguished in the church of Christ for learning and sanctity. 
 
 A.D. 412. Honorius succeeded Arcadius the emperor, and 
 reigned twenty years. 
 
 A.D. 41o. The heresy of the Priscillanists arose, which wa5 
 originated by a certain Priscillus, who connected men with stars 
 that influenced their fate ; and who affirmed that the human 
 body itself was arranged with reference to the twelve signs of 
 the zodiac ; placing Aries in the head, Taurus in the neck, 
 Gemini in the shoulders, and Cancer in the breast ; in 
 this manner running through all the limbs down to the feet, 
 which he assigned to the fishes. He despised marriage and 
 the use of meat He also attributed the creation of human 
 flesh not to God, but to the evil angels. 
 
 A.D. 414. Honorius the emperor appointed Constantius, his 
 comrade, master of his army ; who, in the first place, going 
 into Gaul, took Constantine prisoner at Aries, and put him 
 to death. 
 
 A.D. 415. The heresy of Pelagius came to an audience of 
 pope Innocent, and gave rise to a council of two hundred and 
 twenty-four bishops of Carthage ; which convicted and con- 
 demned it. 
 
 A.D. 416. Orosius, a presbyter and historian, flourished, who 
 was sent by Saint Augustine to Saint Jerome, to learn the 
 theory of the soul. 
 
 A.D. 417. Count Constantius, being at Aries, and displaying 
 great energy in the transaction of affairs there, expelled the 
 
206 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 426. 
 
 Goths, who were commanded by Atavulfus, the husband of 
 Placida, from Narbonne, and compelled them to retire into 
 Spain. 
 
 A.D. 418. Lucian, the presbyter, flourished with great dis- 
 tinction. He wrote a treatise on the revelation of Stephen, 
 the proto-martyr, andof his companions, in the Greek language; 
 which afterwards Avitus, a Spanish presbyter, translated into 
 Latin. He also sent by Orosius the remains of the blessed 
 Stephen to the western nations. 
 
 A.D. 419. Anianus, bishop of Aurelia, flourished, who by 
 his prayers delivered the citizens of Aureha from the Huns. 
 
 A.D. 420. The Britons, unable to endure the hostile attacks 
 of the Scots, Picts, and Norwegians, sent to Rome requesting 
 aid ; and a legion is immediately sent to them, which slew a 
 vast multitude of the barbarians, and expelled them from the 
 borders of Britain. After that, for the sake of repelhng the 
 enemy, they built a wall between the two seas, which, how- 
 ever, as it was made more of turf than of stone, was of no use 
 to the Britons in their works, without a commander. For 
 presently, when the Romans departed, the enemies whom I 
 have spoken of arrived again in ships, and cut down, laid 
 waste, overthrew and destroyed everything that they met with. 
 
 A.D. 421. Pharamund became king of the Franks, and he 
 reigned eleven years. Again the Britons implored assistance 
 from the Romans, who came and drove the enemy back to 
 the sea, and uniting themselves, the Britons made the wall 
 sohd with stone, and extended it from sea to sea ; they also 
 all along the shore of the southern sea placed numerous towers 
 at intervals, and fortified the country ; and then bade farewell 
 to their companions, as not intending to return again. 
 
 A.D. 422. Zozimus was made pope. He sat in the Roman 
 chair three years, eight months, and twenty-five days. And 
 the see was vacant eleven days. 
 
 A.D. 423. Jerome the presbyter ended his life in sanctity, 
 the last day of September, in the ninety-first year of his age. 
 
 A.D. 424. Macharius, an Egyptian monk, was eminent for 
 wonders and virtue. 
 
 A.D. 425. Boniface was appointed pope. He occupied the 
 chair at Rome three years, eight months, and thirteen days. 
 And the see was vacant nine days. 
 
 A.D. 426. Severus, the presbyter, by name Sulpitius, who 
 
 i 
 
 A.D. 434. THE ROMANS WITHDRAW FROM BRITAIN. 
 
 207 
 
 wrote a book about the hfe of the blessed Martin, died. He in 
 his old age was seduced by the Pelagians, but, acknowledging his 
 fault in having been too talkative, he kept silence to the day 
 of his death, making amends by his silence for the evil that 
 he had done by talking. 
 
 A.D. 427. Coelestinus was appointed pope. He occupied 
 the Roman chair seven years, one month, and nine days. And 
 the see was vacant twenty-one days. The same year, Theo- 
 dosius the younger succeeded to the empire, and reigned 
 twenty-seven years. 
 
 A.D. 428. Valentinian the younger, the son of Constantius, 
 was created emperor at Ravenna, and Placida, his mother, had 
 the title of Augusta given her. 
 
 A.D. 429. Nestorius, bishop of Constantinople, revealed his 
 faithless heresy. He asserted that the blessed Virgin Mary 
 was not the mother of God, but only of a man, so that he 
 made one person of the flesh, and another of the Deity. And 
 he did not beheve that there was one only Christ in the world 
 and in the flesh ; but he preached that there were two separate 
 persons, one the Son of God, and the other the Son of Man. 
 
 A.D. 430. The devil appeared to the Jews hi Crete in the 
 figure of Moses, and promised to lead them across the sea 
 with dry feet to the land of promise ; and then exulted when 
 many lost their lives. The rest who were saved were all con- 
 verted to Christ. 
 
 A.D. 431. The ferocious nations of the Vandals, Alans, and 
 Goths crossed over from Spain to Africa, and polluted every 
 place with fire, and sword, and rapine, and also with Arrian 
 impiety. But the blessed Augustine, bishop of Hippo, and 
 likewise an illustrious teacher of all the churches, departed to 
 the Lord in the third month of the siege of Hippo, to escape 
 seeing the ruin of his city. 
 
 A.D. 432. The Vandals, after having taken Carthage, de- 
 vastated Sicily. The same year, Clodoveus became king in 
 Gaul, and reigned seventeen years. 
 
 A.D. 433. Palladius was ordained by pope Coelestinus, and 
 sent as the first bishop to the Scots w^ho believed in Christ. 
 
 A.D. 434. When the Romans withdrew from Britain, the 
 Picts and Scots returned with the Norwegians and Dacians, 
 and took possession of the whole island, which was almost 
 
208 
 
 MATTHEW OP WESTMINSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 435. 
 
 destitute of all its original inhabitants, from the northern 
 coast as far down as the wall which the Romans had erected 
 for the defence of the country. And after this, the enemy 
 attacked the wall, and loosened its joints, and with iron hooks 
 threw down the Britons who were placed on the high ramparts 
 of the walls to resist it, against the bulwarks. For they were 
 without a ruler ; ignorant how to fight, and always incUned 
 to flee. On which account, those who were able to escape 
 from this calamity sought hiding-places in the thicknesses of 
 the groves, in lairs and secret places of the earth. At last, 
 when they had abandoned their cities, the miserable people 
 were torn to pieces like lambs by wolves. Why need I dwell 
 on the story ? They again sent a letter filled with tearful 
 lamentations to ^tius, the Roman governor and consul, which 
 contained these words among others : — 
 
 '* Tlie groans of the Britons to iEtius, the consul, greeting. 
 
 " The sea drives us on the barbarians, and the barbarians 
 drive us to the sea ; and between the two, two kinds of death 
 arise. We are either drowned or stabbed." 
 
 But when the Romans had told them that they were not in- 
 clined any longer to exhaust themselves with such laborious 
 expenses for them, the messengers departed in grief, and re- 
 ported their repulse to their fellow-citizens. 
 
 These are the transactions of the eighth year of the reign 
 of the younger Theodosius. In this year the tribute of Britain 
 ceased, which had been paid to the Roman senate ever since 
 the time of Julius Caesar. 
 
 Ch. VII.— a.d. 435 TO 464. 
 The Britons receive a king from Brittany — Attila — Vortigern — 
 Saint Germain — Wars between the Britons and the Fiats and 
 Scots — The Saxons are invited into Britain — Merovens, king 
 of the Franks — The Saxons arrive in Britain — Are defeated 
 hy Vortigern — The council of Chalcedon — Vortimer — Horso 
 — Hengist — Death of Vortimer — Return of Hengist — The 
 Saxons destroy the British Churches — Merlin, 
 
 A.D. 435. Guithelin, archbishop of London, flourished, a man 
 remarkable for his learning and virtues. He, as soon as 
 he was made aware of the calamitous state of Britain, and of 
 its desertion by the Romans, being filled with pity, crossed 
 the sea to the Lesser Britain, whicli had formerly been called 
 
 A.D. 435. ALDROENUS SENDS TEOOPS TO BRITAIN. 
 
 209 
 
 Armorica, or Lsecania, to entreat assistance for his brethren. 
 The king of that country at that time was Aldroenus, the 
 fourth successor of Conan, to whom the tyrant Maximus had 
 given that kingdom. And he, when he saw that venerable 
 man, received him with due honour. But the archbishop, 
 relating the cause of his arrival, burst into tears, and said, 
 "Your nobleness is sufficiently aware, king, how Maxi- 
 mus, who conferred this kingdom on you and your predecessors, 
 deprived our island of its soldiers, and also robbed it of its 
 men and women of the highest rank, and we and our fellow- 
 citizens have suff'ered great misery, having become a mere 
 object of prey and plunder to all nations. We are not only 
 oppressed by the enemy, but we are dying of hunger, being 
 deprived of every sort of food, except what we can obtain by 
 our skill in hunting. 
 
 " We, therefore, cut off from all other hope, approach your 
 grace, most serene king, imploring you to come in person 
 to bring us assistance ; and to dispose of the kingdom, which 
 will then be your due after you have expelled the barbarians, 
 at your own pleasure ; and to govern the people, and to restore 
 to its ancient state a country which in old time subjugated 
 very distant kingdoms." And when the archbishop, in a very 
 long speech, had said this and a great deal more, the king 
 replied in the following manner : — 
 
 *' There was once a time when I would not have refused to 
 receive the island of Britain, but now that disasters have fallen 
 on it, it has become less valuable in my eyes, and odious in 
 those of my nobles. But because ray grandfathers and great- 
 grandfathers possessed that island, I give you my brother 
 Constantine, and two thousand soldiers with him. And if 
 God permit, he will deliver the country from its enemies, and, 
 being invested with the crown, he will possess the kingdom, 
 with honour and glory." The king had scarcely made an 
 end of speaking, when the archbishop addressed Constantine, 
 a man of great reputation as a soldier, in the following cheer- 
 ful words : — ** Christ is victorious ! Christ is king ! Christ is 
 emperor ! May the grace of Christ, therefore, stand by the 
 king of Britain, who is our defence, that he may restore our 
 miserable island to its former dignity." In short, ships were 
 made ready on the shore, and the number of troops that I 
 have already stated was enUsted from the different parts of the 
 
 VOL. I. p 
 
210 
 
 MATTHEW or WESTMINSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 442 
 
 kingdom. And they having embarked and set sail, landed 
 prosperously in the harbour of Totness. And not long after, 
 the Britons who had been dispersed in caves and hiding- 
 places flocked together, and engaging the enemy in battle, 
 gained the victory by the energy of the new king and the 
 merits of the blessed Guithelin. 
 
 After this, an assembly was held at Chichester, where they 
 raised Constantine to the throne, and gave him a wife de- 
 scended from a noble race of Roman blood, who had been 
 educated by the care of the blessed Guithehn, archbishop of 
 London ; and by her, in process of time, he had three illus- 
 trious sous, namely, Constans, Aurehus Ambrosius, and Uther 
 Pendragon. Constans, his first-born, he devoted to God, giving 
 him to the church of Amphibalus, at Winchester, when he took 
 upon himself the orders of a monk ; Aurehus Ambrosius and 
 Pendragon he committed to the archbishop of London to be 
 educated. 
 
 A.D. 436. Sixtus became pope. He sat in the Roman chair 
 eight years and eighteen days. He rebuilt in an admirable 
 manner the church of Saint Mary, the Mother of the Lord, 
 which had originally been a temple of Liber Pater. 
 
 A.D. 437. Eudoxia, the wife of Theodosius, the emperor, 
 returned from Jerusalem, bringing with her the remains of 
 the blessed proto-martyr Saint Stephen, which were found in 
 the church of Saint Lawrence, and are piously worshipped by 
 the faithful. 
 
 A.D. 438. Bleda and Attila, who were brothers, and kings 
 of many nations, laid waste Illyricum and Thrace. 
 
 A.D. 439. Maximus, bishop of Turin, flourished, a man of 
 great learning in the Holy Scriptures. 
 
 A.D. 440. Petronius, bishop of Bologna, in Italy, a man of 
 great hohness of hfe, deeply versed in monastic studies, and 
 highly accomphshed in secular literature, died. 
 
 A.D. 441. Julian, the bishop, and Ccelestine, flourished, 
 being both followers of Pelagius. 
 
 A.D. 442. Leporius, a presbyter, adopted the doctrine of 
 Pelagius, presuming on the purity of his own life, by which, of 
 his own will alone and through his own unassisted efforts, with- 
 out any assistance from God, he thought that he had obtained 
 grace. At length, however, he was convinced of his error, and 
 composed a book of recantation, written in the spirit of the 
 true Cathohc faith. 
 
 A.D. 445. TOETIGEH^' SCHEMES TO GAIN THE CEOWN. 21 1 
 
 A.D. 443. Leo the First became bishop of Rome, and sat in 
 the Roman chair twenty-one years, one month, and nine days. 
 And the see was vacant twenty-one days. 
 
 A.D. 444. Victor of Marseilles, an orator, who wrote a book 
 on Genesis addressed to his son iEthereus, but who was not 
 possessed of much learning in the Holy Scriptures, died. 
 
 A.D. 445. Constantine, king of the Britons, one day, when he 
 was going out hunting, was assassinated with a knife by a cer- 
 tain Pict, who was in his train, in a very dense thicket. On his 
 death, a dissension arose among the nobles as to who should be 
 raised to the kingdom ; for the sons of the deceased king, 
 Aurelius Ambrosius and Uther Pendragon, had been sent into 
 Lesser Britain to be educated. And even if they had been 
 present, they would have been incapable of becoming kings, 
 because of their tender age. Then Vortigern, the consul of 
 the Genvisei, who was labouring with all his might to become 
 king, went to Winchester, and took Constans, the monk, the 
 son of Constantine, out of the cloister, and conducted him to 
 London, and although the people scarcely approved of the 
 measure, because he was a monk, raised him to the kingdom. 
 For Guithelin, the archbishop of London, was dead, and there 
 was no one else who would have presumed to make him king. 
 But Vortigern took upon himself the part of a bishop, and with 
 his own hands placed the crown on his head. 
 
 Constans, therefore, being made king, committed the regu- 
 lation of all the affairs of the kingdom to Vortigern. But 
 Vortigern, being a crafty man, committed the castles and for- 
 tifications of the kingdom to his own guards, and began to 
 dehberate with himself how he might most cunningly betray 
 the king. Therefore, he took the treasures of the king into 
 his own custody, and every day he augmented the number of 
 his soldiers and servants. Then he wrote to the king, and 
 advised him to take into his service a hundred Picts (whom he 
 knew to be inclined and ready for any kind of fraud or 
 treachery), to protect his person day and night from any attack 
 of his enemies. 
 
 The king having given his consent, the before-mentioned 
 number of Picts was admitted into the private household of the 
 king. And Vortigern enriched them to such a degree with 
 military pay, and so pampered them with the most delicate 
 food, that they almost adored him, and used to assert loudly 
 
 p2 
 
212 
 
 MATTHEW or WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 446. 
 
 in the streets that he was the man who deserved the empire. 
 When, then, Vortigern perceived that he had acquired tlie 
 good-will of all classes, he one day invited all these men to a 
 feast, saying with tears that he was going to leave Britain, 
 because he had not revenue enough of his own to provide pay 
 for fifty soldiers. Then departing, as if out of spirits, to his own 
 house, he left them drinking in the hall. But the Picts, having 
 heard his address to them, m\irmured among one another, 
 saying, " Why should we not kill that monk, so that Vortigern 
 may become master of the kingdom ?" Therefore they all, 
 being drunk, rose up, and attacked the king. And when 
 they had slain him, they brought the head of the monarch to 
 Vortigern. But when Vortigern saw it, he burst into tears, 
 as if grieved at the sight, in order to disguise his treachery 
 under the veil of tears. Then, as soon as these things had 
 taken place, he convoked the citizens of London, and ordered 
 these Picts to be put to death, that is, to be decapitated, in order 
 to excuse himself from having had any share in this wicked- 
 ness. At length, when he saw that he had no rival to dread, 
 he placed on his own head the crown of Britain, and became 
 the superior of all the princes of the land. Now, when he 
 was thus raised to the throne, the moral pestilence of all kinds 
 of wickedness began to increase ; shameful wickedness stalked 
 abroad, and hatred of truth, and contempt of God, and liti- 
 giousness, and rivalry in luxury and crime, so that Vortigern 
 himself appeared to be a vessel containing all kinds of wicked- 
 ness, and (what is above all things contrary to the honour 
 of a king) he depressed the nobles, and promoted those who 
 were base both in manners and extraction, and so became 
 odious both to God and men. 
 
 A.D. 446. The Pelagian heresy, which had been introduced 
 by Agricola, a disciple of Pelagius, polluted the faith of the 
 Britons, with its foul pestilence. But the Britons, as they 
 were neither willing in any degree to receive a perverse doctrine, 
 blaspheming the grace of Christ ; and on the other hand were 
 not able by reasoning to refute the crafty wickedness of argu- 
 ment, adopted a salutary counsel, of seeking aid in their 
 spiritual warfare from the Galician bishops. Wherefore, a 
 numerous council was collected in that country, and a man 
 was sought for who might be sent to Britain to succour the 
 faith. At last, by the judgment of the whole synod, some 
 
 A.D. 44G. 
 
 pelagia>t:sm reeuted. 
 
 213 
 
 priests were selected to be sent thither as apostles, namely, 
 Germanus, bishop of Altisiodoria, and Lupis, bishop of the city 
 of Troyes, who hastened to Britain to confirm the faith of the 
 church. When they with prompt devotion had yielded to 
 the prayers and injunctions of the holy church, they set sail 
 on the ocean, and although with labour and danger, they in a 
 short time crossed the sea, and enjoyed the wished-for shore 
 in quiet. Then they convened a synod at Verolamium, and 
 an immense multitude of men, with even their wives and 
 children, came thither to the summons. The people was 
 assembled, the judge who vas to preside was waited for, the 
 parties were present similar though in unequal condition ; for 
 on one side was divine faith, on the other human presumption ; 
 on one side Christ, on the other Pelagius, the author of the 
 perverse error. 
 
 As the first step, the blessed priests gave their adversaries 
 liberty of arguing, and of proposing what they pleased, and 
 they permitted them to give utterance to their chattering lo- 
 quacity ; so they, with naked, unmeaning words, long and 
 fruitlessly wasted the time, and tired the ears of the auditors. 
 Then the venerable priests, overflowing with eloquence, poured 
 upon them with showers from the Gospels and words of 
 the Apostles. They also mingled their own arguments with 
 the divine ones, and followed up their modest assertions with 
 testimonies, which they read. Vanity is convicted, perfidy is 
 confounded and refuted, so that, not being able to answer, 
 they confess at each objection that is alleged against them, that 
 they have erred. The people who witness the conference, 
 can hardly restrain themselves from violence, and bear their 
 testimony in favour of the decision with uproar. After that 
 day, that cunning superstition was so thoroughly eradicated 
 from the minds of all men, that they embraced with thirsty 
 desire the doctrine of the priests and of the orthodox be- 
 lievers. Therefore that damnable sin having been checked, 
 and its authors confuted, and the minds of all men settled in 
 purity of faith and consolidated in unity, the honest priests 
 sought the blessed Alban, with the intent of returning thanks 
 to God by his intervention ; that now that they were victorious, 
 they might discharge their devoted feelings of gratitude to that 
 person whose assistance they had implored when entering upon 
 the contest. 
 
214 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 447. 
 
 But when the blessed Germanus arrived at the martyr's tomb, 
 having with him relics of aU the apostles and of the different 
 martyrs, having made a speech, he ordered the sepulchre to 
 be opened, with the intention of placing his precious offerings 
 in it, thinking it suitable that the hospitable receptacle of the 
 tomb of one saint, should contain the limbs of the saints col- 
 lected from different countries, whom heaven had received as 
 equal in merit. And when they had been honourably deposi- 
 ted and regularly placed together, from the very place where 
 the blood of the martyr had been shed, the priest took up a 
 mass of dust to carry away, in which there was visible blood 
 ^hich had been preserved, and was red from the corpse of 
 the martyr, while his persecutor was pale. But the priest, 
 after he had consummatedeverythingprosperouslyaccording to 
 his wish, and having properly arranged everything, which was 
 previously in confusion, returned with joy to his own land, being 
 a grateful acceptor of the kindness of God, and of the blessed 
 Alban, the proto-martyr of the English, to whom he ascribed 
 the victory, and preaching tidings of great joy. And after 
 these things had happened in this manner, an innumerable 
 multitude of each sex was converted to the Lord. 
 
 A.D. 447. When the wickedness of king Vortigem, and 
 the fickleness of his mind, had become known to all the nations 
 round about, the Scots from the west and the Picts from the 
 north rose in insurrection against him (for Vortigem had 
 slain a hundred of their fellow-citizens). And they kept over- 
 running the kingdom of Britain with the most active hostiUty 
 and incessant dihgence. For, destroying everything by fire 
 and sword, with plunder and ravages, they wore out the offending 
 nation, because the nature of the country favoured their dis- 
 dain of them ; and in this way the wicked people as well as 
 the king, was involved in one common vengeance. And those 
 of the miserable people, who were not affected by their ruption 
 of the enemy, were utterly destroyed by a terrible famine, so 
 that they were ground down and crushed as it were between 
 two millstones. While the pestilence was at its height, the 
 sword also came upon them so fiercely, that the living were not 
 sufficient even to bury the dead. Therefore the king, with a 
 desolate people, exhausted by warlike attacks, not knowing 
 what to do against the irruption of the enemy, began to despair. 
 At length it was decided by all to invite the nation of the 
 
 A.D. 448. THE ISLAND OF BIIITAIN TRANQUILLIZED. 
 
 215 
 
 ? 
 
 Saxons from the parts beyond the sea, to their assistance. 
 And it is plain that it was so arranged by the divine providence, 
 in order that evil might come against wicked men, as in fact, 
 the event plainly showed. In the meantime, ambassadors 
 were sent that the business which had been already discussed 
 might be concluded. 
 
 A.D. 448. The Picts and Scots united their forces and under- 
 took the war against the Britons. But as the Britons judged 
 that their army would be unequal to that of the enemy, they 
 implored the aid of the holy priests Germanus and Lupus. At 
 last, when the greater portion of their army was preparing to 
 take arms and to make ready for war, Germanus promised to 
 act as their general. He selects men without any baggage, 
 he reconnoitres the adjacent country, and from the side from 
 which the arrival of the enemy is expected, he sees a valley 
 surrounded with mountains, in which he, as general of the 
 British host, marshals his new army. And now the fierce 
 multitude of the enemy was at hand, and those who had been 
 placed in ambush saw it approaching. Then on a sudden, Ger- 
 manus, as their standard bearer, exhorts them, and bade them all 
 reply to his words with one shout. So the priests all shouted, 
 repeating Hallelujah three times. One shout from the whole 
 multitude ensues, and the enclosed confined spaces within the 
 mountains, reverberating with the crash, re-echoed the swelling 
 cry; the armyof the enemyis panic-struck, and thinking, in their 
 fear, that not only the surrounding rocks, but that the very 
 vault of heaven itself is coming down upon them, are thrown 
 into such alarm, that the speed of their feet was scarcely thought 
 sufficient. They fled in every direction, they threw away their 
 arms, glad to save even their naked bodies out of danger. The 
 river which they had to cross showed that numbers in their 
 headlong flight had been drowned in that. The army, without 
 striking a single blow, beholds its vengeance, and becomes a 
 leisurely spectator of the victory which is offered to it. The 
 spoils which have been thrown down are gathered up, and the 
 religious soldier embraces the joys of the heavenly victory. 
 The pontiffs triumph over the enemy thus thrown into con- 
 fusion without bloodshed ; they triumph also in a victory won 
 by faith and not by armies. 
 
 The island therefore being now tranquillised, and in the en- 
 joyment of complete security, and all enemies, whether invisible 
 
216 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEB. 
 
 A.D. 449. 
 
 or manifest in the flesh, being subdued, they prepare to return 
 with all convenient speed to their own country, from which they 
 had been summoned ; and their own merits, and the inter- 
 cession of the blessed martyr Alban, secured them a favourable 
 voyage, and a prosperous passage restored them in tranquiUity 
 to their longing friends. 
 
 This year Meroveus became king of the Franks, and he 
 reigned ten years. 
 
 A. p. 449. The nation of Angles or Saxons having been invited 
 by king Vortigern, arrive in Britain in their ships of war, and 
 receive a place of abode in the eastern part of the island from 
 the king, as being about to fight for his country. They there- 
 fore accepted the district when the Britons gave it to them, 
 on condition that they should fight for the safety and peace 
 of the country, against all enemies, and that the Britons them- 
 selves should furnish them with sufficient pay while doino- 
 miUtary service. They came from the three most warlike tribes 
 of Germany, that is, from the Saxons, the Angles, and the 
 Jutes. From the Jutlanders the men of Kent and the Wic- 
 tuarii are descended ; the latter tribe is that which possesses 
 the Isle of Wight, and those parts, which to this day, in the 
 province of the West Saxons, are called the country of the 
 Jutes, lying opposite the Isle of Wight itself. But the East 
 Saxons, the South Saxons, and the West Saxons came from 
 that part of Saxony which is now called the country of the 
 old Saxons. 
 
 Moreover, from the Angles, that is to say, from that district 
 which is caUed Angulus (the corner), and which from that 
 time to the present day, as it is said, has remained deserted. 
 Between the provinces of the Jutlanders and the Saxons, come 
 the East Angles, the Midland Angles, and the other tribes of the 
 Angles claim their origin from the nation of the Northumbrian 
 Mercians, which dwells to the north of the river Humber. 
 
 Their leaders are reported to have been two brothers. Hen- 
 gist and Horsa, who were the sons of Withgisius, whose father 
 was Witha, the son of Wetha, the son of Woden, from whose 
 blood the royal family of many provinces derived their origin. 
 And when at last they were brought into the presence of the 
 king, he asked of them what faith and what religion their 
 fathers had espoused. And Hengist replied, ''We worship 
 then: national gods, that is to say, Saturn and Jupiter, and the 
 
 A.D. 450. THE SCOTS AXD PICTS EAYAGE BRITAIN. 
 
 217 
 
 rest of those deities who govern the world, and most especially 
 Mercury, whom we call Woden. To him our ancestors dedi- 
 cated the fourth day of the week, which to this day is called 
 Wodenesday. Next to him, we worship that goddess who is 
 the most powerful of all the goddesses, named Frea, after 
 whose name we call the day Friday. But Frea, as some people 
 assert, is the same as Venus, and is called Frea as if it were 
 Froa, from Froilos, which means the foam of the sea, from 
 which, according to some authors, Venus was born. On which 
 account the same day is also called the day of Venus." Vor- 
 tigern replied to this, *' I am greatly grieved at your bar- 
 barism (it might be more properly termed your infidelity), but 
 I am rejoiced at your arrival, because either God or some 
 one else has brought you hither in a suitable time for my 
 necessity. For my enemies oppress me on all sides ; and if 
 you will share with me the labour of my battles, I will main- 
 tain you honourably in my kingdom, and I will enrich you with 
 all kinds of gifts and witli lands.** The barbarians agreed at 
 once to his proposal, and having made a treaty with him, they 
 remained at his court. 
 
 The same year, news was brought to Britain that the Pela- 
 gian error had again sprung up under the influence of a few 
 promoters of it. Again the prayers of the Britons are borne to 
 the blessed Germanus, that he would condescend to undertake 
 the cause of God and the contest in this spiritual warfare. He 
 promptly assents to their petition, taking with him Severus, a 
 man of proved sanctity, who was a disciple of the most blessed 
 father Lupus, and who was then ordained bishop of Treves. 
 The two together set sail, and, as the elements are favourable, 
 they reach the shores of Britain with a prosperous voyage. And 
 Germanus, by the antidote of his preaching, heals the wounds 
 of infidelity, and the medicine of learning cures the apostasy 
 of blasphemy. And all those erroneous opinions are con- 
 demned with their authors. And the consequence was, that 
 from that time forward the faith remained inviolate in that 
 country. Accordingly, all things being now settled, the 
 blessed priests returned successfully to that country from 
 which they had come. 
 
 A.D. 450. After the departure of the most blessed pontiffs 
 from Britain, the Scots and Picts, rising again from death, 
 collected an enormous army from the north, and began to 
 
218 
 
 MATTHEW OP WESTMI^'STEE. 
 
 A.O. 450. 
 
 ravage the northern parts of the island. And when news of 
 this was brought to Vortigern, he collected soldiers and 
 marched across the Humber to meet them, and there was no 
 great necessity for the citizens to light ; for the Saxons who 
 were present, fought so gallantly, that the enemies who were 
 previously accustomed to be victorious, were now at once put 
 to flight. Vortigern, therefore, having gained the victory by 
 their means, increased his donations to them, and gave their 
 general, Hengist, a great deal of land in Lyndenscia (Lincoln- 
 shire), to support himself and his comrades. But Hengist, as 
 he was a crafty man, having ascertained the good-will which 
 the king bore him, addressed him in this manner :— " My 
 lord king, your enemies are disquieting you on every side, and 
 threatening you, and saying that they will bring over Ambro- 
 sius Aurelius from the country of Armorica (Brittany), in 
 order, when they have deposed you, to promote him to be king. 
 If you please, therefore, we will send to our own country, and 
 invite troops from thence, that our number may be increased.'* 
 The king then adopted their advice and request, and desired 
 Hengist to send to Germany, in order that the soldiers, who 
 were invited over from thence, might bring speedy aid to his 
 timidity. Accordingly, without any delay, an embassy was 
 sent to Germany, and the messengers, when they returned, 
 brought with them eighteen ships filled with picked soldiers. 
 They also brought the daughter of Hengist, Rowena by name, 
 with whose beauty Vortigern was so charmed, that he begged 
 her of her father. And Hengist, when he knew how easily 
 moved the mind of the king was, granted him his daughter. 
 Therefore Satan entered into his heart, inasmuch as he, being 
 a Christian, was desirous to marry a pagan wife. So the king 
 that very night married a pagan wife, who charmed him 
 exceedingly. On which account he incurred the enmity of his 
 nobles and his sons. He had previously had sons by another 
 wife, whose names were Vortimer, Catigern, and Pascentius. 
 He had also a daughter by the same wife, whom he himself 
 married, and had a daughter by her, for which he was excom- 
 municated by Saint Germanus, and by the whole convention 
 of bishops. 
 
 The same year, as Sigisbert writes in his chronicle, Saint 
 Germanus, having come to Ravenna, for the sake of the peace 
 of the Armoricau nation, and having been received with rever- 
 
 A.I). 453. 
 
 hengist' S ADVICE TO V0ETI0EE2T. 
 
 219 
 
 ence by Valentinian and his mother Placida, departed to 
 Christ, and his body was brought by a worshipful band of 
 saints and by companies of religious men, on account of his 
 great virtue, to Altisiodorum. At which time, Severus, a 
 presbyter, a man of great eminence on account of the miracles 
 which he wrought, by having destroyed a temple of idols, where 
 Gentile error adored a hundred gods with an insane worship, 
 built a church to the blessed proto-martyr, Stephen, that it 
 might be consecrated before the gates of Vienne. But as he 
 was waiting for the return of the blessed Germanus from 
 Ravenna, as he had engaged that he should come to the dedi- 
 cation of it, it so fell out that on the day of dedication, before 
 the offices were begun, the body of that blessed confessor of 
 Christ was brought through Vienne, and was borne into this 
 identical new church, for the sake of resting there ; and in this 
 manner, it is well known that the engagement of the man of 
 God was fulfilled. The miracles and eminent acts of virtue 
 which God wrought in Britain by that blessed man, the account 
 which has been written of his Ufe will enable those to judge 
 who wish to do so. But Bede, in his History of England, 
 relates that he departed this life in the sixth year of the reign 
 of Marcianus, which is eight years later than this. 
 
 A.D. 45 1 . Philip, a presbyter and disciple of the blessed 
 Jerome, who wrote some commentaries on the book of Job in 
 plain, simple language, ended his life. 
 
 A.D. 452. Theodosius the emperor died, and Marcian and 
 Valentinian succeeded him, and reigned six years. At the 
 beginning of their reign, the Council of Chalcedon was held, 
 owing to the exertions of the blessed Pope Leo, when Euty- 
 ches, with Dioscorus, bishop of Alexandria, were publicly con- 
 victed and condemned. But Eutvches was abbot of Constan- 
 tinople, and denied that Christ, after his assumption of huma- 
 nity, existed in two natures, asserting that the divine nature 
 was the only one that was in him. 
 
 A.D. 453. Hengist, when he had married his daughter to 
 Vortigern, addressed him in fhis manner, saying, " Listen to 
 my advice, and let us invite hither my son Octa with his cou- 
 sin Abissa, for they are warlike men, and will subdue countries 
 for you, which you may give them, to hold of you ; those, 
 for instance, which are in the northern parts of Britain, 
 near the wall, between Deira and Scotland ; and they being 
 
220 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 455. 
 
 there, will cheek the incursions of the barbarians, and so you 
 will remain in peace on this side of the Humber." Vortigern 
 consented, and immediately they sent ambassadors, and they 
 who had been invited, namely, Octa, Abissa, and Cerditius, 
 came with three hundred ships full of armed men, all of whom 
 were kindly received by Vortigern, and enriched with hberal 
 presents. But when the Britons saw this, they feared their 
 treachery, and desired the king to expel them from his terri- 
 tories, for that pagans ought not to associate with Christians, 
 because the Christian law forbade it. Moreover, a murmur and 
 complaint of the nobles was heard against the detestable mar- 
 riage of the king, of which one poet speaks in a tone of invec- 
 tive and in elegant verse : — 
 
 " Law, love, and marriage bonds unite the two ; 
 But what a law ? what love ? what kind oi honds ? 
 The law is lawless, hateful is the love, 
 Discordant all the honds." 
 
 Moreover, the number of those who arrived was so great, that 
 they were a terror to the natives to whom they were to have 
 been a protection. But Vortigern disdained to attend to the 
 advice of his countrymen, because he loved them above all 
 nations, on account of his wife. 
 
 A.D. 454. The nobles utterly deserted Vortigern, king of 
 Britain, and unanimously raised Vortimer his son to the throne, 
 who by their advice, which he adopted in every particular] 
 began to expel the barbarians, and pursuing them as far as 
 the river Derwent, he defeated them and put great numbers of 
 them to the sword. And with them fled Vortigern, who gave 
 them all the aid that he could, on account of his wife, as he 
 was very uxorious. Then Vortimer, having gained the victory, 
 began to restore to the native citizens the possessions which 
 they had lost, and to treat them with affection, and to restore 
 the churches that had been destroyed, and to treat with espe- 
 cial honour the ecclesiastics and rehgious men. 
 
 A.D. 455. Which is the seventh year after the arrival of the 
 Angles in Britain, the nations of the Angles with Vortigern, 
 having recovered their strength, began again to provoke^Vor- 
 timer, king of the Britons, to war. And the armies meeting 
 here and there about Aylesford, fought a long time with great 
 vigour. At length the weight of the battle turned against the 
 
 A.D. 457. TERRIBLE COXFLAGRATIOS^ AT VIENNE. 
 
 221 
 
 Saxons, who abandoned the fight and the field of battle. But 
 the Britons pursued them manfully, and slew a countless num- 
 ber of them, and routed the rest, and Vortimer returned vic- 
 torious to his home. And not long after, Vortimer, with his 
 brothers Catigern and Pascentius, and with the whole people 
 of the island, declared war against the Saxons. And when 
 they were met they arrayed their armies for battle. But 
 Horsa, the brother of Hengist, to whom Vortigern had given 
 the province of Kent, and who was called king by his coun- 
 trymen, fell on the army of Catigern, the brother of Vortimer, 
 with such impetuosity, that it was scattered like dust, and 
 completely dispersed. And afterwards he slew Catigern, who 
 was thrown from his horse. And when Vortimer, his brother, 
 saw that, he rushed against him, and having slain him, he put 
 to flight the remainder of his squadrons, and drove them back 
 to Hengist, and the whole weight of the battle was turned 
 against Hengist. And as the enemy could not resist the jus- 
 tice of Vortimer's cause, they at length fled, not, however, 
 before they had inflicted great loss upon the Britons, for even 
 those who had never done so before, were now exhausted, and 
 fled. 
 
 A.D. 45G. After the death of Horsa, the Saxons raised Hen- 
 gist, his brother, to the kingdom of Kent. And the same year 
 he is recorded to have fought against the Britons. But being 
 unable to withstand the justice of Vortimer's cause, he fled to 
 the isle of Thanet, where he was incessantly harassed by 
 naval attacks. At length the Saxons embarked on board 
 their own vessels, and leaving their wives and sons behind 
 them, returned to Germany. 
 
 A.D. 457. Saint Mamertus, bishop of Vienne, when the 
 solemnity of the vigil of our Lord's resurrection was beginning, 
 saw at twilight the public buildings of the city of Vienne 
 blazing with a terrible conflagration. I need not dwell on the 
 circumstances ; the people were filled with alarm, and the 
 church was emptied, as every one was afraid of a similar dis- 
 aster for his own house. But still the holy Mamertus stood 
 before the altar clothed in festival garments ; and kmdling 
 with the warmth of his faith, he checked the power of the 
 flames with the stream of tears which he shed. Therefore, 
 laying aside despair, they return to the church, all ascribing 
 the miracle to the holy man. 
 
222 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMIXSTEE. 
 
 A'.D. 461. 
 
 i 
 
 A.D. 458. Saint John the Baptist revealed the place where 
 his head lay, near what was formerly the palace of Herod, to 
 two eastern monks who had come to pray at Jerusalem. And 
 after that it was transported to Edissa, a city of Phoenicia, and 
 buried with all due honour. 
 
 A.D. 459. The emperor Marcian being dead, Leo the Greater^ 
 and Leo the Less became emperors, and reigned sixteen years. 
 At the same time, Alexandria and Egypt, becoming infected 
 with the errors of the heretic Dionysius, were fillexl with an 
 unclean spirit, and barked with the madness of dogs. Hil- 
 deric succeeded to the throne of the Franks, and reigned 
 twenty-six years. 
 
 A.D. 460. Vortimer, king of the Britons, and the flower of 
 the youth, died, and with him all the hope and victory of the 
 Britons was extinguished. For the devil entered into the 
 heart of his step-mother, Kowena, and she gave him poison by 
 means of one of his intimates, in consequence of which he 
 died suddenly, and was buried in tlie city of London. And 
 after his death, Vortigern, at the instigation of his wife, sent 
 into Germany for Hengist, to desire him to come privately and 
 with only a few attendants, to Britain, lest, if he came in any 
 other way, the Britons might set upon him with one general 
 attack. 
 
 A.D. 461. Hengist, having heard of the death of Vortimer, 
 returned to Britain with four thousand armed men, whom 
 he had mduced to join him. But when the arrival of such a 
 numerous host was made known to Vortigern and the princi- 
 pal men of the island, they were very indignant, and deter- 
 mined to fight with them. And when his daughter had by 
 messengers communicated that determination to Hengist, he 
 thought of betraying his country under the pretence of peace 
 and he sent ambassadors to the king, saying that he had 
 engaged such a numerous body of men without the idea of 
 offering any violence either to him or to his kingdom, but that 
 he thought Vortimer was still aUve, whom he was, above all 
 things, desirous to conquer. But as he was now dead, he had 
 no hesitation about committing himself and his people to the 
 
 J Our Chronicler is mistaken here; there were not two emperors of 
 the name of Leo, but Leo L, the pope, was contemporary with Leo the 
 emperor of the East, and this is probably what has misled Matthew See 
 Gibbon, c. xxxv. xxxvi. 
 
 A.D. 462. DEVASTATIONS COMMITTED BY THE SAXONS. 223 
 
 disposal of Vortigern, so that he might keep in his kingdom 
 as many as he chose, and the rest shoiUd set sail again and 
 return to Germany. When this message was given to the 
 king, and when a time and place for confirming this agree- 
 ment was fixed by common consent, the king ordered the 
 nations and the Saxons to meet on the first of May at Ames- 
 bury, that what had been agreed to, might then and there be 
 ratified. But Hengist ordered his comrades to bring with 
 them, each of them, a long knife concealed in their boots, and 
 while the Britons were conferring together without fear of 
 danger, every one of the Saxons was to be ready, when the 
 signal was given, — ** Jlnintt bon ^cyf^/* — to draw his 
 knife and stab the Briton who sat next to him. And they did 
 80. Hengist himself kept Vortigern close to him, holding 
 him by his cloak ; and all the rest, who were expecting nothing 
 of the kind, to the number of four hundred and sixty men, 
 princes, and illustrious barons, and magistrates, they mur- 
 dered. The magistrate of Gloucester, named Eldol, was there, 
 and he, when he saw the treachery, seized a stake which he 
 happened to find, and dashed to pieces and sent to hell every 
 one whom he could reach with it, and breaking the heads of 
 one, the arms of another, the collar-bone of another, and the 
 legs of several, he caused no small consternation among the 
 enemy, and did not quit the place till he had slain seventy 
 men and worn out his stick. But at last, as he was unable 
 to resist so great a multitude, he turned from them and fled 
 to his own city. Many were slain on both sides, but the 
 Saxons gained the victory, because the unarmed Britons had 
 no means of resistance. 
 
 A.D. 462. The Saxons threatening death to king Vortigern, 
 put him in prison, and demanded of him that he should give 
 up his cities and fortifications as a ransom for his life. And 
 when he had confirmed his concessions by an oath, they 
 released him, and first of all went and seized upon London. 
 Then they seized York and Lincoln, and also Winchester, lay- 
 ing waste each of the provinces. And they attacked the citi- 
 zens with great violence, as wolves attack sheep which the 
 shepherds have deserted. They levelled all churches and 
 ecclesiastical buildings with the ground, and slew the priests 
 by the very altars. They burnt the Holy Scriptures with fire, 
 and heaped mounds of earth over the burial places of the holy 
 
224 
 
 MATTHEW or WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 4G4. 
 
 martyrs. The religious men who were ahle to escape from 
 this slaughter, carried off the remnant of their sacred things 
 with them, and took refuge in caves, and groves, and deserts 
 and abrupt hills and mountains. But when Vortigern had 
 beheld the devastation which they made, not knowing what to 
 do against that wicked nation, he retired into the district of 
 Wales, and shut himself up in the town of Genorium. 
 
 A.D. 463. The heresy of the Acephali, who rejected the 
 council of Chalcedon, sprung up, and they were called Ace- 
 phali, that is to say, " without a head," because it cannot be 
 ascertained who was the original author of this heresy. They 
 deny that there is in Christ the property of two substances, 
 but contend that there is only one nature in his person. 
 
 A.D. 464. The British nation sent messengers into Brittany, 
 to Aurelius Ambrosius and Uter Pendragon, his brother, who 
 had been sent there out of fear of Vortigern, entreating them, 
 with great zeal and earnestness, to come quickly from the 
 Armorican country to them, in order that when they had 
 expelled the Saxons and king Vortigern, they might take on 
 themselves the crown of Britain. And they, as they were now 
 grown up to man's estate, prepared for the expedition, pru- 
 dently, with ships and armed soldiers. And when this was 
 told to king Vortigern, having summoned his wise men, he 
 asked them what he ought to do in such circumstances. And 
 they, in reply, advised him to build a very strong tower, which 
 might preserve himself and his family from death. Accord- 
 ingly, having passed over several provinces with the view of 
 finding out a suitable place, he came at last to mount Erith, 
 where he found a suitable place as it seemed to him. Accord- 
 ingly, having collected masons from all parts, he ordered a 
 tower to be built. And they began the foundations, but 
 whatever they did in the day the next night the earth swal- 
 lowed up. Vortigern, therefore, asked his wise men the 
 cause of the ruin, enquiring what this prodigy portended to 
 him. They therefore counselled him to seek out a youth who 
 had no father, in order that the mortar and the stones might 
 be sprinkled with his blood, and so the work which had been 
 begun, might have strength and firmness. He at once sends 
 messengers about to the different provinces to find a youth 
 answering to this description. At length the messengers came 
 to the city which was afterwards called Caermarthen, and 
 
 A.U. 4G4. MEELIN IS BliOUGHT BEFOEE VORTIGERN. 
 
 225 
 
 there they saw two youths quarrelling, one of whom was at- 
 tacking his companion and saying, "Why do you contend 
 with me, you fool ? — Qan you who were born without a father, 
 pretend to rival my nobleness, who, being born of the royal 
 family, am illustrious by both sides of my house ? " The 
 messengers hearing this expression, took the youth and his 
 mother, and straightway brought him to the king. And when 
 they were all standing in the royal presence, the king began 
 diligently to enquire of the boy's mother who was the father 
 of her son. And she answered him, ** As my soul liveth, my 
 lord king, when I was in the chamber of the king of Demecia, 
 my father, there appeared unto me a person in the appear- 
 ance of a very handsome young man, and embracing me 
 repeatedly, he gave me many kisses. And when we had em- 
 braced tenderly, he suddenly vanished and departed. And as 
 he frequently returned to me, he left me at last with child ; 
 nor is there any one else who was the father of this youth." 
 Then the king, being astonished beyond measure, called the 
 youth, and enquired of him by what name he was known. 
 And when he had said that he was called Merlin Ambrosius, 
 he asked the king why he and his mother had been brought 
 into his presence. And the king replied, " My wise men gave 
 me counsel to seek out a youth without a father, by whose 
 blood my work might be bedewed, and so be strengthened." 
 Merlin answered, '* Order your wise men to come before me. 
 and I will convince them that they have devised a lie ; for as 
 they did not know what was under the foundation, they endea- 
 voured to satisfy you by a lie. But call your workmen and 
 order them to dig the earth, and you will find a swamp below 
 which does not allow your work to stand." Then Merlin 
 coming to the w ise men said, " Tell me, you vilest of flatterers, 
 what lies hid beneath the swamp? " But they made him no 
 answer, but kept silence. And Merlin turning to the king, 
 said, '* Order the swamp to be drawn off by small drains, and 
 at the bottom you will find two hollow stones and two dragons 
 sleeping in them." And the king, beUeving his words, or- 
 dered the swamp to be drained, and, to the astonishment of 
 every one, he found that to be true which had been spoken by 
 Merlin. 
 
 VOL. I. 
 
 Q 
 
226 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 465. 
 
 A.D. 465. 
 
 THE PEOPHECT OF MERLIN. 
 
 227 
 
 Ch. VIII. — From a.d. 465 to a.d. 498. 
 
 The prophecy of Merlin — The Red Dragon — The White Bra- 
 gon — The Revolutions in Britain — Aurelius returns to Bri- 
 tain — Death ofVortigern — of Alar ic — Odoacer^ King of the 
 Goths — Theodoricj King of the Goths — Aurelius defeats 
 Hengist and puts him to death — Restores the Churches — 
 Saint Patrick in Ireland — Olluy King of the South Saxons — 
 Cedric, King of the West Saxons — Death of Aurelius — Birth 
 of Arthur, son of XJther Pendragon. 
 
 A.D. 465. Hilary was appointed to the Roman chair ; he held 
 it for SLX years and three months, and the see was vacant ten 
 days. At his request Victorinus made out the Paschal cycle 
 of five hundred and thirteen years. 
 
 The same year, when Vortigern, king of the Britons, had sat 
 down on the bank of the swamp which had been drained, two 
 dragons came forth, one of which was white, and the other 
 red. And when they had come near to one another, they 
 began a terrible battle. For they breathed out fire and smoke; 
 and the white prevailed, and at last drove the red one to the 
 extremity of the swamp. But he, being grieved at being 
 driven off, attacked the white one, and made him also retreat. 
 And as they fought in this way, the king ordered Merlin 
 Ambrosius to say what the battle of the dragons portended. 
 And presently he, bursting forth into weeping, imbibed the 
 spirit of prophecy, and took up his parable, and said — 
 
 " Woe to the red dragon, for his extermination draweth nigh. 
 The white dragon (which indicates the Saxons whom you have 
 invited) shall occupy his caverns. But the red dragon signi- 
 fies the nation of the Britons, which shall be oppressed by the 
 wiiite one. Therefore these mountains shall be made plain as 
 the valleys, and the rivers of the valleys shall flow with blood. 
 The worship of religion shall be destroyed, and the ruin of 
 the churches shall be made manifest. At last the oppressed 
 people shall prevail, and shall withstand the cruelty of the 
 foreigners. For the boar of Cornwall shall bring succour, 
 and shall trample their necks under his feet ; the isles of the 
 ocean shall be subjected to his power, and he shall possess the 
 power of the Gauls. The house of Romulus shall tremble at 
 his fierceness, and liis end shall be doubtful. He shall be 
 
 celebrated in the mouths of the people, and his acts shall be 
 food to those who tell of them. Six of his posterity shall 
 sway the sceptre, but after them there shall arise a German 
 worm, and a wolf out of the sea shall raise him up, whom the 
 African shores shall funiish with a train. A second time shall 
 religion be destroyed, and there shall be a change of the prin- 
 cipal sees. The dignity of London shall adorn Canterbury, and 
 the seventh pastor Of York shall dwell in the kingdom of Brit- 
 tany. St. David's shall be clothed with the pallium of the city of 
 Legions,^ and the preacher of Ireland shall be dumb on account 
 of the child that is growing in his womb. It shall rain showers of 
 blood, and terrible famine shall afflict mortals. While these 
 things are taking place, the red dragon shall grieve, but when 
 the trouble is past, he shall again flourish. Then the misfor- 
 tune of the white dragon shall draw near, and the buildings of 
 his gardens shall be destroyed. Seven sceptre-bearing princes 
 shall be slain, and one of them shall be sanctified. The wombs 
 of matrons shall be cut open, and infants shall be born out of 
 season. The punishment of men shall be great, and the 
 nations shall be restored. He who does this shall appear a 
 brazen man, and mounted for many ages on a brazen horse, 
 he shall keep the gates of London. Then the red dragon 
 shall reassume his natural character, and shall endeavour to 
 put forth his rage against him. Therefore the vengeance of 
 the thunderer shall come upon him, and the whole land shall 
 deceive the husbandmen. Mortality shall seize the people, 
 and shall thin all nations. Those who are left shall forsake 
 their native soil and shall sow foreign lands. The blessed 
 king shall prepare a fleet, and in the court of the twelfth lie 
 shall be reckoned among the good or blessed. There shall be 
 miserable desolation of the kingdom, and the threshing-floors 
 of the harvest shall show barren fields. The white dragon 
 shall arise a second time, and shall invite the daughter of 
 Germany. Our gardens shall again be filled with foreign 
 seed, and the red dragon shall languish in the extremity of 
 the swamp. Then the German worm shall be crowned, and 
 the brazen prince shall be brought low. A boundary is ap- 
 pointed before him, which he shall be unable to pass over. 
 For he shall remain for one hundred and fifty years in dis- 
 
 ^ Now Caerleon. 
 
 Q 2 
 
228 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEB. 
 
 A.D. 4Gb. 
 
 quietude and subjection, and then he shall flourish for three 
 hundred years. Then shall rise up against him the north, 
 and shall strip him of the flowers to which the west wind has 
 given birth. There shall be gilding in the temples and the 
 edge of the sword shall not slacken. The German dragon 
 shall scarcely maintain his caverns, because the vengeance for 
 his treachery is at hand. At last he shall flourish for a while, 
 but the decimation of Neustria shall injure him. For a peo- 
 ple on wooden horses and clothed in iron cloaks shall come 
 upon him, which shall exact revenge for his wickedness, and 
 shall restore their abodes to the former inhabitants, and the 
 ruin of the foreigners shall be made manifest. The seed of 
 the white dragon shall be destroyed from out of our gardens, 
 and the remains of his generation shall be decimated. They 
 shall bear the yoke of perpetual slavery, and shall wound their 
 mother with spades and ploughs. Then shall succeed two 
 dragons, one of which shall be clothed with the dart of envy, 
 but the other shall retire under the shadow of his name. Next 
 shall come the lion of justice, at whose roaring the towers of 
 the Gauls and the dragons of the isles shall quake. In his 
 days gold shall be extracted from the city and from the nettle, 
 and silver shall flow from the hoofs of oxen. Men with 
 curled hair shall wear embroidered woollen garments, and 
 their external dress shall be a token of their inward disposi- 
 tion. The feet of them that bark shall be cut short, the wild 
 beasts shall have peace, and humanity shall put an end to pun- 
 ishment. The form of the land shall be divided, and the half 
 shall be round. The rapacity of the hawks shall be done away 
 with, and the teeth of the wolves shall be made blunt ; the 
 lion's whelps shall be transformed into the fishes of the sea, 
 and the eagle shall build his nest on mount Aranius. Vene- 
 dotia shall be red with the blood of matrons, and the house 
 of Corinaeus shall slay six brethren. The isle shall be wet 
 with nightly tears, and all men shall be stirred up to all sorts of 
 actions. Woe to thee Neustria, for on you shall the brain of 
 the lion be poured forth, and he shall be driven with torn limbs 
 from his native soil. His posterity shall strive to fly beyond 
 the decrees of the highest, but the power of the new-comers 
 shall be exalted. Piety shall injure him who gains possession 
 by impious means, until he clothes himself with his father. 
 Therefore, girding himself with the teeth of a boar, he shall 
 
 I 
 
 A.D. 465. 
 
 THE PEOPHECT OF MEELI2«^. 
 
 229 
 
 pass over the tops of the mountains, and the shade of him 
 
 who wears the helmet. Albania shall be indignant, and, calling 
 
 together its alhes, shall seek to shed blood. A bit shall be put 
 
 into its jaws, which shall be forged in the bay of Armorica. 
 
 The eagle of the broken treaty shall gild it, and shall rejoice 
 
 at its third nest making. Roaring whelps shall be awake, 
 
 and neglecting the groves, shall hunt within the walls of cities. 
 
 They shall make no small slaughter of those who resist, and 
 
 shall cut out the tongues of bulls. They shall load with chains 
 
 the necks of them that roar, and shall renew ancient times. 
 
 Then the thumb shall roll round in oil, from the first to the 
 
 fourth, from the fourth to the third, and from the third to 
 
 tiie second. The sixth will overthrow the fortifications of 
 
 Ireland, and will level the groves with the plain, will reduce 
 
 different portions into one whole, and will be crowned with the 
 
 head of a Hon. His beginning will yield to vain affections, 
 
 hut his end will rise to heaven. He will clothe two cities with 
 
 the pallium, and will give to virgins the gifts of virgins. 
 
 Then he will deserve the favour of the thunderer, and will be 
 
 placed among the blessed. There will go forth from him a 
 
 lynx penetrating everything, which will threaten the ruin of 
 
 his own nation. For by its means Neustria will lose both 
 
 their lands, and will be deprived of its former dignity. Then 
 
 the citizens will return to the island ; for a dissension will 
 
 arise among tiie foreigners. Also, a snow-white old man on 
 
 a snow-white horse will divide the river, and with a white rod 
 
 will measure out a mill-stream above it. Cadwallader will 
 
 invite Conan, and will receive Albany in alliance. There will 
 
 be a slaughter of foreigners ; their rivers will flow with blood ; 
 
 then the Armorican mountains will burst forth, and the Bruti 
 
 will be crowned with a diadem. Cambria will be filled with joy, 
 
 and the strength of Cornwall will flourish ; the island shall 
 
 be called by the name of Brutus, and the use of the name of 
 
 the foreigner shall perish. From Conan shall come forth a 
 
 warlike boar, who shall exercise the sharpness of his teeth, 
 
 within the Gallic woods. For he shall cut down every large 
 
 oak, and shall aff'ord his protection to the smaller ones. The 
 
 Arabs shall tremble before him, and the Africans. For he 
 
 shall extend his impetuous course into farther Spain. A goat 
 
 of the camp of Venus shall succeed, having golden horns and 
 
 a silver beard, and who will breathe forth out of his nostrils 
 
230 
 
 MA-TTHEW OF WESTMiySTEB. 
 
 A.D. 405. 
 
 A.D. 465. 
 
 THE PROPHECY OF MERLIN. 
 
 231 
 
 SO dense a cloud, that the whole surface of the island will be 
 overshadowed by it. In his time there shall be peace, and 
 the crops shall be multiplied in the fertihty of the soil. Women 
 as they walk shall become serpents, and every step of theirs 
 shall be filled with pride. The camps of Venus shall be re- 
 newed, nor will the arrows of Cupid cease to wound. A foun- 
 tain will be turned into blood, and two kings will fight a battle 
 on account of the lioness near the Ford of the Staff. The 
 whole ground will be luxuriant, and human nature will not 
 cease practising fornication. These ages shall see all these 
 events, till three kings are known to have been buried iu 
 London. Famine will return again, mortality will return 
 again, and the citizens will grieve for the desolation of 
 the cities. The boar of commerce will come at this time, who 
 will recall the scattered flocks to the pastures that they had 
 lost. His breast will be food to those who want, and his 
 tongue will appease the thirsty. From his mouth will pro- 
 ceed rivers, which will moisten the dry jaws of men. After 
 that, a tree will be produced above the Tower of London, 
 which, though contentwith only three branches, will overshadow 
 the surface of the whole island with the breadth of its leaves. 
 After this, the north wind will come upon it as an adversary, 
 and with its cruel blast will carry off its third bough. But the 
 remaining two shall fill up the place of the one that has been 
 extirpated, till the one destroys the other by the multitude of 
 its leaves. Then that one shall occupy the place of the other 
 two, and shall support birds from foreign countries. It will 
 be considered injurious to the flight of native birds, for 
 through fear of its shade they will lose their freedom of flight. 
 The ass of wickedness will succeed, swift against the workers 
 in gold, but slow against the rapacity of wolves. In these days 
 oaks shall burn in the groves, and acorns shall be produced on 
 the boughs of holm oaks. The Severn shall run into the sea 
 bv seven mouths, and the river Usk shall boil for seven 
 months. The fishes shall die from the heat thereof, and ser- 
 pents shall be generated from them. The baths of Bath shall 
 grow cold, and its wholesome waters shall cause death. Lon- 
 don shall mourn the death of twenty men, and the Thames 
 shall be turned into blood. Men in cowls shall be invited to 
 marriage, and their outcry shall be heard in the mountains of 
 the Alps. Three springs shall burst up in the city of Win- 
 
 chester, the streams from which shall divide the island into 
 three parts ; he who drinks of one of them shall enjoy a longer 
 hfe, and shall not be oppressed by languor coming upon him. 
 He who drinks of the second shall die of want and hunger, 
 and paleness and horror shall sit in his face. He who drinks of 
 the third shall die a sudden death, nor shall his corpse be able to 
 rest in the tomb ; but ashes alone shall be found in his belly, 
 and ashes shall be turned into water if they be cast upon him. 
 Besides this, from the city of the grove of Canute a maiden 
 will come forth, to exercise the labour of healing, and, as soon 
 as she enters all the citadels, she will by her breath alone heal 
 the injurious springs. Then, when she has refreshed herself 
 with the wholesome water, she will bear in her right hand the 
 grove of Calidon, and in her left the bulwarks of the wall of Lon- 
 don. Wherever she goes she leaves sulphureous footsteps, which 
 smoke with a double flame. The smoke that arises will arouse 
 the people of Rhodey, and will make food to exist beneath 
 the deep ; she will draw forth lamentable tears, and will fill 
 the island with fearful cries. A stag of ten tines shall slay her, 
 four of which shall bear golden diadems, but the remaining 
 six shall be turned into ox horns, which with their ill-omened 
 sound shall shake the three islands of Britain. The forest of 
 Dean shall be shaken, and shall burst out in human voice and 
 cry, " Approach, Cambria, and join to your side Cornwall, 
 and say to Winchester, the earth shall swallow thee up. 
 Transfer the seat of the shepherd to where the ships land, 
 and the other lands will follow the head. For the day is 
 near at hand when the citizens shall perish for their wicked 
 perjury. The whiteness of the wool has been injurious, and 
 the diversity of its dyes. Woe to the perjured nation, because 
 an illustrious city shall be destroyed for its sake. The ships 
 shall rejoice in that great increase, and one shall be made out 
 of two. Hericius, loaded with fruit, shall rebuild it, to the 
 perfume of which, birds will flock from diff'erent woods. He 
 will add a huge palace, and will fence it round with six hun- 
 dred towers ; on each tower will a captain of ten be placed, 
 who will give laws to the subjects. Therefore shall London be 
 envious, and shall increase her walls threefold. The Thames 
 shall surround it on all sides, and the fame of the work shall 
 reach beyond the Alps. Hericius shall conceal his fruit be- 
 neath it, and shall prepare subterranean roads. In that time 
 
232 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 4G5. 
 
 shall stones speak, and the sea by which one sails to Gaul, 
 shall be contracted to a short space. A man on one coast 
 shall be heard by a man on another, and the solid space of 
 the island shall be extended. The secrets of the depths below 
 the sea shall be revealed, and Gaul shall tremble for fear. 
 After these things, a heron shall proceed from the Calaterian 
 grove, which shall fly round the island for three years. With 
 Its nightly cry it shall summon all the birds around it, and 
 shall unite every kind of bird to itself ; then they shall descend 
 upon the cultivated lands of man, and shall devour all the 
 grain of the harvest. Famine shall ensue, and terrible mor- 
 tality shall follow the famine. But when this great calamitv 
 has ceased, then the detestable bird will go to the valley of 
 Galabes, and will raise it till it become a high mountain. And 
 on Its top shall it plant an oak ; and in the boughs of the oak 
 will it build its nest, from which a fox, and a wolf, and a bear 
 will come forth. The fox shall devour its mother, and shall 
 wear an ass's head ; and having assumed this monstrous ap- 
 pearance, it shall frighten its brethren, and shall drive them 
 to Neustria. But they shall rouse up a shaved boar there, 
 and returning in a ship shall meet with the fox, and the fox 
 when it begins to fight with them shall feign itself dead, and 
 shall move the boar to pity. Presently the boar shall approach 
 the carcase, and while standing over it, shall breathe into its eyes 
 and on its face ; but the fox, not forgetful of its previous tricks, 
 shall bite its left foot, and shall tear it entirely away from its 
 body, and making a leap, shall also tear oflf its right ear and 
 Its tail, and then shall hide in the caverns of the mountains. 
 Therefore, the boar having been mocked, will seek the wolf 
 and the bear, that they may restore him the limbs which 
 he has lost. And when they enter into the matter, they will 
 promise him two feet, and ears, and a tail, and will make the 
 hmbs of a pig out of them. He will acquiesce, and look on 
 at the promised restoration. In the meantime the fox will 
 descend from the mountains, and will change himself into a 
 wolf, and as if it intended to hold a colloquy with the boar. 
 It will address him cunningly, and eat him entirely up. Then 
 It will transform itself into a boar, and as if it were devoid of 
 limbs, it will await the Germans, but these too, after they 
 arrive, it will destroy with an unexpected attack, and will be 
 covered with a Uon's head. In its days will be born a serpent. 
 
 A.D. 465. 
 
 THE PROPHECY OF MERLIIT. 
 
 233 
 
 which will threaten mankind with death, and with its length 
 will surround London, and will devour every one who passes 
 by. The mountain ox will assume the head'of a wolf, and will 
 whiten his teeth in the workshop of the Severn. He will as- 
 sociate with himself the flocks of Albany and of Cambria, and 
 they shall dry up the Thames, by drinking it. The ass shall 
 call the goat a beast with a long beard, and shall change its 
 form ; therefore the beast from the mountains shall be indig- 
 nant, and having invoked the assistance of the wolf, shall be- 
 come a horned bull against them ; and indulging its ferocity, 
 it shall devour their flesh aiid bones, but shall be burnt itself 
 on the top of Urianus. The ashes of its funeral pile shall 
 be changed into swans, which shall swim on dry land, as if 
 on a river. Fishes shall feed on fishes, and men shall devour 
 men. But when old age comes on, they shall become lights, 
 and shall devise submarine plots. They shall sink ships, and 
 shall amass no small quantity of money. The Thames shall 
 again be flooded, and, collecting all its streams, shall proceed 
 beyond the bounds of its channel, shall bury the cities in its 
 neighbourhood, overthrow the mountains that are in its way, 
 and shall add to itself the spring of Galabes, full of treachery 
 and wickedness. From that shall arise seditions exciting the 
 Venedoti to battle. The strength of the woods shall meet, 
 and shall combat with the rocks of the Gewissi ; the crow will 
 fly with the hawks, and devour the bodies of the slain ; the 
 owl shall build its nest on the walls of Gloucester, and an ass 
 shall be bred in its nest. A serpent at Malvern shall rear it, 
 and shall teach it many tricks. Having assumed a crown, it 
 shall ascend the high places, and with its horrid appearance ^ 
 it shall alarm the people of the country. In his days the 
 Pachacian mountains shall shake, and the provinces shall be 
 stripped of their groves. For there shall come a worm of 
 fiery breath, who, with the vapour which he breathes forth, 
 shall burn up the trees. From it there will go forth seven 
 lions, defiled with the heads of goats ; with the foulness of his 
 nostrils he shall corrupt the women, and shall make good 
 women common. The father shall not know his own son, 
 because they shall act wantonly like cattle. Therefore, the 
 giant of wickedness shall succeed, who, with the brilliancy of 
 
 * The Latin is racanatu, racanatus being, according to Ducange, a species 
 of ragged garments, especially worn by monks. 
 
234 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMIXST£K. 
 
 A.D. 4C5. 
 
 his eyes, shall terrify all mankind. Against him there shall 
 rise up the dragon of Worcester, and shall endeavour to exter- 
 minate him, but when they meet, the dragon shall be conquered, 
 and shall be oppressed by the wickedness of the conqueror. 
 For he shall mount the dragon, and, stripping off his garments, 
 shall sit upon him naked. The dragon shall bear him aloft 
 to the skies, and, erecting his tail, shall buffet him, being 
 naked. The giant, having again recovered his strength, shall 
 beat his jaws with his sword. But at length, the dragon shall 
 be entangled under his tail, and he shall be poisoned and 
 perish. To him shall succeed the boar of Totness, and shall 
 oppress the people with terrible tyranny. Gloucester shall 
 send forth a lion which shall harass the serpent with frequent 
 battles. He shall trample him under his feet, and shall frighten 
 him with his jaws open. At last, the hon shall quarrel with the 
 kingdom, and shall mount the backs of the nobles. The bull 
 will come in upon the quarrel, and will smite the lion with 
 his right foot. He will drive him over the different parts of 
 the kingdom, but will break his horns against the walls of 
 Exeter. The fox of Caerdubal shall avenge the hon, and 
 utterly destroy him with his teeth. The serpent of Lincoln 
 shall surround the fox, and shall give evidence of his presence 
 with many dragons and with horrible hissings. Thedragons shall 
 meet m fight, and one will tear the other. The one which is 
 winged will overwhelm the one which is without wings, and fix 
 his poisonous talons in his cheeks. Others will come to the 
 battle, and kill one another. A fifth will succeed to those that 
 are slain, and by different machinations will crush the rest. 
 He shall mount the back of one with a sword, and separate 
 his head from his body. Stripping off his garments, he will 
 mount another, and will lay both his right and his left hand on 
 his tad. Being naked, he will cut him in pieces and succeed, 
 though without clothing. The rest he will torment in the 
 rear, and drive them over the whole surface of the kingdom. 
 Then will come a roaring Hon, formidable with savage ferocity. 
 He will reduce fifteen portions into one, and he^alone will 
 possess the people. A giant will shine with snow-white warmth, 
 and shall give birth to a white people. Luxury will enervate 
 the princes, and their subjects will be changed into beasts. 
 Among them shall arise a hon swollen with human blood ; a 
 mower will be beneath him in a corn-field, and while he labours 
 
 A.D. 465. 
 
 THE PEOPHECT OF MEELIIT. 
 
 235 
 
 in his mind, will be overwhelmed by him. A charioteer of 
 York will appease them, and having driven his master into a 
 chariot which he brings, will mount it. Having drawn his 
 sword, he will threaten the east, and fill the tracks of his 
 wheels with blood. Then will be produced in the sea a fish, 
 which, being recalled by the hissing of the serpent, will breed 
 with it. From them will be born three fiery bulls, which, 
 when they have devoured their pastures, will be converted into 
 trees. The first shall bear a scourge made of snakes, and shall 
 turn his back on the one which is born after him. This 
 one will seek to wrest his scourge from him, but will in his 
 turn be attacked by the last. They will each turn their faces 
 from the other till they have produced a poisoned cup. To 
 the last will succeed a countryman of Albany, who will be 
 threatened in the rear by a serpent. He will occupy himself 
 in turning up the land, that the country may be white with 
 corn-fields. The serpent will labour to difl'use his poison, 
 that the corn may not grow up to harvest. The people will 
 be thinned by deadly slaughter ; and the walls of cities will be 
 made desolate. The city of Claudius wiU be given .is a remedy, 
 which will interpose a foster-daughter of the one with the 
 scourge. For she will carry a medicinal amulet, and in a brief 
 time the island will be recovered. Then two persons shall 
 obtain the sceptre ; and a horned dragon shall minister to 
 them. The one will come in arms, and ride a flying serpent. 
 He will sit with naked body on his back, and put his right 
 hand on his tail. By his shouts the seas will be awakened ; 
 and he will strike the second with fear. Therefore, the second 
 will ally himself with a lion ; but a quarrel will spring up 
 between them, and they will fight. After mutual disasters 
 they will mutually yield, but the fierceness of the beast will 
 prevail. Some one will come up with a drum and harp, and 
 smooth the fierceness of the Hon. Therefore, the nations of 
 the kingdom will be pacified, and bring the lion to the amulet. 
 Having taken a seat, he will study measures of corn, but will 
 stretch his hands into Albany. Therefore, the provinces of 
 the north will he saddened, and willl open the doors of the 
 temple. The standard-bearing wolf will levy troops, and his 
 tail will surround Cornwall. A soldier in a chariot will resist 
 him, who shall change that people into a boar. Therefore, 
 the boar will lay waste the provinces, but will hide his head in 
 
236 
 
 MATTHEW or WEaTMlNSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 405. 
 
 the depths of the Severn. A man will embrace a lion on the 
 ground, and the brilliancy of gold will blind the eyes of the 
 beholders. Silver will glisten around, and vex the different 
 wine-presses. When the wine is put in mortals will be 
 drunken, and, disregarding heaven, will fix their eyes on the 
 earth. The stars will avert their countenances from them, 
 and will confuse their accustomed courses. The crops will 
 wither under their indignation, and the moisture of heaven 
 will be denied to them. The roots and branches will change 
 places, and the novelty of the thing will be a wonder. The splen- 
 dour of the sun will grow pale with the admixture of Mercury, 
 and horror will be to the beholders. Stilbon of Arcadia will 
 change his shield, the helmet of Mars will invite Venus. The 
 helmet of Mars will cause a shade ; the fury of Mercury will 
 pass its bounds. Iron Orion will bare his sword, the watery 
 Pha'bus will vex the clouds ; Jupiter will leave his lawful paths, 
 and Venus forsake her appointed hues. The lust of the star of 
 Saturn will fall, and slay mortals with his curved sickle. The 
 twelve numbers of the houses of the stars will grieve that the 
 hosts do so transgress. The Gemini will change their accus- 
 tomed embraces, and call the urn to the springs. The scales of 
 Libra will hang awry, w bile Aries places his crooked horns be- 
 neath. The tad of the Scorpion will appease the lightnings, and 
 Cancer will quarrel with the sun. Virgo will mount on the back 
 of Sagittarius, and will darken her virgin flowers. The chaunt 
 of the moon wdl disturb the zodiac, and the Pleiades will 
 break forth into weeping. No duties will return, but the closed 
 door will be hidden in tlie fissures of Adrianne. At the stroke 
 of a ray the seas will arise, and the dust of the ancients will 
 be renewed. The winds will * strive together with terrible 
 blast, and make a noise amid the stars.' " 
 
 When Merlin had utterea this long prophecy, he raised all 
 his hearers to a kind of extasy and excessive admiration, 
 though different people had different opinions about him. For 
 some said that he had imbibed a pythonical inspiration, and 
 that, in the fashion of demons, he spoke in riddles obscurely 
 and ambiguously, as Balaam had done ; while others made 
 contrary assertions. Vortigern therefore, desiring to know 
 his end, asked the youth to tell him what he knew. And 
 Merlin answered him, ** Escape the fire of the sons of Con- 
 stantine, if you can. For they will subdue the nation of the 
 
 A.D. 467. 
 
 THEODORUS FLOrEISHES. 
 
 237 
 
 Saxons, and will burn you yourself, having shut you up in 
 the town of Genorium. The faces of the Saxons will be red 
 with blood, and after Ilengist is slain, Aurelius Ambrosius 
 will be crowned." Accordingly, immediately the very next 
 day Aurelius Ambrosius landed, with his brother Uther Pen- 
 dragon, and a very large company of armed men. Therefore, 
 the Britons who had been scattered all about came together, 
 and having convoked an assembly of the kingdom, made 
 Aurelius king. And he, wiien he was raised to the throne, 
 laboured to repair, as well as he could, the churches that had 
 been levelled to the ground. He was very liberal in giving 
 presents, dihgent in his obedience to the gods, modestly 
 despising liars and their flatteries, strong in his feet, and still 
 stronger as a rider, and very skilful in managing armies of 
 soldiers. Being distinguished for such virtues as these, he 
 was a man of great celebrity and renown, even among distant 
 nations. 
 
 A.D. 466. When the Britons were urging Aurelius their 
 king to attack the Saxons, the king objected. For he wished 
 first to pursue Vortigern, and therefore he directed his army 
 towards Wales, and attacked the town of Genorium. And w hen 
 he arrived l)efore it, remembering the treachery that had been 
 practised against his father and his brother, he said to those 
 who were standing by, '* Look, ye noble princes, and see if the 
 walls of this castle can protect Vortigern, who has laid waste 
 a fertile country, destroyed holy churches, and eradicated 
 Christianity almost from sea to sea, and who (and this I think 
 the most grievous thing of all) has betrayed my father and 
 brother. 
 
 *' Now, therefore, O most noble princes, strive manfully, and 
 first of all avenge yourselves in him by whom all these things have 
 been done ; and then let us turn our arms against the enemy." 
 They act at once upon his words, and endeavour w ith all sorts 
 of machines to batter down the walls. At last, when every- 
 thing else had failed, they employed fire, and when that was 
 properly kindled, it did not stop till it had consumed the castle 
 and Vortigern. 
 
 A.D. 467. Theodorus, bishop of the city which had been 
 built by Cyrus, king of Persia, and bore the name of Cyria, a 
 man thoroughly learned in the Holy Scriptures, flourished, as 
 a most brilliant pillar of the church. 
 
238 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 476. 
 
 A.D. 468. Clodoveus,^ king of the Franks, slew Alaric, king 
 of the Gotlis, ten miles from the city of Poictiers. And his 
 son Almaric escaped and fled to Spain. 
 
 A.D. 469. King Clodoveus subdued Toulouse, the Santones, 
 and all the land of Aquitania, and driving out the Arrian Goths 
 from these countries, caused the Catholic Franks to dwell in 
 them. 
 
 A.D. 470. Silvian, a presbyter at Marseilles, addressed to 
 Claudian, a presbyter at Vienne, abook which he had written, 
 being an exposition of the latter part of Ecclesiastes. 
 
 A.D. 471. Simplicius was elected to the Roman chair, and 
 occupied it fifteen years, one month, and six days. 
 
 A.D. 472. Hilary, president of the church at Aries, a chari- 
 table man and lover of the poor, flourished as a teacher of the 
 Holy Scriptures. 
 
 A.D. 473. Aurelius Arabrosius provoked Hengist and his 
 son Osric, surnamed J^sc, to war in Kent, and marshalled 
 twelve battalions of Britons in the place which was afterwards 
 called Wipedeflete, where the battle raged a long time with 
 great vigour on both sides ; and no small quantity of blood 
 was shed ; but the victory was doubtful, and the battle so 
 disastrous, that for a long time afterwards the Saxons never 
 aared to enter the territories of the Britons, nor the Britons to 
 enter Kent. But the Saxons, who lost there among other men 
 a great prince named Wiped, called the field of batUe Wipede- 
 flete in memory of him. 
 
 A.D. 474. Claudian, a presbyter of Vienne, flourished, a 
 man very learned in ecclesiastical matters, and a subtle dis- 
 putant. 
 
 A.D. 475. Prosper, of the district of Aquitania, dictated 
 some epistles against Eutyches, who had adopted erroneous 
 opinions on the subject of the real incarnation of Christ, and 
 on free-will. 
 
 A.D. 476. Hilary, bishop of the city of Rome, ordered that 
 the clergy should not wear the dress of the laity, and forbade 
 presbyters to have concubines. The same year, when Clodoveus, 
 king of the Franks, was fighting against the Alemanni and his 
 army was being terribly cut up, he raised his eyes to heaven, and 
 
 * Our Chronicler antedates Clodoveus or Clovis. He began to rei"-n 
 A.D. 481, and he was only fifteen when he succeeded his father, Childertc. 
 (See Gibbon, c. xxxviu.) And the date of the defeat and death of Alaric, 
 who was not the great Alaric, is a.d. 507. 
 
 A.D. 482. 
 
 CETJELTT OF HONOIMCUS. 
 
 2.39 
 
 said, " Lord Jesus Christ, whom my wife Clotilde worships, 
 I devoutly entreat your assistance. And if you grant me the 
 victory in this contest, I will be baptized, and for the future 
 will beUeve in your name." And after he had said this, the 
 Alemanni were compelled to flee, and the king returned in 
 triumph to his country. Then, having sent for Saint Remigius, 
 he was baptised with all his family. And it happened at his 
 consecration that the minister was slow in bringing the holy 
 chrism to the bishop, and the crowd was impatient, and still 
 he did not come, and the bishop was concerned at it, and 
 prayed that the delay might not cause any mischief ; when, lo 
 on a sudden a chrismatical unction in a miraculous vase was 
 brought to him from heaven by the ministry of an angel, 
 and the vessel is preserved to the present day in the church 
 at Rheims. And from it, as it is always full miraculously, the 
 kings of the Franks who are to be anointed are consecrated. 
 
 A.D. 477. Zeno succeeded to the Roman empire, and reigned 
 seventeen years. The same year, Ella and his three sons, 
 Cymen, Plentingus and Cissa, came over to Britain, and landed 
 at the place which was afterwards from Cymen called Cymen- 
 shoara, that is to say, the port of Cymen. But as they were 
 lauding, great multitudes of Britons flocked to the place, and 
 immediately waged war against them. But the Britons aban- 
 doned the field, and were put to flight, and driven as far as 
 the nearest wood, which is called Andredeswold. And the 
 Saxons, occupying the sea- coast of Sussex, gradually reduced 
 all the territoiy of that district to subjection. 
 
 A.D. 478. When Zeno the emperor was desirous to slay his 
 son Leo, his mother substituted some one else who resembled 
 him, who afterwards remained a clergyman, and lived to the 
 time of Justinian. 
 
 A.D. 479. The body of Saint Barnabas, the Apostle, and the 
 Gospel of Matthew, written with his own hand, was discovered, 
 in consequence of a revelation made by himself. 
 
 A.D. 480. Odoacer, king of the Goths, made himself master 
 of Rome, which the Gothic kings occupied for some time after- 
 wards. 
 
 A.D. 481. Theodoric, king of the Goths, ravaged both the 
 Macedonias and Thessaly, and occupied Italy with a hostile 
 army. 
 
 A.D. 482. Honoricus, an Arrian, the king of the Vandals, 
 
240 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMTNSTEH. 
 
 A.D. 487. 
 
 A.D. 489. 
 
 AUEELIUS DEFEATS THE SAXOXS. 
 
 241 
 
 having banished three hundred and three Catholic bishops, 
 shut up their churches, and inflicted all kinds of punishments 
 on the common people, and put to death a countless multitude 
 of them as victims to their faith in Christ. He also cut off 
 the hands and cut out the tongues of the orthodox, and so 
 made many thousand martyrs. 
 
 A.D. 483. Clodoveus, king of the Franks, took prisoner and 
 killed Regnacarius, his kinsman, and his brother Farro. 
 
 A.D. 484. Timotheus, after Protherius had been slain by the 
 people of Alexandria, or by his own desire, or at all events by 
 his own permission, was ordained by a single bishop to supply 
 the place of the bishop who had been slain. 
 
 A.D. 485. The Britons under the command of Aurelius 
 Ambrosius met at Mereredesburne, in battle against Ella and 
 his sons, and after a long and obstinate battle, Ella and his sons 
 abandoned the field, not without great loss to the Britons. 
 Therefore Ella sent to his own country, asking for a more 
 numerous army. 
 
 A.D. 486, Felix was elected to the Roman chair, and he 
 occupied it eight years, eleven months, seventeen days, and 
 the see was vacant five days. 
 
 A.D. 487. Aurelius Ambrosius, having collected an enor- 
 mous number of Britons, determined to provoke the Saxons 
 to battle. Therefore he led his army towards the north, and 
 found Hengistwith his Saxons, on the other side of the Hum- 
 ber. But when Hengist heard of his arrival in that district, 
 he went boldly to meet him, and intending to make a sudden 
 and unforeseen attack on the plain which is called Maysbely, 
 through which AureUus must pass, he expected to catch the 
 Britons unprepared. But his design was not unperceived by 
 Aurehus, though he did not on account of it abandon his in- 
 tention of crossing that plani ; and accordingly, the mihtary 
 legions on each side having been duly marshalled, the armies 
 met, and causing no small bloodshed on both sides, they made 
 a great slaughter. On one side the Britons, and on the other 
 the Saxons were wounded by various chances, and slain by 
 the sword. At last, when Hengist saw that his allies were 
 yielding and the Britons prevailing, he immediately fled and 
 hastened to the town of Caerconan, which is now called 
 Coningsburgh. But knowing that all his hopes consisted in 
 his sword and spear, he would not quit the town because he 
 
 did not think that it could resist Aurelius. Aurelius pursued 
 him, and cut ofl" the heads of all whom he fell in with on his 
 march, and so sent them to hell. Therefore Aurelius, having 
 gained the victory, glorified the God of Heaven from the bottom 
 of his heart, who had permitted him to triumph over the enemy. 
 
 A.D. 488. Aurelius Ambrosius, while he was passing all 
 through Britain seeking the enemy, found the churches every- 
 where levelled with the ground, at which he was greatly 
 grieved. Therefore, having sent for masons and carpenters, 
 he laboured to restore the holy buildings. Accordingly, havin* 
 placed presbyters and clerks 'in them, he recalled the divine 
 worship to its former state. But whenever he found any pro- 
 fane temples to the gods, and any idols, he utterly banished 
 them from the recollection of all men under heaven, and 
 completely destroyed them. He took care himself, and en- 
 joined all churches and ecclesiastical persons to observe jus- 
 tice and peace ; giving them out of his royal munificence 
 many benefices witli ample revenues, and he ordered all men 
 to pray for the kingdom and for the constitution of the church. 
 
 A.D. 489. Aurelius Ambrosius directed letters to all the 
 districts in Britain, ordering all men who could bear arms to 
 come to him as speedily as possible, and to labour without 
 ceasing, to exterminate the pagans from the kingdom of Bri- 
 tain. When therefore every one had come, Aurelius marched 
 his army towards the north, and found Hengist and his Saxons 
 on the river which is called the Don, with his forces all in 
 order of battle. Not to dwell on the circumstances, the batta- 
 hons meeting in all quarters, engaged in a most violent battle, 
 and spilt no httle blood. And when they had fought in this 
 manner for a very long time, Eldol, duke of Gloucester, who 
 burned with an eager desire of meeting with Hengist. penetra- 
 ting with the phalanx which he commanded through the ranks 
 of the enemy, caught Hengist by the visor of his helmet, and 
 putting forth all his strength, dragged him among his own 
 countrymen. "This day," said he, "has God fulfilled my 
 desire, for our victory is in the hand of God." Therefore the 
 Saxons fled in every direction, as fancy directed each of them, 
 and Aurelius pursued them, and bravely slew them. But Octa, 
 the son of Hengist, with a great number of his men, reached 
 York : while Eosa and many others sought the city of Alclud. 
 VOL, I. B 
 
242 
 
 MATTHEW OP WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 490. 
 
 As, therefore, Aurelius had got the victory, he took the city of 
 Conan, and remained there three days. After this, having 
 summoned his generals, he ordered tlieni to decide what ought 
 to be done with Hengist. Therefore Eldol, the bishop of 
 Gloucester, and brother of duke Eldol, ordered all men to hold 
 their peace, and gnashing his teeth for rage, he himself spoke 
 thus : — "Although all were willing to release him, yet I would 
 cut him in pieces. Why do ye hesitate, ye effeminate men ? 
 Did not Samuel the prophet, when he cut the king of Amalek 
 in pieces, limb by limb, after he was taken in war, say, * As 
 thou hast made mothers childless, so I will this day make thy 
 mother childless among women.' And do ye the same with 
 this second A gag, who has deprived man'y mothers of their 
 sons." And when he had said this, Eldol drew his sword 
 and dragged him out of the city, and cutting otl' his head, sent 
 him to hell. He was succeeded by his son Osric, surnamed 
 iEsc, who reigned over the nation of the Saxons in Kent, from 
 whom, to this day, the kings of Kent are called /Eskings. For 
 Vortigern had given that province to Hengist for his daughter, 
 as has been related above. And he had possessed it for 
 twenty-four years, as if it had been his by hereditary right. 
 
 A.D. 490. Aurelius Ambrosius led his army to York, in order 
 to attack Octa, son of Hengist. And when he had besieged 
 the city, Octa was afraid to hold the city against a multitude. 
 Therefore, having taken salutary counsel, he went out with the 
 nobles whom he had with him, and surrendered himself and 
 his friends in these words : *' My gods have been conquered, 
 and 1 have no doubt that your God is king, as he has com- 
 pelled so many nobles to come to you. Receive us, therefore, 
 and, unless you are inclined to mercy, take us as bound and 
 ready to endure any punishment you can inflict." Aurelius 
 was moved with compassion, and pitied them. And led by 
 the example of Octa, Eosa also came in, and the rest who had 
 fled, all begging for and obtaining pardon. Therefore he gave 
 them the district which is close to Scotland, and made a treaty 
 with tllem. Then he WTnt to the monastery of Amesbury, 
 which is near Caerbaradot, which is now called Salisbury, 
 where the princes who were dead lay, whom Hengist had 
 betrayed, and being moved by pity, was dissolved in tears. 
 Therefore, considering with himself, and wishing to make the 
 
 A.D. 490. 
 
 meelin's advice followed. 
 
 243 
 
 place where so many noble men lay memorable, he sent Mer- 
 lin, the prophet, to enquire diligently how he might best 
 fulfil the design which he was anxious about. But when 
 Merlin had been conducted into the presence of the king, he 
 related to him the circumstances of the death of the before- 
 mentioned noble men, how the Saxons had betrayed them, and 
 told him his own wish also, to mark the place with due 
 honour. 
 
 Then Merlin, having been for a short time rapt in an 
 ecstasy of mind, at length answered him, and said, ''It', my 
 lord king, you wish to adoru the place of their burial with a 
 perpetual monument, send for the Giant's Dance, which is on 
 Killard, a mountain of Ireland, where there is such a structure 
 of stones as no one of this age has ever beheld with his eyes. 
 For they are large and wonderfully put together, and if they 
 are arranged in this place, they will stand for ever as a memo- 
 rial and representation of the memorable slaughter that you 
 have spoken of." On this, Aurelius burst out laughing, and 
 answered Merhn, *' Are the stones of Ireland better than the 
 stones of this country, that they need be brought from such 
 a distance into Britain ? " And Merlin answered, " Do not 
 indulge, king, in unwise laughter, for they are mystical 
 stones, and wholesome as cures for different diseases. The 
 giants formerly brought them over from the most remote dis- 
 tricts of Africa, in order to make baths of them here for them- 
 selves when they were attacked with various infirmities. For 
 they washed the stones in various confections of herbs, and 
 poured them into baths in which the sick were cured. Nor 
 is there one stone among them which has not some medicinal 
 property." And when the Britons heard this, they deter- 
 mined to send for the stones. Therefore, Uther Pendragon, the 
 brother of the king, was selected, with fifteen thousand armed 
 men, to bring away the stones by force, in case any one endea- 
 voured to hinder them. Merlin was also appointed to super- 
 intend the work, that everything might be done by his genius 
 and prudence. 
 
 Accordingly, when ships had been prepared, they set sail and 
 came, after a prosperous voyage, to Ireland. And when Gil- 
 loraannius, king of Ireland, had heard of their arrival and of 
 its cause, he said to those who stood by, " Arm yourselves, 
 men, arm yourselves, because as long as life is in me, they 
 
244 
 
 MATTUEW OF TTESTMINSTER. 
 
 A..D. 491. 
 
 shall not carrj^ away from us the least stone of the Giant's 
 Dance. Immediately the two armies met in battle, but victory 
 declared for the Britons. Then they went to Mount Killard, 
 and in vain attempted to throw down the structure of stone. 
 And as they were all unable to effect anything, Merlin laughed 
 at them, and then making his own machines, he pulled down 
 the stones more easily than it is possible to believe, and put- 
 ting them on board ship, joyfully carried them off to Britain. 
 And when the news was brought to Aurelius, he came with 
 his bishops and abbots and other nobles to the hill of Ames- 
 bury, where, on the day of Pentecost, he wore the crown, and 
 appointed pastors to the two metropolitan churches, giving 
 the see of York to the holy Sampson, and that of Caerleon to 
 Dubricius. And when he had done all this in that place, 
 he ordered Merlin to erect the stones around the burial 
 place of the nobles. And he, in obedience to his orders, 
 placed them in a marvellous manner in the same way in which 
 they had been placed on Mount Killard. The same year, Idatius, 
 bishop of Libitana, a city of Spain, linished his chronicles, which 
 he brought down from the first consulship of Theodosius to 
 this date. Gennadius too, this year, finished his book on 
 illustrious men. 
 
 A.D. 491. Saint Patrick, the second archbishop of Ireland, 
 rested in the Lord in the hundred and twenty-second year of 
 his age. Of his sanctity and miracles many proofs are related. 
 For forty years he preached the virtues of the apostles, while 
 he gave sight to the blind, caused the deaf to hear, drove out 
 devils from bodiee which they had occupied, released men in 
 prison, whom he redeemed at his own expense, and, endued 
 with divine virtue, raised nine men from the dead. He also 
 wrote three hundred and forty-five grammars and more ; he 
 ordained an equal number of bishops, and a thousand presby- 
 ters, and he converted twelve thousand men in the district of 
 Connaught to the faith of Christ. He also baptized in one 
 day, seven kings, who were the sons of Amolgith, and he 
 fasted forty days and as many nights on the top of mount 
 Hely, where he offered up three prayers for those Irish who 
 had received the faith of Christ. In the first place, he prayed 
 that every one of them might feel repentance, though it were 
 in the last stage of their lives. Secondly, that he might not 
 be eternally worn out by the unbehevers. Thirdly, that no 
 
 A.D. 491. 
 
 HISTORY OF SAINT PATRICK. 
 
 245 
 
 one of the Irish may survive at the advent of the Judge, be- 
 cause Ireland, according to the prayer of Saint Patrick, will 
 be destroyed seven years before the judgment. And on tliat 
 hill he blessed the people of Ireland, and went up thither in 
 order to pray for them and to see the fruit of liis labour. 
 
 There also came to him to that place, innumerable birds of 
 various colours, that he might bless them, which, as the Saint 
 interprets it, indicate that all the saints of both sexes of the 
 Irish will come to him at the day of judgment as to their 
 father and teacher, and will follow him into the presence of 
 God. 
 
 There are four points of view in which Moses and Patrick 
 are parallel. In the first place, because an angel conversed 
 with Patrick also, in a burning bush. Secondly, because he 
 fasted on a mountain forty days and forty nights. Thirdly, 
 because he also lived to the age of a hundred and twenty-two. 
 Fourthly, because his tomb cannot be found ; but he was buried 
 in a secret place, without any one knowing where. 
 
 In his childhood, as he was by nation an Irishman, he was 
 sold by his father with his two sisters, to go to Scotland, and 
 purchased by a certain man named Cuulcu, whose swineherd 
 he became. Then, when he was seventeen years of age, he 
 returned from his captivity into his own country, and having 
 been instructed in sacred literature by the providence of God, 
 he then went to Rome, and spent his time there till he was 
 accounted more learned still ; and perusing the Holy Scriptures, 
 he penetrated the divine mysteries. And while he abode at 
 Rome, Palladius was sent by pope Colestine to the Scotch, as 
 their bishop, in order to convert them to Christ ; and he, 
 first of all preaching the word of God in Scotland, at length 
 came to Britain, and died in the country of the Picts. 
 But when the death of Palladius was heard of, Patrick, while 
 Theodosius and Valentinian were emperors, was sent by pope 
 Celestine to the parts of the west, in order to preach the stan- 
 dard of the true cross to the Gentiles. And when he had come 
 to Britain, he preached there the word of God, and was gladly 
 received by the nations who inhabited those countries. Then 
 he proceeded onwards to Scotland, and preached the word of 
 God, which could not be kept in bonds. At last, being pro- 
 moted by the archbishop Matthew to the rank of bishop, he 
 at his ordination assumed this name of Patrick, for his name 
 
 i^ 
 
t 
 
 246 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 493. 
 
 before was Nanniis. With him also were ordained Ansilius and 
 Iserninus, and some others also to interior degrees, in order 
 that they might serve God under him, as their chief. Then, 
 having received a blessing in the name of the Holy Trinity, he 
 embarked on board ship, and coming to the island of Britain, 
 he preached there many days. Tiien he went on to Ireland, 
 being girded up to preach the Gospel, and being ricli in spiritual 
 treasures, he baptised them, gaining many to God, and preaching 
 the Gospel for eighty years ; and at last, having arrived at the 
 highest perfection in rehgion, and being full of days, and 
 ilhistrious with all kinds of proofs of his virtues, he rested in 
 Christ. 
 
 A.D. 492. Ella, who had occupied the country of the South 
 Saxons, as has been said above, came from the country of 
 Germany, bringing with him a military reinforcement, relying 
 on the aid of which, he besieged the very strongly fortified 
 city of Andredcestria. And when this was known, tlie Britons 
 flocked together from all quarters, like a swarm of bees, and 
 as enemies vigorously attacked the blockading Saxons, always 
 hanging on their rear with archers. And so, leaving the siege 
 of the cityj tlie pagans directed their march and their arms 
 against them. But the Britons, being superior to them in 
 swiftness of foot and activity of body, took refuge in the 
 woods, and when the pagans again turned against the city, 
 they again attacked tliem in the rear. The Saxons were long 
 harassed by this system, and suffered no small loss. Then the 
 Saxons dividing their army into two parts, assigned to one 
 portion the duty of besieging the city, and to the other, that 
 of subduing the Britons. But the citizens being worn out 
 with long famine, and wasting away, and being unable any 
 longer to bear the weight of the hostile pagans, all perished 
 by the edge of the sword, and the enemy utterly destroyed 
 the city. And the place of the city is to this very day shown 
 to passers-by as desolate. Ella then remained there, with his 
 three sons, and began to inhabit that district which is to this 
 day called in English, Sussex, but in the Latin the country of 
 the South Saxons. 
 
 A.D. 493. Anastasius succeeded to the empire of Rome, 
 and reigned twenty-live years. And we may remark, that the 
 year when Zeno died and Anastasius began to reign, was, ac- 
 cording to the llomaus, the five thousand nine hundred^ and 
 
 A.D. 497. PASCENTIUS OBTAINS AID FEOM lEELAND. 247 
 
 eighty-ninth year from the birth of Adam ; but, according 
 to the calculation of the Alexandrines, the five thousand nine 
 hundred and eighty-third. , , t^ , • ^ 
 
 A.D. 494. Gelavius was appointed to the Roman chair, and 
 occupied it four years, eight months, and nineteen days. The 
 same year Cedric, and his son Kenric came with five ships to 
 Britain, and landed in the place which was afterwards called 
 from his name, Cerdioshoara, that is to say, the port of Cedric. 
 But the same day, a great multitude of the inhabitants of the 
 country came against them, and fought manfully. But the 
 Saxons stood firm in front of their ships, till the darkness of 
 the night put an end to the contest. But when they tound 
 the Saxons so formidable, the Britons withdrew, and the pa- 
 gans began gradually to occupy more and more of the sea 
 coast in a hostile country, though not without frequent battles 
 with the inhabitants. From this Cedric, the kings of the 
 West Saxons derive their descent. 
 
 A.D. 49.5. Anastasius the emperor wished to recall the heretic 
 Acatius, but the Romans would not consent. Acatius was 
 bishop of Constantinople, but he had become odious to God 
 
 and the Holy Cliurch. , 
 
 A.D. 49G. The before-mentioned heretic Acatius was struck 
 by lightning, and died. The same year, Pascentius, the son 
 of Vortigern, who had fled (as has been related above) into 
 Germany, landed in tlie northern part of Britain, with a power- 
 ful and Vell-appointed army, in order to avenge himself and 
 his father on Aurelius, king of the Britons. And when news of 
 this was brought to the king, he collected an army and went 
 to meet him, and the two leaders eagerly engaged in battle, 
 but at last Pascentius was conquered, and put to flight. 
 
 A.D. 497. The above-mentioned Pascentius betook himself to 
 Gilloraannius, king of Ireland, and besought him for aid, to 
 avenge himself on Aurelius, and Gillomannius, being mindful 
 of the injurv done to himself by Aurelius, in carrying away 
 the Giant's Dance by force from Ireland, promised him assist- 
 ance. Accordinglv,'having prepared ships, he crossed the sea 
 and landed at St. David's. And when the news of this reached 
 the king, Uther the brother of Aurelius (for Aurelius himself 
 was ill) went towards Gillomannius and Pascentius. But be- 
 fore Pascentius engaged in battle with Uther, the king's brother, 
 knowing that Aurelius was lying sick at Winchester, he bribed 
 
2^8 HATTHEW OF WESTMISSTEB. a.d. 498. 
 
 a certain Saxon by name Eopa, with many gifts, to take off 
 Aurelu.s by po.son. Accordingly, tlie traitor, ksZ^n' th! 
 dress of a rnonk, went to Wincbester. After he reached the 
 
 to -IheV™ '''''* ^'''''P''y^''^'«»- ""J off-ed his ervi es 
 to the kmg s attendants, who were anxious for nothin" so 
 much as tor a physican. And at last he was introd ced o 
 the presence ot the kuig, and gave lam poison. And when the 
 kmg had taken .t, the wioked%raitor desired him to go to 
 
 ever the poison immediately entered the pores and veins nf 
 
 tpS ^:^;z:'- '^'- "- -^-. escapiV;ri; 
 
 IJut while these things were taking place at Winchester 
 vvales with Uther, the brother of the kino-, but at last llth.l 
 
 "S^"' '"i^rf ""^ ^'""^y- -"i G"lomanni:^ and p" 
 centius were botli slam. After tliese occurrences a star of 
 
 "rjal'TttaXed';'' 'TT' '''^"''"'' ^'-"'S "■''•. o^e'si^n- 
 ttl 17' ""^/''T '" «''"'=h ■•"y. was extended a ball of fire in 
 the shape of a dragon, and out of its mouth proceeded two 
 rays, one of wluch appeared to extend its length beym.d the 
 regions of Gau , and the other was bent towards tl7lr hsea 
 
 seen ir^'"''''' '" ''"''\ ^"""^^ ^"y^' ^'"^ «tar hav ng been 
 seen, Uther was agitated with excessive fear, and asked ll wTs" 
 
 aTd smd " tI:: T'"" 'V T ?"'''"''''■ A"'' ''-V an we""d 
 dcatelou ^';^,!""- ""-^ the hery dragon under this star in- 
 mcate you. The ray which is extended towards the country 
 of Gaul, portends that you will have a most mic^htv son wl ^ 
 shall possess the numerous kingdoms which the sUr "ov! s 
 
 «ol rn'" '"y ""^r'"' « ''"^'S'"^^- -'>ose scsand'rln : 
 Bous sha^l possess the kingdom of Britain in s.cce'ssio 
 Hasten therefore, most noble general, hasten. For that broth t 
 of yours the illustrious king of the Britons, Aurelius \mbJo 
 sms, IS dead with whom botli the military kill andlfory of 
 the Britons has expired." And immediately messenger? ar 
 
 I L'»/ K "^i"' ^'^'''\''f ""^ ''"'S- ""J that heXI betm 
 already buned m a royal manner by the bishops and abbots 
 
 A.D. 498. Anastasius was appointed to the chair of Rome 
 and occupted tt one year, eleven months, and Iwenty-tbu; 
 
 A.D. 498. THE SAXOXS COMPLETELY ROUTED. 
 
 249 
 
 days. The same year, Uther, the brother of Aurelius, the de- 
 ceased king of Britain, having heard of the death of his brother, 
 came jn haste to Winchester, and having convoked the people 
 and clergy of the kingdom, took upon himself the sove- 
 reignty ot Bntain. And remembering the star that has been 
 already mentioned, he ordered two dragons to be made of gold 
 in the likeness of the dragon which he had beheld in the ray 
 ot the star, and he placed one in the church of the first see of 
 Winchester, and retained the other to be borne before him- 
 se f in battle. Accordingly, from that time forth he was 
 railed in the British language Uther Pendragon. But in the 
 language of the Angles, mi)n Sraff fi^turU, and in Latin, 
 Lther the Dragon's Head. On which account, to this very 
 day the custom has prevailed among the kings of this land, of 
 ordering a dragon, instead of a standard, to be borne before 
 them m their warlike expeditions. 
 
 About this time, Octa, the son of Ilenglst, and Eosa, his kins- 
 man, having been released from the treaty which they had made 
 with Aurelius, endeavoured to wage war against king Uther, and 
 to extend tlieir own territories. Accordingly, being accom- 
 panied with a very numerous multitude of Saxons, they in- 
 v-aded the northern provinces of Britain, and utterly destroyed 
 the fortifications from Scotland down as far as York. After- 
 wards, when they had began to besiege the city of Alclud, 
 Lther Pendragon arrived with all the strength of the district 
 and engaged in battle with them. The Saxons resisted manl 
 fully, and put the Britons to flight, and the pagans pursued 
 them as far as Mount Danet ; when day dawned, the Britons 
 occupied the mountain, and took it for their refuge, not know- 
 ing what to do. At last, they, with wise counsel, determined 
 to make a nocturnal attack on the enemy, and to come upon 
 them while asleep and unarmed. Being therefore arranged 
 in battahons and armed, they marched upon the camp of the 
 enemy, and attacked it vigorously. And the Saxons bein^^ 
 thus surprised unexpectedly, could make no effectual resistance"^ 
 while the others derived boldness from their deliberate design. 
 At last Octa and Eosa were taken prisoners, and the Saxons 
 were completely routed. Then, when peace was restored every- 
 where, the king went to London, and caused Octa and Eosa 
 to be detained as prisoners in that city. And as the feast of 
 Laster was at hand, he ordered the nobles of the kingdom to 
 
250 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTAflXSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 499. 
 
 wife Igerna^hoietat :; pLr;th t Trr"' "'"' '"^ 
 Britain. When the kino-" l.„i„i i i "" '''* «'omen m 
 
 with love for er and lei f 1 "' '" ''"' "' ""'^ ""''""^d 
 dishes withouceW B„f :;■,;■"''"; '".P^ f*' '''"' "'"l ^P'^'d 
 was very anj-rv I^d d^n.rt^.T J"" '"'^''^''"'^ ''^''^'' «f 'L lie 
 this, the ki,r' •; as verv'^n r "r* "'7""" **"'<"" '^"^e. At 
 
 wall, bun,i,,i:r;i:\i rcrev::trt" 'r: '" 'r- 
 
 he liad arrived at IJimilinol, I ' " , ,' ,"' ^^ '"^t, when 
 
 besieged there, to batde An ,r ''''^ "" '^°""'> «>«> ^"« 
 forth'from th; citf but 1.e fill '=°""' ««I"S foolishly, went 
 wounded, and his conirls If! '""?"«,"'« I'-^t, mortally 
 
 king, after his >ie:c::^^^:::^'i:^ zf' , ^"^ "*' 
 
 and daughter. And the «nn 1^ , '^ ^^ ^^^^ » son 
 
 c'aughter Anna Buf^r L T T "'"f^ ^^^^^"^' «»d the 
 serv^ed to be a^^ounLdl::;.-^!^^ "^"'"'^^ ''''^'^ ^^ ^- 
 
 Cii. IX.^Froat A.D. 499 to a.d. 585 
 Ciovis enriches the Church— Tha w, i 
 
 kinff of the Sains, 7eT~ual p'" ,^"''''''''^"''~^"''' 
 
 einperor of J{ome-JioeMus~%Z <! '"'^~'^"^^'"' 
 
 Britain, and are defeated Zh ^""-'""f "^"'^ '"""de 
 
 other anns-IIe ret: st:ilr:L: '^f """"'r' ""'' 
 
 '">PerorofKome~SaintA„thon7-Zl^ne:^^^^^ 
 diet—Iotila— Arthur kilk Ar,3 , , ^^"'^— Saint Bene- 
 
 -Clothaire, kinTttVInktl^'t'' "'V""'-' ""'"'"'''i 
 of Britain-Thi mXrehy ' ^'"""" '""""' »'<^ters 
 
 t""hf ^polfJlLte'^^r'etPs?; ^'r^""^' '^ —"- 
 and Laurentius. A„d as on tlk » ' 'T"'^'' '^^"""'ehu^ 
 arose at Rome, the Roman sen, e . """ ^''^'" dissensions 
 both go to Th^odorie W of TI Z\"\ """, '^"^ '^ould 
 «o the king gave sen'teuce tla 'lietver ^t" tf'^ '''^ ^^ 
 ordnmed, and whichever had thegood w,l of tl e """ ^"' 
 of the people should retain the fpo to c see A^ '"!'' ^Y' 
 Symmachus, betng confirmed in ufe set or^d^ed w'S 
 
 A.D. 505. CUSTOil I^'STITUTED BY POPE SYMMACHUS. 251 
 
 as bishop in the church of Miscen. But three years afterwards, 
 Symmaciius was impeached, and Laurentius 'recalled. Then 
 Symmachus, a synod of a hundred and fifteen bishops having 
 been convened, cleared himself most eloquently from the accu- 
 sations brought against him, and proved his own innocence. 
 And so Laurentius was again ejected, and Symmachus restored. 
 But when Symmachus died, then it was determined that Lau- 
 rentius should be elected to the apostolic see in his place. 
 
 A.D. 500. Clodoveus, king of the Franks, gave many estates 
 to the church of Rheims, out of his own innate royal munifi- 
 cence. Remigius having given a great portion of them to the 
 church of Lyons, founded the seat of a bishopric there, that 
 the dignity and honour of the church might be increased. 
 
 A.D. 501. Port, and his two sons, Bleda and Magla, came to 
 Britain with two ship*, and landed ia the place which, from the 
 name of Port, is called Portsmouth. Moreover, expelling the 
 duke of that district, they occupied the sea-coast, and began 
 to inhabit the place which was previously unoccupied. 
 
 A.D. 502. Symmachus Patricius, and his son-in-law Boe- 
 thius, translated books treating of all the Uberal sciences out 
 of Greek into Latin. 
 
 A.D. 503. A certain exceedingly mad man from Africa, 
 named Olympus, while he was in a bath blaspheming the Holy 
 Trinity, Avas burnt b^ a thunderbolt which came down on him 
 from heaven. 
 
 A.D. 504. While Deuterus, the Arrian bishop at Constanti- 
 nople was baptizing a man of the name of Barba, and expressing 
 the distinction between the persons of the Trinity incorrectly^ 
 saying, " I baptize you, Barba, in the name of the Father,* 
 by the Son, in the Holy Ghost," the water suddenly disap- 
 peared. 
 
 A.D. 505. Alamund, king of the Saracens, having been bap- 
 tized by the orthodox, when the Eutychians were desirous to 
 seduce him, refuted them by this fabulous argument ; that he 
 had received letters mentioning the death of the archangel 
 Michael. As they replied that this was impossible, because 
 the natJire of an angel was impassible, " How then," said he, 
 " was Christ, according to your statement, crucified naked] 
 unless he really had two natures, since, according to you, even 
 an angel cannot die V* 
 
 I 
 
252 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEB. 
 
 A.D. 511. 
 
 A D. oOf). Pope Symmacluis instituted a custom on every 
 Sunday or birth-day of a saint to sing the Gloria in Excelsis at 
 mass, a hymn which pope Telesphorus had only appointed to 
 be sung on the night of the birth-day of our Lord ; and he 
 added to it the words of the anjjels which follow. 
 
 A.D. r»()7. There flourished in Britain Sfiint Samson, arch- 
 bishop of York, and Saint Dubritius, archbishop of Caerleon. 
 Jl.d. 508. Hormisda was elected pope, and occupied the 
 Roman chair nine years and seventeen days, and the see was 
 vacant six days. The same year, Cedricand his son Kenric pro- 
 voked the Britons to battle. For Uther, king of the Britons, was 
 sick, and could not turn himself on either side ; on which 
 account he sppointed duke Nathanlioth general of the army 
 of the Britons. And when the Saxons and Britons met, they 
 fought with great vigour. But the Saxons, piercing the ranks 
 of the Britons, slew duke Nathanlioth ; and with him there fell 
 of the Britons five thousand men, and the Saxons withdrew 
 exulting in their victory. 
 
 A.D. 509. The keepers of the prison in which Octa and 
 Eosa were passing their tedious life, being corrupted by bribes, 
 fled with them into Germany, and returned with a lar2;e fleet to 
 compass the destruction of Britain. Therefore, king Uther 
 entrusted the army of Britain to Lothus, the magistrate of 
 Leyli, a most energetic man. But when he had advanced 
 against the enemy, he was several tim^s repulsed by them, 
 because the Britons would not obey his counsels. 
 
 A.D. 510. The emperor Anastasius sent letters to Louis,^ 
 king of the Franks, about the consulship, and a golden crown, 
 and ever after that day he was styled consul. 
 
 A.D. 511. The Saxons who inhabited Britain, seeing that 
 Uther Pendragon, the king, was afflicted by great infirmities, 
 all agreed together to expel all the islanders from their country, 
 and, uniting their forces, to subdue that fertile country to obedi- 
 ence to them for ever. Therefore, overrunning all the pro- 
 vinces, as they knew that no one could resist them, they began 
 to ravage almost the whole island from sea to sea. Nor did 
 they spare the prelates or the property of the church ; but 
 extirpated nearly the whole of Christianity out of the island. 
 But the islanders, abandoning their infirm monarch, fled to 
 
 1 The same who has hitlierto been called Clodoveus, or Clevis. 
 
 A.D. 513. JOHN .UTOIIfTED TO THE KOMAN CHAIB. 253 
 
 the precipices of the mountains and in the hiding-places in the 
 woods, according to the ancient proverb — 
 " Where'er the head deceased is, 
 The other limbs know Utile ease." 
 
 A.D. 51 2. Uther Pendragon, kingof the Britons, being greatly 
 grieved at the subversion of the kingdom, and the oppression of 
 the holy church, and the desolate state of the nobles, and the 
 dispersion of the people, having convoked all the nobles of 
 his kingdom, reproached them bitterly for their pride and 
 indolence. And, heaping many hard words and reproaches 
 on them, he swore that he himself would lead them against the 
 enemy in order to recall the minds of all men to their former 
 state and boldness. Therefore, he ordered a litter to be made 
 in such a manner that he might be carried in it, as his in- 
 firmity prevented him from advancing in any other way. 
 Accordingly, the king having been placed in a litter, he marched 
 to Verulamium with all the force of his kingdom, where the 
 wicked Saxons were encamped, and from whence they were 
 oppressing the whole kingdom. And when Octa and Eosa 
 heard of the advance of the Britons, and that their king had 
 come in a litter, they disdained to fight with him, because he 
 came in a carriage : therefore, they withdrew into the city, and 
 left the gates open, out of indignation. But Uther ordered 
 his men at once to blockade the city, and to batter down the 
 walls on every side ; and, accordingly, having beaten down 
 the walls, they would at once have entered the city, and shed 
 no little blood, if the Saxons had not at last determined to 
 resist them. But when morning came, the Saxons marched 
 out with their forces in battle array, challenging the Britons 
 to battle ; the Britons opposed them gallantly, the Saxons 
 charged intrepidly, and great slaughter took place on both 
 sides. At last, after many bloody battles, the victory was 
 decided in favour of the king of the Britons, and Octa and 
 Eosa having been slain, the remainder of the Saxons fled before 
 the Britons. 
 
 Therefore, the king was delighted, and derived such vigour 
 of mind and such happiness from his victory, that he who 
 was previously unable to rise without the support of another, 
 now with a slight eff'ort reseated himself in his Utter as if he 
 had recovered his former health. 
 
 A.D. 513. tlohnwas appointed to the Roman chair, andoc- 
 
254 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMITfSTEB. 
 
 A.D. 516. 
 
 cupied it two years and nine months. The same year, Saint 
 Genevieve, a virgin of Paris, being eighty years old, departed 
 to the Lord. 
 
 A.D. 514. The grandsons of Cedric, Scupha and Wihgarus, 
 arrived in Britain with two ships, and landed on the western 
 side of the island. Therefore, the generals of the Britons 
 came forth against them to battle, but their forces were routed 
 in a moment. The prowess of Cedric was very terrible ; and 
 though he passed through the wliole island in a hostile manner, 
 he scarcely found any one to resist him : so that the magnifi- 
 cence of the pagans increased every day. The same year, Ella, 
 whom all the Saxons obeyed as their 'king, died ; and Cissai 
 his son, reigned in his stead ; from whom the city which he 
 founded derived its name of Chichester. 
 
 A.D. 515. Felix was elected pope, and occupied the Roman 
 chair four years, two months, and thirteen days. He separated 
 the clergy from the people in the church ; as the two bodies 
 had previously been accustomed to sit together. 
 
 A.D. 516. When Uther Pendragon, king of the Britons, 
 was lying, weighed down by infirmities, at Verulamium, the 
 Saxons agreed together, and sent some wicked men, disguised 
 in the dress of the poorest class, to take off the king by 
 poison. So they came to Verulamium, and carefully began to 
 examine into the means of killing the king. At length they 
 selected this device in preference to any other, as the'^best by 
 which to effect their design. There was, outride the city, a 
 fountain of very clear water, which the king used to drink, 
 because he was disinclined to any other liquid. Therefore, 
 these wicked traitors attacked the fountain itself, and imbued 
 It thoroughly with the most deadly poison ; to such a de^^ree, 
 that even waters at a distance which proceeded from it were^or- 
 rupted. And, when the king had drank of it, he speedily died, 
 and several other persons beside him, till the wickedness was 
 discovered, and the fountain blocked up and covered with a 
 mound of earth. This is believed to have been the very foun- 
 tain which the invincible martyr, Alban, produced for the 
 thirsty people out of the dry soil of the steep hUl, when he 
 was being led to martrydom. 
 
 But, when the king Was dead, the priests met together with 
 the clergy of the kingdom and the people, and buried him in 
 royal tashion within the Giant's Dance ; and, after this had been 
 
 A.D. 518. BONIFACE PLACET) IN THE ROMAN CHAIH. 
 
 255 
 
 done, Dubritius, archbishop of the city of London, in union 
 with the bishops and nobles of the land, made Arthur, his son, 
 a youth of fifteen years of age, king, with great pomp. He 
 was a man of unheard-of valour and liberality, by which he 
 became so popular, that he was praised by all men, even by 
 his enemies; for such a host of soldiers flocked to liis standard, 
 and so great was the number of those who wished to serve 
 under him, that he had not suflicient means to supply pay for 
 them. At that time the Saxons had invited over their fellow- 
 countrymen from Germany ; and, under their leader, Colgrin, 
 had subjugated the whole of that part of the island which 
 extends from the Humber to the sea of Caithness. And 
 when Arthur heard that, litv with those who owed allegiance 
 to him, marched to York, which had been already subdued by 
 the Saxons. But Colgrin, hearing of the advance of Arthur, 
 went to meet him with a very numerous army, near the river 
 Douglas, and a battle took place, in which Arthur put Colgrin 
 to flight, and pursued him as far as York, and there blockaded 
 him in that city. But Baldulph, the brother of Colgrin, 
 while awaiting the arrival of the Saxons on the coast, pro- 
 posed to make a night attack upon Arthur. Arthur, however, 
 being forewarned of this by his spies, sent Cador, duke of 
 Cornwall, with six hundred cavalry and three thousand in- 
 fantry, on the road by w hich the enemy would come ; and 
 they, attacking them unexpectedly, killed and wounded a great 
 many of them, and put the rest to flight. 
 
 A.D. 517. Duke Cheldric came from Germany with seven 
 hundred ships, and landed in Scotland, and the Britons were 
 afraid to enter in a contest, of which they thought the result 
 do.ubtful, with so great a force ; therefore, Artluir raised the 
 siege of York, and retreated to tlie city of London with his 
 army. Then, having taken counsel of his friends, he sent 
 messengers into Brittany, to king Hoel, to tell him of the 
 difficulties of Britain. But Hoel was the son of Arthur's sister, 
 by Dubritius, king of the Armorican Britons ; and he, hearing 
 of the danger with which his uncle was threatened, ordered a 
 large fleet to be prepared; and, having collected fifteen thousand 
 armed men, arrived with a fair wind at the port of South- 
 ampton. Arthur received him with joy and due honour. 
 The same year the holy virgin Bridget departed to the Lord. 
 
 A.D. 518. Boniface was placed in the Roman chair, which 
 
256 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 520. 
 
 A.D. 521. AETUUK*S GENEROSITY TO HIS ENEMIES. 
 
 257 
 
 he occupied two years and seven days. The same year, 
 Arthur, having collected a large army, marched to the city of 
 Caerlindcoit, which is now called Lincoln, where, having found 
 the Saxons, he made an unheard-of slaughter of them ; for 
 there fell of them in one day six thousand men, who all 
 perished miserahly, some being drowned in the river, some 
 being pierced with arrows, and others slain by the sword while 
 flying. But Arthur never ceased pursuing the fliers till they 
 came to the grove of Calidon ; but there they all gathered into 
 a body, and endeavoured to resist him, defending themselves 
 manfully ; and Arthur, seeing this, ordered the trees to be cut 
 down around that part of the wood, and the trunks to be ar- 
 ranged around in such a way that all egress was utterly denied 
 to them ; for his object was to blockade them there till they 
 all died of famine. Accordingly, the iSaxons, having nothing 
 to eat, begged leave to depart, on condition of returning with 
 nothing but their persons to Germany. And x\rthur, having 
 deliberated with his council, granted their request, and, re- 
 taining all their property and spoils, and exacting tribute and 
 hostages from them, conceded them nothing but a safe retreat. 
 A.D. 519. Justus became emperor of the Romans, and 
 reigned eight years. This year also, ]5oethius, who had been 
 banished by the pope, wrote his book on the subject of the 
 consolation of philosophy. 
 
 A.D. 520. The ISaxons, Colgrin, Baldulph, and Cheldric, 
 repented of having made the agreement with Arthur. On 
 which account they returned to Britain, and landed on the 
 shore of Totness, and at last besieged the city of Bado. And 
 when the news of this got abroad, Arthur ordered their hos- 
 tages to be hung. Then, hastening towards the besieged city, 
 he ordered all men to take arms ; and he himself put on a 
 breastplate, put on his head with the image of a dragon en- 
 graved on it, and to his shoulders he hung his shield named 
 Pridwen, in which was embossed the image of the Holy 
 Mother of God, which constantly recalled her to his memory. 
 He was also girded with a trusty sword, called Caliburn, and 
 a lance named Iron adorned his right hand. Then, havino* 
 marshalled his troops, he boldly attacked the enemy. But 
 they manfully resisted the whole day, and dealt unwearied 
 slaughter among the Britons. At last, when the sun was 
 approaching its setting, the Saxons occupied a mountain close 
 
 at hand, hitending to use it as a camp. But the next day, at 
 dawn, Ai-thur, with his army, ascended to the top of the hill ; 
 but, in ascending, he lost many of his men ; for the Saxons 
 descended from the summit to meet him, and so inflicted 
 wounds on his troops more easily than his troops could wound 
 them. The Britons, however, having, by great valour, won the 
 top of the hill, inflicted terrible slaughter on the enemy ; and 
 the Saxons, opposing their breasts to them, resisted them 
 obstinately with all their might. And when they had spent a 
 great part of the day in fighting, at last, Arthur, drawing 
 Caliburn, invoked the name of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and 
 threw himself with fierce impetuosity among the dense lines 
 of the enemy, and slew every one he could reach, with blows 
 that were not trifling, and which needed no repetition. Nor 
 did he cease from his fury till he had slain eight hundred and 
 forty men with his single sword. Colgrin, and Baldulph, his 
 brother, fell there, and with them many thousands of the 
 barbarians. But Cheldric, when he saw the danger of his 
 companions, fled with the remnant of the army. Therefore 
 the king ordered Cador, duke of Cornwall, to pursue them. 
 And, as they could find no safe place of refuge, they at last, 
 with their scattered battahons, reached the Isle of Thanet ; 
 but the duke pursued them, and gave them no rest till he had 
 slain Cheldric, and received the surrender of the rest. 
 
 The same year, John was appointed to the Roman chair, and 
 occupied it two years. 
 
 A.D. 521. Boethius, having been long an exile, was put to 
 death by Theodoric, king of the Goths. The same year, news 
 was brought to Arthur that the Scots and Picts had besieged 
 king Hoel, in the city of Alclud, where he was lying sick. 
 On which account he hastened to go to his assistance, that he 
 might not be overwhelmed by any means by the barbarians. 
 And when the enemy heard of his advance, they fled to Mureif. 
 And Arthur pursued them, and besieged them in that town, 
 and they escaped by night, and entered the lake of Lumonoy. 
 But Arthur having collected some ships, surrounded the island, 
 and blockading them, pressed them so much with hunger for 
 fifteen days, that about a milUon of them died. After which 
 circumstance, the bishops of that district came barefoot and 
 weeping to the king, entreating him to have mercy upon that 
 miserable people, and tjo permit them to inhabit a small 
 
 VOL. I. 
 
 S 
 
258 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEE. 
 
 A.B. 526. 
 
 portion of the country, under the yoke of perpetual slavery. 
 Therefore, the king being moved at the tears of the bishops, 
 pardoned his enemies and granted their request. 
 
 A.D. 522. Agapitus was placed in the Roman chair, and oc- 
 cupied it eleven months. He was succeeded by Silverius, who 
 was pope for one year. The same year, when king Arthur had 
 entered the city of York, when the day of the nativity of the 
 Lord was at hand, he was greatly grieved at seeing the de- 
 solation of the holy churches, and having convoked the people, 
 he gave the see of the archbishopric to Pirannus, his chaplain. 
 He restored throughout all Britain the churches that had been 
 destroyed, and recalled the nobles of the kingdom who had been 
 expelled by the Saxons, and restored them their lands and 
 paternal possessions very liberally. 
 
 A.D. 523. When Arthur, king of Britain, had restored the 
 island to its former condition, he married a wife, by name Guen- 
 humara, descended from the noble race of the Romans. She 
 had been brought up in the palace of the duke of Cornwall, 
 and was superior to all the women of this island in beauty. 
 Then, having invited numbers of nobles from distant kingdoms, 
 he began to display so much elegance of behaviour at home, 
 m dress, in bearing arms, in speaking and all his conduct, that 
 he excited distant nations to an emulation of him. And the 
 fame of his liberality and virtue becoming notorious through- 
 out different countries, affected the kings across the sea, 
 exciting affection in some, and no small apprehension in 
 others. 
 
 A.D. 524. Vigilius became pope, and occupied the Roman 
 chair sixteen years and twenty-six days, and the see was va- 
 cant three months and five days. 
 
 A.D. 525. King Arthur, having prepared a powerful fleet, 
 went to the island of Ireland, and on his landing he was met by 
 Gillamurius, the king, with the people of that country. At 
 last Gillamurius was taken prisoner, and the rest of the chiefs 
 were compelled to capitulate. After that he ravaged Holland, 
 Jutland, and the islands of the Orkneys with fire and sword, 
 and placed all these countries under tribute. And when he 
 had done this, he returned to Britain. 
 
 A.D. 526. The heresy of Acephali was refuted and con- 
 demned. They were called Acephali, that is to say, without a 
 head, for it cannot be ascertained who was the author of that 
 
 A.D. 532. 
 
 DIONYSIUS AEEANGES HIS CYCLE. 
 
 259 
 
 heresy. The Acephali arfe impugners of the three articles agreed 
 to by the Council of Chalcedon. They deny the property of two 
 substances in Christ, and assert that there was only one nature 
 in his person. They also assert that the Apostle Paul, in his 
 Epistles, ordered women to be made deaconesses, because he 
 mentions them after the deacons. 
 
 A.D. 527. Justinian succeeded to the Roman empire, and 
 reigned thirty-eight years. The same year. Pagans came from 
 Germany and occupied East Anglia, that is to say, that dis- 
 trict which is called the country of the East Angles ; some of 
 whom invaded Mercia, and fought many battles with the 
 Britons. But as their leaders were very numerous, their 
 names have not been preserved. The same year, the kingdom 
 of the East Saxons, which was called Essex, was first established, 
 and Erkenwin is beUeved to have been its founder and first 
 king ; he was the son of Offa, the son of Bredecan, the son of 
 Sigewolf, the son of Spetua, the son of Geser, the son of 
 Andesse, the son of Saxuad, the son of Woden. 
 
 A.D. 528. Cedric and his son Kenric having collected very 
 large bodies of armed men in the Isle of Wight, made a great 
 slaughter there, at Wigaresbin, and made themselves masters of 
 the whole island. 
 
 A.D. 529. The body of Antony the monk was found, in con- 
 sequence of a divine revelation, and was brought to Alexandria. 
 
 A.D. 530. Some orthodox bishops in Africa having had 
 their tongues cut out by the roots by the Vandals, spoke dis- 
 tinctly afterwards, in such a way as to be a marvel and a sight 
 to many. And one of their number increased the miracle, 
 because he becoming unduly elated, was deprived of the divine 
 gift, and became dumb again. 
 
 A.D. 531. Saint Adastus was ordained as the first bishop of 
 Artois, by Saint Remigius. 
 
 A.D. 532. The abbot Dionysius arranged his cycle, consisting 
 of five cycles of nineteen years. And because the second 
 year of this arrangement ought to correspond, in the calcu- 
 lation, with the first year of the nativity of Christ, the 
 thirty-fifth year of the cycle of Dionysius ought to correspond, 
 in the calculation, with the thirty-third year of the nativity of 
 Christ, that is to say, in such a way that the fourteenth day 
 of the moon in April, would be the ninth of the calends of 
 April, and the fifth day of the week. The passion of Christ 
 
 s 2 
 
260 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 53G. 
 
 would be the eighth of the calends of April (March 2.')), and 
 the sixth day of the week ; the resurrection, the sixth of the 
 calends of April and the Lord's day. But as this is not really 
 the case, but in that year the fourteenth day of the April 
 moon fell on the twelfth of the calends of April, and the first 
 day of the week, and the liord's day of Easter on the fifth 
 day of the calends, on that account this cycle is rejected, because 
 it is inconsistent with the Gospel truth. 
 
 This year also, the emperor Justinian abridged the books 
 of the Roman laws into one volume, which is called the Code 
 of Justinian. 
 
 A.D. .533. Cedric, the first king of the West Saxons, died, and 
 Kenric, his son, reigned in his stead. He reigned twenty-six 
 years. The same year, king Arthur, designing to subdue all 
 Europe, having prepared a fleet, went to Norway. And when he 
 had arrived there, he found Sichelm, the king of that country, 
 already dead, who dying, had assigned the kingdom of the Nor- 
 wegians to Lother, Arthur's sister's son. For he was the grand- 
 son of Sichelin, and a youth of wonderful virtue and liberality, 
 on which account he had adopted him as his successor in the 
 kingdom. There was also at that time, Walwan, the son of the 
 before-mentioned Lother, a youth of twelve years of age, who 
 had been entrusted to pope Vigilius to bring up, and who re- 
 ceived from him also the belt of military service. When Arthur, 
 having subdued the Norwegians, had raised Lother to the 
 throne, he returned to Britain with joy, intending to invade 
 the country of Gaul, which he was excessively desirous to re- 
 duce under his own power. 
 
 A.D. 534. The abbot Theodoric, a disciple of Saint Remi- 
 gius, and the abbot Theodulph, a disciple of Theodoric him- 
 self, flourished in Gaul. 
 
 A.D. 535. Two uterine brothers flourished in Gaul, who 
 were born the same day, and consecrated pontiff's the same 
 day ; one of them, named Medardus, to the see of Nismes, the 
 other, named Gildardus, to that of Rouen, and who also de- 
 parted from this world to Christ, being released on the same 
 day. 
 
 A.D. 536. Saint Benedict, according to some accounts, de- 
 parted to Christ. Likewise king Arthur, desiring to reduce 
 the countries of Gaul under his power, having prepared a 
 fleet, committed the protection of the whole of Britain and 
 
 A.D. 540. A GEEAT MORTALITY AT BYZANTIUM. 
 
 261 
 
 his wife to Mordred, his nephew. Then sailing across the sea, 
 with a prosperous voyage, he, without difficulty, subdued 
 Estrusia, which is now called Normandy ; then advancing 
 onwards, he ravaged all the provinces of Gaul, and at last 
 slew Frollo, the governor, in battle, and compelled the city of 
 Paris to capitulate and acknowledge him for its master. Then 
 marching towards the west, he reduced Anjou, Poictiers, Gas- 
 cony, and all Aquitaine to submission. 
 
 A.D. 537. A miracle happened of universal notoriety, affect- 
 ing Theophilus the apostate, and the blessed Mary, the mother 
 of the Saviour. The same year also, Arthur, king of the 
 Britons, having subdued the countries of Gaul, marched to 
 Anteus, where he defeated Lucius, the consul of the city of 
 Rome (who had come to assist the Gauls with all the power of 
 Rome), near Lengriae, in the valley which is now called Seisias, 
 and slew him. 
 
 A.D. 538. King Totila persecuted Benedict the younger, on 
 account of his faith in Christ ; and as, though he wished to 
 burn him and his cell, he was not able to do so, he threw 
 him into a heated furnace in Campania, in Italy, and the next 
 day he came out unhurt, with his garments uninjured. 
 
 A.D. 539. The sun was obscured from the morning till the 
 third hour. The same year, king Arthur, having subdued the 
 provinces around the Alps, prepared to march onwards to sub- 
 due the Roman people. His name was very much magnified 
 over the whole earth. On which account princes and nobles 
 came from distant countries to live under him and to be in- 
 structed by him, and to enjoy the deUghts of his presence and 
 politeness. Of his magnificence and virtue. Merlin, the pro- 
 phet of the Britons, prophesied, saying, " At length oppressed 
 Britain shall prevail, and shall withstand the fierceness of the 
 foreigners. For the boar of Cornwall shall bring help, and 
 shall trample the necks of his enemies under his feet. The 
 isles of the ocean shall be subjected to his power, and he 
 shall be lord of the Gallic priests ; the house of Romulus shall 
 tremble at his fierceness, and his end shall be doubtful. He 
 shall be celebrated in the mouth of the people, and his exploits 
 shall be food to the relaters of them." 
 
 A.D. 540. A great mortality of mankind took place at 
 Byzantium. On which account, by command of the emperor 
 Justinian, the solemnity of the Holy Mother of God began to 
 
262 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 541. 
 
 be celebrated, which is called the Purification, on the second 
 day of February, and the pestilence ceased. The same year, 
 Mordred, the nephew of Arthur, to whom Arthur had entrusted 
 Britain, caused himself to be crowned with his uncle's diadem, 
 and took his queen, Guenhumara, to be his own wife, violating 
 the rights of her former marriage. And that traitor was con- 
 federate with the Saxons, who under the command of Chel- 
 dric came from Germany with eight hundred ships full of 
 soldiers, who all obeyed Mordred as their own lord. And 
 when the infamy of that wickedness came to the ears of Arthur, 
 who had already began to ascend the Alps on his march to- 
 wards Rome, he returned with only the kings of the island 
 towards Britain, inflamed with the greatest wrath and inextin- 
 guishable hatred against Mordred. 
 
 A.D. 541. A comet appeared in Gaul, so bright that the 
 whole heaven appeared to be on fire. And the same year, real 
 blood rained out of the clouds ; and about the same time, a 
 certain individual's house was seen to be sprinkled with blood, 
 and a terrible mortaUty of men followed. The same year, the 
 noble king Arthur, coming to Britain with great haste, 
 arranged to land in the harbour of Rutupium, which is now 
 called Sandwich. And while he was disembarking, Mordred, 
 with a very numerous army came against him, and inflicted 
 no small slaughter on his troops as they were landing. On 
 that day Anguselus, King of Albany, fell, and Walwan, the 
 king's grandson, and innumerable others. But at last, after a 
 great deal of labour and a doubtful and bloody battle, Arthur 
 and his army effected their landing. And then attacking the 
 enemy with great impetuosity, they put Mordred and his army 
 to flight, with no ordinary loss. And Mordred, rallying his 
 forces as well as he could, threw himself into Winchester. 
 And when the news of this event was brought to queen Guen- 
 humara, she fled in haste to Caerleon, and there took upon 
 herself a religious habit amongst the nuns in the monastery of 
 Julius the Martyr. 
 
 Arthur, greatly enraged, hastened to Winchester and besieged 
 Mordred, who had already entered that city. But in the 
 morning, having marshalled his troops, Mordred sallied out 
 from the city and attacked the king vigorously. Then there 
 was no small slaughter made of the opposing armies, but at 
 
 A.D. 543. MOEDEED's SONS BISE AGAINST CONSTANTINE. 263 
 
 last, Mordred abandoned the field, and took his way towards 
 Cornwall. And Arthur pursued him, and overtook him at the 
 river Camblan. But Mordred being the most impious and 
 most audacious of men, marshalled his troops and attacked 
 the king and his army with great impetuosity, choosing rather 
 to die than to flee any longer before his enemies. Then, as 
 they fought in different parts of the field, there was no small 
 bloodshed on both sides, and the groans of the dying inspired 
 the living with ferocity. But after a great part of the day 
 was passed, at last Arthur rushed on, borne onwards by a lion's 
 spirit, against that part of the army in which he knew that 
 Mordred was ; and making himself a way with his sword, and 
 scattering the enemy, he made a most bloody slaughter of 
 them, scattered their close ranks, and drove them different 
 ways. The battle grew thick and fierce, and the air rattled 
 with the clang of the blows. Therefore that traitor Mordred 
 fell, and with him the Saxons, Cedric, Elaphius, Egbrith, and 
 Bruning, and many thousands of soldiers with them, and so, 
 by the favour of God, the victory fell to Arthur. But, alas ! 
 he was mortally wounded, and was carried from thence to the 
 island of Avalon, which is now called Glasconia, to be healed 
 of his wounds. 
 
 A.D. 542. King Arthur, as his life was despaired of, his 
 enemies being now slain, bestowed the crown of Britain on his 
 kinsman, Constantine, the son of Cador, duke of Cornwall. 
 The dying king kept himself from sight, that his enemies 
 might not insult his misfortunes, and so his friends be grieved. 
 On which account, as the histories say nothing of the death of 
 Arthur or of his burial, the nation of the Britons, out of the 
 greatness of their aff'ection for him, contend that he is stiU 
 
 alive. 
 
 The same year, while Clothaire, king of the Franks, was 
 besieging the city of Saragossa, in Spain, the citizens prayed 
 to the Lord, and carried the tunic of the blessed martyr 
 Yincentius round the walls. And the king accepted it as a 
 present from them, and so returned again to his own country. 
 
 A.D. 543. The two sons of Mordred rose in insurrection 
 against Constantine, king of the Britons, wishing to avenge 
 their father, and having made an alliance with the Saxons, they 
 fought many battles. But at last Constantine put them to 
 flight, and pursuing them, slew one of them at Winchester, in 
 
264 
 
 MATTHEW or WE3TMINSTEU. 
 
 A.D. 550. 
 
 the church of Saint Amphibahis, before the altar. And the 
 other he condemned to a cruel death at London, where he 
 was hidden in a convent of a religious brotherhood. 
 
 A.D. 544. Herculianus, bishop of Perugia, became a martyr, 
 having been beheaded by Totila, king of the Ostrogoths. And 
 his head, after his death, was found to be united to his body. 
 The same year, Withgar, the prince of the Isle of Wight, died, 
 and was buried in the place which is called after his name 
 2^it]^gairsibfrie. 
 
 A.D. 545. Saint Remigius, archbishop of Rheims, fell asleep 
 in the Lord. About the same time, Constantine, king of the 
 Britons died, and was buried within the Giant's Dance. He 
 was succeeded by Aurehus Conan, a youth of marvellous vir- 
 tue, and his own grandson, a man in all respects worthy of a 
 crown, except inasmuch as he was a lover of civil war. In 
 fact, he imprisoned his uncle, who ought to have reigned after 
 Constantine, and put his two sons to death, and so obtained 
 the kingdom and reigned thirty years. 
 
 A.D. 546. Pope Vigilius was driven into banishment by the 
 emperor Justinian, because he refused to recal the heretic 
 Anthymus to his bishopric. 
 
 A.D. 547. Alboyn, king of the Lombards, slew Cunimund, 
 king of the Gepidse, in battle, and he had the skull of his head 
 mftde into a drinking cup for himself, and carried oif his 
 daughter prisoner, and made her his wife. 
 
 A.D. 548. The kingdom of the Northumbrians took its rise. 
 For when the nobles, of the Angles, by great and continued 
 exertions, had subdued that country, they unanimously elected 
 a most noble youth, of the name of Ida, to be their king. And 
 Ida had by his queen six sons, Adda, Ethelric, Theodoric, 
 Etheric, Osmer, and Theofred. And by his concubines he 
 had six other sons, Oga, Alric, Eccha, Osbald, Segor and Sego- 
 ther. They all came into Britain with forty ships, and landed 
 at Flemesburgh. Ida reigned twelve years, and built the 
 castle of Bebanburgh, which he fortified at first with wooden 
 pales, and afterwards with a wall. In a subsequent pa"-e I 
 shall give an account of his family. ° 
 
 A.D. 549. Agerirus, bishop of Verdun, flourished, and was 
 very eminent for sanctity. 
 
 A.D 550. An alder tree bore the berries and fruit of a vine, 
 and some other monstrous and portentous things were seen. 
 
 A.D. 554. 
 
 A VERT SEVERE WINTER. 
 
 265 
 
 A.D. 551. The fifth universal synod was held at Constanti- 
 nople ; in which an epistle which is called Iba, is reproved as 
 being full of error, and Theodorus, who separated the person 
 of the Mediator of God and man in two substances, was con- 
 victed and condemned as having fallen into impiety and infi- 
 delity. The same year, the bishop Jordan ended his history. 
 
 The same year, Justinian Augustus having been seduced by 
 the heretic Anthymus, began to deviate from the catholic 
 faith, so his wife Theodora sent to Pope Vigilius, desiring him 
 to recal Anthymus. For he had been the bishop of Constanti- 
 nople, and had been degraded by pope Agapetus, because he 
 was a favourer of heretics, and because pope Vigilius post- 
 poned recalling him, he, being compelled by force, niade him 
 come to him. And as he then treated him very injuriously, 
 pope Vigilius is reported to have said to him, " As far as I 
 see, it is not Justinian and Theodora who have made me come 
 to them, but Diocletian and Eleutheria." 
 
 A.D. 552. Pelagius succeeded Vigilius in the Roman chair, 
 four years, ten months, and eighteen days. And the see was 
 vacant six months. The same year, when a certain boy in the 
 east, the son of Jewish parents, had been induced by his fellows, 
 who were the sons of Christians to receive the body and blood 
 of Christ, in the church of the mother of the Lord, and was 
 on that account thrown by his father into a burning furnace, 
 he was drawn out from thence unhurt by the Christians, and 
 asserted that the woman who was painted in that church 
 holding a child in her arms, had blown away the flames with 
 her cloak, so as to keep them from him. 
 
 A.D. 553. Saint Maurus, a disciple of the blessed Benedict, 
 flourished in high reputation, for his virtues and the miracles 
 which he wrought. And when a noble man, by name Florus, 
 had heard of his arrival in the country of Gaul, he came to 
 him, and with great elevation pointed out to him a suitable 
 place for building a monastery. And having scarcely given 
 himself time to obtain the consent of the man of God, he 
 collected workmen, and began and completed the work ; and 
 Florus entrusted his son Bertulph to the blessed Maurus to 
 be educated, and many other nobles followed his example, and 
 made that place remarkable. 
 
 A.D. 554. The winter was so severe with frost and snow, 
 that the birds and wild beasts could be caught by the hand. 
 
266 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMIXSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 561. 
 
 A.D. 566. 
 
 ETHELBEET BEIGNS IN KENT. 
 
 267 
 
 A.D. 555. An appearance like that of lances was seen in the 
 air, reaching from the north to the west. 
 
 A.D. .556. Saint Medard, a bishop of Nismes, a man illus- 
 trious for his virtues, departed to the Lord, and was buried at 
 Soissons. 
 
 A.D. 557. Queen Radegund, the wife of Clothaire, formerly 
 king of the Franks, assumed a new garment, and became 
 eminent for every kind of holiness. At this time, there were 
 a great many battles between the Britons and the Angles, and 
 a great many soldiers were slain on each side, the victory de- 
 claring for both parties in turn. 
 
 A.D. 558. Gregory, son of Gordian, a senator, arrived at 
 man's estate at Rome. He founded six monasteries in Sicily, 
 and a seventh at Rome in his own house, out of his patrimony ; 
 and, from having been praetor of the city, became a monk, 
 and was exceedingly eminent for learning, wisdom, doctrine, 
 and holiness. 
 
 A.D. 559. Kenric, king of the West Saxons, died, andCeva- 
 linus, his son, reigned in his stead, and was king thirty years. 
 A.D. 560. Ida, king of the Northumbrians, died, and his 
 realm was divided into two kingdoms. Ella, the son of Iffus, 
 a most valiant general, began to reign in Deira, and gave that 
 name to his kingdom, and reigned over it for thirty years. 
 While Adda, the son of Ida, succeeded his father in the king- 
 dom of the Bemicians, and reigned seven years. That Ella, 
 king of the Deiri,'is the same who is mentioned in the life 
 of the blessed pope Gregory, as will be seen in the subsequent 
 pages of this history. 
 
 The same year, a certain Jew carried off by stealth a statue 
 of the Saviour out of a church, and took it privily to his own 
 house, and there pierced it with a dart. And as he was going 
 to burn it in the fire, he found himself covered with blood from 
 the image, and, being awe-struck, he hid it. And the Chris- 
 tians sought for it, and found it by means of the traces left 
 by the blood, and recovered it all stained with blood, and 
 stoned the Jew. 
 
 The same year, Ethelbert, the great king of Kent, according 
 to some authors, with whom Bede agrees, began to reign. But 
 the opinion of the others appears more probable. 
 A.D. 561. Saint Brendan flourished in Scotland, who, during 
 
 a voyage that lasted seven years, went to the Fortunate Islands, 
 and saw many things worth relating. And he had a disciple 
 Machutus, who was completely educated by him, and who was 
 the companion of his voyage, and who was very eminent in 
 Britain for his miracles and holiness. And he, being provoked 
 by the Britons, cursed them, and went over to Gaul, where he 
 flourished, and was very eminent for virtue, living under the 
 protection of Leontius, bishop of Guienne. And as, by reason 
 of his curse, the Britons became afflicted with many disasters, 
 he subsequently healed them by giving them his blessing, and 
 absolved them. About the same time, Sampson, archbishop 
 of the Dolensians, and successor of the holy Sampson, who 
 crossed over from the Greater Britain to the Lesser, was emi- 
 nent for learning and holiness. 
 
 A.D. 562. A mountain in Gaul, on the river Rhone, bellowed 
 for many days, and was at length driven from its place by 
 another mountain, and with the churches, and buildings, and 
 men, and beasts that were on it, was precipitated into the river. 
 A.D. 563. Priscian, the grammarian and orator, a sub- 
 deacon, who turned the Acts of the Apostles into hexameter 
 verse, flourished at Rome. There flourished at the same time 
 Fortunatus, an eminent man, of illustrious genius, of acute 
 discernment and pleasing eloquence, who came from Italy to 
 Tours, and wrote an account of the acts of the blessed Martin 
 in heroic metre, in four books. And, removing from thence, 
 he was made bishop of Poictiers. 
 
 A.D. 564. After the death of Clothaire, king of the Franks, 
 his four sons divided the kingdom between them ; and the 
 eldest of them, named Chilperic, reigned twenty-three years. 
 
 A.D. 565. Justin the younger obtained the empire of Rome, 
 and reigned twelve years. In this year also there were seen 
 many signs in the sun and moon. 
 
 A.D. 566. John was appointed to the Roman chair, and 
 occupied it twelve years, eleven months, and twenty-seven 
 days. And the see was vacant ten months and three days. 
 The same year, Saint Columbus flourished, who came- from 
 Scotland into Britain. The same year, Ethelbert, son of 
 Ermeric, succeeded to the kingdom of Kent, and governed it 
 with great vigour for fifty-six years. He was the most power- 
 ful of all the kings of England, and extended the boundaries 
 of his empire as far as the river Humber, by which the people 
 
268 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 575. 
 
 of the north are divided from those of the south, and ruled 
 the inhabitants of all those provinces with great nobleness. 
 
 A.D. 567. On the death of Adda, king of the Bernicians, 
 Glappa succeeded to the kingdom, and reigned five years. The 
 same year, fiery spears were seen in the air, portending the 
 irruption of the Lombards into Italy. 
 
 A.D. 568. Ceauline, king of the west Saxons, and Cutha, his 
 brother, united their forces, and made war upon Ethelbert, 
 king of Kent. And two counts, the allies of Ethelbert, were 
 slain, and he himself was put to flight. 
 
 A.D. 569. Glappa, king of the Bernicians, died, and Theo- 
 bald reigned in his stead, and was king for one year. 
 
 A.D. 570. Fretheulfus became king of the Bernicians, and 
 reigned seven years. The same year, the people of Armenia 
 adopted the faith of Christ, and the abbot Wandregisilus was 
 born. 
 
 A.D. 5/1. One cycle of the sacred passover of four hundred 
 and twenty-two years since our Lord Jesus Christ was cruci- 
 fied ; in the seventh indiction, the five thousand and seventy- 
 fifth year after the creation of the world, according to the 
 Greeks. Affa was at this time the king of east Anglia. 
 
 A.D. 572. Gregory was ordained bishop of Tours, and was 
 esteemed very eminent for his piety. 
 
 A.D. 573. The Spaniards and the Gauls differed about the 
 celebration of Easter ; as the Spaniards celebrated it on the 
 twenty-first of March, and the Franks on the eighteenth of 
 April. But it was proved, by divine interposition, that the 
 Franks were the more correct as to the days, because the 
 fountains in Spain, for the purpose of baptism, which had been 
 accustomed to be filled on the sabbath of the sacred passover 
 by dmne agency, became filled, not on the passover of the 
 Spaniards, but on that of the Franks. 
 
 A.D. 574. The following circumstance happened : Albinus, 
 king of the Lombards, had formerly slain in battle his wife's 
 father Cunimund, king of the Gepidee, and had made a drink- 
 ing cup for himself out of his skull. And as one day he gave 
 it to his wife to drink out of, saying, "Drink with your father," 
 she, benig inflamed with womanly fury, procured him to be 
 assassinated by his armour-bearer. 
 
 A.D. 575. Benedict became pope, and sat in the Roman 
 chair four years, six months, and seventeen days. He was the 
 
 A.D. 582. 
 
 GREQOEY SENT TO CONSTANTINOPLE. 
 
 269 
 
 pope from whom Gregory received permission to depart and 
 preach to the Angles, but he was afterwards recalled, as the 
 people behaved tumultuously, and was ordained the seventh 
 Levite. 
 
 A.D. 576. A famine attacked Rome, and many of the Romans 
 fled to the Lombards. But Tiberius, who was* afterwards 
 emperor, sent a quantity of corn from Egypt, and delivered 
 Rome from scarcity. 
 
 A.D. 577. Tiberius obtained the Roman empire, and reigned 
 seven years. And as he was very liberal to the poor, God 
 permitted him to find many treasures. The same year, Fre- 
 theulph, king of the Bernicians, died, and Theodoric succeeded 
 him, and reigned seven years. 
 
 A.D. 578. Saint Germanus, bishop of Paris, by his death 
 went to adorn the heavenly regions. The same year, Aurelius 
 Conan, king of the Britons, died, and Vortiper succeeded 
 him, and reigned three years. And he, being an enemy of the 
 Saxons, triumphed gloriously over them several times. 
 
 The same year, after UfFa, king of the East Angles, from 
 whom the kings of that province are called Uffingi, Titillus, 
 his son, succeeded to the kingdom. And Titillus was the father 
 of Redwald, who was the tenth in descent from Woden. 
 
 A.D. 579. Pelagius became pope. He occupied the Roman 
 chair ten years, eight months, and ten days. And the see 
 was vacant six months and twenty-five days. 
 
 A.D. 580. Fire was seen to run along the heaven. About 
 this period, there were continual irruptions of the Britons and 
 Saxons into one another's territories. For Ceaulinus took 
 Bedcanford castle, which is now called Bedford ; and other for- 
 tresses also, namely, Lienbury, Aylesbury, Bensington, Hene- 
 sham, Gloucester, Cirencester, and Bath. And his name be- 
 came verv illustrious. 
 
 A.D. 581. Pope Pelagius determined that nine prefaces only 
 ought to be sung at mass, and abolished the daily sentences 
 which were used to be repeated. The same year, Vortiper, 
 king of the Britons, died, and was succeeded by Malgo, a most 
 excellent man, eminent for his orthodoxy, valiant in arms, and 
 excessively liberal ; but being enervated by the disease of 
 Sodom, he made himself odious to God and men. He also re- 
 duced six islands of the ocean, which joined his province, under 
 his dominion. 
 
 A.D. 582. Gregory the teacher was sent by pope Pelagius to 
 
2/0 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 586. 
 
 il 
 
 Constantinople, and composed books of morals on Job, and also, 
 in the presence of the emperor in that city, confuted Euty- 
 chius, the bishop of Constantinople, who advanced erroneous 
 dogmas about the resurrection of the dead, and affirmed that 
 in the glory of that resurrection the human body would come 
 impalpable to the winds, and more subtle than air. And when 
 Eutychius died soon after, he utterly put down his opinions. 
 
 A.D. 583. At Tours, real blood flowed from the head of the 
 altar when broken. 
 
 A.D. 584. Tiberius Csesar, having gone mad and died, was 
 succeeded by Mauritius, who reigned twenty-two years. Tlie 
 same year, Ceauhne, king of the West Saxons, and his brother 
 Cuthwine, fought a battle with the Britons at Frithculey, 
 where Cuthwine was severely wounded and killed. Therefore, 
 the Angles were conquered and put to flight. 
 
 A.D. 585. The kingdom of Mercia took its rise, and Creod- 
 da was its first king : so that all the kingdoms of the Angles 
 or Saxons were by this time began, and they are eigh? in 
 number, namely, the kingdom of Kent, the metropohs of which 
 is the city of Canterbury. The kingdom of the South Saxons, 
 that is, Sussex, the metropolis of which is the city of Chi- 
 chester. The kingdom of the East Saxons, that is Essex, the 
 metropolis of which is the city of London. The kingdom of 
 the East Angles, that is. East Angha, the chief city of which 
 IS Norwich. The kingdom of the West Saxons, or Occidental 
 Saxons, the metropohs of which is the city of Wentana, which is 
 now called Winchester. The kingdom of Mercia, or Middle An- 
 gha, the chief city of which is Doncaster, but now Lincoln. And 
 the kingdom of Northumberland, the chief city of which is 
 York. And this last kingdom was divided into two parts, as 
 has been said above. 
 
 Fbom A.D. 586 TO A.D. 621. 
 
 Ch. X. — The Britons retreat to Wales and to Cornwall-^ 
 
 The whole island of Britain obtains the name of Anglia 
 
 Gregory becomes Pope — Saint Augustine is sent to England 
 — The English become Christians — The Church of Rome is 
 declared the chief of all churches— Death of Ethelbert— 
 War between the different kings in England -^ Chosroes 
 king of Persia. 
 
 A.D. 586. Caretius, a lover of civil wars, and a man hated 
 
 A.D. 586. THE CUUBCHES DESTROYED BY THE BBITONS. 2/1 
 
 by both gods and Britons, succeeded Malgo, king of the Britons. 
 And the before-mentioned kings, those, that is to say, of the 
 Angles and Saxons, being aware of his inconsiderable character, 
 united and rose in insurrection against him, and after many 
 battles drove him from city to city, till at last, after a severe 
 battle, they drove him across the Severn into Wales. And the 
 clergy and the priests were all driven out of the country, 
 swords flashing on every side, and flames crackhng in the 
 churches in every direction. Therefore the remnant of the 
 Britons retreated into the western parts of the island, that is, 
 into Cornwall and Wales, abandoning the greater portion of 
 the island ; and from thence they made frequent and fatal 
 attacks on their enemies without intermission. Then the 
 archbishops, Theonus, archbishop of London, and Thadiocus, 
 archbishop of York, seeing all the churches, which were under 
 their government, levelled with the ground, fled with many 
 of the ordained clergy who had survived the perils of those 
 times, and with the relics of the saints, into Wales, fearing lest, 
 by the irruption of such numerous and terrible hosts of bar- 
 barians, the holy bones might be effaced from the recollection 
 of men, if they did not withdraw them from the impending 
 danger. A great many people also fled to Armorican Britain 
 (Brittany), and abandoned the whole church of two provinces, 
 namely, Loegria and Northumberland, which were thus stripped 
 of their convents and left desolate. 
 
 Some, however, of the bodies of the saints which lay reverently 
 concealed in burying places, they covered with mounds of 
 earth, to prevent them from exposure to the contempt of un- 
 behevers. For the most valiant kings of the Angles and Saxons 
 were most atrocious pagans, who thirsted for nothing more 
 than to utterly subvert Christ and the worship of Christians. 
 For if any church remained unhurt after the district was sub- 
 jugated, it tended more to the confusion of the name of Christ 
 than to his glory. For these unbeUevers made there thirty 
 temples to their own gods, and polluted the holy altars of God 
 With their profane sacrifices. Therefore, the Britons abandoning 
 the crown of the kingdom for many ages, that is to say, till 
 the time of Cadwallon, whom Bede calls Cedwallus, never 
 ceased from attacking uninterruptedly with civil wars that 
 part of the country which remained to them, and which was 
 subject not to one king, but to their tyrants. 
 
272 
 
 MATTHEW or TV'ESTMi:!fSTEIl. 
 
 A.D. 5S6. 
 
 Therefore, the miserable relics of the Britons remained m 
 three provinces only, to wit, m Cornubia, which is ca led 
 Cornwall by some people, because it stretches into the sea like 
 a horn (Cornu), and Demecia, which is also called bouth 
 Wales, and Venedocia, whicli is also caUed North Wales So 
 being confined, though sorely against their wiU, within these 
 boundaries, they nevertheless never forsook their taith in 
 Christ. In this particular alone are they considered blameabie. 
 that they always regard the nation of the Angles, even to this 
 very day, with mortal hatred, as if it were owing to them that 
 they were banished from their proper country, and they are 
 not more wUling to associate with them than with dogs lint 
 their provinces are impregnable, being thickly planted with 
 dense woods, entrenched behind deep marshes, and swellmg 
 with lofty mountains ; out of which they often sally like mice 
 out of caverns, and wickedly attack the nation ot the Angles, 
 and will take no other ransom from them in war, except their 
 
 At this time, the church of the blessed martyr Alban, which 
 is related to have been built after his passion, with wondertul 
 stone-work, in a manner worthy of his martyrdom, is beheved 
 to have been with other buildings of the same sort utterly over- 
 thrown and destroyed, till by the ministry of kmg Offa, acting m 
 obedience to the revelation of an angel, the body of the glorious 
 confessor and martyr was found and his monastery rebuilt. 
 
 Britain therefore, having been subdued, and the kings 
 banished, the kings of the Angles or Saxons occupied the 
 country in every direction, extended their kingdoms, and set 
 limits to their dominions with respect to nothing, but the 
 power of each individual. At this time, eight kings reigned, 
 whose names are these— Athelbert was king of Kent ; Cissa 
 of Sussex ; CeaUne of Wessex ; Creodda of Mercia ; Erkenwm 
 of Essex; Titillus of East Anglia ; Ella of Deira, and iEthefrid 
 of Bernitia. And these kingdoms in process of time were thus 
 
 distinguished. , . i • s 
 
 The kings of Canterbury reigned only in the provmce ot 
 Kent ; the kings of Sussex bore sway only m that provmce ; 
 the kings of Essex reigned in that province and in Middlesex ; 
 the kinSs of East AngUa reigned in Norfolk and Suffolk, and 
 in the county of Cambridge, until their power was crippled by 
 Offa king of Mercia. The kings of Mercia ruled over the 
 
 A.D. 589. 
 
 BIETH or SEBEET. 
 
 273 
 
 n 
 
 I 
 
 counties of Gloucester, Worcester, Warwick, Chester, Derby, 
 Lincoln, Leicester, Oxford, Hereford, Stafford, Northampton, 
 Buckingham, Bedford, Huntingdon, Cambridge, and Hertford. 
 The kings of the West Saxons ruled over the counties of Berks, 
 Dorset, Southampton, Wilton, Salisbury, and Bath. These 
 provinces therefore, being thus distributed among six kings, 
 they were constantly engaged in civil wars, and worse than 
 civil wars, with one another. The two kings who reigned in 
 Northumberland, governed the country to the north of the 
 great river Humber, to the kingdom of Scotland. But we have 
 said enough about them before. 
 
 After matters had been arranged in this way, the kings above- 
 mentioned determined utterly to destroy Britain and the 
 memory of the Britons, with which view they unanimously 
 agreed that the island should no longer be called Britain, from 
 Brutus, but Anglia, from the Angles. 
 
 The same year, while Gunthran, king of the Franks, being 
 weary with hunting, was sleeping in his armour-bearer's 
 lap, near a stream of water, the armour-bearer saw a little 
 animal issue out of the king's mouth. And as it wished to 
 cross the stream and could not do so, the armour-bearer placed 
 his sword across the water, and so made it a path to go and 
 return. And when it came back into the king's mouth, he 
 woke, and said that he had dreamed that he was passing over 
 an iron bridge, and said that he had seen great treasures under 
 a certain mountain. And when he went to the mountain, in 
 accordance with the faith he placed in his dream, he did find 
 great treasures there ; and when lie had acquired them, he 
 appropriated them to the uses of the church. 
 
 A.D. .587. Clothaire became king of the Gauls, and reigned 
 forty-four years. The same year, Erkenwin, king of the East 
 Saxons, died, and Sledda, his son, reigned in his stead. 
 
 A.D. 588. Ethelfrid, king of the Bernicians, took for his wife 
 Acca, the daughter of Ella, king of the Deiri, and she, in process 
 of time, brought him seven sons. And the names of his sons are 
 as follows : Eanfrid, Oswald, Oswin, Ossac, Oswid, Osa, and 
 Offa. The same year, Creodda, king of the Mercians died, 
 and Wibba, his son, succeeded him, and reigned three years. 
 
 A.D. 589. Sledda, king of the East Saxons, became the father 
 of Sebert, who succeeded him in the kingdom, by the daughter 
 of Ermenric, a former king of Kent. 
 
 TOL. I. T 
 
274 
 
 MATTHEW OF W£STMI>'STER. 
 
 A.D. 593. 
 
 A.D. 590. Crssa, king of the South Saxons, died, and that 
 kin-dom devolVed on Ceaulinus, king of the ^\ est Saxons. 
 
 A D. 591. A flood, almost exceeding the behef of men, took 
 place in Italv, and after a great deal of confusion a pesti- 
 lence followed, which was called an inguinal plague ; and 
 which slew Pelaglus the pope first of all, and after that, thinned 
 the people with a terrible mortality. At that time, the blessed 
 Gregory was filling the office of archdeacon in the city of Home, 
 andlie ordered a sevenfold litany to be performed for this terri- 
 ble mortality among the citizens. It is called a sevenfold litany, 
 because in the first rank came all the regular clergy ; in the 
 second, all the abbots and their monks ; m the third, all the 
 abljcsses and their nuns; in the fourth, all the infants ; in the 
 fifth, all the laymen ; in the sixth, all the widows ; in the seventh, 
 all the married couples. And so, having arranged all these 
 matters properly, the man of God, by appeasmg the wrath ot 
 God, completely eradicated this before-mentioned pestilence 
 
 from the city. , 
 
 A.D. 592. The blessed Gregory was elected pope, the people 
 joining their acclamations to those of the clergy , and although 
 he was himself very reluctant, and strove against it, and absented 
 himself, he was at last discovered and enthroned. Among other 
 works of piety, he was able by his prayers to release the soul 
 of Trajan, who had formerly been emperor, although he was 
 a pagan, from the pains of hell. He composed an Antiphoner, 
 and ordered Kyrie Eleeson with the Hallelujah to be sung at 
 the masses. And he very advantageously added three sentences 
 to the canon of the mass, namely, "And order our days in 
 thy peace, and deliver us from eternal damnation, and cause 
 us to be reckoned in the flock of thy elect." 
 
 A.D. 593. Ceaulinus and his brother Quichehne died, and 
 Cedric succeeded Ceaulinus in the kingdom of the West Saxons, 
 and reigned five years. The same year, pope Gregory ordered 
 the Lord's prayer to be recited over the host, after the canon. 
 
 The same year, Ella, king of the Deiri, died. And on his 
 death, Ethelred, king of the Bernicians, expelled his son Edwin 
 from the kingdom of the Deiri, and governed the two kingdoms 
 with great vigour. But Edwin being driven into exile, went 
 and dwelt in banishment at the court of Redwald, kmg of 
 the East Angles, till he was restored by his means to his 
 kingdom. 
 
 A.D. 596. AUGUSTINE PEEACHES THE GOSPEL IN BRITAIN. 2/5 
 
 A.D. 594. The robe of our Lord and Saviour was, through 
 the confession of a Jew named Simon, found in the city of 
 Zaphat, not far from Jerusalem, and was placed at Jerusalem, 
 in the place where the cross of Christ is worshipped, by Gre- 
 gory, bishop of Antioch, Thomas, bishop of Jerusalem, and 
 John, bishop of Constantinople. 
 
 The same year, Wilba, king of Mercia, died, and was suc- 
 ceeded by Charles, who was not his son, but only a kinsman, 
 and who reigned ten years. 
 
 A.D. 595. Richard, king of the Visigoths, confirmed the 
 whole of his nation in the cathoUc faith, after a synod of sixty - 
 two bishops had been collected at Toledo, and had abjured 
 and anathematized the Arrian heresy. 
 
 A.D. 596. Which is the hundred and forty-seventh year after 
 the arrival of the brothers Hengist and Horsa in Britain, Augus- 
 tine, the servant of God, was sent by the blessed pope Gregory 
 into Britain to preach the word of God to the barbarous nation 
 of the Angles. For they, being bhnded by pagan supersti- 
 tion, had destroyed all Christianity in that part of the island 
 which they occupied. But among some portion of the Britons 
 the faith of Christ still flourished, which, having been intro- 
 duced in the hundred and fifty-eighth year after the divine 
 incarnation, was never wholly lost from among them. On the 
 eastern side of Kent is the Isle of Thanet, on which the man 
 of God, Augustine, and his companions, to the number, as it is 
 reported, of about forty men, landed. And Augustine sending 
 interpreters to king Ethelbert, gave him notice that he had 
 come from Rome, and that he was the bearer of excellent 
 tidings, because he promised eternal joy in heaven to those who 
 should obey him. The king, hearing this, came a few days 
 atlerwards to the island, and sitting down in the open air, invited 
 Augustine and his companions to come there to a conference 
 with him. And they, being endowed with divine courage, 
 came, bearing a cross'for a standard, and a likeness of our 
 Lord and Saviour depicted on a picture, and chanting litanies 
 for their own salvation and that of those for whom they had 
 come. And when, at the command of the king, they had sat 
 down, they preached the Word of Life to him and to all who 
 had come with him, and he replied, saying, " The tlungs which 
 you promise are beautiful, but because they are new to me 
 and doubtful, I cannot at the moment give my assent to them, 
 
 t2 
 
276 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 598. 
 
 it 
 
 I 
 
 forsaking these things which I and my nation have so long 
 preserved. But because you, being foreigners, have come 
 hither from a great distance, and because you have been desi- 
 rous to communicate to me things which you yourselves beheye 
 to be true and excellent, we are not disposed to deal harshly 
 with you. But we will rather receive you in fnendly hospi- 
 tality, and supply you with such things as are necessary for 
 your support. Nor do we prohibit you from winning over to 
 the faith of your religion, all whom you can influence by 
 preaching." Accordingly, he assigned tliem an abode in the 
 city of Canterbury, which was the capital of his dominions, 
 where they began to imitate the apostolic life of the primitive 
 church, using continual prayers and fastings, and preaching 
 the Word of God, and bathing all whom they could convince 
 in the laver of salvation. And immediately many believed and 
 were baptized (imitating the simplicity of an innocent hfe) to 
 the sweetness of heavenly doctrine. On the east there was a 
 church close to the city itself, which had been built in old time 
 in honour of the blessed Martin, in which the queen, the daugh- 
 ter of the king of France, by name Bertha, had been accustomed 
 to pray, and in which these missionaries began also to meet to- 
 gether,and preach and celebrate masses and baptize. And when, 
 after a short time, the king himself, among others, being de- 
 lighted with the pure life of these holy men, believed and was 
 baptized, numbers began to flock together every day to hear 
 the word of life, and leaving the errors of the Gentdes, to 
 believe and unite themselves to the unity of the church. He 
 also allotted to the doctors a habitation suitable to their degree, 
 in his own metropoUs, the city of Canterbury, and he gave 
 them what was necessary for them in other particulars. In 
 the meantime, the man of God, Augustine, went to Aries, and 
 having been ordained archbishop by the archbishop of that 
 city, he returned to Britain. 
 
 A.D. .597. The monastery of the blessed Benedict which 
 that father had founded in Castrum Cassinum, was destroyed 
 by the perfidy of the Lombards, and therefore the monks fled 
 from that place, and sought refuge in Rome, bringing with 
 them the rule which their saintly founder had taught them. 
 
 A.D. 598. Gregory, bishop of the city of Tours, flourished in 
 the Gauls : he brought the relics of Saint Julian out of the 
 territory of Auvergne. The same year, too, Saint Columhan, the 
 
 
 A.D. 603. AUGUSTINE HOLDS A SYNOD IN BEITAIN. 277 
 
 teacher of the Scots and Picts, died, and left many proofs of 
 his hoHness to later ages. 
 
 A.D. 599. Redwald, king of the East Angles, died, and Eor- 
 penwald succeeded to the helm of the kingdom. 
 
 A.D. 600. Childebert, king of the Franks, died, and his two 
 sons, Theodebert and Theodoric, reigned in his stead. 
 
 A.D. 601. The blessed pope Gregory sent the pallium to 
 Augustine, to the church of London, which at that time was 
 the metropohs of the Britons, as Bede testifies in his History 
 of the Angles. 
 
 A.D. 602. The contention which had arisen between thfe 
 Roman church and the arrogance of John, bishop of Constan- 
 tinople, who usurped the name of Universal Patriarch, and 
 which having commenced in the time of Pope Pelagius had 
 been carried on with no want of energy by pope Gregory, 
 was terminated by the death of John, when there had been no 
 previous possibility of ending it. 
 
 A.D. 603. Ethelred, king of the Northumbrians, fighting 
 against the Britons at Caerleon, slew a great number of reh- 
 gious men belonging to the abbey of Bangor. 
 
 At this time the man of God, Augustine, avaiUng himself of 
 the authority and assistance of king Ethelbert, summoned to 
 his synod the bishops and doctors of the nearest province of 
 Britain to the place which, in the language of the Angles, is 
 called to this day Sugusitinc*:S ^fc, that is to say, the Oak of 
 Augustine, on the borders of the West Saxons and the Wic- 
 tians, and began to persuade them with fraternal admonitions 
 to hold the catholic faith with him, and to unite with him in 
 undertaking the joint labour of preaching the gospel to the 
 nations for the sake of the Lord ; as hitherto they had cele- 
 brated the sacred feast of Easter and done many other things in a 
 manner contrary to the unity of the church. And after a long 
 discussion, when they would not assent to either the prayers 
 or exhortations of Augustine, he said, " Brethren, let us pray 
 to Almighty God that he will deign to show us by heavenly 
 signs which tradition is to be followed, and by what path we 
 ought to hasten on our journey to the kingdom of heaven. 
 Let some sick man be brought, and let all belief be placed in, 
 and all authority given to, that party by whose prayers he is 
 cured." And when his adversaries, though against their will, 
 had agreed, a sick man was brought in, deprived of his eye- 
 
 f 
 
2/8 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 603. 
 
 A.D. 603. ETHELRED SLATS THE MONKS OF BANGOR. 
 
 2/9 
 
 l>i 
 
 sight. And when he had been submitted to the bishops of the 
 Britons, but had derived no advantage from their ministry, 
 at length Augustine bent liis knees to the Father of our Lord 
 Jesus Christ, entreating him to restore sight to the bhnd, in 
 order that, by the bodily illumination of one man, God might 
 kindle the grace of spiritual light in the heart of many believers. 
 And immediately the bUnd man received his sight, and Augus- 
 tine was proclaimed by every one as the true messenger of 
 the highest right. Then the Britons confessed they under- 
 stood that that was the true way which Augustine preached, 
 but still they said that they could not, without the consent of 
 their chiefs, forsake their ancient customs, so that they begged 
 that another synod might be held, consisting of more members. 
 And when that had been decided on, there came, as it is re- 
 lated, seven bishops of the Britons and many most learned 
 men, especially from their most noble monastery, which, in the 
 language of the Angles, is called JSangovncburg, over which, 
 at that time, Dionotus is said to have presided as abbot. And 
 they, when on their way to the before-mentioned council, came 
 first to a holy and prudent man, who had led the life of an 
 anchorite among them, and consulted him whether they ought 
 to desert their own traditions at the preaching of Augustine. 
 And he answered them, " If he be a man of God, follow him." 
 They said, " And how can we prove this ?" He said to them, 
 " The Lord has said, * Learn of me, because I am meek and 
 lowly of heart.' If, therefore, that Augustine is meek and 
 lowly of heart, it is credible that he himself both bears the 
 yoke of Christ, and offers it to you to be borne. If, however, 
 he is violent and insolent, then it is plain that he is not from 
 God, and that his discourse is not to be regarded by you." 
 They replied again, *'And how are we to discern this?" 
 ** Contrive," said the anchorite, "that he shall first arrive 
 with his friends at the place of council, and then if he, of his 
 own accord, rises up when you approach, you may know that 
 he is a servant of Christ, and obediently listen to him. But 
 if he disdains you, and will not rise up to you, though you are 
 more in number, then he, likewise, may be disdained by you." 
 It therefore so happened, that when they arrived, Augustine 
 was sitting in his chair. And they, on seeing this, were im- 
 mediately turned to anger, and considering him full of pride, 
 laboured to contradict everything which he said. And Augus- 
 
 time said to them, ** If you are willing to comply with me in 
 three things only, namely, so as to celebrate Easter at its pro- 
 per time, to fulfil the ministry of baptism, by which we are 
 re2;enerated to God, according; to the customs of the Roman 
 Church, and to preach the word of God to the nation of the 
 Angles in union with us, we will submit patiently to all your 
 other practices, although they are contrary to our customs." 
 But they declared that they would do none of these things, 
 and that they would not consider him as archbishop, arguing 
 with one another — '* If lie would not rise up to us before, 
 how much more will he despise us when we are once actually 
 subject to him ? " And the man of God, Augustine, is related 
 to have said to them, *' If they would not have peace with 
 their brethren, would they accept war from their enemies ? 
 And if they were unwilling to preach the way of life to the 
 nation of the Angles, he told them they would endure the 
 revenge of death at their hands." And this happened in every 
 respect as he had foretold, the divine judgment so ruling 
 events. And not long afterwards, Ethelred, king of Northum- 
 berland, a man of great courage and a most ferocious pagan, 
 having collected a great army in the city of Legions, which is 
 called by the Britons Caerleon, and which was called the city 
 of the Legions, because the Roman Legions used to be sta- 
 tioned there, made a great slaughter of them. For being 
 about to engage in battle with the Britons, when he saw that 
 their priests, who had come together to address their prayers 
 to God on behalf of the soldiers who were occupied in war, 
 were stationed in a safe place, he asked who they were, or 
 what they were going to do there. For there were a great 
 many of them from the monastery of Bangor, which is said to 
 have contained such a number of monks that they were di- 
 vided into seven classes with seven rectors, and no division 
 contained fewer than three hundred rehgious brethren. And 
 the greater part of them having kept a fast for three days, met 
 together with other priests also for the sake of praying to God, 
 having Brochimallus for their defender, to protect them from 
 the swords of the barbarians while thev themselves were 
 engaged in praying. And when the tyrant Ethelred had learnt 
 the object of their presence, he said, ** And if these men in- 
 voke the aid of their God against us, then, although they do 
 not bear arms, they are fighting against us, inasmuch as they 
 
280 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 604. 
 
 are pursuing us with their unfriendly imprecations." There- 
 fore he orders his troops to turn their arms against them first, 
 and in this way he destroyed the other bodies in this wicked 
 warfare, not without great loss to his own army. In that bat- 
 tle it is said that of these men who had come only to pray, 
 there were about twelve hundred men slain, and that only 
 fifty escaped by flight. Brochimallus, too, fled with his men, 
 at the first onset of the enemy, and left those whom he ought 
 to have defended, unarmed and exposed to the swords of their 
 slayers. And thus the prophecy of the blessed pontiff" Augus- 
 tine was fulfilled. 
 
 A.D. G04. The blessed Augustine built a church to Saint 
 Andrew the Apostle, by the liberality of king Ethelbert, in the 
 city which from some primitive name Rof was called Rofecester, 
 or the city of Rof. And he enriched it with many ample pos- 
 sessions, and ordained Justus as bishop of that city. 
 
 The same year, the same Augustine consecrated Mellitus as 
 pontiff" in the city of London. And thus the dignity of the city of 
 London, which in the times of the Britons had always had an 
 archbishop, was transferred to Canterbury, in order that the 
 prophecy of Merlin might be fulfilled, when he said, " Religion 
 shall be destroyed in the island, and a change of the principal 
 sees shall take place. The dignity of London shall adorn Can- 
 terbury," &c. The same year, Mellitus having been sent by 
 the blessed Augustine into the province of the East Saxons to 
 preach the gospel, converted king Sebert, with the whole of 
 his nation, to the true faith. And the same Sebert was nephew 
 of Ethelbert, the great king of Kent, being the son of his 
 sister Ricula, and was placed under his power ; for he governed 
 all the nations of the Angles as far as the boundary of the 
 river Humber. The same year, the emperor Maurice, a man 
 who feared God, was continually in his prayers entreating the 
 divine mercy to grant to him to expiate the guilt of his crimes 
 in this hfe. Therefore, one night, while he was lying in his 
 bed, a voice came to him from heaven, saying, ** Maurice, 
 deliver yourself, and your wife Constantia, and your children, 
 to the soldier Phocas." So, when he awakened, he asked his 
 servants whether they knew of any soldier in his army called 
 Phocas. And they answered, " We do." And he asked, "Of 
 what character is he ?" And they said, " He is a proud and 
 rash young man." Then Augustus related his dream, and 
 
 A.D. 605. 
 
 THE BLESSED GREGOUT DIES. 
 
 281 
 
 greatly gloiified God, because of his vision. And after this, 
 being in the territories of the enemy, when he compelled his 
 soldiers to abstain from violence and plunder, and did not 
 give them their usual pay, they began to entreat Phoeas to 
 govern them as their emperor. And Phocas complied with 
 their request, and took upon him the royal purple. And 
 Maurice, hearing this, lost all courage, and yielded to the 
 stream of circumstances that flowed against him, and fled into 
 a wood near the sea ; in which he and his wife and his five 
 sons were slain, by command of Phocas Augustus Caesar. 
 Phocas therefore usurped the Roman empire, and reigned eight 
 years. 
 
 A.D. 605. Wliich is the second year of the reign of Phocas, the 
 blessed Gregory departed from this life to the Lord. This 
 blessed man, while still alive, was once walking through the 
 forum of Trajan, the emperor, which he had himself adorned 
 with beautiful edifices, and recollecting a judgment of his with 
 which he had consoled a widow, as a reward for this great 
 humanity of theecmperor, he went in haste to the church of the 
 holy Apostle Peter, and there it is related that he wept a long 
 time for the unbelief and error of that most merciful emperor, 
 till on the next night, he received an answer that he had been 
 heard on behalf of Trajan, on condition of never again praying 
 for any other pagan. And we are to believe that thus the 
 soul of Trajan was delivered from the torments of hell, so 
 that, though it is placed in hell, it, by the mercy of God, does 
 not feel the smallest of the torments of hell. In fact, the 
 same fire of Gehenna, if it is able equally to detain many 
 sinners, at the same time is able, by the mercy of God, to 
 avoid inflicting on all of tliem equal punishment. For sorula 
 in Gehenna feel torture according to the degree of their guilt. 
 Now the act of piety by which Trajan moved God and the 
 blessed Father Gregory to mercy, was this. - 
 
 At a certain time, when Trajan was hastening very eagerly 
 to some war, a certjiin very poor widow woman came to him, 
 dissolved in tears, and saying, " My son has been put to 
 death, though innocent, by your orders, and I entreat you 
 that, as you cannot restore him to me, you will condescend at 
 least to avenge his blood." And when Trajan promised that, 
 if he returned in safety from the war, he would avenge him, the 
 widow said, " And if you die in battle, who will then do me 
 
282 
 
 MATTHEW or WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 607. 
 
 iastice ^'' Trajan answered, " He who shall reign after me 
 S she said, "But what good will it do you, ^^ -7;,^ ^^^^^ 
 does me justice ?" Trajan replied, " iNone, certainly. And 
 fhe wXisaid, " Is it nit then hetter for you to do me justice 
 yourself and to receive your reward for it, than to transmit this 
 reward another?'' Then Trajan, heing moved hoth hy her 
 pilty and her reasoning, dismounted from lus l^rse and did 
 not depart before he had given sentence for the widow and 
 seen his sentence executed. And as a reward for is hu- 
 manity and exhibition of ustice, he deserved to be rekased, 
 five hundred years afterwards and more, from the punishments 
 of hell by the prayers of the blessed Gregory. . , , . 
 
 The sale Father Gregory was the first man who, in the begin- 
 ning^ of his epistles, before giving his greetmg and favour and 
 Mes'sing, announced himself as the servant of the servants of 
 God, and so showed to all his successors a pattern of lumn^^^^^^^ 
 Andhe added to his humility usefulness, whenhe said, Health, 
 fhats health of soul and body, - Goodwill," that is, from God 
 and man, and " Blessing," which is in the seed of Abralmm, 
 nameW Christ, in whom all the nations of the earth shall be 
 SleTsed And this blessed father Gregory although he was 
 80 eminent for virtue and knowledge, stiU had numerous de- 
 razors after his death to such a degree, that out ot hatred 
 to him and for the sake of eradicating all recollection of him, 
 hlK luldall have been burnt, if Peter had not been Ins 
 deacan. For he said that he had seen the Holy Spirit hover- 
 in- over him Uke a dove, while he was writing his books. 
 
 AD 606. Sabinianus became bishop of Rome, and occupied 
 the Roman chair one year, five months, and nine days. 1 he 
 same year, a poor man was asking alms of some sailors, and 
 receive^dnone, as the captain said, - Wehave nothing here but 
 stones ;" so the poor man said, - Let everything then be turned 
 imo^ones." And when he had said that, everything that 
 there was eatable in the ship was turned into stone, though 
 nreservine its original shape and colour. 
 ^ AD 607. Ceolric, king of the West Saxons, died, and 
 Ceuif succeeded him, and reigned twenty-four years. Ihe same 
 year; pope Sabinianus reproved the liberality of l^s prede- 
 ceslor the blessed Gregory, and under this pretence held back 
 his hand from the needy ; and so Gregory m a vision thrice 
 reproved him for the fault of covetousuess, and for dittering 
 
 A.D. 611. BONIFACE CONVOKES A SYNOD IN ITALT. 
 
 283 
 
 from his example in not regarding the poor ; and appeared a 
 fourth time to him, reproaching him so severely and threaten- 
 ing him, and at last he smote him on the head, by which 
 Sabinianus was greatly afflicted, and soon after died. 
 
 A.D. 608. Boniface became pope, and sat in the Roman 
 chair six years, eight months, and twenty-nine days. And the 
 same year, the blessed Augustine, first archbishop of Canter- 
 bury, died on the twenty-sixth day of May. He was succeeded 
 by Laurentius, who was a Roman by birth, and who he him- 
 self had ordained in his lifetime, in order that the church 
 in its tender state might not be in want of a shepherd. And he 
 was buried near the church of the Apostles Peter and Paul, 
 which had not yet been completed or dedicated ; and in that 
 church the bodies of many archbishops are said to be buried, 
 
 A.D. 609. Boniface tb'i Fifth succeeded to the Roman chair, 
 and occupied it six years, eight months, and twelve days ; and 
 the see was vacant seven months and twenty-five days. And 
 Phocas the emperor, at his request, ordered that the Roman 
 church should from henceforth be the head and mistress of all 
 the churches. For up to this time the church of Constantinople 
 had been used to write itself the first of all the churches. The 
 same pope also procured from the same prince the temple at 
 Rome, which had been in ancient times called the Pantheon, 
 because in it the worship of all the (I will not say gods, buf) 
 daemons w^as celebrated. And when he had obtained this, he 
 expelled from it all the multitude of different images, and made 
 it a church of Almighty God and the Holy Virgin Mary, and 
 all the saints ; so that in the same place where formerly the 
 worship of all the devils was celebrated, the memory of all the 
 saints should be preserved for the future. 
 
 A.D. 610. Ceulf, king of the West Saxons, died, and Cine- 
 gilf, the son of Ceola, reigned in his stead, and reigned thirty- 
 one years. At this time, Pendawas king of Mercia, Redwald 
 king of the East Angles, Ethelbert king of Kent, Sebert 
 king of the East Saxons, and Ethelred, a proud man, and one 
 covetous of vain-glory, king of Northumberland. 
 
 A.D. 611. Pope Boniface, having convoked a synod in Italy, 
 in the month of March, on the third day of the month, or- 
 dained many things for the advantage of the church. And 
 there was present at this council Mellitus, bishop of London, 
 who had been sent thither by Laurence, archbishop of Can- 
 
284 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMD^STEE. 
 
 A.D. 613. 
 
 terbury, in order that on his return to Britain he might bring 
 back tlie decrees of the synod to the churches of the Angles, 
 and cause them to be observed on t\).e authority of the chief pon- 
 tiff. The same year, John, archbishop of Alexandria, flourished, 
 who, on account of his eminent liberality to the^poor of Christ, 
 deserved to obtain the surname of the Alms-giver. And it 
 happened that a certain foreigner, beholding his excessive 
 compassion for the poor, wishing to tempt him, came to him 
 while he was visiting the sick according to his custom, and said 
 to him, " Pity me, because I am poor and a prisoner." And the 
 patriarch said to his steward, *' Give him six pieces of gold." 
 And when the beggar had received them, he changed his 
 dress, and coming again from another quarter, he fell at his 
 feet, saying, " Have mercy upon me, because I am tormented 
 with hunger." Again the patriarch said to his steward, "Give 
 him six pieces of gold.*' And when he had done so, his 
 steward whispered in the ear of the patriarch, " Master, he 
 has now received twice to-day." He came again a third time, 
 and asked alms ; and the servant told his master that it was 
 the same man. And that merciful bishop said, " Give him 
 twelve pieces of gold, lest perchance he be Christ himself who 
 is come to tempt me." 
 
 A.D. 612. Phocas the emperor, while he was raging with 
 cruelty against those of his own household, was put to death, 
 by command of Heraclius, the patrician of Africa, who, after 
 the death of Phocas, made himself master of the empire. 
 
 A.D. 613. HeracUus obtained the Roman empire, and reigned 
 thirty-one years. The same year, at Maurienne, a city of Gaul, 
 there was a certain woman too much devoted to the worship 
 of Saint John the Baptist. She, persevering in constant prayers, 
 in a prayer which she repeated for three years, entreated of 
 God that one of the Umbs of the Baptist might be given to 
 her. And placing her hope in God, she made a vow not to 
 eat till what she was asking for was given to her. And accord- 
 ingly she fasted for seven days, and on the seventh day she 
 saw on the altar a thumb of wonderful whiteness, and joyfully 
 received the gift of God. And when three bishops who had 
 come to worship it tried to pull off a piece of this thumb, they 
 were astonished at seeing three drops of blood drop from it on 
 the cloth which was beneath it, and they were all dehghted at 
 having deserved to become possessors of one of the drops. 
 
 A.D. 616. 
 
 ETHELBERT, KING OF KE>'T, DIES. 
 
 285 
 
 A.D. 614. Godgave was elected pope, and occupied the 
 Roman chair for three years and twenty days, and the see was 
 vacant one month and six days. He made a rule, that if any 
 men or women in any way received their sons from the sacred 
 fountain, they should be separated. And if any woman had 
 married her godfather, they should be separated, and that the 
 woman should receive back her dowry and might marry another 
 husband at the expiration of a year, if she pleased. The same 
 year, Kinigilf, king of the West Saxons, took Quichelin, his 
 son, to be partner in his kingdom. 
 
 A..D. 615. When Clodesvida of Mathe was fleeing from her 
 betrothed husband, a veil for her head was sent to her from 
 God, by an angel, and she dedicated herself and all her pos- 
 sessions to God. 
 
 A.D. 616. Ethelbert, king of Kent, after a temporal reign of 
 fifty-six years, distinguished by great glory, mounted up to the 
 eternal joys of the kingdom of heaven. He died twenty-one 
 years after he had received the faith, and was buried in the 
 porch of Saint Martin, within the church of the apostles Peter 
 and Paul, which he himself had founded. The same year that 
 Ethelbert died, his son Eadbald succeeded to the kingdom, 
 and was a great injury to the tender growth of the church ; 
 since he not only would not receive the faith of Christ, biit 
 was polluted with such fornication, that he was mad enough 
 to marry his father's wife. And this irregularity caused a 
 great storm, which was increased by the death of Sebert, king 
 of the East Saxons, who, seeking the eternal realms of heaven, 
 left three sons heirs of his temporal kingdom, who all remain- 
 ed pagans. And they soon began to become open slaves to 
 idolatry, which, while their father was alive, they appeared to 
 have somewhat interrupted, and they gave the nations which 
 were subject to them free license to worship idols. And when 
 they saw the pontiff*, having first celebrated the solemnities of 
 the mass in the church, administer the eucharist to the people, 
 they, inflated with barbarous folly, said to him, "Why do you 
 not give us the white bread which you used to give to our 
 father Sebert, and which, to this day, you do not cease to give 
 the people in church?" And Mellitus himself rephed to 
 them, " If you are willing to be washed in the fountain of 
 salvation in which your father was washed, you may become 
 partakers of the holy bread, but if not, you cannot receive 
 the bread of life." And they answered, " If you will not 
 
286 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMIJfSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 616. 
 
 assent to our requests in a case that is so easy, you shall not be 
 allowed to remain in our kingdom." Accordingly Mellitus 
 was expelled, and came into Kent, intending to discuss with 
 Laurence and Justus, his brother bishops, as to what ought to 
 be done. And they determined, by their joint counsel, that it 
 would be better for them all to return to their own country, 
 and serve God with free minds, than to remain among rebels 
 to the faith without doing any good. 
 
 Accordingly, Mellitus and Justus, in the first place, departed 
 into Gaul, intending there to await the result of the business. 
 But not long afterwards, the king, who had expelled the mes- 
 sengers of truth, went forth to battle against the people of the 
 Gewisei, and were all, in accordance with the divine judgment, 
 slain with their whole armies. But when Laurence, the arch- 
 bishop, was about to follow Mellitus and Justus, and to abandon 
 Britain, the night before his departure he ordered a bed to be 
 prepared for him in the church of the blessed apostles Peter 
 and Paul. And when, after having poured forth many prayers 
 and tears to God for the condition of the church, he had laid 
 down his Umbs to rest there, and had fallen asleep, there 
 appeared to him the most blessed prince of the apostles, and 
 scourged him for a long period in the secret silence of the 
 night with a severe whip, and asked him, with apostohcal 
 seTcrity, why he was forsaking the llock which he himself had 
 committed to him, or to what shepherd, now that he himself 
 was fleeing, he was entrusting the sheep of Christ who were 
 placed in the midst of wolves ? *' Are you," said the vision, 
 " forgetful of my example, who, for the little ones of Christ 
 whom he recommended to me as a proof of his affection for me, 
 endured chains, and stripes, and imprisonment, and affliction, 
 and at last, even the death of the cross at the hands of infidels, 
 in order to be hereafter crowned with Christ?" So Laurence, 
 the servant of Christ, being animated by the scourging and 
 simultaneous exhortation of the blessed Apostle, came at early 
 dawn to the king, and hfting up his garments, showed him 
 with what severe stripes he had been scourged. And the king 
 marvelled greatly, and asked who in his kingdom had dared 
 to inflict such blows on so excellent a man. At length, when 
 he heard that it was for the sake of his safety that the bishop 
 had suff'ered such wounds and torments from the Apostle of 
 Christ, he feared greatly, and having anathematized all idola- 
 
 A.D. 618. COSDEOA LAYS WASTE JERUSALEM. 
 
 287 
 
 trous worship, and renounced his illegal marriage, he received 
 the faith of Christ and was baptized ; and endeavoured with 
 all his might, in all matters, to consult and favour the interests 
 of the church. And he himself, with all his nation, from the 
 time that he was converted to the Lord, studied to submit 
 himself to the laws of God. He also sent into Gaul and re- 
 called the bishops Mellitus and Justus, and desired them to 
 return fearlessly to their churches ; and so, after seeing this 
 miracle, he returned to the unity of the church. 
 
 A.D. 617. The bishops Mellitus and Justus returned to 
 Britain, and were received with due honour by king Eadbald 
 and all his nation. The same year, Redwald, king of the 
 East Angles, provoked Ethelred, king of Northumberland, to 
 war. Therefore, the armies of these two monarchs met in 
 the district of the Jutes, on the eastern bank of the river which 
 is called the Idle. From which circumstance, the proverb 
 arose, which remains in force to the present day, "The Idle 
 river was foul with Anglian blood." Therefore, Ethelred, 
 being fierce and indignant, and greatly marvelling that any 
 one should dare to fight with him, rushed boldly, but in no 
 kind of order, upon the enemy, although the army of Red- 
 wald, being arranged with great skill, caused no slight alarm 
 to those who beheld it. But the king of Northumberland, as 
 if he had found a prey, suddenly rushed upon the close 
 battalions and overthrew Reiner, the captain of the host of 
 Redwald, with all his army, and sent them in haste to hell. 
 But Redwald, being not at all alarmed at the great slaughter, 
 but only animated to seek revenge, gloriously pierced the bat- 
 talions 'of Ethelred, and having shed a great deal of the blood 
 of the enemy, slew that haughty king. Then pursuing the 
 enemy, without any mercy, he routed all their army, and 
 utterly crushed them. In *this battle the prowess of Edwin 
 was particularly eminent, who, having been expelled from that 
 kingdom, had lived in exile with Redwald for seventeen years. 
 Therefore, Edwin, the son of Ella, reigned over the two king- 
 doms of the Deiri and the Bernicians ; and afterwards becoming 
 a Christian, he reduced all the kings, both of the Angles and 
 of the Welch, to submission to him. 
 
 A.D. 618. Cosdroa, king of Persia, took Damascus, and 
 laid waste Jerusalem, and burnt all the sacred places in that 
 city, and took prisoners an immense multitude of the people. 
 
288 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 621. 
 
 and slew ninety thousand of them, and expelled Zachariah, the 
 patriarch of the city, and carried off the precious wood of the 
 cross with him into Persia. But he was not permitted to 
 violate the sepulchre of the Lord, fenced round as it was with 
 divine virtue. About the same time, he occupied all Egypt, 
 and Alexandria, and Libya, and Carthage, in hopes by this 
 means to provoke Ileraclius to battle ; and Heraclius sent 
 messengers to him, requesting him to desist from his attempts ; 
 but he disdained to do so, aud treated the ambassadors of the 
 emperor with insult. 
 
 A.D. 619. Heraclius, the emperor, invested his son Con- 
 stantine with the kingly diadem, and gave him the title of 
 Augustus. 
 
 A.D. 620. Heraclius, the emperor, in the tenth year of hia 
 reign, having collected a numerous army, marched against 
 Cosdroa, bearing with him the likeness of the Holy Mother 
 of God, which is at Byzantium, and which was painted not by 
 the hand of man, but by a divine miracle. And when he 
 had arrived on the borders of the city of Gozorem, Cosdroa 
 took to flight, and ravaged with fire all the lands which he 
 passed through, and then appointed a great many generals to 
 command his army, and to subdue Heraclius, while he him- 
 self kept fleeing from place to place, from the face of the em- 
 peror. But Herachus, supported by the aid of the picture of 
 the Mother of God, slew all his enemies in battle, or else put 
 them to flight disgracefully, and at last, Cosdroa was taken 
 prisoner in his flight, and thrown into prison, and at last died 
 the death of wicked men. The emperor having gained the 
 victory, gave his soldiers rewards, such as were deserved by 
 their labours ; and having reunited his forces a little, he brought 
 back to Jerusalem the wood of the cross of the Lord, giving 
 much thanks to God for so signal a triumph, and shedding 
 devout tears. 
 
 A.D. 621. Boniface the Sixth, pope of the Roman church, 
 was in the fourth year of his power, and he reigned five years 
 and fourteen days, and the see was vacant six months. About 
 the same time, Laurence, the second archbishop of Canterbury, 
 died, and was succeeded by Mellitus, bishop of London, who 
 occupied the archiepiscopal see five years. Mellitus was suc- 
 ceeded by Justus, who survived the same period of time. 
 After Mellitus, the church of London was vacant for many 
 
 A.D. G22. 
 
 MAHOMET DELUDES CADTJAH. 
 
 289 
 
 years. But Justus was succeeded in the church of Rochester 
 by Ronianus. 
 
 Ch. XL— From a.d. 622 to a.d. 676. 
 The heresy of the Monothel lies— The Saracens attack the 
 Rofnan Empire— Mahcniet— His wife Cadijah—Pope Hono- 
 rius — King Edwin becornes a Christian — Heraclius becomes 
 a Monothelite—Cadwallan, king of Wales— Oswald, king 
 of Northumberland— Oswy— The heresy of the Monothel ites 
 is condemned— King Louis violates the tomb of Saint Deni^ 
 — Cadwallan dies. 
 
 A.D. 622. Cyrus, bishop of Alexandria, and Sergius, patri- 
 arch of Constantinople, preached the heresy of the Monothelites. 
 About this time also, the Saracens, who are also called Turks, 
 under the leadership of Mahomet, a false prophet, went forth 
 from their own country, and began terribly to ravage the 
 empire of Heraclius. Now this Mahomet, the chief of the 
 Saracens and Arabs, was of the race of Ishmael, the son of 
 Abraham, who, having been in his early life a merchant, used 
 often to go with his camels into Egypt and Palestine, and have 
 intercourse with both Jews and Christians, from whom he 
 learnt both the Old and New Testament, but was only made a 
 most impious magician by them. And as he was traveUing to 
 and fro, it happened that he entered the province of Corozonia7 
 of which Cadijah was said to be mistress. And as she was 
 admiring the various beautiful things which Mahomet had 
 brought with him, having obtained them by theft or pillage, 
 she began gradually to attach herself more intimately to him. 
 And after Mahomet had acquired a hold over her with his in- 
 cantations, he began cunningly to had her by degrees into 
 error, saying that he himself was the Messiah, whom the Jews 
 were still expecting to come. And not only that powerful 
 woman was deluded into embracing this opinion, but all the 
 Jews, which his fanaticism reached, flocked to him in crowds, 
 together with the Saracens, influenced by the great novelty of the 
 event. And then he began to make new laws, and to deliver 
 them to these people, fortifying them with testimonies out of 
 both the Old and New Testament. These laws the Ishmaelites 
 call theirs, and claim him for their lawgiver. 
 
 And the woman, whom I have already spoken of, seeing 
 the man surrounded by an indiscriminate company of Jews 
 and Saracens, thought that a divine power was concealed in 
 
 VOL. I. ;j 
 
290 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMIN8TEB. 
 
 A.D. 622. 
 
 him, and as she was a widow, she took him for her husband. 
 And in that way jMahomet obtained the principaUty of the 
 whole of that province. But at last, the Arabs who adhered 
 to him, began to attack the kingdom of Persia, and after that, 
 the territories of the Eastern Empire, and invaded Alexandria, 
 in the reign of HeracUus. 
 
 After this, Mahomet began frequently to fall down m epilep- 
 tic fits, which Cadijah, his wife, seeing, was greatly grieved at 
 having married an unclean and epileptic man ; and so he 
 wishing to pacify her, said, that the angel Gabriel was con- 
 versing with him, and that he, as being a carnal man, was 
 unable to support his brightness, and on that account, he as- 
 serted that it was that he had fallen down and fainted. And 
 so his wife, and all the Arabs and Ishmaelites, believed that 
 he received the laws from the mouth of the archangel, 
 which he afterwards gave them ; because the archangel Gabriel 
 is often sent to mankind. He used to preach that pleasures 
 and carnal dehghts were not to be preferred to future happi- 
 ness, though uncertain, and to live with glory was tlie highest 
 good. On which account, I imagine, that if he were alive at 
 the present day, he would find many disciples. At last, when 
 he had entangled such a number of men, as I have described, 
 in his heresy, one evening, when he was sitting in his palace 
 inebriated with strong wine, which had, however, been poisoned 
 by the touch of one of his companions, he knew that his ac- 
 customed sickness was coming upon him, and so went out in 
 haste, saying that he was invited to a conference with an angel, 
 and ordering tbat no one should follow him, lest he should be 
 unable to support the angelic brightness, which he himself 
 was unable to bear, and so should die. And he ascended a 
 dunghill, that he might not hurt himself in faUing, and im- 
 mediately fell down on the heap, and rolled about up and 
 down, gnashing his teeth and foaming. And a multitude of 
 pigs which were near, seeing this, ran up, and tearing him to 
 pieces, choked him. But his wife and family, hearing the 
 noise of the pigs, ran out in astonishment, and found the body 
 of their master for the most part devoured by the pigs. But 
 because he had predicted his resurrection within three days, 
 they carefully preserved his body ; but when thirty days had 
 passed, and he did not rise again, then his accompUces, that 
 they might not be convicted of falsehood, as they had often 
 in preaching borne testimony to him, buried his body, un- 
 
 A.D. 625. PAULINUS OEDAINED AUCHBISHOP OF TOUK. 291 
 
 washed and half eaten, in a precious tomb ; and coUecting 
 what had been left by the pigs, they placed it with all honour 
 m a gold and silver chest, beautifully wrought, and related 
 that the angels of God would scarcely leave his body on earth 
 and had earned oft' his soul with joy to the delights of heaven' 
 
 Moreover, he taught that those who kill their enemies, or 
 who are kiUed by their enemies, enter paradise ; and that there 
 is a choice refection of meat and drink, and a river flowing 
 with wine, milk, and honey ; and a carnal commerce with 
 women, not such as exists at present, but of a dift-erent kind, 
 and abundant pleasure of all sorts. He appointed four go- 
 vernors in the kingdom of the Saracens, whom he called Ad- 
 mirals, and he caused the book which contained his law to be 
 called the Protosymbolum. 
 
 The same year, Honorius became the sixty-eighth pope • he 
 sat in the Roman chair twelve years, eleven months, 'and 
 seventeen days. And the see was vacant seven months and 
 eighteen days. 
 
 A.D. 623. Saint Romanus, archbishop of Rouen, flourished 
 in great eminence for sanctity and virtue. At the same time' 
 after the brothers Sexred and Siward Sigebert, surnamed the 
 Little, the son of Siward, reigned over the East Saxons ; and 
 afterwards, by the just judgment of God, he and his brothel 
 Sibert were slam by Kinegilf, king of the West Saxons, and 
 Uuichehn, his son. For after the death of their father thev 
 returned to the worship of idols, and expelled Mellitus, bishop of 
 London. And now they were so completely destroyed, that 
 not an individual of their whole army escaped to tell of the 
 disaster. 
 
 A.D. 624. Redwald, king of the East Angles, died, and 
 Lorpenwald took the helm of the kingdom in his place, and, 
 Jiavmg made a good beginning, finished with a glorious end. 
 
 A.D. 62:). Pauhnus was ordained archbishop of York by 
 archbishop Justus. And it happened that Edwin, king of 
 Northumberland, having sent ambassadors to woo her, asked 
 for Ethelburga, daughter of Ethelbert, the deceased king of 
 Kent, for his wife. But he received for answer from the 
 brother of the maiden, who was then king, that it was not 
 lawful to unite a Christian maiden to a pagan, lest the worship 
 of the true God should be profaned by commerce with an 
 unbeliever. And when his messengers brought back this an- 
 
 u 2 
 
292 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 626. 
 
 swer to king Edwin, he replied that if, after being investigated 
 by learned men, the rehgion of the damsel should be found 
 to be more holy and more worthy of God, he would not refuse 
 to receive it on the conditions before-mentioned. And ac- 
 cordingly, the damsel was immediately sent to him, and Pauh- 
 uus with her, that she might not be contaminated by intercourse 
 with pagans, and that he might strengthen her with daily 
 exhortations and the administration of the heavenly sacra- 
 ments. 
 
 But when she arrived in Northumberland, the king granted 
 that all persons, whether men, women, or priests, who had 
 come with her, might observe their faith and the worship of 
 their rehgion in Christian fashion. And thus Paulinus came 
 with the virgin to king Edwin as a sort of companion in this 
 carnal union ; but his object was rather to strive with all the 
 energy of his mind to bring over the nation among which he 
 came, to a knowledge of the truth. 
 
 A.D. 626. A certain assassin, named Eumerus, came (having 
 been sent by Quichelin, king of the West Saxons, who was 
 reigning as partner with his father Kinegilf) in order to kill 
 king Edwin. And he, pretending to have come on an embassy 
 from his master, rushed upon the king with a poisoned axe 
 near the river Derwent, intending at least to kill him with the 
 poison, if the axe failed. But a servant of the king, named 
 Lilla, seeing him, interposed himself to receive the wound, 
 and was pierced by it, and by the same blow the king was 
 slightly wounded. And after a knight had been subsequently 
 slain, the assassin himself was slain with the sword, and en- 
 tirely cut to pieces. The king was much disturbed by the 
 occurrence, but a daughter whom his queen bore him the next 
 night somewhat mitigated his grief. And when the king had 
 given thanks to his gods, Pauhnus reproved him, saying that 
 it was owing to his prayers that the queen had been dehvered 
 without suffering. So the king, being delighted at his words, 
 promised to beheve in the God of Paulinus if he would grant 
 him the victory over QuicheUn, and as a pledge of the fulfil- 
 ment of his promise, he ordered his daughter to be baptized. 
 And she, being baptized with thirty of his family, was named 
 Eanfled. Then, having levied an army, the king marched 
 against Quichelin, and having declared war against all those 
 whom he had discovered in conspiring against his hfe, he 
 either slew them, or compelled them to surrender j and he 
 
 A.D. 627. 
 
 eevelaticj!?^ made to paulinus. 
 
 293 
 
 slew Quichehn in the place which is called to this day, in the 
 language of the Angles, (^uicijcliiug J)aune, and in evidence 
 of his victory be gave the name to the place, and so returned 
 in triumph to his country. 
 
 A.D. 627. A certain revelation was made to archbishop 
 PauUnus by divine inspiration, as it is believed, which excited 
 king Edwin to believe in this manner. As Ethelred, who 
 reigned before him, had formerly persecuted him, he fled and 
 abode with Redwald, king of the East Angles ; but while there, 
 he ascertained, through some friend of his, that Redwald had 
 been bribed, by the presents of Ethelred, either to kill him 
 himself, or else to deliver him up to his enemy to be murdered. 
 On receiving this information, Edwin answered his friend, 
 " Whither can I now fly, after having been for so many years 
 traversing all the territories of Britain, in hopes to avoid the 
 treachery of my enemies ? If I must die, I had rather let 
 him kill me here, than fall by a meaner hand." And as he 
 was lying on his bed the next night, tormented by mental 
 anguish in this manner, he saw a man utterly unknown to 
 him standing by him, and saying, " What would you give to 
 the man who would release you from this misery, and persuade 
 king Redwald to love you ?" And when he repHed, " Every- 
 tliing that is in my power," the other continued, " What would 
 you give to any man who should promise you truly that you 
 should become a powerful king, having crushed your former 
 enemies V* Edwin having made the same reply as before, he 
 proceeded, " And if any one were to shew to you a better path 
 of life than any one of your ancestors enjoyed, would you be 
 guided by him ?" When Edwin had promised most firmly 
 that he would, then the other, placing his hands upon his head, 
 added, " When then this token happens to you, remember this 
 time and this conversation." And when he had said this, he 
 disappeared suddenly, that the king might understand that it 
 was not a man, but a spirit. 
 
 In the morning, the royal youth was sitting by himself, when 
 the friend of whom I have spoken before came to him, and 
 said, " Arise and be cheerful, the king's heart is changed to- 
 wards you. For by the advice of the queen, he has determined 
 to keep faith with you." In short, Redwald, as has been 
 already related, declared war against king Ethelred, and restored 
 Edwin to his kingdom. And when Paulinus, being prompted 
 by the Holy Spirit, had brought this oracle to the kiug'g 
 
294 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMIKSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 632. 
 
 A.D. 633. QUAEEEL BETWEEN? EDWIN AND CADWALLAN. 295 
 
 I 
 
 mind, he laid his hands upon him, and when the king was 
 going to throw himself at his feet, he raised him up, and ex- 
 horting him to embrace the faith, prevailed upon him. There- 
 fore, on the holy day of Easter, the king and many other 
 persons with him were baptized by PaulinuB, in the church of 
 Saint Peter, which he himself had built of wood, and the idols 
 and their altars he utterly destroyed. After that, he erected an 
 episcopal see in the city of York for Paulinus, and built there 
 a church of stone, in which his children were baptized, with an 
 immense multitude of men, so that in a short time there was 
 no unbeliever found in the whole kingdom. 
 
 A.D. 628. Archbishop Paulinus converted the province of 
 Lindsey, which is the district on the south bank of the river 
 H umber, to the Christian faith ; and first of all he baptized 
 Blecca, the governor of that province, with all his house. And 
 in that city he built a church, and consecrated Honorius as 
 bishop of it. 
 
 A.D. 629. A battle took place between Penda, king of Mercia, 
 and Kinegilf, king of the West Saxons, at Cirencester. And after 
 a great slaughter on both sides, the two parties made a truce 
 and retreated. 
 
 A.D. 630. King Edwin, among the works of usefulness which 
 he did for his nation, conducted streams of clear water in brazen 
 pipes along the sides of the roads, for the refreshment of tra- 
 vellers. He ordered standards to be borne before him ; and 
 brought all Britain into such a state of peace in his time, that a 
 woman loaded with gold, with a little child, might have gone 
 about unhurt wherever she pleased. This year, archbishop 
 Justus died, and was succeeded by Honorius. 
 
 A.D. 631. Sergius, the patriarch of Constantinople, and 
 Cyrus, the bishop of Alexandria, fell into the heresy of the 
 Monothelites, who asserted that there was but one operation in 
 Christ, and so disturbed the church of believers. On which 
 account the emperor, who favoured them, incurred the hatred 
 of all his subjects, and was attacked on all sides by all his 
 neighbours, and he, who had been used to conquer everybody, 
 was now conquered by everybody, by the permission of divine 
 justice. 
 
 A.D. 632. Eorpenwald, king of the East Angles, in conse- 
 quence of the exhortations of king Edwin, received the faith 
 of Christ. But after he and all his family had beheved, and 
 been baptized by bishop FeUx, he did not live long, being slain 
 
 bv a Gentile of the name of Kegbert. After this event, the 
 province continued in error for three years. But Felix, the 
 bishop above-mentioned, was a Burgundian by birth, and had 
 been sent into that province to preach by Honorius, archbishop 
 of Canterbury ; and he was made bishop of the city of Dommoc, 
 where he discharged his pontifical duties for seventeen years, 
 till he ended his life in peace. 
 
 A.D. 633. A quarrel broke out between king Edwin and 
 Cadwallan, king of the Britons. They met in battle, and an 
 engagement took place, in which Cadwallan lost many thou- 
 sands of his troops, and was put to flight. So Edwin, having 
 gained the victory, led his army through the provinces of the 
 Britons, and in three of their kingdoms, namely, Demecia, 
 Venedocia, and Menevia, he burnt the cities and slew the in- 
 habitants, and reduced all the provinces to submit to him. 
 But Cadwallan, who had fled into Ireland, having recruited his 
 forces, was always endeavouring to return to his country, but 
 was unable to do so, because whenever he arrived in any har- 
 bour and began to land, Edwin came to meet him, and pre- 
 vented him from doing so. For Edwin had a certain astrologer, 
 by name Pellitus, who showed him everything that was being 
 done. But Cadwallan becoming desperate, went into Brittany 
 to king Solomon, and was received by him with due respect. 
 And when Solomon had learnt the cause of his coming to 
 him, he promised him assistance and advice. Then Cadwallan 
 gave him a full account of the astrologer of Edwin, and Solo- 
 mon advised him to send some wary and bold man in a foreign 
 disguise to endeavour to kill that magician. And the advice 
 seemed good to Cadwallan, and immediately he entrusted this 
 business to his nephew, by name Brian. And he, obeying the 
 orders of his master, hastened to fulfil them. And so, putting 
 on the dress of a foreigner, he made an iron staff", very sharp, 
 and fastened a wallet to his left side, and, coming to Britain, 
 hastened towards York, where he knew that Edwin was. 
 When, therefore, he entered the city, he associated with the 
 poor who were waiting for alms at the king's gate. And as he 
 went to and fro, his sister came out from the palace having a 
 pitcher in her hand, in which to fetch water for the queen's 
 use. For Edwin had carried her off" in the city of Worcester, 
 when he was raging through the provinces of the Britons after 
 the flight of Cadwallan. And she, recognising her brother 
 among the poor men, was afraid lest he might be recognised 
 
296 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. G34. 
 
 ■; ) 
 
 by some of the enemy, and taken prisoner. And, therefore, 
 in a few words, she made known to her brother the state of 
 the court, and told him how to know the magician whom he 
 was seeking, who at that very moment, as it happened, was 
 walking among the beggars.' And Brian, recognising his 
 sister, desired her to come out secretly to him the next night, 
 to an old temple outside the city, where he would wait for her 
 arrival. Then, returning to the poor men, he came to the 
 place where Pellitus was arranging them, and immediately he 
 hfted up his staff and thrust it in the breast of the magician, 
 and killed him. And then, throwing the staff down on the 
 ground, he concealed himself in the crowd, and, without being 
 suspected by any of the bystanders, he arrived at the secret 
 place which he had agreed upon with his sister. But she, 
 though she desired to come out to him secretly by night, was 
 not able to do so. For the whole court was in confusion because 
 of the death of Pellitus, on which account the king ordered 
 sentinels to be placed round the palace. But Brian, pene- 
 trating through the thick woods, came to Exeter, where he 
 assembled the Britons, and related what he had done. And 
 they fortified that city, and joyfully awaited the arrival of Cad- 
 wallan. And when the news became known throughout Britain, 
 Penda, king of Mercia, came to Exeter^with a great multitude 
 of Saxons, and blockaded Brian. 
 
 A.D. 634. When Cadwallan, king of the Britons, had learnt 
 what had happened to Pellitus, he landed in the island with 
 ten thousand soldiers, and marched rapidly to Exeter ; and in 
 a battle which took place, Penda, who was not prepared for 
 such a vigorous attack as was made upon him, was at once 
 taken prisoner, and his army routed. And, as he had no other 
 way of procuring his liberty, he swore fideUty to Cadwallan, 
 and gave hostages for his allegiance ; and Cadwallan having, 
 in concert with the king of Mercia, convoked the Britons, went 
 to Northumberland, and began to ravage the territories of king 
 Edwin. And when news of this fact was brought to Edwin, 
 who was in the place called ?^eeti)fcllJ, he went to meet him, 
 and fought a battle with the Britons. And Edwin himself was 
 killed, and his army cruelly defeated. And Edwin was slain, 
 and his son Offrid and Godbald, king of the Orkneys, on the 
 eleventh day of October. And Edwin's head was brought to 
 York and buried in the church of the blessed Peter, which he 
 himself had founded. And a great slaughter took place in 
 
 A.I). 633. OSWALD, KING OP NOETHTTMBEBLAND. 
 
 297 
 
 the church and throughout all the nation of the Northumbrians. 
 Since Penda, king of Mercia, was devoted to idols and utterly 
 ignorant of the name of Christ, so that he spared no one, but 
 considered all the faithful of Christ public enemies. And Cad- 
 wallan, though he had the name and profession of a Christian, 
 was so barbarous, that he spared neither the female sex nor 
 the innocent age of little children, but with the savageness 
 of a wild beast, inflicted death by torture upon all. And 
 traversing those provinces furiously for a long time, he en- 
 deavoured to get rid of the whole race of Angles from the 
 British territories. Therefore, as the churches of Northumber- 
 land were all in confusion, Pauhnus, the archbishop, taking 
 with him queen Ethelburga, returned back by sea into Kent, 
 and was received with due respect by Honorius, the archbishop, 
 and king Eadwald. And he had with Affica and Eanfleda, 
 the son and daughter of Edwin, and Iffus, the son of Osred 
 his son, and many precious vessels belonging to the king, and 
 a large golden cross, and a golden goblet, all which things 
 were preserved in the church at Canterbury, and shown for a 
 long time after. And at that time, as the church at Rochester 
 had no pastor, Paulinus took the care of it upon himself, 
 on the invitation of the pontiff Honorius and king Eadwald, 
 and continued in that office till he went above to the kingdom 
 of heaven. And when he died, he left in that city the pallium 
 which he had received from the Roman pontiff. 
 
 When Edwin died, he was succeeded in the kingdom of 
 the Deiri by Osric, his kinsman, and the kingdom of the Ber- 
 nicians fell to the lot of Eanfrid, son of king Ethelred. These 
 young men, in the time of king Edwin, hved in banishment 
 among the Scots and Picts, and were baptized there ; but as 
 soon as they became kings, they turned to the worship of idols. 
 But in a very short time, Cadw^allan, king of the Britons, slew 
 both the youths ; and first of all, he made a sudden attack 
 upon Osric, and slew him, when he had rashly thrown him- 
 self into a town. And afterwards, when he had for an entire 
 year been devastating the provinces of Northumberland with 
 terrific slaughter, he treated Eanfrid in a similar manner, when 
 he came to him incautiously with only twelve soldiers, with the 
 view of obtaining peace. 
 
 A.D. 635. Oswald succeeded to the entire kingdom of Nor- 
 thumberland, and held it nine years. And soon afterwards, 
 in order to increase the spread of the faith in his kingdom, he 
 
298 
 
 MATTHEW OF WE9TMINSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 635. 
 
 A.D. 640. 
 
 THEODOEUS ELECTED POPE. 
 
 299 
 
 pl 
 
 sent into Scotland, where he had heen in banishment, and in- 
 vited over Ardan, the pontiff, a man of great piety. And when 
 the bishop came, Oswald erected an episcopal see for him in 
 the island of Lindisfarne. When, therefore, the faith began to 
 extend itself, it happened that as Aidan, who was preaching 
 the gospel, had not a perfect knowledge of the English 
 language, the king himself served as his interpreter to his 
 generals and servants. For during the long period of his exile, 
 he had thoroughly learnt the language of the Scots, and owing 
 to this, it happened that in a short time the faith spread so 
 widely, that there was not a single unbeliever to be found m 
 all that district. But Oswald was the son of king Ethelred, 
 the brother of Eanfrid, on which account he succeeded to 
 both the kingdoms, and reigned over them gloriously. 
 
 In this year also, Penda, king of Mercia, was sent by Cad- 
 wallen, king of the Britons, with a large army, into Northum- 
 berland, for the purpose of killing king Oswald. But Oswald, 
 being attacked by Penda in the place which is called ^tlny 
 fiUr, that is to say, the Heavenly Plain, raised up with his 
 hands the sign of the life-giving cross, and, fixing it in a hole, 
 steadied it with turves, and ordered all his comrades to cry out 
 to God in these words with their loudest voice, "Let us all kneel 
 to God, and let us all together pray to him to defend us from 
 the army of the proud king of Britain, and his wicked general, 
 Penda ; for He knows that we are engaged in war for the 
 just protection of our nation.'* All therefore did as he com- 
 manded, and in this manner they advanced against the enemy, 
 and, as their faith deserved, gained the victory ; and the place 
 in which the king erected the cross is to this day accounted 
 to be endowed with miraculous power, and is held in great 
 
 reverence. . . 
 
 In the same year, by command of pope Hononus, Binnus 
 came into the country of the West Saxons, and was ordained 
 bishop by Asterius, pontiflf of Genua, that he might preach 
 the grace of faith to that people ; and, as he preached the 
 Gospel in that country, Kinigilf, the king of that province, 
 believed, and was baptized with all his nation. It happened 
 at that time that king Oswald was present, and received hini 
 as he came up from the font, and Oswald was about to take his 
 daughter to wife. Accordingly, both the kings gave the city 
 of Dorchester to be an episcopal see, and, when they had 
 
 built and dedicated churches, Birinus laboured to bring the 
 seeds of Divine worship to bear fruit in them. 
 
 A.D. 636. Sigebert, a most Christian man in every respect, 
 and one of great learning, succeeded to the kingdom of the East 
 Angles. He, while his brother Eorpenwald was still alive, had 
 the sacraments of the faith administered to him while he was 
 in exile in Gaul. And, as soon as he began to reign, he 
 laboured to make his whole nation a partaker of them, and 
 established schools of learning in various places, in order that 
 the uncivilised inhabitants might become acquainted with the 
 charms of literature. At last, he renounced the world, and 
 became a monk, leaving the throne of his kingdom to his 
 kinsman Egric. 
 
 A.D. 637. Severinus was appointed to the chair of Rome, 
 and filled it two years, four months, and twenty-nine days. 
 About the same time, Audoenus, the referendary of Dagobert, 
 the king, flourished in Gaul, and he was called by this title, 
 because all public documents were brought back {referebantur) 
 to him to be confirmed by the ring or seal of the king. 
 
 A.D. 638. Saint Laudo flourished, who was the master, from 
 his childhood, of Lambert, afterwards bishop and martyr, and 
 80 led him into the way of truth. 
 
 A.D. 639. John became pope, and filled the Roman chair 
 one year, eight months, and nineteen days ; and the see was 
 vacant a month and thirteen days. 
 
 A.D. 640. Theodorus was elected as the successor of John, 
 and filled the Roman chair six years, five months, and eight 
 days ; and the see was vacant fifty -two days. The same year, 
 Eadbald, king of Kent, at last departed this life, and left two 
 sons, Ermenred and Erconbert, heirs of his temporal king- 
 dom, but the younger one, Erconbert, cunningly supplanted 
 his brother in the kingdom, and deprived him of it. And 
 then usurping it himself, he reigned gloriously for twenty-four 
 years and some months, for he was the first of all the kings of 
 England who ordered the idols to be destroyed throughout his 
 whole kingdom, and a fast of forty days to be observed. And 
 that his orders might not be easily despised by any one, he 
 ordered condign punishment to be inflicted on all transgressors. 
 And he had a queen named Sexburga, daughter of Anna, queen 
 of the East Angles, by whom he had a son and daughter, 
 named Egbert and Ercongoda. Likewise, in process of time, 
 there were born to Ermenred the sons Ethelbert and Ethel- 
 red, of whom we shall speak at the proper time. But the 
 
300 
 
 MATTHEW Of WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 614. 
 
 before-mentioned Ercongoda took the habit of a mm in the 
 Briglensian monasteryof the French, and serving God, there lived 
 as a virgin of great virtue. For at that time, as there were 
 not yet many monasteries in the kingdom of England, many 
 of the Britons went to the monasteries of Gaul for the sake of 
 a monastic life. And the inhabitants of that district relate 
 many works of virtue, and many miraculous signs wrought by 
 this virgin, after she was thus dedicated to God. But it will 
 be enough for us to give that account of her departure only, 
 when she took her way to the kingdom of heaven . Accordingly, 
 when the day of her call was at hand, she saw a band of men 
 in white garments enter her monastery, and when she asked 
 them what they were looking for, or what they wanted, it is 
 said that they rephed, that they had been sent thither to bring 
 away with them a golden coin, which had arrived there from 
 Kent. And that very night, as it was drawing to a close, 
 that is to say, at the beginning of morning, she passed from 
 the darkness of this present world, and departed to the hght 
 that is above. And many of the brethren of that monastery 
 who were in other houses, declared that they had heard the 
 voices of angels singing, and as they presently went out, wishing 
 to know what was the matter, they saw a very great light 
 shining from heaven, which was conducting that holy soul, 
 released from the bonds of the flesh, to the eternal joys of the 
 heavenly country. 
 
 A..D. 64 1 . Heraclius Augustus died, and after his death, Herac- 
 lius Constantine, his son, became emperor, and reigned four 
 months ; and they were hardly expired, when he was poisoned 
 by his step-mother Martina. 
 
 A.D. 642. Heraclonas, the son of Heraclius, succeeded to 
 the empire, with his mother Martina, and reigned six months. 
 And at the end of this time they were driven out by the senate, 
 on account of the poison which they had administered to Herac- 
 hus ; and Martina had her tongue cut out, and Heraclonas his 
 nose cut oiF, and in this condition they were sent to Constans, 
 the son of the younger Heraclius. 
 
 A.D. 643. Kinigilf, king of the West Saxons, departed this 
 life, after he had reigned thirty-two years, and Kiniwalc, his 
 son, became king in his stead, and reigned thirty-one years. 
 
 A.D. 644. When Saint Oswald had reduced all the nations 
 of Britain, namely, the Angles and Scots, and Picts and Britons, 
 to submit to his power, nevertheless he always preserved his 
 
 A.D. 644. 
 
 CONSTANS EMPEEOE OF HOME. 
 
 301 
 
 former humility, showing himself affable to strangers, a father 
 to the poor, terrible to the rich, and observing justice in all 
 things. When, on the sacred day of Easter, he was sitting at 
 dinner with bishop Aidan, and a silver dish was set before 
 him, laden with royal delicacies, and he was on the point of 
 putting out his hand to bless the bread, on a sudden, the ser- 
 vant came in to whom the charge of ministering to the poor 
 was committed, and told the king that there was a multitude 
 of poor people approaching, who were sitting everywhere about 
 the streets, entreating alms from the king. And he immediately 
 ordered the food that was set before him to be carried down 
 to them, and the dish to be broken into small pieces, and to be 
 distributed among them ; and Aidan, being delighted at tliis act 
 of royal piety, seized his right hand, and said, ** This hand 
 shall never decay." And so it happened ; for as in the battle 
 in which he was slain, that hand and arm were cut off, it is 
 the fact, that to this day that hand remains uncorrupted, and 
 being enclosed in a silver gilt chest, is preserved with his arm 
 in the royal city which is called Burgum, in the church of the 
 blessed Peter, and is devoutly worshipped by the people. He 
 was the nephew of king Edwin by his sister Accha, a worthy 
 heir of the religion and dominions of such a predecessor. But 
 his enemy envied his goodness, while the heart of Cadwallon 
 excited him to slay him. And so, in the thirty-eighth year of 
 his age, on the fifth day of the month of August, and in the 
 ninth year of his reign, he was slain in a terrible battle, which 
 was fought by Penda, king of Mercia, in an unfavourable 
 place, which is called in the language of the Angles ;^auU 
 ffltl, in which place, where he, fighting for his country, re- 
 ceived the crown of martyrdom, to this day, the cure of sick 
 persons has never ceased. 
 
 The same year, Kiniwalc founded an episcopal see at Win- 
 chester, in which Iledda was the first pontiff of the Angles. 
 For, after Birinus, bishop of Dorchester, departed to be with 
 Christ, and had been buried in his own church, when in pro- 
 cess of time that city was subdued by the kings of Mercia, the 
 see was transferred to Winchester, but the body of the blessed 
 Birinus was transferred to the same place by the bishop I have 
 named, and honourably buried in the church of the first see. 
 
 The same year, Constans, the son of Heraclius Constantinus, 
 became master of the Roman empire, and reigned twenty-six 
 years. He also fell into the heiesy of the Monothelites, as 
 
302 
 
 M.iTTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 647. 
 
 his grandfather, Heraclius Augustus, had done. And the 
 Monothelites assert that there is hut one nature in Christ, 
 contrary to the orthodox faith. For the Son of God says of 
 the divinity of his essence, " I and the Father are one ;" and, 
 speaking of the substance of his humanity, he says — " The 
 Father is greater than I ;" but we will discuss these matters 
 more at length hereafter. 
 
 A.D. 645. Oswald was succeeded in the kingdom of the 
 Bernicians by Oswy, his brother, who reigned with great 
 trouble for twenty-eight years ; during whose reign, Oswin, 
 the son of King Osric, succeeded to the kingdom of the Deiri, 
 and reigned seven years. He, when firmly fixed in his king- 
 dom, made himself beloved by all men ; for he was of an 
 angehc aspect, tall in stature, pleasant in disposition, pohte in 
 his manners, liberal in giving, temperate at table, chaste in his 
 bed, elegant in his habits, and though raised to the highest 
 summit of kingly power, he studied to retain humility, which 
 is called the guardian of all virtue. And, accordingly, he 
 was reverenced by the great as their master, and beloved by 
 the lowly as their companion, so that all men were dehghted 
 to hve under his power. The same year, Godgave succeeded 
 Honorius, as archbishop of Canterbury. The same year, 
 Penda, king of Mercia, attacked in war Kiniwalc, king of the 
 West Saxons, because he had repudiated his sister, and de- 
 prived him of his kingdom. The same year, Lewis succeeded 
 to the kingdom of France, and reigned seventeen years, while 
 Sigibert, his brother, was reigning in Austria. 
 
 A.D. 646. Kiniwalc, king of the West Saxons, having re- 
 covered his kingdom, gave many houses to Cuthred, his 
 kinsman, the son of Quichelin. The same year, the holy 
 Paulinus, bishop of Rochester, changed this temporal life for 
 an eternal one, of whose sanctity Beda tells many laudatory 
 stories. 
 
 A.D. 647. Saint Furseus flourished in great eminence in 
 Italy. He having undertaken a journey for the sake of Christ, 
 went as far as the Gauls, and having been honourably received 
 by king Lewis, he founded the Latiniac monastery. And not 
 long afterwards, his brothers, Foillanus and Ulcanus, made a 
 similar vow of travelUng, and followed him, and were very 
 celebrated in Gaul. Of whom, Foillanus, out of the hberahty 
 of the virgin Gertrude, founded the Fossian monastery, in 
 which he also reposes, after having received the crown of mar- 
 
 A.D. 650. FELIX, BISHOP OF THE EAST ANGLES, DIES. 303 
 
 tyrdom. The same year, Ithamarus succeeded Paulinus, bishop 
 of Rochester, in the government of that church. 
 
 A.D. 648. Martin was elected to the chair of Rome, and 
 occupied it six years, one month, and twenty-six days, and the 
 see was vacant twenty-eight days. 
 
 A.D. 649. King Oswy, as he was often visiting Sigebert, 
 king of the East Saxons, in the province of Northumberland, 
 exhorted him to embrace the faith of Christ. And at length, 
 as the consent of the king's friends aided his exhortations, 
 Sigebert was baptized by Bishop Finan. Being, therefore, 
 now made a citizen of the eternal kingdom, on his return to 
 his dominions, he begged of king Oswy to give him some 
 teachers to convert his nation to the faith. And he sending 
 into the province of the Middle Angles, invited the man of 
 God, Cedda, to come to him, and having given him a certain 
 presbyter for his companion, he sent them among the East 
 Saxons, to preach the word of faith to them. And when they, 
 having traversed the whole country, had collected a numerous 
 church to God, it happened that Cedda returned home to have 
 a conference with bisliop Finan. And when Finan heard how 
 the word of the Gospel had prospered, he appointed Cedda 
 bishop over the before-mentioned nation ; and he, when he 
 liad received the bishopric, returned to the province of the 
 East Saxons, where he built churches in various places, and 
 ordained priests and deacons. And they, having began the 
 administration of baptism in the cities which are called Ithan- 
 cester and Tileburgh, the first of which is on the banks of 
 the river Pentas, and the second on the banks of the river 
 Thames, fulfilled their duties properly. And not long after- 
 wards the king was slain by his own relations, because he was 
 in the habit of sparing his enemies, and because he bore a 
 gentle mind, and pardoned those who repented for injuries 
 which they had inflicted on him. But Sigebert was succeeded 
 in the kingdom of the East Saxons by Suithelin, the son of 
 Sexbald, who was baptized by bishop Cedda, in the province 
 of the East Angles, in the royal town, which is called MtnUltff 
 £lf)am. And Ethelwald, king of that nation, and brother of 
 Anna, their queen, was his godfather at the font. 
 
 A.D, 650. Egelbert succeeded Birinus, the first bishop of 
 Dorchester in that see. This year also Fehx died, who had 
 been bishop of the East Angles for sixteen years, and Honorius 
 appointed Thomas his deacon, of the province of the Girvii, 
 
304 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 651. 
 
 to be bishop in bis stead ; and when he died, five years after, 
 Boniface succeeded in his room. The same year, Peada was 
 raised by his father Penda to the kingdom of Mercia, and 
 being in all respects worthy of the name of king, he came to 
 Oswy, king of Northumberland, and begged of him that he 
 would give him his daughter Effleda, to be his wife ; but he 
 could not obtain that, unless he, and all the nation which he 
 governed, received the faith of Christ. He, therefore, having 
 heard the preaching of the truth, and the promises of the 
 kingdom of heaven, and being persuaded by Alfred, his friend, 
 the son of Oswy, whose sister, by name Kiniburga, was his 
 wife, was baptized by bishop Fiuan, with the whole of his 
 family, in the royal town, which is called Atwall. And having 
 received four priests, with a view to the conversion of his na- 
 tion to the faith, he returned with joy to his own land ; and 
 these priests coming into that province, preached the word of 
 God, and the great body of the nation submitting themselves 
 to them, renounced the foulness of idolatry, and were regene- 
 rated in the fountain of the faith. Nor did Penda, though he 
 was a most atrocious Pagan, forbid the word of God to be 
 preached in his nation, that is to say, in the nation of the 
 Mercians, saying that those men were wretched and contempti- 
 ble who refused to obey the God in whom they believed. 
 
 A.D. 65 1 . After causes of dissension had arisen between the 
 kings of the Deiri and of the Bernicians, namely, between 
 Oswy and Oswin, they each collected as numerous an army as 
 they could for battle ; but just as they were on the point of en- 
 gaging in the place which is called OTilfartsltJuiu, Oswin, 
 seeing that his forces were unequal to those of his enemy, 
 sent back the army which he commanded, and ordered them 
 all to return home, and went to lodge himself with a single 
 soldier, named Tonherus, in the house of a Count Hunwald, 
 whom he belived to be very friendly to him ; but he turned 
 out very different, for he was betrayed by this same count, and 
 80 Oswy sent his general, named Ethelwin, to put the king to 
 death. And when Oswin heard of his approach, he immedi- 
 ately went forth to meet the swords of the wicked, and the 
 victors rushing upon him, slew him, with his soldiers, in the 
 place which is called SJugctlingcn, by a most detestable death. 
 And so Oswin followed the example of his Saviour, for he too, 
 when he was on his road to his passion, and the Jews were de- 
 manding that he should be crucified. himself, asked them 
 
 A.D. 651. 
 
 CONDUCT or THE MAETTB OSWIN. 
 
 30.) 
 
 whom they were seeking, and when they answered that they 
 were seekmg Jesus of Nazareth, he said, *' If ye seek me, let 
 these go their way," meaning his disciples, for he alone was 
 sufficient for the redemption of the world. Animated then 
 by his example, as I have already said, Oswin, the glorious 
 martyr of God, after he had been betrayed by his friend, as 
 our Saviour had been by his disciple, off'ered himself to death 
 for his country and his nation, calling to mind the sentence 
 of our Saviour, in which he says—'* Greater love than this 
 hath no man, than to lay down his life for his friends." On 
 which account there is no doubt that a virtuous life preceded 
 such a death, especially as no one can suddenly become per- 
 feet. But Oswin had been, as has been said above, from his 
 eariiest years, a most sincere worshipper of the Christian 
 rehgion, and tall in stature, active in virtue, angehc in coun- 
 tenance, polite in manners, great in council, pleasant in dis- 
 position, hberal in giving, temperate at table, continent in bed, 
 affable to all men, very experienced and very pious, and so 
 impartial between poor and rich, that the poor looked upon 
 him as an equal, and the rich as their master and superior. 
 Owing to which, it happened that, on account of the amiability 
 of his royal disposition, all men flocked to him and loved him, 
 so that those who had been educated in the royal manner ap- 
 peared in the eyes of all men more learned than their fellows. 
 But we must not pass over his humility, which is called the 
 guardian of all virtue, because he has left a most complete ex- 
 ample of it to all future ages. For he had given to bishop 
 Aldan a valuable and most excellent horse, which he, though 
 he was ordinarily accustomed to journey on foot, made use of 
 either to cross the streams of rivers, or whenever necessity 
 compelled him to quicken his steps. And not long afterwards*, 
 when a poor man met the bishop, and asked alms of him, he 
 jumped down and ordered the horse, all royally equipped as he 
 was, to be given to the poor man. And A*idan took great care 
 of the poor, and was, as it were, the father of the wretclied. 
 And when this was told to the king, he said to the bishop, 
 "Why, my master, did you prefer to give that royal horse, 
 which you ought to have kept for your own, to a poor man ? 
 Had we not other horses of less value, or other gifts which 
 might have sufficed for a poor man, without your giving him 
 a horse which I selected especially for your own ? " But the 
 bishop replied, "What are you saying, king? which is 
 
 VOL. I. ^ 
 
 ■if 
 
30G 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. G52. 
 
 dearer to you, thfit son of a horse, or the Son of God ?" Then 
 the king, suddenly repenting of the expression which he ut- 
 tered, immediately rose up, and fell at the feet of the bishop, 
 entreating him to pardon his offence, on condition of his 
 giving as much as ever Aidan should enjoin of his substance 
 to the sons of God. And the bishop seeing this, immediately 
 rose up from his seat and raised him up, promising that he 
 would entirely pardon him, provided he would come to himself 
 again, and lay aside his sorrow. And when, at the bidding of 
 the bishop, the king resumed his spirits, the Pontiff was greatly 
 grieved, and shedding tears abundantly, said to his servants, 
 in his native language, " Have I ever seen before so humble a 
 king ? This land is not worthy to have such a ruler." Lastly, 
 he was so eminent for the love of God and his neighbour, and 
 so loving to his neighbour in the love of God, that he was 
 willing to shed his own blood for his nation, and, what is more, 
 even while sparing the blood of others. Being then entirely 
 fenced round with such numerous and great virtues, he was a 
 victim worthy of God, and hastened to his martyrdom. 
 
 And this most blessed king and martyr, Oswin, suffered on 
 the nineteenth of August, in the ninth year of his reign, in 
 the place which is called S^usttliugum, and his body was 
 brought to the church of the mother of God, which is at the 
 moufh of the river Tyne, situated on its north bank, and was 
 buried in the open air. For the people in those parts were 
 ignorant and uncivilized, and so the body of the martyr was 
 enclosed in a stone sarcophagus, and buried in the deep bosom 
 of the earth, being hereafter brought to the light by the grace 
 of God. And Oidwald, the son of king Oswald, whom queen 
 Eanfleda, daughter of king Edwin, bore to him, succeeded him 
 in the kingdom of Deira. But when twelve days had elapsed 
 after the death of Oswin, bishop Aidan was also taken from 
 this life, and received from God the everlasting reward of his 
 labours. He was succeeded in the bishopric of Lindisfarne 
 by Finan, who was a Scot by birth, but he continued only a 
 short time in his bishopric. 
 
 A.D. 652. Egric, king of the East Angles, having been at- 
 tacked in the war by Penda, king of Mercia, as he saw that 
 he was inferior to the enemy, asked his predecessor, Sigebert, 
 the monk of whom we have spoken before, to come in the 
 war with him to encourage his army. But as he was unwilling, 
 and refused, they dragged him, against his will, out of the 
 
 A.D. 654. ETHELBERT AND ETHELEED ABE VILIFIED. 307 
 
 '!^!!T'lV^ !^' ^f ^^'' ^"P^"^ '^^' '^'' ««ldi^^« ^ould never 
 thmk ot flight m the presence of a king who had formerly 
 
 IZ: " Butt^TotT"' "^' ^' f/f elperience inSv 
 artairs. mt he, not being unmnidful of his nrofession anH 
 
 ini E:rre7„?:;'i!' ^t","" '""s"^'' --'-' Ss:,"' 
 
 routed. He was succeeded by Annas, the son of Enus, of the 
 
 7slt;'!J;t;;t "^^"^•" "■""■ "' '•"- - ^'-" i-^ 
 
 . ^ fl/^ K- u "P" ^T'" ^^^^ " ™""<''l at Rome of a hundred 
 and fifty bishops, where he condemned the heresy of the 
 Monothehtes andits follower, Paul, the pretended patriarch of 
 Constantinople And when this was known. Constans W„I 
 us summoned pope Martin to Constantinople, and ffom 
 thence banished h.m to the Chersonesus. He also condemned 
 
 ti^^oun^"'^""^"^ "'"' '^""^Smgs and banishment, be"a,^e 
 they would by no means acquiesce in his heresy. The same 
 
 Sr^. """'' '""'''*•''* "''""""^' ''^ archbilhop at Cat 
 A.D. 654. Penda, king of Mercia, 
 
 "Gave his whole soul to arms and brook'd no path 
 Ihat was not red with blood," 
 
 attacked Annas, king of the East Angles, a most pious man 
 and in a moment crushed him and his whole army ; and Ann,« 
 was succeeded m his kingdom by his brother Etiielbert Th^ 
 fnT y^"' .^'•TP'f'' '''"S of Kent, died, and was succeeded 
 H.h,^K° w^y '•","'" ^S^"^' «bo reigned nine years. 
 He had brought up in his palace the two sons of Ermenre<l 
 his uncle, by name Ethelbert and Ethelred, who, after receWing 
 the regeneration of holy baptism, remained in innocence and 
 voluntary chastity, and protected the honesty of their morals 
 by he guardianship of hum^^Iity. But theroLs in "he hou^^ 
 hold of the before-mentioned king, a certain servant, a limb of 
 rlv'V' •'J"'""''' Thunder (which answers to the Latin 
 
 hZ^h' ^"f 1 ^'^"'^ "■", '"'"■"'^'^ P^«S''<'«^ of the boys, 
 began by sedulous flattery and incessant diligence to blacken 
 ^e.r innocence to the king. " I see," said^he, " tharyou! 
 ^mJ'A ""'!""?' '"''"^'"= "P 'bosewho some day or othe^ 
 
 account, I should think it a useful thing for you. that they 
 should either be sent into distant banishment, or else that you 
 
 T '^ 
 
308 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 654. 
 
 should allow them to be given to me to put to death." And 
 as the king dissembled his feeUngs, and this man was con- 
 tinually instigating him to sanction the deed, and the king 
 forbade it in such a lukewarm manner, at last Thunder came 
 to such a pitch of audacious rashness, that he determined on 
 the destruction of these innocent persons. In short, the 
 whirlwind, named Thunder, is armed with diabolical fury, and 
 in the absence of the king, he basely murdered the before- 
 mentioned innocents, and shamefully buried the bodies of 
 these holy youths in the royal palace, under the king's chair. 
 When the king returned, the night was very stormy, and a 
 column of light, sent forth from heaven, filled the royal palace 
 with inconceivable brightness. And the servants of the king's 
 household beholding this, fell in terror to the earth, and were 
 almost driven to madness. And when the king waked at the 
 noise made by the guards, and was ignorant of the cause of 
 the uproar, he got up, according to his custom, to hear ma- 
 tins. And having gone forth from his palace, he saw an orb 
 of unusual splendour, shining with rays. And the king re- 
 collected the conversation which he had had with that minister 
 of wickedness on the subject of murdering the boys, and was 
 greatly grieved ; and having summoned to his presence the 
 author of the wickedness, he asked him where his kinsmen 
 were, who were accustomed to stand in his presence every day, 
 and whom he had not seen the day before ? And he, like 
 Cain, answered the king, " I know not ; am I the children's 
 keeper ?" But the king said to him, " Thou wicked servant, 
 you always foretold to me evil things concerning them, there- 
 fore, thou wretch, you must tell me where they are ;" and 
 when that wicked man, full of haughty pride, had told the king 
 what had happened, he was greatly enraged. But when he 
 recovered himself, he took all the blame of the crime on him- 
 self, and, being immoderately agitated, passed the whole night 
 in tears. At last, when the day dawned, he ordered Adeoda- 
 tus, the archbishop, and what nobles he could assemble, to be 
 summoned, and related to them the whole matter from be- 
 ginning to end, and how the pillar of hght had been sent from 
 heaven, and had descended on the bodies of these holy youths. 
 The archbishop advised that the bodies of the innocent victims 
 should be carried to the metropolitan church, and there be 
 buried in royal fashion. And as soon as they came to the 
 place, they found the holy remains indecorously placed under 
 
 A.D. 655. PEIfDA INVADES NOETHUMBEELAKD. 309 
 
 the king's chair : but all these things were done in a roval 
 village, which was called Eastree. 
 
 When, therefore, the remains of these holy youths had been 
 collected, to be carried away on biers, the archbishop ordered 
 that they should be carried to Christ's Church, in Canterbury • 
 but in vain, for they could not be moved, although they strove 
 with all their efforts to do so. Therefore, he changed his in- 
 tention, and ordered them to be carried to the church of Saint 
 Augustine ; but still they could do nothing in the way of moving 
 them. At last it was arranged that they should be carried to 
 that most celebrated monastery at Wearin ; and when this design 
 was adopted, then they lifted the biers with as little difficufty 
 as if they had no burden at all on them. And when they 
 came to the monastery, the funeral solemnities were duly per- 
 formed by the archbishop, and they buried the bodies of the 
 holy youths near the high altar ; and in that place, by the 
 divine mercy, many wonderful miracles are wrought to the 
 praise of God, and to the glory of these youths. 
 
 It happened, at this time, that Ermenburga, the sister of 
 the king, having repudiated her husband, the son of Penda, 
 king of Alercia, with his own consent, determined to lead a 
 cha.«te hfe. And when she, with her family, had come to her 
 brother, and had intimated her design to him, he gave her the 
 place indicated as that of the before-mentioned vision, when, 
 having built a monastery in honour of the martyrs, Ermen- 
 burga, beloved of God, offered up to God, in union with the 
 nuns who were associated with her, the fruit of good conver- 
 sation, and at last rested in the Lord. At this time, also, 
 Botolph built a church at Hiccanhoe. 
 
 A.D. 655. Penda, king of Mercia, at the instigation of Cad- 
 wallon, king of the Britons, invaded Northumberland with an 
 immense army which he had collected. But Oswy, being 
 compelled by necessity, promised him many presents and 
 royal ornaments, in order to induce him to abandon his war- 
 like designs, and return amicably to his own land. But when 
 he could be prevailed on neither by bribes or prayers, the king 
 fled to divine aid, to be dehvered from the impiety of the bar- 
 barian ; and, binding himself by a vow, said—" If that pagan 
 refuses to receive our gifts, we will offer them to the Lord our 
 God, who knows how to accept them." Therefore, he vowed 
 that if he were victorious, he would dedicate his daughter to 
 the Lord in sacred virginity, and would also give twelve farms 
 
310 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 655. 
 
 for the erection of monasteries. And then, accompanied by 
 a small army, he gave battle to the pagans, who are reported to 
 have had thirty times as numerous an army as himself, for he 
 had thirty generals fully appointed for war ; but Oswy alone, 
 with his son Elfrid, under the leadership of Christ, met them, 
 put them to flight, pursued them, and slew them. Among 
 others, the wicked king, Penda, fell, who had deprived so 
 many noble men of their temporal Ufe. And king Ethelher, 
 brother of king Annas, whom we have already mentioned, and 
 who was the instigator of the war, fell too, as he would not 
 survive the loss of all his army ; and because the battle took 
 place near the river, which is called the Winwed, and which, 
 at that time, in consequence of the excessive rains, had broken 
 all its bounds, it happened that the water killed more in their 
 flight than the sword had slain in battle. From which, the 
 proverb went abroad : " The slaughter of Annas, the slaughter 
 of the kings, Sigebert and Egric, the slaughter of Oswald and 
 Edwin, have been all washed out in the river Winwed." 
 
 Then king Oswy, showing his gratitude to God for the vic- 
 tory which had been granted him, in accordance with the vows 
 which he had made to the Lord, gave his daughter, who was 
 scarcely one year old, to be devoted to God in perpetual vir- 
 ginity, in a monastery which is called Hertsee, that is to say, 
 the island of the Hart, over which, Hilda was at that time 
 presiding as abbess. And she, having acquired the possessions 
 of ten families in the place, which is called ^trtncsl^al]^, built 
 a monastery there. But king Oswy managed this war so as to 
 be of the greatest advantage to both the nations, as he de- 
 livered his own people from the hostile incursion of the pagans, 
 and converted to the beauty of the Christian faith the nation 
 of the Mercians, now that their perfidious head, who had 
 crushed every one, was thrown down. Ethelher was succeeded 
 in the kingdom of the East Angles by his brother Ethelwald, 
 and by a continued series of succession, the kingdom at last 
 came to Eadwolf and Eadwald, the sons of this same Ethelher. 
 
 A.D. 656. King Oswy gave to Peada, the son of Penda, 
 because he was his kinsman, the kingdom of the South Mer- 
 cians (who are divided from the Northern Mercians by the river 
 Trent), to be held of himself ; and he had the first bishop in 
 the province of Mercia, who was also bishop of the people of 
 Lindsey and the Middle Angles, and whose name was Dinam. 
 He died in the country of the Middle Angles, and was buried 
 
 A.D. 661. KINIWALC RENEWS THE WAR AGAINST ULFHEE. 311 
 
 there ; the second bishop of that province was Coellac, who 
 afterwards gave up his bishopric and returned to Scotland. 
 The third was Tunher, an Angle by birth, and who had been 
 brought up in Scotland, and had been ordained abbot in the 
 monastery which is called Ingetling, where Oswin, the king 
 and martyr, was slain. 
 
 A.D. 657. Peada, the son of Penda, was wickedly slain by 
 the treachery (as they say) of his wife, at the very time of the 
 festival of Easter. He was succeeded by his brother Ulf her, 
 who reigned seventeen years, the heir of his father's virtues ; 
 and he, as soon as he was raised to the throne, rebelled against 
 king Oswy, supported by the assistance of Oswy's enemies and 
 of the dukes Eabbus and Edbert, who expelled the servants of 
 Oswy from the kingdom of the Mercians, and so recovered 
 their territories and their liberty. Tunher was succeeded by 
 the bishops Jaruman, Ceaddam, and Winfrid, who successively 
 filled the oflice of bishop in Mercia. 
 
 A.D. 658. Kiniwalc, king of the East Saxons, renewed the 
 war against the Britons at Pennum. But at first the Bri- 
 tons in some degree repelled the Angles, but afterwards they 
 became tired, and their courage melted away like snow, and 
 they were driven from Pennum to Pendred, and an irremedi- 
 able blow was inflicted on the race of Brutus on that day. 
 
 A.D. 659. Eugenius was raised to the Roman chair, which 
 he occupied two years, nine months, and twenty-two days, and 
 the see was vacant two months. 
 
 A.D. 660. Lewis, king of the French, discovered the body 
 of the blessed Dionysius, and covetously and impiously broke 
 off" his arm-bone and carried it away, but soon fell into in- 
 curable madness. 
 
 A.D. 661. Kiniwalc, king of the West Saxons, renewed the 
 war against Ulf her, king of Mercia. But he displayed all 
 his father's valour, and enjoyed his father's fortune, and so 
 prevailed and put the king of the West Saxons to flight, and 
 ravaged his territories. At last, coming to the Isle of Wight, 
 he made himself master of it by force of arms. The same 
 year, Ethelwald, king of the South Saxons, in the thirteenth 
 year of his reign, being subdued by the before-mentioned 
 Ulfher, received the faith of Christ, and was taken from the 
 sacred fount by the same king as his godfather. And after 
 this event, he sent Eopa, the presbyter, to the Isle of Wight, 
 
312 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMIIfSTEE. 
 
 A.O. 663. 
 
 to convert that people to the true faith by his preaching. 
 There was at that time, in the province of Nortlinmberland, a 
 certain clergyman, by name Wilfred, a great friend of iEifrid, 
 the son of king Oswy, on account of his learning in all matters 
 of Christian erudition ; he, returning from Rome, spent a con- 
 siderable time with Dalfinus, archbishop of Lyons, and re- 
 ceived from him the crown of ecclesiastical treasure, therefore 
 ^Ifrid gave him a monastery of forty families in Ripon, a 
 place which he had a little before given to the bishops who 
 celebrated the Easter of the Lord according to the custom of 
 the Scots. But as they afterwards, when tlie choice was given 
 them, preferred leaving that place ratlier than to change their 
 customs, he now gave the place to one whose Ufe and doc- 
 trine were more deserving of it. 
 
 This year also, iEgelbertus, bishop of the West Saxons, 
 whom we have already mentioned, a friend of iEifrid, arrived 
 in the province of Northumberland, and he, on the petition of 
 the before-mentioned iEifrid, ordained the presbyter Wilfrid to 
 the monastery that I have spoken of, where he hved in all 
 good conversation of hfe, and himself laboured diligently to 
 perform all the precepts which he delivered to his disciples to 
 follow. Bishop Egelbert, leaving king Kiniwalc and the king- 
 dom of England, took a bishopric in Gaul, and Wina suc- 
 ceeded to his bishopric in his room. 
 
 A.D. G62. Vitalian was appointed to the chair of Rome, and 
 filled it for twelve years and six months, and the see was 
 vacant two months and thirteen days. 
 
 663. Clothaire succeeded to the throne of France, and reigned 
 four years. The same year, there was great discussion in 
 England between the English and the Scots about the ob- 
 servance of Easter. The king Oswy and his son iEifrid, and 
 on the part of the Scots Colman, bishop of Lindisfarne, with his 
 clergy from Scotland, met at ^trenelijali) ; there were present 
 also bishop Cedda and the abbess Hilda, who both took the 
 part of the Scots, and on the other side there was the priest 
 Wilfrid, with several monks and clergymen, who held different 
 opinions from those of the Scots about the celebration of 
 Easter. When they were all seated, king Oswy addressed 
 them, saying, ** That it behoved those who served one and the 
 same God to have one rule of life, and not to vary from one 
 another in the celebration of the holy sacraments, when they 
 all are expecting one kingdom in heaven ; they ought, there- 
 
 A.D. 6C4. 
 
 KING EECONBEET DIES. 
 
 313 
 
 fore, to seek together to ascertain which is the more correct 
 tradition, and then they ought all to observe it faithfully." 
 Then Colman said, *' This Easter, which I have been accus- 
 tomed to keep, I received from my ancestors, who sent me 
 hither as bishop, and all our ancestors, so beloved by God, 
 are known to have kept it in the same manner. And that it 
 may not appear incorrect to any one, I may add, that it is the 
 very same manner in which the Evangelist John is said to 
 have kept it in all the churches over which he presided." 
 And when he had spoken for some time in this manner, the 
 king commanded Wilfrid, the priest, to speak, who began and 
 spoke thus : *' The Easter which we Romans, Italians, Gauls, 
 and Greeks keep, is the same which the whole church, univer- 
 sally diffused over the whole world, keeps in common, with the 
 exception of the Picts, Scots, and Britons, who foolishly con- 
 tend against the whole world. For when the Lord said to 
 Peter, the chief of the Apostles, * Thou art Peter, and on this 
 rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not 
 prevail against it, and I will give thee the keys of the king- 
 dom of heaven,' can you, after that, Colman, prefer our an- 
 cestors, the Picts and Scots, to the chief of the Apostles, to 
 whom the Lord committed the regulation of the whole church*?" 
 When the king heard this, he said, " Are those things, Col- 
 man, which Wilfrid says, true ?" And he replied, " My lord 
 king, they are true." " If, then," said the king, **you both of 
 you agree in this, that these words were said to Peter in his 
 character of chief of the Apostles, then I say to you that he is 
 an officer whom I am not disposed to contradict. But as far 
 as lies in my power, I desire to obey his regulations, lest, per- 
 chance, when 1 come to the doors of the kingdom of heaven, 
 there may be no one to open them to me, if he is averse who 
 is proved to have the keys." When the king said this, all 
 those who were sitting around Hfted up their hands to heaven 
 applauding him ; and leaving the less perfect custom, they 
 adopted that which they ascertained to be the better. 
 
 A.D. 664. King Erconbert died, and Egbert, his son, suc- 
 ceeded him in the kingdom of Kent. The same year, Colman, 
 bishop of Lindisfarne, returned with his priests back to Scot- 
 land, and Tuda was ordained bishop in his stead. The same 
 year, an eclipse of the sun took place in the month of May, 
 and an unheard-of mortality ensued. Deodatus, archbishop 
 of Canterbury, died, and the see of Canterbury was vacant 
 
314 
 
 MATTHEW OF "SVESTMINSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 668. 
 
 four years. The same year, Alfrid, son of king Oswy, sent 
 bishop Wilfrid into Gaul, that he might be there ordained 
 archbishop of York. Accordingly, he went to Egelbert, who, 
 having left Britain, had become bishop of Paris, and was con- 
 secrated by him. And while he was sojourning at Paris, king 
 Oswy sent Cedda, the priest, to the chief priest of the West 
 Saxons, whose name was Wina, who consecrated him bishop, 
 although against the statutes of the canons, because while 
 Wilfrid was still alive, no one else ought to have been elected 
 bishop in his stead. But that error was subsequently cor- 
 rected, as will be related hereafter. 
 
 A.D. 665. There was so terrible a mortality in England, that 
 men came in crowds to the precipices which overhang the 
 sea, and threw themselves headlong down, preferring to perish 
 by a speedy death rather than by the slow torture of disease. 
 
 A.D. 666. Wina, bishop of Winchester, was driven from 
 his bishopric by king Kiniwalc, and bonght the bishopric of 
 London from LUfher, king of Mercia, for a large price, on 
 which account after his death he was not considered entitled 
 to be reckoned in the series of bishops of London. 
 
 A.D. 667. The emperor Constans, wishing to make the city 
 of Rome the head of the empire, met with great resistance 
 from the people of Constantinople, and so his design was 
 wholly dropped. After that he came to Rome, and made 
 an offering to Saint Peter of a pallium woven with gold. 
 And pope Vitilian received him with great honour, and con- 
 ducted "him to the threshold of Saint Peter, attended by a 
 numerous body of people. And when he had remained twelve 
 days in' the city, inflamed by great covetousness, he carried 
 down to the Tiber every kind of ornament of brass or marble 
 with which the city was decorated, in order to take them 
 away to Constantinople. And, among other things, he stripped 
 the church of Mary, the blessed Mother of God, and of all 
 the martyrs, which was anciently called the Pantheon, of its 
 brazen tiles, and then he returned to Constantinople. 
 
 A.D. 668. Pope Vitilian ordained Theodorus to be bishop 
 of the church of Canterbury, And when he arrived in Britain 
 two years after, he degraded Cedda, a holy and modest man, 
 who he decided had been irregularly promoted to the arch- 
 bishopric of York, and recalled Wilfrid, who had been un- 
 justly expelled. But Cedda yielded with humihty, and re- 
 ceived the bishopric of Lichfield to govern. 
 
 A.D. 073. A COUNCIL CONTEXED AT HEETFORD. 
 
 31.5 
 
 A.D. 669. The emperor Constans was most wickedly mur- 
 dered m a bath by his servants. And after his death the 
 soldiers took an Armenian of the name of Mezentius, and 
 made hnn emperor. But a few days ai terwards, Constantine, 
 the son of the deceased Constans, coming up with his friends, 
 condemned the before-named Mezentius and the assassins of 
 his father to a terrible death. About this time the false pro- 
 phet Mahomet, of whom we have spoken before, died, and 
 was buned in Ilell.^ 
 
 A.D. 670. Deodatus was elected pope, and occupied the 
 Roman chair four years, two months, and five days, and the 
 see was vacant four months and fifteen days. The same year 
 Constantinus, the son of Constans, obtained the empire of 
 Rome, and reigned seventeen years. He restored the churches 
 which had been destroyed ever since the time of Ileraclius 
 his great grandfather, and endeavoured to extirpate the heresv 
 ot the Monothehtes, and to put down its favourers. The 
 same year, Oswy, the noble king of Northumberland, died 
 worn out with sickness and old age, and was buried in the 
 church at^lrenf^f)alf, where king Edwin had been buried 
 before and his son, Egfrid, became king in his stead, and 
 reigned fifteen years. But Oswy was the son of Ethelfrid, who 
 was the son of Ethelric, who was the son of Ida, the first king 
 ot JNortnumberland, of the nation of the Angles. 
 
 A.D. 671. There was a great battle of birds in England, so 
 that many thousands were found slain, and the foreign birds 
 seemed to be leaving the kingdom. 
 
 A.D. 672 Kmiwalc, king ofthe West Saxons, died, when he 
 had reigned thirty-one years, and his wife Sexburga reigned in 
 his stead, and reigned one year ; but as the nobles of the king- 
 dom were mdignant, she was expeUed from the kingdom, as 
 they would not serve under a female commander. 
 
 A.D 673. While Lothaire was king of Kent, and Eascwino 
 king of W est Saxony, Theodore, archbishop of Canterbury 
 convened a council at Hertford of all the bishops and kings 
 anc^ nobles of England who were present in the island. The 
 archbishop of York, Wilfrid, was present, and Bosa, bishop of 
 the East Angles, and Leutherius, bishop of the West Saxons, 
 and Putta, bishop of Rochester, and Winfrid, bishop of Mercia 
 And when they were all seated, Theodore proposed before 
 
 .The real date of the death of Mahomet is June 7th, a.d. 632, in his 
 Bixty-third year ; the date of the llegira is a.d. 622.— Gibbon, ch. I 
 
316 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEB. 
 
 A.D. 675. 
 
 them all, ten articles, the first of which was that they should 
 all observe the sacred day of Easter together ; on the next 
 Sunday after the fourteenth day of the first month, the second 
 that no bishop should invade the province of another ; the 
 third, that no bishop should be permitted to disturb the monas- 
 teries which had been consecrated by God, nor to appropriate 
 any of their possessions ; the fourth, that monks should not go 
 from place to place, but should persevere in that obedience 
 which they had promised at the time of their conversion ; the 
 fifth, that 'no clerk should forsake his bishop or be admitted if 
 he went to any other diocese, without letters from his own 
 superior ; the sixth, that foreign bishops and clergy should 
 perform no duty without the consent of the bishop in whose 
 diocese they were sojourning ; the seventh, that a synod should 
 be held twice a year, or at the very least once a year, because 
 different causes and occupations hinder many ; the eighth, that 
 no bishop should out of ambition prefer himself to another, 
 but that all should be guided by the time and order of their 
 consecration ; the ninth, that more bishops should be made, 
 as the number of the faithful increased ; the tenth, that no one 
 should be permitted to contract any connection with a woman 
 except a legitimate marriage ; that no one should commit in- 
 cest, and that no one should put away his wife except for the 
 cause of fornication. And as all the bishops consented to these 
 articles, every one confirmed what was thus settled by the sub- 
 scription of his own signature. 
 
 A.D. 6/4. Bosa, the bishop, being removed while still alive, 
 because he was prevented by grave infirmity from the dis- 
 charge of his episcopal duty, two persons were ordained in 
 his place, namely, Acca and Bedwin ; and ever since that time 
 that province has been in the habit of having two bishops, 
 and the seats of their respective sees were Dommoc and Helm- 
 ham. And not long afterwards, archbishop Theodore being 
 off'ended at the disobedience of Winfrid, bishop of Mercia, 
 deposed him, and in his stead ordained Sexutf bishop, who 
 was the founder and abbot of the monastery which is called 
 JBc^e^I)ani£;tctJe, in the district of the Girvians. But Winfrid, 
 when he was deposed, returned to his monastery, which is 
 called ^tJbaruiie, where he ended his life in all goodly conver- 
 sation. 
 
 A.D. 6/5. Wlien Sebba, son of Seward, and Sigeher, son of 
 the uncle of Sigebert, were reigning jointly in the country of 
 
 AD. 676. 
 
 CADWALLON DIES. 
 
 317 
 
 the West Saxons, Theodore, archbishop of Canterbury, or- 
 dained Erkenwald bishop of the city of London. He, before 
 he was made bishop, had founded two famous monasteries, 
 one for himself, and the other for Ethelberga, his sister ; he 
 had established in each the most excellent discipHne, and his 
 own was called Cf)frt2(fi), and that of his sister JStrfingum. 
 But in process of time Erkenwald became diseased in his feet, 
 and when he was going round his district in a litter, he came, 
 as it chanced, to the bank of a most rapid river ; and when 
 his companions hesitated, because he, bemg infirm, could not 
 pass the river, either on horseback or on foot, the flood sud- 
 denly disappeared, and as soon as the bishop and his retinue 
 had passed over the dry channel, the river returned to its 
 natural bed. And the touch of this htter of Erkenwald cured 
 many feeble persons and those afflicted with fevers. At last, 
 the man of God, Erkenwald, after he had finished the course 
 of this present hfe, died, and was buried in the church of the 
 blessed Paul, in London, where, to this very day, he gives 
 immediate recovery from many ailments to his suppliants. 
 The following are the names of his successors : Walder, Jug- 
 wald, Egulf, Wiger, Eadbrith, Eadgar, Kmiwalc, Eadbald, 
 Edbert, Osmund, Ethelnoth, Celbert, Revulf, Suithulf, Eadstan, 
 Ulf, Ethelward, and Elstan ; and all these men filled the chair 
 of the see of London till the time of Edward the Elder, king 
 of England ; but the memory of them all is so completely 
 effaced, that neither their acts nor their burial-places are 
 known. 
 
 A.D. 676. Cadwallon, king of the Britons, being worn out 
 by old age and infirmity, died, after he had reigned forty- 
 eieht entire years, and the Britons embalmed his body with 
 balm and spices, and placed it in a brazen image, made with 
 wonderful skill in his likeness and of his size, over the west 
 gate of London ; and the figure was sitting on a brazen horse, 
 ni token of the severe tyranny which he exercised over the 
 Enghsh. They also made a church at the gate in honour of 
 the blessed Martin, that divine service for him and for all the 
 faithful who were departed might be everlastingly performed 
 in it. He was succeeded in his kingdom by Cadwallader, his 
 son, whom Bede calls the young Cadwalla, whose mother was 
 the sister of Penda, king of Mercia, whom Cadwalla, after he 
 had made peace with his brother, took for his wife, and by 
 her he became the father of Cadwallader. 
 
318 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMI^STEB. 
 
 A.D. 676. 
 
 & 
 
 The same year Ulpher, king of Mercia, died, whose queen, 
 Ilermengilda, daughter of Erconbert, king of Kent, and of 
 the holy Sexburga, daughter of Annos, king of the East 
 Angles, and sister of the holy Ethelfrida, made him the father 
 of the holy Wereburga, a virgin of great virtues. She, after 
 the death of her father, renounced the world, and entered the 
 monastery of her mother's aunt, Ethelfrida, And when 
 Ethelred, her uncle, who succeeded Ulpher in the kingdom, 
 heard of her holy disposition, he appointed her to preside 
 over some monasteries of virgins devoted to God, with the 
 rank of abbess, and she lived among them with great strict- 
 ness, and to the end of her hfe served Christ, her king. At 
 length, in one of her monasteries, which is called Trikinge- 
 ham, she departed this life, and her corpse, as she herself had 
 enjoined in her lifetime, was borne to the monastery called 
 Mihealbrig, and buried with all honours ; and that monas- 
 tery remained uninjured to the time wlien the wicked race 
 of the Danes ravaged the provinces of England with cruel 
 slaughter. 
 
 King Ulpher had also brothers by name Ethelred and Penda, 
 of whom we have spoken above, and Merwald, who reigned in 
 the western division of Mercia. His queen, the holy Ermen- 
 burga, daughter of Ermenred, the brother of Erconbert, king 
 of Kent, bore him three daughters, namely, the holy Milburga, 
 the holy Mildrith, and the holy Mildgyth. She also bore 
 him a son, named Merefin, a boy of eminent sanctity. Ulpher 
 was succeeded by his brother Ethelred, who married Ostrica, 
 the sister of Egfrid, king of Northumberland, and had by her 
 a son named Ceolred. The same year. Ease win, king of the 
 West Saxons, died, who was the son of Kenseus, who was the 
 son of Kenferth, who was the son of Cuthgi§, who was the 
 son of Ceulf, who was the son of Kenric ; and Ease win was 
 succeeded by Kentwin, who was the son of Kinegilf, who was 
 the son of Ceulf, and who reigned ten years. 
 
 Ch. XII. — FeOM A.D. 6/7 TO A.D. 704. 
 
 Disputes and Ecclesiastical affairs in Britain — Wilfrid is de- 
 posed from his Bishopric— Saint Etheldreda — Saint Hilda 
 — A Council is held at Hatfield — Saint Cuthberty Bishop 
 of Lindisfarne — Egfrid is killed — Cadwallader is bap- 
 tised — Dies — The Histories of Geoffrey/ of Monmouth, Ca- 
 
 A.D. 678. WILFRID EXPELLED FEOM HIS KINGDOM.. 319 
 
 radoc of Lancarban, William of Malmesbury, and Henry of 
 Huntingdon— Pepin J king of France — Fart of the true 
 Cross is found at Rome — A Dead Man is restored from 
 Furgatorij in Northumberland— The Bishopric of Winches- 
 ter is divided. 
 
 A.D. 677. Bonus was elected to the Roman chair, and filled it 
 one year, five months, and ten days, and the see was vacant 
 ten months and fifteen days. At this time Saint Ethelreda 
 flourished in the Isle of Ely. This year also, a comet ap- 
 peared for three months, and one day it shone in the mornin«>- 
 like the sun. 
 
 A.D. 678. A quarrel arose between Egfrid, king of Northum- 
 berland, and the venerable archbishop Wilfrid. And the holy 
 man being expelled, three bishops were appointed in his room, 
 namely, Bosa, to govern the province of Deiri, and Eatta, to 
 govern that of the Bernicians. The one had the seat of his 
 bishopric at York, and the other in the church of Hagustald ; 
 and both of them came from the community of monks. And 
 with them Eadhed was ordained bishop of the province of 
 Lindsey, which king Egfrid had lately made himself master 
 of, having defeated in battle and put to flight Wilfer, king of 
 Mercia. He was the first bishop of that province. The second 
 was Ethelwin, the third Edgar, the fourth Kinibert, who go- 
 verns it at present.^ For, before the appointment of Eadhed, 
 it had a president named Sexulf, who was also at the same 
 time bishop of the Mercians and of the Midland Angles. And 
 when he was driven out of Lindsey, he continued to regulate 
 these provinces. But these bishops whom I have mentioned 
 were ordained by archbishop Theodore, who, three years after 
 the departure of Wilfrid, ordained two more bishops, namely, 
 Tunbert, for the church of Hagustald, when Eata returned to 
 Lindisfarne, and Trunwin, for the province of the Picts, which 
 at that time was reduced under the dominion of the Angles. 
 The same year, Agatho was appointed pope, and filled the 
 Roman chair two years, six months, and three days. And the 
 see was vacant one year, six months, and five days. 
 
 When Wilfrid was expelled from his bishopric, he went to 
 Rome, and intended to plead his cause and argue against his 
 expulsion before pope Agatho. But when he embarked on 
 
 * There is manifestly some great error here, probably of the text, but 
 I cannot conjecture what it may be, or how it ought to be corrected. 
 
320 
 
 MATTHEW OF WE3TMINSTES. 
 
 A.D. 078. 
 
 II 
 
 board ship, with a west wind blowing, he went to Friesland, 
 where he preached the word of faith to the people of that 
 country, and washed king Aldegils and his people in the laver 
 of salvation. And he spent the winter w^th the new people of 
 God in that country, and after that he went to Rome, where 
 his cause was sifted before Agatho, in the presence of many 
 bishops, and, by unanimous judgment of them all, he was pro- 
 nounced to have been guiltless of the accusations brought against 
 him, and to be most worthy of his bishopric. And at this 
 time the pope had collected a synod of a hundred and twenty- 
 five bishops at Rome, against those men who espoused the 
 doctrines of the heresy of the Monothelites ; he commanded 
 Wilfrid also to be summoned, and ordered him to take his 
 seat among the bishops, and to declare his own belief and that 
 of the province from which he had come ; and as he and his 
 flock were found to be true Catholics in faith, he was absolved 
 from the penalties which had been imposed on him. And 
 when he returned to Britain, he converted the province of the 
 South Saxons from the darkness of idolatry to the faith of 
 Christ. He also sent ministers of the Word of God to the Isl^ 
 of Wight, and, in the second year of Ealfrid, who succeeded 
 Egfrid as king of Northumberland, he recovered his see by 
 the express appointment of the king. And, as time went on, 
 when he was visiting his parishes, and had come to the village 
 which is called Tundanfre, a great number of women met him, 
 bringing him their children to be confirmed. And a poor 
 woman had mingled with the crowd, bearing in her arms a 
 dead child, whom she presented to the bishop for confirma- 
 tion, thinking that, by this device, she might receive back her 
 son in sound health. But when the bishop had uncovered 
 the boy, in order to perform his office, he perceived that he 
 was devoid of life. Then, the woman being detected in her 
 trick, betook herself to prayer, and besought Wilfrid by God, 
 and by the Mother of God, to yield to pity and raise her dead 
 son to life; and falling at his feet, and taking hold of them, 
 she declared that she would not quit them till she had received 
 back her son safe and sound. In the meantime, the mind of 
 the holy man was wavering as to whether he should rashly 
 attempt an unaccustomed miracle, or hard-heartedly disregard 
 the tears of a widow. But pity prevailed over his virtuous 
 breast ; he yielded to her prayer, and placing his right hand 
 on the corpse, he recalled the soul into the body. The woman 
 
 A.D. 679. 
 
 THE HOLY VIEGIN ETHELBEDA DIES. 
 
 321 
 
 shouted for joy, but was checked by the bishop, and enjoined 
 to hold her peace. 
 
 A.D. 679. Egfrid, king of Northumberland, and Ethelred, 
 king of Mercia, fought a terrible battle near the river Trent, in 
 which Escwin, brother of king Egfrid, a youth much beloved 
 in both these provinces, was slain. For Ethelred, king of 
 Mercia, had married his sister, by name Ostrica. And when the 
 war between the kings was supported on each side with 
 great animosity, Theodorus, the pontiff", supported by divine 
 assistance, put a complete end to it, making an arrangement, 
 according to which, a large sum of money was to be given to 
 king Egfrid, for the death of his brother. At the same timp, 
 the holy virgin Ethelreda departed from this world, and ex- 
 changed this temporal life for an eternal one. She was the 
 daughter of Annas, king of the East Angles, and a child worthy 
 of such a father, and she had been formerly married to Ton- 
 bert, prince of the South Girvians. But after his death she 
 remained a pure virgin. Afterwards she was yoked, by the 
 compulsion of her parents, to Egfrid, king of Northumberland ; 
 but, though married to two husbands, she persevered in re- 
 taining a most immaculate virginity. And the man of God, 
 Wilfrid, w as a witness of her virginity ; for when the venerable 
 Bede asked him questions on the subject, he said that Egfrid 
 had promised him an estate, and a large sum of money, if he 
 could persuade Ethelreda to consent to the consummation of 
 their marriage. And a divinely miraculous sign, namely, the 
 fact that the flesh of this same virgin, after it was buried, and 
 the clothes in which her chaste flesh was wrapped, could not 
 be corrupted, was a proof that she died wholly unpolluted by 
 the touch of a man. For she lived twelve vears with the 
 before-mentioned king, but never could be softened so as to 
 consent to his wishes ; and at last this most holy virgin 
 prevailed upon him to allow her to become a nun at Coludes- 
 burch, (and she received the blessings of the holy Wilfrid,) 
 where Ebba, the aunt of her husband Egfrid, was abbess. 
 And after a year, the virgin was made abbess in the isle of 
 Ely, discharging the duties of a mother to the virgins there, 
 by her advice and example ; and having lived there seven years, 
 serving God in an exemplary manner, she changed this fleeting 
 hfe for an eternal one. And in that place frequent miracles 
 are even now wrought by the glory of God and praise of that 
 virgin. 
 
 VOL. I. Y 
 
322 
 
 MA.TTHEW OF WESTMI5STEB. 
 
 A.D. 680. 
 
 I»i 
 
 A.D. 680. The abbess Hilda, after she had lived in the 
 dress of holy religion at ^trcncfi)ali) for thirty-three years, 
 departed from this world to be with the Lord. And this 
 most blessed virgin, being of the high-born family of king 
 Edwin, and having been converted to the faith by the preach- 
 ing of the blessed Paulinas, afterwards, abandoning her 
 secular garb, proposed to transfer herself to the monastery of 
 Cala, where her sister Hereswitha, the mother of ^Idulf, king 
 of the East Angles, was happily serving God. But she was 
 kept back by Bishop Aidan, and made abbess at l^erttfitp, 
 and afterwards of the monastery called ^trcn£fl)all), which 
 she had founded herself, and where she so instructed her 
 clergy in ecclesiastical habits that five of them rose to the epis- 
 copal dignity, namely, Bosa and Wilfrid, at York, Hedda, in 
 the church at Dorchester, John, in the church at llagustald, 
 Ostfort, in the province of the Wiccians, which was at that 
 time governed by king Osric. Tadfrid, also, of the same 
 monastery, was elected bishop, but by his untimely death was 
 prevented from being consecrated. 
 
 The mother of this same Hilda had had a dream, in which, 
 when seeking her husband, she could not find him, but under 
 her garments she found a valuable necklace, which gave light 
 to all the borders of Britain. But the most holy Hilda 
 languished six years, while her soul was being gradually freed 
 from the annoyances of the flesh, and her virtue was being 
 made perfect in weakness ; and after seven years' fever, she 
 departed from death to life. And in the very hour in which 
 she died, a certain nun saw her soul being carried up to 
 heaven by angels, where she is enjoying everlasting joy with 
 Christ. The same year, Theodore, archbishop of Canterbury, 
 convened a council in the place which is called Hatfield, in 
 the sixth year of Ethelred, king of Mercia, while Ealdulf was 
 reigning in the kingdom of the East Angles (he was the 
 successor of Ethelwald), Egfrid being king of Northumberland, 
 and Kentwin of the West Saxons. In this council Theodore, 
 archbishop of Canterbury, presided, being present with his 
 suffragan bishops and many others. Accordingly, the sacred 
 gospels being laid before them, Theodore produced a creed 
 to all the assembled holy fathers, framed in the following 
 language : — 
 
 ** We admit the Five Holy General Councils of the Holy 
 Orthodox Fathers, to wit the Nicene Council, convened to 
 
 A.D. 681. A MONASTEET FOUNDED AT JAEEWE. 323 
 
 oppose Arrius and his doctrines, the Council of Constanti- 
 nople, to oppose the madness of Macedonius and Eudoxius 
 and their doctrines; the Council of Ephesus, to oppose 
 Nestonus and his doctrines ; the Council of Chalcedon to 
 oppose Eutyches and Nestorius and their doctrines, and' the 
 Second Council of Constantinople, to oppose Theodore, and 
 Ibis, and Cyril and their doctrines. We also add a Sixth 
 Council, held at Rome, in the time of Pope Martin, to oppose 
 the heresy of the Monothehtes, in the reign of Constantine, 
 the most Christian emperor,— and we receive and glorify the 
 Almighty God as they glorified him, adding nothing and 
 subtracting nothing from their assertions. We condemn 
 those whom they condemned, and receive those whom thev 
 received; all which things we subscribe as articles to be 
 observed according to the belief which the holy prophets and 
 apostles held concerning God, and according to their writings. 
 Amen. 
 
 A.D. 681. A monastery was founded at Jarewe. The same 
 year, the abbot of the Floriacensian monastery, by name 
 Nummolus, being forewarned by a divine revelation, sent one 
 of his monks, named Aigulfus, to Mount Cassinus, to brine- 
 him from thence the body of the most holy Benedict. For 
 the convent which the same Benedict had formerly es- 
 tablished there, had been plundered by the Lombards and 
 reduced to desolation ; but, nevertheless, the body of the 
 holy Benedict, with that of his sister Scholastica, were 
 preserved, these being buried in one place. It also hap- 
 pened that some people from Lyons were going at the 
 same time to the before-mentioned place to remove the 
 body of the holy Scholastica. But after they arrived at the 
 Honacensian convent they joined the blessed Aigulfus and 
 remained with him, until they arrived at the threshold of 
 baint Peter,— and when they had reached that, then the blessed 
 Aigulfus left their company, and proceeded on by himself to 
 Mount Casmus, where he determined to spend the night 
 And lo ! in the silence of dark night he saw the tomb of the 
 holy father Benedict lit up from heaven in such a manner 
 as if it were fenced all round with thick stones. But when 
 the night was passed, that splendor disappeared ; then the 
 before-mentioned Aigulfus reverently approached the spot 
 aiid breaking the tomb in the side, he emptied it, and put ali 
 Uiat he found there in one basket, which he had brought 
 
 y2 
 
324 
 
 MATTHEW OP WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 681. 
 
 ready for the purpose. And when Aigiilfus had done this, 
 and was returning to his own country, he showed it to the 
 companions of his journey, and returned with them to tlie 
 Floriacensian monastery. But before he reached it he came 
 to the place which they call Novua Vicus, which is distant 
 one mile from the before-mentioned monastery. And there 
 tlie abbot Nummolus, of whom I have already spoken, came 
 out with a great crowd, and met them reverently, and received 
 the sacred pledges with due honour. And taking the basket 
 which I mentioned, he placed it in the church of the prince 
 of the Apostles, Peter, and took out the holy bones, whicl\ 
 were lying inclosed in it, in a confused manner. And then 
 taking them out, he separated them all from one another, dis- 
 tinguishing the greater from the less. And when this had 
 been done, lo ! the perfect corpses of two dead persons were 
 carried out to burial, one of which was of the male sex, and 
 the other of the female. A marvellous thing — for when the 
 large bones had been placed upon the corpse of the male sex, 
 immediately, through the merits of the blessed Benedict, life 
 was restored to the dead. Then the smaller bones were 
 placed on the corpse of the damsel, and the two instantly 
 revived. And there was no small multitude of men present 
 at this miracle. And the Cenomannian citizens were present, 
 who had been the partners of his journey and his labour. 
 And they with many prayers entreated that the bones of the 
 holy Scholastica might be given to them, and obtained it, in 
 order that two great luminaries might not be shut up in one 
 place, when one was enough for each. Accordingly, the Ceno- 
 mannians returned to their city, carrying with them the before- 
 mentioned corpse with great joy, and it was reverently buried 
 near the walls of Lyons, in a new church which was built in 
 honour of it ; where a band of holy and devout women was 
 collected under regular discipline. After these things had 
 been done in this manner, when the venerable father Num- 
 molus was one night praying in the open air to the Lord, that 
 he would give him a sign from heaven, to show him in what 
 place he should bury the body of the blessed Benedict, lo I 
 on a sudden a light was sent from heaven, appearing to him 
 like lightning, which showed him most plainly the place 
 where the body ought to be put. And he, delighted at this 
 token, buried it in the place which God had pointed out to 
 him, and the place was the onicle of the blessed mother of 
 
 A.D. 685. 
 
 JOHN APPOINTED POPE. 
 
 32.5 
 
 God, at no ^eat distance from the church of Saint Peter, 
 which has been previously mentioned. And this most holy 
 body was removed again a hundred and thirty-eight years 
 after this removal. And whoever, in the place where it now is, 
 shall invoke the name of the most pious father with pious 
 devotion, shall receive the wished-for reward of his devotion. 
 
 Theodoric reigned in France fourteen years. 
 
 A.D. 682. Kentwin, king of the West Saxons, attacked the 
 Britons in war, and as they made an ineffectual resistance, he, 
 with victorious energy, drove them with slaughter and confla- 
 gration as far as the sea. 
 
 A.D. 683. Saint Cuthbert was consecrated bishop of Lindis- 
 farne. The same year, Sigebert, king of the East Saxons, 
 died, and Sebba, his partner in the kingdom, began to reign 
 by himself. 
 
 A.D. 684. Leo was elected to the Roman chair, and filled it 
 ten months and seventeen days. The same year also, Pope 
 Benedict succeeded him, and was Pope two months and three 
 days. 
 
 The same year, Egfrid, king of Northumberland, having 
 sent an army into Ireland, under the command of Bertus, 
 ravaged the unoffending nation, and one which had always 
 been most friendly to the nation of the Angles, so as never to 
 lay a hostile hand on the churches or monasteries. But they, 
 with all their power, applied themselves to repelling force by 
 force, invoking the aid of the divine mercy, and, with inces- 
 sant prayers, they entreated heaven to avenge their cause. 
 And so it happened, that those who were deservedly spoken ill 
 of for their impiety, soon suffered the punishment of their 
 guilt under the avenging hand of God, as the history of the 
 following year will show. 
 
 A.D. 685. John was appointed to the Roman chair, and 
 filled it for one year. The same year, Egfrid, king of Northum- 
 berland, having rashly led his army to ravage the provinces 
 of the Picts, in spite of the advice of many of his friends, 
 and especially of Cuthbert, of blessed memory, who had lately 
 been ordained bishop, was led into a narrow defile, among 
 inaccessible mountains, by the enemy feigning flight, and was 
 slain with the greater part of his army which he had brought 
 with him. His brother ^Elfrid succeeded him, although not 
 born in lawful wedlock, a man of great learning in the Scrip- 
 tures, who gloriously retrieved the fortunes of his kingdom. 
 
326 
 
 MATTHEW OF TTESTMINSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 686. 
 
 which were beginning to be greatly depressed. Egfrid was the 
 sou of Oswy, and Eanfleda, the daughter of Edwin. But Oswy 
 was the son of Ethelfrid, who was the son of Ethelric, who 
 was the sou of Ida, the first king of Northumberland, of the 
 nation of the Angles. And a wonderful miracle was wrought 
 ill a certain war between Egfrid and Ethelred, king of Mercia, 
 as has been mentioned above, which, if it is related, will, I 
 think, be profitable to the salvation of many. 
 
 In that battle there was slain, among others of the army of 
 Egfrid, a young man named Junna; and, after he had lain 
 all the night of the day on which he was slain, among the 
 other corpses of the slain, like a dead man, he at last recovered 
 his spirits, and revived ; and, sitting up, bound up his wounds 
 as well as he could. Then, after resting a short time, he got 
 up, and began to depart ; but, as he was going away, he was 
 taken prisoner, and put in chains by an ofiicer of king Ethel- 
 red's. Now, this soldier, who was thus put in chains, had a 
 very religious brother, by name Tunna ; and when Tunna 
 heard that his brother had been killed in battle, he came to 
 look and see if he could find his brother's body. And, having 
 found another body very like his brother, he thought that it 
 was his brother, and so he carried it to his monastery, and 
 gave it honourable burial, and often caused masses to be cele- 
 brated for the absolution of his soul. But at the time when 
 one brother caused masses to be celebrated for the soul of his 
 brother, the chains of the hving brother were loosened, and 
 could not be kept on by any means. The magistrate, there- 
 fore, seeing that it was impossible for him to be restrained by 
 chains, carried him to London, and sold him to a Frieslander. 
 And the Frieslander also finding the same thing to be the case, 
 took, as a ransom from him, the same price which he had paid 
 for him, and allowed to him to depart to become a soldier. 
 And when he, coming to his own country, had told his brother 
 and his countrymen of the province what had happened to 
 him, many of them were prompted to offer victims more fre- 
 quently to God, and to do alms and offer prayers for the 
 deUvery of those who had departed from hfe. And it is be- 
 cause I have ascertained this miracle to be undoubtedly true, 
 that I thought it deserving of insertion in this my history. 
 
 A.D. 686. Conon was appointed to the see of Rome, which 
 he occupied eleven months. The same year, bishop Eata died, 
 and John, a holy man, of Hagustald, succeeded to the presi- 
 
 A.D. 686. MIEACLE AT THE TOMB OF SAINT CUTHBEET. 327 
 
 dency of the church. The same year, Lothaire, king of Kent, 
 died on the sixth of February, for he had been wounded in 
 the war with the South Saxons, which Eadric, the son of 
 E«^bert, his brother, had stirred up against him, and he died 
 undef the hands of the surgeons. And, after his death, that 
 same Eadric reigned for a year and a half. The same year, 
 when the man of God, Cuthbert, had for two years governed 
 the church of Lindisfarne, he, knowing by the spirit of God, 
 of which he was full, that the day of his departure was at 
 hand, cast off the burden of his pastoral care, and was eager 
 to return to the struggle of the anchorite's life which he had 
 forsaken, in order that the freer flame of his ancient compunc- 
 tion might burn up in him the obstinate thorns of worldly 
 solicitude. And when he had spent about two months with 
 great exultation in his recovered tranquiUity, and had chastised 
 his body and soul with the abundant vigour of his accustomed 
 strictness, he was seized with sudden infirmity, the fire of 
 temporal suffering, and so he began to prepare himself for the 
 joys of everlasting bliss ; and after having been worn out for 
 three weeks with continued suffering, he thus came to his end. 
 And fortifying his departure by the reception of the body and 
 blood of the Lord, raising his eyes and hands to heaven, and 
 commending his soul to God, he breathed his last. Then he 
 was carried in a boat to the island of Lindisfarne, and he rests 
 there, with an incorruptible body, in a stone sepulchre, in the 
 church of the blessed Peter, on the right hand of the altar, 
 and is placed as if he were asleep. 
 
 But even after he was dead and buried, the signs of these vir- 
 tues, which he had practised while aUve, did not cease, for a cer- 
 tain boy in the district of Lindisfarne was vexed by a most cruel 
 devil, and could not be cured by any manner or power of exor- 
 cism ; therefore, he was placed on a carriage and brought to the 
 monastery, to be healed by the merits of the blessed man who lay 
 there. Then a certain priest, prompted by the Holy Spirit, taking 
 up a small portion of earth where he knew that water had been 
 spilt with which the dead body of the blessed Father had been 
 washed, dipped it in water, and then spread it over the mouth of 
 the patient, who, immediately that he touched the water, ceased 
 from his frenzy, and passed the night in quiet sleep, and in 
 the morning found himself released from his affliction by the 
 virtue of the blessed Father Cuthbert. Afterwards, after the 
 lapse of eleven years since his burial, God put into the hearts 
 
328 
 
 MATTUEW OF WESTMINSTEB. 
 
 A.D. 687. 
 
 of the brethren, his body, being as they supposed, reduced to 
 
 dust, to collect his bones, which they supposed were dry and 
 
 withered, after the fashion of dead men, in a small urn. When 
 
 they took the opinion of Eadbert, their bishop, on this matter, 
 
 he approved of their design. Accordingly, he ordered them 
 
 to do this on the day that they were to be so placed in the 
 
 urn. But they, when they opened his tomb, found his whole 
 
 body as entire as if he had been still alive, and with all the 
 
 joints of the limbs still unrelaxed, much more like a man asleep 
 
 than dead ; in such a condition, indeed, that all his garments 
 
 in which he was clothed, as a bishop ought to be, were found 
 
 uninjured. 
 
 This year also there was an eclipse of the moon, on the 
 eighth indiction. The sun also was eclipsed at about ten 
 o'clock on the third of May. And the same year a most ter- 
 rible pestilence ensued, which lasted three months, namely, 
 all July, August, and September. There was also a great 
 mortality at Rome. And this pestilence so ravaged Ticino, 
 that the citizens all fled to the mountains, and grass and 
 brambles grew in the city. In that city also, two angels 
 visibly appeared among the people, one a good, and the other 
 a malignant one. And as many times as the malignant angel, 
 with the sanction of the good angel, struck the door of any 
 house with a hunting spear which he carried in his hand, so 
 many dead corpses were carried out of that same house the 
 next day. Then it was told by revelation to some men of the 
 city, that that pestilence would not cease till an altar to Saint 
 Sebastian, the martyr, was erected in that church of the blessed 
 Peter the Apostle, which is called Ad Vincula. Accordingly, 
 the rehes of the martyr were brought from the city of Rome,' 
 and immediately, as soon as the altar was built to him in the 
 before-mentioned church, the plague ceased. 
 
 The same year, Kentwin, king of the West Saxons, died, 
 and Cadwallader, king of the Britons, seized on his kingdom, 
 and reigned in it for two years. Respecting this CadwaSader,' 
 there is a difference between the history of the Britons and the 
 chronicles of the Angles ; for the Angles assert that Cadwal- 
 lader was the son of Kinibert, of the race of Ceoline. The 
 Britons, on the other hand, say that he was the son of Cad- 
 wallon, king of the Britons, who slew the kings of the Ano-les 
 Edwin, and the holy Oswald. ^ * 
 
 A.D. 687. Sergius was appointed to the see of Rome and 
 
 A.D. 688. CADWALLA ABANDONS HIS KINGDOM. 
 
 329 
 
 filled it thirteen years, eight months, and twenty-four days ; 
 and the see was vacant one month and twenty days. The 
 same year, that catholic man, the Emperor Constantine, died, 
 and was succeeded by his son Justinian, who reigned ten years. 
 This year also, Eadric, king of Canterbury, died. And after 
 his death, his kingdom was invaded by foreigners ; for king 
 Cadwallader and his brother, Mollo, entered the province, and 
 ravaged and depopulated it without meeting with any resist- 
 ance, and their barbarous power lasted for three years, till 
 the before-mentioned Mollo, desirous of empty glory, was cut 
 short by an early death. The same year, the before-mentioned 
 king Cadwallader subdued the Isle of Wight, and cruelly 
 slew Ethelwald, king of the South Saxons, who at that time 
 was the lord of these islanders, and desolated the island with 
 the most inhuman ravages. But he was soon expelled by 
 Ethelwald, Bertham, and Audun, and so he left the kingdom 
 to those leaders, and they occupied it for a long time after- 
 wards. But Cadwallader was, as I have said before, according 
 to the chronicles of the Angles, the son of Kinibert, who was 
 the son of Cedda, who was the son of Cuther, who was the 
 son of Ceauline. 
 
 But I think that I ought not to pass over in silence how the 
 two sons of Arwald, the prince of the Isle of Wight, by the 
 grace of God, received the crown of martyrdom. While the 
 enemy were threatening the island, they fled, and escaped to 
 the neighbouring province of the Jutes ; but being brought 
 back again, they were put to death by command of Cadwal- 
 lader. And when the abbot of Redfort, whose monastery was 
 not far off", heard this, he came to the king, and entreated of 
 him, that if he was bent on slaying the youths, he would allow 
 them first to receive the sacraments of faith. And when the 
 king had given his consent, and they had been washed in the 
 fountain of salvation, the executioner came, and they joyfully 
 underwent temporal death, by which they knew beyond a doubt 
 that they would pass to everlasting life. 
 
 A.D. 688. Cadwallader was moved by the divine mercy to aban- 
 don his temporal kingdom for the sake of God, and so he went 
 to Rome, wishing to obtain this singular glory of being washed 
 in the fountain of baptism at the threshhold of the Apostles 
 Peter and Paul, as he had learned that by that fountain the 
 entrance to everlasting life was opened to the human race. He 
 also hoped that if he were baptized and soon released from the 
 
330 
 
 MATTHEW OF WE8TMIN8TEB. 
 
 A.D. 689. 
 
 flesh, he should be quite clean to pass to eternal happiness. 
 Both which objects he, by the favour of God, accomplished as 
 he had desired. 
 
 A.D. 689. King Cadwallader came to Rome while Sergius 
 was filling the office of the pontificate, and was baptized on the 
 sacred day of the sabbath of Easter ; and while he was still 
 wearing his white garments ^ he was seized with sickness, and 
 on the twentieth of April he was released from the flesh, and 
 united to the kingdom of the blessed in heaven. At the time 
 of his baptism, the pope whom I have mentioned gave him 
 the name of Peter, in order that a king who, under the influ- 
 ence of pious love, had come to the threshhold of Peter from 
 the ends of the earth, should be joined in fellowship with him 
 by likewise bearing his name. And, by the command of the 
 pontiff, he was buried in the church of the Apostle, and an 
 epitaph is inscribed on his monument expressed in the follow- 
 ing language : — 
 
 '* Dominion, power, and a mighty realm ; 
 Fair children, willing nobles, subjects, home ; 
 And forts, and camps, and riches, which his sire 
 And he himself by virtuous might acquired, 
 The brave Cadwallader left for love of God." 
 
 Cadwallader was succeeded in the kingdom of the West 
 Saxons by Ida, one of the royal family, who reigned thirty- 
 seven years. He was the son of Kenred, who was the son of 
 Ceolwald, who was the brother of Kiniwald, and Ceolwald and 
 Kiniwald were the sons of Cuthwin, who was the son of Ceau- 
 line ; and so, by tracing back his pedigree, he arrived at Woden. 
 
 The same year, Geoffrey of Monmouth, who was afterwards 
 bishop of Saint Asaph, terminated the history of the Britons, 
 which he had commenced with the fall of Troy, in this manner : 
 When the Britons had been driven from the island by the 
 Saxons, they went to Wales, where they degenerated from the 
 pure blood of the Britons, and came to be called not Britons, 
 but Welch (Wallenses), deriving their name from Wallo, their 
 leader, or from Galaes, the queen, or from their own savage- 
 ness. And I entrust to my contemporary, Caradoc of Lancarban, 
 the task of writing the history of their kings who have success- 
 fully ruled over them in Wales since that time ; while the 
 kings of the Saxons form the subject of the works of Wilham 
 
 » The neophytes, or new converts, wore a white garment at their baplibm, 
 and for some short time afterwaids in most instances. 
 
 A.D. 692. WILFRID EXPELLED FEOM HIS BISHOPBIC. 
 
 331 
 
 of Malmesbury and Henry of Huntingdon, whom, however, I 
 advise not to meddle with the kings of the Britons, as they 
 have not the book in the British language which Walter, arch- 
 deacon of Oxford, brought from Brittany, and which, as it 
 has been composed with truth on the subject of their history, 
 to the honour of the before-mentioned princes, I have in this 
 manner studied to translate into the Latin language. 
 
 A.D. 690. Theodore, of blessed memory, archbishop of Can- 
 terbury, died, full of days, after he had discharged the duties 
 of his bishopric twenty-two years, and he was buried in the 
 church of the blessed Peter, in which the bodies of all the 
 archbishops of Canterbury are buried. And the following 
 epitaph is on his monument : — 
 
 '• Here, in this tomb, the blest archbishop lies. 
 Whom the Pelasgian language Theodore calls ; 
 His happy soul has mounted to the skies, 
 Joined to the angels in the heavenly halls." 
 
 The same year, Elfwald, king of the East Angles, died, and 
 was succeeded in his kingdom by Beorna. 
 
 A.D. 691. Pepin,^ king of the French, subdued Neustria, and 
 ordained Saint Lambert as bishop of the city of Utrecht. About 
 the same time, Willebrod, with twelve companions, passed 
 from England into Gaul, and was very eminent for sanctity. 
 
 A.D. 692. Brithwald, who had been abbot of the monastery 
 which is called Raculfe, succeeded Theodore as archbishop of 
 Canterbury. And he was elected on the first day of the month 
 of July, while the brothers Withred and Siward were reigning 
 in Kent, who, by their reUgion and energy, delivered the nation 
 from foreign invasion. They afterwards built a church in 
 honour of Saint Martin, in the town of Dover, in the place 
 assigned to them by that saint, in which they placed monks 
 who should Uve according to rule, and enriched them at the 
 same time with much property and with estates. These bro- 
 thers reigned thirty-four years and a half. The same year, 
 Wilfrid, archbishop of York, was accused before king ^Ifrid, 
 and was expelled from his bishopric by the king and several 
 of the bishops. Accordingly, he went to Rome with his 
 
 * This Pepin, however, never took the title of king. He was duke of 
 Austrasia, and governed France under the title of Mayor ; nor did his son 
 Charles Martel ever assume the title of king. Pepin, son of Charles Martel 
 and father of Charlemagne, was the first who assumed the royal titles, 
 which he did a.d. 751, with the sanction of pope Zachary, just sixty years 
 after the time when he is here spoken of as actual king. See Gibbon, clxix. 
 
332 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMiySTEB. 
 
 A.D. 692. 
 
 accusers, in order to defend himself; and before a tribunal, 
 composed of many bishops, in the presence of the lord pope, 
 it was judicially proved that his accusers had contrived some 
 false accusations against him. And letters were written to 
 iElfrid, king of Northumberland, to cause him to be reinstated 
 in his archbishopric, because he had been unjustly condemned. 
 But when he was on his way back to Britain, and had arrived 
 in the land of Gaul, he was seized with a sudden sickness, so 
 that he could not sit on a horse, but was carried on a litter by 
 the hands of servants. And in this way he arrived in Melun, 
 a city of Gaul, and lay for four days and nights like one dead. 
 And after he had suffered in this way, without eating or drink- 
 ing, unable to speak or hear, for four days, on the fifth day, 
 at dawn, he sat up again like a man rising up out of a heavy 
 sleep, and sighing gently, asked where the priest Eatta was. 
 And as he came as soon as he was summoned, Wilfrid addressed 
 him in the following manner : — 
 
 " A terrible vision has lately appeared to me, which I wish 
 you to hear, and afterwards to bury in silence, until I under- 
 stand clearly what God intends to do with me. A person 
 stood by me, brilhant with white garments, saying that he was 
 Michael, the archangel, and said to me, * For this object have 
 I been sent, to recall you from death to hfe. For God has 
 given you life on account of the intercession of the tears of your 
 disciples, and of the prayers of his own mother. But be thou 
 ready, for in four years I shall return and visit thee again. 
 And when you have arrived in your own country, you shall 
 recover a portion of the possessions which have been taken 
 from you, and you shall end your life in tranquil peace.' Ac- 
 cordingly, the bishop recovered, to the joy of all men, and 
 having resumed his journey, he arrived in Britain. And when 
 the letters which he brought from the pope had been read, 
 Brithwold, the archbishop of Canterbury, and Ethelred, who 
 had formerly been king, but was now abbot, eagerly favoured 
 him, but iElfrid, king of Northumberland, disdained to receive 
 him. But when ^Ifrid died not long afterwards, Ofred suc- 
 ceeded him in the kingdom, and he convened a synod near 
 the river Nid, and after a brief contest between the two sides, 
 at length, with the approbation of all men, Wilfrid was restored 
 to the government of the church. And in that office he passed 
 his life in peace for four years, as it had been predicted to him 
 by the angel, and at last rested in the Lord. And he died on 
 
 A.D. 696. THE MEUCL\NS MUEDEE QUEEN OSTRICA. 
 
 333 
 
 the twelfth of October, in his monastery, which he had in the 
 province of Indales, under the government of the abbot Cuth- 
 wold. And he was carried by the brethren to his original 
 monastery at Ripon, and there buried in the church of the 
 blessed Apostle Saint Peter, near the altar, on the south side. 
 
 A.D. ()93. Ina, king of the West Saxons, arrayed a formid- 
 able army, and determined to avenge the burning of his kins- 
 man Mollo. But Withred, king of Kent, came to meet him 
 humbly, and gave him a large sum of money for the death of 
 the young man, and so 
 
 " The strife was ended and fair peace restored." 
 
 The same year, Brithwaldwas consecrated archbishop of Can- 
 terbury by Godwin, archbishop of Gaul. And he consecrated 
 Tobias bishop, as successor to Godmund, bishop of the church 
 at Rochester ; and Tobias was a man of great learning, both in 
 the Latin and Greek language. 
 
 A.D. 694. Lewis became king of France, and reigned four 
 years. And at this time, the sanctity and innocence of the 
 blessed Leodegarius, bishop of Heducen, began to be very emi- 
 nent by the favour of Almighty God. But he was afterwards 
 decapitated, after having been cruelly tortured by that minister 
 of cruelty, Ebroin, who, having laid aside the monastic habit, 
 had the chief power under a certain king of France, named 
 Theodoric, and who treated him with terrible cruelty, because 
 he had been a friend of his predecessor. But while Ebroin was 
 yet alive, the merciful Lord adorned the holy man with grace 
 to work many miracles. 
 
 A.D. 69'). Pope Sergius, found in the church of the blessed 
 Peter, at Rome, a great portion of the cross of our Lord, which 
 is now every year, on the day of the exaltation of the life- 
 giving cross, kissed and reverently worshipped by the whole 
 Roman people. The same year, Hewaldus the White and 
 Hebaldus the Black, two priests, went from Britain into Fries- 
 land, for the sake of preaching, and there received the crown 
 of martyrdom, and were buried at Cologne by order of Pepin, 
 the king. There was an eclipse of the sun this year, at three 
 o'clock in the day. 
 
 A.D. 696. The Mercians, who are also called the Suthumbrians, 
 that is to say, that part of the Mercians which is to the north 
 of the river Trent, committed a most atrocious crime. For 
 they murdered in a barbarous manner the queen Ostrica, the 
 
334 
 
 MATTHEW OP WESTMINSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 699. 
 
 wife of king Ethelred, and daughter of Egfrid, king of North- 
 umberland. The same year, Eadbert, successor of the holy 
 Cuthbert, moved the body of that blessed saint, after it had 
 been eleven years in the tomb ; and when he placed it on the 
 floor, both the body and the features were found to be unim- 
 paired. About the same time, the patrician Leo deprived 
 Justinian of the empire, and having cut off his nose and cut 
 out his tongue, sent him into banishment. 
 
 A.D. 697. Leo obtained the empire of Rome, and reigned 
 two years. The same year, Willibrod, a Briton by birth, was 
 sent by Pope Sergius to preach the gospel to the people of 
 Friesland, and by the gift of king Pepin received the episcopal 
 see of Utrecht. 
 
 A.D. 698. Hildebert was created king of France, and reigned 
 eighteen years. The same year, the holy Lambert received 
 the crown of martyrdom, and was buried at Utrecht. For 
 he had ventured to reprove Pepin the prince,^ because he had 
 taken an adulterous concubine, besides his legitimate wife. 
 And, accordingly, he was slain by her brother Dodon, and 
 was buried at Utrecht, as I said before. The same year, 
 Absimarus, who is also called Tiberius, was appointed as the 
 keeper of the prison of Leo, who was deposed from the sove- 
 reign power, and mutilated by having his nose cut off. 
 
 A.D. 699. Absimarus, who is also called Tiberius, obtained 
 the empire of Rome, and reigned seven years. The same 
 year. Dodo, the slayer of the holy Lambert, was tormented by 
 a most shameful illness, being eaten up by worms, and, on 
 account of the intolerable stench that proceeded from him, 
 he was thrown into the Mease, and all his accomplices in 
 guilt were banished within the year, by the direct intervention 
 of the Deity. And the slayer of the holy martyr met with 
 his brother in battle, and both the combatants were slain by 
 one another. 
 
 This year, a certain father of a family in the county of Nor- 
 thumberland, being seized with a very severe illness of body, 
 died at the beginning of the night, but coming to Ufe again 
 
 ' To understand this — as in one sentence our author calls Pepin king, 
 then calls Lewis king, then Hildebert king, and Pepin prince— we must 
 recollect that Lewis and Hildebert were the real kings of that miserable 
 lot called Rois Faineans, and that Pepin was their Maire du Palais, who 
 wielded the whole authority, though, as I said in a previous note, without 
 the title of king. 
 
 A.D. 699. 
 
 A TISION OP THE UNSEEN WOELD. 
 
 335 
 
 at dawn, and suddenly sitting up, he frightened all those who 
 were sitting weeping by the corpse, most terribly, and put them 
 to flight. But his wife, who loved him more than the others 
 did, although she was greatly frightened remained there, and 
 he, comforting her, said, " Fear not, for I am reaUy risen 
 again from death, which had possession of me, and am per- 
 mitted again to live among men." And immediately he rose 
 up and went to the oratory of the village, and remained all 
 day in prayer ; and after that, he divided all the substance 
 that he possessed into three portions. Of which he gave one 
 to his wife, the second to his children, and retained one for 
 himself, which he immediately distributed among the poor. 
 And not long afterwards he received the treasure in the 
 monastery which is called Melrose, and was wholly released 
 from all secular cares, and having entered the monastery, he 
 related the horrible visions which he had seen, to the abbot 
 and to the brethren, in these words : ** A certain person of 
 brilliant aspect, and bright raiment, guided me. And we 
 proceeded silently, as it appeared to me, towards the place 
 where the sun rises at the time of the solstice, until we came 
 to a valley of immense width, infinite length, and unmeasur- 
 able depth. And this valley was on the left hand, presenting 
 one side excessively terrible with glowing flames, and the 
 other equally intolerable with furious hail and cold, which 
 penetrated and troubled everything. And each side was full 
 of the souls of men, which w^ere seen by turns on one side 
 and on the other, tossed almost as if by a violent tempest. 
 And as they could not endure the violence of the general 
 heat, they leaped miserably into the middle of the intolerable 
 cold. And as even there they could find no rest, they leaped 
 again into the middle of the inextinguishable flames, to be 
 burnt in a miserable vicissitude, without any interval of rest. 
 And there was an innumerable multitude of unseemly spirits, 
 and I began to think what that infernal place was, of the in- 
 tolerable torments of which I had often heard a description. 
 The guide who was going before me answered to my thoughts, 
 saying, *Do not look down here.' But when he led me 
 further on, frightened as I was with this horrible spectacle, I 
 suddenly saw the place in front of me begin to be obscured, 
 and become all fiill of darkness, and when we entered this 
 darkness, it gradually became so dense, that I could see nothing 
 else except just the form and dress of the person who was 
 
336 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 699. 
 
 preceding me. And as we were going on in solitary darkness 
 through the shade, on a sudden there appeared to us frequent 
 balls of most ill-omened flame, ascending as it were out of a 
 deep well, and again falling down into it. And when I had 
 been conducted to this point, my guide suddenly disappeared, 
 and left me alone in the middle of the darkness and of that 
 horrible vision. And when the same balls of fire kept on 
 without intermission, at one time rising on high, and at another 
 sinking down to the lowest gulf, I saw all the points of the 
 flames which mounted upwards, full of the spirits of men, 
 which rose like ashes which are thrown up with smoke, and 
 which at one time rose on high, and at another fell down to 
 the depths, when the vapours of the fire are drawn back. But 
 an extraordinary stench boiled up with these same vapours, 
 and tainted all that place of darkness. And when I had stood 
 there for some time in alarm, and uncertain what to do, on a 
 sudden, I heard behind me a sound of miserable weeping, and 
 a laugh of mocking devils, which became louder, and reached 
 as far as me. And then I contemplated a crowd of mahgnant 
 spirits, which with great exultation were thrusting down the 
 souls of men, grieving and howling, into the middle of the 
 darkness. And I was not able clearly to distinguish the 
 weeping of men and the laughter of the devils, but heard 
 only a promiscuous noise of both classes in my ears. And 
 some obscure spirits ascended from that fire- vomiting 
 abyss, and ran up and surrounded me, and alarmed me with 
 their fiery eyes, and breathed forth a fetid flame from their 
 mouth and nostrils, and endeavoured to lay hold of me with 
 fiery forceps which they held in their hands, and yet were 
 perfectly unable to reach me, though they ventured to frighten 
 me. And when I was thus hemmed in on all sides by enemies 
 and darkness, and was casting my eyes about in every direc- 
 tion, in case I might, by chance, see any means of salvation, I 
 perceived, on the road by which I had come, a brilliancy as 
 that of a star shining, amid the darkness, which gradually in- 
 creased in size, and hastened towards me ; and as it drew near, 
 all the hostile spirits dispersed, which were before endeavour- 
 ing to take hold of me with forceps. But the light which had 
 driven them away, as it came near, was the very guide who 
 had previously conducted me. And, presently, he turned his 
 course off" towards the right, and began to lead me as if 
 towards the spot where the sun rises in the M'inter, and very 
 
 A.D. 699. 
 
 A VISION OF THE UNSEEN WOELD. 
 
 337 
 
 soon he delivered me from the darkness, and led me into the air 
 of calm light. And as he was leading me there, I saw before 
 us a very large wall, to the height and length of which there 
 appeared to be no limit whatever. And 1 began to marvel 
 why we were approaching this wall, as there was no window 
 or door, or means of scaling it visible to any one ; when, 
 therefore, we had arrived at the wall, immediately, by some 
 means or other, we found ourselves at the top of it, and there 
 was there a very wide and fertile plain, full of so deUcious a 
 fragrance of blooming flowers, that the admirable sweetness of 
 its perfume at once drove away all the unpleasant smell of the 
 dark furnace which had overwhelmed me. And so brilliant a 
 light pervaded all that place, that it appeared brighter than all 
 the splendour of day, or than the beams of the noon-day sun. 
 For there was in this place an innumerable band of men in 
 white garments, and many places of abode for joyful souls. 
 And as he was leading me through the middle of the bands 
 of the happy inhabitants, I considered that it was the kingdom 
 of heaven ; but he, answering my thoughts, said, * Do not 
 look towards this;' and when, proceeding onwards, we had 
 passed through the realms of good and blessed spirits, I saw 
 before us a much greater glory of light than before, and in 
 it I also heard most delicious voices singing ; and such a 
 fragrance of marvellous perfume was diff"used from the place, 
 that that perfume which, when I tasted it before, appeared to 
 me as strong as possible, now appeared to me very insignificant. 
 So also, that exquisite light of the flowery plain, in compa- 
 rison of the light which I now beheld, appeared trifling and 
 inconsiderable. When I hoped that we were about to enter 
 this delicious spot, my guide suddenly stopped, and, turning 
 his steps at once, led me back by the same way by which we 
 had come. Then he who was guiding me, said to me, * Do 
 you know^ what all these things are which you have seen?' I 
 answered, * No.' Then he said, * That valley which you be- 
 held, terrible with burning flames and rigid cold, is the very 
 place in which the souls of those people are to be examined 
 who postpone confessing and making amends for the crimes 
 which they have committed, and betake themselves to repent- 
 ance at the very moment of death, and thus leaving the body, 
 do all, at the day of judgment, arrive at the kingdom of 
 heaven : there are many also, whom the prayers of the living, 
 and their alms and fasts, and, above all things, the celebration 
 VOL. I. z 
 
338 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 699. 
 
 of masses profit, so as to procure their release before the day 
 of judgment. Again, that fire-vomiting and fetid well, which 
 you saw, is the very mouth of hell, and whoever falls into that 
 will not be rek'ased in all eternity. But that flowery spot 
 which you saw, in which you beheld beautiful youths, happy 
 and shining, is the place in which the souls of those persons 
 are received who leave the body amid good works, and who, 
 nevertheless, are not so absolutely perfect as to deserve at once 
 to enter the kingdom of heaven ; but they all in the day of 
 judgment will arrive at the sight of God and the joys of 
 the kingdom of heaven. But those who are perfect in 
 every word, and deed, and thought, the moment that they quit 
 the body, enter the kingdom of heaven. And to the neigh- 
 bourhood of this place that other spot extends, where vou 
 heard the sound of sweet song, amid sweet odours and brilliant 
 light. But as you are now about to return to the body, and 
 again to live among men, if you study to examine your own 
 actions curiously, and to keep your life and conversation in 
 uprightness and simplicity, you yourself shall, after your 
 death, receive a place of abode among these joyful bands of 
 good spirits whom you have seen. For I, when I departed 
 for a time from you, did so, with a view to find out what was 
 to become of you.' When he had said this to me, I greatly 
 loathed returning to the body, beina; deli";hted with the sweet- 
 ness and beauty of the place that I had seen, and also with 
 the fellowship of the persons v»hom I beheld. But while 
 thinking of these things (in what manner it happened I know 
 not), I suddenly found myself alive among men." At last, in 
 the vicinity of his cell, as has been said before, he used con- 
 stantly to go into the river which flowed by, for the sake of 
 the great eflect it had in chastising his body, and he would 
 often plunge into its rising waves, and there, as long as he 
 could stand, persevere in psalms and prayers, and remain fixed 
 there while tlie water rose up to his loins, and sometimes up 
 to his neck ; and when he left the water, he never took any 
 care to change his clothes, but kept them until they became 
 dry again by the warmth of his body. But in the winter, when 
 the crusts of ice were flowing down the river around him, those 
 who saw him said, '* It is a strange thing, brother Drichelni, 
 that you can stand such severity of cold ;" but he answered 
 simply, *' I have seen things colder." And when they said, 
 " It is a wonder tliat you can like to preserve such austere 
 continence," he ausvrered, " I have seen things more austere." 
 
 A.D. 703. 
 
 SAINT BENEDICT DIES. 
 
 339 
 
 And so, to the day of his summons, he used, from his indefati- 
 gable desire for heavenly blessings, to tame his aged body with 
 daily fasting ; and he was the salvation of many, not only bv 
 his actions, but also by his example. 
 
 A.D. 700. Brithricus, count of Northumberland, wishing to 
 avenge his lord, king Egfred, invaded the land of the Picts in 
 a hostile manner ; but he fell, like his lord, feeling the efl'ects 
 of the curses of the Irish. And so he was slain by the people 
 of the Picts. About the same time, the Romans overran Syria, 
 and slew twenty thousand Saracens. 
 
 A.D. 701. A good and learned man flourished, by name 
 Adamannus, a priest, and the abbot of those monks who were 
 in the island of Hii. He being sent as an ambassador to king 
 /Efrid, when he saw the rites of the ecclesiastical institution, 
 and of the observance of the feast of Easter, was at once 
 drawn over to agree to them. And when he had returned 
 home, he laboured to lead his flock, who were in the island 
 of Hii, into the way of truth ; but he could not succeed, and 
 so he sailed to Ireland, and there he brought over almost 
 all the people to observe the legitimate time of Easter. And 
 this man of God also wrote a book on the place of our Lords 
 nativity, passion, and ascension, and gave a wonderful de- 
 scription of the character of the Holy Land. 
 
 A.D. 702. John was elected to the See of Rome, and held 
 it three years, two months, and thirteen days ; and the see 
 was vacant one month and thirteen days. 
 
 A.D. 703. Saint Benedict, an English abbot, after a praise- 
 worthy life, rested in the Lord by a glorious death. This 
 man of God was born of a noble family of the EngHsh nation, 
 and in his youth he served in the army. Afterwards, though 
 he was a servant of King Oswy, and had received from him 
 no small estate, being the king's own gift, he despised all the 
 perishable things of the world for the sake of Christ, and 
 went to Rome, that he might there become instructed in eccle- 
 siastical discipline, and apply himself to spiritual warfare, by 
 which he might benefit himself and others, and be found a 
 useful servant in the cultivation of the Lord's vineyard ; and 
 returning from Rome to the island of Saint Ilonorat, he joined 
 a company of monks, received the tonsure, and having been 
 regularly educated for two years, he then returned a second 
 time to the threshold of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul ; 
 at which time, when Pope Yitalianus had sent Theodore, arch- 
 
 7 *> 
 
340 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 704. 
 
 bishop of Canterbury, into Britain, he when he came bronc^ht 
 with him many rehcs of the saints. And afterwards, when 
 he became united with Egfrid, King of Northumberland, the 
 king gave him an estate sufficient for sixty families, to found 
 a monastery in honour of Peter the chief of the apostles at 
 the mouth of the river Wira, a.d. 674, in the second indic- 
 tion. Another monastery, in honour of Paul, the teacher of 
 the Gentiles, is founded in Girwi, not far from the other and 
 the same king also enriched that with estates sufficient for 
 sixty families, and the bishop took care to enrich it abun- 
 dantly, and fiUing these monasteries with rehgious monks 
 he ordained Ceolfrid as president of the one, and Easterwin as 
 president of the other ; and he did this with the view of havin'^ 
 a regular order preserved in them both, as well when he was 
 absent as when he was present. It was to this servant of God 
 Jienedict, that the venerable Bede, that teacher of the Enc^hsh' 
 was entrusted to be educated by him, and it was under°him 
 tliat he is related to have been advanced to the order of the 
 priesthood. He is said to have gone to Rome five times, and 
 as he always returned enriched with divine improvement, he 
 laboured to educate those under his authority, both by his 
 actions and by his example. At length, after a laudable life, 
 Benedict the conqueror of the vices, that most pious confessor 
 of Christ yielded to the infirmity of the flesh, and rendered up 
 his spirit to his Creator, on the 1 2th of January. He was sue- 
 ceeded m his burdensome honours by a holy man, a pupil of 
 his own Ceolfrid under whom Bede, the servant of Christ, 
 most admirably fiUed up the labour which he had begun bv 
 sacred descriptions, to the advantage of the universal fhu^ch 
 1 .tt <^-*-Hedda, bishop of Winchester, who had succeeded 
 Leutherius, died and m the place where he died many mira- 
 cles were wrought, on account of the merits of his sanctity; 
 for the men of that province were accustomed to throw dust 
 that they ook up from that spot into the water, for the sake 
 ot hose who were sick, and then by having this water brought 
 
 iilTt'%'Pr?i^^!l'^ '^'™' ^""'^ ^^" ^^d cattle were de- 
 P i .i!^ u^^^^^^^'y recovered their health. And after 
 
 hi r i if'P"' wa« divided into two parts, one of which, 
 h. h Id t \\ 7"'" of Winchester, was given to Daniel, and 
 he held It to the time of Bede. The other diocese, that of Sher- 
 borne, was given to Aldelm, who held it four yeirs, and there 
 
 Znt '"^ ''^^A^^^P '' ^^^'^^^^^^^^ only^two' province" 
 those, namely, of Hampton and Surrey. But the other had 
 
 A.D. 706. SICIljmiUS APPOINTED TO THE EOMAN CHAIE. 341 
 
 the provinces of Wilton, Dorset, Berru, and Somerset, Devon, 
 and Cornwall. But the village ofSherborne is so small, that it 
 appears marvellous that a bishopric should have lasted there 
 so many ages. 
 
 Ch. XIII. — From a.d. 705 to 742. 
 Death of Ethelred~The See of IVorc ester is founded-Saint 
 ^^thlac of Croyland—Gregory is Pope—Ina, king of the 
 West Saxons defeats and kills Eadbert-Bede ivrites his 
 ntstorg-^Schtsm of the Iconoclasts— Wars of Ethelhald, 
 King of Mercia— Death of Bede—IIis Character— Death 
 of Gregory. 
 
 A^B. 705. Ethelred, king of Mercia, who had become a monk, 
 after having ruled the kingdom with great vigour for thirty 
 vears, died at Bardoneia, and was buried there. This kin- 
 had two sisters, who were most holy virgins, by name Kines^ 
 drida and Kineswitha, both dedicated to God from their in- 
 fancy, and who nobly persevered to old age in their noble 
 determination of virginity. But the younger, not being con- 
 tent with the salvation of herself alone, restored Offa, her 
 betrothed husband, also to the kingdom of heaven ; and Offa 
 reigned m the kmgdom of the East Saxons a few years after 
 bigehard and Scofrid, being a youth of pleasant countenance, 
 in the flower of his age, and greatly beloved by his country- 
 men. He then in consequence of the exhortations of the 
 before-mentioned Kineswitha, as she disdained to become his 
 wife, was taught to sigh for heavenly love, and went to Rome 
 and having become a monk there, he ascended devoutly to 
 the kmgdom of heaven. The remains of these holy virgins 
 
 JILn P^i ^^' m1^ ^"'^^ S^^^ ^^^^""^ ^« ^he peopl! at 
 itUlUSJ^am^tctrt, a village which is sometimes called the Bo- 
 
 rough of Saint Peter (Peterborough). The same year, ^Ifrid, 
 king of Northumberland, died, and was succeeded by his son 
 Osred, who reigned eleven years. Ethelred was succeeded as 
 king of Mercia by Kinred, who reigned five years. This year 
 also, John was selected pope of Rome, and occupied that see 
 one year. ^ 
 
 \. tA ''^f- Sic^^^if was appointed to the Roman chair, and 
 held It only wenty days. The same year, Justinian, who had 
 been an exde, was, by the assistance of Trehelbus, king of 
 Bulgaria, restored to his kingdom, and reigned six years. 
 And when he was firmly seated on the throne, he put to death 
 aU those men who had formerly expelled him, and ordered 
 
342 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMIXSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 707. 
 
 Absimarus Tiberius to be executed. He also tore out the 
 eyes of the patriarch GaUinicus, and sent him to Rome, and 
 slew a countless multitude of Roman citizens. He likewise 
 caused the town of Chersona, where he had lived in banish- 
 ment, to be destroyed, and practised unheard-of cruelties on 
 his enemies. 
 
 A.D. 707. Constantine was elected to the Roman chair, and 
 occupied it seven years and fifteen days, and the see was vacant 
 forty days. About the same time, there was a certain soldier, 
 of the family of Kinred, king of Mercia, a man openly devoted 
 to vice ; and as the king earnestly advised him to seek repent- 
 ance, he so disregarded his warnings of salvation, that he 
 postponed all amendment of his flagitious life. But about 
 this time he was seized with an illness, and took to his bed, 
 and began to yield to the attacks of severe pain. Accordingly, 
 the king went to see him, and frequently exhorted him to turn 
 to repentance for his sins, before he died. But he replied that 
 he woiUd not confess his sins till he recovered from his sick- 
 ness, lest his companions should reproach him with having done 
 so through fear of death. And when, as his disease became 
 more violent, the king came again to him to exhort him, he 
 began to cry out with a piteous voice, *' Why have you come 
 hither ? you cannot any longer be any advantage or salvation 
 to me." And the king answered him, " Do not say so; study 
 to adopt sensible and sane thoughts." " I am not insane," 
 said the man, " but I have a terrible conscience before my 
 eyes. For a little before you came, two youths entered this 
 house, and sat down close to me, the one at my head, and 
 the other at my feet, and one of them brought me forth a 
 book, very beautiful, but very small, for me to read, in which 
 I found all the good deeds which I have hitherto done, set 
 down. But they, looking on the book, said nothing, and imme- 
 diately there came up an army of most foul, malignant spirits, 
 which blockaded this house on the outside, and sitting down 
 inside also, filled the greater part of it. Then one of the foulest 
 among them, who appeared larger than his fellows, produced 
 a book of horrible appearance and enormous bulk, and insup- 
 portable weight, and ordered one of his attendants to bring it 
 to me to read. And when I had read in it, I found all the 
 wickednesses, all the offences that I had committed, not only 
 in deed or word, but in even the slightest thought, written 
 down in it most legibly, in the blackest characters. And they 
 
 A.D. 710. 
 
 KI>'EED PUTS ON THE MONASTIC HABIT. 
 
 343 
 
 said to those bright men in white garments, who were sitting 
 by me, 'Why sit ye here, knowing that this man most un- 
 doubtedly belongs to us ?' They rephed, * You speak truly, 
 take him and lead him away to the crowd of your damnation.' 
 Then two most wicked spirits rose up, having forks in their 
 hands, and smote me, one on the head and the other on the 
 feet, and they now are creeping, to my great torture, into all 
 my inward parts, and as soon as they meet I shall die, and 
 then, as all these devils are prepared to carry me off, I shall 
 be dragged down to hell." Thus spoke that despairing wretch, 
 and immediately his miserable death ensued. But it is evi- 
 dent, in this case, that this display of his crimes was not made 
 for his own sake, as he derived no benefit from it, but for that 
 of others, that they, knowing the circumstances of his death, 
 might not delay their repentance, lest they should be antici- 
 pated by some unforeseen stroke of death, and so die unre- 
 pentant. 
 
 A.D. 708. Ina, king of the West Saxons, fought a battle 
 against Gerens, king of the Welch ; and at the beginning of 
 the battle, Higebald, his general, was slain. But at last, the 
 king of Wales fled, and left his arms and spoils to the Angles, 
 who were pursuing him. The same year. Oiler, governor of 
 Northumberland, fought against the Picts, and slew a great 
 multitude of them, and so became the avenger of king Egfrid. 
 A.D. 709. Aldelm, bishop of Sherborne, died. When that holy 
 man was only a priest, and abbot of the monastery which they 
 call the city of Maildulph, he, at the command of a synod, 
 wrote an admirable book to his nation against the errors of 
 the Britons, by which he induced them to adopt the Catholic 
 celebration of Easter. He also wrote an excellent treatise on 
 Virginity, and many other books likewise, being a man of the 
 greatest learning on every subject, and admirable for his eru- 
 dition, as well in mundane as in spiritual affairs. And after 
 his death, Forther succeeded him in his pontificate, who was 
 also a man of most praiseworthy learning in the holy Scrip- 
 tures. 
 
 A.D. 710. Kinred, who had for some time governed the 
 kingdom of Mercia in a most noble manner, abandoned the 
 sceptre of the kingdom in a more noble manner still. For 
 while Constantine filled the office of pontiff" at Rome, Kinred 
 devoutly travelled to the threshold of the apostles, and there 
 put on the monastic habit, and remained there till the day of 
 
344 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 711. 
 
 his summons, in prayers, and fastings, and alms. He was 
 succeeded in the kingdom by Ceolred, the son of Ethelred, 
 who ruled that kingdom before Kinred. And he came to 
 Rome with Offa, king of the Saxons, of whom mention has 
 been naade above. And Offa too, prompted by a devout mind, 
 left wife, and lands, and kinsmen, and country for Christ's 
 sake, that he might receive in this hfe a hundred-fold, and 
 in the world to come life everlasting. He was succeeded in 
 his kingdom by Selred, the son of Segebert the Good, who 
 reigned thirty-eight years. 
 
 A.p. 711. In the province of the South Saxons, it was de- 
 termined, by a synodal decree, that those in that province who 
 had hitherto belonged to the diocese of Winchester, over which 
 Daniel at that time presided, should henceforth form a sepa- 
 rate diocese, and have a bishop of their own. And Eadbert 
 was consecrated their first bishop, who had been abbot of the 
 monastery of bishop Wilfrid of blessed memory, which is called 
 Selsey, where that servant of God, having been in exile for 
 five years, had obtained from the king of that province an 
 estate sufficient for eighty families, in which he might receive 
 his fellow-exiles, and supply them w ith the necessaries of life. 
 For it is a place surrounded on all sides by the sea, except on. 
 the west, where it is connected with the main-land by a neck 
 of land of about the extent of a sling's throw in width. And 
 when Wilfrid had received this spot, he founded a monastery 
 on it, and instituted a regular system of life, forming his con- 
 vent chiefly of those persons whom he had brought with him, 
 and his successors maintained his institutions for a long time 
 afterwards. And as king Ethelwald gave him not only the 
 land and the men on it, but also entire power over them, he 
 regenerated all those whom he found there in the water of 
 baptism, and strengthened them in the faith of Christ. And 
 there were in number, with servants and hand-maidens, about 
 two hundred and fifty souls, all of whom he delivered, as I may 
 say, from the service of the devil, and also, by giving them 
 their liberty, from the yoke of human slavery. 
 
 But when Wilfrid was recalled to the province of North- 
 umberland first of all, Cadwallader, king of the West Saxons, 
 and after him his successor Ina (having defeated and slain the 
 kings of that province), occupied that kingdom. Owing to 
 which circumstance, it happened that during all that time that 
 nation had no bishop of its own, but was subject to the bishop 
 
 A.D. 714. 
 
 SAINT GUTHLAC DIES. 
 
 345 
 
 of the city of Winchester, as has been said before. And after 
 Eadbert, the first bishop of that country, Cella succeeded to 
 the office of the pontificate. And when he was withdrawn 
 from this world, that see was vacant till the death of Bede. 
 This year also the great Wilfrid died, forty-five years after he 
 first received his bishopric, as has been stated before. And 
 he was succeeded in the bishopric of Hagustald by Eatta, one 
 of his priests. And Bede the priest says a great deal about 
 his industry in his book of history, and greatly commends his 
 sanctity. 
 
 A.D. 712. Egwin, the third bishop of the Wicci, flourished. 
 But the first bishop of that province had been a man by name 
 Bosel, and the second was Ostfort. And Egwin, being the third 
 in order, going to Rome with Kinred, king of Mercia, and 
 Offa, king of the East Angles, obtained from pope Constantine 
 the privilege of liberty for the monastery which he had erected 
 in the district of Worcester, in order to render it more secure 
 from the irruption of wicked men. And his successors in the 
 bishopric of Worcester were Wilfrid, Mildred, Werenerd,Tilher, 
 Herefert, Debert, Herebert, Alwyne, llereferth, Ethelhun, Wil- 
 ferth, Kiuewolt, Dunstan, Oswald, and Eldulf, of whom the three 
 last were also aftei'wards archbishops of Canterbury. About 
 the same time, Justinian, the emperor, was slain by the heretic 
 Philippicus at Constantinople, and his son Tiberius with him. 
 For Justinian was the emperor who had treated those citizens 
 with excessive tyranny, ordering their city to be ploughed up, 
 and to be rased to the ground, because they had conspired 
 together to depose him, as has been related above. 
 
 A.D. 713. Philippicus usurped the Roman empire, and re- 
 ceived the purple at Constantinople, and reigned two years. 
 He, being a heretic, banished Cyrus, the bishop of Constanti- 
 nople, and placed in that see a proud monk of his own opinions, 
 by name John. And Philippicus himself sent to Rome to pope 
 Constantine letters full of erroneous doctrine, which that holy 
 man, by the advice of the Roman people, rejected, and ordered 
 that his name should not be inscribed in the rolls, that his 
 payment of money should not be received, and that his name 
 should not be recited at the solemnity of the mass. 
 
 A.D. 714. Saint Guthlac, the hermit, ended his days in a 
 marsh at Croyland. He was descended from no ignoble 
 family, but w^as of illustrious blood on both sides of his house. 
 And when his mother bore him, in the reign of Ethelred, king 
 
346 
 
 MATTIIEW OF "WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D, 714. 
 
 of Mcrcia, a certain hand of fiery brilliancy shone forth, which 
 seemed to descend from the sky and to be stretched out to the 
 cross, which was standing before the door of the house in which 
 was awoman in travail. And this mighty miracle was immediately 
 known all over the country of the Midland Mercians. And the 
 child was baptized, and, by desire of his parents, was called Guth- 
 lac. And when he advanced in age, and his strength increased, 
 he collected around him a band of followers, and followed the 
 profession of arms. But the innate kindness of his disposi- 
 tion was such, that out of the plunder that he collected from 
 every quarter, he always remitted a third part to those who 
 had possessed the property. Accordingly, when he had passed 
 eight years in this ferocious kind of life, one night he pon- 
 dered within himself, and recollected how vain the glory of 
 this world is, and how everlasting and certain the damnation 
 of the world to come. Therefore, when morning came, he 
 left his house and his fellow banditti, and betook himself to 
 the monastery of i^cptntJunc,^ which was famous at that time. 
 And there he received the tonsure, and assumed the clerical 
 garb, and determined to repent of his sins. And, after that, 
 he procured himself to be instructed in sacred Hterature and 
 monastic discipline, and laboured in solitude to emulate the 
 virtues of the saints ; and having read accounts of the virtues 
 of monks who had chosen a hfe of solitude, he desired to find 
 a wilderness, and undertook a journey to discover a suitable 
 place for himself. At last, he came to a large swamp, which 
 is situated on the eastern side of Mercia, and enquired dih- 
 gently what was the character of that district. And some one 
 told him that there was in that vast swamp a remote island, 
 which many people had endeavoured to inhabit, but which had 
 been abandoned by almost everyone, on account of the monsters 
 seen in that desolate place. But when he heard that, this man 
 of God asked to have this place pointed out to him. And his 
 informant, taking with him a fishing-boat, carried the holy 
 man of God to the place. This island is called Croyland ; and 
 no one before had ever ventured to inhabit it, on account of 
 the terrible apparitions of the devils who dwelt in it. 
 
 In this place then the holy man began to dwell, commit- 
 ting himself especially to the protection of Saint Bartholomew. 
 And when he had abode there some time, he returned to 
 his companions, from whom he selected two boys, and then 
 returned with them to the island, where he took up his spi- 
 
 ^ Now Repton. 
 
 A.D. 714. 
 
 ACCOUNT OF SAINT GUTHLAC. 
 
 347 
 
 ritual arms with all faith, and manfully fought for the Lord. 
 And there was in the island a mound composed of earth of 
 the fields, in the side of which there appeared to be something 
 like a cistern, where the servant of God made himself a cabin, 
 in which he began to live, wearing garments of neither linen 
 nor wool, but clothed only in skins. And so great was his 
 abstinence, that he only took a small portion of barley bread, 
 and a cup of water after sunset. But on a certain day, when 
 he was applying himself to his usual study of meditation, two 
 devils in human dress suddenly stood by him, who addressed 
 him familiarly in the following manner : " We have seen your 
 faith, and your fortitude, and invincible patience, and therefore 
 we will give over disquieting you, and moreover we wish to 
 instruct you in the way of life of the ancient hermits. 
 Moses, and Elias, and other fathers of antiquity, pleased 
 God by much abstinence. Therefore, you must keep afoot, 
 not for two days, or three, but rather for a whole week, that 
 as God formed the world in six days and rested on the 
 seventh, so man ought to replenish his spirit by fasting six 
 days, and eat on the seventh, and so refresh his body." The 
 man of God having heard this, replied as follows : *' Let them 
 be turned backward, who seek my soul to destroy it." And 
 presently, according to his daily custom, he took a small piece 
 of barley bread,— but the evil spirits retired, and filled all 
 the place with their sad lamentations. 
 
 A short time after this event, while the blessed man was, 
 according to his custom, watching, during the dark night, and 
 intent on his prayers, foul spirits filled the whole of his cell, 
 and in a moment they bound the man of God, and cast him 
 out of his cell, and threw him into the muddv water of the 
 black swamp. Then, having taken him up and carried him 
 over very rough ground, they dragged him on till they nearly 
 dislocated all the joints of his body. At length they stopped 
 him for a while, and laid injunctions on him to depart from 
 that habitation. But he replied, " The Lord is on my right 
 hand, that I shall not be moved." They took him up a second 
 time, and began to scourge him with whips, made as it were 
 of iron, and when they had scourged him, and afllicted him 
 with all kinds of tortures, they carried him up into the air, 
 where the heaven appeared to be black with the multitude of 
 unclean spirits. And they immediately united, and bore the 
 servant of Christ to the jaws of hell. He, beholding the tor- 
 
348 
 
 MATTUEW OF "W^ESTMINSTEH. 
 
 A.D. 714. 
 
 ments of hell, forgot all the punishments which he had suffered, 
 in comparison with these greater ones. Then they bej^an to 
 insuh the holy man, saying, " Behold, we have power to thrust 
 you down into these punishments, that you may there be 
 punished, everlastingly, for your sins." Bn't he spoke to thera 
 thus : " Woe to ye, children of darkness ! If ye have this 
 power, why do you delay V And as they are preparing them- 
 selves, as if to do 80, lo ! Saint Bartholomew arrives with 
 immense brightness, and orders the devils to restore the 
 servant of God to his abode, without delay. And they, quicker 
 than thought, fulfilled the commands of the apostle. But, 
 while Guthlac was being borne through the air, a voice was 
 heard as of people playing on the harp—** The saints shall go 
 on from virtue to virtue, and the God of Gods shall appear in 
 Sion.'* And it happened in the days of Ceoled, king of 
 Mercia, at the time of cock-crow, that the blessed Guthlac 
 appeared to himself to be hearing the outcries of a tumultuous 
 multitude. Then the man of God went forth from his cell, 
 and perceived a multitude, speaking the British language, ap- 
 proaching his house, and presently he saw his house on fire. 
 And as he hastened to come to the protection of his house, he 
 was intercepted by lizards, and borne aloft into the air. Then, . 
 when he found that it was a snare of the enemy, he began to 
 chant this verse of the psalm, " The Lord is my helper, and I 
 shall look down upon my enemies." 
 
 At another time he was occupied with his nightly prayers, 
 when he felt the island tremble with a great noise. And 
 presently he heard noise, as of herds of cattle running. And 
 immediately he beheld figures of various monsters, approach- 
 mg from all quarters, that is to say, figures of wild beasts, 
 and other animals. And as they all made a terrible uproar 
 around the soldier of Christ, he said, "Most wretched Satan, 
 why dost thou endeavour to imitate a strength which does not 
 belong to you ? In the name of Jesus Christ, I command you 
 to desist." And after these words, immediately all the phan- 
 toms disappeared. 
 
 A certain bishop, by name Hebba, came to converse with 
 the holy man, having in his retinue a certain librarian of the 
 name of Wilfrid. He, hearing of his servants talking of the 
 virtues and miracles of the blessed Guthlac, said to some, who 
 were doubting by whose power he did these works, that if he 
 were to see him he should be able to discern whether he were a 
 
 A.D. 718. BABBOD DECLINES TO BE BAPTIZED. 
 
 349 
 
 a true worshipper of God, or whether he only put on an appear- 
 ance of sanctity. Accordingly, the bishop before-mentioned, 
 being refreshed by the conversation of the man of God, began 
 to exhort him earnestly to receive the ordination of priesthood 
 from him. And he, falhng at the feet of the bishop, promised 
 to obey his injunctions. Therefore, the bishop being delighted, 
 having first consecrated a church, joyfully promoted him to 
 the rank of the priesthood. And on that day, contrary to 
 his usual wont, he was compelled, by the invitation of the 
 pontiff, to sit down at supper with the rest. Then, beholding 
 Wilfrid, of whom I have spoken before, he said to him, " Oh ! 
 brother Wilfrid, what do you now think ought to be said of 
 the man of whom you yesterday undertook most positively to 
 pronounce an opinion ?" He, marvelling greatly, rose up, and 
 prostrated himself at his feet, humbly begging pardon. If I 
 were to desire to give a full account of all the virtues of this 
 holy man, it would be an undertaking resembling that of be- 
 ginning to count the sands of the sea. He commenced his 
 solitary life in the twenty-fifth year of his age, and continued 
 in it fifteen years. And when he died, being perfect in all 
 hohness, he was buried in his own oratory, which he had de- 
 dicated to the honour of Saint Bartholomew. And in that 
 place, all who entreat his aid with pious minds obtain the 
 indulgence of divine mercy. 
 
 A.D. 715. Gregory was elected to the Roman chair, which 
 he occupied fifteen years, eight months, and twenty-two days ; 
 and the see was vacant thirty-five days. The same year, 
 Anastasius rose up in insurrection against the Emperor Philip- 
 picus, deprived him of his eyes, usurped his throne, and reigned 
 three years. 
 
 A.D. 716. Ina, king of the West Saxons, fought against 
 Ceolred, king of Mercia, at OTotJnc0birr]^,and the victory re- 
 mained undecided. 
 
 A.D. 717. Theodore having obtained the empire of Rome, 
 reigned one year. The same year, Osred, king of Northum- 
 berland, fought a battle near the sea-shore, and being unsuc- 
 cessful, was slain. He was succeeded by Kinred, who reigned 
 two years. 
 
 A.D. 718. Rabbod, duke of Friesland, was, by the preaching 
 of the blessed bishop Wilfran, induced to be baptized ; but 
 when he had put one foot in the font, he drew back the other, 
 and asked whether the greater number of his predecessors 
 
350 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 722. 
 
 were in Paradise or in hell ? And when he heard that they 
 were in hell, he drew back altogether, saying, *' It ia better 
 for me to follow the greater than the smaller number." The 
 same year, Leo was created emperor, who reigned thirty-three 
 years. 
 
 A.D. 719. Ceolred, king of Mercia, died, and was buried at 
 llici)&cltJ, and was succeeded in the kingdom of Mercia by 
 Ethelbald, a brave and mighty prince, who reigned most vic- 
 toriously for forty-one years. The same year, Kenred, king 
 of Northumberland, died, and left the government of his king- 
 dom to Osric, who held it twenty years. And king Ethelbald 
 was the son of Alwy, who was the son of Eoppa, who was the 
 son of Wibba, &c. &c. 
 
 A.D. 720. Ingilf, brother of king Ina, ended his days. And 
 this year, Cuthburga, the sister of king Ina, and of Kene- 
 burga, built an abbey at Wimborne. This Cuthburga was 
 given in marriage to Egfrid, king of Northumberland, but 
 separated herself from him in his life-time. 
 
 A.D. 721. The holy John, archbishop of Beverlac, rested in 
 the Lord. This holy man, a doer of many holy works, has 
 had Bede for his panegyrist in his actions of the Angles. But 
 there is also this remarkable circumstance with respect to that 
 holy man, that the inhabitants of Beverlac are accustomed to 
 exhibit, in the place where he is buried, very savage bulls as 
 a spectacle, which, being bound with tight chains, are led 
 forward by great labour on the part of strong men. But the 
 moment that they enter his cemetery, all their ferocity is 
 calmed, and they are so quiet that, from their simplicity, you 
 might think them sheep. Therefore, when their bonds are 
 loosened, they are set free, to play in the court yard ; though, 
 before, they attacked, with their horns and feet, whatever 
 came in their way. John was succeeded by Wilfrid the second, 
 one of his priests, who lived beyond the time of Bede. 
 
 A.D. 722. Ina, king of the West Saxons, led a great army 
 into Sussex, and slew in battle Eadbert, whom he had previ- 
 ously driven from the camp, which is called Taunton, where 
 Ina had built a fortress, which has already been mentioned. 
 The same year, Withred, king of Kent, died, and left three 
 sons heirs of his kingdom, of whom Ethelbert, the first born, 
 succeeded to the throne, and reigned seventeen years. About 
 the same time, Tobias, bishop of Rochester, died, and was 
 succeeded by Eadulfus. 
 
 A.D. 727. 
 
 INA EOESAKES HIS KINGDOM. 
 
 351 
 
 A.D. 723. Ricobert, bishop of Rheims, was deposed from 
 his bishopric by Charles, king of France, because he showed 
 a hostile disposition in refusing to open the gates of the city 
 of Rheims to him when he was marching against Reginfred. 
 And on the same account, Eutherius, of Aries, was ejected 
 from his bishopric. 
 
 A.D. 724. A certain wicked Jew promised a certain noble 
 that he should reign for fifty years, and by that means per- 
 suaded him to order the images of God and the saints to be 
 destroyed throughout his whole kingdom ; and, accordingly, 
 he, influenced by a hope of a long reign, issued such an edict, 
 but expired immediately afterwards. 
 
 A.D. 725. Bede, a venerable priest of the Angles, began his 
 history, and having laudably began, and happily finished it, he 
 presented it to king Geolwlf. 
 
 A.D. 726. The Emperor Leo ordered the images of Christ 
 and his saints to be broken into small pieces, for which he 
 was abundantly refuted by Pope Gregory in his letters, but to 
 no purpose. 
 
 A.D. 727. Ina, a prosperous and powerful king, leaving his 
 kingdom to his kinsman Ethelhard, went to Rome, in order 
 to exchange his temporal kingdom for an eternal one. And 
 when he arrived in that city, he built a house in the city, with 
 the consent and goodwill of Pope Gregory, which he called 
 the school of the English, that the kings of England and the 
 royal family, with the bishops and priests, and clergy, might 
 come to it to be instructed in the catholic doctrine and faith, 
 so as to prevent anything improper, or contrary to the catholic 
 unity, from being taught in the Anglican Church : and then, 
 when they had been strengthened in a lasting faith, they might 
 return to their own country. For the doctrine and schools of 
 the English, ever since the time of Saint Augustine, had been 
 interdicted by the Roman Pontiff's, on account of the continual 
 heresies which had arisen in Britain at the time of the arrival 
 of the English, when Pagans, being intermingled with the 
 Christians, corrupted the grace of the holy conversation of the 
 Christian faith. Therefore, Ina built, near the house which 
 1 have already mentioned, a church in honour of the blessed 
 Virgin Mary, in which, whenever the English came to Rome, 
 the divine mysteries might be celebrated, and in which they 
 might be buried whenever it happened that any of the English 
 died in Rome. And that all these things might receive the 
 
352 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMIK8TEE. 
 
 A.D. 728. 
 
 A.D. 732. TADWI^' ATICHBISHOP OF CAXTEEBUBT. 
 
 353 
 
 power of a lasting durability, it was, by a general decree, or- 
 dained thronghout the whole kingdom of the West Saxons, of 
 which the before-mentioned Ina was king, that a penny should 
 be sent by every family to the blessed Peter and the Roman 
 church, which payment is called in EngHsh ^ome^cot, in 
 order that the English, who abode there, might have a means 
 of support from that source. And this church, of which I 
 have already spoken, is often described in the chronicles of 
 the English as having been burned down and again rebuilt. 
 
 This is the same man who built the abbey of Glastonbury, 
 which has been long since destroyed, and which he enriched 
 with many possessions, and strengthened with the bulwark 
 of the privileges which he granted to it. The name of this 
 king's brother was Ingilfus, and his sisters were the holy Cuth- 
 burga and the holy Quenburga, and his wife's name was Sex- 
 burga. He was succeeded in his kingdom by Ethelhard, his 
 kinsman, descended from the family of king Cedric, who 
 reigned fourteen years. The same year also, Ethelhard fought 
 a battle against the young Oswald, a youth of the royal family 
 of the kings of the West Saxons, who endeavoured to make 
 himself master of the kingdom. But when the young man 
 had found himself to be no match for the powers of the king, 
 he escaped in flight, and left Ethelhard his kingdom in peace. 
 
 A.D. 728. When pope Gregory had found the emperor Leo 
 wholly incorrigible, he withdrew Rome, Italy and Spain, from 
 his power, and forbade their revenues to be paid to him. This 
 year also, a certain brother, whom I forbear to name, being 
 placed in a noble monastery, Uved disgracefully among the 
 brethren. He was continually reproved by the brethren and 
 elders of the place, and admonished to betake himself to a 
 purer course of life. And although he refused to Hsten to 
 them, still he was endured by them on account of the need 
 they had of his works, because he was a man of extraordinary 
 skill as a smith. For he was much addicted to drunkenness, 
 and to the other allurements of a dissolute life, and preferred 
 to remain day and night in his workshop to playing or praying 
 in the church, or listening to the word of life. At last, being 
 stricken by a severe sickness, and reduced to the last gasp, 
 he summoned the brethren around him, and told them that 
 he saw hell opened, and Satan sunk down in the abyss of 
 hell ; and likewise Caiaphas, and the rest of those who had 
 slain the Lord, all close together, and delivered to the aveng- 
 
 ing flames, and in their neighbourhood (said he), woe is me ! 
 I see a place of eternal damnation prepared for me, miserable 
 that I am." The brethren hearing this, began earnestly to 
 exhort him even then, while he remained in the flesh, to be- 
 take himself to repentance. He answered despairingly, ** I 
 have no longer any time to change my course of life, when I 
 myself have seen my judgment completely fixed." And say- 
 ing this, he departed, without having received the last oftices. 
 And this circumstance becoming extensively noised abroad, 
 excited many to turn themselves to repentance for their sins, 
 and not to delay. 
 
 A.D. 729. Two terrible stars were seen around the sun, 
 one of which preceded the rising, and the other followed the 
 setting sun, as if they were at the same time omens to both east 
 and west of dire calamities, or else, at all events, one preceded 
 the approach of day, and the other the approach of night, to 
 show that misfortunes impend over mortals both day and night. 
 And they bore a heap of fire towards the north, inclining to- 
 wards the west, and they appeared in the month of January, 
 and remained about a fortnight. And the same year a most 
 terrible visitation of the pagans laid waste Gaul and Spai)i 
 with terrible slaughter ;^ but they not long afterwards suffered 
 the deserved punishment for their treachery, being crushed 
 in a miserable manner." 
 
 A.D. 730. Gregory became pope, and occupied the Roman 
 see ten years. The same year, Osric, king of Northumber- 
 land, left his kingdom, which he had held for fifteen years, to 
 Ceolwolf. Ceolwolf was the son of Cutha, who was the son 
 of Cuthwin, who was the son of Lethewold, who was the son of 
 Egwald, who was the son of Aldelm, who was the son of Oga, 
 who was the son of Ida. This king being truly blessed, and 
 very sufficiently accompHshed in Uterature and knowledge', 
 showed plainly by his end how much advantage he derived 
 from his course of life. 
 
 A.D. 731. Brithwald, archbishop of Canterbury, died, and 
 left his archbishopric to Tadwin. 
 
 A.D. 732. Tadwin was consecrated archbishop of Canterbury 
 
 * The author here refers apparently to the subjugation of Spain and 
 invasion of Gaul by the Saracens. The battle of Xeres, which decided the 
 fate of Spain, took place a.d. 71L The battle of Tours, by which Charles 
 Martel delivered Europe from the fear of being overrun in a similar man- 
 ner, A.D. 732. 
 
 TOL. II. A A 
 
354 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEB. 
 
 A.D. 734. 
 
 A.U. 734. 
 
 LETTER OF POPE SERGIUS. 
 
 355 
 
 in his own city, by the venerable men Daniel, bishop of Win- 
 chester, Ingolgus, bishop of London, Alwyn, bishop of Lich- 
 field, and Ealdulf, bishop of Rochester, on the tenth day of 
 the month of June. He was a man very eminent for his 
 strictness as an ecclesiastic. 
 
 A.D. 733. Archbishop Tadwin, having received a pallium, 
 ordained two bishops. The same year, also, king Ceolwolf was 
 taken prisoner, shaved, and sent back to his kingdom. 
 
 A.D. 734. Ethelbald, king of Mercia, having collected an 
 army, besieged the castle of Somerton. And as no one was 
 able to bring assistance to the beleaguered citizens, the said 
 king made himself master of the castle. And after that, havino- 
 compelled all the citizens to submit to him, he reigned over 
 all tlie provinces of England, as far as the river Humber. The 
 same year, an eclipse of the sun took place, on the fourteenth 
 of August, about three o'clock in the day, to such an extent, 
 that nearly the whole orb of the sun appeared covered over 
 with a black shield. 
 
 The same year, Bede, a venerable man, and of an unvaryingly 
 heavenly disposition, ascended to the palaces of heaven. He 
 was a man endowed with divine virtue, restraining his own 
 vicious propensities and those of others, on which account he - 
 deserves to be held in everlasting recollection. For he was a 
 venerable priest, having been educated in that monastery of 
 Peter the chief of the Apostles, which is at the mouth of the 
 river Wire, and is called Gerewi ; where he spent the whole 
 period of his life, under the most reverend abbot Benedict, 
 and afterwards under Ceolfrid, being a man of God, thrice 
 blessed, devoting all his labours to the Holy Scriptures and to 
 meditative studies, delighting always in learning, or writing, 
 or teaching. In the nineteenth year of his age he attained to 
 the office of deacon, and in his thirtieth year he was advanced 
 to the rank of the priesthood ; after which time, he employed 
 himself till his fortieth year in compiling from the works of 
 the holy fathers, for the benefit of the church, seventy-eight 
 books, in thirty-six volumes, which he himself gives a hst of 
 in his History of England, composing them in a rigidly pure 
 style, by which he deserved to be accounted by the whole 
 church the teacher of the English, and their venerable father. 
 And when, last of all, he published his History of the Kings of 
 England, and other events and exploits, among his books. 
 
 having worked them up with great care and labour, he burst 
 forth into prayer, saying, «* I entreat you, good Jesus, to 
 give also to him, to whom you have by your favour granted 
 to imbibe sweetly the words of your knowledge, that he may 
 hereafter arrive at the fountain of all wisdom, and may appear 
 for ever before your face. Moreover, I most humbly entreat 
 all those to whom this history may ever come, all those of my 
 nation who either read or hear it, to remember often to entreat 
 the Divine clemency for my infirmities, both of mind and 
 body, and to give me this requital in their provinces, so that 
 I may find in all of them the fruit of their pious intercession. 
 Amen !" 
 
 Moreover, the fame of this venerable man w as so well known 
 to the Roman pontiff, that his eminence entreated his aid to 
 explain certain obscure questions in the Holy Scriptures. But 
 that he ever went to Rome I do not positively affirm. Never- 
 theless, I have no doubt that he was invited' thither, as this 
 letter will plainly show, which formerly pope Sergius directed 
 to the abbot Ceolfrid, and which is couched in the following 
 terms : — 
 
 " Sergius, the bishop, the servant of the servants of God, to 
 Ceolfrid, the religious abbot, health, and the apostolical bene- 
 diction. With what words, and in what manner can we ex- 
 press the clemency and unspeakable providence of our God, 
 and give proper thanks for all his benefits towards us, in that 
 He leads us who are placed in darkness and the shadow of 
 death to the light of knowledge ? We therefore exhort the 
 god-beloved kindness of your pious spirit, that (as there have 
 arisen some questions about certain articles relating to eccle- 
 siastical affairs, which cannot be cleared up without a more 
 protracted examination, for which purpose we have need of 
 conferring with some one thoroughly imbued w ith a know- 
 ledge of literature), you, as becomes a devout helper of our 
 holy mother, the universal church, will not delay to accom- 
 modate your obedient devotion to this our exhortation, but 
 that you will, without any delay, send to the sight of our 
 mediocrity that religious servant of God, the venerable Bede, 
 a priest of your monastery, to the threshold of the chief 
 apostles, my lords Peter and Paul, your lovers and protectors, 
 who, by the favour of God shown to your holy kings, you may 
 not doubt shall return successfully to you, when the desired 
 examination of the aforesaid articles have been completed by 
 
 aa2 
 
356 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 734. 
 
 the aid of God. For whatever is made known and imparted 
 to the universal church, by liis pre-eminent wisdom, will, as 
 we confidently trust, be an advantage to all those who are under 
 yoirr rule. 
 
 But at the time when the Venerable Bede, a man worthy of 
 God, departed this life, for a fortnight before the resurrection 
 of our Lord, he was afflicted with an incessant pain and diffi- 
 culty of breathing. But even then, he was cheerful and full 
 ^f joy. giving tlianks night and day and every hour to Almighty 
 God, up to the day of our Lord's Ascension, that is, till the 
 twenty-fifth of May, and giving daily lectures to his disciples 
 out of the Holy Scriptures, and all the rest of the day he 
 passed in singing psalms and in prayer. And the whole night 
 he Matched, and passed it in joy and exultation and giving 
 of thanks, except when occasionally a brief sleep interrupted 
 him. The third day before the Ascension of our L»rd, he 
 began to suffer more from his asthma, and a slight swelling 
 appeared in his feet, a warning and indication of impending 
 death. Then, having summoned a congregation, he was anointed 
 with the kiss of peace, and having reverently, and with tears 
 received his viaticum, he implored all present to have a remem- 
 brance of his soul. And for some of the brethren he showed, 
 a more intimate friendship, and secretly gave them some 
 presents as memorials of him. And on the day of the Ascen- 
 sion of our Lord, when the departure of his soul from his 
 body was near at hand, he lay down on a cloak, that was placed 
 beneath him, in front of the oratory, at wiiich he was accus- 
 tomed to pray, and with unchanged countenance and feeling, 
 he prayed for the grace of the Holy Spirit, speaking thus ; 
 "0 king of glory. Lord of virtues, you who this day ascended 
 triumphant above all the heaven, leave us not orphans, but 
 send to us the promised gift of the Father, namely, the Spirit 
 of Truth.'' And when he had uttered this prayer, he yielded 
 up his spirit. And as his spirit departed, those present per- 
 ceived such an odour as frankincense does not emit, nor the 
 most precious balms supply. And he was buried at the time 
 in the same monastery ; but afterwards he was placed to rest 
 with the blessed Guthbert, bishop of Durham, in a sarcophagus, 
 exquisitely wrought of gold and silver. 
 
 At the time when Bede, the servant of God, departed this 
 life, these kings were flourishing in England : Ethelbert was 
 reigning in Kent ; Ethclhardin V/essexTSelred in East Saxony; 
 
 A.D. 738. ETHELWALD, BISHOP OP LINDISFARNE, DIES. 357 
 
 Ethelbald in Mercia ; Ethelred (who, by his queen Leofrona, 
 became the father of the Holy Albert) in East Anglia ; Ccol- 
 wulf, in the province of Northumberland. Also under these 
 kings, were the following bishops ; in Kent there was Tadwin, 
 archbishop of Canterbury ; Ealdulfinthe city of llochester; 
 Ligoldus, bishop of London. Two in East Anglia, namely, 
 Eadbert, bishop of Helmham, and Ethelac, bishop of Dom- 
 merc. In Mercia, there was Alwyn at Lichfield, Wilfrid in 
 the province of the Wiccii, the seat of whose see was at Wor- 
 cester ; and over the nation of the Mercians, who dwelt beyond 
 the Severn, Wilfrid was bishop, whose cathedral city was 
 Hereford. In the province of Lindsay was Kinebert, at Win- 
 chester, Daniel. In the province of Northumberland were 
 four bishops, Wilfrid at York ; Ethelwald at Lindisfarne ; 
 Acca at Hagustald ; and Ethelin at Witern. The same year, 
 Tadwin, archbishop of Canterbury, died. The same year, 
 the moon appeared suffused with a bloody redness, for an 
 entire hour, on the last day of January. The same year, Acca 
 was driven from the bishopric of Hagustald, and after an in- 
 terval of two years, he was succeeded by Frithebert, on the 
 seventh of September. 
 
 A.D. 735. Nothelm was ordained archbishop of Canterbury, 
 of whom Bede in the preface to his History of England, testifies 
 that he was the greatest use to him in compiling his account of 
 the exploits of the English, by bringing him letters out of the 
 Roman archives, which were necessary for that work, while 
 he was as yet only a priest in the city of London. 
 
 A.D. 736. Nothelm, archbishop of Canterbury, having re- 
 ceived the pallium from the pope, was confirmed in his epis- 
 copal office. 
 
 A.D. ^47. Alwyn, bishop of Lichfield, being of an extreme 
 old age, died ; and in his stead, two bishops were consecrated, 
 namely, Witta at Lichfield and Tota as the first bishop of 
 Leicester. 
 
 A.D. 738. Forther, bishop of Sherburne, went to Rome with 
 the queen of the West Saxons, forsaking all their splendid 
 possessions. Likewise, in those days, a great many kings, 
 bishops, noblemen, and men of meaner birth, clergy and laity, 
 did the same thing with their wives. The same year, Ethel- 
 wald, bishop of Lindisfarne, paid the debt of nature, and was 
 succeeded in his burdensome honour by Renulf. At this time 
 also, Frithebert was ordained bishop of Hagustald. The same 
 
358 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMIN'STEE. 
 
 A.D. 744. 
 
 year, Selred, king of the East Saxons, was deprived of both 
 his hfe and his kingdom, and was succeeded by Swithred. 
 
 A.D. 739. Ethelhard, king of the West Saxons, died, and 
 in his stead, his brother, Cuthred, reigned fifteen years. This 
 year also, as some assert, Ceolwolf, the most noble king of 
 Northumberland, departed from this hfe to Christ. He was 
 succeeded in the kingdom by Eadbert, his kinsman, who 
 reigned eleven years. Eadbert was the son of Eata, the son 
 of Lethewod, the son of Ceolwolf. The same year, Nothelm, 
 archbishop of Canterbury, and Ealdulph, bishop of Rochester, 
 both died. 
 
 A.p. 740. Cuthbert, the eleventh archbishop of Canterbury, 
 is said to have been consecrated. And when he had received 
 the pallium, he consecrated Dumi, bishop of the church of 
 Rochester. 
 
 A.i). 741. Ethelbald, the proud king of Mercia, harassed 
 Cuthred, king of the West Saxons, with war, and also with 
 internal seditions. At last they made peace with one another, 
 and kept it for a short time. 
 
 A.D. 7 12. Gregory died, and Pope Zachary became pope. 
 He occupied the chair of Rome nine years and three months. 
 The same year, Constantino became emperor, and reigned 
 thirty-five years. 
 
 Ch. XIII. —From a.d. 743 to a.d. 802. 
 
 TFars in Britain — Miracles ivrought at the tomb of Benedict— 
 Offoy king of Mercia— Charlemagne makes war upon the 
 Saxons and on the Lombards— -Allies himself with Offa— 
 Honours paid to the body of St. Alban—Ethelbert, king 
 of the East Angles and Martyr— Oj^'a goes to Rome — Dies- 
 Charlemagne goes to Rome— Egbert succeeds to the throne 
 of the West Saxons. 
 
 a.d. 743. Fiery visions were seen in the sky on the first of 
 January, such as no men of that age had ever beheld. The 
 same year, Wilfrid the younger, archbishop of York, died, 
 and was succeeded by Egbert, a man thoroughly learned in 
 divine knowledge. 
 
 A.D. 744. Cuthred, king of the West Saxons, and Ethelbald, 
 king of Mercia, being at peace with one another, united their 
 forces, and fought against the Britons, who had collected Ki\ 
 army from all quarters. And when these most vahant kings, 
 
 A.D. 748. APPLICATION FOll THE RELICS OF BENEDICT. 359 
 
 rushing with strong battalions upon the enemy, pressed very 
 hard upon them, and bore them down terribly, the Welch 
 were put to flight, and gave their backs to the smiters, and 
 their spoils to the pursuers, and the kings returned victori- 
 ously to their own country. 
 
 A.D. 745. Egbert, archbishop of York, reclaimed, in a 
 praiseworthy manner, the pallium, which, ever since the time 
 of Pauhnus, first archbishop of York, had been passed over 
 by eight bishops. 
 
 A.D. 74 G. Daniel, bishop of Winchester, ended his days in 
 the ferty-fifth year of his bishopric, and was succeeded by 
 Humfrey. The same year, the emperor Constantine, who 
 devoted all his attention to magic arts, and bloody sacrifices 
 and luxury, caused many monks and clergy to be stoned for 
 their adherence to the true faith. And the pretended patriarch 
 of Constantinople agreed with him in all his measures, on ac- 
 count of his love of earthly dignities. On which account, 
 indignation descended from heaven upon the citizens of that 
 city, warning their wicked emperor to turn himself from the 
 madness with which he was raging, but he continued unal- 
 tered. Therefore, pestilence and death visited them, beginning 
 in Sicily and Calabria, till it reached the city of Rhegium, 
 which it so completely desolated, that there were many houses 
 in which there was not an inhabitant found. Anastasius him- 
 self was worn out with excessive sufferings, vomiting up all 
 his bowels as it were, and at last he died miserably. 
 
 A.D. 747. There were seen stars falling from heaven, so 
 that all who beheld them thought that the end of the world 
 
 was at hand. 
 
 A.D. 748. Some monks of the Cassian brotherhood, at the in- 
 stance of Charles the Great, procured letters from Pope Zachary 
 to Pepin, king of the French, begging him to cause the monks 
 of Floriacum to restore to its proper place the body of the 
 most blessed Benedict, which they had stolen, in order that 
 the aforesaid servants of God might rejoice in the restoration of 
 this among them, and that they themselves might receive their 
 reward from God. And when the pious king, Pepin, had read 
 this letter, he gave a positive command to Remigius, arch- 
 bishop of Rouen, to go with three other bishops to Floriacum, 
 in order to restore the greatest portion of the holy Benedict 
 to the Cassian monks, without, however, wholly depriving the 
 monastery at Floriacum of it. But when the matter became 
 
360 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMI])fSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 749. 
 
 A.D. 753. 
 
 MARTYRDOM OF SAINT BONIFACE. 
 
 361 
 
 known to the monks of Floriacum, they kept a three days* 
 tast, and prayed before his tomb with tears, saying, " vou 
 our only hope after God, father Benedict, receive, we beseech 
 vou, our tears, and remain with us in this place, which vou 
 have long smce condescended to select ; but if you are so in- 
 dignant at the weight of our sins as to be unwilhng to remain 
 with us, you shall at all events have us for most devout fellow 
 travellers. ' And when they had spent the whole three days 
 in these sobbings and weepings, lo ! the before-mentioned 
 bishops arrive, and endeavour to fulfil the commands of the 
 king. And when the abbot iMedo, who at that time ruled that 
 monastery, had learned the arrival of the bishops, and the 
 reason of it, he summoned the brethren of the coneree-ation to 
 the neighbouring church of the blessed Peter, and shut him- 
 selt up with them then, and there they all fell on the ground 
 and pouring forth plentiful tears, betook themselves to prayer' 
 l>ut the bishops having entered the temple of the Holy Mother 
 ot God, before they came to the tomb of the blessed Benedict 
 were struck with such great fear and blindness, that they could 
 not recognise one another. When then they found themselves 
 blinded by the divme vengeance, they began tremblingly to 
 go through the church, until in their wanderings they came 
 to the ropes of the bells. And puUing them with all their 
 imght they sought to bring themselves aid in this manner, 
 llie abbot and the brethren, who were lying prostrate in prayer, 
 heanng these sounds, entered the church, and found *the 
 bishops who could still see nothing. And when they said to 
 
 ?\c w^f ^'^ y^^ ^^"^"' l'"»tiff^ ?" they answered and 
 said. We have come hither rashly, in order to arouse the 
 blessed father Benedict to vengeance. Woe unto us, because 
 we have sinned ! But ye, servants of God, pray for us to God 
 Almighty, that he may open our eyes, and we promise you 
 that we will never venture to do such deeds in future." On 
 this, the brethren shed abundance of tears in their behalf, and 
 some fell on the ground, and prayed more earnestly for them, 
 that the divine mercy would consent to restore 'them their 
 
 ^'^A:^ u- V "" '^ ^ ^^^y "^^^^ praying, their eyes were opened, 
 and the bishops returned with trembling to their own homes. 
 
 vl\l uT ^'%' ,^,^^^.^^^^' archbishop of Canterbury, and 
 Ethelbald, king of Mercia, held a council. 
 
 A.D. 749 Eadbert, king of Kent, after he had held the 
 
 helm of the kingdom for six years, ended his days, and was 
 
 succeeded by Ethelbert, who reigned fourteen years. The 
 same year, Kineric, son of Cuthred, king of the West Saxons, 
 was slain. The same year, Ethelwold, king of the East 
 Angles, died, and Beorna and Ethelbert divided his dominions 
 between them. 
 
 A.D. 750. Eadbert, king of Northumberland, took prisoner 
 bishop Kinewulf, and brought him to the city of Bebba, which 
 is now called ?aaainbiuf, in French, and gave orders to be- 
 siege the church of the blessed Peter, in Liiidisfarne. 
 
 A.D. 7.^1. Cuthred, king of the West Saxons, fought a battle 
 against Ethelhun, a most gallant general, who raised a sedition 
 against his lord ; and, although in the number of his soldiers 
 he was unequal to his lord, he still met him in the plain, and 
 fought a most severe battle. But at last the king retired 
 from the field victorious, and left Ethelhun severely wounded. 
 The same year, Stephen was elected pope, and occupied the 
 Roman chair five years and twenty-eight days. He, in the 
 last year of his pontificate, transferred the Roman empire 
 from the Greeks to the Germans, in the person of king Char- 
 lemagne, son of Pepin, king of France, who had been made 
 so in his youth. 
 
 A.D. 752. Cuthred, king of the West Saxons, unable to 
 endure the haughty exactions and insolence of Ethelbald, king 
 of Mercia, met him in a hostile manner at 33torfort), where the 
 two kings fought a most terrible battle. But Ethelbald, 
 while Ethelhun marched before him with his standard, on 
 which was embroidered a golden dragon, fought with furious 
 rage against his enemies ; but the standard-bearer of king 
 Cuthred directed his lance against the hostile standard-bearer, 
 and ran him through, so that a shout arose, and the side of 
 Cuthred was greatly strengthened. And the thunders of war, 
 and the clang of blows, and the cries of men falling on both 
 sides, sounded terribly. On each side was there hope of vic- 
 tory, and on neither any thought of flight. But, at length, 
 God, who resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble, 
 put Ethelbald to flight, and joyful victory fell to the lot of 
 Cuthred. The same year, an eclipse of the moon took place 
 after midnight, on the last day of July. 
 
 A.D. 753. Saint Boniface, bishop of the city of Mayence, 
 with fifty-three other persons, received the crown of martyr- 
 dom in Friesland. 
 
362 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 757. 
 
 A.D. 758. 
 
 INSURRECTION IN MERCIA. 
 
 363 
 
 A.D. 754. The holy Boniface, who is also called Winfrid, 
 archbishop of France, perished by martyrdom. 
 
 A.D. J^KK Cuthred, king of the West Saxons, and Ethel- 
 bald, king of IMercia, fought a severe battle in the place which 
 is called Sacchenda. But Ethelbald, who would not escape 
 destruction by flight, was slain, and so died. And Ethelbald, 
 king of Mercia, was succeeded by Bcorredus. And after the 
 death of Ethelbald, the king who reigned forty-one years, the 
 kingdom of the West Saxons was greatly strengthened. 
 
 A.D. 71)^. Paul became pope, and filled the chair at Rome 
 for ten years. In which year also, the most mighty kin"- 
 Cuthred, who had enjoyed such a long course of prosperity, 
 and gained so many victories, ended his life by the pitiless 
 hand of death. He was succeeded in his kingdom by Sige- 
 bert, his kinsman, wlio held it, however, only a short time. 
 For he was so insolent and swoln in his pride, on account of 
 the exploits of his predecessor, that he was intolerable even to 
 his own servants. And as he ill-treated them in every ima- 
 ginable manner, and perverted or changed the laws of his 
 predecessors for his own advantage, Cumbra, a most noble 
 officer, reported to the king the complaints of the whole 
 people ; and, because he advised the king to govern the people 
 committed to his care with greater mildness, and to clothe 
 himself with humility, and appear amiable to God and men, 
 the king ordered him to be put to death by an atrocious mode 
 of execution; and from that time forth * became more cruel 
 still, and increased tlie tyranny which he practised upon his 
 people. And, when that was found to be the case, the nobles 
 of the kingdom, with all the people, met together, and Sige- 
 bert was expelled from his kingdom by the deliberate wisdom 
 of the whole nation, and Kineulf, a youth of the royal family, 
 was elected, and promoted to be king. And king Sigebert, 
 after he was deposed, fled to the wood which is called An- 
 dredeswald, and hid himself where Ansian, the swineherd of 
 Cumbra, the officer who, as we have related, had been wickedly 
 put to death, found the king concealed at gribcttsfflaUt, and 
 slew him to avenge his own master. 
 
 The same year, Humphrey, bishop of Winchester, died, and 
 was succeeded by Kinehard. 
 
 A.D. 7-^7. Eadbert, king of Northumberland, voluntarily 
 left his kingdom to Osulf, his son, who held it for a year, and 
 then lost it. For he was wickedly slain by his own nation 
 
 on the twenty-fourth of July. But king E^-dbert assumed the 
 garb and tonsure of a monk. He is the eighth of the kings 
 of England who exchanged their temporal kingdom for an 
 eternal one, in order to have, as a reward in heaven, the de- 
 light of the eighth beatitude, which is due to voluntary poverty. 
 Osulf, his son, was succeeded in the kingdom of Northumber- 
 land by Ethelwold MoUo, who reigned six years. 
 
 A.D.' 7o8. A tribe of the kingdom of Mercia rose in insur- 
 rection against their king, Beornred, because he was ruling 
 the people, not according to just laws, but tyrannically. And 
 accordingly, all men, both noble and ignoble, met together, 
 and, under the leadership of OfFa, a most gallant youth, Ex- 
 pelled him from the kingdom. And when this had been 
 done, by the unanimous consent of all men, both clergy and 
 people, crowned the aforesaid OfFa as king. For Oifa was de- 
 scended from the royal family, inasmuch as he was the son of 
 Thinferth, who was the son of Ealdulf, who was the son of 
 Osulf, who was the son of Eoppa, who was the son of Wibba, 
 who was the son of Creodda, who was the son of Kinewold, 
 who was the son of Cnebba, who was the son of Ithel, who 
 was the son of Eoraeri, who was the son of Angelthean, who 
 was the son of OfFa, who was the son of Weremund, who was 
 the son of Withleig, who was the son of Wagon, who was the 
 son of Frethegeath, who was the son of Woden. 
 
 To this last the ancients dedicated the fourth day of the 
 week, which was called OTotlucsJtJcii). And his wife was Frea, 
 to whom the ancients dedicated the sixth day of the week, 
 which is called dTn'^*"!^. But Wooden was the son of Frethe- 
 wold, who was the'son'of Freolaf, who was the son of Frithe- 
 wolf, who was the son of Godwolf, who was the son of Geta. 
 The Pao-ans long ago used to worship this last as God, and 
 Seduliu's, a noble poet, makes mention of him in an eastern 
 hymn, where he begins thus : — 
 
 " Let the Gentile poet strive 
 
 In loud high-sounding verse to tell 
 Their wicked figments, and in praise 
 Of Geta bid their voices swell." 
 
 But Geta was the son of Cethwa, who was the son of Beau, 
 who was the son of Seldua, who was the son of Heremod, who 
 was the son of Itermod, who was the son of Hathra, who was 
 the son of Wala, who was the son of Bedwi, who was the son 
 
364 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 7G5. 
 
 of Sliem, who was the son of Noah, who was the son of Lamcch, 
 who was the son of Methuselah, who was the son of Enoch, 
 who was the son of Malaleel, who was the son of Cainan, who 
 was the son of Enos, who was the son of Seth, who was the 
 son of Adam, whom the Lord formed out of the clay of tlie 
 earth. 
 
 King Offa then w^as the terror and dread of all the kings of 
 England, for he defeated in battle the king of Kent, the king 
 of the West Saxons, the king of Northumberland, the king of 
 the South Saxons, the king of the East Angles, and, as will be 
 said hereafter at greater length, having conquered all the re- 
 maining kings, or made them tributary to himself, he extended 
 the kingdom of Mercia to no inconsiderable extent. 
 
 A.D. 759. Ethel wald Mollo, king of Northumberland, waged 
 war against the most powerful duke Oswin, whom he slew, 
 and retired with victory. This same year also,Unno, the king 
 of tlie Picts, died. 
 
 A.D. 7G0. An eclipse of the moon took place about mid- 
 night, on the first of August. The same year, Cuthbert, arch- 
 bishop of Canterbury, died, and was succeeded by Bregwin, 
 a prudent man, and of great acquaintance with literature. 
 
 A.D. 7()1. The head of Saint John the Baptist was brought 
 into the city of Edessa. 
 
 A.D. 762. Ethelbert, king of Kent, departed this Hfe, ar.d 
 left Eadbert heir of his kingdom. The same year, Ethelbald, 
 king of Northumberland, took Etheldreda for his queen. 
 
 A.D. 763. Bregwin, archbishop of Canterbury, died, and 
 lambert succeeded him. The same year, Frethewold, bishop of 
 White Chase, departed this life, and was succeeded by Pethwiu. 
 
 A.D. 764. Hemel, bishop of Lichfield, died, and was suc- 
 ceeded by Cuthfrid. The same year, Ealdulf, bishop in 
 Lindsev, ended his days, and Ceolwolf succeeded him. But 
 we are quite ignorant what city these bishops had as the 
 cathedral city of their diocese. But that there were many 
 bishops there, that is to say, in the district of Lindsey, which 
 is between Lincoln and the river Ilumber, we are quite certain ; 
 and the first bishop, as the Venerable Bede testifies in his His- 
 tory of England, was ordained bishop by Paulinus, the first 
 archbishop of York. This year, Adrian succeeded to the see 
 of Rome. 
 
 A.D. 765. Ethelwald Mollo, king of Northumberland, slew 
 that most valiant duke Oswyn, who rebelled against him, and 
 
 A.D. 768. 
 
 STEPHEN, POPE OF EOME. 
 
 365 
 
 not long afterwards he departed this life himself, and was 
 succeeded by Ealred, the great-great-grandson of king Ida, 
 who reigned eight years. 
 
 The same year, Offa, the most mighty king of Mercia, having 
 conceived an enmity against the people of Kent, endeavoured 
 to strip Limbert, archbishop of Canterbury, of the primacy, 
 and at the same time endeavoured to adorn the kingdom of 
 Mercia with the archbishopric. Therefore he sent messengers 
 to pope Adrian, entreating of him to decorate Ealdulf, bishop 
 of Lichfield, with the pallium, contrary to the custom of the 
 ancients, and to make all the bishops of his kingdom subordi- 
 nate to him. And he wearied the Apostolic See so long with 
 plausible arguments, that, as the Roman pontiffs, by reason 
 of their various occupations, are easily drawn in to give 
 their consent to different things, he obtained what he asked, 
 namely, that all the provinces of Mercia should be made sub- 
 ject to the before-named bishop, the names of whom are as 
 follows : Denebert, bishop of Worcester ; W^erebert, bishop of 
 Leicester ; Eadulf, bishop of Sinacester ; Ulward, bishop of 
 Hereford ; and the bishops of the East Angles, namely, Halard, 
 bishop of Helmham, and Tidferth, bishop of Dommac. And 
 there remained to the archbishop of Canterbury, the bishops 
 of London, Winchester, Rochester, and Sherburne. And this 
 violence of the king continued in effect during the whole period 
 of the supremacy of lambert, although this archbishop 
 omitted nothing either of his acts of liberality or diligence, 
 and derogated in no respect from his former dignity. This 
 year, Constantine became pope, and occupied the see for one 
 year and one month. He had been made a priest on a sudden 
 from having been a layman, and he was a tyrannical invader 
 of the papacy, but at last he was troubled by the church, 
 through the zeal of the faithful, and was deprived of his eyes. 
 A.D. 766. Ealdulf, as archbishop of Lichfield, received the 
 pallium, and Frithbert, bishop of Hagustald, died. 
 
 A.D. 767. Egbert, archbishop of York, died, and w^as suc- 
 ceeded by Eanbald. This is that Eanbald, who, acting in 
 union with Ethelhard, archbishop of Canterbury, baffled and 
 defeated the invasion which Oftii, king of Mercia, endeavoured 
 to make of the rights of the church of Canterbury. The same 
 year, Alcmund succeeded Frithbert, as bishop of Hagustald. 
 
 A.D. 7QS. Stephen became pope of Rome, and governed the 
 see for three years. The same year, Werebert, fourth bishop 
 
366 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 773. 
 
 A.D. 774. THE KIITO OF FEANCE EEDIJCES ITALY. 
 
 367 
 
 ■ I 
 
 ; 
 
 ■ 
 
 of Leicester, died, and was succeeded by Unwona. For 
 Leicester is an ancient city, deriving its name from Leyr, king 
 of the Britons. And the first EngUsh bishop of that see was 
 named Totta, the second was Eadbert, the third was Werebert, 
 the fourth' was Unwona, who with OfFa, king of Mercia, and 
 Hunbert, archbishop of Lichfield (as they commonly called 
 Berthun, transposing the syllables of his name), is said to have 
 been present, with the rest of the bishops, at the discovery of 
 the body of the blessed proto-martyr, Alban. But of this we 
 shall speak hereafter. 
 
 A.D. 769. The cityCataractawas burnt with fire, by Beornred, 
 the tyrannical king of Mercia, who had been deposed. But 
 Beornred himself perished miserably by fire, the same year, 
 by the just judgment of God. 
 
 A.D. 770. Charles, king of France, having collected a mighty 
 army, attacked the nation of the Saxons in war, and, though 
 a great number of his chief men were slain, he nevertheless, 
 returned home with the victory. The same year, stars were seen 
 to fall from heaven in an awful manner. 
 
 A.D. 771. Offa, king of Mercia, subdued the nation of the 
 Angles by force of arms. And the same year, Charles, king 
 of France, was cut short by a sudden death, and so expired ; 
 and Charles, his brother, who had previously obtained one 
 half of his father's dominions, now took upon himself the 
 sole government of the whole kingdom, amid the acclamations 
 of the people.'- 
 
 A.D. 772. Pope Stephen died, and Adrian the First suc- 
 ceeded him, and ruled the church twenty-three years, ten 
 months, and eighteen days. 
 
 A.D. 773. Ealdred, king of Northumberland, departed this 
 life, and was succeeded by Ethelred. The same year, Ofia, 
 king of Mercia, fought a battle against the Kentish people, 
 at Ottanforde. But at length, after terrible slaughter on both 
 sides, Ofi'a was gloriously successful, and retired in triumph. 
 The same year, pope Adrian invited Charles to Rome, to defend 
 the church ; and he arriving there, besieged Papia, and leaving 
 his army there, went on to Rome himself, and there celebrated 
 
 1 There is evidently some mistake or else some corruption of the text 
 here. At the beginning of the sentence Werebert was called the fourth 
 bishop, and if so, Unwona must have been the fifth. 
 
 '^ The Charles who died was Carioman : the Charles who obtained the 
 undivided sovereignty was Cliarlemagne. Pepin died 7G8, and Carlomau 
 771, as is correctly stated here. 
 
 the festival of the Holy Resurrection, and after that, he re- 
 turned and took Papia ; and again returning to Rome, he held 
 a council in union with pope Adrian, and a hundred and fifty- 
 three other religious abbots and bishops, in which pope Adrian 
 and the general council gave him the right of electing the 
 Pontift', and of regulating the Apostolic See, and the dignity 
 of patrician,^ and moreover, settled that all the archbishops 
 and bishops in all the provinces should receive their investi- 
 titure from him ; and that a bishop should be consecrated by 
 no one, unless he had been first approved and invested by the 
 king. And the council anathematized all who rebelled against 
 this decree, and confiscated all their possessions, unless they 
 came to their senses. This is the statement of Sigebert. 
 
 A.D. 774. Charles, the most mighty king of France, be- 
 sieged and blockaded Ticino, a most noble city of the Lom- 
 bards, and took it, with Desiderius, the king, and reduced all 
 Italy under his power. 
 
 3 " After the recovery of Italy and Africa by the arms of Justinian, the 
 importance and danger of tliis remote province required the presence of a 
 supreme magistrate : he was inditferently styled the Exarch or Patrician. 
 And these governors of Ravenna, who fill their place in the chronology of 
 princes, extended their jurisdiction over the Roman city. Since the 
 revolt of Italy and the loss of the exarchate, the distress of the Romans 
 had exacted some sacrifice of their independence, and the decrees of the 
 senate and people successively invested Charles Martel and his posterity 
 with the honours of patrician of Rome. The leaders of a powerful nation 
 would have disdained a servile title and subordinate office, but the reign 
 of the Greek emperors was suspended, and in the vacancy of the empire 
 they derived a more glorious commission from the pope and the republic. 
 The Roman ambassadors presented these patricians with the keys of the 
 shrine of St. Peter as a pledge and symbol of sovereignty, and with a holy 
 banner, which it was their right and duty to unfurl in defence of the 
 church and city. . . . And the patriciate represented only the title, the 
 service, the alliance of these distant protectors. The power and policy 
 of Charlemagne annihilated an enemy and imposed a master. In his first 
 visit to the capital, he was received with all the honours which had for- 
 merly been paid to the exarch, the representative of the emperor, and 
 these honours obtained some new decorations from the joy and gratitude 
 
 of Pope Adrian the First In the twenty-six years which bad 
 
 elapsed between the conquest of Lombardy and his imperial coronation, 
 Rome, which had been delivered by the sword, was subject, as his own, to 
 the sceptre of Charlemagne. The people swore allegiance to his person 
 and family ; in his name money was coined and justice was administered, 
 and the election of the popes was examined and confirmed by his autho- 
 rity." — Gibbon, c. xlix. vol. ix. p. 153, Edit. 1820. 
 
368 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMiySTER. 
 
 A.D. 775. 
 
 A.D. 775. Oifa, king of Mercia, being eager to gain over 
 all the neighbouring kings to be his friends, that he might 
 be free from foreign enemies, in spite of all the damage which 
 he had done to liis neighbours, endeavoured, by many pre- 
 sents, to make a friend of Charlemagne, king of the French. 
 But before this time they were enemies to one another, to 
 such a degree, that all the traffic of merchants between the 
 two kingdoms was suspended. But it is shown evidently by 
 the letter of Charlemagne, king of the French, that a firm 
 treaty of friendship was now made between him and Offa ; and 
 the letter is as follows : 
 
 " Charles, by the grace of God, king of the French and 
 Lombards, and patrician of the Romans, to the venerable man 
 and dearest brother, Offa, king of Mercia, greeting. In the 
 first place, we return thanks to Almighty God for the sincerity 
 of the Catholic faith, which we find most excellently expressed 
 in your pages. And as to the foreigners, who, for the love 
 of God and salvation of their souls, desire to approach the 
 threshold of the blessed Apostles, let them come in all peace, 
 without any alarm. But if there be any people found among 
 them who are not obeying the dictates of religion, but who 
 are only in the pursuit of gain, they must pay the appointed 
 dues at the proper places. We are wiUing also that traders 
 shall, in accordance with our command, have legitimate patron- 
 age in this our kingdom. And if in any place they are treated 
 with unjust oppression, they shall have an appeal to ourselves, 
 or to our judges, and we will take care that complete justice 
 is done. Moreover, let your beloved highness know that we 
 have sent some presents from our drdniatics and pallia to 
 each of the episcopal sees of your kingdom or that of king 
 Ethelred, having begged them from the kindness of our lord, 
 pope Adrian, and we entreat you that you will order inter- 
 cession to be made for him. And also we have sent some 
 presents for your metropolitan cities, out of that store of 
 human riches which our Lord Jesus has granted us out of 
 his gratuitous mercy. We have also ordered a belt, and a 
 Hungarian sword, and two robes of silk, to be sent as presents 
 for vour highness. Fare ye well." 
 
 " To Offd, Clmrles a belt and sabre gave, 
 
 To bid him bind the weak, the foemau brave, 
 
 A.D. 780. KING OF NORTHUMBERLAND DEPOSED. 
 
 369 
 
 A robe a hint all secret things to hide ; 
 And so with sword and belt and robe he tried 
 To crush the fierce, the humble friends t'unite, 
 And veil all foul and secret things from light." 
 
 A.D. 77^. Fiery and terrible signs were seen in the heavens 
 after the setting of the sun. And serpents, too, were seen in 
 Sussex, to the great wonder of the people, as if they rose in 
 abundance out of the earth. 
 
 A.D. 777. The emperor Constantine died, and Leo Zaccarus 
 succeeded to the Roman empire, and reigned five years. 
 
 A.D. 778. Pethwin, bishop of Witern, and also of White 
 Chase, came to the last day of his bishopric and of his life, and 
 was succeeded by Ethelbert. The same year, Ethelwald and 
 Herebert, dukes of the kingdom of Northumberland, rebelled 
 against their king, and slew Ealdulf, the general of the army 
 of king Ethelred, at l^ingt^flibe, and afterwards the same 
 dukes slew the dukes of the king, by name Kinelf and Eggen, 
 in a terrible battle. And king Ethelred fled from their face, 
 and they appointed Alfwold king in his stead, and he reigned 
 ten years. 
 
 A.D. 779. Offa, that most gallant king of Mercia, fought 
 against Kinewolf, king of the West Saxons, while he was be- 
 sieging the castle of Bensinton. But, by the fortune of war, 
 Kinewolf got worsted, and so fled from the place, and the in- 
 vincible king of Mercia, Offa, reduced the castle under his 
 own power. 
 
 " Offa, bora of royal blood, 
 Stands unmov'd by battle's flood : 
 Bold he crushes all that's base, 
 No foeman dares to meet his face : 
 He 's Cato, Mars, and likewise Paris, 
 And Mercia safer now by far is. 
 While he upholds ber laws, than when 
 She own'd the sway of weaker men. 
 He with his sword the proud subdues, 
 No prince obedience dare refuse. 
 E'en the great Charles, fair France's lord, 
 Owns his great power and trusts his word. 
 And all fair Mercia's peopled realm 
 Rests while his wisdom guides the hehn ; 
 All at his coronation sing 
 The well-earn'd praises of their king." 
 
 A.D. 780. Ethelred, king of Northumberland, was deposed, 
 
 VOL. I. 
 
 B B 
 
370 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 786. 
 
 and departed first of all to the city of Bebba, and afterwards 
 to the king of the Ticts, named Kinothus, at whose court he 
 ended his life. 
 
 A.D. 78 1 . The princes of Northumberland burned in his own 
 house a magistrate, their justiciary, who was severe beyond the 
 requirements of justice. The same year, Kinewolf, bishop of 
 Lindisfarne, died, and was succeeded by Higbald. 
 
 A.D. 782. Hirenes, with his son Constantine, succeeded to the 
 empire of Rome, and governed it for ten years. The same 
 year, a man found a plate of gold at Constantinople, and on it 
 was a man, with this inscription— "Christ is born of Mary, a 
 virgin, and I believe in him : in the time of the emperors Con- 
 stantine and Hirenes, sun, you will see me again." 
 
 A.D. 783. Alfwold, king of Northumberland, sent to Rome 
 for a pallium, and gave it to the archbishop. The same year, 
 Alcmund, bishop of Hagustald, died, and was succeeded by 
 Gilbert. 
 
 A.D. 784. Wilbert, bishop of Sherburn, died, and was suc- 
 ceeded by Castanus. 
 
 A.D. 785. Withichind and Albion, dukes of Saxony, who 
 were infidels, were reconciled to Charlemagne, and baptized. 
 
 A.D. 786. Kinewolf, king of the West Saxons, after he 
 had reigned twenty-six years, and had fought many battles 
 with great glory against the Britons and many other nations, 
 banished a young man, by name Kinehard, the brother of 
 king Sigebert, whom Kinewolf had expelled from the king- 
 dom, as has been related before, suspecting him, lest he should 
 hereafter aspire to the kingdom, or perhaps avenge his brother s 
 death. But Kinehard, thinking it best to yield to the times, 
 dissembled in his mind, and departed as if willingly. But 
 soon after, he joined some secret companies of banditti, and 
 sought the recesses of the woods, where he lay in ambush, 
 waiting many days, because of the proverb which is often re- 
 peated — 
 
 " What expectation long denies, 
 A sudden hour full oft supplies." 
 
 Meantime, while king Kinewolf, in the indulgence of ille- 
 gitimate amours in the village which is called Merton, was 
 giving himself up to secret joys, and when this had been dis- 
 covered by Kinehard, whom 1 mentioned just now, Kinehard 
 with his accompUces besieged the house. But the king, who 
 
 A.D. 789. ADRIAN SENDS AMBASSADORS INTO BRITAIN. 371 
 
 had come with a small retinue, and almost as it were by him- 
 self, when he found himself hemmed in on all sides by his 
 enemies, closed the doors of the house, hoping either to terrify 
 the banditti by his authority, or to pacify them by his address. 
 But in vain ; for being surrounded by the multitude, as he 
 thought it injurious to his reputation to yield to the enemy, 
 he stood on his defence, and wounded Kinehard himself severely. 
 And when Kinehard saw this, he and his men rushed upon 
 the king and slew him ; and a few of the king's train who 
 were present, refusing to yield, and striving to avenge their 
 master, were all slain in the same manner. The news was quickly 
 borne to the nobles of the murdered king, who were waiting 
 for him at no great distance, among whom Osric, above all 
 others, exhorted his companions not to allow such wickedness 
 to pass unpunished. Accordingly, with drawn swords they 
 rushed upon the enemy. Kinehard seeing this, reminded 
 them of his relationship to their former king, and made them 
 many premises ; but when he could not move them, he excited 
 his party to resistance. At length victory, as was just, declared 
 for the servants of the king, who slew Kinehard with all hia 
 companions. And the body of the king was buried at Win- 
 chester, and that of Kinehard at Rependune, which was then 
 a noble and famous monastery. 
 
 A.D. 787. Kinewolf, king of the West Saxons, being dead, 
 Brithricus, his son, succeeded to the kingdom, and reigned six- 
 teen years. In which year also, Celdulf, bishop of Dorchester, 
 died, and was succeeded by Aldulph. 
 
 A.D. 788. Blood rained down on the earth from heaven, 
 and queen Ricdritha died. 
 
 A.D. 789. Pope Adrian sent ambassadors into Britain, to re- 
 establish the faith which Augustine had preached. And they, 
 having been honourably received by kings, clergy, and people, 
 built a beautiful edifice in the firm foundation of faith, the 
 grace of Christ working with them. And they held a council 
 at Cf)aU^Uti)e, where lambert, archbishop of Canterbury, re- 
 signed part of his archbishopric to the archbishop of Lichfield. 
 In that council also, Offa, the mighty king of Mercia, caused 
 Egfrid, his eldest son, to be solemnly crowned as king, who 
 afterwards, being a most pious youth, and of a most noble 
 disposition, reigned in conjunction with his father to the end 
 of his life. The same year, Alfwald, king of Northumberland, 
 was conspired against by one of his nobles, whose name was 
 
 BB'i 
 
372 
 
 MATTHEW OV WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 792. 
 
 Sigan, and cruelly slain near Wall ; and his body was buried 
 in the church of Hagustald. And in the place where this king 
 was slain, a light issuing from heaven was seen by many 
 people ; on account of the strangeness of which fact, a church 
 was built by the faithful of that place, and was dedicated to 
 the honour of God and king Oswald. He was succeeded in 
 his kingdom by Osred, son of Alcred, the great-great-grandson 
 of king Ida, who reigned one year. 
 
 A.D. 790. The sign of the cross was seen on the garments of 
 several men, which was a strange thing both to speak and 
 hear of. For we suppose that it took place as a warning to 
 the nations of the country to avoid as far as they could the 
 infliction of the Danes, which happened immediately after. 
 
 A..D. 791. Brithric, king of the West Saxons, in order to 
 gain more influence among his neighbours, married the daughter 
 of Offti, king of Mercia, the most powerful king of that time. 
 And being strengthened by that connection, he drove Egbert 
 away into France, who was the only surviving member of the 
 roval family, and who he was afraid would be a hindrance to 
 his objects and to his reign. And after he had been driven 
 away, the king enjoyed quiet security, till the nation of the 
 Danes, a people accustomed to live by piratical rapine, coming 
 over in three ships, disturbed the peace of the province. It may 
 be suspected that they came also as spies, in order to see the 
 fertility of the land, as the multitude of their nation which 
 came afterwards and filled the whole of Britain proved as clear 
 as daylight. But on this occasion they landed secretly, and 
 attacking a royal village which was close by, they slew the 
 king's bailiff", who went out to meet them in battle. He was 
 the first of the EngUsh nation who was slain by them, but 
 afterwards many thousands of thousands of them were slam 
 by that enemy. At last, the multitude of people that came up 
 was so great, that the Danes were stripped of their booty, and 
 compelled to flee to their ships. 
 
 A.D. 792. King Osred ^ was, by the treachery of some of 
 
 ^ It is hardly necessary to point out the contradictions in this sentence, 
 in which Osred is stated to have been expelled after he had reigned one 
 year, while the same year is stated in the next line to have been the fourth 
 since he succeeded to the throne, as in fact it was, for his succession is 
 the last thing mentioned in the year 789. Any subsequent similar instances 
 I shall not think it necessary to point out, as they may be safely trusted to 
 the discernment of the reader. 
 
 A.D. 793. OFFA HECEIVES ETHELBERT WITH HONOUR. 
 
 373 
 
 his subjects, driven from his kingdom when he had reigned 
 one year. And Ethelred, the son of Mollo, was elected in 
 his stead. This year also, which is the fourth year after that 
 in which Osred originally became king, he collected an army 
 and returned, in order to expel Ethelred, by whom he him- 
 self had been expelled from the kingdom, but was taken pri- 
 soner on his march, near Tynemouth, and put to death. The 
 same year, a synod was convened in the place which is called 
 JFinci)ale, over which the archbishop presided, and which was 
 attended by his suff'ragan bishops and many others. 
 
 A.D. 793. Constantine obtained the empire of Rome, and 
 reigned seven years. The same year, Charlemagne, king of 
 France, sent a synodal book to Britain, in which there were 
 found many things contrary to the true faith, and especially 
 this, that it was laid down by the unanimous assertion of 
 nearly all the eastern teachers, that men ought to adore 
 images, a practice which the Catholic church utterly execrates ; 
 and against which Alban wrote an epistle, admirably resting on 
 the authority of the Holy Scriptures, and he took this epistle 
 with this same synodal book to the king of France, on the part 
 of the bishops and nobles. The same year, Ethelred, king of 
 Northumberland, married Elfleda, daughter of king Of fa. 
 
 About the same time, Ethelbert, king of the East Angles, 
 son of king Ethelred, quitted his own kingdom, in spite of the 
 strong remonstrances of his mother, and came to OfFa, the 
 most mighty king of Mercia, and begged of him that he would 
 give him one of his daughters in marriage. And Off^a, that 
 most noble and most illustrious and most high-born king, 
 when he had learnt the object of the arrival of king Ethelbert, 
 received him with great honour in the royal palace, and showed 
 him all the attention and kindness that lay, in his power, not 
 only to the king himself, but to all his comrades who had 
 come with him. But when king Ofta consulted his queen 
 Quendritha, and asked her advice on the subject, she, being 
 urged by the promptings of the devil, is said to have made 
 answer to her husband, *' Behold, God has this day given your 
 enemy into your hands, whose kingdom you have so long 
 coveted with daily desire, so that now you can extinguish him 
 secretly, and so his kingdom will pass under the power of you 
 and your successors for ever." But the king was greatly 
 agitated at the advice of his wife, and reproving her with in- 
 dignation, made answer to her, " You have spoken like one 
 
374 
 
 3IATTIIEW or WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 793. 
 
 of the foolish women ; far from me, far from me may so de- 
 testable an action be, which, if it were perpetrated, would be 
 an everlasting reproach to me and my successors." And, 
 having said this, the king departed from her. Afterwards, 
 when his agitation had become gradually calmed, both the 
 kings sat down at table, where, having refreshed themselves 
 with royal food, they spent the whole day with music, and 
 (lancing, and harp-playing, to their great delight. But in the 
 meantime, the wicked queen, not abandoning her foul design, 
 treacherously ordered a bed-chamber to be adorned in royal 
 fashion with silk mattrasses and curtains, for king Ethel- 
 bert to pass the night upon ; and near the royal bed she caused 
 a chair to be made ready, furnished with the most princely 
 decorations, and surrounded on all sides by curtains, beneath 
 which, wretch that she was, she caused a deep hole to be dug, 
 in order to effect her wicked purpose. Accordingly, when 
 king Ethelbert, after a day of pleasure, wished to give up his 
 limbs to sleep, he was conducted into this bed-chamber, and, 
 as soon as he sat down in the chair which I have described, 
 he was suddenly precipitated into the deep hole, chair and 
 all, and strangled by the executioners whom the queen had 
 concealed there. In the moment that the king had fallen 
 into the pit, the wicked traitors threw over him pillows, and 
 garments, and curtains, that his cries might not be heard. 
 And thus that king and martyr, being murdered, though inno- 
 cent, received the crown of life which God has promised to 
 those that love him. 
 
 But when this detestable action which the wicked queen 
 had done to the suitor of her daughter became known to the 
 comrades of the murdered king, they departed from the 
 palace before daylight, fearing lest they themselves might be 
 subjected to similar treatment. And the noble king OlFa, when 
 he had received information of the crime that had been com- 
 mitted, mourned, and shut himself up in a chamber, and for 
 three days would not taste food. But, although he was quite 
 innocent of all participation in the king's death, he neverthe- 
 less sent a powerful ejcpedition, and annexed the kingdom of 
 the East Angles to his own dominions. And the holy Ethel- 
 bert was buried without any honour, and the place was known 
 to no one, till his body, having been pointed out by light from 
 heaven, was found by the faithful, and was conveyed to the 
 
 A.D. 794. KING OFFA WITNESSES A HEAVENLY MIRACLE. 3/5 
 
 city of Hereford, where it now adorns with its miracles, and 
 glorifies with its virtues, that episcopal see. 
 
 A.D. 794. lambert, archbishop of Canterbury, died, when 
 he had discharged the duties of that see for twenty-seven years 
 with extraordinary diligence. And he was buried in the chapter 
 house of the church of Saint Augustine, and was succeeded 
 by Athelard, who had been thirteen years bishop of the city 
 of Winchester. The same year, Eanbald, archbishop of York, 
 consecrated Baldulph, bishop of Witerne, which is called in 
 English White Chase. 
 
 The same year, when Offa, the most mighty king of Mercia, 
 while residing in the city of Bath, was, after the labours of the 
 day, enjoying the rest of night in his royal bed, he was warned 
 by a divine oracle, which was announced to him by an angel, 
 to take up out of the earth Alban, that saint of God, the 
 proto-martyr of the Angles or Britons (which indeed is the 
 correct statement, because it is certain that he was a Briton, 
 and not an Angle, so that it is a mistake to call him the proto- 
 martyr of the Angles). And king Oflfa was at the same time 
 commanded to place the remains of Saint Alban in a reposi- 
 tory which should be more worthy of them. Accordingly, 
 the king, being desirous immediately to obey the divine in- 
 junctions, having sent for Humbert, archbishop of Mercia, 
 to whom Lichfield had lately been given by this king for his 
 archiepiscopal see, declared to him the will of God on the 
 subject. Then the aforesaid bishop, immediately having joined 
 with himself Ceolwolf, bishop of Lindsey, and Unwin, bishop 
 of Leicester, his suffragans, with an exceeding number of people 
 of both sexes and of every age, met the king on a day ap- 
 pointed at Verolamium. But the king, as he was journeying 
 thither, saw a ray of light issuing from heaven like a huge 
 torch, and descending like a flash of lightning towards the 
 place of the sepulchre. And as this heavenly miracle was 
 beheld by every one, they all by this indication were made 
 more certain of the truth of the vision. Then, when the 
 people had been sanctified by fasting, and alms, and prayers, 
 the bishops, adorned with their sacerdotal mitres, entreated 
 the aid of the blessed martyr to be present to them. For the 
 place and the memory of the martyr had been entirely lost for 
 about three hundred and forty-four years since the arrival of 
 Saint Germain, bishop of Altisiodora, who with the blessed Lupus, 
 bishop of the city of Troyes, had come to Britain to extirpate 
 
376 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEK. 
 
 A.D. 794. 
 
 the heresy of the Pelagians. For since that time the pagan 
 nations of the Saxons, Jutes, and Angles, having expelled the 
 Britons, had subjugated Britain, as has been related already at 
 some length, and ravaging the lands, setting fire to the cities 
 and towns, levelling the holy churches to the ground, and 
 murdering the priests, had pitilessly destroyed almost the 
 whole surface of the island from sea to sea. And, during this 
 period, the church of the blessed Alban, the proto-martyr of the 
 Angles (which Bede in his History of England relates to have 
 been built of stone most exquisitely wrought), was wholly de- 
 stroyed, along with the other churches of the country. And 
 his sepulchre also, which at the time of the arrival of Saint 
 Germain, and before that, from the time of the passion of the 
 martyr to that of the desolation of his country, was well known 
 to all men, and an object of adoration to all, on account of the 
 number of miracles wrought at it, was now unknown to any 
 one, till it was thus revealed to king OfFa by the ministry of 
 the Anglican pontiiF. 
 
 When then, as we have already said, prayers had been offered 
 up by the clergy and people with alms and fasting, they divide 
 the ground between them, and search everywhere for the 
 burial-place of the martyr. Nor were they compelled to be a 
 long time searching for the place, as the divine mercy con- 
 descended to reveal it by heavenly light. And so, while that 
 most valiant king OflFa was standing by, they found the body 
 of the martyr in a wooden coffin, in which, owing to the cruelty 
 of the barbarians, and the critical circumstances of the times, 
 it had been hidden by the faithful, with the sacred relics of all 
 the apostles and of the different martyrs, which the Holy 
 Germain had deposited there a long time before. And this 
 discovery moved not only the clergy, but the whole people to 
 tears, especially because it confirmed the words of the Holy 
 Fathers respecting the relics which were found with the body, 
 and which we read were put with the martyr's holy body, to his 
 great comfort. To make my story short, the archbishop with 
 his bishops raised the treasure, which had been long hidden 
 beneath the turf, out of its sepulchre with holy fear, and while 
 a solemn procession went before with hymns and praises, they 
 transferred it to a certain church, which had been formerly 
 consecrated outside of the city of Verulamium, in honour of 
 the holy proto-martyr, where they replaced the holy relics of 
 
 A.D. 794. ST. alban' S MONASTERY ESTABLISHED. 
 
 377 
 
 the father in a coffin, exquisitely made of gold and silver and 
 precious stones. 
 
 In which place, down even to the present day, divine miracles 
 are incessantly wrought, and, in the sight of many, hearing is 
 there restored to the deaf, the power of walking to the lame, 
 sight to the blind, and to all who with faith implore the assist- 
 ance of the blessed martyr, desired health of mind and body 
 is given by God. 
 
 And these things were done in the five hundred and seventh 
 year after his passion, three hundred and forty-four years after 
 the arrival of the Angles in Britain, in the first indiction, on 
 the first day of August. 
 
 When this had been done in that place, the king convoked 
 a provincial council, and deliberated with archbishop Hum- 
 bert and his suffragans, and all the nobles, on the subject of 
 collecting a brotherhood of monks, and establishing a monas- 
 tery in that place where he had found the remains of the 
 proto-martyr of his kingdom, and which that holy man had 
 consecrated with his blood. And the proposal of the king 
 pleased them all, and he adopted the advice of the bishops, 
 that the monastery which was to be built, should, by the 
 authority of the Roman pontiff, be canonized and privileged, 
 in honour of the martyr. And that all these things might be 
 more completely and regularly done, the king is advised to 
 treat with the Roman court about this matter, either by the 
 intervention of legates h latere, or else in his own person. 
 Accordingly, the king adopted this advice, and undertook a 
 laborious journey, in order that as the blessed Alban shone 
 forth as the proto-martyr of the Angles, so his monastery might 
 be superior, in both possessions and privileges, to all similar 
 brotherhoods in the kingdom. Therefore, the king put to 
 sea, and landed at the port which he wished to, in Flanders ; 
 and coming to a certain town, named Monasteriolum, he 
 stopped there for the sake of resting, and when he could 
 procure no fodder for his horses, he marvelled greatly, as 
 the whole district was seen to abound in fertile meadows. 
 Accordingly, the king enquired to whom those meadows 
 belonged, and he received for answer, that they had many 
 owners. Accordingly, the king commanded that all the 
 inhabitants should appear before him, and when they came, 
 he spoke seriously to them on the subject of selling those 
 fields ; they who heard this were exceedingly indignant, aa- 
 
378 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 794. 
 
 serting that the owners of the meadows abounded sufficiently 
 in temporal wealth. And when, at last, those nobles to whom 
 the lands belonged had been brought into the king's presence, 
 he spoke to them of selling the fields. And as he heard that 
 they abounded in every kind of riches, '* You do not abound," 
 said the king, " so greatly, but that you may be made to abound 
 still more. We will become purchasers of your lands, not 
 according to their valuation, but at the price at which you are 
 willing to sell them. Nor will there be any difficulty about 
 the price, though there is no option about the sale." When 
 they heard these words, they all yielded to covetousness, and 
 received from the king a price for their meadows, according to 
 their will. And when the purchase had been completed, the 
 king consecrated those meadows, and with royal munificence 
 confirmed the enjoyment of them to all strangers who should 
 pass by, that all foreigners who were in that place for a time, 
 should have grass and hay sufficient for the food of their 
 beasts, without any payment, for ever, in consequence of the 
 royal beneficence. 
 
 Then when the money for the purchase of the fields had 
 been paid, the king set out from that place, and proceeded 
 to Rome, where he reached the wished-for threshold of the 
 Apostles, and traversed the places consecrated to the different 
 Saints with pious devotion. Then he explained to the Supreme 
 Pontiff Adrian the object of his visit, and in a spirit of devotion 
 addressing to him his entreaties respecting the canonization 
 of the place, and of the blessed Alban, and respecting the 
 building of a monastery, he easily inclined the Roman court 
 to grant his petition, especially on the ground that the dis- 
 covery of the martyr's body had been brought about by 
 Divine revelation. Then he consulted the court on the 
 subject of the foundation of the monastery, and its eman- 
 cipation from all subjection to bishops ; and the Roman Pon- 
 tiff gave him the following answer : ** My most beloved son, 
 Offa, most mighty king of the English, we exceedingly com- 
 mend your devotion about the proto-martyr of your kingdom, 
 and we gladly give assent to your request and proposal of 
 building a monastery and endowing it with privileges, enjoining 
 you, for the remission of your sins, that when you return to 
 your own land, you shall, by the advice of your bishops and 
 nobles, confer on the monastery of the blessed Alban whatever 
 possessions or privileges you choose ; and when you have 
 
 AD. 794. 
 
 EXTENT OF KING OFFA S EULE. 
 
 379 
 
 thus given it privileges, we will confirm your original grant, 
 by a grant of privileges from us corresponding to yours. And 
 we will adopt that monastery to be a special daughter of the 
 Roman Church, and we will make it subject immediately to 
 our own see, without any bishop or archbishop interfering 
 between us and it." So when he had received this answer, 
 the king deliberated with himself as to what he could do in 
 return, which should be worthy of such great liberality. At 
 length. Divine grace inspiring the king, a wholesome idea oc- 
 curred to him, and the next day he Ment into the school of 
 the English, which was at that time flourishing at Rome, and 
 gave to that school, for the support of those subjects of his 
 kingdom who should come thither, a piece of silver money for 
 each family, every day and every year for ever, provided their 
 estate in land, besides their house, did not exceed the value of 
 thirty pieces of silver ; and by this great liberality he obtained 
 the privilege, that no one of the kingdom of England who was 
 a public penitent, should be compelled to leave the kingdom 
 for the performance of any penance that might be enjoined 
 him. Having therefore executed this donation, and procured 
 its ratification from the pope, and having received remission of 
 his sins, and the benediction of the Supreme Pontiff, that 
 great king returned to his own dominions. Then, having con- 
 vened a council of his bishops and nobles at Verulamium, with 
 their unanimous consent and good will, he conferred on the 
 blessed Alban ample estates and innumerable possessions, 
 which he invested with various liberties and privileges. And 
 he collected a brotherhood of monks from thoroughly religious 
 houses to his house, at the tomb of the martyr, and he set 
 over them an abbot named Willegod, to whom he granted the 
 monastery itself, and all the rights of a king. 
 
 This great king, Offa, ruled over twenty-three provinces, 
 which the English call shires, that is to say, over that of Here- 
 ford, whose bishop has his episcopal see in the city of the same 
 name ; over those of Worcester and Gloucester, whose bishop 
 has his see at Worcester ; over those of Warwick, Chester, 
 Stafford, Shrewsbury, and Derby, the cathedral city of 
 which sliires is Lichfield ; over Leicestershire, whose bishop 
 has his see in the city of the same name ; over Lincolnshire, 
 the cathedral city of which is Lindesey ; over the shires of 
 Northampton, Oxford, Buckingham, Huntingdon, Cambridge, 
 and half of Hertford, the see of the bishop of which is at Don- 
 
380 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMrNSTEB. 
 
 A.D. 795. 
 
 caster ; over those of Essex, Middlesex, and the other half of 
 Hertford, the bishop of which has his see in London ; over 
 Norfolk and Suffolk there are two bishops, the bishop of Helm- 
 ham and the bishop of Dommuc ; he also ruled over the pro- 
 vince of Nottingham, the Christian government of which 
 province belongs to the archbishop of York. And from all 
 these provinces the aforesaid king gave the donation of the 
 blessed Peter, which has been spoken of before, and which 
 is called in English l^omtsJcot. 
 
 Moreover, that most mighty king, Offa, gave to the blessed 
 proto-martyr Alban, his own lordly town, which is about 
 twenty miles from Verulamium, and is called iflucdlaiu, and 
 an equal space round it, as is testified to this day by the 
 writings of the king which are contained in the afore-men- 
 tioned church. Which church is eminent for such extra- 
 ordinary liberties and privileges, that it is the only place 
 exempt from the apostolic customs, and from the payment 
 which is called l^omts(cot, though neither king nor arch- 
 bishop, nor bishop, abbot nor prior, nor any one else in the 
 whole kingdom is exempt from the payment of it. And the 
 abbot, or archdeacon monk, appointed under him, exercises 
 pontifical power over priests and laymen throughout his whole 
 possessions, so that he owes no obedience to any archbishop or 
 legate, save only to the Supreme Pontiff. This also should 
 be known, that when the great king Offa granted this esta- 
 blished revenue to the vicar of the blessed Peter, the pontiff 
 of the Roman city, when, that is to say, he gave him the pay- 
 ment of J^ome^cot throughout his realm, he also prevailed on 
 the Roman pontiff to grant that the church of Alban, the 
 proto-martyr of the Angles, might faithfully collect this same 
 5Rome£lcot from the whole of the province of Hertford, in which 
 this church that we have so often mentioned is situated, and 
 having collected it, might retain it for its own use. On which 
 account, as the church itself has, as a gift from the king, all 
 manner of royal rights, so the abbot of the place for the time 
 being has a right to wear the full pontifical ornaments. And 
 this is enough to say at the present time about the holy Alban. 
 
 A.D. 795. Humbert, archbishop of Lichfield, died, and was 
 succeeded by Higbert. The same year, some terrible prodigies 
 alarmed the miserable nation of the English. For fearful light- 
 nings and dragons, blazing in a dreadful manner, were seen to 
 fly through the air. signs which foreshowed a mighty famine, 
 
 A.P. 797. 
 
 POPE ADRIAN DIES. 
 
 381 
 
 and a terrible slaughter among mankind. Accordmgly, the 
 Danes came on with the Norwegians, and slew m a fearful 
 manner the people of the provinces of Northumberland and 
 Lindisfarne. and destroyed the churches of Christ with their 
 inhabitants. The island of Lindisfarne, which extends over 
 more than eight miles, contains a noble monastery, in which 
 the illustrious father and bishop Cuthbert was buried, and 
 also the other bishops who were his holy successors ; but the 
 Lindis is a small brook which runs into the sea, and is about 
 two feet in width when the tide is low and the stream distin- 
 guishable, but when the tide is high, then the Lindis cannot 
 he discerned. 
 
 A.D. 796. Constantine, the emperor, deprived many of 
 his subjects of their eyes, and condemned to a cruel death 
 pope Stephen, whom he had shut up in a prison, and kept pri- 
 soner for forty years : and he compelled all his subjects who 
 were objects of suspicion to him, to swear on the word of the 
 holy cross, that they would worship no image of God or his 
 Saints, and that they would address no invocations to the 
 mother of God. And condemning all those who kept watch 
 in honour of God, and all who lived religiously, deprived them 
 of their patrimonies, and tormented them in every possible 
 manner. In the case of those who were the most pious, 
 he smeared their beards with wax or pitch, and then set fire 
 to them. And he compelled monks to marry wives, and 
 nuns to marry husbands ; which many refusing to do, came to 
 the palm of martyrdom. Nor is there any persecution of a 
 gentile in which more persons are said to have been martyred 
 than in this one. This year also, Sigar, the general, who had 
 slain the blessed king Alfwold in a shameful manner, perished 
 by deserved tortures. 
 
 A.D. 797. Pope Adrian died, and was succeeded by Leo, 
 who filled the papal chair twenty years, five months,, and 
 sixteen days, and the see was vacant three days. The same 
 year, there were seen around the sun three other suns, inti- 
 mating perhaps the death of the many kings and nobles who 
 this year departed from this life. The same year, Ethehred, 
 king of Northumberland, forsook his proper wife, and mar- 
 ried a fresh one ; on which account he was slain by his own 
 people. And Osred succeeded him in his kingdom ; but he 
 died on the twenty-fifth day of his reign, and Eardulf suc- 
 ceeded to the kingdom, and reigned ten years. This year also, 
 
382 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 797. 
 
 Eanbald, archbishop of York, died, and Eanbald the Second 
 succeeded him. The same year, Ethelbert, king of Kent, died, 
 and was succeeded by Eadbert. About the same time, 
 Ethelhard succeeded to the administration of the archbishopric 
 of Canterbury, as successor to lambert, the previous arch- 
 bishop. 
 
 On the twenty-eighth day of July died OfFa, king of Mercia, 
 and his son Egbert succeeded to his glorious kingdom, and 
 reigned a hundred and forty-one days, and died before the 
 end of the same year. He was succeeded by Kenulf, a great 
 man, and very happy in a pious family, who governed the 
 kingdom in peace, justice, and piety. After the death of 
 Egfred, king of Kent, Eadbert, who is also called Pren, suc- 
 ceeded to that kingdom ; he reigned three years, and was then 
 taken prisoner, and carried away by Kenulf. 
 
 The following letter^ was written by Charlemagne to 
 Offa : — ** Charles, by the grace of God, king of France 
 and Lombardy, and patrician of Rome, to the venerable man, 
 our dearest brother Offa, king of Mercia, health. In the 
 first place we return thanks to Almighty God for the sin- 
 cerity of the catholic faith, which we find most excellently 
 expressed in your pages. And as to the foreigners who, for 
 the love of God and salvation of their souls, desire to ap- 
 proach the threshold of the blessed apostles, let them come 
 in all peace, as far as we are concerned, without any alarm. But 
 if there be any persons found among them who are not obey- 
 ing the dictates of religion, but who are only in the pursuit of 
 gain, they must pay the appointed dues at the proper places. 
 We are willing also that traders shall, in accordance with our 
 command, have legitimate patronage in this our kingdom ; and 
 if in any place they are treated with unjust oppression, they 
 shall have an appeal to us or to our judges, and we will take care 
 that full justice is done them. Moreover, let your beloved 
 highness know, that we have sent some presents from our 
 dalmatics and pallia to each of the episcopal sees of your 
 kingdom, or of that of king Ethelred, being the fruit of the 
 kindness of our lord the apostle Adrian. And we entreat you 
 that you will order intercession to be made for him, having 
 no doubt that his blessed soul is at rest. And in order that 
 we may show our faith and affection for you who are most 
 dear to us, we have, out of the treasure of human riches 
 * This letter is very nearly identical with that given under the year 775. 
 
 A.D. 797. EGEEID ENDOWS THE CHUECH OF ST. ALBAK. 
 
 383 
 
 which the Lord Jesus, out of his undeserved mercy, has be- 
 stowed on us, sent some gifts to your metropolitan cities, and 
 for your own beloved highness we have thought proper 
 to send one belt, one Hungarian sword, and two silk robes. 
 Farewell!" 
 
 The same year, as is the opinion of many writers, Offa, the 
 magnificent king of Mercia, having built a most truly noble mo- 
 nastery, after the discovery of the body of the blessed Alban, in 
 the town which is called Offseleia, died, and his body was borne 
 to the town of Bedford, and is said to have been buried with 
 royal magnificence in a chapel outside the town, built on the 
 banks of the river Usk. And to this day the report of nearly 
 all the people of that district affirms, that the aforesaid chapel 
 was destroyed by length of time and by the violence of the 
 river, and was, together with the royal sepulchre, by the ra- 
 pidity of the stream thrown down into the water ; and in con- 
 sequence, even to the present day, that sepulchre is at times 
 clearly seen in the deep water by men who bathe in the 
 river there in the summer, while at other times, as if there 
 were some fate about it, if you seek for it ever so carefully, 
 you cannot find it. 
 
 That most valiant king, Offa, was succeeded in his kingdom 
 by Egfrid, his son, who in his father's life-time had reigned 
 with him as his colleague for eight years ; therefore, as soon 
 as Egfrid, who was an excellent youth, and endowed with 
 great^nobleness of disposition, was confirmed in his kingdom, 
 he, treading in the pious footsteps of his father, devoutly gave 
 to the church of the blessed Alban, the proto-martyr of the 
 EngUsh, many estates and possessions, and by his special 
 decree confirmed them, and all the other estates which his 
 father had given to the aforesaid church, in the enjoyment of 
 all the royal privileges which it now has, or which a king can 
 confer on any church. And in order that his donation might 
 have the force of perpetual duration, he, according to the 
 custom of the Roman Church, added to the deed the subscrip- 
 tion of all the bishops, and counts, and barons of his empire, 
 and also the sign of the cross. And, moreover, avoiding in 
 all things to imitate the covetousness of his father, he with 
 ready devotion rescued all the different possessions of which 
 he had stripped any monastery, with a view to the exalta- 
 tion of his own kingdom, and he by a special decree con- 
 firmed their possessions to all who requested such a measure. 
 
384 
 
 MATTHEW or WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 798. 
 
 Likewise, being softened by the request of Ethelhard, arch- 
 bishop of Canterbury, he would have wiUingly restored to him 
 the dignities of which archbishop lambert had been deprived, 
 as has been stated before, if an untimely death had not re- 
 moved him from mankind, for he died on the hundred and 
 forty-first day after the decease of his father, and so gave all 
 the people of his kingdom cause for great grief, on which I 
 think that we ought not to suppose that so noble a youth died 
 for his sins, but rather that he was taken away because his 
 father had spilt much to strengthen himself m his kingdom. 
 He was succeeded in the kingdom of Mercia by Kenulf, a 
 noble man, the son of Cuthbert, and great-great-grandson of 
 king Wibba, who reigned twenty-four years. He by his wife 
 Alfritha became the father of Kenelm, who was afterwards a 
 Saint, and of two daughters, Quendrida and Burgenilda. 
 
 The same year, after the before-mentioned king of Mercia, 
 Kinulf, had been invested with the crown of the kingdom, 
 he displayed his character reUgious in his palace, and in 
 war victorious as a Uon. And Ethelhard, archbishop of Can- 
 terbury, and Eanbald, archbishop of York, came to him, and 
 consulted him respecting the lost dignities of the church of 
 Canterbury. And when the king fully understood how much 
 wickedness his predecessor Ofifa had committed in mutilating 
 the diocese of Canterbury, he with great devotion restored 
 the custom of antiquity. Accordingly, Ethelhard sendmg 
 letters, both from himself and from all the bishops m England, 
 to Pope Leo, the successor of Adrian, and himself discharging 
 the especial functions of an ambassador, obtained what he 
 asked. On which account it is related, very highly to the 
 praise and glory of that archbishop, that he restored the 
 pristine dignity of the see, which it behoves you his suc- 
 cessors carefully to guard. The same year, Mildred, bishop of 
 Worcester, died, and was succeeded by Weremund ; and again, 
 in the same year, Eanbald, archbishop of York, received the 
 pallium, and afterwards ordained Eadred as successor to 
 Ethelbert, uniting bishop Higbald with him to the honour 
 of the pontificate ; and this happened on the twenty-ninth ot 
 October, at a place which is called Wudaford. 
 
 A.D. 798. Kinulf, king of Mercia, traversed the province 
 of Kent in a hostile manner, and ravaged it, and took pri- 
 soner their king Eadbert, who was surnamed Pren, and who 
 was unable to contend with him, and brought him back with 
 
 A.D. 798. 
 
 THE VIEGIN APPEARS TO POPE LEO. 
 
 385 
 
 him in chains in triumph. But not long afterwards, when he 
 was dedicating the church at Winchelcombe, which he had 
 founded, on the day of the consecration he released the 
 captive king before the altar, and gave him his liberty. There 
 was present there Cuthred, whom king Kinulfus had set over 
 the see of Canterbury, in the place of the before-mentioned 
 Eadbert. The church reechoed with applause, the streets 
 resounded with men running to and fro, because in an assem- 
 biv of thirteen bishops and ten dukes no one had suffered any 
 denial of liberahty, but every one went away with his pouch 
 full. For besides the presents which the chief men received 
 of incalculable value and number, in utensils, and garments, 
 and fine horses, there was given to all who had no estate a 
 pound of silver, and to each priest a mark of gold, and to 
 each monk a broad piece, and last of all, he distributed many 
 gifts among the general crowd. He also enriched the monastery 
 with such ample revenues, as would appear incredible at the 
 present time. 
 
 The same year, Eanbald, archbishop of York, convened a 
 synod at dTincJ^ale. About the same time, Eardulf, king of 
 Northumberland, fought a battle against duke Wad and some 
 of his fellow conspirators, in the place which is called)3tltn({r]^o. 
 But at last, after many had been slain on both sides, the 
 king obtained a most royal victory over this enemy. Hirenes 
 reigned by herself for three years. 
 
 When Leo, while a young man, was doing penance for 
 wanton conduct, and while he was praying before the altar of 
 the blessed Virgin, she appeared to him, saying, " Leo, 
 correct your excesses, and I will promote you to the highest 
 rank." He, remembering these words, abandoned the study 
 of rhetoric, and betook himself to that of theology, and be- 
 coming changed into quite another man, he became chaste 
 and modest, and dihgent and learned. And he became a 
 most skilful rhetorician and theologian. Therefore when the 
 apostolic see became vacant he was raised to it, and when he 
 was celebrating solemn mass for the first time, an offering of 
 no small magnitude was made to him. For among those who 
 were bringing offerings, a certainwoman, to whom, as it was said, 
 he had had access in former times, sweetly pressed the hand 
 of Leo himself, and while pressing it kissed it, till she raised 
 the flame of lust in the pope. He, reminding himself of the 
 
 VOL. I. c 
 
386 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMI5STEE. 
 
 A.D. 800. 
 
 A.n. 801. POPE LEO CEOWNS CHAELEMAGNE. 
 
 387 
 
 solemn duties in which he had been engaged, while he was 
 sitting in the conclave, suddenly cut off his hand, according 
 to that gospel, *' if your foot or your hand shall offend you, cut 
 it off and cast it from thee," &c. &c. And afterwards, as he was 
 often invited to officiate, and constantly excused himself, and 
 yet as the brethren would give him no respite, because they 
 did not know that he was mutilated, the pope withdrew him- 
 self into a secret place, and prostrating himself m devout 
 prayer before the altar of the Blessed Virgin, he said, " 
 most merciful virgin, you have hitherto promoted me and 
 raised me up ; look now upon me, miserable that 1 am, now 
 that I have taken vengeance on my transgressions, that I may 
 not be confounded at the last ; now therefore do you give 
 me comfort, lest I complain, and say you have crushed me by 
 raisino' me." Therefore the blessed mother of mercy restored 
 a new\and to the mutilated arm. Accordingly, the pope, who 
 had hitherto preserved his former hand which he had cut olf, 
 having convened the brethren, explained to them in order all 
 the events which had happened, that the glory of the holy 
 Viro-in might not be concealed. And he showed to them, aye, 
 and° to the whole church, the hand which he had formerly 
 cut off, and he did not conceal the cause ; and he told them 
 how, while he was prostrate in prayer, the blessed Virgin ap- 
 peared to him and restored his hand to his mutilated arm. 
 And a rule was then made, that from that time forward those 
 who brought offerings should not kiss the hand of the pope, 
 but his foot ; though it had formerly been the custom that 
 the hand should be kissed, and not the foot. In memory ot 
 this miracle, the hand which was cut off is still preserved in 
 the Lateran treasury, and it is kept free from decay by the 
 Lord, in honour of his mother. 
 
 A.D. 799. The Romans being at variance among themselves, 
 seized pope Leo, a holy man, and one worthy of all praise, 
 and bound him, and cut out his tongue, and tore out his eyes, 
 and at last expelled him from the Roman see, and leaving him 
 half dead amid the blasphemies of the executioners, they com- 
 mitted a foul crime. But the piteous and merciful Lord, who 
 does not forsake those who hope in him, mercifully restored 
 him his tongue and his eyes, and enabUng him to see and 
 to preach the word of faith better than he had done before, 
 restored him to his former dignity. 
 
 A.D. 800. A most wicked army of pagans cruelly plundered 
 
 the churches of Hercene andTynemouth,and fled with the spoils 
 to their ships. The same year, Eadred, bishop of Ilagustald, 
 died, and Eadbert succeeded in his stead. And the same year. 
 Alcmund, son of king Eadred, was seized by the guardians of 
 Eardulf, king of Northumberland, and by his command was 
 slain with those who had deserted Eardulf. The same year, 
 on the twenty-third of December, a great wind came from 
 Africa, and with its terrible blast tore up by the roots cities 
 and trees, and the sea breaking its bounds, caused a great loss 
 of cattle in different places. 
 
 The same year, Charlemagne, king of France, a king of 
 extraordinary valour, with a countless host of armed men en- 
 tered the city of Rome, and visited the holy places many times. 
 And having stayed in that city for some months, he adorned 
 the church of Peter and Paul, the Apostles of Christ, with 
 royal gifts, of gold and silver and precious stones. He also 
 honoured Leo, the venerable pope, with numerous presents of 
 various kinds, and scattering his adversaries, slew some, and 
 drove others into banishment, and caused some to be even hung 
 on the gallows. 
 
 A.D. 801. When king Charlemagne, in the city of Rome, 
 had arranged many things which had reference to the honour 
 of God and the advantage of the people, on the day of the Na- 
 tivity of our Lord, he entered the church of Peter, the chief 
 of the Apostles, with his dukes, and magistrates, and soldiers, 
 and a great retinue. And there he was invested by pope Leo 
 with a royal robe, and a golden crown was placed upon his 
 head, and a royal sceptre was given into his hand. And on 
 that day, that great emperor deserved this dignity and magni- 
 ficence ; so as to be called the emperor of the whole world, as 
 in fact he was. And at the same time, ambassadors of the 
 Greeks were sent with gifts of inestimable value from the city 
 of Constantinople to Charles, begging him earnestly to con- 
 descend to accept that empire. And while these ambas- 
 sadors were still at Rome, messengers were sent from Jeru- 
 salem, from the Christians there, both clergy and laity, to 
 Charles, who had been lately created emperor, bringing to the 
 king, among other gifts, a silver standard, with the keys of 
 the most holy places, and they arrived on the day of our 
 Lord's resurrection, and they brought him many other things, 
 entreating him to condescend to be their defender and go- 
 vernor. The most pious emperor consented to the desires of 
 
 c c 2 
 
388 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMIN'STEK. 
 
 A.D. 802. 
 
 A.D. 805. AIICHBISHOP OF CANTEEBUET DIES. 
 
 389 
 
 all who came to him, and promised that he would not only be 
 ready to conquer the enemies of the cross on earth, but also 
 on tiie sea, if necessity required it. For he understood that 
 states were happy if either those who studied wisdom governed 
 them, or if their governors were wiUing to apply themselves 
 to the study of wisdom. Then he went to the city of Ravenna, 
 and carefully deliberated with his nobles on the subjects that 
 have been already mentioned. 
 
 A.D. 802. Brithric, king of the West Saxons, died by 
 poison in this manner. This king had, as has been related 
 above, a queen named Eadburga, daughter of Oflfa, king of 
 Mercia, who being elated by her many honours, gave herself 
 up to strange thoughts of ambition. For being excited by ma- 
 ternal tyranny, she was in the habit of accusing all the men 
 of noble birth in the kingdom who had been ordained, and 
 all the men of any r-ligious orders, to the king, and to curse 
 them, on which account she became hated by the princes and 
 dukes, and nobles, and the whole nation. And in this way 
 that wicked woman so won over the king by her blandish- 
 ments, that he either put to death or banished every one whom 
 she accused. And if she could not prevail on the king to do 
 this, she was accustomed to kill them secretly by poison. Now 
 there was at this time a young man of illustrious family, very 
 intimate with the king, and wholly devoted to him, against 
 whom the wicked queen brought her accusations in vain, on 
 which account she took him off by poison. And as the kinf?, 
 without knowing it, tasted the same poison, he died imme- 
 diately, though she had not designed to administer poison to 
 the king, but only to the young man. However, they both 
 drank of it, and both died of the fatal draught. When, there- 
 fore, the king had been killed in this manner, that wicked 
 woman was greatly alarmed, and fled with incalculable trea- 
 sures and crossed the sea, and went to the court of Charle- 
 magne, king of France, and made him many presents. And 
 when this wickedest of all women, although one of most ex- 
 quisite beauty, stood before the king, the monarch addressed, 
 her thus : *' Choose, Eadbiu-ga, whichever you prefer to marr)', 
 me or my son, who is my comfort." But she, without taking 
 time for deliberation, discarding all restraint of modesty, an- 
 swered and said, " If an option or liberty of choice were given 
 to me, I should choose your son rather than you, because he 
 18 younger." Then the king, perceiving that she was influenced 
 
 only by the desire of gratifying her lust, made her this elegant 
 reply : ** If you had chosen me, you should have had my son ; 
 but because you have chosen him, you shall neither have me 
 nor him." But the king, on account of her wickedness and 
 excessive beauty, gave her a noble nunnery of women, in 
 which, having laid aside her secular garments, out of hypo- 
 crisy, and assumed the habiliments of a nun, she filled the 
 place of abbess for a few years. In a short time afterwards, 
 while she was cursing some of her sacred duties, she is said 
 to have been ravished by a low-born man of her own nation. 
 Accordingly, the king ordered her to be expelled from the 
 holy nunnery, as a woman taken in adultery ; and after that 
 she passed her time in poverty, most miserably and shame- 
 fully, to the end of her life. 
 
 And when king Brithric was killed in this manner, Egbert 
 succeeded him in his kingdom, and reigned thirty-six years. 
 He was descended from the royal family of his nation, and 
 with great might added many kingdoms to his empire. The 
 same year, Eadbert, bishop of London, died, and was suc- 
 ceeded by Edgar. 
 
 Cu. XV.— From a.d. 803 to 8/0. 
 
 Egbert begins to subdue the other kingdoms of the Heptarchy 
 — Charlemagne summons five councils in France — Dies — 
 Egbert becomes sole king of England — Subdues Wales — 
 The Danes land at Sheppey — Are defeated by Egbert — He 
 dies — They return a second time — Constant wars between 
 them and the English — Alfred^ son of Ethelwolf is born — 
 Story of the old woman of Berkeley — Ethelwolf devotes a 
 tenth part of his kingdom to the service of God — He takes 
 Alfred to Rome — Ethelwolf dies — Saint Swithan — Alfred 
 marries — The Danes overrun England and Scotland — 
 Death of King Edmund. 
 
 A.D. 803. Higbald, bishop of Lindisfarne, died, and was 
 succeeded by Egbert ; this Higbald was present at the ravages 
 committed by the Danes in the province of Northumberland, 
 which have been already mentioned. 
 
 A.D. 804. Beornred, bisliop of Rochester, died, and was 
 succeeded in his bishopric by Puthric. 
 
 A.D. 805. Ethelhard, archbishop of Canterbury, died, who (as 
 had been foretold to him) received with great power the dig- 
 
390 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 8U. 
 
 A.D. 818. 
 
 POPE STEPHEN DIES. 
 
 391 
 
 nitv of the church of Canterbiirv, which had been lost. He 
 was succeeded by Wilfrid, who governed that see twenty- eight 
 years. 
 
 A.D. 806. Wilfrid, the archbishop of Canterbury, who has 
 been mentioned before, received the palUum, and was con- 
 firmed in his dignity. 
 
 A.D. 807. Cuthred, king of Kent, died, and was succeeded 
 in his kingdom by Baldred. 
 
 A.D. 808. Eardulf, king of Northumberland, was driven 
 from his kingdom, and succeeded by Alfwold, who reigned 
 two years ; and it was that same Alfwold who drove him out, 
 and occupied his kingdom. 
 
 A.D. 809. Egbert, king of the West Saxons, approached in 
 a hostile manner that district which is called Cornwall, and 
 made himself master of it, and added it to his kingdom, after 
 some battles, in which many persons were slain on both sides. 
 
 A.D. 810. Alfwold, king of Northumberland, died, and 
 Eandred reigned in his stead, and reigned thirty-two years. 
 The same year, Egbert subjugated the northern Britons, and 
 compelled them to become tributary to him. 
 
 A.D. 811. King Egbert compelled the Welch to pay him 
 tribute, as he had in the past year compelled the northern 
 Britons ; and he traversed all their territories, piercing their 
 borders in every part ; and ravaging their country from north 
 to south with fire, he plundered it, and then returned to his 
 own kingdom. 
 
 A.D. 812. Saint Amandus was exhumed at the monastery of 
 Elms, in France, and his body was found uninjured at a dis- 
 tance of a hundred and fifty-two years from his death ; and 
 his hair and nails required to be cut, as they appeared to have 
 grown ; and when some of his teeth were extracted out of 
 his mouth with a forceps, blood flowed from the gums, which is 
 still preserved, and is of miraculous power. 
 
 A.D. 813. Charlemagne, king of France, and patrician of 
 Rome, ordered councils to be held throughout Gaul ; one at 
 Mayence, a second at Rheims, a third at Tours, a fourth at 
 Chalons, and a fifth at Aries ; at which councils some chapters 
 of Holy Scriptures, necessary to the Universal Church, are 
 said to have had their interpretation settled. 
 
 A.D. 814. Charlemagne, king of France, and emperor of 
 Rome, died, after he had reigned forty-five years. And he 
 was succeeded by his son Lewis. 
 
 The same year, Wilfrid, archbishop of Canterbury, and 
 Wibert, bishop of Sherborne, went to Rome, on the business of 
 the Anglican Church. , 
 
 The following is a statement made by Turpm, archbishop 
 
 of Rheims : — « , . ^, i 
 
 *♦ But a short time ago, the death of kmg Charlemagne 
 was intimated to me in the following manner. On a certain 
 day, when I was at Menna, standing in the church before the 
 altar, rapt in ecstasy, and occupied in my prayers, and singing 
 the psalm, ' God, come thou to my aid,' I saw innumerable 
 hosts of odious-looking soldiers pass before me, and bend 
 their course towards Lothogaringia ; and when they had all 
 passed, I saw one of them, resembUng an Ethiopian, following 
 the others with a slow step, to whom I said, ' Whither are ye 
 <romo- V and he replied, * To Aix-la-Chapelle are we going, to 
 Sie death of Charlemagne, in order to carry his spirit off to 
 heU.' And I said to him, ' I adjure you, in the name of our 
 Lord Jesus Christ, that after you have accomplished your 
 journey, and effected your object, you do not refuse to return 
 to me.' Then, after a short interval, almost before I had 
 finished my psalm, they returned to me in the same order. 
 And I said to the last one, to whom I had originally spoken, 
 * What have you done V And the devil said, * We weighed 
 the actions of Charles, but Galetian, without any regard to 
 the sum of them, put so many huge stones, and such a count- 
 less quantity of beams from his churches, in the scale, that 
 his good deeds weighed more than his evil ones, and therefore 
 he took his soul away from us.' Having said this, the devil 
 disappeared. And, therefore, I understood that on that day 
 Charlemagne had departed from this life, and had been de- 
 servedly transferred, by the assistance of the blessed James 
 (to whom he had built many churches), to the kingdom of 
 
 heaven." 
 
 A.D. 815. Louis, king of France, received consecration at 
 Rome, as emperor, from the hands of pope Leo. 
 
 A.D. 816. The holy pope, Leo, died ; and Stephen succeeded 
 him in the Roman chair, and filled it for one year. 
 
 A.D. 817. Pope Stephen died, and Paschal succeeded him 
 in the Roman chair, which he filled for seven years and seven- 
 teen days. The same year, the EngUsh school at Rome was 
 burnt with fire. 
 
 A.D. 818. Seloamer, king of the Abroditae, was driven from 
 
392 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 821. 
 
 his kingdom by the emperor Louis, and passed over to the 
 Danes. 
 
 A.D. 819. Bernard, king of Italy, was accused of having 
 conspired against the emperor, and being convicted of lese 
 majesty, was deprived, first of all his kingdom, then of his 
 eyes, and at last of his life. 
 
 A.D. 820. Bythe arrangements of the emperor Louis, a general 
 assembly of bishops and abbots was held at Aix-la-ChapeUe, 
 at which certain articles were agreed on, which were necessary 
 for the use of monks and nuns. Kenulf, the father of Kenelm, 
 founded the abbey of Wiiichelcombe, in a manner sufficient to 
 support two hundred monks. 
 
 A.D. 821. Kenulph, king of Mercia, died, and his body re- 
 ceived burial at Winchelcombe. He was succeeded in his 
 kingdom by Kenelm, his son, whom, when he was seven years 
 old, his father had entrusted to his sister Quendrida, to be 
 brought up by her. But she, being seduced by a wicked 
 desire of reigning, gave her nephew to one of the guards, who 
 had been educated by her, with injunctions to kill him. He 
 took the innocent boy out, as if to hunt, and having cut off 
 his head, hid him among the bushes ; and, marvellous to re- 
 late, the crime which was perpetrated so secretly in England, 
 was made known at Rome by Divine revelation. For a white 
 dove flew over the altar of the blessed Peter, the chief of the 
 apostles, and dropped upon it a paper, which gave regular 
 information of the death of the holy king and martyr, Kenelm, 
 and also of the place where he was buried. But, as this 
 paper was written in golden characters of the English lan- 
 guage, it was in vain endeavoured to be deciphered by the 
 Romish priests, and by any others who were present, and 
 who, at the pope's command, endeavoured to make it out. 
 But, in good time, an angel came to them, who, translating 
 the paper into the Latin language, caused an epistle of the 
 Roman pontiff to give information to the kings of England of 
 their martyred compatriot. For, among other things con- 
 tained in this paper, were these words : ^n dtnc fau t)at!)e 
 5Kenclin fDutbcaruc lit^ bnUcr tJ)orne i)eaiut» hi) rrauttl : which 
 means, in Latin, 3n dtnc fou batl)e : that is, in the pasture 
 of the cows, Kenelm, the son of the king, hes under a bramble, 
 deprived of his head, near the head. Therefore, as has been 
 already said, the body of this blessed king having been mi- 
 
 A.D. 82G. BERNULF SLAIN BY THE EAST ANGLES. 
 
 393 
 
 raculously revealed to the kings of England, his youthful 
 corpse was taken out of the cave, and, by a great multitude of 
 clergy and nobles, conveyed to Winchelcombe. The parricidal, 
 or rather fratricidal, woman, excited by the song of the clergy 
 and laymen, and their eager applause at the discovery of this 
 holy martyr, put her head out of the window of the chamber 
 in which she was standing, and sang the psalm, " Lord, do 
 not thou be silent about my glory ;" and then, designing I 
 know not what sorcery, repeating it backwards, she endea- 
 voured to check the joy of the singers ; and when she had got 
 back from the end to this verse, ** This would be their work, 
 who speak ill of me before the Lord," both her eyes burst at 
 once from their sockets, and fell down upon the page which she 
 was reading. And to this day, that psalter, wrought in silver, 
 and bedewed with the blood of her eyes that fell, shews the 
 mark of this seizure of hers. And of the martyrdom of this 
 holy youth, some one speaks thus : 
 
 " There lies beneath the thorn, by foulest murder torn, 
 Deprived of his head, the royal Kenelm dead." 
 
 And the holy Kenelm was succeeded in the kingdom of 
 Mercia by Ceolwulf, his uncle, who reigned two years, although 
 he was in a short time deprived of his kingdom. 
 
 A.D. 822. Some earth in Saxony swelled up for the space 
 of a league, in the form of a rampart, to the astonishment of 
 many. 
 
 A.D. 823. Ceolwulf was expelled from the kingdom of Mer- 
 cia, and was succeeded by Bernulf, who reigned four years. 
 
 A.D. 824. A girl, twelve years of age, after the sacred com- 
 munion on the day of Easter, abstained first of all from bread 
 ten days, and after that from all meat and drink for three 
 years, and then she returned to the ordinary usages of life. 
 Eugenius became pope of Rome. 
 
 A.D. 825. Egbert, king of the West Saxons, fought a battle 
 against Bernulf, king of Mercia, who was invading his terri- 
 tories in a hostile manner, at EUendown, in which a great number 
 of men in both kings' armies were slain, and Egbert returned 
 a fatal conqueror to his own kingdom. 
 
 A.D. 826. Bernulf, the before-mentioned king of Mercia, 
 was slain by the East Angles, because he endeavoured to in- 
 vade that kingdom, and to claim it, as having been his own 
 ever since the time of king Offa. The same year, the bodies 
 of the holy martyrs MarcelUnus and Peter were removed from 
 
394 
 
 MATTHEW OF "WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 830. 
 
 Rome and conveyed to France, where they became famous for 
 many miracles. Ludican succeeded king Bernulf. 
 
 A.D. 827. Valentine succeded pope Eugenius, and governed 
 the see forty days. Egbert, king of the West Saxons, sent 
 Ethelwolf, his son, with Ethelstan, bishop of Sherburne, and 
 Wyhard, a commander, into Kent, with a very numerous body 
 of troops, who drove king Baldred across the river Thames, 
 and reduced the kingdom of Kent, and also Sussex, under the 
 power of king Egbert. And this year also, the East Angles 
 received king Egbert as their patron and lord. And at last, 
 Egbert was the only one left of eight kings, and he had sub- 
 dued and made himself master of the whole of this island, 
 from the river Humber to the south coast and Gallic Channel. 
 This year, Gregory became bishop of Rome, and filled that 
 see sixteen years. 
 
 A.D. 828. Ludican, king of Mercia was slain by king Egbert, 
 and was succeeded in his kingdom by Wilafer, who was im- 
 mediately driven out by king Egbert, and passed three years 
 in banishment. And at the same time, Egbert defeated Swi- 
 thred, king of the East Saxons, and drove him too from his 
 kingdom. And when Swithred had been driven away, the 
 kings of the West Saxons occupied that kingdom. The same 
 year, there rained, near Vaison, in France, a shower of corn, 
 like wheat, only with shorter and rounder grains. This year 
 also, Egbert, bishop of Lindisfarne, died, and was succeeded 
 by Eardulf. 
 
 A.D. 829. When Egbert, king of the West Saxons, had made 
 himself master of all the southern kingdoms of England, he 
 led a great army into Northumberland, and fearfully ravaged 
 and overwhelmed that province, and compelled Eandred, its 
 king, to pay tribute. This year is the four thousand seven 
 hundred and eighty-eighth year from the beginning of the 
 world, and the end of the ninth great year from the begin- 
 ning of the world, each great year consisting of five hundred 
 and thirty-two years. 
 
 A.D. 830. The most mighty king Egbert, leading a powerful 
 army into Wales, reduced all the Welsh, with their kings, to a 
 voluntary submission to his dominion. The same year, the 
 same king Egbert, being moved by pity, permitted Wilaf, king 
 of Mercia, to hold his kingdom under him, on condition of the 
 payment of tribute. 
 
 A.D. 837. EGBEET, KTSG OF THE WEST SAXOIfS, DIES. 395 
 
 A.D. 831. Theophilus became emperor of Constantinople. 
 The same year, Wolf, archbishop of York, paid the debt of 
 nature, and was succeeded by Wymond. 
 
 A.D. 832. Wilfrid, archbishop of Canterbury, died, and was 
 succeeded by Ceolnoth, who received the pallium the following 
 year. 
 
 A.D. 833. The army of the Danes, unbelieving pirates, after 
 they had been defeated and put to flight at Dunemuth, ravaged 
 Sheppy, that is to say, the Isle of Sheep. For these pagan shad put 
 in there with thirty-five ships, and having ravaged that island, 
 they sailed on and landed at the place which is called Carrum, 
 and there they gave themselves up to plunder and rapine, and 
 spared neither sex nor age. 
 
 A.D. 834. King Egbert, having collected a large army, di- 
 rected his standards and army against the aforesaid pagans ; 
 but, after great slaughter had taken place on both sides, pre- 
 vailed by the fortune of war. In these battles there fell, 
 among others, Herefrid, bishop of Winchester, and Sigelm, 
 bishop of Sherborne ; with duke Dudda, and duke Osmund. 
 And Edmund succeeded Herefrid, and Ethelwold succeeded 
 Sigelm. 
 
 A.D. 835. The Welsh united their forces to those of the 
 Danes, and the two together invaded the kingdom of Egbert 
 with fire and sword, and endeavoured to destroy his castles 
 and towns. But when king Egbert heard this, he met the 
 enemy with a numerous army, and, when they resisted, he 
 made a great slaughter of them, and at length he compelled 
 the Danes and the Welsh to betake themselves to a ruinous 
 flight, and delivered his country from the irruption of the 
 enemy. 
 
 A.D. 836. The same king, Egbert, overwhelmed with a 
 severe defeat, and utterly routed and put to flight, a fresh army 
 of the Danes which came over. 
 
 A.D. 837. Pope Gregory, who had been previously called 
 Leo the Fourth, called a new city, which he had lately com- 
 pleted, Leonia, after his own name. The same year, Egbert, 
 king of the West Saxons, passed from this world, after he had 
 reigned thirty-seven years and seven months, and was buried 
 at Winchester. And his son, Ethelwolf, whom some call 
 Eadulf, succeeded him, and reigned twenty years and five 
 months. This Ethelwolf had, by his queen, four illustrious 
 
396 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEE. 
 
 A.J). 838. 
 
 sons, of whom the eldest was named Eadbald, the second 
 Ethelbert, the third Ethelred, and the youngest Alfred, all of 
 whom reigned in succession after their father. He also had a 
 fifth son, named Athelstan, who was not born in wedlock, to 
 whom he gave all the kingdoms which his father Egbert had 
 acquired by force of arms, remaining contented himself with 
 the kingdom of the West Saxons only. 
 
 A.D. 838. The Danes landed in the port of Southampton 
 with thirty-three ships, with great confidence and pride ; 
 but count Ulfward having slain many thousands of them in a 
 pitched battle, compelled them to depart with disgrace. But 
 the same year, not long afterwards, the same pagans landed at 
 Portsmouth, and began to ravage the country. And when 
 the news got abroad, duke Etiielhelm met them with the men 
 of Dorset, and put them to flight ; but using his strength in- 
 considerately, he advanced with his men without sufficient re- 
 gularity, and so was slain by the enemy. 
 
 Now then, since we have come to that great and horrible 
 calamity which, on account of their sins, was inflicted by means 
 of the Danes on the English nation, it may be well to explain 
 briefly to our readers the cause of this disaster, that it may serve 
 as a caution to future ages. 
 
 In the primitive church of the Angles religion shone most 
 brightly, so that kings and queens, princes and dukes, counts 
 and barons, and rulers of churches, being all inflamed with 
 the desire of hfe in heaven, vied with one another, as we have 
 already shown, in seeking a monastic life, a spontaneous ba- 
 nishment, a life of solitude, and left all to follow their Lord. 
 But, in process of time, all virtue decayed so much in them, 
 that no nation appeared equal to them in treachery or fraud. 
 Nor was there anything hated by them except piety, and jus- 
 tice, and honour. Nothing was dear to them except wars, 
 worse even than civil wars, and the spilling of innocent blood. 
 Therefore, Almighty God sent against them pagan nations, most 
 cruel people, like swarms of bees, who spared neither the sex 
 of women nor the age of infants, namely, Danes and Norwe- 
 gians, Goths, Swedes, Vandals, and Frieslanders, who, from 
 the beginning of the reign of king Ethelwold till the arrival 
 of the Romans, for nearly two hundred and thirty years de- 
 stroyed this sinful land from sea to sea, and from man to 
 beast. Since, though they were constantly invading England 
 
 A.D. 842. THE ARMY OF THE DANES RAVAGES ENGLAND. 397 
 
 from all quarters, they did not labour to subdue it or to 
 become master of it, but only to ravage and plunder it. And 
 if they were at times defeated, the EngUsh gained nothing by 
 that, as a more numerous fleet and army came from some 
 other quarter unexpectedly and suddenly. Forsooth, while 
 the English kings were marching to the eastern side of the 
 kingdom to fight them, before they could reach the hostile 
 battalions, a messenger would hasten up, saying, '* king, 
 whither are you going? Behold now a countless fleet of 
 barbarians is occupying the coast on the southern part of the 
 kingdom, and ravaging the cities and towns, and laying waste 
 with fire and sword every thing that it can meet with." And 
 just in the same way, similar news would come from the east, 
 or west, or north, and despair the natives of all hope of safety. 
 And thus the kings, distracted with bad news and evil mes- 
 sages, went forth with cowed spirits, and entered on a doubtful 
 contest against the invading enemy. And the consequence 
 was, that sometimes the Enghsh were victorious, and some- 
 times the enemy. 
 
 A.D. 839. Count Herbert fought against the pagans at 
 Merswar ; where, as the Danes attacked gallantly, and his own 
 men ran away, the said count died. 
 
 A.D. 840. Eandred, king of Northumberland, died, and was 
 succeeded by Ethelred, his son, who reigned seven years. 
 
 A. D. 84 1 . An army of pagans marched in a hostile 
 manner through the eastern parts of England, that is to say, 
 through Kent and East Angha, where they slaughtered a vast 
 multitude of men. And in the same year, the same pagans 
 ravaged the district of Lindsey. The same year, Lewis, the 
 pious king of the French, and patrician of the Romans, died, 
 and was succeeded by Lothaire, who reigned fifteen years. 
 
 A.D. 842. The wicked army of the Danes penetrated more 
 deeply into England, and slew a vast number of persons of 
 both sexes around Canterbury and Rochester, and the city of 
 London. Theodolph Aurelian, a bishop, being accused of 
 felony before Lewis, the emperor, son of Charlemagne, by 
 some of his rivals, was by him committed to prison at Ande- 
 gavi. And when, on the Lord's day, a procession with branches 
 of palm leaves was passing by the prison in which he was 
 guarded, he opened the window, and silence having been 
 produced, he chaunted these most beautiful verses, " Glory 
 
198 
 
 MATTHEW or WESTMINSTEB. 
 
 A.D. 849. 
 
 and praise, and honour,'* of his own composition, in the 
 presence of the emperor ; and the emperor was so highly 
 pleased with them, that he soon released him from his bondage, 
 and restored his bishopric ; and he established a rule, that 
 these verses should be chaunted on this day at the end of the 
 procession as it entered the church. 
 
 A.D. 843. Lothaire, king of the French and emperor of 
 the Romans, marching into Saxony, with great courage put 
 down a very formidable conspiracy of freedmen, who wished 
 to crush their masters, and condemned the ringleaders of the 
 sedition to death. 
 
 A.D. 844. Sergius, who is also called Pelagius, was ap- 
 pointed to the Roman chair, and governed that see three years. 
 The same year, Ethelwolf, king of the West Saxons, fought 
 the nation of the Danes at Carrum, but the Danes got the 
 victory. The same year, Ethelred, king of Northumberland, 
 was driven from his kingdom, and was succeeded by Read- 
 wolf, who, immediately after he was invested with the crown, 
 fought a battle against the pagans at Aluethelie, in which 
 he and his commander Alfred fell with the greatest part of 
 his troops ; and after this, Ethelred became king a second 
 time. 
 
 A.D. 845. Duke Eamulf, with the men of Somerset, and 
 duke Osric, with the men of Dorset, and with Alstan, bishop 
 of Sherburne, fought a battle against the Danes at Pedredes- 
 mouth, and made a great slaughter of the enemy, and gained 
 the victory. The same year, Egbert, bishop of Lindisfarue, 
 died, and was succeeded by Eanbert. 
 
 A.D. 846. Ethelstan, the bishop, and Alcher, the general, 
 fought a battle at Sandwich against an immense army of the 
 pagans, and took nine of their largest ships, and put the rest 
 to night. 
 
 A.D. 847. Pope Leo occupied the see of Rome, and ruled it 
 for eight years, three months, and six days ; and the see was 
 vacant two months. The same year, Eadbert, bishop of Wor- 
 cester, died, and was succeeded by Alhun. 
 
 A.D. 848. Ethelred, king of Northumberland, was slain, and 
 was succeeded by Osbert, who reigned in his stead eighteen 
 years. The same year, an eclipse of the sun took place at 
 six o'clock, on the first of October. 
 
 A.D. 849. A son was born to Ethelwolf, king of the West 
 
 A.D. 851. 
 
 ETUELWOLF DEFEATS THE PAGANS. 
 
 399 
 
 Saxons, in the province of Berkshire, in the royal town which 
 is called Wantage, who, at the sacred regeneration of baptism, 
 received the name of Alfred. His mother's name was Os- 
 burga, a very religious woman, of noble family and great abi- 
 lities, and she was the daughter of Aslat, the illustrious cup- 
 bearer of king Ethelwolf. And Aslat was descended from 
 the Goths and Jutes, of the family of two brothers, whose 
 names were Scuphus and Withgar. They, having received 
 power from their uncle, the king of the West Saxons, and 
 from Kenric, their cousin, first of all slew a few Britons 
 in the Isle of Wight, whom they found inhabiting the said 
 island, in a place which is called Withgaresburg, that is to 
 say, the town of Withgar ; and after that, as I have said before, 
 they occupied and made themselves masters of the whole 
 island. 
 
 The same year, on the vigil of the day of Pentecost, Berthfer, 
 son of the king of Mercia, wickedly slew his kinsman, the 
 son of Bertulf, the holy Wolstan. And he was the grandson 
 of two kings of Mercia. And the corpse of the deceased is 
 said to have been conveyed to the most famous monastery of 
 his time, which was called the monastery of Rependune, and 
 to have been buried in the tomb of his grandfather, king 
 Wilaf. But heavenly miracles were not wanting to his mar- 
 tyrdom. For, from the spot where he was murdered in his 
 innocence, a pillar of light rose up to heaven, and was visible 
 for thirty days to all the inhabitants of that place. 
 
 A.D. 850. The French were worsted in a terrible battle by 
 the Bohemians ; which battle a malignant spirit pubUcly pro- 
 fessed by the mouth of a certain demoniac, that he had regu- 
 lated, and that he, by his own labours and those of his com- 
 panions the spirits, namely, pride and discord, had caused the 
 French to fly before their enemies. 
 
 A.D. 851. A great army of pagans, with three hundred and 
 fifty ships, entered the mouth of the Thames, and sacked 
 Dorobernia, which is Canterbury, and put to flight Bertulf, 
 king of Mercia, who had come against them to give them 
 battle. And becoming more audacious still after this, they 
 marched with all their force into Surrey. But when the 
 news of this event was brought to Ethelwolf, king of the 
 West Saxons, he collected a great army, and with his son 
 Ethelbald, fought a battle against the pagans in a place which 
 
I 
 
 400 
 
 MA.TTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 852. 
 
 is called ^cte, and defeated them, and inflicted an unheard-of 
 slaughter upon them. 
 
 A.D. 852. Bertulf, king of Mercia, passed from this life, and 
 was succeeded by Berthred, who reigned twenty-two years. 
 He, in the first year of his reign, took for his wife the daughter 
 of Ethelwolf, and by so doing established himself firmly in 
 his kingdom. And his nuptials were celebrated in the royal 
 town which is called Ci;ippcn]^am, where the damsel, Ethels- 
 witha, received the title of queen. 
 
 About this time, a certain wicked woman, living in the town 
 which is called Berkeley,^ devoted to gluttony and wantonness, 
 and even in her old age putting no limit to her crimes and 
 witchcraft, continued immodest to the day of her death. One 
 day, when she was sitting at dinner, a jackdaw, which she 
 kept as a pet, began to chatter something or other. And 
 when the woman heard it, her knife fell from her hand, and 
 her face began to grow pale ; and uttering a groan, she said, 
 ** This day I shall meet with a great disaster, for my plough 
 has this day come to its last furrow." And when 'she had 
 said this, a messenger of woe came in ; and when the woman 
 had asked him why he came, "I bring you news," said he, 
 ** of the death of your son, and of the decease of his whole 
 family, by a stidden destruction." And the woman, being 
 greatly affected by this misfortune, immediately took to her 
 bed, and became afflicted with a sore disease. And when she 
 found that it was creeping down to her vitals, she wrote a 
 letter to summon her surviving children to her, and they con- 
 sisted of two, a monk and a nun. And when they came, 
 she addressed them thus, with a voice broken by sobs : 
 ** My children," said she, "I, to my great sorrow, have always 
 been a slave to the practice of demoniacal arts. I have been 
 a sink of all vices, a teacher of all unholy allurements. And 
 yet, amid all this wickedness, I have always had a hope founded 
 on your rehgion, which has steadied my despairing soul, and 
 I have looked forward to finding you my defenders against 
 devils, and my protectors against raymost cruel enemies. Now, 
 therefore, since I have come to the end of my Ufe, I entreat 
 you, by the breast on which I bare you, that you will endeavour 
 to relieve my torments. When I am dead sew me up in the 
 hide of a stag, and then place me in a stone sarcophagus, 
 and fasten the lid upon it with iron and lead ; and then 
 
 1 Called Okelev bv Hume. 
 
 A.D. 852. 
 
 STOET OF A CEETAIN WICKED WOMAN. 
 
 401 
 
 bind the stone round with three most powerful chains of iron, 
 and employ fifty clerical singers of psalms to chaunt, and as 
 many priests to celebrate masses for three days, and by these 
 means to check the ferocious attacks of my adversaries. And 
 if I lie in this way unmoved for three days, on the fourth day 
 bury me in the ground." 
 
 Accordingly, everything was done as she had commanded 
 them. But, alack the d!ay ! neither prayers, nor tears, nor 
 chains were of any avail. For though on the two first nights 
 the choirs of psalm-singers were watching by the body, the 
 demons came and broke open the door of the church, which 
 was shut fast with a mighty bolt, and easily burst asunder the 
 two outer chains ; but the middle one-, which was the strongest, 
 remained uninjured ; and on the third night there was, about 
 cockcrow, a noise as of enemies marching up, and the whole 
 monastery seemed to be moved from its foundations. Then 
 one of the demons, who was rnore formidable in countenance 
 than the rest, and more conspicuous for his stature, shook 
 down the doors of the church with a violent assault, and dashed 
 them to pieces. Clergy and laity were stupified, all their 
 hair stood on end, and the singing of psalms ceased. And 
 then the demon, with arrogant gestures, as it seemed, pro- 
 ceeded to the tomb, and calling gently on the name of the 
 woman, commanded her to rise. And when she replied that 
 she could not because of her chains, " You shall quickly," 
 said he, " be released, to your own misfortune." And in a 
 moment he burst the chain which had mocked the fierceness 
 of the other demons, as if it had been an hempen string. He 
 also pitched aside the hd of the sepulchre, and in the sight of 
 them all, dragged the woman out of the church, where before 
 the doors was seen a horse neighing proudly, with iron hoofs, 
 and nails projecting from him on all sides, and the wretched 
 woman was thrown upon him, and so disappeared from the 
 eyes of the bystanders. But her horrible cries, imploring 
 help, were heard for nearly four miles. 
 
 Now this story which I have related will not be incredible, 
 if the dialogue of the blessed Gregory be read, in which he 
 relates that a man who had been buried in a church, was 
 turned out of doors by demons. Moreover, among the French, 
 Charles Martel, a man of illustrious courage, who compelled 
 the Saracens who had invaded Gaul, to return to Spain, ia 
 related, when he had ended his course of tliis life, to have 
 VOL. I. 
 
 D D 
 
402 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMIT^STEB. 
 
 A.D. 854. 
 
 been buried in the church of the blessed Denys. But be- 
 cause, for the sake of tlie pay of his soldiers, he liad tam- 
 pered with his own patrimony, and also with the tithes of 
 nearly all the churches of Gaul, he was carried away bodily 
 out of the sepulchre, in a miserable manner, by mahgnaut 
 spirits, and has never been seen since to this very day. 
 
 A.D. 853. Ethelwolf, king of the West Saxons, and Beornred, 
 king of Mercia, defeated the Midland Britons in battle, and 
 compelled them to submit to their dominion. 
 
 A.D. 8j4. Wymond, archbishop of York, died, and was 
 succeeded by Wolfer. The same year, Eanbert, bishop of 
 Lindisfarne, died, and was succeeded by Eardulf. The same 
 year, the noble king Ethelwolf gave a tenth part of his king- 
 dom, free from all secular services, exactions, and tributes to 
 God and the blessed Mary, and all the saints. And I think 
 it well to set forth here the deed of this donation, and the 
 confirmation of the charter by which it was given, in order 
 that his devotion may be known among all men. 
 
 " Though our Lord Jesus Christ reigns for ever and ever, 
 nevertheless we see in our times wars, and conflagrations, and 
 plundering of our resources, and various and inhuman altlic- 
 tions of barbarian enemies, and nations of pagans laying waste 
 our country and afflicting us to the very point of death, and 
 we see perilous times at hand. Wherefore, I, Ethelwolf, king 
 of the West Saxons, with the advice of my bishops and 
 princes, have adopted a salutary counsel and one uniform 
 remedy in giving up a certain portion of my territory to God 
 and the blessed Mary, and to all the saints, to be possessed by 
 them of everlasting right, to wit, one tenth part of all my 
 territory, which shall be exempt from all gifts, and protected 
 from all secular services, and from the tribute due to the king, 
 both greater and less, and free also from the tax which is 
 called ^itcrttitJcn. And this land shall be free from all 
 burdens for the release of souls, and for the remission of niv 
 sins, and dedicated to God above, without any charges on ac- 
 count of any expeditions, or buildings of bridges, or fortifi- 
 cations of citadels, in order that the priests may the more 
 diligently pour forth prayers for us to God without intermis- 
 sion, in proportion as we by this donation do in some respects 
 lighten their heavy burdens. And it has seemed good to Alstan, 
 bishop of the church of Sherburne, and to Swithun, bishop 
 of the church at Winchester, with their abbots, and with the 
 
 A.D. 854. ALFRED CEOWNED KING BY THE POPE. 403 
 
 servants of God, namely, the religious men and women on 
 whom the above benefits have been conferred, to adopt a rule 
 that all the brethren and sisters shall, every week, on the day 
 of Mercury, that is to say. on Wednesday, sing, in every 
 church, fifty psalms ; and that each priest shall celebrate two 
 masses, one for the king and another for his dukes who con- 
 sent to this measure, for the salvation and refreshing of their 
 souls And after we are dead, they shall discharge the same 
 duty for the king separately, and for all his dukes to-ether. 
 And let tins deed be firmly estabhshed for all the days of 
 Christianity, as firmly as liberty is established, and \ti it last 
 as long as the faith flourishes among the nation of the English " 
 And the charter of this donation was written a.d. 85.5 on the 
 fourth indiction, on the third of November, in the city of 
 XVinchester, before the greater altar of the blessed Apostle 
 
 After these events, Ethelwolf, the noble king of the West 
 Saxons having gone to Rome with great honour, took with 
 him Alfred, his younger son, whom beloved more than all the 
 rest, m order that he might there be instructed by pope Leo in 
 morals and religion. And when the king had stayed there 
 with his son more than a year, he caused his son to be there 
 crowned king by the pope, and a few days afterwards he 
 returned to his own country, taking with him into Eno-land 
 Judith the daughter of Charles,^ king of France, whom h? had 
 mamed. But in the meantime, while the king was delaying- 
 m the parts beyond the sea, there rose up a conspiracy ol" 
 some of his nobles against the aforesaid king, the object of 
 Lthelbald, the first-born son of the king, and of Alstan, bishop 
 of Sherburne, and of Eandulf, count of the county of Somerset 
 to prevent the king, when he returned home from Rome, bein*^ 
 received again into his kingdom. And there were two pretext^ 
 for this ; one, because he had, while at Rome, procured his 
 younger son Alfred to be crowned as king, as if his other sons 
 were excluded from the kingdom ; the other, because he had 
 despised all the women of England, and taken to himself in 
 wedlock a foreigner, the daughter of the king of France. Be- 
 sides this, the before-mentioned conspirators heard that, con- 
 trary to the customs and laws of the kings of the West Saxons, 
 lie was wont to address Judith, the daughter of the king of 
 i^ ranee, whom he had lately espoused, as his queen, and caused 
 
 ^ This was Charles the Bald. 
 
 D D 2 
 
404 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 855. 
 
 A.D. 857. 
 
 KINO ETHELWOLF DIES. 
 
 405 
 
 her to sit at table and eat by his side. But the nation of the 
 West Saxons does not permit the queen to sit by the side of 
 the king, and considers her proper title to be, not the queen, 
 but the king's wife. And this disgrace originated in the con- 
 duct of Eadburga, the daughter of king Offa, a queen of that 
 nation, who destroyed her husband Brithric with poison, and 
 who, sitting by the king's side, was accustomed to accuse all 
 the nobles of the kingdom, and to murder, by means of poi- 
 sonous draughts, all whom she could not destroy by her 
 accusations. Therefore, because of the wickedness of this 
 queen, as has been related above at some length, the West 
 Saxons had all agreed never to permit a king to reign over 
 them who offended in the before-mentioned particulars. At 
 last, when Ethelwolf, who was a peaceable king, returned from 
 Rome, his son Ethelbald, who has been already mentioned, 
 attempted with his accomplices to prosecute to its accomplish- 
 ment the wickedness which he had conceived. But Almighty 
 God did not permit this to succeed. For to prevent a worse 
 than civil war, one, namely, between father and son, from draw- 
 ing to a head, by the ineffable clemency of the king, the con- 
 spiracy of all the nobles and bishops was appeased, and the 
 king divided the kingdom of the West Saxons with his son, 
 which had never been divided before, so that the eastern dis- 
 tricts of the kingdom fell to the share of his son, and the 
 western part remained with the father. And, though the whole 
 nobihty of the kingdom was willing to fight for the king, and 
 to exclude his son from a share in the kingdom, if the father 
 would have allowed it to be done, yet he was, by the innate 
 nobleness of his mind, so far removed from the vice of cove- 
 tousness, that he satisfied the ambition of his son to such a 
 degree, that when the father ought to have reigned by the 
 just judgment of God, his obstinate and wicked son did reign. 
 A.D. 855. Pope Leo died, and was succeeded by Benedict, 
 who ruled the see two years, six months, and ten days. The 
 same year, king Edmund, who traced his origin up to the 
 blood of the ancient Saxons, succeeded to the supreme power 
 in the province of the East Angles, in the thirteenth year after 
 his birth ; and on the day of the Nativity of our Lord, the 
 twenty-fifth of December, that most pious youth, having been 
 elected king by all the nobles and people of that district, and 
 being compelled, in spite of great resistance on his own part, to 
 assume the reins of government, received consecration from 
 
 Humbert, bishop of Helmham, in the royal town which is 
 called Bures. 
 
 A.D. 856. Lothaire, king of France, and patrician of Rome, 
 died, and was succeeded by Louis, who reigned twenty-one 
 years. 
 
 A.D. 857. Ethelwolf, the peaceful king of the West Saxons, 
 among his other good studies in this present life, thinking of 
 his passage to the Ufe everlasting, lest his sons should quarrel 
 with one another after his decease, drew up an epistle touch- 
 ing the inheritance, in which he had the division of his kingdom 
 equitably apportioned between his sons Ethelbald and Ethel- 
 bert, and whatever treasures in money he should leave behind 
 hira he divided between his daughter and his relatives, and 
 the nobles of his kingdom. Moreover, and for the benefit and 
 salvation of his soul, he enjoined his successors to the end of 
 time, in every ten hides or manors to maintain one poor man, 
 whether a native or a stranger, in meat, drink, and clothing, 
 provided only that that district was full of cattle, and was culti- 
 vated by men. And he ordered four hundred mancuses ^ to be 
 carried to Rome every year, to be there divided, so that one 
 hundred mancuses should be spent in honour of Saint Peter, 
 the chief of the Apostles, in the especial purchase of oil for 
 fiUing all the lamps of the Apostohc Church on the eve of 
 Easter, and the same sum for refilUng them at cock-crow ; 
 also a hundred mancuses in honour of Saint Paul for the same 
 purposes, and a hundred were to be given to the universal 
 pope for the purpose of increasing his alms. 
 
 Moreover, this king, so devoted to God, before the death of 
 kmg Egbert, his father, had been ordained bishop of Win- 
 chester ; but after his father's death, though he was very un- 
 willing, he was created king, as there was no one else of the royal 
 family who was entitled to reign. At last, when the illiis- 
 tnous king Ethelwolf had governed the kingdom of the West- 
 Saxons with great care for seventeen years, he went the way of 
 all flesh, and left Ethelbert, his second son, the kingdom of 
 Kent with Sussex, while his eldest son, Ethelbald, succeeded 
 him in the kingdom of the West Saxons ; and king Ethel- 
 wolf was buried with royal honours at Winchester, in the 
 cathedral church. 
 
 As soon as Ethelbald had been advanced to the kingdom, 
 he, in defiance of the laws of God, and the honour of the 
 ^ A mancus was about the weight of our present half crown.— //«me, c. ii. 
 
406 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D 8G2. 
 
 Christian name, aye, contrary to even the customs which ob- 
 tain among pagan nations, he ascended the bed of his de- 
 ceased father, and married Judith, the daughter of the king of 
 France, and reigned wilh unbridled cruelty over the West 
 Saxons for two years and a half. The same year, Cedda, 
 bishop of Hereford, died, and was succeeded by Albert. 
 
 A.D. 858. Pope Benedict died, and Nicolas succeeded to the 
 Roman chair, and ruled that see nine years, two months, and 
 twenty days. The same year, Ethelbald, bishop of Lichfield, 
 died, and was succeeded by Humbert. 
 
 A.D. 8.)9. Ethelbald, king of the West Saxons, repenting of 
 the wickedness before-mentioned, divorced Judith, his step- 
 mother, whose bed he had defiled, and having done penance, 
 during the remaining time that he lived, he governed the 
 kingdom in peace and justice. 
 
 A.D. 860. Leuculf, duke of the Saxons, transported the body 
 of the blessed pope Innocent from Rome into Saxony. 
 
 A.D. 861. Ethelbald, king of the West Saxons, was cut off 
 by a premature death in the fifth year of his reign, and was 
 buried with royal honours at Sherburne. He was succeeded in 
 his kingdom by his brother Ethelbert, who reduced under his 
 dominion Wessex, Kent, Essex, and Sussex. In those days 
 a vast multitude of Danes came across the sea, and plundered 
 the city of Winchester in a hostile manner. But as they were 
 returning with immense booty to their ships, Osric, count of 
 Hampshire, and Ethelwolf, count of Berkshire, manfully en- 
 countered them, and slew many of them, and compelled the 
 rest to seek safety in flight. The same year, Rethune, bishop 
 of Leicester, died, and Aldred succeeded to the bishopric. 
 
 A.D. 862. Saint Swithun, bishop of the city of W^inchester, 
 departed to the Lord. This holy man, while he was alive, was 
 the possessor of many virtues, but was especially eminent for 
 clemency and humility. And once upon a time it happened 
 that this servant of God was iitting with some workmen on 
 the bridge of the city of Winchester, in order by the spur 
 given by his presence to excite the activity of the labourers. 
 And lo ! there came across the bridge into the city, a woman 
 bringing her wares to market, and carrying eggs, and the la- 
 bourers from all sides sprang upon her with wanton attack, as 
 is the way with men of that sort, and broke all her eggs to 
 pieces. And when, through the lamentations of the woman, 
 this shameful deed came to the ears of the pious bishop, and 
 
 A.D. 867. 
 
 POPE ADRIAN SrCCEEDS NICOLAS. 
 
 407 
 
 he had sighed for the loss of that poor woman, being moved 
 with pity, he made the sign of the cross over the broken eggs, 
 and so repaired the fractures of all of them. And with re- 
 spect to the humility of the man, this fact is worthy of being 
 remembered, that as often as he was about to consecrate any 
 newly-built church, however long the journey was, he used to 
 walk thither vigorously on his feet, refusing the use of horse 
 or carriage. And that he might not be ridiculed by the igno- 
 rant, or remarked by the proud, and so give cause for boast- 
 ing ; he avoided the sight of men, and usually made his jour- 
 ney by night. He was a lover of holy solitude, and thought 
 it not right to squander his possessions in any pomps. At 
 last, when about to bid farewell to this present life, he, with 
 the strictness which became a bishop, enjoined his domestics 
 to bury his corpse outside his church, where it might be ex- 
 posed to the feet of the passers-by, and to the drops that fell 
 from on high. He was succeeded in his bishopric by Eal- 
 ferth, a man of considerable erudition in ecclesiastical matters, 
 and who occupied the place of his predecessor with great 
 wisdom for some time. 
 
 A.D. 863. The pagans wintered in the isle of Thanet, and 
 made a firm treaty of peace with the men of Kent. But 
 after the manner of foxes, they sallied by night out of their 
 camp, and ravaged the whole eastern district of Kent, and re- 
 turned with the spoil to their ships. 
 
 A.D. 864. Humbert, bishop of Lichfield, died, and was suc- 
 ceeded in his bishopric by Kineferth. 
 
 A.D. 865. The bodies of the Saints Eusebius and Pontianus 
 were, in consequence of the gift of pope Nicolas, transported 
 into Gaul, and honourably buried in two monasteries, which 
 by the vows of religious men had been conferred on Saint 
 Peter. 
 
 A.D. 866. Ethelbert, king of the West Saxons, died, and 
 his brother Ethelred reigned in his stead, and reigned five 
 years. And at this time a great fleet of the Danes arriving in 
 England, wintered in the country of the East Angles, when a 
 great part of those who had been infantry soldiers became 
 cavalry. 
 
 A.D. 867. Pope Adrian succeeded Nicolas, and ruled the 
 Roman see four years. The same year, the wicked army of 
 the Danes, on the day of All Saints, quitted the district of the 
 East Angles, and went to the city of York ; at which time 
 
408 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 867. 
 
 also, a great dissension arose among the people of Northum- 
 berland, in which the people expelled their lawful king, Os- 
 bert, from his kingdom, and raised to the supreme power a 
 tyrant named Ella, who was not descended from the royal 
 family. But under the influence of the divine guidance, when 
 the Danes arrived, Osbert and Ella made peace with one ano- 
 ther for the common good. And then, uniting their numerous 
 forces, they marched upon the city of York ; and on their ar- 
 rival, the pagans at once retreated within the walls of the city, 
 determining to defend themselves there ; but the Christian kings 
 pursued them, making a most vigorous attack upon the enemy, 
 and battered down the walls of the city. At last, they entered 
 the city, and fought a battle against the pagans, in which they 
 themselves suffered severe loss. For in that battle fell the 
 kings Osbert and Ella, and with them eight generals, with a 
 great number of common men, and the battle was fought 
 on Palm Sunday. At last, the wicked Danes being victorious, 
 ravaged the whole province of Northumberland as far as the 
 mouth of the river Tyne, and having subdued their enemies, 
 made themselves absolute masters of the whole country. Then 
 the kings of Northumberland having been slain, a person of 
 the name of Egbert, an Angle by birth, obtained the kingdom 
 under the power of the Danes, and governed it six years. 
 
 The same year, Alfstan, bishop of Sherburne, died ; who, in 
 the time of the kings of the West Saxons, Egbert, and his son 
 Ethelwolf, flourished in the kingdom with great influence and 
 reputation for wisdom, and by his exertions in war he reduced 
 the people of Kent and the East Angles under the power of 
 king Egbert. And he excited the courage of king Ethelwolf 
 against the Danes, who then, for the first time, were infesting 
 this island ; drawing money out of the treasury himself, and 
 himself levying an army, and being successful in the results of 
 his warfare, he conducted many wars against the enemy with 
 great courage. Moreover, any one may judge of his power 
 from this fact, that when king Ethelwolf was returning from 
 Rome, he refused him entrance into his kingdom, and set up 
 his son Ethelbald as king in his stead, until he allowed the 
 father to return as a partner with his son in the kingly power. 
 And he left his church, which he had governed for fifty years, 
 very rich in estates which he had acquired on all sides. And, 
 as he was a man of unhmited covetousness, so also was he one 
 
 A.D, 870. 
 
 DANES LAND IN SCOTLAND. 
 
 409 
 
 of pre-eminent liberality. And he was buried at Sherburne, in 
 the cathedral church. 
 
 A.D. 868. Alfred, brother of king Ethelred, a youth of ad- 
 mirable probity, married a wife of the royal family of Mercia, 
 who was the daughter of Ethelred, count of the Ganni, who 
 was surnamed lttuc!)tl, which in Latin means Magnus. Her 
 mother's name was Eadburga, of the noble race of the before- 
 mentioned kings. The name of the maiden whom Alfred es- 
 poused was Alswitha. The same year, the army of the Danes, 
 which has been frequently mentioned, left Northumberland 
 and came down to Nottingham, and wintered there. But Not- 
 tingham was called in the British language Tingnobant, and 
 in Latin Domus Speluncarum (the house of caves). And 
 when Burrhed, king of Mercia, heard of their arrival in those 
 parts, he sent messengers to Ethelred, king of the West 
 Saxons, and to his brother Alfred, to beg for aid in a suppliant 
 manner, in order to enable hira to defeat the army of the 
 pagans, which was hateful both to God and man. And Alfred 
 immediately collected an immense army, and joined the king 
 of Mercia, and then the two kings marched with one mind 
 towards Nottingham, purposing to fight a battle. But as the 
 pagans, being protected by the fortifications of the citadel, de- 
 clined a battle, and as the Christians were unable to batter 
 down the walls, peace was made for a time between the Mer- 
 cians and pagans, and both parties returned to their own ter- 
 ritories. 
 
 The same year, the oratory of Saint Andrew the Apostle 
 was built, and dedicated at Cimesia, by Alwyn, bishop of Wor- 
 cester. Tliis year a comet was seen very clearly. 
 
 A.D. 869. The before-mentioned army of the pagans passing 
 back again towards Northumberland, went to the city of York, 
 and wintered there. 
 
 A.D. 870. An innumerable multitude of Danes landed in 
 Scotland, under the leadership of Hinguar and Hubba, men of 
 terrible obstinacy and unheard-of valour. They endeavoured 
 to carry on a war of extermination throughout all the territory 
 of England ; they murdered all the boys and old men whom 
 they met, and gave up the holy matrons and virgins to the 
 sport of the soldiery. And when this tyrannical ferocity had 
 spread over all parts of the kingdom, Ebba, the holy abbess of 
 the nunnery of Collingham, fearing lest she herself, to whom 
 the pastoral charge of regulating the affairs of her house and 
 
410 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 870. 
 
 order had been committed, should, with the virgms under 
 her authority, 'be given up to the sport of the pagans, so as to 
 lose her virgin modesty, convened all the sisterhood to a chap- 
 ter, and burst forth in the following words, saymg, " There 
 have lately come into our district most wicked pagans, men 
 ignorant of every kind of humanity, who traverse every part of 
 this region, and spare neither the sex of females nor the age 
 of infants. They trample upon churches and ecclesiastical 
 persons, they defile women bound by the hohest vows, and 
 crush and destroy whatever they meet with. Therefore, it 
 vou are willing to adopt my advice, I entertain certain hopes, 
 founded on the divine mercy, that we shall be able to escape 
 the rage of the barbarians, and to preserve the modesty of our 
 perpetual maidenhood." And when the entire assembly ot 
 the virgins had ^iven her their pledge and most solemn pro- 
 mise that they were desirous to obey her maternal injunction 
 in all things, then that abbess of admirable courage, openly 
 giving to all the sisters an example of chastity which should 
 be profitable not only to those nuns, but which should be 
 worthy of being followed by all succeeding virgins, and by all 
 who should at any time exist, took a razor, and cut off her 
 nose, and her upper hp close to the very teeth, and so made 
 herself a shocking sight to all the bystanders. And as the 
 whole assembly which beheld this memorable deed admired 
 it, they all inflicted similar treatment on themselves, and fol- 
 lowed the example of their mother. And after these things 
 had been done in this manner, the next morning, at dawn, 
 those most wicked tyrants came, in order to deliver up those 
 holy women devoted to God, to be the sport of their soldiery, 
 and to plunder the monastery itself, and burn it with fire. 
 But when they beheld that abbess and every one of the sisters 
 80 shamefully mutilated, and steeped in their own gore from 
 head to foot, they retreated in haste from that place, as it 
 appeared too long for them to remain on that spot for even a 
 brief space of time. And the before-mentioned generals, retreat- 
 ing from that place, ordered their wicked guards to hurl fire 
 upon it, and so bum up the monastery itself, with all its 
 offices, and the nuns themselves. And when these commands 
 had been executed accordingly by those ministers of iniquity, 
 the holy abbess, and all those most holy virgins with her, 
 arrived at the glory of martyrdom. 
 And when these things had been done in this manner, those 
 
 A.D. 870. 
 
 STOET OF KING EDMUND. 
 
 411 
 
 most impious infidels sailed upwards along the coast, laying 
 waste everything they met with, with fire and sword. And 
 in this diaboUcal persecution, many most noble monasteries, 
 which were situated on the sea-coast, are said to have been 
 destroyed, namely, the monastery of monks at Lindisfarne, 
 where at that time*^ there was a cathedral see, which the blessed 
 bishop Cuthbert adorned with the sacred presence of his 
 body. Also the monastery at Tynemouth, for nuns, and 
 the Gyrwian monastery for monks, and that of Wearmouth, 
 in which it is related that the venerable priest, Bede, was 
 educated. There was also the nunnery at Streneshele, which 
 the most blessed abbess, Hilda, founded, and in which she 
 assembled many virgins. And thus those wicked leaders, 
 passing through the county of York, burnt churches, and 
 cities, and towns, and destroyed the inhabitants of every sex 
 and age, with all their property and their cattle. Then sail- 
 ing up the river Humber, they raged there with similar fury ; 
 and advancing from thence, they destroyed all the monasteries 
 and nunneries situated in the fens, and slew all the inha- 
 bitants. And the names of these monasteries and nunneries 
 were that of Croyland, of Thorney, of Ramsey, of Hampstead, 
 which is now called Saint Peter's Borough. They also ravaged 
 the Isle of Ely, and destroyed a nunnery which was formerly 
 of the highest celebrity, in which the holy virgin and queen, 
 Elthelreda, gloriously filled the office of abbess for many years. 
 Now, therefore, since in that persecution the glorious king 
 and martyr, Edmund, was slain, and perished by the swords 
 of the wicked brothers, Hinguar and Hubba, it is fitting in 
 this place to relate the cause of this important martyrdom, 
 and to explain how the before-mentioned leaders got the oppor- 
 tunity of condemning that most pious king to a most bar- 
 barous death. There was then in the days which were not 
 long past, in the kingdom of the Danes, a certain man, des- 
 cended from the royal family of that nation, by name Lothbroc. 
 He by his wife became the father of two sons, namely, of 
 Hinguar and Hubba. And when one day he had embarked 
 in a Uttle boat, alone with his haw^, in order to hunt the 
 ducks and other small birds in the islands of the sea wliich 
 were near the land, a sudden tempest arose, by which he w^ 
 carried out into the wide sea, and for many days and nights 
 tossed about in every direction, and grievously afflicted. 
 At last, after having encountered many dangers, he was 
 
412 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 870. 
 
 driven into Anglia, and landed in the province of the East 
 Angles, which is called ^ortl)folfec by the inhabitants, near 
 the town which is called l^ttlJjam. And being discovered 
 there alone with his hawk, by the men of that district, he was 
 brought before Edmund, king of the East Angles, as a won- 
 der. And having been honourably received by the king himself, 
 on account of the extreme elegance and beauty of his person, 
 he remained for some time at his court. And as the language 
 of the Danes is near akin to the dialect of the Angles, Lotli- 
 broc began to relate to the king by what chance it was that he 
 had been driven to Anglia. Lothbroc also was much pleased 
 by the graciousness of the manner of king Edmund, and by 
 the admirable state of his military discipline, and by the nu- 
 merous retinue of servants who stood by, whom the industry 
 of the king had made fully accomplished in all honourable 
 actions and in every variety of knowledge. Lothbroc, there- 
 fore, being excited by his admiration for such manners and 
 disciphne, asked with earnestness of the king to allow him to 
 remain at his court, in order to be more fully instructed in the 
 discipUne of the king. And when king Edmund had graciously 
 listened to his request, Lothbroc united himself to the king's 
 huntsman, whose name was Bemus, in order, in his company, 
 to become fully instructed in the art of hunting, in which 
 Bernus was thoroughly skilful ; for he was thoroughly ac- 
 quainted not only with the practice of hunting, but also with 
 that of fowling, so that in catching both birds and beasts, 
 everything succeeded according to his wish. He caught what- 
 ever he wished, and frequently enriched the king's table with 
 the most delicate dishes. And as he was greatly beloved by 
 the king, as the nobleness of his birth sanctioned, the kings 
 huntsman began to envy him greatly, because he surpassed 
 him in the before-mentioned arts. And being inflamed against 
 Lothbroc with mortal envy, one day, when they were going 
 out hunting together, he made a treacherous attack upon him, 
 and wickedly slew him, and hid his body in the thickness of 
 the wood. And when he had done this, that wicked hunts- 
 man withdrew, and blowing his horn, called the dogs to him- 
 self. But Lothbroc had bred up a harrier in the palace of king 
 Edmund, which, as is often the case, became greatly attached 
 to him ; and when the huntsman retreated with the rest of 
 the hounds, this harrier remained alone by the body of his 
 master. The next day, when the king was sitting at table, 
 
 A.D. 870. 
 
 STOET or KIKG EDMtlNl). 
 
 413 
 
 and observed that Lothbroc was not present with the rest of 
 his court, he asked eagerly of his servants what had became 
 of him ; and Bernus, the huntsman, replied, that the day be- 
 fore, when he returned home from hunting, Lothbroc re- 
 mained behind him in the wood, and he declared that he had 
 not seen him since. But he had scarcely finished speaking, 
 when, lo ! the harrier which Lothbroc had bred, entered the 
 king's palace, and began to wag his tail and fawn upon all 
 present, and especially upon the king. And when the king 
 saw this, he said to the byestanders, ** See, the hound of Loth- 
 broc is come as a forerunner of his master, who is on his way.'* 
 And in his joy the king fed the hound carefully, hoping that 
 he was a sign that his master was coming : but he waited in 
 vain. For immediately that the hound was satisfied, he re- 
 turned to his master, and kept his accustomed watch near 
 his corpse. Again, after three days, being compelled by 
 hunger, he returned to the king's table to be refreshed ; and 
 the king, greatly marvelling, ordered his servants to follow 
 the footsteps of the dog if he left the palace, and carefully to 
 ascertain whither he went. And this was done by the ser- 
 vants, just as they had been commanded to do by the king ; 
 and following the hound as he retired, they were conducted 
 to the lifeless body of Lothbroc. And when this had been 
 related to the king, he was greatly agitated, and ordered that 
 his body should be buried with all honour. 
 
 Then king Edmund, having made a diligent investigation into 
 the death of Lothbroc, convicted Bernus, the huntsman, of 
 this wicked action. And he ordered the soldiers and lawyers 
 of his court to pronounce their judgment as to what should 
 be done with the murderer. And they all agreed together in 
 this point, that the huntsman should be placed in the boat in 
 which Lothbroc had come to Anglia, and should then be cast 
 adrift in the middle of the sea, without any naval instruments, 
 so that it should be proved whether God chose to deliver him 
 from his danger. Therefore, the huntsman, in accordance 
 with the sentence that had been pronounced, was cast adrift 
 in the deep sea, and, after a few days, was driven to Den- 
 mark. And when he had been found by the guardians of the 
 harbours, the Danes recognised the boat, because in it their 
 master Lothbroc had been accustomed to go fowling ; and so 
 they conducted him to Hinguar and Hubba, the sons of the 
 Danish prince who had been slain in AngUa, who were power- 
 
414 
 
 MATTHEW or WESTMIIS^STER. 
 
 A.D. 870. 
 
 fill and cruel men, and who immediately applied the torture 
 to Bernus, inquiring of him what had become of their father, 
 who had departed from them in that boat. Bernus, having 
 been tortured severely for a long time with all kinds of tor- 
 tures, invented a lie, and said that their father, having been 
 by chance driven into Anglia, was found by Edmund, king of 
 the East Angles, and had been put to death by his command. 
 On this they burst forth into most bitter weeping, and, being 
 inconsolaljly afilicted at the death of their father, they swore 
 by their almighty gods that they woidd not leave that murder 
 unpunished. And they appointed Bernus, the huntsman, who 
 had come in their father's boat, to be their guide, that they 
 might avenge themselves on king Edmund. After this, they 
 collected a niimerous army, and put to sea, with twenty thou- 
 sand armed men, towards the district of the East Saxons, to 
 which point they directed their sails and their arms, in order 
 to avenge themselves on king Edmund, who was, in reaUty, 
 perfectly innocent of that murder. But, as the winds drove 
 their fleet the contrary way, they were compelled to land in 
 Scotland, at ficriuick on the Tweed, where they began to lay 
 waste the country, as they had predetermined to do, and com- 
 mitting barbarities all around them, they at length came to 
 East Anglia. And, having pitched their camp near the town 
 which is called tlTIjetfortJe, they slew with the edge of the 
 sword all the men and women wliom they found there. At 
 last, when Hinguar, that most wicked tyrant, had in some 
 dearree satiated his fury with the multitude of those whom he 
 had slain, he summoned before him some of the common 
 people, whom he judged unworthy of his sword, and strictly 
 examined them as to where their king was living at that time. 
 For a report had reached him that the most pious king, Ed- 
 mund, was a man of might both in power and in arms, and of 
 unequalled nobleness in all the proportions of his body, and 
 in height. On which account, he hastened to put to death 
 every one whom he found all round, lest Edmund should 
 gather around him such a band of soldiers as might enable 
 him to defend his country. 
 
 At that time, that glorious king, the future martyr, Ed- 
 mund, was at that time dwelling in the royal town which was 
 called Heglesdune, from which town also the neighbouring 
 wood derived its name, as that wicked robber learnt from the 
 common people. On which, he treacherously summoned one 
 
 A.D. 870. 
 
 STOET OF KING EDMUND. 
 
 415 
 
 of his soldiers to him, and sent him to the king, commanding 
 him to divide with him all his treasures, and the riches which 
 he had inherited from his father, and to reign as tributary to 
 him. But it was in treachery that Hinguar demanded his 
 treasures, as he thirsted for the head of that most benevolent 
 monarch, rather than for his money. Accordingly, when the 
 soldier, after a rapid journey, had arrived at the dwelhng of 
 king Edmund, he addressed him in the following words : — 
 ** My master, the universally-dreaded Hinguar, the most in- 
 vincible king of the Danes, has come to this country to winter. 
 And if you despise his power, you shall be judged unworthy 
 of either life or kingdom." And when, in this manner, he 
 had related to the king all the messages which he had been 
 commanded to. deliver, one after another, as we have detailed 
 them before, the most pious king Edmund groaned out of the 
 depth of his heart, and, having summoned Humbert, bishop 
 of Helmham, he asked counsel of him, saying, " Humbert, 
 servant of the living God, the half of my own soul, behold, 
 the arrival of barbarian enemies is at hand, who will endeavour 
 utterly to destroy, and to efface from the memory of succeed- 
 ing generations, all that is left of our dear country and its in- 
 habitants, which is already partly desolated. But, behold, 
 would that, by my death, the people who are subject to me 
 might escape with their lives. For, out of love for a temporal 
 kingdom, or for the gain of this present life, I will not subject 
 myself to a heathen tyrant, when, dying like a soldier for my 
 nation and my country, I may become a standard bearer of 
 the king of heaven." 
 
 The bishop answered him thus : " My most beloved king, 
 those whom you wish to preserve and to survive their country, 
 unless you guard against them and save yourself by flight, 
 will immediately be wicked traitors, who will endeavour to 
 destroy you and your subjects." Then the most merciful 
 king replied : *' This is the most ardent wish that I entertain, not 
 to survive my most faithful and beloved friends, whom that 
 savage bandit has most inhumanly slain ; and, indeed, what 
 you suggest to me is to stain my glory with guilt, when, up to 
 this day, I have never incurred the disgrace of warfare ; and 
 the King of Heaven shall be my witness to this, that no fear 
 of the barbarians shall ever separate me, alive or dead, from 
 the love of Christ." Then the most blessed king Edmund 
 turned to the messenger who had been sent to him by the 
 
416 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 8/0. 
 
 wicked Hinguar, and said to him, " Stained as you are with 
 the blood of my people, you are worthy of the punishment 
 of death. But, imitating the example of my master, Christ, 
 if it shall so happen, I am not at all afraid willingly to die 
 for His sake. Return, therefore, with speed to your master, 
 and bear him my answer: * Though, with your might, you 
 may carry off my treasures and riches, which the mercy of 
 God has given me, still you shall never make me subject to 
 your infidel power ; for it is honourable to defend liberty for 
 ever, and to uphold at the same time the purity of the faith, 
 for which objects, if it be necessary, we do not consider it 
 useless to die ; therefore, as your arrogant ferocity has begun, 
 murder the king after his servants, and the King of Kings, 
 who sees this, shall transport me to heaven, where I shall 
 reign for ever and ever.' " 
 
 When, therefore, the savage messenger departed, king Ed- 
 mund ordered his soldiers to fly to arms, saying, that it was a 
 worthy deed to fight for their faith and for their country, and 
 not to show themselves deserters of the war and betrayers of 
 their nation. Therefore, the most blessed king Edmund, 
 being animated by the earnest exhortations of the bishop 
 Humbert, and of his nobles and soldiers, marched forth, with 
 all the army which he could assemble, boldly against the 
 enemy, and fought a terrible battle, accompanied with heavy 
 loss to both sides, against the enemy who came to meet him, 
 not far from the city which is called Cl)eXlfort(e ; for when they 
 had mutually slaughtered one another from morning till even- 
 ing, and when the whole field was red with the excessive number 
 of the slain, and with their blood, the most pious king Edmund 
 grieved not only at the slaughter of his own troops, who were 
 fighting for their country and their nation, and for the faith 
 of Jesus Christ, and whom he knew to have received the 
 crown of martyrdom, but also for the death of the infidel 
 barbarians who are thrust with exceeding bitterness down to 
 the gulf of hell. Therefore, as soon as the pagans retreated 
 from the place of death, that most blessed confessor of Christ, 
 king Edmund, with the remainder of his soldiers who sur- 
 vived, marched to the royal town of Hegledune, and resolved 
 unchangeably in his mind, that he would never for the future 
 fight against the barbarians. But he only said this, that it was 
 needful that he alone should die for his people, and that the 
 whole nation should not perish. 
 
 A.D. 870. 
 
 MAETTEDOM OF KINO EDMUND. 
 
 417 
 
 While, therefore, Hinguar was inconsolably anxious about 
 the slaughter which had fallen upon his troops, his brother 
 Hubba came to him at Thedforde, after having already laid 
 waste the whole of Mercia, bringing with him ten thousand 
 armed men ; and then uniting their forces, with the object of 
 avenging themselves on the holy king Edmund, they moved 
 their camp and soon arrived at the town of Heglesdune, where 
 the most blessed king Edmund at that time was. Then the 
 tyrant, Hinguar, commanded the king and all his array to be 
 surrounded, so that not one of them all might escape alive. 
 Therefore, the holy king Edmund, when he perceived that he 
 was surrounded on all sides by the enemy, by the advice of 
 Humbert, bishop of Helmham, fled to the church, to show 
 himself a member of Christ, and throwing away his temporal 
 arms, he put on the armour of heaven, humbly praying to the 
 Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost, to give him con- 
 stancy in his sufferings. Therefore, the most merciful king, 
 Edmund, was pitilessly dragged out of the church by the 
 ministers of iniquity, and bound with cruel thongs ; and as 
 Christ was brought before Pilate, the governor, so was Ed- 
 mund led before the unjust leader, wishing to follow the steps 
 of Him who was slain as a victim for us. 
 
 At the command of this wicked leader he was bound to a 
 tree, which was at no great distance, and scourged for a long 
 time, and mocked in many ways ; but Edmund, the invincible 
 wrestler of Christ, by continually, with mournful voice, in- 
 voking Christ amid his stripes, drove his tormentors to mad- 
 ness ; and they, amusing themselves with his body as with a 
 target, pierced every part of it with darts and arrows, nor 
 was there a vacant spot in the martyr's body where a new 
 wound could be inflicted ; for as a hedgehog is beset with 
 closely-set thorns over his whole skin, so was the body of the 
 invincible king pierced with thepoints of arrows. Andwheneven 
 thus the bloody monster Hinguar could not separate the holy 
 martyr Edmund from the faith of Christ and from the con- 
 fession of the Trinity, so as to gain assent to his wretched 
 persuasions, he immediately commanded the executioner to 
 cut off" the head of the martyr with his bloody sword, and the 
 executioner, amid his prayers and confession of the name of 
 Christ, at one blow savagely struck his holy head from his 
 shoulders, and decapitated him, on the twentieth day of No- 
 vember, and 80 offered to God a grateful holocaust, which had 
 
 VOL. I. E B 
 
418 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMIifSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 870. 
 
 been purified by the fire of suff'ering, and transmitted it with 
 the palm of victory and crown of justice to heaven. And the 
 ministers of the devil leaving the body of the martyr deprived 
 of its head, conveying the head into the wood which is called 
 Heglesdune, threw it among the thick bushes and brambles, 
 for tlie cruel butchers were still anxious that the body of the 
 martyr should not, with his head, be given the burial which 
 became it by the few Christians whom they had left alive ; 
 for Hinguar and Hubba, those most wicked robbers, had learnt 
 that their father, Lothbroc, had been formerly murdered in 
 the before-mentioned wood, on which account, at the lying 
 su^^gestion of the huntsman Bernus, they sought to retaliate 
 oirthe blessed king and martyr Edmund, and therefore 
 threw his head ignominiously into the same wood, and gave 
 it to be devoured by the birds of heaven and the wild beasts. 
 
 And with the most holy king Edmund, there also suffered 
 his inseparable companion Humbert, bishop of Helmham, who 
 had raised king Edmund to the supreme power, and who, 
 being animated by the constancy of the king to endure mar- 
 tyrdom, was with him made a possessor of the kingdom of 
 heaven. And when this blessed king had been thus removed to 
 the hearenlv regions, the pagans, boasting extravagantly, win- 
 tered in that district, having driven out the few natives who 
 survived the previous massacre. The same year, Ceolnoth, 
 archbishop of Canterbury, died, and was succeeded by Ethel- 
 red, a venerable man, of great learning in all divine matters. 
 
 When, then, after the martyrdom of the most blessed king 
 Edmund, the brothers Hinguar and Hubba, hated by God, had 
 passed part of the winter season in the country of the East 
 Angles, devoting themselves to plunder and rapine, there 
 came to the same district to them a man of the name of Gytro, 
 the most powerful of the kings of the Danes, in order to pass 
 the winter with the before-mentioned brethren. When then 
 the spring season arrived, all the pagans departed together 
 from East Anglia. And when this was heard, the Christians 
 came forth on all sides from their lurkmg places, and laboured 
 most earnestly to find the head of the blessed king Edmuntl, 
 and unite it to his body, and then to give such a burial to the 
 whole body as a king was entitled to. And as they all united 
 in this object with equal eagerness, and traversed the woods, 
 seeking dihgently for the martyr's head, a thing wonderful to 
 relate, and unheard of in previous ages, happened. For while 
 
 A.n. 870. DISCOVERY OF THE HEAD OF KING EDMUND. 419 
 
 they were all seeking for the head among the thickets and 
 closely-growing woods, and one companion kept mutually 
 calhng on another in his native language, and said, *' Where 
 are you ? where are you ?" the liead of the martyr replied in the 
 same language,*' Her, her, her^' which means in Latin «' Hie, 
 hie, hie.'' Nor did it cease to cry out and repeat the same words 
 until it brought all the seekers to itself ; and then there was 
 found with the head a wolf of great size and horrible appear- 
 ance, which, embracing the holy head with his fore-legs, hung 
 over the holy martyr, keeping watch. Therefore the men fear- 
 lessly took up the head, pouring forth praises to God, and car- 
 ried it to its body, the wolf following them to the place of burial. 
 Then they joined the head to the body, and placed it in a suitable 
 mausoleum. And when this had been done, the wolf sought 
 the retirement of his favourite solitude. And there was built 
 by the faithful on the same spot a small chapel of moderate 
 workmanship, where afterwards, for many ages, the holy body 
 of the martyr rested. This most blessed king and martyr, 
 Edmund, suff"ered in the eight hundred and seventieth year of 
 grace, in the twenty-ninth year of his age, and the sixteenth 
 of his reign, on the first of December, on the second day or 
 the week, in the third indiction, on the twenty-second day of 
 the month. 
 
 Afterwards, when an interval of many years had elapsed, 
 when the flames of war were completely quenched, the piety 
 of the faithful began to breathe again, w^io, having seeli 
 frequent miraculous signs in the place where the body of the 
 martyr was resting, which is now called Hoxon by the natives, 
 built a very large church in the royal town, which is called in 
 the EngUsh language Beodricheswort, but in Latin Beodrici- 
 curtis, or the dwelling of Beodric, and they transferred to 
 that church the body of the holy martyr with great solem- 
 nity. But a marvellous circumstance occurred. For though 
 the most precious corpse of the martyr was believed to have 
 decayed, from the long time which had elapsed since his death, 
 it was found to be so entire and uninjured, that not only was 
 the head reunited and closely joined to the body, but that 
 there was absolutely no wound or scar visible on it. And so 
 Edmund, that martyr worthy of God, was removed to the before- 
 mentioned place like a Hving man, the sign of martyrdom 
 appearing on his neck all round, like a scarlet thread, as a 
 woman of blessed memory was accustomed to testify, by name 
 
 E E 2 
 
420 
 
 MATTUEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 871. 
 
 Oswen, who often practised fasting and prayer at the sacred 
 tomb of the martyr for a series of many years, opemng the 
 mausoleum of the blessed martyr, and. on every occasion of 
 the Lord's Supper, cutting his hair and his nails and all the 
 fragments she carefully collected and deposited m a small 
 bag, and placed on the altar of that church, where to this 
 very day they are preserved with aU due veneration. 
 
 The same year, died Weremond, bishop of Dummoc, after 
 whose death that see was transferred to Helmham, and instead 
 of two bishops, one of whom had his episcopal seat at Dummoc, 
 and the other at Helmliam, there was ordained one bishop, by 
 name Wilred, who had as his successors in the same see Ath- 
 wolf, Alfric, Theodred, Athelstan, Algar, Alwyn, Alfnc, a third 
 Alfric, Stigand, Ethelm, and llerstan. 
 
 Ch. XVI.— From a.d. 871 to a.d. 900. 
 
 The Banes invade the West Saxons— Reach Reading— Battles 
 with Alfred— King Ethelred dies and is succeeded by Alfred 
 —The youth and education of Alfred— His wisdom— His wars 
 ^Brithred, king of Northumberland and Mercia—The body of 
 Saint Cuthbert is brought from Lindiffarne—A truce is made 
 between Alfred and the Danes— It is broken— Alfred besieges 
 Exeter and builds a feet— The Danes ravage Wiltshire- 
 Alfred retires to Athelney—King Gytro becomes a Christian 
 —An account of John or Dun Scotus— Alfred defeats the Danes 
 —Story of a vision of the emperor Charles about purgatory- 
 Alfred becomes king of all Britain— A list of the kings of the 
 Heptarchy— Alfred founds monasteries- Appoints governors 
 throughout his kingdom— Story of Rollo, duke of Normandy 
 — Death of Alfred. 
 A.D. 871. The before-mentioned army of the pagans quitted 
 the country of the East Angles, and invaded the kingdom of 
 the West Saxons, and came to the royal town which is called 
 Reading, situated on the south bank of the river Thames, in 
 the county of Berks. After the arrival of whom, on the 
 third day, two of their counts, with a numerous multitude 
 of armed men, went forth to plunder, while others m the 
 meantime raised a fortification between the two rivers, namely, 
 the Thames and the Kennet, on the right hand of the above- 
 mentioned town. And they were encountered by EaduU, 
 count of Berkshire, and his army, in the place which is caUed 
 
 A.D. 871. BATTLE BETWEEN THE PAGANS AND CHRISTIANS. J2 I 
 
 ^ugleftltJ, that is to say, the Field of the Angles, where the 
 two armies fought vigorously, till a count of the pagans being 
 destroyed with the greater part of his army, gave the rest a 
 reason for flying. And so when the Christians had gained the 
 victory, four days afterwards, Ethelred, the king, and his bro- 
 ther Alfred, collected an army and came to Reading, slaying 
 and overthrowing whatever pagans they found outside of the 
 citadel. At last, the pagans sallying out of all the gates at 
 once, engaged in battle with all their strength, and fighting 
 long and bravely, they slew count Eadulf, and put the Chris- 
 tians to flight, at which disaster the Christians were greatly 
 alarmed, and again met to give them battle four days after- 
 wards, in the place which is called lljcsijicltluuf, that is to say, 
 the Mount of the Ash, having assembled all the forces which 
 they could collect. But the pagans divided themselves into 
 two battalions, arranging in one the two kings, Bascai and 
 Halden, and in the other all the generals with their subjects. 
 And the Christians seeing this, divided their army in like man- 
 ner into two bodies, giving one to king Ethelred, and trie 
 other to his brother Alfred. And king Ethelred was in his 
 tent hearing mass, and, as his men were constantly urging him 
 to come forth to battle, he aflirmed resolutely that he would 
 not move till the priest had finished the mass ; and this faith 
 of the Christian king availed him much on that day. 
 
 There was on the field of battle a very low tree, around which 
 the hostile armies met with great shouts. And when they had 
 fought for a long time with great courage on both sides, the 
 pagans, in accordance with the judgment of God, not being 
 able to withstand the onset of the Christians, after the greater 
 part of their army had been slain, betook themselves to an 
 ignominious flight. There the two kings of the pagans, Bas- 
 cai and Halden, were slain, and they, and many thousands 
 more who were slain with them, descended to hell, to be tor- 
 mented in everlasting flames. But on the other side, where 
 the general and the dukes were, against whom Alfred, the 
 brother of the king, was fighting, there were slain these generals, 
 the elder and the younger Sidrac, Osbern, Frank, and Harold, 
 with innumerable others, and the whole army of the pagans 
 fleeing all the following day and night, were routed and 
 scattered over the whole plain of Hesseldune. Fourteen days 
 afterwards, king Ethelred and his brother Alfred came together 
 a second time with united forces to Basing, intending to give 
 
422 
 
 MA.TTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 871. 
 
 battle to the pagans. But when they had fought vigorously 
 a long time, the pagans gained the victory. Again, after the 
 lapse of two months, king Ethelred and his brother Alfred, 
 after a long battle at Mereton against the wicked infidels, de- 
 feated them, and compelled the pagans to betake themselves 
 to flight. But afterwards, when they returned to attack the 
 Christians, they came off victorious. In this battle Hamund, 
 bishop of Sherbunie, received the crown of martyrdom, and 
 was succeeded in his bishopric by Ethelheg, a man of great 
 learning in ecclesiastical matters. 
 
 The same year, Ethelred, king of the West Saxons, died, on 
 the twenty-third of April. And when he had been buritd 
 in royal fashion at Wimborne, his brother Alfred, who had 
 previously received the crown and royal unction at Rome from 
 pope Leo, assumed the government of the ak liole kingdom, to 
 the extreme joy of all the inhabitants. The ancient writers, 
 tracing up tlie genealogy of this king, have woven him a pedi- 
 gree, and carried him up to Christ. 
 
 King Alfred was the son of Ethel wolf, the great king of the 
 West Saxons, who was the son of Egbert, who was the son of 
 Alcumund, who was the son of Eafa, who was the son of Eoppa, 
 who was the son of Inoilf, who was the brother of Inas, and 
 these were both the sons of Kenred, who was the son of Ceol- 
 wald, who was the son of Cuthwin, who was the son of Cealwin, 
 who was the son of Kenric, who was the son of Cedric. He 
 was the first of the Angles who reigned in the kingdom of the 
 West Saxons. Cedric was the son of Elesas,who was the son of 
 queen Gewisa, as descendants of whom, some of the Britons 
 claim nobility of birth. Gewisa was the daughter of Gewy, who 
 was the son of Wingy, who was the son of Frewin, who was 
 the son of Frethegar, who was the son of Brsendei, who was 
 the son of Beldag, who was the son of Woden. To Woden the 
 ancients dedicated the fourth day of the week, which, from 
 his name, they called ^otjeiusitlai), that is to say, the day of 
 Woden. Woden was the son of Frethewold, who was the son 
 of Freolaf, who was the son of Frethewolf, who was the son of 
 Fin, who was the son of Godwolf, who was the son of Geta. 
 The ancient Gentiles used formerly to worship Geta as a god , 
 and Sedulius, an admirable poet, making mention of him in 
 his paschal poem, says : 
 
 *• When Gentile poets strive with labour vain, 
 To deck their fictions in high-sounding words 
 
 A.D. 871. 
 
 THE CniLDHOOD OF ALFRED. 
 
 423 
 
 And tragic bluster, celebrating Geta, 
 
 That empty god, or showing olf their skill." 
 
 Geta was the son of Teathwy, who was the son of Beau, who 
 was the son of Seldua, who was the son of Seaf. Seaf, as it 
 is related, was driven by sea to a certain island of Germany, by 
 name Scandalin, of which Jordan, the historian of the Goths, 
 speaks, having been placed, while he was a child, in a small 
 boat without any rower, a handful of corn being placed at his 
 head, which we in our native language call a Seaf, but which 
 is called in the language of the Gauls Garba, and in this con- 
 dition he was found asleep. And from this circumstance he 
 was called Seaf, and was received by the men of the district as 
 a miraculous gift, and was carefully brought up by them. 
 And when he grew up to man's estate, he reigned in the town 
 which was then called Slaswic, but which is now called Haithebi. 
 And that is the district which is called OldAnglia, from which 
 the Angles came into Britain, and it lies between the Goths 
 and the Saxons. Seaf was the son of Heremod, who was the 
 son of Itermod, who was the son of Hathras, who was the 
 son of Wala, who was the son of Bedwy, who was the son of 
 Sem, who was the son of Noah, who was the son of Lamech, 
 who was the son of Methuselah, who was the son of ilnoch, 
 who was the son of Jared, who was the son of Malalehel, wlio 
 was the son of Cainan, who was the son of Enos, who was the 
 son of Seth, who was the son of Adam, who was the son of 
 God. 
 
 Alfred, in his years of childhood, was beloved with exceeding 
 affection by his father and mother, beyond all his brothers, 
 and what was still more, he was greatly beloved by all the 
 kingdom, on which account he was bred up in the king's 
 palace without ever being removed from it, for he was more 
 beautiful in figure and more dignified in countenance than 
 any of his brethren. On which account he appeared more 
 gracious both in language and in manners. But, owing 
 to the neglect of his parents and teachers, he remained quite 
 devoid of all learning, up to the twelfth year of his age. 
 Nevertheless, he was day and night a diligent hearer of Saxon 
 poems, and also a docile repeater of them, so that he retained 
 them in his memory. He was incomparable both for his skill 
 and for his success in the arts of hunting and fowling, as he 
 was also in all other accomphshments. And when, one day, 
 his mother was showing him and his brothers a Saxon book 
 
424 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 871. 
 
 on the art of poetry, which she held in her hand, she said to 
 them, ** I will give this book to whichever of you can learn it 
 first." Then Alfred, being charmed with the beauty of the initial 
 letter of the book, answered his mother, " Will you really give 
 that book to that one among us who shall be the most quickly 
 able to understand it, and to repeat it in your presence?'* 
 And she ' ^lied, " I will give it." Then he, taking the book, 
 went to a master, and read it, and, returning to his mother, 
 repeated it from memory. After that, with continued use, 
 without any intermission, he constantly carried about with 
 him, and diligently pondered, the psalms and prayers of David, 
 which he had written out in one book, and which out of his 
 devout spirit, he placed in his bosom. For he heard his mas- 
 ter say that an illiterate king was like a crowned ass. But 
 when, being in the flower of his age, he saw the law that was 
 in his members to be contrary to the law of his mind, and that 
 it was leading him captive to the law of sin, he often, at cock- 
 crow and at the hours of matins, would rise secretly from his 
 bed and visit the churches and relics of the saints, for the sake 
 of praying, and remaining there a long time prostrate in 
 prayer, he would implore the mercy of God, to strengthen his 
 mind in the love of his blessed majesty by some infirmity of 
 the body which he might be able to endure, but yet not to 
 such a degree that he should appear unworthy or unprofitable 
 in human affairs. And when, with great devotion of mind, he 
 had made this request to the Lord frequently, after a short 
 interval of time, by the kindness of God, he became afflicted 
 with the piles, with which complaint he was violently afflicted 
 for many years, and was brought even to despair of his life. 
 
 And on a certain occasion, when, by the prompting of the 
 Deity, he went to Cornwall for the sake of hunting, and had 
 turned aside, for the sake of praying, into a certain church, in 
 which the holy Gueriir and the holy Neotli were living, pros- 
 trating himself a long time in silent prayer, he implored the 
 mercy of God, entreating him to change the annoyance of the 
 disease which was pressing upon him, for some slighter infir- 
 mity, which, however, should not appear externally on his 
 body, so that he might not be more despised by men. And 
 when he had finished his prayer, he continued the journey 
 which he had begun, and no long time afterwards he was, as 
 he had prayed to be, entirely delivered from that disease, and 
 by the divine kindness, perfectly cured. But when that infir- 
 
 A.D. 871. EXEMPLARY CONDUCT OF ALFRED THE GREAT. 425 
 
 mity was removed from him, another much more troublesome 
 complaint attacked him, namely a desire for the joys of marriage, 
 which wore him out incessantly from the twentieth to the forty- 
 fifth year of his hfe. Amid this whirlwind of temptations there 
 were born to him sons and daughters by his before-mentioned 
 queen, whose name was Aswitha, and they were born in the 
 following order ;— his first-born daughter was called Elfleda, 
 who, when the time of marriage arrived, was married to Ethel- 
 red, count of Mercia. Then he had a son born, by name 
 Edward, who, after his father, governed the kingdom of Eng- 
 land. In the third place a daughter was born to him, by name 
 Ethelgina, who, having been devoted to the rules of monastic 
 discipUne, took upon herself a religious habit. Edward and 
 Ethelward were constantly educated in the court of the king, 
 and were carefully taught the psalms and books of Saxon 
 literature. Ethelwald was the youngest of all, and with the 
 other noble youths of the country, he, by the diligent care of 
 his parent, was instructed in the knowledge of literature, that 
 he might have liberal knowledge instilled into him before he 
 acquired the strength suitable for manly pursuits and exer- 
 cises. 
 
 Moreover, king Alfred, among all the dangers of his wars 
 and the frequent hindrances of this present Ufe, amid his con- 
 tinual infirmities of body and the invasions of the pagans, be- 
 gan to arrange the affairs of his kingdom, to practise every 
 kind of hunting, and to train his goldsmiths, and artisans, 
 and falconers, and hawkers. With a genius of his own which 
 was quite novel, he occupied himself in building edifices which 
 were venerable and noble beyond anything that had been at- 
 tempted by his predecessors. He was careful every day to hear 
 mass, with the Daily Hours. He was fond of psalms and 
 prayers, and constant in alms-giving. Many Frenchmen, and 
 others from distant countries, of their own accord, submitted 
 to his dominion, because he was amiable and affable to all 
 men, pleasant in his manners, and an incomparably strict 
 examiner into discipline in all things, and because he honoured, 
 protected, and enriched with treasures and estates all strangers 
 and foreigners, whether noble or low-born, as if they belonged 
 to his own people, according as the rank of each individual 
 deserved. He received with admirable grace all counts, barons, 
 soldiers, servants, and friends ; and embracing their sons who 
 were bred up in the royal palace with no less aftection than 
 
426 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 
 
 
 his own children, he was unwearied in his endeavours to form 
 their manners, and to imbue their minds with learning. And 
 this may be enough to say concerning his manners. 
 
 But now, being desirous to detail the painful wars of tliis 
 king, I must say this, in the first place, that, at the end of the 
 month in which he began to reign, he fought with a small 
 and exceedingly unequal army of warriors against the pagans, 
 on the hill which is called Wiltan, which is on the south bank 
 of the river Guilo, from which that county is called Guilt- 
 shire. For, during the preceding year, the nobles of that dis- 
 trict had been defeated in nine battles on the southern side of 
 the river Thames, leaving out of the question many cavalry 
 skirmishes which the nobles, with the people who were their 
 dependents, had made under the pressure of necessity. And, 
 as they were greatly weakened by these efforts, the Danes 
 gained the victory. And, after this victory, the pagans marched 
 on the city of London, and wintered there. And Buthred, 
 king of Mercia, came to an amicable arrangement with them, 
 and bought a truce with money. 
 
 AD. 872. The people of Northumberland expelled from 
 the kingdom their king, Egbert, and Ulfer, the archbishop. 
 And when they were expelled, they fled to Buthred, king of 
 Mercia, and were honourably received by him. The same 
 year, Kinebert, bishop of Lichfield, died, and was succeeded 
 by Tunebert. In which year also, Alwin, bishop of Worcester, 
 was succeeded by Herefrid, who, on the seventh of June, re- 
 ceived the honour of consecration from Ethelred, archbishop 
 of Canterbury. He, at the request of king Alfred, translated 
 elegantly the books of Dialogues of the blessed pope Gregory 
 into the Saxon language. At a later period, king Alfred sum- 
 moned before him this same bishop Herefrid, and Plegmund, 
 archbishop of Canterbury, Athelstan, bishop of Hereford, and 
 Werebert, bishop of Leicester, men of the most admirable 
 learning, and honoured them with many presents, that they 
 might aid him in acquiring a knowledge of literature. More- 
 over, he sent messengers into Gaul, and invited to partake of 
 his society the holy Grimbald, a priest and monk, a man of 
 great learning in matters relating to ecclesiastical discipline, 
 and John, a priest and monk, eminent for his virtuous cha- 
 racter ; he also invited Asser from the most distant part of 
 Wales, from the monastery of Saint David ; and, by the wis- 
 dom and learning of all these men, the desired object of the 
 
 A.D. 875. THE DANISH AEMT WINTERS AT CAMBRIDGE. 427 
 
 king was furthered, for they, in a short time, advanced him 
 80 far, that he had a perfect knowledge of all books whatever. 
 A.D. 873. John was elected to the Roman chair, and filled 
 it for ten years and two days. The same year, the army of 
 pagans, which has been so often mentioned, left London, and 
 marched towards Northumberland. And having traversed that 
 district in a hostile manner, they wintered in Lindsey, in a 
 town which is called Torkesey. And, at that time, the nation 
 of Mercia gave them presents, and became reconciled to them. 
 The same year, Egbert, king of Northumberland, died, and 
 Ricsius succeeded him in his kingdom, and reigned three years. 
 In this year, also, Ulfher, archbishop of York, was restored 
 to his see ; the same year, Eldred, bishop of Leicester, was 
 deposed, and succeeded by Ceolred. 
 
 A.D. 874. The wicked army of the Danes quitted Lindsey, 
 and invaded Mercia, and wintered in a town which is called 
 Rependune. And they expelled Burthred, king of Mercia, 
 from his kingdom, in the twenty-second year of his reign. 
 And he, going to Rome, a few days after, died there, and was 
 buried in royal fashion, near the school of the Angles, in the 
 church of the blessed Mary. After his expulsion, the Danes 
 reduced the kingdom of Mercia under their own dominion. 
 And then they gave it to an incompetent minister, by name 
 Ceolwolf, to be governed by him, on condition of peaceably 
 resigning it to them whenever they required. And he having 
 given hostages for his observance of these conditions, swore 
 fidelity to the pagans. 
 
 A.D. 875. The army of pagans, detested by God, quitted 
 Rependune,^ and having been lately reinforced, they divided 
 themselves into two armies ; one of which, under king Halden, 
 marched towards the country of Northumberland, and wintered 
 near the river Tyne, and compelled all that province to sub- 
 mit to its dominion ; they also harassed the Picts and Welsh 
 with terrible tyranny. Then Eadulf, bishop of Lindisfarne, 
 and Eadred, the abbot, took up the corpse of the blessed pon- 
 tifi", Cuthbert, from the island of Lindisfarne, and wandered 
 about with it as exiles for seven years. 
 
 But the other part of the army, under the Danish kings, 
 Gytro, Oscitel, and Hamund, marched to Cambridge, and wni- 
 lered there that year ; and, in the summer, king Alfred, hav- 
 ing prepared a ship, put to sea, and coming upon seven ships 
 1 Rependune is Repton in Derbyshire. 
 
428 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMIXSTEB. 
 
 A.B. 877. 
 
 who were just arriving ofif England, he took one, and put all 
 the rest to flight. 
 
 A.D. 876. The wicked army of the unbelievers left Cam- 
 bndge by night, and marched into the country of the West 
 baxons, and took up their position in a camp which they oc- 
 cupied at Wareham. There is there a monastery of religious 
 nuns between the two rivers dFrane and Crcnte, in the county 
 of Dorset, built in a most secure situation, because it has no 
 land joining it, except on the western side. But when king 
 Alfred heard of their arrival, he immediately marched to meet 
 them, and marshalled his forces to give them battle. But the 
 pagans, fearing to encounter him in battle, chose rather to give 
 hostages, and so to procure a respite until they might be rein- 
 forced by a stronger army, so as to be able to support the 
 weight of the contest in an equal scale. Moreover, they swore 
 that they would immediately depart from the kingdom' of the 
 West Saxons ; but, according to custom, they endeavoured to 
 practise their accustomed treachery, and breaking the treaty, 
 they one night made a secret attack, and slew all the cavalry 
 ot the king. And, having done this, they marched to the city 
 of Exeter. Then king Alfred, having assembled an army, 
 pursued them ; but, because they had already entered the citv,* 
 he allowed them to winter there. The same year, the Danish 
 king, Halden, occupied Northumberland, and divided it among 
 himself and his soldiers, and caused it to be cultivated by his 
 army. Then the king of that province, by name Ricsius 
 being worn out internally with grief of heart, died, and was 
 succeeded by Egbert. 
 
 A.D. 877. The wicked army of pagans, at the approach of 
 the autumn season, divided, and part estabUshed itself in 
 Exeter, while a part retired to ravage Mercia. And the num- 
 ber of the wicked increased every day to such an extent, that 
 if thirty thousand of them were slain one day, others came 
 the next day in redoubled numbers. Then king Alfred ordered 
 cyuls and galUes, that is to say, ships of war, to be built 
 throughout his kingdom, in order to encounter the enemy as 
 they arrived, in a naval battle ; and having put some pirates 
 on board of them, he entrusted to them the guardianship of 
 the paths of the sea. But he himself marched in a hostile 
 manner to Exeter, where the pagans were wintering, and 
 having shut them in, he blockaded the city. And he gave charge 
 to his sailors to watch their portion of the sea, so as to cut off 
 
 A.D. 878. SrCCESS OF TUE AHMY OF KI>'G ALFRED. 429 
 
 all necessary supphes of food from the enemy. And when, in 
 accordance with the king's injunction, the sailors hastened to 
 that quarter, they met with a hundred and twenty ships full 
 of armed soldiers, and fully loaded, which were all coming to 
 the assistance of their countrymen. And when the king's 
 servants perceived that those ships were full of armed soldiers, 
 they rushed to arms, and gallantly attacked the barbarian 
 people. The pagans, also, who had been now tossed about 
 amid the waves of the sea in great danger for nearly a month, 
 gave battle very unsuccessfully; and, accordingly, their 
 squadrons were routed in a moment, in the place which is 
 called ^toaniulutcl), and they were all drowned together, and 
 perished in the waves. , . , , , • . i • 
 
 AD. 878. The army of the pagans which had wintered ip 
 Exeter, quitted that city, and marched to Cl)ippcnl)am, a roya 
 town situated in Wiltshire, and there wintered. Moreover 
 Gytro, king of the Danes, having now traversed all the dis. 
 tricts of England, with irresistible courage, everywhere ravaging 
 the holy places, distributed among his soldiers all the gold and 
 silver that he could lay his hands on anywhere. At length, 
 when the fame of king Alfred had reached him, how he alone, 
 in the kingdom of England, was preeminent above all the 
 other sovereigns for wisdom, and prudence, and riches, that 
 wicked Gvtro directed his standard and arms against those 
 nations. And he proceeded, setting fire to all the towns and 
 cities, and slaying with the sword, and destroying whatever 
 came in his way ; and, in order to strike greater terror into 
 the inhabitants,' he spared neither the female sex, nor the age 
 of infants. And the storm of this persecution was increased 
 by the detestable wickedness of Hinguar, Hubba, and Halden, 
 who coming from the district of Demetia, where they had win- 
 tered, with three and twenty ships, like rapacious wolves, after 
 having shed much blood in that country, and burnt all the 
 monasteries, sailed towards Devonshire, in which district this 
 same Hinguar, with Hubba and Halden, and a hundred and 
 twenty men, were slain before the castle of i^tntoltl), by the 
 army of king Alfred ; and there the Christian soldiers of king 
 Alfred avenged the blood of the blessed king and martyr, Ed- 
 mund, which the before-mentioned ministers of iniquity had 
 shed. But, nevertheless, the greater part of their army saved 
 itself by flight, and escaped to Gytro, the king ot the pagans. 
 And then, as soon as they had united their forces, forming 
 
430 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMilNSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 878. 
 
 one army, they ravaged all West Saxony, from sea to sea, and 
 covering the whole of that land hke locusts, they reduced the 
 whole country under their power, as there was no one to de- 
 fend it. 
 
 In the whirlwind of this persecution, those who had been 
 appointed faithful bishops of Christ, fled over the sea with the 
 rehcs of the saints and the treasures of the churches, and 
 the natives of the country ; and part of them followed king 
 Alfred into the woods and desert places, and there hid them- 
 selves, in the danger of their hves in which they were. 
 
 But king Alfred being touched with internal grief of heart, 
 knew not what to do, or which way to turn himself, for the 
 wicked king, Gytro, had occupied all the fortified places. On 
 which account, king Alfred, having no hope of a better success, 
 withdrew for the present, in order to see what would be the 
 ultimate end of the present circumstances. 
 
 There is a place in the furthest part of the territories of the 
 English towards the West, called Athelingay, that is to say, 
 the Island of the Nobles, surrounded on all sides with marshes, 
 and so inaccessible that it cannot be approached except by a 
 boat. The island has in it a very large coppice of alders, which 
 contains stags, and goats, and beasts of that sort. Of solid 
 land it contains scarcely two acres, being only a small plain in 
 the centre of the island. King Alfred then by himself, the 
 very few comrades who still remained to him being left behind 
 through grief, in order to he concealed from the enemy ; and 
 seeing the cabin of a stranger he turned aside from' it, and 
 asked for and received hospitality, and for several days he 
 dwelt there as a stranger and a poor man, obeying the* com- 
 mands of the cottager and his wife, and content with the 
 scantiest fare. But when the king was asked who he was, or 
 what he wanted in that deserted place ? he answered that he 
 was a servant of the king, and that he had been defeated in 
 battle along with him, and that so, while fleeing from the ene- 
 mies who were pursuing him, he had come thither. Then the 
 swineherd believing his words, and being moved with pity, 
 with dihgent care provided him with the necessaries of life! 
 But it happened that the swineherd one day, according to his 
 custom, was driving his pigs to their usual feeding places, and 
 that the king remained at home alone with the swineherd's 
 wife : and when the woman had put some loaves, such as are 
 baked in the ashes, in the fire to be dressed, and being intent 
 
 A.D. 878. KING ALFRED IS EEPROVED BY ST. NEOT. 
 
 431 
 
 upon other business, saw that they were scorched, she became 
 indignant, and scolded the king, saying : — 
 
 •' You see the cakes burn, 
 Yet ne'er give them a turn : 
 Though you won't be so slow 
 To eat them, I trow." 
 
 But the king, with a cast-down countenance, being attacked 
 by the reproaches of the woman, not only turned the loaves, 
 but even gave them up to the woman, properly dressed and 
 untouched. But while king Alfred was living in solitude with 
 the swineherd, many of his soldiers joined him ; and, at the 
 command of the king, they built a fortress there, and strength- 
 ened it with towers and bulwarks, and from thence they made 
 constant salHes upon the enemy. 
 
 It happened at this time, that king Alfred went for the sake 
 of edification to visit the holy Neot, who at that time was 
 leading a solitary life near Hamstoke, And Neot, that man 
 of God, among other familiar conversation, reproved him se- 
 verely for his wicked actions, and set before him the penalties 
 of eternal fire, and showed him that the powerful would suflier 
 mighty torments ; and besides all this, he, with prophetic 
 spirit, set before him nearly all the things which were to 
 happen to him : — 
 
 *' You suffer, king," said he, " many hardships at the 
 hands of your enemies, but you shall yet suff'er many worse 
 misfortunes still. For, in that kingdom of which you are so 
 proud, and throughout which you rage, exercising an intolerable 
 tyranny over it, you shall be driven by nations who know not 
 Christ, before the face of the Divine Majesty, in whose presence 
 you ought to appear humble though you do not, and you shall 
 escape with difficulty, and hide yourself as a fugitive ; and in 
 this state you shall continue for many days, since your sins 
 require this atonement. But, nevertheless, I, by my prayers 
 before God, have prevailed that if you draw back from your 
 cruel conduct and fiery lusts, He will still stretch over you the 
 countenance of His mercy, and will restore you to your former 
 power and prosperity." And the king, when he had listened 
 humbly to these words of exhortation from the servant of 
 God, and had faithfully promised and given solemn pledges 
 for the amendment of his life, received the blessing of the man 
 of God, and returned to the island from which he had come 
 forth. Accordingly, the next night, when he was lying in hia 
 
432 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 878. 
 
 bed, there stood by him, in a vision of the night, the holy 
 Cuthbert, who promised him the certain restoration of his 
 kingdom. And the king himself, receiving comfort from the 
 explicit declaration of the man of God, when he rose up in 
 the morning, promised God that he would build a monastery 
 in that place, and ever after that time he was invincible, and an 
 object of terror to his enemies. For the same hour, there 
 flocked to the king, all his soldiers, with the men of Somerset 
 and of Wiltshire, and came to 3£tl)clingap, relying on whose 
 aid, he waged unwearied war against the pagans. At length 
 king Alfred, when the sacred solemn festival of Pentecost was 
 at hand, went forth from the island, and rode to the rock of 
 Esrbert, which is on the eastern side of the wood which is 
 called Qaltutie. And there, too, all those who had remamed 
 in that district flocked to him, and were filled with universal 
 joy at having recovered their king unhurt. And in the morn- 
 ing they moved their camp, and accomplishing a march of 
 two days, they came to the place which is called iEti)entJunc. 
 And there they found Gytro, the king of the pagans, and all 
 his army, against which they fought valiantly and with great 
 courage, the Divine mercy working with them, and so they 
 gained the victory, and, pitilessly pursuing the enemy, who 
 fled from the field of battle, they compelled them to enter a 
 castle which was in the neighbourhood, and then they seized 
 everything that they could find outside the castle, and the 
 horses and cattle, and slew all the men that were outside, 
 and so they shut the men up in the castle, and besieged it ; 
 and, when the siege had continued fifteen days, the pagans, 
 being worn out with hunger and despair of being able to escape, 
 begged for peace, on condition of swearing never again to 
 attack the kingdom or the king. And Gytro, their king, who 
 was blockaded in this castle along with them, promised to 
 embrace the faith of Christ, and faithfully fulfilled all the pro- 
 mises that he had made. For, fifteen days afterwards, that 
 same pagan king, with thirty chosen men of his army, was 
 baptised not far from Ethelingay, in a place which is called in 
 ' the native language ^Ire, and was taken up out of the font by 
 king Alfred, by whom also he was received as a son by adoption, 
 and Alfred, having become his godfather, changed his name 
 and called him Athelstan ; and the attestation of his baptism 
 was made eight days after, in the royal town which is called 
 ^allmor, and the newly-baptised king, with the other persons 
 
 I 
 
 A.D. 882. CUTHBERT APPEARS IN A YISION TO EADRED. 433 
 
 who had embraced the faith of Christ with him, remained 
 twelve days with king Alfred in great joy ; and, when they de- 
 parted, the king gave them many valuable gifts, and allowed 
 their prince, Athelstan, to hold East-Anglia under him ; the 
 country in which the holy Edmund had reigned. 
 
 A.D. 879. The wicked army of the pagans left Cirencester, 
 and marched into the country of the East-Angles, where 
 the newly-baptized Gytro had begun to dwell, and was divid- 
 ing that country among his followers. At which time also, 
 king Alfred founded Seaftonia, which was formerly a noble 
 city, but which is now only a village, where afterwards Algiva, 
 the queen of king Edmund, who was the great-grandson of 
 this king Alfred, built a monastery for nuns. 
 
 The same year, Lewis succeeded to the government of the 
 kingdom of the French. The same year, Charles obtained the 
 Roman empire, and governed it for twelve years. About the 
 same time, Dunbert, bishop of the city of 'Winchester, died, 
 and was succeeded in his bishopric by Dunewolf. Dune wolf 
 is that same swineherd, as it is reported, whom king Alfred, 
 when retreating before the violence of the pagans, found feed- 
 mg swine in Ethelingay, and with whom he abode some time, 
 as we have related above ; and the king, having discovered 
 his singular abilities, as soon as he was restored to his kingdom, 
 caused him to be educated in learning and literature ; and 
 afterwards, when he had become fully instructed in those things, 
 he caused him to be consecrated bishop of Winchester. 
 
 A.D. 880. A great army of pagans came over from the dis- 
 tricts of Gaul, and arrived in the river Thames, and wintered 
 at ;ifulcnj)am (Fulham). The same year, an eclipse of the 
 moon took place just after midnight, on the thirteenth day of 
 October. 
 
 A.D. 881. A great many monasteries in the kingdom of 
 France were demolished and overthrown by the pagans. On 
 which account, the brethren of the Floriacensian monastery 
 took the reHcs of the blessed abbot Benedict out of his tomb, 
 and, fleeing from the enemy, traversed the country in every 
 direction. The same year also, king Alfred overthrew and 
 slew a great army of pagans in a naval battle, and compelled 
 some of their tribes to submit to his authority. 
 
 A.D. 882. The holy Cuthbert appeared, in a nocturnal vision, 
 
 to the abbat Eadred, and commanded him to tell the bishop of 
 
 'that district to cause the people to pay a ransom for, and to 
 
 TOL. I. j^j, 
 
434 
 
 MA.TTHEW OF WESTMINSTEB. 
 
 A.D. 883. 
 
 redeem Cuthred, the son of Ilardecnute, whom the Danes had 
 sold as a slave to n certain widow at <l2Hintt(];eI)am, and when 
 he was redeemed, io make him their king ; and when this had 
 been done, in the tliirteenth year of the reign of king Alfred, 
 Cuthred was crowned as king, and the episcopal see, which 
 had formerly been in the island of Lindisfarne, was transferred 
 to Chester, which was anciently called Cunegecestria. For the 
 same holy man had also sent and commanded, by the before- 
 mentioned abbot, that whoever, being in a crisis of the greatest 
 distress, fled to his body, should have peace for a month ; and 
 both king Alfred and king Cuthred determined that this con- 
 dition should be observed for ever. And besides this, for the 
 advancement of the former seat of the bishopric, these two 
 kings granted the whole country between the rivers Cwne and 
 ULtvit to Saint Cuthbert, to be possessed by him in perpetual 
 ownership, and they devoted the violators of that decree of 
 theirs to infernal punishment. About the same time, the 
 bishopric of the church at Hagustald was vacant, through the 
 violence of the pagans. 
 
 A.D. 883. Marinus was appointed to the Roman See, and 
 ruled it for one year and five months. He, at the intercession 
 of king Alfred, released the English school at Rome from the 
 payment of the tribute. He also sent many presents to this king ; 
 and, among other things, gave him no small portion of that 
 salvation-bringing cross on which the Son of God hung for 
 the salvation of the world. The same year, Asser, bishop of 
 Sherborne, died, and was succeeded by Suithelm. He carried 
 the alms of king Alfred into India, to the Holy Apostle Thomas, 
 and returning successfully from that country, brought back 
 many precious stones to the king. 
 
 The same year, there came into England the Master John, a 
 Scot by nation, a man of piercing genius and of singular elo- 
 quence. He, having left his country some time before, went into 
 the land of the Gauls, and visited Charles the Bald, and having 
 been received by him with great honour and dignity, became 
 his inseparable companion, both at his board and in his bed. 
 The greatness of this man's genius and knowledge, and the 
 proofs of his great wit, remain to this day. For one day he 
 was sitting at table, opposite to the king, and when they had 
 finished their meals and the wine-cup was going round, Charles 
 became more cheerful in his countenance ; and presently, when 
 the king saw that Master John had done something which 
 
 A.D. 883. 
 
 ACCOUXT OF MASTER JOHN. 
 
 435 
 
 seemed to off'end the politeness of the earls, he reproved him 
 very pleasantly,^ saying, *' John, how far is a Scotus removed 
 from a Sotus ?" * He answered and said to the king, ''Only 
 a table's width." And thus Master John retorted an old re- 
 proach upon its author. What can be more witty than this 
 repartee ? For the question had referred to the difierenee of 
 pursuits and manners, and John's reply bore on the distance 
 and difference of situation. Nor was the king offended at his 
 words, but was rather moved to laughter, as were all who were 
 sitting at meat with him. Again, at another time when the 
 king was at a banquet, and one of the servants had brought him 
 a dish which contained two very large fishes and one very 
 small one, he gave the dish to Master John to distribute i*t 
 fairly between two clerks who were sitting at table, for the 
 fishes were of enormous size, and Master John was of a very 
 slender person. Then he, who was always devising some plea- 
 sant thing by which he might raise the mirth of those at the 
 feast, kept the two large fish for himself, and gave the one small 
 fish to the two clerks. And when the king reproved Master 
 John for not having divided the fish equally, he answered, " I 
 have distributed them well and fairly ; for here there is one 
 little one," meaning himself, ''and two great ones," touching 
 the fishes. Then, turning to the two clerks, he continued, " and 
 here are two great ones," pointing to the two clerks, " and 
 one Uttle one," meaning the fish. 
 
 This John, at the request of the same king, translated the 
 Hierarchy of Dionysius the Areopagite out of Greek into Latin, 
 so that the Latin characters are scarcely understood, as the piece 
 is composed more with the fluency of the Greeks than the ordi- 
 nary construction of Latin. He also composed a book which he 
 entitled rrspi (pvffixou fMspiofiarog ; that is to say, ** A Treatise on 
 the Division of Nature ; " a work of exceeding use, on account 
 of the difl[iculty of some of the questions to be solved, provided 
 tliat the author be pardoned as to some points in which he has 
 deviated from the path of the Latins, keeping his eyes too fixedly 
 upon the Greeks, on which account he has been considered k 
 heretic by some people. For a man of the name of Florus 
 wrote against him, who distorted his writings, and so con- 
 demned them. For there certainly are in that treatise very 
 many things which, unless they are carefully sifted, do seem at 
 
 1 Scotus, means a Scot. Sotus, a trunk, a log, i.e. a blockhead ; the 
 origin probably of the French " sot," and of the EngUsh "sot." 
 
 Ff2 
 
43t) 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.I). 8b I. 
 
 variance with the Catholic faith. And the Roman Pontiff is 
 known to be of the same opinion ; for he, in a letter which he 
 sent to Charles, said, " It has been related to our Apostolic 
 power that a certain man, by name John, by birth a Scot, has 
 lately translated into Latin the work of Dionysius the Areo- 
 pagite, which he wrote with the eloquence of the Greeks about 
 the Divine names and the arrangements of the heavens, which, 
 in accordance with the custom of the Church, ought to have 
 been sent to us, and to have been approved of by our judg- 
 ment, especially when the same John, although he is stated to 
 be a man of great learning, was formerly said, by frequent 
 rumour, not to be quite sound in his doctrine on certain 
 points." By reason of the disrepute into which he had got 
 on this account, John left France and went to king Alfred, 
 and, tempted by the munificence and wise rule of this king, 
 he took up his residence at Meldun, as is shown in the writings 
 of the king himself. And in that place, some years afterwards, 
 he was stabbed by the boys who were his pupils with their 
 pens, and so expired in great and terrible torments ; and his 
 corpse lay for some time in a lowly grave, having been buried 
 in the church of Saint Laurence. But, after a ray of fire from 
 heaven had, by Divine agency, fallen upon his place of burial, 
 the monks, encouraged by such revelations, transferred him to 
 a larger church, and placed him with great honour on the left 
 side of the altar. 
 
 The same year, pope Marinus died, and was succeeded by 
 Adrian, who reigned one year and three months. 
 
 A.D. 884. The wicked army of the pagans divided itself 
 into two squadrons ; one of which withdrew into France, and 
 the other returned into Kent, and besieged the city of Roches- 
 ter. But, as the citizens resisted manfully, Alfred had time to 
 come to their aid, who compelled the pagans to raise the siege 
 and to retreat to their ships; and, having slain a great number 
 of them, he distributed their spoils among his soldiers. This 
 year also a powerful fleet, which had been sent by king Alfred 
 into East-Anglia, found sixteen ships of pirates in the mouth of 
 the river Stour ; and, having attacked them vigorously, the six- 
 teen ships and their booty were all taken, and all the pirates were 
 slain ; but those of the Danes who were able to escape to their 
 ships, fought a .second naval battle with the Angles, while the 
 Mercians were sunk in sleep, and, coming upon them unarmed, 
 slew a great number of them, and so the Danes returned vic- 
 torious from the enemy. 
 
 A.l). 885. 
 
 A TISION APPEAllS TO KING CHARLES. 
 
 43: 
 
 A.D. 885. Stephanus was appointed to the See of Rome, and 
 filled the papal chair five years and eight days. The same 
 year, Charles, the son of Lewis, having obtained the sovereignty 
 of the empire of the Romans and of the kingdom of France, 
 having summoned the bishops and nobles of the kingdom, re- 
 lated to them a wonderful vision which he had seen, in the 
 following manner : — 
 
 ** In the name of God, the supreme King of all kings, I, 
 Charles, king of the French and patrician of the Romans, on 
 the holy night of the Lord's Day, after having celebrated the 
 ofiice of Nocturne, when I was going to bed and was desirous of 
 enjoying the repose of sleep, heard a voice which came upon 
 me, saying in an awful manner, 'Charles, your spirit shall 
 presently depart from you at no distant hour.' And imme- 
 diately I was borne off in the spirit, and he who bore me 
 aloft in the spirit was white to behold, and held in his hand a 
 ball of flaxen thread, emitting a ray of most brilliant light, 
 such as comets are accustomed to display when they appear, 
 and he began to unwind it, saying to me, ' Behold this ball 
 of shining thread ; bind it and knot it firmly on the thumb 
 of your right hand, because by it you shall be led into the 
 labyrinth-like punishments of hell.' And when he had said 
 this, he went before me with great speed, iniwinding the 
 thread of the light-diffusing ball, and guided me into very deep 
 and fiery vallies, which were full of wells glowing with pitch 
 and brimstone, and lead, and wax, and fat. There I found 
 the pontiffs of my father and of my uncle ; and when 1, 
 trembling, put questions to them as to why they were suffer- 
 ing such terrible torments, they answered me, *We were 
 the bishops of your father and of your uncles, and though we 
 ought to have admonished them and their people of the duties of 
 peace and concord ; and though we ought to have prayed to God, 
 weyet sowed discords amongthem,and were exciters of mischiefs ; 
 on which account we are now burning in these hellish punish- 
 ments, and not only we, but all other lovers of murder and 
 rapine. And to this place your bishops and guards will also 
 come, who now love to aet in a similar manner.* And while 
 I was listening in trembling to these words, lo ! some very 
 black demons, flying towards me with fiery hooks, sought to 
 catch hold of the thread of the ball which I was holding, and 
 to draw it towards themselves ; but, because the rays of the 
 ball beat them baek, they were not able to touch the thread. 
 Then, running behind my back, they sought to lay hold of me 
 
438 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 885. 
 
 with their hooks, and to precipitate me into the wells of brim- 
 stone. But my guide, who was carrying the ball of thread, 
 threw it over my shoulders, and doubled it up, and dragged it 
 furiously after him. And, in that way, we climbed very high 
 mountains of fire, out of which there arose glowing streams, 
 and marshes, and all kinds of metals, all boihng. And there 
 I found a countless number of souls of men, and of the nobles 
 of my father, and of my brothers, all cast headlong down, 
 some up to their hair, some up to their chin, others up to 
 their navel ; and they were howhng, and cried out to me, 
 saying : * We, while we lived, did delight in company with 
 you, and with your father, and with your brethren, and witli 
 your uncles, to make wars, and to commit murders and acts 
 of rapine, for the gratification of your earthly lusts, and there- 
 fore, now we are enduring torments in these boiling rivers and 
 all these different kinds of boiling metals.' And when I was 
 gazing on these things, being greatly alarmed, I heard the souls 
 behind me cry out, * The mighty shall suffer mighty torments.' 
 And I looked behind me, and I saw on the banks of the 
 boiling river, furnaces of pitch and brimstone, full of huge 
 dragons, and scorpions, and serpents of every kind ; and 
 there I saw some of the princes of my father's court, and of 
 my own, and of the courts of my brothers, and of my uncles, 
 saying to me : * Woe to us, Charles, woe to us ! you see 
 what terrible torments we are suffering on account of our 
 wickedness and pride, and because of the evil counsels which 
 we gave to our kings and to you, and because of our covetous- 
 ness.' And while I was grieving and groaning at these things, 
 some demons ran up to me, with open mouths full of fire, and 
 brimstone, and pitch, desirous to swallow me up. But my 
 guide threw a triple fold of the thread around me, by the 
 brightness of the rays of which, their fiery mouths were over- 
 come. And he protected me more powerfully, and we descended 
 into a valley which was on one side dark, but burning like a 
 fiery oven ; and on the other side was so delicious and beau- 
 tiful, that I can by no means express it. And I turned myself 
 round towards the dark side, which was vomiting forth flames, 
 and there I saw some kings of my race suffering great punish- 
 ments. And then, being disturbed by great anguish, 1 thought 
 that I myself was at once cast down among these same tor- 
 ments, by giants of exceeding blackness, who ht up the 
 whole valley with every description of fire. And trembling 
 
 A.D. 885. WONDEUrUL TISION OF KINO ClIABLES. 
 
 439 
 
 exceedingly, while the ball of thread was illuminating my 
 eyes, I saw in the side of the valley, a light, gradually becoming 
 more and more briUiant ; and there, there were two fountains, 
 one of which was intolerably hot, the other brilUant and of a 
 pleasant warmth ; and there were two casks there. And when 
 I went thither, the ball of thread guiding my steps, I looked 
 upon the one in which there was the boiling water, and there 
 I saw my father, Lewis, standing up to his thighs, in great 
 agony from pain, and overcome with exhaustion ; and he said 
 to me : * My lord Charles, do not you fear, because I know 
 that your spirit will again return into your body, and God has 
 permitted you to come hither, in order that you might see on 
 account of what sins I, and all those whom you have beheld, 
 are suffering such fearful punishments. For one day I am in 
 this bath of the cask of boiling water, and on the next day I 
 am transferred into that most agreeable cask of cool water ; 
 and this is done in accordance with the prayers of Saint Peter 
 and Saint Remigius, under whose protection our family has 
 reigned up to this time. And if you soon come to my assist- 
 ance, you, and my faithful bishops, and abbots, and all the 
 orders of ecclesiastics, with masses, and oblations, and psalmody, 
 and vigils, and alms, I shall speedily be delivered from this 
 cask of boiling water. For my brother, Lothaire, and his 
 son, Lewis, have been released from this punishment by the 
 prayers of Saint Peter and Saint Remigius, and have been 
 already conducted to the joys of paradise.' And he said to 
 me, * Look to your left ;' and when I had looked, I saw there 
 two casks of great depth, boiling. * Those casks,' said he, 
 *are prepared for you, unless you amend your life, and do 
 penance for your wicked sins.' And then I began to shudder 
 fearfully ; and when my conductor saw that my spirit was in 
 such great alarm, he said to me : * Follow me to the right, 
 towards the brilliant valley of paradise.' And, as we were 
 going thither, I beheld a scene of great brightness, and in the 
 midst, I saw my uncle Lothaire sitting in the company of 
 glorious kings, on a topaz stone of marvellous size, and 
 crowned with a most costly diadem. And when he saw me, 
 he called me close to him, saying with a caressing voice : 
 * Charles, my successor, you, who are now the third emperor 
 of the Romans, come to me; Iknow that you have come through 
 the place of punishments, where jour father, my brother, is 
 placed, amid the punishments which have been prepared for 
 Lim. But, by the mercy of God, he will soon be delivered 
 
440 
 
 MATTHEW or WESTMI^STEB. 
 
 A.D. 886. 
 
 from them, as we also have been delivered, by the merits of 
 the blessed Peter, and by the prayers of Saint Remigius, to 
 whom the Lord has given a great Apostleship over the kings, 
 and over all the nations of the French ; and unless he favours 
 and assists the relies of our race, our family will soon come to 
 an end, and will furnish no more kings or emperors. Know, 
 therefore, that the power of the empire will be soon taken out 
 of your hands, and after that, you shall have but a short 
 time to pass in this life.' Then, Louis, turning to me, said to 
 me : * Louis, the son of your son, is fated to succeed to the 
 empire, which you have hitherto held by hereditary right.' 
 And when he had said this, it seemed to me, that a little boy 
 was present before me, and Lothaire, his grandfather, looking 
 on him, said to me : * llestore to him the power of the empire, 
 by that ball of thread which you are holding in your hand.' 
 Therefore, unwinding the thread from the thumb of my right 
 hand, I gave him up the whole monarchy of the empire, by 
 that same thread ; and immediately, that ball of thread, shining 
 like a beam of the sun, became all united into one mass in 
 his hand. 
 
 " And so, after this marvellous occurrence, my spirit re- 
 turned into my body, greatly exhausted and afflicted." After 
 this vision, the same Charles enjoyed the empire for scarcely 
 two years, and was succeeded by Louis, who afterwards mar- 
 ried the daughter of Edward, king of England. But of this 
 we will speak hereafter. 
 
 The same year, Esne, bishop of Hereford, died, and was 
 succeeded by Ceolmund. 
 
 A.D. 886. King Alfred, after burning many cities, and com- 
 mitting great slaughter among the armies of the enemy, be- 
 sieged and blockaded the city of London, which was the 
 metropolis of the kingdom ; and all the nations of the Enghsh 
 flocked thither to him, and made submission to him. For 
 previously, they had all been scattered over the deserted and 
 woody parts of the country, because of the frequent invasions 
 of the Danes, and wandered about unsettled and homeless, 
 without any defender. Therefore, having united them all by 
 a treaty, and received their homage, and their oaths of fealty, 
 the king, supported by their assistance, made most rigorous 
 attacks upon the city, and erecting his machines all round, 
 endeavoured to batter down the walls. But the citizens, 
 fearing to contend against the king, opening the gates of the 
 city, received him with honour. Then, the king having restored 
 
 A.D. 886. NAMES OE THE KINGS OF ENGLAND. 
 
 441 
 
 the city, and repaired the walls, committed it to the guardian- 
 ship of Ethel red, count of Mercia, who had married Elfleda, 
 the king's daughter, and who was descended from the royal 
 family of that nation. 
 
 And so, from that time forth, for all the rest of his life, king 
 Alfred was the master of the whole kingdom of England, with 
 the exception of those parts of the country which the bar- 
 barian nation of the Danes still had in subjection to them. 
 For they had occupied the whole of Northumberland, with 
 East Anglia, and many other districts, from which they made 
 constant irruptions, which were a cause of great trouble to 
 king Alfred. 
 
 Now, therefore, that, in the progress of our history, we have 
 come to one single king of the whole of England, it seems 
 good to us to recapitulate the names of all the kings of Eng- 
 land who reigned up to this time, distinguishing their several 
 kingdoms, in order that while we thus trace back the succession 
 of each in regular order, we may afford our readers the more 
 pleasure, and make this series of our history more plain and 
 intelligible. 
 
 Woden, then, deriving his origin from the ancient stock of 
 the Germans, after his death was translated to the gods. And 
 the ancients, worshipping him as a god, dedicated to him the 
 fourth day of the week, which they called from his name 
 OTotJtncfiiliai), that is to say, the day of Woden. He had a wife, 
 by name Frea, to whom, in like manner, the ancients dedicated 
 the sixth day of the week, and called it jTrctlar), that is to say, 
 the day of Frea. And Woden had by his wife Frea seven 
 illustrious sons, from the succession of whom, seven kings 
 derived their origin, who afterwards reigned with great power 
 in Britain, after they had driven out the Britons. 
 
 From the first-born son of Woden, by name Wecta, were 
 descended the kings of Kent. 
 
 From the second son, by name Frehegeath, were descended 
 the kings of Mercia. 
 
 From the third, Baldaus, were descended the kings of the 
 West Saxons. 
 
 From the fourth, Beldagus, were descended the kings of the 
 Northumbrians, or Bernicians. 
 
 From the fifth, Wegdag, came the kings of the Deiri. 
 From the sixth, named Caser, were descended the kings of 
 the East Angles. 
 
442 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 886. 
 
 From the seventh, Saxuad, the kings of the East Saxons 
 are said to derive their origin. 
 
 But the eighth, that is to say, the king of the South Saxons, 
 derives his origin from the same nation, but not from the same 
 family. 
 
 The Kings of 
 Kent. 
 
 Hengist 
 Osric iEsc 
 Octa 
 
 Hermenric 
 Ethelbert, the 
 
 first Christian 
 King 
 Eadbald 
 Erconbert 
 Egbert 
 Lothaire 
 Eadric 
 
 Withred and ^ 
 Siward ) 
 
 Ethelbert 
 Eadbert 
 Ethelbert 
 Eadbert Pren 
 Cuthred 
 Baldred 
 Ethelstan 
 
 From Ethelstan 
 the kingdom of 
 Kent was trans- 
 ferred to the Kings 
 of the West Sax- 
 ons, 
 
 The Kings of 
 Mercia. . 
 
 Creodda 
 Wibba 
 Cearl 
 Penda 
 
 Peada, the first 
 Christian King 
 W<.lfher 
 Ethelfred 
 Kinred 
 Ceolred 
 Ethelbald 
 Beornred 
 Off a the Great 
 Egfrid 
 Kenulph 
 Kenehn 
 Ceolwolf 
 Bertulf 
 Ludicane 
 VViglaf 
 Bertulph 
 Buthred 
 
 From Buthred 
 the kingdom of 
 Mercia was trans- 
 ferred to the Kings 
 of the West Sojt- 
 ons. 
 
 The Kings of the 
 West Saxons. 
 
 Cedric 
 
 Kenric 
 
 Cealwine 
 
 Ceolric 
 
 Ceolwolf 
 
 Kinegilf and l 
 
 Quichelin \ 
 
 Kinewalc 
 
 Sexburga 
 
 Easewin 
 
 Kentwin 
 
 Cedwalla 
 
 Ina 
 
 Ethelhard 
 
 Cuthred 
 
 Sigebert 
 
 Kinewolf 
 
 Brithric 
 
 Egbert 
 
 Ethel wolf 
 
 Ethelbald 
 
 Ethelbert 
 
 Ethelred 
 
 Alfred 
 
 This Alfred was 
 the first sole mo- 
 narch of the king- 
 dom of England, 
 and the succession 
 of his family de- 
 scended to King 
 William, who sub 
 dued England. 
 
 The Kings of 
 North umberland. 
 
 Ida 
 
 Adda 
 
 Glappa 
 
 Theodwald 
 
 Frethewolf 
 
 Theodoric 
 
 Ethelfrid 
 
 Edwin, King of 
 the Deiri, and 
 the first Chris- 
 tian King 
 
 Eanfrid 
 
 Oswald 
 
 Oswy 
 
 Elfrid 
 
 Egfrid 
 
 Ealfrid 
 
 Osred 
 
 Kenred 
 
 Osric 
 
 Ceolwolf 
 
 Edbert 
 
 Osulf 
 
 Ethelbert Mollo 
 
 Eldred 
 
 Ethelred 
 
 Alfwold 
 
 Osred 
 
 Ethelred II. 
 
 Osred 
 
 Eardulf 
 
 Alfwold 
 
 Eandred 
 
 Ethelred 
 
 Read wolf 
 
 Osbert 
 
 Ella 
 
 Egbert 
 
 Ricsius 
 
 Egbert 
 
 Cuthred 
 
 A.D. 887. 
 
 HAVAGES OF THE DANES. 
 
 443 
 
 The Kings of 
 the Deiri, 
 
 Ella. This Ella 
 
 reigned in the 
 
 land of the 
 
 Deiri, and eight 
 
 collateral Kings 
 
 reigned in Ber- 
 
 nicia. 
 
 Ethelfrid 
 
 Eadwin 
 
 Osric 
 
 Oswin 
 
 From Oswin the 
 kingdom of the 
 Deiri was trans- 
 ferred to Oswy, 
 King of the Berni- 
 cians, and one 
 kingdom of No rth- 
 umberland was 
 made out of the 
 two, the borders 
 of which extend 
 from the river 
 I lumber north- 
 wards as far as 
 the sea of Scot- 
 land, and this 
 kingdom was at 
 last transferred to 
 the Kings of the 
 West Saxons. 
 
 The Kings of 
 the East Angles. 
 
 Uffa 
 
 Titill 
 
 Redwald 
 
 Wibert 
 
 Eorpenwald 
 
 Sigebert 
 
 Egric 
 
 Anna 
 
 Ethelher 
 
 Ethelwald 
 
 Ealdulf 
 
 Ealfwald 
 
 Beorna 
 
 Ethelred 
 
 Ethelbert 
 
 Edmund 
 
 Gytro, the Dane 
 
 From Gytro, the 
 Dane, the king- 
 dom of the East 
 A ngles was trans- 
 ferred to the Kings 
 of the West Sax- 
 ons. 
 
 The Kings of 
 the East Saxons. 
 
 Erkenwin 
 
 .Sledda 
 
 Sebert 
 
 Sexred and } 
 
 Siward K 
 
 Sigebert the Little 
 
 Swithelin 
 
 Sigeher and ^ 
 
 Sebba S 
 
 Sigehard and } 
 
 Seofrid \ 
 
 OflFa 
 
 Selred 
 
 Suithred 
 
 From Suithred 
 the kingdom of 
 the East Saxons 
 IV as transferred 
 to the Kings of 
 the West Faxons. 
 
 The Kings of the 
 South Saxons. 
 
 Ella 
 
 Cissa 
 
 Ethelwald 
 
 Berthun 
 
 Aldhun 
 
 From Aldhun 
 the king om of 
 the South Saxons 
 was transferred 
 to the Kings of 
 the West Saxons. 
 
 A.D. 887. Ilastein, or Hasting, a Dane by birth, having 
 traversed England in a hostile manner, proceeded onwards 
 towards the country of Gaul, where he put into the harbour 
 of Vermond, with a most powerful army of infidel soldiers ; 
 and the unbelievers disembarking, gave the whole country to 
 the flames. They also burnt the monastery of Saint Qumtin 
 the Martyr, and made a most wicked massacre of the people 
 of the district. Tiie bishop of Nismes, by name Emmo, was 
 slain by their swords, and a great slaughter was made of his 
 people after their shepherd had been slain. Then, steering 
 their fleet to Gemeticum, they burnt a monastery, containing 
 nine hundred monks. From this place, they preceeded with 
 
444 
 
 MATTHEW OF WEST3II>'STEE. 
 
 A.D. 887. 
 
 no small fleet of ships to the city of Rouen, and having burnt 
 and plundered it, they made a massacre of the people. From 
 thence they proceeded to the inland parts of Gaul, and 
 destroyed the whole country from the city of Orleans, 
 throughout the whole district of Lutetia,^ as far as Paris, with 
 inhuman cruelty. Then they took up a station for their ships 
 by a certain island in the neighbourhood of the monastery of 
 Saint Florence, and laid waste the whole province all around. 
 They also gave the city of Nantes to the flames; and traversing 
 the district of Anjou, and polluting every place with blood- 
 shed, they laid it waste, as also they did all the cities and 
 castles of Poitou. Last of all, they came to the city of Tours, 
 which they defiled with the massacre of innocent persons, 
 and at last committed the citv to the flames. Then sailing on 
 towards the upper part of the river Loire, they came to Or- 
 leans, which they stripped of everything, and then, they 
 destroyed the city by fire. Why should I relate the afflictions 
 of the people of Aquitaine, in which province no town, no 
 village, no city no castle, was either left in the enjoyment of 
 its freedom, or escaped destruction from the deadly fury of 
 the pagans? The people of Poitiers and of Guienne, the 
 towns of Angouleme, of Perigueux, of Limoges, of Auvergne, 
 and of Bourges, the metropolis of the province of Aquitaine, 
 bear witness to these facts. 
 
 The Gauls, therefore, having been overwhelmed and worn 
 out by these and similar disasters, as we have already ex- 
 plained, Hastein, that most infamous robber, coming with his 
 fleet to the city of Poitiers, formed the design of obtaining 
 possession of it by a sudden attack. But the citizens being 
 alarmed at so numerous a fleet of the pagans, garrisoned the 
 ramparts of the walls, armed with shields and javelins, and 
 encouraged one another to resist the attack. And when 
 Hasting found out how brave they were, he put forth all his 
 endeavours to obtain possession of the city, if possible. At 
 last, he sent word by his servants to the bishop of the city, 
 and to the count, that he was attacked by a mortal disease, 
 and he humbly entreated them that he might be made a Chris- 
 tian by them. When they heard this, the bishop and the 
 count, being cheered with great joy, made peace with the 
 enemy of peace, and so the entrance to the city is opened to 
 
 ^ Lutetia is the usual name of Paris, but it seems here to be used for 
 the district rather than for the city. 
 
 A.D. 888. KING ALFEED FOUNDS TWO MOXASTEKIES. 
 
 445 
 
 both the nations in common. At last, that wicked Hasting 
 is borne into the church, is bathed in the sacred font, and the 
 bishop and the count raise him out of the water to their own 
 destruction, and from thence he is borne back to his ships by 
 the hands of servants, after having been bathed in the holy 
 water of baptism. After this, at midnight, on a dark night, 
 he was placed on a bier, armed with a breastplate, having 
 given orders to his companions to clothe themselves with 
 breastplates beneath their tunics ; then, amid the feigned la- 
 mentations of his soldiers, he is borne from his ship into the 
 church, the bishop adorns himself in his holy vestments, pre- 
 paring to ofl^er up the sacred host for the dead man. But, be- 
 hold ! Hasting, that son of perdition, suddenly leaps down 
 from oft" his bier, and slays the bisliop and the count with his 
 sword ; and, after that, he and his men attack the people with 
 the fury of wolves. These things having been done in this 
 manner by that blood-thirsty man, the young men are slain, 
 the old men are slaughtered, the city is laid waste, and the 
 walls are thrown down from their foundations. Then, when 
 the destruction of the city was fully completed, Hasting went 
 to Charles, king of France, and requested peace with him, 
 and prevailed, and gave him as a present the city of Chartres. 
 And so Gaul obtained a respite for a time from the disturb- 
 ances of civil wars. But I have related these events in this 
 place, to prevent any one from believing that England was the 
 only country which was harassed by this Danish persecution. 
 A.D. 888. /Ethelin, bishop of Winchester, carried to Rome 
 the alms of king Alfred and the West Saxons ; and at this 
 time Alfred founded two monasteries, one for monks, which 
 is at Ethelingay, that is to say, the Island of the Nobles, where 
 the king lived for a while in exile in the house of the swine- 
 herd, and there he appointed the priest John to be the abbot. 
 The other monastery he caused to be built more to the east, 
 at ^djafteslburir, to be a dweUing for nuns, and over that he 
 appointed his own daughter, by name Agnes, to be the abbess, 
 as a virgin consecrated to God. He also abundantly enriched 
 these monasteries with treasures and estates. After this, in 
 obedience to the promptings of the Deity, he caused all his 
 revenues to be divided into two parts, the first part of which 
 he subdivided into three shares ; and one share he allotted to 
 his soldiers, who were divided into three squadrons, in such a 
 manner that the first squadron, which consisted of cavalry, 
 
416 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 888. 
 
 should be on duty one month at the king's court, while the 
 other two were employed on military expeditions. And then, 
 when the month was over, and they returned from the war, 
 fresh warriors succeeded them ; and in this way he adhered to 
 these regular turns of service during the whole period ofhis life. 
 
 The second share of this first part of his revenues he allotted 
 to the numerous artisans whom he employed, and who were 
 skilful in every kind of work on land. The third share he ex- 
 pended on the foreigners who flocked to his court from dif- 
 ferent nations. 
 
 The second part of what came into him from his annual 
 revenues he likewise subdivided into three shares, allotting the 
 first to the poor, the second to the monasteries which he had 
 founded, and the third to the school which he had assembled 
 from several parts of Gaul, and from other countries, consisting 
 of learned clerks and doctors, according to the competency and 
 deserts of each individual. He also ordered six candles to be 
 made of wax, of equal size, to the weight of seventy-two denarii, 
 so that each should be twelve inches in length, and which 
 should burn for twenty-four hours, night and day, without 
 intermission, before the relics of many of the saints. 
 
 In executing judgment, he was so acute an investigator of 
 the truth, that he enquired into everything which had been 
 done in his absence, whether it was just or unjust ; and if he 
 discovered any iniquity, he interrogated the judges as to 
 whether they had come to their decision through ignorance or 
 through malevolence, out of love or hatred, out of fear or 
 favour, or because they were influenced by desire of gain. 
 And if they confessed that they had decided as they had, be- 
 cause they did not know how to judge more correctly, then 
 he rebuked their unskilfulness with discretion and modera- 
 tion, speaking to them thus : " I marvel at your inexperience, 
 since, by the gift of God and of me, you have been promoted 
 to the rank and office of wise men, but you have neglected 
 the study of wisdom ; now, then, you must either give up 
 your office of regulating the affairs of the world, or else you 
 must apply yourselves to the study of wisdom with much more 
 devotion than you have hitherto done.'* 
 
 The judges, being alarmed when they heard these admoni- 
 tions, as if they had been corrected with the severest venge- 
 ance, began to employ themselves with all their might to the 
 study of learning equity, so that Alfred thus caused illiterate 
 
 A.D. 892. A SWAUM of pagans come from GAUL. 
 
 447 
 
 persons to study literature, and brought back the sluggish to 
 the strict discipHne of wisdom. On which account even the 
 old men began to long for an acquaintance with liberal know- 
 ledge, and thought the young men of that time happy inas- 
 much as they had the opportunity of being instructed in the 
 liberal arts, and they thought themselves unhappy for having 
 remained in ignorance up to that time. 
 
 A.D. 889. Ethelred, archbishop of Canterbury, died, and 
 was succeeded by Phleginund. The same year, king Alfred 
 commanded all the bishops and men of religious orders in 
 England to collect the alms of the faithful, and when they 
 had collected them, to send them to Rome and to Jerusalem. 
 The king also sent to those cities no small portion from his 
 own treasury, which he added to the alms of the faithful. 
 
 A.D. 890. Gytro the Dane, the king of the East Angles, 
 died. He had received that kingdom as a gift from king 
 Alfred, when he embraced Christianity, while Alfred was his 
 godfather. The same year, Ethelswitha, the sister of king 
 Alfred, and formerly the queen of Buthred, king of Mercia, 
 died at Ticino, in the garments of rehgion, and was buried 
 with due honour in that city. 
 
 A.D. 891. Arnulf, the guardian of Louis, obtained the em- 
 pire of Rome, and reigned as emperor twelve years. The 
 same year, three men came from Ireland to king Alfred, desir- 
 ing to lead a solitary hfe for the sake of Christ. For, out of 
 three bulls' hides and a half, they had built themselves an ex- 
 ceedingly small boat without any naval appointments whatever, 
 and taking with them victuals for one week, they secretly put 
 to sea, determining to go wherever fortune might conduct 
 them. And, as the Lord guided them, on the seventh day 
 after their embarkation they landed in Cornwall, and, on ac- 
 count of the wonderful character and unheard-of strangeness 
 of their achievement, they were presented to the king ; and 
 their names were Dubslane, Manehet, and Manslin. The same 
 year, about the time of Rogation Sunday, a comet appeared, 
 which was named in the English language ?3cretc ^Uxxt. 
 
 A.D. 892. A great swarm of pagans came over from Gaul, 
 with horses and two hundred and fifty ships, and passing by 
 Kent, ran into the mouth of the river Limenius, which takes 
 its rise in a great wood, which is called BntJrttJciStDaltJ, and 
 steered their ships four miles up the river, where they de- 
 stroyed a small tower which was occupied by a few inhabi- 
 

 44S 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A..D. 893. 
 
 tants, and built themselves another and a stronger one, in the 
 place which is called Appledore. And, not long afterwards, 
 Hasting came from the same parts, and entering the mouth of 
 the river Thames with eighty ships, made himself, at a great 
 expense, a fortification in the royal town which is called 
 Middleton. But though king Alfred was threatened with in- 
 vasion of the enemy on every side, and though, as some people 
 say, the laws are silent amid arms, nevertheless, amid the clang 
 of trumpets, and the crash of battle, and the rattling of arms, 
 he made Lims, and delivered them down to be observed by 
 posterity, by which his people should become accustomed to 
 the worship of God, and to military discipline. And because, 
 owing to the opportunities afforded by the barbarians, even 
 the natives at times panted after plunder, so that scarcely any 
 body could find a place of safety, or procure any necessary 
 supplies, without the protection of an armed force, he insti- 
 tuted centuries, which he called hundreds, and decimal, which 
 he called tythinys, in order that every English-born citizen, 
 living under the protection of the law, might have both a 
 hundred and a tything to apply to. And if any one were 
 accused of any offence, then the culprit, and one who should 
 be bail for him, was immediately required from the hundred 
 and the tything. But he who could not produce a surety of 
 this kind, was to undergo the severity of the law. And if 
 any one absconded, either after giving security or before, then 
 all the people of that century and that tything were liable to 
 pay a fine to the king. By this contrivance he diffused peace 
 over the provinces, so that even at the public fences, where 
 the roads are divided in four directions, he ordered golden 
 amulets to be suspended, so as to excite the cupidity of travel- 
 lers, since there was no man who dared to take them away. 
 
 A.D. ^9^. The pagans who inhabited Northumberland and 
 East Anglia made peace with king Alfred, giving hostages, 
 and bindnig themselves with oaths. But the treaty was 
 broken, because whenever the army of the pagans which was 
 stationed in Kent issued forth out of its fortifications, for the 
 sake of plunder, then the others did not cease to plunder also, 
 either in their company or by themselves, whenever they were 
 able. And when this was known, king Alfred marched into 
 Kent with his army, and pitched his camp between the two 
 armies of the pagans, so that, if they moved towards any 
 district for the sake of plunder or battle, he might be able to 
 
 A.D. 894. ALFRED MARCHES AGAINST THE DANES. 
 
 449 
 
 attack them. But they committed piracy at one time as 
 cavalry, and at another time as infantry, invading those dis- 
 tricts where they knew that the army of the king was not. 
 However, the king constantly encountering them with unex- 
 pected attacks, thinned their ranks with repeated slaughter. 
 On which account, they quitted Kent, and fled to Hastein, 
 their fellow-countryman, who had established his winter quar- 
 ters at Middleton (Milton). But the king pursued them 
 gallantly, and did not give over the pursuit till he had driven 
 them by force, with Hastein, that most cruel Dane, into the 
 small town which Hastein himself had lately built in that 
 place. And when Alfred arrived there, he blockaded the 
 town, and hemmed it in ; and erecting machines all round, he 
 laboured to reduce it. But Hastein, the Dane, abandoning all 
 hope of resistance, began to devise by what means he might 
 deceive the most merciful king, by his fraudulent acts. Ac- 
 cordingly, sending messengers to the king, he promised, by 
 oaths and by offers of hostages, that he would, for the future, 
 delist from harassing him and the kingdom of England, if 
 he might be allowed to depart in peace ; and moreover, for 
 greater security, he sent to the king his two sons, who were 
 children, that he might, if he pleased, consecrate them with 
 the sacraments of the faith and of baptism. Then that most 
 pious king, w ho was always more eager to deliver the souls of 
 the pagans than to slay them, granted their request. And 
 the boys, having been regenerated at the sacred font, he per- 
 mitted their father Hastein, with all the other infidels, to de- 
 l)art in peace, according to the covenant that had been made. 
 A.D. 894. King Alfred marched with a large army against 
 the pagans, who, as we have already said, had landed at the 
 mouth of the river Lea, and who now, having divided their 
 forces, were endeavouring to subdue all the provinces of that 
 district. And when the king had reached the place, he threw 
 himself, with his army, between the two armies of the pagans, 
 so that, if by chance they should leave their position among 
 the woods and determine to seek the plains, he might at once 
 march against them. But when the barbarians, worn out 
 with a long period of hunger and scarcity, found they were 
 making no progress, but were rather losing ground, they in- 
 treated their countrymen, who had lately landed in Essex, to 
 join them, that then, being reinforced by a more powerfid army, 
 they might be able the more easily to withstand the attacks of 
 
 TOL. I. G G 
 
450 
 
 MATTHEW or WESTMiySTEtt. 
 
 A.D. 894. 
 
 the Christians. And when, having moved their camp secretly, 
 they had arrived at the town of Farnham, desiring to cross 
 the river Thames, they were cut off by the boldness of the 
 king ; and, after a terrible battle had been fought, the pagans 
 were put to flight, and, when they fled, the Christians slew them 
 without mercy, and having made a tremendous slaughter of 
 all who resisted, wounded their king in a terrible manner ; 
 and it was with the greatest difficulty that his soldiers, having 
 placed him on a horse, conveyed him across the river Thames, 
 at a point where there was neither ford nor bridge, a great 
 many of them being drowned in the exploit. And at last 
 they reached a small island, between the rivers Thames and 
 Colne, and occupied that for some time instead of a town. 
 But, as the Christians had no ships, they were unable to be- 
 siege them, especially as they were in want of supplies, and 
 had completed their term of service. AVhen therefore they 
 departed, king Alfred hastened towards the spot with one 
 half of his army. But, before he had completed the journey 
 which he thus began, news was brought to him that the 
 pagans who inhabited Northumberland and East-Anglia had 
 divided, and that some of them had laid siege to Exeter, 
 and some of them to a certain castle situated in Devon- 
 shire. On this, king Alfred without any delay marched back 
 all the army which he could assemble, and proceeded towards 
 Exeter, leaving behind him, however, a few men to subdue the 
 enemies whom he had been pursuing. In the meantime, their 
 king having recovered his health, the pagans went to their 
 countrymen in Essex, and there they found that most wicked 
 traitor Hastein, who, in contravention of the treaty which he 
 had made with king Alfred, was already dwelling near the 
 town of 53cam jTlcot, which was fortified with wide and deep 
 fosses ; and, making continual sallies out of it, he laid waste 
 the whole country. Then the pagans, who, as has been already 
 mentioned, had settled at Appledore, joining Ilastein, made 
 a very numerous army of soldiers. In the meantime, 
 those soldiers whom king Alfred had sent away to attack them, 
 uniting themselves to the citizens of London, and to other 
 warlike men who had come from the territories of the Nor- 
 thumbrians and the East-Angles, at the command of the king, 
 marched in a hostile manner upon Beamfleot, but did not find 
 Hastein in the town. Nevertheless, they fought a most severe 
 battle against his companions who sallied out of the town 
 
 
 A.L. 895. 
 
 KING ALFRED DEFEATS TUE DANES. 
 
 451 
 
 against them, and, at the first onset, they compelled them to 
 flee, and entering the town they destroyed it, and loaded the 
 wife of Hastein and his two sons with chains, burnt some of 
 his ships, and carried off some to the city of Rochester, and 
 sent Hastein's wife and his two sons to the city of London. 
 
 After these exploits, king Alfred, having without much dif- 
 ficulty defeated, and scattered, and driven to their ships those 
 pagans on whose account he had gone to Exeter, returned to 
 the city of London, where count Ethelred presented the wife 
 of Hastein and his two sons to him, begging him to decide 
 what should be done with the wife and children of that traitor, 
 who had violated the covenant which he had made with the 
 king. Then, though it had been adjudged by every one that 
 they were worthy of the most shameful death, the king was 
 unwilling to do them any harm ; because, as has been before 
 related, he had stood godfather to one of the children at the 
 sacred font, and count Ethelred had been godfather to the 
 other ; and so he allowed both the mother and children to 
 depart with their liberty. 
 
 A.D. 895. Pope Formosus was elected to the Roman chair ; 
 and he filled it three years and six months. 
 
 The same year, Ulfher, archbishop of York, died, and was 
 succeeded by Ethelbald. The same year, the wicked Ilastein, 
 and the other pagans whom the army of king Alfred had 
 driven from Beamfleote, determined to pass over to their fellow- 
 countrymen who were dwelling in the western parts of Eng- 
 land. Therefore, taking their journey secretly through the 
 provinces of Mercia, they came to a town situated on the river 
 Severn, called )3utttncj;cTluut, where they were received with 
 great respect by their brethren, and introduced into the town 
 which they had built there. And when this was reported to 
 king Alfred, he collected an almost invincible army, and coming 
 to the before-mentioned town, which was washed on all sides 
 by the waves of the Severn, he surrounded the pagans, both 
 with his fleet, and also with his land army. But the enemy, 
 after having endured the siege for a long time, at last, when 
 all other food failed, devoured their horses ; and at last, when 
 they were all eaten, being compelled by necessity, they went 
 forth out of the town, to fight against the army which was 
 on the eastern side of the river. And in the battle, there fell 
 on the king's side, at the first onset, his minister, Ordein, and 
 many others with him, but at last the Christians prevailed, and 
 
 gg2 
 
452 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 897. 
 
 put the enemy to flight. And then the faithful pursued them 
 without mercy, and drowned many in the waves, and slew 
 some with the sword. And those who were able to escape 
 from this slaughter, fled, and came to Leicester, which is called 
 in English TOiri^aU, where they found many of their fellow- 
 countrymen in a certain town, and were allowed to join their 
 company. And when the king arrived before that town, he 
 could not maintain a siege of it ; on which account he burnt 
 with fire all the corn and food which he could find outside of 
 the town. 
 
 A.D. 896. The wicked army of the pagans quitted Leicester, 
 and marched to Northumberland, where, having procured 
 ships, they began to sail over the sea. At last, they entered 
 the mouth of the river Lea, not far from the city of London, 
 and landing there, they drew their ships to land, and occupied 
 themselves in rapine and plunder. And when the citizens of 
 London heard this, they united to themselves all the people 
 of the district, and coming to the before-mentioned place, 
 found that the enemy had built themselves a town. And 
 when the two armies met in a hostile manner, the citizens of 
 London were put to flight, and four of the king's soldiers 
 were slain. with what frequent miseries, with what terrible 
 distresses, in what a fearful manner, and with what lamentable 
 evils was all England harassed, not only by the Danes who at 
 that time occupied a part of England, but also by these sons 
 of Satan ! However, not long afterwards, king Alfred arrived, 
 and the pagans were compeUed to abandon the place ; and 
 departing by night through the province of Mercia, they did 
 not stop till they came to a town on the Severn, which is called 
 (©nantchrtge. And when they retreated, the king ordered 
 their ships to be burnt with fire. 
 
 A.D. 897. Boniface became pope and filled the Roman chair 
 for one year and sixteen days. 
 
 The same year, king Alfred appointed guardians of the 
 kingdom against the irruptions of the Danes, namely Ceol- 
 mund Primicerius in Kent ; bishop Suithulf in the city of 
 Rochester ; count Brithwulf in Essex ; count Ethelred in the 
 city of London ; bishop Halard in Dorchester ; Eadulf in 
 Sussex ; bishop Berthulf in Winchester, and many others in 
 diff'erent places, whose names it would be tedious to enume- 
 rate one after the other. At which time also, king Alfred 
 caused ships of war, which he called cyuls or galleys, to be 
 
 : 
 
 A.D. 897 
 
 TREATY OF PEACE WITH ROLLO. 
 
 453 
 
 built, in which he placed armed men, and commanded them to 
 take care of the paths of the sea, providing in this way, both by 
 naval as well as land forces, for the tranquillity of his kingdom 
 and of the people who were his subjects. 
 
 About this time, a certain man named Rollo, a Dane by 
 birth, accompanied by a great army, came into England and 
 occupied himself in ravaging the country. But Dania, or Den- 
 mark, is an island of the sea, exceedingly fruitful in all things, 
 and most especially in men, and its kings ordained in ancient 
 times, by a regularly enacted law, that whenever the island 
 was too full of men, a body of the bravest should be com- 
 pelled to quit their homes. Now this Rollo, of whom I am 
 speaking, is asserted to have been one of those who were 
 driven forth from their country in this manner, being a vigor- 
 ous and mighty man, for his father, detaining his eldest son 
 at home to be his own successor, sent Rollo away to obtain 
 an inheritance by arms, wherever fortune would grant him 
 one. When, therefore, he, as I have said above, was driven 
 into England, the nations at once engaged in battle with him, 
 but when many of them had been slain, the rest fled from the 
 field of battle. When, therefore, Rollo, after the dangers of 
 the sea, was wintering in England to refresh himself and his 
 army, one night, as he was asleep, there appeared to him a 
 swarm of bees, flying over himself and his army, and with a 
 great hum, seeking the southern districts, and flying over the 
 middle of the sea, till, at last, they came to land. And there 
 also, they settled in swarms on the branches of diff'erent 
 trees; but presently they began to traverse the whole dis- 
 trict, and examining the flowers of various colours in the 
 different places, to collect in one spot. Therefore Rollo, when 
 he awoke, first of all considered over the vision and its inter- 
 pretation in his own mind, and after a careful deliberation, he 
 concluded that he was to find a rest for the labours of himself 
 and his comrades in that country in which he had seen the 
 bees descend and settle. Therefore he and his comrades put 
 to sea, and, the wind blowing according to their wishes, pass- 
 ing over the waves of the sea, they came to Gemeticum, where 
 they left in the chapel of Saint Vedast, upon the altar, a cer- 
 tain holy virgin, named Ameltrudis, whom they had brought 
 with them from England. But when Francs, archbishop of 
 Rouen, heard of their arrival, he, distrusting the possibihty of 
 adequately resisting them, decided that it would be more 
 
454 
 
 MATTUEW OF WESTMINSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 899. 
 
 advantageous to request peace from them than to provoke 
 them to war to his own destruction. Accordingly, he set out 
 on his journey and came to them with speed, and entreated 
 for peace, and prevailed, and confirmed it by a most faith- 
 ful treaty. Therefore Rollo, when he had obtained dominion 
 over the country, went to Rouen, and elegantly repaired the 
 walls of that city, which had been shamefully destroyed, and 
 occupied the surrounding provinces, fortified castles in suit- 
 able places, and subjected to his own power the whole land 
 which was at that time called Neustria, but which is now- 
 called Normandy, from the Northmen who inherit it. From 
 this Rollo the famous dukes of Normandy trace their descent, 
 as the following history will show in the proper place. 
 
 A.D. 898. Stephen was elected to the Roman chair, and 
 occupied it one year. The same year, Eastan, bishop of Lon- 
 don, died, and was succeeded by Theodred. The same year, 
 some pagans, with six galleys, sailed into the mouth of the 
 river which is called (©t!)ermart, and ^occupied themselves 
 in plunder and rapine. And when news of this was brought 
 to king Alfred, he went with speed to encounter the robbers, 
 and having routed their forces, he took their booty from them 
 and compelled them to flee to their ships. And the king 
 manfully pursued them with his army, and slew a hundred 
 and twenty of them, and of the king's army also, there fell 
 sixty-two soldiers. The pagans, therefore, fled to the sea, but 
 as tiie winds were unfavourable to the flying pirates, they lost 
 all their vessels and were shipwrecked. And the servants of 
 the king seized them, and bound them tight with chains, and 
 then, at the command of the king himself, they hung them all 
 on a gallows. After this, the king governed his kingdom in 
 peace all the remaining period of his life, devoting himself 
 wholly to the restoration of churches, to the giving of alms, 
 to the making of laws by which the rapacity of the hawks 
 might be repressed, and the simple devotion of the faithful con- 
 firmed. 
 
 A.D. 899. Romanus became pope, and occupied the Roman 
 chair four months and twenty-two days. He was succeeded 
 by Theodorus, who filled the same chair twenty-six days. 
 And he, the same year, was succeeded by John, who ruled 
 that see two years and fifteen days. The same year, Ethel- 
 wald, bishop of Sherburne, died, and the province of the West 
 Saxons, in consequence of the violence of the enemy, re- 
 mained without bishops or pastoral care for seven years. 
 
 A.D. 901. THE HOLY CUTHBUEOA BUILDS A MOIfASTEET. 455 
 
 A.D. 900. Charles succeeded to the kingdom of France, and 
 reigned twenty-seven years. 
 
 The same year, that most merciful king, Alfred, king of 
 England, after he had reigned twenty-nine years and six 
 months, on the twenty-eighth of November, on the fourth day 
 of the week, in the fifth indiction, exchanged his temporal for 
 an eternal kingdom. He was buried at "Winchester, in a new 
 monastery which he had founded himself, and was clothed in 
 the robe of a blessed immortaUty, in which he awaits the gene- 
 ral resurrection, where he shall then be crowned a second 
 time. 
 
 Ch. XVII.— FeOM A.D. 901 TO A.D. 941. 
 
 Edward the Elder succeeds Alfred— A great council of the 
 English Church is held — Edward wars against the Danes 
 — Rollo becomes a Christian — The Banes continue their 
 ravages— Many towns are built throughout the kingdom — 
 Edward dies— Atheist an succeeds him—Saint Dunstan flou- 
 rishes — Treaty of peace between Athelstan and Robert of 
 Normandy — Athelstan puts his brother Edwin to death — 
 His wars with Constantine, king of Scotland, and Anlaf 
 king of Ireland — Otho becomes emperor of the Romans — 
 Athelstan dies, and is succeeded by Edmund— England 
 is divided between Edmund and Anlaf. 
 A.D. 901. Edward, the eldest son of Alfred, a prince inferior 
 to his father in learning and literature, but at the same time 
 even more glorious for power and dignity, was invested with 
 the crown of the kingdom of England. But after he had 
 been thus raised to the supreme powc^r, Ethelwald Clito, the 
 son of his cousin, considering himself inferior, neither in point 
 of family nor of power, to the king, aspired to the kingdom, 
 and exerted all his efi"orts to obtain it ; and, attacking the 
 royal towns called Oxley and Wimborne, the gates of which 
 he found open, he easily introduced himself and his troops 
 into them. In this place, as has been already mentioned, the 
 holy Cuthburga, the sister of king Ina, had built a monastery 
 of virgins devoted to God, but this same Ethelwald injuriously 
 carried one of them off", and joined her to himself in wecilock. 
 Then king Edward, when he had heard the truth of this act, 
 and of the rashness of Ethelwald, collected a large army, and 
 came to Bath, and, marching onwards, pitched his camp not 
 
456 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMTNSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 902. 
 
 A.T). 905. INCREASE TS THE NrMBEE OF BISHOPS. 
 
 457 
 
 far from Winburne. And when Ethelwald heard this, he fled 
 away by night, and went to Northumberland, and in a sup- 
 pUant manner intreated the Danes, who were in that country, 
 to admit him as their comrade, and to make him one of their 
 body, so that he might get the better of king Edward ; and 
 he was immediately declared king, and invested with the royal 
 dignity by them all. But king Edward was vexed at his 
 flight, and when he found that he could not overtake and 
 seize him, he ordered the nun whom he had carried off" to be 
 led back to her monastery ; but Ethelwald, having made ready 
 a ship, sailed over to Gaul, in order to collect a more powerful 
 army, and so return and attack the king. 
 
 In the meantime, the king extended the boundaries of his 
 kingdom more widely than his father had done, and built 
 many cities and towns, and repaired some that had been de- 
 stroyed. By a concubine named Egwin he had his first- 
 born son Athelstan. By another woman, who was his queen, 
 and who was named Elfleda, the daughter of Count Ealfelm, 
 he had two sons, Ethelward and Edwin. Moreover, his wife 
 bore him six daughters, of whom Eadfleda became a nun, and 
 is buried with her sister Ethelhild at Wilton. But the other 
 four are all related to have been married. The first of them, 
 by name Edgiva, was married to Otho, emperor of the Romans i 
 the second, who was called Eadhilda, was married to Charles, 
 king of France ; the third to Siricius, king of Northumber- 
 land : her name was Edith, and she was a woman of great 
 piety ; the fourth, whose name was Algiva, became the wife of 
 Hugo, the son of duke Robert. Moreover by his wife Edith 
 this same king bcame father of Edmund and Edred. At this 
 time the monastery at Clugny was founded by William, the 
 pious duke of Aquitaine. 
 
 A.D. 902. Ethelwald CUto, who has been already spoken 
 of, returning from the parts across the sea, collected a nume- 
 rous army of pagans, who dwelt in Northumberland and East 
 Angha and divers other places, and with that army and the 
 forces which he brought with him from the countries across 
 the sea, he invaded Mercia in a hostile manner, and destroyed 
 everything that came in his way, with fire and sword. At 
 last, when, having met with no obstacle, he had determined to 
 return with the great booty that he had collected, to his own 
 country, king Edward, accompanied by a numerous army of 
 soldiers, came up with him, and put him to flight, and pur- 
 
 sued him towards East Anglia, and finding him prepared to 
 do battle in the plain between the two fortifications of the 
 Holy Edmund, he first addressed an exhortation to his men, 
 and then attacked the enemy gallantly. But at the very first 
 onset, there fell on the side of the king, the primates Sigewolf 
 and Sichelm, the abbots Edwald and Rinulf, the nobles Sibert 
 and Edbald, and a great many other nobles with them. And 
 on the side of the enemy, there were slain, Isopus Hold and 
 Oscital Hold, and the counts Brithric and Synoth and king 
 Eanich, and Ethelwald Clito, and many thousands of the 
 common soldiers. But king Edward, when he learnt that the 
 bravest of the enemy were slain, wisely withdrew from the 
 field of battle. And not long afterwards, king Edward made 
 peace with the pagans in the place which is called j^ttingffortl. 
 And after these events the king reduced to proper submission 
 some rebellious districts in England, and especially the citi- 
 zens of London and Oxford. 
 
 The same year, Benedict was created pope, and ruled his see 
 for one year and six months. 
 
 A.D. 903. Louis obtained the empire of the Romans, and 
 reigned ten years. In which year also, pope Benedict died, 
 and was succeeded by Leo, who filled the Roman chair forty 
 days. He again was succeeded by Christopher, who died six 
 months afterwards. 
 
 A.D. 904. The holy priest Grimbald, a man of great sanctity 
 and one of the teachers of king Alfred, ascended to the jovs 
 of the kingdom of heaven. The same year, the queen, the 
 mother of king Edward, a religious servant of Christ, who 
 had built a monastery for nuns at Winchester, departed this 
 life. 
 
 A.D. 905. Sergius was appointed pope of Rome, and 
 governed that see seven years and sixteen days. The same 
 year, the magnificent king Edward, and Phlegmund, arch- 
 bishop of Canterbury, convened a great council of bishops, 
 abbots, and the faithful, in the province of the Gewisei, that is 
 to say, in that part of England which is situated on the 
 southern side of the river Thames. But that district, in con- 
 sequence of the incursions of the enemy, had been now, for 
 seven years, deprived of all episcopal superintendence and 
 pastoral care. On which account this salutary determination 
 was come to by the council, that instead of two bishops, one 
 of whom had his seat at Winchester, and the other at Sher 
 
458 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 9o; 
 
 A.D. 912. DEATH OF THE TICEEOT OF MEHCIA. 
 
 459 
 
 burne, five should be created, that the Lord's flock might not 
 be harassed by the attacks of wolves, because it was destitute 
 of all pastoral care. Accordingly, the council proceeded to a 
 regular canonical election, and appointed Frithstau, bishop of 
 the see of Winchester ; Ethelin, bishop of Sherborne ; Eadulf, 
 bishop of Wells ; Werstan, bishop of Crediton ; and Herstan, 
 bishop of Cornwall. And besides these, two other bishops 
 were elected, namely, Kinulf, to the see of Dorchester, and 
 Bertheg was ordained bishop of the South Saxons, whose 
 bishops have the seat of their diocese at Chichester. All these 
 bishops received consecration, on the same day, from arch- 
 bishop Phlegmund. And not long after, when an arrange- 
 ment of the different dioceses was made, the following pro- 
 vinces were allotted to the bishop of Winchester, namely, 
 Hampshire, Surrey, and the Isle of Wight ; the bishop of 
 Sherborne had Somersetshire ; the bishop of Wells had Dor- 
 setshire and Berkshire ; the bishop of Crediton had Devon- 
 shire ; and the bishop of Cornwall had Cornwall. But after a 
 few years there was a separate bishop appointed for Wiltshire, 
 the seat of whose see was at Ramsbury. Of the bishops who 
 succeeded these five, we will speak hereafter, in their proper 
 place. But we must not omit to mention this fact, which 
 appears marvellous to many people, that the pontifical sees 
 remained for such a length of time in the before-mentioned 
 towns, which were of such slight importance ; for instance, 
 the bishops of Cornwall had the seat of their diocese at Saint 
 Petroch's of Bodwin, and the bishops of North Wales had 
 theirs on the river |?cilcmut]^e. 
 
 A.D. 906. A comet appeared, and lasted nearly half the 
 year, indicating, perhaps, the excessive efi'usion of blood, and 
 the great slaughter which soon after took place to a ruinous 
 degree iu a battle which was fought between the English and 
 the Danes, in which many nobles of each nation were slain. 
 
 A.D. 907. The magnificent king Edward, having collected 
 a numerous army, reduced under his dominion Essex, East 
 Angha, Mercia, and Northumberland, with many other pro- 
 vinces which the Danes had occupied for a long time, and he 
 wrested them all by force from their dominion. He also made 
 himself master of the territories of Scotland, and Cumberland, 
 and of the Galwalensians, and all the Western Britons, and 
 received the submission of their kings, and then he returned 
 with honour and glory to his own country. 
 
 
 A.D. 908. The city of Leicester, which had been destroyed 
 by the invasion of the Danes, was restored by the anxious 
 care of Ethelred, duke of Mercia, and of Elfleda, his wife. 
 
 A.D. 909. King Edward sent a miUtary expedition into 
 Northumberland, against the Danes, who were raising a 
 rebellion in that county, and the king's soldiers pursued them 
 fiercely for nearly forty days, and slew many of them, and 
 took some prisoners, whom they carried off to their great 
 disgrace. 
 
 A.D. 910. The bones of the holy Oswald, the king and martyr, 
 were reverently transported from Bardennes in Mercia. 
 
 The same year, RoUo, prince of the Normans, attacked the 
 city of Chartres in a hostile manner, intending to take it by 
 surprise. But when, failing in that, he endeavoured to take 
 it by repeated attacks, the citizens armed for the defence of 
 their city, and manned the ramparts of the walls. But when 
 at last they began to despair of being able to hold out, they 
 adopted a most salutary counsel, and, erecting as their standard 
 the Siipparum, that is to say, the chemise of the Mother of 
 God, which Charlemagne, when he returned from Jerusalem, 
 had placed in the monastery dedicated to that Blessed Virgin, 
 raising this, I say, on the highest point of the wall of the city, 
 they provoked Rollo and his soldiers to laughter. But that 
 the virtue of the Mother of God might bridle the rashness of 
 the unbelievers, a sudden panic seized Rollo and all his forces, 
 so that they precipitately abandoned all the things which they 
 had collected for the siege, and placed their only hope of 
 safety in flight. And when the citizens beheld them flying, 
 they pursued them with the edge of the sword, and slew 
 many thousands of them, and compelled Rollo, himself, after 
 the rout of his army, to flee to the city of Rouen. 
 
 A.D. 911. Anastasius became pope, and filled the Roman 
 see two years and as many months. The same year, the 
 Danes invaded Mercia in a hostile manner, and plundered and 
 ravaged that province. And when news of this was brought 
 to king Edward, he went forth with a military force and 
 encountered those robbers, and in OTotJtnffcllJe, that is to say, 
 in the field of Woden, he fought a battle against them, aiid 
 slew the two kings of the pagans, Eowils and Hildein, with 
 the two counts Scufa and Other, and nine of their nobles. 
 
 A.D. 912. Ethelred, viceroy of Mercia, a king of eminent 
 
460 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMLNSTEH. 
 
 A.D. 912. 
 
 virtue, died. And after his death, his wife, Elfleda, the daugh- 
 ter of king Alfred, kept under her government the whole pro- 
 vince of Mercia, with the exception of the city of London and 
 the city of Oxford, which king Edward, her brother, retained 
 as his own, and ruled them in perfect tranquillity for a long 
 time. The same year, king Edward caused the borough of 
 Hertford to be founded between three rivers, namely, the 
 Maran, the Benefuthe, and the Lea ; and in Essex he founded 
 a borough which is called Witham, about the time of the feast 
 of Saint Martin. 
 
 The same year, Rollo, duke of Normandy, being extrava- 
 gantly elated in his mind, marched in a hostile manner to- 
 wards the city of Paris, collecting booty on all sides as he 
 advanced, and then determined to besiege the city itself. But, 
 at last, when he found that the city, both from its situation 
 and the strength of its walls, was quite impregnable, he turned 
 aside to the city of Bayeux. And finding that city destitute 
 of all defenders, he took it, and divided its spoils among his 
 soldiers, after he had slain all the inhabitants. In this city 
 he carried off a certain damsel of noble birth, by name Popa, 
 the daughter of duke Berengarius, a most illustrious man, 
 and not long afterwards he made her his wife by marriage. 
 And by her he had a son named Wilhelm, and a daughter 
 named Gerloc, a damsel of great beauty. After this, he took 
 the cities of Paris and Evreux, and slew the citizens, and carried 
 oflF great booty. And proceeding in this way to harass the 
 French, he burnt the churches of Christ, and slew the people, 
 and carried away the women as prisoners. Then the French, 
 being weighed down by these calamities, went with their 
 mournful complaints before king Charles, unanimously com- 
 plaining that the Christian people was being destroyed by the 
 attacks of the pagans, owing to his inactivity. And the king, 
 being greatly affected by their complaints, sent Franco, arch- 
 bishop of Rouen, to Rollo, promising him that, if he would 
 become a Christian, he would give him all the sea-coast from 
 the river Epte to the frontiers of Brittany, and also, that he 
 would give him his daughter Gilla for a wife. The archbishop 
 having undertaken this embassy, delivered the whole of his 
 messages regularly to the pagan duke, and, by the advice of 
 his council, Rollo received the proposition favourably, and, 
 accordingly, on an appointed day, he met the king of the 
 French and duke Robert, in a sacred assembly, on the other 
 
 A.D. 912. 
 
 GEI?^EALOGT OF DUKE EOBEHT. 
 
 461 
 
 side of the river Epte. Rollo himself was surrounded by 
 troops of warriors, Uiit after many messengers had passed to 
 and fro between them, peace was at last established, and Rollo 
 pledged his fealty to the king, and the king granted him the 
 land which has been described above, and also gave him his 
 daughter for a wife. He also added the gift of the whole of 
 Brittany, the princes of which province, by name Berengarius 
 and Alan, took the oath of fealty to Rollo. And then, after 
 all these things had been done in this noble manner, the 
 Frenchmen who were standing by, exhorted Rollo to kiss 
 the king's foot, in acknowledgment of such a liberal gift. 
 But Rollo disdained to bend his knee, took up the king's foot 
 with violence, and lifting it to his mouth, threw the king on 
 the ground on his back, and the Frenchmen, being indignant 
 at this action, excited the Normans to laughter. For it ap- 
 peared to Rollo to be an unworthy thing for him to possess 
 the land which he had subdued by force of arms as the gift 
 of any one whatever. 
 
 Peace, therefore, having been made in this manner, the king 
 of France returned home, and Rollo, with duke Robert, re- 
 turned to Rouen, and was baptized, with all his companions, 
 by Franco, archbishop of Rouen, and duke Robert was his 
 godfather to take him from the sacred font, and gave him 
 his own name, a.d. 913. And then the magnificent duke 
 Robert,^ having made sumptuous preparation forliis nuptials, 
 received the king's daughter as his wife, and the partner of 
 his bed, in the Christian fashion. But she died a few years 
 afterwards by an untimely death, without any children, and 
 then duke Robert took Popa, whom he had divorced, and mar- 
 ried her again. 
 
 Since now many illustrious dukes and kings derive their 
 descent from this magnificent duke Robert, it appears desir- 
 able, for the clearness of this history, to give his genealogy in 
 a brief detail. 
 
 Japhet, the third son of Noah, begat a son whom he called 
 Magog, whose Gothic progeny, deriving the name of their an- 
 cestor from the similitude of the last syllable of the name 
 Magog, produced two tribes of Goths, who were both most 
 valiant in arms. One of which tribes invaded the Further 
 Scythia, and occupied that country, and for a long time car- 
 * Meaning Rollo, who had been christened Robert. 
 
462 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 914. 
 
 ried on war against the kings of Egypt. And their wives, 
 who were afterwards called Amazons, being vexed at the long 
 absence of their husbands in that country, repudiated all con- 
 nection with them, and took up arms themselves, and elected 
 two women, who were bolder than the rest, to be their queens. 
 And having burnt off their right breasts, for the sake of hurl- 
 ing the javelin, they overran the whole of Asia, and for nearly 
 a hundred years they oppressed that country with the yoke of 
 their most severe dominion. The other tribe of Goths, leav- 
 ing the island of Scanza with their king, whose name was 
 Berig, soon afterwards disembarked from their vessels as soon 
 as they reached the land, and gave the name of Scanza to the 
 place where they had landed, in memory of the country from 
 which they had set out. And proceeding onwards to more 
 remote countries, they invaded the German gulfs and the sea 
 of Azor, and occupied many of the provinces on all sides of 
 those seas. Of which countries, Denmark and Norway after- 
 wards had many famous and powerful monarchs. These men 
 allege that the god Mars was born in their country, a god 
 whom they laboured to propitiate by the shedding of human 
 blood. They also say that the Trojans were descended from 
 their race, and that, after the destruction of that city, Anteiior 
 fled on account of the treason which he had perpetrated, and 
 landed in Germany. And afterwards he reigned in Dania, or 
 Denmark, and gave a name to the province from his own name. 
 And for these reasons the Danes are well known to derive 
 their origin from the Goths, though the former afterwards 
 prospered and increased to such a degree, that, whenever their 
 islands were too full of men, in accordance with a law which 
 had been estabhshed by their kings, the braver men were com- 
 pelled to emigrate from their homes, in order to acquire in- 
 heritances and lasting abodes for themselves and their suc- 
 cessors. 
 
 A.D. 913. Conrad became emperor of the Romans, and 
 reigned seven years. The same year, Elfleda, queen of Mercia, 
 coming with a great army to ^trcngatf, built them a fortified 
 citadel, and restored another on the western bank of the river 
 Severn, in a place which is called i3rtQ;Q[e£l. 
 
 A.D. 914. Elfleda, queen of Mercia, restored the borough 
 called C^tinifluovtt). Thence proceeding onwards to Stam- 
 ford, in the northern district, she restored a tower on the river 
 OThltUtinU. The same year, a great slaughter of the Danes 
 
 A.D. 918. 
 
 EAVAGES OF THE DANES. 
 
 463 
 
 took place on the borders of Luitonia and the province of 
 Hereford. Laudo became pope of Rome, and occupied that 
 see for six months. 
 
 A.D. 915. John was appointed to the Roman See, and filled 
 it four years, two months, and three days. The same year, 
 Phlegmund, archbishop of Canterbury, died, and Ethelm, 
 bishop of Wells, was translated to the see of Canterbury, and 
 Wolfhelm was ordained bishop of the church of Wells in his 
 stead. In which year, also, Werferth, bishop of the Wiccians, 
 went the way of all flesh, and was succeeded in his bishopric 
 by Ethelhune, abbot of Berkeley. The same year, Elfleda, 
 qiieen of Mercia, built the towns of ^IfaKcsJburi) and31j©[artl)nm. 
 
 The same year, the pagans invaded the territories of the 
 South Britons, and destroyed everything throughout that dis- 
 trict with fire and sword, and took Camelec, the bishop, pri- 
 soner in ^lrfi)tncfclt>, and carried him off to their ships, but 
 not long afterwards king Edward ransomed him for forty 
 pounds sterling. After this, the same pagans invaded the 
 provinces of Hereford, Worcester, and Gloucester, and chal- 
 lenged the people of those counties to come forth to battle ; 
 and a terrible battle took place, in which there fell on the side 
 of the Danes, Other, the brother of the Danish king, and duke 
 Rohald, with the greater portion of their army. The same 
 year, king Edward, surnamed the Elder, went to J3ufi^ngff)am, 
 where he caused fortifications to be erected on each side of 
 the river (BU. Tiie same year, Cuthard, bishop of Lindis- 
 farne, died, and was succeeded by Mildred. 
 
 A.D. 916. Laudo was elected pope of Rome ; he filled that 
 see for one year. In this year, too, Elfleda, queen of Mercia, 
 built the three towns of Cherenburch, Weadburch, and 
 Runcofa. 
 
 A.D. 917. John was created pope. The same year, king 
 Edward built a castle at the borough of Maldon, and entrusted 
 it to a garrison of soldiers. 
 
 A.D. 918. King Edward founded the towns of Towcester 
 and Wiggingemere, and filled them with an armed garrison. 
 But the pagans marched in a hostile manner upon Towcester, 
 and endeavoured to take it. They, on the other hand, who 
 were within, with the aid of the people of the province, de- 
 fended themselves manfully, and put all the besiegers to flight, 
 who then invaded the county of Buckingham, taking men pri- 
 soners, and cari-ying off the cattle as booty ; and they also 
 
464 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 919. 
 
 A.D. 924. 
 
 EDWAED THE ELDEE DIES. 
 
 465 
 
 slew a great many of the common people between the wood 
 called Serntootlc and the town of ^vit^huvv. After that, 
 uniting with a great effort, they invaded several provinces of 
 the English, and harassed them with cruel ravages, carrying 
 off a countless quantity of booty from different places. But 
 king Edward having collected a multitude of armed men, 
 attacked the pagans in a hostile manner, and having put them 
 to flight, pursued them as they fled, and slew Togleas, their 
 general, and his son Mannan, and his brother, as they were 
 flying, and took the greater part of their army prisoners, and 
 bound them with chains; and after this, the power of the pagans 
 began by degrees to diminish. 
 
 The same year, Elfleda, queen of Mercia, marched upon 
 Canterbury in a hostile manner, and besieged it, and took it, 
 and put to death a great part of the Danes who were in it. 
 About the same time, king Edward besieged Colchester, and 
 took it, and slew without mercy the pagans who were in it, 
 with the exception of a few who saved themselves by flight. 
 After this, the king marched to Maldon, which was besieged 
 by the pagans, and drove them from before that town, and 
 slew many thousands of them as they fled. Then, the king 
 proceeded to Huntingdon, and restored the town and the 
 castle, and left an armed band ; and after the interval of a few 
 days, he repaired the walls of Colchester, and placed a garrison 
 of warlike men in it, and assigned them a regular pay. Then 
 the Danes who were scattered throughout England in many 
 places, seeing the power and wisdom of the king, willingly 
 submitted to him, and elected him as their lord and protector. 
 The same year, Werstan, bishop of Sherborne, died, and was 
 succeeded by Ethelbald. 
 
 A.D. 919. Elfleda, queen of Mercia, and sister of king Ed-' 
 ward, a matron of extraordinary wisdom, died, in the eighth 
 year after she had governed the kingdom of Mercia by herself, 
 with a vigorous and just government. And her body was 
 carried to Gloucester, and honourably buried in the church of 
 the blessed Apostle Peter. She left as the heiress of her king- 
 dom, an only daughter, named Algiva, being her legitimate 
 child by Ethelred, the viceroy of Mercia. And finding that 
 she had received a grievous injury at her birth, and being 
 overmuch alarmed at it, for nearly forty years while she lived 
 after that event, she withdrew herself from her husband's bed, 
 and from all carnal connection with him, refusing any longer 
 
 ! 
 
 I 
 
 to again experience the pains of a laborious delivery, and being 
 led to this determination by her nobleness of mind. 
 
 A.D. 920. Henry became emperor of the Romans, and 
 reigned eighteen years. The same year, king Edward having 
 restored the boroughs of Tealvella and Manchester, and for- 
 tified them with a garrison, took his niece Algiva, whom some 
 call Alwina, and ordered her to be conducted into Wessex. 
 The same year, Athelstan, bishop of Wilton, died, and was 
 succeeded by Odo. He was descended of Danish blood, and 
 served for a long time in the army under king Edward ; but after- 
 wards he received the orders of the priesthood, and the ton- 
 sure, and as he increased in merit he was raised to the honour 
 of the Pontificate. 
 
 A.D. 921. King Edward coming to the town of Nottingham, 
 on the southern side of the river Crtntt, built a town opposite 
 to the borough, which was on the other bank of the river, and 
 caused a strong bridge to be made between the two towns. 
 From thence he passed on to Bedecanwell, and built a borough 
 at no great distance from it, and placed a garrison therein. In 
 which year, also, the king of the Scots, and Reginald, king 
 of the Northumbrians, a Dane by birth, and the duke of the 
 Galwalensians, all came to king Edward, and made submission 
 to him, and also made a thoroughly lasting treaty with him. 
 
 A.D. 922. Ethelward, brother of king Edward, died, and 
 was buried at Winchester. The same year, Ethelhune, bishop 
 of the Wiccians, died, and was succeeded by Wilferth. 
 
 A.D. 923. The blood of the Lord, which flowed from the 
 image of Christ, when he a second time suffered in his image 
 the same things at the hands of the Jews that he had suffered 
 before, came into England, on the eighth of November. 
 
 A.D. 924. Edward, king of England, sumamed the Elder, 
 who had governed with great power all the EngUsh, and 
 Welsh, and Scots, and men of Cumberland, and Galwalensians 
 who inhabit Britain, and also the two nations of the Danes in 
 the same country ; after many illustrious exploits, died at a 
 royal town called Faringdon, in the twenty-fourth year of his 
 reign, and was buried with royal pomp at Winchester, in the 
 new monastery. And Athelstan, his first-born son, was created 
 king, and was crowned at Kingston, a royal town, by Ethelm, 
 archbishop of Canterbury. In the time of this king, an illus- 
 trious child was born in the district of Wessex, by name Dun- 
 stan. The same year, Ethelm, archbishop of Canterbury, 
 
 VOL. I. H H 
 
466 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEB. 
 
 A.D. 928. 
 
 died, and was succeeded by Wolfhelm, bishop of Wells ; and 
 jJllfeg succeeded W olfhelm, in the bishopric of the church of 
 Wells. 
 
 A.D. 92.5. Athelstan, king of England, married his sister 
 Eadgitha, in honourable matrimony, to Sithric, king of North- 
 umberland, a prince descended from the Danish nation. And 
 Sithric forsaking paganism out of love for this virgin, embraced 
 the faith of Christ ; but not long afterwards, he repudiated 
 that blessed virgin, and rejected Christianity, and restored the 
 worship of idols ; and a short time after his apostasy, he 
 ended his life in a miserable manner. Then, that holy damsel, 
 who had always preserved her virginity, continued her time 
 at PoUesbury, in fastings, and vigils, and prayers, and the 
 giving of alms, and persevered to the end of her life, being 
 mighty in good works. But after the course of this praise- 
 worthy life, she passed from this world, on the fifteenth of 
 July, and to this very day, divine miracles are constantly 
 celebrated at her tomb. 
 
 A.D. 926. Fiery rays in the northern portion of the heavens 
 were seen throughout all England, which portended the 
 shameful death of that king Sithric, whose name has been 
 mentioned above, and who perished miserably no long time 
 after. And then Athelstan drove out his son Guthferth, and 
 added his kingdom to his own dominions, and after that, he 
 defeated in battle and put to flight all the inferior kings in 
 England, namely, Hunwal, the king of the Britons, Constan- 
 tine, king of the Scots, and Wolferth, king of the Wenti. He 
 also drove Eldred, the son of Eadulf, out of the castle of 
 Bebbanberik. And all these princes, with other governors of 
 provinces, seeing that they were not able to resist his energy, 
 came to him and besought him to grant them peace, and, re- 
 nouncing idolatry, they made a most lasting treaty with him. 
 
 A.D. 927. Hugo, the son of count Robert, took for his wife 
 the sister of king Athelstan. In which year, also, Tilred, 
 bishop of Lindisfarne, died, and was succeeded by Wilfred. 
 
 A.D. 928. Leo became pope of Rome, and occupied that 
 see for six months and fifteen days. In the same year, Tun- 
 frid, bishop of Lichfield, died, and was succeeded by Ella. 
 About this same period, so great a friendship arose between 
 king Athelstan and Robert, duke of Normandy, that each of 
 them had influence in the affairs of the other, and that, in all 
 their wars, they were benefited by their reciprocal co-operation. 
 
 A.D. 931. DEATH OF THE BISHOP OF CEEDITO^. 
 
 467 
 
 A.D. 929. King Athelstan, determining to seek all the 
 relics of the diff'erent saints throughout his kingdom, for the 
 sake of praying before them, first of all went devoutly to the 
 monastery of Glastonbury. And there was there a certain 
 noble matron of the name of Elfleda, the niece of the king, 
 who wishing to live a widowed life ever since the death of her 
 husband, had chosen an abode for herself in the western side 
 of the monastery. This religious woman carefully prepared 
 a dmner for king Athelstan, who, she knew beforehand, was 
 commg to Glastonbury for the purpose of prayer. But the 
 precursors of the royal household knowing that the king had 
 granted to his niece an exemption from the obhgation of re- 
 ceiving travellers, to the intent that she might have leisure to 
 devote to her own thoughts, came the day before, to see if 
 everything that was necessary had been prepared. And when 
 they had carefully inspected everything, they said to her: 
 " You have plenty of every kind of necessary supplies, if you 
 had only plenty of mead, which the king prefers for his own 
 drinking above all other liquors." And she replied : ** The 
 Mother of my Lord Jesus Christ will never permit mead to 
 be wanting at the table of the king." Then, entering the 
 church of the Mother of God, she prostrated herself in prayer 
 to God and his Mother. Why need I be tedious ? The king 
 came, accompanied with a numerous retinue of servants, and 
 after the celebration of mass, he was invited to dinner, and 
 went in accordingly. But, at the first passing of the cup, the 
 greedy drinkers emptied the vessel within the measure of one 
 palm, and afterwards, God increasing the liquor, and the 
 blessed woman well deserving such a miracle, it remained the 
 whole day, though the cup-bearers continued to carry it round 
 to such a degree that, to the marvel of all men, it sufficed for 
 the whole company of guests. And when the king had heard 
 of this miracle by the relation of his servants, he became 
 changed in his mind, and said to his followers : "We have 
 sinned too much in vexing this servant of God by our exces- 
 sive superfluity ;" and so, rising up and saluting his niece, he 
 went on his holy journey. 
 
 The same year, Stephen was created pope, and filled the 
 chair at Rome two years and one month. 
 
 A.D. 930. Wilferth, bishop of Worcester, died, and Kine- 
 wolth succeeded him in his bishopric. 
 
 A.D. 931. Eadulf, bishop of Crediton, died, and was suc- 
 
 H H 2 
 
468 
 
 Mi^TTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D, 934. 
 
 ceeded by Ethelgar. These bishops govern the whole pro- 
 vince of Devonshire. John was elected pope, and ruled that 
 see four years. 
 
 A.D. 932. Frithstan, a man of singular piety, bishop of 
 Winchester, having ordained Birstan, a man of great piety, to 
 his bishopric in his stead, abdicated it himself, and lived the 
 life of a poor man in the city of Winchester. This most holy 
 bishop celebrated mass every day for the repose of the dead, 
 and was continually singing psalms for the salvation of their 
 souls. At last, one night, when, according to his custom, he 
 was walking round the cemeteries chaunting, and was reciting 
 psalms, and, after he had finished everything else, was adding 
 the words, " May they rest in peace ;'* on a sudden he heard 
 voices as of an innumerable army, answering out of the sepul- 
 chres, " Amen." 
 
 A.D. 933. Athelstan, king of England, because the king of 
 the Scots had violated the treaty that he had made with him, 
 marched against Scotland with a very powerful fleet, and no 
 small army of cavalry, and ravaged the greater part of Scot- 
 land. On which account, Constantine, king of the Scots, 
 being compelled by force, gave him his son as a hostage, and 
 gave him worthy presents hkewise ; and so peace was renewed, 
 and the king returned to his own land. The same year, the 
 holy man, Frithstan, died. 
 
 A.D. 934. King Athelstan ordered his brother Edwin to be 
 drowned in the sea ; and the following is said to have been 
 the cause of this deed : — There was in a certain town of 
 Wessex the daughter of a shepherd, a damsel of beautiful ap- 
 pearance, and she, when she was asleep, thought that she saw 
 the moon shining out of her belly, and also, that all England 
 was lighted up by this light. And when she had related her 
 vision to a certain matron who had been used to nurse the 
 king's sons, the matron received the damsel into her own 
 house, and taking care of her as her own daughter, nourished 
 her on dainty food, and arrayed her in delicate apparel, and 
 educated her in all good habits and manners. And not long 
 afterwards, Edward, the son of king Alfred, by chance pass- 
 ing through the town, turned aside to her house, thinking 
 that it would be injurious to his reputation if he neglected to 
 visit the nurse who had brought him up. And there he saw 
 the maiden, and being seized with love for her, he slept that 
 night with her, and by one single embrace he made her preg- 
 
 A.D. 936. LOUIS SUMMONED TO THE TURONE OF FRANCE. 4C9 
 
 nant : and when the time of her delivery came, she brought 
 him forth a son, whom, because of the faith that she placed 
 in her dream, she called Athelstan. Therefore, when king 
 Edward died, as has been said before, his son Edward, who 
 had been born to him by his legitimate wife, followed his 
 father by a speedy death. Then Athelstan, although he was 
 born of a concubine, was elected king by the favour of all 
 men (Edwin being passed over, who, because of his tender 
 years, was yet incapable of reigning), and, as had been fore- 
 told, was consecrated king in the royal town of Kingston. But 
 Athelstan, after he was consecrated, hated, with the blackest 
 hatred, his brother Edwin, whom he knew to have been bom 
 in lawful wedlock, fearing lest, through his means, he might 
 some day or other be deprived of the throne. Accordingly, 
 the king, being tempted by the opportunity, having put his 
 brother Edwin by himself, with only his armour-bearer, in a 
 little boat, which was worn out by age, exposed him in the 
 open sea, without any rowers or oars, and so committed him 
 miserably to the mercy of Neptune, when the youth, becom- 
 ing weary of his life amid the waves of the sea, threw him- 
 self into the sea of his own accord, and so was drowned. But 
 the armour-bearer, rowing not only with his feet but also with 
 his hands, brought the body of his master to land, and then 
 conveyed it from Canterbury to OT^itlautT, and buried it ho- 
 nourably. 
 
 King Athelstan, after his anger had cooled, shuddered at 
 the lawless deed that he had done, and, undertaking a seven 
 years' penance, bewailed his fratricide, and condemned his 
 cup-bearer, who had given him the advice, to a cruel death. 
 
 The same year, the holy Birstan, bishop of Winchester, 
 departed to the kingdom of heaven, and was succeeded by 
 iElfug, a man of eminent piety. And the same year. Wolf helm, 
 archbishop of Canterbury, died, and was succeeded by Odo, 
 bishop of Wells ; and Odo was succeeded in the church of 
 Wells by Osulf. 
 
 A.D. 935. Leo became Pope, and ruled the Roman See three 
 years, six months, and ten days. The same year, Robert, the 
 first duke of Normandy, departed this life, in a good old age, 
 and appointed his son William, a most elegant young man, his 
 successor, 
 
 A.D. 936. Count Hugo sent messengers into England, to 
 summon Louis, the son of Charles, king of France, to the 
 
470 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 940. 
 
 elevation of king of France ; and king Athelstan, his uncle, 
 having administered an oath to the ambassadors of France, 
 sent him with some bishops into France : and count Hugo, 
 with several nobles, went to meet him, and on the very sea- 
 shore owned themselves to be the subjects of Louis. From 
 thence, Louis is led to Laudun, and is crowned there by arch- 
 bishop Arthald, in the presence of thirty bishops and princes 
 of the kingdom. 
 
 A.D. 937. Anlaf, the pagan king of Ireland and many other 
 islands, having been invited by Constantine, king of the Scots, 
 entered the mouth of the river Humber with a mighty fleet. 
 And Athelstan, king of England, and his brother Edmund, 
 met him with their army, in the place which is called Brunen- 
 burh ; and a battle was fought, which lasted from day-break 
 till evening, in which the English slew five kings and seven 
 dukes of the enemy, and shed such a quantity of blood as no 
 one had ever heard of being shed in England up to that time. 
 And compelling the kings Anlaf and Constantine to return 
 to their ships, they returned in glorious triumph back to their 
 own homes. 
 
 A.D. 938. Otho became emperor of the Romans, and reigned 
 thirty-six years. And as soon as ever he was raised to the 
 empire, he took Eadgiva, the sister of king Athelstan, for his 
 wife. 
 
 A.D. 939. Stephen was raised to the Roman chair, which 
 he filled for three years, four months, and fifteen days. About 
 the same time, Athelstan, king of England, ordered two 
 monasteries, one at Middleton, and one at Michelena, to be 
 founded for the soul of his brother Edwin, whom he, yielding 
 to wicked counsels, had caused to be drowned in the sea ; and 
 he endowed them with many estates and large possessions. 
 
 A.D. 940. Athelstan, the magnificent king of England, died 
 at Gloucester, on the twenty-sixth of October. He was suc- 
 ceeded in the kingdom by his brother and legitimate heir, 
 Edmund, and his corpse was carried to Malmesbury, and 
 honourably buried in that town, in which, while still alive, he 
 had selected a place for his grave. But when king Edmund 
 had been invested with the ensigns of royalty, he appointed 
 the blessed Dunstan, whom even in the lifetime of his brother, 
 he had known to be a man of pure character and an eloquent 
 tongue, to be present at all his councils, so that he was to be 
 counted as one elected among the royal palatines and princes. 
 
 A.D. 940. ACCOUNT OF THE BLESSED DUNSTAN. 
 
 4/1 
 
 And some of his soldiers and dependents, beholding the con- 
 stancy of his virtuous manner of life, said that he was a good 
 man, others said, nay, but he seduces the people. On which 
 account, some people envied his goodness and prudence, and 
 endeavoured to disparage him in the king's eyes ; and he 
 giving a favourable ear to them without well examining the 
 matter, at once ordered him to be deprived of all honour, and 
 of his rank as chancellor, and commanded him to find service 
 elsewhere wherever he pleased. But on the morrow, the king 
 went forth with his train to relieve his melancholy by hunting. 
 And immediately, as soon as the noise of the hunters blowing 
 their horns, and the barking of the hounds resounded in the 
 woods, many stags began their nimble flight. And the king, 
 with his pack of hounds that followed him, selected from 
 among them one hart of wonderful size, which he began to 
 pursue ; and at last, after it had been wearied by the activity 
 of the dogs which chased it over many diflicult places, he and 
 the hounds drove it to a precipitous side of an abrupt moun- 
 tain, and compelled it to throw itself down ; and all the 
 hounds springing down with it from the height, were dashed 
 to pieces, and so came to a sudden death. But the king, who 
 was following the stag and hounds at the full speed of his 
 swift horse, when he saw the precipice, strove to check his 
 horse ; but as he was impetuous, and had a hard mouth, and 
 as, in consequence of this hard mouth, the king was altogether 
 unable to restrain him, he gave up all hope of safety, and 
 commended his soul to the goodwill of Almighty God : " I 
 give thanks to Thee," said he, "0 Lord Jesus Christ, because 
 I do not recollect that I, of late, have injured any one except 
 Dunstan only ; and this fault I will amend with ready devotion 
 by reconciling myself to him, if time is allowed me." At these 
 words, in consequence of the merits of the blessed man, the 
 horse stopped on the extreme edge of the precipice, and the 
 king recovering himself, gave thanks to God for the restoration 
 of his life. And returning home, he ordered the blessed 
 Dunstan to be brought before him ; and when he had been 
 brought into the king's presence, they both immediately 
 mounted their horses, and proceeded straight along the road 
 which leads to Glastonbury. And when they had arrived there, 
 and had entered the monastery, the king took the right hand 
 of Dunstan and kissed it, and leading him to the cathedral 
 tlirone, placed him in it, with the consent of all the monks, 
 
472 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMTNSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 941. 
 
 and said to him : " Be thou the most faithful abbot of this 
 seat and of this church, and if you find anything wanting for 
 the complete service of our holy religion, I will supply that 
 out of my royal treasures." And so, the blessed Dunstan 
 being reestablished in favour, and being called by God to the 
 oflSce of a ruler, studied to behave amicably to all men, without 
 impairing the strictness of his religious duties. 
 
 About the same time, Anlaf, a Norwegian by birth, who in 
 the time of king Athelstan had been expelled from the king- 
 dom of Northumberland, in this year, being accompanied by 
 a large fleet, proceeded towards York. After this, he ap- 
 proached the southern parts of England in a hostile manner, 
 and attempted to make himself master of England by a sudden 
 attack. And when news of this was brought to king Edmund, 
 he went to meet him with a numerous army, and the two kings 
 met in hostile fashion near Leicester, and, for the greater part 
 of the day, fought a battle which was only too murderous on 
 both sides. But the two prelates, Otho, archbishop of Can- 
 terbury, and Wolfstan, archbishop of York, when they saw the 
 mutual danger, and the impending destruction of the kingdom, 
 arranged a peace between the two parties, on condition of 
 Anlaf possessing the whole island of Britain on the northern 
 side of the royal street which is called OTatlinge ^tretc ; 
 and of Edmund enjoying all the island to the south of the 
 same road, in peace. And whichever of the two lived the 
 longest, was to have the whole kingdom after the death of the 
 other. Then Anlaf married Alditha, daughter of count Or- 
 mus, owing to whose counsel and assistance it was that he had 
 gained the before-mentioned victory. 
 
 The same year, Alfred, bishop of Sherborne, died, and was 
 succeeded by Wolf. 
 
 Ch. XVIIL— From a.d. 941 to a.d. 975. 
 Anlaf dies — William^ duke of Normandy ^ is murdered — Death 
 of king Edmund — Edred succeeds to the throne — His cour- 
 age and Death — Edwy succeeds — Dunstan is banished — 
 Edwy is banished and Edgar made king — Dunstan is recalled 
 — Simony in the Church — The wisdom and power of Edgar 
 — He dies, and is succeeded by Edward. 
 
 A.D. 941. Anlaf, who had been lately created king was visited 
 by the judgment of God while he was plundering the church 
 
 A.D. 946. KiyG EDMUND PLUKDEES CUMBERLAND. 
 
 473 
 
 of Saint Baiter, and burning Cinning!)am with fire, and soon 
 after died miserably ; and king Edmund invading Northumber- 
 land in a hostile manner, expelled Anlaf, the son of Sithric, 
 and Reginald, the son of king Cuthred, from that province 
 by force, and became a second time master of the whole of 
 England. 
 
 A.D. 942. King Edmund wrested Lincoln, Nottingham, 
 Derby, Leicester, and Stamford, out of the hands of the Danes, 
 and likewise all Mercia, and compelled all those places to 
 submit to his authority. 
 
 A.D. 943. After his queen Algiva had made the magnificent 
 king Edmund father of a son, named Edgar, the holy Dunstan 
 heard the voices of persons playing the harp and singing in 
 the sky, ** Peace to the church of England in the time of the 
 child that is now born, and of our beloved Dunstan." 
 
 The same year, king Edmund received king Anlaf out of 
 the laver of holy regeneration, as his godfather, and honoured 
 him with royal gifts. He also held Reginald, viceroy of North- 
 umberland, while he was being confirmed by the bishop, and 
 adopted him his own son. Martin was elected pope, and ruled 
 the see of Rome three years, six months, and fourteen days. 
 
 A.D. 944. William, the second duke of Normandy, was 
 slain by the treachery of Arnulf, count of Flanders. For 
 because this William had occupied one of the castles of the 
 before-mentioned count Arnulf, making a pretence of good 
 faith, invited him to a conference in a ship, and while they 
 were discussing the question of peace, he slew him by the 
 hands of Balzo, his general. And he was succeeded by his son, 
 Richard, the third duke of Normandy. 
 
 A.D. 945. King Edmund gave to the blessed martyr, 
 Edmund Beatrichewith, a royal town, in which the body of 
 that holy martyr rests to this day. And he also gave the 
 same martyr an estate of no small size around that place, 
 which gift he confirmed with pious devotion, by the signature 
 of the bishops, and counts, and barons to the deed. 
 
 A.D. 946. Agapetus became pope of Rome, and ruled that 
 see ten years, six months, and ten days. The same year, king 
 Edmund, relying on the assistance of Keoline, king of Demetia, 
 plundered the whole of Cumberland of all its riches, and hav- 
 ing put out the eyes of the two sons of Dummail, king of that 
 province, he granted that kingdom to Malcolm, king of Scot- 
 
474 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMrjfSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 946. 
 
 land, to be held of himself, in order that Malcolm might defend 
 the northern districts of England by land and sea from the 
 incursions of enemies who might arrive from foreign countries. 
 
 The same year, Edmund, that most pious king of England, 
 when, on the festival of Saint Augustine, the apostle of the 
 English, he had invited all the nobles of the kingdom to a 
 great banquet in the royal town which is called {Bid)tU^hmtl)y 
 as it was the fashion among the English to do every year, on 
 account of the veneration in which they held the blessed 
 Augustine, by whose means the English received the light of 
 the faith ; when they were all assembled, and were sitting down 
 at the king's dinner, they began to feast and to rejoice, the 
 king himself doing his best to promote their entertainment. 
 At length, when the king raised his head in order to see the 
 guests sitting at table, he beheld, standing, among others in 
 the hall, a robber of the name of Leof, whom a few years before 
 he had banished for robbery. And the king being exceedingly 
 indignant at this, made a sign to his cupbearer to remove that 
 robber from the palace immediately. But when that wicked 
 man refused to go for the word of the cupbearer, the king, 
 being provoked and exceedingly angry, leaped up suddenly 
 from the table, and, seizing the robberbythe hair, threw him 
 down on the floor. But that traitor, when he felt that he was 
 hurt, and found the king lying on him, quickly drew a knife, 
 which he wore secretly, and, alas ! alas'! he slew the king. 
 Then the soldiers and servants of the king, when they saw 
 their master slain and wallowing in his gore, all rushed upon 
 that robber and cut all his body and bones into the smallest 
 pieces, and thus the splendid beginning of the king's banquet 
 was terminated by a very cloudy ending of circumstances. 
 
 When, therefore, Edmund was dead and buried at Glaston- 
 bury, Edred, his brother, received the crown of the kingdom, 
 at Kingston, a royal town, from the blessed Otho, archbishop 
 of Canterbury, on the fifteenth of August. Edmund, also, left 
 behind him two sons as his legitimate heirs, by name Edwin 
 and Edgar, who, because of the obstacle of their tender age, 
 could not succeed their father in his kingdom. He, as his 
 brother king Edmund had formerly done, reduced the whole 
 of Northumberland under his dominion, received an oath of 
 fealty from the king of Scotland, and with great devotion gave 
 to the metropohtan church of York two statues of great size. 
 Afterwards, when he had received the oath of fealty from the 
 
 I 
 
 
 A.D. 946. rN■TETlPEETATIO^' OF ST. DUNSTAK*S DEEAM. 4/5 
 
 king of Cumberland, and had placed all that district in secu- 
 rity, he proceeded southward with his friends. And this 
 noble king, inferior in no respect to his predecessors, loved 
 the blessed Dunstan with such ardent affection, that he en- 
 trusted all his treasures to his guardianship. In the mean- 
 time the blessed ^Ifeg, bishop of the city of Winchester, who 
 had invested Dunstan with the orders of monk and priest, 
 departed this life. And the king, wishing to appoint Dunstan 
 in his place, treated with him on the subject by the interven- 
 tion of the queen, his mother. But Dunstan replied, *' I 
 entreat you, my mistress, to give up entreaties of this kind, 
 and to be assured that I will not be a pontiff in the days of 
 the king your son." But the man of God said this because 
 he loved the king, and was unwilling to be compelled to absent 
 himself from his councils, because of the duties of the pontifi- 
 cate. But on the following night he had a vision, in which 
 he seemed to himself to have gone to Rome, and liaving 
 adored the Apostles, to have immediately returned home again ; 
 and when he had come to the Mount of Joy, behold Saint 
 Peter met him, with the apostles Paul and Andrew, each of 
 them holding a sword in his hand, and offering it to him with 
 outstretched hands. On the sword of Saint Peter was 
 written, *' In the beginning was the Word ; " and the swords 
 of Saint Paul and Saint Andrew were inscribed with their 
 own names. Then Saint Peter, the apostle, sang to him 
 in a sweet voice, '* Take my yoke upon you, and you shall 
 find rest for your souls." Then, reproving him, he lifted up 
 the rod which he held in his hand, and, striking him a slight 
 blow on the hand, he said, " Take this as a warning not to 
 persist any longer in refusing the yoke of the Lord.'* On 
 this, the man of God woke, and in the morning related the 
 vision to the king, who marvelled at it. And the king said to 
 him, " As the swords which you have received by the bounty 
 of the Apostles, denote the armour of the Holy Spirit, you 
 may know for certain by the sword of Saint Peter, inscribed 
 as it is with the Word of God, that you are to be presented, 
 by heavenly invention, with the dignity of archbishop ; by 
 the sword of Paul, you may know that you will receive a sim- 
 ple bishopric ; and by the sword of Andrew, that you will 
 receive another bishopric, over which you are to exercise the 
 rights of government." And afterwards, in accordance with 
 the interpretation of his dream, he ruled the church of Can- 
 
476 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 948. 
 
 terbary, which was dedicated in the name of the Holy Trinity, 
 the church of London, which was dedicated in the name of 
 Paul, and that of Rochester, which had been consecrated in 
 the name of the blessed Andrew. 
 
 A.D. 947. tiffin succeeded the holy iElfeg as bishop of Win- 
 chester. Of the blessed ^Ifeg it is written that on Ash 
 Wednesday, when, according to custom, he removed the peni- 
 tents from the threshold of the church, he exhorted them to 
 devote themselves for the next forty days to fasting and chas- 
 tity, and during those days to abstain even from the delights 
 of their wives. But, when the others reverently expressed 
 their willingness to comply with the commands of the bishop, 
 one of them began to jest, and say that he could not abstain 
 from love and food and wedlock all at once. And the bishop 
 answered him, ** You make me very sorrowful, as you do not 
 know what the day that is coming may produce to you." 
 And so that profligate man, departing, experienced the truth 
 of the hard prophecy of the blessed iElfeg, for the next morn- 
 ing he was found dead in his bed, it being uncertain whether 
 he was not strangled by the devil. 
 
 At another time, when he had been celebrating holy orders, 
 he promoted three monks to the order of the priesthood. And 
 then, having completed his ordinations, the bishop of blessed 
 memory said to the bystanders, *' This day I have laid hands 
 on three monks, two of whom will hereafter obtain the dig- 
 nify of the pontifical rank, one in the city of Worcester and 
 subsequently in Canterbury, and the other will, at a future 
 time, fill my seat. The third being inflamed by wantonness 
 and love of pleasure, will have a miserable end." And this 
 prophecy of the holy prelate was proved by the event which 
 turned out as he had predicted. The same year, the people 
 of Northumberland, violating the faith which they had pledged 
 to king Edred, raised a prince of the name of Eilric, descended 
 from Danish blood, to be their king. 
 
 A.D. 948. King Edred, as a punishment for the disloyalty 
 of the Northumbrians, laid that province waste. And in this 
 district, the monastery at Ripon, which had been formerly 
 built by the holy Wilfred, was burnt by fire. But when the 
 king was retreating, an army sallied out of York, and made a 
 great slaughter of the rear of the royal army. And when 
 this was made known to the king, he proposed to return back, 
 and to destroy all the enemy to a man. But the people of 
 
 A.D. 955. 
 
 EDWY SUCCEEDS TO THE THEONE. 
 
 477 
 
 Northumberland, being greatly frightened, deposed Eilric, 
 whom they had made their king, and made amends for the 
 insults that they had offered to king Edred, by honours, and 
 for the injuries that they had done him, by presents. 
 
 A.D. 949. There arose in Italy the heresy of the Anthropo- 
 morphites, who contend that God has a bodily form. Against 
 which doctrine, Richerius, bishop of Verona, protested both 
 in speeches and writings. 
 
 A.D. 950. King Eilric with his son Henry and his brother 
 Reginald were treacherously slain in a desolate place, which is 
 called Stein mor, through the treason of count Osulf and by 
 the hand of the commander Maco ; and, after that, Edred 
 reigned over these provinces. 
 
 A.D. 951. King Edred committed Wolstan, archbishop of 
 York, to close custody, at Withabirith, because he had been 
 often accused before him, on certain grounds, as one who had 
 caused many citizens of Thetford to be put to death, in revenge 
 for the death of the abbot Adelm, who had been unjustly slain 
 by them. 
 
 A.D. 952. Algar, bishop of Crediton died, and by the 
 advice of the blessed Dunstan iElfwold was appointed to suc- 
 ceed him. 
 
 A.D. 953. Wolstan, archbishop of York, was released from 
 custody, and restored to the episcopal dignity at Dorchester. 
 
 A.D. 954. Oscitel, a good man, and one of very considerable 
 erudition in divine knowledge, was made archbishop of York. 
 
 A.D. 955. Edred, the most powerful king of England, in 
 the tenth year of his reign, when he had begun to feel very ill, 
 sent a swift message, to beg the blessed Dunstan to come to 
 him, for the sake of confession. And as he was hastening 
 rapidly to the palace, a voice sounded clearly above his head, 
 which he heard distinctly, " King Edred has gone to his rest 
 m peace." At which words, the horse on which he sat, not 
 being able to endure the weight of the angels* voices, fell 
 to the ground, dead, without doing any injury to his rider. 
 At last, when the blessed Dunstan had come to the king, he 
 found that the king had died at the very moment that the 
 angel announced it to him on the road. And the body of the 
 king was carried to Winchester, and buried by the blessed 
 Dunstan in the old monastery. 
 
 He was succeeded in his kingdom by Edwy, son of king 
 Edmund and of his queen the holy Algiva, and received royal 
 
478 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 956. 
 
 unction at Kingston, from the hands of Odo, archbishop of 
 Canterbury. There was a certain unmarried woman, of noble 
 birth, who, with her grown-up daughter, lived with him in 
 the most wicked intercourse of familiarity, hoping to induce 
 him to unite himself to either the mother or daughter by 
 formal matrimony. Both of whom, they say, he used to han- 
 dle alternately, in a shameful and immodest manner, without 
 any decency or shame. For on the very day on which lie 
 was consecrated king, the prince, immediately after he had 
 received the royal unction, suddenly he leapt down from the 
 table and left the pleasant banquet, while wanton and full of 
 wine, to satisfy himself with lascivious pleasures. The action 
 offended the nobles, and they sent the blessed Dunstan to 
 bring the king back, that he might be a pleasant messmate 
 with them at his royal banquet. And Dunstan, according to 
 the command of the nobles, taking with him bishop Cynesius, 
 his kinsman, entered the king's bedchamber, where they 
 found the kingly crown, splendid and beautiful as it was, 
 thrown carelessly off his head down on the ground, and the king 
 lying between the two women wallowing in the mire of impu- 
 rity. Then Dunstan, being moved at such unhallowed conduct, 
 said to the king, " Your princes have sent us to you to en- 
 treat you to return to the worthy couch on which was your 
 seat, and to associate pleasantly with them." At the same 
 time he reproved the vanity of the women ; and as the king 
 was unwilling to rise up, he took hold of his hand and led 
 him back, in great anger, to the royal banquet. Then that 
 strumpet, whose name was Algiva, rising up against the man 
 of God in a burning rage, said that he was over rash in en- 
 tering into the secret chambers of the king without being 
 invited. And so that most abandoned woman did not desist 
 from persecuting the blessed Dunstan, till she had raised 
 in the king's mind a mortal hatred against the venerable 
 abbot. 
 
 A.D. 956. John was created pope, and filled the Roman 
 chair seven years. At this time, Algiva, who has been men- 
 tioned before, that most abandoned woman, with the consent 
 of king Edwy, stripped the monastery of Dunstan, that man 
 of God, of all its property ; and having extorted a command 
 from the king to that effect, at last banished him from the 
 kingdom. And he, being thus driven into banishment, took 
 refuge in the Gallic territories ; but that woman, wishing to 
 
 A.D. 958. ODO, AECHBISUOP OF CANTEEBUKY, DIES. 479 
 
 avenge herself on this man of God, sent officers, as it is said, 
 to deprive him of his eyes, if he could be found. But, as they 
 could not discover him, they returned home in confusion. 
 
 A.D. 957. King Edwy was wholly abandoned by the people 
 of Mercia and Northumberland, because he acted foolisiily in 
 the government committed to his charge, through hatred and 
 folly ; destroying all the wise men of the kingdom, and all 
 the nobles, and cherishing the ignorant and wicked with love 
 and affection. And when he had been deposed by the una- 
 nimous conspiracy of all men, they, prompted by God, elected 
 his brother Edgar king, and, with the approbation of the 
 people, the whole government of the kingdom was divided 
 between the two brothers, so that the river Thames separated 
 their several dominions. Then Edgar brought back the blessed 
 Dunstan from banishment, and restored him in all honour to 
 his former dignity. After a short interval had elapsed, Kine- 
 wold, bishop of Worcester, died, and the blessed Dunstan, 
 although he opposed such a step vigorously, was elected and 
 consecrated by Odo, archbishop of Canterbury. 
 
 A.D. 958. Brithelm, bishop of London, died, and king 
 Edgar appointed the blessed Dunstan in his place, who imme^ 
 diately founded a monastery in Westminster for twelve monks, 
 in the place where bishop MeUitus had formerly built a church 
 to Saint Peter ; and he appointed the holy Wolty abbot of it. 
 The same year, the holy Odo, archbishop of Canterbury, sepa- 
 rated king Edwy and iVlgiva from one another, either on the 
 ground of consanguinity, or because he had lived with her in 
 adultery. The same year also, Odo, archbishop of Canter- 
 bury, a man of brilhant genius, exemplary virtue, and power- 
 ful in the spirit of prophecy, was released from all human 
 concerns, and carried to paradise by the hands of angels. 
 And when he had been translated to heaven, Ealffin, bishop 
 of the city of Winchester, sent profuse presents by the hands 
 of mediators, and endeavoured to cajole king Edgar, and so, 
 following the example of Simon Magus, he, by the interven- 
 tion of money, ascended the throne of the church of Canter- 
 bury. And even on the very day of his first entrance into his 
 office, he could not abstain from vomiting forth the madness 
 which he had conceived in his mind, but, going up to the tomb 
 of the holy Odo, and kicking it with his foot, said, " You most 
 wicked old man ! at last, though too late, you have given up 
 the ghost, and departed and made room for a better man. But 
 
480 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 959. 
 
 A.D. 963. 
 
 BENEDICT BECOMES POPE. 
 
 481 
 
 now I have what I long desired against your will, and I owe 
 you anything rather than thanks for it." Thus he spoke ; 
 but the next night, when this frantic man had yielded to sleep, 
 he saw the image of the blessed Odo standing by him, and 
 addressing rapid reproaches to him, and threatening him with 
 speedy destruction. But EalflSn, thinking what he had seen 
 was only an empty dream, was not deterred from hastening to 
 Rome to obtain the pallium. In which journey, while he was 
 proceeding over the Alps, he was frost-bitten by the snow in 
 the winter season, and could find no relief, except by plunging 
 into the still warm entrails of disembowelled horses those feet 
 with which he had kicked the tomb of the holy Odo. But as 
 the cold was not relieved, but rather made worse by these 
 means, he terminated a wicked life by a miserable death. 
 
 A.D. 959. King Edwy, after he had lasciviously and tyran- 
 nically oppressed the kingdom of England for four years, died 
 by the just judgment of God, and was buried in the new 
 monastery at Winchester ; and his brother Edgar, being una- 
 nimously elected, succeeded to his kingdom, and so re-united 
 the kingdoms which had been divided. The same year, 
 Brithelm, bishop of Wells, was elected to the supreme pon- 
 tificate of the church of Canterbury. He was a man of ex- 
 ceeding modesty, humihty, and kindness ; to such a degree, 
 that he did not restrain as he ought, by the scourge of correc- 
 tion, the arrogant and rebellious. But when this was ascer- 
 tained by the king, he ordered him to return to the dignity 
 which he had left, and, with the approbation of all men, the 
 blessed Dunstan was appointed archbishop in his stead . And king 
 Edgar himself was instructed in his duty by him, and the other 
 princes of the land, and led to check rashness of wicked men 
 wherever it was seen, and to repress the rebellious by the seve- 
 rity of correction, and to show favour to the just and modest, 
 and to restore and enrich the churches of God that had become 
 desolate ; expelling from the monastery all the profligate men 
 of the secular clergy, to the praise and glory of the Supreme 
 Creator. And, moreover, he collected bands of monks and 
 nuns, and caused more than forty monasteries to be built. 
 All these men he honoured as his brothers, and loved as his 
 dearest sons, admonishing the pastors whom he set over them 
 to exhort them to live with regularity, so as to please Christ 
 and all his saints. For Dunstan, that man of God, was won- 
 derfully discreet in all things, and, by the assistance of 
 
 God, most strictly observed prudence, and fortitude, and justice 
 and temperance as long as he lived. The same year, Leofwin' 
 bishop of the district of Lindsey, died, and was succeeded by 
 Ailnoth, and he, in his turn, was succeeded by Osewin at 
 whose request the holy Aswald, who was afterwards bishop of 
 Worcester, consecrated the monastery at Ramesey. 
 
 A.D. 960. The holy Dunstan went* to Rome, and received 
 the paUium from pope John, and returned home by the way 
 of peace. Then, after an interval of a few months, kino- 
 Ldgar consented, at his suggestion, that the blessed Oswald 
 should be admitted to the bishopric of the church of Worces- 
 ter, where he was consecrated bishop by tlie blessed Dunstan 
 and flourished in it, being illustrious for many proofs of vir- 
 tue About the same time, Guthard, bishop of Selsev, died 
 and was succeeded by Alfred. ' 
 
 A.D. 961. Count Ordgar founded a monastery at ^^am^tofef 
 m Devonshire, and filled it with religious monks. Now count 
 Ordgar was the father of Elfrida, the queen of kin» Ed^ar 
 by whom he became father of Ethelred, who was at^terwal-ds 
 king of England, as the foUowing history wiU more fully 
 
 A.D. 962. The holy Wibert, the founder of the Gemblacen- 
 Bian monastery, departed to be with Christ. 
 
 A.D 963. Brithelm, bishop of Winchester, died, and was 
 succeeded m his bishopric by the holy Ethelwold, abbot of 
 the monastery of Abingdon, who had been brought up and 
 educated and trained by the holy Dunstan. The same year 
 by command of king Edgar, all the clergy who lived in a 
 secular manner having been expelled, he filled the old monas- 
 tery in their stead with religious monks, who observed an 
 orderly and regular course of life. 
 
 King Edgar, surnamed the Pacific, is recorded to have had 
 two queens in succession. By the first, whose name was 
 iiltleda the Fair, surnamed iEneda, the daughter of duke Ord- 
 mar, he had a son Edward, who wasafterwards king and martyr. 
 After her decease, he took to wife Eldfritha, daughter of 
 count Ordgar, and relict of Ethelwold, duke of the East- 
 Angles, by whom he had two sons, namely, Edmund and 
 iithelred. By Wilfrida, his concubine, who it is certain was 
 not a nun at that time, but who took the veil while a little 
 girl, out of fear of the king, he had a daughter, the holy Edith, 
 ihis year, Benedict became pope, and ruled his see two 
 VOL. I. J J. 
 
482 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 96; 
 
 A.D. 973. 
 
 CORONATION OF KING EDGAR. 
 
 4«3 
 
 months and five days, and was succeeded by Leo, who go- 
 verned it one year and four months. 
 
 A.D. 964. King Edgar the Pacific placed monks in the new 
 monastery at Winchester and at Middleton ; and appointed 
 Ethelgar as abbot of the former, and Kiueward as abbot of the 
 latter. 
 
 A.D. 96.5. John became pope, and occupied the Roman chair 
 seven years and eleven months. About the same time, when 
 the holy Ethelwold, bishop of the city of Winchester, was one 
 night standing at the great altar of his church in prayer before 
 the relics of the saints, three reverend persons appeared to 
 him, of whom the one which was in the middle uttered these 
 words distinctly : ** I," said he, " am Birstan, formerly bishop 
 of this city, and," pointing to his right hand, " this man," 
 said he, ** Birin, formerly the preacher and first bishop of this 
 church ;" then, pointing to his left, he continued, " and this 
 is Saint Swithun, the spiritual patron of this church and city. 
 And know that, as you now see me with them in your pre- 
 sence, so do I enjoy equal glory with them in heaven. W^iy, 
 then, am I defrauded of honour from mortals on earth, when 
 I am magnified by the company of heavenly spirits in hea- 
 ven?" And when he had said this, he and his companions 
 rose up into the air, leaving a precious memory of themselves 
 to their fellow-countrymen on earth. 
 
 A.D. 966. When some Danes were disputing at a banquet 
 with one of the clergy named Popo, about the worship of God 
 and of the gods, the Danes asserting that Jesiis Christ was 
 God, but that there were greater gods, and more ancient than 
 he ; but Popo, affirming on the contrary, that Jesus Christ was 
 the only true God, one in substance and triune in person ; 
 Harold, king of the Danes, said to Popo, that he ought to 
 prove the faith which he thus asserted by the ordeal of truth. 
 And when Popo affirmed that he would so prove it before the 
 people, they brought him a piece of iron of great weight, 
 excessively heated, and placed it in his hands. And when 
 Popo had carried it before their eyes as long as they all de- 
 sired without receiving any injury, the king utterly discarded 
 bis idols, and turned both himself and all his followers to the 
 worship of the true and only God. But Popo was promoted 
 to a bishopric. 
 
 A.D. 967. King Edgar collected a body of nuns in the mo- 
 nastery of iiumuw^cicje, which his grandfather, king Edward, 
 
 had built, and ordained the holy Merwinna as abbess over 
 them. 
 
 A.D. 968. King Edgar collected a body of monks at Exeter, 
 and appomted a religious man named Sideman to preside over 
 them as abbot. The same year, the bisiiop of the province of 
 Lindsey died, and was succeeded by iElff"y, a man of great 
 learning in ecclesiastical matters. The same year, a noble 
 monastery was founded at Ramesey, by count Ethelwin, which 
 subsequently received rich increase, both in spiritual and tem- 
 poral things. 
 
 A.D. 969. King Edgar the Pacific ordered the bishops whom 
 he had appointed throughout England to expel the secular 
 clergy from all the greater monasteries and cathedral churches, 
 and to elect monks in their places. On which account, the 
 holy Oswald made monks of the secular clergy of Worcester, 
 and compelled them to assume the religious habit ; and those 
 who refused, he stripped of all their benefices. 
 
 A.D. 970. The venerable relics of Saint Swithun, after a 
 hundred and ten years had elapsed since his burial, were re- 
 moved from his sepulchre, on the fifteenth of July, and trans- 
 ferred with due honour to the church of the Apostles Peter 
 and Paul, by the blessed Ethelwold, bishop of the same church, 
 HI accordance with a command that he had received from 
 heaven. The same year, Alfred, bishop of Selsey, died, and 
 was succeeded by Eadelm. 
 
 A.D. 971. Edmund, the son of king Edgar, iElfeg, duke of 
 Southampton, and Ordgar, duke of Devonshire, the father-in- 
 law of the king, all died. Benedict became pope this year, 
 and governed the see of Rome one year and six months. 
 
 A.D. 972. King Edgar caused a new monastery to be dedi- 
 cated m the city of Winchester, the building of which had 
 been begun by his father Edmund, and completed by himself. 
 The same year, Oscital, archbishop of York, died, and the 
 holy Oswald, bishop of the church of Worcester, was conse- 
 crated archbishop in his stead. 
 
 A.D. 973. Edgar the Pacific, king of England, in the thirtieth 
 year of his age, on the day of Pentecost, carried his crown in 
 the presence of the prelates Dunstan and Oswald, and all the 
 other bishops of the whole of England, and all the great 
 nobles, in the city of Offmanccc^trr, which is called in Latin 
 Bathonia, and was there crowned in royal fashion with great 
 glory and honour, having given every one the accustomed 
 
 11 2 
 
484 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEH. 
 
 A.D. 975. 
 
 donation which is usually given to the great nohles at the 
 coronation of the king. 
 
 A.D. 974. Otho the Second obtained the empire of the 
 Romans, and reigned ten years. The same year, Donus he- 
 Cfime pope, and ruled the Roman see one year and six months. 
 About the same time, there landed in the Isle of Thanet some 
 merchants coming from York, who were immediately taken 
 prisoners by the inhabitants of that island, and stripped of all 
 their goods. At which king Edgar was roused to anger, and 
 treated those robbers with such severity that he confiscated 
 the property of all of them, and some of them he even exe- 
 cuted. About this time also, the body of Elgiva, the mother 
 of Edgar, was discovered by divine revelation in the place 
 which is called Septonia, or Shaftesbury. 
 
 The same year, king Edgar the Pacific, coming to the city 
 of Caerleon, received an oath of fealty from eight of his tri- 
 butary kings ; namely, from Kined, king of the Scots, from 
 Malcolm, king of Cumberland, from Maco, king of Man and 
 many other islands, from Dufnal, king of Demetia, from 
 Siferth and Howel, kings of Wales, from James, king of Gal- 
 walUa, and Jukil, king of Westmaria. And the next day, 
 embarking on board ship with them, the tributary kings were 
 all placed at the oars, and he himself took the helm, and steering 
 the vessel skilfully along the course of theriver, to the admiration 
 of many, while all his nobles followed him in a similar boat, 
 he sailed from his palace as far as the monastery of John the 
 Baptist, where, after he had finished divine service, he re- 
 turned back to the palace with the same pomp ; but, as he 
 re-entered his palace, he is reported to have said to his nobles, 
 " that now at last all his successors might boast that they 
 were kings of England, since he had enjoyed a procession of 
 such honour and triumph in the obedience of so many kings." 
 The same year, a great earthquake shook the whole of Eng- 
 land. 
 
 A. p. 9/5. King Edgar the Pacific, consulting at the same 
 time the advantage and the tranquillity of his kingdom, col- 
 lected four thousand eight hundred strong ships ; of which he 
 stationed twelve hundred on the eastern coast of England, 
 twelve hundred on the western coast, twelve hundred on the 
 southern, and twelve hundred in the northern ocean, to be a 
 defence to his kingdom, and sustain any dangers of war which 
 might arise from foreign nations. He had besides, during the 
 
 A.D. 975. 
 
 DEATH OF KING EDGAE. 
 
 485 
 
 whole period of his Hfe, a custom of travelling through all the 
 provinces of his kingdom, that he might see how the laws and 
 rights and ordinances laid down in his decrees were observed 
 by the princes, and to take care that the poor received no 
 injury from and were not oppressed by the powerful ; both 
 which points he used to examine into carefully, studying 
 courage in one of them and justice in the other, and consulting 
 the interests of his nation and kingdom in both. On this ac- 
 count, his enemies in every quarter regarded him with fear, 
 and all his subjects with love. After this, he ordered a new 
 coinage to be struck throughout England, because the old one 
 was 80 impaired in value by the dishonesty of clippers, that a 
 piece of gold scarcely weighed an obol in the scale. The same 
 year, iElffy the bishop and count Eadulf conducted Kined, 
 khig of the Scots, to king Edgar. And when they had brought 
 him into the king's presence he received many presents from 
 the king's liberality, among which were a hundred ounces of 
 the purest gold, with many ornaments of silk, and rings, and 
 precious stones. Besides this, he gave the king all that dis- 
 trict which in the native language is called Laudian, on con- 
 dition that every year, on the principal festivals, when the king 
 and his successors carried their crowns through the streets, 
 they should come to court, and celebrate the festival with joy, 
 with the other princes of the kingdom. Moreover, the king 
 gave him many mansions on the road, in order that he and 
 his successors, when coming to the festival and returnin*-- 
 back again, might be able to lodge comfortably, and those 
 mansions remained till the time of king Henry the Second, 
 in the power of the king of the Scots. 
 
 The same year, that flower and pride of all kings, that ho- 
 nour and glory of England, king Edgar the Pacific, the fame 
 of whose liberality and magnificence had by this time filled 
 all Europe, departed this life in the thirty-second year of his 
 age, and the sixteenth of his reign, and exchanged his earthly 
 kingdom for an eternal one. And his body was carried to 
 Glastonbury, and buried there with all royal solemnity. And 
 alter his death, as has been said before, there arose a great 
 dissension among the nobles of the kingdom about electing a 
 king : for some voted for Edward, the first-born son of the 
 late king, and some agreed in electing his brother Etheked, 
 who was born of the second wife. On which account, the two 
 archbishops, Dunstan, archbishop of Canterbury, and Oswald, 
 
486 
 
 MATTHEW OV WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 975. 
 
 A.D. 978. 
 
 DEATH OF KING EDWARD. 
 
 487 
 
 archbishop of York, uniting together with the other bishops, 
 and abbots, and dukes, elected Edward, according to the in- 
 junction of his dying father ; and having elected him, they 
 consecrated him, and anointed him as king, though some 
 people murmured. For his step-mother. Elfdritha, was en- 
 deavouring to promote her son, Ethelred, a boy of scarcely 
 seven years old, in order that she might reign under his name. 
 And thus, after the decease of the pacific king, the whole state 
 of the kingdom was thrown into disorder, and changed for the 
 For many of the princes and chiefs expelled the ab 
 
 worse. 
 
 bots and monks from the monasteries in which king Edgar 
 had placed them, and in their places brought back the secidar 
 clergy with their wives, as had been the case before. For one 
 of them, iElferius, by name, overthrew nearly all the monas- 
 teries which the most reverend Ethelwold had built in the pro- 
 vince of Mercia, and had behaved with great insolence. 
 
 But when reference was made on these points, to the blessed 
 Dunstan, he convened a synod at Winchester ; and in the 
 middle of the conflict of discussion, the image of the Lord, 
 which was standing in the church close to the disputants, 
 spoke distinctly, expressing such opinions that it rendered all 
 the secular clergy and their favourers dumb. But, as the 
 minds of the cruel persecutors were not yet appeased, another 
 synod was held at Calne, when the king was not present on 
 account of his tender age, but at which the senators of the 
 whole kingdom attended ; and, accordingly, the matter was 
 debated with great diversity of opinion in the council room, 
 and many reproaches were directed like arrows against Dun- 
 stan, as a sort of bulwark of the Church, but they could not 
 subdue him ; when, all of a sudden, the whole floor on which 
 they were sitting, with its boards and beams, came asunder, 
 and they were all dashed violently to the ground, but one 
 single beam, that, namely, on which Dunstan was standing, 
 remained uninjured, and so he escaped unhurt. All the other 
 persons of the opposite party were either killed, or injured in 
 a lasting manner. This miracle procured the blessed Dunstan 
 and the monks peace from the attacks of the secular clergy 
 and others ; the divine grace having produced these and other 
 similar effects. 
 
 Cn. XIX.— From a.d. 976 to a.d. 1016. 
 The death of Edivard the Martyr — Ethelred succeeds to the 
 throne — Death of Dunstan — Quarrel between Ethelred and 
 Richard of Normandij — Tribute is paid to the Danes — 
 Death of Richard— Story of Silvester orGerebert — Ethelred 
 builds a feet — Slaughter of the Danes — Sweyn, king of 
 Denmarky subdues England-— Ethelred fies to Normandy — 
 Death of Sweyn — Return of Ethelred — He dies, and is 
 succeeded by Edmund Ironside — Edmund's victories — His 
 peace with Canute — His death. 
 
 A.D. 976. A comet appeared, and a terrible famine ensued. 
 The same year, Benedict was placed in the Roman chair, which 
 he occupied nine years and six months. The same year, Algar, 
 bishop of Crediton, died, and was succeeded by iElwold. 
 
 A.D. 977. Elfdritha, the step-mother of the new king, Ed- 
 ward, endeavouring with all her efforts to advance her son to 
 be king, tried to cajole Edward with flattering words ; but he, 
 following in the steps of his father's piety and religion, and 
 keeping only the name of king, allowed his brother Ethelred, 
 and his mother, to manage all the affairs of his kingdom. 
 
 A.D. 978. When, one day, king Edward was fatigued with 
 hunting, and oppressed exceedingly with thirst, so that he only 
 wanted for something to drink, while his comrades and ser- 
 vants had followed the hounds wherever chance led them, 
 having heard that his step-mother and his brother were dwelling 
 in a town which is called Covnesigatt, he put spurs to his 
 horse, and hastened thither, suspecting no wickedness because 
 of his own innocence, but judging of the hearts of others by 
 the well-regulated disposition of his own breast. But his 
 step-mother caressed him when he came with soft words, and 
 so persuaded him to hsten to her ; and when, after having 
 given him a kiss, she offered him a cup, one of her officers 
 stabbed him with a dagger while he was eagerly drinking of 
 it. But the king, when he felt that he was mortally wounded, 
 began to urge his horse on with the spur, so as to enable him 
 to return to his friends, while the blood was running from 
 him in streams, which gave his servants who were seeking 
 him intimation of his death. Then .Elfdritha, that most 
 wicked woman, and her son Ethelred, ordered the body of the 
 blessed Edward, king and martyr, to be buried without any 
 honour at Wareham, displaying much public joy and pleasure. 
 
488 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 979. 
 
 as if they had buried his memory at the same time with his 
 body. For they grudged ecclesiastical burial to the deceased 
 king, to whom while living they had denied the honours of 
 royalty. But he enjoyed the unanimous pity of the Deity, 
 who honoured him who had been thus murdered, though in- 
 nocent, with the divine grace of miracles ; for lights from 
 heaven were seen to descend on the spot to such a degree, that 
 as the rays of light descended, motion was restored to the 
 lame, sight to the blind, speech to the dumb, and all who were 
 oppressed by any disease or infirmity, received the wished-for 
 prize of sound health. Accordingly, there was a great con- 
 course of people from every part of the kingdom flocking to 
 the martyr's tomb, and, among others, his very murderess 
 took a journey thither. And when she had mounted her horse, 
 and began to urge him on with spurs, being one who before 
 used to go faster than the wind and outstrip the air itself, and 
 to carry his mistress impetuously as if nothing could restrain 
 him, the same horse now, by the divine influence, stood im- 
 moveable, while the servants on all sides strove to urge him 
 on with whips, and shouts, and spurs : it was all labour lost, 
 and when the horse was changed, the same scene took place. 
 Then iElfdritha, seeing the miracle which was thus wrought by 
 God, repented greatly, to such a degree that she put on sack- 
 cloth, at Warewell, to aflftict that body which for many years 
 had been nourished in all sorts of delights, and lay on the 
 ground to sleep, and applied all the tortures that she possibly 
 could to her body. ^Iferius, too, he whom we have already 
 mentioned, repenting anxiously of his guilt because he had 
 destroyed the monasteries of the monks, brought the sacred 
 body of the king from the ignoble place in which it lay, and 
 buried it with due honour at Shaftesbury. But even thus he did 
 not escape the vengeance that he had deserved, for, a year 
 afterwards, his whole body is said to have been eaten up by 
 worms. But the glorious martyrdom of the most blessed king 
 shines brightly for ever and ever. Amen. 
 
 A.D. 979. Ethelred, the brother of the holy Edward, king 
 and martyr, and son of ^Ifdritha, a most excellent youth, 
 of handsome figure, beautiful countenance and lofty bodily 
 stature, received the crown of the kingdom at Kingston, from 
 the holy prelates Dunstan, archbishop of Canterbury, and 
 Oswald, archbishop of York, and ten other bishops, on the 
 Lord's day on the twenty- third of April. And at his corona- 
 
 A.D. 981. 
 
 KIXG ETHELEED MARRIES. 
 
 489 
 
 tiou the blessed Dunstan, being full of the spirit of prophecy, 
 foretold him all that would hereafter happen to him, and that 
 he would suffer great tribulation in his kingdom, in these 
 words—" Since you have aspired to the kingdom by the death 
 of your brother, whom your mother murdered, hear therefore 
 the word of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord — ' The sword shall 
 never depart from your house, but shall rage against you all 
 the days of your hfe, slaying your ofl"spring, until your king- 
 dom is transferred to another family, whose manners and lan- 
 guage the nation which you govern knows not ; nor will your 
 sin, and that of your mother, and of these men who assisted 
 her wicked design, be expiated, except by a long course of 
 punishment.' After this prophecy of the blessed Dunstan, 
 the man of God, a cloud was seen over all England, at one 
 time of a bloody and at another of a fiery colour, then it dis- 
 solved and became changed into different rays and various 
 colours, and about dawn it disappeared. 
 
 Moreover of this Ethelred Wilham of Malmesbury speaks 
 thus— "When, as a Uttle child, he was dipped in the font of 
 baptism, he defiled the sacrament by the indulgence of his 
 natural necessities, in the presence of the bishops who were 
 standing round. And Dunstan, being disturbed at this, de- 
 clared by the Lord and by his Mother, that he would be a 
 lazy boy. When therefore he, being a boy of ten years of 
 age, heard people cry out that his brother Edward was slain, 
 he by his weeping so irritated his furious mother, that, be- 
 cause she had no whip at hand, she took up a torch and beat 
 the innocent boy with that. On which account, he for the 
 future so abhorred torches the whole of his life, that he never 
 allowed their hght to be borne before him." 
 
 The same year, ^Elferius, duke of Mercia, came with a great 
 number of people to Wareham, as has been said before, and 
 caused the body of the precious king and martyr Edward to 
 be raised from the tomb ; and when it was stripped it was found 
 sound and free from all marks of any wound ; and then, 
 having been washed and clothed in new garments, it was 
 honourably buried at Shaftesbury. 
 
 A.D. 980. Southampton was ravaged by pirates, and nearly 
 
 all its citizens were either slain or carried away prisoners. 
 
 After that, the pirates retreating plundered the Isle of Teneth, 
 
 and subsequently they furiously attacked the city of Caerleon. 
 
 A.D. 981. King Ethelred took the daughter of some duke 
 
490 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 984. 
 
 for his wife, and had by her a son whom he called Edmund. 
 This year also, the monastery of Petrock, in Cornwall, was 
 plundered by Danish pirates, who committed many ravages m 
 Devonshire and Cornwall. 
 
 A.D. 982. Three ships of pirates landed in the province of 
 Dorsetshire, laid waste the whole island of Portland, and then 
 fled away to their ships. 
 
 A.D. 983. A contention arose between king Ethelred and 
 the bishop of Rochester; but on what account is uncertain. 
 Wherefore the king commenced a siege of the city of Rochester, 
 and prepared to subdue it, but the blessed Dunstan enjoined 
 the king to desist from his enterprise, lest he should provoke 
 Andrew, the patron of that city ; but the king would not 
 abandon the siege for the admonition of the blessed man, till 
 he had received a hundred pounds from the bishop. The 
 holy Dunstan, marvelling at the covetousness of the king, sent 
 the following message to him by his followers. ** Because you 
 have preferred silver to God, money to an apostle, and cove- 
 tousness to me, the evils which the Lord has spoken shall 
 come violently upon you, but these things will not happen 
 during my hfetime." But immediately after the death of the 
 blessed man, as he had himself predicted, the Danes infested 
 all the harbours of the kingdom ; and as no one knew where 
 they could be encountered, it was determined by wise men 
 that those who could not be conquered by iron, must be con- 
 quered by silver. Therefore ten thousand pounds were paid, 
 and satisfied the avarice of the Danes, that the prophecy of 
 the blessed Dunstan might be fulfilled. 
 
 A.D. 984. John was appointed to the see of Rome, and occu- 
 pied the Roman chair nine months ; when he wa^ succeeded 
 by another John, who filled it nine years. In this year also, 
 Otho the Third obtained the empire of the Romans, and 
 reigned nineteen years. And although these three Othos 
 reigned by natural family succession, yet it was established 
 subsequently that the emperor should be elected by the officials 
 of the empire, who are seven ; to wit, first of all, these three 
 chancellors, the bishop of Mayence, chancellor of Germany ; 
 the bishop of Treves, chancellor of Gaul;- the bishop of 
 Cologne, chancellor of Italy ; the marquis of Brandenburgh, 
 the chamberlain ; the palatine, the steward, the duke of 
 Saxony, the sword-bearer, and the king of Bohemia the cup- 
 bearer. From which arrangement came these verses ; 
 
 A.D. 988. DEATH OF ABCHBISHOP DUNSTAN. 
 
 491 
 
 *' In the three bishops of Mayence, Cologne, Treves, 
 The chancellors of three empires you have ; 
 The noble palatine arrays the board, 
 The fearless duke bears the imperial sword, 
 Brandenburg's marquis doth the chamber tend, 
 Bohemia's king the goblet round doth send ; 
 All with their well-weigh'd suffrages unite, 
 To raise a subject to the empire's height." 
 
 These verses are found in the Chronicle of Martin, written in 
 the time of the emperor Otho. 
 
 The same year, the holy Ethelwold, bishop of Winchester, 
 departed to the Lord, and was succeeded by MUegy abbot of 
 Bath, a man of learning, pohteness, and virtue. 
 
 A.D. 985. Kinewald, bishop of Wells, died, and was suc- 
 ceeded by the most reverend abbot Sigar. The same year, 
 jElfric, duke of Mercia, son of duke iEUer, was expelled from 
 his kingdom. 
 
 A.D. 986. Ethelred, king of England, who, in spite of the 
 prohibition of the blessed Dunstan, had extorted a hundred 
 pounds fromthe'bishopof Rochester, was compelled to pay a sum 
 of sixteen thousand pounds for a peace of very short duration. 
 
 A.D. 987. Two plagues afflicted the people of England, namely 
 a fever among the men, and a mortality among the animals ; 
 and afflicting the people and consuming the cattle with a very 
 heavy destruction, greatly weakened the nation throughout all 
 the provinces of the kingdom. 
 
 A.D. 988. That most blessed confessor of the Lord, the 
 archbishop Dunstan, finished his praiseworthy course of life 
 by a happy death on the eighteenth of May, being the sabbath 
 day. And the glorious miracles which he wrought, are re- 
 corded as having commenced while he was in his mother's 
 womb. For God, the author of all things, indicating by a 
 pleasing prodigy his future sanctity, showed to his mother, 
 while she still bore Dunstan in her womb, what should be the 
 future destiny of her son, "who was not yet born. For on the 
 day of the purification of the blessed virgin Mary, while she 
 was in the church, all the people of the city being present 
 with their candles lighted, and the priest being solemnly 
 adorned, according to custom, with his sacred vestments, and 
 ready for the office of the altar, suddenly, whether it was 
 chance or the act of God I know not, the candles of all present 
 were extinguished. Then, when all were amazed, the wax taper 
 of the mother of Dunstan suddenly rekindled, and so she, 
 giving Ught to all the rest, restored cheerfulness. Again, in 
 
492 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 990. 
 
 process of time, her harp, which was hung up upon a peg, 
 without any one touching it, played sweetly the melody of 
 the Antiphone, ** They rejoice in Heaven." Afterwards, Dun- 
 stan himself foreseeing, by the aid of the Spirit of God, all 
 the frauds of the devil, on one occasion took some burning 
 forceps and seized the devil, who came to him iu the form of 
 a beautiful woman, and who was seeking to tempt him in the 
 spirit of fornication, by the nose, and held him a long time, 
 till at last, after having changed himself into many terrible 
 forms, he showed evidently that he was the devil. And 
 at last, when Dunstan released him, he polluted and tainted 
 the whole air, and as he departed he left foul traces of his 
 presence behind among the bystanders. When, therefore, 
 that most blessed father Dunstan was dead, he was succeeded 
 by Ethelgar, who had been previously created abbot of the 
 new monastery at Winchester, by the blessed Ethelwold, and 
 afterwards received the dignity of bishop of Selsey, and he 
 was now succeeded in his bishopric of Selsey by Ordbrith. 
 
 A.D. 989. Ethelgar, archbishop of Canterbury, died, and 
 was succeeded by Jilfric, who had been the first abbot of 
 Abingdon. Of whom some say that he expelled the. secular 
 clergy and established monks at Canterbury, but this does not 
 seem probable. For it is quite clear that there were monks 
 in the church of the Holy Saviour there, ever since the time 
 of archbishop Lawrence, who was the first successor of the 
 blessed Augustine. 
 
 A.D. 990. Mildred, bishop of Lindisfarne, departed this life, 
 and was succeeded by Aldhun. The same year, ^Elfric, arch- 
 bishop of Canterbury, was succeeded by Siricius, who had 
 previously been bishop of Wilton. The same year, there 
 arose a quarrel between Ethelred, king of England, and 
 Richard, duke of Normandy, on this account : king Ethelred 
 had married Emma, the daughter of the said duke, and she 
 had borne the king two sons, namely, Alfred and Edward : 
 the king was used to behave so insolently to his wife, that he 
 would hardly condescend to admit her to his bed ; but she, 
 who derived her origin from the blood of a very high family, 
 was wroth with her husband, and blackened the character of 
 her husband to her father, in no moderate degree ; on which 
 account, the same duke took prisoners all the men belonging 
 to the kingdom of England, whether clergy or laity, who were 
 travelling through his country, and slew some, and committed 
 
 A.D. 993. THE PAGA3?S PLUNDEB BAMBrRGII. 
 
 493 
 
 others to custody in prison. And when this quarrel had be- 
 come known to pope John, he sent into England Leo, bishop 
 of Treves, who reestablished a lasting peace between them, 
 and reunited those two powerful princes. 
 
 A.D. 991. The Danes ravaged the county of Ipswich, and 
 slew Brithnoth, the duke of the East Saxons, at Maldon. 
 And when this became known, tribute was paid to them, to 
 the amount of ten thousand pounds, by the advice of Siricius, 
 archbishop of Canterbury, and the other nobles of the king- 
 dom, to induce them to desist from their incessant rapine, and 
 conflagrations, and massacres of men which they were com- 
 mitting on the sea coasts. 
 
 A.D. 992. The holy Oswald, archbishop of York, departed 
 this life, on the last day of February, and so ascended to the 
 joys of the kingdom of heaven, and was buried at Worcester, 
 in the church of the blessed Virgin Mary, which he had founded 
 himself, and was succeeded by ^dulph, abbot of Medesham. 
 The same year, by command of king Ethelred, many ships 
 were manned with picked soldiers, and the king appointed 
 iElfric, Theodred, iEistan, and Esewin, to command them, en- 
 joining them to strive to resist all invasions. And duke ^1- 
 fric sending a messsenger to the enemy, desired them to forbear 
 from planning treachery against him. But when at last a 
 naval battle was on the point of taking place between the 
 hostile parties, duke ^Ifric himself became a traitor, and fled 
 secretly to the Danish fleet ; but, as necessity compelled, he 
 only united with them in a shameful flight. And the forces 
 of the king pursued them, and took one ship of the Danish 
 fleet, and slew all the men who were in it, and spoiled it of its 
 treasures. But the rest of the Danish pirates were met in 
 their flight by the ships belonging to London, who fought a 
 battle with them, and slew many thousands of the Danes. 
 Moreover, they took the ship of duke J^lfric, full of soldiers 
 and arms, the duke himself escaping with difficulty. 
 
 A.D. 993. The before-mentioned army of pagans broke into 
 Bamburgh, and plundered it, and ravaged the provinces of 
 Northumberland^ and Lindsey. And when the people of the 
 
 Mt must be remembered that in this and similar passages it is not the 
 modern county of Northumberland, but the old kingdom of the heptarchy 
 which IS meant, which, though its boundaries are not accurately known, 
 included probably Yorkshire, Durham, Lancasliire, Cumberland, West- 
 moreland, and great part of the south of Scotland. 
 
494 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 996. 
 
 province were preparing to encounter them in battle, the 
 generals of the army, Fretha and Frithegist, and, at the same 
 time, God^^an, because they were descended of Danish blood, 
 planning treachery against their followers, gave the first ex- 
 ample of flight. This year, also, by command of king Ethel- 
 red, Algar, the son of the traitor ^Ifric, who was mentioned 
 above, was deprived of his eyes. ^ ^ o ^ - 
 
 A.D. 994. Sweyn, king of the Danes, and Anlaf, king of 
 the Norwegians, came to London, with ninety-four vessels, and 
 they immediately attacked the city, and endeavoured to take 
 it, but, being repulsed with great loss by the citizens, they 
 turned all their fury upon the provinces of Essex, Kent, Sus- 
 sex, and Southampton, and plundered them, and crushed 
 them, cruelly slaughtering their inhabitants. Then, king 
 Ethelred, by the advice of his nobles, gave them a payment, 
 which he collected throughout the whole realm of Enghand, 
 amounting to sixteen thousand pounds, to desist from their ra- 
 pine and slaughter of innocent persons. Then, king Ethelred 
 sent iElfeg, bishop of Winchester, and duke Ethelwold, to 
 king Anlaf, who conducted him in peace to the royal town 
 where king Ethelred was at that time, and who, on his petition, 
 bathed him in the sacred fount, and caused him to- be con- 
 firmed by the bishop. And then, the king received him as his 
 adopted son, and honoured him with kingly presents ; and 
 after that, when the summer arrived, he returned in peace to 
 
 his own country. . ^ ^ , . . 
 
 A.D. 995. The body of the holy pontiff, Ciithbert, was 
 transferred to Durham, as had been foretold by the heavenly 
 oracle, and an episcopal see was afterwards established m that 
 city. For at the time when the church of Lindisfarne was 
 pillao-ed by Hinguar and Ilubba, Eardulf, who was then the 
 bishop of that church, carried ofi" the things which were in the 
 church, and also the body of the holy Cuthbert, which was 
 quite uncorrupted, and wandered about for several years in 
 uncertain habitations, till at last an episcopal chair was estab- 
 hshed in the place which is called CuueugcaStrc. But these 
 things happened in the time of the great king Alfred, as has 
 been related before in this volume. 
 
 A.D. 996. Gregory was placed in the Roman chair, and 
 filled it for two years. The same year, Richard, duke of Nor- 
 mandy, died, and was buried, at Fiscam, and was succeeded 
 by his son Richard, who was called Richard the Second. 
 
 A.D. 998. SILVESTER SUCCEEDS POPE JOHN. 
 
 495 
 
 A.D. 9.97. Sigar, bishop of Wells, died, and was succeeded 
 by ^Ifwin. The same year, the provinces of North Wales, 
 Dorsetshire, Devonshire, and Cornwall, were desolated by the 
 Danes with fire and sword, with slaughter of men, and pillage, 
 without being able to ofler any resistance. Also, the monas- 
 tery which is called €l)abi^tokt was burnt with fire. 
 
 A.D. 998. John was elected pope, and filled the Roman 
 chair for ten months. And, in the course of the same year, 
 he was succeeded by Silvester, who is also called Gerebert, 
 and who governed the see four years and one month. This 
 Gerebert was born in Gaul, and from his boyhood hved as a 
 monk at Floriacum ; afterwards, being influenced either by 
 weariness or by cupidity, he fled by night into Spain, in order 
 to learn astrology. And when he had arrived in Spain, he 
 apphed himself to a person skilful in that art, who gave him 
 some astronomical books to copy out ; but among the books, 
 there was one book which contained a complete system of the 
 whole art, and this he could not by any contrivance get from 
 the hands of his master : on the other hand, Gerebert was 
 very earnest in his desire for the book, and as, when he had 
 had recourse to entreaties, he had not succeeded, he now offered 
 many gifts down, and promised many more. But, as all his 
 promises were despised by his master, Gerebert devised a noc- 
 turnal stratagem, that if he could not get it by any other means, 
 he might become master of it^by theft. Therefore, he per- 
 suaded his master's daughter, with whom he was in love, to 
 aid him when her father had been put to bed drunk, after a 
 banquet ; and then he took the book, which was placed beneath 
 the pillow on which he was snoring, and fled with it. The 
 master, when he had shaken oft" sleep, pursued the fugitive, by 
 means of the information which he got from the stars, in whose 
 movements he was so skilful. Gerebert, also, ascertaining by 
 the inspection of the stars, that his master was pursuing him, 
 concealed himself, hanging to a wooden bridge which was in 
 his neighbourhood, and clinging to it in such manner that he 
 was touching neither earth nor water. And by these means, 
 the eagerness of the seeker was frustrated, and his master re- 
 turned home in confusion. Then, Gerebert proceeded swiftly 
 on his journey, and came to the sea, where, having summoned 
 the devil by his incantations, he did him homage, to persuade 
 him to convey him safely beyond the sea, out of the power of 
 his master, who was pursuiug him. And the devil did so. 
 
496 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 998. 
 
 Therefore, Gerebert, returning to his country, Gaul, entered 
 the public schools, where he had many disciples in the science 
 1 have spoken of. 
 
 It is related of this Gerebert, that he made for himself the 
 head ^ of a statue, by means of a certain inspection of the stars, 
 at a time, forsooth, when all the planets were beginning their 
 courses at the same time ; and that this head spoke, not only 
 when questions were put it, and pronounced the plain truth 
 either affirmatively or negatively. As, for instance, when Ge- 
 rebert asked, " Shall I become Pope?" the statue answered 
 "Yes." "Shall I die before I chaunt mass at Jerusalem? " 
 "No." And here, they say, that he was deceived by its am- 
 biguous answer, so as to give no thoughts to repentance before 
 
 * The same tale is told by English tradition of Friar Bacon and of Al- 
 bertus Magnus, bishop of Ratisbon, in tlie thirteenth century ; of whom 
 Bayle, quoting Maude principally, says — " There are some who have 
 believed it possible to make brazen heads under certain constellations, and 
 to obtain answers from them to conduct us in all our affairs. One Yepes 
 relates that Henry de Vileina made one at Madrid, which was broken to 
 pieces at the command of John II., king of Castile. Virgil, pope Silves- 
 ter, Robert of Lincoln, and Roger Bacon have had such heads, if we may 
 believe some writers. Albertus Magnus was thought a more able man', 
 for they pretend that he had composed an entire man after this manner, 
 having laboured thirty years without interruption in forming him under 
 different aspects and constellations. The eyes, for example, when the sun 
 was in that sign of the Zodiac which answered to such a part, which he 
 founded of metals mixed together, and marked with characters of the same 
 signs and planets, and of their different and necessary aspects, and so the 
 head, neck, shoulders, thighs, and legs, fashioned at different times, and 
 mounted and fastened together in the form of a man, had the ingenuity 
 to reveal to the said Albert the situation of all his principal difficulties. 
 This is what they call the Androido of Albertus Magnus. It was broken, 
 they say, by Thomas Aquinas, who could not endure its too great prattling. 
 Henry of Assia and Bartholomew Sibille affirm that it was composed of 
 flesh and bones, not by nature, but by art ; which being always judged 
 impossible by modern authors, and the virtue of images, rings, and plane- 
 tary sigils being in great vogue, it has been thought ever since that such 
 images were made of copper, or some other metal, and worked under the 
 influence of the constellations and planets. Maude, however, who refutes 
 the accusers of Albertus, and shows that the devil could have had nothing 
 to do with such a machine, gives us a probable solution of the story, that 
 Albertus might have had in his cabinet a head or a statue of a man like 
 Boetius's machines, of which Cassiodorus has said, * Metals low, the birds 
 of Diomedes trumpet in brass, a brazen serpent hisses, counterfeited 
 swallows chatter, and those which have no proper note are taught by brass 
 to utter the sweetness of music.'" — See Bayle' s Die. voc. Albertv^ Mag- 
 nus. Note F. Vol. i. p. 436. 
 
 AD. 999, 
 
 ACCOUNT OF A BRAZEN STATUE. 
 
 497 
 
 his death masmuch as he trusted that he had a long time to 
 hve, and he was not aware that there was at Rome a church 
 called Jerusalem, where the pope chaunts mass when tlie day 
 of the festival called the Station at Jerusalem is appointed 
 l^or, when Gerebert had performed mass in that church, h^ 
 nnmediately fell sick and took to his bed, and, consulting the 
 satue, found out the deception, and learnt that his death was 
 at hand. But, although he had been a most wicked man 
 nevertheless he did not despair of the mercy of God, but, con' 
 lessing his sins before all people, he ordered alibis hmbs with 
 whicli he had done any service to the devil to be cut off. " Let 
 nm, said he, -have the serviceof those limbs who sought their 
 homage, tor my mmd was never attached to that wickedness or 
 I should rather say, sacrilege." And he ordered his dead trink 
 to be placed on a two-horse cart, that it might be buried 
 wherever the animals carried it and stopped. And this was 
 done. He was buried m the Lateran church, and, as a si«n 
 that he had obtained mercy, his sepulchre, both by the tumult 
 of his bones and also by the sweat which flows from them, is 
 a presage of the death of the pope, as it is stated in letters 
 which are engraved on that sepulchre. 
 
 In the days of this Gerebert there was near Rome, in the 
 Campus Martins, a brazen statue, the right hand of which had 
 the finger which we call the forefinger stretched out, and an 
 inscription on the head, " Strike here." This the men of that 
 time thought ought to be understood to indicate that they 
 should find a treasure in the statue. Accordingly, many of 
 them beat the innocent statue with blows of axes to no pur- 
 pose But Gerebert explained their mistake, interpretine; the 
 words in another way ; and when the sun was in the ctntre 
 ot the heaven he took notice where the shadow of the statue 
 extended on the south, and there he fixed a stake. And pre- 
 sently, when night came, he, accompanied by his chamberlain 
 alone, carrying a lantern, went to the place ; and there, opening 
 the earth with the customary incantations, he made a wide en 
 trance for them to go in by; and they beheld a vast palace, 
 having go den waUs, golden ceihngs, and everything of gold : 
 they beheld golden soldiers amusing their minds with golden 
 clice. Ihey also saw a king of the same metal lying with a 
 golden queen, dishes of dainties set before them, servants 
 standing around, goblets of great value and great weight, the 
 work of which was superior to the material. In the interior 
 
498 
 
 MATTHEW or WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1001. 
 
 part of the house, a carbuncle stone dissipated the darkness 
 of night. In the opposite corner, stood a boy holding a bow 
 with the string tightly drawn, and the arrow aimed at some 
 object, so that amid all the different tempting things presented 
 to our couple, there was nothing which could be touched witii 
 impunity, though they were at liberty to gaze upon it. For 
 the moment that any one put forth his hand to touch anything, 
 all those images seemed to spring forward, and to threaten the 
 audacious toucher with an attack. So Gerebert, under the in- 
 fluence of this fear, abstained from these objects of his desire. 
 But the chamberlain seized a knife wrought with exquisite 
 skill, which he saw placed upon the table, thinking that amid 
 such an abundance of treasures, a petty theft might escape 
 notice. But, immediately, all the images arose with a shout, 
 and the boy shot his arrow at the carbuncle, and brought on 
 darkness, and if he had not, at the command of his master, 
 speedily dropped the knife, they would both have suffered 
 severe punishment. And so, they returned back in confusion, 
 the lantern guiding their steps, without having been able to 
 satisfy the covetousness of Gerebert. 
 
 A.D. 999. The wicked army of the pagans laid waste almost 
 the whole western district of Kent. After which they pro- 
 ceeded to the city of Rochester, and besieged and blockaded 
 it. But the people of Canterbury marched against them, and 
 fought a severe battle with them. But though many were slain 
 on both sides, nevertheless the Danes at last got the victory. 
 And then king Ethelred sent an army against them, but effected 
 little or nothing. 
 
 A.D. 1000. The before-mentioned fleet of the Danes pro- 
 ceeded in a hostile manner to Normandy. And when he heard 
 that, Ethelred, king of England, during their absence reduced 
 the Isle of Man bv force. 
 
 A.D. 1001. The before-mentioned army of the pagans re- 
 turning from Normandy, besieged the city of Exeter ; but, as 
 the citizens made a manly resistance, they retreated. And the 
 men of Devonshire, Somersetshire, and Dorsetshire assembled 
 against them, and fought a battle against them in the place 
 which is called ^fnfjo, where the Danes got the victory, and 
 made a great slaughter of the English. From thence the 
 pagans directed their course to the Isle of Wight, and plun- 
 dered it of everything, as they did all the neighbouring pro- 
 vinces, no one making any resistance to them. The same 
 
 ' 
 
 A.D. 1006. 
 
 TEEACHEET OF DUKE EADEIC 
 
 499 
 
 year the body of the holy luon, bishop and confessor, was 
 found not far from the monastery of Ramsey, on the twentv- 
 third of April. And as the abbot of Ramsey heard of this 
 discovery, without evincing any respect for it. lie was severely 
 punished. ^ 
 
 A.D 1002. King Ethelred, by the advice of his nobles 
 
 paid the Danes a tribute of twenty-four thousand pounds for 
 
 tlie benefit of peace. The same 'year, iEdulf, archbishop of 
 
 York, took the remains of the holy archbishop Oswald out of 
 
 this sepulchre, and on the fourteenth of April placed them 
 
 with all honours in a tomb which he had prepared for them 
 
 And not long afterwards, the same archbishop being removed 
 
 from this hfe, was succeeded by Wolstan, bishop of Worcester 
 
 and VVolstan was succeeded in the church of Worcester bv 
 Leoff. ^ 
 
 AD. 1003. Ethelred, king of England, gave the dukedom 
 ot Mercia to a traitor, called Eadric, surnamed Streon, who 
 had acquired the king's favour not by his nobleness, but by 
 Ins riches. For he was a wicked man, the lowest of the 
 people, the disgrace of the English, double-tongued, cunnin- 
 a betrayer of secrets, skUful in dissembhng, prompt at fei<^n' 
 ing, and as often as he was sent to the enemy as a mediator 
 of peace, he only kindled war. But all these matters will be 
 mentioned hereafter. Likewise, in this year Wilfric, a man of 
 great sanctity and authority, considering the future and pro- 
 viding for himself, is recorded to have founded a noble monas- 
 tery at Burton, on the river Trent, and to have endowed it 
 with large possessions. 
 
 A.D 1004. John became pope of Rome, and filled that 
 chair for five years. This year the Danes, with unheard-of 
 cruelty, broke out again, covering the whole of England like 
 iocusts, plundenng every place, and putting men to death, nor 
 was any one found who dared to encounter the enemy. 
 
 A.D. 1005. Such a grievous famine attacked England as 
 no man remembered ever to have experienced. The same year 
 ilenry obtained the empire of the Romans, and reigned twenty' 
 two years. " ^ 
 
 A.D. 1006 Siricius, archbishop of Canterbury, died, and 
 ^ipheg, bishop of Winchester succeeded him. ' The same 
 year the treacherous duke Eadric invited the noble duke 
 Athelstan to a great entertainment which he had prepared at 
 fcurewsbury, and when Athelstan arrived there upon this invi- 
 
:)00 
 
 MATTKEW OP WESTMINISTER. 
 
 A.D. 1010. 
 
 tation, on the fourth day of the entertainment, he led him 
 forth into a wood to hunt, and while every one was occupied 
 with the chase, a certain assassin named Godwin, whom Eadric 
 had corrupted by presents before-hand, suddenly sprung for- 
 ward from an ambush, and wickedly slew duke Athelstan. 
 In revenge for which action, his two sons had their eyes put 
 out by order of king Ethelred. 
 
 A.D. 1007. Sweyn, king of the Danes, a powerful and cruel 
 man, came with a numerous fleet into England, and his march 
 was accompanied everywhere by rapine, conflagration, and 
 murder. All England groaned like a bed of reeds shaken by 
 the agitation of the west wind. And therefore king Ethelred, 
 who was thrown into a state of great confusion and consterna- 
 tion, procured for a time, by means of money, that peace 
 which he could not procure by arms. 
 
 A.D. 1008. Ethelred, king of England, commanded one 
 ship to be furnished throughout all England by every owner 
 of three hundred and ten hides of land ; and a horseman 
 armed with the helmet and breast-plate by every owner of eight 
 hides. The same year, Brithric, the brother of the treacherous 
 duke Eadric, a faithless and arrogant man, brought an unjust 
 accusation against the king's servant Ulnoth. But Ulnoth 
 fled to avoid being taken, and having obtained twenty ships, 
 betook himself to the life of a pirate, and for a long time gave 
 great trouble to the king who pursued him. 
 
 A.D. 1009. Sergius was appointed to the see of Rome, 
 which he governed two years and nine months. The same 
 year, Brithric, bishop of Sherborne, died, and was succeeded 
 by j3ilmar. 
 
 A.D. 1010. A new army of Danes came to Ipswich on the 
 day of the Ascension of our Lord, and occupied itself in 
 rapine and plunder. Against which force there assembled 
 Duke Athelstan, the husband of the king's sister, the generals 
 Osway, Edwy, and Ulfer, and a large army with them. But 
 though the English disdained to flee, Turketil, who was a 
 Dane by the fathers side, first set the example of flight ; owing 
 to which, the Danes got the victory, and traversed East Anglia 
 and Cambridgeshire, and all the fens, plundering and laying 
 waste with fire and sword every place they came to. After 
 this they turned westward, and grievously ravaged and deso- 
 lated the provinces of Huntingdonshire, Bedfordshire, Buck- 
 inghamshire, and Oxfordshire. 
 
 A.D. 1011. 
 
 CEVELTIES or THE DANES. 
 
 501 
 
 1 a'^' ? I ' , " *^^ before-mentioned ministers of iniquity 
 had finished the ravages which I have described, they encom- 
 passed Canterbury with a siege. But on the twentieth day of 
 the siege a part of the city was set on fire by the treachery of 
 Almar, archdeacon of the province, whom archbishop .Elphe- 
 had formerly saved from being put to death ; and after tha"? 
 tlie whole city was taken, men were murdered, some were 
 thrown into the flames, others thrown headlong from the walls 
 many were hung up in a most painful manner and so left to 
 expire children were torn from their mothers' breasts, and 
 either tossed up into the air and caught on the points of lances 
 or else cut into small pieces, matrons were dragged by their 
 legs through the streets, and at last thrown into the fire to 
 die. Amid all these miseries, iElpheg, the archbishop of the 
 city, was taken prisoner, bound, dragged along, and tortured 
 with every kind of torture. Almar, the abbot of Saint 
 Augustine 8, was permitted to depart. Godwin, bishop of 
 Rochester, and Leofrona, abbess of the nunnery of S^aint 
 Mildred were both taken prisoners, with an innumerable 
 crowd of both sexes. After that, the church of Christ was 
 stripped and burned ; the body of monks, and all the multi- 
 tude of men, women, and children decimated, so that nine 
 ^vere slam and the tenth saved ; and the number of these thus 
 saved amounted to four monks and eighty men. Therefore, 
 the people having been massacred, the city plundered and 
 wholly burnt the archbishop .Elpheg was dragged alon^ in 
 chains, and driven on, and tortured, and brought to the fleet 
 and again thrust back into prison, where he was tortured for 
 seven months, m order to be compelled to ransom himself so 
 Hs to dehver himself from the injuries to which he was exposed 
 And among all these miseries the anger of the divine mercy 
 
 TJa^M^^'^'I^ ^^' '""^^'^ P"°P^^' ^^^^ it destroyed two thou- 
 sand of them by the most fearful torments of the bowels 
 iiut as even then those wicked traitors were not moved to re- 
 pentance, a certain Dane, by name Thrum, when he saw the 
 
 nnoM .'""Pi-^^i'^'^ "^'^^ '^'^ t^^t^^^«> ^»d y^t, as it were, 
 unable to die, being moved by a wicked pity, dashed his axe 
 into his head and so transforming the archbishop who kept 
 confessing Christ with all constancy into a glorious martyr, 
 sent his exulting soul to heaven. And in the place of his 
 passion a dry log, which had been besprinkled with his blood, 
 alter one night became green again, and put forth branches 
 
502 
 
 MATTHEW OP "WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1012. 
 
 and leaves. At the sight of which miracle the infidels were 
 alarmed, and, vying with one another in kissing the sacred 
 corpse, permitted it to be carried to London, where it was 
 consigned to honourable burial. Subsequently, after a lapse 
 of ten years, the body was again taken up and found to be 
 free from all taint of corruption, and was transported to Can- 
 terbury to be buried more becomingly, and there the blood 
 remains fresh to the present day, and the body continues per- 
 fect and free from corruption. 
 
 After these events, as the general fury of persecution grew 
 fiercer throughout all England, the treacherous duke Eadric, 
 and all the nobles of every order and rank, assembled in the 
 city of London before the solemn festival of Easter, and re- 
 mained there with the king till they had paid the Danes a 
 tribute of forty-eight thousand pounds, on condition that all 
 the Danes who were in the kingdom should live peaceably 
 everywhere with the English, and that both nations should 
 have as it were one heart and one soul. And when this con- 
 vention had been confirmed by hostages and oaths given and 
 taken on both sides, Sweyn, king of the Danes, returned to 
 his own coimtry, and so the rage of persecution ceased for a 
 while in England. 
 
 A.D. 1012. When, in a certain town of Saxony, the name ot 
 which is Colewiz, in which there is a church of the blessed 
 Magnus the martyr, all the parish had assembled in the vigil 
 of the Nativity of the Lord, to be present at the divine offices ; 
 a priest of the name of Robert solemnly began the first mass 
 in the usual manner. And lo 1 twelve men and three women 
 dancing in the cemetery and shouting out secular songs, 
 hindered the priest to such a degree, that the tumult of the 
 singers sounded loudly above the holy solemnities of the mass. 
 This was their song, — 
 
 *' A man rode through a leafy wood. 
 Leaving Meswinde fair and good ; 
 Why do we here any longer stay ? 
 Hence my brethren, haste away." 
 
 At last, when they were ordered by Robert the priest to be 
 silent ; as they disdained to hold their peace, the priest cursed 
 them in his wrath, and said, "May it please God and the holy 
 Magnus that you may remain singing thus to the end of the 
 year." What happened ? The words of the priest had such 
 weight, that Azo, his son, seizing his sister (whose name was 
 
 A.D. 1012. 
 
 STOET OF THE EMPEEOE HENBY. 
 
 603 
 
 Ava, and who was singing among the others) by the arm to 
 drag her away, could not do it, but as the maiden was im- 
 moveable, he tore her arm from her body, and yet not a drop 
 of blood flowed. Accordingly, she remained with the rest the 
 whole year dancing and singing. No rain fell upon them, no 
 heat, no cold, no hunger, no thirst, no weariness afflicted 
 them ; their clothes and their shoes were not worn out, but 
 they kept on singing incessantly hke people insensible. First 
 of all they were plunged into the earth up to their knees, and 
 subsequently up to their thighs ; a fabric like the roof of a 
 house was raised over them by the instigation of God, in 
 order to keep off the rain from them, but in vain. At last, 
 after the lapse of a year, Herebert, archbishop of Cologne, re- 
 leased them from the bonds by which their hands were bound, 
 and reconciled them before the altar of the holy martyr 
 Magnus. The daughter of the priest, with two others of 
 the company, immediately expired ; the rest slept for three 
 days and nights, then some of them died, but others showed 
 the punishment that they had suffered by the trembling of 
 their limbs. Let those persons read this who are bound by 
 vows of obedience, that they may perceive how much efficacy 
 there is in such obedienee. 
 
 The emperor Henry going out to hunt on the Sunday 
 which is called Quinquagesima, came by himself, his com- 
 panions being all dispersed, to the edge of a certain wood, 
 near which wood he beheld a church, to which he went, and 
 stating liimself falsely to be a soldier, he asked the priest in a 
 simple manner to give him the mass!^ This priest was a man 
 eminent for his religion, but so ugly in his person, that he 
 seemed rather a monster than a man ; and when the emperor 
 had carefully looked at him, he began greatly to marvel why 
 God, from whom all beautiful things proceed, allowed so un- 
 sightly a man to perform his sacraments. But presently the 
 mass was commenced, and they came to that part of the 
 service in which a boy chaunted "Be ye sure that the Lord 
 is God ;" and the priest reproving the boy because he was 
 singing carelessly, said with a loud voice, " It is He that hath 
 made us, and not we ourselves," — at which words the emperor 
 was struck, and thinking the priest a prophet, raised him, in 
 spite of great opposition on his part, to the archbishopric of 
 Cologne. But when he had received the archbishopric, he 
 adorned that see by his religion, and also by his worthy course 
 
504 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 1012. 
 
 of life : for in a monastery of nuns in tliat city there was a 
 certain damsel, brought there rather in consequence of the 
 wish of her parents, than of any devotion of her own ; and by 
 her profane gestures and engaging conversation she attracted 
 many lovers to herself, — one of whom, whom his great wealth 
 and high blood had inflamed to lust, carried the damsel off, 
 and kept her, and loved her as his lawful wife. A long time 
 elapsed ; but the deed was related to archbishop Herebert ; 
 but after that, in compliance with his mandate, the sheep had 
 been restored to the fold. I^ot long afterwards, in the absence 
 of the arclibishop, she was again carried off from the monas- 
 tery by the same youth. Then a sentence of excommu- 
 nication was pronounced against him, so that none of his 
 fellow-citizens dared to converse or to eat with him. But the 
 young man disregarding this sentence, departed to some 
 distant estates of his, where he lived a wicked life with his 
 excommunicated mistress. But when at length God saw lit 
 to call the archbishop to himself, and he lay on his bed 
 stricken with a sore disease, his fellow-countrymen came 
 around him from all quarters, to enjoy the last benediction of 
 the blessed man. That lustful man alone did not presume to 
 come, but suborned others to speak for him, that he might 
 deserve absolution. But when the archbishop heard the name 
 of the young man he groaned, and uttered these words : '* If 
 that wretched man leaves that cursed woman, let him be ab- 
 solved ; if he remains obstinate, then let him be prepared, in 
 the next year, on the same day and hour that I depart, to 
 render an account of his sins before God. But you will see 
 me depart from the body when the clock strikes the sixth 
 hour." Nor did the words of the man of God want confir- 
 mation, but he died at tlie hour which he had foretold ; and 
 that wretched young man, at the lapse of a year, died on the 
 same day and at the same hour, being struck by lightning 
 together with his mistress. The same year, Benedict became 
 pope, and filled the chair at Rome twelve years. The same 
 year. Living, who is called Athelstan, bishop of Wells, suc- 
 ceeded to the archbishopric of Canterbury, and Ethelwin was 
 consecrated bishop of Wells in his stead. 
 
 This year, also, a person of the name of Huna, the com- 
 mander of the army of Ethelred, king of England, a vigorous 
 Nind warlike man, who had undertaken the management of 
 the affairs of the kingdom under the king, seeing the inso- 
 
 A.D. 1012. PEEFIDT OF THE ENGLISH TO THE DANES. 505 
 
 lence of the Danes, who even now, after peace had been made, 
 gave themselves such airs, and displayed such pride throughout 
 the whole of England, that they dared to offer violence to the 
 wives and daughters of the nobles of the kingdom, and to 
 make them the subjects of their insults, went in great agitation 
 to the king, and made him a mournful complaint on this sub- 
 ject. Then, the king being moved in no slight degree, by the 
 advice of Huna, sent letters throughout all the borders of the 
 kingdom, commanding all and every one of the provinces to 
 jput to death, by a secret attack, all the Danes who were found 
 in any part of England, on an appointed day, namely, on the 
 festival of the holy bishop Britius, so that the whole nation of 
 the English might be dehvered once and for all from the op- 
 pression of the Danes. And so, the Danes, who ought to 
 have lived in peace with the English, as a lasting treaty had 
 been lately sworn to on both sides, were murdered in a very 
 shameful manner, and even the women, with their children, 
 were dashed against the door-posts, and in that way expired 
 miserably. 
 
 As then, the sentence of this decree was being executed in 
 the city of London, without mercy, many of the Danes fled 
 to a certain church in the city, where they were all murdered 
 without mercy, while standing at the very altars. 
 
 But some young men of the Danish nation fled to a ship, 
 and went to Denmark, and relating the cruel destruction of 
 their race to king Sweyn, moved him to tears, and he, having 
 summoned all the chief men of his kingdom, related to them 
 the whole history of the deed that had been done, and en- 
 quired of them carefully what they advised to be done : who 
 all cried out with one voice as it were, and determined that 
 the blood of their relatives and friends must be avenged. 
 And the rage of this persecution was increased by the death of 
 Gunnild, the sister of king Sweyn, who had lately been mur- 
 dered in England, in this manner : the before-mentioned 
 Gunnild had been legally married to count Paha, a man of 
 noble birth, and in former years she had visited England with 
 her husband, and had embraced the faith of Christ, and had 
 received the sacrament of baptism in that country ; this most 
 prudent virgin, having been the mediator of peace between the 
 Enghsh and the Danes, gave herself to king Ethelred, with 
 her husband and her only son, as a hostage for the security of 
 the peace. But, as she had been entrusted by the king to that 
 
506 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMIXSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 1013. 
 
 most wicked man, duke Edric, to guard, that traitor, Edric, a 
 few days afterwards, caused her husband and only son to be 
 murdered by four lances, in her presence, and last of all, he 
 ordered her herself to be beheaded. But the woman, bearing 
 death with a fearless spirit, neither grew pale when about to 
 die, nor even when dead did she lose the calmness of her 
 countenance, because of the effusion of blood. But when 
 dying, she predicted positively that the shedding of her blood 
 would be a great injury to the whole of England. On account 
 of these things, king Sweyn, a cruel man, and ready for the 
 shedding of blood, being animated to revenge, summoned all 
 the warriors throughout his dominions, and sent couriers with 
 letters to foreign nations, in which he invited all warlike sol- 
 diers, all who desired gain, and all who were unsettled in their 
 minds, to join in this expedition. 
 
 About this time, also, the holy ^Ipheg, a monk of wonder- 
 ful sanctity, by the management of Ethelwold, bishop of 
 Winchester, with the good-will of king Edgar, who was a lover 
 of monks, and a great founder of monasteries, was made abbot 
 of Deerhurst. But when king Edgar was dead, and when his 
 son Edward was become king in his stead, (who, however, was 
 soon after treacherously slain), then Ethelred succeeded to the 
 kingdom, who gave the blessed ^Ipheg a monastery in the 
 city which is called Bath, where the abbot presided over an 
 order of monks. And, subsequently, at the suggestion of the 
 holy Wolstan, archbishop of Canterbury, the blessed ^Ipheg 
 was created bishop of Winchester, and afterwards, when the 
 blessed Dunstan departed to the Lord, he was consecrated 
 archbishop of Canterbury, and when, as ruler of that see, he 
 had governed it prosperously for six years, he was slain by the 
 Danes, who incessantly persecuted him. For one of them 
 brained him with a Danish axe, in the Easter week, on the 
 sabbath, towards the evening, and his body was reverently 
 buried in the church of Canterbury, and in consequence of 
 the reverence paid to it, there is also more honourable service 
 paid to God. 
 
 A.D. 1013. The iriant Sweyn, king of the Danes, put to sea 
 with a powerful fleet, in the month of July, and landed in 
 England at the port of Sandwich ; and, having stayed there a 
 few days, he circumnavigated East-Anglia, and entered the 
 mouth of the river Humber, and from that he entered the 
 river Trent, and sailed up to the town of ^apneslboroutjij, 
 
 A.D. 1013. 
 
 SWEYN IIAVAOES ENGLAND. 
 
 ^07 
 
 and there he established a station of his ships. Then, en- 
 trusting his fleet to his son Canute, he disembarked himself, 
 and employed himself in ravaging the provinces. And imme- 
 diately fhe people of Northumberland, and Lindsey, and Sis- 
 burgh set the example of making submission to him ; and 
 afterwards, as they had no defender, all the people who were 
 on the northern side of that pubHc road which is called 
 OTatliug ^trttc, being compelled to surrender, made sub- 
 mission to him, giving hostages and taking the oath of fealty. 
 Then he moved his expedition southward, and issued a com- 
 mand to all his men to lay waste the fertile fields, to burn the 
 towns, to cut down the groves and orchards, plunder the 
 churches, murder all the male sex who fell into their hands, 
 and reserve the women to satisfy their lust. And while his 
 servants ravaged everywhere in this manner with their savage 
 fury, he at last came to Oxford ; and that city was taken with 
 very little trouble, and he received the oath of fealty and hos- 
 tages from it. From thence he proceeded across the country 
 to Winchester, and administered an oath to the people both of 
 the city and province, and so extorted security from them. 
 Then he directed his march with great glory to the city of 
 London, and put in force all kinds of expedients in hopes to 
 take it, either by force or by treachery. But, on his first ar- 
 rival, many of his troops were drowned in the river Thames, 
 and so perished, because they were led away by excessive 
 rashness, and would not look for either ford or bridge. King 
 Ethelred, who was at that time in the city, having no other 
 resource, defended the walls manfully with the citizens, and 
 deprived Sweyn of all hope of making himself master of the 
 city ; who, accordingly, retreated thence in haste, marching 
 first to WalUngford, and thence to Bath, raging with the 
 fury of a dog, and destroying everything that came in his way ; 
 and at Bath he stayed some time for to refresh his army. And 
 while he was there, Almac, count of Devonshire, and all the 
 potentates of the western part of the kingdom, with some of 
 the king's servants, fearing his tyranny, came to him and 
 ottered him hostages, and entreated peace. And, as they were 
 aU disposed to consent, and he was sure that no one could re- 
 sist, he ordered himself to be called king of England, while 
 there was no one who dared either to fight for the rights of 
 the kingdom, or profess himself to be king. While all this 
 was happening, Ethelred, king of England, was lying in the 
 
108 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1014. 
 
 city of London, torpid with inactivity, timid and suspicious, 
 not daring to trust himself to any one, having his con- 
 science tortured, because of the death of his brother Edward, 
 lest he should too soon feel the long-expected vengeance. He 
 did not dare to assemble an army, or to lead it against the 
 enemy, fearing lest the nobles of tiie kingdom, whom he had 
 unjustly deprived of their inheritance, might abandon him in 
 the field, and give him up to the enemy to be put to death. 
 This was the wretched condition of this wretched king. 
 
 At last, the king, worn out with all these troubles, withdrew 
 secretly from the city of London, and sailed first of all to 
 Southampton, and from thence to the Isle of Wight, and from 
 thence he sent Emma his queen, with his sons Alfred and 
 Edward, and their tutors, ^Ifhun, bishop of Durham, and 
 iElfey, abbot of Midesham, into Normandy, to his brother, 
 duke Richard, by whom they were received with all honour 
 and respect. Eadric also, the kinsman of king Ethelred, crossed 
 the sea with a hundred and fifty soldiers in the queen's company, 
 as her guard, and resided there with her two years, attending 
 upon her in a magnificent manner. And while they thus 
 crossed the sea in the month of August, Ethelred remained 
 with his fleet in the Isle of Wight till the day of the Nativity 
 of the Lord, intending to follow the queen and his sons im- 
 mediately that he received any good news from them ; and as 
 he presently heard from the countries across the sea that duke 
 Richard had received his sister and her sons with great joy, 
 king Ethelred crossed over into Normandy in the month of 
 January, and found relief for his miseries in the attentions and 
 consolations of that magnificent duke. 
 
 A.D. 1014. The tyrant Sweyn, as we have said before, was 
 oppressing England with slaughter and rapine ; first of all 
 carrying off the substance of the people of the provinces, and 
 after that proscribing the nobles ; and in this way both the 
 public treasures and those of individuals were carried off to 
 the ships, together with hostages, from which it appears evi- 
 dently that Sweyn was by nature not a prince, but a tyrant. 
 The people did not know what to do, because, if they desired 
 war, they had no leader, and if they chose submission, then 
 they had a tyrant for their ruler. But the Deity, who is kind 
 to those who are in necessity, did not allow England to be 
 long tossed about among so many calamities, since that same 
 tyrant ended his wicked life this year, on the day of the Puri- 
 
 A.D. 1014. 
 
 CANUTE SAILS FOE SANDWICH. 
 
 509 
 
 fication of the blessed Virgin Mary, as some have written, 
 though it is uncertain by what kind of death he died. In the 
 book of the miracles of the holy Edmund, king and martyr, 
 it is written, that Sweyn, while he was exacting an insupport- 
 able tribute from the borough where the body of the aforesaid 
 martyr rests, and from its estates wherever they existed, and 
 was asserting that there was no sanctity in the martyr himself, 
 and was intending and threatening to burn his monastery, 
 with the monks themselves in it, was slain by that same mar- 
 tyr, and sent to hell, on the second of February, by a death 
 of terrible torture. 
 
 After his death, all the nations of the Danes elected Canute, 
 his son, to be their king and master. But Canute was at that 
 time in Lindsey, whither his father had sent him with a fleet, 
 and with the hostages, and where he was waiting not only for 
 cavalry as scouts but also for soldiers, in order that with 
 united forces he might pour out all the venom of his malice 
 on the English nation, and punish those who deserted him 
 with a fearful destruction. 
 
 While, then, these events were happening on the side of the 
 Danes, the English nation unanimously sent messengers with 
 all speed into Normandy to king Ethelred, to assure him that 
 they were not more attached to any one than to their own 
 natural lord, if he would only treat them more mildly than he 
 had formerly done. And when they had been heard, the king 
 sent his son Edward with the ambassadors into England, 
 saluting them all aff"ectionately, and promising that if he had 
 erred in any point he would amend his ways in whatever way 
 they all desired. Therefore, king Ethelred returning in the 
 spring to England, was received with joy, and honoured by 
 every one ; by the wilhng co-operation of whom he collected 
 a numerous army against Canute, who, having made a treaty 
 with the men of Lindsey, had already put his army in motion 
 for the purpose of plunder. But, king Ethelred coming up, 
 put Canute to flight, and, ravaging the whole of Lindsey, put 
 to death at once all the inhabitants ho found there. Canute 
 saved himself by flight, and, setting sail, arrived with his fleet 
 at the harbour of Sandwich, to which place the winds bore him, 
 where, by way of insult to the English nation, he cut off" the 
 hands, and ears, and noses of all the liostages who had been 
 given to his father from the kingdom of England, and then 
 let them go ; and he himself went to Denmark, and busied 
 himself in increasing the number of his soldiers. The same 
 
510 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMHTSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 1015. 
 
 year, on the twenty-ninth of September, the sea breaking be- 
 yond its proper bounds, destroyed many towns in England, 
 and an incalculable multitude of people. 
 
 A.D. 1015. A great conference between the Danes and En- 
 gUsh was held at Oxford, where the king of England, by the 
 advice of the wicked duke Eadric, ordered many of the Danish 
 nobles to be put to death, on the ground of their having been 
 convicted of treachery towards the king ; and their depend- 
 ents, endeavouring to avenge the death of their masters, were 
 repulsed by the garrison of armed men, and pursued fiercely, 
 till, at last, they were compelled to enter the tower of the 
 church of the holy virgin Frideswitha. And as they could 
 not be expelled from thence, they were all burnt in the tower. 
 But soon after, by the command of the king, the church was pu- 
 rified and rebuilt. Among others who were slain, were Sige- 
 ferth and Morchar, counts of Northumberland, the sons of 
 Cargrinus, whom the wicked duke Eadric had invited to a 
 banquet, and then, after he had received them on his own 
 couch, he treacherously caused them to be murdered. After 
 this, the king commanded Aldgitha, the wife of count Sige- 
 ferth, to be conveyed to Malmesbury, and there kept in custody 
 as a woman of eminent nobility. And while she was being 
 kept there, Edmund, the son of the king, came thither, whom 
 the English nation, on account of his great vigour of mind 
 and strength of body, called Crtn^itJe, which is m Latin, Latus 
 ferreum^ and, contrary to his father's will, he took her for his 
 wife; and going, between the time of the Assumption and 
 the Nativity of the blessed Mary, into Northumberland, with 
 his wife, he invaded the whole district which had been the 
 property of the counts Sigeferth and Morchar, and reduced 
 their subjects under his own power. But this Edmund was 
 the son not of Emma, the queen, but of some woman of low 
 birth ; however, he redeemed the lowness of his origin on the 
 side of his mother, by the genius of his mind, and the strength 
 and activity of his body. 
 
 The same year, Canute, king of the Danes, having arranged 
 his affairs in Denmark, and having made treaties of peace with 
 the neighbouring kings, came into England, with the determi- 
 nation either to conquer, or, if conquered, to perish. There- 
 fore, he landed in the port of Sandwich, with a powerful fleet, 
 and from thence he proceeded into Wessex, polluting every 
 place with bloodshed and rapine. And, as king Ethelred was 
 
 A.D. 1016. EDMUND MAECHES AGAINST THE DANES. 511 
 
 at that time sick at €otJ)flm, Edmund, the king's son, under- 
 took to encounter him. But when the two armies were about 
 to meet in a hostile manner, that traitor, the duke Edric, laid 
 every kind of plot against Edmund, in hopes to slay him by 
 treachery. And when Edmund found this out, he withdrew 
 from the battle, and yielded the field to the enemy for a time. 
 And, not long afterwards, Eadric, to prove himself a complete 
 traitor, seduced forty ships of the king's fleet, and went to 
 the assistance of Canute, and did him homage for his own 
 dominions. And all Wessex did the same, and gave hostages, 
 and furnished horses and arms for the Danish army. The 
 Mercians offered their aid in making resistance ; but owing to 
 the inactivity of the king, the war was protracted. The same 
 year, Ethelwold, bishop of Winchester, died, and ^Ellff'y suc- 
 ceeded him. 
 
 A.D. 1016. Canute, king of the Danes, and the wicked 
 duke Eadric crossed tlie river Thames, at i^rickelaUc, with a 
 numerous body of cavalry, and before the day of the Epiphany 
 of the Lord, they entered Mercia, in a hostile manner, burning 
 many towns in Warwickshire, and carrying off" booty, and 
 murdering all the men who came in their way. And when 
 Clito Edmund heard this, he collected an army. But, as the 
 men of Mercia would not fight without king Ethelred and the 
 citizens of London, he dismissed the expedition, and every 
 one returned to his own home. Then Canute led his army to 
 the city of London, and surrounded it with a blockade ; but, 
 as he found the city almost impregnable, he raised the siege, 
 and, invading Mercia a second time, occupied himself in 
 plundering that province. And Edmund assembled an army 
 against him, sending messengers to his father, who was at that 
 time sojourning in London, and entreating him to collect all 
 his forces, and to march with all speed against Canute. Ac- 
 cordingly he made a vigorous eff'ort, and joined his son ; but, 
 when they were on the point of engaging in battle with Canute, it 
 was intimated to the king, that unless he took great care of 
 himself, he would be betrayed to the enemy by his own nation. 
 And, when the king heard this, he returned to London ; and 
 Edmund, his sou, went to Northumberland. And when he 
 had arrived there with count Uthred, he ravaged Staff'ordshire, 
 Shropshire, and many other provinces, because they refused 
 to go forth with him to battle against the Danes. In the 
 meantime, Canute, after pillaging several provinces, at last 
 
512 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. lOlG. 
 
 reached Northumberland in his course of ravage. And when 
 count Uthred, who was with Edmund, heard this, he returned 
 to Northumberland, and gave Canute hostages to preserve the 
 blessings of peace. But not long afterwards, the same Uthred 
 and Turketil, both counts of Northumberland, at the command 
 of Canute, were put to death by Turebrand, a Dane. And 
 then Canute appointed Egric count instead of Uthred. And 
 when Edmund, the king's son, heard this, he came to London 
 to his father ; and Canute, rapidly moving towards the south, 
 returned to his ships before the festival of Easter, and carried 
 with him much booty and plunder. 
 
 About the same time, Ethelred, king of England, died, after 
 great labours and much tribulation in this life, on the twenty- 
 second of April, and was buried at London, in the church of 
 Saint Paul. And after his death, the greater portion of the 
 kingdom, both clergy and laity, assembled together, and 
 unanimously elected Canute king, and coming to him at South- 
 ampton, made peace with him, and swore fealty to him. The 
 citizens of London alone, and a few of the nobles who were in 
 that city at the time, agreed in proclaiming Edmund Ironside, 
 the son of the late king, king. And he, as soon as he was 
 raised to the royal dignity, fearlessly marched into Wessex, 
 and having been joyfully received by the whole people, he re- 
 duced that province under his dominion. And when this 
 became known, a great portion of the people of the whole 
 kingdom voluntarily submitted to his authority. In the mean- 
 time, Canute, with his whole fleet, came to London, about 
 Rogation Sunday, and dug a deep trench on the southern 
 side of the river Tliames, and drew his ships into deep water, 
 on the western side of London Bridge. Then, he surrounded 
 the whole city with a wide and deep fosse, and prepared to 
 blockade it ; cutting off the inhabitants from all ingress or 
 egress, and making continual attacks on it, he endeavoured to 
 storm it. But, being repulsed by the citizens, who defended 
 their walls gallantly, he raised the siege in some disorder ; and 
 departing thence, he led his army into Dorsetshire, and occu- 
 pied himself in endeavouring to subdue that province. But 
 Edmund advanced to meet Canute, with all the forces whom 
 he could assemble, and encountered him in the place which is 
 called Pennurn, near GiUingham, on the ninth of June, and 
 put him and his whole army to flight. 
 
 After this victory, which was gained at Midsummer, Ed- 
 
 A.D. 1016. TEEACHEET OF THE DUKE EADRIC. 513 
 
 mund collected a larger army than he had before, and deter- 
 mined to fight gallantly with Canute ; and encountering him 
 in the county of Worcester, in the place which is called Ster- 
 nestan he arranged his army with great skill, and exhorted 
 them all to remember that they were fighting for their countrv 
 and their children, their wives and their inheritances : and 
 thus he inflamed the muids of all with admirable and warhke 
 speeches. Then he commanded the trumpets to sound, and 
 the battalions to advance steadily. At last, the two armies 
 met, with a great shout, and fought first of all with their 
 lances, and afterwards with their swords. In the meantime, 
 king Edmund, standing in the front line, overthrew all that 
 was opposed to him, and smote the enemy unceasingly, doin? 
 the duty of a valiant soldier and a good king, in a most 
 gallant manner. But, because the wicked duke Eadric, and 
 the counts Almar and Algar, who ought to have been his 
 guards, deserted to the side of the Danes, with a very nume- 
 rous body of their people, his army was exceedingly weakened 
 Nevertheless, on the first day of the battle, that is to say, on 
 the twenty-fifth of June, the battle was so fierce and bloody 
 that both armies were forced to give over fighting, out of 
 pure weariness, while the sun was stUl in the west, and so 
 separated from one another by mutual consent. But the next 
 day, king Edmund would have utterly routed the whole Da- 
 nish army, if it had not been for the treachery of the wicked 
 duke Eadric. For while both armies were fighting vigorously, 
 and when Eadric saw that the English were the braver, he 
 raised up the head of a man very like king Edmund, which 
 had been cut off, and holding it up on high, he cried out and 
 said : " Ye English are fighting in vain, since you have lost 
 your head ; flee with aU speed : behold, I have here in my 
 hands the head of Edmund, your king; flee, flee, with all 
 speed. And when the English heard this, they began to lose 
 some of their resolution in battle ; but as immediately after- 
 wards It was ascertained that the king was still alive, the En- 
 ghsh recovered their spirits, and attacked the Danes with 
 impetuosity, slaying many of them, and fighting with all their 
 energy, and persisting obstinately in the battle till the dusk of 
 evening ; but when that time arrived they separated, as in the 
 preceding day, by mutual consent. But, when the night was 
 tar advanced, Canute ordered his army to abandon their camp 
 
 TOL. I. L L 
 
514 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1016. 
 
 silently, and, marching towards London and arriving at his 
 fleet, he a second time laid siege to that city. 
 
 But when the morning dawned, and king Edmuna ascer- 
 tained that the Danes had fled into Wessex, he returned with 
 the intention of assembUng a more numerous army. But the 
 wicked duke Eadric, hearing of his activity, by the suggestion 
 of Canute, came treacherously to him in order to betray him, 
 and, peace having been made between them, he promised 
 fidelity to the king. Therefore king Edmund collected an 
 army a third time, and reUeved the citizens of Loudon from 
 their blockade, and drove the Danes to their ships, and, cross- 
 ing the river Thames at Brentford, fought a fourth battle with 
 the Danes, and, having driven them from the field in a shame- 
 ful manner, he gained the victory by his spear and sword, and 
 obtained great miUtary glory, to his exceeding joy ; but Canute, 
 fleeing to his ships, retreated, and went to ravage Kent. And 
 king Edmund led an army against him, and fought a battle 
 with the enemy near Octanford ; and they, not being able to 
 withstand his attack, fled, and took refuge in the Isle of Shep- 
 pey. The king Edmund, marching into Wessex, vigorously pur- 
 sued Canute, but he, marching into Mercia, to ravage it, ordered 
 his army to commit greater atrocities than they had committed 
 before. And king Edmund, encountering the enemy courage- 
 ously at Assenduue,^ and having arrayed his army in three 
 lines, went round his battalions, admonishing them to be 
 mindful of their former valour and of their previous victory, 
 and to defend themselves, and his and their kingdom, from 
 the rapacity of the barbarians ; for he assured them that they 
 would have but a sUght struggle with those whom they had 
 already repeatedly conquered. In the meantime, Canute led 
 his men into a level plain, and Edmund, giving the signal to 
 his men, suddenly attacked the enemy. The two armies 
 fought with all their energy, many were slain on each side, 
 but at length, by the fortune of war, the English prevailed. 
 And there the valour of king Edmund was conspicuous, who, 
 seeing the Danes fighting with more than usual vigour, left 
 his royal station, which was, according to custom, between the 
 Dragon -^ and the Standard, and hastened into the first line, 
 brandishing his sword in a terrible manner, and cleaving the 
 
 » Assington, in Essex. 2 The *• Dragon " was a standard like 
 
 the Roman eagle. The " Standard " a flag, with the royal arms embla- 
 zoned on it. 
 
 A.D. 1016. DUEE EAD ETC ADDRESSES THE NOBLES. 515 
 
 enemy's Une like lightning, and piercing it through the cen- 
 tre, he passed right through it, and enabled his followers to 
 overthrow it completely. Then he rushed forth against the 
 squadron which was immediately behind Canute, shouting his 
 temble battle-cry. There the most terrible part of the con- 
 flict between the two armies took place. But when that traitor 
 duke Eadric saw the army of the Danes begin to give way he 
 deserted to Canute with the squadron which he commanded 
 as they had arranged beforehand. By this desertion, the 
 Danes became the stronger army, and made a great slaue-hter 
 of the English For there fell on the side of the Enghsh the 
 noble dukes^lfnc and Godwin, Uscital and his son Ethelwold 
 Ethelwm beloved by God, Eadnoth, bishop of Dorchester, and 
 the abbot Wolfy, with nearly aU the nobility of England 
 which had never before lost such number of princes in one 
 battle. This battle took place on the festival of Saint Luke 
 the Evangehst. Canute also on his side suff^ered an irrepar- 
 able loss on the same day, by the death of several of his 
 dukes and nobles. 
 
 After this disastrous battle, in which so many nobles fell a 
 few days intervened, and then king Edmund pursued Canute 
 who was now committing his ravages in the province of Glou- 
 cester. Therefore the two kings met in battle iu the place 
 which is caUed Deerhurst ; where Edmund, being posted on 
 the western side of the river Severn with his men, and Canute 
 and his army on the eastern bank, both prepared themselves 
 manfully for battle ; and when the two armies were ready to 
 engage, the wicked duke Eadric, summoning all the nobles 
 round him, burst forth into the following speech, and said 
 
 U ye insensate nobles, men mighty in arms, why do we so 
 often expose ourselves to death in battle for our kinc^s who 
 in spite of the slaughter which befalls us, neither succeed in 
 becoming masters of the kingdom, nor put any bounds to 
 their rapacity ? My advice is, that they should both fight, 
 aye, light in single combat, since their object is to reign singly 
 VVhat 18 the meaning of such a lust for kingly power, thkt 
 il-ngland is not sufficient for two kings, when it was formerly 
 large enough for eight? Therefore, let them either singly 
 make peace, or singly fight for the crown." And this opinion 
 pleased every one ; andwhen the decision of the nobles was made 
 known to the kings, they both consented and approved of it 
 
 There is an island situated in the middle of the river, which 
 
 ll2 
 
516 
 
 MATTHEW OF WEBTMINSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 1016. 
 
 was formerly called Oleneige, to which the kings were con- 
 veyed, clad in splendid armour, and where they began their 
 single combat in the sight of the people of each nation. But 
 when, by the might of the kings striking at one another, and 
 by the shock of then- strong shields, their spears had been 
 broken, they drew their swords, and fought hand to hand, 
 continuing the encounter vigorously and long, his valour de- 
 feuding Edmund, and fortune preserving Canute, their swords 
 rung upon their helmeted heads, and sparks flashed from the 
 heavy blows. At length, the mighty breast of Edmund kin- 
 dled with fury as the combat proceeded, and, becoming stronger 
 as his blood warmed within him, he raised his right hand, 
 brandished his sword, and redoubled his blows on the head of 
 his enemy with such vehemence, that he appeared to thunder 
 rather than to strike. Canute, therefore, feeling his strength 
 fail, and himself unequal any longer to withstand these ter- 
 rible attacks, bethought himself of coming to terms of peace 
 with the young king. But, as he was a cunning man, he feared 
 that if his weakness were perceived by the young king he 
 would not listen to his proposals of peace, he collected all his 
 courage, and rushed upon Edmund with marvellous valour. 
 And presently, retiring a Uttle, he begged the young king to 
 pause for a moment, and to give him a hearing. But he, 
 being of a sweet disposition, dropped his shield on the ground, 
 and Ustened to the words of Canute. "Hitherto," said Ca- 
 nute, " bravest of men, I have been desirous of your king- 
 dom ; but now, considering you of more value not only of the 
 kingdom of England but also than the whole world, I am more 
 desirous of your love than of the kingdom. Denmark is 
 obedient to me, Norway is subject to me, the king of the Suevi 
 has yielded to me. Wherefore, although fortune has promised 
 me that I shall be victorious everywhere, still your wonderful 
 prowess has inspired me with so much love, that I desire 
 above all things to have you for my friend and my partner lu 
 the kingdom. Would that you may be as well mchned to me, 
 so that I may reign with you in England, and you with me in 
 
 Denmark. 
 
 To make the story short, the most gracious king Edmund 
 consented, and he who could not be subdued by arms, yielded 
 to words. Therefore they both of them laid aside their splen- 
 did armour, and kissed one another, to the great dehght of 
 both armies. Then they exchanged garments and arms in 
 
 A.D. 1017. 
 
 DEATH OF KINO EDMUND. 
 
 517 
 
 token of peace, and Edmund became Canute, and Canute 
 Edmund. And so the kingdom was divided between the 
 two, but the crown remained with Edmund, with Essex and 
 East-Anglia, and the city of London, and all the country to 
 the south of the river Thames; Canute having the northern 
 part of the kingdom. But peace continued between them on 
 the firmest footing till the death of the noble king Edmund. 
 King Edmund had two sons, Edward and Edwin, by his wife 
 Aldgiva, a woman of noble family ; and they will be spoken 
 of hereafter in their proper place. 
 
 Therefore, while Edmund, king of England, surnamed Iron- 
 side, was merciful and kind to the just persons in his kingdom, 
 and terrible to the unjust, there was still a traitor envious of 
 his prosperity ; and Eadric, the wicked duke of Mercia, was 
 incessantly thinking how he might destroy the king. At last, 
 when the king was passing the night at Oxford, when he re- 
 tired to a more secret part of the house for the necessities of 
 nature, the son of the said Eadric, prompted by his father, lay 
 in ambush in a secret cupboard, and, on the night of the fes- 
 tival of the Apostle Saint Andrew, stabbed the king twice, in 
 a fatal part with a sharp knife ; and, having mortally wounded 
 him, fled, and left the weapon in his bowels. And he was 
 buried at Glastonbury, near his grandfather king Edgar, and 
 all England mourned for him exceedingly, because they hoped 
 that with him for their leader they would have a respite from 
 the oppression of the Danes. 
 
 Ch. XX.— From a.d. 1017 to a.d. 1042. 
 
 Canute becomes sole king of England — Banishes the nobles — 
 Marries Emma, sister of Richard, duke of Normandy — A 
 conference at Oxford establishes the laws of Edward — Cha- 
 racter of Canute ; his liberality — Subdues Norway — Birth 
 of William of Normandy — He succeeds to his father's duke- 
 dom — Death of Canute — Coronation of Harold — Hardi- 
 canute is set up in opposition to him by Godwin, and is 
 crowned king — Dies, and is succeeded by Edward the Con- 
 fessor. 
 
 A.D. 1017. Edmund, king of England, being dead, Canute 
 seized upon the whole kingdom of England, and reigned 
 twenty years. And, in the earliest days of his reign, he di- 
 vided England into four portions, retaining Wessex for him- 
 
518 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 1017. 
 
 self, and entrusting Mercia to Eadric, East-Angba toTurketil, 
 and Northumberland to Iric. But when the wicked duke 
 Eadric heard that he had been deprived of the duchy of Mer- 
 cia, which he had possessed for many years, he attacked the 
 king on account of this with exceeding aspenty, reproachmg 
 him with all the benefits which he had conferred on him ; among 
 which he urged two, which especially excited him to anger 
 saying, " First of aU, I deserted Edmund for your sake, and 
 after that I murdered him, because of my fidelity to you. 
 But when he said this, Canute's countenance changed, and 
 he showed his an^er by reddening, and immediately expressed 
 his opinion, and^said, -And deservedly shall you yourself 
 die, since you are guilty of Use majesU, both against God and 
 aeainst me, inasmuch as you slew your own master, and my 
 brother, who was bound to me by treaty. His blood be upon 
 vour head, because you laid your hands upon the Lord s an- 
 mnted." And, presently, he had him strangled on the spot, 
 to prevent any tumult being excited among the people, and he 
 was thrown out of a window into the river Thames, and so he 
 received the just reward of his treason. Now, of the death 
 of this traitor Eadric different writers have given difterent ac- 
 counts ; some stating that, after Edmund had been slam by 
 his treachery, he came himself to Canute, and saluted him, 
 saying, " Hail, sole king." And then, in reply to the question 
 of the king as to why he saluted him in this manner, he re- 
 lated what had taken place repecting the death of Edmund, 
 Canute answered him, and said, " For these great deserts, and 
 for this obedience of yours, I will this day raise you above all 
 the nobles of the kingdom ;" and then he ordered him to be 
 beheaded, and his head to be fixed on a stake, and set on the 
 tower of London, as a prey to the birds. But whether the 
 traitor Eadric ended his life in this, or in some other way. 
 does not make much difference ; because it is certamly known 
 that he, who had circumvented many, was at last circum- 
 vented himself, by the righteous judgment of God. 
 
 After these events, Canute came to the wonderful determi- 
 nation in his own mind of either destroying or banishing, by 
 perpetual exile, the whole of the English nation. Accord- 
 uigly, beginning with Edwin, the brother of king Edmund on 
 the mother's side, he gave him to an officer named Ethelward. 
 But Ethelward, loving the youth, concealed him in a certain 
 abbev, and deUvered him for a time from the danger of death. 
 
 A.D. 1020. 
 
 CANUTE llETURNS TO ENGLAND. 
 
 519 
 
 He likewise sent the sons of king Edmund, Edwin and Ed- 
 ward, to the king of the Suevi, to be put to death. But that 
 king, although he was a confederate of Canute's, refused to 
 comply with his entreaties. For he sent the boys to Solomon, 
 king of Hungary, to be brought up and preserved ahve. And 
 after they had lived there some time in great honour, Edward 
 received the sister of the queen for his wife, whose name 
 was Emma, and by whom in process of time he had two sons, 
 Edmund and Edgar. He also had two daughters by her, 
 whose names were Margaret and Christina, of whom we shall 
 speak hereafter in the proper place. 
 
 The sons of king Ethelred also, whom he had had by Emma, 
 by name Alfred and Edward, hearing of the cruelty of king 
 Canute, escaped, and found a safe place of concealment in 
 Normandy, so as at least to avoid all danger of death. But 
 every one else whom he heard spoken of as related to the 
 royal family, Canute sent into banishment, labouring to pre- 
 serve the kingdom of England for his own sons, by hereditary 
 right. For by his queen Algiva, the daughter of count 
 ^Ifelm, he had two sons, namely, Sweyn and Harold, although 
 scandal reports that Canute was not their real father. 
 
 The same year, Wolstan, bishop of Worcester, died, and 
 Leoft, abbot of Thorney, succeeded him in the bishopric. 
 
 A.D. 1018. Algiva, the queen of king Canute, died, and he 
 presently sent into Normandy to duke Richard, to ask his 
 sister Emma in marriage, who was the widow of king Ethel- 
 red. And she came to England in the month of July, and was 
 formally married to Canute ; and he, taking her advice, sent 
 back the Danish fleet and all his mercenary soldiers to their 
 native land, giving them eighty-two thousand pounds of silver, 
 which he collected out of every part of England. 
 
 A.D. 1019. Canute, king of England and Denmark, passed 
 over into Denmark, and wintered there. 
 
 The same year, Ealmar, bishop of Selsey, died, and was suc- 
 ceeded by Ethelric. 
 
 A.D. 1020. Canute, king of England and Denmark, having 
 settled all his necessary affairs in Denmark, returned into 
 England at the time of the festival of Easter, and having as- 
 sembled a council at Orencester, passed a sentence of outlawry 
 against duke Ethelward. The same year, Living, archbishop 
 of Canterbury, died, and was succeeded by Ethelnoth. The 
 same year, after the see of Durham had been vacant, and de- 
 
520 
 
 MATTHEW or WESTMINSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 1022. 
 
 prived of all pastoral consolation, for three years, ever since 
 the death of bishop Aldhun ; having convened an assembly of 
 bishops, in order to discuss the election of a bishop, a certain 
 priest of one of the religious orders, by name Edmund, came 
 among them, and said jestingly, ** Why do you not elect me 
 bishop ?" And those who were present did not take his words 
 as a joke, but unanimously elected him, and proclaimed a fast 
 for three days, to take the will of Saint Cutbbert, the old 
 bishop, on the matter. Accordingly, when th«; priest was 
 celebrating mass at the head of the Sa'int's tomb, in the middle 
 of the canon, a voice was heard as if from the tomb of the 
 father hiriself, which thrice named Edmund as bishop. 
 
 The same year, Canute, king of England and Denmark, 
 having built a royal monastery, with suitable offices, in the 
 place which is called Bedericeswirthe, where the most blessed 
 king and martyr, Edmund, awaits the day of the blessed re- 
 surrection, with an uncorrupt body, by the advice of Emma, 
 his queen, and also of the bishops and barons of England, 
 placed monks in it, and appointed an abbot to govern it, whose 
 name was Wido, a humble, modest, gentle, and pious man. 
 And all the priests who had lived there in an irregular manner, 
 he either, if he allowed them to remain there, advanced to 
 a much higher degree of religion, or else gave them other 
 means of providing for themselves with food and raiment to 
 a more plentiful extent than they were accustomed to, and 
 made them remove to other places. He also enriched the 
 monastery of the blessed king and martyr Edmund with such 
 numbers of estates and other revenues, that, as to its temporal 
 affairs, it is deservedly set at the head of all the other convents. 
 This year also, he adorned with churches all the places in 
 which he had fought battles, and especially Assendune, placing 
 ministers in them who were to celebrate divine offices for the 
 salvation of those who had been slain there. 
 
 A.D. 1021. King Canute took occasion against Turkill and 
 Iric, two Danish nobles, to banish them from England and 
 outlaw them. And they went to Denmark, their native coun- 
 try ; but the moment that they reached the shore, Turkill, who 
 had been the prompter of the death of the blessed iElpheg, 
 was slain by the dukes of the country. The same year, Al- 
 gar, bishop of Helmham, died, and was succeeded by Ealwin. 
 
 A.D. 1022. The EngUsh and Danes held a conference at 
 Oxford, and agreed on the subject of keeping the laws of 
 
 A.D. 1024. WOLSTON, ARCHBISHOP OP TOEK, DIES. 521 
 
 king Edward the First. On which account, the same laws, 
 by command of king Canute, were translated from the Latin 
 language into English, and were ordered by the king to be 
 observed both in Denmark and in England, on account of their 
 ^X^^r ^^ ^^^^ ^^^^' Richard, duke of Normandy, who was 
 called the Second, died ; and was succeeded by his son Richard 
 who was called Richard the Third, who reigned one year. 
 
 A.D. 1023. John became pope, and occupied the Roman 
 chair nine years and as many months. The same year Ca- 
 nute, king of England and Denmark, with his own hands 
 took up from the tomb the body of the blessed Mphes] 
 archbishop of Canterbury, which was buried in the church of 
 St. Paul, and caused it to be removed to the church of Can- 
 terbury, and to be buried there with all due veneration. And 
 he took so much pains to make amends for aU the errors that 
 he himself or his predecessors had committed, that he endea- 
 voured to efface the blot of the previous injustice both before 
 bod and before man. And endeavouring, by the advice of 
 Emma his queen, to reconcile aU the Enghsh to himself, he 
 gave them many gifts, and, moreover, promised them all good 
 and welcome laws. The same year, Robert succeeded to the 
 dukedom of Normandy. 
 
 A.D. 1024. The fortunate king, Canute, led an army of 
 bnghsh and Danes against the Sueni, and, in the first battle, 
 lost many of his men. But on the next day, when the enemy 
 were meditating a second attack upon him, Godwin, a count 
 ot the English, and the commander of the English contin- 
 gents, without the knowledge of the king, boldly made a night 
 attack on the enemy, who were not expecting it, with no forces 
 but the Enghsh battalions, and surprised them and put them 
 
 ^°ii ? TT,'. ^^^ ^^^^"^ ^^^^^ ^ countless number of them, com- 
 peUed Ulf and Eiglaf, the kings of that nation, to come to 
 terms of surrender and of peace. But at break of day, as 
 the king thought that the English had either fled, or else 
 fiad perfidiously deserted to the enemy, when he was prepar- 
 ing to lead the Danish troops in battle array against the enemy 
 tound nothing m their camp but blood and corpses of the 
 slain. On which account, he ever after held the English in 
 tiie highest honour, and rejoicing in his victory, sailed back 
 to England. 
 
 The same year, Wolston, archbishop of York, died, and was 
 succeeded by iElfric. * , «iw 
 
522 
 
 MATTUEW or WESTMIN5TEE. 
 
 A.D, 1029. 
 
 A.D. 1025. Conrad obtained the empire of the Romans, and 
 reigned fifteen years. The same year, the rehgious man, Ed- 
 mund, whom we have mentioned before, was consecrated 
 bishop of Durham or Lindisfarne. The same year, king Ca- 
 nute decorated the old monastery of the city of Winchester 
 with 80 much munificence, that the gold and silver, and splen- 
 dour of the jewels, terrified the minds of the strangers who 
 beheld it. And the king did this at the exhortation of Emma, 
 his queen, who exhausted his treasures by her prodigal libe- 
 rahty in such matters. 
 
 A.D. 1026. Canute the Magnificent, king of England and 
 Denmark, having made prayers over the tomb of king Ed- 
 mund in the church of Glastonbury, where that king hes 
 buried, for the salvation of his soul, offered a cloak of various 
 colours, embroidered m the figures of peacocks. And he is 
 beUeved to have done this, that he might not be supposed to 
 have consented to the death of the man with whom he had 
 made a treaty at the time of single combat. 
 
 A.D. 1027. When news had been brought to Canute, that 
 the Norwegians held their king Olaus in exceeding contempt, 
 on account of his simplicity, he sent vast sums of gold and 
 silver to the nobles of that district, entreating them all ear- 
 nestly to expel Olaus, and to take him for their king. And 
 as they received the gifts which he sent them with eager 
 hands, they sent him a message to put an end to all antipathy, 
 and to come himself to them, because he would find them all 
 ready to receive him. 
 
 A.D. 1028. Canute, king of England and Denmark, went 
 to Norway with fifty ships, expelled king Olaus from his 
 kino-dom, and reduced it under his own power, with the con- 
 sent of the nobles. This same year, Marianus, the Scot, was 
 born, who afterwards, when he grew up and became learned 
 in liberal studies, by his own study and labour composed a 
 book of Chronicles, extending from the time of the emperor 
 Octavianus to A.D. 1131.^ He records the exploits of the 
 kings of England at greater length than any of the other his- 
 torians, observing all the dominical years, and so carried his 
 history down to the time of Henry the First, king of England. 
 A.D. 1029. Canute, king of England, Denmark, and Nor- 
 way, returning to England, sent Haco, a Danish count, into 
 
 1 He afterwards speaks of Marianus as dying a.d. 1032. 
 
 A.D. 1030. 
 
 HACO DIES AT SEA. 
 
 523 
 
 banishment, under pretence of sending him on an embassy, 
 tor he had married GunUda, a noble matron, the daughter of 
 his sister and of Victigern, king of the Wendi ; on which ac 
 count, he was afraid that he might be either deprived of his 
 hie or expelled his kingdom by him. Etheked had for his 
 wife the daughter of Richard the First, duke of Normandy, 
 and she, that is, Emma, was the daughter of Richard the 
 tirst, duke of Normandy, and Robert, the father of WiUiam 
 was the son of Richard the Second, duke of Normandy! 
 titheired had by his wife Emma two sons, Alfred and Ed- 
 ward the Third. 
 
 1 t'^'}^?^' ^^^^^* ^^® Second, son of Richard the Second 
 duke of Normandy, and brother of Richard the Third, after 
 he had for seven years governed the duchy of Normandy with 
 great power, went hke a devout man to Jerusalem, for the 
 sake of pilgrimage. But he left behind him a son of seven 
 years of age, whom he had by a concubine named Harlotta 
 whose beauty he had beheld by chance as she was dancing in 
 a company, and so he became carnally acquainted with her 
 the same night. And as he afterwards loved her to a sin- 
 gular degree, he for a considerable time retained her as his 
 wite ; and the child who was born of her was called Wil- 
 liam. And his future greatness was presaged by a dream of 
 his mother, who saw her entraUs dilate and extend over all 
 Normandy and England. And at the very moment when she 
 was delivered, and the boy was brought to light, he fell to the 
 ground, and filled both his hands with the rushes with which 
 the floor was strewed. When, therefore, this dream was re- 
 lated to the midwives, they all with joyful applause cried out. 
 that the boy would be a king. Therefore, duke Robert, when 
 about to depart for Jerusalem, summoned his nobles to a con- 
 terence at Feschamp, and there appointed his son William 
 his heir, and caused them aU to swear fealty to him. Count 
 trUbert was appointed guardian of the boy, and the superi- 
 ority over him was consigned to Henry, king of France 
 on condition, that if within a term appointed before-handi 
 his tather did not return, the dukedom of Normandy was to 
 belong to William in absolute power. 
 
 The same year, Haco, the count, who has been already 
 inentioned, died at sea, or, as some say, was slain in the 
 Orkney Islands. 
 
Si 
 
 524 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTillNSTER. A.D. 1031. 
 
 The same year, the Holy Olaus, the king, teacher, preacher, 
 and apostle of the Norici, in Norway, and son of Harold, king 
 of the Norici, was slain in Norway, being cruelly wounded by 
 the Norici with an axe, for that nation uses axes, not swords. 
 For that pagan and most blood-thirsty nation was indignant 
 that the holy king Olaus, by his preaching, teaching, spreadmg 
 the Gospel, and making laws, was destroying their ancient 
 superstitious laws. 
 
 A.D. 1031. Robert, duke of Normandy, having gloriously 
 finished his pilgrimage to Jerusalem, died among the Alps, 
 while he was on his way back to his own country. He was 
 succeeded by William his son, who, when he became a man, 
 so vigorously attacked all his enemies who despised him in 
 his age of childhood, that he not only restored his own pos- 
 sessions to their former state, but even procured advantages 
 to himself from the losses of others. 
 
 The same year, Canute, the most mighty king of England 
 and Denmark, went to Rome with great honour, and otfered 
 vast gifts of gold and silver, and silken cloth, and precious 
 stones, to Saint Peter, the chief of the Apostles, and procured 
 from pope John the exemption of the English school from 
 tribute. Both in going and returning he distributed large 
 alms among the poor. On his way, he, by payment of large 
 sums, abolished many barriers where tolls were extorted from 
 foreigners. And before the tomb of Peter, the prince of the 
 apostles, he vowed to God to amend his Ufe and habits, as he 
 has stated plainly in the letter which on his return from Rome 
 he sent to the nobles of England by the hands of Living, a 
 prudent man, and afterwards bishop of the church of Credi- 
 ton, and by those of other ambassadors. And among other 
 things, he announced to ^gelnoth, archbishop of Canterbury, 
 and to ^Ifric, archbishop of York, and to all the bishops and 
 prelates of England, that he had been at Rome at the great 
 and solemn festival of Easter, in the presence of pope John 
 and the emperor Conrad, and all the kings and princes of the 
 nations which he between Mount St. Angelo and the nearest 
 sea, all of whom received him honourably, and distinguished 
 him with splendid presents. Among whom, the emperor m 
 particular bestowed on him many gifts, not only of very 
 valuable garments, but also of golden vessels. And he com- 
 plained before the lord the pope, that an immense sum of 
 money was extorted from the archbishops of this country 
 
 A.D. 1033. 
 
 THE EMPEROE HENET CEOWNED. 
 
 525 
 
 when they sent to Rome to obtain the pallium ; at which the 
 pope was exceedingly confused, and forbade such a thing 
 being done again. He also commanded the before-mentioned 
 bishops, in the same letter, to take care that before he returned 
 to England, all the dues which belonged to the Cathohc 
 Church, such as alms for ploughs, and the small tithes from 
 the food of animals, and the first fruits from the seed of gar- 
 dens, which in Enghsh is called €i)irf!)eslfor, and the tithes 
 of the sheaves of corn, and also the pence due to Saint Peter, 
 which in Enghsh is called 3iaomt£(ft, were duly paid. More- 
 over, he expressly ordered all the viscounts and governors of 
 the kingdom of England to do violence to no man, but to 
 judge nghtly respecting both nobles and slaves, and in no 
 respect to deviate from justice for the sake of putting money 
 m their purses, as they had no need to increase their revenues 
 by means of sin. 
 
 A.D. 1032. Archbishop Agelnoth, on the seventeenth of 
 October, dedicated the convent of Saint Edmund, which had 
 been splendidly built at a3rten'cf)efi'U)ort]&, in honour of the 
 Mother of God and the before-mentioned Saint Edmund. 
 
 A.D. 1 033. Leoff, bishop of Worcester, died, and Britheff 
 succeeded to the episcopal see. 
 
 This year also, Benedict, as Martin tells us, was deposed 
 from the papacy, and another was elected pope, namely, the 
 bishop Sabiniensis, who was henceforth called Sylvester. He 
 also was ejected, and then Benedict again recovered the papacy. 
 Benedict was a second time ejected, and the papacy was give'n 
 to John, the archdeacon of the church of Saint John before 
 the Latin gate, who was thenceforth called Gregory the Sixth. 
 And he, when he obtained the papacy, as he was ignorant of 
 hterature, caused another pope to be consecrated with himself, 
 to aid him in performing the duties of his ecclesiastical office! 
 And as many disapproved of this, a third pope was elected 
 besides, that he by himself might discharge the duties of the 
 other two. As, therefore, there was one disputing about the 
 papacy with two, and two with one, and as Gregory died, the 
 emperor Henry came to Rome to act against the two. And 
 having deposed them by canonical and imperial sentence, he 
 by force elected to the papacy in their stead Sindeger, bishop 
 of Babenberg, who was thenceforth called Clement the Second, 
 and by him the emperor Henry was crowned, the Romans 
 promising him, and confirming the promise by an oath, that 
 
526 
 
 MATTHEW or WESTMIKSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 1035. 
 
 they would never elect a Roman pontiff without his consent. 
 Then Benedict, who was the nephew of the former Benedict, 
 appeared to a certain miller, in the form of a monstrous 
 animal, whose head and tail were those of an ass, and the 
 rest of his body like that of a bear. And when the beholder 
 had fled in his alarm, the monster cried out after him and 
 said, " Fear me not ; know that I was once a man as you 
 are. But I present myself in this ])efore, because formerly, 
 when I was a wretched pope, I lived like a beast." This is 
 the account given by Martin. 
 
 The same year, the most mighty king, Canute, returning 
 from Rome, led a hostile expedition against the Scots, who 
 rebelled, and without much difficulty subdued king Malcolm 
 and two other kings. Likewise the same king Canute built 
 the abbey of Saint Benedict of Elm, and placed monks there, 
 to serve God under the rule of Saint Benedict, whom he 
 mightily commended. He also made a solid road along the 
 marsh between Rames and Burgh, which is called Binge sJUtlft, 
 in order to avoid the danger of the great swamps. Moreover, 
 out of gratitude to God for the victory which he had given 
 him, he gave many gifts, both in the way of privileges and 
 also of estates, to the brethren of the rehgious orders, and he 
 confirmed his gifts that they might last for ever. He also 
 very liberally ordered many presents to be distributed among 
 the poor. 
 
 A.D. 1034. Benedict was elected to the Roman chair, which 
 he filled fourteen years. The same year, Eadric, bishop of 
 Dorchester, died, and was succeeded by Eadnoth. 
 
 A.D. 1035. Canute, king of England, Denmark, and Nor- 
 way, appointed Sweyn, who was his son by Elgiva, king over 
 the Norwegians, and his son Hardicanute, whom he had by 
 Emma of Normandy, he caused to be crowned king of Den- 
 mark. 
 
 After that, he returned into England, and on the twelfth of 
 November he died at Shaftsbury ; and I think the following 
 story respecting him ought not to be omitted. As he was 
 flourishing and magnificent in the kingdom which he had 
 acquired by his bravery, he one day ordered his royal chair 
 to be placed on the sea-shore, and then mounting, he sat 
 down in it, and said in a threatening voice, *' You are under 
 my dominion, sea, and the land on which I sit is mine, nor 
 
 A.D. 1035. HAROLD INYESTED WITH THE CEOWN. 52" 
 
 is there any one m it who can dare with impunity to resist my 
 authority. I now command you not to come upon my land 
 nor to presume to wet my royal vestments." But as wave 
 after wave rose up and disregarded his injunctions, the sea 
 without any respect wetted the feet and legs of the king ; and 
 then the king, not leaping from his chair till he was almost 
 00 late, said, -Let aU the inhabitants of the world know 
 that the power of kings is vain and frivolous, and that no one 
 IS worthy of the name of king, except Him in obedience to 
 whose nod the heaven, and earth, and sea, and all that is in 
 them, are subject to eternal laws.'' And from that time forth 
 the king never wore liis crown, but he always placed it on the 
 head of the image of his crucified Master, and so gave a great 
 example of humility to all future kings. He waf buried at 
 Winchester, m the old monastery, with all royal honour, and 
 may his soul enjoy eternal glory. 
 
 .1^^ ^^!? ^Y^ T'^ Voy^erful king Canute was dead, the 
 nobles of the kmgdom came together to Oxford to a confer- 
 ence to discuss the subject of the election of a new kine. 
 And the general Leofric, and all the Danish nobles in London 
 elected Harold, the son of Canute by his concubine Algiva! 
 But Godwin count of Kent, and the chiefs of Wessex, in op- 
 position to them, preferred Hardicanute, the son of Canule 
 by queen Emma, or else one of the sons of king Etheh-ed 
 and the same Emma, who was living in Normandy But as 
 Hardicanute was at that time in Dacia, and Alfred and Ed- 
 ward, the sons of king Ethelred, were absent in Normandy, 
 he party of Harold prevaUed, and having been invested with 
 the crown of the kmgdom of England, he hastened to Win- 
 chester and tyrannically seized aU the treasures and riches 
 which king Canute had bequeathed to his queen Emma, and 
 banished Emma herself, his own stepmother, from England 
 And she seeking refuge with Baldwin, count of Flanders, re* 
 ceived from him the castle of Bruges, to dwell there; for 
 Wdliam duke of Normandy, being still under the guardian-* 
 dukedom ^ ''''^' ^^^ "°^ "^ y^^ absolute power over his 
 
 WUliam of Malmesbury says that this Harold was the son 
 of a cobbler and that .Elfgina,the queen, had adopted him as 
 
 hi^?\''u^''''V^' knowledge of the king, and had caused 
 him to be brought up as the king's son.^ 
 
 ' This was Harold Harefoot. 
 
528 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1037. 
 
 A.D. 1036. Alfred, the eldest son of king Ethelred, who was 
 still living in Normandy, when he heard of the death of 
 Canute, came to England, with twenty-five picked ships full 
 of armed men, in order peaceably, if possible, but, if need 
 were, by force of arms, to obtain his father's kingdom, which 
 of right belonged to him. And, landing with his men in the 
 harbour of Sandwich, he marched as far as Canterbury. And 
 when Godwin, count of Kent, heard of his arrival, he went to 
 meet him, and pledging his faith to him, in the next night 
 played the part of the traitor Judas to him and his comrades. 
 For after he had given him the kiss of peace, and after a cheer- 
 ful banquet, in the deep silence of the night, when Alfred and 
 his companions had yielded their limbs to sleep, they were all 
 taken, unarmed, in their beds, suspecting no evil, by a multi- 
 tude of armed men who rushed upon them, and, with their 
 hands bound behind their backs, they were compelled to sit 
 down in order, one by the side of the other ; and sitting there, 
 nine were beheaded, and the tenth released and preserved alive. 
 And all this was done at ©ilUcforlJe, a royal town. But as it 
 appeared to the traitor Godwin that in this way more people 
 were left ahve than was desirable, he ordered them to be deci- 
 mated a second time, and then very few remained alive. And 
 the young Alfred, who was in all respects worthy of the honours 
 of a king, he sent bound to the city of London, to king Ha- 
 rold, with the small number of his followers who remained 
 after the decimation, that he might find more favour in Harold's 
 eyes. But the moment that the king beheld the young Alfred, 
 he caused him to be conducted to the Isle of Ely, and there to 
 be deprived of liis eyes, and the soldiers he put to death in a 
 pitiless manner ; and Alfred, that admirable young man, died, 
 and was buried there. 
 
 A.D. 1037. The body of Pallas, the son of Evander, of whom 
 Virgil speaks, was found at Rome quite uninjured, to the great 
 astonishment of all beholders, who marvelled at its having pre- 
 served its incorruptibility for so many ages. The hole made 
 by the wound which Turnus had inflicted in the centre of his 
 chest was four feet and a half long ; there was also found an 
 epitaph inscribed on his tomb, in the following words : 
 
 *' Pallas, Evander's son, whom Turnus's spear 
 
 Pierced through the heart and slew, lies buried here." 
 
 And a burning lamp was found at his head, composed with 
 
 A.D. 1040. IIAEDICANUTE COMES TO ENGLAIfD. 
 
 529 
 
 mathematical skUl, so that no violence of wind, and no liquid 
 poured upon it, was able to extinguish it. And as many mar- 
 velled thereat, some one, who had a more subtle genius,' made 
 a hole with a pen beneath the flame, and then, when air had 
 been introduced, the fire ceased to burn. The body, when 
 placed against the wall, was found to be taller than the wall 
 was high. But in process of time, as the dripping of rain and 
 dew fell upon the body and moistened it, it then experienced 
 the corruption of all mortals, its sinews and its skin dissolving 
 and decaying. =* 
 
 A.D. 1038. Agelnoth, archbishop of Canterbury, died on the 
 twenty-eighth of October, and was succeeded by Eadsv. This 
 year there also died Ethelric. bishop of Selsey, ^Ifric, bishop 
 of Helmham, and Britheg, bishop of Worcester. And they 
 had the following successors respectively : Grinketello in the 
 church of Selsey, Stigand in the church of Helmham, and 
 Living bishop of Crediton, in the church of Worcester But 
 Migand was afterwards ejected, and Grinketello, bishop of 
 J^elsey. (having paid no small sum of money for his promotion) 
 obtained the two bishoprics, Selsey and Helmham. After- 
 wards however, Grinketello was ejected, and Stigand restored. 
 And then ^Stigand, by a payment of money, procured the bish- 
 opric of Helmham for his brother ^gelmar ; and the same 
 fttigand, to gratify his avarice, paid sums of money, and pro- 
 cured for himself the thrones of Canterbury and Winchester 
 of SeTs''"^'^ «^^^^^^y allow a bishop to be appointed to the see 
 
 A.D. 1039. Brithmar, bishop of Lichfield, died, and was 
 succeeded by Wolf. And the same year, Hardieanute, kin^ of 
 IJenmark went over to Flanders to his mother, queen Emma 
 and stayed with her some time at Bruges. 
 
 A.D. 1040. Henry succeeded to the empire of the Romans, 
 and reigned with great splendour for sixteen years. The same 
 year, Harold, king of England, after he had reigned four years, 
 died at Oxford, and was buried at Westminster. Then the 
 nobles, both of the English and of the Danes, agreeing in one 
 vote, sent ambassadors to Bruges in Flanders to Hardieanute, 
 King ot Denmark, who was staying at Bruges with his mother, 
 entreating him to come and assume the crown of England. And 
 ije immediately adopting the advice of the nobles, came at 
 Midsummer into England, and was received joyfully by every 
 one, and was consecrated king by Eadsv, archbishop of Can- 
 
530 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1041. 
 
 terbury. And as soon as he was established in his kingdom, 
 he showed that he was not unmindful of the injuries which 
 had been inflicted on himself and his mother by liis predeces- 
 sor, king Harold ; but sent ^Ifric, archbishop of York, earl 
 Godwin, Eadric, his steward, and Trond, the executioner, to 
 London to dig up the body of the king; and then he ordered them 
 to cut off the head, and throw the carcass into the river Thames. 
 And when it had been thrown into the river, it was, a short 
 time afterwards, found by a fisherman, and buried by the 
 Danish people in London, in the cemetery of the Danes. 
 
 After these events, he ordered money to be collected through- 
 out all England, and eight marks to be paid to every rower of 
 his fleet, and ten marks to every pilot ; by which measure he 
 earned the hatred of all those who had previously wished for 
 his arrival. Moreover, he was inflamed with violent anger 
 against the traitor, earl Godwin, and Living, bishop of Wor- 
 cester, on account of the death of his brother Alfred, of which, 
 -^Ifric, archbishop of York, and many other persons, were 
 continually accusing them. And on this account he degraded 
 Living, and gave his bishopric to ^Ifric. But Godwin, to 
 atone for the death of his brother Alfred, and to secure his 
 friendship, gave him a ship wrought in gold, with a golden 
 beak, and equipped with every part of its furniture and arma- 
 ment of gold, and decorated with l)eautiful arms, and with 
 eighty soldiers all made of gold ; and every one of these sol- 
 diers had on his arms two golden armlets, weighing sixteen 
 ounces, a breastplate of triple threads of gold, a golden helmet 
 on his head, a sword with golden hilt, girt about his loins, a 
 Danish battleaxe, made of gold, hanging to his left shoulder, 
 a shield in his left hand with golden bosses and nails, a golden 
 spear in his right hand, which in the English language is 
 called l^atcgar. And, besides all this, he swore, and he was 
 corroborated by nearly all the nobles of the whole kingdom, 
 and by all the men of the greatest reputation, that it had not 
 been by any advice or with any consent of his that his brother 
 liad been blinded, but that king Harold had given orders for 
 what had been done. 
 
 A.D. 1041. Hardicanute, king of England, sent his servants 
 throughout all the districts of his kingdom to collect the tribute 
 which he had commanded to be levied without sparing any 
 one ; and from this tribute to supply his pirates with every- 
 thing that was needful for them. And the people of the pro- 
 
 A.D. 1041. GUNILDA ACCUSED OF ADULTEET. 
 
 531 
 
 vince of Worcester uniting with the citizens of that city, slew 
 two of those servants, by name Feeder and Turstin, because 
 they had behaved towards them with too great severity, catch- 
 ing them in the upper room of a monastery to which they had 
 fled for refuge. At which, the king was moved to exceeding 
 anger, and m revenge for this crime he sent some counts and 
 armed soldiers into the district, ordering them to slay the men, 
 to plunder and burn the city, and to lay waste the whole pro- 
 vince. And when this had been done according as it had been 
 commanded, they returned to the king with great booty, and 
 so his wrath was appeased. The same year, Edward, son of 
 kmg Ethelred, came from Normandy into England, and was 
 joyfully received by the king, his brother, and remained at his 
 court, bemg held in great respect and consideration. 
 
 The same year, Hardicanute, king of England, sent Gunilda, 
 his sister, the daughter of king Canute and queen Emma, a 
 maiden of infinite beauty, to be married to Henry, emperor of 
 the Romans. And in the time of king Canute, this maiden, 
 by reason of her incomparable beauty, had been sought in 
 marriage by many men of noble birth, but they had not ob- 
 tained her. And so now the ceremony of her nuptials was 
 solemnized with extraordinary pomp, and the king her brother, 
 and nearly all the inhabitants of the kingdom, poured forth 
 their treasures of gold and silver, and went to such expense 
 m robes, and jewels, and valuable horses, that to this very day 
 actors and minstrels, at banquets and in taverns, are scarcely 
 able to celebrate this nuptial ceremony, with all their instru- 
 ments and songs, in a sufficiently worthy manner. And the 
 treaty of conjugal love lasted between them a long time ; but 
 at last, owing to some sowers of discord, Gunilda was accused 
 before the emperor of the crime of adultery. Accordingly, in 
 compliance with the custom of the kingdom, Gunilda was 
 bound to redeem the fame of her purity by doing battle against 
 her accuser, a man of gigantic size. But of all the soldiers and 
 servants who had come with her out of England, there was 
 not one found who dared to fight with the accuser, on account 
 ot the terrible prodigiousness of his personal strength. So 
 when Gunilda was in a great strait on all sides, a certain boy, 
 whom she had brought with her from England, and who had 
 been bred up in her chamber, who was very Uttle, and who, 
 on account of the smallness of his size, was called Mimecan, 
 undertook to do battle for his mistress, whom he knew to be un- 
 
532 
 
 MATTHEW 0¥ WESTMIXSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 1041. 
 
 justly accused ; and engaging the giant in battle, by a miracle 
 of God hamstrung him, and so deprived him of strength. And 
 when he fell to the ground, Mimecan cut off his head and pre- 
 sented it to his mistress. Then the empress, being gladdened 
 at this unhoped-for triumph, divorced herself from the emperor, 
 nor could she from that time forth be won over, by either 
 threats or blandishments, to consent to enter his bed. 
 
 This emperor, while his father, Conrad, was still alive, had 
 received from one of the secular clergy a silver pipe, on con- 
 dition that, when he became emperor, he should confer a bish- 
 opric on him. And when the clergyman demanded the fulfil- 
 ment of the promise, Henry, who was now grown up, and who 
 had been created emperor after the death of his father, wil- 
 lingly gave him a bishopric. But not long afterwards, he was 
 afflicted for this wicked error, and struck with disease, and so 
 took to his bed, and as his illness increased, he lay three days 
 senseless and speechless, dumb as if his soul had departed from 
 liis body ; so that the breath of hfe scarcely beat within his 
 breast, and the only sign of hfe was, that if a hand was held 
 before his nostrils a very weak breathing was perceived. Then 
 the bishops and his friends who were present ordered a fast 
 for three days, and with tears and prayers implored the divine 
 mercy for the safety of the emperor. 
 
 And when, in consequence of these remedies, as it is believed, 
 he became convalescent, he sent for the bishop whom he had 
 made so simoniacally, in return for the silver pipe, and de- 
 graded him by the decree of the council. For he confessed, 
 m the hearing of all men, that during the whole three days 
 that he had been lying in that lifeless state, he had been among 
 the devils, and had found them so hostile to him that they had 
 kept darting flames of fire into his mouth through a pipe, and 
 burnt his whole body both inside and outside. And the flame 
 burnt him to such a degree that, in comparison of that fire, all 
 earthly fire seemed only lukewarm, and absolutely devoid of 
 heat. But amid all this burning, the emperor had a young 
 man exceedingly hot, as if he had been roasted with fire, who 
 bore in his hands a golden goblet, of wonderful size, full of 
 water. And the emperor by his care being besprinkled with 
 the liquid, found the fire extinguished by it, and was restored 
 to his former health. And when he marvelled at this, and en- 
 quired of the roasted young man who had provided him with 
 this cooling aspersion who he was, he brought back to- his re- 
 
 A.D. 1042. 
 
 DEATH OF HAEDICANUTE. 
 
 533 
 
 collection, that he had rebuilt a convent of the blessed martyr 
 Laurence, which had been formeriy destroyed by the pa'^aiis,* 
 and established monks in it, and endowed it with large es'tates 
 and many benefices, and, among other things, had given it a 
 golden goblet, adorned with jewels, which, having then be- 
 stowed It on the church in honour of the martyr, he now, while 
 m the middle of the fire, recognized, while the roasted younir 
 man supplied him with cooling water from it. 
 
 A.D. 1042. Hardicanute, king of England, being present at 
 a marriage feast, in which Osgod Glappa, a man of great 
 power, gave his daughter, Giva, to a certain Dane, by name Ca- 
 nute, at Lambey, while he was standing in sound health and 
 high spirits, and drinking with the bride and others of the 
 guests, fell to the ground all at once, and becoming speechless 
 died on the eighth of June. After that, he was carried to Win- 
 chester, and buried near his father, Canute ; and his brother, 
 hdward, by the unanimous consent of the clergy and people 
 was elected king at London, and on the first day of Easter was 
 consecrated king at Winchester, by Eadsy, archbishop of Can- 
 terbury, and ^Ifric, archbishop of York, and their suffragan 
 bishops. But king Edward was the son of Ethelred, who was 
 the son of Edgar, who was the son of Edmund, who was the 
 son of Edward, who was the son of king Alfred the Great 
 whose genealogy I have already traced up to Adam. 
 
 But king Edward, as soon as he was crowned king, took 
 away from queen Emma, his mother, who was at that time 
 hving at Winchester, all the gold, and sUver, and valuables that 
 she possessed, because before he was king she had given him 
 nothing that he asked for. But, nevertheless, he ordered that 
 she should be provided with a sufficiency of necessary things 
 and he commanded her to continue to live quietly at Winches' 
 ter. And note, that Edward the Second, the brother of Ethel- 
 red, that is to say, Edward the Martyr, was the uncle of this 
 Mward. 
 
 Cn. XXL— Feom a.d. 1043 to a.d. 1066. 
 
 Kinj Edward marries earl Godwin's daughter— Godwin and 
 his sons become enemies to Edward— Death of Godwin— 
 Siward defeats Macbeth, and Malcolm is made king of 
 Scotland— Edward summons from Hungary his nephew 
 hdward, to become his successor— The story of lady Godiva 
 
 ■1 
 
534 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMIN8TEE. 
 
 A.D. 1049. 
 
 — A singular piece of sorcery is detected at Rome — An agree- 
 ment is made between Harold and William of Normandy — 
 Harold ravages Wales— Saint Oswin— Quarrel between 
 Tosti and Harold— Death of Edward— Harold is crowned 
 king of England— Williatn of Normandy invades England 
 — The battle of Hastings. 
 
 A.D. 1043. Eadsy, archbishop of Canterbury, being oppressed 
 with grave infirmities, abdicated his bishopric, and Siward 
 was consecrated archbishop in his stead. The same year, 
 Helstan, abbot of Ramsey, on the vigil of Saint Michael, was 
 stabbed with a knife by a stranger, at the hour of vespers, 
 within the church, and died, and was succeeded as abbot by 
 ^Ifwin. 
 
 A.D. 1044. King Edward, by way of securing protection for 
 his kingly power, married the daughter of that most powerful 
 noble, earl Godwin, whose name was Edith. The same year, 
 ^Ifric, bishop of Helmham, died, and was succeeded by Sti- 
 gand, the king's chaplain. 
 
 A.D. 1045. Brithwold, bishop of Ramsbury, died, and was 
 succeeded by Herman, the king's chaplain. The same year, 
 king Edward collected a numerous fleet at the port of Sand- 
 wich, to act against the king of the Noricans, who was planning 
 an expedition against England. But a war which was declared 
 against him by Sweyne, king of Denmark, prevented him 
 from carrying out his intention. 
 
 A.D. 1046. Silvester became pope, and occupied the Roman 
 chair fifty-six days, and was succeeded the same year by Gre- 
 gory, who ruled the see for two years. The same year. Living, 
 who had held the bishoprics of Worcester, Crediton, and Corn- 
 wall, died ; and, after his decease, Leofric, the king's chan- 
 cellor, obtained the bishopric of Crediton and Cornwall, and 
 ^Idred succeeded to the see of Worcester. 
 
 A.D. 1047. Grunketelle, the bishop of Selsey, died, and was 
 succeeded by Hecca, the king's chaplain ; and the same year, 
 Ealfwin, bishop of Winchester, died, and Stigand, bishop of 
 Helmham, was promoted in his stead. 
 
 A.D. 1048. Clement was elected to the Roman chair, which 
 he occupied nine months and six days. The same year, Ed- 
 mund, bishop of Durham, died, and was succeeded by Eadred. 
 A.D. 1049. Damasus was made pope. He filled the Roman 
 chair twenty-six days, and was the same year succeeded by 
 
 A.D. 1049. 
 
 SOECEHT DISCOTEEED AT EOME. 
 
 535 
 
 Leo, who ruled the see four years, two months, and six davs. 
 Li the time of this pope, king Edward sent ambassadors to 
 the Apostolic See, to procure him absolution from a vow which 
 he had made, for he vowed that he would go to Rome if he 
 obtained his father's kingdom ; and the pope wholly released 
 him from this vow, and wrote to him, enjoining him strictly, in 
 the name of holy obedience and penitence, to distribute among 
 the poor the sum which he had prepared for his journey, and 
 either to build a new convent for monks, in honour of Saint 
 Peter the Chief of the Apostles, or else to repair an old one, 
 and to endow it with suflicient means for the support of the 
 brethren out of his own revenues; and, by his Apostolical autho- 
 rity, he commanded that whatever he should give to that founda- 
 tion, or whatever had been given, or whatever should be hereafter 
 given by others, should be confirmed to it, and whatever pri- 
 vileges pertaining to the honour of God the king should en- 
 dow it with, the pope now sanctioned, and confirmed by the 
 most positive authority, and condemned all who infringed 
 them with his everlasting curse. Therefore, when the ambas- 
 sadors returned to England, the blessed Peter revealed, to a 
 certain monk of exemplary character, by name Wolsin, his 
 will that a certain foundation should be restored which was 
 called West Monastery [Westminster]. And when the monk 
 had related his vision to the king and to his brethren, the king, 
 by the advice of the whole kingdom, restored that foundation 
 and enriched it with estates, and revenues, and privileges. 
 
 The same year, a diabohcal piece of sorcery, unheard of in 
 our times, was discovered at Rome. For there were in the 
 public road which leads to Rome, two old women living in one 
 cabin, and both imbued with the same wickedness, who were 
 in the habit of transforming any stranger who came to them by 
 himself, into a horse, or pig, or any other animal they chose, and 
 then, selling the animals that had been so transformed to mer- 
 chants, they spent the money that they procured in this man- 
 ner in drunkenness and debauchery. And, by chance, they 
 on one occasion received in their cottage a young man who 
 was well acquainted with the art of dancing, and who gained 
 his liveUhood by the profession of an actor. And that night 
 they transformed him into an ass, and made a great profit by 
 means of him ; for the young man, though he had become au 
 ass, had not lost his understanding, though he had lost his 
 power of speech. And whatever the old woman commanded. 
 
536 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEB. 
 
 A.D. 1049. 
 
 the ass performed, playing and dancing. And, accordingly, 
 as the multitude flocked to see the tricks of the ass, the old 
 witches did not allow them to see the ass play his tricks ex- 
 cept on payment of money. At last, when his fame was 
 spread over the whole province, a rich man came to the old 
 sorceresses, and, giving an immoderate price for him, became 
 the proprietor of this ass. But, as he was departing with his 
 purchase, he was warned by the woman that if he wished to 
 have a long enjoyment of the sport, he must keep the ass from 
 entering the water. Accordingly, the rich man appointed a 
 servant to watch him, and take diligent care of him. And 
 whenever he wished to be amused, the tricks of the ass de- 
 lighted him and all his company. But, after a considerable 
 period had elapsed, the tricks of the ass began to get weari- 
 some, and he began to be taken less care of by his keepers. 
 And so, one day he broke the halter by which he was fastened, 
 and threw himself into a lake which was close at hand, and 
 having rolled about for some time in the water, he recovered 
 his original form of a man. And his keeper pursued him, and, 
 seeing a man, enquired of him whether he had seen an ass 
 running away. He told him that he himself had been the ass, but 
 that he had just recovered the form of a man. And then he 
 related to him all that had happened to him, and told him all 
 the treatment that he had received. The servant marvelling, 
 reported the matter to his master, and his master reported it 
 to pope Leo. And the women being convicted, confessed 
 their crimes to the pope. And while the pope was in doubt 
 about the matter, he had his doubts set at rest by Peter Da- 
 mian, who adduced the instance of Simon Magus, who caused 
 Faustianus to appear in the shape of Simon, and to be regarded 
 with horror by his own sons. 
 
 Augustine tells a similar story of a certain man whose name 
 was Prsestantius, which he says he heard from Preestantius's 
 own son. For Prsestantius had taken poison in some cheese ; 
 and as he lay in bed for many days as if he were asleep, when 
 he awoke, he said that he had become a horse, and he declared 
 that he had been carrying corn like a horse. The same Au- 
 gustine records, that when he was in Italy, he heard of some 
 women who used to give travellers diabolical confections 
 wrapped up in cheese, by means of which they seemed to be 
 transformed into beasts of burden ; and then, when they had 
 finished the tasks that were imposed upon them, they returned 
 
 A.D. 1051. MEETING OF NOBLES AT LINDISFAENE. 537 
 
 to their human form, and testified that they had again re- 
 covered their rational mmds. It is also found recorded by 
 the hermit Macarius, that a certain damsel was changed by 
 witches into a mare ; and when she was presented by her 
 friends to Macarius, she did not appear to Macarius to be a 
 mare, but a damsel, but to all her own friends she appeared to 
 be a beast. When the man of God, having addressed his 
 prayers to the Lord, caused the damsel to appear to them all 
 to be really a woman : from which it is plain that the devils 
 cannot change human forms into beasts, but that they can 
 deceive the eyes of men with their machinations, so that a 
 body may be one thing, and seem another. 
 
 A.D. 1050. The following bishops died: — Eadnoth, bishop 
 of Dorchester ; Siward, the deputy of Eadsy, archbishop of 
 Canterbury ; and, after Siward's death, Eadsy himself died 
 also. Eadsy was succeeded by Robert, bishop of London, 
 and William succeeded Robert in the government of the church 
 of London ; while Ulfo, the king's chaplain, became bishop 
 of Dorchester. 
 
 A.D. 1051. King Edward released the Enghsh from a very 
 heavy tribute which had been accustomed, during the hfe-time 
 of his father, to be paid to the Danish mercenaries, to the 
 amount of thirty-eight thousand pounds. The same year, M\- 
 fric, archbishop of York, died, and was succeeded by Kinsey, 
 the king's chaplain. J^ 
 
 The same year, William, duke of Normandy, came into Eng- 
 land, and was honourably received by king Edward, who pre- 
 sented him with many gifts, and sent him back with honour 
 to his own country. 
 
 This year also, many nobles of the Northumbrian nation 
 met at Lindisfarne, at a certain church, where they were going 
 to pass decrees, and they requested the priest to be charitable 
 enough to celebrate mass for them. But the priest, who that 
 night had been sleeping with a concubine, was afraid to ap- 
 proach the sacred office. But, as they earnestly entreated the 
 priest to chaunt the mass, at last, overcome by their entreaties, 
 he in great alarm began to celebrate the divine mysteries for 
 them at their request. But when he ought to have* taken the 
 holy mystery, he carefully looked into the cup, and lo ! he 
 saw the portion which, according to custom, had been put into 
 the cup so completely changed into an object of exceeding 
 blackness, that what he saw in the cup was rather of the colour 
 
538 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEB. 
 
 A.D. 1051. 
 
 of a fish than of bread and wine. Immediately, the priest 
 perceived his guilt, and, trembling greatly, he doubted what he 
 ought to do with what he saw in the cup. For fearing to taste 
 it, as he would have feared death, he would have hked to spill 
 it on the ground ; but he was afraid to do that, because it had 
 been consecrated. Being afraid, therefore, that whatever he 
 did he should not be able to escape the judgment of Almighty 
 God, he, with great fear, took it. But it was so bitter, that he 
 seemed never to have tasted anything more bitter. And the 
 mass was hardly finished, before he hastened to go to the bishop, 
 and lay before him the whole matter just as it had occurred. 
 And the bishop ordered him a penance, and enjoined him from 
 tliat day forth to endeavour to lead a pure and chaste hfe be- 
 fore God, which he promised faithfully, and, as long as he 
 lived, he kept his promise. 
 
 About the same time, Eustace, count of Boulogne, who had 
 married Goda, the sister of king Edward, landed at Dover with 
 his followers. And as his soldiers, in seeking for lodgings, be- 
 haved with exceeding folly and arrogance, they slew one of 
 the men of the borough ; and one of the citizens seeing this, 
 slew the soldier who had done the deed. On whifch account 
 the count and his soldiers were turned to anger, and slew many 
 men and women, and crushed two children under their own 
 feet and those of their horses. But, when the citizens assembled 
 together to resist, the enemy betook themselves to a shameful 
 flight, and eighteen of them were slain while flying ; but the 
 rest fled to king Edward, who was at that time at Gloucester. 
 Then earl Godwin, being exceedingly enraged at some of his 
 followers of the borough of Dover having been slain, collected 
 an army of all the principal men of his earldom, that is to say, 
 of Kent, Sussex, and Wessex ; and liis eldest son, Sweyne, did 
 the same with respect to the provinces under him, that is 
 to say, Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Somer- 
 setshire, and Berkshire ; and his son Harold collected troops 
 from his provinces, that is, from Essex, East-AngHa, Cam- 
 bridgeshire, and Huntingdonshire ; so that they collected a vast 
 force. And when king Edward heard of this, he also collected 
 a numerous army, being prepared to fight with the enemy, if 
 it proved necessary. In the meantime, Godwin, coming with 
 his army into the province of Gloucestershire, sent ambassadors 
 to the king, and desired Eustace and his companions to be 
 given up to him, under a threat of war if they were not. But, 
 
 A.P. 1052. GODWIN PLUJIDEES KENT AND SUSSEX. 
 
 539 
 
 as the king was sufficiently provided with military forces, he 
 repUed that he would not send count Eustace to him. More- 
 over, he commanded him, inasmuch as he had assembled an 
 army against him, and had disturbed the peace of the kingdom 
 without his permission, to come before him on an appointed 
 day, to make answer concerning this wrong, and to submit to 
 the law. But Godwin, as he did not dare to engage in battle 
 with the king, so also was he unwilling to come to his court 
 to submit to the law ; on which account, the king, in accord- 
 ance with the unanimous decision of his court, outlawed God- 
 win and his four sons, and banished them from England. 
 And Godwin with his wife Giva, and Tosti his son with his 
 wife Judith, the daughter of Baldwin, count of Flanders, and 
 his other two sons Sweyn and Garth, embarked on board ship 
 with large treasures, and directed their course into Flanders 
 to the before-mentioned count Baldwin. His sons, Harold 
 and Leofwin, went to Bristol and crossed over to Ireland. 
 The king, too, divorced his wife Edith, on account of her 
 father, and sent her without any honour to Redwell, with only 
 one handmaid, and entrusted her to the care of the abbess. 
 
 A.D. 1052. Marianus, the Scot, that most veracious writer 
 of chronicles, departed this hfe. The same year, queen Emma, 
 the wife of the kings Ethelred and Canute, died, and was 
 buried at Winchester. About the same time. Griffin, king of 
 Wales, laid waste the provinces of Hereford, and slew num- 
 bers of the men of the district who resisted. And not long 
 afterwards, count Harold, and his brother Leofwin, coming 
 from Ireland into Wessex, carried off great booty, and slew 
 those who opposed them. But Godwin, plundering the coun- 
 ties of Kent and Sussex, and carrying off a great deal of 
 booty, came at last to the Isle of Wight, where his sons, Ha- 
 rold and Leofwin, joined him, and then, they all diligently 
 plotted to avenge themselves on king Edward. Accordingly, 
 they laboured to win over numbers of the warhke men of 
 these provinces, and having collected an immense army, on 
 the day of the exaltation of the Holy Cross, they steered their 
 fleet towards the city of London, and pitched their camp near 
 the city of ^uti)lDfrh. King Edward, who was at that time 
 in London, had collected a vast number of armed men, and 
 no inconsiderable fleet, in order to pursue Godwin and his 
 sons, both by land and water. But the EngUsh, whose sons, 
 and nephews, and kinsmen, and friends, were with Godwin, 
 
540 
 
 MATTUEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1054. 
 
 were unwilling to fight against him. On which account, five 
 wise men of each party zealously treated about the renewal of 
 peace between the king and duke Godwin. But when it was 
 morning, the king having taken counsel with his chief men, 
 restored their former honours to Godwin, and all his sons ex- 
 cept Sweyn : for he, having been influenced by penitence be- 
 cause he had slain Beorn, a cousin of the king, had proceeded 
 bare-foot from Flanders to Jerusalem, and on his return, died 
 on the road, of a disease contracted from the excessive cold. 
 The king also received back, in a worthy manner, Edith, his 
 queen, the daughter of duke Godwin, and restored her to her 
 former dignity. And, concord having been thus produced, 
 and peace being thus established, the king promised all the 
 people upright laws and true justice, and sent back the Nor- 
 mans, who had given him wicked counsel against the English, 
 to their native country ; among whom, Robert, archbishop of 
 Canterbury, and William, bishop of London, and Ulfo, bishop 
 of Dorchester, and their Normans, escaped with difficulty, and 
 crossed the sea. But not long afterwards, William was recalled 
 on account of his goodness, and restored to his bishopric. 
 Stigand, who formerly, when he was dismissed from the 
 bishopric of Helmham, aiming at a higher rank, had invaded 
 the bishopric of Winchester, now, circumventing the simplicity 
 of king Edward, obtained the dignity of archbishop of Can- 
 terbury, though Robert was still alive. But Osbern and Hugo, 
 being both Normans by birth, left their castles, and sought 
 refuge with the king of Scotland, and were received by him. 
 
 A.D. 1053. The brother of Griffin, king of Wales, whose 
 name was Rhesus, was slain in the place which is called Bul- 
 lingdon, and his head was carried to Gloucester, and pre- 
 sented to king Edward on the vigil of the Epiphany. 
 
 A.D. 1054. Edward, king of England, celebrated the so- 
 lemn festival of Easter at Winchester. And the king, during 
 this solemn festival, was sitting at table, when his cup-bearer, 
 bringing the king's cup full of wine to the table, caught 
 one of his feet in the floor of the room, but recovering him- 
 self with the other foot, he avoided any accident. And 
 when earl Godwin, the father-in-law of the king, who, ac- 
 cording to custom, was sitting next to the king at dinner, saw 
 this, he said, '* Here, one brother has brought assistance to 
 another." And the king, speaking ironically, answered this 
 jest of his, saying, " My brother might lately have been able 
 
 A.D. 1055. ALGAS AND GRIFriN ENTEE HEREFOBD. 541 
 
 to assist me, if it had not been for the treachery of Godwin '' 
 And he, bemg mdignant at this expression of the kine an- 
 swered " I know, king, I know well, that you look upon 
 me with suspicion, because of the death of your brother Al- 
 fred. But may God, who is true and just, not permit this 
 morsel of bread which I have in my hand to go down my 
 throat without choking me, if ever your brother was nearer 
 death, or farther from fife, owing to me or to my counsel.'^ 
 And when he had said this, the king blessed the mouthful 
 which Godwin put m his mouth, and he having an evil con- 
 science, was choked by it. And when the king saw him lifeless 
 and pale - Drag this dog out," said he, " this traitor, and bury 
 him m the cross roads ; for he does not deserve to receive 
 Christian burial." But when his sons who were present saw 
 this, they drew their father away from the table, without the 
 king being aware of it, and buried him in the old monastery 
 of that city. Then king Edward gave his dukedom to his 
 son Harold. 
 
 The same year, by command of king Edward, Siward, the 
 gallant duke of Northumberland, led a large army into Scot- 
 land, and drove the king, Macbeth, from his kingdom, many 
 thousands of Scots being slain, and all the Normans, of 
 whom we have made mention above. And then kincr Ed- 
 ward gave the kingdom of Scotland to Malcolm, son of the 
 kmg of Cumberland, to be held of him. 
 
 A.D 1055. Victor became pope of Rome, and filled the Ro- 
 man chair two years, three months, and thirteen days. The 
 same year, Siward, the noble duke of Northumberland, died 
 and Edward granted his dukedom to Tosti, the brother of 
 duke Harold. And not long afterwards, in a council held at 
 London, king Edward banished count Algar from England 
 who soon after went to Ireland, and having procured eicrhteen 
 piratical vessels, he united himself to Griffin, king of Wales 
 and then entered the kingdom of England, with the intent to 
 ay It waste. At length, when Algar and Griffin had entered 
 tlie province of Hereford in a hostile manner, they were en 
 countered by duke Ranulph, king Edward's sister's son, with 
 a numerous army. But at the very first onset. Count Ra- 
 milph and his men took to flight. And when Algar and 
 Ixrilhn saw this, they pursued the flpng enemy, and slew five 
 hundred of them, and having gained the victory, entered the 
 city of Hereford, where, having put to death seven canons 
 
542 
 
 MA.TTEEW or WESTMIXSTEa. 
 
 A.D. 1055. 
 
 who defended tlie principal doors of the church, they burnt 
 the church with all its vessels and ornaments ; and having 
 slain or taken prisoners several of the citizens, and having 
 burnt the city and enriched themselves with a very noble 
 booty, they departed. When this exploit was made known to 
 king Edward, he collected a large army at Gloucester ; the 
 command of which he gave to the valiant duke Harold, and 
 himself pursued Algar and Griffin with vigour, and boldly en- 
 tering the Welch territories, encamped under Suowden. But 
 Griffin and Algar, knowing that Harold was a vahant and 
 warlike man, fled from his face, not daring to resist him. 
 And he, after having ravaged the district terribly, marched to 
 Hereford, and surrounded it with a high and wide rampart, 
 and fortified it with gates and bolts. But at last, as messen- 
 gers went to and fro between Harold and his enemies, they 
 made a lasting peace with one another ; and Algar, coming to 
 the king, received back his earldom by the king's voluntary 
 
 grant. 
 
 The same year, Herman, bishop of Wilton, being angry be- 
 cause the king would not transfer the seat of his see from 
 Ramsbury to Salisbury, abdicated his bishopric, aild passing 
 over the sea, took upon himself the habit of a monk m the 
 monastery of Saint Bertin, and dwelt three years in the mo- 
 nastery of that convent. But this Herman was the last bishop 
 of the diocese of Wilton. The first bishop of that see was 
 Athelstan, the second Odo, who was afterwards archbishop of 
 Canterbury, the third was Osulf, the fourth Algar, the fifth 
 ^Ifstan, the sixth Siric, the seventh iElfric, the eighth Brith- 
 wald, and he lasted from the time of king Ethelred to the 
 reign of the last Edward. Concerning this Bnthwald, it is 
 recorded, that in the time of king Canute, he often occupied 
 his thoughts about the royal family of the English nation, 
 which was now almost destroyed, and about the question whe- 
 ther it was again to be recruited. But when, one night, sleep 
 overtaking him, while meditating on these matters, he was 
 raised up on high, and saw the chief of the Apostles, the 
 blessed Peter, holding by the hand Edward, the son of king 
 Ethelred, who at that time was living as an exile in Nor- 
 mandy, and consecrating him as king ; and Peter showed him 
 that he would hve a life of celibacy, and that he would reigii 
 for twenty-four years. IMoreover, when the same Bnthwald 
 put a question about the succession of the king, it is said that 
 
 A.D. 1057. 
 
 COUNT LEOFRIC DIES. 
 
 543 
 
 he received for answer, " The kingdom of England belongs to 
 God, and he will provide himself with kings." Herman then 
 as has Wn already said, succeeded him, who was tlie last 
 bishop of Wdton, as that bishopric was afterwards united with 
 the diocese of Sherborne, and the cathedral city became Salis- 
 bury. '' 
 
 A.D. 1056. Athelstan, bishop of Hereford, died. He was 
 succeeded by Leovegar, the chaplain of duke Harold, a lover 
 of churches, a reliever of the poor, a defender of widows and 
 orphans, a helper of the oppressed, and a preserver of his own 
 virginity. This servant of God, perfect as he was in aU re- 
 igion, Griffin, king of Wales, deprived of life, after having 
 burnt the city of Hereford. He was succeeded by Walter 
 who continued bishop till the time of king William The 
 same year, %elric, bishop of Durham, resigned his bishopric 
 ot Ins own accord, and retired to his monastery which was 
 called Burgh, where he assumed the habit of a monk, and 
 lived there twelve years in an exemplary manner. 
 
 A.D. 1057. Henry was elected emperor of the Romans, and 
 reigned fifty years. The same year, Edward, king of Eng- 
 land, being advanced in life, sent ^dred, bishop of Worcester 
 to the king of Hungary, and invited back from that country 
 the son of ins brother, king Edmund, whose name was Edward 
 with all his family, that either he or his sons might succeed 
 him in the kingdom. Edward accordingly came, with his son 
 ^dgar, and his daughters, Margaret and Christina. But this 
 Ldward lived only a short time after his arrival in England and 
 then died in the city of London, leaving his son, Edgar, and his 
 two daughters before-mentioned, to the guardianship of the king 
 Ihe same year, that man of virtuous memory, count Leofric 
 died on the last day of August, and was honourably buried at 
 Coventry, m the monastery which he and his wife, a devout 
 worshipper of God and lover of the blessed Virgin Mary the 
 pious and noble countess Godiva, had built from its founda- 
 tions out of her own patrimony ; and having established 
 monks in it, they endowed it so abundantly with estates, and 
 treasures of various kinds, that there was iiot found such a 
 quantity of gold, and silver, and precious stones in any monas- 
 tery m all England as there was in that monastery at that 
 time. They also magnificently endowed with estates, and 
 bouses, and various ornamental gifts, the churches of Worces- 
 ter, Evesham, Wenlock, and Leominster, and some other con- 
 
544 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 1058. 
 
 vents, especially that of Saint John the Baptist, and Saint 
 Wereburga the Virgin, situated in Leicester, and the church of 
 Saint Mary of Stowe, which Eadmot, bishop of Dorchester, 
 
 had built. 
 
 This countess, wishing, in a most pious spirit, to deliver the 
 city of Coventry from a burdensome and shameful slavery, often 
 entreated the count her husband, with earnest prayers, under 
 the favour of the Holy Trinity and the Holy Mother of God, 
 to deliver the town from that slavery to which I have alluded. 
 And when the count reproached her for persevering in asking 
 to no purpose for a thing which would be injurious to him, he 
 at last charged her never for the future to mention this subject 
 to him. She, on the contrary, prompted by female obstinacy, 
 incessantly attacked her husband with the request which I have 
 mentioned, and at last extorted this answer from him : — 
 
 "Mount," said he, "your horse naked, and ride through the 
 market of the town, from beginning to end, at the time when 
 all the people are assembled, and when you return you shall 
 obtain your request.'* And the countess answered and said, 
 "And iV I am willing to do so, will you give me permission V* 
 And the count rephed, " I will." Then the countess Godiva, 
 beloved by God, on a set day, as I have already said, mounted 
 her horse naked, letting fall the hair and tresses of her head, 
 and so covering her whole body except her beautiful legs; and 
 when she had finished her journey, without having been seen 
 by any one, she returned with joy to her husband, who looked 
 on this as a miracle. And count Leofric, releasing the city of 
 Coventry from its slavery, confirmed the charter which he then 
 gave it with the sanction of his own seal. 
 
 A.D. 1058. Stephen was elected to the Roman chair, which 
 he filled for nine months. And the same year, he was suc- 
 ceeded by Benedict, who also governed the see nine months, 
 as his predecessor had done. About this time, a certain Ro- 
 man citizen, of youthful age, of senatorial rank, married a 
 nobly-born virgin, in honour of whom he gave a marriage-feast 
 to his companions, which lasted several days. And when one 
 day they had gone out to the fields to recruit by sport their 
 stomachs, which were weary with dainties, they called for a 
 ball, and spent a great part of the day in playing. But the 
 young man, that he might not while playing lose his wedding- 
 ring, he, unperceived by his companions, put it on the stretched- 
 out finger of a brazen statue which was at hand, and then he 
 
 A.D. 1058. STOBY OF A ROMAN CITIZEN. 545 
 
 applied himself to the game ; but when his bowels be-an to 
 warm with the violent running about, he retired from the sport 
 before any of the others, and found the finger on which he had 
 placed the ring bent down to the palm of the hand, and the 
 ring tight and fast on the finger. And having tried for some 
 time to no purpose to break the finger, or to get the rin^ 
 oflf some way or other ; when he found that he could effecl 
 nothing he departed in great vexation, lest the matter should 
 become known to his companions. And the following nidit 
 he came back to the statue with some servants, and then thev 
 were amazed to find the finger stretched out, and the rin- 
 taken away. So, concealing his loss, the next niglit, when he 
 had aid himself down by the side of his new bride, he felt 
 something dark and dense lying between her and himself, which 
 cou d be felt but not seen. And being prevented by this ob- 
 stacle from embracing his wife, he heard a voice saying to him 
 Lie with me, because you have espoused me this day. I am 
 Venus, on whose finger you put the ring. I have it, and I 
 will not give it up." A considerable time elapsed, during 
 which, every time that he wished to lie in his wife's bosom, he 
 felt and heard the same thing. In all other respects, he was 
 a powerful and vigorous young man, of reputation in the forum 
 as well as in the army. At last, by the advice of his wife, the 
 matter was revealed to the parents of both of them ; and tliev 
 having taken counsel on the matter, related the occurrence a^ 
 It had happened to a priest in the suburbs, named Palumbus 
 He was well acquainted with the arts of necromancy, so as to 
 be able to raise up magic shapes, to summon devils, and to ex- 
 cite them to the performance of any action. They agreed to 
 give this priest a great heap of silver and gold to recover the 
 ring, If that were possible. But the priest said to the youth 
 lind and bring mean epistle composed with mechanical art! 
 
 if Kr '\ ^'V- ^V^' 'r' ^'^"^ ^^^^^ "'«^^^' t^ ^^^ road where 
 It branches off" in four directions, and stand there, and carefully 
 watch for the event of what shall take place silently. For 
 there will pass by figures of persons of both sexes, of every 
 age degree, and condition ; some of whom will be on horse- 
 back, some on foot, some will bend their countenances on the 
 ground, and others wiU Hft their heads high with pride and 
 arrogance. Do not you give an answer Ui any of them, not 
 even if they speak to you. For whatever has any bearing on 
 joy or sorrow, you will see at once in their countenances and 
 ^^^' ^' N N 
 
546 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 1059. 
 
 garments. Then one will follow that multitude, of a more 
 noble stature and more ample size, sitting in a chariot, and if 
 you, without speaking, give him the epistle to read, what you 
 wish will be done immediately, if you only persevere with con- 
 stancy." Accordingly, the young man undertakes with great 
 spirit all that was commanded him, and standing fearlessly 
 at the place where four roads meet, he, by command of the 
 priest, tests the fidelity of his statement. Among others who 
 passed by, he saw a woman in a meretricious style of dress, 
 riding on a mule, covering her shoulders with her dishevelled 
 hair, holding a golden rod in her hands, with which she guided 
 the animal on which she was riding ; she was as good as naked, 
 by reason of the thinness of her garments, and practised im- 
 modest gestures. Not to dwell on the rest, at last came the 
 one who seemed like the lord of the multitude, casting terrible 
 looks on the young man from that splendid seat of his chariot, 
 which was adorned with emeralds and pearls, and he asked 
 him the cause of his being there. But the young man answered 
 him not a word, but holding out his hand offered him the let- 
 ter. And the devil, not daring to despise the well-known seal, 
 read the writing : and presently, stretching forth his hands 
 towards heaven, he said: ''0 Almighty God, how long will you 
 endure the wickedness of the priest Palumbus ?" And imme- 
 diately he sent servants from his side to take the ring away 
 from the Venus. She resisted for a long time, but at last gave 
 up the ring. And so the young man gained his wishes, and 
 enjoyed the embraces of his wife, which he had so long sighed 
 for, without any obstacle. But the priest Palumbus, when he 
 heard the complaints which the devil addressed to the Lord 
 respecting him, knew that the end of his days was at hand. 
 On which account, he amputated all his limbs with a knife, 
 and so died in wonderful penitence, having confessed unheard- 
 of crimes to the pope, in the presence of all the people. 
 
 A.D. 1059. When duke Harold was staying at an estate that 
 belonged to him, namely, at Boseham, he one day entered a 
 fishing boat to amuse himself. And when, in the progress of 
 his sport, he had advanced into the open sea, on a sudden, a 
 violent storm arose, and he, with his companions, was driven 
 to a village in the territory of Ponthieu, and was taken prisoner 
 by the men of that country and bound with chains, and thrown 
 into prison, as they charged him with having come thither as 
 a spy. Harold being a crafty man, considering how he might 
 
 A.D. 1062. WOLSTAN ELECTED PONTIFF OF WOBCESTEfi. 547 
 
 obtain his release, sent a messenger, whom he induced bv larc^e 
 promises to carry the message, to William, duke of Normandy 
 telling him that he had been sent to him by kin- Edward to 
 reveal some important affairs to him. He also added that he 
 was detained a prisoner by Godwin,^ count of Ponthieu, and so 
 prevented from performing his commission. Then Harold, at 
 the command of Wilham, was released by Godwin, and con- 
 ducted into Normandy, where duke Wilham received him with 
 a i honour, and gave him honourable presents of food and 
 clothing. Then Harold, that he might obtain the more fa- 
 vour in the eyes of king William, bound himself by an oath to 
 give up to him the castle of Canterbury, which was under his 
 authority ; and also the kingdom of England, after the death 
 ot king Edward. In consequence of which promise, he was 
 honoured by being betrothed to the duke's daughter, who was 
 as yet only a little girl, and enriched by the great extent of 
 her whole inheritance, and became an intimate friend of Wil- 
 ham. Others relate this matter in a different way, saying that • 
 Harold had been sent into Normandy by kin- Harold on pur- i 
 pose to conduct duke Wilham into England, as king Edward 
 was thinking of making him his heir. 
 
 A.D. 1060. Nicolas was placed in the Roman chair, which 
 he filled two years and six months. The same year, Kinsey 
 archbishop of York, paid the debt of nature, and was sue' 
 ceeded by ^Idred, bishop of Worcester ; and the diocese of 
 Hereford, which had been entrusted to him on account of his 
 
 vJ^'u'^^^^^ ^'''^" ^° ^^'^^^^^ Lotharing, the chaplain of quee'^ 
 Edith. The same year, Duduc, bishop of Wells, died, and was 
 succeeded by Gisa, the king's chaplain. 
 
 A.D. 1061. ^Idred, archbishop of York, went to Rome with 
 count Tosto, and received the pallium from pope Nicolas And 
 at the same time and place, Gisa, bishop of Wells, and Walter 
 bishop of Hereford, were consecrated. ' 
 
 A.D. 1062. Wolstan. prior of the church of Worcester a 
 man of exceeding piety, was canonically elected to the presi- 
 dency of the same church, and was consecrated its pontiff 
 amid the acclamations of the people. And he was consecrated 
 by iEldred, archbishop of York, because Stigand, archbishop 
 
 J Called Guy by Hume, who represents Harold as having been sent for 
 the purpose of preventing the return of a son and grandson of earl God- 
 van who had been given as hostages to king Edward, and whom he had 
 entrusted to the custody of the duke of Normandy. 
 
 N K 2 
 
548 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEK. 
 
 A.D. 1065. 
 
 of Canterbury, was at that time interdicted from performing 
 the duties of the episcopal office ; because, during the lifetime 
 of Robert, the archbishop of that church, he had presumed to 
 occupy that archbishopric. 
 
 The same year, a prodigy was bom on the borders of Brit- 
 tany and Normandy, in which in one, or I should rather say, 
 in two women, there were two heads and four arms, and every- 
 thing else double down to the navel. But below the navel 
 there were only two legs, two feet, and everything else single. 
 One of the heads laughed, ate, and talked, the other wept, was 
 hungry, and was silent. The prodigy ate with both its mouths, 
 but what was eaten passed through only one passage. At 
 length one died, and the other survived, and then the living 
 body bore the dead corpse united to it for nearly three years, 
 till at last she also died, worn out by the weight of her burden, 
 and the offensive smell of the corpse. 
 
 A.D. 1063. Harold, duke of the West Saxons, advanced into 
 Wales, in a hostile manner, by command of king Edward, to 
 attack king Griffin ; but Griffin having heard beforehand of 
 his menaced invasion, went on board ship, and, fleeing in this 
 manner, escaped with some difficulty. But Harold, when he 
 ascertained that he had fled, withdrew from Wales, and assem- 
 bled a larger army. And when his brother Tosti had come to 
 meet him, by command of the king, they united their forces, 
 and began to lay waste the whole of that country, both by sea 
 and land. On which account, the Welch, under the pressure 
 of necessity, gave Harold hostages, and promised from that 
 time forth to pay tribute to king Edward, and expelled their 
 king Griffin, and drove him into banishment. 
 
 A.D. 1064. The Welch nation murdered their king Griffin 
 on the fifth of August, and sent his head to duke Harold ; and 
 Harold immediately transmitted it to king Edward, and placed 
 another king in the Welch throne, who took the oath of fealty 
 and allegiance to king Edward, and promised faithfully to pay 
 him all the tribute which had been accustomed to be paid to 
 the kings of England. 
 
 A.D. 1065. The most sacred bones of the holy Oswin, king 
 and martyr, were discovered in the following manner : After 
 the passion of the most illustrious king Oswin, as has been 
 clearly related, in the mention of his sufferings which I made 
 in the early part of this history, his body was carried to the 
 monastery of the blessed Mary, the mother of God, which is 
 
 A.D. 1065. ACCOUNT OF THE MAETTE OSWIX. 
 
 549 
 
 situated at the mouth of the river Tyne, on the north bank, 
 and was buried there in royal fashion. And there, on account of 
 the frequency of the miracles wrought at it, the place of his bu- 
 rial was, for a very long series of years, held iu such great re- 
 verence by the people of the country, that they thought that the 
 king, who was buried among them, was their lord and patron on 
 earth, and their defender in heaven. On which account, in pro- 
 cess of time, to the greater glory of the martyr, virgins, under 
 the vows of nuns, from the convent of the Abbess Saint Hilder, 
 were introduced to watch by his body till the time of the Da- 
 nish persecution, which was raised by the fury of the brothers, 
 Hinguar and Hubba, and they rema'ined in the church of tJie 
 blessed mother of God, in the northern part of the district. 
 In that furious persecution, that monastery, with all the other 
 convents of that part of the county, is believed to have been 
 demohshed, and the holy virgins were translated by martyrdom 
 to the kingdom of heaven. After these events that district 
 fell into the power of the infidel Danes, and continued so for 
 many ages, and so the recollection of the holy martyr was ut- 
 terly effaced from the minds of the people of the province. 
 At length the devotion of the faithful gradually returned, and 
 as the purity of their faith increased, the bishop of the place 
 established some priests in the church of the mother of God, 
 and also some of the secular clergy, who should perform the 
 offices of divine service for all the inhabitants of the parishes 
 of the province. In the meantime, the most blessed martyr 
 lay buried beneath the lowly turf till the time of iEgelwin, 
 bishop of Durham, and Tosti, earl of Northumberland, who 
 obtained that earldom after the death of Siward, not by heredi- 
 tary succession, but by the gift of king Edward. It seemed 
 good, therefore, to the divine mercy to bring the rehcs of the 
 most blessed martyr to hght, for the sake of the advancement 
 of the whole church, during the lifetime of the pontiff before 
 mentioned, in order that the light which had long been hidden 
 under a bushel might at last be set upon a candlestick, and 
 lighten the darkness of infideUty. But there was a certain 
 keeper of the before-mentioned church in which the body of 
 the blessed martyr had been buried, by name Edmund, a man 
 of great piety, and devoted to the blessed martyr, who, al- 
 though he had never been attached by any formal profession 
 to the body of any monastery, had, nevertheless, been invested 
 with the monastic habit. He, one night, when after a noc- 
 
550 
 
 MATTHEW or WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1065. 
 
 turnal vieil in the church, he had yielded up his limbs to sleep, 
 saw a man stand by his side of lofty stature, and shining with 
 heavenly briUiancv, who addressed him by his name, and said, 
 - Brother Edmund, brother Edmund, I am kmg Oswin, who 
 lies buried in this church, unknown to all men. Arise, there- 
 fore, and tell the pontiff ^gelwin to seek for my corpse beneath 
 the floor of this oratory, and when he has found it, not to 
 neglect to bury it more honourably than it has hitherto been 
 in the same oratory." Edmund, therefore, awoke, and being 
 rejoiced at the vision, went, at early dawn, to the pontitt, and 
 with due reverence related to him all the circumstances ot the 
 vision. And the pontiff, when he heard the stor)% exulted 
 with exceeding triumph, and came joyfully to the place, and 
 there he found a great number of people collected from remote 
 parts of the country, who, at the command of the prelate, 
 having all first duly offered up prayers, began to dig up tiie 
 floor of the oratory ; and after having thus employed a great 
 portion of the day, though they sought, yet they found nothing. 
 Then Edmund, being agitated at the injury sustained by the 
 saint, took a spade and struck the earth vigorously in a place 
 where they had been all digging a long time, and having re- 
 peated his blow, he struck against a flat gravestone ; and drag- 
 ging back the stone, he joyfully discovered the precious relics 
 Then the most holy body was raised by the prelate, and washed 
 by his own hands, and wrapped in a clean cloth, and honour- 
 ably buried in a more dignified spot in the same church. And 
 the water in which his most holy body had been washed, was, 
 by the command of the bishop, poured forth in a corner ot 
 the oratory, and was afterwards very beneficial, not only to 
 men, but also to animals, in restoring them to health ; and 
 the dust being infused in water and drank, delivered many 
 men from various kinds of diseases, and restored them to their 
 former health. And all these things were done on the tenth 
 of March, in the four hundred and fourteenth year after his 
 
 ^ThT'countess Judith, the wife of Tosti, who, when the 
 bishop went forth to prosecute this search, had entreated ot 
 him to give her some portion of the holy rehcs, received as a 
 present from him a great part of the hair of the holy martvr, 
 in an entirely uninjured condition. And she, prompted by 
 pious devotion, wished to confirm certain unbelievers m the 
 faith. Therefore she ordered a large fire to be kindled in the 
 
 A.D. 1065. QUAEEEL BETWEEN TOSTI AND HAEOLD. .551 
 
 middle of the hall, and having with all faith heaped on piles 
 of wood, they, without feehng any injury from the raging fire, 
 were changed, and became of greater beauty than previously. 
 The countess, marvelling at the strangeness of the circum- 
 stance, took the hair of the holy martyr out of the fire, and 
 at the suggestion of the bishop, placed it in fa safe place 
 with all due honour, and then permitted the cathohc people, 
 which had come together to see this spectacle, to depart, being 
 thus confirmed in their devotion to the blessed maityr. 
 
 The same year, duke Harold built a large house in the 
 \yelch territory, and prepared many things which were requi- 
 site for the proper furnishing of it, with the intention that 
 king Edward, in the hunting season, might turn aside thither 
 and remain for some time. But Cradoc, the son of Griffin, 
 whom Harold had banished the preceding year, came thither 
 in a hostile manner, and slew the workmen, and the super- 
 intendents, and the soldiers, and the servants, and carried 
 away all the materials which had been collected with great 
 labour. 
 
 It happened the same year, in the presence of king Edward, 
 at Windsor, that Tosti, earl of Northumberland, being insti- 
 gated by envy, seized Harold, his brother, by the hair, as he 
 was pledging the king in a wine-cup, and while all the house- 
 hold of the king stood amazed, struck him violently, and 
 treated him with great indignity. But Harold, being excited 
 to revenge, seized him by the hands, and lifting him up on 
 high, dashed him down on the floor. And seeing this, the 
 soldiers started up on all sides, and parting the brothers by 
 force, they put an end to the strife, and separated the angry 
 combatants from one another. And the king foretold that 
 the destruction of both the brothers was at hand, and that 
 the avenging anger of God, and a mortal quarrel between 
 them, would not be longer suffered. For all the sons of the 
 traitor Godwin were men of such wickedness, that if they saw 
 auy beautiful town belonging to any one, they caused the 
 lord of it to be slain by night, and his offspring to be de- 
 stroyed, that they might obtain the property of the deceased. 
 Nevertheless, by their soft and honied words, which were 
 only poisoned arrows, they cajoled the simplicity of the over- 
 credulous king, that, even after their many enormous crimes, 
 he appointed them justiciaries of the kingdom, governors of 
 the realm, and managers of all things. But Tosti, after his 
 
552 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 1066, 
 
 quarrel with his brother Harold, departed from the king's 
 court in a rage, and went to the city of Hereford, where his 
 brother Harold had prepared a great banquet for the king, 
 and slew all his servants, and put an arm or a leg, or some 
 fragment or limb of their mutilated bodies, in every vessel of 
 wine, or mead, or beer, or other drink, sending a message to 
 the king, that when he came to his supper he would find 
 plenty of pickled meat, and that he miglit procure dainties 
 for himself. And the king, when he heard of this insolent 
 jest, cursing him because of this detestable wickedness, banished 
 him from the kingdom. 
 
 The same year, the men of Northumberland met together 
 on the tenth of October, and coming to York, drove away 
 Tosti, their count, and slew the whole of his household, both 
 English and Danes, and plundered and carried off his treasures, 
 and his arms, and every thing which belonged to him. And 
 when they had expelled him, they appointed Morchar, the 
 son of the noble Algar, count of that province, sending a mes- 
 sage to the king to beg him to confirm him in the earldom. 
 And when king Edward had given his consent, Tosti pre- 
 sently with his wife went into Flanders to count Baldwin, and 
 spent the winter at Saint Omers. 
 
 A.I). 1066. Edward, king of England, on the day of the 
 nativity of our Lord, held his court at Westminster, and caused 
 the church which he had built from its foundations outside 
 the city of London, to be dedicated with great pomp on the 
 day of the Holy Innocents, in honour of Saint Peter, the chief 
 of the Apostles. But amid the usual solemn festivities at- 
 tending on a dedication of this kind, the king was seized, as 
 he had been before, by a severe sickness. And as his illness 
 increased, he took to his bed ; and when he had lain there 
 speechless, and as it were lifeless, for two days, on the third 
 day he arose again, as it were from the dead, and sighing 
 heavily and deeply, he took up his parable in this manner, 
 and said, " Almighty God, if it be not a fanciful illusion, but 
 a real vision which I have seen, grant me the power of re- 
 lating it to the bystanders ; but if, on the contrary, it be a 
 deceitful illusion, then I beg of you to deny me the power of 
 relating it." But as soon as he had finished this prayer, 
 lie spoke with sufticient readiness, distinctness, and plainness, 
 and said, " I just now saw two monks standing by my side, 
 whom formerly, when a young man in Normandy, I had seen 
 
 A.D. 1066. EDWAED, KING OF EXGLAXD, DIES. 553 
 
 living in a most pious manner, and whom I know to have died 
 m a most christian manner. They assured me that they were 
 messengers of God, and that they had been sent to me ; and 
 they added these words : ' Since the nobles of England, and 
 the dukes, and the bishops, and the abbots are not the ser- 
 vants of God, but of the devil, God has given this kingdom, 
 for one day, into the hand of the enemy, and devils will 
 traverse the whole of this country.' And when I said that 
 I would report this to the people, that, being sinners, they 
 miglit make confession, and satisfaction, and amend their 
 ways, and obtain mercy, as the Ninevites had done—* Nothino" 
 of this,' said they, ' will happen because they will not repent'I 
 and God will not have mercyupon them.' And I rephed : * And 
 when may are mission of these terrible calamities be expected ^' 
 To this question they replied—* With respect to this, it will be 
 like the case of a green tree when it is cut asunder in the 
 middle, and a part of it is cut off" and carried to a distance 
 from the trunk ; when that part without the assistance of any 
 one shall begin again to flourish, and to bear fruit, then a 
 remission of these evils may be expected.'" And the Endish 
 experienced the truth of this prophecy, inasmuch as England 
 became the habitation of foreigners, and subject to the domi- 
 nion of strangers, so that in a short time there was no En^^Ush- 
 man, either duke, or pontiff; or abbot, nor was there any 
 prospect of an end of all this misery. 
 
 Therefore the peaceful king of England, Edward, the glory 
 of the English, the son of king Ethelred, exchanged his tem- 
 poral kingdom for an eternal one, after he had reigned twenty- 
 tour years, on the fourth indiction, and the fifth day of the week 
 on the vigil of the Epiphany of the Lord-so that most blessed 
 king died, and was buried the next day at London, in the church 
 which he himself had built in a new style of architecture, 
 trom which many people who built churches afterwards, took 
 pattern, and emulated that work of his in a most costly manner 
 In this king the line of the English kings ended, which is 
 recorded as not having been interrupted from the time of 
 tedric, the first king of the West Saxons, of the race of the 
 Angles, but to have lasted five hundred and seventy-one years 
 with the exception of the breaks in the succession caused by a 
 lew Danes, who, when the sins of the Enghsh nation required 
 such a chastisement, reigned for a time. 
 
 Now, then, since a sufficient account is contained in the 
 
554 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINISTER. 
 
 A.D. 1066. 
 
 preceding pages of this book, of the secular cares and warlike 
 deeds of that most blessed and peaceful king and confessor, 
 Edward, it, nevertheless, appears proper to say a little on the 
 subject of his sanctity and virtues. For, while he was yet in 
 his mortal body, he was a most learned and active inquirer 
 into the heavenly mysteries ; and the King of kings, by the 
 spirit of prophecy, revealed to him some secret things, which 
 deserve to be handed down to the recollection of posterity. 
 For, once upon a time, when the king, being at Westminster, 
 on Easter-day, had been holding a court in kingly fashion, and 
 was sitting at table, he suddenly raised his voice and laughed 
 very loudly, and so turned the eyes of all the guests upon 
 himself. And when they all marvelled at his having laughed 
 thus without any reason as they fancied, when, after dinner, 
 the king had turned into the withdrawing room, and had taken 
 his seat among his bishops and nobles, duke Harold said to 
 the king : ** lord king, we saw an unusual circumstance to- 
 day, at which we all marvelled, because we never beheld you 
 laugh so openly before, nor was there, as we imagine, any 
 cause which excited your laughter." The king answered him : 
 " I saw a strange thing, and therefore it was not without cause 
 tliat I burst out laughing." Then the nobles who were sitting 
 around, not at all supposing that so great a man had laughed 
 without any reason, began humbly to beg of him to condescend 
 to explain to them the cause of his excessive mirth. And 
 when he had been wrought upon by their frequent entreaties, 
 he said : ** More than two hundred years are elapsed since the 
 seven sleepers in the cave of Mount Coelius, near Ephesus, 
 have been resting on their right sides ; but now, since we first 
 sat down at table, they have turned on their left sides, and 
 there will lie seventy years more." But when those who were 
 present heard this, they asked him what this turning of the 
 men portended ? And he said : " Of a truth, that turning is 
 full of an omen of dire import to mankind. For wars and 
 oppressions of nations will torment the human race in an in- 
 tolerable degree, and there will be changes of many kingdoms, 
 and through the virtue of Christ the pagans will be crushed 
 by the Christians." When they heard this, and a good deal 
 more, the nobles before mentioned departed from the king in 
 great astonishment, and determined to send ambassadors to 
 examine into the truth of this circumstance. But duke Harold 
 sent a soldier, and a certain affluent bishop sent one of his 
 
 A.D. 106G. DISAQEEEMENT AS TO APPODfTING A KrSQ. 555 
 
 secular clergy, and an abbot sent a monk with royal presents 
 and letters sanctioned with the king's seal, to Michael, empe- 
 ror ot Constantmople, entreating him to command the seven 
 sleepers to be shown to the ambassadors of Edward, kinc> of 
 England. And the emperor received the ambassadors of Ens- 
 land, who came from such a distant country, with all kind- 
 ness, and caused the before-mentioned seven sleepers to be 
 shown to them, who found all the signs about the holy sleepers 
 which kmg Edward had while in England predicted would be 
 found ; and so, offering gifts and giving thanks to God, they 
 returned to their country.^ ^ 
 
 Especially we must not omit to mention in our account of 
 this most holy king, that he never violated either the purity 
 of his own person, or the chastity of any woman. Never- 
 theless, he had, as I have already stated, a queen, the daughter 
 of count Godwin, by name Edith, in whose breast there was 
 deposited a perfect mastery over all the hberal sciences, 
 liut m secular matters, she exercised and displayed only a 
 moderate genius. And the king treated her, being his wife 
 m such a manner, that he neither removed her from his bed' 
 and yet never knew her after the fashion of a husband. But 
 whether he did so out of hatred to her father, who had been 
 convicted of bemg a traitor, and to his family, which hatred 
 he prudently dissembled for a time, or out of a love for chas- 
 
 1 ^'i'" u ^.T^ '"^ "^'"P"^^ ^^^"S ««"^« ^^it^rs, who interpret 
 all doubtful matters in the worst way. But those who are 
 his we 1-wishers, and who, as it seems, are most in accordance 
 with the truth undertake to say, that the truth was, that he 
 being a pious king, was unwilhng to corrupt the royal family 
 and to propagate heirs to succeed to himself from the family 
 ot a traitor. ^ . 
 
 When Edward the pious king of England, was dead, in 
 whom the line of the kings of England terminated, the no- 
 bles of the kingdom were in doubt as to whom they should 
 appoint as their kmg and governor. For some favoured Wil- 
 liam, duke of Normandy, and others count Harold, son of 
 Godwin, and others, Edgar,^ son of Edward. And Edward 
 
 *. li,^"J chronicler's story is not reconcilable with the date usually assigned 
 this fable. The seven sleepers are supposed to have been blockaded in 
 their cave by the emperor Decius,who reigned a.d. 249-251, and to have 
 awakened after a sleep of a hundred and eighty-seven years/ irtherei^n 
 of Theodosius.-^ee Gibbon, c. xxxui. vol. vi. p. 32. ^ 
 
 2 Called Edgar Atheling. t P o^. 
 
556 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMTIfSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 10G6. 
 
 had been the son of Edmund Ironside, the legitimate knig of 
 the royal family. And now Edgar was the son of that same 
 Edward, so that he was entitled of right to the kingdom of 
 England. But Harold, who was a cunning and crafty man, 
 understanding that 
 
 " 'Tis always bad fixt measures to defer," 
 
 on the same day of the Epiphany on which king Edward 
 was buried, extorted an oath of fealty from the nobles, and 
 placed the crown on his own head. And after his promotion, 
 his brother Tosti, coming from Flanders with forty ships, an- 
 chored in the mouth of the river Humber, where he gave him- 
 self up to rapine like a pirate, and at last he was driven from 
 the province by his brothers Edwin and Morcar, and set sail, 
 and proceeded towards Scotland ; and there he met with Ha- 
 rold, king of the Norwegians, and made a treaty with hun, 
 binding himself by solemn pledges, and with this view he 
 came to England, with a fleet of three hundred vessels, in order 
 to endeavour to reduce it under his power. At last, in North- 
 umberland, while he was still occupied in laying everything 
 waste, he defeated Morcar, the count of that province, and 
 an army levied from the men of the province, in a pitched 
 battle, and compelled him to shut himself up in York. And 
 when the news of this had got abroad, Harold, king of Eng- 
 land, collected all his forces, and marched up towards that dis- 
 trict with all haste. And when he had arrived at the town which 
 is called Stamford, he there found the enemy ; where, although 
 it may be hard to be believed, one single Morican stood at 
 the entrance of the town in the gate, and having slain many 
 of the English, prevented the whole army from passing m by 
 that way. And when he was invited to surrender, he laughed 
 at the Enghsh, saying, ** that they were unwarlike men, and 
 possessed of no spirit, when they could not withstand a single 
 soldier." Therefore, as no one dared to come near him, be- 
 cause it appeared to every one to be downright folly to come 
 to close combat with him ; at last, one of the king's household 
 aimed a javehn at him, and transfixed him, and, falling dead 
 into the river, he yielded the victory to the English ; and im- 
 mediately the English entered by the entrance which was now 
 free from all obstruction, and slaughtered the rear of the Mo- 
 ricans as they fled. At last, Harold, king of the Norwegians, 
 and Tosti, the brother of the king of England, were slain- with 
 
 A.D. 1066. WILLIAM SENDS AMBASSADORS TO HAEOLD. 557 
 
 many of their comrades, and the king of England seized all 
 the booty, and all the spoils for his own use, and did not give 
 the slightest share of them to any one. At which, his com- 
 rades were exceedingly indignant, and detesting the covetous- 
 ness of the prince, with one accord abjured all dependence on 
 him. 
 
 Therefore, Harold, king of England, becoming elated and 
 arrogant at such a triumphant termination of the war, behaved 
 like a tyrant instead of a king, and thought not at all of the 
 covenant between him and duke William, which had formerly 
 been confirmed by oaths. Moreover, his feeling of indiffer- 
 ence was increased by the death of the daughter of duke 
 William, whom he had espoused before she was of a marriage- 
 able age ; and also by the circumstance that duke Wilham 
 was at this time engaged in wars with all his neighbours, owing 
 to which, he hoped that his threats would never break out into 
 actions. And as for the oath whiclx he had made under com- 
 pulsion, th t he asserted was not obligatory, inasmuch as 
 while king Edward was still alive, it was not in his power to 
 give away the kingdom, nor, indeed, had he any right to yield 
 it up to any one without consulting the king. But the senti- 
 ments of Harold and of William on this point were different ; 
 for the very moment that William heard that Harold was in- 
 vested with the crown, he sent messengers to reprove him 
 gently for his violation of the treaty between them, assuring 
 him, with a threat, that he would exact his due from him 
 before the end of the year. Harold, on the other hand, sent 
 the messengers back to duke William with the excuses that I 
 have already recited ; and so the ambassadors returned with- 
 out any success to their own country, and reported the result 
 of their embassy to duke WiUiani in these words. •* Harold, 
 king of England, desires you to know that he was really 
 under the compulsion of necessity when he espoused your 
 daughter in Normandy, and when he swore to assist you in 
 obtaining the kingdom of England ; but, on the other hand, 
 he asserts that an oath extorted by force need not be observed. 
 For if a vow or oath which a maiden knowingly makes re- 
 specting her own person in the house of her father, but with- 
 out consulting her parents is recalled and annulled, much 
 more, as he affirms, ought the oath which he, when placed 
 under the king's rod, swore to under compulsion, and without 
 
w 
 
 558 
 
 MA-TTHEW OP WESTMINSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 1066. 
 
 being awRre' of all the circumstances, to be pronounced void. 
 He also affirms, that it was over-presumptuous m him to take 
 an oath to alienate his inheritance and make it over to you 
 without the general consent of the kingdom. He also added, 
 that it was unjust to require him to give up that kingdom, 
 the government of which he had undertaken with such great 
 
 good will of the nobles." 
 
 WilUam, when he heard these assertions, began to be very 
 indignant, and that he might not by any precipitation injure 
 the ri'^hteous cause of war which he had, he sent messengers 
 to pope Alexander, in order that the undertaking which he 
 was engaging in might be sanctioned by apostolical authority. 
 Accordmgly, the pope having considered the cause of both the 
 disputing parties, sent a banner to William, as an omen that 
 the kingdom should be his. And when he had received it 
 he convened a council of his nobles at Liskeboune, and asked 
 the opinion of every individual about the matter in hand. 
 And when they had all animated him to undertake the expe- 
 dition by great promises on their part, the council was dis- 
 solved, on the understanding that they should all meet again 
 in the month of August, at the harbour of Saint Valori, with 
 cavalry and arms, in readiness to cross the sea immediately. 
 Accordingly, when they were all assembled at the appointed 
 rendezvous, the fair wind failed which was to have conveyed 
 them over to England. On this, the duke ordered the body 
 of Saint Valori to be carried out of doors by way of depre- 
 cating the foul wind, and to be placed in the open air, and 
 immediately the desired wind filled the sads Then, after 
 dinner, they all embarked on board the fleet, and after a pros- 
 perous voyage arrived oif Hastings. But duke William, when 
 disembarking from his ship, stumbled with his foot, and 
 turning pale, interpreted the accident as a bad omen, and 
 au^^ury of an unsuccessful enterprise. But one of the soldiers 
 by^his side whohfted up the duke after his fall, while he still 
 
 1 This refers to a trick of William, which is thus related by Hume :— 
 " In order to render the oath more obligatory, WUliara employed an artifice 
 well suited to the ignorance and superstition of the age. lie secretly 
 conveyed under the altar on which Harold agreed to swear, the rehcs of 
 some of the most revered martyrs ; and when Harold had taken the oatli, 
 he showed him the reUcs, and admonished him to observe religiously an 
 engagement which had been ratified by so tremendous a sanction, —his- 
 tory of England^ c. iii. * 
 
 A.D. 1066. HAEOLD MAECHES UPON HASTINGS. 
 
 559 
 
 had some of the mud in his hands, gave the accident a better 
 interpretation, saying, "Most fortunate duke, you have already 
 ploughed up and taken possession of England ; behold, the 
 land is in your hand ; gird yourself, and rouse yourself to 
 good hopes, you who shall be king." And presently, when 
 the duke landed, he restrained all his army from plunder, 
 saying that they ought to spare the property which would 
 soon be their own ; and for fifteen days together he kept his 
 army so quiet, that he seemed to be thinking of nothing less 
 than of a battle : however, he immediately built a castle in 
 that place. 
 
 In the meantime, Harold, returning from the war against 
 the Norwegians, the moment that he heard of the arrival of 
 William, marched upon Hastings, accompanied by a very 
 small band of soldiers. For besides his stipendiary troops 
 and those whom he had hired from the provinces, he had 
 very few men with him, so that he might have been defeated 
 by the invaders with very slight trouble or contest. But Harold 
 sent messengers before him to make a calculation of the power 
 and numbers of the enemy, who were arrested in the camp of 
 the enemy, and then duke William ordered them to be led all 
 over tlie camp, that they might have a thorough sight of his 
 army ; and then, after they had been refreshed by a plentiful 
 meal, he ordered them to be sent back uninjured to their 
 master. When they returned, Harold enquired of them what 
 news they brought ; and they narrated to him fully all the 
 confidence and constancy of the duke, and asserted seriously 
 that every man in his army seemed to them to be priests, be- 
 cause they had the entire face and both the upper and lower 
 lip shaved, a custom which no one in England adopted except 
 the priests. The king, laughing at the folly of the messen- 
 gers who brought back such stories as that, told them that 
 these men were not eflfeminate priests, but soldiers of valiant 
 courage, invincible in arms. On this, the brother of the king, 
 whose name was Gurth, a man in advance of his age in his 
 excessive knowledge and virtue, took his words out of his 
 mouth, and said to him, " If you speak so highly of the valour 
 of the Normans, then I think it a foohsh thing to fight with 
 those to whom you are deservedly accounted inferior, both in 
 merit and in strength. For you cannot deny that (whether 
 voluntarily or unwilUngly is another matter) you did take an 
 oath to duke Wilham. So that you will a£t more wisely if at 
 
560 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMITTSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1066. 
 
 ■tffli 
 
 this present hour of need you retire, and that you may not, 
 by fighting as a perjured man, incur the disgrace of flight or 
 death. But we, who are altogether unshackled by any oath, 
 will undertake a righteous war, ina«rauch as we shall be 
 fighting for our country. And if we fight by ourselves your 
 cause will prosper beUer, as you will be able to restore order 
 among us if we flee, or to avenge us if we are slam." But 
 Harold, in his rashness, would not give a wiUing ear to his 
 admonitions, thinking it an inglorious thing, and one that 
 would be a disgrace to him for the whole of his life, to flee 
 before any enemy whatever. 
 
 While the two brothers were thus talking to one another, 
 there arrived a certain monk, who had been sent by duke 
 WiUiam, to make three propositions to Harold, on his part. 
 Accordingly, he proposed to him, either to depart from the 
 kingdom in observance of his oath, or to reign, holding the 
 kingdom under him as a titulary prince, or else, in the sight 
 of both armies, to terminate the dispute by single combat 
 each fighting alone with his single sword. When Harold 
 heard this, he would not condescend either to look with a 
 favourable countenance on the ambassador of William, nor to 
 receive him with civil words, but drove him away with indig- 
 nation, praying only for this, that the Lord might judge be- 
 tween himself and WiUiam. To this the monk answered 
 boldly, and declared that if he did not choose to admit the 
 right of William, William was willing to prove his cause by 
 the decision of the ApostoUc See, or by that of battle, if he 
 preferred it. In reply to all these assertions, Harold con- 
 tented himself with the single answer which I have recorded 
 above, and by this conduct exasperated the minds of the Nor- 
 mans, and excited them to wish for battle. 
 
 Then the adverse parties arrayed their troops. But the 
 Enc^lish, who, being fatigued, had passed the whole night 
 without sleep, and who therefore in the morning felt them- 
 selves almost fainting, advanced without delay against the 
 enemy, all the infantry being armed with battle-axes, placing 
 before themselves the protection of their shields, which were 
 locked together, and thus they presented an impenetrable 
 phalanx ; and that day would have turned out one ot festival 
 and salvation for them, if the Normans, beginning flight, ac- 
 cording to their custom, had not by this expedient disordered 
 their compact line: King Harold fought on foot by his ban- 
 
 A.D. 1066. 
 
 BATTLE OF HASTINGS. 
 
 561 
 
 ner in company with his brother, that, as they all shared one 
 common danger, no one might think of flight. On the 
 other hand, the Normans, who had spent the whole of the 
 preceding night either in sleep or in the confession of their 
 sins, or in preparing their arms, and who the first thing in 
 the morning had occupied themselves in receiving that most 
 excellent preparation for a march, namely, the body of our 
 Lord, were full of courage, raising their souls to heaven and 
 their bodies to oppose the enemy, and in this state they boldly 
 awaited the enemy's attack. William strengthened his first 
 hue with infantry, armed with bows and arrows, clubs, and 
 battle-axes. The cavalry, in accordance with the usual prac- 
 tice of military disciphne, he divided among the two wings, 
 placing them in good order a little in the rear. Then, with 
 erect gait, calm countenance, and aft'ahle language, the brave 
 duke animated his own men, and unhesitatingly promised them 
 that God, the Lord of Hosts, would be present to them as the 
 more righteous side. They all shout out "To arms!" and 
 immediately the duke, with an unnerved spirit, calls for his 
 arms. And lo ! his armour-bearer, whose mind was all m 
 confusion from the tumult, gave him his breast-plate upside 
 down, and put it on him in that condition. The duke burst out 
 laughing, and pleasantly exclaimed, " Some things that are 
 in our power are changed, and my valiant dukedom is changed 
 into a kingdom." Then, beginning the song of Roland, the 
 standard was raised and waved, the trumpets and bugles 
 sounded, and, invoking the aid of the heavenly powers, they 
 began the battle on both sides. Both armies fought with great 
 vigour, and the battle was a long time in douht, as neither 
 would retreat, and the victory was in suspense for a long time. 
 But, when William perceived this, seeing the valiant constancy 
 that existed on the opposite side of his invincible enemies, anil 
 that, although they were few in number, they were in very 
 close and compact order, he betakes himself to a device of skill, 
 as the vehemence of sheer courage could not succeed. There- 
 fore, as I mentioned before, the warlike duke WiUiam cun- 
 ningly made a signal to his troops to feign to flee, after the 
 fashion of the Parthians, and to retire from the field. By 
 which device the English army was at once dissolved like sand 
 without Ume, and, as if they had nothing to do but to slaughter 
 the flying enemy, they incautiously hastened their own de- 
 struction. For the Normans, turning their battahons back 
 
 VOL. I. 
 
 o o 
 
5f,2 MATTHEW OF WE8TM1NSTK11. A.D. 1066. 
 
 again, re-arranged their line of battle in perfect order, and in 
 a moment put to flight the English, who were rushmg on tri- 
 umphantly At last, the Enghsh, having occupied a mound 
 drove the Normans, who were vehemently inflamed with heat, 
 and panting up the hill, down into the valley agam, and with- 
 out much trouble they rolled down large stones upon them Irom 
 thetopof the hill, and, hurling javehns among them,slew many ot 
 them overthrowing them in many various manners. Moreover, 
 the English occupied a fosse with broken banks, with the passage 
 across which they were acquainted, and overthrew so many 
 Normans there, that the bodies of the dead produced astonish- 
 ment in the minds of the living. For some time the battle 
 was in suspense, amid all these vicissitudes, as at one time one 
 8ide, and at another time the other side got the better, as long 
 as the invincible spirit of Harold was united to his mighty 
 bodv Nor was he contented only to exhort and encourage 
 others by his harangues, without performing in his own person 
 all the duty of a soldier, making active and constant attacks 
 upon the enemy, and slaughtering mercilessly all who came 
 within his reach, without any silly repetition of inadequate 
 blows, so that no one came near him with impunity, or without 
 his wounding incurably either the rider, or at least the horse, 
 or else cutting both in two at one blow with his impetuous 
 courage. On the other side, WilUam, undisturbed m his in- 
 vincible spirit, encouraging his troops by his own conspicuous 
 example, throwing himself among the first rank of combatants, 
 and being present wherever the soldiers on both sides were 
 bravest, and the battle appeared doubtful, displayed his cou- 
 rageas an active warrior, and stained both plain and nil with 
 the blood of manv of the English ; and penetrating the dense 
 lines of troops, as\he prow of a ship pierces the stormy waves 
 he opened his men a way with his own sword, not without 
 much toil and danger to himself. From this it happened that 
 while he was raging everywhere among the thickest ranks ot 
 the enemy, and dashing everywhere like lightning, slaymg 
 men in every direction, he lost three fine horses on that one 
 dav who were either killed under him, or who tell exhausted. 
 And although he was reproved in friendly whispers by his 
 body guard, still, the unwearied vigour of that magnammous 
 duke continued, chiding the weakness of those who gave ground, 
 and the pusillanimity of those who felt fear, promising the 
 effeminate and unwarlike instant and glorious victory, Without 
 
 A.D. lUGG. 
 
 DEATH OF HAEOLD. 
 
 563 
 
 any more loss or delay, and holding out hopes to every one 
 that he and his posterity would be enriched with invaluable 
 spoils, and revenues, and treasures. And lo ! the battle-cry 
 was heard again, and the courage of the soldiers was renewed, 
 and they pressed again to the conflict. The clang of arms 
 dashing together resounded ; and the neighing of horses, and 
 the crash of spears, and the blows stricken on the shields, and 
 the groans of the wounded, and the cries of the dying, filled 
 the air to the very clouds ; and the dust and the steam arising 
 from the panting combatants, and sweat, and blood, filled the 
 eyes, and the air appeared to every one to be quite darkened, 
 till at last Harold fell, with his brain pierced through by a 
 wound from an arrow, numbers of which rattled through the 
 air, flying hke wintry hail ; and so his brains were scattered 
 about, and he died. But one of the Normans rushed forwards, 
 and, giving vent to his execrable hatred, cut off the king's 
 thigh, while he was still gasping ; on which account, he was 
 disgraced for his baseness by WilUam, and beaten in a most 
 shameful manner, and expelled as an abominable person, as 
 one who had done a detestable action. But, after the death 
 of the king, then the burden of the battle turned against the 
 English, and increasing audacity elevated the spirits of the 
 Normans, while amazement weighed down the English, who 
 were now without a head. And, as they saw that the whole 
 matter in dispute was for a head, and as the fortune of war 
 had now turned against them, they afforded their enemies a 
 bloody victory at their expense. And the common soldiers 
 sought refuge in flight, and sought all kinds of places of re- 
 treat and concealment. But the nobles, preferring to die rather 
 than to flee disgracefully, seeing that their complete spoliation 
 and an intolerable yoke was at hand, persevered in doin"- 
 battle, exposing their invincible breasts to the enemy, many 
 of them expiring through mere fatigue, till night put an end 
 to the contest. But the flight of the Enghsh of ignoble birth 
 lasted till night, and when that came, it descended in the com- 
 plete triumph of the Normans over their enemies, as had been 
 predicted. 
 
 Beyond all doubt, the hand of God, more than that of man, 
 protected duke William in this battle, as he afterwards, like a 
 wise man, often confessed. For though, amid the showers of jave- 
 lins that were flying around, he was often struck by arrows, 
 yet the enemy could not draw one drop of blood from his 
 
 oo2 
 
5C4 
 
 MATTCEW or TTESTMINSTEB. 
 
 A.D. lOCC. 
 
 A.D. IOCS. 
 
 CHABACTEE OF HAEOID. 
 
 l.odv. Therefore, duke William, now that cyerytluns had 
 unfed out successfully, in accordance with the w.U of the 
 Lord of Hosts, permitted his enemies who were slam to be 
 buried if any people chose to perform that work of chanty. 
 But those of^Ws own soldiers, of whom the fortune of war 
 had deprived him, he caused to be interred much more honour- 
 ablv with great funeral pomp and solemnity. And the body 
 of king Harold he sent to hi's mother, who begged it of hm, 
 without any ransom, although she, by her messengers, had 
 Xed a great sura. And when she received .t she buried . 
 arWaltham, in the church which Harold himself had bmlt out 
 "f his own revenues, in honour of the Holy Cross, and which 
 he had given np to the care of a body of secular canons Aud 
 when hfwas departing from it, and about to set out for the 
 war, after he had offered up his prajxrs before the cross \t 
 related that the cross, as if biddmg h.m farewell for the las 
 ume, moved forward, and remains in this attitude to the presen 
 d^ This subversion of a kingdom, and vast effVision ot 
 blood, was presaged by the threatening bnl lancy ot a huge 
 cret, of a bloody colour, with long hair, which, appeared u 
 the beginning of the year, in reference to which, some one ha. 
 
 said : — 
 
 " In the course of the thousand and sixty-sixth year, 
 X huge comet did fill all Eni5land with fear. 
 
 But a comet, whether it be a mere falling light, or a prog 
 nostic, still being a flame of prodigious appearance m the air 
 Ts alw;ys an omel of impending calamity. On which accom t 
 Claudian, where he speaks of the three goddesses who co 
 trived the rape of Proserpine, says in the middle of the epi 
 
 sode, 
 
 " And while the path glows 'neath the feet divine, 
 Lo ! through the heated sky is seen to shine 
 An awful comet, whose ensanguin'd flame 
 Ne'er augurs aught but deeds of woe or shame. 
 The people gaze with half- averted head. 
 The sailor views the lurid heav'ns with dread : 
 For sure that light portends destructive squalls. 
 Or hostile armies leagued around the walls.' 
 
 This conflict, so fatal and so deadly, stained nith the blooa 
 of so many noble men, took place on the fourteenth of Octo. 
 ber, that is to say, on the day of pope Cahxtus, at a little dis- 
 tance on this side of Hastings.*^ '-' 
 
 565 
 
 On the fourth or fifth night after the battle, while duke 
 Wilham was lying asleep in his bed, weary after all the varied 
 anxiety he had gone through, and buried in deep sleep, he 
 heard a voice saying to him, "William, you have conque;ed, 
 and likewise you have taken possession. Therefore you shall 
 reign, and your children after you, in all freedom, for a hun- 
 dred and htty years.- And the duke committed these words 
 to memory, and recommended himself and all that he had to 
 the divine protection. And there was founded a house for 
 a religious brotherhood on the very spot where the greatest 
 slaugh er and bloodshed had taken place, that the brethren 
 might for ever ofi^er prayers to God for the souls who were there 
 slam ; and the duke, and other devout nobles, endowed it with 
 ample possessions, and fortified it with the sanctions of reli- 
 gion. And the abbey, in memory of the conflict that took 
 place, IS called Battle to this day. 
 
 But the lord the pope, and likewise the whole brotherhood 
 of the cardinals and all the Roman court, who had always 
 hated king Harold, because he had assumed the crown of the 
 kmgdom without any agreement being entered into with them 
 and without any ecclesiastical solemnities, or any consent of 
 the prelates being asked, dissembled at the time their sense of 
 tlie injury; but seeing now that this audacious presumption 
 had come to an end, as they had yielded to adverse fortune, now 
 a ter the common custom of covetous men, or rather like reeds 
 shaken by a blast of wind, they at once returned to the side 
 which had proved the more powerful and the victorious one. 
 But king Harold, who in many respects was an imitator of his 
 tather, was a rash and indiscreet prince, with lieadlong pre- 
 sumption, trusting too much in his own invincible courage 
 eager for praise and for money, and, when prosperity smiled 
 upon him, forgetful of his former promises. On which account 
 he was disliked by the English whom he governed, even by 
 hose who were his own kinsmen; and when the Lord of 
 Hosts and God of Vengeance had given him the victory, he 
 ascribed it not to God but to himself, and to his own courage 
 and activity ; and this was proved by recent experience, when 
 l^emg elated at the victory he had obtained over the Norwe' 
 gians he retained for himself all the spoils which he had pro- 
 mised to others, and hastened, with precipitation and follv to 
 
 lt^h.f V^r^ '^'' ^'™ ■"• ^"^ ^'^'''^' ^^^«"^^> ^he name 
 ^i duke William, as ot a prince who was magnanimous in the 
 
566 
 
 MATTnETV OP WE3TMI5STEU. 
 
 A.D. lOGG. 
 
 execution of his warlike projects, and circumspect and faitlitul 
 in the discharge of his promises, and sociable and affable in 
 time of peace, and cheerful and good tempered at feasts, was 
 well received among almost every people, both among the 
 Enghsh and their neighbours, and especially among the Nor- 
 wegians. And so all received him with good will, and said. 
 *• Blessed is he who cometh in the name of the Lord, a pacific 
 kino-, a victorious warrior, a father and protector of the desolate." 
 And so, by the excellently regulated arrangement of God, who 
 governs and who overturns kingdoms, and who, regulating 
 the counsels of princes, gives to every one as He wills, and for 
 such a time as He wills, nor is there any one who can say to 
 him, ** Why doest thou this?" the kingdom of England was 
 transferred to the dominion of the Normans. 
 
 We put off the continuation of our book to the second 
 
 volume. 
 
 END or VOL. I. 
 
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 VOL. II. 
 
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 MDCCCLin. 
 

 CONTENTS OF VOLUME II. 
 
 Y'' CHAP. I.— From a.d. 1060 to a.d. 1087. 
 
 ^'ilnds r';t'V° rT''°"K/"'' '''' "■•""a'ion-Ha distribute, the "" 
 lands of the English nobles among his principal followers-The 
 
 natives *'^'" Scotland-Edgar Atheling takes rc7uge in 
 Hungary— Ihc princess Margaret marries Malcolm— The sons of 
 Sweyn .nvade England-William becomes tyrannica^-The onnres 
 s.on of the English by the Normans-Wiliiam "nvades ScotK 
 receives the homage of Malcolm-Great abuses ilthe chn ehi* 
 Quarrels between William and his eldest son-An ea^houie in 
 
 tttdlV by wL'Zts''"' '""'""' »ona.teries-l>ies, and 
 " CHAP. II.— From a.d. 1088 to a.d. 1100. 
 
 ^ -mf cl'onalion P'lf ' 'K '^"^™ "^ Robert-Prudence of William 
 His coronation- He makes war on Robert— Malcolm does ho- 
 
 heir at' C "rmlf IrV^^^^' 1 Malcolm-A greS ctncil is 
 Tancred ind ZhT . n f "^^^e-Valour of Robert, and of 
 Wnnlrn' Ai .^^^^"^«"d-Robert mortgages Normandy to king 
 
 -N^^eTtti'er'^ TfT'J^S"^*""''"«P^^-S«""^-" i^ defeated 
 P^ice IS taken, and Antioch-Siege of Jerusalem-King William 
 
 Ltldem'tnr^r'f ' '^ Henryi-Baldwin is crowned^ kl^^^Tf 
 Jerusalem— Robert returns to Europe ... 
 
 CHAP. III.—From a.d. 1101 to a.d. 1135. 
 Treaty between Henry and his brother Robert -Dispute between 
 Henry and the church of Rome about investitures-The Crusade's 
 
 tA.v ^^'"""^^'^^'■^^^ «^ Baldwin-Robert comes to Englandl 
 Is taken pnsoner-Anselm, the archbishop, holds a great co^^J 
 
 dTel Th^T "'"'^ '^'"^^ P«P« ^"^'^ i^to pris^on-TanTred 
 
 -wTr b:t;tn'E; '"?r"" i*? "^r'« *^^^'^' -°' ^^ 
 
 KnTo.hf.Tr? Henry and Louis, kmg of France— The order of 
 stoi^ 1?^^^"'' '^ founded-Henry's sons are drownedTn a 
 cS~ThP rT '""^'^ again-The Normans fortify thefr chief 
 cities-The Christians make themselves masters of Tvre-ThP m^ 
 peror Henry dies-The empress Matilda ma^Tes Geoffrly of S-" 
 
 bert~o&:^7^;^^^^ '"^l Second, is born-DtaTh of Ro- 
 
 w i>ormandy-^King Henry dici-Stephen succeeds . 
 
 16 
 
 28 
 
 367359 
 
IV 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAP. IV.— From a.d. 1136 to a.d. 1154. 
 
 PAOK 
 
 Louis the Gross dies — The emperor Lothaire dies — The Scots invade 
 England — The empress Matilda comes to England — London is sur- 
 rendered to her — War between her and Stephen — Conrad, the 
 emperor, and Louis, king of France, go to Jerusalem— Geoffrey ofvy 
 Anjou gives up Normandy to his son Henry — Henry marries'* 
 Eleanor — Peace made between Stephen and Matilda and Henry — 
 Stephen dies, and Henry comes to England 44 
 
 CHAP, v.— From a.d. 1155 to a.d. 1189. 
 
 Frederic is elected emperor — Henry prepares to invade Ireland — 
 Henry subdues Wales— Wars between England and Scotland— A 
 new coinage is issued in England — Thomas a Becket is made arch- 
 bishop—Malcolm of Scotland does homage to Henry — The coun- 
 cil of Clarendon— Slaughter of the Christians in the Holy Land- 
 Quarrels between Henry and Becket— Henry has his eldest son 
 Henry crowned— Sedition of the younger Henry — Death of Becket 
 —He is canonized — Henry invades Ireland, and is acknowledged 
 king of the country— William, king of Scotland, does homage to 
 Henry — Henry visits the tomb of Becket— Louis of France comes 
 to England for the same purpose— Pliilip Augustus succeeds to 
 the throne of France— Story of Prester John— Prince Henry dies 
 — The Saracens invade Spain— Saladin makes himself master of 
 the Holy Land— Philip Augustus, Henry, and the emperor Fred- 
 eric assume the cross— Quarrels between Henry and his sons — 
 Death of Henry 53 
 
 CHAP. VL— From a.d. 1189 to a.d. 1199. 
 
 Richard succeeds to the throne — Progress of the war in the Holy 
 Land— Richard's liberality to his relations— He appoints Arthur 
 his heir— He, with the king of France, sets out to join the crusade 
 —Acre is taken— Exploits of Richard— Richard returns from the 
 Holy Land, and is taken prisoner — The pope interferes for his re- 
 lease — He returns to England — Fulk preaches to Richard — Otho 
 becomes emperor— Death of Richard 
 
 f 
 
 ^ 
 
 •4 
 I 
 
 \ 
 
 I . I 
 
 78 
 
 CHAP. VII.— From a.d. 1199 to a.d. 1216. 
 
 John succeeds to the throne— Many of the nobles adhere to Arthur 
 
 Marriage of John— The king of France espouses the cause of Ar- 
 thur — Death of Arthur — Inactivity of John, and his losses in France ^ 
 —The emoeror Otho comes to England— Rapacity of John— The Y 
 pope lays England under an interdict— John makes a treaty with 
 the king of Scotland— The pope absolves the English from their 
 obedience to John— John subdues North Wales — The king of 
 France prepares to invade England— John submits to the pope — 
 
 I 
 
 Magna Charta is granted— The barons elect Louis of France king, 
 and invite him to England— Louis invades England— Death of 
 
 John 
 
 94 
 
 129 
 
 CONTENTS. y 
 
 CHAP. VIIL— From a.d. 1216 to a.d. 1225. 
 Henry the Third succeeds to the throne-The English defeat the'^''^ 
 
 nntt??!;^?'' 'T""'^ \^^ '^**™ "^ Louis-Peace is made, and Louis 
 quits the kmgdom-Pope Iimocent dies-The siege of Damietta— 
 Persecution of the Albigenses - The princess Johanna marries 
 
 kinrrnJ'.^"!. ^^ ^^"^Ir'^V^"^^^^ ^"^^^ «"* ^^^^ ^'^^^-een the 
 nopi barons-Death of Baldwin, emperor of Constonti 
 
 CHAP. IX.— From a.d. 122G to a.d 1232 
 
 ^ ^'the em^Deror' 'w Tf *^' ^"^'^^"-^-Tl^e pope excommunicates 
 the emperor-War between the pope and emperor-The piljn-ims 
 are allowed free access to Jerusalem-The duke of SaxonyTakTs 
 refuge in England-Hubert de Burgh loses the king's favollr 148 
 
 CHAP. X.— From a.d. 1233 to a.d. 1239 
 Disputes between the king and some of the bishops-Discontent of 
 some of the nobles-Death of the earl of Pembroke in Ireland^ 
 rhe pope Gregory preaches a new crusade-Henry marries Eleanor 
 of Provence-He summons a council of his nobles-They grant 
 him money-Cordova is recovered from the Saracens-Quarrek 
 between the scholars of Oxford and Rome-Baldwin, emperor of 
 Constantinople, comes to England-Birth of Edward tl/^rst- 
 The emperor Frederic is excommunicated . . . . igg 
 
 CHAP. XL— From a.d. 1240 to a.d. 1243. 
 
 Leohne, prince of North Wales, dies-His succession is disputed bv his 
 
 sons-Many kmghts leave England for the Holy Land, uTder prince 
 
 Richard -Peace between the Christians and Saricens - Khi^ 
 
 Henry invades Wales-Great disturbances in France-The king"? 
 
 ouarrelfhT''' 'T' '^ P'"'' '" "^"^5^' ^^« ^«^"^«« them-ofeaL 
 irFnl I Tc*^rT''"°'' *"^ *^^ P«P«; between the kings'^ 
 of England and Scotland ; and between the Welch and English 192 
 
 XV ^. CWhJ*. XIL— From a.d. 1244 to a.d. 1245. 
 
 nltf rthfH?f ^f English-The Templars send reinforce- 
 ■held at Lvln! tI ^^"^-^^^P^^es with the pope-A council is 
 emperor ^''^^ ^^^'^ excommunicates and deposes the 
 
 CHAP. XIII.— From a.d. 1246 to a.d. 1247. 
 Discontent in England at the exactions of the pope— Death of David 
 
 ZZl^^'^r'"''' IZ.''' *^^ «™P'^^' »^'^^-" ConraS andThe 
 nnn/t '.'"""i'"""'-^^ ^^"S«^ P'-*"^^ refuses to permit the 
 pope to enter France-Edmund, archbishop of Canterbury h ca^ 
 
 chuTch o7?'"f'rZi''^'^ '^^^"^^ nobles'against the po^e-Th^ 
 Church of England addresses complaints to the pope, but jrrants 
 hnn money-The landgrave dies-Frederic makes ?he SiciUanf&c 
 do homage to his son Henry-William of Holland is elected em-' 
 
 Sand T:''T '? ^^"••ff-The king's half-brothers come to 
 iiugland-Many English nobles assume the cross 
 
 • • • 
 
 238 
 
 258 
 
\ 
 
 ▼1 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAP. XIV.— From a.d. 1248 to a.d. 1250. 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 PilGB 
 
 CHAP. XX.— From a.d. 1266 to a.d. 1272. 
 
 Increased discontent of the English barons — Siege of Parma — The 
 king of France sets out for the Holy Land — William of Holland is 
 crowned king of Germany — The earl of Leicester is sent to Guienne ^ 
 — The war between Frederic and the pope continues — Louis, king 
 of France, is taken prisoner by the Saracens — The number of. 
 monkish orders increases in England — A summary of the events of 
 the last fifty years ....*...-< 292 
 
 CHAP. XV.— From a.d. 1251 to a.d. 1254. 
 
 Frederic dies — Alexander, king of Scotland, marries Margaret of 
 England — Alfonzo, king of Spain, dies — The Jews are banished 
 from France — The citizens of Bourdeaux invite king Henry into 
 France — He goes thither, leaving Edward regent of the kingdom— 
 Gaston de Biarde attacks Bayonne — A great battle is fought be- A 
 tween the French and Germans, on the borders of Flanders — Prince 
 Edward marries Eleanor, princess of Spain — War between the pope 
 and Conrad, son of Frederic 317 
 
 CHAP. XVI.— From a.d. 1255 to a.d. 1258. 
 
 Great exactions of the king — The first elephant is brought to Eng- 
 land — War between the pope and Manfred — Complaints are made 
 of the violation of Magna Charta — The earl of Cornwall is crowned 
 king of the Romans — The Poitevins are expelled from England . 345 
 
 CHAP. XVII.— From a.d. 1259 to a.d. 1260. 
 
 Negociations between Henry and the king of Scotland — The empire 
 is offered to the king of Germany — Conference between the kings^ 
 of England and France — War between the English and Welch — *^ 
 A treaty is made between Henry and Louis, by which Henry gives j 
 up Normandy — Henry quarrels with, and is afterwards reconciled'''^ 
 to prince Edward — Bad news from the Holy Land, in consequence 
 of the invasion of the Tartars — Meeting of the kings of England, 
 France, and Scotland, at Paris 358 
 
 CHAP. XVIII.— From a.d. 1261 to a.d. 1263. 
 
 Henry violates the provisions of Oxford — The pope is afraid of an 
 invasion of the Tartars — Prince Edward espouses the cause of the 
 barons — The earl of Leicester forms a confederacy against the 
 king — Prince Edward invades Wales — Treaty between the king and 
 the barons — The civil war breaks out again, and is continued with 
 great fierceness — The quarrel is submitted to Louis of France, who'^" 
 decides in favour of the king 390 
 
 CHAP. XIX.— From a.d. 1264 to a.d. 1265. 
 
 The barons are defeated at Northampton — The battle of Lewes — 
 The king of Germany and prince Edward are given as hostages for 
 peace — The battle of Evesham — A recapitulation of the events of 
 the civil war 412 
 
 VU 
 
 PAQB 
 
 Henry prosecutes his successes— Bravery and generosity of prince 
 Edward— The king besieges Kenilworth— Charles of Anjou defeats, 
 Manfred, and is crowned king of Sicilv— Some of the eari of Lei- 
 cester's party still resist Henry— Disputes between some of the 
 nobles— Pnnce Edward goes to the Holy Land— King Henry is 
 taken ill— Edward is wounded by one of the assassins— Richard, 
 king of Germany, dies— King Henry dies-King Edward is present " 
 at the tournament at Chalons— Does homage to Philip of France 
 for his French dominions ....... 4-441 
 
 CHAP. XXL— From a.d. 1273 to a.d. 1283. 
 
 A general council is held at Lyons— The pope praises king Edward, 
 who is on his way to England-Letters are received by the pope 
 from the emperor Palacologus -The Greeks reunite to the Latin 
 church-Edward arrives in England-Is crowned-Summons Lie- 
 wellyn, pnnce of Wales, to attend him at Westminster-Invades 
 \\ales-The lartars overrun the Holy Land-Llewellvn is killed 
 in battle-The massacre of the Sicilian vespers— Da^id, brother 
 of Llewellyn, is killed, and Wales entirely conquered, and united 
 '^^^^^^^ • .458 
 
 CHAP. XXII.— From a.d. 1284 to a.d. 1292. 
 
 ^'"Itf p.^'^'l *^' Second-Re-appearance of the emperor Fre- 
 dene-Edward goes into France to obtain some arrears due fromx. 
 he king of France-The Welch begin to rebel-The kingo^^ 
 Hungary turns Mahometan-The Tartars invade Poland-The 
 
 Irr '''' T'Pf 7''i'^ '^"^ ''' ^^"'«^-^ from England- 
 Edward IS acknowledged liege lord of Scotland-The Scotch 
 princes refer their disputes to his arbitration-John Ballioli 
 crowned king of Scotland . . ^ ,-„ 
 
 CHAP. XXIII.— From a.d. 1293 to a.d. 1295. 
 
 ^'inX'"^^^^^^^^^^ Normandy-The king of England is sum. ^ 
 
 Arra^on ^"^"^ ^Ambassadors arrive in England from the king of \ 
 
 fn hf t" Tt"^ ^^r "^"'■^^"^ '"^« Wales-Madoc is imprisoned 
 m the Tower of London-The Scots make a treaty with the k^n^ 
 of France-War between France and England J . . ^ 495 
 
 CHAP. XXIV.— From a.d. 1296 to a.d. 1299. 
 
 ^tr.'rft Tl^' 7" ."P"*" Scotland-Imprisons John Balliol-The 
 count of Flanders is imprisoned by the king of France-K^ng Ed! 
 
 * ' • • • . . .017 
 
/ 
 
 Vlll 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAP. XXV.— From a.d. 1300 to a.d. 1301. 
 
 A law is passed against base money— The king makes his son Edward 
 pnnce of Wales— He again invades Scotland— The pope intercedes 
 for the Scots, and claims Scotland as belonging to the Roman 
 church— The letters of the pope, and the replies from the king and 
 nobles of England ® 
 
 CHAP. XXVI.— From a.d. 1302 to a.d. 1304. 
 Discontents in France— The king of France summons Edward to 
 France, who declines compliance— Edward invades Scotland— 
 Guienne IS restored to Edward— Pope Boniface is imprisoned, and 
 dies— The war with Scotland continues— Edward gains ereat vic- 
 tories— The siege of Stirling . . . ... 
 
 CHAP. XXVII.— From a.d. 1305 to a.d. 1307. 
 
 The merciful government of Edward— Wallace is executed, and peace 
 estabhshed with Scotland— The senators of Rome require the pope 
 to keep his court there-Robert Bruce raises his standard in Scot- 
 land— Is crowned at Scone— Edward marches towards Scotland, 
 and dies at Carlisle— End of this History ..... 
 
 PAOK 
 
 532 
 
 559 
 
 575 
 
 THE 
 
 FLOWERS OF HISTORY, 
 
 ESPECIALLY SUCH AS 
 
 RELATE TO THE AFFAIRS OF BRITAIN. 
 
 FROM THE BEGIN'NING OF THE WORLD TO THE YEAR 1307. 
 
 COLLECTED BY 
 
 a 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 Cn. I.—Fkom a.d. 1066 to a.d. 108;. 
 
 Jmiam marches to London for his coronation—He distributes 
 the lands oj the English nobles among his principal followers 
 —The English nobles fly to Scotland— Edgar Atheling 
 takes refuge ni Hungary— The princess Margaret marries 
 Ualcolm—The sons of Sweyn invade England— JVilliam 
 becomes tyrannical— The oppression of the English by the 
 JSormans— William invades Scotland; receives the homage 
 of Malcolm— Great abuses in the Church— Quarrel between 
 n illiam and his eldest son— An earthquake in England— 
 —Henry, emperor of Gerfna?iy, is excommMnicated—Thefa^ 
 nnly of JJ'Uliam—He founds and endows monasteries- 
 Dies, and is succeeded by William Rufus. 
 
 Coronation of king William the First, the Conqueror. 
 AD 106;.' William, duke of Normandy, proceeded to the city 
 ot London, was received with great exultation by both clergy 
 'ind people, and was proclaimed king by universal acclamation, 
 
 ^ It is not clear when our chronicler makes this year begin. For he 
 speaks here of the year 10r,7 commencing before Christmas Dav 10G6. 
 1 erhaps he dates the beginning of the vear from Advent Sundav,' 
 
 VOL. II. 
 
 i * 
 
\ 
 
 V 
 
 MATTUEW OF WESTMINSTEE. 
 
 A.D. loc: 
 
 and on the day of the birth of our Lord h^^^^^^-l j'^ """" °^ 
 the kingdom of England from ^Idred, archbishop of York, i or 
 he refused to accept the office of consecration from St.gand, arch- 
 bXop of CanterLry. although of ancient "g 't tW - em. 
 office is known to belong to that see, because he had no legal 
 mht to occupy that preeminent dignity Then, having re- 
 ceived homage and the oath of fealty, and hostages likewise, 
 from the nobles, and being confirmed m b.s kingdom, be be- 
 came the terror of all those who had aspired to the kingdom. 
 InT having arranged his affairs in the different cit.es and 
 isUes. Ind having'placed his own servants in ^em he saded 
 back to Normandy with the English hostages, and with mes- 
 amable treasures.^ And, when he put the hostages in prison, 
 and committed them to the custody of safe keepers, he re- 
 tarned^-ain to England, where he distributed with a l.beral 
 hand the estates a.^ possessions of the Enghsh among his 
 Norman comrades who had helped him to subdue the country 
 fn he battle of Hastings ; expelling all the legumiate owners 
 
 successively, and becoming a tyrant >-f "=^ '^^" ."^^ ^l; of 
 burdened the little that remained to them with the yoke ot 
 perpetual slavery. And when he saw himself now raised o 
 such a loftv dignity, and confirmed in his proud kingdom he 
 became mpidl? changed into another man; and. a as! alas! 
 rampled Ide'r foot the nobles of the land ->'- *-;^-- 
 ditarv blood had elevated from the times of old. And Ae nobles 
 TZ kingdom being indignant at this, fled, some of them to 
 Ma coin, king of Scotland, others, preferring to end their 
 ull appy livesmtherthan to endure a shameful slavery, sough 
 "he desert places and woods, and there l.ving the ite of wild 
 beasts aid^repenting of having made snbm.ss.on to the Nor- 
 mans and being weighed down as to their inmost hearts with 
 St erief though it was now too late, had recourse to the 
 riy tpe le'f them, and prepared secret plots and intrigues 
 C the*^ noble counts, the brothers Edwin ajid Morcar and 
 mrnv other nobles, and many also of the bishops and clergy 
 rdLany others, ;hom it would take too long to enumerate 
 tv name when they saw that theirs was the weaker side, and 
 L\hey d-d^-d to'become slaves, abandoned England alto- 
 
 ^^And a. thev all fled to Malcolm, king of Scotland they 
 were all honoribly received by him. Then also, Edgar Athel- 
 Tu J the e^ timate heir of the kingdom of England, seeing his 
 
 A.]). 10G7. THE ABBEY OF BATTLE IS BUILT. 3 
 
 country plundered and disturbed on all sides, embarked on 
 board ship with his mother Agatha, and his sisters Margaret 
 and Uinstiua, and endeavoured to return into Hungary, where 
 he had been born ; but, a tempest arising, he was compelled 
 to land on the coast of Scotland. And, in consequence of the 
 occasion thus offered, it came to pass that Margaret was given 
 as a bride to king Malcolm, whose exemplary life and virtuous 
 death are plamly set forth in a book specially composed on 
 that subject. But his sister Christina became 'a nun, and de- 
 serves our benediction as one who was married for ever to a 
 heavenly bridegroom. 
 
 Queen Margaret had six sons and two daughters, three of 
 whom, namely, Edgar, Alexander, and David, became kines 
 as they were entitled to by the nobility of their family, and 
 through them the noble blood of the kings of England^ who 
 were expelled from their own proper territories by the Normans 
 devolved upon the kings of Scotland. 
 
 /?% /chiff William the First ivas not crowned by the arch- 
 bishop of Canterbury. 
 
 William was consecrated king, and crowned on the day of 
 the Nativity of our Lord, on the second day of the week,* by 
 ^Idred, archbishop of York, as I have said before, because 
 ^tigand, archbishop of Canterbury, had been suspended by 
 pope Alexander as a schismatic. At that time there was a 
 very powerful officer, Eadric, surnamed Silvaticus, the son of 
 /Eltric, the son of Edric Streona ; and the chatelains of Here- 
 ford, and Richard, the son of Scrob, freqMently laid waste his 
 territories, because he disdained to submit to the king, but, as 
 often as they attacked him, they lost a great number of their 
 soldiers and men-at-arms. Tiierefore Edric invited Bleothwin 
 and Riwathe, kings of Wales, to come to his assistance ; and, 
 about the day of the Assumption of the blessed Virgin, he laid 
 waste the province of Hereford, as far as the bridge over the 
 river Wye, and carried off a lar^e booty. 
 
 The abbey of Buttle is built. 
 King William, exulting in his victory, gave praise to God. 
 The same year also, the king built an abbey, which, in reference 
 to the battle that had been fought there, he called Battle, in 
 order that glory, and praise, and thanks, might be offered up 
 \\\ It to God for ever for the victory which he had given him, 
 and also that offices for the souls of the dead who were slaiu 
 
 B 2 
 
r 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1070. 
 
 "' ','■ ''m * Ult'Sh w a\; -d privilege, and oo,„- 
 
 :;i teTiit'thrvtoi: W. protection of the ..ngs wUo 
 S reign in England after lam. 
 
 Wimam> duchess is consecrate,/ queen. 
 
 WiUiam had a son born "' J; f '^^ ;i;^^ Robert, were born 
 K^trr^etSS S:li::'ieon,«erod KngU.ni. 
 ';.„ sL of S.ey. ca,ne in. En^^Jo ^e^^- ^^^^ 
 i.B. 1009. Between the time "t the two tes iva 
 blessed Virgin M»ry. m the aut.nnn, ^e^yo J^^ 
 
 came with three hundred «'''P^ ^ °™„,™and to take king 
 >n order to subdue it n. a >'" ^^ ^"^^^^"e ;-land. But when 
 WilUam prisoner, o"^. '^'^'' «P''']"^,f eounts^ and barons, and 
 their arrival was n«'''^'l«!"°?;''' meet them, being oppressed 
 nobles of the land ««="» '«''VZNorma"s ; and they made 
 by the intolerable arrogance ot the Nolans ^y^^^^ .^ 
 
 a'treaty with t>''^™V.''"^'miir Bu^V u"L, that most pru- 
 orderto overthrow kuig W'"''^™- «« . j^^^j him, hum- 
 dent king, when he saw *% '^""S;,* '*' *Xee of the Nor- 
 bled him'self to them, and d'ecked the msolenec ^ 
 
 mans ; and having m th.s "-^J ^;^^"7,„"a"J,K. „,ade a treaty 
 nobles to their allegiance *"'l."'""i'*,K''bv storm, 'l"ch was 
 with them all, he ^"^^ J^^^^lfJ.t^l Umself master of 
 
 r;tV«:., fee,in^ s^.e .J..th teco.es a tyrant 
 
 instead oj a King. . 
 
 ..„. 10-0. On the fourth day '^'^ZS:;^ 
 now become more seciire - - ^ --^ -[t^: tobeLarched 
 
 S ^nXl- tsW p-rd^:^r'uust.Uwhich the 
 
 A.D. 1071. THE ENGLISH EXPELLED BY THE NORMANS. 5 
 
 king;, when in a position ef difficulty, had sworn to observe him- 
 sc'it, to be earned ofl' by force from the churches where thev had 
 been deposited, and where they had hitherto lain in security, 
 and to be taken to his own treasury. 
 
 Moreover, the whole Anglican Church held a great conned 
 in Laster week, at Winchester, by the management of the king, 
 where many ot the things which concerned the kingdom were 
 changed. At that council too, Stigand, archbishop of Canter- 
 bury, was ignominiously degraded, and his brother, Aylmer 
 lushop of East Anglia, and many other bishops and abbots were 
 ueposed at the same time, ^gelwin, bishop of Durham, alone, 
 ot all the prelates of England, seeing the unjust oppression of 
 his brethren, and sympathizing with them, and feehng zeal for 
 God, went of his own accord into banishment from England 
 wishing to entangle the oppressors in the knot of excommuni- 
 cation. Stigand was succeeded by Lanfranc, a monk, a man 
 of elegant learning, and adorned with many and various polite 
 accomphshments, who, among other magnificent works, com- 
 posed a treatise on the Sacrament of the Altar, confirming the 
 Catholic Faith. Aylmer was succeeded by Arfast, the king's 
 chaplain ; and he transferred the seat of his diocese to Thetford. 
 
 The Englkh being expelled by the Normans, are injuriously 
 
 and wickedly treated. 
 
 A.D. 1071. Lanfranc, abbot of Caen, Mas consecrated arch- 
 bishop of Canterbury, on the twenty-fourth of April. And 
 this Lanfranc, when arelibishop, established the order of monks 
 according to the rule of Saint Benedict in many of the convents 
 of England. And he did so, first of all, in the church of Can- 
 terbury ; after that, in the church of Saint Alban, the proto- 
 martyr of the English, where also, when the abbot Frederic 
 died, he appmnted his nephew Paul as his successor ; who, 
 relying on the support of his uncle, restored the church and 
 reformed the brotherhood, which had faUen into some irregu- 
 larities. ° 
 
 This year also, the English being very injuriously treated 
 by the ISormans, fled to the fens of Ely,* and to the island of 
 riiorney, where they made themselves a camp of refuge, and 
 elected Hereward, a warrior of great energy and bravery, as 
 their general. But king William, alluring some by promises 
 and terrifying others by threats, and corrupting others again by 
 bribes, at last surrounded all the fugitives with a numerous 
 
 '\\ 
 
 I 
 
MATTHKW OF WESTMINSTLli. 
 
 A.D. 107 \ 
 
 I 
 
 
 army, and compelled them to return and to submit unto h'u 
 authority. 
 
 Kinff IVilliam received homage from the king of Scotland. 
 
 A.D. 1072. A general council of the kingdom of England 
 was held, to discuss the question of the primacy of the church 
 of Canterbury, as superior to the church of York, on the 
 eighth of April. And at last it was decreed that the arch- 
 bishop of Canterbury had the preeminence, and that the arch 
 bishop of York was subordinate to him in everything. 
 
 Moreover, king William went to Scotland, and invaded it 
 in a hostile manner, thinking that some of liis indomitable 
 enemies, and some of the refugees were there at the king's 
 court, and that some of his own 8u])jects were sheltered there. 
 But as he found no such persons there, when he had received 
 the homage of the king of Scotland, he returned to his own 
 country. 
 
 In the same year, king William invaded Scotland with a 
 great army, and Malcolm, king of Scotland, came peaceably to 
 Berwick to meet him, and became his subject. At this time, 
 count Ranulph of Micenis governed the earldom of Carlisle, 
 who had given efficacious assistance to king William in his con- 
 quest of England. lie began to build the city of Carlisle, 
 and to strengthen the citizens with many privileges. But 
 when king William was returning from Scotland through 
 Cumberland, seeing so royal a city, he took it from count 
 Kanulph, and gave him instead of it the earldom of Chester, 
 which was endowed with many honours and privileges. And 
 king William commanded Carlisle to be fortified with very 
 strong towers and ramparts. Moreover, king William the 
 Conqueror, on his return from Scotland, built a new castle at 
 Durham, to serve as a protection against the irruptions of the 
 Scots. 
 
 King William subdued Normandy, which had rebelled against 
 
 him. 
 AD. 1073. Pope Alexander died on the last day of March, 
 and was succeeded by Hildebrand, who took the name of 
 Gregory. The same year, the monks of Saint Ouen came with 
 a baud of armed men, and attacked John, archbishop of Rouen, 
 as he was celebrating mass, on the festival of the above-named 
 saint. On which account it was decided in a council which 
 was assembled in that city, over whichWilliam, king of England, 
 
 A.D. 1075. Eorni, queen of England, dies. 7 
 
 presided, that the monks who were guilty of this crime, should 
 be thrown into prison by the abbot. 
 
 Moreover the same year, king William, supported by the 
 assistance of the English, reduced Normandy, which had re- 
 belled against him, to submit to his authority by force of 
 arms. After that, having established peace everywhere, and 
 arranged everything well, and having received the English 
 with the fulness of his afiection, he returned to England. 
 Some Priests ivho had been guilfif of Simony, and who had 
 
 taken wires, are excommunicated by pope Gregory. Il'olstan 
 
 is restored to his bishopric. 
 
 A.D. 1074. Gregory, who is also called Hildebrand, held a 
 synod, and anathematized those guilty of simony. Some 
 priests who had taken wives he removed from their holy 
 office, by a new example, and as it seemed to many an incon- 
 siderate prejudice, in contradiction to the opinions of the an- 
 cieut fathers. The blessed Wolstan, who had been unjustly 
 deposed by archbishop Lanfranc, was restored to his diocese, 
 111 consequence of a miracle. After he had fixed his pastoral 
 staff on the tomb of the blessed Edward, no one except him- 
 self could draw it out again. 
 
 But the pope, to punish those priests who had married 
 wives more rigorously, and by punishing them to recall them 
 from those illicit embraces, forbade the laity to hear mass from 
 them, and ordered also the tithes which were due to such 
 priests to be burnt in the fire. 
 
 The same year, Canute, son of Sweyn, and count Ilaco, came 
 from Denmark, with a powerful and hostile army, and with 
 two hundred large ships ; but their enterprise was frustrated, 
 by the circumspection and prudence of the most invincible 
 king William. 
 
 Edith, queen of England, died. The Icing cursed his son 
 Robert, surnamed Cortehose. 
 A. D. 107."). Queen Edith died on the fifth of April. The 
 same year, king William gave the daughter of William, the 
 son of Osbert, to earl Radolph, as his wife, and gave him also 
 the government of Jiortl)foIlt and ^uti)folfe. This Radolph 
 Mas of British extraction, on his mother's side, and his father 
 was an Englishman. He was born in Norfolk, and there he 
 celebrated his marriage, which was the cause of destruction to 
 many persons. At that wedding there were present earl 
 
8 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESiTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1078. 
 
 i 
 
 n 
 
 It 
 
 
 i 
 
 Roger and earl Waltheof, and many bishops and abbots; 
 and they took counsel how to expel king William from his 
 kingdom. And this speedily became known to the king, who 
 was in Normandy, and immediately the king returned to 
 England, and took Waltheof, and Roger, who was his own 
 kinsman, and threw them into prison. As to the rest who 
 were present at the wedding, he deferred his determination. 
 
 The same year, on Easter day, the above-named king Wil- 
 Ham gave his' daughter Cecilia to be dedicated to the service of 
 God with devout solemnity in the churcli at Feschamp. Also 
 king WilHam cursed his son Robert, because he had often 
 provoked him to anger, and in the bitterness of his soul he 
 drove him from his sight and presence. And Robert at the 
 end of his life found out undeniably how great was the efiect 
 of the paternal malediction, when having become bhnd, he 
 was exposed to the hatred and persecution of his brothers, 
 and so died miserably in prison. 
 
 A general Earthquake in England. 
 
 A.D. lO/f). On the twenty-seventh day of March the earth 
 trembled, and a general earthquake took place all over England, 
 and a heavy frost and great abundance of ice continued from 
 the beginning of November to the middle of April. This 
 year, duke Waltheof was beheaded. 
 
 This is the thirteenth year of the first cycle of nineteen 
 years, after the repetition of the great year of Dionysius, two 
 of which have now elapsed since the passion of our Lord. 
 
 The monastic orders revived in Engfandy owing to the example 
 and doctrine of archbishop Lanfranc. 
 A.D. 1077. On Palm Sunday, which fell on the sixteenth of 
 April, a star appeared about six o'clock, while the sky was 
 quite clear. This year, Lauzo, the prior of Saint Pancras, 
 came into England, and Paul, a monk of Cadomum, a nephew 
 of archbishop Lanfranc, was created abbot of Saint Alban's. 
 And by his means, with the assistance of Lanfranc, the whole 
 monastic order in England was again brought into a flou- 
 rishing state. Likewise the abbot Paul himself enriched his 
 church with ample possessions and many privileges. 
 
 The emperor is excommunicated for disobedience. 
 A.D. 1078. A violent quarrel arose between pope Gregory 
 and the emperor Henry. At last the emperor was excom- 
 
 A.D. 1080. A FALSE KING SLAIN BY THE EMPEEOK. 
 
 municated.* After that, he ravaged the province of Swabia. 
 King William held his court at Gloucester, and conferred 
 bishoprics on those of his chaplains, giving the diocese of 
 London to Maurice, of Norwich to William, and of Chichester 
 to Robert. The same year, Guiscard, the noble duke of 
 Apuha, died, and was succeeded by his two sons, Roger and 
 Beaumont. This year also, a naval war of deadly animosity 
 broke out between the states of Venice and Baris, for the sake 
 of the body of Saint Nicholas. The same year, count WilHam 
 de Warenne, who had come into England with William the 
 Bastard, founded the abbey of Saint Pancras of Lewes. 
 
 Wales is subdued by the English, and Antioch is taken by the 
 
 Pagans. 
 
 A.D. 1070. John, archbishop of Rouen, died, and was suc- 
 ceeded by William, who had been abbot of Cadomum. The 
 restoration of the church of the bishopric of Winchester was 
 commenced. On the night of the nativity of our Lord a 
 violent storm of wind shook several solid buildings. 
 
 This year also, king William led a powerful army into 
 Wales, and subjugated it; and received homage and hostages 
 for their fidelity from the petty kings of the viscounty, the 
 same year, Antioch was taken by the pagans, together with 
 the adjacent province, which had been a Christian land ever 
 since the time of Saint Peter, without any disturbances. The 
 same year, Malcolm, king of Scotland, became furious a 
 second time after the Assumption of the blessed Virgin Mary, 
 and ravaged the whole of Northumberland, as far as the river 
 Tyne. But when he heard of this, the king of England sent 
 liis son Robert with an army into Scotland, who returned 
 without having succeeded in his objects, and built a new 
 castle in the river Tyne, and then returned to his father. The 
 same year also, the king sent his brother Odo, bishop of 
 Bayeux, with a large army, to lay waste Northumberland, 
 the people of which district had risen in insurrection against 
 the king, and had murdered Walcher, bishop of Durham, a 
 man of exemplary character, at Gateshead. 
 
 A false King is slain by the Emperor. 
 
 A.D. 1080. Pope Hildebrand, who is also called Gregory, 
 predicted, as if he had been informed of it by divine revela- 
 tion, that a false king would die this year. His prediction, 
 
 ' This was the origin of the wars between the Guelfs and Ghibelins. 
 
10 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1083. 
 
 indeed, was true ; but lie was deceived in his opinion and 
 conjecture as to who the false king was, for he interpreted the 
 prophecy according to his own wish, as if it concerned the 
 emperor Henry. But that emperor fought a severe battle 
 against the Saxons, in which he slew the false king of Saxony, 
 wliose name was Radulf, with many other princes of Saxony. 
 The same year, the town of Newcastle on the Tyne was founded 
 by king Wilham. 
 
 William, archbishop of Rouen, held a council at Lisseher. 
 
 An earthquake, accompanied with terrible noise, took place 
 
 in England. 
 
 A.D. 1081. William, archbishop of Rouen, held a council 
 at Lisseher, at which king William was present, with many 
 bishops and princes. The same year, a great earthquake, ac- 
 companied with a terrible subterraneous noise, took place all 
 over England, in a manner contrary to the usual course of 
 nature ; and it is believed that it happened as a sad omen of 
 the changes of decrees, and laws, and regulations which took 
 place in the before-mentioned council. 
 
 Martian^ the historiographer, a man, forsooth, of great authority, 
 has v^ritten chronicles extending from the nativity of Christ to 
 this time. 
 
 A.D. 1082. Marian, a Scot, a lineal descendant of the holy 
 Bede, examined all the books of that venerable saint, and 
 many others, and endeavoured to resemble him in purity of 
 life and learning. This Marian, beginning his chronicles with 
 the nativity of Christ, carried them on, giving a true and full 
 account of everything to this year, taking especial pains to cor- 
 rect the errors in chronology as to the years that had elapsed 
 during the lifetime of our Lord. For the diversity of opinions 
 on this subject had created suspense in the minds of the elect. 
 
 Queen Matilda died, and King William became more tyrannical. 
 A.D. 1083. Queen Matilda died on the thirteenth of April. 
 She was rather old, and the wife of king Wilham, and the 
 daughter of Baldwin, count of Flanders, and she was buried 
 at Cadomum, in the monastery of the holy Virgin Mary ; 
 which she herself had built from its very foundations, and had 
 nobly endowed. The same year, king William sent his justi- 
 ticiary throughout the whole of England, through every county, 
 and commanded him to enquire and make diligent investiga- 
 
 \ 
 
 A.D. 1084. 
 
 WALTlIEOf BEUEADED. 
 
 U 
 
 
 tion as to how many acres or roods of land there was in each, 
 and how much was sufficient for the maintenance of one soldier'. 
 He also caused investigation to be made into the revenues of 
 the different cities, and towns, and villages, to ascertain what 
 they usually amounted to. lie also inquired how much stock 
 was sufficient for the cultivation of one hide of land, and 
 also what was the yearly income derived from the rivers and 
 fens, and woods, and how many soldiers there were in each 
 county, that he might know what number of men there were 
 m whom he could rely in a case of urgent necessity; all which 
 things were set down in writing, ami the documents were 
 brought to Westminster, and laid up carefully, to be preserved 
 in the royal treasury. Then, as he became older, he also be- 
 came more covetous, and more like a tyrant than a king, so 
 that he cruelly extorted six shillings from every plouc-h' or 
 hide of land throughout the whole kingdom. * 
 
 In the same year, Maurice, bishop of London, began the 
 great church which is not finished to this day. In this year 
 the privileges of the church of Durham were granted, and con- 
 firmed by Thomas, archbishop of York. 
 
 The brave Waltheof is put to death. The emperor Henry 
 
 recovers his power. 
 
 A.D. 1084. Waltheof was beheaded. He was a count of 
 noble family, of great bodily strength, strong in his chest, 
 and of a lofty, and imposing stature ; being the son of Siward] 
 that most noble count, whom, in the Danish language, they 
 called Droggers, that is, ** Brave." He was buried at Croy- 
 land. The same year, the Romans received Henry as their 
 emperor, and Hildebrand also was deposed from his papacy 
 by their decision. Wibert, bishop of the city of Ravenna, 
 was enthroned in the Apostolic See, and assumed the name 
 of Clement, and every one exclaimed that Hildebrand had 
 been rightly deposed, as guilty of li'se majestc, inasmuch as 
 he had presumed to set up another emperor in opposition 
 to the emperor, Henry. The same year, Desiderius, abbot 
 of Monte Cassino, was made pope, in opposition to Clement, 
 but very soon after he died of a dysentery. The same year,* 
 William, king of England, with great ceremony, invested his 
 younger son, Henry, with the military belt at Westminster, 
 on the Day of Pentecost, After that, he received the homage 
 and oath of fealty of all the English, to whatever fee or tenancy 
 
 ( 
 
 ii 
 
 % 
 
 il 
 
12 
 
 MATTHEW OF ■NVESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 10S5. 
 
 li 
 
 
 t 
 
 they belonged, and he levied large sums of money from every 
 one agamst whom he could find any pretence of any sort. After 
 that, he crossed the sea to Normandy. 
 
 Now, therefore, in requital of their sins, the ancient nobi- 
 lity of the English began to decay under its oppression, and 
 the souls of the nobles, in accordance with the prophecy of 
 the blessed Edward, drew sorrowful sighs from the bottom of 
 their hearts. 
 
 Kinff William prospern in his ways, and founds two convents. 
 
 A.D. lOHf). KinK Wilham, after he had banished nearly the 
 whole of the nobility of England, gave full vent to his tyran- 
 nical temper, and became savage and inhuman, having no 
 affection for anything but wild animals, for the sake of which 
 he mutilated, and plundered, and imprisoned, and executed 
 men. He enriched Normandy, he subdued and made himself 
 master of Maine, and reduced Brittany to submit to his autho- 
 rity, and he united Scotland to England, lie was a most 
 sagacious confiscator of the possessions of robbers and ban- 
 ditti, and a merciless condemner of the men themselves. So 
 that merchants, and foreigners, and travellers could travel 
 throughout the whole length and breadth of England without 
 injury, even if they had been seen to be loaded with treasures 
 of gold ; though at all previous times every wood abounded with 
 wolves and highwaymen. For the English of noble and gene- 
 rous birth being expelled from their possessions, and being 
 ashamed to beg, and not knowing how to dig, lurked in the 
 woods with their sons and brothers, thirsting only for booty 
 and plunder, as they were deprived of hunting, and had no 
 other means of obtaining food. 
 
 This year, king William gave the bishopric of Dorchester 
 to a man named Remigius, a monk of Feschamp, by whose 
 salutary warnings the king was taught, for the atonement of 
 his transgressions, to found two monasteries, one in honour 
 of Saint Martin, in England, where the battle had been fought, 
 and to which he gave the name of Battle, as has been said 
 before. The other monastery he founded in Normandy, at 
 Caen, in honour of Saint Stephen, the protomartyr, and he 
 ordered it to be consecrated. By queen Matilda he had several 
 children, namely, Robert and Richard, William and Henry, 
 from whom afterwards the line of the kings of England de- 
 scended. 
 
 AD. 1087. 
 
 PESTILE>'CE IN E>' GLAND. 
 
 13 
 
 William 
 the Conqueror. 
 
 Robert Curthose. 
 William Rufus, king. 
 Richard. 
 
 Henry Beauclerc, king. 
 Adela (married to Ste- 
 phen, of Blois, whose 
 son was afterwards 
 king). 
 
 And four other dau2:h- 
 ters. 
 
 Matilda, their mo- 
 ther, and the queen, 
 was the daughter of 
 Baldwin, count of 
 Flanders. 
 
 King IJ'ilUam endows two monasteries, which he hofi founded, to 
 wit, that of Saint Martin^ in England, and that of Saint 
 Stephen, in Normandy. 
 
 A.D. 1()8G. King William founded a second monastery in 
 Normandy, and when it was finished, he enriched it with 
 estates and privileges. 
 
 Robert, the first-born son of king William, being discon- 
 tented at Normandy being refused to him even while his 
 father was still alive, departed into Italy in great anger, where 
 he married the daughter of the marquis Boniface, in order to 
 gain additional power to attack his father ; but, when he was 
 disappointed in this expectation, he excited Philip, king of 
 France, to enmity against his father ; for which conduct he 
 was deprived of his father's blessing, and of his inheritance ; 
 and after the deach of William, he lost the kingdom of Eng- 
 land, being scarcely permitted to retain the dukedom of Nor- 
 mandy. 
 
 King William had one most excellent custom, by which ho 
 is said to have escaped divine vengeance for his tyrannical 
 conduct. He attended mass, and all the hours of divine ser- 
 vice diligently, and with the simplicity of a child, and would 
 never permit himself to be hindered from so doing by the 
 most urgent or perplexing business, and while so engaged, 
 he did not cease to bend his knees, and pray devoutly. 
 
 hinff William dies. Divides his substance in a marvellous man- 
 ner. Robert, the first-born, is rejected. William succeeds. 
 A.D. 1087. A great disaster happened in England. For the 
 nation was attacked by such a great disease and pestilence, 
 that those who escaped the fevers died of famine. For God 
 sent tempests, and tluuiders, and lightnings, by which many 
 men perished, and He spared neither animals nor cattle ; but 
 
 
 
14 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1087. 
 
 A.D. 1087. OF TUE SACRAMENT OF THE ALTAR. 
 
 15 
 
 ft 
 
 f 
 
 even the domestic birds of England, the peacocks, and poultry 
 and geeae, fled from the houses, and all became wild birds. 
 This year, king William was in France, and ravaged the king- 
 dom of king Philip, and slaughtered many of his subjects. 
 He also burnt a noble castle called Mathaunte, and all the 
 churches which were in that district, and burnt alive a number 
 of the common people, and two holy anchorites ; after which, 
 he departed into Normandy, and sojourned there. 
 
 But king William, in the latter part of his life, while dwell- 
 ing in Normandy, rested for awhile, after he had contracted a 
 league of friendship with Philip, king of France. And king 
 Philip, ridiculing his patience, is reported to have said, "Wil- 
 liam, king of England, is lying at Rouen, keeping his bed like 
 women who have just been delivered from travail." And king 
 William, being irritated at this sarcasm, replied, ** When I go 
 to mass, after my confinement, I will light him up a hundred 
 thousand candles." And not long afterwards, in the month 
 of August, he assembled an immense army, and entered 
 France, subduing everything, and laying waste everything. 
 Last of all, he set fire to the city of Nantes, and burnt it, and, 
 being elated at its destruction, while he was encouraging his 
 men boldly to add fuel to the flame, he came too near the 
 fire, and, owing to the heat of the flames, and the unequal 
 temperature of the autumn, he caught an illness, in conse- 
 quence of which he withdrew his army, and returned to Rouen. 
 But, on the twenty-seventh of March, when he felt that the 
 day of his death was at hand, king William released his brother 
 Odo, and all those whom he had committed to prison in Eng- 
 land or Normandy, and performed a severe penance, for the 
 fact that any one who in his time had caught a wild boar, or a 
 stag, without Ucense, had been deprived of his eyes. He was 
 an inviolable preserver of peace and justice, so that a maiden 
 loaded with gold might have traversed the kingdom of Eng- 
 land in security. 
 
 King William divided his territories in the following strange 
 manner. Against his will, and because he was compelled to 
 do so, he left Normandy to Robert his eldest son, to William, 
 his second son, he bequeathed the monarchy of England, and to 
 Henry he left all his mother's possessions and a large treasure. 
 
 So king William left both his kingdom and his life on 
 the ninth of September, after he had reigned over the English 
 nation twenty years, ten months, and twentv-eight days. His 
 body was carried to Caen, and buried there. 
 
 William, the son of king William, hastened with all speed 
 to England, and was consecrated king, on the twenty-seventh 
 day of September, on the Lord's day, at Westminster, by 
 Lanfranc, archbishop of Canterbury. He endowed the abbey 
 of Saint Martin of Battle, and loved it, and confirmed every- 
 thing that had been established there by his father, and paid 
 reverence to his tomb, and to the day of his anniversary ; 
 which, however, Robert obstinately refused to do ; and so^ 
 moved by his example, did his other sons too. There were 
 present at his funeral three persons who had been his chap- 
 lains, and on whom the king had conferred the dignity of 
 bishop ; namely, Maurice, bishop of London, William! bishop 
 of Norwich, and Robert, bishop of Winchester. 
 Of the Sacrament of the Altar. 
 
 The same year, Berengarius of Tours, who had fallen into 
 heretical error, had corrupted nearly all the Gauls, and Ita- 
 lians, and the English with his own erroneous sentiments, 
 asserting new and unheard-of and false doctrines concemin*^ 
 the sacrament of the altar, and the transubstantiation, both o^' 
 the bread into flesh, and also of the wine into blood. But the 
 prudence of Lanfranc detected all the wiles of his adversaries, 
 and confirmed the catholic truth in every point. Paul also] 
 of whom we have already made mention, suflered not the ec- 
 clesiastical truth to fall to the ground. And thus the Christian 
 religion, as to the sacrament of the altar, was irrefracably es- 
 tabhshed. ^ 
 
 The Venetians, who were designing to carry away the body 
 of Saint Nicholas from Mirrhea, in Lycia, which had been 
 destroyed by the Turks, were anticipated by the citizens of 
 Ban, who came to the number of forty-seven from Antioch to 
 Mirrhea, and who compelled four monks, who were still found 
 there, to show them the tomb of the saint ; and when they had 
 broken it open, they found the bones of the holy Nicholas 
 swimming in liquid oil, complete in number, and they took 
 them out, and carried them to Bari with great glory. And 
 this removal of the bones of the saint took place seven hundred 
 and fifty-five years after his burial. 
 
 The same year, while some men of jiatrician rank, debating 
 at Milan on affairs of state, were sitting together in a tower in 
 that city, a voice sounded in the ears of all them, calling one 
 of them by name, and begging him to depart with all speed. 
 And, as he delayed to comply, a certain person appeared to 
 
I 
 
 IG 
 
 MATTUEW OF ^VESTMrNSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1088. 
 
 It 
 
 t 
 
 n 1 \.;m prevailed upon him by entreaty 
 M™ who. having ca^Ud h.mjr va.l ^_^^ P ^„^„ ,„,,,,iy 
 
 1:1 Wirutd Tu who were there miserably. 
 
 Cn II.-Vbom A.D. 1088 to a.d. UOO. 
 ..«„, 0/ a: no^Us .refer tUe ^I^'^^^T^^^IT^'SS 
 mUiam-His '"'■»''"l'''l--";Tot„nd-Deaa of Mai- 
 Malcolm does homayeto '''"'J^'^f^Znt-ne first cm- 
 .olM-Agreat council ^s held f^'^»^« and Bohemond- 
 .ade^ralour of Robert, ""^f^'^" William-Alexius, 
 Robert mortyages f"''"f%'^^^i, defeated-Nice is 
 emperor ''f^^ff'Zll'ff^^^^^ , 
 
 taken, ''''''/''''"'''.ZXiv-BaUlmn is crowned hn,j 
 liHed and succeeded by nennj ^ 
 ^oferusalem-nobert retun. to turope. 
 
 ,■ t P,,nland the (treat conqueror, hemg dead, 
 
 ,on of the late king. Eno-land disdaining t« 
 
 ^.„/l088. Many ot the noh es o^^^. ^^^^ ^,„,, „e 
 
 be subject to t^ie ?««"?" —^^.i^be too unworthy a pro- 
 Robert, the eldest son '^'^ :\*»"''^„„ h^others, while aban- 
 ceeding to be subject ^ the youn er i^,,ce of 
 
 douing so gallant and fblf/J^^^^Xevery one at once, pro- 
 the king, as he was not «'''^.t^/'r,idual9. and at first he 
 ceeded cautiously to P'^PI'f'irowu discretion; after- 
 promised privJeges ««««^^™^ *V"» ° ^^ ^^ ,.,, „„t i,u to 
 wards he was not slack m ^^« ^^^j^ ^ „afty mental 
 
 gi,e ; and thus he ^^^^ZT^ d^ -' --P« ^'^ 
 reservation ot ins oy, n , ^-w" 
 
 nX' ^af 'elected pope, and governed the papal see one 
 vear, four months, and four days. 
 
 The coronation of WWiam Rvfm 
 Therefore tl!:tru.ng l^i-^tX^'::;.'';:^^l 
 i„ „ame and fact WiU>am ^^-^^^^^^ c uterhury'who had 
 his coronation, Lanfranc, *'£^^^^^^^^^^^ of York, and 
 
 consecrated h.m kn;g, and Thomas arcu v ^^ ^^.^^ 
 
 Maurice, bishop ol I'Ondon. .^nd ^\ a^^^^^^^^ P 
 
 Chester, and Galfnd Inshop °^;™^*'^Xd, and Robert, 
 
 A.D. 1083. LANFBANC, ARCnBISnOP OF CAXTEUBUliY, DIES. 1/ 
 
 bishop of Bayeaux, the justiciary of all Enjrland, and Remigius, 
 bishop of Lnicoln, which bishopric, by the management of 
 Remigius, was transferred, as far as its site is concerned, to the 
 place where the seat of the diocese now is. For as that bishop- 
 ric was one of exceedingly large extent, reaching from the 
 Ihames to the Ilumber, he thought it not fitting that the 
 cathedral city should be in a small town at one end of the 
 diocese, when Lincoln was much superior, both in situation 
 and in its buildings. Accordingly, having bought some 
 lands, he caused a church to be built in the highest part of 
 the city, near the castle, and canons to be ordained to the ter- 
 ritory. But now, returning from our digressions from the main 
 subject, let us resume that main subject. The evil which had 
 affected the English, now in some degree returned to the 
 EngHsh. For all the nobles of the kingdom whom William 
 the Great had promoted became proud, being indignant at a 
 younger son reigning over them, Robert, the first-born, a 
 noble and magnanimous prince, being set aside ; and so they 
 made war upon William, not without laying themselves open 
 to the imputation of perjury. But within three years thev 
 MTre all put down, and their estates distributed among more 
 faithful people. 
 Lanfranc, the noble Prelate of the Church of Canterbury, died. 
 
 A.D. 1089, Lanfranc, archbishop of Canterbury, died on 
 the twenty-fourth of IMurch, who had restored the large 
 church m Canterbury, and all its offices. He procured many 
 additional dignities for that church ; he restored its manors, he 
 cstabhshed two receiving houses for strangers, by condemning 
 heresies he confirmed the faith, he established in an admi- 
 rable manner the monastic order there, by the assistance of 
 Paul, his nephew, who was a monk, and whom he brought 
 with him out of Normandy, and appointed to be abbot of Saint 
 Alban s ; he restored the church at Rochester ; he diligentlv 
 corrected, by a comparison with the ancient copies, the books 
 which the rude simplicity of the English had corrupted ; in 
 the confirmation of which the church delights to feel itself 
 strengthened. This year, king William began to wage war 
 against his brother Robert, duke of Normandy. The same year, 
 an earthquake took place, and the monks of Bermondsey came 
 mto England, at the invitation of Lanfranc. That Remigius 
 was a monk of Feschamp, who also founded a new convent of 
 monks at Saint Mary de Stoke, and a second at Harden. 
 
 VOL. ir. Q 
 
 1 1 
 
 1 
 
 I .I 
 
HI 
 
 ! 
 
 18 
 
 MATTUEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1091. 
 
 King WilUam wages war against his brother Robert. 
 A.D. 1090. KingWilUam, waging war against hiselder brother, 
 Robert, took the castk^s of Saint Valeri and Albemarle. For he 
 was eager to avenge the injuries which he had done to his 
 younger brother, from whom he had treacherously obtained a 
 large°sum of money, by selling to him apart of his estate and 
 taking it away at'te'rwards, and by circumventing his brother's 
 simplTcity by other similar frauds and acts of cunning. For this 
 prince Robert was of a perfectfigure of body, vigorous, bold, and 
 fearless, of great muscular strength, of large bone, of lofty sta- 
 ture, and a manly expression of countenance ; but insatiably 
 avaricious, very cunning, and out of arrogance disobedient to 
 his father, magnanimous sovereign as he was ; he had no de- 
 votion to God, no fidelity to his brother William. At last, 
 indeed, much against his will, he did become faithful to him. 
 For being compelled by necessity, he sought some great friends 
 tomake his brother friendly to 'him, and he himself was re- 
 conciled to him niter a fashion. 
 
 The same year, the church of the blessed Mary of Castilacra 
 was foundedby William, count de Wareune. 
 
 Malcolm, king of the Scots, did homage to king William. The 
 king, becoming ill, made good promises, but did not keep them. 
 A.D. 1091. A violent and mischievous wind struck London, 
 shaking the towers, and buildings, and fruit-bearing trees. 
 Remigins, l)ishop of Lincoln, when he had arranged to dedi- 
 cate the church which had been completed with so much 
 magnificence, after he had prepared everything that was neces- 
 sary for such a solemnity, died the day before that on which 
 it was to have taken place. Thomas, archbishop of York, 
 resisted and contradicted him in this matter, affirming that it 
 was built in his diocese. On which account, the consecration 
 was delayed, because an appeal was pending, and because of 
 the untimely death of the bishop. The same year, the body 
 of the blessed Clement, the first bishop who was ordained by 
 the Apostles, was found at Mechi. About the end of this 
 year, or the bei^inning of the next, king WiUiam became re- 
 conciled to his^brother Robert, having been prevailed on by 
 the entreaties of many of his friends, on condition, however, 
 that the castles which the king had obtained from his brother, 
 should remain his property ; and that the king should assist 
 him in obtaining all the things which his father had be- 
 
 ^ 
 
 A.D. 1091. 
 
 ANSELM SEES A VISION. 
 
 19 
 
 queathed to him, receiving similar assistance from him. And 
 they made an inviolable agreement, that if either of them 
 died before the other, without a son, the other should be his 
 heir. And some nobles, selected for the purpose, swore to this 
 agreement on the part of the king, and an equal number on 
 the part of count Robert. 
 
 In the meantime, Malcolm, king of the Scots, overran the 
 borders of England, plundering and ravaging them ; but when 
 the king, m union with his brother Robert, marched with 
 speed towards that district, with an army, Malcolm became 
 alarmed, and met him with peaceful professions, and, havinc 
 done him homage, swore fealty to him. 
 
 Also, about the end of this, or the beginning of the suc- 
 ceeding year, the church of Saint Oswin of Tynemouth was 
 put m order for the reception of monks, who were established 
 there, under the regular discipline of Saint Benedict, under 
 Faul, the abbot of Saint Alban's. After this, king William 
 becoming very ill, promised to pass some good laws, and to 
 have peace with the church. But when he recovered, he re- 
 pented of having made such promises, and oppressed the kino-- 
 dom and the church more severely than he had previously 
 done, so that, on a false pretext, he extorted five hundred 
 thousand marks from one church, namely, from Lincoln 
 He appointed Anselm archbishop of Canterbury: but sub- 
 sequently he persecuted him illegally, and drove him into 
 banishment. Accordingly, Anselm went into exile, and re- 
 mained there till he saw in a vision of the night that all the 
 saints of England were complaining to the Most High of the 
 tyranny of king William, who was destroying his churches 
 And God said, "Let Alban, the proto-martyr of the English 
 come hither ; " and he gave him an arrow which was on fire' 
 saying, '^ Behold the death of the man of whom you com- 
 plain before me." And the blessed Alban, receivine; the 
 arrow, said, "And I will give it to a wicked spirit, an avenger 
 ot sins ; and saying this, he threw it down to earth, and it 
 flew through the air hke a comet. And immediately arch- 
 bishop Anselm perceived in the spirit that the king, having 
 been shot by that arrow, died that night. And accordingly 
 at the first dawn of the morning, having celebrated mass, he 
 ordered his vestments, and his books, and other moveables to 
 be got in readiness, and immediately set out on his journey to 
 ins church. And when he came near it, he heard that kinc- 
 
 c 2 
 
 III 
 
'fVA 
 
 20 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1093. 
 
 ;■! 
 
 William had been shot by an arrow that very night, and was 
 dead. But this event will be mentioned hereafter in its pro- 
 per place. The same year, lord Herebert, abbot of Ramsey, 
 received the bishopric of Thetford. 
 Malcolm^ king of the Scots, is shin. The hohj Margaret, his 
 wife, seeing this and other misfortunes, died. 
 A.D. 1092. Malcolm, king of Scotland, invaded England for 
 the sake of plunder, but was suddenly intercepted and slain. 
 And when his queen, the God-beloved Margaret, heard this, 
 she from that day forth wasted away with grief, and soon 
 after ender her life, amid prayers and tears ; for the Lord 
 chastened her with a double afHiction. For Edward, the sou 
 of Malcolm and this queen, and the heir of Scotland if he 
 had lived, was slain with his father Malcolm. Then the Scots 
 elected Dunewal, the brother of Malcolm, king ; but Duncan, 
 the son of Malcolm, who had been a hostage at the court of 
 king WiUiam, advanced his claim by the assistance of William, 
 and put his uncle to flight, and succeeded his father in the 
 kmgdom. The same year, John, bishop of Wells, a native of 
 Tours, transferred the cthedral seat of his diocese to Bath. 
 King William gave the bishopric of Lincoln to his chancellor, 
 Robert Bloet. King William restored the city of Caerleon, 
 which had been destroyed long before in the Danish persecu- 
 tion, and brought inhabitants to it from the southern districts 
 of England. This year also a great deal of rain fell, and an 
 inuTidation took place, a greater than which had never been 
 seen. King William oppressed the whole kingdom, and also 
 the clergy, with various exactions, and imposed many badges 
 of slavery on men, for which he incurred the curse of many 
 whom he oppressed. 
 
 Some of the acts mentioned at the end of this year belong 
 partly to the preceding one. 
 
 Frost and snow, siich as were never seen before. 
 A.D. 1093. After some excessive inundations which had been 
 caused by the rain, even the large rivers were covered with 
 such a thick ice, which lasted a long time, that they became 
 passable for men and loaded carriages and waggons. At last, 
 when the snow melted, the fragments of ice floating down the 
 river left scarcely one sound bridge in the whole country. 
 This year also, Suho, provost of Beauvais, was consecrated by 
 the pope bishop of Chartres. In this, or rather in the end of 
 
 A.D. 1091. WILLIAM LANDS AN ARMY IN WALES. 
 
 21 
 
 the former year, king Wilham gave the diocese of Canterbury 
 in peace to Anselm, whose ordination took place on the fourtJi 
 of December. 
 
 The seat of the bishopric is transferred from Thetford to Nonvicli. 
 
 A.D. 1094. On the ninth of April, the seat of his bishopric 
 was removed from Thetford to Norwich by Herebert Loseng. 
 Alwin, the founder of Bermondsey, died. The before-men- 
 tioned Herebert became bishop of Thetford by the purchase of 
 the episcopal dignity, having formerly been abbot of Kamsay. 
 But afterwards he rei)ented, and went to Rome, and restored to 
 the pope the staff and ring which he had acquired by simony. 
 But, by the favourable indulgence of the Apostolic See, he 
 was restored. 
 
 The same year, king William sent his brother Henry into 
 Normandy with a large sum of money, on purpose to subdue 
 it. The count of Northumberland having become elated at 
 having defeated the king of Scotland, as has been mentioned 
 already, treated the king's court with insult ; and therefore 
 the king marched his army into Northumberland to attack 
 Robert, and took prisoners in Newcastle all the more powerful 
 members of the king's household, and loaded them with 
 chains. The castle of Bamborough was restored to the king, 
 and all the favourers of the count were ill treated ; for William 
 of Anjou was deprived of his eyes, and Odo, count of Cham- 
 pagne, and many others, had their property confiscated. The 
 same year, king William led an army into Wales, because the 
 year before the Welch had slain many of the Normans, and had 
 broken down their strongholds, and'the castle of Montgomery, 
 and put all that they found in it to death. Therefore, king 
 William traversed the country of the Welch with a liostile 
 army ; but, finding himself unable to pursue them amid the 
 lurking places of tlieir mountains and their thick woods, esta- 
 bhshed some forts on the borders, and returned to his own 
 country. Tlie same year, stars were seen to fall from heaven. 
 
 " A monster born of Losing; rises up 
 VVitlun the church ; the base Siinoniae sect 
 Which tramples on the virtues of the canons. 
 Peter, why shunbercst thou ? For Simon seeks 
 Too high preferment in his wicked flight. 
 If thou wert present he would fly less high. 
 Alas, alas ! for money, for l)ase dross, 
 The church is sold. Lo ! here a son is bishop : 
 A father abbot. Simon both at once. 
 
 '»l 
 
■( ,/l 
 
 (I 
 
 f i 
 
 * I 
 
 OO 
 
 MATTUEW OF WESTMINSTLE. 
 
 A.D. 1095. 
 
 If It 
 
 
 fl 
 
 !| 
 
 What is beyond our hopes if we have money ? 
 Money has all the world, does what it wills; 
 Bestows and takes away ; and, shameful thing, 
 For money bishops and abbots are created." 
 
 During this year, king William went into Normandy, and from 
 thence he sent into England, and ordered twenty thousand 
 English to come to him. But after they had reached the 
 aea-shore, he ordered them to return, and to send the king the 
 money which they had hrought with them, amounting to 
 twenty shillinprs a man. 
 
 The holy Wolstan died, and a great council was held. 
 
 A.D. 1095. On the twenty-fifth of March, a man of exem- 
 plary character, Wolstan, hishop of Worcester, died ; and as 
 he was passing from life, he appeared to Robert, bishop of 
 Hereford, in a vision, who immediately hastened to Worcester 
 to bury him. But that holy man Wolstan, to whose hohness 
 the blessed king Edward, as has been already mentioned, even 
 after he was dead, bore witness, became afterwards so eminent 
 for signs and wonders, that the times of the Apostles seemed 
 to have returned. 
 
 The same year, that is to say, in the thousand and ninety- 
 fifth year of the Divine Incarnation, a great council was held 
 under the presidency of the pope, at Clermont, a city of Au- 
 vergne ; where the lord pope himself made a speech to the 
 people on the subject of the Holy Land, of such holiness and 
 of such convincing efficacy, that he animated many illustrious 
 princes to undertake an expedition to Jerusalem, and to make 
 a return to Christ by dying for him. Therefore the pope's 
 speech was not void of effect, and many nobles took the 
 sign of the cross, whom it would be tedious to enumerate. 
 Among whom Robert, duke of Normandy, assumed the cross, 
 with the purpose of entering on that holy expedition, and 
 mortgaged Normandy to his brother William for ten thousand 
 pounds of silver. And he was joined by Robert, count of 
 Flanders, and Eustace, count of Boulogne. There also took 
 part in the expedition duke Godfrey, Baldwin, earl of Monte, 
 and another Baldwin, destined to be the future kings of Jeru- 
 salem. A third body was composed of Raymond, count of 
 Saint Giles, Adelmar, bishop of Puy, a man eminent for his 
 skill in arms, but still more so for the purity of his life, and 
 the bishop of Hostia, who were the prelates of the army. 
 There were also Hugh the Great, brother of the king of France, 
 
 AD. 1095. THE CilKISTIAKS DEFEAT THE PAGANS. 
 
 23 
 
 Stephen, count of Blois, Bohemond, the nephew of Tancred, 
 and others whose names this page is insufficient to contain. 
 
 Peter the Hermit was the first actually to set out for Jeru- 
 salem, at the head of an innumerable army. But, as thirty thou- 
 sand of his men were slain before he reached Jerusalem, he 
 incurred an irreparable loss. The first battle of the Christians 
 was at the bridge over the river Pharphax, on the twenty-first 
 of February. The second was before Nice, which they took on 
 the nineteenth of June. They also took Laodicea. But though 
 more than three hundred thousand armed men had taken the 
 vow, there was such plenty in their camp, that a sheep was 
 sold for a shilling, and an ox for less than twelve. When, 
 therefore, after seven weeks and three days, they divided the 
 army, and proceeded onward to Antioch, that division was sur- 
 rounded by a body of three hundred and sixty cavalry, and an 
 innumerable host of Arabs. Thev sent to the other division 
 for assistance, and a terrible battle took place, in which the 
 Christians were very severely handled ; and, as they were be- 
 ginning to think of flight, Robert, duke of Normandy, met 
 them, and shouted, "Oh, soldiers, whither are you fleeing? 
 Their horses are more speedy than ours ; we must not flee, 
 for it is better to die honourably than to flee disgracefully. 
 Follow me." There was a man of great and marvellous 
 prowess ! Scarcely had he finished speaking, when he directed 
 the point of his spear against a certain king of the pagan host, 
 which pierced through wood and iron and body of the man. 
 Then he overthrew a second and a third, and many more who 
 were fated never to rise again. In like manner, Tancred, Bo- 
 hemond, Richard, and Robert dealt valiant blows among the 
 enemy. When lo ! Hugh the Great and Anselm de Ribeau- 
 mont came with a numerous force, in advance of the other 
 division of the army, and, being fresh, completely routed the 
 wearied pagans ; who, when they saw such a number of ene- 
 mies coming up unexpectedly, took to flight. So the Chris- 
 tians gained the victory, though it was but a disastrous one, 
 on the first day of July. From thence they marched onwards 
 to Heraclea, and from thence to Tarsus, which became subject 
 to the noble count Baldwin. Athenaeand Mamistra were sub- 
 dued by Tancred. The duke of Normandy took a certain city 
 called Simeon ; and Raymond and Bohemond took another, 
 which they entrusted to Peter of the Alps. At last, they ar- 
 rived at Iron Bridge ; and, on the twentieth of October, they 
 
 111: 
 
 \1 
 
24 
 
 MATTUEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1097. 
 
 \ 
 
 laid siege to Antioch, which is the metropolis of Syria. In 
 February, a wonderful army of the pagans assembled at Iron 
 Bridge, near the castle of Areth, and our six commanders 
 haste'ned to attack them ; but the great numbers of the pagans 
 encountered them with such vigour, that they retreated a little ; 
 and Bohemond, the decider of battles, and Robert, the standard- 
 bearer, the son of Gerard, rushed like Uons upon the enemy. 
 In that conflict the duke of Normandy clave one man of 
 gigantic stature through the head, and teeth, and neck, and 
 shoulders down to his breast. And duke Godfrey cut another 
 through the middle ; and when one part of him had fallen to 
 the ground, the other part still remained firm on the horse, 
 and was carried back among the pagans. And when they saw 
 this, they became frightened, and iled, and departed to the 
 wrath of damnation. 
 
 At this time, Alexius was the emperor of the Greeks, a cun- 
 ning man, and one who was always devising injury and trea- 
 chery against our men. This year, the church of Saint John 
 the Baptist was founded at Colchester, by Eudo, the king's 
 steward. 
 
 Duke Robert goes to Jerusalem. Normajidy is mortgaged, 
 A.D. 1096. While pope Urban was still sowing the word of 
 the Lord, with the co-operation of many other divines and pre- 
 lates, eminent for learning, and virtue, iind eloquence, the 
 business of the cross went on prosperously ; and, as the coun- 
 cil was not yet dissolved, a general indulgence from their sins 
 was granted by the pope, to whom, as vicar of the blessed 
 Peter, all power of binding and loosing upon earth has been 
 granted, to all who had assumed, or shoukl hereafter assume, 
 the sign of the cross. This year, duke Robert proceeded to 
 the Holy Land ; and the same year a great slaughter of the 
 Jews took place at Rouen. Stars were seen to fall from 
 heaven. King William received Normandy as mortgaged to 
 him. The count of Toulouse, with the legions that accom- 
 panied him, began his march towards the Holy Land. This 
 year also, the city of Nice^ was besieged by our Christians. 
 
 Jhiike Godfrey begins his march to Jerusalem. Antioch is besieged. 
 
 A.D. 1097. On the fifth of April, a certain marsh at Fin- 
 
 1 It will be observed here, that our chronicler has stated Nice to have 
 been already taken. In reality it put itself under the protection of Alexius 
 in June 1097. See Gibbon, c. Iviji. vol. xi, p. 59. 
 
 A.D. 1098. ANTIOClt TAKEN BY THE CHRISTIANS. 
 
 
 chamstede, in Berkshire, flowed with blood. Godfrey, duke 
 of Brabant, began his march towards Jerusalem, and joined 
 our army ; and a great battle was fought between the Chris- 
 tians and the Turks, the latter hoping to relieve the city of 
 Nice, which was besieged by our troops. Soliman, the lord of 
 that city, and of the extensive and fertile country which lay 
 around it, was defeated with the pagans, of whom he was the 
 sovereign and the general ; and the glorious city of Nice was 
 taken in the month of Jidy, on the twentieth day of the month. 
 The same year, the most noble city of Antioch was besieged. 
 The surrounding country was subdued, with many towns and 
 castles which belonged to Antioch, and another very powerful 
 city in the neighbourhood. In this year also, Anselm, arch- 
 bishop of Canterbury, consecrated Samson, bishop of Worces- 
 ter, bishop of London. The same year, Richard was appointed 
 abbot of Saint Alban's. This year, the church of the Holy- 
 Trinity, at Norwich, was founded. 
 
 Antioch is taken by the Christians. 
 
 A.D. 1098. In the month of June, on the third day of the 
 month, Antioch was taken by the Christians, in the ninth 
 month from the commencement of the siege. And after that, 
 the Christians were besieged in the same city by Corbaran, 
 prince of Persia, who advanced against it with a countless 
 multitude of pagans. The Lance of the Saviour was found in 
 the city, in the church of SaintPeter, where it was concealed ; 
 and the Christians marched out of the city, bearing the lance 
 before them, and a battle took place, than which a more ter- 
 rible one was never seen, between the Christians and Saracens, 
 and the victory, by the divine mercy, was on the side of the 
 Christians ; Corbaran fled, and his whole army was routed, in 
 which there were very many of the kings and chiefs of the 
 pagans. And this fortunate battle, full of all joy, took place 
 in the month of June, on the twentieth day of the month. 
 This year, the convent of the Charter House was began by the 
 brotherhood, who were seeking a suitable dwelling. And a 
 voice was heard from above, saying in the language of the 
 country, " Ciestavus," that is to say, " Stop here ;" on which 
 they stopped where they were, and founded a church and other 
 buildings, which daily prospered and increased in temporal 
 and spiritual things. 
 
 !i 
 
2G 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTillNSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1100. 
 
 The Holy City of Jerusalem was besieged by the Christians. 
 
 A.D. 1099. The most holy city of Jerusalem was besieged 
 by the Christians. This year also, the sea broke its bounds, 
 and did such a quantity of mischief as no one had ever seen 
 or heard of before. The great church of the convent of the 
 Charter House, with its barrier, was begun, in the presence of 
 a large body of the brethren then assembled. Adelmar, bishop 
 of Puy, died, a man emment for Iiis vigour in the use of both 
 spiritual and material weapons, and very skilful in all matters 
 of military disciphne. And by his death the Christian army 
 lost a great hope and comfort. On the tenth of April, Jeru- 
 salem was taken by the Christians. The number of Christians 
 who besieged it was forty thousand picked infantry, and 
 fifteen hundred knights, without counting those who ilocked 
 to join the army from day to day. And the Christians offered 
 the kingdom of Jerusalem to Robert, duke of Normandy, and, 
 because he refused it, God was offended with him, nor was he 
 ever prosperous in any subsequent undertaking. Then our 
 princes, by common consent, having first invoked the grace of 
 the Holy Spirit, appointed a king and patriarch, appointing 
 duke Godfrey king, and Aruulph, bishop of Maturanum, in 
 Calabria, patriarch. 
 
 The same year, king "William held his court in the new Hall 
 at Westminster, which he had built himself. 
 
 King William dieSy being slain by an arrow, and his brother 
 
 Henry is crowned. 
 
 A.D. 1 100. William, king of England, while he was hunting 
 in the New Forest, on the day of Saint Peter ad Vincula, was 
 shot by an arrow by Walter Tyrell, who did not intend to do 
 so, and so died. But the day before he departed this life, he 
 saw in a dream that he was losing blood by the wound of a 
 phlebotomist, and that a ray of blood reached up into heaven, 
 and covered the light with a cloud, and obstructed the day. 
 And so he awoke from sleep, and called on the Holy Mary, 
 ordered a hght to be brought, and forbade his chamberlains to 
 leave him. But when Aurora began to bring day upon the 
 earth, a certain monk related to Robert, the son of Hamo, a 
 dream which he had seen respecting the king the same night. 
 He had seen a vision of the king entering a certain church with 
 haughty gait, as was his custom, despising all who stood 
 around. Then taking hold of the crucifix with his teeth, he 
 
 A.D. 1100. C0T10>'ATT0N 01' KING UENBT THE FlUST. 27 
 
 gnawed its arms, and nearly cut off its legs. The crucifix 
 endured this treatment for a time ; but at last it struck down 
 the king with its foot, so that he fell on his back. And while 
 he was lying in this posture, such an abundant fiame came 
 forth out of his mouth, that the quantity of smoke darkened 
 even the stars. Robert, thinking that his dream ought not to 
 be neglected, immediately reported it to the king. But he 
 laughed exceedingly at first ; afterwards, being a good deal 
 afiected, he hesitated for some time whether he would go into 
 the forest, as he had intended ; and whether, as his friends ad- 
 vised, he should test the truth of these dreams at liis own risk. 
 And so before dinner he abstained from hunting, but soon 
 after dinner he proceeded to the wood. And there Walter 
 Tyrell, intending to pierce a stag with an arrow, unintentionally 
 shot the king in the heart, as I have said before ; who fell 
 down, and never spoke a word, but ended his cruel life by a 
 miserable death, and was buried at Winchester. And when 
 Anselm, archbishop of Canterbury, knew this by the spirit, he 
 hastened to return to his country, as I have said before ; for 
 he had been living in exile, having fled from the persecution 
 of the king. And on the day when the king died, he had in his 
 own country the archbishopric of Canterbury and the bishop- 
 rics of Winchester and Salisbury, and nine abbeys, the reve- 
 nues of which had been given to him. A marvellous thing. 
 Whatever displeased God, and those who love God, pleased 
 him. And the next day, he was buried at Winchester, in the 
 church of Saint Peter,' in that city ; and his brother Henry 
 was elected king, to whom Almighty God gave three gifts, 
 wisdom, victory," and riches; and by which he prospered iu 
 everything, and was superior to all his predecessors. 
 The coronation of King Henry the First. 
 Therefore after the death of king William Rufus, his bro- 
 ther Henry was elected and consecrated king of England, at 
 Westminster, by Maurice, bishop of London, as Anselm was 
 still absent, on the fifth of August, and with Maurice, Thomas, 
 archbishop of York, placed the crown on the king's head. 
 This year many disasters happened. And the devil appeared 
 visibly in out-of-the-way places and woods, and accosted 
 passers-by. Besides this, in the county of Berkshire, in the 
 village of' Hampstede, blood flowed out of the ground for fif- 
 teen days together ; and flowed from so abundant a spring, 
 that it made a horrible pool. 
 
28 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMrs'STER. 
 
 A.D. 1101. 
 
 Anselm, returning from banishment, performed the ceremony 
 of marriage between Matilda, daughter of Malcolm, king of 
 Scotland, and Henry, king of England, of which marriage 
 were born a son named William, and one daughter, by name 
 Matilda, the very image of her mother. And when this maiden 
 was five years old, the emperor Henry asked her in marriage, 
 and obtained her. 
 
 Bnt at this coronation it was no derogation from the just 
 claims of the church, or of the archbishop of Canterbury, that 
 the bishop of London, who is the dean of the archbishop of 
 Canterbury, and indeed of all England, filled his place in the 
 performance of this office, and this his own charter testifies. 
 
 This year, Robert, duke of Normandy, surnamed Curthose, 
 returned from the Holy Land, and with him returned Robert, 
 count of Flanders. But duke Robert did not as yet come to 
 England, king Henry having, as has been said before, been 
 crowned king, gave the bishopric of Winchester to Wilhara 
 Giffard. Anselm, archbishop of Canterbury, was entirely re- 
 conciled to the king. Pope Urban died, and was succeeded 
 by Paschal. Baldwin was crowned king in Jerusalem, because 
 Robert, duke of Normandy, refused that dignity. 
 
 Ch. IL — From a.d. 1101 to a.d. 1135. 
 
 Treaty between Henry and his brother Robert — Dispute be- 
 tween Henry and the Church of Rome about investitures 
 — The Crusaders take Ccesarea — Victories of Baldwin — 
 Robert comes to England — Is taken prisoner — Anselm^ the 
 archbishop^ holds a great council — The emperor Henry 
 throws pope Pascal into prison — Tancred dies — The nobles 
 swear allegiance to Henry ^ eldest son of William — Warbe- 
 tweenHenry andLouiSyking of France — The order of Knights 
 Templars is founded — Henry s sons are drowned in a storm 
 — Henry marries again — The Normans fortify their chief 
 cities — The Christians make themselves masters of Tyre — 
 The emperor Henry dies — T'he etnpress Matilda marries 
 Geoffrey of Anjou — Henry ^ afterwards Henry the Second^ 
 is born — Death of Robert of Xormandy — Death of king 
 Henry — Stephen succeeds. 
 
 King Henry and duke Robert of Normandy made a treaty. 
 
 A.B. 1101. Anselm, archbishop of Canterbury, warned king 
 Henry of the arrival of Robert, duke of Normandy, and of his 
 
 A.D. 11U2. A great council HELD BY ANSELM. 
 
 29 
 
 crafty design, and advised the king to send a naval expedi- 
 tion against him. But the friends of both princes arranged 
 a treaty between them, on condition that the king, on account 
 of the evident right that he had to the possession of the king- 
 dom, should every year pay Robert three thousand marks of 
 silver out of the English revenues, and that, whichever of the 
 two lived the longer, should be the heir of the other if he 
 died without a son. And this was sworn to by twelve nobles 
 on each side. Duke Robert stayed with the king, his brother, 
 till the time of the festival of St. Michael, and after that re- 
 turned to his own country. 
 
 In the same year, the king gave the bishopric of Hereford 
 to Kemelin, without any election having taken place, in con- 
 travention of the decrees of the new council, and he invested 
 him publicly, which was another thing that he did contrary 
 to his oath. For he had solemnly sworn in the first place that 
 he would preserve the privileges of the church unimpaired, 
 and also the good laws of the kingdom which were established 
 in and observed ever since the ume of Saint Edward. 
 
 A great council is held by archbishop Anselm. 
 
 A.D. 1102. Henry, king of England, besieged the castle of 
 Arundel, which belonged to Robert de Belesme, who held it 
 out against the king ; and, at last, the king made himself 
 master of it, and banished Robert from England. The same 
 year, Anselm, archbishop of Canterbury, held a council at 
 London, in the church of Saint Paul, in the presence of the 
 king and many euff'ragan bishops, about the time of the feast 
 of Saint Michael, at which council he excommunicated tliose 
 priests who kept concubines, unless they put them away from 
 that time forth. After that, becoming more secure of the 
 friendship both of Henry and also of ]\Ialcolm, king of Scot- 
 land, he formed a design of governing the church with greater 
 strictness, and of eradicating all the seeds of vice. For he 
 had formally married anew, that is to say, after he had re- 
 turned from exile, Matilda, the daughter of the above-men- 
 tioned king Malcolm and the holy Margaret, to king Henry, 
 as has been mentioned before, which was a service very 
 agreeable to both the kings and to both the kingdoms, on 
 account of the virtues of the queen. Anselm, therefore, being 
 confident in the favour of God, and these two kings, wrote 
 out in plain language the decrees which he had received at 
 
 
 I 
 
 li 
 
 ll 
 
 m 
 
 '•J 
 
30 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1103. 
 
 A.T). HOG. 
 
 DVKE EOBERT TAKEN PEISONER. 
 
 31 
 
 Rome, in a general council respecting the investitures to 
 churches ; ordaining, forsooth, that no prelate of the church, 
 no bishop or abbot, and none of the secular clergy, should 
 receive investiture of any ecclesiastical dignity from the hands 
 of the laity. On which account the archbishop, also, assert- 
 ing that this was for the advantage of their souls, degraded 
 some abbots and priors, who had obtained preferments from 
 the hands of the laity, and in consideration of the payment of 
 money, as, for instance, Richard of Ely, Aldwin of Ramsay, 
 the prior of Burgh, and many others, both priors who had no 
 superiors, and also abbots themselves. And since he had re- 
 fused to consecrate some bishops by desire of the king, who 
 had received institution from the king, or even to allow them 
 to communicate with him, the king fell into evil ways, and 
 became full of vehement wrath against him. So the king 
 commanded Gerard, archbishop of York, to consecrate them. 
 But William Giffard, fearing the rigour of the holy Anselm, 
 disdained the consecration of the archbishop of York. For 
 which conduct he was banished the kingdom, by an unjust 
 sentence of the king. But Kemelin, bishop of Hereford, 
 fearing for his own conscience, because he had received insti- 
 tution from the king, resigned his diocese to Anselm. This 
 year, also, Roger was elected to the bishopric of SaUsbury, on 
 the thirteenth of April. 
 
 A great mortality among men took place. The city of CcEsarea is 
 
 taken, 
 
 A.D. 1103. A deadly and too-fatal mortality took place, 
 both of men and animals. That year, the city of Caesarea, 
 the most celebrated and opulent city in the Holy Land, was 
 surrendered to the Christian power, and an archbishop was 
 placed in it, by name Baldwin, and in that city our great 
 father, the holy Basil, that glorious archbishop, formerly pre- 
 sided over the people of God. Moreover, in that city a noble 
 temple to the Gods was immediately destroyed by the Chris- 
 tians : and a very great slaughter of the pagans was made. 
 But Jerusalem was assigned to the government and liberality 
 of some of the Christian princes. But the most worthy 
 cahph of the pagans sent an infinite multitude of Turks to 
 the deliverance of that city, all men completely armed, under 
 a most mighty general. But Baldwin, king of Jerusalem, met 
 him, and, having invoked the assistance of God, slew them 
 
 all with the edge of the sword. And in that glorious conflict 
 there fell of the enemy five thousand armed cavalry, but of 
 our men, seventy knights and two hundred foot-soldiers. And 
 the city, to the glory of God, was delivered from the domi- 
 nion of the pagans. 
 
 Four circles appear round the sun. 
 
 A.D. 1104. On the seventeenth of April, four circles were 
 seen round the sun, white and spotted, and marvellously en- 
 twined together. A comet appeared in the month of Febru- 
 ary. The same year, dissensions arose between king Henry 
 and Robert, duke of Normandy, two brothers. And no small 
 disasters and losses ensued that year. King Henry ordered 
 the property and possessions of Anselm, that virtuous man, to 
 be confiscated, nor could reason, or the intercession of the 
 king of Scotland, and of his own queen, restrain him. But 
 Anselm went to live in banishment at Lyons. 
 
 Achon was given up to king Baldwin. 
 
 Duke Robert came to England to be reconciled to his brother, 
 
 but in vain. 
 1105. On the thirteenth of April, king Henry burnt 
 
 A.D. 
 
 Bayeux. Robert, duke of Normandy, came to iiovtljanipton, 
 to the king, his brother, entreating of him, in a suppliant man- 
 ner, to restore to him what he had taken from him. But God 
 did not will that they should be friends. For the king re- 
 fused his requests ;' on which account the duke retired in 
 anger, uttering threats. And the king pursuing him, vigor- 
 ously besieged him in the castle of Tenchebray, and cooped 
 him up in a very small space. But he escaped by night by a 
 postern door, and levied a numerous army to resist his brother. 
 
 Duke Robert is taken, and is put in prison with the count of 
 
 Mortaigne. 
 
 A.D. 11 Of). On the twenty-fourth of April, while Henry, 
 king of England, was besieging Tenchebray, duke Robert 
 marched against the king with his army in battle array, on the 
 vigil of the feast of Saint Mark, and fought a very undecided 
 battle. The duke himself, though surrounded with many 
 guards, and himself an invincible lion in arms, and a second 
 Mars, as it were, and skilful in military discipline, neverthe- 
 less, being no longer able to endure the burden of the war, 
 the main brunt of which fell on him personally, was taken 
 prisoner, and committed to close custody in England, and 
 
 \ J 
 
 ;■ ■» 
 
 !l 
 
 
 ' I] 
 
32 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEH. 
 
 A.iy. 1107. 
 
 with him the count of Mortaigne, and many other nobles ; 
 and 80, on the twenty-fourth of April in this year, the pro- 
 phecy was fulfilled which the king, when dying, had said to 
 his son Henry, and to his brother — " I will give you five thou- 
 sand pounds from my treasury, bear it patiently ; in due time 
 you shall have all the honours which I have arrived at, and 
 you shall be superior to your brothers in riches and power." 
 ]jut the king, being mindful of his relationship to his brother, 
 caused his brother to be preserved safely in free custody, with- 
 out being exposed to any want of food, and allowing him the 
 use of hght, and the adornment of handsome clothes. He 
 also allowed him to play at chess and at dice : he also per- 
 mitted him to wear roval robes, such as the kine: himself 
 wore ; and, by the king's permission, he walked about and 
 visited the neighbouring orchards, and groves, and pleasant 
 places. And one day, when he was strolling about in this 
 manner, he suddenly seized a horse, when his guards were 
 suspecting no such proceeding, and leaped on it, and so escaped 
 unexpectedly. And lo ! the guards, raising a shout to the 
 skies, pursued him rapidly, and caught him in a muddy mea- 
 dow, where his horse sunk in up to his belly, and there kept 
 him close prisoner till the matter was reported to the king. 
 Then the king commanded liim to be secretly deprived of the 
 light of his eyes, though without doing any injury to their 
 orbs. And after this, the duke wasted away by himself in 
 anguish, and, cursing the day of his birth, he did not protract 
 liis miserable life for any great length of time. The same 
 year, in token of this event, two moons were seen in the 
 heaven, one in the east and the other in the west, and a comet 
 about one cubit distant from the sun, about three o'clock. 
 
 This year, also, an order of canons was established in the 
 church of the Holy Virgin ]Mary of Southwark, near London. 
 
 A great council is held under the presidency of Anselm^ arch- 
 bishop of Canterbury . 
 
 A.D. 1107. On the fourteenth of April, the prior Norman 
 founded the Church of Christ, in London, for the maintenance 
 of a body of regular canons, which is called the Church of 
 the Holy Trinity. 
 
 Henry, son of the emperor, succeeded his father Henn% 
 who afterwards married Matilda, daughter of Henry, king of 
 England, v/ben she was hardly five years old. This year, 
 
 A.D. 1109. ANSELM, ARCEBISHOP OF CAXTEEBUnT, DIES. 33 
 
 Maurice, bishop of the Church of London, died ; and king 
 Henry, because he had supplied his enemies, gave thanks to 
 God, and coming to Beck, he there found Anselm, archbishop 
 of Canterbury, and made peace with him. The same year, a 
 great council was held at London, in the king's palace, over 
 which Anselm presided, to the decrees of which the king 
 consented, and made a regulation that, from that time forth 
 for ever, no one in England should be invested with the pas- 
 toral staff or ring of any bishopric or abbacy by the king, or 
 by any lay person. The archbishop also, on his part, con- 
 ceding, that no one who was elected to any ecclesiastical pre- 
 ferment should be denied consecration to the honour whicli 
 he had obtained, on account of any homage that he should 
 pav the king. Then the following bishops were consecrated 
 by' Anselm, archbishop of Canterbury, namely, William, bishop 
 of Winchester, Roger, bishop of Salisbury, Kenelm, bishop 
 of Hereford, William, bishop of Exeter, and Urban, bishop of 
 Bangor ; at Canterbury, on the Lord's day, on the eleventh 
 of August, Maurice was succeeded by Richard de Beaumes. 
 
 This year, Edgar, king of Scotland, died, and was succeeded 
 by his brother Alexander. 
 
 Gerard^ archbishop of York, died, and was succeeded by Thomas. 
 
 A.D. 1 108. On the fifth of April died Philip, king of France, 
 who was succeeded by his son Louis. This year, also, Gerard, 
 archbishop of York, died, and was succeeded by Thomas. 
 Also, Robert de Beaumes, bishop elect of London, was conse- 
 crated by Anselm, archbishop of Canterbury, at Pageham, in 
 the presence of many suffragan bishops. 
 
 Anselm, archbishop of Canterbury, died. 
 A.D. 1109. Some ambassadors of vast stature, and eminent 
 for the splendour of their appointments, were sent by Henry, 
 emperor of the Romans, to demand the daughter of Henry, 
 king of England, in marriage for their master ; from whom 
 king Henry received oaths. The same year, on the twenty- 
 fifth of April, the noble archbishop of Canterbury, Anselm, 
 died. King Henry changed the abbacy of Ely into an epis- 
 copal see, and caused Hervey to be ordained bishop there. The 
 same vear, they met, by command of the kins:, in the city of 
 London, in the church of the blessed Paul, Richard, bishop 
 of London, WiUiam, bishop of Winchester, Radulph, bishop 
 of Rochester, Herebert, bishop of Norwich, Radulpli, bishop 
 
 TOL. II. D 
 
 rl 
 
34 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1112. 
 
 of Chichester, Ranulph, bishop of Durham, and Ilcrvey, bishop 
 of Bangor, on the twenty-sixth of June, at the consecration 
 of Thomas, archbishop elect of York, where also having per- 
 formed all the observances of the canonical obedience, he was 
 consecrated by the archbishop of the church of Canterbury, who 
 had been duly ordained according to the rites of the CathoUc 
 religion. This year, Easter day fell on the day of Saint 
 Mark the Evangelist. Hugh, bishop of Cluny, died, and was 
 succeeded by Poncius. 
 
 T'he holy Oswin, king and martyr, was removed to Tynemouth. 
 A.D. 1110. On the tenth of April, king Henry gave his 
 daughter, Matilda, to Henrj, emperor of Germany ; the moon 
 appeared as if extinguished. The holy king and martyr Oswin 
 was removed to Tynemouth. The same year, the holy Godric 
 commenced the life of a hermit, and after having continued it 
 in an exemplary manner for sixty years, he departed happily 
 to the Lord. This year also, a comet appeared in a marvel- 
 lous manner ; for it rose in the east, and when it had as- 
 cended into the firmament, it appeared not to advance, but to 
 retrograde. The same year, Baldwin, king of Jerusalem, took 
 Beyrout, a city of Phoenicia, on the sea coast, by force, and 
 caused it to embrace the C^lthohc faith. 
 
 Henry, king of the Germans, held the pope in custody. 
 A.D. 1 1 1 1 . On the second of April, a terrible mortality of ani- 
 mals began, and likewise a great famine in Normandy. Henrj-, 
 king of Germany, threw Paschal the pope into prison. Henry, 
 king of England, went into Normandy to attack the count of 
 Anjoy, who retained Maine without his consent, and carried on 
 a vigorous war against him with fire and sword. 
 
 A quarrel arose between the pope and the emperor. 
 A.D. 1112. There was a great mortality of men. This year 
 also, a great quarrel arose between pope Paschal and the em- 
 peror Henry. The emperor desired to avail himself of the 
 privilege of his predecessors, which they had enjoyed for 
 three hundred years under sixty Roman pontiffs, by virtue of 
 which they had lawfully given away bishoprics and abbacies 
 by the donation of a pastoral staff and ring, which the pope 
 thought unjust ; the emperor thought the contrary, and in this 
 way they came to a violent quarrel. At last peace was made 
 between them, on condition that the bishops and abbots 
 should for the future receive institution from the emperor and 
 
 A.D. 1114. FEALTY SWOEN TO WILLIAM, SON OF KINO HENRY. 35 
 
 his successors by the staff and ring, and should afterwards vow 
 canonical obedience to the pope or to some bishop, and receive 
 the customary consecration. And these things were done 
 before the altar of the apostles Peter and Paul, in the sight 
 of all who stood by, and then the lord the pope absolved the 
 emperor, and administered to him the sacrament of the body 
 of Christ. ^ 
 
 The same year, that illustrious man Tancred, so renowned 
 for his exploits at Jerusalem, died. He was prince of Antioch 
 and count of Edissa ; he was succeeded by Roger, the son of 
 Richard, a noble man, on condition that whenever Bohemond 
 the Younger should demand the restoration of Antioch, Roger 
 should resign it to him without any opposition. 
 
 King Henry gave the archbishopric of Canterbury to Richard, 
 
 bishop of London. 
 A.D. 1113. On the sixth of April, Henry, king of England, 
 led an army into Wales, and the Welch submitted them- 
 selves to his pleasure. King Henry gave the archbishopric 
 of Canterbury to Richard, bishop of London, and gave him 
 mvestiture by the staff and ring. Thomas, archbishop of 
 York, died, and was succeeded by Thurstan. Moreover, a vio- 
 lent quarrel arose between Richard, archbishop of Canter- 
 bury, and Thurstan, archbishop of York, because the arch- 
 bishop of York refused to consider himself subordinate to 
 the archbishop of Canterbury, as his predecessors had been 
 used to do, and their cause was often discussed before the 
 kmg and the lord the pope, although it was not as yet pro- 
 perly terminated. The same year, in the month of May, a 
 great comet appeared, and a little afterwards there was an 
 earthquake, which threw down part of the city of Manistre, 
 not far from Antioch, with two castles, called Triphalet and 
 Mariscus. Baldwin, king of Jerusalem, and Medusa, prince 
 of Persia, fought a battle, in which Baldwin was defeated, and 
 with difficulty saved himself by flight. In that battle, there 
 fell of the Christians, thirty knights and fifteen hundred foot 
 soldiers. But the victory which they afforded to the enemy 
 was far from being a bloodless one. 
 
 Fealty is sworn to William, the son of king Henry. 
 A.D. 1114. Henry, king of England, caused all the nobles 
 m his dominions to swear fealty to his son WiUiam, whom his 
 queen Matilda had borne to him. The same year, in the 
 
 D 2 
 
3(> 
 
 MATinEW OF WESTMINSTEU. 
 
 A.D. 1117. 
 
 I 
 # 
 
 month of December, the heaven suddenly appeared red, as if 
 it were on fire, and the moon was ecUpsed at the same time. 
 On the twenty-ninth of March the Thames was dried up, and 
 so was the sea for twelve miles, and this lasted for two days. 
 Radulph, bishop of Rochester, was elected to the archbishop- 
 ric of Canterbury, on the twenty-sixth of April. A comet 
 appeared in the month of May. 
 
 Radulph is consecrated archbishop of Canterbury. He conse- 
 crates other bishops. 
 
 A.D. 1115. Maria, countess of Boulogne, died. Radulph was 
 consecrated archbishop of Canterbury, by Anselm, the legate 
 of the lord the pope, on the twenty-seventh of June, and re- 
 ceived the palhum from him. The same day, the same arch- 
 bishop of Canterbury consecrated Theulf, bishop of Worcester, 
 and 15ernard, bishop of Saint David's. Lofstan, the Domes- 
 man, died, and was buried at Bermondsey. 
 
 The church of Saint Alban, the proto-martyr of the English^ is 
 dedicated in a magnificent manner. 
 
 A.I). 1116. The city of Rouen was almost entirely burnt to 
 the ground. In the same year, in the presence of king Henry 
 and his queen, and of Robert, bishop of Lincoln, and many 
 other bishops, on the day of tlie Holy Innocents, the church 
 of Saint Alban, the proto-martyr of the English, was dedicated 
 in a magnificent manner by the venerable man Geoffrey, arch- 
 bishop of Rouen, and placed under Richard the abbey of that 
 i)lare. And the king and queen, with, a multitude of arch- 
 bishops, bishops, counts, barons, and other nobles, celebrated 
 the days of the Nativity with the aforesaid abbot, in that 
 place, with all joy nnd cheerfulness. The same year, there 
 was a quarrel between the kings of France and England, which 
 was excited by Theobald, count of Blois. This year also, be- 
 cause of the necessities of the king's condition, England was 
 oppressed by various exactions, and the Enghsh were plundered 
 of their property in many ways, not without great injustice. 
 
 There are various and terrible commotions in the air, 
 A.D. 1117. On the first dav of November a terrible storm of 
 lightning, thunder, and hail alarmed mankind. There was an 
 earthquake, and the moon was turned into blood, on the 
 eleventh of December. Both these events took place at mid- 
 night. Robert began to inhabit the convent of Merton, as its 
 first prior, with a few brethren. The same year, Ivo, a man 
 
 A.D. 1120. TUE soys OF KING IIEXHY AHE DHOW.NED. 37 
 
 of venerable character, bishop of Chartres, a man of profound 
 learning ni the Holy Scriptures, and an illustrious doctor, died. 
 
 Pope Paschal died. 
 
 i\.^Z' ^^W ^^^^^"^' ^^"g of Jerusalem, died, as did Matilda 
 the Second the good queen of England, and pope Paschal, who 
 was succeeded by Gelasius. This year, the order of the T^m^ 
 plars began in the following manner. Some men of the 
 
 thnftT.r.b A ^'''";^ ^f' P"^ ^\^^^^^\^.. in the hands of 
 the patriarch of Jerusalem, devoting themselves to the service 
 of Chnst, and professing to Uve in chastity and obedience re- 
 nouncmg then: own inchnations. 
 
 Calixtus succeeded. Louis, king of France, and king Henry fought. 
 A.D. HID. On the first of April, pope Gelasius died,^ 
 Cluniacum ; and, on the tenth of January, he was succeeded 
 by Cahxtus. Peter, the first prior of Bermondsev, died The 
 same year, a battle took place in the open field b'etween' Louis 
 rZi /•''fi'* ''^nd Henry, king of England. In which ter^ 
 rble conflict king Henry was twice wounded on the head, so 
 that, although he was well defended by breast-plate and hel- 
 met yet he was so stunned by the weight of the mighty blow 
 that he received, that he was with difficulty cured, and not till 
 after a long time At last, he gained the victory, and over- 
 hrew the man who wounded him, and took him prisoner, and 
 threw him into prison. The same year, Richard of Albinet 
 the noble abbot of Saint Alban's, died, whose praiseworthy 
 actions would require a special treatise. Herebert, bishop of 
 Norwich, died, a man illustrious both in his life and death. 
 11118 year, pope Cahxtus came into Normandy to king Henrv • 
 and the great king and the Supreme Pontiff" conferred for some 
 time at Gisors. 
 
 miliam and Richard, the sons of king Henry, and his daughter 
 
 and niece, are drowned. 
 
 AD. 1120. On the nineteenth of March, the light fell twice 
 on the tomb of the Lord. The same year, king Henry, having 
 subdued all his enemies, and arranged everything in Normandv 
 according to his pleasure, found that joyful things were not to 
 be unmixed with sad ones in this world. For, when his sons 
 VVi ham and Richard, andhLs daughter and niece, and Richard, 
 earl of Chester, and the stewards, and chamberlains, and cup- 
 bearers of the king, and many other nobles with them were 
 saihng joyfully to England, they were all wrecked at sea and 
 
 i \i 
 
38 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1123. 
 
 died l)y drowning, on the twenty-fifth of December, miserably, 
 yet not so as to be pitied ; for their Uves had been devoted to 
 irreh-^ious Ucentiousness. On which account, it is considered 
 that they perished thus in a moment by a strange accident in 
 a most tranquil sea. This year, the Frsemonstratensian order 
 was instituted. 
 
 JEthelicin is betrothed to Henry, king of England. 
 A.D. 1121. King Henry married /Ethehcia, the daughter of 
 the duke of Lovaine, because of her beauty and the excellent 
 graces of her person, on the tenth of April ; and, on the day 
 of Pentecost, she was solemnly consecrated queen, by Ru- 
 dolph, archbishop of Canterbury, in London, and sat at table 
 with the king, wearing a magnificent crown. After that, when 
 the king went to Wales with a powerful army, the Welch 
 came to meet him in a suppliant manner, and made a treaty 
 with him, according to the terms dictated by his own liberality 
 and will. The same year, Everard was consecrated bishop of 
 Norwich. The same year, pope Calixtus took a man named 
 Maurice, whom the emperor Henry had set up as anti-pope, 
 and ordained him a monk. This year, there was an eclipse ot 
 the moon. At Reading some monks began to establish a 
 monastic order under the holy regulations of Benedict. 
 
 Radulph, the archbishop of Canterbury, died, and was succeeded 
 
 by Jill Ham. 
 
 \.D. 1122. Radulph, archbishop of Canterbury, and John, 
 bishop of Bath, paid the debt of human nature. Radulph 
 was succeeded by WiUiam de Carboile in the archbishopric 
 of Canterbury. The same year, the admiral Balac took pri- 
 soners Jocelin, count of Edessa, and his kinsman, Galeran. 
 Normandy is strengthened by impregnable castles. 
 
 A D. 1123. On the fifteenth of April, Hugh, prior of Saint 
 Pancras, was made abbot of Reading. The sun appeared hke 
 a new moon. The same vear, Henry, king of England, held 
 his court at Christmas at Sunesltable, taking with him, accord- 
 ing to custom, his chancellor, Arnulph, a man who was too 
 sohcitous to plunder men of their substance. But he, falling 
 from his horse on his journey, ended his life miserably. The 
 same year, Robert, bishop of Lincoln, died, and was succeeded 
 by Alexander. The tower of Rouen was strengthened and sur- 
 rounded by a wall. The tower of Caen, too, was fortified. 
 
 Kino- Henry gave the archbishopric of Canterbury to William 
 
 A.D. 1 12') 
 
 A COUNCIL IS HELD AT LONDON. 
 
 39 
 
 de Curboile, prior of Chieche, and the bishopric of Bath to 
 Godfrey, the queen's chaplain. The castles of Arques, of 
 Oisors, ot Falaise, of Argehton, of Damfronte, of Oximum, of 
 Ambrecas. of Waverle, of Wirle, and the tower of Vernon 
 were all fortified by king Henry, so as to be impregnable! 
 Also, the castle of Robert de Mellent, who had abandoned the 
 king in a seditious manner, was taken by tlie same Henry. 
 Also, the king of Jerusalem, Baldwin, was taken by Balak 
 prince of the Turks. This year also, the church of Saint Bar' 
 tholomew began to be built in the suburbs of London, by 
 Racher, who was formerly the first prior of that church. 
 
 Tyre, the metropolis of Syria, is restored to the Christians. 
 
 A.D. 1124. On the sixth of April pope Calixtus died, and 
 was succeeded by Honori.is. The sun appeared resembling a 
 new moon. Justice was done in the matter of the coinage at 
 Winchester. Count Robert de Mellent, having united^ith 
 himself Hugh de Montfort, his sister's husband, and another 
 Hugh de Montfort, the son of Gervaise, entered Normandy in 
 a hostile manner. But William de Tankatvillc, fighting against 
 them, took them prisoners ; and, having taken them, presented 
 them to king Henry. The same year, Theulph, bishop of 
 Worcester, and Arnulph, bishop of Rochester, died. 
 
 The same year. Tyre, the metropolis of Syria, was besieged 
 by Alichael, duke of Venice, both by sea and land, who was 
 aided by the unanimous assistance of the princes of Jerusalem, 
 and the siege was commenced on the twenty-fifth of February' 
 and the city was taken and happily restored to Christianity on 
 the twenty-ninth of June. Also, king Baldwin, who had been 
 detained as a prisoner by Balac, prince of the Turks, was re- 
 leased from captivity on giving hostages, and returned to his 
 own country. The same year, the king caused all the English 
 soldiers to cut their hair after the fashion of the French, as 
 previously they wore long hair like women. 
 
 A council is held at London under cardinal John. 
 A.D. 1125. On the twenty-eighth of March, the cardinal 
 John of Cremona held a council at London. This year also, 
 there was a great famine. Gilbert, the founder of the abbe)* 
 at Merton, died. The said John, who in the council had most 
 especially condemned all priests who kept concubines, being 
 detected himself in the same vice, excused the vice because he 
 said that he was not himself a priest, but a reprover of priests. 
 
 f. i 
 
 I 11 
 
40 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1128. 
 
 II 
 
 Kin<^ Henry bestowed the bishopric of Worcester on Simon, 
 one'of tlie queen's clergv ; that of Rochester on John, arch- 
 deacon of Canterbury ; and that of Chichester on Sigetred, 
 abbot of Glastonbury. , ,. , ^ 
 
 The same year, Alexander, king of Scotland, died, and was 
 succeeded by his brother David, a man of great piety and 
 Hberahty. Also, Baldwin, king of Jerusalem, fighting a-ainst 
 the Turks, gained a happy victory, after a very severe battle. 
 
 Ilennj, emperor of the Romans, dies, pe count of Flanders 
 
 is stripped of his inheritance. 
 AD. 112G. On the eleventh of April, the emperor Henry 
 died, and was succeeded by Lothaire, who reigned as his suc- 
 cessor for twelve years. Then the empress Matilda, returning to 
 her father Henry, dwelt with the queen in her apartments ; for 
 the king loved her greatly, because she was the only heir that he 
 had. And, about the feast of Saint Michael he returned into 
 England, bringing with him his daughter, the widow of so 
 illustrious a husband. And immediately, by command of the 
 king, all the nobles of England and Normandy took the oaths 
 to her, and the first of all to do so was Stephen, count of 
 Boulogne, the son of Adela, the king's sister, and the count of 
 
 blois. 
 
 The empress Matilda marries Geoffrey, count of Anjou. 
 
 A.D. 1127. On the third of April, Geoffrey Plantagenet, 
 count of Anjou, married the empress Matilda. Richard, 
 bishop of Loiidon, died, and was succeeded by the universal 
 Gilbert. This same year the count of Anjou departed for 
 Jerusalem without any hope of returning. But king Henry 
 held his court, on Christmas day, at Windsor, with great solem- 
 nity ; and when Thurstan, archbishop of York, endeavoured 
 on*that occasion to place the crown on the king's head, to the 
 prejudice of Wdliam, archbishop of Canterbury, he was re- 
 pulsed by the unanimous judgment of every one, and his 
 staff and crosier, which he had rashly set up on high in the 
 king's chapel, were turned out. The same year, king Henry 
 caused all the soldiers of England to cut their hair a proper 
 length, as previously they vied with women in the length of 
 their hair. 
 
 William, count of Flanders died. Louis, king of France, 
 yielded to hng Henry. 
 A.D. 1128. William, count of Flanders, son of Robert, 
 
 A.D. 1131. GE:MERAL SrXOD HELD AT BUEIMS. 
 
 41 
 
 count of Normandy, after he had subdued the almost unspeak- 
 able wickedness of the Flemings, was wounded in the right 
 hand by a lance, while he was besieging a castle in the territo- 
 ries of the duke of Lovaine, and so died, on the twenty-seventh 
 of July. The same year, Henry, king of England, marched 
 into France in a hostile manner with a powerful army, because 
 Louis, king of France, upheld the cause of the count of Flan- 
 ders, the nephew and enemy of the king ; and he compelled 
 king Louis in a short time to refuse aid to the count. The 
 same year, Ranulph, bishop of Durham, and William, bishop 
 of Winchester, died. 
 
 Pope Honor ius died. Innocent the First succeeded him. Also, 
 
 the Jang of France died. 
 A.D. 1129. Pope Ilonorius died, and was succeeded by In- 
 nocent the First. Also, William, bishop of Winchester, died, 
 and was succeeded by Henry, abbot of Glastonbury, who was 
 the nephew of king Henry. The same year, Philip, son of tin; 
 king of France, who had been invested with the crown, in con- 
 sequence of the recent death of his father, while he v/as exer- 
 cising his horse for his amusement, by chance fell in with a 
 pig ; and as the pig ran under the feet of the horse, who was 
 galloping, the new king was thrown to the ground and broke 
 his neck, and so died. Behold how speedily and how easily 
 that high rank is brought to nothing ! The sun was turned 
 into darkness, and the day into night, for nearly half an hour, 
 and the stars were visible. 
 
 Louis, brother of Philip, king of France, is crowned. 
 A.D. 1130. Christ Church, at Canterbury, was dedicated. 
 Hugh, abbot of Reading, was elected to the archbishopric of 
 Rouen. Algod, the first prior of the convent of Saint Mary 
 of Southwark, died, and was succeeded by Algar. Pope In- 
 nocent fled to the countries on this side of the Alps, having 
 been expelled by the family of his rival ; and, when he arrived 
 in France, he was honourably received at Chartres by king 
 Henry, and a second time at Rouen, where he was received as 
 pope by universal acclamation ; and by the management of 
 king Henry he crowned Louis, the brother of PhiHp, king of 
 France, who was lately dead, at Rheims, as king. 
 
 Innocent tlie First died, and was succeeded by Innocent tJie Second. 
 Bohemond, prince of Antioch, died. 
 A.D. 1131. A general synod was held at Rheims. Pope In- 
 
42 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMiySTEIl. 
 
 A.D. 1134, 
 
 AD. 1135. 
 
 SAINT PAUL S CUURCU BUIl^'T. 
 
 43 
 
 nocent died. The church at Chiniacum was dedicated by 
 that pope. The same year, Rhodoan, prince of Halapia, en- 
 tered the territory of Antioch in a hostile manner, and when 
 Jjohemond, prince of Antioch, encountered him to check him, 
 he slew him with the sword. As Baldwin, king of Jerusalem, 
 an illustrious soldier, was now an old man, he called to him 
 his son-in-law, and his daughter, and their son, whose name 
 also was Baldwin, and committed to them the care of the 
 kingdom, and full power over it ; and when he had arranged 
 matters in this way, he yielded up his spirit to God. 
 
 Henri/ is horn. 'The hishopric of Carlisle is established. 
 A.D. i 132. On the eleventh of April, the city of London was 
 almost entirely destroyed by fire. King Henry estabhshed a 
 new bishopric at Carlisle, on the borders of England and 
 Scotland, and placed there, as the first bishop, the prior of 
 St. Oswald's, a priest of the name of iEthelwolf, to whom he 
 was accustomed to confess his sins. The same year, there 
 was born to Godfrey, count of Anjou, by his wife, the daughter 
 of king Henry, a son, who was likewise named Henry. This 
 year also, the bishop of Chester died. 
 
 Afler the birth of Henry ^ terrible darkness tool: place in England. 
 A.D. 1133. All the soldiers of the temple were slain. Also, 
 after the birth of Henry, the eldest son of Geoffrey Plantage- 
 net, and the empress Matilda, darkness took place in Eng- 
 land, and there was an earthquake, and the sun became like 
 the moon, that is to say, there was a terrible earthquake. At 
 last, king Henry crossed the sea, and sent the hand of Saint 
 James to Reading. The empress Matilda here bore another 
 son, whom she called Geoffrey, on which account king Henry 
 crossed over into Normandy, and abode there some time, be- 
 ing overjoyed at his grand-children. The same year, the 
 bishops of Llandaff and of London died, while they were on 
 the other side of the Alps. Hervey, bishop of Ely, died, and 
 the king gave his bishopric to Nigel, and that of Durham to 
 Geoffrey his chancellor. 
 
 Robert Cortheuse, king of Normandy, died in priso?i. 
 A.D. 1134. Robert Cortheuse, the king's brother, died in 
 the confinement in which he was detained, from weariness of 
 life, and because he was deprived of the sight of his eyes. 
 For sadness absorbed him too much, owing to which he died. 
 It happened also, that the king sent him a robe of scarlet, as he 
 
 was accustomed to do ; but the king had first of all put on the 
 cap, and as he found the cap too small, he said, ** Take it away, 
 let this cap be given to my brother, because he has a smaller 
 head than mine." And when it was given to him in com- 
 pliance to the king's command, the servant incautiously, when 
 he was assked if anyone had worn it before, said "Yes," and 
 related what had happened. And Robert said, '* Now, indeed, 
 have I protracted my wretched life too long, when that inju- 
 rious king sends me his old clothes as an abject." And from 
 that time forth he would not take any food, but wasted away 
 both in mind and body, and so died, and was buried at Glou- 
 cester. 
 
 Henry, king of England, dies. Stephen is crowned. 
 
 A.D. 1135. Henry, king of England, died, when he had 
 reigned thirty-five years and three months, on the second of 
 December, at Saint Denis, in the Lion's Wood. For the day 
 before he had been eating the flesh of lampreys, against the 
 advice of his physicians. Henry, archbishop of Huntingdon, 
 ends his Chronicles with this year. 
 
 Here we may dwell on some unimportant events. Henry 
 established in his dominions the monastery of Reading, the 
 monastery of the canons of Cirencester, the monastery of Prat 
 at Rouen, the monastery of Mortimer, and he did many other 
 admirable actions worthy of all praise, which are more fully 
 related in tlie book of his life. And the irreparable loss which 
 England suffered was foreshowed by a violent storm of wind 
 on the vigil of the Feast of the Apostles Simon and Jude, 
 which overthrew in a terrible manner towers, buildings, and 
 trees. But Stephen, the king's nephew, by his sister, being 
 the count of Boulogne, was consecrated king, by William, 
 archbishop of Canterbury, on the twenty-second day of De- 
 cember, in London, at Westminster, being the twenty-second 
 day after the death of his uncle. 
 
 The same year, the church of St. Paul was burnt by a fire, 
 which began at London Bridge, and extended as far as the 
 church of the Danes. At the coronation before mentioned, 
 there were present three bishops with the archbishops. But 
 the king, as soon as he was crowned, took possession of the 
 treasure which his uncle had collected, amounting to a hun- 
 dred thousand pounds, without counting the vessels of gold 
 and silver, plate and jewels, of inestimable value. But the day 
 
 m 
 
 1 1] 
 
 I. 
 

 /! 
 
 44 
 
 MATinEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1137. 
 
 that Stephen landed there, was, what is contrary to nature in 
 winter, a terrible thunderstorm, accompanied with dreadful 
 lightning, which was heard all over England, so that the 
 whole world was thought to be come to an end. The king's 
 body was brought from Normandy to Reading, and embalmed 
 with spices, and at the end of three months, buried with great 
 reverence in the same church, which he himself had built 
 from its foundations, and during his lifetime had laid the 
 first stone in the presence of king Stephen and many of the 
 nobles. » 
 
 Cn. IV. — Feom A.D. 113G to a.d. 1154. 
 
 Louis the Gross dies — The emperor Lothaire dies — The Scots 
 invade England — The empress Matilda comes to England — 
 London is surrendered to her — War between her and Stephen 
 — Conrad^ the emperor, and Louis, king of France, go to 
 Jerusalem — Geoffrey of Anjou gives up Normandy to his 
 son Henry — Henry marries Eleanor — Peace is made be- 
 tvjeen Stephen and Matilda and Henry — Stephen dies, 
 and Henry comes to England. 
 
 William, archbishop of Canterbury , died. 
 A.D. 1 136. William, archbishop of Canterbury, died. Bishop 
 Henry carried off the liand of Saint James from Reading. The 
 same year, after Easter, Robert, earl of Gloucester, came into 
 England, a man whose prudence and power king Stephen 
 held in especial respect. After his arrival, the bishops swore 
 fealty to the king, and the king swore inviolably to maintain 
 the liberties of the Church and all good laws ; and then he 
 composed his charter : and, in like manner, count Robert did 
 him an homage, that is to say, on condition that he was to 
 preserve all his dignity unimpaired. 
 
 Louis, king of France, died. King Stephen crossed the sea. 
 
 A.D. 1137. Louis the Gross, king of France, died, and was 
 succeeded by Louis, his son, who received in marriage Eleanor, 
 the daughter of WilUam, duke of Aquitaine, a woman richer 
 in the endowments of her person than in those of her mind. 
 At the beginning of Lent, king Stephen crossed the sea ; and 
 on the following Easter-day, the count also crossed the sea, 
 whose voyage was more prosperous than his landing, for the 
 king laid a plot against him, and contrived that he should be 
 taken prisoner ; but he was forewarned by those who were the 
 
 A.D. 1139. POPE INNOCENT HOLDS A COUNCIL AT PISA. 
 
 45 
 
 agents of the plot, and so he escaped. Nevertheless, the king, 
 still retaining treachery in his heart, pretended to be glad that 
 it was well with the count. 
 
 Conrad succeeds Lothaire as emperor. 
 
 A.D. 1138. Conrad succeeded Lothaire in the empire. The- 
 obald was elected to the diocese of Canterbury, in the presence 
 of Alberic, the legate. This year, count Robert,^ by ambassa- 
 dors, as Stephen was in England, renounced all allegiance to 
 the king, and he did this on many accounts, because the king 
 did not keep towards him the oath w^hich he had taken, nor to 
 his sister. And when he did this, the king deprived him of 
 all his possessions in England. The same year, Stephen, king 
 of England, on the very day of the Nativity, besieged the 
 castle of Bedford, saying that he would not grant the enemy 
 peace for a single hour, till the castle was surrendered. The 
 king of Scotland led an army into Northumberland, and with 
 his men committed detestable atrocities. For, in revenge for 
 the empress, to whom that same king had sworn fidelity, they 
 cut open women with child, tore out the untimely offspring, 
 tossed little children on the points of their lances, and slaugh- 
 tered priests on the altars. Therefore, the king of England 
 hastened thither, but before he arrived, the king of Scotland 
 had retreated to his own country. 
 
 A Council is held at Pisa under jyope Innocent. 
 
 A.D. 1139. The empress Matilda came into England, and 
 with her, Robert, earl of Gloucester, her brother, with a pov/- 
 erful army, on the festival of Saint jNIichael. Henry, bishop 
 of Winchester, the brother of king Stephen, at that time the 
 legate of the Apostolic See, being indignant at the unworthy 
 treatment which prelates and their possessions received at the 
 hand of the king, grieved, and devised a remedy. At that 
 time, a council was being held at Pisa, by pope Innocent. 
 King Stephen, in his care to arm himself against the royal 
 dignity, compelled many of his prisoners to surrender their 
 castles ; and, among them, he compelled, by force, Roger, 
 bishop of Salisbury, to surrender his castles of Sherborne, and 
 of Devizes, and of iMalmesbury. Therefore, by the manage- 
 ment of archbishop Theobald, and Henry, bishop of Winches- 
 ter, the brother of the king, and other bishops and prelates, 
 a council was held at Winchester, on the twenty-ninth of Au- 
 
 * I suppose this to be the person called Brian Fitz Count by Hume. 
 
M 
 
 45 
 
 MATTHEW OF WEST?JTXSTE1{. 
 
 A.D. 1141. 
 
 gust, to wliieh they caused the king to he invited, who sent 
 earl Alberic de Vere, a man of great experience in many kinds 
 of causes, to the council, to allege, with respect to the taking 
 of the said bishops, which was the matter about which he was 
 attacked, that he could do as he did by right, and to defend 
 the conduct of the king. On the thirtieth of August, the 
 council was dissolved. The same year, Roger, bishop of Salis- 
 bury, died. King Stephen also persecuted Nigel, bishop of Ely. 
 
 Alberic, earl de Vere, is put to death in the city of London. 
 
 A.D. 1140. On the fifteenth of May, Alberic de Vere was 
 put to death in London. Aid win, founder of the abbey of 
 Malvern, died. Stephen, king of England, laid siege to the 
 city of Lincoln, about the time of the Nativity, the strong- 
 holds of which had been entrusted to Ranulph, earl of Ches- 
 ter, a little before ; and he prevented king Stephen from 
 entering the city till the day of the Purification of the blessed 
 Virgin Mary ; and a terrible battle was fought with the king 
 before the city ; and, at last, it was taken by many stratagems, 
 on the second of February. During Lent, on the twentieth 
 of March, a terrible eclipse took place throughout all England, 
 so that it was said to be a sign. The week after, on the twenty- 
 sixth of April, Radulph, the son of Hubert, a savage and 
 barbarous man, and one fond of all the stratagems of war, 
 took the castle of Devizes, by surprise, and did not fear to 
 boast that, by means of that castle, he would make himself 
 master of the whole district from Winchester to London ; and 
 that he would send for soldiers from Flanders to be his own 
 guard. But soon afterwards, he was taken prisoner by John, 
 a man of exceeding cunning, who was dwelling in the castle of 
 Marlborough, and was put in chains, because he refused to 
 surrender the castle of Devizes to his mistress, the empress ; 
 and he was hanged like a thief. 
 
 The same year, at Pentecost, a conference was brought 
 about between the empress and the king, with the object of 
 restoring peace. But when they came to the place appointed, 
 which was near Bath, the plenipotentiaries who were on the 
 part of the empress, her brother, count Robert, and on the 
 part of the king, the pope's legate, and the archbishop, they, 
 after a long debate, effected nothing. 
 
 TJie city of London is surrendered to the empress. 
 A.D. 1141. In this year, king Stephen was taken prisoner. 
 
 A. p. 1142. Kixa STEPHEN EESIEGES THE EMPHESS. 47 
 
 in battle, on the second of February, by WiUiam de Kahaynes, 
 near Lnicoln. (And Winchester was destroyed on the four- 
 teenth of September.) The king was conducted to the em- 
 press, and placed in custody, in the castle of Bristol. The 
 city of London was surrendered to the empress, but soon 
 afterwards, she was driven from thence, namely, on the twenty- 
 fourth of June. Immediately afterwards, during the same 
 summer, the tower of London was besieged by the Londoners, 
 and it was held and defended stoutly by William de Mande- 
 ville. The empress, also, with her uncle, the king of Scotland, 
 David, and her brother Robert, besieged the castle of the 
 bishop of Winchester. But William of Ypres and the Lon- 
 doners compelled her to retire from that city. Robert, earl of 
 Gloucester, was taken prisoner, on the day of the festival of 
 the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. But, in return for his re- 
 lease, the king also was released on the feast of All Saints, 
 and was restored to his kingdom. The same year, Hugh de 
 Saint Victor died, on the tenth of February. About this 
 time, Valeran, count de M client, who was the chief of all the 
 nobles of Normandy, made peace with Geoffrey of Anjou, and 
 gave him the castles of Montfort and Valaise, and then, all 
 the powerful chiefs about the river Seine, as far as Ripa Risle, 
 submitted to him, and acknowledged fealty to him. The same 
 year, Gilbert, bishop of London, died, who was called the 
 Universal, and was succeeded in his bishopric by Robert de 
 Sigil. 
 
 King Stephen besieged the empress, who, however, escaped. 
 Robert, bishop of London teas taken prisoner. King Stephen 
 took prisoner William de Mandeville. 
 
 A.D. 1142. King Stephen besieged the empress at Oxford 
 for a long time, but at length she escaped. Robert, bishop of 
 London, was taken prisoner at Fulham, by Geoffrey de Man- 
 deville, on the twenty-third of June. William, bishop of Lin- 
 coln and legate of the ApostoUc See, held a council in the 
 middle of Lent, the king and many bishops being present. 
 No honour or reverence was paid to the church of God or to 
 men in holy orders, but clergy and laity were, all alike, taken, 
 imprisoned, and put to death. But at that council, a decision 
 was given, that if any one violated the sanctity of a church or 
 cemetery, or laid violent hands on a man belonging to a mo- 
 nastic order, he could be absolved by no one but the pope. 
 
 \. 
 
 •^ 
 
48 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1144. 
 
 About the same time king Stephen took prisoner WilUiam de 
 Mandeville at Saint Alban's, when he restored to the king the 
 Tower of London, with the castles of Walden and Pleiset. 
 
 The same year, died Fulk, king of Jerusalem ; and also in 
 this year pope Innocent died, and was succeeded by Celestin, 
 who, after he had occupied the Roman chiiir for live months, 
 died, and was succeeded by Lucius, who ruled that see eleven 
 months and thirteen days. William, bishop of Winchester, 
 died, and was succeeded by Henry. To this Henry, pope 
 Lucius sent the pallium, wishing to erect a new archbishopric 
 at Winchester, and to assign to him seven sutfragan bishops. 
 
 Lucius dies — Is succeeded hij Eugenius — Kiiuj Stephen besieges 
 
 Lincoln. 
 A.D. 1143. Pope Lucius died, and Eugenius was placed in 
 the Roman chair, which he tilled eight years, four months, 
 and thirteen days. The same year, Stephen, king of England, 
 besieged Lincoln, and when lie was constructing an engine 
 against the castle which was held by Randulph, earl of Chester, 
 eighty of his workmen were slain by the count, and so the 
 king retreated without succeeding in his object. The same 
 year, Robert Marmion, a warlike man, who had expelled the 
 monks of Coventry from their monastery, and had turned 
 that church into a castle, while one day he was fighting against 
 the enemy, in the very thick of them, in front of the monas- 
 tery itself, was slain, while in an excommunicated state. 
 About the same time Geoffrey de Mandeville, who had com- 
 mitted the very same crime in the church of Ramsay, was slain 
 in front of the church itself, being pierced with an arrow by 
 one of the meanest of the people, while fighting in his own 
 Une of battle. Likewise, Arnulph, the count's son, who after 
 his father's death held that church as a castle, was taken pri- 
 soner by the king, and banished. 
 King Stephen hanished the Earl of Gloucester and many others. 
 
 A.D. 1144. Stephen, king of England, banished the earl of 
 Gloucester and many others of his enemies from the castle of 
 Flanders, and made himself master of that place. Geoffrey de 
 Mandeville died on the fourteenth September. Geofirey, 
 count of Anjou, reduced Normandy. The same year, Alex- 
 ander, bishop of Lincoln, going a second time to Rome, be- 
 haved himself most munificently, as he had done before. There- 
 fore, he was honourably received by the pope, and returning 
 
 A.D. 1147. KING OF FRANCE GOES TO JEJirSALEM. 49 
 
 the next year, after having gained the entire favour of the 
 pope and his whole court, he so thoroughly repaired and re- 
 stored ins own church, which had been destroyed by fire, that 
 the damage so done to it appeared afterwards to liave been no 
 damage at all. 
 
 Ilamdph, earl of Chester, is taken prisoner hj Stephen, king of 
 
 England. 
 A.D. 1145. The king of England took Ranulph, earl of 
 Chester, at Northampton, as he was coming to him in a peace- 
 able manner, and thrust him into prison, and detained him 
 there, until he surrendered to him the castle of Lincoln, and 
 the other castles which were under his power ; and then, beinti- 
 joyful and elated at his success, though so discreditably ob- 
 tained, he wore his crown in Lincoln. This year a boy was 
 crucified at Norwich, by the Jews. 
 
 TJie emperor Conrad, and Louis, king of France, ivent on a journey 
 
 to Jerusalem. 
 A.D. 114G. The emperor Conrad and Louis, king of France 
 and many other nobles and chiefs, assumed the si^rn of the 
 cross, that they might go to Jerusalem, and adore the traces 
 ot the Saviour. WiUiam of Saint Barbara, dean of York was 
 made bishop of Durham. The same year died Galfric of 
 venerable memory, abbot of Saint Alban's. This year, there 
 died also, Anselm, bishop of Rochester, Roger,' bishop of 
 Chester, and Robert, bishop of Hereford. Anselm was sue 
 ceeded by Walter, archdeacon of Canterbury, Roger, by Wal- 
 ter, prior of Canterbury, and Robert, by 'Gilbert, abbot of 
 Gloucester. 
 
 The same year, Henry, a Cistercian monk, obtained the 
 archbishopric of York, after the death of Thurstan. 
 
 The same year, a comet appeared in the west, diffusina: mar- 
 vellous rays on ail sides. 
 
 The emperor of Germany and the king of France go to Jerusalem. 
 
 A.D. 1147. There was a motion made by the emperor, and 
 by the king, and many others who were proceeding in an ex- 
 pedition to Jerusalem. The emperor Conrad, after "the end of 
 the wmter, reached the port of Acre with his companions. 
 And from thence he went to Jerusalem, where he was received 
 ^ith exceeding joy. And about the same time the king of 
 Trance followed him with seventy thousand fully armed troops, 
 but m his march he suffered many attacks and distresses and 
 
 VOL. II. ^ 
 
 m 
 
 \\ 
 
50 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1149. 
 
 A D. 1151. DUKE OF NORMANDY MARRIES ELEANOR. 
 
 51 
 
 hi 
 
 irreparable losses, and deplored the unheard-of sufferings of 
 France. The citv of Damascus was besieged, but in vani. 
 
 The same year, Robert, archdeacon of Leicester, was created 
 bishop of Lincoln, as successor to Alexander, by the hand of 
 Tiieobald, archbishop of Canterbury, and, after the fast in the 
 month of September, he was consecrated bishop. 
 The emperar and the king of France return, and king Noureddm 
 
 actsJ'uriouHhj. 
 A.D. 1 148. After the departure of the emperor and of the 
 king of France from the Holy Land, Noureddin, the son of 
 Zenghi, the most powerful prince of the Turks, invaded the 
 territories of Antioch, and laid siege to the castle of Nepa ; 
 against whom, Raymond, prince of Antioch, led an army with 
 too great a want of caution, and fought him in an unequal 
 battle. Owing to which, it happened that he and some other 
 men of noble birth were slain. Noureddin proceeding with- 
 out meeting with any resistance, besieged the castle of Hareng, 
 and made himself master of it, and after that overran the whole 
 district as he pleased, laying it waste, till tiie king of Jerusa- 
 lem arriving, checked his ravages by force. 
 
 The king of Scotland, David, invested Henry, his eldest son, 
 with arms on the day of Pentecost. The same year, on the 
 fourteenth of November, the removal of the holy bishop, Erken- 
 wald, took place. Likewise, a council was held in the city of 
 Rheims, under the presidency of pope Eugenius. The same 
 year, Gilbert was made bishop of Hereford. 
 ' Geoffrey, duke of Normandy, gave up Normandy to his son 
 
 Henry. 
 A.D. 1 149. Geoffrey, duke of Normandy, gave up Normandy 
 to his son Henry, (which, indeed, was his inheritance from his 
 mother,) in spite of the prohibition of the king of France. 
 On which account there arose a quarrel between the king and 
 the duke. For the king returned ingloriously this year from 
 the Holy Land, and so did the emperor of Germany. Duke 
 Geoffrey laid siege to the castle of Vinstabel, and built there 
 three pits of stone, and that siege lasted three years. 
 
 Everard, bishop of Norwich, died. That Kverard, while 
 bishop, divided the archdeaconry of Suffolk into two. This 
 year it bei^an to freeze on the tenth of December, and the 
 frost lasted till the nineteenth of February, and the Thames 
 was so frozen over, that it was rendered passable for foot pas- 
 sengers and horses, and even for loaded waggons. 
 
 TJie king of France received the homage of duke Henry for 
 
 Normandy. 
 A.D. I loO. Louis, king of France, and Eustace, the son of 
 king 5!>tephen, came with a numerous army to the castle of 
 Argues, on account of the quarrel wliicii I have mentioned 
 above, and Henry, duke of Normandy, was also present there 
 and his father, Geoffrey, count of Anjou, with a great army of 
 Anjomns, Bretons, and Normans ; but the chiefs on each side 
 seeing that those legions could not meet in a hostile manner 
 without a great effusion of blood, began to treat of peace and 
 l)y the intervention of mutual friends, the kin"- of France re- 
 ceived the homage of Henry, duke of Rurguirdv, and so the 
 two armies separated peaceably. After this, while duke Henry 
 was with his nobles, discussing the question of the expedition 
 into England, his father being seized with a severe illness at 
 the castle of Ben, departed this life, on the seventh of Sep- 
 tember and so Henry, his son, became count of Anion, and 
 duke of Normandy. The same year, Robert de Gorham was 
 created abbot of St. Alban's, as Rodolph had resigned that 
 post from ill health. Louis, king of France, and Eleanor, his 
 queen, were formally divorced, for tliey were too near of kin m 
 the fourth degree of consanguinity. King Stephen fortified 
 tiie castle of Reading on the twentieth of January. The sam^- 
 year, William Turlius was consecrated to the bishopric of 
 lAorwich. ^ 
 
 Henry, duke of Normandy, married Fleanor, formerly wife of 
 
 Louis. 
 
 A.D. 1151. Count Theobald of Blois, the brother of khig 
 J^tephen died. Henry, duke of Normandy, married Eleano- 
 who had formerly been the wife of Louis. Queen Adehcia 
 died, the wife of king Stephen. The castle of Reading was 
 pulled down. The same year, John, a monk of Sagium was 
 appointed the second bishop of the Isle of Man, which is be- 
 tween England and Ireland. The first bishop was Raymond 
 a monk of Savinaim. The same year, William, bishop of 
 iJurham died, and Geoffrey Arthur was appointed bishop of 
 M. Asaph, 111 North Wales ; he it was who translated the his- 
 tory of the Britons from the British language into Latin The 
 same year, Gratian, a monk of the city of Guise, and a native 
 otluscany, composed decrees according to Hu. 2.q.6; C.forni. 
 
 e'2 
 
 I «! 
 
• 9 ^ 
 
 MJlTTHEW of \VEbT:MI>'STEE. 
 
 A.D. 1154. 
 
 A.l). 1104. 
 
 UENRT AXOTXTED KIXG. 
 
 WS 
 
 Evnenius dies, Anastasius succeeds him. Saint Bernard de- 
 
 pnrh to the Lord. 
 VD ll.V^ The counts and barons of England made a league 
 ^ iiu and mornised fidelity to Eustace, the son of kuig Stephen 
 Oueeu MllUda, the mother of Eustace, died on the secdud of 
 Mr;. Rtchard of Beauvais, the nephew of another .chavd 
 ,as appointed bishop of London at the beginning ot October 
 Thelne vear, Bernard, abbot of Clairvaux departed to he 
 ,trd llso then died, the pope Eugenius ^vho ,as succeeded 
 by Anastasius. and David king of Scotland -ho as suc- 
 ceeded in his kingdom by his nephew, Malcolm. 11 is year, 
 lo duke Henry had a 'son borne him by Eleanor, h.swite, 
 who' was called William, which is an usual name of the dukes 
 ot- Aquitaine and counts of Anjou Eustace, son o kn g 
 Stenheu died ; and peace was made between king Stephen 
 !,Td Henry, d'uke o/ Normandy. The same year, Bernard, 
 abbot of Clairvaux, departed to tlie Lord. 
 Stephen, hing of England, and Eenry, duke of Normandy, male 
 
 AD 1 1 53 Justice looked down from heaven and throngh 
 the d^ii^^ence' of Theobald, archbishop of Canterbury, aijd the 
 h shops%\ the kingdom, Stephen, king of England and Henn 
 
 duke^ofNormanch'.made a ^^-^^ -^\-''' ^^^^t 
 lin-ford, on the following conditions Kmg Stephen liaM 
 now no 'other heir, save only duke Henry, ^^^^^ ^^^ 
 ron-ress of bishops and other nobles ot the l^ingdo";> ^^^"^ 
 dukf Henry had an hereditary right to the knigdom of Eng- 
 Hnd • and the duke on his part hardly consented tha kmg 
 
 Sl--!^-^ P— ^^- ^^"°^^^" ''' "^T ri! "the tn^ 
 hi. life And this a-reement was confirmed by the k ng 
 
 h ms 'and 1 1 bishopl who were there present, and the other 
 nobles oMhe kingdo^, swearing, that f - ^^^^^^.f (^^^^^^^^ 
 kin- duke Henrv, if he survived him, should ootan the kmg 
 do;rwilut any 'opposition; and for the --o^able obse^^^^ 
 vance of that treatv, a solemn writmg was dravMi up and pre 
 served in a secure 'place. This year, Peter the Lombard nou- 
 rished, who composed a book of sentences. Pope Lugenius 
 died, and was succeeded by the aged Anastasius. 
 
 Anastasius dies, <ind is succeeded bg pope Nicholas- 
 A D 11 54. Henrv, duke of Normandy, crossed the sea into 
 Not'mandy, and resumed all his seignorial privileges which his 
 
 father had granted him ; and from thence he proceeded to 
 Aquitaine, where he vigorously repressed a rebellion of some 
 of his barons. The same year, pope Anastasius died, and was 
 succeeded by Nicholas, bishop of Albania, who took the name 
 of Adrian the Fourth. He was a just and religious man, an 
 Liiglishman, as to his nation, deriving his origin from parents 
 of noble birth, in the district of St. Alban's. He invested the 
 church of St. Alban's with especial privileges, so that as the 
 blessed Alban is the proto-martyr of England, so his abbot 
 also should be the first among the abbots of England in order 
 and dignity. 
 
 ^ The same year, peace was made between Louis, king of 
 France, and Henry, duke of Normandy, on these conditions 
 The king gave up to the duke, Verneuil and Nouveau Marche, 
 and the duke gave him two thousand marks of silver for the 
 reparation of the injuries which the king had suffered. The 
 same year, the lioly anchorite, Wilfrid de Heselberg, whose 
 life and death would require a special treatise, departed to the 
 Lord. 
 
 The same year, Stephen, king of England, an illustrious 
 soldier, and a man of the most pious mind, died on the twenty- 
 fifth of October, and his body was reverently buried in the 
 monastery of Feversham, whicli he himself had built from its 
 foundations. And when Henry, duke of Normandy, heard of 
 this event, he came to JJarfleur* and there he waited one whole 
 month for a fair wind, and on the seventh of December he set 
 sail, and arrived in England, and on the nineteenth day of the 
 same month, which was the Sunday before the Nativity of our 
 Lord, he was anointed king at Westminster, by Theobald, 
 archbishop of Canterbury. The same year, Reginald was an' 
 pointed abbot of Reading. 
 
 ClI. V. — FllOM A.D. ll.M TO A.D. 1181). 
 
 Frederic is elected emperor — Henry prepares to invade Ireland 
 
 Henry subdues Wales— ]Var between England and Scotland— 
 A new coinage is issued in England— Thomas a Becket is made 
 archbishop — Malcolm of Scotland does homage to Henry — 
 The council of Clarendon— Slaughter of Christians in the 
 Holy Land — Quarrels between Henry and Becket — Henry has 
 his eldest son Henry crowned — Sedition of the younger Henry 
 — Death of Becket ; he is canonized — Henry invades Ireland, 
 aud is acknowledged king of the country — William, king of 
 
 I 
 
51 
 
 MATTUEW OF WESTMINSTKH. 
 
 A.D. 1155. 
 
 Scotland, does homage to Henry— Henry visits the tomb of 
 Becket— Louis of France comes to England for the same pur- 
 nose— Philip Augustus succeeds to the throne of France- 
 Story of Prester John-Prince Henry dies-The Saracens 
 invade Spain— Saladin makes himself master of the Holy Land 
 —Philip Augustus, Henry, and the emperor 1^ re dene assume 
 the cross— Quarrels between Henry and his sons— Death of 
 Henry. 
 
 Frederic is created emperor. 
 AD 1155. Frederic was elected emperor, and crowned. 
 Prince Henry, son of Henry the Second, was born in London, 
 on the last day of February. This year also the hand ot 
 Saint James was restored to Reading. About this time also, 
 Henry, king of England, sent formal messengers to Kome, 
 and requested pope Adrian, who had lately been elected, and 
 whose favour he confidently hoped to obtain, inasmuch as he 
 was an Enghshman, to allow him to enter Ireland in a 
 liostile manner, and to reduce it under his own power, and to 
 recall those men sunk in brutish ignorance to the more be- 
 coming faith of Christ, and to incUne them to obey the church 
 of Rome with fidelity. And the pope cheerfully granted the 
 kin<- this permission, and gave him also additional privileges. 
 The^same year, Robert, bishop of Exeter died, and was suc- 
 ceeded by Robert, dean of Sherborne. The same year also, 
 Henrv, king of England, confiscated the property of William 
 of Peverel for sorcery, because he had poisoned Ranulph, 
 earl of Chester. And there were said to have been several 
 others privy to and accomplices in that deed of wickedness. 
 About that time. Hugh de Mortimer, a most arrogant man, 
 fortified his castles of Gloucester, Worcester, and Briges 
 against the king ; but the king marched against him, and 
 levelled them all with the ground. The same year, Louis 
 kino- of France, married the daughter of Alphonso, king ot 
 Spam. This year, Thomas, a Londoner by birth, and who was 
 hereafter to become bishop and martyr, received the first be- 
 nefice which he ever had from the house of Samt Alban ; 
 namely, the church of ?3raTJcMU, and not long afterwards, he 
 transferred himself to the service of Theobald, archbishop ot 
 Canterbury ; by whose management he was soon afterwards 
 promoted to the archdeaconry of Canterbury. This year, Peter, 
 surnamed Comerstor, flourished in France, who wrote that 
 
 A.D. 1157. IIE^RT REPELS TUE KING OF SCOTLA^'D. 
 
 0.) 
 
 book which is called the Scholastic History of the Old and 
 New Testament. 
 
 The robe of the Lord, without seam, is discovered in France. 
 
 A.D. 11 56. The tunic of Christ, which was without seam, was 
 discovered in France by a divine, revelation, which robe, as the 
 letters which were found with it indicated, his mother had 
 made for him, and it had grown as he himself grew. The same 
 year, king Henry passed into Normandy, and, after a pro- 
 tracted and expensive siege, took some castles ^Yhich rebelled 
 against him, such as that of Cliynon and others. The same 
 year, William, king of Sicily, utterly overthrew the city of 
 Baruth, defeated the Greeks, and by his vigour compelled* the 
 city and the castles which had been taken from him to return 
 under his dominion, and granted to the pope the right of con- 
 secrating the bishops of his kingdom. At this time, Eleanor, 
 queen of England, bore the king a daughter, whom he called 
 Matilda. Li a war that took place between Henry and his 
 brother Geoffrey, Henry wrested by force from the before- 
 mentioned Geoffrey three castles, namely, those of Mirabel and 
 Losdun, and Chynon, which was spoken of above. This year 
 also, William, the eldest son of king Henry, died, and was 
 buried at Reading. 
 
 King Ilenry subdues Wales — Repels the king of Scothnd. 
 A.D. 1157. King Henry led his army into Wales, and by 
 his vigour subdued that country, and at Snowdon he com- 
 pelled king Cenus to surrender. He hkewise crossed the sea 
 to Normandy. But having heard that Malcolm, king of Scot- 
 land, had invaded his territories in a hostile manner, and 
 rashly occupied what did not belong to him, he returned and 
 repelled Malcolm by force. Then the king of Scotland sur- 
 rendered Carlisle to him, and the castle of Bamburgh, and 
 Newcastle on the river Tyne, and the whole county of Laudon ; 
 and king Henry restored to him the earldom of Huntingdon. 
 At this time also, William, the son of the king before-men- 
 tioned, that is, the bastard son of king Stephen, earl of More- 
 ton and Warenne, restored to the king Pevensey, and Norwich, 
 and all his fortresses in England and Normandy, which he 
 possessed as having been given him by king Stephen. And 
 king Henry gave him all the possessions which his father 
 Stephen had had on the day that king Henry the First died. 
 
 'I 
 
MATTHEW OF WESTMl^^STEll. 
 
 A.D. 1160. 
 
 \: 
 
 u 
 
 The same year, Hugh Bigod resigned his castles to the king. 
 The same year, in the month of September, a son was born at 
 Oxford to king Henry by his queen Eleanor, and he was 
 named Richard. 
 
 A new coinage was struck in England. Renry, king of England, 
 
 ivent to Paris. 
 
 A.D. 1158. King Henry was crowned at Worcester, and 
 after the celebration of the divine ceremonies, he placed his 
 crown on the altar, and was not crowned any further. A new 
 coinage was struck in England. Geoffrey, brother of king 
 Henry, died. Reginald, abbot of Reading, resigned his office 
 on account of the hatred of the king, and was succeeded by 
 Roger. The same year, Thomas, the king's chancellor, went 
 to Paris with great magnificence, to receive Margaret, the 
 daughter of the king of France, as a wife for Henry, son of 
 the king. The king too crossed the sea, and having been in- 
 vited, went to Paris ; and he also received the submission of 
 the city of Nantes. 
 
 A quarrel arose between Alexander and Octavian. 
 
 A.D. llol). Henry, king of England, led an army towards 
 Toulouse, and took some strong castles in the neighbourhood, 
 while the king of France, in the meantime, was constantly 
 abiding in the city. But the king of England did not besiege 
 the city itself in a hostile manner, on account of his respect 
 for the king of France, whose sister, Constance, the count of 
 Toulouse had married, and had had children by her ; on which 
 account the two kings became enemies to one another. The 
 same year, pope Adrian died, and a quarrel arose between the 
 competitors, Alexander and Octavian. For the emperor and 
 his clergy received Octavian, but others would not do so by 
 any means. At last, Alexander succeeded. The enmity be- 
 tween the kings of France and England was still mcreasing. 
 
 TJieohald, archbishop of Canterbury, dies. Fealty is sworn to 
 
 the younger Henry. 
 A.D. 1160. Henry, king of England, having returned from 
 Toulouse, caused Margaret, the daughter of the king of France, 
 whom he had under his own guardianship, to be espoused to 
 his son Henry, and he recovered the castle of Gisors, which he 
 had long desired. And when the king of France heard this, 
 lie fortified Chaumont. But the king of England came in 
 haste, and put the king of France and his army to flight, and 
 
 A.D.UGl. THOMAS ELECTED AECHBISUOP OF CANTERBUllY. o7 
 
 took the castle and all who were in it. And there were taken 
 prisoners in that fort fifty-five men-at-arms. And then the 
 marriage was celebrated between the son of the king of Eng- 
 land, who was seven years old, and the daughter of the king 
 of France who was tlirce, by the authority of Henry of Pisa 
 and William of Papia, cardinal priests, 'and legates of the 
 Apostolic See, on the second of Noveml)er, at Burgh. Tiie 
 same year, Theobald, archbishop of Canterbury, died. About 
 this time, Maria, abbess of Romsey, daughter of king Stephen, 
 married Matthew, count of Boulogne, by whom she had two 
 daughters. On account of whicli sin of theirs, Thomas, the 
 king's chancellor, who was, hke John the Baptist, opposed to 
 this illicit marriage, sutlered many evils from the intrigues 
 and persecutions of this same count. 
 
 Henry, son of king Henry the Second, espoused the daughter of tha 
 king of France. Thomas is elected archbishop of Canterbury. 
 
 A.D. IIGI. Henry, son of king Henry, espoused the daugh- 
 ter of the king of France, and peace was made between them. 
 Nearly all Canterbury was destroyed by fire. The same year, 
 the news of the death of Theobald, archbishop of Canterbury, 
 having been received, the king began with all diligence to ar- 
 range that his chancellor Thomas should succeed him in the 
 archbishopric, and sent Richard de Lacy into England with 
 letters from himself to ensure this with the chancellor, Tho- 
 mas himself, and so the matter was effectually brought to the 
 end the king wished. The same year, Bartholomew, a religious 
 man, and one of great learning in books of theology, was con- 
 secrated bishop of Exeter. The same year, at Westminster, 
 Thomas, the king's chancellor, was elected archl)ishop of Can- 
 terbury. Therefore the election having taken place on the 
 Sabbath at Pentecost, he was ordained priest by Walter, bishop 
 of Rochester, in the church of Canterbury. * This year, the 
 quarrel between the church of Lincoln and the abbey of Saint 
 Alban*s was made up in the presence of king Henry and tlie 
 archbishop Thomas of Canterbury, and Roger of York, and a 
 great number of other bishops and nobles of the land. The 
 same year, Baldwin, king of Jerusalem, died, and was suc- 
 ceeded by his brother Almaric. 
 
 The same year, the kings of France and England prepared 
 for a war by land ; but it was immediately terminated, and 
 they became friends. 
 
 it 
 i 
 
 I 
 
 i 
 
58 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMI>'STEIl. 
 
 A.D. 11G3. 
 
 n 
 
 Tliomas is consecrated archht'shop of Ccmtcrhurij. Richardy bishop 
 
 of London f dies. 
 
 A.D. 1162. Thomas, the chancellor, and archdeacon of Can- 
 terbury, was consecrated archbishop of Canterbury, on the 
 third of June, on the first Sunday after Pentecost. Louis, 
 king of France, and Henry, king of England, having collected 
 two powerful armies from all quarters, but when a battle be- 
 tween them was impending, near Farcival, they suddenly 
 became friends. The same year, Eleanor, queen of England, 
 was delivered of a daughter at Rouen, and gave her her own 
 name. This year, also, Richard, bishop of London, went the 
 way of all flesh. 
 
 About the same time, king Henry caused the oath of fealty 
 to be taken to his son Henry, a youth of a most excellent dis- 
 position, and Thomas, the chancellor, who was soon after 
 made archbishop of Canterbury, took the oath of fealty first 
 among all the nobles of the kingdom, saving his allegiance to 
 the king, as long as he should live. Thomas resigned the 
 custody of the king's seal, which the king was greatly vexed 
 at. Also, archbishop Thomas suddenly changed his courtier- 
 like way of a life for most strictly religious conduct. The 
 abbot Joachim flourished at this time. 
 
 A Council is held at Tours under pope Alexander. 
 
 A.D. 1 163. King Henry turned away his heart and affections 
 from Thomas, archbishop of Canterbury, and from that time 
 forth intrigued against him, and threw obstacles in his way. 
 Gilbert Fohoth, bishop of Hereford, was translated to London. 
 The same year, Robert de Montfort fought in single combat 
 with Henry of Essex, on an appeal of treason. The same year, 
 pope Alexander held a council at Tours, in the church of St. 
 Maurice, at which the archbishop of Canterbury and many 
 other prelates were present. About this time, Malcolm, king 
 of Scotland, and Rhesus, prince of Demecia, that is of South 
 Wales, and many other nobles did homage to king Henry at 
 CToTJfSJtoh. This year also, Thomas, earl of Clare, was sum- 
 moned by Thomas, archbishop of Canterbury, to Westminster, 
 to do him homage for the castle of Cunbrige. But when the 
 king heard of this, he fraudulently forbade the homage to be 
 done, and this was the first evident token of the king's en- 
 mity. 
 
 A.D. 11G5. 
 
 TUE CUEISTIANS TAKEN CAPTIVE. 
 
 59 
 
 A record of the privileges of the king is made at Clarendon, to 
 which archbishop TJiomas does not consent. 
 A.D. 1 164. A record of the royal privileges and customs was 
 enrolled at Clarendon, in the presence of the king, and of the 
 chief nobles of the kingdom. And because Thomas, arch- 
 bishop of Canterbury, did not give his consent to them, he 
 retired, having drawn upon himself the great indignation of 
 tlie king. The church of Reading was dedicated, and the 
 body of St. Edward was removed out of the earth and placed 
 on a bier by the blessed Thomas, archbishop of Canterbury. 
 The same year, the archbishop was subjected to many insults 
 in Northampton ; he withdrew by night, and went into exile, 
 and, haying encountered many dangers by land, he crossed 
 the sea in a small boat. The count of Flanders and the count 
 of Boulogne plotted against him, in consequence of the machi- 
 nations of the king. But, under the protection of God, he es- 
 caped all their plots. 
 
 A slaughter and captivity of the Christians took place in the 
 
 Uohj Land. 
 
 ^ A.D. 1 16.5. There was an earthquake took place throughout 
 Ely, and Norfolk, and Suff'olk, on the twenty-sixth of January, 
 which threw down persons who were standing up, and made 
 bells ring. The king made an expedition into Wales. Queen 
 Eleanor bore a daughter, whom she called Joanna, after whom, 
 she bore a son, whom she called John. The same year, God- 
 frey of St. Asaph made at the Lord's Supper, in the church 
 of St. Alban, the proto-martyr of the English, at the greater 
 altar, a chrism and some holy oil, being supported by the 
 authority of the privileges of that church, in the presence of 
 Robert the abbot. The same year, Noureddin, the most 
 powerful prince of the Turks, laid siege to the castle of Ha- 
 reng, on the borders of the territory of Antioch ; and when 
 he heard of this, Bohemund, prince of Antioch, with what as- 
 sistance he could procure in the neighbourhood, namely, Ray- 
 mond, count of Tripoli, Salamon, governor of Sicily, and 
 Charos, prince of Armenia, proceeded with vigour to raise the 
 siege, and to put Noureddin and his army to flight. But as they 
 pursued him with too much rashness as he fled, he turned back 
 upon them as they followed him, and took all those who have 
 been naentioned prisoners, and loaded them with chains, and 
 committed them to custody at Alapia, and easily reduced the 
 castle which he had been compelled to leave. 
 
 f 
 
 
60 
 
 MATTHEW OF TVESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1107. 
 
 ; ' 
 
 ' t 
 
 All the observers of the King^s ordinances are excommunicated hy 
 
 the blessed Thomas. 
 
 A.D. IIGG. Eleanor, queen of England, brought forth a son 
 named John, at the end of the year. Also, king Henry crossed 
 the sea into Normandy. Thomas, archbishop of Canterbury, 
 excommunicated all the observers of the king's customs and 
 prerogatives, which had been recited at Clarendon, which he 
 called execrable abuses, rather than customs or liberties. And 
 lie excommunicated by name some of those who took the 
 king's part in this matter, both clergy and laity. The same 
 year, a short time after, the king procured the removal of 
 archbishop Thomas from Pontigny. For he knew that the 
 place and the abode there pleased him, especially as there was 
 a Cistercian chapter there. And, not long afterwards, he mer- 
 cilessly banished his whole family from England, not merely 
 from London, but from the whole kingdom. 
 
 About the same time, for the assistance of the Holy Land, 
 fourpence were granted and collected from every plough-land 
 of land throughout the whole of England. Robert, abbot of 
 Saint Alban's, died, after he had governed his church there 
 twenty-four years. The bishops of England became favourers 
 of the king's party, and persecutors of the blessed Thomas in 
 his cause. Louis, king of France, was the only comforter of 
 the blessed Thomas : on which account, the two kings spoke 
 of one another with secret hatred. 
 
 Pope Alexander J and Louis, Tcing of France, became comforters of 
 
 the blessed Thomas. 
 
 A.D. 11 07. Pope Alexander, being aw.ire of the justice of 
 the cause of the blessed Thomas, became his comforter and 
 assistant, and the partner of his exile. For both of them 
 were driven from their country at the same time, for the sake 
 of the hbcrty of the Church. The same year, Robert of 
 Lincoln died. 
 
 This year, the kings of France and England quarrelled : 
 and, in consequence, Chaumont, Gisors, and other castles and 
 fortifications, with many towns and cities, were seized and 
 burnt by the Normans. Also, the empress Matilda died. 
 Matilda, the daughter of king Henry, married Henry, duke of 
 Saxony. 
 
 At this time, now that the blessed archbishop Thomas was 
 driven into banishment, his manors, and woods, and preserves. 
 
 A.D. 1169. ELEANOE MAEEIES ALrO>"SO, KINO OF CASTILE. Gl 
 
 and serfs, and other possessions were confiscated and destroyed, 
 and what was not destroyed, was committed to the custody o^' 
 Ranulph de Broke, a man very skilful in scraping up money, 
 the seeds of discord having been sown by Gilbert, bishop of 
 London, and many other bishops, and Robert de 15roke him- 
 self, who was one of the secular clergy, and who was the 
 guardian of the archbishopric under Ranulph. The same 
 year, Simon, the prior of the church of Saint Alban's, was 
 elected to the abbacy of that church, and was solemnly conse- 
 crated, on Ascension-day, by the bishop of London. Count 
 Patrick died in Aquitaine. Robert, the second prior of Win- 
 chester, died. 
 
 King Henry earned a schism, through hatred of the blessed TJiomas 
 
 the Martyr. 
 
 A.D. 1168. King Henry, whose anger against the blessed 
 Thomas, and against the pope, who espoused the cause of the 
 blessed Thomas, was turned to hatred, sent to the emperor 
 Frederic, to intimate to him that he would be his assistance in 
 ejecting Alexander from the dignity of the papacy, because he 
 had become his enemy, and because he espoused the cause of the 
 traitor and runaway, Thomas, who had formerly been arch- 
 bishop of Canterbury, against his king. And, throughout all 
 England, the king caused the obedience due to pope Alexander 
 to 1)6 abjured by every one, from the boy of twelve years of 
 age to the old man. He also sent to Louis, king of France, 
 earnestly entreating him not to maintain his enemy and 
 traitor, the fugitive Thomas. But as he, as it seemed to him, 
 was requiring of him what was not creditable, the pious king, 
 Louis, would not comply. The same year, Richard, prior of 
 Norwich, died. 
 Eleanor, daughter of king Henry, married Alfonso, Icing of Castile. 
 
 A.D. 11 G9. Eleanor, the daughter of the king of England, 
 married Alfonso, king of Castile. The archbishop Thomas 
 excommunicated Gilbert, bishop of London. But the king, a 
 vain comforter, cheered him, threatening the blessed Thomas 
 severely. 
 
 The same year, two legates ii latere were sent by the pope, 
 by name Veneian and Grjitian, to bring about a peace between 
 the king and archbishop Thomas. But not being able to suc- 
 ceed in their principal business, they were intent only on 
 plunder, and so they returned after their unsuccessful exertions. 
 
 I! 
 
 It 
 
 ^1 
 
C2 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1171. 
 
 Eenri) tJie younger is crowned king, a?td the blessed Tliomas is tnad^ 
 
 a martyr. 
 A.D. 1170. Henr>% the eldest son of king Henry, was 
 crowned king at Westminster, on the day of Saint Basil, by 
 Roger, archbishop of York, contrary to the custom and privi- 
 lege of the church of Canterbury. On which account, the 
 archbishop of Canterbury suspended the archbishop of York, 
 who had presumed to crown the king's son, and some other 
 bishops likewise, who were present at the solemnity ; and he 
 excommunicated many other persons. But the archbishop of 
 York and the suspended bishops crossed the sea, and came to 
 Normandy, to the king, making grave complaints against the 
 blessed Thomas. At which, the king, being immoderately 
 angry, complained bitterly of this archl)ishop Thomas, in the 
 liearing of some of his friends. And they, when they heard 
 this, hastened speedily to vengeance, and coming to Canter- 
 bury, they irreverently knocked out the brains of the arch- 
 bishop himself in his own church. They were four soldiers, 
 too vigorous in every military work, that is to say, in the 
 shedding of blood. Their names were Reginald Fitz-Urse, 
 Hugh de Moreville, William de Tracy, and Richard Brito. 
 The martyr perished on the twenty-ninth of December. But 
 all those soldiers died within four years, dying, however, in 
 penitence ; but Robert de Broke, being one of the secular 
 clergy of Ranulph de Broke, who had charge of the bishopric, 
 was excommunicated, and when he was at dinner, the dogs, 
 though hungry, would not eat anything that he had touched, 
 though they took anything greedily from the hands of others. 
 The same year, the bones of a giant were discovered in Eng- 
 land, the length of whose body was fifty feet. 
 
 Ilenry, bishop of Winchester, dies. Saint Godric, the bishop, 
 
 departs to the Lord. 
 X.J). 1171. Henrj% bishop of Winchester, died. King Henry 
 crossed the sea to Ireland, where the archbishops and bishops 
 received him as king and lord, and swore fealty to him ; and 
 the king, who was called Monoculus, did homage to him. 
 King Henry was reconciled to the church of Canterbury. 
 On the night of the Nativity of our Lord, a violent tempest 
 arose. Gilbert, bishop of London, and the others who had 
 been excommunicated, were absolved. The king gloriously 
 showed his repentance for the sin that had been committed. 
 
 A.D. 1173. 
 
 SAINT THOMAS IS CANONIZED. 
 
 03 
 
 IVIiracles increased in the matter of Saint Thomas, archbishop 
 of Canterbury, throughout the whole world. That glorious 
 man of revered and exemplary life, Godric de Michali, a her- 
 mit, having finished the conthct of his course of hfe in this 
 world, departed from this life to the Lord, to receive a crown 
 of glory in heaven ; a man whose life and death would require 
 a special treatise. 
 
 The same year, on the festival of Saint Nicholas, at Albe- 
 marie, Roger, archbishop of York, having taken an oath that 
 he had in nowise received letters of prohibition from the lord 
 the pope before the coronation of the new king, and that he 
 had not bound himself to the king in the matter of the obser- 
 vance of the customs of the kingdom, and that he had not 
 knowingly procured by word, or writing, or deed, the death 
 of the blessed archbishop Thomas, was mercifully restored to 
 the full discharge of his duties. The same year, the church 
 at Norwich was destroyed by fire. 
 
 ITenry the Younger ivagcs war against Ilenry, his father. 
 A.D. 1172. On the night of the Nativity of our Lord, a 
 sudden and terrible thunderstorm was heard in England and 
 Ireland, and throughout the whole kingdom of France, so 
 that it was plainly seen that the blood of the blessed Thomas 
 was crying out aloud to the Lord. The same year, the heart 
 of the younger Henry was turned away from affection to his 
 father, and he waged war against him, so that the king, in 
 token of his enormous guilt, which he had not yet atoned for, 
 felt even his own bowels rise up in resistance to him. Also, 
 Gilbert, bishop of London, having by an oath cleared himself 
 of all accession to the death of the blessed Thomas, was re- 
 stored to his office. 
 
 Saint Thomas is canonized, and his festival celebrated. 
 A.D. 1 1 73. The feast of the blessed Thomas was celebrated 
 by the authority of the Apostolic See throughout all England, 
 in such a May, that besides the usual service which is per- 
 formed at Christmas, a special service was chaunted for the 
 Saint himself, and a special collect was repeated. The kino- 
 increased his penances, and invoked Thomas in special prayers. 
 The king of Scotland and the count of Leicester, who were 
 renewing war against the king, were taken prisoners, and the 
 young prince Henry was reconciled to his father. The king 
 came to Canterbury, and, in a chapter, was absolved of all 
 
ili 
 
 T 
 
 ^ / 
 
 64 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEH. 
 
 A.D. 1174. 
 
 connection with the crime committed at Canterbury. He also 
 resigned on the greater altar, those customs for which the 
 blessed Thomas had contended to the death. William, abbot 
 of Reading, was appointed archbishop of Bordeaux, and was 
 succeeded at Reading by Joseph. Tiie same year, because of 
 the obstinacy of earl Robert, who persisted in his opposition 
 to the king, the noble city of Leicester was besieged and 
 destroyed by king Henry, and the wall, which appeared im- 
 pregnable, was utterly destroyed all round. The king also 
 united the eldest daughter of Hubert, count of iMaurienne, 
 who had been borne to him by the reUct of duke Henry, in 
 marriage to his son John, surnamed Lackland, a boy hardly 
 seven years of age. The same year, Roger, abbot of Becken- 
 ham, was elected archbishop of Canterbury, but being a man 
 of very strict notions of rehgion, he absolutely refused the 
 office. Therefore, Richard, the prior of Dover, and a monk 
 of the same church, was elected in his place. This year, also, 
 Rudolph de Warneville, the sacristan of Rouen, and treasurer 
 of York, was appointed chancellor of England. Mary, the 
 sister of the blessed abbess, was made abbess of Berkingham, 
 her own character justifying such au appointment, and the 
 king commanding it. 
 
 King Henry having invoked the aid of the blessed ThomaSy 
 
 subdues all his enemies. 
 
 A.D. 11/4. Roger de Molbray deserted his fidelity to the 
 king, and repaired a castle which had long since fallen to decay 
 in the island of Axholme. But a multitude of Lincolnshire men 
 crossed over in a vessel, and laid siege to the castle, and com- 
 pelled the constable and all the soldiers in it to surrender, and 
 destroyed the castle. The same year, on the last day of 
 April, when the king of England had heard that the army of 
 his son Richard had occupied the city of Saintes, he took with 
 him the people of Poictiers, and proceeded to deliver that 
 city. This year also, the king took in the larger church at 
 Lincoln, sixty soldiers, with engineers, and a very great 
 number of his enemies of other lands, who had made a castle 
 of the church, and polluted it with feastings and otlier abo- 
 minations. The king, invoking the aid of the blessed martyr 
 Thomas, bestowed on the church of Canterbury forty pounds 
 of yearly revenue towards the providing of candles. 
 
 On the day of Saint Sylvester, it being the Sabbath, God 
 
 A.D. lire. JOANNA MARBIES THE KING OF SICILY. 65 
 
 delivered William king of Scotland, into the hands of Henry, 
 who loaded him with chains, and confined him in the castle of 
 BicIjemuntJ. Also, on the same dav. Prince Henry the 
 younger, having seen the ships which'he, relying on the as- 
 sistance of the count of Flanders, and trusting in the troops 
 by which he was accompanying, had collected for the purpose 
 of crossing over the sea to England to subdue it, entirely 
 scattered, and almost sunk by a mighty tempest, which arose 
 suddenly, was compelled to return ignominiously to France. 
 
 This year, Richard was consecrated archbishop of Canter- 
 bury at Rome, by pope Alexander ; and Richard, bishop of 
 Winchester, with the bishops elect of Ely, Hereford, and 
 Chichester, were consecrated by the same archbishop. But 
 Geoffrey the Bastard, bishop elect of Lincoln, because his 
 election had not yet been confirmed, crossed the sea in his 
 own person to go across the Alps. 
 
 William, king of Scotland, having made peace, comes to do homage 
 
 to king Henry. 
 A.D. 11 7o. The city of Rouen was besieged. This year also, 
 peace was made between the king and his sons. xV liegeman 
 of the king of England came from the kingdom of Scotland, 
 and did him homage for all his estates, as his own especial 
 lord. And in like manner, did all the bishops, with the earls 
 and barons of Scotland. They also swore that they would 
 never harbour any one who was a fugitive from the king of 
 England. A general council was held at Westminster, on the 
 seventeenth of June, under the presidency of Richard, arch- 
 bishop of Canterbury, and legate of the apostolic see. Roger, 
 archbishop of York, was not present at the council. Reginald, 
 earl of Cornwall, died. Hugh Petroleon, cardinal deacon of 
 Saint Angelo, came as legate into England, and gave autho- 
 rity to bring the clergy before a secular judge for forfeit of 
 forest, and for lay fees in favour of the king. The same year, 
 William Turbes, bishop of ^'orwich, died. 
 
 Joanna, daughter of king Ilenry, marries the king of Sicily. 
 
 A.D. 1 1 76. Richard, archbishop of Canterbury, appointed 
 three archdeacons in his diocese, which from ancient times 
 had been content Math only one ; their names were Savaric, 
 Nicolas, and Herebert. The same year, John, dean of Salis- 
 bury, M'as consecrated bishop of Norwich. And not long 
 afterwards, the king caused the castles of Leicester, of Hunt- 
 
 TOL. II. J. 
 
 / 
 
ii 
 
 4 
 ^1 
 
 Ii 
 
 66 
 
 MATTUEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1177. 
 
 in^-don, of Walton, of Groby, of Stedsbury, of Hay, and ot 
 Threst, and a great many more, to be levelled to the ground, 
 in revenge for the injuries which the lords of those castles had 
 often done the king. After this, the king, by the advice and 
 consent of his son, appointed justiciaries over six divisions ot 
 the kingdom, six in each division, who swore to preserve to 
 all the inhabitants their rights unimpaired. 
 
 The same year, Joanna, the king's daughter, being about to 
 marry the king of Sicily, was given up to her husband at Saint 
 Giles's, on the ninth of November. Hugh Petroleon, the 
 business of his legateship having been terminated, returned 
 home across the sea. Also, king Henry the Second gave his 
 younger daughter in marriage to the king of Apuha, and on 
 the twenty-seventh of August she sailed to her new country. 
 Richard, earl of Strigoil, died. William, earl of Arundel 
 died on the twelfth of October, at Waverley, and was buried 
 at Wymondham, of which place he was the patron, on the 
 nineteenth of October. Walter, the prior of Winchester, was 
 appointed abbot of Westminster. The same year, the secular 
 canons were removed from Waltham, and regular canons were 
 introduced in their stead, but it was towards the end of the 
 year, and the business was not entirely completed in this year. 
 The third prior of Merton died. 
 
 Frederic came to the feet of pope Alexander to make satisfaction. 
 A.D. 1177. The church of Waltham was restored to the 
 regular canons, and the rule of the most blessed Augustine 
 the great doctor, most honourably established and maintained 
 therein ; and indeed that church of Waltham from that time 
 forth evidently went on prospering and increasing as well m 
 temporal as in spiritual matters ; and this business was suc- 
 cessfully completed in this one year. But it was commenced 
 on the vigil of Pentecost. 
 
 Philip, count of Flanders, and Philippe of GrandeviUe, 
 went to Jerusalem. Tlie emperor Frederic came, and threw 
 himself at the feet of pope Alexander, to make satisfaction for 
 his transgressions, and thus the schism that had existed was 
 terminated. The same year, a most violent storm of wind 
 tore up trees from their foundations and buildings by their 
 roots, and did almost irreparable damage to many things. This 
 year also, the king of England having arranged everything ni 
 his territories according to his pleasure, on the eighteenth ot 
 
 A.D. 1178. THE KING TISITS THE TOMB OF SAINT THOMAS. 6/ 
 
 August crossed the sea to Normandy, and having immediately 
 held a conference with the king of France, they made a treaty 
 in the following manner : — 
 
 *' I, Louis, king of France, and I, Henry, king of England, 
 wish it to come to the knowledge of all men, that we, acting 
 under the inspiration of God, have promised, and have con- 
 firmed that promise by an oath, that we will go together m the 
 service of the crucified one, and being about to go to Jerusalem, 
 we have assumed the sign of the cross, and we determine to be 
 exceeding friends to one another, so that each of us will faith- 
 t'nlly strive to preserve the hfe and maintain the honour of the 
 other." 
 
 The king cheerfully visits the tomb of the blessed Thomas the 
 
 Martyr. 
 A.D. 1178. A great fall of snow filled the valleys, and 
 buried the thickets and trees. And when it melted away, many 
 cattle and some men were carried away by the flood,' and so 
 perished. On the eighth of January the sun sutt'ered an 
 eclipse. This year, Henry, king of England, decorated his 
 son Geoffrey with the belt of a knight, at Woodstock, on the 
 seventh of August. And when the king had arranged every- 
 thing according to his wish, then, recognizing the virtue of 
 the blessed Thomas the Martyr, he went humbly and cheer- 
 fully to visit his tomb, intending to offer thanks at it. 
 
 And from that time forth the two kings of France and Eng- 
 land made preparation of treasure and all other necessary 
 things, for embarking on the expedition to Jerusalem in a 
 magnificent manner, in such a way that the whole of the east 
 was shaken with fear. The same year, Richard de Lucio, the 
 justiciary of England, on the eleventh of June laid the foun- 
 dation towards the building a conventual church, in honour 
 of the blessed martyr, Thomas, in the place which is called 
 West wood, in the territory of Rochester. The same year, the 
 blessed Alban came forth visibly from his church, and came 
 to a man dwelling in the town of Saint Alban's, and said to 
 hira, "Follow me." But the man, seeing him shining like 
 the sun, feared, and obeyed, and followed him as he went 
 along the road which leads to the north (and the road shone 
 with his brightness as he went) ; and then the man said to the 
 martyr, " Lord, who art thou?" He said, "I am Alban, the 
 proto-martyr of England, and I am leading you to the burial- 
 place of Saint Amphilabus, by whose teaching I was converted 
 
 F 2 
 
 Hi 
 
 ti 
 
 Ii 
 
V : 
 
 68 
 
 MATTKEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1170. 
 
 A.D. 1180. 
 
 LOUIS, KING or PJiANCE, DIES. 
 
 C9 
 
 }% 
 
 I 
 
 to the Lord, and made a martyr, in order that his bones may 
 be reverently discovered, and taken up out of the earth. The 
 place of his burial is about three miles from my church." And 
 thus they conversed as one friend might do with another ; and 
 he pointed out the place to him, and the man made a careful 
 mark to enable him to recognise the spot, and fixed it in his 
 mind by placing some stones in a particular order. And when 
 lie had done this, the martyr conducted the man back again ; 
 and when they came in front of the doors of the church, the 
 martyr admonished him to relate everything to the abbot and 
 to the brotherhood, and having bade him farewell, the martyr 
 departed, and entered his church ; but the man, Robert, (for 
 that was his name,) returned to his own house. And that all 
 these circumstances are to be believed to be true, and not the 
 creations of fancy, the evidence of the facts that ensued proves. 
 For after those discreet men, the abbot and the brethren of 
 the convent, were certified of these things, they went to the 
 place which was mentioned to them, and there they found the 
 blessed martyr, Amphibalus, with his companions ; and God 
 celebrated unheard-of miracles in the place, one of which we 
 have thought worthy of inserting in this book, namely, that a 
 certain person, who had been dead four days, in fact four days 
 and a half had elapsed since he had expired, was there re- 
 stored to life, and effectually led all the beholders to give glory 
 to God, and praise to the martyrs who assisted in such a 
 
 work. 
 
 Louis, king of France, came into England, to offer adoration to 
 
 Saint Thomas, 
 A.u. 11/9. Louis, king of France, although old and infirm 
 of body, being nevertheless active in his faith and devotion, 
 came into England, and was not hindered by the necessity 
 of crossing the sea, although he dreaded it above all things, 
 from offering veneration and adoration with prayer to the holy 
 martvr, the blessed Thomas, at his sepulchre in the church of 
 Canterbury ; in order, that after that, when he had evidently be- 
 come a friend of God, he might with his prayers prevail upon 
 God in behalf of the king and kingdom of France, inasmuch 
 as he had meritoriously received, and protected, and comforted 
 the man whom England had persecuted and expelled. And 
 because the most Christian king, Louis, heard that the glorious 
 promises of God were being fulfilled in the case of the most 
 blessed Amphibalus and his companions, he proposed to visit 
 
 that spot ; but the advice of his friends prevented him from 
 being absent from his country for such a length of time ; griev- 
 ing at which, though he was unwilling to act in opposition to 
 them, he sent his chaplain thither, in his stead, as it were, to 
 bear splendid presents as an off'ering on his part, to that, and 
 to certain other holy places which existed in England. Having 
 therefore performed his vow of pilgrimage according to his 
 wish, the king returned, and sailing from between Dover and 
 Whitsand, he had a fair voyage, and reached his own country 
 without meeting with any hindrance. And because he was 
 very fearful by sea, and apprehensive of danger, as he said 
 that to cross the sea was an act of more than human daring, 
 he entreated the blessed Thomas that from that time forth no 
 one should suffer shipwreck in that passage, by which prayer 
 the pious king is believed to have obtained the favour of the 
 saint, which continues eflfectual to this day. These events 
 took place in the beginning of September, and in all these 
 tliingf king Henry showed himself favourable and sociable to 
 him, as he ought. 
 
 This year, PhiUp, son of the king of France, was crowned. 
 Likewise pope Alexander held a council at Rome, in the middle 
 of Lent, at which three hundred and ten bishops assembled 
 in the Lateran palace. Roger, bishop of Worcester, died. A 
 boy was martyred at Wenlock. In these days, the abbot of 
 .Toachin wrote a book on the Apocalypse ; and his wTitings, 
 because from a simple man of little more learning than a lay- 
 man, he suddenly and miraculously became a profound theo- 
 logian, were very much greeted among the great, and were 
 considered works of great authority. But because he appeared 
 to inchne to the idea of a quaternity, rather than that of the 
 Trinity, the church condemned his writings, of which circum- 
 stance pope Innocent made mention in the council which was 
 held by him, and also in the beginning of his decretals. 
 
 Louis, king of France, dies. Philip hecomes very friendly to king 
 
 Henry. 
 
 A.D. 1180. Louis, king of France, of pious memory, died 
 on the eighteenth of September, and was succeeded by his son 
 Phihp. The coinage was renewed in England. John, bishop 
 of Chichester, died. Philip, king of France, placed his whole 
 kingdom at the disposal of king Henry, as his faithful friend, 
 because he knew him to be a most faithful and prudent king ; 
 
 /I 
 
ill 
 
 '0 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1182. 
 
 f 
 
 If 
 
 and they became the greatest friends, without any evil suspi- 
 cion of one another, and without any remembrance of past 
 grievances, as this document testifies. 
 
 " I, PhiHp, king of the French, &c. :— " 
 
 This year also, Richard, count of Poictiers, a man famous 
 for military prowess, cruelly ravaged the territories of Geoffrey 
 de Luneville, scarcely sparing the sanctity of churches. And 
 when he had finished his war according to his wish, he came 
 into England, and was received with exceeding honour by his 
 father on account of his glory, which had become famous 
 throughout all the countries on this side of the Alps. 
 
 Pope Alexander dies, and is succeeded hy Lucius. Prester John 
 writes to the Pope, and the Pope to him. 
 A.D. 1181. Roger, archbishop of York, went the way of all 
 flesh on the twenty-first of December. The same year, pope 
 Alexander wrote a letter to Prester John, king of India, in 
 elegant language, expressing a hope that they might be united, 
 being of one belief in all things in the Catholic faith, which, 
 indeed, John himself had previously entreated in a letter of his 
 own, and by a messenger whom he had sent himself, namely, 
 his physician PhiUp. In which arduous business, the matter 
 would have had a happy termination, if the fame, or rather the 
 infamy, of the Roman avarice had not filled the whole earth to 
 the very extremities of the world, in consequence of which the 
 devotion of the prince above mentioned grew cold, as he was 
 unwilling to put himself in devout subjection to the church of 
 Rome. The same year, pope Alexander died, and was suc- 
 ceeded by Lucius. The king came from Normandy. An 
 ecUpse of the sun took place on the vigil of the exaltation of 
 the holy cross, at three o'clock. The same year, Baldwin, ab- 
 bot of Ford Abbey, of the Cistercian order, succeeded bishop 
 Roger, in the church of Worcester. The earl of Chester died. 
 
 Henry, f(yr the expiation of the death of Saint Thomas, gave forty- 
 two thousand marks of silver and five hundred marks of gold to 
 the Holy Land. 
 
 A.D. 1182. The duke of Saxony came with his duchess into 
 Normandy. Geoffrey, bishop elect of Lincoln, and son of the 
 king of England, after his election had been confirmed by the 
 pope, and after he had peaceably presided over that church for 
 a period of seven years, without any one compelling him to do 
 so, resigned his preferment at the epiphany of the Lord at 
 
 A.D. 1184. EICHAKD, AECHUISHOP OF CANTERBURY, DIES. /I 
 
 Marlborough, in the presence of the king and the bishops of 
 the kingdom. The same year, king Henry, at Waltham, in 
 the presence of the nobles of the kingdom, munificently gave 
 forty-two thousand marks of silver, and five hundred marks of 
 gold, to procure assistance for the Holy Land. For, in secret 
 confession, he had inviolably promised this gift, in atonement 
 of the death of the blessed Thomas, the punishment for which 
 he dreaded above all things, for himself and his posterity. 
 
 The same year, Walter de Constance, archdeacon of Oxford, 
 was consecrated bishop of Lincoln, by Richard, archbishop of 
 Canterbury, in the city of Angers, in the church of Saint 
 Laud. Geoffrey, the king's son, prior elect, who, out of fa- 
 mily pride, was not at all inclined to submit himself to epis- 
 copal authority, from that time forth became reprobate and 
 detestable in the eyes of God and man. according to the divine 
 sentence: ** Whosoever is ashamed of me before men," etc. 
 The same year, Walter, bishop of Rochester, went the way of 
 all flesh. ^ 
 
 The Prince Jlenry the younger dies. Walter de Constance is 
 
 inst ailed in his see. 
 A.D. 1 183. Prince Henry the younger, a youth of a delight- 
 ful disposition, the son of king Henry the Second, died on the 
 day of Saint Barnabas the apostle ; a'nd he was buried at first 
 in Mayenne, and afterwards in Rouen. Walter de Constance, 
 a bishop of Lincoln, came to England, and was installed in his 
 diocese. The same year, Gerard, surnamed the Maiden, was 
 consecrated bishop of Coventry, who, having gone through 
 many labours with Saint Thomas the Martyr, was worthily 
 raised to the dignity of pontiff by his prayers, many others 
 being passed over. 
 
 Richard, archhishop of Canterbury, dies. The Saracens invade 
 
 Spain. 
 A.D. 1184. Richard, archbishop of Canterbury, died at 
 Hailing, which is a town in the bishopric of Rochester. Also 
 Jocelin, bishop of Salisbury, died. The same year, king Henry 
 conducted the duke of Saxony and his family into England, 
 and a few days afterwards the duchess brought forth a son* 
 whom she called William. The same year, Baldwin, bishop of 
 Worcester, was elected archbishop of Canterbury, and Walter, 
 bishop of Lincoln, was elected archbishop of Rouen. This 
 same year, Philip, archbishop of Cologne, and Philip, count of 
 
 lU 
 
If' 
 
 72 
 
 MATTUEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1184. 
 
 A.D. 1186. BALDWIN EECEITES THE PALLIUM. 
 
 73 
 
 i^ 
 
 i 
 
 Flanders, came into England to offer vows and prayers to the 
 blessed Thomas, as famous miracles were constantly increasing 
 to his great honour. When the objects of the pilgrimage of 
 these nobles had been accomphshed, the king courteously went 
 to meet them, and accompanied them to London, where they 
 feasted with him for several days. And at their arrival in 
 London, by command of the king, the whole city was made 
 very splendid, and decked with every kind of ornament. 
 
 The same year also, a multitude of Saracens landed on the 
 Spanish territories, and attacked the Christians in a hostile 
 manner, under the command of a great general and sovereign 
 king Macemuth ; and when they had done much irreparable 
 mischief to the Christians, the king was smitten by God, as an 
 avenger of his guilt, in a miraculous manner, and died in a hor- 
 rible manner ; on beholding which, all the enemies of God 
 were terrified and fled. 
 
 In those days, Baldwin, son of Almaric, the former king, 
 reigned in Jerusalem, but being afflicted with leprosy, he had 
 already lost the use of his eyes. Having therefore summoned 
 the nobles of his kingdom, he appointed Guy de Lusignan, 
 count of Joppa, and Ascalon, governor of his kingdom. About 
 the same time, Saladin, soldan of Damascus, having reduced 
 all the kings of the Saracens under his authority throughout 
 nearly all the territories of the east, so that he might be called 
 king of kings, and lord of lords, threatened, with a loud voice, 
 that he would subdue all Christendom under his feet, and for 
 this purpose he had prepared many warlike machines, being a 
 man of the greattc*^^ experience and skill in warlike matters. 
 At this time, Baldwin, king of Jerusalem, died, and was suc- 
 ceeded by Baldwin, a boy of five years of age, his nephew, 
 being the son of his sister, Sibylla, and William, marquis of 
 Montserrat, who was immediately crowned king, and com- 
 mitted to the care of Raymond, count of Tripoli, to be brought 
 up by him. 
 
 The same year, king Henry, as he had for some time in- 
 tended, brought about the transference of the whole kingdom 
 of Ireland to John, his younger son, who, with the consent of 
 his father, had long since received the homage of all the nobles 
 of that country ; and he sent John, archbishop of Dublin, into 
 Ireland, as the forerunner of his son's arrival, about the be- 
 
 ginning of August. 
 
 The Patriarch of Jerusalem, and the Master of the Hospital, 
 
 arrive in England. 
 A.D. 1 185. Eraclius, the patriarch of the Holy Resurrection, 
 and lord Roger, the master of the hospitallers, came to Henry, 
 king of England, at Reading. And when they had related to 
 him the cause of their journey, they excited the king and all 
 their hearers to tears, for the unheard-of desolation of the 
 Holy Land. They also brought to the king many memorable 
 tokens in confirmation of their petition, namely, relics of the 
 nativity and passion of the resurrection of Christ, and the keys 
 of the tower of David and of the Holy Sepulchre. They also, 
 with tears, related to him the rash and wicked purpose of Sa- 
 ladin, showing him moreover the papal letters m' hich contained 
 the entire series of those events, with a great multiplicity of 
 testimonies. But the king having taken counsel, replied, 
 " that for him to accept the kingdom of Jerusalem which they 
 offered him, and to go thither, and to desert the kingdom of 
 England, and expose it to its hostile neighbours, would not be, 
 as he imagined, acceptable to God, since this kingdom was as 
 pleasing to God, and as devout as the other." So the patri- 
 arch being disappointed in his hope, returned to his own 
 country. And when Saladin heard of this, he began in a 
 most merciless manner to ravage those territories of the Chris- 
 tians which bordered on his own. 
 
 Pope Lucius died this year, and was succeeded by Urban. 
 A great earthquake was felt at Lincoln, on the fifteenth of 
 April. John, the younger son of king Henry, was knighted 
 by his father, and sent into Ireland. Baldwin, bishop of Wor- 
 cester was made archbishop of Canterbury, and John, pre- 
 centor of Exeter, was made bishop of the same church. About, 
 this time, the young Baldwin, king of Jerusalem, died, nor 
 was there any one who could then succeed him in the king- 
 dom, except Sibylla, the sister of the leprous king, Baldwin, 
 and mother of the youthful king, Baldwin ; on which account, 
 the desolate state of the kingdom increased, and the audacity 
 of Saladin against the Christians. 
 
 Geoffrey, count of Brittany, dies. Hugh, a Carthusian monk, 
 
 is made bishop of Lincoln. 
 A.D. 1186. Baldwin, archbishop of Canterbury, received the 
 pallium, and also the office of legate in the province which 
 was subject to him, from the Church of Rome. The same 
 
74 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 11^7. 
 
 
 'H 
 
 1 f- 
 
 year, William de Vere was created bishop of Hereford, on 
 the feast of Saint Lawrence. The same year, Geoffrey, count 
 of Brittany, son of the king of England, died on the eighteenth 
 of September, and was buried at Paris, in the church of the 
 blessed Virgin Mary, within the choir of the canons. He left 
 two daughters, whom he had by his wife Constance, daughter 
 of Conan, count of Brittany, and she was with child at the 
 time that her husband died, and afterwards she was deUvered 
 of a son, whom she named Arthur. 
 
 The same year, Hugh, a Burgundian by birth, and a prior 
 of the Carthusian order, was appointed bishop of Lincoln. 
 William de florti)aIc was consecrated bishop of Worcester, 
 and John was consecrated bishop of Exeter. About the same 
 time, terrible signs appeared, namely, a very general earth- 
 quake ; also, an image of the child Jesus being broken, flowed 
 with blood. Saladin ravaged the Holy Land more cruelly 
 every day. 
 
 Th£ Hohj Land u ruined hj devastation. TJte Ilohj Cross is 
 
 lost. 
 
 A.D. 1187. Saladin assembled Parthians, Bedouins, and 
 Turks and Arabs, and Medes and Curds, and Egyptians, and 
 accompanied by an army of all those nations, he attacked and 
 made himself master of many noble castles, and slew the Mas- 
 ter of the Knights of the Temple, with the host of his brethren. 
 They again appointed a fresh master or preceptor of the 
 Temple, and as he was desirous to avenge his slaughtered 
 brethren, and to deliver those who had been taken prisoners 
 in company with Guy de Lusignan, regent of the kingdom, 
 the count of Tripoh, and many other nobles, the intrepid Sa- 
 ladin met him in battle, and as our troops encountered him 
 vigorously with the edge of the sword, a terrible conflict took 
 place, and both armies fought manfully. At last, our men 
 advancing incautiously among difficult ground, and terrible 
 defiles of rocks, were intercepted, so that, although they fought 
 gloriously, nevertheless the party of the enemy prevailed. 
 They say, that the count of Tripoli, having been corrupted 
 by bribes, traitorously permitted the royal standard to fall, 
 which he unfortunately carried. In that battle, the lord Guy, 
 the vice regent of the king, was taken prisoner with the Holy 
 Cross, and the whole multitude of Christians was miserably 
 routed and put to flight, and the greater part of them were 
 
 A.D. 1187. THE CITY OF CHICHESTER DESTROYED BY FIRE. 7 
 
 /O 
 
 put to the sword, and so perished. This melancholy and dis- 
 jistrous battle took place on the third and fourth of July, in 
 the week of the Apostles Peter and Paul. However, Theodoric, 
 the new Master of the Temple, escaped from this defeat,' 
 though on that day he lost two hundred and thirty of his most 
 distinguished brethren. The count of Tripoli escaped unhurt 
 and sound, on which account he was the more suspected. 
 Moreover, with the cross, there were taken its bearers, the 
 bishop of Acre, and the precentor of the Lord's Sepulchre, 
 the latter of whom was slain at once, the other taken prisoner,' 
 and soon after slain in the battle. After that, Saladin, in- 
 creasing in audacity, attacked Acre and took it ; then he in- 
 vaded Galilee, and after that, he attacked the Holy City of 
 Jerusalem. 
 
 The same year, pope Urban died, and was succeeded by 
 Gregory; who, after he had ruled the Papal See for two 
 months, died, and Clement the Third was elected in his room 
 on the twentieth of December. About this time, Gilbert', 
 bishop of London, paid the debt of nature ; and the same 
 vear, Richard, count of Poitou, hearing of the disasters of the 
 Holy Land, and especially the capture of the cross, was seized 
 with great consternation in his mind, so that, without waitino- 
 for the preaching of any one, or for the advice of his father"^ 
 he, the first of all the nobles beyond the sea, devoutly received 
 the sign of the cross from the hand of the archbishop of Tours, 
 murmuring at and reproaching his father because he dechned 
 to take upon himself the defence of the kingdom which was 
 offered to him ; and thus shamefully shook the yoke of the 
 Lord from oft' his neck. 
 
 This year, the mother church of Chichester and the whole 
 city was destroyed by fire, on the first of November. Hugh 
 de Mihaute was made bishop of Chester. The citizens of the 
 captured city of Jerusalem, for the sake of preserving their 
 lives, agreed to pay Saladin a poll-tax, at the rate of ten bezants 
 for each man, five for each woman, and one for each child, to 
 the number of fourteen thousand persons of both sexes. This 
 year, Richard, bishop of Winchester, died, on the twenty- 
 second of December.. And about the same time, after the ex- 
 ample of Richard, count of Poitou, many men flew to assume 
 the sign of the cross, to avenge the great injuries done to their 
 crucified Saviour. 
 
 u 
 
rn 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1188. 
 
 1 
 I 
 
 I 
 
 "I 
 
 I 
 
 The emperor Frederic, and the kings of France and England, 
 
 assume the cross. 
 A.D. 1188. Frederic, emperor of the Romans, assumed the 
 cross, beinj^ urged by tlie preaching of Henry, bishop of 
 Albany, and legate of the Apostolic See, who was sent by pope 
 Clement for this object. The same year, Phihp, king of France, 
 and Henry, king of England, came to a conference, having 
 for its object the relief of the Holy Land, in Normandy, be- 
 tween Trippe and Gisors, and after a long discussion, in the 
 presence of Philip, count of Flanders, they agreed together in 
 this, that having assumed the cross, they would undertake the 
 expedition to Jerusalem in company. Therefore, the king of 
 England first received the cross at the hands of the archbishop 
 of Rheims, and William of Tyre. After him, the king of 
 France, and Philip, count of Flanders, and many other counts 
 and barons, and a very great number of nobles, archbishops, 
 and bishops, and of common people an absolutely countless 
 
 multitude. 
 
 About those davs, the emperor Frederic wrote an elegant 
 letter to Saladin, which, however, was couched in threaten- 
 ing language ; and Saladin, not being at all alarmed, wrote 
 back one in a similar tone. In that letter there was contained 
 a defiance and a declaration of war. This year, Guy, king of 
 Jerusalem, having been detained in chains at Damascus for a 
 year, in the prison of Saladin, was compelled to renounce the 
 kingdom of Jerusalem, and scarcely escaped with his life. 
 About this time, Raymond, count of Tripoh, died, who, when 
 at the point of death, from the alienation of his mind, did not 
 receive the viaticum of salvation, l^at the valiant sovereign, 
 Guy, when released from prison, as if awakening from a 
 heavy slumber, as no one else had taken upon himself the 
 task of holding the reins of his oppressed kingdom, broke his 
 disgraceful oath, resumed his spirits, and girded himself for 
 the contest, and taking the helm of the vessel which was now 
 nearly sunk by the violence of the storm, he summoned his 
 dispersed followers to unite, and associating with himself the 
 Templars, and Hospitallers, and Venetians, and Genoese, and 
 all the noble pilgrims who had as yet arrived, having a good 
 hope of the arrival of more allies, laid siege to Acre, to the 
 deliverance of which Saladin, without any alarm, came in 
 haste, and after a fierce battle had continued for three days, 
 ij I they beheld an innumerable fleet of Danes and Frieslanders 
 
 A D. USO. ElCIIAllD DOES HOMAGE TO THE KING OF FRANCE. / / 
 
 enterin'j the harbour without anv hindrance ; and when Sala- 
 din saw this, he immediately fled, leaving the city without 
 hope of relief. The strength of the city was, however, im- 
 pregnable, and the garrison, on the side of Saladin, consisted 
 of nine thousand armed men. 
 
 About the same time, the devil, the enemy of the humnn 
 race, seeing the success of this important afl'air that had now 
 been vigorously begun, and envying that success, sowed dis- 
 cord and the seeds of ruinous war, and begot hostility between 
 the king of the French, and Richard, count of Poitou, and the 
 king of England too, to such a degree, that they attacked one 
 another with slaughter and conflagration, and breathed no- 
 thing but anger and hatred. At last, they came to Normandy 
 to a conference, but as, after many debates, they could not 
 find the way of peace, they departed more at variance with 
 one another than i)efore. Henry had several sons and daugh- 
 ters, namely, William, who died as a child, Henry the Younger, 
 who had been crowned as king, Richard, the king, Matilda, 
 Geofl'rey, Eleanor, Joanna, and John, the king. 
 Count Richard adheres to the king of France. King Henry, %corn 
 
 out hj sorrow, dies. 
 
 A.D. 1189. A great famine and mortality caused theh.uman 
 race to waste away in a horrible manner. The war between 
 the kings of England and France grew fiercer every day ; and 
 now Richard, count of Poitou, began with all his heart to 
 espouse the side of Philip, king of France, against his father, 
 by which the heart of Henry vvas afflicted with great bitter- 
 ness. Many also forsook king Henry and adhered to count 
 Richard, especially the Bretons. Pope Clement sent Jolni 
 d'Anagni, the cardinal, with full powers to settle the disputes 
 and quarrels between the two kings, in which he succeeded to 
 some extent, but not entirely. As a crown to his miseries, it 
 happened that Saladin, having made a treaty with the emperor 
 of Constantinople, surrendered all the churches of the Holy 
 Land which he had reduced under his own dominion to the 
 emperor and his prelates, that the rites of the Greek church 
 might be observed in them. Moreover, Saladin also sent to Con- 
 stantinople some rites of his own law, to be observed therein. 
 
 Richard, count of Poitou, becoming more and more carried 
 away by his anger, did homage to the king of France, byway 
 of an insult to his father. About that time, the emperor 
 Frederic, being about to visit the places of our Lord's suffer- 
 
78 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1189. 
 
 A.D. 1189. KING EICHARD SAILS FOE NOEMANDY. 
 
 79 
 
 I ' 
 
 'II 
 '1,1 
 
 ■I 
 
 ^ 
 
 ino-s, began his pilgrimage on the day of the festival of Saint 
 Georf^e, starting with great magnificence from Remisburgh, 
 meaning to pass through Hungary and Bulgaria, according to 
 his original intention. In the same year, Geoffrey, bishop of 
 Ely, died intestate, on the twenty-first of August. 
 
 In the same year, king Henry, being utterly overwhelmed 
 in the abyss of melancholy, cursing the day on which he was 
 horn, and his own nativity, died at Chinon, on the sixth of 
 July, and was buried at Fontevraud, after he had reigned 
 thirty-four years, seven months, and five days. 
 
 The following territories king Henry had in his ow^n power, 
 namelv, the counties of Anjou and Maine, by right of succes- 
 sion to his father ; and, as his mother's inheritance, England, 
 Ireland, and the duchy of Normandy. In right of his wife, 
 he possessed the duchy of Aquitaine ; and we must remark, 
 that the dignity of seneschal belongs to the count of Anjou. 
 
 This is the account of Trevetus. 
 
 Cu. VI.— From a.d. 1189 to a.d. 1199. 
 
 Richard succeeds to the throne — Progress of the war in the 
 Holy Land — Richard's liberality to his relations — He ap- 
 points Arthur his heir— He, with the king of France, sets 
 out to join the crusade — Jcre is taken — Exploits of Richard 
 — Richard returns from the Holy Land, and is taken pri- 
 ffQfi^r — The pope interferes for his release — He returns to 
 England — Ful/c preaches to Richard — Otho becomes em- 
 jteror — Death of Richard. 
 
 The coronation of Richard at Westminster. 
 
 Henry, the most pious king of England, being thus dead in 
 great bitterness of spirit, Richard, count of Poitou, his son, 
 succeeded him in the kingdom, and was crowned at West- 
 minster the same year by Baldwin, archbishop of Canterbury, 
 on the third of September, in the presence of Walter de Con- 
 stance, archbishop of Rouen, John Comin, archbishop of 
 Dublin, and the archbishop of Treves. The next night a mas- 
 sacre was made of the Jews in London. After that, Godfrey 
 de Lucy was elected bishop of Winchester, Richard, the trea- 
 surer, bishop of London, Hubert Walter, bishop of Salisbury, 
 and William Longchamp, bishop of Ely. This year also, 
 William de Mandeville died. On the seventh of March a 
 most terrible thunderstorm was heard. 
 
 The same year, a severe battle took place between Saladin 
 and the Christians, in which most bloody conflict the son of 
 Saladin and many of his troops perished, and likewise the 
 brother of Saladiii was mortally wounded ; and seven squad- 
 rons of the infidels were routed. On the other hand, the 
 master of the temple, and a great many Christians, were slain. 
 But the emperor of Constantinople, being greatly perplexed, 
 could not for awhile recover his courage. The same year, on 
 the first of November, Godfrey de Lucy, bishop elect of Wm- 
 chester, and Hubert Walter," bishop elect of Salisbury, re- 
 ceived consecration at Westminster, in the chapel of Samt 
 Catharine, at the hands of Baldwin, archbishop of Canterbury. 
 John d'Anagni, the cardinal, in the month of November, 
 landed in England at Dover, and by his means peace was re- 
 established between the archbishop and the chapter in the 
 matter of the chapel of Haketun. And accordingly the chapel 
 was determined to be pulled down. Roger, who had been 
 appointed prior by the archbishop contrary to the will of the 
 chapter, was at once deposed, and the king, on the petition of 
 the archbishop, gave the deposed prior the abbey of Evesham. 
 Afterwards the sentence about the before-mentioned chapel 
 was modified, at the entreaty of the archbishop, so that it was 
 reduced to a small one, not having any baptistery or cemetery 
 attached to it, or any regular service, excepting only such as 
 could be performed by one secular priest. The king of Scot- 
 land did homage to king Richard, for the rights of which he 
 was possessed \\\ England. And king Richard gave him the 
 castles of Berwick and Roxburgh. And for this restoration 
 of those castles, and for a discharge from any acknowledgment 
 of fealty and allegiance due from the kingdom of Scotland, 
 and for'the confirmation of his charter, he gave the king of 
 England ten thousand marks of silver. The same year, Richard 
 gave to John, his brother, the counties of Somerset and 
 Dorset. He also gave to Eleanor, his mother, the customary 
 dowry, and besides that, he conferred on her many estates and 
 ample honours, and on the fifth day of December, he crossed 
 over the sea to Normandy. Archbishop Baldwin placed under 
 an interdict the lands of 'count John, the brother of the king, 
 because he had taken for his wife the daughter of the earl of 
 Gloucester, who was related to him in the third degree of re- 
 lationship. The same year, the tenth part of all moveables 
 was (^ranted and collected throughout England, for the assist- 
 
80 
 
 MATTUEW OY WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1189. 
 
 
 
 
 ance of the Holy Land, which was in great danger. And in 
 those days, on the thirty-first of December, Richard, bishop 
 of London, and WiUiam, bishop of Ely, received consecration 
 at Lambeth from archbishop Baldwin. ,,,,,,, n 
 - Richard, by the grace of God, king of England, duke ot 
 Normandy and Aqnitaine. and count of Anjou, to the arch- 
 bishops, bishops, abbots, earls, barons, justiciaries, viscounts, 
 and to all his servants and faithful subjects throughout the 
 whole of England, sendeth greethig— . 
 
 *' Know ye, that we have restored to our dearest kinsman 
 William, bv the same grace of God, king of Scotland his castles 
 of Roxburgh and Berwick as his own, to be held by him and 
 his heirs in perpetuity as theirs by hereditary right. Moreover, 
 we have discharged him from all the agreements and covenants 
 which our father of blessed memory, Henry, king of England, 
 extorted from him by novel claims of equity, in consequence ot 
 his capture, on condition that he performs to us in all its an- 
 tiquity and fulness, all that king Malcolm, his brother, did ot 
 ri-ht, and was of right bound to perform to our predecessors, 
 and that we, on our part, do to him whatever our prede- 
 cessors did of right, and were bound to do to the aforesaid 
 Malcolm ; that is to say, with respect to his safe conduct when 
 coming to our court, and returning from our court, and while 
 soiourning at our court, and in all matters of adnnnistration, 
 and in all privileges, and dignities, and honours which arc 
 rightfully his due, and for tl.c-e purposes recognizances 
 slmll be given bv four of our nobles selected by \\ ilham him- 
 self and by four of his nobles selected by us. And it after 
 the aforesai'd king William was taken prisoner by our tather, 
 any one of our subjects has without legal judgment seized 
 upon any of the territories or marches of the kingdom o 
 Scotland, we will that that be restored in full, and reinstated 
 in that condition in which it was before his capture. More- 
 over as to the estates, or lordships, or fees, which he has in 
 Encrland, to wit, in the county of Huntingdon, or in any 
 other county, he and his heirs shall possess them in perpe- 
 tuity with the same liberties with which Malcolm possessed, 
 or oueht to have possessed them ; unless the said Malcolm 
 or his heirs, shall have subsequently bound them by any feudal 
 tenure, though still, if any of such fees are bound by any such 
 service, it shaU apply to him and to his heirs And if our 
 father has given any thing to the aforesaid WiUiara, king ot 
 
 I 
 
 A.D. 1190. BALDAVIN, ARCHBISnOP OF CANTERBURY, DIES. 81 
 
 Scotland, we will that such gift be ratified and secured. We 
 also restore to him the allegiance of his own subjects, and all 
 the charters which the lord king our father obtained from him 
 in consequence of his capture, and if any other which were 
 granted out of forgetful iiess shall be detained or discovered, 
 we ordain that all such shall be wholly devoid of validity. 
 But he himself is our liegeman for all the lands for which his 
 predecessors have been liegemen to our predecessors, and for 
 which he has sworn fealty to us and to our heirs. Done before 
 Baldwin, archbishop of Canterbury, and Walter, archbishop of 
 Rouen, witnesses, &c. &c." 
 
 Baldwin, archbishop of Canterhury, having held a council at 
 Westminster, sets out on his journey to Jerusalem. 
 
 A.D. 1 1 90. Baldwin, archbishop of Canterbury, held a council 
 atWestminster,onthe nineteenth of February; andthere bidding 
 farewell to his brethren, he set out on his journey lo Jeru- 
 salem, from which he was never to return, as he died in the 
 Holy Land. Richard, king of England, and Phihp, king of 
 France, set out on their expedition to Jerusalem, after the 
 feast of the nativity of Saint John. William, bishop of Ely, 
 received the appointment of legate, and held a council at West- 
 minster. Walter, abbot of Westminster, and William, bishop 
 of Worcester, died. The same year, Frederic, emperor of Ger- 
 many, died ; also Ranulph de Glanville, and Baldwin, arch- 
 bishop of Canterbury, died. A terrible massacre of the Jews 
 took place at York, which was besieged on all sides by the 
 legions of the Christians, and was closely blockaded. ' The 
 chapel of Saint Thomas the Martyr was built, where he died. 
 The bishop of Ely was appointed by the king's letters chief 
 justiciary, and, as it were, regent of England. The king ap- 
 pointed Arthur his heir. King Richard and the king of the 
 French met at Yezelay, where the body of the blessed Mary 
 Magdalene rests, on the week of the festival of John the 
 Baptist, where the king of England assumed the wallet and 
 staff of a pilgrim, in the church of the blessed Mary Magda- 
 lene. Then the kings, being now in harmony and friends, 
 and confederate together in the sacred bond of charity, pro- 
 ceeded to the coast, for the purpose of crossing the sea. But 
 the two armies were divided on account of the dearness of 
 provisions. And, at Messina, a quarrel arose between the king 
 of England and the king of France. However, the same day, 
 
 VOL. II. & 
 
 I 
 
It 
 
 I 
 
 '11 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
 ^ 
 
 82 
 
 MATTHEW OF TVTSTMI5ISTER. 
 
 A.D. 1191. 
 
 peace, though a hollow one, was re-established between them, 
 but it could never be restored on its former footing. About 
 that time, by the consent of king Richard, the Norman church 
 was relieved from the long yoke of slavery by which it had 
 been oppressed, to the extent that thenceforth, on no ground 
 whatever, were any of the clergy to be taken by the secular 
 power, as they hitherto had been, except for homicide, thett, 
 arson, or some similar enormous crime. The bishop ot t-ly, 
 indulging in excessive arrogance, consumed a vast treasure m 
 surrounding the Tower of London with a marvellous wall, 
 and he also designed to bring the Thames entirely round it ; 
 and he, in many ways, put the king to vast expense and 
 caused him great loss of money. And, therefore, at last, He 
 was precipitated from his elevation into the depths of confusion. 
 
 Acre is taken. Cyprus is suhjugated hj king Ricliard. Pope 
 Clement dies, and is succeeded hj Celestme. 
 AD 1191. Richard, king of England, and PhiUp, king of 
 France, set sail for Messina, on Palm Sunday. And, alter 
 that, the king of France landed at Acre, on the twenty-first o 
 April, and the king of England on the second of June ; and 
 Acre was taken on the twelfth of July, and there a quarrel 
 broke out a second time between the two kings. This year, 
 also, GeottVev, archbishop of York, having been consecrated 
 at Tours, came to England, and landed at Dover. But finding 
 there that designs were formed against him by the partisans 
 of the chancellor, he took refuge in the church, trom which 
 he was dragged by the chancellor's guards, and conducted to 
 Dover Castle, where he was detained some days, till he was 
 released by count John, his brother, and the justiciaries of the 
 land About the same time, the aforesaid chancellor being 
 deprived of the high dignity which he had before, came to 
 Dover, and, wishing to cross the sea secretly, disguised him- 
 self irreverently in a female dress, which some people detected, 
 and treated him with deserved contumely, and gave notice of 
 his conduct to the justiciaries ; but, however immedmte y 
 afterwards, he crossed the sea. Reginald, bishop of Bath 
 was elected archbishop of Canterbury by the monks of that 
 church, but soon afterwards died. This year also, Robert, 
 son of Wilham, son of Radulph, seneschal of Normandy, was 
 made bishop of Worcester. Pope Clement died, and was suc- 
 ceeded by Celestine, by whom the emperor Henry was crowned, 
 
 A.D. 1192. 
 
 KICHARD IS TAKEN PRISONER. 
 
 83 
 
 on the vigd of Saint John the Baptist. William Postard was 
 promoted from being prior of Westminster to be abbot of 
 the same place. Hugh de Minaunt, bishop of Chester, ex- 
 pelled the monks from the church of Coventry, and instituted 
 secular clergy in their places. King Richard subdued Cyprus, 
 where he married Berengaria, the daughter of the king of Na- 
 varre. The bones of Arthur, that most famous king, were 
 found at Glastonbury-, a place which was formerly called in the 
 British language the Isle of Avallon, that is to say, the Isle of 
 Apples. The same year, king Richard redeemed,' for an enor- 
 mous sum of money, the relics of the saints which Saladin 
 had carried off in the Holy Land, in order that he might have 
 those persons as intercessors in heaven for him, whose relics 
 he had ransomed from the hands of the infidels. On the vigil 
 of Saint John the Baptist, being the Lord's day, an eclipse of 
 the sun took place about six o'clock, and lasted till eight. The 
 same year, an oath of fealty to king Richard was taken at 
 London, in the chapter-house of Saint Paul, for the king had 
 suspicions of his chancellor. William, archbishop of Rouen, 
 was appointed, by letters of king Richard, chief regent and 
 governor of England, and the chancellor was ignominiously 
 deposed. 
 
 King Richard is talen prisoner hj the duke of Austria, and sold to 
 
 the emperor. 
 
 A.D. 1192. King Richard, returning from the Holy Land, 
 was arrested by the duke of Austria, in a town which is called 
 Gynaciam, in Austria, and delivered up to the emperor Henry. 
 The bishop of Worcester died ; and Savaric was consecrated 
 bishop of Bath. The same year, the chalices and treasures of 
 the churches, and a fourth part of the revenues of the whole 
 of England, were taken for the purpose of furnishing the 
 king's ransom. The king of France returned to Paris from 
 his pilgrimage, where he was received with a solemn proces- 
 sion by the clergy and people. The same year, after the feast 
 of Easter, the emperor Henry brought many accusations 
 against Richard. First of all that, by his assistance and counsel, 
 he had lost the kingdom of Sicily and Apulia, which belonged 
 to him by hereditary right after the death of king William, 
 for the acquisition of which he had, at an infinite expenditure 
 of money, assembled a vast army, when the same king Richard 
 had promised faithfully to contribute his assistance, to enable 
 
 g2 
 
I 5 
 
 If 
 
 84 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 1192. 
 
 P 
 
 'm\ 
 
 him to obtain that kingdom from Tancred. Secondly, he ad- 
 vanced a charge in the matter of the king of Cyprus, who was 
 united to him by relationship, urging that he had unjustly 
 deposed him from his sovereignty, and thrown him into pri- 
 son, and had violently seized on his territories and treasures, 
 and had sold the island to a stranger. And afterwards he ac- 
 cused him of the death of the marquis of Montserrat, his 
 heir, as if it had been owing to his treachery that the marquis 
 was slain by the assassins, whom he had also sent to slay his 
 superior lord, the king of France, to whom also he had pre- 
 served no fidelity, as he ought to have done, in their common 
 pilgrimage, though such fidehty had been confirmed by each 
 one to the other by a mutual oath. Next, he complained that 
 he had thrown the standard of the duke of Austria, his kins- 
 man, while fighting in the Holy Land in the cause of God, 
 into a common sewer, to show his contempt for the duke, and 
 that he had insulted his Teutonic knights by word and action. 
 To all these charges king Richard eloquently and distinctly 
 replied, taking the charges in their regular order, in such a 
 manner that he appeared to all his hearers to have completely 
 exculpated himself. Moreover, he sent an imperial embassy 
 to the Old Man of the Mountain, requiring him and his assas- 
 sins to write a letter which should prove his innocence of the 
 crime with which he was charged ; and such a letter was sent 
 the following year. And so the fame of the king was cleared 
 before all men with respect to all the accusations that had 
 been brought against him, and from that time forth the emperor 
 began to deal more mildly with him ; and his ransom was taxed 
 at a hundred and forty thousand marks of silver of the standard 
 of Cologne. To pay which, all the chaUces in England, and 
 a fourth part of the revenues of the realm, as I have said 
 before, went into the possession of foreigners to procure the 
 king's hberation, which was a ruin and irreparable loss to Eng- 
 land. But still, for the redemption of such a great king, it 
 appeared shght to the loyal subjects of the kingdom, and to 
 the king's friends. But count John, the brother of king 
 Richard, believing that king Richard would never be released, 
 but rather that all the money paid for his ransom would be 
 lost as well as the king himself, entered into a treaty of friend- 
 ship with the king of France, to the injury of the king, his 
 brother. For he knew that PhiUp hated him, and he designed 
 to be crowned himself, but he was hindered by the virtue of 
 
 A.D. 1194. KINO mCHAIlD IS RELEASED. 85 
 
 the English. The king of France invaded Xormandy, and 
 stormed the castles of that province, and occupied theni him- 
 self, bisors he got possession of by treachery. About the 
 same time, the king of France espoused the daughter of the 
 king ot Denmark, and soon after divorced her. 
 
 The emperor and the duke are admonished hy the pope to release 
 
 king Richard, hut in vain. 
 A.D. 1 1 93. The fame of king Richard was sufiiciently cleared 
 
 from all the false accusations which had been brought against 
 
 hira, by the reading of the letter which the Old JMan of the Moun- 
 tain had by this time transmitted to the emperor and the duke 
 ot Austria. And, accordingly, both the duke and the emperor 
 were admonished by the lord the pope to suffer king Richard 
 to depart in peace. But they were altogether unwilling to let 
 «o rich a prey escape them. About the same time, Saladin 
 died, and was buried in hell, and his brother, Sofadin, sue- 
 ceeded him. The king of France continued to prosecute the 
 war 111 France with great vigour. But the friends of the kinc^, 
 and the faithful subjects of the kingdom, seeing that dela'V 
 brought danger with it, hastened to pay his ransom ; the kin^ 
 being also in great distress of mind, for whom they felt deep 
 sympathy. For the count John was usurping his kingdom, 
 the king of France was endeavouring to make himself master 
 of IVormandy, and dangers were threatening him on all sides. 
 Ihe king of France repudiated his wife, and committed her, 
 as it were, to custody in prison. All transactions respecting 
 things to be sold, were, by command of king Richard, or- 
 dained to be regulated by one standard of weight and mea- 
 sure throughout the whole realm of England. 
 
 King Richard is released. Having paid his ransom, he arrives 
 
 in England. He visits Saint Thomas. 
 A.D. 1194. King Richard, having now paid the greater por- 
 tion of his ransom, and given hostages for the remainder 
 was, on the day of the purification of the blessed Mary, re- 
 leased from all custody on the part of the emperor, to whom 
 the duke of Austria had sold him, and allowed to return to his 
 own country. But the king, when he had arrived in England, 
 went to the tomb of the blessed Thomas to pay his adoration* 
 and afterwards to that of Saint Edmund, and after that to that 
 of Saint Alban, the proto-martyr of England ; and advancing 
 from thence to Nottingham, he put down all those whom hi« 
 
<SG 
 
 MA.TTUEW OF WE3TMl>"STEE. 
 
 A.D. 1194. 
 
 brotlier, the count, had bribed. He recovered the castle, and 
 treated those whom he took mercifully. The same year, all 
 the churches in England were taxed and charged with imposts. 
 Having, therefore, in a short time subdued all his adversaries 
 in England, he, by the advice of his nobles, though against 
 his own will, was crowned a second time at Winchester, in 
 Easter week, Hubert, the archbishop, performing the mass, 
 and Wilham, the most pious king of Scotland, being likewise 
 present. Which same William, king of Scotland, on the afore- 
 said day of the coronation of king Richard, carried before the 
 king, as his proper service, one of the three swords which 
 were brought forward out of the king's treasury ; and the two 
 counts, Hamelin de Warenne on the right hand of the king of 
 Scotland, and Ranulph, earl of Chester, on his left hand, 
 carried the two other swords. After that, on the day of the 
 festivals of the two saints, Nereus and Achilles, he embarked 
 on board ship at Portsmouth, and landed in Normandy, and 
 rested that night, and slept after his fatigues at Bruis, where 
 count John, taking good advice, came to meet the king m a 
 suppliant manner, and with many of his soldiers threw him- 
 self humbly at his feet, and with profuse tears implored the 
 mercy of his brother. But the king, who in time of peace 
 was most merciful, wept, and raised up his prostrate brother, and 
 received him again into his paternal affection, and immediately 
 he delivered Verneuil from siege, and relieved the whole coun- 
 trj^ from the oppression of the French. Immediately after 
 this, he drove the king of France from the province of Tou- 
 raine, and took all his horses and carriages, and beasts of 
 burden, and then suddenly crossing into Poitou, he compelled 
 all his enemies in that district to retreat ; so that from the 
 castle of Verneuil, as far as Charlescroix, there was no one 
 who could resist him. About this time the king of France 
 sent four messengers to the king of England, to bring him a 
 pacific message, which he sent in treachery, proposing that, 
 desisting from their vast expenses and useless exertions on 
 both sides, they should submit the questions in dispute be- 
 tween them both, to be decided by a battle between five picked 
 men of each kingdom. The king of England repUed that the 
 proposal was very agreeable to him, provided that the king of 
 France would himself make one of his five warriors, as he 
 himself would be one of the five on his side ; but this the king 
 of France refused. 
 
 A D. 1195. 
 
 THE DUKE OF AL'STEIA DIES. 
 
 87 
 
 The same year, Robert, earl of Leicester, was taken prisoner 
 by the king of France. Henry de Marischal, brotlier of Walter 
 de Marischal the elder, was made bishop of Exeter. The 
 same year, king Richard passed over into England, and ap- 
 pointed tournaments to be held in certain places, in order that 
 the English, who were persons of great personal strength, 
 might by practice become more expert in warlike exercises. 
 In these days also, a certain Alexius, son of Manuel, having 
 collected a countless number of armed men, attacked Cursak, 
 the emperor of Constantinople, in a hostile manner, and took 
 him prisoner, and put out his eyes, and reduced him to the 
 condition of a eunuch, and then 'consigned him to perpetual 
 imprisonment, and occupied his kingdom. 
 
 fJie duke of Austria is excommunicated, and dies. The Icing of 
 
 Morocco invades Spain. 
 
 A.D. 119."). Hubert, archbishop of Canterbury, on the thir- 
 tieth of April received, with the archbishopric, the appoint- 
 ment of legate over the whole of England, Wales, Scotland, 
 and also the church of York. The prior of the hospital of 
 Jerusalem was made bishop of Bangor, on the sixteenth of 
 April. The same year, the duke of Austria, who had taken 
 king Richard prisoner, being smitten by the judgment of 
 God, died in an excommunicated state, because, though he 
 had been repeatedly admonished by the Roman church, he 
 refused to release king Richard. Hugh de Pusac, bishop of 
 Durham, and Henry, bishop of Worcester, died. The harvest 
 was spoilt by the excessive rains and floods. The emperor 
 Henry, on the death of Tancred, who had unjustly succeeded 
 king William, now made himself master of the kingdoms of 
 ApuUa and Sicily. For he had married the sister of king 
 William, and therefore when he was dead, the kingdom more 
 justly belonged to him. The same year, the king of Morocco 
 invaded Spain, and committed unexpected slaughter amono- 
 the Christians. The same year, also, Garin, abbot of the church 
 of Saint Alban, died, on the twenty-ninth of April, and was suc- 
 ceeded by John, a monk of the same church, on the twentieth 
 of July. About this time, also, the king of France was con- 
 stantly admonished to treat his queen in a proper manner. 
 Also the lord, the pope Celestine, admonished all the prelates 
 of England, for the advantage of the Holy Land, to preach to 
 the people, and to impose the sign of the cross on all faithful 
 believers. 
 
88 
 
 MATTHEW OP WESTMI2ISTEE. 
 
 A.D. 1196. 
 
 1 
 
 The emp&ror Henry repents of having accepted the ramom^ hut 
 
 is not regarded. 
 A.D. 1196. John de Constance, dean of Rouen, was con- 
 secrated bishop of Worcester, on the twentieth of October. 
 Also William Fitzosbert, surnamed A la barbe, was slain while 
 attempting to defend the cause of the poor at London. 
 Richard, king of England, fortified the new castle of Audley 
 against the will of Walter, archbishop of Rouen, and as the 
 king, though often admonished, would not desist from his 
 undertaking, the said archbishop laid the whole of Normandy 
 under an interdict, and then went to the court of Rome. 
 The emperor Henry, being alarmed at the thoughts of divine 
 vengeance, gave to the brotherhood of Carthusian monks the 
 money which he had received for the ransom of king Richard, 
 to make silver incense burners. But the abbots refused to 
 receive it in that form. In these times, a monk of Evesham, 
 beino- thrown into an ecstasy and delirium, saw some won- 
 derful things, which would require a special treatise. Phihp 
 of Poitou was consecrated bishop of Durham. I'he emperor 
 who has been mentioned above, and who sold king Richard 
 after he had bought him, and who, on that account, inciurred 
 the bond of anathema, died this year ; whether he ever secretly 
 had done penance and been absolved, is not known. 
 
 At Christmas, king Richard was at Poictiers, and after 
 that, on the day of the festival of Saint Hilary, Philip, king 
 of France, and Richard, king of England, met in a conference 
 at Louviers, where they made a treaty in the following 
 terms :— The king of France claimed from king Richard and 
 his heirs quiet possession of Issod, with all the rights per- 
 taining to it, and all the rights which he had in Bern, and 
 Auvergne, and Gascony, and surrendered to him tranquil 
 possession of the castle of Argues and the county of Albe- 
 marle, and many other castles which he had seized after his 
 return from his pilgrimage to the Holy Land. And Richard, 
 king of England, claimed from the king of France quiet pos- 
 session of Gisors, and a tax of a twentieth throughout the whole 
 of Normandy. And that this agreement might be firmly esta- 
 bUshed, they provided sureties on both sides, and bound them- 
 selves to a mutual observance of it under a penalty of fifteen 
 thousand marks. But in process of time, the king of France 
 repented of having made the exchanges to which he had 
 consented ; and as king Richard had now peaceable possession 
 
 A.D. 1197. THE INTERDICT IN NOEMANDY RELAXED. 89 
 
 of all the aforementioned places and rights, he collected a 
 great army and having broken his treaty with the kin^ of 
 trance, laid siege to Albemarle. And after having done this, 
 the king of England ordered all the estates and possessions to 
 be seized which were in his reach belonging to the abbots of 
 the great monastery at Cluny, of the monastery of Saint 
 Denis and of the monastery of Charity, who were the seen- 
 rities for the king of France in the matter of the covenant 
 before mentioned which was to the eff^ect, that if the kin- of 
 trance transgressed it, they should pay the sum of money 
 named m the agreement. Li the mean time, the king of France 
 took the castle of Albemarle by storm, and destroyed it, as he 
 did many others. The same year, Hugh de Chaumont, a very 
 powerful noble, and a great friend of the king of France, was 
 taken prisoner. Li these days also, count John and Marcadee 
 being at no great distance from the city of Beauvais, took pri- 
 soner Pnlip, bishop of that city, in full armour, and William 
 de iMerlau, his son, with many other knights, and a great 
 number of common soldiers, and Marcadee comin- early in the 
 morning to the bedside of king Richard, said to him in the 
 Gorman dia ect, - Sus, lUchard, sus, je te aymene le cantatur 
 deBalvais » And so the bishop was presented in complete 
 armour to king Richard, and by the king's command, he was 
 detained in prison in his armour; and when the lord the 
 pope wrote in his behalf, desiring that he might be released 
 severely reproving king Richard for having taken prisoner and 
 detained ni this manner a bishop, who was his most beloved 
 8on, the king sent to the pope, who wrote thus for his son 
 the breast-p ate of the bishop in which he had been taken 
 and said ui his letter of answer, " See, father, whether this 
 be thy son s coat or no.'» And as the pope desisted from 
 making any more requests in his behalf, the bishop was sub- 
 sequently liberated by ransom. 
 
 Th^ inUrdict in Normandy is relaxed. Fulk distinguishes him- 
 self as a preacher. 
 
 A.D 1197. Richard, king of England, in order to procure 
 the relaxation of the sentence of interdict which the arch- 
 bishop of Rouen had uttered, because of the affair of the 
 castle of Audley, sent to the Roman court his chancellor, 
 WiJham, bishop of Ely, and the bishops of Durham and 
 
 * '♦ Get up, Richard, get up, I bring you the charter of Beauvais." 
 
DO 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 i..D. 1197. 
 
 Exeter, to plead liis cause against the archbishop. But 
 WiUiam, bishop of Ely, died on his way to the Roman court, 
 and was buried in the abbey of Pymes, belonging to the Cis- 
 tercian order, on the thirtieth of January. But his fellow- 
 bishops arrived at Rome, and effected a reconciliation between 
 the king and the archbishop on terms which were not inju- 
 rious to either party, and it was confirmed by a charter. At 
 this time it was intimated to king Richard, that ships were 
 accustomed to come from England to Saint Valori, bringing 
 suppUes to his enemies, when they were in need of them, to 
 his own great injury. And so, to revenge this wrong, he burnt 
 the town, dispersed the monks, and transported the bier of 
 Saint Valori, with his remains, into Normandy. And in that 
 harbour he found ships loaded with corn, the sailors of which 
 he ordered to be hung, and having burnt the ships, he dis- 
 tributed the provisions among his own soldiers. At this time 
 also, the munificence of king Richard won over many of the 
 more powerful nobles of France, especially Baldwin, count of 
 Flanders, the counts of Champagne and Brittany, and many 
 other nobles of the French, who abandoned the king of France, 
 and became adherents of king Richard. In these days, 
 another prophet arose in France, a most powerful preacher, 
 namely, the master Fulk, for whose sake the Lord conde- 
 scended manifestly to work miracles. That Fulk one day 
 came to Richard, king of England, and said to him, *' I, on 
 the part of Almighty God, command thee immediately to give 
 in marriage your three wicked daughters whom you cherish, 
 lest a worst thing happen to thee." And the king is said to 
 have answered him, " Thou hypocrite, thou hast lied, because 
 1 have no daughter at all." To which Fulk replied, " Cer- 
 tainly I do not lie, because, as I have said, you have three 
 most infamous daughters, one of which is pride, the second 
 covetousness, and the third luxury." Accordingly, the king 
 having summoned the counts, and many others who were at 
 hand,%o appear before him, said to them, " Hear all of you 
 the prompting of this hypocrite, who says that I have three 
 very wicked daughters, namely, pride, covetousness, and 
 luxury, and he has enjoined me' to give them in marriage ; 
 I therefore give my pride to the pride of the Templars, my co- 
 vetousness to the monks of the Cistercian order, and my luxury 
 to the prelates of the church." 
 
 A.D. 1198. nUGH, BISHOP OF CHESTER, DIES. 
 
 91 
 
 This Fulk tried by all means to extirpate usury, which hav- 
 ing been derived from the men of Italy, at that time was pol- 
 luting France exceedingly. He also sent a religious and elo- 
 quent preacher into England, namely, the abbot of Flai, of the 
 Cistercian order, to put a stop to the traffic which at that time 
 was carried on on the Lord's day. At this time, Robert of 
 Shrewsbury was consecrated bishop of Bangor. Meantime, 
 the count of Flanders laid siege to the castle of Arras, and 
 blockaded it ; and when the king of France wished to relieve 
 it, the count so cut him off from all the roads by his canals, 
 that the king was compelled to submit to the count's will. All 
 measures and weights throughout the kingdom were brought to 
 one legal and uniform standard. 
 
 Otho is crowned king of Germany in an honourable mayiner, 
 
 A.D. 1198. Otho, nephew of king Richard, was honour- 
 ably crowned king of Germany, at Aix-la-Chapelle, by the 
 management of king Richard himself ; and immediately after- 
 wards he married the daughter of the duke of Louvaine, and, 
 on the day of his coronation, he sat with her on his throne at 
 the banquet, but she was not yet crowned. The same year, 
 pope Celestnie died, and was succeeded by Innocent the Third, 
 who was consecrated pope on the day of the festival of the 
 Chair of Saint Peter, and was placed in the chair of Peter. 
 Would that he had followed the footsteps of Peter ! By his 
 favour there arose in Italy a new kind and order of preachers, 
 who chose to call themselves Jacobites, because they seemed to 
 imitate the life of the Apostle. About the same time, Hugh, 
 bishop of Chester, being on his death-bed, moved with com- 
 punction of mind and penitence for his sins, paid the debt of 
 nature, at 33fccuml)cvb)nl, in the countries beyond the sea. 
 The same year, the secular clergy were expelled, and the bro- 
 therhood of monks at Coventry was recalled to their former 
 and proper position, on the Sunday on which the anthem 
 "Rejoice, Jerusalem," is sung. Eustace, dean of Sherborne, 
 received the dignity of the bishopric of Ely, and received 
 consecration at the hand of Hubert, archbishop of Canterbury, 
 at Westminster. And, after his election, Geoffrey was elected 
 bishop of Chester, on the twenty-first of June. 
 
 This year, a shower of blood fell on the masons who were 
 building the tower of Audley. About this time, a quarrel arose 
 between the archbishop and the monks of Canterbury, because 
 
1 
 
 92 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1198. 
 
 of the church which the said archbishop had lately built at 
 Canterbury. For the monks were afraid lest the archbishop 
 should transfer the seat of his diocese to Lambeth, as he had 
 threatened. On which account they went to Rome, and, com- 
 plaining to pope Innocent, they prevailed on him to depose 
 the archbishop from the office of justiciary, and in this the 
 archbishop displayed great arrogance and audacity in resist- 
 ance. For it really was not proper for him to involve himself 
 in matters of secular business, and be present in cases where 
 human life was put in peril. Accordingly, the bishop haying, 
 by the Roman church, been removed from the office of justi- 
 ciary, the king appointed Geoffrey, the son of Peter, in his 
 stead. In those days, also, Philip, king of France, and 
 Richard, king of England, met in battle between Guisnes and 
 Vernon, when the king of France and his army, being unable 
 to withstand the shock of the conflict, consulted their safety 
 by flight, and fled for refuge to Vernon. But before they 
 could enter the castle, king Richard overtook them with the 
 edge of the sword, and took prisoners twenty knights and two 
 hundred and sixty men of inferior rank. 
 
 About the same time, Richard, bishop of London, paid the 
 debt of nature ; and, in the course of the same year, king 
 Richard, having assembled all his forces, took by storm three 
 castles from the king of France, namely, those of Sirefontaine, 
 Buris, and Courcelles, being nobly assisted by his English 
 troops. But the king of France having reinforced his army 
 by four hundred knights and a thousand esquires, and with 
 the garrisons which he drew from Nantes and other places, 
 sallied forth, and marched to relieve the castle of Courcelles, 
 which he believed had not yet fallen. But when king Richard 
 knew this, he marched to meet him, and a most severe and 
 bloody battle took place in the plains between Courcelles and 
 Gisors ; but the king of France not being able to withstand 
 the shock of the battle, was routed with his army, and fled to 
 the castle of Gisors ; and when, in the flight, his troops had 
 all thrown themselves pell-mell on the bridge of Gisors, it 
 broke down under the number of those who tried to cross it, 
 and the king of France himself, in complete armour, on horse- 
 back, fell from the height of the bridge into the river Eure, 
 with a great number of his soldiers besides ; but the king 
 himself got out of the river, though deep and rapid, and was 
 dragged out of the mud, and so, though with difficulty, saved 
 
 A.D. 1198. EUSTACE COXSECEATED BISHOP OF ELY. 
 
 93 
 
 from death. But the rear division of the flying army, in order 
 to secure the safety of the king, and to enable him to be 
 dragged more readily out of the deep mud, returned to en- 
 counter king Richard, showing itself the most gallant portion 
 of the French nation, which thus exposed themselves to dan- 
 ger of death for the safety of their lord. And, accordingly, 
 that most bloody battle was there renewed, and the clang of 
 arms and the crash of spears again resounded, but at length 
 the side of king Richard prevailed, and three of the chief 
 knights of the king of France were taken prisoners, namely, 
 Matthew de Montmorenci, Alan de Rossi, and Fulk de Gre- 
 Tille ; and, besides these, there were taken in the actual con- 
 flict a hundred noble knights, and two hundred esquires, and 
 an innumerable host of men-at-arms. 
 
 The king sent a consolatory epistle, with the news of this 
 glorious victory, to his prelates and friends who were remain- 
 ing in England. Therefore, the king of France, seeing that 
 the force of the king of England was increasing day by day, 
 entreated the pope to bring about a peace between them. 
 Therefore, the pope sent a legate with a most special letter to 
 Richard, king of England, entreating him, in an affecting 
 manner, to be favourable to his desires in the matter of the 
 arrangement of peace. Accordingly, king Richard accepted 
 the promotion of his nephew, Otho, so that he should be 
 crowned king of Germany, in reference to which he acquiesced 
 in the prayers of his suppliant, and showed favour to the lord 
 Innocent the pope, and approved of the advancement of the 
 imperial dignity. Therefore, the two kings met together, and 
 swore to a truce for five years, agreeing that the subjects and 
 merchants of each king might go and return through both 
 countries, and buy and sell without hindrance. And when 
 this had been done, the king of England sent to Rome the 
 abbot of the Charter House, and Raymond, a monk of Saint 
 Alban's (who had at the same time been despatched on the 
 affairs of his own church to the king at his court in Normandy), 
 that they might complete the before-mentioned arrangement, 
 and for the completion of the business, the king levied an aid 
 of five shilhngs on every hide of land throughout the whole 
 of England. The same year, there was an extraordinary storm 
 of thunder and lightning, and rain, such as was never seen 
 before. Eustace was consecrated bishop of Ely. Hugh of 
 Chester died, in the habit of a monk, at Bee. Also, John, 
 bishop of Worcester, and Peter, bishop of Saint David's, died. 
 
94 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 1199. 
 
 King Richard, being wounded hy an arroic from an arlalist, dies, 
 and is succeeded hy John, his brother. 
 A.D. 1199. Hubert, archbishop of Canterbury, to his own 
 disgrace and that of many others, in consequence of the in- 
 trigues of the monks of Canterbury, to whose injury it was 
 founded, and in compliance with the authority of the supreme 
 pontiff, who commanded the deed, levelled with the ground the 
 church of Lambeth, which Baldwin, his predecessor, had founded 
 in honour of the blessed Thomas the Martyr, and which he 
 himself had almost completed. At the same time, a truce, as 
 has been said before, having been made between king Richard 
 and the king of France, king Richard directed lus formidable 
 standard against some barons of Poitou, who had rebelled 
 against him; and while he was besieging the castle of Chalos, 
 he was wounded, on the twenty-sixth of March, by an arrow 
 from an arbalist, and, as the wound was unskilfuUy managed, 
 he began to feel the danger of approaching death. However, 
 he made himself master of the castle by storm, and for the 
 love of God he permitted the author of his death to depart 
 free. Being therefore about to die, he ordered his body to 
 be buried at Fontevraud, at his father's feet, to whom he con- 
 fessed that he had behaved traitorously ; and for the especial 
 love which he bore to the JS^ormans, he bequeathed his invin- 
 cible heart to the church of Rouen. And ordering his entrails 
 to be buried in the castle before-mentioned, he bequeathed 
 his dung to the people of Poitou, to mark their treason by 
 such a bequest. 
 
 Cn. VII.— FfiOM A.D. 1199 to a.d. 1216. 
 
 John succeeds to the throne— Many of the nobles adhere to 
 Arthur— Marriage of John— The king of Fraiice espouses 
 the cause of Arthur— Death of Arthur— Inactivity of John, 
 and his losses in France— The emperor Otho comes to Eng- 
 land-Rapacity of John— The pope lays England under an 
 interdict— John makes a treaty with the Icing of Scotland— 
 The pope absolves the English from their obedience to John 
 —John subdues North Wales— The king of France prepares 
 to invade England — John submits to the pope— Magna 
 charta is granted— The barons elect Louis of France king, 
 and invite him to England— Louis invades England— Death 
 of John. 
 
 A.\). 1199. 
 
 COEONATIOJ? OF KINO JOHN. 
 
 95 
 
 The coronation of king John, the brother of king Richard. 
 Theeefoee John, count of Mortaigne, the brother of king 
 Richard, who was now dead, and who was at the time of his 
 death in the counties beyond the sea, sent news of his peaceful 
 succession to England. He took upon himself the govern- 
 ment of the duchy of Normandy, and received the homage of 
 the nobles. Many, however, of the chiefs adhered to Arthur, 
 as their natural lord ; and tliis was the beginning of hatred. 
 The same year, William, a noble by birth, and a canon of the 
 church of Saint Paul, in London, was consecrated bishop of 
 London, at Westminster, by Hubert, archbishop of Canter- 
 bury, on the twenty-third of ^lay. About the same time, that 
 is, on the twenty-fifth of May, John, duke of Normandy, crossed 
 over the sea to England, and the next day, being the vigil 
 of the ascension of our Lord, he came to London ; here, in 
 the presence of the assembled nobles of England, he was 
 crowned at Westminster by Hubert, archbishop of Canterbury, 
 on the day of the Ascension of the Lord ; and immediately 
 afterwards he re-crossed the sea, with a great multitude of 
 men. For he was afraid of Arthur, to whom many of the 
 nobles adhered, and who was at that time dwelling under the 
 protection of the king of France. For, besides the king, who 
 supported him, the nobles of Anjou, Maine, and Touraine, all 
 adhered to him as their legal lord, saying that it was the 
 custom and established law that Arthur, as being the son of 
 the elder brother, should succeed to the patrimony which was 
 his due, and which, forsooth, Geoffrey, the father of the said 
 Arthur, would have had if he had survived king Richard. 
 Therefore, Constance, the mother of Arthur, entrusted him to 
 the guardianship of the king of France, who, to guard against 
 treachery, had him carefully educated at Paris. About the 
 same time, the election of Philip, duke of Swabia, and of all 
 the rest, was annulled, and Otho, king of the Germans, was 
 elected emperor by pope Innocent and all the Romans, and 
 was admitted to the Roman empire. And after his election 
 had been confirmed by the lord the pope, Philip, the duke 
 of Swabia, who was his rival, was excommunicated, with all 
 his partisans, who refused to desist from giving annoyance to 
 Otho, and acclamations of, " Long live the emperor, Otho !'* 
 were heard throughout the whole city. In those days, also, 
 France was laid under an interdict, on account of the arrest 
 of brother Peter, of Douay, bishop elect of Cambray. 
 
9G 
 
 MATTHEW OT' -WTSTMINaTEE. 
 
 A.D. 1201. 
 
 King John, having repudiated JTawisia, married Isalella, 
 
 daughter of the count of Angotdcme. 
 A.D. 1200. King John married Isabella, the daughter of the 
 count of Angouleme, and on the Sunday next before the feast 
 of Saint Denis she was crowned queen, by Hubert, archbishop 
 of Canterbury, because a divorce had been pronounced between 
 him and Ilawisia, the daughter of the earl of Gloucester, be- 
 cause they were related to one another in the third degree 
 of consanguinity. But liugli, surnamed the Brown, had already 
 espoused the same Isa\)ella as his wife. The same year, William 
 Postard, abbot of Westminster, died, and was succeeded by 
 Radidph de Arundel. Also Hugh, bishop of Lincoln, died, 
 on the first of December, after he had lived in his bishopric 
 fourteen years. Peace was made between John, king of Eng- 
 land, and Philip, king of France. Guy de Brause was conse- 
 crated bishop of Hereford, on the twenty-fourth of September, 
 at Westminster. Louis, son of Phihp, king of France, married 
 Blanche, daughter of the king of Spain, and niece of king 
 John. Mauger was made bishop of Worcester ; John de Grey 
 bishop of Norwich ; and Giles bishop of Hereford. The same 
 year, before the nativity of the Lord, there were seen by night 
 live moons in the heavens, about the hour of the first watch 
 of the night ; the first in the north, the second in the south, 
 the third in the west, the fourth in the east, and the fifth in 
 the centre of them all. 
 
 About the same time, the blessed Hugh, bishop of Lincoln, 
 was distinguished for signs and virtues ; of which, however, 
 the most manifest was, that when his body was being conveyed 
 from London to Lincoln, there was not an hour, though the 
 ireather was at all times very stormy, in which there was not 
 fire and light in some of the torches which were borne around 
 /lie bier. Likewise, about the same time, the Lord wrought 
 miracles in the sight of the people, at the preaching of the 
 abbot de Flay, of whom we have made mention above. 
 
 King John comes to Paris, and is lodged in tJie palace of the 
 
 king of France. 
 
 A.D. 1201. Pope Innocent having assumed the sign of 
 the cross, enjoins a general pilgrimage. John, king of Eng- 
 land, celebrated the nativity of the Lord at ti^uiltlcnfoitl, where 
 he distributed many garments, suited to the festival, among 
 his troops. And Hubert, archbishop of Canterbury, as if 
 
 A.D. 1202. THE KINGS AGAIN BECOME ENEMIES. 
 
 y. 
 
 vying with the king, and on equal terms with liim, did the 
 same at Canterbury ; at which the king conceived no small 
 indignation. Then the king went to Canterbury, and in that 
 city, on Easter day, he and his queen wore their crowns. 
 William de Blois was made bishop of Lincoln. That year, 
 also, the holy Wolstan, and the holy Modwen, were distin- 
 guished by many miracles. Pope Innocent, after he had by 
 force extorted money from the Cistercian order for the expe- 
 dition of the pilgrims who had assumed the cross, having been 
 very severely reproved by the blessed Mary, the patroness of that 
 order, desisted from that exaction. The same year, after having 
 celebrated the feast of Pentecost, at Portsmouth, the day fof- 
 lowing the king and his queen embarked on board ship, and, 
 although with some difficulty, landed at Normandy. After 
 that, the two kings came to a conference near the island of 
 AiuUey, and made a peaceful agreement with one another ; and 
 three days afterwards, king John, on the invitation of the 
 king of France, came to Paris, and was lodged in the king's 
 palace in that city, the king of France himself lodging else- 
 where. This year some terrible and destructive tempests struck 
 terror among mankind. The same year, Sirard, prior of Nor- 
 wich, died. The same year, at the instance of pope Innocent, 
 the fortieth part of the revenues of all the churches was given 
 in aid of the Holy Land against the Saracens, who were gain- 
 ing the superiority at that time. The same year, Hugh de 
 Neville, who had conquered and slain a Hon, died. 
 
 The kings again become enemies on account of Arthur. 
 
 A.D. 1202. John, king of England, kept the festival of the 
 Nativity of the Lord at Argenton, in Normandy, and, in the 
 following Lent, a conference was held between the kings of 
 France and England, in which the king of France, being 
 armed with mutual hatred against the king of England, or"^ 
 dered him indignantly to restore to count Arthur all the lands 
 which he held and unjustly retained possession of on the con- 
 tinent, namely, Normandy, Touraine, Anjou, and Poitou ; and 
 he also required many other things of him, which the king of 
 England declared that he would never do. Therefore, as^the 
 conference was not attended by the desired result, the next 
 day the king made a sudden attack upon the castle of Buta- 
 vant, with mihtary violence, and threw the castle to the ground, 
 and, advancing from thence, he took other castles and towns 
 
 VOL. II. ^ 
 
08 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMi:SSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1202. 
 
 in a hostile manner, and destroyed them ; and he besieged the 
 castle of Radepond for an entire week. But when the knig 
 of England came to his relief, he retired in disorder, and turn- 
 in- otf to Gournay a few days afterwards, he entered that 
 town, and reduced it under his own power. Then returning 
 to Paris, he placed Arthur under guardianship, giving him 
 two hundred picked knights of the kingdom of France, who 
 were to go to Poitou and reduce that province under his autlio- 
 rity. And they, hearing that queen Eleanor was staying at 
 Mirabeau, laid siege to that castle, and compelled it to surren- 
 der, the tower alone holding out, into which the queen had 
 betaken herself with a few armed men. When therefore, 
 they had blockaded it all round, there flocked thither to the 
 assistance of Arthur all the nobles of Poitou. especially Hugh 
 surnamed the Brown, count de la Marclie, who was a pub ic 
 enemy of king John, on account of queen Isabella, whom the 
 said count had married as his wife before she was espoused to 
 the king of England ; and in this way they made a great army, 
 and attacked the tower with repeated assaults. The queen 
 htin^ in a strait, signified this to king John, who was at that 
 time" in Normandy, entreating speedy and effectual succour. 
 And when king John heard of her distress, he flew with ail 
 possible speed, and with a numerous army, to the castle ot 
 Mirabeau, and the French and the people of Poitou met him 
 boldly, and began a most violent battle. But the French 
 bein'T repulsed, were forced to enter the castle, and the king, 
 pursuin- them, continued the bloody conflict within the castle 
 itself and being assisted by a valiant and glorious body ot 
 En^^lish rejoiced in the desired victory. In that battle two 
 hundred knights of the kingdom of France were taken pri- 
 soners, and Arthur himself, and all the nobles of Poitou and 
 Aniou, so that not one of them escaped. And the nobles he 
 at once sent into England, and into Normandy, and committed 
 them to custody there ; but he sent Arthur to Falaise, to be 
 carefully guarded. But when the king of France, who was 
 besiegino; and vigorously attacking the castle of Arques, whi.e 
 the garnson was making a manly resistance, had heard this 
 news, he retired from the siege in disorder. 
 
 On this, king John, ordering Arthur to be brought before 
 him, enquired of him whether he would adhere to him as his 
 uncle and lord in all good love and peace, to whom Arthur 
 made a spirited and haughty reply, requiring him to surrender 
 
 A.D. 1203. 
 
 IXACTITITY OF KING JOHN. 
 
 99 
 
 the kingdom of England and all his territories. Then the 
 king commanded Arthur to be conducted rapidly to Rouen 
 he'dL^'^er^^^^^ '-'' '' '''' ^^-- -«^«^^ -^ -nX; 
 The same year king John, coming into En-land was 
 rTnTrfh "' ^"^^r^ury, by the hand of Hubert, archb shoiTof 
 Can erbury, on the fourteenth of April, and immediately aXr- 
 ards he crossed the sea to Normandy, and when he arrived 
 here, a geiieral belief of the death of Arthur g led ^ ound 
 hroughout the whole kingdom of France, and fhro ig^^^^^^^ 
 the countries beyond the sea, to such an e.itent, that Idnrjohn 
 Mas looked at with suspicion by all men, as f he td sh" 
 
 Vomlh \ ' n ^•'^"^- ,^" "^"^^^ ^^^-^»^' many people 
 from tha time forth were wholly alienated from the kin^ and 
 
 pursued him to the death with implacable hatred. And the 
 
 a 2rt?fTeV"""^'l"^"T^"^^ ^"^^^ J<^^" before lit 
 a charge of treason, and as he refused to appear to answer 
 
 this charge after many citations, he was deprived of alTTil 
 possessions, according to the decision of his peerf b^t 
 
 was"andth''k""' '' lV>"^«^ ^^ ^^^--^> wW vassllt 
 iTifamv tL r^ "^^"^^^,^"- «P^»ly> and branded him with 
 
 Oxford* pHor of T ^.l''' V^"^. ^' ^^"'^^^^' ^^^ William of 
 
 The king of France took the nohh castles of Normandy, king John 
 
 being inactive. 
 
 Nnt;"^; ^^l^^-^'^oj'"' ^i"g of* England, kept the feast of the 
 Nativity of the Lord at Caen, in Normandy, where putting 
 aside his warlike cares, he devoted the hour^s of the nKo 
 drinking; and protracting his morning slumbers till d! iner^ 
 ime he replied, with a laugh, to all who brought him news 
 that the king of France was displaying great activit and 
 daily subduing one castle after another, s? fhat, iirone L «« 
 t were, he recovered all that he had lost. Hugh de Gournay 
 eeing the incorrigible toipor of the inactivit^f thrS' 
 surrendered to the king of France the castle ot^Montfort a„^d 
 OS aTi: .Hi - "^^^ the spiritless king, even Rouen ^as 
 los . At length, king John, eff-eminate and dissolved in luxury 
 as he was, seeing his losses, and that he was deprived of aU 
 military reinforcements, and of all refuge in Normandv em 
 barked in haste on board his ships, and landed at Portsm'iuth' 
 
iliTIllEW OF y-tSTMlNSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 1204. 
 
 1(10 
 
 in FnM«nd where he treated his suhjects with furious rage, 
 in bnglanU, w iiere ue j provocation against 
 
 inventing all ''""^f .^ f w eft 1 m destitute of all miUtary 
 to": i^^t — i!^ h^ejl't sea. and thus lie extracted 
 
 ^t'rmryTartirMal" Wnliam de Blois. precentor of 
 the lurch ofS ohi, and canon of the ^f^ -•'"'•'^>'' J^; ^ 
 
 same time, oil began to flow ^^^.^^^ ^^ _^^^ 
 
 year the oil became solidified into flesh. 
 m miracle of the oil of the ina.e of Saint Mary of Sarc!a,a. 
 
 becomes jamous. 
 . T. 1 ^04 Kin- John celebrated the nativity of the Lord at 
 
 military reinforcements were granted *» f'^ j^" -'„ ^j,,,^ 
 marks and a half on each kn'gl"; 'f ' "°\,^'^'Xeh, dei.aVt 
 or abbots, or any persons <=°''»'^'^ F-l/'^.^^J'^^^^^e^r, the 
 
 K sr.=K:^3^;r rri'r s 
 
 afterwards the soldan of "*"*';^"' ^^^^^^ consistency to the 
 
 cThXtofrrttrr ^ tz:^^^ cast, of kocu. 
 
 A.l). 1201. THE CASTLE OF KOCH AUDLEY BESIEGED. 101 
 
 Aiidley was besie-ed for nearly a year, and as, though the 
 besiegers repeatedly requested aid from king John, none came 
 to them, Roger, the constable of Chester, who was accounted 
 the cinef of the besieged garrison, a most gallant and warlike 
 man, with many other illustrious knights, began, their victuals 
 lading, to waste away with hunger. And when those princes 
 becoming enfeebled, had become sure of the treacherous in' 
 activity of John, they preferred being slain in their armour to 
 perishing shamefully by famine. They sallied out of the 
 castle, and dashed into the midst of the enemy, slayino- the 
 finest of their horses, and slaughtering the enemy on every 
 Ride with their flashing swords, and shedding much French 
 blood. At last, when the multitude of their enemies collected 
 m close order and attacked them, they were taken prisoners 
 reeking with the blood of many of their enemies ; and in this 
 way, the castle of Roch Audley fell into the power of the 
 l^rench king, on the fifth of JMarch. And when the garrisons 
 ot other cities and castles in Normandy on the side of kin^^ John 
 saw this, they informed him in what a strait they were placed ; 
 and that, unless they received more prompt and effectual as- 
 sistance, they must go over to the French king, whether they 
 would or no. To which he replied, that each of them must 
 provide for himself as appeared to him to be most for his 
 advantage. In the mean time, king John went on, wretched 
 nideed, but undeserving of any one's pity, indulging his 
 gluttony and luxury with his wanton queen, while lyin<^ in 
 whose bosom he thought that he was in possession of every 
 joy, relying on the money which he had sworn to extort 
 from England. The same year, on the first of April, in the 
 first watch of the night, such a great redness was seen in the 
 heaven towards the east and north, that the firmament seemed 
 on fire, in which excessive redness, however, brilliant stars an- 
 peared, which was alerrible and marvellous thing. And this 
 appearance lasted till midnight. At the same time, Godfrey 
 bishop of Winchester, died, and was succeeded by Peter de 
 Kochs, who, at the instigation of king John, went to Rome 
 where by the distribution of hberal hospitality he deserved to 
 be promoted to the supreme pontificate of the church of 
 Winchester, and to be consecrated in that city. The same 
 year Easter day fell on the day of the feast of Saint Mark 
 the Evangelist. This year also an eclipse of the moon took 
 

 ! i 
 
 102 
 
 MATTKtW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. Ti^'O. 
 
 place at midnight, which lasted a long time, on the sixteenth 
 
 *" Havin- made himself master of the castle of Roch Audley, 
 the kin«' of France soon afterwards took the valley ot Kodal, 
 and mcany other fortresses ; and Rouen, which was sti 1 in 
 suspense, a truce having heen granted to that city hy the king 
 of France for a lar-e sum of money, although a little before this 
 some persons had^ngaged most positively for the loyalty ot 
 that city, submitted entirely to the power of the king of I ranee 
 about the time of the feast of All Saints ; and when king 
 John heard of this, he laughed and threatened, swearing by 
 the feet of God, that the sterling money ot England should 
 restore everything. Simon de Welles was made bishop ot 
 Chester, Baldwin, count of Flanders, was made emperor ot 
 Constantinople ; Eleanor, queen of England, died ; the abbey 
 of Battle, a royal palace, was founded by king John. 
 
 Of the error of the monies of Canterhunj in the matter of the 
 
 election of an archbishop. 
 AD I'^Oo. Peter de Roches returned from the countries 
 beyond the sea ; he was a native of Poitou, of more expe- 
 rience in warlike than in scholastic affiiirs ; he was conse- 
 crated by the lord the pope Innocent, on the twenty-fitth ot 
 September. Hubert, archbishop of Canterbury, died, on the 
 twentv-ninth of June ; and Savaric, bishop of Bath, on the 
 twenty-seventh of July. But the monks of Canterbury-, fearing 
 lest the king should, after his usual fashion, hinder their elec- 
 tion, without inquiring the king's pleasure, elected Reginald, 
 their subprior, archbishop, and having sung the hymn le 
 deum Laudamus" at midnight, they placed him first of all on 
 the greater altar, and after that in the archiepiscopal throne, 
 which was done secretly, because the monks were afraid that 
 if the election which had thus been made without the king s 
 consent became known to the king, he in his anger would 
 hinder the further progress of the matter. On which account, 
 the very same night, the same subprior, having first made a 
 declaration upon oath that he would not consider himselt as 
 elected without the license and special letters of the convent, 
 and that he would not promulgate to any one the letters ot the 
 convent about what had been done, which he had in his pos- 
 session, took with him some monks of the convent, and sot 
 out for the court of Rome, which was done, that the election 
 
 A.D. 1205. TUE EREOll OF THE MO^'KS OF CANTERBURY. 103 
 
 might not reach the king s ears till they ascertained whether 
 they could carry on the matter they had taken in hand to its 
 accomplishment, fearing the cavilling objections of the king 
 above everything. But this same archbishop elect, forgetting 
 the oath that he had taken, the moment that he arrived in 
 Flanders, loudly declared himself the archbishop elect of Can- 
 terbury, and said that, on that account, he was on his way to 
 the court of Rome to have his election confirmed in that city, 
 and that he was doing so by the advice of those who were with 
 him, who believed that that was for the advantage of his cause. 
 And moreover, he showed everywhere, without disguise, the 
 letters which he had in his possession. At last, when he 
 reached. Rome, he immediately declared his election to the lord 
 the pope and his cardinals, displaying his letters about what 
 had been done pubhcly to everybody, and pressing the lord 
 tlie pope constantly for his consecration. But the pope re- 
 plied, and said, that he wished to deliberate, and that he 
 sliould wait till he was more fully informed of the matter. 
 But when the monks, who remained at Canterbury, heard of 
 the conduct of the subprior, and how he had shamelessly vio- 
 lated his oath and revealed their secrets, they were exceedin My 
 angry, and immediately sent some monks of the convent^to 
 the king, requiring from him permission to proceed to an elec- 
 tion. And the king assented to their request, and secretly 
 addressing them, pointed out to them that the bishop of Nor- 
 wich was one who was united to him by ties of great intimacy, 
 and he combined commands, promises, and entreaties together 
 to persuade them to elect him archbishop. When, therefore 
 tliey met in chapter, they chose John de Grey, bishop of Nor- 
 wich, for their archbishop, who, at that time, was at York on 
 the king's business. Accordingly, he being summoned, came 
 ill haste to the king, and with him the king entered Canter- 
 bury with exceeding pomp. And the prior of Canterbury, in 
 the presence of the king, and the whole multitude of the 
 people in the metropolitan church itself, openly pronounced the 
 election of John de Grey to have taken place with all due form 
 and regularity, and then the monks chaunting the hymn " Te 
 deum Laudamus," took him, and conducted him to the greater 
 altar, and at length placed him in the archiepiscopal throne. 
 And when this had been done, then the king, in the sight of 
 all the people, invested the archbishop elect with the possession 
 of all things belonging to his archbishopric. And so in this 
 
 l\ 
 
\ 
 
 104 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.Ji. 1236. 
 
 double election, a second error was committed worse than the 
 first, which was the seed of many tribulations and scandals in 
 England, which were never afterwards completely quieted and 
 extirpated. This year the order of preachers was firmly es- 
 tablished. 
 
 The noble castle of Mount Allan is taken hi/ king John. 
 
 .V.I). 120G. King John celebrated the day of the Lord's Na- 
 tivity at Oxford ; on which occasion he also sent some monks 
 of tiie church of Canterbury to the Roman court, the chief of 
 whom was the Master Ehas de Brandefeld, whom the king 
 supplied with ample resources from his own treasury, that 
 they might procure from the pope a confirmation of the elec- 
 tion of the bishop of Norwich. Likewise, at the same time, 
 the suffragan bishops of the church of -Canterbury sent agents 
 to the court of Rome, conveying grave complaints on their 
 part to the pope, that the monks of Canterbury had rashly 
 presumed to hold an election to the archbishopric without 
 consulting them, when they had, both by common law and 
 ancient custom, a right to be present with them, and to join 
 in the election. Their deputies also alleged many decrees and 
 precedents to establish these arguments, and produced wit- 
 nesses, and exhibited letters of evidence, by which they endea- 
 voured to show that the suffragan bishops, in union with the 
 monks, had elected three metropoUtans. But the monks, on 
 the contrary, asserted that, by a special privilege granted to 
 them by the Roman pontiffs, and by approved and ancient 
 custom* they had been used to elect the archbishops without 
 the concurrence of the suffragans, and they undertook to 
 establish this point by competent witnesses. The allegations 
 having been heard, and witnesses produced on both sides, and 
 the question having been diligently examined, a day was ap- 
 pointed by the lord the pope, being the twenty-first of De- 
 cember, for him to pronounce sentence, and the deputies were 
 ordered to attend and to receive the pope's decision on the 
 law. At last, definitive sentence was delivered by the lord the 
 pope Innocent on this point, in favour of the monks, and the 
 privileges which they claimed were established for ever. 
 
 The same year, king John crossed the sea, taking with him 
 a large army,' and on the tenth of July he landed at Rupel, 
 and the inhabitants of that part of the country came to meet 
 him, and gladly adhered to him. From thence he proceeded 
 
 A.D. 1207. RAPACIOUS CONDUCT OF KINO JOHN. 
 
 IOj 
 
 With more security, and arrived before Montauban, a most 
 noble castle, in which the whole militarv nobihty of the pro- 
 vnice, and especially of the king of France, was shut up. 
 And immediately he surrounded it with his battalions, and 
 began to attack it with vigorous and frequent assaults. And, 
 at last, by the unceasing prowess of the English, that impreg- 
 nable castle was taken, which Charlemagne had not been abTe 
 to reduce in a seven years' siege, as those who have written an 
 account of his exploits assert. And the castle was taken on 
 the day of the feast of Saint Peter ad Vincula, on the fifteenth 
 day of the arrival of king John before it. 
 
 The same year, John of Ferentum, legate of the Apostolic 
 See, came into England, and traversed it, extorting a vast sum 
 of money, and, at last, that he might not seem to have done 
 nothing else, he held a council at Reading, on the day after 
 the feast of Saint Luke the Evangelist. And when he had 
 done this, having filled and carefully carried off all his Dag- 
 gage, he returned to his own country. The same year, some 
 discreet, and religious, and dignified men from the countries 
 beyond the sea, going between the two kings, with great 
 aiLxiety for the establishment of peace, on the day of the feast 
 of All Saints, established a truce between them for two years. 
 King John returned to England, and landed at Portsmouth, 
 on the twelfth of December. This year also, William, bishop 
 of Lincoln, went the way of all fiesh. Jocelin of Wells was 
 made bishop of Bath, and received consecration at the hands 
 of William, bishop of London. Henry Marischal, bishop of 
 Exeter, died, and M'as succeeded by Simon of Apulia, dean 
 of York. This year, the queen of the French, the mother of 
 king Philip, died. The same year, a simple and upright man, 
 living in the bishopric of Lincoln, being conducted by Saint 
 Jtdian, saw some wonderful visions, which would require a 
 special treatise. 
 
 Tfw Emperor Otho comes to England. Tfie arder of Minors^ 
 
 begins. 
 
 A.D. 1207. King John celebrated the nativity of the Lord 
 at Winchester, in the presence of the nobles of *the kingdom. 
 After that, on the feast of the Purification of the Blessed Mary, 
 thinking only of rapine, and placing his hope and strength in 
 treasures of money, he seized, throughout all England, a thir- 
 * Minors was a name assumed by the Franciscans, to show their humility. 
 
lOf) 
 
 MATTHEW OF "NVESTMIXSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1207 
 
 
 teenth part of all moveables and other property, whether be- 
 longing to the laity or to other men, ecclesiastics and prelates, 
 all murmuring, though they did not venture to resist him ; but 
 still cursing him, and hoping that such plunder would not 
 have a happy result. And that prayer was heard by the Lord, 
 us the following narration will show : Godfrey, archbishop of 
 York, alone refused to submit, and firmly resisting, secretly 
 retired from England, and in his retreat involved in one sen- 
 tence of anathema all those, especially in his own diocese, 
 who committed this plunder, and generally all invaders of the 
 church, or of ecclesiastical property. At the same season, 
 about midnight, on the twenty-seventh of January, a sudden 
 and violent storm of wind coming, threw down buildings, up- 
 rooted trees, and destroyed thousands of sheep and cattle. 
 
 The same year, the emperor Otho came into England, at 
 whose arrival the whole city of London put on a joyful appear- 
 ance, the citizens adorning themselves with cloaks and other 
 ornaments. And having had a conference with his uncle, he 
 returned to his own country, having replenished his coffers 
 with five thousand marks of silver. This year, the preachers 
 who were called Minors arose under the favour of pope In- 
 nocent, and filled the earth, dwelling in towns and cities, in 
 bodies of ten or seven, possessing nothing whatever, living on 
 the Gospel, displaying a true and voluntary poverty in their 
 clothes and food, walking barefoot, girded with knotted ropes, 
 and showing a noble example of humility to all men. But 
 they caused great alarm to many of the prelates, because 
 they began to weaken their authority, first of all by their 
 preaching, and secret confessions of penitents, and afterwards, 
 by their open receptions. About the same time, as the two 
 parties were still carrying on their contest about the double 
 election of the monks of Canterbury, the lord the pope, seeing 
 that they could not agree in either one or the other of the elected 
 archbishops, annulled both the elections, earnestly advising 
 and persuading them to elect Master Stephen Langton, an 
 Englishman by birth, a man of deep wisdom, elegant person, 
 faultless moral's, a fit and sufticient person, as far as man can be, 
 to govern the universal church, assuring that his promotion 
 would be very advantageous both to the king himself and to the 
 universal Anglican church. But the monks rephed to this, 
 and asserted that it was not lawful for them to proceed to a 
 canonical election without the royal consent, and that of their 
 
 A.D. 120S. E^OLAND A^D VrALES LAID r>'DEE INTERDICT. 107 
 
 own convent. And the pope, as if taking their words out of 
 their mouth, said : ♦' Know ye that ye have plenary power in 
 the church of Canterbury, inasmuch' as ye are selected as the 
 first men in your convent ; nor is it customary to wait for the 
 consent of princes to elections which are celebrated at the 
 Apostolic See. On which account, we do command ye, being 
 of such a number and character as ye are, inasmuch as ye are 
 amply sufficient for the election, by virtue of your obedience, 
 and under the penalty of anathema, to elect him archbishop* 
 whom we give you to be the shepherd of your souls." The 
 monks then, being in a strait, fearing the sentence of ex- 
 communication, although unwillingly and grumblingly, never- 
 theless gave a consent, such as it was. Alone of all of them. 
 Master Elias de Brantefeld, who had come on the part of the 
 king and the bishop of Norwich, refused his consent. All the 
 rest chaunting the hymn, " Te Deum Laudamus,'* conducted 
 the archbishop elect to the altar, who, on the seventeenth of 
 June, received consecration in the city of Viterbo, at the hands 
 of the pope himself. After these events, the pope, as he had 
 promised the monks, sent a most elegant letter to John, king 
 of England, to desire him to receive, as archbishop of Canter- 
 bury, Stephen Langton, who liad been regularly elected and 
 consecrated, a native of England, an imcomparable master in 
 learning and morals. But when these circumstances came to 
 the knowledge of king John, he ordered all the monks to be 
 expelled from the monastery of Canterbury, and having been 
 expelled, to be forcibly banished from the kingdom as guilty of 
 Use majeste. About this time died Simon, bishop of Chichester. 
 The monks of Canterbury were expelled on the day of Saint 
 Swithiu, and their goods were confiscated. The same year, 
 on the day of Saint Remigius, Isabella, queen of England, bore 
 to king John his first born son, and he was called Henry, after 
 the name of his grandfather. 
 
 All England and Wales are laid under an interdict. 
 
 A.D. 1208. King John celebrated the feast of the nativity 
 at Windsor. At the beginning of March, in this year, there 
 was an eclipse of the sun. All England and Wales were sub- 
 jected to an interdict, without any exemption whatever being 
 allowed, on the vigil of the Annunciation of the blessed Virgin 
 Mary; and the execution of the decree was committed to William, 
 bishop of London, Edward, bishop of Ely, and Mauger, bishop 
 
108 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEC. 
 
 A.D. 12li8. 
 
 i; 
 
 of Worcester. This year, Philip, bishop of Durham, and 
 Geoffrey de Muschamp, Bishop of Chester, and WiUiam do 
 Warenne, died. The same year, queen Isabella bore king 
 John a son, who was called Richard ; so that when the time 
 of her child-bearing was accomplished, the child was born on 
 the vigil of the Epiphany, in the year next following, and this 
 circumstance gives rise to many contradictions in history. The 
 bishop of Chester was succeeded by William de Cornehull, 
 archdeacon of Huntingdon, and the bishop of Durham by 
 Richard de Marisco. 
 
 This year, Philip, duke of Swabia, who had been a compe- 
 titor, with Otho, for the empire, was murdered. The king 
 ordered all the property of the monks to be confiscated, be- 
 cause of the interdict. 'At the beginning of the interdict the 
 white monks desisted from the performance of their duties, 
 but afterwards, at the command of their abbot, they ventured 
 to celebrate divine service. But when this boldness of theirs 
 had come to the ears of the supreme pontiff, they, to their 
 greater confusion, were suspended anew by a fresh sentence. 
 About the same time, king John, fearing lest the pope should 
 become more violent, so as to excommunicate him himself by 
 name, and absolve all who held under him from their loyalty 
 and fealty to him, caused all those who he at all suspected, to 
 swear fealty to him, and took special hostages from them. 
 But the more powerful nobles, when the king demanded hos- 
 tages from them, refused them to his face, saying, "How can 
 we expect him to preserve our sons and dear relations, who 
 are not at all akin to him, unhurt, when he wickedly slew 
 with his own hand his own nephew, by that kind of death 
 which is called murder ?" 
 
 In the meantime the king kept on oppressing one or other of 
 the nobles of the kingdom, either by extorting money from them 
 unjustly, or by stripping them of their privileges or properties ; 
 of some he seduced the wives, or deflowered the daughters, so 
 that he became manifestly and notoriously odious and detestable 
 both to God and man. Moreover, that his insatiable avarice 
 and unappeasable gluttony and licentiousness might be con- 
 cealed from no one, he prohibited all fowhng and taking of 
 winged game, and prevented the nobles from hunting, by 
 which measures he not only lost the affections of all men, but 
 incurred their unextinguishable hatred ; so that even his own 
 wife detested and loathed him ; whom he, though an adulterer 
 
 A.D. 12U9. PEACE BETWEEN ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. 
 
 109 
 
 himself, accused of adultery, and he put to an ignominious 
 death those whom he suspected of familiarities with her ; and 
 he ordered the queen herself to be kept in close custody. 
 And, among other flagitious crimes, he, like a second Herod, 
 ordered a great many innocent boys, who were hostages at 
 Nottingham, to be hanged on a gallows ; on which account 
 all his subjects, both English and foreigners, wishing to shake 
 off the intolerable yoke of such a tyrant, began seriously to 
 consider what prince there was in whose bosom they might 
 find a refuge. 
 
 War being imminent, William, kinrf of Scotland, made a treat ij 
 
 with Icing John. 
 
 A.D. 1209. The king removed his exchequer from West- 
 minster to London till Christmas time, out of hatred for tiie 
 city of London ; and because it was about the days of the 
 nativity, which writers place on the confines of the' old year 
 and the new, that a son was born to king John, whom he 
 called Richard, some assert that he was born in this, and 
 others in the preceding year. But the time that his mother 
 was confined to her room because of her delivery, lasted till 
 the vigil of the Epiphany. In this year, also, Hugh de Wellcr-, 
 archdeacon of Wells, and chancellor of the Icing, was elected 
 bishop of Lincoln. About this time, king John, having col- 
 lected a numerous army of English, directed his standards 
 and army towards Scotland. But coming into the province 
 of Northumberland, to the castle which is called Northam, he 
 then marshalled his army in battle array against the king of 
 Scotland. And when the news of this was brought to William, 
 king of Scotland, he greatly feared the violence of John, wlioni 
 he knew to be prone to every kind of wickedness and bar- 
 barity. Accordingly, coming to meet him, like a pious man, 
 he proposed to treat of peace on equitable terms. But tlie 
 king of England, giving vent to liis fury, spoke imperiously 
 to him, and reproached him bitterly for having received hi'a 
 fugitives and the public enemies of England into his kingdom, 
 and for having given them assistance, and showed them favour, 
 to his prejudice. But when the king of England had invented 
 this and many other reproaches upon the before-mentioned 
 king of Scotland, at last, after great exertions on the part of 
 the ministers of the two sovereigns, they made peace, on con- 
 dition of the king of Scotland paying to the king of England, 
 
 I 
 
no 
 
 M.VTTIIEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1210. 
 
 AD. 1211. 
 
 WILLIAM DE BRAUSE DIES. 
 
 Ill 
 
 for the benefit of peacfe, eleven thousand marks of silver. And, 
 moreover, for greater security, he gave him his two daughters 
 as hostages, tliat in this way the peace between them might 
 be rendered firmer. 
 
 The same year, Henry, duke of Saxony, and brother of the 
 emperor Otho, came into England. Likewise in this same 
 \ I year, Otho, son of the duke of Saxony, and nephew of the 
 voicing of England, was consecrated emperor of the Romans, by 
 pope Innocent the Third, on the fourth of October. In this 
 year, too, the king, disregarding the respect due to the schools 
 of the University of Oxford, caused two of the scholars to be 
 hung at Oxford,*by which proceeding the whole body of scho- 
 lars was dispersed and thrown into confusion. About the 
 same time king John was excommunicated by name, on ac- 
 count of the illegal oppression which he had now for two 
 years incessantly exercised against both the army and the 
 church. This year, also. Master Alexander, a man of the 
 greatest personal beauty, and most reverend countenance, 
 deeply imbued witli the fulness of learning, so as to be ac- 
 counted a celebrated master and teacher, and reader in the- 
 ology at Paris, being nevertheless led away by ambition, dared 
 to uphold and support king John in his error, owing to which 
 conduct he was at last precipitated with disgrace from the 
 highest honour to the lowest depth of confusion. About the 
 same time, Hugh, bishop elect of Lincoln, received consecra- 
 tion and institution to his diocese in the countries beyond the 
 sea, at the hands of the archbishop of Rouen. The king's 
 seal was entrusted to Walter de Grey, and he was appointed 
 chancellor. The Jews, too, were this year compelled to pay 
 a very heavy ransom. 
 
 Otho J the new emperor, is excommunicated. 
 
 A.D. 1210. King John was at the feast of the Nativity at 
 Windsor ; all the nobles of England being present, and com- 
 municating with him, notwithstanding the sentence which had 
 been proclaimed against him. After this, by command of the 
 king, the Jews of both sexes were arrested throughout all 
 England, and thrown into prison, and subjected to the most 
 severe punishment, to compel them to gratify the king's 
 desires with their money. 
 
 About the same time, pope Innocent excommunicated and 
 denounced the emperor Otho, and absolved many nobles both 
 
 ot Germany and of the Roman empire, from their fealtv to 
 Jnm. \Jn which account the pope was by many persons con- 
 sidered a whimsical and changeable person, because he had, 
 at the same time, raised him up and overthrown him The 
 peace which had been announced between the kin-s of En 
 gland and Scotland was confirmed, and formal copfes of the 
 treaty mterchanged. The king crossed the sea to Ireland 
 with a very numerous army, about the time of the feast of 
 ^alnt John the Ikptist, from which countrv he expelled IIu-o 
 de Lacy and received the submission of the whole of Ireland 
 15ut on his return, being ungrateful to God and man, he im^ 
 posed a very heavy tax on all abbeys, and most especially 
 he oppressed the houses of the Cistercian order. And William 
 de Brewer Robert de Tunham, Reginald de Cornhulle, and 
 Richard de Marisco, of the convent of Saint Brid-et in 
 London, were his counsellors, and showed favour to thts most 
 wicked proceeding, and received the money which was ex- 
 torted. Walter de Grey was appointed to {he bishopric of 
 Chester and Henry, archdeacon of Stafford, to that of Exeter. 
 31 any of the Jews, because of the terrible oppression, fled from 
 Lngland. The same year, Matilda, a woman of the noblest 
 bir I the wife of William de Brause, and William her son, 
 and tJie heir of her husband, at the command of John, kin- 
 of Lngland, were miserably put to death by famine. But 
 A\iliam de Brause himself, her husband, fled to Scorham, 
 and haying changed his garments there, crossed the sea clan- 
 
 d'ed at Paris '^'''''' ""^ "" ^'^^^'' ""''"^ """^ ^"""^ afterwards 
 
 Pandulph the suh-deacon of the pope, and Burand, return 
 ivithmt hope of peace. All the suhjedHofthe crown of England 
 are absolved from their fealty to king John. 
 
 A.D 1211. William de Brause was expelled from England 
 as a banished man, and having suffered great distress, and 
 being wasted away, as it were, with grief, died at Paris, and 
 was buried in the church of Saint Victor, on the vigil of Saint 
 .aurence. Pandulph, the subdeacon of the lord the pope, and 
 IJurand, the hospitaller, came to England for the purpose of 
 bringing about a peace between the king and the priesthood, 
 iiut they returned without effecting anything. Kin^^ John 
 going on an expedition into Wales, compelled Leoline,^ prince 
 
 ^ Usually called Llewellyn. 
 
 ! I 
 
Ti 
 
 112 
 
 MATTHEW or TVESTMINSTIIR. 
 
 A.D. 1211. 
 
 of North Wales, to submit to liim, violently forcing an entrance 
 into the district called Snowden, a place abundantly fortihed 
 by its natural situation, on the Sabbath before the feast ot 
 Saint Laurence. The same year, the two gallant knights. 
 Robert deTunham, and Roger, constable of Chester died. 
 The kino- of France too expelled and banished from his king- 
 dom Reginald, count of Boulogne, who, on this, coming into 
 En-land was honourably received by the king of England, 
 from whom he received a gift of land of the value of three 
 hundred pounds yearly, and to whom he d.d homage, and 
 swore fealty. Likewise, at this time, pope Linocent, as John, 
 kin- of Endand, disdained to listen to his ambassadors, vvlio 
 gave him wholesome advice, and who brought back no replies 
 except derisive laughter ; marvelling at his obstinacy, and de- 
 testing his stubbornness, absolved universally all kings, and 
 aU other persons, both poor and rich, natives ot his kingdom, 
 or neighbours who had any connection with^ the crown ot 
 England, from all fealty to king John ; and he sequestered 
 the whole realm, and declared it in a state of subjection, 
 strictly, and under penalty of excommunication, forbidding 
 all bodies and all individuals to avoid his society at table, 
 at the council-board, and in conversation. But king Joha 
 had for his principal partisans and advisers m this error and 
 obstinacy his own brother William, earl of Salisbury, Alberie 
 de Vere, earl of Oxford, Geoffrey, son of Peter, the justiciary 
 of England, three bishops of the court namely, Philip ot 
 Durham, Peter of Winchester, and John of Norwich ; Richard 
 of Marisco, the king's chancellor, Hugo de Neville, the chief 
 forester, William of Wrotham, the guardian of the por s, 
 Robert of Old Bridge and Huon, his brother, Brian of the 
 Isle, Geoffrey de Lacy, Hugo de Balliol, and Bernard his bro- 
 ther ; William of Canteleu, and William his son, Fulk de Can. 
 teleu, Reginald de Cornhull, Viscount of Kent, Robert de 
 Braybroke, and Henry his son; Phihp de Hulecotes, John 
 de Bassingborne, Philip Mark, chatelain ot Nottingham, Petei 
 of Badlake, Robert de Gangi, Girard de Athia, and Ingelram 
 his nephew, Fulk and WiUiam Briwer, Peter the son of Hu- 
 bert, Thomas Basset, Fulk de Breance, a native of Normandy, 
 and a great many others, whom it would take a long time to 
 enumerate. And these men, wishing to please the king in 
 everythins:, gave him pernicious counsel, not according to 
 reason, but guided by mere impetuosity of will. 
 
 A.D. 1212. KINO JOHN DEPRIVED OF HIS KINGDOM. 1 13 
 
 King John is deprived of his kingdom hj formal sentence. Peter 
 prophesies. TJie hishojis return. 
 
 Xnt;''; ^^i^/i ^^^^''^''' 7^^ «^ Windsor, at the feast of the 
 Psativity of the Lord ; and in the ensuing Lent, on the Sun- 
 day in which - Rejoice, Jerusalem," is^ung, the kin^^ n- 
 
 o7tnH r^-;i' **\' '^'] ^^^"1^ ^^^"^''^"^' the'legitimate'heir 
 of Scotland .vith a knight's belt. The same year, Mau^^er 
 bishop of Worcester, who had been banished from Engl a'ld' 
 on account of his stand in behalf of the liberty of the Antlican 
 church and the due execution of justice, died at Ponrigny 
 Likewise, Geoffrey, archbishop of York, and Baldwin, earl of 
 Albemarle, and Bon, the abbot of Saint Edmund's, paid the 
 
 ^f L 1 ^^^'f ^^^'-"^^ 7'-^^ Y''''^ between three of the columns 
 ot the church, and the chapel which was on London Bridge 
 Mas burnt, with all the houses which stood on the bridj^e 
 and he bridge itself was greatly injured, and a great part of 
 Southwark was burnt down, and, as the flames^ross^ the 
 
 oth city and suburbs; and men, women, and children to 
 he number ot three thousand, without counting those who were 
 
 and thif; ''^^T'T^ '^''i''' ^^"^^^"^ «^ them were found 
 ^bhot ^ ^R^'SP^^'r^'^' "^-^^ ^^ ^be translation of the 
 abbot Saint Benedict, that is to say, on the tenth of July 
 
 lie same year, when the king was preparing to go* on a 
 null ary expedition, and to invade the \Velch, I rep^ort was 
 uddenly spread abroad that the earls and barons at^ CI erte 
 had conspired against him ; on which account he returned as 
 1 thunderstruck and as he was greatly agitated at the circum- 
 stance, some of them excused themselves, and denied it But 
 Robert, the son of Walter, and Eustace d; Vesci, and GodfV ey 
 Ridel, yielding to the misery of the times, were sent into ba- 
 nishment with several others, and fled, some to France and 
 some to Scot and Also, William of Necton, one of the c er^^v 
 was banished, and Godfrey of Norwich was thrown into pn- 
 
 n^n . i^^^u'"^ ^^"'' ^°'^ ^' ^'"^^^' ^«« P"t to death miserably 
 at iiristol, by a new contrivance and kind of punishment. And 
 lie before-mentioned Robert and Eustace, and several other 
 barons and knights, and even some of the bishops and clerey 
 had their possessions confiscated, their houses taken possession 
 ot, their fortifications thrown down, and, after that, the king 
 
 VOL. II. ^ 
 
 < ^1 
 
I' 
 
 114 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMrJ^STER. 
 
 A.D. 1213. 
 
 ordered them to be put to death. And from that time forth, 
 inviting foreigners into his kingdom, and keeping them about 
 him, he incurred deservedly the implacable hatred of his na- 
 tural-born subjects. 
 
 The same year, king John extorted writings from all the 
 religious houses, and from all the secular clergy, in which they 
 were compelled to bear witness that they had of their own 
 accord given him everything which he had forcibly and 
 wickedly extorted from them. But, in the course of those 
 days, sentence was given against king John, that he should 
 be deprived of his kingdom, and the name was verihed which 
 was given to him out of insult, when he was called John Lack- 
 land. About the same time, a certain simple and upright man, 
 touched with the spirit of prophecy, declared before all men 
 what he knew concerning this same king John. This man was 
 a hermit, and was named Peter, and because he had forewarned 
 many persons of what would happen, he was called the Wise. 
 Among other things which this man predicted, he openly as- 
 serted that, on the day of the Ascension next ensuing, John 
 would not be king, nor after that time, but that on that day 
 the crown of England would be transferred to another. The 
 hearts of many wavered, but, on the day thus predicted, when 
 the king was declared a tributary to the Roman pontitt, the 
 word of the prophet was proved to be true. Accordingly, in 
 these days, pope Innocent sent as his legate a /a^ert? Pandulph, 
 his subdeacon, into the countries on this side of the Alps, to 
 bring to England mournful conditions of peace, to which, if 
 the king consented, he might find the favour of the Apostolic 
 See, because forfeiture of his kingdom had been pronounced 
 against him, and danger was threatening him on all sides, as 
 his conduct well deserved. For his own bowels were fightmg 
 against him, and being spiritless and rebeUious against him- 
 self, and sleepless and wasting away, he could not contain 
 himself, wretched as he was, but no proper object of pity to 
 any one. The same year died Henry, son of Alwyn, mayor 
 of London. 
 
 The king of France prepares to invade England. Godfrey, arch- 
 bishop of Yorky dies. 
 A.D. 1213. King John held his court at the feast of the Na- 
 tivity at Westminster, which was attended by only a very small 
 body of knights ; at which season also, Godfrey, archbishop 
 
 I 
 
 \ 
 
 A.D. 1213. PUEPAHATION to invade ENGLAND. 
 
 115 
 
 of York, died, after having passed seven years in banishment 
 for his defence of the liberties of the church and the execu- 
 tion of justice. King John, being in great straits, wished to 
 turn the miseries which he had incurred by his own guilt on 
 those who had sought to restrain his madness ; and began to 
 accuse first one and then the other of his nobles of treason, 
 calling them jealous, miserable wittols, whose wives, as he used 
 to boast, he had violated, and whose daughters he had de- 
 flowered. Among others, he began to insult beyond measure 
 Robert Fitz-Walter with reproaches and threats ; and he en- 
 deavoured to destroy his castle which he had in London, 
 namely. Castle Baynard, on the Monday which was the day 
 after the feast of Saint Hilary, by stirring up enemies against 
 him in London. The same year, in the month of January, 
 Stephen, archbishop of Canterbury, William, bishop of Lon- 
 don, and Eustace, bishop of Ely, returned from the court of 
 Rome, and having held a conference in the countries beyond 
 the sea, they formally laid before the king of France, and the 
 Gallican bishops and clergy, and all the people, the sentence 
 which had been passed at Rome against the king of England 
 for his contumacy. After which, they, on the part of the lord 
 the pope, laid an injunction on the king of France, and on all 
 the rest then present, that, for the remission of their sins, they 
 should all march in a hostile manner against England, depose 
 king John from the throne of the kingdom, and elect in his 
 stead some one else who might be worthy, in obedience to the 
 Apostolic authority. Then, the king of France perceiving 
 that matters had come to the point which had been long de- 
 sired, girded himself manfully for the war, and commanded 
 all the men in his dominions, dukes, earls, and barons, knights 
 and esquires, to assemble in strength at Rouen in Easter week, 
 on pain of being accounted base, and as they wished to avoid 
 appearing guilty of the crime of lese majeste. He also caused 
 all the ships that belonged to him, and all that he could col- 
 lect from all quarters, to be furnished to the best of his power 
 with corn, and wine, and meat, and all kinds of arms, in order 
 that his large army might have abundance of all necessary 
 supplies. But when king John received information of all 
 this, he, in the month of March, caused all the most strongly- 
 built ships to assemble from all the harbours of England, 
 that he might be able to make a gallant and effectual resist- 
 ance to those who were endeavouring to invade England. la 
 
 I •.; 
 
r 
 
 iir, 
 
 M-VTTIIEW OF WESTMTNSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 1213. 
 
 liko manner, he collected a most nnmeroiis army from England 
 and Ireland, and all the neighbouring places. And while he 
 was on the coast, expecting the arrival of the king of France, 
 Pandulph came to king John himself from the countries across 
 the sea, announcing to him the dangers that were impending 
 over him, and assuring him that unless he was protected under 
 the wings of the lord the pope, and by his power, he would 
 lose everything. And when the king had learnt from this 
 same Pandulpli the manner in which he might procure this 
 protection, he swore, touching the Holy Gospels, in the presence 
 of Pandulph, that he would submit himself to the judgment of 
 the church. And sixteen earls and many of the more power- 
 ful barons swore with him to the same effect as the king him- 
 self, promising that if he repented, he should be compelled by 
 tlie king to observe his oath. Accordingly, he resigned his 
 crown to pope Innocent, and did homage to him, and of a 
 country of the most perfect freedom he made a slave, in such 
 a way that the prince of many provinces became subject to 
 tribute, drawing up a deed with reference to it, which was a 
 mournful and hateful one to those who heard it. 
 
 " We make it known to your university that as we have in 
 many things offended the Lord, and the holy mother church, 
 and as on account of such conduct we are well knovvu to 
 stand in need of divine mercy, and cannot w orthily offer any- 
 thino- which will be a proper satisfaction for it, to God and 
 to the church, unless we are willing to humble ourselves and 
 our kingdoms for his sake, who for our sakes humbled him- 
 self to death. Therefore we, holy grace itself inspiring us, 
 in accordance with the excellent counsel of our barons, 
 do offer and freely grant to God, and to his holy apostles 
 Peter and Paul, and to the holy Roman church, our mother, 
 and to our lord the pope. Innocent the Third, and his succes- 
 sors, all the right of patronage which we have in the Anglican 
 churches, and the whole kingdom of England, and the king- 
 dom of Ireland, with all their rights and belongings, for the 
 remission of our sins, and those of our whole race, both Uving 
 and dead. And receiving them back again, as it were, from 
 God and the Roman Catholic church, as their feudatory, and 
 holding them so, with the presence of the wise Pandulph, the 
 sub-deacon and friend of our lord the pope, we, from this 
 time forward doing liege homage to our lord, pope Innocent 
 and his CathoUc successors, and to the Roman church, ac- 
 
 i 
 
 |i 
 
 i 
 
 AD. 1213. KING LOUIS DESISTS FROM UIS ENTERPEISE. 117 
 
 cording to the form set down below, would do the same in the 
 presence of our lord the pope, if it were possible for us to be 
 in his presence. Obliging our successors, and our heirs by 
 our wife for ever, that they in the same manner show^ loyalty and 
 fidelity, without any contradiction, to the supreme* pontiff 
 who shall for the time be the president of the church, and to 
 do him homage ; and, moreover, we and our successors do 
 resign for ever the guardianship of the vacant churches. And 
 in proof of this our perpetual offering and concession, w^e do 
 will and estabhsh that, from our own proper and especial re- 
 venues, which proceed from our kingdoms before-mentioned, 
 the Roman church shall, in lieu of all the customs which we 
 are bound to pay for those things, (besides in all cases the 
 penny of Saint Peter,) receive a thousand marks sterling every 
 year ; that is to say, five hundred marks at the feast of Saint 
 I^Iichael, and five hundred marks at Easter, of which thousand 
 marks, seven hundred shall be for the kingdom of England, 
 and three hundred for the kingdom of Ireland ; and this shall 
 be done without injury to ourselves, our heirs, our laws, liber- 
 ties, and royal privileges. And we, willing that all these 
 things shall be ratified and perpetual, and lasting as they have 
 been above set down, do bind ourselves and our successors 
 not to contravene them. And if we or any one of our suc- 
 cessors shall presume to attempt any such thing, whoever he 
 may be, he shall be declared an outlaw, unless on being ad- 
 monished he come to his senses. And that this charter of 
 our obligation and concession may remain unalterable, I swear 
 that for the future, from this hour forth, I will be faithful to 
 God, and to the blessed Peter, and the Roman church, and 
 our lord the pope Innocent, and to all his successors who 
 become so in accordance with the Catholic faith. Moreover, I 
 will be a helper in upholding and defending the patrimony'of 
 the blessed Peter, and especially of the kingdom of England and 
 kingdom of Ireland, against all men, as far as my power ex- 
 tends. So help me God and these holy gospels, I myself being 
 the witness, in the house of the military order of the temple." 
 iccordingly, the king of France having been cajoled by 
 many speeches of various kinds from the messengers of the 
 pope, now that John, the king of England, was sheltered 
 under the shield of the Roman court, desisted from his enter- 
 pnse, having lost about forty thousand pounds of silver, and 
 covered himself with great shame. Rut on the Thursday next 
 
 
J fl 
 
 ii 
 
 118 
 
 MATTUEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1214. 
 
 ii 
 
 following after the feast of Saint Michael, Nicolas, bishop of 
 Tusculum, came into England, to Westminster, as a legate, 
 and remained there eighteen days, where he held frequent 
 debates with the brotherhood of the church, concerning the 
 reformation of temporal and spiritual matters. After that, he 
 went to Evesham, on the festival of Saint Edmund, and de- 
 posed Roger, the abbot of that church, for manifest reasons, 
 and appointed Radulph, prior of Worcester, to be abbot in 
 his room. Geoffrey, the son of Peter, justiciary of England, 
 died on the fourteenth of October. Henry of London, arch- 
 deacon of Stafford, was made bishop of Dublin. Robert of 
 Shrewsbury, bishop of Bangor, died, and was buried in the 
 middle of the market-place of Shrewsbury, in compliance 
 with his own wish to that effect. About the same time a 
 great persecution was set on foot against the Albigensian he- 
 retics, under duke Simon de Montfort, in which war the king 
 of Arragon was slain. But king John, who instead of a king 
 had now become a viceroy, ay, and even a tributary or feu- 
 datory of the pope, not understanding the prophecy of Peter, 
 of which mention has already been made, most unjustly or- 
 dered the said Peter and his son to be hung on a gallows. 
 
 ITinff John having become a trilutary of Rome, the general 
 
 interdict is relaxed. 
 
 A.D. 1214. John, king of England, held his court at the 
 feast of the Nativity of our Lord, at Windsor, where he dis- 
 tributed festival garments in numbers, to a multitude of nobles. 
 At the same time, the legate before-mentioned deposed Ra- 
 dulph de Arundel, abbot of Westminster, by the agency of 
 Nicholas, abbot of Waltham, who was sent on the part of the 
 legate to Westminster, to put the deposition in execution, 
 which took place on the morrow of the feast of Saint Vincent, 
 by breaking his seal in the chapter house ; and William de 
 Humec, prior of Frontiguy, a monk of Caen, was elected in 
 his place, and on the Sunday of the Holy Trinity he received 
 the blessing from William, bishop of London. On the day of 
 Saint Urban, being the twenty-fifth of May, peace was es- 
 tablished, though not yet settled in all its details, between our 
 lord the pope Innocent and king John, and was sworn to by 
 many earls and barons of the kingdom, on condition that the 
 king should in all good peace receive the lord Stephen, arch- 
 bishop of Canterbury, and the other bishops of England, and 
 
 A.D. 1214. 
 
 KING JOHN COLLECTS AN ABMY. 
 
 119 
 
 I 
 
 should restore to them all the abbacies, and should satisfy 
 the holy church in all things, and that the king and his 
 heirs should every year give to the Roman church a thousand 
 marks sterling, namely, seven hundred for the kingdom of 
 E^ngland, and three hundred marks for the kingdom of Ire- 
 land. The same year, Stephen, archbishop of Canterbury, 
 landed at Dover, and with him came William, bishop of London, 
 Eustace, bishop of Ely, and Hugh, bishop of Lincoln, and on 
 the Thursday, which was the day following the festival of Saint 
 Processus and Saint Martinianus, the general interdict of the 
 Anglican church was tfiken off, there being present on the 
 partof the lord the pope, the before-mentioned legate, Nicholas, 
 and Pandulph, the pope's sub-deacon, with the archbishop 
 himself, and the other bishops, and the counts and barons 
 before-mentioned, who took the oaths on the part of the king 
 and the kingdom, at Saint Paul's, in London. 
 
 The same year, on the vigil of the Purification, king John 
 took a journey into Poitou, and, on the Thursday next after 
 the feast of the apostles Simon and Judea, on his return from 
 thence he went to Westminster, and was honourably received 
 by the clergy and people there present, and by the legate 
 Nicolas and the archbishop Stephen, and by nearly all the 
 bishops of England. About the same time, died John, abbot 
 of Saint Alban's, on the day of Saint Kenelm, king and 
 martyr. 
 
 It should likewise be known, that the interdict, of which 
 such ample mention has been made, lasted six years, fourteen 
 weeks, and two days. On the fourth of October, Simon, 
 dean of York, was consecrated at Canterbury, bishop of 
 Exeter, and Walter de Grey, bishop of Worcester. This year 
 too, there died Gilbert de Glanville, bishop of Rochester, on 
 the twenty-fourth of June, and likewise John de Grey, bishop of 
 Norwich. Also, in the same year, before the Purification of 
 the blessed Virgin Mary, the count of Flanders, accompanied 
 by several foreign nobles, landed in England, to take the oaths 
 of allegiance, and to do homage to king John in the city of 
 Canterbury. Afterwards, returning with William, earl of Sa- 
 lisbury, by making a prodigal distribution of the king's trea- 
 sures, they collected a numerous army of hired mercenaries, 
 having formed a design of suddenly attacking Philip, king 
 of France, on a Sunday, as he was not accustomed to bear 
 arms on that day, and of overthrowing him in this way. 
 
 II 
 
'1 
 
 120 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMIXSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 1211. 
 
 They had also great hope from, and great reliance in the 
 wisdom and assistance of the emperor Otho, who was, as it 
 were, w4th a drawn sword, watching for a struggle. Accord- 
 ingly, the war cry being shouted, " The king's men ! the king's 
 men !" on one side, and " Montjoye ! Montjoye !" on the other, 
 the battle of Bovines, in Flanders, was fought, and great 
 bravery was shown on both sides. In this battle, the king of 
 France was thrown from his horse, and being attacked by the 
 enemy on all sides, would have been cut to pieces, if a certain 
 Norman knight had not sheltered him with his own body, 
 who at last fell, for him and upon him, pierced with several 
 spears. On this day, three fine horses were stabbed and slain 
 under the same king ; nevertheless, by the assistance of God, 
 he that day gained an incalculably important triumph over his 
 enemies. On which account, the pious monarch, writing about 
 his victory to the university of Paris, said, *' Praise God, my 
 dearest friends, for we have never before come forth safe from 
 so great a struggle." In this battle, the first person who set 
 the example of tlight was Hugh de Bovines, who seemed to 
 be the leader of them all, and after that many nobles, both of 
 the empire and of the kingdom of England, were taken pri- 
 soners. But the emperor escaped with a few of his men who 
 were at hand, in such a way that his fame was never after- 
 wards restored. 
 
 To the greater confusion of king John, he was repulsed 
 from the castle which is called Monk's Rock (which he had 
 besieged with a numerous army on the side towards Poitou), 
 in consequence of the arrival of Louis, son of the king of 
 France ; so that, hearing the news of the taking of his nobles 
 at Bovines, and ascertaining that he had no power to resist ou 
 any other side, he felt that both God and man were offended 
 with and hostile to him. Accordingly, he fled disgracefully and 
 ignominiously from the siege before-mentioned ; and if he had 
 not given eleven thousand marks of silver for a truce for three 
 years, and then retreated into England with all speed by the 
 management of Robert de Courcy, who w^as at that time legate 
 in France, he would no doubt have been taken prisoner to his 
 great disgrace. On which account, the French rose up against 
 the said Robert, the legate, with reproaches and insults, as if 
 he, being an Englishman, had been glad to deliver an Enghsh- 
 man. Accordingly, the king returned into England, in dis- 
 order and disgrace, on the nineteenth of October. The same 
 
 \ 
 
 \ 
 
 \ 
 
 A.D. 1215. A GEXEEAL COUNCIL IS HELD AT HOME. 121 
 
 year, William of Trumpington, a monk who was taken out 
 of the bosom of the same church, and w as a man eminent for 
 every kind of virtue, succeeded John, as abbot of the church 
 of St. Alban's ; and on Saint Andrew's day, received the pon- 
 tifical benediction from Eustace, bishop of Ely, in the church 
 of Saint Alban's. 
 
 King John coming again io hinuelf, on account of his perplexity , 
 asaumes the sign of the cross, and mmy of his nobles with him. 
 
 A.D. 1215. King John, at the feast of the Nativity of the 
 Lord, held his court at Worcester, but kept the feast for 
 scarcely one day. After that, he came in haste to London, 
 when the nobles of England earnestly requested him to confirm 
 the promises which he had made to them humbly and in good 
 faith. But the king, seeking for grounds of objection, and as- 
 serting that it was a hard thing that they asked, and one that 
 required great dehberation, cunningly asked for a truce till 
 the close of Easter, and obtained it. In the mean time, that 
 he might be the more surely protected under the wings of his 
 lord the pope, and be more completely armed against his 
 subjects, he took upon himself the sign of the cross, and many 
 of the nobles with him did the same, on the fourth of March. 
 The same year, Eustace, bishop of Ely, went the way of all 
 flesh at Reading. 
 
 Tiiis year a great discussion on the question of the peace 
 of the kingdom took place between the king and the barons, 
 between Staines and Windsor, in a meadow which is called 
 Runnymede ; which means the meadow of counsel, because 
 from old time counsels about the peace of the kingdom were 
 frequently held there ; the lord Stephen, archbishop of Can- 
 terbury, being the mediator between them, and some other 
 bishops. And the first day of this discussion was the day of 
 March before the feast of Saint John the Baptist. And it 
 was protracted and spun out till the Wednesday after the feast 
 of Saint Bartholomew, the king, however, being absent. And 
 when the barons demanded the fulfilment of the promises 
 that had been made to them, the king, with a laugh of deri- 
 sion, replied, " Why do not these men demand the kingdom ?'* 
 
 The same year, on St. Martin's day, a general council was 
 held at Rome, under pope Innocent the Third, consisting of 
 sixty-one private archbishops, four hundred and twelve bishops, 
 and eight hundred abbots and priors, in which council the 
 
i 
 
 if 
 
 122 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1215. 
 
 pope, on the day of the Apostle Saint Andrew, formally ex- 
 communicated Louis, the eldest son of the king of France, 
 and all the counts and barons of England, who, with their ac- 
 complices, were conspiring and rising up in insurrection 
 against the king of England, the vassal of the church of Rome. 
 War now increased in England from day to day, the barons 
 first of all occupying, in a hostile manner, the whole county 
 of Northampton, with the town of that name itself, with the 
 exception of the castle, the garrison of which defended itself 
 manfully. But the besiegers, being destitute of the necessary 
 engines, retired without succeeding in their object. For be- 
 fore these events had happened, the king, providing for the 
 future, had secretly fortified his castles. From thence, the 
 oarons came to London, and on the seventeenth of May they 
 entered the city, and occupied it without meeting with any re- 
 sistance ; for the citizens detested king John for the many un- 
 just exactions with which he had incessantly oppressed them. 
 Accordingly, having held a conference there, they sent some 
 of their allies, both barons and citizens, beyond the sea, to 
 Louis, whom they had elected king, to desire him to hasten 
 and come with all speed to England, as he might then at once 
 obtain the knigdom without any difficulty or opposition. And 
 that he might not hesitate, they sent, both to the king of 
 France and his son, letters patent, with the seals of the nobles 
 affixed, and fifty hostages. The same year, after the feast of 
 Saint Michael, king John besieged the castle of Rochester, in 
 which were some gallant barons, namely, William of Albinet, 
 and many others, whom Robert Fitz-Walter, who was lying 
 lazy and inactive with his whole army in London, was bound 
 to succour, but he would not do so. Owing to which, the 
 aforesaid castle was miserably taken, and the nobles were 
 taken prisoners, and thrust into Corfe castle to await the king's 
 pleasure, and were at last ransomed when scarcely alive. After 
 that, the king became a perfect tyrant, and a destroyer of his 
 own kingdom, hiring, as his soldiers, a band of foreigners, to 
 wit Savaric de Mallein, with his fickle Poitevins, and Gerard 
 de Sotingin, with his inconstant Flemings, and Walter, sur- 
 named Buc, with his vile troop. And then there arose un- 
 heard-of confusion in the kingdom, of so fierce a character, 
 that sons were seen to rise in a hostile manner against the fa- 
 thers, and fathers against their sons. Accordingly, king John, 
 accompanied by that detestable troop of foreigners, whose 
 
 f 
 
 1 
 
 i 
 
 A.D. 121 
 
 J. 
 
 TTHANNICAL CONDUCT OF KING JOKN. 
 
 123 
 
 leader and general was Falcas de Breaute, a man of ignoble 
 birth and a bastard, and carried away by his fury, began to 
 lay waste the northern parts of England, to destroy the castles 
 of the barons, or compel them to submit to his own order, to 
 burn without mercy all the palaces and towns which be- 
 longed to the barons, to oppress the inhabitants of the country 
 by carefully devised tortures, in order to extort money from 
 them, so that the lord of the country seemed in his madness 
 to be angry with his people, and to hate his own inheritance. 
 Everywhere there was grief and misery. The priest became 
 as the people, and the sceptre of the church was profaned. 
 The bishops were proscribed, and the flock was scattered as / 
 the shepherds fled. At the same time, Stephen, archbishop f" 
 of Canterbury, because he had always been a reprover, and, 
 as far as he was able, a corrector of king John, who, however, 
 always resisted him, w as suspended from his offices, on the 
 ground of his being a favourer of the enemies of king John, 
 the vassal of his lord the pope, who was acting foolishly in / 
 every thing. And the lord the pope confirmed this suspension^ 
 in a general council. At last, the archbishop, with great diffi- / 
 culty, though many persons exerted themselves in his behalf^ 
 prevailed so far as to obtain the grace of absolution. In these 
 days the castle of Bedford was taken and given to Falcos, on 
 whom the king also bestowed a wife of noble birth, namely, 
 Margaret de Riparie, with all the estates that belonged to her. 
 3loreover, this same Falcos took the town belonging to Wil- 
 liam Manduyt de Hammeslape. Also the town of Tunbridge 
 was taken. The same year, on the day of the conversion of 
 ^aint Paul, William de CornhuUe was consecrated bishop of 
 Chester, and on the twenty-second of February, Master Bene- 
 diet, the precentor of Saint Paul's in London, was consecrated 
 bishop of Rochester, and Master Richard, dean of Sherborne, 
 bishop of Chichester. In the meantime. Master Simon de 
 Langton was elected archbishop of York, a man who had but 
 little of the favour of the people; I wish that he may have had 
 the grace of God. But by the influence of the king, his elec- 
 tion was soon annulled ; for the king, now that he had be- ^ 
 come a tributary of the pope, could obtain very important ^ 
 avours from him. And the king was afraid that if Stephen 
 being archbishop of Canterbury, bore rule in the southeri'i 
 provinces, and his brother Simon, being made archbishop of 
 York, governed the northern districts, as they would then be 
 
124 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1216. 
 
 A.D. 121G. 
 
 THE ISLE OF ELY LAID WASTE. 
 
 125 
 
 the two chief prelates in England, everything would be regu- 
 lated by their will, and one would be supported by the assist- 
 ance of the other. 
 
 About the same time, a certain portion of the barons who 
 had remained in London, issued forth with a body of cavalry, 
 and laid waste the province of Cambridge, and, without any 
 difficulty, reduced the fortress under their power, and took 
 prisoners twenty-five esquires, whom they found in it, and 
 Avhom they bound with cliains, and carried off with them to 
 London. From thence they traversed the adjacent counties 
 of Norfolk and Suffolk, plundered the farmers and the citizens 
 of the cities, scarcely sparing the churches, and making them- 
 selves masters of everything. They also compelled the towns 
 of Yarmouth, Wich, and Ipswich, and tlie neighbouring dis- 
 tricts, to pay a very heavy ransom. And then returning through 
 Colchester, they raged against the inhabitants of that district 
 with similar furv. Tlie same force also besieged and took the 
 castles of Hertford and Berkhampstead, and forcibly seized 
 many others which lay in their way. About the same time, 
 in consequence of the exertions of his friends, and even of 
 some foreigners who feared that they might be imprisoned in 
 a similar manner, that noble man, William de Albiney, was 
 released from prison, having first been compelled to pay a fine 
 for his redemption of six thousand marks, which were to be 
 paid within a short time. \\\ the carrying out of wliich busi- 
 ness, his wife, Agatha, labouring beyond what could have been 
 expected of the female sex, raised the money demanded, though 
 with great difficulty ; and so, in a most praiseworthy manner, 
 effected the release of her husband. 
 
 The harons remain inactive in London. Louis, son of the Icing of 
 
 France, lands. 
 
 A.D. 1216. Which is the eighteenth year of king John's 
 reign, the same king John was, on the day of the Nativity of 
 our Lord, at Nottingham Castle. But, on the morrow, he 
 sent messengers to Belvoir Castle, requiring that it should be 
 immediately surrendered to him ; and threatening that, if any 
 delay took place, William de Albiney, to whom the castle be- 
 longed, and who w^is detained in the king's prison, should 
 never dine again, but should be put to death by famine. And 
 when this was known, immediately the governors of the castle, 
 going to meet him, gave up the keys of the castle to him, sti- 
 
 i 
 
 pulating for the safety of their persons, and arms, and posses- 
 sions. In the meantime, England was afflicted with severe 
 aifliction, the wives of the nobles being given up to the sport 
 of the soldiery, their houses being burnt, their woods cut down, 
 their lands given away to foreigners, and money extorted from 
 f very one by exquisite torments. In the meantime, the barons 
 lay inactive in London, doing nothing, except at times drivin"- 
 away into the neighbouring places the flocks and herds of poor 
 men, and carrying off their masters as their booty, in a mer- 
 ciless manner. But, while they were thus inactive, the king 
 did not desist from daily reducing their castles, and towns, 
 and dependents, and estates, under his own powers. In like 
 manner, too, his guards, who were stationed in different parts, 
 ravaged and destroyed the possessions of all the barons. But 
 the king, after he had laid waste and subjugated all the northern 
 districts of England, suddenly invaded the territories of the 
 king of Scotland, who had shown himself a favourer of the 
 barons, and made himself master, by force, of the castle of 
 Berwick, and some others, which were believed to be impreg- 
 nable. And he would have spread slaughter and destruction 
 very widely in those parts, if a great necessity, which did not 
 admit of delay, had not suddenly recalled him, as will be 
 shown hereafter. 
 
 And while these things were going on, at the pressing re- 
 quest of the king, who was frequently sendmg messengers to 
 the pope as his lord, the supreme pontiff, in order that he, as / 
 a new master, might give a vigorous and effectual protectioib/ 
 to his new vassal, now, a second time, excommunicated hf 
 name and individually the barons of England, whom he had 
 previously excommunicated in the lump. About this time, 
 the isle of Ely was laid waste by Falcos, who also, mounted 
 on his horse with his sword drawn, irreverently entered the 
 cathedral itself, and dragging from thence noblemen, and ma- 
 trons, and clergymen, and the lord Stephen Ridel himself, a 
 noble of the most illustrious character, an lionourable and 
 munificent man, he compelled him to pay a most heavy ran- 
 som. The barons being now in a strait,'as they found that I 
 the lord the pope, who was formerly their defender, was now / 
 become a vigorous persecutor of them, because of the sub- 
 mission of the kingdom to him, and the vassalage under which 
 the hiimbled monarch had placed himself, were in daily ex- 
 pectation of the arrival of Louis, the eldest son of Philip 
 
 i 
 
126 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1216. 
 
 A.D. 1216. 
 
 SUCCESSES OF LOUIS IN ENGLAND. 
 
 127 
 
 ^ 
 
 / 
 
 the French king, whom they had elected their sovereign. And 
 tliey had sent him hostages, and written letters, and other 
 kinds of bonds and engagements of fealty and allegiance, con- 
 veyed by formal embassies, and he now, having made all the 
 necessary preparations, was hastening his arrival. But king 
 John, hearing of the arrival of Louis in England, flew to 
 Canterbury. In the meantime, Gualo, the legate, landed, who 
 had been sent by the lord pope Innocent the Third for the 
 protection of king John, who, having visited Philip, king of 
 France, on his journey towards England, had, on the part of 
 the lord the pope, dissuaded him, by all the means he could 
 think of, not to send his son Louis to the succour of men who 
 were excommunicated, lest the Roman church should be de- 
 prived of its patrimony. And when king Phihp had under- 
 stood that this was said of the kingdom of England, he pre- 
 sently answered in this manner : " The kingdom of England 
 (never was the patrimony of Peter, or of the Roman church, 
 nor is it now, nor will it ever be so ; for king John, a long 
 ftime ago, wishing unjustly to deprive his brother, king Richard, 
 of the kingdom of England, and being on that account ac- 
 cused of treason, and convicted before him, Mas condemned 
 by a formal trial in the court of the king himself, and the sen- 
 tence was pronounced by Hugo de Pusatz, bishop of Durham ; 
 and so he has never been the true king of England. Again, 
 even if he ever was a king, and the true king of England, still 
 he subsequently forfeited the kingdom by the murder of Ar- 
 thur, for which action he was condemned in our court. 
 Agjiin, no king or prince can give away his kingdom without 
 the consent of his barons, who are bound to defend that king- 
 dom. And if tlie pope, being led away by a hist of new do- 
 minion, has ultimately determined to uphold this error, he 
 will give a very mischievous example to all kingdoms." And 
 at these words, all the nobles of France who were standing 
 by, began to cry out, as it were, with one voice, that they 
 would stand to the death in defence of that article, namely, 
 that no king or prince could, by the impulse of his own pri- 
 vate will, give away his kingdom, or make it tributary, by 
 which conduct the nobles of his kingdom would be rendered 
 slaves. These events took place at Lyons, on the fifteenth day 
 after Easter. But the next day Louis came to the conference, 
 and, in the presence of his father, and Gualo, the legate, and 
 all the rest who were standing by, said : *' My lord the king. 
 
 if I am your liegeman for the tenement which you have given 
 me, I am so far bound to you ; but with respect to the king- 
 dom of England, what right have you to determine anything 
 at all ? I submit myself to the judgment of my peers, as to 
 whether you have any power to compel me not to follow up 
 my rights, especially such as do in nowise concern you, or 
 whether you are not, on the contrary, bound to do me justice, 
 because I am prepared, if need be, \o fight even to the death 
 for the inheritance of my wife, the niece of king John." And 
 when the legate heard this, he requested the king to grant 
 him a safe conduct through his territories, which the king 
 kindly did grant. Accordingly, king Philip still dissembling, 
 Louis hastened his march to the sea-coast, in order to cross 
 over to England, and arrive there before the legate. And 
 when he was on the point of embarking on board ship, he 
 found in the harbour of Calais a most gallant and numerous 
 fleet, amounting to six hundred ships and eighty transports, 
 well equipped, which Eustace the monk, who has been men- 
 tioned above, had collected there against his arrival. Then 
 Louis and all his followers embarked on board the ships, and 
 came with a fair wind to the isle of Thanet, and anchored in 
 the place which is called ^taniyjrt, on the twenty-first of May. 
 King John was at that time with his army at Dover, but as he 
 was surrounded by a band of foreign mercenaries, who loved 
 Louis more than John, king of England, he did not dare to 
 encounter Louis in a hostile manner, lest his troops might per- 
 chance desert king John himself in his necessity, and transfer 
 themselves to Louis. From which considerations he preferred 
 retreating at the time to engaging in a doubtful battle. There- 
 tore, he retreated, and withdrew to Canterbury, and left and 
 entrusted the castle of Dover to the custody and good faith of 
 Hubert de Burgh. And soon afterwards, Gualo, the legate, 
 anded in England, for the protection of king John and the 
 kingdom against Louis and his partisans. But king John fled 
 as far as Winchester, and Louis, when he found that no one 
 ottered to resist hmi, disembarked from his ships, and landin- 
 at bandwich, subdued immediately the whole of that district" 
 with the exception of the town of Dover, and hastening to- 
 wards London, he made himself master of the castle of Ro- 
 chester, and on the second of June he arrived in London 
 where first of all he off*ered up prayers at Saint Paul's, and 
 was afterwards pubhcly received by the clergy and laity with 
 
128 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEIl. 
 
 A.D. 1216. 
 
 A.D. 1210. 
 
 THE CORONATION OF KING HENRT. 
 
 129 
 
 H 
 
 I 
 
 great joy, and received the fealty and homage of all the harons. 
 And shortly afterwards, namely, on the fourteenth of June, 
 the city of Winchester was surrendered to him ; and on the 
 day after the feast of Saint John, he took the castle of the city, 
 and the bishop's castle also; and on the ninth of July, he re- 
 ceived the submission of the castles of Odiham, Farnham, 
 Guildford, and Reigate. The castle of Windsor was besieged 
 by the earls and barons of both France and England, but 
 they were forced to retreat from before it without succeeding 
 in their object. But the castle of Cambridge was taken by 
 the barons, with twenty esquires which were found in it. 
 
 The same year, Gualo, the legate, exacted visitation fees through- 
 out all England, from all the cathedral churches and houses ot 
 relUnous brotherhoods, fixing each visitation fee at filty shil- 
 lin 4 lie also seized all the benefices of the clergy, and men 
 of religious orders who adhered to Louis and the barons, and 
 converted them to the use of his own clergy. In the mean- 
 time, king John, inflamed with the madness of passion, op- 
 pressed and grievously afflicted the provinces of Suttolk ami 
 Norfolk. Then, continuing his march towards the north, he 
 irrecoverably lost his carriages, and much of his baggage, at 
 Wellestrem, where they were swallowed up by a quicksand. 
 And when he heard the news he grieved inconsolably, and 
 redoubUng deep sighs, he passed the night at Swineshead 
 abbey belonging to the Carthusian order, where, according 
 to hi*s' custom, he gorged himself with peaches soaked in new 
 wine and cider, and being greatly absorbed in grief tor liis 
 recent loss, be became attacked with a severe illness. 15ut 
 the next dav, concealin- his illness lest the enemy should 
 triumph over him, he, though with difficulty, mounted his 
 horse ; and soon after, having had a litter drawn by horses 
 made for him, he dismounted from his palfrey and entered it, 
 and in this way he came to the castle of Leadford, where he 
 spent the night, and found his disease increase greatly. But 
 the next day he was carried forwards, and arrived at the castle 
 of Newark, where he took to his bed, and his sickness as- 
 Bumed a fatal appearance ; and summoning the abbot of Cro.- 
 fi^tune, who was skilful in the art of medicine, to his side, he 
 confessed himself to him, and received the eucharist from 
 him. And he appointed Henry, his eldest son, the heir ot 
 his kingdom, bequeathing his body to the church ot W or- 
 cester, under the protection of Saint Wolstan. After this, 
 
 with the greatest bitterness of spirit, he cursed all his ba- 
 rons, instead of bidding them farewell ; and in this manner, 
 poor, and deprived of all his treasures, and not retaining the 
 smallest portion of land in peace, so that he was truly called 
 Lackland, he most miserably departed from this life on the 
 night following the next after the day of Saint Luke the 
 Evangelist. And because this John made himself detestable 
 to many persons, not only on account of the death of his 
 nephew, Arthur, bnt also on account of his incontinence, by 
 which he violated the treaty of the marriage bed, and of his 
 tyrannical conduct, and of the tribute with which he bound 
 the kingdom of England under perpetual slavery, and of the 
 war which his misdeeds provoked, he scarcely deserved to be 
 mourned by the lamentations of any one. 
 
 Tlie following are the territories which John lost, by his 
 cruelties and oppressions, and various fornications and in- 
 juries, which he did not desist from doing to every one. First 
 of all, the duchy of Normandy, the county of Blois, the county 
 of Maine, Anjou, Poitou, the Limoisin, Auvergne, and An- 
 goul^me. And all these districts at one time belonged to 
 king John. Besides this, he subjected England and Ireland 
 to the payment of tribute, and never recovered any of his 
 losses to the day of his death. 
 
 This John had the sons and daughters wliose 7iames are inentioned 
 
 beloio, 
 
 Henry, Richard, earl of Cornwall, Edmund, Isabella, 
 Eleanor, and Johanna. 
 
 Cn. VIII. — From a.d. 121G to a.d. 1225. 
 
 Ilennj the Third succeeds to the throne — The English defeat 
 the French who support the claim of Louis — Peace is made 
 — Louis leaves the kingdom — Pope Innocent dies — The siege 
 of Damietta — Persecution of the Albigenses — The princess 
 Johanna marries Alexander ^ hing of Scotland — Quarrels 
 break out again between the king and the barons — Death of 
 Bald winy emperor of Constantinople. 
 
 The coronation of king Henry the Third. 
 
 BcT when John, king of England, was dead, the legate Gualo 
 and many of the nobles of England met at Gloucester. And 
 as Westminster, which, according to the custom of the king- 
 
 VOL. II. ^ 
 
130 
 
 M.1TTIIEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1217. 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
 (lom, is the place set apart for the consecration of the kini;, 
 was at that time hesieged by his enemies, under the compul- 
 sion of necessity, Henry, the eldest son of John, was anointed 
 king, and solemnly crowned at Gloucester, before the larger 
 altar, in the church of the Convent. And because Louis had 
 already displayed great arrogance to, and made himself de- 
 tested by, all the English, and despising the English and the 
 treaty that he had made with them, had bestowed their for- 
 tresses and estates upon others, all the nobles of the land in 
 a short time returned and adhered to the young king Henry, 
 who had merited no reproaches from them. Accordingly, the 
 castles of Hereford and Berkhampstead, and many others, sub- 
 mitted to his authority, and the barons, behaving like gallant 
 men, deserved absolution from the legate, and affection from 
 the new king. 
 
 About the same time, while pope Innocent was celebrating 
 a solemn procession at Rome, and when that image of our 
 Lord's countenance which is called the Veronica had been 
 borne along reverently to be gazed upon by the people, the 
 pope himself replaced it in its accustomed place ; but on the 
 morrow it was found turned round, standing in an improper 
 manner, in such a way that the face was bent downwards, and 
 the beard turned down to the ground. And when the lord 
 pope heard this, he greatly feared that this was an evil omen, 
 and, accordingly, he composed a collect, and appointed it to 
 be said in honour of the Veronica ; and he granted to all who 
 should repeat it a pardon for ten days. In those days the 
 truce expired which had been entered into in the Holy Land 
 between the Christians and the infidels. 
 
 A batik having heen first fought at Lincoln, and the French having 
 been subsequently defeated hj sea, the English triumphed glori- 
 ously. Pope Lmocent the Third dies. 
 
 A.D. 1217. King Henry, the son of king John, celebrated 
 the solemn festival of the Nativity of our Lord, at Christmas, 
 at Bristol. But the remnant of the barons who remained in 
 London gradually returned to him. And an iniquitous design 
 of the French was revealed by one of them who was at the 
 point of death, namely, the viscount Melun ; for, when he 
 found that death was close at hand, and that there was no 
 remedy, then, fearing for the safety of Ids soul, he confessed 
 that it was the intention of Loids and his Frenchmen, which 
 
 A.D. 1217. 
 
 LOUIS COMES TO LOXDON. 
 
 131 
 
 had been confirmed by an oath which they Iiad all taken, and 
 pledges of faith that they had mutually interchanged, as soon 
 as they had subdued England, to expel all the English and 
 condemn them to irrevocable exile. Besides this, the sentence 
 of excommunication, which the English dread above all other 
 nations, was day by day bringing back the barons to their 
 natural lord, and causing them to forsake Louis. Louis, aban- 
 doning the siege of Dover Castle, crossed the sea in order to 
 reinforce his army from France by the assistance of his father, 
 and soon after, returning again, he besieged the same castle a 
 second time : and a very great multitude of foreigners prepared 
 to hasten to the assistance of Louis. About tlie same time, 
 Falcas, having plundered the town of Saint Alban's, violently 
 dragged even from the church some nobles who had occupied 
 it as a safe place of refuge, and polluted the church itself with 
 bloodshed. But presently the martyr himself, the blessed 
 Alban, looked upon Falcas himself with a stern eye so fiercely, 
 and reproved him so bitterly, that he was almost bereft of 
 his senses ; and, moreover, the very same night the legate 
 beheld the same thing in a vision, and related it to Falcas.^ On 
 which account the same Falcas returned in the greatest humi- 
 lity and alarm to the church of the blessed martyr, barefooted, 
 and stripped of his upper garment, and entered the chapter- 
 house, with tears entreating pardon for his transgression of the 
 abbot and each of the brethren ; and he related to them plainly 
 liow he had been severely reproved by the martyr Alban him- 
 self, and how he had also been knocked down by a certain vast 
 stone which fell from the tower of the church like Hghtning, 
 so that he fell to the ground almost hfeless, and, as it appeared 
 to him, was thrust down to the gates of hell. And so he sub- 
 mitted to corporal chastisement at the hands of each individujl 
 among them, and thus he properly obtained from the abbot 
 and the brethren the indulgence which he had entreated. 
 
 The same year, the remainder of the barons who still ad- 
 hered to Louis came in haste with a great number of French- 
 men to Lincoln on the twentieth of May, being the Saturday, 
 the vigil of the Sabbath of the Holy Trinity, for the purpose 
 of occupying the city and the castle, but they were taken pri- 
 soners by the citizens who were faithful to the king, and the 
 earl of Perche was slain. And when Louis heard this, he de- 
 parted from the siege of Dover Castle, and came to London, 
 
 * Called Favvkes by Hume. 
 
 K 2 
 
n 
 
 ( 
 
 K 
 
 132 
 
 MATTHEW or WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1217. 
 
 and waited there for the expected succour and arrival of the 
 French. But as the Lord was propitious to, and fought for, 
 the innocent king Henry, in a naval battle on the sea, not far 
 from Dover, the French, though an immense multitude, were 
 defeated, routed, wounded, taken prisoners, drowned, and some 
 of them slain by the sword, and Eustace the Pirate, surnamed 
 the Monk, was also slain. And when Louis heard this, he 
 was grieved at the double disaster, and could not be com- 
 forted ; and because his steps were weakened, he humbly en- 
 treated conditions of peace. Accordingly, when Gualo, the 
 legate, and the bishops, and clergy, and laity were met together, 
 with William de Marischal,' who was at that time the protector 
 of the king and kingdom, they held an earnest conference on 
 whe subject of peace, on an island pretty near the town of 
 Kingston, and peace was made and confirmed between the 
 king and Louis, on the vigil of the Exaltation of the Holy 
 Cross, Louis having been first of all solemnly absolved from 
 the sentence of excommunication, which, as has been fully 
 related above, had been pronounced against him. 
 
 The same year, pope Innocent paid the debt of human na- 
 ture, after he had filled the papal chair eighteen years, five 
 months, and fourteen days, dying on the sixteenth day of 
 July. He was succeeded by Honorius the Third, who was 
 previously called Cintius, and who ruled the church ten years, 
 seven months, and nineteen days, as this History, as it pro- 
 ceeds, will show. By him also the design of the business of 
 the cross was approved, confirmed, and diligently prosecuted, 
 in accordance with the resolutions which had been taken in 
 the council of pope Innocent. But when the conditions of 
 peace were sent to Louis to be read over to him, and examined 
 by him, he was pleased, as he had feared much harder terms. 
 Accordmgly, all the nobles of both sides being summoned to- 
 gether, first of all Louis and all his partisans swore, laying 
 their hands on the Holy Gospels, that they would stand by 
 the judgment of the church, and that he, Louis, would depart 
 with all his friends from the realm of England, and would 
 never return, and would never utter any false accusations 
 against the barons of England, whom he had deceived by 
 falsehood and lies ; Louis also swore that he would persuade 
 his father, according to the best of his power and ability, with- 
 
 » This was the earl of Pembroke, who, at the time of John's death, was 
 marcschal of England. 
 
 A.D. 1218. THE CncISTIANS AEfilYE AT DAMIETTA. 
 
 133 
 
 out any reservation, to restore king Henry all his rights ; and, 
 if ever he came to the possession of the kingdom of France, 
 he himself would, without making any difficulty, restore them. 
 After this, Henry, king of England, with the legate and ma- 
 rischal, and the nobles who were there assembled, swore that 
 he would restore to the barons of England, and to all his other 
 subjects in the kingdom, all their rights and inheritances, and 
 all the Hberties which they had formerly desired, for the sake 
 of which war had been waged ; that all prisoners should be 
 released, all castles discharged of any ransom that might be 
 due, all obligations cancelled, and all oaths and promises of 
 fidelity ; that all hostages and everything of that sort should 
 be given up on each side, fully and plainly, without any fraud 
 or evasion. Some obstinate recreants were, however, excepted 
 from this peace, for whom Louis did not care very much, since 
 they had persuaded, and prompted, and urged him on to the 
 disastrous disgraces that he had suffered. As, for instance, 
 Simon de Langton, and Gervais de Hobruge, and some others, 
 who subsequently crossed the Alps, and with diflUculty ob- 
 tained, from the kindness of the lord the pope, a reconciliation 
 to the church and kingdom of England, and a restoration to 
 the benefices of which they had been deprived by the le«»ate. 
 After these events, Louis, having been absolved, as I have 
 already said, and having borrowed from the citizens of London 
 five thousand marks to meet the expenses of his return home, 
 hastened to Gaul for the last time. 
 
 Saphadin dies. The toiver with the chain being taken, the nolle 
 
 city of Bamietta is besieged. 
 ^ A.D. 1218. King Henry was, on the feast of the Nativity, at 
 Northampton, where Falcas performed the necessary services 
 for the king. But, in the month of May, king John of Jeru- 
 salem, with the patriarch and bishops, and inhabitants of 
 Bethlehem and Acre, and other prelates, and the duke of 
 Austria, and the masters of the Temple and of the Hospital of 
 Saint John, and of the house of the blessed Virgin Mary of 
 the Teutons, and a great multitude of Christians, made a suc- 
 cessful voyage from Acre to Damietta, and immediately they 
 besieged a certain castle with a chain, which appeared the 
 strength and defence of the whole city, which was at no great 
 distance off. About this time, there was a total eclipse of the 
 moon, and, without the siege being protracted for any length 
 of time, the town with the chain was taken by the Christians. 
 
 i 
 
 ,1 
 
^ 
 
 I 
 
 \ 
 
 a 
 
 134 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMi:NSTr.R. 
 
 A.D. 1218. 
 
 The walls of Jerusalem were destroyed by the Saracens, for 
 the purpose of recalling the Christians, so as to prevent their 
 besieging Damietta ; when Pelagus, bishop of Aubigny, legate 
 of the ApostoHc See, arrived, more to the destruction of the 
 Christians than to their support, as the ultimate issue of the 
 business showed. There arrived also Master Robert de Corsim, 
 a cardinal, and Master Thomas de Novin, both profound theolo- 
 gians and preachers. Also, a great multitude of Romans came, 
 who fled at the first shock of battle, and so showed a most mis- 
 chievous example to the Christians, as will hereafter be re- 
 lated. There came also to the siege of Damietta some noble 
 men of the greatest renown from England, namely, Ranulph, 
 the ilhistrious earl of Chester, and Saer, earl of Winchester, 
 'ind WiHiam, earl of Arundel, and many famous barons, such 
 as Robert Fitz-Walter, John, the constable of Chester, Wil- 
 liam de Harcourt, Oliver, son of the king of England, with a 
 large retinue. But, on the night of the feast of Saint Andrew, 
 an unequalled and unheard-of tempest of thunder and hght- 
 ning, and wind and rain, shook nearly the whole world in a 
 terrible manner, affecting both the eastern and western coun- 
 tries, and causing both the sea and the Nile to rise on a sud- 
 den, so that both the natives of the country and the Ciiristians 
 suffered irreparable damage. 
 
 The same year, the church of Saint Mary was dedicated at 
 Worcester, and the body of tlie glorious bishop and confessor, 
 Wolstan, was removed to its proper place, in the presence of 
 the chief men of the kingdom, hoth knights and prelates, on 
 the same day, being the seventh of June, G being the letter, 
 according to the Sunday letter, the day of the week being 
 Thursday, in the week of Pentecost ; Silvester, the bishop of 
 the church, who had formerly been a monk and prior of the 
 same church, presiding over the removal, and managing all 
 these things, and conducting them to their accomplishment 
 in a magnificent manner. And as that saint was honoured 
 with exceeding glory, numbers of his relics were distributed 
 among several places, and bestowed upon divers prelates; so 
 that one of his ribs was given to William, abbot of Saint 
 Alban's, and gratefully received by that convent with a solemn 
 procession, all arrayed in their choral robes of festival ; and 
 soon after enclosed in a golden chest wrought with great 
 beauty, and a festival was appointed to be kept with all due 
 solemnity, in honour both of his burial and removal. About 
 
 A.D. 1219. WILLIAM, THE GEEAT MAUESCIIAL, HIES. 135 
 
 this time, Gualo, the legate, returned to Rome, with chests 
 wt41 filled with gold and silver, after he had, by his largesses, 
 procured the election of Richard Marais, and had disposed of 
 a great portion of the revenues of England at his pleasure. 
 Rut Richard having been elected, received consecration on the 
 twenty-fourth of July. Pandulph was elected to the bishopric 
 of Norwich, and when Gualo, the legate, departed, he suc- 
 ceeded him in the office of legate, and, ^on the Monday after the 
 festival of Saint Andrew, he came to London, to Saint' Paul's. 
 
 About this time, the blockade of the city of Damietta was 
 completed, the tents, and fosses, and stations being properly 
 arranged.^ In those days also, Silvester, of pious memory, 
 bishop of Worcester, died, at Ramsey, after he had accom- 
 plished everything that had reference to his patron, Saint 
 Vv'olstan, except the bier, in a solemn manner, according to the 
 desire that he had long before conceived ; and he was suc- 
 ceeded by William de Blois, archdeacon of Buckingham, who 
 was consecrated at Westminster, on the Lord's day, being the 
 morrow of the festival of Saint Fides the Virgin. 
 
 Also about this time, after the capture of the tower, and 
 the completion of the siege of Damietta, Saphadin, the inve- 
 terate cause of evil days, and the disinheritor of liis nephews, 
 and the most wicked usurper of the kingdom of Asia, bein**- 
 allected internally with anguish of heart, died, and was buried 
 m hell. And he was succeeded by his son, Coradin, the un- 
 wearied imitator of his father's wickedness. King Henry caused 
 a seal to be made for himself. The same /ear, Ranulpjj 
 prior of Norwich, was made bishop of Chichester. 
 
 niUiam, the great mnreschal, dies. The siege of Damietta is 
 
 protracted. The Chrintians are distressed, nevertheless th'y 
 
 2)er severe. Jerusalem icith the sovereignty is oifered to the 
 Christians. 
 
 A.D. 1219. Which is the fourth year of king Henry the 
 ! hird the said king celebrated a great and solemn feast at 
 \\ inchester, on the day of the Nativity of the Lord The 
 same year, William, the great mareschal, the principal governor 
 ot the king and kingdom, died, and was buried in London in 
 tlie New Temple, in the middle of the church, on the day of 
 our Lord's Ascension,^ being the sixteenth of March ; and 
 
 JJfT '' ^",'^""^^-1 ^«"^« ""=^take l.ere. Even Easter dav cannot ,,os. 
 siblj fall as early as the sixteenth of March, nuich less Ascensioa day. 
 
 i 
 
136 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1220. 
 
 Ill 
 
 I 
 
 after his death, the young king remained under the guardian- 
 ship of the bishop of Winchester, to be brought up by him. 
 
 About the same time, the siege with which Damietta was 
 encompassed being still continued, imposed or brought great 
 danger and loss, first to one side and then to the other, accord- 
 ing to the various chances of war. At length, on the day of 
 Saint Leonard, owing rather to a miracle than to any assist- 
 ance from men, the city of Damietta was taken and com- 
 pletely restored to Christian worship. In these days also, 
 Louis having, at the suggestion of his father, gone down to 
 the district about Toulouse, surrounded that city with a 
 blockade. But when he had wasted some time there to no 
 purpose, and after Simon, earl de Montfort, an illustrious 
 warnor, had perished, having been slain by a blow from a 
 squared stone, and his brother had also fallen in a similar 
 manner, and by a like misfortune, Louis returned ingloriously 
 and m disorder into Gaul, with his army greatly weakened by 
 fanime. The same year, Hugh de Mapenore, bishop of Here- 
 ford, died, about Easter, and was succeeded by Hugh Folioth, 
 and was consecrated at Canterbury, about the time of the feast 
 of All Saints. The same year, many councils and deliberations 
 were held between the barons at Westminster, who were still, 
 in some degree, at variance because of the hostiUties which 
 were not wholly forgotten, and Leoline, prince of North 
 AVales, and some of the nobles of England. But Leoline 
 through his sagacity always remained uninjured. This year, 
 a more earnest preaching began with great vehemence to invite 
 many of the faithful to unite in assuming the cross against the 
 Albigenses. 
 
 The blessed Thomas, archhishop of Canterbury, is removed by 
 archbishop Stephen. The blessed Hugh, bis'hap of Lincoln, is 
 canonised. 
 
 A.D. 1220. King Henry the Third on the feast of the 
 INativity was at Marlborough, being still under the guardian- 
 ship of Peter, bishop of Winchester. In which year also, 
 which was the fifth after his consecration as king, he was 
 crowned at Westminster, on the day of Pentecost, by Stephen, 
 archbishop of Canterbury, on the seventeenth of May, in the 
 presence of lord Pandulph, the legate, and otlier bishops, pre- 
 lates, earls, barons, and mayors of England. And the said 
 archbishop preached at the same time there in favour of as- 
 
 i \ 
 
 if 
 
 i.D. 1220. THE BISUOP OP DCEnAlI GOES TO HOME. 137 
 
 suming the sign of the cross. After that, on the festival of 
 ibamt Barnabas, Henry, king of England, and Alexander, king 
 of Scotland, met m a conference at York, where the question 
 was discussed ot entering into a treaty of marriage between 
 tlie said Alexander, kmg of Scotland, and tlie ladv Joanna, 
 sister of Henry, king of England ; and after this treaty had 
 been settled, the king of Scotland returned to his own country 
 About the same time, the blessed Hugh, bisliop of Lincoln, 
 was canonized at Rome, and deservedly reckoned in the collese 
 ot the Saints and his feast was fixed on the seventeenth of 
 November. So also the feast of the translation of the blessed 
 riiomas, archbishop of Canterbury, and martyr, which trans- 
 lation took place under Stephen of gloriou's memory, the 
 tourth successor of the martyr in his archbishopric, was fixed 
 on the day week after that of the Apostles Peter and Paul, and 
 celebrated with great magnificence. But on the holy Saturday 
 which was the vigil of Pentecost, the new work of the chapel 
 of the hlesscd \iigin Mary at Westminster was begun; king 
 Henry the Third himself being the chief instigator ^f thif 
 work, and Its founder, and the layer of the first stone at the 
 commencement of the undertaking. This year Henry de 
 I oune, earl ot- Hereford, and Saer de Quency arl of Wif,! 
 Orth;- W ''^V" their journey as pilgrim"^ to Jerusalem. 
 On the Sun<lay before the feast of Saint Barnabas the Apostle 
 hat .s to say, on the eighth of June, the church of Sainnohn 
 de Mordune was dedicated in an honourable manner by John 
 b shop of Hertford, under master Thomas of E.ssex, who wa^ 
 at that time the rector of that church. This year also when 
 he season of the Advent of the Lord was drawing near a vio 
 lent con est arose between Richard, bishop of Durham and the 
 monks, because the bishop was an indiscreet and ex trava-Inl 
 waster of the property of the church. On which account the 
 bishop protected himself by an appeal, and lavishing hi" trea' 
 s. res with even more profusion than usual, he went to Rome 
 
 U^"tlTrty"f '"'• 'r'^'r^^-'^^ - ex'penditure of Ze 
 than t nrty thousand marks. And as this contest continued 
 
 nX inT.'ry':'"' '"' ''"'"' ""' '''' '''-*- -eurred S 
 
 thrl'i'J*.",,"!''''," '^"""""^ °f *''« justiciaries took place 
 
 bus In" "" w ^'T"- "^'"^ y*"-- »1^«' J"'"', "bbot de Fon! 
 tibus, an upright and just man, and one who eschewed evil 
 
 was consecrated bishop at Westminster, on the day Ifter the 
 
I 
 
 ']fi 
 
 13S 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMrS^STEB. 
 
 A.D. 1221. 
 
 feast of the Saints Perpetua and Felicitas, being tlie Sunday 
 on which the anthem," Rejoice, Jerusalem," is cliaunted. At 
 that time also, the Welch passed over their borders which had 
 been formerly established as the frontiers of England and 
 Wales, chiefly under the command of William de Brause, and 
 offered repeated insults, and did constant injury to the country. 
 This year, Frederic the Second was crowned emperor at 
 Rome, in the church of Saint Peter, by Ilugolin, the cardinal 
 bishop of Ostia, and Veliterno, the legate of the Apostolic See, 
 and pope Ilonorius the Third, on the twenty-second of No- 
 vember, and he was deposed in the forty-first year of his reign 
 by pope Innocent the Fourth, in the council of Lyons. 
 
 Eustace de Falconhridge is made hiahop of London. Pandulpli, 
 
 tlie legate, returns to Rome. 
 
 A.D. 1221. Kinpr Henry the Third was at the festival of the 
 Nativity of tlie Lord at Oxford, where he celebrated the feast 
 with his nobles with great solemnity. This year, William of 
 Saint Mary's, bishop of the church of London, voluntarily re- 
 signed his bishopric on this day, after the feast of the conver- 
 sion of Saint Paul. And on the twenty-fourth of February, 
 Eustace de Falconhridge, at that time treasurer of the exche- 
 quer, was elected bishop of London, and his election was con- 
 firmed by the legate, Pandulph, at Norwich. And on the 
 Sunday when the anthem, ** The mercy of the Lord," is sung, 
 which fell that year on the twenty-fifth of April, being the 
 day of the Evangelist Saint Mark, he was consecrated at West- 
 minster, by Benedict, bishop of Rochester, acting for the time 
 as the deputy of Stephen, archbishop of Canterbury, who was 
 at that time in foreign parts on the spiritual business of the 
 holy church and kingdom of England ; the legate, however, 
 was present. Soon afterwards, on the Monday which was 
 next before the feast of the blessed Mary Magdalen, Pandulph, 
 being elected bishop of Norwich, resigned his office as legate, 
 at the command of the lord the pope Ilonorius, at Westmin- 
 ster, in the presence of Richard, bishop of Salisbury, Peter, 
 bishop of Winchester, and Eustace, bishop of London, and no 
 one else at that time succeeded him as les;ate. Durins: the 
 time that he had enjoyed the authority of legate, he manfully 
 repressed several warlike disturbances which were not pre- 
 viously healed, and after the feast of Saint Michael, he quitted 
 England. 
 
 \ 
 
 '.♦ 
 
 
 A.D. 1221. DAMIETIA WRESTED FKOM THE CHIIISTIAXS. 139 
 
 Ai)out the same time, William de Fortlbus, earl of Albe- 
 marle, seized unjustly upon some castles ; and being unwilliny; 
 to return to peace witli the king, raised a hostile rebellion 
 against him in Lincolnshire, on which account the bishop and 
 all his partisans were, for the guilt which they thus perpe- 
 trated, excommunicated by Pandulf, the legate, and the bishops 
 and clergy of England, and the count himself was compelled 
 to surrender, without any respect being shown him, and some 
 of his followers were thrown into prison, and some condemned 
 to perpetual banishment. 
 
 King Henry gave Alexander, king of Scotland, his eldest 
 sister, Joanna, for his wife, and she was espoused to him on 
 the day after the feast of Saint John the Baptist, at York, and 
 the nuptials were celebrated with great magnificence, in the 
 presence of both the kings, and many of the nobles. 
 
 In the same year, also, Hubert de Burgh, at that time jus- 
 ticiary of England, married Margaret, sister of the aforesaid 
 king of Scotland, in the city of London, in the presence of 
 tlie lord the king and the lord Stephen, archbishop of Canter- 
 bury, and other nobles of the land, the lord archbishop him- 
 self celebrating the marriage service. 
 
 This year, the city of Damietta was wrested from the power 
 of tlie Christians, on the vigil of the decapitation of Saint 
 John the Baptist ; on which account the crusaders, who were 
 endeavouring to accomplish their intended march to that citv 
 abandoned the expedition when they heard of the disaster of 
 the Christians. Peter de Roches, bishop of Winchester, as- 
 sumed the sign of the cross. Eustace, bishop of London, de- 
 nianded of the abbot William, and of the convent of West- 
 minster, a right of procession, procuration, visitation, and 
 every kind of universal jurisdiction, on account of which claim 
 an appeal was made to the pope. 
 
 In the same year, William de Albinev, earl of Arundel, died 
 in foreign parts, on his way back from Damietta, and his 
 body was conveyed to England by Thomas, the monk of Saint 
 Alban s, to be buried at Wymondham, of which the earl was 
 he patron, riie same year, on account of the frequent irrup- 
 ions of the Welsh, who a httle before had even stirred up the 
 king himself to such an undertaking, king Henry fortified a 
 very strong castle, on account of the desirableness of its situa- 
 tion, and called it the castle of Montgomery, from the place 
 
 h 
 
1 * 
 
 m 
 
 140 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEll. 
 
 A.D. 1222. 
 
 i ' 
 
 T^here it stood. This year the order of brethren preachers 
 was established. 
 
 Peace is re-estahlished between the church of Saint Paul in 
 London, and the church of Westminster. 
 
 A.D. 1222. Kinx Henry the Third was, on the feast of the 
 Nativity of the Lord, at Winchester, where Peter, the bishop 
 of that city, supplied him with all necessaries, in a splendid 
 manner. This year, also, the controversy which had been 
 raised between Eustace, bishop of London, and the chapter 
 of Saint Paul's on the one part, and William, abbot at the 
 time, and the convent of Westminster on the other part, was 
 terminated by the exertions of Stephen, archbishop of Canter- 
 bury, Peter, bishop of Winchester, Richard, bishop of Salis- 
 bury, Thomas, prior of Merton, and Richard, prior of Dun- 
 stable, whom the two parties agreed upon as arbitrators and 
 regulators of peace. They pronounced the monastery of 
 Westminster absolutely exempt from every kind of subjec- 
 tion to and from the jurisdiction of the bishop of London, 
 and ordered that the church of Staines, with all its belong- 
 ings, should be converted to the use of the church of West- 
 minster, as its own, and that the manor of Sunbury should 
 become the property of the bishop of London, and that the 
 church of that same manor should become the property of 
 the church of Saint Paul for ever. Also thev announced a 
 formal sentence that the church of Saint Margaret, with the 
 whole parish, and all the chapels that were or that should at 
 any ti«ne be contained in the parish, with the tithes and all its 
 belongings, and the clergy and laity who dwelt in it, should 
 be exempt from the prelatical jurisdiction of the bishop of 
 London and his officials, and his church, without any excep- 
 tion, or the interposition of any one. 
 
 They also added that the parishioners might receive the 
 benedictions of the abbot, the dedications of churches and 
 chapels built, or hereafter to be built, within the limits of the 
 said parish, and the consecrations of altars, and the ordinations 
 of monks and secular clergy, and the confirmations of children, 
 and the holy oil and chrism, and all other sacraments of that 
 sort, anywhere, and from whatever bishop they chose, without 
 any kind of opposition from the church of London, for ever. 
 The same year, on the sixth of March, William, bishop of Ely, 
 
 A.D. 1222. DTSTmBAKCE IN TUE CITY OF LONDON. 
 
 141 
 
 treasurer of England, died, and also Robert Manduyt, cham- 
 berlain of my lord the king, about the time of the feast of 
 Saint Barnabas. Master Stephen de Langton, the archbishop, 
 held a solemn council at Oxford, at which many regulations 
 were made for the reformation of the constitution of the An- 
 glican church, and the monastic religion, as is elsewhere shown 
 in the records of the said council. 
 
 A few days before the council a certain impostor was appre- 
 hended, having on his body and limbs, that is to say, on his 
 side, hands, and feet the five wounds of the crucifixion. And 
 he and another vagabond, an accomplice in the same fraud 
 and imposture, were brought together before the council ; and 
 being convicted, and compelled to make a pubHc confession, 
 they were punished by ecclesiastical sentence. The same 
 year, Pandulf was consecrated bishop of Norwich. The same 
 year, also, William de Humet, abbot of Westminster, died, 
 on the twenty-first of April, and was succeeded by Richard 
 de Berkinges, prior of the same place, who, on the eighteenth 
 of September, in the same year, received the benediction of 
 the lord Peter, bishop of Winchester, in the church of West- 
 minster. Rannlph, bishop of Chichester, died, who at one 
 time was the official of Norwich, and afterwards prior of the 
 same church. He was succeeded by Radulph de Neville, 
 who had been previously made chanceller by the consent of 
 the whole kingdom, and who was the most faithful keeper 
 and bearer of the king's seal. He was elected about the 
 feast of all Saints, in this year, but not consecrated till the 
 year after. The same year, on an opportunity afforded by a 
 wresthng-match at the hospital of Saint James, in London, a 
 great quarrel and disturbance arose, which, by the agency'of 
 the devil, became so violent, that one of the noblest citizens 
 of London, a man eminent for his birth and property, was 
 hung, to his great confusion and disgrace, out of mere spite, 
 because he had undertaken the task of exciting a sedition and 
 great tumult in the city, and had inflicted injury upon the abbot 
 of Westminster. And this hanging of him was brought about 
 by Hubert de Burgh, at the time justiciary of England, 
 and by Falcas, who was at that time a powerful regulator of 
 the aff-airs of the kingdom, out of spite. On which account 
 although this exciter of sedition, whose name was Constantine' 
 was guilty, and deserved hanging, yet the citizens of London 
 ever afterwards detested the justiciary, and Falcas, as subse- 
 
! I# 
 
 142 
 
 MATTHEW OF "WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1223. 
 
 H 
 
 1 1 
 
 quent events plainly showed, and as will be related in order 
 at the proper time. 
 
 The king, seduced hj evil couyueh^ seehfi excuses for not regarding 
 the liberties which have been promised. So, ichen he breaks his 
 agreement, Louis, king of France, does the same. 
 
 A.D. 1223. King Henry held his court at Oxford, and after- 
 wards, on the day week after the Epiphany, he came to Lon- 
 don, and held a conference with the barons, at which he was 
 requested by the archbishop of Canterbury and the other 
 nobles to confirm their liberties and free customs, for the sake 
 of which war was w^aged against his father ; and, as the arch- 
 bishop clearly demonstrated, the king could not avoid doing 
 this, as on the withdrawal of Louis from England he had 
 sworn, and all the nobility of the kingdom had sworn with 
 him, that they would observe all the liberties which were re- 
 gistered in the deed, and would cause them to be observed by 
 every one. When William de Briwere, who was one of the 
 counsellors of the king, heard this, he, answering on behalf of 
 the king, said, '* The liberties which you are asking fov are not 
 bound to be observed as of right, because they were extorted 
 by violence." But the archbishop was indignant at this ex- 
 pression, and reproved him, saying, '* William, if you really 
 loved the king, you would not hinder the peace of the king- 
 dom." But when the king saw that the archbishop was moved 
 to anger, he said, " We have all sworn to those liberties, and 
 we are all l)ound to observe what we have sworn to." And 
 immediately the king held a council to consider the matter, and 
 sent letters to all the viscounts of the kingdom to cause inqui- 
 sition to be made by twelve knights or lawyers in each county 
 as to what liberties existed in England in the time of his grand- 
 father, and when they had completed their inquisition, they 
 were to send it to London to the king, by a fortnight after 
 Easter. The same year, William Mareschal, earl of Pembroke, 
 went to Ireland ; but when Leoline heard this, he took two 
 castles belonging to that earl by the strong hand, and beheaded 
 all those whom he found in them. But afterwards, the earl, 
 having collected a numerous army in England, manfully re- 
 covered those castles, and retahated on the Welch for the 
 slaughter they had made. The same year, the Sunday letter 
 being A, in the eighth cycle, Easter day fell on the twenty-third 
 of April, on Saint George's day. The same year, on the 
 
 A.U. 1223. IvIXG or .JERUSALEM C0ME3 TO ENGLAND. 
 
 113 
 
 eleventh of August, Philip, king of France, died, who having 
 succeeded to the kingdom in the hfetinie of his father, Louis, 
 and in the fifteenth year of his age, had reigned forty-four 
 years. And his death was clearly heralded by a fiery and 
 bairy comet, which appeared a short time before. He was 
 succeeded by his son Louis. And when his death had become 
 generally known, Henry, king of England, sent the archbishop 
 of Canterbury with three bishops to Louis, who had been 
 already crowned king, with instructions to demand steadily 
 from him that he would restore him Normandy and the other 
 countries beyond the sea, as he had sworn to do on the occa- 
 sion of his withdrawal from the kingdom of England, when 
 peace was made between him and the king of England and all 
 his nobles. Louis replied to this, and said that he was the 
 rightful possessor of Normandy and those countries, as he was 
 prepared to prove in his court, if the king of England chose 
 to come there and abide by the law there laid down. He also 
 added, that the oath which had been taken in England had 
 been violated on the part of the king of England, when his 
 prisoners who had been taken at Lincoln were put to a very 
 heavy ransom, and the count de la Perche slain. " But I," 
 said Louis, ♦' have neither exacted of my prisoners an observ- 
 ance of the oaths which were taken long since to my father, 
 Phdip, and which they were bound to observe towards me, nor 
 did I retain them as hostages, but I dismissed them all in 
 peace ; and as for the liberties of the kingdom of England, of 
 which Ins father and he himself have been violators in con- 
 tempt of their oaths, and for which the barons waged a just 
 war, and which at my departure were granted, and were sworn 
 to by all parties, it has come to pass that only those most 
 scandalous laws have been brought back to their previous con- 
 dition, and that even worse laws than those have been gene- 
 rally established throughout the whole kingdom of England 
 nor does my lord archbishop even maintain, the liberties of 
 the holy church, which at his coronation he swore that he 
 would maintain inviolably. So that it is he who first broke 
 his covenant, who is a perjured and unjust man, and not L" 
 
 But when the archbishop and the bishops who were with 
 him heard this, as they were not able to obtain any other an- 
 swer, they returned to their country in confusion, to report 
 wliat had been said to them to the king of England. 
 
 The same year also, John de Bresnes, king of^Jerusalem and 
 
'ii ■ 
 
 144 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1*224. 
 
 tlie superior master of the hospital of Saint John, came to 
 England, about a week after the feast of the Apostles Peter 
 and Paul, to entreat assistance and reinforcements for the 
 Holy Land. About the same time, there died Master Stephen 
 of Apulia, bishop of Exeter, about the time of the feast of the 
 Exaltation of the Holy Cross, and William de Cornhulle, 
 bishop of Chester, about the same time. 
 
 The same year, Leoline, feeling more sure of his power, and 
 being in great strength, made many irruptions into the terri- 
 tories of his neighbours, while William Mareschal was absent 
 in Ireland. For, when Leoline heard of his absence, he took 
 two of his castles with the strong hand, not the same castles 
 which he had taken before : hut some Englishmen, namely, 
 Hugh de Lacy and his followers, adhered to this same Leo- 
 line, out of hatred to king Henry, and opposing him, and ex- 
 citing frequent insurrections, and making constant expeditions 
 against the king, they endeavoured to compel, first of all, 
 William Mareschal the elder, and afterwards William the 
 younger, and some others of the king's barons, to surrender. 
 And as their warlike courage promised their future success, 
 judging by the past events of the war, they irreverently wasted 
 all the borders with fire. But the whole region being now 
 excited against those wrong-doers, by force compelled them 
 and all their followers to surrender. And as for the chief 
 enemies, they were put to the rout by the hostile army, and 
 could never again recover from that disaster. 
 
 The castle of Bedford is taken, and those prisoners tch^) are taken 
 
 in it are hung, 
 
 A.D. 1224. King Henry the Third, at the Nativity of the 
 Lord, held his court at Northampton, in the presence of 
 Stephen, archbishop of Canterbury, and some of his suffragan 
 bishops, and a great body of knights. But the earl of Chester, 
 with his brethren conspirators, held his festival at Leicester, 
 and with great contumacy intimated to the king that unless 
 he desisted from the enterprise that he had commenced, re- 
 quiring his castles, and adhering to the councils of Hubert 
 de Burgh, who bore himself as his superior, the whole body 
 of nobles in England would, with one accord, rise up against 
 him in a hostile manner, and would compel him to humble 
 himself, whether he would or not. But on the morrow, after 
 the solemnization of mass, the archbishop of Canterbury aud 
 
 V 
 
 AD. 1224. LOUIS ATTACKS THE GAEEISON AT KUPELL. 145 
 
 his suffragans, clad in their albs, with their tapers lighted, 
 pronounced sentence of excommunication universally against 
 all disturbers of the king and kingdom, and against all vio- 
 lent invaders of the church. But in the meantime the king 
 had effectually concerted measures by means of which he 
 might be able to bridle their insolence with the strong hand, 
 secretly sending messengers bearing the royal letters, so that 
 he might collect all his forces in a powerful manner. And 
 the adversaries of the king, seeing this, feared that confusion 
 was prepared for them on every side, and deliberating singly on 
 their own individual defection from the conspiracy, they all 
 came to Northampton to the king, and, beginning with the earl 
 of Chester, they all surrendered their castles, municipal towns, 
 honours, and wardships to the king, which appeared at all to 
 belong to his crown. Nevertheless, a concealed ill-will on the 
 part of these nobles against the king still remained, because 
 he was not willing, at their importunity, to remove from his 
 magistracy Hubert de Burgh, the justiciary, who was govern- 
 ing the republic in a manner inconsistent with what was be- 
 coming or advantageous for the kingdom. But the king, 
 though, by the assistance of the church, he had delivered his 
 castles to him with great caution, nevertheless did not win over 
 to himself the hearts of his barons to the bond of charity. 
 And when Louis, who was now king of France, and estab- 
 lished on the throne of his kingdom, was by his spies informed 
 of this fact, he took confidence from the divisions of the king- 
 dom of England ; and in order to hasten its desolation, he 
 led a large army to Rupell, in order either by force or by 
 bribes to reduce that place under his authority. And when 
 ha cas heard this, because he had already hated the king, he 
 called him a fool and a madman, and urged Louis boldly to 
 follow up the enterprise which he had begun, as he himself 
 would stir up war in England with some of the nobles, who 
 were all willing to unite for that purpose. 
 
 Falcas therefore, being now prepared to rebel, took, as if 
 here were a state of hostile war, one of the justiciaries of the 
 king, by name Henry de Braybrooke, who was travelling alono- 
 tlie king 8 high road in peace, and carried him off, and shiU 
 him up in his castle of Bedford ; and as this was immediately 
 reported to Louis, he attacked the garrison of Rupell with 
 the more confidence, and the citizens, when they heard that 
 war was already smoking in England, and they were, as one 
 
 » OL. IX, 
 
W ; 
 
 146 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEK. 
 
 A.D. 1224. 
 
 might eay, aoandoned by the king, and defrauded of the money 
 wMch had been promised to them, by him from whom they 
 had hoped to receive all comfort, they with great bitterness of 
 spirit surrendered themselves and their city to kiDg Louis 
 Then the king placed men on whom he could rely, both in the 
 city and in the castle, about the beginning of autumn, and con- 
 sequently before the assumption of the blessed Virgin Mary, 
 tnd expelling the garrisons of the king of England, he com- 
 pelled nearly the whole of Poitou to submit to ^^\^^^S>"^ 
 as he wished. But when the king of England heard that 
 Falcas had by force taken and thrown into prison Ins own jus- 
 ticiary, and when others of his justiciaries, who held courts of 
 justice, complained to him of the plundering conduct of this 
 same Falcasf he uttered some violent threats, and, with all the 
 men whom he had assembled at the council of Northampton, 
 he hastened to besiege Bedford ; while Falcas was traversing 
 all the neighbouring districts like a traitor. At length, after 
 fsuccessbn of attacks continued for about two months the 
 castle was taken manfully and by force and the enemies of e 
 king who were taken in it, both knights and esquires to the 
 number of nearly a hundred, were ignominiously hung on 
 gallows which had been prepared for theni. In the mean 
 time, Falcas wandered about at night, and by a thousand 
 windings and artifices endeavoured to escape. He could not, 
 however escape the king's hands. He was taken prisoner by 
 the kin-' s -uards, and they who had taken him, passing by 
 Bedford" showed him his brother William de Breaut, exposed 
 in the open air, with a number of other carcasses ; and then 
 he was conveyed to London, and committed to he custody of 
 tL bishop, till it should be decided what should he done mlh 
 such a mmi. So then the blessed Paul covered under the 
 wings of his church the captive Falcas, who % trembh^ig 
 there, and who had formerly destroyed his church at Bedford, 
 br tl e sake of building the castle at Bedford. But afterwards 
 when the day of his trial came, he was no condemned to 
 death, because at one period, during the war. he had adhered 
 faithfully to the king and served him ; but he was made to 
 abjure England as his country, and to depart never to return 
 But his wife, because she had never approved of his 
 tyranny, nor indeed consented to any matrimonial connection 
 wHh him, and his son Thomas, also remained without any 
 ^Jurv, fr^e from punishment as from guilt. And Falcas liun- 
 
 A.D. 1225. 
 
 JOHN, BISHOP OF ELY, DIES. 
 
 u: 
 
 self went to the court of Rome, as he knew that he could by 
 means of money easily win that over to his side, whatever his 
 cause might be. But his designs were not permitted by God 
 or by the saints, on whom he had inflicted so many mjuries, to 
 arrive at a happy consummation. 
 
 This Falcas was the cause of miserable rum, that is to say, 
 of death, poverty, and infamy to many of the nobles of Eng- 
 land. One of whom I may name more especially, a man of 
 illustrious nobility, John Gisford, a man of illustrious family, 
 and great beauty of person, who fell at the siege of Bedford 
 castle by a bolt from an arbalist, while fighting manfully for 
 the king his lord. 
 
 The same year, master Alexander Savenesby was conse- 
 crated bishop of Chester, at Rome, by the lord pope Honorius, 
 on Easter day. William, nephew of William de Bruere the 
 elder, was consecrated bishop of Exeter; and Radulph de 
 Neville was consecrated bishop of Chichester, by the lord 
 Stephen, archbishop of Canterbury, on the Sunday after 
 '' Easter. This year also, a tax of two shillings on every hide 
 
 of land was granted to the lord king, both by the prelates and 
 laity throughout all England, for his great labours and expenses. 
 In the mean time, the king caused the castle of Bedford, of 
 which we have spoken, to be levelled with the ground. 
 
 A fifteenth is extorted from the Jnffliean church. Baldwin, 
 emperor of Constantinople, is hanged hy his daught&r. 
 
 A.D. 1225. King Henry, at the Nativity of our Lord, held his 
 court at Westmuister, in the presence of the clergy and laity, and 
 nobles of his kingdom. The same year, a general exaction of 
 one-fifteenth part of all moveables and chattels was levied 
 throughout the whole of England on all ecclesiastical persons, 
 whether belonging to religious orders or the secular clergy. 
 The general hberties, both of the forests and of all other hber- 
 ties, were proclaimed, although they had as yet nothing stable 
 or solid about them. 
 
 Richard, the brother of the king, having been knighted, 
 and made earl of Cornwall, put to sea on Palm Sunday, with 
 William, earl of Salisbury, his uncle, and Philip de Albiney, 
 and some other nobles, and sailed for Gascony, and after a 
 prosperous voyage landed at Bourdeaux. The same year, John, 
 bishop of Ely, who had formerly been abbot of Fountain 
 Abbey, died, and was succeeded by Godfrey de Bulgo, arch- 
 
 
 'S^fciiP*' 
 
148 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 122G. 
 
 deacon of Norwich, who was consecrated at Westminster, on 
 the day of the Apostles Peter and Pan'. 
 
 The same year, Baldwin, count of Flanders, who was also 
 emperor of Constantinople, after a pilgrimage of a year re- 
 turned to Flanders, having received the homage, and tealty, 
 and submission of manv cities. But his daughter and heiress 
 J dhering to Louis, king of France, as her guardian, put m 
 practice all kinds of intrigues for the purpose of destroying 
 her father ; and disregarding the relationship to her parent, slie 
 at last arrested him, and caused him to be hung. 
 
 About this time, too, the earl of Salisbury, who had staid 
 some time in the territories of Gascony with Richard, earl ot 
 Cornwall, escaped with difficulty from incalculable perd at sea 
 and in a wonderful manner reached the land in safety. And 
 not long afterwards, this same earl died. But his wife, the 
 countess Ela, after the death of her husband, rejected every 
 suitor, and chose to continue in a life of chastity, in a reli- 
 gious house, which she herself had built from its foundations ; 
 and after the lapse of a few years, she took on herself the gait 
 and veil of a nun. 
 
 Cn. IX.— From a.d. 1226 to a.d. 1232. 
 
 Louis of France persecutes the Albiyenses—The pope excorn- 
 municates the emperor-^JVar between the pope and emperor 
 —The pilgrims are allowed free access to Jerusalem— 1 he 
 duke of Saxony takes refuge in England— Hubert de Burgh 
 loses the king' s favour . 
 A D 1226. King Henry the Third, at the Nativity of our Lord, 
 celebrated his feast, at Winchester ; and after it was over, he 
 went to Marlborough, where he was seized with a severe 
 illness, so that he lay with his life quite despaired ot for 
 several days. In the meantime, the period arrived for the 
 council which had been fixed beforehand to be held at West- 
 minster, on the festival of Saint Hilary, where the king, with 
 the clergy and nobles of his kingdom, were bound to appear, 
 to hear the commands of the lord pope. Accordingly, many 
 bishops being assembled in the before-mentioned place, with 
 other prelates, and a large body of laymen. Master Otho, the 
 nuncio of the lord pope, recited the letters openly, m the pre- 
 sence of all ; in which the pope spake of the scandal and most 
 inveterate disgrace of the holy Roman church, to wit, the 
 
 A.D. 1220. THE PKELATES' llEPLY TO THE KU^XIO. 
 
 n9 
 
 I 
 
 brand ot covetousness, which is called the root of all evils, 
 and which is most especially shown in this— that no one can 
 transact any business in the Roman court, except at the ex- 
 pense of vast sums of money, and large presents. But since 
 tiie poverty of the Romans is the cause of this scandal and 
 infamy, her natural children ought to relieve the wants of 
 their mother, *' because," said the letters, " unless we were to 
 receive presents from you, and from other good and honour- 
 able men, we should be in want of the very necessaries of life, 
 which would be a circumstance altogether unsuited to the 
 Roman dignity. Accordingly, with a view to the complete 
 eradication of this scandal, we, by the advice of our brethren, 
 the cardinals of the holy Roman church, have provided a 
 certain form, to which, if ye will agree, ye will be able to 
 deliver your mother from scandal, and to obtain justice in the 
 Roman court without a display of presents. And the form 
 which we have provided is this : In the first place, we demand 
 that two prebends be given to us from each cathedral church, 
 one from the portion of the bishop, the other from that of the 
 chapter, and in like manner, in the case of convents, where 
 the abbot and the brotherhood have two distinct shares, we 
 require as much as belongs to one monk, after an equal ap- 
 portionment of the property of the brethren has been made 
 from the convent, and an equal share from the abbot." 
 
 These propositions then having been made in this manner, 
 blaster Otho, on the part of the lord pope, tried to persuade 
 the prelates to consent to them, dwelling much on the afore- 
 said inconveniences, which are mentioned in that letter. 
 But the bishops and prelates of the churches hearing these 
 things, retired aside to confer together, and after they had 
 dehberated for some time on these proposals, they agreed to 
 deliver their answer by the mouth of Master John, archdeacon 
 of Bedford, as their spokesman, who accordingly came into 
 the presence of Master Otho, and replied in these words :— 
 
 *' My lord ! the things w hich you propose do especially 
 affect the king of England, and generally, too, they affect all 
 the patrons of churches throughout the kingdom, archbishops 
 and their suffragans, and a countless number of prelates of 
 England. As, therefore, the king is absent through sickness, 
 and as the archbishops, some of the bishops, and other 
 prelates of churches, are absent, we have no power and no 
 light to reply to you in their absence." And after this had 
 
150 
 
 MATTilliW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.C. 1226. 
 
 been said, John Marischal, and other messengers of the king, 
 who held baronies in chief of the king, arrived, bearing a positive 
 order that no one should bind any lay-fee of his to the Roman 
 church, by which measure the king might be deprived of the 
 service which was his due ; and thus they all returned home 
 ao-ain. About the same time, WiUiam Longsword, earl of 
 Salisbury, having been tossed about by a tempest and the 
 waves of the sea, took to his bed with severe sickness. But 
 the bishop coming in, who had been summoned for the pur- 
 pose of receiving his confession, entered, bearing the body of 
 our Lord, to give it as a viaticum to the earl, at his entreaty ; 
 and the earl, weeping, and lamenting, and heaving sobs from 
 the bottom of his heart, and being entirely naked except his 
 drawers, leaped out of bed, having a halter round his neck, 
 and threw himself on his face on the floor before him who 
 came bringing the body of Christ, and testifying against him- 
 self as a traitor to his Creator, moved all the bystanders to sobs 
 and tears, and would not rise nor move from the place tUl he 
 had made full confession of all his sins, and with an ever- 
 flowing stream of tears had received the communion of the hfe- 
 triving sacrament. And persevering thus for some days, in 
 ?he bitterness of his repentance, he a short time afterwards 
 happily breathed forth his contrite spirit. But it happened 
 that when his corpse was being carried out about a mile to 
 burial, from the castle to the new church, the wax tapers, 
 which, according to custom, were Ughted, and borne with the 
 cross, though there was a heavy fall of rain, and violent gusts 
 of wind, could not be extinguished ; so that, as it happened 
 hkewise in the case of the blessed Hugo, bishop of Lincoln, 
 and confessor, they plainly showed that the earl, who had re- 
 pented so bitterly of his sins, had his place among the sons ot 
 lieht This year also a master from Rome was scl^^^ from the 
 lord pope to the country of Gaul, to fill the office of legate m 
 that country, and when he arrived there, he immediately de- 
 manded that the same honours should be conceded by the 
 French to him that the legate Otho received from the Enghsh; 
 but his demands were denied to his face : that, however, he 
 mio-ht not appear to have been wholly unsuccessful, he caused 
 a g'eneral preaching to be dehvered throughout the whole dis- 
 trict over which his power as legate extended, on the subject 
 of taking up the cross against the count of Toulouse. But 
 Louis, king of the French, having obtained a papal prohibi- 
 
 A.D. 1227. FALCAS IS POISONED, AND DIES. 
 
 151 
 
 \ 
 
 tion addressed to the king of England, to forbid his invading 
 his territories in a hostile manner while he was absent, and 
 fighting in the cause of God, embarked in a crusade against 
 the Albigenses. And having collected a very numerous army, 
 because all those who had assumed the cross joined him, and 
 were compelled to follow his expedition, he behaved in a very 
 arrogant manner. And while he besieged and blockaded the 
 city of Avignon all round, he stormed it by a stratagem de- 
 vised by himself, and made himself master of it. But the 
 success of his stratagem was not long-lived ; for by the man- 
 agement of the earl of Champagne, who, as evil fame reports, 
 was a paramour of queen Blanche, king Louis died of poison! 
 About the same time, Falcas, owing to the intrigues of the 
 Roman court, which had been bribed by gifts and promises, 
 to expedite his business for him, which he'had managed chiefly 
 l)y the agency of his clerk, Robert Passelewe, an Enghshman 
 by birth, as he was returning towards England with the object 
 of a second time disturbing the king and kingdom, was 
 poisoned, and so suddenly ended his wicked life at Saint Cyriac. 
 The same year also, Richard de Marais, a man in manners and 
 example resembling king John, who had made him bishop of 
 Durham, died at Burgh, on the first of May, after he had 
 distressed the monks by innumerable tyrannies, leaving his 
 church encumbered with debts amounting to nearly forty thou- 
 sand marks. He was succeeded by Richard of Salisbury, a 
 postulate, who at that time was successively elected to the 
 government of three cathedral churches. The same year, the 
 following bishops died ; Benedict of Rochester, and Pandulph 
 of Norwich. Pandulph was succeeded by Thomas de Blond- 
 ville, a clerk of the king's exchequer, through the effectual 
 interposition of Hubert, the justiciary ; and he received con- 
 secration from Stephen, archbishop of Canterbury, on the 
 Sunday next before the consecration of the Lord. 
 
 The charters of liberties are cancelled after the collection of the 
 fifteenth— Pope Uonorius the Third dies, and is succeeded by 
 Gregory th-e Ninth — Earl Richard returns from the parts of 
 Gascony. 
 
 A.D. 1227. King Henry the Third celebrated the feast of the 
 Nativity of the Lord, at Reading. And at the same Christmas 
 season, that there might not seem to be anything delightful 
 in the world without some admixture of pain, William, earl 
 
152 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 1227. 
 
 of Essex died, to the grief and lamentation of all men, a 
 youth of the greatest liberality and munificence in making 
 presents. After this event, the king, who was by this time 
 lehaving tyrannically, came to London, where he attacked the 
 citizens with a cruel calumny, saying, that they, to his great 
 injury, had given to Louis, king of France, who was now dead, 
 (and whom they had for a long time cherished in their bosoms, 
 as it were, as an enemy to him), five thousand marks of silver 
 at his departure. On which account the same citizens were 
 compelled, by the advice of evil councillors, to pay the king 
 the same sum of money, which was not done without the 
 sighs and curses of many men. And he took from them like- 
 wise the fifteenth part of all their moveables and of all their 
 substance, which had been formerly granted to him through- 
 out all England. And from the burgesses of Northampton 
 he took twelve hundred pounds as an aid, besides the fifteenth 
 which all men universally paid throughout the whole kingdom 
 of England, without any profit or increase of the kingdom 
 following. Likewise all men of the religious orders, and 
 all beneficed clerks were compelled to give the fifteenth of all 
 theu* goods, both of ecclesiastical and lay property ; nor did 
 the appeal to the lord pope, which was interposed, do them 
 any good, because it was suggested to the pope, on the king's 
 part, that that collection was made for the restoration of the 
 kingdom of England, which care appeared now to belong par- 
 ticularly to him ; and so he, who it had been hoped would 
 have turned out a shepherd and a father, became an ally of 
 the wolves against his own natural flock. Ela, countess of 
 Salisbury, the widow of William Longsword, transferred the 
 Carthusian monks, who had been placed by her husband at 
 Heythrop, to Hinton, in the diocese of Bath. 
 
 The same year, when the king was now easy on the subject 
 of the fifteenth that was paid or was to be paid, having convened 
 a council at Oxford, in the month of February, he gave no- 
 tice before them all that he was now of legal age, so that 
 being for the future released from guardianship, he should 
 himself take the chief part in regulating his royal aff'airs ; and 
 BO he, who at first had as a governor and guardian, William 
 Marischal, as long as he lived, and after his death, Peter, 
 bishop of Winchester, now shook off" the counsels of Hubert 
 de Burgh, the justiciary of the kingdom, and discarded the 
 advice and the authority of the bishops and of his friends, who 
 
 A.D. 1227. 
 
 POPE HONORIUS DIES. 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 J ,53 
 
 had been, as it were, pedagogues to the king, to such a degree, 
 that he removed them all from his court. And in the same 
 melancholy line of conduct, the king also, despising his vari- 
 ous oaths, and having violated every treaty, caused all the 
 charters of all the provinces of the kingdom of England, on 
 the subject of the liberties of the forest, to be cancelled and 
 annulled, after they had been in use throughout the whole 
 realm for two years, alleging the following as his reason for 
 such a proceeding ; that all these charters and liberties had 
 been granted generally, and signed on written deeds, while he 
 himself was only a child and under guardianship, and while 
 he had no power of his own person or over his seal, on which 
 account that which had been established without reason ought 
 to be void of eff'ect. On this a great murmuring arose in the 
 council, and most bitter indignation, that the counsel of malig- 
 nant advisers and the childish levity of a prince should at one 
 breath blow away and dissipate a regulation of such import- 
 ance, on the procuring the ratification of which so much dili- 
 gence was expended, so much blood shed, and so much money 
 lavished ; and yet there was no one who was able to resist 
 with effect, because the party of the wrong-doers was the 
 strongest. All men, however, suspected that the justiciary 
 was the author of this confusion ; for from that time forth he 
 was united to the king in such close intimacy, that he thought 
 none of the councillors of the kingdom, except him, of any 
 account whatever. 
 
 At this time, too, notice was given to the men of religious 
 orders and to others, who wished to enjoy their liberties, to 
 procure the charters to be sealed anew with the king's seal, 
 knowing that the king considered the ancient charters to be 
 of no account. And for the renewal of these charters they 
 were compelled to pay, not according to the faculty granted 
 by the seals, according to custom, but whatever the justiciary 
 chose to levy 
 
 The same year, pope Honorius the Third died, and was 
 succeeded by Gregory the Ninth, bishop of Ostia, on the 
 eighteenth of March. Gregory, the same year, established 
 the order of the Minors, and drew up, and gave them a certain 
 code of regulations, as brother Francis, the original founder 
 and principal of the order, died the same year. And when he 
 was despised by men, it is said that a great crowd of birds 
 flocked to his preaching. And after he had breathed forth 
 
154 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1228. 
 
 his blessed soul, there were found on his body, that is on his 
 side, and hands and feet, five fresh wounds, resembling those of 
 
 the Crucified One. . ., t .i 
 
 The same year, in the month of May, Richard, the brother 
 of kinc Henry, came to England, on his return from Gascony. 
 About'the same time, Henry de Sandford, archdeacon of Can- 
 terburv, was elected to the bishopric of Rochester, and received 
 consecration from Stephen, archbishop of Canterbury. In 
 this year also, on the fifth of February, Hubert, justiciary of 
 England, was girded by the king with the sword ot the county 
 of Kent. Also, in those days, a great expedition of pilgrims 
 towards the Holy Land took place, and the affairs ot the cross 
 ])rospered, and would have come to a fortunate termination it 
 the lord emperor, who had embarked on board his ships for 
 the purpose of crossing the sea, had not, after he had been at 
 sea only four days, been compelled to return on account ot 
 sickness. This year likewise, a quarrel arose between Alex- 
 ander, bishop of 'Chester, and his canons at Lichfield on the 
 one side, and the prior and convent of Coventry on the other, 
 with respect to the forms of election and certain other articles, 
 which were very injurious to both parties. 
 
 The contention between the monh of Coventry and the canons of 
 Lichfield about the election of a bishop is terminated. 
 A.D. 1228. Henry, king of England, celebrated the feast 
 of the Nativity of the Lord with great solemnity at York ; and 
 departing from that city, he hastened directly to London. On 
 which journey he convicted some measures of corn, wme, and 
 beer, as being false, and ordered them to be burnt. This year 
 also, the election of Master William Scot, bishop elect of Dur- 
 ham, was annulled, because the king desired it. And Richard, 
 bishop of Salisbury, was translated to that bishopric at his 
 request. And after his translation, just on the confines of the 
 past and the ensuing year, that is to say, just about the feast 
 of the Advent of the Lord, and between that and Christmas, 
 the canons of Sahsbury, discussing their election, formally 
 elected Master Robert de' Bingham, a canon of that same church, 
 to be their bishop. This year also, the contention between the 
 monks of Coventry and the canons of Lichfield, on the sub- 
 ject of the election of a bishop, was terminated at Rome, by 
 a definitive sentence, on the terms that, for the future, the two 
 parties should elect the bishop alternately, observing this rule, 
 
 A.D. 1228. THE EMPEROE FREDERIC LANDS AT ACRE. 
 
 155 
 
 however, that the prior of Coventry should always have the 
 first voice in the election. By which sentence the monks ap- 
 pear to have lost a good deal of their rights, inasmuch as they 
 had previously always elected the pontiffs without any consent 
 on the part of the canons. The same year, the lord emperor 
 of Constantinople paid the debt of human nature, leaving as 
 his heir a little son, not equal to sustaining the imperial dig- 
 nity. About that time, the pope fulminated a sentence of ex- 
 communication against the lord emperor, on accoulit of his 
 delays and excuses for not crossing the sea, as he had sworn 
 to do ; and he caused the sentence to be published in difterent 
 countries ; in consequence of which attack, the emperor ex- 
 cited a powerful insurrection against the pope. The king of 
 France sent a military expedition of no inconsiderable strength 
 against the count of Toulouse. This year also, Stephen, arch- 
 bishop of Canterbury, who had removed the relics of the blessed 
 Thomas the Martyr, and placed them with great magnificence 
 in a golden chest, and had appointed that the festival of the 
 same martyr should be solemnly observed, departed from his 
 state of banishment in this world to enjoy the well-deserved 
 fellowship of his predecessor, the blessed Thomas, on the sixth 
 of July, and was buried at Canterbury, on the ninth day of 
 the same month. 
 
 This year, the Welch burst out and did no small damage to 
 the dwellers on their frontier, but were defeated by the king, 
 with the justiciary Hubert, who collected a numerous army, 
 and, though with some difficulty, established a castle on the 
 borders. But the Welch plotted against it, and having obtained 
 a favourable opportunity, took it, and levelled it to the ground ; 
 from which event they called that castle Hubert's Folly. 
 
 In the course of this year, the lord Frederic, the emperor, 
 entered the Mediterranean sea, in order to discharge to the 
 Lord his vow of pilgrimage, and, on the vigil of the Nativity 
 of the blessed Mary, he landed at Acre, when the clergy of 
 the land and the people came forth to meet him, and received 
 him with great honour, as a man of his rank was entitled to 
 be received. Many, however, looked upon him with suspicion, 
 by reason of the severe sentence which had been fulminated 
 against him. Then the emperor addressed a bitter complaint 
 to the whole army, that the pope had unjustly pronounced a 
 sentence against him, because severe illness had compelled him 
 to return. But the soldan of Babylon, when he heard of his 
 
156 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1229. 
 
 A.D. 1'2'29. FREDEHIC RETUEXS TO GERMANY. 
 
 157 
 
 arrival, sent him some most valuable presents. And when tlie 
 lord emperor had landed at Acre, he found there the principal 
 armies of the Christian population, the duke de Lanburg, the 
 patriarch of Jerusalem, the archbishops of Nazareth and Caesarea, 
 and the Enghsh bishops of Winchester and Exeter ; also the 
 master of the Hospital, and of the Teutonic order, who had 
 under their command eight hundred foreign knights, and about 
 ten thousand men-at-arms. 
 
 This year, a bishop from Armenia Major came to England, 
 by way of pilgrimage, for the purpose of praying at the holy 
 places in England, and he brought with him letters of testi- 
 monial from the lord the pope, recommendatory of his person, 
 and of the object of his journey. And when, for the sake of 
 prayer, he had arrived at the tomb of Saint Alban, the proto- 
 martyr of the English, among other marvellous things which 
 he, by an interpreter, related to those who questioned him, he 
 said that a man who saw Christ in the flesh is still alive, be- 
 cause Christ, when he was being led to the death of the cross, 
 had said to him, " I choose you to tarry till I come a second 
 time." On which account it is supposed that he will live till 
 the Lord comes to the great judgment ; and while he was 
 speaking, being questioned about the conception of the blessed 
 Virgin, as to whether the oriental church solemnized that fes- 
 tival or not, he replied, that the church of Armenia recognised 
 the festivals of three conceptions at least, namely, the concep- 
 tion of Christ, which is singularly privileged, because it was 
 consummated by the Holy Spirit without any stain being con- 
 tracted by her who conceived ; also, the conception of the 
 blessed Mary the "Virgin, and the conception of the blessed 
 John the Baptist, because of the angelic intervention which 
 occurred respecting it. Nevertheless, in the oriental church, 
 the two last festivals are not celebrated with the same solem- 
 nity as the first. 
 
 in the course of this same year, Eustace, bishop of London, 
 died, in whose place the canons elected Roger, surnamed the 
 Black. About the same time, Godfrey, bishop of Ely, died, 
 and was succeeded by Hugh, the abbot of Saint Edmund's, 
 who was canon ically elected. 
 
 The pope endeavours to mpphnt the ewperor Frederic, who 
 therefore retiirm to his countnj. 
 
 A.D. 1229. King Henry the Third, at the festival of the 
 
 Nativity of our Lord, held his court at Oxford, where the 
 bishop of Bordeaux came to him, having been sent by the 
 nobles of Gascony, Aquitaine, and Poitou. There also came 
 to him formal messengers from Normandy, who all united in 
 the common suggestion that the lord the king should come 
 without fear to those lands beyond the sea, as he might be as- 
 sured that the nobles of these provinces would stand by him 
 unchangeably, for his recovery of all his rights which he had 
 lost there. But when Hubert, the justiciary, heard this, he 
 postponed the matter to a future time, till a more favourable 
 opportunity should arise. And the messengers receiving no 
 other reply, returned to their own country like men deceived. 
 About the same time, pope Gregory, being indignant that the 
 emperor Frederic, as if to show that he was in no fear of his 
 sentence, undertook the direction of the atfairs of the church 
 in the Holy Land, and having no hope that he would return 
 to the unity of the church, determined to depose him, and to 
 appoint some one else to the imperial dignity in his stead. 
 Accordingly he did appoint John de Bresne, the general of 
 the papal array, and bestowed on him abundantly all the as- 
 sistance that the Roman church could bestow in the way of 
 treasures and arms, and indulgences from sins, and admoni- 
 tions to prelates. And when the emperor was informed of 
 this, he quickly and prudently made peace with the soldan, 
 that that bad news might not reach his ears first, and made a 
 lasting truce and peace with him, to the honour and advantage 
 of the church ; and having accepted the crown of the king- 
 dom of Jerusalem, he prepared ships to return to his own 
 country ; and bidding farewell to the Holy Land,* he went, 
 for the sake of oflering up his prayers with all humihty, un- 
 armed, and with a small retinue, to the fords of Jordan, where, 
 through the good offices of the soldan of Babylon, he escaped 
 from some snares prepared against him by some of his house- 
 hold, whom he thought his friends, on which account he 
 always afterwards hated the Templars as suspected persons, 
 and considered the soldan as his best friend, acknowledging 
 fidelity in the infidels, and detesting the unfaithfulness of the 
 faithful ; and so he embarked on board ship, and after a fair 
 voyage landed in his own country, where he was received 
 with joy, and in a short time by his imperial authority he 
 boldly restored to his faithful adherents all the territories 
 which had been taken from them, wreaking condign ven- 
 geance ou the invaders. 
 
i«* 
 
 158 
 
 MATTHEW or WESTMINSTER. 
 
 AD. 1230. 
 
 A.D. 1230. JERUSALEM RESTORED TO FREDERIC. 
 
 159 
 
 About the same time, Stephen, the chaplain of the lord the 
 pope, for the purpose of replenishing the exhausted treasury 
 of the pope, and overthrowing the aforesaid emperor Frederic, 
 exacted, and with the sanction of the king, extorted the en- 
 tire tithes of ecclesiastical things, without making any deduc- 
 tion for expenses, throughout all England, Ireland, and Wales ; 
 owing to which proceeding, England, being thus stripped in 
 many ways of its property, began in a miserable manner to 
 feel the pressure of want, and was unable to recover itself. 
 The same year, Master Robert de Bingham, bishop elect of Sa- 
 lisbury, received consecration at Shaftesbury. He pursued the 
 building of his new church with no small energy, and brought 
 it to a successful termination. This year, also, as the king 
 and prior, and convent of Canterbury were at variance with 
 respect to the election of successor to the archbishopric, the 
 election of Walter, a monk of Canterbury, having been set 
 aside by the management of Alexander de Stanesby, bishop of 
 Chester, and Master Henry de Sanford, bishop of Rochester, 
 and Master John de Hotoft, archdeacon of Bedford, Master 
 Richard, surnamed the Great, the chancellor of Lincoln, was 
 elected archbishop at the court of Rome, and was consecrated 
 in his own church. And there were consecrated with him at 
 the same time, by the bishop of Rochester, Master Roger, 
 bishop elect of London, and Master Hugh, bishop elect of 
 Ely, on the tenth of June. The same year, Martin de Pates- 
 hull, dean of Saint Paul's, in London, died, on the fifteenth of 
 December, a man of wonderful prudenco, and very thoroughly 
 acquainted with the laws of the kingdom. At this time there 
 landed in England Henry Mauclerc, count of Britt"*:y, a man 
 of incalculable cunning, in order to conduct the king of Eng- 
 land in safety to the countries beyond the sea. But this mea- 
 sure was still delayed till the calm weather of spring should 
 arrive. The same year, Richard, the archbishop, received the 
 pall, which had been transmitted to him by the lord the pope. 
 
 The emperar is absolved. King Henry goes to Brittany. The 
 dahe of Saxony comes to England. 
 
 A.D. 1230. King Henry, at the feast of the Nativity of the 
 Lord, held his court at York, with the king of Scotland, 
 whom he had invited to that festival, in the presence of the 
 archbishop of that city, and several of the nobles of the land. 
 It happened the same year, namely, on the day of the con- 
 
 version of Saint Paul, in the church of Saint Paul of London, 
 that when the bishop of that city was standing in that cathe- 
 dral, clothed in his robes, before the greater altar, for the 
 purpose of the solemn celebration of the mass, according to 
 custom, in the presence of a large body of laity there assem- 
 bled, on a sudden a dense body of clouds collected in the skv, 
 and a wonderful darkening of the sun took place, so that each 
 individual could scarcely distinctly recognise his companion. 
 And immediately there was a terrible rattling of thunder and 
 a blaze of lightning, that the whole church tower and all 
 appeared to be thrown down, and an intolerable stench arose. 
 And when this happened, the clergy and laity went out in a 
 body in great haste, the bishop alone, with one deacon, re- 
 maining by the altar. 
 
 The same year, the city of Jerusalem was restored to the 
 emperor Frederic, and to the Christian population, with the 
 crown of the kingdom of Jerusalem ; and the emperor was 
 crowned in that city. And of the manner and time of his 
 coronation, he, with a view to give them pleasure, certified the 
 king of England and the other princes by elegant letters, 
 sealed with seals of gold, which contained the statement of 
 which I w4ll here give the heads : — 
 
 ** The soldan of Babylon, as had been before settled, has 
 restored the city of Jerusalem to the Christian population and 
 form of worship ; and the whole country is free in every di- 
 rection, so that free access to the holy places is open to the 
 Christian pilgrims. Moreover, the city of Bethlehem is re- 
 stored, and likewise all the territory which hes between Jeru- 
 salem and that city. Also the city of Nazareth, and all the 
 territory which lies between Acre and that city, and the whole 
 distnct of Tyre, which is very fruitful, and very desirable for 
 the Christians. So too is the city of Sidon, which is com- 
 luonly called Sacra, with the whole of its plain, and all its be- 
 longings, which was of great use to tlie Saracens especially, as 
 It has a desirable harbour, and as the adjacent land is very 
 fertile, and as arms and provisions, and many necessaries used 
 fo be conveyed from thence to the city of Damascus, and from 
 Damascus to Babylon. And although we are permitted to 
 rebuild the city of Jerusalem better than it was ever built 
 before, according to the agreement, and also the castle of 
 Joppa, the castle of Caesarea, the castle of Sidon, and the 
 castle of Saint Mary, belonging to the Teutonic order, which 
 
 m 
 
ICO 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1230. 
 
 the brethren of that house have begun to build in the mountain 
 land of Acre, a permission which has never before been 
 granted to the Christians at the time of any truce whatever. 
 Nevertheless the soldan is bound not to restore or build any 
 buildings or castles before the end of this truce for ten years 
 which is now made between us and him for that period And 
 accordingly, on the Lord's day, which was t^e eighteenth day 
 of Februlvry latelv past, we, to the glory ot Christ, who, as 
 on that day" rose'again from the dead, did on both sides esta- 
 bhsh this agreement by our mutual oaths and we ourselves 
 wore one crown in Jerusalem. And thus the day-spring from 
 on hi-h hath visited us. But because this world is always 
 wont 'to mingle bitter things with sweet ones, .^^^^n we re- 
 turned and arrived in our empire, having with difficulty 
 effected an entrance into our own country, we crushed our ene- 
 rvies, whom the pope the father had exalted to our injury, and 
 we thouMi with difficulty, quelled a sedition which sprang 
 up and if this matter had not called us back in such great 
 a;te the constitution of the church of God would have been 
 wonderfully exalted and firmly established by the grace of 
 
 ^ When this letter reached the different F^^f ^' ^^^^^^^^ 
 afterwards published among the people, they glorified God, ^ 1 o 
 does not permit those who serve him to be hindered or con- 
 founded. The same year, during the season of Lent, the lord 
 the emperor, having put an end to all disorders m the empire, 
 spared neither his own enemies, nor the kinsmen of the pope, 
 whom he found rebelling against his authority And when 
 John de Bresne saw this, fearing to fall into the ha^ids of the 
 emperor, he fled into the countries on this sule 0^/^^ Alp^, 
 nor could the entreaties of the pope recall him. Therefore, 
 by the interposition of dignified friends, the quarrel between 
 the chief shepherd and the chief sovereign, which had been 
 very iniurious to the church, was appeased. 
 
 ' About the same time, WiUiam de Brause, a noble and pow- 
 erful man, was secretly murdered without tria by Leoline, 
 prince of North Wales. And the same year, on the requisition 
 of the king, the archbishops, bishops, abbots, and priors 
 throughout all England, gave the king no small sum of money, 
 that by means of it he might recover those rights in foreign 
 countries of which his father had been deprived. A as ! . 
 exaction of money, and that of the pope affectmg the tithes 
 
 A.D. 1230. THE KING llETUKNS TO ENGLAND. 161 
 
 of the church, met with a similar fate. And for the sake of 
 the same object, the citizens of London were compelled to 
 submit to a very heavy impost. The Jews also, in all haste, 
 paid the king one-third part of all their property. In the course 
 of the same year, the king, having collected a 'large army, em- 
 barked on board ship on the last day of April, and landed in 
 Brittany, at Saint Maloes, on the third of ^Lay. The same year, 
 an eclipse of the sun took place early in the morning, wliich 
 was very unusual. About this time, the nobles of France, 
 who were previously at variance with one another, were re- 
 conciled. And when they had assembled with horses and 
 arms, all those persons who owed the king military service 
 came with him into Brittany, in order to check the 'invasion 
 ot the king of England, who was delaying a long time in the 
 city of Angus with the count of Brittany, and many other 
 Britons, who had sworn fealty to him. About the same time, 
 Raymond de Burgh was drowned in the river Loire. About 
 the same time, the duke of Saxony, a most accomplished 
 knight, whom the lord the pope was proposing to raise to the 
 imperial dignity, fled before the face of the emperor Frederic, 
 who pursued him, and came to London, where he awaited the 
 return of king Henry from Brittany. At this time also, Fulk 
 1 aganel and William his brother, two men of noble birth in 
 INormandy, with some others, whom they brought with them, 
 came to the king of England in Brittany, having left their 
 castles and all their territories, and became adherents of his 
 as long as he remained in Brittany. 
 
 About the same time, the lord emperor came to Rome, and 
 when he had exhausted all his treasury in gifts to the lord 
 pope, he was solemnly absolved, and the same day they both 
 teasted in the same palace with joy and cheerfulness, hi these 
 days also, the king of England, after he had lain a long time 
 m Brittany, and had wasted his days in idleness, and had 
 squandered an incalculable amount of money, many of his 
 nob es having died, and many being wasted by famine and 
 weakness, and reduced to the extremity of want, returned in- 
 gl6riously to England ; among these nobles, Gilbert de Clare, 
 earl of Gloucester, died. There still, however, remained 
 behind the king in Brittany, Ranulph, earl of Cheater, Wil- 
 liam Marischal, William, earl of Albemarle, with several other 
 knights, till they had entirely exhausted their treasures. 
 
 ^OL. II. ^ 
 
162 
 
 MATTltEW OF WESTMiySTER. 
 
 A.D. 1231. 
 
 This year also, an eclipse of the moon took place, scarcely 
 any of its brilhancy remaining. 
 
 A quarrel arises hetiveen the king and Richard^ archbishop of 
 Canterhuri/y about Tunbridge Castle. Richard dies. 
 
 A.D. 1231. Henry, king; of England, at the Nativity of the 
 Lord, held his court at Lambeth ; Hubert, justiciary of Eng- 
 land, supplying him with all necessary things, and treating 
 him with great courtesy. About the same time, a quarrel 
 arose between the king and Richard, archbishop of Canter- 
 bury, about Tunbridge castle, and some other lands, with the 
 town also of Tunbridge, and all its belongings, which were 
 said to appertain to the church of Canterbury. 
 
 The same year, in the month of April, Richard, the king*s 
 brother, espoused Isabella, countess of Gloucester, widow of 
 Gilbert de Clare, who was lately dead, and sister of William 
 Marischal, earl of Pembroke ; and the nuptials were hardly 
 completed before the same earl William died, and was buried 
 in London, in the church of the New Temple, near his father, 
 on the fifteenth of April. About that time a truce was esta- 
 blished between the king of France and the king of England, 
 and when it was settled, then the earl of Chester and the others 
 whom the king of England had sent into Brittany, returned 
 to England. But in the month of July, Peter, bishop of Win- 
 chester, having nobly discharged for a space of nearly five years 
 his vow of pilgrimage in the Holy Land, returned into England 
 on the first of August, and coming to Winchester, was re- 
 ceived with a solemn procession in his cathedral church. 
 
 That same year, archbishop Richard went to Rome, on the 
 matter which I have already mentioned, and having arranged 
 the affair according to his wish, returned, and died at Saint 
 Gemma, in the house of the ^Nlinor brothers, three days* jour- 
 ney on this side of Rome ; and when he died, the dispute in 
 which he had been concerned and had succeeded died too. 
 
 At this time the king proposed to marry the sister of the 
 king of Scotland, to the great indignation of all his earls and 
 barons. For it was not becoming, as they said, for the king 
 to marry the younger daughter, when Hubert, the justiciary, 
 had the elder daughter for his wife. But as the king was 
 against his will thwarted in this matter by means of the count 
 of Brittany, who was the king's guardian at the time, he gave 
 the said earl, who made him many promises, but performed 
 
 I 
 
 A.D.1232. HESET ATTENDS THE FESTITAL OE THE NATITITT. 103 
 
 cImnceUor of the king, because lie was very faithful to both 
 king and kingdom, and an unshaken pillar of he truth B^ 
 after tms demand of theirs was intimated and made™L„ to 
 the lord pope, he having made a diligent inquiry of master 
 Simon de Langton mto the character of the man feari^rtC 
 ««l„f that faithful man, lest he sliould hereafTer e'ndeaTour to 
 dehvcr the kingdom of England, which he loved with » 
 cere heart, from the yoke of trihi.'te unde whidi it wi^ bound" 
 made them answer that he was a man hasty in word^nd nJ' 
 
 ."rTnd'lhatl™"' r '"'t «-">y of Teh rrl^i^^: 
 nence. And that the monks might be the more willino- tn 
 abandon tlieir proposal, he hardl/granted them perm sion t 
 elect or demand any other archbishop thev cliole'^ 
 
 voke o"f 'tt T' """■ """' Pf"^""^ ^'«"» "'« intolerable 
 yoke of the Romans oppressed above measure bavins- hv 
 
 «ome means or other obtained letters from th kii rcafriei 
 
 off the corn belonging to the Romans, and took ii °a hostile 
 
 " anner a Roman of the name of Cintius a cinn! if M 
 
 ^n' «7 " ^T''' "';"■'■ '""^'"S ^t"PPe'l l'in> of very- 
 ^' ^"! !„'!"!'"' .';™''"*=' '^"'"^ to tl'e knowledge of t^e 
 
 king, by the pope's makn^:;-! ^'^^irir^^Lt^l 
 
 1 \Zv ' '^ """" ""^ of "'C Romans had been his 
 t^oxS^^T' -'f"--i.'-sly Hubert, the ustit 
 ' mJn7^? f!"' ""™ PO';"fnlly assisted the king liimself in 
 : many of l„s troubles about obtaining the kingdom as tie 
 ■ S^S history will deduce to thofe who arriuclined to 
 
 ! ""iZofoff^f " ff'i ""''^1''"'^ "f C^nterhunj, tie 
 
 election of the former John harm!) been annulled. Hubert de 
 
 \ ^<"-9h u exposed to great persecution. Hubert do 
 
 tivaVoflhe'NaHtr*^'^'';'"'''/'"' "^ '^"^•»"d, at the fes- 
 the wi ')« '"'y of O'"- Lord, was at Winchester, and Peter 
 
 Suhi,?! ""*' "''- P™1'^^'' ''0"' •he king and his train 
 itn all things necessary, and gave them garments suited to 
 
 I 
 I, 
 
 m 
 
164 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 1232. 
 
 the festival, and other presents. About the same time, because 
 of the exceeding expense which he had been at in Brittany, 
 the king demanded some money, as an aid, both from the 
 knights and prelates. About the same time, John, the prior 
 of tlie church of Canterbury, was elected to the archbishopric 
 of Canterbury, by the monks of that church ; and when he 
 had been presented to the king, and accepted by him, he set 
 out for Rome, in order to obtain from the Apostolic See a con- 
 firmation of his election, which had been regularly decided. 
 About the same time, when Henry, bishop of Rochester, had 
 been conferring holy orders on some candidates on the sab- 
 bath, when the anthem, " Come ye that thirst, to the waters,'* 
 is chaunted, at Sittingbourne, in the presence of the arch- 
 bishop elect of Canterbury, who was on the point of crossing 
 the Alps, and with all the clergy and laity standing by, he 
 addressed a sermon to them, protesting confidently, and say- 
 ing, *' Rejoice all ye brethren in the Lord, knowing that be- 
 yond a doubt, that in one and the same day, both Richard, 
 formerly king of England, and Stephen, archbishop of Can- 
 terbury, have been released from purgatory, with a chaplain 
 too, of the archbishop, being about to depart and appear be- 
 fore the face of the Divine Majesty, and on that day they 
 were the only three who were released from the penal places. 
 And you may give the most ample and unhesitating belief to my 
 words, because this has been now for the third time revealed 
 in a vision to me and to no other person ; ai.-^ that so dis- 
 tinctly, that every doubt and uncertainty is wholly removed 
 
 from my mind." 
 
 The same vear, John, the prior of Canterbury, who had 
 been elected archbishop, came to Rome, to procure from the 
 lord pope the confirmation of his election. But because the 
 pope saw that he was very old, and simple, and not at all 
 calculated for such a dignity, he persuaded him to yield to the 
 spirit of meekness, because he thought that he was a holy and 
 thoroughly rehgious man : and he cheerfully, and in the spirit 
 of humilitv, renounced the election which had been made. 
 Then the p'ope gave leave to those monks, whom he thought 
 not entirely discreet, to elect some one else, such an one as 
 they might be able to give a share of their burden to, and to 
 whom they might commit the care of his flock with assurance 
 of his competencv. About that time, LeoUne, prince of Wales, 
 invaded the territories of the barons of England, and began, 
 
 A.D. 1232. HUBERT DE BURGH DEPRIVED OF OFFICE. 165 
 
 according to his custom, to occupy himself in burning and 
 plundering. But the king having made a careful estimate of 
 how much money was contained in the royal treasury, found 
 diat there was much less deposited there than he had supposed. 
 Iherefore he required a strict account from his ministers, and 
 deposed Ranulph, surnamed the Breton, the treasurer of his 
 chamber, from his oflice, and, throwing him into prison, com- 
 pelled him to purchase his release at a high price. And in all 
 these matters he rehed on the advice of the bishop of Win- 
 Chester, and very angrily removed from his office Hubert de 
 Burgh, justiciary of the kingdom, although he had a charter 
 ot the king to guarantee him the perpetual enjoyment of his 
 dignity ; and the king appointed in his stead Stephen de Sea- 
 grave, on the twenty-niiith of July. And he demanded an 
 account of his treasures, and he levied against Hubert the 
 most enormous accusations, charging him even with Ihe ma- 
 jeste ; and, as the king now attacked him, many others rose 
 »p against him, and accused him of many things, amon- 
 whom the citizens of London, impeaching him, as it were" 
 of wickedness, in the matter of the hanging of Constantine, 
 tiieir fellow citizen, required his blood at his hands, with -reat 
 earnestness demanding that justice should be done them for so 
 great an injury. But when Hubert heard of all this, he fled 
 U) the church of Merton, and concealed himself there amon^ 
 the canons. ^ 
 
 The same year, in the course of the autumn. Master John 
 Blund a student at Oxford, and a reader in theology, was 
 elected to the archbishopric of Canterbury, and having been 
 received as such by the king, he went with some monks or 
 Lauterbury to Rome, to procure the confirmation of his elec 
 tion from the Apostolic See. About the same time, the king 
 because of the debts for which he was still bound to the count 
 ot l^rittany, and which had been contracted in consequence or 
 his interfering in the afi'airs of Brittany, procured the grant of 
 the fortieth part of all their moveables from the bishops 
 abbots, pnors secular clergy, and laity, to be extorted in the 
 condition in which they then were at the time of harvest which 
 
 H\ I rf \^^^^' ^^^^^ ^^^ ^^y «^ ^^^^ ^^^«t of" Saint Michael; 
 and he did this by the advice of Stephen de Seagrave. About 
 the same time, Hubert, knowing the violence of the king's 
 
 wWK i^^Tu "''^ '''"^"'^ ^^ ^PP^''^^ ^" ^"« presence on the day 
 wnich had been appomted him. Then the king, being angry 
 
 I 
 
 w 
 
1G6 
 
 MATTUEW OF WESTMIXSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 1232. 
 
 A.l). 1232. 
 
 HANULPn, EARL OF LI>-COLN, DIES. 
 
 ic; 
 
 signified to the mayor of London, when the hour of evening 
 ^vas just at hand, that the moment that he received the king's 
 letters, he should take to himself all the citizens of the city 
 who were capable of bearing arms, and go to Merton and drag 
 out Hubert de Burgh from that church, dead or alive, and 
 bring him before him. But the mayor having sounded the 
 common call, marched thither in armour with the people of 
 the city, intending to obey the king's command. And when 
 Hubert heard this, he prostrated himself in prayer before the 
 great altar, and commended his body and soul to God. And 
 while the armed citizens were rushing there in a body, it was 
 suggested to the king, that if he violated the peace of the 
 church for the purpose of oppressing Hubert, who had been 
 formerly his tutor, and who was known as a faithful subject 
 to nearly all the countries on this side of the Alps; *' Then," 
 said his adviser, "nearly all men, and especially the nations 
 of France, will rise up against you with reproaches and accu- 
 sations, and perhaps, in conjunction with the avenging church 
 itself, will wage war against you." And when he had heard 
 and thoroughly comprehended this, he promptly recalled the 
 furious citizens before any sedition actually broke out. 
 
 After these events, Luke, the archbishop of Dublin, who had 
 a grateful recollection of the benefits which Hubert had con- 
 ferred on him, comforted him in the Lord, and, with many 
 entreaties, prevailed on the king to grant Hubert a truce, that 
 he might have time to deliberate how he might make a good 
 answer to the accusations brought against him ; and with some 
 difficulty he obtained leave for him to have time given him till 
 the week after the Epiphany. Then Hubert, being informed 
 of these circumstances by letters of the king, took his way to 
 Saint Edmund's Bury, where his wife, Margaret, was staying, 
 to seek consolation in his tribulation at the tomb of that glo- 
 rious king and martyr ; and passing through Essex, he stopped 
 at a town which belonged to the bishop of Norwich. And 
 when this was told to the king, he became violently angry, 
 fearing that if Hubert departed in this way he might cause 
 confusion in his kingdom, on which account he repented of 
 what he had done, and sent after him a knight named Godfrey 
 de Granecumbe, with three hundred armed men, commanding 
 them, on pain of being hanged, to take him prisoner, and 
 bring him back, and to place him in confinement in the Tower 
 of London. But they went with all speed, and found Hubert 
 
 m a certain chapel close to the house in which he was dwell 
 ing holding the cross in one hand and the body of tl e Lo d 
 n the other; for he had been forewarned of 'the arrLl^^^^^ 
 those who had been seeking his life, and, accord nXrisini 
 
 hZl ButtoTf "'"'m^""^ "^^^i^' ''' ^-^ -4e' i hf 
 ctiape But Godfrey, with his armed companions havincr on 
 
 tofuit th'e'T^' T'"f ^^^"' ^^^^^^^^^^ ^- ^^- king 1 inLif" 
 to quit the chapel and come to London, to confer with the 
 king. But Hubert replied that he was too much afWi. of I 
 anger of the king, and that, therefore, l^c'u by '^e i: 
 venture to quit the sanctuary. But Godfrey and ^h s aTcom 
 phces tore the cross and the body of Christ from hfs hand " 
 and binding him with chains, led' him to London, a'd Xrew 
 urn in his chains into the Tower. But when th; bishop oT 
 London heard this, he complained bitterly to the kin^of such 
 a scandalous violation of the church, and" by his boWne L ^nd 
 firmness he prevailed to have Hubert conducted Tack to the 
 chapel in which he had been arrested. Therefore^ie l- W 
 caused the chapel to be surrounded, strictly c^mn andin% ! 
 viscounts of Hereford and Essex, Vith a^sXfnt trL ^f 
 guards, on pain of being hanged, to take care thrie d d not 
 escape by any contrivance, and to watch diligently to prevent 
 his recemng any food. Hubert, therefore, seeing^ latTe was 
 threatened with a most shameful death, of his^own accord 
 quitted the chapel and surrendered himself to the^scounTs 
 who were watching him; for he said that he wojrr^^^^^^^^^ 
 makejrial of the king's mercy than waste away I^t te^tabi: 
 
 About the same time, the king levied throughout all En^ 
 and a tax of one fortieth of all the apparent nioveables f; 
 hey existed on the day after the feast of' Saint Matthew in 
 the sixteen h year of his reign; employing in this levy h^ 
 royal guards Peter de Taney, Willian/de° Colewlhe '^^^^^^^ 
 Adam Fitzwi ham. About the same time, Ranulf earl of 
 of o!^^^^^^^^ Lincoln, died, at Wallingford, on'the twei ty-ei^ 
 
 de Crtl"' Y ^^''\ '^' "^^^ «^' ^^^« ^'^'^ reached^nLbert 
 de Burgh, and when he was told that one of his greatest 
 nemies was dead, he sighed and groaned deeply anTsa^ 
 May God be merciful to his soul." And then asking fnr « 
 psaltery, he stood before the cross, and thouXt^^^^ 
 widiout once pausing played a psalm entirely thorough ?'; tt 
 soul of the aforesaid earl. About the same time, too, t e 
 
t r1 
 
 IfiS 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 123.'^. 
 
 ' 
 
 king, hearing that Huhert had deposited a great portion of 
 his wealth in the New Temple, under the custody of the Tem- 
 plars, seized upon it all, saying that it all, and more too, had 
 been dishonestly and stealthily taken from his treasury. 
 
 This year, also, pope Gregory appointed visitors to the 
 religious brotherhoods established throughottt the world. The 
 same year, Roger, bishop of London, being accused with 
 others of withholding the revenues which belonged to the 
 Romans, or, at all events, of conniving at their being withheld, 
 went to the Apostolic See for the purpose of clearing himself, 
 and establishing his innocence. But after great exertion, and 
 having been plundered, and having his coffers exhausted at 
 the court while labouring to effect his object, he at last re- 
 turned home, after great suffering, quite unsuccessful. And 
 not long afterwards, being indignant that those usurious Chris- 
 tians whom he call Caersins,' should dwell in his city, and 
 should exercise their usurious trade, palliating it under various 
 names, he endeavoured to drive them from his diocese. But 
 as they resisted, being supported by the patronage of the 
 Roman court, after many annoyances which they inflicted on 
 him, they compelled him to keep silence. The same year, 
 Ela, countess of Salisbury, founded a convent of nuns at 
 Laycock. 
 
 Cn. X.— FiioM A.D. 1233 to a.d. 12.'^Q. 
 
 Disputes between the king and some of the bishops — Discon- 
 tent of some of the nobles — Death of the earl of Pembroke 
 in Ireland — The pope Gregory preaches a new crusade — 
 Henry marries Eleanor of Provence — He summons a council 
 of his nobles — They grant him money — Cordova is recovered 
 from the Saracens — Quarrels between the scholars of Ox- 
 ford and Rome — Baldwin, emperor of Const ant inoplCy comes 
 to England — Death of Edward the Third — The emperor 
 Frederic is excommunicated. 
 
 The king demands an account from Peter, bishop of Winchester. 
 Also from Stephen de Segrave, and from Robert Passelewe. 
 
 A.D. 1233. Henry the Third, king of England, held his 
 court at Christmas, at Worcester, when, by the advice of Peter, 
 
 * This name appears derived from Caours, a town in Piedmont, the 
 inhabitants of which, like the Lombards, in general were great money 
 dealers in the middle ages. 
 
 A.D. 1233. GREAT TITHE COLLECTED IN ENGLAND. 
 
 1C9 
 
 bishop of Winchester, he removed all the natural servants of his 
 court from their offices, and appointed Poictevins and foreigners 
 to their places instead. He expelled, in a most contemptuous 
 manner, William de Rodune, a knight, who held the office 
 of the great mareschal in the king's court, at which Richard, 
 the mareschal, was very indignant. Also the same king Henry, 
 in compliance with the dictates of that same councillor, re- 
 moved Walter, surnamed Mauclerk, bishop of Carlisle, from 
 the office of treasurer, and exacted a hundred pounds of 
 him, and also by force deprived him of certain wardships 
 which he had granted to him, and confirmed him in by charter. 
 And he cast off all his councillors, both bishops and earls, 
 and barons, and the nobles of his kingdom, with such preci- 
 pitation, that he trusted no one, except the bishop who has 
 been already mentioned, as if he worshipped him as a god ; 
 and with the exception also of his dear friend, Peter de Ri- 
 vallis. Owing to which it happened that, having expelled 
 the keepers of the castles throughout nearly all England, the 
 king committed them all to the custody of the same Peter. 
 Afterwards, this Peter, bishop of Winchester, united himself 
 in fellowship with Stephen de Segrave, a man very ill-affected 
 both to the kingdom and the church, who had given evil 
 counsel to Master Stephen, the pope's chaplain, when he 
 was about to collect the tithe of the churches of England, not 
 to make an end with the prelates of England, but carefully 
 to reserve the tenth when it was entirely collected, for the 
 pope ; in consequence of which detestable counsel the church 
 suffered incalculable injury in many ways. For owino- to this, 
 the sum that was collected reached nearly double fts usual 
 amount, and what was worse, the number and value of 
 the churches and prebends, and all the revenues of the king- 
 dom of England were revealed to the cupidity of the Roman 
 court, which led it to be more and more intent upon plun- 
 dering the revenues. And a regular agreement was made 
 between these two Stephens, that, as a reward for that trea- 
 chery, Stephen de Segrave should obtain an indulgence from 
 the Apostolic See, for the use of his son, who was one of the 
 secular clergy, and permission to enjoy freely as many be- 
 nefices as he might be able to procure for him. But that 
 dishonesty, which had been so wickedly contrived to the in- 
 jury of the commonwealth, was baulked'of its success. For 
 this same clerk, the son of Stephen de Segrave, who has been 
 
170 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 AD. 1233. 
 
 A.D. 1233. ELECTION OF JOHN BLUXD ANNULLED. 
 
 171 
 
 often mentioned, in a short time ended his life by the ven- 
 geance of God. 
 
 To these men there was added, Robert, surnamed Passelewe, 
 who, in conjunction with his master, Falcas, was at Rome, con- 
 triving injury to the king and kingdom, with all his exer- 
 tions, and the expenditure of no small quantity of money. He 
 was the keeper of the king's treasury, under Peter de Rivallis, 
 and then it came to pass that the reins of the whole kingdom 
 were committed to men of foreign and ignoble birth, to the 
 exclusion of all others. Therefore there rose up among the 
 nobles of England a second Mattathias as it were, a man of 
 noble birth, and a most gallant soldier, Earl Richard, the 
 king's marshal, who was excited by a zeal for justice, and 
 constantly blamed the simplicity of the foolish king. And this 
 earl was joined by Gilbert Basset, by Wavin, and Philip his 
 brother, and by Richard Siward. And besides the causes of 
 discontent already mentioned, it added fuel to the flame, that, 
 seduced by the advice of the foreigners, and also of some of 
 the native English who have been mentioned, and who by their 
 blandishments and flatteries increased his folly, the king un- 
 justly, and without form of trial, deprived the'aforesaid Gilbert 
 Basset of the manor of Netheraven, in the county of Wilt- 
 shire, and, having stripped him of it by force, invested Peter 
 de Malolac, a Poictevin, with it. And as the aforesaid earl 
 Richard thought this injury not one that touched himself 
 alone, but a public one also, he repeatedly appealed to the 
 king by the bishops, the clergy, the preaching brothers, the 
 Minor brothers, and also by his peers, to deal with the afore- 
 said Gilbert Basset, and his other natural subjects in the king- 
 dom in a lawful manner, according to the laws and customs of 
 the kingdom, and not to follow the evil counsels of foreigners 
 and malignants such as have been named. But to their 
 prayers and admonitions the king paid not the least attention, 
 but was rather moved to greater anger by them, and drove the 
 aforesaid earl and all his adherents into Wales, and banished 
 them, giving up all their estates and possessions to plunder, 
 and confiscating all their property. And as the urgent neces- 
 sity of the case compelled the aforesaid knights to consider of 
 a remedy, they chose rather manfully to resist such injurious 
 conduct, and to fight for their country, than to submit to an 
 unjust and arbitrary loss of their inheritance. And although 
 it seemed possible that they might by chance be forced to 
 
 attack even the person of the king, this they were unwilling 
 to do, but they injured his adherents by plunder, and spoihng, 
 and fire, and every means which they iiad in their power, 
 during the whole of the summer and winter that the war 
 lasted. 
 
 The same year, on the twenty-third of March, there was a 
 terrible thunder-storm, which was followed by such an inun- 
 dation of rain lasting the whole summer, that it everywhere 
 broke up the preserves, and fish ponds, and mill streams, 
 throughout nearly the whole of England, and tore up the mills 
 from their foundations. And in the arable lands, and fertile 
 orchards, and other places, which were quite unusual, springs 
 burst forth, and streams ran in all directions, producing small 
 fishes; the mill streams, though unused to it, becominc^ 
 adapted to support them. ° 
 
 The same year, on the eighth of April, about the first hour 
 of the day, four spurious suns appeared in heaven, besides 
 the real one, marked with some circles which intersected them 
 in a marvellous manner, in the district which hes beyond the 
 borders of Herefordshire and Worcestershire ; and this pro- 
 digy was followed by a great slaughter on the confines of 
 Wales, in the country which lies on the borders, and by lament- 
 able conflagrations in Ireland. 
 
 This year Warin Basset died at the siege and in the 
 assault of Cardiff" Castle. About the same time, the election 
 ^Lv^^®^^'' "^^^"^ ^^""^ ^'^^ annulled at Rome, for the bishop 
 of W inchester had written on his behalf to the lord the em- 
 peror, begging him to condescend to assist the said John, and 
 to procure that he might receive his promotion without any 
 of the hindrances to which others who liad been elected to 
 the same dignity had been exposed. But the pope, who did 
 not love the emperor with sincerity of heart, did not grant 
 his request, but alleging a fictitious pretext for annulling his 
 election, he made a violent objection to the said John, because 
 he had obtained two benefices to which cure of souls was an- 
 nexed without any dispensation, which, as he stated, were a 
 sufficient reason for annulling his election, and so the friend- 
 ship and request of the bishop of Winchester did him more 
 harm than good. About the same time, Edmond of Abine- 
 don was elected archbishop. About the same time, earl 
 Kichard, perceiving that he was destitute of allies, formed a 
 confederacy with LeoUne, and the other nobles of that country 
 
 5|^ 
 
 '»! 
 
172 
 
 lIATTilEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1233. 
 
 j>:; 
 
 and the two bound themselves to one another by mutual 
 oaths. At this time also, that is to say, en the day after the 
 festival of the blessed Mary, many warlike men landed at 
 Dover, coming from foreign countries, and went to Gloucester 
 to the king. Then the king being surrounded by them, and 
 by many other troops likewise, advanced a numerous army 
 towards the city of Hereford. At this time also, Walter, 
 bishop of Carlisle, having received some injuries at the king's 
 hand, embarked on board a ship at Dover, with the purpose 
 of crossing the sea. But some of the king's servants came 
 up, who turned him and his companions out of the vessel, and 
 positively forbade them, in the king's name, from quitting the 
 kingdom without his permission. 
 
 About the same time, Roger, bishop of London, landed at 
 Dover, on his return from the court of Rome ; and he, seeing 
 the injury that had been done to the aforesaid bishop, excom- 
 municated all those who had laid violent hands upon him, and 
 going from Dover to the king, he found him before the city 
 of Hereford, with his army, and then, in the presence of the 
 king and of some of the bishops, he repeated the sentence 
 which he had pronounced on those who had offered this vio- 
 lence to the bishop of Carlisle, in spite of the king murmur- 
 ing and prohibiting him from pronouncing such a sentence. 
 But all the bishops who were present approved of the conduct 
 of the bishop of. London. About the same time, the king, 
 by the advice of Peter, bishop of Winchester, defied the ma- 
 reschal, by the mouth of the bishop of Saint David's. 
 
 At this 'time also, Hubert, who was detained in prison in 
 the castle of Devizes, having been forewarned that bishop 
 Peter had proposed to put him to death by famine, threw 
 himself, of his own accord, from the top of the wall into the 
 fosse, and entered the church, from which he was forcibly 
 dragged by the keepers of the castle. But as the bishop, the 
 diocesan of Salisbury, reclaimed him boldly, he was brought 
 back into the church, and after a short time he was carried off 
 from thence by the adherents of the mareschal, and properly 
 equipped with knightly arms, and conducted into Wales, 
 where, on the thirtieth of October, he joined the enemies of 
 the king. About the same time, the king, one night, suffered 
 a heavy loss, and was thrown into great confusion at Gros- 
 mund, by an unexpected sally made by the enemy. And a 
 short time afterwards a severe battle took place in front of 
 
 A.D. 1234. EICITARD, EARL OF PEMBROKI', DIES, 
 
 1—0 
 
 Monmouth castle, where, on the side of the mareschal, the 
 young Thomas Siward was taken prisoner, a very gallant 
 knight ; and on the king's side there were taken fifteen 
 knights and a great nun\ber of esquires. These events took 
 place on Saint Catharine's day. The same year, the king 
 built a house in London, for those converts who abandoned 
 the errors of Judaism, and, for the redemption of his own 
 soul and that of his father, assigned them for ever a suf- 
 ficient provision for the necessaries of life out of certain reve- 
 nues. And again, being seized by a similar zeal for God, he 
 built at his own expense a noble hospital at Oxford, not far 
 from the bridge, for pilgrims and infirm people, who might 
 be passing through those parts. 
 
 The nolle knigJit, Richard, earl of Pemhrolce, is slain in Ireland. 
 Edmxmd^ having been consecrated archbishop of Canterbury, 
 reconciles his brother Gilbert, and likewise other nobles of the 
 hingdomy to the king. 
 
 A.D. 1234. King Henry the Third, at the festival of the 
 IVativity of the Lord, held his court at Gloucester. The war 
 which had begun the year before, was terminated this year. 
 A truce w as made between the king and the earl, who has 
 been mentioned, to last from the Purification till Easter. During 
 which period, Richard, earl of Pembroke, crossed the sea to 
 Ireland, and with great earnestness demanded of the great 
 justiciary, and of the other nobles of Ireland, that homage 
 should be done, and an oath of fealty taken to him, and that 
 the castles should be surrendered to him, positively declaring 
 that he would never quit the country till the castles had been 
 given up to him. But the nobles of Ireland being indignant 
 at this, united together to resist him without any delay, and 
 with all their energy prepared their forces to withstand him. 
 But on a certain day, the position of afiairs requiring such a 
 step, the courage of the aforesaid earl encountered them in 
 battle without waiting for the assistance of his partizans ; and 
 nearly all the troops whom he had with him at the first onset, 
 deserted their general, and left him alone on the field, and 
 sought safety for themselves in flight, so that the aforesaid 
 earl, after having slain many men, received a mortal wound, 
 and so his enemies became victorious and took him prisoner, 
 and conducted him back to his own camp, where he died in a 
 few days. And thus the comfort of the Enghsh, which it 
 
 *}\ 
 
^1 
 
 174 
 
 MATTHEW QF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1234. 
 
 was hoped would liave had breathing time, owing to the valour 
 of this earl, was suddenly clouded by a dark fate. In the mean- 
 time, while the relics of this tempest were still lasting, Master 
 Edmund, of Abingdon, on the Sunday on which the aathem, 
 " Rejoice, Jerusalem," is chaunted, that is to say, on the 
 second of April, was consecrated archbishop of Canterbury, 
 by Roger, bishop of London, at Canterbury. And the same 
 day, he received the pallium from the hands of Henry, bishop 
 of Rochester. And he found such favour in the eyes of the 
 king, that by his entreaty, (receiving the counsel of the foreign- 
 ers and nvals of Hubert, who has been mentioned above) he 
 reconciled to the king all the nobles who had been adherents 
 of the mareschal, and also Hubert himself, and when they 
 had been reconciled to him, and when Albert, the brother of 
 Richard the mareschal, who had been slain in Ireland, as has 
 been already mentioned, had been liberally invested with his 
 brother's inheritance, and when the king had discarded and 
 given to confusion all his former councillors, the whole war 
 was entirely put an end to about Ascension day. 
 
 The same year, on that frontier of the empire which 
 touches the district of Germany, not far from the sea, some new 
 heretics, called Canines, were defeated, and entirely destroyed 
 from under heaven by the edge of the sword. This year also, 
 the eyes of the king were opened, and by the account of those 
 worthy of credit, he was certified of the faith and constancy of 
 earl Richard, mareschal, and of the treason that had been 
 wrought against him by certain forged letters sent into Ireland, 
 and accordingly he required an account of his treasury and 
 his seal, which had been wickedly taken care of, to be ren- 
 dered to him by Peter, bishop of Winchester, and Peter de 
 Rivallis, and Stephen de Segrave, and Robert Passelewe. But 
 they, fearing the wrath of the king, at once withdrew, and 
 flying to the peace of the church, the bishop and Peter Ri- 
 vallis concealed themselves in the cathedral church of Win- 
 chester. But Stephen de Segrave lay hid in the church of 
 Saint Mary, which is an abbey for monks, where he openly 
 protested that he was and had been a clerk. But Robert took 
 refuge in some secret hiding place, so that they who sought 
 for him failed in the anxious search which they made, and he 
 was scarcely safe in a cell of the New Temple, in which he had 
 taken refuge. But Edmund, archbishop of Canterbury, a man 
 of marvellous sanctity and mildness, eagerly desiring the 
 
 A.D. 1234. CONTEST BETWEEN THE POPE AND THE EOMANS. \7o 
 
 peace and honour of the king and kingdom, exerted himself 
 as much as possible, going to and fro between the two parties 
 repeatedly, in order to establish peace between the king and 
 his natural subjects. And the king, knowing that he was a 
 holy and just man, greatly inclined his mind to his prayers. 
 At last, by the agency of money, united to the entreaties of the 
 pontiff, he obtained the king's clemency for the before-men- 
 tioned knights. And thus the whole tempest, in the deceitful 
 revolution of human affairs, cleared out all the court and 
 palace. 
 
 The same year, as his conduct had well deserved, the count 
 of Brittany was put to confusion by the king of France, and 
 he was only spared by the royal mercv from being punished 
 by a shameful execution, because of bis noble birth ; for, after 
 he had deceived the king of England by all kinds of treason, 
 he attempted to circumvent the king of France likewise by a 
 similar dishonesty. But the king of England took from that 
 traitor all the estates and possessions "which he owned in 
 England. And when the said count, being a craftv and 
 treacherous man, heard of this, namely, that he had fallen on 
 both sides into the snares which he himself had spread, he 
 became, from having been a noble count, a most infamous 
 pirate, laying wait for the merchants of England who had 
 dealings in many waters, and causing great hindrances to 
 many of them. The same year, the king perceiving that his 
 simplicity was frequently imposed upon bv many people, adopt- 
 ing wiser counsel, took Hugh de Pateshulfe, a clerk, whose pru- 
 dence and fidelity he had experienced bevond all question, 
 when he had received from the viscounts the payments whicli 
 had been agreed upon, and promoted him to be his chief trea- 
 surer and councillor, saying to him, ** Because you have been 
 faithful over a few things which were entrusted to you, I will 
 make you over many things. Your father was a noble and 
 faithful man, a man of great authority ; follow, I beseech vou 
 the example of your father." ^ 
 
 At this time also, a violent contest arose between the pope 
 and the Romans, in consequence of which the pope, with his 
 cardinals, withdrew to Perugia, where he abode some time. 
 
 Ihis year also, the island of Majorca (which is so called to 
 distinguish It from a smaller island in the neighbourhood 
 which IS named xMinorca, both which islands are situated in 
 the Mediterranean sea, between Spain and the dominions of 
 
17G 
 
 MATTHEW or WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1235. 
 
 the king of Morocco) was taken. And it was taken by the 
 king of Arragon and the citizens of Marseilles, and restored to 
 Christian worship. This year also, Hugh Folioth, bishop of 
 Hereford, died, and was succeeded by Master de Robert Mei- 
 denestanes, who received consecration from Edmund, arch- 
 bishop of Canterbury. 
 
 Hugh, huhop of Lincoln, dies. Robert Grossetete succeeds him. 
 Isabella , the king's sister, is demanded as empress. 
 A.D. 123."). King Henry the Third, at the feast of the Nati- 
 vity of the Lord, lield his court at Westminster. The same 
 year, seven Jews were brought before the king at Westminster, 
 who, a year before, had stolen a child at Norwich, and kept 
 him out of the sight of the Christians, and circumcised him, 
 calUng him Jeremiah, and intending, as it was said, to crucify 
 him at the solemnity of Easter. But being convicted of this 
 in the king's presence, they confessed the truth of the matter, 
 and 80 remained in custody and in prison, at his pleasure, as 
 far as their hfe and hmbs were concerned. 
 
 This year, Hugh de Wells, bishop of Lincoln, died, on the 
 eighth of February, and was buried at Lincoln, in his cathe- 
 dral church, and was succeeded by Robert, surnamed Grosse- 
 tete, who received consecration at Reading, from Edmund, 
 archbishop of Canterbury. The same year, William, abbot of 
 St. Alban's, died, on the day of Saint Matthias the Apostle, 
 after he had governed his church with vigour twenty years 
 and three months. He was succeeded by John, prior of 
 Hertford, which was a chapelry belonging to the church of 
 Saint Alban's. About this time too, Henry de Sandford, bishop 
 of Rochester, died, on the twenty-fourth of February. 
 
 This year too, which is the tenth year after the truce for 
 ten years in the land of promise had been established between 
 Frederic, emperor of Rome, and the soldan of Babylon, a 
 solemn preaching for the assumption of the cross took place 
 throughout the whole world, which professed the Christian 
 faith, "at the warning and desire of pope Gregory before-men- 
 tioned. For he sent letters written with his own hand, by tlie 
 Minor brothers and preaching brothers, to all parts of the 
 world, addressed to the prelates, and to all who were learned 
 in theology, and skilful in the art of preaching, and the 
 affair of the cross prospered in their hands. 
 
 This year also, after Easter, the emperor Frederic sent am- 
 
 A.D. 1236. HENRY THE THIRD MARRIES ELEANOR. 177 
 
 bassadors to England, and demanded of the lord king Henry, 
 that his sister, Isabella, might be given to him for his wife! 
 Accordingly, the king having taken counsel on this subject 
 with his friends, sent her to the emperor with the ambassadors, 
 who were all men of tried worth. And Frederic received her 
 with due respect, and married her on the day of Pentecost, 
 which was on the twenty-seventh of May. 
 
 The same year, the king sent formal ambassadors into Pro- 
 vence, to espouse Eleanor, the daughter of the count of 
 Provence, in his name. And they, having arranged the mar- 
 riage contract at Tarascon, on Saint Clement's day, caused her 
 to be wedded in the king's name, by Robert de Muchegers, a 
 knight, as if the king himself had been present. And the cere- 
 mony was subsequently repeated at Vienne, on the fifteenth of 
 December. 
 
 This year also, Cordova, a noble city in Spain, was taken by 
 the king of Castile, the brother of Miramolin, with an immense 
 number of the infidels being slain in the battle. 
 
 The same year, at Advent, Robert Fitz-Walter died. About 
 the same time, Peter, bishop of Winchester, went to Rome, by 
 the command of the lord of the pope. The decretals of Gre- 
 gory were drawn up in a compendious abridgment. At this 
 point the chronicles of Roger of Windsor end. 
 
 Henry the Third, king of England, marries Eleanor, daughter 
 of the count of Provence. Discord arises betiveen the pope and 
 the emperor. 
 
 A.D. 1236. King Henry the Third held his court at Christ- 
 mas, at Winchester. The same year, king Henry the Third 
 married Eleanor, the daughter of Raymond, count of Provence, 
 and having espoused her at Canterbury, he celebrated his nup- 
 tials at Westminster, on the day of Saint Fabian and Saint 
 Sebastian. In the same year, on the sixteenth of August, 
 Thomas de Blondeville, bishop of Norwich, died, and was suc- 
 ceeded by Radulph, on the day of the Apostles Saint Simon 
 and Saint Jude. The same year. Master Walter de Cantilupe 
 was elected bishop of Worcester. Thomas, abbot of Evesham, 
 died, on the tenth of December, and was succeeded by Richard, 
 prior of Hurley, who was elected on the twenty-fifth of Sep- 
 tember, and who, on the first Sunday in advent next following, 
 received the benediction at Heywood from the bishop of Co- 
 
 VOL. II. 
 
 N 
 
 i 
 
17S 
 
 MATIHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 123G. 
 
 ventry, and was solemnly installed in the church of Evesham, 
 on the day after the feast of the blessed Nicholas. 
 
 In these days, king Henry the Third, for the salvation of 
 hi& own soul and that of his queen, and that God might crown 
 a happy beginning by a fortunate end, by giving him a fruitful 
 offspring, in a council held at Merton, granted and esta- 
 blished some good new laws, and ordered them to be for ever 
 inviolably observed throughout his kingdom. As to what laws 
 or customs in the length of time that had elapsed had fallen 
 into disuse, and what were injurious, a diligent investigation 
 may be fully formed by examining the writing which was 
 drawn upon the subject. 
 
 About the same time, such a vast inundation of continued 
 rain fell for about three months, as no one recollected having 
 ever seen before. About the same time, a very disastrous 
 quarrel arose between the lord and emperor Frederic, and the 
 men of Italy, who are commonly known to be from ancient 
 times an appurtenance of the em'peror. And because the lord 
 the pope undisguisedly favoured the side of t^*c Italians, and 
 especially the Milanese, whose character was abroad for many 
 heresies, and usurious and simoniacal practices, he day by day 
 lost the devotion of many of the faithful. The same year, a 
 dispute arose in the city of Orleans between the clergy and the 
 citizens, and as both sides rushed to arms, a civil and intestine 
 war sprung up between them, and as the citizens got the better, 
 after much bloodshed, a great many of the scholars of noble 
 birth were slain and drowned in the river Loire. But their 
 relations took a bitter revenge soon after, and required the 
 blood of the slain at the hands of the citizens. And the whole 
 city was placed under an interdict by the bishop of that city, 
 and the whole kingdom of France was violently disturbed, till, 
 at last, the sedition was checked and quelled by the prudence 
 of some great men. 
 
 About the same time, there arose a grievous schism between 
 the Roman and the great churches, so that, at the command 
 of the pope, many persons, especially in the kingdom ot 
 France, assumed the sign of the cross for the purpose of con- 
 quering the Greeks. About this time also, the heretical de- 
 pravity of those persons who are commonly called Paterines, 
 orBugarians, prevailed, and especially in the countries beyond 
 the Alps, in such a degree, that they ventured to contaminate 
 with their contagion the purity of the faith in the territories 
 
 A. D. 1237. TU£ ^^OBLES OF ENGLAND MEET AT LUM)U^'. 179 
 
 of France and Flanders But by the diligent ministration and 
 unwearied preaching of the divines of the orders of Minors 
 and PiTachers, and especially of Master Robert, a brother of 
 the order of Preachers surnamed Bugre, they were converted 
 from that error, and their superstition was confused and re- 
 futed, and those who refused to be converted Robert caused 
 to breathe forth their miserable souls in the fire 
 
 In those days also, a great slaughter of the Jews took place 
 m the countries of Italy, so that many of them fled for refu^ 
 to France and England. At that time also, the noble knight! 
 \Vilham de Albiney. died. Also about the same time, the ford 
 Frederic, he emperor, sent formal ambassadors to thekin^ of 
 England, to demand with great earnestness, a considerable 
 
 sister. This year also, a great many large springs burst out 
 and unusua streams, full of river fish. And the day after the 
 fes ival of the blessed Martin, and also the day weeVafter a 
 violent storm of wind, accompanied bv noise as if of thunder 
 raised up the Mayes of the sea, and causing them to exceed 
 heir usual bounds, so that on tiie borders of the sea, and in 
 the marshes, as for instance at Wisbeach, and other similar 
 places, boats were lost, and much cattle, and a great number 
 of human beings perished. About this time too, the bishop 
 of ^\lnchester returned from the countries beyond the sea. 
 
 Pecuniary aid is required, and amendment promised. 
 AD. 1237. King Henry held his court at Christmas, at 
 >Unchester ; and immediately afterwards he sent letters from 
 le king through all the provinces of England, orderinic all 
 he subjects of the English crown, that i" to sav, the Lh- 
 »)'8hops, bishops, abbots, installed priors, counts and barons to 
 meet without any omission or excuse, on the day week after the 
 i-^piphany, at London, to consider of roval matters atfectine 
 ttie whole kingdom. And the nobles having received thil 
 command immediately obeyed the royal order, beheving that 
 ttiey should have to discuss some messages from the Done 
 or emperor affecting the general state of affaiis. Accord- 
 n^ly, on the appointed day the whole body of the nobles of 
 the kingdom met at London ; and when they had taken their 
 
 wi^L w'fl-P f o /*'" monastery, to listen to the king's 
 ^i^hes, Wilham de Rale, one of the secular clergy, who was 
 au intimate friend of the king, rose up in the midit of thei^! 
 
 N 2 
 
ISO 
 
 MATTUEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1237. 
 
 in whose mouth the king had put his own words, which 
 he was to propose to his nobles, and said : *' The lord the 
 king wishes you to know that he is destitute of treasures, with- 
 out the support of which the kingdom cannot he securo. For 
 lie has lavished great sums in the expenses of his sister, the 
 empress. Much, too, has been lost in the custody of several 
 keepers, whom he has trusted like himself, and who have 
 dealt with what was entrusted to them in a manner very dif- 
 ferent from what was proper or expedient. But, whatever he 
 may have have done before, for the future discarding foreigners 
 and their counsels, the false nature of which he has found 
 out to his own loss, he will incUne to the counsels of his na- 
 tural subjects. Therefore he earnestly requests of you pecu- 
 niary assistance, in order that the constitution of the king- 
 dom may be confirmed by the royal treasury." But when all 
 had heard this speech with indignation, a murmur, mingled 
 with groans and grief, sounded through the hall, that the 
 king's simplicity had been so often aroused, while the abuse 
 had been always found to redound to the injury of the com- 
 monwealth. And also because money was so frequently ex- 
 torted from them as if they had been slaves of the lowest class, 
 without their deriving any advantage from it. But when the 
 king found that this was the case, desiring to appease this 
 murmur, he promised with an oath that he would never again 
 provoke the nobles of his realm by doing them injury or mo- 
 lest them, or eat away their property by similar exactions, 
 provided they would now grant him a thirtieth part of the move- 
 ables throughout England ; and he promised of his own accord 
 to observe inviolably from that time forward the liberties 
 granted by magna charta to his faithful subjects. And be- 
 cause he seemed to be not entirely himself, out of the operation 
 of the sentence which the archbishop, in concert with all the 
 bishops of England, had pronounced against all the violators of 
 the aforesaid charter, which he, being led away by evil counsel, 
 had in some degree violated ; lest he might be suspected for 
 the future, he caused the archbishop publicly to repeat the 
 sentence before alluded to, against all the violators of the said 
 charter, and all who spoke against it ; in such a way that if he, 
 on account of any rancour which he entertained, had failed to 
 observe it, he would be hable to the heaviest curse of the 
 sentence thus pronounced. And the consequence of this con- 
 duct was, that he pacified the hearts of his hearers. And ac- 
 
 A.D. 1237. THE POPE SUMMONS THE EAEL OF BEITTANY. 181 
 
 cordingly, on these conditions, a thirtieth part of the move- 
 ables of the kingdom was cheerfully granted to him for the 
 restoration of his exhausted treasury, each man being allowed 
 first to reserve his gold and silver plate, and his horse and 
 arms, to be used in the cause of the commonwealth, if need 
 should be. 
 
 This year, Leoline, prince of North Wales, was struck with 
 palsy, and became very ill. Therefore, before the news of 
 this circumstance got abroad, he sent the bishops of Hereford 
 and Chester to the king of England, earnestly entreating, for 
 the Lord's sake, that he might be reconciled to the king in 
 all sincerity of heart, from that time forward, and be allied to 
 him in all indissoluble friendship, under some certain agree- 
 ment. For he considered the weakness of his principality, 
 and also of his own person, and the unpopularity of his sons, 
 Gritfin and David, and calculated that if he were dead their 
 counsels would be disordered, and then the principality, being 
 divided against itself, according to the saying in the Gospel, 
 would be exposed to great desolation. But many of the 
 nobles of Wales would not admit this, and embittered the 
 heart of Leoline to his own misery, till he became Mcary of 
 his life. 
 
 About the same time, Richard, the heir of the earl of Glou- 
 cester, secrej;ly married Margaret, the daughter of Hubert de 
 Burgh, earl of Kent, by the management of that same earl and 
 his wife Margaret, on which account the wrath of the king 
 became exceedingly hot against the earl, and he laboured 
 with all his might to procure a divorce between them, as he 
 proposed to marry the said Richard to another wife. The 
 same year, the lord Frederic, the emperor, with a view to 
 quelling the seditious disturbances which frequently arise in 
 the court of Rome, caused another senator to be created. 
 
 About the same time, the lord the pope summoned the earl 
 of Brittany to his council, knowing that he was a warlike 
 man, and one of great experience in the stratagems of war, 
 and very able. But when this earl had replenished his empty 
 coffers with the pope's treasures, he sought for excuses, as- 
 serting that he did not dare attack the brave and powerful 
 emperor, lest he might find himself overwhelmed with his 
 mighty power. But that, if the lord the pope chose to scijd 
 him to subdue the enemies of the cross, as he ought rather 
 to desire, in that case he was prepared to obey the commands 
 
 i 
 
182 
 
 31ATTUEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1237. 
 
 of his father. But he had already assumed the cross, and 
 according to the vow wiiich he took upon himself when he 
 assumed the cross, he was hound to cross the sea. But when 
 the pope heard this, feigning to be caught by the tricks of the 
 layman, he dismissed him in peace. 
 
 In those days the bishop of Worcester and Norwich went 
 the way of all flesh ; and so the monks of Worcester elected 
 Master Walter de Cantelupe their bishop, whom the lord 
 pope accepted with difficulty, and consecrated bishop. And 
 the cancms of Norwich elected their prior, as a rehgious and 
 discreet man, to be their bishop. And because his election, 
 though regularly proceeded in, offended the king, it was an- 
 nulled on account of some ridiculous exceptions, not without 
 some guilt of conscience being incurred. About this time, also, 
 John de Bresne, of immortal memory, formerly king of Jeru- 
 salem, and who had nearly obtained the crown of the empire 
 of Constantinople, was removed from among men. Like- 
 wise brother Jordan, the prior of the order of tne Preaching 
 brothers, a man of venerable life, was drowned in the Medi- 
 terranean sea, and so departed from his place of banishment 
 in this world, to the country of eternal brightness, where he 
 is believed to be reckoned in the company of the blessed 
 saints. In those days, also, brother Dominic, of the order 
 of Preachers, and the holy brother Francis, of Uie order of 
 Minors, were canonized, and reckoned in the college of saints, 
 as their holy merits well deserved, by pope Gregory, who was 
 favourable to these new orders. 
 
 The same year, Richard, bishop of Durham, who had pre- 
 viously ruled two bishoprics, Chichester and Salisbury, on the 
 second day of the week of thfi Passion of our Lord, departed 
 to the Lord, at Tarrant, in Wiltshire, and was buried in a 
 church of a monastery which he had founded. But the monks 
 of Durham, having sought aid from above, unanimously elected 
 their prior, a discreet and religious man, to be their bishop. 
 About that time, John, earl of Chester, surnamed the Scot, 
 died, of poison it was said, and the bishop of Lincoln, having 
 been attacked by the same kind of disease, was with difficulty 
 recalled from the gates of death. About this time, the king 
 began to repent of having conferred such numerous and great 
 honours on his brother Richard, and on Gilbert Mareschal, 
 and some others, who appeared to him to be ungrateful; and, 
 accordingly, he sent secret ambassadors, friends on whom he 
 
 A.D. 1238. ELEANOR MAREIES SIMON DE MONTFOET. 
 
 183 
 
 could rely to Rome to the pope, requesting him earnestly to 
 condeseend, without delay, to send some one as a legate into 
 England, which appeared to be an especially proper object of 
 his care, who might re-establish the constitution of the king- 
 dom, which was in danger. Therefore, Master Otho, the 
 cardinal deacon of Saint Nicholas, in the Tullian prison, came 
 to England as legate, about the day of the feast of the blessed 
 Mary Magdalene, and subsequently, on the day week after 
 the feast of the blessed Martin, he held a solemn council at 
 London, in the church of Saint Paul, which lasted three days 
 without interruption, and all the prelates of England and 
 Wales being assembled, and the lords archbishops of Canter- 
 bury and York sitting on the first and second seat of honour 
 on the right hand of the legate himself, many things were 
 discussed bearing on the reformation of the constitution of the 
 church of England, and some old customs were altered. And 
 tliat the legate might not seem to have done nothing at all, or 
 to have come to London without any reformation of the church, 
 he ordered, under formidable penalties, that the churches 
 which had not been dedicated should be dedicated. But the 
 week before Christmas, Edmund, archbisliop of Canterbury, 
 crossed the sea to go to Rome, on some business relating to 
 ills own church. 
 
 About this time, that most wealthy and celebrated city, Cor- 
 dova, in Spain, having been taken from the Saracens by the 
 most valiant and Christian king Alfonso, king of Castile, was 
 restored to Christian worship. 
 
 A quarrel having arisen between the scholars of Oxford and the 
 Romans, the cook of the legate is slain. The queen of Scotland 
 dies. Baldwin, eriijjcror of Constantinople, comes to England. 
 
 A.D. ] 238. The king, at the feast of the Nativity of the Lord, 
 held his court at Westminster, where, the day after the Epi- 
 phany, the king gave Eleanor, his sister, countess of Pem- 
 broke, in marriage to Simon de Montfort. On account of 
 which, earl Richard was very indignant, and the whole of the 
 kingdom was in great agitation in consequence. Afterwards, 
 about the time of the feast of Saint Hilary next ensuing, king 
 Henry, without taking the advice of his barons, married 
 Richard de Clare, son of the earl of Gloucester, to Matilda, 
 daughter of the earl of Lincoln, at which the indignation of 
 earl Richard became very great, as did that of nearly all the 
 
181 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 12:^8. 
 
 A.D. 1238. SIMON^ DE MONTFORT GOES TO HOME. 
 
 185 
 
 nobles of England ; nearly all of whom met, with their horses 
 and arms, at Southwark, the day week after the feast of Saint 
 Hilary, intending to attack Simon de Montfort and the earl of 
 Lincoln, and so the peace of the whole kingdom was disturbed. 
 Ihit this disturbance was appeased by the prudence of lord 
 Otho, at that time legate, and by William Valentine, who, at 
 the very time that the confusion was at its height, arrived 
 from foreign parts ; and the earl of Lincoln and Simon de 
 Montfort were removed from the king's councils. The same 
 year, the lord legate Otho spent the feast of Easter at Lincoln, 
 and a fortnight after Easter he left that city and travelled 
 through Oxford, and staid at Oseney, where, as his household 
 provoked the clerical scholars of that town to quarrels and 
 raiUng, a fight took place between them, so that while the 
 scholars attacked the Romans, and the Romans resisted, the 
 cook of the lord legate was slain on the spot, and many per- 
 sons on each side were mortally wounded. And then, the 
 aforesaid legate, having been besieged by the clerical scholars 
 till the hour of vespers, in his fear ascended the tower of the 
 church, and sent secretly to the king, who was at that time at 
 Abingdon, earnestly entreating him to release him from his 
 blockade ; and the next day the king, by means of his soldiers, 
 conducted him to Wallingford, where he publicly excommuni- 
 cated all who had insulted him in this way, and denounced 
 them as persons deprived of every office or benefice, and pub- 
 lished their names as lawless men. And likewise, he placed 
 all the churches in Oxford under an interdict, and suspended 
 all study in that city. And he caused these sentences to be 
 published, and execution of them to be demanded, in the 
 church of Saint Frediswide at Oxford, with great solemnity, 
 by the agency of the bishop of Winchester, and the abbots of 
 Evesham and Abingdon, on the day after the feast of Saint 
 Philip and Saint James, the clergy and laity having been 
 convened. But the king, because of this infraction of his 
 peace, caused Master Odo of Kilkenny, who was said to have 
 been present at the insult offered to the legate, to be arrested, 
 with eighteen other scholars, and to be thrust into prison, 
 their clerical privileges being entirely suspended ; and thus 
 the scholars were dispersed and study suspended at Oxford for 
 the whole summer. At length the abbot and canons of Oseney, 
 and the regent masters of Oxford, with unshod feet, uncovered 
 heads, their upper garments stripped off and ungirt, with 
 
 * 
 
 many humble petitions, besought pardon of the legate, and 
 so, at last, they went through the middle of the city of Lon- 
 don to the palace of the bishop of Durham, where the legate 
 was at that time being entertained, and thus they obtained 
 pardon, study being restored at Oxford, and the before-named 
 sentences relaxed. 
 
 About this time died Joanna, queen of Scotland, and sister 
 of the king, who had come to England to visit the king, her 
 brother ; and she was buried at Tarrant, in a house of nuns, 
 on the fourth of March. This year also, sentence was given 
 in favour of the monks of Rochester, by the lord the pope, in 
 the controversy which had arisen between the archbishop and 
 those monks concerning the election of their bishop. And 
 the bishop whom they had elected, namely, Master Richard of 
 Wendover, was confirmed on Saint Cuthbert's day. 
 
 About the same time, Baldwin, emperor of Constantinople, 
 having been expelled from the Greek empire, came to France 
 and England to obtain useful counsel and assistance for the 
 recovery of his rights, from the French and English sovereigns, 
 as they were his friends and kinsmen. And he brought with 
 him the crown of thorns, which the Jews plaited and placed 
 on the head of Jesus Christ when they crucified him. 
 
 The same year also, the lord the king of England sent a 
 military aid to the emperor Frederic, to enable him to subdue 
 his rebellious subjects in Italy, under the command of William 
 tlie elect of Valence, Henry de Trubleville, a celebrated knight ; 
 and William Hardel, a clerk, under whose orders the English 
 army, being well paid by the king, fought gallantly for the lord 
 the emperor throughout the whole summer, not without doing 
 great mischief to the Lombards, who were rebelling against 
 the empire, on which account the pope conceived great indigna- 
 tion against the English. 
 
 About the same time, the soldan of the Persians, who was 
 a most mighty prince, and very friendly to the lord the em- 
 peror, and of whom confident hopes were entertained that he 
 would some day or other receive the sacrament of baptism, 
 went the way of all flesh. 
 
 This year also, Simon de Montfort transferred himself to the 
 Roman court, where, after he had lavished a vast sum of 
 money, he prevailed on the lord the pope to grant a ratification 
 of the marriage which, not without some injury to his con- 
 Bcience, he had contracted with Eleanor, sister of king Henry 
 
 J 
 
i^r, 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTTR. 
 
 A.I). 1239. 
 
 the Third. For she had made a solemn vow, before archbishop 
 Edmund, of eontinmng in chastity all her life. 
 
 About the same time, while the lord the emperor was con- 
 triving the bk)ckade around Mihm, nearly all the princes of 
 the world taking example from the king of England, sent him 
 military aid, but as he could not succeed, he transferred the 
 siege to Brixen, the citizens of which town were unwearied in 
 the assistance they gave the Milanese. 
 
 The same year, Edmund, archbishop of Canterbury, re- 
 turned from the court of Rome, and at the same time the 
 prior and convent of Canterbury w ere in a state of great con- 
 fusion, on which account the prior being, as it were, deposed 
 by the legate, entered the Carthusian order with some of his 
 brethren. Then another prior having been elected in an 
 irregular manner, the prior elect, and the electors, and the whole 
 convent were placed under an interdict, and excommunicated 
 by the archbishop. This year also, Peter, bishop of Winches- 
 ter, died ; and when the king heard of that ev**'it, he used all 
 the exertion in his power to incline the hearts of the monks of 
 Winchester to the election of William, the elect of Valence, so 
 as to promote him to that bishopric. But the monks seeing 
 that he was a foreigner, and an object of suspicion to the 
 nobles of the kingdom, and that it would be in his power 
 easily to do injury to the kingdom, as the brother of tliis same 
 elect was count of Flanders, and, if by any chance the two 
 should contrive to the overthrow of the kingdom, one would 
 assist the other, — altogether refused to consent, — on which 
 account the king incessantly endeavoured to inflict annoyance 
 and injury of every sort on them, but they preferred suft'ering 
 persecution for justice' sake, rather than elect as pastor of their 
 souls a man who was acceptable to the king alone, quite un- 
 equal to the pastoral duties, unfit in character, habits, and 
 learning, a foreigner by birth, and infamous for the blood that 
 he had shed against the purity of their consciences. There- 
 fore, the monks dissembling, during a truce which they had 
 obtained from the king, elected William de Rolle, a discreet 
 man, and one very intimate with the king, whom they thought 
 that the king would be not at all desirous to reject. But when 
 this came to the knowledge of the king, he was very angry, 
 and would neither receive the election nor the bishop elect, 
 nay, he even discarded this same William, bishop elect, from 
 his council and intimacy. And with similar violence iie de- 
 
 A.u. 1238. 
 
 DEYASTATI0N8 OF THE TARTAl^S. 
 
 187 
 
 prived the bishop of Chichester, whom the monks in a pious 
 spirit demanded, of his office of chancellor, and excluded him 
 from his friendship. Moreover, having sent to Rome the 
 Master Simon Norman, and Alexander, one of the secular 
 clergy, two professional legists, he, not without a great ex- 
 penditure, procured the election to be annulled by the authority 
 of the lord the pope. The same year, about the time of the 
 feast of Saint Matthew, a certain wicked pretended priest, 
 feigning himself to be out of his mind, in order to explore 
 some secret retreats in the court of the king, one night secretly 
 entered the palace of Woodstock by the window, while the 
 king and queen were in another chamber, the divine mercy 
 protecting them as they were asleep that night ; but in con- 
 sequence of the outcry of a most pious and noble lady, Mar- 
 garet By set by name, who, according to her custom, was sitting 
 up playing on her psaltery, and of other damsels likewise, 
 whom lie found in the chamber which he had entered, he was 
 seized : and afterwards being put in chains, he confessed with 
 his wicked mouth that he had been sent thither to murder the 
 king and queen. After a short period, he was torn asunder 
 by horses, at Coventry, and divided limb by limb into four 
 portions, and the portions were sent to all the chief cities of 
 the kingdom, to be parted and hung up in memory of such a 
 great crime. 
 
 At this time, Simon de Montfort returned from the countries 
 beyond the Alps, and was immediately made the chief coun- 
 cillor of the king. About the same time, W^illiam, the elect 
 of Valence, went to Rome, having been summoned by the lord 
 the pope, whom his fame had reached, because he was a fearless 
 and prudent man in warhke affitiirs. And by the management 
 of the pope, he was demanded in the court of Rome, as the 
 elect of Liege ; so, however, that he was still to be called 
 Valentine elect, and to be so only with some change of title, 
 being for the future to be styled the Elect of Liege, and the 
 Procurator of Valence, so as to avoid all misapplication of 
 words. Oh ! the monstrous ambition of human blindness ! 
 He still aspired also to the bishopric of Winchester, the king 
 favouring him with all his might, not because he had respect 
 to the pontifical oftice, but for the sake of the temporal 
 emolument. 
 
 About this time, a certain barbarian nation of incalculable 
 number, called the Tartars, devastated the northern countries of 
 
188 
 
 M.\.TTnEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1239. 
 
 the East, spreading great destruction, and striking all the 
 Christian princes and people with great fear. 
 
 This year too, the lord Otho, the legate, summoned all the 
 abbots of the Black order to London, to consider of the refor- 
 mation of the order of Saint Benedict. 
 
 This year too, that great and famous city in Spain, which is 
 called Valentia Magna, was taken and restored to Christian 
 worship. 
 
 About the same time, the following conventual churches, in 
 the diocese of Lincoln, were dedicated by the bishop of Lin- 
 coln, according to the statutes of the council, held at London, 
 namely, in the fens, Ramsey, and Burgh, and Sawtrey ; the 
 church at Ramsey on the twenty-second of September, that at 
 Sawtrey the same week, and the church of Burgh on the 
 twenty-eighth of September. 
 
 The same year, Baldwin, emperor of Constantinople, returned 
 to Greece, accompanied by a numerous army, to demand back 
 his inheritance by force of arms from the vjreeks, who had 
 expelled him from the empire. But the divine favour was 
 wanting to his enterprise, — for a great number of the French 
 in his army perished. 
 
 In those days, the fame of the blessed Robert, formerly 
 hermit, was much spoken of, as his tomb sweated forth oil. 
 •^riie same year, the bishop elect of Rochester was consecrated 
 at Canterburj^ on the day after the feast of Saint Edmund, in 
 the church of Saint Gregory (because the archbishop had 
 suspended the cathedral of Canterbury from the celebration of 
 divine service). The archbishop being assisted by the Masters 
 Robert Black, bishop of London, Robert Grossetete, bishop of 
 Lincoln, the lord Hugo, bishop of Ely, and the lord Ralph de 
 Neville, bishop of Chichester, and Master Simon de Langton, 
 archdeacon of Canterbury, and a great number of other illus- 
 trious nobles, the proper request having been previously sent 
 by Richard, prior of Rochester ; and he was installed at 
 Rochester on Saint Andrew's day. 
 
 Edward, the eldest son of Icing Henry tJie Third, is horn. The 
 emperor Frederic is excommunicated by pope Gregory the Ninth. 
 
 A.D. 1239. The king celebrated the feast of the Nativity of 
 the Lord at Winchester. On Stephen's day, Alexander, 
 bishop of Coventry, died at Andover ; and, at the request of 
 the king, William de Rale was unanimously elected to the 
 
 A.D. 1239. EBWAUD, CALLED LOXOSIIANKS, BOBN". 
 
 189 
 
 bishopric, by the monks of Coventry and canons of Lichfield, 
 assembled in the chapter-house at Coventry, and he, suspend- 
 ing the confirmation of his election, was also elected bishop of 
 Norwich, as the election of Simon, prior of Norwich, had been 
 cancelled; and he was subsequently consecrated to that bishop- 
 ric. And then, the aforesaid monks and canons of Coventry 
 and Lichfield having assembled a second time to make an elec- 
 tion, although tliey were not unanimous at first, still, though 
 disagreeing, were, by the interposition of the king's entreaties, 
 brought to unanimity, and then they elected Hugo de Pates- 
 hull, the treasurer of the king's exchequer, and his election 
 was confirmed at the end of the year. The same year, a man 
 was apprehended who confessed that he had been guilty of the 
 crime of lese majesty, in concert with the other traitor who 
 had been torn to pieces at the tails of horses the year before, 
 and he asserted that some of the nobles of England, and espe- 
 cially Ranulph Briton, dean of Wimborne, were accomplices 
 in that crime. But afterwards, making voluntary confession 
 against himself that he had spoken falsely, he was dragged at 
 the tail of a horse to London to the gallows, and there hanged 
 by judicial sentence. 
 
 The same year, Edward, called Longshanks, the eldest son 
 of the lord Henry, the king, and Eleanor, the queen, was born 
 at Westminster, on the seventeenth of June, late at night, 
 being the vigil of Saint Marcus and Saint Marcellanus, and he 
 was called Edward, which name he received after the glorious 
 king and confessor, Edward, whose glorious body rests in the 
 church of Saint Peter, at Westminster. And, four days after- 
 wards, the lord Otho, who was at that time legate, baptized 
 him in the church of the convent, and he was borne to the 
 font by the lords Robert, bishop of London, William, bishop 
 of Carlisle, William, bishop elect of Norwich, the lord Richard, 
 brother of the king, and earl of Cornwall, Simon de Montfort, 
 earl of Leicester, Henry de Bohun, earl of Hereford and Essex, 
 Simon Norman, archdeacon of Norwich, Peter de Malolac, 
 Almaric, earl of Saint Amand, the countess of Pembroke, and 
 the wife of Bertram de Krieil ; and, the same day, he was con- 
 firmed by Edmund, archbishop of Canterbury ; and the 
 couriers who conveyed the news of his birth to the princes 
 who lived on the borders of the kingdom of England, and to 
 the nobles of England, returned home loaded with precious 
 gifts. 
 
100 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1239. 
 
 A.D. 1239. THE EATtL OF KENT ACCUSED BEFOBE THE KINO. 191 
 
 The same year, on Palm Sunday, the emperor Frederic was 
 excommunicated by pope Gregory the Ninth, for certain rea- 
 sons delivered in writing, and the lord the pope commanded 
 this sentence to he promulgated, with the reasons alleged for 
 it, in every country, by all the prelates in every church under 
 their authority, having the bells rung and the tapers lighted 
 with all due solemnity. 
 
 This year, too, the elect of Valence and Liege died at Viterbo, 
 on his return from the court of Rome. Also, Master Robert 
 de Meidenestan, bishop of Hereford, abdicating his bishopric 
 of his own accord, on the seventeenth of December, assumed 
 the habit of the Minor Brothers at Oxford. This vear, Wil- 
 liam of Saint John and Henry de Trubleville died. On the 
 twelfth of June an eclipse of the sun took place, which lasted 
 from the third hour till the sixth hour. 
 
 About this time the cardinal of Ostia flourished, who com- 
 posed the book which is called *' Copiosa.'* 
 
 The same year, the lord the emperor wrote to the senators 
 and people of Rome, asserting that he greatly marvelled at 
 this, that they had permitted him, the chief prince of princes, 
 to be excommunicated in their city. He also wrote elegant 
 and long letters to the cardinals, and all Christian nobles, but 
 especially to king Henry, and his brother Richard, earl of 
 Cornwall, his brothers-in-law, excusing himself in many parti- 
 culars, and bringing a variety of accusations against the lord 
 the pope, and aftirniing that he was in all things willing and 
 ready to obey the pope, and that he had sent formal ambas- 
 sadors to convey this assurance to him, but that the pope, 
 being aware of this beforehand, in great haste, on purpose to 
 do so, before the ambassadors could arrive, had fulminated 
 this sentence against him. 
 
 The same year, the legate entered the kingdom of the king 
 of Scotland, but did not cross the sea. As, however, no one 
 offered any objection, he collected from all the prelates and 
 beneficed clergy a thirteenth part of their revenues, and trans- 
 mitted it to the lord the pope. About the same time, the lord 
 the pope wrote a very long letter to the archbishops of Canter- 
 bury and York, complaining greatly of the illegal conduct of 
 the emperor, and imputing to him the guilt of heresy. And 
 he wrote not only to those archbishops, but also to the legate, 
 to publish that letter throughout .ill the lands which were 
 under his authority, and subject to him as leg.ite, adding, that 
 
 .5 
 
 1 
 
 I 
 
 5 
 
 that same Frederic, the emperor, was at that moment invad- 
 ing, in a hostile manner, the possessions of the church, and, 
 with wicked daring, making himself master of them, hke an 
 avowed enemy of the church. 
 
 This same year, those wlio had assumed the cross assembled 
 together, at Lyons especially, a numerous army from the king- 
 dom of France, consisting of the noblest men of the realm, 
 to consider what road it was most desirable to take to reach 
 the Holy Land. And when they had consulted on the sub- 
 ji'ct, some thought it the safest and shortest way to go across 
 the sea, sailing from Marseilles towards the east. And when 
 the lord the emperor heard this, he wrote to them to persuade 
 them, in a friendly manner, not to feel annoyed at having to 
 wait for him till he had put an end to the quarrel and discord 
 which had arisen between him and his father, the lord the 
 pope, and had chastised the rebels in Italy. He also proposed, 
 and firmly promised, to be their general and captam, and to 
 provide them with effectual comfort and help. Rut they being, 
 as is the manner of Frenchmen, impetuous and boastful, were 
 unwilling to adopt the advice of the emperor, or to with- 
 draw from the design which they had now begun to put in 
 execution, because they had collected provisions, hired ships, 
 and bade farewell to their friends. And when the emperor 
 ascertained this, he was vexed at the unchangeable determina- 
 tion of the French ; however, he ordered all the ports and 
 roads of passage throughout his dominions to be freely open 
 to them, and forbade any hindrance to be offered to them. 
 
 In those days also, Hubert de Burgh, earl of Kent, was 
 violently accused before the king and the whole court of Lon- 
 don, where, after a long discussion, in order that the anger of 
 the king, which had been very violent against him, might be 
 appeased, it was decided that he shoidd surrender his four 
 most unportant castles to the lord the king, and then be al- 
 lowed, with the king's good will, to retain possession of the rest. 
 
 1 he names of the castles which he resigned were these Black 
 
 Castle, Grosmund, Scenefritz, and Hatfield. 
 
 About the same time, the king thrust a prior into the priory 
 of \Vmchester, who was a Breton by birth, and unwelcome 
 to the convent, in order by his means, as he had appointed 
 hmi, to inclme the hearts of the monks to comply with his 
 wishes m the matter of the election of their bishop ; but he 
 ouly exasperated them all the more by this proceeding. 
 

 102 
 
 MATTUEW OF WESTMIN8TEK. 
 
 A.D. 1240. 
 
 In these days, that most opulent island, Sardinia, hecame 
 subject to the emperor, and was there bestowed by the emperor 
 on his son. 
 
 The same year, Alexander, king of Scotland, espoused 
 Maria, the daughter of Enj^elrara de Couci, a noble baron of 
 France. This year, too, William de Rale, bishop elect of Nor- 
 wich, was consecrated, and admitted to his diocese, in the 
 church of Saint Paul, London, by archbishop Edmund. This 
 year also, an agreement was come to at Northampton, in which 
 earl Richard, and William the mareschal, and a great many 
 other nobles of England, swore that, without seeking any 
 more for excuses for delay, they would set out that very year 
 on an expedition to Jerusfdem. This year too, the lord the 
 emperor marched towards Rome, and took Viterbo, and made 
 himself master of great part of the adjacent country, and 
 demanded that a general council should be held, that he might 
 openly demonstrate his innocence before it, and clear and re- 
 establish his character. 
 
 About the same time, on the ninth of August, the church of 
 the convent of Abingdon was dedicated. And also, at the 
 same time, the churches of Evesham, Gloucester, Tewkesbury, 
 Winchcomb, Pershore, Alcester, and many others in the realm 
 of England, were dedicated, according to the statutes of the 
 council held at London. This year, too, about the time of 
 the feast of Saint Michael, a valiant knight, named Radulph 
 de Thony, died at sea. 
 
 Ch. XL— From a.d. 1240 to a.d. 1244. 
 
 Leoline, prince of North Wales, dies — His succession is dis- 
 puted by his sons — Many kniyhts leave England for the 
 Holy Land, under prince Richard — Peace between the Chris- 
 tians and Saracens— King Henry invades Wales — Great 
 disturbances in France— The king of France proposes terms 
 of peace to Henry, who refuses them— Great quarrels 
 between the emperor and the pope; between the kings 
 of England and Scotland; and between the Welch and 
 English. 
 
 King Henry causes an oath of fealty to he taken to his son 
 Edward throughout the whole of Eyigland. 
 
 A.D. 1240. At the feast of the Nativity of the Lord, king Henry 
 held his court at Winchester, where he invested Baldwin de 
 
 V 
 
 A.D. 1240. WILLIAM, EAEL DE WAEENNE, DIES. 
 
 193 
 
 Riparies, on Christmas day, with the belt of a knight, and 
 gave him the earldom of the Isle of Wight. At the same 
 time, the election of Hugo de Pateshull, bishop elect of Co- 
 ventry, was confirmed. This year, also, Isabella, countess of 
 Gloucester, and wife of earl Richard, died in childbed, and 
 was greatly lamented. Also about the same time, in the 
 month of February, there appeared a comet in the west, which 
 sent out its rays towards the east. 
 
 About the same time, Simon de Montfort, earl of Leicester, 
 prepared to undertake an expedition to Jerusalem. 
 
 Just at this time, too, Leoline, prince of North Wales, 
 died, on the thirteenth of April ; and after his death a quarrel 
 arose between his two sons, Griffith, the elder, who claimed 
 the principality on that account, and David, who was the 
 younger, but the legitimate son, and the nephew of the king 
 of England by his sister, and who claimed the supreme power 
 for these reasons which he alleged, through whose quarrels the 
 whole country of Wales was thrown into confusion and de- 
 vastated, and made desolate, according to the saying in the 
 gospel, ** Every kingdom divided against itself, shall be made 
 desolate." At last, however, by the intervention of friends, 
 a time and place was appointed for establishing a reconcilia- 
 tion between them ; and Griffith came to the place peaceably, 
 m the hopes of obtaining peace, under the guidance of Richard,' 
 bishop of Bangor, and a great many other venerable men! 
 But David treacherously took Griffith prisoner, and then shame- 
 lessly committed him to custody in prison ; on which account 
 the aforesaid bishop addressed a bitter complaint to the king 
 of England, and fulminated an anathema against David. 
 
 This year, too, the king caused an oath of fealty to his son 
 Edward to be taken by the citizens of London, and by manv 
 other nobles of the kingdom. 
 
 About the same time, too, many of the crusaders were ab- 
 solved by the Preaching Brothers, and by the Minors, having 
 obtained their absolution by sums of money, to the great 
 scandal of the church and of those orders. Also, on Ascen- 
 sion day, the church of the New Temple in London was de- 
 dicated. William, earl de Warenne, died in London, on the 
 twenty-second of May. This year, too, Edmund, archbishop 
 ot Canterbury, by a large expenditure of money, procured a 
 privilege which was most welcome both to the king and to 
 the priesthood, that if a cathedral church was vacant six 
 
 "^OL. II. ^ 
 
194 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 1240. 
 
 A.D. 1240. QUARHEL BETWEEN GRIFriTH AND DAYID. 
 
 195^ 
 
 months, having lost its pastor, the vacancy should be provided 
 for by the archbishop of the diocese. But because this ap- 
 peared to redound to the prejudice and loss of the royal 
 dignity, it was subsequently annulled, in consequence of a 
 second expenditure of money. On which account the arch- 
 bishop, when he saw that justice was so manifestly vacillating, 
 and that all his labours were wasted, grieved inconsolably, 
 and refusing to receive consolation, began from that time 
 forth to think of going into voluntary exile. 
 
 This year, too, the emperor, being in great wrath, and pre- 
 paring to take great vengeance because of the extensive defa- 
 mation with which the lord the pope had blackened his name 
 in all Christian countries, hastened to Rome with a powerful 
 army, took Viterbo, and subdued the adjn'^ent country, and 
 reduced the patrimony of the Roman church under his own 
 power, on which account the Roman church fell into great 
 confusion and desolation. The same year, Thomas, count of 
 Flanders, uncle of the queen, came into England ; and the 
 king immediately went to meet him with great eagerness, and 
 bestowed on him an annual revenue of considerable yearly 
 amount, for his homage. This year, too, the queen of France 
 had a daughter. 
 
 About the same time, the army of the French crusaders, 
 wishing to make an attack on the Saracens in the Holy Land 
 at Gathre, was defeated, routed, and a great part of it taken ; 
 and of the prisoners some were committed to prison at Da- 
 mascus, some at Babylon, and some at Gathre itself. On the 
 twenty-third of May, William, earl de Warenne, died in London. 
 Richard, earl of Gloucester, bidding farewell to his friends, 
 prepared for his expedition to Jerusalem, and with him went 
 many of the nobles of the kingdom of England. The em- 
 peror wrote the king an elegant letter, in which he reproached 
 the king that, to the injury of his kingdom and authority, he 
 had permitted his land to be pauperised by the papal inqui- 
 sitors, and him the emperor to be formally excommunicated, 
 when he had a more reasonable excuse than any other Chris- 
 tian prince of resisting the lord the pope, inasmuch as he 
 w^as the brother-in-law of the lord the emperor. The king 
 of France received earl Richard with great honour, and sup- 
 plied him in a magnificent manner with all things necessary 
 on his passage, and conducted him safely to Marseilles, with 
 all his retinue, where he embarked on board ship, in opposi- 
 tion to the prohibition of the pope. 
 
 'j- 
 
 A general council was convoked to be held at the ensuing 
 Easter. This year, also, on the first of July, Hugo de Pates- 
 hulle, the king's treasurer, was consecrated bishop of Chester, 
 and William de Haverhulle, canon of the church of Saint 
 Paul's, in London, was appointed treasurer in the room of the 
 aforesaid Hugo. The same year, on the day of Saint Mary 
 Magdalene, John, earl of Lincoln, died. Money was extorted*, 
 by various arguments, from many persons, chiefly from those 
 belonging to religious orders, for the use of the pope ; which, 
 however, was no advantage, but rather an injury to him, in- 
 asmuch as it all went to the emperor. The abbots who ad- 
 dressed a complaint to the king on this subject, received 
 desolation instead of comfort ; on which account the legate 
 behaved with still more violence to them. Raymond, count 
 of Provence, the father of the queens of France and England, 
 met earl Richard with joy, and aided him liberally, as far as 
 he could, with both assistance and counsel, as he was about 
 to cross the sea. 
 
 But when Leoline, prince of North Wales, died, a quarrel 
 arose, and having arisen, continued for some time, between 
 his sons, Griffith and David. At last, as has been already 
 mentioned, David by treachery took Griffith prisoner, whom 
 he had peaceably invited to a conference, and having taken 
 him, he threw him into prison. On which account, Master 
 Richard, bishop of Bangor, under whose guidance the afore- 
 said Griffith had come to the conference, departed like an 
 exile from Wales, having first of all pronounced an anathema 
 against David. But Grifiith secretly intimated to the king 
 to liberate him by the strong hand from prison, and from 
 subjection to hi« brother ; and promised that in that case he 
 ^ould cheerfully become his liege subject, and would hold of 
 iiim the territories which belonged to him of hereditary right ; 
 and that, moreover, he would give the king no small sum of 
 money. But the bishop of Bangor a second time addressed 
 most bitter complaints to the king respecting this treason, and 
 the injustice which has been already mentioned. And the 
 king, being violently indignant at this, gently exhorted his 
 nephew to make satisfaction for, and to amend these things, 
 that he might not be forced himself to stretch out the hand 
 of vengeance. 
 
 On Saint Bartholomew's day, Master Peter of Eaglebank 
 "^as elected bishop of Hereford, who had been formerly one 
 
 o 2 
 
196 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1210. 
 
 A.D. 1210. 
 
 EAEL EICHAED LANDS AT ACHE. 
 
 197 
 
 of the clergy of William, the elect of Valence ; and his elec- 
 tion was brought about by the solicitude of the king. And 
 Peter, without any delay, and without meeting with any dif- 
 ficulty, because he was receired by the king as one acceptable 
 to him, was soon after consecrated in the presence of the kino- 
 himself. 
 
 About the same time, Master Albert, a native of Cologne, 
 was consecrated archbishop of Armagh, at Westminster. On 
 the day of Saint Remigius, the church of Saint Paul was dedi- 
 cated at London. And about the same time, the queen brought 
 forth a daughter, and her name was called Margaret, because 
 when she was in the pains of labour she had invoked Saint 
 Margaret, and also because the sister of the queen, that is to 
 say, the queen of France, was called by that name. This year, 
 too, a man of noble birth and great experience in the laws of 
 the kingdom, Thomas de Multon, knight, died. And about the 
 same time, a friend and relation of the lord the pope came into 
 England, the Master Peter Rubeus, who passed rapidly through 
 England, and coming to Scotland, collected with great energy 
 one-twentieth of everything in that country for the use of the 
 pope. About the same time. Master Peter de Supion, being 
 sent into Ireland diligently to collect the same twentieth in 
 that country, carried off all he could from thence, like a genuine 
 inquisitor of the pope. And the booty which he collected is 
 said to have amounted to the number of fifteen hundred marks 
 and more. But the collection of Peter Rubeus, which he ex- 
 torted from the Scotch territories, is supposed to have reached 
 the double of this sum. And subsequently, returning through 
 England, he looked into all the houses of the religious orders 
 with a new spirit, and exacted money for the use of the pope 
 with exceeding strictness, compelling them to swear that they 
 woidd keep that oath as a secret of the confessional for half a 
 year. By which conduct he turned aside the hearts of the 
 faithful from any devotion and affection towards the church of 
 Rome, and wounded them with great anguish. 
 
 About this time too, the legate was recalled by a letter 
 written with the pope's own hand, and severely admonished 
 to return with all the speed he could to the Roman court, and 
 to arrive there before the assembling of a general council, in 
 order that the brethren, when they had their accustomed de- 
 liberation before hand, might discuss with him the imminent 
 ruin and inevitable danger of the church, now that the em- 
 
 i 
 
 peror was thus invading its inheritance. The same year, 
 Maurice, the justiciary of Ireland, came to London to the king, 
 that, without any particle of malice or concealed hatred, he 
 might be reconciled to earl Gilbert, the mareschal, and prove 
 his innocence of the death of earl Richard, the mareschal, who 
 had been slain in Ireland. 
 
 About the same time, the king of Connaught came to London 
 to the king, and both the kings settled their business as they 
 wished. 
 
 About the same time, the monks of Durham having gone to 
 Rome, through the management of their enemies, found that 
 they could effect nothing, so staying there to no purpose, they 
 wasted away in sickness and sorrow, and four of them died 
 with their secular clergy and servants. And when their prior 
 heard this he grieved exceedingly, and of his own accord re- 
 nounced the election that had taken place in liis own case. 
 
 About the same time, the emperor, seeing that the pope had 
 summoned a council to effect his deposition, because the said 
 pope had called in the secular arm, and especially the aid of 
 the pubhc enemies of the empire against him, and had altered 
 tlie form of the summons, given in a manner different from 
 any previous one, repented of having given his consent to tlie 
 summoning of a council. Accordingly, he retracted, and in- 
 timated to the king of England to warn all the prelates of his 
 kingdom, on the part of the emperor, not to attend that general 
 council, since the emperor would not grant or allow them any 
 safe conduct for their persons or property through his domi- 
 nions, and refused to commit his own just cause to a doubtful 
 tribunal over which his chief enemy was to preside. On the 
 other hand, the lord the pope wrote, signifying to the same 
 prelates to disregard the threats of men, and obediently second 
 their spiritual father, and not neglect to hasten all of them to 
 this council at the time appointed. So the bishops being 
 perplexed in spirit, hesitated as to what they ought to do. 
 And while the wheel of fortune was thus proceeding rapidly 
 in its course through this world, the lord Edmund, archbishop 
 of Canterbury, who, of his own accord, had gone into banish- 
 ment at Pontigny, took to his bed, being attacked with severe 
 sickness. In the mean time, earl Richard, who had recom- 
 mended himself to the prayers of all the brethren of all the reli- 
 gious orders in England, by the grace of God, and owing to the 
 eiUcacy of the prayers of the faithful, after a fair voyage, lauded 
 
198 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 12 iO. 
 
 A.D. 1241. THE LEGATE RECALLED BY THE POPE. 
 
 199 
 
 f I 
 
 at Acre, and within two days after he landed, he caused pubHc 
 proclamation to be made by the voice of the crier, that no one, 
 of whatever nation he might be, need depart from the Holy 
 Land for want of money, but might faitlifully fight for God 
 under his orders, and receiving pay from himself. But when 
 the Saracens lieard this, althougli the king of Navarre and the 
 count of Brittany had retreated shamefully, they began to fear 
 the prudence and power of this earl exceedingly, both because 
 his name, Richard, was still an omen to the Saracens of a 
 dreadful enemy, and also because he was very rich in gold 
 and silver ; thirdly, because he was the brother-in-law of the 
 emperor, and closely connected in the bonds of friendship with 
 him ; fourthly, because he was the brother of the most illus- 
 trious king of England ; and lastly, because he was count of 
 Poitou, and earl of Cornwall. On account of all which cir- 
 cumstances, he afterwards made a peace, which was ho- 
 nourable to the whole church, and indeed to all Christen- 
 dom, and such as no one in our time has ever been able to 
 obtain, as the following history will clearly show. And while, 
 under the ruling influence of God, all these events were taking 
 place, Edmund, archbishop of Canterbury, was removed from 
 Pontigny for the sake of enjoying a better climate ; but 
 being very ill at Socisy, he bequeathed his body to the monks 
 of Pontigny, and went the way of all flesh ; and the Lord 
 condescended to work great miracles at his tomb, to such a 
 degree, that even now the fame of the blessed confessor 
 Edmund deservedly illuminates all the Cisalpine countries with 
 its brightness. And the aforesaid archbishop Edmund de- 
 parted from this world to the Father, on the eighteenth of 
 November. 
 
 In those days, some of the bishops of the kingdom of Eng- 
 land and some of the abbots crossed the sea, in order that if a 
 passage of any kind, either by land or sea, were open to them 
 to reach the council, they might hasten thither, and satisfy 
 the apostolic commands. This year, Master Peter de Eagle- 
 bank was consecrated bishop of Hereford, at Saint Paul's, in 
 London. And the same year, by a repeated instance of God's 
 kindness to the kingdom of the Franks, the crown of thorns 
 of the Saviour, which the Jews had formerly plaited and placed 
 on his head when they crucified him, was brought to France. 
 
 About the same time, the Christian captives, who were kept 
 in chains at Damascus, Babylon, and Gathre, were treated in a 
 
 I 
 
 
 merciless manner by the Saracens. But the knig of Navarre, 
 who is also the count of Champagne, and likewise the count 
 of Brittany, knowing the prudence and magnificence of earl 
 Richard, and being excited by envy, and grievnig that Richard, 
 whom the English looked upon as a boy, and of no experience 
 in warlike expeditions, should obtain what they, with all their 
 Frenchmen, had never been able to bring to the desired result, 
 made a treacherous peace with the lord of Gathre, on condition 
 that he would allow his captives to depart in freedom, though 
 iu reality he had no power over them, that so they might avoid 
 seeming to have done nothing whatever in the Holy Land. 
 And immediately before the liberation of their allies, that is to 
 say, of the French prisoners, they secretly and hastily em- 
 barked on board ship at Joppa to return to their own country. 
 And by this conduct they revealed their treachery beyond all 
 denial to the whole world, when they desired to appropriate 
 to themselves the credit that belonged to others. 
 
 This year also, John, the son of Robert, a noble and pow- 
 erful man, and one of the principal barons of the north 
 country, died. 
 
 The general council is hindered, the prelates being taken. Arch- 
 bishop Edmund is distinguished by miracles. Peace u re-esta- 
 blished between the Christians and Saracetis. 
 A.D. 1241, which is the twenty-fifth year of the reign of 
 king Henry the Third, the said king held his court, at Christ- 
 mas, at Westminster, near London, where a great many of 
 the nobles of the kingdom celebrated the festival of the Nativity 
 with him. But, on the fourth day after Christmas, the legate 
 being recalled by the pope, bade farewell to the prelates of 
 England, and proceeded to the coast to journey across the 
 Alps. And the king conducted him with excessive pomp and 
 magnificence to the sea-shore, with the sound of trumpets, 
 and an innumerable train of nobles accompanying him, and 
 prelates and secular clergy ; and, on the day after the feast of 
 the Epiphany, he embarked on board ship at Dover to cross 
 the sea, having changed his scarlet vestments. But he left 
 both the kingdom and church of England m a very desolate 
 state, and most especially was the church of Canterbury, which 
 is well known to be the metropolitan see of England, in a state 
 of irregular disorder, as if he had come, not for its consola- 
 tion, but for its desolation. 
 
 4' 
 
 ! f i 
 
■f; 
 
 200 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1211. 
 
 . * 
 
 > • 
 
 i, 
 
 I 
 
 About that time, Peter of Savoy, the uncle of the queen, 
 cnme to England, and the king going to meet him with great 
 solemnity, besides the earldom of Richmond which he had 
 previously conferred on him, gave him many valuable presents, 
 and made him president of his council. But on the day of 
 Saint Edward, which the king kept with great solemnity, ac- 
 cording to his custom, he invested Peter himself with the belt 
 of knighthood, and fifteen other youths, that he might sig- 
 nalize his apprenticeship by a more solemn observance than 
 usual. And the same day, he celebrated his own festival, as 
 though it had been a feast for the wedding of the emperor, 
 with a vast number of guests, in the great palace of West- 
 minster. 
 
 About the same time. Master Nicolas de Farnham was elected 
 bishop of Durham, a man of eminent virtue and learning, and 
 was, though not without difficuly, received as such by the king 
 and all the people, and soon had his election confirmed. 
 
 The same year, too, the Jews were compelled to submit to 
 a most terrible ransom, under the penalty of death or exile, 
 and paid the king twenty thousand marks. But when the 
 spring season and the fine weather came, William de Fortibus, 
 earl of Albemarle, Peter de Malolac, and many other nobles of 
 the kingdom of England, set out on the expedition to Jeru- 
 salem with great magnificence. The holy cross, too, was this 
 year brought to the kingdom of France, and received at Paris 
 with such solemnity and devotion as no one remembered ever 
 to have seen before. The new walls which had been built 
 round the Tower of London, fell down, as they had done the 
 year that had just elapsed, and on the same night, to the as- 
 tonishment of many. 
 
 This year also, the lord emperor, fearing the danger which 
 might threaten him, if the swarm of the pope, who was so 
 exceedingly hostile to him, should meet in the council which 
 was just at hand, changed his mind, and wrote to the different 
 princes, and, with especial intimacy, to the king of England, 
 to entreat him diligently to exhort the prelates of his kingdom 
 not to go to a council which was an object of suspicion to 
 him, knowing that a free passage through the imperial domi- 
 nions was utterly denied by land and by sea to their persons 
 or possessions. And the lord the pope wrote earnestly to the 
 same prelates, desiring them to lay aside all fear of the threats 
 of an excommunicated emperor, and come boldly to the couu- 
 
 A.D. 1241. 
 
 TEEACHEET OF THE POPE. 
 
 201 
 
 cil. In the meantime, Faience, a most opulent city, which 
 the emperor himself had now been besieging for a year, was 
 taken by storm. 
 
 About this time, too, the solemn fame and illustrious me- 
 mory of the venerable Edmund, archbishop of Canterbury, 
 whose body rests at Pontigny, was celebrated gloriously 
 throughout all the countries on this side of the Alps, on ac- 
 count of the numerous miracles wrought by his body, the 
 wonders of which would require a special treatise. At this 
 time, too, the monks of Canterbury deservedly obtained the 
 benefit of absolution from the lord the pope. About the same 
 time, too, the monks of Winchester, because they steadily 
 persisted in desiring William, bishop of Norwich, for their 
 pastor, suffered enormous persecution, owing to the intrio-ues 
 of their prior, who had been thrust upon them, who was a 
 native of Brittany, enduring it manfully for the sake of Christ 
 and the maintenance of justice. 
 
 In these days, the king caused the character of Boniface, 
 the elect of Balais, to be greatly magnified and commended, 
 in order to make him appear deserving of being promoted to 
 the archbishopric of Canterbury, or to the bishopric of Win- 
 chester. But as the afiair was not ultimately carried out, it 
 was forgotten with equal rapidity to that with which it had 
 been pushed forward, though his claims were strengthened 
 by the testimony of many of the prelates. 
 
 At the beginning of the summer, Otho, who had formerly 
 been legate in England, and the legate in France, took with 
 them an immense number of prelates, and embarked on board 
 ship at the city of Genoa, in order to reach the council in 
 safety, under the guidance of the Genoese. And by way of 
 giving them encouragement, the pope himself had sent one 
 legate, who had received from this same pope power to absolve 
 from all their sins all those who exposed themselves to the 
 impending danger. But when they had all committed them- 
 selves to the vast sea, the imperial pirates met them, who took 
 them all prisoners miserably, and drowned many of them, or 
 else shamelessly murdered them. And those whom they took 
 ahve, they dragged over long tracts of sea, exposing them to 
 be scorched by the intolerable heat, and guarding them in 
 chains and strict custody, they brought them to Naples, where, 
 by command of the emperor, they were thrown into prison, 
 to the disgrace and infamy of the whole church. And this 
 
 
/' 
 
 
 202 
 
 MATTUEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1241. 
 
 A.l). 1241. COUNT BICHARD LANDS IN SICILY. 
 
 203 
 
 11. 
 
 «k 
 
 (! 
 
 I' 
 
 i 
 
 unliappy meeting: of the two fleets took place on the day of 
 Saint Mark the Evangelist. In the meantime, too, the papal 
 collectors, namely Peter Rubeus, a kinsman and intimate 
 friend of the lord the pope (for that was the title put at the 
 head of his letters), and Peter de Supen, were indefatigably 
 labouring throughout England, Scotland, and Ireland, by all 
 sorts of arguments, to collect money for the necessities of the 
 lord the pope, the king, under the guidance of evil council- 
 lors, permitting all their proceedings. In those times, too, 
 every one was absolved who pleased, being invested with the 
 cross, for the sake of money, both the Minor Brothers and the 
 Preaching Brothers preaching and recommending that step by 
 command of the pope ; so that many of those who assumed 
 the cross to-day, were on the morrow, for the payment of 
 money, absolved from their vow, to the great astonishment of 
 
 many persons. 
 
 The same year, on the twenty-eighth of May, Gilbert Ma- 
 reschal, earl of Pembroke, died outside the city of Hereford, 
 having had many of his limbs broken in a tournament, where 
 the knights unhappily were vying with one another in con- 
 tests of strength ; and his body was conveyed to l^ondon to 
 be buried. And after his death, because all tournaments were 
 prohibited by the king, and because no special leave had been 
 obtained for this one, Walter, the brother of earl Gilbert, had 
 great difficulty in obtaining from the king the inheritance that 
 belonged to him. 
 
 About the same time, the king of France conferred on his 
 brother, Alfonzo, the county of Poitou, and formally, with all 
 due solemnity, invested him with the belt of a knight, to the 
 exclusion of count Richard, who was at that time fighting for 
 God in the Holy Land. About this time too, the aforesaid 
 count Richard made a truce with the soldan of Babylon, on 
 condition that all the French who were detained prisoners 
 shovdd be restored to Hberty ; and that Jerusalem also, and 
 the neighbouring places, and many other cities and castles, 
 should be left in freedom and peace, with other conditions such 
 as were honourable and advantageous to the Christians, as is 
 contained in the letter of this same count. At the beginning 
 of which business, the king of Navarre, who is also count of 
 Champagne and Brittany, and other men, remarkable for their 
 seditious conduct, wickedly and treacherously betook them- 
 selves to secret flight, embarking on board ship at Joppa, to 
 
 return to their own country, having done no good in the Holy 
 Land, and so they, privily and unexpectedly, fled away in the 
 silence of the night from the face of the Lord, leaving their 
 French brethren in chains and in prison. 
 
 This year too, Griffith, the eldest son of Leoline, who had 
 come peaceably to the council convened by his brother David, 
 and who, having been treacherously arrested, was detained in 
 l)is brother's prison, addressed a humble supplication to the 
 king, by the interposition of Richard, bishop of Bangor, beg- 
 ging him to have pity on him and deliver him from his bro- 
 ther's hands, and promising, out of gratitude, to hold of the 
 king himself all those his territories which properly belonged 
 to him of hereditary right. Accordingly, with a view to his 
 release, the king kindly wrote to David, entreating him in 
 his brother's behalf; but as his requests were disregarded, 
 he prepared arms, and having collected a numerous army, he 
 marched his standards into Wales, in a hostile manner ; and as 
 on his march, Griffith, the son of Madoc, one of the princes 
 of Wales, and several of the nobles on the borders of Wales, 
 received him peaceably, so that he passed without any hin- 
 drance in his march through that district, which had now been 
 visited by a continual drought for four months, he so fright- 
 ened David and all his adherents, to such a degree, that he 
 not only released his brother Griffith, and gave him his liberty, 
 but even went in his own person, humbly and submissively, 
 to the king, off'ering to submit the whole dispute between them 
 to the investigation of the king's court. Henry therefore, 
 having terminated this aff"air according to his wishes, sent 
 Griffith, who had been released from his brother's prison, as 
 a prisoner of his own, to the Tower of London, till he should 
 decide what was to be done with him, and bound David by 
 heavy sureties to come to London, to answer before his court 
 to all the accusations that should be brought against him ; 
 and so the king returned home victoriously and with joy, with- 
 out any blood having been shed. 
 
 At this time, count Richard, having brought the aflairs of 
 the Holy Land to a fortunate and glorious termination, and 
 having established a treaty of truce and peace by formal 
 writings and oaths interchanged on each side, embarked on 
 board ship to return home, and after a long and dangerous 
 voyage, landed at Trapes, in Sicily. And there the officers 
 of the emperor, and keepers of the harbour, met him with 
 
 , f 
 
204 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1241. 
 
 A.B. 1242. EARL RICHARD RETURNS FROM THE HOLT LAND. 205 
 
 great reverence, and received him with all possible respect, as 
 they had been commanded to do by their lord the emperor. 
 
 The same year, the lord the king caused a golden bier to 
 be made in the city of London, to contain the relics of the 
 glorious king and confessor, Edward, in a most glorious man- 
 ner, and at his own expense. About the same time, the 
 daughter of the count of Brittany died at Bristol, wliere she 
 had been a long time detained in most strict custody in prison. 
 About this time too, pope Gregory the Ninth, as if he were 
 unable to support the grief which entered his soul, from the 
 misfortunes which he heard of on all sides, and which he had 
 brought upon himself, died on the twenty-third of August, at 
 the age of nearly a hundred years. 
 
 About the same time, the French, who had been liberated 
 by the exertions of count Richard, and had been honourably 
 provided with horses and garments, and all things necessary 
 for their expedition, arrived with joy in their own country. 
 But the count himself staid some time with the lord the em- 
 peror, for the sake of mutual acquaintance and conversation, 
 which they had both long desired, refreshing both his body 
 and his spirit ; and if death had not removed the lord the 
 pope from the world, he would by his influence have restored 
 peace to the church. But while the cardinals, according to 
 their custom, were shut up in conclave, deliberating on the 
 election of a pope. Master Robert de Somerkote, one of the 
 cardinals, died, and Godfrey of Milan was elected pope, 
 who assumed the name of Celestine ; but when he had scarcely 
 filled the papal chair seventeen days, he went the way of all 
 flesh. On the day of Saint Fides there was an eclipse* of the 
 sun, as if the powers of heaven seemed to be showing their 
 correspondence with the state of the church. The same year 
 also, the kingdom of England was bereaved of some illustri- 
 ous nobles, and the church of some distinguished prelates. 
 For, besides our supreme Roman prelates, that is, besides 
 the two popes, who departed this life, there also died in Eng- 
 land, Roger, of pious memory, bishop of London, on the 
 twenty-eighth of September, and Hugh, bishop of Chester, on 
 the seventh of December, besides William, earl of Albemarle, 
 and the earl mareschal, William, of whom mention has been 
 made already. There also died on the eighth of November, 
 Stephen de Segrave, who filled the oflice of justiciary, and 
 about Easter, that noble and powerful lord, Walter de Lacj, 
 
 
 I 
 
 died in Ireland. Besides these, there died, Gilbert Basset, a 
 knight of noble birth, and of great fame in arms, John Bas- 
 set, the prime forester in England, Robert Marmion, Peter de 
 Bruis, and Guiscard Leydet. There also died, either while 
 tarrying in the Holy Land, as pilgrims, or in going thither, or 
 returning from thence, Eudes, the brother of count Richard, 
 Hamo, surnamed Peccham, Baldwin de Betun, John Fitzjohn, 
 the seneschal of the aforesaid count, John de Beauchamp, a 
 most accomplished knight, Gerard de Furnival, and many 
 others, whose names are indelibly recorded in the book of 
 life as faithful soldiers of God, and worshippers of his foot- 
 steps. 
 
 The same year, Isabella, empress of the Romans, and sister 
 of the king of England, the hope and singular glory of the 
 English, died in childbirth, on the first of December. And 
 when the emperor had announced this event in a mourn- 
 ful letter to the lord the king of England, at the end of 
 the letter he tempered his grief, as it were, speaking thus : 
 " There remains to me, by the bounty of the Almighty, a 
 royal off'spring, so that there arise a king and queen, in the 
 sight of their father, to be the witnesses of their mother.'* 
 For the emperor had had by his wife a happy offspring, to 
 wit, a son and a daughter. 
 
 That year was one of pestilence and disturbance to the king- 
 dom of England, and of great disaster to the Holy Land, 
 because the Templars attacked the Hospitallers in a hostile 
 manner, and could not be reconciled to them by all the dili- 
 gence and exertions of count Richard; moreover, to the 
 church of Rome it was so unfavourable and injurious, that 
 after the pope had died and another been elected in his stead, 
 who also was taken from this world after a few days, all the 
 brethren becoming divided in their persons, and hearts, and 
 places, attacked one another. 
 
 Peter of Savo7j, earl of Richmond, resigns the nohle castles, which 
 he had received from the king, to the custody of the king. 
 
 A.D. 1242, which is the twenty-sixth year of the reign of 
 King Henry the Third. The said king held his court at 
 Christmas, at Westminster, in his great palace, as he was ac- 
 customed to, in great tranquillity ; and when he had remained 
 there a fortnight, the news of the arrival of earl Richard, who 
 was returning from the Holy Land, got abroad. And when 
 
 '4 
 
 |l 
 
206 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1242. 
 
 A.D. 1242. THE EARL OF SALISBURY LANDS AT DOVER. 20/ 
 
 
 this was known, Peter Savoy, earl of Richmond, like a discreet 
 and circumspect man, prudently resigned into the king's hand 
 the most eminent and famous castles of the kingdom, of which 
 he had received the guardianship. For he was well aware that 
 the nohles of England had conceived great indignation at his 
 sudden elevation, on which account he greatly feared the 
 arrival of the earl. Moreover, this prudence on the part of 
 Peter greatly allayed the anger of many of those who were 
 discontented. The same year, a great sedition arose in Poitou, 
 which subsequently produced great ruin, and a deadly quarrel, 
 and war, and irreparable damage : for the count de la Marche, 
 at the instigation of Isabella, whom the French call the most 
 impious Jezebel, being his own wife and the mother of the 
 king of England, — lifted up his heel against his lord the king 
 of France ; for he was very indignant that Alfonso, the brother 
 of the king of France, and count of Poitou, since the king of 
 France had lately conferred that county on him, had demanded 
 due homage of him ; on which account the said count de la 
 Marche answered saucily, with haughtiness and abuse, and 
 refused him what he demanded as his right. Accordingly, on 
 this account, there went up no light complaint to the king of 
 France, and the count was warned to amend that insolence. 
 But though he was repeatedly admonished, he disdained to do 
 so, and adopting the advice of his wife, he intimated to the 
 king of England to come to Poitou, not with any great retinue 
 of English, but armed only with a large sum of money, and 
 then he would make over to him all his territories beyond the 
 sea. But the king, by the advice of the Poitevins, a race 
 always ready for treachery, gave credence to his proposals, 
 and agreed to it, and prepared for his passage, with much 
 treasure, and in a single vessel, and could not be delayed by 
 either the advice or entreaties of any of his friends or natural 
 subjects. In those days, the lord the king wrote to all the 
 nobles of England, strictly charging them all to assemble to- 
 gether in a body, in London, on the Tuesday next before the 
 Purification of the blessed Virgin Mary, to discuss important 
 affairs of the kingdom, which admitted of no delay. More- 
 over, at this time, the king being certified of the arrival of 
 his brother, earl Richard, went to the sea coast to meet him 
 with great joy, attended by a numerous retinue ; and receiving 
 him with joy and honour, rushed with brotherly affection into 
 Ids embrace, and shed tears of exultation. And remaining 
 
 I 
 
 together for many days, they comforted one another with inter- 
 change of conversation, and refreshed themselves with feasting. 
 In the meantime, the Poitevins did not cease to stir up and 
 animate the king by letters and embassies not to delay to cross 
 the sea and come over to them, as he should then recover all 
 his rights, and all his territories beyond the sea, without any 
 liindrance or opposition. But when the feast of the Purifica- 
 tion, and the day of the general parliament' was at hand, the 
 whole nobility of England, both prelates and lay peers, met 
 at Westminster ; and it was already known to all of them that 
 the count de la Marche, and the other nobles of Poitou, who 
 were at all times notorious for their treasonable disposition, 
 had invited the king to come to their protection, accompanied 
 by no miHtary array, but provided with money alone : as if 
 they thought nothing of the mihtary power of England, but 
 wanted only his money. For already the king of France had 
 attacked them in a hostile manner, as undisguised traitors. 
 Therefore, murmurs sounded among the EngHsh, and they 
 conceived no slight indignation at this circumstance, that the 
 king had seriously given credence and consent to such a sug- 
 gestion. But when they were met together, the king with 
 great earnestness demanded of them money, by means of which 
 to get possession of his territories beyond the sea. And as he 
 would not be turned from the design which he had conceived, 
 either by the prayers or advice of his faithful and natural 
 subjects, the council was dissolved with great indignation. But 
 the king had addressed all the prelates separately, asking what 
 each of them was willing to give him, practising the maxims 
 of Roman cunning ; and though he could not bind them 
 all when assembled together, he weakened them individually, 
 so as to make them yield to his will, and thus broke their con- 
 sistency ; and so a large sum of money was granted him by 
 the prelates ; and after that, he distributed a large portion of 
 it among those knights whom he knew to be in need, to in- 
 duce them to cross the sea with him. 
 
 But when the king of France had received certain infor- 
 mation of the crossing of the sea by the king of England, he 
 fortified the sea-coast and the adjacent districts, especially 
 Roupel, and other parts on the sea-border looking towards 
 Poitou and Guienne, with a powerful army. 
 
 About the same time, the earl of Salisbury landed at Dover, 
 ' This is the first time the word Parliament occurs in this History, 
 
 ft 
 
 ^U 
 
208 
 
 MATTHEW OP WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1242. 
 
 A.D. 1242. 
 
 HENRY RETREATS TO BLAYE. 
 
 209 
 
 on his return from the Holy Land. But when earl Richard 
 saw that there were no means of turning the king from his 
 design, he agreed to cross the sea with him, and prepared in a 
 magnificent manner for the passage. And encouraged by his 
 example, many other nobles prepared to make the passage, in 
 company with the king and the aforesaid earl. The guardian- 
 ship of the kingdom, therefore, being entrusted to Walter, 
 archbishop of York, because he was considered a man of sin- 
 gular discretion and fidehty among all the nobles of the king- 
 dom ; the lord the king, accompanied by his queen, and by 
 his brother, earl Richard, with seven other earls, and about three 
 hundred knights, embarked on board ship, on the fifteenth 
 of May, and set sail, steering his course towards Boiirdeaux. 
 
 About this time, Alexander, king of Scotland, married Mar- 
 garet, the daughter of Ingelram de Coucy, a powerful and 
 cruel baron of the kingdom of France. But while the lord 
 the king was passing his time in the countries beyond the sea, 
 a certain nobleman, an Irishman by birth, namely, Wilham de 
 Marais, who was a banished man, and a fugitive on account of 
 some crime of which he was accused, seized on the island of 
 Lundy, which is not far from Bristol, where he practised all 
 kind of robbery and piracy. At last, being taken prisoner, 
 with seventeen of his companions, he was sentenced to a cruel 
 death, and, by command of the king, he and his seventeen 
 companions were all dragged at the tails of horses to London, 
 and there hanged on a gallows. And his father, one of the 
 most powerful nobles of Ireland, by name Godfrey de Marais, 
 when he heard this, fled into Scotland, though he could 
 scarcely find a safe refuge even there; and wasting away 
 through agitation and grief, he soon afterwards ended his 
 miserable hfe by a wished-for death. About the same time, 
 several nobles died, namely, Gilbert de Gaunt, Baldwin Wak, 
 Philip de Kyne, and in the north, Roger Bertram, with several 
 other illustrious men, departed this life, and were discharged 
 from all human distresses. There died also, the earl of War- 
 wick, a man of great power, and very illustrious family. 
 About the same time too, one of the sons of the emperor 
 Frederic, by name Henry, who, as his evil conduct well de- 
 served, had been for a long time kept in prison by command 
 of his father, breathed forth his miserable hfe. For it is said, 
 that he himself, being weary of his Ufe, did with his own 
 hand miserably slay himself. 
 
 About this time, the most pious and accomplished king of 
 France, being moved by the spirit of mercy and peace, offered 
 the lord the king of England excellent conditions of peace, 
 because he was his kinsman, and because the queen, his wife, 
 was sister of the queen of England. But the king of England, 
 being led away by the false promises of the count de la 
 Marche, utterly refused them, asserting that he would never 
 reject the advice of the said count, whom, according to his 
 usual custom, he called his father. And immediately, in a 
 rash and hostile manner, he defied the king of France himself. 
 Therefore, the king of France repented of having thus hum- 
 bled himself to the king of England, and unfolding the ori- 
 fiamme, he made a vigorous attack on all the territories which 
 belonged to the count de la Marche ; and in a short time the 
 war was so successful in his hand, that he had crushed his 
 enemies, and brought hostilities to a wished-for end ; for he 
 had already occupied the castle of Frontignac, which appeared 
 to the Poitevins to be impregnable, and in it he took pri- 
 soners, the son of the count de la Marche, and a hundred 
 knights. After that, he took the castle called Movent. And 
 after that, day after day, he took other castles and cities, and all 
 their inhabitants, illustrious citizens and knights, voluntarily 
 submitted to his power. At last he came to a city very rich 
 in vineyards, which is called Taillebourg, and which rejoices 
 in a river, which is called the Tarente ; and while the king of 
 France was there, the king of England came in close order of 
 battle to the other side of the river, and the two armies were 
 so near that they could see one another's flags and standards, 
 and there the king of England was saved from the danger of a 
 disorderly battle by the energy of earl Richard. Accordingly, 
 king Henry fled with prudence and good fortune, and came 
 to Saintonges; but the king of France pursued him without 
 delay, and a very fierce battle took place between the French 
 and English, outside of the city, in which the French, though 
 against their will, were forced to confess that the English 
 gained the most honour. 
 
 But as the army of the king of France was increasing every 
 day, like a lake which grows in consequence of torrents which 
 pour into it, a sedition arose in the city, in consequence of 
 which evil reports got abroad, and so the king of England 
 fled disgracefully, and retreated with all expedition to Blaye, 
 where for some days he was detained by illness. So when 
 
 YOL. II. p 
 
 I 
 
 
( 
 
 210 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1212. 
 
 
 the count de la Marche heard this, being stung with grief in 
 his heart, he sent the count of Brittany to the king of France, 
 to be a mediator and an intercessor for peace. And so, though 
 with great difficulty, he was admitted to peace by the king of 
 France, on very severe conditions, being forced to abandon 
 the king of England, after he had drained him of his treasures, 
 and injured his honour. 
 
 After these events, Reginald de Pontibus, and (following 
 his example) William, surnamed the Archbishop, and the 
 viscount de Thouars, and many other nobles of Poitou, who 
 nevertheless had craftily, or one might say treacherously, re- 
 ceived all the money of the king of England that they could 
 get, now flew to shelter themselves under the wing of the king 
 of France. 
 
 At this time, too, Richard, abbot of Evesham, died, sur- 
 named the Stout, having been a monk of Westminster, and 
 a prudent and wise man, learned and accomplished in all 
 civil and canon law ; and he died at Ryolan ; at which the king 
 was greatly grieved, because he was his principal councillor, 
 and at one time had filled the office of chancellor. And 
 while the king of England was disquieted by all these trou- 
 bles, Eleanor, queen of England, was remaining at Bordeaux, 
 being near the time of her confinement ; and she did not 
 quit that city till she had brought forth a daughter, to whom 
 was given the name of Beatrice, in compliment to the countess 
 of the province of Guienne, whose name was also Beatrice. 
 And the child was born the day after the feast of the Nativity 
 of Saint John the Baptist. 
 
 At the same time, a circumstance occurred which the En- 
 glish do not relate without jesting and derision, though not 
 unmingled with indignation. A certain woman, of singularly 
 enormous size, whose carcase, the inheritance of many worms, 
 was sufficient to load an empty litter, I mean the countess 
 of Byarde, with her son Gaston, and fifty knights, being 
 prompted by a covetous desire for money, in which she knew 
 that the king of England abounded, came to him, and made 
 an agreement that her knights should fight for the king for 
 pay, and for this she was to receive thirteen pounds sterhng 
 regularly paid every day. But the aforesaid gigantic woman, 
 or her son, or her body of knights, which for a long time 
 remained with the king, to his great cost, never did the king 
 any service, but were rather an injury to him, and at last 
 they deserted him ridiculously. 
 
 A.n. 1242. THE FRENCH ARE AFFLICTED WITH SICKNESS. 211 
 
 Meantime the king of France, having taken counsel with 
 his nobles, because he saw that his military enterprises all 
 prospered in his hands, according to his wishes, proposed to 
 pursue the king of England in a hostile manner, without losing 
 any time, as far as Blaye, because he knew that he was now 
 deserted by all the forces of the Poitevins, and deprived of all 
 comfort, and descending rapidly to the abyss of despair ; and 
 from Blaye to Bordeaux, if he departed in that direction, and 
 to continue the war with unwearied diligence till its termina- 
 tion. And lo ! the Lord pitying the king, the Lord who 
 giveth salvation to kings, when and how he wills, that Henry 
 might not appear to have recommended himself in vain to the 
 prayers of the men of the religious orders on his retreat, threw 
 the hearts of the French, who were giving way to absurd pride, 
 into confusion, by permitting seeds of division and dissension 
 to arise among them. For some of them said that it would not 
 be for the advantage of the French that the king of England 
 should be taken prisoner or crushed, lest perchance England 
 should be subjected to the yoke of France. And if that were 
 to happen then, if even the noblest of the French were oppressed 
 by the king, what refuge would be open to those who were 
 forced to fly ? and would not the English be in the same case 
 if they were oppressed ? "For," said they, " when England 
 was placed under an interdict, we have seen France open the 
 bosom of refuge and protection to the bishops and many of 
 the nobles of England, as, for instance, to Robert Fitzw^alter, 
 and England did the same to Reginald, count of Boulogne.'* 
 And those who spoke in this way, were among those whom 
 earl Richard had redeemed in the Holy Land; and when 
 others of the French had heard their arguments, they accused 
 them of treason ; and so a dissension arose, and they were 
 nearly having recourse to civil war. Besides, a great want of 
 provisions, and especially of water, oppressed their army, which 
 was numerous, in a miserable manner, so that as their want of 
 all kinds of food grew greater, they became swoln, and wasted 
 away with sickness, and being afflicted and exhausted with va- 
 rious miseries, expired. For their fellow citizens of the province 
 had closed up the mouths of the wells, and had polluted and poi- 
 soned the rivers and fountains, had ploughed up the meadows 
 and pasture lands, and, having driven away the cattle, had re- 
 moved to a distance all their supplies and all their crops. 
 Accordingly, when they drank the waters, both horses and 
 
 p2 
 
 ^1i 
 
 f 
 
 
212 
 
 MATTHEW OF TVESTMrS'STEE. 
 
 A.D. 1242. 
 
 A.D. 1242. JOCELIN, BISHOP OF BATH, DIES. 
 
 113 
 
 .' ,' 
 
 men perished ; and as the dog-days were just at hand, those 
 who were sick laid down, and speedily died, being destitute 
 of all comfort and rest, and having no attendance or medicine. 
 And in this way upwards of eighty nobles of the French army, 
 who were entitled to bear standards, died, and of the infantry 
 about twenty thousand. And as the king of France at the 
 same time was very ill, great fear and despair seized upon the 
 French, who said that the alms of the king of England had 
 undone them. For they were greatly afraid that their own 
 king, because he was tender and delicate, and, indeed, that 
 they themselves, too, might be overwhelmed with sudden death, 
 and the example of strong men who were overtaken by death ; 
 increased their fear. For at the same time there died Robert 
 Malet, a baron of Normandy, a man of the greatest valour in 
 arms, and worthy of extraordinary praise. There also died 
 at the same place, and of the same pestilence, Richard de 
 Beaumont, one of the most nobly born of all the French, and 
 greatly distinguished by gallant exploits. 
 
 Therefore, as the fates were adverse to him, the king of 
 France was compelled to beg a truce of five years from the 
 king of England, being desirous to return with all speed into 
 France, where he might be able to enjoy a better climate, 
 and the truce was accordingly, and, indeed, joyfully granted 
 to him when he requested it. Having, therefore, received the 
 homage of the nobles of Poitou, and having placed garrisons 
 of his own natural and loyal subjects in their castles and cities, 
 to command them, and keep them for him, the king returned 
 to France ; and being soon restored to perfect health, he com- 
 manded the men of Poitou, who had been surrendered on 
 • conditions of extremity, to be kept in close custody, and while 
 there a condition was imposed upon them that they should 
 not give their daughters in marriage, nor go from one city to 
 another, without leave of the French. Also the count de la 
 Marche, being accused and impeached of treason that same 
 year, before the king of France, was with difficulty saved 
 from the infliction of an ignominious death. But he became a 
 sort of prodigy in the eyes of all men ; a sign that is to be 
 pointed at and ridiculed* and hissed at by all men, because 
 he had so wickedly betrayed the king of England, who rashly 
 trusted in him. From that time forth, then, the prodigal 
 anxiety of the king of England was released from its burthens, 
 though before that time he was accustomed fooUshly to dis- 
 
 
 tribute among the Poitevins seven thousand marks every year, 
 for their shadow of homage and useless service. 
 
 The same year, that is to say, on the day after the feast of 
 Sanit Michael, the conventual church of VValtham was dedi- 
 cated by William, bishop of Norwich, with all due solemnity, 
 many of the bishops and prelates assisting. At tliis time also, 
 a scutage was exacted, and twenty shillings were granted and 
 collected from each knight's fee for the use of the king in liis 
 necessity. But when the king had passed on peaceably as far 
 as Bourdeaux, and as, now that there was a truce made between 
 the king of France and himself, he was spending a great deal of 
 time uselessly there, and going to great expense, some of the 
 English nobles, who were by this time becoming very poor, 
 and greatly involved in debt, asked leave to return to their own 
 country, but could not obtain it. But, at the same time, earl 
 Richard, without having received any distinct permission, did 
 withdraw, and, returning to his own country, suffered many 
 dangers by sea, and was scarcely saved from shipwreck, being 
 driven on a dry island not far from Cornwall, where he vowed 
 a vow to the Lord that he would found a house for religious 
 men, of the Cistercian order, which vow he afterwards faith- 
 fully fulfilled. About the same time, that noble man, Richard 
 de Burgh, who had great estates and possessions in Ireland, 
 died. And the same year, Hugo de Lacy, a most celebrated 
 warrior in Ireland, whose wars and conquests would require a 
 special treatise, departed this Ufe. About this time, too, Ro- 
 bert, bishop of Lincoln, a man most deeply skilled in the Latin 
 and Greek languages, translated most accurately the testaments 
 of the twelve patriarchs from Greek into Latin, which, through 
 the envy of the Jews, had been for a long time unknown and 
 concealed, and had not come to the knowledge of Jerome, or 
 of any other translator ; for in them were found manifest pro- 
 phecies of the Saviour. 
 
 The same year, on the first of December, died Jocelin, 
 bishop of Bath, full of days. And when the feast of Saint 
 Michael was at hand, the abbots of the Cistercian order were 
 not permitted to cross the sea to their general chapter, because 
 in this same year, when entreated by the king, they refused 
 him any assistance from the profits of their exhibition of wool. 
 This year then passed by, sufficiently fruitful and productive, 
 and peaceful to England itself, but full of war and injury to 
 the countries beyond the sea belonging to the kingdom of 
 
 1 1 
 
"i 
 
 214 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1243. 
 
 f I 
 
 > 
 ■ t 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
 England, full of suspicion to the Holy Land, pregnant with 
 fear to the empire, turbulent as far as the whole church was 
 concerned (since the papal chair was still vacant), and also to 
 the brethren, who were separated from one another both in 
 their situations and their hearts, so that scarcely seven or eight 
 of them remained at Rome. 
 
 27te king of England delaying uselessly at Bourdeaux, money is 
 collected in Jinglayid for his use. 
 
 A.D. 1243, which is the twenty-seventh of the reign of king 
 Henry the Third, the king was at Bourdeaux, not that he 
 kept a Christmas feast there, but he wintered there, dawdling 
 away his time unprofitably. And though the countess de 
 Bearde, and Gerard, her son, and the men of Guienne, ex- 
 torted from the king, whom they held to his promise, daily 
 expenses according to their pleasure, and no inconsiderable 
 sum as pay, yet neither the king nor the English thought of 
 any warlike enterprise, except that, to avoid the imputation of 
 doing nothing, they made themselves masters of some small 
 towns on the borders of the district of Bourdeaux, which 
 rebelled against them, and laid siege to a monastery which 
 is called Verrines, in which some rebels had taken refuge ; 
 where, while one of the familiar councillors of the king, by 
 name John Maunsel, one of the secular clergy, was attacking 
 the besieged with more animosity than all the rest, he was struck 
 down by a blow from a stone, so as to be nearly killed, and 
 wounded, too, with an arrow, so that he with difficulty escaped 
 falling into the hands of his enemies. And because he had so 
 cheerfully exposed himself to danger of death for the king's 
 honour, though he was admitted to his familiarity before, he 
 was more so now, and though rich before, he became richer 
 now, so that he deservedly attained to the level of the nobles 
 and chiefs of the land ; and most abundant revenues were be- 
 stowed upon him. 
 
 About the same time, the monks of Coventry, having re- 
 ceived information of the death of the abbot of Evesham, 
 who was also bishop elect of Coventry, with the consent of 
 some of the canons of Lichfield, elected their precentor, the 
 lord WilUam of Mont Pestle, a holy man, of high character 
 and great learning, to be the bishop and shepherd of their 
 souls ; but the lord the king, according to his established cus- 
 tom, wishing rather to promote some one else to be bishop, 
 
 A.D. 1243. THE COUNT OF liRITTAirr TURNS PIRATE. 
 
 215 
 
 immediately opposed his election, refusing to receive either 
 the election or the person elected. And as some of the canons 
 of Lichfield ranged themselves on his side, and as there was 
 a great strife on the subject, each side incurred strange and 
 extravagant losses, to the amount of two hundred and forty- 
 five pounds. 
 
 About the same time, there came five guardians of the har- 
 bours, and some persons who sold wine and victuals, and they 
 who depended wholly on the king's pay, all earnestly press- 
 ing the king for the payments that were due to them. More- 
 over, the people of Bourdeaux, to whom the king owed incal- 
 culable sums, no longer allowed him, although then master, 
 to have his reins free, but his own city of Bourdeaux was 
 already a prison to him, and they hemmed him in and worried 
 him so, that he felt great bitterness of soul. Now, therefore, 
 although it was too late, the lord the king, repenting of not 
 having hstened to the counsels of his natural-born English 
 subjects, longed to feel happy again in the security of England, 
 and to satiate himself with the luxuries of Westminster. From 
 that time forth, therefore, he thought of returning to the har- 
 bour of England, and, by the active and discreet exertions of 
 his ministers, a truce was established, which was signed on, 
 and commenced from, the day of Saint Gregory. But the 
 count of Brittany, like a crafty man, and one more wily than 
 any fox, pretending that he was not aware of it, turned pirate 
 on' the sea, and occupied himself with plunder, and stripped 
 many persons of much property, especially merchants, who, 
 relying on the above-mentioned truce, passed through his ter- 
 ritories. And when, in consequence of the complaints of the 
 king of England, the knowledge of this came to the ears of 
 the most pious king of France, he said, " Ha ! how often have 
 I reproved that traitor, and yet, though convicted, he does not 
 amend his ways, but pretends that he is ignorant of what has 
 taken place ; but that his own dishonesty may be no protec- 
 tion to him, the spoiler shall be spoiled, and what he has 
 taken away shall be restored to the lord the king of England." 
 And this was done. Moreover, the spoiler was pronounced 
 infamous, and condemned to just punishment. 
 
 About this time, the cardinals assembled to elect a pope, 
 and they intimated to the emperor, that he had, in no small 
 degree, blackened his own reputation throughout all Christen- 
 dom. For it was commonly said, that the emperor himselt 
 
 III 
 
 \\ 
 
 ) 
 
 
216 
 
 MATTUEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1213. 
 
 A.D. 
 
 1243. 
 
 SEXKBALD ELECTED TOPE. 
 
 217 
 
 l^ 
 
 had hindered the election of a pope, and the advantage of tiie 
 church, by keeping some of the cardinals and some prelates 
 in prison. And at the foot of their message they added, that 
 he ought to release those whom he was detaining, and above 
 all, cardinal Otho, that he might be present at the election, 
 and that the election might take place according to his wish, 
 and to the honour, and peace, and exaltation of the kingdom. 
 And the emperor being influenced by these words, allowed the 
 aforesaid cardinal Otho, and also the prelates, whom he had 
 rashly detained, to depart in freedom. But when Otho had 
 arrived among the brethren who were waiting for him, and 
 when they had all discussed together the election of a pope, 
 Satan sowed discord among them, so that they could not 
 agree, nor adopt any unanimous opinion. On which account, 
 the cardinal Otho being ashamed and perplexed, proposed to 
 return to the emperor's prison, because the cardinals had vio- 
 lated the promise which they had given to him when he re- 
 leased them from prison. And when this was made known to 
 the emperor, he was pleased at the good faith of Otho, and 
 signified to him that he looked upon him, and always would 
 look upon him, not only as a free man, but as a friend. There^ 
 fore, having collected a numerous army, the emperor laid 
 waste the city of Aubigny, which especially belonged to the 
 Roman church, and threatened the cardinals to level every- 
 thing which was the property of the Roman church with the 
 grouud, unless they would at once, without making any more 
 difficulties, agreed in the election of a pope. And he ordered 
 the senator of the city, and others who were his friends, to shut 
 the electors up, and guard them closely with an armed force, 
 and not to permit them to depart till they had created a pope. 
 Moreover, the king of France, with the university of his 
 kingdom, transmitted a most vigorous letter, containing a de- 
 mand, couched in warlike and imperious language, to the car- 
 dinals, by a formal ambassador, advising them to provide for 
 the church, without any loss of time or delay. Accordingly, 
 they being alarmed at such commands, determined, when they 
 were assembled a second time, after having invoked the favour 
 of the Holy Spirit, to proceed to the election of a pope at an 
 appointed time, not waiting for a regular day, and rejecting 
 all the hindrances of the devil. Now that in those days many 
 men were doubting whether the papal powers, during the 
 vacancy of the see, devolved on the college of cardinals or 
 
 not, we are fully assured by some letters which were sent to 
 the abbot of Wardun, which begin thus, '' Richard, by the 
 divme mercy, bishop of Ostia and Velletri, John of the title of 
 Samt Praxedes, Stephen of the title of Saint Lorenzo, in Lucina, 
 Stephen of the title of Saint Maria, in Cosmedin, the church 
 of the Samts Cosmo and Damian, Otho of Saint Nicholas, in 
 the Julian prison, cardinals of the holy Roman church, to the 
 religious man the abbot of Wardun, greeting, in the Lord,'* &c. 
 And in some subsequent passages it is said, "We, however, in 
 whom the power resides, while the apostohc see is vacant," &c. 
 At that time the king of England, after he had wasted a 
 long time in Guienne, having entrusted the guardianship of 
 that province, which they call the seneschalship, to Nicholas 
 de Mueles, a prudent and royal knight, returned poor, landless, 
 and inglonous, to England, and crossed the sea home. And in 
 compliance with the king's command, a great number of the 
 nobles of England met him, and were exposed to a long and 
 painful, tedious and costly delay on the coast. At last, when 
 he arrived in safety, they received him reverently, and both 
 prelates and nobles did him honour with presents of price- 
 less value, and when he came to London, he ordered the streets 
 to be adorned with curtains and lamps, and the churches too 
 with a vast number of other ornaments. And as the festival 
 of Saint Edward was at hand, on the thirteenth of October 
 he came with joy to Westminster, a great body of people 
 coming to meet him in procession, in festive garments, with 
 trumpets and ringing of bells, and a prodigious number of 
 lighted torches. The same year, about the time of the feast 
 ot the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist, after many discus- 
 sions, and much affliction of the church of Rome, which had 
 suffered through the sudden death of pope Gregory, and the 
 very lamentable decease of Master Robert Somerkote, the car- 
 dinal, and many other blows of adverse fortune, the cardinals 
 being assembled together, out of fear of the emperor, elected 
 cardinal Senebald pope, a Genoese by birth, and a man of 
 great accomplishments and learning in the decretals and canon 
 law, but no despiser of money. And he was created at 
 Anagni, and he assumed the name of Innocent the Fourth 
 and he was confirmed on the day of the Apostles Peter and 
 ^aul and when he had been confirmed, he immediately rati- 
 hed the sentence that had been pronounced by his predecessor 
 Gregory against the emperor Frederic. On which account, 
 
?( 
 
 218 
 
 MATTUEW OF WESTMINSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 1243. 
 
 f !., 
 
 I *• 
 
 the emperor, when he found the result contrary to his hopes, 
 broke out into most violent anger, and intimated to the Romans 
 that it was to their own great prejudice that a pope had been 
 created anywhere else but at Rome, and still more so that he 
 had ratified the sentence of pope Gregory. Therefore, the 
 emperor immediately bei:;an to prepare troubles for the new 
 pope, and he practised devices of various kinds, and placed 
 strict guards on the entrances to all roads and harbours, and 
 built gaUies to go to sea, to prevent any carriers of bulls from 
 passing, or from conveying money to the pope, to his injury ; 
 so that the severity of the emperor spared not even Preachers 
 or Minors who carried any writings, or communications, or 
 
 messages. 
 
 About the same time, the Templars besieged the Hospitallers 
 in a hostile way at Acre, and to show their contempt for them, 
 and by way of insult to them, shamelessly broke the truce 
 which had 'been wisely made by eari Richard with the soldan 
 of Babylon, by the advice of the Hospitallers themselves, and 
 were not afraid to attack the soldan himself, having formed 
 confederacies with other soldans, and hoping to find faith in 
 infidels. And in consequence of this conduct, the fulfilment 
 of that threat of the burning Gospel seemed to be at hand, 
 ** Every kingdom divided against itself, shall be made desolate." 
 
 About this time, when the bishop of Lincoln had, in an 
 over-impetuous and unbecoming manner, deposed the abbot of 
 Bardeney, and when this same abbot had appealed to the 
 chapter of Canterbury, who, according to their privileges, had 
 the power of terminating all quarrels that arose in the pro- 
 vince of Canterbury during the vacancy of the papal see, the 
 aforesaid bishop would not wait for the result of the appeal, 
 for which proceeding the chapter excommunicated him. But 
 the bishop sent messengers to the pope, who was by this time 
 elected, and, though the measure scarcely saved the rights of 
 each party, after a caution as to his future conduct received 
 absolution. The bishop of Norwich having been elected to 
 the bishopric of Winchester, was confirmed in it, and Boniface 
 was confirmed in the archbishopric of Canterbury. 
 
 About this time, that is to say, on the fourteenth of Novem- 
 ber, Beatrice, wife of the count of Provence, and mother of 
 the queens of France and England, a woman of singular 
 beauty, came into England, on the invitation of the king, who 
 provided for her whole journey with great magnificence and 
 
 A.D. 1243. THE KING QFAREELS WITH WILLIAM DE RALE. 219 
 
 at enormous expense. And the king himself came down to the 
 coast with a number of nobles to meet her, and received her 
 joyfully, solemnising her arrival by the distribution of precious 
 gitts, and the lighting of a countless number of torches, and 
 the ringing of bells, and the clang of trumpets. And she 
 brought with her her daughter, Senechia, who was to be married 
 to eari Richard But when she reached London, which was 
 on the day week after the feast of Saint Martin, then, by the 
 king s command, all the mud and every obstacle was removed 
 out of the streets, and the whole city was brilhantly draped 
 with cloths and curtains. And on Saint Clement's day, eari 
 Richard espoused his wife, the aforesaid Senechia, the daugh- 
 ter of Raymond, count of Provence, and the aforesaid countess 
 Beatrice, and sister of the queens of France and England, at 
 \Vestrain8ter. And at this marriage there was such a number 
 ot guests entertained, and such a general exultation of nuptial 
 joy exhibited, that that general festival, which made the God 
 Hymen himself marvel, would require a special treatise. 
 
 And while the worid, that conjuror of many forms, was 
 ngi tating mortals in this mannet, a certain person, having the 
 garb of religion only, a pretended and fictitious monk, by 
 name John, who, being supported only by the royal autho- 
 rity, had rashly usurped the name and ofiice of the prior of 
 he cathedral church at Winchester, after he had disturbed 
 that noble church, and the chapter of that church, in various 
 manners, and by all kinds of distresses, met in the act great 
 injury and scandal, yielded up his miserable life, and went to 
 receive the due reward of his ways. But the king increasing 
 his violence day by day, forbade every one from receiving in 
 hospitality Wilham de Rale, "who has falsely," said he 
 caused himself to be proclaimed bishop of Winchester " or 
 to have any mercantile dealings with him, or to supply him 
 with any provisions or necessaries, or to assist him in any of 
 these particulars, since he deserved to be accounted an enemv 
 ot the king, and indeed of the commonwealth. But the 
 aforesaid bishop WiUiam went to Winchester to visit his 
 church ; but the mayor of that city, and some of his feUow- 
 citizens, being forewarned of this, and animated by the com- 
 mands ot the king himself, shut all the gates of the city 
 against him. And the bishop coming barefoot to one of the 
 gates of the city, after he, being accompanied by his priests 
 and secular clergy, had addressed others who were outside 
 
 in 
 
 -% 
 
 
220 
 
 MATTUEW or west:minstee. 
 
 A.D. 1213. 
 
 of the citv, and entreated a passage from them that he might 
 enter his church in peace, addressed the same entreaty, ^itli 
 all humiUty, to those who were above tlie gates on the ram- 
 parts. But as the mayor and many of tlie citizens and the 
 kin-'s ministers, refused this, and steadily opposed him, the 
 bishop laid the whole city, and the cathedral church, and all 
 the other churches, under an interdict, and pronounced a 
 sentence of anathema against all the monks who were toi- 
 lowers or partisans of the prior, who had been intruded into 
 the see by the king's authority, though he was now dead, as 
 
 has been already mentioned. ^ . e ^\ 
 
 About the same time, in consequence of the conduct ot tlie 
 imperial ministers, who oppressed the people ot Viterbo in- 
 tolerably, the whole city of Viterbo and the adjacent country 
 was brought over to the Roman side, by the instrumentality 
 of Reiner, cardinal of Viterbo, who was a partizan ot the 
 pope. And at the same time, many noble and powerful men 
 shook off their allegiance to the emperor, who, having done 
 80, came to hate him, raising their heads against him and 
 threatening him that they would pursue him to the death 
 Therefore, the emperor humbling himself, according to tha. 
 sayin^ of David, " Fill their faces with disgrace, and tliey shall 
 seek thy name, Lord," offered conditions of peace to the 
 church, agreeing to swear willingly to abide by the censures 
 of the church, and to make satisfaction for the injuries which 
 he had inflicted on it, provided that he was first informed in 
 what he had injured it, and also of what satisfaction was re- 
 quired of him, and of aU other circumstances. And as this 
 was refused him, he raged more than ever against the church, 
 and against all persons connected with it. And, among other 
 tyrannical actions he caused two brethren of the order ot 
 Preachers, and the same number of the order of Minors to be 
 thrown into prison, because they were convicted of having 
 carried letters between the princes and nobles, to the injury ot 
 the emperor and the empire ; and they died in prison, because 
 of the severity of their treatment. 
 
 About the same time, a report of the inhuman Tartars and 
 of the destruction that they spread everywhere, pervaded not 
 only the countries of the east, but the inland regions, and even 
 the western kingdoms, so as to reach all the countries of the 
 world, and alarm them exceedingly; so that the prophecy of 
 the blessed Methodius appeared manifestly reachmg its tull 
 accomplishment. 
 
 A. n. 1244. GREAT ENTERTAiyMEXT AT WALLINGFOHD. 221 
 
 About the same time, some persons, especially in Germany, 
 affirming that they had chosen the habit and life of religious 
 persons of both sexes, but especially females, professed chas- 
 tity and simphcity of life, and bound themselves to God by 
 separate vows. And the women, whom we generally call 13e- 
 guins, were so increased in number, that in one single city, 
 namely, Cologne, they are said to have amounted to more 
 than a thousand. 
 
 And about this time, the heretics were multiplied, especially 
 in the Ultramontane countries, and particularly that sect of 
 heretics which we caU the Paterini, who in times gone by had 
 lain concealed, and when they were detected, were punished 
 by painful deaths. But now, without blushing or fearing ec- 
 clesiastical punishment or censure, they burst forth into public, 
 holding up their heads, so that many people, on account of 
 the various novel kinds of tribulation which arose in the world 
 from day to day, beheved that the end of the world was at 
 hand, in which the Lord will thunder out in the threatenings 
 of the Gospel, saying, *' Nation will rise against nation," &c. 
 
 This year then passed by, having been one of danger to the 
 church, pregnant with storms to the kingdom of England, 
 yet tolerably fertile and fruitful, bringing with it the death of 
 many nobles in Christendom, and many tumults ; full of 
 wars for the Itahans ; beheld with suspicion by the Holy Land, 
 and productive of schism between the Templars and Hospital- 
 lers, and of great scandal. 
 
 About a (/real entertainment of earl Richard at Wallitigford. 
 
 A.D. 1244, which is the twenty-eighth of the reign of king 
 Henry the Third, the said king was at the feast of the Nativity 
 of the Lord, at Walhngtbrd, as a guest of his brother, the earl 
 Richard, where they feasted with exceeding magnificence, 
 having invited nearly all the nobles of the kingdom ; and then 
 at London, the marriage which had been begun was duly con- 
 summated, so that the rest of their thoughts should run on 
 the nuptial feast. And there were present there, besides the 
 nobles of England, whom it would take too long to enumerate, 
 Beatrice, countess of Provence, and her daughter, Senechia, a 
 mother-in-law and new bride, of exceeding beauty. And the 
 king took exceeding pains to exhibit himself as cheerful and 
 pleasant to them. At last, when the solemnities of this festi- 
 val were terminated, the king, accompanied by the aforesaid 
 
 f 
 
 

 MATTHEW or -WESTMINSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 1244. 
 
 222 
 
 cenceof his own palace. And 7>'^". t'"^.;'^'^^ J towards 
 the countess before mentioned, <l.'>-^<=""S,^f .Pru-' ^uh a 
 
 as the sea-shore. But betore sne re em 
 
 at Dover, that mortals may never find the «>' f ^'^'^'/X 
 
 protection to the church of Rome, ""f, f ""^.^'nen r^eard 
 
 do), with prayers and alms, besought tue mercy 
 
 ^^"^* 1 ^- « ♦v.o r»nnp relvhio- too much on the 
 
 About the same time, the pope, y^!y'"o^ , . ^^^w ex- 
 
 until satisfaction should be made to "''^ •'™^^^^ he laid 
 And, aespising all scanty .evenues a .o many l^sk ^^ 
 
 rapacious hands on all """^^ """V ".^.i^hin^ in various ways, 
 -7™-rir^e=WTard" K^rSrd^.s wUl, thouglf .t 
 
 A.D. 1244. THE BISHOP OF CniCHESTER DIES. 223 
 
 bull * but not filled up, for him to fill up himself as he pleased : 
 but I would hope that this was not the case. Accordingly, 
 the aforesaid xAIaster Martin began to exact presents on all 
 sides from the prelates, in an imperious manner, such as desir- 
 able palfreys and precious vessels, and to extort them even 
 by torce (especially from those who belonged to any religious 
 orders) for h.s own use ; (for that man prays foolishly who 
 forgets himself ) and for the use of the pope he extorted sums 
 of money, and prebends to which men had been already 
 elected, using this odious additional form of words, " notwith- 
 standmg any privilege to the contrary," &c. And as a cer- 
 tain rich prebend at Salisbury was vacant, the aforesaid Master 
 Martin, a diligent searcher out of such things, laid his greedy 
 and hooked hands upon it, and without consulting, or, I may 
 rather say against the expressed wish of the bishop of that 
 see, he conferred it on a young man, a nephew of the lord 
 me pope And m a similar manner the unwearied Master 
 Martin before-mentioned conferred other benefices on the kins- 
 men of the pope, of whom there were an astonishing number 
 not without causing great astonishment to many persons of 
 experience For many people believed, and, because they 
 believed, hoped that the Roman court, having been so re- 
 peatedly chastised by God, would, in some delree, at least 
 check Its accustomed avarice by the bridle of moderation! 
 liut the day week after the feast of the Purification of the 
 blessed \irgin Mary, the vessel of pride, and the fuel of all 
 the quarrels which had arisen between the lord the pope and 
 the emperor, died, namely, John de Colonna, cardinal of 
 
 eminent for his high birth, among all the cardinals, and of 
 great fame and power, as the possessor of many castles and 
 palaces, and of large treasures and revenues. 
 
 About the same time. Master Roger, the precentor of Salis- 
 monk 7;^^«f ^'"^f,^" the bishopric of Bath. Also, a certain 
 
 d^dv ;i . T T '^' ^T"^ ^^ '^'' ^^"^^^ «f Evesham, was 
 duly elected and created abbot of that same church The 
 
 RaTlnlnr^ ' n' 'n' ""^'^^^^ ^^'^'"^ ^^" ^''^'^^ «^ Chichester, 
 Radulph de Neville, chancellor of England, a pillar of truth 
 
 of mZ ^7'"'^'' ""^t' ^^"^^""^ ^^«' ^"^ '^' very pedestal 
 01 hdehty, terminated his temporal hfe, and departed to an 
 
 documents""' '^'^''^- '^''^'"^' ""'' ^ ^''^'" ^'^ ^^^'^ ^^ ^^^ P^pai 
 
 t I 
 
 \ 
 
 
 'I ' 
 
MATTHEW OP -WESTMISSTER. 
 
 A.D. 12U. 
 
 224 
 
 everlasting one, in London, in his own noble P^l«5f >;g ^j*^ 
 had built from .ts foundations, not far f;;o>" ^''« J^ Xut 
 and the house of converts, on the first of tebruary. auuux. 
 Ae same tLe, the cardinal Otho, who had formerly been 1 
 .rate in En<'land, was made bishop of Portsmouth. Also, in 
 fhte day"r Wm^am, bishop of Winchester, be.ng ">d^"»"dav 
 the annoyances which were offered hm. by the king ^rom d 
 to day, and which were constantly 'n^*^'"?'. ^%'^! ^o'lse of 
 in-r and Win" hid, as it were, at Southwark, in the House o 
 h? — there, 'on the twentieth of t>b™-y. *^f,3 n 
 a clandestine manner, early in the morning, ^f'~yJ^ 
 board a ship in the port of London, to go '»t°;°'"" f ^ ^^'J' 
 
 in France, where he might enjoy an «^yl"™/? ^^["'^ ,eV 
 and sailin" down the Thames, he soon arrived in the opt n sea 
 "and, beD his flight had become known to the kuig h^had 
 landed safe in the harbour of Saint Valori. Irom tlience ue 
 Zceeded to the town of AbbeviUe, and there he met a formal 
 messenger of the most pious king of France, who, on he 
 p^rt o^hlslord the king%eceived the bishop with joy and a 
 most cheerful countenance, promising l""'*'* .^'"^ 7'^ 
 tion in all matters, and comfort in every tnbulat.on^ And the 
 messenger ordered, by the kmg s command, 'I'^t ''le may or ot 
 Abbeville should prepare the whole commune and the whole 
 ritv to defend the Wshop, if by chance any persons on the 
 p rVo^f ttkins of EngrandshLd P-ue him w_^h a view 
 to iniure him, so that, having recourse even to arms it there 
 we"'n ed, they might fight vigorously for the ^f op aga. 
 all who should oppose them. And the bishop «/ y^"«^»t ^^ 
 goinc into banishment in this way, the lame of the king o 
 ln"fand was blackened in no moderate degree throughout all 
 S^ne c'unrries ; for the French, who were al-y^^^^^^^^^ 
 of th^English, deriving -atter fom th s event r ottering 
 
 trndTh^UnrUvVandtmpotent aTainst all theenemies 
 of £s kingdom, persecutes and proscribes all his holy bishop . 
 At one time it ;as the blessed Thomas, and not long ago the 
 Glorious Edmund, both of whom were archbishops of Canter- 
 burTand at the present time he does not permit the bishop 
 orWincheste w'^io has served him a long time with diligence 
 aid fideUtv to enter his church, or to rejoice m the peace o 
 hi klngS preferring to promote fo-igners a.ni stra„^e«^ 
 And when this became known to Boniface, archbishop elect oi 
 
 ¥ 
 
 AD. 12H. 
 
 DEATH OF GEIFFITH. 
 
 225 
 
 Canterbury, he, grieving for the disrepute of tlie king of Eng. 
 land, reproved the king on this point, in an amicable epistle, 
 and earnestly advised him to recall the aforesaid bishop, and 
 admit hmi to his former friendship and intimacy, and per- 
 mit him to re-enter on his bishopric, and freely to exercise his 
 episcopal office, and to enjoy his privileges and his temporal 
 possessions, lest it might turn out ill for the king himself, and 
 tor his kingdom. And soon afterwards, the lord the pope 
 himself wrote most earnestly to the king, urging him to recall 
 the bishop to his friendship, and to open to hini the breast of 
 mercy. Moreover, the lord the pope wrote to the queen of 
 England an elegant letter, in the superscription of which, and 
 also in its contents, he asserts that she is his kinswoman (how 
 she was so is unknown, but perhaps he said so craftily to 
 make her more favourable to his request) ; and he anxiously 
 exhorted her to appease the king's severity, and to endeavour 
 to mitigate his rancour against the bishop *of Winchester. For 
 the pope argued in an etymological manner on the name 
 "woman ;" for she is called woman (niu/icr), from softening 
 her master {mol liens herum). And in return for this liberal 
 excitive of his beneficence, and for the paternal solicitude 
 which the lord the pope so anxiously displayed for the pro- 
 motion and peace of the bishop, the aforesaid bishop of Win- 
 chester (that it might be impossible to accuse him of ino-rati- 
 tilde) is said to have paid to the lord the pope more than six 
 thousand marks, and the lord the pope, that he might not be 
 accused of being disdainful, is said not to have refused one 
 penny of the money. 
 
 And while the world was agitating mankind with all these 
 disturbances, Griffith, the eldest son of Leoline, prince of 
 North Wales, now dead, who was detained as a prisoner in the 
 Tower of London, being greatly grieved and wearied by hi.s 
 long confinement, to which he w^is unaccustomed, considered 
 carefully how he might be able to escape from this imprison- 
 ment. Accordingly, one night, having deceived the guards, 
 he, by plaiting and knotting, made a long rope out of pieces 
 of torn linen, and carpets, and napkins, by which he endea- 
 voured to let himself down perpendicularly from the top of 
 the tower ; but after he had dropped some distance, the rope 
 broke, and he fell and broke his neck, and so died ; for he was 
 a man of great size, and very heavy. About the same time, a 
 most bloody engagement took place in the Ploly Land between 
 VOL. n. Q 
 
 I 
 
 \ 
 
 
 I 
 
 ii 
 
 %%. 
 
 \ 
 
 ! 
 
I 
 
 226 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 12U. 
 
 the Saracens and those worst of all Saracens, the Choros- 
 niines, and all the Christians who were able to bear arms, and 
 a terrible slaughter, and one to be lamented throughout all 
 ages, took place, and the masters of the Temple and the Hos- 
 pital were both taken and led into captivity, and so were nearly 
 all the Templars and Hospitallers, and other brethren of the 
 different orders, so that the house of the Germans of Saint 
 Lazarus, and nearly all the nobles of the Holy Land, either 
 fell in battle, or were oppressed in captivity by the Saracens. 
 For the soldan of Babylon, whom the Templars had attacked, 
 having broken the treaty of truce which had been entered 
 into b'y earl Richard, in revenge for such an injury, urged on 
 the Chorosmines to their extermination. But the Tartars had 
 previously repelled the aforesaid Chorosmines from their terri- 
 tories with the edge of the sword, and so the miserable Chris- 
 tians became, as their sins had well deserved, the prey of 
 robbers and plunderers. This melancholy battle then, so 
 ruinous and disgraceful to the church of Christ, took place 
 under an unhappy star, between Ascalon and Gazara, on Saint 
 Luke's day. And while the whole human race was thus in 
 agitation and disorder in Syria, the divine power also raged 
 against human affairs throughout England and its borders. 
 T^ierefore, the Roman church, laying aside all shame in the 
 time of our new pope, Innocent the Fourth, in a manner very 
 contrary to the hopes which we had entertained, ceased not, 
 by daily measures, to extort revenues in an unwise manner, 
 not departing at all from the path of his predecessors, but 
 rather making his hand heavier upon all men. Therefore, the 
 murmur which had been long conceived and suppressed in the 
 hearts of the English, now, although late, burst forth into 
 open complaints, and men, as if labouring to speak, were not 
 able to contain themselves any longer ; for their patience was 
 sluggish, and their humihty produced no advantage, but was 
 rather injurious to them, and the insatiable wantonness of 
 Rome took advantage of it. Accordingly, the nobles of the 
 whole kingdom assembled together, and made a vigorous re- 
 presentation to the king on the subject, asserting that it was 
 better to die than any longer to submit to such enormities ; 
 for it was not their intention, nor that of their predecessors, 
 when they conferred estates on men of religious orders, and 
 other places built out of pious considerations, to give them 
 merely to be distributed at the pope's pleasure among Itahans, 
 
 A.D. 12 U. TEUMS PliOPOSED TOTIIE BISUOPOF WINCHESTER. 22/ 
 
 who were unknown to the kingdom, men notoriously polluted 
 with simony and usury, and every kind of vice, and who took 
 no care to preach or to exercise hospitality towards the faithful 
 in Christ. The king, therefore, being excited to no slight 
 anger, and knowing and feeling that there was truth in these 
 complaints, wrote to the lord the pope in humble but very 
 firm language, urging him to endeavour to correct these faults 
 by his paternal solicitude. 
 
 In these times, too, David, the prince of North Wales, de- 
 signing to take refuge under the wings of the papal protec- 
 tion, offered to hold his territories under the pope, giving him 
 out of them a certain fixed sum of money, to the amount, as 
 it is said, of five hundred marks. And the lord the pope is 
 said to have showed him favour, to the great prejudice and 
 loss of the kingdom of England ; for the world knew that, 
 from ancient times, the prince of Wales had been a vassal of 
 the king of England. 
 
 About the same time, the fame of the blessed Edmund, arch- 
 bishop of Canterbury, and a most glorious confessor, filled all 
 the Cisalpine countries with the odour of his holy reputation. 
 For, on account of his merits, the Lord wrought such numer- 
 ous and great miracles, that the times of the Apostles seemed 
 to be renewed. Accordingly, the monks of Pontigny, in whose 
 church the most holy body of the said bishop and confessor 
 is known to rest, entreated the lord the pope that he should 
 cause proper investigation to be made, in order to the formal 
 canonization of the aforesaid saint ; but the lord the pope 
 postponed that business, and promised to do it when there 
 was some great and solemn congregation of the faithful in the 
 court of Rome ; and he did this, as it is said, at the prompt- 
 ing of some envious persons, who persecuted the aforesaid 
 archbishop in this life, and who now did not cease to perse- 
 cute him after he was dead. 
 
 In those times also, the lord the king being softened by the 
 requests of the lord the pope and others of the nobles, began 
 to deal more gently with William, bishop of Winchester, sig- 
 nifying to him that, if he would submit in a spirit of kindness, 
 and ratify the collations to the benefices which the king had 
 already conferred on some of his own secular clergy in the 
 diocese of Winchester, and would not require an account of 
 what had been already received by the king himself for the 
 renewals of manorial rights, and would relax the sentence of 
 
 ^ 2 
 
 ' 1 
 
 m 
 
 
 ! i 
 
228 
 
 MATTHEW or WESTMINSTEIi. 
 
 A.D. 1244. 
 
 A.D. 1244. 
 
 the interdict which he had pronounced against the city of 
 Winchester, and would kindly and patiently put up with the 
 prior whom he himself had appointed at Winchester, and 
 would pardon the monks who had taken the king's side, in 
 that case he, the king, would cheerfully restore him to his 
 friendship as formerly. And when Master Henry de Susa, 
 one of the secular clergy of the king, heard this, a man who 
 had appeared as the king's procurator at the court of Rome 
 against the bishop of Winchester, and who had received from 
 the king large sums of money for the purpose of crushing the 
 aforesaid bishop, he suddenly and secretly departed to his 
 native country, carrying with him the money that I have men- 
 tioned, and by means of this he obtained, I fear I ought to 
 say bought, a bishopric, desiring only the profit of the thing, 
 and not the duties of the office, and being only a messenger 
 of ill omen, like a crow, he never afterwards appeared in 
 England, since he knew that the way of peace was being 
 made smooth between the lord the king and the bishop of 
 
 Winchester. 
 
 Now, while the revolutions of the year were bringing about 
 these temporal changes, the emperor Frederic, being excited 
 by the stings of pride, began to repent of having ever hum- 
 bled himself to the church, and so, subsequently, he began to 
 spread toils and snares for the pope, which the lord the pope, 
 having been repeatedly forewarned of them, by his prudence 
 avoided. And in order to strengthen his own side more wisely, 
 because he had but few partners in his toils and anxieties, he 
 in a short time created ten additional cardinals, namely. Master 
 John, surnamed of Toledo, a monk of the Cistercian order, an 
 Eno-lishman by birth, a man of elegant accomplishments and 
 Icarnin"-, and some others, also, who were more distinguished 
 for their high birth than for any eminence of character or 
 learning, whose names would take a long time to insert in 
 this history, and it would not be worth while to do so. On 
 the eighth day before the feast of the Nativity of the hlessed 
 John the Baptist, the lord the ])ope came to Civita Castellana, 
 which is about eighteen miles from the city of Rome, with the 
 view, as he would then be nearer the emperor, of being able 
 to treat more effectually of peace, which, however, was much 
 doubted or suspected, or, I might say, in consequence of the 
 news that had been received, almost despaired of. And, on 
 the vio-il of the Apostles Peter and Paul, he came to the city 
 
 THE POPE KETHEATS TO GENOA. 
 
 22") 
 
 ""^.-^"l":! .^1"* ^^'^ emperor, wlio was already drawin- back 
 intimated to him that he would do nothing wiUi him cSncer ! 
 
 absolution. And when the pope answered and said that this 
 Mould be quite inconsistent with reason, a contention arose 
 between the emperor's ambassador and the pope hiS 3 
 from that time forward the pope, as if he^oresi^ h / o wu 
 con usion began to entertain the idea of a sudden and secre 
 
 L?wi^ ^™' P'^^P^"' *^^^""^^> «^>d that he had adopted 
 
 his idea in order to meet the bearers of presents in their wav 
 
 because those who were bringing him m^ne/d id not t" u ^ 
 
 come through to him, on account of the guard estabTished 
 
 by the emperor Accordingly, at the hour of men' tst 
 
 t/e hav ;:?fY f ^/\P-^^- ^^^--d Paul, the lord'h 
 
 ha dsril f ' ^"f mounting on a swift horse, with his 
 
 hands full having scarcely a single chamberlain privy to his 
 ac , departed secretly, suddenly, alone, not sparing hilhorse's 
 ides or his own spurs, so that before one^'clocl lav , 
 been torn along rather than carried, he had gone th rty W 
 
 sa^blin '"! 1 "? r «^--P-yi»g 1-^^^ or,'l should r'a he 
 say being able to keep up with him. But about midnight an 
 outcry arose in the court-- Behold, the pope is gone '"And 
 
 he pope had given positive notice the day before thaUie would 
 be so condescending as to conclude all the business Sre^ 
 quired to be transacted in his court on the day fol omW the 
 eas of the Apostles, to their honour, annouifcii^ i^ so^t 
 
 nctly as o make every one sure that he intended to do no- 
 thing ot the sort. And that day he came to a casile on the 
 
 t venty-three gallies, well furnished with arms and armed meif 
 from Genoa who were ready to receive him, and to conduct 
 m safe and uninjured to his own city, for pay. And before 
 the next night, seven cardinals joined him ; and, Je in the 
 vemng, the pope, attended by these seven cardin;is and a few 
 of the secular clergy, entered one of these gallies and in 
 hree days after, having encountered many ^dangers arse 
 rom the people of Pisa and others who were lyingin wai' 
 ZtT \''^V^ j^'^^orn. and, on the thfrd^day aft 
 t^t, they all reached Genoa, with great joy. And the chizen« 
 
 ^1 
 
 
 i * 
 
 ll 
 
MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.U. 1244. 
 
 2u0 
 
 .1.0 came out to meet him, nearly all of them -erted that 
 thev were his connections and relations. This '« '«« '^''»"" 
 
 -=Sx8tK^r :r-;:e^rat'r 
 
 H" L ttf;roirirst r.^^^^^^^^^^^ 
 
 'T't^re^'ur^toTthaTthe emperor might the more 
 strtnguir o.a side, he 8- - of Is daughter ^^^^^^^^^ 
 
 riage^'to one of -^'^^thrre'g rd L' .^^^^^^^^^ 'hi 
 
 Roman cl^l"; and warlhefrf^r? a schismatic; a proceedn,g 
 Swa bothan injury and insult to the lord the pope 
 Ind as the Lord Vas angry, the heap of evils increased day 
 by day And while the sto?m' of this wor d was agitating and 
 pLplexini^mankind, the Welch, who neither would nor could 
 ait thVir necks to strange laws and to *« donunauo 
 of the English, appo nted as their chiefs, David, tlie son oi 
 1 e.^h!e and the nephew of the lord the king, and some othe 
 ilweKen of Wales, and began a most bloody war agamst 
 
 A.D. 1244. IMPOBTAXT QUESTIONS RAISED BY KING HENRY. 231 
 
 the king and his marquises. And they were met by a gallant 
 resistance on the part of the earl of Clare, the earl of Here- 
 ford, Thomas of Monmouth, Roger de Monthant, and other 
 powerful and illustrious marquises,* who fought many battles 
 against them, in obedience to the king's command, and in de- 
 fence of their own territories, who in the beginning of the 
 war got the worst of the contest, but at last they triumphed 
 over some of the armies of the enemy, as is often the case in 
 the changing fortune of war. And in the first battle there 
 fell on the two sides about a hundred men ; but on the feast 
 of Saint Barnabas the Apostle, the lord king was at Saint 
 Alban's, where he staid three days, and while he was theru 
 the reports of the insolence of the Welch grew stronger, and 
 offended the ears and heart of the king, and other rumours 
 also were added, which also perplexed the ears and heart of 
 the king, especially one of the sudden abrogation of the elec- 
 tion of Robert de Passelewe, one of his secular clergy, who 
 had devoted his body and soul to the king's service, and who 
 had been elected bishop of Chichester, and of the election of 
 some one else, namely, Master Richard de Withz, in his place 
 without the royal consent. Therefore, the lord the king, 
 whose honour had been thus derogated from, being very 
 ^"gry, took the bishopric into his own hand, and would not 
 permit the newly-elected bishop to enter into that bishopric 
 or diocese. Moreover, he conceived great indignation against 
 all those who had brought this about, and especially against 
 Boniface, archbishop elect of Canterbury, whom he particularly 
 accused of ingratitude, charging him with being an injurer of 
 the royal dignity in the first instance of his own promotion. 
 And the king, heaving a sigh from his inmost heart, said to 
 himself, *' I suffer all this deservedly, because I hindered the 
 free election at Canterbury, where so many saints have come 
 from, and thought fit to promote an utterly unworthy person 
 to that dignity." 
 
 About the same time, the king of England raised some im- 
 portant questions between himself and the king of Scotland, 
 alleging that the latter was stirring up afresh heavy troubles 
 
 ^ The title marquis is evidently derived from the marches, or borders 
 of the country, the defence of which was committed to them ; but the 
 actual title in England is not older than the reign of Richard the Second. 
 In some histories they are called Lord's Marchers. 
 
 4'» 
 
 \ 
 
 
 H 
 
 I 
 
 " 41 
 
 I 1 
 
 ^i 
 
 i'' 
 
 * 
 
 I I 
 
232 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1244. 
 
 ugainst himself the king of England and his kingdom, con- 
 trary to the faith which he had pledged to the king of England 
 aud'his kingdom. As a proof of whieli, he said thathe had 
 caused some very strong castles to be built in Loudon, which 
 is a district bordering on England. Moreover, he had received 
 ill his territories, and sheltered, Godfrey de Marais, his enemy, 
 and a fugitive from his power. And besides, he had selected 
 as a wife the daughter of Ingelram de Coucy, a most wicked 
 baron of the kingdom of France, and one very hostile to the 
 king and kingdom of England. Therefore the king sent 
 (which, however, he ought not to have done) for the count 
 of Flanders, that he migiit come to him as an ally against the 
 king of Scotland, who was about to wage war against him, as 
 if he were unable to attack him without his assistance. He 
 assembled the forces of the whole of England to carry on and 
 support his war. Accordingly, the count of Flanders, haying 
 l)een invited, came with speed, bringing with him some Flemings 
 thirsting most greedily, as is the custom of their nation, for booty 
 and plunder, to the number of sixty knights and a hundred 
 esquires, all eager for the king's pay. As, therefore, the king 
 had set out towards the northern parts of the island, the said 
 count, who had landed at Dover, followed the king with all 
 speed, being accompanied by his brother Boniface, the arch- 
 bishop elect of Canterbury. And when they had traversed the 
 country as far as Saint Alban's, with the intention of passing the 
 night there, they were met by Master Walter de Sutheld, bishop 
 electof Norwich, who was immediatelyon the spot contirmed in 
 his bishopric of Norwich by the archbishop electof Canterbury. 
 But Alexander, king of Scotland, having received information 
 of the hostile approach of the king of England, armed himself 
 against it with great prudence, most earnestly entreating all his 
 friends on the borders by ambassadors and by letters to assist 
 him in such a serious danger, by which means he collected a 
 very large army, consisting principally of infantry. Moreover, 
 he sent into France to John de Coucy, his wife's brother, en- 
 treating him to come to his aid with all his power, as he was 
 threatened with war by the king of England. For Ingelram, 
 the father of John, had, a short time before, died in a strange 
 manner ; for he had fallen from his horse, who stumbled against 
 a trunk of a tree, and in falling he had hung in the stirrup ; 
 and his horse being frightened ran away, and dashed into a 
 deep river, and as Ingelram saw that he was iu danger of 
 
 A.D. 1244. THE KIXO MARCHES TO NEWCASTLE-OX-TTNE. 233 
 
 death in this way, he made an effort to mount the horse airain • 
 when lo Ins sword of its own accord fell from the scabbard 
 a. din this way he was suddenly stabbed, and so the afore- 
 said ngelram died being at once hanged, dragged, stabbed, 
 and drowned ; and I have recounted this eventthou^di it is 
 somewhat of a digression from ruy n.ain subject. Jiat the 
 whole world may know that the marvellous life of In-elram 
 was terminated by a marvellous end. However, his son'john 
 who had succeeded to his place, sent a military reinforcement 
 to the king ot Scotland by sea. But when the king of Eul- 
 land heard this, he ordered all the sea-coast to be most stricttv 
 guarded by the wardens of the Cinque Ports, by whom th'e 
 Hemmgs, who were sailing towards Scotland were alarmed 
 and returned by the way by which they had come. But when 
 the king of Scotland saw that he could not resist the kinc; of 
 England, he begged for peace, and after some ditticulty ob- 
 tained it. And this peace was re-established between the kings 
 of England and Scotland. ^ 
 
 MaTtiTlvir *^^^l^«P,,^^^^,^ «^ ^^^rwich had been confirmed. 
 Master \\ dham de Burgh, one of the secular clergy of the 
 lord the king, was elected bishop of Llandaft. And while the 
 revolving year was producing these events, the king, by an 
 edict which he issued publicly, and by an admonition which 
 lie addressed generally to all people, caused notilication to be 
 made throughout all England, that every baron who held land 
 ni lee of tiie king, should have all his mihtary service, which 
 was clue from him, ready at the king's command, whether 
 thty were bishops or abbots, or lay-barons. And then he 
 marched with a numerous army towards Newcastle-on-Tvne 
 and as soon as he arrived there, there came to him the count 
 ot 1^ landers with his soldiers, eagerly thirsting for the sterling 
 
 2TJ{ 1 f ^"^ ^''^V' '^'' ^*^"^" ^«^y ^^ the nobles of 
 he whole ot England was assembled around the aforesaid 
 town a discussion was held, and carried on with great 
 care, long consideration being given to such an important 
 a fair, about the time of the feast of the Assumption of the 
 blessed \irgin Mary; and at last, by the management of earl 
 Kichard and the other nobles, who went with great wisdom 
 and virtue to and fro between the parties very often, an agree- 
 ment was come to between the two kings. For those discreet 
 and prudent men said-- May God forbid that so much in- 
 nocent Christian blood should be shed, as a tierce battle 
 
 :\ 
 
 I J 
 
 !l^^ 
 
234 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1244. 
 
 y 
 
 threatens. Enough ; av, and far too many Christians are 
 slaughtered in the east, but they have flown upwards to the 
 Lord, as it is pious to beUeve ; but, alas ! what grief would 
 there be, if now so many thousand thousands were to fall and 
 be slain for a lust of reigning, and of possessing more ample 
 territories ?" Moreover, the king of Scotland, who was a good 
 man, and beloved by all men, English as well as Scots, had 
 a very numerous army, to wit, a thousand men completely 
 armed with good and picked horses, although not from Spam 
 or Italy, and properly protected with iron or hnen armour, and 
 a countless host of infantry, to the number, as it is said, of a 
 hundred thousand ; who all with one accord confessed their 
 sins, and received absolution, and then, being animated by 
 the consolation of their preachers, as men who were about to 
 fight in a just cause for their country, had no fear ol death. 
 But that the blood of so many Christians might not be shed 
 in hostile combat, peace was happily re-established between 
 the aforesaid kings, and a writing drawn up to secure the in- 
 violable observance of the peace. And soon after it was 
 regularly confirmed by the supreme pontiff, and oaths and all 
 kinds of obligations were added, in order that what had been 
 then wholesomely provided for on both sides might be firmly 
 observed for ever. 
 
 In the meantime, the Welch being exceedingly alarmed, lest 
 when the king had made peace with the king of Scotland, he 
 mi"ht attack them in a hostile manner with his whole army, 
 kept quiet, and, like hares, lay hid in peace. But the king, 
 havino- arranged everything in a peaceable manner in the 
 countries which border on Scotland, at once without delay 
 returned to the peaceful delights of Westminster, forgetful of 
 the injuries which had been inflicted on himself and his 
 people by the Welch. And when the Welch understood this, 
 like bees who swarm out of their hives, they came forth from 
 their lurking-places, devoting themselves in no slack manner to 
 pillage, conflagration, and massacre, and shamefully routing 
 the English, though not without considerable loss on their 
 
 own part. 
 
 About the same time, the interdict which had been pro- 
 nounced against the church of Winchester was relaxed, and 
 everything was honourably re-established in peace. Moreover, 
 on the eleventh of September, Master Roger, precentor of Salis- 
 bury, was consecrated bishop of Bath ; on the revenues of 
 
 AD 1244. TUE POPE PETITIONS THE KINO OF FliANCE. 
 
 235 
 
 which see, while it was vacant, as they were still levied. Master 
 Martin, one of the clerks of the lord the pope, wlioin many 
 persons, in witty phrase, used to call Master Mastiff, on account 
 of his rapacity, laid his hands, for some unknown relatiou 
 of the pope. And on the day of Saint Denis, Fulk Bass t, 
 dean of York, was consecrated bishop of London. About the 
 same time, Adam, bishop of Cuver, died at Wardon, of which 
 place he had been formerly abbot. About the same time also, 
 John, bishop of Hereford, died ; who, having been deprived 
 of his bishopric, had by the command of the pope sojourned 
 at Saint Alban's for about twenty years. Likewise, about the 
 same time, the bishop of Lincoln went to the court of Home, 
 for the sake of terminating the dispute which existed between 
 him and his canons, in the presence of the lord the pope ; and 
 in like manner there went to oppose him, the dean of Lincoln 
 and some canons of that church. Also the same year, on the 
 Monday next before the feast of All Saints', some persons 
 came to the synod of the bishop of Rochester, professing a 
 new sect of religion, and assuming the name of Cross Bearers, 
 from a cross which each man bore tied to his staff. 
 
 About the same time, the pope delivered himself from the 
 imperial guards, and removed to the city of Asti ; and soon 
 afterwards, he withdrew in haste, and by night, to Lyons ; 
 and from that time forth, he entertained the idea of assembhng 
 a general council, chiefly with a view of deposing the emperor, 
 and precipitating him from the summit of the imperial autho- 
 rity with disgrace, while in the lower parts of Gaul. But the 
 king of France, w hen he found that the lord the pope was 
 approaching his dominions, knowing that no good could arise 
 from his arrival to either king or kingdom, convoked his 
 nobles, and consulted them as to what should be done in these 
 circumstances ; and when they were assembled, lo ! a petition 
 from the pope was presented to the king and his nobles, re- 
 questing that he might be allowed to proceed to the city of 
 Rheims, which was at that time deprived of its prelate. And 
 when the French had heard this request with amazement, they 
 immediately made a firm reply that they would by no means 
 permit any such thing. Therefore, the king of France wrote 
 an answer to the lord the pope, couched in temperate lan- 
 guage, that his nobles were by no means willing to consent 
 that he should come into France. For they were afraid lest 
 he should reward his entertainers like a mouse in a sack, or a 
 
 . I 
 
 *f 
 
 ii 
 
 il' 
 
t 
 
 236 
 
 iTATXnEW OF TVESTMiySTEH. 
 
 AD. 12 U. 
 
 snake in one's bosom ; and that they would not permit two great 
 luminaries to appear in their country, lest, if one swallowed 
 up the other, an eclipse should take place ; nor was all the 
 elegance of language, which was so carefully studied in the 
 pope's letter, nor the example which was derived from pope 
 Alexander, of blessed memory, of any avail to soften the re- 
 solution of the French. For they said, " How unlike is that man 
 to this boy." But on the day after the feast of All Souls, all 
 the nobles of England came together, because they had been 
 so often injured and deceived by the king, and contradicted 
 him to his face, when he entreated most earnestly that a pecu- 
 niary aid might be granted to him. 
 
 The same year, the lord the emperor signified to the king 
 of England and his nobles, by a special ambassador and coun- 
 cillor of his own, by name Peter de A'inea, that they ought not 
 to suffer the kingdom of England to be pauperised any more, 
 and stripped of its riches, and the pope to be fattened on it to 
 no purpose, and to offer on the part of the lord the emperor 
 to deliver England from this tribute. And the aforesaid Peter 
 asserted that all the money which England liad lavished for 
 the pope's use, had been seized by the emperor for his own 
 purposes, in order that the money which had been given for 
 the object of injuring the emperor might aid in procuring his 
 success. Therefore, the king, who was cherishing a design of 
 marching his expedition into Wales, extorted no small sum of 
 money from his subjects, as from slaves of the lowest con- 
 dition ; and from the Jews, inventing a pretext against those 
 before-mentioned subjects, that they had cherished an out- 
 lawed and banished man, William Buketel, who, however, had 
 obtained a reversal of his outlawry, through the entreaties and 
 presents of his brother Andrew. 
 
 On Saint Hugo's day, Margaret, sister of the king of Scot- 
 land, and the relict of Gilbert, earl of ^lareschal, died in 
 London ; she was rejected by the king of England, and was 
 buried in the church of the Preacher Brothers. The same 
 year, at the xVdvent of the Lord, Louis, king of France, being 
 very ill from the remains of a disease which he had contracted 
 in Guienne, being seized with a mortal attack, lay for some 
 days as if he were dead, and indeed, according to the assertion 
 of the bystanders, he was actually dead. And there were 
 standing by him while he was lying in this condition, his 
 mother, the noble lady Blanche, and his brother Richard, 
 
 A.D. 1244. THE POPE OEA>'TS LETTERS TO THE WELCH KINO. 23/ 
 
 count of Artois, and the bishop of Paris, and others, but very 
 few intimate friends of his own ; and they were all grievine 
 that the king was now dead and cold ; but his mother Blanche, 
 unable to conceal her maternal affection, ordered the holy 
 cross, with the lance, and crown of thorns, which a few years 
 before had been brought into France, to be applied to the 
 apparently, and, as some insisted, really dead body ; and then 
 sighing, while sobs interrupted her voice, she said,' " Not unto 
 us, Lord Christ, not unto us, but unto thy name give the 
 praise. Save this day the kingdom of France, and tlie crown 
 which hitherto thou hast sustained bv thy grace ; show the 
 virtue of thy tokens which thou hast left behind thee on the 
 earth to appear at the great judgment,— in which we place our 
 conhdence and our boasting." A strange miracle ! The kin- 
 immediately yawned, and contracted his legs and arms towards 
 Ins body, and drawing his breath and sighing, he requested 
 to be signed with the sign of the cross, and made a vow 
 that he would go to the Holy Land— which he did. 
 
 In the course of the same year, David, prince of North 
 Wales, who, as has been already mentioned, had fled to the 
 asylum of the pope, and found favour with him to enable 
 him to shake the yoke of the king from off his neck, now 
 deservedly obtained the following letters from the lord the 
 pope, whom he had chosen as his protector, though not with- 
 out a great expenditure of money. 
 
 " Innocent, &c. to the beloved faithful brethren of de Al- 
 berc and de Kem. of the Carthusian order, and the diocese' of 
 Bangor, sendeth greeting and his apostolic benediction, on the 
 part of our beloved son the noble David, prince of North 
 Wales, &c. as above. Since then those things which are done 
 through violence and fear, as far as such feelings can influ- 
 ence a brave man, ought to have no validity or ratification, we 
 by our apostolic power enjoin your discretion, that, havin<^ 
 first examined the truth of these matters, you, if the truth 
 be so, do by our authority entirely absolve the before-men- 
 tioned prince from the obseiTance of an oath which was ex- 
 torted from him in such a manner, and relax any sentence 
 which in consequence may by chance have been pronounced 
 by any one against his person or kingdom." 
 
 But when this had come to the knowledge of the lord the 
 king and his nobles, and had soon afterwards reached the ears 
 of other princes, by the common report of fame, they, bein< 
 
 \ 
 
 41 
 
 
 'J 
 
 'S 
 
 r" 
 
23S 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1245. 
 
 fif 
 
 very indignant, and detesting the avarice of Rome urged the 
 kin- of England to pay no attention to papal mandates ot so 
 injurious a character, but rather to have recourse to hostile 
 war, to repress the new insolence ot so ungrateful a man. 
 And when the pope found that this was the case, he dissem- 
 bled, and conniving at their refractory spirit allowed all these 
 thngs to pass by unnoticed. But he was far from restormg 
 the money^f the prodigal David, in order that by being 
 punished in that way he might learn better wisdom for the 
 
 future. , ... 
 
 This year, brother Vincent completed his mirrors. 
 
 And so this year passed, being both a fruitful and a fertile 
 one, so that a sum or quarter of corn fell to the price of two 
 shilUnRS. It was a year very unfavourable to the Holy Land ; 
 cloud/and discreditable to the Roman Church ; turbulent, as 
 far as the kingdom of England was concerned ; and pregnant 
 with fear to the kingdom of France ; looked upon with sus- 
 ^cion by the universal church ; and full of wars and alarms 
 to Italy. 
 
 Cii. XII.— From a.d. 1245 to a.d. 1246. 
 
 JFars between the Welch and English-The Templars send re- 
 inforcements to the Holy Land-Disputes with the pope- 
 A council is held at Lyons-^The pope again excommunicates 
 and deposes the emperor. 
 On Christmas-day John de Gatesdene hecomes a soldier from having 
 
 hten a clerk. Edmund, the kings son, ts born. 
 vD. 1245, which is the twenty-ninth of the reign of king 
 Henry the Third, the aforesaid king, at the feast of the ISati- 
 "tv of the Lord, was in London. And there, on Christmas- 
 da^, he invested John de Gatesdene, one of the secular c erg>% 
 and^ho was enriched with many benefices, but who had pre- 
 V ously resigned them all, with the belt of a knight, because 
 he was eac^er to adopt a married hfe, which he preferred 
 About the Sinie time, the archbishop elect of Canterbury, and 
 the bishops of Worcester and Hereford, crossed the sea, men 
 who among all the prelates of England were the most especia 
 servants of the lord the pope, and eager to perform his ^^^ 1; even 
 to the injury of the kingdom, because he had promoted them. 
 Indeed, the archbishop elect of Canterbury, when about to 
 
 A.T). 1215. THE KING SENDS AN ENVOr TO HOME. 239 
 
 embark on board ship, ordered the woods of his archbishopric 
 10 be cut down-and sold, and tailliages and collections to be 
 made m Ins diocese. And he appointed one of his officers, a 
 Poitevni by birth namely, Master Hugo de Mortimer, to p;r- 
 torm his commands carefully. » i ^^ 
 
 On the day of Saint Marcellus, queen Eleanor bore the lord 
 the king a son and his name was called Edmund. On the 
 clay following the Purification of the Blessed Vir-in Marv 
 Isabella de Bolbek, countess of Oxford, died. And the day 
 after the feast of Saint Valentine, Baldwin, earl of Devon died 
 a youth ot an admirable disposition, and a most accomphshed 
 kinght, who ,s more commonly known by the title of earl of 
 the Isle of Wight. This year too, just at the beginning of 
 Lent, the lord the pope caused the emperor Frederic to be 
 a second time excommunicated throughout all Fiance and 
 England, m order that the infamy of his name might be spread 
 hroughout all Christendom, because he had made fresh at- 
 tacks upon his kinsmen. 
 
 During Lent itself, warhke attacks were made upon one 
 another in Montgomeryshire, by the Welch and English : but 
 the keeper of Montgomery castle, having placed an ambush 
 ill their rear, and feigning to flee from fear, intercepted a great 
 number ot the Welch, who were pursuing incaudously,^and 
 slew those whom he intercepted without putting them to ran- 
 som. Accordingly, David, with the view of retrieving that dis- 
 aster ordered the abrupt paths of ihe mountains, along which 
 
 guards Accordingly, while one of the greatest nobles in 
 England, namely, Hubert, the son of Matthew, was passing 
 by one of those roads, under an unlucky star he was struck 
 down by a blow of a stone, and so died. After that, the afore- 
 said David with his partisans seized the castle, which is called 
 iUonthant ; and having put to the sword all whom he found 
 m It, he levelled it to the ground. 
 
 The same year, about the middle of Lent, there came coin 
 nei^ from the lord the pope into England, bringing his pre- 
 cept for calling a general council, in this form: - Innocent, 
 
 .^\ i^^'/."'^"^ ^f ?.«d ^nd tlie wisdom of God, to whose m- 
 ettable Majesty all things are subjected,'* kc. 
 
 About the same time, the king having, as it seemed to him- 
 ^elt and his friends, suffered an enormous injury, because now 
 a great many bishops were created in his kingdom without his 
 
 Ifc 
 
 >..i 
 
 tir 
 
l) 
 
 II -i 
 
 210 
 
 V.VTTirEW OF WESTillSSTKB. 
 
 A.I). 1215. 
 
 A.D. 1245. MASTER MAETIN lEATES ENGLAKD. 
 
 241 
 
 lii 
 
 consent, with the view of preferring a comp a.nt on tins head, 
 and of claimin^ the rights wl,ieh had belonged to him as 
 kin- from ancier.t times! sent Master Laurence of San.t Mar- 
 Tin's as his procurator to the court of Rome Many pre ates 
 in England, with abbots and bishops, excused themselves from 
 attending the general council, some by a pet.txm to t_he kn>g, 
 others ifecause they were declared invuhds, and others by 
 valuable gifts obtained permission to absent themselves. About 
 the same^time died the cardinal Godfrey de 1 rane than who.n 
 the lord the pope had no more intm.ate or useful Iriend. And 
 M^o there died in England, in the northern part of the km^ 
 dom, one of the greatest of the nobles, by name Gilbert de 
 
 "in thJse days the Templars and Hospitallers, by way of re- 
 placing the bsses of their brethren, received many of the 
 Sar clergy whom they were able to elect into the.r order 
 and sent them as a reinforcement to the Holy Land, to the 
 defence of those cities which were desolate, and "f '^ose cast es 
 which were now expecting a siege or surrender. Ear Ric ard 
 too, sent a thousand pounds to the aid of that laud, out ot 
 the promptings of his own affection. ,-, *, i i,i,. 
 
 But as the period of that time passed on, while the lord t n- 
 pope was remaining at Lyons, his chamber was destroyed by 
 fire with all its contents. And it was asserted by many per- 
 son's, that that detestable charter which was drawn up m the 
 rime of king John on the subject of the tribute fron, England, 
 M was To be paid every year to the cluirch of Rome ..s 
 reduced to ashes in that fire. At this time too, the door- 
 keeper of the lord the pope, having answered some one who 
 requested admission to the pope in an improper inanner be- 
 came a cripple. The same vear. Master Elias de Derham 
 "onof sXbury, died; and Master Martin, the krnsmano 
 the lord the pope, before mentioned, immediately laid lis 
 ramcbus hanis on the revenues of the stall while vacant, 
 in have them to distribute himself. 
 
 On the day of Pentecost, the lord the k^g l^eld a most 
 noble ^stival in London, and invested Richard de Clare, who 
 Sad been I ready made earl of Gloucester, with forty other 
 novicerw^ tlJbelt of a kmght ; and Richard joyfully gave 
 a banquet to celebrate the beginning of his noviceship. 
 
 B t as the lord the king heard that many persons mur- 
 xnur d and complained bitterly of the insolence of the afore- 
 
 said Master Martin, he recollected himself, although late, and 
 began to feel vexed at having permitted the Romans to get so 
 fat on the property of others, and to collect so large a harvest 
 where they had not sown. Accordingly, he caused inquisition 
 to be made throughout every county in England, respecting 
 the sum total of the Roman revenues collected there, and it 
 was found that they amounted to an equal sum with his 
 revenues, namely, to sixty thousand marks of net receipts, 
 without taking into account various other emoluments. On 
 this, marvelling at the insatiable rapacity of the Roman court, 
 the king sent his procurators to the court itself, to state his 
 objections to the tribute so wrongfully imposed, and to bring 
 forward before the council his formal complaint on the subject 
 of the oppressions and injurious exactions which the lord the 
 pope did not cease to practise daily in England. And the 
 lord the king sent Fulk Fitzwarren to say to the aforesaid 
 Master Martin, that he had better take care of his tail, and 
 run quickly out of the country. For he could not altogether 
 restrain the fury of some of those who wished to attack him. 
 Fulk therefore faithfully performing the king's command, on 
 the part of the whole population of England, told the same 
 Master Martin that he had better not be found in the kingdom 
 in five days from that time, lest, if he were found after that, 
 he should be cut to pieces. 
 
 Therefore Master Martin, according to the custom of the 
 Romans, who flee from those who pursue them, but pursue 
 those who flee, fearing greatly for his skin, accepted a safe 
 conduct from the lord the king, and in three days fled sud- 
 denly and secretly out of England. About the same time, 
 Wilham de Mont Pessulan, bishop elect of Coventry, being 
 unwilling any longer to submit to the unjust attacks to which 
 he was exposed at the king's hands, patiently laid his cause 
 before, and entrusted the protection of his rights to the pope. 
 And Master Roger de Wescham, a theologian, being indeed 
 the dean of Lincoln, was elected in his place through the 
 management of the bishop of Lincoln, without the king 
 having been at all consulted in the matter. On which account, 
 before he could obtain full possession of his bishopric, he 
 suffered much loss, and a long deprivation of tranquillity, 
 which was not entirely undeserved. And in a similar manner 
 the election of Robert Pesseleu having been annulled. Master 
 Richard de Withz was, without the king's consent having been 
 
 VOL. n. ^^ 
 
 
 '< %. 
 
242 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEB. 
 
 A.D. 124.^, 
 
 It 
 
 asked, elected bishop of Chichester. And on this account, 
 that such a great insult to the king might not remain un- 
 avenged, he was deservedly deprived, for a considerable time, 
 of the barony which belongs to the bishopric, till at last, after 
 repeated intercession, both he and the bishop elect of Chester 
 prevailed, and, by the grace of the king, were both allowed to 
 enjoy the full possession of their dignities. The same year, 
 Boniface of Provence was consecrated archbishop of Canter- 
 bury by the lord the pope, at Lyons, where the lord the pope 
 was still sojourning, and Master Richard de Withz was conse- 
 crated bishop of Chichester, and Master Roger bishop of 
 Chester, not without great injury and danger to the kingdom 
 of England. For by these means the pope drew the bishops 
 towards himself, so that they were held and bound to him, 
 and being led to despise the king, were more ready to inflict 
 mischief in the kingdom. In the meantime, Robert Pesseleu, 
 of the annulling of whose election mention has been made 
 already, having taken to himself comrades by the king's autho- 
 rity, namely, Laurence of Saint Alban's, one of the secular 
 clergy, and Godfrey of Langley, a knight, they with some 
 colour of justice, in accordance with the new forest laws, 
 stripped many persons of their property to enrich the king. The 
 same year the lord the king, from his especial devotion to and 
 affection for the blessed Edward, that most glorious king and 
 confessor, caused the greater part of the conventual church of 
 the blessed Peter to be pulled down, beginning on the day 
 week after the feast of the apostles Peter and Paul, in order to 
 rebuild it in a more becoming and honourable manner. Li 
 which work he expended no inconsiderable sums of money, 
 as becomes a most Christian king who believes beyond all 
 doubt, that a treasure incorruptible is reserved for him in 
 heaven. Moreover of the royal munificence which was innate 
 in him, the lord the king bestowed on the aforesaid monastery 
 of Saint Peter, in his honour, and to shew respect to Saint 
 Edward and the royal place, some royal or imperial presents, 
 in palls and jewels, and vessels of wonderful workmanship, 
 which excited the eyes of the beholders to admiration and 
 their hearts to astonishment, so that the church of Westmin- 
 ster abounded in royal treasures more exceedingly than any ot 
 the Cesalpine, or even, if I may say so, of the Transalpine 
 churches 
 
 About the same time, Godfrey de Marais, who was not the 
 
 A.D. 1215. TUE ROMISn CHURCH IN DIFFICULTIES. 
 
 243 
 
 i 
 
 meanest among the chief nobles of Ireland, died an exile and 
 a fugitive, in a wretched state, yet without being a proper 
 object of pity. Whom, having been proscribed by Ireland, 
 banished from Scotland, and driven from England, after the 
 shameful death of his son William de Marais, France received 
 as a beggar, and in that country he terminated his miserable 
 life. And I have set down these facts for my readers at the 
 greater length, that every one may consider what an end trea- 
 son, and especially the crime of lese majesty are sure to meet 
 with. For the father rashly and unsuccessfully endeavoured 
 to excite sedition against Richard, the earl mareschal in Ireland, 
 and his son William did the same towards the king. The same 
 year, about the time of the feast of the Nativity of Saint John 
 the Baptist, the lord the king caused all the persons in the 
 kingdom of England who owed him mihtary service, to be 
 warned by a royal edict to follow him in a body faithfully as 
 they were bound to do, as he was about to march on a hos- 
 tile expedition against Wales ; for the very injurious insolence 
 of the Welsh compelled him to this step. And soon after, 
 when he was about to set out, he very courteously requested the 
 sanction of the citizens of London, who were convened in 
 Saint Paul's, and he also humbly requested the prayers of the 
 clergy. About the same time, the lord the king having adopted 
 wise counsels, as soon as he was informed of the general 
 council which was to be held the next year at Lyons, sent 
 formal ambassadors to the council, namely, earl Roger Bigod, 
 John, the son of Godfrey, William de Cantilupe, and PhiHp 
 Basset, and Radulph, the son of Nicholas, all knights, and 
 William de Powick, one of the secular clergy, to lay before 
 the pope and the whole council, a statement of the griev- 
 ances which were every day inflicted on many persons in the 
 kingdom of England by the Roman court, especially in the 
 matter of the tribute which was extorted in time of war, and 
 which was resisted and only refused by Stephen, archbishop 
 of Canterbury. And this was subsequently clone. 
 
 The same year, when the lord the pope, who had come to 
 Lyons, and who had now delayed there a considerable time, 
 complained bitterly to some of the great prelates, and espe- 
 cially to the abbots of Cluny and Citeaux, that the Roman 
 church was in great difticulties, being weighed down with 
 debt. On which account he earnestly demanded pecuniary- 
 assistance from them, as from his especial and dearest sons. 
 
 e2 
 
 
 fl 
 
244 
 
 MATTHEW or WE3TMi:S^STEIl. 
 
 A.D. 1245. 
 
 A D. 1245. THE POPE BEINGS CHAEGES AGAINST FEEDEEIC. 245 
 
 .1 
 
 li 
 
 But the abbot of Cluny, having obtained Ucense and authority 
 to strip his coffers for the purpose of enriching the pope, 
 bestowed many presents and many gifts in valuable horses, 
 furnished with costly trappings, on the pope, some of whom 
 were even laden with money. And in Hke manner the abbot 
 of Citeaux acted, so that it seemed to be the case, and wasposi- 
 tively asserted by some people, that the pope had gone rather 
 for the purpose of those who were bringing him presents, 
 than of fleeing from the face of the emperor Frederic. But 
 when Peter, archbishop of Rouen, and the abbot of Saint 
 Denis, who was an Englishman by birth, had heard of these 
 circumstances, wishing to surpass the previous givers, they 
 added such a sum of coined money, which they paid into the 
 treasury, that its amount caused a very natural amazement in 
 those who looked upon it. In reward for which conduct, the 
 archbishop, who had left his own church irrecoverably stripped 
 of its riches, was deservedly promoted to the office of cardinal, 
 and held in especial favour by the lord the pope. And the 
 abbot of Saint Denis was in like manner raised, with great 
 pomp, to the archbishopric of Rouen ; and the abbot of Cluny 
 was enthroned in the episcopal chair of Langres, which he 
 had been very anxious for, in order to become one of the 
 peers of France. But the archbishop of Lyons, being by no 
 means willing to destroy his own church to fatten up the pope, 
 and, indeed, rather grieving that the pope had come to his 
 city, to throw all Christendom and the universal church into 
 confusion, and had burdened his archbishopric with his pre- 
 sence, at the council of all the prelates, when they were as- 
 sembled, voluntarily resigned his office into the hands of the 
 pope ; and by the management of the pope, there was elected 
 in his stead a man of warlike character, and better suited to 
 secular, than to spiritual business, namely, Peter of Savoy, a 
 brother of Boniface, archbishop of Canterbury ; the pope pru- 
 dently endeavouring by these means to strengthen his party 
 by the accession of men of such power and noble birth, and 
 to unite their famihes in the interest of the Roman court, 
 disregarding the interests of the souls committed to their 
 care, which deservedly exposed him to obloquy from many 
 worthy men. Accordingly, the archbishop elect of Lyons, 
 the aforesaid Philip, being still licensed by the papal indul- 
 gence to retain the ample revenues which he possessed in 
 England and many other places, in order that he might 
 
 with more vigour and power attend to the papal and to his 
 own secular business, postponed his consecration for a long 
 time, and showed no anxiety to exercise his episcopal duties. 
 And in like manner his brother Boniface, archbishop of Can- 
 terbury, forgetful of his own church, and not regarding the 
 example of piety displayed by his predecessors in the church 
 of Canterbury, abandoned his pastoral duties as a sailor might 
 abandon a ship, and absented himself for a long time, while 
 he abode in the district of Lyons, which is a long way from 
 Canterbury. Owing to which, the English church, which 
 had hoped to obtain a respite through his appointment, now 
 found itself exposed to confusion and desolation, instead of 
 comfort. 
 
 And when the feast of the Nativity of the blessed John the 
 Baptist arrived, an innumerable multitude of prelates assembled 
 at Lyons, to hold a general council. But the emperor Fre- 
 deric prevented a great number from attending, knowing be- 
 forehand that the pope had convoked them for the purpose 
 of effecting his injury and disgrace. And no one was either 
 able or desirous to come from Hungary, or from the Holy 
 Land, on account of the devastations of the Tartars and Co- 
 rosmines, and the distance of those countries. Many prelates 
 in England, too, remained peaceably in their provinces, be- 
 cause of their old age, or their infirm health, or in deference 
 to the king's entreaties, excusing themselves on reasonable 
 grounds by their appointed procurators. And the emperor 
 knowing beforehand that important charges would be brought 
 up (and not undeservedly) against him, and the anger of the 
 pope, which was of long standing, was now turned into actual 
 hatred, sent prudent men, formally appointed, as his procu- 
 rators and prolocutors, to the council, namely, Thaddeus de 
 Suessa, Peter de Vinea, and Master Walter de Ocra, eloquent 
 and persuasive men of the secular clergy, and with them he 
 sent some high-born and eloquent knights. And when the 
 holy and universal synod was assembled in the church of 
 Saint Just at Lyons, the lord the pope brought forward be- 
 fore them all some heavy charges against Frederic, so that all 
 men clearly saw it was chiefly on this account that the council 
 had been convoked. Among all which heavy charges, the heaviest 
 that w^as brought against the emperor Frederic was, that he 
 had cruelly attacked, drowned, and taken some of the prelates 
 wliile on the sea, and thrown them into prison. And the 
 
 It 
 
 ^ si 
 
 p 
 
 i 
 
I 
 
 r t 
 
 ii 
 
 if 
 
 246 
 
 MATTHEW or WESTM1>'ST£R. 
 
 A.D. 1215. 
 
 procurators of the emperor answered with great wisdom to 
 each of the charges, as well as their case admitted. But as 
 tlie papal arguments prevailed, they nearly all gnashed their 
 teeth against the emperor, though the Enghsh were grieved 
 at their own confusion, because of the relationship which ex- 
 isted between their lord the king of England and the emperor, 
 and the treaty of friendship which had been made between 
 them, and the offspring which the emperor had by the empress 
 Isabella, and accordingly they for some time concealed their 
 feelings and held their peace. Nevertheless, the enemies of 
 the emperor, who were rising up on all sides, prevailed, nor 
 could the imperial ambassadors obtain any hearing or atten- 
 tion. So that Thaddeus, seeing that the condemnation of his 
 master was at hand, said, " Surely this day will be a day of 
 wrath, calamity, and misery." William of Powick, who was 
 present with the high-born procurators of the lord the king 
 of England, earl Roger, and his other companions, wishing to 
 interrupt, so as to postpone the aforesaid measures, rose in 
 the middle of the council, and in very elegant language 
 brought forward the grievances of the king and the kingdom 
 of England, complaining bitterly that tribute was very inju- 
 riously extorted by the Roman court, in the time of war, from 
 king John, while he was tortured by exceeding agony of 
 mind ; which tribute was openly opposed and refused on the 
 part of the whole population of the kingdom, by the mouth 
 of the venerable Stephen, archbishop of Canterbury, than 
 whom there was not at the moment a greater man in the 
 kingdom, on the ground that the king had no power to grant 
 it at all. " And our fathers," said he, " never consented to this 
 tribute, and they never will consent to it." And on this ac- 
 count he earnestly demanded justice and a remedy for the 
 evil. But the pope neither lifted up his eyes nor said a word 
 in reply to all this, but dissembled till he should first of all 
 settle the matters which caused him the greatest vexation. 
 And a short time afterwards, Master William brought forward 
 a very serious complaint of the great extortion of all kinds 
 of revenues and money from the prelates of England by the 
 Roman court, as if those prelates were slaves of the lowest 
 class, producing this elegantly worded letter on the part of 
 the whole population of England. 
 
 " To the reverend father Innocent, by the grace of God 
 supreme pontiff, we, the nobles and the m hole population of 
 
 AD. 1245. SE>^TENCE PIlO:jTOTrNCED AGAIlJfST FREDEBIC. 247 
 
 the kingdom of England, bringing condemnation, with the 
 kissing of his blessed feet, show that we love our mother, the 
 Roman church, with all our hearts, as we ought," &c. 
 
 And this letter, which contains an account of nearly all the 
 papal injuries and acts of tyranny which had been violently 
 exercised against England, a diligent searcher may find, if he 
 chooses, in the king's treasury. But wlien these grievances 
 were all openly brought before the council, the pope affirmed 
 that they required a long deliberation. Accordingly, he sus- 
 pended 'all answer for the time, although the ambassadors 
 were very urgent for them, and demanded a positive reply on 
 tliose points. They also added a new complaint to their former 
 one, objecting to the violent oppression and intolerable severity, 
 and shameful exactions, and injustice, which were being con- 
 tinually exercised in consequence of this detestable addition 
 inserted in the papal letters. " notwithstanding any privilege," 
 &c., by which addition right is trampled under foot, and 
 genuine grants are deprived of their force. 
 
 Therefore, the pope, insisting on his more important affairs, 
 after he had prudently promised that he would amend all 
 such things, fulminated in a terrible manner, in full council, 
 a sentence of deposition against the emperor Frederic, without 
 any mitigation, dissimulation, or indulgence of delay, although 
 Thaddeus and his companions steadily objected to it, promis- 
 ing him full satisfaction. Which sentence we have considered 
 it fit to mention in this book, because no such difficult and 
 important measure has been tried in our time. 
 
 Sentence is pronounced against the emperor Frederic. 
 
 " Innocent, &c., in the presence of the sacred council, for 
 the everlasting recollection of the event, and for the honour 
 of the Apostolic See, although we have been advanced to our 
 post without being worthy of the condescension of tlie divine 
 majesty, we are bound to take care of all Christians with 
 watchful and diUgent care, and to discern the interests of 
 each individual with the eye of intimate consideration, and to 
 M eigh them in the scale of provident deliberation, in order to 
 raise up by deserved favours those whom the rigour of a just 
 examination points out as worthy of it, and depressing by due 
 punishment those who are found to be criminal, ever weigh- 
 ing the desert and the reward in an equal scale, and rewarding 
 every one according to the quality of his work, with an equal 
 
 A M 
 
 ii 
 
4* 
 
 248 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1245. 
 
 'I 
 
 amount of punishment or favour. "When the troubles of 
 war had for a long time afflicted some of the provinces pro- 
 fessing the Christian faith, we, wishing with all our hearts for 
 the tranquillity and peace of the holy church of God, and gene- 
 rally of the people of Christendom, considered it best to send 
 men of great authority, to wit, the venerable Peter, at that 
 time archbishop of Rouen, and William, bishop of Sabionetta, 
 and the bishop of Modena, and our beloved son William, 
 cardinal priest of the church of the twelve apostles, and at 
 that time abbot of Saint Facundus, who was jealous for his 
 salvation, as especial ambassador to the principal secular 
 prince, who was the author of all this tribulation and afflic- 
 tion, and who had already for his excesses had a sentence of 
 anathema pronounced against him by our predecessor pope 
 Gregory, of happy memory ; causing it to be announced to 
 him by them that we and our brethren were anxious, as far 
 as in us lay, to be at peace with him in all things, as we 
 hope that we are prepared to be with all men, and that we 
 were anxious to give tranquillity to him and the whole world. 
 And because the release of the prelates, and secular clergy, and 
 all the other persons whom he was detaining prisoners, and 
 of all the clergy and laity whom he had taken in slnps, was 
 likely to be a very great inducement to peace, we caused him 
 by the same ambassador to be requested and entreated to re- 
 store them, since both he himself and his ambassadors, before 
 we had been called to the office of the apostleship, had pro- 
 mised to do so ; and we caused him also to be informed, that 
 we on our part were »*eady to hear his proposals and to treat 
 of peace, and even- to hear what satisfaction the emperor was 
 willing to make and to offer, for all the conduct on account 
 of which he had been bound with the chain of excommuni- 
 cation. Moreover, that if in any respect the church had 
 injured any one contrary to what was right, which we did 
 not believe, the church was willing to make amends, and to 
 restore things to their proper condition. And if he admitted 
 that he had offended against justice in any particular, or as- 
 serted that we had injured him in a manner contrary to justice, 
 we were prepared to summon all kings, prelates, and princes, 
 both ecclesiastical and secular, to some safe place, where they 
 might assemble by themselves or by formal representatives 
 And the church was prepared to satisfy him about the inten 
 tions of the council, if it had injured him in any particular 
 
 s. 
 
 A.D. 1245. SENTENCE PEONOUNCED AGAINST FREDERIC. 249 
 
 and to recall its sentence if it had passed any against him un- 
 justly, and with aU kmdness and mercy, as far as was consistent 
 with what was due to God and to his honour, to accept satis- 
 faction from him for all the injuries and offences which had 
 been committed by him and by his servants against the church. 
 Ihe church also wished to make all his friends and adherents 
 at peace with her, and to enable them to enjoy full security, 
 so that they might never hereafter incur any danger on these 
 ^T\ ;^ .""^ although we took care to deal thus with him 
 on behalf of peace, with paternal admonitions and gentle en- 
 treaties, still he, imitating the obstinacy of Pharaoh, and shut- 
 ting his ears like the deaf adder, with proud obstinacy and 
 obstinate pride, despised all such prayer and admonitions. 
 And although lu process of time, on the day of the Lord's 
 supper, lately passed previously, he before us and our brethren 
 who were present, and before our dear son in Christ, the em- 
 peror of Constantinople, and an illustrious and very numerous 
 company of prelates of the orthodox sect, and the Roman 
 people, and a great multitude of other persons who had come 
 together on that day to the Apostolic See. from aU parts of the 
 world, on account of that great solemnity, took an oath by 
 that noble man the count of Toulouse, and the Masters Peter 
 de Vinea, and Thaddeus of Suessa, the judges of his court 
 and his appointed procurators who had received a special com- 
 mission on this point from him himself, that he would obey 
 our commands and those of the church, nevertheless, he 
 afterwards did not fulfil what he had promised. And indeed 
 It is with great probabihty beheved, that he took the oath with 
 the intention of breaking it, as is collected plainly from the 
 events which took place afterwards, his object being rather to 
 mock the church and ourselves rather than to obey us, since 
 hough a year and more elapsed, he could not be recalled to 
 he bosom of the church, and took no pains to make satisfac- 
 tion for the mischief and injuries which he had inflicted on 
 t, although he had formal demands to that effect addressed 
 to mm. On which account, as we cannot, without great iniurv 
 to Christ, bear his iniquities any longer, we are compelled by 
 tlie promptings of our conscience to punish him as he de- 
 serves. And, to say nothing at present of his other wicked- 
 nesses, he has committed four most heinous crimes, which 
 cannot be concealed by any pusillanimity. For he has com- 
 mitted perjury frequently, he has rashly violated the peace 
 
 it . 
 
 m 
 
 , 
 
^ 
 
 ^'' 
 
 250 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.r. 1245. 
 
 » 
 
 I 
 
 which was firmly established between the church and the 
 empire ; he has also committed sacrilege, causing cardinals of 
 the holy Roman church to be taken prisoners, and the pre- 
 lates of other churches, and other secular clergy and brethren 
 of reh«-ious orders, who were coming to the council which his 
 predecessor had thought fit to summon. IVIoreover he is sus- 
 pected of heresv, not from doubtful or slight arguments, but 
 with evident proof, dillicult to be explained away. Indeed, it 
 is plain enough that he has committed frequent perjury ; tor 
 formerly, when he was in the district of Sicily, before he was 
 elected to the imperial dignity, he, in the presence of WiUiam 
 of blessed memory, cardinal deacon of Saint Theodore, and 
 legate of the Apostolic See, took an oath of fidelity to our pre- 
 de'cessor of happv memory, pope Innocent and his successors, 
 and to the Roman church, in return for the grant of the king- 
 dom of Sicily, which was made him by that same church ; 
 and as it is sa'id, he renewed it afterwards, when he had been 
 elected to the imperial dignity, and when he had come to 
 Rome, in the presence of the aforesaid Innocent and his bre- 
 thren, and a great many other persons, making himself the 
 pope's liege man. Afterwards, when he was in Germany, he 
 swore, in the presence of the princes and nobles ot the empire, 
 that to the utmost of his power he would preserve and defend 
 in all good faith the honours, and rights, and possessions ot 
 the Roman church, as was due to pope Innocent, and to our 
 deceased predecessor, pope Honorius of pious niemorv, and 
 to his successors and to the Roman church itself. And tiiat 
 whatever came into his hands he would cause to be restored 
 without making any difficulty, expressly mentiomng the afore- 
 said possessions by name in this oath, which he subsequently 
 confirmed, after he had received the crown of the empire. 
 Nevertheless, of these their oaths he has shown himself a 
 rash violator, not without incurring the brand of treachery 
 and the guilt of lese majeste. For he has dared to address 
 admonitory letters against our aforesaid predecessor Gregory 
 and his brethren to those very brethren, and he has, as is well 
 known, defamed the aforesaid Gregory throughout nearly the 
 whole world, and among the brethren themselves, as is evi- 
 dent by the letters addressed by him to them ; and he also 
 caused our venerable brother William, bishop of Portsmouth, 
 and cardinal deacon of Saint Nicholas, in the Julian pnson, 
 and John, of pious memory, bishop of Praeneste, both legates 
 
 A.D. 1245. SENTENCE PEONOUNCED AGAINST FEEDEHIC. 251 
 
 of the Apostolic See, and noble and mighty members of the 
 Roman church, to be taken prisoners and stripped of all their 
 property, and conducted repeatedly to different places with 
 g-reat insult, and committed to prison. Moreover, that privilege 
 which our Lord Jesus Christ himself gave the blessed Peter 
 and his successors in his diocese, namely, ' \Vliatsoever thou 
 slialt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever 
 thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed also in heaven,' in 
 which the authority and power of the Roman church consists, 
 he labours with all his might to diminish and to take from 
 the church ; writing that he is not alarmed at the sentence of 
 excomm.unication M'liich was pronounced against him by the 
 aforesaid Gregory ; not only despising the keys of the church 
 by not observing its injunctions, but also by himself and his 
 officers compelling others to disregard both that sentence 
 and any other of excommunication or interdict, which he 
 has altogether despised. Moreover, he has seized and still 
 retains possession of the estates of the before -mentioned 
 Roman church, namely, the ^larcli, the duchy of Bene- 
 ventum, the walls and towers of which city he* has caused 
 to be destroyed, and others which he has besieged in the 
 districts of Tuscany and Lombardy, and other places, not 
 fearing, with a few exceptions, to occupy them himself; and 
 as if that were not suflicient for him, that he was mani- 
 festly acting by himself or by his officers in violation of the 
 oaths before mentioned, in presuming to do such things, he 
 compelled the men to whom those possessions belonged to 
 forswear them, absolving them, in fact, though he could not 
 do so of right, from the oaths by which they were bound to the 
 Roman church, and making them also abjure the fidelity which 
 has been mentioned, and to take the oaths of fealty to him- 
 self. It is also quite plain that lie has been a violator of 
 peace, because as formerly, during the existence of the peace 
 which had been re-established betMcen himself and the church, 
 he had sworn before John, of pious memory, prior of Abbe- 
 ville, and before the bishop of Sabionetta, and before Master 
 Thomas, who was at that time cardinal priest of Saint Sabina, 
 in the presence of many prelates, princes, and barons, that he 
 would be bound by, and yield exact and unconditional obedi- 
 ence to all the injunctions of the church as to those matters, for 
 the sake of which he lay under the ban of excommunication, 
 the peace of that excommunication being regularly stated in 
 
 11:-^' 
 
252 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.T). 1245. 
 
 Ill 
 
 his presence, remitting all anger against, and every punishment 
 which he had pronounced against all the men of his Teutonic 
 kingdom, and of the kingdom of Sicily, and any others who 
 had been adherents of the church in its struggle against him ; 
 and that he would never offend those men, or cause them to be 
 offended, because they had taken the part of the church, 
 causing the oath to be taken, so as to be binding on his own 
 soul, by the count of Acerar. And yet afterwards, feehng 
 no shame at being involved in perjury, he regarded neither the 
 peace nor his oaths. He also caused some of those men, both 
 the high-born as well as others, to be taken prisoners, and 
 despoiled of all their property, and their wives and children 
 to be led into captivity ; and he irreverently invaded the terri- 
 tories of the church, in violation of the promise which he had 
 made to the aforesaid John, bishop of Sabionetta, and Thomas, 
 the cardinal. Althouorh thev from that time forward would 
 at any time have promulgated the sentence of excommuni- 
 cation against him in his presence if he had opposed them ; 
 and though they had commanded him by the authority of the 
 Apostolic See not to hinder, by himself or by any one else, the 
 regular postulations, elections, and confirmations of churches 
 and monasteries, from the future, taking place freely in his 
 kingdom according to the edict of the general council ; and 
 also ordered that no one in that kingdom should for the future 
 impose any taillages or imposts on ecclesiastical persons, or 
 on their property ; and that no one of the secular clergy, and 
 no ecclesiastical person, should for the future, in any civil or 
 criminal cause, be brought before a secular judge, unless it 
 were in respect of fees, when he was considered a civil subject. 
 Also, that he should make sufficient satisfaction to Templars, 
 Hospitallers, and other ecclesiastical persons, for the mischiefs 
 and injuries which he had inflicted on them ; nevertheless, he 
 disdained to comply with this mandate. For it is notorious, 
 that eleven, and more, archiepiscopal, and very many episcopal 
 sees, and abbacies, and other churches, are at the present 
 moment vacant in his kingdom, and that it is through his 
 management, as is well known, that they have been long des- 
 titute of the rule of prelates, to their own grave injury, and 
 to the prejudice of souls. And although, perhaps, in some 
 churches of the kingdom, elections may have been held by the 
 chapters, yet, as by them none but clergy of the emperor's 
 household* have been elected, it may be inferred by a very 
 
 A.D. 1245. SENTENCE PRONOUNCED AGAINST FREDERIC. 253 
 
 probable argument that they have not the uncontrolled power 
 of electing. And not only has he caused the property of the 
 churches in his kingdom to be seized as he pleased, but he 
 has also laid hands on the crosses, the chalices, the incense- 
 burners, and other sacred treasures belonging to them, and on 
 the silken cloths, which he has carried oft' hke a contemner of 
 divine worship, although, as it is said, they may have been in 
 part restored to the churches after the exaction of a fixed 
 price as ransom for them. Moreover, the clergy are afflicted 
 in various ways by taxes and imposts, and are not only 
 dragged before the tribunal of secular judges, but, as it is 
 said, are compelled to endure wars, are imprisoned, put to 
 death, and tortured on gallows, to the confusion and disgrace 
 of the clerical order. And no satisfaction whatever has been 
 made to the aforesaid Templars, Hospitallers, and other eccle- 
 siastical persons, for the injuries inflicted on them. 
 
 ** Moreover, it is certain that he has been a committer of 
 sacrilege. For when the aforesaid bishops of Portsmouth and 
 Praeneste, and a great many other prelates of churches, and 
 secular clergy, and brethren of religious orders, were crossingthe 
 sea to the seat of the apostles, to attend the council which even 
 he himself had previously desired to have summoned, since the 
 roads by land were entirely closed against them, in consequence 
 of his mandate ; he sent his son Encius with a great number 
 of gallies, and a great many other vessels, which he had pre- 
 pared a long while before, with this view, and having placed 
 them in ambush on the coast of Tuscany, in order that he 
 might be able the more formidably to vomit against those pre- 
 lates the venom that he had conceived, he caused them to be 
 taken prisoners, by an act of sacrilegious daring, some of the 
 prelates themselves and some other persons being drowned in 
 the act of their being taken, and some being slain, and some 
 being put to flight and pursued by the enemy, and the rest 
 stripped of all their property, and conducted with every circum- 
 stance of insult from place to place, till at last they reached the 
 kingdom of Sicily, and there they were committed to loath- 
 some prisons, where some of them, being worn out by dirt and 
 want of food, died in a miserable manner. 
 
 " Moreover, a suspicion of heretical error is very deservedly 
 entertained against him. Since, after he had incurred the 
 sentence of excommunication from the aforesaid John, bishop 
 of Sabionetta, and the cardmal Thomas, and after the pope 
 
 % 
 
 
 }m 
 
254 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMi:SST£E. 
 
 A.D. 1245. 
 
 \ 
 
 I 
 
 Gregory, before mentioned, had bound bim in the bonds of 
 his "anathema, and after his insults to the church, and his 
 taking of the Roman cardinal, prelates, and secular clergy, who 
 were coming from all parts to the Apostolic See, he despised, 
 and still despises, the keys of the church, compelling divine 
 offices to be administered to him, and, as far as depends on 
 himself, to be profaned. And he has constantly affirmed, as 
 has been mentioned above, that he does not fear the sentence 
 of the before-mentioned pope Gregory, which has been pro- 
 nounced against him. Moreover, behig united with the Sar- 
 acens in a detestable friendship, he has repeatedly sent them 
 ambassadors and presents, and he has received ambassadors 
 and presents from them in his turn, with a great show of 
 honour towards them, and great joy, and he embraces their 
 customs, notoriously retaining them about his person in daily 
 offices. Moreover,'in compliance with their fashion, he has 
 not been ashamed to appoint eunuchs, and especially those 
 whom, as it is said, he has caused to be castrated on purpose,^ 
 as guards to the wives whom he has had, though descended of 
 royal blood. And, what is more execrable still, when he was 
 formerly in the countries beyond the sea, having made an 
 ao-reement, or rather a collusion with the soldan, he allowed 
 the name of Mahomet to be publicly proclaimed in the temple 
 of the Lord, night and day. And, lately, he caused the am- 
 bassadors of the soldan of Babylon, after the same soldan 
 had by himself and his foUoweVs infficted heavy loss and 
 incalculable injury on the Holy Land, and on the Christians 
 who dwell therein, to be honourably received, as it is re- 
 ported, and magnificently attended through the kingdom of 
 Sicily, with praises of the excellency of the aforesaid soldan. 
 Also* abusing the pernicious practices and horrible services of 
 other infidels, to the injury of the faithful, and continuing to 
 be united in affinity and friendship with those who, damnably 
 disregarding the ApostoUc See, have departed from the unity 
 of the church, he, beyond all question, as it is asserted, vio- 
 lating all the rules of the Christian religion, caused the de- 
 voted son of the duke of Bavaria, of illustrious memory, and 
 the special servant of the Roman church, to be murdered by 
 the Assassins, and he gave his own daughter as wife to Bartacon, 
 an enemv of God and of the church, a man formally sepa- 
 rated from the communion of the faithful by the sentence ot 
 excommunication, with all his assistants and intercessors, and 
 
 A.D. 1245. SENTENCE PRONOUNCED AGAINST FEEDEEIC. 255 
 
 favourers. And rejecting the actions and habits of Christian 
 princes, and neglecting the integrity of his salvation and fame, 
 he pays no attention to works of piety. Moreover, to say 
 nothing of his nefarious and dissolute habits, though he has 
 well learnt to oppress people, yet he has no care to relieve 
 those who are oppressed by injustice, his hand being never 
 stretched out in alms as that of a prince ought to be, nor is 
 he known to have built any churches or monasteries, or hos- 
 pitals, though he has busied himself with the destruction of 
 churches, and overwhelmed men of rehgious orders and other 
 ecclesiastical persons with the yoke of affliction. Now, there- 
 fore, these are not light, but powerful arguments for the sus- 
 picion of heresy against him, though nevertheless he asserts 
 that the civil law is contained in the language of heretics, and 
 those men are bound to submit to the sentences that have been 
 pronounced against them who have been convicted, even on 
 slight proof, from deviating from the judgment and path of 
 the Catholic religion. 
 
 "Besides all these things, he has seized the kingdom of Sicily, 
 which is the special patrimony of the blessed Peter, and 
 which the said prince held in the Apostolic See as a fee, and 
 having driven out, by all kinds of insults, the clergy and 
 laity, stripped of nearly all their property, he has reduced 
 them to indigence and slavery, and compelled them to depart 
 in a state of beggary. And those who have remained, he has 
 forced to live in a servile condition, and in many ways to 
 offend and to attack in hostile fashion the Roman church, of 
 which they are the especial liege men and vassals. He might 
 also be deservedly blamed, that for nine years and more he 
 has omitted to pay the annual pension of a thousand sequins, 
 which he is bound to pay the Roman church for that king- 
 dom. We, therefore, on account of the before-mentioned 
 wicked excesses of his, and many others of a similar kind, 
 having dehberated dihgently with our brethren and the sacred 
 council, since, however undeservedly, we occupy the place of 
 Jesus Christ upon earth, and since it has been said to us, in 
 the character of the blessed apostle Peter, * Whatsoever thou 
 shalt bind on earth,' &c., we do hereby declare that the 
 aforesaid prince, who has shown himself so unworthy of his 
 empire and kingdoms, and of all honour and dignity, is, on 
 account of his iniquities, cast off by God, so that he shall 
 henceforth be neither king nor emperor, being so bound in 
 
 (' 
 
 f 
 
 IE 
 
N' 
 
 »' 
 
 I 
 
 i 
 
 256 MATTHEW 0¥ WESTMIIfSTEK. A.D. 1245. 
 
 his own sins, so abject, and deprived by the Lord of all honour 
 and dignity; and we denounce him by name and by our 
 formal sentence deprive him, and for ever absolve all those 
 who are bound to him by an oath of fealty from that oath, 
 by our apostolic authority, positively forbidding any one for 
 the future obeying him as either emperor or kmg or giving 
 him advice or assistance, or showing him favour, under penalty 
 of lyins himself under the sentence of excommunication by 
 the mere act. And let those to whom the election m the 
 aforesaid empire belongs, freely elect a successor to him. 
 For the kingdom of Sicily before mentioned, we will our- 
 selves provide, with the advice of our brethren, as we shal 
 see fit. Given at Lyons, on the sixteenth of July, in the third 
 
 ^^ Thf sentence 'tll^n^being thus brought forward in the middle 
 of the council, struck all men with no slight tear ; therefore 
 Thaddeus, and the other procurators of the emperor, departed 
 
 in confusion. , j-„*„ ;„ ♦i.;. 
 
 Moreover, the pope determined to pass many edicts in thl^ 
 same council, touching the restoration ot the Holy Land ami 
 the execution of justice, all which a diligent inquirer m.U^^^ 
 be able to find regularly drawn up. But what I have hithe to 
 been recording, 1 thought ought not to be passed oyer, in on er 
 that the causes might be more fully known why the lord k- 
 pope. Innocent the Fourth, precipitated Frederic from tl 
 Uirone of the empire. When these circumstances had come 
 to the knowledge of Frederic, he was excessively indigna 
 and wrote a letter to the lord the king of England, and also 
 to the king of France, and to several other P^^^es m 
 end of which letter he caused it to be plainly understood that 
 it was his intention to treat as nothing the dignity and no b - 
 lity of the universal church, and to reduce the church it- 
 self to its state of pristine poverty and primitive humility, l^v 
 which expression, though intending to excuse, he shamelessly 
 
 accused himself. , , , . • • :„ *^a A\a 
 
 In the meantime, the lord the king rem>uning '" *« «"' 
 tricts of Wale, with his army, straitened the Welch very much 
 by famine and scarcity, and, as the custom of war is, he otten 
 invaded them to their great injury In J^.»"«^. 'f'J^,^' J 
 on some occasions gloriously accomplished his object but often, 
 on the other handf he came worst off At le^g*' having ^■ 
 populated that district which is called Anglesey, he strength 
 
 A.D. 1245. WALTEB, TUE EARL MAEE5CHAL, DIES. 
 
 2d/ 
 
 ened and prudently fortified, so as to make it impregnable, a 
 castle named Connach, that it might serve to check the inroads 
 and sallies of the Welch, and so he returned in triumph from 
 that country. 
 
 About the same time, Raymond, count of Provence, and 
 father of the queens of France and England, paid the debt 
 of human nature ; a man who, by the exceeding magnificence 
 of the marriages which he procured for his daughters, caused 
 amazement to the whole world. 
 
 But the lord the king, when he retired from the castle of 
 Connach, which had been, as has been already stated, for- 
 tified at an immense expense, deposed Maurice, the justiciary 
 of Ireland, from his office, because he had been evasive and 
 slow in bringing aid from Ireland to the lord the king when 
 he was in danger. And he appointed John, the son of God- 
 frey, justiciary in his place. 
 
 The same year, too, at the request of the lord the king of 
 France, who, as has been already mentioned, assumed the 
 sign of the Cross when in danger of death, a certain papal 
 legate a latere was sent to advance the business of the Cross 
 by his preaching. In consequence of whose preaching, a 
 great many nobles of France assumed the sign of the Cross, 
 partly for God's, and partly for the king's sake. Likewise 
 the lord the king of France procured from the church through- 
 out his kingdom, by the permission and indulgence of the lord 
 the pope, one-tenth part of all its revenues of every sort, for 
 the promotion of his pilgrimage. And the lord the pope, as 
 a requital of this beneficence, demanded from the kingdom 
 of France a tax of a twentieth, for the support of the land- 
 grave, whom he had elected as a successor to Frederic in the 
 empire, and for overthrowing Frederic himself, whom he had 
 deposed. But the Saracens, and especially the Chorosmines, 
 who had already trampled over the Christians in the Holy Land 
 when they had provoked God to anger, and who had over- 
 run the Holy Land as far as Acre, after having crushed the 
 Hospitallers and Templars, and Christian nobles, wheil they 
 heard of these events fortified themselves strongly, that they 
 might not be overwhelmed by the arrival of the French. 
 
 About the same time, that is to say on the first of December, 
 Master Richard, chancellor of the church of Exeter, was con- 
 secrated bishop of Exeter. And about the same time, Walter, 
 tne earl mareschal, died in London, and soon after, that is to 
 
 VOL. TI. s 
 
 \ 
 
 \ 
 
 ■I 
 
 I 
 
 II 
 
% 
 
 258 
 
 MATTKEW or AVESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 12-10. 
 
 'I 
 
 say, on the fifth of December, his brother Anselm died, an 
 accomphshed young man, of an amiable disposition, who was 
 on the point of being promoted to the earldom and oftice of 
 mareschal, which belonged to him of hereditary right ; so 
 that in the interval before his death he was called earl, and 
 looked upon as the earl. And thus all the sons of the great 
 mareschal WiUiam (what was the sin which brought such an 
 end about, we do not know,) according to the prophecy of 
 the countess, their mother, departed like shadows from this 
 world, leaving no children behind them. Nevertheless, they 
 were all successively earls, as their mother had predicted, as 
 though she had been endued with a spirit of propliecy. And 
 thus that noble shield of the raareschals, which had been for- 
 midable to such numerous and powerful enemies of England, 
 disappeared. There were also many other families in tlie 
 other parts of the kingdom of England which lost their nobi- 
 lity and distinction, principally through failure of issue. 
 
 In the meantime the pope sent all the money which he could 
 scrape together from all the kingdoms, and from the churcli, 
 and especially from ecclesiastical persons, to the landgrave of 
 Thuringia, to support him in his war against Conrad, son of 
 Frederic. And by this time, the archbishop of Cologne, aiul 
 other noble and powerful prelates, with many also of the 
 magnates of Germany, being won over by the money of the 
 pope, had become adherents of the aforesaid landgrave ; so 
 that as Conrad was becoming weaker, nearly the whole of the 
 kingdom of Germany began to incline to the landgrave. 
 
 Ch. XIII.-— From a.d. 1246 to a.d. 1247. 
 
 Discontent in England at the exactions of the pope — Death 
 of David, prince of Wales — The war for the empire, be- 
 tween Conrad and the landgrave, continues — The king of 
 France refuses to permit the pope to enter France — Ed- 
 mund, archbishop of Canterbury, is canonized — Confede- 
 racy of the French nobles against the pope — The church of 
 England addresses complaints to the pope, hut grants him 
 money — The landgrave dies — Frederic makes the Sicilians, 
 ^c. do homage to his son Henry — William of Holland fs 
 elected emperor, in opposition to Conrad — The king^s half- 
 brothers come to England — Many English nobles assume 
 the Cross. 
 
 A.D. 1246. THE NOBLES SUMMONED TO MEET AT LONDON. 259 
 
 The lord the pope murmurs at the English complaining of their 
 oppressio?is, but especially of the tribute, and seeks pretences 
 for revenge. 
 A.D. 1246, which is the thirtieth year of the reign of king 
 Henry the Tiiird, the said king was at the feast of the Nativity 
 of our Lord at Westminster, to which place he had invited also 
 many of the nobles of his kingdom, and especially his brother 
 Richard, earl of Cornwall, with his wife, and a great many 
 other persons, who with the king had borne the burden and 
 heat of the war in the territories of Wales, encountering great 
 dangers and great expenses ; in order that they who had been 
 his companions in tribulation, should also be his comrades in 
 the hour of exultation. About the same time, Boniface, arch- 
 bishop of Canterbury, pastor and prelate, a man very unlike 
 his predecessors, who before him liad been eminent for their 
 many virtues in the church of Canterbury, gave the lord the 
 pope to understand, not without great injury and insult to 
 Saint Edmund and the rest of his lioly predecessors, that the 
 prelates who had preceded him in the government of the 
 archbishopric of Canterbury, had embarrassed the church irre- 
 trievably, although it was a rich one, with an incalculable 
 load of debt. By which representation he obtained most 
 execrable letters from the pope, the sum of which was as 
 follows : *' We, by these our letters, do command our vene- 
 rable brotlier, the bishop of Hereford, to take care that for 
 seven years, and no longer, the first year's revenues of all 
 the ecclesiastical benefices which shall for the future become 
 vacant in the city and diocese, and province of Canterbury, 
 till they amount to a sum of ten thousand marks (and if they 
 can be brought up to that sum before the end of the afore- 
 said period of seven years, then nothing more need be de- 
 manded) ; and also two thousand marks from the revenues of 
 the archbishop himself, shall be collected each year, and be 
 faithfully applied by him to the payment of the debts of the 
 aforesaid church. Provided that out of the revenues before 
 mentioned, the same bishop shall cause an adequate payment 
 for their support to be assigned to the persons serving in those 
 benefices, that the benefices may not be deprived of their 
 proper services." 
 
 About the same time, the nobles of the kingdom were sum- 
 moned to meet at London on the day when the anthem " Re- 
 joice, Jerusalem," is sung, that they might deUberat^ care- 
 
 6 2 
 
 I 
 
 i 
 
 m 
 
260 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEB. 
 
 A.D. 121G. 
 
 A.D. 1216. THE KING ADDRESSES THE PARLIAMENT. 
 
 261 
 
 fully on some important business of the kingdom, as necessity 
 urgently required. For the pope, because of the indignation 
 which he had conceived against the king and all the nobles of 
 the kingdom, was devising all kinds of arguments for stretch- 
 ing out his hand so as to inflict daily grievances on them, and 
 to extort money from them, and was adding to the weight of 
 his oppression every day. For the anger of the pope was 
 swelling and furious against the miserable English, because 
 they had dared to complain before the council of the oppres- 
 sions and injuries which were daily inflicted on them. And, 
 indeed, injuries were uninterruptedly multiplied in the king- 
 dom ; and in the pope's sight, that is to say in his court, the 
 English were made of less account than anv other citizens 
 of even the most significant nations. On which account he is 
 reported to have said, " It is desirable that we should put 
 that king of England on a level with the prince (meaning 
 Frederic), so as to crush him, since he is our vassal, and is 
 now resisting us.** Moreover, because the aforesaid king had 
 obtained a privilege so that no legate can enter his kingdom 
 except at his own request, he sent some sophistical and dis- 
 guised legates, having great power, to extort revenues and 
 money, and in all respects more rapacious than or<linary 
 legates, though they had not the insignia of legates, being at 
 one time secular clergy, at another time Preaching Brothers,^ 
 and at another Minors, of whom the pope made bedels and 
 tax-gatherers, to the injury and disparagement of their order 
 and profession, since they had promised under a vow to God 
 to endure voluntary poverty and humihation. On which ac- 
 count many of them who had clear consciences, sighed in 
 their hearts, and grieved, saying, ** Alas ! how soon, through 
 the envy of the devil, does our order learn folly. For a thou- 
 sand years the order of Saint Benedict has not received so 
 much injury." 
 
 Also the lord the pope stretched out his hand to carry out 
 further acts of extortion, such, for instance, as embracing in 
 the bosom of his avarice all the property of those who died 
 without wills, not without great injustice and loss to the 
 princes ; and he seized them even if a man being sick, and 
 not able or wilhng to speak, by reason of his weakness, de- 
 puted some one to made a will for him ; and this injustice is 
 said to contravene the laws. Besides this, a thing which was 
 ^ The Preaching Brothers were the Dominicans. 
 
 quite unprecedented, he unjustly usurped the territories of 
 David, the nephew and vassal of the lord the king of Eng- 
 land, and only allowed him to hold it on condition of paying 
 a heavy tribute. And he caused the lord the king to be cited, 
 in order that he might make answer to some charges and 
 make satisfaction to the aforesaid David for some injuries, 
 which, as the pope pretended, had been inflicted on him by 
 the king ; a deed which excited the contempt and hissing, 
 and derision of many persons. And soon after, the afore- 
 said David, being taken from among men, had at his death 
 but few mourners, as he deserved for his treason. 
 
 Therefore, as the royal edict commanded, the nobles of 
 England assembled from all quarters, in order to take prompt 
 and effectual counsel touching the aforesaid matters, as the 
 necessity, which was not light or unimportant, required. 
 But in the middle of Lent, namely, when the anthem " Re- 
 joice, Jerusalem," as has been mentioned before, is sung, 
 the nobility of the whole kingdom having been duly sum- 
 moned, met in a general parliament, in order to consider, as 
 the urgent necessity of the case required, of the state of the 
 now tottering kingdom. For the intolerable grievances which 
 were incessantly inflicted on them vexed all men, both nobles 
 and prelates, because they could not endure it any longer 
 without imminent ruin, and branding themselves with cow- 
 ardice. And they were especially harassed and wounded in 
 their minds, because the pope, forgetting, or rather openly 
 violating his promise, which he had made to the English in 
 the council, plundered the kingdom of its treasures in a more 
 tyrannical manner than before. 
 
 Accordingly, at the opening of this parliament the king 
 first of all with his own mouth addressed the bishops by them- 
 selves, then the earls and barons, and after them the abbots 
 and priors, on those topics of complaint, because of which he 
 had sent formal ambassadors from himself to the council of 
 Lyons, and he displayed to them some deeds of indulgence 
 and papal letters which the said ambassadors had brought 
 back, relating to the moderating of those acts of oppressions, 
 and he told them what favourable promises the pope had 
 made to the said ambassadors on behalf of the king and 
 kingdom. But because, after all the before-mentioned in- 
 dulgences and promises, the lord king found, as, indeed, he 
 had heard was commonly the case, and as he afterwards 
 
 [f 
 
 t 
 
 I 
 
262 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1246. 
 
 A.D. 1246. THE KVSQ OF FRANCE GOES TO THE POPE. 
 
 263 
 
 learnt to be true, that the pope made his hand all the more 
 heavy, and, as if out of contempt and a wish to provoke, be- 
 haved more wantonly than usual in the kingdom, oppressing 
 the church, he proposed and brought forward to them articles 
 respecting the grievances and oppressions of the church and 
 kingdom, as practised in writings, signed with tlie bull, 
 (which any diligent seeker may find in the royal treasury,) 
 and he complained bitterly to the whole assembled body or 
 the manifest violation of his promises by the pope. And they 
 ail rejoiced, hoping that the constancy of the king had, by 
 this display of his power, delivered tlie whole kingdom, and 
 the church likewise, from the oppressions and injuries of the 
 pope. Accordingly, they at last, both as individuals and as a 
 collected body, determined, on account of their reverence for 
 the Apostolic See, to write to the lord the pope, and to send 
 liim deputies regularly authorized, to supplicate him to relax 
 the intolerable grievances with which he had now been for a 
 long time oppressing them, and to relieve them from his in- 
 supportable yoke. 
 
 The same year, some laws were made with increased rigour 
 against those who furtively did injury to the parks and pre- 
 serves of others ; and in that parliament it was granted and es- 
 tablished that vengeance might be taken on all who were dis- 
 covered and convicted, as a diligent reader may be more fully 
 assured of by the testimony of the written deeds which were 
 drawn up on this subject. 
 
 Accordingly, when the aforesaid parliament was dissolved, 
 all the bishops immediately wrote to the lord the pope as a 
 separate body, and the lord the king wrote by himself, and the 
 abbots and priors by themselves, and earl Richard, and with 
 him all the other nobles by themselves, writing most elegant 
 letters to the cardinals, as well as to the lord the pope, re- 
 questing them to spare the kingdom of England, and to put 
 an end to the grievances which were now of long standing, 
 in a tone which might have softened even hearts of iron. And 
 their grievances were all set down in order, and a careful ex- 
 aminer may find them enumerated in those letters. 
 
 The same year, Conrad, the son of Frederic, continuing the 
 war against the archbishop of Cologne, and the other nobles of 
 Germany, who firmly adhered to the landgrave and the church, 
 making a sudden attack upon them on one occasion, was 
 defeated, and retired in confusion. For some of the powerful 
 
 chiefs of Germany on whom he relied, having been bribed by 
 the papal treasure, deserted Conrad in the critical moment of 
 battle, favouring the opposite party, and in this way deserted 
 wickedly to the enemies of Conrad; by which conduct Conrad 
 himself was exposed to imminent danger in the battle, and 
 forced to defend himself gallantly as well as he could. And 
 at last, stained with the blood of the numbers whom he had 
 slain, he with great difticulty saved himself, with a few others, 
 from death by flight. About the same time, Frederic, recol- 
 lecting himself a little, humbled himself, being a good deal 
 alarmed, and fearing the attacks of the insurgents. And so 
 he offered to the lord the pope to make adequate satisfaction 
 for his excesses ; to negotiate which aftair, he appointed as 
 his procurator and mediator the lord king of the French, 
 who, pitying the disordered state of the empire and church, 
 interposed his mediation, being prompted by the suggestions 
 of piety, and without sparing any expense or labour on his 
 part, went down to the district of Lyons, where the pope was 
 at that time staying with his cardinals. For he luid a con- 
 fident hope of being able to appease the rancour of the pope, 
 80 as to be able to relieve that great prince Frederic, and re- 
 concile him to the church. And the lord the pope, to show 
 his respect for, and to honour so great a king, came as far as 
 Cluny to meet him on his approach. And when they met 
 together, and held a serious debate on the before-mentioned 
 subject, the lord the king spoke earnestly and vigorously for 
 Frederic. For he said Frederic offered to go as a pilgrim to 
 the Holy Land, and never to return during his whole life, but 
 to serve as a soldier of God in that land, while his son should 
 be established in the empire in his stead. But the pope re- 
 phed, •' Ha ! how often have similar offers been made by him, 
 which have never been fulfilled.'* And the king said, *' My 
 father, is it not written in the Gospel that if thy brother sin 
 against thee, he is to be forgiven seventy times seven times?" 
 And the pope replied, " My son, his heart is hardened ; he is 
 a second Pharaoh, in all things he has proved himself one who 
 cannot be trusted." But when the most pious king of France 
 could not find the favour which he had hoped for in the eyes 
 of the pope, he departed in indignation and anger, at having 
 found no humility in the servant of servants. On which ac- 
 count, when the lord the pope wished to enter the kingdom 
 of France, in order to dwell there in greater safety, the king 
 
 \. 
 
1 
 
 264 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMIXSTEB. 
 
 A.D. 1210. 
 
 A.D. 1246. PROPOSAL TO ASSASST^ATE FKEDElilC. 
 
 20') 
 
 of France refused liim admission, saying, " The vicar of the 
 pious Christ does not by any means follow in the footsteps of 
 Christ. For Christ has said that all my Father gives me, will 
 come to me, and he that cometh to me, I will by no means 
 cast out. But that man has not opened the bosom of mercy 
 to him who humbled himself.'* And so evils were added to 
 evils. 
 
 The same year, the younger daughter of Raymond, count of 
 Provence, was married to Charles, the younger brother of the 
 lord the king of France, and she had the countship of Pro- 
 vence for her dowry. And the same lord the king also bought 
 and added to his kingdom the county of Macon ; and in this 
 way the aforesaid kingdom obtained a happy augmentation. 
 The same year, too, the nation of barbarians of little memory, 
 after many of the kingdoms of the east had already been de- 
 stroyed by them, returned in a hostile manner to attack the 
 king of Hungary, with the intention of devastating and spread- 
 ing general destruction through his territories. 
 
 The same year, when the ambassadors of the lord the king 
 had returned from the Roman court, and had brought back a 
 very harsh answer from the lord the pope, so that all the 
 weighty letters which had been sent on the. part of the king, 
 and of tlie whole nation, and of the nobles and prelates, had 
 no influence at all ; the lord the king grieved and was very 
 indignant that he and his nobles, who had so often cheerfully 
 conferred benefits on the court of Rome, should now be re- 
 pulsed in this their just petition. Accordingly, the lord the 
 king caused proclamation to be made by the voice of the crier 
 throughout every county in his kingdom, and in every city and 
 borough, and announcement to be made by royal letters, that 
 no prelate or clerk, or other person, should pay any obedience 
 whatever to any papal mandate by contributing assistance to 
 the pope. And it was greatly hoped that the king would per- 
 sist in the determination witli which he thus set out, manfully 
 resisting the papal extortions. But through the hissings of 
 some ambitious clergy, who were his counsellors, and of some 
 bishops in the papal interest, to whose counsels the lord the 
 king inclined more than he should have done, his resolution 
 was relaxed with the same levity with which it had been taken 
 Tip ; so alarmed was he at the threats of the pope, and so much 
 hid he tremblewith fear, where nofearwas; so thathe abandoned 
 like a woman the designs which he had adopted like a man. 
 
 And thus his whole preparation for resistance vanished away 
 like a cloud before the face of the sun when it shines. 
 
 But I have thought it well to give an account of these trans- 
 actions, unprofitable though they were, that all men may un- 
 derstand the divisions caused in the kingdom by vacillation, 
 and the wavering hearts of the English nobles, and the womanly 
 fickleness of the king. And that one general pestilence might 
 agitate the whole world, the kingdom of France was afilicted 
 and wounded by a similar evil, so that many of the nobles 
 began to think of standing together to resist the pope, as the 
 subsequent history will more fully show. 
 
 About the same time, the countess of Albemarle, the sister 
 of tlie countess of Winchester, was removed from the affairs 
 of this world ; in consequence of which. Great Galewera came 
 under the power of Roger, earl of Winchester. About the 
 same time, also, Isabella, mother of the lord the king of Eng- 
 land, died, who had formerly been queen of England, and now 
 for a long time countess of La Marche. And the same year, 
 while the laborious seasons of July and autumn were occupy- 
 ing the farmers, an unprecedented and destructive storm of 
 thunder and lightning, which lasted an entire day and night, 
 terrified the whole length and breadth of England, and many 
 men and much cattle were killed by the lightning. About 
 the same time, Richard, earl of Cornwall, founded, in a very 
 sufficient manner, a certain house for the Cistercian order, in 
 a favourable situation, not far from Winchcombe, in fulfilment 
 of a vow which he had made when he was in danger at sea. 
 And he also caused another church, of which his father, king 
 John, had laid the foundation, and which is called Beaulive, 
 to be solemnly dedicated under the sanction and authority of 
 the lord the king. The same year, and about the same time, 
 died John de Neville, the chief forester of England, a man who 
 deserved not to be accounted the last among the nobles of 
 England ; and about the same time, the bishop of Carlisle, on 
 the day of the Apostles Peter and Paul, changed his habit, and 
 entered the order of the Preaching Brothers. 
 
 The same year, a certain very powerful man of Apulia, by 
 name Theobald Frank, taking to himself certain accomplices, 
 proposed to kill by treachery the emperor Frederic, whom the 
 lord the pope had lately condemned, and deposed from the 
 imperial dignity. But before he could accomplish the wicked- 
 ness which he intended, Frederic, having been fortunately 
 
 i! 
 
 i i 
 
 •I 
 
 
 
cro 
 
 MATTHEW or WESTMI^STEH. 
 
 A.D. 12 IG. 
 
 forewarned by some of his faithful friends, escaped the toils 
 of those who were plotting against him. And writing on the 
 subject of this circumstance to the king of England, and to 
 many other of the princes of the world, he asserted that when 
 these criminals had, as they well deserved, been condemned to 
 death, that they had confessed that they had embarked in 
 tlieir unfortunate undertaking in consequence of the contriv- 
 ance and prompting of the lord the pope himself; by which 
 statement, the fame of the pope was blackened in no small 
 degree. And, therefore, the hearts of many persons aban- 
 doned their affection for the pope, who, both on account of 
 the implacable hatred which he still obstinately cherished 
 against Frederic, even in spite of his humbling himself before 
 him, and also because of the manifest tokens of liis insatiable 
 avarice, turned the filial devotion which all men ought to have 
 felt towards him into curses and hatred, to the great peril of 
 their own souls. Therefore, the pope, deriving boldness from 
 past events, in order to trample on the miserable English, and, 
 when he had trampled on them, to pauperize them more and 
 more, and seeing that they were scattered and deprived of all 
 courage and strength, signified, in a more imperious tone than 
 usual, to the prelates of England, that all the beneficed clergy 
 in England, who resided on their benefices, should, for the 
 next three years, pay one-third of their receipts to the lord 
 the pope, and that all who did not so reside should pay one- 
 half, addiiig many other hard conditions, which made the afore- 
 said command more stringent ; and, at first, he appointed the 
 bishop of London to see to the diligent execution of this com- 
 mand. Therefore, the bishop, with some other persons whom 
 he had summoned to set this order before them, explained it 
 openly in the church of Saint Paul to the clergy there assem- 
 bled, to whom he spoke of this *' terrible imposition," and he 
 excited all who heard of it to great amazement and grief, be- 
 cause what was commanded by the pope seemed and was im- 
 possible ; and lo ! there came besides, on the part of the king, 
 who was no longer able to conceal this circumstance, the lord 
 John of Lexington, a knight, and Master Lawrence of Saint 
 Martin's, one of the secular clergy, strictly forbidding, in the 
 name of the king, any one in the whole kingdom of England 
 from in any respect complying with this execrable command 
 of the pope. And when they brought this order, the others 
 cheerfully complied with it : and these things were done ou 
 
 A.D. 12 IG. THE POPE PRATS TO THE BLESSED EDMUXD. 267 
 
 Saint Andrew's day. Accordingly, the wicked population of 
 tlie whole of England wrote to tlie lord the pope, who had 
 issued those intolerable and impracticable commands, explain- 
 ing to him and reminding him of the way in which the old 
 grievances had cruelly wounded the hearts of all men, and how 
 they still felt the recent wounds, those, namely, which were 
 inflicted by the six thousand marks which Master Martin, the 
 pope's deputy, had lately extorted ; and so, in this way, the 
 tempest was calmed for a while, but soon afterwards it revived, 
 as will be mentioned. 
 
 The same year, Master Robert de Bingham, of pious me- 
 mory, bishop of Salisbury, died, the day after the feast of All 
 Souls, a man without complaint, full of days, and crowned 
 with virtues. And, about the same time, Richard Berking, 
 abbot of Westminster, died, a man of prudence, and a fjiir 
 stock of learning, and blessed with a high character, who, by 
 his own energy, had prudently enriched the revenues of his 
 house by an increase of about three hundred marks a-year, 
 and had strengthened it by the bulwark of many privileges, 
 without being either troublesome or burdensome to any of his 
 neighbours. Therefore, about this time, the lord the pope be- 
 gan to be very much alarmed lest the blessed Edmund, arch- 
 bishop of Canterbury, and confessor, should put forth his evi- 
 dent vengeance, and severely punish the delay of his canoniza- 
 tion, which he had long postponed from day to day, because 
 of the cavils of those who objected ; accordingly, the lord the 
 pope entered secretly into his oratory, where he was tortured 
 with a pain to which he was well accustomed, namely, that in 
 the kidneys, when he suffered severely from obstruction caused 
 by the stone, and, with bended knees, and bursting tears, and 
 clasped hands, he prayed, saying : " most holy lord and 
 confessor of Christ, blessed Edmund, be not very angry, be- 
 cause, being moved by the calumnies of envious men, 1 have 
 very foolishly put off the honour of your canonization, to 
 which you are entitled. For that which is not yet fulfilled, I 
 do, without hesitation, now vow and promise you, shall be ful- 
 filled in a magnificent manner, if my life is spared. Show 
 me, then, this mercy, you who assist so many who are sick, 
 to relieve me from my present sufferings, or, at least, to miti- 
 gate this terrible anguish." And as soon as ever he had said 
 this, he immediately felt divine relief ; and perceiving that he 
 liad been heard, he thanked the saint, designing most posi- 
 
 t 
 
 {■ I 
 
 ' \^ 
 
1^ 
 
 268 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1216. 
 
 A.D. 1248. 
 
 DECREE OF POPE IlfNOCEKT. 
 
 269 
 
 tively to pay liim the honour which he had promised him. 
 Accordingly, on the Sunday next hefore the Nativity of the 
 Lord, the one, I mean, in which the anthem, ** Rejoice in the 
 Lord," is sung, the lord the pope solemnly inscribed in the 
 catalogue of the saints the name of the blessed Edmund, arch- 
 bishop of Canterbury, whom the Lord had distinguished with 
 countless miracles. And after he had been happily canonized, 
 the pope immediately caused the mass to be celebrated, the 
 office of which begins, '* The Lord has placed him," &c. And 
 because the sanctity of that confessor is the universal glory of 
 the whole church, but most especially of the English nation, 
 1 have thought an authentic account of his canonization de- 
 serving of being inserted in the present book, in order that 
 the holy devotions of those who read it may preserve it ever 
 fresh in their memories. 
 
 The authentic decree of pope Innocent the Fourth about the canon- 
 ization of the blessed Edmund^ archbishop of Canterbury. 
 
 "Innocent, the bishop, the servant of the servants of God, 
 to his venerable brothers the archbishops and bishops, and to 
 his beloved sons the abbots, priors, deans, archdeacons, pro- 
 vosts, archpresbyters, and other prelates of churches to whom 
 these letters shall come, health and our apostoUcal benedic- 
 tion. We report from the heavenly college the new joy of our 
 mother the church at the solemn installation of a new saint, 
 being tidings of great joy, and with exulting spirit we an- 
 nounce that a feast is celebrated for the companionship of a 
 new colleague. The church rejoices that she has produced so 
 virtuous and great a son, to guide others by the example of 
 liis holy conversation, and, since he has now received the re- 
 ward of happiness, to give them a firm hope of salvation. 
 She rejoices, in truth, that she has been made illustrious by 
 such an offspring, and, as she is deserving to be extolled by 
 all men with worthy praise, and to be worshipped with devout 
 veneration, she manifestly declares that they are to be admitted 
 to a participation in his eternal inheritance, who with good 
 faith and good works profess themselves sons of their mother 
 the church ; and she asserts that none can enter into the glory 
 that is above, except through her, as the keeper of the keys of 
 the kingdom of heaven. The heavenly country rejoices in the 
 arrival of its noble inhabitant, and is pleased to know that a 
 new colonist, of tried fidelity, is united to its former inhabi- 
 
 tants. The virgin citizens rejoice at the addition of an illus- 
 trious fellow-citizen ; and let the saints strike the harp at the 
 worthy partner in heaven who is lately admitted amongst 
 them. Arise, therefore, ye zealots for the faith, and, in con- 
 cert with our mother the church, rejoice at the magnificence 
 and exultation of your brother. Overflow with joy, and feel 
 a sure hope, now that he who was born as the fellow of those 
 on earth, has become a fellow-countryman of the beings in 
 heaven. Rejoice with exceeding joy that you have an addi- 
 tional new advocate before God, who stands in his presence as 
 a gentle intercessor for our salvation. Lo ! the blessed Ed- 
 mund, archbishop of Canterbury, religiously thinking that the 
 creature was guided by a natural affection towards his Crea- 
 tor, and that fallen nature ought to recognise its restorer, 
 affectionately and diligently sought out his Creator and Re- 
 deemer. For, keeping the light of his intention straight be- 
 fore him, he advanced towards him by the steps of perfect 
 works, showing, by the brilliancy and splendour of his life 
 and doctrine, the path of salvation to others. On which ac- 
 count, the concord of these three things, a pure intention, 
 perfect works, and upright conversation, playing, as it were, a 
 delightful harmony, and having conquered the three enemies, 
 the flesh, the world, and the devil, by the virtue of perseve- 
 rance, and being distinguished by the triple crown of true 
 faith, secure hope, and fervent charity, well deserved to be 
 honoured on the citadel of the Supreme Trinity with the long- 
 prepared palm of victory, by the triple body of the electors, 
 namely, virgins, continent persons, and married persons. 
 
 "And now let us say something of his actions. For his life 
 the more fully it is set forth, does the more sweeten the taste 
 of the narrator, and does the more delight the minds of his 
 hearers. He, from his tender years, tenderly loved the Son of 
 God, and did never cease to retain him in his heart afterwards, 
 because he had written him on the tender tablet of his mind 
 with the pen of upright consideration, and I might rather say, 
 the more he advanced in years, the more did he grow with 
 love towards him because of his more perfect knowledge ; and 
 that the fervour of his spirit might not be extinguished by tli8 
 heat of his flesh, but might rather be kindled by its mortifi- 
 cations, he subdued it by the incessant wearing of sack-cloth, 
 and checked its appetites by the chains of strict abstinence, 
 so that his flesh was not guided by its wishes, but went on m 
 
 \ 
 
% 
 
 270 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMI>'STEU. 
 
 A.D. 1216. 
 
 A D. 124G. 
 
 DECREE OF POPE INNOCENT. 
 
 271 
 
 security to what was permitted, and prudently avoided all that 
 was forbidden, being led by the will of the spirit. For he 
 wasted his body by rigorous fasting, superadding to the strict 
 observances of the ancients the austerity of modern times, 
 which he had enjoined upon himself; while despising all the 
 delight of pleasant food, he was content with the refreshment 
 of humble commons, and in the times of fasting he chose to 
 abstain even from permitted food, and moreover to practise 
 more rigorous abstinence still, on certain days in the week. 
 Likewise hating all length of sleep, he devoted himself to long 
 vigils, and shaking ofl' all inactivity, he perseveringly occupied 
 himself in prayer. And disdaining the softness of a bed, that 
 he might not grow lazy through delicate rest, he certainly in- 
 dulged his limbs in some repose by lying down, but, after 
 having been refreshed by a brief slumber, rose again imme- 
 diately, and devoted himself for a long time to genuflexions 
 and prayer. And from the beginning of his Hfe he laboured 
 so to proceed on purely to the end, that avoiding the slippery 
 world, and not falling into the slime of pleasure, he was pre- 
 eminent for the lustre of his purity. Why need I say more .^ 
 He bruised the frail vessel of his flesh, that he might the more 
 carefully preserve the treasure of his soul wliich was laid up 
 in it. 
 
 " Moreover, as an eminent doctor and illustrious preacher, he 
 infused the light of knowledge into the minds of his hearers, 
 and implanted the seeds of the virtues in the hearts of the 
 faithful (eradicating all the tares of vice). In his humility 
 he was sublime, in his meekness he was gentle, in patience 
 brave, in benignity aflable, in pity sympathising, in mercy in- 
 nocent, and constantly flowing over in an unfaihng stream of 
 alms to the relief of the needy. And, that we may express 
 the multitude of his good deeds in a brief narration* he knew 
 Jesus with such an unshaken faith, and having acknowledged 
 him he loved him with so sincere a heart, and loving him he 
 so approached him with every wish, that, utterly disregarding 
 the world and all that is therein, he directed all his wishes to 
 heavenly objects, labouring in such a manner to render himself 
 by his conduct corresponding to his name, that as he was called 
 Edmund [Eadmundus], so he might show himself, by the tes- 
 timony of his whole life, clean [mundus] from all taint of 
 crime, or utterly separated from the world \e mutido], or set 
 apart from the embraces of the world [mundi]. On which ac- 
 
 count Edmund, like a spiritual man, when he was, through the 
 contagion of the body, at his last gasp in this life, reverently 
 adoring the body of Christ which had been brought to him, 
 is unquestionably proved to have uttered with wonderful 
 compunction these words, which deserve to be remarked with 
 all attention : * Thou art he in whom I have believed, whom 
 I liave preached, whom I have taught. And thou art my wit- 
 ness that I have sought nothing on earth, OLord, except thee. 
 As thou knowest that I will nothing but what thou wiliest, thy 
 will be done.' But as while alive he had illuminated the 
 church of God bv his eminent merits, so after he was dead 
 he did not withdraw from it the rays of his brightness, but 
 as after he departed this life he was more really alive than 
 when he was living, he afterwards illumined the church with a 
 more full brilliancy of light. For the Lord would not that the 
 sanctity of so eminent a man should be lost to the world, hut 
 rather that as he had been notorious for a number of good 
 actions, so too he should become celebrated for a diversity of 
 miracles, that so he w ho had worshipped him with entire devo- 
 tion should now reign with him and be himself worshipped with 
 reverence. For he restored sight to the blind, and what is more 
 glorious, he put to flight from the eyes of one person the dark- 
 ness of innate blindness, bv the clearness of vision which he in- 
 fused into them. To another, whose tongue nature had bound 
 with a lasting silence, he gave the free power of speaking. By 
 a sudden and miraculous cleaning, he cleansed a leprous woman, 
 so that the scales of her leprosy immediately fell ofl* from 
 her ; he strengthened the tremulous limbs of a paralytic man, 
 by a consolidating of his sinews ; he reheved those who had 
 contracted limbs, by lengthening them ; he cured a man 
 who was swollen with dropsy by reducing his body ; he re- 
 stored one old woman who was i)owed down to the ground 
 under a long-standing hump from extreme age, to perfect 
 health, enabling her to hold her countenance erect again. By 
 these and a great many more manifest miracles he becanie 
 very famous, though I do not think it necessary to mention 
 the whole series of them in this document. By his miracles 
 the catholic faith is strengthened, the obstinacy of the Jews 
 is put to shame, the deceitfulness of heretics is confounded, 
 and the ignorance of the pagans bewildered. Let, therefore, 
 the church of Canterbury sing the canticle of divine praise, 
 that church which among all others, in modern times, has 
 
 m 
 
 
i 
 
 272 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMi:S^STER. 
 
 A.D. 1216. 
 
 been adorned -with venerable patrons, and made red with the 
 martyrdom of one, and white by the confession of another. 
 Let the fertile Canterbury exult with joy, that it sends forth 
 from the threshing floor of its church so pure a grain to the 
 barns of the Supreme King. Also, let the monastery of Pon- 
 tigny rejoice, that it has deserved to be honoured with the 
 presence of such virtuous and illustrious fathers ; one of 
 whom lived there a long time, ennobling it with the virtues of 
 his life, and another going thither after he had there given up 
 his soul to heaven, enriched it with the treasure of his body ; 
 as if the object were that that saying should be fulfilled which 
 the glorious martyr Thomas is reported to have uttered, after 
 the long sojourn which he had made in that monastery at the 
 time of his exile, when he was not able to requite the monks 
 according to the fulness of his inclination, for the great ho- 
 nours with which they had affectionately received him, pre- 
 dicting that he should hereafter have another successor, who 
 would make them a full return for what they had done to 
 him. Moreover, because it is fit that those persons whom 
 Almighty God magnifies with the crown of everlasting glory 
 in heaven, should be venerated on earth with the highest zeal 
 of devotion by all men, (for the more solemnly the faithful 
 honour the memory of the saints, the more worthily do they 
 deserve their patronage), therefore, we, having obtained a full 
 certainty of the sanctity of life and reality of the miracles of 
 the aforesaid Saint Edmund, which have been established by 
 the solemnity of a curious investigation and strict examination 
 and discussion, do now, by the common advice and consent 
 of all our brethren and prelates present at this time at the 
 Apostohc See, on that Sunday in Advent on which is sung the 
 hymn, * Rejoice in the Lord always,' determine that he shall 
 be enrolled in the catalogue of the saints, or having been so 
 already, be now declared to have been so enrolled. There- 
 fore, we warn and earnestly exhort all people, commanding 
 them by our apostolical writings, that on the sixteenth of No- 
 vember they shall celebrate his festival with devotion and 
 solemnity (as it was on that day that his blessed soul was 
 liberated from the prison of his body, and ascended to the 
 stars, and entered the palace of heaven, there to enjoy the 
 deUghts of Paradise). And we order ye brethren archbishops 
 and bishops to take care that that feast is celebrated by the 
 faithful in Christ, with all proper veneration, throughout all 
 
 A.D.1246. AECHDEACON OF WESTMINSTER ELECTED ABBOT. 2/3 
 
 your cities and dioceses ; in order that by his pious inter- 
 vention ye may be able here to be saved from imrtiinent dan- 
 gers, and in the world to come may obtain the reward of 
 everlasting salvation. 
 
 But that the multitude of the Christian people may flock 
 with more zeal and in greater numbers to his venerable tomb, 
 and that the solemn festival of the saint may be celebrated 
 with more distinction, we hereby, in the case of all true peni- 
 tents and confessing sinners, who shall come each year with 
 reverence on the day of that festival to that place, to ask for 
 the aid of his influence, trusting in the mercy of Almighty 
 God, and the authority of the blessed Peter and Paul his 
 apostles, grant a remission of one year and forty days of the 
 penances enjoined them, and to those who come each year to 
 the aforesaid sepulchre within one week of that festival, we 
 grant a remission of forty days. Given at Lyons, on the 
 eleventh of January, in the fourth year of our pontificate." 
 
 When then this edict was published throughout the length 
 and breadth of all Christendom, it very naturally renewed an 
 incalculable joy in the hearts of all the faithful, but especially 
 of the English, because it was England which had produced 
 that saint, and presented him to God. And on the same day 
 on which the aforesaid Saint Edmund was canonized. Master 
 Richard de Crokesle, archdeacon of Westminster, was at 
 Westminster elected abbot of that church, with the unani- 
 mous consent of the whole chapter ; both because he was 
 found to be a man competent and well suited to the office, 
 and also because he was a friend of and acceptable to the 
 king, on whose power the church's work now half destroyed, 
 or one might rather say, the whole state of the church de- 
 pended. He was elected, I repeat, on the day of the canon- 
 ization of Saint Edmund, but without the approbation of 
 God, as I think it pious to beheve, since by that election both 
 the lover and the loved object received a manifold increase of 
 honour on the same day. On which account, at the same 
 time, by command of the lord the king, the dignity of that 
 abbacy was increased, the abbot being authorized for the future 
 to celebrate mass in all respects after the fashion of a 
 pontiff". For while the aforesaid abbot. Master Richard, was 
 fiUing the office of archdeacon, he was a devoted and unwea- 
 ried lover of the blessed Edmund. Which the abbot elect re- 
 membering, and being no ungrateful requiter of favours, he 
 
 VOL. II. T 
 
 
 ? ! « I 
 
%\ 
 
 274 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1246. 
 
 thought it very becoming to dedicate a chapel, near the north 
 door of his church, to the honour of Saint Edmund. More- 
 over, soon after his own creation, he very properly appointed, 
 in the room of his former prior, Master Maurice, the pre- 
 centor, a man of good character, to the honourable office of 
 prior, the former prior having been a holy and most religious 
 man, who, on account of the eminence of his holy hfe, de- 
 servedly received honourable burial in the chapel of the 
 guests, which the lord the king had built. But when the lord 
 the king had received certain information of the truth of the 
 glorious canonization before mentioned, and when he had both 
 seen the authentic edict sealed with the bull, and had it read 
 to him by Master John, a monk of Pontigny, but an English- 
 man by birth, feeling great joy, he ordered that all the clergy 
 of his chapel, having lighted many tapers, and having put on 
 their garments of festival, should solemnly celebrate the mass 
 of which the first words are, " Let us rejoice,'* &c. 
 
 About the same time, the canons of Salisbury, with the ob- 
 ject of guarding against danger to their church, and of 
 pleasing the lord the king, elected as bishop and shepherd 
 of their souls the lord WiUiam of York, provost of Beverlac, 
 one of the secular clergy, a friend of the king, and a man of 
 great experience in the laws of the land ; who was confirmed 
 on his appointment without any delay or any opposition or hin- 
 drance on the part of any one. Also, at the same time, the lord 
 Sylvester, who some time before had not consented, thinking 
 perhaps that he was unworthy of and unequal to the office to 
 which he was elected, namely, the bishopric of Carlisle, did 
 consent with all humility and fear of God, being so much the 
 more worthy, because he accounted himself unw^orthy. He, 
 too, was a faithful clerk of the lord the king, and dear to and 
 intimate with him, having the first post in his chancery, and 
 performing the duties of his office with fidelity. 
 
 When the course of this year was proceeding onwards to 
 its end, besides those others, the memory of whose deaths is 
 touched upon in this volume, some illustrious nobles of Eng- 
 land died, namely, Richard de Argenton, a most gallant 
 knight, who had been long serving God as his faithful sol- 
 dier in the Holy Land ; and in the north country, Henry de 
 Balliol, a knight, and in Holland, Lambert de Muletin, a 
 knight ; also Ranulph Brito, a canon of the church of Saint 
 Paul, in London, at one time a great friend of the lord the king, 
 
 A. D. 12 17. THE NOBLES ANDAECHDEACONS MEET IN LONDON. 275 
 
 and his especial counsellor, being preferred to many of the 
 nobles. Though afterwards he appeared to have lost the 
 king's favour to such a degree, that he was thrown into prison, 
 and gave rise to some ridiculous stories which were bruited 
 about among the common people. 
 
 So this year passed, one full of suspicion and alarm to the 
 Holy Land ; mischievous to the universal church, adverse to 
 the empire, fraught with disgrace and hatred to the Roman 
 court, pregnant with hostile exactions and rapacious turbu- 
 lence to the kings of France and England. 
 
 0/ the complaints addressed to the pope about Ms frequent exac- 
 tions. However y eleven thousand marks are given him. 
 
 •A.D. 1247, which is the thirty-first year of the reign of 
 king Henry the First, the said king held his Christmas court 
 at Winchester, in the presence of many picked nobles of the 
 kingdom. And when he arrived at that city, the bishop of 
 Winchester met him joyfully, entreating him earnestly to dine 
 with him, his bishop, on the day after the Nativity of our 
 Lord, that by this it might be proved to all men that he had 
 entirely forgotten all his former offences, and that he had 
 admitted the bishop, in the presence of all his guests, to his 
 former friendship. 
 
 About the same time, being compelled to do so by the re- 
 vival of the papal command referring to the bringing of the 
 contribution which had been previously levied, and to which 
 the bishops had unfortunately bound the clergy in the general 
 council of Lyons, the lord the king caused his nobles and 
 the archdeacons of the whole of England to be summoned to 
 London by royal letters. And when the archdeacons had ar- 
 rived thither on the appointed day, the bishops all absented 
 themselves gratuitously, lest they should seem to stand aloof 
 from and to oppose their own actions ; for they knew that 
 the hearts of all men were naturally wounded to the degree of 
 feeling bitterness of soul. But when the stream of those days 
 had passed by, then the devotion of the faithful became 
 lukewarm, and the affection of filial love, which every 
 Christian is bound to entertain towards his spiritual father the 
 lord pope, was impaired and lost, not without great peril to 
 men's souls, and was, in fact, turned into detestable hatred and 
 secret maledictions. Also many nobles of the kingdom of 
 France conspired against the pope and the universal church, 
 
 T 2 
 
 I -til 
 1*1 
 
 '* 
 
276 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMrJTSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 1217. 
 
 AD. 1217. THE LETTEE SElJfT TO THE POPE. 
 
 277 
 
 binding themselves as confederates by an oath and solemn 
 pledge ; and they were the duke of Burgundy, the count of 
 Brittany, the count of Saint Paul, and many other nobles with 
 them, so that it clearly appeared that a schism was arising in 
 the church. And the form and conditions of this conspiracy, 
 which were drawn up in the French language, came to the 
 knowledge of many people even beyond the kingdom of 
 France, being deliherately published and sent about by the 
 conspirators themselves. And there were two writings drawn 
 up, one in the French language, and one in Latin, of which 
 one was terrible, and the other more terrible. One of which 
 we have thought it well to insert here in this book, because it 
 is, as it is feared, the beginning of griefs. 
 
 " Because the superstition of the clergy, not being awafe 
 that it was by means of war and the blood of certain persons 
 which was shed under Charlemagne and others, that the king- 
 dom of France was converted from the error of the Gentiles 
 to the Catholic faith, did at first by a certain humility (op- 
 posing us after the manner of foxes) seduce us from the 
 remains of those castles which were founded by ourselves ; 
 they now so absorb the jurisdiction of the secular persons, 
 that the sons of slaves judge freemen, and the sons of free- 
 men, according to their laws ; although, according to the 
 laws of our predecessors, and the laws of all defeated parties, 
 they ought rather to be judged by us ; and although it is 
 not proper that the customs of their ancestors should be 
 brought into disrepute by new constitutions, since they 
 thus place us in a worse condition than God even chose 
 the Gentiles to be in, when he said, " Render unto Caesar 
 the things that are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are 
 God's." We all, being the chiefs of the kingdom, and under- 
 standing that the kingdom was acquired not by written law, 
 nor by the arrogance of the clergy, but by warlike exactions, 
 do by this present decree, given by us all, under the sanction 
 of our oaths, order and establish that no member of the clergy 
 or laity shall hereafter proceed against any other person before 
 the ardinary as judge, except for heresy, marriage, or usury, 
 on pain of confiscation of all the property, and the mutila- 
 tion of one of the members to him who transgresses this 
 order ; and we have deputed certain persons to see to the exe- 
 cution of this decree. That so our jurisdiction having been 
 revived may recover, and that they who have hitherto been 
 
 enriched by our pauperization, to whom God has chosen to 
 display profane contentions on account of their pride, may be 
 reduced to the condition of the primitive church, and hying 
 in contemplation may shew miracles such as have long since 
 deserted the world, to us who are living an active life, as be- 
 comes us.*' , 
 
 But the tenor of this letter perplexed many persons, who 
 believed that there was a mutual understanding between Fred- 
 eric and the French, especially considering the last epistle of 
 Frederic, the final sentence of which is this : " It was always 
 the intention of our will to bring the clergy of every order to 
 this point ; and especially the principal ones, m order that 
 such men might persevere in the faith which existed m the 
 primitive church, leading an Apostolic life, and imitating the 
 humility of the Lord. And such clergy were accustomed to 
 look upon the angels, to be eminent for miracles, to heal the 
 sick, to .raise the dead, and to subdue kings and princes by 
 sanctity,* and not by arms," &c. , , , j c ^i. 
 
 This year also, the clergy, or rather the whole body ot the 
 Anglican church, brought forward a complaint before the 
 pope and cardinal respecting the oppressions and intolerable 
 grievances with which the church and the kingdom was con- 
 tinually being harassed ; and because after the letter had been 
 sent to the lord the pope on this subject, on the part of the 
 whole body of the AngUcan church, proceeding from the 
 hearts of all the prelates, which were greatly distressed, and 
 provoked to bitterness of spirit, lest a mournful schism should 
 ensue, as is not a httle dreaded, we have considered it well to 
 annex it to this chapter. 
 
 The Letter 8mt to the pope. 
 " To the lord Innocent, the most holy father in Christ, by 
 the providence of God, supreme pontiff, the whole body of 
 the clergy and people assembled in the province of -Canter- 
 bury, sendeth devout kisses of his holy feet. Since the 
 An^'lican church, from the time when the Catholic faith was 
 firs^t recommended to it, has always studied to please and has 
 adhered to, and devoutly obeyed God and the Holy Roman 
 Church, our mother," &c. j 1 1 j 
 
 And because, among other grievances, an unendurable and 
 insupportable one was, that the lord the pope chose to de- 
 mand from every resident beneficed clerk a third part of his 
 
 I 
 
 1 
 
 i. 
 II 
 
278 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 1247 
 
 emoluments, and from every one not resident one half, adding, 
 that he also thought fit to appropriate the possessions of 
 those who died intestate ; therefore, on the part of the whole 
 population, notice was given to the cardinals also, by the same 
 messengers who bore the afore-mentioned letters to the lord 
 the pope, in this form : — 
 
 The Letter sent to the cardinah for the same reason. 
 "To the most reverend fathers and lords in Christ, the 
 cardinals of the Holy Roman Church, their devout, &c., &c., 
 wish health, due reverence, and honour. With humble sup- 
 plications we have betaken ourselves to your whole body, 
 as to the foundations which support the church of God, and 
 we earnestly entreat you, that, condescending to investigate 
 the grievances to which we are subjected, you will be willing 
 to aid us, so that upon the repeated injuries which have be- 
 fallen the Anglican Church in past days, it may be able to ob- 
 tain a respite, and that, in consequence of your conduct to us, 
 we may be bound to rise up before you, giving you all due 
 thanks ; for, from the time of the last Lateran Council, first 
 of all a twentieth was exacted for three years, as an aid to the 
 Holy Land ; afterwards, a tenth was required for the support 
 of the lord the pope ; afterwards, on other requirements," &c. 
 Concerning the contribution of ekven thousand marks sent hy tlie 
 English to the pope as an aid to him. 
 But when all this had been heard, the court of Rome got 
 furious, and grieved at its avarice being accused and bridled. 
 And the pope and the cardinals, fearing lest dangerous con- 
 fusion should overwhelm them, which appeared to be impend- 
 ing from such a threatening, did not entirely cease to oppress 
 the kingdom and church of England, (for their want of pa- 
 ternal affection did not permit them to do this), but still they 
 restrained the rigour which has been described with so much 
 moderation, that they reduced the subsidy which they had 
 previously demanded to a sum of eleven thousand marks. On 
 which demand, the bishops of England assembled, and taking 
 counsel, and deliberating, with respect to the repression of 
 the persecution of the Roman church, they, although it seemed 
 a burdensome thing to them, nevertheless consented to con- 
 tribute the before-mentioned sum of money to the lord the 
 pope. But in that very council they excluded all the abbots 
 of England, whom they picked out, to be especially exposed 
 
 A D. 1247. THE POPE EXTORTS TRIBUTE. 2/9 
 
 to the voracity of the Roman court, an act which was desti- 
 tute of all brotherly affection and courtesy. 
 Concerning the manifold promotion of the Lord John Maunsel 
 
 And while the times of these t^^"^^n"''%T'chur?hTf 
 ^oVr the lord John Maunsel, chancellor of the church oi 
 
 Cnd the aforesaid John faithful and friendly to "m m sup- 
 
 .rHnrhim through his anxieties, the lord the k.ng did not 
 
 •^ him t^ sSoss or to be offended, or in any xvay what- 
 
 Ivfr Jo be deprWed of the honour which had been conferred 
 
 "\btt the same time, the lord the pope sent some of his 
 »ec,.kr clergyTnto England and Ireland, with g^at power, to 
 secular clergy ni 8 ^ complaints were multiplied on 
 
 collect -"""fy-^/^'^f;;'" bridle of moderation on his cove- 
 ",""" C'l f.i .°S> "» to 4"-t Thmte, U.. 
 
 Kit; a;J;,s> »T3r«S 
 
 >!i» 
 
 4 
 
280 
 
 Matthew of westminstek. 
 
 A.D. 1217. 
 
 be got from thence. Also, at his first arrival, he traversed all 
 ocotland with great energy. 
 
 The same year, on the thirteenth of January, an eartliquake 
 took place m several parts of England, contrary to the usual 
 habits and nature of that country, and was very destructive 
 and tormidable, throwing down many houses, being, as was 
 supposed an omen of some great event, and quite unusual and 
 unnatural in the countries of the west. Since the solidity of 
 ^ngland is destitute of any subterraneous caverns and deep 
 hollows, in which, according to philosophers, earthquakes 
 are usually produced ; and this was followed immediately bv 
 a long continuance of bad weather, an unusual heaviness of 
 the atmosphere, wintry, stormy, cokl, and rainy, which lasted 
 to the festival of Saint Benedict, so that both farmers and 
 gardeners complained that spring and the most beautifid por- 
 tion of the summer had departed, and been changed into 
 wmter ; and they were terribly afraid that they should be dis- 
 appointed in their hope of seeds, and plants, and crops, and 
 harvest Moreover, on account of this aforesaid earthquake. 
 It was beheved that the whole state of the world would be 
 shaken by some great revolution, and would bring forth some 
 confusion m England. 
 
 On the day after the Purification of the blessed Virgin 
 Mary, Fulk of ^ewcastle died in London, a gallant kni-ht • 
 and on account of the respect due to his royal parentage^nd 
 his noble cWcter, the lord the king caused his body to be 
 buned wi h aU due solemnity and magnificence in his pre- 
 sence in the church of Westminster. 
 
 Concerning the death of tU new landgrave, who had heen elected 
 
 king of Germany. 
 About the same time, that the earthquake above mentioned 
 might not be entirely devoid of the threatening meaning, the 
 landgrave, whom the lord the king desired to advance to the 
 empire, and for whose promotion he had uselessly lavished 
 the immense treasure which he had collected from all quar- 
 ters having been shamefully defeated, went the way of all 
 flesh, with infamy and hatred, to the great confusion and 
 shame of the Roman court. And in this way, leaving foul 
 traces behind him, he saved the kingdom of' Germany and 
 the empure. 
 
 A.D. 1247. HOMAGE PAID TO THE SON OF FREDERIC. 
 
 281 
 
 Ambassadors are sent from different parts of the world, to the 
 
 injury of Frederic. 
 
 When the lord the pope heard this, being pricked in his 
 heart with grief, he sent formal cardinal legates to the dif- 
 ferent countries of the world, in the plenitude of the power 
 committed to him, fully authorised to injure, as far as ever 
 they were able, Frederic himself, and his son, Conrad, who 
 had unweariedly pursued the landgrave to a shameful death, 
 and who were enjoined not to cease from collecting money 
 from all ecclesiastical persons, and especially from such as 
 belonged to any religious order, for their overthrow. Accor- 
 dingly, the lord the pope sent one of them, by name Oc- 
 taviauus, into Germany, another into Italy, another into Spain, 
 and another, the bishop of Sabionetta, (of whom we shall 
 speak more fully hereafter) into Norway. And besides these, 
 he sent many brethren of the order of Preachers, and of the 
 order of Minor Brethren, armed with great powers, to excite 
 the whole world against the aforesaid rebels and enemies to 
 the Roman church. 
 
 Frederic causes all the Calabrians, Apulians, and Sicilians to do 
 
 homage to his son Henry. 
 
 But while this time was passing, and these events taking 
 place, Frederic, of suspected memory, whom we are forbidden 
 to call or style emperor, caused all the Calabrians, Apulians, 
 and Sicilians to do homage to his beloved son, Henry, whom, 
 having been born to him by his beloved empress, Isabella, the 
 sister of the lord the king of England, he had taken to be the 
 strength and support of his empire. Moreover, Frederic, 
 hearing that legates were being sent by the lord the pope 
 into different countries, to the injury of his character and 
 dignity, he wrote to Ensius, king of Sardinia, his own natural 
 son, to prepare effectual toils and snares for the Januensians, 
 who were the kinsmen and friends of the pope, and for his 
 legate, who was sent into that country ; which injunction Ensius 
 carefully complied with, that he might not seem disobedient to 
 his father. And in like manner he signified to Conrad, king 
 of Germany, that he wished that he would, with all his power 
 and prudence, resist the legate who was sent into the dis- 
 trict of Germany, and the archbishop of Cologne, and all who 
 gave them any aid or advice, or showed them any favour, and 
 empty their coffers of aU the treasure which they had derived 
 
¥. 
 
 282 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1247. 
 
 from ecclesiastical persons. And in like manner he addressed 
 consolatory and admonitory language to all his friends, many 
 of whom laboured with all their efforts to give a speedy effect 
 to his injunctions. When this had become known to the 
 pope and the cardinals, the Roman court was agitated in no 
 small degree. And the pope, in his rage, heaping up anger on 
 anger, and hatred on hatred, excommunicated Frederic him- 
 self, on the day of preparation, in such solemn and horrible 
 terms, that he struck all who heard or saw it, not only with 
 fear, but even with vehement horror. 
 
 Concerning the arrival of brother John, an JEJnglishman, and 
 minister of Provence, in England. 
 
 About the same time, a certain brother of the order of 
 Minors, by name John, came into England, of which country 
 he was a native, having been sent by the lord the pope, armed 
 with great powers, to collect money with all diligence, for the use 
 of the lord the pope, from all ecclesiastical persons, and espe- 
 cially from the abbots, who had hitherto been exempt. And 
 because the lord the king is well known to have a privilege, by 
 virtue of which no legate can come into England, except upon 
 his invitation, legates were now sent thither in this form, artfully 
 disguised. And he received (because it was right that he 
 should, in respect of his honesty) suflSciently ample contribu- 
 tions ; of which the lord dean of Saint Paul's is an evidence, 
 who liberally gave him twenty shillings as his contribution. 
 And because he was discharging the duties of a legate, he 
 travelled on horseback. And those whom he favoured he 
 spared ; and when he had exempted them according to his 
 will, he affixed a condition to their contribution. But the 
 bishops harassed those who were exempt, in many ways, and 
 extorted money from them by all kinds of arguments, because 
 they were privileged, and because their privileges were always 
 unpopular with them, and, as it were, a thorn in their eyes ; 
 although such letters were manifestly inconsistent. 
 
 The letters sent to the lord the pope by the whole body of the 
 
 clergy. 
 
 " To the most holy, &c. Brother John, a minister of the 
 order of Minor Brothers in Provence, a rehgious and discreet 
 man, the nuncio of your holiness, having been sent to the 
 ▼enerable fathers in Christ, the archbishops of Canterbury 
 
 K.y). 1247. A MUEMUE ahises amo>"g the cleegt. 283 
 
 and York, and their suffragans, has brought us some apos- 
 toUc letters of credence ; delivering to us at the same tmie, 
 by the same authority, a verbal injunction that we should 
 each of us, both on our own account, and on that of the eccle- 
 siastical persons subject to us, issue obligatory letters con- 
 cerning a certain sum of money required for the assistance 
 of the ApostoUc See. But we, having deliberated careful y 
 on this subject, and considering Ukewise that if we were to do 
 any such thing without consulting those under our authority, 
 they would make a great disturbance, looking upon us per- 
 haps as their betrayers, and thus be rather provoked to re- 
 bellion and scandal than to the promotion of the aforesaid 
 business, have not found ourselves able to aid its progress 
 without their counsel and good will. On which account, as we 
 are very anxious with all reverence to obey the apostolical nian- 
 dates as far as we are able, as it becomes us to do, and to 
 consult the peace and tranquilhty of the clergy and kingdom, 
 having deUberated together on this matter, how the amount 
 of eleven thousand marks for the subsidy before mentioned 
 (the three ranks of clergy being exempted and excepted) may 
 be generally contributed, both by the aforesaid archbishops 
 and their suffragaus, and the people committed to their charge ; 
 we will, as far as we are able, induce our people committed 
 to us to agree to it. But if perchance (which God forbid) 
 we are not able to persuade them to this, then each of us will 
 for himself contribute his share of the money, as far as the 
 extremity of our ability shaU reach. In truth, with the ex- 
 ception of the three orders of clergy exempt, our clergy will 
 be in no small degree distressed by a contribution of such an 
 amount. We fear that if any one in future be except from 
 the contribution before mentioned, the clergy will not be able 
 at all to be persuaded to agree to it. Farewell." 
 
 A murmur arises among the clergy, and complaints tnth£ kingdom. 
 From these grievances and others of a similar kind, a mur- 
 mur arose among the clergy and the people in general, so that 
 whatever they brought they contributed unwillingly, and (that 
 I may not suppress the truth) with causes and maledictions ; 
 enumerating afresh to the lord the pope their grievances, with 
 complaints from the bottom of their hearts, and representing 
 the intolerable oppressions to which they were subjected. 
 
284 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1247. 
 
 A.D. 1247. 
 
 THE ArTnE:NTIC OF THE POPE. 
 
 285 
 
 Tlie known grievances of the English church. 
 The English church is intolerably oppressed in an infinite 
 number of ways. In the matter of the tithe of all its goods ; 
 in that of the aid exacted in haste ; in that of the money ex- 
 torted for the soldiers ; in that of the subsidy extorted under 
 various pretences by the agency of Otho the legate ; in that of 
 the contribution of six thousand marks ; in that of the sub- 
 sidy of the Roman empire ; in that of the subsidy lately granted 
 gratuitously ; in that of the subsidies demanded on the part 
 of the lord the king and the archbishop of Canterbury : all 
 these matters having been carried forward in an intolerable 
 manner and in a bitter spirit, devoid of all affection or idea of 
 devotion. And therefore it has all been expended uselessly, 
 and (to sum up all in one word) lost. 
 
 What kind of answer was given to brother John at Saint Alhan's 
 
 and at Westminster. 
 But when the aforesaid brother John had come to Saint 
 Alban's, he exacted, without admitting any excuse from the 
 abbot, who was already oppressed in various manners, the sum 
 of four hundred marks as a subsidy for the lord the pope. 
 And as he was in every respect inexorable and inflexible being 
 unwilling to remit anything whatever of this exaction, the 
 abbot before mentioned, alone of all those who were exempt, 
 appealed to the presence of the lord the pope, in respect of 
 the intolerable grievance of this exaction, preferring to submit 
 to the pope's judgment, rather than to be crushed at the plea- 
 sure of one of the Minor brethren. And while one of the 
 brethren was preparing for the journey, this same brother 
 John immediately sent word to the lord the pope, that the 
 abbot of Saint Alban's alone, among all who were exempt, had 
 appealed, not caring to obey the papal mandates. On which, 
 that brother whom the abbot sent to the court of Rome, found 
 the lord the pope exceedingly exasperated and inflamed against 
 both the abbot and his messenger. But after the lord the 
 pope, being somewhat appeased, had lent a gentle ear to the 
 relation of that same messenger, he exposed the grievances 
 of the house of Saint Alban's, and besides that, the insupport- 
 able exactions of brother John, in regular order. At which 
 tlie pope, feeling pity for them, abated his displeasure, and 
 took off a great portion of the money previously demanded. 
 But when the aforesaid brother John had come to Westminster 
 with the same object, namely, of exacting money for the use 
 
 of the pope, he was immediately answered to his face, that the 
 lord the king, for the arduous affairs of the kingdom which were 
 at that moment pressing upon him, had sent the lord abbot of 
 Westminster and the lord John Maunsel, as his especial coun- 
 cillors, into the parts of Germany. Owing to which, the prior 
 and the chapter could not possibly give any answer whatever 
 respecting any contribution without the presence of their 
 head ; for it would not be reasonable of them to do so. But 
 when brother John had heard that they had replied thus pru- 
 dently and circumspectly, and at the same time boldly, as if 
 relying on the king's protection, both on account of his fear 
 and respect for God, and also for the lord the king, he was 
 silent for awhile, and withdrew. 
 
 Mark the power of that brother, the disguised legate. 
 About tlie same time, to the greater oppression and misery 
 of the English, the power of the aforesaid brother John was 
 increased, and even aggravated. And he was more and more 
 stimulated by the pope to labour earnestly for the collection 
 of the aforesaid money, and to exact larger sums still, by the 
 following letters. 
 
 The authentic of the pope. 
 " Innocent, &c. Having understood the circumstances which 
 you have intimated by your letters, we, by the authority of 
 these presents, do enjoin you, that, if a portion of the eccle- 
 siastical prelates of the kingdom of England shall reply to 
 you, as touching the subsidy to be contributed to the church, 
 and demanded by you on our authority, that they are exempt, 
 &c., you shall in that case assign them a payment of even a 
 larger sum of money than you have previously demanded of 
 them, imposing upon whomsoever of them you choose a com- 
 pulsion to pay the aforesaid subsidy within a proper time, 
 under the penalty of ecclesiastical censures, without any right 
 of appeal; any privilege or indulgence whatever notwith- 
 standing, though these presents may not make express men- 
 tion of it. Given at Lyons," &c. 
 
 If any one desires to see the previous powers, which were 
 granted to the aforesaid brother, he can recur to the copies, 
 which are pr-eserved at Saint Alban's. 
 
 Concerning the. summoning all the nobles of England to 
 
 Parliament. 
 About tlie same time, the lord the king finding that his 
 
 \^' 
 
 W 
 
286 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1247, 
 
 A 
 
 kingdom was in enormous danger on all sides, ordered the 
 entire nobility of the whole kingdom to be summoned at Ox- 
 ford, in order to take into their careful consideration the state of 
 the kingdom, now manifestly in danger ; and they were to meet 
 at Oxford on the day when the anthem, "As if lately born," 
 is sung. And he was especially strict in summoning the pre- 
 lates to this parHament, because he saw that they were now 
 continually being pauperised by the papal extortions, the fre- 
 quency of which manifestly threatened the ruin of the king- 
 dom. It was hoped therefore, that by their united wisdom 
 something might be enacted which should be wholesome for 
 the church and the whole nation ; which expectation, however, 
 deceived every one, as the following history will show. 
 
 The election of Conrad as Icing of Germany being ammlled, 
 William, count of Holland, is elected. 
 
 In those days, the lord the pope having promised an immense 
 sum of money to the nobles of Germany, to procure the depo- 
 sition of Frederic and his son Conrad, king of Germany, 
 laboured with great diligence to effect his purpose, which was 
 that, when Conrad, the son of Frederic, and king of Germany, 
 had been deposed and rejected, William, count of Holland,' 
 should be elected in his room, and substituted for him. He 
 was a man united in the bonds of indissoluble friendship with 
 the archbishop of Cologne, and a cousin of the bishop of 
 Liege, nephew of the duke of Brabant, and connected with 
 many of the nobles of Germany by blood, or affinity, or friend- 
 ship ; in age he was but a youth, and in the flower of his 
 strength, and for his age he was very distinguished as a knight, 
 very accomplished in his manners, and very sagacious counsel. 
 And when this had become known to Frederic and his son 
 Conrad, having sent a mihtary expedition of no slight force 
 to the city of Aix la Chapelle, where, according to ancient 
 custom, the kings of Germany are crowned, he caused it .to 
 be very strictly guarded, lest the new king elect should by any 
 means effect an entrance into it to be crowned. Therefore, 
 the archbishop of Cologne, and the archbishop of Mayence, 
 and the bishop of Liege, with the troops of the legate who 
 were marked with the cross, and other nobles of Germany, 
 surrounded the city with a blockade, and did not cease attack- 
 ing it with stones and javehns with all their vigilance and all 
 their might, and to cut the besieged off from every kind of sup- 
 ply or provisions. 
 
 A.D. 1247. THE king's BROTHEES LAND IN ENGLAND. 287 
 
 Some foreigners arrive to enrich themMkes, 
 At that time, some indigent and hungry men landed in 
 Ent and thirst ng with open mouths for the property of 
 Ss tin^> truth, nobles of foreign and distant countries, 
 ?o w ' Swin, who has been already mentioned as emperor 
 of Constantinople, with some others who were ^^-f^^^^^^^ 
 S«vinff been expelled by violence from the terntones ot the 
 S who,a^ w yelrs before, having sold all the sacred 
 ^e Ics whl h he could find in Greece, and having borrowed 
 r^oneyk. every direction, claiming the Roman empire as Ins 
 Twn invaded it with a strong force at a vast expense And 
 hlvinnonsumed no small quantity of the treasure which he 
 ad so'^quitously acquired, being conquered and poor a 
 ?^itive s npped of all his goods,-fled from thence a ban- 
 SaidKious man; although the lord the pope had 
 btun to taL his part, and had assisted him most effectually 
 tuh an immense sum of money against Vastagius, the son- 
 Tn-llw of Frederic, who was waging a vigorous war with him. 
 Therrre, the afo;esaid Baldwin began to be in distress and 
 a few years before, when he had come to England on a similar 
 errand^ having experienced the liberality, not to say prodi- 
 X Uie^lord^he king of England, he came to him a 
 Sd Le, as he had made out that he was a ^cinsman of h. 
 
 money ; and so the Hebrews were enriched, the Egyptians 
 having been spoiled in various ways. 
 
 The cardinal bishop of SaUonetta arrives m England. 
 
 About the same time, the bishop of ^-^^^^'^;:^^^^^^ 
 of the Roman church, came, on his road as legate to tne 
 noXrn parts of Europe, namely, to Norway and Sweden, 
 
 to the f oresam cu ^^^^ ^^ ^^^^ ^^^^^^^ ^^^ 
 
 whom those who were present had never seen betore. 
 m nterim hrothen of the lord the king land « f "^"j 
 At that time too. three of the uterine brothers of the lord 
 
 \[ 
 
288 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.B. 1247. 
 
 the king landed in England, at the same port, namely, at 
 Dover; their names were Guy de Licinun, a knight, and'VVil- 
 nam de V alence, who was not yet made a knight, and ^Imar 
 a clerk, and they had come on the mvitation ol' the king ; and 
 besides these, came Alesia, their sister, who was also the 
 itenne sister of the king, a damsel not yet married : in order 
 that leaving Poiton, which the French began to trample on 
 dividing the inhabitants, and calling them traitors, they mi-ht 
 be enriched and fattened on the riches and luxuries of Eng- 
 land. And on their arrival the king met them with joy, aifd 
 rushing into his brothers' embraces and multiplied kisses he 
 
 Cr/Ti . i!."!! ^iT""'' ^"^ "^^^^ '-^^P^^ possessions, and 
 faithfully fulfilled his promises without any delav. to a degree 
 
 beyond what he had engaged to do, as the subsequent history 
 will clearly show to my readers. ^ 
 
 Sofne damsels are married to some jiobles of England. 
 
 ^^}\i^^T rV' i" ^^'' beginning of the month of May. 
 when the lord the kmg was staying at Woodstock for tha 
 especial purpose, from the festival of Saint Vitalis to the day 
 after that of the apostles Saint Philip and Saint James, two 
 maidens from foreign parts, born in the countries of Savoy or 
 1 rovence (in consequence of the prudence and management of 
 
 to Edniund, earl of Lincoln, and Richard de Burgh, two youths 
 of noble birth, whom the lord the king had brought up^n Ins 
 pa ace for several years, and had caused to be instructed in 
 polite manners and accomplishments. At which marria-e 
 because strange and foreign women were married to natives 
 and Englishmen, women of low birth, as it was said, to noble- 
 blemen, ugly women to handsome men, the latter, too, beiuL' 
 disinclined to the marriage, great discontent and indignation 
 was excited among the nobles, who were in no small fear that 
 the king intended day by day to bring the nobihty of England 
 to degeneracy by a spurious admixture of race. 
 
 Joanna, daughter of Warren de MidenJiemsil, is married. 
 
 In those days namely, on the thirteenth of August, Joanna, 
 the daughter of Warren de Mutenheinsil, is married to Wilham 
 de Valence, the uterine brother of the lord the king ; the 
 marriage having been the wish and the result of the lamest 
 and persuasive advice of the lord the king, in consequence of 
 
 A.D. 1247. EPMUND IS TEANSFEEEED TO PONTIGNT. 
 
 289 
 
 the very splendid inheritance which belonged to Joanna in 
 right of her mother. 
 
 William Longsword and many other nobles assume the cross. 
 
 The same year too, Walter, bishop of Worcester, and Simon 
 de Montfort, earl of Leicester, William Longsword, and many 
 other nobles of the kingdom of England, animated by the 
 example of the lord the king of the French, and the nobles of 
 liis kingdom, assumed the cross, about the time of Rogation 
 Sunday, in order that by adoring the footsteps of Christ in 
 the Holy Land, and fighting manfully for the acquisition of 
 his inheritance, they might obtain pardon of their sins. 
 
 The blessed confessor Edmund is transferred to Pontigny. 
 
 \\\ the course of the same year, the blessed Edmund, arch- 
 l)isliop of Canterbury, and confessor, was transferred to Pon- 
 tigny, where he was placed with all due solemnity in the 
 church of the convent of the monks of the Cistercian order, 
 in the presence of the most Christian king of France, Louis, 
 and a great many other nobles. And as it was most certainly 
 known to all men, that he was a man of the most inviolate 
 sanctity ; therefore, the most eminent person of her sex, the 
 lady Blanche, the mother of the lord the king of France, 
 assisted at his obsequies as far as she could, and as far as was 
 becoming. And she, keeping vigil with fasting and prayer, 
 and a great illumination, poured forth a most devout prayer, 
 saying, "0 Lord, and most holy father and confessor, Edmund, 
 you who, at my supplication, blessed me and my sons, when 
 you, living in exile by my assistance, though I was all unworthy 
 of your favour, passed through France ; I entreat you confirm 
 that which you mercifully wrought in us, and establish the 
 kingdom of France in peaceful and triumphant solidity, whose 
 privilege it is, from ancient times, to open the bosom of pity, 
 protection, and asylum, to every one who is exiled or suffering 
 persecution, and above all, to any prelate. And let your 
 holiness, which cannot be ungrateful, recollect that France 
 did this for you, and your predecessor Thomas, when he was 
 a fugitive and in want.'* 
 
 The continuation of the same subject. 
 
 But on the morrow, being the seventh of June, the same 
 day on which the body of the most blessed bishop and con- 
 fessor, Wolstan, the friend of the glorious king and confessor 
 
 VOL. II. ^ 
 
290 
 
 MATTHEW OP WESTMtySTEE. 
 
 A.D. 1217. 
 
 Edward, was transferred to Worcester, (a thing which I coi:- 
 ceive was done in consequence of the promptings of the 
 Deity), the body of the blessed Edmund, archbishop and 
 confessor, was, after the interval of many years, also trans- 
 ferred to Pontigny. It should also be known, ay, and 
 proclaimed to the whole world, that the whole body of the 
 aforesaid Saint Edmund was found entire and uncorrupted, and 
 odoriferous, and, what is even more strange in a dead body, 
 flexible in all its limbs, as is the case with a person asleep : 
 the nose alone having sustained any injury, as that was pressed 
 down by a plate of metal wbich came too low ; but even that 
 was not destroyed. His hair and his garments were unim- 
 paired in both colour and substance. And from that time 
 forth it was provided by the especial interposition of the most 
 kind lord the king of the French, that liberty should he 
 granted to the English more freely than to those of any other 
 nation, to visit his body, and to see it, and pray to it, and 
 worship it. 
 
 About the alteration of the coinage as to shape. 
 
 About the same time, the sterling coinage of the realm, on 
 account of its valuable material, began to be deteriorated by a 
 detestable system of paring round, and to be corrupted by those 
 falsifiers of the coinage whom we call clippers, to such a de- 
 gree, that they scarcely forbore from touching the inner circle 
 of the coin, and utterly cut away the edge with the letters on 
 it. When, therefore, the coinage began to be vitiated to an 
 excessive degree, the council of the lord the king began to 
 deliberate seriously about a remedy, so that the money might 
 be advantageously changed either in its form or in its material. 
 And it seemed to many discreet and prudent persons that it 
 would be more advantageous to alter the material, than the 
 shape ; since it was in consequence of the material, and not 
 of the shape, that the coinage had been subjected to this 
 mutilation. And the coinage of the French, and of many 
 other nations, gives an additional testimony to, and evidence 
 in favour of this principle. 
 
 Of the extortion of money hy the archbishop of Canterbury. 
 
 About the same time, also, Boniface, archbishop of Canter- 
 bury, the bishop of the province of Canterbury, &c. 
 
 A.D. 1247. SILVESTEE COySECllATED BISHOP OF CARLISLE. 291 
 
 WiUiamy count of Holland, is elected king of Germany. 
 In the course of this year, namely, the day after the feast of 
 the Assumption, the nobles of Germany, to whom the right of 
 election for the most part belongs, elected William, count of 
 Holland, as king of Germany ; the lord the pope, together 
 with the archbishop of Cologne, and the legate and others who 
 were jealous of Frederic, having exerted themselves to bring 
 about this arrangement. 
 About the blood of Christy which was conveyed to Westminster. 
 
 About those days, the blood of Christ, which was preserved 
 in the Holy Land as a most precious treasure, was sent and 
 presented to the lord the king of England, by a certain brother 
 of the Hospital, who also sent with the treasure testimonial 
 letters deserving of universal reception, to certify to the genu- 
 ineness of the treasure, written by the lord the patriarch of 
 Jerusalem, and the masters of the body of knights of the 
 Temple and Hospital, who all, with unanimous good-will 
 and prompt devotion, sent, and gave, and presented this trea- 
 sure to the lord the king ; and he consigned it to his own 
 especial house in the church of Saint Peter at Westminster, 
 on the dav of the translation of Saint Edward, giving it to 
 that church out of his own innate magnificence and liberality. 
 He also on the same day obtained from the bishops, who were 
 then present, an indulgence of six years and a Imndred and 
 sixteen days for all those who came to worship the holy relics 
 and the presence of the Lord. 
 
 On the same day, the lord the king invested his uterine 
 brother, William de Valense, and a great many other novices, 
 with the belt of a knight. At the same time, the lord Silvester, 
 the king's chaplain, a man of modesty and discretion, and of ex- 
 ceedin"- experience in the customs and practices of the royal court 
 and clfancery, was, on the day of Saint Agatha, consecrated 
 bishop of CarUsle, On Saint Edmund's day the earl of Lei- 
 cester arrived from foreign lands ; and on theday of the apostles 
 Saint Simon and Saint Jude, earl Richard returned from the 
 same countries, to which he had been sent on the king s 
 business, and divers weighty secrets. Moreover, about the 
 same time. Master Thomas, surnamed the Walensian, arch- 
 deacon of the church of Lincoln, was elected bishop of Saint 
 David's. And on the day of Saints Felix, Simphcius Faustus, 
 and Beatrice, whichis also the dav of Saint Olan, kingand martyr,, 
 
 ¥ 2 
 
292 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1218. 
 
 llaco, prince of Norway, was anointed and consecrated kino-, 
 being a man of prudence and circumspection, and of eleo-ant 
 accomplishments in literature. ^^ 
 
 The same year, there died, on the day of Saint Catharine, 
 William, count of Ferrara, a virtuous man, full of days ; and 
 soon afterwards, his wife, the countess. There also died the 
 same day some other nobles, Richard de Burgh, and William, 
 the son of Hamo. 
 
 And so this year passed, very fruitful to the crops, but a bad 
 year for fruit ; full of devastations as to England, of enmity 
 to the Holy Land, of plunder to the church, of bloodshed to 
 Italy, of suspicion to the empire, of war to Germany, a year 
 in which Wales was trampled on, and the whole world thrown 
 into confusion. 
 
 Ch. XIV.— From a.d. 1248 to a.d. 1250. 
 Increased discontent of the English barons— Siege of Parma 
 —The king of France sets out for the Holy Land— William 
 of Holland is crowned king of Germany — The earl of Lei- 
 cester is sent to Guienne — The war between Frederic and 
 the pope continues— Louisy king of France, is taken prisoner 
 by the Saracens — The number of monkish orders increases 
 in England— A summary of the events of the last fifty 
 years. 
 
 Beatrice, ths queens mother, comes to England. TJie bishop of 
 
 Bath dies. 
 
 A.D. 1248, which is the thirty-second of the reign of the lord 
 Henry the Third, the lord the king was at the feast of the 
 Nativity of the Lord at Winchester, where he celebrated the 
 days of the Nativity with great magnificence, accompanied by 
 many of his nobles. But on the morrow, being the day of 
 the festival of Saint Stephen, he dined with the bishops of 
 the city of Winchester. About the same time, Richard Siward 
 (of whom frequent mention has been made before) was at- 
 tacked with paralysis. About the same time, Beatrice, the 
 queen's mother, came into England to visit the lord the king 
 and her daughters, being accompanied by count Thomas of 
 Savoy, formerly count of Flanders. Also about the same 
 time, that is to say, about the feast of Saint Hilary, Robert, 
 bishop of Bath, died. And nearly about the beginning 
 of the year, namely, on the day week after the Purification, 
 
 A.D. 1218. DISCONTENT OF THE ENGLISH BARONS. 
 
 293 
 
 the whole nobility of England was convoked by the king s 
 edict, in order to take the affairs of the kingdom, now in a 
 sadly disturbed and pauperised state, into diligent considera- 
 tion, at Westminster. Accordingly there came thither, besides 
 a great number of barons and knights, and abbots, and priors, 
 and clergy, two bishops and an equal number of earls. And 
 when the 'lord the king had demanded pecuniary assistance of 
 them, the nobles became very indignant ; especially because, 
 at the last exaction of the kind, to which the nobles of Eng- 
 land hardly consented, the king had granted a charter in which 
 he had promised that he would no longer inflict such an m- 
 iurv and grievance on them. Moreover, the king was re- 
 proved for his indiscreet invitation of foreigners into the king- 
 dom, among whom he with great prodigality lavished and 
 distributed all the riches of his kingdom, to its great impo- 
 verishment. He also had married the nobles of his realm 
 to strangers and people of low birth ; in many instances with- 
 out requiring that mutual consent which is requisite to make 
 a proper marriage. Besides all this, he was blamed for seiz- 
 ing by force everything which he wanted for his expenses 
 in meat, drink, or clothing, without making any agreement, 
 or granting any delay. He was also reproached for merci- 
 lessly impoverishing the bishoprics and abbacies, and even 
 the wardships which were vacant, contrary to that oath which 
 is the first and principal one that he takes at his coronation. 
 And he was also bitterly accused for not having, as his noble 
 father and predecessors had had, a justiciary and a chan- 
 cellor, and treasurer, appointed by the common council of the 
 kingdom, as was proper and expedient ; but only such men 
 as followed his will, whatever it might be, as long as it was 
 profitable to themselves to do so ; men who sought not the 
 advantage of the commonwealth, but each his own gain. 
 
 When the lord the king heard these accusations, he was con- 
 fused, and blushed, and, blushing, he grieved that he had 
 offended God and man in so many particulars ; and he pro- 
 mised, with all humility, that he would most certainly and 
 cheerfully amend his conduct in all these points. But though 
 with lowly countenance and frequent entreaties he thus endea- 
 voured to bend them to his will in the matter, that is, of 
 granting him pecuniary aid, yet the whole body would not 
 consent, having been so frequently deceived ; and all answered 
 him with one consent— we eagerly desire amendment, and are 
 
 i- 
 
 I. 
 
 \i 
 
 A 
 
294 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEB. 
 
 A.D. 1248. 
 
 as yet waiting for it with patience ; and as the lord the kin» 
 behaves and conducts himself towards us, so will we answer 
 him according to his merits. And, therefore, on this ground, 
 everything was postponed till the day fortnight after the feast 
 of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist, before which time 
 the nobles hoped that the king might be softened, and his 
 heart inchned to wholesome counsels. And this would have 
 taken place in a happy manner (as it is said), if his purpose 
 had not been weakened by the objections of his counsellors, 
 who feared that their domination would at once expire. Now, 
 while Fortune was playing thus with human affairs, the people 
 of Parma, who were surrounded with a miserable blockade on 
 all sides, having summoned an assembly, happily humbled 
 themselves before God and the blessed Roger, bishop of Lon- 
 don (whom they had offended enormously, as it was said) ; 
 and so the citizens hearing one day that their unwearied and 
 insolent besieger and oppressor, Frederic, had gone away on 
 some business, leaving the command of his army and the 
 guardianship of the imperial treasure to Thaddaeus, the judge 
 of his palace, and to the other nobles who were present at the 
 siege, having invoked the aid of the powers above, sallied out 
 boldly against the army of Frederic, and making a sudden 
 attack on it, triumphed according to their wish. The order 
 of which circumstances this letter will more fully explain to 
 any one who wishes to understand it. 
 
 The Letter above mentioned. 
 
 " To the vigorous and wise men, the lord Boniface of Salerno, 
 and to the power, and knights, and people of Milan, Philip, 
 the viceroy, and the power, and knights, and people of Parma, 
 wish health, and glory, and honour. We give thanks to God 
 the Father, and to his Son Jesus Christ, and to the Holy 
 Ghost, the triple God and one Majesty, and to the glorious 
 Virgin, who protects, defends, visits, and governs our city, not 
 because our own merits require it, but on account of his own 
 most merciful pity, as we manifestly behold in the triumphant 
 victory which, in consequence of the intervention of his mother, 
 God gave us on Tuesday, the twelfth of last February. For 
 although fifteen hundred of our men had gone between Co- 
 lorno and Bressello, and besides these, had two of their gates 
 entire, and that raging dragon, who had for such a length of 
 time been invading our country, was now expecting to swallow 
 
 A.D. 1248. LETtES TO THE PEOPLE OP MILAN. 295 
 
 us UP entirely, having now marshalled all his knights and all 
 h sTatt^Uons^ of infantry, outside the walls, entrusted to Ins 
 faithful generals, he himself being at no great distance ; we 
 a ng invoked the aid of God and the glorious Yipn, seeing 
 hat God is able to put down the proud, and to exalt the 
 humble, immediately went forth against them, with our people 
 and all our knights, not at all delaying our march, untd we 
 brought our ranks close to theirs in close combat, our standard 
 coing before us, with the effigy of the precious Virgin, in whose 
 path and by whose guidance we were advancing. And al- 
 though the/resisted obstinately at first, nevertheless we, be- 
 coming more vigorous, pressed on more vigorously against 
 them, and overthrew them all, and crushed their whole army. 
 And when the impious Frederic heard of this, and was think- 
 in- of assisting his men, he feared to encounter us ; and de- 
 scending by secret paths, like a bandit, he lost his men and 
 nearly all his booty, of whom we took three thousand pn- 
 
 sone/sand more. We also took ^^^^^ .^^^"^^^/^/^ ^\^^^^^ 
 monese; we also took the fortresses which he had erected, and 
 
 all his camps ; and we now have all that he had. We have 
 also slain Thadd^us, his judge, and his chamberlains, and lords 
 of the bedchamber. Moreover, of our own citizens, who were 
 banished, we slew more than fifteen hundred, whom we found 
 among his knights and people, besides those who were tram- 
 pled under our horses' feet and destroyed in that way, whom 
 we cannot enumerate because of their numbers ; and the rest 
 of his army we put to flight and scattered in every direction. 
 At last, having returned into the city, with praise and ho- 
 nour to God, we arranged the afi-airs of our city, trusting m 
 him who is the true safety of all men; for havmg great y 
 crushed the arms of the wicked, we and ours now hope to 
 enjoy profound peace for ever. 
 
 "And we announce this to you that you may have joy, en- 
 treating your magnificence that you will all come at once to 
 our assistance, without any delay of any kind, and jom our 
 standard ; since, as God has opened us the way, we wish to 
 proceed along it with all speed, in order to recover the town 
 of Saint Dominic, and Bressello, and the rest of our territories ; 
 and also to take the vessel of the Cremonese, our eneinies and 
 yours, that so we may wipe them out of the book of the living. 
 Away with all delays, ye most prudent as ye are the most 
 constant of men ! since, after God and the blessed Virgin Mary, 
 
 1! 
 
 h \ 
 
 H 
 
 if: 
 
296 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1218. 
 
 ti' 
 
 we consider you the authors and partners of our victory. 
 Know ye, therefore, that having burnt up the country of the 
 cursed Frederic, we have recovered all those men belono-ino-to 
 us and to the people of Placentia, whom he detained in chams. 
 Fare ye well. Relate this to both our friends and yours, 
 that our joy, which is full, may be made known to all our 
 fnends." 
 
 Moreover, about this time the coinage of England was so 
 intolerably corrupted (as has been said before) by the detest- 
 able clippers and falsifiers, that neither natives nor foreigners 
 could look upon it any longer with pleasant eyes or ungrieved 
 hearts ; therefore, provision was made that, without alterino- 
 the legal weight, or the superscription of letters, the arms of 
 the cross on one side of the penny should be extended in botii 
 directions as far as the edge, so that the coin might in this 
 manner be marked off in four divisions. 
 
 The same year, Walter, surnamed Mauclerc, formerly bishop 
 of Carlisle, but who, after the days of old age and decrepi- 
 tude came upon him, had assumed the habit of the Preach- 
 ing Brothers, that he might die poor, paid the debt of nature 
 in a virtuous manner. For he weighed in the scale of sound 
 reason that he had been promoted to the pontifical dignity in 
 a secular and irreligious manner, rather through the influence 
 of the lord the king than from any consideration of his cha- 
 racter and learning. This is the man whom fortune often 
 raised up to dash him down more heavily, inasmuch as he in- 
 cautiously mixed himself up with important and difficult 
 counsels of the king's, which he was not able or wilhng to 
 fulfil, and managed, both at Pontigny and in the country of 
 Scotland, some marriages which excited the displeasure of the 
 lord the king. By his advice, too, after he had joined the 
 order of Preaching Brothers, it was brought about that a new 
 and previously unheard-of privilege was extorted for their 
 order from the lord the pope, owing, perhaps, to the interven- 
 tion of money. The same year, the Preaching Brothers pro- 
 cured from the lord the pope a privilege, that it might not be 
 lawful for any brother to quit the order and transfer himself 
 to another, (although it is quite notorious that the order of 
 Saint Benedict is a more strict and excellent order, and entitled, 
 both on account of its antiquity and its author, to higher re- 
 verence and dignity than the rule of Saint Augustine, which 
 the Preaching Brothers acknowledge as their standard) ; and 
 
 A.D. 1248. 
 
 SIMON DE LANGTON DIES. 
 
 297 
 
 also, that it should not be lawful for any abbot or prior to 
 receive any such brother (though they themselves are well 
 known to receive monks who are deserters from other orders), 
 which appears to be inconsistent with reason, for it not to 
 be lawful to descend and migrate from a more rigid to a more 
 lax order ; and also, to this natural precept, as it is laid down 
 by Saint Benedict — " What you do not wish done to yourself, 
 that do not you do to another." 
 
 But when many men of great influence from their charac- 
 ter, their learning, or their high birth, and endowed with 
 ample possessions, fled from the world to their order, but after 
 having done so did not find such a form of religion as they 
 had hoped, but found, instead of a barrier, the latitude of the 
 whole surrounding country, especially when, in the beginning 
 of his rule, the aforesaid Saint Benedict rejects that class of 
 monks which is called the Girinagian, they began to grieve 
 and to repent of having passed over to such an order, and 
 laboured craftily to find pretexts for leaving it ; on which ac- 
 count the others, who were considered the leaders among them, 
 being vexed at being left, procured the aforesaid remedy. 
 But the bishop who has been often spoken of, that the sinister 
 signification of his surname might not draw after it an unfor- 
 tunate result, being fortified by the habit of the Preaching 
 brethren, deservedly terminated his life by an enviable end. 
 The same year also, two brothers of that order died, to whom 
 there were no superiors, and indeed no equal, as it is believed, 
 in all the countries of Christendom, in erudition and know- 
 ledge, especially theological knowledge, to wit, brother and 
 Master Robert, surnamed Bacon, and Richard de Fishakele ; 
 both of whom were for many years readers to the clergy in 
 the same faculty with the highest reputation, and also preach- 
 ers to the people. 
 
 In the course of the same year, there also died Master 
 Simon de Langton, the brother of Stephen, archbishop of 
 Canterbury, of glorious memory, himself archdeacon of the 
 same church ; who scorning to imitate the example of his 
 brother, became, as is not wonderful, a persecutor and dis- 
 turber of his own church. Moreover, he greatly agitated and 
 most miscliievously disturbed the kingdoms of France and 
 England, and the hearts of the citizens and constitutions of 
 those kingdoms, as is more fully set forth in its proper place. 
 The same year. Master John Blund, chancellor of the church 
 
 m 
 
 I I 
 
 li 
 
298 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1218. 
 
 A.D. 1248. THE KING OF FRANCE SUPPLICATES THE POPE. 
 
 299 
 
 H 
 
 of York, died, who was considered not inferior to any theo- 
 logian of any time, and who for his eminence in learning and 
 virtue, was on one occasion elected archbishop of Canterbury ; 
 but his election was annulled, and undeservedly set aside, by 
 the aforesaid Master Simon, a man incapable of tranquillity. 
 So the disturber and the disturbed went together to the com- 
 pany of the dead. 
 
 The same year, on the first of June, there was an almost 
 general eclipse of the moon immediately after sunset. 
 
 The day fortnight after the feast of the Nativity of Saint 
 John the Baptist, the nobility of nearly the whole of England 
 met in London, believing assuredly, from the positive promise 
 of the lord the king, that, having changed his former inten- 
 tions and conduct, he would for the future incline to the 
 advice of his natural subjects ; but they received the following 
 answer from him : *' I do not see that it is your business to 
 impose conditions on me, while you refuse to me the liberty 
 which belongs to each individual among you. For each, and 
 every one of you, have power to adopt any advice you please, 
 and every master of a family has a right to select any one of 
 his household whom he shall choose to appoint to any office, 
 or to set him up or to depose him, to dispense alms, to borrow 
 money, and to govern his household according to his own 
 pleasure or that of any one else he chooses, which right you 
 rashly presume to deny to your lord and king. Moreover, 
 all who are accounted of inferior rank think it better to be 
 directed and governed by the will and authority of their lord 
 and prince. For the servant is not above his lord, nor the 
 disciple above his master, since the pope will neither have any 
 justiciary, or chancellor, or treasurer, substituted as you re- 
 quire, nor will he remove any who may be substituted." 
 
 And when the nobles, in reply, affirmed that they desired 
 nothing more than that the royal and the pubhc promotion, 
 and the indiscreet profusion in the lavishing of alms, and the 
 excessive lighting of tapers, should be checked, they could not 
 procure a hearing. It appeared, therefore, clearer than day- 
 light, that this had emanated from the advice of those men 
 who were so disposed, that if their whole body were listened 
 to one half would be despised. Therefore, the nobles replied 
 that they would not consent at all to be impoverished any 
 more, that foreigners might be fattened on their property dis- 
 tributed without any profit to themselves. And therefore the 
 
 council was dissolved, not without great indignation, and every 
 one returned home disappointed of his hope. 
 
 As, therefore, the king found it necessary to procure some 
 treasure, because he was in a short tmie about to send a mili- 
 tary expedition into Guienne, against Gascon, the son of the 
 countess de Briarde, a most ungrateful traitor, who had laid 
 waste the territories of the lord the king, he addressed earnest 
 entreaties to many religious men separately, begging them to 
 stretch out the hand of liberality to him, as he was destitute 
 of wealth, and promising them a grateful requital at a season- 
 able opportunity. Which request they (although harassed on 
 all sides) laboured zealously to gratify, to such a degree, that, 
 to say nothing of others, he obtained a hundred pounds from 
 one single abbot, namely, the abbot of Romsey. Moreover, 
 he ordered all the vessels, and utensils, and jewels, throughout 
 his dominions to be sold according to weight, without having 
 any regard to the gold with which the silver vessels were in- 
 laid, or to the workmanship, however skilful and laborious 
 it might be, and although it might exceed the material itself 
 
 in value. 
 
 But when the autumnal equinox made the weather pleasant, 
 the lord the king of France, having first received the solemn 
 sacraments at Saint Denis, and the other sacred places in his 
 kingdom, and having renewed his vow, set out on an expe- 
 dition to Jerusalem, and passing through Lyons, where the 
 pope was staying, he saluted him with humility and devotion, 
 and entreated him earnestly that, as the ecclesiastical honour 
 was now in all respects safe, since Frederic was now thoroughly 
 humbled and sued for pardon, he would grant him the form 
 of reconcihation, and follow the footsteps of Christ whose 
 vicar on earth he is well known to be, so as at least to open to 
 the penitent the breast of moderate pity, in consequence of 
 which the road would be safer for the pilgrim. But when he 
 saw the lord the pope preparing the countenance of contra- 
 diction to this request, the lord the king departed in sorrow, 
 saying : " I fear that when I have departed hostile measures 
 will be prepared for my country, on account of your execrable 
 hard-heartedness to my neighbours. Let it not be attributed to 
 you if the business of the Holy Land is hindered (which may 
 God forbid), nevertheless, do not permit France to be attacked, 
 but rather take care that she is guarded as the apple of your 
 eye, as the country in which the condition of Christianity de- 
 
 1 * 
 I f 
 
 ]-i 
 
300 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1248. 
 
 pends.'* And that the king might not be entirely overwhelmed 
 with anxiety at his departure, it was provided that a special 
 and formal messenger should be sent to the lord the king of 
 England, forbidding him in any way whatever to attack 
 with hostility, or to invade any of the provinces pertaining to 
 the kingdom of France ; on which embassy Master Albert, 
 the notary of the lord the pope, and Master Paul, a great 
 friend of the lord the pope, were immediately sent, who 
 reached the presence of the lord the king at Windsor, on the 
 day of the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. But 
 the lord the king of France, having made his accustomed con- 
 fession to the lord the pope, and having obtained remission of 
 all his sins, departing from the court of Rome with the bless- 
 ing, directed his course and his standards towards Marseilles, 
 and when he came near Avignon, the citizens, who stiU pre- 
 served some sparks of their ancient hatred, prepared plots 
 against the lord the king, and designed him as much injury 
 as they could. And the citizens of Marseilles and the people 
 of that district, in a like spirit having seized on a slight op- 
 portunity, wickedly threw many hindrances in his way. But 
 the king, when the tumult had been (though with difficulty) 
 appeased, embarked on board a swift ship, accompanied not 
 by all his followers, but by a select train, and directed his 
 swelling sails towards Cyprus, in order to winter quietly in 
 that fertile and temperate island. 
 
 And while the cold of winter was pressing heavily on the 
 shivering world, the besieged garrison in the city of Aix la 
 Cbapelle were terribly pressed ; for all entrance into, and all 
 egress out of the city, in any direction, was denied to them, 
 and all importation of supplies was utterly cut off, and they 
 had no support but the shadowy consolation of Conrad. 
 Therefore, they were compelled by necessity to surrender to 
 the enemy on any conditions they chose to impose, and to 
 submit to be treated according to their pleasure. So now the 
 joyful conquerors destroy the captured city with fire, and 
 William, count of Holland, is solemnly crowned king of Ger- 
 many on the day of All Saints, by the hand of Conrad, arch- 
 bishop of Cologne. When Conrad, the son of Frederic, was 
 hastening to the relief of the besieged citizens, some of the 
 nobles of Germany, true sons of the church, vigorously re- 
 sisted him, so that he retired defeated and in confusion. 
 
 The same year, in the course of the summer, Seville, a noble 
 
 A.D.12 tO.THE EAEL OF LEICESTER RETURJ^^S FROM GUIENNE. 30 1 
 
 city of Spain was taken by the victorious king of Castile, 
 Alfonso, an event which caused great astonishment to many 
 of the Christians, who said, " What is the meaning of this ? 
 This king alone has gained more for the service and honour 
 of the church than the lord pope and all his adherents who 
 have assumed the cross, from whom he extorts an immense 
 sura of money : and than all the Templars and Hospitallers 
 who gather in enormous revenues and treasures from every 
 country in Christendom." And the multitudes marvelled, 
 saying, " the height of his riches !" &c. 
 
 After the feast of Saint Michael, Walter de Suffield, bishop 
 of Norwich, crossed the sea, by which voyage the said bishop 
 caused great suspicion and anxiety to many persons in Eng- 
 land. 
 
 About the same time, the lord the king sent Simon, earl of 
 Leicester, into Guienne, and with him he sent a very numerous 
 army ; but, as some relief from their expenses, he at the same 
 time exacted of the citizens of London two thousand pounds, 
 which they granted to him, as their lord and king, on con- 
 sideration of his necessity, although they were themselves in 
 great difficulties. 
 
 So this year passed by, temperate and serene as to its 
 weather, filling the barns with abundance of corn, so that a 
 load of corn fell to the price of two shillings. But with 
 respect to the fruits of the orchards, which were in wonderful 
 abundance in the most fertile districts, in the less productive 
 districts there was a perfect plague of worms and grubs, which 
 utterly destroyed all the green parts of the trees. This year, 
 however, was one of hostility to the Holy Land, of enmity to 
 Italy, of mourning to France, of destruction to Germany, of 
 horror to Savoy, of disgrace to the Roman church, of great 
 expense to England, showing by many indications that the 
 end of the world was approaching, and breathing threatenings 
 of divine anger. 
 
 The earl of Leicester returns from Guientie. 
 
 A.D. 1249, which is the thirtieth year of the reign of the 
 lord the king, Henry the Third, the said lord king was at the 
 feast of the Nativity of the Lord, in London, namely, at his 
 own particular palace of Westminster, where he passed the 
 time of Christmas in very sumptuous entertainments according 
 to his custom, attended by a numerous company of nobles ; 
 
 ' I 
 
 R I 
 
302 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1249. 
 
 but he invited a still greater number to meet him joyfully on 
 the festival of Saint Edward, whom he loved and reverenced 
 with much more cordiality than the other saints. And they 
 came cheerfully, both on account of the love and veneration 
 with which they regarded the saint, and also because of the 
 reverence they bore to the blood of Christ, which had been 
 lately received, as has been already mentioned, and of the 
 pardon for sins, which was conferred upon it, and allowed to 
 be obtained by the faithful, and also because of their respect 
 for the authority of the lord the king, who had invited them. 
 And there were present with the king and queen, having been 
 duly invited, the two earls, Richard, the brother of the lord 
 the king, and the mareschal Roger, with four other earls, and 
 an equal number of bishops, there assembled. And while the 
 lord the king was staying at Westminster, that is, at the season 
 of Christmas, the earl of Leicester returned from the province 
 of Guienne, with some other nobles, and several knights and 
 esquires, who having been sent thither, had approved them- 
 selves faithful soldiers of the lord the king. And their arrival 
 caused no small joy to the king and all his court ; for the 
 aforesaid earl had compelled a wicked traitor to the lord the 
 king, by name Gascon, the son of the countess Biarde, who 
 had done great mischief in that district, to submit to a truce 
 against his will ; and the same earl had taken prisoner in the 
 tower of the same princess, and consigned to the strictest 
 custody, a certain other public robber and incendiary and 
 bloody enemy of the lord the king, by name William Brett. 
 
 But while the wheel of fortune was revolving in such gyra- 
 tions as these, unprecedented and terrible rumours were spread 
 through the provinces of England, to the effect that the 
 threats of the Gospels were being verified ; that there would 
 be commotions in all places of the earth. Some town in the 
 county of Savoy, not far from the common road, which runs 
 through the vallies of Maurienne, to the number of nearly 
 twelve, with two houses of religious orders, were overwhelmed 
 and perished with all their inhabitants, who amounted to about 
 ten thousand, in consequence of the mountains turning over 
 and coming together with a fearful crash. 
 
 In those days, Nicholas, the bishop of Durham, being now 
 in deUcate health, following the example of the bishop of 
 Carlisle, voluntarily resigned bis bishopric to Walter, a man 
 of eminent learning, that he himself might have freer leisure 
 
 A.D. 1219. MARRIAGE OF THE DAUGHTER OF FREDERIC. 303 
 
 for prayer and contemplation, and might die in a state of 
 greater poverty. But the archbishop of York, and the bishops 
 of London and Worcester, were assigned to him as trustees, 
 and some manors (to wit, Hoverdon and Scocton) were as- 
 signed to him from the bishopric, that so excellent a man 
 might not be deprived of the rank and dignity of the ponti- 
 ficate. On the feast of the blessed Edward, which is celebrated 
 with reference to the deposition of that same glorious king 
 and confessor, the lord the king, according to his pious custom 
 on such occasions, kept the vigil which precedes that day, 
 which vigil occurs three days before the Epiphany of the Lord, 
 with fasting on bread and water, and diligent watching, and 
 continued prayer, and the distribution of alms. And on the 
 day of the festival, he ordered the solemnity of the mass to 
 be celebrated in the church of Westminster, in a most glorious 
 manner, by priests arrayed in silk vestments of incalculable 
 value, and with a multitude of wax tapers, and^ tuneful 
 singing of the whole chapter, which was wonderfully prepared. 
 He also ordered public proclamation to be made by the voice 
 of the crier, that all other fair-days and market-days should be 
 suspended throughout London, and that a fair should be kept 
 on this day, whi^h should last a fortnight. 
 
 About the same time, Vercelli, a noble city of Italy, with all 
 the country around it, came over and submitted to the autho- 
 rity of Frederic, in consequence of the sedition of the citi- 
 zens, who were pursuing one another with domestic hatred. 
 And when the lord the pope heard of this event, he grieved 
 iuconsolably, as did the whole court of Rome, and accordingly 
 he solemnly and repeatedly pronounced the sentence of ana- 
 thema against all those who had stirred up sedition or perpe- 
 trated treason in that city, in consequence of whose conduct, 
 the city was cut off from its fidelity to the church, with the 
 intent to deter others from doing the like. And while these 
 events were taking place, Frederic, in order to strengthen his 
 party, which was beset on all sides by the enemy, wisely had 
 recourse to marriage, and laboured to strengthen himself and 
 his son Conrad, who had espoused the daughter of the duke 
 of Bavaria, by matrimonial alliances, and to unite himself by 
 such means to many of the nobles in indissoluble friendship. 
 In pursuance of this truce, he now gave his daughter in mar- 
 riage to Thomas of Savoy, formerly count of Flanders, and he 
 entrusted him with the defence of Vercelli, and the adjacent 
 
 If 
 
 ^ - 
 
 H I 
 
304 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1249. 
 
 A.D. 
 
 12 19. TriE AKCIIBISnOP OF CANTEliBUKT ENTHRONED. 'SO'i 
 
 district, and he conferred on him many estates and ample re- 
 venues, hoping by these means to render his whole family 
 grateful to him, and to lay them under lasting obligations to 
 him against the time when they should be able to requite hira. 
 When the time of Lent drew near, the lord the king visited 
 the district about Winchester, which had a very infamous re- 
 putation, through the number of robbers and nocturnal plun- 
 derers which infested it ; through which country the justicia- 
 ries had made a journey a little while before, men who ought 
 to have cleansed those parts from such a pestilence, but the 
 aforesaid thieves were so banded together, that the justiciaries, 
 although energetic men, were not in the least able to curb 
 their wickedness, nor did their violent and unconcealed de- 
 predations cease, and outcries and complaints resounded, as- 
 cending up to heaven ; and even, that their iniquities might 
 be multiplied to an intolerable extent, the very wines of the lord 
 the king fere not safe from the plundering hands of these vio- 
 lent robbers. So the lord the king was excited to bitterness of 
 spirit not unnaturally, nor could he any longer repress his 
 desire for revenge. Having, therefore, made a subtle scru- 
 tiny and a searching inquisition (because this step was neces- 
 sary, in order that the craft of these universal traitors might 
 be encountered by craft), the lord the king suddenly ordered 
 twelve men to be summoned before him in the hall of Christ- 
 church at Winchester, by whom he expected to be more accu- 
 rately informed of the truth, and he threatened them terribly, 
 under penalty of being hanged, to reveal to him the names of 
 those malefactors whom they knew. Accordingly, they retired, 
 and held a long consultation among themselves, and then deter- 
 mined in no degree to discover this band of robbers. There- 
 fore, the lord the king being very angry, having shut the 
 gates of the castle, ordered them to be arrested immediately 
 and thrown into prison, and to be bound with chains and fet- 
 ters, as criminals deserving of being hanged. And immediately 
 afterwards, he summoned twelve more, and caused diligent en- 
 quiry to be made of them, and addressed exhortations, with 
 the admixture of terrible threats to them, desiring them not 
 to follow the footsteps of the former twelve, but plauily to 
 reveal the names of those malefactors to the lord the king, 
 whose determined resolution it was to deliver the country 
 from them ; and they, retiring apart, and taking long delibe- 
 ration on the subject, began to be greatly alarmed, lest they. 
 
 too, should be involved in the same calamity as the first 
 twelve. Therefore, they gave information, expressly naming 
 all the malefactors of that district who had polluted that part 
 of the country with robbery, and they formally accused them 
 by name. And so a great number of criminals was appre- 
 hended, both in the city and the neighbouring country, and 
 especially out of the county of Southampton, to the number 
 of twenty at least; some of whom were powerful and wealthy 
 men, and tlie very persons to whom the lord the king had 
 confidently entrusted the charge of protecting that district 
 from thieves. And some were men of such high rank, that 
 they were considered equal to knights, and that their estates 
 were valued at forty, or fifty, or twenty-four pounds a year. 
 Some of the villains, too, were of the king's household, and 
 they were accused, and convicted, and sentenced to sufier 
 death by hanging. And the business was so completely set- 
 tled in this part of the country, that some accusing one man, 
 and some another, more than twenty were executed by hang- 
 ing, besides those in prison, who were in a state of uucer- 
 tiuuty and danger ; and so, by the favour of God, the Lord of 
 revenge, the county of Winchester, through which, by reason 
 of the fairs, and also of the harbour which was near the city, 
 Mild of the high reputation of the city itself, both foreign and 
 native merchants were continually passing, was, by the ven- 
 i^eance of God, and the prudence of the lord the king, de- 
 livered from the snares of robbers in which it previously 
 abounded. 
 
 So here you see the goal, of this account the whole ; 
 And what beyond you seek another age will speak. 
 
 About the same time, on the day of All Saints, Boniface, 
 archbishop of Canterbury, was enthroned with great honours, 
 the king and queen having been invited to the solemnity, and 
 nearly all the prelates of England. About the same time, the 
 abbots of the order of Black Friars met at Bermondsey, on 
 the day of Saint Calixtus ; and in their united council, it was 
 ordained, among other things, as the lord the king had ear- 
 nestly requested of every one, that it should be that the fa- 
 mous collect, " God in whose hand," which is sung in their 
 churches, out of veneration for the blessed Virgin, should be 
 said every day in the mass for him and for the queen. About 
 the same time, the Preaching Brothers brought a stone of 
 
 VOL. II. 3L 
 
 \i 
 
 1 ■>> 
 
 

 f'^ I 
 
 o06 
 
 MATTEEW OF WESTMlNSTEll. 
 
 A.D. 1219. 
 
 white marble, which ever since the time of Christ had borne 
 the print of a footstep of the Saviour in tlie Holy Land ; and 
 the inhabitants of the Holy Land assert, that that impression 
 was the print of the footstep of Christ when he was ascendm- 
 into heaven. And the aforesaid lord the king gave it as a 
 noble present to the church of Westminster, as he liad a little 
 while before given it the blood of Christ. Ihit on the first 
 Sunday of the Advent of the Lord, Walter of Kiikham, bishop 
 elect of Durham, was consecrated at York, by Walter, arch- 
 bishop of York, of which archbishop the bishop of Durham 
 is a suffragan. Tlie same year, the abbot of Boileau caused 
 his church, which king John had built from its foundations, 
 to be dedicated with great aolemuity, in the presence of king 
 Henrv, and Richard, liis brother, and many other nobles and 
 prelates. Moreover, the aforesaid abbot sent twenty picked 
 monks and tliirtv brethren to inhabit the new house of the 
 Cistercian order which eari Richard had lately built not far 
 from Winchelcombe, in fulfilment of a vow which he had 
 
 made when at sea. ^■^P1^ ^^ 
 
 In the course of the same year, on the third ot July, Alex- 
 ander, king of Scotland, died, a wise and moderate man ; lor 
 when he was seeking for an occasion of showing his severity, 
 he voluntarily sharpened his wrath against one of the greatest 
 nobles of his kingdom, by name Owen de Argathel, a valiant 
 and most accomplished knight. And, preparing to strip him 
 of his property, he branded him with the stigma ot treason, 
 because, in the year which had just elapsed, he had done ho- 
 mage to the king of Norway, for his occupation of a certain 
 island which the father of the aforesaid Owen had held iii 
 peace under the same king, doing him homage for it for many 
 years. Owen, therefore, being unwilhng to otfend the king ot 
 Scotland, entreated him to grant him a truce, that he might 
 resign the homage and the island at the same tune to the 
 king of Norway ; but the king refused to do so, and de led 
 Owen himself,' and pursued him by sea as tar as Argathel, 
 being stimulated, as it is said, by the importunate promptings 
 of a certain bishop of Stratherne, a brother of the order ot 
 Preachers ; and accordingly, the king disembarking trom his 
 ship, before he was able to mount a horse, was, as it by diune 
 vengeance, struck by a sudden and mortal disease, and wlule 
 wishing to strip an innocent man of his inheritance, unexpec 
 tedlv gave up his soul while among his nobles, and uU his 
 
 A.D. 1250. EAUL EICKAED CEOSSES THE SEA. 
 
 307 
 
 n 
 
 ambitious hopes at the same time. The same year, Hugo, 
 surnamed Le Brun, count de la Marche, when the king of 
 France had landed at Damietta, was removed from the scenes 
 of this life, and was deservedly the less lamented ; because, 
 according to his own confession, he had prepared the snares 
 of treason in Poitou, for his stepson the king of England. 
 The same year, about Pentecost, one of the barons of the 
 north country died, by name Roger, the sou of John, leaving 
 a boy as his heir ; the guardianship of whom the king con- 
 ferred on William de Valence. And so this year passed with- 
 out being so fertile as the last, though still it was abundant ; 
 but about the end of the summer, the harvest, though it had 
 presented a good appearance, and excited great hopes amon 
 men, was injured, it was a year full of disgrace to the Ro 
 man court, and of disturbances to France and England. 
 
 Concerning the delivery of the lady Senchia, the wife of Ji ichor d, 
 
 the earl of Cornwall, Sfc. 
 
 A.D. 1250, which is the thirty-fourth of the reign of king 
 Henry the Third, the aforesaid king, at the time of the fes- 
 tival of the Nativity of the Lord, was at Winchester; where, 
 according to his custom, he celebrated his Christmas feast 
 with great magnificence. The same year, just about Christ- 
 mas, too, Senchia, countess of Cornwall, and wife of earl 
 Richard, brought him forth a son, at Berkliampstead, to bap- 
 tise whom, the earl invited the archbishop of Canterbury, the 
 uncle of the infant ; and his name was called Edmund, in 
 honour of the blessed Edmund, archbishop of Canterbury and 
 confessor. About the same time many nobles of the kingdom 
 of England crossed the sea, though the reason was not known 
 to any of the people. They were the earl Richard, the earl 
 Gloucester, Henry de Hastings, Roger de Turkely, and many 
 other nobles with them. And there went besides, of the pre- 
 lates, the bishops of Lincoln, London, Worcester, and with 
 them the archdeacons of the dioceses of Lincoln, Oxford, and 
 Bedford, and others. And earl Richard, being accompanied 
 by a large retinue of great magnificence, traversed the king- 
 dom of France with forty knights, all newly equipped, with 
 new robes all alike, and arms of great beauty, inlaid with 
 gold, and horses newly caparisoned, and with many two-horse 
 chariots, and fifty baggage horses, and a numerous retinue of 
 servants, accompanied also by the countess his wife, and his 
 
 X 2 
 
 V 
 
 I 
 
 f 
 I 
 
308 
 
 UATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1250. 
 
 J 
 
 eldest son ; so that, to the admiration of the French, he 
 afforded au admirable and honourable spectacle to all be- 
 holders. And the lady Blanche went to meet him on his 
 honourable approach, with the greatest reverence, applaudin- 
 him, and offering him valuable presents, as a kinswoman 
 would to her kinsman, or rather as a mother would to her 
 only son. The bishop of Lincoln was the only person the 
 cause of whose crossing the sea was generally known, it bein- 
 in order to meet those whom he was summoning to the court 
 of Rome, who, on account of the unprecedented grievances 
 which were inflicted, and still threatened to be inflicted on 
 them, appealed to the Apostolic See, to wit, those who were 
 exempt, the Templars, Hospitallers, and many others, who 
 afterwards, by an intervention of money, prudently purchase.! 
 themselves peace from the lord the pope, according to the 
 advice of the heathen judge, " Seek assistance under an unjust 
 law." And thus the bishop, being disappointed m his ob- 
 ject, returned in confusion to his own home. 
 
 Earl Richard crossed the sea with great glory and honour ; 
 and being attended by his eldest son, Henry, and a numerous 
 household, very royally provided with caparisoned horses, and 
 garments of rare beauty, traversed France and came to Lyons, 
 where the pope was staying at that time. And when he came 
 thither, nearly all the cardinals went to meet him with great 
 respect. But the bishop of Lincoln had arrived there already ; 
 who, after many had reconciled themselves to the pope, and 
 purchased peace of him, querulously reproached the pope, say- 
 ino- ** My lord, I thought that by the aid of your command I 
 should chastise all those of whom I complained, and should 
 by force have recalled them from their errors; and behold, 
 the last error is become worse than the first. For every one 
 has bought himself off, and you open your bosom to all who 
 offer you money ; by which my authority is weakened, and 
 rav designs are frustrated." To whom the pope rephed, 
 " *My brother, thou hast delivered thine own soul. What is 
 it to thee, if of our grace we have shown them favour? Is 
 thine eve evil because I am good ?" And so the bishop de- 
 parted,' being disappointed in his designs ; though others were 
 greatly annoyed and injured on account of this circumstance. 
 
 About the same time, Wilham of Holland, king of Germany, 
 having been defeated and crushed, although the pope had 
 given him great assistance, Frederic triumphantly exercised 
 
 V 
 
 A.D. 1250. YISIOX OF THE ABBESS OF LATCOCK. 
 
 309 
 
 great severity against numbers who were rebelling against 
 liim, and for a time crushed many, and put them to death, 
 according to the saying, " His heart shall be exalted before 
 his fall." 
 
 About the same time, when earl Richard had arrived at 
 Lyons, as iias been said before, the pope received him with 
 the highest honour, entreating him to dine with him ; and the 
 pope and earl Richard took refreshment at one table, sitting 
 side by side ; and this took place before Rogation Sunday. 
 
 And on the very same day, when the soldan of Babylon 
 had offered an extremely favourable peace, to which, however, 
 the pride of the French could by no means be brought to 
 agree, though it was voluntarily offered, a battle was fought 
 between the Saracens and the Christians, most disastrous to 
 the latter, and the king of France was taken prisoner by the 
 infidels, a thing which never happened before. And many 
 nobles of France surrendered themselves to the Saracens with- 
 out a struggle, and without receiving a wound, as if they 
 were accursed of God. And many of those who were taken 
 prisoners, voluntarily apostatised, to the great disgrace of the 
 Christian faith, and the everlasting reproach of the whole 
 universal church. And the brother of the king, the comte 
 d'Artois, fled, and was drowned in a certain river, and so 
 perished, and the whole Christian army was scattered and 
 routed. But William Longs word fought to the death, and 
 so did several other nobles of the English nation, being ani- 
 mated by the example of the aforesaid William, and having a 
 faithful confidence in the Lord : namelv, Robert de Vere and 
 others, whose names are indelibly recorded in the book of life. 
 But what I think worthy of being handed down to ever- 
 lasting recollection is this. In the night preceding this battle 
 the aforesaid William appeared to his mother, the abbess of 
 Laycock, formerly countess of Salisbury, raised up fully armed, 
 towards heaven, which was open to receive him; and she com- 
 pletely recognised his army, and he was seen to enter heaven, 
 where the angels received him gladly ; and when he entered, 
 his mother fancied that she said, "Who is this?" And she 
 was answered, " Do you not recognise your son William and 
 his armour?" And his mother replied, " I certainly do ; that 
 is he whom you contemplate as his mother." But the abbess 
 with maternal care noted down the time and details of the 
 vision. But when half of the following year had elapsed, 
 
 ii t 
 
 •' < 
 
 < 
 
310 
 
 MATTUEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. i2r.o. 
 
 when all who knew what had happened, and had concealed it 
 for some time, lest his mother should grieve too much for 
 her son's death, broke out into these words. " ! lady, it is 
 not rieht any longer to conceal the misfortune which has 
 luippened to your sou William." And when they added on 
 what luckless day he had perished as a martyr tor Christ, 
 whde fi«^hting against the infidels, she, having ascertained that 
 the day and the vision which I have related both corresponded, 
 raised her hands, and gave thanks to God with a cheertul 
 countenance, saying, " I, thy handmaiden, return thee thanks, 
 O Lord, that of my sinful flesh thou hast commanded such a 
 conqueror of thy enemies to be born." 
 
 Boniface, archbishop of Canterbury, for the sake of avoid- 
 ing the bishop of London and the men of religious orders in 
 that city, is said to have behaved with such austerity (although 
 he was actuated by a principle of equity), both against tlie 
 bishop and against the men of religious orders in the city, and 
 in a similar manner, too, against some others, that, as they 
 made a vigorous resistance, many who had previously praised 
 him now marvelled at his ferocity. At length, after lavishing 
 vast sums of money, and great vexation and labour, it was 
 determined that the archbishop should exercise his jurisdic- 
 tion in a more reasonable and moderate manner (according to 
 common law), and should prosecute his visitation under de- 
 finite modifications, and so that tempest was allayed and ter- 
 minated. About the same time, that is to say, about the 
 festival of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist, the brethren 
 of the order of Preachers were assembled by one general sum- 
 mons from all the countries of Christendom, and even from 
 the llolv Land, at their house in Holborn, which is in London, 
 that thev might then, after having invoked the grace of the 
 llolv Spirit, diligently discuss the state of their order, and 
 their own duties, and 'reform whatever they might see required 
 correction. And because they had no revenues of their own, 
 the nobles and prelates from the neighbouring districts found 
 them provisions for some days of their own gratuitous liber- 
 ality. And on the first day of the chapter being held, the 
 king came thither in person, to entreat the benefit of their 
 prayers; and receiving them hospitably, he feasted them 
 royally, as he ought. On the following day, the queen, and 
 after her the bishop of London, and after him the lord John 
 Maunsel, and then others, as, for instance, the abbot ot Wal- 
 
 A.D. 1250. 
 
 TUE EMPEBOR YKEDEEIC DIES. 
 
 311 
 
 tham and the citizens of London, as they had invifed them by 
 letters, also feasted them : and the brethren were four hundred 
 and more in number. About the same time, the seal of the 
 kingdom was committed to Master WiUiam of Kilkenny, a pru- 
 dent and circumspect man, and of great skill in the law. 
 
 About the same time, a certain knight, who had formerly 
 been his companion, and his successor in the oflice of ranger 
 of the forests, by name Geoffrey de Langley, traversing the 
 northern parts of the kingdom, and making enquiry into the 
 transgressions of the laws of the forests and of hunting, fined 
 80 heavily all whom he could convict, extorting money from 
 them, that the quantity of treasure collected for the kings 
 use, would create amazement in the hearts of those who 
 
 heard it. 
 
 On the day of Saint Kenelm, there arrived news of the cap- 
 tivity of the'king of France, and of the route of the whole 
 Christian army, than which news none were ever received, or 
 ever came to the knowledge of the CathoHcs, of a more mourn- 
 ful nature, especially in France, so that all Christendom wasted 
 away with grief and sorrow. The same year, in the month of 
 October, the first day of the new moon, and the first day of 
 the month, the sea began to be disturbed by a great darkness, 
 and being disturbed, to rise beyond its usual bounds, and 
 occupying part of the shore where no one recollects having 
 ever seen it before, it caused great injury to those who dwelt 
 near it. The same year, too, on the day of Saint Lucia, about 
 three o'clock, an earthquake took place in England, and it is 
 a very marvellous thing that such an event should take place 
 in that country, nor has such a thing ever taken place within 
 any one's recollection, except in this instance. For the island 
 is sohd, and rocky, and very destitute of caverns. Moreover,^ 
 with the earthquake, there was also a terrible noise as of 
 thunder, and a subterranean roaring, events which were said 
 to presage some impending pestilence of no small importance, 
 or some revolution in the kingdoms, or the death of some 
 famous prince. And, accordingly, that same year, and that 
 very same day, died the greatest of princes, the wonder of the 
 world, the emperor Frederic ; and the same year, William de 
 
 Rale, bishop of Winchester, died, in foreign parts, namely, at 
 Tours, where he had remained about twelve months ; and the 
 monks of Winchester, at the instigation of the lord the king, 
 elected iElmar, his uterine brother, as the shepherd of their 
 
 1 
 
 i 
 
 f 
 
 i 
 
 i 
 
M2 
 
 MATTHKW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. i2r>o. 
 
 FouU. Moreover, about tlie time of the festival of Saint 
 Michael, the bishop of Rochester died, and because he was 
 accounted a saint, by the management of the king, his body- 
 was buried at Westminster. Tlie same year, on the twenty- 
 ninth of Mav, Robert de Lexington, the chaplain and coun- 
 sellor of the'lord the king, who had long filled the office of 
 justiciary, in which he had amassed vast treasures for himself, 
 and filled the king's coffers, departed this life. 
 
 When, then, this year was ended, twenty-five fifties of years 
 had now elapsed since the era of grace, that is to say, twelve 
 hundred and fifty years. But we must remark, and not pass 
 lightly over the fact, that in none of the twenty-four preced- 
 ing fifties had so many marvellous things, and so many unpre- 
 oeilented novelties happened, as had happened in this twenty- 
 filth fifty. And there are some historians who assert that so 
 many prodigies and strange events happened not in all the 
 other fifties put together as did come to pass in this one just 
 terminated. For in this fifty, the Tartars, bursting forth from 
 their distant and untraceable abodes, devastated with fatal de • 
 struction all the countries of the east, whether belonging to the 
 faithful or to infidels. Also, the admiral MuremeUn, the most 
 powerful monarch of the African and Spanish unbelievers, 
 invaded the territories of the Christians, but was defeated, and 
 forced to retreat with his whole army. While Oliver was 
 preaching in Germany, our Lord Jesus Christ, who was cruci- 
 fied, was distinctly seen in the air by the whole people. This 
 year, too, the Greek church renounced its subjection to that 
 i)f Rome, Babrizat, the most powerful of the Greeks, becoming 
 a schismatic. The city of Damietta, at the entrance of Egypt, 
 a most wealthy, and strongly-fortified, and famous city, was 
 rwice taken by the Christians, and twice lost. 
 
 Several earthquakes took place in England, and there were 
 several instances of the sea overrunning its natural limits to a 
 prodigious degree, by which it inflicted unheard-of injuries on 
 those who lived near* it. England was laid under an interdict 
 for seven years, and for an equal length of time was subjected to 
 the horrors of civil war; and at length, by the inactivity of king 
 John, who was at that time king, it was reduced to become a 
 tributary state. The same king John lost Normandy and many 
 other territories beyond the sea, and made England and Ire- 
 land subject to pope Innocent the Third, and burdened them 
 with the payment of tribute, and the privileges of the holy 
 
 AD. 1250. LOUIS, KING or FBAyCE, TAKEN PrvISONER. 313 
 
 Roman fathers were by this addition deprived of their power 
 and authority (any enactments to the contrary notwithstand- 
 ing), not without injury to them, and bringing them into con- 
 tempt. The ordeal which used to take place by fire and water 
 was abolished ; and leave was given that any one who was pro- 
 moted to a bishopric might retain his former revenues. Li- 
 cence was also granted tliat Christian usurers might lawfully 
 live in England'among Christians, under the protection of the 
 pope, as it were, though usury was condemned in both the 
 Old and New Testament ; but though they are called usurers 
 by the common people, they profess themselves before the 
 pope to be merchants. Prohibition was issued against any one 
 in the church immediately succeeding his father without a 
 papal dispensation, and against any one being illegally ad- 
 vanced to any dignity. The coinage, which had been spoilt 
 by chpping, was renewed. Louis, the eldest son of Phihp, 
 king of France, was elected to be lord and, as it were, king of 
 England, on account of the intolerable oppressions of king 
 John ; but, at length, the same Louis, being a violator of his 
 faith and promises, returned ingloriously back to his father. 
 
 Otho and Frederic, emperors who rebelled against the pope, 
 were overthrown, and after they were put down the imperial 
 dignity withered, and the pope endeavoured to advance two 
 other princes to the supreme power in the empire. But be- 
 fore they were thus promoted the Lord struck them down ; 
 and they were Henry de Raspen, landgrave of Hesse and 
 Thuringia, and count *of Schwartzenberg, and William, count 
 of Holland, son of Florence, the fourth duke, and of Matilda, 
 the daughter of Henry, duke of Brabant. William, indeed, 
 did begin to enjoy his elevation during this period of fifty 
 vears, but he was soon afterwards slain. 
 
 Louis, king of France, was taken prisoner, and his whole 
 army dispersed and routed, and many nobles of his kingdom 
 were taken with him, and a large body belonging to the 
 Temple, to the Hospital, to the Teutonic order and that of 
 Saint Lazarus ; and the city of Jerusalem, with its churches 
 and holy places, which had been consecrated by the presence 
 of Christ, was twice destroyed and desolated, once by the 
 Chorosmincs, and a second time by the soldan of Babylon. 
 An echpse of the sun happened twice in three years. There 
 were many earthquakes in England, and a very unprecedented 
 extension of the sea. 
 
 t I 
 
 ^1 
 
 li 
 
314 
 
 MATTHEAV OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 12r)0. 
 
 A.D. 1250. CEUTAIIf HEEESIES ABE ERADICATED. 
 
 315 
 
 A general council was held on two occasions in this period ; 
 once at Rome and once at Lyons. In the last the emperor 
 Frederic was excommunicated and deposed. Not far from 
 Genoa, in the open sea, several prelates were taken prisoners, 
 and some were drowned. Wales also was bereaved of its 
 prince, and afterwards his two sons, Griffith and David, being 
 speedily circumvented, it was reduced to obey the laws of 
 England, and to acknowledge the authority of the king. 
 Guienne was subdued by earl Simon, afterwards when it re- 
 belled it was again subdued, and at last delivered from the 
 vengeance of the king of Spain. The greater part of Spain 
 was restored to Christian worship by the most valorous king 
 of Castile, and the noble cities Cordova and Seville, and the 
 large city of Valentia, and several others, and the very rich 
 islands in the vicinity were reduced under the power of the 
 same king, and faithfully illuminated by the Cathohc faith. 
 The pope being driven from his city like an exile and a fugi- 
 tive, fled from city to city, lying hid in many places, while 
 Frederic persecuted Innocent the Fourth. But at last he 
 reached Lyons, and there he found a safe refuge. Neverthe- 
 less, not at all recognizing the hand of the Lord as that which 
 chastised him, he oppressed the church more than all his pre- 
 decessors put together. Three prelates sat in the apostolic 
 seat within two years, and the papal see was vacant a year 
 and nine months. Prelates were suspended from collation to 
 benefices until satisfaction was made to him ; on behalf of 
 whom he wrote that provision should be made for them, ac- 
 cording to what they considered themselves entitled to re- 
 ceive. The Preaching Brothers and Minor Brothers, by the 
 command of the pope, and being compelled by their principle 
 of obedience, became the tax-gathering nuncios, and, as it 
 were, legates of the pope, being dihgent collectors of the pope^^ 
 money ; by preaching, giving the sign of the cross, and again 
 recalling it when they had accomplished their end, and hy 
 standing by invalids who were dying, and preparing to make 
 their wills.' And like diligent men of business, armed with 
 all kinds of powers, they turned every thing to the advantage 
 of the pope. 
 
 The monastic orders were multiplied in England, there 
 being, besides the orders of Preachers and Minors, the Bro- 
 thers of Mount Carmel, the Brothers of the Crossbearers, and 
 Bome who called themselves Brothers of the order of Saint 
 
 Augustine, and many others. In Germany and France, too, 
 there appeared women who called themselves Beguins,^ Many 
 saints in England, or belonging to England, became famous ; 
 for instance, the blessed Edmund, archbishop of Canterbury, 
 who lies buried at Pontigny, was celebrated for miracles, and 
 so was Master Robert, a brother of the same church. Also 
 the Holy Robert, the hermit of Knaresborough, became noto- 
 rious for undeniable virtues. Roger, bishop of London, at 
 whose tomb a great many tokens of his good deeds are sus- 
 pended, was celebrated for the benefits he conferred on the 
 sick. Then in Germany there was Saint Elizabeth, land- 
 gravine of During. Saint Augustine, too, in Norway, became 
 famous for many well-proved miracles. And though not ex- 
 actly in this fifty years, but immediately afterwards. Saint 
 Robert, bishop of Lincoln, became very glorious, and obtained 
 great honour from an investigation into the miracles wrought 
 by him ; on which account other saints of old time, to wit. 
 Saint Remigius and Saint Hugo, as if rejoicing with and ap- 
 plauding their new brother. Saint Robert, though he had not 
 been formally canonized, lavished the benefits of their own 
 miracles on the Christians all around, in order that their evi- 
 dence in his favour might be received as equivalent to a formal 
 canonization. And not many days afterwards, a boy of three 
 years of age, whom the Jews' had first circumcised and then 
 crucified, and after a variety of carefully devised torments had 
 put to death on the cross, having been buried in the cathedral 
 of Lincoln, is said to have given the blessing of good health 
 to many persons, so that the church of Lincoln was called 
 most blessed, and was honoured by persons who went on pil- 
 grimages to it. Likewise Richard of Chichester was so famous 
 for his miracles, that the times of the apostles seemed to be 
 renewed. The church at Westminster was rebuilt at the ex- 
 pense of the lord the king Henry, and a golden coffin, for the 
 use of Saint Edward, was also made out of his treasure ; more- 
 over, vessels of great and inestimable value, and worthy of all 
 admiration, and jewels and silken vestments of wonderful 
 workmanship, and new privileges were conferred on th.-it 
 house by the king, and the lord the king also built a splendid 
 chapter house. 
 
 The heresies of the Albigensians, the Bugorians, and the 
 Jovinians, and other mistaken persons, were eradicated by the 
 diligence of preachers. 
 
 '\r 
 
ill 
 
 3IG 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1250. 
 
 In the meantime, tlie lioly party of the Christians (since 
 the Saracens often triumphed according to their wish) Mas 
 \veakened in no shght degree, but these losses were happily 
 made amends for by the successes in Spain. The castle 
 of Antioch was besieged by insurgents, and was attacked and 
 assaulted by them, as they advanced as far as the vineyards and 
 farm lands of the citizens, and even to the walls of the citv. 
 
 This year Easter fell on its proper time, that is, on the 
 twenty-seventh of March, doing that which had never once 
 happened before, in the last year of this fifty. And all the 
 elements (which is a notable and significant circumstance) in 
 this last year of the period of fifty years, suffered an irregular 
 and unusual confusion. Fire like lightning was often seen 
 during the winter season, and thunderbolts fell in a terrible 
 manner, and shone in a way contrary to the usual course of 
 nature. The air was confused and darkened, as if laden with 
 the thunder and lightning, and inundations of rain, already 
 mentioned. The water and the sea transgressed its accus- 
 tomed bounds, and in the sea where there used to be deep 
 water, dry land was now seen ; and the places on the borders 
 of the sea were laid waste. And in the land of England, and 
 especially in the north, there were repeated strange earth- 
 quakes ; and in Savoy, too, there was a great destruction of 
 cities, towns, mountains, castles, and churches, and also of 
 many thousand men that were swallowed up iii a terrible and 
 unheard-of manner. 
 
 Now since the Blessed Virgin bore her child. 
 The sun had rolled on his revolving orh 
 In twenty-five times fifty revolutions ; 
 Yet during all that time it ne'er was seen 
 That Easter on the twenty-seventh of March 
 Did fall hefore, till this last year arrived, 
 Yet in this year it fell so, as I've said, 
 Ts'or did men ever, whensoever born, 
 In all the other ages put together 
 So many marvels see, as this produced. 
 
 With this year, too, brother Matthew proposed to close his 
 commentaries, on account of certain impending dangers. For 
 if truth is spoken of powerful persons, and if a man's writings 
 are commended, there was his prepared for him ; if their good 
 deeds are passed over, or described as evil deeds, his whole 
 worth will be mutilated and bitterly reproved and condemned 
 
 A.D. 1251. MATTHEW PARIS FINIsnES HIS CIIIIONICLES. 317 
 
 for flattery, adulation, or falsehood. Such a book may be 
 deservedly called a barren field, as far as its author is con 
 cerned. For the toil in its cultivation is laborious and also 
 in the time of collecting the harvest, and there is a lack ot al 
 convenience and advantage, and thorns and tares are gathered 
 instead of fruit. Why then should it delight any man, 
 
 To sow ungrateful seed in barren soil ? 
 Nevertheless, it is to be hoped that those good deeds which 
 ungrateful man does not requite, the liberality of God will 
 more fully recompense. Forsooth, it is a good deed to per- 
 petuate the knowledge of remarkable events, by recording 
 them to the glory of God ; in order that future ages may be 
 made wiser by reading them, avoiding those sins which anj 
 deserving of vengeance, and doing such good deeds as the Loid 
 fully recompenses. But the aforesaid brother Matthew Pari., 
 while he was intending to close his historical writings at this 
 point, speaks thus : 
 
 Here Matthew's Chronicles do close 
 In the glad year of jubilee, 
 Deserves the long desir'd repose. 
 Rest for ray reader and for me. 
 And so let rest be given 
 On earth, likewise in Heaven. 
 
 And a little afterwards he says : 
 
 Here, Matthew, let your toils and studies end. 
 And seek not what a future age may send. 
 
 Cn. XV.— From a.d. 1251 to a.d. 1254. 
 Frederic dies- Alexander, king of Scotland, marries Margaret 
 of England- Jffonzo, king of Spain, dies-The Jews are 
 banished from France- The citizens ofBourdeaux invite kiHg 
 Henry into France-He goes thither, leaving Edward regent 
 of the kingdom- Gasten de Biarde attacks Bagonne-^A 
 great battle is fcvght between the French and Gennans, on 
 the borders of Flanders— Prince Edward marries Eleanor, 
 princess of Spain— War between the pope and Conrad, son 
 of Frederic. 
 Of a marvellous storm of thunder and lightning on the vigil of 
 
 the Nativity of the Lord. 
 A.D 1251, king Henry the Third it being the thirty-fifth 
 year of his reign, was at the feast of the Nativity of the Lord 
 at Winchester. But on the night of the feast of the Nativity, 
 
318 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1251. 
 
 a great deal of thunder was heard, aud much Hghtning seen. 
 The king, because he was designing to visit the counrries of 
 the east as a pilgrim, where gold coin is chiefly used, began to 
 seek for and collect gold money, so that every one who wished 
 to get his business settled in'the king's court gave the kui" 
 gold rather than silver. ° 
 
 Frederic being dead, as has already been mentioned, his son 
 Conrad caused all the captives whom Frederic, his father, had 
 kept in prison, to be removed to the more remote districts of 
 his kingdom, to Palermo and other cities of Sicily, that he 
 might be more secure of them. But he allowed some of them 
 to be sent to Henry, the son of the emperor Frederic, and 
 nephew of the king of England, to be ransomed by him, or 
 to be treated in any other way according to his pleas'ure. 
 
 About the same time, quarrels arose among the most power- 
 ful eoldans of the Saracens, and especially between the sol- 
 dans and magistrates of the Alapensians and Babylonians. 
 For the former were indignant and envious because the soldan 
 of the Babylonians had taken the most illustrious and power- 
 ful king of France in battle ; and were even more moved at 
 his having allowed him to be ransomed and to depart freely, 
 and at his now being in safety among the Christians at Acre! 
 But the amount of the ransom of the king of France was 
 sixty thousand pounds of the choicest and purest gold, be- 
 sides a great deal of the common coinage of the ordinary 
 sterling money, and of the coinage of Tours and Poitou 
 amounting to an incalculable sum. The number of those 
 who were slain in that expedition amounted to sixty thousand, 
 and twenty thousand and more were dispersed as fuo-itives* 
 without counting those who were drowned, and those who 
 voluntarily surrendered themselves to the enemy, and those 
 who apostatised, who did us more harm than the rest. This 
 year, the Jews were forbidden by the king, and the king's 
 ministers, to eat flesh on the sixth day of the week, or durino. 
 Lent, under great penalties. For they had become very odious 
 to the king of England, because it had been stated to the king 
 of France, as a reproach and matter of disgrace, that the Chris- 
 tians allowed Jews to dwell among them, who had inflicted such 
 numbers of injuries on their Lord and God, and had at last 
 crucified him. Manfred, the natural son of the emperor, 
 after a short respite, rose in insurrection against the pope! 
 The city of Nutheta, in which more than three thousand 
 
 A.D. r2Jl. DAMIETTA LEVELLED TO THE GEOUKD. 
 
 319 
 
 Saracens dwell, and which the emperor had built, was not de- 
 stroyed, but was protected by Manfred. Guy, the brother of 
 the king, having been invited, as it is said, came into England, 
 with his other brothers, who had already been enriched. The 
 English were treated with contempt and impoverished, espe- 
 cially the citizens of London. Many prelates and men of 
 religious orders were thrust down into the lowest estate of 
 slavery by command of the pope, and in consequence of the 
 spoliations of the king, the pope came to Perugia. 
 
 Simon, earl of Leicester, returned for a short time from 
 Guienne, but having recruited his forces, returned back again. 
 The detestable addition of the words, " Notwithstanding, any," 
 &c., weakened the writings and actions of holy men. Nicho- 
 las, bishop of Durham, resigned, and had a sufficient provision 
 assigned to him, to wit, Stockton, Ilovedon, and Essington. 
 Henry de Bath, a knight, and the justiciary of the lord the 
 king, was accused and impeached before the king of grave 
 off'ences, and scarcely escaped with his life. The countess of 
 Arundel founded a church for nuns at Len, which is called 
 Marchan. 
 
 A report prevailed throughout the countries of the west, 
 that the emperor Frederic had died on the day of Saint Lucia. 
 The archbishop of Canterbury at last, though with great mode- 
 ration, visited the canons of London, as he had long intended 
 to do, designing at first to confound them with great severity 
 and a rigorous exercise of his power. This year, William de 
 Cantilupe, the king's counsellor, died, and was succeeded by 
 William, his son. Wales was overrun by the armies of Eng- 
 land. The bishops elect of Winchester and Rochester were 
 confirmed. The pope quitted Lyons, and with some difficulty 
 reached Milan. PauHnus Piper, the steward and counsellor 
 of the king, died — Geoll'rey the steward died, too, a very gal- 
 lant knight. A wonderful nuisance arose in France, of a band 
 of rogues, namely, shepherds, who increased to the number 
 of thirty thousand ; but they were all destroyed. The city of 
 Damietta was levelled to the ground by the Saracens. The 
 pope composed some new decretals. At the time of the equi- 
 nox, the sea overran its natural boundaries by a very great 
 distance. The queen of Scotland, the widow of king Alex- 
 ander, returned to her native country. 
 
 Some tournaments took place, in which hatred and envy 
 broke out between the foreigners and the English, and grew 
 to a ver}' formidable extent. 
 
 
320 
 
 MATTILEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 12 V2. 
 
 Alexander, Icing of Scotland, espouses Margaret, daughter of 
 
 Henry, at York. 
 
 A.D. 1252. King Henry the Third, it being the thirty-sixth 
 year of his reign, was at York, where Ah'xander, who was now 
 iving of Scotland, married Margaret, the daughter of the king 
 of England, on the day of the feast of the Nativity of the 
 Lord, and the king of England at that city invested the king 
 of Scotland with the belt of a knight. And the king of Scot- 
 land did homage to the king of England. The guardianship 
 of the king of Scotland and the queen and kingdom were 
 committed to Robert de Ros and to John de Baliol. A heavy 
 tax was laid on the Jews. Simon, earl of Leicester, having 
 grave accusations brought against him, resigned the govern- 
 ment of Guienne to the king. A great drought prevailed fur 
 four months. Some beneficed clerks in the diocese of Lincoln 
 were promoted to the priesthood against their will. 
 
 Conrad in the mean time was successful in his war against 
 the pope, nor did his habitual rapacious conduct avail the pope. 
 Robert Fasselewe of England, an old and obstinate man, in 
 consequence of whose conduct the abbot of Ramsey had lost 
 the greater part of his revenues, died, on the day of Saint 
 Iluon ; and many others as well, as he had had their peace 
 disturbed, and their wealth curtailed by his proceedings. 
 Concerning the general immorahty of his character, many 
 facts are recorded in this work. The dissensions which had 
 existed between the abbot of Westminster and his chaplaui 
 were appeased by the intervention of the king. 
 
 This year, too, that most notorious king of Spain, Alfonso, 
 died ; and the king of England was greatly grieved thereat, 
 but the lady Blanche was still more so. Guienne was con- 
 ferred on Edward, and no mention was made of the carl, to 
 whom it had formerly been granted and bestowed by charter, 
 and in the possession of which he had been established, in 
 the summer there was a great heat and drought of long con- 
 tinuance. A tournament took place this year, which was 
 called the Round Table, in which that most gallant knight, 
 llervald de Montigney, died. William de Haverhulle, the 
 king's chaplain and treasurer, died. The church of Ely, whica 
 had been magnificently repaired by bishop Hugo, was dedi- 
 cated. The countess Margaret de Riparies died. On the day 
 ol^the feast of Saint Edward, a great council was held at 
 
 A.D. 12.V2. ARIIIVAL OF THE ARCHEISHOP OF CANTEEBURT. 321 
 
 London at which the king demanded a pecuniary subsidy. 
 But Robert, bishop of Lincoln, was the first to object to it, and 
 afterwards others, being encouraged by him, resisted too A 
 tax was imposed on the citizens of London, whom we usually 
 call barons, as if they had been slaves of the lowest rank. 
 Geoitrey de Langley, who was a knight and justiciary of the 
 forest, having excessively impoverished the nobles of the 
 northern parts of the kingdom, on pretended reasons con- 
 nected with the taking of game, was deposed from this charge 
 and one of the guardians of the queen of Scotland was ap- 
 pointed in his stead, who tyrannized to such a decree that the 
 nobles of Scotland could not endure his violence, and removed 
 him ; and so he transferred himself to the service of Edward 
 in which he (as will be related on a subsequent occasion) 
 raised up many enemies against the king and prince Edward 
 He had been bred up and advanced by Robert Passelew • but 
 afterwards, hke a cuckoo, the foster-child supplanted his 
 nurse. The same year, Master Albert, the especial chaplain 
 and notary of the lord the pope, came to offer the kingdom of 
 Apulia to earl Richard. But when the earl had required se- 
 curity, to wit, some castles of the lord the pope, and some 
 hostages, that he might be sure of obtaining possession of it 
 and might feel some certainty respecting the pope's promise' 
 Albert replied, that he would consult the pope on the subject' 
 In the mean time, Albert acquired many benefices for himself 
 and when he had got them he crossed the Alps, and the lord 
 the pope, when he had heard the earl's answer, would not 
 proceed with any further proposition on the subject. 
 
 About the same time, Boniface, archbishop of Canterbury 
 came into England, whose arrival gave joy to few of the pre- 
 lates, and to stiU fewer of the laity, a thing which we are very 
 sorry to say. A grave scandal arose, and also a violent 
 quarrel between the archbishop of Canterbury and the bishop 
 elect of Winchester, because the bishop elect had caused the 
 olhcial of the archbishop, by name Master Eustace, to be for- 
 cibly apprehended in the church of Lambeth, with one of his 
 chaplains, and to be dragged and torn away in a very indecent 
 manner. Accordingly, as the king laboured earnestly for his 
 brother ^thelmar, and the queen for her uncle, the arch- 
 Disliop, a great confusion arose, which was with difficulty 
 appeased. ^ 
 
 The same year, on the first Sunday in Advent, that queen 
 VOL. II. ' T 
 
 ■f 
 
 /-.{ 
 
I 
 
 322 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1253. 
 
 of all secular ladies, Blanche, died, after much tribulation, 
 which she had endured on account of her sons. John Mansel, 
 chaplain and special counsellor of the lord the king, as his 
 industry well deserved, was enriched with very large revenues 
 and estates. 
 
 This year also, Robert, bishop of Lincoln, caused a dili- 
 gent account to be taken of the revenues in the possession of 
 foreigners in England, as granted to them by pope Innocent, 
 and it was found that none of his predecessors, in three 
 times the same length of time, had ever enriched such a 
 number of persons of his family and country. About the same 
 time, the king very cunningly permitted the men of the reli- 
 gious orders to be oppressed by the nobles, who kept hounds 
 for hunting, and who lived near them, so that their liberties 
 were weakened, and their cultivated lands trampled on. The 
 same year, pope Innocent established a rule that the cardinals 
 should wear scarlet hats. 
 
 Concerning the disturbance of a banquet at Winchester. 
 
 A.D. 1253. King Henry the Third, in the thirty-seventh 
 year of his reign, was at the time of the feast of the Nativity 
 of the Lord at Winchester ; and according to their general 
 custom at that solemn festival, the citizens of Winchester made 
 a noble entertainment, though it was only lately that the king 
 had compelled them to pay two hundred marks in a short time. 
 But this feast was interrupted in no small degree by the quarrel 
 that had already arisen between the archbishop of Canterbury 
 and the bishop of Winchester, the king in some degree 
 stirring it up, on account of some injury which had been done 
 to Master Eustace de Len, his official, by the said bishop 
 elect, who, on this account, had had the sentence of excom- 
 munication passed against him. However, this disturbance, 
 by the intervention of the king and queen, was soon exchanged 
 for peace. About this time, all the prelates of England were 
 convened before the king, and as they urgently requested that 
 the charters of their predecessors might be preserved, they 
 easily obtained the consent of the king to this. And when sen- 
 tence had been given on this point, they lighted their tapers, 
 and pubhshed the fact, in return for which they cheerfully 
 granted a by no means inconsiderable contribution, which the 
 king demanded of them. 
 
 A certain brother of the order of Preachers, by name 
 
 I 
 
 ♦ 
 
 A.D. 1253. THE KllfO OP SPAIN CLAIMS GUIEIWE. 323 
 
 Peter, was secretly murdered by the citizens of Milan, because 
 of lus assertion of the truth, and his defence of the fdth by 
 which he repressed their vices, and errors, and heresies And 
 as he became celebrated for his miracles the lord the pope 
 
 ice^dv A dt^^'^^tr""^ f ''^'"g 'canonized mfgn^! 
 licentJy. A citizen of Bologna, by name Brancaleon wa^ 
 created a senator of Rome, who, as soon as he had received 
 
 al malefactors, governed the city and people committed tfl"f 
 
 SrivenCtTr^ """""• i^" ™'" number of Jew 
 were driven out of France, in compliance with a command to 
 
 Land P^rTT'"'' ^^ '^' ^^^ "^ J'^""'^ fr"-" the Ho y 
 L.,nd. For the Saracens reproached the French that the 
 
 fSf I ' ""T'' "^^^ "^'■^ the murderers of their 
 
 Christ to ive among them. And that it would be just for 
 
 rented lUr^^' ''"^' ""'' "^'-^""^ '" ««-'' otdT.t 
 
 The eldest son of Richard, earl of Gloucester, married the 
 niece of the king of England, the daughter of Guy, count of 
 Angouleme, a native of Poitou, a damsel of a very Lde" age 
 mdeed I may say an infant; the marriage having been brouX 
 
 five th J *'"^;"'^"r*'''" "*■ ^'"^ H"^"^' 'ho liberally gfve 
 five thousand marks as a marriage present. The earl of 
 Leicester resigned the government of Guienne, and the king of 
 Spam prepared to claim that province for himself, as he had 
 an ancient charter of king Henry, relating to its bestowal in 
 
 rom k^nJ ^rr "f ""IP^'^'T' ""'• '''"^^ of confirmation 
 ,Ti 1-^ f. '''""''' """^ ^'"S •'«hii- When the kin^ had 
 heard this, he was very sorry that the aforesaid count had 
 retired from that guardianslup, because he was a powerful 
 man, and of great wisdom in difficulties, and a very safe 
 defender. And he laboured hard to prevail on him to resume 
 
 AefT""'?'*'^ ' '"'.'"'"^ S'^^" "P' «n *hich accouTt 
 the earl privily withdrew into France, refusing to resume that 
 
 burden a second time. And the French we°re very d^ iron 
 to have him as seneschal of France, but they could not by any 
 means prevail on him to agree to it. ^ ^ 
 
 Richard, earl of Gloucester, and William de Valence crossed 
 ttte sea, principally in order to bring the aforesaid marriage 
 
 t2 
 
 fl 
 
 f. !l 
 
 *fi 
 
 |i 
 
1 
 
 324 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMlNSTiiU. 
 
 A.D. 12r;3. 
 
 to a conclusion ; and secondly, in order, in a spirit of rash 
 enterprise, to prove their own address and courage, and the 
 speed of their horses in a certain tournament, which was being 
 greatly spoken of at that time. But after it was over, having 
 been overthrown, and stripped of their armour and battered, 
 they required a long course of fomentations and baths. About 
 this time, the moon was seen to be four days old before it was 
 calculated that it was new moon. The youths of London 
 having set up a peacock for a prize, tried their strength and 
 the speed of their horses in running at the quintain. But 
 some novices of the king's household being indignant at this, 
 reproached them, opposing themselves to them in the contest ; 
 but the Londoners put them to the blush with the fragments 
 of their spears, and wounded them, and cast them headlong 
 from their horses, and put them to flight, and routed them. 
 And as many complaints on this account were addressed to 
 the king, he took his accustomed revenge, and demanded a 
 large sum of money from the Londoners. After a few days, the 
 news was heard that Aiguillon, in Guienne, and Saint Milhan, 
 and several other castles, were taken and lost ; and that there 
 had been no inconsiderable slaughter of men. Therefore, the 
 king, being greatly alarmed, lest, in consequence of these losses, 
 all Guienne should be endangered, gave an order that briefs 
 should be sent about, and that in every county proclamation 
 should be made, that every one should make a return of his 
 fit and proper arms, and to show whether tliey were sufficient, 
 that so, if need should be, every one might be prepared to 
 join in the war. He, moreover, issued an edict, that who- 
 ever had estates of fifteen pounds of yearly value should be 
 made a knight ; and also, that regular night sentinels should 
 be appointed in every city, who should take diligent care of 
 the paths and streets, and of the different exits and entrances. 
 He also provided that if any one were accidentally injured by 
 a robber or by other persons, they to whom the safety of the 
 country was committed should make satisfaction to the injured 
 party, and should prosecute the malefactors, and rid the 
 country of them. But all these provisions, because they were 
 enacted without the common consent of the barons, were in 
 general accounted of little validity. 
 
 Master Richard de Witz, bishop of Chichester, died on the 
 second of April ; he was a man of eminent learning and ex- 
 traordinary holiness, and at one time chaplain and especial 
 
 AD. 1253. 
 
 TUE POPE RETURNS TO ROME. 
 
 32.5 
 
 counsellor of the blessed Edmund, archbishop of Canterbury. 
 And It was from the information he received from the accounts 
 given him by this Richard, and by Brother Robert Bacon, of the 
 order of Preachers, that Brother Matthew Paris diligently wrote 
 a history of the life of the aforesaid Saint Edmund, as it had 
 been related to him by credible men. 
 
 Afler the retirement of earl Simon from Guienne, the 
 people of Guienne began to war with one another, and to 
 invade one another's castles, to take men prisoners, and to 
 reduce their houses to ashes. And among the first of these 
 warlike leaders was Gaston, lord of Biarde and Perigord, who 
 transferred his allegiance to the king of Spain, that by this 
 means he might more readily attack the king of England 
 And he encouraged the enemies of the king in Guienne to 
 such a degree, that Bourdeaux, which had used to supply 
 provisions to all Guienne, began to feel want. The lord the 
 king granted a privilege to the church of Waltham, and for- 
 mally confirmed It, that as often as it should happen that that 
 church was vacant, the convent should have free power of 
 disposing both of the barony and of the possessions of the 
 church, according to their will ; besides which, he granted 
 them two markets, and conferred other advantages upon them • 
 and as to these particulars, he renewed the charter which had 
 been obtained from them before. 
 
 As the church of Rome was a long time deprived of the 
 presence of its shepherd and prelate, the lord the pope was 
 solemnly entreated by the Romans to return to Rome, and to 
 govern his flock as their shepherd. And as he still delayed he 
 was entreated a second time with great solemnity, with this 
 addition, that he must come now or never. And when the 
 ord the pope heard this, fearing to incur danger by his delay 
 he withdrew from Perugia, and hastened to Rome. And 
 although the Romans had repayment of the money which they 
 had expended for him against Frederic, withheld as if it had 
 been a fine due from them, nevertheless he was received joy- 
 fully and reverently by them all. The day fortnight after Easter, 
 a great parhament being assembled, nearly all the prelates 
 being met together, requested that the king, observing their 
 charters and hberties as he had often promised, would also 
 permit the Holy Church to enjoy its liberties, especially in the 
 matter of the elections of prelates of the cathedral churches 
 and of the churches of convents : all which the king pro- 
 
 '■;| 
 
326 
 
 MATTUEW OF WESTMINSTEB. 
 
 A.D. 12l»3. 
 
 tested that he would observe inviolably, and thus obtained 
 the consent which he desired from them and from the other 
 nobles, to the subsidy which he required for his pilgrimage. 
 Accordingly, there was granted to the king one tenth part of 
 all the ecclesiastical revenues for three years, and from the 
 knights a scutage * for that year, at the rate of three marks for 
 each shield. And the king promised in all good faith that he 
 would inviolably observe all those things which he had on 
 other occasions repeatedly sworn to, and which had been 
 originally granted by his father John. And that they miglit 
 feel more sure of his promise, he ordered sentence to that 
 effect to be publicly pronounced in his presence, which was 
 also done in the following manner : — 
 
 The sentence of excommunication pronounced against the trans- 
 gressors of the liberty of tJie church. 
 
 Accordingly, on the third of May, in the larger royal palace 
 at Westminster, in the presence of, and under the authority 
 of the lord Henry, by the grace of God, king of England, 
 &c. &c. And after this was done, the charter of his father 
 John was produced before the assembly, in which the said 
 king John had granted the same things of his own absolute 
 will, out of which charter they caused the aforesaid liberties 
 to be recited. But while the king was listening to the afore- 
 said sentence, he held his hand to his breast with a serene 
 and wilhng countenance ; and at last, when all the tapers had 
 been thrown down and were smoking, each person said, ** So 
 may all those who transgress this sentence be extinguished 
 and stink in hell ;" and the king, with all those who were 
 standing by, answered, " Amen, Amen.'* But Robert, bishop of 
 Lincoln, suspecting the stability of this affair, immediately 
 caused the aforesaid sentence to be repeated throughout the 
 whole diocese of Lincoln. 
 
 About this time, the citizens of Bourdeaux intimated to the 
 king, that unless he came speedily into Guienne, he would 
 lose everything, adding, that in consequence of the tyranny of 
 Simon, earl of Leicester, he had already lost many subjects 
 and friends ; which was false, because the earl had repeatedly 
 subdued many rebellious and powerful persons, and com- 
 pelled them to submit to the king's authority. Therefore, the 
 king caused proclamation to be made by the voice of a herald 
 
 ^ From aeutum, a shield. 
 
 A.D, 1253. THE KXIGUTS SUMMONED TO POETSMOUTH. 327 
 
 throughout Guienne, that no one, from that time forth, should 
 attend to or obey earl Simon ; adding, that on account of his 
 oppressions and their complaints, he deposed the aforesaid 
 earl, and he redeemed, for a sum of money, the patent by 
 Jhich he had appomted him to the government of Guienne 
 tor the three years subsequent to the signing of it ; which step 
 was very pleasmg to the people of Guienne, as they saw by it 
 that the power ot earl Smion had expired, and that they could 
 more easily complain to the king of their enemies. 
 
 Lrnald de Bosco, a knight, was appointed prime forester, 
 m the room of Robert Passelowe, in all the southern provinces 
 of England, up to the river which is called the Trent, and 
 Jolin de Lexington, another knight, was appointed over the 
 northern partes of the island, from the aforesaid river Trent to 
 the borders of Scotland, in the room of Geoffrey de Langley. 
 Many undeniable miracles were performed at the tomb of 
 Richard, bishop of Chichester ; whose body, when taken up 
 and examined, was found to be wrapped in hair cloths, and 
 bound round with iron hoops. Master John Clipping was 
 elected to the bishopric of Winchester, having been a canon 
 of that church before. A mandate from the ApostoHc See 
 was sent about, to the effect that every bishop, whether in 
 foreign countries or in England, was strictly to visit aU the 
 monks who were established in his diocese, those who were 
 exempt as well as those who were not, and compel them to 
 the observation of certain articles, which neither belong to the 
 rule of Saint Benedict, nor do they exist in his order: on 
 which account, the monks of France, thinking to provide 
 tranquillity for themselves, having given four thousand pounds 
 of the coinage of Tours to our lord the pope, prevented the 
 edict from reaching them. In like manner, the abbot of Saint 
 Alban 8 with the rest of his peers, and the convents which 
 they ruled, appealed without delay to the presence of our lord 
 tne pope. 
 
 About the first of June, the king having received inteUi- 
 gence of the desolation of Guienne, caused all the knights in 
 ^ngland who owed him military service, to be summoned to 
 be present in the course of the week after the feast of the 
 tloy Trinity at Portsmouth, ready to cross the sea and sail 
 with the king to Guienne, in order by force to restore it to 
 the authority of the king its master, and to peace. In the 
 meantime, about a thousand ships having been engaged for the 
 
 \'\i 
 
 il 
 
 
 ll 
 
328 
 
 MATTIILW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 AD. 12o3. 
 
 expedition, their crews being unable to get a fair wind, de- 
 layed them for three months, and the king, having by this time 
 consumed the greater portion of his treasure, was prevented 
 from putting his design in execution, because that voyage ap- 
 peared destitute of the favour of God. William, bishop of 
 Llandaff, died, and his death had been preceded by blindness 
 which had lasted seven years. Earl Roger Bigod, mareschal 
 of England, having been healthfully instructed by the judg- 
 ment of the church, came cheerfully to the marriage, and 
 gladly received as his wife the daughter of the king of Scot- 
 land, whom he had formerly despised. But the king, when 
 at last he got the fair wind he desired, on the sixth of August 
 bade farewell to England, and committed himself to Neptune, 
 having appointed earl Richard, his brother, and his queen, 
 guardians of his kingdom, and having also entrusted to their 
 his care eldest son Edward. And about the feast of the As- 
 sumption of the blessed Mary, the king landed in Guienne at 
 Bourdeaux, and the citizens coming out to meet him, received 
 him with reverence as they ought. Accordingly, he imme- 
 diately ordered the town of Arguillon to be surrounded with a 
 siege, as a great many of his enemies from Gascony had taken 
 refuge there, though Gaston himself had fled to the king of 
 Spain, with whom he had formed a friendship, and to whom 
 (pledging him his hand, as it was said) he had promised the 
 dominion of Guienne. But the French hearing that the king 
 of England had arrived in Guienne, and fearing lest the peo- 
 ple of Poitou should go over to the party of the king of Eng- 
 land their lord, sent thither a small body of knights, not per- 
 mitting them to have the guardianship of any castles or cities ; 
 and so, being made faithful against their will, they did the 
 French no harm, and could not do the English any good. 
 Thomas of Hereford, archdeacon of Northumberland, died, 
 the week after the feast of Saint Lawrence, with a holy and 
 blessed end : at one time he had been a pupil in the school of 
 the blessed Edmund, archbishop of Canterbury, and also a 
 famiUar companion of his, owing to which, he continued one 
 of his most confidential friends till his death. And in like 
 manner also, Master Richard, who was afterwards made bishop 
 of Chichester, endeavoured to follow his steps. He, because 
 he was a lover of the poor, bequeathed his body to a certain 
 very poor house, that, namely, of the Brothers of Mount Car- 
 mel. And this holy archdeacon Thomas, and this Richard, 
 
 
 
 A.D. 1253. THE KINO SENDS AMBASSADORS TO SPAIN. 329 
 
 bishop of Chichester, too, although they have not been canon- 
 ized at Rome, we, without any hesitation, beheve to have been 
 associated in the company of Saint Edmund. These three 
 blessed men, then, Edmund, Richard, and Thomas, England 
 produced in this age we are speaking of, as glorious confessors 
 of God. 
 
 One of the picked knights of the king of France, who was 
 at this time in the Holy Land, being angry in no slight degree 
 because of his son, a most gallant knight, whom the said king, 
 without his knowing it, had caused to be hanged for some 
 offence, for which deed, also, the aforesaid king faithfully 
 promised his father to make him amends, abandoned the 
 Christians, and went over to the soldan, and from having been 
 a friend to the Christians, became their enemy, and having 
 joined the pagans, proved a very formidable apostate. 
 
 VVhen the lord the pope had by an apostolic writing en- 
 joined Robert, bishop of Lincoln (as he had done repeatedly 
 to many other persons), to do something which to that pre- 
 late appeared to be unjust and inconsistent, the said bishop 
 wrote an answer to the lord the pope in these words : — 
 
 Robert, bishop of Lincoln^ writes an answer to the lord the pope. 
 
 " Health, &c. May your discretion know, that with the 
 affection of a son, I devoutly and reverently obey the apos- 
 tohe mandates," &c. 
 
 When this letter had reached the pope, the lord the pope 
 being exceedingly indignant at it, proposed to confound the 
 bishop, and to plunge him into such distress, that he should 
 be a wonder and an example of terror to the whole world. 
 But at last, being softened by wiser counsels, he dissembled 
 his anger, and allowed the matter to pass over, that he might 
 not appear to stir up too great a tumidt on the subject. On 
 the vigil of the Assumption, the venerable man, Ranulph, 
 abbot of Ramsey, died, leaving his house and his flock abound- 
 ing in all spiritual as well as temporal riches. 
 
 The king sent formal ambassadors from himself to the king 
 of Spain, namely, the bishop of Bath, and John Mansel, his 
 own especial chaplain, to demand the king's sister in lawful 
 niarriage for his eldest son Edward, the heir of his kingdom 
 of England, and promising himself to invest the aforesaid 
 Mward with the belt of a knight. Robert, bishop of Lincoln, 
 being detained on the bed of sickness, and knowing that 
 
330 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMr:N'STEB. 
 
 A.D. 12j3. 
 
 troubles to the church were near at hand, recited some actions of 
 the Roman court in tlie presence of his chaplains, and bitterly 
 accused the Preaching Brothers and the Minor Brothers, saying 
 that their orders had been established in voluntary poverty, 
 that they might have spirit more freely to reprove the errors 
 of the nobles ; but in that they did not reprove the sins of the 
 nobles boldly, he said, that they were manifest heretics, and 
 he added, *' Heresy is an opinion chosen by human sense, 
 contrary to Holy Scriptures, openly taught, and pertinaci- 
 ously defended. For heresy* is in Greek what election is in 
 Latin. But to give the care of souls to a young child is the 
 act of a prelate, which he elects to do according to bis humaii 
 sense, from yielding to the flesh, or out of rashness, and is 
 contrary to Holy Scripture, which forbids those persons to 
 be made shepherds who are not able to keep off the wolves ; 
 and such an opinion or action is openly taught, because the 
 sealed or bulled charter is openly shown ; and it is pertina- 
 ciously defended, because if any one opposes it he is suspended 
 or excommunicated. And he in whom the whole definition of 
 heresy agrees is a heretic. But every faithful beUever is bound 
 to oppose heretics as much as he can; he, therefore, who can 
 oppose them, and does not oppose them, sins, and appears to 
 be a favourer of error, according to that saying of Gregory, 
 * He is not free from suspicion of a secret comphcity in the 
 act, who declines to oppose a manifest crime.' " But when 
 the aforesaid bishop had said this and many other melancholy 
 things about the state of the church, with a querulous voice, 
 he departed happily from the exile of this world which he had 
 always hated, to be with the Lord, dying on the night of 
 Saint Denis, at his manor of Bugden. But the same night, 
 as it is said, Fulk, bishop of London, when he was near that 
 manor, heard some most beautiful music sounding on high ; 
 also some of the Minor Brothers, who were hastening towards 
 that spot, and who were ignorant of his death, heard a sweet 
 sound of bells ringing on high, among which they particularly 
 remarked one very sweet note of especial beauty and distinct- 
 ness. And afterwards, both the bishop and the brothers 
 knew that the hour of that vision, or rather hearing, was 
 the very one in which the aforesaid holy bishop departed hap- 
 pily from the body. This Robert, bishop of Lincoln, derived 
 liis origin from a family in the lower part of Suffolk, in the 
 * a'iptcig, from atpiu, to choose ; election, from eligo, to choose. 
 
 A.D. 1251. MIEACLES IN TUE CnUECH OF LINCOLN. 33J 
 
 town of Stradbroke. Also William de Vescy, a knight, who 
 was one of the noblest barons of the northern parts of Eng- 
 land, died, while the king was still in the province of Guienne, 
 and entrusting the government of that country to a foreigner. 
 Robert, bishop of Lincoln, being dead, as has been already 
 mentioned, a quarrel arose between the archbishop of Canter- 
 bury and the canons of Lincoln. For the archbishop claimed 
 the power of conferring the prebends and bestowing the re- 
 venues which feU in that diocese while the bishopric was still 
 vacant; but the canons, with many of the secular clergy, 
 who were not unacquainted with the law of this matter, op- 
 posed him, on which account the archbishop excommunicated 
 them and all others who opposed him ; but Master William 
 Wolf contradicted him to his face, and appealed on behalf of 
 all his party to the Apostolic See. 
 
 Eleanor, queen of England, bore a daughter in London on 
 the day of Saint Catharine, who was baptized by the arch- 
 bishop of Canterbury, and who, from the day on which she 
 was born, received the nane of Catharine. 
 
 A terrible quarrel arose at Paris between the scholars and 
 the Preaching Brothers, for the Brothers would not submit to 
 the established customs and laws of the university, but claimed 
 a right to manage themselves, and to be idle or not, according 
 to their own pleasure, and to do other things contrary to the 
 welfare of the community ; on which account Rome was ap- 
 pealed to by both sides at a great expenditure of money and 
 labour, and at last peace was, though with difficulty, re-es- 
 tablished. But in the church of Lincoln miracles were added 
 to miracles every day ; for, the Lord working on behalf of 
 the before-mentioned Saint Robert, other saints who rest in 
 the same church (namely. Saint Remigius and Saint Hugo) 
 were also roused up to confer benefits on the faithful. But 
 as to this Robert having good zeal for the Lord and for his 
 neighbours, although he had harassed his canons a good deal, 
 and had fulminated terrible decrees against persons of the 
 rehgious orders of both sexes, I nevertheless confidently say, 
 that his virtues pleased God more than his excesses displeased 
 him, as is now manifestly shown by the miracles which are so 
 briUiant at his tomb. 
 
 Concerning the sojourn of Icing Henry at Besancon. 
 A.D. 1254. King Henry the Third, it being the thirty-eighth 
 
.332 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1254. 
 
 year of his reign, was at the feast of the Nativity of the Lord 
 at Bezas, in Guienne, where he bestowed precious donations on 
 the people of Guienne, in double garments and other desirable 
 things. And when the queen recovered from her confinement, 
 she sent her lord the king five hundred marks out of her pri- 
 vate revenues. On the day after the feast of the blessed Thomas 
 the Martyr, the canons of Lincoln elected as their bishop 
 Master Henry de Lexinton, dean of the same church, who, 
 though he crossed the sea to be presented to the king, yet 
 feared to appear before him, because the king had entreated 
 and solicited him and his whole chapter to elect the bishop of 
 Hereford, which, however, they all refused to do ; neverthe- 
 less, the king, as he found no cause for rejection in the said 
 bishop elect, admitted him. 
 
 About the same time the king had invited the queen and his 
 eldest son and heir, Edward, requesting them not to delay to 
 come to him with all speed, in order that the arrangement which 
 has been already mentioned as having been entered into by 
 him and the king of Spain touching the marriage to be con- 
 tracted by the prince, might be brought to a conclusion. Some 
 Saracens who had been converted to the faith of Christ came 
 into France, some of whom had been baptized, and some still 
 wanted to be baptized. And this was the cause of their con- 
 version, that they had formerly seen the king miraculously 
 delivered from the hands of the most powerful soldan of Baby- 
 lon, and also the exceeding patience of the king in adversity, 
 his inflexible constancy in his designs, and how he had con- 
 tinued in them even after his captivity, fortifying castles and 
 strengthening cities against the enem'ies of God ; how, too, 
 for the love of his God, he had deserted his kingdom to ex- 
 pose himself to the dangers of the sea, of wars, and of foreign 
 lands, labouring to gain over the souls of the infidels. More- 
 over, they learnt, by the information of the orthodox, that the 
 foul law of Mahomet is full of poison to the soul ; and they 
 brought with them letters patent from the king of France, 
 saying that they were to be supported at the king's expense 
 till he himself returned to his own country, when he would 
 make fuller provision for them. 
 
 On Septuagesima Sunday some ships of barbarians, which 
 had been tossed about by the fury of the winds, of great size 
 and elegance, the like of which there were not in the posses- 
 sion of England, well found in all their naval armament, and 
 
 A.D. 1254. THE POPE WRITES TO ALL THE PRELATES. 333 
 
 in all kinds of warlike stores and provisions, were driven on 
 our coast, and anchored not far from Berwick. And when 
 the sailors were asked who they were, they either would not, 
 or perhaps could not, explain intelligibly, or say who they were, 
 or why, or from whence, or in what manner they had come 
 thither, nor did any one of the bailiwick understand their 
 language, so that they were allowed to depart in peace. And 
 some other ships resembling them were also seen at sea. 
 
 Gaston de Biarde having collected a multitude of the king's 
 enemies, rashly made an attempt to enter the city of Bayonne, 
 in a seditious and hostile manner, and to occupy it ; and Bay- 
 onne is situated on the sea coast, and is the second city of all 
 Guienne. But a number of the citizens, who had admitted 
 some of the king's enemies, because they also hated him, were 
 arrested by the faithful subjects of the king, and punished 
 with other traitors. Also John Hansard, who was not the 
 least among the nobles of the north country, died, in the 
 general mortality which accompanied that expedition. But 
 when the severity of the cold, which had continued with fearful 
 rigour during nearly the whole of that winter, ceased, such a 
 fatal pestilence among the sheep and game ensued, that the 
 sheepfolds were bereft of their sheep, and the forests of their 
 game, and of large herds, scarcely one half survived. 
 
 The lord the pope, taking into his consideration that the 
 hberal sciences had now been nearly all turned into mechani- 
 cal ones for the sake of gain, and that young persons, very 
 httle advanced in either age or knowledge, were promoted 
 most unworthily to the office of teacher, in order that, by 
 bmg thus elevated, they might be feared, and being thus made 
 more venerable, might climb to higher places, though desti- 
 tute of any sound foundation, wrote an elegant letter on this 
 subject to all the prelates existing in the kingdoms of France, 
 England, Scotland, Wales, Spain, and Hungary, giving them 
 wholesome counsel against such indiscreet presumption, which 
 letter a diligent seeker will be able to find elsewhere. Pope 
 Innocent thmkmg, as is generally said, to cast the bones of 
 Robert, bishop of Lincoln, out of the church, the next night 
 that same bishop appeared to him, as it is said, arrayed in his 
 pontifical vestments, and with serene countenance, and austere 
 look and terrible voice, addressed the pope himself, pricking him 
 in the side with the point of his pastoral staff, and said to him : 
 O,pope Senebald, have you cherished the idea of throwing my 
 
334 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 AD. 1254. 
 
 bones out of the church, to the disgrace of me myself and the 
 church of Lincoln ? Whence did such rashness enter your 
 head ? The Lord will not at all permit you to have any power 
 whatever over me. I wrote to you in the spirit of humility 
 that you should correct your errors, but you despised my salu- 
 tary warnings. Alas for you who despise, shall you not also be 
 despised ?" And so departing, he left the pope pierced through 
 as it were with a lance, sighing and groaning heavily. On the 
 twenty-eighth of March, the bishop elect of Lincoln, namely, 
 Henry de Lexinton, formerly dean of the said church, was 
 confirmed by Boniface, archbishop of Canterbury. And the 
 same month, namely, on the thirteenth of May, Silvester, 
 bishop of Carlisle, died of falling from his horse on his head, 
 and having broken many bones, he so expired. About tlie 
 same time, that is to say, on the twenty-fourth of March, Wil- 
 liam, son of William, and count of Ferrara, died, a man of 
 great prudence and skill in the laws of the kingdom. He 
 used to be carried about in a carriage or litter, and as one day 
 his carriage was overturned and thrown down on a certain 
 bridge, namely, at Saint Neots, he himself had some limbs 
 broken, and so went speedily to death. The same year, a con- 
 firmation was held in the church of Saint Albau's, by Richard, 
 the venerable bishop of Bangor. 
 
 About this time, a most bloody battle was fought on the 
 confines of Flanders and Brabant, between the French and 
 the Flemings on the one side, and the countess of Flanders 
 and her allies, namely, Wilham of Holland, king of Germany, 
 and many other nobles of Brabant and Germany, on the other 
 side, on behalf of the two sons of the aforesaid countess by 
 her two husbands ; in which battle many gallant warriors 
 perished lamentably, so that ten thousand men were slain of 
 one city in Flanders. At last, the victory declared for the king 
 before mentioned, William of Holland, and the Germans ; and 
 the French were defeated and wounded, and for the most part 
 slain, and so got the worst of it. The French, therefore, being 
 precipitated into the abyss of despair and desolation, gave no- 
 tice to the lord the king of France, who was still remaining in 
 foreign countries after his release from captivity, that he ought 
 to hasten to return to his own country with all possible speed ; 
 adding, how the crown of France was tottering in consequence 
 of the pride of a woman, namely, the countess of Flanders, 
 who, relying on her two sons and her two husbands, filled the 
 whole kingdom of France with embarrassment. 
 
 
 
 A.D. 1254. HENET DE LEXINTON CONSECRATED BY BONIFACE. 335 
 
 About this time, the lord John, prior of Newburgh, was 
 sent mto those parts on the business of the kingdom of Eng- 
 land ; and he being certified of these events, committed them 
 to writmg m a full detail, and in regular order ; and the num- 
 ber of nobles, and knights, and esquires, and men-at-arms 
 who were taken prisoners or slain in that battle, is said to have 
 amounted to more than a hundred thousand men. 
 
 In the course of the fortnight after Easter, the nobles of 
 England, being assembled in Parliament, in London, waited 
 for the arrival of earl Richard for three weeks to no purpose • 
 and the king intimated to them that he stood in need of money 
 and a reinforcement to his army ; and they all replied that 
 they would, under no circumstances, delay to come in person 
 to the succour of the lord their king, if, as they said, they 
 received fuller mformation of the hostile arrival of the kino- of 
 Spain, who threatened such a proceeding ; and they marvel- 
 led that the aforesaid king had never laid claim to Guienne 
 durmg the time that Simon, eari of Leicester, was governor of 
 It. These, then, were their arguments. But afterwards the 
 nobles, havuig learnt the real state of affairs from the aforesaid 
 earl, who just at that time returned from foreign parts and 
 told them the real truth, and finding that the message which 
 they received had no foundation, returned home in great in- 
 dignation. When eari Richard required of the Jews a sum of 
 money of no inconsiderable amount for the service of the kine 
 who was m great want of it, Elias of London, the high priest 
 ot the Jews, made answer on behalf of them all : " My lords 
 we see that the lord the king proposes to wipe us all out from 
 betore the face of heaven ; we ask, therefore, that he will give 
 us his royal hcence ; behold, we are prepared to depart from 
 the kingdom, and we will depart and never return." This he 
 said with sobs and most bitter tears, on which account the 
 nobles, pitying them, allowed them to depart. Another fierce 
 battle took place between the French and Germans. The Fries- 
 landers, who had previously observed a neutrality, were at- 
 tacked in a hostile manner by Wilham of Holland. 
 
 About this time, that is to say, on the seventeenth of May 
 Henry de Lexinton, bishop elect of Lincoln, was consecrated 
 and installed in his diocese by Boniface, archbishop of Canter- 
 bury, while he was in a foreign land. As some Welchmen 
 
 iTi.llTr.f''r"^,^? ^^^ ^"^^'^ army in Guienne, were pu' 
 nished by the king s brothers and the people of Poitou, without 
 
 
 KJi 
 
 < 
 
33() 
 
 MITTHEW or WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1201. 
 
 A.D. 1254. 
 
 EDWAED IS SE2^T IlfTO SPAIN. 
 
 337 
 
 any complaint being previously lodged against them before the 
 earl of Hereford, who is well known, according to his ancient 
 right, to be constable of the royal army ; and when the said 
 earl had addressed a complaint of this proceeding to the king, 
 and got nothing but ridicule, the English, being indignant at 
 this, proposed to attack the Poitevins ; but the king being 
 alarmed, humbly besought their pardon, but could hardly 
 check their fury so as to prevent blood from being shed abun- 
 dantly ; on which account, some of the nobles, seeing that any- 
 thing Hke a lasting peace was at a great distance, obtained 
 leave from the king, and returned with all speed to their own 
 country. That cruel sentence, by which Henry Delamere, when 
 going his circuit as justiciary, had caused the house of Saint 
 Alban's to be amerced in a hundred marks, because the ser- 
 vants of the abbot did not come before him out of the liberty 
 of Saint Alban's, as they had no right to do, was revoked and 
 annulled. In consequence of which, the said abbot procured 
 letters from the king on the subject, the queen and earl Richard 
 being the guardians of the kingdom, the king himself being in 
 Guienne. 
 
 The same year, permission was obtained from king Henry 
 that the monks of Westminster and their successors should 
 have extracts from the rolls taken before any of the justiciaries 
 concerning the amercements and every kind of fine of those 
 who dwelt on their lands, and concerning the chattels of those 
 among them who fled or who were convicted of anything. 
 And a charter had been previously drawn up and granted to 
 them on this subject, a.d. 1252. In which, also, permission 
 was given them for their convent to have for its own whatever 
 revenues accrued during the time of any vacancy. 
 
 As the people of Winchelsea had prepared a very sufficient 
 ship for the queen, when she was about to cross the sea, but 
 the men of Yarmouth had equipped a much finer one for 
 prince Edward, a quarrel arose between them, so that when 
 the finer vessel was wrecked, they attacked the crew and 
 wounded some of the sailors and slew others. On which ac- 
 count a very grave complaint was made, and the men of Yar- 
 mouth, with one accord, bent their thoughts to taking revenge 
 for this transgression. But while the queen was grieving, bemg 
 very much disturbed by such a contention, when everythmg 
 was prepared for her crossing the sea, and when she herself was 
 ready, behold ! another message comes from the king, con- 
 
 trary to his former one, desiring that the queen would not 
 cross the sea. She, therefore, being vexed and perplexed ou 
 all sides, deliberated what she ought to do. At last, bavin o- 
 made up her mind, she determined not to abandon her intend 
 tion, but with her sons and her noble household, she embarked 
 on board ship at Portsmouth, on the twenty-ninth of May, 
 under the conduct of her uncle, the archbishop of Canterbury \ 
 and on the thirty-first of May, she arrived at Bourdeaux! 
 And Walter de Grey, archbishop of York, was appointed regent 
 of the kingdom in the queen's stead. 
 
 That year, the north-wind blowing uninterruptedly for three 
 months, did great injury to the spring flowers and fruits. 
 About the first of July, just at the time of the summer sol- 
 stice, a sudden torrent of rain mingled with hail, such as was 
 never seen before, burst forth, lasting for an hour or more, 
 and tearing off" the roofs of the houses, and breaking the 
 branches of the trees. 
 
 In the month of May, died that hope and glory of the 
 English, that youth of great beauty and promise, Henry, son 
 of the emperor Frederic. And he died, as is asserted, owing 
 to the intrigues of Conrad himself, which is, however, not 
 credible, nor is there any proof of it ; as the said king Con- 
 rad, after his death, never wore the cheerful countenance that 
 he did before. But the real truth was, that a wicked man, 
 John the Moor, administered poison to him, and while he was 
 still panting and near death, smothered him with a towel. A 
 violent quarrel arose between the lord the pope and Conrad, 
 king of Sicily. B'or the pope accused him of many crimes, 
 namely, of heresy and murder ; but he replied to every one 
 of the charges, giving them a steady denial. 
 
 Edward is sent into Spain to he married, 
 Edward, thfe eldest son of the king, was sent with great 
 pomp and magnificence to Alfonzo, king of Spain, where he 
 married the youthful Eleanor, the sister of the king, at Burgos, 
 and was invested by the said king with the belt of a knight ; 
 and Edward returning with his bride to his father, brought 
 with him a document from the king of Spain, sealed with a 
 golden bull, in which he claimed quiet possession of the whole 
 of Guienne, for himself and his heirs. But the king of Eng- 
 land had conferred on his before-mentioned son at the time of 
 his marriage, and on his wife, Guienne, Ireland, Wales, Bristol. 
 
 VOL. II. 
 
338 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1254. 
 
 Stamford, Grantham, with other places. From that time forth 
 the king began to prepare for a speedy return into England. 
 And it was found, by careful computation, that the king, on his 
 expedition into Guienne, had consumed in his expenses twenty- 
 seven thousand pounds and more, without counting the estates, 
 and guardianships, and revenues, wliich he had bestowed on 
 foreigners, and a sum of thirty thousand marks which he had 
 expended on his uterine brothers. At the feast of the trans- 
 lation of Saint Benedict, the l)ishop of Norwich came to Saint 
 Alban's, in comphance with the orders of both the pope and 
 the king, in order to take tithes of all the property of that 
 church, with the exception of the barony ; according to the 
 grant which had been made to the king for three years, on con- 
 dition, however, of his going on a pilgrimage for the relief of 
 the Holy Land. Therefore, he convoked all the rectors and 
 vicars of churches, and all the keepers of churches in the dis- 
 trict of St. Alban's, in order that their property might be 
 taxed, the value being first estimated on oath. And he caused 
 all the officers of that monastery to tax their property with 
 strictness and good faith, asserting that a strict examination 
 into that taxation should be afterwards entered into, with dili- 
 gent and strict investigation. Moreover, he shewed the auto- 
 graph letters of which he was the bearer, both from the pope 
 and the king, and declared that he had submitted to that task 
 very unwillingly. On which account, a thing of unprece- 
 dented strangeness took place. For, hitherto, the people of 
 the district had been accustomed to pay tithes to the prelates, 
 but now the order being quite inverted and changed, the pre- 
 lates were compelled against their will to pay tithes to the 
 laity. But about the time of the anniversary of the before- 
 mentioned translation, that, namely, of Saint Benedict, the 
 lord the king of France came from the Holy Land, at the 
 earnest entreaty of the nobles of his kingdom, as has been 
 already mentioned ; and when, after a fair voyage, he had 
 landed at Marseilles, which is at no great distance from Mont 
 Pesilan, he stayed there a few days and rested. But as 
 his nobles were urging him, he hastened to proceed on to 
 France, because the king of Germany, the aforesaid William, 
 was with difficulty prevailed on to grant a short truce to the 
 French or to maintain it. Therefore, the aforesaid king connng 
 to his own country, immediately deliberated how he might (by 
 the intervention of justice) pacify the before-mentioned dis- 
 
 A.D. 1254. THE POPE AGA[N SENDS TO THE KfNG. 339 
 
 Ou the ninth of August, Hugo, hishop of Elv, died, who 
 had formerly been abbot of Saint Edmund's, and Vho in t e 
 two churches had served God in an exemplary manner for 
 about forty years. And his body was buried wirKreat re 
 spect n, the cathedral of Ely, in the new presbytery. 4ich be 
 had budt from its foundations with great magnifice^ncT, at h s 
 own expense. And by his death the Black Friars lost t t 
 flower of their order, inasmuch as he was the abbot of abbot, 
 in England and was distinguished as the bishop of bishops 
 On the vigd of the Assumption, about one o'clock, a clap ^, f 
 Umnder, accompamed with lightning, sounded, attended also 
 with a vast storm of ram, and the thunderbolt fell on the 
 tower of Saint Peter's church, in the town of Saint Alban'. 
 and penetrated it with a horrible crash, twisting the larg^ 
 beams of oak as if they were rags, and crushing it and scat! 
 tenng ,t into mmute splinters. Master Thomas de Vieu. 
 Pouts was elected bishop of Cariisle, although the lord the 
 king was very earnest in his petition for some one else 
 namely, for the prior of Newburgh. 
 
 This summer, some nobles belonging to the Greek emnire 
 arnved at the court of Rome, clo&el in gold ^ th rTd'^n. 
 
 th„ »';/"■? TTr 'T*'' "'"^ " '''y "'""-""^ bousehoui! 
 
 clnrf^ r ''■•VT'^"'^ P"P^' »'«' i" n»st violent language 
 charged him with having erred enormously in the faitl^ aid 
 
 faUier and 7tT^ ■'"" '\ "«l.v Ghost proceeds from the 
 rather and the Son, inasmuch as by them he was assertP^ .„ 
 
 erblil'reHe; rf 7- T^'Vl" '"^ ''~trtrand 
 established belief of the Greeks. And this error of the Greeks 
 
 one o long standing. They also accused liim of otl.eHmt 
 proper things, which his court notoriously practised 
 
 But the pope bestowed valuable presents on them" and sent 
 them away well instructed in the faith. 
 
 When Master Albert had returned to Rome, and reported 
 
 the answer of earl Richard to the lord the p^e. he was a 
 
 eooud ime sent by the pope, on a secret message to the kng 
 
 of England to offer and grant him the kingdoms of Lull! 
 
 it' Le'n''" '"" ^"^Tl^- "Sing W-n »" hasten hfe a 
 
 force to fr"'"""."^ ''•™' *"'! '" P''^P»« IS large a 
 torce to assist him as he could without inconvenience. But 
 
 z 2 
 
3 JO 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1251. 
 
 A.D 1254. ENQUIST AS TO THE TALFE OF LANDS. 
 
 341 
 
 the king was so delighted at this promise, that he already 
 hegan pubUcly to call the aforesaid Edmund king of Sicily ; 
 believing, in fact, that he was already in possession of the 
 kingdom. Accordingly, the king sent all the money he could 
 procure to the lord the pope, that he might subdue Conrad 
 and all his Sicihans and Apulians. And the pope collected 
 a considerable army, and provided it abundantly with neces- 
 saries. And when his money began to fall short he informed 
 the king, who sent him letters patent in the way of security, 
 and undertook to make every thing quiet. And the pope ac- 
 quiescing in such a message as this, having received a trea- 
 sure of great amount from the usurers, collected a vast 
 number of men in his army, the greater part of whom were 
 of little service to either the king or the pope. Therefore, 
 king Conrad having suffered hostile attacks, and reproaches and 
 calumnies, began to be afflicted with severe grief, and to take 
 to the bed of death. And he said, *' Woe is me, miserable that 
 I am ! Why did my father beget me ? The empire which has 
 flourished to this day, is now withering." And so, cursing the 
 day of his birth, he departed from the body in a miserable 
 state. But when the pope heard of this, he moved down to 
 the further side of Apulia, and seized upon nearly the whole 
 of the kingdom. And when the nobles of the country saw 
 this they were indignant, and setting up a natural son of Fre- 
 deric, by name Manfred, they adhered to him, doing homage 
 to him ; and so the last error was worse than the first. 
 
 After the feast of All Saints, a most terrible pestilence 
 came, which is called the tongue's evil, and which caused the 
 death of many horses in England and France, and made many 
 others sick and useless, so that it was afterwards scarcely pos- 
 sible to cure them. But on the day after the Assumption, 
 the monks of the church of Saint Albans set out on a journey 
 towards Rome, with a view of repelling the insolence of the 
 bishops, who were endeavouring to hold a visitation in that 
 church, according to the commands of the A])ostolic See, but 
 contrary to the tenor of their privileges ; their names being 
 the lord William of Huntingdon, and the lord John of Be- 
 retun. The same year, in the winter season, when the sea 
 had overflowed all the neighbouring lands, so that the corn 
 could not be seen, nor could the trees put forth buds or leaves, 
 when the time of autumn arrived all those lands, although 
 they had been diligently cultivated, were found to be barreu 
 of every kind of corn, being thoroughly saturated with the 
 
 i 
 
 salt water of the sea. And all the trees, too, whether in woods 
 or fruit-trees, being dried by the sun, were fit for nothing but 
 to be cut down with the axe. Owing to which, the sailors 
 who were working on the water, experienced in reality that in 
 that inundation the sea, as if departing from its usualchannel, 
 had made sands in the middle, where there used before to be 
 deep water. 
 
 The earl of Norwich, John de Pleysiz, Gilbert de Segrave 
 and other nobles of England with them, proposed to return 
 overland from Guienne to their own country, and had arrived 
 at a certain city in Poitou, which is called Fonts, and they 
 vyere honourably received by the citizens, who came out to meet 
 them and applauded them. And while they were feasting in 
 security, as they fancied, lo ! some citizens running up, in 
 consequence of a concealed treason which had been arranged 
 among them, said to them, - Behold, your companions and 
 your household have already stirred up sedition in the city •" 
 for besides them, there were a great many eminent men of' the 
 kuigdom of England already lodged in that city. And when 
 the cry -to arms I" had been raised, they demanded that the 
 arms which they had formerly delivered up to their enter- 
 tainers, should be restored to them. But they refused to 
 restore them, and retained them as it had been originally ar- 
 ranged. And so the armed citizens rushed upon them, and took 
 them prisoners, and cruelly threw them into prison ; nor were 
 the letters of the king of France, granting them safe conduct, 
 ot any avad to them. But when the king heard of this he 
 wrote letters on their behalf to the citizens, who, however 
 despised his commands. 
 
 This year, William de Cantilupe, an accomplished and wealthy 
 young man, died, and he was now the third of the Canti 
 lupes who had been removed from this world within a few 
 years. On the festival of Saint Edward, an unprecedented 
 brief proceeded from the king's chancery, ordering enquiry to 
 oe made into the manors belonging to the religious orders', in 
 order to see how many plough-lands belonged to them in fee 
 and how many were liable to fines, and whether they could 
 make any plough-land greater or less, and in like manner of 
 ren ed lands. Also of what value each plough-land was by 
 Tf i ? common years, after deducting all expenses. Also 
 what value the services of the farmers were, and what was 
 nie extent of their revenues ; and this reqiusition was ap- 
 
 li 
 
 I 
 
 \ti. 
 
 *j 
 
i 
 
 if ■ 
 
 in 
 
 342 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 12L4. 
 
 pointed to be made by four trustworthy men of the rehgious 
 orders, and also by the provost of the place of each manor. 
 And Master William of Kilkenny filled the office of Chan- 
 cellor with great modesty and virtue, and he also had the 
 title of chancellor. And not long afterwards, the same Master 
 William was elected bishop of Ely. 
 
 About the same time, three abbots died in the Fens, namely, 
 the abbot of Croyland, the abbot of Thorney, and the good 
 abbot of Ramsey, by name William of Hacholt. On the seven- 
 teenth of October, the king of France returned to his own home, 
 and would admit of no consolation, but keeping his eyes fixed 
 on the ground, with the deepest sorrow and frequent sighs, 
 he kept recalling his captivity to mind, and the general con- 
 fusion of Christendom on account of it. At length a certain 
 lioly bishop comforting him, said, " Beware, lord, lest you 
 be precipitated into such weariness of life and such sorrow ; 
 for it is a very great sin, because it is to the prejudice of the 
 Holy Spirit. Bring before your eyes the patience of Job, the 
 endurance of Eustace, and likewise of others." But the king 
 answered him, ** If I alone suffered the disgrace and misfor- 
 tune, and if the consequences of my sins did not affect the 
 universal church, I would bear these things with equanimity." 
 And so, a mass having been chaunted to the honour of the 
 Holy Spirit, by the grace of God the king received the warn- 
 ings of consolation. The king of England, too, having made 
 a general peace with the king of Spain, hastened to return to 
 England ; and having obtained permission of the king of 
 France, lie preferred returning by land. Moreover, as he 
 desired to visit the kingdom of France, he sent ambassadors 
 to the king, and obtained leave to pass through France. And 
 when the countess of Cornwall heard that the king of Eng- 
 land, with the queen, her sister, was about to pass through 
 the kingdom of France, and also that the queen of France, 
 her other sister, was going to meet them on their journey, 
 she, by the indulgence of her husband, the earl Richard, crossed 
 the sea, attended by a large retinue, to visit her two sisters. 
 
 In the meantime, iEthelmar, bishop elect of Winchester, 
 miserably oppressed his monks, so that some of them, worn 
 out with bitterness of spirit, never recovered afterwards. Ac- 
 cordingly, the whole chapter, seeking safer plans of refuge, 
 dispersed to different houses of the order of Black Friars, for 
 the sake of sojourning in them. And the king reproved him 
 
 A.D. 1254. 
 
 IKNOCENT THE FOURTH DIES. 
 
 343 
 
 for this, saying that he was ungrateful in requiting honour 
 with disgrace, and showing ill-will in return for benefits. But 
 the bishop elect did not at all yield to injuctions of this kind, 
 but invested unworthy persons with the cowl, in the place of 
 those who had retired^ And when the prior went to Rome, 
 a new prior was introduced by the bishop elect, who threw 
 them all into great confusion, in compliance with the wish 
 of the bishop elect. About the time of the feast of Saint 
 Nicholas, pope Innocent the Fourth died at Naples, having 
 been afflicted with a twofold grief. For after Robert, bishop 
 of Lincoln, had pricked him with the point of his staff, he 
 suffered under a continued languor ; and after his army was 
 scattered and defeated, from that time forth he was hardly 
 more than half alive. And the very same week a vision of 
 him presented itself to one of the cardinals in his sleep, who 
 saw in a dream that the said pope, being brought, and bound 
 down, before a judge sitting on his tribunal, was vehemently 
 accused by a certain very noble matron. And he, entreating 
 pardon for the matter whereof he had been accused, received 
 the final iv.rr.rd of his extortions. And when he awoke, he 
 related this vision at greater length, and it became notorious 
 in those parts. He was succeeded by another man of a very 
 fairly religious character, namely, the bishop of Ostia, the 
 nephew of pope Gregory, who took the name of Alexander the 
 Fourth. And at the beginning of his papacy, he wTote to all 
 the prelates of the churches, humbly requesting them to pray 
 for him, that the Lord would give him power, and grace, and 
 will to govern the church of God *n a fitting manner, and 
 worthy to be called the Vicar of God, and the Successor of 
 Peter. He, by the advice and persuasion of some of his 
 counsellors, continued the war w^iich had been begun by his 
 predecessor Innocent, against the adherents of Frederic, and 
 especially against Manfred, the natural son of Frederic : that 
 the king of England might not be disappointed of the hope 
 that he had conceived, because of the promise made to him 
 about the kingdom of Sicily. 
 
 Of the passage of the hmg of Englayid through Trance. 
 
 Then the king of England coming to a noble nunnery, that, 
 namely, of Fontevraud, caused the body of his mother Isabella 
 to be removed into the church and buried there. In like man- 
 ner, when he came to Pontiguy, w here he was ill, he prayed at 
 
 
 i 
 
344 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1254. 
 
 the tomb of the blessed Edmund, and recovered his health. And 
 whilehe was hastening through France, the king of France 
 ordered the nobles of the land, and the citizens of the cities 
 through which the king of England would pass, to remove every- 
 thing which could ofifend his eyes, and to deck everything with 
 ornaments, and to receive him reverently, going out to meet 
 him, and following in his train. And the king himself came to 
 meet him at Chartres. Moreover, the king ordered everything 
 that was necessary for the table to be provided for the king 
 of England at his expense, as long as he was in his kingdom, 
 which the king accepted in good part. For he had in his re- 
 tinue a thousand of the finest horses, without counting two 
 horse chariots, and sumpter horses, and his own riders. There 
 came to meet him also, the queen of France, and his sisters, the 
 countess of Anjou and the countess of Provence, who came in 
 order to meet their sisters the queen of England and the 
 countess of Cornwall, who were travelling with the king. And 
 their mother was also present, whose name was Beatrice, and 
 who was called the countess of Provence. But the Parisian 
 scholars, and especially those who belonged to the English 
 nation, suspending their lectures for the time, brought waxen 
 tapers and festive garments, and all sorts of things which 
 could betoken their joy, and having prepared singers with 
 garlands of flowers and chaplets, and musical instruments, 
 they went out to meet them on their arrival, and so they passed 
 all that day and the next (the whole city of Paris being 
 adorned in a wonderful manner), with joy, and polite songs, 
 and sounds of exultation. But the king of England, though 
 he had the palace of the king of France offered to him to lodge 
 in, nevertheless did lodge in the Old Temple, and immediately 
 on his arrival there, gave orders that the next morning, at 
 day-break, all the houses belonging to that court should be 
 filled with poor people, who should obtain refreshment there. 
 On the next day he visited all the remarkable places in Paris ; 
 and the king of France feasted with the king of England, and 
 after dinner, the aforesaid king of England sent to each of the 
 French nobles magnificent cups, and other valuable presents. 
 And there were present at the banquet the two kings, the two 
 queens, twenty-five dukes, twelve bishops, and of illustrious 
 knights a host, beyond all calculation, .ind eighteen countesses. 
 And that night the king of England lodged in the palace of 
 the king of France, in the middle of the city ; for that was 
 
 A.D. 1255. 
 
 KING UENRT LANDS AT DOVER. 
 
 345 
 
 the desire of the king of France. And in this manner the two 
 kings amused themselves with each other's company for eight 
 days. And when he departed,, it was found that he had 
 lavished a thousand pounds in his expenses at Paris, without 
 counting presents of incalculable value that he had given 
 away. But when the king came to the sea-shore, as he did 
 not find a fair wind, he stayed some days at Boulogne against 
 his will, where Peter Chaceporc, a native of Poitou, and the 
 king's treasurer, and also his chaplain and especial counsellor, 
 died. 
 
 Ch. XVI.— From a.d. 1255 to a.d. 1258. 
 
 Great exactions of the king — The first elephant is brought to 
 England — War between the Pope and Manfred — Com- 
 plaints are made of the violation of Magna Charta — 
 J'he earl of Cornwall is croivned /dtig of the Romans — The 
 Poitevins are expelled from England. 
 
 Concerning the great distress caused in England ly exactions. 
 
 A.D. 1255. King Henry the Third, on his return from 
 Guienne, was at Saint IMary's of Boulogne on the day of the 
 feast of the Nativity of the Lord, it being the thirty-ninth 
 year of his reign, where he was waiting for a fair wind to cross 
 the channel into England ; and while there, he caused the 
 body of Peter Chaceporc, who had died on the eve of the 
 Nativity, to be honourably buried. This Peter bequeathed 
 six hundred marks for the purchase of land in England, that 
 on it a church might be built, at Merton, for a body of re- 
 ligious canons, who should be elected, and that it should be 
 maintained there for ever, to the honour of God, and for the 
 benefit of his soul, and those of all faithful behevers. 
 
 But on the Sunday the king crossed the channel, and with 
 a fair wind landed at Dover, and on his arrival he was met by 
 earl Richard, his brother, and other nobles who had been 
 summoned from distant parts for the purpose, and who, with 
 the other prelates, presented him with gifts of great value. 
 When the lord the king had accepted the election of Master 
 William Kilkenny, trusting in the fidelity of lord Henry de 
 Wengham, he committed to him the custody of his seal, which 
 the said Master William, bishop elect, had previously had ; and 
 the Londoners offered the king on his arrival a hundred pounds. 
 
 1 1 
 
346 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 AD. 1255. 
 
 which he had greatly loDged for, though he refused to look 
 upon it as a gratuitous present, saying that it was only a 
 payment of what was due to him. And when they heard 
 this, they added besides a very valuable vessel, and then they 
 received his thanks. 
 
 Not long afterwards, the king making an investigation 
 into the conduct of the Londoners, in the matter of a certain 
 clerk, who had been condemned to death, and imprisoned in 
 Newgate, and had escaped from thence, exacted three thousand 
 marks from them by way of punishment. But they answered 
 that the king had given up the prisoner to the bishop, on the 
 ground of his being a clerk ; but because the bishop had not 
 fi proper prison, he requested the citizens to lend the afore- 
 said prison to him for the confinement of the said clerk, who, 
 after having been placed there, escaped ; and they urged that 
 "such an escape, made through the fact of two guards of 
 the bishop having been deceived, ought not to be imputed to 
 us.'* But though they thus excused themselves, they could 
 not obtain a remission of the fine from the king. 
 
 Hernald de Bosco, one of the prime foresters of England, 
 died on the sixth of February, and was buried at Bethelesdene, 
 before the great altar. Moreover, the king exacted from the 
 Jews eight thousand marks, which they were to pay in a short 
 time, on pain of being hanged. But they (as has been already 
 mentioned) requested leave of the king, and desired to leave 
 England, never to return. But the king delivered them over 
 to earl Richard to punish them, and to extract the money from 
 them ; and in consequence, the earl lent the king, on sufficient 
 security, a very considerable sum of gold. 
 
 Violent storms of wind, with heavy rain, lasting from the 
 feast of Saint Valentine into the following month, day and 
 night, caused an unprecedented confusion. In the diocese of 
 Norwich, the sea cast up a beast of a very monstrous charac- 
 ter, which had been much injured, and killed by the tempests 
 and the waves ; it was called a very huge whale, yet it was 
 not a whale, but a monster, and it enriched the whole of the 
 neighbouring district ; an elephant, too, was sent into Eng- 
 land, having been given as a present by the king of France to 
 the king of England when he was in the country of France, 
 and we believe that no other elephant was at any time seen in 
 England. Besides this, the queen of France gave the king 
 of England a peacock, being a stone bath of marvellous work- 
 
 A.D. 1255. THE NOBLES MEET IN PARLIAMENT. 
 
 347 
 
 manship, which in its form exhibited a resemblance to a pea- 
 cock, and it was covered all over with eyes like a real pea- 
 cock, made of precious stones, which are called pearls, and 
 gold, and silver, and sapphires. 
 
 When the king came to Saint Alban's, he remained there 
 six days, and each day and night he visited the blessed mar- 
 tyr with a large taper, and offered precious vestments, and 
 one choral cape at his shrine. And about the days of the 
 passion of our Lord, the son of a certain knight, by name 
 John of Shelford, belonging to the body of knights of Saint 
 Alban's, in order the more speedily to obtain the inheritance 
 of his father, procured his death, and did not leave one canon 
 of those he found with his father alive. And being convicted 
 of this, he was dragged to the gallows in London at a horse's 
 tail, and there hanged with one of his kinsmen, who was his 
 accomplice. 
 
 The same year, during Lent, according to a relation that 
 has been given us as true, a certain nocturnal vision appeared 
 to pope Alexander, who had been newly created. It was 
 nearly the same as had previously appeared to one of the car- 
 dinals, as was recorded in the case of pope Innocent, lately 
 deceased. Therefore, the pious pope ordered alms to be dis- 
 tributed in his name, and masses to be offered. 
 
 A fortnight after Easter, all the nobles of England met in 
 parhament in London ; to whom the lord the king complained 
 that he was involved in many debts, and that he could not be 
 freed from them without their assistance, entreating them that 
 he might receive a full portion from those baronies which 
 were not included when the tenths were granted to him be- 
 fore. They, therefore, having taken counsel with one ano- 
 ther, agreed that they had a right to complain of many points 
 in the observance of Magna Charta ever since it had been 
 granted. Therefore, they demanded that they might have 
 authority to elect, by their joint deliberation, the justiciary of 
 the kingdom, and also the chancellor and the treasurer, as 
 had been the custom of old ; and also that these officers 
 should not be removed without the common deliberation and 
 consent of the kingdom. But they received for answer, that 
 the king would by no means grant that. At last, this business 
 was postponed till the feast of Saint Michael, in order that 
 in the meantime the parliament might test the king's good 
 faith in the matter of the observance of the charter which had 
 
 jij 
 
348 
 
 MATTUEW or "WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A."D. 1255. 
 
 been so often promised and broken, and then they would en- 
 deavour to assist him to the utmost of their power. 
 
 At this time the weather was very unseasonable during 
 nearly the whole of the spring season, and very unfavourable 
 to flowers and trees, because the whole of the month of April 
 there was neither rain nor dew to soften the dry earth, or to 
 give it even the slightest refreshment. Walter de Grey, arch- 
 bishop of York, in the aforesaid parliament, having his brain 
 softened by his daily fastings and anxieties, so that he had en- 
 tirely lost his appetite for eating, and was wasting away, went 
 to Fulham, the manor of the bishop of London, where, on the 
 third day after his arrival, he expired in perfect happiness. 
 He had ruled his church of York with great vigour for about 
 forty years, all but three months and three weeks. And so, 
 about the first of May, he went the way of all flesh, and his 
 body was honourably conveyed to York, under the conduct of 
 Walter, bishop of Durham, one of his suffragans, and honour- 
 ably buried in the church of York. Intimation was given to 
 the chapter of Lincoln,- by Master Hugh de Mortimer, officer 
 of the archbishop of Canterbury, that, as the appointment of 
 William Wolf, formerly archdeacon of Lincoln, had been an- 
 nulled, they should, without delay, elect some one else in his 
 stead ; or else Master Hugh, by the authority of the Apos- 
 tolic See, and that of his lord of Canterbury, would do it him- 
 self, and punish the canons for their disobedience. Therefore, 
 the canons created a new archdeacon, the aforesaid Master 
 William submitting to this very patiently, and manfully ex- 
 erting himself for the liberties of his church. 
 
 The lord Alexander the pope sent the cardinal Octavian 
 with a large army to destroy Nocera, with king Manfred, who 
 had thrown himself into it. So when Octavian, having mar- 
 shalled his forces with the aid of a certain skilful and power- 
 ful marquis, had arrived almost under the walls of the city, a 
 great alarm seized both the armies, so that the citizens did 
 not venture to attack in a hostile manner those who were 
 coming against them, nor did those who came venture to at- 
 tack the citizens. At last, the marquis said to Octavian, 
 *' My lord, let a third part of our army retreat, for Manfred 
 and his army are, as it were, besieged and shut in, for they do 
 not dare to come forth." Moreover, the same marquis dimi- 
 nished his army a second time, so as to retain scarcely twelve 
 thousand out of sixty thousand. And when he had done 
 
 h 
 
 A.D. 1255. SOME CHUECHES AEE EMBAERASSED. 
 
 349 
 
 tliis, then that traitor marquis secretly went to Manfred, and 
 told him tliat all this had been done by'his means, inasmuch as 
 lie was a most faithful friend to Frederic. Therefore, Manfred 
 and his army marched out, and when they came near the 
 ])ope'8 army, they took them all in their toils hke birds, Oc- 
 tavian himself scarcely escaping, and slew them all except the 
 household of the marquis. 
 
 T/tat, Magna Charta he observed. 
 
 Proclamation was made in all the counties, and announce- 
 ment was made in all the churches, that the great charter should 
 be hiviolably maintained which king John had granted, and 
 which he had also in person repeatedly confirmed, and sen- 
 tence was formally pronounced against all its violators, though 
 the king himself was far from observing it, since he cruelly 
 seized upon the possessions of the church of York in the va- 
 cancy of that see, and said, '' Why do not the bishops and 
 nobles themselves observe towards their own subjects that 
 charter which they so much cry out to have observed by me?" 
 To this it was replied, ** My lord, it would become you to set 
 tiie example of observing the law, and others would follow it." 
 
 Robert de Ros and John of Bahol are accused of having 
 conducted themselves unfaithfully and dishonestly towards 
 the kingdom of Scotland, and the king and queen, the guar- 
 dianship of whom had been entrusted to them. But this ac- 
 cusation originated with Master Reginald of Bath, a physician, 
 ^^ho havnig been sent into Scotland, in order to devote his 
 attention to the king and queen, perceived what was the mat- 
 ter with them, and informed the king of England of the whole 
 matter. On which account, the said master impeached their 
 guardians, on account of their state, and not long afterwards 
 v.as poisoned in that country, as it is said, and so took to his 
 bed and died after a short illness. Some noble churches in 
 England were embarrassed with heavy debts in great numbers ; 
 for instance, the church of Canterbury had a debt of four thou- 
 sand marks. On which account, they gave up six of their 
 manors to John de Gatesden, a knight, to release them from 
 their debts, and to retain the manors under fair conditions 
 till the debts were paid. In the same manner, the priory of 
 Rochester, being involved in debts of incalculable amount, 
 gave Itself into the power of the aforesaid John and their other 
 creditors. Also, the noble priory of Winchester, having been 
 
350 
 
 3klATTIIEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 12J5. 
 
 weighed down by irretrievable losses, felt its injuries very 
 properly, as has been already mentioned. Why need I relate 
 the confusion of the church of the convent of the blessed 
 Mary at York ? or of other noble churches ? 
 
 But that the indignation of God might be made manifest to 
 men, an open display of discord took place in the state of 
 the heavenly bodies above, for the moon suffered an unusual 
 eclipse in the month of July, on the niglit after the feast of 
 Saint Margaret, and lasted nearly four hours. A noble baron, 
 the noblest and wisest of all the nobles of England, died, by 
 name Warren de Munehenesy, whose property, as bequeathed 
 in his will, is said to have amounted to two hundred thousand 
 marks. And the king conferred the guardianship of his heir 
 on his own brother, William de Valence, who had married the 
 daughter of the aforesaid Warren. John Francis, the prin- 
 cipal chaplain of the lord the king, having been stricken with 
 palsy, died, much lamented by the monks of Saint Mary of 
 York, and of Selby. John de Guy, a knight of modesty and 
 discretion, and of excellent learning, withdrew from the king's 
 court. The lord the king having collected an army, directed 
 his course and his standards towards Scotland, intending to 
 carry on a grave investigation into the conduct of Robert de 
 Ros and John de BalUol. And when he came near the king- 
 dom of Scotland, he sent forward the earl of Gloucester and 
 John Mansel, to enquire into the truth of the aforesaid accu- 
 sations ; and when they arrived at Maid's castle, in which the 
 king and queen were, they entered cautiously, having removed 
 to a distance the retinue which accompanied them ; and after- 
 wards their train followed them singly. Then the king's 
 deputies having heard from the queen the truth of her con- 
 dition, and of the grievances already mentioned, comforted 
 her with courtesy and moderation : strictly charging Robert 
 de Ros to come before the court of the king of England, to 
 answer the charges which were thus brought against him. 
 And when, at last, he came on certain conditions, he promised 
 his lord the king of England to reply concerning all the matters 
 brought against him ; but the king, acting on the advice of 
 his counsellors, caused the lands of the aforesaid Robert to be 
 seized, and himself committed to close custody. But John de 
 Balliol, who had heavy accusations brought against him just 
 the same as Robert had, made satisfaction to the king by 
 money, of which he had abundance, and so procured himselt 
 
 A.D. 1255. THE AECIIBISIIOP OF TOLEDO COMES TO lOXDON. 351 
 
 peace. When, therefore, everything was peaceably settled, 
 and when the lord the king of England and his queen had 
 had a sufficiently long conference with the king of Scotland, 
 and with the queen, their daughter, the king hastened his 
 return to the southern districts of England ; and when he 
 had arrived at Durham, being informed by some secret whis- 
 perers of a considerable sum of money which was deposited in 
 the said church, (and his informants were bishop Nicholas, of 
 Farnham, and the bishop of Ely, WiUiam of Kilkenny, and 
 some other clerks), he ordered the locks and seals to be broken 
 through, against the will of the monks, in order that his 
 servants might take the money which they found there for 
 his use, not as if he meant to seize on it, or rob them of it, 
 but only to borrow it, and repay it to them faithfully at a 
 future time. Master William of Kilkenny was consecrated 
 bishop of Ely, in foreign parts, that is to sav, at Belesme, by 
 Boniface, archbishop of Canterbury, on the day of the Ascen- 
 sion of the Blessed Virgin Mary. But the other bishops of 
 Lngland, and also the convent of Canterbury, grieved at this, 
 being alarmed lest it should be drawn into a precedent : be- 
 cause bishops were always accustomed to be consecrated in 
 England. 
 
 In the course of the week of the Nativity of the Blessed 
 Mary, the archbishop of Toledo, brother of the king of Castile, 
 by name Sancho, a youth twenty years of age, came to Lon- 
 don, and with him came a powerful noble of Spain, Martin 
 Wcia by name ; why they came was not known, but the real 
 object was to see the difterence of the various countries and 
 nations. And the lord the king commanded that they should 
 be honourably received, and that no hindrance should be 
 ottered to them or their companions. But when the king of 
 l-rance heard that the king of England had concluded the 
 marriage treaty with the king of Castile, which has been men- 
 tioned in a previous chapter, he, looking on this marriage 
 with suspicion, demanded that a daughter of the same kinc. of 
 Castile should be given as a wife to his son, in order that he 
 might thus place himself in a better condition, inasmuch 
 as he obtained a daughter, while the king of England had 
 only obtained a sister, which was all that he asked. The 
 bishop of Hereford, Peter de Egeblanche, instilled into the 
 king sears that he would do well to take care and provide 
 himselt with three or four genuine seals of some of the prelates 
 
352 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1256. 
 
 of England. And he by tliat means so industriously brought 
 over the rest of the prelates to bind themselves, that the need 
 of the king, which had come to his knowledge, was soon 
 relieved, owing to which proceeding, as the king was inclined 
 to consent, he went to Rome, where he found the pope sor- 
 rowful and involved in very serious debts : to whom the bishop 
 said, ** 0, holy father, let not your paternity be anxious about 
 the amount of your debts, because, before our departure from 
 England, a most certain form was provided for your release 
 from them, provided that by your favour and permission I 
 may be allowed to prosecute the idea which 1 have conceived ; 
 to which the pope consented. 
 
 Concerning the sentence pas^sed against the transgressors of the 
 
 liberties of the Church of Fngland. 
 V D 12r)6. Sentence was pronounced against all the vio- 
 lators of the liberties of the church of England, and also 
 against all transgressors of the great charter, in the matter of 
 forest rights, in the following terms :— „, . 
 
 "A.D. 1256, in the Great Hall of the king, at Westminster, 
 in the presence and with the consent of Henry, by the grace 
 of God, king of England, and of the lords Richard, earl ot 
 Cornwall, his brother, Richard de Clare, earl of Gloucester 
 and Hereford, Roger Bii^od, earl of Norfolk and Suftolk, and 
 mareschal of England, Humphrey de Cohun, earl of Hertford 
 and Essex, John de Warren, earl of Sussex and Surrey, and 
 other nobles of the realm of England; we, Bomface, by the 
 divine mercv, archbishop of Canterbury, primate ot all Eng- 
 land, Fulk, bishop of London, Hugh, bishop of Ely, Robert, 
 bishop of Lincoln, Walter, bishop of Worcester, Walter, bishop 
 of Norwich, Peter, bishop of Hereford, William, bishop or 
 Salisbury, Walter, bishop of Durham, Silvester, bishop o 
 Carlisle, WiUiam, bishop of Bath, and Laurence, bishop ot 
 Rochester, clad in our sacred vestments, with our cantl es 
 licrhted do hereby excommunicate all transgressors ot tlie 
 ecclesiastical hberties, and of all the liberties or free customs 
 of the realm of England, and especially of those rights winch 
 are contained in the common charter of the liberties of Eng- 
 land, and in the forest charter ; and we do solemnly pronounce 
 sentence in this form— », • w j «^ fi,p 
 
 » Bv the authority of God the Father Almighty, and ot the 
 Son, and of the Holy Ghost, and of the glorious mother ot 
 
 A.D. 1250. TITCIIAED ELECTED KINO OF GEEMANT. 
 
 3r»;5 
 
 God always a Virgin, the blessed Mary, and of the blessed Apos- 
 tk^s Peter and Paul, and of all the apostles, and of the blessed 
 Thomas, archbishop and martyr, and of all the holy martyrs, 
 and of the blessed Edward, king of England, and of alfthe 
 confessors and virgins, and of all the saints of God, we do 
 excommunicate and anathematize and cut off from the thresh- 
 old of our holy mother all those mIio in a manner knowin2:ly 
 and maliciously have deprived the churches and these liberties 
 of their rights ; and likewise all those who have by any art 
 or device violated, infringed, or diminished the ecclesiastical 
 liberties or ancient approved customs of the nation, and e.*- 
 pecially those liberties and free customs which are contained 
 in the common charter of the liberties of the realm, and in 
 the forest charter, having been granted by the lord the king, 
 the archbishops, bishops, and other prelates of the church, 
 the earls, barons, knights, and freeholders : or who have in 
 any way either openly or secretly, by word, or deed, or advice 
 changed them at all, or said or done anything contrary to 
 their provisions, or have attended to any change so made, or 
 liave obeyed any such change so introduced, or whoever shall 
 admit of any such change, and likewise all framers of any 
 devices by which those charters may be changed, and all ad- 
 visers or executors of such, and all who shall presume to give 
 judgment in accordance with such decrees. And all and each 
 of the aforesaid persons are to know that they will incur this 
 sentence by the very fact of having knowingly committed any 
 of the above-mentioned actions ; but those who do so igno- 
 rantly, and yet after having been warned, do not, within 
 fifteen days from the time of this warning, correct themselves, 
 and make full satisfaction to the ordinary for such their 
 offences, are from that day involved in the sentence against 
 heretics." 
 
 On the day of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 
 king Henry celebrated that festival in a splendid manner at 
 Woodstock ; having invited on that occasion Alexander, king 
 of Scotland, with his queen, the daughter of our king, and 
 all the mayors in England being also invited with great so- 
 lemnity. Sewall, archbishop elect of York, was consecrated 
 archbishop by the bishop of Worcester, and Henry, prior of 
 Evesham, was enthroned as abbot by the abbot of Pershore. 
 The day after Christmas, the before-mentioned Richard, earl 
 of Cornwall, was elected by the Germans king; of Germany, 
 
 TUL. II. 
 
 A A 
 
354 
 
 MATTUEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. I2d7. 
 
 and Elerius, abbot of Pershore, was appointed baron of the 
 king's exchequer at the beginning of Lent. 
 
 Concerning the coronation of Richard, earl of Cornwall, as king 
 
 of the Romans. 
 
 A.D. 1257. Henry the Third, king of England, in the forti- 
 eth year of his reign, held his solemn court at Westminster, 
 generally till Easter, with all the mayors of his kingdom ; and 
 there were present as ambassadors some very illustrious nobles, 
 conspicuous for their personal size and the splendour of their 
 appointments, sent on the part of the nobles of Germany for 
 the lord Richard, earl of Cornwall, brother of the said king 
 of England, whom (as has been already said) they had elected 
 king of the Romans. And he, having received hostages, and 
 being entirely deserving of such an office, arrived on the ap- 
 pointed day at Aix la Chapelle, with great honour and glory, 
 on the Friday next before the feast of the Ascension of our 
 Lord. And all the nobles and mayors, and all the clergy and 
 laity went forth in a body to meet him at the entrance of the 
 city ; and received him magnificently and honourably, with 
 great joy and exultation. At length, on the day of the As- 
 cension of our Lord, in the presence of the archbishops, 
 bishops, abbots, dukes, earls, barons, and an innumerable 
 body of the nobles of the kingdom, having been, after the 
 fashion of the German kings, anointed with the chrism of 
 the holy unction, in the seat of Charlemagne, he received the 
 sceptre and crown of the Roman kingdom, his wife Senchia 
 being, as was right, solemnly crowned with him. 
 
 The same year, Walter, bishop of Norwich, died, and was 
 succeeded by Master Simon de Wanton ; and Radulph of Nor- 
 wich, the chancellor of Ireland, was, by the canons of Dublin, 
 canonically elected to the dignity of archbishop ; but was in- 
 famously betrayed at the court of Rome by his procurators, 
 and his election annulled ; and the archbishopric was con- 
 ferred on Fulk de Sanford, who was present on some con- 
 nection with tlie cause. 
 
 The same year, a detestable war broke out in Wales ; for 
 Edward, the king's son, who had received from his father 
 the greater part of that country as a gift, went into the dis- 
 trict of Chester ; where, being deceived by evil counsel, en- 
 deavouring to impose the yoke of slavery on the Welch, to 
 which they were unaccustomed, he utterly alienated from hini- 
 
 A.D. 1258. A CONTEIfXlON HELD AT OXrOIiD. 3j5 
 
 wi«''l ^'^'^ ""i '^'7 ^°" ' therefore. Leohne, prince of 
 Wales, havn.g collected an army, defended his country man- 
 
 wi l^in"^^ the EngHsli 
 
 with all his might. So Stephen Bausan was sent to drive^him 
 from his strongholds, with many other very gallant knLht^ 
 nearly all of whom perished on the same da^v^a!id a the fame 
 hour, having been misled and miserably murdered by a traitor 
 named Rhesus Vachan. Out of the number who were^iemmed 
 in very few escaped, and the furniture of about two hundred 
 knights was lost in this miserable conflict, and came into the 
 possession of the Welch And this mass'acre, aJas a las ! was 
 by far the most cruel and terrible which for a long period had 
 befaUen the English nation. Therefore, king Ileiirv beW 
 made very anxious by this circumstance, having collected a 
 numerous army, invaded the district of Wales in September 
 penetrating as tar as Chester and Samake, and there he ^taTd 
 a month without coming to any battle with the Welch who 
 retreated according to their custom, and concealed t! emsewt 
 u their mountains, or marshes, or woods, and never dared 
 come down into the plain to fight th; Engli h so t m 
 kmg Henry could perform no achievement there^orthy of ht 
 magnificence. Nevertheless, at this time he caused a scutaLe 
 to be collected throughout England. ^ 
 
 Concerning the conference ivhich took place at Oxford, and the 
 
 expulsion of the Poitevins. 
 A.D. 1258. A certain master, Arlot byname, having been 
 
 C'SdlT'^? 'T r ^"-^^^"^ ^^'^- Easte'f j:Lg 
 
 r)een mvited thither by the king (as was believed) to assist 
 um m flaying his kingdom. Therefore, the noble of te 
 and seeing the kingdom desolated in every direct^n by t le 
 xactions and taxes of the court of Rome and of the kint 
 
 f tlfe' natir' fT'r "' '^T""'' ^^ ^^^^'^^^^^'-> and especialW 
 ot tlie natives of Poitou, who were raised to much too ereat 
 
 sS d aii'th^"!'^" y ^'^ '^^^^^ '' ^^- k-^' -d'; o 
 
 nd held n T '^ ^'''' P"^^'' ^"^ ^"^l^^'-^y in Eng. 
 
 land, held a general convention at Oxford on this subject 
 
 ^^fnn 'f ^ ^^''"^"^^ "^^" ^^ ^^^li^^^^te effectually^and 
 cm L'h l\'" ^?r^ ^-Provement of the state of the king- 
 
 1 ^ ^- ^}'^^ "^'^ "^^ ^^"^^ thither without being prooerl v 
 quipped with arms and fine horses, in order that it' fleS 
 
 and the foreigners disdained to agree to the provisbns and 
 
 A A 2 
 
 I 
 
 { 
 
 > n 
 
 P 
 
h 
 
 t ! 
 
 3:)6 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 1258. 
 
 statutes which they adopted, they might, by the exertion of 
 a Uttle vigour, be compelled to agree, or, perhaps, the foreign- 
 ers might be absolutely compelled, without delay, entirely to 
 evacuate the kingdom of England. And the provisions and 
 statutes which they intended to pass at Oxford, were concern- 
 ing the observation of Magna Charta, as to the general liber- 
 ties of the kingdom, and the Forest Charter. At last, as 
 the lord the king inclined to the observance of the statutes 
 of his nobles, some of his knights administering the oath 
 by the touching of the holy rehcs, he committed himself to 
 the deliberation and wisdom of twenty-four prudent men of 
 the EngUsh nation, whom they considered the most proper of 
 all their body to be selected for the government of the king- 
 dom under the king. And when this had been done, they 
 compelled every one who chose to dwell in the kingdom to 
 swear fidelity to the king and kingdom, and to promise to 
 stand on all occasions by the judgment of his peers. 
 
 There were then some persons, who about that time had, 
 on account of their brotherly recognition by the king, flocked 
 into England, who were entertamed in England, so that, by 
 reason of their numbers and arrogance, they appeared burden- 
 some to the EngUsh. Namely, iEtlielmar, bishop elect of West- 
 minster, William de Valence, Geoffrey, and Guy de Lezen, 
 being all brothers of the king on the mother's side ; and they, 
 with some others, refused to condescend to the provisions 
 made by the nobles on their oaths, or to swear to them. On 
 which account, departing from Winchester, they all withdrew 
 with indignation into the district of Winchester. But the 
 nobles of the kingdom being vehemently excited to anger, 
 manfully pursued them with horses and arms. At last, the 
 lord the king and the nobles, all with one accord coming to 
 Winchester, held another Parliament in that city ; at which the 
 aforesaid Poitevins being alarmed, and being unwilling to abide 
 its judgment, immediately withdrew from the kingdom by a 
 secret flight, with some of their fellow-countrymen, and went 
 to Provence. 
 
 When king John died, Isabella, bis queen, motlier of king 
 Henry the Third, had married Hugh le Brun, count de la 
 Marche, whose territories lay between France and Poitou ; and 
 she bore him five sons, all uterine brothers of king Henry. 
 Namely, William de Valence, Guy, and Geoffrey de Liz^^J^"' 
 all deriving their surnames from the place of their birth. The 
 
 A.D. 1258. THE KTXG OF GERMAI^Y LAIRDS AT DOVER. 3j7 
 
 fourth was named Hugh le Brun, and the fifth ^thelmar, 
 afterwards bishop of Winchester. 
 
 Arlot, the nuncio of the lord the pope, returned to Rome 
 without havnig succeeded in the business which was the object 
 of his coming. And not long afterwards, Richard, earl of 
 Gloucester, and William de Clare, his brother, were made ill 
 by a draught of poison. The earl, indeed, was relieved by 
 prompt assistance, and recovered ; but the other died before 
 aid could reach him. On the vigil of the festival of the blessed 
 John the Baptist, a terrible storm of wind, accompanied by 
 torrents of rain, fell on and raised all the waters of the Severn 
 from Shrewsbury to Bristol, to a degree that has not been seen 
 in our times : owing to which inundation, which, as it were, 
 burst forth (as men say) from the secretest gulfs of hell, all 
 the meadows and all the corn-fields near the Severn were 
 overwhelmed, and the crops utterly destroyed. Some men 
 were even drowned in the violent waters, and innumerable 
 boys, and great quantities of animals of every sort. The same 
 summer, many thousand men died in London, and other parts 
 of England, from being wasted away by famine. And the 
 ripening of the crops was so late in the autumn, owing to the 
 excessive abundance of rain, that, in many parts of the king- 
 dom, the harvest was not got in before the feast of All Saints 
 This year, Patrick de Chanton, lord of Kedwelly, and Hugh 
 de Vyun, both illustrious knights, were treacherously slain 
 near Carmadin, and many others also, both knights and men 
 at arms, were slain by the Welch. 
 
 On the feast of Saint Michael, that splendid church at 
 Sahsbury was dedicated, in the presence of the lord the king 
 Henry, and many of the nobles of Enj^land, who had come 
 thither at that time. About the Purification of the blessed 
 Virgin, Richard, king of Germany, brother of the king of 
 England, returning home, landed with his queen at Dover, on 
 the twenty-eighth of January. And he caused one of' his 
 knights to swear by his soul, in the presence of our king and 
 his new counsellors, and the other nobles of his kingdom 
 at Canterbury, that he, out of zeal for the honour of God and 
 the advantage of the king of England and his heirs, would 
 obey the ordinances and institutions of the counsellors of our 
 King, who were especially sworn to this in accordance with 
 the provisions made at Oxford. 
 
If' 
 
 I! 
 
 308 
 
 MAfTUEW OF WESTMINSTER, 
 
 A.D. I'i.'.g. 
 
 Cn. XVII.— From a.d. 1259 to a.d. I2G0. 
 
 Negociations between Henry and the king of Scotland— The 
 empire is offered to the king of Germany — Conference be- 
 tween the kings of England and France — War between the 
 English and Welch — A treaty is made between Henry and 
 Louisy by which Henry gives up Normandy — Henry quarrels 
 with, and is afterwards reconciled to prince Edward — Bad 
 news from the Holy Land, in consequence of the invasion of 
 the Tartars — Meeting of the kings of England, France, arid 
 Scotland, at Paris. 
 
 The king of Germany comes to England. The earl of Leicester 
 
 returns to England, 
 
 A.D. 1259, which is the forty-third of the reign of king Henry 
 the Third, the aforesaid king was, at the feast of the Nativity 
 of the Lord, in London, wlien a very anxious dehberation was 
 held about Richard, king of Germany, who was earnestly de- 
 sirous to come to England ; but his arrival was by some people 
 looked on with great suspicion, for they were afraid that he 
 might wreak his revenge on the barons for the banishment of 
 his uterine brothers, and might oppose the barriers of contra- 
 diction to the wholesome arrangement and happy regulation 
 of the whole kingdom. But while the festivities of Christmas 
 were proceeding, that the joys of this world might not pro- 
 ceed without being mingled with sorrow, on the day of Saint 
 Thomas the Martyr, Philip Lovel, the most especial counsellor 
 and treasurer of the lord the king, died at his church of 
 Hamesle, being, as it is said, wasted away through grief of 
 mind, because he had been accused to the king of injurious 
 conduct and transgression of the forest laws, and the king 
 would not be reconciled to him. And as soon as the said 
 Philip was dead, the king ordered all his property to be con- 
 fiscated without delay. About the same time, the monks of 
 Winchester, finding that the king would accept no one whom 
 they elected as bishop, except some dear friend of his own, 
 elected the lord Henry de Wengham, the king's chancellor, to 
 be their bishop and shepherd. But he, considering that it was 
 a matter likely to create strife, was unwilling altogether to con- 
 sent to this, although he was able to get the king to be favour- 
 able to the precedent. 
 
 About the time of the feast of Saint Hilary, the barons hav- 
 
 A.D. 12o9. THE NOBLES ASSEMBLE IN PAHLIAMENT. 359 
 
 iiig carefully deliberated about the visit of the king of Germany, 
 sent formal ambassadors to meet him. namely, the bishop of 
 Worcester, abbot of Saint Edmund's, John Mansel, and Peter 
 of Savoy, with others, that he might inform them of the ob- 
 ject of his visit and proposed stay in the kingdom. But the 
 earl of Leicester was still remaining in foreign countries, not 
 without exciting great wonder on the part of many people ; 
 owing to which the council of Banage. But the king, by the 
 proclamation of a herald, ordered the city of London to be 
 cleaned and hung with curtains, and hastened towards the 
 coast, with a train of nobles, equipped with horses and arms, 
 out of caution : for it had been said that the before-mentioned 
 king Richard was bringing one or more of his brothers with 
 him, which the company of barons would hardly endure. But 
 the said king Richard sailing to England, accompanied by his 
 queen, on the day of Saint Julian landed at Dover, and then 
 having dismissed the numerous retinue which he had assembled, 
 he entered that city with only his own private household of 
 moderate extent. And when he landed, the king of England 
 met him, and applauded him vehemently, attended by a very 
 great multitude of persons. And the two kings feasted witli 
 Boniface, archbishop of Canterbury, and in mutual pleasure 
 passed the days of festivity very happily. 
 
 But, on the day of the Purification, the kings and their 
 queens, with the multitude of the nobles, came to London ; 
 which, having been cleaned against the arrival of such great 
 princes, was adorned with and made brilliant with many ho- 
 nours, and all kinds of ornaments ; the citizens in countless 
 numbers coming out to meet them on their arrival in the great 
 rejoicing. But, the week after the Purification, all the nobles 
 of England assembled in London in parliament, as they had 
 previously agreed to do ; and the earl of Leicester, M'ho had 
 been long absent from them, now met them at the same place, 
 with the dean of Berri, who had been sent over, being one of 
 the secret counsellors of the king of France. About the first 
 of March, the lord William of Horton, a monk of Saint 
 Alban's, who lately, on the feast of Saint Catharine, had set 
 out on a journey towards Scotland, in obedience to the king's 
 command, and by permission of his abbot, having completed 
 his business, returned safe home. And the king and queen of 
 Scotland, and the nobles of the kingdom, meeting together in 
 parliament, according to the request the king of England had 
 
360 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1259. 
 
 A.D. 12o9. THE EAEL OF LEICESTER GOES TO GAUL. 
 
 36i 
 
 \l 
 
 made to them by hia messenger, agreed to his proposals, 
 considering that it was a hard thing for a prince of the king- 
 dom to leave his kingdom and expose himself to such toil- 
 some and dangerous journeys. At last, they sent formal am- 
 bassadors to the king of England and his council, namely, 
 Stephen, earl of Buchan, Master William, the chancellor, duke 
 Alan, the king-at-arms, who conveyed the answers to the kino- 
 find queen and nobles of Scotland into England, with a writ^ 
 ing, sealed with the seals of the aforesaid nobles, which the 
 before-mentioned William de Horton had brought with him ; 
 and then, having finished their business, they soon after re- 
 turned. The same year, when the beginning of March was at 
 hand, Walter de Scotenay, the principal counsellor and sene- 
 S!chal of the earl of Gloucester, was arrested in London, on 
 suspicion of having given poison to the said earl and his brother 
 William ; by which poison the earl was made ill, and was with 
 difficulty brought back from the gates of death, and his brother 
 William died. So also they arrested William de Bassey, sene- 
 schal and principal counsellor of William de Valence. They 
 had been for some time under the safe custody of their secu- 
 rities, but now they were arrested and brought before the 
 judges, and committed to a lower prison, and put in fetters ; 
 for one was convicted of poisoning, and the other of frequent 
 acts of injury and injustice. About this time died Thomas, 
 formerly count of Flanders, who had obtained no small num- 
 ber of thousands of marks from the simplicity of the king 
 and queen ; and he had lately, without any reason, injured the 
 church of Saint Alban's, impudently sowing discord between 
 it and the king. 
 
 About the first of April, by the command of the king, and 
 the advice of the whole body of barons, the earl of Gloucester, 
 the earl of Leicester, the lord John Mansel, Peter de Savoy, 
 and Robert Vallerant, knights, set out on a journey beyond 
 the sea to the great parliament of the lord the king of France, 
 on account of many important affairs relating to the kingdoms 
 of France and England, having full powers to arrange and 
 establish a lasting peace between the two nations, if the said 
 king of France would turn his attention to observing invio- 
 lably the former agreements which had been entered into be- 
 tween his special ambassadors and the king of England. 
 About the same time, having received a convent with a man- 
 sion attached to it, a chapter of Preaching Brothers began to 
 
 take up their abode at Dunstable, being taught by the example 
 of the Minor Brothers, who had lately built themselves a 
 mansion at Bury St. Edmund's, to the great injury of the 
 abbey which existed in that town. Therefore, the said Preach- 
 ing Brothers, encouraged by the privileges granted them by 
 the Roman see, built a cliurch, and celebrated divine service 
 with all due solemnity, as they desired. This year, in the first 
 fortnight of Lent, died the countess of Boulogne, through 
 whose tyranny, a few years before, so many thousand men 
 had been slain, and had perished. When, therefore, our am- 
 bassadors, who have been mentioned above, had arrived in 
 the countries beyond the sea, the king of France came thither, 
 in order to take those vacant or disputed counties, the counties, 
 namely, of Boulogne, Flanders, and Hainault. into his own 
 possession. 
 
 When the towers of the city were thrown down, the Romans 
 assembled with great indignation and fury, and created for 
 themselves two new senators, who, collecting a numerous 
 army, made an insurrection against the senator who had been 
 lately created, the uncle of Brancheleon, and besieged him 
 in a castle which he had at Rome. But he, relying on the 
 oath of fidelity which had been taken to him, and on tlie 
 hostages which he had in his city, namely, Bologna, of which 
 he was a native, defended himself vigorously, so as not to 
 deviate from the nobleness of his nephew and predecessor. 
 And so the city was thrown into great confusion, and a great 
 part of it was destroyed. 
 
 During the same season of Lent a great quarrel arose, both 
 at Oxford and Cambridge, between the scholars and the towns- 
 men ; because the clerks had broken the prison, and forcibly 
 carried off a criminal under sentence of death, and who was 
 heing kept in prison, and had conveyed him into the church, 
 so as to be protected by that sanctuary. And in a similar 
 manner the university of Paris was thrown into great con- 
 fusion by the brotherhoods of the Preachers and Minors, who 
 would not adhere to the common rules of the scholars, ac- 
 cording to the custom of the university. 
 
 In those days, when, during the suspension of parliament, 
 some salutary statutes were provided, words of insult were 
 branded about between the earls of Gloucester and Leicester, 
 to such a degree, that the earl of Leicester, being excited to 
 anger, crossed the sea, and withdrew into Gaul. And when 
 
 5 k 
 
 ■ 
 
362 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMIXSTER. 
 
 A.l). !2J9. 
 
 the earl of Hereford and other nobles on the borders of Wales 
 heard this, they intimated to the earl of Gloucester that he 
 ought to observe the common laws more firmly and faithfully, 
 and to pacify the earl of Leicester, and induce him to return, 
 without provoking him by such insults ; and if he would not 
 do so, then they must all unite in an attack on the earl of 
 Gloucester. But when this earl heard this, fearing for him- 
 self, he sent Hervey, his seneschal, through all his territories, 
 to uphold the law that had been agreed to ; and thus this 
 evil was in some degree allayed. But when the peace that 
 had been already discussed between the kings, through the 
 mediation of the numerous and regularly authorised ambas- 
 sadors, whose names had been given already, was believed to 
 be on the point of being concluded, lo ! an unexpecte<l obstacle 
 arose. For though every one else was crying out for quiet, 
 the countess of Leicester would not allow her party in Nor- 
 mandy to be quiet on behalf of her sons ; on which account, 
 words contrary to what was honourable arose between the afore- 
 said earls, who, however, were reconciled by their common 
 friends, that the French might have no reason to rejoice. 
 
 In the meantime, while Richard, king of Germany, was peace- 
 ably staying in England, the way was being prepared for him 
 to obtain the empire freely, the lord the pope working for 
 him with great cunning, only not avowedly, that he miglit 
 not seem an open adversary of the king of Spain, who was 
 eager for his dignity. And the king of Germany was up to 
 this time secretly remaining in England, in order to fortify 
 himself more abundantly with treasures sufficient for his ob- 
 ject. About the same time, when the sun was just entering 
 Cancer, a great pestilence and mortality amongst mankind took 
 place. For the oil and wine, and corn, were generally cor- 
 rupted throughout the kingdom ; and this corruption, hke the 
 sword of death, sparing no one, destroyed first one man and 
 then another. In that pestilence died Fulk Basset, bishop of 
 London, who was solemnlv buried on Saint Urban's day, in 
 the church of Saint Paul, in London. The same week, Walter 
 de Scotenay, who had thrown himself on the judgment of 
 his county, was convicted of having administered poison to 
 the brother of the earl of Gloucester ; for which deed he was 
 by judicial sentence dragged through the city of Winchester 
 to the gallows, and there hung. But afterwards, that is to say, 
 on the Thursday after the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist, 
 
 A.D. 1259. JUST ADMINISTRATION OF THE LAWS. 
 
 363 
 
 the canons of Saint Paul's, in London, being assembled to- 
 gether to elect a worthy pastor, at last, bv the overruling Pro- 
 vidence of the Lord, the lord Henry de Wengham, the chan- 
 cellor of the lord the king, was, by the unanimous consent of 
 them all, elected bishop of London, a thorough courtier, but, 
 what IS better still, a man of morality and discretion, prudence 
 and circumspection. And he being exhorted to do so by his 
 friends, and prompted by the choice of the canons, cheerfully 
 received his election for the common advantage of the church. 
 For although he had been previously elected to the bishopric 
 of Winchester, yet because another, who had been elected 
 before him, namely, the brother of the king, having been 
 banished from the county by judicial sentence, was at the 
 court of Rome trying to get his election confirmed, he, like a 
 wise man, abandoned that appointment which depended on 
 the pope's will, for that one which offered tranquillity and 
 peace. 
 
 About the same time, the lord Hugh Bigod, a man of the 
 greatest fidelity, and chief justiciary of the whole of England, 
 having as his associates Roger de Turkebi, and Gilbert de 
 Preston, began to make the circuit of England, going from 
 county to county, and from liberty to liberty, to do justice to 
 all men according to their deserts. For these men, being 
 skilful in the laws of England, and of the strictest justice 
 m giving judgments, were considered by the whole kingdom 
 fit, above all other men, for this purpose. And they, havino- 
 been previously elected, as has been said before, were ap"^ 
 pointed and sworn in to exercise proper justice with calmness, 
 with equal consideration for rich and poor, slave and freeman^ 
 foreigner and friend, in all and everything, without regard to 
 presents of any kind, but with a proper allowance of mercy. 
 For if judgment went forward without any considerations of 
 mercy, then the example of the most just judge would by no 
 nieans be followed. But that men might imitate the example 
 of Christ, who had gone before them as their guide, they both 
 mingled mercy with justice, and also exercised justice in public, 
 j^mce manfully and energetically following up the investigations 
 lately made by four knights in each county, specially deputed 
 for this purpose, they brought up again many transgres- 
 sions and injuries of times gone by, which had up to this time 
 lam unpunished and unnoticed, and, as it were, forgotten, 
 avenging them strictly, and disdaining everything which could 
 
3()1 
 
 MATXnETT OF W£STMT>'STEK. 
 
 A.D. 1250. 
 
 blind the law which they designed to uphold. JN'or did they 
 yield to either the promises or entreaties of any men, how- 
 ever powerful ; but earnestly examining the truth, they as 
 speedily as possible punished all evil deeds. And when they 
 had arrived at Ware, where they were to examine into the 
 state of the county of Hertford, they caused all the people 
 from the liberty of Saint Alban's, that whoever chose to bring 
 forward a complaint, or anything of the sort, on any subject, 
 or against any one, miglit come before them, to receive justice 
 at their hands. But as it was known to the abbot of Saint 
 Alban's, and to his council, that this was contrary to the liber- 
 ties and customs of their church, they would not acquiesce 
 in it. 
 
 About the same time some formal ambassadors of the lord 
 the pope landed in England, being two of the Minor Brothers, 
 with two Masters, namely, the chancellor of the king of Ger- 
 many, who had been a long time delayed at the court of 
 Rome, and another person, whose name I know not, but he 
 was a noble and discreet man ; and they, in compliance witli 
 the injunction of the pope, came with the special purpose of 
 having a conference with the king of Germany, who was at that 
 time sojourning in England. They also brought him letters 
 from the pope, and messages, having reference to the dignity 
 of the Roman empire, which was now without dispute granted 
 and offered to him. And they were bearers of similar mes- 
 sages of exhortation on the same subject, addressed to all the 
 nobles of Germany, begging them to urge their king to em- 
 brace the promotion to the empire, in accordance with the de- 
 cree of the Apostolic See. And, that prince Manfred was very 
 eagerly desirous this honour might not be beforehand with 
 and supplant him, they urged him, relying on the favour and 
 assistance of the Roman court, to put himself forward and 
 vigorously to claim the empire thus offered to him. And 
 after the ambassadors had been honourably received and reve- 
 rently listened to with many thanks, the king of Germany 
 sent them on to his kingdom, in order that they might there 
 fully deliver to his nobles the message with which they were 
 charged, and carefully discuss the pope's message with them, 
 being informed that he was unwilling to undertake so im- 
 portant and laborious a journey without full preparation, and, 
 on account of the numerous obstacles which he saw, to submit 
 himself without due consideration to the wheel of fortune. 
 
 A.D. 12j0. 
 
 LAME^'^TABLE DISASTEE IS ^IlA^"CE. 
 
 3G5 
 
 Nevertheless, he was sent to fulfil the commands of the pope 
 as far as he could, and to adopt such excellent advice, espe- 
 cially as it was all for his own honour. And not long after, 
 the formal ambassadors of the king of England returned, 
 namely, the earl of Clare, John Maunsel, Peter de Savoy, and 
 Robert Vallerant, the earl of Leicester still remaining in foreign 
 countries. And they, wishing to relate the manner in which 
 they had performed the business entrusted to them before the 
 parliament of the king of France, laid publicly before the 
 nobles of England, assembled in the presence of the king in 
 London, all the replies and wishes of the French with respect 
 to each of the matters and articles, to establish which between 
 the two kings and kingdoms, they had especially crossed the 
 seas. And when the truth had been related, they were after- 
 wards to speak in pubUc on these articles in their regular 
 order. Accordingly, when this report had been heard, and 
 wlien a diligent debate had taken place respecting it, the 
 nobles unanimously agreed with great wisdom that, because 
 the aforesaid business was constantly vacillating and swaying 
 this way and that way, owing especially to the want of a per- 
 sonal interview between the kings, therefore in the ensuing 
 autumn the lord the king, with all his nobles, and with the 
 lord Richard, his brother, king of Germany, should cross the 
 sea and be present himself at the parliament appointed to be 
 held at Abbeville, where the king of France would likewise be 
 present with his council. So this was agreed upon on both 
 sides, and the matter was put off till the meeting of that par- 
 liament. And when this had been settled, all men who had 
 been summoned, and who owed the king service, had notice 
 given to them, that by the feast of Saint Peter ad Viucula 
 next ensuing, they should all be prepared with horses and 
 arms to make war upon the Welch ; and like faithful sub- 
 jects, to avenge the injuries which had been done to the king 
 and kingdom. After this, when the king and most of his 
 nobles retired, who, as had been previously arranged, were 
 bound to cross the sea with him, a truce was made between 
 the aforesaid parties, the king and the Welch, to last till the 
 same festival in the ensuing year. For this was the best plan, 
 that one affair should be brought to a fitting conclusion, and 
 the other left unfinished. 
 
 About the same period of this year a lamentable disaster 
 took place in the country of France, one above all others ever- 
 
36G 
 
 MATTUEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1259. 
 
 lastingly to be Ijewailed by the men of the religious orders. 
 In the church of Saint Denis, the apostle of the French there 
 M-as a certain new erection, raised up on high, supported by a 
 great many beams joined and fastened together. And when 
 one day, several men of the convent, with several also of the 
 secular clergy, were walking under it, examining what had 
 been done lo ! a great and fearful clap of thunder came, which 
 violently shook the scaffolding of beams, and loosenino- the 
 fastenings, entirely threw it down, and dashed to the ground 
 and slew a great many both of the monks and secular clergv 
 And it is affirmed, in the relation of many who visited the 
 spot, that all the monks of that monastery except fourteen 
 and a vast number of secular clergy, were killed by that one 
 calamity, on which account a great lamentation arose (and no 
 wonder) throughout all France, when life was changed into 
 death, and joy converted into mourning. 
 
 The same year another horrible occurrence took place in 
 foreign lands, but it was fortunately turned so as to fall on 
 the head of the contriver. Ingelram*de Courci, a great man, 
 and nearly the first of the nobles of France, following the ex- 
 ample of his father as to cruelty and wickedness, furiously 
 seized upon two clerical novices, who in fun pursued a beas't 
 as tar as his boundaries, and, without proceeding to any fur- 
 ther trial or investigation, hung the innocent youths. And 
 when this was related to the king of France, h^ sent for him 
 secretly and having publicly convicted him of the crime 
 although many nobles entreated for him, and refused to give 
 tlieir votes against him, the king, recollecting his oath which 
 he had taken at his coronation with his own mouth pro- 
 nounced sentence of hanging against him, and caused him to 
 be imprisoned, to wait for the time of his sentence beincr ear- 
 ned into execution. Nor was there any thing wonderful iu 
 one who himself condemned others without a trial bein^ now 
 condemned to a similar punishment, following the example of 
 his father, who having committed similar crimes, was executed 
 in a not dissimilar manner. He left behind him larc^e tem- 
 poral estates, which he had preferred to all justice, v^t they 
 did not satisfy him in life, nor could he procure a ransom for 
 ms soul by them. 
 
 The following month, the lord the king, on the Wednesday 
 in the week after the Assumption of the blessed Virgin Mary 
 came to Saint Albau's, and he stayed there only one ni«-hV 
 
 A.D. 1259. THE KINO nONOUIlS THE MAETXIl ALBAN. 36/ 
 
 a:id tlie day after he returned again to London. And having 
 h aid divine service early in the morning, he caused the coffin 
 which contained the body of the glorious martyr Alban to be 
 brought out, and raised up, and reverently placed in front of 
 the great altar. And when this had been done, and when the 
 convent had been adorned with garlands, the king came thither 
 again with his nobles to offer up his devout prayers. And 
 when they were all prostrated before the martyr, a special hymn, 
 having reference to the martyr, was solemnly chauuted, in 
 memory of this journey of the king. And while a great body 
 of people was standing around with the brothers of the con- 
 vent, and when silence had been obtained, one of the brethren 
 of the church explained the reason of this visit of the king, 
 namely, because he was the prince and head of the kingdom, 
 and because he was about to cross the seas in the business of 
 his kingdom, wholly ignorant of what might befall him, and 
 of whether he should return ; and on that account, he had come 
 hither devoutly and Humbly to entreat the leave and assist- 
 ance of this glorious martyr, and benefit of the prayers of the 
 brotherhood and people here present. And immediately it 
 was agreed by all and every one, that until news of his safe 
 return arrived, a special and daily devout offering of masses 
 and prayers should take place. And then the king and his 
 nobles gave them sincere thanks, and again caused collects for 
 his journey to be repeated, and thus he departed more devout 
 and with a more cheerful confidence. And when he had ar- 
 rived in London, certain secret news was brought him from 
 the parts of France, by which his immediate design of crossing 
 the sea was hindered, as there were other obstacles also, on 
 which account, as that idea was abandoned, the promised 
 prayers for his safe journey were also given up. 
 
 About the same time, while the bishop elect of Winchester, 
 who has already been mentioned, having been banished the 
 country by judicial sentence, was still at the court of Rome, 
 trying to obtain his recall, and offering, for the hearing of the 
 pope, cunning and false suggestions, under the guise of truth, 
 protesting and affirming that it was through the violence and 
 injustice of three or four envious persons, his enemies, that 
 he had been stripped of his treasures, ejected from his 
 bishopric, and violently expelled from the country, contrary to 
 the will of the king and commonalty of England ; adding, 
 that the lord the king, and the greater part of the population 
 
308 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 12 J9. 
 
 of England (with tlie exception of the persons before-men- 
 tioned), would willingly see his peaceful return ; for he had at 
 last circumvented the acuteness of the pope by his deceitfulness, 
 and obtained letters from him, enjoining the full restitution of 
 all his possessions in England. On which account, a certain 
 brother of the order of the Minors, by name Walasch, bein": 
 sent especially in this error by the lord the pope, as legate 
 a latere^ and having others joined in the embassy with him ; 
 and having special command and authority on this point (if 
 it is only all true which they say), by the authority of the 
 pope, to institute the aforesaid clerk to his bishopric, and to re- 
 establish him in all the rights of which he had been deprived, 
 and to pronounce a sentence of excommunication and inter- 
 dict against all who opposed them, and against all who had 
 plundered or who retained his property. So when Walascli 
 had arrived in England, and had enquired into the truth of 
 these matters from the nobles of the land who were assembled 
 in the king's presence, as they each and every one unanimously 
 agreed, and did not in any particular depart from their ori- 
 ginal design, or from the account given by their ambassadors 
 who had been sent to argue against the aforesaid bishop elect, 
 he then found out truly that the bishop elect aforesaid had 
 fraudulently obtained the favour of the pope by a complete 
 concealment of the truth. On which account, a demand was 
 loudly made by them all in union with the king, and an appeal 
 preferred against a man who had in this way been lawfully 
 banished, being now restored in consequence of his own frau- 
 dulent conduct, and against an affair of this sort being car- 
 ried further, to the common injury of the kingdom. The 
 ambassadors are sent a second time, a promise being given that 
 the said affair shall be made known more correctly ; and when 
 the ambassador before mentioned heard this, he departed of 
 his own accord to return to Rome, and the bishop elect was 
 further than ever from obtaining his end. 
 
 About the same time, a general collection of money from 
 the whole clergy of England took place, both from those who 
 had exemptions, and from those who had not ; to the amount 
 of one-thirtieth of all ecclesiastical revenues, and arrears, and 
 tithes, and all other proceeds contained in the writings of the 
 bishops ; and it was to be paid within a fortnight of the feast 
 of Saint Michael next ensuing, to three bishops, those, namely, 
 of Bath, of Ely, and of Rochester, who bound themselves iu 
 the court of Rome, on behalf of the king, in a sum of five 
 
 A.D. 1259. THE BISHOP OF EATs-QOE SENT TO KING HEIfET. 369 
 
 thousand five hundred marks, in order to avoid a sentence of 
 excommunication, which was about to be passed against the 
 lord the king, and a general interdict which was to be laid 
 on the knigdom, on account of a considerable debt due from 
 the king, and not yet paid. And those who desire to see the 
 papal and episcopal letters about the collection of this money 
 sent from one to the other, will be able to find them in the 
 book of additions under this head. 
 
 But afterwards, brother Walasch, who has already been 
 mentioned, having received permission to return, wh'en the 
 cause of his arrival became known, a strict enquiry was set 
 on foot under what conditions, and by whose authority, he 
 had been allowed to enter England, without obtaining the 
 general consent of the kingdom. And when it was found out 
 that he had received permission by a letter of the king's, and 
 that the great seal had at that time been kept in the king's 
 chamber, the lord Hugh Bigod, the justiciary, hastened 
 with all speed to Dover, and thus addressed Richard de Grey, 
 constable of Dover, and guardian of the harbour : '• Since you, 
 Richard, have been appointed by the whole people of this 
 kingdom as the most faithful guardian of these ports, and an 
 examiner of all who arrive at and depart from it ; and as we 
 have all confidence in your watchfulness, why (although he 
 may have been supported by the king's permission) did you 
 permit such a man to enter the kingdom without giving us no- 
 tice, when by so doing you contravened the common intention 
 of all of us, and shamelessly violated your own oath ? we think 
 It fit that you should resign the office to which you have been 
 appointed, and that you should receive that sentence which is 
 your due, for your transgression, which has brought the ge- 
 neral danger on the kingdom." So when he was deposed, 
 the wardenship of the Cinque Ports was taken into the hands 
 of the aforesaid lord Hugh, the justiciary, and also the guar- 
 dianship of the castle of Dover. 
 
 About the time ofthe feast of Saint Michael, the bishop of 
 Bangor was sent to the king of England on the part of Leo- 
 line, prince of Wales, and of aU his nobles, for the purpose of 
 renewing and re-establishing peace between them ; adding, 
 that they all with one accord would willingly give the king of 
 England sixteen thousand pounds of silver for the sake of 
 arranging and confirming peace between them and their king- 
 doms ; and that they might come to agreement at Chester, 
 
 VOL. II. jj g 
 
370 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1259. 
 
 as they were wont to do in old times, rejoicing in their na- 
 tional laws, and the long-established customs of the laud. So 
 he, coming to Saint Albau's, stayed there three weeks, and at 
 last, going to the king, he distinctly laid before him what he 
 had been commanded to, but what answer he received is not 
 known. But at the time when the said bishop was staying at 
 Saint Alban's, the queen came thither on her way to London, 
 to which town she was hastening to the feast of Saint Ed- 
 ward, being attended by the bishop of Brest, in Brittany, and 
 John Mansel, and a great many persons of both sexes. And 
 as she arrived at the hour of refection, the whole convent rose 
 from table, having indeed done dinner, and made a solemn 
 procession to meet her, and also present her with a most 
 noble offering of six cloaks. And although she was detained 
 by a severe attack of sickness, nevertheless, the next day, 
 though there was a violent storm, she hastened to London. 
 And the bishop before mentioned, charitably granting them 
 sixty days of relaxation, departed with her, and the following 
 was said to be the cause of his arrival in England, namely, 
 that by his intervention, the count of Brittany hoped to make 
 his request effectual, that the daughter of the king might be 
 given to his eldest son as a wife ; and it was for tlie success- 
 ful transaction of this affair that he determined to send this 
 bishop into England. And he pushing the affair diligently 
 day after day, at one time pursued the king, and at another 
 the queen, till they asked sound advice on the subject, and so 
 he got a positive answer. But the request for this intermar- 
 riage is supposed to have arisen from this circumstance, that 
 by means of it the said count expected to acquire the earl- 
 dom and dignity of Richmond for himself and his descen- 
 dants ; a place in the dominion over which he had rejoiced 
 in old time. But the king, having taken counsel in this 
 matter (as the bishop whom I have so often mentioned having 
 bidden farewell to England), immediately sent ambassadors 
 into Brittany, by whom he transmitted a reply that he was 
 pleased with the proposal. 
 
 In those days, the archbishop of Canterbury, being exceed- 
 ingly angry against the church of Saint Alban's, sequestered 
 the tithes of Ringeldon, which belong to the almshouses of 
 Saint Alban's, aud retained the whole proceeds of them for 
 nearly a quarter of a year. In the same month, that is to 
 say, on the sixth of November, William de Westmilun died. 
 
 A.D. 1259. KING UENfir LANDS AT WHITSANDE. 
 
 371 
 
 who had formerly been seneschal of the liberties of Saint Al- 
 ban's. He had long ago obtained the wardenship of Mikel- 
 feld, from John, the lord abbot, and paid a hundred marks 
 for it to Richard, earl of Cornwall, with which he delivered 
 that land from Judaism, and he moreover gave the same earl 
 five and twenty marks for a store in the same place. About 
 the same time, the countess of Kent died, full of days, and 
 by a natural death. She was a woman of great liberality, 
 and of very high reputation, having been formerly wife of 
 Hubert de Burgh, formerly justiciary of England and earl of 
 Kent, not because he had that earldom by inheritance, but 
 becaiise the lord the king, Henry, had kindly granted it to 
 him as it had just then fallen into the king's hands ; so that 
 he obtained dominion over it, retaining the name of earl, and 
 consequently his wife obtained the name of countess. At 
 this time, it was provided in a general parliament of the ba- 
 rons, which met at London, with reference to the justiciaries 
 who were to go the circuit next month, who they should be, 
 and into what counties each should go, with the object of 
 making well known and establishing all the laws of this par- 
 liament, and of punishing the transgressions of those provi- 
 sions which had lately been enacted, in such a way, that be- 
 fore the next Easter, all England should be comprised in their 
 circuits, and that a full scrutiny should take place into all the 
 articles now re-estabUshed. And their names, as written 
 down in French by those barons, we have thought it well to 
 commit to writing in another place. 
 
 About the time of the feast of Saint Martin, the lord the 
 king, with the queen, and a great multitude of nobles besides, set 
 out on a journey towards Dover, intending to cross the sea into 
 France, for the final settlement of the affairs going on between 
 himself and the king of France, and their kingdoms. And 
 having (as it was said) entrusted the guardianship of the 
 kingdom to the archbishop of Canterbury, and to the lord 
 Hugh Bigod the justiciary, and others of his faithful subjects, 
 on the Friday after the aforesaid feast he embarked at Dover, 
 and landed, after a prosperous voyage, at Whitsande. And 
 in reference to this passage of his, it is said that never at one 
 and the same time had such a noble company of men and 
 horses, and other great things, departed from England, as 
 then disembarked at Whitsande. And many persons, too, 
 who came to meet them in the parts beyond the sea, said the 
 
 B B 2 
 

 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1259. 
 
 same thing, adding that they had not thought that the Icing 
 had so great a number of men with him, counting both infantry 
 and cavalry, as he was now seen to have of sumpter horses, 
 without counting the other most beautiful palfreys of the 
 king and his nobles, and the superb chariots of the queen 
 and her retinue. But when the king of England had a dis- 
 cussion at Paris with the king of France about the business 
 above mentioned, he immediately sent messengers into Eng- 
 land, namely, his principal chaplain, who had formerly been 
 the abbot of a house of the Cistercian order, with some other 
 persons, strictly commanding them to take care that every one 
 in England who fancied that he had any right or claim in 
 foreign parts, should hasten to come to him with all speed. 
 And this was done ; but as to what ensued from that, that is 
 doubtful to us. 
 
 About the same time, the pope, wishing to provide for the 
 church, which was unworthily managed everywhere by un- 
 worthy persons, sent a written command to the lord arch- 
 bishop of Canterbury, and also (as it is said) to the other 
 metropolitans, strictly charging them utterly to remove all 
 and each of the rectors or ministers of the churches which 
 were under their authority, or that of their suffragans, who, 
 whether openly or secretly, had concubines, or anything illicit 
 and disgraceful of that sort, and who therefore were disre- 
 putable ministers of spiritual things, from the administration 
 of divine service, and from the possession of spiritual things 
 for the future ; and to appoint others who should be worthy, 
 in their places. And the tenor of these commands a careful 
 investigator will be able to find elsewhere. 
 
 About the same time, in consequence of the stupidity and 
 inactivity of the king, England was oppressed in many par- 
 ticulars, by the domineering conduct of the Poitevins and 
 Romans, and especially of Ethelmar, bishop elect of Win- 
 chester, and William de Valence, both uterine brothers of the 
 king ; and of Peter de Savoy, the queen's uncle, who treated 
 both the religious orders of the kingdom, and the secular 
 clergy also, in an unconstitutional way. And if any one having 
 suffered injury at any of their hands, went to William the 
 seneschal to demand justice, he received an answer of this 
 kind : *' If I do you injury, who will do you right ? The 
 lord the king chooses whatever my lord chooses, but the 
 contrary does not follow.** And thus they showed no re- 
 spect for the king, or to any of the nobles. 
 
 A.D. 1260. HENET CELEBRATES THE LOED*S NATITITY. 373 
 
 So that year passed, not very fertile in corn, and very sparing 
 as to its supply of fruit, and, as has often been seen, very 
 unlike and contrary to the preceding year. England, however, 
 which had been long languid, lying exposed, as it were, to the 
 authority and injuries of different kings, in this year began to 
 enjoy some sort of respite, as justice derived vigour from the 
 application of new remedies. During this year, and espe- 
 cially in the autumn season, there was such fine weather, and 
 a dry time, that though the crops were thin, they were never- 
 theless got in in good time, to the farmer's wish. And while 
 a little before, the crop had been so great that if it had been 
 all saved, there would have been enough for two years, and 
 yet it was all so utterly spoilt, that within the year there was 
 actual scarcity, and many were in danger from that reason ; 
 now in this year, though the crop was but moderate, there 
 nevertheless was such abundance, that owing to the dry sea- 
 son of the harvest, there was a very sufficient provision made 
 quite unexpectedly. Moreover, while this year was in Eng- 
 land one of scanty crops, in France the vineyards were utterly 
 spoilt by the rain. As to other matters, it was to the English 
 in many respects a desirable year, and to the French one of 
 peace and harmony. For the council of England was per- 
 severing manfully with reforms which it had commenced, and 
 the lord the king having visited the country of France with 
 the view of estabhshing peace between the kings of France 
 and England, and their kingdoms, was detained for a con- 
 siderable time in that country. 
 
 The count of Brittany espouses the daughter of the king of Eng- 
 land. Concerning the Romans who were slain in London. 
 Quarrels between the nobles of the land. 
 
 A.D. 1260, w^hich is the forty-fourth of the reign of king Henry 
 the Third, the aforesaid king was, at the feast of the Nativity 
 of the Lord, at Paris, with many nobles of his train, and there 
 he celebrated the usual solemnities in a most sublime and 
 splendid manner with the king of France and his nobles, both 
 nations feasting with one another in turn, and diligently dis- 
 cussing the question of peace between them, and other neces- 
 sary matters ; for there was in each kingdom a considerable 
 number endowed with wisdom and discretion ; among whom 
 was the lord Henry de Wengham, bishop elect of London, and 
 chancellor of the lord the king, who had been ordained priest 
 
374 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 V.D. 1200. 
 
 the week before. At the same time, peace and concord was 
 Hnally estabhshed between the two kings, those, that is to say, 
 of England and France, in the matter of the dominion and 
 sovereignty over Normandy, which the king of France had 
 long held, as his predecessors had also done, although the king 
 of England had claimed it as his right ; on which account, hav- 
 ing had a long discussion on this point, and a firm convention 
 having been come to respecting it, the king of England, for 
 himself and for his successors, gave up to the king of France 
 and his successors full possession of Normandy, resigning to 
 him all his rights and authority over that country, as is plain 
 by the reading of his documents which are curtailed in that 
 part. In return for which concession he received, under the 
 name of an exchange, some fertile and opulent districts, and 
 also a sum of money, which he was to be paid from the ex- 
 chequer of the king of France, with this further addition, 
 that, after the decease of Louis, then king of France, Poitou 
 was to revert to the king of England without any contradic- 
 tion. And this convention and agreement was confirmed by 
 every security which could possibly be devised, and ratified by 
 the seals and witnesses of a great number of nobles of both 
 nations. 
 
 In those days, while the king was still delaying in those 
 parts with the queen, Beatrice, his daughter, was married to 
 the count of Brittany, as has been already mentioned ; which 
 marriage was brought about by the intervention of the bishop 
 of Brest, who had lately been sent into England with that 
 object ; and the district which king Henry had received under 
 the name of exchange for Normandy was now nearly all as- 
 signed to this count as a marriage portion. 
 
 About this time, a dispute arose between Boniface, arch- 
 bishop of Canterbury, and the chapter of Lincoln, the arch- 
 bishop asserting that ha ought to exercise, and would exercise, 
 jurisdiction in the church of Lincoln while the see was vacant, 
 and that his predecessors always had exercised such authority 
 freely ; and all the sons of the church fearlessly r.e8isted and 
 contradicted him, adding, that as soon as a see was vacant, 
 all the jurisdiction was carried on, as it ought to be, by the 
 archdeacons and ordinaries of the church, and that the arch- 
 bishop had no powers to interfere in it without their consent. 
 Therefore, the archbishop, as he doubted on this point, wrote 
 to all the brethren of the religious orders who dwelt within 
 
 A.D. 1260. THE EAEL OF LEICESTEE RETUENS TO ENGLAND. 3/5 
 
 that diocese, asking them to cause diligent enquiry if any dis- 
 tinct assertion was to be found in their documents or books, 
 which, having been made by any one of his predecessors, 
 might be of service to his side of the question as to this point, 
 and enable him to bridle the opposite party. So, when a dili- 
 gent scrutiny had taken place at Saint Alban's, nothing was 
 found that made for either one side or the other, but the 
 answers given by the other convents is not known to us. 
 
 As sometimes good fortune is wont to be mingled with bad, 
 and sorrow with joy, an event took place at Christmas in this 
 year which caused great grief and mourning in France. For 
 Louis, the son and heir of the king of France, a man of great 
 personal strength and stature, and loved by all the kingdom, 
 and by everj^ individual who had access to him, and who, in 
 accordance with the arrangements made by his father, w^as, 
 the next summer, to marry the daughter of the king of Castile, 
 and to be crowned as king of France, went the way of all 
 flesh. And when the king of England, who was still tarrying 
 beyond the sea, heard this news, though he was actually on 
 his way back towards England, he, being struck with grief, 
 immediately returned to Paris, and honoured the funeral of so 
 noble a person with his presence. And about the time of the 
 Purification of the blessed Virgin Mary, there emanated froiU 
 the chancellor's court a mandate of the lord the king, though 
 he himself was absent from the kingdom, addressed to all the 
 discounts in whose baiUwicks danger was in the habit of at- 
 tending on travellers, charging them to take care that all the 
 dangerous passes, or out-of-the-way places, and hollows, and 
 copses, and hedges, which gave any opportunity for any dis- 
 turbance of the king's peace, should be examined, and imme- 
 diately mended, either by the owners of the ground or by 
 themselves ; and the full tenor of this commission Avill be 
 shown at length among other briefs, to those who wish to see it. 
 
 About this time, the lord Simon, earl of Leicester, returned 
 into England, which had long been deprived of his presence ; 
 and coming on the day of the holy virgin Scholastica to Saint 
 Alban's for the sake of visiting tiie martyr and the convent, 
 lie offered a most precious vestment of cloth of gold at the 
 tomb, and early in the morning proceeded on the journey 
 which he had commenced. On the morrow of Saint Valentine 
 the Martyr, the lord Henry de Wengham was consecrated 
 bishop of London by Boniface, archbishop of Canterbury, in 
 
/ 
 
 376 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1260. 
 
 the church of Saint Mary of Southwark, in the presence of 
 the bishops of Worcester, Chester, and Salisbury, Richard, 
 king of Germany, and an infinite number of other persons 
 both clergy and laity ; and when he was, according to custom, 
 making his profession with an oath, he, with great emphasis, 
 pronounced these words of exception, in the hearing of every 
 one : "I swear and promise this, saving the rights and liber- 
 ties of the church of London, which I will defend and up- 
 hold to the utmost of my power, in every particular." On 
 which account, although the archbishop was indignant, and 
 almost inclined to stop the office of consecration, these words 
 were imputed to him as an instance of great fidelity to the 
 church, and as a proof that he would be a sure defence to it. 
 And it is said that this was done before he actually entered on 
 his bishopric, lest, if it were done afterwards, the archbishop 
 might seem, in consequence, to have a right of entering on 
 that bishopric, and a question might arise like that which was 
 still under dispute and undetermined between the archbishop 
 and the chapter of Saint Paul's, in London, respecting the 
 jurisdiction to which the archbishop was or was not entitled 
 in such cases. But when the consecrator had, though with 
 great indignation, completed the office, all the people present re- 
 mained with the newly consecrated bishop at the table, namely, 
 the king of Germany before mentioned, the archbishops, and 
 the bishops who have been named, with an infinite number of 
 other persons, so that the noble presents which were offered 
 from every quarter could not be calculated. 
 
 On the day after the feast of Saint Matthias the Apostle, a 
 detestable murder was committed in London, being especially 
 such as gave no slight grounds of fear to all the English, both 
 on account of the violation of the holy season of Lent which 
 was involved in it, as on account of the amazing revenge of 
 the Roman see, and the censure and severity of the church. 
 And having given due consideration to the circumstances, I 
 proceed to set forth the deed in detail, with all truth, just as I 
 have been informed of it. The lord Fulk of pious memory, 
 formerly bishop of London, had (which, indeed, was now some 
 time ago) conferred a certain prebend in the church of Saint 
 Paul's of London, on a certain Master Rustand, the pope's 
 nuncio, who was at that time abiding in England ; and as 
 Rustand after this, and after he had taken upon himself the 
 habit of the Minor Brothers, was taken ill, his sickness in- 
 
 
 A.D. 12G0. MUEDEE OH A EOMAN ECCLESIASTIC. 
 
 377 
 
 creasing, died in the countries beyond the Alps, the lord the 
 pope immediately bestowed the prebend above mentioned on 
 another person, who was one of his special officers ; when just 
 at this time it happened that the bishop Fulk also departed 
 from this world, and so his bishopric came under the king's 
 guardianship. So the king having been informed of the death 
 of the aforesaid Rustand, but not being aware of the fact of 
 the pope having conferred his stall on another, gave the afore- 
 said prebend to the lord John de Crakehale, his treasurer, and 
 caused him to be publicly installed. And when this 'was 
 lieard of, a certain procurator, by name John Legras, one of 
 the secular clergy of noble birth, was sent into England, 
 well fortified with writings from the pope, to support by his 
 authority as procurator the aforesaid collation to the stall 
 which the pope had bestowed. And the archbishop of Can- 
 terbury, deciding on the case as he was ordered to do, after 
 the contest had been long agitated between the two parties, 
 ascertaining at length that the papal donation preceded the 
 king's appointment in point of time, by his formal sentence 
 adjudged the prebend to the Roman before mentioned, utterly 
 excluding the treasurer, although he had been for some time 
 invested. And after the Roman was installed, he endeavoured 
 immediately to take possession of the principal mansion at- 
 tached to the prebend in the city , but he was denied entrance, 
 on which account, yielding to violence and arras, he withdrew, 
 intending to lay his complaint before the archbishop. And 
 they who occupied the house seeing this, presently followed 
 him behind ; and among the crowd of passers-by, some one 
 clove his head in two between the eyes, and escaped without 
 being discovered or arrested by any one. And a companion 
 of his was treated in the same manner, while the slayer es- 
 caped. But as an investigation into this deed took place 
 throughout the whole city, and the criminal could not be dis- 
 covered, sentence was pronounced by the archbishop and the 
 other bishops against all the favourers of that crime, so that 
 all the hearers of it were brought to fear the judicial sentence. 
 But though, by some suspicious persons, it might be supposed 
 that this had been procured to be done by the treasurer afore- 
 said, yet in reality he was innocent, and it was done by some 
 envious rascals ; for the Enghsh were indignant that so many 
 Romans should be so frequently enriched with English bene- 
 fices, while not once even in a year did any native of the 
 
 I i 
 
378 
 
 MATTHEW or WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 12C0 
 
 country receive any benefit from them. And because, as it 
 seemed, they trampled exceedingly on the land which was thus 
 made subject to them, they wished by a deed of this kind to 
 deter them for the future from such continual and unprofitable 
 invasions of the country. 
 
 The same year, a great baron of high reputation throughout 
 the kingdom died, by name the lord William de Beauchamp. 
 He, being a man endowed with large possessions, was by no 
 means forgetful of God, who had given them all to him ; for 
 he confirmed all the benefits of his predecessors, and upheld 
 and kindly augmented them, and was the patron of some re- 
 ligious houses, which were built within his domains, some 
 being appropriated to monks, some to canons, and some to 
 nuns ; and as he defended them, so, by the favour of the Lord, 
 ought his successors also to defend them for the time to come. 
 
 About the same time, when the king, after having protracted 
 his stay in Gaul for some time, was intending to return to 
 England, a great many evil reports of his son Edward, and of 
 others of his nobles, who were said to be his adherents, Mere 
 instilled into his mind. Which, however, being, as it is said, 
 destitute of all truth, I on that account forbear to record se- 
 parately. The king, however, hearing them with great bit- 
 terness of spirit, and (though they were utterly false) giving 
 ear to them as true, ordered abundant precautions to be taken 
 by means of a considerable body of armed men prepared for 
 hostility. But after he had done this, he was assured of the 
 falsity of the report, but still he would not believe it to be 
 false. So, hesitating and in doubt, partly disbanding his 
 forces, and partly retaining them about him, bringing with him 
 at least three hundred knights, with a great multitude of their 
 followers, he landed fearlessly at Dover, about the time of the 
 feast of Saint Mark the Evangehst. And his nobles came to 
 meet him in the train of his son Edward above mentioned, and 
 received him reverently and honourablyas they ought, with great 
 joy. Some of them, however, there were to whom the king, 
 although they had formerly been his especial friends, addressed 
 neither words of peace nor loving salutation, nor would he 
 receive such from them. And at this time, a deadly discord 
 was sown between many of the chief men of the kingdom, 
 namely, between the king and his son Edward, as has already 
 been mentioned. Also, between the king and Simon, the earl 
 of Leicester ; between Edward and the earl of Gloucester, and 
 
 I 
 
 A.D. 1260. THE KING THREATENS THE ABBOT OF BOURGH. 3/9 
 
 also between the aforesaid earls and many others. So that the 
 parties being strengthened on both sides, and their strength 
 united, a formidable war seemed near at hand. And at that 
 time some knights met for a tournament, which was appointed 
 to be held at Blye ; and when it was put off for this reason, 
 they at once, equipped as they were for this tournament with 
 arms and horses, marched to London with several more who 
 joined them. So that, unless the lord Richard, king of Ger- 
 many, who was at that time staying in England, had earnestly 
 interposed to effect a peace, there would have been no small 
 disturbance ; but as the king's arrival was daily expected, he 
 in this way exhorted both parties to the better course, in order 
 that, when their fury was somewhat abated, the king might 
 find his kingdom in peace as he had left it. 
 
 But the king arriving in London on the eve of the apostles 
 Fhihp and James, remained nearly a fortnight at Saint Paul's, 
 in the house of the bishops of London ; for not only the gates 
 and the streets, but the whole city too was so carefully kept, 
 on account of the deadly war which was excited, that scarcely 
 any one even of the lower class could obtain free ingress or 
 egress, nor did any one of the nobles, except the king and a 
 tew others, lodge within the walls, nor would the king go to 
 his own palace at Westminster until he could know to a 
 certainty what would be the result of this discord, the seeds of 
 which were thus sown. But while this dissension was con- 
 tinuing (as evil always succeeds evil in steady succession), 
 the abbot and convent of Bourgh were accused to the lord the 
 king of having lately involved themselves in a heavy debt for 
 the sake of the lord Edward his son, for the augmentation of 
 his strength against him, and subduing his father's power. 
 At which the king was indignant and enraged, and sent for 
 the abbot, and with earnest command demanded of him that 
 he would take upon himself a similar charge for his sake, 
 otherwise he warned him that he would incur his royal indig- 
 nation. And when the abbot had answered plainly that he 
 could by no means venture to do this, and that his house was 
 unequal to such a burden, adding, too, that for what he had 
 done on behalf of prince Edward he had sufficient security, 
 and that no injury had been done to the king by his conduct, 
 although he had previously been an especial friend of the 
 king, he was now dismissed with great indignation on the 
 king's part, and in great alarm : for the king threatened his 
 
380 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 12G0. 
 
 convent and his church very terribly, and afterwards he pro- 
 ceeded to put his threats in execution ; and afterwards, when 
 the whole body of barons were summoned into the king's 
 presence, at Saint Paul's, and first of all a discussion took 
 place on the subject of prince Edward, and of the injuries 
 which had been inflicted on the king (as it was said), the 
 said Edward declared that he was ready to prove his innocence 
 of all the charges which were brought against him, and to 
 submit himself willingly to the judgment of the two kings, 
 his father and his uncle, so as to take care to amend whatever 
 they found in him to complain of ; saying that all the other 
 barons and earls were not his peers, and that they had no 
 right to debate upon his conduct. On this the truth was 
 debated and sifted on both sides, and the falsehood of all the 
 statements which had been made against the king proved, 
 and accordingly the king was reconciled to his son, and the 
 two peaceably united together, to the righteous multiphcatiou 
 of the confusion of their enemies. 
 
 When, then, prince Edward and the king and queen, and all 
 their friends, were thus united, with the exception of the earl 
 of Gloucester and his partisans, a complaint was soon brought 
 forward against Simon, earl of Leicester, respecting many 
 injuries both in England and in the parts beyond the sea, 
 which had, as it was said, been committed against the king. 
 And a day having been appointed for him to reply to these 
 charges, and to clear himself from what had been brought 
 against him, the said count, on the appointed day, though it 
 was rather an early one, declared himself ready at once to 
 reply to all the questions which were put to him, and to hear 
 the truth of the opposing statements thoroughly sifted, and 
 to submit to the decision of any one, whether a foreigner or 
 an Englishman, with the exception of only five persons of no 
 importance, who were sowers of the ill-will against him and 
 prince Edward. So when this answer had been received, the 
 earl of Gloucester, with his adherents, fearing that after the 
 acquittal of the aforesaid earl of Leicester, grave complaints 
 would be brought up against himself, procured the postpone- 
 ment of the day appointed for the investigation to another 
 parhament. And so the tumult was appeased for a time, and 
 the king returned with joy to his palace. But the articles of 
 accusation alleged against the earl of Leicester were numerous, 
 as also were their framers, and such as proved outrageous 
 
 A. n. 1260. SL'DDEN DEATH OF LOED ROGER DE TURKELBT. 381 
 
 offences, if they were only true. But as they are incredible, 
 and are supported by no truth, I think it not fitting that they 
 should be recorded in this page, lest I should be called a writer 
 or inventor of lies. And any one who is very desirous to be- 
 come acquainted with them may go and imbibe lies from liars, 
 and on this occasion may leave me and go and seek another 
 historian. In the month of June, the earl of Albemarle, who 
 was sojourning in foreign countries for his pleasure, ended 
 his life at Amiens. And his body was conveyed with all 
 honour to England, and received burial in a monastery which 
 had been built by himself. And his inheritance was entrusted 
 to the guardianship of the earl of Gloucester, having fifteen 
 years still to run, according to the age of the heir. But be- 
 cause this is contrary to the regulations of the kingdom and 
 to the oaths taken, the annual value was computed, in order 
 that from that great sum an annual satisfaction might be made 
 to the king. 
 
 About this time, the lord Stephen Longsword, a most accom- 
 plished knight, and, by the authority of the king, justiciary 
 of the whole of Ireland, having been a long time wasting 
 away under a serious sickness, was now attacked by death, 
 and went the way of all flesh with honour. The same month, 
 about the time of the festival of Saint Bartholomew the Apos- 
 tle, the lord Roger de Turkelbi, an especial friend of the king, 
 and second to nX) one in the whole kingdom for justice and 
 knowledge of the laws of the land, inasmuch as he was supe- 
 rior to them all in the nobleness of his sentiments and the 
 glory of his achievements, was cut ofi", as it were, by a sudden 
 death, and bade farewell to this world, and all his virtues with 
 it, in London, and departed to receive the reward of his noble- 
 ness and exemplary hfe. He, as it was generally reported, 
 went cheerfully to bed one night, but the next day, when he 
 w^as expected at the bench, his spirit was found to have fled, 
 and to have left only a lifeless corpse. And after his death, 
 it was generally said, that for the whole of the preceding fort- 
 night, although he had been regular in his attendance on the 
 bench of justice, yet he seemed like a person in a trance and 
 beside himself. And when he was admonished by any bre- 
 thren, or by others, of the salvation of his soul, he answered, 
 " 1 have nothing to do with you, go to the justiciary." For 
 this is what he was accustomed to say when disturbed by the 
 clamour and entreaties of those who addressed him. How- 
 
382 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1260. 
 
 ever, we may well believe, that, by the dispensations of God, 
 who willeth not that any one should perish, he by divine 
 mercy received all that he was entitled to ; so that exultation 
 at the safety of his soul overcame the grief for his death. 
 And so on one and the same day the death of these three 
 persons was announced to the king, who feehng himself de- 
 prived of great advice and assistance, naturally became afflicted 
 with great grief. 
 
 After this, a vision was seen by a certain knight in a secret 
 place, where he was sleeping in a corner. For a person ap- 
 peared to him, commanding him to go in person to the lord 
 Henry de Ba, and tell him that the lord Roger de Turkelbi, 
 the justiciary, summoned him, as he had a certain decree some- 
 where which required to be passed, and which could not be 
 brought to a conclusion without his presence. And when the 
 knight neglected this injunction, and hesitated, as it were, to 
 fulfil it, the aforesaid precept was repeated to him a second 
 and a third time ; and he had notice given him that un- 
 less he complied evil was impending over him, and was near 
 at hand. At last, however, he sought the lord Henry before 
 mentioned, and related the vision to him, but it was utterly 
 disregarded and passed over by him ; and so, as it is commonly 
 reported, it inmiediately brought on the following conclusion. 
 For in this the next month, the said Henry de Ba suffered 
 death of the body. 
 
 A Templar, who came in haste from the Holy Land, arrived 
 in London on the eve of Saint Botolph's day, bringing a num- 
 ber of letters to the lord the king, and to the master of the 
 Temple in London, and to others ; and he also was the bearer 
 of very many to the nobles, both on this and on the other 
 side of the Alps. And he performed that long journey with 
 such rapidity, that, being under the compulsion of most rigo- 
 rous necessity, he entered London the day thirteen weeks after 
 he left the Holy Land, making only one day's journey from 
 Dover to London, and he affirmed that he liad made many 
 other day's journey of similar length. And when his let- 
 ters were read, the king and the Templars, and all persons 
 who heard them, gave themselves up to such lamentation and 
 grief as no one had ever seen before. For news was con- 
 tained in them that the Tartars, advancing with an innumerable 
 host, had laid waste and made themselves masters of nearly 
 the whole of the Holy Land as far as Acre. And M'hat was 
 
 A.D. 1260. GKEAT CALAMITIES BEFALL ENGLAND. 
 
 383 
 
 very strange to hear, they proposed to detain their army there 
 and to occupy that country for forty days, in order that when 
 they had thus (which God forbid) destroyed the major part of 
 the population, they might the more easily be able to extend 
 their ravages. And the same messenger added, that they place 
 all the foreigners who fly to them, or who are taken prisoners 
 by them, in the front rank of battle ; and when they fight, men 
 as well as women all joining in the combat, they shot behind them 
 as well as they do in front. Nor, said he, will Christendom be 
 able to assist them, unless it is supported by the powerful 
 hand of God as its ally. For as all the Templars and Hospital- 
 lers in that country are already nearly all killed, unless speedy 
 succour arise, a terrible destruction will soon visit the world 
 (which may God forbid). And the same news, as it was said, 
 was conveyed to all the princes whose dominions lie around 
 the sea of the Greeks. But on the day after the feast of Saint 
 Botolph, the lord the king of Germany, who had now been 
 staying peaceably in England for about a year and a half, and 
 had reconciled some who were previously hostile to one ano- 
 ther, and brought them together under fixed conditions of 
 peace, having been constantly urged by the invitation of the 
 pope, went with all speed towards Rome, to receive the em- 
 pire ; and embarking on board ship at London, he sailed as 
 far as Gravesend. There his queen met him, and with her 
 and a moderate retinue, he hastened to complete the journey 
 he had undertaken. But when he had departed, then many 
 people felt doubts and perplexity, fearing, since his presence 
 had lately been the prevention of impending war, that the 
 peace which has been mentioned could have no stability if he 
 continued absent. 
 
 In the summer of this year, great and enormous prodigies 
 were seen in the air, so that some said that the last judgment 
 was close at hand. For it was found written somewhere, and 
 besides, it had been often declared by many astrologers and 
 others, that the same year there would be so great a pestilence, 
 that of six persons scarcely one would escape uninjured ; ac- 
 cording to which, there was now an intolerable famine, and 
 such excessive and uninterrupted thunder-storms, that scarcely 
 any one dared to go out of his house, and many people were 
 killed, and the lightning destroyed houses and fields of corn, 
 and woods, and inflicted unheard-of dangers in the country. 
 Also, there were such hailstones, that the stones were not oniv 
 
384 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1260. 
 
 11 ' 
 
 like peas, but of the thickness of three fingers, and in some 
 places as thick as fifteen fingers. Moreover, in some places, 
 as was declared upon oath, great stones were found to have 
 fallen of such a weight, that it required three men to lift them. 
 And in other places, the crops which had been expected to be 
 abundant were so utterly destroyed, that they were hardly 
 sufficient to repay the reapers. So that these and similar 
 calamities being spread over many places, processions to sacred 
 shrines and fasts were ordered, and prayers were offered up 
 devoutly with a frequent amendment of people's sins. And 
 not long afterwards a war broke out, which increased rapidly, 
 being one of great mischief to England, and great terror to 
 Wales. For a royal edict (as it was said) went abroad, ad- 
 dressed to all who owed the king service, commanding them 
 with all speed to provide themselves with all things necessary 
 and unnecessary, as they were to make an expedition into 
 Wales, for the purpose of avenging the injuries of the king. 
 And because the before-mentioned Welch arrayed themselves 
 in a hostile manner for battle, not fearing death, the lord 
 Simon, earl of Leicester, was appointed general and com- 
 mander of the English army against them, as a prudent and 
 mighty warrior of England. And as each party thought that 
 they saw an opportunity, they attacked one another ; but as 
 impediments subsequently arose, a truce was sought, and the 
 war was deferred. 
 
 On the eve of Saint Lawrence the lord William de Kirkham, 
 bishop of Durham, a man of exemplary character and of ripe 
 age, bidding farewell to this world and to the body, after he 
 had governed the church of Durham gloriously for twelve 
 years, at Hoveden gave up his blessed soul to his Creator. 
 And from thence he was conveyed away with reverence, and 
 on the following Monday was honourably buried (as he well 
 deserved) in his church at Durham. Although he was one of 
 the middle class of people, and educated in it, nevertheless he 
 was illustrious throughout the whole kingdom, and very libe- 
 ral, and a man of tried gentleness and courtesy towards all 
 men. And among other good deeds of his which were widely 
 diffused, he appropriated two churches of the annual value of 
 three hundred marks, by name Herteburn and Egelingham, 
 in the diocese of Durham, to the church of Saint Alban's ; 
 and he also brought the dispute which had long existed be- 
 tween the church of Durham and that of Saint Alban's to a 
 
 A.D. 1260. ROBERT DE STTCHIL MADE BISHOP OF DURHAM. 385 
 
 final peace. But while these deeds were being accomplished, 
 having waited for a proper time to place the parties in the 
 possession of the things which were admitted to belong to 
 both, under the name of exchange and peace, the good bishop 
 was removed from this world, and so, of necessity, the busi- 
 ness was not brought to the same end that it would have 
 been. And immediately the guardianship of the aforesaid 
 bishopric was entrusted by the king to John Mansel, which 
 was contrary to the common provision. And afterwards, on 
 the Friday after the Nativity of the blessed Virgin Mary, the 
 lord John de Krakehale, treasurer of England and archdeacon 
 of Bedford, bidding farewell to the world while it was smiling 
 on him from every quarter, died at London ; and being pos- 
 sessed, as it was said, of no inconsiderable wealth, he left 
 eighteen thousand pounds untouched behind him. He also 
 released the church of Wantham from the payment of no 
 small sum of money which it owed him, and having conferred 
 other benefits on that church, he also bequeathed his body 
 to it, to be buried there. 
 
 When the lord William de Kirkham, of blessed memory, bishop 
 of Durham, had been taken from among men, the chapter of 
 Durham, taking care that their church should not be too long in 
 want of a shepherd, fixed a day for the election, and then, on the 
 dav af\er the feast of Saint Michael, with unanimous consent 
 elected the lord Robert de Stichil, one of the monks of their 
 own body, and the prior of Finchale, to be their bishop and 
 pastor, an accomplished, discreet, and praiseworthy man ; for 
 although they had been canvassed by the royal request in 
 favour of the secular clergy, still, havifig God before their 
 eyes, they, without any favour towards or fear of any one, de- 
 cided their election by a choice from among themselves. And 
 the bishop elect, embracing the proffered honour as what was 
 bestowed upon him by the divine interposition, which he was 
 bound to obey, being conducted by his own prior of Durham, 
 went at once before the king's presence. And so coming to 
 London about the feast of Saint Edward at the time when 
 parliament was sitting, as some persons tried to hinder him, 
 he found the king for a time adverse to him, but at last, after 
 he had remained at the court a fortnight, he brought him over 
 to be as favourable to him as he wished. Therefore, being 
 received by the king and doing him homage for his barony, 
 and having sent off the king's letters to the guardian of the 
 VOL. II. c c 
 
386 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 12C0. 
 
 bishopric before mentioned, he was instituted to the full tem- 
 poralities of his see ; but for the temporalities he had to ap- 
 pear in the presence of the archbishop of York. But on the 
 day of the feast of Saint Edward, when numbers both of the 
 foreign and native nobles, and a great many other persons 
 also were flocking to that splendid banquet of the king, the 
 lord the king invested with the belt of a knight John de Brit- 
 tany, son of the count of Brittany, who had lately married his 
 daughter Beatrice, with whom he had received as dowry all 
 the territory which he had received in exchange for Normandy. 
 Moreover, the king made twenty-four other new knights, the 
 two sons of the earl of Leicester having been already invested 
 with the knight's belt by Edward, his son. And then they all 
 crossed the sea with as little delay as possible, with the afore- 
 said Edward, John, and Henry, the son of the king of Ger- 
 many, to a tournament, which had been appointed beyond the 
 sea, .to display the prowess of each individual, as is the custom 
 of new knights. 
 
 And at the parliament before mentioned, a discussion took 
 place respecting the justiciaries of England and the chancellor 
 and the treasurer, as to who were entitled to the chief power 
 the next year. For the lord Hugh Bigod, who had formerly 
 been justiciary, was at this time absent ; Henry de Wen^ham, 
 formerly chancellor, obtained the bishopric of London^ and 
 the Lord John de Crakhale, formerly treasurer, had expired a 
 little before, as has been already mentioned. Therefore, after 
 a long debate on this subject, at length, with the consent of all 
 parties, the king's seal was entrusted to Master Nicholas, 
 archdeacon of Ely, and the office of treasurer to the abbot of 
 Burgh, and the power of justiciary to the lord Hugh Des- 
 penser. But in the month of October the lord Richard, king 
 of Germany, who had been frequently summoned by the invi- 
 tation of the pope to possess himself of the empire, having 
 lately departed from England on a journey to Rome, now re- 
 turned secretly and unexpectedly, in such a way as to strike 
 every one both on this side of the channel and the other with 
 surprise, owing to the diminution of his retinue and magni- 
 ficence. For it was said that he had landed with but few 
 men and fewer horses, making his journey each day very long, 
 and having laid aside all his regal magnificence ; but that 
 soon afterwards, as his men followed him, he was again sur- 
 rounded with his accustomed honours, so that many asserted 
 
 A.D. 12G0. 
 
 DISSENSION AEISES IN CAMBEIDGE. 
 
 38; 
 
 that he had been baulked of his object by prince Manfred and 
 others, who were eager to obtain the empire of the Romans, 
 and who therefore intercepted his journey, plundered his 
 treasure, and put his esquires to flight, with this further addi- 
 tion, that if he presumed to cross the Alps he would very 
 speedily find himself in great danger in consequence. Nor is 
 it at all strange that, as he had not foreseen this, and as he 
 was not forewarned against it, he avoided his enemies and re- 
 traced his steps without delay. But others said that he had 
 been forewarned and hindered beforehand also by the counsel 
 of his nobles of Germany, so that he was not desirous and did 
 not think it desirable to undertake so long and dangerous a 
 journey at the beginning of the winter season ; thinking that 
 when the winter was over, he could perform it with more 
 security in the season of fine weather. Adding this conside- 
 ration also, that he at present had and was still likely to re- 
 tain his kingdom of Germany and all the inhabitants in peace, 
 and he knew, too, that they would assist him in his business 
 before mentioned without any evasion. So he acquiescing in 
 their advice, presently returned to England, as I have already 
 said, in order to arrange his estates and possessions, which 
 were not under very good management there, as seemed ex- 
 pedient for himself and his son Henry ; and that when a suit- 
 able time arrived he might cross the sea never to return. 
 Others also said that he returned in consequence of an admo- 
 nition from the pope, in order, forsooth, that Master Albert, 
 his nuncio, who had been sent to England for several reasons, 
 might enter the more secretly, contrary to the provision made 
 by the barons, following behind so great a leader ; and that so, 
 when the business of the pope had been finished, the king 
 might find him more favourable to him in his own business. 
 
 About this time, an intolerable dissension arose in the uni- 
 versity of Cambridge. For, as a certain quarrel had broken 
 out between two youths, one from the south and the other 
 from the north, the compatriots of each presently came to 
 their assistance ; so that one party attacking the other, a 
 great many were stricken and wounded on both sides. And 
 in this way at last the whole town was thrown into confu- 
 sion, because every one, both clergy and laity, left their houses, 
 and flew in bands to the fray. Therefore, while the clergy 
 were absent, some of the laity secretly entered their houses, 
 and carried off" property of all kinds from thence. For the 
 
 cc 2 
 
388 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMENSTEB. 
 
 A.D. 1260. 
 
 I 
 
 1 
 
 chancellor had called out the laity of the town to aid and assist 
 in appeasing the fury of the disturbers, so that the other plun- 
 derers had confidence in their opportunity to plunder. There- 
 fore, as a complaint respecting this affair was laid before the 
 queen, Lawrence de Broke was presently ordered to go thither, 
 and, having held a strict examination on the subject, he pro- 
 nounced sentence, and some of the plunderers, to the number 
 of sixteen, belonging to that same town, were hanged on one 
 day. And a great number more, both clergy and laity, either 
 fled to the churches, or else were committed to strict impri- 
 sonment, and remained there. 
 
 Hie Icing of Scotland comes to England. 
 
 In those days and that month, the king of Scotland came 
 to England, influenced by a variety of causes, for instance, 
 with the object of visiting the king and the queen of England, 
 and of exercising his legitimate authority and power in his 
 county of Huntingdon. And besides this, avowing the most 
 especial cause of his coming, he demanded of the king that 
 four thousand marks should be paid him, which Jie said the 
 king of England had promised him formerly at his marriage 
 with his wife. He also demanded the whole of the land b'e- 
 tween the Tyne and the Wentsbeck, which he asserted had 
 been formerly bestowed upon his predecessors. And besides 
 this, he claimed powerful assistance from the king and nobles 
 of the land against his enemies, as the king had formerly pro- 
 mised him, and the mayors of Scotland by his written letter, 
 signed by his own hand, and procured and transmitted by 
 his brother, William de Ilorton. And at this time the kings 
 of England and Germany were both in London, on which 
 account there was, as it was quite fitting that there should be, 
 such a prodigal magnificence and pomp, that the whole of the 
 surrounding country was put to intolerable expense. And a 
 few days afterwards he was followed by his queen, who was 
 near the time of her confinement, and who came for the sake 
 of visiting the king and queen, and the country of England, 
 and, if God so willed it, of being confined in their neighbour- 
 hood. And being conducted by the venerable man, the bishop 
 of White House, she was met by her younger brother, Edward, 
 about the hour of evening, at Saint Alban's, and received with 
 a solemn procession, and honourably entertained. In the 
 morning she proceeded on to London ; and when she had 
 
 A.D. 12G0. ETHELMAB, BROinEE OF ZIXO HENRT, DIES. 389 
 
 been received there, there were then three kings, and as many 
 queens in that city, of whose equipments and magnificence 
 who can think without admiration ? And the bishop, having 
 presented the queen to her parents, returned into Scotland 
 with all speed, loaded with piecious gifts of various kinds. 
 And the king, after he had completed all his business in every 
 quarter, returned after him, and on his return, being hospitably 
 received at Saint Alban's, he presented the church there with 
 a pall. 
 
 At that time it was stated that this king of Scotland re- 
 ceived a hundred shillings from the king's purse every day 
 that he was this side of the Humber, both while going and 
 returning, as his predecessors had been used to claim when 
 they were summoned to England by the king's command. 
 But although this was several times demanded as if of right, 
 still it never, if one may trust the assertion of several compe- 
 tent persons, was given except through liberality. But in 
 the following month of December, Ethelmar, formerly bishop 
 elect of Winchester, and uterine brother of king Henry, when 
 he had been nearly three years in the court of Rome, endea- 
 vouring to obtain the restitution of his bishopric, at length 
 having obtained the papal benediction, he was (as it was 
 Baid) consecrated bishop by the pope himself. And so as he 
 was on his way with all speed into England, with full powers, 
 by the will of God he ended his Ufe in France, and received 
 lionourable burial, as he was well entitled to, at Paris, in the 
 church of Saint Genevieve. And his death, though mournful to 
 some persons, appeared nevertheless to many, and especially to 
 those of the English, who were the framers of the provisions of 
 Oxford, a salutary event. And, indeed, it was considered by 
 them as a great miracle, because if he had peaceably recovered 
 the bishopric of Winchester, and if all those who were pre- 
 viously ejected were recalled, the provisions of the barons be- 
 fore mentioned would come to nothing, and while his revenue 
 was raging against his enemies, the last error would be a great 
 deal worse than the first. 
 
 So this year passed by, not very rich in crops, but one 
 which produced great abundance of fruit. For the orchards, 
 and gardens, and woods were all so fertile in their different 
 kinds, that they appeared sufficient to make up for the scan- 
 tiness of the corn crops, which was very grateful to the eye. 
 For the price of corn, as it existed at the end of the autumn. 
 
k 
 
 390 
 
 MATTHEW OP WESTMTTfSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 1261. 
 
 wa3 said to have fallen by Christmas on this account. And 
 although this year was one full of great terrors to the Holy 
 Land, in respect of the incursions and threats of the Tartars, 
 still, with the exception of the mortality which took place in 
 those lands, it was one very tolerable to the French and English. 
 This year there died Walter, bishop of Durham, Ethelmar, 
 bishop elect of Winchester, William de Beauchamp, earl of 
 Albermarle, Roger de Turkelbi, earl of Bedford, Henry de 
 Ba, the justiciary of the lord the king, John de Crakehale, 
 his treasurer, and Stephen Longsword, justiciary of Ireland, 
 with the addition of a great many others, whose memory aud 
 whose number can be preserved by God alone. 
 
 Ch. XVIIL—Feom A.D. 1261 TO a.d. 1263. 
 
 Henri/ violates the provisions of Oxford — The pope is afraid 
 of an invasion of the Tartars — Prince Edward espouses 
 the cause of the barons — The earl of Leicester forms a con- 
 federacy against the king — Prince Edward invades Wales 
 — Treaty between the king and the barons — The civil war 
 breaks out again^ and is continued, with great fierceness — 
 The quarrel is submitted to Louis of France, who decides 
 in favour of the king. 
 
 Of the fineness of the weather about Christmas. 
 
 A.D. 1261, and the forty-fifth of the reign of king Henry the 
 Third, the said king celebrated the feast of the Nativity at 
 Windsor, with his own queen, and his daughter, the queen of 
 Scotland, who was staying there, waiting for the time of her 
 confinement. There was also there, Richard, king of Ger- 
 many, who had lately returned with unexpected rapidity into 
 England, but his queen had all the time stayed uninterrup- 
 tedly at Berkhampstead. And at this season, there was such 
 unbroken fine weather and softness in the air, that you would 
 have said that it was the pleasant time of summer rather than 
 winter. 
 
 And about this time an event took place which was strange, 
 and which seemed more and more marvellous to all who heard 
 of it. For two persons, who had not undeservedly been com- 
 mitted to perpetual imprisonment, namely, Roger de Clare 
 and John Ealriche, when one had been confined in Newgate 
 and loaded with chains eighteen years, and the other more 
 
 A.D. 12G1. THE KING GOES AGAINST HIS OATH. 
 
 391 
 
 than ten, escaped by night, taking with them others also of 
 their companions, all of whom, at their departure, were bear- 
 ing and carried off no small number of fetters. But Roger, 
 with some of them, took sanctuary in a church, and John, 
 with the rest, escaped as secretly as he could out of the city 
 of London. And another strange matter was here unfolded 
 to the hearers. For about the time of the Purification of the 
 blessed Virgin, when there ought to have been fine spring 
 weather, there was a continuance of snow and frost for a 
 fortnight, that no one for many years had seen such a contra- 
 riety of seasons and weather. But on the Sunday after the 
 feast of Saint Scholastica, that is to say, on the thirteenth of 
 February, Robert de Stichille, bishop elect of Durham, was 
 consecrated and installed in his bishopric, by the archbishop 
 of York, at Southwell ; and having celebrated a glorious ban- 
 quet there, he went with all speed to his episcopal see, which 
 he was said never to have visited since his election. 
 
 About the same time, Margaret, queen of Scotland, brought 
 forth her eldest daughter, in the castle of Windsor, where she 
 Jiad been staying a long time with her mother. And the 
 Scots when they heard this, were very much grieved at their 
 queen having been confined out of her own kingdom, as they 
 were altogether ignorant when she departed that she was so 
 near the time of her delivery. For she had carefully con- 
 cealed this from the people, and from the king, that so she 
 might return to her native country, and there with greater 
 freedom gratify her wish of having her child born there. 
 
 The king goes against his oath. 
 
 About the same time, in February, the lord the king of 
 England, who, during his whole reign, had been considered 
 extravagantly liberal towards foreigners, having now taken 
 thought with himself secretly, that from being subjected to 
 the provisions made by the barons he had been, contrary to 
 his customs, compelled to stay his hand, was greatly grieved 
 at being forced to adhere to their guardianship and arrange- 
 ments, however useful they might be, and determined, with a 
 resolute heart, to alter them. Therefore, having convoked his 
 nobles, he said to them, " All of you laboured perseveringly 
 on behalf of the general advantage and benefit (as you as- 
 serted) of the king, and for the sake of increasing my trea- 
 sures, and diminishing my debts ; and you unanimously 
 
 
:/ 
 
 392 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1261. 
 
 agreed to a provision which was to be observed upon oath, to 
 the observance of which you also bound me and my son by a 
 similar oath. But now I have experienced beyond a doubt, 
 that you are desirous not so much of the advantage of the 
 king and kingdom as of your own, and that you are altogether 
 receding from your agreements, and that you have reduced 
 me, not as your lord but as your servant under your authority. 
 Moreover, my treasury is exhausted to an unusual degree ; 
 my debt increases in every direction, and the liberahty and 
 power of the king is almost overthrown and put down. On 
 which account, I desire you not to wonder if I do not walk 
 any more by your counsel, but leave you to yourselves for the 
 future, and allow myself to seek a remedy for the existing 
 state of affairs." And when he had said' this, having sent 
 ministers to Rome to procure absolution, the king wrote a 
 specialletter to the king of France, and to his son Edward, 
 entreating them to furnish him with assistance. And the 
 king of France promised him a large army, which he would 
 support at his own expense for seven years, if it should be ne- 
 cessary ; and Edward exerted himself, as it was said, in col- 
 lecting forces of every description ; endeavouring to release 
 Henry, who was no longer a youth, but a veteran, from the con- 
 finement in which he was kept, and to make him master of 
 his kingdom, as he had been used to be. In the meantime, 
 the king having neglected the statute made by his nobles, and 
 bemg deceived by flattering counsels, entered the Tower of 
 London, and having forced open the bolts, seized the treasure 
 which was deposited there, and spent and dissipated it. :More- 
 over, he hired workmen, and caused the Tower to be strength- 
 ened in every part, and he ordered the whole city of London 
 to have its locks and barriers strengthened, and to be fortified 
 all round. And having convoked all the citizens of twelve 
 years old and upwards, he caused them all to swear to main- 
 tain their fideUty to him, the crier making proclamation that 
 all who were wiUing to serve the king should come to receive 
 pay from him. And when they heard this, the nobles flocked 
 in from all quarters with their' forces, encamping without the 
 walls, since all entertainment within was entirely denied to 
 them. And so a deadly war was expected on every side, 
 which, indeed, had never been so near in past years. 
 
 About the same time, it was generally known all around the 
 kingdom, that all the bishops of England were designing to 
 
 I 
 
 ' \ 
 
 
 A.D. 12G1. THE KINQ ACCEPTS THE POPE's LETTEll. 
 
 393 
 
 recall from the men of religious orders, and especially from 
 those who had exemptions, all the churches which had been 
 appropriated to them ; and, for the purpose of obtaining power 
 to carry outthis design, to send, with the sanction of their whole 
 body, and maintain procurators to the Roman court, to solicit 
 its countenance. And they made little doubt that they should 
 prevail, because they assigned various and plausible grounds 
 for their request (as they said), and because, too, they spared 
 no expense to procure the permission that they prayed for ; so 
 that great fears were entertained that as a corporeal war was 
 maintained among the laity, so too, a spiritual discord would 
 arise among the scholars, in consequence of the diminution of 
 the incomes of some of them. 
 
 About the same time, though the lord the pope had lately 
 determined to hold his general council at Rome, in the fort- 
 night after Easter, having (as it was said) already informed 
 the archbishop of Canterbury of this intention, afterwards, 
 when he heard of the invasion of Christendom, by the Tartars 
 coming nearer, he postponed the fulfilment of this decree, and 
 sent brother Walter de Reigate into England, to make wise 
 arrangements as to this and other matters. But afterwards, 
 when the pope heard that fifty-two thousand of these Tartars 
 above mentioned had been slain in Hungary, fearing that the 
 remainder would soon do him and the rest of the Christians 
 much injury, he caused all the Transalpine prelates, and all, 
 too, who were nearer Rome, to be summoned to meet at Rome 
 before the feast of the Apostles Peter and Paul, to consider 
 how they might offer the most efi'ectual resistance to the afore- 
 said enemies. Accordingly, when the aforesaid brother Wal- 
 ter arrived, he caused all the prelates of England to be sum- 
 moned to meet in London in his presence, in the fortnight 
 after Easter, and, when they had heard the papal message, 
 not to be slack in framing a proper answer. 
 
 About this time, that is, about Easter, a letter from the 
 pope, respecting the absolution of the king and his son 
 Edward, from the oaths before mentioned, was obtained ; but 
 though the king accepted it, Edward voluntarily bound him- 
 self again by a repetition of the oath. And when the nobles 
 heard this, they persevered firmly in their original design, and 
 sending mediators to the king, they earnestly demanded that 
 he should inviolably keep the oath which had been adminis- 
 tered to him in accordance with their unanimous decision. 
 
i 
 
 391 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 12G1. 
 
 And if any portion of it was particularly unwelcome to liim, 
 they begged that he would point it out to them, that they 
 might correct it. But he would not agree to this, but would 
 scarcely allow them to appear before him, threatening them 
 harshly and answering them wantonly, and saying, that he 
 would no longer endure their departing from the agreement 
 that they had made, but that each of them had better for 
 the future provide for his own defence. At length, however, 
 through the mediation of some discreet persons, he was, 
 though with difficulty, so far appeased as to allow two persons 
 to be chosen, one on one side and one on the other, which 
 two were to choose themselves a third, and then, having heard 
 the complaints of the king and the answers of the other 
 party, to provide for a firm peace on both sides. And this, 
 after it had been accepted by both parties, was agreed to be 
 put off till the arrival of prince Edward. But when Edward 
 heard this, namely, that the dissensions which were existing 
 in England would sooner be healed by peace through his arri- 
 val, having gained the victory in the tournament, he returned 
 with speed to his own country, bringing with him John de 
 Brames, his sister's husband, and William de Valence, who 
 had lately been banished from the kingdom, and who then 
 could scarcely obtain leave to enter it, though he took an oath 
 on his admission that he would adhere to the provisions esta- 
 blished by the barons in every particular, and would, if it were 
 needful, reply to all the complaints that had been, or should 
 be, alleged against him. But Edward being fully informed of 
 all points respecting the vain counsels and counsellors of the 
 king, and being greatly displeased at them, of his own ac- 
 cord kept aloof from his father's sight, and with all good 
 faith gave in his adhesion to the barons, as he had previously 
 sworn to do. Therefore, when all the partisans of the afore- 
 said contention had been sought out and ascertained, they all 
 with one accord united with Edward in an oath, that they 
 would never agree with the king till he had removed some 
 persons whom it was unnecessary to name from his councils. 
 Adding, that it was owing to the suggestions of such disturb- 
 ers of peace, that the king was often deceived, and that the pro- 
 visions so beneficial to both king and kingdom were abrogated by 
 the effect of the papal absolution before mentioned. On which 
 account, their secret councils being now revealed, " the king 
 will never be able (said they), while the advice of such men is 
 
 . 
 
 A.D. 1261. JUSTICIARIES SENT TZROUGH ENGLAND. 
 
 395 
 
 interposed, to agree with his barons as he ought." But the king, 
 when he heard this, immediately withdrew with these men 
 into the Tower of London ; and Edward remaining outside 
 with the nobles, there was very soon a formidable body col- 
 lected. 
 
 But the earls of Gloucester and Leicester, who were before 
 this at variance, in consequence of violent language that had 
 passed between them, now made firm peace with one another, 
 and confederated with Edward and other persons, pledging 
 themselves to one another to remove the body of disturbers 
 before mentioned from the king, or else to unite in stirring 
 up civil war, and to prosecute it to death. Therefore, the 
 counsellors before mentioned being greatly alarmed for them- 
 selves, kept themselves for a long time under the protection of 
 the Tower of London, being protected on all sides by arms 
 and soldiers ; till at last, by the intervention of the queen, 
 they were, though not without difficulty, reconciled to some 
 of the nobles, and the two parties saluted one another with 
 the embrace of peace about Easter. After this event, the king 
 showed himself more fearlessly outside of the Tower, having 
 dismissed the lord John Mansel within the fortress, and im- 
 mediately travelled toward Dover. And coming there with a 
 small retinue, they freely gave him entrance to the castle, 
 which, indeed, had not been taken from nor forbidden to him, 
 but (being, as it were, the key of the whole kingdom) had 
 been committed by the barons to faithful keeping. When the 
 king presently found that he had been deceived by false sug- 
 gestions, and that he was everywhere, although without his 
 knowing it, supported by the fidelity of his barons, he com- 
 mitted the wardenship of that castle to the lord Robert Valerau, 
 and then went to the castle of Rochester, and to some other 
 forts, and everywhere found free admittance and free egress 
 according to his wish. 
 
 About the same time, some travelling justiciaries were sent 
 through England by command of the king, but this was con- 
 trary to the common provision made by both parties, and 
 utterly without the consent of the barons. And when these 
 judges came to Hereford, and when the county had been sum- 
 moned to meet them, wishing to hold their sittings on the 
 Monday, which was the Hokeday,^ immediately some persons 
 
 * The Hokeday (which, however, according to Ducange, fell always on 
 the Tuesday fortnight after Kaster) was an annual festival observed iu 
 
39f6 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMI^'ST£^. 
 
 A.D. 12G1. 
 
 on the part of the body of the barons approached them, 
 strictly commanding them not to presume to do this, and for- 
 bidding all people to answer any of their enquiries ; both 
 because the summonses had not been issued a reasonable 
 number of days beforehand, that is to say forty, and also 
 because, according to the provision, the itinerant justiciaries 
 were not to hold a sitting in any county more than once in seven 
 years. On which account, as their appointment was silently 
 suspended, they presently demanded of the king a reply on 
 this point, and having received his command to desist, they 
 took their way to Northampton with all speed. 
 
 But in the month of May, all the prelates of England, that 
 is to say, the archbishops, bishops, and abbots, both those 
 who had exemptions and those who had not, and priors, and 
 archdeacons, and the other ordinaries of the churches, having 
 been summoned, as has been said above, to hear the message 
 of the lord the pope, and there to satisfy him with positive 
 answers ; on the Monday before the feast' of Saint Dunstan, 
 all the bishops of the southern districts met in London before 
 Boniface, archbishop of Canterbury, and his brother AViUiam, 
 whose name has been mentioned before as the nuncio of the 
 lord the pope. And on the Monday following, the bishops of 
 the north country met at Beverly under the archbishop of 
 York, who had a similar charge committed to him, and a 
 council being held on the before-mentioned points, they pro- 
 vided some new statutes, here and there affecting the state of 
 the EngUsh church, which they established, and ordered to be 
 observed with the others which had been previously enacted 
 among the provisions of Oxford. 
 
 And with respect to these and other articles, and especially 
 to the common provision which was to be made for resisting 
 the Tartars, they determined to send prudent men with full 
 powers to Rome as ambassadors, who should be supported out 
 of their common purse, and who might inform the lord the 
 pope of the answers they had agreed upon in the council above 
 mentioned, which was to be held at Rome. These men (as is 
 generally said) then swore, in the presence of the bishops 
 before mentioned, that they would not patiently allow anything 
 
 England in commemoration of the expulsion of the Danes by king 
 Ethelred, in the year 1002, when he made a great massacre of them, and 
 drove them out of England. The massacre itself, however, took place on 
 Sunday, November 13, Saint Brice's day. 
 
 ! \ 
 
 A.D. 1261. THE KING CELEBEATES THE FEAST OF PENTECOST. 397 
 
 to pass to their prejudice, but that they would exert themselves 
 to oppose the men of the religious orders, and particularly 
 those who had exemptions. On which account, those who 
 claimed such exemptions, when every one else gave in certain 
 answers, answered with one voice in the following manner : 
 
 " Ye are sending deputies to the court of Rome for your- 
 selves alone and against us, and you are compelling us to 
 contribute for this purpose. Now, if you are willing to 
 send general ambassadors for the common advantage of 
 us all, in that case we will cheerfully contribute with you j 
 but otherwise we will not consent to do so." And when this 
 had been heard, the bishops immediately drew an excuse 
 from it, writing to the pope that they could not give a 
 positive answer, because of the separation of those who had 
 exemptions. Therefore, those who had exemptions being 
 alarmed, sent special messengers without delay after the 
 others, who should act in opposition to the deputies before 
 mentioned, or should procure the revocation of any decisions 
 which had been come to in their favour by contradicting them. 
 
 At this time, the king wishing (as being released by abso- 
 lution from the observance of it) to break the oath which he 
 had formerly taken, boldly went round the cities and castles 
 of his kingdom, wishing to make himself absolute master of 
 them and of the whole kingdom ; animated by the fact, that 
 the king of France, and all the nobles of that kingdom, had 
 lately promised to assist him with all his might. On which 
 account, the count of Saint Pol and Gerard de Rodes came to 
 his assistance with a numerous body of followers. This count, 
 as it was said, took the oaths of fealty to the king as far as 
 mihtary service -went, and for this he received every week ten 
 marks from the treasury ; and the aforesaid Gerard did the 
 same ; but all the rest before their arrival had received their 
 full pay for forty days. Therefore, the aforesaid king, coming 
 to Winchester, entered his castle there without any opposition, 
 as he did in other places, and there he celebrated* the feast of 
 Pentecost with his followers. And having summoned his jus- 
 ticiary and his chancellor, w^ho had been lately appointed to 
 their offices by the whole body of barons, to meet him at that 
 place, he commanded his seal to be restored to him, and the 
 oaths of the justiciary's office to be given up to him. But as 
 they replied, that they could not by any means do this without 
 the consent and sanction of the barons assembled in council 
 
 I 
 
398 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMIN3TEB. 
 
 A.D. 12G1. 
 
 with the king, the king immediately became angry, and, with- 
 out consulting the barons, appointed the lord Walter de 
 Merton his chancellor, and the lord Philip Basset his prin- 
 cipal justiciary throughout the kingdom. And when the 
 nobles heard this, they considered it contrary to their in- 
 terest and to the provisions which they had agreed to ; and so, 
 fearing that the king would take upon himself utterly to over- 
 turn their arrangements, they strengthened themselves with 
 arms and troops, and marched thither with all speed. But 
 when John Mansel heard this, he, fearing that danger was 
 being prepared, from this proceeding, for the king and for him- 
 self, and for those who agreed with him, went secretly to Win- 
 chester, though greatlyalarmed, and privily advised and warned 
 the king to return secretly to London. So when he had re- 
 turned, the king silently departed from the castle, and has- 
 tened to London without delay, accompanied by a small band 
 of followers. 
 
 The same year, as the see of Winchester had been vacant 
 no inconsiderable time, the monks of Winchester themselves 
 elected the abbot of Middleton, who had formerly been their 
 own prior, as their bishop, though they had previously elected 
 some one else, who, during the lifetime of Ethelmar, and 
 while he was at the court of Rome, had involved his church in 
 an infinite amount of debt, endeavouring to prevail against 
 him ; but lie, as he had been formerly elected while Ethelmar 
 was still alive, by whom he himself also had been appointed 
 prior of Winchester, rightly appeared to have no right to re- 
 tain the bishopric; on which account, now that Ethelmar 
 himself was dead, they wished to elect this abbot in opposition 
 to the other. But in the month of May, when the papal in- 
 dulgence (of which mention has already been made), con- 
 ferring absolution on the king and the other conspirators, had 
 been obtained, the lord the king caused it to be published and 
 made known to every one. And the same year, grave dissen- 
 sions broke out between king Henry and his barons, because 
 he refused any longer to give his consent to the provisions 
 which had been established in the conference at Oxford, and 
 confirmed by mutual oaths on both sides. Therefore, showing 
 his utter contempt for their counsel, he seized the castles which 
 had been committed to their guardianship ; he also removed 
 those royal officers, such as the justiciary, the chancellor, and 
 others, who had been appointed by the barons, in whose places. 
 
 A.D. 1261. DREADFrL THUNDERSTOHM IN ENGLAND. 
 
 39U 
 
 relying on his own will, he appointed others, according to his 
 pleasure. 
 
 After Easter, Boniface, archbishop of Canterbury, relying 
 on the authority of the Apostolic See, held a provincial coun- 
 cil at Lambeth, near London, by the advice of the prelates of 
 his province, to take steps for the execution of the mandate 
 from the Apostolic See against the Tartars, which has already 
 been mentioned, since they had now terribly overrun the 
 greater part of the world, as has been fully related above. 
 And for the eff'ectual removal (by the grace of God) of this 
 scourge of the divine indignation, the holy fathers who as- 
 sisted at this council, passed a resolution that men ought to 
 recur to processions, and fasts, and other works of piety of 
 this kind, by means of which, if they were offered to the 
 Lord in a spirit of humility and with a contrite heart, the di- 
 vine anger, which had been kindled to vengeance by the sins 
 of the people, would be appeased, and then they trusted that 
 the faithful people would be mercifully released from their 
 suff'erings. 
 
 About a fortnight after Easter, the count de Saint Pol came 
 into England, having been, as it was said, invited by the 
 king with about eighty knights and as many guards, who used 
 the cross-bow, but not long afterwards, having failed in attaining 
 his object, he returned with his followers to his own country. 
 
 About this time, the itinerant justiciaries held their sittings 
 at Gloucester, and then, intending to sit at Worcester in the 
 week after the festival of Saint John the Baptist, they found 
 no one to come before them on their summons, or to make 
 them any answers as if they were justiciaries, because they 
 were making their circuit within the seven years, before the 
 completion of which period they could not lawfully hold their 
 courts according to the provisions of the kingdom. More- 
 over, the people of that district were ofi'ended at the short no- 
 tice given by the summons, which did not allow them any 
 sufficient or reasonable time, according to the salutary deci- 
 sions which have been pronounced in England in former times. 
 
 On the twenty-seventh of July, a most violent thunder- 
 storm, attended with incessant flashes of lightning, alarmed 
 the north country ; and a thunderbolt falling at Evesham, 
 hurled down a vast stone which was placed in the edge of the 
 corner of the upper part of the church tower, with such force, 
 that it fell down into the choir and was broken to pieces by 
 
I /. 
 
 400 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMrN'STEH. 
 
 A.D. I2GI. 
 
 the violence, and penetrated into the ground, and the stone 
 was nearly a foot long. And soon afterwards, the roof of 
 the tower was discovered to be on fire in consequence of the 
 lightning, and burning downwards, the tower was destroyed 
 for a distance of about thirty feet, or, as some say, fifty, count- 
 ing the weathercock ; and a terrible foetid smell ensued, which 
 men's noses could not bear. At last, the monks and the 
 people coming up, and bursting into the tower with admirable 
 daring, endeavoured to extinguish the fire, by throwing water 
 on it ; but they laboured in vain, as it were, to quench it, or 
 to extinguish the devices of their enemy, till (as they say) a 
 ray of the sun streamed on the fire caused by the lightning, 
 and so entirely put it out and extinguished it by the com- 
 mand of God. 
 
 The same year, on the festival of Saint Urban, formerly 
 pope and martyr, which happens on the twenty-fifth of May, 
 pope Alexander died, and the pontificate of the Komans was 
 vacant for about three months and a fortnight. At length, 
 he was succeeded by the patriarch of Jerusalem, who took the 
 name of Urban. 
 
 This year there was a great sedition and disturbance among 
 the people throughout the counties of England, excited in the 
 matter of the institution of the new viscounts placed by the 
 king in each hundred ; the former viscounts, to whom the 
 counties had been entrusted by the barons and commonalty 
 of the land, being removed by the indignation of the king. 
 But the inhabitants of the counties, being instigated by the 
 assistance of some of the nobles of the kingdom, and sup- 
 ported by their advice and countenance, being also prompted 
 by great sagacity, gallantly drove away the viscounts above 
 mentioned, and refused to attend before them or to give them 
 any answers. On this account, therefore, king Henry, being 
 disturbed by grave anxiety of mind, for the purpose of awaken- 
 ing the devotion and feehngs of loyalty of the people, sent 
 letters to all the counties of England, full of great incentives 
 to piety, and calculated to regain the good will of the people 
 who were subject to him, the tenor of which letters shall be 
 given at the end of this book,^ together with the provisions of 
 Oxford. 
 
 Wherefore, since,, as has often been said, great dissensions 
 had arisen between the king and the barons, which increased 
 
 ^ They are not given, however. 
 
 A.D. 12G2. CANONIZATION OF SAINT EICHARD. 401 
 
 very, much from day to day ; the nobles of England met in 
 London and the neighbouring districts with bands of armed 
 foUowers, about the time of the feast of All Saints. And as 
 the king was very much afraid of their power, which had 
 grown very troublesome to him, he took post with his adhe- 
 rents in the Tower of London, and did not delay to summon 
 from all quarters all those who were bound to do him military 
 service, to come thither with all the speed they could. When, 
 therefore, the partisans of each side had assembled, the quar- 
 rel rested for a time on account of messengers going to and 
 fro, in the hope of re-establishing peace without the noise of 
 war, each party being inclined to peace by the advice of some 
 of the nobles who were appointed to consider the matter. And 
 so all the labour and all the long-cherished designs of the ba- 
 rons, by the cunning of some of their body, as it was thought, 
 was brought to nothing at this time, and withered away,1)e- 
 cause 
 
 Of all sad evils, sure delay's the worst. 
 This year, Senchia, queen of Germany died, and was buried at 
 Hayles, in the monastery which the loVd the king had founded. 
 Also, Edward, son of king Henry, returned from foreign lands, 
 brmghig with him WiUiam de Valence, and other inhabitants 
 of Poitou, who, as has been said before, had departed under 
 compulsion from England. 
 
 The. canonization of Saint Richard, bishop of Chichester. 
 
 A.D. 1262. Saint Richard, bishop of Chichester, was canon- 
 ized at Rome, and enrolled in th- catalogue of the saints, and 
 the day of his festival is celebrated on the third of April. 
 Meantime, king Henry had obtained from pope Urban abso- 
 lution from the observance of the grant that he had made at 
 Oxford, and from his oaths, and all other engagements which 
 affected those same ordinances or statutes, which provisions, 
 indeed, he soon commanded to be abrogated throughout Eno'.' 
 land. Richard, king of the Romans, returned to Germany, 
 and Henry, our king, crossed the sea, about the time of the 
 translation of the blessed martyr Thomas, and tarried a long 
 time in France, where he was attacked by a severe illness, and 
 nearly all his household, too, were terribly afllicted with a 
 quartan ague, and many also died. Among whom, Baldwin 
 of the Island, earl of Devon, was withdrawn from this life, in 
 
 VOL. II. J) jj 
 
402 
 
 MA-TTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1262. 
 
 •I 1 
 
 the middle of his days, as one may say ; and Richard de Clare, 
 the illustrious earl of Gloucester and Hereford, died about the 
 same time in Kent, and was buried at Thekesbury, of whose 
 virtues and pre-eminent character a heroic stanza speaks as 
 
 follows ; — 
 
 " Hippolytus' modest grace, 
 Ulysses' sense, and Paris' face, 
 Anchises' son's religious fear, 
 And filial duty, all lie here." 
 
 Also, Henry, bishop of London, died, and was succeeded by 
 Richard Talbot, who himself also ceased to live soon after- 
 wards. Master John of Exeter obtained the bishopric of 
 Winchester by the collation of the lord the pope. 
 
 After England had been now for six years and more op- 
 pressed by a general failure of the crops, at last, in this pre- 
 sent year, the earth recovered its fertility, and a joyful and 
 fertile time returned to the productive fields ; and so the heart 
 and flesh of all men exulted in the one God. About the time 
 of the feast of Saint Andrew the Apostle, there was a violent 
 storm of wind, wliich threw down not only houses and trees, 
 but also towers, whether built of wood or stone ; owing to 
 which, the church of Croyland, or at least the greater portion 
 of it, with the tower, fell down, and overwhelmed five men 
 who were standing under it. This year also, Andrew, prior 
 of Saint Swithin's, at Winchester, was, as his conduct well 
 deserved, arrested in his chapter-house by the bishop of that 
 city, and thrown into prison at the abbey of Hyde ; but soon 
 afterwards he cunningly broke his chains and escaped. At 
 the time of the Advent of the Lord, the Welch, with their 
 chief, LeoUne,^ bursting forth from their country, attacked in 
 a hostile manner the territories of Roger de Mortimer, and 
 ravaged them ; and attacking some noble and gallant men, 
 both knights and esquires, at the attack and defence of the 
 castle of Kennet, which had formerly been burnt by them, 
 they shut them up in the castle and blockaded them, and cut 
 them off from all hope of obtaining provisions ; and, in con- 
 sequence, at last that castle, and another place of great strength, 
 and the ensign of Roger himself, was surrendered to them ; 
 and the Welch, as is their custom, rased it to the ground, and 
 reduced the foundations to a level plain. Therefore, Roger de 
 Mortimer, a man worthy of everlasting fame, being excited to 
 
 * The same as Llewellyn. 
 
 A D. 1263. EXPEDITION AGAINST THE WELCH. 
 
 403 
 
 vehement anger, being assisted by an auxiliary band of some 
 of the nobles of the marches, devised proper manoeuvres 
 against them, suited to the place and occasion, and attacked 
 them in frequent sallies, slaying sometimes three hundred 
 men, sometimes four hundred, sometimes five hundred, and 
 even more, till they amounted to an incalculable number ; and 
 thus, with his victorious army, he inflicted miserable slaughter 
 on them ; but once, of the infantry who entered the marches, 
 he lost about three hundred men himself, who were treacher- 
 ously slain by that people. 
 
 Tlie same year, the king's palace at Westminster was nearly 
 all consumed by a conflagration, which some persons inter- 
 preted as an omen of evil fortune ; but the lord the king, 
 guided by the wholesome advice of his faithful friends, in 
 order to have peace with his nobles, and to further the im- 
 provement of his kingdom, of his own pure free will ordered 
 the constitutions of Oxford, which had been published long 
 before, to be inviolably observed, and sent orders to that 
 eff"ect to each county ; but even by this step the kingdom was 
 not rendered entirely peaceful, as will plainly appear in the 
 ensuing chapters. 
 
 Giles, bishop of Salisbury, died, and was succeeded by Walter ; 
 and Richard, king of Germany, having, according to his cus- 
 tom, exhausted all his treasures in Germany, returned to Eng- 
 land ; and of the way in which he obtained that money, it may 
 be truly said, 
 
 " Good issues seldom wait on sordid gain." 
 
 Concerning the expedition against the Welch. 
 
 A.D. 1263. Edward, son of king Henry, came into England 
 after Easter, with a great body of knights, some of them 
 foreigners of high reputation, whom he had brought with him 
 from France, and some of them English ; and advancing to- 
 wards Snowdon, he marched on a mighty expedition against 
 the Welch ; but as they retreated, and as our soldiers, by rea- 
 son of the inequalities of the ground, the thickness of the 
 woods, and the darkness of the deep morasses, could not ven- 
 ture to pursue them so closely as to bring them to battle, we 
 must suppose that their rebellion was assisted, and the valour 
 of Edward and his comrades hindered by this circumstance. 
 At length, having strengthened the fortresses in those parts 
 with abundant suppUes of provisions and a powerful garrison 
 
 DD 2 
 
 I 
 
404 
 
 MATTKEW or "WESTMIIfSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 1263. 
 
 of armed men, he was recalled by his father, and returned to 
 England. This year, John, abbot of Saint Alban's, died, and 
 also John, abbot of Gloucester ; the first of whom was suc- 
 ceeded by Roger, and the latter by Reginald. 
 
 After the feast of the Holy Trinity, there was a great con- 
 vocation of the pontiffs and clergy of England and West- 
 minster, having been summoned, at the command of the lord 
 the pope, before Leonard and Berard, his nuncios, for the 
 purpose of extorting money from the English for the service 
 of the emperor of Constantinople, who had been for some 
 time driven from his empire. But they would not contribute 
 anything of the sort, either from the revenues of the kingdom, 
 or from those of the church, putting forth in public all kinds 
 of reasons, drawn both from the dissensions and depressed 
 state and poverty of the kingdom, for the crop had long since 
 failed, and scarcity increased among the people. So, for these 
 and other most evident reasons, answer was distinctly made 
 that they ought rather to succour their own lord and them- 
 selves, in such a state of imperious necessity, than any foreign 
 prince. I have taken care that all these things should be 
 inserted for the instruction of posterity, that, taking caution 
 from the past, future ages may be fortified beforehand, being 
 taught by the unanimity of this answer, dictated by the com- 
 munion of mutual will, and so preserved from contributions 
 and taxes of this sort. About the same time, the famous and 
 eminent monastery of Bee, in Normandy, was burnt to ashes. 
 The barons of England, being bound (as has been often stated) 
 by an oath to the observance of the statutes of Oxford, having 
 taken the advice, and being supported by the effectual assist- 
 ance of Simon de Montfort, the most noble earl of Leicester, 
 a man most skilful in military affairs, no longer hesitated to 
 bring to a conclusion a design which they had long since en- 
 tertained with reference to that subject. And first and prin- 
 cipally they waged war against all the foreigners whom the 
 king and queen, and also Edward, their son, loved more than 
 they ought ; and, despising their native subjects, promoted 
 them to high dignities to a shameless extent ; and so on a 
 sudden they carried off booty in every part of England ; and 
 while every one else was thinking of nothing of the sort, they 
 made a hostile attack upon the counsellors of the king, and 
 all whom they knew to be his adherents in any respect ; and 
 invaded in every direction, and wantonly destroyed their ma- 
 
 A.D. 1263. MATTHIAS DE BESILL TAKEN PRISONER. 
 
 405 
 
 nors, domains, fortresses, and towns, and all the property 
 which they could find, whether belonging to the church or 
 to the laity. On which account, Peter, bishop of Hereford, 
 a Burgundian by birth, was arrested in his own cathedral 
 church, and conducted to the castle of Erdesley, his treasure, 
 of which he had a great store, and all his farms being given up 
 to plunder and confusion. But the secular canons, his fellow- 
 countrymen, whom he had introduced into his church, being 
 arrested in hke manner, were sent off with him, and committed 
 to prison. After this, that army advanced as far as Gloucester, 
 and besieged the castle there for four days, in which Matthias 
 de Besill, a foreigner, to whom the county and the gover- 
 norship of the castle had been committed by the king, was 
 shut up with a small garrison. And he maintained himself in 
 it so long, positively refusing to surrender to the besieging 
 army till the first gate towards the city was burnt ; and then 
 by the treachery of those who were in prison, and who were 
 released from confinement that they might be a help to the 
 besieged, a postern in another part of the castle was opened 
 to the entrance of the besiegers, and so the barons suddenly 
 entered ; and Matthias was compelled to take refuge in a 
 very strong tower, fortified with triple gates of iron, and the 
 strongest bolts. But nevertheless that entrance was broken 
 in with iron hammers and axes, and so the enemy entered, 
 and Matthias was taken prisoner, though even now, neither 
 the fear of death, nor the threats of the enemy, could make 
 him wilUng to surrender, which was remarked to his praise, 
 even by his enemies. And therefore he was conducted to 
 the bishop above mentioned, to be treated in a similar manner 
 to him. After that, the enemy marched to Worcester, and 
 entered in without any opposition, or any barrier, although 
 the citizens had received letters from the king on the subject 
 of keeping the town and city safely. Having received oaths 
 of fidelity from the citizens, the army proceeded to Bruges, 
 and there took the royal town, which the citizens nobly de- 
 fended the first day, and kept the barons out ; but at last 
 tliey made a covenant with them, that the Welch (an innu- 
 merable host of whom were assailing the city on the other 
 side) should not be allowed to enter, and then on the follow- 
 ing day they surrendered. After this event those barons 
 turned their steps towards the southern parts of the kingdom, 
 taking with them the aforesaid earl as their general, by whom 
 
406 
 
 MATTUEW OF WESTMrNSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 1263. 
 
 they were directed ; and in consequence the number of those 
 who joined them increased every day. For already nearly 
 all the persons throughout the whole kingdom who were 
 pre-eminent for power or conspicuous for nobility of birth, 
 had come over to them ; and each in his own province 
 miserably oppressed the foreigners with all kinds of depre- 
 dation and plunder, so that it was a sad sight, even to those 
 who were jealous of the strangers, to see their confusion. For 
 whoever was unable to speak the English language, was con- 
 sidered a vile antl contemptible person by the common people. 
 Owing to which, it happened that many persons of foreign 
 nations, both members of religious orders and others, escaped 
 under the protection of secret flight, fearing the punishment 
 of death, or at least the ruinous danger of imprisonment, and 
 so fled from the kingdom. And even John Mansel, the rector, 
 or I should say the occupier of many churches, and the mag- 
 nificent possessor of such revenues as were beyond calcula- 
 tion, so that there was not one of the clergy in the whole 
 world richer than he, even though he was not invested with 
 the episcopal dignity, from fear of the barons, fled away secretly 
 from the Tower of London, where at that time the king and 
 queen of England were maintaining themselves, and escaped 
 across the sea. But Henry, son of the king of Germany, 
 pursued him as he fled, and he was taken prisoner on his 
 landing at Boulogne, by Ingerand de Fiennes, through the 
 management, as it was supposed, of the queen. 
 
 Meantime Edward, the king's eldest son, garrisoned that 
 very strongly fortified castle of Windsor, than which there 
 was not at that time a more splendid castle in all the coun- 
 tries of Europe, with a large force of foreigners, whom, as I 
 have said before, he had brought with him from England, and 
 whom he now introduced into the castle. But our king re- 
 mained in the Tower of London, and seeing himself sur- 
 rounded and hemmed in by his enemies on all sides, at last 
 agreed to peace with the barons, and promised observance of 
 the provisions of Oxford. But the queen, being irritated by 
 womanly feelings of annoyance, strove with all her might in 
 the opposite direction, and refused to consent. On which 
 account, when she left the Tower, going by the Thames to 
 Windsor, when the foreigners were assembled, she was inter- 
 cepted at London, and most cruelly abused and cried out 
 against by the citizens, and shamefully driven back, when 
 
 A.D. 12G3. 
 
 THE COyDITIOXS OF PEACE. 
 
 4o; 
 
 under the bridge by stones and mud, which were thrown at 
 her ; and that this conduct of theirs was a great hindrance to 
 peace, will appear in what comes afterwards. 
 
 The conditions of peace. 
 
 And these were the conditions of peace which were agreed 
 to at that time between the king and his barons, namely, that 
 Henry, son of the king of Germany, should be released by the 
 king and queen ; and that the king's castles should be com- 
 mitted to the custody of the barons. Also, that the provisions 
 and statutes of Oxford should be firmly and inviolably ob- 
 served as well by the king as by other persons. And that the 
 kingdom for the future should be governed by faithful and 
 competent native Englishmen, under the lord the king. 
 Moreover, that the foreigners should depart from the king, 
 and not return any more, with the exception of those in whose 
 stay the faithful subjects of the kingdom should unanimously 
 acquiesce. But the foreigners whom I have already men- 
 tioned, most gallant knights, who had been introduced into 
 the noble castle of Windsor, to the number of about a hun- 
 dred, with a much more numerous body of guards, had forti- 
 fied and strengthened that castle in a most admirable manner, 
 and were plundering and devastating the country around in 
 every direction. 
 
 In the meantime, while Simon de Montfort, earl of Leicester, 
 and the barons, were occupying themselves about the parts near 
 the sea-coast with effecting the deliverance of the aforesaid 
 Henry, son of the king of Germany, Edward arrived at the 
 castle of Bristol. And when he had staved there in that city 
 some days, lo ! as fortune smiled upon him in no direction, a 
 great sedition broke out between his soldiers and the citizens, 
 to such an extent, indeed, that the whole town, which ought 
 to have been under his authority, altogether renounced its 
 fealty and obedience to him, and the citizens even prepared to 
 besiege him, feeling quite secure of taking the castle. Ed- 
 ward, therefore, thinking that every thing in every direction 
 was turning out unfortunately for him, because all England 
 was inflamed with anger and indignation against him and all 
 the favourers of the foreigners, and against all who opposed 
 the barons, having sent for Walter, bishop of Worcester, who 
 was a partizan of the barons, promised him, under the cloak 
 of dissimulation, that he would be willing to make peace with 
 
I ^fr 
 
 »l 
 
 408 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 1263. 
 
 the barons ; and when the bishop, having taken security, as 
 it was thought, had undertaken to carry out the project of 
 peace faithfully, he violated the covenant to which he had 
 agreed. For when he had set out on his journey towards the 
 court in order to perform his promise, he threw himself into 
 the aforesaid castle with the foreigners ; therefore, having as- 
 sembled all their forces by the day of the feast of Saint Peter 
 ad Vincula, the nobles of the kingdom and upholders of the 
 provisions of Oxford, together with the king, who had received 
 verbal intimation of all this from the son, determined to assail 
 that castle. Therefore, Edward, departing from the castle as 
 if for the purpose of treating about peace, met his father and 
 the barons about half way between Windsor and London ; and 
 ■when, after the discussion was over, he was preparing to re- 
 turn, he was detained by the cunning of the earl of Leicester, 
 and Walter, bishop of Worcester, who suspected sinister de- 
 signs on his part, and so he was prevented from re-entering 
 the castle. And so that noble castle was surrendered to the 
 king and the barons, on this condition, that those foreigners 
 who had been placed in it should leave the kingdom with their 
 horses and arms uninjured, without any hope of returning ; 
 and some of the barons conducted them to the coast. 
 
 About that time, Llewellyn, prince of W^ales, ravaged the 
 territories of Edward in the marshes of Chester ; and he be- 
 sieged the fine castle of Dissard, and took it and levelled it 
 with the ground ; and in like manner he treated the castle of 
 Gannoc, which was not inferior to the other either in beauty 
 or situation. The same year, on the twenty-ninth of July, 
 a certain very marvellous and wonderful prodigy appeared 
 in the firmament, about midnight, in the direction of the 
 north. And very soon afterwards, on the sixth of August, an 
 eclipse of the sun took place about nine o'clock, which was 
 a beautiful sight to the eyes of the beholders. At the feast of 
 the Nativity of the blessed Virgin, a vast assembly was col- 
 lected in Loudon of the nobles and other prelates of the king- 
 dom, such as had not been seen for a very long time in Eng- 
 land, in which conference the statutes of Oxford were pub- 
 licly promulgated, and ordered to be observed in all their in- 
 tegrity throughout the kingdom ; and restitution was ordered 
 to be made in every case of depredation and plunder which 
 had been inflicted on ecclesiastical persons, (which, however, 
 was likely to be very difficult), and also on some nobles who 
 
 V 
 
 f, 
 
 
 J 
 
 A.D. 12G3. THE KING MARCHES UPON DOVEU. 
 
 409 
 
 had been favourers of the king's party, in respect of which 
 discord and dissensions, which had already arisen among 
 them to some slight extent, were much feared in England. 
 Peter, bishop of Hereford, was released from the custody in 
 which he had been detained, and his fellow prisoner also, 
 Matthias de Besill, and all the others, were liberated at the 
 same time. 
 
 About the time of the feast of Saint Michael, our king and 
 queen, and earl Simon de Montfort, with many other nobles, 
 crossed the sea, to hold a conference with Louis, king of 
 France, which was to take place at Boulogne, on the subject 
 of the disturbed state of the kingdom of England. But this 
 meeting had been arranged by the contrivance of the queen 
 and her family, because, in consequence of the atrocities which 
 liad been committed against her (and which have been men- 
 tioned above), she had conceived a vehement hatred against 
 the Londoners. And not long afterwards a great parliament 
 was assembled in London, in which, as a schism (alas ! alas !) 
 now prevailed among the barons, according to that saying in 
 the gospels, " Every kingdom divided against itself will be 
 brought to desolation," &c., many of them who had pre- 
 viously been very active and violent in making incursions of 
 cavalry and depredations, now began to adhere to the king 
 and to Edward, who was a man of great prowess, having been 
 converted by their honied promises, and by large estates, 
 which were either promised to, or absolutely bestowed on 
 them. 
 
 After this, the king, with a large army (for by this time the 
 most powerful persons in the kingdom had become his adhe- 
 rents), in great numbers marched upon Dover, in order to gain 
 that castle out of the power of the barons, in which he did not 
 succeed. Therefore he returned with great indignation to West- 
 minster, and in the mean time sending secret letters to some of 
 the citizens of London to charge them to guard the gates and 
 so prevent the barons from entering, in consequence of which 
 the famous Simon de Montfort was nearly betrayed, for he 
 was outside the city in the suburb of Southwark, attended 
 by only a very few followers, owing tx) their respect for the 
 king's army. For that army, with its squadrons in battle 
 array, was now at no great distance, and approaching fast to 
 attack him, who was expecting nothing of the kind ; and it 
 was advancing with all security to take him prisoner, when on 
 
410 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1263. 
 
 a sudden, the deception being discovered, the Londoners, Tvhose 
 hearts were all favourable to the barons, rushed on, and with 
 the impetuosity of great courage, broke the barriers, opened 
 the gates, and pushed forwards in crowds to succour him. 
 And so, by the mercy of God, the general was that day saved 
 from the hand of his enemies* For the lord the king, when 
 he had been informed by his scouts that a numerous multitude 
 of the Londoners was coming to the earl's assistance, with- 
 drew his own army. After these events, both sides exerted 
 themselves to bring about a peace with great earnestness, both 
 on the side of the king of France, and the bishops of the king- 
 dom of England. At length both the king of England and 
 his barons came to a compromise, and submitted the whole 
 question of the contests which affected the provisions of Ox- 
 ford, and the depredations and acts of plunder which had 
 been committed to a great extent on both sides, and on ac- 
 count of which divisions had arisen between many persons, to 
 the decision and regulation of the king of France ; and so 
 after Christmas they went to France to hear what regulations 
 the king of France thought it proper to impose with respect 
 to these subjects ; therefore, the day after the feast of Vincent 
 the Martyr, an innumerable body assembled at Amiens, con- 
 sisting of kings, bishops, and nobles ; and Louis, the king of 
 France, having come to a full understanding of the designs, 
 and defences, and reasons of the two parties, pronounced his 
 decision and sentence in all due form in favour of the king of 
 England against the barons, utterly annulling the statutes and 
 provisions of Oxford, and all similar ordinances and obhga- 
 tions. 
 
 And at this convocation the king of England was present, 
 and also queen Eleanor, and Boniface, archbishop of Canter- 
 bury, and Peter, bishop of Hereford, and John Mansel, both 
 of whom having been driven out of England, never ceased 
 from contriving all the harm they could to the barons. And 
 from that time forth the last error became worse than the 
 first. In the meantime, Roger de Mortimer plundered the 
 lands which were the domain of the earl of Leicester on the 
 Marches of Wales. Therefore that general, having already 
 made Llewellyn a prince of Wales, his friend, sent thither a 
 noble army, which partly ravaged the territories of Mortimer, 
 and took the castle of Radnor, and burnt it. And when Ed- 
 ward, on his return from foreign countries, had flown to his 
 
 A.D. 1263. EDWARD RAVAGES THE ESTATES OF THE BARONS. 411 
 
 assistance, attended by a large body of troops, he pursued the 
 barons, but did not attack them, because he was unable to 
 bnng them to battle. Nevertheless, Edward besieged the 
 castles of Humphrey de Bohun the younger, namely, that at 
 the Hay, and Huntingdon Castle, and took them, and he also 
 compelled the castle of Brecon to surrender, all which, with 
 the provinces and rights pertaining to them, he delivered to 
 the aforesaid Roger, to be guarded by them. And at this 
 time Robert de Ferrars, earl of Derby, came to Worcester 
 with a large army, and the citizens occupied the walls and 
 gates of the city, and guarded them gallantly and resisted him 
 manfully ; but at last he unexpectedly effected an entrance by 
 the old castles, and destroyed the town, and put down the 
 Jews who lived in it. But the barons returning from Wales, 
 entered the city of Gloucester, not by force or after a siege, 
 hut made themselves masters of it by some prudent manoeu- 
 vres. Edward, too, conducting himself with great boldness, 
 suddenly appeared in their rear, and having quickly repaired 
 the bridge over the Severn, which had been previously burnt 
 by the barons before mentioned, he entered the castle in spite 
 of the barons, who were on the spot. And the next day, by 
 the intercession of Walter, bishop of Worcester, Edward, too, 
 practising the cunning of a fox, a truce was made, and the 
 barons retired from the city. But Edward having thus got 
 possession of the city and the castle, put the burgesses in 
 prison, and compelled the town to pay a ransom of a thousand 
 marks to its great misery. After that, he went to his father at 
 Oxford, who had now returned from France, and had sum- 
 moned all those who owed him military service all over Eng- 
 land, to march upon the conspirators. And the king, for the 
 time, compelled the whole body of the clergy at Oxford, to 
 evacuate that city. And he went in person, with great devo- 
 tion, to visit the holy virgin, Frideswida, which, beyond all 
 doubt, no one of the kings of England before him had ever 
 ventured to do in person. 
 
 In the meantime, Edward, and the rest of the nobles in 
 those parts, did not cease to ravage the possessions of the ba- 
 rons of the opposite party, and to burn their estates, and to 
 destroy their manors. And the Londoners sallying forth 
 from their city with an innumerable multitude of men, ravaged 
 with fire and destruction all the estates and possessions of the 
 king of Germany, and of Philip Basset. And they took the 
 
 i^ 
 
412 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1204. 
 
 ( 
 
 king's chaplains and the harona of the king's exchequer, and 
 the justiciaries of the king's hench, and threw them into 
 prison. 
 
 And so this year passed, torn to pieces by intestine hostili- 
 ties and civil discord, to such a degree, that no one knew whom 
 he could trust, or to whom he could commit the secrets of his 
 miud. And so it terminated miserably to both parties. 
 
 Ch. XIX.— From a.d. 1264 to a.d. 1265. 
 
 The barons are defeated at Northampton — The battle of 
 Lewes — The king of Germany and prince Edward are given 
 as hostages for peace — The battle of Evesham — A recapi- 
 tulation of the events of the civil war. 
 
 About the taking of the barons at Northampton. 
 
 A.D. 1264. About the middle of Lent, a conference was held 
 at Oxford, at which the king of England and the nobles of 
 the kingdom were present, and also Richard, king of the Ro- 
 mans, his brother ; and then the king marched witli an ad- 
 mirable army, with colours flying, against Northampton, where 
 there was no inconsiderable body of the barons all collected 
 together. And the king vigorously assailing them, shut up 
 in that town as they were, at last battered down the walls and 
 his army entered, and all of a sudden, as it were, took them 
 all prisoners ; — barons with standards about fifteen in number, 
 and sixty knights, and of men-at-arms a multitude too great to 
 be counted. And the chiefs of them were Peter de Montfort 
 the younger, who took refuge in the castle, but surrendered 
 the next day. There was also among them Simon de Mont- 
 fort the younger, the son of the earl, who fought with all his 
 might, resisting the entrance of the king's party into the town, 
 in consequence of which conduct he gained everlasting re- 
 nown. This event took place on the first day of the week of 
 the Passion of our Lord ; and all the prisoners were led away 
 to the army, and their lands were transferred to the posses- 
 sions of others. But the king proceeded to Leicester, and was 
 entertained in that town, which no other king before him had 
 ever ventured to enter, on account of the warnings which some 
 superstitious persons uttered on the subject. After that, he 
 marched to Nottingham, and entered the castle without meet- 
 ing with any resistance. For those who were in it of the 
 
 *. 
 
 A.D. 12G4. SOME JEWS PFT TO DEATH IN LONDON. 
 
 413 
 
 party of the barons came forth to meet him, and gave him up 
 tiie keys. And while he was there, there came some nobles 
 of the northern parts of the country, bringing him assistance ; 
 namely, John de Baliol, Robert de *Bruce, and Peter de Bruce, 
 and many other barons, with several thousand soldiers ; and 
 the lord the king celebrated the festival of Easter at that town. 
 
 Also, the king sent his eldest son, Edward, with a very gal- 
 lant army, into Derbyshire and Staffordshire, and the prince 
 laid waste with fire and sword the estates and manors of Ro- 
 bert de Ferrars, earl of Derby, and overthrew his castle of 
 Tutbury, and inflicted miserable destruction in it. And in 
 every direction, wherever the army of the king and prince 
 Edward advanced, three companions, rapine, conflagration, 
 and slaughter, attended on it. And owing to this, every pro- 
 vince through which they marched was indignant, and was 
 agitated like a bed of reeds which is shaken by the blowing 
 of the zephjT. There was no peace in the kingdom, every- 
 thing was destroyed by slaughter, conflagration, rapine, and 
 depredation. Everywhere there were outcries, and mourning, 
 and horror. At this time, John Giff"ard, a soldier of wonder- 
 ful prowess and courage, with others, to whom was entrusted 
 the guardianship of Kenilworth Castle, which the earl of Lei- 
 cester had fortified and repaired with wonderful solidity, and 
 had furnished in an admirable manner with all kinds of en- 
 gines, which had never been seen or heard of among us be- 
 fore, took the castle of Warwick by treachery, and took pri- 
 soner the earl of that title, by name William Manduit, because 
 he had lately become an object of suspicion to them by reason 
 of his conversion to the king's party, with his wife and family, 
 and put them all in prison at Kenilworth ; and the casde of 
 Warwick they destroyed, that the king's party might not have 
 it as a place of refuge. 
 
 In the week of the Passion of our Lord, some Jews in Lon- 
 don, having been detected in treasonable plots to be put in 
 execution against the barons and citizens, were nearly all put 
 to death, and a treasure of great amount was acquired from 
 the whole body of Jews. After the festival of Easter, Simon 
 de Montfort, and the other barons who still adhered to him, 
 uniting themselves with a strong auxiliary body of London- 
 ers, besieged the castle of Rochester, into which, John, earl of 
 Warrenne, and the earl of Arundel, and Henry, son of the 
 king of the Romans, and many other nobles, had been intro- 
 
 f' 
 
It 
 
 f 
 
 414 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 12G4. 
 
 duced, who, after the conference at Oxford, which has been 
 mentioned before, were commissioned by the king to see to 
 the protection of those districts. And when the king, who 
 was in the northern provinces of the kingdom, heard this, he 
 in great haste directed his steps back again, and hastened thi- 
 ther with the object of compeUing the raising of the siege, 
 which he effected. For when they learnt that the king was 
 coming up with his army, they at once abandoned the siege 
 of the town, which was one of great strength, but which, as it 
 had been almost subdued already, by frequent assaults, and 
 blows of military engines, and subterranean mines, they would 
 liave taken the next day, and so they returned to London. 
 Therefore, the king, now that his nobles were delivered from 
 this hostile attack, went down to the sea coast, and ravaged in 
 every direction, with plunder and conflagration, the manors 
 and possessions of those who had conspired against him, both 
 on the right and on the left. He also took tlie castle of Gil- 
 bert de Clare, which is called Tunbridge. And of the barons 
 of the Cinque Ports, some submitted themselves to the king, 
 and some did not, and these last withdrew themselves by sea, 
 having loaded some vessels with their property. While these 
 events were taking place on the coast, Simon de Montfort, the 
 illustrious earl of Leicester, and the barons, having assembled 
 their forces from all quarters, and collected troops, both of 
 the Londoners, whose army had increased to fifteen thousand 
 men, and of men from other parts in countless numbers, 
 marched thither with great impetuosity and courage. Accord- 
 ingly, they encamped at Flexinge, in Sussex, which is about 
 six miles from Lewes, and three days before the battle, they 
 addressed a message of the following tenor to their lord the 
 king : — 
 
 *' To the most excellent lord Henry, by the grace of God, 
 king of England, &c. The barons and others, his faithful sub- 
 jects, wishing to observe their oaths and the fidelity due to God 
 and to him, wish health, and tender their lawful service with 
 all respect and honour. As it is plain from much experience 
 that those who are present with you have suggested to your 
 highness many falsehoods respecting us, intending all the 
 mischief that they can do, not only to you but also to us, and 
 to your whole kingdom, we wish your excellency to know that 
 we wish to preserve the safety and security of your person with 
 all our might, as the fidelity which we owe to you demands. 
 
 ii 
 
 
 I 
 
 A.D. 1264. 
 
 LETTERS SENT TO THE BAEONS. 
 
 415 
 
 proposing to overthrow, to the utmost of our power, all those 
 who are not our enemies but yours too, and the foes of the 
 whole of your kingdom ; and if any other statement is made 
 to you respecting these matters, do not believe it ; for we shall 
 always be found your faithful sul)jects. And we, Simon de 
 Montfort, earl of Leicester, and Gilbert de Clare, at the re- 
 quest of the rest, have, for us and for them too who are here 
 present, affixed our seals. Given at," &c. 
 
 But the king, despising this letter from his barons, was 
 eager for war with all his heart, and sent them back the fol- 
 lowing letter of defiance : — 
 
 " Henry, by the grace of God, king of England, &c., to 
 Simon de Montfort and Gilbert de Clare, and their partisans. 
 Since, from the war and general confusion existing in our 
 kingdom, which has all been caused by you, and by the con- 
 flagrations and other lawless mischiefs, it is distinctly visible 
 that you do not preserve the fidelity which you owe to us, and 
 that you have in no respect any regard for the safety of our 
 person, since you have wickedly attacked our nobles and others 
 our faithful subjects, who have constantly preserved their fide- 
 lity to us, and since you still design to injure them as far as in 
 your power, as you have signified to us by your letters, we 
 consider their grievances as our own, and look upon their ene- 
 mies as ours ; especially since those our faithful subjects be- 
 fore mentioned are manfully standing by us and maintaining 
 their fidelity in opposition to your disloyal conduct, and we do 
 not care for your safety or your affection, but defy you, as the 
 enemies of us and them. Witness my hand, at Lewes, on the 
 twelfth day of May, in the forty-eighth year of our reign." 
 
 " Richard, by the grace of God, king of the Romans, always 
 Augustus, and Edward, the illustrious eldest son of the king 
 of England, and all the other barons and nobles who con- 
 stantly with the labours of sincere good faith and devotedness 
 have adhered to the aforesaid king of England, to Simon de 
 IVIontfort, Gilbert de Clare, and each and all the others who 
 are accomplices in their treason. By your letters which you 
 have sent to the illustrious king of England, our dearest lord, 
 we understand that we are defied by you, although a verbal 
 defiance of this kind was long ago sufficiently proved to us by 
 actual reality, through your hostile pursuit of us, your burn- 
 ing of our properties, and general devastation of our posses- 
 sions ; we, therefore, wish you to know that you are all defied 
 
 i 
 
 tfl 
 
416 
 
 M.VTTUEW OF TVESTMI^'STER. 
 
 Jl.D. 12G4. 
 
 H 
 
 1 
 
 i\ 
 
 It 
 
 li ! 
 
 by each and all of us, as public enemies, and that we are your 
 enemies ; and that we will labour with all our might to the 
 damage of your persons and property, whenever any opportu- 
 nity of injuring either is offered to us. But as to what you 
 falsely charge us with, that we give neither faithful nor salu- 
 tary counsel to the king your master, you do not at all say the 
 truth ; and if you, Simoii de Moutfort or Gilbert de Clare, 
 choose to assert this same thing in the court of our lord the 
 king, we are prepared to procure a safe conduct and to come 
 to the said court, and to prove the truth of our innocence in 
 this particular, and your falsehood as perfidious traitors, by 
 another who is your equal in nobleness and blood. And we 
 are all content with the seals of the lords above mentioned, 
 namely, of the king of the Romans and the lord Edward. 
 Given as above.'* 
 
 Concerning the miserable and horrible lattle fought at Lewes. 
 
 As, therefore, God did by no means admit of their coming 
 to ao*'reement, a most terrible battle took place between them, 
 at Lewes, on the fourteenth of May, such as had never been 
 heard of in past ages. The barons (among whom there was 
 in all things and in every danger but one faith and one will, 
 since they were so unanimous in their fraternal affection that 
 they feared not even to die for their cause,) came the first 
 thing in the morning in front of Lewes, and placed their tents 
 and baggage on a hill, the chariot of the earl of Leicester, 
 with his standard, being carefully placed below under the 
 brow. And so the army and line of battle were arranged, and 
 a speech of great persuasiveness was made to the soldiers by 
 their general, Simon de Montfort, by which all were encou- 
 raged, and prepared to fight for their country with every feel- 
 in" of security. Moreover, all of them having made a con- 
 fession beforehand, crossed themselves on their shoulders and 
 breasts. Therefore, the king and the otbpr nobles, being in- 
 formed of their sudden advance, wakened up all through the 
 camp, and speedily assembled in arms, and marshalled their 
 army' for battle, arraying a vast multitude of men armed with 
 breastplates ; but the greater number of them being false and 
 factious, and destitute of all proper principle, marched forward 
 on that day without any order, and with precipitation, and 
 fought unskilfully, and showed no steady perseverance. And 
 in the actual battle the noblest of the knights and esquires, to 
 
 I 
 
 A.D. 1264. 
 
 BATTLE i.T LEWES. 
 
 417 
 
 Ag 
 
 the number of about three hundred, lost all courage, and turn- 
 ing their backs, fled to the castle of PeneueseUi. Among 
 them, were John, earl of Warrenne, William de Valence, Guy 
 de Lizunac, both the two last being brothers of the king, 
 Hugh Bigod, and many others. But the king's army, which 
 was adorned with the royal standard, which they call the dra- 
 gon, and which marshalled the way to a fierce contest to the 
 death, advanced forward, and the battle began. For the 
 roval troops rapidly opened their close battahons, and boldly 
 urged their horses against the enemy, and attacked them on 
 the flank. And thus the two armies encountered one another, 
 with fierce blows and horrid noises. Therefore, in this way, 
 the line of battle of the barons was pierced and broken ; and 
 John de Gifl'ard, a gallant knight, who had been ambitious 
 to gain the honour of striking the first blow, was taken prisoner, 
 and led away to the castle. But Edward got among the forces 
 of the Londoners, and pursued them when flying, and letting 
 the nobles escape, he followed them, as it is said, for a distance 
 of about four miles, inflicting on them a most lamentable 
 slaughter. For he thirsted for their blood as a punishment 
 for the insult they had offered to his mother, for, as has been 
 already recorded, they had heaped a great deal of abuse on 
 his mother. But a part of the king's army, in the meantime, 
 thirsting for the spoils, and booty, and plunder of the bag- 
 bage which was on the hills, slew some of the citizens of Lon- 
 don, who, for security's sake, had been introduced into the 
 earl's chariot, hoping that they had found the earl himself 
 there. But that earl, and Gilbert de Clare, and the other ba- 
 rons, acting with more sagacity, put forth all their strength 
 to effect the capture of the king of England, and the king of 
 Germany, and the rest of the chiefs. And there the fiery va- 
 lour of the barons was visibly displayed, who fought eagerly 
 for their country, and at last gained the victory. For the 
 king of England was taken prisoner, after a very fine horse 
 had been killed under him ; and Richard, king of the Ro- 
 mans, was taken prisoner, and many others were taken also, 
 namely, John de BaUiol, Robert de Bruce, John Comyn, and 
 other barons of Scotland, and nearly all the men-at-arms whom 
 they had brought with them from Scotland were slain, to a 
 very great number. There were also taken, Humphrey de 
 Bohun, earl of Hereford, WiUiam Bardolph, Robert de Tattes- 
 hale, Roger de Somers, Henry de Perci, and Phihp Basset, 
 
 I 
 
 VOL. II. 
 
 £ E 
 
*l 
 
 ir 
 
 418 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.B. 1264. 
 
 ,ho ought of right to he named the first inasmuch as, ahove 
 all men who foSght that day on the king's side, he deserved 
 lrT?or the blows which he gave and inflicted. There were 
 llso many others, all the most powerful persons, as we may 
 sav of the whole kingdom, and of the greatest renown for 
 mil'itarv exploits, some of whom were taken prisoners, and 
 Xrs sought safety in flight, so that two did chase ten tliou- 
 sand?the wst who remained being skin (ala.s the day !) to a 
 
 ""Mas,for the miserable sight of the dying! /las, for Ae 
 marvel ous change of the fortunes of noble man ! Now, then 
 kt human presSmpti"" learn what is man, and what is the 
 strenTh of man. This caused a great loss of the strength 
 and Sower of both parties, because they were men of more 
 mature a^e and of greater renown for war in the kmgdom 
 before mentioned, so'that they did not believe t-t the enemy 
 would dare to assail them ; but that day they found him too 
 nearand so lost a great many of their men, not without grea 
 danger to the rest also, who did not escape so completely but 
 that a great slaughter was made of them, especially through 
 the charge which Edward made upon the Londoners And 
 it is said, that in this lamentable and miserable conflict five 
 thousand men fell on each side. . , . , , . ^. • „<• 
 Among the rest there was a certain kmght, the justiciary of 
 the kfng, by name William de Wilton, and also Fulk >i z- 
 warren, one of the king's barons, who were both among the 
 most eminent of those who were slain, one being kdled by the 
 sword, and the other drowned in the ^!»«>Sbbourmg nver. 
 And on the side of the barons there was the baron R*dulph, 
 Herin-under, and Wdliam Blund, the standard bearer ot the 
 earl of Leicester. Let a poet enumerate aU ^e va™"«. «==";: 
 rences of the day with more licence or at greater length, and 
 dwell upon the difi-erent kinds of death by which men feU, but 
 revitv keeps us in by a stricter law, and does not allow us to 
 sav how each thing happened, but only what took place. 
 Edward returning from the slaughter of the Londoners, a - 
 though the opposite party had gained a triumph over h.s 
 father and his uncle, the' king of the Romans, rallied his 
 forcel and prepared to renew the battle and attack the enemy. 
 When therefore, the two armies had again drawn near one 
 anoth;r. behold nearly all those who had been fighting on h s 
 side took to fiight! Some of them, as it was said, were 
 
 A.D 12G4. SIMON DE MONTFOET ENTEES TVALES. 
 
 419 
 
 neither able to strike a blow with the sword nor to recognize 
 their usual strength in their blows. What was Edward to do, 
 who, when all his soldiers were dispersed in this manner, re- 
 mained alone, as it were, on the field of battle ? Therefore he 
 returned to the priory of Lewes, and put off his revenge to a 
 more favourable time. But the following night a peace of 
 some sort was re-established between the king and the barons, 
 and Edward, with the consent of his father, and Henry, son 
 of the king of Germany, were given as hostages for peace, 
 and committed for a time to safe keeping in Dover Castle. 
 But the king of Germany himself was placed as a prisoner in 
 the Tower of London, and the rest of the captives were shut 
 up in castles in different places. And perhaps the evils of 
 this war, and the calamities and miseries of this day so ter- 
 rible and so very bitter, and of this sedition thus excited, and 
 of this war between fellow-countrymen of the same land, may 
 have been portended by the signs which in the preceding year 
 were seen in the firmament on the fifth of August ; also, on 
 the thirtieth of July, as has been related in a previous 
 chapter. 
 
 Three days before the battle, the greater part of the city of 
 London was treacherously burnt by a fire which broke out at 
 Westcheap. The lords Marchers of Wales, by name Roger de 
 Mortimer, James de Andeleg, Roger de Chfford, and Roger 
 Leyburn, Hamond Strange, and the knights of Turbeville, 
 with many others, who had lately escaped from the battle of 
 Lewes before mentioned, having assembled their forces, stirred 
 up war in the Marches, and endeavoured to resist the barons. 
 Therefore, Simon de Montfort, having united himself in 
 friendship with Llewellyn, prince of Wales, went into those 
 countries with a large army, and entered the castles of Here- 
 ford and of the Hay ; giving up all the territories, estates, 
 and domains of Roger de Mortimer to fire and devastation in 
 every direction. 
 
 But Hugh de Mortimer was compelled to surrender himself 
 to the barons, giving up his castle, which is called Richat, and 
 his other estates to guardianship, and entrusting them to John 
 Fitz John ; and the castle of Lodelawe was also surrendered. 
 From thence the united army of EngUsh and Welch advanced 
 to Montgomery, where the aforesaid Roger and James made a 
 deceitful peace (as it turned out afterwards) with the barons, 
 giving and receiving hostages on both sides. But the earl of 
 
 £ £ 2 
 
 '*^ltl 
 
 •il 
 
v\ 
 
 IP 
 
 II \ 
 
 420 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1264. 
 
 Leicester hastened to the sea-coast to encounter the foreigners, 
 the arrival of whom, with a great multitude and exceednig 
 valour, under the guidance of the queen and of Peter count 
 of Savoy, and of many others, was greatly feared in England, as 
 if they were the evils which afflicted the whole of Europe. 
 And to resist them all the strength of the kingdom was col- 
 lected from all quarters, at Canterbury, and around the coun- 
 ties on the sea-coast, and was summoned by the royal edict 
 from every city, and town, and village. The bishops, too re- 
 ceived from all the religious houses, and from all the rectors 
 of churches, a tenth part of their spiritual revenues as a 
 subsidy for this purpose. And at this time, you might have 
 seen on Berhandown, such a multitude of both cavalry and 
 infantry collected into one multitude to oppose the foreigners 
 as you would not have believed existed able to bear arms m all 
 
 'BuTtlie queen of England, with the army which she had 
 collected from many nations, and with such a number ot dukes 
 and earls, and such a fleet as would scarcely appear credible 
 to any one, remained for some time at Bruges in Flanders 
 bavins stationed that vast fleet in the harbour of Dam, which 
 was every day threatening to invade England, the leaders 
 showine themselves panting and eager for the heat of battle, 
 boasting with swelling language. And our men and espe- 
 cially the Cinque Ports and the pirates, fearlessly desired their 
 arrival, and had not, as it seemed, the least fear of their power 
 in any respect. But at length, all that countless host of nobie 
 men, both knights who received pay, and others who went 
 to the war at their own expense, and the kinsmen and Iriends 
 of the queen, returned to their own country, being by the 
 mercy of God utterly disappointed of their wishes. Ihere 
 were some who said, knowing their strength and the number 
 of their army, that if they had landed in freedom they would, 
 beyond a doubt, from their enormous multitude and their 
 valour, have reduced this land under their power. But the 
 Father of mercies and God of all consolation, knowing the 
 secrets of all men, is aware of everything and searches the 
 hearts of every one, and condescended to look down from on 
 high on his people of England, and so caused the niagnani- 
 mous hearts of those mighty men to waste away, and ordered 
 all those enemies who were approaching to return to their own 
 country, without having succeeded in their objects, after having 
 
 A.D. 1264. THE IKTEEDICT OF THE POPE DESTBOTED. 421 
 
 vainly exhausted and wasted an incalculable treasure. But 
 this I may weave into my story to the praise and great glory 
 of the noble Eleanor, queen of England, that like a most 
 gallant woman she bravely laboured to succour her lord and 
 Edward, his son, with all possible energy and manly courage. 
 Therefore, Urban, the supreme pontiff, being stimulated with 
 an adverse desire, inclined his favour to the other side, and 
 turned his mind against the barons, desiring a stimulus to 
 anger and vehement indignation from the occasion of the 
 spoUation to which they had subjected ecclesiastical persons ; 
 and he is reported to have said, that he did not desire to live 
 longer than was necessary to subdue the English, on which 
 account he sent as legate into England, an excellent man, the 
 lord Sabinus, a cardinal bishop, to lay an interdict on the land, 
 and to excommunicate the barons who were confederated in 
 support of the provisions. But as he found that he could not 
 enter the country as he wished, owing to their resistance, he 
 summoned first of all to Amiens, and afterwards to Boulogne, 
 some of the bishops of the kingdom, and some other persons, 
 and committed to them the execution of the sentence of in- 
 terdict and excommunication which had been fulminated 
 against the city of London, and the Cinque Ports, and some 
 illustrious and noble individuals of the kingdom. But they, 
 considering that that sentence had been pronounced con- 
 trary to justice, appealed to the pope, or to better times, or 
 to a general council, and to the supreme judge of all certain 
 causes and laudable reasons. Which appeal was afterwards 
 recited in England, at a council assembled at Heading, and 
 approved and ratified by the bishops and clergy. But the bishops 
 above mentioned having, though against their will, received 
 the interdict from the legate, brought it with them. But when 
 they had landed at Dover, a search of their baggage being 
 made at that port according to custom, the interdict was dis- 
 covered and taken possession of by the citizens, and torn to 
 pieces, and thrown into the sea. And some ambassadors of 
 high reputation, both from the king of France and the king 
 of England, namely, Philip Chamberlaine, a man of noble 
 birth in France, and Henry de Allmaine, and others, landing at 
 Boulogne, while the before-mentioned pontiff's were there, 
 were very severely handled by the townsmen, and many of 
 their retinue wounded, and nine of the Enghsh cruelly slain ; 
 nor was any deference shewn to the French either, because 
 
 i 
 
422 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTIMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 12G4. 
 
 they had come thither under the guidance and conduct of 
 others. 
 
 For at this time all that maritime district, or indeed one 
 may say all France, as far as the Alps, being stirred by the 
 king of France, Peter, earl of Savoy, Boniface, archbishop of 
 Canterbury, and the bishop elect of Lyons, and the other noble 
 relations of the queen, conspired against the English, who were 
 standing in arms against king Henry ; and even the other 
 parts of Europe, such as Brittany, Guienne, and Spain, the 
 sister of the king of which country was married to prince 
 Edward, were also excited with similar hostile feelings, and 
 were full of hatred and vehement indignation against them. 
 But the illustrious earl of Anjou favoured the party of the 
 earl of Leicester, being his brother, and, as it was said, bound 
 to him by an oath of fidelity ; but the apostolic man before 
 mentioned. Urban, before he had fulfilled his promised vow, 
 which he had some time before solemnly made to the En- 
 glish, ended his days at a very fortunate time for them. And 
 about this time, Elerius, abbot of Pershore, on account of his 
 ill health, resigned his office, and Henry was canonically 
 elected as his successor. 
 
 Now the lords Marchers, who have been mentioned above, 
 rising in rebellion, according to their usual practice, broke the 
 treaty of peace which they had made, and came to an agree- 
 ment among themselves ; and while the aforesaid earl of Lei- 
 cester, having collected an armed force, was advancing towards 
 the Marches, as has been mentioned before, they traversed the 
 provinces on both sides of the Severn with their army, which 
 was always accustomed to plunder and rapine, agitating the 
 natives all around with fear and excessive trembling, to such 
 a degree, that wherever they appeared the men of the pro- 
 vince fled to the churches, and made themselves abodes in the 
 cemeteries, for the sake of saving their lives and properties. 
 The chief author of this evil was Hamond Strange, a man of 
 the greatest notoriety as a plunderer, who, although he had 
 often borne himself gallantly in the shock of battle, never- 
 theless, in consequenceof his tyrannical cruelty, deservedly re- 
 ceived the brand of Traso, instead of his name of Tyro.^ And 
 they strengthened themselves by the castles which they took 
 
 ' Tyro means a recruit or novice. I suppose Traso must be derived 
 from the Greek, Opatrig, bold, meaning here pitiless, or shameless. If so, it 
 should be Thraso, as it is in Terence. 
 
 ' 
 
 
 A.D. 1264. CONFERENCE OF THE NOBLES AT OXFORD. 423 
 
 from the lords Marchers themselves from Bristol as far as 
 Chester, and in other parts, and having mastered them, they 
 detained them in the name of the king and prince Edward. 
 Besides this, they each in their several districts plundered the 
 living, and letting loose the reins of cruelty, raged about in a 
 pitiable manner ; and Robert Walerand and Warin de Bas- 
 singbourne, the guardians of Bristol, coming before day-hght 
 with an armed force to the castle of Wallingford, in which 
 Richard, the captive king of Germany, and Edward, the son 
 of king Henry, were detained as hostages, they made a vigo- 
 rous assault on the castle, in order to dehver them from con- 
 finement ; but they could not succeed, for the garrison of 
 the castle speedily woke up and expelled them. For they had 
 hoped to receive succour and aids from the lords Marchers 
 before mentioned, as had been agreed upon between them ; but 
 they, when they were already making towards them, with their 
 army, were met at Pershore with evil news arising from this 
 event, and being greatly afflicted, returned back with all 
 speed. But the earl of Leicester, who has often been men- 
 tioned, being wrought to indignation by their rebellion and 
 violation of good faith, summoned a conference of the 
 nobles of the kingdom at Oxford on this subject, and took 
 with him king Henry, who at this time was so well inclined to 
 him, that he could do nothing of importance without him. 
 
 They came to Worcester accompanied by a countless mul- 
 titude of knights and other warriors, intending to fight against 
 the lords Marchers as against the public enemies of the king- 
 dom. It appeared, however, that the king's heart and that 
 of his friends was inclined to them, because they had stirred 
 up war and sedition among the people on behalf of the king, 
 who was, as it were, in confinement, and also for the sake of 
 prince Edward, his son, whom he greatly loved, and who was 
 still detained as a hostage. For after the battle of Lewes, 
 which has been mentioned above, great divisions and internal 
 hatred prevailed among that party. Therefore the aforesaid 
 lords Marchers, although they were few in number, never- 
 theless presuming on their courage, contracted their forces, 
 and resolved to oppose them on the other side of the river 
 Severn. For they had broken down the strong bridge of 
 Worcester, and all the other bridges along the bank of the 
 river, and had sunk all the small vessels and ferry boats ; but 
 they laboured in vain when they endeavoured to oppose or to 
 
 III 
 
424 
 
 MATTHEW OF "VTESTMnTSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 12G4. 
 
 1 1 
 
 M 
 
 U 
 
 contend against so many nobles, and especially against that 
 most sagacious warrior Simon de Montfort. Moreover, Lle- 
 wellyn, who had by this time advanced beyond the borders of 
 Wales, was now above them, preparing to attack them in the 
 rear, and so they were compelled to come to terms of peace. 
 Therefore, that Edward, that illustrious youth, the son of the 
 king, might be released from confinement, he was compelled to 
 agree to peace on the other side, though on hard and oppres- 
 sive terms. For he was forced to agree that he would not 
 leave the island of Britain for three years, and in the mean 
 time would plot no evil against either the kingdom or the 
 nobles, on pain of losing his inheritance. And for the con- 
 firmation and security of this agreement, nearly all the castles 
 which his partisans had in their keeping, and which were 
 dotted about the Marches, all the way from Bristol to 
 Chester, were given up to the earl of Leicester ; and likewise 
 Chester itself, which had been the county palatine of prince 
 Edward, in consequence of an exchange made with the afore- 
 said earl, was transferred to another master. Hereford too, ^ 
 and other castles, situated towards the southern district of 
 Wales, had been some time before surrendered, and entrusted 
 to the keeping of Peter de Montfort and others of the barons. 
 After these events, the king returned to his splendid palace, 
 which is called Woodstock, where he celebrated the feast of 
 the Nativity of the Lord with all due solemnity. But the 
 earl, as fortune smiled on him in every design which he con- 
 ceived in his mind, celebrated the same festival in his castle 
 of Kenilworth, attended by a large company of knights. And 
 he is reported to have had in his own household at least a 
 hundred and forty knights receiving pay, besides a great 
 number of others devoted to his service, when he went on any 
 expedition. By this time, therefore, all England, except the 
 most remote districts of the north (which still, under the in- 
 fluence of the king of Scotland and John de Balliol, conspiring 
 against him), was favourable, and indeed subject to him ; so 
 that nothing of any importance was done in the whole king- 
 dom without him. Every thing was ordered by him, all the 
 king's castles were entrusted to his government. Nor indeed 
 was the king himself, who was how in the fifteenth year of 
 his reign, considered anything more than a shadow of a name, 
 
 ' The text here is quite unintelligible, and probably corrupt. I have 
 therefore borrowed the real terms of the treaty from Hume. 
 
 A.D. 12G5. 
 
 OF THE BATTLE OF ETESHAM. 
 
 425 
 
 80 that he was unable to travel or move through his own ter- 
 ritories, without being utterly under the guidance and in the 
 power of his rival. 
 
 After pope Urban was dead (as has been mentioned above), 
 he was succeeded by Guy of Sabionetta, who had been lately 
 sent into England as legate, and who was called Clement the 
 Fourth. About this time, John Mansel, that over-powerful 
 occupier of ecclesiastical benefices, reached the end of this 
 life, in the countries beyond the sea. Also Godfrey, arch- 
 bishop of York, departed from this world, and was suc- 
 ceeded by Walter Giffard. After a great conference on the 
 subject of securing the peace of the kingdom had been held in 
 London during Lent, Edward, the son of the king, who had 
 been detained as a hostage ever since the battle of Lewes de- 
 scribed above, was released from the custody of the earl 
 before mentioned ; but he was not yet left entirely his own 
 master, but was still in some degree under the power of the 
 earl and his sons. Which, however, Edward concealed, wait- 
 ing for such a time and place as might give him the oppor- 
 tunity of escaping. 
 
 Of the battle of Evesham, 
 
 A.D. 1265, which is the fiftieth of the reign of king Henry, 
 Gilbert, earl of Gloucester, being excited in indignation 
 against the earl of Leicester, who had usurped for himself and 
 his sons the dominion over the whole of England, made a 
 treaty with the lords marchers, and united his army with 
 theirs. Therefore, Edward, the eldest son of the king of 
 England, went with his guards outside the city of Hereford for 
 the purpose of taking the air, and mounting a destrier, passed 
 on beyond his appointed ground, and fled away, and was joy- 
 fully received by the army of the lords marchers. And then 
 the earl of Leicester being full of fury, leading about the king 
 of England, supported by the assistance of the prince of Wales, 
 destroyed the castles and towns of the lords marchers with 
 fire. Therefore, the king of England and the earl of Leicester 
 came in the silence of the night, with a numerous army, to 
 Evesham, and were pursued by Edward, the king's eldest son, 
 and by Gilbert, earl of Gloucester, with an army eager for 
 battle. Therefore, on the fourth of August, the earl of Lei- 
 cester and his partisans were slain in the plain in front of 
 
 
 
426 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1265. 
 
 Evesham, and the king of England, having received a slight 
 wound, was withdrawn from the battle by his son, and cured. 
 
 While that most illustrious and glorious prince Henry the 
 Third, by the grace of God, king of England, reigned, his 
 kingdom was for a long time silent and tranquil, and the Lord 
 the Prince of Peace gave peace to his territories, and filled 
 them with the fat of corn. But after the French, and Poite- 
 vins, and Savoyards were introduced into the kingdom, 
 whom their relationship and affinity to the aforesaid monarch, 
 and his own liberality, raised up to dignities, and after they, 
 as became the royal magnificence, were promoted without pre- 
 judice to the rights of others, because all power is naturally 
 impatient of a partner, a cause of quarrel arose among those 
 very relations and connections of the king and his native sub- 
 jects, to see which of their bodies was more powerful and 
 greater than the other. Among them were Simon de Mont- 
 fort, earl of Leicester, formerly seneschal of Guienne, and John 
 the son of Geoffrey, formerly justiciary of Ireland, both of 
 whom were recalled from those offices ; and being stimulated 
 by an ambition of greater power, and by a common dishke to 
 the bishop elect of Winchester and to WiUiam de Valence, the 
 king's own brothers, they became accomplices, and indeed 
 leaders in faction. 
 
 In those days, the number of the pretexts for interference 
 on the part of the Apostolic See in the ecclesiastical benefices 
 of England increased greatly, and the yoke of the Roman 
 church pressed heavily, demanding money of the merchants 
 for the service of the kingdom of Apulia, and also imposing 
 severe exactions on general grounds. These were the causes 
 of discord between the foreigners and the native EngUsh, both 
 nobles and prelates, few of whom were influenced by any re- 
 gard for the commonwealth, but many by envy, and many by 
 considerations of private ambition. The bishops too (not to 
 say the Pharisees), convened a council against the anointed of 
 their lord the king, saying, *' You see that we profit nothing 
 if we let the king go thus. For the Romans will come and 
 take away our coffers, money, and all ; let us, therefore, ap- 
 point twenty-four elders around his throne, who, excluding the 
 Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and Roman strangers, and deli- 
 vering our Jerusalem from Egyptian slavery, may arrange all 
 and each of the affairs of the kingdom ; reserving the highest 
 seats at banquets, and the salutations in the market-place, for 
 
 ' 
 
 1 
 
 i 
 
 A.D. 1265. THE POWEIl OF THE KING CTIETAILED. 
 
 427 
 
 the king's magnificence. Accordingly, in the forty-second 
 year of this reign, the knights, and barons, and prelates as- 
 sembled at Oxford, and issued public edicts, being attended by 
 a powerful and very numerous company of armed men ; and 
 by their joint deliberations, or, I might say, delirious ravings, 
 pubHshed these orders : — 
 
 That, ** because the said kingdom of England required a 
 very general reform of its constitution, the said king should 
 appoint twelve persons out of the kingdom on his part, and 
 the whole community of his subjects should appoint an equal 
 number on theirs, who, being supported by the royal power, 
 should undertake the care of the whole kingdom, and should 
 provide for the perpetual annual election of the justiciaries, 
 chancellors, treasurers, and other officers and ministers of the 
 kingdom, and should cause the castles to be kept by them and 
 their troops." 
 
 And the fear of perpetual imprisonment compelled the 
 aforesaid king and his eldest son to consent to this ordinance, 
 threatening all rebels with capital punishment, without any 
 respect to condition or rank, by a formal edict. And the 
 aforesaid >Ethelmar, bishop elect of Winchester, and William 
 de Valence, the uterine brothers of the aforesaid king, and 
 many others who resisted the first steps of the beginning of 
 this faction, were all expelled from the kingdom and banished ; 
 and each and all of the rest of the prelates, earls, and barons, 
 took their corporal oath to the faithful observance of this dis- 
 loyal ordinance, and a sentence of excommunication was 
 passed against all rebels by all the archbishops and bishops 
 of the kingdom. ]VIoreover, it is a fit subject for wonder, 
 with what a face the conscript fathers, and the aged bishop 
 of Worcester, and some other prelates, fathers, and judges of 
 men's consciences, gave their voluntary consent to the subver- 
 sion of the king's power, after they had taken their corporal 
 oath to preserve his earthly honours to the aforesaid king and 
 his heirs ; an oath which they kept very ill, by ordaining that 
 neither he nor they should ever govern, but that they should 
 be governed by others. For if the intolerable prodigality, or 
 the deficiencies of the king himself, evidently required the at- 
 tention of a guardian, still it is nowhere provided, by either 
 divine or human laws, that where there is no actual vice or 
 crime, the punishment shall pass on to his heirs. Let not the 
 iniquity of the father attend the son. Let not punishment ad- 
 vance too far, so as to be a crime. And that we may return 
 
428 
 
 MATTHEW OP WESTMUTSTEE. 
 
 AD. 12G5. 
 
 to the regular order of events, the twenty-four captains before 
 mentioned, being then promoted in England, and all the offi- 
 cers and ministers of the kingdom and the king's court being 
 ordained under them, they had a sort of continual parhament, 
 and provided themselves with escheats and wardships, and 
 their sons and nephews with churches which belonged to the 
 patronage of the king. The treasury got nothing ; God's 
 anointed king got nothing ; nothing went to Caesar, nothing 
 to the palace ; everything went to the Csesarians and people 
 about the palace, not to pay the ancient debts of the king, 
 but to defray the expenses of the upholders of the provisions, 
 and the whole treasury was destitute of freedom. And be- 
 cause England, as had also been the case with Rome, was un- 
 able to support several kings, soon a deadly quarrel arose be- 
 tween the earls of Leicester and Gloucester, the two principal 
 captains of their party, to such a degree, that the aforesaid 
 king, at the suggestion of the earl of Gloucester before men- 
 tioned, led a numerous army, driven from the French territo- 
 ries, against Edward, his own first-born son, of whom the afore- 
 said earl of Leicester was at that time an adherent. But, 
 through the mediation of those mighty lords, the king of Ger- 
 many, and Peter of Savoy, and some formal ambassadors of 
 the illustrious king of France, his son before mentioned was 
 re-admitted to the favour of the king his father, and the earl 
 of Gloucester's name was erased from the number of the cap^ 
 tains aforesaid, and peace was made between him and the 
 earl of Leicester, out of hatred for the rest. And so, through 
 the power and energy of those earls, a new disturbance arose 
 in England, worse than the first. 
 
 Therefore, the twenty-four chiefs who have been already 
 mentioned, as having been elected in this way, for the govern- 
 ment of the king and kingdom, seeing, since there were now 
 so many heads, and since the monarchy was thus put out of 
 sight, that the general discord was rapidly gaining strength, 
 and that a danger of that confusion, which eventually did 
 take place at that time, was impending all, with the exception 
 of the five whose names I will here set down, namely, the 
 bishop of Worcester, and the two earls who have been already 
 mentioned, and Hugh le Despenser, and Peter de Montfort, 
 agreed to annul the provisions and ordinances of this kind 
 that had been enacted, and to restore the kingdom to its pro- 
 per state. And although nothing is so natural, as that any 
 
 ■ 
 
 A.D. 1265. THE EAUL OF LEICESTER CrOBS TXTO FRANCE. 429 
 
 law of any kind, being enacted by common consent, and as 
 such being lawful and indissoluble, and binding men while it 
 is in force, may, if the wickedness of men increases, and if, 
 therefore, it has a tendency to produce injurious effects, to 
 attend, if the inclination of those who originally enacted it, or 
 if the greater part of them be changed, or may even be en- 
 tirely abolished, just as it is recorded, that Hezekiah very pro- 
 perly destroyed (when the people were led into error by it) 
 that brazen serpent, which had formerly been lifted up in the 
 desert to the salvation of the people, at the command of the 
 Lord ; nevertheless, it seemed good to the king and nobles 
 before mentioned, who were afraid of blame where no blame 
 was, to procure absolution from the oath which they had 
 taken from the unerring wisdom of the supreme pontiff. But 
 the aforesaid five, obstinately persisting in the wantonness 
 which they had conceived, (crying out, "What we have writ- 
 ten, we have written,") endeavoured to establish pragmatic 
 sanctions of this kind, confirmed by their common consent 
 and common oath, thinking that the force of an oath so taken, 
 could not be dissolved by any consent to a contrary effect, 
 and that the apostolic absolution was null and void, and making 
 of their own deliberate purpose, like Herod, the oath to stand 
 as a bond of iniquity to bind them to resist laws and canons, 
 and to involve their consciences in schism and error, drawing 
 with them, as a strengthener of their error, many false pro- 
 phets, rapacious wolves in sheep's clothing, murmuring against 
 the vicars of Christ, and against the anointed of the Lord, 
 their own king, not as the Holy Spirit gave them utterance, 
 but as their disdain of a superior power taught them abuse. 
 But when, in process of time, they advanced to an enumera- 
 tion of the provisions, and when, in consequence of the death 
 of the earl of Gloucester, and of John, the son of Geoffrey, 
 and of the arrival of the king of Germany, and of Peter of 
 Savoy, the aforesaid king of England began to prevail over 
 those who were rebelling against him, the aforesaid earl of 
 Leicester, despairing of succeeding in his audacity, departed 
 into the territories of France, and, in the meantime, the Bur- 
 gundians, and French, and the inhabitants of Champagne, 
 who had been banished by the provisions of Oxford, having 
 been recalled into England, the king's eldest son honoured 
 them above all his friends in England, and entrusted them 
 with the safe keeping of his castles, and committed to him the 
 
430 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEll. 
 
 A.D. 1265. 
 
 office of mayor of his household. On which account, some 
 gallant knights, formerly his friends, being vehemently indig- 
 nant, having made a confederacy with all those who had at 
 any time been oflfended by any exercise of the royal power, 
 endeavoured to re-kindle the old coals, and recalled the earl of 
 Leicester back into England ; who immediately after his en- 
 trance into the kingdom, having united himself with the 
 Welch, the deadly enemies of the aforesaid king and kingdom, 
 and with many of the nobles of England, all of whom he 
 caused to shave their heads m token of the folly which was 
 thus begun by them, he caused the lord bishop of Hereford, 
 whom his conduct in laying the churches and monasteries of 
 England under obligation for the sake of the kingdom of 
 Apulia, and the oppression of his subjects, had made odious to 
 all Englishmen, to be dragged from his church by some no- 
 bles of the marches who were at that time his adherents, and 
 to be committed to confinement in prison ; and the bishop and 
 all the rest, both native English and foreigners, who were the 
 familiar friends of the aforesaid king, were plundered of all 
 their property by his different armies. In all these prelimi- 
 nary deeds of great presumption, he was consulting his own 
 interest by subtle cunning, so that the people adhered to him 
 out of hatred to the aforesaid bishop, and all his adherents he 
 maintained in pay derived from the property of which he had 
 despoiled him ; so that necessity infallibly compelled all 
 transgressors of this sort to become his adherents, as thev 
 despaired of grace either from the pope or the king. 
 
 Afterwards, having collected a numerous army, he entered 
 the city of London, and compelled the king of 'England, by 
 his oppression, to surrender to him the castle of Dover, the 
 Tower of London, and all his other strong castles, and in all 
 things to submit to his will ; the aforesaid eldest son of the 
 king being compelled to deliver up to this earl the castle of 
 Windsor, from which all his friends who came from foreign 
 countries had been expelled, and they were afterwards banished 
 from the kingdom. And John Mansel, provost of Beverlac, 
 the principal counsellor of the aforesaid king, was compelled,* 
 on account of the violence of the persecution, to return into the 
 country of France. But the lord the king of Germany, and 
 the eldest son of the king of England, and the other counsellors 
 and friends of the king of England, seeing the rapine and de- 
 predations of this kind which were committed on the prelates 
 
 ■ 
 
 A.D. 1265. THE EINO OF FEA^'CE CALLED IN AS MEDIATOR. 431 
 
 and subjects of the kingdom, both clergy and laity, and that 
 the overthrow of the king and kingdom seemed equally near 
 at hand, procured the aforesaid king of England privily to 
 transfer himself from his parliament at Westminster to 
 Windsor, receiving into his favour the lord Henry, son of the 
 king of Germany, John, earl of Warrenne, Roger de Clifford, 
 Roger de Leybourne, Hamond, called Strange, and John de 
 Valois, who had formerly all been adherents of the aforesaid 
 earl of Leicester, with united forces ; and when a long confer- 
 ence on the subject of peace took place through the interven- 
 tion of some formally appointed mediators between the king 
 of England and his adherents on the one side, and the earl of 
 Leicester and his partisans on the other, at last, in respect of 
 all the disputes that had arisen concerning the provisions of 
 Oxford, a compromise was made, and the matter was referred 
 by both sides to the illustrious king of France, that he should 
 settle it, both in its height and depth, administering a cor- 
 poral oath to both parties, as is fully set forth in the instru- 
 ment drawn up on this subject, signed with the seals of all the 
 potentates above mentioned. And when the lord the king of the 
 French, treading in the footsteps of the supreme pontiff, had 
 by his own arbitrary power annulled all the provisions and or- 
 dinances of that sort, and whatever statutes had grown out of 
 them, the earl of Leicester and his companions and partisans 
 nevertheless presumed to support them as before, resisting the 
 aforesaid king of France and his injunctions in all particulars, 
 and by every possible means, and uniting with the Welch to 
 demolish the castles of the faithful subjects of the king ; and, 
 on the other hand, aiding in the incursions of the Welch, those 
 enemies of the king and kingdom, with which they ravaged 
 the borders of England and Wales, and also uniting with the 
 Londoners to perpetrate violations of churches, and depreda- 
 tions, and to impoverish ecclesiastical persons, and to harass 
 both Jews and Christians with fire and bloodshed, without 
 respect to condition or sex, age or rank. And when the cry 
 of these abominations, through the daily groans and com- 
 plaints of the afflicted people, ascended to the chiefs of the 
 priesthood before mentioned, all seeking that which was their 
 own, and not those things which were Christ's, they were found 
 beyond all question to be dumb dogs, able but unwilling to 
 bark. 
 
 After all these detestable events, it happened that Simon, 
 
 'vl» 
 
432 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTIMII^^STEB. 
 
 A.D. 1265. 
 
 Ron of the aforesaid earl of Leicester, had occupied Nor- 
 thampton, with a numerous army, which town the aforesaid 
 king of England with his powerful army gallantly and man- 
 fully took by assault ; taking eighty gallant knights prisoners 
 in it, and a great multitude of squires and burgesses. And 
 when this had come to the knowledge of the earl of Leicester, 
 he, like a lion in a wood, raging at the capture of his cubs, 
 and aspiring with all his might to take the count de Warrenne 
 prisoner, united with the earl of Gloucester, who, not being yet 
 twenty years of age, had been beguiled and had become his 
 adherent, and laid siege to the city of Rochester, and having 
 set fire to a ship, burnt down the bridge of that city, and a 
 wooden tower which was erected on it, and at last he took the 
 city itself, with the outer bailiwick of the castle, by frequent 
 assauhs of the soldiers, and occupied it. And when this was 
 heard, the lord the king of England, with a gallant body of 
 troops from the marchers and the northern countries, pro- 
 ceeded rapidly towards the neighbourhood of Rochester, to 
 compel the raising of that siege ; and the aforesaid earls and 
 barons, who were in rebellion against the lord the king, having 
 been informed of this, ceased to attack the castle of Rochester, 
 and set out on their march towards London. And the king 
 directing his march towards the coast, by his clemency and 
 mercy recalled the Cinque Ports to their duty, which were 
 previously in open rebellion, and granted them' peace, which 
 they did not at all deserve. 
 
 In the mean time, the earl of Leicester, together with the 
 earl of Gloucester, and the barons of his party, and with the 
 greater part of the citizens of London, departing from London, 
 directed his march to meet the king of England his lord with 
 flying standards; and on the day after the feast of Saint 
 Pancras, in the month of May, he arrayed the lines of his 
 troops in order of battle on the top of a hill near Lewes, 
 placing in his chariot four of the citizens of London, who were 
 faithful to the king of England, and who would not bear arms 
 against him, the standard of the said earl being elevated on 
 high, in order that, in their turn, they might be the more easily 
 transfixed by the spears of the vanguard. And behold ! the 
 royal army, finding itself so unexpectedly anticipated, pro- 
 ceeded without much regularity, and in its zeal to encounter 
 them, ascended the accUvity of the hill ; and the eldest son of 
 the king of England, being the captain of the first line, di- 
 
 A.n. 12G5. A>'NOrNCEMEXT OF TUE EAKL OE LEICESTER. 433 
 
 rected his attack against the first cohort of the enemy's army, 
 and having slain or taken prisoners many of the nobles of that 
 cohort, he entirely routed it; and then proceeding straight on- 
 \vards to the line behind, in which there was a great multitude 
 of Londoners, barons, and knights, he struck such terror into 
 them all, that the bloody and beaming sword slew all those 
 whom flight did not save. But as the two kings before men- 
 tioned were stationed in their second line, attended by only 
 their ordinary domestic train, the earls of Leicester and Glou- 
 cester, and the barons who were stationed in the centre of their 
 army, folding up and lowering their standards, came down the 
 steep side of the hill, and bravely attacked them. And the 
 battle having been fought, and the aforesaid king of Germany 
 being taken prisoner, with John Comyn, Philip Basset, who 
 fought with gallantry beyond all his comrades, and beyond all 
 the other mayors on the side of the aforesaid king of England, 
 and a great slaughter having taken place of many persons 
 whom the two parties had led to the battle, the king of Eng- 
 land returned to the priory of Lewes, attended by only a few^ 
 guards, many noble men, such as the earl of Warrenne, William 
 de Valence, Hugh Bigod, and several more fleeing to Pevensey 
 Castle, and from thence crossing the sea to procure aid. But 
 the third and last cohort, consisting of four hundred guards 
 armed with breastplates, deserting their lord the king on the 
 field of battle, whether it was done guiltily or innocently, fled 
 away in a shameful manner, seeking the hiding-places and 
 sdinctuaries of the church. 
 
 And the aforesaid earls and barons entering the town of 
 Lewes, took all the property and all the persons whom they 
 could find between the castle and the priory. At last, when 
 the son of the king before mentioned had returned from the 
 slaughter of the Londoners and the rest of the fugitives with 
 his men from the Marches, and the rest of his warlike friends, 
 whose number was twice as great as the number of the enemy, 
 and when he and his men were preparing themselves man- 
 fully for the encounter, the cunning of the earl of Leicester 
 circumvented them each and all. For, by means of some of 
 the Minor Brothers, he announced to the king of England and 
 his son, that, imitating the peaceful and benevolent disposi- 
 tion of the said king and his friends, to prevent the eff"usion 
 of human blood, he and liis friends would willingly submit 
 their cause to the decision of any one whom the king thought 
 
 VOL. II. F F 
 
 Mi' 
 
434 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 12G5. 
 
 A.D. 12G5. NEW TEEMS OF PEACE PBOPOSED. 
 
 43:1 
 
 proper to select as arbitrator. And if the king and his son, 
 not being content with this moderation and amnesty, still de- 
 termined to fight with them, in that case they would put to 
 death the king of Germany, John Comyn, Philip Basset, and 
 the other prisoners whom they had taken in the battle, and 
 stick their heads on their lances to serve as standards. Where- 
 fore, the king and his army, being moved by feehngs of pity, 
 abandoned their design, and having had a discussion which 
 lasted the whole of the following night long, on the subject of 
 peace, at length an agreement was made by both parties on 
 the conditions given beneath, namely, that the king and his 
 adherents on the one side, and the aforesaid earls and their 
 partisans on the other, should commit the matter to the king 
 of France, so that, by three prelates and three nobles of 
 France, to be named and appointed by the king of France 
 himself, two men of France should be elected, who should 
 come into England, and there associate with themselves a third 
 person from among the English, whom they themselves should 
 choose, and then, whatever these three men should ordain, 
 either in respect of confirming or overturning the king's 
 power, and also concerning all the subjects of dispute which 
 had taken place between the parties, and concerning the ge- 
 neral state of England, should be ratified and settled, both 
 parties taking their corporal oath to this effect, and drawing 
 up an instrument besides, sealed with the seal of the king and 
 of all the aforesaid persons, hostages, moreover, being given 
 on the part of the said king, who should be the eldest sons of 
 both the kings above mentioned ; and so the khig committing 
 himself to his enemies, and his enemies to him, first of all 
 they came to Canterbury, and the aforesaid hostages having 
 been sent to Dover Castle, at last they came to London ; the 
 king of Germany and the other prisoners who were taken in 
 the battle being committed to prison in different castles ; but 
 the barons of the northern counties, and of the Marches, fear- 
 ing the cunning of the aforesaid earl, returned to their own 
 homes without delay, and all those who faithfully adhered to 
 the king of England, and who at any time served him, whether 
 clergy or laity, were deprived of all their moveable property. 
 After this, the prelates, and earls, and barons of that district 
 which detained its king prisoner in so seditious a manner, as- 
 sembled in London, forgetful of the compromise of Lewes, 
 and of the oath which they had taken, and, indeed, of their 
 
 I 
 
 own salvation, and set to work to busy themselves about new 
 ordinances for the kingdom, among other things enacting that 
 two earls and one bishop, elected on the part of the commu- 
 nity, should elect nine persons, three of whom should assist 
 the king, and from that council of three and nine every mea- 
 sure, either in the kingdom or in the king's palace, should 
 proceed, and that nothing should be done by the king without 
 their advice, or at least without that of three of them. And 
 after these ordinances had been made by the earls of Leicester 
 and Gloucester, and by the bishop of Chichester, who was said, 
 on the day preceding the battle above mentioned, to have ab- 
 solved from all their sins all those who were going to fio-ht 
 against their lord the king, being the principal counsellors and 
 captains of the kingdom, the king, having been threatened 
 with the election of another king, and the eldest son of the kin"" 
 having been threatened with perpetual imprisonment, if they did 
 not consent, were compelled to give assent to this dishonest 
 proposition ; all the bishops, and earls, and barons likewise 
 consenting, and affixing their seals to an instrument drawn up 
 to that effect. And letters were sent to the lord the cardinal 
 bishop of Sabionetta, at that time legate of the Apostolic See, 
 and the illustrious king of France, concerning the complete 
 recall of the compromise at Lewes, and the settlement of a 
 new peace, by the amicable agreement of both parties. And 
 aller an earnest supplication had been addressed by the bishops 
 of London, Winchester, Worcester, and some other dioceses 
 of the province of Canterbury, to the aforesaid lord legate, 
 that he would endeavour to promote that peace, he severely 
 reproved the aforesaid bishops for having presumed to consent 
 to such a depression of the king's power, and because he had 
 no entrance into the kingdom, he, by public edicts published 
 at Boulogne, formally cited them to appear on the third day at 
 Boulogne, to discuss with him the affairs of the kingdom. And 
 when they had been for some time expected at the appointed 
 time and place, being waited for even beyond the proper day, 
 and as they did not choose to appear either by themselves or by 
 their proctors, the legate suspended them from the celebration of 
 divine service ; and he pronounced sentences of excommunica- 
 tion and interdict against the aforesaid earls of Leicester and 
 Gloucester, and their partisans, and against the citizens of Lon- 
 don, and of the Cinque Ports, who had presumed to hinder his 
 entrance into England. But the aforesaid bishops, earls, and 
 
 r r 2 
 
' 1 
 
 4;'>6 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 12G5. 
 
 A.D. 12G5. SIMON A>'D HIS FOLLOWERS DEFEATED. 
 
 4.37 
 
 barons, and the rest, having made up a hst of some grievances, 
 and appealing with all canonical observance to the Apostolic 
 See, and, if need should be, to the general conned, and to 
 the church triumphant as well as militant, by means ot the 
 officers of the dioceses of Worcester, Chichester and Ely, men 
 well skilled in the law, and lawfully appointed notaries, did 
 not wait for the result of this appeal, but trusting to the pro- 
 tection of the sword of ^lars. and disregarding the spiritual 
 sword, ventured to perform divine service till the arrival m 
 England of the lord Otho, the cardinal, and leading the afore- 
 said king like a prisoner, they divided all the castles and strong 
 fortresses belonging to the king between the sons of the earl 
 of Leicester, so often mentioned, and Hugh Despenser, and 
 John Fitz-John, to the exclusion ot the earl of Gloucester 
 who was the only man in the kingdom who they were atraid 
 could weaken the toils in which they had bound their prisoners 
 so fast ; and they assigned all the offices of the royal palace to 
 the king's principal enemies, men who had dared to hght 
 ai^ainst him in a pitched battle. 
 
 There was but little mention made for a year of the deli- 
 verance of Edward, the king's eldest son, until he himselt, as 
 the price of his release, gave his palatine county of Chester to 
 the aforesaid earl of Leicester, and thus he purchased his li- 
 beration from the imprisonment and custody ot the kmgUts 
 his enemies. No one can adequately relate the condition of 
 the nobles of the INIarches, and the persecutions which they 
 endured for a year and more. But when the earl of Leicester 
 endeavoured to banish these lords marchers into Ireland, they, 
 entering the camp of the king's eldest son on the extreme 
 borders of Walesf plundered the Welch castles of their ene- 
 mies before mentioned, and thus furnished tliemse ves with 
 the necessary supplies, until the aforesaid earl of Leicester, 
 havino; taken prisoner earl Ferrars, who secretly mcunedtothe 
 party'ad verse to the capture of the earl of Gloucester, who has 
 been often mentioned, and whom they suspected of similar 
 sentiments, came to Gloucester. For then the lords marchers 
 having united with the earl of Gloucester to meet their com- 
 mon danger, when the earl of Warrenne and William de \a- 
 lence came with a large company of cross-bowmen and knights 
 and landed in South Wales, they were inspired with greater 
 boldness to resist the attacks of their persecutors ; and to 
 march to encounter the earl of Leicester and his friends, who 
 
 were leading the king of England and his son to Hereford as 
 prisoners ; who marched on, being accompanied by his own 
 army and that of the prince of North Wales, while Simon, 
 his second son, as the general and commandtT of the royal 
 army, which had been levied throughout the kingdom, ad- 
 vanced from the other side, so that the two hemmed in the 
 earls of Gloucester and Warrenne, and the lords marchers, 
 and slew them all. But by the overruling providence of God, 
 who is the doorkeeper of prisons, the release of the prisoners 
 was effected, and on the Thursday in Wliitsun week, the eldest 
 son of the king went out into the fields about Hereford with 
 liis comrades and guards to take exercise, and then, when they 
 had all mounted their destrier horses, and fatigued them w^ith 
 galloping, he, after that, mounted a horse of his own which 
 was not tired, and requesting leave of his companions (though 
 he did not obtain it), he went with all speed to the lord Roger 
 de Mortimer, at Wigemor. And the next day, the carls of 
 Gloucester and Warrenne, with their followers, met Edward at 
 Ludlow, and forgetting all their mutual injuries and quarrels, 
 and renewing their friendship, they proceeded with courage 
 and alacrity to break down the bridges and sink the ferry-boats 
 over the Severn. Afterwards, as their force was increased by 
 the friends of the aforesaid Edward, whom the power of the 
 adverse party had long compelled to lie hid, and wlien they 
 had taken Gloucester, and treated the prisoners with most ex- 
 travagant cruelty, the earl of Leicester and his army, beiniir 
 hemmed in the district about Hereford, were compelled to lead 
 their nominal king about as a prisoner, and to subject him, 
 against his will, to all the hardships of captivity. 
 
 And when Simon, the son of the aforesaid earl of Leicester, 
 had, with many barons and knights, traversed and plundered 
 all Kent, and the country about Winchester and the other 
 southern districts of England, and then proceeded, to his own 
 misfortune, with great speed to Kenilworth to meet his father, 
 the aforesaid Edward and Gilbert and their armies, being, by 
 the favour of God, forewarned of his approach, attacked his 
 army at dawn on the day of Saint Peter ad Vincula, and took 
 them all prisoners, except Simon and a few with him who 
 escaped into the castle, and put them in chains, and stripped 
 those robbers and plunderers of all their booty, and so cele- 
 brated a day of feasting at the New Chains.^ 
 
 * In allusion to the day of Saint Peter ad Vincula — Vincula meaning 
 chains. 
 
438 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMlx^STEE. 
 
 A.D. 12G5. 
 
 The earl of Leicester and his companions, being ignorant of 
 tliia event, and marching on with all speed, reached the river 
 Severn that very same day, and having examined the proper 
 fords, crossed the river at' twilight with the design of meeting 
 and finding the aforesaid Simon and his army, who were 
 coming from England, and having stopped the two next days on 
 the borders of Worcestershire, on the third day they entered 
 the town of Evesham, and while they were occupying them- 
 selves there with refreshing their souls, which had been long 
 fainting under hunger and thirst, with a little food, their scouts 
 brought them word that the lord Edward and his army were 
 not above two miles off. So the earl of Leicester and the 
 barons marching out with their lord the Iving (whom they 
 took with them by force) to the rising ground of a gentle hill, 
 beheld Edward and his army on the top of a hill, not above a 
 stone's throw from them, and hastening to them. And a 
 wonderful conflict took place, there being slain on the part of 
 the lord Edward only one knight of moderate prowess, and 
 two esquires. On the other side there fell on the field of 
 battle Simon, earl of Leicester, whose head, and hands, and 
 feet were cut off, and Henry, his son, Hugh Despenser, justi- 
 ciary of England, Peter de Montfort, William de Mandeville, 
 Radulph Basset, Roger St. John, Walter de Despigny, William 
 of York, and Robert Tregos, all very powerful knights and 
 barons, and besides all the guards and warlike cavalry fell in 
 the battle, with the exception of ten or twelve nobles, who 
 were taken prisoners. And the names of the nobles who were 
 wounded and taken prisoners were as follows : Guy de Mont- 
 fort, son of the earl of Leicester, John Fitz-John, Henry de 
 Hastings, Humphrey de Bohun the younger, John de Vescy, 
 Peter de Montfort the younger, and Nicholas de Segrave. 
 
 This is enough to say about the provisions of Oxford and 
 the acts of treachery committed at Oxford, Lewes, and Lon- 
 don ; which actions, though whitened over with various pre- 
 texts of equity and justice, are within full of all trickery, and 
 miserably ruined their contrivers. I have also omitted to 
 mention many things fairly entitled to be related, that the 
 prolixity of ray account might not weary the ears of my hearers ; 
 but thrs, above all things, I feel bound to insert, as a matter at 
 which the king's highness marvels, that those persons whose 
 conversation is described as being in heaven, leaving every 
 thing for Christ's sake, up to this time persecuted Christ with 
 
 A.D. 12G5. PUNISHMENT INFLICTED ON THE LONDONEHS. 439 
 
 Peter, and Peter in Christ's vicar, and in Clement, the suc- 
 cessor of Peter, Christ their God and Prince ; now, with the 
 blandishments of their praises and approbation, bedaubed the 
 wall which had been built by the rebels against the king, and 
 which the apostolic authority in the beginning of his new work 
 ordered to be demolished, not considering, as they ougJit, with 
 what privileges and honours the Roman church had decorated 
 them, which being yet a small plant in its order, and trans- 
 planted from the valley of Spoleto, the said king had che- 
 rished, and cultivated, and watered, allowing it to grow to be 
 a perfect and a wide-spreading vine in so many castles and 
 cities. Would that, all spurious shoots being cut away, the 
 branches may receive due increase, and repay their cultivator 
 grapes, and not wild grapes for the future. 
 
 Therefore, the battle of Evesham having been thus gallantly 
 fought, the king and the nobles of the kingdom assembled at 
 Winchester, and ordered that the richer citizens of the city of 
 London should be thrust into prison, that the citizens should 
 be deprived of their ancient liberties, and that the palisades 
 and chains with which the city was fortified should be re- 
 moved, because the citizens had boldly adhered to Simon de 
 Montfort, earl of Leicester, in contempt of the king and also 
 to the injury of the kingdom ; all which was done, for the 
 more powerful citizens were thrown into prison at the castle 
 of Windsor, and were afterwards punished with a pecuniary 
 fine of no inconsiderable amount. All liberty was forbidden 
 to the citizens, and the Tower of London was made stronger 
 by the palisades and chains which had belonged to the city. 
 
 After this, a sentence of confiscation was pronounced at 
 Westminster, on the feast of the translation of the blessed 
 Edward, against the king's enemies, whose lands the king be- 
 stowed without delay on his own faithful followers. But 
 some of those against whom this sentence was pronounced re- 
 deemed their possessions by payment of a sum of money, 
 others uniting in a body lay hid in the woods, living miserably 
 on plunder and rapine ; the most powerful and mischievous 
 of whom was Robert, earl Ferrars, who was restored to the 
 full possession of his property, on condition that if ever he 
 departed from his loyalty to the king, he should lose his 
 earldom. 
 
 About this time, Guy and Simon, sons of the former earl of 
 Leicester, escaped from prison and from custody, and went 
 
440 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMI^*STEK. 
 
 A.D. 12:5. 
 
 into France, hoping, by a fresh sedition, to avenge the death 
 of their fatlier with the help of foreigners, and to make them- 
 selves masters of England. But, by the providence of God, 
 they were not able to consummate what they had begun, be- 
 cause their days, as will be seen, wasted away in vanity and 
 misery. 
 
 In this year, being the fiftieth of the king's reign, which 
 may fitly be called the jubilee, a certain writer, touching with 
 an elegant pen the causes of the wars above-mentioned, said, 
 *' Who will give water to my head and a fountain to my eyes, 
 bringing thitiier streams of tears, that day and night I may 
 weep for those of my people who were slain ? O England, 
 formerly glorious, illustrious, and great among the nations, as 
 in the pride of the Chaldeans ! the ships of Tarshish could 
 not be compared to your fleets, bringing apices and all kinds 
 of precious things from the four quarters of the world. You 
 had the sea for a wall, and mighty castles fortified your har- 
 bours as your gates. In you warriors, and clergy, and mer- 
 chants flourished ; to you the men of Pisa, of Genoa, and of 
 Venice brought sapphires, carbuncles, and emeralds, derived 
 from the streams of Paradise. You were served by Asia with 
 purple and fine linen, by Africa with cinnamon and balsam, 
 by Spain with gold, and by Germany with silver. Your 
 weaver, Flanders, wove you precious garments from your own 
 materials ; your own Guienne supplied you with wine ; all the 
 islands between the Pleiades and the Bear were your servants. 
 In your own interior you had the game of the forests in abun- 
 dance, and on your hills you had beasts of burden and cattle. 
 All the birds of heaven were yours, and the beauty of the 
 country was with you. In abundance of fish you surpass all 
 countries. And although, being confined by the shores of the 
 sea, you are extended over but a small space of territory, never- 
 theless, on account of your famous productiveness, the sides 
 of all the nations in the world have blessed you, being made 
 warm by the fleeces of your sheep. For your swords being 
 turned into ploughshares, peace and religion flourished, so 
 that you were a spectacle and an example to all Catholic king- 
 doms. Alas ! wliy are you stripped of such great glory ? 
 Why do you yield, being dashed against yourself? Why do 
 you rage about the domestic madness of your sins, and why, 
 as if yon had conspired against yourself, have you declared 
 war against yourself and not against your enemies ? Alas ! 
 
 A.D. 12G5. THE CASTLE OF DOVEE SrEEENBERED. 
 
 441 
 
 without a doubt your sins of presumption have deserved this 
 fate, those sins with which you were so fascinated, and lay so 
 that you neither desired any medicine or the assistance of any 
 physician : indeed, I may more truly say, that you refused it. 
 On which account much innocent blood which has been shed 
 over the earth, cries this day unto the Lord, who has given 
 you such numbers of valuable things. Surely it is the un- 
 bridled covetousness of your nation, jealous of rchgion and 
 peace, despising the domination of a superior, and the heavy 
 yoke of a king, but which has in such a degree sown the 
 tares of discord to your own injury, causing misciiief to you 
 by its choice of powers, so that all the bonds of relationship, 
 affinity, and oaths being trampled under foot, son has risen 
 against father, brother against brother, servant against master, 
 and sheep with unheard-of courage against their shepherds ; 
 and last of all, men have terrified and cruelly slain one another 
 in the slaughter of pitched battles. And so, wishing to avoid 
 Charybdis, alas ! you have fallen into the whirlpool of Scyila.'* 
 But what is alluded to in some of these circumlocutory 
 phrases, is seen clearer than dayhght in the provisions of Ox- 
 ford before mentioned. 
 
 Ch, XX.— Feom A.D. 1265 to a.d. 1272. 
 
 Henry prosecutes his successes — Bravery and generosity of 
 prince Edward — T/ie /any besieges Kenilworth — Charles of 
 Anjou defeats Manfred, and is crowned king of Sicily — 
 Some of the earl of Leicester's party still resist Henry 
 — Disputes between some of the nobles — Prince Edward 
 goes to the Holy Land — King Henry is taken ill — Edward 
 is wounded by one of the assassins — Bichard, king of Ger- 
 many, dies — King Henry dies-^King Edward is present at 
 the tournament at Chalons — Does homage to Philip of 
 France for his French domains, 
 
 TIte castle of Dover is surrendered to the king. 
 
 In the before-mentioned year of grace, king Henry celebrated 
 the feast of the Nativity at Westminster, where the great par- 
 liament of the nobles was assembled, in which it was very 
 wisely and beneficially ordained that in each county there 
 should be one captain appointed at the king's expense, who, 
 with the aid of the viscount, should repel the savage rage of 
 the banditti. And in consequence, many of them being alarmed. 
 
 • 1. 
 
442 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1265. 
 
 forsook their predatory habits, and so the king's power began 
 to breathe again, and peace, to a certain extent, began to flou- 
 rish. Therefore, some of the nobles, who were detained in 
 prison in Dover Castle, hearing that their lord the king was 
 meeting with good fortune, took courage, and gallantly seized 
 upon the tower of the cattle, resisting their guards. And 
 when the king and his eldest son Edward had been informed 
 of this, they hastened to the castle of Dover, and besieged it 
 with a powerful force. Therefore, the keepers of the castle, 
 being surrounded by their enemies, sent an embassy to the 
 king entreating peace ; and immediately surrendered the castle 
 to the king, saving each of them their life and limbs, horses 
 and arms, and all other necessaries. From thence Edward 
 proceeded onwards, like a gallant knight who should be king 
 hereafter, traversing all the country near the coast, and pun- 
 ishing some of the inhabitants of the Cinque Ports on account 
 of their crimes, and some he only put in fear, and others he 
 mercifully admitted to peace. The citizens of Winchelsea 
 were the only persons who endeavoured to resist him ; but Ed- 
 ward took their town by some assaults, and at his entrance 
 much guilty blood was shed, but he spared the multitude, and 
 ordered his men for the future not to busy themselves about 
 plunder like pirates. And by this conduct, great tranquilhty 
 was spread over that sea. 
 
 Pope Urban the Fourth died, and was succeeded by Cle- 
 ment the Fourth, who, having been lately appointed to an in- 
 ferior office, as Guy, cardinal of Sabionetta, was sent by pope 
 Urban into England, to discharge the office of legate there ; 
 but he stayed near the sea, in the town which is called Bou- 
 logne, because he was not able to enter the English territories 
 on account of the open opposition of the barons, and the so- 
 phistical answers of the bishops ; and he pronounced sentence 
 of excommunication against the rebels, and then returned to 
 the court of Rome from which he had set out. He now, by 
 the influence of king Henry, was made father of fathers, and, 
 by the advice of his cardinals, he sent into England Othobo- 
 nus, cardinal deacon of Saint Adrian, who, coming into Eng- 
 land in his scarlet vestments, summoned a council, and caused 
 the mandates of the Apostolic See to be published in the 
 church of Westminster, and then, in fulfilment of his duty 
 as legate, fulminated his sentence against the adversaries of 
 the lung, and in process of time, he suspended from their 
 
 A.D. 12G5. TUE REBELS EORTIFT KENILWORTII CASTLE. 443 
 
 offices and benefices Henry, bishop of London, John, bishop 
 of Winchester, and Stephen, bishop of Chichester, who es- 
 poused the side of the adversaries of the king ; and because 
 they had recourse to the remedy of an appeal, he ordered 
 them to present themselves personally before the pope within 
 the space ot* three months; so they, coming to that court, 
 awaited the revohitions of fortune. The lord bishop of Lin- 
 coln purchased himself peace in good times, and so obtained 
 mercy and not justice. The lord Walter, bishop of Worcester, 
 being at the point of death, said that he had erred in espousing 
 the side of Simon de Montfort, and sent letters to that effect 
 to the legate, entreating the benefit of absolution, which he 
 obtained, and then he died. 
 
 In the meantime, some of the nobles, not willing to submit 
 to the sentence of confiscation of their property, occupied the 
 island of Haxholm, to which men flocked from all quarters, 
 whose feet were swift to shed blood, and whose hands were 
 prompt to plunder, devastating all the adjacent country. But 
 Edward attacking them, like an illustrious knight, discovered 
 their confederacy, and compelled them, whether willing or un- 
 willing, to return to peace, and afterwards, in London, they 
 took their corporal oath to maintain it. But, in spite of their 
 oath, they immediately went astray, for they disturbed all Eng- 
 land with great disorder. 
 
 There were few or no places in England safe, because the 
 whole country was full of night robbers. Some of the natives 
 of the district, men of low extraction, flocked to the castle of 
 Kenilworth, and fortified it all round by the means which they 
 obtained from the plunder of the inhabitants of the neighbour- 
 hood. And immediately they erected the standard of Simon 
 the younger, who was staying in France, and proclaimed him 
 lord and heir of the castle. But when the news of this reached 
 the king, he immediately sent one of his messengers to them, 
 ordering them, by his royal letters, to desist from their enter- 
 prize. But they mutilated the messenger, and sent him back 
 with a saucy answer. 
 
 In the meantime, Edward, the king's eldest son, passing 
 through Aulton wood, found a certain knight, by name Adam 
 Gordon, one of those whose property had been confiscated, 
 laying ambushes in that wood for passers-by, and suddenly 
 with his followers coming upon him, he bade him take his 
 arms and defend himself like a brave man. So he immediately 
 
 
444 
 
 MATTnEW or WESTMIXSTEI?. 
 
 A.D. 12G6. 
 
 A.D. 12G7. THE REBELS OCCUPY THE ISLE OF ELY. 
 
 445 
 
 attaclced the king's son in single combat, figliting manfully 
 with him. But at last he was wounded and yielded, and Ed- 
 ward, commending his boldness, ordered cataplasms to be 
 applied to his wounds, not thinking him his enemy, but taking 
 him with him as a friend ; but all his followers he ordered to 
 be hung on the trees of the wood. In the northern counties, 
 the earl Ferrars was wandering about with a numerous army, 
 contrary to his oath, which he had lately taken. And tiie 
 lord Henry, the eldest son of the king of Germany, was sent 
 against him, who defeated the said earl and put him in chains, 
 and brought him with him to London, acquiring for himself 
 great glory by his triumph. 
 
 Concerning the siege of the castle of Kenilworth hj the king. 
 
 A.D. 1266. Henry, king of England, celebrated the feast of 
 the Nativity at Westminster, where the nobles of the district 
 assembled together, to discuss the peace of the kingdom, ac- 
 cording to their usual custom. Therefore, an edict was issued 
 against the earl Ferrars, who, according to the conditions of 
 his obligation, was for ever deprived of his earldom, and Ed- 
 mund, the son of the king of England, was given possession 
 of two earldoms, those, namely, of Derby and of Leicester. 
 From Westminster king Henry and his warlike army proceeded 
 onwards and arrived before Kenilworth, where, without delay, 
 they laid siege to the castle, wishing, but not being able, to 
 make themselves masters of it with their forces. Their army 
 prepared for the assault, but they found very vigorous defen- 
 ders within. For the nobles perished, slaying one another 
 in mutual conflicts. Outside the castle, a great number of 
 engines were erected, and without delay the besieged erected 
 others, similar both in size and number to those of the be- 
 siegers, owing to which, it happened, that sometimes the stones 
 which were hurled from them on both sides, clashed in the 
 air. But the engines of the besieged garrison were at last 
 broken by those engines which were outside the walls, though 
 even then the defenders would not surrender the castle ; for 
 they preferred dying bravely, to giving it up on compulsion. 
 For despair had rendered them bolder, and so, by their fre- 
 quent salHes, they caused great loss to the king's army. And 
 neither the sentence of the legate, who was present, nor the 
 power of the king, could induce them to abandon their en- 
 terprize. Therefore, by the wisdom of the cardinal, with the 
 
 sanction of the king, an assemblage of the clergy and laity 
 was summoned to meet at Kenilworth. And there twelve per- 
 sons were elected from the most powerful of the nobles, and 
 the wisest of the prelates, to whom was given a power of 
 making regulations concerning the condition of those who had 
 been deprived of their property. And the persons elected took 
 an oath to make useful regulations ; and first of all, the king, 
 and after him the clergy and laity, swore inviolably to observe 
 what they should enact. Accordingly, the statutes formed at 
 Kenilworth were to the following effect, that each of those 
 persons whose property had been confiscated should be 
 mulcted in a pecuniary penalty, according to the number of 
 his offences, which fine they should pay to those who were in 
 possession of their estates, it being provided, that the fine 
 thus paid for the redemption of their inheritances should not 
 exceed seven years' purchase, and should not be less than one 
 year's purchase ; the heirs of Simon de Montfort and of Ro- 
 bert de Ferrars, earl of Derby, being alone excluded from the 
 benefit of this enactment. But if the parties were not able to 
 redeem tiieir lands, then those who were in possession of them 
 should retain them in their hands, till they had fully satisfied 
 themselves from their revenues. 
 
 In process of time, the garrison of the besieged castle of 
 Kenilworth, worn out by famine and misery, making a virtue 
 of necessity, surrendered it to the king, saving all their neces- 
 
 saries. 
 
 About this time, Charles, the brother of Louis, king of 
 France, count of Anjou and Provence, relying on the assist- 
 ance of the Father of Fathers, defeated Manfred, the son of 
 the emperor Frederic, and reduced the kingdoms of Apulia 
 and Sicily under the authority of the Roman church. After- 
 wards he was crowned king of Sicily. 
 
 The noUes wlme property teas confiscated occupy tU isle of Ely. 
 A.D. 1267. King Henry celebrated the feast of the Nativity 
 at Coventry ; and afterwards coming to Westminster, he held 
 a parliament with the most powerful persons of his country, 
 hopins; to establish peace in all the borders of England. And 
 behold ! messengers coming, bring the king news that some 
 nobles of those who had been deprived of their estates, re- 
 fusing to obey the enactment of Kenilworth, had occupied the 
 Isle of Ely with a great company, adding also that they were 
 
440 
 
 MATTHEW or WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. I'207. 
 
 A.]>. 12G-. 
 
 EDWARD SUCCOURS HIS FATHER. 
 
 ur 
 
 devastating the adjacent district. Tl.erefore the kin- settin- 
 out 0.1 his march towards Cambridge, staved tliere for somi 
 time, being content for a time to check tli'e attacks and hinder 
 t^ie escape of his enemies, who were in the aforesaid island 
 Therefore those blood-thirsty and crafty men found a passac^e 
 out towards Uanisey, and, according to tlieir custom, they plun- 
 dered all around carrying off both men and cattle. When 
 t^iey heard this, the king and his followers came secretiv to 
 
 foZ7;tu"^ ^ "'"' "T^ "^ ""^ malefactors, they slew 
 
 some with the sword, some they took prisoners, others went 
 and fled where they could ; and then, placing guards there 
 the king returned to Cambridge. °^ "=> "lert. 
 
 In the meantime, Gilbert de Clare, earl of Gloucester, came 
 to London with a large army, as if with the intention of 
 bringing aid to his sovereign, and treacherously addressed the 
 citizens 111 pacific language, and so he entered the city, and 
 mmediately occupied it as its master, sending ambassadors to 
 the legate that he should without delay surrender to him tl e 
 
 Irj^t fl '" ""'i!'"^ lie was dwelling; and in order that 
 
 he migh the sooner obtain his wish, he forbade any victuals 
 to be sold to the legate. Then the legate, like a good sliep! 
 herd, under the guidance of a Good Shepherd, coming to the 
 church of Saint Paul, in London, set forth the businels of e 
 cross m the presence of many persons. Some were prick d 
 ".their hearts, and immediately assumed the cross ; amoi^ 
 whom was Theald, archdeacon of Liege, who was hereafte? 
 destined to be pope, and who had arrived in England with the 
 legate, to whom he now bade farewell, and set out on Is 
 
 Kr f ?/'' "f "."'y ^'"''l ■' »"'» "I^o tl-t nolle ma 
 Jar? nr' r 1 : '■'"'• '^*'P'''"S "'^ ''^™'' of hi^ brother, th^ 
 T^thMU t7 V'"\°'" t° the king, and obeyed him 
 laithfully. Therefore, las sermon respecting the affairs of 
 the cross being finished, the legate, undismav'ed, directed hi 
 discourse to the earl of Gloucester, warning him o obsei^e the 
 fidelity which he owed and had promised ?o the king, aMiio- 
 that since he himself had come as a re-establisher of pelce' 
 neither liberty of go ng into or coming out from the towe'ra id 
 city of London ought to be denied, nor a free supply of pro- 
 visions. But this son of a hard heart did not FistJn to the 
 salutary admonitions of the father. 
 
 ,hlt- '^=*'^' T'"" """^ "^ "'* "<'''•«■« '•I'o were faithful to 
 the king, secretly entered the Tower of London ; and likewise 
 
 no small number of Jews, with their wives and children, en- 
 tered after the legate ; and one bailiwick of the castle was en- 
 trusted to them, which they, being placed in a strait, defended 
 with great vigour. After this, the legate published sentence 
 of excommunication generally against all the disturbers of the 
 peace of the king and kingdom, and placed under an interdict 
 all the churches of the citv of London, and all which were 
 contiguous to the city. But he ordered masses to be celebrated 
 in the houses belonging to the religious orders, though with- 
 out any sound of bells or singing, and to the exclusion of all 
 disturbers of peace. Great straits hemmed the king in on all 
 sides, and the cruelty of his adversaries, and the want of 
 money ; so having deliberated, he delivered into the hands of 
 merchants all the jewels of the church of Westminster, and the 
 golden images of the tombs, and the precious stones ; borrow- 
 ing no inconsiderable sum of money on them, which, however, 
 in times of tranquillity he restored to the above-named church. 
 Therefore the king sent for the Scots and French, who imme- 
 diately prepared to come to his assistance. 
 
 In the meantime, when some of the more powerful nobles 
 of the island were going forth with the intention of becoming 
 pirates, they were cut off by the king's army from returnnig 
 a second time to the Isle of Ely ; and accordingly they has- 
 tened towards London, doing a great deal of damage in their 
 march. Therefore, at their arrival, the earl of Gloucester be- 
 coming elated with increased pride, fiercely attacked the Tower 
 of London, which, however, he was unable to take. There- 
 fore the sons of Belial belonging to the households of the afore- 
 mentioned nobles invaded the monasteries, and placed their 
 booty in them; while others carried on their devastations 
 through the country. Therefore the people t)f the district, 
 and especially the men of Westminster, to whom continued 
 annoyance had given boldness, slew a great many of those rob- 
 bers abovementioned ; and the malefactors of the city, seeing 
 that the people resisted them on all sides, feared to issue forth. 
 
 King Henry, being an innocent man, and one who feared 
 the Lord, and was eager to terminate the wars, waited patiently 
 for his messengers, who had gone for assistance. Therefore 
 the victorious Edward, coming from Cambridge to the king 
 his father, brought with him from Scotland and from the 
 northern provinces thirty thousand soldiers ; and the king, 
 having dismissed his guards at Cambridge, came to Windsor, 
 
448 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1267. 
 
 where his army increased from day to day. The invaders of 
 London, now being alarmed, sent messengers to the king, to 
 beo- for peace, which, however, they could not obtain on the 
 conditions which they offered. So then they declared M-ar 
 against the king, assigning the plain of Ilounslow as the place 
 of battle ; to which the king marched the next day, but found 
 no one to oppose him. Therefore, supposing that his enemies 
 could not resist him, he marched with speed to Stratford, near 
 London, and stayed there some time. The malefactors of the 
 citv, being turned to rage, and wishing, as it were, to avenge 
 themselves on the king, carried off the treasures which had 
 been deposited in the church of Westminster, but, by the 
 providence of God, they spared the monks and the property 
 of the monastery. After that, they invaded the parish church 
 and the town of Westminster, and seized the fruit of the la- 
 bours of the people ; and entering the king's palaces, they 
 broke the windows and the doors, and scarcely withheld their 
 hands from the burning of the whole palace. While the 
 king was staying at Stratford, there came to him from foreign 
 parts the Counts of Boulogne and of Saint Pol, bringing with 
 them two hundred knights with their usual followers. And 
 the people of Guienne anchored near the Tower of London, 
 with many large ships, well provided with all naval experi- 
 ments, and awaited the king's command. Therefore the ad- 
 versaries of the king, seeing themselves hemmed in, and being 
 in a great strait, begged for peace from the king, and obtained 
 it, agreeing to abide in all points by the edict of Kenilworth. 
 Edward was sent as commander against the obstinate plunderers 
 in the Isle of Ely, and being moved by pity, he granted them 
 peace, though they were his enemies, on condition of obeying 
 the edict of Kenilworth. The foreign allies, having been 
 thanked and rewarded by the king, returned to their own homes, 
 and the" land of England, which had long been trembling, at 
 length found rest. 
 
 The same year, king Henry coming to Montgomery in AVales 
 with the legate, at the request of the aforesaid legate, granted 
 the district which the Welch call the Four Barriers, to Lle- 
 wellyn, prince of Wales, receiving for it thirty-two thousand 
 marks ; and so the king of England and Llewellyn, prince of 
 Wales, became friends. For before they were deadly enemies 
 to one another. 
 
 Conrad, the nephew of the emperor Frederic, came from 
 Germany into Apulia, with Henry, the brother of the kin? of 
 
 A.D.1268. VIOLENT CONDUCT OF THE EAEL OF WAREENNE. 449 
 
 Spain, at that time senator of the city, and with a Roman army. 
 And they were met by Charles, king of Apulia and Sicily, neir 
 ISaples, who, relymg on the aid of pope Clement, defeated 
 them. Afterwards, Charles obtained the sovereignty over all 
 Romagna and Tuscany, and appointed Guy de Montfort his 
 viceroy 1 his Guy, by the advice of count Aldebrand, sur- 
 named Scarlet, whose daughter he had married, inflicted many 
 injuries on the Romans and Tuscans. 
 
 About this time, too, the Greeks, * through fear of Charles 
 espoused the faith of the Roman Church, iu the time of pop; 
 Clement, which, however, they afterwards openly abandoned. 
 
 Concerning the contention between the earl of TFarrenne and 
 Ilenrtj de Lacy, earl of Lincoln. 
 
 A.D. I2G8. King Henry celebrated the Nativity of the Lord 
 at Westminster, devoting himself with much eagerness to the 
 praises of God because the Lord had established his km^^doni 
 after such perilous wars. Therefore, while the king, the'head 
 of the kmgdom had rest, the members of the kingdom began 
 to come into collision with one another. For an exceedindy 
 violent quarrel arose between John de Warrenne and Henry^de 
 
 1 InT a' ^1'\ '''\^.^ ^^r"^"' ^^ ^^^ «"^J^^^ «^ ^^^' pasture 
 land. And the two chiefs having prepared armies, madc^hem- 
 
 selves ready for battle, but feared to come to actual conflict The 
 
 king sent his justiciaries to them, in order to terminate the 
 
 aforementioned quarrel, either by judicial sentence or by re- 
 
 concihng the parties. And they, having investigated the truth 
 
 by means of the sworn testimony of the men of that district, 
 
 Hdjudged the right m the dispute to be with the aforesaid Henr^ 
 
 Fi, 7*w ^^''''''^ T\^^^ ^'^^"'^^ ^^^«^^d ^^t^een the same 
 John de Warrenne and the noble person Alan de la Suche a 
 baron^ concerning some rights and estates, and it was con- 
 ducted before the justiciaries of the king at Westminster. But 
 the earl above mentioned, expecting that he should lose his 
 cause as far as the judicial sentence went, having, as before, 
 attacked the aforesaid Alan and his son and heir with great 
 abuse rushed violently into the king's palace, leaving the father 
 half dead, and wounded the son also as he fled. And havino- 
 perpetrated this crime, he fled to the castle of Ryegate and 
 was pursued by the eldest son of the king, prince Edward 'with 
 a numerous army, who was determined to avenge the insult 
 offered to the royal dignity. So the earl being suddenly over- 
 
 
 G G 
 
450 
 
 MATTHEW or WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 12G9. 
 
 taken, and seeing that he was not ahle to resist, came on foot 
 to meet him, and implored mercy. Which the prince granted, 
 on condition of his making satisfaction for the deeds he had 
 done. So after this he satisfied the king by purging himself of 
 the crime, and by money, and he made many promises to the in- 
 jured party, though in process of time he did not give much. 
 
 That illustrious knight, prince Edward, having received the 
 cross from the legate, on behalf of both his father and him- 
 self, prepared himself to march to the Holy Land. And he 
 pledged Guienne to Louis, king of France, and sent his younger 
 son, by name Henry, to him into France as a hostage, but the 
 king of France sent him back with honours. Othobonus, the 
 legate, held a great council at St. Paul's, in London, all the 
 prelates of England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland being present 
 at it. And after that, he departed from England. At the 
 festival of the Translation of Saint Edward, at the instigation 
 of king Henry, the bishops of the realm honourably trans- 
 ferred the saint to a new coffin, which the aforesaid king had 
 ordered to be made of gold. And at the present translation 
 of this saint, Benedict, one of the secular clergy of Winchester, 
 and John, a layman, both of whom had come from Ireland, 
 being possessed by devils, recovered their former health, in 
 consequence of the merits of the king. 
 
 Pope Clement the Fourth died, about the time of the feast 
 of Saint Andrew. 
 
 Prince Edward sets out on his Expedition towards the Holy Land. 
 
 A.D. 1269. King Henry celebrated the feast of the Nativity 
 at Westminster, passing his life in the fear of the Lord, and 
 in innocence. His eldest son, Edward, a man mighty in arms, 
 and in the flower of youth and beauty, wishing to pay to God 
 the vow which he had vowed, in the month of May set out on 
 his expedition to the Holy Land, and was both followed and 
 preceded by many noble and powerful men. Louis, king of 
 France, was also bound by a similar vow, and he had preceded 
 Edward with a large army of his nation. He, wishing to be 
 enriched by the spoils of the barbarians, steered his fleet to- 
 wards the kingdom of Tunis ; and arriving there with a fair 
 wind, he found an admirably fortified city, which is called Tunis 
 by the inhabitants. To which city the Saracens of that country 
 had all fled, being amazed by the sudden appearance of the 
 numerous army of the Christians. And Edward sailed straight 
 
 ^.D. 1269. 
 
 PRINCE EDWARD LANDS AT ACRE. 
 
 451 
 
 towards Acre, and seeing the island of Sardinia at a distance 
 he put in there; when he received certain intelligence of the 
 death of Louis, king of France, and of the arrival of Charles, 
 king of Sicily. So Edward, supposing that that aged prince, 
 Charles, desired nothing but justice, because he ought not to 
 have desired any thing else, hastened to Tunis, believing that 
 there was wisdom in old men, and prudence also in time of 
 necessity. But when he arrived in that country, he found the 
 aforesaid king there with a numerous army. And Edward 
 wishing to destroy the adversaries of the cross of Christ, 
 desired to lead his followers against the city of Tunis, and to 
 storm it. But king Charles hindered him, saying that the 
 Saracens were prepared to give satisfaction, by paying the 
 tribute which had been due to him for seventeen years, ever 
 since the time of Frederic. At the beginning of this arrange- 
 ment, or rather I should say, of this betrayal of the Christian 
 jDCople, Louis, king of France, died ; whose eldest son, Philip, 
 immediately received the title of king. 
 
 Accordingly, the barbarians sent to the king of Sicily thirty- 
 two camels heavily laden with gold and silver, by which they 
 delivered themselves and their city from imminent danger. 
 After this, Charles and Edward, and the whole of the Christian 
 army, sailed towards Sicily. And when they came near the 
 harbour of the city of Tripoli, they were met by a storm, and 
 thrown into great confusion. But the king and the elders of 
 the nobles escaping danger, arrived, though with great diffi- 
 culty, in port, but the others perished in the sea, and all the 
 money of the barbarians was lost ; the vessels of Edward, 
 whose place was in the centre of the others, being saved as by 
 a miracle, for the angel of the Lord did not advance to 
 smite them, sparing them very deservedly, because he had not 
 coveted the money of the barbarians, but had only desired to 
 restore to the Christians, as far as it depended on him, the 
 land which had been bedewed with the blood of Jesus Christ. 
 And he carried into its accomplishment the object which he 
 had originally conceived ; for he recommended Henry, his 
 cousin, the eldest son of the king of Germany, to Charles, 
 king of Sicily, and to Philip, who was about to be crowned 
 king of France. And bidding farewell to every one, he, with 
 his followers, though few, landed at the city of Acre, which 
 he learnt was to be surrendered to the Saracens within four 
 days ; therefore he punished those who had corrupted the 
 
 G G 2 
 
452 
 
 MATTHEW or WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1270. 
 
 garrison of that city, and also some of the Venetians who sup- 
 plied the Saracens with arms and provisions. And so the 
 soldan of Babylon, being disappointed of his hopes, fiercely 
 attacked the city of Acre, which, however, he could not make 
 himself master of. So passing on from thence, he took De Grace 
 and Margat, two very strong castles on the sea-coast, belonging 
 to the Hospitallers. Charles, king of Sicily, sent a safe con- 
 duct to Philip, his nephew, the future king of France, as far 
 as the city of Viterbo, and another to Henry, the eldest son of 
 the king of Germany, who had been recommended to and re- 
 ceived by the aforesaid princes. But while he was present at 
 the solemnity of the mass in the church of Saint Silvester in 
 the above-named city of Viterbo, Simon and Guy, the two 
 sons of Simon de Montfort, formerly earl of Leicester, mur- 
 dered him. And the citizens of Viterbo, in memory of the 
 murdered man, had a picture of his murder painted on the 
 wall i and a certain poet beholding the painting, spoke thus : 
 
 " Henry, the illustrions oifspring of great Richard, 
 Fair AUraaine's king, was treacherously slain, 
 As well this picture shows, while home returning 
 From Tripoli, by royal favour guided ; 
 Slain in the service of the cross of Christ 
 By wicked hands. For scarcely mass was done, 
 When Leicester's offspring. Guy and Simon fierce, 
 Pierced his young heart with unrelenting swords. 
 Thus God did will ; lest if those barons fierce 
 Returned, fair England should be quite undone. 
 This happened in the sad twelve hundredth year 
 And seventieth of grace, while Charles was king, 
 And in Viterbo was this brave prince slain. 
 I pray the Queen of Heaven to take his soul again." 
 
 His bones are buried in the monastery of Hayles, in England, 
 which his father had built from the foundations ; but his 
 heart is honourably placed in a gilt cup, near the coflSn of 
 Saint Edward, in the church of Westminster. One of his 
 murderers, Simon, son of Simon de Montfort, died this year 
 in a certain castle near the city of Sienna ; who during the 
 latter part of his life being, hke Cain, accursed of the Lord, 
 was a vagabond and fugitive on the face of the earth. 
 
 Of the convalescence of King Henry ^fter an illness. 
 
 A.D. 1270. King Henry celebrated the feast of the Nativity 
 of the Lord at Winchester ; but in the ensuing Lent he was 
 
 A.D. 1271. EDWAED WOUNDED ET AN ASSASSIN. 
 
 453 
 
 attacked at Westminster with a severe fit of illness, and despair- 
 ing of recovery, he commended himself to the prayers of the 
 church. But the monks of Westminster, fearing to lose such a 
 patron, though it was a very rainy season, went in procession 
 barefoot to the New Temple in London, and celebrated a mass 
 there, for the king's sake, in honour of the blessed Virgin 
 Mary ; and as they were returning back again in the same 
 manner as that in which they had gone, news was brought to 
 them that the king had recovered from his illness ; for he had 
 desired his friends to enjoin the monks to chaunt *' They re- 
 joice in heaven," saying that he was now convalescent, in con- 
 sequence of the prayers of the monks. 
 
 This year, tlie Irish rose in insurrection against the En- 
 ghsh, slaying a great number of them, and plundering others 
 of their property. Edward marched out of Acre with a great 
 army, and passing through Nazareth, he took the castles of 
 Cako and Caiphas, and slew all the Saracens whom he found 
 in them. But he speedily returned, fearing danger from false 
 brethren. 
 
 The same year, Boniface, archbishop of Canterbury, died on 
 the first of August, and was succeeded by Robert de Kilwarby. 
 
 How Edward was wotinded hj an assassin. 
 
 A.D. 1271. King Edward celebrated the Nativity of the 
 Lord at Westminster. 
 
 His eldest son, prince Edward, was wounded with a poisoned 
 dagger in the city of Acre, by a certain assassin sent for that 
 purpose by the soldan of Babylon, in the disguise of a mes- 
 senger. But, wresting the dagger from the hands of the as- 
 sassin, he slew him in a moment ; for the kindness of the 
 Saviour did not allow his soldier to perish ; and in process of 
 time he was cured of his deadly wounds. Some nobles of 
 Ireland, and especially one great noble, Thomas de Clare, who 
 brought with him four Saracen prisoners, returned from the 
 Holy Land to England. 
 
 This year, the citizens of Norwich, at the instigation of the 
 devil, burnt their cathedral church out of hatred to the monks. 
 But king Henry, witli the chief counsellors of his realm, im- 
 mediately went to that city, and dragged forth the incen- 
 diaries, hanging and burning them by formal judicial sen- 
 tence, and ordering the chattels of those who fled to be con- 
 fiscated to the royal treasury. 
 
 i' 
 
454 
 
 MATTHEW OF W£STMINST£ii. 
 
 A.D. 1272. 
 
 ii 
 
 Richard, king of Germany, and brother of the king of Eng- 
 land, died in the month of February, and was buried in the 
 monastery of Hayles, of which lie was the patron and founder. 
 
 Of the death of king Henry tJie Third, 
 
 A.D. 1272. That devout worshipper of God, the illustrious 
 king of England, Henry the Third, son of king John, departed 
 this life on the sixteenth of November, after he had reigned 
 fifty-six years and twenty days, and in the sixty-fifth year of 
 his age. And on the twentieth day of the same month, on 
 the day, that is, of the glorious king and martyr, Edmund, he 
 was worthily buried in front of the great altar in the church 
 of Westminster, which he had caused to be renewed at his 
 own expense, against the wishes of the Templars, who claimed 
 the king's body as belonging to them. How great was this 
 king's innocence, how great his patience, how great his devo- 
 tion to the service of his Saviour, the Lord knows, and they, 
 too, who faithfully adhered to him. And moreover, how great 
 his deserts in this life were in the eyes of God, is abundantly 
 testified by the miracles which happened after his death. 
 
 Accordingly, when the king had been buried as it is the 
 custom for kings to be buried, Gilbert, earl of Gloucester, and 
 John, earl of Warrenne, and all the clergy and laity, proceeded 
 without delay to the great altar of the church aforesaid, and 
 there swore fealty to Edward, the eldest son of the late king, 
 though they were wholly ignorant whether he was alive, for 
 he was in distant countries beyond the sea, warring against 
 the adversaries of Christ. And after this, the nobles of the 
 kingdom assembled in like manner at the New Temple of 
 London. And having had a new seal made, they appointed 
 faithful ministers and guardians to protect faithfully the trea- 
 sure of the king and the peace of the kingdom. And in this 
 way the peace of the new king Edward was proclaimed 
 throughout all the territories of the kingdom. 
 
 This year the burning* of the church of Norwich took place. 
 
 The same year, WilUam de Brunham resigned the priory of 
 Norwich, and was succeeded by William de Kirkby. 
 
 ^ I need hardly remark that our chronicler has already said that it 
 happened in the preceding year. This is not the only instance of such 
 repetitions. I have already remarked, that he appears to begin the year 
 at Advent, rather than the following Janiuury 
 
 A.D. 1272. 
 
 THEOBALD ELECTED POPE. 
 
 45.5 
 
 King Henry left behind him both sons and daughters, 
 namely, Edward, Margaret, Edmund, Beatrice, and Catharine. 
 
 The Irish having encountered the English in a pitched 
 battle, were put to flight and slain. Edmund, son of the late 
 king, and younger than prince Edward, returning from the 
 Holy Land, was received by the English with great honour. 
 
 After the death of pope Clement, the Apostolic See was 
 vacant for two years and ten months. Therefore, the car- 
 dinals assembled together, and unanimously elected the lord 
 Theobald, archdeacon of Liege, who was at the time in the 
 countries beyond the sea with Edward. And he, having 
 heard the news of his election, hastened to the court, and was 
 invested with the dignity of supreme pontiff. On him the 
 following verses were composed : — 
 
 *' An archdeacon beyond all hope 
 Is now suddenly made pope, 
 Through tiie quarrels of the brothers 
 Being set above the others." 
 
 He, at his first entrance on his office, sent general letters to 
 all the nations of Christendom, about the assembhng a coun- 
 cil on the first of May, in the year of grace twelve hundred 
 and seventy-two, on which account it was said of him — 
 
 " Gregory assembles all the world again " 
 
 This year, when Edward had been a long time waiting in 
 Acre for aid from the Christians and the Tartars, because he 
 had formed the design of overwhelming the Saracens with a 
 mighty force, seeing that he was deceived by both parties, 
 because the Christians had returned to their own land, and 
 because the Tartars, who are also called Moallians, were pe- 
 rishing under domestic tyranny ; he dismissed all his mer- 
 cenary forces at Acre, and crossed the sea, and landed in the 
 kingdom of Sicily ; where he was met with honour by king 
 Charles, who conducted him to Civite Vecchia, where the 
 Roman court was residing, and where Edward related to pope 
 Gregory, who was now become his lord, from having lately 
 been his friend, all the perils of the Holy Land. After which 
 he requested him to condemn by his formal sentence the 
 count Aldebrand, surnamed le Rus, and Guy de Montfort, who, 
 with their wicked swords, had murdered Henry, the eldest son 
 of the king of Germany, and his own kinsman, at Viterbo. 
 So the pope immediately sent for them. The comte le Rus 
 
 
i 
 
 456 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1272. 
 
 cleared himself from the charge ; hut the lord the pope con- 
 demned with an everlasting anathema Guy de Montfort, both 
 for his contumacy and also for his crime, and by judicial sen- 
 tence pronounced him guilty of sacrilege, homicide, assassina- 
 tion, and lese majeste, and infamous, so that he could neither 
 make a will, nor give evidence, nor be made governor, or com- 
 mander, or magistrate of any city. And he also pronounced 
 him sequestrated and disinherited of all offices, dignities, and 
 civil or public ministrations to the fourth generation, which 
 decree he commanded to be inviolably observed by all men, 
 until the said Guy should come to the Roman court, and 
 submit himself in all things to the pope's will. Moreover, 
 he laid under the ban of excommunication all those who 
 knowingly received him ; and he placed their estates under 
 an interdict (with the single exception of the women), for- 
 bidding both the reception of penance in the case of the dying, 
 and the baptism of infants. 
 
 After these events, Edward quitted the court of Rome, and 
 on his progress homewards the commonalty of the cities of 
 Tuscany and Italy came forth to meet him with great joy, 
 and in the processions of trumpets, all crying out with one 
 voice, ** Long hve king Edward!" The people of Milan 
 brought him presents, carefully selected horses covered with 
 housings of scarlet, which he accepted against his will, in con- 
 sequence of their importunities. Having passed through Italy 
 he came to Burgundy, where he subdued and delivered over, 
 in spite of his resistance, a certain noble, whose sole occupa- 
 tion was plunder and rapine, with his castle of great strength, 
 to the count of Savoy. For previously this noble had no 
 superior lord, and therefore he the more freely plundered the 
 passers-by, because there was no one to check his excesses 
 and delinquencies. Here Edward was met by many bishops, 
 and abbots, and earls, and barons, who came from England to 
 receive Edward their lord in his descent from the Burgundian 
 hills, blessing the Lord for having made his journey prosperous. 
 Therefore the French, a nation always apt to feel irritation and 
 to indulge in boasting, whose pride will some day lead to their 
 destruction, seeing so great a multitude coming to meet king 
 Edward, proclaimed a tournament, at Chalons, in Burgundy. 
 And on the day appointed, the ranks having been duly mar- 
 shalled, the Enghsh fought with the French. But the brave 
 band of the French was at last completely routed, and Edward 
 
 AD. 1272. THE POPE TAXES THE SECULAR CLEKOY. 4.' 7 
 
 and his earls and barons retired with great glory, Edward 
 himself having gained the chief renown. At this tournament 
 there was also a vigorous conflict between the infantry ; for 
 the English, being roused by the stimulus of indignation, slew 
 many of the French, and as they were persons of low degree, 
 very little notice was taken of their death : for they were 
 people on foot, unarmed, thinking only of plunder. 
 
 Edward then, passing onwards from Burgundy, entered 
 France, and was joyfully received by Philip, king of France, 
 his own kinsman ; for the two princes, Philip, king of France, 
 and Edward, were the sons of two sisters, and, therefore, they 
 had an especial affection for one another. And after they had 
 been refreshed by mutual entertainments, Edward, with great 
 earnestness, demanded of the king of France those territories 
 which belonged to him by hereditary right, saying that he was 
 ready to do every thing that was proper in respect of them. 
 Therefore, the king of France granted what was asked of him, 
 and Edward did homage in the following form of words : — 
 ** My lord and king, I do you homage for all the territories 
 which I ought to hold of you.'* And some received this pro- 
 testation as if he were speaking of Normandy. 
 
 After these events, having bidden farewell to the king and 
 peers of France, he proceeded to Aquitaine ; and when he 
 arrived in that province, he received homage and due service 
 from his subjects, chastising and terrifying all whom he found 
 opposing him. In the meantime, some persons in England, 
 kindhng with envy and rage, thirsting for money which did 
 not belong to them, and prophesying of their own hearts, 
 affirmed that Edward would never return to England. These 
 men, wishing to make sure of future events, collected in the 
 northern provinces three hundred armed men, without count- 
 ing infantry and light-armed cavalry ; but they were pursued 
 by some noble and powerful knights, namely, Edmund, bro- 
 ther of king Edward, and Roger de Mortimer, with a large 
 company of armed men. And when the confederate rebels 
 heard this, their league was dissolved, and they returned to 
 their own homes, without attempting any further achievement. 
 In these days, one of the secular clergy, by name Raymond, 
 a native of Guienne, was sent into England by the supreme 
 pontiflf ; and he was invested with power to compel all eccle- 
 siastical persons, for two years, to pay a tax of a tenth of all 
 their temporal and spiritual revenues to Edward and Edmund, 
 
 ■1 i 
 
458 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1274. 
 
 the sons of the king of England. And he gave a part of the 
 money which he had collected to the nobles above mentioned, 
 but retained no small portion himself for his own expenses, 
 and reserved the greatest portion of all to be at the disposal 
 of the pope. 
 
 Ch. XXI.— Feom A.D. 12/3 TO A.D. 1283. 
 
 A general council is held at Lyons — The pope praises kiny 
 Edward^ who is on his way to England — Letters are received 
 by the pope from the emperor PalceoLoyus — The Greeks re- 
 unite to the Latin church — Edward arrives in England — Is 
 crowned — Summons Llewellyn, prince of Wales, to attend 
 him at Westminster — Invades Wales — The Tartars overrun 
 the Holy Land — Llewellyn is killed in battle — The massacre 
 of the Sicilian vespers — David, brother ofLlewellynf is killed, 
 and Wales eiitirely conquered and united to England. 
 
 Of the escape of Gaston de Bierne. 
 
 A.D. 1273. Edward was tarrying in the district of Guienne, 
 where he found a noble named Gaston de Bierne, his own kins- 
 man, whom he thought a most faithful friend to him, a most 
 subtle traitor ; so he took him prisoner, and then guarded him 
 with more honour than he deserved ; and so he, riding one 
 day with his keepers for the sake of exercise, mounted a 
 destrier horse, which he had cunningly procured, and fled 
 away, finding a multitude of his armed followers at no great 
 distance. Edward immediately pursued the I'ugitive, and took 
 his castle, but not himself. The countess of the Lemoisin, 
 too, resisted Edward, refusing him the homage and other ser- 
 vices to which he was entitled. This year, about the time of 
 the feast of Saint Michael, Henry de Sandwich, bishop of 
 London, died, and was succeeded by John de Chishulle, dean 
 of Saint Paul's. 
 
 Concerning the council of Lyons under pope Gregory the Tenth. 
 
 A.D. 1274. On the first of May, a great council was held 
 at Lyons, under pope Gregory the Tenth, which lasted from 
 the day before mentioned to the seventeenth of July. At this 
 council the lord the pope commended Edward to all there pre- 
 sent, saying that the Holy Land would have been utterly lost 
 if he had not speedily gone to its assistance. In this council 
 the pope enacted that, for the seven years next following, a 
 
 A.D. 1274. THE LETTER OF PALiEOLOGUS. 459 
 
 tenth of all ecclesiastical revenues should be paid for the as- 
 sistance of the Holy Land. Likewise, at this council, there 
 was great joy, because of the conversion of the Greeks after 
 their schism ; for some Greeks arrived at the council, bring- 
 ing with them from Greece letters sealed with the golden bufl, 
 and also letters from the prelates, the tenor of which was jis 
 follows : — 
 
 The Letter of Palax)logu8, emperor of the Greeks. 
 
 "To the most holy and blessed father, and supreme pontiff 
 of the Apostolic See, the universal pope, the common prince 
 of all Christians, the venerable father of our empire, the lord 
 Gregory, Michael, the faithful worshipper of Christ the God, 
 king, and emperor, and ruler of the Greeks, duke, whose name 
 IS also Angelus, and Commenus, and Palseologus, the spiritual 
 son of your great holiness, sends all becoming honour and 
 reverence, with sincere and pure affection, and all earnest sup- 
 plication. Since ambassadors have been sent by your great 
 lioliness to our imperial power, men who pleased God, being 
 of the order of Minor Brothers, by name brother Jerome de 
 Osculo, brother Raymond de Beranger, brother Baona Grazia 
 of Saint John de Persecetum, and brother Buonaventura de 
 Mugellum, and have brought letters from your great holiness 
 to our imperial power, in which, among other things, was con- 
 tained the confession of faith which the holy Roman church 
 teaches, and preaches, and confesses, as it seemed right that 
 a proper reply should be regularly made touching this impor- 
 tant point, behold our imperial majesty makes this reply, and 
 our confession of faith is literally as follows ; — 
 
 " We believe in the Holy Trinity, the Father, the Son, and 
 the Holy Ghost, the Almighty God, and the whole Deity in the 
 Trinity, of the same nature, co-eternal and co-omnipotent, of 
 one will, power, and majesty ; the Creator of all creatures, 
 from whom are all things, in whom are all things, and by 
 whom all things which are in heaven and in earth, visible and 
 invisible, corporeal and spiritual, do exist. We believe in each 
 separate person in this Trinity, making up one true, full, and 
 perfect God. We believe that the Word of God was from all 
 eternity born of the Holy Spirit and of Mary, always a virgin, 
 with a rational soul, having two births, one a birth from ever- 
 lasting, as touching his Father, the other a birth in time, as 
 touching his mother ; real God and real man ; of a proper 
 
^ 
 
 460 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 1274. 
 
 nature in each, quite perfect, not adopted, nor formed by 
 fancy ; but the one and only Son of God, having in two na- 
 tures (that is to say, divine and human) a unity of one per- 
 son, not subject to passions, and also immortal as to his 
 divinity ; but in his humanity suffering for us and for our 
 salvation by the true sufferings of flesh ; who died and was 
 buried, and descended into hell, and the third day rose again 
 from the dead by the true resurrection of the flesh ; and on 
 the fortieth day after his resurrection, he, with the same flesh 
 with which he had risen again, and with his soul, ascended into 
 heaven, and sits there at the right hand of God ; from whence 
 he shall come to judge the quick and the dead, and to render 
 to every one according to his works, whether they have been 
 good or evil. Also, we believe in the Holy Ghost, full, and 
 perfect, and true God, proceeding from the Father and the 
 Son, of one equality, substance, omnipotence, and eternity in 
 all respects with the Father and the Son. We beheve in this 
 Holy Trinity, and that it is not three Gods but one God, om- 
 nipotent, eternal, invisible, unchangeable. We believe also 
 that the Holy Apostolic Catholic Church is the only true Church, 
 in which alone holy baptism is given, and the true remission 
 of all sins. We also believe in the true resurrection of the 
 flesh which we now bear, and in life eternal. We also beheve 
 that there is one sole author of the New and Old Testament, 
 of the law and the prophets, and of the writings of the 
 Apostles, God Almighty. This is the true catholic faith, and 
 the holy Roman church teaches this in all the above-mentioned 
 articles, and preaches this ; but with reference to divers errors 
 introduced by some persons out of ignorance, and by others 
 out of wickedness, it says and preaches that those who, after 
 baptism, fall into error, are not to be baptized again, but can 
 obtain pardon of their sins by true penitence. And if being 
 truly penitent they die in charity, before they have brought 
 forth fruit meet for repentance of their sins, then we believe 
 that their souls, escaping from the pains of purgatory or tor- 
 ment, as brother John has explained to us, are cleansed after 
 death ; and that to the relief of pains of this kind, the suf- 
 frages of living men assist them, such as the sacrifice of the 
 mass, prayers, alms, and other works of piety, which are fre- 
 quently performed by faithful believers for others of the faith- 
 ful, according to the institutions of the church. And we be- 
 lieve that the souls of those persons who, after having received 
 
 A.D. 1274. 
 
 THE LETTER OF PAL^OLOGrS. 
 
 461 
 
 sacred baptism, have incurred no stain of sin whatever, and 
 of those also, who, after having contracted a stain of sin, 
 whether remaining in their bodies or out of them, have been 
 cleansed, as has been said above, are immediately received into 
 heaven ; but that the souls of those who die in mortal sin, or 
 even in original sin alone, immediately descend into hell, where, 
 however, they are visited with different degrees of punishment. 
 These things the holy Roman church firmly believes and as- 
 serts ; and also asserts that it is equally certain that, on the 
 day of judgment, all men will stand before the tribunal of 
 Christ with their bodies, to give an account of their works. 
 
 " Also the same holy Roman church holds and teaches that 
 there are seven ecclesiastical sacraments : First, baptism, which 
 has been mentioned above. Secondly, the sacrament of con- 
 firmation, which bishops confer by the imposition of hands, 
 anointing the regenerate. Thirdly, penance. Fourthly, the 
 eucharist. Fifthly, the sacrament of orders. Sixthly, matri- 
 mony. And lastly, extreme unction, which, according to the 
 teaching of the blessed James, is applied to the sick. The 
 holy Roman church makes the sacrament of the eucharist of 
 nnleavened bread, holding and teaching that in that sacrament 
 the bread is truly transubstantiated into the body, and the 
 wnne into the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. Concerning 
 marriage, it holds that one man is not permitted to have more 
 wives than one at the same time, and that one woman is not 
 allowed to have more husbands than one. But when a lawful 
 marriage is dissolved by the death of either party, then it al- 
 lows that a second and a third marriage may successively be 
 lawful, if there is no canonical impediment for any other 
 reason. 
 
 ** Also the holy Roman church is possessed of the supreme 
 and plenary primacy over the universal catholic church, which 
 she vivaciously and humbly acknowledges that she received 
 with absolute power from the Lord himself, in the person of 
 the blessed Peter, the prince or head of the Apostles, of whom 
 the Roman pontiff is the successor. And as the Roman church 
 is, above all other things, bound to uphold the truth of the 
 faith, so also, whatever questions arise concerning the faith, 
 ought to be settled by its judgment. To this church every 
 one who is aggrieved in any matter which relates to the eccle- 
 siastical courts can appeal ; and in all causes which have re- 
 ference to any ecclesiastical enquiry, recourse may be had to 
 
462 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1274. 
 
 its judgment ; and all churches are subject to it, and their 
 prelates give it obedience and respect. And the aforesaid 
 Roman church has all fulness of power in such a manner, 
 that it has conferred on other churches, and especially on the 
 patriarchal churches, different powers, as far as is not incon- 
 sistent with its own prerogative. These things have been 
 done, some in general councils, and some in other councils ; 
 and always saving the undermentioned truth of the faith, as 
 is fully read and faithfully expounded, we do recognize, accept, 
 and with heart and mouth profess the true, holy, cathoUc, 
 and orthodox faith, because the holy Roman church holds, 
 preaches, and teaches it, intending inviolably to observe the 
 same confession ; and has promised to persevere in it to all 
 times, and never at any time to depart from it in any respect, 
 or to deviate from or differ from it. 
 
 "Moreover, we, coming to spontaneous obedience to the afore- 
 said church, as is fully set forth in the above statement, we do 
 confess, and recognize, and accept, and of our own accord 
 receive the primacy of that holy Roman church ; professing, 
 and determining, and binding ourselves, and promising to 
 keep all that we have said above, as has been already stated. 
 And we entreat your great holiness that our Greek church 
 may repeat the holy creed from this day forward, as it formerly 
 used to do before this schism, in order that we may remain in 
 these observances which we used to adopt before that schism ; 
 which observances are neither contrary to the cathoUc faith 
 before mentioned, nor to the divine precepts, nor to the doc- 
 trine of the Old and New Testament, nor to the holy council 
 of those universal fathers, who have been approved by those 
 saints who are celebrated by the spiritual powers of the holy 
 Roman church. This, therefore, will not be grievous to your 
 great hoUness, nor strange ; and it is at present not difficult 
 to us, on account of the infinite number of our people. And 
 we have entrusted to these present ambassadors from our im- 
 perial majesty, to make confession of all these matters, as 
 mentioned in these present letters of our imperial majesty ; 
 and to appear in the place of our imperial majesty before your 
 great holiness. And by the grace of God we have signed 
 these present letters of our recognition, acceptance, and con- 
 fession, with our own hands, and with our imperial subscrip- 
 tion : and we have caused the seal of our empire to be affixed 
 below." 
 
 A.D. 1274. LETTEE3 OP THE PRELATES OF GREECE. 
 
 463 
 
 The letters of the prelates of Greece. 
 
 cc 
 
 To the most holy, most reverend, and most blessed pope, 
 the ancient lord of the Romans, Gregory the Great, pontiff of 
 the most excellent Apostolic See, and most venerable lord and 
 father of our human race : We, who complete the ranks of 
 ecclesiastical ordination, greet your Roman most holy church 
 with wishes of health, and the affection of spiritual subjection ; 
 being the metropolitan of Ephesus, the pre-eminently honoured 
 exarch of all Asia, with the holy synod here present around 
 me ; and also the metropolitan of Intracheia, and the prelate 
 of that honoured people, with the holy synod that is around 
 me ; and the most especially honoured metropolitan of Chal- 
 cedon, with the holy synod that is around me ; and the me- 
 tropolitan of Tyona.with the holy synod that is around me ; and 
 the metropolitan bishop of Conconium, with these bishops 
 who are around me ; the pre-eminently honoured metropolitan 
 bishop of Lepanto, with the holy synod that is around me ; the 
 pre-eminently honoured bishop of Aracha of Pontus, with the 
 bishops who are around me ; the metropolitan bishop of Con- 
 conium, with the bishops who are around me ; the metropolitan 
 of Caria, with the holy synod that is around me ; the pre- 
 eminently honoured metropolitan of Berheria, with the holy 
 synod that is around me ; the metropolitan of Athens, and the 
 locum tenens of Philippopolis, with the bishops that are around 
 me ; the pre-eminently honoured metropolitan and exarch of 
 the island of Kiddiadan, with these bishops who are around me ; 
 the metropolitan of the Philippians, with these bishops who 
 are around me ; the metropolitan of Sinnica, with these bishops 
 who are around me ; the metropolitan of Serra,' with that holy 
 synod that is around me ; the metropolitan of Ananstidae ; the 
 metropolitan of Alania ; the metropolitan of Prisca ; the me- 
 tropolitan of Meditse ; the metropohtan of Anidus ; the me- 
 tropolitan of Christianopolis ; the metropolitan of Silibria ; the 
 metropolitan of Mestbris ; Aprometus, metropolitan of Akin- 
 nium ; the metropolitan of Parium ; the metropolitan of Dedi- 
 maticum ; the metropohtan of Anastasipolis ; the archbishop 
 of Bisia ; the archbishop of Bipsella ; the archbishop of Ga- 
 tilleris ; the archbishop of Derkis ; the archbishop of Praeco ; 
 the archbishop of Lopodium ; the archbishop of Pergamus ; 
 the archbishop of Melemerbum ; the archbishop of Besia. 
 * This name is evidently a misprint in the original text. 
 
!1 
 
 ft 
 
 404 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEE. 
 
 A. P. 1271. 
 
 And with us pontiflfs, and with the whole synod, there are 
 also joined the most honourable archdeacon Seversibilis, with 
 the whole of his venerable clergy ; and with them also 
 are those who complete the whole body attached to the great 
 and most holy church of God : namely, the great steward ; 
 the great justice ; the logotheti ; the contrician ; the referen- 
 dary ; he who presides over the tribunals ; the magistrate who 
 presides over the secret courts ; the overseer of the sacrifices 
 and apostolic gifts ; tlie principal of the patriarchal notaries ; 
 the chief of the churches ; the inspector of petitions ; the 
 chief remembrancer ; the doorkeepers ; the patriarchal no- 
 taries ; the chief swordbearers ; with the whole presbytery of 
 the ecclesiastical archdeaconry, and all the domestic officers, 
 and all the psalmists and readers. Not only now, but formerly, 
 have we made a great division in the integrity of your most 
 blessed and most holy church, and have utterly wounded the 
 unity of the churches of Christ. 
 
 "How is it that we, who belong to one shepherd, are not col- 
 lected into one and inside of one sheepfold ? and that we do 
 not fulfil one of the commandments of Christ ? But rather 
 choose those things which belong to discord ; and losing the 
 ])lessing of peace, seek not to find that which was declared to 
 us out of a good zeal ? But there was no one to unite us to- 
 gether, or to blow, as it were, into one blast, the unanimity of 
 every one. And our holy emperor, crowned by God, accord- 
 ing to the win of Christ, remarking this, and pondering on 
 it with himself, as was right for him to do, by the grace of 
 God entrusted this part of the business to some very hon- 
 ourable persons. First of all, he laboured in his own mind 
 how he might act so as not to incline to laxity, till he had 
 united the schism which was dividing the church in perfect 
 unity again. Secondly, he failed not to communicate with us, 
 as indeed he was always desirous to do, showing what designs 
 he cherished in his mind. But when the venerable ambassa- 
 dors of your holiness brought and presented to him your 
 apostolical letters, then he devoted himself wholly with the 
 more earnestness to further that union of longing souls which 
 your blessedness desires ; and passing over all that might be 
 foreign to the purpose, and considering his own affairs as mat- 
 ters of secondary consideration, he proposed those things 
 which are in unison with your injunctions, and with his own 
 anxious ^vdshes and arrangements. Therefore, he convoked 
 
 A.D. 1274. LETTERS OF THE PRELATES OF GREECE. 46.> 
 
 into his own presence, the whole of the pontifical college, and 
 afterwards other persons too, who mainly adhere to spiritual 
 notions, and who are constantly exercising themselves in eccle- 
 siastical studies ; men, with respect to whom it is a matter of 
 notoriety how great their nightly and daily labours are. And 
 he presses the matter on, as if he were utterly sleepless, in- 
 asmuch as he has been constantly practising himself, and al- 
 ways occupied in the work which he had undertaken, till he 
 brought over the opinions of many to one and the same way, 
 having been wrought upon by long and sometimes improper 
 discourses, if we must needs lay the whole process before your 
 liighness. Nevertheless, some of us immediately met, and em- 
 braced those things which are of peace ; but some appeared 
 more obstinate, showing in their minds an adherence to old 
 fashions, and others opposing his propositions, as what were 
 imposed on them under compulsion. But at last, the diligence 
 of the emperor, crowned by God, prevailed ; and he has us 
 now all unanimous in one union, by which unanimity we 
 agree to assign the primacy to the ancient Apostolic See of 
 Rome, which has been attributed to it from the most ancient 
 times. And in this the grace of God has co-operated with 
 liim ; 80 that your apostolical highness has the opinion of 
 our hohness acknowledging it, as we at once communicated to 
 our magnificent emperor in a formal expression of opinion, 
 which he listened to, and cheerfully approved of, and which 
 we accept ; and we briefly indite this present letter, and trans- 
 mit it to the conspicuous excellency of your highness. 
 
 " Know ye, therefore, that we do will that the entire fulness 
 of the Pontifical See, with all the venerable clergy, and with 
 all officers, priests, deacons, and readers of the holy church 
 of God, shall have assembled together, to attribute, without 
 hesitation, all that honour to your holiness and to the Apos- 
 tolic See which of right belongs to it, and pledging ourselves 
 never to speak of any one else as the first and supreme pontiff 
 of all the churches. But we have recognized the ancient ap- 
 pointment of mutual ambassadors, which our fathers have al- 
 ways respected from most ancient times, to this present age. 
 On which account, we addressed our entreaties to our own 
 patriarch, and subsequently to all the others as many as met 
 together, begging them to unite in one mind, and to estaWish 
 unanimity in the see. But he maintained, with great ear- 
 nestness, that he sought to be acknowledged as the first per- 
 
 VOL. II. H H 
 
 I 
 
ij 
 
 466 
 
 MATTUEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1271. 
 
 son, and afterwards, as he plainly shows, he wdl not depart 
 from that claim, nor has he been the least changed from this 
 first opinion which he still holds. On which account, we pre- 
 lates have often reproved him, but up to this present time he 
 has not at all agreed with us. But we, and in conjunction 
 with us, the most mighty emperor, enjoined him to yield up 
 his patriarchal position, allowing all thmgs belonging to the 
 monasteries which are at Constantinople to remain m their ex- 
 isting state of unsettledness, till ambassadors could go to your 
 hohness and hear your reply, and till you, if it should seem 
 good to your highness, should send back certain ambassadors 
 with our ambassadors when they returned. 
 
 " And we, if we obtain this end of ours, in the meantime, meet- 
 ing and agreeing together, will draw in our patriarch, so that 
 if itshall happc^n that he abandons his existing disposition ot 
 mind, and inchnes to us, and wins us over to regard him 
 with favour, granting that, in times P«/t, pre-eminent honour 
 has been attributed to the throne of the Apostolic See we 
 may then have him for our pontiff spintually, as we have 
 hitherto had him for our president. But if he remains obsti- 
 nately in his present opinion, then it will be absolutely neces- 
 sary to depose him, and to deprive him of his patriarchal and 
 princely authority. And then we will appoint and promote 
 some one else, who shall be disposed to be of the same mind 
 as ourselves, and to allow all proper precedence to the su- 
 premacy of your holiness. , , ^ , • i. - 
 
 - This, therefore, O Lord, honoured by God is what we pro- 
 pose, we, whom, being the chief pontiffs of the patriarchal 
 diocese of Constantinople, you have united to yourselt by this 
 our writing, in conjunction ^ith all the venerable clergy around 
 us ; so that if only your highness admits those things which 
 belong to the embassy, there is no reason why time should be 
 wasted ; and we at once do incline to and in fact do submi 
 to your great highness, and we very cheerfully assert all such 
 statements as belong to entire spiritual subjection, and we 
 deny none of those things which before the schism our fathers 
 used to allow to those who ruled the Apostolic See, but we 
 also ourselves do at once allow the same. And our ambassa- 
 dors will seal other documents, and will notify them to your 
 
 glorious holiness. , 
 
 " Finally, as in spiritual things our most mighty eniperor, and 
 we the college of pontiffs, have given charge to the bishops, as 
 
 A.D. I2"4. 
 
 DEATH OF THOMAS AQUINAS. 
 
 467 
 
 the others have also spiritually received command from the 
 imperial magnificence, that, in respect of all matters which 
 refer to the government of a secular principality, they will open 
 such affairs to your holiness on the part of oiir God-crowned 
 emperor. But we trust that God, the author of peace, under 
 the influence of his paternal clemency will cover the universe 
 with it, and will cheerfully receive us and our magistrates, who 
 are in a proper frame of mind ; and who invoke your friendship 
 and fatherly protection. I, the ambassador, having (as is shown 
 by the injunctions written below) a sufficient statement of the 
 truth of the faith here written, as it has been carefully read and 
 faithfully expounded by me, do recognise the sacrament of the 
 Greeks as the true holy cathoHc faith, in the name of God 
 and our Lord, and I confess it with heart and mouth, promis- 
 ing to maintain it inviolably as the Holy Roman Church faith- 
 fully holds, teaches, and preaches it ; and to persevere in it 
 for ever, and never at any time to abandon it, or in any respect 
 to deviate or differ from it. 
 
 " I also confess, recognise, accept, and voluntarily receive the 
 primacy of the Holy Roman Church, as is set forth in what has 
 been stated above, coming of my own accord to obedience to that 
 same Church. And I hereby, taking my corporal oath, do promise 
 and confirm all that has been said above, both respecting the 
 truth of the faith, and the primacy of the said Church of Rome, 
 and the recognition of the bishops, promising to accept, re- 
 ceive, observe, and persevere in it : So help me God, and these 
 his sacred gospels. Signed by the scrivener, the sacristan, 
 the keeper of the archives, the great keeper of the taliernacle 
 of that most Holy Church which belongs to the Patriarchate 
 in Constantinople, and John the reader." 
 
 The Greeks also brought other letters to the council, which, 
 by reason of their prolixity, we have not inserted. 
 
 Also after the Greeks there arrived sixteen Tartars, who are 
 also called Moallians, with letters from their king ; displaying 
 in pompous language, before the council, the power of the 
 MoaUians. These men did not come for the sake of the faith, 
 but with the view of forming a confederacy with the Christians. 
 And the pope received them kindly, and loaded them with 
 presents and honours, and at their request caused those of them 
 who had not been baptized to be baptized with honour. On 
 his journey towards this council of Lyons, the venerable brother 
 Thomas Aquinas, one of the order of Preachers, ended his 
 
 "1^ 
 
; 
 
 468 
 
 M.VTTHEW OF WESTMIKSTEB. 
 
 A.D. 1275. 
 
 days in a certain abbey, belonging to the Cistercian monks, 
 wliich is called New Fosse. He was a native of Champagne, 
 the son of the count of Aquinum, and he entered the order 
 of Preaching Brothers against the wishes of his parents, who 
 wished him to become a monk. 
 
 Therefore Edward, having by some means or other reduced 
 all his enemies in Guienne to peace, hastened to England, after 
 the dissolution of the council. For he was waiting for the 
 arrival of those of his prelates who were at the council, be- 
 cause in their absence he could not be crowned. Therefore, 
 coming into the district of Boulogne on the sea coast, he made 
 an agreement with the countess of Flanders, who had done the 
 Enshsh much harm, for the sake of the money which the queen 
 of England, her mother, owed her. And having thus brought 
 all his affairs in foreign countries to a successful termination, 
 he crossed the sea on the twenty-fifth of July, in the year of 
 our Lord above mentioned, and landed in England, and was re- 
 ceived very honourably by Gilbert, earl of Gloucester, and John, 
 earl of Warrenne, who were conspicuous beyond all the other 
 nobles of their country, and who entertained him at a vast 
 expense with banquets and great joy for many days, in their 
 castles of Tonbridge and Reigate. 
 
 The coronation of king Edward, son of Henri/ the Third. 
 Therefore in the year above mentioned, Edward was crowned 
 king, and Eleanor, sister of the king of Spain, was crowned 
 queen, in the church of Westminster, by Robert, archbishop 
 of Canterbury, on the nineteenth of August. And there were 
 present at this coronation, Alexander, king of Scotland, and 
 John, count of Brittany, with their wives, who were the sisters 
 of king Edward, and who both died a short time afterwards, 
 aud by their deaths left a deep sorrow to the nobles after the 
 great joy of the coronation ; for they were ladies in the flower 
 of youth, of high character and distinguished beauty. On the 
 vigil of Saint Nicholas, there were earthquakes, thunder and 
 lightning, the fiery dragon, and a comet. John de ChishuUe, 
 a deacon of Saint Paul's, was consecrated bishop of London 
 on the twenty-ninth of April, and immediately afterwards was 
 summoned to the council that has been mentioned above. 
 
 Of a wonderful earthquake. 
 A.D. 1275. The king commanded all the nobles of his king- 
 
 A.D. 1275. 
 
 POPE GBEQOBT THE TENTH DIES. 
 
 4G9 
 
 dom to assemble in a parhament at Westminster ; in which 
 parUament many statutes for the benefit of the kingdom were 
 pubUshed, and among them one which bridled the usurious 
 extortions of the Jews. And in order that they might be dis- 
 tinguished from Cliristians, the king commanded that they 
 (should wear on their outer garments a sign like a tablet, of the 
 length of a palm. 
 
 Gaston de Bierne, a noble and powerful man of Guienne, and 
 a kinsman of the king of England, but his deadly enemy, was 
 sent by the king of France to the king of England ; and was 
 detained in prison a long time, and afterwards sent back to 
 his own country, after having been duly cautioned. About 
 the feast of the Nativity of the blessed Mary, king Edward 
 stayed some time in the district of Cheshire, and then he 
 ordered Llewellyn, prince of Wales, who would not appear in 
 person before him, to be formally summoned to attend at his 
 parliament at Westminster ; whither, however, he would not 
 come, saying he remembered the death of his father Griffith, 
 who fell from the Tower of London, and broke his neck, and 
 died. This year John Bretoun, bishop of Hereford, died, who 
 being very learned in the Enghsh laws, wrote a book concern- 
 ing them, which is called le Bretoun. He was succeeded by 
 Thomas Cantelupe. 
 
 On the eleventh of September, a general earthquake took 
 place between one and tliree o'clock, by the violence of which 
 the church of Saint Michael, which is called the Church-on-the- 
 Hill, outside of Glastonbury, was levelled to the ground. And 
 many pieces fell from the famous churches which are scattered 
 throughout England, in consequence of the violence of this 
 earthquake. 
 
 On the twenty-third of December, pope Gregory the Tenth 
 died at Arezzo, a city of Tuscany : after whose decease Pietro 
 de Tarentesia, one of the order of the Preaching Brothers, 
 cardinal elect of Lyons, and afterwards cardinal of Ostia, was 
 elected supreme pontiff, and took the name of Innocent the 
 Fifth. Almeric, son of Simon de Montfort, formerly earl of 
 Leicester, and his sister Eleanor, a most accomplished young 
 maiden, who was engaged to be given in marriage to Llewellyn, 
 prince of Wales, were taken prisoners at sea, near Bristol, and 
 were conducted to the king, who had said that this had hap- 
 pened by the providence of God, who would not allow his 
 kinswoman to be married to his enemy. 
 
 t 
 
^ f 
 
 t 
 
 470 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1276. 
 
 The 6ame year, the Christians suffered many evils in Spain 
 at the hands of the Saracens, who slew a great number of the 
 Christians. Among them, Sancho, archbishop of Toledo, and 
 son of the king of Arragon, was torn Hmb from limb by the 
 perfidious Saracens. 
 
 ITie translation of the blessed Richard, bishop of Chichester. 
 
 A.D. 1276. Many nobles being after Easter assembled at the 
 Parliament, held at Westminster, the king granted his peace 
 to those who were formerly the disturbers of his kingdom. 
 The king ordered a fifteenth of all temporal property, whether 
 belonging to the clergy or the laity, who were thus taxed to 
 the very nail in an unprecedented manner; to be seized for his 
 use. At this Parliament, as in others, Llewellyn, prince of 
 Wales, having been formally summoned, refused to appear in 
 person. Nevertheless, he sent ambassadors to treat for peace, 
 and offered no small sum of money as ransom for the daughter 
 of the earl of Leicester, whom he wished to take for his wife. 
 Pjut the king refused to consent to the marriage, and would 
 not take the money that was offered to him, unless Llewellyn 
 would restore all the territories which he had invaded, each 
 to its lawful master, and repair the castles of England which 
 he had destroyed^ 
 
 That glorious confessor of Christ, the Holy Richard, for- 
 merly bishop of Chichester, after many eminent miracles, on 
 the vigil of the abbot Saint Botolph was transferred to his own 
 cathedral church of Chichester, in the presence of king 
 Edward and all the elders of England, with a great multitude 
 of prelates. On Saint Alban's day, pope Innocent the Fifth 
 died, in the city of Rome, at the Lateran, and he was suc- 
 ceeded, on the day after the feast of the translation of Saint 
 Benedict, by Adrian the Fifth, who had formerly filled the 
 office of legate in England, under the name of Othobornes, 
 being the cardinal deacon of Saint Adrian's ; he died on the 
 sixteenth of July, and was succeeded by John the Twenty- 
 tirst, who had previously been called Peter of Spain, and who 
 also died in the same year. He again was succeeded by 
 Nicholas the Third, on the twenty-sixth of November. 
 
 During this period, Henry, king of Navarre, died, and a 
 great quarrel arose between the king of France and the king 
 of Spain respecting his dominions. Therefore, the king of 
 France sent formal ambassadors for the king of England, de- 
 
 A.B. 1277. CONCERNING THE ACQUISITION OF WALES. 471 
 
 siring him to come in person to his assistance with the service 
 which he owed him, to fight against the king of Spain. But 
 Edward was mightily perplexed at this, because it was by the 
 king of Spain that he had been intested with the belt of a 
 knight, and also because he had married his sister Eleanor, 
 and because he did not dare to offend the king of France, who 
 was his kinsman, and his superior lord ; so he commended 
 himself to the prayers of the church, and finally he made 
 answer to the king of France that he might not refuse him the 
 service which was his due ; but that he was desirous to use all 
 his exertions to appease the qjiarrel which was now begun 
 between him and the king of Spain. Therefore, the king of 
 France marched towards the Spanish territories with an innu- 
 merable army ; but he soon returned, without having met with 
 the least success. 
 
 About this time, the king sent three hundred cavalry, armed 
 with breast- plates, into the districts of Bristol, Montgomery, 
 and Chester, to clieck the irruptions of the Welch. 
 
 Concerning the acquisition of Wales. 
 
 A.D. 1277. In the fortnight after Easter, the king withdrew 
 from Westminster, and hastened towards Wales with all the 
 military force of tlie kingdom of England, taking with him his 
 barons of the exchequer, and his justices of the king's bench, 
 as far as Shrewsbury, who remained there some time, hearing 
 .•*uits according to the customs of the kingdom of England. 
 Therefore, the Welch fearing the arrival of the king and his 
 army, fled to their accustomed refuge of Snowdon, and the 
 king, relying on the assistance of the Cinque Ports, occupied 
 their territories as far as the mountain of Snowdon in every 
 direction. Therefore, Llewellyn, prince of Wales, under- 
 standing that his manors and castles were being given to the 
 flames and destroyed, took to himself the most powerful chiefs 
 of his country, and about the feast of the Nativity of the Lord 
 in the preceding year, went to the king, entreating him to show 
 mercy, and not justice. Accordingly, king Edward received 
 homage and fealty from the most powerful chiefs of the Welch, 
 and took their prince Llewellyn with him to Westminster, 
 from whom he received fifty thousand marks in hand ; and 
 with whom he made a covenant to receive a thousand marks 
 every year, to be paid into the exchequer at Westminster for 
 the Isle of Anglesey and the district of Snowdon ; and then 
 

 li 
 
 it 
 
 472 
 
 MATTHEW OF WE8TMINSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 1278. 
 
 he permitted the aforesaid prince to return to those parts, after 
 having been carefully instructed his duty. By a formal sen- 
 tence depriving his successors for ever of the title of prince, 
 and reserving all the rest of the territories of Wales which he 
 liad lately made himself master of for himself and his suc- 
 cessors, the kings of England. 
 
 The Tartars or Moallians made themselves masters of the 
 Holy Land, having slain the soldau of Babylon with many 
 thousand Saracens. 
 
 The hing deprives some ynonasteries of their lilerties. 
 
 A.D. 1278. King Edward, wishing to increase the royal 
 dignity, deprived by his judicial sentence many famous mo- 
 nasteries which had been estabUshed in England of their 
 accustomed and ancient privileges. Therefore, the abbot and 
 convent of Westminster, in which the aforesaid king had re- 
 ceived the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, and consecra- 
 tion, and in which also the bodies of his father, king Henry 
 of pious memory, and of his children were buried, were com- 
 pelled to submit their Uberties in the matter of the return of 
 briefs, which they had specially obtained by charter from king 
 Henry, his aforesaid father, a very long time before, to -the 
 king's authority, after having long defended them at law, in 
 consequence of the violent opposition made to them by the 
 citizens of London ; but, however, the king subsequently re- 
 granted them to the aforesaid church by his especial grace. 
 Roger, bishop of Norwich, and Walter de Martin, bishop of 
 Rochester, departed this life, and were succeeded respectively 
 in the church of Norwich by Master William de Middleton, 
 archdeacon of Canterbury, and in that of Rochester by a monk 
 of the same church. Robert, archbishop of Canterbury, 
 having been released from the burden of his archbishopric by 
 pope Nicholas the Third, was summoned to assume the rank 
 of cardinal. After which promotion, the monks of Canter- 
 bury demanded lord Robert Burnel, bishop of Bath and 
 Wells, and the king's chancellor, as their archbishop ; which 
 demand, however, was quashed by the supreme pontiff, and 
 brother John of Peckham, one of the order of Minor Brothers, 
 a man of the most perfect learning, was appointed by the 
 Roman court to be the shepherd of the church of Christ at 
 Canterbury. 
 
 In the month of August, Rodulph, king of Germany, slew 
 
 A.D. 1279. QUAEREL BETWEEN TWO AECHBISHOPS. 
 
 473 
 
 the king of Bohemia, his deadly enemy, and many thousand 
 of liis troops in a pitched battle, and reduced the aforesaid 
 kingdom under his authority. Llewellyn, prince of Wales, 
 married Eleanor, the daughter of Simon de Montfort, for- 
 merly earl of Leicester, and of the sister of king Henry the 
 Third of pious memory. 
 
 In the month of November, all the Jews throughout 
 England were arrested in one day, and put in prison in London, 
 on a charge of clipping the king's coin ; and many Christians 
 were accused by the Jews of having been accomplices in their 
 wickedness, and especially some of the more noble of the citi- 
 zens of London. Of the Jews, of both sexes, there were hanged 
 in London, on the occasion above mentioned, two hundred 
 and eighty, and a very great multitude in other cities of 
 England. For the ransom of the Christians the king received 
 a very large sum of money. Nevertheless, some of the Christ- 
 ians also were given up to be hanged. 
 
 Concerning the county of Pontignij being given up to the king of 
 England^ and concerning the alteration of the coinage. 
 
 A.D. 1279, which is the seventh year of the reign of king 
 Edward, about the time of the feast of the Ascension of 
 the Lord, king Edward crossed the sea, with his queen. For 
 her mother, the countess of Pontigny, formerly queen of 
 Spain, had lately departed this life. Therefore, the king of 
 England came to Amiens, where he was honourably received 
 by Philip, king of France, his kinsman, who was waiting for 
 him in that city, with the chief nobles of his kingdom. And 
 he there gave up to the king of England the cities of Sens, 
 Limoges, Perigueux, and the counties of Guienne and Pon- 
 tigny, which belonged to the queen of England by hereditary 
 right, and also other territories too, to be possessed by the 
 said king and queen of England for ever, receiving due ho- 
 mage for them from them. And in this way all disputes 
 between the kings of France and England were unexpectedly 
 terminated. But we must remark, that in exchange for the 
 aforesaid territories, the king of England wholly made over 
 the peaceable possession of Normandy to the king of France 
 for ever, on condition also of receiving for ever from the ex- 
 chequer of Rouen thirty Parisian livres. 
 
 The same year, a quarrel broke out between the archbishops 
 of Canterbury and York, because the archbishop of York had 
 
. I 
 
 \ - 
 
 'i 
 
 474 
 
 MATTHEW OF TVESTMIlfSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1281, 
 
 caiised a crucifix to be borne before him in the province of 
 Canterbury ; and therefore a prohibition was issued by the 
 archbishop of Canterbury, against any one selling victuals to 
 the archbishop of York, or having any dealings with him. 
 About the time of the festival of Saint Peter ad Vincula, the 
 coinage was changed for the better. For, because a penny 
 had been used to be divided into two parts for halfpence, and 
 into four parts for farthings, it was now ordered that, for the 
 purpose of removing all opportmiity of clipping the coins, the 
 pence, halfpence, and farthings, sliould all be round. Many 
 noble and powerful lords from foreign countries, and many 
 native nobh'S, met at the Round Table at Warwick, the captain 
 of which was the lord Roger de Mortimer. 
 
 Agaimt the members of the religious orders. 
 
 A..D. 1280. The king, and prelates, and nobles of England, 
 agreed together, and enacted, tbat the members of the religious 
 orders should not be enriched by any increase of landed es- 
 tates, saying, that it was to the detriment of the kingdom and 
 of military service, that the military fees and other possessions 
 had fallen into the dead hands of the religious orders ; not 
 understanding, perchance, that the army of the Amalekites 
 was overthrown rather by the prayers of Moses, than by the 
 valour in combat of the children of Israel. 
 
 In the month of February, there were seen eight semicircles 
 around the sun, joined back to back. 
 
 On the twenty-second of August, pope Nicholas the Third 
 died, and was succeeded on the twenty-second of February by 
 Simon, before mentioned, who assumed the name of Martin 
 the Fourth. 
 
 A council is held at Lambeth. 
 
 A.D. 1281, after the feast of Saint Michael, brother John 
 of Peckham, archbishop of Canterbury, held a provincial 
 council at Lambeth, and there he published a famous declara- 
 tion m the following form, against those who pleaded exemp- 
 tions and refused to come to the council. 
 
 " Brother John, by divine permission, archbishop of Can- 
 terbury, primate of all England, to the venerable brother, the 
 lord Richard of Gravesend, bishop of London, sendeth greet- 
 ing and sincere charity in the Lord. Being lately, as you 
 know, about to hold a provincial council at Lambeth, with the 
 venerable college of our brother bishops, we considered it 
 
 A.D. 1281. 
 
 A COUNCIL HELD AT LAM"BETn. 
 
 475 
 
 proper to summon all the inferior prelates of our province 
 whom the holy canons order to be present at all discussions 
 of councils, and among the rest, especially those eminent per- 
 sons of rehgious holiness, the abbots and priors, not only 
 those who are subject to the episcopal authority, according to 
 the order of the ecclesiastical hierarchy, but others also who 
 are exempt from obedience to the bishops, in consideration of 
 those churches which are not so exempt, and which, by per- 
 mission of the Lord, they have occupied and retain for their 
 own uses, hoping that we, who were consulting no object but 
 the honour of God, and the general advantage of the Anghcan 
 church, should be assisted by their authority, guided by their 
 counsels, and benefitted by the merits of their sanctity. But 
 the exempt persons separating themselves as free like the foals 
 of wild asses, and not in the least sympathising, or at all 
 events, in a very shght degree, with the distresses of their 
 holy mother, whose bowels many of them rather oppress than 
 honour, as if in effect, or rather through their defect, they 
 wished to prove that prophetic saying of John, in the Apoca- 
 lypse, to be spoken of them, * Cast out of doors the halt 
 which is without the temple, and do not measure it, nor suffer 
 it to hear the roaring of the hinds that bring forth their 
 young.* They neither condescended to come to this council 
 in its anxiety to be the counsellors and comforters of their 
 mother the church, hke children who belong not to her, halt- 
 ing in the way, but, that their excessi\e arrogance might not 
 in any respect come short of its presumptions, they would 
 not even condescend to send procurators to excuse their ab- 
 sence, despising that most reverend college, and in some degree 
 imitating Hagar, who despised her illustrious mistress, seeing 
 that she had conceived the son of division ; in the same way 
 too, when formerly the soldiers and servants of God were in 
 distress, and were gloriously exposing themselves to peril, the 
 Reubenites separated themselves from those who were fighting, 
 and remained quiet within their own borders, delighted with 
 the keeping of the flocks. But we, wishing to correct such 
 audacious and presumptuous ingratitude according to the 
 rules of law and right, and knowing, according to the saying 
 of the Saviour, that those are against us who disdain to 
 be with us ; at the same time forbearing severe measures 
 as far as possible, which if we chose we might canonically 
 exercise against all despisers of this kind, do hereby, in virtue 
 
 1 1 
 
 
 I 
 
476 
 
 MATTUEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 12S2. 
 
 of that authority by which you are firmly bound to the see of 
 Canterbury, enjoin and command you to sequester, in comph- 
 ance with this our authority, and without delay, all the churches 
 in your diocese which are not exempt, and which are at- 
 tached to monasteries claiming exemptions, whose names are 
 appended to this present letter under our seal, to whatever 
 order they may belong ; and to cause them to be kept in very 
 strict sequestration till you receive further and different orders 
 touching this matter. And as to those who are not exempt, 
 and whose names are contained in the schedule annexed to 
 this present letter, and whom, on account of their contu- 
 macy, we suspend from entrance into the church, in accord- 
 ance with the demands of justice, we enjoin you to cause 
 public notice to be given of this their suspension." 
 
 From this sentence an especial appeal was made by the 
 lords abbots of Westminster, of Saint Edmund's, of Saint Al- 
 ban's, and of Waltham. Others also,who vfere exempt, appealed, 
 though they only followed up their appeal in a lukewarm 
 manner, because the archbishop refrained, as to some of them, 
 from compelling the execution of his sentence. 
 
 From the time of the Nativity of the Lord, almost up to 
 the feast of the Purification, there was such an abundance of 
 frost, cold, and snow, as the oldest and most decrepit people 
 at that time alive in England, had never felt before. For five 
 arches of London bridge, and many other bridges also, were 
 broken down by the violence of the ice, which was so thick, 
 that several persons passed with dry feet across the Thames, 
 from Lambeth to the king's palace in Westminster ; and the 
 fishes died in the ponds, and the birds in the woods and fields 
 perished of hunger. 
 
 Of the war in Wales, and the leheading of prince Llewellyny and 
 of the arrival of men from the Basque provinces in England. 
 
 A.D. 1282, which is the tenth year of the reign of Edward, 
 at the dead hour of night, on Palm Sunday, Llewellyn, prince 
 of Wales, and David, his brother, surrounded the castles of 
 Rutland and Flint with a large army, and destroyed such other 
 castles of the king as they could effect an entrance into, and 
 having wounded, taken prisoner, and loaded with chains that 
 noble and illustrious knight the lord Roger de CUfford, after 
 having first slain all his friends, they sent him across, suddenly 
 and unexpectedly, to the mountain of Snowdon, slaying all they 
 
 A.D. 1282. 
 
 PEIXCE LLEWELLYN IS BEHEADED. 
 
 477 
 
 
 met with, young and old, women and children, in their beds, 
 and devastating afterwards with plunder and conflagration the 
 greater part of the marches. The king, hearing of this, but 
 scarcely believing it, sent the barons of his exchequer and the 
 justices of the King's Bench to Shrewsbury, to compel the ob- 
 servance of the laws of his kingdom ; and having assembled 
 an army, he reduced all Wales towards the mountains of Snow- 
 don under his authority, and he gave large portions of the 
 territory which he acquired there to his earls and barons, and 
 to others of his faithful adherents, to be possessed for ever by 
 them and their heirs. And accordingly, many thousands of 
 soldiers were sent to the assistance of the king from Guienne, 
 and the Basque provinces and other foreign countries ; there- 
 fore the king, wishing to advance onwards, and supported by 
 his ships, caused a large bridge to be built over the waters of 
 the Conway, which flow and ebb near the mountain of Snow- 
 don ; and some of the nobles of the king's army passing over 
 this bridge for the sake of taking exercise, were set upon, 
 and being alarmed by the number and the shouts of the 
 Welch who came against them, endeavoured unsuccessfully to 
 effect their return into the island of Anglesey, from which 
 they had come, but were miserably drowned in the water ; 
 the Welch, therefore, ascribing this not to misfortune but to a 
 miracle, suggested to their prince that he should act coura- 
 geously and not fear, because in a short time, according to 
 the prophecy of Merlin, he was fated to be crowned with the 
 diadem of Brutus. Therefore Llewellyn, prince of Wales, 
 taking with him a numerous army, descended into the cham- 
 paign country, leaving the mountainous district to his brother 
 David. 
 
 Edmund, the heir of that famous knight now deceased, 
 Roger de Mortimer, with some of the lords marchers, at- 
 tacked the army of Llewellyn, and without losing any of his 
 men, slew a great number of the Welch ; and in this battle the 
 head of prince Llewellyn was cut off and carried to London, 
 where it was placed on a stake and crowned with ivy, and 
 erected for a long time on the top of the Tower of London, 
 from which his father, Griffith, had formerly fallen and broken 
 his neck, and so died. The Welch being aianned at the death 
 of their prince, and being thrown into confusion, surrendered 
 all the castles of Snowdon to the king of England. 
 
 In these days, the clergy and laity gave the king as a sub- 
 
 ! 
 
478 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1283. 
 
 sidy first of all a fifteenth, and afterwards a thirtieth part of 
 all their property. 
 
 Charles, king of Apulia, Sicily, and Calabria, on the day of 
 the Ascension of the Lord, lost the greater part of the king- 
 dom of Sicily, many thousands of his subjects being slain un- 
 expectedly. The king of Arragon claimed those kingdoms for 
 his heirs as being theirs by hereditary right, because he had 
 married the daughter of Manfred, who had been robbed of the 
 aforesaid kingdoms by the Roman church ; therefore, in spite 
 of the prohibition of the Apostolic See, the aforesaid kings 
 agreed that two hundred"knights should contend for the rights 
 of each of them on the plain in front of Bourdeaux, assigning 
 a day for the two parties to meet in battle. But when the 
 day arrived, tliis agreement of the aforesaid princes was set at 
 nought, because king Charles came to meet the king of Arra- 
 gon with a hundred thousand men, while the latter was at- 
 tended by no more than a hundred knights. 
 
 Of the building of the castle of Aher conic ny^ and of the miserable 
 death of David, brother of Llewellyn. 
 
 A.D. 1283. King Edward caused a strong castle to be built 
 at Aberconway, at the foot of the mountain of Snowdon. David, 
 the brother of prince Llewellyn, who had been beheaded as 
 has been related above, being a deviser of evil, and most cruel 
 persecutor of England, a deluder of his own nation, a most 
 ungrateful traitor, and the author of the war, was taken pri- 
 soner with his wife and two sons and seven daughters bv the 
 faithful subjects of the king, and was afterwards tried by the 
 nobles of England. Alas ! for the miserable death of the 
 traitor ! he was dragged at the tail of a horse through the 
 town of Shrewsbury, and then hanged, and afterwards be- 
 headed ; after that, his body was divided into four parts, and 
 at last his heart and his bowels were burnt, his head was 
 carried to London, and erected on a pole on the top of the 
 Tower of London, opposite to that of his brother. The four 
 portions of his headless trunk were sent to Bristol, North- 
 ampton, York, and Winchester. 
 
 A large portion of the cross of the Lord, which, in the lan- 
 guage of the Welch, is called Croizneth, was given up, with 
 many other famous relics, to the lord Edward, king of England. 
 
 The body of that great prince, the father of the noble em- 
 peror Constantine, was discovered at Caernarvon, near Snow- 
 
 A.D. 1284. 
 
 BIRTH OF EDWARD THE SECOND. 
 
 479 
 
 don, and by command of the king was honourably placed in 
 the church. Also the crown of that ancient famous king of 
 the Britons, Arthur, was given up, with many other jewels. 
 And 80, by the providence of God, the glory of the Welch, 
 who were thus against their will subjected to the laws of the 
 Enghsh, was transferred to the English. About the time of 
 the feast of Saint Andrew the Apostle, Richard Warren, abbot 
 of Westminster, and treasurer of the lord the king, died, after 
 whose death William of Wenlock was unanimously elected, by 
 way of compromise, on the vigil of the Circumcision. 
 
 Ch. XXIL— From a.d. 1284 to a.d. 1292. 
 
 Birth of Edward the Second — Re-appearance of the emperor 
 Frederic — Edward goes into France to obtain some arrears 
 due to him from the king of France — The Welch begin to 
 rebel — The king of Hungary turns Mahometan — The Tar- 
 tars invade Poland — The Saracens take Tripoli — The Jews 
 are banished from England — Edward is acknowledged liege 
 lord of Scotland — The Scotch princes refer their disputes 
 to his arbitration — John Balliol is crowned king of Scotland. 
 
 Concerning the nativity of Edward, the mn of the king, and con- 
 cerning the appearance of Frederic. 
 
 a.d. 1284. On the day of Saint Mark the Evangelist, a son 
 was born to the king at Caernarvon, in the district of Snowdon, 
 whose name was Edward, at whose birth many rejoiced, and 
 especially the citizens of London. 
 
 About the same time, Alfonso, the king's eldest son, coming 
 to Westminster, offered up a certain ornament of gold, whicli 
 had formerly belonged to Llewellyn, prince of Wales, with 
 other jewels also, which were all applied to adorn the tomb of 
 the blessed king Edward. This Alfonso died this year, being 
 about twelve years of age, dying on the nineteenth of August, 
 on the day of Saint Magnus the king, and his body was 
 honourably buried in the church of Westminster, near the 
 tomb of Saint Edward, where it is placed between his brothers 
 and sisters, who were buried before him in the same place. 
 
 The same year, Frederic, who had formerly been emperor of 
 the Romans, appeared in Germany, though, according to the 
 opinion of many people, he was only an impostor, but some 
 believe him to have been the real prince ; for, according to 
 some people, he was said to have died thirty-two years before. 
 
480 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.T). 1285. 
 
 A.D. 1286. PHILIP CROWNED KING OF FRANCE. 
 
 481 
 
 But, according to his own account, for this space of time he 
 had been lying concealed from the world, keeping himself un- 
 known in the disguise of a pilgrim. Now he showed himself, 
 declaring himself to be the emperor, by visible arguments and 
 manifest proofs, and claimed the imperial dignity. Therefore 
 Frederic, while he was discharging the duties of emperor, and 
 opposing the Roman church, was by it deprived of the impe- 
 rial name and rank by the universal church, having the sen- 
 tence of excommunication fulminated against him by pope 
 Innocent the Fourth, in the council of Lyons. And after his 
 deposition, three counts reigned successively by election in 
 the kingdom of Germany, namely, William of Holland, Rich- 
 ard of Cornwall, and Rudolph, who at the time of this ap- 
 pearance of Frederic Mas in full possession and occupation of 
 the kingdom of Germany, expecting his summons to assume 
 the diadem of the empire. However, Frederic died this year, 
 while awaiting the effect of that unexpected appearance in 
 Germany, being struck by lightning. Peter of Arragon had 
 the sentence of the greater excommunication pronounced 
 against him by the pope ; and by this sentence it was ordered 
 that no one should knowingly and intentionally dare to style 
 him king, because without consulting the Roman church he 
 had invaded the kingdom of Sicily. 
 
 The body of the knights of England, and many foreign 
 nobles also, about the time of the festival of Saint Peter ad 
 Vincula, celebrated the Round Table with dances and tourna- 
 ments at Newvn, in the district of Snowdon. 
 
 Concerning the death of Martin the Fourthy and the succession of 
 
 pope Honorius the Fourth. 
 
 A.D. 1285. King Philip, going forth from the territories of 
 France with an innumerable army of warriors, advanced with 
 all speed into Arragon, intending to reduce that kingdom 
 under his authority ; and when he arrived in that country, he, 
 being supported by the assistance of the supreme pontiff, took 
 some castles and towns ; and the pope also sent a legate into 
 that district, against Peter, who had formerly been prince of 
 that country, but who was now deprived of the title of king. 
 The aforesaid Peter of Toledo permitted several persons, both 
 of the clergy and laity, to be put to death, and did not in the 
 least fear the ecclesiastical sentence of excommunication which 
 was very often repeated against him. Before this time, Charles 
 
 
 the Noble, prmce of Salerno (whose father, Charles, a prince 
 of great honour and reputation, died this year), liad been 
 taken prisoner by Peter of Arragon. 
 
 This year, too, pope Martin the Fourth died, on the twenty- 
 ninth of March, and, after three days, he was succeeded by 
 Honorius the Fourth, who had lost nearly all use of his hands 
 and feet by a disease in his joints, on which account he used 
 to celebrate the solemn service of the mass sitting in a chair 
 skilfully made for this purpose. 
 
 On the thirtieth of April, after the subjugation of Wales, 
 king Edward, coming to Westminster, preceded by the arch- 
 bishop of Canterbury and his suffragan bishops, all in their 
 state vestments, and attended by a large company of nobles 
 and members of religious bodies, and a great troop of the 
 people of the country, conveyed a considerable portion of the 
 cross of the Lord, adorned with gold and silver, and precious 
 stones, which he had brought with him from Wales, to West- 
 minster, with a solemn procession, and rejoicings, and music. 
 About the same time, the king, having convoked the principal 
 nobles of his land to meet him at Westminster, promulgated 
 some statutes, which are called the Second Statutes of West- 
 minster ; by some of which he curtailed the jurisdiction of the 
 ecclesiastical judges. And because he had previously enacted 
 a law that the members of the rehgious orders should not add 
 to their territorial possessions, he now chose to ordain that 
 they should not diminish what they had. Afterwards, at Win- 
 chester, about the time of the festival of the Nativity of the 
 blessed Mary, he caused some statutes to be pubhshed, for 
 the purpose of checking the truculent fury of robbers and 
 banditti. 
 
 Philip, king of France, having been mortally wounded in 
 Arragon, died in that country. Also, Peter of Arragon, being 
 wounded in battle in the same manner, soon afterwards de- 
 parted this hfe. 
 
 The passage of king Edward into France, and the talcing of the 
 veil, as a nun, hy Eleanor, his mother. 
 
 A.D. 1286, which is the thirteenth year of the reign of king 
 Edward, Philip, the son of Philip, king of France, who had lately 
 ended his days in Arragon, was crowned king of France. This 
 Philip sent solemn ambassadors to the king of England, for 
 the especial purpose of terminating the quarrel which had 
 
 YOL. II. 
 
 II 
 
 
 f, 
 
 
482 
 
 MATTHEW or WESTMI2fSTEB. 
 
 A.D. 1287. 
 
 arisen between the French, the Arragonese, and the Spaniards, 
 in the time of his father. This Philip, then, was the son of 
 the sister of Peter, the father of Alphonso, king of Arragon, 
 who was reigning at this time, and who had engaged to marry 
 Eleanor, the eldest daughter of the king of England. For 
 the purpose of bringing this and other affairs to a happy con- 
 summation, king Edward crossed the sea, on the twenty-fourth 
 of June, with a vast train of bishops, earls, barons, and other 
 nobles ; and he was honourably received by the king of France 
 and the rest of the nobles, and was conducted to Saint Ger- 
 mains, near Paris, where he stayed for some time, and he 
 claimed of the king of France aforesaid some territories which 
 his grandfather, king John, had lost, and he also obtained from 
 him ten thousand pounds sterling, to be paid every year at the 
 Tower of London, at the expense of the king of France, and 
 he also obtained some arrears due on account of Normandy, 
 which belonged to him by hereditary right. At this time, 
 Eleanor, that noble lady, queen of England, and mother of the 
 king, took upon herself, at Amesbury, on the day of the trans- 
 lation of Saint Thomas, archbishop of Canterbury, the garb 
 of religion, which she had long desired ; her dower, which she 
 was to have in perpetual possession in the kingdom of England, 
 being confirmed to her by the supreme pontitf. 
 
 TJie king assumes the cross. The Welch prepare for tear. 
 
 A.D. 1287. On the fourth of April, pope Honorius the Fourth 
 died in the city of Rome. Edward, king of England, after 
 his convalescence from a severe illness, assumed the sign of 
 the cross, at Blandeforth, in Guienne, near Bourdeaux, in 
 which he was joined by a great multitude of men, and was 
 appointed captain of the hosts of Christendom by the legate 
 of the Roman court, sent thither for that purpose. 
 
 The Welch, at the instigation of a person named Rhesus, 
 the son of Meredith, began to rebel, and made great slaughter 
 of the English people ; therefore, Edmund, earl of Cornwall, 
 the regent of England in the king's absence, hastened towards 
 Wales with a great army, wishing (though he was not able to 
 succeed in his object) to repress the stifF-neckedness of the 
 Welch with the power which he had with him. But the Welch, 
 with the cunning of foxes, betook themselves to their hiding- 
 places, devising deceits and stratagems, according to their an- 
 cient customs ; therefore, the English bravely laid siege to the 
 
 A.D. 1287. THE KINO OF HUNGABT APOSTATISES. 
 
 483 
 
 castle of Droslan, and endeavoured to undermine it ; but, at 
 last, some nobles proceeding incautiously under the wall of 
 that castle, were miserably crushed by the wall ; among whom 
 was that famous knight, the lord William of Mount Taniso, 
 who was crushed, and died. 
 
 Thomas de Cantelupe, formerly bishop of Hereford, who, 
 in the cause of his church, as it is said, which he undertook 
 to defend against brother John of Peckham, of the order 
 of Minor Brothers, archbishop of Canterbury, died in a foreign 
 land ; and his bones were buried in the church above men- 
 tioned, which soon began to become notorious for miracles, so 
 that, within a brief space of time, God caused a hundred and 
 sixty-three miracles to be wrought for his sake. 
 
 In Bearne, a city of Oleron, the kings of England and Ar- 
 ragon had a conference concerning the release of Charles, 
 prince of Salerno, a kinsman of the king of England, and 
 after they had carefully debated the matter, he was at last 
 released from prison on certain conditions. This Charles, the 
 son of king Charles, had commanded a very large army in 
 Sicily against Peter, king of Arragon, but at last he was taken 
 prisoner, and thrown into prison in Arragon ; for detaining 
 whom, the king of Arragon had been laid under the ban of ex- 
 communication ; but now, at this conference of the two mo- 
 narchs, he deservedly obtained absolution from the legate who 
 had been sent for this especial purpose. 
 
 On the vigil of the feast of Saint John the Baptist, ten thou- 
 sand French soldiers and other brave men, under the command 
 of the count of Artois, endeavoured to enter Sicily with ships 
 and galleys ; but the guards of the aforesaid king drowned a 
 great part of the multitude above mentioned as pirates ; but 
 some they took alive, and threw them into prison. The king 
 of Sicily above mentioned was the son (though a bastard) of 
 Peter, formerly king of Arragon, and brother of Alphonso, 
 who at that time reigned in Arragon. The king of Hungary 
 fell into such blindness of heart, that, having abandoned the 
 faith of the Christians, he went over to the errors of the Sa- 
 racens, choosing to serve Mahomet rather than Christ. And 
 he employed such cunning, that he treacherously convoked 
 the chief nobles of his country to meet in a certain island, as 
 if for the purpose of holding a parliament, and while they 
 were sitting at table, for the sake of eating, Miramolin, the 
 most powerful of the Saracen chiefs, came upon them with 
 
 II 2 
 
484 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINISTER. 
 
 A.D. 1289. 
 
 twenty thousand warriors, and carried off the king by force, 
 with all the Christians who were assembled in that place, on 
 the eve of the feast of Saint John the Baptist. 
 
 Then, as the Christians were proceeding on their way, the 
 fine weather changed and became cloudy, and on a sudden, a 
 violent hailstorm killed many thousands of that unbelieving and 
 treacherous company ; and the Christians returned to their 
 own homes, no one going on with the Saracens except only 
 the apostate king. Therefore, the Hungarians crowned his 
 son, and remained in the Catholic faith. 
 
 The same year, a great inundation of the sea took place at 
 Great Yarmouth, and among the adjacent towns, as, for in- 
 stance, the towns of Martham, Hikeling, and Horsey ; and the 
 river rose at Great Yarmouth, so that it came up above the 
 great altar in the church of that town. 
 
 Brother Jerome, a Minor Brother, becomes the first person in the 
 
 WQrld. 
 
 A.D. 1288. On the fifteenth day of the month of February, 
 brother Jerome, one of the order of Minor Brothers, but a 
 cardinal priest, was consecrated supreme pontiff, and assumed 
 the name of Nicholas the Fourth. He was equally learned in 
 the Greek and Latin languages. 
 
 On the confines of the territory of Cologne, John, duke of 
 Brabant, whose son John, the future duke, afterwards married 
 Margaret, the daughter of the king of England, gained a glo- 
 rious victory over the count of Gueldres, a man of great no- 
 bility and power, and a deadly enemy of the aforesaid duke. 
 In which battle, the archbishop of Cologne was taken, and 
 having been found in arms, was thrown into prison. Besides 
 him, many famous Teutonic knights were slain, with swords 
 and clubs skilfully sharpened. 
 
 The same year, on the first day of the month of September, 
 William de Middleton, bishop of Norwich, died, and was suc- 
 ceeded by Rudolph de Walpole, archdeacon of Ely. The 
 same year, died William, prior of Kirkby, and was succeeded 
 by Henry de Lakenham. 
 
 The king of England home returns, 
 With joy each English hosom hums. 
 
 A.D. 1289. Charles, prince of Salerno, was released from 
 the confinement of a prison by his kinsman the king of Eng- 
 land, who came into Arragon, on giving hostages. The Tar- 
 
 A.D. 1290. THE JEWS B.lNlsnED FEOM EXGLAND. 
 
 485 
 
 
 tars, who are also called the ^Moallians, entered the duchy of 
 Poland, and carried off therefrom more than sixty thousand 
 persons into captivity, only a very few Christians, not above 
 seven or eight, being slain ; and such was the consideration of 
 the Tartars, that they brought their barren lands into culti- 
 vation. 
 
 In the month of September, in the Holy Land, a strange 
 and lamentable disaster befell the Christians. For the soldan 
 of Babylon, with a very numerous army, besieged the famous 
 city of Tripoli ; and, alas ! alas ! he took it, and at last le- 
 velled it with the ground, not without a great shedding of Chris- 
 tian blood. Moreover, by way of contempt for, and insult to 
 the name of Jesus Christ, he ordered the images of the saints 
 to be dragged at the tails of horses through the destroyed city. 
 
 On the fourth of August, Edward, king of England, returned 
 from foreign lands, in which he had passed three years, two 
 months, and fifteen days. Afterwards, he travelled through 
 England, and punished his justiciaries and ministers, who, be- 
 ing blinded by bribes, had perverted judgment, and in other 
 respects erred in his absence, according to the amount of their 
 transgressions. 
 
 The noble daughters of the king. 
 Rich dowries to their husbands bring, 
 
 A.D. 1290. In the month of May, Gilbert, earl of Glou- 
 cester, married Joanna of Acre, and on the ninth of July, 
 John, son of the duke of Brabant, solemnly married Margaret, 
 in the church of the abbey of Westminster ; both these illus- 
 trious virgins being daughters of the illustrious Edward, king 
 of England. 
 
 About the same time, that is to say, on the thirty-first of 
 August, the fierce multitude of the Jews, who in past times 
 had been living boldly in different cities and strong castles, 
 were ordered to depart from England with their wives and 
 children, and all their moveable property, by the feast of All 
 Saints, which was assigned them as a limit, which they were 
 not to dare to transgress on pain of being hanged ; and their 
 number, as was believed, amounted to sixteen thousand five 
 hundred and eleven. And a similar edict had been previously 
 issued by the glorious king of England, in the country of Aqui- 
 taine, from which also all the Jews were similarly banished. 
 
486 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMI^fSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 1291. 
 
 On the twenty-seventh of November, died the lady Eleanor, 
 queen of England, and wife of king Edward, daughter of Fer- 
 rand, formerly the most mighty king of Spain ; and she was 
 buried with all honour at Westminster, near the tomb of Saint 
 Edward, king and confessor, on the seventeenth of December. 
 And her anniversary is celebrated on the twenty-ninth of No- 
 vember. 
 
 In the season of Lent, this year, Alexander, king of Scot- 
 land, going on an exceedingly dark night to visit his wife, the 
 daughter of the earl of Flanders, whom he had married after 
 Margaret, the daughter of the king of England, fell from his 
 horse, who stumbled, and was severely bruised, and so died. 
 By his second wife he left no issue, but by his first he had 
 two children, namely, a son called Alexander, and a daughter 
 named Margaret. Alexander died without issue before his 
 father ; but his daughter, Margaret, being married to the king 
 of Norway, had an only daughter, also named Margaret, who, 
 after her mother died, only survived her a very short time. 
 This Margaret, the nobles of Scotland, after consulting with 
 the king of England, acknowledged as their mistress, and as 
 the heiress of the kingdom. And she was accordingly invited 
 over by the ambassadors of the king of England, but while 
 she was on board ship on her way to Scotland, she was seized 
 with illness at sea, and died at the Orkney Isles. 
 
 The Scot is subdued, 
 But there lingers a feud. 
 
 A,D. 1291. The magnificent king Edward obtained the do- 
 minion of the kingdom of Scotland. 
 
 On the day of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist, the 
 lady Eleanor, a noble and religious lady, queen dowager of 
 England, and mother of king Edward, who had passed an ex- 
 emplary life on the part of religion for four years, eleven 
 months, and six days, at Amesbury, where she was a nun, 
 ended her days in that town ; and her body was buried there 
 with all due honour, but her heart was buried with the 
 greatest solemnity in London, in the church belonging to the 
 Minor Brothers. 
 
 About the same time, a most terrible disaster intoxicated 
 each and every one who was zealous for the Christian name. 
 For Milcadar, the soldan of Babylon, having collected a nu- 
 merous army of Saracens, besieged, took, and utterly destroyed 
 
 A.D. 1291. THE OEDINATION OF THE KING OF SCOTLAND. 487 
 
 tliat most strongly fortified city of Acre, which was situated 
 near the coast, on the borders of the Holy Land. Alas ! for 
 a grief more lamentable than the groans of Jeremiah the pro- 
 phet. He lamented in sad dirges the destruction of the old 
 Jerusalem, which was a refuge only to proselytes and Jews. 
 But Acre was a singular place of protection to all nations who 
 were subject to the laws of the orthodox faith, and who came 
 from distant countries to avenge the injuries inflicted on their 
 Creator, who had watered with his own blood the land of 
 promise which belonged by hereditary right to those his sons 
 who were distinguished by his own name. 
 
 The ordination of tJie Icing of Scotland. 
 
 The same year, on the Tuesday next after the Ascension of 
 the Lord, Florence, count of Holland, Robert de Bruce, John 
 de Balliol, John de Hastinges, John Comyn, Patrick de Dun- 
 bar, John de Vesci, Nicholas de Seules, and William de Ros, 
 each of them claiming and demanding a hereditary right to 
 the kingdom of Scotland, by unanimous consent voluntarily 
 and harmoniously submitted their claims to the jurisdiction, 
 decision, and sentence of the lord Edward, the illustrious king 
 of England, as the superior lord of the aforesaid kingdom of 
 Scotland, in the following form : — 
 
 " Edward, by the grace of God, king of England, &c. to his 
 beloved in Christ, the prior and convent of Merton, sendeth 
 greeting. We send to you, under the seal of our exchequer, 
 appended to this present letter, a copy of some letters wnich 
 are deposited in our treasury, according to the following 
 tenor : — 
 
 "To^ all these who shall see or hear this present letter, 
 Florence, count of Holland, Robert de Bruce, lord of Annan- 
 dale, John Balliol, lord of Galway, John de Hastinges, lord of 
 Abergavenny, John Comyn, lord of Badenoch, Patrick of Dun- 
 bar, count de la Marche, John de Vescy, on the part of his 
 father, Nichol de Seules, and William de Ros, with health in 
 God : As we consider that we have a right to the kingdom of 
 Scotland, and as we think fit to prove, challenge, and assert 
 this right before him who has the greatest power, jurisdiction, 
 and reason to try our right, and as the noble prince, sire Ed- 
 
 ' This and the next letter are in old French in the Chronicle, and the 
 translation is also given in Latin. 
 
488 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1291. 
 
 ward, by the grace of God king of England, proves to us by 
 good and sufficient reasons that the sovereign lordship of the 
 aforesaid kingdom of Scotland, and the right of jurisdiction to 
 hear, and try, and decide our right belongs to him : We, of 
 our own will, without any kind of force or distress, do consent, 
 concede, and allow to receive our right of and from him, as 
 sovereign lord of the country. And we do consent for ever, 
 and promise that we will hold and keep as firm and stable this 
 his decision, and that he shall give the kingdom to him who 
 shall best establish his right before him. In testimony of this, 
 we have set our seals to this writing. Done and given at 
 Norham, on the Tuesday next after the Ascension, in the year 
 of grace twelve hundred and ninety-one." 
 
 "To all those who shall see or hear this present letter: 
 Florence, count of Holland, Robert de Bruce, lord of Annan- 
 dale, John Balliol, lord of Galway, John de Hastinges, lord of 
 Abergavenny, John Comyn, lord of Badenoch, Patrick de Dun- 
 bar, count de la Marche, John de Vescy, for his father, Nichol 
 de Seules, and Wilham de Ros, with health in God. \Ve have 
 conceded and granted of our own free will, and by an assent 
 given without any distress, to the noble prince, sire Edward, 
 by the grace of God king of England, that he, as sovereign lord 
 of the land of Scotland, may weigh, try, and decide our chal- 
 lenges and our claims which we pretend to prove and assert 
 in support of our right to the kingdom of Scotland ; and we 
 are ready to receive it from him, as sovereign lord of the coun- 
 try ; promising for ever that his act and deed shall be and 
 shall remain firm and stable, and that he shall assign the king- 
 dom to him who shall estabhsh his right before him. But 
 since the aforesaid king of England cannot in any manner 
 take cognisance of our claims, nor come to a decision without 
 a judicial investigation, and as judgment ought not to be with- 
 out execution, and as execution cannot be duly done without 
 possession and seisin of the aforesaid land and castles ; we do 
 consent, concede, and allow that he, as sovereign lord, in order 
 to perform the actions aforesaid, shall have seisin of all the 
 lands and castles of Scotland, in order that right may be done 
 and performed to the petitioners, in such a manner as shall 
 seem fit to him ; on condition, however, that before seisin of 
 these lands and castles is given him, he shall give just and 
 sufficient security to the claimants and to the guardians and 
 commonalty of the kingdom of Scotland, that he will restore 
 
 
 A.D. 1292. POPE NICHOLAS THE FOURTH DIES. 
 
 489 
 
 the kmgdom and the castles, and all the royalties, dignities, 
 seigniories, franchises, customs, droits, laws, usages, and pos- 
 sessions, and all manner of appurtenances thereto, in the same 
 state in which they were when tlie seisin was first given up 
 and delivered to him, to that person to whom, in the judgment 
 of the kingdom, the right belongs ; saving only that the king 
 of England shall receive homage from him who shall be de- 
 clared king of Scotland. Moreover, this restoration shall be 
 made within two months of the day on which the right shall 
 have been tried and decided. And the revenues of the said 
 country received during the time that the kingdom is in abey- 
 ance shall be kept safe, placed in a sure place, and well taken 
 care of, by the hand of the chamberlain of Scotland who is 
 now in office, and of that officer who shall be joined with him 
 by the king of England, after deducting from them whatever 
 may be necessary for the maintenance of the country, and 
 castles, and ministers of the kingdom. And in testimony of 
 the matters above mentioned, we have put our seals to this 
 writing. Done and given at Norham, on the Wednesday next 
 after the Ascension, in the year of grace twelve hundred and 
 ninety-one." 
 
 This was the command given to the church of Rochester. And 
 this subject is more fully treated of hy Walter Gishorne. 
 
 " And the lord the king Edward commanded this regulation 
 of the kingdom of Scotland, as settled in the court above men- 
 tioned, to be sent to many of the religious houses, and espe- 
 cially to those religious men, the prior and convent of Merton, 
 in order that they might cause it to be recorded in their 
 chronicles, for a perpetual memory of the fact. On which 
 account we enjoin you also to cause these same documents to 
 be recorded in your chronicles, for a perpetual memory of the 
 fact. Of which Master William de Marche, our treasurer, is 
 witness, at Westminster, this ninth day of July, in the nine- 
 teenth year of our reign. Done by brief, sealed with our pri- 
 vate seal." 
 
 Concerning the coroyiation of the lord John de Balliol, Icing of 
 
 Scotland, 
 
 A.D. 1292. On the third of April, pope Nicholas the Fourth 
 died at Rome, having occupied that see four years, one month. 
 
 I 
 
490 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1292. 
 
 and eighteen days ; after whose death a certain versifier spoke 
 tiius of him by way of epitaph : 
 
 *' O Nicholas, glory and renown 
 And mirror of the Minor Brothers, 
 Their honour lived in you alone, 
 But now you're dead, is lost to th' others." 
 
 And in his time, the brothers of the order of the Minors 
 looked on the pope as the sun, and called the archbishop of 
 Canterbury the moon, and so began to set up their horns over 
 the whole world, sparing no order or rank in the province of 
 England ; for in a most pitiless manner, with great power and 
 boldness, they attacked the monks and professors of the order 
 of Father Benedict at Worcester and Westminster, so that the 
 prophecy of the holy virgin Hildegard was fulfilled, who 
 flourished in the time of Saint Bernard, being full of the Holy 
 Spirit ; and under his teaching she set forth and composed 
 many books, such as the book of the Scivia,' the book of the 
 deserts of life, the book of divine works, also homilies on the 
 unknown tongue, and letters, and a heavenly harmony, with 
 other writings in great numbers ; also a volume of simple 
 medicine according to the creation, consisting of eight books ; 
 also a volume of compound medicine, discussing at the same 
 time the causes of sickness, and its signs and cures ; all which 
 were received and accounted canonical by pope Eugenius ia 
 the council of Treves, in which many bishops were present, 
 both of the French and Germans, and also Saint Bernard, the 
 abbot of Clairvaulx. This virgin, from the time she was five 
 years old, had the spirit of prophecy, and she began to pro- 
 phecy ,from that time till she was forty-two years old and 
 seven months. And among other works of her prophecies, 
 in the second book of her " Mirror of Future Times, or the 
 Pentacron of the Virgin Hildegard," which was published in the 
 year of grace eleven hundred and forty-two, and entitled a 
 l3ook on the New Rehgious, in the second chapter of it (which 
 begins thus, ** From the future light. . ") she speaks as follows : 
 " Again, I heard a voice saying, daughter of Sion, the 
 crown of the head of thy sons will be made to stoop, and the 
 cloak of their love of riches will be diminished, because they 
 knew not the time which I have given them to see in aid to 
 teach those who are subject to them. For my words were 
 given them to nourish little children with, which, however, they 
 
 * The Scivia was a turning drum used by the nuns. — Ducange. 
 
 A. D. 1292. WRITINGS OF THE TIBGIN HILDEGARDE. 491 
 
 do not impart to them at a fit and convenient season, and on 
 that account many of my foreign sons have fainted through 
 hunger, because they are not refreshed with sound doctrine. 
 They also have voices and cry not ; works are given to them 
 to do, and they do them not ; they wish to have glory without 
 merits, and merit without works. He who wishes to have 
 glory with God must throw away his own property, and he who 
 desires to have merit with God, must sheV works to this end ; 
 but because you do not do so, you are accounted servants of 
 servants, and they shall be your judges, and your liberty shall 
 fall from you, like the blessing fell from Canaan. And those 
 scourges shall go through you. But other evils, and others 
 still worse after them shall come. For the devil w^ill say in his 
 heart, concerning you, *1 shall find you meat for the feasters 
 and a banquet for all my desire. But my eyes, and ears, and 
 belly, and veins, are full of their wickedness, and my breasts 
 are full of their vices. For they will not labour in their God, 
 but look upon him as nothing. Wherefore, I will begin to 
 war against them, and to sport with them pleasantly, because 
 I do not find them labouring in the field of their Lord, as their 
 God commands them. But ye, ye my disciples and subjects, 
 who have been much better disciphned before the people than 
 they, because you were so also at that time, raise yourselves 
 above them, and take away from them all their riches and all 
 their honours, and utterly spoil and choke them.* This is what 
 the devil says in his heart, and what he will in many respects 
 fulfil through the judgment of God. But I now reveal myself 
 to my hearers, and tell them who I am. In that time when 
 that is done by some erring people more wicked than the 
 erring people which now exists, ruin will fall upon you evaders 
 and prevaricators, which will pursue you everywhere, and will 
 not hide your works, but will lay them bare, and will say of 
 you, * Those scorpions in their serpent-like manners and 
 works.' Also a commandment will be laid upon you, as if 
 in the zeal of the Lord, and the way of the impious will perish. 
 For in your iniquity they will deride and insult your ways ; 
 but that people who does this, being seduced and sent forth 
 by the devil, will come with a pale face, and arrange him- 
 self as if in all sanctity, and will unite itself to the more pow- 
 erful secular princes. To whom, concerning you, he will speak 
 thus, * Why do ye have these people with you, why do ye 
 allow them to exist, who pollute the whole earth with their 
 
492 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMXSTSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 1292. 
 
 shameful iniquities V They are drunken and luxurious men, and 
 unless you drive them out from among you, the whole church 
 will be destroyed. The people who will say this of you is 
 clothed in capes of no value, which are of a foreign colour, 
 and is shaven in a proper manner, and shows itself as placid 
 and quiet to all men. Also it loves not avarice, it is not 
 possessed of riches, and in its eyes it imitates such absti- 
 nence, that scarcely any one of the whole body can be blamed. 
 But the devil is with those men, showing that he is lying 
 concealed under a bright appearance, as he formerly was at 
 the formation of the world before the Fall, and in some re- 
 spects he has made himself like the prophets, and he says to 
 the people, * Speak pleasant things, because they are hke swift 
 and unclean beasts, and I will show myself to them, but not 
 now, and I love to fly on the wings of the wind, when the 
 thunder-storm gives its lightning, and in every way to pour 
 forth things which will tend to the accomplishment of my 
 will, and thus, in respect of those men, I will make my signs 
 to resemble Almighty God.* For the devil worketh these 
 things by the spirits of air, who work wicked works in the 
 breath of the wind and air, and being innumerable, hover 
 about some people like flies or gnats, which in the warmth of 
 hot weather annoy men by their numbers. For he mingles these 
 men in this manner, and does not deprive them of their chastity, 
 but allows them to remain chaste, because they have wished to 
 preserve their chastity. And again, he says within himself, * God 
 loves chastity and continence, which I will imitate in those men.* 
 And so the aforesaid ancient enemy, by means of these his airy 
 spirits, inspires men to abstain from unchaste offences ; on 
 which account women love them not, but avoid them, and 
 thus they will show themselves to men in all sanctity, and 
 will say in mocking words, * The other men who were before us, 
 and who wished to preserve their chastity, used to burn like 
 roast fish, but no pollution of flesh or concupiscence dares to 
 touch us, because we are holy, and are imbrued with the Holy 
 Spirit.* Ah ! these erring men who now live, do not know what 
 they do ; and so, too, neither did those who preceded them 
 in former times, for others who living at this time err as to 
 the catholic faith, shall fear those men, and minister to them 
 in servile offices, and imitate them as far as they can. Then 
 the people shall rejoice at their conversion, because they shall 
 seem to them to be just ; and when they see the error of their 
 
 A.D. 1292. WETTINGS OF TEE VIEQIN UILDEGAEDE. 
 
 493 
 
 course which they had confirmed in this manner, the doctors 
 and wise men who then persist in the cathoUc faith, will expel 
 the persecutors in every direction ; but yet, not all ; because 
 some of them are very brave soldiers in the just service of 
 God. And also they will not be able to influence some con- 
 gregations of the saints whose conversion is holy. On which 
 account they give counsel to the chiefs and to the rich men, 
 to coerce those masters of the churches, and other spiritual men 
 their subjects, with clubs and rods, so that they may be made 
 just. And this will be done with respect to some of them. 
 On which account, some being alarmed, will murmur against 
 it, according to that saying which was spoken of Heli. * Many 
 of the just will keep my words, who will not be confounded 
 wnth those errors, so as to be destroyed with their foundations.* 
 But those seducers, at the beginning of the seduction of their 
 error, will say to the woman : * It is not lawful for us to be 
 with you ; but as you have not proper teachers, whatever we 
 say to you and command you, that do, and you shall be saved ;* 
 and in this manner they bring women to join them, and lead 
 them into their errors, that they may say, in the pride of iheir 
 arrogant minds, * We have all conquered.' But afterwards they 
 will unite with the same women in the secret female way, and 
 their iniquity and heresy will be laid bare. But of those who 
 are so, 1 say, thus shall iniquity purge away iniquity, and be 
 brought upon you, as it is written, * He has made darkness 
 his hiding-place round about his tabernacle, as in the clouds 
 of the air.' For God, owing to your wicked conduct, will 
 bring to vengeance these things which are without light, in 
 which he will conceal himself from you without any help, 
 since he has cried for justice upon us, but he will call you 
 unjust. For law and doctrine come from heaven, in which 
 you would dwell, if you were an ornament of virtue and a 
 fragrant garden of delight. But you are an evil example in 
 the minds of men, as a stream of fair fame does not flow 
 from you, so that you have neither food to eat, nor vestments 
 to cover you in right respect of your souls ; but your works 
 are unjust and without the fruit of knowledge, owing to which 
 your honour will perish, and the crown will fall from your 
 heads. Thus, injustice challenges and demands justice, and 
 searches out every scandal, as it is written, * Woe to that man 
 by whom off'ence cometh.' For it must be that the wicked 
 works of men be purified by tribulation and sorrow, but still, 
 
 'I' 'J 
 
 .1 • ; 
 
 i ' 
 
494 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMIXSTEB. 
 
 A.D. 1292. 
 
 many sorrows are laid up for those men who bring miseries 
 on others by their impiety. But those unbelieving men, 
 seduced by the devil, will be your broom wherewith you shall 
 be chastised, because you do not worship God in purity, and 
 you shall be tormented till your injustices and iniquities are 
 purged. But those men are not deceivers who will come be- 
 fore the last day, and when the devil has flown away in flight, 
 as he began at the beginning to tight against God ; but they 
 are a forerunning short of them ; nevertheless, after they have 
 been so detected in the perverse ways of Baal and in other 
 wicked works, the chiefs and other great persons will attack 
 them, and slay them hke raging wolves wherever they find 
 them. Then will be your dawn of justice, and your last days 
 will be better than the former, and you will be released from 
 fear respecting all that is past, and you will shine like the 
 purest gold, and thus you will endure for a long time. For 
 the first dawning of justice will then arise in the spiritual 
 people, as it began to at first with a small number, nor do 
 they wish to have large riches or many possessions, which 
 slay the soul, but they will say, ' Woe unto us, because we 
 have sinned !' For because of their past fear and past grief, 
 they will be comforted and conducted to justice, as the angels 
 were comforted by the fall of the devil and the love of God ; 
 and so afterwards they will live in humiUty, and will not de- 
 sire to rebel against God with wicked works, but being purged 
 from many errors, they will afterwards persist in the strong 
 way of uprightness." 
 
 Here ends the second chapter of the second book of the 
 ** Pentacron, or Mirror of Future Times, by the blessed virgin 
 Hildegarde." 
 
 We have inserted this letter in this work, because there are 
 many persons who have no copy or specimen of the work 
 above alluded to ; and also in order that those who read it 
 may understand that the spirit bloweth where it Hsteth, and 
 announces what is about to happen in a brief space of time 
 ensuing. The sun of the Minor Brothers being obscured by 
 the death of the pope, who belonged to that order, as has 
 been stated before, the moon also suffered eclipse ; for the 
 archbishop of Canterbury, whose wisdom had been entirely 
 swallowed up before his death, and who in his prosperity had 
 despised and trampled on many persons, and especially on the 
 professors of the most holy order of the most blessed Bene- 
 
 A.D. 1293. WAR BETWEEN ENGLAND AND NOEMANDY. 495 
 
 diet, died this year, without being bewailed by the monks. In 
 this year, the king exacted as a tax due to the lord the king, for 
 the purpose of relieving the Holy Land, a fifteenth part of all 
 their property, whether spiritual or temporal, from both clergy 
 and laity ; and this impost was granted and punctually paid. 
 About this time, too, another tenth was exacted, together with 
 the tenth already assigned to him, from the goods of the clergy, 
 for six years by the Roman court. 
 
 Rhesus, the son of Meredith, the most powerful of the 
 Welch chieftains, who had originally been a most loyal sub- 
 ject of the king of England, but who was afterwards his most 
 cruel persecutor, and who had for a long time been lying 
 hid in the mountains and caves of Wales, being taken prisoner 
 by the king's loyal subjects, was brought to Berwick, on the 
 borders of Scotland, and there punished according to his 
 demerits, for he received the double punishment of a traitor 
 and a robber, and so he was dragged at the tails of horses, 
 and then put to death by hanging. In these days, too, a cer- 
 tain noble, by name John Balliol, by consent of the king of 
 England, assumed, by a formal decree, the privileges and the 
 crown of the kingdom of Scotland, on condition of himself 
 and his successors swearing fealty, and doing liege homage to 
 the king of England. 
 
 This year, the lord Richard Burnel, of pious memory, bishop 
 of Bath and Wells, and chancellor of England, died ; and he 
 was succeeded by Master William de Marche, the king's trea- 
 surer of the exchequer at Westminster, after the death of John 
 de Kirkby, bishop of Ely. 
 
 Cn. XXIII.— Feom A.D. 1293 to a.d. 1295. 
 
 War between England and Normandy— The king of England 
 is summoned to France — Ambassadors arrive in England 
 from the king of Arragon — Edward again marches into 
 Wales — Madoc is imprisoned in the Tower of London — The 
 Scots make a treaty with the king of France — War between 
 France and England. 
 
 Normans and English fight at sea, 
 God gives the right tJie victory. 
 
 A.D. 1293. A great dissension arose between the English 
 and the Normans, for the natives of the sea-coast of Nor- 
 mandy, in the violence of their rage or ignorance, slew some 
 
496 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 1293. 
 
 of the English by different kinds of death, and hung others 
 to the yards of the masts of the ship, together with some dogs, 
 at which the barons of the Cinque Ports were indignant, and 
 speedily equipped their ships with all necessary naval appoint- 
 ments, to avenge the injury done to the EngUsh. And pass- 
 ing over the swelling back of the sea with a numerous fleet, 
 they slew with the sword their enemies who came to encounter 
 them, and threw their carcasses into the sea, without respect to 
 their rank, and did not letone single survivor escape, and brought 
 back their vessels, and baggage, and wines, and other neces- 
 saries to their own homes, and all the contents of their ships, 
 dividing the ships and their spoils among themselves ; of 
 which spoils the king of England would not accept anything, 
 on the ground of not having given his sanction to their design, 
 because they had done what they had done without his com- 
 mand ; therefore the French, being alarmed and thrown into 
 confusion, went to the lord their king, entreating his aid. And 
 accordingly, ambassadors are sent between the two kings to 
 treat of the estabhshment of peace ; but the end could not be 
 expected yet, unless kingdom should rise against kingdom, 
 at the instigation of Charles, the brother of the king of France, 
 a man of great nobleness and influence. However, by sea the 
 English forces prevailed. 
 
 In the meantime, the Cistercian abbots, fearing for their 
 skins, who previously, without any objection, had been accus- 
 tomed from time to time to visit their principal monastery in 
 Burgundy, coming from the English territories to the sea- 
 coast, hearing evil reports, returned home again, without 
 having obtained leave from their fathers, because they heard 
 terrible news at Dover from the bishop of London and other 
 ambassadors of the king of England, arriving from the king 
 of France. But the scholars who were studying at Paris, 
 with other students of England, in like manner returned to 
 their native land. So, while the kingdoms of France and 
 England were being agitated by these storms, a certain noble 
 count, namely, the count de la Barre, whose power, to a great 
 degree, depended on the empire, arrived in England for the 
 purpose of marrying the eldest daughter of the lord the king 
 of England, by name Eleanor, attended by a numerous com- 
 pany of noble knights and others. And the king received 
 him honourably, and carried him about with him for several 
 days. 
 
 •\ 
 
 A.D. 1293. 
 
 KING EBWAHD CITED TO PABIS. 
 
 497 
 
 of EnglanI summonTng iTmt iZ" f„ '"'""'" '" 'h^^-S 
 l"s parliament, to make a,,swer to TrL P*'""'" " ^*™' « 
 t.ma,e objections which tl e laTd kin. aTd ?,""?"'" """^ ^''^'■ 
 to bnr^ forward agamst him. in Se word:- '^ " ^^P""' 
 
 it -notpo.ib.;bfc:Lteytrm7/„ tattf- '° *'n 
 
 and Imving also taken armed me""' •'°'" '<'"g''°'» "f England, 
 have collected /here oTnlvln '" ^,T', '"""''^^^' *'""» "'^y 
 knowledge of the fact or „tf ^ ''u'"' "°' "'"'""t your 
 
 possibility of vour be ngTgnorant ofTt b '*' """^ ^'^'"« "">' 
 with wicked minds have Z^!? n ' \^\ ^one forth, and 
 Normandy, and of some ttT ^^ ^T"^'^ •""" '"'•Jects of 
 iand and i a!" n p acert.d ,ect fn" "• ""^^.'''"Sdom, ioth by 
 slaying great numbera of t^^m I "•"■ J"™'''<=«;°". i'>ln.manlV 
 ter of them, and takfn ° Li ' T\ "'""""^ " '""•"''''' ^laugl - 
 ing them when taken al^h^ °/ "''"' P"'^""^^'' «"<» d^'«»'- 
 plundering them of 'he r shL! "T P'"''T^''''«'^'l wickedness 
 estimable value hav n<^ n1 ''^ "" '""«'"""»'«« of almost in- 
 laid and sunk them„^df ir^ '." ""any of their ships afore- 
 tions and comma,l iU. t /"^ ""'"""'P' "^ "« Prohibi- 
 
 againstjhe aforesIidrUo:,^ "^ Sfv" "i'l""^ "^""^ 
 
 t:!:tion',l:r;;f tt;r£t^j''::''n ^^ ^^'^ 
 
 land, which you have received If.l ' '""?'^°'" "^ ^"S' 
 which vou still harbour nit I ^'°'"" JU^^dietion, a.fd 
 
 required bv m.r a ,)' „« I f •'' ^'"""S "^^^^ sufficiently 
 
 thh.i.swhi4ae,ti r^'"? '" "'"'J'' restitution of those 
 
 oared to do^l ",U ha rXXdlid'to'd' ""' ""t? "•" 
 au^fferW been made to yZtt^^J^ t'^ ^^^ 
 
 K K 
 
498 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEB. 
 
 A.D. 1293. 
 
 belonging to any of your subjects had either really or ap- 
 parently been taken by the men of our kingdom, and was de- 
 tained by them, we would cause restitution of, or reparation 
 to be made for them to you. And as it is in like manner no- 
 torious and manifest that many of the aforesaid men of Bay- 
 onne having taken to themselves some other malefactors, have 
 traitorously attacked our town of Roupel, making several as- 
 saults upon it and its inhabitants, killing some of them and 
 injuring others in divers manners, we, as we could not pass 
 over or connive at their excesses and atrocities, enjoined you, 
 or those who are your lieutenants in Guienne and Bayonne, to 
 send a certain numl)er of the aforesaid men of Bayonne, by 
 yourself or your lieutenants, to appear in person before us at 
 Perigueux, within a certain period which has now elapsed, to 
 do what reason advised and justice demanded. And we also 
 caused some other mandates with respect to the aforesaid mat- 
 ters to be delivered to you, with sufficient distinctness by our 
 letters patent, which injunctions and commands you have con- 
 tumaciously and contemptuously neglected to obey. And as, 
 for certain and lawful causes, we have caused the city of 
 Bourdcaux, and the district of Anjou, and all other territories 
 which your people and your lieutenants in the aforesaid places 
 occupied in your name, within the boundaries cf our seneschal- 
 ship of Perigord, in the districts of Perigueux, Chateauroux, 
 and Limoges, your people and lieutenants have been contu- 
 maciously disobedient and rebellious to our people, who, with- 
 out arms, demanded the execution of our aforesaid mandate ; 
 and they persist in their rebeUion, obeying neither our com- 
 mands nor our officers. And, what is still harder to be borne, 
 they have fortified and garrisoned the cities, castles, towns, 
 and other places in the aforesaid territory against us, purpos- 
 ing every day, in a hostile manner, to resist our just and feu- 
 dal demands. And they have not chosen to give up certain 
 castles and fortresses which, for certain and lawful reasons, 
 we have caused to be demanded of them by our people ; 
 whether it be that they were unwilling to surrender them, or 
 whether they contemptuously refused to do so, and they have 
 stirred up, and do stir up, and invite the people of that dis- 
 trict to resist us and our people on our roads and journeys ; 
 binding the people by express oaths to oppose us, and, at the 
 assizes, they have publicly promulgated letters on your be- 
 half, and have said that no obedience was to be rendered tons 
 or to our people in anything. 
 
 A.D. 121)3. 
 
 KING EDWARD CITED TO PARIS. 
 
 499 
 
 " And even if our people, in their own justification, do, as 
 is fitting, seize, take, or occupy, or wish to seize, take, or oc- 
 cupy, any thing, they resist our people by force, and rescue 
 it, in many places attacking our people without any regard to 
 the time, and assaulting them with arms, and shamefully ex- 
 pelling them, beating them, and by force ejecting them from 
 that territory, and treating others with violence ; so in these 
 and many other particulars stirring up a public sedition against 
 us and our royal prerogatives, to the prejudice of our superior 
 authority, and to the lesion of our royal majesty ; and these 
 deeds have been done so long and so notoriously, and are still 
 done every day, so that you cannot with any probability plead 
 ignorance of them. And as, by public rumour, information has 
 reached us that, after many appeals from many of your lieu- 
 tenants to our court, occasions for appeals being interposed, 
 they, to the great and serious prejudice of our superior autho- 
 rity, and to the contempt of our jurisdiction, have unreason- 
 ably and cruelly, without any regard to humanity, and with 
 an open contempt for the reverence due to us, ill-treated those 
 who had appealed to our jurisdiction, and who were exempt 
 by reason of these very appeals, arresting them, and commit- 
 ting them to rigorous imprisonment, as in the case of Grim- 
 bald de Tisan, Bernard de Raunhan, Andrew de Baysac, Boni- 
 face de Coceti, surnamed Ros, and many others, depriving 
 them of all their property, expelling them from their houses, 
 estates, and hereditary possessions, mutilating the aforesaid 
 Garsia, hanging several others, such as Arnold de Bordis, Ber- 
 nard of Pelliferme, and a man called Formage, thrusting forks 
 into their throats, and afterwards openly binding them with 
 cords, so that they could not speak, or appeal, or renew their 
 appeals, and, under pain of hanging, forbidding some notaries, 
 w ho were required by the appellants to draw up some public 
 instruments concerning the aforesaid appeals, to draw up any 
 such instruments (the notaries so forbidden being Master 
 Martin Mercer, and many others), and imprisoning others, 
 and detaining them, namely. Master Raymond de Lacussan, 
 advocate, of Anjou, and several others, and torturing them 
 with many kinds of torments, because they said that it was 
 lawful for the people of Guienne, and of the whole territory 
 of Anjou, to appeal from your seneschal to us. On these ac- 
 counts, we order and command you, under such penalties as 
 you might have been and may be liable to, that, on the tweu- 
 
 KK 2 
 
/ 
 
 />()0 
 
 MATTHEW OF AVESTMINSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 1293. 
 
 tieth day after the ensuing Nativity of the Lord (on which we 
 peremptorily require you to be at Paris), to appear before us, 
 as you will be and are bound to appear, and the character of 
 such crimes and excesses requires and demands, to make an- 
 swer to all the aforesaid charges, the investigation into which 
 belongs to us, touching the excesses before mentioned, and 
 whatever other questions may grow out of them, and touching 
 anything else whatever which we may think fit to bring up 
 against you, and to submit to the law, and to listen to what is 
 just, and willingly to abide by it. Signifying to you, by the 
 tenor of these present letters, that, whether you appear to an- 
 swer to the charges before mentioned, at the appointed time 
 and place, or not, we nevertheless shall proceed, as we are 
 bound to do, your absence notwithstanding. Given at Paris," &c. 
 Because the king of England did not pay any attention to 
 this command, he was presently, by the unanimous judgment 
 of his peers, pronounced a banished man, and all the terri- 
 tories which he had previously possessed in the kingdom of 
 France were confiscated. But a most loyal and fearless knight 
 of the king of England, namely, John de Saint John, very 
 frequently, from time to time, defended the territories of his 
 master, with manly courage, from the assaults and irruptions 
 of the French. Therefore, the king of England wishing to 
 relieve himself from his difficulties, secretly made mention of 
 a certain contract of marriage, voluntarily offering to surren- 
 der gratuitously a part of Guienne, and some castles which he 
 named, into the hands of king Phihp, for a period of forty 
 days, if he could, by so doing, eifect the completion of that 
 agreement. And he sent letters of credence by Master John 
 de Lacy to John de Saint John, on the receipt of which the 
 aforesaid knight, being seneschal of Guienne, whether wil- 
 lingly or unwillingly, abandoned the province, and the king of 
 France took possession secretly of the surrendered places, 
 behaving with great prevarication, to the prejudice of the 
 king's honour. Moreover, adding iniquity to iniquity, he 
 expelled all the English from the territories of France ; there- 
 fore, the lord Edmund, the brother of the king of England, 
 who had been the mediator by whose means peace had been 
 endeavoured to be re-established between the two parties, was 
 banished from France, and his wife, the queen of Navarre, 
 with the whole of her English household, was forced to leave 
 her beloved home, and they all departed for their native country. 
 
 
 A.D. 1294. THE KING OF ENGLAyD SEEKS ASSISTANCE. 501 
 
 In this year, too, the justiciaries going the circuit sat on the 
 day of Saint Catharine, at the old stone cross at Westminster. 
 
 This year, John of Peckham, archbishop of Canterbury, 
 died, and was succeeded by Master Robert of Winchilsea, 
 archdeacon of Essex. 
 
 IVale^ note ceases to he free^ 
 A new archhishop rules his see. 
 
 A.D. 1294. Edward, king of England, held his parliament 
 at Westminster, after the feast of Pentecost, which was attended 
 by John, king of Scotland, and by all the nobles of England ; 
 and at this parliament were recited, in the hearing of all those 
 then present, the reasons for the commencement and continu- 
 ance of this war, and the reports of the ambassadors ; and 
 also the promises which had been made of re-establishing 
 peace in England. At which statement each of the ambassa- 
 dors of the lord the king showed his hand in all good faith, 
 to the utmost of his power. At last, every one agreed to re- 
 cover Guienne by force of arms. Then the king of Scotland 
 granted to the king of England, for three years, the revenues 
 of all his estates, which belonged to him by hereditary right, 
 in the kingdom of England, as a subsidy towards the recovery 
 of Guienne, contenting himself with those of Scotland alone. 
 And the other earls and nobles promised him aid from their 
 resources. Therefore from that day forth all passage across 
 the sea was forbidden, by which the merchants incurred heavy 
 losses, and the scarcity and dearness of corn increased every 
 day in the English territories. 
 
 But the king of England, being aware of the power of the 
 king of France, and of the deceitfulness of the French, and of 
 their customary and inveterate malignity, and considering 
 in his own mind every thing that either could now, or might 
 hereafter, tend to his security, sent embassies to the people of 
 the province, and to the neighbouring kings and princes, to 
 come to his assistance in his necessities, when they should see 
 a suitable place and opportunity. In the mean time, the king 
 of Arragon sends four of his chief nobles, men of the highest 
 nobility and reputation, who, passing through the middle of 
 France, with valuable presents, and being also attended by 
 some persons in the disguise of poor men, who proceeded, if 
 not publicly, at all events cautiously (whether they preceded 
 or followed them I do not know), and who carried their letters, 
 
 i,i 
 
 a 
 
502 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1294. 
 
 by the favour of God landed in England safe and sound. 
 And being conducted into the king's presence, they were ad- 
 mitted with great ceremony, and opening their stores they 
 (jflfered him their precious gifts ; and, what was still more ac- 
 ceptable to the king, they presented him with letters from 
 tlieir sovereign, sealed with the royal ring and seal. In which 
 letters it is said to have been written, that whenever the king 
 of England should march his army against the king of France, 
 the king of Arragon, not forgetting the injuries which had 
 been inflicted on his father and his kingdom by the father of 
 the king of France, would hasten with a powerful army of 
 well-appointed knights, to avenge himself and to subdue the 
 armies of the French. And when the king heard this, he 
 rejoiced, and introducing the ambassadors into his palace, he 
 ordered them to be treated with every possible courtesy. And 
 when they had stayed there some days, and had been abun- 
 dantly requited from out of the king's treasury, having re- 
 ceived an answer from the king, and having been advised not 
 to return back by the way by which they came, they returned 
 to the kingdom of Arragon by another road. 
 
 After these events, Edward, king of England, sent the arch- 
 bishop of DubUn, and the bishop of Durham, and some of the 
 more powerful barons of his kingdom, to the king of Germany, 
 with royal gifts and valuable presents, in order that he, who 
 was not previously connected with him by any affinity, might 
 now at a fitting season be united with him in an indissoluble 
 treaty, by virtue of the symbol of the cross. And after these 
 ambassadors had crossed the sea, and had been honourably 
 received by the king, a measure which was assisted, or indeed 
 I may say brought about, by a sum of a hundred thousand 
 pounds sterling, and so when every obstacle and difficulty 
 having been removed, the work for which they had come 
 prospered very well in their hands. And so it came to pass, 
 that the two sovereigns entered upon and ratified an agree- 
 ment, and became friends and respectively dear to one another, 
 namely, the king of England and the king of Germany, who 
 were previously unknown and strangers to one another. And 
 the ambassadors of the king of England, having bade farewell 
 to the king of Germany, returned with joy to England, and 
 reported what they had done in that country to the king of 
 England. At that time, also, namely, on the second Sunday 
 in the month of July, a horrible investigation and most exe- 
 
 I 
 
 A.D. 1294. 
 
 PETER DE MURON ELECTED POPE. 
 
 503 
 
 crable sacrilege took place in the church of God, throughout 
 the entire kingdom of England, such as had not happened 
 before, and such as it is believed had not been committed for 
 many preceding ages. And this measure did not, as we be- 
 lieve, proceed from the conscience of the lord the king ; but 
 rather, the author of this proceeding was Master William do 
 March, at that time treasurer of the lord the king, who, in 
 reference to this action, ought not to be spoken of as bishop of 
 Bath, but as a tyrant, who did not defend, but who offended 
 the church. At all events, he was the actor, whoever he may 
 have been by whose authority it was done. And because he 
 thus violated the temple of the world, he had better beware of 
 the anathema of Saint Paul, who has said, "If any one violates 
 the temple of the Lord, God will destroy him." 
 
 At this time the king of England was staying at Portsmouth, 
 constantly waiting for a fair wind, from the feast of the Na- 
 tivity of Saint John the Baptist to that of the Exaltation of the 
 Holy Cross ; for, during the whole of that time, it was con- 
 trary to the wishes of himself and his people. Therefore the 
 king, for the further increase of his army, commanded the re- 
 lease of all who were in prison, and promised pardon to all 
 the malefactors and fugitives, on condition that when he first 
 crossed the sea, they should also cross with the king's faithful 
 subjects ; and they all rejoiced, and unanimously promised to 
 do so. And accordingly, many thousands of such persons 
 soon flocked in to the king ; but after a short time they mur- 
 mured against the good man of the iiouse for their dailypence, 
 and so went back and departed from their dependence on 
 the king. Therefore the king, being pricked in his heart with 
 grief, and taking care for the future, swore that from that 
 time forth he would never grant dismissory letters to such 
 wicked men. 
 
 At this time. Lord John de Sanford, archbishop of Dublin, 
 having been attacked by a severe illness, went the way of all 
 flesh. The same year, also, a certain monk, named Peter de 
 Muron, of the order of Saint Benedict, who had lived for a 
 long time in the solitude of a hermitage, was, in the city of 
 Aquileia, elected and created supreme pontiff, on the day of 
 the beheading of Saint John the Baptist, and assumed the 
 name of pope Celestine the Fifth. He was a man of simplicity 
 and uprightness, and one who feared God, and was distin- 
 guished for his virtues. On his way to the court, he did not 
 
 W 
 
 t: I 
 
 I 
 
504 
 
 MATTHEW OF WE3TMTNSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 1294. 
 
 presume to mount a horse or mule, but only a donkey ; and 
 A^hen he had dismounted from that, and entered the church, 
 a certain cripple cried out, and begged the people to put him 
 on the ass on which the pope had been sitting, out of regard 
 to charity. But the byestanders reproved him, and badeliini 
 hold his peace. But he cried out all the more, begging that, 
 for the love of the Son of David, who had sanctified u'le toldint^ 
 doors, entering Jerusalem on a colt, the foal of an ass, they 
 would put him on the ass's back. A marvellous thing hap- 
 pened. The cripple being placed on the ass, immediatdy re- 
 ceived soundness in his limbs, and his legs and feet bein"- 
 strengthened, he who had been lame went forth, praising God 
 for the merits of his servant, Celestine. By this pope Celes- 
 tnie. Master Robert of Winchilsea, archbishop elect of Canter- 
 bury, was confirmed in his diocese and consecrated. 
 
 On the vigil of Saint Matthew the Apostle, all the cler'^y 
 and laity having been assembled at Westminster, the king d'e- 
 manded of the whole church, throughout the whole kingdom of 
 England, a moiety of all their possessions, both temporal and 
 spiritual. But when this, which was a measure without a prece- 
 dent in all ages, was heard of, the pontiffs and prelates were dis- 
 turbed and alarmed, and groaning in anguish of spirit, notdarino- 
 to offend or contradict the king, but consenting to the royal de° 
 mands, they granted him a moiety of all their revenues which 
 came in in one year. Which moiety, however, if they had 
 thought more prudently and properly, and had not omitted to 
 consult the Apostolic See, they would by no means have dared 
 to grant to the king. Therefore, having arranged and ap- 
 pointed certain periods for this payment, they returned to their 
 own homes. And the king lost no time ; but as soon as the first 
 
 instalments, according to the taxation of this previously taxed tithe, 
 had been paid, he ordered the goods of the secular knights to be 
 taxed, and a tenth to be paid to him throughout all England. And 
 he levied a tax for the relief of his necessities on all merchants, 
 and on all citizens dwelling in their walled cities and market 
 towns, to the amount of the sixth penny of all that they pos- 
 sessed. It is also said that Master Wilham de Montfort, dean 
 of St. Paul's, in London, coming safe and sound to the court, 
 in the hope of softening the disposition of the monarch, or] 
 at all events, of lightening such an insupportable yoke of slavery] 
 like a good son of the church, and coming before the king lu 
 order to deliver the speech which he had conceived in his mind. 
 
 A.D. 1294. POPE CELESTINE EESIGXS THE TIARA. 
 
 5o:> 
 
 and which he had come to utter, became suddenly mute, and 
 losing all the strength of his body, he fell down' before the 
 king and expired. But as the king passed over this event with 
 indifierent eyes, and persisted the more vehemently in his de- 
 mand, it was still uncertain how much every one was to pay 
 to the king. 
 
 The consequence was, that different persons told different 
 stories, varying from time to time ; and so, after eating sour 
 grapes, at last, when they were assembled in the refectory of 
 the monks at Westminster, a knight, John Havering by name, 
 rose up in the midst of them, and said, " My venerable men, 
 this is the demand of the king — the annual moiety of the 
 revenues of your churches. And if any one objects to this, 
 let him rise up in the middle of this assembly, that his person 
 may be recognised and taken note of, as he is guilty of treason 
 against the king's peace." When they heard this, all the 
 prelates were disturbed, and immediately agreed to the king's 
 demands. 
 
 After these events, when the course of this melancholy year 
 was proceeding onward to its end, pope Celestine, choosing, 
 like the blessed Mary, the better part of a contemplative life, 
 on the sweetness of which he had been already fed and fattened 
 in no slight degree, threw himself into the middle of the 
 brethren, stripping himself of his birret and his mantle, and 
 renouncing all the honour and burden and favour and danger 
 of his office, on account of the cares of worldly affairs which 
 it brought upon him, he refused any longer to discharge the 
 office of governor of the Romans, asserting that he was not 
 fit for the execution of such laborious duties. Truly the 
 children of this world are wiser in their generation than the 
 children of light. But he adjured them in the name of the 
 Holy and indivisible Trinity, without any delay or dissension, to 
 elect an energetic and serviceable man, w ho might undertake 
 the discharge of this burthen, to the honour of God and his 
 own salvation. And being requested by the brethren to point 
 out and sanction the nomination of some worthy person, since 
 they looked upon him himself, he named a man called Benedict, 
 a man of wisdom beyond all his fellows, and who had often 
 transacted business in the court of Rome. For this Benedict 
 was a native of Cadiz, having been first of all a procurator, 
 then an advocate, afterwards a noUiry, then cardinal deacon of 
 the title of Saint Nicholas in the Tullian prison. Then the 
 
 i 
 
506 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1294. 
 
 brethren, seeing that he had judged wisely, exalted Benedict 
 on the feast of Saint Hilary, and placed him in the chair of 
 the elders, and changing his name Benedict, from good to better, 
 he assumed that of Boniface. 
 
 About this time, while the hearts of many were agitated, 
 news was brought to thie king's ears thattlie Welch were again 
 behaving malignantly, and raging in the whole spirit of malign ity, 
 adding new crimes to their old ones, on account of the unac- 
 customed and heavy yoke that was laid upon them, and of the 
 imposts which are exacted of them, to which their territories 
 did not seem equal in the eyes of some of them. And ac- 
 cordingly they all with one accord rushed to war, and attacked 
 their governor, a man whose name was Roger de Pyvelesdon ; 
 and they hung some others of our men, by way of showing 
 great contempt for and insult to the king's authority, others 
 burnt some of the villages and suburban towns with fire, others 
 busied themselves with rapine and bloodshed, and inflicted 
 great losses on our English countrymen. But Roger, who had 
 been sent thitherto execute the king's commission, they stripped 
 and hanged for some time, and afterwards beheaded him. When 
 the king heard this, he departed from Westminster the day 
 after the feast of Saint Brice, and hastened towards Wales, 
 having assembled a numerous army, in order utterly to subdue 
 and reduce under his own sovereignty that sacrilegious and 
 profane nation. And marching with all imaginable haste, with 
 a powerful and warlike army, he moved his army towards 
 Snowdon, and having gone all round Wales, he arrayed it with 
 the object of manfully defeating his enemies. But they fled 
 at his approach, as if at the sight of a snake, and sought their 
 secret hiding-places in the woods. But a thousand men of the 
 king's armvfell sick and died, worn outbv the difficulties of the 
 ground, the badness of the climate, and vapours arising from 
 the deep marshes, which created dysentery among them. But 
 of the Welch forces who were found outside of the thicknesses 
 of the woods, the edge of the sword devoured hundreds and 
 hundreds in their battalions, and even more than that. And 
 soon afterwards, Conan, the author of the mischief, and a most 
 notorious robber among the Welch, was taken prisoner, and 
 sent to the city of Hereford, where, on the day of Saint Matthias, 
 he was drasrsred at the tail of a horse, with two others who had 
 
 *03' 
 
 been his adherents, and then hanged till he died. And in like 
 manner, two others, who were liis officers, received justice. 
 
 'f 
 
 A.D. 1294. 
 
 ETO>'S IS BESIEGED AND TAKEN. 
 
 507 
 
 After this, Morgan, who w^as also a Welcliman, and who 
 lifted up his heel against the earl of Gloucester, and another 
 chief of the name of Madoc, their titular prince, having 
 ascertained that the right wing of the king's army was the 
 strongest, and that that wing was directing ail its might, 
 and the whole weight of the war against their forces, forsaking 
 their hiding-places, and being struck with terror, began to think 
 of going to the king and imploring peace. And first of all, 
 Morgan submitted himself to the authority and pleasure of the 
 king, and received mercy rather than justice. And Madoc, 
 when he saw this, being moved to repentance, in like manner 
 implored the clemency of the king, and obtained peace as far 
 as to be delivered from all personal punishment, though he 
 was committed to prison in the Tower of London. Therefore, 
 the king withdrew from those parts, having subdued the necks 
 of the rebels, and punished the most criminal of them with 
 deserved punishment, such as that to which he had condemned 
 Roger de Pyvelesdon ; and he fortified the Isle of Anglesey 
 with additional castles. And the land had rest for a short 
 time. 
 
 While these events were happening, a band of nobles and 
 gallant knights, belonging to the kingdom of England, sailing 
 towards Guienne, with great difficulty arrived at a certain 
 island named Oleron. From thence they proceeded onwards 
 and landed in Guienne, with the favour of the inhabitants of 
 the towns who still adhered, with all their hearts, to their own 
 lord, the king of England ; and by whom he was admitted 
 into the fortified cities, in spite of the garrisons of the French. 
 At this, Charles, the brother of the king of France, was ex- 
 ceedingly angry, and having collected a very numerous force of 
 well-armed men, he suddenly laid siege to the town of Ryons, 
 in which a portion of the English people had built themselves 
 an asylum, and bravely took the town, and made the garrison 
 prisoners, not without great loss on his own side, there being 
 taken, alas, for shame ! about thirteen English knights, who 
 were sent to Paris, and there committed to liberal custody. 
 But He, who does not suffer His children to be afflicted be- 
 yond what they can bear, showed the English a means by 
 which they might derive comfort. For in those days, the 
 soldiers, who came from the coasts of England, while they 
 were endeavouring to keep their enemies at a distance, fell in 
 with twenty-six ships belonging to the Spaniards, loaded with 
 
 f: 
 
 
508 
 
 3lATTnEW OF WESTillNSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1294. 
 
 merchandize of different kinds, of great value, to whom they 
 gave battle, and the fight lasted two days ; during which, the 
 two fleets inflicted many deadly blows on one another. On 
 the one side, men fell slain by arrows from arbalists ; on the 
 other side, they were crushed by missiles of great weight, and 
 so perished. And as despair is a dangerous thing, and the 
 issues of battle are various, the swords slew at one time men 
 on one side, and presently men on the other. At length. Mars 
 favoured the English, the Spaniards were slain, and some of 
 them fled, and the English carried fifteen of their vessels with 
 their contents into a British port. 
 
 This year also, wool was exported from the English territo- 
 ries into Germany. 
 
 The other injuries which the invincible fleet and army of 
 Yarmouth inflicted on the French, who can enumerate ? they 
 traversed the borders of Normandy, sparing no condition, sex, 
 or age, lighting up all the country with their conflagrations, 
 and giving their hands to plunder and danger. At that time, 
 there was no king, nor any law imposed upon sailors, but 
 whatever any one could carry off" or plunder, that he called 
 his own. 
 
 And so this year passed, sufficiently productive both in corn 
 and fruit, but very rainy, so that a great part of the crops of 
 the earth eventually failed by becoming rotten. And owing 
 to the torrents, the Thames overflowed its accustomed limits, 
 and covered and soaked the plains of Bermondsev, and the 
 liberties of Tothill. It also reached the cottages of the dealers 
 in the market of the cemetery at Westminster, and compelled 
 them to drive in stakes above their dwelUngs, to protect them. 
 And as the torrents of rain prevailed to a great extent, the val- 
 leys and pastures which were near the rivers were covered all 
 over the kingdom for some time. 
 
 The same year, the duke of Brabant, a man of great repu- 
 tation, held a round table in his dominions, at which an infi- 
 nite number of knights from England, and France, and other 
 nations were present. And the duke himself, at the very first 
 onset, was wounded by a spear, by a certain French knight, 
 and died the same day. 
 
 Bon de Clare, brother of the earl of Gloucester, rector, or 
 rather invader, of many churches, was cut off by a sudden 
 death, because he did but little good openly. John, arch- 
 bishop of Dubhn, who was a partizan of the king in every- 
 
 H 
 
 A.D. 1295. THE pope's LEGATES LAND IN ENGLAND. 
 
 509 
 
 thing, died in returning from the king of Arragon, to whom 
 he had been sent on the business of the king of England. 
 
 The king*s great power is onward borne, 
 The people is bg faction torn. 
 
 A.D. 1295. Robert, metropolitan of Canterbury, having now 
 returned from the court of Rome, having convened some of 
 his suffragans in the church of Saint Paul, in London, in the 
 week after the festival of the Apostles Peter and Paul, held a 
 special discussion on the liberties and customs of the church ; 
 and, like a true shepherd, he labouring to strengthen the bar- 
 riers and walls around the ruins of the walls or hedges which 
 protected his fold, legitimately recalled and re-established 
 certain constitutions which had been approved of by the holy 
 fathers, but which, by the neglect of mercenary men, had 
 fallen from their proper force. Moreover, he added some new 
 ordinances to the former ones, which he commanded to be in- 
 violably observed for the protection of the flock. 
 
 Two days after the feast of the Apostles Peter and Paul, 
 two cardinals were sent as legates a laterh by the lord 
 the pope, to reconcile and tranquillize the kingdoms of France 
 and England, which were swelling against one another with 
 mutual hatred. And when they had landed in England, the 
 people received them with all due honour, and the chief body 
 of his prelates and nobles was summoned by the king to meet 
 at Westminster, on the fifth of August ; and when they were 
 assembled, the cardinals and bishops being seated all around, 
 first of all, Edmund, the king's brother, and Master John de 
 Lacy, in the knig's presence, explained the beginning and 
 moving cause of the destructive war which had been carried 
 on, and the troubles which had existed, and the contempt of 
 all the laws of nations with which the sailors of England had 
 been treated ; and how the king of England discharged him- 
 self from the homage previously due to the king of France. 
 After this, when the cardinals demanded a proposal of the 
 conditions of peace, they were answered, that this could not be 
 given in till the pleasure of the king of Germany had been 
 consulted. On this, they next asked for a truce while the 
 peace was under discussion, but could not obtain it. Then, 
 in the third place, the violent band of sailors might be com- 
 pelled to keep quiet. But even in this part of the business 
 they met with no success. And while they were thus labour- 
 
 ( "; 
 
^1 
 
 I, 
 i 
 
 510 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMIJfSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1295. 
 
 ing to bring about a peace, behold, in the darkness and si- 
 lence of night, a piratical body of Frenchmen made an assault 
 on Dover, and burnt a house of religious brethren, and several 
 other houses near the sea-coast, with firebrands : and among 
 other atrocities, they slew a certain monk, named Thomas, a 
 man of mnocent and pure conversation from his childhood, 
 by whom the Lord worketh some miracles. Then, when cir- 
 cumstances changed as aid came up, those who had ascended 
 into the town having been beheaded, the rest, being terrified 
 by the people who came forward to fight them, hid themselves 
 in the gardens and in the caves ; and only a few escaped out of 
 a great number, who secretly regained their ships and em- 
 barked. And turning their backs and flying, when thev 
 arrived in their own country, they falsely boasted that th^ 
 had got possession of the keys of Dover Castle. 
 
 Then the cardinals, not having succeeded in the business 
 for which they had come, returned to Gaul, having spent a 
 great quantity of money ; and they extorted a double tax 
 from the members of the religious orders. So when these 
 events had become known in France, those men becoming 
 hardened in heart, whose feet had before been swift to shed 
 blood, collected the people, prepared a fleet, and took counsel 
 how they might make themselves masters of the kingdom of 
 England. But they were disappointed in the result of their 
 operations. They also sent forward a picked galley, manned 
 with three hundred warriors of the bravest of the kingdom of 
 France, in order to reconnoitre the weaker parts of the coun- 
 try, or to find out a suitable place for landing in. And seek- 
 ing a battle, they found an obstacle. For as they were rashly 
 approaching the shore, they were encountered by the men who 
 were set to guard the sea there, as they were surrounding the 
 galley which they had with too little care run aground at 
 Hythr ; and so they slew tlie men, whom they found there, 
 like sheep in a fold, and threw the headless bodies into the 
 wet burial place of the sea. And so there they fell who work 
 iniquity ; they were cast out, and were not able to stand. 
 
 The lord bishop of Bath and Wells, Master William de la 
 Marche, the steward of the lord the king, being treasurer of 
 the exchequer, was accused to the good man of the house, not 
 of having squandered his goods, but on various other com- 
 plaints which were brought against him, and so he was re- 
 moved from his stewardship, and another clerk, a great friend 
 
 
 A.D. 12S5. 
 
 PliOPOSAL TO INVADE ENGLAND. 
 
 511 
 
 of the king, Walter de Langton by name, was appointed to 
 his office in his stead. The foreign monks were excluded from 
 their houses, each of them being allowed eighteen pence a 
 week for his support. On the day of Saint Leodegarius, the 
 lord archbishop of Canterbury was enthroned in his cathe- 
 dral, and Master John of Monmouth was on the same day con- 
 secrated by him bishop of Llandaff. 
 
 In these days, the Scots having broken the covenant of 
 peace which they had made with their liege lord the king of 
 England, made another treaty with the king of France, which 
 is preserved in an authentic document drawn up by both 
 parties, and preserved to be read plainly by all who wish ; and 
 having thus made a confederacy, they rose in insurrection 
 against their king, despising his simplicity and disdaining his 
 superiority. And leading him into the inner districts of Scot- 
 land, they shut him up there in a certain castle, which was 
 surrounded by abrupt mountains, appointing knights to guard 
 their helpless king. After this, they elected, after the fashion 
 of the French, twelve peers, four bishops, four earls, and four 
 chieftains, by whose orders all the affjiirs of the kmgdoni 
 should be settled. And all this was done by way of insult to 
 the kingdom of England, because, in spite of the secret mur- 
 murings of some of the Scots, and the open objections of 
 others, John Bailiol had been appointed king of Scotland by 
 the king of England. 
 
 A certain knight, of great experience in war, by name 
 Thomas Turbeville, one of those who had been taken prisoner 
 at the siege of Ryons, departed and spoke to the nobles and 
 chief magistrates of the French, telhng them how they might 
 by treachery make themselves masters of the kingdom of 
 England ; so they rejoiced, and promised to give him an estate 
 and no inconsiderable sum of money. And he undertook the 
 business, leaving there his two sons as hostages, as a proof 
 that they might rely on him. But as they feared the common 
 people of England, as one that was skilful in the art of war 
 from the beginning, they thought how they might circumvent 
 them cunningly. Therefore, some of the French agreed to 
 furnish money to induce the prince of Wales again to renew 
 the war. And when the king of England had marched to 
 encounter the Welch, then the Scots and French were to ad- 
 vance treacherously on both sides, that in that way they might 
 invade the island when it was stripped of its defenders. 
 
 Ill 
 
 i'l 
 
 i 
 
512 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1295. 
 
 A.D. 1295. AMBASSADOBS AHE SENT TO CAMBRAT. 
 
 513 
 
 Accordingly, without any delay, the aforesaid traitor, returning 
 from foreign countries, united himself to the king of England 
 and the nobles of the land, telling them all that he had cun- 
 ningly escaped from prison, and learnt all the weak pohits of 
 France. And he lay hid hke a twisting serpent, carrying iu 
 his box a honied drug with which his victims might be 
 soothed, and made obedient to his conjurations. So, when he 
 had procured information respecting all the plans and arrange- 
 ments of the kingdom, he reduced it all to writing, and sent 
 the information to the provost of Paris. After this had been 
 done, by the working of Him who destroyeth the wicked, his 
 treason was detected, and immediately revealed to the king, 
 who sending officers, arrested him at once, and he was bound 
 with thongs, and brought to the king's tent on the eve of the 
 festival of Saint Denis, and being accused, he did not deny the 
 crime which he had committed. Therefore, he was condemned 
 by the following sentence :— First of all he was laid down on 
 a* bull's hide ; then six constables having mounted their 
 horses, he was dragged at their tails through the city of 
 London, surrounded by four executioners in masks, clothed 
 in trowsers and pelisses, and bearing clubs, who, as they pro- 
 ceeded rapidly onwards, heaped reproaches on him. And he 
 having been mocked and ill-treated with their sticks and 
 goads, was then hung on a gibbet, and his body, in accordance 
 with the command of the earls, was not allowed to receive 
 burial, so that passers-by might say, " Is this Thomas Turbe- 
 ville ?" and some versifier wrote an epitaph on him in these 
 terms — 
 
 " The cruel Thomas Turbeville 
 
 Disturbed our peace with wicked will ; 
 He was a spark ; but now the king 
 Has made him ashes, a vile thing. 
 He joined himself to Satan's crew, 
 This happy country to undo ; 
 Till stretched upon an ox'es hide, 
 He found the end of all his pride. 
 To vex the country he delighted, 
 Which now his treason has requited. 
 By justice fair he was o'erborne. 
 And righteously by horses torn. 
 So David's foe, Achitophel, 
 Perish'd, and met his meed in hell : 
 And Thomas, who for bribes did sell 
 Fair England, is undone as well." 
 
 
 On the eve of the feast of Saint Andrew, the clergy, nobles, 
 and laity having been summoned to Westminster, the king again 
 requested that they would grant him a subsidy out of their 
 substance, for the defence of the kingdom. And an eleventh 
 was granted him from those who had paid a tenth the year 
 before ; and those who had paid a sixth that year, were now 
 to contribute a seventh. Moreover, the archbishop of Canter- 
 bury having been indulged with permission to confer with his 
 suffragans on this subject, with their unanimous consent 
 offered the king a tenth of all ecclesiastical property ; which 
 having been offered, but not accepted, the bishops returned a 
 second time to consider of this matter. Therefore, the king 
 seeing their firmness, sent to them a great man, fifty years of 
 age, namely, the chief justice of the king's bench, and his 
 subordinate officers, who said, " bishop, the king says, I 
 neither accept, nor will I accept your offering, but descend 
 speedily and fulfil his will, granting him at least a fourth part, 
 or a third.'* But one Elias, the archbishop, did not descend 
 with his clergy from their place ; nor did the oxen who were 
 supporting the ark of the covenant turn aside to the right hand 
 or to the left. In the meantime, the king sent another man 
 of fifty years of age, belonging to his chancery, and his subor- 
 dinate officers, and they too made the same request that those 
 who had been previously sent had made. But by all these 
 measures the body of the clergy was not moved from their re- 
 solution, but as they had previously granted a tenth, they now 
 repeated the offer. Therefore, the king seeing that his 
 demand was beyond the ability of the clergy to grant, not 
 wishing to afflict them, on the day after the feast of the Con- 
 ception of the blessed Mary, he received their offering as if 
 welcome. And the clergy received this as a good omen, and 
 80 Israel returned to their tents. 
 
 King Edward celebrated the feast of the Nativity at Saint 
 Alban's, having previously, while at Westminster, appointed 
 formal ambassadors to be sent to the town which is called 
 Cambray, and which is situated on the borders of France and 
 Germany, with the object of re-estabUshing harmony and 
 peace. On the day after the feast of Saint Hilary, a fleet of 
 three hundred and fifty-two ships, with all necessary accom- 
 paniments, having been assembled at Plymouth, Edmund, the 
 brother of the lord the king, earl of Leicester, and Henry de 
 Lacy, earl of Lincoln, sailed with a fair wind along the coast 
 
 TOL. II. 
 
 L L 
 
 Ml 
 '11 
 
i: 
 
 I 
 
 514 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMIlfSTEB. 
 
 A.D. 1295. 
 
 of Brittany, as far as Bourdeaux. But ■when they came to- 
 wards the coast near the town of Saint Mathieu, then the in- 
 habitants of the town, seeing so great a multitude, took up all 
 the property which belonged to them, and fled. And when 
 messengers had been sent to them to desire them to submit 
 themselves to the king of England, they deceitfully asked for 
 time to deliberate till six o'clock. And having obtained this 
 respite, in the meantime they completed the removal of all 
 their portable property. So, when the EngUsh saw this, they, 
 as soon as they reached the land, entered the town, and car- 
 ried off" the little which they found remaining there, and burst 
 all the casks and spilt the wine, and burnt one vessel of great 
 size. After this, many of them entered the abbey of Saint 
 Mathieu, and carried ofl" all the vessels of the church, and 
 the image of the head of the aforesaid saint, to the lord Ed- 
 mund, the general of their army. All which things the lord 
 Edmund sequestrated, and caused to be restored to the per- 
 sons connected with the church. But the Welch, pursuing 
 the flying people, caught some and slew them, and burnt the 
 houses of many of them with firebrands, triumphing in their 
 spoils. After which, they sailed away to the harbour which 
 is called Brest. From thence they passed over to Saint Gillemis 
 de Boys, where they burnt thirty galleys, and other vessels 
 fit for sea, and remained there some time till they could not 
 procure any water, and yet they could not quit the port, as 
 the wind had changed its direction. So they cried to the 
 Lord in their trouble, and he heard them in the multitude of 
 his mercies, opening their hearts, as though he would teach 
 them that they should each dig for treasure in diff*erent places. 
 And a miracle, as it were, took place that day, for digging 
 into the ground, which was in some parts sown and ploughed, 
 and in others uncultivated and sandy, they found a quantity 
 of corn hidden in chests and coffers, for which they returned 
 thanks to God, and then conveyed it to their ships. At the 
 same instant the wind became fair, and so they arrived at the 
 city of Blayes, where the lord Edmund landed with his army. 
 And from thence returning as far as the town of Castillon, 
 they brought their horses out of the ships, and then they pro- 
 ceeded further inwards towards the town of Sparre, where the 
 inhabitants of the town, being worn out by a long siege, sur- 
 rendered the castle to the EngHsh. In the meantime, the 
 English troops belonging to the fleet, on the Easter eve as- 
 
 I 
 
 A.D. 1295. EDWABD PROPOSES TEEMS TO THE SCOTS. 
 
 .0 1 ."> 
 
 saulted the city of Bourdeaux, and slew that day about thirty 
 men with the arrows from their arbalists. And on the Wed- 
 nesday in Easter week, the French secretly entering the city of 
 Bourdeaux about evening, having broken the truce to which 
 they had mutually agreed with the English, attacked the En- 
 ghsh dwelling in the wood near the city, who were suspecting 
 nothing of the sort. And when this was reported by the re- 
 connoitring parties, immediately the gallant soldiers, taking 
 up their warUke arms, went forth to meet them. But the 
 citizens, when they heard the sound of the trumpets, seeing 
 how small was the number of the enemy whom they had to 
 encounter, and calculating that their whole army was now 
 ready for battle, entered the city with all the speed possible. 
 And while two knights of their number were pursuing the 
 enemy, they entered the city, and immediately the gates were 
 shut upon them. And the rest of the French remained out- 
 side, and were slain by the sword. But the two knights above- 
 mentioned, who had entered the city while pursuing the enemy, 
 refused to surrender to their enemies, but resisted gallantly, 
 preferring to die like men, rather than to be shamefully impri- 
 soned. Therefore, on the Friday in that week, the naval and 
 military forces, having taken counsel together, assailed the city 
 with their united forces, and having battered down the outer 
 wall of the city, eff'ected an entrance into the suburbs, and m.ide 
 no little slaughter. And when the inhabitants of the suburbs 
 saw this, they set fire to their houses, and fled within the walls 
 of the city. There was among the rest at that time a certain 
 son of Belial, who disturbed the whole army, saying that the 
 count of Artois was present at Langes, with a body of nine hun- 
 dred armed cavalry ; who having left the siege of Bourdeaux, 
 turned aside thither, and not finding the count, searched the 
 city, which was subsequently surrendered to them. After which, 
 they made themselves masters of the town of Saint Macaire, 
 which they not long afterwards shamefully lost, through the 
 childish superstition of some false- speaking persons. In the 
 month of March, on the first day of the month, king Edward, 
 being at Newcastle-on-Tyne, collected a powerful army to 
 chastise the ungracious conduct of the Scots, proposing to 
 them three alternatives — either to endure voluntarily to submit 
 themselves to his decision, or to quit their country and go into 
 exile, or to prepare for a pitched battle in the plain. But 
 they, preferring wholesome counsel, chose the battle. 
 
 LL 2 
 
 » 
 
11 
 
 516 
 
 MATTHEW OP WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1295. 
 
 On the day of Saint Gregory the pope, the cardinal prelate 
 of Albany, having returned with some of the messengers of 
 Cambray, was speedily brought to Dover by a fair wind ; and 
 on Palm Sunday, while the cardinal was being entertained at 
 the New Temple, in London, a quarrel arose between his re- 
 tainers and those of the Templars, in which the nephew of the 
 cardinal was slain, having voluntarily thrust himself into it. 
 But he, deferring his anger for a time, proceeded rapidly on 
 towards Scotland, to give the king of England a report of the 
 council of Cambray, as to what it had been, and how it had 
 been conducted. 
 
 This year, there died John Ramayne, archbishop of York ; 
 Gilbert de Clare, earl of Gloucester, the most powerful man in 
 the kingdom, next to the king, both in eloquence and action, 
 and who was now cut off by a premature death, and deservedly 
 buried near his ancestors. Also Roger, bishop of Lichfield 
 and Coventry, being now very old, paid the debt of nature, 
 and was withdrawn from the troubles of this world. He was 
 succeeded by Walter de Largton, a friend of the king's, who, 
 while in foreign parts, had been assigned by the king as secre- 
 tary to the cardinal, by whom he was consecrated, saving the 
 privileges of the church of Canterbury in all things. The 
 same year, white surplices were ordained. 
 
 The same year, John, king of Scotland, forgetful of his 
 homage and vow of fealty, sent as ambassadors to the king of 
 France William, bishop of Saint Andrew's, and William, bishop 
 of Dunkeld, and John de Sule, and Ingelram de Umfraville, 
 knights, king Edward being at that time in Flanders, and 
 secretly made an alliance against the king of England ; asking, 
 as a confirmation of the business, that a marriage might be 
 contracted between his son Edward and the noble maiden 
 Joanna, daughter of Charles, the brother of the king of France, 
 undertaking that he would be willing to attack the king of 
 England with all his power, and to prevent him from waging 
 war against the king of France, as is more fully contained in 
 the documents drawn up between the two kings, by whom, as 
 they both thus agreed to this treason, the king of England 
 (being ignorant of it) was greatly deceived ; and when he had 
 earnestly asked for aid in his war, and had received a doubtful 
 answer, then suspecting the state of the case, he demanded 
 that their castles should be put in his hands as security till 
 the end of the war, namely, those of Berwick, Edinburgh, and 
 Roxburgh, promising to restore them after the war, if he found 
 
 A.D. 1296. EDWABD MAKES WAE UPON SCOTLAND. 
 
 517 
 
 the Scots faithful to him. But as the Scots refused to do 
 this, the king, being now more certain of their treachery, 
 marched with his army towards Scotland, and determined to 
 subdue it by force, unless they desisted from the attempts 
 which had been reported to him, and unless they could legi- 
 timately excuse themselves with reference to these designs, 
 which were proved to be in progress. 
 
 Cn. XXIV.— Feom A.D. 1296 to a.d. 1290. 
 
 Edward makes war upon Scotland — Imprisons John Balliol — 
 The count of Flanders is imprisoned by the king of France — 
 King Edward lands in Flanders — Returns to England, and again 
 invades Scotland — Battle of Falkirk — Marries Margaret of 
 France — The pope makes war upon the king of Sicily — Edward 
 releases Balliol, at the intercession of the pope. 
 
 The Scot prepares for traifrous war. 
 Grieving from pow'r to he so far. 
 
 A.D. 1296. On the thirteenth of March, the town and castle 
 of Berwick having been taken by the magnificent king Ed- 
 ward, the English slew all the men they found there with the 
 sword; except a few, who afterwards renounced that town. 
 And the number of Scots of both sexes who were slain there, 
 is said to have amounted to sixty thousand. On the sixth of 
 April, John, king of Scotland, did due homage, by written 
 form, to the king of England, for himself and for all the Scots 
 who held any land whatever in England. While the king of 
 England was staying at Berwick for the fortification of the 
 ditches and walls of the aforesaid town, the Scots, namely, 
 the lords the earls of Ros, of Menteith, and of Ailsa, and 
 the lord Richard Siward, and WiUiam de Saint Clare, and 
 John Comyn, son of the John Comyn who was slain, and 
 WiUiam de Moncrief, and Radulph, his brother, all barons ; 
 and many other knights, entered into England, and burnt the 
 towns of Correbrigge and Helsham, slaying men, women, and 
 children, without any regard to sex, age, or rank. Then re- 
 turning into Scotland with the lord Robert de Ketinghara, 
 whom the king of France had invested that year with a 
 knight's belt, they laid vigorous siege to the castle of Patrick, 
 earl of Dunbar, the firm friend of the king of England, and 
 who was at that time with him. But the garrison of the said 
 castle, though they perfidiously feigned to implore assistance 
 
 1S| 
 
 \ 
 
I 
 
 
 518 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.B. 1296. 
 
 from the English, meantime, on the eve of Saint GeorffeV 
 day, surrendered it to the Scots. And when the king of Eug- 
 land heard this, the next day he sent forward two thousand 
 cavalry in complete armour, with forty standards, and a strono- 
 body of infantry, to the aforesaid castle, to put an end to the 
 successes of the Scots. And when the Scottish nobles, earls, 
 and barons, saw this, they remained, but the rest, to the num- 
 ber of five thousand, returned back again. 
 
 But on the twenty- seventh of April, the king of England 
 himself left the aforesaid town with eight hundred cavalry 
 and hastened towards the castle of Dunbar. And the same 
 day he invested it early in the morning ; and the aforesaid 
 nobles, considering carefully how they might deUver themselves 
 eiUreated the lords the earls of Warren and Warwick, and 
 Hugh le Despenser, and other chiefs of the king of England's 
 army, to procure them permission to send the lord Robert de 
 Ketingham before mentioned to the king of Scotland, to ask 
 directions from him. In which they offered to put into the 
 hands of our countrymen, as hostages, the lords the earl of 
 Menteith and John Comyn, son of the John Comyn who was 
 slain, earl of Badenoch, provided they first obtained their re- 
 quest. And the lord Robert the same day, after dinner, re- 
 turned with five hundred cavalry and forty thousand infantry 
 Of whom the lord Robert, and the lord Patrick de Graham a 
 gaUant knight, and son of the lord Wilham de Saint Clare 
 .who bore the standard of the lord the king of Scotland, and 
 others, to the number of at least ten thousand, fell in the 
 battle, four-and-twenty horses having been taken, and the rest 
 at once put to flight, with the exception of the lord John de 
 Somerville, who was taken prisoner on that occasion. But 
 the day after, when the king of England approached the above- 
 mentioned town of Dunbar, the aforesaid three earls, and at 
 least thirty Scottish knights, with bitter lamentations, sur- 
 rendered themselves and the castle before mentioned to the 
 king and to his royal pleasure. After this, he secretly entered 
 the island of Galway, all who guarded the outer courts of the 
 different castles either fleeing beforehand or being defeated ; 
 and in this way he bravely made himself master of all the 
 castles. And advancing further on, he came to the Maiden's 
 Castle, where, as looking upon it as impregnable, all the ladies 
 of noble birth of the kingdom of Scotland are said to have 
 been put fpr protection. So when the king approached it, he 
 
 A.D. 1296. 
 
 EDWARD SUMMONS A PABLTAMENT. 
 
 519 
 
 arranged his troops with the view of besieging it ; and as the 
 garrison refused to surrender it, they employed engines of war, 
 which shot forth large stones and beat down many houses, 
 and the tops of the towers. Alarmed at this, the garrison 
 immediately surrendered the castle and all that it contained 
 to the king of England. And in that place, being the princi- 
 pal treasury of the kingdom, the royal insignia of the king- 
 dom of Scotland were discovered, which were carried off, and 
 deposited and sealed up in the king's store-rooms at West- 
 minster. 
 
 After that, the king of England crossed the Scottish chan- 
 nel, panting to drag the king of Scotland (who was king only 
 in name) out of his caverns ; and reducing the towns of Saint 
 Andrew's and Saint John's, wuth the castles in the neighbour- 
 hood, under his power. Moreover, John, king of Scotland, 
 being now destitute of all military means of defence, on the 
 day after the festival of the Translation of the blessed Thomas 
 the Martyr, hoping to procure his release from bonds and im- 
 prisonment, submitted himself to the king of England, by a 
 letter, which may be seen hereafter, almost at the end of the 
 book. For the king of England had committed to confine- 
 ment in prison John Balliol, who had been king of Scotland, 
 in the Tower of London, and all the other earls and barons 
 of Scotland whom he had defeated in battle in different other 
 casles. Therefore, Edward, king of England, having traversed 
 all the islands of Scotland, and taken the towns and castles, 
 as no rebels showed themselves, summoned the prelates and 
 nobles of his kingdom to meet in parhament at Saint Ed- 
 mund's Bury, at the feast of Saint Martin, from whom he 
 demanded a new talliage. And there was granted to him by 
 the citizens and burgesses the eighth penny, and from the 
 rest the twelfth penny was extorted. But on that occasion 
 the clergy neither offered nor granted him anything. On 
 which the king was indignant, and gave them time to deli- 
 berate on a better answer, which should be more welcome and 
 acceptable to his will. And in the mean time he caused the 
 doors of all the ecclesiastical barons to be sealed up. And 
 while this was being done, the archbishop caused a bull from 
 the Apostolic See to be published in all the cathedral churches, 
 prohibiting, on pain of excommunication, any contribution 
 being granted to the king, or to any other prince, from the re- 
 venues of the church. 
 
 ffl 
 
 If 
 
 f 
 
520 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1296. 
 
 On the thirteenth of June, in this year, the lord William de 
 Valence, earl of Pemhroke, who was the eon of Hu^h le 
 Brun, count de la Marche, hy his wife, Isabella, formerly 
 queen of England, and relict of king John, died, and was 
 buried at Westmmster. On the first of June, the lord Berald 
 the cardinal, returning from Scotland, having made satisfaction 
 to tlie exchequer of the lord the king at Westminster, out of the 
 revenues of the Templars, on the occasion of the death of his 
 nephew, crossed the sea a second time to the king of France 
 in company with the treasurer of the lord the king of Eno-- 
 land. At this time the earl of Leicester, the lord" Edmund 
 brother of the king of England, paid the general debt of 
 nature, and departed this life in Guienne, as did Robert de 
 Vere, earl of Oxford, in England. This year also, the count 
 of Artois having been forced to raise the siege of Bourg, on 
 the coast, by the earl of Lincoln, another lord, the famous 
 count of Eu, marched with the provost of Toulouse against 
 the town of Bellegarde, with the object of subduing the En- 
 glish garrison which had thrown itself in there. But the 
 English who were thus blockaded, in union with the towns- 
 people, feigned flight, and having arranged an ambush, left 
 the gates of the city open. And the count, when he saw no 
 one resisting him, in the boldness of his mind entered the city 
 With a few followers, leaving the rest of his army outside the 
 gates. Then, when the English rose up from their ambush, 
 one of them bearing a lance, immediately encountered the 
 count, and ran him through the body. And in like manner, 
 all those who had entered with him perished by the sword. 
 Moreover, the citizens had erected beams on the battlements 
 of the wall, on which they had placed baskets full of laro-e 
 stones, to overwhelm the French. But the provost of Tou- 
 louse, in the elation of his heart, leaping over the ditch on 
 his war horse, with his sword cut the ropes which held the 
 beams, and then, the cords being thus suddenly broken, the 
 whole mass fell on his head, and so he was crushed to pieces. 
 And when the others saw this, they immediately took to flight! 
 In like manner, the count of Holland, having broken the bridle 
 of his loyalty with which he was previously bound to the 
 king of England, was slain by his own servants, while obeyina; 
 the directions of the king of France. And his son and heir 
 John, was married to Ehzabeth, the daughter of the kino- of 
 England. ° 
 
 A.D. 1296. PEACE BETWEEN ENGLAND AND FLANDEES. 521 
 
 In the meantime, a certain ship belonging to the kingdom 
 of France, bearing the name of king Philip, being of greater 
 fame and size than the common vessels of either country, was 
 encountered by some English sailors, who accidentally fell in 
 with her, and after a severe conflict, was taken and brought 
 into Sandwich harbour. At that time the count of Flanders, 
 having been released from a French prison, returned to his 
 own country. And the following had been the cause of his 
 arrest. 
 
 Before the beginning of this war, the king of England and 
 the aforesaid count had made an agreement that the son of 
 the king and the daughter of the count should be united in 
 lawful wedlock ; therefore, the count of Flanders was sum- 
 moned before the French court, and being examined touching 
 this contract, he made answer to the king, that this connection 
 having been thus agreed to, could not be dissolved. But the 
 king of France, fearing that a confederacy of this king would 
 be injurious to him, adopted a cunning plan for bringing 
 about a divorce, commanding that the aforesaid damsel should 
 be given up to his supervision in guardianship. But the count, 
 dreading the sentence of excommunication pronounced against 
 disturbers of matrimony, made answer, that he would by no 
 means agree to what was asked of him. Therefore he himself 
 was committed to liberal custody. And immediately people 
 came wishing to give bail for the old man ; but the king of 
 France refused any bail whatever for him. And the count, 
 seeing that he could not procure his liberation by any other 
 means than those before mentioned, gave up his daughter to 
 them with bitterness of spirit, and so was allowed to depart in 
 freedom. And when he had returned to his own country, he 
 summoned his comrades and related to them the injurious 
 way in which he had been treated. And his people answered 
 him, " My lord, we are merchants, and without the arrival of 
 the English in Flanders, and the passage of Flemings into 
 England, we cannot traffic to any advantage, let peace, there- 
 fore, be made between your nation and theirs ; and then, sup- 
 ported by their assistance, we may despise the injuries already 
 inflicted on us by the king of France, and any others which 
 he may endeavour to subject us to.'* 
 
 When these events had been related to the king of England 
 by regular ambassadors, by formal security having been given 
 and taken, peace was made between the two nations, and 
 
 
If 
 
 ii 
 
 P 
 
 f^ 
 
 Vi 
 
 522 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEIl. 
 
 A.D. 1296. 
 
 publicly proclaimed throughout England. Then the ambassa- 
 dors of the king, namely, his treasurer of the exchequer and 
 severalother nobles, are sent back with the Flemish ambassadors 
 to bring over hostages for the security of these engagements, 
 fifteen thousand pounds of silver being given to the count for 
 the fortification of his castles. 
 
 On Saint Hilary's day, the archbishop held his council 
 with his fellow bishops and suff'ragans at London, in the 
 church of Saint Paul. And after they had held a dis- 
 cussion for eight days on the king's demands, they could 
 not find out any proper way or pretext for an exclusive sen- 
 tence, which, through the discovery of any colourable title 
 of any kind, any persons might contribute anything, even 
 though many cleiks and courtiers and ofiicers of the court 
 came, who gave their countenance to and advice in favour of 
 the demands. All which was reported to the king by the 
 bishops or other messengers. And the king being at once 
 changed into a cruel tyrant, perverting all royal justice, having 
 given his servants permission to seize for themselves all the best 
 appointed equipages of any of the clergy, or members of re- 
 ligious orders whom they might meet, as if they were enemies, 
 and having also prohibited all advocates skilled in his law, to 
 plead before the barons of the exchequer, or any other secular 
 judge, on behalf of any ecclesiastical person, thus decided that 
 all ecclesiastics were unworthy of his peace. He also com- 
 manded every one who had receivred ordination, voluntarily to 
 offer him a fifth part of their revenues, or else they would 
 strip them, against their will, of all their property. Some of 
 those who had received the tonsure, at once complied with this 
 command, (being prelates in the king's court, but as to the 
 care of souls manifest Pilates,) hoping by that conduct to 
 bring over the minds of the rest. After which, at once the 
 sheriffs laid hands upon and seized all the property of the clergy, 
 whether moveable or immoveable, which were found on any lay 
 fee, and confiscated them for the use of the king's treasury, 
 all those liberties being all taken away, to their superabundant 
 annoyance, which the predecessors of the king, the protectors 
 of Christianity and authors of all good, had conferred upon 
 the churches. And. what is more wicked and intolerable, their 
 very estates were appraised, in order to be offered to pur- 
 chasers with all due expedition ; nor could the clergy ride out 
 in safety, except in large companies, on account of the violence 
 of the soldiery towards them, in consequence of the leave 
 
 A.D. 1297. CONFERENCE ON THE STATE OF THE CHURCH. 523 
 
 which had been given by the king. And all the property of 
 the archbishop, both moveable and otherwise, was taken pos- 
 session offer the king's use. He, indeed, endured this patiently. 
 Therefore, while the clergy were suffering, as I have here related, 
 in body, the king himself suffered in mind. And fear and 
 grief seized all the prelates ; for they were in the greatest 
 perplexity, fearing that if they granted any thing, they would, 
 by so doing, incur sentence of excommunication ; and if they 
 did not give, they would not be able to escape the merciless 
 hands of the robbers. Worn out with this anxiety, anxious 
 for themselves, and inconsolably afflicted on account of the 
 flock committed to them, as having no means of support, while 
 they were thus threatened with famine, they necessarily de- 
 termined to return to the world, procuring the king's protection 
 by a sacrifice of their property to a great extent. 
 
 And immediately after these events some ambassadors re- 
 turned from Giiienne, bringing word that in a certain battle 
 which had taken place between the Enghsh and French, which 
 begun towards evening, the people of Guienne fled, and the 
 English cavalry, left to resist by itself, was surrounded by the 
 enemy ; of whom the commander of the army, John Saint 
 John, was taken prisoner, with others of his comrades, to the 
 number of twelve, and led to Paris, amid the applause of 
 the French, as formerly the Philistines exulted over Samson. 
 On the day of Saint Matthias the Apostle, the nobles of the 
 kingdom assembled in the city of Salisbury, and the king pro- 
 posed to send some of them to the succour of his people in 
 Guienne. Which the barons cheerfully consented, on condition 
 that the king himself would cross the sea with them in his 
 own person at the same time. But he did not do so. 
 
 27ie Tcing the chatinel cromng o^ery 
 Lands welcome on the Flemish shore. 
 
 A.D. 1297. The archbishop of Canterbury and some of his 
 suffragan bishops being assembled at Saint Paul's, in London, 
 on the twenty-sixth of March, to consult a second time 
 about the state of the church, immediately two lawyers rose 
 up, and also two members of the order of Preaching Brothers, 
 seeking to win the temporal favour of the king, and en- 
 deavouring to prove by specious arguments that the clergy 
 might lawfully be called on to contribute out of their property 
 for the service of the king in time of war, any prohibition of 
 
 ]i 
 
524 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 129/. 
 
 A.D. 1297. 
 
 SOME chahtehs are BENEWED. 
 
 52;-» 
 
 il 
 
 I 
 
 i 
 
 the Apostolic See notwithstanding. Moreover, as every one 
 was prohibited, under pain of imprisonment, frompromul^atin'^ 
 any sentence of excommunication against the king, or againsi 
 those persons who had already sought his protection, they all 
 appealed for themselves and their fellows to the Roman court, 
 and then withdrew with burdened consciences, in consequence 
 ot the bishop saying, " Let every one save his own soul.** 
 
 At that time a proclamation was made throughout England 
 by the voice of a crier, that the owners of wools should expose 
 them for sale within a month, in cities named for the purpose, 
 otherwise that the wools should all belong to the king as fori 
 felted. And indeed, on the day of Saint Gregory, havfng been 
 cunmngly collected in the manner before mentioned, they were 
 feUu7° i^^o Flanders as having become the king's by for- 
 
 By these and other extortions the earls and barons of Eng- 
 and were greatly disturbed, and appointed a parliament of 
 their own, to be held m the forest of Wyre, which is in the 
 Marches. And on the morrow of Saint Botolph's festival, the 
 king, comingto Westminster, offered to the blessed kin- Edward 
 by whose merits he had acquired the regalia of the kingdom 
 ot Scotland, a throne and sceptre and crown of gold. On the 
 day after the Translation of the blessed Thomas the Martyr, 
 the earls and barons having been summoned to London in 
 thZ.Tf Z \^ command given by the king to his constable, 
 the earl of Hereford, and his marshal, the earl of Norfolk, to 
 make the laity, assembled in their presence at Saint Paul's eive 
 m an account of how many knight's equipments each person 
 could furnish for the king's service when he should proceed to 
 war But the two earls replied to this command by entreating 
 the king to impose this duty on some other officers of his 
 household, because they had not been summoned nor invited 
 for such a purpose. B^t their discourse was displeasing to 
 the eyes of the king : however, in the meantime he appointed 
 two other knights to discharge that commission. 
 
 About the same time, the archbishop of Canterbury, havin*. 
 been adniitted to the king's favour, and his barony having 
 been restored to him, on the fourteenth of July, the kin/ 
 b^ing raised on a wooden dais, before the great royal hall ?f 
 Westminster, with his son, and the archbishop, and the earl 
 of Warwick and all the people standing around in his presence, 
 with plentiful tears most humbly entreated pardon for his 
 
 sins, saying that he had governed his people with less propriety 
 and tranquillity than a king ought, and that he had accepted 
 the small portions of their properties which they had given 
 him, or which his ministers had extorted without his know- 
 ledge, in order to be able by his power to defeat the injurious 
 attempts of his enemies, who thirsted for English blood, that 
 by taking a small portion of the wealth of the republic, the 
 main quantity might be enjoyed in more tranquillity. Adding 
 further, " Behold, I being about to expose myself to danger,for 
 your sakes do beg of you, if I return, to receive me as you 
 have now received me, and I will restore to you all that I have 
 taken from you. And if I do not return, then I beg of you 
 to crown my son as your king." And the archbishop being 
 dissolved in tears, and the king promising to observe all these 
 promises faithfully, the whole people with outstretched hands 
 promised fideUty to him. In the mean time, the earls above 
 mentioned intentionally absented themselves, until the pe- 
 tition of each of them for the relief of the country should be 
 listened to. Some said that it would not be advantageous for 
 the king to cross the sea into Flanders, and that they were 
 not bound to aflford him their service there, as their ancestors 
 had not been used to do so. Especially as, even while he 
 remained in the kingdom, the Scots, just like the Welch in 
 times past, were renewing their resistance and preparing for 
 war. They also, having first set forth the exhausted state of 
 the community, demanded that he would not for the future 
 exact taillages throughout England. Also, that the liberties 
 contained in Magna Charta, and in the forest charter, should 
 for the future be more effectually observed, and that the king 
 should for the future revoke as null and void all voluntary 
 exactions which were added to these imposts ; and as they 
 were not at once listened to, the aforesaid earls and barons 
 departed in great indignation. 
 
 But when the king saw this, being desirous of cherishing a 
 spirit of unanimity, and of gaining a victory by persuasion, he 
 commanded the articles contained in the aforesaid charters to 
 be renewed, and likewise to be carefully observed, requiring, 
 in return for this concession, that the eighth money should be 
 given him by his subjects ; which was soon granted him by 
 the people who stood around in his chamber. He also de- 
 manded a subsidy from the clergy, who replied that they 
 wished to send letters of supplication to the supreme pontiff^ 
 
 f; 
 
 if 
 
 4 
 
526 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1297. 
 
 to obtain licence to grant it ; therefore, a truce haying been 
 made between the king and the earls, so that they became 
 Tinanimous, when the time of consultation had passed, as the 
 aforesaid earls did not present themselves before the king, he, 
 seeing that his friends in the parts beyond the sea, who were 
 awaiting his arrival, were threatened with no slight dano-er, 
 m consequence of his delay, on the vigil of Saint Bartholomew 
 the Apostle, having prepared five hundred ships, with their 
 proper complement of people, namely, nearly one thousand 
 eight hundred knights, and a countless host of infantry, he 
 set sail with a fair wind 
 
 O'er the dark waters of the deep blue sea. 
 
 On which day, the aforesaid earls and barons, coming to the 
 exchequer of the lord the king at Westminster, forbade the 
 barons of the exchequer to cause the viscounts to levy the 
 eighth penny from the people of England, saying, that it had 
 not proceeded from his conscience, and that without their 
 consent no tax could be rightfully imposed or exacted. There- 
 fore the earls and barons aforesaid, confederating together, 
 and the majority of the people inchning to them, great alarm 
 fell upon the inhabitants of the country ; and as the dan"-er 
 was imminent, Edward, the king's son, acting as his fathe^r's 
 lieutenant during his absence, in compliance with the wishes 
 and advice of the primates and nobles of England, renewed in 
 London the charter about the liberties of the kingdom, and 
 the rights of the forest, and also granted some alleviations of 
 the yoke which his father had imposed, adopting the advice 
 of his elders ; and his father confirmed what he had done at 
 Ghent, on the ninth of November. 
 
 At this time, the Scots were ravaging the borders of the 
 kingdom of England, and burning the greater part of North- 
 umberland, under the command of William Wallace, knight. 
 The ninth penny was granted to the earls by the laity, and 
 the tenth penny by the clergy, for the purpose of checking 
 the obstinacy of the Scots above mentioned. 
 
 But the king, after he had crossed the sea, landed at Helvoet- 
 sluys, and proceeded onwards to Bruges, a famous city ; and 
 passing the night there, having been forewarned of the 
 treachery of the French, he on the morrow cautiously quitted 
 the said city, and privily entered Ghent. And in the mean 
 time the Welch who accompanied the king of England, having 
 
 A.D. 1298. PEACE BETWEEN ENGLAND AND FEANCE. 527 
 
 joined to themselves some English robbers, committed great 
 slaughter, and plundered property at Rotterdam, Ghent, and 
 other places belonging to the king of France, for which many 
 of them were deservedly hanged. At length, a judicial deci- 
 sion having been agreed to, and concessions having been mu- 
 tually made by the kings of the two countries, they made a 
 truce with one another for two years, to begin at the feast of 
 the Epiphany of the Lord ; and the king of England returned 
 from Flanders, and, on the twenty-first of March, landed at 
 Sandwich. 
 
 This year, the lord Nicholas Longs word, bishop of Salis- 
 bury, died, and was succeeded by Master Simon of Ghent, 
 who had been educated in London, and who was a man very 
 skilful in theological learning. 
 
 Peace with France ts settled noWj 
 But Scotland sees tlie advancing foe. 
 
 A.D. 1298. The king of England came to Westminster, on 
 the twenty-ninth of March, and a terrible fire took place in 
 the lesser hall of the palace, and the flame reached the roof, 
 and being fanned by the wind, devoured the buildings of the 
 neighbouring abbey and the king's palace. The king leaving 
 Westminster, proceeded to York, taking with him his barons 
 of the exchequer, and his justiciaries of the king's bench, 
 after the feast of the Holy Trinity, intending to hold a parlia- 
 ment with the nobles of the kingdom. From thence he moved 
 onwards, attended by a numerous company of earls, barons, 
 and knights, determining to subdue the rebellious Scots. And 
 the Scots, with clergy and laity, uniting in one soHd mass, to 
 the number of more than two hundred thousand men, were 
 found determined to resist gallantly, or die. And a terrible 
 battle took place on the day of Saint Mary Magdalene, on the 
 plain which is called Falkirk. And immediately the Scots 
 were routed, and there fell of that army two hundred knights, 
 and forty thousand infantry and more, and all the rest were 
 speedily put to flight, and a great number were drowned in 
 the river. And of the English there fell Brian de Jay, master 
 of the Templars in England, and about thirty foot soldiers. 
 
 On the vigil of the Apostles Peter and Paul, peace was esta- 
 bhshed at Rome, between the kings of England and France 
 by the exertions of pope Boniface, though it was not entirely 
 durable. This year, also. Saint Louis, formerly king of 
 
 i i 
 
 t 1 
 

 528 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMIIS^STEK. 
 
 A.D. 1298. 
 
 France, and the tliird predecessor of the present king, being, 
 indeed, his grandfather, on account of the fame of his mira- 
 cles, was enrolled in the catalogue of the saints, by the afore- 
 said pope, at the earnest entreaty of the present king of 
 France ; and on the last day of August, he was removed to 
 the church of Saint Denis, in a solemn festival. 
 
 The same year, too, Adolph, king of Germany, being desti- 
 tute of friends who were faithful to him, and especially, which 
 is a most wicked thing to say, violating the agreement which 
 he had made with the king of England, after a cause of quar- 
 rel had arisen between him and Albert, son of Rodolph, duke 
 of Austria, was severely wounded and slain in a battle which 
 took place near Mayence, and the said Albert reigned in his 
 stead. On the day of Saint Andrew the Apostle, an earthquake 
 took place at Rome, which lasted three days. In a similar 
 manner there was an earthquake in England, on the vigil of 
 the Epiphany, towards twihght, that day. Also, a comet ap- 
 peared in the north, emitting rays laterally towards the east, 
 which vomited fire as it were, and it was visible for three days 
 after sunset, which was an omen that great slaughter would 
 take place in the ensuing year. On the second Sunday in 
 Lent, the king, having summoned the nobles to meet at West- 
 minster, caused the conditions of peace which had been signed 
 by the bull of pope Boniface, as appointed arbiter between the 
 kings of France and England, and other bulls, too, affecting 
 his position, to be recited to them. And all the laity and 
 clergy assented to them. After which, the earls, barons, and 
 prelates, requested the king to ratify the great charter of their 
 liberties, and the one relating to the rights of the forest, as 
 also to the disforestings which had already taken place, and 
 to sanction and establish it. So he, having confirmed the 
 two aforesaid charters, hardened his ears to their request of 
 sanctioning the disforesting, and at twilight he quitted them, 
 pretending that he was going some distance. But they, con- 
 sidering that he had left them, as a mark of contempt, re- 
 turned to their own homes with great indignation. This year, 
 there died the following men of great wisdom the lord Hum- 
 phrey de Bohun, earl of Essex and Hertford, and William de 
 Beauchamp, earl of Warwick, and Master William de Luda, 
 bishop of Ely. After whose death, the prior of the same 
 church was elected bishop by a majority of the chapter, but 
 John de Langton, the king's chancellor, by the minority. 
 
 AD. 1299. 
 
 THE COITfAGE IS DEBASED. 
 
 529 
 
 And their cause was agitated a long time before the archbishop 
 of Canterbury; but when, nevertheless, it was terminated in 
 favour of the prior, the chancellor appealed to the Apostolic 
 See, taknig a journey thither in his own person to plead his 
 cause. The prior, too, although he mel with many hin! 
 drances of divers sorts, also undertook the same journey to de- 
 fend the rights of his church. And when they were both in the 
 presence of the supreme pontiff, accompanied by the procu- 
 rators of the college of Ely, and when both parties had re- 
 signed their rights into the hands of the pope, he, bein- fa- 
 
 Jh^^\t'r "^TT^"^'' "^ ^^' "^"^^^^^^ ^«ll^g«> permitted 
 them the favour of electing one of the exempt abbots of that 
 
 order, namely, the abbot either of Westminster, or Saint Ed- 
 rnund 8, or of Saint Augustine^s, or of Saint Alban's. But as 
 they all refused it whenoffered, the pope, being angry at their ob- 
 stinacy, translated the bishop of Norwich to the diocese of Ely 
 and appointed the prior of Ely to the bishopric of Norwich 
 And as brother William Ottonin, archbishop of Dubhn, died 
 at that time, in returning from the court of Rome, the pope 
 gave that archbishopric to Master Richard de Ferinc.es arch- 
 deacon of Canterbury, and the vacant archdeaconry he gave 
 to the lord John de Langton, chancellor of England. 
 
 The Jcing a second wife doth talce, 
 Called Margaret, for lier mother's sake. 
 
 AD 1299. Margaret, the sister of Philip, king of France, 
 landed at Dover on the feast of the Nativity of the blessed 
 Mary, and two days afterwards she was lawfully married to 
 the king of England, by the authority of the supreme pontiff, 
 at Canterbury. The lord John de Balliol, king of Scotland 
 who was detained in custody by the king of England, beinc^ 
 permitted to leave his confinement, went to visit the kin? o^f 
 France who, as soon as he saw him, himself at once released 
 some dlustnous knights belonging to England, namely, John 
 de M. John, and others, who had been a long time detained 
 in his prison, on certain conditions. 
 
 In this year, as the island of England was polluted with 
 base money, which is called crohard and poUard, on the day 
 of the Nativity of Saint Stephen, the protomartyr, it was c\Jt 
 m two, that is, it was taken for only a halfpenny. In refer- 
 ence to this, a son of a stone-cutter, contemplating the work 
 
 I 
 
630 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1299. 
 
 bis father was about wbile he was building a church, said in 
 elegant metre — 
 
 " May you be praised, my sire, 
 And get sterling coin at last, 
 No er.okar, but gold tried in fire — 
 Then hold your wages fast." 
 
 About this time, too, the Scots a second time prepared for 
 battle, against whom the lord John de St. John was sent, ac- 
 companied by a strong army of knights. This year, also, 
 Philip, king of the French, invaded Flanders with a powerful 
 army, and began to subdue the Flemings, occupying their 
 towns and cities, and vigorously pursuing the earl himself and 
 his sons ; but the earl, being now aged and infirm, fled with 
 his sons to the city of Ghent, hoping that it was impregnable. 
 
 In the meantime, that nation being a real nation of Pharisees, 
 inasmuch as it was divided against itself, and so, according to 
 the saying of the Lord, deserving of desolation, for sometimes 
 it was submitting to the king of England, sometimes it ad- 
 hered to its natural count, now at last, despising and abandon- 
 ing its natural lord, miserably surrendered itself to the king 
 of France, its deadly enemy. Therefore, as the dread of the 
 king of France increased, the count and his sons falling into 
 despair, in their distress miserably surrendered themselves to 
 Charles, the brother of the king of France, on condition of 
 his promising them on his oath that they should not be put in 
 prison nor be stripped of their inheritance. But the king of 
 France violated this agreement, and threw them at once into 
 prison, and having thrown down the ramparts of those cities 
 which he knew to have rebelled against him, he compelled 
 them, as if he were their natural lord, to surrender new laws. 
 
 In these days, the lord the pope, forgetting the faith and 
 prayers of the blessed Peter, and taking what was not his to 
 take, namely, both gold and silver from the widows and 
 orphans, now also determined to exact money, not only from 
 widows and orphans, but also from warlike knights, contrary 
 to the scheme of some of the cardinals, degrading them, and 
 determining to wage war against the king of Sicily. But the 
 army of the aforesaid king manfully slew many thousands of 
 the helmeted battaHons of the lord the pope. 
 
 The same year, the king of Tarshish, and the king of Ar- 
 menia, and the king of the Georgians, having levied an 
 amazing army, amounting to a million of men, and forty 
 
 A.D. 1299. THE MINOR BEOTHEES ACT ILLEGALLY. 53] 
 
 thousand cavalry, invoked the aid of Christ, and fought a 
 battle against the Saracens. And there were slain of the 
 
 rWn^r ''""'? ^^'^'' ''^'* ^^ ^^^"«^' «^ Alapia, Ala- 
 cnemala, Gazara, and Damascus, more than two hundred and 
 
 forty thousand men in revenge for the slaughter of the Chris- 
 tians, wbich had taken place at Acre and Tripoli, and other 
 holy places. And as it was said the cause of the conversion 
 ot these Tartars was a miraculous one, Paganus, brother of 
 Ihe great Cassanus, king of the Tartars, loved the daughter of 
 the king of Armenia, who was a Christian ; accordingly, he 
 begged her father tbat the damsel might be given to hir^ in 
 marriage ; but the king of Armenia would not grant his re- 
 quest unless he laid aside the errors of heathenesse, and be- 
 came a Christian. But the Tartars, being superior in might, 
 riches, and power, threatened him with war. So the king of 
 Armenia taking advice, and considering that a marriage was 
 better than a battle, granted his request, provided that his 
 daughter consented ; and so he asked her consent ; but she 
 wishing to spare the people, ofl-ering herself up hke a second 
 H-sther, for the safety of her nation, and trusting in the Lord 
 voluntari y consented. Afterwards, when they had a child 
 born of the male sex, he was found to be hairy and shaggy 
 like a bear. And when he was brought to his father, he s^d 
 that he was not his, and immediately ordered him to be burned 
 in the fire. But his mother resisted and contradicted this 
 order, begging that the infant might be given to her. And 
 when she had received him, she rejoiced, and ordered him to 
 be baptized, and immediately, as soon as he had been thrice 
 immersed in the sacred font, all the hairiness fell from the 
 child, and he appeared smooth and the most beautiful of in- 
 fants. And >^ hen his father saw this, he beheved, and all his 
 house. 
 
 This year, John, count of Holland, son-in-law of the kmg 
 ot Ji^ngland, having taken some poison, which was wickedly 
 administered to him by his friends and relations, died • and 
 his widow, when her dowry was refused her, returned to her 
 father s house. 
 
 This year, also, the brethren who are called the Minors as 
 IS widely asserted, and proved to their great shame, being 
 though explorers of all learning, nevertheless aspirers to what 
 18 illegal by their law, offered the supreme pontiff four hun- 
 dred thousand golden florins, and a great sum of money, to 
 
 M M 2 
 
532 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1300. 
 
 allow them to obtain legal possession of estates, and lands, 
 and revenues ; to whom the lord the pope said, ** Where is 
 your money ?" And they replied, " In the hands of the mer- 
 chants.'' And after a respite of three days had been given 
 the brethren to frame their reply, the merchants, being re- 
 leased from the custody of the deposit, the lord the kmg 
 ordered, under pain of anathema, that that money should be 
 taken care of for his own necessities. And he made answer 
 to the brothers, that the rule of Saint Francis, which had been 
 canonically ratified, was one which he would not in any sense 
 violate, and that the brethren ought not at all to depart from 
 it, but always to regulate their conduct by it. And so it fell 
 out, that what they had unjustly acquired they very justly 
 
 lost. . , 1 1 
 
 This year, a violent and ruinous storm of wmd threw down 
 trees and houses, and many belfries in the kingdom of Eng- 
 land in different places, the lord Henry of Newark, arch- 
 bishop of York, died ; and the lord Oliver, bishop of Lincoln, 
 a man of exemplary life, on Saint Brice's day died while utter- 
 ing a prayer. The same year, on the anniversary of the transla- 
 tion of Saint Thomas the Martyr, of Canterbury, nuncios 
 came from the pope, begging the king to release John, for- 
 merly king of Scotland, from his custody, promising that he 
 himself would preserve both king and kingdom of England 
 from any danger which could arise from his hberation. And 
 the king condescended to their petition, and released him, 
 and gave him to the nuncios of the pope, and they conducted 
 him to the land of Balliol, which belonged to him, in the 
 kingdom of France, where they left him in the custody of 
 certain prelates. 
 
 Ch. XXV.— From a.d. 1300 to a.d. 1301. 
 
 A law is passed against base money — The king makes his son 
 Edward prince of Wales — He again invades Scotland — 
 The pope intercedes for the Scots, and claims Scotland as 
 belonging to the Roman Church — The letters of the pope, 
 and the replies from the king and nobles of England. 
 
 The charter's signed again, as 't was at first, 
 And all transgressors with anathema curst. 
 
 A.D. 1300. On Easter-eve, being the ninth of April, the kind 
 of money which was called pollard and crochard, and other 
 
 A.D. 1300. THE NOBLES DEMAND THEIR LIBERTIES. 
 
 533 
 
 bad money, was forbidden in England. On the first of June, 
 the queen of England brought forth her first-born son at 
 Brotherestone, and he was named Thomas. 
 
 The king marched an army against the Scots, and when he 
 came near to them they fled before him, and more than four 
 hundred of them were slain. About the same time, the lord 
 archbishop of Canterbury came to the king, bringing him a 
 command from the Apostolic See, not to presume any further 
 to make war upon the Scots, who had submitted themselves 
 to the pope's protection. And when the king heard this, he 
 returned into England. In the week after the feast of Saint 
 Hilary, while the king was holding his parliament at Lincoln, 
 the earls and barons complained of injurious and violent de- 
 predations which were committed in every direction by the 
 ministers and household of the king. And, again, they re- 
 quested that the liberties which were granted, as set forth in 
 the great charter, should last from that time forth for ever in 
 their original force. They also demanded that the disforest- 
 ings, on account of which all the richer sort of the common 
 people were distressed, and which had repeatedly been granted 
 by the king, but had never hitherto been actually completed, 
 should be ordered by him to be carried out, in accordance 
 with his decree. When these and some other articles had 
 been demanded of the king with great earnestness, he pro- 
 crastinated for several days ; at last, seeing that the barons 
 would not desist from the work which they had commenced, 
 nor acquiesce in his necessary demands on other terms, an- 
 swered that he was prepared to concede and ratify all that they 
 requested, and anything else, also, which they might at any 
 time demand and consider necessary to be confirmed. There- 
 fore, the charters of their liberties were renewed, as also those 
 concerning the forests ; and both of them were ratified with 
 the royal seal, and copies carried into every county in England. 
 And when they were published before the people, the lord 
 archbishop of Canterbury, with the rest of his fellow-bishops, 
 laid all the transgressors of them under the ban of the greater 
 excommunication. Moreover, in return for the more effectual 
 confirmation of these charters, the earls and barons granted 
 to the king a fifteenth part of all their moveables, to be paid 
 on the feast of Saint Michael next ensuing. But Robert, arch- 
 bishop of Canterbury, would grant nothing on the part of the 
 clergy, nor from the temporalities annexed to the church, 
 without the special permission of the supreme pontiff. 
 
 i 
 
131 
 
 MATTHEW OF AVESTMINSTEB. 
 
 A.D. 1301. 
 
 The king gave bis son Edward the principality of Wales, 
 which was a step very pleasing to the Welch, because he had 
 been born in Wales. He also bestowed on him the earldom 
 of Chester. Therefore, the king and the barons being now at 
 peace with one another, addressed an elegant letter to the 
 pope, sealed with a hundred seals, requesting to protect, as 
 "was just, the rights of the English over the kingdom of Scot- 
 laud which they had enjoyed from the beginning, and by no 
 means to lend an ear to the false suggestions of the perjured 
 Scots, as is fully set forth in the history of the following year. 
 The lord Edmund, earl of Cornwall, died this year, without 
 issue, leaving Edward, king of England, his next heir. 
 
 The queen her second son doth Edmund call, 
 
 A.D. 1301. On the fifth day of August, being the day of 
 Saint Oswald, king and martyr, Margaret, queen of England, 
 brought forth her second son, at Woodstock, and named him 
 Edmund. This year the brd the pope usurped for three years 
 the tenth part of all the ecclesiastical revenues in the kingdom 
 of England. Moreover, in these days the salt of the earth 
 and the head of the people fell into a great dropsy ; for the 
 more money — that wicked water — they drank, so much the 
 more did they thirst for it ; and what temporaUties the one 
 left behind him, not having diminished them of his own accord, 
 the other, without being compelled, plucked from the spiritu- 
 alities as polluted. Therefore, the church of the faithful sat 
 in sorrow, being led by its venal protectors in a miserable 
 manner under tribute. 
 
 About the same time, while the king of England was leading 
 an army against the kingdom of Scotland, Edward, prince of 
 Wales, the king's son, marched before him with a warlike 
 army. But because they did nothing great or worthy of praise, 
 since scarcely any one of the Scots resisted them, our pen 
 may pass briefly over this part of the narrative. 
 
 While these events were taking place, the king of France 
 sent the abbot of Compiegne, and some other persons with 
 him, to ask for peace for the Scots, calling them his own 
 friends ; but the ambassadors, not receiving such a reply as 
 they wished, returned home again. This year, a subject of 
 dissension arose between the pope and the king of France, 
 each of them trusting to his own great power to such a de- 
 gree, that the pope said to the ambassador of the king of 
 
 A.D. 1301. 
 
 DEATH OF TWO BISHOPS. 
 
 535 
 
 France, "We have both powers." And he replied, on behalf 
 of his master : '* No doubt, lord ; but yours is only a 
 
 verbal power, ours a real one." And then the anger of the 
 lord the pope grew so violent, that he said that he would move 
 heaven and earth against him. The lord Walter de Langton, 
 bishop of Ciiester, and treasurer of England, having been ve- 
 hemently accused before the lord the pope in respect of va- 
 rious atrocities and flagitious crimes, was cited before the 
 supreme pontiff to answer in person to these charges. And 
 having lavished no small sum of money at the Roman court, 
 as they knew that he was a much fatter ox than the generality, 
 he yet derived no advantage from it ; for he was sent back to 
 the archbishop of Canterbury, with the intent that he, in the 
 absence of the pope, should, by certain persons commissioned 
 for the purpose, enquire into the innocence of the accused 
 person, and tlien w^ite back word to the supreme pontiff" by 
 the same Walter, who should not know what was in the letter, 
 a full account of all that had been done or performed in the 
 matter. Not to dwell on the story : after an investigation into 
 his innocence had taken place by certain laymen and clerks of 
 good reputation, commissioned by the archbishop, and after 
 he had cleared himself before them of some of the accusa- 
 tions, and of the rest before some brethren of the rehgious 
 orders of very high character, telhng both parties all that they 
 required to know, he returned a second time to the pope ; 
 and the pope, understanding that a well-considered and regu- 
 lar acquittal of the bishop had been sent to him by the arch- 
 bishop, restored bishop Walter to his previous estimation, and 
 sent him back to his diocese with higher character and autho- 
 rity than ever. Moreover, John, the knight who had accused 
 him, was not long afterwards himself accused of homicide and 
 other crimes ; and he, knowing himself guilty, claimed the 
 protection of the church : and though, indeed, he had a wife, 
 he said that he w^as a deacon before he married her. At last, 
 he was condemned, and committed to the bishop's prison, in 
 which he survived five days and no longer. And from him let 
 the wicked laity take warning what a thing it is to accuse 
 ecclesiastics. 
 
 This year, the bishops of Ely and Worcester died, and two 
 monks were elected in their stead ; but as they could not ob- 
 tain the favour of consecration from the archbishop of Canter- 
 bury, they went to the Apostolic See ; and when they arrived 
 
536 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1301. 
 
 there, having discussed the regularity of each election before 
 the pope, the election of the prior of Ely was coufirmed, but 
 that of the monk of Worcester was completely quashed. 
 Therefore, the lord the pope gave that bishopric to one of the 
 order of Minor Brothers. 
 
 The same year, pope Boniface having been instigated by the 
 Scots, sent letters from himself to the king of England, as- 
 serting that the kingdom of Scotland belonged to the rightful 
 estates of the Roman church, and that it was contrary to God 
 and to justice, and to the prejudice of the Apostolic See, that 
 the king of England was claiming its subjection to himself, 
 alleging the reasons for this assertion, which are given below. 
 First of all, because when king Henry, his father, had ob- 
 tained assistance from Alexander, king of Scotland, in his war 
 with Simon de Montfort, in order that this assistance might 
 not be supposed to have been either demanded or afforded in 
 consequence of any right of superiority belonging to England, 
 the said Henry did, by his letters patent, acknowledge that he 
 did not receive the aid by any right, but by special favour. 
 Again, when king Alexander was invited by letter to the coro- 
 nation of khig Edward, in order, as being a friend of his, to 
 give his friendly countenance to that solemnity by his pre- 
 sence, he came, not as if in discharge of a duty, but as a special 
 favour. Moreover, when the king of Scotland appeared in 
 person before the king of England to swear fealty to him in 
 respect of the lands of Tyndale and Penrith, which are situated 
 in England, he did homage to him only for those lands which 
 are situated in England, and not as king of Scotland for the 
 kingdom of Scotland ; because he made a formal protest before 
 the people that he was not bound to do any homage to the 
 king of England for the kingdom of Scotland. 
 
 Also, when the aforesaid king Alexander left a daughter as 
 his heiress, by name Margaret, the niece of the king of 
 England, and as yet under age, the guardianship belonged not 
 to the king of England as superior lord, but to certain nobles 
 of the kingdom of Scotland, elected for the purpose. More- 
 over, the pope accused the king of, after the death of the 
 aforesaid king Alexander, he had by force and terror subdued 
 the Scots as being now a headless nation, destitute of the 
 support of a leader, to the great prejudice and injury of the 
 Roman church. Adding, that when the lord the pope commits 
 the execution of the office of legate in the kingdom of England 
 
 
 A.D. 1301. 
 
 LETTEE OF POPE BONIEACE. 
 
 ? o** 
 00/ 
 
 to any person, either for the sake of the payment of the tenth, 
 or for any other reasonable cause ; and when this officer's 
 legateship is not extended over the aforesaid kingdom of 
 Scotland by letters, and an especial decree of the Apostolic 
 See, the Scots have a right to resist and oppose such a legate- 
 ship, as notoriously happened in the time of Adrian of blessed 
 memory. For the legate himself was for some time not ad- 
 mitted to the aforesaid kingdom of Scotland, until the office 
 of legate to tliat country was included in his commission by 
 special letters from the Apostolic See. 
 
 He also added, that the same kingdom had been converted 
 to the unity of the Catholic faith by the venerable relics of the 
 blessed apostle Peter, but without the especial interposition 
 of the Deity. And that in former days, the archbishop of York, 
 who was in office at the time, having raised the question of 
 his rights as metropolitan over the prelates of Scotland before 
 the pope, could not obtain sentence in his favour. 
 
 By these arguments contained in his letters, the lord the 
 pope endeavoured to persuade the king to permit the bishops 
 and abbots elect, and all the other citizens of the kingdom of 
 Scotland whom he was detaining in prison, to depart in free- 
 dom, and to recall his officers from the above-mentioned 
 kingdom of Scotland, whom he had appointed and placed 
 there, to the prejudice, injury, and grave scandal of the faithful 
 people, so that he might become more acceptable and pleasing 
 to God, and might by his conduct in this respect more fully 
 obtain the favour of the Apostolic See. And if he should 
 assert that he had any rights over the aforesaid kingdom of 
 Scotland, or over any part of it, the pope desired him to send 
 procurators and ambassadors specially appointed for this very 
 purpose, and furnished with all the laws and documents which 
 related to the subject, to the Apostolic See ; where he should 
 receive the full complement of justice touching the matter. 
 
 The pope commands the archbishop of Canterhury to present to 
 the king of England the letters which he addresses to him on 
 behalf of tJie Scots. 
 
 ** Boniface, bishop, and servant of the servants of God, to 
 the venerable brother, the archbishop of Canterbury, health and 
 our apostolic benediction. 
 
 " The frequent and often-repeated assertions of men worthy 
 of credit, and also the voice of common report has brought to 
 
538 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMIXSTEK. 
 
 A.D. 1301. 
 
 our ears the excesses, annoyances, troubles, losses, mischiefs, 
 and injuries which have been inflicted by our most beloved 
 Son in Christ, Edward, the illustrious king of England, and 
 his officers, and his nation, upon the kingdom of Scotland, 
 and the prelates, clergy, and other ecclesiastical persons, both 
 of the religious orders and of the secular body, and upon the 
 churches, monasteries, and other religious places, and upon the 
 inhabitants and natives of the aforesaid kingdom, and on their 
 property which has been attacked. And we, being unwilling, 
 as, indeed, we have no right, to pass over such things in silence, 
 do exhort this king by these our serious letters which we send 
 to you, to be by you presented to him, to cause the bishops, 
 and clergy, and ecclesiastical persons of the said kingdom, 
 whom he is said still to detain as prisoners, to be restored to 
 their former Hberty, and to recall the officers whom he is stated 
 to have appointed in the said kingdom, and to send into our 
 presence procurators and ambassadors appointed by himself, 
 with all his laws and documents, if he imagines that he has 
 any right over the aforesaid kingdom, or over any part of it. 
 
 " Also, all actions, and questions, and controversies what- 
 soever, which may have arisen between king Edward and the 
 aforesaid kingdom of Scotland, and the prelates, clergy, and 
 secular persons of the same kingdom, and all such as may 
 hereafter anse in respect of any of the past causes ; and the 
 whole business we by our aforesaid letters do bring back to, 
 and reserve for, the decision and determination of the Apos- 
 tohc See ; and we do decree that if any thing to the contrary 
 be either knowingly or ignorantly attempted by any one in 
 this matter, it shall be null and void. 
 
 " Wherefore we, by these our apostolic letters, do enjoin 
 your fraternity, in virtue of your obedience and under pain of 
 suspension from the administration of spiritual and temporal 
 things, strictly ordering you to present these our letters before 
 mentioned to the aforesaid king, without any hindrance or 
 delay, and to eff"ectually encourage and persuade him to re- 
 ceive what we write to him, and to acquiesce in our exhorta- 
 tions. And I desire you faithfully and seriously to inform us 
 of the day on which you present him with the aforesaid letters, 
 and of all that you do with respect to them, and of whatever 
 answer he gives, or whatever he does in the matter, by your 
 own letters patent, which shall contain a full account of these 
 
 A.D. 1301. 
 
 LETTERS OF POPE BONIFACE. 
 
 53Q 
 
 affairs. Given at Anagni, on the twenty-eighth of June, in the 
 fifth year of our pontificate,'* 
 
 The Letters addressed hy pope Boniface to Edward the First, ling 
 
 of England, to tell him that the kitigdom of Scotland belongs to 
 
 the Roman Church. 
 
 ** Boniface, bishop, servant of the servants of God, to our 
 most beloved son in Christ, Edward, the illustrious king of 
 England, health and our apostolical benediction. 
 
 ** We know, my son, and experience, which teaches men 
 the character of things in a long course of time, has shown us 
 how the aff"ectionate zeal of that reverence towards your mo- 
 ther, the Roman church, which guides you in the bowels of 
 kingly charity and affection, flourishes ; and that you do always 
 promptly obey, and acquiesce in, the true decrees of our 
 Apostohc See. Wherefore we entertain a firm hope, and feel 
 a full confidence, that your royal highness will kindly receive 
 our words, and carefully understand them, and effectually 
 execute them. 
 
 " It may, indeed, have come to the knowledge of your high- 
 ness, and we do not at all doubt that it is contained in the 
 list of your memory, how from ancient times the kingdom of 
 Scotland has of full right belonged, and is still well known to 
 belong, to the aforesaid church ; and that as we have received 
 it, it has never been under any feudal subjection to your an- 
 cestors, the kings of England, nor is it so now to you. We 
 have heard how Henry of illustrious memory, king of England, 
 and your father, in the time of discord or war which existed 
 between himself and a certain Simon de Montfort, and his 
 partisans and adherents, requested assistance to be furnished 
 to him by Alexander, king of that same land of Scotland, and 
 Bon-in-law of Henry himself. And in order that this help so 
 furnished might not be considered as having been either asked 
 or given in consequence of any subjection or right claimed, 
 the aforesaid Henry thought proper to grant his letters patent 
 to the king of Scotland, in which he distinctly acknowledged 
 that he had only received, or was only going to receive, the 
 aforesaid aid as a special favour. Moreover, when, in process 
 of time, you desired to have the presence of the aforesaid king 
 of Scotland, your sister's husband, then alive, at the solemnity 
 of your coronation, you took care to assure him by letters 
 patent, under your own hand, that you asked for it not as a 
 
 I-' 
 
540 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMrSfSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 1301, 
 
 right due, but only as a favour. Also, when that same king 
 appeared in your presence, to do you the customary homage 
 for the lands of Tyndale and Penrith, which are situated in 
 the realm of England, he, in the very act of doing you that 
 homage, in the presence of many persons, did openly and dis- 
 tinctly declare, by word of mouth, that he was doing you that 
 homage only for those lands which were situated in England, 
 and not as king of Scotland, nor for the kingdom of Scotland. 
 Moreover, he openly protested that he was in no respect bound 
 to do or perform any homage to you for that kingdom, inas- 
 much as it was in no respect subject to you. And you ac- 
 cepted his homage and fealty in those terms. 
 
 " Also, it is believed that it cannot have escaped your me- 
 mory how, when the aforesaid king of Scotland was removed 
 from this world, the damsel Margaret, your own niece, who 
 was then under age, being left his heiress, the guardianship of 
 the aforesaid kingdom did not come to you as the superior 
 lord, but certain nobles of that kingdom were elected to be 
 the guardians of it, and that afterwards a dispensation was 
 obtained from the Apostolic See, to permit a marriage to be 
 contracted between our dear son, the noble Edward, your son, 
 and the aforesaid Margaret, while she was still alive, provided 
 the assent of the nobles of the aforesaid kingdom was procured 
 or given to it ; and you are known to have persuaded these 
 nobles, by letters written by yourself, before they would con- 
 sent to such a marriage, promising them that the kingdom 
 itself should remain entirely free, and in no respect subordinate 
 or subject to any one, for ever ; and that it should be in all 
 respects restored to its previous state, if it should happen that 
 there was no issue to the marriage so to be contracted, and 
 should retain its name and honours as before, both in main- 
 taining its own laws, and in the appointment of the officers of 
 the kingdom, and in holding parliaments, and trying causes 
 within the kingdom itself, and also in the right possessed by 
 all its inhabitants, of not being summoned to trial out of the 
 kingdom. And you recollect that all these things are known 
 to be more fully and seriously contained in your own letters 
 patent drawn up on this subject. 
 
 " Moreover, when the aforesaid Margaret was removed from 
 this world, and when, in consequence, there arose a subject for 
 dissension among the different parties of the kingdom, respect- 
 ing the succession to the aforesaid kingdom of Scotland, the 
 
 A.D. 1301. 
 
 LETTEES OF POPE BO^^FACE. 
 
 541 
 
 nobles fearing that, in consequence of such an opportunity, 
 injury to themselves and their aforesaid kingdom might be 
 engendered, would not come into your presence beyond the 
 borders of the kingdom, till a provision was first granted to 
 them by you, by an especial patent deed, that this was done 
 by them not out of right, but as a special favour, and that 
 from that act no harm could accrue to the liberties of your 
 
 kingdom. 
 
 ** And although, as it is said, some things in respect of the 
 constitution of this same kingdom of Scotland, and of its pre- 
 viously established liberties, as the kingdom itself was at that 
 time deprived of the protection of any defender, were altered 
 and innovated upon in a way contrary to all ancient precedent 
 by the nobles of the kingdom, who were at that time without 
 a head as it were, and divided, and destitute of the guidance 
 of a charioteer, or else by him to whom you are said to have 
 unduly entrusted the government of the said kingdom, still 
 these things, as having been brought about by fear and violence, 
 which may at times influence even consistent and brave men, 
 ought by no means to be allowed to stand as rightfully done, 
 as to redound to the prejudice of the kingdom. Still we are 
 by no means in doubt, or rather we are certain, that when the 
 pre-eminent authority of the Apostohc See does by his letters 
 commit the execution of the office of legate in the kingdoms 
 of England [and Scotland] to any person, so when, for any 
 cause which it considers reasonable, it enjoins the payment of 
 tenths, apostolic letters of this sort do not at all extend to the 
 aforesaid kingdom of Scotland, since a special privilege of the 
 aforesaid see, which has been granted to the Scots, utterly pre- 
 vents it, as notoriously happened in the time of pope Adrian 
 of blessed memory, our predecessor, and of Saint Adrian, car- 
 dinal deacon, and at that time legate in those kingdoms, ap- 
 pointed by letters of the Apostohc See, and with whom we 
 ourselves were intimate. For he being legate, was not at all 
 admitted into the aforesaid kingdom of Scotland, until, by special 
 letters of the Apostolic See, the office of legate in that realm 
 was conferred on him. Moreover, your royal highuess may 
 know how that kingdom itself was, by the venerable relics of 
 the blessed apostle Andrew, gained over and converted to the 
 unity of the CathoUc faith, not without the great mercy of the 
 Divine Godhead. You also know that in that ancient times 
 the archbishop of York of that day raised the question of his 
 

 1 
 
 542 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1301 
 
 metropolitan authority over the prelates of Scotland, which he 
 claimed as an ancient right, and how he fared in that matter ; 
 and remember, not to dwell upon the other circumstances 
 which happened in connection with it, that he was unable to 
 obtain sentence in his favour ; and there are many and various 
 other arguments which offer themselves to us very reasonably 
 on this subject, by which we are moved to write thus to you, 
 but which we will forbear to enumerate, lest, perchance, we 
 weary your senses by the long recital. 
 
 *' These things, my dearest son, it behoves you carefully to con- 
 sider and diligently to ponder on, in the recesses of your breast ; 
 and the consequence of them is, that no one can doubt that the 
 aforesaid kingdom of Scotland belongs to the aforesaid Roman 
 Church of Rome ; and it neither is, nor ever has been, lawful 
 for you to subdue it by violence, and to reduce it under your do- 
 minion, to the prejudice of that Church and of many persons. 
 But as an account worthy of all belief, and already several times 
 inculcated in our ears, and borne to us by the statements of 
 preceding reports, asserts, you, not considering the arguments 
 recapitulated above, as you ought to have done, nor examining 
 them with due deliberation, but being exceedingly desirous to 
 occupy that kingdom and to reduce it under your dominion, 
 now that it is deprived of the support of its king, and putting 
 forth for that purpose all your might and power, have arrested, 
 as it is said, and thrown into prison and into chains, our vene- 
 rable brothers Robert, bishop of Glasgow, and Mark, bishop 
 of Sodor, and some of the other clerks and ecclesiastical per- 
 sons of the aforesaid kingdom, some of whom, as it is asserted, 
 the miserable hardships of the imprisonment have killed. More- 
 over, having, as it is reported, occupied the castles, and having 
 pulled down or destroyed the monasteries and a great many 
 other religious places, and having inflicted grievous wrongs on 
 the inhabitants of the aforesaid kingdom, you have placed 
 royal officers in parts of the same kingdom, who have not 
 feared to harass and attack by all kinds of annoyances and 
 afflictions the prelates and the rest of the clergy and ecclesias- 
 tical and also secular persons of the aforesaid kingdom, to 
 the offence of the Divine Majesty, the contempt of the afore- 
 said Apostolic See, the damage of the royal salvation and 
 character, the violation of law, and the grave scandal of many 
 faithful believers. 
 
 ** Therefore, we do earnestly request and exhort your royal 
 magnificence, and we beseech you by Him who is the common 
 
 I '»i 
 
 A.D. 1301. CEUTIFICATION OF THE ABCHBISnOP. 
 
 543 
 
 Saviour of all men, that you, carefully considering that, accord- 
 ing to the duty of that pastoral office which rests upon our 
 shoulders, we are bound anxiously to uphold and maintain all 
 the property and rights of the af6resaid church, and that we 
 are not able to prefer serving man rather than God, nor ought 
 we to do so. And we therefore beg of you to cause the afore- 
 said bishops, clerks, and ecclesiastical persons, whom your 
 royal prison still keeps shut up, to be restored to their former 
 liberty, out of reverence for this divine and Apostolic See, and 
 for ourselves, without any obstacle of difficulty or delay ; and 
 also to recall your officers before mentioned from the aforesaid 
 kingdom of Scotland. And we hope and desire to find you 
 with prompt and effectual zeal ready to comply with these our 
 wishes in this matter, that so you may be deservedly rendered 
 more acceptable to, and considered more favourably by the 
 King of Heaven, who requites small things with great ones ; and 
 that besides the panegyric of human praise which will accrue 
 to you from that conduct, you may more abundantly earn the 
 favour and approbation of the Apostolic See. 
 
 "But if you assert that you have any right over this same 
 kingdom of Scotland, or any part of it, then we will that you 
 do not forbear to send your procurators and ambassadors 
 specially appointed for this object, with all laws and documents 
 in your possession which bear upon this subject, within six 
 months, to be counted from your receipt of these present letters, 
 as we are ready to render you full justice on the above subject 
 as our beloved son, and inviolably to uphold your rights, if you 
 have any. And by the tenor of these present letters, we do 
 recall and reserve to our own decision all actions, questions, 
 and controversies whatsoever, arising between you and the 
 kingdom of Scotland, and the prelates, clergy, and secular 
 persons of that same kingdom, as also all which can arise for 
 the future from any of the causes above mentioned, and, in short, 
 every matter which has any reference to the aforesaid business 
 or any part of it, decreeing that if anything shall be, either 
 knowingly or ignorantly, attempted by any one, in respect of 
 this matter, contrary to this our command, it shall be null and 
 void. Given at Anagni, on the twenty-seventh of June, in the 
 fifth year of our pontificate." 
 
 ITie certification of the archbishop soit to the lord the pope re- 
 specting the affairs of Scotland. 
 
 ** To the most holy father in Christ, and his revered lord. 
 
 
544 
 
 MATTHEW OF 'VYESTMIXSTER. 
 
 ^.D. 1301. 
 
 if it SO pleases him, the lord Boniface, by divine Providence, 
 supreme pontiff of the holy Roman universal church, his 
 devout son Robert, by divine permission, the humble minister 
 of the church of Canterbury, sends kisses of his blessed feet, 
 with all readiness to obey his papal mandates and precepts to 
 the uttermost of his power. 
 
 " I have lately received the mandate of your holy and re- 
 verend paternity under a bull of lead, containing the com- 
 mands set down below. 
 
 " * Boniface, bishop, &c.* * The frequent and often-re- 
 peated assertions of men worthy of credit,' &c., reciting the 
 whole of the preceding bull word for word. The bearer of 
 which brought me also some apostolic letters, addressed to the 
 noble prince the lord Edward, by the grace of God, the illus- 
 trious king of England, to be immediately presented by me to 
 him, according to the injunction of your paternity, being in 
 the same context with the letters to myself. And having re- 
 verently received and had immediately read to me that your 
 command, together with the letters which are mentioned above, 
 I prepared my baggage, and carriages, and expenses, and ar- 
 ranged my household from day to day, in order to set out to 
 deUver and explain those your letters to the lord the king, 
 which were committed to me for that purpose ; as the king 
 was at that time in the most remote districts of his kingdom, 
 on the borders of Scotland, twenty moderate days' journey, or 
 thereabouts, from the place whera^ I received your command. 
 And before I, traveUing incessantly, and with all haste, could 
 arrive at the city of CarUsle, which is on the borders of Scot- 
 land, the same king with his army entered a part of the 
 kingdom of Scotland, which is called Galway. And when, 
 after a diligent investigation, I had discovered from some se- 
 cular persons, and from some belonging to religious orders, 
 who being men worthy of all credit, and well acquainted with 
 the country, that I could not get safe access to the king, who 
 had advanced as far as Kircudbright, in the most difficult part 
 of Galway ; nevertheless, for the sake of the Scots, who were 
 without any head or any governor, and also because of other 
 robbers who were thirsting for the plunder and slaughter of 
 the Enghsh, who with the general of their army had occupied 
 the middle of the ground between Carlisle and the lord the 
 king himself, who was at a distance from that city of about 
 forty miles, since, on account of the scarcity of provisions and 
 
 A.D. 13U1. CERTIFICATION OF THE ARCnBISKOP. 
 
 645 
 
 of lodging, they, being in the middle of the road, since the 
 whole country was laid waste, could neither find their way nor 
 procure guides across it. I, because of the necessity under 
 which I was placed to show my obedience on the one side, 
 even through such great dangers, in parts so remote from my 
 diocese and province, which, on the other hand, were not much 
 interested in the affair ; and especially as I could not find any 
 one, among either the religious orders or the secular clergy, 
 who would dare to carry verbal news of my arrival to tlie 
 Scots, or my letters either, because of the danger in which his 
 life would have been, or to ask a safe conduct for me from 
 them ; seeking out another remedy as well as I could, I sent 
 two of my household to the lord the king before mentioned, 
 with my letters, sending them in a vessel across some dan- 
 gerous channels of the sea ; informing him by letter of my 
 arrival and its object, and requesting that, out of his reverence 
 for the Apostolic See, of which I was the ambassador, he 
 would tell them how, when, and where I could come to him with 
 safety, as far as the dangers of the roads were concerned, 
 which also I mentioned to him in the same letter. And his 
 reply was conveyed to me in royal letters by the same ambas- 
 sadors, who escaped no inconsiderable danger, both by sea 
 and land, in going and returning. And in these letters it was 
 told me, that the lord the king knew of no perfect safety for 
 me by which I might avoid the aforesaid dangers, unless I 
 came with the lady queen, his wife, for whom he had sent, to 
 the district of Gerewitas, to a place where he proposed to 
 meet that princess ; since he had no vessel in which I could 
 be conveyed by sea with my horses and necessary retinue of 
 servants and friends ; and so, while my messengers were 
 passing over amid so much danger to the king, the winds 
 being constantly violent and contrary, I was staying on the 
 borders of Scotland, seeking from place to place for a suffi- 
 ciency rather than for an abundance of food, waiting not so 
 much distressfully as anxiously nearly six weeks for an oppor- 
 tunity of a more secure progress towards the king. After- 
 wards, when, in consequence of my careful enquiries, I heard 
 that the aforesaid lord the king, in returning with his army 
 towards the castle of Caerlandrok, which he had previously 
 taken, had pitched his camp in Scotland, near the New Abbey 
 of Duzquer, in Galway, I, preferring to expose myself, and my 
 friends, and my property to danger, rather than thus to lan- 
 
 VOL. II. jf j^^ 
 
 I * 1 
 
546 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1301. 
 
 guish a long time in such remote, and, to a certain extent, 
 desert districts, away from my diocese and province, con- 
 cealing myself in certain secret places near the sea which 
 divides England from Galway, taking advantage of an oppor- 
 tunity, and being guided at ebb-tide by men who were bound 
 not to be ignorant of the passes of the road, I passed with my 
 horses and equipages over four passes across the water near 
 the coast, dangerous rather in name than by reason of any 
 depth of water, and hazardous at the beginning and end of 
 them from the nature of the shore and the quicksands ; and so 
 1 arrived, as it were, unexpectedly, on the Friday next after 
 the feast of Saint Bartholomew the Apostle last past, in the 
 presence of the lord the king, who was then in the middle of 
 his army, and at dinner ; and because, as he said, he could 
 not find any leisure that day, he sent me a message late on that 
 day by tvro of his most powerful earls, who at that time were 
 with him, that the next day, that is to say, on the ensuing 
 Sabbath, he would cheerfully listen to me. 
 
 " Therefore, when the day of the sabbath arrived, in the pre- 
 sence of that most devout youth the lord Edward, son of the 
 aforesaid king, and of the earls, barons, and the other knights 
 of his army, assembled in great numbers, and standing by the 
 aforesaid lord their king, having read to them your before- 
 mentioned message, which had been transmitted to me, I, by 
 the authority of the aforesaid message, presented to him the 
 letters of your most holy paternity, directed to the aforesaid 
 lord the king ; and the lord the king, reverently receiving 
 them, caused them to be pubhcly read before all then and 
 there present, and to be plainly translated into the French 
 language. And when they had been patiently listened to by 
 every one present, I encouraged and persuaded him, by all the 
 means that I could think of and know of, in all respects reve- 
 rently to obey your exhortation as far as they were explained 
 to him in the letters above mentioned. Afterwards, when I 
 departed from his presence with my clergy at his command, 
 in order that he might deliberate on the matter with his 
 nobles, he presently recalled me, and rephed to me in their 
 presence in the following words, uttered by the mouth of some 
 other person." 
 
 The reply given to the archbishop of Canterhury in answer to the 
 
 apostolic letters. 
 
 " My lord archbishop, you, on the part of the superior and 
 
 A.D. 1301. THE KING CONTOKES A COUNCIL AT LINCOLN. 54/ 
 
 reverend father, the lord pope, have addressed to us a certain 
 admonition touching the state and rights of the kingdom of 
 Scotland ; but because it is the custom of the kingdom of 
 England, that in all matters aifecting the state of i\iQ said 
 kingdom, the counsel of all those whom the matter concerns 
 should be sought, and as the present business of the kingdom 
 of Scotland concerns the constitution and rights of the kino-- 
 dom of England, and as many prelates, earls, barons, aifd 
 other nobles of the kingdom of England are absent, who are 
 not, and have not, been in this army, but who have an interest 
 in the business here spoken of, withont consulting whom no 
 final answer can be given to either the aforesaid supreme 
 father or to you. Accordingly, with reference to this subject, 
 the lord the king intends, as soon as he conveniently can, to 
 consult both those who are present and those who are absent, 
 on the contents of the letters of the aforesaid father, and to 
 discuss there with them deliberately, and by ambassadors of 
 his own to give an answer respecting them to the supreme 
 pontiff, in accordance with their common advice. And this 
 reply thus made in his name and in his presence, the king 
 ratified and expressly approved. Accordingly, when, after 
 having received such a reply in the presence of such a nume- 
 rous body of nobles and other persons worthy of credit, I had 
 departed from his presence and returned towards my home 
 again, I heard that the said lord the king, immediately within 
 four days after my departure, had returned with his armv 
 into England, and that each of the knights belonging to his 
 army had returned home with his horses and arms, and that 
 the lord the king, his army being thus dispersed, and having 
 but a few comrades retained around him, purposed to stay, as 
 was commonly said, at a certain abbey which is called Holm- 
 coltran, on the borders of Scotland, on the coast. And thus 
 I reverently executed your commission in every respect, with 
 all the diligence that I was able. May your apostolical high- 
 ness fare well always, and increase in the Lord, to the good 
 government of his church. 
 
 " Given at Otteford, on the eighth of October, in the year of 
 our Lord thirteen hundred." 
 
 The king having, after some deliberation, convoked a council 
 at Lincoln, for the purpose of framing a declaration of his 
 rights, wrote back letters of the following tenor, as an answer 
 to those from the Apostolic See. 
 
 i 
 
548 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1301. 
 
 The Anawer of FAward, hing of Eiigland, refipecting the affairs of 
 Scotland^ sent to pope Boniface. 
 
 " To the most holy father in Christ, the lord Boniface, by 
 divine permission, &c., Edward . . . &c. 
 
 '* What is written below we send to be shown to yon, not in 
 the form or shape of a judicial paper, but as a wholly extra- 
 judicial writing, for the sake of preserving the consistency of 
 your sacred paternity. The supreme inspector of hearts knows 
 that it is inscribed by an indelible pen on the tablet of your 
 memory, that our predecessors and progenitors, the kings of 
 England, have, from the most ancient times that it is possible 
 to go back to, been lords of the kingdom of Scotland, and of 
 all its kings, by the right of superior and direct dominion ; and 
 they have received from those kings and from those of the 
 nobles of the land, from whom they have desired to receive 
 them, legal homage and proper oaths of fealty for the king- 
 dom of Scotland. We, therefore, continuing this kind of 
 possession of this right and dominion in our own time, have 
 received the same oaths both from the king of Scotland and 
 from the nobles of the kingdom. Moreover, the kings, our 
 predecessors, rejoiced in a prerogative of so much right and 
 dominion over the kingdom of Scotland and its kings, that 
 they conferred even the kingdom itself on their own faithful 
 subjects. Also, the kings, for just causes, removed some and 
 appointed others to reign in their stead under themselves, 
 which things are beyond all question supposed to have been 
 from old time, and still to be notorious to all persons, although, 
 perhaps, another version of the case may have been suggested 
 to your paternal ears, by persons jealous of peace, sons of re- 
 bellion, men full of false insinuations, from whose designing 
 and deceitful inventions we humbly entreat that the eyes of 
 your holiness may be averted ; and we with devout affection 
 entreat your paternal clemency and excellency, that, for the 
 sake of brevity, we may be allowed just to touch on one or 
 two points by way of example, with all due respect for the 
 achievements of ancient times. 
 
 ** In the time, then, of the Prophets Eli and Samuel, a cer- 
 tain gallant and illustrious man, by name Brutus, of the Tro- 
 jan race, after the destruction of the city of Troy, landed, with 
 many nobles of the Trojans, in a certain island which was 
 then called Albion, inhabited by giants, who were defeated 
 
 A.D. 1301. ANSWER OP THE KINO OF ENGLAND. 
 
 549 
 
 and slain by his power and that of his followers ; and then he 
 called the island Britain, after his own name, and his compa- 
 nions he called Britons, and he built a city which he called 
 Trinovantum, and which is now called London. Afterwards, 
 he divided his khigdom among his three sons, giving to Loc- 
 rin, the first-bom, that part of Britain which is now called 
 England ; and to his second son, Albanact, that part whicli 
 was then called Albany, from the name of Albanact, but which 
 is now called Scotland ; and to Camber, his youngest son. 
 he gave that portion which at the time received the name of 
 Cambria, from his name, but which is now called Wales. The 
 royal dignity over all being reserved to Locrin. Accordingly, 
 two years after the death of Brutus, a certain king of the 
 Huns, by name Humber, landed in Albany, and slew Alba- 
 nact, the brother of Locrin ; and when Locrin, the king of the 
 Britons, heard this, he pursued him, and he fled, and was 
 drowned in the river which is now called the Humber, from 
 his name, and in this way Albany reverted to Locrin. At 
 another time, Dunwallo, king of the Britons, slew Scotanns, 
 king of Scotland, who rebelled against him, and compelled 
 his country to surrender to him. Again, the two sons of 
 Dunwallo, namely, Belinus and Brennius, divided the king- 
 dom of their father between them, so that Belinus, the elder, 
 took the crown of the island with Britain, Wales, and Corn- 
 wall, and Brennius, reigning under him, received Scotland ; 
 for the usages of the Trojans required that the dignity of the 
 inheritance should belong to the first-born. Again, Arthur, 
 that most famous king of the Britons, subjugated Scotland 
 when it rebelled against him, and almost destroyed the whole 
 nation ; and afterwards made a person named Anselm king 
 of Scotland. And when, afterwards, the same Arthur was 
 celebrating a most renowned feast at Caerleon, all the kings 
 who were subject to him were present there, among whom, 
 Anselm, king of Scotland, performing due service for the 
 kingdom of Scotland, carried king Arthur's sword before him. 
 And in like manner, all the kings of Scotland, in regular suc- 
 cession, have been subjects to all the kings of the Britons, and 
 to all the succeeding kings of England, in the said island, who 
 subsequently obtained the monarchy and supreme dominion. 
 
 " After these events, in the nine hundred and seventh year 
 of grace, Edward the Elder, son of king Alfred, and grandson 
 of Ethelwolf, king of England, had kept all the kings of the 
 
 I 
 
 
 •^ 
 
 \ ■ i. 
 
 ' 1 
 
\ 
 
 y\ 
 
 .5oO 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1301. 
 
 Soots, the Cumbrians, and the Stregewallians [Welch] in sub- 
 jection and submission to him as their superior lord. In the nine 
 Imndred and thirty-third year of grace, Athelstan, king of 
 England, appointed Constantine to reign as king of the Scots 
 under himself, saying, ' that it was more glorious to make a 
 king than to be a king.' It is also well recollected, that the 
 same Athelstan, at the intercession of the holy John of Be- 
 verlac, formerly archbishop of York, subdued the Scots who 
 were rebelling against him, and then, devoutly giving thanks 
 to God, he prayed to God, begging that, by the intervention 
 of the blessed John, some manifest sign might be displayed to 
 him, by which all future ages, as well as all preceding ones, 
 might be assured that the Scots were rightfully subject to 
 the kingdom of England ; and, seeing some rocks conspicuous 
 near a place in the kingdom of Scotland, called Dunbar, he 
 drew his sword out of the sheath, and struck the flint, and by 
 that sword-stroke, the power of God being the real agent, the 
 stone was hollowed out in such a way, that the size of the hol- 
 low was equal in length to an ell. And an evident proof of 
 this fact is to be seen in the church of Beverlac, in the le^-end 
 of the blessed John, of which it is read as a miraculous 
 fact in every week in the year, to the praise and honour of 
 Saint John. And it is a matter preserved in general recollec- 
 tion both in England and Scotland to this present day. 
 
 " Again, Constantine, king of Scotland, and Eugan, king of 
 Cumberland, coming to the aforesaid king of England, Athel- 
 stan, after some dispute which had arisen between them, sur- 
 rendered themselves and their kingdoms to this same Athel- 
 stan, in grateful acknowledgment of which action, Athelstan 
 himself received the son of Constantine from the sacred font 
 as his godfather. In the year of grace nine hundred and 
 forty-eight, the Scots, without any battle, acknowledged their 
 subjection to Edred, king of England, and swore fealty to the 
 same king Edred as their lord. Again, in the nine hundred 
 and seventy-fourth year of grace, when Edgar, king of En*^- 
 land, had subdued Kinadius, king of England, and Malcolm, 
 king of Cumberland, and the king of the many isles, by name 
 Mac, and five other small kings, namely, Dunwal, Siferth, 
 Huwal, Jacob, and Inchel, he, going in a boat down the 
 river Dee, sat in his vessel near the head, and is reported to 
 have said, that now his successors might well boast that they 
 were kings of England, when they enjoyed such a preroga- 
 
 A.D. 1301. ANSWER OF THE KING OF ENGLAND. 
 
 551 
 
 tive of honour, as to have the power of so many kings subject 
 to them. 
 
 *• After the aforesaid king Edgar, there reigned successively, 
 as kings of England, the lord Edward the Martyr, Ethelred, 
 his brother, Edmund, surnamed Ironside, son of Ethelred, and, 
 in the year of grace one thousand and seventeen, Canute ; all 
 of whom, in their times, peaceably retained the kingdom of 
 Scotland in subjection to them, with this single exception, 
 that in the fifteenth year of the reign of the aforesaid Canute, 
 the Scots rebelled ; but Canute at once led an expedition into 
 that country, and with very little trouble subdued Malcolm, 
 king of Scotland, and the aforesaid Malcolm became subject 
 to him. Canute was succeeded as king of England by Ha- 
 rold, his son, and by Hardicanute, brother of Harold, one 
 after another, who, during their reigns, always preserved the 
 kingdom of England in peaceable subjection. In the thou- 
 sand and fifty-fourth year of grace, Saint Edward, king of 
 England, gave the kingdom of Scotland to Malcolm, son of 
 the king of Cumberland, to be held by him under himself. 
 Again, in the thousand and seventy-second year of grace, Wil- 
 liam the Bastard, king of England, a kinsman of the aforesaid 
 Saint Edward, received homage from Malcolm, king of Scot- 
 land, as his subject. In the year of grace one thousand and 
 ninety-one, the aforesaid Malcolm, king of Scotland, took the 
 oath of fealty, and was subject to William Rufus, king of 
 England. 
 
 *• A.D. 1092. The aforesaid William did, for just reasons, de- 
 pose Dunewald from the kingdom of Scotland, and appointed 
 Duncan, son of Malcolm, to that kingdom, and received 
 from him homage and the oath of fealty. And when the 
 aforesaid Duncan had been treacherously slain, the same king 
 William again deposed Dunewald, who had a second time 
 seized on the kingdom of Scotland, and appointed Edgar, son 
 of Malcolm, king of Scotland, and gave that kingdom to him. 
 He was succeeded by Alexander, the brother of Edgar, with 
 the consent of king Henry the First, the brother of the afore- 
 said king William Rufus. 
 
 " A.D. 1 126. David, king of Scotland, did homage and swore 
 fealty to the empress Matilda, daughter and heiress of the 
 aforesaid king Henry. Again, Henry, the son of the aforesaid 
 king David, did homage to Stephen, king of England. Also 
 WiUiam, king of Scotland, and David, his son, and the earls 
 
5r>2 
 
 MATTUEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1301. 
 
 and barons of the kingdom of Scotland, became the men of 
 prince Henry, son of king Henry the Second, on the day after 
 the coronation of the aforesaid Henry, son of king Henry the 
 Second while his father was yet alive, and swore fealty to him 
 or the kingdom of Scotland against all men, saving only the 
 loyalty which they owed his father, who was still aUve. But 
 in the twentieth year of the reign of the aforesaid king Henry 
 the Second the aforesaid William, king of Scotland^ begin- 
 ning to rebel, came into Northumberland with a large armv 
 and committed great slaughter among the people, till he was 
 encountered at Alnwick by the knights of the county of York 
 who took him prisoner, and surrendered him to his lord, Henry 
 king of England. And in the following year, eleven hundred 
 and seventy-five, on the fourteenth of February, the same king 
 William was given his liberty and allowed to depart ; but after- 
 wards at York, in the same year, on the twenty-sixth of 
 August, the same Wil ham, king of Scotland, with the consent 
 ot tiie prelates, earls barons, nobles, and other chiefs of the 
 Jiingdoni of Scotland, is known to have given security by his 
 etters patent to his lord the king of England, Henry; son of 
 the empress Matilda before mentioned, that he and his heirs 
 and successors the kings of Scotland, and the bishops, abbots 
 earls, barons and other men of the kingdom of Scotland (or 
 as many of them as king Henry wished to receive it from) 
 would do homage and swear fealty and allegiance to the kings 
 of England as their liege lords against all men ; and in token of 
 this subjection the same William, king of Scotland, offered 
 Ins sword-hilt, his spear, and his saddle on the altar of the 
 blessed Peter of York, and they remain and are preserved in 
 tha church to t US day. Also the bishops, earls, and barons 
 of the aforesaid kingdom of Scotland agreed to use the afore- 
 said words according to the agreement entered into with the 
 lord the king of England and Henry, his son. But if the 
 King of Scotland were by any chance to fall off from his 
 fidelity to the kmg of England, and violate the agreement 
 before mentioned, they then promised to stand by the lord 
 the king of England as their liege lord, in opposition to the 
 kmg of Scot and, till he returned to his loyal obedience to the 
 ^ing of England ; which agreement, of happy memory, pope 
 Gregory the Ninth, in several letters addressed to the kin-s of 
 il^ngland and Scotland, commanded to be firmly observed"^ his 
 letters coutaming, among other things, a statement that Wil- 
 
 A.D. 1301. AlfSWEE OF THE KINO OF ENGLAND. 
 
 553 
 
 liam and Alexander, kings of Scotland, had done liege homage 
 and sworn fealty to John and Henry, kings of England, which 
 homage and fealty their successors and the earls and barons of 
 the kingdom of Scotland are bound to observe ; and also that 
 the said king of Scotland was the liege man of Henry, king of 
 England, and took an oath of fealty to him, in which he espe- 
 cially bound himself to attempt nothing whatever to the injury 
 of the kingdom or king of England. And pope Clement, 
 writing to the king of England on behalf of John, bishop of 
 Saint Andrew's, who had been expelled from his bishopric by 
 the king of Scotland, among other things requested him to 
 persuade and induce William, king of Scotland, and, if it should 
 be necessary, to compel him by his royal severity, which he is 
 entitled to use towards him as a father, and because of his 
 having granted royal power to his highness, to abandon all his 
 rancour of mind against the bishop, and to permit him to re- 
 tain his diocese in peace. And after the aforesaid agreement 
 in the church of the blessed Peter, at York, in the presence of 
 the aforesaid kings of England and Scotland, and David, his 
 brother, and the whole people, the bishops, earls, barons, and 
 knights of the kingdom of Scotland swore fealty to the lord 
 the king of England, and Henry, his son, and their heirs, 
 against all other persons, as their liege lords. 
 
 *'A.D. 1194. The same William, king of Scotland, at tfle 
 command of the aforesaid king Henry, came to Northampton 
 to the parliament of his lord, bringing with him all the 
 bishops, abbots, and priors of his whole kingdom. And also, 
 at the command of the same king, he proceeded into Nor- 
 mandy. Again, the same king William coming to Canter- 
 bury after the decease of king Henry, did homage to Richard, 
 king of England, the son and heir of the said king Henry. 
 And when this Richard had gone the way of all flesh, the 
 aforesaid William, in the sight of all the people, on a certain 
 hill outside of the city of Lincoln, did homage to John, king of 
 England, brother and heir of the aforesaid Richard, and swore 
 fealty to him on the cross of Hubert, at that time archbishop 
 of Canterbury, and by his charter granted to the same John, 
 his lord, that he might give his son Alexander in his mar- 
 riage, as being his liegeman, promising firmly in the same 
 charter that he, the said William, king of Scotland, and Alex- 
 ander, his son, should preserve their loyalty and fidelity to 
 Henry, son of John, king of England, as their liege lord. 
 
^ ^ A 
 
 004 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1301, 
 
 against all mortals. From which William, king of Scotland, 
 he subsequently exacted due satisfaction for his violation of 
 his compact, and his rash presumption in betrothing his 
 daughter to the count of Boulogne, without the consent of 
 king John, his lord. 
 
 "Again, Alexander, king of Scotland, our own sister's hus- 
 band, did homage to Henry, king of England, our own father, 
 and afterwards to us ourselves, for the kingdom of Scotland. 
 Then, when the kingdom of Scotland was vacant, in conse- 
 quence of the death of that king, Alexander, and afterwards 
 through the death of Margaret, queen and lady of the same 
 country of Scotland, our niece, the bishops, abbots, priors, 
 earls, barons, chieftains, and other nobles, and all the commu- 
 nities of the entire kingdom of Scotland, coming to us of their 
 own free and spontaneous will, as their liege defender, general, 
 governor, captain, and chief lord of the aforesaid kingdom of 
 Scotland, as they were bound of right to do, and they purely, 
 plainly, and absolutely recognised our right, and that of our 
 progenitors and predecessors, and our and their possession of 
 superior and direct authority in the said kingdom, and the sub- 
 jection of the said kingdom, of their own certain knowledge ; 
 and when they had taken the proper and customary oaths of 
 fealty to us, as the superior and direct lord of Scotland, and 
 had given into our hand the cities, boroughs, towns, and other 
 strong places of the aforesaid kingdom, we did of our own 
 royal right depute certain officers and ministers to be the 
 guardians of the aforesaid kingdom, to whom, during the 
 time of this vacancy, they were all unanimously obedient, 
 submitting themselves to our injunctions and commands. But, 
 in A.D. 1291, when different persons began to contend with 
 one another about their hereditary right to the succession of 
 the aforesaid kingdom of Scotland, they came before us, as 
 the superior lord of the kingdom of Scotland, requesting that 
 we would do them full justice as to the said kingdom concern- 
 ing the succession of the said kingdom, wishing, and expressly 
 consenting before us, as before the superior and direct lord of 
 the kingdom of Scotland, to submit to and obey us in all our 
 regulations. And, at last, after the rights of all the parties 
 had been publicly laid before us, and sufficiently heard, exa- 
 mined, investigated, and carefully comprehended by us, we 
 finally, in the presence of all the prelates and nobles, as it were, 
 o£ the whole kingdom of Scotland, proceeding by their ex- 
 
 A.D. 1301. ANSWER OF THE KING OF ENGLAND. 
 
 DOO 
 
 press wish and consent, did duly appoint John Balliol to be 
 kmg of Scotland, as we then found that he had the best right, 
 on the proper principles of succession, to be considered the 
 heir to the kingdom. And those prelates, earls, barons, com- 
 munities, and other inhabitants of that kingdom, expressly 
 heard, approved, and accepted our sentence, and, in accord- 
 ance with our mandate, admitted John to be their king, by 
 virtue of this our sentence. And the aforesaid John, king of 
 Scotland, did us due and customary homage for his kin^-dom 
 aforesaid, and took an oath of fealty to us, and from thaftime 
 forth was present in our parliaments and councils, coming at 
 our command as our subject, Hke other subjects of our king- 
 dom ; and he was in all things obedient and submissive to our 
 decrees and orders, as being those of his superior lord ; until 
 the aforesaid John, king of Scotland, and the prelates, earls, 
 barons, nobles, communities, and other chief inhabitants of 
 that kingdom, did, of preconceived, prearranged, and precon- 
 certed mahce, devise treason against us, uniting in council and 
 friendship with our capital and notorious enemies, and making 
 agreements, conspiracies, and confederacies to strip us and our 
 heirs of our hereditary rights, and, contrary to their own act 
 of homage and the due rights of our kingdom, they wickedly 
 fell into the crime of Ihe mujeste, and took an oath of fidelity 
 to our enemies. But when these circumstances had, by pri- 
 vate information and common rumour, come to our ears, we, 
 wishing to provide beforehand against future dangers which 
 niight very probably arise to us, our kingdom, and the inha- 
 bitants of our kingdom, from these and other sources, for the 
 security of our kingdom marched to the borders of the two 
 countries, several times commanding the said John, then kino- 
 of Scotland, to come to us at certain places on the aforesaid 
 borders, to discuss the circumstances above mentioned and 
 others affecting the state, tranquillity, and peace of both king- 
 doms. But he, despising our commands, and persisting in 
 his treason, turned his attention, in a hostile manner, to war- 
 like preparations, in concert with the bishops, prelates, earls, 
 and barons of the kingdom of Scotland, and also with other 
 foreign hired forces, against us, our kingdom, and the inhabi- 
 tants of our kingdom, and proceeding to hostile aggressions 
 and attacks, he invaded our kingdom, and by himself and his 
 followers ravaged some towns of our kingdom of England, 
 and laid them waste, and burnt them, slaying our subjects, and 
 
556 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 1301. 
 
 
 also killing even some of our sailors, he caused some ships he- 
 longmg to our English subjects to be burnt ; and he proceeded 
 turther without delay, denying us homage and fealty, speakin« 
 both for himself and for every one else who might be an inhabi- 
 tant of his kingdom, in formal letters proceeding from himself, 
 couched in offensive language, and containing, among other 
 tlungs, words of defiance. Moreover, having levied a lar'^e 
 army, he, in a hostile manner, by himself and his follower's 
 invaded our counties of Northumberland, Cumberland, and 
 Westmoreland, belonging to the kingdom of England, making, 
 in a most inhuman manner, a great slaughter of our subjects, 
 burning monasteries, churches, and towns, and ravaging the 
 country in every direction, slaying with the sword infants in 
 the cradle, and women lying in travail, and, what is most 
 horrible to be heard, from some women they barbarously 
 cut off the breasts, and blocking up the doors of one school, 
 and applying fire to it, they burnt some young clerks who had 
 just received the first tonsure, and were learning grammar in 
 the school, to the number of about two hundred. We, too, 
 seeing such injuries, insults, crimes, and atrocities committed 
 with a view to despoiling us of our hereditary rights, and to 
 the treacherous destruction of our people, and being unwil- 
 ling, out of consideration for our oath, by which we are bound 
 to the maintenance of the rights of the' crown of our king- 
 dom, to connive at the aforesaid crimes any longer, or to leave 
 our rights undefended, as we could by law chastise John him- 
 self, then king of Scotland, and his nation, which was subject 
 to us, and the kingdom of Scotland also, which from the most 
 ancient times, as has been shown above, had been in feudal 
 subjection to us and our progenitors, we, I say, for the before- 
 mentioned causes, put forth the might of our power over the 
 aforesaid John, and the kingdom of Scotland, as we had a 
 right to do, and we proceeded against them as enemies and 
 traitors to us. Therefore, we, having subdued the kingdom 
 of Scotland, and having by the right of supremacy reduced it 
 under our dominion, the aforesaid John, formerly king of Scot- 
 land, of his own accord, did wholly and absolutely render up 
 into our hands the kingdom of Scotland as he held it de facto, 
 publicly acknowledging his aforesaid treasons and wicked' 
 nesses before us and our nobles. After which event, the afore- 
 said earls and barons, and chieftains and communities of the 
 kingdom of Scotland, to whom we had granted our roval 
 
 A.D. 1301. LETTERS OF THE NOBLES TO THE POPE. 
 
 5o7 
 
 peace, subsequently did homage and swore fealty to us, as the 
 immediate lord and master of the same kingdom of Scotland. 
 And likewise, when they had surrendered to us the cities, towns, 
 castles, fortresses, and all other places belonging to the said 
 kingdom, we, of our own right, appointed our own ofiicers 
 and ministers to govern the said kingdom of Scotland. 
 
 *' And as we are known to have possession of the said king- 
 dom by the right of full and entire dominion, we cannot, and 
 ought not, to delay repressing the insolence of our rebel sub- 
 jects, if we find any, by our royal pre-eminence as we shall 
 see fit. But, because, from the above-mentioned considerations 
 and others, it is evidently plain and notorious that the afore- 
 said kingdom of Scotland belongs to us, in full right both of 
 occupation and ownership, and as we have never done or al- 
 lowed anything by either writing or deed, as, in fact, we could 
 not, which could in any way derogate from our rights over, 
 or possession of, the aforesaid kingdom, we humbly entreat 
 your holiness, that you, weighing these arguments above stated 
 in your wise deliberation, will deign to decide upon them ac- 
 cording to the promptings of your own mind, in no way giving 
 credit to the contrary suggestions of those who are jealous of 
 us in this respect ; but preserving and approving of our state 
 and our aforesaid royal rights, if it so please your paternal 
 affection. May your ftitherly goodness be preserved for the 
 government of your holy church, for many and prosperous 
 years. 
 
 *' Given at Kynordesey, on the fifteenth of May, in the year 
 thirteen hundred and one, and the twenty-ninth year of our 
 reign." 
 
 But as to the demand made by the pope, that if the king 
 of England claimed any right over the kingdom of Scotland, 
 or any part of it, he should send procurators instructed as to 
 that point to the church of Rome, and full justice should be 
 done him ; to this demand the king did not choose to give 
 an answer himself, but committed the affair to the earls and 
 other nobles of the country, who on this point wrote letters 
 to the lord the pope, of the following tenor. 
 
 The Letters which ths earls and harmis of England sent to the lord 
 the pope, about the affairs of Scotland. 
 
 " To the most holy father in Christ, the lord Boniface, by 
 Divine Providence, supreme pontiff of the holy Roman uni- 
 
558 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1301. 
 
 versal church, his devout sons John, earl of Warrenne, Thomas, 
 earl of Lancaster, Radulph of Monthermer, earl of Gloucester 
 and Hereford, Humphrey de Bohun, earl of Hertford and 
 Essex and constable of England, Roger Bigot, earl of Nor- 
 folk and marshal of England, Guy, earl of Warwick, &c., 
 sending devout kisses of his blessed feet, &c. : 
 
 *' The holy Roman mother church is the church by whose 
 ministry the Cathohc faith, as we firmly believe and hold, 
 proceeds with such steadiness in its actions that it injures no 
 one, but wishes to protect the rights of all persons uninjured. 
 A general parUament having been lately convoked by our most 
 serene lord Edward, by the grace of God, the illustrious king 
 of England, to meet at Lincoln, the said lord Edward, our 
 kino-, caused to be produced, and carefully explained to us, 
 sonre letters from the Apostolic See, which we on our part had 
 received touching certain matters which relate to the condition 
 and state of the kingdom. And when these letters had been 
 heard and carefully understood, we perceived that some things 
 surprising to our senses and hitherto unprecedented were con- 
 tained in them. For we know, most holy father, and it is 
 notorious in these parts, and not unknown to other persons 
 also, that from the first establishment of the kingdom of Eng- 
 land, the kings of that kingdom, both in the times of the 
 Britons and of the Angles, have been possessed of the direct 
 superior authority and dominion over the kingdom of Scot- 
 land, and have in successive ages had a right to the regulation 
 of Scotland itself; nor does that kingdom, as to its temporalities, 
 belong, nor has it at any time belonged, by any kind of right 
 to vour church before mentioned. Moreover, the aforesaid 
 kingdom of Scotland has from ancient times been in feudal 
 subjection to the progenitors of our aforesaid king, the kings 
 of England, and to himself, nor have the kings or kingdom 
 of Scotland ever been subordinate or accustomed to be sub- 
 ject to any other sovereigns than the kings of England. Nor 
 have the kings of England ever answered, nor have they been 
 bound to answer, respecting their rights over the aforesaid 
 kingdom, or any other of their temporalities, before any judge 
 ecclesiastical or secular, according to the pre-eminence of 
 the state of their royal dignity and custom inviolably observed 
 
 in all ages. 
 
 " On which account, having carefully considered and deli- 
 berated on the contents of your aforesaid letters, the general 
 
 A.D. 1302. LETTERS OF THE NOBLES TO THE POPE. 
 
 559 
 
 harmonious and unanimous consent of all and each of us has 
 been, and, by the favour of God, will be unalterably for the 
 future, that the before-mentioned lord our king shall in no 
 respect answer judicially before you respecting his rights over 
 the kingdom of Scotland, or any other of his temporal pos- 
 sessions. Nor shall he in any way submit to a trial of them, 
 or bring his aforesaid rights in question, or send procurators 
 or ambassadors for that purpose to your presence, especially 
 as such demands tend manifestly to the stripping him of his 
 hereditary rights belonging to the crown of the kingdom of 
 England, and to his royal dignity ; and to the evident sub- 
 version of the constitution of the said kingdom, and to the 
 prejudice of the liberties, customs, and native laws, to the 
 observance and defence of which he and we are duly bound 
 by the oath we have taken. And what we are now possessed 
 of, we will, with the help of God, defend with all our might 
 and all our power. Nor do we permit, nor will we in any 
 way permit, as, indeed, we neither can nor ought, our lord the 
 king to submit to the before-mentioned demands, being un- 
 usual, unjustifiable, prejudicial, and altogether unprecedented, 
 nor would we permit it even if he were inclined himself to do 
 so, or in the least to attempt it. 
 
 " Wherefore, we reverently and humbly entreat your holi- 
 ness kindly to permit our lord the king aforesaid, who s-hows 
 himself a Catholic among all the other princes of the earth, 
 and a devout son of the Roman church, peaceably to possess 
 his rights, and liberties, and customs, and laws, aforesaid, 
 without diminution or disquietude, and to allow those rights to 
 remain undisturbed. In testimony of which, our seals are 
 appended to these present letters, on behalf both of ourselves 
 and of the whole commonalty of the above-mentioned king- 
 dom of England. 
 
 " Done and given at Lincoln, in the year of our lord thirteen 
 hundred and one." 
 
 m 
 
 1 
 
 Ch. XXVI.— From a.b. 1302 to a.d. 1304. 
 
 Discontents in France — The king of France summons Edward 
 to France^ who declines compliance — Edward invades Scot- 
 land — Guienne is restored to England — Pope Boniface is 
 imprisoned^ and dies — The war with Scotland continues — 
 Edward gains great victories — The siege of Stirling. 
 
560 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1302. 
 
 The weavers in tJieir ivoollens fgJity 
 The iron-clad Frenchmen take to flight. 
 
 A.D. 1302. Those other sons of Israel, the burgesses of the 
 city of Bruges, iu Flanders, being either unable or unwilling 
 any longer to endure the stings of the scorpion, the exac- 
 tions of taxes, the orders of clay and brick, with which the 
 ministers of the king of France, the new Pharaoh, had op- 
 pressed them, having plucked up some spirit again, and taken 
 counsel, unanimously arose against their oppressors, slaying 
 them all together. At this, the king of France was greatly 
 moved, as formerly the king of Babylon was ; and so, as he, in 
 order that he might be called the only God upon the eartli, 
 sent Ilolofernes, so this king, in order that he might be 
 the only sovereign to reign over all nations, sent his Holo- 
 fernes, the captain of his army, namely, the count of Artois, 
 the most celebrated warrior in Christendom, with his dukes, 
 earls, barons, magistrates, and other powerful personages, 
 with an innumerable host of warriors mounted on horses, 
 armed with breastplates well-appointed for battle, the flower 
 of the armies of Christendom, as it was supposed to the exter- 
 mination of the city of Bruges. And they, covering, as it 
 w^ere, the surface of the earth with their horses and chariots, 
 caused a great fear, since none of the cities to which they came 
 dared to resist them. Moreover, the people of Bruges being 
 considered people without a head, appointed a leader and general 
 for themselves, by name Peter de Coning, who was to command 
 them in battle as Moses had commanded the Jews. Therefore, 
 leaving their own city, they marched forth to encounter tlie 
 French. And when there, incalculable numbers were seen, they 
 were amazed, and commending their souls to God, they said, 
 ** Thine, Lord, is the battle, and it is in thy power to save by 
 many or by few." And choosing rather to die in defence of 
 the laws of their country than to live long in shame and slavery, 
 they marched on, to encounter danger. So the battle began, 
 and there fell the count of Artois, the count of Albemarle, 
 the count of Eu, the count of Drew, the count of Boulogne, 
 the count of Saint Pol, Radulph de Neil, constable of France, 
 Guy de Neil, marshal of France, Peter de Flore, counsellor of 
 the king of France, like a second Achitophel, the son of the 
 count of Haimonie, and forty baronets, with an infinite number 
 
 fl 
 
 A.D. 1302. THE KING OF ENGLAND DESIROUS OF PEACE. 561 
 
 of the common people. And in this battle, what was a wonder- 
 ful thing was, that the cavalry had neither courage nor power 
 to resist infantry, lords had none to withstand their subjects, 
 an army clad in panoply of steel could not stand before weavers 
 of wool, a firm body was beaten by a terrified one, and a king- 
 dom by a small town. This battle took place on the eleventh 
 of July, near Cambray. When, therefore, this victory became 
 known, all the countrymen of the conquerors drove forth their 
 French masters out of their cities, and adhered to their native 
 governors chosen from their citizens. 
 
 After this, the king of France acting tyrannically, collected 
 a very large army, as numerous as the sand which is on the 
 sea sliore, from tlie Greek sea to the ocean, for the purpose of 
 breaking the power of the Flemings, and the king of the French 
 himself formed part of the army. But the Flemings marched 
 an army against them for the purpose of defending their native 
 soil, and not for that of attacking the country of others, in 
 which enterprise they were countenanced by the Apostolic bless- 
 ing. And when they had marshalled their line of battle, the 
 two armies being at no great distance from one another! the 
 king of France did not dare to descend into Flanders, and the 
 Flemings were not inclined to advance beyond their own bor- 
 ders, and the army of the French was fatigued with their march, 
 and exhausted by great scarcity of food, which had now lasted 
 a long time ; and as the king of France himself was tarrjing 
 at the city of Artois, more than fifty thousand men secretly 
 returned home again, though they were hable to the penalty 
 of death for their desertion. At length the king of France 
 himself, with all his followers, ingloriously returned home, 
 crowned with ineffable ignominy, on the nintli day of the mouth 
 of October. We have recounted these events, not as being a 
 full account of all that took place, but for the recollection of 
 future ages, in order that posterity may remember how the 
 Ruler of rulers never ceases to humble the powerful who pre- 
 sume too much on themselves. 
 
 Let us now return to other matters, affecting the king of 
 England. 
 
 The king of England then, being desirous that a good peace 
 should be made in his days, sent ambassadors of high rank to 
 the king of France about Easter, to give him notice by their 
 means of the resolutions to which he had come re8pectin«>- 
 peace and war. And, having received for answer that such 
 VOL. II. o 
 
f>62 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1303. 
 
 important affairs could not be satisfactorily discussed unless 
 twelve peers were assembled with fall powers, which was not 
 practicable at that moment, as the peers were now occupied in 
 various places on account of the unexpected emergencies of 
 the new war, but that they might expect that it could be done 
 in a fortnight. And after this period had elapsed, the mayors 
 of France assembled and answered the EngUsh ambassadors 
 that they were not inclined to give a definite answer on the 
 above-mentioned subject, without the presence of the Scottish 
 confederates. Having received this answer, the ambassadors 
 returned to England. 
 
 On this, the king held his parliament at Westminster, on the 
 first of July. And when they had had recounted to them the 
 disappointing and evasive delays and procrastinating manoeu- 
 vres to which the ambassadors' had been exposed, they deter- 
 mined to send the same persons back again, as news of the 
 triumphant victory which the Flemings had gained over the 
 French, had arrived ; and the ambassadors now received for 
 answer that the king of England ought to come in his own person, 
 and that then an agreement about peace might well be come to 
 between the two kings, so that the powerful nobles and superiors 
 of each kingdom might applaud it as advantageous to them, 
 and the middle and lower classes might not be grieved at it. 
 Therefore the king of England held his parharaent at West- 
 minster, on the feast of the Translation of Saint Edward the 
 King, where this answer was recited, and gave great offence. 
 But it was decided positively by the council of the whole king- 
 dom that the king should remain in his own dominions, and he 
 was not permitted to leave England at the command or sugges- 
 tion of the king of France. 
 
 Pope Boniface dies. Benedict folloivs. 
 
 A.D. 1303, which is the thirty-first of the reign of king 
 Edward, Edward, king of England, the glorious triumpher 
 over the aggressions of his enemies, marched towards Scot- 
 land, about the time of Pentecost, with a military army, 
 to check the insolence of the Scots (who were wickedly pre- 
 varicating with their oath of fealty, having slain his faithful 
 subjects who had been sent into that country for the preser- 
 vation of peace, had wounded others, dismissed others half 
 dead after great violence), and to take vengeance for their 
 crimes, and to succour his own nation. For after the with- 
 
 A.D. 1303. CASTLE OF STIEIDfG BESIEGED. 563 
 
 drawal of the king of England from the kingdom of Scotland, 
 and after much slaughter and conflagration^ at last the Scots 
 with a hostile army, aid siege to a castle belonging to the 
 king of England, called Stirling. To defend which, sixtv 
 archers only were sent by the king of England, having but u 
 scanty allowance of provisions for half a month. Therefore 
 the nobles of Scotland marched with a numerous body to be 
 siege that castle vigorously. And, on the other hand, the 
 besieged defended it manfully. And as, on account of the so- 
 lidity and height of the castle, the besiegers could not by an v 
 
 injury, they determined at last to reduce the carrison bV 
 wearing them out by famine and scarcity. But when the be- 
 sieged found that tins was their object, they used their store 
 niore sparingly. And the siege of the castle lasted so lonj?, 
 that, at last, their food being all consumed, and necessity com- 
 pelling them they slew even their dogs and horses, and ate 
 their flesh with the blood in it. And, what is still more mise- 
 rable to mention, they devoured even the hides of the animals 
 Nay, what 18 more horrible still to hear of, they ate the mice 
 and cats which they caught in traps. At last, when everything 
 was consumed which could be eaten, the besieged said to one 
 another. Behold our enemies are labouring to subdue us bv 
 hunger, and we have only very little corn left, and two quarter's 
 of one ox. Let us throw the fourth part of a bushel of corn 
 and one quarter of beef, into the ranks of the enemy, and let 
 us eat the rest to-morrow and the day after, and then die ; but 
 1 they suppose that we have plenty of corn and meat, perhaps 
 they will abandon the siege." Oh ! the praiseworthy ener^- of 
 the men, even though it was only what had been originally 
 devised by Josephus, formerly a most illustrious warrior of 
 the Jews. So that when they had done this, the besie-ers 
 being deceived, said, " Let us depart, for we are doing no good' 
 Lo ! those whom we hoped were perishing with hunger we 
 now, by their throwing away their provisions, find to be b a 
 contraiy condition." 
 
 So when the Scots had departed, the besieged presently sent 
 one of their number to the king of England for supphes and 
 relief as soon as possible, saying, that otherwise they could not 
 possibly hold out the castle any longer. But the messenger 
 going of his own accord by a bye wav, and deviating from the 
 path of honesty, went to the army of the Scots, telhng them 
 
 00 2 
 
564 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 13C3. 
 
 of the want which the besieged had endured, and how many 
 of them were dead, and he advised them to Persist m their 
 enterprise. Oh thou traitor, thou son of Rechab, art thou 
 ignorant of the reward which the king of David wiU give you 
 Who has resisted him, and found peace ? Who has deceived 
 him, and not mourned in his turn? Therefore the Scots re- 
 turned, and laid siege to the castle a second time ; and the 
 besieged not having any means of supportmg life after three 
 days surrendered the castle to the lord John de Souhs, and the 
 Scots agreed to allow them to depart in freedom to the king ot 
 England. Then the guardianship of that castle was entrusted 
 to a valiant soldier selected from among thousands, William 
 Olifant, who had under him three hundred warlike men sta- 
 tioned in various places, of whom he retained a hundred and 
 twenty about himself for the defence of that castle. For these 
 and many other injuries the king of England now invaded 
 Scotland, in order to bridle the jaws of the S^^^^ ^'\^^^ ^it and 
 bridle, as they, not agreeing to the peace which he offered 
 them, had violated it, and were plannmg treachery aU day. 
 Therefore, he occupied their towns and fortresses with a strong 
 
 army. And when he approached the f s^l^^^.^'^^.^^^Vw !1;^ 
 opposed him, he commanded siege to be laid to it. But the 
 defender of that castle, a most valiant knight of great personal 
 strength, byname Thomas MaiUe, not fearing the army of the 
 king, but trusting in the strength of his thick walls, did not 
 in the least regard the violent assaults of the engines. Since 
 when the powerful instruments of the king of England kep 
 incessantlf hurUng stones against the walls ol the castle, and yet 
 the wall did not yield ; tliat vaUant knight, Thomas, stood by 
 with a towel, and wiped off the mark of the stone from he 
 wall by way of insulting and deriding the whole English 
 armv And when he had defended the castle gallantly for 
 forty 'days, on the eve of Saint Lawrence, while he was standing 
 near the battlements of the wall, the engine being aimed at 
 Thomas himself, a blow from the stone which was shot from 
 it struck a part of the battlement, and bounding off onwards 
 bv its own force, struck the valiant knight Thomas, who was 
 standing near, in the chest, and he being fearfully shaken, pre- 
 sently 1?U down on his back. And while he was still breath- 
 ing, his servants ran up, and asked whether they were to 
 surrender the castle yet. And he, bidding them farewell, 
 cursed them for entertaining such an idea, and so expured. 
 
 I 
 
 A.D. 1303. PEACE BETWEEN ENGLAND AND FRANCE. 5G5 
 
 And immediately afterwards, that very day, the besieged being 
 destitute of all assistance, surrendered the castle to the king 
 of England. 
 
 There were in Scotland two most famous abbeys, both en- 
 dowed with very ample possessions, and very strongly fortified 
 as to their buildings, namely, Aberbredok and Dumferhne. 
 Moreover, Dumferline contained a very considerable quantity 
 of ground within its walls, extending over three hydes of land, 
 and embracing in its circuit many almost royal palaces, so 
 that three illustrious kings could be at the same time and all 
 together entertained within its walls, with all their followers, 
 without inconveniencing one another. Therefore, on account 
 of the great magnitude of the place, the chief nobles of the 
 kingdom of Scotland were accustomed to meet there and ar- 
 range their designs against the king of England ; and very 
 often, in time of war, they would go forth from this retreat, 
 and harass the people of England with depredation and 
 slaughter. Therefore the army of the king, seeing that the 
 temple of the Lord was not a church, but a den of thieves, 
 and, as it were, a beam in the eyes of the people of England, 
 sent forth a torch of conflagration, and utterly destroyed it, 
 levelling the recesses, and walls, and all the palaces with the 
 ground, saving the church alone from the fire, and a few houses 
 sufficient for the abode of the regular monks. 
 
 The same year, on the feast of the Holy and Indivisible 
 Trinity, peace, which had been long wished for, was made 
 between the two kingdoms, being proclaimed first in France, 
 and then in England. At which time, the province of Guienne, 
 with all its rights and liberties, was restored to the king of 
 England, in the same form in which he had held it before the 
 beginning of this war. 
 
 On the day of Saint Mark the Evangelist, Guy, son of the 
 count of Flanders, entered Selandia with a thousand men, not 
 fearing the many thousands of men who came to encounter 
 him ; and fighting gallantly on foot, and defeating the enemy, 
 he made himself master of that county. And how often the 
 anger of the king of France boiled over at this, and prompted 
 him to send an armed force against the Flemings, it does not 
 become us to insert in this history. But as often as he sent 
 an army, it is agreed on all hands that it was defeated ; be- 
 cause his troops were either slain in battle, or else returned 
 ignominiously and ingloriously from the battle. And the 
 
rm 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1303. 
 
 pride of the French was so humbled, that it was considered a 
 jcreat thing for the French to be able to obtain peace from the 
 Flemings for a certain fixed period ; so that the French might 
 Bay, ** Let us flee from the Flemings, for the Lord fighteth for 
 them." 
 
 In these days, Master Richard de Gravesend, bishop of Lon- 
 don, died, and by the unanimous consent of the chapter, the 
 dean of that church. Master Radulph de Baldok, was elected 
 bishop in his stead. However, three canons of that church, 
 who had been deprived of their prebends and suspended a 
 little before, at the visitation of the archbishop of Canterbury, 
 hindered the election, appealing to the Apostolic See against 
 the bishop elect, because on the day of election they had been 
 prevented from entering the chapter. 
 
 In this year, king Edward wintered in Scotland, among the 
 bears and tigers, and other haunts of wild beasts, not fearing 
 the dragons, because he was like a lion, who frightens all the 
 beasts of the forests ; and though he was like David, when 
 surrounded by the Ziphseans, he was most miraculously neither 
 injured nor betrayed by them. Accordingly, at the end of 
 this year, because the lion Edward, the king of beasts, had 
 determined that he would not depart from that country till 
 he had either utterly subdued all the Scots, or been himself 
 subdued by them, the nobles of the kingdom of Scotland, 
 both earls and barons, their error of rebellion having met with 
 stern defeat, and been forcibly reduced to nothing by severe 
 measures, perceiving that fire rather than peace was surround- 
 ing them on all sides, submitted themselves and their followers 
 to the will of the king of England. And he admitted them 
 to his favour, treating first one and then the other with great 
 mercy ; and placing them under tribute, he mulcted them in a 
 pecuniary fine, and according to the quality and quantity of 
 each individual's offence, he allowed him a certain term of days 
 or years to pay it. 
 
 About the same time, and that same year that these events 
 took place in Scotland, on the eve of the Nativity of the blessed 
 Mary, pope Boniface, at the persuasion, as it was beheved, 
 of Philip, king of France, as there had been a terrible ground 
 of quarrel between the king and pope for a long time, was 
 most atrociously and irreverently seized in his palace in the 
 city of Anagni, by some of his enemies, and especially by a 
 certain man named Sarra of Campania, and was stripped of 
 
 A.D. 1303. THE king's TREASUET IS PirNDEEED. 
 
 567 
 
 all his property, and kept three days in prison. Afterwards, 
 he returned to Rome, and being there moved by indignation 
 and distress of mind, he a short time afterwards died. 
 
 Edward, king of England, had his treasury plundered by a 
 single robber in England, for which ten monks of Westminster 
 were unjustly imprisoned. 
 
 But as it was a thing unheard of in the history of the world, 
 since the peace of the church had been spread over the whole 
 earth, that false Christians, who call themselves Christians and 
 are not so, should have committed so monstrous a crime 
 against the supreme pontiff, it is not suflicient to say, for the 
 knowledge of future generations who will be born hereafter, 
 " Pope Boniface was stripped of all his goods, and a most 
 audacious robber by himself secretly entered the treasury of 
 the king of England," unless the manner and form in which 
 each crime was perpetrated is also set down. And again, the 
 thoughts of men are always more inclined to evil than to good ; 
 80 when the imprisonment of ten monks, for a matter con- 
 cerning the treasury of the king of England, is heard of, a 
 wicked idea of suspicion at once enters men's minds. And 
 when their innocence is not declared, the hearer rejoices in 
 the insults offered to them, and does not cease to insult them 
 with abuse. And so the future generations which are to be 
 born and arise, unless an express statement is made on the 
 subject, will either accuse the men of that day of remissness 
 and inactivity, or, what is still more terrible to be said without 
 examining into the cause, they will think that the monks were 
 guilty of the crime. Therefore it is necessary to set forth the 
 circumstances connected with their imprisonment. (Those 
 who were alive when these things were done, were not yet with 
 the disciples of Jesus when he was tempted by the devil, who 
 were at length, after many and various oppressions and tribu- 
 lations, visited by the Lord.) Those who will be born many 
 generations hence, will very probably say, it is contained in 
 the king's annals, that ten monks were imprisoned by him 
 because of an affair connected with his treasury. This is an 
 idea of horror ; an idea I suspect at once of evil. For when 
 any one is imprisoned, there arises at once the reproach, this 
 man was either disobedient to the commands of his prince, or 
 a violator of the king's peace. And the answer is as follows : 
 " thou doubter, the voice of the church complains over thee, 
 bring hither thy finger, and recognize the place of the nails. 
 
 I 
 
568 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMIJ7STEE. 
 
 A.D. 1304. 
 
 and be not faithless, and an evil speal^er with those who speak 
 falsely, but believing." I shall show you briefly, and others 
 too, who are evil speakers and proud like yourself, the manner 
 and form of the spoliation of the pope in a brief recital, in 
 order to cut off all improper suspicions. And I will show you 
 also the marks of the nails, and the hole in the side of the 
 wall in the treasury of the king of England, and the cause of 
 the imprisonment and annoyance which in consequence befel 
 the monks of that place, by the instrumentality of diabolical 
 men, and I will hereafter make the whole matter quite plain 
 to posterity. But I omit the matter here, because it would 
 take too long a time to insert it in this chapter. When, 
 however, pope Boniface, in spite of his papal dignity, had been 
 mercilessly plundered of all his property, to the prejudice of 
 the whole church, as I have said before, and kept three days 
 in prison, with great irreverence to the Roman church, and to 
 himself the vicar of God, he being moved by great indignation 
 and distress of mind, ended his life very shortly afterwards, 
 that is to say, on the twelfth of October, and he was buried 
 the next day, in the church of the blessed Peter, in a wonder- 
 ful tomb which he had had prepared for himself while he was 
 yet alive. Of him a certain versifier writes thus : 
 
 •' He came in like a fox, like a lion he reigned, 
 His end was a dog's, he Chimaera' remained." 
 
 And another writes thus of him — 
 
 '♦ He began like a fox, like a lion he did roar, 
 He ended like a dog, from rich becoming poor." 
 
 And when he was dead and buried, the next day the cardinals 
 assembled together and elected the bishop of Ostia, of the 
 order of Preachers ; and on the tenth day afterwards he was 
 consecrated supreme pontifl", and assumed the name of Bene- 
 dict the Eleventh. 
 
 England exults in victory, 
 While Scothnd Jights unhappily. 
 
 A.D. 1304, which is the thirty-second of the reign of king 
 Edward, pope Benedict, while he was preaching the Word of 
 God at Perugia, among other topics bewailed the abominable 
 atrocities which had been committed upon the vicar of Christ 
 Jesus and Peter, in which he did not so much lament the in- 
 
 1 Alluding to the classical fable of the Chiraaera, who was said to have 
 a lion's head, a goat's body, and the hinder parts of a dragon. 
 
 A.D. 1301. 
 
 POPE BENEDICT DIES. 
 
 569 
 
 suit offered to the particular person, as assert that Christ him- 
 self had been a second time stripped by the soldiers of Pilate, 
 bewailing his fate as being again taken, condemned, and, as it 
 were, put to death and consigned to the grave, and guarded 
 for three days by soldiers ; not, as the apostle says, " Christ 
 being raised from the dead dieth no more," but he is now in 
 his glorified flesh ; and as the Lord Jesus Christ said to Peter 
 when he asked him, " Lord, whither goest thou ?" he said, 
 '* I go to Rome to be crucified a second time." Then Peter 
 understood that he was speaking of his own passion, inasmuch 
 as our Lord, by the mercifulness of his pity, sufiers in his 
 saints. And as he says in another place, •' What you have 
 done to one of the least of these my children, whether it be 
 honour or dishonour, know that I shall feel the same thing." 
 When, therefore, he had said these and many other similar 
 things concerning the disaster of pope Boniface, he laid his 
 spoilers, and all who consented to them, and all who were in 
 any respect privy to their deed, under a double anathema ; 
 insisting and dwelling very much on this expression, " If they 
 have done this in the green wood, what will they do in the 
 dry?" And as he asserted that lightnings and coruscations 
 of divine vengeance often unexpectedly overwhelmed wicked 
 men, and that he had been elected and placed in the seat of 
 the Elders, to announce their wickedness to the people, and 
 to warn them to repent, he now warned them to make atone- 
 ment for their sins, otherwise he should necessarily and very 
 speedily lay the axe of amputation and extirpation to the root 
 of malediction and the accursed trunk ; therefore, these wicked 
 men, being alarmed at such terrible threats, took counsel with 
 another Caiaphas, that it was more desirable for one man to die 
 than the whole nation, or the tribeof Colonna,tobe extinguished, 
 and accordingly, having corrupted the butler of the lord the 
 pope with money, they poisoned him, and he died within a 
 fortnight. And so, pope Benedict died in the city of Perugia, 
 on the seventh day of the month of July, when he had ruled 
 his see eight months and fifteen days. And after his death a 
 violent dispute arose among the cardinals, so that for nine 
 months they could not agree with one another about electing 
 a pontiff. 
 
 About the same time, it being the season for the warlike 
 operations of kings, the most fortunate king of England, Ed- 
 ward, having traversed every part of Scotland, and trampled 
 
 I 
 
570 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMi:!fSTEB. 
 
 A.D. 1304. 
 
 victoriously on the horns of the proud, having repressed the 
 murmurs of the rebellious, and all the nobles of the kingdom 
 of Scotland having surrendered themselves to his will, and 
 being wholly subdued, had still one very strong castle re- 
 maining, which required to be subdued, namely, that of Stir- 
 ling. So the king marched against it, and immediately pre- 
 pared to besiege it. But the defender of the castle, a very 
 gallant knight, by name William Ohfant, seeing how great the 
 king's army was, and that he and his men were surrounded, 
 sent an embassy, requesting of the king that he might be 
 allowed to send John de Soulis into France to his master, to 
 enquire whether he was, voluntarily and without assistance, to 
 surrender the castle to the king, or to defend it against him 
 as long as he could. But the king replied, " By no means ; 
 let him consider by himself whether he thinks it better to de- 
 fend the castle than to surrender it to us." Having received 
 this answer, William remembered the oath which he had taken 
 to his master, who was at that time in France with some of 
 the Scots, and turned his thoughts to making a defence. But 
 as he had no allies at hand, nor any one from whom he could 
 obtain assistance, he prepared by himself to resist the king's 
 power as well as he could ; and he considered that he should 
 not displease the king by defending the castle against him, be- 
 cause he had never done him homage or sworn fealty to him 
 personally. But that he, together with his master, had 
 fraudulently invaded the territories of another, and seized the 
 king's castle, he either never considered, or would not under- 
 stand, 80 as to act rightfully. 
 
 Then the king of England exhorted his followers to fight 
 vigorously, replying, that after the death of Alexander, king 
 of Scotland, the earls and barons had elected him their su- 
 perior lord, doing him homage, and swearing fealty to him, 
 taking their corporal oaths of allegiance to him, for all the 
 men of full age, and for all the minors of the kingdom, pre- 
 sent and future, so that, when the rights of all who claimed 
 the kingdom had been discussed before him, that claimant 
 might receive the crown whom he should judge to have the 
 best right to the kingdom. And they, guarding their own in- 
 terests for the future, in order that the king of England might 
 not establish anything as the titular lord of the kingdom, and 
 of the king of France, but as their invited lord and real pos- 
 sessor of the realm, they gave him peaceful seisin for forty 
 
 A.D. 1304. SIEGE OF THE CASTLE OF STTELTNa. 
 
 571 
 
 days, of all the castles, boroughs, marshalships, seneschalships, 
 and all other properties and rights which belong to the king- 
 dom, in order that their proceedings might not turn out vain ; 
 and that their actions might not be a mere nullity, as is more 
 fully contained in their patent instrument drawn up, with re- 
 ference to this subject. 
 
 Afterwards, their elected and crowned king, waging war 
 against his Hege lord, the king of England, was defeated and 
 committed to prison ; and when a hulidred thousand men and 
 more had been slain in the war, at Berwick and Dunbar, and 
 when many barons, earls, and knights of the kingdom of 
 Scotland had been taken and put in prison in England, Ed- 
 ward became the conqueror and monarch of the two kingdoms, 
 according to the laws of war. Then, having mercifully re- 
 leased them, and allowed them to return to their native coun- 
 try, when they again stirred up war, the king met them with 
 a well-appointed army, and a second time made himself mas- 
 ter of the kingdom of Scotland, with the edge of the sword 
 slaying sixty thousand men of the Scots in battle near Fal- 
 kirk. And the king said, '' Since, now, for the third time, 
 we have subdued in a warlike manner, with the club of our 
 power, these sons of rebellion, and since there is no one who 
 resists us, unless it be another Siba,' the son of Botrius, now, 
 then, my gallant comrades, preserve the titles of your glory, 
 that having defeated this mischievous worm, your honour may 
 be the more increased." These were the king's words, and 
 his regiments and armies assented to and approved of them. 
 Then the arbalists are bent, machines are erected, engines for 
 hurling stones are built. On the opposite side, a very strong 
 and lofty castle stood, for it was built on a sohd rock, near 
 the sea-shore. To it there was only one entrance, and one 
 exit ; but within there were gallant men, whom despair ren- 
 dered braver. They fought on both sides vigorously, and 
 those in the citadel derided the blows of the missiles which 
 struck below, and hurled back attacks from their own en- 
 gines on the English from their higher position, attacking 
 them with terrible arrows from their arbalists, and huge stones, 
 with which they wounded many persons and killed others. 
 And sometimes they made sallies out of the castle, and made 
 great slaughter in the king's army. The king being enraged 
 at this, ordered enormous engines to be erected, from which a 
 
 ' It appears that there must be some great corruption in the text here. 
 
 i 
 
572 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMIIfSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 1304. 
 
 continued stream of stones was hurled against the wall and 
 over the wall. But those which struck against the wall, 
 bounded back vainly. Those, however, which were borne 
 over the wall, fell into the castle, and injured the garrison 
 greatly. For they hurled fire-brands and stones into the castle 
 so continually, that they burnt many of their stores of corn, 
 and the stones, by their weight, entirely destroyed many of 
 the buildings of the castle. But by all these disasters, the ac- 
 cursed madness of the garrison was not subdued, because they 
 were obstinate, and at the same time the energy of the En- 
 glish besiegers did not relax, because they were brave. But 
 within the castle there were hollow caverns and caves, some 
 natural, some artificial, and above them there was a very strong 
 wall, and in the wall there were arches and hollow places in 
 which they deposited the provisions which they had, protect- 
 ing themselves with eaves from the blows of the stones. And 
 when ninety days of this siege had elapsed, and yet the garri- 
 son did not surrender, the king said, ** As the Lord liveth, we 
 will not depart from hence, till either we have subdued them, 
 or they have succeeded in driving us away, and routing us." 
 And some one comforting the king, replied, " My lord, do 
 whatever is in thy heart, because the Lord is with thee." And 
 truly the Lord was with him, preserving him in a most mar- 
 vellous way, in the sight of all the people. For while he was 
 animating liis army to fight bravely, and was himself always 
 the first, and constantly coming very near to the wall of the 
 castle, and riding unarmed on his destrier, lo I the angel of 
 Satan, put into the heart of one of the Scots to put forth his 
 hand against the Lord's anointed ; so he, observing the king 
 from the tower, bent his arbalist, and aimed a javelin at the 
 heart of the king But the angel of the Lord frustrated his 
 Hear the miracle. The arrow of the devil was shot at 
 
 aim. 
 
 the Lord's anointed. But, Satan, you have only wounded 
 the king with an arrow, you have not slain him. You have 
 pierced the king's robe, without in the least hurting his flesh. 
 Nor could you even kill the horse of the rider, though you 
 passed between the reins with a horrible whistling. You 
 pierce the saddle, but you do not hurt the skin. And fre- 
 quently, during the continuance of the siege, did these Scots, 
 from their high position in their citadel, shoot forth arrows of 
 most cruel torment, which are called in Enghsh <K5pnugl)ol^» 
 to slay the unarmed king. But, by the grace of God, they 
 
 A.D. 1304. SIEGE OF THE CASTLE OF STIBLING. 
 
 573 
 
 injured neither the king nor his horse. They slew, indeed, 
 numbers of the people. And when the king was advised not 
 any longer to go unarmed in that way, because of the danger 
 of the arrows which were flying about, out of the clouds as it 
 were, and which he ought to guard against as proceeding from 
 the devil, in the meridian of his power, he rephed, ** A thou- 
 sand shall fall beside me, and ten thousand at my right hand, 
 but the arrows shall not approach to hurt me. We have un- 
 dertaken a just war in the name of the Lord, therefore we will 
 not fear what man can do to us, since God is on our right 
 hand, therefore we shall not be moved." 
 
 Another day, when the king was riding unarmed close under 
 the wall, so that all the English army was alarmed, his furious 
 enemies threw down a stone of enormous size in order to crush 
 the king. A marvellous thing happened. At the violent 
 shock of this huge stone, as at the stroke of a thunderbolt, 
 the destrier of the king fell to the ground on his back, like 
 Balaam's ass, givmg place to the destroyer. And the soldiers 
 running up, dragged the king down the hill, and chiding him, 
 said, " My lord, why do you, without your armour, go nearer 
 to the wall than all the rest, in order to fight with them ? 
 are you ignorant that many arrows are aimed at you from 
 above, from the wall ? Who smote Abimelech, the son of 
 Jerubbael ? Did not a woman throw a fragment of a mill- 
 stone on him from the wall, and slay him in Tliabes ? Re- 
 main now in your tent, for if we fly, what happens to us will 
 not be of great importance to them ; or if half of us are slain, 
 they will not care much, since your person alone is accounted 
 equal to ten thousand men. It is better for us, therefore, that 
 you should be somewhere else in a safe place." And the king 
 replied, " As the Lord liveth, I will not leave you, whether 
 you go to death or to life." Then the king ordered a batter- 
 ing ram to be constructed, which the Greeks call Nicontes,^ as 
 conquering all things, and a wolf of war. But the ram being 
 a bad one, and unskilfully put together, did Uttle or no good. 
 But the wolf of war, though less costly, was more injurious to 
 the besieged. Now listen to a strange circumstance. The 
 immense engines, by the blow of one sword, pierced through 
 the two opposite walls of the citadel, which were founded on 
 the rock, as an arrow would fly through a piece of cloth. And 
 many stones, shot from the lesser engines, striking the thicker 
 walls, when they came against the wall stuck in it, and being, 
 
 ' From viKt], victory. 
 
 I 
 
 !:^^ 
 
 ♦^•■#^. 
 
 •^•Jiii^.^aifc:^* 
 
 fir. 
 
 r'nf* r mgmitl 
 
 
 !?!S??^-^?^-!Mi>#*-t^7w"^^^ *■ ±11'"^ .,_> ,4t»-^»4ua^ ^^'^•A^i^4^kmm>^j!^^*!^i'^m. 
 
5/2 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1304. 
 
 continued stream of stones was hurled against the wall and 
 over the wall. But those which struck against the wall, 
 hounded back vainly. Those, however, which were borne 
 over the wall, fell into the castle, and injured the garrison 
 greatly. For they hurled fire-brands and stones into the castle 
 so continually, that they burnt many of their stores of corn, 
 and the stones, by their weight, entirely destroyed many of 
 the buildings of the castle. But by all these disasters, the ac- 
 cursed madness of the garrison was not subdued, because they 
 were obstinate, and at the same time the energy of the En- 
 glish besiegers did not relax, because they were brave. But 
 within the castle there were hollow caverns and caves, some 
 natural, some artificial, and above them there was a very strong 
 wall, and in the wall there were arches and hollow places in 
 which they deposited the provisions which they had, protect- 
 ing themselves with eaves from the blows of the stones. And 
 when ninety days of this siege had elapsed, and yet the garri- 
 son did not surrender, the king said, *'As the Lord liveth, we 
 will not depart from hence, till either we have subdued them, 
 or they have succeeded in driving us away, and routing us." 
 And some one comforting the king, replied, " My lord, do 
 whatever is in thy heart, because the Lord is with thee." And 
 truly the Lord was with him, preserving him in a most mar- 
 vellous way, in the sight of all the people. For while he was 
 animating his army to fight bravely, and was himself always 
 the first, and constantly coming very near to the wall of the 
 castle, and riding unarmed on his destrier, lo I the angel of 
 Satan, put into the heart of one of the Scots to put forth his 
 hand against the Lord's anointed ; so he, observing the king 
 from the tower, bent his arbalist, and aimed a javelin at the 
 heart of the king But the angel of the Lord frustrated his 
 aim. Hear the miracle. The arrow of the devil was shot at 
 the Lord's anointed. But, Satan, you have only wounded 
 the king with an arrow, you have not slain him. You have 
 pierced the king's robe, without in the least hurting his flesh. 
 Nor could you even kill the horse of the rider, though you 
 passed between the reins with a horrible whistling. You 
 pierce the saddle, but you do not hurt the skin. And fre- 
 quently, during the continuance of the siege, did these Scots, 
 from their high position in their citadel, shoot forth arrows of 
 most cruel torment, which are called in English <E£(pring;l)oltJ, 
 to slay the unarmed king. But, by the grace of God, they 
 
 A.D. 1304. SIEGE OF THE CASTLE OF STIBLIKO. 
 
 5/3 
 
 injured neither the king nor his horse. They slew, indeed, 
 numbers of the people. And when the king was advised not 
 any longer to go unarmed in that way, because of the danger 
 of the arrows which were flying about, out of the clouds as it 
 were, and which he ought to guard against as proceeding from 
 the devil, in the meridian of his power, he replied, " A thou- 
 sand shall fall beside me, and ten thousand at my right hand, 
 but the arrows shall not approach to hurt me. We have un- 
 dertaken a just war in the name of the Lord, therefore we will 
 not fear what man can do to us, since God is on our right 
 hand, therefore we shall not be moved." 
 
 Another day, when the king was riding unarmed close under 
 the wall, so that all the English army was alarmed, his furious 
 enemies threw down a stone of enormous size in order to crush 
 the king. A marvellous thing happened. At the violent 
 shock of this huge stone, as at the stroke of a thunderbolt, 
 the destrier of the king fell to the ground on his back, hke 
 Balaam's ass, giving place to the destroyer. And the soldiers 
 running up, dragged the king down the hill, and chiding him, 
 said, " My lord, why do you, without your armour, go nearer 
 to the wall than all the rest, in order to fight with them ? 
 are you ignorant that many arrows are aimed at you from 
 above, from the wall ? Who smote Abimelech, the son of 
 Jerubbael ? Did not a woman throw a fragment of a mill- 
 stone on him from the wall, and slay him in Thabes ? Re- 
 main now in your tent, for if we fly, what happens to us will 
 not be of great importance to them ; or if half of us are slain, 
 they will not care much, since your person alone is accounted 
 equal to ten thousand men. It is better for us, therefore, that 
 you should be somewhere else in a safe place." And the king 
 rephed, " As the Lord liveth, I will not leave you, whether 
 you go to death or to life." Then the king ordered a batter- 
 ing ram to be constructed, which the Greeks call Nicontes,' as 
 conquering all things, and a wolf of war. But the ram being 
 a bad one, and unskilfully put together, did little or no good. 
 But the wolf of war, though less costly, was more injurious to 
 the besieged. Now listen to a strange circumstance. The 
 immense engines, by the blow of one sword, pierced through 
 the two opposite walls of the citadel, which were founded on 
 the rock, as an arrow would fly through a piece of cloth. And 
 many stones, shot from the lesser engines, striking the thicker 
 walls, when they came against the wall stuck in it, and being, 
 
 ' From viKT), victory. 
 
.'i/4 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTEH. 
 
 A.D. 1304. 
 
 as it were, victorious, claimed themselves a place in the wall, 
 as a token of their perpetual victory, leaving there indelible 
 traces of the great triumph of the glorious king. 
 
 Moreover, I must not pass over in silence the wisdom of 
 the king, for, as a great many arrows shot by the besieged 
 surrounded him, both on the right hand and on the left, and 
 fell ineffectually around, and the English proposed to collect 
 them, the king forbade them, saying, " Disregard them, and 
 pass them by ; for if you do not collect them, they will cal- 
 culate that they have not nearly reached you ; but if you pick 
 them up, they will perceive that they have fallen near you, 
 and will aim their arrows at us with the greater spirit." Then 
 the besieged, seeing other engines raised higher than the castle 
 walls, after that, for fear of the soldiers who were protected 
 by them and invisible, did not dare to advance into the open 
 air, and knowing that everything which they had in the castle 
 for their support was now consumed, and that the castle and 
 themselves were within three days of being taken, addressed 
 the chiefs of the king's army, promising to surrender the castle, 
 on condition of not being punished as traitors and murderers. 
 The others promise them safety, as far as it depends on them. 
 Therefore, all the garrison quitting the castle, being all guilty 
 of death, on the day of the holy virgin Saint Margaret, came 
 to the king, ungirt and barefoot, after the manner of thieves, 
 with ashes sprinkled on their heads, carrying, like traitors, 
 ropes in their hands and round their necks, showing thereby 
 that they have well deserved such a fate, and asking the grace 
 of the king. To whom the king said, " I will not receive you 
 to my grace, because you deserve it not, but only to ray will.** 
 They replied : " Our lord the king, we submit ourselves to 
 your will.'* The king rejoined : " My will is to tear you limb 
 from limb, and hang you ; and if you refuse, I will allow you 
 to return as you are to the castle.'* Then, William OUfant, 
 prostrating himself on the ground, with many sobs, said, 
 " My lord the king, we know that our iniquity is too great to 
 deserve pardon ; for this my household has never been other- 
 wise than obnoxious to my lord the king. But, merciful king, 
 we entreat your ineffable clemency, and whether we, unworthy 
 as we are, obtain it or not, look upon us as dead upon the 
 earth.'* And while he was thus weeping with a great outcry, 
 the king said to the other parricides, ** What do you, too, 
 ask?" And they, groaning, cried out, "We are guilty of 
 
 A.D. 1305. EDWAED EETT7ENS TO ENGLAND. 575 
 
 death ; take us, lord, subject to thy will.** Therefore the 
 king, bemg moved at such outcry and weeping turned bis 
 face away for a while, and the whole people tL^t^stoXround 
 was moved to tears. Then the king ordered the men t^ h^ 
 taken and imprisoned separately in Went c lleTof Eng! 
 land, slaying none of them, and condemning none But that 
 wicked traitor, by whose treachery the Scotf harobtained the 
 castle, was taken and dragged at the tail of a horse ^id at 
 last hanged ; and so the agitation of this war ceased and the 
 king after the surrender of the castle, caused the bat^erint! 
 
 ' L lord 7^" W • Y -^^"^ '^ ^^' ^^^^^^- «-d to him. 
 My lord, for what is this instrument of destruction ^ is no 
 the castle surrendered to us ?'* But the king replied '- Wha 
 I am now doing is not destruction, but a mere theoretica 
 
 =4taae^5^^ '-''' '-'-'- th:::rrki 
 
 land nil th ^ '^'\T''''^' '"^^^^ ^''' «^^P« ^^^^^ds Eng! 
 
 land, all the earls and barons of Scotland accompanying him 
 
 Therefore, the king celebrated the feast of the Nativity at Lin^ 
 CO n, and ordered the managers of his household to prepare 
 splendidly and magnificently, all that was necessary for the 
 
 suitable for the monarch, king, and lord of two kingdoms 
 And there he refreshed his earls and nobles for many da^^s' 
 extolling the valour of his warriors with due panegyric. Then' 
 having gratified them with well-deserved presents, and com! 
 mended them for their exertions, he dismissed them joyful a^d 
 happy to then: own homes. ^^ 
 
 Ch. XXVII.— Feom A.D. 1305 to a.d. 1307. 
 
 The merciful government of King Edward—Wallace is exe- 
 cuted, and peace established with Scotland— The senators 
 of Home require the pope to keep his court there— Robert 
 Bruce raises his standard in Scotland— is crowned at Scone 
 ^Edward marches towards Scotland, and dies at Car- 
 lisle — End of this history. 
 
o76 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 The pope doth die, and in his stead 
 Clement is made the churches head. 
 
 A.D. 1305. 
 
 A.D.I 305. At the feast of the Animnciation of the Lord, king 
 Edward, with all the nobles of his kingdom, was present at 
 Westminster, to return thanks to God and Saint Edward for 
 the triumph he had gained over the Scots. And having com- 
 passion on the monks of Westminster for their unjust im- 
 prisonment, he presently ordered their liberation. But through 
 the superabundant maUce of perverse judges, who prolonged 
 their iniquity, they kept the monks eight days in prison after 
 the king had given orders for their release. But when the 
 king heard this, he ordered his justiciaries to postpone all other 
 ])usiness, and immediately restore the imprisoned monks to 
 their abbot. 
 
 About the same time, Nicholas de Segrave, a knight, and 
 one of the most distinguished men of the kingdom, had been 
 arrested and brought before the king on the following account. 
 Another knight, named John de Cromwell, accused him of trea- 
 son. And he, in his defence, offered himself to the trial by 
 single combat ; but the king, by reason of the number of his 
 own wars, would not give leave for these single combats. Ac- 
 cordingly, he, as he could not obtain permission, in spite of 
 the prohibition of the king, crossed the sea, pursuing his ac- 
 cuser, while the king was still amid the armies of his ene- 
 mies. Therefore, the king, when he was on his trial, looked 
 on him as one who thought his life of no consequence, and 
 saw, as far as it depended on him, he did not care if the king 
 was slain by the enemy. And he submitted himself to the 
 king's grace. And the king said to him, " I will that justice 
 be done in the trial." Then the justiciaries, after deliberating 
 for three days on this matter, answered the king, that such a 
 man as he was guilty of death, and that all his property, both 
 moveable and immoveable, belonged of right to the king. 
 Nevertheless, out of respect to the nobility of his birth, they 
 added, that he had not quitted England out of contempt for 
 the king, but because he was prompted by anger to avenge 
 himself on his enemy, and that it was in the king's power 
 to show mercy to him' And the king spoke and said to them, 
 *' men, who having long consulted, are still fooUsh. Cer- 
 tainly it is in my power and will to confer grace on, and mercy 
 to, whom I will, and I will not do so more for you than for a 
 dog, who has e'en submitted himself to my grace and suffered 
 
 
 A.D. 1305. 
 
 BEliTliAM ELECTED POPE. 
 
 577 
 
 ln?f' A TV'"' '^ ^^'"' ^^^^^^°" ^' ^^d»^^d to writing, 
 and considered hereafter to be law." Then the aforesaid 
 kmght was conducted to prison, that lie might not by bein^ 
 ett. unpunished arm the audacity of others, and that tlif 
 rigour ot his treatment might strike others with fear. And a 
 few days afterwards, through the exertions of many of the 
 nobles of the kingdom, thirty of his peers offering themselves 
 gir with their swords, their bodies for Ids body, and their pro! 
 
 fZl7j7- ^'"P'"'^.' f" ""^'^^' '^ ^' ^«^^^ited on the day 
 that the king summoned him, and he failed to appear, he was 
 released and restored by the king to all his possessions 
 , About tins time, there M^as published a new commission of 
 inquirv^ which is called in Enghsh Cranllcba^ton, against all 
 ^ ho intrude into the property of others, and who, presuming 
 on the fear of the owners who complained, alienated their 
 es ates and lands, making them the property of more power- 
 fill persons. And it was also directed against hired assaulters 
 ot men, who having been hired by one man, were willing for 
 a sum of money to beat another ; and again, for a double pay- 
 ment or more received from him who had been assaulted, io 
 beat him who had been hired still more severely. And also 
 against those hired parties who were ready to seize upon 
 churches, lands, and other tenements, by violence and force 
 of arms, in violation of justice. Against all such infringers 
 ot peace, and ravishers, and incendiaries, and murderers 
 andopposers, and false judges, different justiciaries are sent 
 throughout England, by this commission, to exact yengeance 
 among the poor people, and severely to reprove the rich. 
 And by this commission many were executed, many were found 
 guilty, and a few were found not guilty. So rigidly did the 
 justice of this coercion proceed, that the father did not spare 
 his own son, but reproved and chastised him. And many 
 being terrified and alarmed, of their own accord went into 
 banishment, and the treasury prospered in consequence of 
 their flight, and the redemption of themselves by money 
 
 In those days, the cardinals of Rome, after disagreeing with 
 one another about the election of a pontiff of the Apostolic 
 feee at length, looking to a distance, cast their mind's eve be- 
 yond the Alps, upon the archbishop of Bourdeaux, by name 
 Bertram of Anjou, and on the day of Pentecost unanimously 
 elected him pope, and he assumed the name of Clement the 
 
 A'OL. II. 
 
 r p 
 
578 
 
 MATTUEW OF WESTMINSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 1305. 
 
 About the time of the festival of the Assumption of the 
 blessed Virgin Mary, a certain Scot, by name William Wallace, 
 an outcast from pity, a robber, a sacrilegious man, an incen- 
 diary, and a homicide, a man more cruel than tlie cruelty of 
 Herod, and more insane than the fury of Nero, who with the 
 accursed Ilam discovered the nakedness of a mau, which God 
 ordained to be covered when he made men aprons, compelling 
 many men and women of England, mingled together, to carol, 
 and play, and dance naked before him, placing behind them 
 tormentors with scorpions, and goads to bind against them and 
 scourge them, and pinch them, so as to make them advance 
 straight forward ; a man who even tore out the bowels of 
 infants crying in their cradles, and hanging at their mothers' 
 breasts ; who burnt alive boys in schools and churches, in 
 great numbers ; who, when he had collected an army of Scots 
 in the battle of Falkirk, against the king of England, and had 
 seen that he could not resist the powerful army of the king, 
 said to the Scots, "Behold I have brought you into a ring,^ 
 now carol and dance as well as you can ;'' and so fled himself 
 from the battle, leaving his people to be slain by the sword ; 
 — he, I say, this man of Belial, after his innumerable wicked- 
 nesses, was at last taken prisoner by the king's servants, and 
 brought to London, as the king ordained that he should be 
 formally tried, and was on the eve of Saint Bartholomew 
 condemned by the nobles of the kingdom of England to a 
 most cruel bu't amply deserved death. First of all, he was 
 led through the streets of London, dragged at the tail of a 
 horse, and dragged to a very high gallows, made on purpose 
 for him, where he was hanged with a halter, then taken down 
 half dead, after which his genitals were cut off, and his bowels 
 taken out and burnt in the fire, then his head was cut off, 
 and his body divided into four quarters, and his head fixed on 
 a stake and set on London bridge. But his four quarters 
 thus divided, were sent to the four quarters of Scotland. Be- 
 hold the end of a merciless man, whom his mercilessness 
 brought to this end I 
 
 In the week after the Nativity of the blessed Mary, the 
 council of king Edward assembled in the New Temple in Lon- 
 don ; and there were present the bishops of Chester and Wor- 
 cester, of England, and the bishops of Saint Andrew's and 
 Glasgow, of Scotland, and the abbots of Westminster and 
 Waverley, and two earls of England, and two of Scotland, 
 
 A.i). 1305. 
 
 THE SCOTS EETURX HOME. 
 
 579 
 
 and other barons, both Scotch and English, where they deli- 
 berated for twenty days, about establishing the king's peace in 
 Scotland, and considered what would be the best and most 
 lasting, and most tranquil manner, both for the Scotch and 
 Enghsh, in which the most perfect peace and the most desir- 
 able tranquillity might be established for ever. And those 
 Scots were sent on to England with the assent of the entire 
 kingdom, and the whole of the nation undertook to agree to 
 whatever regulations they might make. And at last, by the 
 consent and decision of the two parties, justiciaries and clerks 
 were appointed on both sides of the Scottish sea,, two and 
 two, with the intent that they should preserve the peace of 
 the country in their own di'stricts, decide lawsuits, and ap- 
 pease quarrels. When this was settled, the men above men- 
 tioned came to the king, and having had an audience, at which 
 they recited the regulations which they had made, the king 
 approved of them all, with the exception of one article, re- 
 specting a certain Scotch judicial proceeding which he entirely 
 annulled. Then the bishops, abbots, earls, and barons, of 
 Scotland, swore for themselves and for their heirs, and for the 
 whole nation then existing and hereafter to be born in Scot- 
 land, that they would abide by the above-mentioned re"-ula- 
 tions, and that they both wished and considered themselves 
 bound to Hve according to the manner and form of this ar- 
 rangement, both powerful men and base, the present genera- 
 tion and the future. And the aforesaid Scots entered into 
 this engagement ; touching the sacred body and gospels of 
 Christ and other rehcs, at the manor of Sheen on the Thames. 
 Therefore the king, rejoicing in the hope that there would 
 be lasting peace in Scotland for the future, treated them merci- 
 fully, so that they who had made atonement for their sins, 
 namely, those who had entered into any engagement to pay the 
 value of their estates for a fixed term of years, two, or three, 
 or four, might now have further time granted them, four instead 
 of two, six instead of three, or eight instead of four, due re- 
 gard being had to each person's condition and situation, so that 
 they might have means of hving honestly. After these events, 
 the Scots, having received permission, gladly returned home 
 with much honour. Therefore, now that the king hoped that 
 all the affjiirs which are under his authority would be 
 settled in wished-for peace, because the time for being silent 
 had passed, during which he was peaceful, silent, and patient ; 
 
 p p 2 
 
580 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 13C5. 
 
 and because now the time for speaking was at hand, he cau- 
 tiously conferred with the earl mareschal, on the subject of 
 some disgrace and conspiracy which the archbishop of Canter- 
 bury and several earls and barons had devised against him, 
 while he was absent in Flanders. And as he was not able to 
 contradict these things, he entreated grace of the king; in 
 order to obtain which, he made the king heir of all his property 
 and of every thing that he had, and thus he escaped death and 
 found hfe. And the king, to requite him, granted the earl, for 
 his life, an increase of a thousand pounds' worth of land. And 
 so the king and the earl became friends. And in a similar 
 manner, the king separately addressed each of the persons im- 
 pUcated, who had consented to this plot, and imposed a pe- 
 cuniary fine on them ; just as if he had said, *' I wish not the 
 death of those who are traitors to me, but that they mny be 
 converted and redeemed by their temporal possessions, and so 
 may live." At last the king came to the archbishop, and ac- 
 cused him of the same conduct. And the archbishop, being 
 covered with blushes, offered his pallium to the king, submit- 
 ting himself and all his property to his mercy. But the king 
 said to him, ** Equity and justice shall be determined not by me, 
 but by your peers and fellow-bishops, in respect of your con- 
 duct." And he added, " How often have I written to you in 
 your visitation, when you were oppressing my clergy, who 
 were on my side, begging you not to proceed against them, out 
 of respect for me, till the tumult of war was over, but you 
 would not listen to me ? Yet, notwithstanding their appeal, 
 you have, in their absence, deprived them of their churches. 
 I know the pride of thy heart, thy rebeUion and cunning ; 
 for you have always acted contentiously against me, and stirred 
 up commotions." These and many other reproaches did the 
 king address to him. And the archbishop was so confused, 
 that he asked a blessing of the king. And the king answered 
 him, " That is not what is proper, my father ; but it is I who 
 ought to be blessed by you." And he blessed him on the spot. 
 In the meantime the pope appointed a day for his coronation 
 and solemn consecration at Lyons, being the day after the feast 
 of Saint Brice ; to which all the cardinals came except two, 
 who could not take the journey because of their great age, and 
 two more died on the journey. Soon afterwards, on the Sun- 
 day, he created other cardinals, namely, six from Guienne, two 
 of France, one of England, namely, Thomas, a brother of the 
 
 A.D. 1305. THE KING SENDS PRESENTS TO THE POPE. 581 
 
 order of Preachers ; and he made Peter, the abbot of Saint 
 Croix, near Bourdeaux, of the order of Saint Benedict, who 
 was also created a cardinal, his vice-chancellor. Peter and 
 James de Colonna, who had been previously deposed and con- 
 demned by pope Boniface the Eighth, he made cardinals over 
 again ; at which some of the brethren murmured. And when, 
 after the solemnization of mass, he was riding from the church 
 to the palace, a certain wall built of stone and clay, old and 
 half decayed, on which a great crowd of people were leaning 
 for the sake of seeing the pope, suddenly fell down on the 
 crowd, and of two earls who were leading the pope's mule by 
 the bridle, it crushed one, namely, the count of Anjou, and the 
 other, the count of Brittany, it killed on the spot, both being 
 very eminent men, and besides them, many others were wounded. 
 But the pope was saved in a wonderful manner ; and many 
 people took notice of this disaster as a prognostic of some im- 
 pending evil. 
 
 On Saint Clement's day, when the pope had in the morning 
 celebrated the solemnity of the mass, after dinner a quarrel 
 arose, and a fight took place between the dependents of the 
 pope and those of the cardinals, and one of the brothers of 
 the supreme pontiff was slain. Another of his brothers the 
 king of France invested with a knight's belt, and also bestowed 
 on the pope himself many marks of his munificence in cities 
 and castles ; in consequence of which, in the arrangements of 
 his affairs he was deservedly looked on as a prince entitled to 
 much grace and favour. And the king of England sent to the 
 lord the pope, by the bishops of his kingdom, that is to say, 
 the bishops of Lichfield and Worcester, and the earl of Lincoln, 
 all kinds of utensils with which he could be served either in 
 his chamber or at table, all made of the purest gold ; and many 
 distinguished men from England also went to be present at 
 that solemnity. Moreover he created the bishop of Durham, 
 tiie lord Antony de Bek, on account of the liberality and mag- 
 nificence of the spirit which he found in him, patriarch of 
 Jerusalem, and he confirmed the archbishop elect of York and 
 tlie bishop elect of Loudon, and dismissed them to return 
 home. 
 
 The pope determined to hold his court at Bourdeaux. And 
 there was written on the principal gate of the city the following 
 prophecy, in letters of gold, in two Latin verses, which, how- 
 ever, were smothered by the dust made by people entering in 
 
.582 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1305. 
 
 at the gate, so that nothing was legible but these two words. 
 Second Rome. But when the court was being held there, the 
 men of the city scraped off the dust, and found the following 
 inscription : 
 
 " Traveller, who pass beneath this stone, 
 And o'er this threshold tread, 
 Say, ' Second Rome, farewell,' and own 
 Here the Imperial head." 
 
 But these verses had been inscribed a thousand years before. 
 But the Roman senators sent a message to the pope, requesting 
 him to come to Rome and hold his court there, as the supreme 
 pontiffs his predecessors had done. But the pope would not 
 granttheir requests, but said that he would send some one thither 
 who should do all that they required, acting as his vicegerent. 
 
 In this year, there was such a burning heat, and such a 
 blight and drought throughout the summer, that the hay failed 
 in most parts of the country, and the beasts of the field died 
 for want, and a double heat (both while the sun was in Libra 
 as well as while he was in Leo) oppressed mankind. The 
 consequence was, that small-pox and disease prostrated both 
 children and young men, and rich and poor, and they were 
 also afflicted with freckles and spots ; and a great many 
 young men and maidens died of the small-pox. And there 
 followed after this a winter of extreme cold, oppressing man- 
 kind much, the frost, and snow, and ice lasting from the fif- 
 teenth of December to the twenty-fifth of January ; and the 
 fish died in the ponds, the birds in the woods, and the cattle 
 in the fields. And many of the birds of heaven were so wasted 
 away, that they were caught without any net or snare by the 
 hand of man, like domestic birds. But this terrible frost was 
 put an end to by a breeze of the south wind, which lasted 
 three days. And when men thought that the winter was past, 
 again the sky was collected into clouds, and the east wind set 
 in and lasted, and the frost returned, and lasted from the 
 thirteenth of February to the same day in April. 
 
 About the time of the feast of the Purification of the blessed 
 Mary, some robbers having discovered the place of the treasury 
 of a certain knight, which was laid up in the church of the 
 Carmelites in London, by the connivance of a certain Judas 
 among the brethren, came thither and carried off four hun- 
 dred pounds of silver. And having, in a most atrocious man- 
 ner, bound the hands of the prior and all the brothers, and 
 
 A.D. 1305. EIIUCE DEFIES THE KING OF ENGLAND. 
 
 583 
 
 having slain one, they immediately departed. And with them 
 went that Judas, who was fated to be soon hung in a halter. 
 
 After all these events had taken place, fresh disturbances 
 and wars broke out in Scotland. For Robert Bruce, earl of 
 Carrick, conferred at first secretly, and afterwards openly, 
 with some of the great nobles of Scotland, saying to them, 
 **Ye know that by the right of hereditary relationship this 
 kingdom belongs to me, and how this nation intended to 
 have crowned my father king, but the cunning of the king of 
 England disappointed him of his desire. If, therefore, you 
 will crown me king, I will fight your l)attle8, and deliver this 
 kingdom and this people from its slavery to the English." 
 This he said, and presently he received the consent of many 
 perjured men. And when he asked of John Comyn, a very 
 noble and powerful knight, whether he also agreed to this, he 
 steadily replied, that he did not. And he said, " All the 
 nations know that the king of England has four times sub- 
 dued our nation and country, and that we all, both knights 
 and clergy, have sworn fealty and homage to him for the pre- 
 sent and all future generations. Far be it from me to do this ; 
 I will never consent to this measure, that I may be free from 
 perjury." Bruce persuades, Comyn dissuades ; the one 
 threatens, the other is perplexed ; at last, Bruce, drawing his 
 sword, strikes the unarmed Comyn on the head. And when 
 he had thrown him down, as he was striving to wrest the 
 sword from the hands of his assassin (for he was a man of 
 great personal strength), the servants of the traitor ran up, 
 and stabbed him with their swords, and released their master. 
 But the lord John escaped as well as he could to the altar ; 
 and Robert pursued him, and, as he would not agree to his 
 proposals, the wicked and inhuman man there sacrificed the 
 pious victim. These things were done in the church of the 
 Minor Brothers, at Dumfries, on the twenty-ninth of January, 
 in the year subsequent to this one. Behold the beginning of 
 the homicide, aspiring to the kingdom by the shedding of the 
 blood of Abel. 
 
 After this, Bruce appointed chariots and horsemen to go 
 before him, and repaired many castles, and compelled many 
 persons to defy the king of England ; and of those who re- 
 fused, he slew all that he could. But the English keepers of 
 the king's peace being alarmed and terrified, fled to the town 
 of Berwick, reporting all these matters fully to their king. 
 
.584 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMI;NSTEE. 
 
 A.D. 1306. 
 
 This year, there died Master John de Pontoise, bishop of 
 Winchester, and Master Gilbert de Saint Leopard, bishop of 
 Chichester, the father of orphans, the comforter of mourning 
 ■widows, the pious and humble visitor of those who lay on 
 coarse beds and in cabins, and the wealthy reliever of the poor 
 rather than of the rich ; to the sanctity of whose life nume- 
 rous miracles, which were subsequently wrought, bear testi- 
 mony. There died also Master Thomas de Corebrigge, arch- 
 bishop of York ; the bishop of Winchester was succeeded by 
 Henry, prior of the same church, John de Langton, arch- 
 deacon of Canterbury, succeeded the bishop of Chichester, 
 and Master William de Greenfield, chancellor of the king of 
 England, succeeded the archbishop of York. 
 
 " The kingdom's rudder wavers so, 
 The church's ship astray doth go ; 
 The king and pope are one again, 
 In mutual unhallowed gain ; 
 As formerly for wicked ends 
 Herod and Pilate became friends." 
 
 Of the coronation of the pretended king, Robert Bruce. 
 
 A.D. 1306. Pope Clement, being at Bourdeaux, deposed the 
 bishop of Poitou from his pontifical dignity, who had opposed 
 him when he was archbishop. He also transferred the pri- 
 macy of Aquitaine from Bourges to Bourdeaux. 
 
 On the day of the Annunciation of the blessed Virgin, that 
 parricide, Robert Bruce, the invader of another's kingdom, 
 caused himself, according to the custom of his country, to be 
 crowned with a diadem by his fellow-conspirators, in the 
 abbey of the regular canons, in the town of Scone, in the pre- 
 sence of some earls, John de Ailsa, and de Menethet, and two 
 bishops, namely, those of Saint Andrew's and of Glasgow, and 
 the abbot of Scone, and many knights. There were inten- 
 tionally absent of the conspirators, the earls de Buchan and 
 de Ros, Alexander Comyn and John Mowbray, knights, and 
 some others, who inviolably kept the oath which they had 
 sworn to the king of England. But on the following Sunday, 
 which was Palm Sunday, he caused himself to be crowned a 
 second time by a certain adulteress, who was betrothed to the 
 earl of Buchan, and who, having violated her marriage bed, 
 was mad for the beauty and with desire of the fool who was 
 crowned. And she changed the name which had been given 
 him at his baptism, caUing him David. And when he re- 
 
 A.D. 130G. AYAIIICE OF THE ENGLISH PRELATES. 
 
 585 
 
 ' 
 
 } 
 
 turned home, he is reported to have said to his wife, " Yester- 
 day 1 was called earl, and you countess, but to-day I am called 
 kmg, and you queen." But she replied, " I consider that you 
 are a summer king, and perhaps you will not be a winter one; 
 and I fear that, hke the flower of the field, which to-day is,' 
 and to-morrow is cast into the oven, you, too, may fade away, 
 and for your perjury and violation of' faith, may, for the sake 
 of the name of king, lose both earldom and kingdom." So 
 he, thinking that he was laughed at by a woman, wished to 
 have slain her with the sword, but was prevented by the by- 
 standers. Nevertheless, he sent her into banishment, and 
 had her conveyed over to Ireland to her father, the earl of 
 Alton, by whom she was sent to the king of England, and 
 treated by him with great respect. 
 
 About the same time, the king of England accused Robert, 
 archbishop of Canterbury, before the pope, of disturbing the 
 peace of his kingdom, and defending and cherishing those 
 who rebelled against him ; on which account he was sum- 
 moned by the supreme pontifi", and having received leave of 
 the king, he bade him farewell, and crossed the sea to Bour- 
 deaux, where he was suspended from the execution of his 
 office, till he should legitimately clear himsehf of what was 
 alleged against him. 
 
 In Easter week, the king caused the apostohc bull, concerning 
 his absolution from the oath which had been taken in the matter 
 of the disforesting, which had been already executed, and which 
 was to be maintained, to be published, in which all those who 
 wished to observe that oath were excommunicated, and those 
 who broke it were approved and absolved. The same year, 
 on the sixth day of May, the lady Margaret, queen of England' 
 brought forth a daughter, named Eleanor. At that time, too, 
 pope Clement granted to the king of England, for two years, 
 the tenth of all the ecclesiastical revenues for the service of 
 the Holy Land. But the money was applied to other uses. 
 And the pope, seeing the insatiable avarice of some of the pre- 
 lates of England, who importunately demanded that the first 
 churches that were vacant in their dioceses should be granted to 
 tliem for one year, and considering what the inferior demands 
 tlie superior also has a right to, appropriated to himself for 
 two years all the revenues of the churches in England when 
 first vacant, that is to say, for the first year all the first fruits 
 of bishoprics, abbacies, priories, prebends, rectories and vica- 
 rages, and also of the smaller benefices. 
 
580 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. J306. 
 
 About the same time, king Edward, who was now verging 
 on old age, when some of the servants of his househokl com- 
 plained to him, who had not yet been promoted according to 
 their wish, having had enquiry made as to what monastic or 
 canonical convents had been founded by his progenitors, 
 from that day forth he allotted to each of them, not the simple 
 supplies for the necessary maintenance of the monasteries, but 
 sufficient for them to live as long as they lived like the riders 
 in the king's court, with one horse or two. He also ordered 
 the proper maintenance, and all other things necessary to be 
 supplied to them. 
 
 In these days, the king of England sent Aymer de Valence, 
 earl of Pembroke, Robert Clifford, and Henry Percy, into 
 Scotland, with a powerful and well appointed force, to resist 
 the threatened revolutions, and to defeat the man who had 
 been so wickedly crowned with his band of traitors, and to 
 protect his faithful subjects. Accordingly, to augment the 
 expedition which was to march against Scotland, the king 
 caused public proclamation to be made throughout England, 
 that all who were entitled to be made knights in respect of 
 their paternal succession, and all who had sufficient property 
 to be liable to serve, should present themselves at Westminster 
 on the feast of Pentecost, when each of them should receive all 
 their military equipments, except their horse and his furniture, 
 from the king s wardrobe. Therefore, when three hundred 
 youths, the sons of earls, barons, and knights had assembled 
 there, there was distributed among them purple and fine linen, 
 and fine cloth, and mantles embroidered with gold in great 
 abundance, so as to be enough for all of them. And because 
 the king's palace, although larger, was nevertheless too scanty 
 for so vast a crowd as was there assembled, thev erected their 
 standards and tents in the gardens of the New Temple in 
 London, cutting down the apple trees, and throwing down the 
 walls, that the novices might have a place wherein to dress 
 themselves in their gold embroidered robes. And that night 
 the aforesaid novices, in as great numbers as that place could 
 contain, kept their vigils in the Temple. But the prince of 
 Wales, by his father's order, with the novices of superior rank, 
 kept his vigil in the church at W^estminster. And there was 
 heard so great a clang of trumpets and flute players, and such 
 shoutings on the part of those who lifted up their voices for 
 joy, that the praises and thanksgiving of the convent, as re- 
 
 A.D. 130G. KOBERT BRUCE COLLECTS A NUMEROI'S AHMT. .^87 
 
 peated from choir to choir, could not be heard. And the next 
 day, the king invested his son with the belt of a knight, in his 
 own palace, and conferred on him the duchy of* Aquitaine. 
 Therefore, the prince being now made a knight, went into the 
 church at Westminster to adorn his comrades, in like manner, 
 with the decoration of knights. ^loreover, so great was the 
 pressure there of the people in front of the great altar^ that 
 two knights died, and many fainted, even though eacb had at 
 least their knights to guide and countenance him. And, on 
 account of the pressure of the crowd, the prince caused the 
 multitude to be divided by his mounted guards, and invested 
 his comrades on the great altar. Then there were brought in 
 in procession, with great splendour, two swans, or genets, 
 before the king, equipped with golden trappings or gilded 
 pipes, a beautiful spectacle for the beliolders. And when he 
 beheld them, the king vowed to the God of Heaven, and to 
 the swans, that living or dead he would march into Scotland, 
 and avenge the death of John Comyn, and chastise the per- 
 jury of the Scots ; and adjuring the prince, and the other supe- 
 rior nobles of the land, by the faith which they owed hun, 
 that if he died before he had accomplished his vow, they 
 would carry his body with them into Scotland with the army, 
 and not bury him till the Lord had given him victory and tri- 
 umph over the crowned traitor, and the perjured nation. And 
 this they all promised in good faith, declaring that whether 
 the king lived or died, they were ready to march with the 
 prince into Scotland, in fulfilment of the king's vow. After 
 this, they all became more calm, and having saluted the king 
 on the day after the feast of the Holy Trinity, they departed 
 from Westminster, engaging to be present with the king, in 
 the course of the fortnight after the feast of Saint John the 
 Baptist, to march into Scotland. And for this expedition of 
 the kuig's son, the thirtieth penny, from both laity find clergy, 
 was granted to the king ; and the merchants granted him the 
 twentieth penny. 
 
 Meantime, a great contest was going on between the people of 
 the Scots and English, as to which of them should prove to 
 be greater in battle. In the meantime, Robert Bruce, going 
 round the country and receiving the homage of many, 
 having collected a numerous army, on the morrow of Saint 
 John the Baptist approached the town of Saint John, for the 
 defence of which Aymer de Valence had lately arrived ; and. 
 
 ^ 
 
588 
 
 MATinEW OF WESTMI^'STEE. 
 
 A.D. 1306. 
 
 by the command of their new prince, the cavalry of the Scots 
 were all cla(jl in linen shirts over their armour, to prevent their 
 being distinguished. And Aymer, being challenged by him 
 to come out and do battle, replied that he would fight with him 
 not that day, but the next. And when Robert had withdrawn 
 himself and his followers one mile, and was proceeding to re- 
 fresh his troops, as the hour of evening was approaching, 
 Aymer salUed out with his forces, and suddenly coming on the 
 Scots near Methuen, began the battle. And there fell that 
 day, by the edge of the sword, a great many Scots who ad- 
 hered to the false king. Moreover, he himself was thrice 
 thrown to the ground by the cavalry, and thrice raised again 
 by Simon de Freysel, an illustrious warrior, and at length, 
 owing to the trick of the white shirt, he escaped from the 
 battle. For when Robert and the rest, who had armed themselves 
 in haste, had resisted for some time, at last they were compelled 
 to fly, as the English got the better. And Aymer pursued 
 them with his followers as far as the island of Cantyre, and 
 laid siege to the castle of Cantyre, thinking that Robert had 
 retreated into it. But when he had taken the castle he found him 
 not, because he had fled to the islands in the most remote part 
 of the kingdom ; but he took his brother, Nigel Bruce, in the 
 castle, with several others, all of whom he caused to be con- 
 ducted to Berwick. In the battle above mentioned, the fol- 
 lowing men were taken prisoners : — Thomas, son of Ranulph, 
 David Inkemartyn, John de Somerville, knights ; Hutting, the 
 marshal and standard-bearer of the false king, and Hugh, his 
 chaplain, who, nevertheless, was hanged on a gallows with the 
 aforesaid knights, and many others, whose names are not set 
 down here, lest the page should be soiled with them, he him- 
 self being hanged in front of the others, as though he said, 
 **I, being your superior, marshal you this way." After these 
 events, the king of England marched into Scotland, with the 
 prince of Wales and the nobles of his kingdom, and some 
 Scots received him honourably, some retreated backwards, and 
 some sought the secret recesses of the woods. But the king's 
 army traversed the whole kingdom of Scotland, and began to 
 pursue the fugitives, and slew many of them, and took some 
 alive, as the bishops and the abbot who have been mentioned 
 above, having on breastplates and armour beneath their outer 
 garments. The fault of both the bishops was great, but that 
 of the bishop of Saint Andrew was the greater ; for on the day 
 
 A.D. 1306. SIMON FREYSEL TAKEN PRISON EK. 
 
 ^89 
 
 
 of the battle between the Enghsh and Scots at Methuen, near 
 Saint John's, he sent all his retainers armed to the assistance 
 of the Scots. But he himself, in the meantime, cunningly 
 surrendered himself to the English, in order that, if the Scots 
 triumphed over the Enghsh, they might dehver him from their 
 power, as having been taken by force for want of sufficient 
 protection, but that, if the English triumphed, they might 
 spare him, because he had been deserted by his family, as not 
 consenting to their actions. Therefore, those perjured prelates 
 were thrown into very close prisons, in the same garb and 
 dress in which they had been taken, until it should be decided 
 by the ApostoUc See what was to be done with them. Also, 
 that impious conspiratress, the countess of Buchan, was taken 
 prisoner, respecting whom the king was consulted, when he 
 said, " Because she has not struck with the sword, she shall 
 not die by the sword ; but, on account of the unlawful coro- 
 nation which she performed, let her be closely confined in an 
 abode of stone and iron, made in the shape of a crown, and 
 let her be hung up out of doors in the open air at Berwick, 
 that both in her life and after her death she may be a spectacle 
 and eternal reproach to travellers." 
 
 At that time too, Simon Freysel was taken prisoner, a man 
 in whom the whole confidence of the Scots was placed, in so 
 much that the Scotch nobles who were in prison asserted that 
 he could not be subdued or taken, and while he was alive, they 
 thought that the Scotch could not be subdued. And a certain 
 Scotch knight, who was in chains in the Tower of London, 
 presuming on his magnanimity to the glory of the English, 
 but to his own loss, gave the king leave to cut off" his head 
 whenever Simon Freysel was taken prisoner ; and his name 
 was Herebert of Norham, the most beautiful in person and 
 the tallest in stature of all the Scots, but now, on account of 
 the thrice-repeated treachery which he had committed against 
 the king of England, having been twice released, the third 
 time that he was taken, he, and his father, and his esquire, 
 were bound with iron fetters in the Tower of London. After 
 this, Simon Freysel was sent to the Tower of London, that 
 the other Scot, when he saw him, might recollect the vow 
 which he had taken. On the morrow, therefore, that is to say, 
 on the vigil of the Nativity of the blessed Mary, Herebert and 
 Thomas de Boys, his esquire, were led out of the Tower of 
 London and beheaded. But Simon Freysel, on account of the 
 
590 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMOSTEIl. 
 
 A.D. 1306. 
 
 number of his treasons which he had committed, was con- 
 demned to the following punishment : he was dragged as a 
 traitor from the Tower of London through the sU-eets and 
 roads, then he was hung up high as a robber, beheaded as a 
 murderer, fastened on a gibbet for twenty days, and at last 
 burnt with fire ; and his head was set on a lance, upon Lon- 
 don Bridge, near the head of William Wallace, to be a for- 
 midable spectacle to all nations. 
 
 About the feast of Saint Michael, Robert Bruce returned 
 to Cantyre, and coming upon Henry Percy, who was in the 
 neighbourhood, he slew some of his retinue, and took some of 
 his war-horses, and abundant spoils besides ; and he besieged 
 Henry in the castle of the place, until, in consequence of the 
 powerful army sent thither by king Edward, he was compelled 
 to raise the siege. 
 
 In those days, the king of England caused enquiry to be 
 made throughout all Scotland, by credible and trustworthy 
 persons, who and how many persons were present at the slay- 
 ing of John Comyn, and at the coronation of Robert Bruce ; 
 and he took them nearly all, and put them to death, or else, 
 in the case of those who surrendered themselves up to the 
 king's pleasure, he committed them to close prison. After 
 this, he took the castle of Lochleven, in which he found Chris- 
 topher Seton, the husband of Robert Bruce's sister, whom, as 
 he was not a Scot but an Englishman, the king commanded 
 to be conducted to Dumfries, where he had formerly slain a 
 knight of the king's party, and there he was formally tried, 
 dragged to the gallows, hanged, and at last beheaded. But 
 John Seton, the brother of Christopher, was hanged at New- 
 castle-upon-Tyne, and beheaded, and thus he ended his hfe 
 miserably ; for they were both esquires of the false king, and 
 had both been accomplices in the murder of John Comyn. 
 And the wife of Christopher and the daughter of Robert Bruce 
 he placed in different monasteries of nuns. And while he 
 w^as daily taking this vengeance on the wicked people, the 
 wicked crowned pretender fled to the Highlands. Then John, 
 earl of Ailsa, fearing for himself, sought safety in flight ; but, 
 by the providence of God, the danger which he feared over- 
 took him ; for as he was fleeing by sea, suddenly a foul wind 
 sprung up, and he was driven to land and taken by his ene- 
 mies. .4nd when the king of England heard of this, although 
 he was then sick of a grievous distemper, still he bore his 
 
 
 A.D. \3^G, 
 
 A. QUARKEL AETSES IN FRANCE. 
 
 591 
 
 pain more calmly — and that earl claimed to be descended from 
 the royal family. Therefore, some of the courtiers thought it 
 an improper and unbecoming thing that he should be tried 
 with other malefactors ; but the king, regarding not the line 
 of his descent, but the requirements o'f justice, replied to 
 them : " In proportion as his rank is higher so, too, is his fall 
 evidently greater ; but as he is more noble m blood than the 
 other parricides, let him, for his wickedness, be hung higher 
 than the rest. Nor are ye ignorant how often he has desired 
 to betray us in England, Scotland, and Flanders ; take him, 
 and let him be tried with all justice in London.'' And when 
 he had arrived in that city, on the seventh day of November, 
 he was condemned at Westminster, in the king's palace. But 
 because he was descended from the royal family, he Mas not 
 dragged through the streets, but placed on a'horse, he was 
 hanged on a gallows fifty feet high. Afterwards he was taken 
 down when half-dead, that he might sufier more pain, and 
 cruelly beheaded. And his body, a violent fire having been 
 previously kindled before his eyes, was burnt, with his flesh 
 and bones, and reduced entirely to ashes. And his head was 
 fixed on London Bridge, among the heads of other traitors, 
 but was placed higher than theirs, because he was of the royal 
 family. 
 
 The king, staying at Lavercost, near Carlisle, sent justiciaries 
 to Berwick, by whose judgment Nigel Bruce, a young knight 
 of exceeding beauty, because he had consented to the treason 
 of his brother, and all the others who were taken prisoners 
 with him, were dragged through the streets and hanged, and 
 finally beheaded. And while bloodshed of this kind was 
 stalking through Scotland, about the same time a violent 
 quarrel arose between the king of France and the citizens of 
 Paris, for the following reasons. There was in the city of 
 Paris a man of illustrious family, of exceeding riches beyond 
 all his fellow-citizens, by name 'Stephen Barbet. He, coming 
 to the king of France, spoke thus : " My lord, the value of 
 your revenue is diminished to half of its proper amount. From 
 this the merchants derive gain, and you sufl"er injury. Order, 
 therefore, that your revenue shall from henceforth be of thrice 
 its present amount." So the two parties, the one being co- 
 vetous and the other crafty, agreed together at once. Nor did 
 this device escape the notice of the rest of the citizens. So 
 they said to Stephen : " You are an eminent man in the city ; 
 
►92 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTrR. 
 
 A.D. 1306. 
 
 y 
 
 you are become richer than all the burgesses. Behold, our 
 icing is injuriously increasing the weight of his yoke upon us, 
 imposing a tribute on the kingdom, such as has never been 
 customary in the time of any of the preceding kings of France. 
 See what a number of houses we have built, which if the king's 
 revenue is trebled will be unable to be let, and will be all re- 
 duced to emptiness, and solitary sparrows will dwell in them 
 instead of men. Ah, God ! before this takes place, we will 
 leave all that we have, and seek a better master. Do you, 
 therefore, as you are one of us, agree with us. Otherwise we 
 will burn you and your house ; because it has been said, that 
 it is owing to thesuggestions of your cunning that this step 
 has been taken." He answered them, — " I will do what this 
 people exhorts me to, according to their words." Then de- 
 parting from them, he secretly paid the king of France the 
 revenue which he had promised him. So a conspiracy was 
 entered into, and his fellow-citizens rose in insurrection against 
 Stephen, demolishing and levelling to the ground all his houses 
 which he had in the city and near the city, and burning all 
 his valuable furniture, and slaying his servants and his cattle 
 with the sword. And on that day they dragged some carts 
 belonging to the king, which were full of victuals which had 
 been bought and contracted for for his table, into the middle 
 of the market-place, and threw all their contents about, and 
 trampled them contemptuously under foot. And even then 
 their fury was not appeased, but they came raging to the tem- 
 ple, where the king was abiding at that time, and cried out, 
 **Dehver up Stephen to us, otherwise we will burn you and 
 the temple." But the king answered them warily : " BehoUl, 
 you have come upon me unexpectedly. Return to the city, 
 and on the sixth day return to me ; for then I will grant all 
 that you wish, and I will listen to your complaints, and pro- 
 mise to correct them." So when they had retired, the king 
 departed to another place, far from tlie city. And thus the 
 anxiety of the complaining burgesses was eluded by the inter- 
 position of this disappointing delay. 
 
 After this, Charles, the king's brother, having summoned 
 before him twelve of the more eminent of the citizens, under 
 pretence of conferring with them peaceably, treacherously tor- 
 tured them with all kinds of sutFerings, till they revealed who 
 were the traitors. And when the king had ascertained their 
 names, he erected gibbets before the gates of the city, and 
 
 A.D. 1307. A PAELIAMENT HELD AT CAELISLE. 593 
 
 caused them to be hung up on high in tens and twenties. 
 Moreover he conimanded the Flemings to pay the tribute which 
 they owed him increased threefold. But they rephed " We 
 wiU not contribute any more ; for all that we have contributed 
 IS a source of grief to us. Let the king restore to us what we 
 
 hpJn ^ r^^/r^' """ 'If ^"^ ^^ "'"^^^^ by ^^'^^ ^bat has 
 been extorted from us." 
 
 In that year, a certain heretic, apostate, and false prophet 
 
 tr?r r I'T'i ^^ "r^.^^"'^"* preaching many things con- 
 trary to the faith, as, for instance, on the sSbject of acquiring 
 the empire, of the death of all the cardinals and of pope Cle" 
 ment within the year; and that the end of the world was at 
 hand within three years, preaching all sorts of falsehoods as 
 truth, uniting to his sect the apostate people of every order 
 and asserting, amon^ other particulars of his wicked preachin-' 
 that any man might have commerce with any woman, aifd 
 that it was no sin ; and that a woman who refused the em- 
 brace of any man whatever, deserved to be burnt with fire. He 
 also asserted many scandalous things, which, as thev are at 
 variance with the orthodox faith, I forbear to write. And not 
 long afterwards namely, on the day of the festival of the 
 
 burnt'wfthTJ* ^^^ ^^^" ^^ ^^^ ^^'^^'^""^ "' ^^'"'^' ^"^ 
 The king of France begged of the lord the pope the bones 
 of his predecessor, Boniface, that he might burn them as the 
 bones of a heretic, urging his request with exceeding: impor- 
 tunity. Also, he requested that brother Peter de Muron mi-ht 
 be inscribed in the catalogue of the saints, who had formedv 
 been pope under the name hf Celestine the Fifth. 
 
 The king of England compelled Piers Gaverston, who hrd 
 been accused before him of divers crimes, to renounce the 
 kingdom of England. 
 
 A parliament is held at Carlide. TJw earl of Gloucester is he- 
 
 sieged by the Scots. King Edward the First dies. 
 A.J). 1307. In the week after the festival of Saint Ilikrv 
 the king held a parliament at Carlisle, in which grave com- 
 plaints were brought forward, by the chief nobles, of the op- 
 pressions of the churches and monasteries, by the manifold 
 extortions of money lately introduced into the kingdom bv the 
 clerk of the lord the pope. Master Wilham Teste ; and the 
 aforesaid clerk was commanded, by the unanimous decree of 
 
:)94 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMI^'STER. 
 
 A.D. 1307. 
 
 the earls and barons, not for the future to commit such op- 
 pression. Moreover, order was made that for the obtaining 
 a remedy for these things, ambassadors appointed for the pur- 
 pose should be sent to the pope. 
 
 In the same parliament, some statutes were passed, affect- 
 ing the members of religious orders, who had their chief 
 houses in another kingdom. And there came to that parlia- 
 ment, about the feast of Saint Peter, a certain cardinal of Sa- 
 bionetta. Master Peter the Spaniard, having been sent by the 
 pope as legate a latere, to perform the marriage which had 
 been arranged between Edward, the eldest son of the king of 
 England, and Isabella, the daughter of the king of France, as 
 had been previously ordained by pope Boniface, acting, as it 
 were, as a mediator of peace. And he made answer, by the 
 king, that he was ready to perform all that was commanded 
 him, provided that the king of France, on his part, was will- 
 ing to fulfil those engagements which depended on him. For 
 the king of France, while he held Guienne, had given the 
 castle which is called Mauleon to a certain knight, who still 
 retained possession of it, and would not restore it at the com- 
 mand of the king of France. On which account, it is said, 
 that that marriage was delayed to this time. Therefore, the 
 cardinal returned to London, in order to await certain direc- 
 tions on this point, and to plunder the churches of England. 
 For he wished, according to authority given in the bull, to 
 receive from each church belonging to a cathedral, or convent, 
 and from all regular and irregular churches and priories, 
 twelve marks sterling. And from the rectories, eightpence out 
 of his mark. But the clergy o^ England appealed against 
 this exaction. And it was ordered by the king's council, that 
 that cardinal ought not to have more than cardinal Othobonus 
 had formerly received, when he was legate in England, namely, 
 the half of what was now demanded. This year, on the ninth 
 day of February, a certain Scot of Galway, Duncan Macdonal 
 by name, fell in with a large vessel, manned with seven hun- 
 dred warriors, who landed in his territories, and encountered 
 them with not more than three hundred men, and slew nearly 
 all their host, some in battle, some in the woods, some in the 
 harbour, and some as they were flying ; many also were 
 drowned in the sea. But the bodies of the chief men of those 
 who were slain in the battle, he brought to the lord the king, 
 namely, Malcolm Macail, lord of Kentirhead, and also the 
 
 A.D. 1307. 
 
 DEATU OF KING EDWARD. 
 
 f>9."> 
 
 heads of two Irish chieftains, Reginald de Craunford, and Tho- 
 mas Bruce, knights ; and he presented Alexander Bruce a 
 pretended kmg of the Germans, wounded and half dead, to the 
 ang ; of whom Thomas was drawn at the tail of a horse and 
 hanged and beheaded, and the others were simply brouo-ht 
 back to Carlisle, and hanged and beheaded. And a testimony 
 ot this IS, their heads which are fixed up above the castle, and 
 over the gates of the city. 
 
 After Easter, Robert Bruce, having reinforced his army 
 fought with Aymer de Valence, and put him to flight, only a 
 tew ot those who were with him being slain. And within 
 three days, pursuing him, he routed the earl of Gloucester 
 many men being slain on both sides, and besieged him in the 
 castle of Ayr, till the siege was raised by an army which was 
 sent thither by the king. After that, he fled from the En- 
 glish who pursued him, and took refuge in the marshy and 
 t iickly wooded places, where, after he found a hiding place 
 they could not discover him. The king having sent messen- 
 gers into England, ordered, under heavy penalties, that all 
 those who owed him service, should be ready at Carlisle within 
 three weeks after the feast of Saint John the Baptist ; and he 
 sent his son back into England to proceed to contract his 
 marriage with the daughter of the king of France, according 
 to what he should hear from that sovereign. But after his 
 departure, the king began to be afflicted with a dysentery 
 Nevertheless, he moved from Carlisle, on the third of July' 
 marching a few days' journey towards Scotland ; but on the 
 sixth of July, he arrived at Burgh on the Sands, where, his 
 Illness increasing, the day after, being the sixth day of the 
 week, he bade farewell to this present life, ending his days in 
 piety, and his years in glory. He reigned thirty-four years 
 seven months, and twenty-one days, and had completed sixty- 
 eight years and twenty days of his age. 
 
 This Edward was a man of great vigour as a warrior 
 throughout his whole life in every situation ; so much so, that 
 he wrested all England out of the hand of Simon de Mont- 
 fort, and the earls and barons who adhered to the said Simon • 
 who had also detained his father king Henry, and himself in 
 prison, as is related above in these Chronicles. He also wrested 
 all Wales from the hands of prince Llewellyn, and David, his 
 brother; and Aquitaine from the hands of the king of France. 
 He often subjugated Scotland, as the previous history of his 
 
 Q Q 2 
 
596 
 
 MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER. 
 
 A.D. 1307. 
 
 achievements testifies. But after Scotland had been treach- 
 erously token by Robert Bruce, as is related in this chapter, 
 he then, lying on the bed of sickness, in the middle of his 
 army, in the magnanimity of his spirit, ordered and commanded 
 his body not to be buried where he was, but to be carried with 
 the army, till all Scotland was finally reduced. But this com- 
 mand could not be effectually fulfilled. Therefore, his body 
 was conveyed to England, and buried at Westminster, in the 
 following year, on the eighteenth day of October, near Saint 
 Edward, at the head of his father's grave, by the hands of the 
 venerable fathers, the lord Antony, patriarch of Jerusalem, 
 and bishop of Durham, and William, archbishop of York 
 with the other bishops, abbots, and prelates of the whole king- 
 dom. And a certain versifier has written thus, concerning : — 
 
 " King, while you flourished in your power and might, 
 Fraud lay concealed and honour came to light ; 
 Peace gladdened all the earth. The Scots were crush'd, 
 Atflicted, beaten, humbled to the dust." 
 
 Abraham, i. 13 
 
 Achan, i. 21) 
 
 Adam, i. 2 
 
 A dam annus, i. 339 
 
 Adela, daughter of William 
 
 I., ii. 13 
 Adelmar, bishop of Puy, ii. 
 
 22, 2«> 
 Adolph, king of Germany, ii. 
 
 528 
 Adrian, i. 15S 
 yEjjelwin, bishop, ii. 5 
 Ailsa, John de, ii. 584, 590 
 .filfeg, i. 476 
 ^^Ifeg, arclibishop, i.501,506, 
 
 521 
 ^Imar, or ^thelraar, ii. 279, 
 
 288, 311, 342, 356, 367 
 Apneas, i. 25. 62 
 tineas Sylvius, 1. 52 
 -^thelicia, or Adelicia, queen 
 
 of Henry I., ii. 38, 51 
 ^Ethelwolf, bishop of Car- 
 lisle, ii. 42 
 ^tius, the consul, i. 208 
 Aganippus, i. 48 
 Aidan, i.298,301,305, 306 
 Aigulfus, i. 323 
 Alamund, i. 251 
 AlbaJSyivius, I. 52 
 Alban, St., i. 180, 376 ; ii. 19, 
 
 131 
 Albemarle, count of, ii. 560 
 Alberic, the legate, ii. 45 
 Albert, king of Germany, ii. 
 
 528 
 Albiney, William de, ii. 124, 
 
 139 
 Alectus, i. 177 
 
 Alexander the Great, i. 91 ; 
 his death, 93; his succes- 
 sors, ib. 
 Alexander I., king of Scot- 
 land, ii. 3, 33, 40 
 Alexander III., il. 192, 231, 
 
 306, 320, 388, 486 
 Alexander II , pope, ii. 6 
 Alexander IV., pope, ii. 343, 
 
 393,-400, 468 
 Alexander, Master, ii. 110 
 Alexander, son of William of 
 
 Scotland, ii. 113 
 Alfonso, ii. 301, 337 
 Alfonso, king of Castile, il.61 
 Alfonso, son of Edward I., ii. 
 479 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Alfred the Great, i. 403, 409. 
 
 421, 422, 4;j5 
 Alfred, son of Ethelred II., i. 
 
 519, 523, 528 
 Algiva, i. 478 
 Alia Laureutia, i. 53 
 Almaric, king of Jerusalem, 
 
 ii. 57 
 Alswitha, i. 401) 
 Alton, earl of, ii. 585 
 Amphiballus, i. 180 ; ii. 67 
 Amulius, i. 53 
 Anagni, Johnd', cardinal, ii. 
 
 77, 79 
 Androgens, i. 106 
 Anguselus, i. 262 
 Anjou, count of, ii. 581 
 Anlaf, of Ireland, i. 470, 472 
 Anlaf, king of the Norwe- 
 gians, i. 494 
 Anselra, archbishop, ii. 19, 
 
 21, 27, 29, 31, 33 
 Anselm, king of Scotland, ii. 
 
 549 
 Anselm, the legate, ii. 36 
 Antichrist, i. 76 
 Antiochus Epiphanes, i. 96 
 Antiochus the Great, i. 93 
 Antipater, son of llerod, i. Ill 
 Antoninus, Marcus Aurelius, 
 
 i. 169 
 Antoninus Pius, i. 161, 163 
 Aquinas, Thomas, ii. 467 
 Archigallo, i. 89 
 Arfast, ii. 5 
 
 Argathel, Owen de, ii. 306 
 Arlot, a papal emissary, ii. 
 
 355, 357 
 Arnulph, chancellor, ii. 38 
 Arragon, Peter, king of, ii. 
 
 478, 480, 481 
 Arragon, Alfonso, king of, ii. 
 
 501 
 Arrius, i. 190 
 Artaxerxes, i. 84 
 Arthur, king, i. 250, 255— 
 
 263 ; ii. 83 
 Arthur, prince, ii. 74, 81, 95, 
 
 98 
 Artois, count of, ii. 560 
 Arviragus, i. 125, 144, 145, 153 
 Arwald, i. .329 
 Asclepiodotus, i. 178" 
 Athelstan, i. 465—470 
 Augustine, i. 275, 277, 280 
 Augustus, i. 108, 113, 128 
 
 Aurelian, i. 175 
 
 Aurelius Ambrosius, i. 224, 
 
 237. 238—248 
 Aurelius Comniodus, i. 16:5 
 Austria, duke of, ii. 83, 85, 87 
 Aylmer, bishop of Eiist Au- 
 
 glia, ii. 5 
 
 Babylon, soldan of, ii.l55, 157, 
 159 
 
 Balac the admiral (emir', ii. 
 38, 35) 
 
 Baldok, Kadulph de, ii. 56'.; 
 
 Baldwin, archbishop, ii. 3t>, 
 79,81 
 
 Baldwin, earl of Monte, ii. 22 
 
 Baldwin, emperor of Constan- 
 tinople, ii. 148 
 
 Baldwin II., ii. 287 
 
 Baldwin, king of Jerusalem, 
 ii. 22, 28, 30, 31, 35, 37 
 
 Baldwin II , ii. 39, 40, 42 
 
 Baldwin III., ii. 42, 57 
 
 Baldwin IV., ii. 72 
 
 Baldwin v., ii., 72,73 
 
 Baldwin of the Island, ii. 401 
 
 Balliol, John of, ii. 349, 417, 
 424, 487, 495, 511, 516, 519, 
 529 
 
 Baldulph, i. 257 
 
 Barbet, Stephen, ii. 591 
 
 Barre, count de la, ii 496 
 
 Bascai, i.421 
 
 Basil, St. ii. 30 
 
 Basset, Gilbert, ii. 170 
 
 Basset, Philip, ii. 398, 417 
 
 Basset, Warin, ii. 170, 171 
 
 Bath, Reginald of, ii. 349 
 
 Beatrice, countess of Pro- 
 vence, ii. 218, 292 
 
 Beatrice, daughter of Henry 
 III., ii. 374 
 
 Beauchamp, lord William de, 
 ii. 378 
 
 Beaumes, Robert de, bishop 
 of London, ii. 33 
 
 Becket, Thomas, ii, 54, 5(5. 
 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 64, 67, 136 
 
 Bede, i, 351, 364 
 
 Bek, Antony de, bishop of 
 Durham, and patriarch of 
 Jerusalem, ii. 581, 596 
 
 Belesme, Robert de, ii.29 
 
 Belinus, i. 83,85,87,88 
 
 Belus, i. 8 
 
 Benedict, St., i. 823,359 
 
 Q Q 2 
 
 
598 
 
 Benedict XI., pope, ii. 568, 
 
 Beom, i. 540 
 
 Berengarius of Tours, ii. 15 
 
 IJerkeley, witch of, i. 400 
 
 Berard, pope's nuncio, ii. 404 
 
 Bernard, St., ii. 52 
 
 Bernulf, i. 393 
 
 Itesill, Matthias de, ii. 405 
 
 Biarde, Gaston de, ii. 333 
 
 Bieme, Gaston de, ii. 458 
 
 Bigod, Hugh, justiciary, ii. 
 
 3r>} 
 Bigod, earl Roger, ii. 328 
 Bladud, i. 43 
 Blanche, queen of France, ii. 
 
 322 
 Bleothwin, ii. 3 
 Blund, Master John, ii. 165, 
 
 298 
 Bloet, Robert, ii. 20 
 Bohemond, ii. 23 
 Boheraoud the younger, ii. 
 
 35,59 
 Boniface, archbishop of Can- 
 terbury, ii. 259, 305, 310 
 Boniface VIII., pope, ii. 506, 
 529, 534, 536, 537, 539, 562, 
 566, 568 
 Boulogne, count of, ii, 560 
 Bovines, Hugh de, ii. 120 
 Boys, Thomas, ii. 589 
 Brancaleon, ii. 323, 361 
 Braybrooke, Henry de, ii. 146 
 Brause, William de, ii. Ill 
 Brause, William de, the 
 
 younger, ii. 138, 160 
 Brennius, i. 83, 85 
 Bresnes, John de, king of Je- 
 rusalem, ii. 143, 1.57, 160,182 
 Briwere, William de, ii. 142 
 Brittany, count of,ii. 215, 581 
 Brittany, John, count of, ii. 
 
 370, 374, 468 
 Brithric, i. 372, 388 
 Brochimallus, i. 280 
 Broke, Lawrence de, ii. 388 
 Broke, Ranulph de, ii. 62 
 Broke, Robert de, ii. 62 
 Bruce, Alexander, ii. 595 
 Bruce, Nigel, ii. 588, 591 
 Bruce, Robert de, ii. 417, 487, 
 
 5&3, 584, 587, 590 
 Bruce, Thomas, ii. 595 
 Brutus, the first consul, i. 58 
 Brutus, i. 26 ; arrives in Bri- 
 tain, 31 ; dies, 34 
 Brutus II., sumamed Green 
 
 Shield, i. 39 
 Buc, Walter, ii. 122 
 Buchan, countess of, ii. 589 
 Buchan,*earl de, ii. 584 
 Burgh, Hubert de, ii. 127, 
 1.38, 141, 144, 1.55, 163, 165, 
 172, 174, 181, 191 
 
 r^^DEX. 
 
 Burgh, Raymond de, ii. 161 
 
 Cadijah, i. 289 
 Cadwallader, i. 317, 328' 
 Cadwallan, i. 295, 297, 317 ' 
 Caesar, Julius, i. 103, 105, 108 
 Cain and Abel, i. 2 
 Calixtus, pope, ii. 37 
 Cambyses, i. 81 
 Camillus, i. 59 • 
 Cantelupe, Thomas de, ii. 483 
 Canute, i. 507, 509, 526 
 Canute, son of Sweyn, ii. 7 
 Carausius, i. 177 
 Cams, i. 176 
 Carrick, earl of, ii. 583 
 Cassanus. king of the Tartars, 
 
 ii. 531 
 Cassibelaunus, i. 103, 106, 107 
 Catigem, i. 221 
 Catiline, i. 101 
 Cecilia, daughter of William 
 
 I., ii. 8 
 Cecrops, i. 19 
 
 Cedric, i. 247, 254,259,260,263 
 Celestine V, pope, ii. 503, 505 
 Cenus, king, ii. 55 
 Ceoline, i. 282 
 Ceulf, i. 282, 283 
 Cevalinus, or Ceaulin, i. 266, 
 
 269, 270, 274 
 Chaceporc, Peter, ii. 345 
 Chamberlaine, Philip, ii. 421 
 Charlemagne, i. 368, 387, 391 
 Charles, king of France, i. 
 
 437 
 Charles, brother of Philip IV. 
 
 of France, ii. 592 
 Charles of Anjou, ii. 445, 449, 
 
 451, 455, 478, 481 
 Charles of Salerno, ii. 481, 483, 
 
 484 
 Cheldric, i. 255 
 Christina, sister of Edgar 
 
 Athelin^, i. 519, 543 ; ii. 3 
 Cineas, i. 64 
 Cintius, ii. 163 
 Clare, Bon de, ii. 508 
 Clare, Gilbert de, ii. 414, 415, 
 
 417, 425, 516 
 Clare, Gilbert de, earl of 
 
 Gloucester, ii. 161 
 Clare, Roger de, ii. 390 
 Clare, Thomas de, ii. 446. 453 
 Clare, Thomas, earl of, ii. 58 
 Clare, William de, ii. 357 
 Claudius, i. 143 
 Clement IV., pope, ii. 42.5, 455 
 Clement V., pope, ii. 577 
 Clement of Rome, i. 155 
 Clifford, Robert, ii. 586 
 Clifford, lord Roger de, ii. 476 
 Clodoveus, i. 238, 240, 251 
 CcbIus, duke of Caeredun, i. 
 
 179 
 
 Colgrin, i. 25.5—257 
 Colman, i. 313 
 
 Colonna, James and Peter de, 
 cardinals, ii. 581 
 
 Comyn, Alexander, ii. 684' 
 
 Comyn, John,ii. 417,487,516, 
 583 
 
 Comyn, John, the younger, 
 ii. 517, 518 
 
 Coming, Peter de, ii. 560 
 
 Cosdroa, i. 287 
 
 Conan, i. 201 
 
 Conrad, the emperor, ii. 45, 49 
 
 Conrad, son of Frederic II., 
 ii. 263, 281, 286, 300, 337, 
 340 
 
 Constance of Brittany, ii. 74, 
 95 
 
 Constans, the monk, i. 211 
 
 Constantine, i. 179, 186, 187, 
 189, 192, 193 
 
 Constantine, king of the Bri- 
 tons, i. 209, 211, 263 
 
 Constantine, king of the 
 Scots, i. 470 
 
 Constantine, a Londoner, ii. 
 141 
 
 Constantius, i. 179 
 
 Constantius, count, i. 205 
 
 Constantius, the emperor, i. 
 194, 196 
 
 Coradin, ii. 135 
 
 Coibaran, prince of Persia, ii. 
 25 
 
 Cordelia, i. 49 
 
 Cornwall, Richard, earl of, ii. 
 182, 183, 190, 194, 198, 202, 
 203, 204, 205, 206, 207, 218, 
 219, 221, 233, 240, 259, 291, 
 306, 307, 321, ai5, 336, 339, 
 345, 346, 353, S54, 357, 358, 
 359 
 
 Coucy, Ingelram de, ii. 192, 
 232 
 
 Coucy, Ingelram de, the 
 younger, ii. 366 
 
 Crakehall, John de. ii. 377 
 
 Craunford, Reginald de, ii.695 
 
 Creation, the, i. 1 
 
 Creodda, i. 270 
 
 Croesus, i. 80 
 
 Cromwell, John de, ii. 576 
 
 Cunedagius, i. 50 
 
 Cursak, emperor ot Constan- 
 tinople, ii. 87 
 
 Cuthbert, Bt., i. 325, 327, 433, 
 494 
 
 Cuthred, i. 361, .362 
 
 Cymbeline, i. 125, 130 
 
 Cyrenius, i. 114 
 
 Cyrus, i. 80 
 
 Damasus, pope, i, 535 
 
 Darius, i. 91, 92 
 
 Darius, son of Antlpastes, 1.81 
 
 i 
 
 David, king, i. 37 
 
 David, king of Scotland, Ii. 
 
 3, 40, 45, 47, 62 
 David, prince of Wales, ii. 
 
 181, 193. 195, 203, 227, 230, 
 
 237, 239, 261 
 Delamere, Henry, ii. 336 
 Deruvianus, i. 165 
 Desiderius, ii. 11 
 Despenser, lord Hugh, ii. 386, 
 
 438 
 Diocletian, i. 176, 186 
 Dionysius, the abbot, i, 259 
 Domitian, i. 155, 156 
 Drew, count of, ii. 560 ' 
 Dublin, Luke, archbishop of, 
 
 ii. 166 
 Dubritius, i. 254 
 Duilius, i. 65 
 
 Dunbar, Patrick de, ii. 487 
 Dunewall, ii. 20 
 Dunsin, ii. 593 
 Dunstan, St. i. 470, 475, 477, 
 
 478, 479, 486, 489, 491 
 
 Eadbald, i. 285, 287, 299 
 Eadbert Pren, i. 385 
 Eadburga, i. 389 
 Eadric Streon, i, 499, 510, 511, 
 
 513, 515, 518 
 Eadric Silvaticus, ii. 3 
 Ealffin, i. 479 
 Ealricke, John, ii. 390 
 Earl mareschal, the, ii. 580 
 Ebba, abbess, i. 410 
 Ebrancus, i. 39 
 Edgar, the Pacific, i. 481— 
 
 485 
 Edgar, king of Scotland, ii. 
 
 33 
 Edgar Atheling, i. 519 ; ii. 2 
 Edith, daughter of Godwin, 
 
 i. 534, 540 
 Edith, queen of Harold II., 
 
 ii. 7 
 Edmund, i. 519 
 Edmund, king, i. 470 — 474 
 Edmund, king and martyr, i. 
 
 411 • 
 Edmund Ironside, i. 460, 510, 
 
 612—617 
 Edmund, sou of Edward I., ii. 
 
 534 
 Edmund, son of Henry III., 
 
 ii. 239, 339 
 Edmund of Abingdon, arch- 
 bishop of Canterbury, ii 
 
 171, 174, 194, 197, 198, 267, 
 
 274,289 
 Edred, i. 476—477 
 Edward I., ii. 454, 596 
 Edward, son of Edward I., ii. 
 
 479, 524, 534, 586 
 Edwai-d the Confessor, 1. 533 
 
 -555 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Edward the Elder, i. 455— 
 465 
 
 Edward, son of Ethelred II., 
 i. 519, 523. See Edward the 
 Confessor. 
 
 Edward, son of Edmund Iron- 
 side, i. 519, 543 
 
 Edward, called Longshanks, 
 son of Henry III., ii. 189, 
 329, 336, 337, 354, 378, 379, 
 386, 393, 394, 401, 403, 406, 
 407,411,415,419,425,443, 
 447, 449, 450, 453, 455 
 
 Edward, son of Malcolm of 
 Scotland, ii. 20 
 
 Edwin, i. 274, 287, 291—296 
 
 Edwin, brother of Athelstan, 
 i. 468 
 
 Edwin, brother of Edmund 
 Ironside, i. 518 
 
 Edwin, son of Edmund Iron- 
 side, i. 519 
 
 Edwy, i. 477—480 
 
 Egeblanche, Peter de, ii, 351 
 
 Egfrid, i. 315. 319, 321,325 
 
 Egfrid of Mercia, i. 383 
 
 Egbert, i. 313 
 
 Egbert, sole sovereign, i.389, 
 393, 396 
 
 Egbert, archbishop, i. 359 
 
 Egric, i. 299, 306 
 
 Eilric, i. 476, 477 
 
 Eldfritha, or ^Ifdritha, '. i. 
 481, 487, 489 
 
 Eldol, i. 223, 241 
 
 Eleanor, daughter of Heiuy 
 II., ii. 58, 61 
 
 Eleanor, daughter of king 
 John, ii. 183 
 
 Eleanor, daughtei of Edward 
 I., ii. 496, 585 
 
 Eleanor, queen of Henry II., 
 ii. 44, 79 
 
 Eleanor, queen of Henry III., 
 ii. 177, 208. 210, 370, 371, 
 406, 420, 483, 486 
 
 Eleanor, queen of Edward I., 
 ii. 337, 486 
 
 Eleazar, i. 98 
 
 Elidurus, i. 89 
 
 Elijah, i. 42 
 
 Elisha, i. 44 
 
 Eliiabeth. daughter of Ed- 
 ward I,, ii. 520 
 
 Elfleda, i. 425, 460-464 
 
 Elfleda, abbess, i. 467 
 
 Ella, i. 239, 246, 254 
 
 Ely, bishop of, ii. 81, 93 
 
 Emma of Normandy, i. 492, 
 508, 519, 527, 639 
 
 Ensius, king of Sardinia, ii. 
 281 
 
 Eopa, i. 248 
 
 Eosa, i. 242, 249, 252 
 
 Erpenwald, i. 291 
 
 599 
 
 Eraclius, the patriarch of 
 
 the Holy Resurrection, ii. 
 
 73 
 Erconbert, i. 299, 307, 313 
 Ercongoda, i. 300 
 Erkenwald, i. 317 
 Erkenwin, i. 259 
 Esau, i. 15 
 Essex, William, earl of, ii 
 
 152 
 Esther, i, 60 
 Estrildis, i. 35 
 Ethelbald, i. 405, 406 
 Ethelbert, i. 406, 407 
 Ethelbert of Kent, i. 267, 268, 
 
 285 
 Ethelbert of East Anglia, i. 
 
 373 
 Ethelburga, i. 297 
 Ethelfrid, i. 273 
 Ethelred, i. 274, 277, 287 
 Ethelred I., i. 407—422 
 Ethelred 11., i. 488—512 
 Ethelred, viceroy of Mercia, 
 
 i.469 
 Ethelreda, i. 321 
 Ethelwald, Clito, i.456 
 Ethelwolf, i. 398—405 
 Eu, count of, ii. 560 
 Eumerus, i. 592 
 Eustace of Boulogne, i. 538 
 Eustace the younger, ii. 22 
 
 Fabius Maximum, i. 61 
 
 Fabricius, i. 63 
 
 Faganus, i. 165 
 
 Falcos le Breaute, ii. 123, 
 
 125, 131, 133, 141, 145, 151 
 Ferentum, John of, ii. 105 
 Ferrars, Robert, earl, ii. 439, 
 
 444,445 
 Fiennes, Ingerand de, ii. 406 
 Flanders, count of, ii. 521 
 Flore, Peter de, ii. 660 
 Finan, i. 306 
 
 Fitz-Urse, Reginald, ii. 62 
 Flanders, Thomas, count of, 
 
 ii. 360 
 Frederic the abbot, ii. 5 
 Frederic II., ii. 76, 78, 138, 
 
 155, 157, 159, 177, 190, 192, 
 
 194, 200, 204, 216, 218, 220, 
 
 228, 239, 245, 247, 263, 265, 
 
 303, 309, 311 
 Frederic the emperor, ii. 61 
 
 —66 
 Freysel, Simon de, ii,588,580 
 Fulgentius, i. 168 
 Fulk, king of Jerusalem, ii. 
 
 48 
 Fulk, a preacher, ii. 90 
 
 Gabius, i. 87 — 
 
 Galba, i. 150 
 Gallienus, i. 174 
 
 i 
 
I 
 
 GOD 
 
 Gaverston, Piers, ii, 593 
 Geoffrey Arthur (Geoflfrey of 
 
 Monmouth), ii. 51 
 Geoffrey, son of the empress 
 
 Matilda, ii. 42, 48, 55 
 Geoffrey, bishop of Lincoln, 
 
 ii. 65, 70 
 Geoffrey, son of Henry II., 
 
 ii. 67, 74 
 Geoffrey of Monmouth, i. 330 
 Geoffrey, archbishop of 
 
 Kouen, ii. 36 
 Gerard, archbishop of York, 
 
 ii. 30, 33 
 Gerard the Maiden, ii. 71 
 Gerebert, i. 4!>5 
 Germanus and Lupis, i, 213, 
 
 215 
 Germany, Richard, king of. 
 
 8p.e Cornwall, earl of. 
 Giffard, John, ii, 413,417 
 Giffard, Williara, ii. 28, 30 
 Gilbert, bishop of London, ii. 
 
 61-63 
 Gilbert the Universal, ii. 40 
 Gillamurius, i. 258 
 Gloucester, earl of, ii. 595 
 Gloucester, Gilbert, earl of, 
 
 ii. 425, 446, 447, 454, 468, 
 
 485, 516 
 Gloucester, Richard, earl of, 
 
 ii. 181, \^\ 193, 194, 19;, 
 
 240, 357, 360, 378, 395, 402 
 Goda, sister of Edward the 
 
 Confessor, i. 538 
 Godfrey, archbishop of York, 
 
 ii. 106, 114 
 Godfrey, duke (of Bouillon), 
 
 ii. 22 
 
 Godfrey, duke of Brabant, ii. 
 25 
 
 Godfrey of Norwich, ii. 113 
 
 Godiva, i. 543 
 
 Godwin, earl, i. 521, 527, 528, 
 
 530, 538, 539, 540 
 Gordon, Adam, ii. 443 
 Gorlois, i. 250 
 Granecumbe, Godfrey de, ii. 
 
 167 
 Gratian, ii. 61 
 Gravesend.Richard de, bishop 
 
 of London, ii. 566 
 Gregory the Great, i. 269, 
 
 274, 275, 281 
 Gregory VII., pope, ii. 6-9 
 Gregory X., pope, ii. 458, 469 
 Grey, John de, ii. 103 
 Grey, Richard de, ii. 369 
 Grey, Walter de, ii. 348 
 Griffin, king of Wales, i. 539, 
 
 641, 543, 548 
 Griffith, prince of Wales, ii. 
 
 181, 193. 195, 203, 225 
 Gualo, legate, ii, 127, 128, 129, 
 
 135 > I » 
 
 I2TDEX. 
 
 Guendolen, i. 35 * 
 Guenhuraara, i. 262 
 Guiderius, I. 130, 143 
 Guithelin, i, 208 
 Gunilda, daughter of Canute, 
 
 i. 531 
 Gunnild, i. 505 
 
 GUrth,brotherofnarold,i.559 
 
 Guthlac, i. 345 
 
 Guy, count of Flanders, ii. 
 
 565 
 Gytro, i. 433 
 
 Habre, i. 35 
 
 Haco, count, i. 523 
 
 Uaco, prince of Norway, ii 
 
 281, 287 
 Halden, i. 421 
 Hannibal, i. 94 
 Hardicanute, i. 526, 529—533 
 Harold, son of Godwin, i. 539, 
 
 546, 548, 551 ;— king, 556— 
 
 566 
 Harold, king of Norway, i. 
 
 556 
 Harold Harefoot, i. 518, 527 
 
 —529 
 Hastein, or Hastings, i. 444, 
 
 448—451 
 Hastinges, John de, ii. 487 
 Havering, John, li. 505 
 Helena, i. 191 
 Hengist, i. 216—242 
 Henorinus, i. 49 
 Henry the emperor, i. 503 
 Henry III., emperor, i. 531 ; 
 
 ii. 8, 9, 11, 28, 32, 34, 40, 
 
 85,88 
 Henry I., ii. 27-43 
 Henry II., ii. 53—78 
 Henry III., ii. 129—454 
 Henry, prince, ii. 4, 11, 12. 
 
 6V« Henry I. 
 Henry, nephew of Henry III., 
 
 ii. 406, 407, 413, 451, 452 ; , 
 Henry, son of the empress 
 
 Matilda, ii. 42, 50, 52. Set 
 
 Henry II. 
 Henry, son of Henry II., ii. 
 
 54,57,62,63,65,71 
 Henry, son of the emperor 
 
 Frederic, ii. 208: another 
 
 Henry, 281, 337 
 Henry, bishop of Ely, ii. 33, 
 
 42 
 Henry,'bishop of Winchester, 
 
 ii. 45, 48, 62 
 Henry de Allmaine, ii. 421 
 Henry of Newark, archbishop 
 
 of York, ii. 532 
 Heraclius, i. 288 
 Herebert, abbot, ii. 20, 21 
 Herebert of Norham, ii. 589 
 Herelberg, Wilfrid de, ii. 53 
 Hereward, ii. 5 , 
 
 Herman, bishop, i. 642 
 Herod, i. 108, 110, 123, 125, 
 
 126; his successors, [142, 
 
 143 
 Hilda, i. 322 
 
 Hildebrand. Ste Gregory. 
 Hildegarde, the virgin, iL 490 
 Hinguar, i. 409, 411 
 Hoel of Brittany, i. 255 
 Holland, Florence, count of, 
 
 ii. 487, 520 
 Homer, i. 52 
 Horsa, i. 216, 221 
 Hortou, William de, ii. 388 
 Hubba, i. 409, 411 
 Hubert, archbishop, ii. 94, 96, 
 
 99 
 Hugh the chaplain, ii. 588 
 Hugh the Great, ii. 22 
 Hugh, bishop of Lincoln, ii. 
 
 96, 137 
 Hugh Petroleon, legate, ii. 
 
 65,66 
 Huna, i.504 
 
 Hungary, king of, ii. 483 
 Hutting the marshal, ii. 588 
 
 Ida, i. 264 
 
 Ina, i. 343, 349, 350, 351 
 Igerna, i. 250 
 Innocent I., pope, ii. 41 
 Innocent III., pope, ii. 112 
 Innocent IV., pope, ii. 217, 
 229, 235, 243, 247, 259, 266, 
 275. 299, 303, 308, 333, 34(J, 
 
 Innocent V.,pope, ii. 469,470 
 
 Iric, i. 520 
 
 Isaac, i. 14 
 
 Isabella, daughter of king 
 
 John, ii. 177, 205 
 Isabella, queen of king John, 
 
 ii. 96, 206. 265, 343 
 Ismael, i. 13 
 
 Israelites, i. 19, 45, 58, 66 
 Ivo, bishop of Chartres, ii. 36 
 
 Jacob, i. 15 
 
 Jason, the priest, i. 97 
 
 Jay, Brian de, ii. 527 
 
 Jesus, son of Anianus, i. 153 
 
 Jeroboam, i. 41 
 
 Jews, i. 58, 66, 81, 96, 100, 
 
 145,149, 158,159,191, 351; ii. 
 
 24, 49, 78, 81, 110, 161, 173, 
 
 179, 315, 3iC, 323, 335. 346 
 Joanna, daughter of Henry 
 
 II., ii. 69, 66 
 Joanna of Acre, daughter of 
 
 Edward I., ii, 485 
 Joanna, sister of Henry III., 
 
 ii. 137, 185 
 Jocelin, count of Edessa, ii. 
 
 38 
 John the Apostle, i. 156 
 
 1 
 
 I 
 
 \ 
 
 John the Baptif?t, 1. 112, 196 
 John, king, ii. 94 -129 
 John, son of Henry II, ii. 59, 
 
 64. 79, 82, 85, 89, 95. 5e^ 
 
 John, king. 
 John, archdeacon of Bedford, 
 
 ii. 149 
 John, bishop of Wells, ii. 20 
 John, brother, papal messen- 
 ger, ii, 282, 284, 285 
 John, Master, i. 434 
 John the Moor, ii. 337 
 John of Cremona, cardinal, 
 
 ii. 39 
 John Hyrcanus, i. 100 
 John, a knight, ii. 535 
 John, count of Holland, ii. 531 
 John XXI,, pope, ii. 471 
 Jonathan, the Maccabee, i. 
 
 100 
 Joseph, i. 113 
 Joshua i. 21 
 Judas Iscariot, i, 133 
 Judas Maccaba?u8, i. 98, 100 
 Judges, the, i. 22 
 Judith, i. 403, 406 
 Judith, wife of Tosti, i. 530, 
 
 550 
 Julian the apostate, i. 196 
 Julius Caesar, i. 103, 105, 108 
 Junna, i, 326 
 Justus, i. 280, 286, 288 
 
 Kahaynes, William de, ii. 47 
 Kenelin, ii. 29, 30 
 Kenric, i. 247, 260, 266 
 Ketingham, Robert de, ii. 
 
 517, 518 
 Kilkenny, William of, ii. 342, 
 
 345, 351 
 Kined, king of the Scots, i. 
 
 485 
 Kiniwalc, i. 311, 315 
 Kinred, i. 343 
 Kirkham, William de, bishop 
 
 of Durham, ii. 384 
 
 Lacy, Henry de, earl of Lin- 
 coln, ii. 449, 513 
 
 Lncy, Hugo de, ii. Ill 
 
 Lselius Ilamo, i. 143 
 
 Lanfranc, ii. 5, 15, 16, 17 
 
 Langton, Simon, archbishop 
 of York, ii. 123 
 
 Langton, Stephen,archbishop 
 of Canterbury, ii. 106, 107, 
 115, 119, 121, 123, 136, 140, 
 141, 144, 151, 155, 164 
 
 Langton, Walter de, ii. 611, 
 535 
 
 Largus, i. 59 
 
 Lanzo, the prior, ii. 8 
 
 Legras, John, ii. 377 
 
 Leyl, i. 39 
 
 L eicester, count of, ii. 63 
 
 I^'LEX. 
 
 LeiceBter,Simon de Montford. 
 
 eari (»f, ii. 301, 326, 360, 361, 
 
 365, 375, 378, 3A4, 386, 395. 
 
 404, 406, 409, 413, 414, 416, 
 
 419, 422, 424, 425^ 
 Lcnius Gallus. i, 178 
 Leofric, i. 3, 543 
 Leoline II., ii. 369, 402, 408, 
 
 419, 424, 448, 469, 471, 473, 
 
 476, 477 
 Leolf, i. 474 
 Leofwin, son of Godwin, i. 
 
 539 
 Leoline for Llewellyn), prince 
 
 of North Wales, ii. Ill, 
 
 142, 144, 160, 171, 181, 192 
 Leonard, pope's uuucio, ii. 
 
 404 
 
 Leovegar, 1. 543 
 Lexinton. Henry de, ii. 335 
 Leyr, i, 43, 47 
 Licinun, or Lezen, Guy de, 
 
 ii. 288, 356 
 Lilla, i. 292 
 Lincoln, earl of, ii. 184 
 Llewellyn. Sf.t Leoline 
 Locrinus, i. 34 
 
 Lofstan.the Domesman, ii. 36 
 London, Roger, bishop of, ii. 
 
 168, 172 
 Longsword, Nicholas, bishop 
 
 of Salisbury, ii. 527 
 Longsword, Stephen, ii. 390 
 Longsword, William, ii. 289, 
 
 309 
 Lothaire, emperor, ii. 40, 45 
 l.othbroc, i. 412 
 Lother, i. 260 
 Lothus, i. 252 
 Louis, king of France, i. 469 ; 
 
 ii, 37, 41 
 Louis VI,, ii. 41, 44 
 Louis VII., ii. 44, 49, 67, 68 
 Louis VIII., ii. 143, 145, 151 
 Louis IX,, ii, 236. 257, 263, 
 
 289, 299, 309, 313, 334, 341, 
 
 344, 351 
 Louis, son of Philip of France, 
 
 ii. 120, 125, 126, 131 
 Louis, son of Louis IX^ of 
 
 France, ii, 375 
 Lucio, Richard de, ii. 67 
 Lucius, king of Britain, i. 
 
 158, 165, 167 
 Lucius, pope, ii. 48 
 Lucius Coramodus, i. 164, 166 
 Lud, i. 102 
 Lusignan, Guy de, ii. 74, 76 
 
 Macail, Malcolm, lord of Ken- 
 
 tirhead, ii. 694 
 Macbeth, i. 541 
 Macdonal Duncan, ii. 594 
 Macerauth, ii. 72 
 Maddan, i. 35 
 
 601 
 
 Mahomet, 1,289,315 
 Maille, Thomas de, ii. 564 
 Malcolm, king of Cumberland, 
 
 i, 541 ; king of Scotland, ii. 
 
 3, 6, 9, 18. 20. 29. 58 
 Malcolm IV., ii. 55 
 Malgo, i. 271 
 
 Maliein, Savaric de, ii. 122 ' 
 Mamertus, i. 221 
 Mandeville, Geoffrey de, ii. 48 
 Mandeville, William de, ii. 48 
 Manfred, son of the emperor 
 
 Frederic, ii.340, 341,343 349 
 Marais, Godfrey de, ii. 243 
 Marais, William de, ii. 208 
 Marcad^e, ii. 89 
 March, William de, ii. 503, 
 
 510 
 Marche, Count de la, ii. 206, 
 
 207, 209, 212, 307 
 Marcus Antoninus, i. 164 
 Mareschal, earl, ii. 258 
 Mareschal, \ViIliam, the 
 
 Great, ii, 135 
 Marganus, i. 49 
 Margaret, daughter of the 
 
 king of Scotland, ii. 139 
 Margaret, daughter of Henry 
 
 III., ii. 391, 468 
 Margaret, daughter of Ed- 
 ward I., ii. 484, 485 
 Margaret, queen of Edward 
 
 I., ii. 529, 534, 585 
 Margaret of Norway, ii, 486 
 Margaret, sister of Edgar 
 
 Atheling, i. 519, 543 ; ii. 3, 
 
 20, 29 
 Maria, countess of Boulogne, 
 
 ii.36 
 Mariamne, i. Ill 
 Marianus, the Scot, i. 523, 
 
 539; ii. 10 
 Martia, i. 89 
 Martin, papal nuncio, ii. 222, 
 
 241 
 MatiIda,daughterof Henryl., 
 
 ii.28, 34, 40. 42, 45 
 Matilda, daughter of Henry 
 
 II„ii, 60,70, 71 
 Matilda, queen of Henry 1,, 
 
 ii. 28, 29, 37 
 Matilda, wife of William I., 
 
 ii. 4, 10 
 Mauclerc, Henry, count of 
 
 Brittany, ii. 158 
 Mauclerc, Walter, ii. 169, 296 
 Mauduit, William, earl of 
 
 Warwick, ii. 413 
 Maunsel, John, ii. 214, 279, 
 
 2&5 
 Maurice,bi8hop,ii.9,16,27,33 
 Maximianus, i. 198 
 Maximus, king of the Britons, 
 
 i. 200 
 Medusa, prince of Persia, ii. 35 
 
 U 
 
 i i 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
 
C02 
 
 Mellent, Robert de, ii. 39 
 Mellitus, i. '280, 28<) 
 Menelaiis, the priest, i. 97 
 Menethet, earl de, ii. 584 
 Merlin, i. 225, 243, 261— his 
 
 prophecies, 226 
 Merton, Walter de, ii, 398 
 Mimecan, i. 631 
 
 Miracles, i. 221, 261,'265, 267, 
 273, 2&4, 300, 309, 321, 323, 
 326. 327, 334, 375, 4fH5, 407. 
 482. 486, 503, 504. 532 ; ii. 7, 
 15.63.68,100,131.188,200, 
 237, 312. 327, 331, 504, 531 
 
 MoUo, i. 333 
 
 Molrautiiis, i. 82 
 
 Monoculus, king of Ireland, 
 ii. 62 
 
 Montford, Simon de, ii. 183, 
 184, 185, 193, 289. See Lei- 
 cester. Simon de Montford, 
 earl of. 
 
 Montfort, Almeric de. ii. 469 
 
 Montlbrt, Eleanor de, ii. 469, 
 473 
 
 Montfort, Guy de, ii. 438, 439, 
 449, 452, 456 
 
 Montfort, Peter de, ii. 413, 
 438 
 
 Montfort, Simon de, the 
 younf,'er, ii. 412, 432, 437, 
 439, 443, 452 
 
 Montfort, William de, ii. 504 
 
 Morchar, i. 5.52, 556 
 
 Mordred, i. 261—263 
 
 Moreville, Hugh de, ii. 62 
 
 Morgan and Madoc, ii. 507 
 
 Morindus, i. 89 
 
 Mortimer, Edmund, ii. 477 
 
 Mortimer, Hugh de, ii. 419 
 
 Mortimer, Roger de, ii. 402, 
 410. 419, 457, 474, 477 
 
 Mountain, Old Man of the, 
 ii. 84 
 
 Mowhray, John, a knight, ii. 
 584 
 
 Nannns, i. 246 
 
 Navarre, king of, ii, 198, 199, 
 
 202 
 Navarre, Henry, king of, ii. 
 
 470 
 Nebuchadnessar, i. 68 
 Neil, Guy de, ii. 560 
 Neil, Radulph de, ii. 560 
 Nehemiah, i. 69, 90 
 Nennius, i. 104 
 Neot, St., i. 431 
 Nero, i. 146. 147, 149, 150 
 Nerra, i. 156 
 Nicanor, i. 99 
 Nicholas III. pope, ii. 470 
 Nicholas IV. pope, ii. 486, 
 
 489 ' 
 
 Noah, i. 5 
 
 I>'DEX. 
 
 Northumberland, count of. ii. 
 21 * 
 
 Noureddin, ii. 50, 59 
 
 Nunia and his successors, i. 
 
 55 
 Numitor, i. 53 
 
 Octa, i. 241, 242, 249, 252 
 Octavian, a cardinal, ii. 348, 
 
 349 
 Octavius, i. 188 
 Odo, archbishop, i. 465, 479 
 Odo, bishop of Bayeux, ii. 9, 
 
 14, 16 
 Odo, of Champagne, ii. 21 
 Odo, of Kilkenny, ii. 184 
 ( )flFa I., i. 344 
 Oflfa II., i. 3(J3— 3a3 
 OlauH of Norway, i. 522 
 Olifant, William, ii. 570,574 
 Oliver, bishop of Lincoln, ii. 
 
 532 
 Origen, i. 170, 173 
 Orosius, i. 205 
 Osgod Clappa, i. 533 
 Osric, i. 238 
 Ostrica, i. 333 
 Oswald, i. 297, 300 
 Oswin, tlie martyr, i. 304, 548 
 Oswy, i. 302, 309, 310, 312, 
 315 » » » 
 
 Otho, i. 150 
 
 Otho, emperor, ii. 91, 93, 95, 
 
 105, 120 
 Otho, papal nuncio, ii. 148, 
 
 181, 188, 189, 199, 201. 216 
 Othobonus, the legate, ii. 450 
 
 Paganus, a Tartar prince, ii. 
 
 5;^1 
 Palwologus, emperor of the 
 
 Greeks, ii. 459 
 Pallas, son of Evander, 528 
 Palumbus. i 546 
 Pandulph, legate, ii. Ill, 114, 
 
 116. 135, 1.38. 141, 151 
 Papirius, i. 61, 62 
 Paris. Matthew, ii. 316, 325 
 Partholiam, i. 88 
 Pascentius, i. 247, 248 
 Paschal, pope, ii. 34, 37 
 Passelewe, Kobert, ii. 170,174, 
 
 231 
 Pateshulle, Hugh de, ii. 175, 
 
 189, 195 
 Patriarchs, the, i. 16 
 Patrick. St., i. 244 
 Paul, the abbot, ii. 5, 15, 17 
 Paul, the Apostle, i. 139, 146, 
 
 146 
 Paulinus, i. 291, 297, 302 
 Peada, i. 310 
 Peckham, brother John of, 
 
 ii. 474, 501 
 Pelagius, i. 204 
 
 Pembroke, GilbertMareschal, 
 
 earl of, ii, 202 
 Pembroke, William Mare- 
 
 schal. earl of, ii. 142 
 Penda, i. 297, 301, 302, 304, 
 
 307, 309. 310 
 Pepin, i. .331 
 
 Percy, Henry, ii. 586,'o90 
 Pertinax, i. \{W> 
 Pesseleu, Robert, ii. 241, 242 
 I'eter of the Alps, ii, 23 
 Peter the Hermit, ii. 23 
 Peter the Lombard, ii. 52 
 Peter the Spaniard, cardinal, 
 
 ii. .594 
 Peter the Wise, ii. 114 
 Pharamund, i. 206 
 Philip the emperor, i, 172 
 Philip, king of France, ii. 13, 
 
 14. 33 
 Philip II., ii. 41 
 Philip III., ii. 69, 451, 457, 
 
 473, 481 
 Philip IV., ii. 481, 497. 501, 
 
 520, 534. 560, 561, 566, 581, 
 
 593 
 Philip, bishop of Beauvais, 
 
 ii. 89 
 Philip Augustus, ' king of 
 
 France, ii. 76, 81, 83, 88, 120 
 Phocas, i, 281, 283, 2S4 
 Pilate, i. 130, 137. 139, 141 
 Plantagenet, Geoffrey, ii. 40, 
 
 42 
 Pompey, i. 101 
 Pontoise, John de, bishop of 
 
 Winchester, ii. 584 
 Porsenna, i. 59 
 Porsenna, the consul, i. 87 
 Powick, William of, ii. 246 
 Prjpstantius, i. 536 
 Prester John, king of India, 
 
 ii. 70 
 Probus, i. 176 
 
 Ptolemy Philadelphus, i. 93 
 Pyrrhus. i. 63 
 Pyvelesdon, Roger de, ii. 606 
 
 Quendrida, i. 392 
 Quendritha. i. 373 
 Quicheline, i. 285, 292 
 
 Rabbod, i. 349 
 Racher. the prior, ii. 39 
 Radolph, of Norfolk, ii. 7 
 Radulf of Saxony, ii. 10 
 Radulph, or Rudolph, arch- 
 bishop, ii. .36. 38 
 Radulph, son of Hubert, ii.46 
 Rahab, i. .36 
 Rale, William de, ii. 179, 188, 
 
 192, 219, 224, 227, 311 
 Raymond of Antioch, ii. 50 
 Raymond of Provence, ii. 222, 
 257 
 
 J 
 
 Raymond of Tripoli, ii. 74, 
 
 iO 
 
 Raniilph, count, i. 541 
 
 Kanulph, earl of Chester, ii. 
 46, 49, 167 
 
 Raniilph the Breton, ii. 164 
 
 Kanulph of Micenis, ii. G 
 
 Kedwald, i. 287, 291 
 
 Kehoboam, i. 41 
 
 Keigate Walter de, ii. 393 
 
 Kemigius, bishop, ii. 12, 17,18 
 
 Remus, i. 50, 55 
 
 Repilus, i. 65 
 
 Khea Sylvia, i. 53 
 
 Rhesus, i. 640 
 
 Rhesus, a Welch chief, ii.495 
 
 Rhodoam, prince of Halapui, 
 ii. 42 
 
 Ribeaumonte, Auselm de, ii. 
 23 
 
 Richard I., ii. 78—94, 164 
 
 Richard I., of Normandy, i. 
 492, 494 
 
 Richard II., i. 494, 521 
 
 Riclmrd III., i. 521 
 
 Richard, son of William I., 
 ii. 12 
 
 Richard, son of Henry I., ii. 
 37 
 
 Ricliard, son of Henry II., ii. 
 66. 64, 70, 75, 77, ^cc Ri- 
 chard 1. 
 
 Richard, son of king John, ii. 
 108, 147, 182, 183, 190, 194, 
 198, 202, 203, 2<H, 20.5, 2(X5, 
 207. 218, 219, 221, 2^3, 240, 
 259, 291, 30t), .307, 321, .3:3.5, 
 336, a39, .345. 346, .3.-):». 3r)4, 
 3.57, 3.58, :359, 371, 376, 379, 
 386, 390, 403, 415, 417, 419, 
 428, 454 
 
 Richard, archbishop, ii. 35,162, 
 163 
 
 Richard of Albinet, abbot, ii. 
 37 
 
 Richard, son of Scrob, ii. 3 
 
 Richard, earl of Chester, ii. 
 37 
 
 Richard, earl marshal, ii. 170, 
 171, 173 
 
 Richard, St. bishop of Chi- 
 cliester, ii. 401, 470 
 
 Richmond, Peter Savoy, earl 
 of, ii. 206 
 
 Riparies, Baldwin de, ii. 192 
 
 Rivailis, Peter de, ii. 174 
 
 Rnvathe, ii. 3 
 
 Robert, archbishop, i. 540 
 
 Robert, archbishop of Canter- 
 bury, ii. 533, 544 
 
 Robert Corteliose, ii. 4, 8, 9. 
 12, 13, 15, 18, 22, 23, 28, 29, 
 .31,42 
 
 Rohcrr, count ''or Brian Fitz 
 Count;, ii. 45 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Robert, count of Flanders, ii. 
 
 22, 28 
 Robert, earl of Gloucester, ii. 
 
 44,45 
 Robert. Master, the preacher, 
 
 ii, 179 
 Robert of Normandy, i. 461 
 RolHjrt II., i. 523 
 Robert, son of Uamo, ii. 26 
 Robert, surnamed Grostet^te, 
 
 bishop of Lincoln, ii. 176, 
 
 188. 213, 315, 326, 3-29. 33;i 
 Roches, Peter de, ii. lo;3. 139 
 Rochester, Henry, bishop of, 
 
 ii. 164 i, 
 Rodes, Gerard de, ii. .397 
 Roger, archbishop of York, 
 
 ii. 63 
 Roger, earl, ii. 8 
 Uollo, i. 453, 4,59 
 Romulus, i. 50, 53 
 Ros, earl de. ii. 584 
 Ros, Robertjde, ii. .349 
 Ros, William de, ii. 487 
 Rowena, i. 218 
 Kiibeus, Peter, ii, 190,202 
 Rudhudibras. i. 43 
 Rustaud, ii. 376 
 
 Sabinus, cardinal, ii. 421, 425, 
 
 448 
 Sabionetta, bishop of, ii. 281, 
 
 287 
 
 St. Andrew's, bishop of, i. 589 
 St. John, Jolm de, ii. 500, 529 
 St. Leopard, (iilbert de, 
 
 bishop of Chichester, ii..584 
 St. I'ol, count of, ii. 397, 399, 
 
 448, 560 
 Saladin, ii, 74. 76, 79, 85 
 Salisburv, William, earl of, 
 
 ii. 112,' 119, 147 
 Samuel and Saul, i. 33 
 Saphadin or Sofadiu, ii. 85, 
 
 133, 1.35 
 Sardanapabis, i, 45 
 Saturn, i. 51 
 Saul, i,37 
 Saviour, our, i, 36, 109, 113— 
 
 136 
 Scotenay, Walter de, ii. 360, 
 
 362 
 Sciipha, i. 2.54 
 Seltert. i. 285 
 
 Segrave, Nicliolas de, ii. .576 
 Senrave. Stephen de, ii. 165, 
 
 169, 174 
 Seuiiramis, i. 11 
 Senators, dream of the, i. 71 
 Sennacherib, i. .54 
 Senechia, daughter of the 
 
 Count of Provence, ii. 219. 
 
 221, 259, 354 
 ."^ergius, pope, i. .355 
 Seth and hid descendants, i.4 
 
 603 
 
 Seton, Christopher, ii. 590 
 Seton, John, ii. 590 
 Seules, Nicholas de, ii. 487 
 Severus, i. 166, 168 
 Shelford, John of, ii. 347 
 Shem and his descendants, i. 
 
 10 
 Siba, son of Botrius, ii 571 
 Sibyl, the, i. 69; her inter- 
 pretations ami prophecies, 
 
 71,76 
 Sibylla, queen of Jerusalem, 
 
 ii, 73 
 Sibyls, the different, i. 77 
 Sigebert, i. 299, 303, 325. 
 Silvester, pope, i. 495 
 Silvester, St., i. 188 
 Simon Magus, i. 148 
 Siricius, archbishop, i. 493, 
 
 499 
 Sitbric of Northumbria, i, 
 
 466 
 Siward, i. 541 
 Solomon, i. 39 
 Solomon, king of Hungary, i. 
 
 519 
 Somerville, John de, ii. 588 
 Sotingin, Gerard de, ii. 122 
 Soulis, John de, ii. .564 
 Spurius Cassiiis. i. 59 
 Stephen, count of Blois, ii. 
 
 13, 23 
 Stephen, count of Boulogne, 
 
 ii. 40. .SV^' Stephen, king. 
 Stephen, king, ii. 4.3—53 
 Stigand. i. .529, 541 ; ii. 2, 3 
 Sticbil, Robert de, bishop of 
 
 Durham, ii. .>S5, 391 
 Strange, ilamond, ii. 422 
 Suehe, Alan de la, ii, 449 
 Swevn, kiii^ of the Danes, 
 
 i.494, 502, 505-509 
 Sweyn, son of Godwin, i. 539, 
 
 640 
 Swithun, St. i, 406, 483 
 
 Tancred, ii. 23, .35 
 Tanpiin the Proud, i. 57 
 Tatius, i. .54 
 Teste, William, ii. 5P3 
 Theobald, archbishop, ii. 53, 
 
 54, 57 
 Theobald, count of Blois, ii. 
 
 36, 51 
 Theodosius, i. 200 
 Thomas, archbishop of York, 
 
 ii. 16, 27 
 Thomas, son of Edward I,, 
 
 ii. 533 
 Thomas, son of Ranulph, ii. 
 
 588 
 Thunder, i. .307 
 Tliiirstan, archbishop ' of 
 
 York, ii. .35 
 Tiberius, i. 129, 139 
 
 i ll 
 
 I 
 
 
 i 
 
 * (, 
 
604 
 
 IlfDEX. 
 
 Titus, i. 154 
 
 Toledo, Sancho, 'archbishop 
 
 of, ii. 470 
 Tosti, son of Godwin, i. 539, 
 
 541,551,556 
 Tracy, William de, ii. 62 
 Trahemius, i, 189 
 Trajan, i. 156, 15a 281 
 Trogus Pompeius, i, 127 
 Turbeville, Thomas, ii. 511 
 Turma, 1. 326 
 Turlcetil the Dane, i. 500 
 Turkill, i. 520 
 Turkelbi, lord Roger de, ii, 
 
 381 
 Turpin, i. 391 
 Tyrell, Walter, ii. 26 
 
 Uffa, i. 269 
 
 Urpher, i. 311 
 
 Urban IX. pope, ii. 400, 421, 
 
 422 
 Uter Pendragon, i. 224, 247, 
 
 249, 252, 254 
 
 "Valence, Ayraer de, earl of 
 Pembroke, ii. 586, 587, 595 
 
 Valence, William de, ii. 288, 
 291, 323. 356 
 
 Valens, i. 197 ' 
 
 Valeran, lord Robert, ii. 395 
 
 Valerian, i. 172 
 
 Vere, Alberic de, ii. 46 
 
 Vesci, John de, ii. 487 
 
 Vespatian, i. 145, 149, 1541 
 
 Virgin Mary, i. 112 
 
 Visions, i. 335, 437, 482, 542, 
 550, 5iA\ ii. 19, 22, 25, 26, 
 27, 67, 309, 343, 347, 382 
 
 Vitelliiis, i. 150 
 
 Vortigern, i. 211, 214, 217 
 
 Vortimer, i. 22f), 222 
 
 Walasch, papal legate, ii. 368 
 Walcher, bishop of Durham, 
 
 ii.9 
 Wallace, William, ii. 526, 578 
 Waltheof, earl, ii. 8, 11 
 Walwan. i. 260, 262 
 Warenne, W^illiam de, ii. 9, 
 
 18 
 Warenne, John earl of, ii. 413, 
 
 417, 449, 454, 468 
 Wengham, Henry de, ii. 363 
 Westrailun, William de, ii. 
 
 371 
 Wibert, bishop of Ravenna, 
 
 ii. 11 
 Wilfrid, i. 312, 314, 319, 331, 
 
 :i44 
 Wilfrid, of Canterbury, i. 
 
 390, 391 
 Wilfrid, the librarian, i. 348 
 Wilfrida. i. 481 
 William I., ii. 1-14 
 William II., (Rufus), 14— 
 
 26 
 William, of Anjou, ii. 21 
 
 TUE END. 
 
 William, count of Flanders, 
 
 ii. 40 
 William, count of Holland,'ii. 
 
 300, 308, 334, 335, 338 = 
 William of Normandy, i. 527, 
 
 537, 557—566 
 William, archbishop of 
 
 Rouen, ii. 10 
 William, king of Scotland, ii. 
 
 65, 79, 86, 109 
 William, king of Sicily, ii. 
 
 55 
 William, elect of Valence, ii. 
 
 185, 187, 190 
 William, son of William I., 
 
 ii. 4, 12. &e William 11^ 
 William, son of Henry I., li. 
 
 28, 35, 37 
 William, son of Henry II., 
 
 ii. 55 
 William, son of king Stephen, 
 
 ii. 55 
 William the seneschal, ii. 372 
 Withgarus, i. 254, 264 
 Witz, Richard de, ii. 324 
 Woden, i. 363 
 Wolstan, archbishop, i. 477 
 Wolstan, i. 547 
 Wolstan, bishop, ii. 7, 22 
 Worcester, Walter, bishop of, 
 
 ii. 407, 411, 443 
 
 Xerxes, i. 83 
 
 Ak 
 
 J. BILLING, 
 
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