THE TREATY OF PEACE BETWEEN KING STEPHEN AND PRINCE HENRY (1153).
Source.—Henry of Huntingdon, Historia Anglorum, ed. Arnold, p. 289. (Rolls Series.)
Meanwhile archbishop Theobald urgently treated with the king, to induce him to come to terms with the duke, speaking often with the king in person and with the duke by messenger.
His efforts were seconded by Henry bishop of Winchester, who before had woefully disturbed the realm by conferring the crown upon Stephen his brother; now, stirred to repentance and seeing the whole country ruined by plunder, fire and slaughter, he shared in the negotiations for peace, to put an end to the awful evils. Above all, the providence of God, which makes peace and permits evil, purposing to stay the scourge that smote England according to her deserts, prospered their work until their efforts were blessed by the calm of peace and a treaty confirmed by oaths. Oh! priceless joy, oh! blessed day! when the illustrious prince, led by the king himself, was received with honour in the city of Winchester at the head of a splendid procession of bishops and warriors, amid the acclamation of a numberless throng of the people. For the king received him as his adopted son and acknowledged him heir to the throne. Thence the king brought the duke with him to London, where he was received with equal joy by a numberless multitude of people and magnificent processions, as so great a man deserved. So did the mercy of God shed a halo of peace and lighten the darkness of the ruined realm of England.
This accomplished, king Stephen and his new son parted in joy and affection, to meet again, for this treaty was confirmed before Christmas. But on the octave of the Epiphany they met once more at Oxford, after the duke had spent almost a year in the conquest, or rather the resurrection of England. There then the chief men of the English, by the king’s command, did to the duke the homage and fealty due to a lord saving to the king due honour and fealty during his life. From this brilliant gathering they joyfully departed to their own homes, blessed by a new peace. Again after a short interval of time they met at Dunstable. There a brilliant day was somewhat clouded. The duke was displeased that the castles, which had been everywhere built after the death of king Henry and put to the worst uses, were not destroyed, as had been determined and confirmed by the solemn treaty of peace between them; a great part had now been razed, but the castles of some had been spared either by the clemency or the connivance of the king, whereby their mutual adherence to the compact seemed to be impaired. The duke, on complaining hereon to the king, suffered a repulse, but, deferring to his new father, reluctantly postponed the question, that the light of their harmony might not seem to be extinguished by him; they parted peaceably, and not long after, by the king’s licence, the victorious duke returned to Normandy.
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FOOTNOTES:
[1] To be “in lot and scot” is in modern phrase “to pay rates.”
[2] I.e., if he be killed.
[3] Date unknown.
[4] I.e., “alms.” To hold in “almoin” is to hold by the sole service of prayers for the grantor.
[5] The hide was at once a measure of land normally consisting of about 120 acres, and a fiscal unit; a Domesday manor containing ten hides for purposes of taxation might comprise a larger area than 1,200 acres.
[6] A socman holds land by the service of attending the lords’ court or soke.
[7] Highway robbery.
[8] Housebreaking.
[9] I.e., the precincts, one mile and a half round.
[10] I.e., from all national and local burdens, whether financial, judicial, or otherwise.
[11] Rights of jurisdiction.
[12] Toll.
[13] Right to summon possessors of stolen property to name the person from whom they received it.
[14] Apprehension of offenders.
[15] Payment for watch and ward.
[16] Market, fair, and port tolls.
[17] Fine for housebreaking.
[18] Highway robbery and the fine due for the same.
[19] Fine for bloodshedding.
[20] Fine for bastardy.
[21] This clause, from “with sac and soc” to “larceny,” grants to the abbey full rights of jurisdiction, with tolls, and fines for the offences specified.
[22] William of St. Karileph, Bishop of Durham, accused of participation in the rebellion of Bishop Odo.
[23] Dispossessed.
[24] Charged with.
[25] I.e., an absolute possession, free from all feudal service.
[26] The chronicler and the archbishop.
[27] Dishbearer to the royal household.
[28] I.e., by lavish bribery.
[29] A toll on travellers.
[30] A toll on cargoes.
[31] A soke is a court and an area of jurisdiction.
[32] The money-value set on a man if he were killed.
[33] The fine for changing the ground of an action once begun in court.
[34] Literally, a chess-board.
[35] In actual coin.
[36] I.e., agreements with the crown touching feudal payments.
[37] Matilda the Empress.
[38] On the other hand, the author of Gesta Stephani states: “The king ordered that the two bishops should be separately confined in foul places and tortured with sharp fasting, and that the chancellor, son of the bishop of Salisbury, now seized and thrown into chains, should be hanged in front of the castle gate, unless the bishop of Ely should surrender the castle and admit the king’s force.”
[39] This account does not agree with that of Henry of Huntingdon, who states that he was taken by William de Kahaines, after his battle-axe and sword had broken.
[40] Dish-bearer.
Transcriber’s Notes
As most of the text in this book consists of quotations from different sources, inconsistencies in spelling, punctuation, and hyphenation have been retained. Ambiguous hyphens at the ends of lines also have been retained.
Simple typographical errors were corrected; occasional unbalanced quotation marks were retained except as noted below.
Page [47]: Closing quotation mark added after “to its ratification....”.
Page [56]: Closing quotation mark added after “something for nothing.”.