An. Reg. 10.
1076. In the meane time, the king vnderstanding by earle Walteof how the matter went in England, came ouer with all speed out of Normandie, & within a short space brought the residue of the conspirators into such a feare, that they were scattered and put to flight, without attempting anie further exploit or conspiracie against him. Manie of them also were apprehended and put to death, among whom Roger and Walteof were most famous. H. Hunt. Earle Walteof beheaded. And though Walteof (as yée haue heard before) disclosed the treason, yet to the end he should offend no more hereafter, he was beheaded at Winchester by the kings commandement, and his bodie hauing béene first buried in the same place where he suffered, was afterward conueied vnto Crowland, and there more honorablie interred.
This earle Walteof or Waldeue was sonne (as ye haue heard) to Siward the noble earle of Northumberland, of whose valure in the time of K. Edward the confessor ye haue heard. His son the foresaid Walteof in strength of bodie and hardinesse did, not degenerate from his father, for he was tall of personage, in sinews and musculs verie strong and mighty. In the slaughter of the Normans at Yorke, he shewed proofe of his prowesse, in striking off the heads of manie of them with his owne hands, as they came foorth of the gates singlie one by one: yet afterwards, when the king had pardoned him of all former offenses, and receiued him into fauour hée gaue to him in mariage his néece Judith the daughter of Lambert earle of Lens, sister to Stephen erle of Albermare, and with hir he Earledome of Huntingdon. had of the kings gift, all the lands and liberties belonging to the honor of Huntingdon; in consideration whereof, he assigned to hir in name of hir dower, all the lands that he held from Trent southward. Shée bare by him two daughters, Maud and Alice: We find, that he was not onlie earle of Northumberland, but also of Northampton and Matth. Paris. Huntingdon.
The countesse of Cambridge or Northfolke (as other haue) wife of earle Rafe, being, fled into the citie of Norwich, was besieged in the same by the kings power, which pressed the citie so sore, as it was forced for verie famine to yéeld; but yet by composition; namelie, that such as were besieged within, should depart the realme, as persons abiured and banished the land for euer. This was the end of the foresaid conspiracie. At this Polydor. Hen. Hunt. Simon Dun. Matth. Paris. verie time the Danes being confederate with these rebels, and by them solicited, set forth towards England vnder the leading of Cnuto, sonne to Sueno, and earle Haco, and (vnlooked for) arriue here in England with two hundred sailes. But hearing that the ciuill tumult was ended, and seeing no man readie either to countenance or encourage them in their enterprise, they sailed first into Flanders, which they spoiled, and after into their owne countrie, with little desire or will to come againe into England. King William also vnderstanding that they were thus departed, passed ouer into Britaine, and there besieged the castell of Doll that belonged to Rafe earle of Cambridge or Northfolke: but by the comming of Philip the French king, king William being vnprouided of sufficient vittels for his armie, was constreined to raise his siege, although with great losse both of men and horsses.
An. Reg. 11.
1077. Matth. Paris. An earthquake, a long frost, a comet. On the 27. daie of March was a generall earthquake in England, and in the winter following a frost that continued from the first of Nouember vntill the middle of Aprill. A blasing starre appeered on palme sundaie, beeing the sixteenth daie of Aprill, about six of the clocke, when the aire was faire and cleere.
Married préests. About the same season, pope Gregorie perceiuing that married préests did choose rather to run into the danger of his cursse, than to forsake their wiues, meaning to bridle them by an other prouiso, gaue commandment by his bull published abroad, that none should heare the masse of a married préest.
An. Reg. 12.
1078. Polydor. A synod holden at London. Bishops sées remoued. King William after his comming from the siege of Doll, remained a certeine time in quiet, during which season, Lanfranke the archbishop called a synod or counsell of the cleargie at London, wherein amongst other things it was ordeined, that certeine bishops sées should be remoued from small townes to cities of more fame, whereby it came to passe that Chichester, Exceter, Bath, Salisburie, Lincolne & Chester were honored with sees and palaces of bishops, whereas before they kept their residence at Sellewey, Kirton, Welles, Shireborne, Dorchester, and Lichfield.
Woolstan. At this synod also Woolstan bishop of Worcester was present, whom Lanfranke would haue deposed for his insufficiencie of learning; as he colourablie pretended, but indeed to pleasure the king, who faine would have placed a Norman in his roome: but (as they saie) by a miracle which he presentlie wrought, in causing his crosier staffe to sticke fast in the toome of saint Edward (to whom he protested and said he would resigne it, for that he obteined the same by his gift) he did put the king and the archbishop into such feare, that they suffered him still to enioy his bishoprike without any further vexation. These things with other (touching a reformation in the church and cleargie) being handled in this councell, it was soone after dissolued.
An. Reg. 13.
1079. Matth. Paris. Matth. West. In the yeare following, king William led a mightie armie into Wales, and subdued it; receiuing of the rulers and princes there their homages and hostages. About the same time, Robert the kings eldest sonne, a right worthie personage, but yet as one of nature somewhat vnstable, entered into Normandie as a rebell to his father, and by force tooke diuers places into his hands. Which he did by the practise of Philip the French king, who now began to doubt of the great puissance of king William, as foreseeing how much it might preiudice him, and the whole realme of France in time to come. Wherefore to stop the The French king setteth the sonne against the father. course of his prosperous successe, he deuised a meane to set the sonne against the father. True it is that king William had promised long afore to resigne the gouernment of Normandie vnto the said Robert his sonne. Wherevpon the yoong man, being of an ambitious nature, and now pricked forward by the sinister counsell of his adherents, seeketh to obteine that by violence, which he thought would be verie long yer he should atteine by curtesie. King William hereof aduertised, was not a little mooued against his disobedient Simon Dun. Matth. Paris. sonne, and curssed both him and the time that euer he begat him. Finallie, raising an armie, he marched towards him, so that they met in the field. Assoone as the one came in sight of the other, they encountred at a place called Archenbraie, and whilest the battell was at the hottest, and the footmen most busied in fight, Robert appointed a power of horssemen to breake in upon the réereward of his enemies; & he himselfe following after with all his might, chanced among other to haue a conflict with his owne father, so that thrusting him through the arme with his lance, he bare him beside his horsse, and The sonne ouerthroweth the father. ouerthrew him to the ground. The king being falne, called to his men to remount him. Robert perceiuing by his voice that it was his father, whom he had vnhorssed, spéedilie alighted, and tooke him vp, asking him forgiuenesse for that fact, and setting him vp on his owne horsse, brought him out of the prease, and suffered him to depart in safetie. King William being thus escaped out of that present danger, and séeing himselfe not able Simon Dun. to resist the puissance of his enimies, left the field to his son, hauing lost many of his men which were slaine in battell and chace, besides a great number that were hurt and Matth. Paris. wounded, among whom his second sonne William surnamed Rufus or Red, was one; and therefore (as some write) he bitterlie curssed his son Robert, by whom he had susteined such iniurie, losse, and dishonor. Howbeit, other write, that for the courtesie which his sonne shewed, in releeuing and helping him out of danger, when he was cast off The father and the sonne made friends. his horsse, he was mooued with such a fatherlie affection, that presentlie after they were made friends, the father pardoned his sonne all his former offenses, and therevpon found him euer after more tractable and obedient than before.
An. Reg. 14.
1080. Simon Dunel. After this battell, king William being thus accorded with his sonne, returned with him into England, and immediatlie sent him against Malcolme king of Scotland, who hauing broken the truce in time of the trouble betwixt king William and his sonne, had doone much hurt by forraies vpon the English borders, wasting all Northumberland euen to the riuer of Tine. Howbeit, when he heard that Robert approched with his armie towards him, he retired into Scotland. Robert Curthuze then lodged with his armie vpon the The foundation of New castell upon Tine, which before that season was called Moncaster. banks of the riuer of Tine, where he began the foundation of a castell, whereof the towne Newcastell did after take both beginning and name, for before this season it was called Moncaster.
About the same time, Odo the bishop of Bayeux was sent to Northumberland, to reuenge the death of Walkher bishop of Durham, whom not long before the people of Northumberland had slaine in a tumult. The occasion of his death grew by the death of Simon Dun. one Liulfus, a noble man of those quarters, and déerelie beloued of the people, bicause he was descended of honorable parentage, and had married the ladie Algitha daughter vnto earle Alered, and sister to Alfleda the mother of earle Walteof.