This Liulfus, a man of great possessions through England, now that the Normans ruled in all places, quietlie withdrew himselfe vnto Durham, and grew into such familiaritie and credit with the bishop, that touching the order of temporall matters, he would doo nothing without his aduice. Whereat Leofwin the bishops chapline conceiued such enuie (for that he was not so often called to counsell as before) that in the end he procured by his malicious meanes one Gilbert (to whom the bishop had committed the rule of the earledome) to murther the said Liulfus by night in his manor place not farre from Durham. Whereof the bishop hauing vnderstanding, and knowing that the matter would be gréeuouslie taken of the people, sent out letters and messengers into the countrie, offering to purge himselfe of the slaughter of this man, according to the order of the canon lawes: howbeit he did nothing lesse. Among other things concerning his purgation, he said that he had banished Gilbert and others, (who had committed the murther) out of Northumberland. Hervpon the malice of the people was kindled against him. For when it was knowne that he had receiued the murtherers into his house, and fauoured them as before, they stomached the matter highlie: insomuch that when by the trauell of those that went to and fro betwixt the bishop and the kinsfolks of Liulfus, a daie was appointed, on the which the bishop should come to farther communication with them at Gateshead, he repaired thither according to his promise, but refusing to talke with them abroad, he kept himselfe still within the church, and sent foorth such of his counsell as should commune with them. But when the people that were there gathered in great numbers, had signified in plaine words that he should either come foorth and shew himselfe amongst them, or else that they should fire the place where he sat: he caused Gilbert to go foorth vnto them first, whom they slue, and his partakers also that issued out of the church with him for his defense. But when the peoples furie was not so quenched, the bishop himselfe casting the skirts of his gowne ouer his face, came likewise foorth, and was immediatlie slaine of the people. After this, they set the church on fire, bicause Leofwine the bishops chapline and others were yet within, and refused to come foorth: howbeit in the end, being compelled by the rage of the fire to come out, the said Leofwine was also slaine and hackt in péeces (as he had well deserued) being the ringleader of all the mischéefe.
Note the sequele of the neglect of iustice in the former storie. ¶ Thus maie we sée what followed of the neglecting of iustice in the bishop: for if he either banished Gilbert and other his complices (accordinglie as he pretended to doo) or otherwise had séene due punishment executed against them, the peoples rage had neuer proceeded so far as it did: for they could not persuade themselues, but that the bishop was guiltie and priuie to Liulfus death, sith he had receiued the murtherers into his house, the verie same night in which the fact was done, and kept them still about him, which his bearing with them cost him his owne life. But now to the historie.
When bishop Odo was come into those parties to reuenge the bishops death with an armie (as we haue said) he sore afflicted the countrie, by spoiling it on euerie side with great crueltie. Here king William placed and displaced diuerse rulers ouer the Northumbers: Sim. Dunel.
Copsi. for first he appointed one Copsi to haue the rule of that countrie, in place of Marchar who before had held the same. This Copsi expelled Osulfe the sonne of earle Edulfe brother to earle Aldred, which Osulfe was substitute vnto the earles Edwine and Marchar, who although he was driuen out of his gouernement by Copsi, yet recouering his forces againe, he slue the same Copsi as he entred into the church of Newburne. But within a few moneths after, the same Osulfe (as he ran with his horsse against a theefe) was thrust through the bodie with a speare, which the theefe held in Gospatrike. his hand, and so died. Then Gospatrike was assigned by king William to haue the gouernement there: whose mother Aldgitha was daughter to Vthred sometime earle of Northumberland begotten vpon Elfgiua the daughter of king Egelred.
Some write, that Gospatrike purchased the earledome of king William, and so held it, till the king tooke it from him againe, and then gaue it vnto earle Walteof or Waldeue. Next after him Walkher the foresaid bishop of Durham had the whole administration committed to him, but (after he was slaine as yée haue heard) one Alberike Robert Mulbray earle of Northumberland. ruled that countrie, and lastlie, Robert Mulbray a right noble personage (for his wisedome and valiancie highlie renowmed with all men) was created earle of Northumberland, and gouerned the people of those parties in such politike and wise order, that during his time, it is hard to saie, whether his quietnesse or the obedience of the people was greater.
The foundation of vniuersitie colledge in Oxford. An. Reg. 15.
1081. In like manner, after the foresaid Walkher; one William was created bishop of Durham, who was the originall founder of vniuersitie colledge in Oxford, and by whose assistance, the moonkes gaping both for riches, ease, and possessions, found the means to displace the secular priests of the colledge of Durham, that they might get into their roomes, as they did indeed soone after, to their great gaine and aduantage. But to returne againe to the course of the historie. Shortlie after the reuenge of the death of An. Reg. 16.
1082 Odo suspected and banished. Walkher bishop of Durham, the fornamed bishop Odo, the kings brother was suspected of some vntruth and sinister dealing, wherevpon he was sent as a banished man into Normandie, or rather (as other write) committed to prison, where he remained, not as a clerke, but as a baron of the realme; for he was both bishop and earle of Kent.
An. Reg. 17.
1083. The king hauing at length obteined some rest from wars, practised by sundrie meanes to inrich his cofers, and therefore raised a tribute through out the whole kingdome; for the better leuieng whereof, he appointed all the subiects of his realme to be numbred, all the cities, townes, villages, and hamlets to be registred, all the abbies, monasteries, and priories to be recorded. Moreouer, he caused a certificat to be taken of euerie mans substance, and what he might dispend by the yeare; he also caused their names to be written which held knights fees, and were bound thereby to serue him in Plow land. the wars. Likewise he tooke a note of euerie yoke of oxen, & what number of plow lands, and how manie bondmen were within the realme. This certificat being made & brought vnto him, gaue him full vnderstanding what wealth remained among the English people. Herevpon he raised his tribute, taking six shillings for euerie hide of land through out this realme, which amounted to a great masse of monie when it was all brought togither into his Excheker. Geruasius Tilberiensis.
The true definition of a hide of land. ¶ Here note by the waie, that an hide of land conteineth an hundred acres, and an acre conteineth fortie perches in length, and foure in bredth, the length of a perch is sixtéene foot and an halfe: so that the common acre should make 240. perches; & eight hides or 800. acres is a knights fée, after the best approued writers and plaine demonstration. Those therefore are deceiued, that take an hide of land to conteine twentie acres (as William Lambert hath well noted in his De priscis Anglorum legibus) where he expoundeth the meaning of the old Saxon termes perteining to the lawes.
But to procéed & come, a little after the temporals dealing, to some of the spirituall affaires. It hapned about the same time, that when king William had finished the rating An. Reg. 18.
1084. Wil. Malm. Simon Dun.
Thurston abbat of Glastenburie.
William of Fescampe. of his subiects, that there rose a strife betwixt Thurstane abbat of Glastenburie a Norman, and the moonkes of that house. One cause thereof was, for that the abbat would haue compelled them to haue left the plaine song or note for the seruice which pope Gregorie had set foorth, and to haue vsed an other kind of tune deuised by one William of Fescampe: beside this, the said abbat spent and wasted the goods that belonged to the house, in riot, leacherie, and by such other insolent meanes (withdrawing also from the moonkes their old accustomed allowance of diet) for the which they first fell Hen. Hunt. Wil. Malm. have two slaine and xiiij hurt. at altercation in words, and afterwards to fighting. The abbat got armed men about him, and falling vpon the moonkes, slue thrée of them at the high altar, and wounded xviij. Howbeit the moonkes for their parts plaied the pretie men with formes and candelsticks, defending themselues Matt. Westm. as well as they might, so that they hurt diuers of the abbats adherents, and droue them out of the quier.
In the end, complaint hereof was brought to the king, by whose iudgement the matter was so ordered, that Thurstane lost his roome, and returned vnto Caen in Normandie from whence he came, and the moonkes were spred abroad into diuerse houses of religion through the realme, Glastenburie being replenished with more quiet persons, and such as were supposed readier to praie than to quarell, as the other did: yet is it said, that in the time of William Rufus this Thurstane obteined the rule of that abbeie againe for fiue hundred pounds.
Sim. Dunel. Hen. Marle. Matth. Paris. There be which write, that the numbring of men and of places, the valuation of goods and substance, as well in cattell as readie monie, was not taken till about the xix. yéere of this kings reigne (although the subsidie afore mentioned was gathered about two yeares before of euerie hide of land as yée haue heard) and that the certificat hereof Hen. Marle. Simon Dun. An. Reg. 19. being inrolled, was put into the kings treasurie at Winchester, in the xix. yeare of his reigne, and not in the xvj. But in what yeare soeuer it was, and howsoeuer the writers agrée or disagree herein; certaine it is, that the same was exacted, to the great gréefe and impouerishment of the people, who sore lamented the miserable estate whereinto they Polydor. Matth. Paris. were brought, and hated the Normans in their harts to the verie death. Howbeit, the more they grudged at such tolles, tallages, customes, and other impositions wherewith they were pressed; the more they were charged and ouerpressed. The Normans on the other side The Conquerour séeketh to kéepe the English men low. with their king perceiuing the hatred which the English bare them, were sore offended, and therefore sought by all meanes to kéepe them vnder. Such as were called to be iustices, were enimies to all iustice; wherevpon greater burdens were laid upon the English, Polydor. insomuch that after they had béene robbed and spoiled of their goods, they were also debarred of their accustomed games and pastimes. For where naturallie (as they doo vnto this daie) they tooke great pleasure in hunting of déere, both red and fallow, in the The forrests seized into the kings hands. Matth. Paris. woods and forrests about without restraint, king William seizing the most part of the same forests into his owne hands, appointed a punishment to be executed vpon all such offendors; namelie, to haue their eies put out. And to bring the greater number of men in danger of those his penall lawes (a pestilent policie of a spitefull mind, and sauoring altogither of his French slauerie) he deuised meanes how to bréed, nourish, and increase the multitude of déere, and also to make roome for them in that part of the realme which lieth betwixt Salisburie and the sea southward: he pulled downe townes, villages, churches, and other buildings for the space of 30. miles, to make thereof a forrest, which at this New forrest. daie is called New forrest. The people as then sore bewailed their distres, & greatlie lamented that they must thus leaue house & home to the vse of sauage beasts. Which Matth. Paris.
An earthquake.
Polydor. crueltie, not onelie mortall men liuing here on earth, but also the earth it selfe might seeme to detest, as by a woonderfull signification it séemed to declare, by the shaking and roaring of the same, which chanced about the 14. yeare of his reigne (as writers haue recorded.) There be that suppose how the king made that part of the realme waste and barren vpon a policie, to the intent that if his chance were to be expelled by ciuill wars, and he compelled to leaue the land, there should be no inhabitants in that part of the Ile to resist his arriuall vpon his new returne.
1085. Simon Dun.
A rumor spred of the coming of the Danes. But to go foorth with our purpose. About the same time, a rumor was spred in England that Sueine king of Denmarke meant to inuade England with a puissant armie, hauing the assistance of the earle of Flanders whose daughter he had maried. Whervpon king William being then in Normandie, reteined a great power of French soldiers, both archers and footmen which togither with his Normans he brought ouer into England in haruest season, and meaning to disburthen himselfe of the charge of their keeping, he caused their finding and wages to be borne by the lords and peeres of the realme, by the shirifs of shires, and other officers. Howbeit, when he vnderstood that the Danes changed Anno 20. their purpose, and would not hold on their iourneie, he dismissed part of his power, and sent them home againe, keeping the residue all the winter with him in England, readie for his defense, if anie rebellion or other necessitie should befall.