The Welshmen make sturres.
Eadmerus.
The king raiseth an armie to go against the Welshmen. Whilest these things were thus a dooing, king Henrie was aduertised, that the Welshmen breaking the peace, did much hurt on the marshes, & speciallie in Cheshire where they had burned two castells. Meaning therefore to be reuenged on them to the vttermost, he assembled an armie out of all parts of his realme, and entred with the same into Wales. The Welshmen, hearing that the king was come with such puissance to inuade them, were afraid, and forthwith sent ambassadours, beséeching him to grant them pardon and peace. The king mooued with their humble The Welshmen sue for peace. petitions, tooke hostages of them, & remitted them for that time, considering that in mainteining of warre against such maner of people, there was more feare of losse than hope of gaine. But yet to prouide for the quietnes of his subiects which inhabited néere the marshes, that More doubt of losse than hope of gaine, by the warres against the Welshmen. they shuld not be ouerrun and harried dailie by them (as oftentimes before they had béene) he appointed Warren earle of Shrewesburie to haue the charge of the marshes, that peace might be the better kept and mainteined in the countrie.
Simon Dun. A chanell cast from Torksey to Lincolne.
Norham castell built. H. Hunt. Soone after king Henrie caused a chanell to be cast along the countrie in Lincolnshire, from Torksey to the citie of Lincolne, that vessels might haue passage out of the riuer of Trent vnto the same. Moreouer, Rafe bishop of Durham began to build the castell of Norham, vpon the bank of the riuer of Twéed.
At this time likewise Foulke Earle of Aniou being now come out of the holie land (whither he went after the peace was made betwixt king Henrie and the French king) began to picke a quarrell against king Henrie, for withholding the iointure of his daughter, who (as before you haue heard) was married vnto William the kings sonne that was drowned. He also gaue hir sister in mariage vnto William the sonne of duke Robert, assigning vnto him the earledome of Maime to enioy in the right of his wife.
Polydor. In the meane time, king Henrie visited the north parts of his realme, to vnderstand the state of the countrie, and to prouide for the suertie and good gouernement thereof, as was thought requisite.
1122.
An. Reg. 23. 13. Kalends of Nouember. In the yeare next ensuing, the twentith of October, Rafe archbishop of Canturburie departed this life, after he had ruled that see the space of 8. yeares, in whose roome succéeded one William archbishop, who was in number the eight and twentith from Augustine. Moreouer, Henrie the sonne of earle Blois, who before was abbat of Glastenburie, was now made bishop of Winchester, a man for his singular bountie, gentlenesse and modestie greatlie beloued of the English.
But to returne to the affaires of the king. It chanced about this time, that the parts beyond the sea (being[14] now void of a gouernour (as they suppose) by meanes of the death of the kings sonne) began to make 1123.
An. Reg. 24. commotions. Soone after it came also to passe that Robert earle of Robert earle of Mellent rebelleth.
Hen. Hunt.
The castle of Roan fortified. Matth. Paris. Mellent rebelled against the king, who being spéedilie aduertised thereof, sailed foorthwith into those quarters, and besieged the castell of Ponteaudemer perteining to the said earle, and tooke it. About the same time also the king fortified the castell of Roan, causing a mightie thick wall with turrets thereabout as a fortification to be made. Likewise, he repaired the castell of Caen, the castels of Arches, Gisors, Faleise, Argentone, Damfront, Vernon, Ambres, with others, & 1124.
An. Reg. 25. made them strong. In the meane season, the earle of Mellent (desirous to be reuenged of king Henrie) procured aid where he could, and so with Polydor. H. Hunt. Matth. Paris. Hugh earle of Mountfert entred into Normandie, wasting and destroieng the countrie with fire and sword, thinking yer long to bring the same to obedience. But the kings chamberlaine and lieutenant in those parts, named William de Tankeruile, being thereof aduertised, laid an ambush for them, and training them within the danger thereof, set vpon them, and after long fight, tooke them twaine prisoners, with diuers other, and presented them both vnto the king, whereby the warres ceassed in that countrie for a time.
The king hauing in this maner purchased quietnesse by the sword, gaue himselfe somewhat to the reformation of his house, and among other things which he redressed, he caused all his knights and men of warre to Long haire redressed in the court. Matth. West. cut their haire short, after the maner of the Frenchmen, whereas before they ware the same long after the vsage of women.
1125.
An. Reg. 26. After this also, in the yeare 1125. a cardinall named Johannes Cremensis Johannes Cremensis a legat sent into England. was sent into England from pope Honorius the second, to sée reformation in certeine points touching the church: but his cheefe errand was to correct preests that still kept their wiues with them. At his first comming ouer he soiourned in colledges of cathedrall churches, and in abbeies, addicting himselfe to lucre & wantonnesse, reaping where he had not sowen. At length, about the feast of the natiuitie of our ladie, he called a conuocation of the cleargie at London, where making an oration, he inueihed sore against those of the spiritualtie that were spotted with any note of incontinencie. Manie thought themselues touched with his words, who hauing smelled somewhat of his secret tricks, that whereas he was a most licentious liuer, and an vnchast person of bodie and mind, vet he was so blinded, that he could not perceiue the beame in his own eies, whilest he espied a mote in another mans. Herevpon they grudged, that he should in such wise call other men to accompts for their honest demeanor of life, which could not render any good reckoning of his owne: insomuch that they watched him so narrowlie, that in the euening (after he had blown his horne so lowd against other men; in declaring that it was a shamefull vice to rise from the side of a strumpet, and presume to sacrifice the bodie of Christ) he was taken in bed with a strumpet, to his owne shame and reproch. But being reprooued But this shuld not séem to be any iust excuse, for M.P. saith that the same day he consecrated the Lords bodie, & therefore he must néeds be a préest. thereof, he alledged this excuse (as some write) that he was no preest, but a reformer of preests. Howbeit to conclude, being thus defamed, he got him backe to Rome againe from whence he came, without any performance of that whereabout he was sent.
But to returne to king Henrie, who whilest he remained in Normandie (which was a long time after the apprehension of the two foresaid earles) vnderstood that his sonne in lawe Henrie the emperour was 1126.
An. Reg. 27. departed this life at Utregt, the 23. of Maie last past. Wherevpon he sent for his daughter the empresse to come ouer vnto him into Normandie, and hauing set his businesse in order on that side the sea, and taken hir with him, he returned into England before the feast of S. Michaell, Polydor. An oth taken by the lords touching the succession of the crowne. where calling a parlement, he caused hir by the authoritie of the same to be established as his lawfull heire and successor, with an article of intaile vpon hir issue, if it should please God to send hir any at all. At this parlement was Dauid K. of Scotland, who succéeded Alexander the fierce. Stephan earle of Morton and Bullongne, and son of Stephan earle of Blois, nephue to K. Henrie by his sister Adela; these two princes chéefelie tooke their oth amongst other, to obey the foresaid empresse, as touching hir right and lawfull claime to the crowne of England. But Stephan erle of Bullongne the first that offered to receiue the oth. although Stephan was now the first that was to sweare, he became shortlie after the first that brake that oth for his owne preferment. ¶ Thus it commeth often to passe, that those which receiue the greatest benefits, doo oftentimes soonest forget to be thankefull.
This Stephan latelie before by his vncle K. Henries meanes, had purchased & got in marriage the onelie daughter and heire of Eustace earle of Bullongne, and so after the decease of his father in lawe, became earle there: and further, had goodlie possessions in England giuen him by the king, and yet (as farther shall appeare) he kept not his oth made with K. Henrie. Some write that there rose no small strife Wil. Malm. betwixt this earle Stephan, & Robert erle of Glocester, in contending which of them should first receiue this oth: the one alledging that he was a kings sonne, and the other affirming that he was a kings nephue.