King Henrie in the meane time vnderstanding his meaning, assembled likewise his power, and rigged foorth a great number of ships, appointing them to lie in a readinesse to stop his brothers comming to land if it might be. He himselfe, also lodged with his maine armie neere the towne of Hastings, to giue him battell if he landed thereabouts.
Duke Robert also meaning to set foreward, sent certeine of his ships before, to choose some conuenient place where he might land with his armie: which ships by chance fell into the danger of the kings nauie, but yet absteining from battell, they recouered the wind, and returned backe to the duke, signifieng from point to point how they had sped in this voiage. The duke as he was of a bold courage, and of so gentle a nature that he beleeued he should win their good wils, with whom he should haue any thing to doo, passed forward, and approching to the Duke Robert arriued at Portsmouth. Simon Dun. Wil. Malm. Hen. Hunt. Polydor. kings nauie, vsed such mild persuasions, that a great part of the souldiours which were aboord in the kings ships, submitted themselues vnto him, by whose conduct he arriued in Portsmouth hauen, and there landed with his host, about the begining of August. Now when he had rested a few daies & refreshed his men, he tooke the way towards Winchester, a great number of people flocking vnto him by the way.
The king hauing knowledge as well of the arriuall of his enimies, as also of the reuolting of his subiects, raised his campe, and came to lodge neere vnto his enimies, the better to perceiue what he attempted and purposed to doo. They were also in maner readie to haue ioined battell, when diuerse Noble men that owght good will to both the brethren, and abhorred in their minds so vnnaturall discord, began to entreat for peace, which in the end they concluded vpon, conditionallie Wil. Malm. Simon Dun. Hen. Hunt. that Henrie (who was borne after his father had conquered the realme of England) should now enioy the same, yeelding and paieng yeerelie vnto duke Robert the summe of iij. M. marks. Prouided, that whose hap of the two it should be to suruiue or outliue, he should be the others right and lawfull heire, by mutuall agreement. Conditionallie also, that those English or Normans, which had taken part either with the king or the duke, should be pardoned of all offenses that could be laid vnto them Hen. Hunt. Wil. Thorne. Matth. West. Geruasius Dorober. for the same by either of the princes. There were twelue Noble men on either part that receiued corporall othes for performance of this agréement, which being concluded vpon in this sort, duke Robert, who in his affaires shewed himselfe more credulous than suspicious, remained with his brother here in England till the feast of S. Michaell, and then shewing himselfe well contented with the composition, returned into Normandie. In the second yeare of this kings reigne, the Quéene was deliuered of hir daughter Maud or Mathild, so called after hir owne name, who afterward was empresse, of whom yée shall heare by Gods grace anon in this historie.
1102. The king being now rid of forren trouble, was shortlie after disquieted Simon Dun. Robert de Belesme[1] earle of Shrewsburie. with the seditious attempts of Robert de Belesme earle of Shrewsburie, sonne to Hugh before named, who fortified the castell of Bridgenorth, and an other castell in Wales at a place called Caircoue, and furnished the towne of Shrewsburie, with the castels of Arundell & Tickehill (which belonged to him) in most substantiall maner. Moreouer he sought to win the fauour of the Welshmen, by whose aid he purposed to defend himselfe against the king in such vnlawfull enterprises as he ment to take in hand. But the king hauing an inkeling whereabout he went, straightwaies proclaimed him a traitor, wherevpon he got such Welshmen and Normans together as he could conuenientlie come by, with whom and Stafford wasted. his brother Arnold, he entered into Staffordshire, which they forraied and wasted excéedinglie, bringing from thence a great bootie of beasts and cattell, with some prisoners, whom they led foorthwith into Wales, where they kept themselues as in a place of greatest safetie.
The king in the meane time with all conuenient[2] spéed raised a power, Arundell castell besieged. first besieging the castell of Arundell, and then planting diuerse bastillions before it, he departed from thence, and sending the bishop of Lincolne with part of his armie to besiege Tickehill, he himselfe Bridgenorth besieged. went to Bridgenorth, which he enuironed about with a mightie armie made out of all parts of his realme: so that what with gifts, large promises, and fearefull threatnings, at the last he allured to his side the fickle An. Reg. 3. Welchmen, and in such wise wan them, that they abandoned the earle, and tooke part against him. Wherevpon the king within 30. daies subdued all The earle of Shrewsburie banished the realme. the townes and castels (which he held) out of his hands, and banished him the relme, and shortlie after confined his brother Arnold for his traitorous demeanour vsed against him, whereby their attempts were brought vnto an end.
A synod of bishops. Eadmerus. After this, at the feast of saint Michaell, Anselme archbishop of Canturburie held a councell at Westminster, whereat were present the archbishop of Yorke, the bishops of London, Winchester, Lincolne, Worcester, Chester, Bath, Norwich, Rochester, and two other bishops latlie elected by the king, namelie, Salisburie and Hereford: the bishop of Excester was absent by reason of sicknesse.
Abbats & Priors depriued. At this councell or synod, diuerse abbats and priors, both French and English, were depriued of their promotions and benefices by Anselme, bicause they had come vnto them otherwise than he pretended to stand with the decrées of the church; as the abbats of Persor, Ramsey, Matth. Paris. Tauestocke, Peterborow, Middleton, Burie, and Stoke, the prior of Elie, The cause why they wer depriued. Hen. Hunt. Sim. Dun. and others. The chéefest cause of their deposing, was, for that they had receiued their inuestitures at the kings hands.
Diuerse constitutions were made by authoritie of this councell, but namelie this one.
Eadmerus. Mariage of préests forbidden. Hen. Hunt. 1 That preests should no more be suffered to haue wiues, which decree (as saith Henrie of Huntingdon) séemed to some verie pure, but to some againe verie dangerous, least whilest diuers of those that coueted to professe such cleannesse and puritie of life as passed their powers to obserue, might happilie fall into most horrible vncleannesse, to the high dishonour of christianitie, and offense of the Almightie.
Decrées instituted in this councell. 2 That no spirituall person should haue the administration of any temporall office or function, nor sit in iudgment of life and death.