N. Triuet. Now when she had thus fled out of London, which was about the feast of the natiuitie of S. John Baptist, the tower of London was besieged, Geffrey de Mandeuile. which Geffrey de Mandeuile held, and valiantlie defended. The same Geffrey rushing out on a time, came to Fulham, where he tooke the bishop The bishop of Londō taken. of London then lodging in his manor place, being one of the contrarie faction.
Polydor. Henrie bishop of Winchester perceiuing the wrath of the empresse more and more to increase dailie against hir people, thinking it wisedome to serue the time, manned all the castels which he had builded within his Castells fortified by the bishop of Winchester. dioces; as at Waltham, Farnham, and other places and withdrew himselfe into the castell of Winchester, there to remaine, till he might sée to what end the furie of the woman would grow. This being knowne, the empresse tooke vnto hir Dauid king of Scotland that was hir vncle, who immediatlie ioining their armies togither, went to Winchester and besieged the castell. In the meane time the quéene and hir sonne Eustace, with the helpe of their freends, as the Kentishmen, the Londoners and other had assembled a great armie, and appointed the William de Ypresse. Ia. Meir. gouernement and generall conduct thereof vnto one William of Ypres a Fleming, who for his valiancie was by king Stephan created earle of Kent: he was sonne to Philip of Flanders, begotten of a concubine, his father also was sonne to Robert earle of Flanders, surnamed Frisius. This William was banished out of his countrie by Theodorike Elsas earle of Flanders, bicause he attempted to bereaue him of his earledome.
The quéenes armie thus committed to his guiding, came néere vnto Wil. Malm. In nouella historia. N. Triuet. Sim. Dun. Polydor. The empresse armie put to flight. Wil. Malm. Robert earle of Glocester taken prisoner. Matth. Paris. Winchester, and kept the empresse and hir people in maner besieged: at length perceiuing the aduantage after the comming of a great supplie of Londoners to their aid, they set vpon hir armie as the same was departing, with such violence, that straightwaies hir host was put to flight and discomfited. The empresse was glad to faine hir selfe dead, and so to be conueied in a coch as a dead corps vnto Glocester. Hir brother Robert with manie other of the Nobles that staied behind, till she and other might get out of danger, were taken prisoners. And bicause the king was kept at Bristow vnder the custodie of the said Robert, the queene caused him to be hardlie handled, that he might prooue the words of the gospell true: "With what measure yée meat vnto other, with the same by other shall it be remeasured vnto you." He had deserued verie euill of the king heretofore, and therefore it was now remembred. He was taken (in maner abouesaid) on the feast day of the exaltation of the crosse.
Wil. Paruus. N. Triuet.
Dauid king of Scots retired home.
Simon Dun. R. Houe.
Alberike de Uéer slaine.
Wil. Malm. Polydor. Dauid king of Scotland was not at the battell himselfe, but hearing of the discomfiture, got him out of the countrie, and by helpe of trustie guides returned into Scotland, whilest Alberike de Uéer was slaine at London in a seditious tumult raised by the citizens. The kingdome being thus diuided into two seueral factions, was by all similitudes like to come to vtter ruine: for the people kindled in hatred one against another, sought nothing else but reuenge on both sides, and still the land was spoiled and wasted by the men of warre which lodged within the castels and fortresses, and would often issue out to harrie and spoile the countries. But now that the two cheefest heads were prisoners, there was good hope conceiued that God had so wrought it, whereby might grow some ouerture of talke, to quiet such troubles by fréendlie peace and agreement.
Herevpon those lords that wished well to the common-wealth, began to intreate betwixt them, and articles were propounded for a concord to be had, and an exchange of prisoners on both sides. But the empresse and hir brother would not hearken to any agréement, except that the realme Geruasius Dorober. The king and the earle of Glocester deliuered by exchange. might wholie remaine to the said empresse. Whereby the enimies were rather increased than decreased by his treatie, so that at length the king and the earle (weried with tedious yrksomnesse of yrons and hard imprisonment, and putting all their hope in the chance of war) about the feast of All saints made by deliuering of the one for the other, without making mention of any peace at all: and so kindled with new displeasures, they renewed the warre.
An. Reg. 7.
1142. King Stephan being deliuered in such wise as you haue heard, comming to London, and there being accompanied with his brother Henrie bishop of Winchester (then the popes legat) Theobald archbishop of Canturburie, Geruasius Dorobernensis. A parlement called. and others, he called a parlement, wherein the king declared the present state, how the enimie was brought to this point, that if it would please the Nobles of the realme to mainteine him with men & monie, he trusted now so to worke, as they should not need to feare submission to the yoke of a womans gouernment: which at the first they seemed much to mislike, and now sithens (to their great gréefe) had prooued to be intollerable. The summe of his talke tended to this end, that those which were able of themselues to aid him with their owne persons, should prepare them out of hand so to doo; and the residue that were not meet (as bishops, and such like maner of men) should be contributors to aid him with hired souldiers, armour, and monie.
This was gladlie agréed vpon, with the generall consent of all the assemblie. And bicause the bishops shewed themselues verie liberall towards the aduancing of the kings purpose, there was a statute made at the same parlement, that who so euer did laie any violent hands on a A statute established in fauour of préests. sacred person, or else tooke vpon him to apprehend any of them, for what fault soeuer, without the bishops licence, he should be accursed, and not be assoiled of any maner of person, except of the pope, as by a canon it was alreadie decréed but not obeied among the Englishmen till that daie. ¶ The cause of making this statute was chéeflie, for that preests during the time of the ciuill wars, were dailie either slaine, or taken prisoners, and so put to their ransoms, or charged with great penalties and gréeuous fines.
The bishop of Winchester at this councell also began an other brall among the cleargie, for being brother to king Stephan, & armed with the popes authoritie as his legat in England, by reason of exercising his authoritie, fell at variance with the bishop of Canturburie, who tooke himselfe for his superior, bicause he was his primat. This quarell grew so far in question, that they went both to Rome to haue the controuersie decided, and so bringing their sutes thither, contented well the eares of them that had the hearing of the same: for the more weightie the cause seemed, the better it liked them.
Paul. Lang. in Chron. citizen. pag. 760. ¶ A late writer, noting in clergiemen of his age & countrie not onelie the aspiring vice of ambition, but other disorders also, and monstrous outrages, after a complaint made that gold (by which title he calleth those of the ecclesiasticall order) is turned into drosse, and swéet wine become tart vineger, concludeth with the illation of the cause hereof comprised in this metricall accouplement, saieng:
Dum factor rerum priuaret flamine clerum,
Ad satanæ volum successit turba nepotum.