Which he inferred vpon occasion against the preposterous elections of vnmeet men into episcopall sées, for that they were not so qualified as the dignitie of the place required; otherwise peraduenture enabled with competent knowledge and learning. And suerlie, we may note these inordinate affections from the beginning of this our chronicle in the best (I meane in respect of their estates) of this liuerie, and may iustlie impute it to the defection of Gods spirit in them, whose nature is to plant peace and méekenesse in the harts of his tenants, not discord, not ambition, not the works of darknesse, which beséeme not the children of light. But to the purpose.
Matth. Paris. Earle Robert passeth ouer into Normandie. As the king began (after his libertie obteined) to prouide for warres, so earle Robert (after he was discharged) sailed ouer into Normandie, taking with him the sonnes of diuerse Noble men who fauored the empresse, whome he deliuered to hir husband the earle of Aniou to be kept as pledges, & earnestlie besought him to passe ouer into England with an armie to aid the empresse. Howbeit bicause he was newlie intred Normandie woone by the earle of Aniou. into the conquest of Normandie, and had alreadie won the most part thereof, he thought good to make first an end of his warres there, hauing somewhat to doo against certeine rebels of his owne countie of Aniou, which did not a little molest him. But he recouered (whilest the earle of Glocester was there with him) Alney, Mortaigne, Tenerchbray, and diuerse other places perteining chieflie to the earle of Mortaigne: about the same time also they of Constances submitted themselues vnto him. Thus the earle of Aniou being occupied in those parties, could not well come into England.
Wil. Malm. Earle of Glocester returneth.
Ger. Dor. Wherevpon the earle of Glocester came backe againe himselfe, and bringing with him somewhat lesse than foure hundred men of armes (imbarked in 52. ships) landed with the same at Warrham, and besieged the castell there, which his enimies had won out of his hands whilest he was absent in Normandie. In the end they that were within it (vnder the gouernment of Herebert de Lucy) fell to agreement by composition, that Wil. Malm. if they were not succoured by a certeine time, they should deliuer the castell vnto the earle. King Stephan himselfe the same time held a siege before Oxford, within the which he had inclosed the empresse, as hereafter shall be shewed: so that they within the castell of Warrham had no succour sent vnto them, and therefore (according to the articles of their composition) they yeelded vp the hold, after erle Robert had lien three wéekes before it.
The ile of Portland. Circester. This castell being thus woone, earle Robert subdued also such as kept the ile of Portland, and had fensed it after the maner of a fortresse: afterwards he came to Circester, and there assembled all those that fauoured the part of the empresse, meaning with all conuenient spéed to go to Oxford, & there to giue battell to king Stephan, if he would abide it. Who after his deliuerance from captiuitie, had assembled a great The empresse besieged in Oxford. host of men, and comming to Oxford, where the empresse then laie, suddenlie besieged hir, before she looked for him. And to the end also that he might compell the townsmen to yeeld, or else kéepe them from entring which would come to their succors, he ranged abroad into the countrie with part of his armie, wasting all afore him by fire & sword. This siege continued almost two moneths, in maner from his deliuerie in the beginning of Nouember, vntill Christmasse immediatlie following: in somuch that through lacke of vittels they within the towne began to raise mutinies. The empresse therefore doubting the sequele, and séeing hir prouision to decaie, deuised a shift how to escape that present danger, which by force she was vnlikelie to performe.
N. Triuet. Simon Dun. Wil. Paru. Ran. Higd. Matth. Paris. The empresse escapeth out of Oxford. Polydor. Wil. Malm. Simon Dun. Matth. Paris. Brian sonne to the earle of Glocester. It was a verie hard winter that yeare, the Thames and other riuers thereabouts were frosen, so that both man and horsse might safelie passe oner vpon the yce, the fields were also couered with a thicke and déepe snow. Herevpon taking occasion, she clad hir selfe and all hir companie in white apparell, that a far off they might not be discerned from the snow; and so by negligence of the watch that kept ward but slenderlie, by reason of the excéeding cold weather, she and hir partakers secretlie in the night issued out of the towne, and passing ouer the Thames, came to Walingford, where she was receiued into the castell by those that had the same in kéeping to hir vse: of whom Brian the sonne to the erle of Glocester was the chiefe.
¶ Here we may see the subtiltie of the empresse, whereby she obteined frée and safe passage out of hir enimies hands, who otherwise had taken hir in their net. So that it will be true, that hath neuer béene false, Aeneas Syluius. which Æneas Syluius (and before him many more driuing vpon the like argument) dooth saie in this distichon:
Non audet stygius Pluto tentare, quod audent
Effrænis monachus plenáque fraudis illa,
Meaning Mulier, a woman. And therefore looke what they want in magnanimitie, in strength, in courage, the same is supplied by deceit, by circumuention, by craft, by fraud, by collusion; sometimes applied to a good intent, but most commonlie directed to an euil meaning and purpose, as the euents themselues doo manie times declare. But let vs sée what followed vpon this escape of the empresse.
Polydor. Simon Dun. N. Triuet. After hir departure from Oxford, the townesmen yeelded vnto the king, who hauing taken order for the kéeping of them in obedience, marched toward Walingford, minding to besiege the castell there: but being encountred in the way by his enimies, he was driuen backe, and so An. Reg. 8.
1143 constreined to turne another waie. Earle Robert hearing that his sister was escaped and gotten to Wallingford, hasted thither with all spéed to The empress hir sonne lord Henrie. visit hir: & (as some write) brought with him hir sonne the lord Henrie that was come with him from beyond the seas, to sée his mother: so that the empresse now beholding both hir sonne and brother, receiued them with all the ioy and honour that she could or might presentlie make them. Hir son remaining vnder the gouernement of earle Robert, was then appointed by him to abide within the citie of Bristow, & there continued for the space of 4. yéeres, being committed to one Matthew his schoolemaister, to be instructed in knowledge, and trained vp in ciuill behauiour.
King Stephan (after the spoiling of sundrie churches, the robbing and burning of manie townes and villages by the hands of his hired souldiers, who for the more part were Flemings) came at length with his The king commeth to Wilton. brother the bishop of Winchester stronglie armed vnto Wilton, where he tooke in hand to fortifie the nunrie in steed of a castell, to resist the incursions and inrodes of them of Salisburie, who in the behalfe of the empresse had doone manie displeasures vnto his fréends: but earle Robert vnderstanding of his dooings, got a power togither with all speed, and the first daie of Julie about sunne setting came to Wilton, and suddenlie set the towne on fire.