Thus the peace being concluded, king Henrie forgetting all iniuries Wil. Paruus. passed, brought home his sons in maner aforesaid, who being well pleased with the agreement, attended their father into Normandie, where Richard and Geffrey did homage to him, receiuing their othes of allegiance according to the maner in that case required. But king Henrie the sonne R. Houed. Wil. Paruus. saieth that he did homage also. did no homage, for his father (in respect that he was a king) would not suffer him, and therefore tooke onelie sureties of him for performance of the couenants on his part, as was thought expedient.
¶ All this dissention and strife was kindled (no doubt) by the meanes of certeine sowers of discord, sycophants, parasits, flatterers, clawbacks, & pickethanks, who had learned their lesson, that
Principibus placuisse viris non vltima laus est,
and thinking by their embossed spéech to tickle the eares and harts of the yoong princes, who by reason of their yoong yeares and nakednesse of experience in the course of worldlie maters, sought their owne aduancement, euen by flinging firie faggots of dissention betweene them, whose harts naturall affection had vnited. For by the tenor of the storie (marke it who will) we shall sée that no attempt of the sons against the father but had originall from the suggestions of euill disposed persons, who (like eeles that fatten not in faire running water, but in muddie motes and ponds) sought honour in hurlie burlies, & reached out long armes to riches by manie a ones impouerishment. This to be true, the finall euent and issue prooueth; namelie, the mutuall attonement and reconciliation wouen betweene the father and the sonnes; their remorse for their vndutifulnes, his louing fauour and gratiousnesse; their promptnesse to yéeld to conditions of agreement, his forwardnes to giue consent to couenants required; their readinesse to do the old king homage, his acceptable admission of their preferred seruice; with other circumstances to be collected out of the storie, all which doo prooue that this their disloiall resistance sprang rather by others incitement, than of their owne seeking. Thus we sée what alterations happen in the actions of men, and that euill things manie times (though naturallie bad) doo inferre their contraries, as one aptlie saith,
Discordia fit charior concordia.
Willi. king of Scots deliuered out of prison with other. At length king Henrie went to Faleise, and there deliuered out of captiuitie William king of Scotland, Robert earle of Leicester, Hugh earle of Chester, with diuerse other Noble men which were kept there as prisoners, putting them to their ransomes, and receiuing of them pledges Matth. Paris. Prisoners released. with an oth of allegiance. This king Henrie the father released for his part the number of nine hundred 69. knights or men of armes (if yée list so to terme them) which had beene taken since the beginning of these passed warres.
As for king Henrie the sonne he also set at libertie aboue an hundred, and that without ransome paieng, according to the articles of the peace (as before you haue heard.) But yet some (as is alreadie specified) were excepted out of the benefit of that article, as William king of Scotland, who being not able to paie his ransome in present monie, deliuered vp in gage foure of the strongest castels within his realme Castels deliuered by the K. of Scots. into king Henries hands; namelie, Barwike, Edenbourgh, Roxbourgh, and Sterling, with condition, that if he brake the peace, and paied not the monie behind due for his raunsome, king Henrie and his successours should enioy for euer the same castels. He also couenanted, not to N. Triuet. Matth. Paris. receiue any English rebels into his realme. Other write that the king of Scots did not onelie become the king of Englands liegeman at this time, and couenanted to doo homage vnto him for the realme of Scotland, and all other his lands, but also deliuered the castels of Barwike, and Roxbourgh to be possessed of the same king of England and his heires for euer, without any couenant mentioned of morgage.
Things being setled thus in good order, king Henrie leauing his sonne Henrie at Rouen, went to Argenton, and there held his Christmasse, and afterwards, namelie in the feast of the purification of our ladie, both Rog. Houed. the kings (as well the father as the sonne) were at Mauns, and vpon 1175. their returne from thence into Normandie, came to a communication with The kings of England and France méet at Gisors. the French king at Gisors, and then being come backe into Normandie at Bure, the sonne (to put the father out of all doubt and mistrust of any euill meaning in him) sware fealtie to him against all persons, and so became his liegeman in the presence of Rothrod archbishop of Rouen, Henrie bishop of Baieux, William earle of Mandeuille Richard de Humez his conestable, and manie other.
After this they kept their easter at Chirebourgh, from whence they came Philip earle of Flanders. to Caen, where they met with Philip earle of Flanders, who had latelie before taken on him the crosse, to go to the holie land: where king Henrie the father required him to release all such couenants as king Henrie the sonne had made vnto him in time of his last warres, which he fréelie did, and deliuered vp the writing that he had of the same king concerning those couenants, and so they confirmed vnto him the yearelie rent which he was woont to receiue out of England, before the said warres.
Polydor. Finallie, when king Henrie had visited the most part of the countrie, he came to Harflew, and caused his nauie to be decked and rigged, that he might saile ouer into England. Whilest he tarried heere till his ships were readie, he sent letters to his sonne king Henrie, willing him to repaire vnto him, and meaning that he should accompanie him into Enuious persons readie to forge matters of suspicion. England. Who at the first was loth to obeie his fathers will and pleasure herein, bicause some enuious persons about him had put in his head a doubt, least his father had not altogither forgot his former grudge, and that he ment at his comming into England to commit him to prison. Which was a surmize altogither void of likeliehood, considering that the father, in the whole processe of his actions betweene himselfe and his sonnes, was so farre from the desire of inflicting any corporall punishment, or leuieng anie fine vpon them for their misdemenour, that he alwaies sought meanes of reconcilement and pacification. And though this Henrie the sonne for his part deserued to be roughlie dealt withall; yet the father handled him so gentlie with courteous letters & messages, that shortlie after he came of his owne accord vnto Harflew, The two kings the father and the sonne returne into England. from whence shortlie after they sailed both togither ouer into England, landing at Portsmouth on a fridaie being the ninth of Maie, from thence they tooke their iournie streight to London, all the waies being full of people that came to see them, and to shew themselues glad and ioifull of their concord and happie arriuall. At their comming to the citie they were receiued with great reioising of the people, beseeching God long to preserue them both in health and honour.