Here would king Henrie the father, that his son the king should receiue homage of his brethren Richard earle of Poictow, and Geffrey earle of Britaine. The earle of Britaine did not staie at the matter, but the earle of Poictow refused, alledging that it was not conuenient so long as their father liued, to acknowledge any superioritie to their brother: for as the fathers inheritance was due to the eldest sonne, so he Wil. Paruus. claimed the lands which he held due to him in right of his mother. This deniall so much offended his brother the king, that afterwards when Richard would haue doone homage, he would not receiue it, whervpon Polydor. Richard departed from the court in great displeasure, & comming into Poictow, began to fortifie his castels & townes, that he might be in readinesse to stand vpon his safegard, if his father or brethren should come to pursue him. King Henrie the sonne followed him, set on by the earles and barons of Poictow, which for the sharpe and cruell Ger. Dor. gouernement of earle Richard, hated him mortallie. Againe on the other side, the fauourable courtesie, séemelie personage, and other noble qualities which they saw in the yoong king, moued them to take part with Rog. Houed. War betwixt the brethren. him against Richard, and shortlie after their brother Geffrey came with a great armie in aid of his brother the king, in so much that earle Richard not knowing how to shift off the present danger, sent to his father for aid, who being verie sorie in his mind to sée such vnnaturall dealing among his sonnes, gathered an armie and set forward.
He had a little before trauelled to set them at one, in somuch that where earle Richard held a castell named Clareualx, which after the fathers deceasse ought to remaine vnto king Henrie the son, vpon his complaint thereof made, the father did so much with the earle, that he surrendered it into his fathers hands. Immediatlie after all the three The father séeketh to appease the quarell betwixt his sonnes. sonnes came to Angers, and there sware to be obedient vnto their fathers will, and to serue him against all men: whervpon he appointed them a daie to meet at Mirabell, where the barons of Guien should also be, vnto whom king Henrie the sonne had sworne to aid them against earle Richard. Herewith was earle Geffrey sent vnto them to persuade them to peace and quietnesse, and to come vnto Mirabell according to king Henrie Earle Geffrey dealeth vnfaithfullie. the fathers appointment: but in stéed of persuading them to peace (contrarie to his oth so oftentimes receiued) he procured them to pursue the warre both against his father and his brother earle Richard: and no maruell, for
Malè sarta gratia nunquam benè coalescit.
King Henrie the sonne remaining with his father, shewed outwardlie that he wished for peace, but his meaning was all contrarie, and so obtained licence of his father to go vnto Limoges, that he might labour to reduce both his brother Geffrey, and the barons of Guien vnto quietnesse. But such dissembling was put in practise by king Henrie, that when the father followed with an armie, and came vnto Limoges, in stéed of receiuing him with honor, as it had béene their duties to haue doone, they shot at him, and pearsed through his vppermost armor, so that both he and his sonne Richard were constreined to depart. Howbeit afterwards he entered that citie, and comming foorth of it againe to talke with his sonnes, those within Limoges eftsoones rebelled, so that certeine of them within, shot the horsse whereon king Henrie the father rode into the head. And if it had so chanced, that the horsse in casting vp his head had not receiued the blow, the arrow had light in the kings brest, to the great danger & perill of his person. Neither did his sonnes the king and his brother Geffrey go about to sée such an heinous attempt punished, but rather séemed to like well of it, and to mainteine those most malicious enimies of their souereigne lord and father, for they ioined with them against him, although king Henrie the sonne made countenance to be willing to reconcile his brother and the barons of The disloiall dissembling of the yoong king. Guien to his father by waie of some agréement: but his double dealing was too manifest, although indeed he abused his fathers patience for a while, who was desirous of nothing more than to win his sonnes by some courteous meanes, and therefore diuerse times offered to pardon all offenses committed by his enimies, at the suit of his sonne the king, who in déed offered himselfe now and then as an intreatour, but that was onelie to win time that his brother with such Brabanders and other souldiers as he had with him in aid, beside the forces of the barons of Guien, might worke the more mischéefe against their father and their brother earle Richard, in wasting and destroieng their countries that stood stedfast on their side.
In the meane time Richard the archbishop of Canturburie, and diuerse other bishops and abbats both of England and Normandie assembled togither at Caen, and in the abbeie church of S. Stephan pronounced the sentence of excommunication against all those that did hinder and impeach their purpose, which was to haue peace and concord concluded betwixt the king and his sonnes, the same sonnes onlie out of the said sentence excepted.
Diuerse shiftes were made by king Henrie the sonne, and his brother earle Geffrey also to get monie for the paiment of their souldiers, as spoiling of shrines, and such like. But at length when things framed not to their purpose, and that the harme which they could doo against their father was much lesse than they wished, if power had béene answerable to their willes, king Henrie the sonne through indignation and displeasure King Henrie the sonne falleth sicke. (as some write) fell into a gréeuous sicknesse in a village called Mertell, not farre from Limoges, where his father laie at siege.
At the first he was taken with an extreame feuer, and after followed a sore flixe. Now perceiuing himselfe in danger of death, and that the He sendeth to his father. physicians had giuen him ouer, he sent to his father (better late than neuer) confessing his trespasse committed against him, and required of all fatherlie loue to come & sée him once before he died. But for that the father thought not good to commit himselfe into the hands of such vngratious persons as were about his sonne, he sent his ring vnto him in token of his blessing, and as it were a pledge to signifie that he had forgiuen him his vnnaturall doings against him. The son receiuing it with great humilitie, kissed it, and so ended his life in the presence of the archbishop of Burdeaux and others, on the day of saint Barnabie the apostle. He died (as some write) verie penitent and sorowfull.
His repentance before his death. And whereas in his life time he had vowed to make a iourneie into the holie land against Gods enimies, and taken vpon him the crosse for that intent, he deliuered it vnto his familiar freend William Marshall to go thither with it in his stead. Moreouer when he perceiued present death at hand, he first confessed his sinnes secretlie, and after openly before sundrie bishops and men of religion, and receiued absolution in most humble wise. After this, he caused his fine clothes to be taken A strange kind of superstitious deuotion, if this report of our author be true. from him, and therewith a heare cloth to be put vpon him, and after tieng a cord about his necke, he said vnto the bishops and other that stood by him; "I deliuer my selfe an vnworthie and greeuous sinner vnto you the ministers of God by this cord, beséeching our Lord Jesus Christ, which pardoned the théefe confessing his faults on the crosse, that through your praiers and for his great mercies sake it may please him to be mercifull vnto my soule;" wherevnto they all answered, "Amen." Then He is drawne out of his bed, a thing vnlike to be true. he said vnto them, "Draw me out of this bed with this cord, and laie me on that bed strawed with ashes" (which he had of purpose prepared) and as he commanded so they did: and they laid at his feet and at his head two great square stones. Thus being prepared to die, he willed his bodie after his deceasse to be conueied into Normandie, and buried at Rouen. His death. And so after he had receiued the sacrament of the bodie and bloud of our Lord, he departed this life as afore is said, about the 28. yeare of his age.
N. Triuet. His bodie after his death was conueied towards Rouen, there to be buried accordinglie as he had willed: but when those that had charge to conueie it thither were come vnto the citie of Mauns, the bishop there and the cleargie would not suffer them to go any further with it, but committed it to buriall in honourable wise within the church of saint Julian. Whereof when the citizens of Rouen were aduertised, they were sore offended with that dooing, and streightwaies sent vnto them of Mauns, requiring to haue the corps deliuered, threatening otherwise with manie earnest oths to fetch it from them by force. Wherefore king Henrie, to set order in this matter, commanded that the corps of his sonne the king should be deliuered vnto them of Rouen to be buried in their citie, as he himselfe had willed before his death. And so it was taken vp and The bodie of the yong king lastlie buried at Rouen. conueied to Rouen, where it was eftsoones buried in the church of our ladie.
¶ Thus ended this yoong king in his floorishing youth, to whome through his owne iust deserts long life was iustlie denied, sith he delighted to begin his gouernement with vnlawfull attempts, as an other Absolon against his owne naturall father, seeking by wrongfull violence to pull the scepter out of his hand. He is not put in the number of kings, bicause he remained for the more part vnder the gouernance of his father, so that he rather bare the name of king as appointed to reigne, than that he may be said to haue reigned in déed. So that héere by the waie a notable obseruation dooth occurre and offer it selfe to be noted of vs; namelie, that euen princes children, though borne to great excellencie, and in high degree of dignitie, are to consider with themselues, that notwithstanding their statelie titles of souereigntie, they haue a dutie to discharge vnto their parents, which if it be neglected, and that in place thereof disobedience is substituted, God himselfe (when politike lawes prouide not to punish such offenses) will take the cause in hand, & will powre vengeance vpon such vngratious children. For he will be true of his word both in blessing and curssing, in blessing the dutifull child with long life and happie daies, and in curssing the obstinate and froward with short life and vnfortunate daies, according to the tenure of his law. If this man had liued in the old Romans time, when aged persons were so reuerenced and honoured (much more parents) he had beene cut off in the prime of his disobedience, and present death had beene inflicted vpon him as a due and deserued reward; which Iuuenal noteth excellentlie well in these words,