Many wrongs he would not see, of many smarts he would not complaine; he was absolute master of himselfe, and thereby learned to subdue others. He was much commended for chastitie of body; by which his Princely actions were much aduanced. And albeit the beginning of his reigne was pestered with such routs of outlawes and robbers, that the peaceable people could not accompt themselues in surety within their owne doores; hee so well prouided for execution of Iustice vpon offenders, or rather for cutting off the causes of offence; that a young maiden well charged with gold, might trauaile in any part of the Realme, without any offer of iniurie vnto her. For if any man had slaine another vpon any cause, he was put to death; and if he could not be found, the hundred paide a fine to the King; sometimes 28. and sometimes 36. pounds, according to the largenesse of the hundred in extent. If a man had oppressed any woman, he was depriued of his priuie parts. As the people by Armes, so Armes by lawes were held in restraint.
He talked little and bragged lesse: a most assured performer of his word: In prosecution or his purposes constant and strong, and yet not obstinate; but alwayes appliable to the change of occasions: earnest, yea violent, both to resist his enemies, and to exact dueties of his Subiects. He neither loued much speech, nor gaue credite to faire; but trusted truely to himselfe, to others so farre as he might not be abused by credulitie.
His expedition (the spirit of actions and affaires) may hereby appeare. He inuaded England about the beginning of October; He subdued all resistance, he suppressed all rising Rebellions, and returned into Normandy in March following. So as the time of the yeere considered, a man should hardly trauaile through the land in so short a time as he did win it. A greater exploit then Iulius Cæsar or any other stranger could euer atchieue vpon that place.
He gaue many testimonies of a Religious minde. For he did often frequent Diuine seruice in the Church, he gaue much Almes, hee held the Clergie in great estimation, and highly honoured the Prelats of the Church. He sent many costly ornaments, many rich presents of gold and siluer to the Church of Rome; his Peter paiments went more readily, more largely then euer before. To diuers Churches in France after his victorie he sent Crosses of gold, vessels of gold, rich Palles, or other ornaments of great beautie and price. He bare such reuerence to Lanfranck Archbishop of Canterburie, that he seemed to stand at his directions. At the request of Wolstane Bishop of Worcester, he gaue ouer a great aduantage that he made by sale of prisoners taken in Ireland. He respected Aldred Archbishop of Yorke, by whom he had bene crowned King of England, as his father. At a time vpon the repulse of a certaine suit, the Archbishop brake forth into discontentment, expostulated sharpely against the King, and in a humorous heat offered to depart. But the King staied him, fell downe at his feet, desired pardon, and promised satisfaction in the best maner that he could. The Nobilitie that were present, put the Archbishop in minde that he should cause the King to arise. Nay (answered the Archb.) let him alone; Let him still abide at S. Peters feet. So with much adoe he was appeased, and entreated to accept his suite. And so the name of Saint Peter, and of the Church hath been often vsed as a mantle, to couer the pride, passions and pleasures of disordered men.
He founded and enlarged many houses of Religion: Hee furnished Ecclesiasticall dignities, with men of more sufficiencie and worth then had been vsuall in former times. And because within his owne Dominions studies did not flourish and thriue, by reason of the turbulent times, by reason of the often inuasions of barbarous people, whose knowledge lay chiefly in their fists; hee drew out of Italy and other places many famous men, both for learning and integritie of life, to wit, Lanfranke, Anselm, Durand, Traherne and others. These he honoured, these hee aduanced, to these hee expressed great testimonies both of fauour and regard.
And yet he preferred Odo his brother by the mothers side to the Bishopricke of Baion, and afterwards created him Earle of Kent: A man proud, vaine, mutinous, ambitious; outragious in oppression, cruelty and lust; a prophaner of Religion, a manifest contemner of all vertue. The King being called by occasions into Normandie, committed vnto him the gouernment of the Realme: In which place of credite and command he furnished himselfe so fully with treasure, that hee aspired to the Papacie of Rome: vpon a prediction then cast abroad, (which commonly deceiue those that trust vnto them) that the successour of Hildebrand was named Odo. So filled with proud hopes, hee purchased a palace and friends at Rome; hee prepared for his iourney, and drew many gentlemen to be of his traine. But the King returning suddenly out of Normandie, met with him in the Isle of Wight, as he was ready to take the Seas. There hee was arrested, and afterwards charged with infinite oppressions; also for seducing the Kings subiects to forsake the Realme; and lastly, for sacrilegious spoyling of many Churches. Hereupon his treasure was seized, and he was committed to prison; not as Bishop of Baion, but as Earle of Kent, and as an accomptant to the King. And so he remained about foure yeeres, euen vntill the death of the King. His seruants, some in falshood, and some for feare, discouered such hidden heapes of his gold, as did exceede all expectation: yea, many bagges of grinded gold were drawen out of riuers, wherein the Bishop had caused them for a time to be buried. After this hee was called the Kings spunge: as being preferred by him to that place of charge, wherein he might in long time sucke that from others, which should at once be pressed from himselfe. By this meanes the King had the benefit of his oppression without the blame; and the people (being no deepe searchers into secrets of State) were so well pleased with the present punishment, as they were thereby, although not satisfied, yet well quieted for all their wrongs.
Towards the end of his reigne he appointed his two sonnes, Robert and Henry, with ioynt authoritie, gouernours of Normandie; the one to suppresse either the insolencie, or leuitie of the other. These went together to visit the French King, lying at Conflance: where entertaining the time with varietie of disports, Henry played with Louis then Daulphine of France at Chesse, and did win of him very much. Here at Louis beganne to growe warme in words, and was therein little respected by Henry. The great impatiencie of the one, and the small forbearance of the other, did strike in the end such a heate betweene them, that Louis threw the Chesse-men at Henries face, and called him the sonne of a bastard. Henrie againe stroke Louis with the Chesse-boord, drew blood with the blowe, and had presently slaine him vpon the place, had hee not been stayed by his brother Robert. Hereupon they presently went to horse, and their spurres claimed so good haste, as they recouered Pontoise, albeit they were sharpely pursued by the French.
It had been much for the French King to haue remained quiet, albeit no prouocations had happened, in regard of his pretence to many pieces which King William did possesse in France. But vpon this occasion he presently inuaded Normandie, tooke the Citie of Vernon, and drew Robert, King Williams eldest sonne, to combine with him against his owne father. On the other side King William, who neuer lost anything by loosing of time, with incredible celeritie passed into France; inuaded the French Kings dominions, wasted and tooke many principall places of Zantoigne and Poictou, returned to Roan, and there reconciled his sonne Robert vnto him. The French King summoned him to doe his homage for the kingdome of England. For the Duchie of Normandie he offered him homage, but the kingdome of England (he said) he held of no man, but onely of God, and by his sword. Hereupon the French King came strongly vpon him; but finding him both ready and resolute to answere in the field: finding also that his hazard was greater then his hope; that his losse by ouerthrow would farre surmount his aduantage by victory; after a few light encounters he retired: preferring the care to preserue himselfe, before the desire to harme others.
King William being then both corpulent and in yeeres, was distempered in body by meanes of those trauailes, and so retired to Roan; where hee remained not perfectly in health. The French King hearing of his sickenesse, pleasantly said, that hee lay in child-bed of his great belly. This would haue been taken in mirth, if some other had spoken it; but comming from an enemie, it was taken in scorne. And as great personages are most sencible of reproach, and the least touch of honour maketh a wide and incurable wound; so King William was so nettled with this ieast, that hee swore By Gods resurrection and his brightnesse, (for this was the vsuall forme of his oath) that so soone as hee should be churched of that child, he would offer a thousand lights in France. So presently after his recouery hee entred France in armes, tooke the Citie of Meux, set many Townes and Villages and corne fields on fire; the people abandoning all places where he came, and giuing foorth, that it was better the nests should be destroyed, then that the birds should be taken in them. At the last he came before Paris, where Philip King of France did then abide: to whom he sent word, that he had recouered to be on foote, and was walking about, and would be glad likewise to find him abroad. This enterprise was acted in the moneth of August, wherein the King was so violent and sharpe, that by reason both of his trauaile, and of the vnseasonable heate, he fell into a relapse of his sicknesse. And to accomplish his mishap, in leaping on horse-backe ouer a ditch, his fat belly did beare so hard vpon the pommell of his saddle, that hee tooke a rupture in his inner parts. And so ouercharged with sickenesse, and paine, and disquietnesse of minde, hee returned to Roan; where his sickenesse increased by such dangerous degrees, that in short time it led him to the period of his dayes.