In the 20. yere, a great earthquake hapned, in the moneth of September. In the 22. yeere, the Citie of Glocester, with the principal Monasterie was fired againe. The yeere next following, the Citie of Lincolne was for the most part burned downe, and many persons perished with the rage of the flame. In the 27. yeere, the King receiued an oath of the chiefe of the Prelats and Nobilitie of the Realme; that after his death, they should maintaine the kingdom against al men for his daughter Matild, in case she should suruiue, and the king not leaue issue male in life.
In the 30. yeere, the Citie of Rochester was much defaced with fire, euen in the presence and view of the King. The yeere next following the oath to Matild was receiued againe. About this time the King was much troubled with fearefull dreames; which did so affright him, that he would often leape out of his bed, and lay hand on his sword, as if it were to defend himselfe. This yeere as he returned out of Normandie into England, when he had bene caried not farre from land, the winde began to rise, and the Sea swelled somewhat bigge. This weather did almost suddenly encrease to so dangerous a storme, that all expected to be cast away. The King, dismayed the more by his sonnes mishap, reconciled himselfe to God; and vowed to reforme many errours of his life, if he did escape. So after his arriuall, he went to the Monasterie of S. Edmund; and there both ratified and renued the promise he had made. After this he was better ordered in his actions; he erected a Bishopricke at Caerlile, and endowed it with many honours: he caused Iustice indifferently to be administred; and eased the people of the tribute called Dane guilt.
In the 32. yeere, Matilde daughter to the King was deliuered of a sonne, who was named Henry. Hereupon the king assembled his Nobilitie at Oxeford, where he did celebrate his feast of Easter; and there ordeined, that shee and her heires should succeed him in the kingdome. And albeit they were often sworne to this appointment; albeit Stephen Earle of Bloise was the first man who tooke that oath: yet was he the first who did rise against it; yet did many others also ioyne with him in his action. For oathes are commonly troden vnder foote, when they lye in the way, either to honour or reuenge. The same yeere the Citie of London was very much defaced with fire.
The yeere next following, many prodigies happened, which seemed to portend the death of the King, or rather the troublesome times which did thereupon ensue. In the moneth of August, the Sunne was so deepely eclipsed, that by reason of the darkenesse of the ayre, many starres did plainely appeare. The second day after this defect of light, the earth trembled with so great violence, that many buildings were shaken downe. Malmesb. sayth, that the house wherein he sate, was lift vp with a double remooue, and at the third time setled againe in the proper place. The earth in diuers places yeelded foorth a hideous noyse; It cast foorth flames at certaine rifts diuers dayes together, which neither by water nor by any other meanes could be suppressed.
During the time of the eclipse mentioned before, the King was trauersing the sea into Normandie; whither hee vsually went, sometimes euery yeere, but euery third yeere at the furthest. Here he spent the whole yeere following, in ordering affaires of State, and in visiting euery corner of the Countrey. He neuer gaue greater contentment to the people, as well by his gifts, as by his gentle and courteous behauiour: he neuer receiued greater contentment from them, by the liuely expressing of their loue. But nothing did so much affect him with ioy, as that his daughter Matild had brought foorth other two sonnes, Geoffrey and William: whereby hee conceiued, that the succession of his issue to the Crowne of England was so well backed, that he needed not to trouble his thoughts with any feare that his heires would faile.
At the last he began to languish a little and droupe in health; and neither feeling nor fearing any great cause, hee rode on hunting, to passe it ouer with exercise and delight. Herewith being somewhat cheered, hee returned home, and eate of a Lamprey, albeit against his Physicians aduise, which meate he alwayes loued, but was neuer able well to digest. After this, and happely vpon this vicious feeding, he fell into a feuer; which increased in him by such dangerous degrees, that within seuen dayes it led him to the period of his life. Hee died vpon the first of December, in the 67. yere of his age: when hee had reigned 35. yeeres and foure moneths, wanting one day. His bowels and eyes were buried at Roan: The rest of his bodie was stuffed with salt, wrapped vp in Oxe hides, and brought ouer into England; and with honourable exequies buried in the Monastery of Reading, which hee had founded. His Physician who tooke out his braines, by reason of the intolerable stinch which breathed from them, in short time after ended his life. So of all that King Henrie slue, this Physician was the last.
He had by his first wife a sonne named William, who perished by shipwracke; and Matild a daughter, who was espoused to the Emperour Henrie the 5. when she was scarce sixe yeeres olde, and at the age of eleuen yeeres was married vnto him. When shee had been married vnto him twelue yeeres, he died; and shee returned to the King her father, both against her owne minde, and against the desire of the greatest Princes of the Empire: who in regard of her wise and gracious behauiour, were suitors to the King more then once, to haue her remaine as Empresse among them. But the king would not consent to their intreatie: For that shee was the onely heire to his Crowne. Then many great Princes desired her in marriage. But the King bestowed her vpon Geoffrey, sonne to Fulke Earle of Aniou: somewhat against her owne liking, but greatly to the suretie of his estate in France. By him she had Henrie, who afterwards was King of England.
Further, the King had by a Concubine, Richard a sonne, and Mary a daughter; who were lost vpon the sea with their brother William. By another Concubine hee had a sonne named Robert, whom he created Earle of Glocester: a man for valour of minde and abilitie of bodie inferiour to none; in counsailes so aduised, as was fit for a right Noble commander. By his faith, industrie, and felicitie chiefly, his sister Matild did afterwards resist and ouerbeare, both the forces and fortunes of King Stephen. He is reported to haue had 12. other bastards; which were of no great either note or continuance, according to that saying of the Wise man: Bastard plants take no deepe rootes.[107]
This King in the beginning of his Reigne made many fauourable lawes: And namely, That he would reserue no possessions of the Church vpon their vacancies: that the heires of his Nobilitie should possesse their fathers lands without redemption from him, and that the Nobilitie likewise should afford the like fauour to their Tenants: that Gentlemen might giue their daughters and kinsewomen in marriage without his licence, so it were not to his enemie: that the widow should haue her ioynture, and not be compelled to marrie against her owne liking: that the mother or next of kinred should bee Guardian of the lands of her children: that all debts to the Crowne and certaine offences also should bee remitted. But these lawes afterwards were but slenderly obserued.
Three vertues were most famous in him; wisedome, courage, and sweetenesse of speach. By the last hee gained much fauour from the people. By the other two he purchased, both peace at home, and victory abroad. He was noted also for some vices: but out of doubt they were farre exceeded by his vertues. And for these vices also, being himselfe of a pleasant disposition, he was well pleased with pleasant reproofes. Guymund his Chapleine (obseruing that vnworthy men for the most part were aduanced to the best dignities of the Church) as he celebrated Diuine seruice before him, and was to read these words out of S. Iames; [It rained not vpon the earth iij. yeres and vj. moneths:][108] Hee did read it thus: [It rained not vpon the earth one, one, one yeres, and fiue, one, moneths.] The King obserued this reading, and afterwards rebuked his Chapleine for it: But Guymund answered, that he did it of purpose, for that such readers were soonest preferred by the King. The King smiled, and in short time after preferred him to the gouernment of S. Frideswides in Oxeford. In this King failed the heires male of King William the first: and then the Crowne was possessed by Title of heires generall.