This year King Henry was in Normandy both at Christmas and at Easter; and before Pentecost he came hither and held his Court at Westminster, at which place the stipulations were ratified, and the oaths sworn, relative to the marriage of his daughter with the Emperor. There was much thunder this year and that very terrible. And Anselm Archbishop of Canterbury died on the 11th of the calends of April, and the first day of Easter was on the greater Litany.
1110.
This year, at Christmas, King Henry held his Court at Westminster; and at Easter he was at Marlborough; and at Pentecost he held his Court for the first time in the New Windsor. This year, before Lent, the King sent his daughter with manifold treasures over sea, and gave her to the Emperor. On the fifth night of the month of May the moon appeared shining brightly in the evening, and afterwards its light waned by little and little, and early in the night it was so wholly gone that neither light, nor circle, nor any thing at all of it was to be seen, and thus it continued till near day, and then it appeared shining full and bright; it was a fortnight old the same day: the sky was very clear all the night, and the stars shone very brightly all over the heavens, and the fruit trees were greatly injured by that night’s frost. After this, in the month of June, there appeared a star in the north-east, and its light stood before it to the south-west, and it was seen thus for many nights, and ever as the night advanced it mounted upwards and was seen going off to the north-west. This year Philip de Brause, and William Mallet, and William Baynard were deprived of their lands. This year also died Earl Elias, who whilst living held Maine of King Henry, but on his death the Earl of Anjou took possession of that province, and kept it against the King’s will. This was a year of much distress from the taxes which the King raised for his daughter’s dowry, and from the bad weather by which the crops were greatly injured, and nearly all the fruit on the trees destroyed throughout the country.—This year men first began to work at the new monastery of Chertsey.
1111.
This year King Henry wore not his crown at Christmas, nor at Easter, nor at Pentecost.—And in August he was called over sea to Normandy, by the hostility of certain of his enemies on the marches of France, and principally by that of the Earl of Anjou who held Maine against him: and after his arrival many were the intrigues and great the burning and plundering carried on by either party against the other.—This year Robert Earl of Flanders died and his son Baldwin succeeded him. The winter was very long this year, a heavy and a severe time, by which the fruits of the earth were much injured; and there was the greatest pestilence among the cattle ever remembered.
1112.
All this year King Henry remained in Normandy, on account of the war in which he was engaged with France, and with the Earl of Anjou, who held Maine against him. And whilst he was there he deprived the Earl of Evreux and William Crispin of their lands, and drove them out of Normandy: and he restored to Philip de Brause the estates which had been taken from him, and he caused Robert de Belesme to be seized and put into prison. This was a very good year as to the crops, the trees and fields being very fruitful; but it was a very heavy and a sorrowful time, by reason of a dreadful pestilence among men.
1113.
This year King Henry was in Normandy at Christmas, at Easter, and at Pentecost. And in the summer he sent hither Robert de Belesme, to be confined in Wareham castle, and he himself came to this land soon afterwards.
1114.