HENRIE THE FIRST, YOONGEST SONNE
TO WILLIAM THE CONQUEROUR.
Henrie the yoongest sonne to William the first, brother to Rufus lateliedeparted, the first of that name that ruled heere in England, & for hisAn. Reg. 1.
1100.knowledge in good literature surnamed Beauclerke, was admitted king bythe whole assent of the lords and commons, and began his reigne ouerEngland the first of August, in the yeare after the creation of theworld 1067. after the birth of our Sauiour 1100. and 44. of the emperourHenrie the fourth, Paschall the second then gouerning the sée of Rome,Wil. Thorne. Geruasius Dorobernensis.which was about the 51. yeare of Philip the first of that name king ofFrance, and in the beginning of the reigne of Edgar king of Scotland.This king was consecrated and crowned at Westminster, the fift daie ofAugust, by Thomas archbishop of Yorke, and Maurice bishop of London,bicause at that time Anselme archbishop of Canturburie was exiled. Thisprince had aforehand trained the people to his humor and veine, inMatth. Paris.bringing them to thinke well of him, and to conceiue a maruellous euillopinion of his brother duke Robert, persuading them moreouer, that thesaid duke was likelie to prooue a sharpe and rigorous gouernour, if heonce obteined the crowne and dominion of the land. Moreouer, he causedto be reported for a certeine truth, that the same Robert was alreadiecreated king of Jerusalem. And therefore considering that the kingdomeof Palestine (as the rumor ran) was of greater reuenues than that ofEngland, there was no cause why they should staie for him, who would notwillinglie leaue the greater for the lesser. By which meanes theNobilitie and Commons were the sooner persuaded to decline from theelection of the said Robert, and to receiue his brother Henrie for theirlawfull king, who on the other side ceased not to promise mountaines,till his enterprise tooke effect; and then at leisure paied some of themwith molhils as by the sequele of the storie shall more at largeappéere.
This Henrie therefore comming thus to the crowne, considered furthermorewith himselfe, that hereafter, when his eldest brother Robert shouldreturne, and vnderstand how the matter was brought about, he wouldthinke himselfe to haue had much wrong, and béene verie euill dealtwithall, sith that as well by birthright, as also by agréement made withhis brother William Rufus, he ought of right to be preferred, andtherevpon would not faile but make earnest claime against him. Whereforeyer he should come home out of the holie land (where he then remained)the king studied by all possible[48]The king séeketh to win the peoples fauour.meanes how to gratifie all the statesof his realme, & to plant in their harts some good opinion of him. Andfirst of all he reformed such things as his brother had left veriepreiudiciall to the estate of the church, setting the same frée whichbefore was sore oppressed. And furthermore, somewhat to reléeue theSimon Dun. Hen. Hunt. Matth. Paris.
Anselme called home.
Wil. Malm.
William Gifford bishop of Winchester.
Hen. Hunt.common-wealth, he promised to restore the lawes of good king Edward, andto abolish or amend those which by his father and brother were alreadieordeined to the hurt & preiudice of the old ancient liberties of therealme of England. He reuoked Anselme the archbishop of Canturburie outof exile, who fled (as yee haue heard) to auoid the wrath of ki