in thys tyme: who with the shield of falshod, and the helmet of vntruth, so doth defend him, that he wyll not suffer eyther arrow or darte of truth to pearse him. Neuer thelesse, our Lord being more strongly armed, & fiercely commyng vpon your Giaunt, is able to ouercome him, and to take awaye his weapons, wherein he putteth his trust. We are not therefore to be blamed, if we doo detest that peace, more cruell thē any warre. The which the truth it selfe did reproue, weeping ouer Hierusalem & saying: Truly, it greueth me this day to see sinners in peace, being like vnto that peace, whereat the Psalmist was offended. Whereas you condemne pope Gregorie, king Rodolphus, and Marques Eggebertus, as men that haue dyed of an vnhappy death, and doth magnify your Lord, because he doth ouerlyue them: it doth plainlye (forsoorth) appeare that you remayne voyde of all spirituall consideration. Is it not better to dye wel, then to lyue yll? They be trulye happye, who suffer persecution for righteousnes sake. By the same reason maye you esteeme Nero, Herod, and Pilate happye, in that they ouerlyued Peter, Paul, Iames Apostles, & Iesus Christ. What can be sayd more foolishe and wycked then thys opinion? Wherfore refrayne your babling tonge from this blasphemy, least that you place your selfe in the nūber of them, which seing the end of the iust to bee gloryous (themselues doing late and vnfruitfull penance, bewayling in the anguish of the spirite) shall say: These be they whom sometyme we had in derision, and laughed to scorne: we being out of our wits, thought theyr liues madnes, and their end to be without honor. Behold how they be allowed to be amongest the childrē of God, and their portion is amongest the sayntes. Wherfore we haue erred from the way of truth, and the brightnes of righteousnes did not shyne vpon vs. What did our pride auayle vs? And what profet did the boasting of our ryches bring vnto vs? They are all vanished away lyke a shadow. The which woordes we haue registred vp into perpetuall memory, and we do despise euerye attempt that shall lyft vp it selfe agaynst the truth of God. And reioycing in troubles, we mai be reproued, put to shame and rebuked, yea and finally be slayne & kylled, but we wyll neyther yelde, nor be ouercome. And with great triumphe wyll we reioyce in our fathers doinges: of whom, you (as a beardles boy, and of small knowledge) haue not rightly conceiued: who in deede despising princes commaundementes, haue deserued euerlasting rewarde.

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There is a certaine chronicle in olde English meter, MarginaliaEx vetusto chronico.which amōg other matters speaking of Williā Rufus, declareth hym to be so sumptuous & excessiue in pōpous apparell, that he being not cōtented with a payre of hose of a low pryce which was. iij. shillings: caused a payre to be brought of a marke, whervpon his chamberlayne procuryng a payre much worse then the other before, sayd: That they contenyd a marke, and vnneth he thē so bought, Ye belamy (ф the kyng) these are well brought. Wherby is to be noted what difference is to be seene betwene the hose of princes then, and the hose of seruyngmen now.

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MarginaliaKinges ceased in Wales.After the time of this king William, the name of kynges ceased in the country of Wales emong the Britaynes, since king Ris. who in the raygne of this kyng, the yeare of our Lord. 1093. was slayne in Wales. Excontinuatore Rog. Houeden.

Marginalia1100.
Henry Beuclerke the fyrst king of England.HEnry first of that name, the iij. sonne of William Conquerour, succedyng his brother Rufus: began his reigne in Englād, the yeare of our Lord 1100.  

who for his knowledge and science in þ^e vij. liberall artes, was surnamed clerke or beuclerke. In whom may wel appeare, how knowledge and learning doth greatly conduce, to the gouernement andadministration of any realme or countrey. MarginaliaWhat learning doth in a prince.At the beginning, he refourmed the state and cōdition of the clergie: released the greuous paymentes: MarginaliaLawes of K. Edward reduced.reduced agayne kyng Edwardes lawes, with emendation therof: MarginaliaThe measure of England made after the length of king Henries arme.he reformed the old and vntrue measures, and made a measure after the length of hys arme: he greatly abhorred excesse of meates and drinkes: many thinges misused before hys tyme he reformed: and vsed to vanquishe more by counsaile then by sworde. MarginaliaWantō persons remoued out of the court.Such persons as were nyce & wanton, he seculed from his court. This man as appeareth, litle fauoured the vsurped power of þ^e byshop of Rome. Soone after he was kyng, he maried Matilde or Maude: daughter of Malcolyn kyng of Scottes, and of Margaret hys wife, daughter of Edward the Outlaw, as is before specified: beyng a professed nunne in Winchester, whom notwithstanding (without the popes dispensatiō) he maried by þ^e cōsent of Anselme. By the which Maude he receaued ij. sonnes, William, and Richard: and two daughters, Maude and Mary, which Maude afterward was maried to Henry the iiij. Emperour. &c.

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MarginaliaEx Math. paris.
Flor. Hist.In the second yeare of hys reigne, Robert hys elder brother duke of Normandy, who beyng occupyed in the christen warres against the Turkes, and beyng elect (as ye hard) kyng of Hierusalē, hearyng of the death of Rufus, refused the kyngdome therof. For the whiche (as is thought) he neuer sped wel after. MarginaliaExample what it is to leaue of the lordes busines.Thus the sayd Robert, leauyng of the Lordes bnsines, and returning into Normandy, made there his preparation, and came ouer into England, with a great host to the chalenge the crowne. But by mediatiō of þ^e Lords it was agreed, that Robert should haue yearely duryng his lyfe iij. M. markes, as was lykewise promised him before, by kyng Rufus hys brother. And whether of them ouer lyued the other, to be the others heyre. And thus Robert departed agayn vnto Normandie, to the great discontentation of his Lordes there. But in few yeares after, the forenamed tribute of iij. M. markes, through þ^e meanes of quene Maude, was released to the kyng his brother. In proces of tyme, variance fallyng betwene kyng Henry, and the sayd Robert his brother: MarginaliaDuke Robert taken prisoner.at length Robert in his warre was takē prisoner and brought ouer into Englād, & was put into the castell of Cardife in Wales, were he continued as prisoner while he lyued.

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MarginaliaThe hospital of s Bartholomew founded.
Rayer, and Rychard Whyttyngton foūders of S. Bartholomewes in London.In this tyme, as about the iij. yeare of this kyng: the hospitall of S. Bartholomew in Smithfield was founded (by meanes of a minstrel belōgyng to þ^e king) named Rayer. And after was finished by Richarde Whittyngton Alderman and Maior of London. This place of Smithfield was at that day, a lay stowe of all ordure or filth, and the place where the felones and other transgressors of the kynges lawes were put to execution.

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Diuers straite lawes were by this king prouided, especially agaynst theues and felons: that who so were takē in that faulte, no money should saue him from hanging.

Item, that who so did counterfaite false mony, should haue both his eyes, & neither partes of his body cut of.

Itē, in þ^e same coūcel was decreed, an order for priests to be sequestred frō their wiues, whiche before were not forbidden, accordyng as the wordes of myne autor do purporte, whose wordes be these: Anselm⁹ prohibuit vxores sacerdotibus Anglorum ante nō prohibitas. Quod quibusdam mundissimum visum est, quibusdam periculosum, ne dum mundicias viribus maiores appeterent, in immundicias horribiles ad Christiani nominis summum dedecus inciderent. &c. MarginaliaEx Henr. Lib. 7.Hen. Hunt.

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MarginaliaAnselm⁹.Item, it was then decreed, that monkes and priestes should beare no rule ouer lay persons.

Item, it was then decreed, concernyng broderyng of heare, and wearyng of garmentes.

Item, that the secrete contract betwene a yong ladde and a yong mayd should not stand: with other thynges mo concernyng the excommunication of Sodomites. &c.