who gave a great Defeat to the Englf. Then David King of Scots (fet on by fome difaffected to Stephen) but in a fhort time Peace was concluded with him. Then the Welch again make Inroads into the Land, carrying away great Spoils. Next David King of Scots enters Northumberland, in the Quarrel of the Emprefs, where his rude Soldiers dealt molt barbarously with many of the Inhabitants, ripping up the Wombs of Women with Child, and toffing their Infants upon the Points of their Spears, flaying the Priefts at the Altar, and after an inhuman Manner difmembring the flain Bodies. After this the Peers of the Land confpire against the King, taking themselves to ftrong Holds; a great Caufe whereof was, becaufe the King fhewed extraordinary Favour to William de Ypre and his Flemings, following their Counfels, and chiefly relying upon them. When David King of Scots, taking Opportunities from thefe inbred Troubles, again entred Northum berland with a great Army, against whom the Northern Lords marched at the Command of Thurstan Archbishop of York, the King's Lieutenant, who himself being then fick, appointed Ralph Bishop of Durham for his General. Which Bishop of Durham, in the clofe of his Invective Oration to his Army againit the Scots, before the Battle, abfolv. ed from Punishment of Sin all fuch of his Site that fhould die in the Fight, whereby the English were made to fight the more defperately; fo that in a thort time they vanquish ed the Scots, driving the King of Scots and his Son out of the Field. King Stephen went on alfo very profperoufly again his Barons, winning many Calles from them. Which done, he proceeded again the Scots, with whom in fhort time a Peace

was concluded. But that Stephen might be kept employed, the Emprefs Maud landed near to Arundel, with but 140 Men, whom Stephen haftened to meet; but the colouring her Deligns with the Pretences of Amity and Peace, he over credulous, caufed her to be honourably conveyed to Brifol, where the remained Two Months, and then went to Wallingford; her bafe Brother, Earl Robert, in the mean time gathering Aids for her. Wallingford King Stephen befieged, and his Bother the Bishop of Winchester, invited certain of the Nobles of his Palace, where he kept them as Prifoners, till he had gained them to refign their Caftles to the King. Worcester, Earl Robert fubdued and fpoiled. Nottingham, Ralph Painel burned in favour of the Empress. And fhe, for her better Security, tock into Lincoln, whither Stephen follow. ing her, gained the City, the Emprefs making an Escape. Shortly after which, Robert Earl of Glouce fler, and Ranulph Earl of Chefer, encountred the King near to Lincoln, where with equal Succefs the Fight was maintained a long time, till at length the King's Horfemen (not without Sufpicion of Treafon) gave back and fled, and fhortly after his Foot began to faint and fly, leaving this valiant King almoft alone, who with his Battle Ax drove back whole Troops affailing him, maintaining the Quarrel against his Fees with an undaunted Courage, till his Battle-Ax broke; and after that till his Sword flew in Pi.ces. When now weaponle's he was ftruck down, taken and carried to the Emprefs at Gloucester, from whence he was fent to Bristol. The Emprefs for a while ruling all; London, after much Perfwation received her, with Royal Proceffion; but in fhort time grew difcontented; be

caufe

caufe the refufed to remit fome o ver-hard Laws made by her Eather, and to restore thofe of King Edward. Many Nobles alfo repined, as conceiving themfelves too much flighted by her. The Bishop of Winchester, who a while before had accurfed all that withitood her, now abfolves them, under Pretence that the Barons had kept Faith with her, the not with them. The difcontented Londoners he folicited in his Brother Stephen's Behalf. Divers Caftles he ftored with Munition and Men. In the mean time, Matilda came to Winchefter, where fending for the Bishop (being then the Pope's Legate) though he do bted fome Danger, yet not daring to fend a flat Denial, returned this equivocal Anfwer, Ego parabo me, I will make ready, as though he had meant to follow the Meffenger, whereas he addreffed himself to work her Downfall. For fending for his Brother's Queen, Prince Euftace, the Londoners, and William Ypre, he made ftrong his Party for the King. Himfelf and Friends abiding in the City, and the Emprefs keeping in the Caftie, not daring to adventure forth for about the Space of Seven Weeks. When the Bishop, to deceive Matilda, commanded Peace to be proclaimed, and the City Gates to be fet open. But the Empress and her Friends, now leaving the Castle to go to fome other Place, were purfued by the Bifhop's Forces, in which Purfuit maby of her Party were wounded and flin, Earl Robert taken, and others flying into the Nunnery of War. well, were burned, together with the Place. And Winchester City the Bishop caufed to be fired, for the Citizens Affection to the Emprefs. The Empress, who had efcaped to the Caftle of the Devizes, and there in Hazard to be furprized,

caufed her felf to be put into a 1154. Coffin, as though dead, bound faft with Cords, and fo as if it had Theobald, been her dead Corpfe, fhe was car- A. B. of ried in a Horfe-Litter to Gloucefter. Cant. King Stephen and Earl Robert being exchanged one for another, the King now purfues Matilda, and in Oxford befieged her, won the Suburbs thereof, and brought her to that Streight, that for her Efcape in a great Froft and Snow, the was forced (in order to the deceiving of the Centinels Eyes) to cloath her felf with Linnen Garments, and fo on Foot to run through Ice and Snow, Ditches and Valleys, till fhe came to Abingdon, where taking Horfe, fhe got the fame Night to Wallingford Caftle. After which, many Bickerings happened betwixt the two Parties, with variable Succeffes to and fro. Sometimes in one Part of the Nation Matilda's Side prevailed, in another Part Stephen's, to the great Ruin of the whole Realm. However, Stephen, to affure the Succeffion to his Son Euftace, called a Council at London, commanding Theobald Archbishop of Canterbury to confecrate his Son King. Which he refufing to do (and that by the Pope's fpecial Mandate) was forced to fly into Normandy, the King feizing upon all his Poffeffions. But Euftace fhortly after dying, King Stephen inclined to Peace, and was content to adopt Henry Fitz Empress for his Son and Succeffor. To whom the Nobles at Oxford did Homage as the undoubted Heir; and the Prince yielded Stephen the Honour of a Father. But King Stephen being afflicted with the Iliac Paffion, together with his old Difeafe the Hemorrhoids, gave up the Ghoft at Dover, A. D. 1154, and was buri ed at Feverfham in Kent: Though his Body afterward, for the Sake of

the

the Lead, wherein it was wrapped, was caft into the River. Maud the Wife of King Stephen, was the Daugher of Euftace Earl of Bulloigne, the Brother of Godfrey and Baldwin, Kings of Jerufalem. He had Iflue Baldwin, Euftace, Willi am, Maud, Mary, and two Natural Sons; the younger, named Gervas, being made Abbot of Westminster. His Son Euftace in a Rage fet Fire on the Corn Fields belonging to the Abby of Bury, because the Monks denied to help him to a Sum of

A. D. 1154.

HE

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Money; but afterwards fitting down to Dinner, at the first Morfel of Bread he put into his Mouth, he fell into a Fit of Madnefs, and in that Fit died. King Stephen erected the Abbies of Cog fhall in Effex, of Famaft in Lancashire, the Nunneries at Carew in Higham, an Hofpital at York, and a Monaftery at Feversham. About the Beginning of his Reign, a Fire beginning at London-Stone confumed Eastward to Aldgate, and Weftward to St. Paul's.

ENRY Plantagenet, the Son of Maud the Emprefs (who was the Daughter of King Henry I. by Maud his firft Wife, who was the Daughter of Malcolm King of Scotland, by St. Margaret, Daughter to Edward, Son of Edmund Ironfide) and Earl Geofry of Anjou, was crowned at Weftminster by Theobald Archbishop of Canterbury. And Henry, to fettle the Realm in quiet, demolished certain Caftles, and fortified others. Some Earls unduly created he reduced into a private Condition, purged the Realm of foreign Soldiers, chiefly of the Flemings; chofe him felf a Council out of the moft eminent Perfons Spiritual and Temporal, and restrained the Infolencies of fome great Perfonages, which made fome of them difcontented, efpecially that arrogant Lord Hugh de Mortimer, who raifed a Rebellion. Against whom the King went in Perfon, where, in the Siege of Bridgenorth he had been fhot with an Arrow, had not Hubert de St. Claro interpofed, and took the Arrow into his own Bofom. The King having quieted the Rebels, he hafted into France, and there did Homage to

King Lewis for his French Provinces Normandy, Aquitain, Anjou, Main and Loraine, which partly were his Patrimony, and partly the Inheritance of his Queen Eleanor; fettled an Accord between himself and Brother Geofry; and at his Return into England entred into Amity with Malcolm King of Stots, restoring to him the Earldom of Huntingdon. Then he advanced against the Welch, with whom fighting, his Perfon was in great Danger, his Standard Royal cowardly abandoned; for the which Henry de Effex, Standard-Bearer, was afterward accufed by Robert de Montford, who in fingle Combat, within Lifts, vanquifhed him at Reading, where the faid Effex was fhorn a Monk. But the King at length overcame the Welch, and returned with Triumph into England; after which, himself and his Queen Eleanor were crowned at Worcefler, where they both, at the Offertory, laid their Crowns upon the High Altar, vowing never to wear them after. This now was the third time in which at three feveral Places, Weftminster, Lincoln, and Worcester, he had been crowned.

Then