An. Reg. 27. Polydor. An oth taken by the lords touching the succession of the crowne. into England before the feast of S Michaell, where calling a parlement, he caused hir by the authoritie of the same to be established as his lawfull heire and successor, with an article of intaile vpon hir issue, if it should please God to send hir any at all. At this parlement was Dauid K. of Scotland, who succéeded Alexander the fierce. Stephan earle of Morton and Bullongne, and son of Stephan earle of Blois, nephue to K. Henrie by his sister Adela; these two princes chéefelie tooke their oth amongst other, to obey the foresaid empresse, as touching hir right and lawfull claime to the crowne of England. Stephan erle of Bullongne the first that offered to receiue the oth. But although Stephan was now the first that was to sweare, he became shortlie after the first that brake that oth for his owne preferment. ¶ Thus it commeth often to passe, that those which receiue the greatest benefits, doo oftentimes soonest forget to be thankefull.
This Stephan latelie before by his vncle K. Henries meanes, had purchased & got in marriage the onelie daughter and heire of Eustace earle of Bullongne, and so after the decease of his father in lawe, became earle there: and further, had goodlie possessions in England giuen him by the king, and yet (as farther shall appeare) he kept not his oth made with K. Henrie. Some write that there rose no small strife betwixt Wil. Malm. this earle Stephan, & Robert erle of Glocester, in contending which of them should first receiue this oth: the one alledging that he was a kings sonne, and the other affirming that he was a kings nephue.
Shortlie after this parlement was ended, K. Henrie held his Christmas at Windsor, 1127. where Thurstan archbishop of Yorke (in preiudice of the right of William archbishop of Canturburie) would haue set the crowne vpon the kings head, at his going to the church: Matth. Paris. but he was put backe with no small reproch; and his chapleine (whom he appointd to Strife betwixt the prelates for preheminence. beare his crosse before him at his entrance into the kings chappell) was contemptuouslie and violentlie thrust out of the doores with crosse and all by the fréends of the archbishop of Canturburie. In short time, this vnseemlie contention betwixt Thurstan and William the two archbishops grew so hot that not onelie both of them, but also the bishop of Lincolne went to Rome about the deciding of their strife.
In this yeare Charles earle of Flanders, the successor of earle Baldwin, was traitorouslie Polydor. murthered of his owne people: & bicause he left no issue behind him to succéed as his heire, Lewes the French king made William the sonne of duke Robert Curthose earle William sonne to Robert Curthose made erle of Flanders. of Flanders, as the next cousine in bloud to the same Charles. ¶ Truth it is, that by his fathers side, this William was descended from erle Baldwin surnamed Pius, whose daughter Maud being maried vnto William Conqueror, bare by him the aforesaid Robert Curthose, father to this William, now aduanced to the gouernment of Flanders, but he wanted not aduersaries that were competitors and malignant sutors for that earledome, who sought to preferre themselues, and to displace him.
King Henrie misliking the promotion of the said William, although he was his nephue, for that he supposed he would seeke to reuenge old displeasures if he might compasse to haue the French kings assistance, thought good with the aduice of his councell to withstand the worst. Wherevpon he tooke order for the maintenance of the warre abroad, and the supplie of souldiers, and other things necessarie to be considered of for the suretie of his realme.
After this, bicause he was in dispaire to haue issue by his second wife, about Whitsuntide The empresse Maud married to the earle of Aniou Ger. Dor. he sent ouer his daughter Maud the empresse into Normandie, that she might be married vnto Geffrey Plantagenet earle of Aniou, and in August after he followed himselfe. Now the matter went so forward, that the mariage was celebrated betwixt the said earle and empresse vpon the first sundaie in Aprill, which fell vpon the third of the moneth, and in the 27. of his reigne.
In the yeare ensuing, king Henrie meaning to cause the French king to withdrawe his
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Holinshed's Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland. Raphaell Holinshed. William Harrison. Richard Stanyhurst. John Hooker. Francis Thynne. Abraham Fleming. John Stow. Henry Ellis. Ellis Edition. J. Johnson. London. 1807.
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