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CHarlys herynge this exclama¦cyon of hys subgettes, and cō¦syderyng hys lacke of power to with¦stande that malyce of hys enemyes, was ryght pensyfe and heuy in hys herte / and castynge in hys mynde many sondry wayes, he lastly deter∣myned to sende agayne the aboue
named Frank byshop of Roan vnto Rollo prynce of Danys / shewynge hym that yf he wolde renye hys pa∣gan lawe and become a crysten man, he wolde to hym gyue in maryage Gylda his doughter, wyth the hole countre of Neustria for her dowar.
whan Rollo had receyued this ty¦dynges from the kyng by the mouth of his frende Frank / he somwhat at∣tempred hys fury and crueltye, and condescended to a trewe, by the coun¦sayle of hys lordes for ye terme of .iii. monethes / in the whyche tyme he myghte haue some cōmunycacyon wyth the kynge, for ferther processe of thys mater. So that after it was concluded by the counsayle of bothe prynces / that theyr metynge shulde be vpon ye ryuer or flode named Ept. where shortly after the sayd prynces had cōmunycacyon the one wyth the other / theyr people standynge vpon eyther syde of the sayd ryuer. where it was concluded, that Rollo shulde forsake hys pagan lawe, and take vppon hym the lyuerey of Crystes baptym / and after to marye the fore∣named Gylda, and to receyue wyth her as is aboue shewed. whyche con∣clusyon thus taken eyther fro other departed / and shortly after at the cy∣tye of Roan, all the foresayd coue∣naūtes were executed and fulfylled. And whan the sayd Rollo was cry∣stened / his name was chaunged and called Robert, after the erle of Poy∣towe / whyche receyued hym at the fonte stone.
Of thys Rollo or Robert, dyscen∣ded lynyally duke wyllyam of Nor∣mandy, whych conquered England / as after shalbe more clerely shewed.
Than this Robert thus crystened, was seased of the coūtre of Neustria / whom the kynge created duke, and named hym duke of Neustria.
But it was not longe after, yt this name of Neustria was chaunged & called Normandye / after the name of Normayns, or men commyng out of the North / or of Nor, that is to meane North, and men, whyche two syllables togyder make Norman, or a man of the North.
whyche Normans or Danys af∣ter the exposycyon of mayster Gag∣wyne / shulde be descended of the na∣cyon called the Gothes. whyche Go∣thes of the cytye or men of Sithica ben descended. The whyche Gothys in the dayes of the grete Cōstantine / for theyr feersnesse and cruelty, were dryuen from theyr countre then by them inhabyted nere vnto the ryuer called Thamys, in ye North partyes of Europe / and nowe ben inhabyted in Dacia, whych in our speche is cal¦led Dēmarke. And where some men holde an opynyon, that Danys and Saxons shulde be one maner of peo¦ple / it may congruly folowe. For Sa¦xons ben of the coūtre of Germany / and contayne the lande after the say∣enge of Strabo, in the west parte of Germania. From the flode called Ui¦stergus or wysera, vnto the famous ryuer called the Ryne. And Dacia or Denmarke is in the North partyes.
Than to retorne to thys Rollo or Robert / the story sayth yt he became a good crysten man. In token wher∣of as affermeth the French boke / he gaue vnto dyuers chyrches and mo∣nasteryes of Fraunce greate gyftes, as well of possessions as of mouable goodes / & contynued hys pease with the kyng as he before had promised.
After whyche pease thus stablys∣shed bytwene the kynge and the Da¦nys / Robert brother vnto Eudo last kyng of Fraūce, contrary hys trouth and allegyaunce, seased certayne cy∣tyes and other holdes of the kynges enherytaunce. wherfore the kynge seynge that he coude not refourme
hym of that errour, by no meanes of entreaty or other lyke wayes / assem∣bled an hoste and met wyth hym in playne batayle / in the whych ye sayde Robert was slayne. Thys Robert hadde a suster, whyche was maryed vnto Hebert erle of Uermendoys / whyche erle herynge of the deth of his brother in lawe, by enticement of hys wyfe, as the story demeth, mette the kynge at the retorne of the felde / and requyred hym in moste humble wyse, that he wolde vouchesafe to lodge wyth hym in hys manour cal∣led the castell of Perone.
The kynge castynge no parell, thanked hym of hys kynde request, and graūted to go wyth hym / where he was receyued and fested wyth all honoure. But whan thys erle hadde conueyed the kynges frendes and strength from hym / he thā kepte him there as a prisoner or murdred hym / so that he neuer came at large after. whyche tydynges certaynly knowē / Algina wyfe vnto the sayd Charlys the symple mystrustynge the French¦men / wyth fewe accōpanyed toke se∣crete shyppyng / and wyth her yonge sonne named Lewys sayled into En¦glande, there to be comforted of her fader Edwarde surnamed the elder. And thus ended the reygne of thys Charlys the symple / whan he hadde reygned after the sayeng of Uynsent hystoryall and other, by the terme of xvi. yere full / leuynge after hym the foresayde chylde named Lewys.