The summarie of English chronicles (lately collected and published) nowe abridged and continued tyl this present moneth of Marche, in the yere of our Lord God. 1566. By J.S.

William Rufus, or Wil∣liam the red kyng.

Anno regni. 1.

[date 1087] WIlliam Rufus, the second sonne of William conque¦ror began his reigne ouer the realme of Englande, the ninth day of Septem∣ber in the yere of our Lord 1087. and deceased in the yere of oure LORDE 1100. the firste day of Au∣gust: so that he reigned .xii. yere .xi. mo¦nethes lacking .viij. days. He was va∣riable and inconstant of his demeanor very couetous, and ther withall cruel. For he burdened his people with vnre¦sonable taxes. He pilled the ryche, and oppressed the pore. And caused many to lose their landes for small causes. And what he thus got by pillyng of his peo¦ple, he prodigally and wastfully spent in great bankettynge and sumpteous apparell.

Robert Curthoise his elder brother came with an armie into England, a∣gainst William, wherof when the said William had knowledge▪ he entreated peace.

Anno. 2.

[date]

DIuers Lordes of this realme con∣spired against William Rufus, & as¦saulted diuers tounes within Englād they stirred in like maner against him Robert Curthoyse duke of Normādy, the second time. But Willian vanqui∣shed the traitours, chased them oute of this realme, and made peace with his brother Robert. This second yere was a great earthquake, the .xi. day of har∣uest, that ouerturned many houses and churches in England.

Anno. 3.

[date] THe Scottes spoyled Northumber∣land▪ Wherfore williā Rufus pro∣uided a nauy, and sayled thither: wher after diuers conflictes and skirmishes a peace was concluded.

Anno. 4.

[date 1090] A great tempest fell on sainct Lukes day in sundry places of England, & specially in Winchecombe: where a great parte of the steple was ouerthro: wen with thundring & lightning: and in London the wynd ouertourned .vi. hundred houses, and the roofe of Bow¦churche in Cheape.

[date] IN this yere William Rufus wente into Northūberland, & repaired such holdes & castels, as the Scots by their

warres had impayred: & builded other there besydes, as the newe castell on Tyne. &c. This .v. yere the roofe of Sa¦lisoury Church was cleane consumed with lightnyng.

Anno. 6.

[date 1092] In England fell wonderful aboun¦dance of raine: and after ensued so gret frost, that horses and cartes passed com¦monly ouer great riuers: when it tha∣wed, the gret cakes of yce brake down many great bridges.

Robert Curthois duke of Normādy layd his dukdome to pawne to his bro¦ther William of Englande for tenne thousand poundes.

This .vi. yeare Hugh Lupus Earle of Chester sente to Normandy for An∣celme, to builde an abbey at Chester: whiche he after builded, and then was made archbishop of Cantorbury: and after was exiled by William Rufus.

Anno. 7.

[date 1093] MAlcoline kyng of Scottes for dis∣pleasour tak•• with the vnkindnes of William Rufus inuaded the mar∣ches of England: and in Northumber∣land was slayne with his eldest sonne Edward, by Robert Mo••bray, which was Earle of that prouince.

This yere was so gret a pestilence, that many men laye vnburied.

Anno. 8.

[date 1094] ENgland and Normandy were gre∣ued with exactiōs, and murreyn of men so sharply, that tillage of the earth was layed asyde for .x. yere, wherby en¦sued gret hunger and scarsity the yeres folowing. And many strange and vn∣couthe fightes were sene, as hostes of men fightyng in the saye, fiery flames, and such other.

Anno. 10.

[date 1096] THe .x. yere was sene a blasing sterre of great brightnes.

Anno. 11.

[date 1097] ABoute this time William Rufus builded Westminster hal, who mis∣liking the same, for that it was to smal was determined to make a bigger, and that it should serue for a chamber.

Anno. 12.

[date 1098] THe .xii. yere the ryuer of Thames rose so hye that it drowned manye townes in England.

In England at a towne called Fin∣chauster in Barkeshyre, a wel cast out bloud as before it had done water, and after by the space of .xv. dayes gret fla∣mes of fyre were sene in the element.

Anno. 13.

[date 1099] VVilliā Rufus beyng at his disport of hūting by glaūsing of an arrow that Walter Tyrell a frenche knighte did shote, was wounded to death in the newe forest in Hampshire, on a Lam∣mas day: and buried at Winchester.

Notes

• A gret erth¦quake.
• The rose of Bowchu••h•• & s••••e hun∣dred houses in London blowen down.
• Newcastel vpon Tine builded. ••als. church brent with lightening.
• Gret frost.
• Normandy morgaged to the king of england.
• Chester ab∣bey built
• The kinge of Scottes slayne in England.
• Gret pesti∣lence.
• Gret mor∣rein of mē▪
• Sightes in the ayre.
• gret flou••
• A wel 〈…〉〈…〉 & flames fyre sene the 〈◊〉〈◊〉