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Anno 1136.
HEnry being dead, Stephen upon a doubt∣full Title, and his elder Brothers delaying, first possessing, succeeded. He won the English partly by promises, partly by benevolence, to which was added his Title of Inheritance. Ha∣ving
laid hold on the Kingdom by promises, he endeavours to make it good by courtesie. He took off the heaviest Taxes, and granted his own right to the Clergy, which the former Kings kept to themselves. Also he would that Church-men should be free from yielding obe∣dience to the temporal Magistrate: Thus he won the people and the Church-men, and the Nobility, by granting them free leave to Hunt, and liberty to build Castles. His Brother Theo∣bald, who by his Birthright was next to the Crown, he pacified by a yearly Pension.
Moreover, to win the good will of strangers, he obtained for his Sonne Eustachius, Con∣stance the Daughter of Lewis King of France: yet he did not more by that Marriage, than by Treasures strengthen himself in the Kingdom of King Henry, which he spent not luxuriously, but to leavy Souldiers, and to wage Warre with.
He was scarce Crowned, before he was for∣ced to fall to his Arms; for David King of Scotland, striving to assert the Interest of Maud the Empress, proclaimed Warre against Stephen, and possessed himself of the Towns of Carlile and New-castle. Stephen marched against him with a great Army, and granting Cumberland to David, and the County of Huntington to his Sonne, he put by a Tempest that was com∣ing
on, without any blood-shed at all.
Not long after he was shaken with Civil Commotions, greater than before, for when he was sickly, he was reported by some to be dead; whereupon the Nobles, abusing their Castles to the Kings ruine, conspired together, and endeavour to get the Kingdom into their own power. Stephen, least by delay the danger should get strength, partly by his Captains, partly with his own hand, he subdued the bold∣ness of the Rebels. He marched against Bald∣win the ring-leader of the Conspirators, and driving him out of Oxford, he pursues him as farre as the Isle of Wight, and forcing him from thence, he enjoyned him perpetuall banishment. He was scarce quiet at home, but a Warre from abroad puts him to further trouble. For Jeffrey Plantagenet, relying on the Title of Maud his Wife, invades Normandy with offensive Arms, and strives to possess himself of his Grandfathers Territories. Stephen quickly levying an Army hastens thither, they having fought in divers small skirmishes, come to an agreement, name∣ly, that Jeffrey should abstain from all Title and Right, Stephen paying to him an annuity of 35000 Franks: When he returned, he found the Kingdom full of Warre and Tumults; for the Nobility enter upon a Conspiracy, because the King kept not his promises, and every one
of them makes Warre in his own Dominions. Also David King of Scotland, forgetfull of his Covenant, enters upon Northumberland, and miserably made havock of all by fire and sword, he neither spared women nor innocent children, he kils the Priests before the Altars, the sacred Virgins are ravished in the Churches.
The King to oppose himself against the great∣est danger, first bends his forces against the Scots. But the Warre during long, giving command to Thurstin Archbishop of York to wage Warre with the Scots, he returned home that he might tame the rest of the Rebels, which by force of Arms, by Promises, and by his Benevolence, he at last reclaimed. Thurstin in the mean time, joyning Battell, subdued the Scots, and slew them with a great slaughter, for eleven thousand Scots were slain in the fight, besides those that ran away and were killed in the pursuit. The King being made more bold by this success, enters now with Arms upon Scotland, and afflicted David with a sore loss, and compelled him to beg for peace, which at last he yielded to; Stephen taking Henry the Son to David for Hostage. Stephen returning laid siege to Ludlow, the receptacle for the Conspi∣rators, and with his own hand he freed Henry whom he had taken for a pledge.
The most cruel tempest followed this for∣tune,
for Maude requiring her Right, arrived in England: Stephen hearing this, laies siege to Arundel Castle, where by chance she harbour∣ed her self; but in this desperate siege, water being all spent, Maude delivers up the Castle, having leave given her to retire towards Bristol.
In the mean while he quickly removes to Lincoln, taken by Randulph, Sonne to Robert Earl of Glocester, and environs it with a siege: The Earls of Chester and Glocester, endeavour∣ing to free the City, fight with Stephen hand to hand, in which fight, Stephen is taken prisoner, after that he had given wonderfull arguments of his prowess; and he is brought before Maud, who sent him toward Bristol to be im∣prisoned, and she in the mean while possesseth the Kingdom, entring London as Conquerour in Triumph.
But Maude or Mathilde, the wife of Stephen, hearing of the Kings misfortune, humbly in∣treated Maud, that she being of a long time weary of the Government, might have liberty to live with her Husband a private life. Also the Londoners, they require their antient Laws which they enjoyed under Edward the Confes∣sor; but Maud would grant neither. Maud not enduring the high stomack of Mathilde, and detesting ignoble servitude, cals for Eustachius
her Sonne, with a select company of Souldiers out of Kent to London, who joyning with the Londoners, that were wonderfully offended that their suits were denied them, also fortifying himself with the help of the Bishop of Winche∣ster, they fall upon the Army of Mathilde, which fled privately to Oxford, and asked not help in vain of David King of Scotland, by whose assistance her Army being increased, she besieged Winchester: But the Queen with her Sonne Eustachius, falling on her fortress, overcame Mathilde in a pitched Battell, and took Robert Sonne to Mathilde, but Mathilde her self escaped luckily. A Treaty for Peace followed this fortune, whereby Robert on the one hand, Stephen on the other are set at liberty; but there was no other condition agreed upon, wherefore the Trumpet sounds again to Warre, and Stephen being now free, besieges Mathilde at Oxford, but she despising danger, passed through his Army in the night. Yet she was so frighted with the present danger, that she ever after forbare to make Warre with him, leav∣ing the charge of the whole business to her Son Henry.
In the mean while the City of Lincoln was valiantly defended against the King. But at last the Earl willingly yielded to the King, desi∣ring reconciliation; yet Stephen entertained
him not so courteously, but spoil'd the misera∣ble Earl of all his Estate; by which perjury he did not a little alienate the mindes of his subjects.
Henry by the death of his Father Jeffrey, ha∣ving got the Dukedom of Aniou and of Aqui∣tan, and with his Wife Eleonar the County of Poicteirs, by a fresh attempt, but with a few Souldiers sails for England, hoping at last to regain his Grandfathers Kingdom. He was no sooner landed, but his friends came flocking to him every way, and being fortified with new helps, he laies siege to Malmesbury, but the King coming upon him with more forces, over∣came the sewer forces of the Enemy.
Here is a thing to be rightly wonder'd at, amongst drawn swords Peace began to shew her self, Stephen procured rest by granting, which he could not obtain by Victories; and Henry obtained that Kingdom peaceably, which he sought for by Warre: For whilst here and there, with equal endeavours they wage Warre, Eustachius suddenly died, and Stephen being deprived of an Heir to succeed him, being over∣come with mourning, he willingly entred con∣ditions of Peace with Henry and Mathilde, whereby he assigned his Enemy to be his Suc∣cessour, and adopted him for his Sonne, being he had none nearer of blood unto him; so
little faith or constancy is there in humane af∣fairs, they that but now fought with all their might, do now embrace one the other, and Stephen recovers his lost Sonne, by adopting his Enemy. So Henry seeking so great a King∣dom by Warre, found both the Kingdom and a Father in Peace.
The affairs of England were too troublesom for Stephen to exact Tribute from his subjects, yet he abundantly recompensed this loss, by storing the Exchequer with the goods of the Rebels. He made no Laws, when as by reason of a continuall Warre, he seemed more ready to receive than to give: Yet he had no greater Victory than over the Clergy, whose obstina∣cy and pride he regulated, and made them good subjects. He that had lived in Warre and contention, ought not to die without trou∣ble and neglect; for he had scarce made Peace with Henry, but he was afresh seized on by his old disease of the Emrods and the Cholick, ha∣ving not been free from Warre one year, he died at Dover.