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Flowers of History by Roger of Wendover is in Late Medieval Books.
925 Coronation of King Athelstan
1135 Coronation of King Stephen
1138 Battle of the Standard aka Northallerton
1152 King Louis and Queen Eleanor's Annulment
Roger of Wendover's Flowers Of History. Comprising The History Of England From The Descent Of The Saxons To A. D. 1231. Formerly Ascribed To Matthew Paris. Translated from the Latin By J. A. Giles, D.C.L. Late Fellow of Corpus Christi College, Oxford. In Two Volumes. Vol. II. London: Henry G. Bohn, York Street, Covent Garden. M.DCCC.XLIX.
[4th September 925] His eldest son Æthelstan was made king and consecrated by Athelm, archbishop of Canterbury, at the royal town of Kingston.
1055. Victor governed the Roman see two years, three months, and thirteen days.
1055. In the same year, Siward, duke of Northumberland (age 45), died, and king Eadward (age 52) conferred that dukedom on Tosti (age 29), duke Harold's (age 33) brother. Not long after this, king Eadward held a council at London, and banished from England earl Algar, who thereupon went into Ireland, where he got eighteen piratical vessels, and joining himself to GGriffin king of Wales, made incursions into the kingdom of England. Having invaded Herefordshire, they were met by duke Ranulph, son of king Eadward's sister; but at the first onset Ranulph and his men fled; whereupon Algar and Griffin pursued the fugitives and slew five hundred of them. After this victory they entered the city of Hereford, and having slain seven ecclesiastics who defended the doors of the cathedral, they burned that church with its ornaments and relics. Then, after slaying some of the inhabitants, and taking others captives, and burning the town, they retired with a rich booty. On hearing of this deed, king Eadward assembled a large army at Gloucester, and giving it in command to Harold, son of Godwin, he ordered him to make a fierce attack on the enemy. Accordingly, he boldly entered Wales and advanced with his army as far as Snowdon; but Algar and Griffin, well acquainted with Harold's valour, avoided an encounter. After terribly ravaging Wales, Harold marched to Hereford, which he environed with a broad and high rampart, and strengthened the city with gates and bars. At length, by the intervention of messengers, a peace of short duration was made between Algar and the king. In the same year, Hermann bishop of Ramesbury, annoyed at the king's refusal to allow the episcopal seat to be transferred to Salisbury, resigned his bishopric, and crossing the sea, assumed the monastic habit at St. Bertin's, and remained three years in that monastery. The first bishop of Ramesbury was Ethelstan, the second Odo, afterwards archbishop of Canterbury, the third Osulf, the fourth Algar, the fifth Elstan, the sixth Siric, the seventh Alfric, the eighth Brithwold, who continued from the time of king Ethelred to St. Eadward. We read of this Brithwold, that in the time of king Cnute, he would frequently turn his thoughts to the English royal race, then well nigh destroyed, and would wonder whether it would ever be restored, and that one night, as he lay on his bed musing on this subject, he was caught up on high, where he saw Peter, the prince of the apostles, holding in his arms Eadward the future king, then in Normandy, whom he consecrated to be king, and foretold that he would lead a life of celibacy and reign twenty-four years. It is said also that Brithwold inquired respecting the succession of the kincrs of England, and received this answer, " The kingdom of England belongs to God, and he will provide himself kings." The aforesaid Hermann returned to his bishopric, and, with king Eadward's leave, united the bishopric of Sherborne with that of Ramesbury, and transferred the cathedral see to Salisbury.
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Bishop Levegar slain.
1056. Ethelstan bishop of Hereford died, and was succeeded by Levegar, duke Harold's chaplain. This prelate, who was a model of piety, was slain by Griffin king of Wales, who burnt the city of Hereford. Levegar was succeeded by Walter who continued to the time of King William. In the same year Egelric bishop of Durham voluntarily left his bishopric, and took the monastic habit at Peterborough, where he lived an exemplary life twelve years.
King Eadward recalls his nephew.
1057. Eadward king of England (age 54), being advanced in years, sent Aldred bishop of Worcester into Hungary, and recalled thence Eadward (age 41), son of king Eadmund his brother, with the intention of making him his successor. Eadward came accordingly, with his son Eadgar (age 6) and his daughters Margaret (age 12) and Christina, but died not long after his arrival in the city of London, leaving the king the charge of his son Eadgar and his daughters before mentioned.
31st August 1057. On the thirty-first of August in the same year died Leofric earl of Chester, a man of praise-worthy life; he was buried in the monastery which he had founded at Coventry. Having founded this monastery by the advice of his wife the noble countess Godiva, he, at the prayer of a religious woman, placed monks therein, and so enriched them with lands, woods, and ornaments, that there was not found in all England a monastery with such an abundance of gold and silver, gems and costly garments.
Before 31st August 1057. The countess Godiva, who was a great lover of God's mother, longing to free the town of Coventry from the oppression of a heavy toll, often with urgent prayers besought her husband, that from regard to Jesus Christ and his mother, he would free the town from that service, and from all other heavy burdens; and when the earl sharply rebuked her for foolishly asking what was so much to his damage, and always forbade her ever more to speak to him on the subject; and while she, on the other hand, with a woman's pertinacity, never ceased to exasperate her husband on that matter, he at last made her this answer, "Mount your horse, and ride naked, before all the people, through the market of the town, from one end to the other, and on your return you shall have your request." On which Godiva replied, "But will you give me permission, if I am willing to do it? "I will," said he. Whereupon the countess, beloved of God, loosed her hair and let down her tresses, which covered the whole of her body like a veil, and then mounting her horse and attended by two knights, she rode through the market-place, without being seen, except her fair legs; and having completed the journey, she returned with gladness to her astonished husband, and obtained of him what she had asked; for earl Leofric freed the town of Coventry and its inhabitants from the aforesaid service, and confirmed what he had done by a charter. The said earl also, at the instigation of his countess, munificently enriched with lands, buildings, and various ornaments the churches of Worcester, St. Mary of Stone, and St. Wereburg, with the monasteries of Evesham, Wenloc, and Lenton.
On the death of Henry, King of England
1st December 1135. Whilst king Henry (age 67) was in Normandy, he one day returned from hunting, and stopped at St. Denys, in the wood of Lions [Map], to eat some lampreys, a fish which he was very fond of, though they always disagreed with him, and the physicians had often cautioned him against eating them, but he would not listen to their advice. This food mortally chilled the old man's blood, and caused a sudden and violent illness, against which nature struggled, and brought on an acute fever, in the effort to resist the worst effects of the disease. Unable to overcome the malady, this great king died on the first day of December, after he had reigned thirty-five years and three months. His death was foreshown by a violent wind, which, on the eve of the apostles Simon and Jude [28th October], cast down towers, and houses, and trees on every side: the moon also was eclipsed the same year, on the 29th of July. This king founded the abbeys of Reading, Cirencester, de Pre near Rouen, and Mortimer, and built twenty-five noble towns, besides towers and castles.
Anno Domini mcxxxv. Rex Henricus moratus in Normannia cum die quodam a venatu rediisset apud sanctum Dionysium in silva Leonum carnes comedit murænarum quæ ei semper nocebant et eas semper supra modum amabat; et, cum medici eas comedere prohiberent, non adquievit rex consilio salutari. Haec igitur comestio, pessimi humoris illatrix et consimilium vehemens excitatrix, senile corpus lethaliter refrigidans subitam et summam perturbationem effecit; contra quam natura renitens febrem excitavit acutam, ad impetum materiei gravissimse dissolvendum; cum autem resistere vi nulla potuisset, decessit rex magnus, cum regnasset triginta quinque annis ac tribus mensibus, prima die Decembris. lllius autem obitum ventus vehemens præsignavit, qui in vigilia apostolorum Simonis et Judas turres et sedificia dejecit et arbores usquequaque subvertit; luna etiam eclipsim passa est eodem anno quarto kalendas Augusti. Cœnobia fecit rex, de Radingis, de Cirencestre, de Prato ante Rothomagum, et de Mortuo-mari; municipia vero, præter turres et castella, viginti quinque opere sumptuoso construxit.
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[3rd January 1136]. The corpse of the king lay a long time above ground at Rouen, where his entrails, brain, and eyes are buried; the rest of his body, cut with knives and seasoned with salt to destroy the offensive smell, which was great, and annoyed all who came near it, was wrapped in a bull's skin; and the physician who was engaged for a large sum of money to open his head with a hatchet, and extract the brain after it was already too much corrupted, notwithstanding that the head was wrapped up in several napkins, was poisoned by the noisome smell, and thus the money which he received was fatal to him; he was the last of king Henry's victims, for he had killed many before. The royal body was conveyed from thence to Caen, where it was placed in the church before the tomb of his father, who also reposes there. Immediately, a bloody and frightful liquor began to ooze through the bull's skin, which the attendants caught in basins, to the great horror of the beholders. At length the king's corpse was brought to England, and buried with royal pomp on his birth-day [3rd January 1136?], at Reading [Map], in the church which he had himself founded. The archbishops, bishops, and nobles of the kingdom were present at the ceremony.
All About History Books
The Chronicle of Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke. Baker was a secular clerk from Swinbroke, now Swinbrook, an Oxfordshire village two miles east of Burford. His Chronicle describes the events of the period 1303-1356: Gaveston, Bannockburn, Boroughbridge, the murder of King Edward II, the Scottish Wars, Sluys, Crécy, the Black Death, Winchelsea and Poitiers. To quote Herbert Bruce 'it possesses a vigorous and characteristic style, and its value for particular events between 1303 and 1356 has been recognised by its editor and by subsequent writers'. The book provides remarkable detail about the events it describes. Baker's text has been augmented with hundreds of notes, including extracts from other contemporary chronicles, such as the Annales Londonienses, Annales Paulini, Murimuth, Lanercost, Avesbury, Guisborough and Froissart to enrich the reader's understanding. The translation takes as its source the 'Chronicon Galfridi le Baker de Swynebroke' published in 1889, edited by Edward Maunde Thompson. Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback.
How Stephen, son of Theobald count of Blois, was crowned king.
26th December 1135. When Henry was dead, but before his body was buried, as I have before related, Stephen (age 41), his nephew by his sister Adela, wife of Theobald count of Boulogne, and brother of Theobald the younger, count of Blois, a man of great bravery and vigour, although he had taken the oath of fidelity to the empress, now tempted God, and seized the crown of the kingdom. For when the nobles of the kingdom were assembled at London, he promised that the laws should be reformed to the satisfaction of every one of them, and William archbishop of Canterbury, who was the first of all the nobles to take the oath of fidelity to the empress as queen of England, now consecrated Stephen to be king. In fine, all the bishops, earls, and barons, who had sworn fealty to the king's daughter and her heirs, gave their adherence to king Stephen, saying that it would be a shame for so many nobles to submit themselves to a woman. Meanwhile, Hugh Bigod, king Henry's seneschal, took the oath, and proved before the archbishop of Canterbury, that whilst the king was on his death-bed, he disinherited the empress, and made Stephen his successor. Wherefore, on the day of the proto-martyr St. Stephen, the new king received the crown of the kingdom from the hands of William archbishop of Canterbury, at Westminster, amid the acclamations and favour of the people; and a royal banquet was held with the utmost splendour. The coronation was completed with much magnificence, and when the ceremony of doing homage was finished, king Stephen proceeded to Oxford, where he confirmed the promises which he had made to God, the people, and the holy church, on the day of his coronation, as follows:
The Feast Day of St Stephen the 26th of December probably chosen since he was his namesake.
Of the enmity of the Scots towards king Stephen. A. D. 1138.
Conrad obtained the Roman empire, and reigned fifteen years. The same year king Stephen, on his birth-day, besieged Bedford castle, saying, that one's enemies should never be let rest for even an hour but before he could reduce the castle, the Scots, with their king, led an army into Northumberland, and perpetrated a most execrable deed. For because their king had sworn fealty to the empress, they now avenged her cause by tearing children from their mother's womb, and tossing them upon the points of their lances: they slew priests upon the altars, cut off the heads of the crucifixes, and placed them on the decapitated corpses, putting in their places the bloody heads of their victims; wherever they went, it was one scene of cruelty and terror; women shrieking, old men lamenting, and every living being in despair. King Stephen, therefore, marched with his troops towards Scotland; but before he reached that country, the Scottish king retired into his own dominions and withdrew to his fastnesses. King Stephen, having ravaged the south of Scotland, returned to England. There was at this time so violent a fury against him among the nobles, that he was disturbed on almost every side. William Talbot held Hereford castle against him; Robert earl of Gloucester, illegitimate son of king Henry, held the castles of Leeds and Bristol; William Luvell held Castle Cary; Paganel held Ludlow; William de Moiun held Dunster castle; Robert of Lincoln held Warham; Eustace Fitz-John held Melton; William Fitz-Alan held Shrewsbury. The king took the last-named of these fortresses by storm, and hanged some of the garrison; which coming to the ears of Walkeline, who held Dover castle, he immediately surrendered it to the queen who was besieging it.
How the king of Scotland again invaded Northumberland.
Whilst king Stephen was thus engaged in the south of England, David king of Scots led an immense army into Northumberland. Here he was met by the northern nobility, who, under the command of Thurstan archbishop of York (age 67), planted the king's standard at Alverton1, and manfully resisted the enemy. The principal men engaged in this battle were William earl of Albemarle (age 36), William of Nottingham, Walter Espec and Gilbert de Lacy. The archbishop was prevented by illness from being present, but sent in his place Ralph bishop of Durham [Note. Possibly Bishop Radulf Novell, Bishop of Orkney?] to remind the people of their duty. His speech to them, from an eminence in the midst of the army, was after this fashion: "Brave nobles of England, Normans by birth, at whose prowess the bravery of France trembles, and to whose arms fierce England has submitted, under whose government rich Apulia2 has again flourished: Jerusalem, so famous, and illustrious Antioch have both bowed before you, and now Scotland, which by right is subject to you, dares to resist you, and displays a rashness which is not supported by her arms, fitter, as she is, for a riot than for a battle. Do not then be afraid, but rather be indignant that those, whom we have always sought out and conquered in their own country, have now, reversing the usual order, madly sought us out upon our own ground. But I, your bishop, tell you that this has been done as a divine warning, that those who have in this country violated the temples of God, polluted his altars, slain his priests, and spared neither children nor women with child, may on this same soil receive condign punishment for their crimes. Be brave then, ye polished warriors: and with the valour which belongs to your race, nay rather with the foreknowledge of God, repulse these craven foes who know not how to arm themselves in the day of battle3 Do not look out for any doubtful contingencies such as happen in war. Your breast is covered with your coat of mail, your head with the helmet, your legs with greaves, and all your bodies with your shields: the enemy cannot find where to strike you, for he beholds you surrounded on every side with arms. Why then should you hesitate unarmed and unwarlike? But the enemy are advancing in disorder and forbid me to say more, they are pouring forward in a scattered manner, at which I rejoice. Whichever of you shall fall fighting for God and your country, we absolve him from all punishment due to his sins, in the name of the Father, whose creatures the foe has so shamefully and horribly slain; of the Son, whose altars they have polluted; and of the Holy Ghost, whose grace they have set at naught, in perpetrating such enormous acts of wickedness." All the English army replied to this address with a shout, and the mountains and hills re-echoed Amen, Amen!
Note 1. North Allerton.
Note 3. The Normans in Naples.
Note 3. Is this an allusion the Scottish peculiarity of costume?
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22nd August 1138. Of the pitched battle between the Scots and English.
The Scots hearing the shout, like women, raised their usual war-cry of Alban! Alban! which was, however, soon drowned in the dreadful rush of the engaging armies. A body of the men of Lothian, who had obtained from the king (age 54) the honour of striking the first blow, with numbers of missiles and with their long lances, bore down impetuously upon the mailed English knights, but fell upon them like as upon a wall, for they remained immovable. The English archers, then mingling with the cavalry, poured their arrows like a cloud upon the Scots, pierced all who were not protected by their armour, whilst the whole English line and the glory of the Normans, crowding around the standard, remained firm and unshaken. The commander of the men of Lothian fell slain by an arrow, and his men all took to flight. For the most high God was offended with them: therefore their valour was broken like a spider's web in the battle. The main body of the Scots, which was fighting in another part of the field, seeing their comrades routed, lost courage and retreated also. But the king's troops, who were of different clans, began first to flinch individually, and afterwards to recoil in a body, though the king still stood firm: but his friends compelled him to mount his horse and fly, whilst his brave son (age 24), heeding not the flight of the rest, but solely bent on acquiring glory, charged the lines of the enemy with headlong valour, though his men could do no execution on knights that were sheathed in mail; but at last they were forced to take flight, not, without much bloodshed, and were ignominiously driven off the field in all directions. It was reported that eleven thousand of the Scots were slain, besides those who were found mortally wounded in the corn-fields and woods: our army happily triumphed with very little loss of life, and all the knights, the brother of Gilbert de Lacy was the only one slain. This battle was fought in the month of August, by the people who lived in the country beyond the Humber. The same year, in the month of October, the count of Anjou compelled the inhabitants of Orismes to surrender, and laid siege to Bayeux and Falaise.
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21st March 1152. The same year, Louis king of France was divorced from his queen Eleanor; for they were connected with one another in the fourth degree of consanguinity.
How Henry duke of Normandy married Eleanor.
18th May 1152. Henry duke of Normandy married queen Eleanor, divorced the year before from king Louis, by which marriage, in addition to his duchy of Normandy and county of Anjou, he acquired the duchy of Aquitaiiie and county of Poictou. When king Louis heard of this, he was greatly incensed against duke Henry, for he had two daughters already by the aforesaid Eleanor, who would be disinherited if she should bear a son by any other husband.
Of the coronation of king Richard the first,
Duke "Richard, when all the preparations for his coronation were complete, came to London, where were assembled the archbishops of Canterbury, Rouen, and Treves, by whom he had been absolved for having carried arms against his father after he had taken the cross. The archbishop of Dublin was also there, with all the bishops, earls, barons, and nobles of the kingdom. When all were assembled, he received the crown of the kingdom in the order following: First came the archbishops, bishops, abbats, and clerks, wearing their caps, preceded by the cross, the holy water, and the censers, as far as the door of the inner chamber, where they received the duke, and conducted him to the church of Westminster, as far as the high altar, in a solemn procession. In the midst of the bishops and clerks went four barons carrying candlesticks with wax candles, after whom came two earls, the first of whom carried the royal sceptre, having on its top a golden cross; the other carried the royal sceptre, having a dove on its top. Next to these came two earls with a third between them, carrying three swords with golden sheaths, taken out of the king's treasury. Behind these came six earls and barons carrying a chequer, over which were placed the royal arms and robes, whilst another earl followed them carrying aloft a golden crown. Last of all came duke Richard, having a bishop on the right hand, and a bishop on the left, and over them was held a silk awning. Proceeding to the altar, as we have said, the holy gospels were placed before him together with the relics of some of the saints, and he swore, in presence of the clergy and people that he would observe peace, honour, and reverence, all his life, towards God, the holy church and its ordinances: he swore also that he would exercise true justice towards the people committed to his charge, and abrogating all bad laws and unjust customs, if any such might be found in his dominions, would steadily observe those which were good. After this they stripped him of all his clothes except his breeches and shirt, which had been ripped apart over his shoulders to receive the unction. He was then shod with sandals interwoven with gold thread, and Baldwin archbishop of Canterbury anointed him king in three places, namely, on his head, his shoulders, and his right arm, using prayers composed for the occasion: then a consecrated linen cloth was placed on his head, over which was put a hat, and when they had again clothed him in his royal robes with the tunic and gown, the archbishop gave into his hand a sword wherewith to crush all the enemies of the church: this done, two earls placed his shoes upon his feet, and when he had received the mantle, he was adjured by the archbishop, in the name of God, not to presume to accept these honours unless his mind was steadily purposed to observe the oaths which he had made: and he answered that, with God's assistance, he would faithfully observe every thing which he had promised. Then the king taking the crown from the altar gave it to the archbishop, who placed it upon the king's head, with the sceptre in his right hand and the royal wand in his left; and so, with his crown on, he was led away by the bishops and barons, preceded by the candles, the cross, and the three swords aforesaid. When they came to the offertory of the mass, the two bishops aforesaid led him forwards and again led him back. At length, when the mass was chanted, and every thing finished in the proper manner, the two bishops aforesaid led him away with his crown on, and bearing in his right hand the sceptre, in his left the royal wand, and so they returned in procession into the choir, where the king put off his royal robes, and taking others of less weight, and a lighter crown also, he proceeded to the dinner-table, at which the archbishops, bishops, earls, and barons, with the clergy and people, were placed, each according to his rank and dignity, and feasted splendidly, so that the wine flowed along the pavement and walls of the palace. All this took place on Sunday the third [3rd September 1189] before the nones of September.1
Of the persecution of the Jews.
Many Jews were present at this coronation, contrary to the king's command; for he had caused proclamation to be made the day before, that no Jews or women should attend, on account of the magical incantations which take place sometimes at royal coronations. But the courtiers laid hands on them, although they came in secret, and when they had robbed and scourged them dreadfully, they cast them out of the church; some of them died, and others could hardly be said to have life left in them. The populace of the city hearing of this attack of the courtiers on the Jews, made a similar assault on those who remained in the city, and, after they had put to death numbers of both sexes, and razed to the ground or burned their houses, they plundered their gold and silver, their writings and valuable garments. Those of the Jews who escaped being put to death, took refuge in the tower of London, and afterwards, by taking up their residence secretly here and there among their friends, they caused others to become rich by their own losses. This persecution began in the year of their jubilee, which they call the year of remission, and it hardly ceased before the end of the year, so that what ought to have been to them a year of remission, was turned into a jubilee of confusion. On the morrow, when the king heard of the wrong that had been done them, he chose to consider it as a wrong done to himself; wherefore, he caused three of them to be apprehended, tried by the judges of his court, and hanged one of them because he had stolen something belonging to a Christian; and the other two, because they had kindled a fire in the city, by which the house of a Christian citizen had been consumed. When the English people throughout the country heard of this attack on the Jews in London, they assailed them with one consent, and made a perfect havoc of them, slaughtering their persons and plundering their goods. But on the day after the coronation, king Richard, having received homage and the oath of fidelity from the nobles, gave orders that no Jews should suffer forfeiture, but that they should live in peace throughout all the cities of England.
Note 1. Vinesauf [Itinerary Richard] agrees with Wendover in this date; which makes it probable that Gervase, who fixes it on the 11th, is in error, for the 11th of September in that year fell on a Monday.
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Of some serious charges made against the justiciary.
When people saw the king's regard for Hubert (age 61), whom he had once so particularly favoured, changed into hatred, many of his enemies rose against him and accused him of many enormous crimes. Some accused him of having caused the death of the two nobles, William earl of Salisbury and William Marshall earl of Pembroke, by poison, and that he had killed Falcasius and Richard archbishop of Canterbury by the same wicked means. The citizens of London laid a complaint before the king that the said Hubert had hung their fellow citizen Constantine unjustly, and without any trial, for which crime they demanded justice; the king there- fore issued a proclamation throughout London, calling on all who had any complaint against Hubert, for any injury to them soever, to come to him when they should have justice done them. When Hubert heard of this, he fled in alarm to the church at Merton, where he concealed himself amongst the canons.