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ROBERT OF GLOUCESTER'S CHRONICLE.
Transcrib'd, and now first publish'd, from a MS. in the HARLEYAN LIBRARY By THOMAS HEARNE, M. A.
To which is added, Besides a Glossary and other Improve∣ments, a Continuation (by the Author himself) of this Chronicle from a MS. in the COTTONIAN Library.
In two Volumes.
OXFORD, Printed at the THEATER, M. DCC. XXIV.
Lẏne me clepeth eke thulke wey, he goth thorgh Glou∣ceter,And thorgh Circetre euene also, and thorgh Wynchestre.
Thes wiues suche sacrifice loueth at hure owene house.So longe
Mandabat igitur ei [Arvi∣rago] concordiam, daturum∣que promittebat sese filiam suam, si tantummodo reg∣num Britanniae sub Roma∣na potestate recognosceret.
Erat autem nomen puellae Genui∣sa, er atque tantae pulcritu∣dinis, ut aspicientes in ad∣mirationem deduceret. Et ut maritali lege copulata fuit, tanto fervore amoris succendit regem, ita ut ipsam solamcunctis rebuspraeferret.
Aedi∣ficata igitur urbe, ac paci∣ficata insula, rediit Claudius Romam, regnumque pro∣vincialium insularum Arvi∣rago permisit.
Vocavit er∣go Conanum ad se extra tur∣mas, & paulisper subridens ait: Ecce unum ex potioribus regnis Galliae subjugavimus, ecce spem ad cetera habere possumus. &c.
Cronica Latina vocat eum ducem Gewiseorum
consul Gewiseorum, i. Orientalium Anglorum.
Galfr. Mon.di∣gnus est Vortigernus impe∣rio, dignus est sceptro Bri∣tanniae, Constans vero indig∣nus
huic veteres nostri dicaverunt quartam feriam septimanae, quae usque in hodiernum diem nomenWodnesdeide nomine ipsius sortita est.
what myschaunce is the,
Men seyde, he hadde fader non, as hii couthe vnderstonde. His moder kynge's doughter was of i. Southwales
Demecie londe, And duelleth and [l. at] Seynt Petre's church, as a nonne there Ar. Adeo ut hod, sive had, pro bod reponerem.
Nam ut nequitiam ipsius com∣pererunt Saxones, ejecerunt illum ex regno, quod nemi∣nem pigere debeat.
Galfr. Mon.Sicut fecisti matres sine liberis, sic fa∣ciam hodie matrem tuam sine liberis inter mulieres.
Sire, quath Merlyn, ne taketh nought an ydel such lyghẏnge. For hitt is an ydel nought, that y telle of this thynge
Galfr. Mon.Ne moveas rex va∣num risum, quia haec absque vanitate profero
What wolt thou, he sayne, yiue the to his mede fawe, that wolde kyng Aurelie brynge of lyff dawe?
Lo half dede kyng,he sede,
ye clupeth me somme, Yut haue y leuer half dede hem ouercome,
Lord haue mer∣cy,sheo sayde,
on the man, what dost though nouth her? Alas!sheo seide,
though wrecche man, what mys a venture Hath broght the to this stede, hogh shalt though longe endure? The pite, that y haue of the, thurgh my herte it geth. Sory I am, that though shalt suffre sone deth. For this foule Geant, haue he of the a∣syght, Thi body, that so gentil is, wole sone be to twyght. For hider he wole come right sone that ilke foule pece, That rauesshede faire Eleyne, kyng Howele's nece
Galfr. Mon.O infelix homo, quod infortunium te in hunc. locum subvectat? O! inenarrabiles mortis poenas passure! miseret me tui, miseret, quia tam detes∣tabile monstrum florem ju∣ventutis tuae in hac nocte consumet
Guithardus etenim, dux Pictavensium, comperto dolo cum tribus milibus advenerat,in
Me wondreth,quath he,
that suche an halfe man as Ed∣gar shulde wẏnne so manẏ prouinces
Nam de Egelfleda, cogno∣mento candida filiaOrdmeriducis potentissimiEdwardumgenuit,&sanctamEdithamdeWlfritha, [al.Wlfrida]quam certum est non tuncDunstanum,sanctimonialem fuisse, sed ti∣more Regis puellam laicam se velavisse, moxque eandem ar∣repto velo lecto imperiali sub∣actam: Unde offensum bea∣tum quòd illam concupisset, quae vel umbra∣ticè sanctimonialis fuisset, vigorem Pontificalem in eum egisse.
Lord ich haue worderliche [quod sheo,f.wonderliche] i mette. Me thought,
that a grete tree growe oute atte my wombe, and by shadowed alle Norman∣dye.And after, whenne hit came to the tyme, when the childe was i bore, a non, þourgh negligence of women attendẏng a boute his moder forẏetẏng hẏm, he was wal∣wed into the strawe that was bẏ, and had caught his. ii. hondes so fulle ther of, that vnnethe, with oute grete harme, me mẏght delẏuere hit oute of his hondes. Wher∣for, muche folke demed, he shulde wexe to summe grete auoire of worlde's ricchesse. And as this childe was after in norẏsshẏng in Valeẏs, a grete man [
Printed by Mercier and Chervet, No. 32, Little Bartholomew Close, London.
Anno Domini Mo.CXXXIIII.cum Dominus no∣ster Ihesus Christus, qui ne∣minem perire desiderat, jamGulerimduci Roberto satis amplum poenitenciae spacium & hu∣miliacionis concessisset, viz. jam fere triginta annorum in orbitate vel carcere transactorum, abusus est illo Dei beneficio. intumuit enim superbia nimis, male∣diccionibus & detraccion∣ibus, qui potius divinis jugi∣ter obsequiis & precibus assiduis incubuisse tenere∣tur, utpote diu afflictus & jam senex. Contigit igitur una dierum festivorum, cum rex novam vestem, quam vul∣gariter robam appellamus, de scarleto sumens, assuetus de eodem superpanno robam fratri suo Roberto trans∣mittere, capam conabatur induere, sed invenit introi∣tum capucii, quod Gallice appellatur, nimis artum. Unde contigit, ut u∣nam suturae puncturam tan∣tum confringens, eam depo∣suit, & dixit:Haec capa de∣feratur danda fratri meo Ro∣beto, qui arguicius [lege,argutius] capud me habet.Quae cum ipsi delata fuisset induenda, invenit illam jam dictam puncturam, quae per incuriam Caesaris [proscis∣soris,]quod minima relin∣quebatur, non resuta. Ut dux,Unde haec, quam censio [sic], fractura?Et nuncius, quae contigerant, seriatim jocando duci referebat. Et dux, quasi alto vulnere sau∣cius, irriguit, dicens,Heu! heu! nunc nimis vivo. Quid adhuc vitam protraho infe∣licem? Ecce frater meus, immo proditor meus & supplanta∣tor, me jam adeo spernit & vilem habet, quod mihi, tan∣quam praebendario suo, pro elemosina sua hos veteres & dissutos transmittit pannicu∣los.Flens igitur & ejulans devovit manducare extunc & deinceps. Nec postea cibum vel potum sumere voluit in semetipso desaeviens & defi∣ciens, & sic mortuus est, & maledicens diei nativitatis suae. Quod cum rex Henri∣cus audisset, non multum infortunio condolens, jussit eum in ecclesia conventuali Gloverniae reverenter sepe∣liri.
Hit byfelle in a tyme, that a companẏe Of the kyn∣gus hous Henry, that were in Normandẏ, Wolde into Engelond, as felle by ordi∣naunce. But in the see hom∣warde hem felle a dyuers chaunce. William a Richard the kyngus sones bothe a∣dreẏnt were, And other many, as in prose thow maiste here lere. ¶ William, the kyng
¶ With foule sẏnne of So∣domẏe were proued manẏ on Of hem, for thẏ, thourgh wreche, ther was i buried non. Hii ne mẏght be founde in þe see, for alle theẏ were i sought. For God nolde suche sẏnne were vndere erthe i brought Ar.
In the ẏere of oure Lorde. Ml. c. xxxvie. Stephene Bleẏs, (the sone of Stephene, Erle of Bleẏs, of Ele, the conque∣rour's doghter & kyng Hen∣ry's suster) the xxii. daẏ after his vncle's dethe was croun∣ed kyng at of Wil∣liam Cuẏrboille, Archebis∣shop of Canterburẏ, as bẏ nethe in rẏme shalle be tolde. Stephene, the fader of this Stephene, hadde gete on Ele, kẏng Henry's suster. iiii. sones, and when this Ste∣phene was dede in the coun∣treẏ of the Est, the moder of hem, as a felle and a wẏse woman, ordeyned hem in this wẏse, hure furste sone bẏ cause he nas not wẏse, i putte a waẏ. Hur iide.sic] to norẏshẏng an to au∣uance as his neuew. The. iiii. sone Henry sheo let make monek atte Clune, that me ne shulde nat segge, that heo hadde bore alle hure children to the worlde onliche bẏ pros∣ses of tyme Thenne after∣warde kyng let marye Ste∣phene forsaide to Molde, (the doughter and heire of Eu∣stace, Erle of Boloẏne,) i gete on Marie, Molde the goode quene's suster, kẏng Macolẏnus doghters of Scot∣londe. And with his nevew kẏng Henry ẏaf the Erle∣domes of Morteẏne and of Constance in Normandẏe. And Henry the monek a boue saide kẏng Henry let take oute of Clune, and made him abbot of Glastenburẏ, and af∣ter yaf him the bisshopriche of Wẏnchestre. So that by the Pope's dispensation he heolde bothe dignitees in his honde, thourgh whiche he gadered to muche tresoure, wherthourgh he was clepud bisshop Henry the Riche com∣menliche a mong the peple. Whiche lette make an heghe toure atte frounte of Seẏnt Swẏthene, that vnnethe suthe anẏ man mẏght part or throwe doune the walles, alle thow bẏshop William Edẏng∣don that the gable wẏndow atte churche ende let assaẏe, to haue hadde hem doune. In the ẏere of oure Lorde. Ml. cxxxvi. the churche of Seẏnt
Stephene the Bleẏs, þeAr.
Ye, quod the kyng, thenne a nother wole we doo
The ii. bisshopes a boue seide sone deide thoo For so∣rowe and mysayse, that to hem was i do.
¶ Kyng Stephne in his
Anno quinto. Ryme.
¶ The fifte ẏere of kyng Stephene Molde themperice com To Engelond, to cha∣lengi bẏ rẏght the kyngdom, And Robert Erle of Glouce∣tre with hure, hure half bro∣ther, also welle, Atte Mi∣chelle masse tẏde, as hit thoo bẏ felle. And furst the toke hure loggẏng in the castelle of Arundelle. Whenne kẏng Stephne hurde here of, sone he thedur come Ar.
Cotton Library, Caligula A. XI. Fol. 130. b.tk is always writ þ in the MS.
A Continuation of Robert of Gloucester's History where Lord Harley's Copy ends.
His name is a presious oẏnement oute helde, and the almesses of him alle the cherche of Seyntes shalle telle.Oure kyng is pesable, and ẏut in bataille glorious. Uppe alle the desires of the worlde he desireth pees, coueẏtẏng the welthe of his Pepelle. To the pees of his pepille bi∣longeth that he dothe in cle∣pyng counseills, and in tak∣yng trewes, in joẏning affi∣nites, and that he meketh prout men, and that he thret∣neth werre, & maketh prynces adrad. þe huge ẏftes of mo∣neẏ that he ẏeuethe, and eke rescẏuethe & gadereth, that he spendethe in was of Ci∣tees, or kernelles, strengthes and dẏches, in closyng of wilde bestes and fẏsshes, in paleẏs buldẏnges, alle he dothe to encresse to the Pe∣ple's pees, non was nobler thanne he. His fader in his tẏmes enlargissed his march∣es, as a noble and worthi Erle, but thes, passing his fader's Ricchesse, in wit and strenghte of his hondes en∣cressed his title and stile, by encresse of the duchie of Ac∣quitaẏne, the duchie of Bru∣taẏne, of the Reaumes of En∣gelond and Scotland, Erlond and Wales. None was more benẏng than he to men, that were in diseise, or in tour∣ment. Non fairer speched to poure men. Non more proute to proute. And thegh, after the custumes of his regne, in elecciones of dignitees of holẏ churche, he haue the moste voẏs and power to ẏeue hem, euere more he kepte his hondes gilteles of alle Sy∣monie. Whith these & other suche vertues of bodẏe and soule God clothed him. And whenne this Henrẏ, that is called the secunde, hadde gete the regne, he sewed the ma∣ners and dedes of Henry the ferst. ¶ In the iiide. yer [of his reign] in Septembre was bore to the kyng a sone, cle∣ped Richarde, atte Oxen∣forde, in his manoire, wher is now the White freres. ¶ In the vi. ẏer Matheu,
To virgines shall he ẏeue vir∣gine. And ther of shalle he of serue þe fauour of the heigh thondrer, & bẏ twene blessed shalle he be laide.This kyng John hadde faire Issue, as Henry, that after hẏm regned, and Richard erle of Cornewaille, and Isabelle Emperice, & Aleanore quene of Scotland.