978. Elfwold, bishop of Dorchester, died, and was buried at Sherborne. A meteor was seen all over England at midnight, which was sometimes the colour of blood, and at other times fiery; it afterwards formed rays of light of various colours, and disappeared about day-break.

1118. Pope Paschal, of blessed memory, died on the fourteenth of the calends of February [19th January], and one John, a native of Gaieta, succeeded him, and changed his name to Gelasius. "He was bred a monk from his youth in the monastery of Monto Cassino, and in his riper years had filled the office of chancellor, in the service of the venerable and apostolic men, popes Desidorius, Urban, and Paschal, with great assiduity. Meanwhile, the king of Germany, who was also emperor of the Romans, hearing of the pope's decease, hurried to Rome, and made the bishop of Braga¹ pope, although he had been excommunicated the preceding year at Benevento, by Pope Paschal; his name was changed from Maurice to Greijorv.

Note 1. Braga, in Portugal.

01 May 1118. Matilda (age 38), queen of England, died at Westminster on the calends [the 1st] of May, and was interred with due ceremony in that monastery. Many of the Normans broke the fealty they had sworn to king Henry, and regardless of the rights of their natural lord, transferred their homage to Lewis, king of France, and his great lords, although they were enemies. The before-mentioned pope, Gelasius, came by sea to Burgundy, and his arrival was immediately notified to all parts of France.

07 Jul 1118. Death of the Author of the Chronicle

Dom Florence of Worcester, a monk of that monastery, died on the nones [the 7th] of July. His acute observation, and laborious and diligent studies, bave rendered this Chronicle of Chronicles pre-eminent above all others.

His spirit to the skies, to eai'th his body given.

For ever may he reign with God's blest saints in heaven!

1118. Death by a Thunderstorm in Herefordshire

After the dedication of the church of Momerfield, by Geoffrey, bishop of Hereford, all who had attended the consecration turned their steps homeward; but although the atmosphere had been remarkably calm up to that time, a violent storm of thunder and lightning suddenly arose, and some of them, overtaken by it on the road, and not being able to retreat from the spot they had reached, halted there. They were five in number, three men and two women; one of the latter was killed by a stroke of lightning, and the other, being scorched by the flash from the navel to the soles of the feet, perished miserably, the men only narrowly escaping with their lives. Their five horses were also struck with the lightning, and killed.

1119. Pope Gelasius died, and was buried at Cluni; he was succeeded by Gruy, bishop of Vienne, who changed his name to Calixtus. Geoffrey, bishop of Hereford, died on the third of the nones [the 3rd] of February, and Herbert on the eleventh of the calends of August [22nd July].

20 Oct 1119. A Council held at Rheims. Pope Calixtus held a general council at Rheims, on Sunday, the thirteenth of the calends of November (20th October), at which there was a great concourse of archbishops, bishops, abbots, and lords of various provinces, and immense multitudes of the clergy and people. The English bishops who were at that time at the court of Henry in Normandy, namely, William of Exeter, Ralph of Durham (age 59), Bernard of St. David's, and Urban of Glamorgan (age 43) [Landaff], and also the bishops and abbots of Normandy, were sent by the king himself to the council. Ralph, archbishop of Canterbury, was prevented from being present by sickness. Thurstan (age 49), archbishop-elect of York, having requested the king's license for attending it, obtained it with some difficulty, upon pledging his word that he would on no account accept consecration from the pope. Bound by this pledge, he pursued his journey, and presented himself to the pope; but forthwith, regardless of his engagement, he gained over the Romans by bribes to espouse his cause, and through them prevailed on the pope to consecrate him bishop with his own hands. He was thus ordained to the see of York, and by the pope's command many of the bishops from France assisted at the ceremony. The English bishops had not yet come to the council; but when they learnt what had been done, they informed the king, who being very indignant, forbade Thurstan (age 49) and his followers from returning to England or Normandy, or any place in his dominions.

1121. Henry I marries Alice of Louvaine. Henry, king of England (age 53), having been a widower for some time, that he might not in future lead a dissolute life, by the advice of Ralph, archbishop of Canterbury, and the barons of his realm, who assembled at London by his command on the feast of our Lord's Epiphany, resolved to marry Alice (age 18), daughter of Godfrey, duke of Lorraine (age 61)², a young maiden of great beauty and modesty. Envoys being sent over, they brought the future queen with signal honours from parts beyond the sea to Henry's court.

Note 2. Ducis Lotharingoe (or Lorraine), the reading in the text of all the printed editions of Florence. It is a mistake into which several of the English chroniclers have fallen, but Henry of Huntingdon and Roger of Wendover, as well as Ordericus Vitalis and William of Jumièges, describe Adelaide, or Alice, the second wife of Henry I., as daughter of Godfrey, duke of Lorraine (age 61).

13 Mar 1121. After this, the archbishop, having accompanied the king (age 53) to Abingdon [Map], consecrated on Sunday the third of the ides [the 13th] of March, Robert, before named, as bishop of Chester, there being present and assisting at this sacrament William, bishop of Winchester, William, bishop of Exeter, and the Welsh bishops, Urban (age 45) and Bernard.

1121. Pope Calixtus, assembling forces from all quarters, captured Maurice, surnamed Bourdin, already mentioned, who had been intruded by the emperor and his adherents into the papal see by the name of Gregory, and thrust him in disgrace, stripped of all he possessed, into a monastery; he having been a monk before. King Henry (age 53) led an army against the Welsh, and, taking hostages from them, reduced the whole of Wales under his dominion. A certain clerk, whose name was Gregory, an Irishman by birth, having been chosen by the king of Ireland, with the clergy and people, to fill the see of the city of Dublin, came over to England that he might be ordained, according to former custom, by the archbishop of Canterbury, the primate of England; whereupon, by the archbishop's command, Roger, bishop of Salisbury, conferred on him the orders of priest and deacon at his castle of Devizes [Map] on Saturday the eleventh of the calends of October [21st September]. He was ordained bishop on Sunday the sixth of the nones [the 2nd] of October at Lambeth by Ralph, archbishop of Canterbury; the following bishops, Richard of London, Roger of Salisbury, Robert of Lincoln, Everard of Norwich, and David of Bangor assisting at the consecration. The mother church at Tewkesbury was consecrated with great ceremony by Theowulf, bishop of Worcester, Richard, bishop of Hereford, Urban (age 45), bishop of Glamorgan, and the before-named Gregory, bishop of Durham, on Monday the ninth of the calends of November [24th October].

04 Mar 1122. The city of Gloucester, with the principal monastery [Map], was again destroyed by fire on Wednesday the ourth of the ides [the 4th] of March, in the twenty-second year of king Henry's reign. It was burnt before in the first year of his reign, on Thursday the eleventh of the calends of June [22nd May].

25 Apr 1123. Alexander (age 45), king of Scots, died on the seventh of the calends of May [25th April].

Note. Some sources say 1124?

1124. William (age 54), archbishop of Canterbury, crossed the sea by the king's command. Pope Calixtus died, and was succeeded by Honorius, bishop of Ostia. 1125. Coiners in England, taken with counterfeit money, suffered the penalty of the king's cruel law by having their right hands struck off and their lower limbs mutilated. Afterwards, by a change in the coinage, all articles became very dear, and, in consequence, a great scarcity ensued, and numbers died of famine.¹

Note 1. Henry of Huntingdon tells us that a horse-load of corn (wheat or rye?) was sold for six shillings.

1125. Simon, the queen's chancellor, and Sigefred, abbot of Glastonbury, both men of distinguished worth and piety, were chosen bishops while they were in Normandy; Simon being appointed to the see of Worcester, and Sigefred to the see of Chichester. Hugh, a man of great prudence, archdeacon successively to Samson and Theowulf, bishops of Worcester, died on the twelfth of the calends of April [21st March). After Easter [29th March], the bishops-elect, Simon and Sigefred, with the archbishops William (age 55) and Thurstan (age 55), and a cardinal of Rome named John, came to England,

08 May 1124. Simon, the bishop-elect of Worcester, was conducted into Worcester by the clergy and people in joyful procession on the eighth of the ides [the 8th] of May², being the day of our Lord's Ascension; and, on the tenth of the calends of June [23rd May], he was ordained priest at Canterbury by William (age 54) the archbishop.

Note 2. It fell that year on the 7th May.

24 May 1125. When Simon arrived at Worcester, his episcopal see, he was again met by great crowds of people, conducted by whom in procession with great pomp he was enthroned, and a "Te Deum" chanted. On the same day, that is to say on the ninth of the calends of June [24th May], Benedict, a loving and faithful servant of God in all his household, was, by Simon, the new bishop, consecrated as the new abbot of the convent of Worcester: he was, the year before, from having been prior, elected abbot of Tewkesbury, where he had been brought up under the monastic rule from boyhood, and in course of time was admitted in peace and love to be one of the monks of Worcester by licence from Wulfstan, the lord bishop, at whose hands he had received all the ecclesiastical orders. There were present at the consecration of this abbot the bishops who had received bishop Simon in procession, namely, Richard of Hereford, Godfrey of Bath, and David of Bangor, together with Benedict's fellow abbots of the diocese of Worcester, Guy of Pershore, William of Gloucester, and Godfrey of Winchcombe; the lord Walchere, the prior of Malvern, represented his abbot, who lay sick, and Dominic, prior of Evesham, was also present: these were men to whom the words of the Psalmist may be applied, "He sendeth the springs into the rivers which run among the hills,"² and such was the company which met the bishop in procession.³

Note 2. Psalm civ. 10.

Note 3. In the text of all the editions, the quotation from the Vulgate, which is so beautifully applied to the fertilising influences of religious institutions in a district celebrated for its waters and hills, is carried on by the use of inverted commas to the end of the paragraph. It is needless to say, that the latter clause is not found in the Vulgate. 3

1125. The same cardinal, after quitting England, went to Normandy, and at length returned to Rome. William (age 55), the archbishop, also considering that the church of England had received grievous offence in the humiliation of the see of Canterbury, crossed the channel himself on his way to Rome, to procure the best support he could in the disordered state of affairs, and prevent their growing worse. He therefore proceeded to Rome, and was received with honour by pope Honorius, who had succeeded Calixtus, and who made the archbishop his vicar-general in England and Scotland, and appointed him legate of the apostolic see.

1126. King Henry returned to England at Christmas, and held his court at Windsor Castle [Map] with great magnificence, having summoned all the nobles of the realm to attend him there. On this occasion, when the bishop of York (age 56), claiming equality with the archbishop of Canterbury (age 56), offered to place the crown on the king's head², as his predecessors had done, his claim was rejected by the decision of all who were present, and it was unanimously agreed that nothing pertaining to the royal crown belonged to him. Moreover, the bearer of the cross which he caused to be borne before him into the king's chapel, was thrust out of the chapel, with the cross he carried; for, by the judgment of the bishops and some learned men skilled in ecclesiastical law, it was established and settled that it was not lawful for a metropolitan to have his cross carried before him out of his own province.

Note 2. It will be understood that this was not the ceremony of coronation; the kings of England wore their crowns, when they kept court at the three great church festivals.

1127. The custody of Rochester castle granted to the archbishops of Canterbury. The king, also, by the advice of his barons, granted to the church of Canterbury, and to William the archbishop, and to all his successors, the custody and constableship of the castle of Rochester [Map], to hold for ever; with liberty to make in the same castle a fort or tower, as they pleased, and have and guard it for ever; and that the garrison stationed in the castle should have free ingress and egress on their own occasions, and should be security to the archbishop for it.

1127. King Henry, who remained at London during these proceedings, being informed of the acts of the council, assented to them, and ratified and confirmed by his royal authority the decrees of the synod held at Westminster by William (age 57), archbishop of Canterbury and legate of the holy Roman church. One Hugh, of the diocese of Rochester, being appointed abbot, was advanced, with deserved honour, to the dignity for which he was designated, that of abbot of St. Augustine's, by William (age 57), archbishop of Canterbury, on Sunday, the second of the ides [the 12th] of June, at Chichester.

15 Aug 1127. Richard, bishop of Hereford, died at his vill, called Dydelebyrig [Map]¹, on Monday the eighteenth of the calends of September [15th August]; his body was carried to Hereford [Map], and buried in the church there, with the bishops his predecessors.

Note 1. Ledbury [Map], Herefordshire.

1127. Henry, king of England, went over sea.

24 Mar 1128. The venerable Godfrey, abbot of Shrewsbury, died on Wednesday, the fourth of the calends of April (24th March). Geoffrey, prior of Canterbury, was, at the request of David, king of Scots, and with the permission of William the archbishop, elected abbot of a place in Scotland called Dunfermline, and ordained by Robert, bishop of St. Andrew's. Urban (age 52), bishop of Llandaff, returned to England, after a successful journey; and, by the king's command, the apostolical mandates respecting him were carried into effect.

1128. One of the monks of the church of Shrewsbury, named Herbert, having been elected abbot, and consecrated by archbishop William at Lewes, assumed the government of the monastery at Shrewsbury as such abbot. Hugh, abbot of Chertsey, died.

05 Sep 1128. Ralph (age 68)Ralph, bishop of Durham, died on the nones [the 5th] of September;

28 Nov 1128. ... and Geoffrey, archbishop of Rouen, departed this life on the fourth of the calends of December (28th November).

Jul 1129. In the month of July, Henry, king of England, returned from Normandy to England. His nephew, Henry, abbot of Glastonbury, elected to the see of Winton in the month of October, was consecrated bishop by William (age 59), archbishop of Canterbury, on Sunday, the fifteenth of the calends of December (17th November). Roger, archdeacon of Buckingham, and nephew of Geoffrey de Clinton, having been elected to the see of Chester, was ordained priest on the twelfth of the calends of January (21st December), and the next day was consecrated bishop at Canterbury by the archbishop. He was afterwards enthroned, by the archbishop's mandate, in the episcopal chair at Coventry¹, by Simon, bishop of Worcester, on Monday, the sixth of the calends of February [27th January].

Note 1. See note before, p. 242.

1130. Hugh, abbot of Reading, was elected archbishop of Rouen. Christ church, at Canterbury, was dedicated with great pomp, by William, archbishop of that city, on the fourth of the nones [the 4th] of May. The following bishops were present at the consecration:- John, bishop of Rochester, Gilbert of London, Henry of Winchester (age 32), Simon of Worcester, Alexander of Lincoln, Roger of Salisbury, Godfrey of Bath, Everard of Norwich, Sigefrid of Chichester, Bernard of St. David's; with Owen, bishop of Evreux, and John, bishop of Séez, from beyond sea. On the fourth day afterwards——that is, on the nones [the 7th] of May—the city of Rochester, Kent [Map] was destroyed by fire, while the king was there; and on the day following, being the feast of our Lord's Ascension, the new church of St. Andrew was consecrated by William the archbishop, some of the beforementioned bishops assisting him in the service. [Ansger], the excellent prior of Lewes, was elected at Winchester abbot of Reading, and afterwards ordained; also Ingulph, prior of Winchester, having been elected at Woodstock abbot of Abingdon, was ordained by RogerRoger, bishop of Salisbury. William, abbot of Gloucester, having voluntarily resigned his pastoral charge by reason of age, chose, with the consent of the brethren, a pious monk, of the same house, named Walter, who was ordained abbot by Simon, bishop of Worcester, on Sunday, the nones [the 3rd] of August. Serlo, also, a canon of Salisbury, was ordained abbot by the same bishop, at Blockley, an episcopal vill, and appointed to govern the abbey of Cirencester. Robert, prior of the church of Llanthony, being elected to the see of Hereford, was consecrated at Oxford, by William (age 60), archbishop of Canterbury. Henry, king of England, went over the sea.

1131. Reginald, the reverend abbot of Ramsey, died on the thirteenth of the calends of June [20th May]. William, the venerable abbot of Gloucester, and Hervey, who had been bishop of Bangor, and was afterwards the first bishop of Ely, died on the third of the calends of September [30th August), the ninth indiction.

08 Oct 1132. A comet was seen on the eighth of the ides of October (8th October), and remained visible for nearly five days.

14 May 1132. The greater part of the city of London, with the principal church of St. Paul the apostle, was destroyed by fire, in Whitsun week--that is, on the second of the ides [the 14th] of May.

04 Aug 1132. And on Friday, in the same week, the second of the nones of the same month [4th August], at daybreak, there was a great earthquake in many parts of England. There were some also who said that in the week following, on Monday, the sixth of the ides of the same month [8th August], when the moon was three days old, they saw her first as she generally appeared at that age, and after a short space of time, in the evening of the same day, they observed her full, like a round and very bright shield. Many also reported that on the same night they saw two moons, distant about a spear's length from each other.

Note 1. Cf. William of Malmesbury's account of this eclipse, to which, however, he has not assigned the exact date, though he tells us that he was an eye-witness. He mentions, also, an earthquake; a shock of which, probably, caused the convulsion which dashed the ships in harbour against each other.

1133. Notwithstanding, king Henry crossed the sea, leaving England for Normandy, never to return alive and see England again. In the month of November the city of Worcester was exposed to the ravages of fire, a frequent occurrence.

16 Aug 1135. Godfrey, bishop of Bath, died on the seventeenth of the calends of September [16th August]; after some interval he was succeeded by a monk named Robert, a Fleming by descent, but born in England. Thus Robert, from a monk became a bishop, such being the pleasure of Henry (age 37), bishop of Winchester, who is now, but was not at that time, legate of the Roman church.

Note 1. From this passage, as we have remarked elsewhere, the continuator of Florence appears to have been a contemporary with Henry de Blois, at least, when he was in the zenith of his power.

Jan 1136. The holy festival being ended, the corpse of king Henry, lately deceased, was brought from Normandy to England¹, and the king went to meet it, attended by a large body of nobles, and for the love he bore his uncle, he supported the bier on his royal shoulders, assisted by his barons, and thus brought the corpse to Reading. Masses were sung, many rich offerings made, alms distributed to multitudes of the poor, and the obsequies having been duly solemnised, and his effigy exposed to view on a hearse, the royal corpse was deposited, with the highest honours, in a tomb constructed, according to custom, before the altar in the principal church, dedicated to the most blessed and glorious Virgin Mary, which king Henry himself, for the good of his soul, had endowed with lands, woods, meadows, and pastures, and enriched with many ornaments.

May Henry, England's king, to whom such wealth was given,

From purgatorial pains released, partake the bliss of heaven!

Note 1. Henry I died at the castle of Lions, near Rouen. Ordericus Vitalis, in his thirteenth book, and William of Malmesbury, in the first book of his "Modern History," give an account of his obsequies, so far as they took place in Normandy. Henry of Huntingdon adds some disgusting details of the treatment of the royal corpse, in the rude process by which it was preserved for transport to England. Hist., p. 262.

1136. After his interment, Stephen being on the throne, and, indeed, long before, the bonds of peace were broken asunder, and the greatest discord prevailed in all parts of Normandy and England. Man rose up against man-discord was rife in the land, wasting the substance of both high and low, and penetrating on all sides within strong and lofty walls. Every one spoiled his neighbour's goods. The powerful oppress the weak by violence, and obtain exemption from inquiry by the terror of their threats. Death is the lot of him who resists. The wealthy nobles of the land, rolling in affluence, care little to what iniquities the wretched sufferers are exposed; all their concern is for themselves and their own adherents; they store their castles and fortified towns with all things necessary, and garrison them with aried bands, fearing a revolution which should alter the succession to the crown, and not reflecting on the dispensations of the providence of God, "whose ways are past finding out." While all should be hushed in peace in the presence of royalty, as before a roaring lion, there is no end of devastations and ravages in numberless places, and especially in Wales. From this any one may perceive with how little prudence and firmness, with what injustice rather than justice, England, which ought to be ruled far otherwise, is now governed. In the prevailing lust of money, and an inordinate ambition for preferment of every kind, moderation, the mother of virtues, is scarcely to be found.

Jan 1136. Stephen, king of England, marched into Devonshire with a large force of horse and foot, and besieged, for a long time the castle of Exeter¹, which Baldwin, surnamed de Redvers, had fortified in defiance of the royal authority. But at length, the garrison being short of provisions, terms were made, and Baldwin, with his wife and children, were expelled from England, his lands being forfeited.

Note 1. There is a curious account of the siege in the "Gesta Stephani," appended to Huntingdon's History in the Antiq. Lib., pp. 337–343.

27 Jan 1136. Ansger, the venerable abbot of Reading, died on the sixth of the calends of February [27th January],

16 Aug 1135. and Godfrey, bishop of Bath, on the seventeenth of the calends of September [16th August].

01 Jan 1136. Speedily after the death of king Henry on the fourth of the nones [the 2nd] of December a severe battle was fought in Gower², between the Normans and the Welsh, on the calends [the 1st] of January, in which five hundred and sixteen of the two armies perished. Their bodies were horribly dragged about the fields and devoured by the wolves. Afterwards the Welsh made a desperate inroad, attended with the destruction, far and wide, of churches, vills, corn, and cattle, the burning of castles and other fortified places, and the slaughter, dispersion, and sale into captivity in foreign lands of countless numbers, both of the rich and poor.

Note 2. A district of South Wales, nearly corresponding with the county of Glamorgan. Neither Huntingdon nor Malmesbury mention this expedition; but the anonymous author of the "Gesta Stephani" describes it in some detail.-16. pp. 329–332.

15 Apr 1136. Among these, the noble and amiable Richard, son of Gilbert³, falling into an ambush, was slain by the Welsh, on the seventeenth of the calends of May (15th April); and his body being carried to Gloucester, was honourably buried in the chapter-house of the brethren. Another bloody battle was afterwards fought at Cardigan, in the second week of the month of October, in this same year, in which the slaughter was so great that, without reckoning the men who were carried off into captivity, there remained ten thousand women, whose husbands, with numberless children, were either drowned, or burnt, or put to the sword. When the bridge over the river Tivy was broken down it was a wretched spectacle to see crowds passing to and fro across a bridge formed by the horrible mass of human corpses and horses drowned in the river.

Note 3. Richard, son of Gilbert de Clare, to whom the territory of Cardigan had been given by king Henry, was murdered by Jorwerth.

05 Aug 1136. Guy, abbot of Pershore, a man of great prudence, died on the nones [the 5th] of August.

15 Mar 1136. Benedict, abbot of Tewksbury, a man of devoted piety and strict continence, died on the ides [the 15th] of March. Removed from this world's strife, God give them endless life!

Mar 1137. In the month of March, before Easter, which fell on the fourth of the ides [the 10th] of April, Stephen, king of England, went over sea, and spent some time in foreign parts.

1137. The Welsh, having suffered much in the defence of their native land, not only from the powerful Normans, but also from the Flemings, after numbers had fallen on both sides, at last subdued the Flemings, and did not cease to commit devastations on all sides; plundering and burning the vills and castles, and putting to death all who made any resistance, and the helpless as well as the armed. Among the rest, a knight, they say, of great bravery, whose name was Paganus, fell, pierced through the head by a lance while engaged in capturing and slaying some plundering Welshmen: his body was carried to Gloucester, and buried in the monk's chapter house.

08 Jun 1137. The city of York [Map]. was destroyed by fire, with the principal monastery, on Friday in Whitsun-week, which fell on the 6th of the ides [the 8th] of June. Shortly afterwards the city of Rochester was also destroyed by fire.

29 Jul 1137. On Thursday the fourth of the calends of August [29th July] the church of Bath, and, in the same month of August, the city of Leicester, were burnt.

1137. Miracles at Windsor. One day, while the people were attending the celebration of mass at Windsor, as we have been informed by trustworthy persons, there was a sudden radiance in the interior of the church; and some persons, wondering what it was, went forth and beheld a strange star shining in the heavens, and on their return observed that the light within descended from the star. Miracle succeeded miracle. Many observed the crucifix which stood on the altar in motion and wringing its hauds, the right with the left, or the left with the right, after the manner of persons in trouble. After this was done three times the whole crucifix trembled, and was bathed in swear for nearly half an hour, returning afterwards to its former state.

Relics found at Southwell. At Southwell, a vill of the archbishop's, while a grave was being made for a funeral, there were found some relics of saints, and a glass phial with raised sides to prevent its being broken, and full of very clear water; which being given to the sick, they were on tasting it restored to their former health. I give the first of these miracles as I heard it; the last was related to me by Henry, bishop of Winchester.

[Ralph, archbishop of Canterbury, archbishop of York, with Roger, bishop of Salisbury, and some other bishops and great men of the realm, held a council at Northampton, in the hearing of many persons].¹

Note 1. The last paragraph is evidently an interpolation in this place. The meeting at Northampton is subsequently mentioned with more detail in the course of the events of the present year.

1138. Siege of Bedford-Irruption of the Scots. The festival days of Christmas being ended¹, Stephen, king of England, to maintain his regal crown in conformity to his name², put himself at the head of his army and besieged and took the castle of Bedford, which stood out against him, as he had before taken that of Exeter. Receiving intelligence by a messenger that his enemies³ had made an irruption, and were devastating the lands, burning the vills, and besieging castles and towns, he marched with a strong force into Northumbria. He did not long remain there, having, with some difficulty, accomplished the object he had in view. Those who are well acquainted with the facts, relate that, for nearly six months, a terrible irruption was made by numerous enemies of different races into Northumbria and the adjacent country, both far and near. Multitudes were taken, plundered, imprisoned, and tortured; ecclesiastics were put to death for the sake of the property of their churches; and scarcely any one can compute the number of the slain on the enemy's side or our own.

Note 1. Henry of Huntingdon says that king Stephen began the siege of Bedford on Christmas-eve.

Note 2. A pun on segavos [Note. Written in Greek in the text], in Greek, a crown.

Note 3. The Scots, under king David.

1137. On the death of the apostolical Leo Peter, Innocent succeeded him, all who had taken the part of Peter against him making satisfaction, and being entirely reconciled to him. This pope consecrated Alberic, abbot of Vercelli, as bishop of Ostia, on Easter-day, at Rome.

1138. How the Devil, in the shape of a black dwarf, was made a monk. About this time reports of the following miracle were circulated in all quarters. There is a noble monastery in the arch-diocese of Treves called Prum, dedicated to the apostles St. Peter and St. Paul, and founded in ancient times by Pepin, king of the Franks, the father of Charles the Great. A strange occurrence is reported by all who were then inmates of this monastery. One morning, the cellarer, in company with his servant, having gone into the wine-vault, for the purpose of procuring wine, as usual, for the sacrifice of the altar, found one of the casks which he had left full the preceding day emptied down to the orifice commonly called the bung-hole, and the wine spilled over all the pavement. In great dismay at the loss which had happened, he chid sharply the servitor who was with him, saying that he had fixed the spigot very negligently the evening before, and that the loss had thus occurred. After saying this, he enjoined him, under severe threats, to tell no one what had happened; fearing that if it came to the abbot's ears, he would put him out of his office in disgrace. When evening came, before the brethren retired to rest, he went into the cellar, and having carefully secured the bung-holes of the vessels in which wine was contained, shut the door, and went to bed.

10 Apr 1138. A council at Northampton. Stephen, king of England, held a council at Northampton, in the octave of Easter, which fell on the fourth of the ides [the 10th] of April. Ralph, archbishop of Canterbury, archbishop of York, and all the bishops, abbots, earls, barons, and nobles of England took their seats at it. In this council an archdeacon named Robert, the choice of some few, was appointed bishop of the church of Exeter, then vacant by the death of its bishop, William de Warewast. Two abbeys were also given away; that of Winchcombe to a monk of Cluni, as it is said a relation of the king, named Robert; the other, that of York, to a monk of the same abbey. One of these, the abbot-elect of Winchcombe, was ordained abbot of that monastery by the venerable Simon, bishop of Worcester, on the eleventh of the calends of June (22nd May).

10 May 1138. Royal visit to Gloucester. The king, breaking up his camp at Northampton, marched towards Gloucester, and when his approach was known, the citizens met him more than five miles on the road with great joy, and conducted him into their city, receiving very graciously the honours they paid him. On his arrival there, on the third Rogation day [10th May,] the monks received him with processional pomp, and he offered on the altar his royal ring, which the king's chaplains redeemed for fifty shillings and brought back to him the same day. From thence Milo, who was then his constable, conducted him with great honour to the royal palace, where the next day the citizens swore allegiance to him. On the third day, being Thursday, the king returned with his attendants to the abbey, and joyfully assisted at masses and processions in honour of our Lord's Ascension.

1138. Stephen marches to Hereford. The festival being concluded, the king, having heard that the castle of Hereford [Map] was fortified against him, put himself at the head of a powerful expedition, and pitched his camp against it, finding on his arrival that the report he had heard was true. Wherefore he remained there for the space of nearly four or five weeks, and issued orders throughout England that bodies of troops should march to support him in putting down all who opposed his royal title.

1138. Meanwhile, the city of Hereford, below the bridge over the river Wye, was burnt before his eyes. Not long afterwards, the lamentable conflagration of the city of Oxford reached the ears of the king and his court. The garrison of Hereford, perceiving of a surety by the numbers and strength of the royal army, that the king would triumph over them, made terms and surrendered to him. And since Stephen was, nay is¹, a loving and peaceable king, he injured no one, but suffered his enemies to depart free. The king also took the fortified place called Wibbeleage², which Geoffrey de Talbot held against him, but afterwards evacuated. It was by his devices and ability that the king's adversaries were supported in breaking the peace. The aforesaid castles and that of Hereford were garrisoned by the king's troops.

Note 1. Florence, it will be observed, speaks of what was actually passing, and seems, from his connection with Worcester, to have espoused the cause of king Stephen.

Note 2. Weobley, in Herefordshire.

1138. Meanwhile, Alberic, the before mentioned bishop of Ostia, came to England commissioned as apostolical legate to root out and destroy, build up and plant, all things that required it. The letters from the apostolical see having been read in the presence of the king and the nobles of England, out of reverence for the apostolical see, he was at length received, though not at first. Making a progress throughout England, he noted everything, and kept in mind whatever needed correction by the provision and appointment of a council.

15 Jun 1138. The king having spent some time at Hereford [Map] departed with his troops. The city, thus deprived of the royal presence, was burnt, beyond the river Wye, by the before-named Geoffrey, on the eighteenth of the calends of July [the 15th June], none of our own people, but seven or eight of the Welsh, having been killed. I omit saying anything of the blood-shed of many others, for I am ignorant respecting it; but this I pray:

May Christian souls in everlasting rest

Be with the saints, their warfare ended, blest;

And John¹ corrected, if there ought occur,

In which the reader finds his pages err!

Note 1. We are here furnished with the name of the writer of this continuation of the Chronicle of He must have been living when Ordericus Vitalis visited Worcester, in his journey to England, about the year 1124. Both their works and probably their lives closed in 1141. Ordericus tells us that he saw at Worcester the continuation on which John was, doubtless, engaged at the time of his visit; but he is mistaken in attributing the original Chronicle to this John, instead of Florence. See the remarks in the preface to this volume, and a note in vol. i., p. 493, of Ordericus Vitalis, Bohn's Antiq. Lib.

24 Jun 1138. The Bishops arrested. Then the king, when the Nativity of St. John [24th June] was near, proceeded to Oxford, and hearing that the castle of Devizes [Map] was fortified against him, sent messengers to Roger, bishop of Salisbury, the founder of the castle, who was then at Malmesbury, commanding him to come and confer with him. It is said that the bishop undertook this journey with great reluctance, believing that he should never return; taking with him his two nephews, the bishops of Lincoln and Ely, and a large retinue of mounted and well-armed soldiers. Seeing this, the king, suspecting treason, ordered his followers to arm themselves and be ready to defend him, if need should arise. While the king was engaged with the bishops in treating of various affairs, a furious quarrel arose between the two parties of soldiers respecting their quarters; and the king's troops flying to arms, the bishops' men took to flight, leaving all their baggage behind. Roger, bishop of Salisbury, with the bishop of Lincoln and his son Roger, surnamed The Poor, were taken; the bishop of Ely made his escape, and having reached the castle of Devizes, fortified it and held it against the king. The king, much incensed, went in pursuit of him, placing the bishops he had arrested in custody; Roger in the crib of an ox-house, and the other in a mean hut, while he threatened to hang the third, unless the castle was speedily surrendered to him. Roger finding this, and alarmed for his son, bound himself by an oath that he would neither eat nor drink until the king had possession of the castle; which oath he kept, and neither ate nor drank for three days.¹

Note 1. Cf. the account of the circumstances attending the seizure of the bishops and their castles, in Henry of Huntingdon s History, p. 271, Antiq. Lib.; Gesta Stephani, ibid, 370, &c.; and William of Malmesbury, ibid, 507.

1138. Meanwhile, the before-mentioned earl of Bristol, and Milo the constable, having made a league against the king, and abjured the fealty which they had sworn to him, despatched envoys to invite the ex-empress, king Henry's daughter; promising her that within the space of five months she should be in possession of her father's kingdom, according to the allegiance which had been sworn to her in his lifetime. This was the beginning of troubles. This defection, the most serious of all, nay, almost the concluding one, brought ruin on the whole country.

1138. On his return, the king of Scots, in order to encourage his adherents and console himself, laid siege with all his force, and various engines and machines, to the castle of Wark [Map], or Carron, belonging to Walter d'Epec, from which he had been driven by the earl of Mellent; but the garrison making a stout and desperate resistance, he had no success, for they made frequent sallies, and either cut in pieces or burnt his engines, besides killing many of his soldiers; wherefore, at last, he despaired of being able to take it.

1138. Atmospheric phenomena–Great wealth left by Roger, Bishop of Salisbury.

07 Oct 1138. On the seventh day of the month of October, when the moon was twenty-nine days old, in the dusk of the evening before Saturday, the whole firmament towards the north appeared of a red colour, and rays of various hues were seen blended and flitting. Perhaps these signs portended the vast effusion of blood in Northumberland, and many other places throughout England, of which we have spoken.

20 Nov 1138. A most pious monk, named William, belonging to the cell of Eye, having been elected, was ordained abbot of Pershore by Simon, bishop of Worcester, on Sunday, the twelfth of the calends of December (20th November).

04 Dec 1138. Roger, bishop of Salisbury, a great builder of castles and fortified mansions, being worn to death with grief and vexation, died at his episcopal seat on the second of the nones [the 4th] of December, and was buried in that church, leaving in his castles immense sums of money, which fell not into the hands of God, but of king Stephen. There are those who say that more than forty thousand silver marks were found there, and that he had likewise hoarded a vast amount of gold, and a variety of ornaments, and knew not for whom he had gathered them. He enriched the church dedicated to St. Mary, mother of God, with magnificent ornaments.

Note 1. For the character of Roger, bishop of Salisbury, see Stephani," p. 370, and William of Malmesbury, p. 507.

1138. A Synod held at London. In the year of our Lord 1138, and in the ninth of the pontificate of pope Innocent, and the third of the reign of king Stephen, a synod was held at London, in the church of St. Peter the apostle, at Westminster, on the thirteenth of the month of December. In this synod, after much canvassing, sixteen canons were published with universal consent. It was presided over by Alberic, bishop of Ostia, the legate of the said lord pope in England and Scotland; and attended by the bishops of different dioceses, to the number of seventeen, by about thirty abbots, and an immense multitude of the clergy and people.

Oct 1139. The Empress at Bristol Castle-Cruelties at Gloucester. This lady (age 37) stayed at Bristol more than two months, receiving homage from all, and exercising the prerogatives of the crown of England at her pleasure. She went there in the month of October, and came on the eighteenth of the calends of November (15th October) to Gloucester, where she received the submission and homage of the citizens and the people of the neighbourhood. But tortures worthy of Decius and Nero, and death in various shapes, were inflicted on those who refused to do her homage, and chose to maintain their fealty to the king; and the city, glorious in past ages, was filled with shrieks and fearful torments, and became horrible to those who inhabited it. In the midst of these miseries the king laid siege to the castle of Wallingford [Map], which stood out against him. Weary of the long siege, and having erected forts in opposition to it, he marched away, and encamped near Malmesbury, where he also threw up works against his adversaries, the authors of rebellion.

1139. The City and Cathedral of Worcester Sacked. Meanwhile sad tidings came to the ears of the citizens of Worcester. It was generally reported that the city would, ere long, be sacked by the enemy, and, having been pillaged, be set on fire. Terrified by these reports, the citizens of Worcester consulted as to what was best to be done. After this council they had recourse for refuge in their misery to the sanctuary of the most high God the Father, and his most blessed Mother, and committed themselves and all theirs to his divine protection, under their patron saints, SS. Oswald and Wulfstan, bishops of that city. Then might be seen crowds of the citizens carrying their goods into the church. Oh, wretched sight! Behold the house of God, which should have been entered with oblations, where the sacrifice of praise should have been offered, and the most solemn vows paid, seems now but a warehouse for furniture! Behold the principal conventual church of the whole diocese is converted into quarters for the townsmen, and a sort of council-chamber; for little room is left for the servants of God in a hostelry crowded with chests and sacks. Within is heard the chaunt of the clergy, without the wailing of children; and the notes of the choir are mingled with the sobs of infants at the breast, and the cries of sorrowing mothers. Oh, misery of miseries to behold! There stands the high altar, stripped of its ornaments, the crucifix removed, and the image of Mary, the most holy Mother of God, taken away. Curtains and palls, albs and copes, stoles and chasubles, are secreted in recesses of the walls. All that gave grace and pomp to the celebration of divine service, on the festivals of the saints, all the wonted magnificence, had vanished. These things were all put out of the way, from fear of the enemy, lest he should come upon them by surprise, and sweeping off all he could lay hands on, succeed in his insane enterprise.

Nov 1139. And now, the plunder being carried off, and numbers of buildings burnt, the host of fierce revellers draw off, never to return on such a foul enterprise. The earl¹ came to Worcester on the thirteenth of November, and, beholding the ravages of the flames, mourned over the city, and felt that the evil was done to himself. Wherefore, burning for revenge, he hastened to Sudely, with a body of troops, having heard that John Fitz-Harold had revolted against the king, and joined the earl of Gloucester. If it be inquired what the earl did there, the reply is such as it is scarcely fit to record: returning evil for evil, he seized the people, their goods, and cattle; and, carrying them off, returned the next day to Worcester.

Note 1. Not the earl of Gloucester, it is evident. The author's words are -Comes civitatis Wigorniam venit. During the reign of Henry I. Walter de Beauchamp was viscount or sheriff of Worcestershire, in right of his wife Emmeline, daughter and heiress of Urso d'Abitot, appointed to that office by the Conqueror. On the accession of king Stephen be deprived William de Beauchamp (age 34), who had succeeded his father, Walter, of that dignity, and for a time gave the castle and city of Worcester to Waleran (age 35), earl of Mellent, with the title of earl of Worcester. This nobleman is therefore probably the person meant by our author; and what appears in the text is agreeable to the character given of him by the author of "Gesta Stephani," p. 309. He did not, however, long retain his honours in Worcestershire, being deprived of them by the empress Maud.

1140. King Stephen goes to Oxford, and thence to Salisbury. From Worcester the king proceeded to Oxford, and from thence, with his court, to Salisbury, where he intended to celebrate the feast of Christmas, and, as was the royal custom, to wear his crown. The canons presented him with two thousand pounds, and he granted them entire exemption from all taxes on their lands; moreover, he gave them twenty marks for their own use, and forty for roofing the church; and promised that when peace was restored, he would refund to them what they had bestowed upon him.

31 Jan 1140. Winchcombe and other places attacked. Milo, the ex-constable, having assembled a numerous body of troops, assaulted Winchcombe on Thursday, the second of the calends of February [31st January], and burnt the greatest part of the place, which he plundered; and carried off those whom he had stripped of their goods, to exact from them, most unjustly, the Mammon of unrighteousness [in the shape of ransom]. Thence he diverged to Sudely, but whilst he was meditating an attack, the royal garrison of the place fell on him, and forced him to retreat, leaving, as it is reported, two of his men dead on the spot, and fifteen taken prisoners. The king and the earl of Worcester came with a large army to Worcester, and after a few days, the earl first, and then the king, advanced to Little Hereford in great force, for the purpose of driving out their enemies. During the king's abode in those parts, the earl, mindful of the injuries received from his townsmen, attacked Tewkesbury with a strong body of men-at-arms, and burnt the magnificent house of the earl of Gloucester, which was within a mile of Gloucester, and everything in its vicinity, as well as some property belonging to others; but, yielding to the supplications of the lord abbot and monks of Tewkesbury, he spared their possessions. Having taken much spoil, both of men and of their goods and cattle, he was moved by clemency to order the release of the captives, and permit them to return to their homes; and on the morrow he returned to Worcester, declaring to all that he had scarcely ever made such a conflagration either in Normandy or England. The king, also, on his return to Worcester, set forward on the road to Oxford.

1140. The before-mentioned Maurice and Uhtred were consecrated bishops of Bangor and Llandaff by Theobald (age 50), archbishop of Canterbury, assisted by the bishops of Hereford and Exeter. The king, on his arrival at Winchester, by the advice of his barons, gave the bishopric of Salisbury to Philip, his chancellor, and the abbey of Fécamp to Henry, a monk who was his kinsman.

1140. The sun was eclipsed while the moon was in the tail of the Dragon, but it illumined the head.

1140. A compact was made between Philip, king of France, and Stephen, king of England, after consulting their barons, that Stephen's son should marry the sister of the king of France. The betrothal took place abroad in the month of February, in the presence of the queen-mother of England and a great number of English nobles there assembled.

1140. Robert Fitz-Hubert, a Freebooter. There was a certain knight, whose name was Robert, the son of a nobleman named Hubert. This man, fearing neither God nor man, but trusting solely to his own might, took the castle of Malmesbury by a well-devised stratagem. Some of the king's knights, who were quartered there, took refuge in the church of St. Aldhelm [Map], the bishop, for sanctuary. Pressing these to surrender, he one day burst into the chapter-house of the monks, at the head of armed men, and with terrible threats required them, on pain of confiscation of their property, to give up the illustrious royalists, with their horses. They, however, in horror at permitting the peace of God, and their patron, St. Aldhelm, being broken, refused to consent to his demand; but at last, although reluctantly, to appease his fury, they gave up the horses. After Robert Fitz-Hubert had held the castle for ome time, and had exhausted the whole neighbourhood by his ravages, the king came to its succour, and besieged the place for nearly eight days. William d'Ypres, a kinsman, they say, of this Robert, was the go-between for the surrender of the castle, and settled, at last, with the king, terms of peacethe castle being given up, with entire submission to his royal rights; which was done.

1140. Meanwhile, Robert joined the earl of Gloucester, proposing to stay with him for a time, but all the while meditating treachery. Not long afterwards, as he had neither sense nor inclination to follow a right course, but still thirsted for blood, he betook himself, with his own retainers, to Devizes, without the earl's knowledge; and having first made a compact with his followers, that the castle, once taken, should never be surrendered, he scaled the wall by force or stratagem¹, and sounded the note of triumph to the king's soldiers in the garrison, stormed by surprise the exterior forts, and made many the victims of his cruelty. Four days afterwards, by force or fraud, he got possession of the citadel within, and, in the pride of his heart, ravaged every part of the neighbourhood by day and by night, doing incessantly all the damage he could. At last, he repaired to John, a knight of renown, who then held the castle of Marlborough under fealty to the king, and required him, with threats, to follow his advice, or rather his injunction, and agree with him and hold with him in wreaking his satanic malice, not only on the king, but on the earl and every one else; menacing him, on his refusal, that he should forfeit his life when he least expected it. John replied: "In the name of God, I would rather make another man my prisoner than be taken myself;" and immediately seized him, and throwing him into confinement, in just retaliation caused all the tortures which he had inflicted on others to be exhausted on himself

Note. 1. He gained the summit in the night time by means of scaling ladders made of thongs. Cf. the account of this ruffian in the "Gesta Stephani,", pp. 374, &c. Malmesbury also gives some strange anecdotes of his barbarity.

Before 15 Aug 1140. Before the Assumption of St. Mary [15th August], the earl of Gloucester marched his arny towards Bath, but the king had long before despatched light troops to watch the enemy's motions, and place an ambuscade for the defence of themselves and the country. The two parties met; on the one side were the king's troops, among whom were two knights, John and Roger, both men of spirit and courage; on the other side were the earl's retainers. Many were taken prisoners; were wounded and slain; one of whom, Geoffrey Talbot¹, a bold but crafty knight, now joining the king, now the earl, and thus steeped in treachery, was mortally wounded, and dying in consequence on the eleventh of the calends of September [22 August], was buried with the canons at Gloucester. The royal troops, however, gained the victory.

Note 1. See "Gesta Stephani," pp. 351—376.-Antiq. Lib. It was this Geoffrey Talbot who sacked and burnt Hereford. See before, pp. 261 and 272.

1140. A certain monk, of profound learning and knowledge, Peter by name, was preferred to the abbey of Malmesbury by Henry (age 42), bishop of Winchester, and legate of the holy Roman church. Having assumed the monastic habit at Cluni, he filled for some time the office of prior of La Charité, and was removed from thence to preside over the monastery of St. Urban, pope, in the diocese of Catalonia, but troubles increasing and threatening his own safety, he was compelled to quit the place, and at the instance of the before-mentioned bishop of Winchester, came to England, and this year undertook the government of the aforesaid church.

11 May 1141. A violent thunder-storm. About this time a terrible occurrence took place in the diocese of Worcester, which we think is worthy relating. On Wednesday before the octave of our Lord's Ascension [11th May], about the ninth hour of the day, at a village called Walesburn, distant one mile from Hampton, the country seat of the bishop of Worcester¹, there arose a violent whirlwind, accompanied by a frightful darkness reaching from earth to heaven, which striking the house of a priest named Leofrid levelled it to the ground and shattered it to pieces, with all the out-buildings; it also tore off the roof of the church, and carried it across the river Avon. Nearly fifty houses of the villagers were thrown down and ruined in the same way. Hailstones also fell as large as a pigeon's egg, which striking a woman caused her death. At this spectacle all present were filled with terror and dismay.

Note 1. Hampton-Lucy, near Stratford-upon-Avon.

The bishop of Winchester, who was also legate of the holy Roman church, perceiving this, turned his mind to his brother's liberation, and to accomplish it, gained over the good-will and influence of the Londoners to his purpose. Meanwhile, the fugitive lady reached Gloucester, by way of Oxford, where, having consulted with Milo, the ex-constable, she immediately returned with him to Oxford, intending to tarry there while she re-assembled her scattered troops. And as she had chiefly used the counsel, and been supported by the assistance of Milo, insomuch that up to that time she had neither received provisions for a single day, nor had her table served, except by his munificence and forethought, as we have heard from Milo's own mouth¹, she conferred upon him while she was there the earldom of Hereford, to bind him more closely to her service, and as a distinguished reward for it.

Note 1. It appears from this and other incidental notices, that the monk of Worcester, to whom we are indebted for the continuation of the Chronicle of Florence, was not only cotemporary with the events be describes, but had access to persons of rank who took a leading part in them.

01 Aug 1141. The siege and "rout" of Winchester. Her forces having increased in power and numbers, on the approach of the feast of St. Peter ad Vincula [1st August], she went to Winchester, unknown to her brother, the earl of Bristol, but finding the place already indisposed towards her, she took up her quarters in the castle. Astonished at her unexpected arrival, and exceedingly disturbed in consequence, Henry, bishop of that city, left it by another gate, and withdrew himself then and for ever from her presence. They being now at variance, this wealthy city, so glorious for ages, and whose fame was renowned through all lands, was suddenly placed in a state of siege, kinsfolk engaging in mutual hostilities, and the inhabitants and their goods being destroyed by common and mercenary soldiers, who, breathing fury, spread themselves through it for this purpose. Nor did this alone suffice to satisfy the bishop's wrath, for goaded by rage, and to strike terror and dismay into the hearts of the people, he determined to set fire to the city and burn it to the ground; and this he did. Thus on the second of the month of August, having. fired the city, he reduced to ashes the monastery of nuns with its buildings, more than forty churches, with the largest and best part of the place, and, lastly, the monastery of monks devoted to God and St. Grimbald, with its buildings.

1141. There was in this church of St. Grimbald a great and holy cross, made long since by order of king Canute, and by him exquisitely enriched with gold and silver, jewels and precious stones. Wonderful to relate, this cross, on the approach of the flames, as if conscious of the impending danger, began to sweat and grow black before the eyes of the monks who were present, yea, it waxed as black as the incendiaries themselves; and the very instant it caught fire, three awful claps of loud thunder sounded as it were from heaven. The city being thus burnt within and beleagured by the enemy without, the bishop is reported to have said to the earl of Northampton, "Behold, lord earl, you have my command, let it be your business to raze it to the ground;" words which disclose the inmost feelings of the speaker's heart. Seven weeks having been spent in the siege, the bishop, weary at last of its long duration, on the eve of the day preceding the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross [14th September], ordered to be proclaimed throughout the city, and the gates to be peace thrown open.

1141. The empress had already mounted her horse, accompanied and guided by her brother, Reginald; leaving more than two hundred cavalry under the command of the earl of Bristol [Gloucester], as a rear-guard, when the bishop suddenly ordered his troops to fly to arms, and making a desperate attack on the enemy, take as many prisoners as they could. Many were thus captured, and very many scattered and slain, among whom was a knight named William de Curcell, with six troopers; and he was buried at St. Grimbald's. The lady [Matilda], learning this, was in great terror and dismay, and reached the castle of Luggershall, for which she was making, sad and sorrowful; but she found it no safe resting-place for fear of the bishop. In consequence, by the advice of her friends, she once more mounted her horse, male fashion, and was conducted to Devizes; but apprehending that she should not be safe from her pursuers even there, she was placed, already nearly half-dead, upon a hearse, and being bound with cords like a corpse, and borne upon horses, was carried, ignominiously enough, to the city of Gloucester.¹

Note 1. A very circumstantial account of the siege of Winchester, and the "rout" of Matilda's forces is given in the "Gesta Stephani," pp. 386-390. Our author bere adds some curious details connected with her escape, which we may conclude, from his position, he derived from local information.

1141. Meanwhile, her brother, Robert (age 42), the earl of Bristol [Gloucester], having left Winchester by another road, was hard pressed by those who went in pursuit, and being captured at Stolbridge by the Flemings, under earl Warrene, and brought to the queen, who was residing there, was by her command given in custody to William d' Ypres, and confined at Rochester. Milo, earl of Hereford, being hemmed in by the enemy, threw off his armour and all his accoutrements, and, glad to escape with his life, fled in disgrace, reaching Gloucester, weary, alone, and half naked. John, also, their abettor, was pursued by the bishop's soldiers to the monastery of Wherwell, where he had taken refuge; and being unable to drive him out, they set fire to the church of St. Cross, on the very day of the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross [14th September], burnt it to the ground, with the nuns' houses and effects, and carried off, without scruple, their vestments, books, and ornaments, after much horrible effusion of human blood before the holy altar; but yet they could neither take nor drive out John before mentioned. Elfrida, the wife of Edgar, the glorious king of England, [during his reign]¹ erected this monastery in honour of St. Cross, being struck with remorse for the murder of her step-son.

Note 1. The words between the brackets convey a gross anachronism. King Edgar died in 975, and St. Edward, who succeeded him, was murdered in 978. A note in the margin of one of the MSS. states the fact that "Aelfdryth" erected the monastery of St. Cross with the motive here stated, but omits the words in the text, which assigns a date to the foundation incompatible with the facts.

1141. After these events, bishop Henry's wrath being somewhat appeased, while his covetousness knew no bounds, at the suggestion of the prior of the new minster which had been just burnt down, he recovered from the ashes of the cross five hundred pounds of silver, thirty marks of gold, and three crowns, with as many steps of the purest Arabian gold studded all round with precious stones of most exquisite and admirable workmanship, and laid them up in his own treasury.

1141. Stephen exchanged for the Earl of Gloucester. Meanwhile, the king and the earl were kept in custody, but the queen employing herself actively on the king's behalf, and the countess using great exertions for the earl, after many messengers and confidential friends had passed to and fro between them, the following terms were the result of the deliberations on both sides; namely, that the king being restored to his royal dignity, and the earl being invested with the dominion of the whole of England under him, both should become just administrators and restorers of the peace in the government and country, as they had hitherto been the authors and promoters of all its dissensions and disturbances. But the earl refusing to carry this into effect, without the consent of the empress, his sister, repudiated all that had been concerted in the affair, and utterly rejected all terms of peace and alliance with the king. Whence it came to pass that they parted without any pacification, and during the whole of the ensuing year, in all parts of the kingdom and country, pillage of the poor, slaughter of men, and violation of churches ... cruelly ...¹

Note 1. The old printed text ends here abruptly. In one of the MSS. the interval between the year 1141, where the first Continuation of Florence's Chronicle terminates, and the year 1152, where the second Continuation begins, is supplied by a transcript from Henry Huntingdon's history of that period, for which see pp. 273—291, Antiq. Lib. THE END OF THE FIRST CONTINUATION OF FLORENCE OF WORCESTER.