was somewhat advanced in years, but effeminate, a chamberknight rather than a brave soldier. However, soon after coming to the earldom, he happened for once to obtain a more brilliant success than any one would have given him credit for. For Henry de Tracey, a man of great experience in war, who was on the king's side, had fortified the castle of Cary, to straiten more conveniently the Earl of Gloucester, and extend his own power in the district; upon which the earl hearing of it, marched there suddenly with a large force, and demolished the works which Henry had commenced, compelling him to make a retreat. At that time Walter de Pincheny, who has been mentioned before, being released from his dungeon, mainly by the asistance of the Earl of Hereford, again flew to arms, and, assembling a gallant band of troops, he made an entry by a surprise into the castle of Christchurch, and killing some of those he found within, and putting others in chains, he ravaged the neighbourhood, and secured the lordship of a large district. But though he ought to have forsaken his old habits of cruelty and violence, lest through his sins he should fall once more into his enemies' hands, he continued to be still fierce and tyrannical; to plunder without mercy the possessions of the church; to worry his neighbours with quarrels, and continually to extort money and other offerings from all around, tormenting some and putting others to death for the mere love of cruelty. But God, the just judge, at length recompensed these grievous wrongs by a righteous judgment. For the inhabitants of this place, with some of the country folk, no longer able to bear his barbarity, forming a conspiracy with the soldiers on the lordship to which they belonged, and . . . . about the castle. Walter and his followers who had gone from the castle to the church of . . .. and implored him humbly to . . . . . his exactions; but he replying with an indignant power nay, that he would be more imperious than ever, one of them sprung forward and [severed] his neck with a single blow of a sharp axe. His years after her son Henry II.'s accession to the throne, dying at Rouen A.D. 1167. Her character is pourtrayed throughout this narrative in a just and vivid manner. 1 See p. 411. comrades were instantly despatched. those who ; at last were lying in ambush making their appearance those who held the castle forthwith. terms of peace were agreed on, and the castle was recovered. About the same [time] seized, by surprise the castle of Downton, which belonged of right to Earl Patrick, and gained by stratagem the possessions of the church of. .. the castle was plentifully victualled . . furnished with munitions of war, and a band of freebooters and other. was quartered in it1. . . . 'The imperfect state of the latter pages of our author's MS. and the loss of the conclusion of his memoirs, are much to be regretted. They probably extended to the death of Stephen, on the 25th of October, 1154, shortly after the pacification with Prince Henry. A short notice of the principal occurrences to that time will be found in the last pages of Huntingdon's History; but had our MS. been perfect, it would probably have thrown additional light on the important transactions which secured the reversion of the crown of England to Henry I. THE END. INDEX. ABERCURNIG (Abercorn), monastery, 33. 114. Acca, bishop of Hexham, 119. 126. Adgefrin, Northumberland, a royal Adhelm, bishop of Sherbourn, 118. Adrian, pope, 137. 139. journey to Rome, and eulogy in Ella, king of the South-Saxons, 44. ALFRED, king, consecrated by Pope 46, 47. Aellistreu, battle with the Saxons, 40. Etius, groans of the Britons to him, 34. Agilbert, a Frenchman, bishop of Win- Aidan, bishop of Lindisfarne, 97, 98. Alaric sacks Rome, 32. Alchred, king of Northumbria, 134, Alcluith (Dunbarton), 33. Aldulf, archbishop of York, 179. Leo, at Rome, 150; succeeds to the Alfric, archbishop of Canterbury, 179. Alfrid, king of Deira, 106. 114. 119. Algar, earl of Chester, 203, 204. Ambrosius Aurelius, 40, 41. Anlaf Curran, 173. Anlaf, king of Northumbria, 172. Anselm, archbishop of Canterbury, Appeals to Rome introduced, 287. Arthur, king of the Britons, 48. Athelard, archbishop of Canterbury, 139. 141. Athelney, Isle of, 156. Athelstan, king of Kent, 143; defeats Athelstan, king of Mercia, crowned at Attila, king of the Huns, 34. Augustine, St., abbey of, 76. 82. Badington, Robert de, a freebooter, Bagsac, a Danish king, 153. Baldulf, bishop of Rochester, 315. Baldwin de Rivers, 265. 337. 343, Baldwin Fitz-Gilbert, 277. 332. Belesme, Robert de, 241, 242. 245; Benedict, abbot of Wearmouth, 113. Britain, description of, 1. Burrhed, king of Mercia, 149, 150. Cadwalla, king of the West-Britons, Cadwalla, king of Wessex, 62. 113. Caldoet, Henry and Ralph, insurgents Canterbury, city, burnt by the Danes, Canute, king of Denmark and Norway, Cassibelaun, a British king, 13. Celibacy of the clergy enjoined, 241. Cenric, or Kenric, king of Wessex, Ceolfrid, abbot of Wearmouth, 113. Ceolred, king of Mercia, 118, 119. Ceolwulf, king of Wessex, 54, 55. Chalk-hythe synod, 137. Charlemagne, emperor, 134. 140. Child-Wulnoth, the South-Saxon, 187. Coifi, high-priest of Northumbria, 89, 90. Coinwalch, see Kenwalk. Crusade, the first, 226-236; the se- Cumbra, ealdorman of Wessex, 131, Cuthbert, St., bishop of Lindisfarne Cuthbert, archbishop of Canterbury, Cuthred, king of Wessex, 128, 129. Cuthwine, king of Wessex, 55. Dagobert, king of the Franks, 96.255. 102. Ceolwulf, king of Northumbria, 123. Danegelt first levied, 178; abolished, 126. 128. 134. 264. FF |