promittere, justitiam, aequitatem et misericordiam se per totum regnum, si rex foret, in omni negotio servaturum; pacem, libertatem, securitatem ecclesiarum contra omnes defensurum, nec non praeceptis atque consiliis ejus per omnia et in omnibus obtemperaturum.

A.D. 1088. WILL. MALMESB., Gesta Regum, lib. iv. § 306. [Rex] videns Normannos pene omnes in una rabie conspiratos, Anglos probos et fortes viros, qui adhuc residui erant, invitatoriis scriptis accersiit; quibus super injuriis suis querimoniam faciens, bonasque leges, et tributorum levamen, liberasque venationes pollicens, fidelitati suae obligavit. Anglos suos appellat, jubet ut compatriotas advocent ad obsidionem (Rovecestrae) venire, nisi si qui velint sub nomine Nithing, quod nequam sonat, remanere. Angli qui nihil miserius putarent quam hujusce vocabuli dedecore aduri, catervatim ad regem confluunt et invincibilem exercitum faciunt.

A.D. 1093. EADMER, Hist. Nov. i. p. 16. Valida infirmitas corripuit [regem]. Adquiescit ipse [rex] et corde compunctus, cuncta quae viri [Anselmi] sententia tulit se facturum, necnon totam vitam suam in mansuetudine et justitia amplius servaturum pollicetur. Spondet in hoc fidem suam, et vades inter se et Deum facit episcopos suos, mittens qui hoe votum suum Deo super altare sua vice promittant. Scribitur edictum regioque sigillo firmatur, quatenus captivi quicunque sunt in omni dominatione sua relaxentur, omnia debita irrevocabiliter remittantur, omnes offensiones antehaec perpetratae, indulta remissione perpetuae oblivioni tradantur. Promittuntur insuper omni populo bonae et sanctae leges, inviolabilis observatio juris, injuriarum gravis et quae terreat ceteros examinatio.

FLOR. WIGORN., ad ann. 1094. Quod cum regi innotuerit (sc. obsessio castelli de Holm), nuntiis in Angliam missis, xx millia pedonum in Normanniam jussit sibi in auxilium mitti. Quibus ut mare transirent Heastingae congregatis, pecuniam quae data fuerat eis ad victum, Rannulfus Passeflambardus praecepto regis abstulit, scilicet unicuique decem solidos, et eos domum repedare mandavit; pecuniam vero regi transmisit.

WILL. MALMESB., Gesta Regum, iv. § 319. Nihilo secius in homines grassabantur [curiales] primo pecuniam deinde terras auferentes. Non pauperem tenuitas, non opulentum copia tuebatur: venationes quas rex primo indulserat, adeo prohibuit, ut capitale esset supplicium prendisse cervum.

A.D. 1100-1135. HENRY I.

Archbishops of Canterbury. Anselm, 1993-11c9; Ralph of Escures,
1114-1122; William of Corbeil, 1123-1135.

Chief Justices. Robert Bloett, 1100-1107; Roger le Poor, Bishop of
Salisbury, 1107-1135.

Chancellors. William Giffard, 1100-1101; Roger le Poor, 1101-1103;
William Giffard, 1103-1104; Waldric, 1104; Ranulf, 1108-1123;
Geoffrey Rufus, 1124-1135.

Although the reign of Henry I was a period of irresponsible despotism on the king's part, and of great suffering, from several causes, on the part of the English, it is to it that we trace back the exact lines of the process by which the reviving liberties of the nation were to assert themselves. This is due, first, to the fact of the necessary alliance between the king and the people, which resulted from his questionable title to the throne, the competition of his brother Robert, the existence of the powerful baronage under Robert of Belesme, which was anxious to take advantage of the weakness of the king to secure its own practical independence, and the unity of the interest of the king and people against their common enemy. This alliance was ostensibly secured by the careful legality of Henry's election and coronation, by his charter of liberties, and by his marriage with an English lady who inherited a share of the claims of the West Saxon Kings; and the practical results appeared in the steady support given by the native population to Henry against his competitors and assailants, and in the promises of good government by which that support was requited.

But not less important, constitutionally, is the result of 2 Henry's complete triumph; which not only made him one of the most influential princes in Europe, but placed in his hands, by the forfeiture and degradation of his most powerful vassals, an amount of territory and completeness of jurisdiction in England greater than had fallen to the lot of his father. Thus strengthened,—and this is especially apparent after the fall of Robert of

Belesme,-Henry followed out his father's principles of avoiding the redistribution of territory and jurisdiction on a large scale, and attempted, by centralization and systematic machinery, to unite the kingdom under a strong royal administration. Whilst, with this intention, he organized the judicial system of the Curia Regis, and the financial system of the Exchequer, on the one hand, on the other he restored or strengthened the county courts, granted charters to the boroughs, and authorized the foundation of trade guilds in the towns. By judicial journeys of the Justiciar and Barons of the Exchequer he brought the supreme jurisdiction into contact with the provincial organization, and reduced the hereditary franchises of the nobles to comparative harmlessness. In these measures he led the way for the great reforms of his grandson. But we are not to suppose that under Henry I the security of life and property which resulted from these measures was based on anything more permanent than royal will or routine. Henry I was not a lawgiver, nor did he entrust the national council with any freedom of legislative action. His relation with the barons, the clergy, and the people rendered this impossible. His charter of liberties, then, remains the sole legislative act of his reign, for the Custumal known as 'The Laws of Henry I' is a compilation of later date. But there are considerable evidences of judicial and administrative activity in the numerous charters of the reign, and in the valuable record of Exchequer proceedings known as the Pipe Roll of the 31st of Henry I.

A third influential characteristic of the period was the stand, 3. len mainly successful, made by S. Anselm on behalf of ecclesiastical liberties, which, although it had no immediate bearing on the framework of the constitution, secured the existence of a limit ‹ on royal irresponsibility in one direction at least, taught the nation the possibility of vindicating freedom, and created a class of politicians springing from the people, trusted by the sovereign, and sincerely interested in the maintenance of law and peace. How largely this was the case appears from the fact, that it is from the clergy only that any real check upon the royal power proceeds for more than a century. They only resist arbitrary

taxation; and, whether struggling for the national good, or, as in some instances, for their class privileges, maintain the recollection and idea of freedom.

Notwithstanding the existence of these influences, which were now only germinating, the condition of England under Henry I was very unhappy. Although he kept good peace, and by his strong administrative system secured justice between man and man, class and class, his foreign wars and domestic expenses axali necessitated frequent taxation, against which no class of his subVjects could even remonstrate, and the pressure of which, owing to a singularly long succession of bad seasons, was especially heavy on the country. It is no small praise to Henry, as a ruler, that while the Chronicles are full of lamentations over the miseries of the reign, he is recognized as the Lion of Justice or Righteousness of Merlin's prophecy, and looked upon more or less as a national or English king, whose laws, or rather customs, like those of Edward the Confessor, become the text of the liberties which, when the nation has become strong and thoroughly consolidated, are to be vindicated against his successors.

EXCERPTS.

A.D. 1100. WILL. MALMESB., Gesta Regum, v. § 393. Occiso vero rege Willelmo,... (Henricus) in regem electus est, aliquantis tamen ante controversiis inter proceres agitatis atque sopitis ; annitente maxime comite Warwicensi Henrico, viro integro et sancto, cujus familiari jamdudum usus fuerat contubernio. Itaque edicto statim per Angliam misso, injustitias a fratre et Rannulfo institutas prohibuit, pensionum et vinculorum gratiam fecit; effeminatos curia propellens, lucernarum usum noctibus in curia restituit qui fuerat tempore fratris intermissus; antiquarum moderationem legum revocavit in solidum, sacramento suo et omnium procerum, ne luderentur corroborans.

EADMER, Hist. Nov. iii. p. 55. Henricus qui tunc noviter fratri defuncto in regnum successerat, in ipso suae consecrationis die bonas et sanctas omni populo leges se servaturum et omnes oppressiones et iniquitates quae sub fratre suo emerserant in omni sua dominatione, tam in ecclesiis quam in saecularibus negotiis, prohibiturum et subversurum spoponderat et haec omnia jurisjurandi interjectione firmata, sub monimento litte

rarum sigilli sui testimonio roboratarum, per totum regnum divulgatum iri praeceperat.

FLOR. WIG., ad ann. 1100. Legem regis Eadwardi omnibus in commune reddidit, cum illis emendationibus quibus pater suus illam emendavit; sed forestas quas ille constituit et habuit in manu sua retinuit.

WILL. MALMESB., Gesta Regum, v. § 394. Robertus interea, Normanniam veniens comitatum suum obsistente nullo recepit; quo audito omnes pene hujus terrae optimates fidei regi juratae transfugae fuere; quidam nullis exstantibus causis, quidam levibus occasiunculis emendicatis, quod nollet iis terras quas vellent ultro pro libito eorum impertiri. Soli Robertus Filius Hamonis, et Ricardus de Retvers, et Rogerius Bigot, et Robertus Comes de Mellento, cum fratre Henrico, justas partes fovebant. Ceterum omnes vel clam pro Roberto ut rex fieret mittere, vel palam contumeliis dominum inurere; Godricum eum et comparem Godgivam appellantes.

A.D. 1101. IB. § 395. Licet principibus deficientibus partes ejus solidae manebant, quas Anselmi archiepiscopi, cum episcopis suis, simul et omnium Anglorum tutabatur favor. Quapropter ipse provincialium fidei gratus et saluti providus, plerumque cuneos circuiens docebat quomodo militum ferociam eludentes, clypeos objectarent et ictus remitterent, quo effecit ut ultroneis votis pugnam deposcerent in nullo Normannos metuentes.

A.D. 1104. FLOR. WIG. ad ann. Willelmus comes de Moreteon exhaeredatus est de tota terra sua quam habuit in Anglia. Non facile potest narrari miseria quam sustinuit isto tempore terra Anglorum propter exactiones regias.

A.D. 1107. FLOR. WIG. ad ann. Annuit rex et statuit, ut ab eo tempore in reliquum, nunquam per dationem baculi pastoralis vel annuli quisquam de episcopatu aut abbatia per regem vel quamlibet laicam manum in Anglia investiretur; concedente quoque Anselmo ut nullus in praelationem electus, pro hominio quod regi faceret, consecratione suscepti honoris privaretur.

A.D. 1108. FLOR. WIG. ad ann. Rex Anglorum Henricus pacem firmam legemque talem constituit, ut si quis in furto vel latrocinio deprehensus fuisset suspenderetur. Monetam quoque corruptam et falsam sub tanta animadversione corrigi statuit, ut nullus qui posset deprehendi falsos denarios facere, aliqua redemptione quin oculos et inferiores corporis partes perderet juvari valeret. Et quoniam saepissime dun denarii eligebantur, flectebantur, rumpebantur, respuebantur, statuit ut nullus denarius vel