Caesariem Caesar tibi si natura negauit, Hanc Willielme tibi stella comata dedit.
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Duke William sent diuers Ambassadours to Harold; first to demaund perfourmance of his oath, afterward to mooue him to some moderate agreement. But ambition, a reasonlesse and restlesse humour, made him obstinate against all offers or inducements of peace. So they prepared to buckle in armes; equall both in courage and in ambitious desires, equall in confidence of their fortune: but Harold was the more aduenturous, William the more aduised man: Harold was more strong in Souldiers, William in Alies and friends. Harold was seated in possession, which in case of a kingdome is oftentimes with facilitie attained, but retained hardly: William pretended the donation of King Edward, and that he was neere vnto him in blood by the mothers side.
Now there wanted not precedents, both ancient and of later times, that free kingdomes and principalities, not setled by custome in succession of blood, haue been transported euen to strangers by way of guift. Attalus king of Pergamus[9] did constitute the people of Rome his heire; by force wherof they made his kingdome a part of their empire. Nicomedes King41 of Bithynia[10] made the people of Rome likewise his heire; whereupon his kingdome was reduced to the forme of a Prouince. So Alexander King of Egypt,[11] gaue Alexandria and the kingdome of Egypt; and so Ptolemie gaue the kingdome of Cyrene to the same people of Rome. Prasutagus[12] one of the kings of great Britaine, gaue the kingdome of the Iceni to Caesar Nero, and to his daughters. Yea, in the Imperial state of Rome, Augustus designed Tiberius to be his successour; and by like appointment Nero became successour
to Claudius; Traiane to Nerua; Antonius Pius to Adrian; and Antoninus the Philosopher to another Antoninus. When the Emperour Galba[13] did openly appoint Piso for his successour, he declared to the people, that the same custome had been obserued by most approued and ancient Princes. Iugurth being adopted by Mycipsa,[14] succeeded him in the kingdome of Numidia; and that by the iudgement as well of Mycipsa himselfe, as of the Senate and people of Rome.
The holy histories report that Salomon[15] gaue twentie cities to Hiram king of Tyre: and if the argument be good from the part to the whole, he might in like sort haue disposed of all his42 kingdome. Who hath not heard of the donation falsly attributed to Constantine the great, being in trueth the donation of Lewis, sirnamed the pious; whereby he gaue to Pope Paschal the citie of
Rome, and a large territorie adioyning vnto it; the instrument of which gift Volaterrane[16] doth recite. So the Ladie Matild, daughter to Roger the most famous Prince of Cicilie, and wife to king Conrade, sonne to Henrie[17] the 4. Emperour, gaue the Marquisate
of Apulia to the Bishop of Rome: which when the Emperour Otho the 4. refused to deliuer, hee was for that cause excommunicate by the Pope. In like sort the countrey of Daulphin[18] was giuen by Prince Vmbert to the King of France, vpon condition, that the eldest sonne of France should afterward be called Daulphine. Lastly, the Dukes first auncestor Rollo, receiued the Dukedome of Normandie by donation of Charles King of France: And himselfe held the Countie of Maine by donation of Earle Herebert, as before it is shewed. And by donation of the King of Britaine, Hengist obtained Kent; the first kingdome of the English Saxons in Britaine. After which time the Countrey was neuer long time free from inuasion: first, by43 the English and Saxons against the Britaines, afterward by the seuen Saxon kingdomes among themselues, and then lastly by the Danes. By meanes whereof the kingdome at that time could not bee setled in any certaine forme of succession by blood, as it hath been since; but was held for the most part in absolute dominion, and did often passe by transaction or gift: and he whose sword could cut best, was alwaies adiudged to haue most right. But of this question more shall hereafter be said, in the beginning of the life of King William the second.
Touching his propinquity in blood to King Edward by the mothers side, he enforced it to be a good title: because King Edward not long before had taken succession from Hardicanutus, to whom hee was brother by the mothers side. And although King Edward was also descended from the Saxon Kings, yet could not he deriue from them any right: For that Edgar and his sisters were then
aliue, descended from Edmund Ironside, elder brother to King Edward. Hee could haue no true right of succession, but onely from Hardicanutus the Dane. So Pepine, when he was possessed of the State of France, did openly publish, that hee was descended of44 the blood of Charles the Great, by the mothers side. And albeit the said Edgar was both neerer to King Edward then the Duke of Normandie, and also ioyned to him in blood by the fathers side; yet was that no sufficient defence for Harold. The vsurped posses-
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sion of Harold[19] could not be defended, by alleaging a better title of a third person. The iniurie which hee did to Edgar, could not serue him for a title against any other.
These grounds of his pretence, beautified with large amplifications of the benefits which he had done to King Edward, he imparted to the Bishop of Rome; who at time was reputed the arbitrator of controuersies which did rise betweene princes. And the rather to procure his fauour, and to gaine the countenance of religion to his cause, hee promised to hold the kingdome of England of the Apostolike Sea. Hereupon Alexander then Bishop of Rome allowed his title, and sent vnto him a white hallowed banner, to aduance vpon the prowe of his ship: also an Agnus Dei of gold, and one of S. Peters haires, together with his blessing to begin the enterprise. But now concerning his further procee45dings, concerning his victorious both entrance and cotinuance within the Realme of England, two points are worthy to be considered: one, how he being a man of no great either power or dominion, did so suddenly preuaile against a couragious King, possessed of a large and puissant State. The other is, how he so secured his victorie, as not the English, not the Britains, not the Danes, not any other could dispossesse or much disturbe him & his posteritie, from enioying the fayre fruits thereof. And if we giue to either of these their true respects, wee shall find his commendation to consist, not so much
in the first, as in the second: because that was effected chiefly by force, this by wisedome only; which as it is most proper to man, so few men doe therein excell. Hee that winneth a State surmounteth onely outward difficulties; but he that assureth the same, trauaileth as well against internall weaknes, as external strength. To attaine a Kingdome is many times a gift of Fortune; but to prouide that it may long time continue firme, is not onely to oppose against humane forces, but against the very malice of Fortune, or rather the power and wrath of time, whereby all things are na46turally inclineable to change.
For the first then, besides the secret working and will of God, which is the cause of all causes; besides the sinnes of the people, for which (the Prophet saith,) Kingdomes are transported from one Nation to another: King Edward not long before made a manifest way for this inuasion and change. For although he was English by birth, yet by reason of his education in Normandie, he was altogether become a Normane, both in affection and in behauiour of life. So as in imitation of him, the English abandoned the ancient vsages of their Country, and with great affection or affectation rather, conformed themselues to the fashions of France.[20] His chiefe acquaintance and familiar friends were no other then Normans; towards whom being a milde and soft spirited Prince, he was very bountifull, and almost immoderate in his fauours. These he enriched with great possessions; these he honoured with the highest places both of dignitie and charge. Chiefly he aduanced diuers of them to the best degrees of dignitie in the Church: by whose fauour Duke William afterward was both animated & aided in his exploit. Generally as the whole Clergie47 of England conceiued
a hard opinion of Harold; for that vpon the same day wherein King Edward was buried, he set the Crowne vpon his owne head, without Religious Ceremonies, without any solemnities of Coronation: so they durst not for feare of the Popes