Great Britain -- History -- Anglo-Saxon period, 449-1066 -- Sources
This year David King of Scotland entered this land with an immense
army resolving to conquer it, and William Earl of Albemarle, to whose
charge the King had committed York, and other trusty men, came against
him with few troops, and fought with him, and they put the King to
flight at the Standard, and slew a great part of his followers.
1140.
This year Stephen attempted to take Robert Earl of Gloucester the son
of King Henry, but failed, for Robert was aware of his purpose.--After
this, in Lent, the sun and the day were darkened about noon, when men
eat, so that they lighted candles to eat by. This was on the 13th of
the calends of April, and the people were greatly astonished. After
this William Archbishop of Canterbury died, and the King made Theobald
Abbot of Bec Archbishop. Then there arose a very great war between the
King and Randolf Earl of Chester, not because the King did not give
him all that he could ask, even as he did to all others, but that the
more he gave them, the worse they always carried themselves to him.
The Earl held Lincoln against the King, and seized all that belonged
to the King there, and the King went thither, and besieged him and his
brother William de Romare in the castle: and the Earl stole out and
went for Robert Earl of Gloucester, and brought him thither with a
large army; and they fought furiously against their Lord on Candlemas
day, and they took him captive, for his men betrayed him and fled, and
they led him to Bristol, and there they put him into prison and close
confinement. Now was all England more disturbed than before, and all
evil was in the land. After this, King Henry’s daughter, who had been
Empress of Germany, and was now Countess of of Anjou, arrived, and
she came to London, and the citizens would have seized her, but she
fled with much loss. Then Henry Bishop of Winchester, King Stephen’s
brother, spake with Earl Robert and with the Empress, and swore them
oaths that he never more would hold with the King his brother, and he
cursed all those that did hold with him, and he said that he would
give up Winchester to them, and he made them come thither. But when
they were in that place Stephen’s Queen brought up her strength and
besieged them, till there was so great a famine in the town, they could
endure it no longer. Then stole they out and fled, and the besiegers
were aware of them, and followed them, and they took Robert Earl of
Gloucester and led him to Rochester, and imprisoned him there: and the
Empress fled into a monastery. Then wise men, friends of the King and
of the Earl, interfered between them, and they settled that the King
should be let out of prison for the Earl, and the Earl for the King;
and this was done. After this the King and Earl Randolf were reconciled
at Stamford, and they took oaths and pledged their troth, that neither
would betray the other: but this promise was set at nought, for the
King afterwards seized the Earl in Northampton through wicked counsel,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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