[Sidenote: His zeale to iustice.] With iustice he ruled the commons quietlie, and enterteined the nobles honorablie. Théeues, counterfeiters of monie, and other transgressors he caused to be sought out with great diligence, and when they were found, to be punished with great seueritie. Neither did he neglect reformations of certeine naughtie abuses. [Sidenote: _Simon Dun._ Théeues appointed to be hanged.] And (as one author hath written) he ordeined that théeues should suffer death by hanging. When he heard that such peeces of monie as were cracked would not be receiued amongest the people, although the same were good and fine siluer, he caused all the coine in the realme to be either broken or slit. He was sober of diet, vsed to eat rather for the quailing of hunger, than to pamper himselfe with manie daintie sorts of banketting dishes. He neuer dranke but when thirst mooued him, he would sléepe soundlie and snore oftentimes till he awaked therewith. [Sidenote: His policie.] He pursued his warres rather by policie than by the sword, and ouercame his enimies so neere as he could without bloudshed, which if it might not be, yet with as little slaughter as was possible. [Sidenote: His praise for his princelie government.] To conclude, he was not inferiour to any of the kings that reigned in those daies, in wisedome and policie, and so behaued himselfe, that he was honoured of the Nobles, and beloued of the commons. [Sidenote: Reading abbey builded.] He builded diuerse abbeies both in England and Normandie, but Reading was the chéefe. He builded the manour of Woodstocke, with the parke there, wherein (beside the great store of deere) he appointed diuerse strange beasts to be kept and nourished, which were brought and sent vnto him from foreign countries farre distant, as lions, lepards, lynxes, and porcupines. His estimation was such among outlandish princes, that few would willinglie offend him. [Sidenote: Murcherdach K. of Ireland.] Murcherdach king of Ireland & his successors had him in such reuerence, that they durst doo nothing but what he commanded, nor write any thing but what might stand with his pleasure, though at the first the same Morchad attempted something against the Englishmen more than held with reason, but afterward (vpon restraint of the entercourse of merchandize) he was glad to shew himselfe more fréendlie. [Sidenote: The earle of Orkney.] Moreouer the earle of Orkney, although he was the king of Norwaies subiect, yet did he what he could to procure king Henries fréendship, sending such strange beasts and other things to him oftentimes as presents, wherein he knew the king tooke great delight and pleasure. [Sidenote: Roger bishop of Salisburie.] He had in singular fauour aboue all other of his councell, Roger, the bishop of Salisburie, a politike prelate, and one that knew how to order matters of great importance, vnto whome he committed the gouernment of the realme most commonlie whilest he remained in Normandie.