Anglo-Saxons -- Early works to 1800; Great Britain -- History -- Anglo-Saxon period, 449-1066 -- Sources
A.D. 1104. In this year at Christmas held the King Henry his
court at Westminster, and at Easter in Winchester, and at
Pentecost again at Westminster. This year was the first day of
Pentecost on the nones of June; and on the Tuesday following were
seen four circles at mid-day about the sun, of a white hue, each
described under the other as if they were measured. All that saw
it wondered; for they never remembered such before. Afterwards
were reconciled the Earl Robert of Normandy and Robert de
Belesme, whom the King Henry had before deprived of his lands,
and driven from England; and through their reconciliation the
King of England and the Earl of Normandy became adversaries. And
the king sent his folk over sea into Normandy; and the head-men
in that land received them, and with treachery to their lord, the
earl, lodged them in their castles, whence they committed many
outrages on the earl in plundering and burning. This year also
William, Earl of Moreton (134) went from this land into Normandy;
but after he was gone he acted against the king; because the king
stripped and deprived him of all that he had here in this land.
It is not easy to describe the misery of this land, which it was
suffering through various and manifold wrongs and impositions,
that never failed nor ceased; and wheresoever the king went,
there was full licence given to his company to harrow and oppress
his wretched people; and in the midst thereof happened oftentimes
burnings and manslaughter. All this was done to the displeasure
of God, and to the vexation of this unhappy people.
A.D. 1105. In this year, on the Nativity, held the King Henry
his court at Windsor; and afterwards in Lent he went over sea
into Normandy against his brother Earl Robert. And whilst he
remained there he won of his brother Caen and Baieux; and almost
all the castles and the chief men in that land were subdued. And
afterwards by harvest he returned hither again; and that which he
had won in Normandy remained afterwards in peace and subjection
to him; except that which was anywhere near the Earl William of
Moretaine. This he often demanded as strongly as he could for
the loss of his land in this country. And then before Christmas
came Robert de Belesme hither to the king. This was a very
calamitous year in this land, through loss of fruits, and through
the manifold contributions, that never ceased before the king
went over [to Normandy], or while he was there, or after he came
back again.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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