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From The Annals of Roger de Hoveden, Comprising the History of England and of Other Countries of Europe from A.D. 732 to A.D. 1201, Translated from the Latin with Notes and Illustrations by Henry T. Riley, Esq., Volume I, London: H.G. Bohn, 1853; pp. 514-538.

THE  ANNALS  OF
ROGER  DE  HOVEDEN.
Volume I.

[Part 37: 1179-1180 A.D.]

In the same year, the king of England, the son, returned from Normandy to England at mid-Lent, and, during the following Easter, he and the king, his father, were at Winchester. After Easter, Richard de Lucy, justiciary of England, resigned the office of justiciary, and became a canon-regular in his abbey of Lewes,¹ which he himself had founded on his property and
A. D.
1179.


DIVISION
OF
ENGLAND
INTO
CIRCUITS.515 had enriched with many possessions; shortly after which he died. After his decease, the king, the father, held a great council at Windsor, and by the common consent of the archbishops, bishops, earls, and barons, in presence of the king, his son, divided England into four parts, and over each of them appointed wise men to administer justice throughout the land, in the following manner: —

The last six to whom the above counties were assigned were appointed justices in the king’s court, to hear the public claims.

In the same year, Geoffrey, earl of Brittany, by command of the king, his father, passed over from England to Brittany, and, assembling an army, laid waste the lands of Guidomer de Leuns, and forced him to surrender. In the same year, Henry, king of England, the son, returned from England to Normandy. In the same year, Louis, king of the Franks, sent to Constantinople his daughter Agnes, whom his wife Ala, queen of the Franks, and sister of William, archbishop of Rheims, and of the counts, Henry, Theobald, and Stephen, had borne to him, to be married to Alexis, the son of Manuel, emperor of Constantinople. In the same year, Philip, the son of Louis, king of the Franks, and of the said queen, Ala, fell ill, and was in danger of his life; at which his father was extremely grieved, and was admonished in his sleep by a Divine revelation to vow that he would go on a pilgrimage to the tomb of Saint Thomas the Martyr, at Canterbury, to prevail upon him to restore his son to health.

In consequence of this, Louis, king of the Franks, sent ambassadors to Henry, king of England, the father, and asked for leave and a safe conduct upon coming into England, and also liberty to return without any impediment; which was granted accordingly. Therefore, putting his trust in the Lord, contrary to the advice of many, he set out for England. Taking with him Philip, earl of Flanders, and Baldwin, earl of Guisnes, Henry, duke of Louvaine, count William de Mandeville, the advocate of Bethune, and other barons of the kingdom of France, he came to Witsand, and thence passed over to England, arriving at Dover on the eleventh day before the calends of September, being the fourth day of the week. The
A. D.
1179.


CORO-
NATION
OF
KING
PHILIP.517 king of England, the father, came to meet him on the sea-shore, and received him with great honor and congratulations, as his most dearly-beloved liege lord and friend, and, with due respect, supplied all necessaries for him and his people.

On the following day, that is to say, on the vigil of Saint Bartholomew the Apostle, he escorted him to the tomb of Saint Thomas the Martyr, at Canterbury. Upon arriving there, Louis, king of the Franks, offered upon the tomb of Saint Thomas the Martyr a cup of gold, very large and of great value, and gave, for the use of the monks there in the service of God, a hundred tuns of wine, to be received yearly for ever at Poissy, in France, entirely at the expense of the king of France. In addition to this, he granted them that whatever in future should be bought in the kingdom of France for their own use, should be free from toll and all other customs and excise. All this he caused to be confirmed by his charter, which they received at the hands of Hugh de Pudsey, chancellor of the king of France, and son of Hugh, bishop of Durham. On the third day after this, the king of France and his people who were with him returned to Dover, under the escort of the king of the English; and on the following day, namely, the seventh day before the calends of September, being the Lord’s Day, the king of France crossed over from England to Flanders, and landed at Witsand.

In the meantime, his son Philip, through the merits and prayers of the blessed Thomas the Martyr, was restored to his former health: on hearing which, the king of France, elated, amid great public rejoicings, ordered by proclamation that all the chief men of his kingdom, both ecclesiastical and secular, should assemble at Rheims, at the beginning of the calends of November, in order to celebrate there the coronation of his son Philip. When they were assembled there, William, archbishop of Rheims, crowned the before-named Philip, the son of his sister Ala, who was now in the fifteenth year of his age, and anointed him king at Rheims, in the church there of the Pontifical See, on the day of the feast of All Saints, being assisted in the performance of that office by William, archbishop of Tours, and the archbishops of Bourges and Sens, and nearly all the bishops of the kingdom. Henry, the king of England, the son, in the procession from the chamber to the cathedral on the day of the coronation,
A. D.
1179.518 preceded him, bearing the golden crown with which the said Philip was to be crowned, in right of the dukedom of Normandy. Philip, earl of Flanders, also walked before, bearing before him the sword of the kingdom. Other dukes, counts, and barons also preceded and followed him, each being appointed to perform some duty therein, according as the king had commanded them. But king Louis, the father, labouring under old age and a paralytic malady, was unable to be present at his coronation; for, as he was returning from England and staying at Saint Denis, being struck by a sudden chill, he had an attack of paralysis, and lost the use of the right side of his body.

In the same year died Roger, bishop of Worcester, at Tours, where he was buried. In this year, also, died William, earl of Aumarle, and was buried in his abbey at Tornetun.⁵

In this year, the people of Tuscany, Pisa, and Lucca, and the citizens of Pistoia and of Florence, with the people of the Val d’Arno, and Ugolino de Valle Spoleta, entered into a confederacy to take, by stratagem, Christian, archbishop of Mentz, chancellor of Frederic, the emperor of the Romans; who, after peace was made between our lord the pope and the said emperor, at the Rialto, at Venice, had remained in Tuscany, and by grievous exactions had reduced the people to a distressed state. Having accordingly arranged their plans, they invited Conrad, the son of William, marquis of Montferrat, to meet them, in order that he might take the chancellor by stratagem, as he greatly hated him, though he had lately made peace with him. Accordingly, at the instigation of the rest, and at the request of the emperor Manuel, who promised him the possession of abundant wealth if he should capture the before-named chancellor, Conrad came with a strong force to the city of Camerina, whither the chancellor had come with a few of his followers, and laying hands on him made him prisoner, and, putting him in irons, carried him away with him, and first incarcerated him in a castle which bears the name of Santo Flaviano, and next imprisoned him at Rocca Venaise, and a third time at Aguapendente; then, delivering him into the charge of his brother, Boniface, Conrad himself set out for Constantinople to visit the emperor Manuel, at whose suggestion he had taken the before-mentioned chancellor. As he did not dare to return
A. D.
1180.


THE
KING
OF
ENGLAND
LEVIES
AN
ARMY.519 home, in consequence of the injury he had done to Frederic, the emperor of the Romans, in taking his chancellor prisoner, he remained with Manuel, the emperor of Constantinople, and married one of the nieces of that emperor; on hearing of which, his brother, Boniface, who had kept the above-named Christian, archbishop of Mentz and chancellor to the emperor, in prison, received from him twelve thousand perpera,⁶ and set him at liberty.

In the year of grace 1180, being the twenty-sixth year of the reign of king Henry, son of the empress Matilda, the said king was in England, at Nottingham, on the day of the Nativity of our Lord; at which festival, William, king of the Scots, was also present. In this year also, Philip, the king of the Franks, seeing that his father was severely afflicted with a paralytic disease, followed in every respect the advice of Philip, earl of Flanders. Listening to his counsels, he began to practise tyranny over his people, and despised and hated all whom he knew to be the familiar friends of his father: his own mother too, he persecuted to such a degree, that he drove her out of his dominions; his uncles also, William, archbishop of Rheims, count Theobald, and count Stephen, he subjected to great persecutions.

At their entreaty, Henry, king of England, the son, crossed over to England, and told his father of the excesses and vexatious conduct which Philip, king of France, was guilty of towards his mother and his uncles, by the advice of the earl of Flanders; on hearing which, the king of England, the father, with the king of England, the son, before Easter, crossed over to Normandy. Accordingly, they were met in Normandy by the queen of the Franks before-named, accompanied by count Theobald and count Stephen, her brothers, and many other noblemen of the kingdom of France: who, giving hostages to the king of England, the father, and making oath that they would not neglect to follow his advice, became his adherents. After this, the king of England, the father, levied a great army throughout his dominions on both sides of the sea, purposing, after Easter, to enter the territories of the king of France in a hostile manner, for the purpose of avenging the injuries which the new
A. D.
1180.520 king of France had been guilty of towards his mother and his uncles.

After Easter, Philip, king of France, took to wife the daughter of the earl of Hainault, and niece of Philip, earl of Flanders, being the daughter of his sister; and as a marriage portion with his niece, the said earl of Flanders gave the whole territory of Vermandois as far as the river Lis. Upon this, Philip, king of France, determined to have himself and his wife crowned on the day of Pentecost at the city of Sens; but, by the advice of the earl of Flanders, he shortened the intervening time, and caused himself and his wife to be crowned on Ascension day at Saint Denis, by the archbishop of Sens. When William, archbishop of Rheims, came to know of this, he was greatly incensed, and made complaint to Alexander, the Supreme Pontiff, of the intrusion of the archbishop of Sens, who, contrary to law and the dignity of the church of Rheims, had had the presumption to crown the king of France.

After this, Philip, king of France, and Henry, king of England, the father, held a conference between Gisors and Trie; at which, the king of England, partly by gentle words and partly by threats, prevailed upon the king of France, in spite of the advice of the earl of Flanders, to banish from his mind all the displeasure and indignation which he had felt towards his mother and his uncles, and to receive them again into their wonting favour, covenanting to allow his mother every day seven pounds of Paris money for her daily support, and after the decease of his father, to pay her dower entire and in full, retaining, however, in his own hands the castles and fortified places. At the same conference, by way of making security more sure, the king of England, the father, in presence of Philip, king of France, received homage from Philip, earl of Flanders, and for the said homage granted him one thousand marks of silver yearly, to be received out of the exchequer at London; on condition, however, that in return for the said one thousand marks the earl of Flanders should find each year five hundred knights to serve the king of England for the space of forty days, whenever he should be called upon so to do.

In the same year, Louis, king of the Franks, departed this life at Paris, in the month of September, it being the fourteenth day before the calends of October, and the fifth day of
A. D.
1180.


TREATY
BETWEEN
PHILIP
AND
HENRY.521 the week, and was buried at the abbey of Barbeaux; after which, Philip, king of France, and Henry, king of England, the father, met and held a conference between Gisors and Trie, where they made a treaty of peace and reconciliation, which was established on both sides by word and oath, and was to the following effect: —

“I, Philip, by the grace of God, king of the Franks, and I, Henry, by the same grace, king of the English, do will that it shall come to the notice of all, both present as well as to come, that we have renewed the treaty and friendship, by word and oath, which my liege lord, Louis, king of the Franks, and I, Henry, concluded between ourselves before Ivery, in presence of Peter, titular of Saint Chrysogonus, cardinal priest and legate of the Apostolic See, and of Richard, bishop of Winchester, and many other bishops, earls, and barons who were then present; to the effect, that we now are, and wish henceforth to be, friends, and that each will protect the other in life and limb, and will defend his worldly possessions to the utmost of his ability against all men. And if any person whatsoever shall presume to do an injury to either of us, I, Henry, will aid Philip, king of France, my liege lord, against all men to the utmost of my ability. And I, Philip, will aid Henry, king of England, against all men to the utmost of my ability, as my liege and vassal, saving always the fidelity which we owe to our liegemen, so long as they shall preserve their fealty towards ourselves. And neither of us shall from henceforth harbour an enemy of the other in his dominions, from the time that demand shall be made of him. And to the end that from henceforth all matter of discord between us may be removed, we do mutually agree that of the lands and possessions, and all other things which we now hold, each shall henceforth make no claim whatever against the other (except the claim as to Auvergne, respecting which there is a dispute between us, and except the fee of Chateau-Raoul, and except some small fees and allotments of our lands in Berry), in case our liegemen shall take anything from each other or from either of us. And if we shall not be able to agree as to the matters which are above excepted, then in such case, I, Philip, king of the Franks, have chosen three bishops, those of Claremont, Nivernois, and Treves, and three barons, count Theobald, count Robert, and Peter de Touraine, my uncles;
A. D.
1180.522 and I, Henry, king of England, have chosen three bishops, William, bishop of Le Mans, Peter, bishop of Perigord, and Robert, bishop of Nantes, and three barons, Maurice de Crouy, William Maingot, and Peter de Mont Rabell, to act in my behalf; and, having examined into the truth on both sides, both themselves as well as by the oaths of the people of those lands, the bishops aforesaid shall assert upon their word of truth, and the laymen shall make oath, that whatsoever they shall find to belong to either as of right, that same they will declare, and in good faith will firmly abide by their decision. But if all those bishops whom I, Philip, have chosen, shall not be able to be present, we will nevertheless abide by the decision of such two as shall be present; and if all the barons named on my side shall not be present, still we will not hesitate to abide by the decision of such two of them as shall be present; and similarly as to those, whom I, Henry, have chosen, both bishops as well as barons. We have also made oath, that we will do no injury to them by reason of their speaking the truth. And if by chance, which God forbid, any dispute shall arise between us as to our territories, the same is to be settled by the same persons in good faith and without evil intent or delay. And if any one of the persons before-mentioned shall in the meantime depart this life, then another one is to be substituted in his stead. And if either of us shall think proper to go on a pilgrimage, the one who remains shall faithfully guard, and protect, and defend against all men, the lands and vassals of him who shall be abroad as though they were his own and part of his own dominions, just as though I, Philip, were defending my city of Paris as if it were besieged, and as though I, Henry were defending my city of Rouen, if it were besieged. I, Philip, also do will that all merchants and other persons whatsoever, both clergy as well as laymen, coming from the dominions of Henry, king of England, shall, with all their property, be in security and enjoy peace throughout all my dominions. And I, Henry, do in like manner, will that all merchants and other persons whatsoever, both clergy as well as laymen, coming from the dominions of Philip, king of France, shall, with all their property, be in security and enjoy peace throughout all my dominions. All the above we have made promise both by word and by oath that we will observe. Also, in obedience to our commands,
A. D.
1180.


CHARGES
AGAINST
THE
DUKE
OF
SAXONY.523 our vassals have made oath after us, that in good faith they will counsel us to observe what we have sworn, and not give us advice to disregard the same.”

In the same year, Frederic, emperor of the Romans, expelled from his kingdom Henry, duke of Saxony; the cause of whose expulsion was as follows: — It must first, however, be observed, that there were ten princes appointed to be custodians of the gates of the city of Cologne, whose names were as follows: —

The duke of Lemburg,

The duke of Saxony,

The duke of Saringes,

The duke of Saxland,

The duke of Louvaine,

The count de Wilch,

The count de Loo,

The count de Gerle,

The count Palatine of the Rhone,

The count de Larmval.

Now, these ten are liegemen of the archbishop of Cologne, and receive yearly from the property of Saint Peter at Cologne two thousand marks of silver, as the pay for their custodianships. In addition to this, the archbishop of Cologne has large revenues, most of which are in the dukedom of Saxony, and which Henry, duke of Saxony, the son-in-law of Henry, king of England, unjustly seized, and withheld from the archbishop. In consequence of this, Reginald, archbishop of Cologne, made complaint to his lord, Frederic, emperor of the Romans: in addition to which, the before-named emperor charged the aforesaid duke with perjury, with breach of faith, and with high treason towards himself; and caused him to be summoned to appear in his court to give satisfaction both to himself and to the archbishop of Cologne. Having received, therefore, a safe conduct both in coming and returning, the duke made his appearance; and, after many charges had been made against him, both as to his breach of faith, his perjury, his high treason towards the emperor, and the injuries he had committed towards the archbishop of Cologne, when it was his duty, after taking counsel with his own people, to make answer to the charges so made, he mounted his horse, and, without giving any answer, returned home; on which the emperor demanded that judgment should be pronounced against him, and he was
A. D.
1180.524 accordingly pronounced to have forfeited his dukedom; and leave was given to the archbishop of Cologne to enter the territories of the duke of Saxony with an armed force, in order to take revenge for the injuries which the duke had done him. The emperor also, with a great army, entered the territories of the duke of Saxony, and laid them waste with fire, and sword, and famine, and reduced the duke to such extremities that he placed himself at the mercy of the emperor, abjured his territory, and placed the same for seven years at the mercy of the emperor, and then came in exile to the court of Henry, king of England, his wife’s father. Shortly after this, however, at the entreaty of Alexander, the Supreme Pontiff, Philip, king of France, Henry, king of England, and Philip, earl of Flanders, the emperor remitted four years from the period of banishment which he had prescribed to the duke.

In the same year died Manuel, emperor of Constantinople, and Alexis his son, who had married the daughter of Louis, king of France, ascended the throne, and reigned in peace two years. However, in the meantime, his mother, Mary, daughter of Raymond, prince of Antioch, had a certain person as her paramour, who, by virtue of his office, was in the Greek language called “Protosouastos,”⁷ and in Latin, “Comes Palatinus;”⁸ whom the before-named empress loved with such a disgraceful and ungovernable passion, that she was ready to put her son Alexis, the emperor, to death, and thereby promote her lover to the imperial throne. Accordingly, on a day that seemed suitable for the purpose, she gave a poisonous draught to her son the emperor; after drinking which, the poison, spreading its influence throughout his tender limbs, almost suffocated him on the spot: but at length, by means of the antidotes of skilful physicians, with considerable difficulty he escaped with his life. Being determined to take due precautions for the future, he sent for Androneus, the brother’s son of his father Manuel, and associated him with himself on the throne; by whose advice he seized his mother, and threw her into prison, and after she had long pined in prison, caused her to be tied up in a sack, and, an anchor being fastened to her neck, to be drowned in that part of the sea which
A. D.
1180.


JEALOUSY
OF
ANDRO-
NEUS
TOWARDS
ALEXIS.525 is called “The Greater Sea.” He also put out the eyes of the Protosouastos, his mother’s paramour, and caused him to be emasculated.

A short time after this, Androneus, seeing that it would give great satisfaction to the people, by way of proof of his true fidelity and his extreme affection, on a certain day named for the celebration of the solemnity, carried Alexis, the emperor, on his shoulders from his palace to the church of Saint Sophia, and caused him to be crowned there by Basilius, the patriarch of the city, and, in the presence of all the people, took the oaths of fealty to him as his liege lord against all men whatsoever. After this was done, the emperor Alexis gave to the before-named Androneus the power of exercising his own will and dispensing justice among the people. However, after a considerable time, Androneus came to the emperor Alexis and said that the people refused to pay obedience to his commands, and requested him to appoint some one else over the people whose commands they would obey. On this, Alexis said to him: ‘I have made choice of yourself, and have appointed you over my people, and I know of no one else in whom I have greater confidence;” upon which, Androneus said in reply: “If it is your wish that I should govern your people, cause me to be crowned in their presence, so that all the people may know that I am, under you, to reign over all the nations which are subject to your sway.” The emperor, not being aware that all power is averse to a partner therein, acceded to his request.

The clergy and people of the empire having been convened, the emperor caused himself and Androneus to be crowned together by the before-named patriarch, in the church of Saint Sophia. However, after a short period of time had elapsed, the one became jealous of the other, and the thing that pleased the one displeased the other. “For no trust is there in associates in rule, and all power is averse to a partner therein.”⁹ Androneus, however, still pretending the affection which he had hitherto shown, under the veil thereof plotted against his lord the emperor, who, suspecting nothing of the sort, forbore to take any precautions. “For no foe is there more pernicious than an enemy in the disguise of a friend.”¹⁰ Having, therefore,
A. D.
1180.526 gained a favourable time and place, with the sanction of Basilius, the patriarch, he put to death his lord the emperor Alexis, and, marrying his wife Agnes,¹¹ the daughter of the king of France, exercised great tyranny over the people; and not only over the people, for all the nobles of the empire as well he either put to death, or, depriving them of their eyes and their virility, drove them out of the empire.

There was in that neighbourhood a certain young man, Isaac, by name, son of the sister of Manuel, the deceased emperor, who, seeing the tyrannical conduct Androneus was guilty of towards the principal men of the empire, was in great dread of him, and flying from before his face, assembled a large army, and fought a battle with the sultan of Iconium; in which battle he was taken prisoner by Rupin de la Montaigne, who had come as an auxiliary to the sultan of Iconium. After taking him prisoner, he offered to deliver him to the sultan of Iconium, but the sultan, refusing to receive him, gave him up to Rupin. Upon returning home, the latter sent him to his superior lord, Raymond, prince of Antioch, who received him with great delight, and demanded of him sixty thousand besants¹² as his ransom, which he accordingly promised to give, and, sending his messengers to the wealthy men of Cyprus, requested their assistance in procuring his ransom. Complying with his wishes, they sent him thirty thousand besants, which he gave to the prince of Antioch, and, by way of security for payment of the rest of the debt, gave him his son and daughter as hostages; whereupon, being liberated from the prison of the prince of Antioch, he came to the island of Cyprus, on which the chief men of the island received him, and made him their ruler. Elated by this, in his vanity he caused an imperial crown to be made for himself, and had himself crowned and called the “Holy Emperor.” At the time, however, that had been arranged upon between them, the prince of Antioch sent to him for the remainder of the debt, that is to say, for the thirty thousand besants, but the emperor of Cyprus refused to deliver them to the envoys of the prince, but delivered them to the brethren of the Temple to be conveyed to the prince of
A. D.
1180.


CRUELTY
OF
THE
EMPEROR
ANDRO-
NEUS.527 Antioch. On their departure, they were met by pirates, who took from them the said sum of money. When this became known to the emperor of Cyprus, he asserted that this had been done by the contrivance of the prince of Antioch, and swore that he would not again pay him that sum of money. In consequence of this, his son and daughter remained two years as hostages in the hands of the prince of Antioch; but he, at length finding that the emperor of Cyprus would not redeem his hostages, and being moved with compassion, gave them their liberty, and allowed them to depart.

In the mean time, by the advice and assistance of Basilius, the patriarch, Androneus, the emperor of Constantinople, usurped the monarchy of the whole empire, and placed the imperial diadem on the heads of himself and of his wife, and persevering in his tyrannical course, having put out the eyes of some of the nobles of the empire and cut off the limbs of others, sent them into banishment. Among these there was a certain nobleman, by name Androneus Angelus, who had been chancellor to the emperor Manuel, which office was by the Greeks called “Laucete.”¹³ Him and his two sons, the emperor Androneus caused to be deprived of their sight and virility, and then banished from their country.

In addition to these two, the before-named Androneus Angelus had a third son, a learned clerk, whom the Greeks called “Sacwice,”¹⁴ while in Latin he was named Tursakius Angelus. At the time of the persecution he had set out for France and resided in Paris, where he frequented the schools, that in the learning of the Latins, he might learn their language and manners. Upon hearing the lamentable misfortunes of his father and brothers, he set out with all speed to administer consolation to them, and as he was passing through a certain island of Greece he found there a certain religious man, who had devoted himself to a life of solitude, and had a spirit of prophecy, and who, having formerly been archbishop of the city of Tyre, preferring to serve God rather than the world, had resigned his archbishopric, and had taken up his residence by himself in that island, his delicacies being the roots of wild herbs, and draughts of water his drink. On coming to the holy man, he disclosed to him his name and his family, and the
A. D.
1180.528 cause of his journey. When the holy man had heard it all he burst into tears, knowing that it was a holy thing to weep with those who weep, and to lament with those who lament. After he had given loose to his tears, the young man tried, by all means in his power, to assuage his sorrow; on which the aged man said to him, “Return to the city of Constantinople, and prove yourself a man, for the Lord will deliver it into your hands, and you shall rule over it, and shall be emperor, and from you shall emperors proceed, who shall reign after you; and behold! Basilius, the patriarch, and the chief men of the empire are seeking you that they may become your subjects, and may have you for their lord and emperor; therefore attempt not to fly from that which God has prepared and predestined for you.”

Upon this, Tursakius, believing what he said, departed for the city of Constantinople, in the disguise of a poor man and a beggar. Not daring to discover himself to the people because his hour was not yet come, he remained in the suburbs alone, attended by a single servant, and having but one gelding, and that weak and lame, and there with patience awaited the fulfilment of the promise of the holy man before-mentioned. There he was frequently visited by the chief men of the land and the patriarch, not openly, however, but in secret, by reason of the fears of the emperor; who was by this time the object of universal hatred, and was himself the hater of all men. Even the patriarch, who had aided in his elevation, he persecuted to such a degree, as, against his wish, to build a certain noble church in the city, and place therein Latin canons, in consequence of which, to the present day, that church is called the “Latin Church.”

After a considerable time, the aforesaid Androneus, the emperor, goaded by a bad conscience, was desirous, through his magicians, to learn if there was still any person whom there was reason for him to stand in fear of: on which they made answer to him, “Give us a boy without guilt to slay, and a period of three days, and we will give you information on what you ask.” Accordingly, a boy without guilt was immediately delivered to them, whom they offered in sacrifice to the demons, and after making lengthened investigation in his blood and entrails by means of their magical arts, discovered by the signs that the close of his rule was nigh at hand, and his death at the gate
A. D.
1180.


BASILIUS
PRESENTS
TURSAKIUS
TO
THE
PEOPLE.529 and that he who was to put him to death was in the neighbourhood, and his name was Tursakius Angelus.

Accordingly, on the next day, the above-mentioned magicians came to the emperor Androneus, and said to him, “Now at length have your sins overtaken you of which you were guilty when you sat on your tribunal, oppressing the innocent and condemning the just blood without a cause. For the day of your downfall is hastening on; and lo! he is close at hand who shall destroy you and take your empire, and the name of that person is Tursakius Angelus. After unheard-of torments as your punishment, he will condemn you to a most cruel death, and his deeds will be applauded by the lips of the people, and he himself will become as the very food of those who tell of his exploits, and will reign over us, and his posterity will succeed to the sceptre. It is to your own sorrow that you have deprived his father and brothers of eyesight and other blessings. At this moment he is in the suburbs of this city; therefore expel him, if expel him you can.”

Androneus, however, on learning that he was at hand who was to put him to death, sent his chancellor with some knights and men-at-arms, for the purpose of seizing him. On arriving at the place where he lodged, they found the gates closed; on which those who went first cried with a loud voice, “Open the gates for us, open them; behold! it is the emperor’s chancellor come;” and then said, “Tursakius, come forth.” Tursakius, seeing that they would break open the gates if he did not come forth with all speed, quickly saddled his horse, and, mounting it, girded on his sword; and then, opening the gates, he darted forth with the greatest rapidity, and, brandishing his sword, made his way among those who resisted, and, rushing upon the chancellor, cut off his head. The rest, however, stood quite astounded, and not one laid hands on him; on which, passing through the midst of them, he entered the city, and going through it came to the church of Saint Sophia, where, finding the patriarch Basilius, he cast himself at his feet, and told him of all that had happened to him.

On this, the patriarch raising him from the ground, exclaimed to the whole of the people there assembled, “Come thither and behold the man whom the Lord hath chosen to reign over us; say, then, what you think thereof.” To this they
A. D.
1180.530 all made answer, “It pleases us that he should be our lord, and that he should reign over us, and that we should expel this perfidious Androneus, who is destroying us and our nation.” Upon this, the patriarch consented to the wishes of the people, for he too had the same desire, and forthwith consecrated him emperor; after which, having celebrated mass and performed all things with due solemnity, the patriarch took him to his own house, and made a great entertainment for the chief men and tribunes of the city (for it was a festival), to which a multitude of the people and of the elders resorted.

In the meantime, the emperor Androneus had come forth from his palace that he might see the end of Isaac Angelus, for the purpose of arresting whom he had sent his chancellor; but, on hearing that the chancellor was slain and that Isaac Angelus had been proclaimed emperor, he returned to his palace, and the gate was shut. On this, the new emperor came with a great multitude of armed people and laid siege to the palace of Androneus. Suddenly, there came a great black raven, of sinister appearance, which, sitting upon a wall of the palace, right opposite to the emperor Androneus, sent forth at him an unceasing and ill-boding cawing; upon which, conjecturing that this was an omen of his downfall and ruin, he seized his bow and drew it, but when he attempted to aim an arrow at it, the bow broke: on which, being greatly enraged, he threw it at his feet, saying, “Now I know of a truth that the day of my ruin is hastening on, and that the anger of God has fallen upon me.”

While he was still speaking, the followers of the new emperor scaled the walls of the palace and took the emperor Androneus prisoner, and after binding him, delivered him up to the new emperor; who said to him, “Now, through the righteous judgment of God, have your sins overtaken you, by which you have deserved His anger, in oppressing the innocent, and slaying your lord, the emperor Alexis, and blinding my father and my brothers, and other nobles of the kingdom; therefore you shall die by the most shocking of deaths;” after which he delivered him to the torturers, saying, “Take and scourge him through the streets and lands of the city, and you are at liberty to put out one of his eyes, and to cut off one ear, one hand, and one foot. You must, however, preserve his life and his other limbs for greater torments.”
A. D.
1180.


DISPUTE
AS
TO
THE
BISHOP-
RIC
OF
ST.
ANDREW’S.531 After this command had been fully complied with, the new emperor delivered him to other tormentors, who, scattering straw over him, set fire to his sides and burned him till the whole of his skin was contracted into wrinkles: after which they fastened him to the tails of horses, and then, dragging him through the midst of the city, when he was dead, cast his body outside thereof.

After this, the religious men who lived in that church in the city, which is called the Latin church, came to the emperor Tursakius and asked for his body; on which he gave it to them, and they buried it in their church, which he had built. But his hand that had been cut off was suspended by chains of iron from a gibbet. In the next place, by command of the emperor Tursakius and the whole clergy and people, it was ordered, after due consideration, that whatever Androneus had commanded to be done should be declared null and void: in consequence of which, all who by command of Androneus had gone into exile, returned home. In addition to this, the emperor Tursakius slew the two sons of Androneus, and taking due precaution for the future, deposed the above-named patriarch Basilius, and shut him up in a monastery.

He also sent for the person who had foretold to him what should come to pass, and, contrary to the wishes of the canons of the church of Saint Sophia, appointed him patriarch: in consequence of which there arose a division among them, so that no one would pay obedience to him. As he was a man of peace and was unwilling to have any contention with them, he abdicated the patriarchate, on which the emperor appointed him supreme judge in ecclesiastical matters over all the churches of his empire. After this, the emperor Tursakius, by the advice of his family, married the daughter of Bela, king of Hungary, by whom he had sons and daughters, to one of whom Roger, king of Sicily, son of Tancred, king of Sicily, was married.

In the same year, Henry, king of England, the father, made a new coinage in England, and fined the moneyers for the baseness of the old coinage. In this year also, Richard, bishop of Saint Andrew’s, in Scotland, departed this life, after whose decease there immediately arose a division as to the election of a bishop. For the canons of the church of Saint Andrew’s elected as their bishop master
A. D.
1180.532 John, surnamed Scot, while William, king of the Scots, elected his chaplain Hugh, and ordered him to be consecrated by the bishops of his kingdom, in spite of the appeal made to our lord the pope by the before-named John, the bishop elect. In consequence of this, Alexander, the Supreme Pontiff, sent Alexis, subdeacon of the Church at Rome, into Scotland, to learn the merits of the controversy that existed between John, the bishop elect, and Hugh, who had been consecrated, and to put an end to the same.

Upon his arrival in Scotland, after having made lengthened enquiries in presence of the clergy and the people of the kingdom, respecting the election of John and of Hugh, and the consecration of the said Hugh, and having learned that the before-named John had been canonically elected, and that Hugh, after appeal had been made to the Roman Pontiff, had been violently thrust by the king into the bishopric of Saint Andrew’s, he without any hesitation deposed him from the bishopric of Saint Andrew’s, and by virtue of the authority entrusted to him, condemned him to perpetual silence. The election also of John he confirmed, and caused him to be consecrated by the bishops of Scotland, the king neither forbidding nor opposing the same, indeed, rather, in conformity with the advice of the bishops of the kingdom, sanctioning it. But immediately after his consecration had taken place, the king forbade him to stay in his kingdom. On the other hand, Hugh conducted himself as a bishop none the less than before, and, taking with him the sacramental vessels that belonged to the see, and the crozier and ring, together with other things which he unlawfully withheld, departed for Rome; on which, because he was unwilling to restore what he had carried away, Alexis excommunicated him, and the Supreme Pontiff confirmed the sentence; whereupon the pope wrote to the following effect to the bishops and other ecclesiastical men of the kingdom of Scotland: —

The letter of pope Alexander relative to John and Hugh, the bishops of Saint Andrew’s.

“Alexander, the bishop, servant of the servants of God, to his venerable brethren, the whole of the bishops, and his dearly beloved sons the abbats and other prelates of churches throughout Scotland appointed, to the prior, canons, clergy, and people of Saint Andrew’s, health and the Apostolic benediction.
A. D.
1180.


LETTER
OF
POPE
ALEX-
ANDER.533 Inasmuch as we understood that our venerable brother John, now bishop of Saint Andrew’s, was canonically elected, and that after his election, an appeal then pending, Hugh, with rash presumption, being thrust into the said church by lay power, had dared to be consecrated thereto; therefore, by our Apostolic authority making null and void his election, we directed our dear son, Alexis, our subdeacon, as legate of the Apostolic See, to repair to your parts to take cognizance of the election of the before-named John; who, having, as we are informed by the testimony of many, acted therein with mature deliberation and in a canonical manner, found his election to be canonical, and, after many delays, in which he acted in deference to his royal highness, confirmed the same with the Apostolic authority, enjoining all on our behalf who belonged to the church of Saint Andrew’s to show due reverence and obedience to the said John as being duly elected. Whereupon, inasmuch as no one, by reason of their dread of the king, dared openly to obey this command, the said legate laid under an interdict, not the kingdom, as he lawfully might have done, but the see. Inasmuch therefore as the chief men, both ecclesiastical as well as secular, having been solemnly bound upon oath by our most dearly beloved son in Christ, William, the illustrious king of the Scots, to give good counsel thereon, while the king himself had strictly promised that he would abide by their advice, all made answer as one man that he ought not any further to molest the consecration of the aforesaid John made in presence of our legate and four bishops (the fifth being sick, but by writing consenting thereto) but allow him peacefully to be consecrated to his see. Wherefore we do by this Apostolic writing command the whole of you, and do, under peril of your orders and benefices, enjoin you, that putting on a spirit of forbearance, you will, within eight days after the receipt hereof, all appeal set aside, with due honor reinstate him in his see, and labor prudently and manfully for the upholding of the rights of the Church, and use all diligence in appeasing the irritation of the king, and shew all the respect and honor to the aforesaid bishop which you were wont to shew to his predecessors. And if the king shall will any otherwise, or even be warped by the counsels of wicked men, it is your duty to pay obedience rather to God and to the holy Church of Rome than to men; otherwise the sentence
A. D.
1180.534 which our venerable brother Hugh, bishop of Durham, has pronounced upon the rebellious and contumacious,¹⁵ we shall, with God’s assistance, confirm and order to be strictly observed.”

Another Letter of pope Alexander on the same subject.

“Alexander, the bishop, servant of the servants of God, to his venerable brethren, and his dearly beloved sons the prelates of churches appointed throughout Scotland, health and the Apostolic benediction. Whereas it has been notified unto us, that Hugh, who had been intruded upon the church of Saint Andrew’s in Scotland, having unlawfully withheld the episcopal vessels,¹⁶ the crozier and ring, and other things which he had without good reason taken away, and, having been frequently warned thereon to return to a sense of his duty, despised the said warnings; on which our dearly beloved son Alexis, the subdeacon and legate of the Apostolic See, in presence of yourselves and many of the clergy and people, relying upon the Apostolic authority, called upon him, under pain of excommunication, within fifteen days either to restore what he had taken away or carried off, or else to make becoming satisfaction for the same. And whereas, he, persisting in the sin of his arrogance, has in no way listened to the warnings of our legate aforesaid. We therefore of our authority, confirming the sentence pronounced by him, do by these Apostolic writings order and enjoin the whole of you, that you do forthwith, relying on the grace of God, and all fear laid aside, and no appeal whatever withstanding, denounce him as under the ban of excommunication, and carefully avoid him as excommunicated, until such time as he shall restore to our brother, John, bishop of Saint Andrew’s, and his church, such of the things above mentioned as he has taken away, or an equivalent for the same, and make proper satisfaction for such other things as he has made away with.”

In addition to this, our lord, the pope, gave to Roger, the archbishop of York, the legateship in Scotland, and ordered him, together with Hugh, bishop of Durham, to pronounce sentence of excommunication upon the king of the Scots, and place his kingdom under an interdict, unless he should allow the aforesaid John to hold his bishopric in peace, and give him
A. D.
1180.


LETTER
OF
POPE
ALEX-
ANDER.535 security that he would keep the same. The said pope also, strictly, and in virtue of the obedience he owed, forbade John, bishop of Saint Andrew’s, either moved by love or fear of any person, or by any one’s suggestion or command, to presume and dare with rashness to desert the church of Saint Andrew’s, to which he had been consecrated and confirmed with the Apostolic authority, or to receive another; adding, that if he should attempt so to do, he would deprive him of both.¹⁷ And with reference thereto, the Supreme Pontiff wrote to the following effect —

The Letter of pope Alexander to William, king of the Scots, on the same matter.

“Alexander, the bishop, servant of the servants of God, to William, the illustrious king of the Scots, health and the Apostolic benediction. We bear it in mind that we have anxiously laboured for your peace and liberty, hoping that thereby you would be more strongly confirmed, and increase apace in dutifulness to the Apostolic See, and would more willingly preserve the liberties of the Church; but when we give our attention to what you have done relative to our venerable brother John, bishop of Saint Andrew’s, in Scotland, and what disposition you have hitherto shewn with regard to him, we find ourselves compelled to entertain apprehensions at variance with the hopes which we did entertain, as to the warmth of your royal dutifulness. Wishing, nevertheless, to make trial if our forbearance can bring your royal feelings to true repentance, we do by these Apostolic writings strenuously admonish and enjoin your mightiness, that, within twenty days after the receipt hereof, you make peace with the said bishop, and give security for the same, so that he may have no room to fear your royal indignation. Otherwise, you are to know that we have given orders to our venerable brother Roger, the archbishop of York and legate of the Apostolic See, in Scotland, to lay your kingdom under an interdict, no appeal whatever withstanding, and to pronounce sentence of excommunication against your person, if you shall be unwilling to desist from this course. And further, be assured of this for certain, that if you shall think fit to persist in your violent measures, in the same way, that we have laboured that your
A. D.
1180.536 kingdom might gain its liberty, so shall we use our best endeavours that it may return to its former state of subjection.”

The king of Scotland, however, being in nowise willing to obey the Apostolic mandates, expelled the said John, bishop of Saint Andrew’s, and Matthew, bishop of Aberdeen, his uncle, from his kingdom. Accordingly, Roger, archbishop of York, and Hugh, bishop of Durham, and Alexis, the legate of the Apostolic See, in obedience to the mandate of the Supreme Pontiff, pronounced sentence of excommunication against the person of the king of Scotland, and laid his kingdom under interdict.

In the same year, a certain priest, Swerre Birkebain by name, commenced a war with Magnus, king of Norway. Now the following were the grounds of the claims which the before-named Swerre made against the said Magnus, relative to the kingdom of Norway. Siward and Magnus were brothers. Siward was king of Norway; and Magnus, his brother, crossed over to Ireland and gained the greater part of it by arms; he was the father of Harold, and was shortly after, slain by the Irish. The said Harold, after the death of his father, passed over into Norway, to his uncle, king Siward, and demanded of him a part of that kingdom, on which he gave him that part of the kingdom which belonged to his father of right.

Now king Siward had a son, whom he named Magnus, and a daughter called Christiana, and whom he gave in marriage to earl Herling, who by her became the father of a son, whom he named Magnus. On the death of earl Herling, his son Magnus succeeded him in the earldom; and shortly after, a serious disagreement arising between him¹⁸ and Harold, the said Harold took him prisoner in battle, and blinded him and deprived him of his virility, and hanged Reginald of Bergen. Magnus, after losing his sight, became a monk, and Harold, having obtained the whole kingdom of Norway, became the father of four sons, namely, Ingo, who was legitimate, and Siward, Augustin, and Magnus, who were illegitimate and by different mothers. A certain clerk, Siward by name, insidiously slew the before-named king Harold by night, and after his death, taking the before-named Magnus,
A. D.
1180.


SWERRE
SECRETLY
ENTERS
DRONTHEIM.537 who was his kinsman, from the abbey, attempted to restore him to the throne, on which a war ensuing with the sons of Harold, he was slain, and Magnus, who had been a monk, shared the same fate.

After their death, Ingo, Siward, and Augustin, obtained the kingdom. Siward became the father of Haco, Siward, and Suer, who were all illegitimate, and born of different mothers. Augustin had a son who was also named Augustin, and was of legitimate birth; while Ingo was the father of Siward and Augustin. They being slain, the before-named Haco slew Ingo, and obtained the throne. The chief men of the kingdom being indignant at this, raised Magnus, the son of Herling and the before-named Christiana, to the throne. Being, however, unable to make head in war against Haco, they retired to Denmark, where in a short time having recruited their forces, they returned to Norway. A battle being fought between them and Haco at Funenburgh, they gained possession of his ships and arms, and put him to flight.

In the following summer, Haco was pursued by Magnus, the son of Herling and Christiana, and a naval engagement taking place between them at a spot called Vee, Haco was slain, on which Magnus, the son of Herling and Christiana, gained the throne. In consequence of this, Siward, the brother of Haco, rose in rebellion against him, and a battle being fought between them, Siward was slain; on which Magnus was made king; and was crowned in the fifteenth year of his age and the second of his reign, being the fourth year of the papacy of the pope Alexander the Third, who sent to him master Stephen of Orvieto as legate.

Now, while the before-named king Magnus was celebrating the festival of the Nativity of our Lord, at Funenburgh, Augustin, the son of the before-named Augustin, surprised him with a body of horse, and attempted to slay the king while among his guests; but the king, being forewarned thereof, went out against him, and, an engagement taking place, slew him, together with four hundred of his men. Those, however, who escaped from the battle, to the amount of eleven hundred warriors, adhered to the before-named Swerre, the priest, the son of Siward. This Swerre, having levied a large force, on the night after the feast of Saint Botolph, secretly entered the city of Drontheim, where king Magnus, with his father, earl Herling, and
A. D.
1180.538 others of his friends were staying, and surprised them, and slew a great number. On this occasion there fell earl Herling, the king’s father, John de Randeburgh, who was married to the king’s sister, and Siward, the son of Nicholas, with many others: the king, however, leaving the city, with some few of his followers, made his escape. But in the following year, king Magnus, levying a considerable army, attacked the before-named Swerre near the city of Drontheim, and, at the first onset, slew many of his foes: but at length, by the secret dispensation of God, after many of the best men of his household had been slain, he took to flight, together with a few of his followers, and effected his escape.

On this, the priest Swerre pursued him as far as Bergen, on which the king, flying thence, left him in possession of that city; and Augustin, the archbishop of Drontheim, being unwilling to make any submission to the priest Swerre, left his archbishopric, and coming to England, excommunicated Swerre. It deserves to be recorded, that this king Magnus was the first king of Norway that was crowned.

FOOTNOTES

 ¹  In Kent.

 ²  Hampshire.

 ³  Shropshire.

 ⁴  Yorkshire.

 ⁵  Qy. if Taunton?

 ⁶  A golden coin of Constantinople, which were more generally called “hyperpera.” They are said to have received this name from the superlative brightness of the highly refined gold of which they were made.

 ⁷  This was the title of an officer very high in rank in the emperor’s palace at Constantinople.

 ⁸  “Attendant in the palace.” These words are however generally rendered “Count Palatine.”

 ⁹  “Nulla [enim] fides [erit] regni sociis, omnisque potestas

        Impatiens consortis erit.”

¹⁰  “Nullus namque perniciosior hostis est, quam familiaris inimicus.”

¹¹  Then but eleven years of age. He is known in history as Andronicus I. Comnenus.

¹²  A golden coin, which took its name from Byzantium, the place of its circulation.

¹³  Probably a misprint for some other word.

¹⁴  Probably he means “Sacuios.”

¹⁵  “Præcipiemus” seems to be the proper reading, and not “præcipimus.”

¹⁶  “Capellam.” The “capella” of a bishop was the materièl which were employed by him in the performance of his sacred offices.

¹⁷  His present see and the one he should accept.

¹⁸  It will appear in the sequel that this is a mistake; it was probably Magnus, the son of Siward, and uncle of this Magnus, who was slain by Harold.

~~~~~~~

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