4

Naval Expeditions , <kc. of the English

Book I

Hoveden.S. Duneim.Brady.

was sosign

Mounds him-,withoutknowing him ,

Brompton.

Hemingford

and submits.

I0S4.

S, Duneim.Malmesb.

The Danesthreaten En-gland with anew lnvap-en , and equipa mightyFleet-,

self Master of the Duchy, burnt seve-ral Towns, made great Devastations,and treated those very ill who refusedto own him for their Sovereign. Willi-am, upon the first Notice of his Son’sRebellion,got an Army together,entirelyof EngUJh, and, embarking with them inPerson, transported them to Normandy.Robert was not discouraged at his fa-ther’s Arrival; On the contrary, heopposed him with all his Might, andfolly resolved to persist in his De-but an unexpected Event shookhis Resolution, and was the Fore-run-ner of a Peace. The King, with aParty of his Troops, happen’d to fallinto an Ambush commanded by Robert,who, seeing a Person distinguish him-self by an uncommon Valour, deemedhim to be the most formidable of hisEnemies. He attacked him, woundedhim in the Arm, dismounted him withhis Lance, and had near killed him,when he was so fortunate, by someMarks in his Arms; or rather (asBrompton and Hemingford say) by hisVoice, he calling in the Instant for aHorse, to discover it was his Fatherwith whom he had been engaged. Heimmediately alighted, raised him up,and set him on his own Horse; Andsuch an Impression did this Accidentmake on his Mind, that to strew theSincerity of his Sorrow, he submittedentirely to his Mercy. William gavehim a seemingly kind Reception, butcarried him into England, on Pretenceto send him at the Head of an Armyagainst Scotland, (m) which he did inthe Year 1080. in Autumn.

I n the Year 1084. the English, whohad taken Refuge in Denmark, persua-ded King Knute, that now was the fa-vourable Juncture; and that theirCoun-trymen only waited for an Opportunityto throw off the Norman Yoke. TheDanes, thinking to retrieve the Honourthey had lost in their former Expedi-tions, and resolving to assert with Vi-gour the Right they laid Claim to ofthe Crown of England, equip’d whatthey thought an invincible Fleet, con-sisting of a Thousand Ships, and to

these the Earl of Flanders, who was inAlliance with Denmark , added sixHundred. William had timely Notice 'of these vast Preparations to invade hisDominions, and he, on his Side, omit-ted none he was capable of for theirDefense. He brought a numerous Ar-my of French and Normans into theKingdom, which he quarter’d all overEng. and, and ordered, at the sameTime,the maritime Places to be laid waste,that the Enemy, at their first Landing,might find no Sustenance. This intend-ed Expedition vanished, however, intoAir , and this powerful Fleet laytwo whole Years detained in the Danish But are amnHarbours, ( as Historians fay) for Want deterredof a fair Wind, to carry them out; Oy,.s r °rri makingwhat is more likely, for Want os Cou- ar> ^ ttem P f ‘rage, the great Preparations in Englandmaking them despond of Success. Thiswas the last Attempt the Danes aim’dat against England. This Danger beingover, William went, in the Month ofAugift, to the Jfe of Wight, and from William,^thence, after some Stay, into Nor- miNorman-mandy.

About this Time died, after a lin- ‘she Deathgering Illness, Matilda , William' s ■

Queen, and was buried in the Nunneryof the Holy Trinity, near Caen, whichshe herself had founded. Our ancientHistorians vary in the Time of herDeath, some placing it in 80, others,in 83,' and others again, in this Year.

In the Year 1086. William began 1086.to make Preparations for a War against LT Virgil-■France, and, tho’ a Truce was then Or^vitahmade, the Year following it actually Malmesb.came to Blows. He ravaged le Vexin Wiuiamin a terrible Manner, and then laid makes Pre-Siege to, and took Mans, which he re- parations fi fduced to Ashes. The Warmth of theSeason, and the great Fire, which he l0 8y.stood very near, to see his Orders exe- Thecuted, threw him into a Fever. This begins.Fever was heigh ten'd by a Bruise he Speed,got in the Rimm of his Belly, from thePommel of his Saddle, as he was leap- ian *ing his Horse over a Ditch, and hedied, of it at Hermentrude, a Villagenear Roan, on the Ninth of September ,having reigned twenty Years , ten

Months,

ed of the Whole Matter, hasten’d to Ream from King Philip to give him some Place to fly into,en 01 wnoiemt ’ . _«incursions and he granted him Gerberoi m Beaievoisis. Here

whence Ro en escaping, g Forces rove- his Father attacked him, and in a Sally that was

mto Upper Normnay , and tc ÆLs ofthe sfp- made, Robert wounded him, &c.

ther, which daily encreased .by Means^tMbup^ 0uR Historian, Darnel, places this Trans- Daniel,

plies the King of sent him Matil- action in the Year, 1080. and the King's Return in ,

lor the Maintenance reof his M ' f p l0 8i. And Holinfiead puts them in 1079, and 80. HolinfM 3 '^ who loved him be ter than j « ^ ^t our ancient Historians, and Father Daniel ,

to. -1 we done.