Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland, vol 2 : England | Page 7

into the north parts, and (as it chanced) he staied a few daies about Carleil, where being delited with the situation of the towne (which had beene destroied by the Danes two hundred yeares before) he set workemen to repaire the same (meaning to vse it in steed of a bulworke against the Scots on those west borders) which when he had fensed with walles, and builded a castell in the most conuenient place thereof, he caused churches and houses to be erected for the benefit of such people as he had determined to bring vnto the same. This being doone, he placed a colonie of southren men there with their wiues and children and gaue large priuileges vnto the towne, which they inioy at this daie.
[Sidenote: _Matth. West._] ? Here haue I thought good to aduertise you of an error in Matth. West. crept in either through misplacing the matter by means of some exemplifier, either else by the authors mistaking his account of yeares, as 1072. for 1092. referring the repairing of Carleil vnto William Conquerour, at what time he made a iournie against the Scots in the said yeare 1072. And yet not thus contented; to bewraie the error more manifestlie, he affirmeth that the king exchanged the earledome of Chester with Rafe or Ranulfe de Micenis, ali��s Meschines, for the earledome of Carleil, which the said Meschines held before, and had begunne there to build and fortifie that towne: whereas it is certeine that Ranulfe de Meschines came to enioy the earledome of Chester by way of inheritance, as after shall appeare. For better proofe whereof ye shall vnderstand, that we find by ancient records, how one Hugh Lou or Lupus enioied the earledome of Chester all the daies of the Conqueror, and long after, which Hugh was sonne to Richard earle of Auranges and the countesse Emma daughter of a noble man in Normandie named Herlowin, who maried Arlet the daughter of a burgesse in Falois, and mother to William Conquerour. So that the said Hugh, being sisters sonne to the Conqueror, receiued by gift at his hands the earledome of Chester, to hold of him as fr��elie by right of the sword, as he held the realme of England in title of his crowne. For these be the words: "Tenendum sibi & h?redibus ita liber�� ad gladium, sicut ipse (Rex) totam tenebat Angliam ad coronam."
Earle Hugh then established in possession of this earledome, with most large priuileges and fr��edoms, for the better gouernement thereof, ordeined vnder him foure barons; [Sidenote: Foure barons. Nigell or Neal. Piers Malbanke. * Eustace whose surname we find not. Warren Vernon.] namelie, his cousine Nigell or Neal baron of Halton, sir Piers Malbanke baron of Nauntwich, sir Eustace * baron of Mawpasse, and sir Warren Uernon baron of Shipbrooke. Nigell held his baronie of Halton by seruice, to lead the Uauntgard of the earles armie when he should make anie iournie into Wales; so as he should be the foremost in marching into the enimies countrie, and the last in comming backe: he was also conestable and Marshall of Chester. [Sidenote: The Lacies.] From this Nigell or Neal, the Lacies that were earles of Lincolne had their originall. When earle Hugh had gouerned the earledome of Chester the terme of 40. yeares, he departed this life, in the yeare 1107. He had issue by his wife Armetrida, Richard the second earle of Chester after the conquest; Robert, abbat of Saint Edmundsburie: and Otnell, tutor to the children of king Henrie the first. [Sidenote: _Iohn Bohun._] Moreouer, the said earle Hugh had a sister named Margaret, that was maried to John Bohun, who had issue by hir, Ranulfe Bohun, otherwise called Meschines, which Ranulfe by that meanes came to enioy the earledome of Chester in right of his mother (after that earle Richard was drowned in the sea) and not by exchange for the earledome of Carleil, as by this which we haue alreadie recited may sufficientlie be prooued.
[Sidenote: An. Reg. 6.] Now to returne where we left. After that king William Rufus had giuen order for the building, fortifieng, and peopling of Carleil, he returned southwards, and came to Glocester, where he fell into a greeuous and dangerous sicknesse; [Sidenote: 1093.] so that he was in despaire and doubt of his life: [Sidenote: _Simon Dun._ _Hen. Hunt._ _Matth. Paris._ The king being sicke promiseth amendment of life. _Polydor._ _Eadmerus._] wherefore he repented him of his former misd��eds, and promised (if he escaped that dangerous sicknesse) to amend and become a new man. But when he had his health, that promise was quickelie broken, for his dooings which were so bad and wicked before his sicknesse, being compared with those which followed after his recouerie, might haue b��ene reputed good