Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland, vol. 2 | Page 6

(as was
thought requisite) he was crowned king vpon Christmas daie following,
by Aldred archbishop of Yorke. For he would not receiue the crowne at
the hands of Stigand archbishop of Canturburie, bicause he was hated,
and furthermore iudged to be a verie lewd person and a naughtie liuer.
At his coronation he caused the bishops and barons of the realme to
take their oth, that they should be his true and loiall subiects (according
to the maner in that case accustomed.) And being required thereto by
the archbishop of Yorke, he tooke his personall oth before the altar of S.
Peter at Westmister, to defend the holie church, and rulers of the same,

to gouerne the people in iustice as became a king to doo, to ordeine
righteous lawes & kéepe the same, so that all maner of bribing, rapine,
and wrongful iudgements should for euer after be abolished.
[Sidenote: _Polydor._] [Sidenote: 1067.] After this, he tooke order how
to keepe the realme in good and quiet gouernment, fortifieng the
necessarie places, and furnishing them with garisons. He also appointed
officers and councellers, such as he thought to be wise and discréet men,
and appointed ships to be in the hauens by the coast for the defense of
the land, as he thought moste expedient. [Sidenote: _Iohn Stow._] After
his coronation, or rather before (as by some authours it should seeme)
euen presentlie vpon obteining of the citie of London, [Sidenote: _Thos.
Spot._] he tooke his iourney towards the castell of Douer, to subdue
that and the rest of Kent also: which when the archbishop Stigand and
Egelsin the abbat of S. Augustines (being as it were the chiefest lords
and gouernours of all Kent) did perceiue, and considered that the whole
realme was in an euill state; & that whereas in this realme of England,
before the comming in of the forsaid duke William, there were no
bondmen: [Sidenote: Seruitude & bondage of the Nobilitie and
Commonaltie to the Normans.] now all, as well the Nobilitie as the
Commonaltie were without respect made subiect to the intollerable
bondage of the Normans, taking an occasion by the perill and danger
that their neighbours were in, to prouide for the safegard of themselues
and their countrie. They caused all the people of the countie of Kent to
assemble at Canturburie, and declared to them the perils and dangers
imminent, the miserie that their neighbours were come into, the pride
and insolencie of the Normans, and the hardnesse and griefe of
bondage and seruile estate. Whereupon all the people rather choosing to
end their vnfortunate life, than to submit themselues to an
vnaccustomed yoke of seruitude and bondage, with a common consent
determined to méet duke William, and to fight with him for the lawes
of their countrie. Also, the foresaid Stigand the archbishop, and the
abbat Egelsin, choosing rather to die in battell, than to see their nation
in so euill an estate, being encouraged by the examples of the holie
Machabées, became capteins of the armie. And at a daie appointed, all
the people met at Swanescombe, and being hidden in the woods, laie
priuilie in wait for the comming of the foresaid duke William.

Now, bicause it cannot hurt to take great héed, and to be verie warie in
such cases, they agréed before hand, that when the duke was come, and
the passages on euerie side stopped, to the end he should no waie be
able to escape, euerie one of them, as well horssemen as footmen
should beare boughes in their hands. The next daie after, when the duke
was come into the fields and territories néere vnto Swanescombe, and
saw all the countrie set and placed about him, as it had beene a stirring
and moouing wood, and that with a meane pace they approched and
drew neare vnto him, with great discomfort of mind he woondered at
that sight. And assoone as the capteins of the Kentishmen sawe that
duke William was inclosed in the middest of their armie, they caused
their trumpets to be sounded, their banners to be displaied, and threw
downe their boughes, & with their bowes bent, their swords drawne,
and their speares and other kind of weapons stretched foorth, they
shewed themselues readie to fight. Duke William and they that were
with him stood (as no maruell it was) sore astonied, and amazed: so
that he which thought he had alreadie all England fast in his fist, did
now despaire of his owne life. Therefore on the behalfe of the
Kentishmen, were sent vnto duke William the archbishop Stigand, and
Egelsin abbat of S. Augustines, who told him their message in this sort.
"My lord duke, behold the people of Kent come forth to méet you, and
to receiue you as