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

their liege lord, requiring at your hands the things
which perteine to peace, and that vnder this condition; that all the
people of Kent enioy for euer their ancient liberties, and may for
euermore vse the lawes and customes of the countrie: otherwise they
are readie presentlie to bid battell to you, and them that be with you,
and are minded rather to die here altogither, than to depart from the
lawes and customes of their countrie, and to submit themselues to
bondage, whereof as yet they neuer had experience."
The duke séeing himselfe to be driuen to such an exigent & narrow
pinch, consulted a while with them that came with him, prudentlie
considering, that if he should take anie repulse or displeasure at the
hands of this people, which be the key of England, all that he had done
before should be disanulled and made of none effect, and all his hope
and safetie should stand in danger and ieopardie: not so willinglie as

wiselie he granted the people of Kent their request. Now when the
couenant was established, and pledges giuen on both sides: the
Kentishmen being ioyfull, conducted the Normans (who also were glad)
vnto Rochester, and yéelded vp to the duke the earledome of Kent, and
the noble castell of Douer. [Sidenote: The ancient liberties and lawes of
England remaine in Kent onlie.] Thus the ancient liberties of England,
and the lawes and customes of the countrie, which before the comming
of duke William out of Normandie, were equallie kept throughout all
England, doo (through this industrie and earnest trauell of the
archbishop Stigand and Egelsin abbat of S. Augustines) remaine
inuiolablie obserued vntill this daie within that countie of Kent.
[Sidenote: _Wil. Thorne._] ¶ Thus far Thomas Spot, and after him
William Thorne writeth the same. Of the which the former (that is Spot)
liued in the daies of king Edward the first, and William Thorne in the
daies of king Richard the second.
But now, before we procéed anie further in recitall of the Conquerours
dooings, we haue here in a table noted all the noble capteins and
gentlemen of name, aswell Normans as other strangers, which assisted
duke William in the conquest of this land: and first, as we find them
written in the chronicles of Normandie by one William Tailleur.
* * * * *
THE CATALOG OF SUCH NOBLEMEN, LORDS, AND
GENTLEMEN OF NAME, AS CAME INTO THIS LAND WITH
WILLIAM THE CONQUEROUR.
Odo bishop of Bayeulx. Robert erle of Mortaing. Roger erle of
Beaumont surnamed A la Barbe. Guillaume Mallet seigneur de
Montfort. Henrie seig. de Ferrers. Guillaume d'Aubelle-mare seign. de
Fougieres. Guillaume de Roumare seig. de Lithare. Le seig. de Touque.
Le seig. de la Mare. Neel le Viconte. Guillaume de Vepont. Le seig. de
Magneuille. Le seig. de Grosmenil. Le seig. de S. Martin. Le seig. de
Puis. Guillaume Crespin. Guillaume de Movenne. Guillaume
Desmoulins. Guillaume Desgarennes. Hue de Gourney, _aliàs_
Genevay. Le seig. de Bray. Le seig. de Gouy. Le seig. de Laigle. Le
seig. de Touarts. Le seig. de Aurenchin. Le seig. de Vitrey. Le seig. de

Trassy, _aliàs_ Tracy. Le seig. de Picquigny. Le seig. d'Espinay.
Osmond seig. du Pont. Le seig. de Estouteuile. Le seig. de Torchy. Le
seig. de Barnabost. Le seig. de Breual. Le seig. de Seeulme. Le seig. de
Houme. Le seig. de Souchoy. Le seig. de Cally. Le seig. de la Riuere.
Euldes de Beanieu. Le seig. de Roumilly. Le seig. de Glotz. Le seig. du
Sap. Le seig. de Vanuille. Le seig. Branchou. Le seig. Balleul. Le seig.
de Beausault. Le seig. de Telleres. Le seig. de Senlys. Le seig. de
Bacqueuille. Le seig. de Preaulx. Le seig. de Iouy. Le seig. de
Longueuille. Le seig. de Aquigny. Le seig. de Passy. Le seig. de
Tournay. Le seig. de Colombieres. Le seig. de Bolleber. Le seig. de
Garensieres. Le seig. de Longueile. Le seig. de Houdetot. Le seig. de
Malletot. Le seig. de la Haie Malerbe. Le seig. de Porch Pinche. Le seig.
de Iuetot. The erle of Tanqueruile. The erle d'Eu. The erle d'Arques.
The erle of Aniou. The erle of Neuers. Le seig. de Rouuile. Le prince
de Alemaigne. Le seig. de Pauilly. Le seig. de S. Cler. Le seig.
d'Espinay. Le seig. de Bremetot. Alain Fergant erle of Britaigne. Le
seig. de la Ferte. Robert fils Heruays duc de Orleans. Le seig. de la
Lande. Le seig. de Mortimer. Le seig. de Clare. Le seig. de Magny. Le
seig. de Fontnay. Roger de Montgomery. Amaury de Touars. Le seig.
de Hacqueuile. Le seig. de Neanshou. Le seig. de Perou. Robert de
Beaufou. Le seig. Meauuon. Le seig. de Soteuile. Eustace de
Hambleuile. Geoffray Bournom. Le seig. de Blainuile. Le seig. de
Mauneuile. Geoffrey de Moienne. Auffray and