The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation, vol 8 | Page 5

ministrantium comitatu Londonias
aduentabat, Quibus citius insertus, ingerens me vbíque ad omnia
emergentia negotia peragenda, cum prosperè plurima perfecissem, in
breui agnitus Ilustrissimo comiti et astrictissimè adamatus, cum ipso
Normanniam enauigabam. Factus ibidem scriba eius, pro libito totam
comitis curiam, ad nonnullorum inuidiam regebam; quosque volui
humiliabam, et quos volui exaltabam. Cumque iuuenili calore impulsus
in tam celso statu supra meos natales consistere tæderem, quin semper
ad altiora conscendere, instabili animo, ac nimium prurienti affectu, ad
erubescentiam ambitiosus auidissimè desiderarem: [Sidenote: A.D.
1064. According to Florentius Wegorniensis.] nuntiatur per vniuersam
Normanniam plurimos archiepiscopos imperij cum nonnullis alijs terræ
principibus velle pro merito animarum suanim more peregrinoram cum
debita deuotione Hierosolymam proficisci. De familia ergo comitis
domini nostri plurimi tam milites quàm clerici, quorum primus et
præcipuus ego eram, cum licentia, et domini nostri comitis
beneuolentia, in dictum iter nos omnes accinximus: et Alemanniam
petentes, equites triginta numero et ampliùs domino Maguntino
coniuncti sumus. Parati namque omnes ad viam, et cum dominis
episcopis connumerati septem milia, pertranseuntes prosperè multa
terrarum spatia, tandem Constantinopolim peruenimus. Vbi Alexium
Imperatorem eius adorantes Agiosophiam vidimus, et infinita
sanctuaria osculati sumus. Diuertentes inde per Lyciam in manus
Arabicorum latrorium incidimus; euis ceratique de infinitis pecunijs,
cum mortibus multorum, et maxima vitæ nostræ periculo vix euadentes,
tandem desideratissimam ciuitatem Hierosolymam læto introitu
tenebamus. Ab ipso tunc patriarcha Sophronio nomine, viro veneranda
canitie honestissimo ac sanctissimo, grandi cymbalorum tonitru, et
luminarium immenso fulgore suscepti, ad diuinissimam ecclesiam
sanctissimi sepulchri, tam Syrorum, quàm Latinornm solenni

processione deducti sumus. Ibi quot preces inorauimus, quot lachrymas
infleuimus, quot suspiria inspirauimus, solus eius inhabitator nouit D.
noster Iesus Christus. Ab ipso itaque gloriosissimo sepulchro Christi ad
alia sanctuaria ciuitatis inuisenda circumducti, infinitam summam
sanctarum ecclesiarum, et oratorioram, quæ Achim Soldanus dudum
destruxerat, oculis lachrymosis vidimus. Et omnibus ruinis sanctissimæ
ciuitatis, tam extra, quàm intra; numerosis lachrymis intimo affectu
compassi, ad quorundam restaurationem datis non paucis pecunijs,
exire in patriam et sacratissimo Iordane intingi, vniuersáque Chrtsti
vestigia osculari, desiderantissima deuotione suspirabamus. Sed
Arabum latrunculi qui omnem viam obseruabant, longiùs a ciuitate
euagari, sua rabiosa multitudine innumera non sinebant. Vere igitur
accidente, stolus nauium Ianuensium in porta Ioppensi applicuit. In
quibus, cum sua mercimonia Christiani mercatores per ciuitates
maritimas commutassent, et sancta loca similitèr adorassent,
ascendentes omnes maria nos commisimus. Et iactati fluctibus et
procellis innumeris tandem Brundusium, et prospero itinere per
Apulium Romam petentes, sanctorum Apostolorum Petri et Pauli
limina, et copiosissima sanctorum martyrum monumenta per omnes
stationes osculati sumus. Indè archiepiscopi, cæterique principes
imperij Alemanniam per dextram repetentes, nos versus Franciam ad
sinistram declinantes cum inenarribilibus et gratijs et osculis ab
inuicem discessimus. Et tandem de triginta equitibus, qui de
Normannia pingues exiuimus, vix viginti pauperes peregrini, et omnes
pedites, macie multa attenuati, reuersi sumus.
The same in English.
I Ingulphus [Footnote: This Abbot, or pretended Abbot of Croyland
(whose name is attached to a work once highly valued, professing to be
a history of the Abbey of Croyland from 626 to 1089, but which, is
now believed to be a monkish fabrication of a much later age), is said
by himself to have been, on his return from the Holy Land, appointed
prior of the Abbey of Fontenelle, in Normandy, and on William
becoming King of England, Abbot of Croyland. He was believed to
have died in 1109.] an humble seruant of reuerend Guthlac and of his
monastery of Croiland, borne in England, and of English parents, at the
beautifull citie of London, was in my youth for the attaining of good
letters, placed first at Westminster, and afterward sent to the Vniuersitie

of Oxford. And hauing excelled diuers of mine equals in learning of
Aristotle, I inured my selfe somewhat vnto the first and second
Rhethorique of Tullie. And as I grew in age, disdayning my parents
meane estate, and forsaking mine owne natiue soyle, I affected the
Courts of kings and princes, and was desirous to be clad in silke, and to
weare braue and costly attire. [Sidenote: A.D. 1051] And loe, at the
same time William our souereigne king now, but then Erle of
Normandie, with a great troup of followers and attendants came vnto
London, to conferre with king Edward the Confessour his kinsman.
Into whose company intruding my selfe, and proffering my seruice for
the performance of any speedy or weightie affayres, in short time, after
I had done many things with good successe, I was knowen and most
entirely beloued by the victorious Erle himselfe, and with him I sayled
into Normandie. And there being made his secretarie, I gouerned the
Erles Court (albeit with the enuie of some) as my selfe pleased, yea
whom I would I abased, and preferred whom I thought good. When as
therefore, being carried with a youthful heat and lustie humour, I began
to be wearie euen of this place, wherein