Source.—William of Malmesbury, Historia Novella, ed. Stubbs, vol. ii., p. 574. (Rolls Series.)

On the second day after the Octave of Easter (April 11) a council of archbishop Theobald and all the bishops of England and many abbots was opened with great ceremony at Winchester under the presidency of the legate. Those who were not there sent reasons for their absence by proctor or letter. The proceedings of this council I will set forth for posterity with complete accuracy, since I was myself present, and I remember the whole perfectly. On that day, after reading the letters of excuse whereby some justified their absence, the legate summoned the bishops apart and discussed with them his secret intention; and afterwards the abbots, and last of all the archdeacons, were summoned. Of his purpose nothing was made public, but the thoughts and speech of all men were busy with what was likely to be done.

On the third day the legate spoke to this effect: that by the Pope’s condescension he held his place in England, wherefore by his authority the clergy of England had been assembled at this council, that they might deliberate together touching the peace of the country, which was in grave peril of shipwreck. In the time of king Henry, his uncle, England had been a unique abode of peace, so that through the activity, the spirit and the labour of that unrivalled prince, not only the natives, whatsoever their might and rank, dared not make trouble, but also by his example all neighbouring kings and princes themselves yielded to peace and desired or forced their subjects to do the like. The same king, some years before his death, had caused the whole realm of England and the duchy of Normandy to be bound by the oath of all bishops and barons alike to his daughter, sometime Empress, his sole surviving child of his first wife, if he should fail of a male successor by the wife he had married from Lorraine. “And cruel fortune,” said he, “grudged him his desire, so that he died in Normandy without heir male. So, because it seemed long to wait for the Lady, who delayed her coming to England, for she was dwelling in Normandy, the peace of the country was provided for, and my brother was suffered to become king. Yet, though I pledged myself as surety between him and God that he would honour and exalt Holy Church, and maintain good laws and uproot evil, I grieve to remember, I am ashamed to recall, what manner of king he has shown himself; how no justice has been done on offenders, how peace was wholly destroyed almost within a year; bishops seized and forced to surrender their possessions; abbeys sold, churches plundered of their treasures; evil men’s counsel regarded, and good men’s put aside or wholly despised. You know how often I appealed to him, as well by myself as by the bishops, especially in the council summoned last year for this purpose, and yet I won nothing but disfavour. It can escape no man, who thinks aright, that I ought to love my mortal brother, but much rather ought to regard the cause of my immortal Father. Therefore, since God has judged my brother, permitting him without my connivance to fall into the power of the mighty, in my right as legate I have asked you all to assemble hither, that the kingdom be not imperilled for lack of a ruler. Yesterday the matter was discussed in secret before the greater part of the clergy of England, whose right it is above all men to elect and ordain a prince. First, then, as is justly due, calling God to our aid, we elect as lady of England and Normandy, the daughter of the peaceful, the glorious, the wealthy, the excellent king, incomparable in our times, and we promise her fealty and maintenance.”

After all present had either suitably applauded his declaration or by silence refrained from opposition, the legate added: “We have summoned by messengers the men of London, who rank almost as nobles in England through the greatness of the city, and have sent them safe conduct, and I trust that they will not delay their arrival beyond to-day; let us give them good grace until the morrow.”

On the fourth day came the men of London, and after being conducted into the council, put their case so far as to say that they had been sent by the commune of London not to raise strife but to pray for the release of their lord the king from captivity; and that all the barons who had long been admitted into their commune, earnestly demanded the same of the lord legate and of the archbishop and all the clergy there present. The legate answered them fully and clearly, and to prevent the fulfilment of what they requested, repeated his speech of the previous day, adding, however, that it did not become the men of London, who were esteemed in England as nobles, to support the cause of those who had abandoned their lord in battle, by whose counsel he had dishonoured Holy Church, and finally who appeared to show favour to the men of London solely in order to drain them of their money.... They took counsel together and said that they would report the decree of the council to their fellows, and give it their countenance so far as they could.

On the fifth day the council broke up after the excommunication of many of the royal party, in particular, William Martel, formerly king Henry’s butler, and afterwards sewer40 to king Stephen; he had grossly exasperated the legate by intercepting and pilfering much of his property.

It was a heavy task, however, to win over the goodwill of the men of London, for though these events took place, as I have said, immediately after Easter, it was only a few days before Midsummer that they consented to receive the empress. By that time the greater part of England had duly accepted her governance.... But at the very moment when she thought to secure possession of the whole of England, all was changed. The men of London, always mistrusted, and murmuring among themselves, now burst out into expressions of open hatred, and even, it is said, lay in wait for the Lady and her earls. They had warning and escaped, and left the city gradually without rioting and with a kind of knightly discipline. The empress was accompanied by the legate and David king of Scotland, her uncle, and her brother Robert, then as always, in all things, the partner of his sister’s fortunes, and, in short, all of her party escaped to a man. The men of London, learning of their departure, flew to their houses and plundered everything which they had left behind in their haste.