ENGL 
had no advantage nor pride in forgiving, his nature dif- 
covered itfelf to be utterly void of all fenfe of compaf- 
fion ; and foine barbarities which he committed exceeded 
the bounds tliat even tyrants a d conquerors prefcribe to 
themfelves. Mot?'of our ancient hidorians give him the 
c It a rafter of a very religious prince ; but his religion was 
after the fafhibn of thofe times, belief without examina¬ 
tion, and devotion without piety. It was a religion'that 
prompted "him to endow monafteries, and at the fame 
time allowed hint to pillage kingdoms ; that threw him 
on his knees before a relic or crofs, but fuffered him tin- 
redraitied to trample upon the liberties and rights of man¬ 
kind. 
As to his wifdom in government, of which fonte modern 
writers have fpoken very highly, he was indeed fo far 
wife, that, through a long unquiet reign, lie knew how 
to fupport oppreflion by terror, and employ the propereft 
means for the-carrying on a very iniquitous and violent 
adminiftratitm. But that which alone defervcs the name 
of wifdom in the character of a king, the maintaining of, 
authority by the exercife of thofe virtues which make 
the happinefs of his people, was vvliat, with all his abili¬ 
ties, lie does not appear to have poffeffed. Nor did lie 
excel in thofe foothing and popular arts, which fome- 
times change the complexion of a tyranny, and give it a 
fallacious appearance of freedom. His government was 
haj fh and defpotic, violating even the principles of that 
conftitution which he himfelf had edabliflied. Yet fo tar 
he performed the duty of a fovereign,- that he took cafe 
to maintain a good police in his realm ; curbing licen- 
tioufnefs with a flrong hand, which, in the tumultuous 
Hate of his government, was a great and difficult work. 
How well he performed it we may learn even from the 
teftimony of a contemporary Saxon hidorian, who fays, that 
during his reign a man might have travelled in perfect 
fecurity all over the kingdom with his bofom full of gold, 
nor durd any kill, another in.revenge of the greateft of¬ 
fences, nor offer violence to the chaffity of a woman. 
But it was a poor compenfation, that the highways were 
fafe,- when the courts of juftice were dens of thieves, and 
when almod every man in authority, or in office, ufed his 
power to opprefs and pillage the people. The king him¬ 
felf did not only tolerate, but encourage, fupport, and 
even (hare, thefe extortions. Though the greatnefs of 
the ancient landed eftate of the crown, and the feudal 
profits to which he legally was entitled, rendered him 
one of the richeft monarchs in Europe, he was not con¬ 
tent with all that opulence, but by authorizing the flie- 
riffs, who collected his revenues in the feveral counties, 
to praCtife the mod grievous vexations and abufes, for 
the railing of them higher, by a perpetual atiftion of the 
crown lands, fo that none of his tenants could be fecure 
of poffeflion, if any other would come and offer more ; 
by various iniquities in the court of exchequer, which 
'was entirely Norman; by forfeitures wrongfully taken; 
and, 1 a ft 1 y, by arbitrary and illegal taxations, he drew in¬ 
to his treafury much too great a proportion of the wealth 
of his kingdom. 
- It mult, however, be owned, that if his avarice was in- 
fatiably and unjullly rapacious, it was not meanly parfi- 
monioiTs, nor of that fordid kind which brings on a prince 
dilhonour and contempt. He fupported the dignity of 
It is crown with a decent magnificence ; and, though lie 
never was lavifh, he fometimes was liberal, more efpe- 
cially to his foldiers and to the church. But, looking on 
money as a peceifary means of maintaining and increafirig 
power, he defired to •accumulate as much as he could, 
rather, perhaps, from an ambitious than a covetous na¬ 
ture ; at leal? his avarice was fubfervient to his ambition, 
and he laid up wealth in his coffers, as he did arms in his 
magazines, to be drawn out, when any proper occafion 
required it, for the defence and enlargemenrof his domi¬ 
nions. Upon the ".hole, lie had many great qualities, 
but few virtues; and if thofe aCtions that mod particu¬ 
larly diftinguifh the man or the king are impartially con- 
A N D. 563 
fidered, we fir all find that in his charafter there is much 
to admire, but dill more to abhor. 
Upon the death of the Conqueror, his foil William, 
furnamed Rufus from the red colour of his hair and flo¬ 
rid complexion, haftened to take meafures fur fecuring 
himfelf on the throne. Arriving, therefore, before the 
news of his Father’s death had reached England, his fir ft 
care was, to take poffeffion of the treafure left by the 
king at Winchefter, which amounted to the fum of fixty 
thoufand pounds. He then addreffed the primate Lan¬ 
franc, who had always conlidered him with, an eye of pe¬ 
culiar affeftion, and now indantly proceeded to the cere¬ 
mony of his coronation. At the fame time Robert, who 
had been appointed fucceffor to Normandy, took peace¬ 
able poffeffion of that government; where his perfon was 
beloved, and his acceffion long defired. 
In the beginning of the reign of William II. the Eng- 
1 ifir began to think they had miftaken this prince’s .cha¬ 
rafter, who Had always appeared to them rude and bru¬ 
tal. He at firll feemed to pay the utmod regard to 
the counfels of Lanfranc, which were mild and gen¬ 
tle, and condantly calculated for the benefit of the na¬ 
tion. Nevertheless, th£ Norman barons, who poffeffed 
edates both in England and Normandy, were uneafy at 
the feparation of thofe territories : they refpeCted the 
claim of primogeniture in Robert, and they preferred his 
bold and open difpofidon, to the proud and imperious 
temper of his brother. A powerful confpiracy was there¬ 
fore carried on againd William ; and Odo, the late king’s 
brother, undertook to conduft it to maturity. William, 
fenfible of the danger that threatened him, endeavoured 
to gain the affections of the native Englifh, whom he 
prevailed upon, by promifes of future reward, and pre¬ 
ference of the didribution of his favours, to efpoufe his 
intereds. He was foon in the field ; and, at the head of 
a numerous army, (Viewed himfelf in readinefs to meet all 
who fhould difpute his pretenfions. In the mean time, 
Odo had written to Robert an account of the confpiracy in 
his favour, urging him to ufe difpatch, and exciting him 
to arms by the fplendour of the reward. Robert gave 
ad'urances of fpeedy alfidance ; but his indolence was not 
to be excited by didant expectations. Iudead of employ¬ 
ing his money in levies to fupport his friends in England, 
he Squandered it away in idle expences ; and thus pro- 
cradination, the thief of time, dole from him the only fa¬ 
vourable opportunity of inheriting the crown of England. 
Rufus, in the mean while, exerted himfelf with incredible 
aftivity to didipafe the confederacy. Nor was this dif¬ 
ficult to effect: the confpirators had, in expectation of 
Robert’s co-operation, taken poffedion of tome fortreffes; 
but the appearance of the king compelled them to im¬ 
plore for mercy. He granted them their lives, but con¬ 
it Rated all their edates, and banidied them the kingdom. 
William, thus fixed- in the peaceable poffedion of the 
kingdom, (hewed the nrd indance of his perverfe inclina¬ 
tions, in his ingratitude to the Englifli, who had fecured 
him on the throne. 
Tiie death of Lanfranc, which followed fliortly after, 
took off all redraint from his inclinations ; and His mind 
now appeared in its natural deformity, tyrannical'and. 
unjuft. He ordered a new furvey to be made of all the 
lands and property of the kingdom ; and wherever lie 
found them undervalued in the Doomfday Book, lie raifed 
the proportion of taxes accordingly. Even the privileges 
of the church were but a feeble rampart againd his n-fur- 
pations; he feized the vacant bidioprics, and'openly put 
to fale Rich abbeys as he thought proper. And, not con¬ 
tent with thus exerting his tyranny over his own.domi- 
nions, he was refclved to extend his rapacity over thofe 
of his brother. In confequence of this refolution, he ap¬ 
peared in Normandy at the head of a numerous army ; 
but the nobility, on both rides, drongly connected by in- 
tered and alliances, brought on an accommodation. It 
was now dipulated, that in cafe either of the brothers 
fhould die without iffue, the fufyivor fhould inherit all 
i the 
