ENGL 
'fdfhop of Winchester, his brother, refolded to vindicate 
the privileges of the church. A fynod was atlerabled, in 
which the difgraced prelates openly inveighed againft: the 
king. But he, inftead of anfwering the charge in perfon, 
deputed one of his barons to plead his caufe, and intimi¬ 
date his accufers. In this critical fituation of affairs, ac¬ 
counts were brought of Matilda’s having landed in Eng¬ 
land, with a firm refoluticn to difpolfefs Stephen of the 
crown. Matilda, upon the death of the late king, being 
then in Normandy, found herfelf unable to oppofe the 
rapid progrefs of her rival. She was not lefs unfortunate 
in her continental connexions than in thofe at home. The 
Norman barons, unwilling tp have the union with Eng¬ 
land dilfolved, almoSt unanimously declared for Stephen, 
and put him in polfedion of their government ; while 
Geoffry hitnfelf, Matilda’s hufband, was content to resign 
his pretentions, and to receive a penfion from the Engiilh 
king. Me had not, however, long acquiefced in this com. 
promife, when he was incited to a renewal of his wife’s 
claims by Robert, earl of Gloucefter, natural fon of the 
late king, a nobleman who had, from the beginning, op- 
pofed the accefiion of Stephen, and only waited a favour¬ 
able opportunity to fet on foot an infurreftion. This 
haughty baron, having at length fettled the projeft of an 
oppofition, retired to the court of Matilda, and from 
thence lent Stephen a defiance, folemnly renouncing his 
allegiance. It was not long before he was in a capacity 
effectually to fecond his declarations ; for, fenfible of the 
power of his party in England, he landed on the coaSt of 
Sulfex, in company with Matilda, whole claims he pro- 
felTed to fupport. 
The whole of Matilda’s retinue, upon this occafion, 
amounted to no more than a hundred and forty knights, 
who immediately took pofieffion of Arundel caflle; but 
the nature of her claims foon increafed the number of 
her partifans. Mean time Stephen, A. D. 1139, alfured 
of her arrival, marched to befiege Arundel, where fite 
had taken refuge, and where (lie was piotefted by the 
queen dowager, who fecretly favoured her pretenfions. 
This fortrefs was too feeble to promife a long defence; 
and it would have been foon taken, had it not been repre- 
fented to the king, that, as it w’as a cattle belonging to 
the queen dowager, it would be an infringement on the 
refpeff which was her due, to attempt taking it by force. 
There was a fpirit of generofity mixed with the rudenefs 
of the times, that nobly prevailed in many tranfactions; 
Stephen permitted Matilda to remove in fafety to Briltol, 
another fortrefs, Stronger than that from whence he per¬ 
mitted her to retire. It would be tedious and unintereft- 
jng to relate the various Skirmishes on either fide, in pur- 
j'uance of their refpedlive claims ; fuffice it to fay, that 
Matilda’s forces increafed every day, while her antago¬ 
nist feemed every hour to become more unpopular. The 
troops which Stephen led, were in general foreign merce¬ 
naries, commanded by tumultuous barons, more accuf- 
tomed to pillage than to conquer. But, in this flufitua- 
tion of fuccefs, the kingdom was expofed to ruin, which¬ 
ever fide Ihould gain the victory. The caltles of the no¬ 
bility were become receptacles for licenfed robbers, who 
gave their rapine the name of attachment to party. The 
land was left untilled, the inltruments of husbandry were 
abandoned, and a terrible famine, the refult of general 
diforder, oppreffed at once the fpoiled and the fpoilers. 
After numberlefs undecilive conflicts, a complete vic¬ 
tory, gained by the forces of Matilda, 'promised to ter¬ 
minate thefe dilputes. Stephen had marched his forces to 
relieve the city of Lincoln ; the earl of Gloucester led a 
body of troops to fecond the efforts of the befiegers. 
Thefe two armies engaged within fight of the city, and a 
dreadful battle enfued, A.D. 1141. On the fir St onfet, 
the two wings of Stephen’s army, which were compofed 
of horfe, were put to flight; and the infantry, Soon fol¬ 
lowing the example, delerted their king. ' All who inhe¬ 
rited the blood of the Norman conqueror were-brave. 
Stephen was for Some time left without attendants, and 
Vox.. VI. No. 373. 
A N D. 
fought on foot in the midfl of his enemies, aflaulted by 
multitudes, and refilling all their efforts with aftonifhing 
intrepidity. Being hemmed in on every Side, he made 
way for fotne time with his battle-axe ; but that break¬ 
ing, he drew his fword, and dealt his blows round the 
circle in which he was inclofed. At length, after per¬ 
forming more than could be naturally expeCfed from a 
(ingle arm, his fword flying in pieces', he was obliged to 
furrender hitnfelf a prisoner. He was conducted to Glou¬ 
cester ; and though at fil'd treated with refpect, he was 
foon after, on fome fufpicions, thrown into prifon, and 
laid in irons. 
Stephen and Iris party now appeared entirely overcome. 
Matilda was pofifelled not only of fuperior power, but alio 
of the jufter title. She was considered as the rightful 
fovereign, and the barons came in daily from ail quarters 
to do her homage. The bishop of Winchester hitnfelf, 
who had efpoufed her caufe againft his brother, admitted 
her claims; he led her in proceflion into his cathedral, 
and bleffed her with the greatest Solemnity ; the archbi¬ 
shop of Canterbury alfo fwore allegiance, and Shortly af¬ 
ter an ecclefiaftical council, at which none of tile laity 
aStifted, except deputies from the city of London, con¬ 
firmed her pretenfions ; and She was crowned at Winchef- 
ter with all imaginable folemnity. Yet fuch is the vanity 
of human affairs, and fuch was the great power of the 
barons, who were in elfeCt matters of thole they nomi¬ 
nally elefted as governors, that Matilda remained but a 
Short time in poSfeflion of the throne. This princefs, be- 
fide tlie difadvantages of her fex, which weakened her 
influence over a martial people, was refolved upon re- 
preffing the growing power of the nobles, who had left 
only the Shadow of authority to their fovereign. But 
having neither temper nor policy fufficient to carry lier 
views into execution, fhe difguSted tliofe by her pride to 
whom (he was obliged for her advancement. The firSt 
petition (lie refufed was the enlargement of Stephen ; She 
rejected the remonstrance of the Londoners, who intreated 
her to mitigate the Severe laws of the Norman princes, 
and revive thofe of Edward the ConfeSfor. She affeCted 
to treat the nobility witli a degree of difdain to which 
they had long been unaccustomed ; while the fickle nation 
once more began to pity their depofed king, and to repent 
the Steps they had fo hastily taken in her favour. The 
bifliop'of Winchester, who probably was never her fin- 
cere friend, was not remifs in fomenting thefe difeori- 
tents ; and when he found the people ripe for revolt, he 
detached a party of his vaffals to block up the city of 
London, where the queen had then her court. At the 
fame time meafureswere taken to inftigate the Londoners 
againft her, and to feize her perfon. Matilida, having 
notice of this confpiracy, retired to Winchester, whither 
the biShop, Still her fecret enemy, followed her, watching 
an opportunity to ruin her caufe. The infidious prelate 
was foon Sufficiently Strong to throw oft'the ltiaSk, and to 
befiege the queen in the very place where Site firSt received 
his benediction. There She continued for fome tirpe; but 
the town being opprefled by famine, (lie was obliged to 
efcape, while her brother, the earl of Gloucester, endea¬ 
vouring to follow, was taken prifoner, and exchanged for 
Stephen, who had till now remained in captivity. Thus 
a revolution, as fudden as the former, took place ; Ma¬ 
tilda was depofed, and obliged to feek an afyhittt in Ox¬ 
ford. Stephen was again recognifed as king, and taken 
from a dungeon to be placed on the throne. 
The civil war now broke out afrefh, with all its train 
of deflations. Many were the battles fought, and va¬ 
rious the Stratagems of thofe who conducted the affairs of 
either party. Matilda efcaped from Oxford, at a time 
when the fields were covered with Snow, by being dreffed 
in white, with four knights, htr attendants, habited in 
the fame manner. Stephen was upon another occafion 
furprifed by the earl of Gloucefter at Wilton, 1 and nar¬ 
rowly efcaped by flight. At length the e nip refs was 
obliged to quit the kingdom; and the death of the earl 
