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Ordericus Vitalis

WILLIAM RUFUS AND MALCOLM CANMORE
[0ld English Chronicle]

William Rufus had strife with Malcolm Canmore, king of Scots, from whom he exacted some sort of homage. He also had strife with Anselm, whom he had made Archbishop of Canterbury after keeping the see vacant and appropriating its revenues for several years.

While king William was out of England, king Malcolm of Scotland came hither into England, and harried a great deal of it, until the good men who had charge of this land sent a force against him and turned him back. When king William in Normandy heard of this, he made ready for his departure, and came to England, and his brother the count Robert with him, and forthwith ordered a force to be called out, both a ship-force and a land-force but the ship-force, ere he could come to Scotland, almost all perished miserably, a few days before St. Michael's mass and the king and his brother went with the land-force. But when king Malcolm heard that they would seek him with a force, he went with his force out of Scotland into the district of Leeds, in England, and there awaited. When king William with his force approached, then intervened count Robert and Eadgar aetheling, and so made a reconciliation between the kings so that king Malcolm came to our king, and became his man, with all such obedience as he had before paid to his father, and that with oath confirmed. And king William promised him in land and in all things that which he had had before under his father. In this reconciliation Eadgar aetheling was also reconciled with the king and the kings then, with great good feeling, separated but that stood only a little while. And count Robert continued here with the king almost to Christmas, and during that time found little of the truth of their compact; and two days before that tide, took ship in Wight, and went to Normandy, and Eadgar aetheling with him.

An. M.XCII. In this year king William, with a large force, went north to Carlisle, and restored the town, and raised the castle; and drove out Dolphin, who previously had ruled the land there; and garrisoned the castle with his own men, and then returned south hither. And very many country folk with wives and with cattle, he sent thither, there to dwell and to till the land.
An. M.XCIII. In this year, in Lent, the king William was taken so sick at Gloucester, that he was everywhere reported dead. And in his illness he promised many promises to God ; to lead his own life righteously, and to grant peace and protection to God's churches, and never more again for money to sell them, and to have all just laws among his people.

And the archbishopric of Canterbury, that had before remained in his own hand, he delivered to Anselm, who had before been abbot of Bec, and to Robert his chancellor the bishopric of Lincoln ; and to many monasteries he granted land; but this he afterwards withdrew, when be became well, and abandoned all the good laws that he had before promised us. Then after this, the king of Scotland sent, and demanded the fulfillment of the treaty that had been promised him. And king William summoned him to Gloucester, and sent him hostages to Scotland, and Eadgar aetheling afterwards, and the men back again, who brought with him great worship to the king. But when he came to the king, he could not be held worthy either the speech of our king, or the conditions that had previously been promised him; and therefore in great hostility they parted, and king Malcolm returned home to Scotland. But as soon as he came home, he gathered his army, and marched into England, harrying with more animosity than ever behoved him. And then Robert the earl of Northumberland ensnared him with his men unawares, and slew him. Morel of Bamborough slew him, who was the earl's steward and king Malcolm's gossip.

With him was also slain his son Edward, who should, if he had lived, have been king after him. When the good queen Margaret heard this - her dearest lord and son thus deceived - she was in mind afflicted to death; and with her priests went to church, and received her rites, and obtained by prayer to God that she might give up her spirit. And the Scots then chose Donald, Malcolm's brother, for king, and drove out all the English, who were before with king Malcolm. When Duncan, king Malcolm's son, who was in king William's court - his father having before given him as a hostage to our king's father, and lie had so remained afterwards - heard all that had thus taken place, he came to the king, and performed such fealty as the king would have of him, and so with his permission, went to Scotland, with the support that he could get of English and French, and deprived his kinsman Donald of the kingdom, and was received for king. But some of the Scots afterwards gathered together, amid slew almost all his followers, and he himself with a few escaped. Afterwards they were reconciled, on the condition that he never again should harbour in the land either of English or French.

from an OId English Chronicle

An. M.C. In this year king William held his court at Christmas in Gloucester, and at Easter in Winchester, and at Pentecost in Westminster. And at Pentecost, at a town in Berkshire blood was seen to well from the earth, as many said who should have seen it. And thereafter, on the morning after Lammas day (Aug. 1st), king William was shot with an arrow in hunting, by one of his men, and afterwards brought to Winchester, and buried in the bishopric.

That was in the thirteenth year after he had succeeded to the realm. He was very rigorous and stern over his land and his men, and towards all his neighbours, and very formidable; and through the counsels of evil men, that were always grateful to him, and through his own covetousness, he was ever tormenting this nation with an army, and with unjust exactions ; because in his days every right fell, and every wrong in the sight of God and of the world rose up.

God's churches he depressed, and all the bishoprics, and abbacies, whose heads died in his days, he either sold for money or held in his own hand, and let for rent; because he would be the heir of every man, ordained and lay; so that on the day he fell, he had in his own hand the archbishopric of Canterbury, and the bishopric of Winchester, amid that of Salisbury, and eleven abbacies, all let to rent. And, though I may longer delay it, all that was hateful to God and oppressive to men, all such was customary in this land in his time and therefore he was hateful to almost all his people and odious to God, as his end made manifest ; for he departed in the midst of his unrighteousness, without repentance and any atonement.