siege from thence, he ranged abroad to get other places into his
possession, and finallie came to his mother, and laie at Wallingford. K.
Stephan in the meane time being strong in the field, sought time and
place to haue Henrie at some aduantage, who in his yoong yeares (as yet
not hauing tasted any misfortune) he thought would rashlie attempt some
vnaduised enterprise. [Sidenote: The miserie of this land in time of the
ciuill warre.] ¶ But whereas the realme of England had béene now manie
yeares miserablie turmoiled with ciuill warre (which the verie heathen
haue so detested, that they haue exclaimed against it with a kind of
irksomnesse; as:
[Sidenote: _Hor. lib. car. 1. ode. 35._]
Eheu cicatricum & sceleris pudet,
Fratrúmque: quid nos dura refugimus
Aetas? quid intactum nefasti
Linquimus? vnde manus iuuentus
[Sidenote: _Idem. lib. car. 2. ode. 1._]
Metu deorum continuit? quibus
Pepercit aris? iam litui strepunt,
Iam fulgor armorum fugaces
Terret equos equitúmque vultus)
Wherein (besides millians of extremities) honest matrones and mens wiues
were violated, maids and virgins rauished, churches spoiled, townes and
villages robbed, whole flocks and heards of shéepe and beasts destroied
(wherein the substance of the realme cheeflie consisted) and men without
number slaine and murthered, it pleased the goodnesse of almightie God
at length to deliuer the land of these miseries, which were notified to
all countries round about that sore lamented the same.

Now whereas king Stephan was the cause of all the troubles, in hauing
vsurped an other mans rightfull inheritance, it pleased God to mooue his