THE HISTORY Life of King Henry the Second, And of the AGE in which he lived. IN FIVE BOOKS. To which is prefixed, A History of the Revolutions of ENGLAND, From the Death of EDWARD the Confeffor, to the Birth of HENRY the Second. GENERAL PREFACE B To the WHOLE WORK. EING defirous of employing my leifure hours in fome manner agreeable to myself, and not useless to others, I have undertaken to write the life of King Henry the Second, one of the greatest princes in extent of dominion, in magnanimity, and in abilities, that ever governed this nation. But to five books on this fubject I fhall prefix a fhort hiftory of the Revolutions of England, from the death of Edward the Confeffor to the birth of Henry the Second; because the changes introduced into this kingdom in the reign of William the Firft, and under the three fucceeding kings, continued to influence, and in a great measure to form, the political fyftem, in which Henry was engaged. Nor fhall I, after the example of fome ancient biographers, confine myself only to his perfonal actions, referring the reader to the accounts of other hiftorians for the general state of the nation and of public affairs, or defcribing it fuperficially. In writing the life of this prince I mean to write a part of the hiftory of my country, and fhall therefore attend as carefully to all that regards the conftitution of England, as to circumftances where his character alone is concerned. VOL. I. B Some Some modern writers have compofed general hiftories, in which this period is comprehended: but, without derogating from the merit of any of thefe, it must be acknowledged, that, in works of so vaft an extent, there cannot be fuch a full detail of particulars, nor fo much exactness and accuracy, as in those which are confined to narrower limits. It is only in the latter, that the feveral steps and preparatory measures, by which great actions are conducted, and great events are brought on, can be fhewn with any clearness. Much in this history will therefore be new to many of my readers; and if it is favourably received by the public, others may be encouraged to pursue a fimilar plan, and take the fame pains, with greater abilities, in writing the lives of fome other kings of England, which have not been hitherto treated of fo diftinctly and fo amply, as the importance of the matters contained therein may be fuppofed to require. There is no branch of literature in which the Englifh have less excelled; though furely there is none which deferves more to be cultivated by a free people. It fhews them the birthright they have in their privileges, raifes in their minds a generous pride, and makes them afhamed to degenerate from the spirit of their ancestors. Whereas nations that have loft, or given up, their liberties, are afraid to revive the memory of what they have been in better days, or to fpeak of the paft without a timorous caution, left it fhould be underflood to reflect on the prefent. Nor can the fincerity, which is requifite in an hiftorian, confift with the baseness and adulation of fervitude, but may fafely difplay itfelf under the friendly protection of liberty, and the good influence of a government which has nothing to fear from hiftorical truth. We are not indeed fo intimately concerned in the tranfactions of more remote times, as in thofe of the present or the laft century: but, if we can attend, attend, with an eager fense of delight, to the accounts we find, in ancient writers, of the earliest ages of the Roman republic, the acts of those mighty princes, who rendered this kingdom illuftrious in Europe, and established its conftitution on the basis of freedom, above fix hundred years ago, may reasonably intereft us in a higher degree: it being as natural for nations, as for particular families, to be fond of looking back upon the first founders of their honour and greatness. The materials, tranfmitted to us, by the care of our ancestors, for a work of this kind, though not fo compleat as might be wifhed, are much better than those which form the Roman history, from the building of Rome to the fecond Punic war. With relation to the reign of Henry the Second we have fuch as are to be found in few other periods of ancient or modern times, viz. collections of letters, written on affairs of great moment, by fome of the principal actors in those affairs, or perfons employed by them, and deep in their confidence. From thence I fhall take almoft all the particulars of Henry's quarrel with Becket, and throw light on many other important tranfactions. In the fecond book of this volume, which will contain the history of that prince from his birth, till he afcended the throne of England, will be likewife included the chief occurrences of the reign of King Stephen; which I fhall relate with fome detail; becaufe, though Henry was too young, during a great part of that reign, to act for himself, yet he had fo near a concern in the business of those times, that, without a thorough knowledge of it, the judgment of the reader on his fubfequent life, and the view of the whole scene, which opened to that prince, as foon as he came into action, would be very imperfect. All difquifitions of a critical nature, concerning the dubious and controverted points which occur |