Excerpt from History of the Life of King Henry the Second, Vol. 2: 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 Confessor, to the Birth of Henry the Second

In a few days. Nor was his confidence vain for had eftablilhed his power in England on fuch a felid foundation, and put the care of his interefts into fuch fafe and able hands, that his prefence was not necefl'ary and this being the cafe, it was certainly wife in him, nor to leave behind him any root of rebellion. It might indeed have been na tural for (2) young a king to be more impatient to put on his royal robes: but the folidity of his mind gave no way to the impreflions of vanity, and he preferred, upon all occalions, what was really great to the ofientation of greatnefs. Having entirely pacified Normandy he went to Rouen, and con erred with his mother, who pru dently agreed to remain, as before, in that dutchy, and not go with him to England; thinking that her prefence might hurt him there, as (he was not beloved by the Englilh; or feelin perhaps, that it would not be agreeable to reede as a fubje�t where {he had reigned as a queen. Whatever right [he had to the crown, a formal cellion of it, in favour of her lbn, by any publiclt aft, was not t to be necefl'ary, nor does it a pear that he it: her acquiefcence under w at had been 'fettled in the treaty at Winchefier being efteemed by the nati and even by her own molt zealous friends, a f cient releafe of the oaths th had taken to her, either in the life-time of herc�ther, or after the battle of Lincoln. And Henry himfelf might think, accordin to the notions received in thofe days, that his tit e, in itfelf, was better than hers as he was the nearefi: heir male to his grand father, King Henry. Certain it is, that there was no renunciation declared on her part, nor refigna tiop of her claim in his behalf: but his right of fuccefiion was left upon the foot of the treaty of agreement between him and Stephen. This great i'point being adjufied, he Hammoned all the barons 'qnd prelates of Normandy, to advife with them.

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