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had likewise visited the holy places) wee all of vs embarked committing
ourselues to the seas: and being tossed with many stormes and tempests, at
length wee arriued at Brundusium: and so with a prosperous iourney
trauelling thorow Apulia towards Rome, we there visited the habitations of
the holy apostles Peter and Paul, and did reuerence vnto diuers monuments
of holy martyrs in all places thorowout the city. From thence the
archbishops and other princes of the empire trauelling towards the right
hand for Alemain, and we declining towards the left hand for France,
departed asunder, taking our leaues with vnspeakable thankes and
courtesies. And so at length, of thirty horsemen which went out of
Normandie fat, lusty, and frolique, we returned hither skarse twenty poore
pilgrims of vs, being all footmen, and consumed with leannesse to the bare
bones.
* * * * *
Diuers of the honourable family of the Beauchamps, with Robert Curtoys
sonne of William the Conqueror, made a voyage to Ierusalem 1096. Hol.
pag. 22. vol. 2.
Pope Vrbane calling a councell at Clermont in Auuergne, exhorted the
Christian princes so earnestly to make a iourney in the Holy land, for the
recouery thereof out of the Saracens hands, that the saide great and
generall iourney was concluded vpon to be taken in hand, wherein many noble
men of Christendome went vnder the leading of Godfrey of Bouillon and
others, as in the Chronicles of France, of Germanie, and of the Holy land
doeth more plainely appeare. There went also among other diuers noble men
foorth of this Realme of England, specially that worthily bare the surname
of Beauchampe.
* * * * *
The voyage of Gutuere an English Lady maried to Balduine brother of
Godfreide duke of Bouillon, toward Ierusalem about 1097. And the 11.
yeere of William Rufus King of England.
The Christian armie of Godfrie of Bouillon passing the citie of Iconium,
alias Agogna in the countrey of Licaonia, and from thence by the city of
Heraclia, came at length vnto the citie of Marasia, where they encamped,
and soiourned there three whole dayes, because of the wife of Balduine
brother germane of the duke of Loraigne. Which Lady, being long time vexed
with a grieuous maladie, was in extremitie, where at length paying the debt
due to nature, she changed this transitorie life, for life eternall; Who,
in her life time, was a very worthy and vertuous Lady, borne in England,
and descended of most noble parentage named Gutuere; Which, according to
her degree, was there most honourably enterred, to the great griefe of all
the whole armie. As reporteth William Archbishop of Tyre, lib. 3. cap. 17.
hist. belli sacri. The same author in the 10. booke and first chapter of
the same historie concerning the same English Lady, writeth further as
followeth, Baldwine hauing folowed the warres for a time, gaue his minde to
marriage, so that being in England he fell in loue with a very honourable
and noble Lady named Gutuere, whom he married and caried with him in that
first happy expedition, wherin he accompanied his brethren, the Lords, duke
Godfrey and Eustace, persons very commendable in all vertues and of
immortall memorie. But he had hard fortune in his iourney, because his
foresaid wife, being wearied with a long sicknes finished her life with a
happie end neere the citie of Marasia, before the Christian armie came vnto
Antioch, where she was honourably buried, as we haue declared before.
* * * * *
Chronicon Hierosolymitanum in lib. 3. cap. 27. maketh also mention of this
English Lady which he calleth Godwera in this maner.
Hac in regione Maresch vxor Baldewini nobilissima, quam de regno Angliae
eduxit, diutina corporis molestia aggrauata, et duci Godefrido commendata,
vitam exhalauit, sepulta Catholicis obsequijs; cuius nomen erat Godwera.
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