consent of the nation, he had made with his predecessor.
The English, harassed with civil wars, and disgusted with the bloodshed
and depredations which, during the course of so many years, had attended
them were little disposed to violate their oaths, by excluding the
lawful heir from the succession of their monarchy.* Many of the most
considerable fortresses were in the hands of his partisans; the whole
nation had had occasion to see the noble qualities with which he was
endowed, and to compare them with the mean talents of William, the son
of Stephen; and as they were acquainted with his great power, and were
rather pleased to see the accession of so many foreign dominions to the
crown of England, they never entertained the least thoughts of resisting
him. Henry himself, sensible of the advantages attending his present
situation, was in no hurry to arrive in England; and being engaged in
the siege of a castle on the frontiers of Normandy, when he received
intelligence of Stephen's death, he made it a point of honor not to
depart from his enterprise till he had brought it to an issue. He
then set out on his journey, and was received in England with the
acclamations of all orders of men, who swore with pleasure the oath of
fealty and allegiance to him.

{1155.} The first act of Henry's government corresponded to the
high idea entertained of his abilities, and prognosticated the
reestablishment of justice and tranquillity, of which the kingdom had
so long been bereaved. He immediately dismissed all those mercenary
soldiers who had committed great disorders in the nation; and he sent
them abroad, together with William of Ypres, their leader, the friend
and confidant of Stephen. He revoked all the grants made by his
predecessor, even those which necessity had extorted from the empress
Matilda; and that princess, who had resigned her rights in favor of
Henry, made no opposition to a measure so necessary for supporting the
dignity of the crown. He repaired the coin, which had been extremely
debased during the reign of his predecessor; and he took proper measures
against the return of a like abuse. He was rigorous in the execution
of justice, and in the suppression of robbery and violence; and that
he might restore authority to the laws, he caused all the new erected
castles to be demolished, which had proved so many sanctuaries to
freebooters and rebels. The earl of Albemarle, Hugh Mortimer, and Roger
the son of Milo of Glo