caused to be raised by waie of taxes and customes. [Sidenote: Rafe
bishop of Durham committed to the Tower. _Simon Dun._] Besides this, on
the 8. daie of September, he committed Rafe bishop of Durham to the
Tower of London, by whose lewd counsell his said brother being seduced,
had in his life time doone manie oppressions to his people. [Sidenote:
The first ordeining of the yard measure. _Wil. Malm._] He ordeined also
that one length of measuring should be vsed through this realme, which
was a yard, appointing it to be cut after the length of his owne arme.
Manie other things he redressed, to the contentation and commoditie of
his subiects, who gaue God thanks that he had in such wise deliuered
them out of the hands of cruell extortioners.

[Sidenote: _Wil. Malm._ _Polydor._] After he had thus brought the
common-wealth in so good estate, he consulted with his Nobilitie, where
he might best get him a wife, and thereby leaue vnlawfull companie
keeping with concubines: which demand was not misliked at all. Herevpon
they considered that Edgar king of Scotland had a sister named Maud, a
beautifull ladie, and of vertuous conditions, who was a professed nunne
in a religious house, to the end she might auoid the stormes of the
world, and lead hir life in more securitie after hir fathers deceasse.
This gentlewoman, notwithstanding hir vow, was thought to be a meet
bedfellow for the king: wherefore he sent ambassadors to hir brother
Edgar, requesting that he might haue hir in mariage. But she refusing
superstitiouslie at the first to breake hir professed vow, would not
heare of the offer: wherewithall king Henrie being the more inflamed,
sent new ambassadors to moue the case in more earnest sort than before,
in somuch that Edgar, vpon the declaration of their ambassage, set the
abbesse of the house (where then she abode) in hand to persuade hir, who
so effectuallie and diuerselie telling hir how necessarie, profitable, &
honorable the same should be both to her countrie and kinred, did so