their heads of those their long and side locks for a brauerie.
[Sidenote: 1127.] [Sidenote: _Matth. West._] Yet we read that king
Henrie gaue commandment to all his people to cut their haire, about the
28. yeare of his reigne. Preachers indeed inueied against such vnseemlie
maners in men, as a thing more agréeable and seemelie for the contrarie
sex.

Wil. Malm. reciteth a tale of a knight in those daies that tooke no
small liking of himselfe for his faire and long haire, who chanced to
haue a verie terrible dreame. For it séemed to him in his sléepe that
one was about to strangle him with his owne haire (which[18] he wrapped
about his throte and necke) the impression whereof sanke so deepelie
into his mind, that when he awaked out of his sléepe, he streightwaies
caused so much of his haire to be cut as might seeme superfluous. A
great number of other in the realme followed his commendable example,
but the remorse of conscience herein that thus caused them to cut their
haire, continued not long, for they fell to the like abuse againe, so as
within a twelue moneths space they excéeded therein as farre beyond all
the bounds of séemelie order as before.

¶ In this Henrie ended the line of the Normans as touching the heires
male, and then came in the Frenchmen by the title of the heires
generall, after that the Normans had reigned about 69. yeares: for so
manie are accounted from the comming of William Conquerour, vnto the
beginning of the reigne of king Stephan, who succéeded the said Henrie.


Thus farr the succession and regiment of the Normans; namelie,
William Conquerour the father, William Rufus, and Henrie Beauclerke
the sonnes.