[Sidenote: The liberall
hart of king William.] For in such sort he was liberall, that therewith
he was prodigall; and in such wise stout of courage, as proud withall;
and in such maner seuere, as he seemed cruell and inexorable. But what
meanes he vsed to make his best of benefices and spirituall liuings,
partlie appeareth before.
[Sidenote: Jewes.] In deed such was his condition, that who soeuer would
giue, might haue, & that oftentimes without respect, whether their sute
was reasonable and allowable or not, in somuch that it is said of him,
that being in Roan on a time, there came to him diuerse Jewes who
inhabited that citie, complaining to him, that diuerse of their nation
had renounced their Jewish religion, and were become christians:
wherefore they besought him, that for a certeine summe of monie which
they offered to giue, it might please him to constreine them to abiure
christianitie, and turne to the Jewish law againe. He was contented to
satisfie their desires, and so receiuing the monie, called them before
him, & what with threats, and putting them otherwise in feare, he
compelled diuerse of them to forsake Christ, and returne to their old
errors.
There was about the same time a yoong man a Jew, who by a vision
appearing vnto him (as is said) was conuerted to the christian faith,
and being baptised, was named Stephan, bicause S. Stephan was the man
that had appeared to him in the vision, as by the same he was informed.
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