WILLIAM of MALMSBURY, an historian of considerable merit in the reign of King Stephen; but of whose life few particulars are known. According to Bale and Pitts, he was surnamed Somerfetus, from the county in which he was born. From his own preface to his second book De Regibus Anglorum, it appears that he was addicted to learning from his youth; that he applied himself to the study of logic, physic, ethics, and particularly to history. He retired to the Benedictine convent at Malmesbury, became a monk, and was made precentor and librarian; a situation which much favoured his intention of writing the history of this kingdom. In this monastery he spent the remainder of his life, and died in the year 1142. He is one of our most ancient and most faithful historians. His capital work is that intitled De Regibus Anglorum, in five books; with an Appendix, which he styles Historiae Novellae, in two more. It is a judicious collection of whatever he found on record relative to England, from the invasion of the Saxons to his own times.