28 ACCESSION OF RICHARD LE-BON. 996-1003 tossing of the waves :-and, to a great extent, the Danes continued seamen upon the land. Rise of the Norman nobility. A panages of children. During the twenty years that Richard leBon ruled Rollo's sovereignty, a new combination of elements ensued. Henceforward, the Norman annals abound with those historical Names, rendered illustrious by the illusions of time, and the blazonry which imagination imparts. With few exceptions, the principal Baronial families of Normandy arose during this reign. The fading reminiscences of Scandinavia became fainter. And, in the next generation, those relationships were established between young Normandy and decrepid England, destined to accomplish the renovation of the latter community, through the accession of Richard's conquering grandson to the AngloSaxon throne. Richard fully and fairly executed or conSans-peur's formed to his father's testamentary dispensations in favour of his brothers, nay encreased their endowments by his bounty. We find them all Geoffrey, in high estate. Geoffrey acquired the County of Eu, the Marchland between Ponthieu and the Rouennois, and the noble Seigneurie of Brionne, which afterwards was reckoned amongst the strongest fortresses of this northern frontier. Count of Eu. Mauger, much distinguished by his policy and valour, was invested with the extensive County of Mortaigne as an inheritance, whilst, through marriage, he obtained Corbeil. William, whose course was much chequered, RICHARD SANS-PEUR'S CHILDREN & GRAND-CHILDREN. 29 was in the first instance guerdoned with the 996-1003 opulent territory of Hiesmes; that lost, he received another endowment from Richard's liberality. Archbishop of Rouen and Evreux. Robert, the clever Archbishop of Rouen, had Robert, already a good provision: He espoused, accord- count of ing to the Danish fashion,-for assuredly no priest would give the benediction,-a damsel named Herleva, by whom he had many children. It is not clearly ascertained whether he obtained the County of Evreux during the lifetime of Richard Sans-peur his father, or whether his brother, Richard le-Bon, bestowed this endowment, causing him to be styled the Count Archbishop. A great-grandaughter ultimately brought this County into the Montfort Family. Count, Robert, viz., Robert Dev Three sons had Archbishop Robert.-Rich- Sons of the ard, the eldest, became Count of Evreux, and was enrolled amongst the Conqueror's followers; reux, Ralph from him originated the baronial branch of Devreux. Ralph Wace or Gace, the Count Archbishop's second son, colloquially designated Tête-d'étoupe, or Tête-d'âne, was invested with the high hereditary dignity of Grand Connétable, and became the ancestor of a very powerful and truculent family. The third son of the Archbishop was Guillaume, the companion of Robert Guiscard,— whose veritable portrait should display him as armed with bowie knife and revolver:-he is prominent amongst the Apulian Baronage. Gace or Têted'âne, Guillaume. 'ne, and 996-1003 Adelina and sisters of 30 RICHARD SANS-PEUR'S CHILDREN. Guenora's kindred were much favoured by open-hearted Richard le-Bon.-Richard's uncle, Herfastus, Guenora's brother, was enriched with those ample possessions, which, through his son, established the renowned family of Fitz Osborne. § 14. Adelina and Gueva, Richard le-Bon's maternal aunts, respectively espoused Osmond de Bolbec, and Thorold the son of Torf, grandson of Bernard the Dane; but the lineage was now thoroughly Romanized. Thorold became Baron of Pont-audemer. Employing the Herald's scientific phraseology, his descendants "gave" a very clever "canting coat," a bridge, crossing a conventional similitude of water, which we must accept as suggesting the sea, over which same bridge a bold Lion is pacing; and there is some other clench about the local name. These "canting coats," phonographic hieroglyphics as they may be called, are excellent aids to the memory: and the historical student, bewildered in the labyrinths of genealogy, might wish that the fancy had been more prevalent. The Beaumonts, Counts of Mellent, and numerous other illustrious branches started from this ramification of old Bernard's progeny. Guenora should be pourtrayed in full length descending by the side of the branching stem, whence sprung the best families in noble Normandy. All the Houses founded by her own progeny, or her father's progeny, or her mother's progeny. Brothers and sisters, Brothers-in-law and sis-ters-in-law; Sons-in-law and daughters-in-law; Prosperity of the families Guenora connexion. Uncles genuine and uncles à la mode de 996-1003 Bretagne, or as we should say "Welsh uncles;" asked and got, and spread themselves over the lands at the Duke's disposal.-Giffords and Tankervilles, Gourneys and Baskervilles, Limesay and Lindsay, Saint Sidoine and Centvilles, Warrene and Tillieres, Moubray and Mortimer, were branches, or suckers, or seedlings, who sprung or were raised from the Forest of Arques. Baronial families information them. Indeed, all the principal Baronial families, Rise of the originated, or made themselves, or put them- abundance of selves in evidence, during the reign of Richard concerning le-Bon. Never was any region more peopled with men of known names, known deeds, known passions, known crimes, than antient Normandy. You can hardly meet a man whom you do not recognize as an acquaintance when he mentions his name.-He needs no other introduction. You are constantly en päis de connoissance, constantly at home, and this knowledge of the dramatis personæ compensates in a very considerable degree for the scantness of information concerning the early Norman laws and institutions, a scantness contrasting singularly with the abundance of our English constitutional knowledge. 15. From Ethelbert's days, Dooms and Documents, Laws and Land books exist, enabling us to recognize distinctly the main features of the English Commonwealth, and the ranks, attributes, and duties appertaining to the various ranks and 32 LOSS OF THE TEXTS OF ANTIENT NORMAN LAW. 996-1003 orders of Anglo-Saxon society. High or low, laic or cleric, churl or earl, who they were and what they were, and their relations towards each other, and towards their Sovereign. The very apices of our antient laws can be deduced from the old times, notwithstanding all their mutations and expansions, whether by positive legislation, or influential custom. If we ascribe Trial by jury to Alfred's wisdom, and derive the Constitution of the Commons from the Witenagemot, we are fairly correct in our general reasoning, though we begin by accepting ideal representations and apocryphal traditions. Loss of all information concerning dence of antient Normandy. (See Vol. I. 696.) Quite otherwise in the antient Terra Normanthe jurispru- norum. There we know nothing concerning the laws of the land, the Courts of justice, or the mode of procedure,save an Oriental tradition-a Horror, and a Hurrah.-The three legal Legends concerning Rollo, the lawgiver, contain all the information transmitted relating the primeval legislation of Normandy. Yet naught have we seen or heard besides the bracelets glittering in the sun, suspended from the branches of the trees on the brink of the Roumare,-and the gallows forks between which the thievish Churl of Longpaon and his vicious wife are hung,-whilst the "Clameur de Haro" alone breaks the silence. Absence of antient Norman records. The Norman antiquary delves for the records of his country anterior to the reign of Philip Augustus, but none are found in the Trésor des Chartes of Paris, or the Hotel de Ville at Rouen, whilst the English Custos |