themselves out in England as elsewhere by the general progress of society, but the solemn and comprehensive declaration that henceforward, as before, England was to continue England; the English nation to retain their integrity, and the nationality of the kingdom to be preserved.1 HENRY THE FIRST'S CONQUEST OF NORMANDY. (From HUME's "History of England.") THE policy and prudence of Henry, which, if time had been a. D. allowed for these virtues to produce their full effect, would have 1101 secured him possession of the crown, ran great hazard of being frustrated by the sudden appearance of Robert. . . . He took possession without opposition of the Duchy of Normandy, and immediately made preparations for recovering England, of which, during his absence, he had, by Henry's intrigues, been so unjustly defrauded. The great fame which he had acquired in the East forwarded his pretensions, and the Norman barons, sensible of the consequences, expressed the same discontent at the separation of the Duchy and Kingdom which had appeared on the accession of William . . . and many of the principal nobility invited Robert to make an attempt upon England, and promised, on his landing, to join him with all their forces. Even the seamen were affected with the general popularity of his name, and they carried over to him the greater part of a fleet which had been equipped to oppose his passage. Henry, in this extremity, began to be apprehensive for his life, as well as for his crown, and had recourse to the superstition of the people, in order to oppose their sentiment of justice. He paid diligent court to Anselm, whose sanctity and wisdom he pretended to revere. . . . And by these caresses and declarations he entirely gained the confidence of the primate, 1 Abridged from chapters 1-12, vol. iv. A. D. whose influence over the people and authority with the barons were of the utmost service to him in his present situation. Anselm scrupled not to assure the nobles of the King's sincerity in those professions which he made of avoiding the tyrannical and oppressive government of his father and brother. He even rode through the ranks of the army, recommended to the soldiers the defence of their prince, represented the duty of keeping their oaths of allegiance, and prognosticated to them the greatest happiness from the government of so wise and just a sovereign. By this expedient, joined to the influence of the Earls of Warwick and Millent, of Roger Bigod, Richard de Redvers, and Robert Fitz-Hamon, powerful barons, who still adhered to the present government, the army was retained in the King's interests, and marched, with seeming union and firmness, to oppose Robert, who had landed with his forces at Portsmouth. The two armies lay in sight of each other for some days without coming to action; and both princes being apprehensive of the event, which would probably be decisive, hearkened the more willingly to the councils of Anselm and the other great men who mediated an accommodation between them. After employing some negotiation it was agreed that Robert should resign his pretensions to England, and receive in lieu of them an annual pension of 3,000 marks; that if either of the princes died without issue, the other should succeed to his dominions; that the adherents of each should be pardoned, and restored to all their possessions in Normandy or England; and that neither Robert nor Henry should thenceforth encourage, receive, or protect the enemies of the other. This treaty, though calculated so much for Henry's advan1102 tage, he was the first to violate. He restored, indeed, the estates of all Robert's adherents; but was secretly determined, that noblemen so powerful and so ill-affected, who had both inclination and ability to disturb his government, should not long remain unmolested in their present opulence and grandeur. He began with the Earl of Shrewsbury, who was watched for some time by spies and then indicted on a charge of forty-five articles. This turbulent nobleman, knowing his own guilt, as well as the prejudice of his judges and the power of his prosecutor, had recourse to arms for his defence. But being soon suppressed by the activity and address of Henry, he was banished the kingdom, and his great estate was confiscated. His ruin involved that of his two brothers... and many others who had distinguished themselves amongst Robert's adherents. Even William, earl of Cornwall, son of the Earl of Mortaigne, the King's uncle, having given matter of suspicion against him, lost all the vast acquisitions of his family in England.... Robert, enraged at the fall of his friends, imprudently ventured to come into England; and he remonstrated with his brother in severe terms against this breach of treaty, but met with so bad a reception, that he began to apprehend danger to his own liberty, and was glad to purchase an escape by resigning his pension. The indiscretion of Robert soon exposed him to more fatal injuries. This prince, whose bravery and candour procured him respect while at a distance, had no sooner attained the possession of power and enjoyment of peace, than all the vigour of his mind relaxed; and he fell into contempt among those who approached his person, or were subject to his authority. Alternately abandoned to dissolute pleasures, and to womanish superstition, he was so remiss in the care of his treasure, and the exercise of his government, that his servants pillaged his money with impunity, stole from him his very clothes, and proceeded thence to practise every species of extortion on his defenceless subjects. The barons, whom a severe administration could alone have restrained, gave reins to their unbounded rapine upon their vassals, and inveterate animosities against each other; and all Normandy, during the reign of this benign prince, was become a scene of violence and depredation. The Normans, at last, observing the regular government which Henry, notwithstanding his usurped title, had been able to establish in England, applied to him, that he might use his authority for the suppression of these disorders, and they thereby afforded him a pretence for interposing in the affairs of Normandy. Instead of employing his mediation to render his brother's government respectable, or to redeem the grievances of the Normans, he was only attentive to support his own I A. D. partisans, and to increase their number by every act of bribery, intrigue, and insinuation. Having, found, in a visit which he made to that Duchy, that the nobility were more disposed to pay submission to him than to their actual sovereign, he collected, by arbitrary extortion on England, a great army and treasure, and returned 1105 next year to Normandy, in a situation to obtain, either by violence or corruption, the dominion of that province. He took Bayeux by storm after an obstinate siege; he made himself master of Caen by the voluntary submission of the inhabitants; but being repulsed at Falaise, and obliged by the winter season to raise the siege, he returned into England, after giving assurances to his adherents that he would persevere in supporting and protecting them. 1106 Next year he opened the campaign with the siege of Tenchebray, and it became evident, from his preparations and progress, that he intended to usurp the entire possession of Normandy. Robert was at last roused from his lethargy, and being supported by the Earl of Mortagne and Robert de Bellesme, the King's inveterate enemies, he raised a considerable army, and approached his brother's camp, with a view of finishing, in one decisive battle, the quarrel between them. He was now entered on that scene of action in which alone he was qualified to excel, and he so animated his troops by his example that they threw the English into disorder, and had nearly obtained the victory, when the flight of Bellesme spread a panic among the Normans, and occasioned their total defeat. Henry, besides doing great execution on the enemy, made near ten thousand prisoners, among whom was Duke Robert himself, and all the most considerable barons who adhered to his interests. This victory was followed by the final reduction of Normandy; Rouen immediately submitted to the conqueror; Falaise, after some negotiation, opened its gates; and, by this acquisition, besides rendering himself master of an important fortress, he got into his hands Prince William, the only son of Robert. He assembled the States of Normandy; and having received the homage of the vassals of the Duchy, having settled the government, revoked his brother's donations, and dismantled the castles lately built, he returned into England, and carried along with him the Duke as prisoner. That unfortunate prince was detained in custody during the remainder of his life, which was no less than twenty-eight years, and he died in the castle of Cardiff, in Glamorganshire: happy if, without losing his liberty, he could have relinquished that power which he was not qualified either to hold or exercise. Prince William was committed to the care of Helie de St. Saen, who had married Robert's natural daughter, and who being a man of probity and honour beyond what was usual in those ages, executed the trust with great affection and fidelity. Edgar Atheling, who had followed Robert in the expedition to Jerusalem, and who had lived with him ever since in Normandy, was another illustrious prisoner taken in the battle of Tenchebray. Henry gave him his liberty, and settled a small pension on him, with which he retired, and he lived to a good old age in England, totally neglected and forgotten. The acquisition of Normandy was a great point of Henry's ambition; being the ancient patrimony of his family, and the only territory which, while in his possession, gave him any weight or consideration on the continent: but the injustice of his usurpation was the source of great inquietude, involved him in frequent wars, and obliged him to impose on his English subjects those very heavy and arbitrary taxes, of which all the historians of that age unanimously complain. His nephew William was but six years of age, when he committed him to the care of Helie de St. Saen; and it is probable that his reason for entrusting that important charge to a man of so unblemished a character was to prevent all malignant suspicions in case any accident should befall the life of the young A.D. prince. He soon repented of his choice; but when he desired 1110 to recover possession of William's person, Helie withdrew his pupil, and carried him to the court of Fulk, count of Anjou, who gave him protection. In proportion as the prince grew up to man's estate, he discovered virtues becoming his birth; and wandering through different courts of Europe, he excited the friendly compassion of many princes, and raised a general indignation against his uncle, who had so unjustly bereaved him of his inheritance. Lewis the Gross, son of Philip, was at |