May. II. Himself expert in strategy and cognisant of the land, CHAP. he quickly subdued rebellious Tankerville, Villers, Mésidon. And, in a conference with King Louis, pro- A.D. 1137. cured investiture in the duchy on his son Eustace, then an infant, under the usual feudal ties. Marching into Evreux, he released (with stringent conditions) Roger de Conches, who had been eight months in ward, and ingratiated Rotrou Count of Perche and Richer de L'Aigle by benefices. At this instant the Count of Anjou, at head of 400 men-at-arms—a force of 1,600 or thereabout-entered Normandy again, again harried Hiesmes, burnt the castle and church of Basoches, put to ransom the monks of Dive and of Fécamp; and met his first check at Gué Beranger-hard by the field of Valesdunes. The surroundings widened. Robert Earl of Gloster, the late king's bastard, had, it will be remembered, reluctantly homaged King Stephen. Cf. Roman de Rou. ii. p. 30. i. April 10. Now, W. Malm. having thoroughly sounded the sentiments of those Hist. Nov. who with him had sworn to uphold Matilda and with him had done fealty to Stephen and planned his future course, he sailed for Normandy.' Possessed of Easter vast estates hereabouts as son-in-law and heir of Ro. day, Fitz Hamon, it would seem that he tampered with the garrison of Caen whose fidelity had not been anticipated by Geoffrey. Again: William d'Ypres, that O. Vit. ib. Fleming whose acts had borne an aspect of complicity Ante, pp. with the murderers of Count Charles, whose aversion 210, sq. to the Clito had rendered him odious, now, in command of the auxiliaries, confronted the Angevins : but neither Norman nor Fleming would second him; and the native magnates grudged and privately resented the king's partiality towards this man. Consequently, when Stephen rendezvoused at Lisieux, none counselled June. 30. CHAP. action against the invader. II. Normans and Flemings came to blows. The army disarrayed. Leaders, each A.D. 1137. followed by his own vassals, left the camp; and the R. Wend. July, Aug. Sept. 13. R. de Monte, col. 452. April 9. campaign brought itself to end. Stephen humbled himself to argue with and allay Hugh de Gournay, W. de Warrenne and other hot-brained youths,' whom he followed to Pont Audemar; but he soon perceived the character of their defection; and, rather than bring treachers into his ranks, truced with the enemy for two years. Geoffrey accepted two payments of five thousand marks each in bar of his wife's pretensions; and at same time Theobald received an annuity of two thousand marks as it were for resignation of his birthright. Considering the resources of realm and duchy, we may estimate the value of these claims respectively and the means in hand of either claimant to enforce such. William Count of Poitiers, Duke of Aquitaine, deVita Ludo. ceasing in the spring of this year, had willed all his states, together with his only child, to France. And the French army, released from war, now escorted Louis-Florus to Bourdeaux, where, at the age of seventeen, he married Eleanor of Guienne. Meantime, Louis (VI.) le Gros dying of the effects of extreme heat on a corrupt body, Louis (VII.) le Jeune who had previously been crowned King of France by Pope Innocent II.-received the chaplet of Aquitaine at Poitiers. Aug. 1 or 4. Suger. O. Vit. xiii. 32. Oct. 25, 1131. Aug. 8. Normandy, however, still in agitation, Stephen seized Grosœuvre in Evreux, razed Quitri in the Vexin, awed the territory of Avranches and the Bretons. Subsequently, called home by disturbances of greater moment, he consigned the accomplishment of peace to W. de Roumere, Roger Viscount of the Cotentin and other justiciaries; and, taking the brothers Waleran and Robert (de Bellomont) with nearly all the chief Norman lords, sailed for England. CHAP. II. Advent. A.D. 1137-8. Stephen again held court at Dunstable; but, being warned by Nigel Bishop of Ely of a plot to massacre o. Vit. all Normans and deliver up England to the Scots; and xiii. 32. himself perceiving, from the attitude of the magnates, some rash disloyalty toward, passed the festival of Christmas in arms. A.D. 1138. Standardii. Now the castle of Bedford had been confided by R. & J. Hagusroyal license to Milo of Eaton, youngest son of Hugh tald. de Beauchamp Lord of Elmley. Stephen, at this time Ailred," granting the same with title of earl to Hugh de Bello- de Bello mont-youngest brother of the above Waleran and Robert,-required that Milo should do service therefore and hold the fortress of Earl Hugh. This, however, Milo, claiming hereditary rights, insolently denayed; then grasped munitions from the neighbourhood, shut the gates and defied the king. Stephen accordingly H. Hunt. advanced in power and on Christmas Eve sate down Gesta Ste. over against Bedford. The castle stood on a high Dec. 24. mound, surrounded by a solid and lofty wall, its keep impregnable, its garrison complete and resolute. The king set sharpshooters under cover who galled those on the battlements: made fasces to fill up the trench : engines to batter the base: posted night-watchers at the gates stayed outgo and income; and, by every available means, distressed the rebels. Other insurgents drawing him hence, only by blockade and exhaustion did Bedford eventually yield. P. 30. A.D. 1138. Deeper, spreading, roots of disaffection now appeared. Conspirators brought to trial suffered capital punish- o. Vit. ment. Some, ere arrest, exiled themselves: others-the most powerful-leagued with Scots and Welch. Almost xiii. 32. CHAP. in every part of the kingdom treason sprouted and II. A.D. 1138. p. 36. flourished. The King of Scots had invaded England and made peace, as we have seen. Yet he again availed himself of Matilda's claim to aggravate Stephen's embarrassment. He had harboured Ro. de Batthenton and his kin, outlaws, Eustace Fitz John with others, hostile; and, if not in person a pretender to the throne, mainly conGesta Ste. sorted with revolters. His people savage, uncleanly -neither stunted by cold nor weakened by want— swift of foot, lightly armed, contemning death, tenacious of life,' hurried irregularly across the border. In national zeal, under colour of religion, David set G.Neubrig. forth. His hordes ripped up pregnant women, tossed infants on the spear, slew the sick and bedridden, butchered priests, after the manner of Huns, Magyars, Danes. They cut off the heads of images and stuck them on the bodies of the slain: they fastened bleedWherever they came they enacted this scene of horror amidst groans and shrieks. Hagustald, On Stephen's approach these fled to their fastnesses; 316. and, albeit he carried fire and sword through the Ailred, ut supra. i. 5. Chron. Melsa, fo. 10. b. J. Bromp ton, coll. 1025-7. H. Hunt. R. Wend, ing polls on crucifixes. R. Hoved. J. & R. col. 260 April 10. 11. 11. J. Wig. Lothians, neither David nor David's people opposed him. A mixed sort of mongrel borderers these: Scots, Picts of Galloway, lowlanders, men of Teviot, Cumbrians, renegade Northumbrians, fugitive Anglo-Saxons, discontent Normans-Netherlanders,-a refuse people, the abominable of the land. King Stephen held a council at Northampton. At P. & C. E. which were present Thurstan Archbishop of York, all the bishops, abbots, and it is stated-surely not verified -all the earls, barons and nobles, of England. Thence he progressed towards Gloster. The folk met him by the way, joyfully; the monks, in procession, greeted May 10. II. him. He offered his royal ring upon the altar and CHAP. redeemed it for fifty shillings. And then, being escorted to his palace by Milo the Constable, received fealty of A.D. 1138. the citizens. After assisting at high mass on Pentecost, May 13. he marched to Hereford. Here Geoffrey Talbot had seized the castle, notwithstanding that the people ac- O. Vit. xiii. knowledged Stephen. After four weeks the garrison June. surrendered. He took Weobley, then, and thereby J. Wig. checked and exasperated Talbot, who, presently making June 15. a detour, fired the city of Hereford below the bridge. 37. Hist. Nov. p. 36. H. Hunt. by R. Hoved. R. Wend. J. Hagus 201. col. Ann. Win. At this time Robert Earl of Gloster, staying in W. Malm. Normandy, sent heralds to King Stephen, formally i renouncing fealty and friendship, recalling homage on the ground of Matilda's rights and the oath in that behalf. So Stephen departed for London, Gloster's envoys Gesta Ste. for Bristol. These brought to their friends heavy orders, trouble for the realm. To wit, that Bristol must be provisioned and recruited and that hostilities should forthwith rage against the king and his adherents.' At this juncture-among unrecorded others indicated events the Earl of Gloster held Bristol and Slade talds or Slede in Somerset, Leeds in Kent, Margan in Glamorgan, Dorchester, Wimbourne, Corfe, Wareham in Dorset W. Louvel held Castle Carey; W. Fitzjohn, Harptree; Ro. de Mohun, Dunster; these three in Somerset Bryan Fitz-Count, Wallingford, Oxford: Alexander Bishop of Lincoln, Newark in Notts, and Sleaford in Lincolnshire: John Marshall, Marlborough and Ludgershall in Wilts: Walkelin de Ferrers, Oakham in Rutland: W. Peverill, Brunne in Cambridge, Ellesmere in Cheshire or in Salop, Overton in Flint (?), Winterton in Salop: W. Fitz-Alan, Shrewsbury: Paganel, Ludlow in Salop, Dudley in Worcester: Eustace Fitzjohn, Bamborough and Malton in the East Riding of York, Alnwick ton. fo. 30. |