Page:Cassell's Illustrated History of England vol 1.djvu/169

A.D. 1105.] against him, and declared him a public enemy unless he returned and appeared before the court at its next sitting. Robert de Belesme made no answer to the summons, but prepared energetically for war, and collected large quantities of stores of provisions in his castles of Arundel, Shrewsbury, and Tickehill. Bridgenorth, on the frontier of Wales, was also strongly fortified.

Henry advanced against his rebellious vassal with an army, a large part of which was composed of English troops, who marched with alacrity to punish the proud Norman baron. After having obtained possession of the castle of Arundel, Henry marched against Bridgenorth, where the earl had entrenched himself. For several weeks the king had besieged the town without result, when some of the Norman barons undertook to arrange terms of peace, as they had already done in the case of Robert of Normandy.

Many of the barons waited upon King Henry, and demanded a conference, or parlement, for the purpose of arranging terms of peace. The plain on which the assembly met was bounded by hills, on which were posted a large body of English troops. These, who had been informed of the object of the conference, called out loudly to the king, "Place no faith in them. King Henry; they want to lay a snare for you: we will give thee our assistance, and will follow thee to the assault. Make no peace with the traitor until he falls into thy hands." The warning appears to have produced its eifect, and no reconciliation took place between the belligerents. The fortress of Bridgenorth at length capitulated, and the king's forces marched through a densely wooded country to attack the earl in his stronghold of Shrewsbury. A short interval elapsed, and then this fortress also was taken, and Earl Robert, who was made a prisoner, was banished from the country, with the forfeiture of the whole of his estates. Other nobles, who had adhered to the cause of Robert of Normandy, were afterwards prosecuted, and met with a similar fate to that of the Earl of Shrewsbury.

The English troops of Henry had long sought for an opportunity of vengeance upon the oppressors of their country, aud they might not unreasonably feel elated at the victories they had obtained over the Norman insurgents. It does not appear, however, that the nation at large derived any benefit from the suppression of the rebellion. Although Henry was of English birth, and had married a Saxon wife, his sympathies were not with the people whom he governed. The old historians tell us that the good Queen Matilda used all the influence she possessed to advance the happiness and secure the liberties of her countrymen; but it does not appDar that her counsel and entreaties produced any effect upon the conduct of the king. The condition of the people soon after the marriage of Henry with Matilda is thus described in the Saxon chronicle:—"It is no easy matter to relate all the miseries with which the land was at this time afflicted, by unjust and continual exactions. Wherever the king went, those in his train oppressed the people, aud were guilty of murder and incendiary fires in many places."

Amidst the vices of Robert of Normandy, he possessed a nice sense of honour which we rarely find recorded of the men of that age, and which was still more rare in the family of the Conqueror. No sooner did he hear of the rebellion of De Belesme in England, than he took possession of the earl's Norman estates, and gave them up to pillage. To this line of conduct Robert considered himself pledged, by the terms of the treaty he had signed with Henry. When, however, the king extended his persecutions to other Norman barons, Robert perceived that they were punished for their adherence to himself; and the duke, without hesitation, came over to England, accompanied only by a small escort, and placed himself unreservedly in his brother's power, for the purpose of pleading the cause of the proscribed nobles.

At this time Robert resigned his pension of two thousand pounds. According to some historians, he was detained by Henry as a prisoner, and the pension was the price paid by the duke for his liberty; while another account states that the sum was given as a present to the Queen Matilda. It is, however, certain that Robert soon returned to Normandy without having succeeded in the object of his visit.

There was no sentiment of fraternal affection in the breast of Henry Beauclerk. Regardless of the acts of forbearance and generosity which he had experienced at different times from his brother, the king sought every opportuuity of injuring him, and of accomplishing his ruin. The Duke of Normandy was of an easy, trustful, and merciful temper, and was ill fitted to restrain the excesses of his turbulent barons, or to hold with a firm hand the reins of government. Many disorders and abuses sprang up in his duchy, and were left unnoticed or unpunished by the sovereign. The fair Sibylla died A.D. 1102, and since that time the duke had resumed his irregular way of life, and had shown more completely than before his utter incapacity for the management of public affairs.

King Henry took advantage of this state of things to interfere in the disputes of the Norman barons; and, after appearing for a time in the character of a mediator, he at length threw off the mask, and declared himself the protector of the duchy against the mal-administration of his brother. He summoned Robert to give up possession of the duchy in return for an annual payment of money. The duke indignantly refused to comply with the demand, and Henry prepared to dispossess his brother by force.

In the year 1105 the king entered Normandy with an army, and obtained possession of several castles and fortified places. Robert, however, was not without means of defence; some few chiefs of power and influence still remained attached to his cause, and Henry returned to England without having obtained a decisive victory.

A second campaign was opened in the following year, and Henry crossed the Channel with a more formidable armament than before. He appeared before Tenchebray, an important stronghold situated at a few leagues' distance from Mortain. Having in vain attempted to corrupt the garrison with gold, the king laid siege to the castle with his whole army. Messengers came to Robert with the news that his faithful troops were hard pressed by the enemy, and the duke promised that, in defiance of every obstacle, he would come on a certain day to their assistance.

The promise was redeemed; and, at the time appointed, the duke, with a small but gallant band cf troops, attacked the army of his brother. Placing himself at the head of his knights, he dashed in upon the English infantry, which gave way before him in disorder. So impetuous was the charge, that the fortune of the day seemed likely to be in favour of Robert, when the cowardice or treachery of the