Page:The reign of William Rufus and the accession of Henry the First.djvu/181

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A crowd came together on the shore; but it was too late; the lord of Rhuddlan was already slain. By this time the invaders were able to put to sea, and the followers of Robert were also able to get their ships together and follow them. They followed in wrath and sorrow, as they saw the head of their chief on the mast. Gruffydd must have felt himself the weaker. He ordered the head to be taken down and cast into the sea. On this the pursuers gave up the chase; they took up the body of the slain Marquess, and, amidst much grief of Normans and English, buried him in Saint Werburh's minster at Chester.

We are well pleased to have preserved to us this living piece of personal anecdote, which reminds us for a moment of the deaths of Harold and of Hereward. Its preservation we doubtless owe to the connexion of Robert of Rhuddlan with the house of Saint Evroul. Otherwise we might have known no more of the conqueror of North Wales than we can learn from the entries in Domesday which record his possessions. But Robert, nephew of Hugh of Grantmesnil, had enriched his uncle's foundation with estates in England, and in the city of Chester itself. He was therefore