Page:The reign of William Rufus and the accession of Henry the First.djvu/265

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fully round it on every side. The castle of Ballon therefore does not, like so many of its fellows, strictly overhang the stream or the low ground at its foot. At no point does it, like many other fortresses in the same land, mingle its masonry with the native rock. Ballon is more like Arques on a smaller scale than like any of the strictly river fortresses. Within the ditch, the wall of the castle remains, a gateway, a tower, a house of delicate detail; but every architectural feature at Ballon is later than the days of Rufus; the greater part of the present castle belongs to the latest days of mediæval art. This stronghold, to be fought for over and over again in the course of our story, now underwent the earliest of its sieges which concerns us. It held out stoutly for some time during the months of August and September. The loss on both sides was great. At last the besieged surrendered, and were admitted to the Duke's grace. Robert was for a moment the undisputed lord of all Maine.

The first part of Bishop Odo's counsel was thus successfully carried out. But the submission of Maine was in Odo's scheme only a means to the thorough rooting out of the house of Bellême. And Robert found himself in such sure possession of Le Mans and Maine that he could call on the warriors of city and county to follow him in carrying out the second part of the Bishop's scheme. The first point for attack among the fortresses held on behalf of Earl Roger or his captive son was the castle of Saint Cenery. This was a border fortress of Normandy and Maine, one which could boast of a long and stirring history, and its small remains still occupy a site worthy