Page:The reign of William Rufus and the accession of Henry the First.djvu/354

 the taste of Rufus; as a commander carrying on war, he was ready to press the rights of warfare to the uttermost. When he heard what Robert had done, he mocked at his brother's weakness; it was a fine way of making war to give the enemy meat and drink. Robert answered, in words which do him honour, but which would have done him more honour if they had been spoken at the beginning as a reason for forbearing an unjust attack on his brother—"Shall we let our brother die of thirst? Where shall we find another, if we lose him?"

Such are these two famous stories of the war waged beneath the mount of the Archangel. Both are eminently characteristic; there is no reason why both may not be true. But we must withhold our belief when one of our tale-tellers adds that William turned away from the siege in contempt for Robert's weakness. A more sober guide tells us that when, for fifteen days, Henry and his followers had held up against lack of water and threatening lack of food, the wary youth saw the hopelessness of further resistance, and offered to surrender the Mount on honourable terms. He demanded a free