Page:The reign of William Rufus and the accession of Henry the First.djvu/367

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back again, as it is specially marked, from Northumberland into Wessex. The realm of Ælfred is still looked on as the special dwelling-place of his successors from beyond the sea. But it would seem that, at some stage of their southward journey, at some time before the year was out, they joined with other men of royal and princely descent in setting their crosses to a document, in itself of merely local importance, but which is clothed with a higher interest by the names of those who sign it. A grant of certain churches to the convent of Durham becomes a piece of national history when, besides the signatures for which we might naturally look, it bears the names of King William the Second, of Robert his brother, of Henry his brother, of Duncan son of King Malcolm, of Eadgar the Ætheling, and of Siward Barn. This is the only time when all these persons could have met. There is no sign of any later visit of Robert to England during the reign of William. But the signatures of Henry and Duncan teach us more. Duncan, it will be remembered, had been given as a hostage at Abernethy; he had been set free by the Conqueror on his death-bed; he had been knighted by Robert, and allowed to go whither he would.[4] Had he already made his way back to his own land, or did he come in the train of his latest benefactor? In the former case, had he been again given as a hostage? Or had William found out that the son of Ingebiorg might possibly be useful to him? It is certain that, two years later, Duncan was at William's court and in William's favour; and it looks very much as if he had, in whatever character, gone back to England with the4 See above, p. 14.