Page:The reign of William Rufus and the accession of Henry the First.djvu/525

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famous captains held these threatening posts. Argentan was commanded by Earl Roger's son, Roger the Poitevin. La Houlme was held by William Peverel, the lord of Nottingham and the Peakland. But the first military exploit of the campaign was wrought in a land nearer to Eu. Bures—whether still held or not by the faithful Helias we are not told—was taken, and the garrison were made prisoners; some of them were kept in Normandy, others were sent by Rufus for better safe-keeping in his own kingdom.

Rufus thus pressed the war vigorously against his brother, with the full purpose of wholly depriving him of the duchy. Robert, in his distress, again called on his over-lord, and this time with more effect than before. The French intervention was at least able to turn the balance for a while against Rufus. No object was more important for Robert than the recovery of the two strongholds which threatened him, one in the dangerous land on the upper Orne, the other in the no less dangerous Constantine peninsula. A joint expedition of the new allies was agreed on, and King and Duke appeared side by side before Argentan. The castle stood on a height of no great elevation above the river, with the town, as usual, spreading down to its banks. The existing fragments show that the fortress and its precinct covered a vast space, but no architectural feature remains as a witness of the siege of Argentan by Philip