180 Bishops of Old Sarum. 
tells distinctly (Hist. Nov. B. 2, Giles’ edition, p. 508) that 
“if there were anything contiguous to his property which might 
be advantageous to him, he would directly extort it, either by entreaty, 
or purchase; or, if that failed, by force. He attempted to turn 
abbeys into bishoprics, and bishopries into abbeys. The most 
ancient monasteries of Malmesbury and Abbotsbury he annexed, 
as far as he was able, to his see. He changed the priory of Sher- 
borne, which is subject to the Bishop of Sarum, into an abbey ; 
and the abbey of Horton was forthwith dissolved and united with it.” 
The same writer adds that he also obtained for himself the town of 
Malmesbury ; and without doubt his fortress there involved a direct 
encroachment on the rights of the ancient monastery of that place. 
And when at his bidding arose the great castles of Sherborne, and 
of The Devizes, the latter built on a mighty mound of elder days, 
surpassed by no building of their kind in Europe, we hardly wonder 
that complaints were many and loud, when men contrasted, with his 
present greatness and power, his slender beginnings as the “ poor 
clerk at Caen.” He is even said to have had influence to have got 
into his possession the castle of Old Sarum and to have surrounded 
it with a wall.!. In truth, both he and his episcopal nephews—some 
said they were his sons—one of them advanced to the see of Lincoln, 
the other to that of Ely, had given much offence and scandal by 
their overweening worldly pomp and aggressive policy. Men 
whispered too of his licentious life, and called Maud of Ramsbury, 
the mother of Roger who became afterwards the Chancellor, his 
concubine. Buta possible interpretation may be given, less injurious 
to Roger’s character, if she had been (as has been suggested) 
married to him before 1102; when, by a decree of the synod at 
‘ Westminster marriage was forbidden to all churchmen of the rank 
of sub-deacon and upwards. Anyhow, the loyalty of a man, who 
had twice sworn fealty to Matilda and yet had crowned Stephen, 
was not unnaturally suspected. When he feigned one excuse after 
another for not obeying various summonses to court, it was fully 
1Malmesbury’s words are ‘‘Castellum Salesberie, quod regit juris proprium 
esset, ab Henrico Rege impetratum, muro cinctum, custodie sue attraxerat.”’ 
