ENGLAND. 



603 



History. 



which is 

 toon forgot- 



with the 

 primate. 



A. D. 1101 

 Robert 

 claims the 

 crown of 

 I'nglard; 



but resigns 

 hi* right 

 upon recei- 

 ving a pen- 

 non. 



and brother, he would permit them to take quiet pos- 

 session of their property, upon paying a just and law- 

 ful relief; that he would not dispose of any heiress in 

 marriage, but by the advice of all the baions ; that the 

 barons should have the power of bequeathing, by will, 

 their money and personal estates ; and that all debts 

 due to the crown should be remitted. A copy of this 

 charter was commanded to be lodged in some abbey of 

 each county, that all his subjects might be acquainted 

 with it ; but it was intended merely to serve his pre- 

 sent purpose, and to ingratiate himself with his people, 

 and never to be seriously acted upon. In all his pro- 

 ceedings, indeed, he made his own will and pleasure 

 the sole rule of his government ; and this charter, with- 

 in a century, had fallen into such neglect, that when 

 the barons of King John wished to make it the model 

 of the great charter, a copy of it could with difficulty 

 be found. 



Anselm, the primate, who had been obliged to leave 

 the kingdom by the violence of William, was recalled 

 by Henry, and reinstated in all his dignities. Henry 

 knew well the influence which this prelate had acqui- 

 red, by his piety and austerity of manners, over the 

 minds of the people, and expected that his authority 

 would be strengthened by having such a person for his 

 friend. He found, however, that the religious zeal 

 and stubborn integrity of Anselm, would not bend to 

 his purposes ; and scarcely had the prelate arrived, 

 than a quarrel arose between them respecting the in- 

 vestitures in ecclesiastical benefices. The prelate refu- 

 sed to do homage for his spiritual dignity, and decla- 

 red that he would not so much as communicate with 

 any one who had paid such submission. Henry, for 

 the present, did not press the demand, but sent mes- 

 sengers to Rome to accommodate matters with the 

 pope. In the mean time, he married Matilda, daughter 

 of Molc-oli.i III. kiri of Scotland, and niece to Kdgar 

 Atheling. This circumstance added greatly to hin po- 

 pularity ; and the English congratulated themselves 

 with the hope of a more equal and mild administration, 

 when the blood of their native princes should be min- 

 gled with that of their conquerors. 



While Henry had thus endeavoured to establish him- 

 self on the throne, Robert appeared to assert his claim. 

 On his return from the Holy Land, he had taken quiet 

 possession of his ancient dukedom ; and, being encou- 

 raged by many of the Ncrman baron* in England, who 

 promised him their assistance to attempt the recovery 

 of that kingdom, he landed at Portsmouth with a con- 

 siderable armament. Henry, by his caresses and pro- 

 mises, had gained over Anselm to his interests; who so 

 exerted his influence with the nobility and the people, 

 that the kinjr was enabled to meet his brother with a 

 firm and united army. The two sovereigns, both ap- 

 liive of the issue, refrained from coming to ac- 

 tion for some days ; when, by the mediation of the pri- 

 mate, a treaty was entered into, by wliirli Robert was 

 to receive an annual pension of 3000 merks, upon re- 

 signing his claim to the crown of England during the 

 lift- of Henry ; and that, when either of them should 

 die without i.ssue, the other should succeed to his do- 

 minions. Henry was no sooner freed from the danger 

 of invasion, than he began t> wreak his vengeance 

 upon those noble* who hud distinguished themselves 

 by their adherence to the cause of Roljert ; and scarce- 

 ly one of them escaj>ed without banishment or confis- 

 cation. It is true, they were prosecuted upon other 

 c-harges ; but men easily saw that their punishment 

 arose from their attachment to his brother. Robert, 



considering such conduct an infringement of the treaty, 

 ventured to appear in England, and remonstrate with 

 Henry in person ; but his reception was Buch, that he 

 was glad to purchase his liberty with the loss of his 

 pension. 



Robert, with all his amiable qualities, wanted pru- 

 dence and firmness. He was open, generous, and hu- 

 mane. His bravery and military glory had procured 

 him the respect and admiration of Europe ; but in peace 

 he sunk in effeminacy and superstition. He seemed 

 born to be the sport of fortune. After a life of toil and 

 ambition in the Holy Land, where he refused to be 

 crowned king of Jerusalem, he found himself, on his 

 return, deprived of his birth-right. Confined to his pa- 

 trimonial dukedom, he was too mild to restrain, by se- 

 vere discipline, the turbulent spirit of his barons, and 

 Normandy, during his reign, became a scene of violence 

 and depredation. His brother took advantage of his 

 indolence and imprudence ; and when called to medi- 

 ate between him and his discontented subjects, instead 

 of urging them to loyalty and obedience, he excited 

 them to rebellion by bribery and intrigue ; and at last 

 stript him of his kingdom and his liberty. In a battle, 

 which decided the fate of Normandy, Robert and the 

 most considerable of his barons were taken prisoners ; 

 and this unfortunate prince, deprived of fortune and 

 friends, passed the remainder of his life a prisoner in 

 Cardiff Castle in Wales, where he languished 26' years. 

 Edgar Atheling, who had accompanied Robert to Je- 

 rusalem, and who had lived with him ever since his 

 return, was also among the captives in this action ; but 

 Henry gave him his freedom and a small pension, and 

 he lived to a good old age, neglected and forgotten 

 among his countrymen. 



1 lenry having now obtained the great point of his 

 ambition, the sovereignty of Normandy, directed his 

 attention to the settlement of his dispute with Anselm. 

 The messengers who had been dispatched to Rome to 

 confer with Pope Pascal II. on the right of the sove- 

 reign to confer ecclesiastical benefices, and to receive 

 homage for them, returned with a positive refusal of 

 the kind's demands. Henry, however, was determined 

 not to part with his rights so easily ; and sent William 

 de Warewell to negotiate with his Holiness, and to at- 

 tempt some means of accommodating the affair. Du- 

 ring the conference, the English messenger told Pascal, 

 that his master would rather lose his crown, than part 

 with such a valuable privilege; " And I," replied 1'a^- 

 cal, " would rather lose my head than allow him to re- 

 tain it." Matters now grew serious, find the Pope 

 threatened Henry with excommunication, unless he 

 gave up the dispute. But the king still persevered in 

 maintaining his rights; and by his prudence and abili- 

 ties, at last brought the quarrel to an amicable compro- 

 mise. He gave up the right of investiture, which con- 

 sisted in bestowing upon the bishops a ring and crosier 

 as the symlwls of their offiee ; and the pope allowed 

 prelates to do homage for their temporal properties and 

 privileges. 



From this time, Henry was-involved in almost con- 

 tinual war on account of Normandy. William, the son 

 of Duke Robert, after the imprisonment of his father, 

 had been entrusted to the care of Helie de St Saen, a 

 nobleman of strict honour and integrity ; ami when 

 Henry wished to recover possession of his i 

 Helie withdrew with hia charge to the court of An- 

 jou, and soon after obtained for him tile countenance 

 of Louis the Gross, King of France. The war which 

 was the consequence, was the cause of many heavy 



History. 

 A.D. 110S- 



Is deprived 

 of his domi- 

 nions, 



and confi- 

 ned for life. 

 A. D. 1106. 



Henry's dis- 

 pute with 

 the Pope. 



Is amicably 

 adjusted. 



War wiih 

 France. 



