PICKERING. 



From this statement it appears that all castles were 

 not in the possession of the crown; and not only 

 the lay barons, but even bishops had their fortress- 

 es ; though it seems to have been contrary to the 

 canons, from a plea made use of in a general coun- 

 cil, in favour of king Stephen ; who had seized 

 upon the strong castles of the bishops of Linroln 

 and Salisbury. This prohibition was however, lit- 

 tle regarded, as in the following reign many strong 

 places were held and even defended by the ecclesi- 

 astics. The licentious behaviour of the garrisons 

 of these places becoming intolerable, it was enacted 

 in the beginning of the reign of Henry II , that all 

 castles built within a certain period should be de- 

 molished. In this kingdom the astonishing number 

 of 1100 fortified castles, were built between the year 

 1140, and 1154, and more than a thousand were 

 standing in the beginning of the reign of Henry II., 

 which weie nurseries of tumult, end sources of con- 

 tention between the monarch and the barons. King 

 Stephen permitted castles to be built for his own 

 defence against his enemies ; but they were after- 

 wards made use of by his nobles for their defence 

 against their king. Stephen went into Normandy 

 to secure his possessions in that country, which 

 having done he returned to England ; where he 

 had to struggle with fresh troubles. The lords in 

 his absence resenting a breach of promise upon 

 which they had admitted him to the crown, made 

 use of their castles to oppose him ; but many of 

 them returned to his interest, and joined him against 

 David king of Scots. Though many of the castles 



