566 en g: 
brother’s word advifer, arid confequently obnoxious to 
the people, and had him confined in the Tower. But 
what gave him the greated popularity was his recalling 
Anfehn, archbifhop of Canterbury, who had been ba- 
nifhcd during the lad reign, to his former dignity and his 
favour. One thing only remained to confirm his claims 
without danger of a rival. The Englifh dill remem¬ 
bered their Saxon monarchs with graritude, and beheld 
them excluded the throne with regret. There dill re¬ 
mained fome of the defcend.tnts of that favourite line, ■ 
and, among others, Matilda, the niece of Edgar Athe- 
1 ing ; which lady, having declined all pretentions to roy¬ 
alty, was bred up in a convent, and had'actually taken 
the veil. Upon her Henry fixed his eyes as a proper con- 
fort, by wltofe means the long breach between the Saxon 
and Norman 'intereds would be fully united. It only 
remained to get over the fcruple of her being a nun ; 
but this a council, devoted to his intereds, readily ad¬ 
mitted ; and Matilda being pronounced free to marry, 
the nuptials were celebrated with great' pomp and fo- 
lemnity. 
It was at this critical j unflu re that Robert returned 
from abroad, and, after taking poifeflion of his native do¬ 
minions, laid claim to the crown of Ertgland. But he 
was now, as in all his former attempts, too late for fuc- 
cefs. However, as he was a man of undaunted refolu- 
tion, he refolved to enforce his right to the crown ; and 
the great fame he had acquired in the ead, did not a lit¬ 
tle fcrve to forward his endeavours. He was alfo excited 
to tliefe refolutions by Flambard, who had efcaped from 
the Tower; together with feveral others, as well of the 
Norman as the Englifit nobility. Even the feamen were 
affected with the general' popularity of his name, and re¬ 
volted to him with the greated part of a fleet that had 
been equipped to oppofe his paffuge. Henry, who out¬ 
wardly affected to flight all tliefe preparations, yet had 
penetration enough to perceive, that his fubjebts flublu- 
ated in, their inclinations between him and his brother. 
In this emergency, he had recourfe to the bigotry of the 
people to flifle their fenti.ments of jufiice. He paid dili¬ 
gent court to Anfelm, whofe fanCtit-y and wifdom he pre¬ 
tended to revere ; and this prelate, in return, employed 
all his abilities in fecuring him on the throne. He fern- 
pled not to allure the nobles of the king’s fincerity in his 
profeflions of judice, and even rode through the ranks of 
the army, recommending to the foldiery the defence of 
their king, and promifing to fee their valour rewarded. 
Thus the people were retained in their allegiance to the 
tifurper, and the army marched cheerfully forward to 
meet Robert and his forces, which were jud landed at 
Portfmouth. When the two armies came in fight, they 
both appeared equally unwilling to hazard a battle ; and 
their leaders, who faw that much more would be loft 
than gained by fuch a confiibl, made propofals for an ac¬ 
commodation. This, after the removal of a few obfta- 
cles, was agreed to ; and it was dipulated that Robert, 
upon the payment of a certain fum, fhould refign his pre- 
tenfions to England ; and that if either of the princes 
died without ilfue, the other fhould fucceed to his do¬ 
minions. This treaty being ratified, the armies on each 
fide were difbanded ; and Robert having lived two months 
in the utmod harmony with his brother, returned in peace 
to his dominions in Normandy. 
But it was not in the power of formal treaties to bind 
up the refentment of a monarch, who felt himfelf in¬ 
jured, and found it in his power to take revenge. Henry 
loon fliewed his refolution to punifli all the heads of the 
party which had lately oppofed him ; and this he did, 
under different pretexts, and by repeated profecutions. 
The earl of Shrewfbury, Arnulf de Montgomery, and 
Roger earl of Lancader, were banidied the kingdom, 
with the confifcations of their edates. Robert de Pon- 
tefrabl Robert de Mallet, William de Warene, and the 
earl of Cornwall, were treated with equal feverity ; fo 
that Robert, finding his friends thus opprelfed, came over 
> A N D. 
to England to intercede in their behalf. Henry received 
him very coolly, and affembled a council to deliberate in 
what manner he fhould be treated; fo that Robert, finch, 
ing his own liberty to be in danger, was glad to afk per- 
miflion to return ; which, however, was not granted him 
till he confented to give up his penfion. But the con- 
fequences of Robert’s indiferetion were not confined to 
his own fafety alone; as he was totally averfe to bufi- 
nefs, and only dudious of the more fplendid amufements 
or erhployments of life, his affairs every day began to 
wear a worfe appearance. His fervants pillaged him 
without compunbtion ; and lie is deferibed as lying whole 
days in bed for want of clothes, of which they had rob¬ 
bed him! His fubjebts were treated dill more deplora¬ 
bly ; for, being under the command of petty and rapa¬ 
cious tyrants, who plundered them without mercy, the 
whole country was become a feene of violence and de¬ 
predation. In tliis miferable exigence the Normans had 
recourfe to Henry, from whofe prudent adminiffration in 
his own dominions, they expected a frmilitude of pro- 
iperity, fhould he take the reins of government in their’s. 
Henry the more readily promifed to redrefs their griev¬ 
ances, as he knew it would be the direbt means to fecond 
his own ambition. The year enfuing, therefore, A. D. 
ub5, lie-landed in Normandy with a powerful army, took 
fome of tlie principal towns, and (hewed, by the rapidity 
of his progrefs, that he meditated the entire conqueft of 
the country.. 
Robert, who had already mortgaged, or given away, 
the greated part of his demefne, fpent his time in the 
mod indolent amufements, and looked upon the progrefs 
of Henry with an eye of perfebt indifference. But, being 
at lad roufed from his lethargy, and finding his affairs ill 
a defperate (ituation, he took the drange refolution of 
appealing, in perfon, to Henry’s natural affebtions, which 
this brave, imprudent man,*edimated by the emotions 
of his own heart. Henry received him, not only with 
coolnefs, but contempt; and foon taught him, that no 
-virtues will gain perfqnal edeem who has forfeited his 
pretenfions to prudence. Robert, thus treated with in¬ 
dignity, quil ted his brother in a tranfport of rage, ex¬ 
prefling an ardent purpofe of revenge ; to which Henry 
paid no fort of regard. Robert was refolved, however, 
to fliew himfelf formidable, even in the mod didreffed 
date of his affairs. Poffeffed with romantic ideas of chi¬ 
valry, which his expedition to the Holy Land lntd ferved 
to heighten, he was determined to retrieve by valour 
what he had lod by indolence. Being fupported by the 
earl of Mortaigne and Robert de Beleftne, Henry’s in¬ 
veterate enemies, he railed an army, and approached his 
brother’s camp, with the hope of finifhing, by a decifive 
battle, the quarrel between them. While the two ar¬ 
mies were in fight of each other, the clergy employed 
their mediation to bring on a treaty ; but, as Henry in- 
fifled upon Robert’s renouncing the government of his 
dominions entirely, and one half of the revenue, all ac¬ 
commodation was rejected with difdain, and both fides 
prepared for battle. Robert was now entered on that 
1‘cene of abtion in which he chiefly gloried, and in which 
he was always known to excel. He animated his little 
army by his example, and led them fo the encounter with 
that fpirit which had formerly made his enemies tremble. 
There was no withdanding' his fird onfet ; that quarter 
of the Englifh army where he made the imprelTion gave 
way, and he was nearly on the point of gaining a com¬ 
plete victory. But it was different on that quarter where 
Belefme commanded ; he was put to flight by one of the 
king’s generals, who alfo advancing himfelf with a frefh 
body of hori'e to fuftain his centre, his whole army ral¬ 
lied ; while Robert’s forces, Cxhauded and broken, gave 
way on every fide, in fpite of all his efforts ancUlcts of 
perfonal valour. But, though he now law his army de¬ 
feated, and numbers falling round him, yet he refilled to 
fly, or turn his back upon an enemy that he (till difdain- 
ed. He was taken prifoner, with near ten thoufand of 
2 his 
