Chapter VIII

THE EARLY YEARS OF WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR. 1028–1051.

§ 1. _Birth, Character, and Accession of William._ 1028–1035.
Character and greatness of William; lasting results
of his career 163–164
English and Norman portraits of him 165–166
His strength of will, military genius,
statesmanship, and unscrupulousness as to means 166–167
His personal virtues; general excellence of his
ecclesiastical appointments 167–168
Effects of his reign in Normandy, France, and
England 168–169
General excellence of his government in Normandy 169–170
His reign in England; skill displayed in his claim
on the English Crown, in his acquisition of it,
and in his subsequent government 170–171
Severity of his police 171–172
The worst features of his character brought out in
England; crimes and misfortunes of his later years 172–174
William’s surnames; the Great, the Conqueror, and
the Bastard 174
Laxity of the Norman Dukes as to marriage and
legitimacy; special illegitimacy of William 174–175
Story of William’s birth; description of Falaise;
historical associations of the castle 175–177
English legend of the birth of William 177–178
1026–1028 Story of Robert and Herleva; advancement of her
family; birth of William 178–180
Question of the succession; state of the Ducal
family; various candidates, but none free from
objection 180–182
Unpopularity of the prospect of William’s succession 182
The great Norman houses; their connexion with
English history 182–183
Greatness and wickedness of the house of Belesme;
crimes of William Talvas; he curses young William
in his cradle 183–187
1034–1035 Robert announces his intention of pilgrimage 187
He proposes William as his successor; his succession
unwillingly accepted 188–189
1035 Robert dies on pilgrimage and William succeeds 189
Childhood of William; necessary evils of a minority 189–191
Anarchy of the time; building of castles; frequency
of assassinations 191–193
Effects of William’s government in Normandy 193

§ 2. _From the Accession of William to the Battle of Val-ès-dunes._
1035–1047.
Guardians of William; Alan of Britanny; Osbern;
Gilbert 193–194
1039–1040 Murders of Alan and Gilbert 195
House of Montgomery; history of Roger of Montgomery
and his wife Mabel 195–197
Attempt of William of Montgomery on Duke William at
Vaudreuil; murder of Osbern; escape of the Duke;
friendship of the Duke for William Fitz-Osbern 197–198
Rebellion and death of Roger of Toesny; houses of
Grantmesnil and Beaumont 199
Ralph of Wacey chosen as the Duke’s guardian 200–201
Relations between Normandy and France; general good
understanding since the Commendation to Hugh the
Great; return of ill-feeling on the accession of
William; ingratitude of King Henry 201–203
Castle of Tillières demanded by Henry; Gilbert
Crispin refuses to surrender, and is besieged; the
castle surrendered, burned, and restored by Henry
contrary to his engagements 203–205
Treason of Thurstan Goz; capture of Falaise Castle
by the Duke 205–207
Developement of William’s character 207–208
Abuse of ecclesiastical appointments by the Norman
Dukes 208
Position of the Norman Prelates; their subjection to
the Ducal authority 209
1037–1055 Death of Archbishop Robert; succession and primacy
of Malger 209–210
1048–1098 Odo Bishop of Bayeux; his character in England and
in Normandy 210–212
Ecclesiastical movement in Normandy; foundation of
monasteries 213
Character of the monastic reformations in various
ages 213–214
Abbeys of Bec and Saint Evroul 214–216
994–1034 Descent, birth, and early life of Herlwin 216–219
1034–1037 Herlwin’s foundation at Burneville 219
1037–1078 He removes the monastery to Bec; his administration 220–222
1005–1039 Descent, birth, and character of Lanfranc 222–225
1039–1042 He teaches at Avranches 225
1042–1045 He becomes a monk and Prior of Bec; his favour with
William 225–227
1049–1050 He attends the synods of Rome and Vercelli 227
575 Monastery of Saint Evroul; history of its founder
Ebrulf or Evroul 228–229
943 The house escapes the Danish ravages, but is
plundered by Hugh the Great 229–230
The monastery forsaken and restored by Restold 230
c. 1015 Geroy and his family; their relations to the house
of Belesme 230–232
William the son of Geroy blinded by William Talvas 232
1050 Saint Evroul restored by William the son of Geroy
and his nephews Hugh and Robert of Grantmesnil 233
1050–1063 Succession of Abbots; intrigues and abbacy of the
co-founder Robert 233–234
Connexion of the religious movement in Normandy with
the Conquest of England 234
Origin of the Truce of God; custom of private war;
comparison between the Truce and the Crusades 234–236
A reform in those times necessarily ecclesiastical 237
1034 The Truce first preached in Aquitaine 237–239
1041 The Truce preached in a relaxed form in Burgundy and
Lotharingia 239–240
1042–1080 The Truce received in Normandy at the Councils of
Caen and Lillebonne 240–241
1047 Wide spread conspiracy against William 241
Intrigues of Guy of Burgundy with the Lords of the
Bessin and the Côtentin; scheme for a division of
the Duchy 242–243
Geographical division of parties; Rouen and the
French lands loyal; Bayeux and the Danish lands
join in the rebellion 243–244
The rebel leaders; Neal of Saint Saviour 245
Randolf Viscount of Bayeux 246
Hamon Dentatus of Thorigny 246
Grimbald of Plessis 247
Attempt to seize William at Valognes; his escape 247–249
Progress of the rebellion; William seeks help of
King Henry; probable motives of Henry for granting
it 250–252
Battle of Val-ès-dunes; its importance in the life
of William 252
Val-ès-dunes a battle between Romanized and Teutonic
Normandy 253–254
Description of the field 254
Junction of the Ducal and French forces; Ralph of
Tesson joins the Duke 255–257
The Battle a mere combat of cavalry 257–258
Personal exertions and overthrow of King Henry;
death of Hamon 258–260
Exploits and good fortune of William 260–261
Defeat of the rebels; flight of Randolf; bravery of
Neal 261–263
Escape of Guy; he defends himself at Brionne 263–264
1047–1050? Siege and surrender of Brionne; William’s treatment
of the vanquished 264–267
Guy returns to Burgundy; fate of Grimbald 267–268
Establishment of William’s power in Normandy;
supremacy of the French element confirmed 269–270

§ 3. _From the Battle of Val-ès-dunes to William’s Visit to England._
1047–1051.
The Counts of Anjou; their connexion with Normandy
and England; characteristics of Angevin history 270–271
464 Saxon occupation of Anjou 271
870? Ingelgar first Count; legend of the origin of the
family 271–273
888 Succession of Counts; Fulk the Red 273
938 Fulk the Good; his proverb about unlearned Kings 273–274
958 Geoffrey Grisegonelle; his wars 274
978 His services to King Lothar in the war with Otto 274
987 Fulk Nerra, warrior and pilgrim 274
992 His war with Odo of Chartres 274
1016 Battle of Pontlevois; defeat of Odo 274
1028–1035 Fulk’s pilgrimages to Jerusalem 275
1040 Geoffrey Martel; origin of his surname 276
April 22, Geoffrey imprisons William Duke of Aquitaine,
1033 marries Agnes, and rebels against his father 276–277
1033–1037 Last days of Odo of Chartres; his war with King
Henry and attempt on the Kingdom of Burgundy 277
His sons Stephen and Theobald; their wars with King
1044 Henry and with Geoffrey; Geoffrey receives Tours
from Henry and imprisons Theobald 277–278
1048 Duke William helps King Henry against Geoffrey; his
personal exploits 279–280
Position of Maine under Geoffrey 280
1015–1036 Succession of Counts; Herbert Wake-the-Dog and Hugh 280
1048–1049 Fortresses of Domfront and Alençon; disloyalty of
Alençon; it receives an Angevin garrison 281–282
William’s march to Domfront; traitors in the Norman
camp 283–284
Geoffrey comes to relieve Domfront and decamps 284–286
William’s sudden march to Alençon; insults offered
to him; his capture of the town and cruel
vengeance 287–288
Domfront surrenders; William fortifies Ambières 289
Story of William the Warling; he is charged with
treason by Robert the Bigod 290–291
Duke William makes him leave Normandy, and gives his
county of Mortain to his own half-brother Robert 292
1049–1054 Prosperous condition of Normandy 293
1049–1053 William’s courtship and marriage with Matilda of
Flanders 293
1051–1052 Condition of England 294
1051 William’s visit to England; estimate of him in
English eyes 295
Eadward’s alleged promise of the Crown to William
probably made at this time 296–301
Constitutional value of such a promise; its
revocation in favour of Harold 301
Improbability of any other time for the promise 302–303
Nature of William’s claims 304
William’s visit an important stage in the history 305
March 6, Death of Ælfgifu-Emma
1052 306