and in the Bellême castles.
Robert of Bellême drives out the ducal forces.
The like done by the Count of Evreux and others. mother, had passed to Robert of Bellême, the man who is to be the leading villain of our present drama. But the precautions of the Conqueror lasted no longer than his life; his successor might be defied without danger. At the moment of the King's death, Robert of Bellême was on his way to the court to "speak with the King," in the ordinary phrase,[1] on some affairs of his own. He had reached Brionne when he heard of the Conqueror's death. Instead of going on to offer his homage or support to the new Duke, he turned back, gathered his own followers, marched on Alençon, and by a sudden attack drove the ducal garrison out of the fortress by the Sarthe, the southern bulwark of Normandy. He did the same with better right on his own hill of Bellême, which was not strictly Norman soil. He did so with all his other castles, and with as many of the castles of his neighbours as he could.[2] The lord of Bellême in short established himself as a prince who might well bear himself as independent of the lord of Rouen. Count William of Evreux followed his example; the late King's garrison was driven out of the fortress which had arisen within the walls of the Roman Mediolanum. William of Breteuil, Ralph of Toesny or of Conches, the nobles of Normandy in general wherever they had the power, all did the like.[3] They drove out the garrisons; they strengthened the old fortresses; they raised new ones, adulterine
- ↑ See N. C. vol. v. p. 46. Cf. vol. iv. p. 688.
- ↑ Orderic (664 B) records Robert's doings at Alençon and Bellême, and adds, "Hoc quoque fecit Bellismæ, et omnibus aliis castellis suis, et non solum suis, sed et in vicinorum suorum, quos sibi pares dedignabatur habere, municipiis, quæ aut intromissis clientibus sibi subjugavit, aut penitus, ne sibi aliquando resistere possent, destruxit."
- ↑ Ib. He adds a reflexion in his character of "Angligena." "Sic proceres Neustriæ de munitionibus suis omnes regis custodes expulerunt, patriamque divitiis opulentam propriis viribus vicissim exspoliaverunt. Opes itaque quas Anglis aliisque gentibus violenter rapuerunt, merito latrociniis et rapinis perdiderunt."
