Maine, or at least of its capital, became one of the chief objects of his policy.
Henry to be despoiled of the Côtentin.
Character of the agreement.
But this clause had also a more remarkable application.
Its terms were to be brought to bear on
one nearer by blood and neighbourhood to both the
contending princes than either Cenomannian counts
or Cenomannian citizens. The terms of the treaty
amounted to a partition of the dominions of the Count
of the Côtentin between his two brothers. Cherbourg
and Saint Michael's Mount were, as we have seen,
formally assigned to William, and the remainder of
Henry's principality certainly came under the head of
lands which had been held by William the Great and
which the treaty did not assign to William the Red.
As such they were to be won back for Robert by the
help of William. That is to say, William and Robert
agreed to divide between themselves the territory which
Henry had fairly bought with money from Robert. No
agreement could be more unprincipled. As between
prince and prince, no title could be better than Henry's
title to his county; while, if the welfare of the people of
Coutances and Avranches was to be thought of, the
proposed change meant their transfer from a prince
who knew the art of ruling to a prince whose nominal
rule was everywhere simple anarchy. Neither Robert
nor William was likely to be troubled with moral
scruples; neither was likely to think much of the
terms of a bargain and sale; but one might have expected
that Robert would have felt some thankfulness
to his youngest brother for his ready help in putting
down the rebellious movement at Rouen.[1] William
- ↑ William of Malmesbury (v. 392) is becomingly strong on this head; "Parum hic labor apud Robertum valuit, virum animi mobilis, qui statim ad ingratitudinem flexus, bene meritum urbe cedere coegit." This comes just after the death of Conan. His whole account is very confused.
