lands back again. An exception, formal or practical, must have been made in the case of Bishop Odo. He certainly was not restored to his earldom of Kent.
The treaty sworn to.
It stands but a little while.
William and Robert march against Henry. Lent, 1091.
Henry's position.
Earl Hugh of Chester and others betray their castles to William.
The treaty was sworn to by twelve chief men on each
side.[1] The English Chronicler remarks, with perfect
truth, that it stood but a little while.[2] But one part
at least was carried out at once and with great vigour.
Within less than a month after William had landed in
Normandy to dispossess Robert, he and Robert marched
together to dispossess Henry. They spent their Lent in
besieging him in his last stronghold. When the Count
of Coutances heard of the coalition against him, he made
ready for a vigorous resistance. He put his two cities
of Coutances and Avranches and his other fortresses
into a state of defence, and gathered a force, Norman
and Breton, to garrison them.[3] Britanny indeed was
the only quarter from which he received any help in his
struggle.[4] Those who seemed to be his firmest friends
turned against him. Even Earl Hugh of Chester, the foremost
man in the land from which his father had taken
his name,[5] had no mind to jeopard his great English
palatinate for the sake of keeping his paternal Avranches
in the obedience of the Ætheling. Henry's other supporters,
Richard of Redvers, it is to be supposed, among
them, were of the same mind. They saw no hope that
Henry could withstand the might, above all the wealth,
of Rufus; they accordingly surrendered their fortresses
- ↑ Chron. Petrib. 1091. "Ðas forewarde gesworan xii. þa betste of þes cynges healfe, and xii. of þes eorles." In Florence the "betste" become "barones."
- ↑ "Þeah hit syððan litle hwile stode."
- ↑ Ord. Vit. 697 A. "Aggregatis Britonibus et Normannis, Constantiam et Abrincas aliaque oppida munivit, et ad resistendum totis nisibus insurrexit."
- ↑ Ib. 697 B. "Britones, qui sibi solummodo adminiculum contulerant."
- ↑ See N. C. vol. ii. p. 209.
