Taking of Bures. famous captains held these threatening posts. Argentan was commanded by Earl Roger's son, Roger the Poitevin.[1] La Houlme was held by William Peverel, the lord of Nottingham and the Peakland.[2] But the first military exploit of the campaign was wrought in a land nearer to Eu. Bures—whether still held or not by the faithful Helias we are not told—was taken, and the garrison were made prisoners; some of them were kept in Normandy, others were sent by Rufus for better safe-keeping in his own kingdom.[3]
Robert calls in King Philip.
Siege of Argentan.
Rufus thus pressed the war vigorously against his
brother, with the full purpose of wholly depriving him
of the duchy. Robert, in his distress, again called
on his over-lord, and this time with more effect than
before.[4] The French intervention was at least able to
turn the balance for a while against Rufus. No object
was more important for Robert than the recovery of
the two strongholds which threatened him, one in the
dangerous land on the upper Orne, the other in the
no less dangerous Constantine peninsula. A joint expedition
of the new allies was agreed on, and King and
Duke appeared side by side before Argentan. The castle
stood on a height of no great elevation above the river,
with the town, as usual, spreading down to its banks.
The existing fragments show that the fortress and its
precinct covered a vast space, but no architectural feature
remains as a witness of the siege of Argentan by Philip
- ↑ See N. C. vol. iv. p. 488. See above, p. 57.
- ↑ Ib. vol. iv. pp. 200, 201.
- ↑ Chron. Petrib. 1094. "And se cyng syððan þone castel æt Bures gewann; and þes eorles men þærinne genam; þa sume hyder to lande sende." Florence adds, "partim in Normannia custodiæ mancipavit; et fratrem suum multis modis vexans, exhæredare laboravit."
- ↑ The Chronicler casually mentions Philip's coming when speaking of the siege of Argentan; Florence is more emphatic; "At ille, necessitate compulsus, dominum suum regem Francorum Philippum cum exercitu Normanniam adduxit."
