landed at Portsmouth twelve nights before Lammas, and the king marched against him with all his forces; but the chief men interfered and made peace between them, on condition that the king should give up all those places in Normandy which he then detained from his brother by force of arms; and that all who had lost their lands in England on the earl's account should have them again, and that earl Eustace should also have his father's estates in this country, and that earl Robert should receive yearly 3000 marks of silver from England; and it was stipulated by this treaty that whichever of the brothers outlived the other, he should inherit all England together with Normandy, unless the deceased left legitimate issue. And twelve men of the highest rank on either side confirmed this treaty by oath: and the earl afterwards remained here till after Michaelmas; and his men did much harm wherever they went, whilst the earl stayed in this land. This year also, at Candlemas, bishop Ranulf escaped by night from the Tower of London, in which he was confined, and went to Normandy. It was at his suggestion chiefly, that earl Robert was incited to invade this land.
A. 1102. This year king Henry was at Westminster during the feast of the Nativity, and at Easter he was at Winchester. And soon afterwards a difference arose between the king and Robert of Belesme, who held the earldom of Shrewsbury in this country, which his father earl Roger had enjoyed before him, and who had other great possessions both here and abroad; and the king went and besieged Arundel Castle, and when he found that he should not be able to take it speedily, he caused castles to be built before it, and garrisoned with his men; and then he led all his troops to Bridgenorth, and remained there till he had reduced the castle, and deprived earl Robert of his lands, and he took from him all that he possessed in England; so the earl departed over sea, and the king's soldiers were disbanded and returned home. On the Michaelmas following the king was at Westminster, with all the head men of this land, both clergy and laity; and archbishop Anselm held a synod, at which many decrees were made touching the Christian religion; and many abbats, both French and English, lost their staffs and their abbacies, because they
