on their former liberty, and hoped for a more equal and mild administration, when the blood of their native princes should be united with that of the new sovereigns". But the policy and prudence of Henry I. ran great hazard of being frustrated by the sudden appearance of his brother Robert, who returned from the Holy Land about a month after the death of William II. took possession of Normandy without resistance, and made preparations for asserting his title to the crown of England.

The great reputation which Robert had acquired in the east, favoured his pretensions; and the Norman barons, still impressed with apprehensions of the consequences of the separation of the duchy and kingdom, discovered the same discontent which had appeared on the accession of Rufus. Henry was, therefore, in danger of being deserted by all his subjects; and it was only through the exhortations of archbishop Anselm, that they were engaged to oppose Robert, who had landed

A. D. 1101.

at Portsmouth.

The two armies continued some days in sight of each other without coming to action; and by the interposition of the same prelate, an accommodation was happily brought about between the brothers.

In this treaty it was agreed, That Robert should resign his pretensions to England, and receive an annual pension of three thousand marks; that if either of the princes died without issue, the other should succeed to his dominions; that the adherents of each should be pardoned, and restored to all their possessions, and that neither the king nor the duke should thenceforth countenance the enemies of each other3". But these conditions, though so favourable to Henry, were soon violated by his rapacity and ambition. He restored indeed the estates of Robert's adherents, but took care they should not remain long in the undisturbed possession of them. Various pretences were formed for despoiling and humbling all

29. M. Paris. H. Hoveden. 30. Chron. Sax. Order. Vital.

who

who, in his opinion, had either inclination or abilities to disturb his government.

Enraged at the fate of his friends, Robert imprudently ventured into England, but met with such a bad reception, that he became alarmed for his own safety, and was glad to purchase his escape with the loss of his pension. One indiscretion followed another. The affairs of Normandy fell into confusion; Henry went over, by invitation, to regulate them; but, instead of supporting his brother's authority, he increased the discontents by every art of bribery, intrigue, and insinuation, and at length made himself master of the duchy. The unfortunate Robert, who seemed born only to be the sport of fortune, was A. D. 1106. carried prisoner into England; where he remained in custody during the remainder of his life, which was no less than twenty-eight years; and died a captive in the castle of Cardiff in Glamorganshire3.

The acquisition of Normandy was a great point of Henry's ambition, being the ancient patrimonial inheritance of his family, and the only territory which gave him any weight or consideration on the continent. But the injustice of the usurpation was the source of much inquietude, and the jealousy of the French monarch gave rise to those wars which were to prove so fatal to posterity. Lewis VI. in concert with the counts of Anjou and Flanders, supported the claim of William, son of Robert, to the duchy of Normandy: he even craved the assistance of the church for reinstating the true heir in his dominions, and represented the enormity of detaining in prison so brave a prince as Robert, one of the most eminent champions of the Cross. But Henry knew how to defend the rights of his crown, with vigour, and yet with dexterity. He detached the count of Anjou from the alliance, by contracting his eldest son, William, to that prince's daughter,

31. Annal. Waverl. Gul. Malmes. lib. v..

while

A. D. 1119.

while he gained the pope and his favourites by liberal presents and promises. and promises. Calixtus II. who was then in France, declared, after a conference with Henry, that of all men, whom he had ever seen, the king of England was beyond comparison the most eloquent and persuasive32. The complaints of the Norman prince were thenceforth disregarded.

The military operations of Lewis proved as unsuccessful as his intrigues. The French and English armies engaged near Andeley, in Normandy; where a sharp action ensued, in which William, the son of Robert, behaved with great bravery. Henry himself was in eminent danger. He was wounded in the head by a gallant Norman, named Crispin, who had followed the fortunes of William; but, rather roused than intimidated by the blow, the king collected all his might, aud beat his antagonist to the ground 33. The English, animated by the example of their sovereign, put the French to total route; and an accommodation soon after took place between the two monarchs, in which the interests of young William were entirely neglected.

A. D. 1120.

But Henry's public prosperity was much overbalanced by a domestic misfortune. His son William, who had attained his eighteenth year, had accompanied him into Normandy, but perished in his return, with all his retinue. The royal youth was anxious to get first to land; and the captain of his vessel, being intoxicated with liquor, heedlessly ran her on a rock, where she was immediately dashed to pieces. Beside the prince, above one hundred and forty young noblemen, of the principal families of England and Normandy, were lost on this occasion. The king was so much affected by the news, that he is said never to have smiled more34.

As prince William left no children, Henry had now no legitimate issue, except his daughter Matilda, whom he had betrothed when a child to the emperor A. D. 1127. Henry V. who also dying without children,

32. M. Paris. H. Hunting. 23. Ibid.

34. R. Hoveden.

the

After

the king bestowed his daughter on Geoffrey Plantagenet, the eldest son of the count of Anjou, and endeavoured to secure her succession, by having her recognized heiress of all his dominions; and he obliged the barons both of Normandy and England to swear fealty to her. six years she was delivered of a son, who received the name of Henry; and the king, far- A. D. 1133. ther to insure the succession, made all the nobility renew the oath of fealty which they had already sworn to her, and also to swear fealty to her infant son

35.

The joy of this event, and the pleasure of his daughter's company, made Henry take up his residence in Normandy: where he died in the sixty-seventh year of his age and the thirty-fifth of his reign, A. D. 1135. leaving his daughter Matilda heiress of all his dominions. He was one of the most able and accomplished princes that ever filled the English throne, possessing all the qualities, both mental and personal, that could adorn the high station to which he attained, or fit him for the government of an extensive territory. His learning, which procured him the name of Beauclerc, or the fine scholar, would have distinguished him in private life, and his talents would have given him an ascendant in any condition.

The affairs of France, my dear Philip, and the crusades, which took their rise in that kingdom, claim your attention, before I speak of the disputed succession of Matilda, and of her son Henry II. commonly known by the name of Plantagenet, whose reign affords some of the most interesting spectacles in the History of England. In the mean time it will be proper to take a slight review of the change produced in our ancient constitution, and in the condition of our Saxon ancestors, by the Norman conquest or revolution.

35. Ypod. Neust. R. de Diceto.

Postcript.

POSTSCRIPT.

THE original government of the Anglo-Saxons, as we have seen, was a kind of military democracy, under a king or chief, whose authority was very limited, and whose office was not strictly hereditary, but depended on the will of the people. This government they brought into Britain with them. Matters of small consequence were settled by the king in council: but all affairs of general concern or national importance, the making of laws the imposing of taxes, the declaring of war, were laid before the Wittenagemot or parliament, and determined by the majority of voices, or at least by the preponderation of public opinion36.

From that assembly no freeman could be said to be excluded; for although a certain portion of land was necessary as a qualification, a husbandman or tradesman no sooner acquired that portion, which was different at different times of the Anglo-Saxon government37, than he had a right to be present, not only as a spectator, a privilege that was common to every one, but as a constituent member of the Wittenagemot. And all merchants, who had made two voyages to foreign countries, on their own account, became possessed of the same right by a law passed in the reign of king Athelstan38; so that our Anglo-Saxon ancestors might make with truth the glorious boast of modern Englishmen, that, every member of the community shared with his sovereign the power and authority by which he was governed. Little wonder, therefore, that the great lines of this ennobling system of freedom, long after it was destroyed, seemed to be engaved in their hearts, by the keen sorrow with which it was regretted!

36. Spelman, Glos. in voc. Wittenagemot.

37. It was originally only five hides, but was raised by degrees as high as forty. 38. Wilkins, Leges Saxon. Selden, Tit. Hong.