REIGN OF KING STEPHEN.
Stephen of Blois--Arrival in England--His Coronation--Pope
Innocent's Letter--Claims of Matilda--The Earl of Gloucester's
Policy--Revolt of the Barons--The King of Scotland Invades
England--The Battle of Northallerton--Outrage on the Bishops of
Salisbury, Lincoln, and Ely--The Synod of Winchester--Landing
of the Empress Matilda--Outbreak of Civil War--Battle at
Lincoln--Defeat and Capture of Stephen--Matilda's Arrogant
Behaviour--Rising of the Londoners and Flight of Matilda--London
Re-occupied by the King's Adherents--Matilda Besieged in
Winchester--Exchange of the Earl of Gloucester for the
King--Stephen Resumes the Crown--Reign of Terror--Siege of
Oxford--Flight of Matilda--Desultory Warfare--Death of the
Earl of Gloucester--Stephen's Quarrel with the Church--The
Interdict Removed--Further Dangers from Normandy--Divorce of
Eleanor--Her Marriage with Prince Henry--Landing of Henry
in England--Unpopularity of the War--Violence and Death of
Eustace--Treaty Arranged between Henry and the King--Death of
Stephen.
The exertions made by Henry to preserve to his daughter the succession to
the throne proved altogether fruitless, and those solemn vows which he
had exacted from the barons, and with which he had endeavoured to fence
about the cause of Matilda, were of no avail. No sooner did the news of
the king's death reach Stephen of Blois than he instantly took measures
for seizing upon the English crown. Allusion has already been made to
this ambitious noble, who, on taking the oaths of fealty to Matilda, had
caused himself to be recognised as the first prince of the blood.
Stephen, Count of Blois, to whom William the Conqueror gave his daughter
Adela in marriage, had several sons. Two of these, Henry and Stephen,
had been invited to England by the late king, who had bestowed great
favour and preferment upon them. Henry, cruel towards his enemies, was
a firm and generous friend to those who happened to obtain his goodwill.
Young Henry, who had been educated for the Church, was made Abbot of
Glastonbury, and subsequently appointed to the see of Winchester. Stephen
received the hand of Maud, daughter and heiress of Eustace, the Count
of Boulogne. The connection was in the highest degree advantageous to
Stephen. Immense estates in England, as well as the earldom of Boulogne,
came to him in right of his wife, who moreover possessed a hold upon the
sympathies of the English in consequence of her descent. Mary, his wife's
mother, was the sister of David, King of Scotland, and of Matilda the
Good, first wife of Henry I. and mother of the empress.
[Illustration: STEPHEN.]
At the time of the dispute with Robert of Gloucester on the subject of
precedence, Stephen professed that his gratitude to the king impelled him
to be the first to offer allegiance to Matilda; but his whole course of
action at this period shows that his designs upon the English crown were
fully matured. He exerted himself to attain popularity among the people,
as well as among the barons. His daring and gallantry secured him the
admiration of the Normans, while his affable and familiar manners, joined
to a generosity without stint, obtained the affections of the people.
On the death of Henry, Stephen landed in England before the news could
reach Matilda; and though the gates of Dover and Canterbury were shut
against him, he passed on without hesitation to London, where a majority
of the people saluted him king with acclamations. By the assistance of
his brother, the Bishop of Winchester, Stephen obtained possession of
the royal treasure in that city, amounting to £100,000 in money, besides
considerable stores of plate and jewels. The next step was to secure the
goodwill and co-operation of the clergy; and in this respect his brother,
the bishop, again rendered aid. Roger, Bishop of Salisbury, chief
functionary of the kingdom, was secured by bribes and promises, and these
two ecclesiastics endeavoured to prevail upon William, Archbishop of
Canterbury, to administer the royal unction to the usurper. The primate,
who was a conscientious man, refused consent, and a dishonourable
expedient was then resorted to to overcome his opposition. Hugh Bigod,
steward of the royal household, presented himself before the archbishop,
and swore that King Henry, on his death-bed, had disinherited his
daughter Matilda, who had offended him, and that he had appointed his
nephew Stephen to succeed him as the inheritor of his kingdom.
[Illustration: GREAT SEAL OF STEPHEN.]
These oaths--common in the Middle Ages, and of little real security when
opposed to personal interests--were nevertheless regarded nominally as
of considerable weight; and a pretext, therefore, was necessary for
absolving the clergy and the barons from their vows of allegiance to
Matilda. This was supplied by Roger of Salisbury, who declared that those
vows were null and void, because the empress had been married out of the
country without the consent of the lords, who had expressly stipulated
that their opinion should be consulted in the disposal of the hand of
their future queen.
The several obstacles being thus overcome or set aside, the Archbishop of
Canterbury crowned Stephen (December 26, 1135) at Westminster. Very few
nobles attended the ceremony, but there was no show of opposition. The
first act of the new king was to proceed to Reading to attend the burial
of his uncle, and from thence he passed on to Oxford, where he held
court, and summoned thither a council of the prelates and clergy of the
kingdom, whom he required to swear allegiance to him. He permitted the
clergy to annex to their oaths an important condition, to the effect that
they swore to support his government only so long as he should maintain
the rights and liberties of the Church. The barons also obtained the
right of fortifying castles upon their estates.
These concessions to the Church secured the favour of the Pope, Innocent
II., who soon afterwards sent letters to Stephen, confirming his title
to the throne. The words of the Pontiff were as follows:--"We have heard
that thou hast been chosen by the common voice and will of the people and
of the lords, and that thou hast received a blessing from the ministers
of the Church. Considering that the choice of so large a number of men
must have been directed by Divine grace, and that, moreover, thou art
closely related to the deceased king, we are well pleased with the course
taken in thy behalf; and we receive thee with paternal affection as a son
of the blessed Apostle Peter, and of the holy Roman Church."
Still further to secure his position, Stephen passed a charter closely
resembling that issued under similar circumstances by his predecessor.
He endeavoured to conciliate all the estates of the realm: to the clergy
he promised that vacant benefices should immediately be filled up, and
that their revenues should in no case be applied to the purposes of the
crown; to the nobility he pledged his word that the royal forests, which
Henry had appropriated to himself, should be restored to their ancient
boundaries; and to the people he engaged to remit the tax of Danegeld,
and to restore the laws of King Edward. Stephen also made lavish gifts
of money and lands to those about him, and during the first year of his
reign the land rejoiced once more in plenty and prosperity.
Matilda and her husband Geoffrey experienced no better fortune in
Normandy than in England. The Norman nobility were influenced by the
same reasons as formerly, in desiring a continuance of their union with
the crown of England; while, at the same time, an hereditary animosity
existed between them and the people of Anjou. When Geoffrey Plantagenet
entered Normandy for the purpose of enforcing the rights of his wife
Matilda, the Normans applied for assistance to Theobald of Blois, eldest
brother of Stephen (1136). As soon as Stephen obtained possession of
the English throne, they transferred their allegiance to him, and put
him in possession of the government of the duchy. The homage which, as
feudal sovereign, was due to Louis VII., King of France, he accepted from
Eustace, Stephen's eldest son, instead of from the English king himself;
and Louis also betrothed his sister Constantia to the young prince. The
Count of Blois consented to resign his claim for a yearly pension of
2,000 marks, and Geoffrey of Anjou was compelled to conclude a truce of
two years with Stephen, receiving also a pension of 5,000 marks.
Robert of Gloucester, the natural son of Henry, entertained the strongest
feelings of hostility to Stephen. He appears, however, to have directed
his efforts against the usurper rather in support of the claims of his
sister Matilda, than of any pretensions of his own. On the elevation of
Stephen to the throne, Robert found it necessary to take the oath of
allegiance, since a refusal to do so would have resulted in the loss of
his estates in England, and of that power which he proposed to use in
his sister's behalf. He therefore offered to do homage on condition that
the king fulfilled all his promises, and never invaded any of the rights
of Robert. Thus a pretext was afforded for revolt at any moment, and the
Earl of Gloucester, who was a man of considerable abilities and military
reputation, occupied himself in promoting a spirit of disaffection among
the nobles. The right which the English barons had obtained of erecting
fortified castles was exercised to the utmost. Strong fortresses rapidly
arose in all parts of the kingdom, and were garrisoned with licentious
soldiery, native and foreign.
In proportion as the privileges of the nobles were extended, the
condition of the people became once more one of oppression and misery.
Petty wars broke out among the rival barons, who made incursions into
each others' territories, and practised unbounded rapine on the towns and
villages. Some of the more powerful chiefs declared that the promises
made to them by Stephen on his accession had not been fulfilled; and they
seized various parts of the royal estates, which they asserted were their
due. Among these was Hugh Bigod, whose act of perjury had secured the
coronation of Stephen, and who now revolted openly against the king, and
took possession of Norwich Castle.
The insurgents had not yet learned to act in concert, and Stephen soon
recovered the estates which had been seized. The spirit of sedition,
however, was not repressed; new disturbances were continually taking
place, and the country remained in a state of anarchy.
In the year 1137, Robert, Earl of Gloucester, having organised an
extensive confederacy, quitted his estates, and having crossed the
Channel, sent to the king a formal letter of defiance. Other great
barons also, on the ground that the promises made to them had not been
fulfilled, renounced their homage, and retired to their strongholds. A
desultory warfare took place between the king and his disaffected nobles.
In March, 1138, David, King of Scotland, crossed the Tweed at the head
of an army which he had collected from every part of his kingdom, to
defend the title of his niece, Matilda. The chroniclers describe the
Scottish army as a barbarous multitude, many of whom, gathered from the
recesses of the Highlands, were fierce and untutored, half clad, and with
only the rudest weapons of war. This undisciplined host passed through
Northumberland into Yorkshire, devastating the country, and committing
unheard of barbarities upon the miserable inhabitants. It is related
of them that they behaved after the manner of wild beasts, slaying all
who came in their way, sparing neither old age in its helplessness, nor
beauty in its spring, nor the infant in the womb.
The fury of these massacres exasperated the northern nobility, who might
otherwise have been disposed to join the King of Scotland. Thurstan,
Archbishop of York, an aged man, seemed to derive new youth from the
crisis which demanded the exertion of his energies. He shook off the
weight of years and, organising an army, he earnestly exhorted the
barons and the soldiers to defend their countrymen from the ravages
of the invaders. William, Earl of Albemarle, Roger Mowbray, Robert
de Ferrers, William Piercy, Walter L'Espec, and others of their
compeers, assembled their troops, and encamped at Elfer-tun, now called
Northallerton, about half-way between York and Durham, and there awaited
the arrival of the enemy. The advance of the Scots had been so rapid that
Stephen, who was occupied with repressing the rebellion in the south, had
no time to reach the scene of action.
The Scottish army, the first division of which was led by Prince Henry,
son of David, crossed the Tees in several divisions, bearing as a
standard a lance, to which was fixed a bunch of "blooming heather." They
did not form, as was the case with more disciplined armies, distinct
bodies of horse and foot, but each man brought to the field of battle
such arms as he could obtain. With the exception of the French or Norman
knights, whom the King of Scotland brought with him, and who were armed
_cap-à-pie_ with complete suits of mail, the mass of his soldiers
displayed a disorderly equipment. The men of Galloway and other parts of
the west wore no defensive armour, and bore long sharp pikes or javelins
as their only weapon. The inhabitants of the lowlands, who formed the
chief part of the infantry, were armed with spears and breastplates;
while the Highlanders, who wore a bonnet adorned with plumes, and a plaid
cloak fastened at the waist by a leathern belt, appeared in the fight
with a small wooden shield on the left arm, while in the right hand they
bore the claymore or broadsword. The chiefs wore the same armour as their
soldiers, from whom they were distinguished only by the length of their
plumes.
The Anglo-Norman barons, anxious to invoke on their behalf the ancient
superstitions of the English, caused the banners of St. Peter of York,
St. John of Beverley, and St. Wilfrid of Ripon, to be brought from the
churches in which they had remained since the time of the Conqueror, and
erected them in the midst of the camp. The mast of a ship was set up in
a car with four wheels; at the top of the mast was fixed a crucifix,
attached to which was a silver box, containing the sacramental wafer, or
eucharist, and round it were hung the banners of the three English saints.
This standard, from which the battle has taken its name, was erected in
the centre of the position. The knights of the English army were ranged
beside it, having first sworn to remain united, and to defend the
sacred symbol to the death. The Archbishop of York, who was prevented by
illness from appearing in the field, sent a representative in the person
of Ranulph, Bishop of Durham, who, as the Scots were heard approaching,
placed himself at the foot of the standard and read the prayer of
absolution, the whole army kneeling before him. The attack was made by
the men of Galloway, who rushed impetuously on the English infantry
and broke their ranks; the cavalry, however, remained firm round their
standard, and repulsed the charges of the Scots with great slaughter.
Meanwhile the bowmen of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire rallied from their
confusion, and poured in flights of arrows upon the enemy, while the
Norman knights, protected by their heavy armour, were receiving the
attacks of the brave but undisciplined natives of the north. The Scots
maintained the contest for two hours, but at length they were thrown
into confusion by a charge of the Norman cavalry, and were compelled to
retreat as far as the Tyne. At the battle of Northallerton, which was
fought on the 22nd of August, 1138, the loss of the Scots is stated to
have been 12,000 men.
Three days after this defeat, the King of Scotland arrived at Carlisle,
where he rallied his scattered forces, and subsequently laid siege to
Wark Castle, which fell into his hands. Notwithstanding the result of the
Battle of the Standard, the counties of Cumberland, Westmoreland, and
Northumberland remained for many years free from Norman dominion, and
attached to the kingdom of Scotland.
Roger, Bishop of Salisbury, the story of whose elevation to the favour
of Henry I. has been already related, was at this time possessed of vast
wealth and influence in the kingdom. He was a munificent patron of the
arts, and expended large sums in the erection of magnificent churches and
other public works. Architects, artists, and men of letters were secure
of his favour, and the wealth, which was often obtained by not the most
honest means, was at least bestowed in a manner beneficial to the age in
which he lived. Roger had rendered good service to Stephen at the time of
his accession to the throne, and the king had rewarded him with repeated
and valuable gifts. It would appear, however, that these possessions were
heaped upon the bishop, less for his own use than with the view of being
available for the royal purposes whenever the king might choose to seize
upon them.
The nobles of the court had not witnessed without envy the increasing
power and magnificence of the Bishop of Salisbury; and at the time when
Stephen was menaced by an invasion from the Continent they circulated a
report that the bishop was in league with the conspirators. The king,
who wanted money, was glad of a pretext for seizing the possessions of
Roger, and ordered him to be arrested, together with his two nephews,
Alexander, Bishop of Lincoln, and Nigel, Bishop of Ely. Nigel made his
escape, and took refuge in the castle of Devizes, but Roger and Alexander
were captured, and confined in separate dungeons. A quarrel which had
previously taken place between some of the bishop's retainers and those
of the Count of Brittany formed the ground of the chief accusation, which
was that the bishops had violated the peace of the king within the limits
of his court. Stephen demanded the surrender of all their castles as an
atonement for the offence; and, after considerable opposition on the part
of the two bishops, the demand was generally complied with. The Bishop
of Ely, however, still refused to surrender the castle of Devizes; and
Stephen commanded that Roger and the Bishop of Lincoln should receive no
food until the castle was given up. By the king's order Roger appeared,
wasted with fasting, before the gates of Devizes, and implored his nephew
to surrender, and after a delay of three days the Bishop of Ely at length
yielded, to save the lives of his relatives.
These proceedings excited the utmost indignation among the prelates and
clergy of the kingdom, and Henry, Bishop of Winchester, who had been
appointed legate of the Pope, cited his brother, the king, to appear
before an ecclesiastical synod at Winchester to answer for his conduct.
Alberic de Vere attended before the council as the substitute of Stephen,
and the bishops having persisted in demanding reparation for the insult
to the Church, De Vere appealed in the king's name to the Pope, and,
drawing his sword, declared the assembly to be dissolved. A series of
disasters, which soon after endangered the life and crown of Stephen,
were, in a great measure, to be referred to this determined opposition
to the clergy. The synod at Winchester was held in September 1139, and
three months afterwards, Roger, Bishop of Salisbury, died at an advanced
age, his end having probably been accelerated by the mortifications he
had suffered.
On the 22nd of September, in the same year, the Empress Matilda landed
in England, accompanied by Robert, Earl of Gloucester. The latter
immediately proceeded with a small escort to the castle of Bristol, where
he occupied himself in collecting his followers. Matilda joined him
after a short stay in Arundel Castle.
Civil war now raged throughout the country. The Norman race in England
was immediately split up into two factions, and each man looked with
distrust upon his neighbour, uncertain whether to regard him as a friend
or an enemy. Many of the barons of the west and north declared for
Matilda, and recalled the oaths they had taken to Stephen; while many
of the more rapacious lords, to whom the public good was a matter of
no concern, kept aloof from both parties, and occupied themselves with
seizing the property of farmers and citizens. The chronicles of the time
are filled with accounts of the atrocities which were committed at this
period throughout the length and breadth of the land, which was desolated
in every direction by violence and rapine.
[Illustration: SILVER PENNY OF STEPHEN.]
Stephen having failed in an attempt to take the town of Bristol, which
was strongly fortified, turned his forces to the east, where a formidable
insurrection had broken out, headed by the Bishop of Ely. On the very
spot where Hereward, the Saxon, had erected his fort of wood, a camp was
formed by the Norman adherents of Matilda, who entrenched themselves
behind ramparts of stone and wood. Stephen conducted his attack in the
same manner as had been done by William the Conqueror. He built bridges
of boats, by which his soldiers passed over, and put to flight the troops
of Nigel.
The bishop fled to Gloucester, where Matilda had assembled the greater
number of her adherents. During the absence of Stephen in the east, the
flames of revolt were raging throughout the west, and churches as well
as castles were fortified by the insurgents for the purposes of defence.
The bishops are said not to have scrupled to take part in these military
operations: they were seen, as in the time of the Conqueror, mounted on
chargers, and clad in suits of mail, bearing a lance or a truncheon in
their hands, directing the attacks of the soldiers, and drawing lots for
a share of the booty.
[Illustration: INTERVIEW BETWEEN THE EMPRESS MATILDA AND QUEEN MAUD.
(_See p._ 174.)]
In 1141 Stephen displayed the utmost activity in marching against his
enemies. After having crossed and recrossed the country, he appeared
before the castle of Lincoln, which was in the hands of the adherents of
Matilda. The townspeople, however, favoured the king's cause, and, in
opposition to the garrison, assisted him to lay siege to the fortress.
Meanwhile the Earl of Gloucester had collected an army of 10,000 men,
and in the hope of effecting a surprise, marched rapidly to Lincoln, and
appeared before the besieging troops. Stephen, however, had been apprised
of his coming, and having drawn up his forces in battle array, placed
himself at their head. The contest was unequal; most of the royal cavalry
deserted to the enemy, and many of the other troops wavered in their
allegiance. In such a case defeat was inevitable. Stephen fought with
valour, but after having broken his sword and battle-axe, he was made
prisoner by the Earl of Gloucester.
This defeat was disastrous to the royal cause. Many of the Norman nobles
and of the clergy, among whom was Henry of Winchester, the king's own
brother, gave in their adhesion to the cause of Matilda. The support of
the bishop is said to have been gained by a promise on the part of the
empress that he should be placed in the position of her chief minister,
and should have the disposal of all the vacant benefices of the Church.
On the day after this bargain was concluded, the granddaughter of the
Conqueror made her triumphal entry into Winchester. She was received at
the gates by Bishop Henry, at the head of the clergy, who conducted her
to the cathedral; and the brother of Stephen pronounced a blessing upon
all who should follow her cause, and a curse on those who should oppose
it.
Having taken possession of the royal treasure which remained at
Winchester, Matilda, after some delay, proceeded to London, where she
arrived at midsummer. She was of English descent, and the unhappy
citizens, ground down by taxation, hoped to obtain from her some release
of the burdens with which they were oppressed. But Matilda's good
fortune soon rendered her disdainful and arrogant; and it is said by an
old historian that when those men to whom she owed her elevation bowed
down before her, she did not rise from her throne, and their requests
were frequently met by a refusal. It is, therefore, scarcely matter for
surprise that, when the citizens of London entreated her to take pity on
them, she answered with a frown, and one of her first acts was to impose
a heavy tax, or tallage, in addition to the burdens with which they
were already afflicted. The empress seems to have possessed a malignant
nature, which found vent in injuries inflicted equally on friends and
enemies. Henry of Winchester, who may have felt some compunction at the
part he had acted towards his brother, desired that his nephew Eustace,
the son of Stephen, might be put in possession of his hereditary foreign
rights. Matilda, instead of trying to make a compact, replied to the
request with an insulting denial. Many other acts of arrogance, as
impolitic in a queen as they were disgraceful in a woman, were exhibited
towards her best friends; and when Maud, the wife of Stephen, who was
Matilda's own cousin, appeared in her presence and begged that her
husband might be restored to liberty, the empress drove the sorrowing
wife away in tears.
Matilda was making ready for her coronation in perfect security, when a
rising of the people, as sudden as it was unanimous, resulted in driving
her from London in the utmost haste, and without even so much as a change
of raiment. An alarm sounded from all the steeples of the city, and
immediately every street was filled with an excited multitude of people.
From the doors of every house men came forth, armed with such weapons
as they could procure. The empress and her Angevins (that is, people of
Anjou), startled by the suddenness of the attack, and not daring to risk
a conflict where the numbers were so greatly against them, and which
would have to be carried on in narrow streets, where every advantage
would be on the side of their enemies--made no resistance, but hastily
seized horses and galloped off at full speed. Matilda had scarcely
quitted the town, when the enraged populace forced their way into her
apartments, and seized or destroyed whatever they found there.
As the ex-empress sped on her way, the barons and knights who accompanied
her one by one detached themselves from the escort, and, consulting their
own safety, fled across the country or along cross-roads towards their
strongholds. She arrived at Oxford with the Earl of Gloucester and a
few followers, whom motives of policy, or a regard for their knightly
honour, still held attached to her fortunes. The citizens of London
attempted no pursuit of the fugitives. Their revolt appears to have been
a sudden outbreak of popular indignation rather than the result of any
preconcerted arrangement, and was not followed by any further measures
of a similar kind. The Norman adherents of King Stephen soon afterwards
re-entered London, and having obtained the consent of the citizens, by
the promise of an alliance with them, garrisoned the city with troops.
The only privileges obtained by the citizens in consequence of the
insurrection were the permission of enlistment to the number of one
thousand men, and of fighting in the cause of the king, wearing a helmet
and hauberk. Queen Maud, the wife of Stephen, proceeded to London, and
there held court. She was a woman of gentle and amiable character; but
her lot was cast in evil times, and she displayed the energy and courage
of a man in her efforts to obtain her husband's liberation.
The Bishop of Winchester, whom Matilda, in her short day of power,
had so grievously offended, no sooner perceived the tide of fortune
turning against the empress, than he deserted her cause, and once more
declared himself in favour of his brother. He hoisted the banner of
Stephen on the walls of Winchester Castle, and on his palace, which had
been fortified with all the engineering skill of the age. Other castles
within his diocese, including those of Waltham and Farnham, were strongly
garrisoned. An interview took place at Guildford between the bishop and
his sister-in-law, Queen Maud, whose entreaties probably removed any
hesitation he might feel as to his course of action.
Matilda, having become aware of these transactions, sent the bishop a
haughty message to appear immediately in her presence. The prelate sent
back the messenger with the answer that he was "making himself ready for
her"--an expression which had a double meaning. Matilda marched with her
followers to Winchester; but the bishop, leaving his palace defended by
a strong garrison, quitted the town as she entered it, and proceeded to
place himself at the head of his vassals, and of the knights who had
agreed to fight under his standard. The castle of Winchester was given up
to Matilda, and she summoned around her those barons who still adhered to
her cause. Among these were Robert of Gloucester, the Earl of Chester,
the Earl of Hereford, and David, King of Scotland, uncle to the empress.
The troops under these leaders laid siege to the episcopal palace, which
stood in the heart of the city. The bishop's garrison having set fire
to the adjoining houses, which might have served as places of defence
to the assailants, retired into their fortress, and waited for succour.
Meanwhile the Bishop of Winchester had received an accession of strength
from the troops of Queen Maud, among whom were the citizens of London,
to the number, as already mentioned, of one thousand. Marching rapidly
to Winchester, the bishop surprised the troops of the empress, who were
compelled to entrench themselves in the churches, while Matilda herself,
with her chief nobles, took refuge in the castle. Thus besiegers were
in turn besieged; the sanctuary was not respected by the warlike Bishop
of Winchester, and the churches were burnt down in order to force the
occupants from their places of refuge. The unhappy inhabitants suffered
extreme misery while this murderous warfare was going on in their
streets; they were plundered by both of the opposing factions, their
goods seized without redress, and their homes burnt down or ransacked.
The castle, which was completely surrounded by the troops of the bishop,
sustained a siege of six weeks, by which time the provisions of the
garrison were exhausted. A daring expedient was determined upon by the
empress as the alternative of an unconditional surrender. The 14th of
September, 1141, was the feast of the Holy Rood or Cross, on which, as
on other festivals of the church, it was the custom for antagonists in
the field to desist from hostilities. At daybreak on that day, when the
besieging troops were asleep or engaged in preparing for their devotions,
Matilda stole out from the castle, accompanied by her brother, the
Earl of Gloucester, and a small but chosen escort. Mounted on fleet
horses they made their way through the troops of the bishop, and fled
at full speed along the road to Devizes. A hot pursuit was immediately
set on foot, and the fugitives were overtaken in the neighbourhood of
Stourbridge. Finding escape impossible, the Earl of Gloucester and the
knights who were with him turned upon their pursuers and kept them
at bay, while the empress urged on her horse and arrived in safety
at Devizes. After a gallant resistance the earl and several of his
companions were taken prisoners.
About a month after the capture of the Earl of Gloucester, a treaty was
concluded between the belligerents, by the terms of which the king was
exchanged for the earl, and thus the leaders of both armies regained
their liberty. Stephen resumed his title and the exercise of the royal
authority over the eastern and midland counties, which were the parts
of the country in the possession of his adherents. Normandy no longer
acknowledged the rule of the English king. During his imprisonment the
duchy had submitted to Geoffrey of Anjou, who soon afterwards resigned it
in favour of his eldest son Henry.
During this time the country wore an aspect of woe and desolation. All
kinds of depredations were committed by the soldiers of Brabant, the
Flemings, and other foreigners, with whom the land was overrun; while the
Anglo-Norman nobles raised funds for the expenses of the civil war by
selling their English estates together with the miserable inhabitants. So
great was the terror excited among the people by this state of things,
that we are told that a considerable body of them would take to flight
at the sight of three or four horsemen. Stories dark and dread were
currently reported of cruelties practised by the Normans upon those who
fell into their power. Those prisoners who were suspected to possess
property of any kind were subjected to unheard of tortures to compel them
to give up their hoards. Some were suspended by the feet, while fumes of
smoke were made to ascend about their heads; others were tied at some
distance from the ground by the thumbs, while their feet were scorched by
fire; or were thrown into pits filled with reptiles of different kinds;
sometimes they suffered the dislocation of their limbs in what was called
the _chambre à crucir_:[29] this was a chest lined with sharp-pointed
stones, in which the victim was fastened up.[30] Many of the castles
contained a room or dungeon specially set apart for these purposes, and
filled with instruments of torture, and with iron chains so heavy that it
required two or three men to lift them. "You might have journeyed," says
the authority already quoted, "a whole day without seeing a living person
in the towns, or in the country one field in a state of tillage. The poor
perished with hunger, and many who once possessed property now begged
food from door to door. Every man who had the power quitted England.
Never were greater sorrows poured upon this land."
Alarmed at the increasing power of Stephen, Matilda sent the Earl of
Gloucester to her husband, Geoffrey of Anjou, entreating him to bring his
forces to her aid. The earl replied that his presence was necessary in
his own dominions, but expressed his willingness to send his son, Prince
Henry, in his stead. Some months' delay ensued, and then Henry, with
the earl, his uncle, quitted Normandy with an inconsiderable force, and
effected a landing in England.
[Illustration: FLIGHT OF MATILDA FROM OXFORD CASTLE. (_See p._ 176.)]
Meanwhile, Stephen, having recovered from his illness, collected an
army and laid siege to the city of Oxford, where Matilda had assembled
her followers (1142). The town fell into his hands almost immediately,
and was set on fire by the royal troops. The empress had retreated into
the castle, which was a place of great strength; but it proved to be
insufficiently victualled. The fortress was surrounded and cut off from
all supplies from without, and after a siege of three months the empress
found herself compelled to make her escape in the same manner as before.
One night in December, when the ground was covered with snow, Matilda
quitted the castle at midnight, attended by four knights, who, as well
as herself, were clothed in white. The party passed through the lines
of their enemies entirely unobserved, and crossed the Thames, which was
frozen over. The adventurous daughter of Henry I. then pursued her way,
sometimes on foot, sometimes on horseback, to Wallingford, where she
joined the army of her son and the Earl of Gloucester.
[Illustration: _From the Picture by Sir John Gilbert, R.A., P.R.W.S._
THE BATTLE OF THE STANDARD, A.D. 1138.
BY PERMISSION FROM THE PAINTING IN THE CORPORATION ART GALLERY OF THE
CITY OF LONDON.]
After having taken Oxford Castle, Stephen encountered the forces of the
Earl of Gloucester at Wilton, and was defeated, the king himself having
a narrow escape of a second imprisonment. A desultory warfare ensued,
which lasted during three years, without any important advantage to
either side. Prince Henry remained during this time at Bristol Castle, in
the company of his uncle, the Earl of Gloucester, and in 1147 returned
to Normandy. Soon after his departure, Robert of Gloucester died of an
illness resulting from alternate excesses and privations. Deprived of
the aid of her half-brother, who had governed her affairs with undoubted
ability, Matilda found her position become every day less secure. One
by one her most faithful partisans fell away, stricken down by disease,
or weary of the contest; and among those who died was the Earl of
Hereford, one of the ablest and most powerful defenders of her cause.
At length the ex-empress determined to pass over into Normandy, there
to concert with her husband and her son fresh measures for renewing the
struggle. Emboldened by her absence, Stephen made vigorous attempts
to re-establish his power upon a firm basis; and for this purpose he
endeavoured by stratagem, as well as by force, to obtain possession of
various strongholds which had been seized and fortified by the barons.
The efforts thus made to reduce these haughty chiefs to submission met
with little success, and the king's own adherents were ill-disposed
to support a policy which they foresaw might one day be extended to
themselves.
[Illustration: GREAT SEAL OF HENRY II.]
On the death of Innocent II. (September 24, 1144), the office of Legate
of the Holy See was transferred from the Bishop of Winchester to
Theobald, Archbishop of Canterbury. The archbishop, having proceeded to
the Council of Rheims in opposition to the royal command, was banished
from the court.
This impolitic act of Stephen was attended by consequences which show the
extraordinary power possessed by the clergy over the rude and licentious
men of that age. Hugh Bigod, the Earl of Norfolk, one of the adherents of
Matilda, received the exiled prelate under his protection; and Theobald
issued a sentence of excommunication against all the followers of the
king, and the royal domain was declared without the pale of the Church.
While it is probable that the interdict of the Archbishop of Canterbury
did not interfere materially with the offices of charity and mercy
which, in addition to those of religion, were performed by the monks, it
is, nevertheless, easy to understand why such a proclamation might be
attended with serious inconvenience even to that part of the laity which
cared nothing for the services of religion. The discontent throughout
the country became so loud that Stephen was compelled to make overtures
to the archbishop for a reconciliation. After some delay, the primate
accepted the terms, and the ban of the church was removed from the royal
domains. The king, who in the interval had learnt the expediency of
securing the favour and adhesion of the clergy, made large donations to
the churches and monasteries, and promised to extend these gifts, and add
to them certain important privileges as soon as the kingdom should be
placed in a condition of peace and security.
Two years after the reconciliation with the archbishop, Stephen convened
at London a general assembly of the higher ecclesiastics, and demanded
that his eldest son, Eustace, should with their authority be acknowledged
as successor to the throne. The bishops, headed by the Archbishop of
Canterbury, refused positively to comply with this demand. As the legate
of Rome, the archbishop had communicated with the Pope on the subject,
and had received for answer that Stephen was a usurper, and had not the
right possessed by legitimate sovereigns of transmitting the crown to
a successor. Exasperated by a refusal which followed his efforts at
conciliation, Stephen ordered the bishops to be placed under arrest,
and their benefices to be seized. This, however, was only a temporary
outburst of anger, and appears to have been to some extent justified by
the open defiance given by the prelates to the sovereign to whom they had
sworn allegiance.
The king soon found himself menaced by further dangers from Normandy. In
1149, Prince Henry, the son of Matilda, had landed in Scotland attended
by a retinue of knights and nobles, for the purpose of receiving the
order of knighthood from his relative the King of Scotland. David, at
that time, held his court at Carlisle; and Henry, who had just attained
his sixteenth year, received his spurs at that place in the presence of a
vast assemblage of barons from various parts of England, as well as from
Scotland and Normandy. The gallant bearing and character of the young
prince produced the most favourable effect upon those who witnessed the
ceremony, and was afterwards contrasted with that of the son of Stephen,
to the disadvantage of the latter. Henry, having returned to Normandy in
the year 1150, was placed in possession of the government of that duchy,
and on the death of his father, Geoffrey Plantagenet, which took place
immediately afterwards, the prince received the earldom of Anjou. This
province was said to be conferred upon him with the stipulation that he
should resign it in favour of his younger brother on the day when he
should become king; but the legality of the will was doubtful.
In 1152 Henry married Eleanor, the divorced wife of Louis VII. of France
and daughter of William, Duke of Aquitaine and Count of Poitou. According
to the laws of these provinces, Eleanor succeeded her father in the
exercise of sovereignty, and her husband, though a foreigner, shared the
same rights. Eleanor was married, in 1137, to Louis, King of France,
who exercised control over her domains so long as he remained united to
her, and he garrisoned the towns of Aquitaine with soldiers and officers
of his own. The queen had given birth to two daughters, and the union
had lasted several years without interruption, when Louis determined to
make a pilgrimage to Palestine, and his wife, whose uncle Raymond was
Duke of Antioch, accompanied him on the journey. In the account already
given of the First Crusade, allusion has been made to the low state of
morality which prevailed in the camps, and it would appear that even the
Queen of France was not exempt from the evil influences by which she was
surrounded. Eleanor, who was possessed of remarkable beauty, displayed
great freedom of manners, and she was accused, justly or otherwise, of an
improper connection with a young Saracen knight, named Saladin. On the
return of the court from the Holy Land, in the year 1152, Louis called a
council of the clergy at Beaugency-sur-Loire, and demanded a divorce from
his wife. The cause of the king was pleaded by the Bishop of Langres, who
offered evidence of the offences committed by the queen. The Archbishop
of Bordeaux, however, while assenting to the king's request, proposed
that the separation should take place in a manner less fatal to the
reputation of Eleanor--namely, on the ground of consanguinity between
the parties. It was discovered by the prelates--rather late--that the
queen was the cousin of her husband within the prohibited degrees. This,
however, was the sole ground on which the laws of the Church permitted a
divorce, which, under any circumstances, was only granted to princes.
Eleanor, who regarded her husband as "more a monk than a king," assented
readily to a separation; and on the marriage being annulled, she set out
for her own domains, and remained for a while in the town of Blois. The
repudiated wife seems to have had no want of suitors, and rather found
a difficulty in protecting herself from their importunities. Theobald,
Count of Blois, the brother of King Stephen, offered her his hand, and
having met with a refusal, he detained the duchess a prisoner in his
castle, with the determination of marrying her by force. Suspecting his
design, Eleanor escaped from the castle by night, descended the Loire in
a boat, and reached the city of Tours, which then belonged to the duchy
of Anjou.
Geoffrey of Anjou, the second son of Matilda, hearing of the arrival of
the duchess, and tempted, probably, by her vast possessions, determined
also to make her his wife, and placed himself in ambush at the Port de
Piles on the Loire, to intercept her as she passed, and carry her off.
Eleanor, however, "warned by her good angel," turned aside and took the
road to Poitiers. Here Henry, with more courtesy than his brother or the
Count of Blois, presented himself to her, and the offer of his hand being
accepted, married her within a few weeks after her divorce (May 18). The
conduct of the young prince in this transaction does not appear in a very
delicate or chivalrous light; and it is evident that motives of policy
alone could have induced him to marry a woman who, however beautiful,
was considerably older than himself, and whose reputation was certainly
not without stain.
By this alliance Henry received the titles of Duke of Aquitaine and
Count of Poitou, in addition to those which he had previously possessed.
His domains now nearly equalled in extent those of the French king; and
Louis, alarmed at the increase of the Norman power, forbade Henry--who,
as Duke of Normandy, was his vassal--to contract the marriage with
Eleanor. Henry, however, paid no regard to the prohibition, and the
French king was compelled to accept the new vows of homage which the
prince now offered him for the territories of Aquitaine and Poitou. These
oaths--which were, in fact, little else than matters of form--had been
for many years the only bond which remained between the ancient Capetian
kings and the lords of those provinces which extended between the Loire
and the two seas.
The great and rapid increase of power thus attained by Henry Plantagenet
necessarily excited the hopes of his mother, and of her adherents in
England, who were gratified by the prospect of renewing the contest with
Stephen in favour of a young prince whose gallantry and abilities offered
the best prospect of success. The English king foresaw the approaching
danger, and had no difficulty in perceiving that Henry would command
many more supporters in England than would have ranged themselves under
the standard of the haughty Matilda. Stephen, therefore, concluded an
alliance with Louis of France, as well as with the Count of Blois, and
with Geoffrey of Anjou, Henry's younger brother. The two latter willingly
took up arms against one who occupied to both of them the position of a
successful rival, and they joined the army which the French king marched
into Normandy. Henry, however, made a vigorous defence, and having
repulsed the attacks of the French with success, he obtained a truce.
Meanwhile the Earl of Chester had arrived in the duchy from England,
bearing with him a message from a number of chiefs of the Plantagenet
party, who invited Henry to take possession of the throne in his own
right. The earl declared this to be the unanimous will of the people;
and the prince responded to the call, and, without waiting to organise
a large force, immediately set sail for England. The army with which he
landed numbered about 140 knights, and 3,000 infantry; it was composed,
however, of picked men, and was well disciplined. Many of the barons
of the kingdom immediately joined his standard, bringing with them
considerable reinforcements; and Henry marched his forces to Wallingford
for the purpose of giving battle to the king. Meanwhile Stephen had made
great exertions to oppose his adversary, and endeavoured, by bribes and
other means, to detach the barons from his cause. Some of the latter who
had declared for Henry, no sooner heard with what a small force he had
ventured into England, than they returned to the side of the king. The
war between the opposing factions was carried on in the same manner as
before--castles were besieged and taken, and towns carried by assault,
plundered, and burnt. The English, driven from their homes, or flying
from them in terror, built huts under the walls of the churches, in the
hope that the sacredness of the place would protect them from outrage and
plunder. No such considerations, however, restrained the belligerents,
who expelled the people from their sanctuary, and turned the churches
into fortresses. On the steeples, whence the sweet sounds of bells were
wont to give the call to prayer, were now placed the frowning engines of
war.
The army of Stephen, which had marched from London, occupied the left
bank of the Thames at Wallingford, opposite to the troops of Henry.
The opposing forces remained in this position during two whole days
without coming to an engagement, and during the pause which thus took
place negotiations were entered into between the two princes. It would
appear that even the Norman nobles had become tired of the horrors of a
civil war which had lasted fifteen years, and the Earl of Arundel did
not hesitate to say that it was unreasonable that the calamities of the
nation should be continued further through the ambition of two princes.
Other lords on both sides expressed the same sentiments, and entreated
the king and the prince to meet together for the purpose of arranging
terms of peace.
An interview took place between the two chiefs, who conversed with
each other across a narrow part of the river Thames, and ultimately
agreed to desist from hostilities, pending the conclusion of a treaty
which was to be arranged at a general council of the kingdom. Prince
Eustace, the only son of Stephen, was seized with indignation at the
prospect of an arrangement which would probably exclude him from the
throne, and, instantly quitting his father's presence, he proceeded
into Cambridgeshire, recklessly determining to maintain his right
by arms. Having gathered together a band of lawless followers, he
seized possession of the abbey of St. Edmund, ejected the monks, and
placed there his headquarters. He occupied himself in plundering the
neighbourhood, and the property so obtained was expended in rioting and
other excesses. This state of things, however, was of short duration.
One day, when the prince was seated at a banquet, he was seized with a
sudden and violent illness, or frenzy, of which he died. The memory of
St. Edmund, king and martyr, was held in the highest veneration by the
English people, and the death of the prince was attributed by them to the
vengeance of Heaven, provoked by the outrage he had committed upon the
sanctuary of the saint.
Stephen now had less difficulty in agreeing to terms which would be
acceptable to Henry. The king had, indeed, one son remaining, but he
was too young to be aware of how much his interests were concerned in
the arrangements about to be made. The council of the kingdom was held
at Winchester, November 7th, 1153, and it was finally determined that
Stephen should retain the throne during his life, and that after his
death the succession should devolve upon Henry and his heirs. This treaty
was sworn to by the clergy, nobles, and knights of both parties, and is
described by different writers in different points of view. It is worthy
of remark that we find the various boroughs regarded in connection with
this treaty as of some importance, and that they were called upon to take
the oaths of allegiance in the same manner as the barons. The officers of
the most important of the royal castles gave hostages to Henry for the
surrender of those strongholds to him when the king's death should take
place.
The treaty having been concluded, Henry and Stephen made a progress
together through the country, visiting the cities of London, Winchester,
and Oxford. Everywhere they were received with unfeigned joy by the
people, who, whatever might have been their sentiments with respect to
either prince, welcomed the chance which placed them side by side with
sheathed swords.
Henry proceeded to the Continent at the time of Lent, 1154, and in the
month of October in the same year Stephen died at Dover, in the fiftieth
year of his age, and the nineteenth of his reign. He was buried at the
monastery of Faversham, in Kent, and his tomb was afterwards destroyed
when the monasteries were suppressed by the command of Henry VIII.