the fealty he had sworn to Stephen, and prepares for an invasion of England. The king seizes his lands, except the castle of Bristol, which is maintained against him, and its garrison harasses his partisans.

David of Scotland invades England, but is defeated at the battle of the Standard, near Northallerton, August 22. Several partisans of Maud declare themselves; Stephen marches against them, and captures some of their castles. The nobles who adhere to Stephen extort lands and honours from him, and build castles at their pleasure.

A frightful state of confusion ensued. The nobles of both parties "cruelly oppressed the wretched men of the land with castle-work, and when the castles were made, they filled them with devils and evil men." They threw people into dungeons, and inflicted on them unutterable tortures. Every man robbed another

who could.

"Never yet was there more wretchedness in the land; nor ever did heathen men worse than they did; for after a time they spared neither church nor churchyard, but took all the goods that were therein, and then burned the church and all together." "They said openly, that Christ slept, and all His saints. The bishops and learned men cursed them continually, but the effect thereof was nothing to them, for they were all accursed, and forsworn, and abandoned"."

The king summons the bishops of Salisbury, Ely, and

f These citations are from the Saxon Chronicle. William of Malmesbury also says, "There were many castles throughout England, each defending its neighbourhood, or, more properly, laying it waste;" his picture of the sufferings of the people is substantially the same as in the text.

It is remarkable, however, that a greater number of religious houses was founded in this than in any preceding reign.

Lincoln, known partisans of Maud, to a council at Oxford, at Midsummer, and compels them to surrender their castles; he also deprives the bishop of Ely of his seeh.

A.D. 1139. A council held at Winchester, under Henry of Blois, the bishop (Stephen's brother), as papal legate, in which the king's dealings with the bishops are condemned, Aug. 29.

Maud and her brother Robert of Gloucester land at Portsmouth, Sept. 30.

Maud is besieged in Arundel castle by Stephen, but is allowed to retire to Gloucester..

Robert of Gloucester takes the field, whilst Maud remains, assuming royal state, at Gloucester.

A.D. 1140. Stephen passes part of the year in the Tower of London, attended only by the bishop of Seez, "for the others disdained or feared to comę to him."

Henry of Blois attempts to induce Stephen and Maud to come to terms, but without success.

A.D. 1141. Stephen grants honours to Ralph de Gernon, earl of Chester, and entrusts to him the castle of Lincoln. Afterwards, at the instigation of the people of Lincoln, he besieges him there, occupying the cathedral as a fortress.

Ralph escapes, and procures succour from Robert of

Roger, bishop of Salisbury, had been the minister of Henry I. Nigel of Ely and Alexander of Lincoln were his nephews. The strong castles of Sherborne, Salisbury, Malmesbury, Devizes, Newark, and Sleaford were in their hands. The bishop of Ely was soon restored to his see; the bishop of Salisbury died on the 4th of December in the following year.

It was the property and residence of Adelais of Louvaine, her stepmother.

Gloucester, when Stephen is attacked and captured, Feb. 2; he is carried prisoner to Bristol. The citizens of Lincoln are slaughtered by the victors.

Henry of Blois joins Maud, and receives her into Winchester, March 3.

Maud is recognised as "Lady of England" by a synod at Winchester, April 7.

The citizens of London, and Matilda, Stephen's queen, claim his release, ineffectually, April 9. Many of Stephen's party excommunicated, April 10.

Maud holds her court at London at Midsummer, but is shortly driven out by the citizens, and retires to Oxford.

Robert de Sigillo, who had been appointed bishop of London by Maud, is seized by Geoffrey de Magnaville, and committed to the Tower, July 2.

Geoffrey de Magnaville is appointed earl of Essex by letters patent, this being the first instance of such mode of creation.

Maud quarrels with Henry of Blois, who retires to Winchester, makes an agreement with Matilda, the wife of Stephen, and absolves his friends

Maud besieges him in the castle of Winchester, but is herself besieged in the palace, by William of Ypres, the general of Queen Matilda.

Winchester is burnt by the combatants, Aug. 2.

Maud makes her escape from the city during the truce on Holy Cross-day (Sept. 14), but Robert of Gloucester is captured in covering her retreat.

Ralph had married Robert's daughter, and she was then in the castle.

Robert of Gloucester is exchanged for Stephen, Nov. 1, and joins Maud at Gloucester.

Henry of Blois holds a council at Westminster, in which he excommunicates Maud's adherents, Dec. 7; an emissary of Maud reproaches him " with great harshness of language," for his inconstancy

A.D. 1142. Maud removes to the castle of Oxford, while Robert seeks ineffectually aid from her husband Geoffrey.

Olaf does homage to Magnus V. of Norway, for Man and the Isles; he is killed by his nephews, June 29. Godred, his son, succeeds.

Maud is besieged in Oxford by Stephen, in September.

Robert returns, bringing with him Prince Henry, and some troops, but is unable to relieve the castle.

Maud, after a while, escapes to Wallingford, Dec. 20.

A.D. 1143. Maud retires to Gloucester, and is generally acknowledged as sovereign in the western counties; Stephen holds London and the eastern and central counties; David, the king of Scotland, rules beyond the Tees.

The partisans of Stephen and Maud devastate the country between them.

Godred of Man invades Ireland.

A.D. 1144. Owen captures Aberteivi from the Normans; they, however, storm St. Asaph, and Gilbert is consecrated its bishop by Theobald, archbishop of Canterbury.

A.D. 1145. Sigfrid, bishop of Chichester, is driven from his see.

Robert of Gloucester dies, October 31; Maud with

draws to Normandy.

Owen is successful against the Normans, and takes the castles of Carmarthen and Mold from them.

A.D. 1146. Bernard of Clairvaux preaches a new crusade, which is headed by the emperor Conrad and Louis VII. of Francek, but effects nothing of importance.

A.D. 1147. Theobald, archbishop of Canterbury, oppressed by Henry of Blois, the papal legate, and driven into exile. He returns, and places the king's demesnes under an interdict.

4.D. 1149. Henry, the son of Maud, visits Scotland, and is there knighted by King David; he makes an inroad on the north of England, but without success, and soon returns to Normandy.

Madoc, prince of Powys, accompanied by the earl of Chester, invades North Wales; they are defeated by Owen at Consilt, near Flint.

A.D. 1150. The Norman settlements in South Wales greatly harassed by the sons of Griffin, the son of Rhys ap Tudor', the last prince of the country.

A.D. 1151. The earl of Chester is imprisoned, and obliged to give up the castle of Lincoln and other strongholds.

Theobald and the other prelates refuse to crown Eustace, the son of Stephen.

Death of Geoffrey of Anjou, Sept. 7.

The king of France was accompanied by his wife, Eleanor of Guienne, but he divorced her soon after his return, and she then married Henry of Anjou, (afterwards Henry II.)

See p. 222.