A council held at London, in which the marriage of priests is condemned.

A.D. 1126. Henry returns to England in September, bringing with him his daughter MAUD, and many Norman prisoners, "whom he ordered to be kept in strong bonds."

David, king of Scotland, visits the king, and remains with him for some time.

Robert of Normandy is given into the custody of Robert of Gloucester, the king's natural son, and confined at Bristol.

Henry obliges his nobles to swear to receive his daughter Maud as their future queen ©, Dec. 25 d.

Thurstan of York contends for the primacy in the king's presence, at Christmas.

A.D. 1127. Maud is betrothed on Whitsunday (May 22) to GEOFFREY, the son of the count of ANJOU, who thereupon deserts the cause of William of Normandy.

William of Normandy is put in possession of Flanders by the king of France.

A.D. 1128. Maud and Geoffrey of Anjou are married, in the spring.

Henry goes to Normandy, being at war with his nephew, William, count of Flanders.

William is wounded in battle, and dies, July 27.

Ranulph, bishop of Durham, dies, Sept. 5.

Hugh of the Temple visits Normandy, England, and Scotland, and collects many men and much money for the relief of the Holy Land".

A.D. 1129. Henry releases some of the Norman pri

Her uncle, the king of Scotland, first took the oath, then Stephen (afterwards king), and next Robert earl of Gloucester, her natural brother and most faithful friend.

d Some writers say January 1, 1127.

The Saxon Chronicler speaks of the " great treasures in gold and in silver" that he received, but he probably exaggerates the matter, when he says, "There went with him and after him more people than ever did before, since that the first expedition was in the days of Pope Urban."

soners; he takes earl Waleran into favour, "and they became as good friends as they were foes before." Maud is driven from Anjou by her husband, July.

A council is held at London against married priests. Henry of Blois, the king's nephew, is appointed bishop of Winchester Oct. 11, and consecrated Nov. 17. A great earthquake in England, Dec. 6.

A.D. 1130. Henry passes over to Normandy.

A.D. 1131. Henry returns to England, bringing with him his daughter Maud, to whom fealty is again sworn at Northampton in September.

A.D. 1132. Maud returns to her husband in the spring'. The see of Carlisle is founded, April 11. Adelulf, the first bishop, is consecrated August 6, 1133.

A.D. 1133. Henry goes to Normandy, and remains there until his death.

A.D. 1135. Robert of Normandy dies in confinement, Feb. 10.

Geoffrey of Anjou quarrels with Henry, and seizes on several castles in Normandy.

Henry dies at Rouen, in the night of December 1.

EVENTS IN GENERAL HISTORY.

The Emperor Henry V. captures Rome, and is crowned there

The Venetians become powerful at sea

A.D.

IIII

1123

He had now become count of Anjou, by the departure of his father, Fulk, for the Holy Land.

STEPHEN, the third son of the count of Blois of the same name, and of Adela, daughter of William I., was born probably about 1094. He was brought up at the court of his uncle Henry I., received many benefits from him, and professed himself a warm supporter of the succession of his cousin the empress Maud. Yet he supplanted her, as Henry had done his brother, and, in the words of the Saxon Chronicle, "in his time all was dissension, and evil, and rapine." He maintained his acquisition for a while by force of arms, but on the death of his son Eustace, he came to a compromise, in virtue of which he passed the last year of his reign in comparative peace, and died Oct. 25, 1154.

Stephen married Matilda, daughter of Eustace count of Boulogne, who energetically supported him in his struggle for the crown; he had by her three sons and two daughters.

I. Eustace, his intended heir, a violent and profligate youth, died Aug. 18, 1153.

2. William, who received the patrimonial estates and the earldom of Surrey, and died in the service of Henry II. at the siege of Toulouse, in 1160.

a

3. Mary, who became a nun, but leaving her convent

Stephen is usually styled an usurper, which is true, but the same reproach applies to the whole Norman line, not one of them being the direct representative of his predecessor.

married Matthew of Flanders, count (in her right) of Boulogne.

4. Baldwin; and 5. Maud, who died young.

Two illegitimate sons are mentioned: William, of whom nothing remarkable is known, and Gervase, who died abbot of Westminster, in 1160.

The arms ascribed to this king differ greatly from those given to his predecessors. He is said to have borne "Gules, three sagittaries or;" but it has been conjectured that this is a mistake, and that he should be represented as bearing two lions, the sagittary being his cognizance.

Stephen is by the Saxon Chronicler represented as a "good man ;" but it is added that he "did not execute justice;" thus chargeable with neglect of the imperative duty of a ruler, his claim to the appellation "good" is extremely doubtful. He, however, seems to have been of a placable temper, as he received into favour many who had most strongly opposed him, or deserted him; and he is not recorded to have dealt hardly with any of his opponents when they fell into his power.

A.D. 1135. Stephen of Blois declares that Henry had disinherited his daughter Maud, and coming to London is received as king. He is crowned, Dec. 26.

MAUD is acknowledged in Normandy.

A.D. 1136. A great council at Oxford, at which Stephen issues a charter, promising to respect the privileges of the Church, to do away with all injustices and exactions, to give up the forests formed by Henry, and to observe "the good and ancient laws and just customs, in murders, pleas, and other causes."

David, king of Scotland, invades England in February, but at Durham agrees to a truce.

b The years of his reign are reckoned from this day.

ROBERT, earl of GLOUCESTER, comes to England, and takes a conditional oath of allegiance to Stephen. The bishops also swear fealty to him so long as he should maintain the liberty of the Church."

Baldwin de Rivers, and other nobles, declare in favour of Maud, and receive aid from David of Scotland. The Welsh ravage the border counties.

Exeter, held by Baldwin de Rivers, is captured by Stephen.

Griffin ap Conan dies. He is succeeded by his son, Owen Gwynneth, who at once attacks the Normans and Flemings in South Wales, and expels them from many of their strongholds.

A.D. 1137. Stephen passes into Normandy, and spends Henry's treasure, without securing adherents. He attempts to secure Robert of Gloucester, but fails, and returns to England.

A.D. 1138. Robert, earl of Gloucester, formally renounces 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 successfully defended, 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

"Much had King Henry gathered, gold and silver; but no good did men for his soul with it.'

These citations are from the Saxon Chronicle. William of Malmesbury also says, "There were many castles throughout England, each defending