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THIS, the third son of William I., was born about 1060. He appears to have attached himself more closely to his father than did his elder brothers, being his constant companion in war, and receiving the gift of the kingdom of England from him. He fulfilled his father's directions by setting at liberty several prisoners of consequence, but experienced little gratitude from them, as they mostly joined the party of his brother Robert; and his reign was passed in turmoil, arising from frequent conspiracies among his Norman nobles, to which he opposed the arms of the English, being lavish of the promise of good laws which he never fulfilled, and from his constant endeavour to keep the property of the Church in his hands. He at length met a violent death, Aug. 2, 1100, but whether by accident or design is not certainly known.

His well-known name of Rufus was bestowed in consequence of his light hair and ruddy complexion. He pursued the chase with ardour, and although when his

Norman nobles conspired against him he promised an alleviation of the forest laws, he never granted it; he affected extravagant apparel, and led a most depraved life. He was never married, and is not known to have left any illegitimate issue.

William, like his father, has ascribed to him the arms of Normandy, "Gules, two lions passant gardant in pale, or."

His contemporaries speak most unfavourably of this king. They describe him as harsh and severe, formidable to his neighbours, and avaricious; yet both prodigal and profligate, fierce and overbearing in his manner in public, but coarsely jocular with his intimate associates. "God's Church he humbled; he held bishoprics in his hand;" when he fell, he had long kept vacant the sees of Canterbury, Salisbury, and Winchester, and eleven abbeys. "He was loathed by nearly all his people, and odious to God, as his end testified."

A.D. 1087. William hastens to England, is received as king, and is crowned by Lanfranc, Sept. 26a. Robert is acknowledged as duke in Normandy. William repairs to Winchester, distributes much of his father's treasure for masses for his soul to each monastery and parish church, and releases many prisoners, agreeably to his dying wish.

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The years of his reign are reckoned from this day.

Among them, Florence of Worcester enumerates Odo, bishop of Bayeux, (reluctantly pardoned by his dying brother,) the earl Morcar, Roger Montgomery, earl of Shrewsbury, Siward Barn, Alfgar the brother, and Wulfnoth the son, of Harold; Morcar and Wulfnoth, however, were shortly after again imprisoned; when the former was killed by some of his own people, and the latter became a monk.

The Welsh make an incursion, and ravage the country as far as Worcester.

A.D. 1088. Odo, bishop of Bayeux, William, bishop of Durham, Roger, earl of Shrewsbury, and other Norman nobles, conspire against William, at Lent. raise troops and burn his farms and kill his men.

They

William obtains aid from the English, by promising them good government, repulses an attack from his brother Robert's partisans, and after some time drives the two bishops from the kingdom, and confiscates the estates of the nobles.

Godred Cronan dies.

A.D. 1089. Archbishop Lanfranc dies, May 24. The king keeps the see vacant four years.

A great earthquake in England, Aug. 13.

Robert quarrels with his brother Henry, and imprisons him.

Jestyn, lord of Glamorgan, rebels against Rhys ap Tudor, prince of Dynevor, but is defeated.

A.D. 1090. William makes war on Robert in Normandy, and gains most of the strong places, but is foiled in an attempt on Rouen.

Robert and Henry are reconciled.

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procures Norman aid for Jestyn, and defeats and kills Rhys ap Tudor. "With him," says Caradoc

Einion, the son of the lord of Dyved (Pembroke), had served in the Norman armies; the aid he procured consisted of Robert Fitzhamon and twelve other knights, and 3,000 men. The Normans erected their conquest into the Honour of Glamorgan, built eighteen castles in it, and divided it into thirty-six knights' fees; it was the first of the palatine districts which were governed by the lords marchers.

of Llancarvan, "fell the glory of Dynevor, the land being afterwards rent in pieces and divided by the Norman captains."

Jestyn quarrels with Einion, who then makes a new compact with the Normans; they drive Jestyn from Glamorgan, establish themselves on the sea coast, and bestow the interior on Einion.

The king grants lands in Wales to such of his knights as choose to attempt their conquest. In consequence, Bernard Newmarch subdues Brecknock; Henry Newburgh, earl of Warwick, seizes on Gower; Roger, earl of Shrewsbury, captures Baldwin's castles and Cardigan; and Hugh, earl of Chester, ravages the sea shore by Conway, and occupies Anglesey.

A.D. 1091. A treaty is concluded between Robert and William. Robert surrenders many towns and castles to William, in return for which his partisans have their forfeited estates restored.

Edgar Atheling, deprived by William's wish of some estates in Normandy, goes to Scotland.

Henry (afterwards king) is besieged in Mount St. Michael by William and Robert in concert, and driven into exile.

Malcolm of Scotland invades England, but is repulsed.

William, accompanied by Robert, marches against him, and compels him to do homage1.

Edgar Atheling has restoration of his Norman lands. Robert, seeing the agreement badly kept by William,

This fortress, built in 1067, (see p. 188,) had been soon after surprised by the Welsh; the captor gave it his own name, Montgomery, which it still bears. h See p. 193.

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returns to Normandy at Christmas, taking Edgar Atheling with him.

A.D. 1092. The see of Wells removed to Bath by charter, Jan. 25.

William obtains possession of Cumberland, driving out Dolfin, a Northman who ruled there, and sends many peasants to settle there and till the land.

The see of Thetford removed to Norwich.

The king of Scotland, accompanied by Edgar Atheling, comes to William at Gloucester, to treat about peace; nothing is concluded, and they part in anger.

The Welsh attack and destroy many of the Norman castles; Pembroke and Brecknock hold out against them.

A.D. 1093. William falls ill at Gloucester during Lent; he promises righteous laws, and gives lands to churches, but on his recovery resumes them.

Anselm is appointed to the see of Canterbury; he is consecrated Dec. 5.

Malcolm invades England, but is killed, with Edward his son, in Northumberland, November 13. The queen Margaret "was in her mind almost distracted to death; she with her priests went to church, and performed her rites, and prayed before God that she might die;" she died a few days after. Donald Bane, the brother of Malcolm, is chosen king; he drives out all the English and Norman exiles.

Duncan, Malcolm's illegitimate son, being a hostage in William's hands, does homage to him, and having English and French troops with him obtains the kingdom. The Normans ravage Kidwelly.

A.D. 1094. The king refuses to surrender the temporalities of his see to Anselm.

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