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| MAJOR CASTLES BEING HELD AGAINST STEPHEN |
The Bishop of Winchester on hearing of the arrival of the Earl gave the word for all the by-ways to be guarded by soldiers. He then met with Earl Robert in secret and entered into a pact to allow the Earl to depart without injury. The Bishop then, as if he had not met with the Earl, joined his brother, the King, accompanied by a large body of knights. On finding that the King was no nearer in resolving the siege at Arundel, the Bishop advised him that continuing with this would be futile and not good for the kingdom. For if he undertook to besiege Matilda in one part of England, her brother would only raise an insurrection in another. Consequently, it would be more advisable, both for himself and the realm, to permit her, unharmed, to join her brother, so that the forces of both could be confined in one spot. The King could more easily direct all his efforts to their destruction and would be better enabled to pursue them with his whole power. Stephen foolishly followed this advice and pledges being given and received, permitted Matilda to join her brother.
The Bishop accompanied Matilda until she was met by her brother with an armed force, who conducted her to Bristol. On reaching Bristol she gave notice of her arrival to all the Barons of the realm, imploring their aid, to the promise of gifts. To others, she promised lands. All those who had only pretended to support her course broke their oaths of homage to the King and hastened to her standard. After which, she withdraws to Gloucester castle, which was held under Earl Robert, by Miles, the constable.
Releasing Matilda to join her brother was a huge mistake on behalf of Stephen. What the Barons saw as weakness, Stephen saw as compassion. At a later date, that compassion would not be reciprocated, now the civil war was here to stay.
There are too many petty battles to account for in the chronicles, which continued until the end of Stephen’s reign. Among the leading Barons who declared in the favour of Matilda was Brian Fitz-Count. On hearing intelligence of her arrival, he immediately supplied his strong castle of Wallingford with a large garrison and openly rose up against the King. Miles of Gloucester, also, in violation of his oath to Stephen, rose in open rebellion against him and gave asylum to all the enemies of the King who flocked to him. They proceeded to desolate the surrounding counties.
Stephen, undeterred, collected his forces and headed to Wallingford. His first intention was to blockade the castle, but he was diverted from this action by his council, on the grounds of the vast strength of the place and its stores being full to sustain life within the walls, for a long period of time. Far more advisable, added his council, would it be to erect two forts in front of it, placing inside a number of men sufficient to continue the blockade and proceed immediately to the suppression of other adversaries. Following this counsel, Stephen ordered for two forts to be erected before the castle and then with speed proceeded to Trowbridge.
On his march there, the King was fortunate, to take by assault, the castle of Cerney, which Miles had erected against him. He also gained by surrender, the strong castle of Malmesbury. Miles, with a chosen band of men, made an attack by night on the forts erected by Stephen, at Wallingford and forced the garrisons to surrender. Miles now gathered at Gloucester, all those whose possession had been laid waste by the King, whereupon he committed the most horrible devastation over the surrounding country.
In the meantime, the King had arrived at Trowbridge, where he found a fort of the most formidable size and strength. He used vast and powerful machines for the capture of the place, but the garrison withstood everything thrown at it. While his Barons grew weary of the siege, they have to be on constant guard for the approach of the Earl. Stephen decided to return to London, leaving a military force at Devizes, to hold the garrison of Trowbridge in check.
Stephen next proceeded to Worcester, which had sustained considerable damage from Miles of Gloucester. There, he deprived Miles of the office of constable and bestowed it on William, the Sheriff of Worcester, son of Walter of Beauchamp. Miles responded to this, by capturing, with great might and main, Hereford, Winchcomb and Cerney castle.
About this time, Robert, Bishop of Salisbury died, which can only ease the pressure between King and church, as many causes for disagreements might be more easily removed and the favour of the clergy towards Stephen, rendered more available. Stephen had lost a lot of his fortune due to his feud with the Bishop. In the eyes of Roger of Salisbury, the King had committed unpardonable crimes in offering violence to members of the church, in defiance of the scriptural command:
Stephen, undeterred, collected his forces and headed to Wallingford. His first intention was to blockade the castle, but he was diverted from this action by his council, on the grounds of the vast strength of the place and its stores being full to sustain life within the walls, for a long period of time. Far more advisable, added his council, would it be to erect two forts in front of it, placing inside a number of men sufficient to continue the blockade and proceed immediately to the suppression of other adversaries. Following this counsel, Stephen ordered for two forts to be erected before the castle and then with speed proceeded to Trowbridge.
On his march there, the King was fortunate, to take by assault, the castle of Cerney, which Miles had erected against him. He also gained by surrender, the strong castle of Malmesbury. Miles, with a chosen band of men, made an attack by night on the forts erected by Stephen, at Wallingford and forced the garrisons to surrender. Miles now gathered at Gloucester, all those whose possession had been laid waste by the King, whereupon he committed the most horrible devastation over the surrounding country.
In the meantime, the King had arrived at Trowbridge, where he found a fort of the most formidable size and strength. He used vast and powerful machines for the capture of the place, but the garrison withstood everything thrown at it. While his Barons grew weary of the siege, they have to be on constant guard for the approach of the Earl. Stephen decided to return to London, leaving a military force at Devizes, to hold the garrison of Trowbridge in check.
Stephen next proceeded to Worcester, which had sustained considerable damage from Miles of Gloucester. There, he deprived Miles of the office of constable and bestowed it on William, the Sheriff of Worcester, son of Walter of Beauchamp. Miles responded to this, by capturing, with great might and main, Hereford, Winchcomb and Cerney castle.
About this time, Robert, Bishop of Salisbury died, which can only ease the pressure between King and church, as many causes for disagreements might be more easily removed and the favour of the clergy towards Stephen, rendered more available. Stephen had lost a lot of his fortune due to his feud with the Bishop. In the eyes of Roger of Salisbury, the King had committed unpardonable crimes in offering violence to members of the church, in defiance of the scriptural command:
‘Touch not mine anointed.’
Stephen’s defiant attitude angered the Bishop and the feud between King and Church rolled on. The clergy had finally acknowledged Matilda. However, Roger of Salisbury was not to live long enough to see himself avenged. Also, the Bishop’s wealth fell to Stephen, which consisted of 40,000 marks of silver and a large quantity of gold and ornaments.
From Worcester, the King proceeded to Oxford and then, with his court, to Salisbury, where he celebrated Christmas according to royal custom. Here, the Canons presented him with 2000 pounds of silver, in return for which he granted them an exemption from all taxes on their lands, besides 20 marks for their own use and 40 for the covering of their church. Moreover, the King promised them that, if he obtained peace, he would restore what they had given him.
When Nigel, Bishop of Ely received intelligence of his uncle’s death, he was determined to reap vengeance on the King for the injury inflicted on his uncle. He aided Matilda with the utmost of his power, in her struggle for the throne. Casting away, therefore, all his evangelical duties of self-control, hope and faith. He abandoned the pastoral discipline of the church and took up arms against the King. After hiring soldiers in Ely, he cruelly acted in deeds of violence and became the terror of all around him.
From Worcester, the King proceeded to Oxford and then, with his court, to Salisbury, where he celebrated Christmas according to royal custom. Here, the Canons presented him with 2000 pounds of silver, in return for which he granted them an exemption from all taxes on their lands, besides 20 marks for their own use and 40 for the covering of their church. Moreover, the King promised them that, if he obtained peace, he would restore what they had given him.
When Nigel, Bishop of Ely received intelligence of his uncle’s death, he was determined to reap vengeance on the King for the injury inflicted on his uncle. He aided Matilda with the utmost of his power, in her struggle for the throne. Casting away, therefore, all his evangelical duties of self-control, hope and faith. He abandoned the pastoral discipline of the church and took up arms against the King. After hiring soldiers in Ely, he cruelly acted in deeds of violence and became the terror of all around him.
When informed of the rebellion of the Bishop, the King immediately headed towards Ely, at the head of a considerable force. When seeing the extraordinary natural strength of the place, the King held an anxious council with his followers, as to the best method of attack. It was finally resolved to join a number of boats together in a part where the water appeared shallow and form a bridge across to the Isle. The plan was executed and the army reached the edge of the Isle. They now found themselves in an area consisting of muddy bogs, the men needed to find some way of crossing, quickly. A monk of Ely pointed out a ford that could easily be crossed, who for that service was made Abbot of Ramsey. Stephen then advanced into the Isle. Of the Bishop's men, some were taken, together with many valuable possessions. The Bishop himself with difficulty escaped to Gloucester, but the monks were treated by Stephen with that unchangeable kindness of which, in the midst of all his troubles, he ever preserved. Hence, his contemporaries and even tradition have justly separated Stephen's individuality from the cruelties committed during his reign, which, moreover, were for the most part perpetrated by his enemies.
In February 1140, the King of France, Lois VII betrothed his sister, Constance to Stephen’s son Eustace. While the Queen, with numerous barons of both realms, was in France, enjoying the festivities on this occasion, Stephen unexpectedly arrived in Cornwall. William Fitz-Richard, who the King had discussed the government of that province with, had, in a traitorous violation of his oath, received into one of the royal castles Reginald of Dunstanvile, an illegitimate son of the late King Henry. William Fitz-Richard had given him his daughter in marriage and delivered the entire county into his hands, but as soon as Reginald found himself possessed of great power when he begins to bend things to his will. He strengthens the castles throughout the county and severely oppresses the followers of the King in the vicinity. Sparing neither churches nor church property, Reginald brought on himself the penalty of ex-communication by the Bishop of Exeter.
When apprised of this state of affairs in Cornwall, Stephen, as we have said, unexpectedly appeared, where, having recovered the castles that had been seized by Reginald, he impulsively committed them to the keeping of Count Alan of Brittany, a man notorious for extreme cruelty, ordering him to quash the rebellion and drive Reginald from the county.
On hearing that Stephen had entered Cornwall, Earl Robert and his followers were overjoyed at the situation presented to them. Stephen was now shut up in a remote county and separated from the main body of his army, it would not be difficult to attack and overcome him, thought the Earl. Having, therefore, collected a numerous body of soldiers, the Earl hastened towards Cornwall, when some unwelcome news reached him. The King had not only quelled the rebellion but was close at hand, on his return, at the head of a powerful force. The fact was that Stephen, apprised of Earl Robert’s movements, had summoned to his aid all the barons of Devonshire, and made preparations to join in battle with his adversary on that day. A battle would have definitely ensued, had not Earl Robert, conceding to the advice of his friends, made a speedy retreat towards Bristol. On his return from Cornwall, Stephen destroyed many lawless castles, completely clearing and calming those parts that had long suffered under the tyranny of their possessors.
In the March of 1140 Robert Fitz-Hebert, a mercenary of the Earl of Gloucester and a truly unscrupulous man, having with some of his followers secretly slipped away from the Earl’s army. With the aid of ladders made of leather, they made their way to the castle of Devizes, which the King had taken from the Bishop of Salisbury. After eluding the watch and surprising the sleeping garrison Robert Fitz-Herbert takes control of the castle. Robert then inflicts cruel deeds on his fellow Barons, by rubbing his prisoners with honey and exposing them, naked to the sun.
When word of this brave act reached Earl Robert, he sent his son, at the head of a large force, in support of Robert Fitz-Hebert’s daring enterprise. Robert, having now obtained Devizes, refused to allow the Earl’s son entry and drove him from the gate, back to his father, saying that he had won the castle, so he would hold it. From thereon, he commenced with the devastation of the neighbouring countryside. Robert Fitz-Herbert had now declared himself an independent force intending to seize everything from Winchester to London.
At this time, the neighbouring castle of Marlborough was being held against the King by another crafty baron, John Fitz-Gilbert, a man as unscrupulous as Robert himself. Robert Fitz-Herbert had a great desire to be Lord of that castle also, so in his quest, he sent messages to John Fitz-Gilbert proposing a friendly league between them. The proposal was accepted and Robert Fitz-Herbert was invited as a guest, to Marlborough. No sooner, however, had he entered the castle when the gates were closed behind him and Robert found himself a prisoner rather than a guest. He and his followers were immediately thrown into the dungeon, to perish from hunger and torture.
Upon this Earl Robert, accompanied by the ex-constable Miles, came in force for revenge against his treacherous ally, Robert Fitz-Herbert. A sum of five hundred marks was offered to John Fitz-Gilbert for the delivery of Robert, into his hands, promising to render him back within a fortnight. To this proposal John accepted and the Earl, with Robert in his custody, returned to Gloucester. When required to surrender the castle of Devizes, Robert Fitz-Herbert refused, on the plea of the oath he and his associates had sworn, never to deliver up the place, but on being threatened with the gallows, he promised compliance, provided his life was spared.
On the day fixed, Robert Fitz-Hebert was conducted back to Marlborough, where the Earl proposed to proceed with Robert to Devizes, promising that if the castle were surrendered, it would be placed under John's authority. To this proposal, John agreed, but secretly sent letters to Robert Fitz-Hebert's followers at Devizes, in which he swore that neither himself nor the Earl contemplated any injury to Robert and encouraged them to keep their oath by holding out to the last extremity. This ensured the end of Robert Fitz-Herbert, to the satisfaction of John Fitz-Gilbert.
Leaving Miles and others at Devizes, Earl Robert returned to Gloucester, but not before commanding them to hang Robert Fitz-Hebert, if he refused to surrender the castle. As was to be expected, Robert's followers refused and Robert was then, of course, hung outside the castle that he so strongly fought over. The associates of Robert, notwithstanding their oath, finally consented to deliver up the castle to the King, for a considerable sum of money, who then entrusted the custody of it to his son-in-law, Herve the Breton.
In May of 1140, a negotiation for peace was now set in motion, at Bath, conducted on the part of Matilda by her brother, the Earl of Gloucester, while Stephen was represented by his untrustworthy brother, the legate, with whom the Queen and Archbishop accompanied, for the sake probably of keeping a watch over him.
The legate, in the previous September, went to France, where he spent the months of October and November, with the object of gaining over to his views, King Louis VII, Theobald Count of Blois and a number of the clergy. The proposals he brought back were, as was to be expected, readily accepted by Matilda, but which the King could not, but totally reject.
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