When William first formed the design of invading England, he had, on the application of the French court, declared Robert, his eldest son, his successor in Nor mandy, and had obliged his barons to do him homage as their future prince ; but after he found himself firmly established upon the English throne, he still retained the sovereignty of that duchy; and when Robert put him in mind of his promise, he positively refused to fulfil it. Robert inherited his father's military valour, and was equally haughty and impatient of controul. The denial of what he supposed his just right, kindled his indigna tion, which he had not the policy to conceal. He open ly showed his discontent; and being farther irritated by an imaginary affront, he left the court, and attempted to enforce his claims, by taking up arms against his father. He made an attempt to surprise the citadel of Rouen ; but his design was frustrated by the vigilance of the go vernor. tic then fled to Hugh de Neufchatel, a power ful Norman baron, who assured him of his protection and assistance ; and was sotm after joined by most of the young nobility of Normandy and Maine. This unex pected and almost general insurrection of his Norman subjects, compelled William to have recourse to Eng land. He assembled an army of Englishmen under the command of his ancient captains, and passing over into Normandy, soon re-established his authority in all his continental dominions. Robert, with the principal in surgents, shut himself up in the castle of Gerberoy, which the king of France had prepared for his reception, and where he was immediately besieged by his father. The garrison made a vigorous defence, and, conscious of their treason, were determined against submission. They harassed the besiegers by continual sallies; and many a bloody encounter took place under the walls of Gerbcroy. In one of these, Robert and his father were. opposed without knowing cacti other, their faces beino: concealed by their helmets; and being both valiant, they charged with such fury, that William was dismounted, The arm of Robert was just lifted to strike, when it NV S arrested by the voice of his father. Stung with remorse for his unnatural conduct, he immediately fell on hi-, knees, and implored his father's forgiveness. William smarting under the disgrace of his fall, was at first im placable ; but afterwards, reflecting on the generosity of his son, and influenced also by the mediation of the queen, lie again received him into favour.
William employed the interval of peace in making a general survey of all the lands in the kingdom. Ile ap pointed commissioners for this purpose, who entered in their register, by the verdict of Juries, the extent of lands in each district, their proprietors, their tenures, and their value ; describing also the quantity of meadow, pasture, wood, and arable land, which they contained; and in some counties, the number of tenants and peasants who lived upon them. This register was called Domesday Book, and is still preserved in the Exchequer. Had William always employed his leisure in such praisetwo•thy un dertakings, it would have done honour to his memory; but he was generally occupied with other pursuits, which, while they ministered merely to his amusement, often brought poverty and wretchedness upon his un happy subjects. His love of hunting, particularly, was carried to such a pitch, that, not content with the exten sive forests which former kings possessed in all parts of England, he resolved to make a new one near Win chester, and for this purpose depopulated the county of Hampshire for an extent of thirty miles. The inhabi tants were driven from their homes, their habitations demolished, and their property taken from them, without any compensation being made to the sufferers. The se
verest laws were also enacted against those who should hunt in the king's forests; and the killing of a deer or a boar was punished by the loss of the offender's eyes, while the crime of murder could be expiated by a mo or rate fine.
The amusements of the king, however, were, inter rupted by the death of his consort to whom he was tenderly attached ; and about three years after he was called to Normandy, to repress the insolence and violence of some French barons, who had been encou raged by their sovereign to make inroads into his terri tories. In all the dissensions in Normandy, the insur gents had been in general instigated, and secretly sup ported, by the French ; and William knew well, that they were at best but insidious friends. He therefore resolved to make his vengeance fall upon those who were the real disturbers of his tranquillity. His rage was on this occasion greatly heightened by the raillerics of Philip, the French king. He had become very cor pulent, and, being confined to bed by sickness, the French man observed, that his brother of England was long in being delivered of his big belly. When William was informed of this, he sent Philip word, that he would soon be up, and at his churching would present such a num ber of lights at Notre Dame as would set all France in a flame. He accordingly took the field, and, entering the Isle of France, reduced the town of Manse to ashes, and carried slaughter and desolation wherever he ap peared. His progress, however, was stopt by an acci dent which put an end to his life. When leaping a ditch, the pommel of the saddle bruised his belly, which was soon followed by a mortification. On his deathbed, he endeavoured to atone for the many cruelties and acts of violence which he had committed upon his English sub jects, by ordering Earl Morcar and the other English nobles to be set at liberty, and by making rich presents to courel•es and monasteries. lie left Maine and Nor mandy to his eldest son Robert, England was bequeathed to William, and Henry was put in possession of the greatest part of his personal treasures. Ile died iu the 63d year of his age, and 2Ist of his reign over Eng land.
'William II. surnamed Rufus, from his red hair, im mediately hastened to England, before intelligence of his father's death had reached that kingdom, and. having se cured the fortresses of Dover, Pevenscy, and Hastings, and seized upon the royal treasure, he was crowned by Laufranc the primate. Ilis accession, however, was soon followed by conspiracies and dissensions. The ba rons were more attached to Robert, on account of his open and generous character, as well as his preferable title, being the eldest son. Many of them also possessed estates both in England and Normandy, and were un willing that' the two territories should be separated, as, in the event of a war, they would be obliged to resign either their ancient patrimony, or their new acquisitions. At the head of the discontents were Odo, Bishop of Baicux, and Robert, Earl of Mortainge, maternal bro thers of the Conqueror, who, being joined by some of the most powerful noblemen in the kingdom, and being encouraged by the expectation of succours from Nor mandy, took possession of the fortresses of Pevensey and Rochester. The king, sensible of his brother's superior claim to the kingdom, and of the strength of the con spirators, endeavoured to conciliate the English, by grant ing them liberty to hunt in the royal forests, and by ge neral promises of lenity in his government. He was thus enabled to draw together a considerable army, and, en tering Kent, compelled his uncles to surrender the for tresses which they had seized. The other rebels were soon reduced to submission, their estates were confis cated, and many of them banished the kingdom.