But William forgot, in his deliverance, the promises which he had made. Instead of ruling with lenity, and respecting the rights of his people, he became a greater tyrant than his father. Ambition and avarice were the principal features in his character. The English were now exposed to the most arbitrary exactions, and the church itself felt the effects of his oppression. He seized he temporalities of all vacant bishoprics and abbeys, and set up to sale such as he wished to dispose of. He even turned his eyes towards the duchy of Normandy, and having excited some of the Norman barons to revolt from his brother, he led a formidable army to their as sistance. But the interposition of the nobles on both sines brought about an accommodation, in which it was agreed, among other matters, that on the death of either without issue, the survivor should inherit all his domi nions. Prince Henry, who had sided with Robert in this contest, finding his interests overlooked in the trea ty, retired to St Michael's Mount, a strong fortress on the coast, and ravaged the surrounding country. He was there besieged by his brothers; and being obliged to capitulate, was despoiled of all his patrimony.
• Tile interested and rapacious spirit of William, how ever, was continually exciting him to new acts of op pression. After a short and successful war with Mal colm, king of Scotland, in which his brother Robert commanded the English army, and obliged that munara to do homage to the king of England, he again attempt ed the conquest of Normandy. lie levied an army of 20,000 men, and, conducting them to the Coast, as if for immediate embarkation, he demanded ten shillings a man in lieu of their services, and then dismissed them home. With this money he bribed the Norman barons to rebellion, and purchased the neutrality of the French king; but he was prevented from prosecuting his schemes of ambition by an irruption of the Welsh, which obliged him to return to England. He soon compelled them to retire, but was unable to follow them within their moun tain barriers. His attempt upon Normandy was further suspended by another conspiracy, headed by Robert Moubray, earl of Northumberland, which contemplated the dethronement of the king, and the advancement to the throne of Stephen, count of Aumale, nephew to the Conqueror. Their plans, however, were disconcerted by William's dispatch, and Moubray was seized and thrown into prison, where he died.
The conquest of Normandy was still his favourite ob ject; and the crusades, which now engrossed the atten tion of Europe, gave him quiet possession of those do minions which he could not obtain by force of arms. Duke Robert NV as brave, enterprizing, and fond of mili tary glory. He was anxious to join the warriors who
were hastening to the Holy Land ; and, in order to ap pear in a manner suited to his rank, he offered to mort gage his dukedom to his brother for 10,000 merles. Wil liam immediately accepted the proposal, and, little soli citous about the means by which the money was to be obtained, levied the greatest part of it upon the clergy and the convents, who were obliged to melt their plate in order to furnish the sum required. Robert was thus enabled to join the crusaders with a magnificent and nu merous retinue; and Normandy was again united to the crown of England. This acquisition, however, instead of adding to the power of William, was followed by con tinual insurrections on the part of the Normans, who were always encouraged and supported by the French king; and was, indeed, the cause of all those wars be tween England and France, which afterwards continued, for whole centuries, to depopulate and weaken both na tions. These insurrections, together with a quarrel which he had with Anselm, the primate, respecting the privileges of the clergy, kept William in almost constant inquietude. Not content with the extent of his territo ries, he entered into an agreement with William, Earl of Poictiers and Duke of Guienne, who had also been infected with the enthusiasm of the age, to receive his dominions in mortgage, for a sum of money sufficient to conduct his vassals into Asia. But the fulfilment of it was prevented by his death. " When hunting in the new forest, attended by Walter Tyrrel, a French gentleman remarkable for his skill in archery, a stag suddenly started before him, when his companion let fly an arrow, which, glancing from a tree, struck him to the heart. Tyrrel, terrified at the acci dent, immediately fled to France, and joined a crusade of his countrymen who were then.setting out for Jerusalem. The body of the king, when found by the country peo ple, was buried at Winchester without either pomp or ceremony. His violence, rapacity, and prodigality, had estranged from him the affections of his subjects, and none were found to perform the funeral honours belong ing to a king. He died in the 40th year of his age, and 13th of his reign.
Robert, who was the rightful heir to the crown, both by btrthright and by the agreement with his deceased brother, was, after many a rough camp-tip in the Holy Land, indulging himself in ease and pleasure in the de licious climate of Italy, where he had married Sybilla, the daughter of an Italian count, when he received the intelligence of William's death. He returned to Nor mandy about a month after that event, but found his bro ther Henry in possession of his crown.