not ashamed to fupport them in these unnatural and abfurd pretenfions.

HENRY, reduced to this perilous and difagreeable fituation, had recourse to the court of Rome; and though sensible of the danger attending the interpofition of ecclefiaftical authority in temporal disputes, applied to the Pope, as his fuperior lord, to excommunicate his enemies, and by these cenfures to reduce to obedience his undutiful children, whom he found fuch a reluctance to punish by the fword of the magiftrate. Alexander, well pleased to exert his power in fo plaufible a cause, iffued the bulls required of him: But it was foon found, that these fpiritual weapons had not equal force as when employed in a fpiritual controverfy; and that the clergy were very negligent in fupporting a sentence, which was nowife calculated to promote the immediate interefts of their order. The King, after taking in vain this humiliating ftep, was obliged to have recourse to arms, and to inlift fuch auxiliaries, as are the ufual refource of tyrants, and have feldom been employed by fo wife and just a monarch.

THE loose government, which prevailed in all the states of Europe, the many private wars carried on among the neighbouring nobles, and the impoffibility to enforce any general execution of the laws, had encouraged a tribe of banditti to disturb every where the public peace, to infefst the high roads, to pillage the open country, and to brave all the efforts of the civil magiftrate, and even the excommunications of the church, which

Epift. Petri Blef. epift. 136. in Biblioth. Patr. tom. xxiv. p. 1048. His words are, Veftræ jurisdictionis eft regnum Angliæ, et quantum ad feudatarii juris obligationem, vobis duntaxat obnoxius teneor. The fame paper is in Rymer, vol. i. p. 35. and Trivet, vol. i. P. 62.

were

1

were thundered out against them. Troops of them were
fometimes inlifted in the service of one prince or baron, fome-
times in that of another: They often acted in an independant
manner, under leaders of their own: The peaceable and induf-
trious inhabitants, reduced to poverty by their ravages, were
frequently obliged for fubfiftence to betake themselves to a like
disorderly course of life: And a continual intestine war, perni-
cious to industry, as well as to the execution of justice, was
thus carried on in the bowels of every kingdom'. These def-
perate ruffians received the name fometimes of Brabançons, fome-
times of Routiers or Cottereaux; but for what reafon, is not
agreed by hiftorians: And they formed a kind of fociety or
government among themselves, which fet at defiance all the reft
of mankind. The greatest monarchs were not ashamed, on
occafion, to have recourse to their affiftance; and as their habits
of war and devastation had given them experience, hardinefs,
and courage, they generally composed the most formidable part
of those armies, which decided the political quarrels of princes.
Several of them were enlisted among the forces levied by.
Henry's enemies'; but the great treasures amaffed by that
prince enabled him to engage more numerous troops of them
in his service; and the fituation of his affairs rendered even
fuch banditti the only forces on whose fidelity he could repofe -
any confidence. His licentious barons, disgusted with a vigi- -
lant government, were more defirous of being ruled by young
princes, ignorant of public affairs, remifs in their conduct, and
profufe in their grants; and as the King had enfured to his
fons the fucceffion to every particular province of his dominions,
the nobles dreaded no danger in adhering to those who, they

CHAP.

IX.

1173.

f

knew,

CHAP.
IX.

1173.

knew, must some time become their fovereigns. Prompted by thefe motives, many of the Norman nobility had deferted to his fon Henry; the Breton and Gafcon barons feemed equally disposed to embrace the quarrel of Geoffrey and Richard *. Difaffection had crept in among the English; and the earls of Leicester and Chester in particular had openly declared against the King': Twenty thousand Brabançons, therefore, joined to fome troops, which he brought over from Ireland, and a few barons of approved fidelity, formed the fole force, with which he proposed to refift his enemies ".

LEWIS, in order to bind the confederates in a closer union, fummoned at Paris an affembly of the chief vaffals of the crown, received their approbation of his measures, and engaged them by oath to adhere to the cause of young Henry'. That prince, in return, bound himself by a like tie never to defert his French allies; and having made a new great feal, he lavishly diftri-buted among them many confiderable parts of those territories which he propofed to conquer from his father. Philip, count of Flanders, Matthew, count of Boulogne, his brother, Theobald, count of Blois, Henry, count of Eu, partly moved by the general jealousy arifing from Henry's power and ambition, partly allured by the prospect of reaping advantage from the inconfiderate temper and the neceffities of the young prince, declared openly in favour of the latter. William, King of

d

Scotland, had also entered into this great confederacy ; and a plan was concerted for a general invafion on different places of the King's extenfive and factious dominions.

HOSTILITIES Were first commenced by the counts of Flanders and Boulogne on the frontiers of Normandy. These princes laid fiege to Aumale, which, by the treachery of the count of that name, was delivered into their hands: That nobleman furrendered himself prifoner; and, on pretence of thereby paying his ranfom, opened the gates of all his other fortreffes. The two counts next befieged and made themselves mafters of Drincourt: But the count of Boulogne was here mortally wounded in the affault; and this event put some stop to the progress of the Flemish arms'.

infurrections.

In another quarter, the King of France, being ftrongly affifted wars and by his vaffals, affembled a great army of seven thousand knights and their followers on horseback, and a proportionable number of infantry; and carrying young Henry along with him, laid fiege to Verneüil, which was vigorously defended by Hugh de Lacy and Hugh de Beauchamp, the governors. After he had lain a month before the place, the garrison, being straitened for provisions, were obliged to capitulate; and they engaged, if not relieved within three days, to furrender the town, and to retire into the citadel. On the laft of these days, Henry appeared with his army upon the heights above Verneüil; and Lewis, dreading an affault, fent the archbishop of Sens and the

d Chron. Mailr. p. 172.

• Ypod. Neuft. p. 449.

Brompton, p. 1084.
Diceto. p. 571.

Hoveden, p. 534. Brompton, p. 1085. Neubrig. p. 405. Heming. p. 499.

# Hoveden, P. 534.

VOL. I.

Q ૧ ૧

count

count of Blois to the English camp, and defired that next day
should be appointed for a conference, in order to establish a ge-
neral peace, and terminate the differences between Henry and
his fons. The King, who paffionately defired this accommoda-
tion, and suspected no fraud, gave his confent; but Lewis, that
morning, obliging the garrifon to furrender, according to the
capitulation, fet fire to the place, and began to retire with his
army". Henry, provoked at this artifice, attacked the rear
with vigour, put them to rout, executed fome flaughter, and
took several prisoners. The French army, as their time of fer-
vice was now expired, immediately dispersed themselves into
their several provinces; and left Henry free to profecute his
advantages against his other enemies.

THE nobles of Brittany, excited by the earl of Chester and Ralph de Fougeres, were all in arms; but their progress was checked by a body of Brabançons, which the King, after Lewis's retreat, had fent against them. The two armies came to an action near Dol; where the rebels were defeated, fifteen hundred killed on the fpot, and the leaders, the earls of Chester and Fougeres, obliged to take shelter in the town of Dol'. Henry hastened to form the fiege of that place, and carried on the attack with fuch ardour, that he obliged the governor and garrison to furrender themselves prisoners of war *. By these vigorous measures and happy fucceffes, the infurrections were entirely quelled in Brittany; and the King, thus fortunate in

Bened. p. 57, 58, &c. Hoveden, p. 535. Diceto, p. 570, 571, 572. Brompton, p. 1085, 1c85, 1087.

1 Bened. Abb. p. 63. Hoveden, P. 535.

* Penedict. Abb. p. 64, 65. Hoveden, p. 535. Diceto, p. 574. Neubrig p. 406. Heming. p. 500. Trivet, p. 61.