226 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

C H Kni.

he assembled the states of the dutchy ; and in-forming them of his design, he engaged them toswear allegiance to his natural ton, William,whom , as he had no legitimate issue , he intended,in cafe he should die in the pilgrimage , to leavesuccessor to his dominions 4! . As he was a prudentprince , he could not but foresee the great in-conveniences which must attend this journey,and this settlement of his succession ; arising fromthe perpetual turbulency of the great , the claimsof other branches of the ducal family , and the powerof the French monarch : But all these considerationswere surmounted by the prevailing zeal forpilgrimages 44 ; and probably, the more importantthey were, the more would Robert exult insacrificing them to what he imagined to be hisreligious duty.

This prince, as he had apprehended , died inhis pilgrimage ; and the minority of his ton wasattended with all those disorders, which werealmost unavoidable in that situation. The licen-tious nobles , freed from the awe of sovereignauthority , broke out into personal animositiesagainst each other, and made the whole countrya scene of war and devastation 4S . Roger, countofToni, and Alain, count ofBritanny, advancedclaims to the dominion of the state ; and Henry I.king of France, thought the opportunity favourable

" W. Malm. p. Y5.

44 Ypod. Neuft. p. 452.

I 5 W. Malm. p. 95. Gul. Gemet. lib. 7. cap. I.