WILLIAM RUFUS.

3 75

his partisans \ The primate, whose rank and chap.reputation in the ^kingdom gave him great v.

authority, had been entrusted with the care of ia«7.

his education , and had conferred on him thehonour of knighthood’; and being connectedwith him by these ties, and probably deeminghis pretensions just, declared that he would paya willing obedience to the last will of the Con-queror , his friend and benefactor. Havingassembled some bishops and some of the principalnobility, he instantly proceeded to the ceremonyof crowning the new king*; and by this dispatchendeavoured to prevent all faction and resistance.

At the same time, Robert, who had been al-ready acknowledged successor to Normandy ,took peaceable possession of that dutchy.

But though this partition appeared to have Conspiracy

, , . , 1 . , - . against the

been made without any violence or oppohtion, uing _there remained in England many causes ofdiscontent, which seemed to menace that king-dom with a sudden revolution. The barons,who generally possessed large estates both inEngland and in Normandy , were uneasy at the 1

separation of those territories; and foresaw, that,a> it would be impossible for them to, preservelong their allegiance to two masters, they mustnecessarily resign either their ancient patrimony

1 Chron. Sax. p. 192. Brompton, p. 983.

’ \V. Malmes. p. tec. M. Paris, p. to. Thorn.

Rudborne , p. 263. 4 Hoveden , p. 461.

B b 4