chap

V.

I OSS.

Acquisitionof N'or-111 a mi y.

/

392 HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

enemies , whom he represented as equally criminalwith the enemies of Christ. The convents andother religious societies bought the possessions ofthe adventurers ; and as the contributions css thefaithful were commonly intrusted to their manage-ment , they often diverted to this purpose whatwas intended to be employed against the infidels ! \But no one was a more immediate gainer by thisepidemic furv than the king of England , whokept aloof from all connexions with those fanaticaland romantic warriors.

Robert, duke of Normandy , impelled bythe bravery and mistaken generosity of his spirit,had early insisted himself in the crusade ; butbeing always unprovided with money, he found,that it would be impracticable for him to appearin a manner suitable to his rank and station, atthe head of his numerous vassals and subjects ,who, transported with the general rage , weredetermined to follow him into Alia. He resolved,therefore , to mortgage or rather to sell hisdominions , which he had not talents to govern;and he offered them to his brother William , forthe very unequal sum of ten thousand marksThe bargain was soon concluded : The kingraised the money by violent extortions on hissubjects of ail ranks, even on the convents ,

Padre Paolo Hist. dei benef. ecclesiast. p. 128.

W. Malm. p. 123. Chron. T. Wykes , p. 24. Annas.Waverl. p. 139. \X r . Heming. p. 467 Flor. Wig. p. 648.Sim. stunelm. p, 222. Knvghton, p. 2364.