the affection of a fond parent, ho caused him to be nurtured and educated with royal distinctions in his own palace, and declared that "the world had never seen the like of so fair and forward a boy." When about proceeding on that mysterious pilgrimage to the Holy Land, whence he returned not, nor was heard of more, the duke left his son, then an infant but seven years old, in the guardianship of his suzerain, Henry the First, the reigning King of France, after having first received from his nobles their solemn acknowledgment of the infant as his successor. The French monarch appears to have faithfully discharged his duty, as guardian to the young Duke of Normandy, for several years. But scarcely had he resigned him to the ambassadors from the Norman nobles, who now demanded the presence of their sovereign, when he invaded the dominions of his ward with powerful forces, and fomented internal strife, by inciting all who could boast of a descent from Hollo—the founder of the Norman ducal line—to become rival claimants for the crown. The Normans, however, bravely heat back his armies, and his political projects were all defeated by the youthful William, who, during the contest, displayed great talents, and overpowering- energies. Henry of France was, however, too jealous of the rising fame of the Norman Luke, to cease giving him trouble. But, fortunately for William, immediately after his marriage, the French King, who, with all the chivalry of France, was preparing to attack his dominions, suddenly died ; leaving his infant son and successor, Philip the First, under the guardianship of Matilda's father, the Luke of Flanders, who immediately established peace between the suzerain and his vassal, Having now nothing to fear from France, William lost no time in crushing all remains of rebellion amongst his subjects. Guy of Burgundy, the Earls of Anjou, of Eu, and of Montagne, and others, who had vainly endeavoured to snatch the ducal crown from his head, were speedily overpowered, and either reduced to subjection or banished, and peace and happiness restored to the land. Meanwhile, the thundering maledictions of Mauger, archbishop of Kouen, an illegitimate brother of the late Duke Kohertj threatened William and hia bride with alarming dangers. This prelate, who by tact and ambition had risen to the primacy, and who had always been to William a bitter foe, under tfie plea that the marriage stood within the forbidden degrees of consanguinity, and that, therefore, the union, without the pope's consent, was illegal, solemnly excommunicated the cousins, and absolved the Normans from their oath of allegiance to their royal duke. On receiving intelligence of this wicked outrage ottered to himself and his fair cousin, William was so provoked, that he swore " by the splendour of God"—his usual Dath—"he would be revenged.'' Without delay, he dispatched Lanfranc, then an obscure monk, with submissive lettera to the pope; and the Holy See, conciliated by his modest representations, immediately issued a bull, nullifying the archbishop's anathemas, and confirming the marriage of the royal pair, on condition that they should each build and endow an abbey as the price of this dispensation. In compliance with this bull, the stately abbeys of St. Stephens, and Holy Trinity, were founded at Caen. The former was endowed by William, for monks ; and the latter by Matilda, for nuns. The hour had now come for William, in compliance with his solemn oath, to take vengeance on the haughty Mauger. Calling a convocation of all the bishops of Normandy, at Lisieu, he caused the archbishop to he accused before them of selling the church plate and consecrated chalices to supply his own personal luxury. Of these crimes Mauger was solemnly convicted, and deposed, and Maurillus elected in his room ; but his judges were probably no less guilty than himself, as, at that period, although forbidden by the canons, it was the usual practice of the great dignitaries of the church to deal with the property of their sees as if it were their own. Having thus reduced or quieted all hia focs, William, by the enlightened Β 2