Robert Curthose. William Rufus, king. Richard. Matilda, their moHenry Beauclerc, king. ther, and the queen, William Adela (married to Ste) was the daughter of the Conqueror. phen, of Blois, whose Baldwin, count of son was afterwards Flanders. king). And four other daugh ters. King William endows two monasteries, which he has founded, to wit, that of Saint Martin, in England, and that of Saint Stephen, in Normandy. A.D . 1086. King William founded a second monastery in Normandy, and when it was finished, he enriched it with estates and privileges. Robert, the first-born son of king William, being discontented at Normandy being refused to him even while his father was still alive, departed into Italy in great anger, where he married the daughter of the marquis Boniface, in order to gain additional power to attack his father ; but, when he was disappointed in this expectation, he excited Philip, king of France, to enmity against his father ; for which conduct he was deprived of his father's blessing, and of his inheritance ; and after the death of William, he lost the kingdom of England, being scarcely permitted to retain the dukedom of Normandy. King William had one most excellent custom, by which he is said to have escaped divine vengeance for his tyrannical conduct. He attended mass, and all the hours of divine service diligently, and with the simplicity of a child, and would never permit himself to be hindered from so doing by the most urgent or perplexing business, and while so engaged, he did not cease to bend his knees, and pray devoutly. King William dies. Divides his substance in a marvellous manner. Robert, the first-born, is rejected. William succeeds. A.D. 1087. A great disaster happened in England. For the nation was attacked by such a great disease and pestilence, that those who escaped the fevers died of famine. For God sent tempests, and thunders, and lightnings, by which many men perished, and He spared neither animals nor cattle ; but