A.D. 1086.] MONASTERIES FOUNDED. iron, restored him to the royal favour, and thus washed away this stain of the pontiffs disgrace. By this founder, at this time, and from these causes, the modern church of Lincoln was begun. King William founded two monasteries. A.D. 1086. A great inundation caused danger and loss in many places, so that many rocks were loosened and overwhelmed several towns in their fall. About the same time king William founded two monasteries ; one in England in honour of St. Martin, at Hastings, which was called "Battle," in the place where it is said the battle was fought between him and Harold ; and there he appointed monks to celebrate masses for the soul of king Harold and others who were there slain, and enriched the monastery with suitable possessions. He also built another monastery at Caen in Normandy, which with suitable lands he consecrated in honour of saint Stephen, the first martyr, and which he rendered famous by magnificent gifts. By queen Matilda, William begat many children, namely, Eobert, Bichard, William, and Henry; the firstborn of whom, mortified that Normandy was refused him whilst his father lived, departed in anger to Italy, being in hopes, by marrying the daughter of the marquis Boniface, to get assistance in that part of the world, and so be enabled to cope with his father ; but, being disappointed in his expectations there, he excited Phihp king of the French against his father, on which account he was deprived of his father's blessing and disinherited ; so that, having lost the right of primogeniture, at the death of his father he lost the sovereignty of England, and scarcely retained the duchy of Normandy. Bichard, a noble youth and of a good disposition, was cut off by death in the flower of his youth ; for it is related that he incurred a deadly disease whilst hunting stags in the New Forest, in the very same place which his father, after having destroyed towns and subverted churches, as has been said before, had converted into thick woods and abodes for wild beasts. He had five daughters ; of whom Cecilia became abbess at Caen ; Constance was given in marriage to Alan count of Bretagne ; the third, the wife of Stephen count of Blois, brought forth Stephen who was afterwards king of the English, and, after the death of her