the clergy to this mode was not confined to England. When
the king went to Normandy, before he had conquered that province, the
bishop of Seeze, in a formal harangue, earnestly exhorted him to redress
the manifold disorders under which the government labored, and to oblige
the people to poll their hair in a decent form. Henry, though he would
not resign his prerogatives to the church willingly parted with his
hair: he cut it in the form which they required of him, and obliged all
the courtiers to imitate his example.[*****]

[* Eadmer, p. 87.]

[** Eadmer, p. 91.]

[*** Eadmer, p 67, 68. Spel. Concil. vol. ii. p.
22.]

[**** Eadmer, p 68. ]

[***** Order. Vitalis, p 816.]

The acquisition of Normandy was a great point of Henry's ambition; being
the ancient patrimony of his family, and the only territory winch,
while in his possession, gave him any weight or consideration on the
continent: but the injustice of his usurpation was the source of great
inquietude, involved him in frequent wars, and obliged him to impose on
his English subjects those many heavy and arbitrary taxes, of which all
the historians of that age unanimously complain.[*] His nephew William
was but six years of age when he committed him to the care of Helie
de St. Saen; and it is probable that his reason for intrusting that
important charge to a man of so unblemished a character, was to prevent
all malignant suspicions, in case any accident should befall the life
of the young prince, {1110.} He soon repented of his choice; but when
he desired to recover possession of William's person, Helie withdrew his
pupil, and carried him to the court of Fulk, count of Anjou, who gave
him protection.[**]

[* Eadmer, p. 83. Chron. Sax. p. 211, 212, 213,
219, 220, 228. H Hunting. p. 380. Hoveden, p. 470. Aimal.
Waverl. p. 143.]

[** Ordei Vitalis, p 837.]

In proportion as the prince grew up to man's estate, he discovered
virtues becoming his birth; and wandering through different courts of
Europe, he excited the friendly compassion of many princes, and raised a
general indignation against his uncle, who had so unjustly bereaved him
of his inheritance. Lewis the Gross son of Philip, was at this time king
of France, a brave and generous prince, who, having been obliged, during
the lifetime of his father, to fly into England, in order to escape the
persecutions of his step-mother Gertrude, had been protected