by Henry,
and had thence conceived a personal friendship for him. But these
ties were soon dissolved after the accession of Lewis, who found his
interests to be, in so many particulars opposite to those of the English
monarch, and who became sensible of the danger attending the annexation
of Normandy to England. He joined, therefore, the counts of Anjou and
Flanders in giving disquiet to Henry's government; and this monarch, in
order to defend his foreign dominions, found himself obliged to go over
to Normandy, where he resided two years. The war which ensued among
those princes was attended with no memorable event, and produced only
slight skirmishes on the frontiers, agreeably to the weak condition of
the sovereigns in that age, whenever their subjects were not roused by
some great and urgent occasion. Henry, by contracting his eldest
son, William, to the daughter of Fulk, detached that prince from the
alliance, and obliged the others to come to an accommodation with him.
This peace was not of long duration. His nephew William retired to the
court of Baldwin, earl of Flanders, who espoused his cause; and the king
of France, having soon after, for other reasons, joined the party, a new
war was kindled in Normandy, which produced no event more memorable than
had attended the former. {1118.} At last the death of Baldwin, who was
slain in an action near Eu, gave some respite to Henry, and enabled him
to carry on war with more advantage against his enemies.

Lewis, finding himself unable to wrest Normandy from the king by force
of arms, had recourse to the dangerous expedient of applying to the
spiritual power, and of affording the ecclesiastics a pretence to
interpose in the temporal concerns of princes. {1019.} He carried young
William to a general council, which was assembled at Rheims, by Pope
Calixtus II., presented the Norman prince to them, complained of the
manifest usurpation and injustice of Henry, craved the assistance of the
church for reinstating the true heir in his dominions, and represented
the enormity of detaining in captivity so brave a prince as Robert,
one of the most eminent champions of the cross, and who, by that very
quality, was placed under the immediate protection of the holy see.
Henry knew how to defend the rights of his crown with vigor, and yet
with dexterity. He had sent over the English bishops to this synod;
but at the same time had warned them, that, if any further claims were
started b