ple, all England was
restored to tranquillity in a few weeks; and as the king appeared to
be under the immediate protection of Heaven, it was deemed impious any
longer to resist him. The clergy exalted anew the merits and
powerful intercession of Becket; and Henry, instead of opposing this
superstition, plumed himself on the new friendship of the-saint, and
propagated an opinion which was so favorable to his interests.[*]

[* Hoveden, p. 539.]

Prince Henry, who was ready to embark at Gravelines with the earl of
Flanders and a great army, hearing that his partisans in England were
suppressed, abandoned all thoughts of the enterprise, and joined
the camp of Lewis, who, during the absence of the king, had made an
irruption into Normandy and had laid siege to Rouen.[*] The place was
defended with great vigor by the inhabitants;[**] and Lewis, despairing
of success by open force, tried to gain the town by a stratagem, which,
in that superstitious age, was deemed not very honor able. He proclaimed
in his own camp a cessation of arms on pretence of celebrating the
festival of St. Laurence; and when the citizens, supposing themselves in
safety, were so imprudent as to remit their guard, he purposed to
take advantage of their security. Happily, some priests had, from mere
curiosity, mounted a steeple, where the alarm bell hung; and observing
the French camp in motion, they immediately rang the bell, and gave
warning to the inhabitants, who ran to their several stations. The
French, who, on hearing the alarm hurried to the assault, had already
mounted the walls in several places; but being repulsed by the enraged
citizens were obliged to retreat with considerable loss.[***] Next day,
Henry, who had hastened to the defence of his Norman dominions, passed
over the bridge in triumph; and entered Rouen in sight of the French
army. The city was now in absolute safety; and the king, in order to
brave the French, monarch, commanded the gates, which had been walled
up, to be opened; and he prepared to push his advantages against the
enemy. Lewis saved himself from this perilous situation by a new piece
of deceit, not so justifiable. He proposed a conference for adjusting
the terms of a general peace, which he knew would be greedily embraced
by Henry; and while the king of England trusted to the execution of his
promise, he made a retreat with his army into France.

[* Brompton, p. 1096.]

[** Diceto, p. 578.]