begin in 1175;
but during these years his dominions were in constant flame. Scotland
and France harried him. His sons leagued against him. His nobles rose.
He fought hard battles, did humble penances at St. Thomas' tomb, and
came out victorious, over his political and ecclesiastical opponents
too, and began again the ordering of his unruly realms. What a rough and
tumble world the Chronicles reveal as we turn them over! There is a
crusade in Asia Minor in 1176. Manuel Commenus relates his success and
failure. There are heretics in Toulouse who are Puritans, half Quaker
and half Arian, condemned by a Council of Lombers, 1176. Next year Henry
seems to have begun his penance, which was commuted from a crusade into
three religious foundations, and rather shabbily he did it. Some people
try to put Newstead in Selwood in the list, but this was founded in
1174; and Le Liget has been mentioned, a Charterhouse in Touraine
founded in 1178. The most probable explanation is this. Henry tried to
do the penance (a) by buying out the Secular Canons of Waltham at a
price determined by Archbishop Richard. He replaced these by Canons
Regular under Walter de Cant. He then endowed them handsomely and had
papal authority for this. (b) He found this so expensive that he tried
to do the other two more cheaply. A scandal had arisen in Amesbury. He
expelled the incontinent nuns, and brought over from Font Evroult a
colony of more devout ladies in their room. The chroniclers show that
this evasion was severely commented upon, and we may conclude that Le
Liget was a tardy substitute--a cheap strip of forest land granted to an
order which was celebrated for its dislike of covetousness, and whose
rules required manual labour and a desert (and so valueless) land. Le
Liget, be it noticed, is founded after the peace of Venice has given
more power to the Papal elbow. The Lateran Council is also a little
threatening towards King Henry in March, 1179, particularly on the
question of the ferocity of mercenaries. Young Philip Augustus is also
evidently succeeding his waning father, and generally speaking it is
better to be conciliatory and to admit that the Amesbury plan was
perhaps insufficient. At any rate, it is well to found another house:
Carthusians of course, for they are holy, popular, and inexpensive.
Henry, who was generous enough for lepers, hospitals, and active
workers, did not usually care very much for contemplative orders, though
his mother