e never contented except when engaged in battles and
campaigns. It was this feeling, probably, quite as much as any settled
hostility to William's right to reign, that made his barons so eager to
engage in insurrections and rebellions. There was, however, after all,
a real and deep-seated opposition to William's right of succession,
founded in the ideas of the day. They could not well endure that one of
so humble and even ignominious birth, on the mother's side, should be
the heir of so illustrious a line as the great dukes of Normandy.
William's enemies were accustomed to designate him by opprobrious
epithets, derived from the circumstances of his birth. Though he was
patient and enduring, and often very generous in forgiving other
injuries, these insults to the memory of his mother always stung him
very deeply, and awakened the strongest emotions of resentment. One
instance of this was so conspicuous that it is recorded in almost all
the histories of William that have been written.

It was in the midst of one of the wars in which he was involved, that
he was advancing across the country to the attack of a strong castle,
which, in addition to the natural strength of its walls and
fortifications, was defended by a numerous and powerful garrison. So
confident, in fact, were the garrison in their numbers and power, that
when they heard that William was advancing to attack them, they sent out
a detachment to meet him. This detachment, however, were not intending
to give him open battle. Their plan was to lay in ambuscade, and attack
William's troops when they came to the spot, and while they were unaware
of the vicinity of an enemy, and off their guard.

William, however, they found, was not off his guard. He attacked the
ambuscade with so much vigor as to put the whole force immediately to
flight. Of course the fugitives directed their steps toward the castle.
William and his soldiers followed them in headlong pursuit. The end was,
that the detachment from the garrison had scarcely time, after making
good their own entrance, to raise the draw-bridges and secure the
gates, so as to keep their pursuers from entering too. They did,
however, succeed in doing this, and William, establishing his troops
about the castle, opened his lines and commenced a regular siege.

The garrison were very naturally vexed and irritated at the bad success
of their intended stratagem. To have the ambuscade not only fail of its
object, but to h