g out by night
or day, the folk of the dale came flocking in with their babes and
their most prized goods for shelter beneath the abbot's wing. Vale
Castle feared no pirate-band, and in a short space all our most precious
things could be secured behind those walls snug and safe enough, until
the evil men who had come to alarm our peace steered their long ships
away again, sore dissatisfied with the plunder of our isle. So well
guarded we were, and so strong were our three castles, within whose
walls all who listed could find safety. As, indeed, it proved in the
attack of the great Moor, of which this chronicle will chiefly tell.

Now, the Castle had been built some forty years before, by none other
than the great Cherbourg himself, Duke Robert's engineer. For it chanced
that Duke Robert was royally entertained years ago by Abbot Magloirios,
when he was forced by foul weather to put into L'Ancresse Bay, who, on
his departure, left Cherbourg and other skilled men to build three
castles for their safety against pirates. So it was through Duke
Robert's stay at the Vale that our Castle was made so strong. Thus God
brought here, as ever, good out of evil.

And among the lay brothers were good soldiers, who could man the Castle.
And once, in bygone days, they say a whole company of knights (all
resting now in Abraham's bosom, and their bodies in the Vale churchyard)
came together, and sought to be made quit of the world and its strife in
our peaceful cloister. These, though they left the world behind, were
able to teach for safety's sake something of warlike matters to the
brethren; and thus it chanced that our brothers were ready to be men of
war when peace was impossible, and men said of them, in rhyming
fashion--

"White cowl and white cloak,
Chain-mail and hard stroke."

Now, about this Castle of late men had been more than ever busy. Sundry
instruments of besieged men of a new and deadly fashion lay in the
armoury, and were at times by Brother Hugo brought out and practised by
the brethren that formed, as he said, his _corps d'armes_. Then were
they soldiers indeed, not monks at all, as, cassock and cowl thrown
aside, they drew the bows, or aimed with their great engines the balls
of stone and iron.

Now, it was in those days that the abbot sent me on matters more heavy
than I knew to that archbishop of whom I have already made mention, who,
his state laid aside, lay in exile as a poor humble man, though Duk