perseverance. Henry, Duke of Burgundy, brother of Hugh Capet, died (15 October 1002), and as he left no children, the king might fairly claim to succeed him. He was anticipated by Otto-William, Count of Mâcon, the adopted son of the late Duke, whose connexion with the country gave him great advantages. In the spring of 1003 Robert collected a strong army, and proceeding up the river Yonne, laid siege to Auxerre. He met with desperate resistance. Otto-William's partisans in Burgundy were too strong and too numerous to allow of the question being settled by a single expedition. For nearly two years Robert ravaged the country in every direction, pillaging and burning all that he met with. Otto-William ended by submitting, and before long his son-in-law, Landry, Count of Nevers, after standing a siege of three months, was forced to capitulate at Avallon (October 1005). Then came the turn of Auxerre (November 1005). But a struggle of more than ten years was still necessary before Robert could reduce all the revolted lords to submission, and it was only after having taken Sens and Dijon that he could at last count himself master of the duchy (1015-16).
Following the example of the last Carolingians, Robert endeavoured to push his claims further and to aggrandise himself at the cost of the Empire. As long as the Emperor Henry II lived (1002-1024) relations on the whole remained cordial, indeed in 1006 the two sovereigns co-operated in an expedition to bring their common vassal, Baldwin, Count of Flanders, to his bearings, he having seized Valenciennes. In August 1023 a solemn meeting took place between them at Ivois on the banks of the Meuse. Robert and Henry, each accompanied by a stately train of great nobles and churchmen, exchanged the kiss of peace, heard mass, and dined together and exchanged gifts. They swore mutual friendship, proclaimed the peace of the Church, and resolved to take joint action for the reformation of the clergy. But the interview had no results; almost before a year was over Henry had ceased to live (13 July 1024).
From that time Robert's attitude changed. Having his hands free on the side of Champagne and Burgundy, and rendered bold by success, he contemplated a struggle with the new Emperor, Conrad II of Franconia (1024-1039), for a part of his inheritance. Far-reaching negotiations centring in the king of France, which shew how much his prestige had gradually been heightened, were opened between him, the Duke of Aquitaine, and Odo II, Count of Blois. Nothing less was intended, it would appear, than to proceed to a dismemberment on a large scale of the Germanic Empire. William, Duke of Aquitaine, was to take as his share, or his son's, the Lombard crown, Odo II of Blois was to have the kingdom of Burgundy as soon as Rodolph III should be dead[1], while Lorraine was to be Robert's share. But this passed all
- ↑ For Conrad's claims to the eventual succession to Rodolph see infra, Chapter VI. pp. 142-3.
