Page:Medieval Military Architecture in England (volume 1).djvu/80

64 MedicBval Military Architecture in England. 32,000. Orderic gives them at nearly double this, or 60,000. But there are no data for estimating, with any approach to correctness, the force that the King could bring into the field. Under Henry 1. and Stephen, mercenaries were largely employed, drawn mainly from Flanders. The Liber Niger has received very valuable attention at the hands of Mr. Eyton and Professor Stubbs. Early in Lent in this year Henry embarked at Southamp- ton for Normandy, where he reduced the castles of Alen^on and La Roche Mabile, and received a visit from the King of Scotland. Late in the year Geoffrey de Mandeville and Richard de Lacy engaged in an unsuccessful expedition into North Wales, and again strengthened Basingwerk Castle, during which they were attacked by the Welsh. Henry re- mained absent in Normandy, Gascony, and Brittany about four years, landing at Portsmouth in March, 1170 ; but he returned to Normandy in June. In October he wrote to Prince Henry, directing him to restore the honour of Saltwood to the Arch- bishop. On the 29th of December, Becket was murdered, the assassins having rested at Saltwood the preceding night. After the murder they went to Knaresborough Castle, then held by Hugh de Morville as castellan. In August, 1 171, Henry landed at Portsmouth, and early in September was in South Wales, where he took Caerleon from lorwerth ap Owen, and went on to Pembroke Castle to meet Prince Rhys, to whom he made over a large part of Cardigan. From Pembroke, or rather from Milford, he went, in October, to Ireland, whence he returned, by St. David's and by Cardiff, to England in April, 1172, and thence embarked from Portsmouth for the Continent in May. In April, 1173, the confederacy between the King of France and Prince Henry, who carried with him the discon- tented party among the English barons, broke out into open war in both countries. Henry the elder remained at Rouen, and with the doubtful exception of a short visit to England was content to leave the conduct of the war there to the faithful and able Richard de Lacy. The English rebellion was of a very grave character. Among the rebels were the Earls of Chester and Leicester, Ferrars Earl of Derby, Mowbray, and Paganel. Ferrars held Groby, Tutbury, Burton, and some other castles ; Mow- bray held Kinnard's Ferry Castle in Axholm, Thirsk, and Malzeard, which seem again to have been repaired or rebuilt ; David of Scotland, Earl of Huntingdon, held that castle ; as did Bishop Puiset Norham and Durham. These northern castles were strong, and supported by the Scottish