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.The duke, compas-sionating [sic] those who were willing to render him their submission, or-dered them to be paid the cost of rebuilding their houses, and their otherlosses.The castle being taken, eight days were spent strengthening thefortifications.While he lay there a great number of soldiers, who de-voured flesh-meat half raw and drank too much water, died of dysentery.Source: Ordericus Vitalis.The Ecclesiastical History of England and Normandy.Bk.III, Ch.XIV, p.488.DOCUMENT 21The Failure of an Attack on Dover CastleBut while the assailants made desperate attacks upon the place [DoverCastle], the garrison were prepared for an obstinate defense, and offereda determined resistance at the points most open to attack.The conflictwas maintained with fury on both sides for some hours of the day.ButEustace [Count of Boulogne] beginning to be doubtful of success, andbeing apprehensive of a sally by the besieged, which might force him toa more shameful retreat, gave the signal for retiring the ships.Upon thisthe garrison immediately opened the gates and falling on the rear guardwith spirit, but in good order, killed a great many of them.The fugitives,panic struck by a report that the bishop of Bayeux had unexpectedly ar-rived with a strong force, threw themselves with their alarm among thecrevices of the perpendicular cliffs, and so perished with more disgracethan if they had fallen by the sword.Many were the forms of death to Primary Documents 127which their defeat exposed them, many, throwing away their arms, werekilled by falling on the sharp rocks; others, slipping down, destroyedthemselves and their comrades by their own weapons; and many, mor-tally wounded, or bruised by their fall, rolled yet breathing into the sea;many more, escaping breathless with haste to the ships, were so eager toreach a place of safety that they crowded the vessels till they upset themand were drowned on the spot.The Norman cavalry took prisoners orslew as many as they could overtake.Eustace escaped by having the ad-vantage of a fleet horse, his knowledge of the road, and finding a shipready to put to sea.His nephew, a noble youth who bore arms for thefirst time, was taken prisoner.The English escaped through the by-roads,the garrison of the castle being too few in number to pursue a multitudewho thus dispersed themselves.Source: Ordericus Vitalis.The Ecclesiastical History of England and Normandy.Bk.IV, Ch.III, pp.11 12.DOCUMENT 22The Siege of Rochester and the Plague of Flies, 1088Upon this, Odo, bishop of Bayeux, shut himself up in the city ofRochester with five hundred men of arms, determining to wait for the ar-rival of Duke Robert with the auxiliary forces he had promised to bring;for the league, although they were very numerous and had great resourcesin money and arms, and vast supplies, did not dare to meet the king inopen fight within his own realm.They therefore, with great prudence, se-lected Rochester, because if the king did not blockade them in the city,the position was central for making sudden eruptions and plundering Lon-don and Canterbury, and they could also take advantage of the sea, whichlies very near, and the neighboring islands, to dispatch messengers to ob-tain assistance.The resolute king, however, anticipated their projects, andin the month of May, invested the place with a powerful army; and erect-ing two forts, shut up the enemy within the walls so that every avenue ofegress was closed.As I have said before, Bishop Odo, Count Eustace, andRobert de Belèsme, with many nobles, as well as persons of moderate sta-tion, held the place, expecting in vain, succours from Duke Robert, whowas detained by sloth and indulgence.However Roger, earl of Mercia, and 128 Primary Documentsmany other Normans who were in the besieging army gave secret aid tothe besieged, as far as it was in their power, although they did not ven-ture to appear openly in arms against the king.All the bishops of Eng-land joined the English people in loyally supporting the king, and labouredto restore in the country the tranquility, which good men love.Also Hugh,earl of Chester, Robert de Mowbray, earl of Northumberland, William deWarenne, and Robert Fitz-Hamon, with their loyal and experiencedbarons, maintained their fealty to their sovereign and gave him useful aid,both with their arms and their counsels, against the enemy.A plague, like the plague of the Egyptians, made its appearance in thetown of Rochester, the Almighty, who, in all ages, superintends human af-fairs and orders them aright, having chosen to renew an ancient miraclein modern times.For as the flies tormented the Egyptians, and did not ceasea moment from whizzing around them, in the same manner these fliesgrievously annoyed the besieged with their incessant attacks; for all egressfrom the castle was prevented, and many of those who were thus block-aded fell sick from their various sufferings, and, their disorders increasing,at length died.Innumerable flies were engendered in the dung of men andhorses and being nourished by the heat both of the summer, and the at-mosphere caused by the breath of so many inhabitants closely pent up,their swarms horribly infested their eyes and noses, food and drink.So se-verely was the insolent band of rebels afflicted with the annoyance of theswarms that they could not eat their meals, either by day or by night, un-less a great number of them were employed, in turn, in flapping them awayfrom their comrades faces.In consequence, Odo and his allies could nolonger suffer the miseries of the siege; they therefore sent envoys to theking asking for peace and offering to surrender the place.Source: Ordericus Vitalis.The Ecclesiastical History of England and Normandy.Bk.VIII, Ch.II, pp.436 38.DOCUMENT 23The Rapid and Cowardly Departure of a Castle s GarrisonPaganus de Montdoubleau and Rotrou de Montfort, and some otherswho were charged with its defense, abandoned the place; and favoringBelèsme as some say, left the castle [Giroie s Castle] without anyone to Primary Documents 129guard it, though no person molested them.Radegunde, Giroie s wife,turned pale at the fearful rumour [of her husband s death], but deter-mined, while waiting for their confirmation, to remain in the castle withher attendants
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