, the Empress Matilda, affected the Cistercians and founded
the De Voto Monastery near Calais, and he inherited something from her.
These considerations may have first prompted and then fortified Henry's
very slow and reluctant steps in the work of founding Witham, in
substance and not in shadow. It is also quite possible that he had not
entirely given up the notion of going on a crusade after all.

The first attempt was little more than a sketch. 5,497 acres were
marked off for the new house, in a wet corner of Selwood forest. But the
land was not transferred from William FitzJohn and the villeins were not
evicted or otherwise disposed of. The place was worse than a desert, for
it contained possessors not dispossessed. The poor monks, few and
unprepared, who came over at their own expense, probably expecting a
roof and a welcome, found their mud flat was inhabited by indignant
Somersetae, whose ways, manners, language, and food were unknown to them.
The welcome still customarily given in these parts to strangers was
warmer than usual. The foreign English, even if their lands were not
pegged out for Charterhouses, were persuaded that the brethren were
landsharks of the most omnivorous type. The poor prior quailed,
despaired, and hastily bolted, leaving an old and an angry monkish
comrade to face the situation with a small company of lay brothers.
Another prior arrived, and to the vexation of the king shuffled off his
maltreated coil in a very short time. After spending Christmas (1179-80)
in Nottingham, the king crossed into Normandy with young Henry before
Easter, meaning to avenge the wrongs Philip Augustus did to his
relatives. Here most probably it was that a noble of the region of
Maurienne (come no doubt upon business of the impending war), chatted
with him about the Charterhouse. He paid a warm tribute to Hugh in words
of this kind, "My lord king, there is only one sure way of getting free
from these straits. There is in the Charterhouse a certain monk, of high
birth but far higher moral vigour. His name is Hugh of Avalon. He
carries on him all the grace of the virtues; but besides, every one who
knows him takes to him and likes him, so that all who see him find their
hearts fairly caught. Those who are privileged to hear him talk are
delighted to find his speech divinely or angelically inspired. If the
new plantation of this most holy order in your lands should deserve to
have this man to dress and rule it, you w