son of Henry I., who held
the strong fortress of Bristol, and whose power extended over both
sides of the lower course of the Severn. In =1138= Stephen, who
distrusted him, ordered his castles to be seized. Robert at once
declared his half-sister Matilda to be the lawful queen, and a
terrible civil war began. Robert's garrison at Bristol was a terror to
all the country round. He, too, gathered foreign mercenaries, who knew
not what pity was. Other barons imitated Robert's example, fighting
only for themselves whether they nominally took the part of Stephen or
of Matilda, and the southern and midland counties of England were
preyed upon by the garrisons of their castles.

14. =Stephen's Quarrel with the Clergy. 1139.=--Evil as were the men
who fought on either side, it was to Stephen and not to Matilda and
Robert that men as yet looked to restore order. The port towns,
London, Yarmouth, and Lynn, clung to him to the last. Unfortunately
Stephen did not know how to make good use of his advantages. The
clergy, like the traders, had always been in favour of order. Some of
them, with the Justiciar, Roger, Bishop of Salisbury, at their head,
had organised the Exchequer of Henry I., had gathered in the payments
due to the Crown, or had acted as judges. Yet with all their zeal in
the service of the Crown, they had not omitted to provide for their
own interests. Roger in particular had been insatiable in the pursuit
of wealth for himself and of promotion for his family. One of his
nephews, Nigel, Bishop of Ely, was Treasurer, whilst another,
Alexander, was Bishop of Lincoln, and his own illegitimate son, Roger,
was Chancellor. In =1139= Stephen, rightly or wrongly, threw him into
prison with his son and Alexander of Lincoln. The other nephew, Nigel,
escaped to his uncle's castle at Devizes, in which was the younger
Roger's mother, Matilda of Ramsbury. Stephen brought her son before
the castle, and put a rope round his neck to hang him unless the
castle was surrendered. The unhappy mother could not bear the sight,
and opened the gates to Stephen. It might have been wise to deprive a
too ambitious bishop of his castle, but it was not wise personally to
maltreat the clergy. Every priest in England turned against Stephen.
His own brother, Henry, Bishop of Winchester, declared against him,
and Stephen was obliged to do penance for his offence. The
administration of the Exchequer was shattered, and though it was not
altogether destroy