The Greatest Knight

by Thomas Asbridge

  would reshape William Marshal’s career. Warren, King John, pp. 217–24; Brabury, Philip Augustus, pp. 279–315; Holt, The Northerners, p. 100.

  the Great Charter or Magna Carta. J.C. Holt, Magna Carta, 2nd Edition (Cambridge, 1992); N. Vincent, Magna Carta: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford, 2012).

  Hubert of Burgh and John Marshal. Holt, Magna Carta, pp. 448–73.

  conceived by a single mind. Painter, William Marshal, pp. 119–21; Crouch, William Marshal, pp. 178–82.

  at best, with ambivalence. Matthew Paris, Chronica Majora, ed. H.R. Luard, 7 vols. (London, 1872–84), II, pp. 604–5; Painter, William Marshal, p. 180; Crouch, William Marshal, p. 122.

  civil war was inevitable. Holt, Magna Carta, pp. 448–73; Vincent, Magna Carta, pp. 58–84.

  Stephen’s reign, seventy years earlier. Roger of Wendover, II, pp. 170–2.

  the Capetian monarch remained resolute. Gerald of Wales, ‘De Principis Instructione’, pp. 326–9; HWM, lines 15061–70, 15097–108; Painter, William Marshal, pp. 185–6; Crouch, William Marshal, pp. 122–3; D. Carpenter, The Minority of Henry III (London, 1990), pp. 5–12.

  had familial ties to France. Painter, William Marshal, pp. 186–7; Crouch, William Marshal, p. 123.

  to ‘his lord and king’. HWM, lines 15117–28.

  to Marlborough Castle were blocked. Rotuli Litterarum Patentium, p. 175; Painter, William Marshal, pp. 185–6; Crouch, William Marshal, pp. 121–2.

  Marshal’s fidelity was yet to come. HWM, lines 15135–8; Painter, William Marshal, pp. 188–9.

  by the presence of John’. HWM, lines 15143–206; Matthew Paris, Chronica Majora, II, p. 669; Crouch, William Marshal, pp. 123–4.

  could not be long postponed. HWM, lines 15185–91, 15207–28; S.D. Church, ‘King John’s Testament and the Last Days of his Reign’, English Historical Review, vol. 125 (2010), pp. 505–28.

  for the last five decades. HWM, lines 15229–84; Painter, William Marshal, p. 192; Crouch, William Marshal, p. 192.

  William retired to his rooms. HWM, lines 15287–397; Painter, William Marshal, pp. 192–5; Crouch, William Marshal, pp. 125–6; Carpenter, The Minority of Henry III, pp. 13–14.

  difficult for you to endure’. HWM, lines 15398–464.

  whatever it may cost me’. HWM, lines 15465–561; Painter, William Marshal, pp. 195–6; Crouch, William Marshal, p. 126.

  to beg for my bread.’ Patent Rolls of the Reign of Henry III (London, 1901), p. 10; HWM, lines 15562–708; Painter, William Marshal, pp. 196–7; Crouch, William Marshal, pp. 126–7; Carpenter, The Minority of Henry III, pp. 15–17, 32.

  prospects in the civil war. Painter, William Marshal, pp. 197–8; Crouch, William Marshal, p. 127; Carpenter, The Minority of Henry III, pp. 17–22.

  a swift and decisive confrontation. Carpenter, The Minority of Henry III, pp. 22–6; Painter, William Marshal, pp. 198–205; Crouch, William Marshal, pp. 127–8; Vincent, Magna Carta, pp. 82–6.

  if they were to prevail. ‘Annals of Barnwell Priory’, p. 236; Carpenter, The Minority of Henry III, pp. 26–35; Crouch, William Marshal, pp. 128–9; C. Tyerman, England and the Crusades (Chicago, 1988), pp. 133–42.

  ‘play for the highest stakes’. HWM, lines 16085–130, 16168; Painter, William Marshal, pp. 211–13; Crouch, William Marshal, pp. 128–9; Carpenter, The Minority of Henry III, pp. 35–6.

  steadfast courage and ruthless ferocity. HWM, lines 16131–235.

  the French ‘down to Hell’. HWM, lines 16236–304; Crouch, William Marshal, pp. 129–30; Carpenter, The Minority of Henry III, pp. 36–7; F. Hill, Medieval Lincoln (Cambridge, 1965).

  and the assault began. HWM, lines 16305–604; Carpenter, The Minority of Henry III, pp. 37–9; Crouch, William Marshal, pp. 131–2.

  hard-pressed to hold his own. Roger of Wendover, II, pp. 215–16; HWM, lines 16605–85.

  Thomas] died in this manner’. HWM, lines 16686–768; Painter, William Marshal, p. 218; Crouch, William Marshal, p. 133. Thomas of Perche was William Marshal’s distant cousin, as Thomas’ great grandmother had been Hawise of Salisbury, William’s aunt.

  civil war had been turned. HWM, lines 16769–17068; Roger of Wendover, II, pp. 216–19; Carpenter, The Minority of Henry III, p. 40.

  invader set sail for France. HWM, lines 17069–726; Carpenter, The Minority of Henry III, pp. 40–9; Painter, William Marshal, pp. 219–25; Crouch, William Marshal, pp. 133–4; S. McGlynn, Blood Cries Afar: The Forgotten Invasion of England, 1216 (Stroud, 2011), pp. 217–34.

  rule and saved the kingdom. ‘Annals of Barnwell Priory’, p. 239; Painter, William Marshal, pp. 225–7; Crouch, William Marshal, pp. 134–5. William Marshal probably was over–generous (or simply naive) in agreeing to pay Louis of France 10,000 marks to secure peace, on the expectation (confirmed by oath, but subsequently broken) that Louis would do all in his power to persuade his father, King Philip, to return the continental Angevin territory lost by John to Henry III.

  EPILOGUE

  to New Ross in Leinster. HWM, lines 17727–876; Carpenter, The Minority of Henry III, pp. 50–127; Painter, William Marshal, pp. 228–74; Crouch, William Marshal, pp. 135–8.

  the responsibilities of office. HWM, lines 17877–936; Painter, William Marshal, pp. 275–6; Crouch, William Marshal, p. 138.

  ‘delivered of a great burden’. HWM, lines 17937–18135; Painter, William Marshal, pp. 276–9; Crouch, William Marshal, p. 139.

  William in his dying days. HWM, lines 18136–982; Painter, William Marshal, pp. 279–89; Crouch, William Marshal, pp. 139–40, 214–16.

  remained so to the very end. HWM, lines 18136–78, 18675–734.

  be performed to the letter. HWM, lines 18124–35, 18180–225, 18243–60.

  no man can find salvation. HWM, lines 18459–96, 18591–674, 18905–60.

  have you for his own’. HWM, lines 18227–42, 18323–6, 18351–412, 18443–458. Ironically, Aimery of St Maur fell ill on his return to London and died even before William Marshal.

  still be seen to this day. HWM, lines 18797–9215; Painter, William Marshal, p. 289; Crouch, William Marshal, p. 141.

  the crown for personal gain. Carpenter, The Struggle for Mastery, pp. 300–37.

  to a desperately premature end. R.F. Walker, ‘William (II) Marshal’, ODNB; D. Power, ‘Richard Marshal’, ODNB.

  of King Richard II in 1399. Carpenter, The Struggle for Mastery, pp. 338–530; C. Allmand, The Hundred Years War: England and France at War, c. 1300–c.1450 (Cambridge, 2001).

  in the dawn of modernity. Keen, Chivalry, pp. 102–253; Saul, For Honour and Fame, pp. 60–370; M. Prestwich, Armies and Warfare in the Middle Ages: The English Experience (New Haven & London, 1996).

  annals of the distant past. Aurell, ‘Henry II and Arthurian Legend’, p. 376; Kaeuper, ‘William Marshal, Lancelot and the Issue of Chivalric Identity’, pp. 1–19.

  the figure behind the crown. The Fine Arts Commission Reports, vol. 4 (1845), vol. 7 (1847) vol. 8 (1849). I am very grateful to James Ford at the Palace of Westminster for his assistance on the issue of the redecoration of the House of Lords.

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  I am grateful to all those who supported me through the researching and writing of this book. My thanks to Hilary Redmon at Ecco and Mike Jones at Simon & Schuster for their patience and editorial insight, and to Jo Whitford for overseeing the final stages of production. I am also indebted to my agents, Andrew Gordon and George Lucas, for their guidance.

  William Voelkle, at the Morgan Library, kindly granted me access to the sole surviving manuscript of the History of William Marshal, and James Ford, at the Palace of Westminster, offered valuable guidance on the positioning of William’s statue in the House of Lords. I am also grateful to Peter Robinson, Amanda Vickery and Andrew Buck for their contributions.

  In the midst of writing, I filmed a documentary about William Marshal’s life for the BBC – an experience which proved to be both hugely enjoyable and inspirational (even if it did keep me from my desk). I wou
ld like to thank John Farren, Martin Davidson and James Hayes for that rare opportunity, and my production team – Jack MacInnes, Catherine Stefanini, Fred Fabre and Katalina Echeverria–Valda – for their hard work.

  I owe a huge debt to my friend and colleague, James Ellison, for the role he played in the genesis of this book – commenting on countless drafts, proffering sage advice and generous encouragement. As always, I am grateful to my family for their forbearance and kindness, and must thank my parents, Camilla and Jamie Smith, Jane Campbell, Margaret Williams and Craig Campbell. I have dedicated this work to Per Asbridge. William Marshal may have been the ‘greatest knight’, but Per has always been the finest brother.

  Lastly, and most importantly, I am thankful for the love and patient understanding of my daughters, Ella and Violet, and immeasurably grateful to my wife, Christine – my first reader, without whom no word would be written.

  Thomas Asbridge

  September 2014

  West Sussex

  INDEX

  The pagination of this electronic edition does not match the edition from which it was created. To locate a specific passage, please use your e-book reader’s search tools.

  (WM refers to William Marshal the Elder, earl of Pembroke)

  Acre, 164, 166

  great siege of, 190, 224–5, 227, 232

  Adelina (first wife of John Marshal), 6

  divorce of, from John Marshal, 19

  Adam (chancellor), 114, 146

  Adam of Hereford, 296, 299, 301, 303

  Adam of Yquebeuf, 97, 140, 141, 147

  Adela of Blois, 10–11

  Aimery of St Maur, 323, 337, 374

  Aimery, viscount of Limoges, 151, 252

  Alan of St-Georges, 220, 297

  Albert, Prince, 382

  Albinus of Ferns, 311n Aleppo, 162, 166

  Alexander the Great, 126

  Alfonso VIII of Castile, 90

  Alice of Béthune, 311, 377

  Alice of France, 144, 227, 229

  John’s betrothal to, 233

  Richard’s betrothal to, 89, 188

  Aline of Rye, 263

  Amator, 94

  ‘Anarchy’, see England: civil war in Andrew of Chauvigny, 199, 207, 212, 268, 274

  death of, 275

  Anet, 120, 125

  Angers, 150, 325

  Angevins, 31–2, 75–9

  Angers assembly of, 150

  Caen assembly of, 147–8

  Capetians’ festering animosity towards, 78

  Capetians sign peace treaty with, 134–5

  court of, 175–81

  danger and insecurity in, 178–9

  ‘a perilous whirl’, 179

  shifting alliances in, 181

  Empire:

  collapse of, 267–79

  divided, 281

  doubts about future of, 135

  Henry II equivocates over, 135–6

  map of, 77

  as English royal line, beginning of, 31

  expanding influence of, 75

  Henry II’s succession plans for, 88–9

  Louis VII seeks to diffuse power of, 78

  Norman dukes’ threat to, 78

  Poitiers assembly of, 151

  Richard reclaims realm of, 244–52

  and five-year truce, 252

  see also individual monarchs

  Angoulême, 80, 138, 240

  suppression of, 113

  Anjou, 10, 75, 78, 109, 268, 275, 325

  Arthur’s invasion of, 274

  Ansel the Marshal, 133n Aoife of Leinster, 208, 292

  Aqsa Mosque, 165

  Aquitaine, 75, 78, 79–80, 109, 325

  demands of pacifying, 136

  ducal capital of, 80

  Henry II commissions Poitiers Cathedral in, 80

  Henry II’s campaign in, 79–84

  John invades, 214

  natural riches in, 79

  resistance to Richard’s authority in, 139

  Richard prepares for war over, 152

  Richard’s continued campaigns in, 138

  royal family’s feud over, 153–6

  father–son diplomatic exchanges during, 154

  and Young King’s death, 157

  Young King’s overlordship of, 150

  Aragon, king of, 99

  aristocratic fashion, 45

  armour, 48, 50, 379

  Arques, 271, 273–4, 279

  Arras, 229

  Arthur I of Brittany, 225, 243, 268

  birth of, 187, 214

  as candidate for crown, 255

  in captivity, 276–7

  death of, 277

  disappearance of, 275, 277, 312

  knighted, 273

  William of Briouze captures, 274

  Arthur, King, 42, 126, 143

  supposed Glastonbury tomb of, 43

  Artois, 228, 248

  Aumale, 106, 207, 273

  Avenel, Nicholas, 220, 247

  Baldwin IV of Jerusalem, 137, 163, 166, 167

  death of, 168

  Baldwin V of Jerusalem, 168, 170

  Baldwin IX of Flanders, 247–8, 273

  Baldwin, archbishop of Canterbury, 211–12

  death of, 225

  Baldwin of Béthune, 133, 146, 160, 181, 199, 212, 232, 238, 281

  and bidding war for WM’s services, 148

  lordship of Aumale granted to, 207

  Baldwin of Hainault, 228

  Bardolf, Hugh, 216

  Barfleur, 7, 110, 235

  Barre, Richard, 101

  Basilia of Clare, 219, 296

  Basilius, Peter, 253

  Bayeux Tapestry, 46

  Baynard’s Castle, 319

  Becket, Thomas, 79, 89, 90, 91, 179

  canonisation of, 95

  Henry II’s official rapprochement with, 93

  murder of, 95, 158

  Henry II’s public atonement for, 110

  shrine of, 110, 130

  and Young King’s marriage, 131

  Berengaria of Navarre, 243

  Richard I marries, 227

  Berold, 8

  Berry, 22, 185, 187, 207

  Philip II’s first incursion into, 188–9

  Philip II’s second incursion into, 190

  Bertrand of Born, 159

  Bertrimont, Eustace, 163

  in Striguil household, 219

  Bibliothèque Impériale (later French National Library), xiv, xvi

  Bigod, Hugh, 311

  Bigod, Roger, 378

  Black Madonna, 94

  Blanche of Castile, 270, 272, 319, 335

  Bloet, Nest, 144, 220

  Bloet, Ralph, 219–20

  Blund, William, 101

  Bonsmoulins, 193

  Book of Chivalry, The (Le livre de chevalerie), 72

  Book of the Civilised Man (Beccles), 44

  Bordeaux, 75

  Boulogne, 11, 228

  and border skirmish of 1166, 54–6

  John severs alliance with, 270

  Bouvines, 234–5

  Brackley, 329

  Bradenstoke Priory, 74

  Brecon, 291, 312

  Brewer, William, 215

  Bristol, 13, 15, 215

  Bristol Castle, 236

  Brittany:

  Angevin influence expands into, 75

  Young King’s overlordship of, 150

  Burchard or Worms, 20–1

  Cairo, 166

  Cambridgeshire, 216

  Canterbury, 95, 110, 130, 336

  Capetians, 75–6, 78

  Angevins’ festering animosity towards, 78

  Angevins sign peace treaty with, 134–5

  Normandy offensive by, 190–3

  territorial growth enjoyed by, 269

  see also Louis VII of France; Louis VIII of France; Philip II of France

  Cardiff, 291

  Cardigan, 262, 294, 299, 321

  fall of, 366

  Carlow, 295, 302

  Carmarthen, 299, 334

  f
all of, 366

  Carolingians, 42, 76

  Carpenter, David, 360

  Cartmel, 183

  Augustinian priory at, 221–2

  Caversham, 208

  Châlus, siege of, 252–3

  Chanson d’Antioche, 42

  Chanson de Roland, 42

  Charles the Great (Charlemagne), 37

  Château Gaillard, 251, 278–9, 280

  Châteauroux, 22–4, 188, 191–2, 194, 207

  surrender of, 190

  Châteauroux Castle, 185

  Châtillon, 68

  Chepstow, see Striguil

  chevaliers (horsemen), 36

  see also knighthood

  chevauchées (destructive horse raids), 81, 191

  Chinon, 99, 101, 195, 201, 280

  Henry II takes refuge in, 202–3

  Christianity, and knighthood, 40–1

  Church of Holy Sepulchre, 164, 169

  Cilgerran Castle, 262, 294, 376

  Cistercian Order, 217

  Clarendon, 176

  Clifford, Rosamund, 102, 144

  cnihtas (servants), 36

  see also knighthood

  Cnut, King, 5

  Constance of Antioch, Princess, 162

  Constance of Brittany, 269

  Constitutions of Clarendon, 89

  Corfe Castle, 336, 350

  Cornwall, 215

  Coronation Charter, 328, 332

  Craon, Maurice, 205

  Croc, Reginald, 359

  crossbows, 51

  Crouch, David, xx, 145, 219

  Crusades, 41, 75, 137–8, 154

  effect of, on knighthood, 41

  First, 41, 163, 164, 170

  siege of Antioch, 42

  Second, 75, 144, 162

  swords mass-produced for, 49

  Third, 43, 171, 190, 196, 224, 230–1

  great siege of Acre, 190, 224–5, 227, 232

  most efficiently organised, 216

  Philip II joins, 214, 216

  Philip II’s return from, 228

  Richard I joins, 212–14

  Richard assumes command of, 230

  Richard ransomed during, 231

  Richard taken captive during, 229, 231

  Richard’s successes during, 230–1

  and Saladin Tithe, 216

  stalemate conclusion of, 231

  Curthose, Robert, duke of Normandy, 9, 109, 332

  and Crusades, 41

  Cut, Walter, 221

  Damascus, 166, 167

  Daniel of Beccles, 44, 144

  Darum, 167