Roger of Montgomery and his wife Mabel, who certainly was capable
of any deed of blood or treachery, are charged with acting as false
accusers. We see also that, as late as the day of Varaville, there
were Norman traitors. Robert of Escalfoy had taken the Angevin
side, and had defended his castle against the Duke. He died in a
strange way, after snatching an apple from the hand of his own
wife. His nephew Arnold remained in rebellion three years, and was
simply required to go to the wars in Apulia. It is hard to believe
that the Duke had poisoned the apple, if poisoned it was; but
finding treason still at work among his nobles, he may have too
hastily listened to charges against men who had done him good
service, and who were to do him good service again.

Five years after the combat at Varaville, William really began to
deserve, though not as yet to receive, the name of Conqueror. For
he now did a work second only to the conquest of England. He won
the city of Le Mans and the whole land of Maine. Between the tale
of Maine and the tale of England there is much of direct likeness.
Both lands were won against the will of their inhabitants; but both
conquests were made with an elaborate show of legal right.
William's earlier conquests in Maine had been won, not from any
count of Maine, but from Geoffrey of Anjou, who had occupied the
country to the prejudice of two successive counts, Hugh and
Herbert. He had further imprisoned the Bishop of Le Mans, Gervase
of the house of Belleme, though the King of the French had at his
request granted to the Count of Anjou for life royal rights over
the bishopric of Le Mans. The bishops of Le Mans, who thus, unlike
the bishops of Normandy, held their temporalities of the distant
king and not of the local count, held a very independent position.
The citizens of Le Mans too had large privileges and a high spirit