to defend them; the city was in a marked way the head of the
district. Thus it commonly carried with it the action of the whole
country. In Maine there were three rival powers, the prince, the
Church, and the people. The position of the counts was further
weakened by the claims to their homage made by the princes on
either side of them in Normandy and Anjou; the position of the
Bishop, vassal, till Gervase's late act, of the King only, was
really a higher one. Geoffrey had been received at Le Mans with
the good will of the citizens, and both Bishop and Count sought
shelter with William. Gervase was removed from the strife by
promotion to the highest place in the French kingdom, the
archbishopric of Rheims. The young Count Herbert, driven from his
county, commended himself to William. He became his man; he agreed
to hold his dominions of him, and to marry one of his daughters.
If he died childless, his father-in-law was to take the fief into
his own hands. But to unite the old and new dynasties, Herbert's
youngest sister Margaret was to marry William's eldest son Robert.
If female descent went for anything, it is not clear why Herbert
passed by the rights of his two elder sisters, Gersendis, wife of
Azo Marquess of Liguria, and Paula, wife of John of La Fleche on
the borders of Maine and Anjou. And sons both of Gersendis and of
Paula did actually reign at Le Mans, while no child either of
Herbert or of Margaret ever came into being.

If Herbert ever actually got possession of his country, his
possession of it was short. He died in 1063 before either of the
contemplated marriages had been carried out. William therefore
stood towards Maine as he expected to stand with regard to England.
The sovereign of each country had made a formal settlement of his
dominions in his favour. It was to be seen whether those who were