Of "the Tower of Rouen" I could say much. Perhaps its earliest undoubted mention is in or about 1078 (the exact date is doubtful), when Robert "Courthose," revolting from his father "Rotomagum expetiit, et _arcem regiam_ furtim præoccupare sategit. Verum Rogerius de Iberico ... qui turrim custodiebat ... diligenter arcem præmunivit," Ordericus here, as often, using _turris_ and _arx_ interchangeably.[969] Passing over other notices of this stronghold, we come in 1090 to one of those tragic deeds by which its history was destined to be stained.[970] Mr. Freeman has told the tale of Conan's attempt and doom.[971] The duke, who was occupying the Tower, left it at the height of the struggle,[972] but on the triumph of his party, and the capture of Conan, the prisoner was claimed by Henry for his prey and was led by him to an upper story of the Tower.[973] At this point I pause to discuss the actual scene of the tragedy. Mr. Freeman writes as follows:— "Conan himself was led into the castle, and there Henry took him.... The Ætheling led his victim up through the several stages of the loftiest tower of the castle," etc., etc.[974] Here the writer misses the whole point of the topography. The scene of Conan's death was no mere "tower of the castle," but "_the_ Tower," the Tower of Rouen—_Rotomagensis turris_, as William here terms it. He fails to realize that the Tower of Rouen held a similar position to the Tower of London. Thus, in 1098, when Helias of Le Mans was taken prisoner, we read that "Rotomagum usque productus, in arce ipsius civitatis in vincula conjectus est" (_Vetera Analecta_), which Wace renders:— "Li reis à Roem l'enveia E garder le recomenda En la tour le rova garder." Again, even in the next reign, a royal charter, assigned by Mr. Eyton to 1114-15, is tested, not at the "castle" of Rouen, but "in _turre_ Rothomagensi."[975] And so, two reigns after that, a century later than Conan's death, we find the _custodes_ of "the Tower of Rouen" entered in the Exchequer Rolls, where it is repeatedly styled "turris." Thus at Rouen, as at London, the "Tower" not only preserved its name, but ultimately imposed it on the whole fortress. And precisely as the Tower of London is mentioned in 1141 by the transition style of "turris Londoniæ cum castello," so in 1146 we find Duke Geoffrey repairing "sartatecta turris Rothomagensis et castelli," after it fell into his hands.[976]