Il les tenoit ne sai pur quoi Car nule guerre il n'avoit, Ne de nul horn ne se cremoit: Mes par sa grant nobilité Avoit cele gent od soi mené. Qe dirroie de ses barons? Quieus homs estoit li quens Huons! L'empereur de Lumbardie Ne menoit pas tiele compaignie Come il fesoit de gent privée. Ja sa [tiel] meson ne tut vée A gentil home ne a franc. Ewe en viver u en estanc Ert plus legier a espucher Que n'iert son beivre ne son manger. Touz tens avoit richesce assez; Ja tant n'eust le jor donez Qe lendemain li sovenist, E q'autretant ne departist. Conte de Cestre estoit clamé; Od grant gent est au roi alé.] [Footnote 40: LES BIARDS, canton d'Isigny, arrondissement of Mortain. William Avenel is probably meant, who in 1082 was a benefactor to the abbey of St. Pierre-de-la-Couture at Mans; _Gallia Christiana,_ ix. Instr. 107. See the Avenels again below, and our note there.] [Footnote 41: SUBLIGNY, near Avranches. There was a bishop of Avranches of this house in the twelfth century. Sublignys appear in Cornwall, Devon, and Somerset See M. de Gerville's _Recherches_, No. 83. In the Red book, 'Joannes de Soligneio 1 mil. et ad servitium suum 3 mil;' and 'in ballia de Tenerchebraio--Joannes de Solegneio 1 mil. de honore de Gilleb'vill. et sibi 4 mil.'] [Footnote 42: D'AUBIGNY, near Periers, in the Cotentin; where there are now two parishes, St. Martin and Christopher d'Aubigny. As to the chateau, and that of Lithaire, see M. de Gerville's _Recherches_, No. 49--36. Lithaire however appears not to have belonged to this family; see our note. Dugdale, Blomfield, and most of our genealogists are extremely inaccurate as to the early history of this family. Almost all state William d'Aubigny, or de Albineio, pincerna of Hen. I., who did not die till 1139, to have come with the conqueror in 1066; to have been _his_ butler, and to have received his estates from _him_. From contemporary documents, particularly the charters of Lessay in the _Monasticon_ and _Gall. Christiana_, the known pedigree commences with a William d'Aubigny, or de Albini, who married the sister of the traitor Grimoult del Plesseiz; see the Bayeux Inquest, and our note p. 30. They had a son Roger, who married Amy Moubray, sister of Jeffery the bishop, and of Roger de Moubray. These had several children,--bom probably about or soon after the conquest,--namely William, pincerna of Hen. I., who married Maud Bigot, and was father of the first earl of Arundel; Richard, abbot of St. Albans (see _Mat. Paris_); Nigel, whose son took the name and estates of Moubray; Humphry; and Rualoc or Ralf. The subsequent pedigree of the Albini earls is correctly given by Mr. Tierney in his _Hist. of Arundel_. Wace anachronizes in calling his d'Aubignie--boteillers. If one of the family was at Hastings, it must have been the eldest William or his son Roger. At _Domesday_, however,