The schools of Bec are described by A. Porée, _Histoire de l’abbaye du Bec_ (Évreux, 1901). Notices of the various Norman historians are given by A. Molinier, _Les sources de l’histoire de France_ (Paris, 1901–06), especially II, chs. 25, 33. For Ordericus and St. Évroul see Delisle’s introduction to the edition of the _Historia Ecclesiastica_ published by the Société de l’Histoire de France, and the volumes issued by the Société historique et archéologique de l’Orne on the occasion of the Fêtes of 1912 (Alençon, 1912). Other early catalogues of libraries, including that of Philip of Bayeux, are in the first two volumes of the _Catalogue général des MSS. des départements_ (Paris, 1886–88). For the vernacular literature, see Gaston Paris, _La littérature normande avant l’annexion_ (Paris, 1899); and L. E. Menger, _The Anglo-Norman Dialect_ (New York, 1904). For the latest discussions of the _Chanson de Roland_ see J. Bédier, _Les légendes épiques_, III (Paris, 1912); and W. Tavernier’s studies in the _Zeitschrift für französische Sprache und Litteratur_, XXXVI-XLII (1910–14), and the _Zeitschrift für romanische Philologie_, XXXVIII (1914). Enlart, _Manuel d’archéologie française_, I, mentions the principal works on Norman ecclesiastical architecture. See also R. de Lasteyrie, _L’architecture religieuse en France à l’époque romane_ (Paris, 1912), ch. 15; Enlart, _Rouen_ (Paris, 1904); H. Prentout, _Caen et Bayeux_ (Paris, 1900); Henry Adams, _Mont-Saint-Michel and Chartres_ (Boston, 1913). VII THE NORMANS IN THE SOUTH Of all the achievements of the heroic age of Norman history, none were more daring in execution or more brilliant in results than the exploits of Norman barons in the lands of the Mediterranean. Battling against the infidel in Spain, in Sicily, and in Syria, scattering the papal army and becoming the humble vassals of the Holy See, overcoming Lombard princes and Byzantine generals, the Normans were the glorious adventurers of the Mediterranean world throughout that eleventh century which constituted the great period of Norman expansion. Then, masters of southern Italy and Sicily, they put to work their powers of assimilation and organization and created a strong, well-governed state and a rich, composite civilization which were the wonder of Europe. If one were tempted to ascribe the successes of the Normans in England to happy accident or to the unique personality of William the Conqueror, the story of Norman achievement in the south, the work of scattered bands of simple barons without any assistance from the reigning dukes, would be conclusive proof of the creative power of the Norman genius for conquest and administration.