Juliana, King Henry’s Illegitimate Daughter, Tries to Shoot Her Father and Escapes by Way of the Moat

Juliana was now involved with anxieties, not knowing where to turn, and feeling sure that her father was deeply exasperated against her, and would never retire from the castle he had invested, but as a victor. At length, as Solomon says, “There is no wickedness like that of a woman,” she determined on lifting her hands against the Lord’s anointed. In con-

Sequence, she treacherously sought a conference with her father, and the king, who suspected no such fraudulent design in a woman, giving her the meeting, his unhappy daughter attempted his life. Drawing a crossbow she launched a bolt at him, but through God’s protection he escaped unharmed. Thereupon the king ordered the drawbridge of the castle to be broken down, so that no one could either enter or come out.

Juliana now finding herself blockaded on all points and that there was no one to succour her, surrendered the castle [of Breteuil] to the king; but he would on no account consent to allow her to depart freely: so that the king’s orders compelled her to let herself down from the summit of the walls without support, and as there was no bridge she descended into the foss indecently, with naked legs. This took place in the beginning of Lent, the third week of February, when the castle-ditch was now full of snow-water which, being half frozen, her tender limbs of course suffered in her fall from the severity of the cold. The unfortunate heroine, getting out of it how she could and covered with shame, joined her husband who was than at Paci, and gave him a faithful account of the sad occurrence. Meanwhile, the king assembled the burgesses, commended them for maintaining their allegiance, honoured them with promises and benefits, and by their advice placed the castle of Breteuil in the custody of William, son of Ralph.

Source: Ordericus Vitalis. The Ecclesiastical History of England and Normandy. Bk. XII, Ch. X, pp. 466-67.