At the king's summons the Young King, who was busy abroad, and the prelates of the Church and barons of the kingdom came together at London. Ambassadors sent with a great train by William king of Sicily to ask for the hand of Joanna the king's daughter in marriage were answered, after deliberation, on 20 May. The mention and promise of a future marriage were turned, with oaths on each king's soul, into a definite wedding. In order to bring about an alliance with the king of Sicily effectively and enter more closely and solemnly into it, the king of England sent ambassadors to Sicily who, after settling what gifts were to be made on account of the marriage, hurried back. This was done in the presence of the cardinal, with the assent of the archbishops and bishops, and strengthened by the consent of the nobles.

Joanna, Henry II's youngest daughter, sailed on 27 August to marry the king of Sicily; the bishop of Winchester provided the expenses and provisions needed for the journey, together with a large number of servants. On the king's orders, honourable men were assigned as escort, some to go as far as

invested in a variety of ships, fast and light, relying on rowing-boats rather than sailing-ships. He passed the duchy of Apulia, the principate of Capua and the promontories of Calabria after some delay, observing the cities of Reggio and Messina at close quarters on either side of the straits. I shall not omit to mention those hazards known also to the men who sailed to Italy after the fall of Troy: the bishop avoided the cape of Palinurus, the rocks of Scylla and the whirlpool of Charybdis with some trepidation. For it was not only momentarily that he meditated on the fact that the depths of the sea can be churned up in an instant. So the voyage was doomed by lack of rest and persistent anxiety. The threat of pirate attacs would have frightened even the most resolute sailor. Seasickness was brought on by the squalid conditions in which he rowers lived; their vital organs were affected by the unhealthy air. One can imagine the sort of dangers that beset people abroad (among all their other troubles) when in Sicily the leaves on the trees, the shoots on the vine and the reeds in the marshes were all withered by drought, as it was then the middle of August. When they put in to land at dusk, their skiffs, scarcely large enough to hold eight people, were washed up by the waves. Desperate as they were to restore their strength, they slept reluctantly under the open sky for many weeks. At night they made do with hard stones instead of soft bedstraw, or sometimes the tide gave them the use of the sand, and mistress necessity taught them to strew their beds on the gravel.[Working the land]

everyone to know that we have solemnly promised, inspired by God, to take up the cross and to go Jerusalem. We wish also that everyone may know that we are, and from now on always wish to be friends, and that each of us is willing to save the life, limbs and worldly honour of the other against all men to the best of his power. If anyone tries to do harm to either of us, I Henry will swear to protect Louis king of France, my lord, against all men to the best of my power, and I Louis swear to protect Henry king of England against all men to the best of my power, as he is my man and my ally, saving the faith which we owe to our men as long as they are loyal to us. This was enacted at Nonancourt on 25 September."

Saladin, a brutal persecutor of the name of Christianity, subdued Egypt and Syria, and seized Babylon and Damascus by force. When the count of Flanders and Earl William de Mandeville had collected a large force from the inhabitants of Jerusalem to harass the 'Agarenes' on the border with Antioch, they laid siege to Hareng on 1 November, a feast day. Saladin, who had achieved eminence by reason of arms rather than nobility, thought that the holy city of Jerusalem was empty of warriors, so he gathered a huge army, and invaded the territory of Ascalon in force, pitching camp in a place called Ramlah. The king of Jerusalem, the patriarch and the small army of knights that remained to him, either in the Temple or in the Hospital, together with a number of warriors, prepared

was astonished by this feat, and, seeing his men scattered in all directions, driven to flight and put to the sword, he decided himself to resort to flight, and swiftly throwing down his cuirass, he climbed on his travelling camel and barely escaped, together with a few men, hardly caring that he left this old reminder to his secendants: 'One chased a thousand, and two put ten thousand fo flight.' Thus on 25 November the Christians won the victory, and by divine command the power of he Gentiles was destroyed.[Voyage to Jerusalem]

Beacons were lit all over the kindgom on 29 November.

On 1 December a high wind came from the east, destroying woods and buildings.

1178

Heavy snow.

On the coast huge earthworks made of turf were destroyed by flooding from the sea, especially from the north. On 8 January inhabitants, herds and flocks were swept in all directions by the blasts of the north wind.

King Henry of England, after consolidating his control of the defences in all the provinces under his jurisdiction, which lay near the borders of France, the Pyrenees or the English Channel, and arranging everything as he wished, returned to

under age, his father restored in full his possessions which had been taken away. Thus occupied with knightly matters until no glory was lacking to him, he sailed from Wissant and was received with due honour by the king his father on 26 February.

We have heard that at Easter at a great court, Agnes the daughter of Louis VII, king of France, was married to Alexius, son of Manuel, the emperor of Constantinople. God will it more fortunate than the marriage between the daughter of Charlemagne and the Emperor Constantine, who withdrew from a childless marriage. Constantine expelled his mother Irene from the empire and after Irene was restored to power she blinded him.

Duke Richard of Aquitaine, having suffered many attacks, at length decided to conquer the proud Geoffrey de Rançon. He collected a force and on 1 May besieged the castle of Taillebourg. It was a most desperate venture and something which none of his predecessors had dared to attempt. The said castle was in those days completely unfamiliar to enemy troops; it was enclosed by a triple ditch, with three walls to resist rebellion, well supplied with arms, bars and barriers, adorned with towers placed at regular intervals, fortified by stone battlements, abundant in supplies, filled with thousands of men trained to fight; it hardly feared the arrival of he duke. The duke himself violently invaded the region; he took much booty, cut down the vines, burnt villages and demolished and

the archbishop with piety and respect. As stories of his miracles were circulating far and wide, Louis decided that he wished to venerate his body with all devotion, in order that by his prayers and intercession he might deserve to cross from this transitory kingdom to the eternal kingdom. Neither he, nor any of his ancestors, at any time either in peace or in war had visited England. Assuming the name and dress of a pilgrim, accompanied by a modest group of nobles, he very devotedly made his visit.[The cult of chivalry]

Henry II, king and father of the English, as soon as he heard of his imminent arrival, hurried to meet him at double speed and met the French king at Dover on 22 August. Whatever honour could be conceived of or bestowed was shown to the French. There was a solemn procession at the great church attended by the archbishop, bishops, earls, and barons, the clergy and the people on 23 August. There were hymns, songs and great joy celebrating the arrival of such a great prince. I do not know how much French silver and gold was given as an offering. The king of France granted a hundred Parisian measures of wine per annum on behalf of himself and his heirs in perpetuity out of reverence for the martyr. This was for the use of the monks of Canterbury and we commend his memory. But lest the French should seem to anyone to have sought anything other than the martyr, they restrained their hands from the treasure of the martyr, something which perhaps they had in mind.

Thus the king of France spent three days at Canterbury in

to be handed over to the monks, nor had provision been made to enable them to give up thier ancestral homes to their successors without indignation and serious loss to themselves.

First of all Hugh held a meeting of those who had holdings or other possessions and would have to give them up because the noise and frequent visitors would destroy or at least disturb the monks' privacy and perpetual silence. On the king's behalf he offered them the choice of two alternatives: either to be given fields and dwelling-sites of the same type as at Witham or any royal manor they chose, or to be freed from villeinage and go and live wherever they wished. When some had chosen lands and others freedom, Hugh, who was determined to temper justice with generosity, said to Henry II king of England, 'Now, my lord, you must also see that they are give monetary compensation for their homes, and for whatever expense or labour they have bestowed on their holdings and buildings of every kind for otherwise I cannot accept this place.' Thus, the king was compelled to buy goods which he thought completely worthless, old hovels, decayed beams and half-destroyed walls, laying out a considerable sum of money to little advantage. The sellers when they were paid were absolutely delighted at this new type of sale which enriched them considerably. They blessed

'Can a man on foreign soil be so bold? What would happen if he were to use his fists, when his tongue is so violent! Lest worse should befall us, let him have what he asks.' Hugh then gave back the buildings he had received to their former owners, although they had already been paid for. The owners either sold them once more, or took them away to live in them elsewhere. Thus he, being endowed with the foresight and devotion of Nehemiah, the favour of Solomon and the zeal of David, was enabled to build Jerusalem, without blood, and immediately set about erecting the edifice we now see.

When the buildings required by the customs of the order were almost finished and the number of brethren was complete, the good shepherd concentrated upon the training of the souls committed to his care in their holy profession. He devoted much labour to the making, purchase, and acquisition by every means of manuscripts of religious works, since these were a great assistance in this task.

Once in private converse with the king, the lack of books happened to be mentioned. When he was advised to do his best to get them copied by professional scribes, he replied that he had no parchment. The king then said, 'How much money do you think I should give you to make up this defect?' He answered that a silver mark would be enough for a long time.

how, as bishop of Lincoln, he had aroused the King's ire by excommunicating his chief forester.

When the behaviour of the new bishop of Lincoln became public property at court, many people did their best to fan the already strong indignation of the king against Hugh by poisoned words, 'Sire,' they said, 'the black ingratitude of the man for your unusual favours is now obvious, the reward you have received for taking so much pains for his advancement is notorious.'

In spite of his great anger, the king behaved with restraint. He sent a summons to the bishop, and when he knew that he was about to arrive, mounted his horse, and withdrew with all his nobles, who were there in considerable numbers, to the neighbouring forest.

He sat down in a pleasant spot and the earls and other barons formed a circle around him. These he commanded not to rise or greet the bishop when he arrived. To make a long story short, the bishop came and greeted the king and the company, but no one returned his greeting. When he saw them sitting there silent and indifferent, he came up and put his hand lightly on the shoulder of the earl who was sitting next to the kin, and make him give him his seat by the king. A heavy silence ensued, and all of them waited for a long time.

At last, the king became aware of their confusion and spoke thus 'You cannot understand the way this barbarian has insulted us, so I will explain. The mother of our great-grandfather William, the Conqueror of this land, is reputed to have been of humble birth, and to have come from the important Norman town of Falaise, which is celebrated for its leatherwork. This giber saw me sewing my finger, and so complimented me on my resemblance to my cousins in Falaise.'[Words and images]

'Now, tell me', he said to the bishop, 'my good friend, why without informing me have you thought fit to excommunicate my chief forester, and to treat my trifling request to you with such contempt, that you neither came yourself to explain why you had refused it, nor sent any excuse by our messengers?' The bishop at once answered these remonstrances in these words: 'I know that you worked hard to make me a bishop. I am therefore bound to save your sould from the perils which would befall it, if I was not careful to do my clear duty to the church entrusted to my charge. It is essential to excommunicate the oppressor of my church, and still more to refuse those who try to obtain prebends in that church illegally. I deemed in unnecessary to approach your highness since you are quite wise enough to recognize what is right, and would certainly wish to show your approval of what you

rashly hunted wild animals would be punished with a heavy fine or a long imprisonment; the punishment should deter the criminal and those caught would receive a heavy sentence. Murder was to be punished by hanging, traitors were condemned to exile, those caught for lesser crimes would have their limbs cut off; the justiciar should vigorously restrain trespassers and satisfaction should be made for the damage.

Once more after a lapse of time, the king was most intent on showing justice to everyone and, in order to provide more protection for his subjects, he wanted to test the loyalty of many men. He carefully looked for lovers of justice among various classes of men, and he sought among thousands of men he whom money could not corrupt, for an offer can change one's mind and among changeable people an unalterable sentence may be changed. How far the clergy had relieved the complaints of the poor, or the authority of the belted knight had resisted the more powerful and forced them to live by the common law, the disasters of the oppressed make obvious. For he appointed now abbots, now earls, now captains, now his household men or those closest to him to hear and determine cases.[Sheriffs and shires]

The king, therefore, since he had appointed so many of his faithful men of all classes who were prejudicial to the public

rays helped the abundant fruit, and unexpectedly the land, previously dry, produced a great crop, so that in many places you could see seven ears of corn on one stalk. You ought to be reminded that something or other, suddenly, unhoped for and unusual, will perhaps happen to you in your time.

Again, in this year the grace of heaven bestowed its affection and earthly powers on its subjects, so that anyone who has a case in a civil or ecclesiastical court cannot doubt that the outcome will be favoured by divine consideration. For it was decreed that, in the counties, as we have said before, bishops should be appointed on the king's orders to hear disputes over service, but could not impose the death penalty. If you are honest you can come safely to the consistory court of the archbishop of Canterbury, with all peace of mind for the reason about to be reported. So that his assessors, whom he has for giving advice and conducting suits, should not stray from the path of truth, and be corrupted by money on behalf of the litigants, they introduced an oath on the Scriptures according to civil law. For all bearing a common responsibility, swore publicly on the Gospels that they would never dirty their hands with money, and no one was exempt. The archbishop promised this on his word at Pagham.

Cadwallon, who held a principality in South Wales, often crossed the ancient border between the English and the

Fate was kinder to Louis VII of France in his last days as regards his third marriage. Three times he married legitimately and at the time most happily, as was written in the French annals. His third marriage was made to produce a male heir. From his first two marriages the king had four daughters only; at length by his third wife, Adela, the daughter of the great Theobald, count of Blois, most happily he had a son, Philip, loved by the people and devotedly and readily sought by the clergy.

When Philip was fourteen, after meeting with the archbishops, bishops and princes of the kingdom, whose assent was needed according to the custom of the realm, he went to Reims. On 1 November by hereditary right, as the comfort, father and governor of all his subjects, in the solemnity of the saints, so that he might deserve their protection against his enemies, he was consecrated king of France by William archbishop of Reims, the king's own uncle. At his coronation Philip king of France had Philip count of Flanders as his special official, who bore his sword and arranged the royal feasts. The count of Flanders had a twofold right to this office, through his father and his wife.

King Henry, son of Henry II, king of England, the husband of the French King's sister, attended the coronation because he was a close relation and because he was invited to observe. Although Britain almost deserved to be called another world

which was known throughout the world. Richard bishop of Winchester was charged by the king with the care of this matter. He crossed the Channel on 6 March, taking with him, as fellow ambassadors, Master Walter of Coutances, keeper of the king's seal. When they arrived in Paris thay found King Louis confined to his bed, bowed down with old age and sickness.

The clergy of Limoges, without the knowledge or consent of Henry II king of England or Richard duke of Aquitaine, elected Sebrand, dean of the church of Poitiers, to be their bishop. As punishment for this insolent conduct, their property was confiscated, their houses ruined, their vineyards uprooted. When Pope Alexander learnt of this, he sent instructions to Warin, archbishop of Bourges, to investigate the matter and negotiate a settlement. However, when the clergy of Limoges came to the archbishop, they found him dead. Then, so that they might not seem to have laboured in vain, the archpriest of Brive inserted the letters of the pope, which were still sealed, into the hands of the dead man, saying, 'What he could not accomplish in life, let him accomplish in death.' By his skilful mediation, they say that the bishop of Limoges achieved reconciliation with the king and the duke.

Young King Henry, son of the elder king, came to England on

"I, Philip, king of France by the grace of God, and I, Henry, king of England by that same grace, wish to bring to the notice of all men, both now and in the future, that we renew by faith and oath, the treaty and friendship which my lord father the king of France and I, Henry II, king of England, confirmed at Ivry in the presence of Cardinal Peter and Richard bishop of Winchester. And that all cause for discord between us be removed, we each grant that neither shall seek from the other any of the territories or lands or other goods which he possesses. The only exceptions to this shall be the Auvergne, which is a cause for dissension between us, and the fief of Châteauroux and the small fees of the land of Berry, if our men occupy any part of it whether against each other or against one of us. However, if we are unable to reach an agreement through our own negotiations, concerning those territories which we have excepted from the general provisions, I, Philip king of France, have chosen three bishops and three barons and I, Henry king of England, have chosen three bishops and three barons to discuss the matter. We shall faithfully observe whatever they recommend. We promise by faith and oath that we shall abide by all the preceding conditions. This agreement was drawn up on 28 June between Gisors and Trie."

And now Louis VII king of France lay gravely ill in Paris. He ordered that all his gold, his silver, his jewels, his rings, his rich garments and his regal ornaments be brought before him.

king of England, and William, the king of Scotland, came to take council together and parted peacefully. At the insistent suggestion of his palace advisers, Philip king of France decided to follow the example of Henry king of England, who managed to exercise government over his vast kingdom, beset though it was with the incursions of he barbarous Scots and Welsh. That he might learn more exactly the methods of his fellow prince, he decided, on the advice of his domestic councillors, to submit himself entirely to Henry's guidance.

The older king of England surrendered all of Normandy to the control of his son, the younger king, charging all the ministers of that land with obedience to him, and left him to watch over and protect Philip king of France, should the need arise. Now that all the provinces were ordered according to his wishes and, respectful of his laws, were enjoying the benefits of peace brought by his rule, he returned to England on 28 July. He paid a visit to Canterbury where he offered prayers to St Thomas.

Philip count of Flanders, when he heard how Philip king of France and Henry king of England were so closely associated, raised up as many of the Flemings as he could to fight against his liege lord. He declared that matters had come to such a head that they must either destroy the enemies' fortifications or else capture them and so force the king to negotiate. He

unable to resist, he fell at the feet of his nephew, King Philip, asking and receiving forgiveness for his offence. Moving on, the two kings (Philip and the young king Henry) and their forces inflicted severe losses on the duke of Burgundy, the countess of Champagne, sister to both kings, and their accomplices, whose forces they again outnumbered. Moving back northwards, they compelled the count of Flanders to retreat. The count feared to meet King Henry, son of the king of England, face to face and shut himself up in the castle of Crépy. Indeed, they say that, had the deceitful advice of the king of England's councillors not thwarted his plans, the count, shut in the castle, would soon have been forced to surrender, as he only had food for a few days.

1182

Philip king of the French, the kings of the English, father and son, Philip count of Flanders and those from all over France who on his advice had broken faith with their lords, met together at Senlis after Easter. Henry bishop of Albano, the pope's legate, was there, and William archbishop of Reims with many bishops. What was agreed can be seen from the following document:

"The king of the English to Richard bishop of Winchester, greeting.

silver of old money, three hundred gold pieces, a golden bowl and seven silver ones, nine silver cups, three bowls of maplewood, three silver salt-cellars, forty silver spoons, eight silver plates, a great silver dish and silver basins.[Red Beard]

Henry duke of the Saxons, the husband of the king of England's eldest daughter Matilda, rose up against Philip archbishop of Cologne and did him enormous damage. The archbishop raised forces from all around and manfully resisted the duke, receiving aid and favour from the emperor. Things happened in such a way that when the sentence of all the princes of the empire was made public, the duke was forced to submit to exile. Coming to Normandy to his father-in-law with the duchess, two of his sons, Henry and Otto, and a marriageable daughter -- the third son, called Lothar, stayed in Germany -- he was honourably received and for more than three years shown sumptuous hospitality and royal generosity.

1183

In 1143 John Porphyrogenitus emperor of Constantinople had died, poisoned at Antioch, leaving two surviving sons. The elder brother disappeared leaving a son called Adronicus. Manuel, the younger one, was made emperor, as he was more popular with the Greeks.[The 'New Rome']

Now about this time Emperor Manuel died at Constantinople, after reigning for about forty years, leaving as his successor

Normandy, through the liberality of the kings of France.

What the father requested took place at Angers. Afterwards, to complicate matters, the father asked his son Henry to concede to his brother Richard the duchy of Aquitaine to be held by Richard and his heirs in perpetuity. Then at last the younger king openly demonstrated to his father that he was allied with many Aquitainian barons against his brother Richard. He had been led to this at the time when Richard had, against his wishes and to his disadvantage, strongly fortified the castle of Clairvaux which of olden times had been subject to the counts of Anjou. But so as not to incur his father's displeasure he solemnly swore to do what his father asked at Mirebeau, as long as Richard, after doing homage and allegiance to him, would also swear fealty to him on sacred relics. At this Richard exploded in anger, apparently saying that since he came from the same father and the same mother as his brother it was not right for him to acknowledge his elder brother as superior by some sort of subjection; but by the good law of the first-born the paternal goods were due to his brother, and he claimed equal right to legitimate succession to the maternal goods.

Hearing this the elder king fell into a rage and threatened difficulties for Richard, vehemently saying that the younger king was going to rise up and tame Richard's pride. He told

in the linen garments which he wore at his coronation, was carried on the shoulders of his comrades through villages, castles and towns, with people running everywhere to look until they reached Le Mans, where it was set down in the choir of the church of St Julien. The great men of the town suddenly rushed in, and with popular approval speedily buried the king's body there, as his paternal grandfather rested in the same place. But afterwards he was moved to Rouen, because while the Young King lived he had chosen that as his place of burial. He was interred with the honour due to a prince in the cathedral of Rouen, on the north side of the high altar.[The body royal]

1184

When he had arranged all the provinces under his jurisdiction according to his wishes, and all his subjects were enjoying the delights of peace, the king of the English crossed over to England on 11 June, going through Flanders with the permission and goodwill of the French king. About this time the duke of Saxony with his household and goods came to England, and within a few days, at Winchester, the duchess bore a son, called William.

Philip archbishop of Cologne, accompanied on his journey by Philip count of Flanders, came to England to offer prayers to St Thomas at Canterbury. The king came to meet the

Roman emperor nor from the king of France. Instead, they sailed to England and came to the king at Reading. And as they explained their reasons for their great journey (such as was without parallel) and told in detail the devastation of the holy city, they moved the whole company, the king and all those who were present, to sighs and tears. And they gave into the king's hands memorials of the birth of Jesus Christ, of his passion and of his resurrection. For they gave the keys of David's tower, a piece of the holy cross and the keys of the holy sepulchre. All these things the king displayed with great reverance.[Le Mans Cathedral]

Richard, the new archbishop of Canterbury, was enthroned on 19 May; he was received in solemn procession at St Augustine's Abbey and celebrated mass there. The abbot, Roger, ministered to him, and wore a mitre in the procession on 26 May.

Herbert, an Englishman from Middlesex, when passing through Sicily, was made archbishop of Cosenza with the agreement of William king of Sicily. But then there was a great earthquake and the archbishop, his clergy and household, and a large part of the city were swallowed up, many castles destroyed and many people killed. A city was submerged by the Adriatic sea during the night, while all the people were asleep. In England too, in the north, there was an earthquake and in some places buildings were destroyed.

Richard count of Poitou was very offended he made no complaints to his father. And so, with Anjou, Touraine, Maine, Brittany and Normandy enjoying peace and tranquility, the king came back to England, landing happily at Southampton on 27 April. The queen crossed with the king, in the same boat.

After disembarking the king visited the bishop of Winchester at Marwell, and spent the night at Winchester. The archbishop of Canterbury was coming to see the king, but the latter hurried out to meet him, showing all due respect, and in this his humility exceeded that customary with his ancestors. The archbishop was received in solemn procession at Winchester 1 May.[The path to holiness]

Geoffrey duke of Brittany, the king of England's son, passed away on 18 August, aged 28. He was buried in the choir of Notre-Dame at Paris. He left two daughters by his wife Constance, daughter of Count Conan of Brittany. Margaret, the sister of King Philip of France and widow of young King Henry, returned to Paris with a great train on 24 August. She was then married to Bela, king of Hungary, Dalmatia, Croatia and Ramma.

On the king's order, Richard dean of Lincoln and most of his chapter met at Eynsham on 24 May. After a long meeting about the affairs of their church, Hugh, a Burgundian from

breeding, and it was almost universally agreed that no more suitable bishop could be found.[Lincoln]

As this has already been described by Gerald, archdeacon of St David's, amongst certain other outstanding events connected with the saint, it seems best to quote his words. Here is his account:

"To return to the bishop of Lincoln, I do not think I should omit an incident which undoubtedly was intended to be a sign and portent of what his coming implied. On the very day of Hugh's enthronement, or thereabouts, as bishop of Lincoln, at his manor near Stow, which is about eight miles from the city of Lincoln, a delightful spot surrounded by woods and lakes, a swan suddenly arrived which had never been seen there before. In a few days, by reason of its weight and size, it had fought and killed all the other swans there, except for one female which it spared for company and not for breeding purposes. It was about as much larger that a swan as a swan is than a goose, but in everything else, especially in its colour and whiteness, it closely resembled a swan, except that in addition to its size it did not have the usual swelling and black streak on its beak. Instead, that part of its beak was flat and bright yellow in colour, as were also its head and the upper part of its neck.[St Hugh and Witham]

however, it was friendly and tame with no one but the bishop, and indeed, as I have sometimes seen myself, kept everyone else away from its master when it was with him, by hissing at them and threatening them with its wings and beak and emitting loud croaks as is the habit with swans. It seemed determined to make it completely clear that it belonged only to him, and was a symbol imparted to the saint alone.

When the bishop visited that place the last Easter before his departure from this earth, not only did it not come to meet him as usual, but it refused to be chased from the pond on which it was swimming in order to be brought to him. To the surprise of everyone, there it remained on the water looking depressed and ill, and its movements were languid. Finally, the bishop ordered that it should be brought to him, whether it wished it or not. For three days, a large number of people tried hard to do so, but their efforts were fruitless. It was at last captured amongst the rushes in a very remote part of the pond where it had take refuge from its would-be captors. When it was brought to the bishop, with its hanging head and general air of wretchedness it seemed the very picture of grief, which strange occurance amazed all who saw it.

The bishop's visit was exceedingly short, and just six months aftewards he had gone the way of all flesh, and so was never seen again by his friend the bird. Those who thought about the matter, then realized that its melancholy air meant that it

affection for children because of their complete naturalness. In this he resembled the Author of perfection, who said to his disciples 'Suffer the little children to come unto me and forbid them not, for as such is the kingdom of heaven.' Wherever he found them, he caressed them lovingly with angelic tenderness, and even when they could hardly talk, they made affectionate noises. He used to make the sign of the cross on their foreheads and their mouths and eyes, and bless them again and again, praying for their welfare. They in their turn made friends with him surprisingly quickly, and even those who generally were terrified of almost everybody, came to him more readily than to their parents.

I saw a child of about six months, who, when he made the sign of the cross on its forehead with the holy oil, expressed such great delight by the movement of its limbs, that it reminded one of the joy of the Baptist, leaping up in the womb. The tiny mouth and face relaxed in continuous chuckles, and it seemed incredible that at an age when babies generally yell it could laugh in this way. It then bent and stretched out its little arms, as if it were trying to fly, and moved its head to and fro, as if to show that its joy was almost too great to bear. Next it took his hand in both its tiny ones and, exerting all its strength, raised it to its face. It then proceeded to lick it instead of kissing it. This it did for a long time. Those present were amazed at the unusual spectacle of the bishop and the infant absolutely happy in each other's

which he handed immediately to the writer, with the words, 'Take charge of this for me with especial care'.

When the abbot and monks saw what had happened, they were first overcome with horror, and then became exceedingly enraged. They cried out, 'What terrible profanity! We thought that the bishop had asked to see this holy and venerable relic for reasons of devotion, and has stuck his teeth into it and gnawed it as if he were a dog.' He mollified their anger with soothing words. Part of his speech is worth recording. 'If, a little while ago I handled the most sacred body of the Lord of all the saints with my fingers, in spite of my unworthiness, and when I partook of it, touched it with my lips and teeth, why should I not venture to treat in the same way the bones of the saints for my protection, and by this commemoration of them increase my reverence for them, and without profanity acquire them when I have the opportunity?'

1187

As Diceto shows, in 1187 the English and French kings prepared once more for war.

With his kingdom enjoing the delights of peace King Henry crossed the Channel from Dover on 17 February. Going through Flanders, he stayed at a castle called Hesdin and three

the holy cross was captured, and the king of Jerusalem and our own master killed, and with them almost all our army and our own brothers, so that we truly believe two hundred and thirty men to have been beheaded that day, not counting the sixty who were killed on 1 May. The count of Tripoli, Lord Reinald of Sidon, and the Lord Balian (of Ibelin) and ourselves were barely able to escape from that miserable field. From there, wallowing in Christian blood, they quickly went with all their army to Acre. They took over almost the whole country, leaving only Jerusalem, Ascalon and Tyre in our hands. Almost all the townsmen of those places were killed in battle, and unless divine assistance and the aid of noblemen come quickly we shall not be able to hold onto them. The city of Tyre is hard pressed at this moment, and they attack it continually day and night. They are in such numbers that the whole country from Tyre to Jerusalem and down to Gaza looks like an antheap."

Richard count of Poitou, son of Henry II and first among the barons of France, took the cross, from the hand of the archbishop of Tours, without asking his father or waiting to hear his wishes.

1188

On 22 January the king of the French and the king of the English met for a conference. After long discussions the

expecially since after taking the cross the king of England had crossed to England leaving all his lands in the keeping of the kinf of France, who undertook the custody in good faith.

Then the king of France won over to his side with threats or promises certain castellans who were subjects of the English king. When he heard this King Henry crossed to France around 25 July. He gathered a large army of English, Marchers, Welsh and Bretons. But he kept them restrained for many days living in tents in Normandy when they were eager to make an attack on France.

At length the kings held a conference on 16 August between Gisors and Trie which lasted for three days. When however the kings on both sides withdrew is discord, the king of France ordered a certain tree near Gisors, but rooted within the French kingdom, to be cut down. The English king, leaving Gisors the next day, crossed through Vernon and invaded France, laying waste as far as Mantes.

On 18 November a meeting was held between the French and English kings at Bonsmoulins, which Richard count of Poitou had arranged. When it came to the conference the French king proposed that he should restore to the English king everything he had gained since taking the cross and that afterwards everything should remain as it had been before he had taken the cross. The king of the English replied, on the advice of the

took Jaffa, and killed all the Turks there, about five thousand of them, and he took eight emirs. He also took Jebail and killed everyone. The lord of Mulla, one of Saladin's chiefs, attacked Saladin, and so did the Lord Marendim. The caliph, lord of Baghdad, the chief of all the Turks, attacked Saladin as far as he was able. You know that the sultan of Iconium married his daughter to Saladin's son, and Saladin married his daughter to a son of the sultan, and it is well known how Kutepez, Saladin's son, killed his wife the daughter of the sultan. For it is certain and beyond doubt, as all say, that in the year when the Annunciation falls on Easter Day the French will restore the promised land, and they shall stable their horses in the palm groves of Baghdad and set up their tents beyond the dry tree and the tares will be separated from the wheat. And you know most certainly that a causeway has been found in the Hellespont.

"It is openly acknowledged that the sultan hates the emperor of Constantinople, because he has not paid the four hundred pounds of gold he ought to have paid each year since he became emperor, nor the other three hundred pounds. Take note, brothers, of what the emperor once said to us, so that the eye may not be deceived. Otherwise I can tell you that so many Turks were captured at Tyre that two Turks could be bought for one bezant. Saladin said that he had in his custody a messenger of Eustace Patricius and Balian, who had the wife of the king of Jerusalem, when the count of Tripoli

astrologers, that within these three years, a third of the Turks will perish by the sword, another third will flee beyond the dry tree and the other third will be baptized. We know indeed that Saladin could not find any Turks who would build in the promised land or take their families there for fear of the arrival of the French. On the day that the bearer of this letter left Constantinople there came certain messengers saying that Saladin's army had been destroyed at Antioch and that Saladin's brother and his son had been captured. On the day that I left the emperor ordered the extermination of all the Latins in his empire. And you know that by the grace of God in the kingdom of Iconium there are five thousand good Armenians and twenty-five emirs ready to go with the French in the defence of Christianity and for the liberation of the land where our lord Jesus Christ was born and died.".

After the following Easter, negotialtions were held twice between the kings of France and England and Richard count of Poitou at La Ferté Bernard. But in the end, after lengthy talks, they withdrew on both sides as enemies.

The tragic final days of Henty II's reign, and the king's death, are well described in The Deeds of King Henry II.

Philip king of France departed and took La Ferté Bernard. On the Monday following, when the king of England and his men appeared to be at a safe distance from the farthest point of the

On the Sunday next following, Philip count of Flanders, William archbishop of Reims and Hugh duke of Burgundy came to the king of England, who was then at Saumur, rather of their own initiative than at the king's will, to make a settlement between them. But the king of France had warned them before they set out on their journey that he would, notwithstanding, prepare an attack upon the city from the fortress of St Martin, to which he had retired across the River Loire.

On the following Monday 3 July, about the third hour, the city of Tours was taken by storm by an assault from the bank of the Loire, in consequence of the lower level of the river -- the volume of water being reduced beyond measure -- and ladders being placed against the wall; within the city eighty knights and a hundred men-at-arms were taken prisoner. For shame! The king of England, placed in a difficult position, made peace with Philip king France, in this wise.

"Henry, king of England, has put himself in all things at the advice and will of Philip, king of France, to the effect that, whatsoever the king of France has provided and decreed, the king of England will wholly perform without opposition. First, the king of England again paid homage to the king of France because, as related above, he had surrendered his dominions to the king of France, who had requited him at the

against the king of England, if he does not fufil these agreements. Also, the king of France and Count Richard shall take possession of the city of Le Mans and the castles of Château-du-Loir and Trou; of if the king of England shall prefer, the king of France and Count Richard shall hold the castles of Gisors, Paci and Nonancourt, until everything is carried out as the king of France has appointed above."

Henry, king of England died in the year of our Lord 1189, in the month of July, on the sixth day of the month, within the Octave of the Apostles Peter and Paul, in the nineteenth lunation, on the fifth day of the week, at Chinon.

He was buried at Fontevrault in the abbey of the nuns who served God there.[The old king at bay]

The day after his death, when he was borne to burial, he lay in state robed in royal splendour, wearing a gold crown on his head, gauntlets on his hands and a gold ring on his finger, holding the sceptre in his hand, with gold-braided shoes and spurs on his feet, girded with his sword, and his face uncovered. When this had been reported to Count Richard, his son, he came post-haste to meet the cortège. At his coming blood began to flow forthwith from the dead king's nostrils as if his spirit was moved with indignation. The said count, weeping and lamenting, followed his father's corpse in procession as far as Fontevrault, where it was given burial.