time been existing between him, the said David, whom his parents gave as a foster-child to the church of Rome, and our well-beloved son in Christ the illustrious king of England, even after a final compromise had, by the mediation of good men, been made to our venerable brother the bishop of St. Asaph, and his colleagues, that both parties would abide by their decision in the matter of all complaints, and even an oath made by both parties to that effect, the said king, not considering that, pending their decision, it was not lawful for him to do anything in the matter, unexpectedly made war against the aforesaid prince, and by force and through fear, which sometimes seizes on the boldest of men, compelled him to forego what had been sworn to by him, the king, and others also of his subjects in the above matters, concerning which the compromise had been made. Inasmuch, therefore, as things which are done through fear, or by force, ought to be void of effect, we, by these apostolic warrants, order you, at your discretion, to examine diligently into the truth of this matter, and if you find the matter to be as above stated, by our authority to release the aforesaid prince from any observance of an oath thus extorted from him, and without any difficulty to absolve him, as is but just, according to the forms of the Church, from any sentence which has perchance been pronounced by any one on account of this matter against his person or territory. Witness, &c. Given at Genoa, the twenty-sixth of July, in the second year of our pontificate.' We, therefore, on the strength of this authority, order you to appear before us at Keyrus, in the church of Gustefend, on the eve of St. Agnes the Virgin, there to answer to the said prince on the matters contained in the said warrant, as you shall see expedient.”

When this warrant came to the knowledge of the king and his nobles, and soon afterwards flew on the wings of fame to that of other chiefs, they were highly indignant, and persuaded the king not to attend to any orders of this kind, urging him on to war and to attack the said David without delay. When the pope heard of this, he winked at and concealed it all, but did not, however, restore to David the present he had received from him.

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MATTHEW PARIS.

Of the thunder heard in the winter.

[A.D. 1244.

In the month of November of this year, as a sad presage of coming events, thunder was plainly heard and lightning seen, which lasted for fifteen successive days, and was followed by a disturbed state of the weather.

Of the inquisition made respecting the occupation of the royal forest. About this time Robert Passlow, a clerk of the king's, advised him to adopt a severe and cruel mode of proceeding, inasmuch as it was profitable to him; this was, to make a careful inquisition concerning the occupation of the royal forests, or unforested land, amongst the people dwelling near it, in order that those who presumed so to occupy might be mulcted in a heavy penalty. He, therefore, by the king's order, summoned all his colleagues for this purpose; namely, Lawrence, a clerk of St. Alban's, and Geoffrey de Langley, a knight; and the said Robert then went the circuit of the various counties, and, imposing upon many by manifold arguments, he, in order to enrich the king, irremediably impoverished all, religious men and seculars, the noble and ignoble, to such a degree, indeed, that many became homeless and wanderers, and were compelled to beg; others were committed to prison, or, being despoiled of all their property, prolonged a wretched existence in want and misery. Amongst others, John de Neville, the high forester, whose father Hugh had held the same office before him, and who was not the least of the nobles of England, was so deeply incriminated that he was committed to prison, and expected to be disinherited, or to be obliged to pay an ignominious ransom, or some other severe punishment, unless the royal clemency should, on the powerful intercession of the other nobles, mitigate the severity of the sentence. He, however, did not deserve the pity of compassionate persons, because in his prosperity he did not know how to pity those subject to him in a like calamity.

Of the election to the see of Chichester of Robert Passlow, which
election was soon after annulled.

This said Robert Passlow, by thus adding some thousands of marks to the royal treasury, obtained the king's favour in a wonderful degree; on seeing which, the canons of Chi

A.D. 1244.] THE KING OFFERS COSTLY PRESENTS.

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chester began to think him a fit and very useful person to undertake the rule of their church, as being a wise and circumspect man; hoping, therefore, to please God and the king, as well as to obtain the king's favour and protection, and the advancement of their church thereby, they elected the said Robert Passlow their bishop. But the archbishop elect of Canterbury and a great many of the bishops were highly indignant on finding this out; and, laying aside all fear of, and affection for, the king, examined the said Robert on some very difficult questions, through the bishop of Lincoln, and finally rejected the bishop elect, and annulled his election at once, and without asking the king's consentappointing Master Richard de Witz in his stead. The king's anger kindled at this, both against the elect bishop, and the other bishops, and the revenues of the said Master Richard, even after his election were at once given to fit and worthy persons; for Master Martin, the pope's clerk, who was present and ready, being appointed by the pope for this purpose, was gaping after his vacant revenues. When the king heard of this proceeding, he was vehemently enraged, and forbade the new bishop elect, who had been chosen without his being consulted, to the great prejudice of himself and the kingdom, to be allowed admission to any barony pertaining to his church, or to any secular possessions; but this has been mentioned before.

The king offers some costly presents in the church of St. Alban's.

On St. Thomas the Apostle's day, the king went to St. Alban's, to take up his abode there; and when, according to custom, he went up to the grand altar, to offer up his prayers, he also offered a valuable cloak, and three gold necklaces, to be suspended at the shrine, in memory of him, and in honour of the martyr, although he had offered seven before.

For three days the king stayed at this place, and, whilst there, a report reached him that the countess of Flanders had paid the debt of nature; and on this news he ordered, as was the custom with Christian kings, bountiful alms to be given to the poor on behalf of her soul, and solemn obse-quies to be devoutly performed in the choir of St. Alban's.

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Summary of the events of the year.

Thus ended this year, which was throughout abundantly productive in fruit and corn, so much so, indeed, that the price of a measure of corn fell to two shillings; its events were most inimical to the Holy Land; marked with disturbances in England; fraught with peril to the French kingdom; raised suspicion in the Church, and turbulence among the Italians.

How the king kept Christmas at London, and conferred the honour of knighthood on John de Gatesden.

Anno Domini 1245, the twenty-ninth year of the reign of King Henry the Third, he passed Christmas at London, and observed the solemnities of that festival in the company of many of his nobles. At that place, on Christmas-day, he conferred the honour of knighthood on John de Gatesden, a clerk, who had enjoyed several rich benefices, but who, as was proper, now resigned them all. This said John, a prudent and persevering man, had, by means of his own industry, enriched himself with many lay possessions; and, on marrying the daughter of a noble lady, named Roisia de Bruce, gave up the perilous cure of souls, and was advanced to the dignity of the higher nobles; hence, a great many who were noble by birth, though ignoble in mind, became envious, and laid snares to injure him; but the said John, by his prudence, escaped their attempts, although not without difficulty.

How the archbishop elect of Canterbury, and the bishops of Worcester and Hereford, crossed to the continent.

Whilst these events were in the course of occurrence, Boniface, archbishop elect of Canterbury, and the bishops of Hereford and Worcester, who, of all the prelates of England, were the most particular friends of the pope, and the most suspected by the English, suddenly set sail to go to the pope, on account of some secret business (which, however, was unknown to the general community); and all matters were disposed in the house of Canterbury, or that concerned the conventual assembly, as also the familiars of his court, the offices and officials, at his pleasure, more than any one of his predecessors had ever been allowed to do. The said Boniface also,

A.D. 1245.] WILL OF THE COUNT OF PROVENCE.

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after making a careful examination, declared that the church of Canterbury was irremediably shackled with debts, on behalf of the archbishopric, to the amount of fifteen thousand marks. Therefore, when at his departure he was about to embark at Dover, he ordered the woods belonging to the archbishopric to be cut down and sold, and heavier collections and tallies to be made, as well amongst the clergy as amongst the people. Many people said that these exactions were made for the purpose of carrying on a war against a certain knight of Provence, who, on hearing the contents of the will of Raymond, count of Provence, conceived a design of clandestinely carrying off the said Raymond's youngest daughter. For the count, finding himself at the point of death, and being about to make disposal of his household effects, and to make his will, called his youngest daughter to him, and addressed her in these words :-"Dearest daughter, more beloved by me than all your sisters, I am aware that by the Lord's disposal all my daughters, except you alone, are exalted by marriage in a high degree, and to the admiration of all Christians. To you, therefore, at your marriage, I give and bequeath, by my will, the whole of my land, together with my money, castles, and all my other possessions; for your sisters do not need that the inheritance should be divided, in order for a portion of it to be given to either one of them." Owing to this, as was before stated, a certain knight of small property, but bold and brave in war, incited by the lady's beauty, as well as by the rich inheritance which belonged to her, secretly carried her off, and placed her in safety in a castle near, which belonged to him, considering it quite an excusable offence, according to the saying of the poet,—

Genialis præda puella est.
[Woman is a pleasing prize.]

But all the count's relations and friends were indignant at the rash presumption of this knight, and made war against him. The knight, however, trusting to being in possession of the prize, and relying on his right, daily increased the number of his friends, and defended himself bravely; hence there arose in those provinces a great contention and injurious disturbances amongst the two parties, on account of