RICHARD'S CAPTURE (1192).
Source.—Roger de Hoveden, Vol. II., pp. 269-70. Bohn's Libraries. G. Bell & Sons.
After this, the King of England placing everything in the hands of Henry, Count of Champagne, hastened to return to his kingdom, by reason of the sinister reports which he had heard, both as to the King of France and the expulsion of his Chancellor, as also the Earl of Mortaigne, his brother, who had seized the castles of the kingdom and would have taken possession of the whole thereof if he could have found the opportunity. Accordingly, the King of England came to Caiaphas, where he fell sick, and proceeded thence to Acre. Here, after the feast of St. Michael, being the eighth day before the Ides of October, and the fifth day of the week, he embarked on board of a large buss, and, within a month from that day, arrived at the island of Cunerfu, where he went on board a boat, and sailed towards three galleys which he saw on the opposite side off the coast of Romania, and hired them to take him as far as Ragusa, for two hundred marks of silver; after which he returned to his buss, and the said galleys with him; and, having made terms with them, he took with him Baldwin, the advocate of Bethune, and twenty other companions, and embarked on board one of the said galleys, and on landing at Gazera, near Ragusa, declined to tell them that he was King of England, but said that they were pilgrims. However, although he had a long beard and long hair and garments, and everything else to resemble the people of that country, he was unable to remain unknown, in consequence of his great expenditure, which was quite foreign to the usage of the people of that country.
Immediately, the people of the province guessing that he was the King of England, prepared to capture him and deliver him to the Emperor of the Romans, who hated him, on account of the aid he had given to King Tancred, and for the death of his kinsman, the Marquis Conrad. Upon the King of England being informed of this by one of his followers, he placed his retinue in charge of Baldwin, the Advocate of Bethune, and ordered him to remain the next four days at that place, making a more lavish expenditure than he himself had done; after which, he himself, with a single attendant, having mounted a swift horse, his attendant doing the same, set out late at night, and, hastening day and night, arrived in the neighbourhood of Vienna; at a little village, not far from which place he and his attendant took up their abode. While the King's attendant was gone to buy food, the King, being fatigued by the labour of his journey, immediately threw himself upon a bed and fell asleep. In the meantime, his attendant, while endeavouring to exchange some money, was recognized by the servant of the duke of Austria, and taken prisoner, and brought before the duke; and, when he could conceal it no longer, disclosed to him the lodging of the King; on which they came, and, finding him asleep, took him prisoner. As for the Advocate of Bethune, and those who were with him, on attempting to leave the town, they were taken prisoners, and not allowed to depart.