The king being lodged within the nunrie, and fearing no such matter, after he heard of the sudden assemblie of his enimies, was put in such feare, that he tooke himselfe dishonourablie to flight, leaning his men, his plate, and other riches altogither behind him. The earles souldiers Wil. Par. Sim. Dun. M. Triuet. Matt. Paris. egerlie assailed the kings people, killed and spoiled them at their pleasure, rifled the kings treasurie without resistance, and satisfied themselues with greedines. In this broile was William Marcell or Martell taken prisoner by earle Roberts men, & led to the castell of Wallingford, where Brian the earle of Glocesters sonne hauing charge of that castell, kept him in close prison, and vsed him hardlie, who by reason of the opinion which men had conceiued of his valiancie, could not be deliuered, till he had paid 300. marks for his ransome, and deliuered the castell of Shirborne into the earles hands. Within a few Miles earle of Hereford deceased. daies after, Miles earle of Hereford departed this life, whose death was verie gréeuouslie taken of the empresse, for he was one of hir chéefe fréends and councellers. His eldest sonne Roger succéeded him, a gentleman though yoong in yeares, yet valiant and forward in feats of Ger. Dor. The earle of Essex taken. armes. William Mandeuile earle of Essex, an ancient capteine, & an expert warriour (who had serued the empresse, was taken also at S. Albons) but not without great slaughter of the kings souldiers: in so The earle of Arundell. much that among other, the erle of Arundell mounted on a couragious palfrie & a verie valiant man was ouerthrowen the middest of a water called Haliwell, by a knight named Walkeline de Orcaie, so that same earle was sore bruised in his bodie, and almost drowned. The king was N. Triuet. Wil. Paru. present himselfe at the taking of the said Mandeuile, whom he spoiled of all his goods, and constreined by way of redemption of his libertie, to deliuer into the kings hands the Tower of London, the castell of Walden, and Pleshey. Here vpon the same earle being released was driuen through pouertie to seeke some recouerie of his losses by sundrie spoiles and An. Reg. 9.
1144. roberies. First of all therefore he spoiled the abbeie of S. Albons, and then the abbeie of Ramsey, which he fortified and defended as a Hen. Hunt. fortresse, casting the moonks out of doores, and in euerie place where soeuer he came, he robbed the countrie before him, till at length in the midst of his reuenge and malicious dooings, he was shot thorough with an arrow amongst his men by a sillie footman, and so ended his life with Sim. Dunel. Iohn Pike. Matth. West. N. Triuet. confusion, receiuing worthie punishment for his vngodlie behauiour. For he was a man of high stomach & loftie courage, but verie obstinate against God, of great industrie in worldlie businesse, but passing negligent towards his maker, as writers report of him.
Wil. Malm. Wil. Paru. Likewise Robert Marmion, who had attempted the semblable robberie & spoile in the abbeie church of Couentrie, was slain before the same abbeie by a like mischance. For going foorth to encounter with the earle of Chester (his mortall enimie, and being approched as then towards the citie) he fell with his horsse into a ditch, which he caused to be couertlie made for the destruction of his enimies: and before he could be relieued, a souldier of the earles part stept to him, and stroke his head from his shoulders in sight of both armies. Ernulfus the sonne of earle Geffrey Mandeuile that kept the church of Ramsey as a fortresse, after his fathers death, was taken at length and banished.
¶ Thus we see how Gods iudgement hunteth and pursueth the wicked, in somuch that they be ouertaken in their owne imaginations: according to that of the scripture, "The wicked and bloudthirstie man shall not liue halfe his daies." And true it is, that as men liue, so commonlie they die: for, as one saith verie well:
M. Pal. in suo scor. —— bona nulla scelestis
Et iustis mala nulla quidem contingere possunt.
About the same time aduertisement was giuen, that the citie of Lincolne, which the earle of Chester had in keeping, was but slenderlie manned. Wherevpon the king conceiuing some hope to win the same, hasted forward: Lincolne besieged. and comming thither in the night, laid siege therevnto, and began to cast a trench to stop them within frō making any salies without.
The earle at the first being somewhat amazed with the sudden approch of the enimie, yet beholding from the walles the maner of them without, he perceiued the rankes to be verie thin: and thereby gessing their number The siege raised. to be but small, suddenlie issued foorth at the gates to encounter with them. The king abode not the giuing of the charge, bicause he was but weake and therefore fled; neither could the earle follow the chace conuenientlie, for the like cause; but setting vpon those that were N. Triuet. about to make the trench, he slue 80. of the workmen, and then retired into the castell.
A child crucified by the Jewes. This yeare was an heinous act committed by the Jewes at Norwich, where they put a child to death, in crucifieng him vpon a crosse to the reproch of Christian religion.
Matth. Paris. Simon Dun.
A castell built at Faringdon.
Hen. Hunt.
The king winneth it by force. An. Reg. 10.
1145. In the yeare following; namelie, in the 10. yeare of king Stephans reigne, Robert earle of Glocester and other capteins took in hand to build a castell at Faringdon. But King Stephan assembling an armie of Londoners and other, came thither, and besieged them within. Now whilest earle Robert and others of the empresses capteins remaining not far off, taried for a greater power to come to their aid, the king with sharpe assaults (but not without losse of his men) wan the fortresse: whereby his side began to wax the stronger, and to be more highlie aduanced. After this he came with a mightie armie vnto Wallingford, and there builded a strong castell ouer against the other castell which his An. Reg. 11.
1146. aduersaries held against him.
Ran. Higd. Matth. Paris. N. Triuet. Simon Dun. Thither also came the earle of Chester with a great traine of knights and gentlemen vnto the king, and so at length they were not vnfeignedlie accorded and made freends, but in apperance on the kings behalfe. For shortlie after, the earle was craftilie taken at a parlement holden at Northampton, by the practise of K. Stephan, and could not be deliuered till he had surrendred the citie and castell of Lincolne, with other Ran. Higd. The welshmen waste Cheshire. Ger. Dor. fortresses perteining to the crowne into the kings hands. About that time did the Welshmen destroie the prouince of Chester, but at last they were distressed. This yeare also the loard Geffrey earle of Aniou sent thrée Noble men into England, accompanied with certeine men of warre, vnto earle Robert, requesting him to send ouer his sonne Henrie into France, that he might sée him, and if need required, he promised to send him backe againe with all conuenient speed. Earle Robert was contented to satisfie his request: and so with a good power of armed men brought the lord Henrie vnto Warham, where he tooke leaue of him, neuer after to The earle of Glocester departeth this life. sée him in this world. For when the child was transported, earle Robert returned spéedilie to the parties from whence he came, and there falling into an ague, departed this life about the beginning of Nouember, and was buried at Bristow. The lord Henrie comming to his father, was ioifully receiued, and remained in those parties for the space of two yeares and foure moneths.
An. Reg. 12.
1147. In the meane season, the vniust procéedings of K. Stephan against the earle of Chester, purchased him new hatred of his old aduersaries, and like supicion of such as were his freends, for it sounded not a little to his dishonor. Euerie man therefore was in doubt of his dealing, and Simon Dun. K. Stephen entreth into Lincolne with his crowne on his head. iudged that it stood them vpon to take héed to themselues. But he (as one that thought he had atchiued some high exploit) in triumphant wise shortlie after entred into Lincolne in his roiall robes, and his crowne on his head, whereas it had not béene heard that any king had doone the like manie yeares before.