Shortlie after king Henrie the father suffered the yoong king his son to go into France, togither with his wife, to visit his father king Lewes, according as their deputies required, which iournie verelie bred the cause of the dissention that followed betwixt him and his father. King Lewes most louinglie receiued them (as reason was) and caused diuers kinds of triumphant plaies and pastimes to be shewed for the honour and delectation of his sonne in law and daughter.
Neuerthelesse, whilest this yoong prince soiourned in France, king Lewes not hartilie fauouring the king of England, and therewithall perceiuing The French king séeketh to sow sedition betwixt the father and the sonne. the rash and headstrong disposition of the yong king did first of all inuegle him to consider of his estate, and to remember that he was now a king equall vnto his father, and therefore aduised him so shortlie as he could, to get the entire gouernment out of his fathers hands: wherevnto he furthermore promised all the aid that laie in him to performe.
The yong king being readie inough not onelie to worke vnquietnesse, but also to follow his father in lawes counsell (as he that was apt of nature to aspire to the sole gouernement, and loth to haue any partener in authoritie (according to that of the tragedie-writer,
Sen. in Agam. Nec regna socium ferre nec tedæ sciunt)
and namelie such one as might controll him) was the more encouraged thereto by a number of prodigall currie fauours, who by flatterie set him aloft, declaring vnto him that he was borne to rule, and not to obeie, and therefore it became not his highnesse to reigne by the appointment of an other, but rather to haue the gouernement fréelie in his owne hands, that he might not be counted prince by permission. Herevpon the youthfull courage of the yong king being tickled, began to wax of a contrarie mind to his father: who suspecting indéed that which chanced; to wit (least his sonnes yoong yeares not able yet to discerne good and wholesome counsell from euill, might easilie be infected with some sinister practise) thought it not good to suffer him to be long absent from him, and therefore sent for him: who taking leaue of his Rog. Houed. father in law king Lewes in courteous maner, returned and came to his An. Reg. 19.
1173. father king Henrie into Normandie, who when the feast of Christmas drew néere, repaired towards Aniou, where in the towne of Chinon, he solemnized that feast, hauing left his sonne the yong king and his wife all that while in Normandie: but sending for him after the feast was Hubert earle of Morienne. ended, they went both into Auvergne, where being at mount Ferrat, Hubert earle of Morienne came vnto them, bringing with him his eldest daughter Alice, whom king Henrie the father bought of him for the summe of fiue A marriage contracted. thousand markes, that he might bestow hir in marriage vpon his yongest sonne John with the heritage of the countie of Morienne, if hir father died without other issue, or at the leastwise the said Hubert chanced to haue any sonne lawfullie begotten, that then he should leaue vnto them Comitatus bellensis. and to their heires the countie of Russellon, the countie of Belle, as he then had and held the same, Pierre castell with the appurtenances, the vallie of Noualleise, also Chambrie with the appurtenances, Aiz, Aspermont, Rochet, mont Magor, and Chambres, with Burg, all which lieng on this side the mountaines with their appurtenances, the said Hubert granted to them immediatlie for euer. And beyond the mountaines he couenanted to giue vnto them Turine with the appurtenances, the colledge of Gauoreth with the appurtenances, and all the fées which the earles of Canaues held of him, togither with the fealties and seruices. And also, the fees, fealties, and seruices which belonged to him in the countie of Amund, and in the vallie called Vale Dosta; and in like maner, the towne of Castellone.
All the forenamed places the said earle gaue and granted to the said John, sonne to the king of England for euermore, with his daughter, so fréelie, wholie and quietlie (in men and cities, castels, fortresses, or other places of defense, in medowes, leassewes, milnes, woods, plaines, waters, vallies and mountaines, in customes and all other things) as euer he or his father had held or enioied the same. And furthermore, the said earle would, that immediatlie (when it pleased the king of England) his people should doo homage and fealtie to the king of Englands sonne, reseruing the fealtie due to him so long as he liued. Moreouer, the said earle Hubert granted to the said John and his wife all the right that he The countie of Granople. had in the countie of Granople, and whatsoeuer might be got and euicted in the same countie. It was also couenanted, if the elder daughter died, that then the said John should marrie the yoonger daughter, and enioy all the like portions and parts of inheritance as he should haue enioied with the first.
Finallie, that these couenants, grants and agréements should be performed on the part and behalfe of the said earle Hubert, both he, the said earle, and the erle of Geneua, and in maner all the great lords and barons of those countries receiued an oth, and vndertooke to come and offer themselues as hostages to remaine with the king of England, in case the said earle Hubert failed in performance of any of the aforesaid articles, till he framed himselfe to satisfie the kings pleasure in such behalfe.
Furthermore, Peter the reuerend archbishop of Tarensasia, and Ardune the bishop of Geneua, and also William the bishop of Morienne, with the abbat of S. Michell promised vpon their oth to be readie at the appointment of the king of England, to put vnder the censures of the church the said earle and his lands, refusing to performe the foresaid couenants, and so to kéepe him and the said lands bound, till he had satisfied the king of England therein.
The earles of Mandeuille and Arundell. William earle of Mandeuill, and William earle of Arundell sware on the part of king Henrie, that he should performe the articles, couenants and agréements on his part, as first to make paiment immediatlie vnto the said Hubert of one thousand markes, and as soone as he should receiue his daughter, he should paie him an other thousand markes at the least, and the residue then remaining of the said sum of fiue thousand markes, should be paid when the mariage was consummate.
It was prouided also, that the said earle Hubert might marrie his yoonger daughter where he would, without any great diminishing of the earledome after the first marriage consummate with the lord John, the king of Englands sonne. And that if either the said lord John, or his affianced wife chanced to die before the consummation of the marriage, then should the monie which the earle had receiued, be repaid to the king, or bestowed as the king should appoint.