After this king Henrie went into Berrie, and tooke Chateau Roux or Raoul, and marching towards Castre, the lord of that towne came and met him on the waie, surrendring into his hands the daughter of Rafe de Dolis latelie before deceassed, whome the king gaue vnto Baldwine de Riuers, with the honor of Chateau Roux or Raoul. Then went he vnto Graundemont, where Audebert earle of March came vnto him, and sold to The purchase of the erldome of March. him the whole countrie of March for the summe of fifteene thousand pounds Anioun, twentie mules, and twentie palfreis. The charters of this grant and sale made and giuen vnder the seale of the said earle of March, bare date in the moneth of September Anno Christi 1177. Then did the king receiue the fealtie and homages of all the barons and knights An. Reg. 24. of the countrie of March, after he had satisfied, contented, and paid the monie vnto the earle according to the couenants.
1178. The king this yeare held his Christmas at Angiers, and meaning shortlie after to returne into England, he sent to the French king for letters of protection, which were granted, and sent to him in forme as followeth.
The tenour of the French kings letters of protection.
Lvdouicus rex Francorum, omnibus ad quos præsentes literæ peruenerint salutem. Nouerit vniuersitas vestra quòd nos recipimus in protectione & custodia nostra totam terram Henrici regis Angliæ charissimi fratris nostri, in cismarinis partibus sitam, si contigerit eum in Angliam transfretare vel peregrè proficisci. Ita planè, vt quādo balliui sui de terra transmarina nos requisierint, bona fide & sine malo ingenio eis consilium & auxilium præstabimus, ad eiusdem terras defensionem & protectionem. Actum apud Nicenas. The English whereof is thus.
"Lewes king of France, to all those to whom these present letters shall come greeting. Know all ye that we haue receiued into our protection & custodie all the lands of Henrie king of England our deare brother, lieng and being in the parts of this side the sea, if it chance him to passe ouer into England, or to go any waie foorth from home, so that when the bailiues of his lands on this hither side the sea shall require vs, we shall helpe them and counsell them faithfullie and without male-engine for defense and protection of the same lands. Giuen at Nicens."
Shortlie after, king Henrie returned into England from Normandie, and at Woodstocke made his sonne Geffrey knight. This yeare pope Alexander sent into all parts legats to summon the bishops and prelates to a generall A generall councell summoned at Rome. councell to be holden at Rome in the beginning of the Lent in the yere next following. Whereabout two legats came into England, the one named Albert de Suma, who had in commission to summon them of England and Normandie: and the other called Petro de Santa Agatha, who was appointed to summon them of Scotland, Ireland, and the Iles about the same: wherevpon obteining licence to passe through the king of Englands dominions, he was constreined to sweare vpon the holie euangelists, that he should not attempt any thing in his legatship that might be hurtfull to the king or his realme, and that he should come and visit the king againe as he returned homewards.
This yeare on the sundaie before the natiuitie of S. John Baptist, being the 18 of June, after the setting of the sunne, there appeared a Ger. Dor. maruellous sight in the aire, vnto certeine persons that beheld the same. For whereas the new moone shone foorth verie faire with his hornes A strange sight about the moone. towardes the east, streightwais the vpper horne was diuided into two, out of the the mids of which diuision a burning brand sprang vp, casting from it a farre off coles and sparks, as it had beene of fire. The bodie of the moone in the meane time that was beneath, séemed to wrest and writh in resemblance like to an adder or snake that had béene beaten, and anon after it came to the old state againe. This chanced aboue a dozzen times, and at length from horne to horne it became blacke.
In September following, the moone being about 27. daies hold, at six of the clocke, a partile eclipse of the sunne happened, for the bodie thereof appeared as it were horned shooting the hornes towards the west A strange eclipse of the sunne. as the moone dooth: being twentie daies old. The residue of the compasse of it was couered with a blacke roundell, which comming downe by little and little, threw about the horned brightnesse that remained, till both the hornes came to hang downe on either side to the earthwards; and as the blacke roundell went by little & little forwards, the homes at length were turned towards the west, and so the blacknesse passing awaie, the sunne receiued his brightnesse againe. In the meane time the aire being full of clouds of diuerse colours, as red, yellow, green, and pale, holpe the peoples sight with more ease to discerne the maner of it.
The king this yeare held his Christmasse at Winchester, at which time newes came abroad of a great wonder that had chanced at a place called An. Reg. 25.
1179. R. Houed. Oxenhale, within the lordship of Derlington, in which place a part of the earth lifted itselfe vp on high in appearance like to a mightie tower, and so it remained from nine of the clocke in the morning, till the euen tide, and then it fell downe with an horrible noise, so that as A strange wonder of the earth. such as were thereabout, were put in a great feare. That péece of earth with the fall was swallowed vp, leauing a great déepe pit in the place, as was to be seene many yeares after.
¶ Touching these celestiall apparitions, the common doctrine of philosophie is, that they be méere naturall, and therefore of no great admiration. For of eclipses, as well such as are proper to the sunne, as also those that are peculiar to the moone, the position is not so generallie deliuered, as it is constantlie beléeued. For the philosophers giue this reason of eclipses.