But see, when the English were fullie bent to prosecute the warres (with all extremitie) now in hand, there came messengers vnto king Henrie from the French king, requiring him that he would grant a peace to be had betwixt them, with promise that if he would condescend therevnto, that he should receiue by waie of restitution all that the French king had The two kings come to a treatie. now taken from him in Berrie. Herevpon they came to a communication betwixt Trie & Gisors, and when they could not agrée, the French king caused a great elme standing betwixt those two places to be cut downe, An elme cut downe. at which the kings of England and France were accustomed to méet when they treated of matters in controuersie betwixt them, swearing that from thencefoorth there should neuer be anie more méetings holden at that place.
Afterward, when the earle of Flanders and the earle of Blois with diuerse other earles and barons of the Realme of France, laid their armor aside, protesting openlie that they would not put on the same A commendable protestation and worthie to be noted. againe to make warre against any christian, till they should returne from their iournie which they had vowed into the holie land, the French king destitute of men to serue him, made sute once againe to king Henrie, that they might méet and talke of peace, which was hardlie granted, and so they met on the morrow after saint Faithes daie, or the Castellium. seauenth of October, at Chattellon, where they entreated of a forme of peace, so that the French king should haue restored all that he had taken within the countries belonging to king Henrie, and likewise Richard earle of Poictou should deliuer vp vnto the earle of saint Giles (otherwise called earle of Tholouse) all that he had taken from him since the breach of the last truce. But when king Henrie would not deliuer the castell of Pascie in pledge to the French king, they departed in sunder (as before) without any thing concluded. The king of France after this tooke the castell of Paluell.
An other treatie betwixt the two kings. Vpon the eightéenth day of August the two kings came againe togither about a new treatie of peace betwixt Bonsemblance and Sukennie, where the French king offered king Henrie, to restore to him all that he had taken by his last warres if his sister Alice might be ioined in marriage with Richard erle of Poictou, now eldest sonne aliue to king Henrie, and that all king Henries subiects might doo homage and sweare fealtie to the same Richard. But king Henrie after the old prouerbe, Ictus piscator sapit, hauing bought his experience with the féeling of smart, & bearing in memorie the iniuries done to him by his sonne Henrie, after such his aduancement to kinglie degrée, would not grant the French kings request herein. Wherevpon a further mischeefe happened, for his sonne earle Richard (taking displeasure that his father should denie him that honour, which made altogither for his more assurance to succeed him as Erle Richard reuolteth from his father to serue the French king. king) fell from his said father manifestlie, and became the French kings man, dooing homage to him also without consent of king Henrie, for all those lands that belonged to his said father on that further side the sea. The French king for his homage and fealtie gaue him Chateau Raoull and Ysoldun, with all the honour thereto belonging.
Polydor. ¶ Some write, that the cheefest cause which mooued king Henrie to refuse to ioine his sonne earle Richard and the ladie Alice, daughter vnto the French king in marriage togither, was, for that he was linked in the cumbersome chaine of hot burning loue with the same ladie, and therefore he sought all the shifts of excuses & delaies that might be imagined; so that it appeared he had no mind to part with hir. The truth was (as writers affirme) he had alreadie persuaded hir to satisfie his lust, insomuch that he liked hir so well, that he ment to be diuorsed from his wife quéene Elianor, and to marrie this yoong ladie, which if he might bring to passe, and haue children by hir, he purposed to disherit those which he had by Elianor, and to make the other which he should haue by Rog. Houed. Adela his legitimat and lawfull heires. Yet before they departed from this communication, a truce was taken to endure till the feast of S. Hilarie. And Henrie bishop of Alba a cardinall that was sent from the pope to end this controuersie betwixt these two mightie princes, accursed Richard earle of Poictou, for that by his meanes the troubles rose and were continued betwixt them.
Beuerley burnt.
William de Sempringham decesseth.
Gilbert de Ogerstan. The towne of Beuerley, with the church of saint John the archbishop, was in maner wholie consumed with fire, on the 20. of September. Also the same yeare died William of Sempringham, the author and first founder of the religious order of Sempringham. Moreouer Gilbert de Ogerstan a knight templer put in trust by king Henrie, with others, to gather the tenths towards the reléefe of the holie land, was prooued to vse falshood in the receipt, and so was deliuered vnto the maister of the temple at London to be punished according to the statutes of his order. Also this yere in the vigill of S. Laurence, there was séene at Dunstable by diuerse persons a figure of the crosse verie long and large A strange apperance in the aire. in the aire, with the shape of a crucifix thereon, and streames of bloud to their sight seemed to run out of the wounds of the feet, hands and sides. This strange appearance continued in sight from noone till almost night.
¶ Some will deeme this a meere fable, and saie it sauoureth of grosse superstition and idolatrie, wherevpon they will conclude that no such fragments poudered with papistrie should be inserted into a chronicle. But (to auoid all suspicion of iustifieng the fansies of men) note you this, that in the ecclesiasticall historie, no small number of things no lesse strange and true than this seemeth vaine and false, are recorded; yea euen touching the verie crosse. But considering that this our age is verie nice and deintie in making choise of matter pleasing their owne humor we will not wade too farre in this kind of argument, which we know may as soone offend as it is taken, as a thorne may pricke, or a netle sting when it is touched. Neuerthelesse, we would not wish that the forme of a thing should be quite condemned for some scandalous peoples pleasures, whome nothing will please, vnlesse it come out of their owne drieuat or casket of conceits.
An. Reg. 35.
1189. King Henrie held his Christmas at Saumur in Aniou, but manie of his earles and barons were gon from him, and tooke part with the French king, and with his sonne Richard earle of Poictou. Now when the day was come, in which the truce expired, the Britains (which had a charter of couenants of the French king and earle Richard, that if they concluded any peace with king Henrie, the Britain should be partakers in the same) entred into the confines of those countries which still continued their due obedience towards king Henrie; spoiling and wasting the same on each A legat. side with barbarous crueltie. At which time also a legat came from the pope named John de Anagnia, who assaied both by courteous meanes and also by threats and menacings to reduce the parties vnto peace and concord: insomuch that by his procurement they met this yeare after Easter néere vnto Fiert Bernard, twise within a few daies togither, to trie if by talke they might sort to some reasonable conditions of agreement.
Matth. Paris. The last time of those their meetings was in the Whitsunwéeke, at what time the French king required not onelie to haue his sister Alice deliuered vnto earle Richard for wife, according to the former couenants, but also some assurance giuen vnto the same earle Richard, that he should inherit his fathers lands after his deceasse. Also he required that earle John might take vpon him the crosse to passe ouer into the holie land also; for otherwise earle Richard would not go. R. Houed. Howbeit king Henrie would in no wise consent to any of these demands: but yet as some write, he offered thus much vnto king Philip, that if he could be so content, his sonne John should marrie his sister Alice, and inioy with hir all such things as he demanded in preferment of his sonne Richard, and that in more large maner than he had requested the same; But king Philip would none of that.
Thus how soeuer it was, whilest the one demanded that which the other thought no reason to grant, they departed without concluding any King Phillip entereth into the countrie of Maine. agréement, so that king Philip hauing got by this meanes a good occasion to further his enterprises, with all his whole puissance entred into Maine, where he destroied a great part of that countrie, and approched to the citie of Mauns, where king Henrie as then laie, in purpose to besiege it; But king Henrie being warned of his comming set the suburbs on fire, bicause his enimies should haue no succour in them. Howbeit the flame of the fire was by force of the wind driuen so directlie into the citie, that what with heat and assault of the enimie, the king being without any store of souldiers to defend it longer, was constreined to forsake it. Herewith he was so mooued that in departing from the citie, The words of king Henrie in his displeasure towards earle Richard. he said these words of his sonne Richard to himselfe: "Sith thou hast taken from me this daie the thing that I most loued in this world, I will requite thee, for after this daie, I shall depriue thée of that thing which in me should most please thée, euen mine owne hart."
Mauns yéelded to the French king. Wil. Paruus. Being thus driuen to leaue the defaced citie of Mauns, he repaired vnto Chinon, the citizens whereof being left destitute of aid, yéelded themselues to the French king, who taking a great pride in his dooings for that victorie, passed ouer Loire, and wan the citie of Towrs, wherein he placed a garison, and so hauing sped his businesse with good Polydor. successe, brought home his armie laden with preies & booties. King Henrie being thus put to the worsse, and not perceiuing anie readie meane how to recouer his losses, began to despaire in himselfe, and therefore of necessitie thought it best to séeke for peace, but his suit The earle of Flanders séeketh to agrée the parties. Matth. Paris. was in vaine: for the enimie hauing now the aduantage, would not grant to agrée vpon any reasonable conditions.