they would administer justice to all the subjects of that kingdom, in accordance with tiie customs which were right and due to all. Of the king's return into England from lirittang. The king of England all this time was lying with his army at the city of Nantes, doing nothing except spending his money. The earls and barons too, as Hubert the king's justiciary would not allow them to engage in battle against the enemy, gave enter tainments to one another, as was the custom of the English, and devoted themselves to eating and drinking by turns, as though they were keeping Christmas, and those amongst them who were poor disposed of their horses and arms, so that from that moment they led an unhappy life.* At length, in the month of October, the king having made all necessary arrangements for the country, left there rive hundred knights and a thousand mercenaries, under the com mand of Ralph earl of Chester, William Marshall, and "William earl of Albemarle, with some other chosen chiefs ; be himself took ship, and after being exposed to a great many dangers, on the 20th of October landed at Portsmouth, where numbers of his subjects of different ranks came to pay their respects to him with divers presents. Gilbert earl of Gloucester and Clare died when on his return from the continent, and the king gave the justiciary Hubert the charge of all his lands and honour. Alter the king of England's departure from the continent, the earl of Chester and the other chiefs of the king's army there, with their whole force made an incursion through the province of Anjou, and were absent in that part of the country li I teen days. During this time they took the castle of Gomtord, lazed it to the ground, and burned the town ; they next took a new castle on the Sarte, destroyed it, and set lire to the town at that place, after which they returned again into Brittany with immense booty. Not long afterwards they made a hostile descent upon Normandy, and took the castle of Pontoise, which they destroyed, and after burning the town, they returned into Brittany without loss to themselves. In the same year, on the 22nd of November, an eclipse of the moon took place, which lasted for three hours, only a very small portion of it being visible, it being then thirteen days old. Of tlic exaction of the sentaije for the expedition to the continent. A.i). 1231. At Christmas, king Henry held his court at Lambeth, where he was entertained by Hubert the justiciary. On the 2Gtli of January following, the king convened file prelates and other nobles of the kingdom to a conference at Westminster, at which he demanded a scutage of three marks for each escutcheon, • Paris adds :—" In the sain.- year, K.n nnind de lìniirg, η brave and notile knight, nephew of Mubeit de lìonrg, chanced to he riding on the 1 links of the Ivoire, when his horv by un ncky chance got into the stream, un attempting again to climb the lank, which was very tlee], he fell buck with, his rider, and both were drovued."