Flowers of History 1233. How the proscribed nobles attacked the king's army at Grosmont [Map].

The king had by this time collected a powerful army at Gloucester, with which he advanced towards Hereford in Wales, where he invaded the marshal's territory, endeavouring by all the means in his power to deprive him of his inheritance, and to seize his person. That cautious soldier had, however, before the king's approach, withdrawn all the cattle and provisions, wherefore the king, not being able to stay there, owing to the failure of his provisions, turned off with his army to the castle of Grosmont [Map]. After he had stayed there some days, the marshal and his proscribed confederates found out by means of their spies that the king passed the night inside that castle while his army were encamped outside the walls. The whole body of them therefore, except the marshal, who refused to attack the king, marched for that place with the Welsh chiefs and a larse army a little after dusk on Martinmas day, and rushing on the king's troops who were lying asleep in their tents, took possession of more than five hundred horses, with all their baggage and equipments, the men themselves taking to flight nearly naked in all directions. The conquerors however did not wish to wound or make prisoners of any of them, and there were only two knights slain out of the whole number. They then took all the waggons and carts containing the money, provisions, and arms, and having carefully disposed of their booty, returned to their safe hiding-places. The following nobles all were witnesses of this occurrence, namely, Peter bishop of Winchester, Ralph bishop of Chichester, Stephen Segrave (age 61) the justiciary, Peter de Rivaulx the treasurer, Hugh Bigod earl of Norfolk, William earl of Salisbury, William Beauchamp (age 47), William Daubeney the younger, and many others, who fled nearly naked, losing all their property; great numbers of the king's army then, and especially those who had lost their horses and all their money, went away in great trouble and returned to their homes. The king, who nad been thus left as it were alone, in the midst of his enemies, then put his Poictevin freebooters in charge of the castles of Wales, to repel the attacks of his enemies, and gave the command of his army to the nobles, John of Monmouth, and Ralph de Thoeny, to the latter of whom he also gave the castle of Matilda, which belonged to him by old right ; whilst he himself, after making these arrangements, returned to Gloucester.

Flowers of History 1233. How the king dismissed some of his ministers from his court.

1233. The seventeenth year of king Henry's reign he held his court at Christmas at Worcester, where, by the advice of Peter bishop of Winchester, as was said, he dismissed all the native officers of his court from their offices, and appointed foreigners from Poictou in their places. He also dismissed William de Rodune, a knight who carried on the duties of Richard the grand marshal at his court. By the same person's advice the king also dismissed Walter bishop of Carlisle, from his office of treasurer, and then took from him a hundred pounds of silver, and also spitefully deprived him of some trusts, which he the king had by his own charter confirmed to him for life. All his former counsellors, bishops and earls, barons and other nobles, he dismissed abruptly, and put confidence in no one except the aforesaid bishop of Winchester and his son Peter de Rivaulx ; after which he ejected all the castellans throughout all England, and placed the castles under the charge of the said Peter. The bishop then, in order to gain the king's favour more completely, associated with himself Stephen de Segrave (age 62), a yielding man, and Robert Passelewe, who kept the king's treasury under Peter de Rivaulx; and he entirely ruled the kingdom with the assistance and advice of those men. The king also invited men from Poictou and Brittany, who were poor and covetous after wealth, and about two thousand knights and soldiers came to him equipped with horses and arms, whom he engaged in his service, placing them in charge of the castles in the various parts of the kingdom ; these men used their utmost endeavours to oppress the natural English subjects and nobles, calling them traitors, and accusing them of treachery to the king ; and he, simple man that he was, believed their lies, and gave them the charge of all the counties and baronies, as also of all the youths of the nohility, both male and female, who were foully degraded by ignoble marriages. The king also entrusted them with the care of his treasury, with the enforcement of the laws of the country and the administration of justice. In short, judgment was entrusted to the unjust, laws to outlaws, the preservation of peace to the quarrelsome, and justice to those •who were themselves full of injury, and when the nobles of the kingdom laid complaints before the king of the oppression they endured, the said bishop interfered, and there was no one to grant them justice. The said Peter too made accusations against some of the other bishops of the kingdom, and advised the king to avoid them as open enemies.