350 ANNALS OF ROGER DE HOVEDEN. A.D.1172. for us ; for we were assured that serious troubles were in preparation for you at the court, and were in dread of the usual custom of that day. With wishes for your lasting prosperity, we bid your highness farewell : be comforted in the Lord, and let your heart rejoiee, inasmuch as, to your glory, the present clouds will be succeeded by serenity. On the Saturday before Palm Sunday we arrived at the court, and the bearer of these presents has left us on Easter Day." In the meantime, there came into Normandy two cardinals, Gratianus and Vivianus, sent as legates a latere by Alexander, the Supreme Pontiff, who vexed the king of England by many and various annoyances, and wished to place him and his dominions under interdict. But the king of England being warned of this beforehand, had, before their arrival, appealed to the presence of our lord the Supreme Pontiff, and by these means kept himself and his dominions unhurt by the exercise of their severity. Still, fearing the power of the Apostolic See, he hastened to the sea-shore, and crossed over from Normandy to England, giving orders that no person who should bring a brief, of whatever rank or order he might be, should be allowed to cross over, either from Normandy to England or from England to Normandy, unless he should first give security that he would seek to inflict neither evil nor injury upon the king or his kingdom. After this, the said king, collecting together a great fleet of ships, caused them to be laden with provisions and arms, and ordered them to meet at MilfordHaven, which is near Pembroke. In the meantime, he also collected a large army of horse and foot, and came to Pembroke, in order to meet his fleet. These being assembled and everything duly arranged, he embarked, with his army, on board the fleet at Milford Haven, on Saturday, the seventeenth day before the calends of November, and on the next day, with joy, effected a successful landing in Ireland, at a place which is called Croch,8 distant eight miles from the city of Waterford, at the ninth hour of the day ; having crossed over with four hundred large ships, laden with warriors, horses, arms, and provisions. At the moment when he disembarked, a white hare sprang forth from a thicket, which was immediately captured and presented to him as an omen of victory. s Cork.