A.D. 1176. LETTER OF THE EMPEROR OP CONSTANTINOPLE. castle of Alverton,90 the castle of Fremmgham, the eastle of Bungay, and nearly all the castles of England and Normandy •which had taken part against him in the time of the war. But the castle of Pasci and the eastle of Mountsorrel he retained in his own hands, the latter having been awarded to him on the oaths of a jury of lawful men of Ursuet. In the same year died Ralph de Dotis, in Berry, whose daughter and heir our lord the king of England, the father, gave in marriage to Baldwin de Rivers, together with the honor of the eastle of the said Ralph. In the same year, on the sixteenth day before the calends of November, being the Lord's day, the church of the canons regular at Cirencester, in honor of Mary, the blessed Mother of God, was dedicated by Bartholomew, bishop of Exeter, in presence of our lord the king of England, the father, who, at its dedication, bestowed large revenues on the said church. In the same year Manuel, emperor of Constantinople, having fought a pitched battle with the sultan of Iconium and defeated him, wrote to the king of England to the fallowing effect :— The Letter of Manuel, emperor of Constantinople, to the king of England, the father. "Manuel Porphyrogenitns Comnenus, the emperor, ever faithful in Christ, crowned by the will of heaven, the sublime, potent, exalted, ever august, and ruler of the Romans, to Henry, the most noble king of England, his most dearly-beloved friend, health and every blessing. Inasmuch as our imperial office deems it necessary to notify to you, as being its beloved friend, all things which befall it, it has therefore considered it proper to inform you upon the events whieh have lately taken place. Now, from the veryearliest period of our coronation, our imperial office nourished hatred in our heart against the Persians, the enemies of God, when it beheld them vaunting over the Christians, triumphing over the name of God, and holding sway over the lands of the Christians. Wherefore, on another occasion, without delay, it made an attack upon them, and, as God granted it to do, even so it did do. As to the exploits which were frequently performed by it, to their hnmiBation and loss, our imperial office entertains a belief that the same have not escaped the notice of your highness. However, we did more 9 0 North Allerton.