together for many days, they comforted one another with interchange of conversation, and refreshed themselves with feasting. In the meantime, the Poitevine did not cease to stir up and animate the king by letters and embassies not to delay to cross the sea and come over to them, as he should then recover all his rights, and all his territories beyond the sea, without any hindrance or opposition. But when the feast of the Purification, and the day of the general parliament1 was at hand, the whole nobility of England, both prelates and lay peers, met at Westminster ; and it was already known to all of them that the count de la Marche, and the other nobles of Poitou, who were at all times notorious for their treasonable disposition, had invited the king to come to their protection, accompanied by no military array, but provided with money alone : as if they thought nothing of .the military power of England, but wanted only his money. For already the king of France had attacked them in a hostile manner, as undisguised traitors. Therefore, murmurs sounded among the English, and they conceived no slight indignation at this circumstance, that the king had seriously given credence and consent to such a suggestion. But when they were met together, the king with great earnestness demanded of them money, by means of which to get possession of his territories beyond the sea. And as he would not be turned from the design which he had conceived, either by the prayers or advice of his faithful and natural subjects, the council was dissolved with great indignation. But the king had addressed all the prelates separately, asking what each of them was wilting to give him, practising the maxims of Roman cunning; and though he could not bind them all when assembled together, he weakened them individually, so as to make them yield to his will, and thus broke their consistency ; and so a large sum of money was granted him by the prelates ; and after that, he distributed a large portion of it among those knights whom he knew to be in need, to induce them to cross the sea with him. But when the king of France had received certain information of the crossing of the sea by the king of England, he fortified the sea-coast and the adjacent districts, especially Roupel, and other parts on the sea-border looking towards Poitou and Guienne, with a powerful army. About the same time, the earl of Salisbury landed at Dover, Thia is thefirst time the word Parliament occurs in this History.