against himself the king of England and his kingdom, contrary to the faith which b,e had pledged to the king of England and his kingdom. As a proof of which, he said that he had caused some very strong castles to be built in Loudon, which is a district bordering on England. Moreover, he had received in his territories, and sheltered, Godfrey de Marais, his enemy, and a fugitive from his power. And besides, he had selected as a wife the daughter of Ingelram de Coucy, a most wicked baron of the kingdom of France, and one very hostile to the king and kingdom of England. Therefore the king sent (which, however, he ought not to have done) for the count of Flanders, that he might come to him as an ally against the king of. Scotland, who was about to wage war against him, as if he were unable to attack him without his assistance. He assembled the forces of the whole of England to carry on and support his war. Accordingly, the count of Flanders; having been invited, came with speed, bringing with him some Flemings thirstingmost greedily, as is the custom of their nation, for booty and plunder, to the number of sixty knights and a hundred esquires, all eager for the king's pay. As, therefore, the king had set out towards the northern parts of the island, the said count, who had landed at Dover, followed the king with all speed, being accompanied by his brother Boniface, the archbishop elect of Canterbury. And when they had traversed the country as far as Saint Alban's, with the intention of passing the night there, they were met by Master Walter de Suffield, bishop elect of Norwich, who was immediatelyon the spot confirmed in his bishopric of Norwich by the archbishop elect of Canterbury. But Alexander, king of Scotland, having received information of the hostile approach of the king of Eugland, armed himself against it with great prudence, most earnestly entreating all his friends on the borders by ambassadors and by letters tó assist him in such a serious danger, by which means he collected a very large army, consisting principally of infantry. Moreover, he sent into France to John de Coucy, his wife's brother, entreating him to come to his aid with all his power, as he was threatened with war by the king of England. For Ingelram, the father of John, had, a short time before, died in a strange manner ; for he had fallen from his horse, who stumbled against a trunk of a tree, and in falling he had hung in the stirrup ; and his horse being frightened ran away, and dashed into a deep river, and as Ingelram saw that he was in danger of