Haco, prince of Norway, was anointed and consecrated king, being a man of prudence and circumspection, and of elegant accomplishments in literature. The same year, there died, on the day of Saint Catharine, William, count of Ferrara, a virtuous man, full of days ; and soon afterwards, his wife, the countess. There also died the same day some other nobles, Richard de Burgh, and William, the son of Hamo. And so this year passed, very fruitful to the crops, but a bad year for fruit ; full of devastations as to England, of enmity to the Holy Land, of plunder to the church, of bloodshed to Italy, of suspicion to the empire, of war to Germany, a year in which Wales was trampled on, and the whole world thrown into confusion. CH. XiV.~FROM A.D. 1248 το A.D. 1250. Increased discontent of the English barons—Siege of Parma —The icing of France sets out for the Holy Land--William of Holland is crowned king of Germany—The earl of Leicester is sent to Guienne— The war between Frederic and the pope continues—Louis, king of France, is taken prisoner by the Saracens—The number of monkish orders increases in England—A summary of the events of the last fifty years. Beatrice, the queens mother, comes to England. The bishop of Bath dies. A.D . 1248, which is the thirty-second of the reign of the lord Henry the Third, the lord the king was at the feast of the Nativity of the Lord at Winchester, where he celebrated the days of the Nativity with great magnificence, accompanied by many of his nobles. But on the morrow, being àie day of the festival of Saint Stephen, he dined with the bishops of the city of Winchester. About the same time, Richard Siward (of whom frequent mention has been made before) was attacked with paralysis. About the same time, Beatrice, the queen's mother, came into England to visit the lord the king and her daughters, being accompanied by count Thomas of Savoy, formerly count of Flanders. Also about the same time, that is to say, about the feast of Saint Hilary, Robert, bishop of Bath, died. And nearly about the beginning of the year, namely, on the day week after the Purification,