A.D. 1250. EABL BICHABD CB088B8 THE SEA. ambitious hopes at the same time. The same year, Hugo, surnamed Le Brun, count de la Marche, when the king of France had landed at Damietta, was removed from the scenes of this life, and was deservedly the less lamented ; because, according to his own confession, he had prepared the snares o f treason in Poitou, for his stepson the king of England. The same year, about Pentecost, one of the barons of the north country died, by name Roger, the son of John, leaving a boy as his heir ; the guardianship of whom the king conferred on William de Valence. And so this year passed without being so fertile as the last, though still it was abundant ; but about the end of the summer, the harvest, though it had presented a good appearance, and excited great hopes among men, was injured. It was a year full of disgrace to the Roman court, and of disturbances to France and England. Concerning the delivery of the lady Senchia, the wife of Richard, the earl of Cornwall, $c. A.D . 1250, which is the thirty-fourth of the reign of king Henry the Third, the aforesaid king, at the time of the festival of the Nativity of the Lord, was at Winchester; where, according to his custom, he celebrated his Christmas feast with great magnificence. The same year, just about Christmas, too, Senchia, countess of Cornwall, and wife of earl Richard, brought him forth a son, at Berkhampstead, to baptise whom, the earl invited the archbishop of Canterbury, the uncle of the infant ; and his name was called Edmund, in honour of the blessed Edmund, archbishop of Canterbury and confessor. About the same time many nobles of the kingdom of England crossed the sea, though the reason was not known to any of the people. They were the earl Richard, the earl Gloucester, Henry de Hastings, Roger de Turkely, and many other nobles with them. And there went besides, of the prelates, the bishops of Lincoln, London, Worcester, and with them the archdeacons of the dioceses of Lincoln, Oxford, and Bedford, and others. And earl Richard, being accompanied by a large retinue of great magnificence, traversed the kingdom of France with forty knights, all newly equipped, with new robes all alike, and arms of great beauty, inlaid with gold, and horses newly caparisoned, and with many two-horse chariots, and fifty baggage horses, and a numerous retinue of servants, accompanied also by the countess his wife, and his