trary to his former one, desiring that the queen would not cross the sea. She, therefore, being vexed and perplexed on all sides, deliberated what she ought to do. At last, having made up her mind, she determined not to abandon her'intention, but with her sons and her noble household, she embarked on board ship at Portsmouth, on the twenty-ninth of May, uncTer the conduct of her uncle, the archbishop of Canterbury ; and on the thirty-first of May, she arrived at Bourdeaux. And Walter de Grey, archbishop of York, was appointed regent o f the kingdom in the queen's stead. That year, the north-wind blowing uninterruptedly for three months, did great injury to the spring flowers and fruits. About the first of July, just at the time of the summer solstice, a sudden torrent of rain mingled with hail, such as was never seen before, burst forth, lasting for an hour or more, and tearing off the roofs of the houses, and breaking the branches of the trees. In the month of May, died that hope and glory of the English, that youth of great beauty and promise, Henry, son of the emperor Frederic. And he died, as is asserted, owing to the intrigues of Conrad himself, which is, however, not credible, nor is there any proof of it ; as the said king Conrad, after his death, never wore the cheerful countenance that he did before. But the real truth was, that a wicked man, John the Moor, administered poison to him, and while he was still panting and near death, smothered him with a towel. A violent quarrel arose between the lord the pope and Conrad, king of Sicily. For the pope accused him of many crimes, namely, of heresy and murder ; but he replied to every one of the charges, giving them a steady denial. Edward is sent into Spain to le married. Edward, the eldest son of the king, was sent with great pomp and magnificence to Alfonzo, king of Spain, where he married the youthful Eleanor, the sister of the king, at Burgos, and was invested by the said king with the belt of a knight ; and Edward returning with his bride to his father, brought with him a document from the king of Spain, sealed with a golden bull, in which he claimed quiet possession of the whole of Guienne, for himself and his heirs. But the king of England had conferred on his before-mentioned son at the time of his marriage, and on his wife, Guienne, Ireland, Wales, Bristol, VOL. π. ζ