the earl of Hereford and other nobles on the borders of Wales heard this, they intimated to the earl of Gloucester that he ought to observe the common laws more firmly and faithfully, and to pacify the earl of Leicester, and induce him to return, without provoking him by such insults ; and if he would not do so, then they must all unite in an attack on the earl of Gloucester. But when this earl heard this, fearing for himself, he sent Hervey, his seneschal, through all his territories, to uphold the law that had been agreed to ; and thus this evil was in some degree allayed. But when the peace that had been already discussed between the kings, through the mediation of the numerous and regularly authorised ambassadors, whose names had been given already, was believed to be on the point of being concluded, lo ! an unexpected obstacle arose. For though every one else was crying out for quiet, the countess of Leicester would not allow her party in Normandy to be quiet on behalf of her sons ; on which account, words contrary to what was honourable arose between the aforesaid earls, who, however, were reconciled by their common friends, that the French might have no reason to rejoice. In the meantime, while Richard, king of Germany, was peaceably staying in England, the way was being prepared for him to obtain the empire freely, the lord the pope working for him with great cunning, only not avowedly, that he might not seem an open adversary of the king of Spain, who was eager for his dignity. And the king of Germany was up to this time secretly remaining in England, in order to fortify himself more abundantly with treasures sufficient for his object. About the same time, when the sun was just entering Cancer, a great pestilence and mortality amongst mankind took place. For the oil and wine, and corn, were generally corrupted throughout the kingdom ; and this corruption, like the sword of death, sparing no one, destroyed first one man and then another. In that pestilence died Fulk Basset, bishop of London, who was solemnly buried on Saint Urban*s day, in the church of Saint Paul, in London. The same week, Walter de Scotenay, who had thrown himself on the judgment of his county, was convicted of having administered poison to the brother of the earl of Gloucester ; for which deed he was by judicial sentence dragged through the city of Winchester to the gallows, and there hung. But afterwards, that is to say, pn.the Thursday after the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist,