with the king, the king immediately became angry, and, without consulting ,the barons, appointed the lord Walter de Merton his chancellor, and the lord Philip Basset his principal justiciary throughout the kingdom. And when the nobles heard this, they considered it contrary to their interest and to the provisions which they had agreed to ; and so, fearing that the king would take upon himself utterly to overturn their arrangements, they strengthened themselves with arms and troops, and marched thither with all speed. Bat when John Mansel heard this, he, fearing that danger was being prepared, from this proceeding, for the king and for himself, and for those who agreed with him, went secretly to Winchester, though greatly alarmed, and privily advised and warned the king to return secretly to London. So when he had returned, the king silently departed from the castle, and hastened to London without delay, accompanied by a small band of followers. The same year, as the see of Winchester had been vacant no inconsiderable time, the monks of Winchester themselves elected the abbot of Middleton, who had formerly been their own prior, as their bishop, though they had previously elected some one else, who, during the lifetime of Ethelmar, and while he was at the court of Rome, had involved his church in an infinite amount of debt, endeavouring to prevail against him ; but he, as he had been formerly elected while Ethelmar was still alive, by whom he himself also had been appointed prior of Winchester, rightly appeared to have no right to retain the bishopric; on which account, now that Ethelmar himself was dead, they wished to elect this abbot in opposition to the other. But in the month of May, when the papal indulgence (of which mention has already been made), conferring absolution on the king and the other conspirators, had been obtained, the lord the king caused it to be published and made known to every one. And the same year, grave dissensions broke out between king Henry and his barons, because he refused any longer to give his consent to the provisions which had been established in the conference at Oxford, and confirmed by mutual oaths on both sides. Therefore, showing his utter contempt for their counsel, he seized the castles which had been committed to their guardianship ; he also removed those royal officers, such as the justiciary, the chancellor, and others, who had been appointed by the barons, in whose places,