A-.X. 1267. EDWARD SUCCOURS HIS FATHER. n o small number of Jews, with their wires aud children, entere d after the legate ; and one bailiwick of the castle was entrusted to them, which they, being placed in a strait, defended wit h great vigour. After this, the legate published sentence o f excommunication generally against all the disturbers of the peace of the king and kingdom, and placed under an interdict all the churches of the city of London, and all which were contiguous to the city. But he ordered masses to be celebrated i n the houses belonging to the religious orders, though withou t any sound of bells or singing, and to the exclusion of all disturbers of peace. Great straits hemmed the king in on all sides, and the cruelty of his adversaries, and the want of money ; so having deliberated, he delivered into the hands of merchants all the jewels of the church of Westminster, and the golden images of .the tombs, and the precious stones ; borrowing no inconsiderable sum of money on them, which, however, in times of tranquillity he restored to the above-named church. Therefore the king sent for the Scots and French, who imme diately prepared to come to his assistance. In the meantime, when some of the more powerful nobles of the island were going forth with the intention of becoming pirates, they were cut off by the king's army from returning a second time to the Isle of Ely ; and accordingly they hastened towards London, doing a great deal of damage in their march. Therefore, at their arrival, the earl of Gloucester becoming elated with increased pride, fiercely attacked the Tower o f London, which, however, he was unable to take. Therefore the sons of Belial belonging to the households of the aforementioned nobles invaded the monasteries, and placed their booty in them; while others carried on their devastations through the country. Therefore the people of the district, and especially the men of Westminster, to whom continued annoyance had given boldness, slew a great many of those robbers abovementioned ; and the malefactors of the city, seeing that the people resisted them on all sides, feared to issue forth. King Henry, being an innocent man, and one who feared the Lord, and was eager to terminate the wars, waited patiently for his messengers, who had gone for assistance. Therefore the victorious Edward, coming from Cambridge to the king his father, brought with him from Scotland and from the northern provinces thirty thousand soldiers ; and the king, having dismissed his guards at Cambridge, came to Windsor,