A.i). 1189.] RELEASE OF QUEEN ELEANOR. to deliver up the castles and treasures which were in his hands belonging to his father. He next honourably retained with him all those who had served his father and on whose fidelity he could reckon, and recompensed each according to his deserts for the long services which he had rendered to his father. Moreover, when John his brother came to see him, he received hiin with due honour. He then proceeded to lloucn in Normandy, and on the 13th before the kalends of August,* in presence of the bishops, earls, barons and knights, he took the sword of the duchy of Normandy, by the ministry of the archbishop, from the altar of the blessed virgin Mary : and having received the allegiance both of the clergy and the people, he abundantly confirmed to his brother John all the; lands which bis father had given him in England, namely, an estate of -1000 marks, and the whole county of Mortaigne. He also granted to his brother Geoffrey, formerly bishop elect of Lincoln, the archbishopric of York ; and Geoffrey, immediately sending his clerks with the duke's letters, took the archbishopric into his own hands, having expelled the guards of the king and of Hubert Walter, dean of that same church, who had also been elected bishop by some of the canons. On the third day of his reign the duke had an interview with the French king between Chaumont and Trie, wherein the king of the French demanded the castle of Gisors and all the neighbouring province; but because the duke was about to take the king's sister Alice in marriage, he forbode to press his demand for a time, and the duke on his part promised to pay 4000 marks more than the sum which his father had promised. //etc king liichard released his mother from her long confinement. Meanwhile his mother queen Eleanor, who for sixteen years had been removed from bis father's bed, and kept in close confinement, received her son's permission to manage matters in the kingdom according to her own pleasure, and the nobles were instructed to obey her in every re.-piet. The queen, with these powers, released all those who were in prison throughout all England, knowing from her own experience how painful to mankind is imprisonment. In these days was fulfilled the prophecy of Merlin, which says, * July 'JO.