134 ROGER OF WENDOVEIt. [v.υ . I ΙΟΙ. blessed Mary's purification, set free, and permitted to return to his kingdom. lie accordingly, with his mother and the chancellor, set out through the territory of the duke of Louvain, and reached the British channel, and on the Sunday after the feast of St. Gregory he arrived in England at the port of Sandwich, to the great joy of all classes. At the very hour in which the king with his attendants landed, which was the second hour of the day, when the sun was shining clearly, there appeared a brilliant and unusual splendor in the heavens, extending about the length and breadth of the liuti an body from the sun, of a very bright white and red colour, as if a sort of rainbow ; and several people who saw this brightness declared that the king was about to arrive in England. Immediately on bis arrival, the king set out for Canterbury to pay his devotions at the blessed Thomas's shrine; from that place he went to London, and was received with the most joyous pom]), the whole city being profusely decorated and adorned against the king's arrival with every variety of ornament that wealth could produce. When his arrival was known, nobles and commoners alike went to meet him on the way with great eagerness, being most anxious to see him returned from captivity who they had feared would never return.* The king stopped scarcely one day at Westminster bi fore he started to St. Edmund's to return thanks ; and from thence he hurried to Nottingham to besiege and take those who bad conspired against him and joined earl John. The army of England had already taken every casti- belonging to the before-named carl, with the exception of this 0111· alone, which still held out and was bravely defended: but when the king laid siege to it, and had made one assault, the besieged were assured of his unhoped-for arrival, and surrendered the castle to him, placing themselves at tin' king's pleasure, and trusting to his mercy; some of these he imprisoned, others be set free on • Matthew Paris adds:—"On tiis arrival at "vYci«minster, he was met. by Geoffrey Hakesalt, a servant of Wnrin abbai of St. Albini'*, with large gifts of gold and silver, siiftieienl not only [n propitiate but to re joice the heart of the king's majesty. 'Che king weighing bis goodwill hv his gifts, gave the abbat abundant thanks as a friend and father who did not forget his son ; for be called the abbat his dearest father on account of his great friendship. From that time their union was even closer than before, and the king favoured the abbai in every thing."