.D. i'iKi.j SUITEItlNOS. OF THE CHRISTIANS. king, that, if IK: received a single refusal to surrender tini castle, \V. d'Albincy should never eat again but should die a disgraceful death. The besieged were thus in a perplexity in every way, and did not know what to do; at length, however, by the general advice, of all, they agreed to save their lord from an ignominious death by surrendering the castle rather than, by retaining it, to lose their lord as well as the castle. Then Nicholas d'Albiney and Hugh de Charneles, taking the keys of the castle with them went to the. king at Lungar, and surrendered the castle to him on the condition that he would deal mercifully with their lord, ami that they themselves might continue secure under his pro tection. On the following day then, which was St. .John the Evangelist's day, tin; king came to the, castle, and gave it into the charge of (ìeo'l'rey and Oliver de liuteville, two brothers, who came from l'oietou, and alter the oath of fealty and faithful obedience to him had been taken by all, be granted them his letters patent securing to them an indemnity of all their property. Of the various kinds of sufferings endured by the Christian people. In the meantime a part of the king's army came to Dovington, a town belonging to John de Lacy, and finding it untenanted, it was immediately razed to the ground by order of the king ; after this be separated his wicked army, and took his march towards the northern provinces, burning the. buildings belonging to the barons, making booty of their cattle, plundering them of their goods and destroying everything they came to with the sword. The whole surface of the earth was covered with these limbs of the devil like locusts, who assembled from remote regions to blot out every thing from the face, of the earth, from man down to bis cattle ; for, running about with drawn swords and open knives, they ransacked towns, houses, cemeteries, and churches, robbing every one, and sparing neither women or children ; the king's enemies wherever they were found were imprisoned in chains and compelled to pay a heavy ransom. Even the priests whilst standing at the very altars, with the cross of the Lord in their hands, clad in their sacred rubes, were seized, tortured, robbed, and ill-treated ; and there wan no pontitlj priest, or Levitt; to pour oil or wine on their