A.D. 1217.] CONDITION OK THE BARONS. Acre baptized all be could obtain by entreaties or for ιηοη··ν: the women lie distributed amongst the nuns, and bad them taught to read. In a third expedition, at which the patriarch was not present with the clergy and the symbol of the ero--, the army of the faith endured many inconveniences, as well from robbers as from the severity of the winter, especially on the eve of Christmas day, when, as they were on their mandi, the weather was disturbed by storms of wind and rain ; in the neighbourhood of Tyre and Sidon too, near Sarepta. they suffered many hardships, as well from the inclemency of the season as from bodily suffering. How tlie barons of England reflected on the wretched state of their affairs, A.D. 1217. The young king Henry was at Christmas at Bristol, in company with Walo the legate, aud William Marshall the guardian of the king and kingdom. At this time there was a great deal of wavering amongst the barons of England, to which ruler they should entrust themselves, whether to the young Henry or to Louis; for they were treated so contemptuously by the French that many of them rejected their assistance. This gust of excitement, moreover, was increased by Louis himself, who, in disregard of his oath, and in spite of their complaints, had retained in his own possession the lands, possessions, and castles of the said baron~, which he had subdued with their help, and had placed foreign knights and people in charge of them. On the other hand, it seemed a disgrace for them to return to their allegiance to a king whom they had renounced, lest they should be like dogs returning to their vomit ; and, being thus in difficulty in every way, they could not mend the broken reed. In the same year, on the 20th of January, the knights and soldiers of the garrison of the castle of Montsorrel made a sally to rob and pillage the country ; but the knights of Nottingham, on being informed of it by their scouts, went to meet them, and giving them battle, made prisoners of ten knights and twenty-four soldiers of the opposite party, and killed three, after which they returned in triumph. VOL. II. c c