A.D. 1221.] TAKING Oli IÎEDFORD CASTLE. 453 The capture of the castle and luinging of the knights. In the mean time the king ordered the corn and cattle on the manors and lands of Falcasius throughout the kingdom to he seized and confiscated, that hy these means he might during this lengthened siege obtain supplies at the expense of his enemy. At length the king's soldiers brought up. though not without much loss, two penthouses, which the French call brtttesches, and, attacking the castle in all directions, forced the besieged to retire. The king's troops then entered the eastle, and gaining possession of horses, arms, provisions, and innumerable other things, returned in triumph ; the victors then attacked the tower, and destroyed a great portion of the walls. After this, the besieged seeing that they could hold out no longer, on the eve of the assumption of St. Mary, sent some of the garrison from the castle to entreat the king's mercy ; but the king ordered them to be kept in close confinement till he reduced the rest to subjection. On the following day all the rest came ont of the castle dreadfully bruised and wounded, and were taken before the king, wdio ordered them all to be hung ; of the knights and soldiers of the garrison, twenty-four were hung, who could not obtain mercy from the king on account of the audacity which they had showed to him in the late siege. Henry de Braybrook came to the king safe and sound and returned him his thanks. Faleasius, in his false sense of security, believed that his followers could defend the castle from capture for a wdiole year; when however he learned for certain that his brothers and the rest of his friends were hung, he came under the conduct of Alexander bishop of Coventry, to the king at Bedford, and, falling at his feet, begged him to show mercy to him in consideration of his great services and oxpensive undertakings on behalf of him, the king, and his father, in times of war. The king then having taken advice on the subject, deprived him of all his castles, lands, and possessions, and delivered him into the custody of Eustace bishop of London, till he should determine what ought to be done with him ; and thus, as it were in a moment, this Faleasius, from being the richest became one of the poorest of men, and would afford a good example to many,