A.D. 1225.] MEDIATION OF OTHO. Iiute the said earl escaped the snares of his enemies. When the next morning broke, the earl and his companions were driven by the force of the storm towards the isle of lihé, about three miles from Rochelle, and, having got into their small boats, made their way to the island. In that island was a convent of the Cistercian order, to which the earl sent messengers, asking leave to hide himself from his enemies, till a more favourable breeze should arise ; the abbat of the place willingly granted this, and received him and his fellow voyagers with all honour. This island was then in the charge of Savarie de Mauleon, who was then fighting under Louis, the French king, and was watching several of the islands, with a large, body of soldiers : two followers of his who knew the earl well, and who had been appointed with several others to guard this island, went in a friendly manner to the earl, after he had lain hid there for three, days, and told him that, unless he left the island before daylight of the following day, he would be taken prisoner by their companions, who with them were watching the islands and seas round. The earl then made the two soldiers a present of twenty pounds of sterling money, and at once embarked, and put to sea, where be was tossed about on the waves for three months before he landed in England. Now Master Olho came to England on the business of his holiness the pope. In the same year, Master Otho, a legate of the pope, arrived in England, and presented letters to the king on urgent business connected with the Roman church ; hut the king, on learning the purport of the letters, replied that he could not and ought not of himself to give a definite answer on a matter which concerned all the clergy and laity of the kingdom in general. Therefore, by the advice of Stephen archbishop of Canterbury, a day was appointed by the king, in the octaves of the Epiphany, for all the clergy and laity to assemble at Westminster, then to discuss the aforesaid matter, that whatever seemed right to all might be determined on. How the said Otho endeavoured to make peace between Ea'easius ani the king. Shortly afterwards, Master 0:ho, on behalf of the pope,