468 HOG κ κ υκ WE.NUOVEK. [A.D . 122:5 wcrc then present to meet, when he would procure the presence of the king und the absent prelates, that the all'air might then be brought to a conclusion; they, however, would not agree to the before-mentioned day, without the consent of the king and the others who were absent, and in this way all returned home. Of the ylorious dea'.h of William earl of Salisbury. The king of England, in the meantime, had entirely recovered from his illness at Marlborough, and at that place there came to him William earl of Salisbury, who. after being long exposed to the dangers of the sea, had with much difficulty landed in Cornwall at Christmas, lie was received with great joy by the king, and at once laid before him a serious complaint against the justiciary, namely, that while he had been in foreign parts on the king's business, he, the justiciary, had sent some man of low birth, who endeavoured to form a criminal connexion with his wife during his life-time, and to contract an adulterous marriage with her by force ; he also added, that unless the king would make the justiciary give him full satisfaction, he would himself take revenge for this great offence, to the serious disturbance of the peace of the kingdom. The justiciary then, being present, confessed his fault, and made peace with the earl by presents of expensive horses and other large gifts ; and having thus made friends with the earl, the justiciary invited him to his table, where, it is said, he was secretly poisoned, for he went to his castle at Salisbury, and took to his bed, seriously indisposed. The disease gaining power, and .as he felt certain symptoms of death, he sent for the bishop of the city to come to him, that he might receive the rites pertaining to the confession and the viaticum of a Christian, and also make a legal statement as to his property. When the bishop entered the room where the carl lay, with no other clothing than his trousers, the latter leaped from his bed in front of the bishop, who was carrying the body of our Lord, and fastening a rough cord round his nook, he threw himself on the floor, and with incessant lamentation confessed himself a traitor to the supreme king, and would not allow himself to be raised till he had made confession and partaken of the communion of the life-giving sacrament, to