438 U0GEH OF YVKXnoVER. [A.D . 12-27. brotlier immediately to give the manor up to Wallcran, or to leave the kingdom never to return. To this the earl replied that he would neither give up his right to \Valleran, nor would he leave the kingdom without the decision of his peers, and with these words he directly proceeded to his own house. The justiciary then, fearing that the earl would disturb the peace of the kingdom, advised the king, as it is reported, to scud some armed knights to seize his brotlier in his sleep on the next night, and to consign him to close custody, that be the king might enjoy lasting peace; earl Kichard was, however, forewarned of this by a friend, and secretly hurried from the city with only one knight in his company, and did not draw rein till he arrived at Reading. His soldiers followed him in the morning, and found their lord safe and sound at a place agreed on with them ; the earl then took his way towards Marlborough, at which place he met William Marshall, his friend and sworn ally, to whom he told all that had happened to him. The two together then went to the earl of Chester and duly related all these circumstances, they then swore to be true to one another, and sending letters abroad they collected a large army ; and in a short time there assembled at Stamford, equipped with horses and arms, the carls Ralph of Chester, William Marshall, Richard the king's brother, Gilbert of Gloucester, William of Warrenne, Henry of Hereford, William carl Ferrers, and William of Warwick, besides a great number of barons and a large body of soldiers ; they then with haughty threats gave the king notice at once to repair the injury be had inflicted on his brother ; but the blame of this offence they imputed not to the king, but to the justiciary. They moreover insolently demanded that the king would, without delay, restore to them, under his seal, the charters of the liberties of the forests, which he had lately annulled at Oxford ; otherwise they would by force of arms compel him to give them adequate satisfaction in these matters. The king on receiving this message, ordered them to meet him at Northampton the 3rd of August, that he might then grant due justice to them. The parties then assembled at the above city on the appointed day, and the king, at the urgent request of the nobles, gave to his brother, carl Richard, the whole of his mother's dowry, adding to it all the lands which belonged to the domain of the count of