A.D. 1230.] DISSENSIONS AMONG THE FRENCH. 53Ó possession of it, destroyed it, after which he again returned to the city of Anjou. In the same year on the 14th of May, which was tlie Tuesday in Rogation week, an unusual eclipse of the sun took place very early in the morning, immediately after sun-rise, and it became so dark that the labourers, who had commenced their morning's work, were obliged to leave it, and returned again to their beds to sleep, but in about an hour's time, to the astonishment of many, the sun regained its usual brightness. In this same year too the duke of Saxony, a relation of the English king, came to England, and was received with all honour by the citizens of London ; this noble was so tall and of such a size, that he excited every body's wonder, and the people assembled to gaze at him as if to sec a pageant. Of the dissensions tphieh arose amongst the French barons. About this time almost all the nobles of France were engaged in war one against another, and the duke of linrgundy, the counts of Boulogne, llrcux, Macon, St. Paul, and Bar, and the nobles Engiiorraud de Cotircy, Robert de Courtonave, and many others, who were, as was reported, sworn allies of the king of England and Henry count of Brittany, declared war against the counts of Champagne and Flanders ; and all of them having completed their forty days of service at the siege of Anjou, obtained leave from the French king, and returned to their own provinces. The king then, not being able to detain them, followed them, in order to bring about a reconciliation amongst them, hut this he Could not effect by any means, for the above-mentioned nobles invaded the territory of the count of Champagne, and commenced ravaging it with fire and sword. This count came to oppose them with a large force, and gave them battle ; hut the above-mentioned nobles were too powerful for him and his troops, and made prisoners of two hundred of his knights, and slew thirteen. The count of Champagne seeing his troops defeated, lied from the field of battle, having lost all his companions ; the enemy gave pursuit to him, putting to the sword any of his adherents they met, and did not desist from the pursuit till they had driven the count inside the gates of the city of Paris. Then, not choosing to follow him further, they return-d into Champagne, and pillaged the whole id' the province, razing castles and towns to the ground, burning villages anil cities, cutting down the vine and fruit trees, and sparing nothing which they found outside the churches. These nobles were carrying on this war against the count for his treachery to the king, inasmuch as at the siege of Avignon he had, as they said, poisoned tin ii lord king bonis, on account of his love for the ipn-eii ; and although they had often laid this accusation against him at the court of the French king and in the king's presence, and wished to prove the count guilty by the ordeal of single combat, yet the queen, who.