A.D. 12fJ2.] IIUISEKT IMPRISONED IN ΤΠΕ TOWER. 557 the next morning to the number of twenty thousand men, and inarched, in array towards Merton, to carry the king's orders into effect. During these proceedings however it was suggested to the king hy the earl of Chester, that if he stirred up such strife amongst the, irrational and foolish populace, there might be a chance of his being unable, when he wished to do so, to calm the disturbance once commenced; the king therefore altered his mind, and sent urclers to the mayor at once to recall the force he had sent out. So the citizens returned in a state of astonishment without having accomplished their purpose. How Hubert was dragged out of a e/iapel and thrown into the tower. After these events the archbishop of Dublin, after much entreaty, obtained for Hubert a respite till the octaves of the Epiphany, in order that he might have time to deliberate on the above-named demands, which \vere of a most urgent nature, and might then be able to give a reasonable answer, and to make proper amends to the king. Hubert then having received a guarantee for his security, as was believed, by letters patent from the king, took the road to St. Edmund's where his wife was staying, and then passing through Essex, he took up his abode in the house of the bishop of Norwich in a town which was under the jurisdiction of the said bishop ; this greatly enraged the king, who was afraid that if Hubert thus got away from him, he would cause a great excitement in the kingdom ; therefore, re]ienting of the respite he had granted to him, the king sent the knight Godfrey de Craucumbe after him with three hundred soldiers, ordering him, on pain of being hung, to bring Hubert back a prisoner, and to imprison him in the tower of London. This party then marched with all haste, and found Hubert in a church near his abode, holding the cross of our Ixird iu one hand, and the body of Christ in the other : for he had been forewarned of the approach of those who sought his life, and rising from the couch where be had been sleeping, he lied naked to the church. The aforesaid Godfrey however entered the chapel with his armed followers, and ordered him in the king's name to leave rushing to shed innocent blood ; one of these mounted on a swift horse and carrying the king's warrant, recalled the foremost of them by its authority; the other messenger, however, who hated the earl of Kent, Hubert, and would rather have seen him slain than set free, although ordered to use all speed, took his own time, and did not reach the middle of them; for which he was visited by the Divine anger, for his horse happening to stumble at some obstacle, although only proceeding at a slow pace, he fell Hat to the ground, and, breaking his hack, expired. This pious mission was effected by Italph bishop of Chester, then chancellor, a just man, and one faithful to the whole of the kingdom, and who grieved for the sufferings of Hubert. At sight of the warrnnt then, this army of citizens ami popu'ace was bnui hl lo η stand; and thus the king changed his intentions and sent messengers with nil speed to recall the army he had sent forth, and the citizens returned disappointed to the city without effecting their obiect.