A.D. 1230.] TKKACIIKBY AGAINST THE MAUSHAI.. nobles, who would defend the kingdom against these traitors. The lirst against whom the king vented his rage was Gilbert Bassett, a nobleman, whom he deprived of a certain manor which he had received as a gift from king John ; and when he asked the king to restore him his rights, the latter called him a traitor, and threatened that if he did not leave his court he should be hung, lie also ordered Richard Siward, a bold knight, to be made prisoner and brought before him, for having, as he said, married the sister of the said Gilbert without his permission. Being also suspicious of all the other nobles and men of rank in the kingdom, he demanded hostages of them, and sent orders to them by his warrants to give up to him before the 1st of August such and so many hostages, by which all suspicion of rebellion on their parts would bo removed from his mind. How the marshal was warned of treachery against him. The earls and barons in grand knightly array proceeded to London on the 1st of August to the appointed conference, and amongst the rest was Richard earl marshal, who took up his abode with his sister, the wife of Richard the king's brother ; she then asked him the reason of his journey, to which he replied, that he had come to attend the conference. She then said to him, " Know, my dear brother, that your enemies are plotting to take you prisoner, and they will give you up to the king and the bishop of Winchester, in order that they may serve you the same as they did the earl of Kent." The marshal would hardly believe these words of his sister's, until she showed by evident proofs the manner of his capture, and by whom he would he taken. He then began to believe her, and when night came on he took the road, and did not draw rein till he arrived in Wales. There came to the conference the earls of Chester and Lincoln, the carl of Ferrers, and earl Richard the king's brother, with some other earls and several barons, hut nothing was done there on account of the absence of the earl marshal and Gilbert Bassett, and some other nobles who did not make their appearance ; on which the king, by the advice of Peter bishop of Winchester, and Stephen Seagrave, sent letters to all the nobles of the kingdom who owed him knight's service, inviting them to come, provided with horses and arms, to Gloucester, on Sunday before the Assumption of the blessed virgin .Mary. Richard Marshal and some others however, who were confederated, refused to come at the time appointed, and the king, treating them as traitors, burnt their villages, destroyed their parks and warrens, anil besieged tlieir castles. The nobles who were confederated with one another, it was said, were the earl marshal, Gilbert Bassett and his brothers, all distinguished soldiers, Richard Siward, a man trained to arms from his youth, Walter de Clifford, a chosen knight, and many others who joined tlieir cause ; all of these the king, without any trial in his court by their peers, ordered to bo