AÏTNALS OF BOGEB DE HOTEDEN. A.D. 1193· ship the emperor has appointed a certain day for our liberation, namely, the Monday next ensuing after the twentieth day from the day of the Nativity of our Lord ; and on the Lord's day then next ensuing, we shall be crowned king of the kingdom of Provence, which he has given unto us. Wherefore, we do send into England to you the letters patent of our lord the emperor relative hereto, as also to the rest of our friends and well-wishers ; arid do you in the meantime, to the best of your power, endeavour to console those whom you know to love us, and whom you know to long for our release. Witness myself at Spires,. this twenty-second day of September." 17ie Letter of the emperor Henry to the nobles of England, on the liberation of Richard, king of England. " Henry, by the grace of God, emperor of the Romans, and ever august, to his dearly-beloved friends, the archbishops, bishops, earls, barons, knights, and all the faithfnl subjects of Richard, the illustrious king of England, his favour and every, blessing. We have thought proper to intimate to all and every of you, that we have appointed a certain day for the liberation of our dearly-beloved friend, your lord, Richard, the illustrious king of the English, being the second day of the week next ensuing after the expiration of three weeks from the day of the Nativity of our Lord, at Spires, or else at Worms; and we have appointed seven days after that as the day of his coronation as king of Provence, which we have promised to him ; and this you are to consider as certain and undoubted. Por it is our purpose and our will to exalt and most highly to honor your aforesaid lord, as being our especial friend. Given at Thealluse, on the vigil of Saint Thomas the Apostle." But before this treaty was confirmed between the emperor and the king, the king sent William, bishop of Ely, his chancellor, and other envoys, into Prance, to earl John, his brother, and prevailed upon him to return to Normandy, and to swear fealty and peace to the king, his brother, against all men. The king also gave orders that all the castles of the honors which he had given to him, on either side of the sea, should be delivered up to him ; but their keepers, notwithstanding the king's writ, refused to deliver up to him any of the said castles. The earl, being enraged at this, returned to the king of Prance, and became his adherent ; on which the king of Prance delivered