388 ANNALS OF ROGER DE HOVEDEX. A.D. 1196. chief justiciary of all England, he -was taken ill at table, and died on the fifth day after, at London. In the meantime, Philip, king of Prance, took the castle of Aumarle by assault, and destroyed it, on which, the king of England gave him three thousand marks of silver, as a ransom for the knights and their followers, who had been taken at Aumarle. AÎter this, the king of Prance took Novancourt by assault, while John, earl of Mortaigne, brother of Eichard, king of England, took the castle of Jumieges. In the same year, a disturbance arose between the citizens of London. For, more frequently than usual, in consequence of the king's captivity and other accidents, aids to no small amount were imposed upon them, and the rich men, sparing their own purses, wanted the poor to pay everything. On a certain lawyer, William Fitz-Osbert byname, or Longbeard, becoming sensible of this, being inflamed by zeal for justice and equity, he became the champion of the poor, it being his wish that every person, both rich as well as poor, should give according to his property and means, for all the necessities of the state ; and going across the sea to the king, he demanded his protection for himself and the people. Hubert Fitz-Walter, archbishop of Canterbury and the king's justiciary, being greatly vexed at this, issued orders that wherever any of the common people should be found outside the city, they should be arrested as enemies to the king and his realm. Accordingly, it so happened, that at Mid-Lent some of the merchants of the number of the common people of London were arrested at the fair at Stamford, by command of the king's justiciary. The said justiciary then gave orders that the above named William Longbeard should be brought before him, whether he would or no; but when one of the citizens, Geoffrey by name, came to take him, the said Longbeard slew him ; and on others attempting to seize him, he took to flight with some of his party, and they shut themselves in a church, the name of which is the church of Saint Mary at Arches, and, on their refusing to come forth, an attack was made upon them. When even then they would not surrender, by command of the archbishop of Canterbury, the king's justiciary, fire was applied, in order that, being forced by the smoke and vapour, they might come forth. At length, when the said William came forth, one of them, drawing a knife, plunged it into his entrails, and he was led to the Tower of London, where he was condemned to