450 ANN AX S OF SOGER DE HOVEDEN. A.D. 1199. the pope Innocent utterly refused to sanction their doing the same. In the year of grace 1199, being the tenth and last year of the reign of Richard, king of England, the said Richard was at Damfront, in Normandy, on the day of the Nativity of our Lord, which took place on the sixth day of the week, and Philip, king of France, was on the same day at Yernon, in Normandy. Otho, king of the Germans, and nephew of Richard, king of England, was on the same day at Westphalia, in Almaine, which is distant nine days' journey from Cologne, and which places Otho, by his prowess and valour, had gained against Philip, duke of Suabia, son of Frederic, the former emperor of the Romans. Immediately after the Nativity of our Lord, the said Otho divided his army into two parts, and laid siege to two cities of the before-named Philip. The kings of France and England, however, met for a conference between Andely and Vernon, on the feast of Saint Hilary ; on which occasion the king of England came thither in a boat up the river Seine, and not wishing to land, spoke from the boat with the king of France, who, sitting on horseback on the banks of the river, conversed with the king of England face to face ; and there they appointed another day for holding the conference, when, in presence of a greater number of their followers, through the mediation of the lord cardinal deacon Peter of Capua, titular of Saint Mary in Via Lata, legate of the Apostolic See, and in accordance with the advice of other influential persons on either side, they agreed upon a truce to be observed between them, from the said feast of Saint Hilary, to last for the period of live years, with good faith and without evil intent, their property and tenements remaining on both sides in the same state in which they then were ; and after these arrangements had been made and confirmed by oath, each returned to his own country ; and they allowed their armies, after returning them their thanks, to return to their homes. While, however, Marchadès, with his Routiers, was returning towards his own country, four counts of the kingdom of Prance, through whose lands Marchadès had to pass, met him with a hostile force, and worsted him, and slew many of his men. But the king of Prance disowned this deed, and swore that it had not been done through him. After this, while the king of England, in expectation of enjoying peace and in observance of the aforesaid treaty, had gone towards Poitou, the