A.D. 1200. THE KDîG GITES PERMISSION TO HOLD FAIRS. 481 the kingdom of France was under an interdict on account of queen Botilda, whom the king of France had put away. Im mediately after his marriage, the said Louis took with him into France his wife, the daughter of the king of Castille. "While these things were going on, upon the same day, Philip, king of France, and John, king of England, held a conference at Vernon, at this time a town of the king of France"; and uerè Arthur, duke of Brittany, did homage to his uncle John, king of England, for Brittany and his other territories, with the sanction and advice of the king of France ; but Arthur, being given up by the king of England, remained in the charge of the king of France. In the same year, John, king of England, gave to Zachary, the prior of Saint Alban's, the abbacy of Burgh, and to the prior of Burgh he gave the abbacy of Ramsey. In this year also, Robert, count de Drues, brother of Philip, bishop of Beauvais, departed this life. In the same year, on Easter day, which tell on the fifth day before the ides of April, nearly the whole of the city of Rouen was destroyed byfire, together with the church of the archiépiscopal see, and many other churches besides. In the same year, Otho, king of the Germans, who had been elected emperor of the Romans, sent Henry, duke of Saxony, and "William of "Winchester, his brothers, to his uncle John, king of England, to demand of him the earldom of York and the earldom of Poitou, which Richard, king of England, had given him, as also two-fourths of the whole of the treasures of Richard, king of England, and aB the jewels which the said king had left him by devise. But John, king of England, would not accede to any of these requests, in consequence of the oath which* he had sworn to the king of France, to the effect that he would give no assistance whatever to Otho against the dulce of Suabia. In the same year, shortly before the festival of Saint Peter ad Vincula, a pitched battle was fought between the before named Otho and Philip, duke of Suabia, at Brunswick; in which battle, Otho came off victorious, and took prisoners more than two hundred knights of the household of the duke of Suabia. In the same year, John, king of England gave to Philip, bishop of Durham, leave to hold a fair each year at Hoveden, and at Alverton." ToWiUiam de StuteviBe also, the said king gave per ° North AUerton. VOL. II. II