and, holding a conference with them, prevailed upon them to elect as their archbishop the before-named Baldwin, which they accordingly did; for Alan, the prior of the church of the Holy Trinity at Canterbury, came to London with the less infirm part of his chapter, and with letters of confirmation. On their meeting together in the Chapter house of the monks of Westminster, they elected for themselves and the Church of Canterbury, the before-named Baldwin as archbishop; and then, that they might not appear to have assented to the election of the bishops, sang their own "Te Deum Laudamus," and led him to the altar, and, receiving him with the kiss of peace, presented him to the king, who again received him with the kiss of peace and love; as did Richard, earl of Poitou, his son. After this, the king confirmed the treaty and final reconciliation by writing, and ratified the same, after its confirmation, by oath on part of his sons Richard, Geoffrey, and John, in presence of queen Eleanor their mother, Henry, duke of Saxony, and many others.

In the same year, the archbishop of Cologne came to England on a pilgrimage to Saint Thomas of Canterbury, on which the king of England met him with congratulations, and prevailed upon him to lay aside his anger and displeasure towards Henry, duke of Saxony, and receive him into the favour which he had formerly enjoyed when honored with his esteem. The before-named archbishop of Cologne also, at the entreaty of the king of England, agreed that the daughter of Frederic, emperor of the Romans, should be given in marriage to Richard, earl of Poitou, the king's son: for he knew that this was the especial wish and desire of the emperor. After this, the before-named archbishop, and Philip, earl of Flanders, who had come with him over to England, returned to Flanders, and, having levied a great army, invaded the territories of the earl of Hainault, and ravaged them, in revenge for the injuries which he had inflicted on the earl of Flanders.

In the same year, died the empress of the Romans, the wife of the emperor Frederic. In this year also, died Gilbert de Ver, abbat of Selby, and Gerard,30 surnamed La Pucelle, bishop of Chester. In the same year also, died Waleran, bishop of Rochester, Clement, abbat of Saint Mary's at York, Simon, earl of Huntingdon, Jocelyn, bishop of Salisbury, Bartholomew,

30 See the note at page 31.

In this year

bishop of Exeter, and the earl of Warwick. also, died the daughter of Frederic, emperor of the Romans, who, as above stated, was to have been married to Richard, earl of Poitou. In this year also, the church of Saint Julian, at the city of Le Mans, was destroyed by fire. The abbey of Glastonbury was also burnt in this year.

In the same year, our lord the king of England, being anxious to make peace between the duke of Saxony and the emperor Frederic, by the advice of the archbishop of Cologne, sent his envoys, Hugh de Nunant, archdeacon of Lisieux, and some others of his clerks, and of the members of his household, to Lucius, the Supreme Pontiff, in order that through his aid the before-named emperor might receive the duke of Saxony into favour. Accordingly, the king's envoys, coming to the court of our lord the pope, found him at Verona in Italy; and while they were staying there with him, Frederic, emperor of the Romans, came thither for the purpose of holding a conference with the pope; at whose urgent request the before-named emperor gave the duke of Saxony permission to return to his country, and released him from all the oaths which he had taken as to remaining in exile; our lord the pope also absolved him from the oath which he had taken to the emperor.

In the same year, Thomas Fitz-Bernard departed this life, who, after the decease of Alan de Neville, had been appointed by our lord the king chief justiciary of all the forests in England; upon whose decease our lord the king divided his forests in England into different parts, and over each part appointed four justices, namely, two clerks and two knights; also two yeomen of his household to be guardians of vert and venison, over all the other foresters, both those of the king as well as of the knights and barons; and he sent them to hold pleas of forestal matters, in conformity with the Assize of the Forests previously mentioned.

31

In the same year, our lord the king came to Worcester, for the purpose of marching thence with a large army into Wales, to wage war against the Welch, who had ravaged his territories and slain his subjects. Rees, the son of Griffin, however, dreading his attack, having obtained a safe-conduct from the king, came to Worcester, and there swore fealty to the king of England, and that he would give his son and nephews as hostages 31 Rice, or Rhys ap Griffyd.

to the king; but, on his attempting to bring them, they refused to accompany him.

In the same year, our lord the king gave to William, the prior of the church of Saint Augustin, at Bristol, the bishopric of Bangor. In the same year, the priest Swerre, who was also called Birkebain, slew Magnus, king of Norway.

In this year also, the astrologers both of Spain and Sicily, as also the diviners throughout almost the whole world, both Greek and Latin, wrote and set forth nearly one and the same opinion as to the conjunction of the planets. On this occasion, a certain astrologer, Corumphira by name, wrote to the following effect:

Auguries from the Conjunction of the Planets.

"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. Almighty God hath known and the science of numbers hath disclosed, that the planets, both superior as well as inferior, will come in conjunction in Libra, that is to say in September, in the year from the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal and true God, one thousand one hundred and eighty-six; and in the year of the Arabians five hundred and eighty-two.32 During the year this conjunction will be preceded by a partial eclipse of the sun, which will be of a fiery colour; this, taking place on the first hour of the twenty-first day of the month of April, will be preceded by a total eclipse of the moon, in the said month of April; that is to say, on the fifth day thereof, and at the first hour of the night that shall precede Wednesday; this, if God shall so will, nay rather because He does so will, shall so will, hath so willed, and will not cease so to will. Therefore, in the year before-named, the planets being, by the will of God, in Libra, that is to say, in an aërial and windy sign, the Dragon also contributing as a cause thereto, a wondrous earthquake will take place, and especially in those regions in which such things have been in the habit of taking place, and will destroy certain places that have been subject to earthquakes and liable to the mischances of utter ruin. For in the parts of the East there shall arise a mighty wind, and with its strong blasts it shall blacken the air and shall corrupt it with its

32 If he alludes to the Hegira, he is wrong here; A.D. 1186 would be the 564th year of the Hegira.

33

poisonous stench. In consequence, a mortality and sickness will attack great numbers, and loud peals will be heard, and voices in the air that shall terrify the hearts of those who hear them, and the wind shall raise aloft the sands and the dust from the face of the earth, and shall utterly overwhelm the cities situate on the plain, and especially those in the sandy regions, those in the fifth climate, to wit; as Mecca, Barsara, Baldac, and Babylon; nor shall any land be left otherwise than covered with the sand and dust, and be utterly ruined thereby; so much so, that the regions of Egypt and Æthiopia shall become almost uninhabitable. And from the West this calamity will extend to all parts of the East. In the regions of the West also shall arise dissensions; and seditions of the people shall take place, and there shall be one of them who shall levy armies innumerable, and shall wage war on the shore of the waters, on which a slaughter so vast will take place that the flow of the blood so shed will equal the surging waves. Let each person feel assured that the conjunction about to take place, whatever others may say, signifies to me, if God so wills, the mutation of kingdoms, the superiority of the Franks, the destruction of the Saracenic race, with the superior blessedness of the religion of Christ, and its especial exaltation, together with longer life to those who shall be born hereafter."

In like manner, William the Astrologer, clerk to John, the constable of Chester, wrote concerning the before-mentioned conjunctions of the planets to the following effect:

"In the year from the Incarnation of our Lord one thousand one hundred and eighty-six, in the month of August, on the completion of the thirtieth day thereof, and in the following night, at the ninth hour, in the twenty-ninth degree of Virgo, which is called the degree of periods and the period of woes, Leo being in the ascendant, this conjunction, which is called a minor conjunction, is most portentous. Evil is predominant in this figure. This is followed by a conjunction of Mars and Saturn, in the fourth degree of Libra, on the seventh day of September, at the fourth hour, being the first day of the week; the Sun being the lord of the hour, and Sagittarius the horoscope. This conjunction is called a mid-conjunction. In this conjunction good fortune is predominant; and in this inclination

33 Probably Bassora and Bagdad.

evil is mitigated. Then follows a conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn, which is styled a major conjunction, in the eighth degree of Libra, on the tenth day of October, being the sixth day of the week, at the ninth hour. Mercury is then the lord of the hour, Capricorn the horoscope; Mars being in conjunction in the fourteenth degree with the Tail of the Dragon. This conjunction portends wondrous events; thunder and lightning, with fiery flashes running to and fro in the air. But not regarding the conjunction of these, be it our part to record by figure what other persons have couched under an enigmatical form, as to the conjunction of all the planets in Libra, which will have an effect in our day before unknown, and not to be known in times to come. This conjunction will take place on the sixteenth day of September, being the third day of the week, at the first hour; Mars being the lord of the hour, and the Sun in the East, and the planets in their several places, as follows: Libra being the horoscope,33* and beginning in the first degree [of longitude]; the Sun being in the thirtieth degree of Virgo ; Jupiter in two degrees three minutes; Venus in three degrees forty-nine minutes; Saturn in eight degrees six minutes; Mercury in four degrees ten minutes; Mars in nine degrees eighteen minutes; the Tail [of the Dragon] in eighteen degrees twenty-three minutes; the Part of Warfare in fifteen degrees; the Moon in seventeen degrees eight minutes; the Part of Fortune in nineteen degrees. The second [horoscope] is Libra, beginning at its twenty-fifth degree. The third is Scorpio, beginning at its twenty-fourth degree. The fourth is Capricorn, beginning at its first degree. The fifth is Aquarius, beginning at its fifth degree. The sixth is Pisces, beginning at its seventh degree. The seventh is Aries, beginning at its first degree. Now, as Saturn is most elevated in orbit, let us first treat of him. He signifies the Pagans, and all who are opposed to the laws of Christianity. Now, inasmuch as in the figure of the sphere Saturn is in the mid-heaven governing the [airy] triplicity, from the triplicity of the figure the Saracen magicians are auguring victory on their side, especially as the Sun

34

33* Also called "the house" by more recent astrologers.

34 It is possible that this may be the meaning of the mystic letters which here occur; Tr. G. F. S. M. standing for "Triplicitate figuræ gentis Saracenæ magi." If not, those who are skilled in judicial astrology may, possibly, be able to give a better translation.