about the winning of it. Howbeit at that present he did not preuaile,
for there were certeine with him, who in fauour of the empresse bare him
in hand, that it was not possible to win that fortresse, and therefore
aduised him to raise his siege, and suffer the empresse to be at
libertie to go to some other place, where he might with more ease and
lesse damage get hir into his hands. [Sidenote: The king raiseth his
siege.] The king not perceiuing the drift of those secret practisers,
followed their counsell. Wherevpon the empresse being now at libertie,
went from place to place to trie and solicit hir fréends: and as a riuer
increaseth in the passage, so the further the ladie went, the more hir
power increased. About the midst of the next night after the siege was
raised, she departed out of the castle, [Sidenote: The empresse goeth to
Bristow.] and with great iournies sped hir towards Bristow; which was
alreadie reuolted to hir side.

These things being thus bruted abroad, the Peeres of the realme resorted
to hir, as they that well remembred how in time past by oth of
allegiance they were suerlie bound to hir and hir issue. [Sidenote: K.
Stephen besiegeth Wallingford.] The king in the meantime besieged the
castle of Wallingford, but after he vnderstood that the empresse was
gotten to Bristow, repenting himselfe for his light credit giuen to
euill counsell, he left off the siege of Wallingford, and drew towards
Bristow, that he might (if it were possible) inclose his aduersaries
within that walled citie. But the empresse, being aduertised of his
determination (by such of hir fréends as were resident about him) first
went to Glocester, and after to Lincolne, where she prouided vittailes
and all other things necessarie for hir armie and defense: purposing to
remaine in that citie, till the matter were either tried by chance of
warre betwixt hir and king Stephen, or that by the peoples helpe
reuolting to hir side, he might be driuen out of the realme, and she