themselues with greedines. In this broile was William Marcell or Martell
taken prisoner by earle Roberts men, & led to the castell of
Wallingford, where Brian the earle of Glocesters sonne hauing charge of
that castell, kept him in close prison, and vsed him hardlie, who by
reason of the opinion which men had conceiued of his valiancie, could
not be deliuered, till he had paid 300. marks for his ransome, and
deliuered the castell of Shirborne into the earles hands. [Sidenote:
Miles earle of Hereford deceased.] Within a few daies after, Miles earle
of Hereford departed this life, whose death was verie gréeuouslie taken
of the empresse, for he was one of hir chéefe fréends and councellers.
His eldest sonne Roger succéeded him, a gentleman though yoong in
yeares, yet valiant and forward in feats of armes. [Sidenote: _Ger.
Dor._ The earle of Essex taken.] William Mandeuile earle of Essex, an
ancient capteine, & an expert warriour (who had serued the empresse, was
taken also at S. Albons) but not without great slaughter of the kings
souldiers: [Sidenote: The earle of Arundell.] in so much that among
other, the erle of Arundell mounted on a couragious palfrie & a verie
valiant man was ouerthrowen the middest of a water called Haliwell, by a
knight named Walkeline de Orcaie, so that same earle was sore bruised in
his bodie, and almost drowned. [Sidenote: _N. Triuet._ _Wil. Paru._] The
king was present himselfe at the taking of the said Mandeuile, whom he
spoiled of all his goods, and constreined by way of redemption of his
libertie, to deliuer into the kings hands the Tower of London, the
castell of Walden, and Pleshey. Here vpon the same earle being released
was driuen through pouertie to seeke some recouerie of his losses by
sundrie spoiles and roberies. [Sidenote: An. Reg. 9. 1144.] First of all
therefore he spoiled the abbeie of S. Albons, and then the abbeie of
Ramsey, which he fortified and defended as a fortresse, [Sidenote: _Hen.
Hunt._] casting the moonks out of doores, and in euerie place where
soeuer he came, he robbed the countrie before him, till at length in the