9) extorted large sums of money,(120)
and haughtily refused to observe the laws of Edward the Confessor they
valued so much, preferring those of the late king, her father.(121)

(M83)

The consequence was that, within a few days of her arrival in London, the
inhabitants rose in revolt, drove her out of the city(122) and attacked
the Tower, of which Geoffrey de Mandeville was constable, as his father
William had been before him.(123)

(M84)

This Geoffrey de Mandeville had been recently created Earl of Essex by
Stephen, in the hope and expectation that the fortress over which Geoffrey
was governor, would be held secure for the royal cause. The newly fledged
earl, however, was one who ever fought for his own hand, and was ready to
sell his fortress and sword to the highest bidder. The few days that the
empress was in the city, afforded her an opportunity of risking a trial to
win over the earl from his allegiance. To this end she offered to confirm
him in his earldom and to continue him in his office of Constable of the
Tower, conferred upon him by Stephen; in addition to which, she was ready
to allow him to enjoy lands of the rent of L100 a year, a license to
fortify his castles, and the posts of sheriff and justiciar throughout his
earldom. The bait was too tempting for the earl not to accept; and a
charter to the above effect was drawn up and executed.(124)

(M85)

Scarcely had the fickle earl consented to throw in his lot with the
empress before she had to flee the city. The departure of the empress was
quickly followed by the arrival of her namesake, Matilda, the valiant
queen of the captured Stephen; and again the earl proved false to his
allegiance and actively supported the queen in concert with the
citizens.(125)

(M86)

With his aid(126) and the aid of the Londoners,(127) the queen was enabled
to reduce Winchester and to effect the liberation of her husband by
exchanging the Earl of Gloucester, brother of the empress, for the
captured king.

(M87)

After being solemnly crowned, for the second time,(128) at Canterbury,
Stephen issued a second charter (about Christmas time, 1141),(129) to
Geoffrey de Mandeville, confirming and augmenting the previous grant by
the empress. Instead of sheriff and justiciar of his own county of Essex
merely, he is now made sheriff and justiciar of London and Middlesex, as
well as of Hertfordshire.

(M88)

But even these great concessions failed to secure the earl's f