rthy favourites. His present favourite
was Peter des Roches, Bishop of Winchester. The bishop was a greedy
and unscrupulous Poitevin, who regarded the king's favour as a means
of enriching himself and his Poitevin relatives and friends. Henry was
always short of money, and was persuaded by Peter that it was
Hubert's fault. In =1232= Hubert was charged with a whole string of
crimes and dismissed from office.

[Illustration: Simon, Bishop of Exeter (died 1223); from his tomb at
Exeter, showing rich mass-vestments.]

[Illustration: Beverley Minster, Yorkshire--the south transept; built
about 1220-1230.]

4. =Administration of Peter des Roches. 1232-1234.=--Henry was now
entirely under the power of Peter des Roches. In =1233= he ordered
Hubert to be seized. Though Hubert took sanctuary in a chapel, he was
dragged out, and a smith was ordered to put him in fetters. The man
refused to obey. "Is not this," he said, "that most faithful and
high-souled Hubert who has so often saved England from the ravages of
foreigners, and has given England back to the English?" Hubert was
thrown into the Tower, and was never again employed in any office of
state. As long as Peter des Roches ruled the king it would be hard to
keep England for the English. Poitevins and Bretons flocked over from
the Continent, and were appointed to all the influential posts which
fell vacant. The barons had the national feeling behind them when they
raised complaints against this policy. Their leader was Earl Richard
the Marshal, the son of the Earl William who had governed England
after the death of John. Without even the semblance of trial Henry
declared Earl Richard and his chief supporters guilty of treason. At a
Great Council held at Westminster some of the barons remonstrated.
Peter des Roches replied saucily that there were no peers in England
as in France, meaning that in England the barons had no rights against
the king. Both Henry and Peter could, however, use their tongues
better than their swords. They failed miserably in an attempt to
overcome the men whom they had unjustly accused, till in =1234= Peter
stirred up some of the English lords in Ireland to seize on Earl
Richard's possessions there. The Earl hurried over to defend his
estates. Amongst his followers were many of Peter's confidants, who,
treacherously deserting him in the first battle, left him to be slain
by his enemies. Peter at least gained nothing by his villainy. Edmund
Rich, a