o understand that
he had obtained the archbishopric against the monks of the
minster, and against right. But that overcame Rome, which
overcometh all the world; that is, gold and silver. And the pope
softened, and gave him his pall. And the archbishop (of York)
swore him subjection, in all those things, which the pope
enjoined him, by the heads of St. Peter and St. Paul; and the
pope then sent him home with his blessing. The while that the
archbishop was out of the land, the king gave the bishopric of
Bath to the Queen's chancellor, whose name was Godfrey. He was
born in Louvain. That was on the Annunciation of St. Mary, at
Woodstock. Soon after this went the king to Winchester, and was
all Easter-tide there. And the while that he was there, gave he
the bishopric of Lincoln to a clerk hight Alexander. He was
nephew of the Bishop of Salisbury. This he did all for the love
of the bishop. Then went the king thence to Portsmouth, and lay
there all over Pentecost week. Then, as soon as he had a fair
wind, he went over into Normandy; and meanwhile committed all
England to the guidance and government of the Bishop Roger of
Salisbury. Then was the king all this year (150) in Normandy.
And much hostility arose betwixt him and his thanes; so that the
Earl Waleram of Mellent, and Hamalric, and Hugh of Montfort, and
William of Romare, and many others, went from him, and held their
castles against him. And the king strongly opposed them: and
this same year he won of Waleram his castle of Pont-Audemer, and
of Hugh that of Montfort; and ever after, the longer he stayed,
the better he sped. This same year, ere the Bishop of Lincoln
came to his bishopric, almost all the borough of Lincoln was
burned, and numberless folks, men and women, were consumed: and
so much harm was there done as no man could describe to another.
That was on the fourteenth day before the calends of June.

A.D. 1124. All this year was the King Henry in Normandy. That
was for the great hostility that he had with the King Louis of
France, and with the Earl of Anjou, and most of all with his own
men. Then it happened, on the day of the Annunciation of St.
Mary, that the Earl Waleram of Mellent went from one of his
castles called Belmont to another called Watteville. With him
went the steward of the King of France, Amalric, and Hugh the son
of Gervase, and Hugh of Montfort, and many other good knights.
Then came against them the king's knights fro