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FROM ENGLISH CHRONICLERS 219
the Lord's Ascension l to go to her in south England. And
turning
aside at Durham he was received into the town, and
commanded that everything should be reserved for the decision
of the empress ; and that meanwhile William Cumin
should have charge of the direction of affairs.
And so the king came to his niece, and had the consent
of very many of the leading men that she should be advanced
to the apex of the whole kingdom.
But she by no means followed the king's counsel ; and,
with her womanish vanity raised to a certain haughtiness
of royal pride, distressed her chief men by contemptuous
threats. 2
. . .
HISTORIA DTOELMENSIS ECCLESIJE, CONTINTJATIO PRIMA, IN
S. OF D., VOL. I, P. 162.
When at last [William Cumin] was established at court
the empress was at length induced to consent, by mediation
of the king of Scotland as well as of the others.
An agreement had been arrived at, and [Cumin] hoped
immediately to be invested by the empress with the episcopal
staff, when suddenly in that assemblage of the court a dis-
turbance arose, stirred up by king [Stephen's] supporters ;
and the empress with all her followers fled, having learned of
a plot of the Londoners.
surrendered, professing penitence and offering to make amends (C.P., 160.)
An agreement was come to, and he was absolved (C.A., 166-167 ; J. of H.,
316-317 ; H.S., Contin., in Raine's York, ii, 222-223 ;) but enmities con-
Osbert was killed :
"
tinued. His nephew a young knight most beloved by
all who were in the service of earl Henry, son of the king of Scots " (J. of H.,
"
316-317.) Also Richard de Lovetot seized William Cumin himself, and
for many days afflicted him in prison with grievous tortures and sufferings "
(J. of H., 317.)
Bishop William II " lived nine years in the bishopric, suffering during
his tenure many evils as well on account of the unjust exactions of the
king of Scotland as because of the depredations of his neighbours, and their
plunderings not frequent so much as almost incessant " (C.A., 167.)
1 28th May.
2 Cf. H. of H., 275 ; Hoved., i, 205. Ges. Ste., in Chr. of Ste., etc., iii,
73, 74.
"
Cf. Ges. Ste., u.s., 74-75:
. . . And what was a mark of her exces
sive pride and arrogance, when the king of Scotland and the bishop of Win
Chester and the earl of Gloucester, her brother, (for these, the chief men of
the whole kingdom, she kept at that time in constant attendance upon her,)
came before her with bended knees to entreat her for anything, [she began |
instead of rising with respect, as was fitting when they inclined themselves
before her, or acquiescing in their demands, very often to dismiss them
dishonourably, unheard and mocked with a disdainful answer. She almost
[began] not to rely upon their counsels, as was fitting and as she had pro
mised them, but to order everything wholly after her own foresight, and
after the preconception of her own purpose."