, so he informed the meeting
after the applause which followed his speech had died away, and he
expected them to arrive on the following day. If they pleased they would
adjourn till then.

(M80)

The next day (9th April) the Londoners arrived, as the legate had
foretold, and were ushered before the council. They had been sent, they
said, by the so called "commune" of London; and their purpose was not to
enter into debate, but only to beg for the release of their lord, the
king.(116) The statement was supported by all the barons then present who
had entered the commune of the city(117) and met with the approval of the
archbishop and all the clergy in attendance. Their solicitations, however,
proved of no avail. The legate replied with the same arguments he had used
the day before, adding that it ill became the Londoners who were regarded
as nobles (_quasi proceres_) in the land to foster those who had basely
deserted their king on the field of battle, and who only curried favour
with the citizens in order to fleece them of their money.

(M81)

Here an interruption took place. A messenger presented to the legate a
paper from Stephen's queen to read to the council. Henry took the paper,
and after scanning its contents, refused to communicate them to the
meeting. The messenger, however, not to be thus foiled, himself made known
the contents of the paper. These were, in effect, an exhortation by the
queen to the clergy, and more especially to the legate himself, to restore
Stephen to liberty. The legate, however, returned the same answer as
before, and the meeting broke up, the Londoners promising to communicate
the decision of the council to their brethren at home, and to do their
best to obtain their support.

(M82)

The next two months were occupied by the empress and her supporters in
preparing the way for her admission into the city, the inhabitants of
which, had as yet shown but little disposition towards her. But however
great their inclination may have been to Stephen, they at length found
themselves forced to transfer their allegiance and to offer, for a time at
least, a politic submission to the empress. Accordingly, a deputation went
out to meet her at St. Albans (May 1141), and arrange terms on which the
city should surrender.(118)

More delay took place; and it was not until shortly before midsummer
(1141), that she entered the city. Her stay was brief. She treated the
inhabitants as vanquished foes,(11