and acquired by Richard, and having views of many advantages
which he might reap by his presence in Europe, declared his resolution
of returning to France; and he pleaded his bad state of health as
an excuse for his desertion of the common cause. He left however, to
Richard ten thousand of his troops, under the command of the duke of
Burgundy; and he renewed his oath never to commence hostilities against
that prince's dominions during his absence. But he had no sooner reached
Italy than he applied, it is pretended, to Pope Celestine III. for
a dispensation from this vow; and when denied that request, he still
proceeded, though after a covert manner, in a project which the present
situation of England rendered inviting, and which gratified, in an
eminent degree, both his resentment and his ambition.

Immediately after Richard had left England, and begun his march to
the Holy Land, the two prelates whom he had appointed guardians of the
realm, broke out into animosities against each other, and threw the
kingdom into combustion. Longchamp, presumptuous in his nature, elated
by the favor which he enjoyed with his master, and armed with the
legantine commission, could not submit to an equality with the bishop
of Durham: he even went so far as to arrest his colleague, and to extort
from him a resignation of the earldom of Northumberland, and of his
other dignities, as the price of his liberty.[*] The king, informed of
these dissensions, ordered, by letters from Marseilles, that the
bishop should be reinstated in his offices; but Longchamp had still the
boldness to refuse compliance, on pretence that he himself was better
acquainted with the king's secret intentions.[**] He proceeded to
govern the kingdom by his sole authority; to treat all the nobility
with arrogance; and to display his power and riches with an invidious
ostentation. He never travelled without a strong guard of fifteen
hundred foreign soldiers, collected from that licentious tribe, with
which the age was generally infested: nobles and knights were proud
of being admitted into his train his retinue wore the aspect of royal
magnificence; and when in his progress through the kingdom, he lodged in
any monastery, his attendants, it is said, were sufficient to devour in
one night the revenue of several years.[***]

[* Hoveden, p. 665. Knyghton, p. 2403.]

[** W. Heming. p 528,]

[*** Hoveden, p. 680. Benedict. Abbas, p. 626,
700. Brompton, p