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building, furnishing, decorating, image-carving, and frescopainting. Under a monarch ever craving gratification in so many branches of the fine arts, the office of Sheriff could have been no sinecure. "The Sheriff of Wiltshire is ordered as he loveth his life and chattels to take diligent care that the Queen's new chamber at Clarendon be finished before Whitsuntide, whencesoever monies for the completion thereof may be procured," &c., &c. Liberate Roll, 30 Henry III: Here is another, dated from Potterne in 1255, possibly while the King was on a visit to the Bishop of Salisbury at Potterne Park.

"The Sheriff of Wilts is ordered to paint the doors and windows of the King's chamber at Clarendon, and the tablet over the altar of the King's chapel at the same place: to make a glass window in the King's wardrobe there, and to repair the other glass windows of the houses at that place, where necessary: to make a privy-chamber in the house of Robert de Stopham there: to buy a rope with a bucket for the well there, and a carrate of lead to repair the gutters: to repair the houses over the rock, the King's almonry and the aisles of the King's hall, where necessary: and to make a chimney in the Queen's chamber in the castle of Devizes. Dated at Potterne, 12 July, 40 Henry III." Liberate Roll.

JOHN MARESCHALL EARL OF WARWICK 1224.

Has already appeared as lord of Devizes, 1st Henry III. He acquired his Earldom in right of his wife Margery, sister and co-heir of William de Newburgh sixth Earl of Warwick, and left one only daughter and heiress, of whom more hereafter.

RALPH LORD WILLINGTON OF DEVONSHIRE 1231.

Had previously held Bristol Castle with the forest of Keynsham; and on the death of the Earl of Warwick, he obtained for his active support in the King's service the further promotion which made him lord of Devizes and of Exeter.

F

Shortly after this, the name of Walter de Godarville undoubtedly appears in several documents as resident occupier of the castle, but whether he was the nominee of Lord Willington or of the Crown may admit of a doubt. Godarville or Godard-ville was a form of spelling occasionally assumed by one of the branches of the numerous family of the Goddards of North Wilts.

The story of Hubert de Burgh.

"K. JOHN. Come hither Hubert, O my gentle Hubert
We owe thee much."

"I am almost ashamed

To say what good respect I have of thee."

Act iii. sc. 3.

HIS devoted servant of the reigning family; the mailed

THIS

knight who had fought for Richard in Normandy; the general who in the Barons' wars of King John's reign had, against desperate odds, held out Dover Castle to the last; the sea-captain who with a force of only forty sail had dispersed a French fleet of eighty; and the privy councillor who in the succeeding reign rose, as a just reward, to the highest offices in the State, is so well known as a Shakspearean character that any more detailed account of his career is unnecessary. Speed entitles him "that perfect mirror of loyalty." Shakspeare darkly hints that he carried his allegiance so far as to connive at the treachery practised against Prince Arthur; but as he also calls De Burgh into court to refute the charge, few will deny to the illustrious defendant the benefit of the doubt.

For a considerable period, Hubert de Burgh almost ruled the kingdom, under Henry III. His title was Earl of Kent; and his office of Grand Justiciary drew within his reach large pecuniary profits. But the 17th year of the young King's

reign witnessed the close of his power. Henry was opposed by the Mareschall's family, the Earls of Pembroke, (see the History of Marlborough,) and in an evil hour took to his councils a churchman and a foreigner named Peter de Rupibus Bishop of Winchester. By his advice the plan was adopted of extorting from the Justiciary the accumulated wealth of office. Hubert received orders to answer for all the wardships which he had ever held, all the rents of the royal demesnes, and all the aids and fines which had been paid into the Exchequer for the last twenty years. If not quite so innocent as the lamb in the fable, on whom the wolf had resolved to fasten a charge, Hubert equally felt that flight was preferable to any court of appeal. He took sanctuary, first in the church of Merton in Surrey, then at Brentwood in Essex; from which latter place he was starved out after the endurance of nearly six weeks captivity. Conducted at last to London, he was arraigned before his political enemies who clamoured for his blood, and insulted by the fickle multitude. who forgat his past services. One exception must be made to the latter charge, in favour of the honest blacksmith of Brentwood, who is reported to have said, when required to construct the iron gyves in which the prisoner was to be led to London. "Do with me what you will, but I will rather die the worst death you can devise, than help to put shackles on the noble Hubert, who drave the foreigners out, and saved England to England," &c. (see his speech at large in Matthew Paris).

Henry, already stained with ingratitude, and consenting to a sentence which confiscated the whole of Hubert's personal and much of his landed property, was still unwilling to super-add the crime of judicial murder. As a provisional arrangement, four of the principal men in the kingdom now came forward and offered themselves as sureties for Hubert's reappearance on some future day, provided he were suffered to remain under their custody in the Castle of Devizes guarded

from personal injury by four knights respectively appointed by themselves. Such therefore was the award finally decreed. Hubert in company with his guardians was forth with escorted to Devizes, there "to be kept" so ran the stipulation, “in honourable freedom from the mean severity with which he had hitherto been treated." His four noble sureties were 1st Prince Richard Earl of Cornwall brother to the King, and eventually Emperor of the Romans. 2nd. Richard Mareschall Earl of Pembroke Governor of Marlborough Castle and brother-in-law to the aforesaid Prince Richard. 3rd. William Earl of Warren. 4th. William Earl of Ferrars.

Meanwhile, as the revolt of the Pembroke faction assumed a more demonstrative form, the Bishop of Winchester urged upon the King the necessity of displacing sundry of the holders of baronies in favour of foreigners who might be more devoted to his interests. Gascons and Poictevins now flocked into the country and every where assumed places of trust. In Wiltshire, Gilbert Bassett of Compton was stripped of the manor of Netheravon in favour of Peter de Mawley, and Richard Siward was arrested for marrying Gilbert Bassett's sister without royal licence. At Devizes the Bishop laboured but too successfully to supplant Godarville and to seat in his place a son or nephew of his own, named Peter de Rivaulx, a step which was strongly suspected to be only preliminary to the assassination of his imprisoned rival. Misunderstanding between the Court and Hubert's guardians in the castle had indeed broken out very soon after his commitment, as testified by the following document, referring possibly to an attempt on the part of the King to substitute other men.

"The King to the knights the guardians of Hubert de Burgh, at Devizes.

"Ye ought to recollect, touching the articles of agreement made between us and your superior lords, to whom we assigned the donjon for the safe keeping of Hubert de Burgh, that the rest of the fortress was to remain at our disposal, for us

and such of our people as we might send. Now: whereas it hath been certified to us, that to our liegemen lately commissioned thither, ye have hitherto refused admittance, to our great rebuke and scandal, we now send Aylmer de St. Amand bearing an order that you admit the knights sent: and unless you return by him a sufficient reason wherefore ye have acted on this wise, know that we will see in our own person who will deny entrance into our castle. Dated at Wallingford, 2 June 17th Henry III." Rymer.

A fortnight after the issuing of this letter, the King then lying at Woodstock, sent another to Walter de Godarville warning him neither to quit Devizes nor to suffer stores of any kind to be carried into the castle. Two days after a third missive arrives, enforced by the presence of a company of knights and serjeants, and prohibiting the importation of any other provisions than what were required for the daily sustenance of the castellans: that as to the Earl of Kent's guardians, they should be at their own charges on account of their recent contumacy. Furthermore, that if the Sheriff of Wilts should signify to Walter de Godarville that he required his assistance to go to the house of Gilbert Bassett of Compton to enforce the King's command, the said Walter might attend him with force and arms, provided nothing were carried into the castle during his absence. And finally it was commanded to the men of the town of Devizes that they should look to and take care of the King's interest.

But how did it fare all this while with the distinguished prisoner? Truly he might be said to languish in dungeongloom. A solitary apartment had become his habitual abode. All communication with the outer world was strictly forbidden, except that on one occasion he was permitted to confess to his ghostly adviser and personal friend Luke the Archbishop of Dublin. Even the attendant who supplied his daily wants was allowed to approach no nearer to him than the grating of his prison-door. Matthew of Westminster's

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