Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 36.djvu/233

 Marshal nought but his knighthood,’ acquired a great position and wide lands in four countries. At Richard's coronation, on 3 Sept. 1189, Marshal bore the gold sceptre, while his elder brother, John, carried the spurs, the two thus sharing the office of marshal. By Richard's orders Marshal obtained seisin of his wife's Irish lands from Earl John, and sent his bailiff to take possession. Marshal himself remained with Richard in England. In October he swore at Westminster on Richard's behalf that the English king would meet Philip at Vezelay next year. On 1 Dec. he was with the king at Canterbury (Epistolæ Cantuarienses, p. 323, Rolls Ser.), and probably accompanied him to France on 11 Dec., for he was still with Richard at Rouen on 20 March 1190 (ib. p. 324). Richard had appointed Marshal to be one of the subordinate justiciars under Longchamp, and this appointment was renewed before the king started on the crusade. But when Longchamp would not accept the advice of his subordinates, Marshal joined in the opposition. If we may trust Hoveden, Marshal must in the autumn have gone to Richard at Messina, for that writer distinctly says (iii. 96) that in February 1191 the earl was sent home, in company of Walter de Coutances, with power to arrange the quarrel. This, however, is very improbable, but Marshal was specially associated with Walter, and under the truce of Winchester in July he received Nottingham Castle from John to hold for the king. At the council of St. Paul's on 8 Oct. Walter exhibited his secret commission superseding Longchamp, and appointing himself as justiciar, with Marshal as his chief subordinate. Marshal was included by Longchamp in the sentence of excommunication which he launched against his opponents in December 1191. But Richard would not believe Longchamp's complaint against Marshal, who he declared had been ever the most loyal knight in all his land (Histoire, ll. 9843-58). The year 1192 passed quietly under the rule of Walter de Coutances, but at the beginning of 1193 came the news of Richard's captivity. Earl John, abetted by Philip of France, raised a revolt, and seized Windsor. The justiciar appealed for aid to Marshal, who brought up his Welshmen and laid siege to Windsor in March, while others of Richard's supporters prosecuted the war elsewhere. John had been driven to extremities, when suddenly it was announced that Richard was released.

Richard reached England on 13 March 1194. Marshal was prevented from meeting him at once by the death of his brother John, by which event he became marshal of England. But soon afterwards he joined the king at Huntingdon, and accompanied him to the siege of Nottingham on 25-7 March. On 28 March his old enemy Longchamp urged the king to require from Marshal the same homage for his Irish lands as Walter de Lacy, sixth baron Lacy [q. v.], had just rendered. But when Marshal pleaded that he owed fealty for them only to John, the king, much to his chancellor's disgust, readily assented (ib. ll. 10012-340). Richard had more than once thanked the earl for his loyal service, but perhaps he felt that he could not entirely overlook the opposition to Longchamp, and this may explain Marshal's transfer from the shrievalty of Lincoln, which he had held since 1190, to that of Sussex, which he held for the remainder of the reign. Richard went back to Normandy in May, but Marshal perhaps remained in England, for in this year he was one of the justices before whom fines were levied, as again in 1198(, Fines,lxiii.) Marshal must in any case have come over with the reinforcements soon after (Histoire, l. 10561), for he was with the king when the French baggage train was plundered near Blois, and by Richard's desire guarded the English rear from attack (ib. ll. 10597-676). Marshal accompanied Richard on his siege of Vierzon in June 1196, and next year was sent on an embassy to the Counts Reginald of Boulogne and Baldwin of Flanders. The earl was successful in arranging a treaty, to which he was one of the witnesses, as also to the document by which Baldwin pledged himself to Earl John, on 8 Sept. at Rouen, not to make peace with Philip in case of Richard's death (Recueil des Historiens de la France, xviii. 549; Fœdera, i. 67). In 1198 Marshal seems to have been aiding Baldwin, and by his advice Philip was forced to retreat from before Arras (Histoire, ll. 10773-900). Afterwards Marshal went to Rouen, where in September he met St. Hugh of Lincoln on his way to Richard. In conjunction with William of Albemarle, Marshal offered to intercede on the bishop's behalf with the king. Hugh, though grateful for their goodwill, declined, lest they should fall into disfavour at a time when their services were so necessary to Richard (Vita S. Hugonis, p. 257, Rolls Ser.) Marshal fought valiantly for Richard at the siege of Milli in the autumn (Histoire, ll. 11168-264), and was with the king when the truce with Philip was concluded by the intervention of the papal legate, Peter of Capua, in January 1199 (ib. l. 11665). Richard was mortally wounded on 20 March. One of his last acts was to send to Marshal, who was at Vaudreuil, appointing him 