Page:The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (Giles).djvu/188

170 on the night of the feast of St. Ambrose, the 2nd before the Nones of April, there was seen all over the country a great multitude of stars falling from heaven during nearly the whole of the night, not one or two at a time, but so thickly that no man might number them. After this, at Pentecost, the king was at Windsor, and all his witan with him, excepting the earl of Northumberland, for the king would neither give hostages nor pledge his troth that he should come and go in security. On this the king called out an army, and marched against the earl into Northumberland, and as soon as he came thither he seized almost all the chief men of the earl's court in a certain fortress, and he put them in confinement. And he besieged Tinmouth castle until he took it, and there he seized the earl's brother, and all who were with him; thence he proceeded to Bambrough, and there he besieged the earl; and when the king found that he could not reduce him, he caused a castle to be built over against Bambrough, and called it in his speech, Malveisin, which is in English, "the evil neighbour," and he garrisoned it strongly, and afterwards he departed southward. Then one night, soon after the king's return into the south, the earl went out of Bambrough towards Tinmouth: but those in the new castle, being aware of his design, pursued and attacked him, and they wounded him, and afterwards took him prisoner, and some of his followers were slain, and some taken alive. In the meantime the king was told that the Welsh had stormed a certain castle in Wales, called Montgomery, and had slain earl Hugo's men who defended it; on this he commanded another army to be called out in haste, and after Michaelmas he proceeded into Wales. He divided his forces, and his troops made their way through all parts of the country, and met at Snow don, on All Saints' day. But the Welsh ever fled before him to the mountains and moors, so that no man could get near them, and the king at length returned homewards, because he could do no more there that winter. When the king came back, he commanded his people to take Robert earl of Northumberland, and lead him to Bambrough, and to put out both his eyes, unless the besieged would surrender the castle, which was defended by his wife, and his steward Morel, who was also his kinsman. On this, the castle was given up, and Morel was received at William's court; and