POLITICAL HISTORY gesses of that port/ While at Winchelsea John, who was posing at this time as the friend and protege of the Pope, did not neglect the obser- vances of religion and caused alms to be distributed and a hundred poor to be fed/ He then went on into Kent and collected an army which remained on the coast until news of King Philip's defeat in Flanders dis- pelled all fear of a French invasion. The next occasion on which John passed with his forces through the county his fortunes and his direction were alike changed. In May 1216 while he was in Kent he heard that Louis the Dauphin was landing in England ; resistance with the forces at his disposal was, for the time being, useless, so the King retired to Winchester, halting on the way at Seaford and Bramber and passing through Woolavington.^ Sussex, as a whole, was a strong centre of loyalty ; the castle of Chichester was in the King's hands, and those of Arundel and Lewes were held by the Earl of Arundel and the Earl of Warenne, two of the greatest and most staunch of John's supporters. The lords of Pevensey and Hastings had each been in arms against the King, who had for a while put the latter castle into the hands of his faithful barons of the Cinque Ports,* but had subsequently given it back to the Count of Eu^ ; Pevensey castle had also, apparently, been restored to Gilbert of Laigle." John, however, took the precaution of dismantling the castle of Hastings, and probably also that of Pevensey.' The castles of Bramber and Knepp were, as we have already seen, also in the King's hands, and in May I2i5,when the barons had secured possession of the city ot London and John's fortunes were at their lowest, he wrote to Roland Bloet to take what forces he had at Knepp or could collect else- where and garrison the castle of Bramber with them, at the same time ordering the complete destruction of the dwellings (domos) of Knepp.^ Either this last order was revoked or it did not apply to the castle, as four days later the King wrote to Bloet that if Earl Warenne or any of his men should come to him he should receive them into the castles of Knepp and Bramber.^ In the following October these two castles were restored to Giles de Braose, bishop of Hereford," who however died within a month, when the King restored Roland Bloet as constable of Knepp and appointed Wilkin Bloet to Bramber." But when Louis began his victorious progress through the southern counties John sent orders for the castle of Knepp to be burnt without delay ,'^ and it was apparently also his intention to destroy the castle at Chichester." This latter, however, with all the other defences of Sussex, fell into the hands of his enemies, while, as a probable result, the Earl Warenne and the Earl of Arundel went over to the side of Louis. The men of the Cinque Ports » Rot. Misae, 14 John {Docts. Illustrative of Eng. Hist.). ^ Ibid. 3 Itinerary. * Pat. 15 John, m. 6. = Pat. 16 John, m. 17. s Pat. 18 John, m. 3. In October 1215 it was under care of the Earl of Arundel, and received a reinforcement from the King (Pat. 17 John, m. 14). ' Ann. Mon. (Rolls Ser.), iii. 46, ' destru.xit castrum de " Eunesheye " et castrum de Hastinges.' a Pat. 16 John, m. I. s Ibid. •0 Pat. 17 John, m. 14. " Pat. 17 John, m. 12. " Pat. 18 John, m. 7. " Pat. I Hen. III. m. 8. 493
