had obtained them unlawfully, or had lived unnghteously therein. And the same year, in Pentecost week, there came robbers, some from Auvergne, some from France, and some from Flanders, and they brake into the monastery of Peterborough, and carried off much treasure of gold and silver: crosses, chalices, and candlesticks.
A. 1103. This year king Henry was at Westminster at Christmas. And soon afterwards the bishop William Giffard departed from this land, because he would not against right receive consecration from Gerard archbishop of York. And at Easter the king held his court at Winchester; and afterwards, Anselm archbishop of Canterbury journeyed to Rome, as he and the king had agreed. This year also earl Robert of Normandy came to this land, to speak with the king, and before he departed hence he gave up the 3000 marks which king Henry should have paid him yearly according to the treaty. This year blood was seen gushing out of the earth at Hampstead,[1] in Berkshire. This was a year of much distress from the manifold taxes, and also from a mortality among the cattle, and from the failure of the crops, both of the corn and all fruits of trees. In the morning also of St. Lawrence's day, the wind did so much damage to all the fruit of this land, that no man remembered the like to have ever happened before. The same year died Matthias abbat of Peterborough, who had not lived more than one year after he was made abbat. After Michaelmas, on the 12th before the Kalends of November, he was received in procession as abbat, and the same day the year following he died at Gloucester, and there he was buried.
A. 1104. This year, at Christmas, king Henry held his court at Westminster, at Easter at Winchester, at Pentecost again at Westminster. This year the first day of Pentecost was on the Nones of June, and on the Tuesday after, at midday, there appeared four circles of a white colour round the sun, one under the other as if they had been painted. All who saw it wondered, because they never remembered such before. An alliance was afterwards formed between Robert earl of Normandy and Robert of Belesme,[2] whom king Henry had deprived of his estates, and driven out of Eng-
