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BENEDICT OF PETERBOROUGH. The Chronicle, under the title Gesta Regis Heuriei II. et Ricardi L, ascribed to Benedict, who* was Abbot ol Peterborough from 1177 until his death in 1193, was edited in the Rolls series (2 vols., 8vo, London, 1867) by Professor W. Stnbbe. 1 owe the translation which follows (from Vol. n. pp. 162—168 and 172,173) to the kindness of the Rev. Prot H. T. F. Duckworth, Μ.Α. Oxon. In the same month of April the king of England demolished the castle which he had built in the place called Mategriffon, and on Wednesday in Holy Week (April 10,1191) he and all his army set sail from the port of Messina, on board 150 large ships, and 53 galleys. On Friday a terrible storm came np from the south, about the ninth hour of the day, and scattered his fleet. The king however, with some of his ships, put in to the island of Crete, and thence crossed over to the island of Rhodes. But three large vessels from his fleet were driven by the aforesaid tempest to the island of CyprnB» *™d, being wrecked and broken up, sank iu sight of the port of Liineznn. With them went down certain soldiers and attendants of the king's household, amongst them being master Roger Malus Cntulus, the king's vice-chancellor. The royal seal was found hung round his neck. Isaac the Emperor of Cyprus seized the chattels of those who were drowned, and robbed of their money all who escnped from the shipwreck. Moreover, in the fury of his savagely, worse than any beast of prey, he refused permission to enter the port to α galliot which had been driven thither by the wind, and which canned the Queen of Sicily, aud the daughter of the king of Navarre. Hmc Richard, king of England, seized and conquered Cyprus. "When news of this was brought to the kiug he hastened to their rescue, with many galleys and a great following of ships, and found the ladies outside the port of Lhneszim, exposed to the winds and sea. Then in great wrath ho sont messengers to the Emperor of Cyprus, once, twice, and yet a third time, making his request with mild entreaty, that his fellow pilgrims, whom the Emperor was keeping in durance, should be restored to him together with their belongings. To whom the Emperor made answer with proud words, refusing to surrender either the prisoners or their belongings, and saying that he had no fear of the king of England or of his threats. Then spake the king to all his army, saying, "To arms, and follow mei Let me take vengeance for the insults which this traitor hath put upon God and ourselves, in that he oppresses innocent men, whom he refuses to surrender to ns. But truly, *he who rejects the just demands of one anned for the fray, resigns all into his hands' [arma tenenti Omnia dat, qni justa negat; Lucan, Pftarealia, 1. 379]. And I trust confidently in the Lord that Ho will this day give us the victory over this Emperor and his people." Meanwhile the Emperor had occupied the shore in every direction with his men. Many of them were armed, but still more had no arms at all. But the king of England and his men, as soon as they had armed themselves, disembarked from their large ships into their boats and galleys, aud came to land with a rush. The king, accompanied by his bowmen, was first to land, the rest followed, and as soon as they reached the shore one and all flung 6 EXCERPTA CYPIUA

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