It chanced at the same time that the citizens of London made great and laborious suit vnto the said empresse, that they might haue the lawes of king Edward the Confessour restored, and the straight lawes of hir father king Henrie abolished. But for so much as they could get no grant of their petition, and perceiued the empresse to be displeased with them about that importunat request, wherein onelie she ouershot hir selfe, [Sidenote: The Londoners conspire to take the empresse.] they deuised how and by what meanes they might take hir prisoner, knowing that all the Kentishmen would helpe to strengthen[3] them in their enterprise. But reckoning with hir selfe that Nil poterit propera tutius esse fuga, [Sidenote: Shée fled in the night time out of the citie.] And being warned thereof, she fled by night out of the citie, and went to Oxenford, determining to be reuenged vpon hir aduersaries when time should serue hir turne. Herewith she began to wax more displeased both against those Nobles whom she kept in prison, & other also whom she troubled, but namelie king Stephan, whom she commanded to be loden with yrons, and serued with verie slender diet. [Sidenote: _N. Triuet._] Now when she had thus fled out of London, which was about the feast of the natiuitie of S. John Baptist, the tower of London was besieged, [Sidenote: Geffrey de Mandeuile.] which Geffrey de Mandeuile held, and valiantlie defended. The same Geffrey rushing out on a time, came to Fulham, [Sidenote: The bishop of Londō taken.] where he tooke the bishop of London then lodging in his manor place, being one of the contrarie faction. [Sidenote: _Polydor._] Henrie bishop of Winchester perceiuing the wrath of the empresse more and more to increase dailie against hir people, thinking it wisedome to serue the time, manned all the castels which he had builded within his dioces; [Sidenote: Castells fortified by the bishop of Winchester.] as at Waltham, Farnham, and other places and withdrew himselfe into the castell of Winchester, there to remaine, till he might sée to what end the furie of the woman would grow. This being knowne, the empresse tooke vnto hir Dauid king of Scotland that was hir vncle, who immediatlie ioining their armies togither, went to Winchester and besieged the castell. In the meane time the quéene and hir sonne Eustace, with the helpe of their freends, as the Kentishmen, the Londoners and other had assembled a great armie, [Sidenote: William de Ypresse. _Ia. Meir._] and appointed the gouernement and generall conduct thereof vnto one William of Ypres a Fleming, who for his valiancie was by king Stephan created earle of Kent: he was sonne to Philip of Flanders, begotten of a concubine, his father also was sonne to Robert earle of Flanders, surnamed Frisius. This William was banished out of his countrie by Theodorike Elsas earle of Flanders, bicause he attempted to bereaue him of his earledome.