Herevpon those lords that wished well to the common-wealth, began to intreate betwixt them, and articles were propounded for a concord to be had, and an exchange of prisoners on both sides. But the empresse and hir brother would not hearken to any agréement, except that the realme might wholie remaine to the said empresse. [Sidenote: _Geruasius Dorober._ The king and the earle of Glocester deliuered by exchange.] Whereby the enimies were rather increased than decreased by his treatie, so that at length the king and the earle (weried with tedious yrksomnesse of yrons and hard imprisonment, and putting all their hope in the chance of war) about the feast of All saints made by deliuering of the one for the other, without making mention of any peace at all: and so kindled with new displeasures, they renewed the warre. [Sidenote: An. Reg. 7. 1142.] King Stephan being deliuered in such wise as you haue heard, comming to London, and there being accompanied with his brother Henrie bishop of Winchester (then the popes legat) Theobald archbishop of Canturburie, and others, [Sidenote: _Geruasius Dorobernensis._ A parlement called.] he called a parlement, wherein the king declared the present state, how the enimie was brought to this point, that if it would please the Nobles of the realme to mainteine him with men & monie, he trusted now so to worke, as they should not need to feare submission to the yoke of a womans gouernment: which at the first they seemed much to mislike, and now sithens (to their great gréefe) had prooued to be intollerable. The summe of his talke tended to this end, that those which were able of themselues to aid him with their owne persons, should prepare them out of hand so to doo; and the residue that were not meet (as bishops, and such like maner of men) should be contributors to aid him with hired souldiers, armour, and monie. This was gladlie agréed vpon, with the generall consent of all the assemblie. And bicause the bishops shewed themselues verie liberall towards the aduancing of the kings purpose, [Sidenote: A statute established in fauour of préests.] there was a statute made at the same parlement, that who so euer did laie any violent hands on a sacred person, or else tooke vpon him to apprehend any of them, for what fault soeuer, without the bishops licence, he should be accursed, and not be assoiled of any maner of person, except of the pope, as by a canon it was alreadie decréed but not obeied among the Englishmen till that daie. ¶ The cause of making this statute was chéeflie, for that preests during the time of the ciuill wars, were dailie either slaine, or taken prisoners, and so put to their ransoms, or charged with great penalties and gréeuous fines.