1144.] First of all therefore he spoiled the abbeie of S. Albons, and then the abbeie of Ramsey, which he fortified and defended as a fortresse, [Sidenote: _Hen. Hunt._] casting the moonks out of doores, and in euerie place where soeuer he came, he robbed the countrie before him, till at length in the midst of his reuenge and malicious dooings, he was shot thorough with an arrow amongst his men by a sillie footman, and so ended his life with confusion, receiuing worthie punishment for his vngodlie behauiour. [Sidenote: _Sim. Dunel._ _Iohn Pike._ _Matth. West._ _N. Triuet._] For he was a man of high stomach & loftie courage, but verie obstinate against God, of great industrie in worldlie businesse, but passing negligent towards his maker, as writers report of him. [Sidenote: _Wil. Malm._ _Wil. Paru._] Likewise Robert Marmion, who had attempted the semblable robberie & spoile in the abbeie church of Couentrie, was slain before the same abbeie by a like mischance. For going foorth to encounter with the earle of Chester (his mortall enimie, and being approched as then towards the citie) he fell with his horsse into a ditch, which he caused to be couertlie made for the destruction of his enimies: and before he could be relieued, a souldier of the earles part stept to him, and stroke his head from his shoulders in sight of both armies. Ernulfus the sonne of earle Geffrey Mandeuile that kept the church of Ramsey as a fortresse, after his fathers death, was taken at length and banished. ¶ Thus we see how Gods iudgement hunteth and pursueth the wicked, in somuch that they be ouertaken in their owne imaginations: according to that of the scripture, "The wicked and bloudthirstie man shall not liue halfe his daies." And true it is, that as men liue, so commonlie they die: for, as one saith verie well: [Sidenote: M. Pal. in suo scor.] ---- bona nulla scelestis Et iustis mala nulla quidem contingere possunt. About the same time aduertisement was giuen, that the citie of Lincolne, which the earle of Chester had in keeping, was but slenderlie manned. Wherevpon the king conceiuing some hope to win the same, hasted forward: [Sidenote: Lincolne besieged.] and comming thither in the night, laid siege therevnto, and began to cast a trench to stop them within frō making any salies without. The earle at the first being somewhat amazed with the sudden approch of the enimie, yet beholding from the walles the maner of them without, he perceiued the rankes to be verie thin: and thereby gessing their number to be but small, suddenlie issued foorth at the gates to encounter with them. [Sidenote: The siege raised.] The king abode not the giuing of the charge, bicause he was but weake and therefore fled; neither could the earle follow the chace conuenientlie, for the like cause; [Sidenote: _N. Triuet._] but setting vpon those that were about to make the trench, he slue 80. of the workmen, and then retired into the castell.