But now to returne and speake of other dooings, which chanced about the time in which the said Ranulfe earle of Chester departed this life. The king in the meane while seized into his hands a great portion of the treasure which Hubert de Burgh earle of Kent had committed to the kéeping of the templers. But whereas there were that trauelled to haue had him put to death, the king in respect of the seruice which he had doone to him and to his predecessors king Richard and king Iohn, granted him life, with those lands which he had either by purchase, or by gift of king Iohn, but neuertheless he caused him to be kept in frée prison at the castell of the Vées, vnder the custodie of foure knights belonging to the earles of Cornewall, Warren, Penbroke, and Ferrers, which foure earles were become suerties for him. [Sidenote: _Matth. Paris._] [Sidenote: A great thunder.] [Sidenote: 1233.] [Sidenote: A wet summer.] [Sidenote: Foure sunnes beside the accustomed sun.] [Sidenote: _Matth. Paris._] [Sidenote: _Matth. Paris._] [Sidenote: A strange woonder.] This yeare also about the same time, to wit, the morow after S. Martins daie, chanced great thunder and lightning, which continued for the space of 15 daies togither, to the great terrour and feare of the people, and namelie of the Londoners, which haue that kind of weather so familiar to them, that if there be anie abroad in the land, they haue their part thereof. Moreouer on the 23 of March, was heard an other great and terrible tempest of thunder, and after followed a maruellous wet summer with manie flouds. Also on the 8 daie of Aprill, in the parts about Hereford and Worcester, there appeared foure sunnes in the element, beside the naturall sunne, of red colour, and a great circle of christaline colour, the which compassed with his largenesse as it had béene the whole circuit almost of the whole realme of England, from the sides whereof went foorth certeine halfe circles, in whose sections appeared the said four sunnes. The naturall sunne was at the same time in the east part of the firmament, for it was about the first houre of the daie, or betwixt six and seuen in the morning, the aire being the same time verie bright and cleare. The bishop of Hereford, and sir Iohn Monmouth knight, and manie others beheld this woonderfull sight, and testified the same to be most true. And after this there followed the same yeare in those parts cruell warre, slaughter, terrible bloudshed, & a generall trouble through England, Wales, and Ireland. About the same time, to wit, in Iune, in the south parts of England néere to the sea coast, two huge dragons appeared fighting in the aire, and after a long fight the one ouercame the other, and followed him, fléeing into the depth of the sea, & so they were séene no more. [Sidenote: _Polydor._] [Sidenote: The king beginneth to fauour strangers.] [Sidenote: The bishop of Winchester.]