return, on Trinity Sunday (June 10) 1172, Richard was enthroned as duke of Aquitaine according to ancient custom in the abbot’s chair in the church of S. Hilary at Poitiers.[627] One child, indeed, the youngest of all, was still what his father had called him at his birth--“John Lackland.”[628] Even for John, however, though he was scarcely five years old,[629] a politic marriage was already in view. [617] _Gesta Hen._ (Stubbs), vol. i. p. 24, note 2. [618] Eyton, _Itin. Hen. II._, pp. 162, 166. He kept Christmas at Bures; Rob. Torigni, a. 1172 (_i.e._ 1171). [619] Ep. ciii., Robertson, _Becket_, vol. v. p. 197. Cf. Ep. cclxxvii., _ib._ vol. vi. p. 131. [620] R. Diceto (Stubbs), vol. i. p. 350. [621] Gir. Cambr. _Expugn. Hibern._, l. i. c. 37 (Dimock, vol. v. p. 285). Anglo-Norm. Poem (Michel), pp. 128, 129. [622] _Gesta Hen._ (as above), p. 30. [623] _Gesta Hen._ (Stubbs), vol. i. p. 34. This writer says they went over--young Henry much against his will--about All Saints’ day, and were sent to the king of France both together. Rob. Torigni, a. 1172, says they crossed at Martinmas, and paid their visits to Louis separately, Henry at Gisors, Margaret at Chaumont. [624] Summoned, it seems, by Henry, “timens fraudem et malitiam regis Franciæ, quas sæpe expertus fuerat.” _Gesta Hen._ (as above), p. 35. [625] _Ib._ p. 41. Cf. Gerv. Cant. (Stubbs), vol. i. p. 242. The _Gesta_ say the demand was made “per consilium regis Francorum, et per consilium comitum et baronum Angliæ et Normanniæ, qui patrem suum odio habebant.” [626] _Gesta Hen._ and Gerv. Cant. as above. [627] Geoff. Vigeois, l. i. c. 67 (Labbe, _Nova Biblioth._, vol. ii. p. 318). [628] “Quartum natu minimum Johannem Sine Terrâ agnominans.” Will. Newb., l. ii. c. 18 (Howlett, vol. i. p. 146). [629] There is some doubt as to the date of John’s birth. Rob. Torigni (_ad ann._) places it in 1167; R. Diceto (Stubbs, vol. i. p. 325) in 1166. The prose addition to Robert of Gloucester’s Chronicle (Hearne, vol. ii. p. 484) says that he was born at Oxford on Christmas Eve. As Eleanor seems to have been in England at Christmas-tide in both years, this gives us no help. Bishop Stubbs (Introd. to _W. Coventry_, vol. ii. p. xvii, note 3) adopts the later date.