rival fortification at Topcliff, and having intrusted the former to Archbishop Roger and the latter to William de Stuteville, marched back to Lincoln in triumph.[772] His victory was scarcely won when a new peril arose in East-Anglia. Three days after Pentecost some three hundred Flemish soldiers, forerunners of a great host with which Count Philip of Flanders had sworn to invade England at Midsummer on behalf of the young king, landed at the mouth of the Orwell.[773] Hugh Bigod, whose truce with the king’s officers, made when he dismissed his other Flemish troops in the preceding autumn, expired four days later, at once received them into his castles.[774] For a whole month, however, no further movement was made save by the garrison of Leicester, who after the close of Whitsun-week made a successful plundering raid upon the town of Northampton.[775] On June 18 Hugh Bigod and his Flemings marched upon Norwich, took it by assault, committed a vast slaughter of men and women, and finally sacked and fired the city.[776] They seem to have returned to Framlingham by way of Dunwich, which was still a flourishing seaport, of sufficient wealth to tempt their greed; but its stout fisher-folk met them with such a determined front that they were compelled to retire.[777] [766] R. Diceto (Stubbs), vol. i. p. 384. [767] See the story in the tract “De Judithâ uxore Waldevi comitis,” in M. F. Michel’s _Chroniques Anglo-Normandes_, vol. ii. pp. 128, 129. [768] _Gesta Hen._ as above, p. 71. The case seems to have been tried in the Curia Regis; _ibid._, and _Chron. Anglo-Norm._, as above. [769] R. Diceto (Stubbs), vol. i. p. 384. [770] “A rusticis del Clay.” _Gesta Hen._ (Stubbs), vol. i. p. 68. Rog. Howden (Stubbs), vol. ii. p. 58, alters “rusticis” into “hominibus.” The place is perhaps Clay Cross in Derbyshire. [771] Kirkby or Kirby Malzeard, near Ripon. [772] _Gesta Hen._ as above, pp. 68, 69. Cf. R. Diceto as above, and Gir. Cambr., _Vita Galfr. Archiep._, l. i. cc. 2, 3 (Dimock, vol. iv. pp. 364–367). [773] “Apud Airewellam.” R. Diceto (as above), p. 381. [774] _Ibid._ Gerv. Cant. (Stubbs), vol. i. p. 247. [775] _Gesta Hen._ as above, p. 68. [776] _Gesta Hen._ (Stubbs), vol. i. p. 68. R. Diceto (Stubbs), vol. i. p. 381 (to whom we owe the date). Gerv. Cant. (Stubbs), vol. i. p. 248.