[356] "Regina quod prece non valuit, armis impetrare confidens, splendidissimum militantium decus ante Londonias, ex alterâ fluvii regione, transmisit, utque raptu, et incendio, violentiâ, et gladio, in comitissæ suorumque prospectu, ardentissime circa civitatem desævirent præcepit" (_Gesta Stephani_, p. 78). These expressions appear to imply that she not only wasted the southern bank, but sent over (_transmisit_) her troops to plunder round the walls of the city itself (_circa civitatem_). Mr. Pearson strangely assigns this action not to the Queen, but to the Empress: "Matilda brought up troops, and cut off the trade of the citizens, and wasted their lands, to punish their disaffection" (p. 478). [357] The _Annals of Plympton_ (ed. Liebermann, p. 20) imply that the city was divided on the subject:—"In mense Junio facta est sedicio in civitate Londoniensi a civibus; sed tamen pars sanior vices imperatricis agebat, pars vero quedam eam obpugnabat." [358] "Facta conjuratione adversus eam quam cum honore susceperunt, cum dedecore apprehendere statuerunt. At illa a quodam civium præmunita, ignominiosam cum suis fugam arripuit omni sua suorumque supellectili post tergum relicta." [359] "Sensim sine tumultu quadam militari disciplina urbe cesserunt." This is clearly intended to rebut the story of their hurried flight (see also p. 132, _infra_). [360] See Appendix J: "The Great Seal of the Empress." [361] _Harl. MS._ 1708, fo. 113. [362] "Conjuratione facta." [363] "In indulta sibi conjuratione ... quanta quippe mala ex conjuratione proveniunt" (ed. Howlett, p. 416). [364] _Const. Hist._, i. 407. [365] "Facta conspiratione quam _communionem_ vocabant sese omnes pariter sacramentis adstringunt, et ... ejusdem regionis proceres quamvis invitos, sacramentis suæ conspirationis obligari compellunt." [366] _Richard of Devizes_ (ed. Howlett, p. 416). [367] _Mediæval Military Architecture_, ii. 254. [368] Trivet's _Annals_ (Eng. Hist. Soc., p. 13). [369] See p. 84. [370] "Primo quidem [apud Westmonasterium] quod decuit, sanctæ Dei Ecclesiæ, juxta bonorum consilium, consulere procuravit. Dedit itaque Lundoniensis ecclesiæ præsulatum cuidam Radingensi monacho viro venerabili præsente et jubente reverendo abbate suo Edwardo" (_Cont. Flor. Wig._, 131). [371] See p. 123. [372] We have, indeed, a glimpse of this incident in the _Liber de Antiquis Legibus_ (fol. 35), where we read: "Anno predicto, statim in illa estate, _obsessa est Turris Londoniarum a Londoniensibus_, quam Willielmus (_sic_) de Magnavilla tenebat et firmaverat." [373] The city, it must be remembered, lay between him and Fulham, so that, obviously, he is more likely to have made this raid when the city was no longer in arms against him.