The headquarters of Philip and Richard had been at Tours since their capture of that city on July 3;[353] it was probably there that Richard received, from a messenger despatched by William the Marshal,[354] the tidings of his father’s death at Chinon on the 6th and the intended burial at Fontevraud. The night-watch round the open coffin was beginning in the great abbey church when he reached it next evening.[355] All endeavours to guess at his feelings were baffled by the rigid stillness of his aspect and demeanour,[356] broken only by a momentary shudder when he saw the uncovered face.[357] For a long while he stood gazing at it in silence;[358] for a briefer space he knelt in silent prayer.[359] When at last he spoke, it was to call for two of his father’s most loyal adherents, William the Marshal and Maurice of [Sidenote: 1189 _July 7_] Craon. They came forward, and at his command, followed him, with some others, out of the church. “So, fair Sir Marshal,” he began, “you were minded to slay me the other day! and slain I should have been of a surety had I not turned your lance aside by the strength of my arm. That would have been a bad day’s work!” The Marshal answered that his own strength of arm was great enough to drive a lance-thrust home to its aim in spite of interference, and the issue of the encounter was sufficient proof that he had sought only the life of the horse, not the rider. “Marshal, I will bear you no malice; you are forgiven,” was Richard’s reply.[360] The burial took place next morning. [Sidenote: _July 8_] As soon as it was over Richard despatched the Marshal and another envoy[361] to England with orders for the release of his mother, and with a commission to her authorizing her to act as his representative until he could himself go over sea.[362] His choice of the Marshal for this errand was an indication of the spirit in which he took up the rights and duties of his new position. He showed himself gracious to all persons who had been faithful to Henry, and expressed his intention of confirming them in their several offices and rewarding their fidelity to the late king. He was asked to ratify a number of grants which Geoffrey the chancellor assured him Henry had recently made or promised to make, and he consented in every case save one, a grant of Châteauroux and its heiress to Baldwin of Béthune, which he said must be cancelled because he had himself, as duke of Aquitaine, granted the damsel and her fief to Andrew of Chauvigny; but he promised to compensate Baldwin.[363] One man only who had held high office under Henry fell under Richard’s displeasure: Stephen the seneschal of Anjou, who was not only deprived of the castles and the royal treasury which he had in custody for the late king, but was also chained hand and foot and put in prison. The cause of Stephen’s disgrace is unknown; his previous history is obscure;[364] but the disgrace was only temporary; within a few months he was once more free, and