Taking his leave therefore (soon after) of the bishops and divers others of the nobles at Reading, (there met by the appointment of the Pope’s Legate,) many of them wept,[281] in regard he was a person wholly minding the public welfare; whereupon, he told[282] them, that had he not made his vow, he would go rather than stay to see the approaching miseries fall upon this realm; and having prepared[283] all things ready for his journey, came[283] to the Abbey of St. Alban’s, where, in full chapter, he desired[283] the prayers of that whole convent for his good success, then went[283] to London, and took his leave[283] of the king, the legate, and nobles, and so hasted to Dovor; whence, soon after arriving in France, he was nobly received[284] by the king of that realm, and his mother, who sent[284] the marshall to conduct him through that country, and to entertain him in all places honourably thence to Avinion, where he had also free and great entertainment; then to[285] Vienna, whence he intended to take shipping for Arles; and being in those parts, was met by[286] the Earl of Provence, (whose daughter King Henry had married,) and so hasted to[286] the city of St. Giles, there to do his devotions, and receive the benediction of the monks of that place, which done he gave them twenty marks; but before he went thence, there came[287] to him a legate from the Pope (with the Archbishop of Arles) to inhibite[287] him from proceeding further on his journey, which he took so ill (being fully resolved thereon, and fitted accordingly), that he refused[288] both to obey their authority, and to hearken to their dissuasions. Seeing, therefore, all their endeavours in vain, they would have persuaded him to take shipping at the port called the Deadwater, but that he liked not, and so entered[289] the Mediterranean at Marseilles. In anno 1241, (25 Hen. III.) being come into the Holy Land, he accepted of a truce with the Souldan of Babylon, upon condition[290] that the French who were prisoners there might be released, and that Jerusalem, with all the parts adjacent, should be free from any molestation, as also upon divers other articles honourable to the Christians. And the next year following, viz. 26 Hen. III. returned; the king, therefore, having intelligence thereof, with the queen, met[291] him at Dovor. Soon after which, a Parliament being held at Westminster, where all the nobles were met, this earl was sent[292] to them by the king (with the provost of Beverley) to desire their advice for the recovery of his inheritance in Normandy and other parts of France. But finding that the king did not incline to follow the counsel of those who sought the general honour and good of himself and the realm, after some sharp dispute with him thereon, he associated himself with the Earls Marshal, Hereford, and some others, and took[293] shipping for France.