By John Watson- Taylor. 63 



the clangers of war, but to-day, as I sincerely believe, my oft- 

 repeatetl feats of arms will be brought to a close.' On hearing 

 tliese words, his companions in arms, putting a good interpretation 

 on everything, and declaring that very little faith ought to be put 

 in dreams, took him away with them, in order that he, who had 

 so often defeated his enemies, might not be accused of fear ; but 

 on that same day, as they were passing through a narrow place, 

 commonly called a pass, the before-mentioned calamity happened, 

 and he fell overwhelmed by a mass of rock. The English were 

 greatly grieved at this, and all the troops halted and buried his 

 body with solemn rites. His death occurred on the morrow of 

 the Purification of St. Mary [Feb. 3rd] } " 



On the 12th February the Sheriffs of Devon and Hampshire 

 were ordered to seize for the King all the lands whicji had be- 

 longed to Herbert Fitz-Matthew, and to hold them until further 

 orders, and these followed on the 5th March, to the effect that 

 the King had accepted the homage of Peter, his brother and heir, 

 who had given security for his relief (£66 IZsAd.) and was to 

 have possession of all Herbert's lands and tenements, demesne and 

 feudal.- Peter had, like his brother, been in favour with Henry III., 

 and his name is found as a witness to royal charters while his 

 brother was at Court,^ but he must have lost his goodwill at some 

 time, for in 1250 the King dispossessed him of the manor of 

 Yatesbury, and three years later tried to wrest Erlestoke also 

 from his hands. In regard to Yatesbury it seems that Peter had 

 made the manor over to one Florence de Dageney for her advance- 

 ment (promocioncmj in return for the nominal rent of a pair of 

 gilt spurs, or sixpence, but after Florence was in possession a suit 

 was commenced against her in the King's Court by a certain 

 person (quendamj concerning the same manor. She thereupon 

 summoned Peter to maintain her title as he had guaranteed to do 



' Matthew Farts, ed. Bohn, ii., 27, 28, 46. In the margin of the MS. his 



shield of arms is given in colours, reversed : — party per pale gules and azure, 



three lions rampant or; and underneath is written in red : " Ohiit Herhertus 



JUiun-Mathei in Wallia, miles strenuus lapide ob7'utus" (ei. Madden, ii., 500). 



- Uxc. e. Rot. Fin., ii., 34. 



' Chron. and Memorials of Gt. Britain, No. 97, pp. 180, 182. 



