A HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



on 6 October, i 187,') the archbishop of Tyre met the kings of England and 

 France at Gisors, and preached the third crusade. Both Henry II and 

 Philip laid aside the differences which had brought them to Gisors and took, 

 the cross/ as Prince Richard had done already.^ Before the end of January, 

 at a council held at Le Mans, Henry issued an order levying the famous tax 

 known as the Saladin tithe, whereby every man in his domains who did not 

 personally join the crusade was required to give one-tenth of his income and 

 goods toward the expenses.* Returning immediately afterwards to England, 

 he designed to go to Canterbury, but hearing that the services in the 

 cathedral there were suspended ' he went instead to Northampton, where 

 the archbishop was about to hold a conference with his clergy and where 

 the bishops and barons also assembled on the news of the king's arrival.* 

 On 1 1 February a great council met in the king's presence at Geddington, 

 when a number of important articles, which had apparently been before the 

 council held at Le Mans,^ were read and approved, regulating matters 

 connected with the aforesaid tithe (clerical books and vestments being 

 specially exempted therefrom), and with the personal behaviour and business 

 arrangements of the crusaders. Baldwin, archbishop of Canterbury, then rose 

 and excommunicated all who should break the peace during the crusade, 

 after which he somewhat inopportunely raised the question of his quarrel 

 with the monks of Canterbury. Partly in consequence of the stirring 

 sermons delivered during this council by him and by Gilbert Glanvil, bishop 

 of Rochester, many persons, both clerical and lay, took the cross before 

 the council broke up, among those who did so being the bishop of Lincoln. 

 Arrangements were also made for the collection of the aforesaid tax in the 

 counties on the principle ordained at Le Mans, while in the towns a list was 

 to be made of the richer inhabitants, who were to pay the tithe according to 

 an assessment made by persons acquainted with their affairs, a similar plan 

 being applied to the Jews.* 



In the following year Henry died, and Richard I was crowned at West- 

 minster on 3 September. A council of the higher clergy was summoned to 

 meet in London almost immediately afterwards, that the king might fill up a 

 number of ecclesiastical offices then vacant, before starting for the Holy Land. 

 The council, however, was presently adjourned to Geddington,^ and its actual 

 meetings were held at the neighbouring abbey of Pipewell,'" on the outskirts 

 of the royal forest of Rockingham. It opened on 15 September, i 189, being 

 attended by the abbots and priors of almost the whole of England and by a 

 number of bishops, among them the crusading Archbishop Baldwin, the 

 saintly Hugh of Lincoln, and several prelates from Ireland and the Continent. 

 Many important ecclesiastical vacancies were filled at this council, including 

 several abbacies and the sees of York, Winchester, London, Salisbury, and 



' Rogir de Hoveden (Rolls Ser.), ii, 321 and note. ' Gena Hen. II et Ric. I (Rolls Ser.), ii, 29-30. 



' Ibid. p. 29. *Ibid. 30-31. 



' This was an incident in that protracted quarrel between Archbishop Baldwin and his cathedral 

 monastery which occupies so large a part of the Chron. o/Gervase of Cant. 



* Gervase of Cant. (Rolls Ser.), i, 406. Henry, apparently while he was at Northampton, sent to 

 Canterbury to complain of the cessation of the services as a slight to himself on his arrival in England. (Ibid.) 



^ Gesta Hen. II et Ric. I (Rolls Ser.), ii, 31-2-. 



" Ibid. 33 ; Gervase of Cant. (Rolls Ser.), i, 409-12 ; stc iho Roger de Hoveden (Rolls Ser.), ii, 335 et seq. 



' Gen'ase of Cant. (Rolls Ser.), i, 457-8. 



'" Gesta Hen. II et Ric. I (Rolls Ser.), ii, 85 and note. 



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