xl. 



subsequently in Bristol Castle, where she remained for the rest of her 

 life. She had for her companions here two other princesses Margery 

 and Isabel, daughters of William of Scotland who had forfeited their 

 liberty on account of some breach of the feudal law relating to their 

 marriage. They do not appear to have been treated with extreme rigour 

 while in confinement here, if we may judge from some curious and 

 interesting details which have come down to us respecting articles 

 supplied for their use. If the interest of any of my fair listeners should 

 flag, while the dry facts of antiquarian research are being presented to 

 them, I am sure they could not fail to find pleasure from the perusal of this 

 inventory of tunics and supertnnics, capes of cambric and fur of miniver, 

 robes of bright green for use of the three waiting maids, &c., but time 

 presses, and I must refer them for further particulars to the entertaining 

 and instructive pages of Mr. Bond's book. Among the articles thus 

 provided was a beautiful saddle, with scarlet ornaments and gilded reins, 

 for the King's niece, the cost to be accounted to William de Harcourt, 

 the King's chancellor, and to be paid for from the royal exchequer. It 

 is pleasing to think that the weary hours of captivity, in the case of the 

 Princess Elinor at least, were varied by occasional rides beyond the 

 walls of her gloomy prison to enjoy the beautiful views of the surround- 

 ing country, but little changed perhaps in their general appearance with 

 the revolution of eight centuries. If some leniency was shown to the 

 princesses, very different was the treatment experienced by some of 

 their fellow-captives. Of the 200 knights taken prisoners at the 

 battle of Mirabeau and placed in different castles in Normandy and 

 England, 24 were brought to Corfe Castle with orders to the con- 

 stable to deal with them as the King should direct. Some light is 

 thrown on the meaning of this sinister charge in a list of the prisoners 

 given by Hugh de Neville, the constable, on his resignation of office 

 the following year, to his successor, and which contained the names 

 of only four of the original number. The others had, in fact, been 

 starved to death by order of the King. Another act of John's cruelty 

 in connection with Corfe Castle must be mentioned. Peter de Wake- 

 field, of Pomfret, a great favourite of the populace and called by 

 them " Peter, the Wise Man of England," ventured to predict that 

 the King would not reign more than 14 years. The prophecy was 

 in effect fulfilled, but not in the way which was expected, for in 

 the 14th year of his reign John surrendered his kingdom to the See of 

 Koine and became a vassal to the Pope. On being examined before the 

 court, the King was so exasperated by his bold demeanour that he 

 ordered him to be conveyed as a prisoner to Corfe Castle. Some of 



