42 General History of Bath. 



was hostility between the two cities. Geoffrey Talbot and 

 William de Lacy planned to take Bath by surprise, and, with 

 a storming party, lay in wait for an opportunity to scale the 

 walls. The assailants were observed, a sortie was made from 

 the town, and Geoffrey was captured. The Bristol men were 

 eager for revenge, but affecting an anxiety to discuss the 

 terms of a truce, they induced the Bishop to come outside 

 his gates, promising him a safe conduct. The ruse was suc- 

 cessful ; the Bishop came out and, in spite of his indignant 

 protestations, was hurried off to Bristol. His captors then 

 sent word to Bath, that if Talbot was not released the Bishop 

 would be hung ; and that prelate added a message begging 

 the citizens not to expose him to death. But again the 

 Bristol men were deceitful. When they got back their 

 leader they refused to give up their hostage. 



On Stephen marching towards Bath, the Bishop was re- 

 leased, and reproached roundly by the King for allowing 

 Talbot to escape. 



Stephen considered that Bath might be rendered impreg- 

 nable, and, when he marched against Bristol, ordered it to be 

 placed in a thorough condition of defence ; and left a garrison. 

 The chronicler we have been following records the valiant 

 deeds of the Bath men, and how they plundered to the very 

 gates of Bristol. But a note in the Annates Monastid to 

 the effect that the Earl of Gloucester, who was a partisan of 

 Matilda, fortified Bath, and the recorded fact of the destruc- 

 tion by fire in the same year of the Abbey Church, rather 

 lead to an inference that the city fell for a time into the 

 hands of its enemies. The chroniclers do not agree as to the 

 extent to which Bishop Robert dealt with the Church of his 

 predecessor. Some say that he rebuilt it, others that he merely 

 finished the work which John de Villula had commenced. 



