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Page 220
have high birth to obscure his physical failings. He was also a stranger to the English and to English ways. Still, there were no open protests. The King, after all, was a stranger to the English barons himself and, reasonably enough, would wish to have a long-time servant known to be faithful in a position of authority. If Longchamp let himself be guided by Essex, Durham, and William Marshal, all would go very well. Without words, it was also understood that the Queen would oversee all.
Alinor had early news of the appointments and the barons' reactions from Isobel of Clare, who received more informative confidences from her husband than Alinor had expected. When William and Isobel returned to Court in October, however, a less favorable light was shed on the King's doings. Richard would not leave the old order unchanged or change what was abusive and oppressive and leave what was good. The appointments, it turned out, had been sold for gold.
Of course it was customary that the King should receive a gift commensurate with the value of the position he bestowed. No one would complain of that; it was custom. A King chose his man and appointed him. If the gift was not adequate, the King could say so. Richard had been cruder than that, however. He had asked outright what each office was worth to each man and, except in the case of Longchamp, had appointed the highest bidder.
Such action alone would have been disturbing, but worse followed. The King made it plain that he intended to change every officer in the realm, from the highest to the lowest, and thatin clear wordsthe governance of England was for sale.
At first Alinor had shrugged. She did not think the men Richard would appoint would be more corrupt than the officials Henry had used at the end of his reign. What thought she gave to the subject was mostly of ways to protect herself and her dependents. It was not until Isobel confided that William was offering 50

 
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