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sly stratagem and deprived him of all offices and lands he had won from the King. This time the toad had leapt too swiftly at the fly. Sir Andre's frightened and exhausted messenger reached Alinor in time enough for the Queen's indignant protest to be sent to Richard in support of Durham's letters of complaint. |
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"Be sure," Simon had written in a separate enclosure to Alinor that reported the happy result that the King had commanded Longchamp to return Durham's property and hostages at once, "to inform the Queen of all news from England even if it does not seem to concern the realm at large. If she cannot be roused to argue against Longchamp before the King's brother takes sides with the nobles against him, the blood shed in your grandfather's day in the war between Stephen and Henry will be as a sprinkling compared with the torrent that will flow. But remember, naught may be said against the Lord John. She may not love him as she loves Richard, but he is her son and the youngest of all her nestlings. I have word from Ian, who is returned to John's Court from. that of Owain in Wales whence he accompanied Lord Llewelyn, that there is a great concourse of nobles to Lord John's table. Ian desired greatly to come to me, but that I straitly forbade, bidding him to stay as long as Lord John will welcome him. Since we expect every day to take sail from here, I have bid him send what news he has to Sir Andre, whence it will come in safety to you. I beg you to have a care to destroy or disfigure his letters if there is in them any matter that you think hurtful. I would not, for any reason, have harm come to Ian through me. Take care also in the same manner of these letters, for I write more plainly than is altogether safe." |
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By the time Alinor received Simon's advice, it did not seem that it would be necessary to use the myriad of minor complaints against Longchamp that Sir Andre |
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