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Page 321
dared tell him. Henry was too unpredictable. He might be furious and frightened enough to approve, but equally he might be utterly horrified at such a treacherous plan. However, Winchester was certain that once Pembroke was dead or a prisoner, the king would not question too closely how his enemy had come to that condition.
Before that letter had gone out, Winchester had by various devices fomented unrest within the earl's huge Irish domain and attacks upon Pembroke's lands by every enemy the Marshal family had. Gilbert, Richard's brother, who ruled the Irish lands in Pembroke's name, was beset by more trouble than he had ever remembered. Unaware of the treachery intended, he had sent messengers to beg Richard to come himself and see if his presence would stem the restlessness and rebellion. Winchester had been aware of Gilbert's request, and John of Monmouth's attack was intended to be launched after Pembroke had gonebut Pembroke had not gone, and some victory was needed to calm the king, who, though he ranted and raved of revenge, was growing more and more fearful. Thus, alleven Winchester himselfhad leapt at the news that Pembroke was going north, and another disaster had befallen them.
Winchester was by no means blind to the acuteness of his danger. He had misjudged Henry in several ways, but he had not forgotten the king's habit of casting the blame on others for any unpleasant result of his own activities. If the tide of war did not turn very soon or the rebellion was not broken in another way, say by Pembroke's death, Winchester knew Henry would turn on him with the same ferocity he had turned on Hubert de Burgh, the preceding chancellor. So when Sir Heribert told the bishop's secretary that his business concerned Walter de Clare, Winchester made time in his busy day to speak to him.
"How may I help you?" The bishop asked after Sir Heribert had been ushered in.
"I do not know," Sir Heribert answered truthfully, too clever to pretend he was selfless to a man as shrewd as Peter des Roches. "I came to bring the news of the attack on Shrewsbury, but I discovered that it was no news here. I came, also, because my new overlord, Walter de Clare, is an open rebel and has put the keep of which I was castellan,

 
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