todian of Rouen and the royal treasure there (ib. ll. 11776-815 ; cf. Stapleton, Rot. Normanniæ, ii. xxxv). On receiving the news of Richard's death on 10 April, Marshal at once went to Rouen. The archbishop (probably Hubert Walter is meant, though M. Meyer thinks it is Walter de Coutances) favoured the claims of Arthur, but Marshal declared decisively for John, and won over the archbishop to his views (Histoire, ll. 11836-908).
John at once despatched Marshal and Hubert to secure his peaceful succession in England. Signs of discontent had already appeared, but John's representatives called a council at Northampton, where, by solemn promises on the new king's behalf, they secured the adhesion of the barons and the peace of the kingdom till John's own arrival (ib. ll. 11908-20; Hoveden, iv. 86-8). John was crowned on 27 May, and on the same day confirmed Marshal in his earldom; for previously, though he held the earldom, he had not had ‘the full peace and name of earl’ (Ann. Mon. i. 72), and it was only now that he received formal investiture with the sword. Marshal was made sheriff of Gloucestershire in the first year of John's reign, and held the office till 1207; he also retained the shrievalty of Sussex till 1205. Marshal probably went over to France with the king in June, for he was with him at Andelys on 18 Aug. and at Rouen on 6 Sept. (Sweetman, i. 94). On 20 April 1200 the office of marshal was confirmed to him (Cal. Rot. Chart. 46 b), and in May he was one of the sureties for the peace with France. In July he accompanied John into Gascony (Histoire, ll. 11963-82). After a visit to England Marshal was sent over to Normandy in May 1201 with Roger de Lacy [q. v.] and in command of one hundred knights to oppose the French advance (Ann. Mon. i. 208). During the next three years his name appears as present with the king at various places (cf. Cal. Rot. Pat. pp. 1-40). On 22 April 1202 he received charge of the castle of Lillebonne (ib. p. 9). Early in August Marshal was with the Earls of Salisbury and Warenne at ‘Englesquevile’ when news was brought to them of John's victory over Arthur at Mirebeau. The intelligence made Philip Augustus at once raise the siege of Arques and commence a retreat, in which he was hotly pursued by the three earls. On his return Marshal was received by the citizens of Rouen at a great banquet (Histoire, ll. 12117-404). When Philip Augustus invaded Normandy in 1203, the writer of the ‘Histoire’ says that Marshal was sent to him at Conches to endeavour to make peace, but in vain. Marshal then rejoined John at Falaise, and went with him to Rouen, where he expostulated with the king on his reckless policy, but to no purpose (ib. ll. 12673-742). In the autumn Philip laid siege to Roger de Lacy in Château Gaillard. John assembled , a large force for the relief of the castle, and entrusted the command to Marshal, who was to be assisted by a flotilla on the Seine. Marshal was partially successful in his attempt at a surprise, but the failure of the ships to arrive at the critical moment ruined his enterprise (Will, Armor.Philipp. vii. 144-253). After the fall of Château Gaillard on 6 March 1204, John, who had returned to England in November, bade his representatives in Normandy to act as they thought good for their own interest. Soon after he sent Marshal with Hubert Walter and Robert, earl of Leicester, on another fruitless errand to Philip (Coggeshall, p. 144). The two earls, however, obtained from Philip a period of one year within which they might do him homage for their Norman lands. They then crossed over to England about May (Histoire, ll. 12839-900). Marshal was with the king at Gillingham on 26 June, and on 29 July was directed to conduct Llywelyn of North Wales to John at Worcester (Cal. Rot. Pat. pp. 43 b, 44). While in England he invaded Wales and took Kilgaran (Brut y Tywysoyian, p. 260). Finding there was no hope of action, he obtained leave from John to do Philip homage, and with this purpose went back to Normandy, and meeting Philip at Compiègne, after some delay rendered the required homage (Histoire, ll. 12921-13038). On Marshal's return to England in 1205 John, who had heard of his doing homage, reproached him for thus acting to his hurt, and though Marshal could appeal to John's own leave, this was the beginning of a prolonged estrangement. In June the king proposed to go over to Poitou; Marshal when summoned to go with him pleaded his oath to Philip. John in vain taunted him with cowardice and disloyalty, but Marshal stood firm that he would not go. Hubert Walter also opposed the expedition, and John was compelled at last to give way (ib. ll. 13039-13278; Coggeshall, pp. 152-3, where the opposition of the earl and the archbishop is represented as due to prudential motives only). Marshal had to give his eldest son as a hostage, but John did not venture to quarrel openly. In the winter the earl was employed to conduct William of Scotland to a meeting with the king at York (Cal. Rot. Pat. p. 56), and when next summer the king went over to Poitou, Marshal was entrusted with the military care of England.
