On John's return Marshal asked leave to go over to Ireland, which had been often previously refused. On 19 Feb. 1207 he obtained protection for his lands during his absence (Sweetman, i. 313), and must soon after have crossed over to pay his first visit to his wife's vast inheritance of Leinster; before going he had to give his son Richard as a further hostage (Histoire, ll. 13376-13377). Marshal's coming was very unwelcome to Meiler FitzHenry the justiciar [q. v.], who was his own liegeman. Meiler contrived to secure Marshal's recall to England in September, and coming over himself prevailed on John to let him wage active war against the earl's wife and representatives in Ireland. Meiler's warfare met with ill success, but John maliciously told the earl false news, until the truth could no longer be concealed (ib. 11. 13429-930). This narrative probably explains the letter in which John on 7 March 1208 informs Meiler that Marshal had come to him at Bristol, and that as he was sufficiently submissive the justiciar was to abstain from harassing his lands and men (Sweetman, i. 375). On 21 March John directed that Marshal should have seisin of Offaly, and a little later confirmed him in possession of Leinster at the service of one hundred knights (ib. i. 377, 378, 381). Marshal then obtained leave to go back to Ireland, where all his vassals welcomed him. But Meiler still held aloof until his removal from the justiciarship (probably at the end of 1208), when he found it expedient to make his peace. At the close of 1208 William de Braose [q. v.] fled to Ireland, and landing at Wicklow was well received by Marshal, who, despite the new justiciar, John de Grey [q. v.], escorted him in safety to Walter de Lacy. Marshal had already been acting in conjunction with the De Lacys (Four Masters, iii. 155), and this harbouring of William de Braose led to John's Irish expedition in June 1210 (Sweetman, i. 408). Marshal had come over to England earlier in the year at John's bidding, and apparently recrossed with the king. After the defeat of the Lacys, John accused Marshal of having aided William de Braose in his flight; the earl boldly defended his conduct, declaring that he had no reason to believe Braose was the king's enemy. However, Marshal had to give further hostages, including his faithful squire, John of Early, or d'Erlegh, and also to surrender the castle of Dumas. John could not venture on more extreme measures with so powerful a noble, but he was probably glad that Marshal should be out of his way. The earl therefore remained in Ireland for the next two years; he seems to have been engaged in active warfare with the Irish, for Matthew Paris calls him ‘Hibernicis nocivus edomitor,’ but the only incident preserved is a quarrel with the Bishop of Ferns (iii. 43, iv. 493-4). Marshal, though resenting the king's treatment, did not abandon his attitude of loyalty, and in 1212 he joined with other Irish nobles in expressing his resentment at the pope's conduct as an encroachment on the liberties of the realm (Sweetman, i. 448). As John's difficulties increased he turned once more for aid to Marshal. According to the ‘Histoire,’ the earl came over to England to take part in the war with Llywelyn ab Iorwerth [q. v.] in 1212, and then had most of his hostages restored. After this he went back again to Ireland (Histoire, ll. 14473-90). In July John summoned Marshal to meet him at Chester on 19 Aug. with John de Grey and his Irish subjects. But this order was countermanded in another letter (dated October 1212 by Sweetman, but from the Histoire it would seem to belong to 1213), in which he ‘thanked the earl for his good services in Ireland and loyal attitude, but begged him to remain, as his assistance was needed by the justiciar. There was no truth in the report that it had been contemplated to send his son to Poitou, the boy should be put in charge of John d'Erlegh’ (Sweetman, 1. 435, 443, 444). The latter incident is explained by the ‘Histoire,’ which shows that the young Marshals were now released as a means of conciliating their father (ll. 14491-14598).
Marshal came over to England in April 1213, and from this time is foremost among John's advisers; on 15 May he witnessed the king's charter of resignation to the pope at Dover (Matt. Paris, ii. 546). Soon afterwards he received the castle of Haverfordwest, and in January 1214 those of Carmarthen, Cardigan, and Gower; Dumas was not restored till August 1215 (Cal. Rot. Pat. pp. 105, 109 b, 153 b). John also entrusted his eldest son to Marshal's charge (Hist. des Ducs de Normandie, p. 180). Marshal advised the king's expedition to Poitou in 1214; he himself was left behind in charge of England (Histoire, ll. 14672-99). He thus acted with the papal legate Nicholas of Tusculum at the council of St. Paul's to determine the payments for ecclesiastical property confiscated during the interdict. In June he sat as one of the justices at Bury St. Edmunds to decide the disputed election of Abbot Hugh (Memorials of St. Edmund's Abbey, ii. 75-9, Rolls Ser.)
In January 1215, when the barons de-
