32 SALISBURY. being, accordingly, acknowledged as EARL OP SALISBURY, and as such, present at the coronation of John. 27 May 1199. He was Sheriff' of Wilts, 1200-03 and 1213-26 ; Lieut, of Gascon}-. 1202 ; Warden of the Cinque Ports, 1204-Oti ; Warden of the Welsh Marches, 1208-13; P.C., 1208-11, being considered one of the King's "evil counsellors," and being a witness to the charter, 15 May 1213, which submitted the Realm to the Pope, &c. He obtained sufficient success over the French fleet, off Damme, in April 1213, to compel King Philip to abandon his projected invasion of Kngland, but was taken prisoner by the French at the battle of iSouvinesin Flanders, 27 .Inly 12111"!; being released in exchange for Robert, son of the Count of Dreux, Jan., or Feb. 1 21 l/fp.( b ) Though he took the part of King John iu 121") he shortly afterwards joined the French Prince, whom, however, lie deserted in March 1217 in favour of the young King, Henry III. In 1220 he founded the grand cathedral church at Salisbury ; in 1225 he accompanied the Earl of Cornwall on a successful expedition into Gaseony, shortly after which he d, fl or 7 March 122b", ( c ) at his castle at Old Sarmu and was bur. under a magnificent monument } in the new cathedral there. Will dat. Lent 1225. His widow, who survived him 35 years, d. (as above mentioned) 2-1 Aug. 12*>1. "With liis iieal)] in 1 22G, writes ,}. G. Nie}n»lff,(*) came to an end the first of the 11 three distinct series of succession " of this Farldom, a series that " furnishes only three Kails, who occupied the dignity for about U0 |77] years, but whose represen- tatives retained some lingering plain a to it for about a century longer. Nichols adds that " the most probable conc'usion " why William, the eldest son of William ami Ela, was not recognised as Karl of Salisbury " seems to be that the lawyers held he could not inherit the Earldom except upon his mother's demise." If, however, hU father be held to have been created an Earl in 1198 this argument would not apply, but the fact remains certain that, save, perhaps, as to the great grandaughter and heir of the said Ela, none of her posterity were recognised as inheriting the Earldom, (a) " M. Paris " He was, in fact, according to William flrito ( Philippiilns, lib. x), n well-informed contemporary writer, taken prisoner by Philip de Prfliu, Bishop of Reauvais : — " Nam Belvacensis ut vidit episcopus Angli Germuuum regis, cui, cum sit viribus ingens, Augligeiiic longo dederant agnomen ab ense, Sternere Drocenses, et damnilicare frequenti Ciede em fratris acies, dolet, utqne tenebat Clavam forte manu, sic ilium dissimulato Pricsulo percussit in stimmo vertice fracta Casside, quod sterni tellure coegit eundem, Corporis et longi signare caractere terrain. Et quasi celari facti tam nobilis auctor Possit, neve queat piicsul gcrere anna notari, I)issimnlare studet quantum licet, atque Johanni, Servit adhuc patruin cui jure Nigella suomm, Hunc vinciro jubet, et somci-e pyemia facti." Dugdale cites " MS. Oxon in Bibl. Hod., n. 11. fol. 177b. 178a," which states that the Earl was captured a week bef'.re the battle, i.f , on 20 July. [£"«, inform., G. V. W at son.] (•>) "Anno MCCXIY. Rex Philippus Willelmum oomitem Salebriensem fratrem regis Anglorum ex parte patris, quein in conflictu apad Bovinas ceper.-it, Roberta comiti Uranensi fratrueli sun reddidit, qui* Robertus primugenitus suus . . , sorte bellica captus fuerat. Factum est ut circa I'urilieationcm sequentem Willelmus in excambiuin pro Roberto redderetur." (Chron. of the Canon of Laon.) [Ex. inlorm., G. W. Watson.] (°) The story that he was poisoned by Hubert de Burgh (with whom he had dined not long previously) is presumably false. (<*) This fine work of art is still in existence — a recumbent effigy in chain armour, holding a Bhield charged with G lioncels rampant. (») Nichols's " SalMury" as on p. 29, note " a."
