giue battell, but yet remoued not his siege, till the king departed from
thence, after he saw he could not haue his purpose, and then did duke
Henrie win the castell of Malmesburie, or rather the maister tower or
chéefe dungeon of that castell. [Sidenote: _Simon Dun._ _Ger. Dor._] For
as (Simon of Durham writeth) he had won by assault the other parts and
lims of the castell before king Stephan came to remoue him.

This tower that thus held out, was in the keeping of one capteine
Jordan, who escaping foorth came to the king, informing him in what
state he had left his men within the tower: wherevpon the king (making
all the power that he was able) set forward, and comming to Circiter,
lodged there one night, and in the morning purposing to raise the siege,
or to fight with his enimies (if they would abide battell) marched
foorth towards Malmesburie. [Sidenote: A sore storm.] But vpon his
approch to the dukes campe, the daie following his comming thither,
there rose such a hideous tempest of wind and raine, beating full in the
faces of king Stephans people, that God seemed to fight for the duke,
who in respect of the number of people was thought too weake to deale
with the strong and puissant armie of the king: howbeit the storme being
on his backe, and beating extremelie in king Stephans mens faces, they
were not able to hold their weapons in their hands, in somuch that he
perceiued he could not passe the riuer that ran betwixt the armies:
wherevpon constreined in that sort through the violent rage of that cold
and wet weather, he returned to London full euill appaied, in that he
could not satisfie his expectation at that present.

The tower that duke Henrie had hardlie besieged immediatlie herewith was
surrendred vnto him, & then making prouision for vittels and other
things, [Sidenote: The castell of Wallingford.] to the reliefe of them
that kept the castell of Wallingford, he hasted thither, and finding no