Neither William the Marshal nor his colleague had any thought
of betraying or deserting John; as the Marshal's biographer says, they
"did not wish to be false"; and when they reached England they seem to
have frankly told John what they had done, and to have received no
blame for it.
The return of the English embassy was followed by a letter from the
commandant of Rouen--John's "trusty and well-beloved" Peter of
Preaux--informing the English King that "all the castles and towns
from Bayeux to Anet" had promised Philip that they would surrender to
him as soon as he was master of Rouen, an event which, Peter plainly
hinted, was not likely to be long delayed. This information about the
western towns was probably incorrect, for it was on Western Normandy
that Philip made his next attack. John meanwhile had in January
imposed a scutage of two marks and a half per shield throughout
England, and, in addition, a tax of a seventh of movables, which,
though it fell upon all classes alike, the clergy included, he is said
to have demanded expressly on the ground of the barons' desertion of
him in Normandy.
The hire of a mercenary force was of course the object to which the
proceeds of both these taxes were destined; but they took time to
collect and John soon fell back upon a readier, though less
trustworthy, resource, and summoned the feudal host of England to meet
him at Portsmouth, seemingly in the first week of May.
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