[1] This tower that thus held out, was in the keeping of one capteine Iordan, 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 com|ming 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. But vpon his approch to the dukes campe, the daie following his comming thither,A sore storme. 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 fa|ces, 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: where|vpon 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 satis|fie his expectation at that present.