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William's friends had some difficulty in
persuading him to accept the office. He was over seventy years of age,
and felt it would be too great a burden. Induced at last by the legate
to undertake the charge, from that moment he shrank from none of its
responsibilities. The personal care of the king was comprised within
the marshal's duties, but he delegated that branch of his work to Peter
des Roches.[2] These two, with Gualo, controlled the whole policy of the
new reign. Next to them came Hubert de Burgh, John's justiciar, whom
the marshal very soon restored to that office. But Hubert at once went
back to the defence of Dover, and for some time took little part in
general politics.
[1] The fears and hopes of the marshal's friends are well
depicted in _Histoire de Guillaume le Marechal_, lines
15500-15708.
[2] The panegyrist of the marshal emphasises strongly the fact
that Peter's charge was a delegation, _ibid._, lines
17993-18018.
On November 12, the legate and the regent issued at Bristol a
confirmation of the Great Charter.


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