fent to the Charter of Liberties, 1199. granted by Henry I. So that the King was forced to return into England; where, when come, they challenged this Charter as a Part of his Oath made at his Absolution, and fhortly after they met together at Stamford with a very numerous Army. Their General was Robert Fitz Walter, whom they filed the Marfhal of God's Army and Holy Church. London invited them to enter the City by Night; where, when entred, by their threatning Letters, they not only drew moft of the Nobles from the King, but had alfo almoft lock'd him out of his Royal Seat, infomuch that he was neceffitated by gentle Meffages to procure of his Factious Barons a Place and Day of Meeting, which was Running Mead, betwixt Windfor and Stains (fince called CouncilMead) whither they came with armed Multitudes out of all the Kingdom, numberlefs. Where the King perceiving their fo great Strength, and his own fmall Party, he granted them the utmoft of their Defires, not only for Liberties fpecified in Magna Charta, and Charta Forefte, but alfo for a Kind of Rule in the Government, by 25 felected Peers, to whofe Command all the other Barons were alfo bound by Oath to be obedient. But the King could not long relish this; therefore privately fends to his truftieft Friends to fortify and victual their Caftles, and himself fecretly retires into the Ifle of Wight. From whence he difpatched Meffengers, both to the Pope and his foreign Friends, to crave the Cenfure of the One, and Succours of the Other, against fuch outrageous Rebels. In both which his Agents were fo fedulous, and Friends compaffionate, that at Rome by definitive Sentence the Barons Charters were made void, the King

Army for the Recovery of his hereditary Provinces loft to the French; but when all else was ready, then the Barons denied him their At tendance, till he was affoiled of his Excommunication; and that their ancient Liberties, granted them by Herry I. were relord: Stephen Langton animating herein, and promilling his faithful Affiflance to them. Hereupon the King makes his Appeal to Rome, prefenting the Pope with rich Prefents; in Anfwer to which, the Pope fent his Legate, the Bishop of Tufculum, who wrought with the King to corroberate the Conveyance of his Kingdoms to the Pope; unto which the King yielded. But the Archbifhop of Canterbury oppofed himself against him, with whom the Peers of the Land joined, avowing it to be an execrable Thing to the whole World. And in a full Parliament it was enacted, That fince the King could not without Confent of Parliament bring his Realm and People to fuch Thraldom; therefore if the Pope fhould in the future attempt any fuch Thing again, with Life and Livelihood be fhould be withstood. The Pope hearing of this, not only conceived exceeding Hatred againit the Archbishop; but fent alfo his authentick Letters for repealing the Interdict, upon Reftitution of 1300 Marks more to the Prelates, and that but by equal Portions of five Years Payment. And now the King Faffed into Poitou, which he reduced; thence into Britain, where his Podovins, according to their old Cuftom proved falfe to him, to his great Detriment. The while his Barons they play Rex at home, renewing their Confederacies, and binding themselves with an Oath, at the High Altar at St. Edmond's bary, That they would purfue the King with Arms, till he should con

and

1199. and Barons accurfed, if either of them obferv'd the Compofition made at Council Mead. And from Flanders, Gascoign, Brabant, and other Parts, fuch competent Aids came in as encouraged the King, after three Months Secrefy, to fhew himself in the Face of his Enemies. His Hoft divided into two Parts; with the one, conducted by himself Northward, he every where fubdued his Rebels, as likewife did the Earl of Salisbury Southward. Stephen Langton the Pope fufpended for abetting the Barons; and his Brother Simon Langton, Archbishop Elect to York, had his Election made void, the Pope conftituting in his Place Walter Gray, whofe Pall coft him no lefs than 1000 Pounds. (The Archiepifcopal Pall is a Pontifical Veftment made of Lambs-Wool, as it comes from the Sheep's Back, without any other artificial Colour, and fpun by a peculiar Order of Nuns, caft into St. Peter's Tomb, and adorned with little black Croffes, having two Labels hanging down before and behind; which the Archbishops, when going to the Altar, put upon their Necks, above their own Pontifical Ornaments.) The difloyal Barons were all excommunicated by Name, and all their Lands, together with the City of London, interdicted. But the lofty Barons -held thofe Cenfures in fo high Contempt, that they decreed neither themselves nor Citizens of London fhould obferve them, nor the Prelates denounce them. And to revive their dying Caufe, they refolve on a Project for betraying the Crown of England unto Lewis the Dauphin of France, fending their Letters of Allegiance, confirmed with all the Barons Seals, to implore King Philip's Favour for fending his Son; and to his Son, for the Acceptance of the English Crown. To prevent a Cor

refpondency herein, the Pope fends his Apoftolical Commands to Philip of France, that he should stay his Son from entring upon St. Peter's Patrimony, with a Curfe alfo on all fuch as fhould affift the excom municated Barons. To which Philip replied, That England was no Patrimony of St. Peter's; no King, faith he, having of himself Power to alineate his Kingdom, King John efpecially, who never being lawful King, had no Power to difpofe thereof; and that it was an Error and pernicious Example in the Pope, and an itehing Luf after a new Kind of Domination. His Peers fwore, That they would Spend their Blood, rather than suffer that a King fhould of himselj, or with a few Flatterers, pass over his Crown, and enthral its Nobles, especially to the Pope, who fould follow St. Peter's Steps to win Souls, and not to meddle with Wars, and Murthers of Mens Bodies. And Prince Lewis declared, That he would choose rather to be excommunicated by the Pope, than to falfify his Promise to the English Barons. So without more ado, he fpeedily fet forth for England, with his Fleet of 600 Ships, and 80 Boats, which coming to Shoar in Kent, the Barons joined Forces with him. King John, whofe Army confifted moft of flipendiary Foreigners, thought it beft for a Time to forbear Battle with Lewis, and not to commit his whole Fortunes to the Hazard of their fudden Defection; therefore drew towards Winchester, Lewis marching forward towards London, taking all the ftrong Holds in his Way (excepting Dover Cafle, kept by the valiant and faithful Habert de Burgo.) London received Lewis, the Citizens fwearing Truth to him; fo did the Barons at Weftminfier; Lewis fwearing to them, That he would restore all Men their Right, and recover to the Crown

qwhat

whatever had been loft by King John. All or moft Places where the French Prince came, fubmitted to him. At Odiam Caffle indeed, wherein were but 13 English Men, Lewis and his whole Army was not only braved 15 Days, but alfo fallying forth upon them, every one took an Enemy, farrendring the Caftle at laft upon honourable Terms. King John in other Parts of the Realm, with a very confiderable Hoft, ruined the Barons Caftles and Poffeffions. But feting forth from Lynn in Norfolk, where for their faithful Services, he beflowed large Franchifes, and his own Sword, and a gilt Bowl, with a full Refolution to give Lewis Battle; as he was pafling the Wathes with his Army towards LincolnJoire, all his Carriages, Treafures, and Provifions, were irrecoverably left, himself and Army hardly efcaping. And now by this Time the Barons were truck with fome Remorfe to fee their native Country, by their Procurement, fo miferably wafted and afflicted; and, what grieved them the moft, was, that their faithful Services to Levis were but flightly regarded by him at prefent, and were like to be ill repayed in the future; for Vifcount de Melun, a Noble Frenchman, had on his Death-bed privately difcovered to them, how that Lewis had fworn, That if ever England's Crown was fettled on his Head, he would condemn unto perpetual Exile all the difloyal Barons, as Traytors to their Sovereign, and extirpate all their Kindred. Forty of the Barons therefore presently addreffed their Letters of fubmiffive Suit to the King, but he was dead before the Meffenger came. Some fay he died of a Flux, fome fay of a Surfeit; but the most report, that he died of Poison; for King John coming,

fay they, from the Walhes to Swin- 1216. flead-Abby, and there taking Notice, as he fat at Meat, of their too prodigal Provifion, he fwore, That if he lived but half a Year longer, he would make one Halfpenny Loaf as dear as Twelve. To prevent which, a Monk prefented him with an envenom'd Cup, tafting thereof himself; fo becoming the wicked Inftrument of his own and Sovereign's Death, October 9, 1216. He was buried at Worcester.

He was first married to Alice, the Daughter to Humbert II. Earl of Maurien, now Savoy; next to Ifabel, or Avis, Daughter of William Earl of Gloucefter, Son of Earl Robert, the Natural Son of King Henry I. then next to fabel the Daughter of Almer, Earl of Angoulefme, by whom he had Iffue Henry, Richard; Joan, married to Alexander II. King of Scots; Eleanor, married to William Marshal, the younger Earl of Pembroke, and after his Death, married to Simon Monford, Earl of Leicefler; Ifabel, married to the Emperor Frederick II.

Bafe Iffue, Jeoffry Fitz-Roy, Ri chard, and Jane. He appointed thofe excellent Forms of Civil Government in the Cities and Incorporate Towns of England, endowing them alfo with their greatest Franchises. He fettled the Rates and Measures for Wine, Bread, Cloth, and fuch like Neceffaries of Commerce. He planted English Laws and Officers in Ireland. Now lived one Simon Thurvey, who for his Pride in Learning, efpecially for his Blafphemies against Mofes and Chrift, became fo utterly ignorant, that he could hardly read one Letter in the Book.

In or near the Year 1176, Lowdon-Bridge was begun to be built of Stone, by Peter of Colechurch, Prieft; and was finifhed in A. D. 1209. Shortly after which, a great