Page:A History and Defence of Magna Charta.djvu/136

90 the Tower, and orders the city of London to be put in a poſture of defence, and all the inhabitants of it from twelve years old and upwards, ſwear fidelity to him; and the common crier made proclamation, “That whoever was willing to ſerve the King, would come away cheerily, and enter into his pay.” And then he took his time to publiſh the pope’s bull of abſolution from the oath, which was done at the Paul’s-croſs ſermon.

notice of theſe things, there was a great confluence of the barons from all parts, with a great ſtrength of armed men, who came and lay in the ſuburbs; for they were not ſuffered to come within the city. But from thence the barons ſent meſſengers to the King, and humbly beſought him, “That he would inviolably keep the common oath which all of them had taken; and if any thing diſpleaſed him, that he would ſhew it to them, that they might amend it.” But, he by no means conſenting to what they offered, anſwered harſhly and threateningly, “That becauſe they had failed in their agreement, he would comply with them no more, but that, from henceforth, every one ſhould prepare for his own defence.” At length, by the