Page:A History and Defence of Magna Charta.djvu/68

22 Paris, did they entertain themſelves; little knowing what cunning ſnares were laid for them.

they remained at London; and, for want of better employment, ſpent their time yet more vainly, in eating and drinking, and ſitting up all night at the expenſive dye, which however does not look like plotting; for, if they had been ſo minded, it had been eaſy for them, in the King’s abſence, to have taken very great advantages againſt him. But they, meaning no hurt, had reaſon to expect none; and therefore the invaſion after Michaelmas fell ſuddenly upon them like a tempeſt, or ’s ſtorm. And being wholly unprovided to reſiſt ſuch an inundation as this, they thought the beſt way to put ſome ſtop to it, would be by preſently throwing in a good garriſon into the caſtle of Rocheſter, that the King might not come immediately to beſiege London. Accordingly they made choice of who was juſt come from his own caſtle, and a noble band of ſeven-ſcore knights with their retinue for this ſervice. When they came thither, they found nothing but bare walls, neither proviſion, nor arms, nor any thing but what they had brought along with them; inſomuch that many of the noblemen repented their coming down, and would have returned; but