Page:A History and Defence of Magna Charta.djvu/78

32 barons grumbled at this, yet they could not prevent it. But what they laid moſt to heart was, that he had branded them as traitors. They were excommunicated every day, and deſpoiled of all terrene honour, and driven to all extremities of body and ſoul. In this miſerable perplexity, many of them thought of returning and reconciling themſelves to K., but that the breach was too wide. They were plainly at their wits end, and were willing to do any thing to be rid of this perjured and perfidious foreigner, who had thus ungratefully entered into a deſperate conſpiracy againſt them.

this tedious ſiege of Dover caſtle, where Lewis and many of his barons were ſure to be maintained, K., who had been dodging up and down, took this opportunity of making a terrible inroad into the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk, where he made his uſual progreſs northward; as if he had taken up a reſolution to live and die in his calling. For one of the laſt things he did before he ſickened, was burning to aſhes all the ſtacks of corn as he went along, in all the manors of the abbot of Croyland, which were but juſt inned that harveſt. He was firſt indiſpoſed at Swinſhed abby, but his illneſs increaſing,