Page:A History and Defence of Magna Charta.djvu/90

44 and many others that were aſſociated with him, would not come at that appointed time, the King, as if they had been traitors, cauſed their houſes to be ſet on fire, their parks and ponds to be deſtroyed, and their caſtles to be beſieged. Theſe that were ſaid to be aſſociated were very noble perſons, and there were many others no mean men that adhered to them: all theſe did King cauſe to be proclaimed outlaws and baniſhed men, without the judgment of his court and of their peers, and gave their lands to the Poitovins, and thereby adding ſorrow to ſorrow, and redoubling their wounds. He gave commandment likewiſe that their bodies ſhould be ſeized wherever they could be found within the realm.

the mean time, biſhop does what he can to weaken the marſhal’s party, and corrupted the earls of Cheſter and Lincoln with a thouſand marks (cheap lords!) to leave the marſhal and the cauſe of juſtice, and to be reconciled to the King and to be of his ſide. For as for the King’s brother, he was gone off from the marſhal ſome time before. When the marſhal had heard all this, he entered into a confederacy with prince of Wales, and