Page:A History and Defence of Magna Charta.djvu/94

48 of them, and his kinſman, the juſticiary, and the treaſurer. To whom the biſhop anſwering, alledged, that he was conſecrated biſhop at Rome by the Pope, and was exempted from their power, and appealed to the apoſtolic ſee. And ſo the biſhops only excommunicated in general all thoſe that had or ſhould alienate the King’s heart from his natural ſubjects of the realm, and all that ſhould diſturb the peace of the realm.

this parliament the King had tidings that the earl marſhal had taken his caſtle in Wales, and killed, ſeveral of his knights and ſervants. At which the King was much incenſed, and commanded the biſhops to excommunicate him; but it was the anſwer of them all, that it would be an unworthy thing to excommunicate a man for ſeizing a caſtle that was all his own, and for taking poſſeſſion of his own right. But the King ſtill enraged, ſummoned again all his knights with horſes and arms to Glouceſter, the morrow after all-ſaints: and there he gathered a numerous army and entered Wales, breathing and panting after the deſtruction of the marſhal. But he, like a provident warrior, had beforehand driven away all the cattle, and withdrawn all proviſions, ſo that the King had no