Page:The History of the Church & Manor of Wigan part 1.djvu/34

 assures him that he is entirely innocent of the charge, having been in attendance on the King himself in London at the time he was accused of having committed the offence.

The King was detained in France longer than he intended, having been overtaken by a severe illness. He returned to England about Easter, 1260; and there is a memorandum of the 20th of August in that year, which shews the confidence that was reposed in John Maunsell. The memorandum refers to a treaty which had lately been made with the King of Castile by the King's embassadorsambassadors [sic] at Bourdeaux, and states that certain letters patent, and four close writs of a similar character, which are enrolled on the back of the close roll for that year, had been examined by John Maunsell and accepted by him, and delivered by his precept, after being countersigned, to John de la Lynde to be taken to those parts.

When the King afterwards shut himself up in the Tower of London, and ordered the gates of the city to be closed against all comers, Maunsell was one of the small number of the council who were allowed free ingress and egress to and from his presence.

In the following spring the King obtained a Bull from Pope Alexander IV. shortly before he died, for annulling the Provisions of Oxford, which was dated at the Lateran on 13th April, 1261. The absolution from the oath having been read publicly at Paul's Cross on the 2nd Sunday in Lent, Henry now repudiated his obligation, and acting, as it is said, under the advice of John Maunsell, Robert Walerand and Peter de Savoy, proceeded to abrogate the statutes that he had sanctioned at Oxford.

On the 5th of July, 1261, Maunsell was one of those to whom the differences between the King and the Earl and Countess of Leicester were agreed to be referred.

On the 8th of August the Archbishop of Canterbury writes to