Richard being of a mild and virtuous disposition, had used all his endeavours to make peace upon all occasions, he now became a professed enemy both to the barons, and the City of London.

After this the lords sent a letter to the King, and protested with all humility and submission that they intended nothing but the performance of their oaths, by defending those laws and ordinances which had been established in parliament for the benefit of the King and the realm. But the King, his brother Richard, and Edward the young prince, thinking nothing more disdainful, than that subjects should rule and command their sovereign; resolved to revenge it, and bid utter defiance to the lords; and both armies met near a town called Lewes, in Sussex, where a cruel battle was fought, and the King, his brother, and the prince, were all taken prisoners, with many other great commanders, and twenty thousand men slain. Yet awhile after, upon some conditions, they were all set at liberty, and the former laws and ordinances were confirmed in parliament, and the King took an oath for confirming the power of the twelve peers.

After which the earls of Leicester and Glocester, the two generals of the lord's party, fell into a great difference; which Prince Edward taking advantage of, raiseth an army, and persuading the Earl of Glocester to join with him, they fell upon the Earl of Leicester's army, and utterly routed them, himself, his eldest son, and many others slain. Which overthrow utterly defeated the barons, and revived the melancholy King, who calling a parliament, all the former decrees were made void, together with the power of the twelve peers, and the King regained his former liberty and authority.

When this parliament was ended, the King, perhaps by the instigation of his brother Richard, who was so horridly abused without cause, by the baser sort of the inhabitants of the city, resolved utterly to destroy and consume the City of London by fire, because he said the magistrates and inhabitants had always hated him, and taken part with the lords against him. Whereupon those of the nobility who were most in favor with the King, humbly besought him, by no means to do such an execrable deed, which would not only weaken his own kingdom and government, but would likewise make him infamous throughout the world to all generations.

They were very earnest in their suit, and their reasons were unanswerable: yet the King protested, that he was resolved to do it, and his determination should be unchangeable, and his justice upon such rebellious villains, should be a president to deter all perverse and obstinate rebels and traitors in time to come. This severe resolution

made the citizens tremble, at the indignation of their angry King; so that perceiving his rage and fury not to be mitigated, they caused an instrument to be drawn in writing, which was confirmed with their common seal, wherein they confessed their rebellion, and humbly craved pardon for the same; and without any exception or reservation, they wholly submitted their lands, goods, and lives, together with the whole city, to the King's grace and mercy.

This instrument they sent to Windsor to the King, by some of the chiefest of the citizens, who were ordered to present it on their knees; but so furious was the King's wrath against them, and so implacable was his anger, that he reputed none to be his friends, who interposed as mediators on their behalf; neither would he admit any of them into his presence, but commanded them immediately to be thrown into prison, and five of the principal of them he gave to the Prince, together with all the lands and goods; and all the rest he bestowed among his attendants, who made them slaves, and suffered them to enjoy the least part of their own.

But when the King had thus a little revenged himself, and time had cooled his mighty passion, he began to hearken to the importunate intercessions of Prince Edward his son, and soon after received the city and all its inhabitants into favor again, laying only a fine upon them of a thousand marks, he restored to them all their charters, liberties, and customs, which for their transgressions he had seized into his hands.

And now though these intestine troubles and civil wars, which like an outrageous fire despersed into the midst of a well compacted city, had endangered the whole state of the kingdom, were thus appeased; and though the Earl of Glocester by his revolt from the barons, and joining with the prince had greatly furthered this good work, and had caused the King to enjoy a happy peace; yet was this Earl so little trusted, that he found neither favour nor reward; but was much slighted, and had but cold entertainment at court, which he highly resented, and meditated revenge.

In this fury he came headlong into the city of London, and complaining of his ill usage, the common people flocked in troops about him, and daringly committed many notorious outrages within the city, forgetting the great calamity they had lately suffered, and what favors they had received. From thence they went to the King's palace at Westminster, which they most barbarously rifled, spoiled, and ransacked. This might have produced another civil war, but the tumult was in a little time dispersed, and the prince again interposed himself

an earnest mediator between the King and all the offenders, and procured a large and free pardon for the Earl of Glocester, whereby all things were again appeased and quieted.

After which the Earl of Glocester, and Prince Edward went into the Holy Land, where he continued till after the death of his father.

It is observed of this King Henry the Third, that he was never constant in his love nor his hate, for he never had so great a favourite but he cast him off with disgrace, nor so great an enemy whom he received not into favor., An example of both which qualities was seen in his carriage to Hubert de Burgh, who was for a time the greatest favourite, yet cast out afterward in miserable disgrace, and then no man held in greater hatred, yet received afterward into grace again. And it is strange to read what crimes this Hubert was charged with at his arraignment, and especially one;

That to dissuade a great lady from marrying with the King, he had said, the King was a squint-eyed fool, and a kind of leper, deceitful, perjured, more faint-hearted than a woman, and utterly unfit for any lady's company. For which, and other crimes laid to his charge in the King's Bench, where the King himself was present, he was adjudged so have his lands confiscated, and to be deprived of his title as Earl, yet after all he was restored to his estate again, and suffered to live quiet.

There is likewise an instance of his timorousness in the following passage. The King being in his barge on the Thames, on a sudden the air grew dark, and there followed a terrible shower with thunder and lightning, of which the King being impatient, commanded himself to be put to land at the next stairs, which was Durham House, where Simon Montford, Earl of Leicester, lived; which the Earl having notice of, came to wait on the King, saying, Sir, why are you afraid, the tempest is now past. Whereunto the King with a stern look replied, I fear thunder and lightning extremely, but by the head of God, I fear thee more than all the thunder and lightning in the world. Whereto the Earl answered, my Leige it is injurious and incredible that you should stand so much in fear of me, who have been always loyal both to you and your kingdom; whereas you ought to fear your enemies, even those that destroy the realm, and abuse your majesty with bad counsels.

In this King's reign the two great charters of Magna Charta and Charta de Foresta were ratified and confirmed. The pleas of crown were likewise pleaded in the Tower of London. All wears in the Thames, were in this King's time ordered to be pulled up and de

stroyed. Also the citizens of London were allowed by charter to pass toll-free through England, and to have free liberty of hunting about London: they had likewise licence to have and use a common seal. It was also ordained that no sheriff of London should continue in his office longer than one year, whereas before they continued many; and the city were allowed to present their mayor to the barons of the Exchequer to be sworn, who before was presented to the King whereever he was. In the thirty-second year of his reign, the wharf in London, called Queen-Hith, was farmed to the citizens for fifty pounds a year; which is scarce now worth fifteen.

This King caused a chest of gold to be made for laying up the reliques of King Edward the Confessor, in the church of Westminster. Hubert de Burgh, Earl of Kent, was buried in the church of the Friars preachers in London; to which church he gave his palace at Westminster, which afterward the Archbishop of York bought, and made it his inn, then commonly called York Place, and now Whitehall.

In the thirteenth year of this King, there were great thunders and lightnings, which burnt many houses, and slew both men and beasts. In his fifteenth year, upon St. Paul's day, when Roger Wiger, Bishop of London, was at mass at St. Paul's, the sky suddenly grew dark, and such a terrible thunder-clap fell upon the church, that it was shaken as if it would have fallen; and so great a flash of lightning came out of a dark cloud, that all the church seemed to be on fire, so that all the people ran out of the church, and fell on the ground with astonishment. În 1233, five suns were seen at one time together: after which followed so great a dearth, that people were forced to eat horse-flesh, and barks of trees; and in London twenty thousand were starved for want of bread.

In 1236 the river of Thames overflowed the banks, so that in the great palace at Westminster, men rowed with boats in the midst of the hall. In 1240 many strange fishes came ashore, and among others forty sea bulls, and one of a huge bigness passed through London bridge unhurt till he came to the King's house at Mortlake, where he was killed. In 1263 the Thames, again overflowed the banks about Lambeth, and drowned houses and fields for the space of six miles. And the same year there was a blazing star seen for three months. In 1264 seven hundred Jews were slain in London, their goods spoiled, and their synagogue defaced, because one Jew would have forced a Christian to have paid above two pence a week for the use of twenty shillings,

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In 1268 there happened a great quarrel between the goldsmiths and taylors of London, which occasioned much mischief to be done, and many men were slain; for which riot twelve of the ringleaders were hanged. In 1269 the river of Thames was so hard frozen from the last of November to Candlemas, that men and beasts passed over from Lambeth to Westminster, and goods were brought from Sandwich and other port towns by land. In 1271 the steeple of Bow in Cheapside fell down, and slew many people both men and woman. About the same time a child was born near London, who his reported at two years old to have cured all diseases. And at Greenwich near London, a lamb was yeaned which had two perfect bodies, and but one head.

King Henry the Third died November 16, 1272, when he had reigned fifty six years and twenty eight days, and was buried at Westminster, having built a great part of that church. As soon as he was dead, the great lords of the realm caused his eldest son Prince Edward (the first of that name) to be proclaimed King; and assembling at the New Temple in London, they there took order for the quiet government of the realm till he came; for he was at this time in the Holy Land, and had been there above a year when his father died, and performed many great actions; after which, out of envy to his valour, a desperate Saracen, who had been often employed to him from their general, being one time upon pretence of a secret message admitted alone in his chamber, gave him three wounds with a poisoned knife, two in the arm, and one near the armpit, which were thought to be mortal, and perhaps had been so, if out of unspeakable love, the Lady Eleanor his wife had not sucked out the poison of his wounds with her mouth, thereby effecting a cure, which else had been in. curable, and it is no wonder that love should do wonders, since it is itself a wonder.

When Edward heard of his father's death, he took it far more heavily, then he did that of his young son Henry, of whose death he had heared a little before, at which when Charles King of Sicily (where he then was) wondered, he answered, he might have more sons, but he could never have another father.

After his return to London, he was crowned at Westminster, August 15th, 1274, and soon after called a parliament, wherein he would admit no church-men to sit, and awhile after he makes war against Baliol King of Scots, whom he takes prisoner with the loss of twenty five thousand Scots, and commits him prisoner to the Tower of London. He likewise brings from Scotland the fatal chair wherein the Kings of Scotland used to be crowned, which now seems to recover