Page:A History and Defence of Magna Charta.djvu/128

bear ſuch extortions any longer.” Hereupon he betakes himſelf to his ſhifts to draw in the rich abbies to be bound for him for ſums of money; but though it was well managed, he failed in it. And that parliament was prolonged and ſpent in altercations between the King and the great men, till the week after Aſcenſion-day: for the complaints againſt the King were ſo multiplied daily, and the grievances were ſo many, by the breach of Magna Charta, and the inſolence of the foreigners, that Matt. Paris ſays it would require ſpecial treatiſes to reckon up the King’s miſcarriages. And the King being reproved for them, and convinced of the juſtneſs of the reproof, bethought and humbled himſelf, though it were late firſt, and ſaid, “That he had been too often bewitched by wicked counſel:” but he promiſed, which he likewiſe confirmed by an oath taken upon the altar and ſhrine of St. Edward, “That he would plainly and punctually correct his former errors, and graciouſly comply with his natural born ſubjects.” But his former frequent breach of oath rendered him incredible, and neither fit to be believed nor truſted. And becauſe the great men knew not as yet how to hold faſt their Proteus, which was a hard and difficult matter to do, the parliament was put off

to