Page:A History and Defence of Magna Charta.djvu/188

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HISTORY OF

Scotland was ſettled, he entered into an intrigue with pope Clement V. very much to the prejudice of Magna Charta; but Mr. Daniel ſhall have the honour of telling the ſtory[1]. “This pope was native of Bourdeaux, and ſo the more regardful of the King’s deſire, and the King more confident of his favour; which to entertain and increaſe, he ſends him a whole furniture of all veſſels for his chamber of clean gold: which great gift ſo wrought with the pope, as he let looſe his lion, untied the King from the covenant made with his ſubjects concerning their charters confirmed to them by his three laſt acts of parliament, and abſolved him from his oath: an act of little piety in the pope, and of as little conſcience in the King, who (as if he ſhould now have no more need of his ſubjects) diſcovered with what ſincerity he granted what he did.

But ſuddenly hereupon, there fell out an occaſion that brought him back to his right orb again, made him ſee his error, and reform it; finding the love of his people lawfully ordered, to be that which gave him all his power and means he had, and to know their ſub-


  1. Dan. p. 200. A. Reg. 33.
ſtances