where it was weakeſt. The beſt markſman that William d’Albinet had, knew him, and ſaid, “My lord, may it pleaſe you, ſhall I now kill the King, our bloody enemy, with this dart, which I have here ready?” “No, no,” ſays he, “you wicked glutton; God forbid that we ſhould procure the death of the Lord’s anointed!” Says the other, “If it were your caſe, he would not ſpare you.” Says William, “God’s will be done, God ſhall diſpoſe of that, not I.” Herein, fays Matthew Paris, he was like David ſparing Saul, when he could have killed him. This paſſage was not unknown to the King, and yet, for all that, he would not ſpare him when he was his captive, but would have hanged him if he had been ſuffered to do it.
After the ſiege of Rocheſter caſtle, where the flower of the barons was loſt, King John, notwithſtanding, did not think fit to attempt London (where, though the barons did not judge themſelves able to take the field, yet were deſperately reſolved to live and die together) but he marched to St. Alban’s, and the 20th of December divided his army into two; one of which he himſelf led to lay waſte with fire and ſword northwards; the other he left to do as much for all
