Page:A History and Defence of Magna Charta.djvu/106

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60
HISTORY OF

After Eaſter the King being willing to meet his archbiſhop and biſhops, whom he had ſent into Wales, was going to Glouceſter, and lay at his manor of Woodſtock, where meſſengers came to him out of Ireland with an account of the death of the earl marſhal. Whereupon the King, breaking forth into weeping and lamentation, to the admiration of all that were preſent, made ſad moan for the death of ſo brave a knight, conſtantly affirming that he had not left his peer in the kingdom. And immediately calling for the prieſts of his chapel, cauſed an obſequy to be ſolemnly ſung for his ſoul, and on the morrow after maſs beſtowed large alms upon the poor. Bleſſed therefore is ſuch a King, who knows how to love thoſe that offend him, and merit with prayers and tears forgiveneſs of his faithful ſubjects, whom upon falſe ſuggeſtions he had ſome time hated. When he came to Glouceſter, Edmund and the other biſhops met him, and told him that Leoline inſiſted upon it, as a preliminary of the peace, that the baniſhed barons ſhould be reſtored. Upon this he ſummons them to a parliament at Glouceſter, to which they came under the ſafe conduct of the biſhops, and were reſtored to all their rights. Afterwards Edmund cauſed a copy of the letter, concerning the treachery prepa-

red