Page:A History and Defence of Magna Charta.djvu/92

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HISTORY OF

the kingdom, by the advice of the biſhops, who were his ſureties for the performance of theſe things. And to perfect and complete all this, the King appointed the marſhal and the baniſhed lords to come to a parliament, which he meant to hold at Weſtminſter the firſt week after Michaelmas.

When the fifteen days were out, from the time of the marſhal’s ſurrender of his caſtle into the King’s hands, upon condition, that after the term he ſhould have it reſtored to him again, the marſhal ſent to the King, to deſire him to deliver him back his caſtle according to the covenant, of which he made the biſhop of Wincheſter and Stephen Segrave the juſticiary his ſureties, which likewiſe they had confirmed by taking an oath. But the King anſwered with indignation, that he was ſo far from reſtoring him that caſtle, that he would ſooner ſubdue all the reſt he had. When therefore the marſhal ſaw that there was no faith, nor oath, nor peace kept by the counſellors of the King, he gathered an army and beſieged his own caſtle, and with little ado won it. The King was, at this time, holding his parliament as he had promiſed his great men, that by their advice he might redreſs thoſe things which were amiſs; but the evil council he then followed,

did