Vindication of Ecclesiastical Volume 3, Volume 2 · Book 3 · Chapter 1 · Document 65
JOhannes Rex Angliae, &c. Summone per bonos ſummonitores Comites, Barones, Milites, & omnes liberos homines & ſervientes vel quicunque ſint, & de quocunque teneant, qui arma habere debeant, vel arma habere poſſint; & qui homagium nobis vel ligantiam fecerunt, quod ſicut nos, & ſeipſos & omnia ſua diligunt, ſint apud Doveram ad inſtans clauſum Paſcha, bene parati cum equis & armis, & cum toto poſſe ſuo, ad defendendum caput noſtrum, et capita ſua, et terram Angliae, et quod nullus remaneat, qui arma portare poſſit, ſub nomine *Of being reputed a Turn-Tayle, or Runaway, for which offence, he not only became for ever infamous, but likewife forfeited all his lands, goods, hand, and life too in ſome caſes; ſ…e Leges Canuti, pars 2. c. 12. 14. Concil: Aenhamenſ. c. 24. Leges Cont…ſſoris cap. De Heraetochiis & Hom. … c. 10. Gulielmi S…mneri Gloſſarium Tit. Fridwita. Spelmanni Gloſſarium, and Dr. Wats his Gloſſarium. Tit. cnl. vertagium.Culvertagii et perpetuae ſervitutis. Et unusquiſque ſequaetur Dominum ſuum, & qui terram non habent, & armahabere poſſint, illunc veniant ad capiendum ſoliditas noſtras: Et tu omnem attractum victualium, & omnia mercata Ballivarum tuarum venire facias, ut ſequantur excercitum noſtrum, ita quod nullum mercatum de Ballivis tuis alibi teneatur, & tu ipſe tunc ſis ibi cum praedictis ſummonitionibus. Et ſcias quod ſcire volumus quomodo venerint de Ballivis tuis, & qui venerint & qui non. Et videas quod tu ita effortiate venias cum equis & armis, & haec ita exequaris ne inde ad corpus tuum nos capere debeamus. Et tu inde habeas rotulum tuum ad nos certificandum qui remanſerint.
His ergo literis per Angliam divulgatis convenerunt ad maritima in locis diverſis & Regi magis ſuſpectis, videlicet apud Doveram, Ferverſham, & Gipeſwicum, homines diverſae conditionis & aetatis, nihil magis quam opprobrium Culvertagii metuentes. Sed cum poſt dies paucos tantae multitudini victus defuiſſet, remiſerunt ad propria Principes Militiae ex inermi vulgo multitudinem copioſam, milites ſolummodo, ſervientes & liberos homines cum Baliſtariis & ſagitariis juxta maritima retinentes. Venit praeterea de Hibornia Johannes Epiſcopus Norwicenſis, cum militibus quingentis & equitibus multis ad Regem, & ab ipſo gratanter ſuſceptus eſt. Omnibus igitur congregatis ad pugnam, aeſtimati ſunt in exercitu apud Barham donam inter milites electos, & ſervientes ſtrenuos & bene armatos, ſexaginta millia virorum fortium, quibus ſi erga Regem Angliae et defenſionem Patriae cor fuiſſet et anima una, non fuiſſet Princeps ſub Coelo, contra quem regnum Angliae ſe non defenderet. Conſtituit preterea Rex cum adverſariis, navale praelium conferre, ut eos pelago ſubmergeret antequam terram occuparent. Habebat nam que claſſem uberiorem quam Rex Francorum, unde maximam ſecuritatem concepit hoſtibus reſiſtendi.
What, King John in point of prudence, Policy, Valour, Warre, Juſtice, Conſcience, could have done more then he did to protect and defend the invaded Rights of his Crown, Kingdom, people, Church of England againſt the manifold unparalleld Treaſons, Policies, Stratagems, Uſurpations, affronts, unjuſt demands, Interdict, excomunication, dijudication from his Crown and Kingdomes, and intended invaſions of this inſolent Pope and his Agents, his own perjured Trayterous Biſhops, Monks, Clergy, and their domeſtick confederats; his French and other forraign enemies, with admirable courage, gallantry, prudence, ſucceſs, for 8. years ſpace together, tranſcends my underſtanding to define; the times and circumſtances duly conſidered, for which he really deſerved more honour, thanks from the Crown, Church, Realm and people of England, then all of his predeceſſors, had he ſtill perſevered in his former unſhaken magnanimous Reſolutions, and not been decoyed by Pandulphus; muſt ſtrangly to fail in his laſt actings, his Army and Navy then raiſed, through Gods aſſiſtance being able to have encountred all the forces raiſed againſt him, and diſſipated them like a miſt before the Sun.
BOOK III. CHAP. II.
Of King Johns moſt unworthy prostitution not only of the undoubted Rights and Privileges of his Crown, but of Himſelf, his Diadem, Kingdoms of England and Ireland, after ſo many years glorious Contests, to the Tyrannical Vſurpations of Pope Innocent, and his own Trayterous Biſhops and Clergy: Of his reſignation of his Crown and Kingdoms by two ſeveral Charters, to the Pope and his Succeſſors, and reſuming of them as their Feudatory under an Annual Rent: His Oath of Homage and Fealty to the Pope: The Validity of theſe Charters, Rents, and their payment debated; The preſent, ſubſequent Oppoſitions against them: His Oppoſitions to the Encroachments of his Treacherous, Rebellious Biſhops and Clergy, who dealt moſt Treacherouſly with, and ſtirred up the Barons Wars, Rebellions against him, when they had enforced him to reſign his Crown, and proteſted against his Vnkingly actions, when accompliſhed by their own procurement and deſigns: With other memorable particulars and Records relating to theſe Tranſactions; and this Kings Charters, proceedings in Eccleſiastical Elections, Affairs, as Supream Patron therein, within his own Dominions.