340

CASTLES AND ABBEYS OF ENGLAND.

[Appendix to

comitissa, licet juvencula non tamen juveniliter respondit: ‘ Nequaquam mihi,domine, regni tui primates chartam confecerunt; sed tu chartam, quamconfecit pater tuus, et tu earn concessisti, et jurasti observare fideliter et irre-fragabiliter, et multoties ut earn observares k fidelibus tuis pecuniam de liber-tatibus observandis eorum extorsisti, sed tu semper eis impudens transgressorextitisti. Unde fidei lsesor enormis, et sacramenti transgressor manifestus essecomprobaris. Ubi libertates Anglia? toties in scripta redacts, toties concessa?totiesque redempta? ? Ego igitur, liebt mulier, omnesque indigens et naturalesac fideles tui appellamus contril te ante tribunal tremendi Judicis: et erunt nobistestes coelum et terra, quoniam iniqub nimis nos tractus insontes, et nos Deusultionum dominus ulciscatur.’ Ad lisc Rex siluit confusus, quia dictante propriaconscientia cognovit, quoniam a tramite veritatis non exorbitavit Comitissa, etait: ‘ Nonne postulas gratiam eb qubd mihi cognata sis?’ At ilia: ‘Ex quomihi quod jus expostulat denegfisti, quo modo spem concipiam, ut mihi gratiamfacias postulanti ? Sed et contra illos ante faciem Christi appello, qui te fascinan-tes et infatuantes consiliarii tui sunt, et te it via veritatis avertunt, suis tantum-modo commodis inhiantes.’ His igitur auditis Rex siluit, satis civiliter redargutus ”Sntgljtljoob, p. 45.—The grand festival mentioned in the text is thusdescribed by Matthew of Westminster; and in Anstis’ Order of the Bath,p. 12:—“ The king, to render his expedition into Scotland more splendid andnumerous, caused proclamation to be made throughout England, whereby allpersons entitled or compellable to take knighthood by right of hereditarysuccession, that is, by lands descended to them, or who had estates sufficientto support that degree, were required, on the Feast of Pentecost, to attend atWestminster, where every one ol them should receive severally out of theking’s wardrobe, at the king’s expense, all things belonging to the habit ofknighthood, except what related to the furniture of his horse (or armour forsuch knight). At the time and place appointed, there was an appearance ofthree hundred young gentlemen, sons of earls, barons, and knights, to whomwas distributed in ample measure, according to their different qualities,purple, fine linen, furs, and mantles embroidered with gold; and because theRoyal Palace, though spacious, was not of extent sufficient to accommodate sogreat a number, they repaired to the /Itto ^Temple, where they erected tentsand pavilions, having first cut down the trees in the orchard, and levelled thewalls of it, that they might separately and more commodiously dress them-selves in their splendid habits. That night as many of them performed theirvigils in the Temple Church as the place would well contain; but the Princeof Wales, by command of the king his father, kept his vigils in the Churchof Westminster, with some other persons of the first dignity. There thenoise of trumpets and pipes was so great, and the acclamations of the people