Chap. VII. from the Conquest, to the Death oj A. Mary 1.

CHAP. VII.

Naval Expeditions and FranfaPtions of the English, with sundry otherOccurrences, during the Reign of King John.

1199.

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J OHN, surnamed Lackland (a)who succeeded his Brother Ri-chard, was in France, at his Bro-ther’s Death. He arrived at Shore-ham, in Sustex, about the latter End ofMay, or theBeginning of June, and wascrowned on Ascension Day, in West-minster Abbey, is) Philip, King ofFrance, having found a Pretence tobreak the five Years Truce , John,upon the first Notice of it, departed,with all Expedition, to look after his Af-fairs beyond Sea, and failed from Shore -ham, July the nineteenth (Brompton faysthe thirteenth) with a numerous Army.A Peace, however, ensued, which wasconcluded, May , the twenty-second, ofthe following Year; And in OSloberJohn returned to England, (st) after hav-ing divorced his Queen, Avisa of Glou-cester, under the Pretence of Consan-guinity, and married Isabella of Angou-leme, who, at his Arrival, was crownedthe eighth of the fame Month,

The next Year, the Barons began izoj,to be highly displeased at the King’slibertine Behaviour, and reiterated En-croachments on their Privileges, Theyconceived a great Prejudice against him, pst eren J Sand resolved to embrace the first Op- Kingmdhnportunity to let him know they would Barons,never submit to an absolute Power, This An.Burton.Opportunity soon offered: For the King,being about to pass over into France, tochastise the Poiaevins , who had revolt-ed, summoned all the Barons to appearby Whitsuntide, with Man and Horse,at Portsmouth, in Order to attend himthither, They assembled at Leicester,and, in a few Days, sent him a Message ?shut before they pasted the Sea with him,they expelled that he would restore them totheirPrivileges,according to the Promise hehad made them before hisCor orations! hey,however, soon submitted, and the King Laid aside,dispensed with their going over for aFine, and having first sent the Earl ofPembroke , with some Troops, into Nor-G mandy,

rotnpton. (d) Sans-Terre, a Nickname given him byK*ng Henry, his Father, because he left him, byhis Will, no Lands, nor Inheritances ; but recom-mended him to be provided for by his elder Bro-fa ther.

• Paris. ( If ) M. Paris relates, that Hubert, Archbi-shop of Canterbury , in his Oration, at that So-lemnity, said : " That, by all Reason, none ought“ to succeed in the Kingdom, but he who, for“ his Virtue and Worthiness, was unanimously"°hn[h. “ c hofen by the State, &c. " Holinjhead places

the Coronation on the seven and twentieth, beingWhitsunday , and gives us the Archbishop's Speechat large, which, in general, amounts to that ofM. Paris, tho' there are not the very Expressionsin it. The Speech, according to M. Paris was asfollows : “ Audite Universi : Noverit Discretio“ vestra, quod nullus prævia ratione alii succedere“ habet Regnum, nisi ab universitate Regni una-“ nimiter, invocata Spiritus gratia, electus, &“ secundum morum eminentiam præ-electus, ad“ exemplum & similitudinem Saul primi Regis“ inuncti, quern præposuit Dominus populo suo,“ non Regis filium, nec de Regali ftirpe procrea-“ Uim. Similiter post eum David, Jesik filium :" hunc quia strenuum & aptum dignitati Regiæ ;“ ilium quia sanctum 8c humilem. Ut sic qui“ cunctos in regno supereminet strenuitate, om-“ nidus præsit 8c potestate & regimine. VerSm“ si quis ex ftirpe Regis defunct! aliis præpolle-“ ret, pronius 8c promptiLs in electionem ejus estconsentiendum. Hæc idcirco diximus, pro in-" clyto Comite Joanne , qui præiens est, frater il-“ lustrissimi Regis nostri, Ri char dt, jam defuncts;“ qui haeredi caruit ab eo egrediente, qui provi-" dus & strenuus & manifests nobilis, quern nos

“ invocata Spiritus sancti gratia, ratione tarn" meritorum quam sanguinis Regis, unanimiter“ eligimus Universi.

(c) King John, being this Year at Hastings in SelaemMareSnJJex, decreed, with the Assent of the Peers, Clausim.that if the Governour, or Commander, of theKing’s Navy, in his Naval Expeditions, shall “ en.

“ contrer sur la mer aucunes Ness ou Veffeaulx;

“ charges ou voide, qui ne veuillent avaler 8c a-" baisser leur triefs, au Commandement du Lieu-“ tenant du Roy, ou de 1’Admiral du Roy, op“ son Lieutenant, mais combatant encontre ceulx" de la Flote, que, silz puent estre pris, qu’ils" soient reputez come Enemies, 8c leurs Ness,

" Veffeaulx 8c Biens pris 8c forfaits come Biens“ des Enemies, tout loit que le Maistres ou Pos-" sessours d’iceulx voudroient venir apres 8c alle-" guer mesmes les Ness, Veffeaulx, 8c Biens estre“ des amies du Roy, nostre Seigneur ; 8c que la“ menye estant en iceulx soient chastiez par em.

“ prisonement de leur corps, pur leur rebellete,

“ par Discretion.) meet any Ships or Vessels,whatsoever, by Sea, either laden or empty, thatshall refuse to strike their Sails at the Commandof the King's Governour or Admiral, or hisLieutenant,but make Resistance against them whichbelong to his Fleet; That then they are to be re-puted Enemies if they may be taken, yea and theirShips and Goods be confiscated as the Goods ofEnemies : And that, tho' the Masters or Ownersof the Ship shall alledge afterwards, that the fameShip and Goods do belong to the Friends and Al-lies of our Lord the King. But that the Persons,which shall be found in this Kind of Ships, are tobe punished with Imprisonment, at Discretion, fortheir Rebellion. Thus we fee this Respect was

demanded