Omne tulit punctum qui miscuit vtile dulci.
This maner he vsed, not onelie with the king alone, but with the father and the two sonnes, that is to say, Henrie the second, Richard and John, in whose time he ruled and gouerned the sée of Lincolne. He was after his decesse, for the opinion which men conceiued of his holinesse and vertues, admitted into the number of the saints.
Yée haue heard how king John had conceiued no small displeasure against the moonks of the white order, for that they would not part with any monie, excusing themselues that they might not doo it, without consent of a generall chapiter of their order. Wherevpon the king had caused them diuerse waies to be molested, but chéefelie in restreining them of libertie to haue any horsses or other cattell going to pasture within his forrests. They therefore taking aduise togither, chose foorth twelue abbats amongst them of that order, the which in all their names went to Lincolne, there to make suit to the king (comming thither at this time to méet the king of Scots) that it would please him to remit his displeasure conceiued against them, and to take them againe into his protection.
This suit was so followed, although with some difficultie, that at length, to wit, the sundaie after that the king of Scots had doone his homage, through the helpe and furtherance of the archbishop of Canturburie, they came to the kings spéech, and obteined so much, as they in reason might desire: for he pardoned them of all his passed displeasure, receiued them againe into his fauour, tooke them into his protection, and commanded that all iniuries, gréeuances and molestations should be reformed, redressed and amended, which in respect of his indignation had béene offered and doone to them by any manner of meanes. And to sée the same accomplished, writs were directed vnto the shiriffes of the counties, bearing date from Lincolne the 27 of Nouember. And thus were those moonks for that time restored to the kings fauour, to their great commoditie and comfort.
Fiue moones.
About the moneth of December, there were séene in the prouince of Yorke fiue moones, one in the east, the second in the west, the third in the north, the fourth in the south, and the fift as it were set in the middest of the other, hauing manie stars about it, and went fiue or six times incompassing the other, as it were the space of one houre, and shortlie after vanished awaie. The winter after was extreamelie cold, more than the naturall course had béene aforetime. And in the springtime came a great glutting and continuall raine, causing the riuers to rise with higher flouds than they had béene accustomed.
1201.
Matt. Paris.
An. Reg. 3.
In the yeare 1201 king John held his Christmas at Gilford, and there gaue to his seruants manie faire liueries and suits of apparell. The archbishop of Canturburie did also the like at Canturburie, séeming in déed to striue with the king, which of them should passe the other in such sumptuous appareling of their men: whereat the king (and not without good cause) was greatlie mooued to indignation against him, although for a time he coloured the same, going presentlie into the north, where he gathered of the countrie there no small summs of monie, as it were by way of fining them for their transgressions committed in his forrests.