King John holding his Christmasse this yeare at Bristow, set foorth a commandement, whereby he restreined the taking of wild foule. About the same time, Henrie duke of Suaben came into England from the emperour Otho, and receiving no small portion of monie of the king, departed backe into his owne countrie againe. In the vigil of the Epiphanie also, the kings second sonne was borne, and named Richard after his vncles name. And the court of the eschequer was remoued from Westminster vnto Northampton. Moreouer in the same yeare, Walter Gray was made lord chancellour, who in all thing studied to satisfie the kings will and purpose, for the which he incurred great indignation of the cleargie, and other that fauoured not the procéedings of the king. ¶ It was suerlie a rufull thing to consider the estate of this realme at that present, when as the king neither trusted his péeres, neither the nobilitie fauoured the king; no, there were verie few that trusted one another, but ech one hid & hourded vp his wealth, looking dailie when another should come and enter vpon the spoile. The communaltie also grew into factions, some fauouring, & some cursing the king, as they bare affection. The cleargie was likewise at dissention, so that nothing preuailed but malice and spite, which brought foorth and spred abroad the fruits of disobedience to all good lawes and orders, greatlie to the disquieting of the whole state. So that herein we haue a perfect view of the perplexed state of princes, chéeflie when they are ouerswaied with forren & prophane power, and not able to assure themselues of their subiects allegiance and loialtie. Whereto this clause alludeth, [Sidenote: _M. Pal. in suo Leo._] ----cruciat comes improbus ipsos Assidui metus atque timor, suspectáque ijsdem Omnia sunt: hinc insidias, hinc dira venena Concipiunt, soli nec possunt ire nec audent, Nec sine fas illis prægustatore comesse. [Sidenote: An. Reg. 11.] [Sidenote: _Polydor._] [Sidenote: A new oth of allegiance.] [Sidenote: Alexander K. of Scots.] King John notwithstanding that the realme was thus wholie interdicted and vexed, so that no préests could be found to saie seruice in churches or chapels, made no great account thereof as touching any offense towards God or the pope: but rather mistrusting the hollow hearts of his people, he tooke a new oth of them for their faithfull allegiance, and immediatlie therevpon assembled an armie to go against Alexander king of Scots, vnto whome (as he had heard) diuerse of the nobilitie of this realme were fled, which Alexander was the second of that name that had ruled the Scots, and latelie before was entred into the rule as lawfull successor to the crowne of Scotland, by the death of his father K. William. [Sidenote: _Matth. Paris._] [Sidenote: The white moonks.]