These oratours being come into France, and admitted to the kings presence, receiued answer, that nothing ought to be restored, which by law of armes was rightlie conquered: and other redresse at that time would none be granted. ¶ But a maruell it was to consider here at home, in how short a space the state of the English common-wealth was changed, and from a troubled fourme reduced to a flourishing and prosperous degrée: chiefelie by the diligent héed and carefull prouision of the king himselfe. So much auaileth it to haue him that ruleth, to attend that which belongeth to his office. [Sidenote: _Matt. Westm._] [Sidenote: _Matth. Paris._] [Sidenote: Marriages concluded.] [Sidenote: An. Reg. 6 1222.] [Sidenote: A councell or synod at Oxford.] [Sidenote: Two dissembling persons apprehended.] [Sidenote: _Matt. Westm._] [Sidenote: They are executed.] [Sidenote: Two women counterfeiting themselues to be, the one our ladie, the other Marie Magdalene.] [Sidenote: _Ralfe Cog._] After this, to the intent that whiles he might be occupied in warres abroad, he should not be troubled with ciuill discord at home, he deuised to ioine in affinitie with the Scots, giuing his sister Ione in mariage vnto Alexander the king of Scotland, and Hubert of Burgh on the other side married the sister of the same Alexander called Margaret. These marriages were solemnized at Yorke on the morrow after the feast of S. Iohn Baptist, in the presence of a great number of the Nobles both of England and Scotland. A councell also was holden by the archbishop of Canturburie at Oxford for reformation of the state ecclesiasticall and the religion of moonks. ¶ In which councell two naughtie felowes were presented before him, that of late had béene apprehended, either of them naming himselfe Christ, and preached manie things against such abuses as the cleargie in those daies vsed. Moreouer, to prooue their errour to haue a shew of truth, they shewed certeine tokens and signes of wounds in their bodies, hands and féet, like vnto our sauiour Iesus that was nailed on the crosse. In the end being well apposed, they were found to be but false dissemblers, wherefore by doome of that councell, they were iudged to be nailed vnto a crosse of wood, and so those to whom the execution was assigned, had them foorth to a place called Arborberie, where they nailed them to a crosse, and there left them till they were dead. The one of them was an Hermophrodite, that is to say, both man and woman. Also there were two women condemned, of whom the one had taken vpon hir to be that blessed virgine Marie, and the other fained hir selfe to be Marie Magdalene.