Of his death and buriall.
VVHen Prince Lewis of France was come into England, and was received by the Lords and by the Londoners, King Iohn with an Army went into the North parts, and comming to Wallpoole, where he was to passe over the Washes, he sent one to search where the water was passable, and there himselfe with some few passeth over, but the multitude with all his Carriages and Treasure passing without Order, they cared not where, were all Drowned. With the griefe of which dysaster, and perhaps distempered in his body before, he fell into a Fea∣ver and was let blood; but keeping an ill dyet, (as indeed he never kept good) eating greene Peaches, and drinking sweete Ale, he fell into a loosenesse, and grew presently so weake, that there was much adoe to get him to Newarke•• where soone after he dyed. Though indeed it be diversly related; Caxton saith, he was poy∣soned at Swi••••sheads Abbey by a Monke of that Covent; the manner and cause this: The King being there, and hearing it spoken how cheape Corne was, should say, he would ere long make it dearer, and make a penny loa••e be sold for a shilling. At this speech the Monke tooke such indignation, that he went and put the poyson of a Toade into a cup of Wine, and brought it to the King, telling him there was such a cup of Wine as he had never drunke in all his life, and therewithall tooke the assay of it himselfe, which made the King to drinke the more boldly of it; but finding himselfe presently very ill upon it, he asked for the Monke, and when it was told him that he was falne downe dead; then (saith the King) God have mercy upon me, I doubted as much. Others say, the poyson was given in a dish of Peares. But the Physitian that dis-bowelled his body, found no signe of poyson in it, and therefore not likely to be true; but howsoever the manner of his death be uncertaine, yet this is certaine, that at this time and place he dyed, on the 19. day of October, in the yeare 1216. when he had Raigned seventeene yeares and sixe moneths; Lived one and fifty: He was buryed, his bowels at Croxton Abbey, his body at Worcester under the High Altar, wrapped in a Monkes Cowle, which the superstition of that time accounted Sacred, and a defensative against all evill Spirits.