JOhannes Rex Angliae, &c. Summone per bonos summonitores Comites, Barones, Milites, & omnes liberos homines & servientes vel quicunque sint, & de quo∣cunque teneant, qui arma habere debeant, vel arma habere possint; & qui homagium nobis vel ligantiam fecerunt, quod sicut nos, & seipsos & omnia sua diligunt, sint apud Doveram ad instans clausum Pascha, bene parati cum equis & armis, & cum toto posse suo, ad defendendum caput nostrum, et capita sua, et terram Angliae, et quod nullus remaneat, qui arma portare possit, sub nomine * 1.1 Culvertagii et perpetuae servitutis. Et unusquisque sequaetur Dominum suum, & qui terram non habent, & armahabere possint, illunc veniant ad capiendum soliditas nostras: Et tu omnem attractum victualium, & omnia mercata Ballivarum tuarum venire facias, ut sequantur excercitum nostrum, ita quod nullum mercatum de Ballivis tuis alibi teneatur, & tu ipse tunc sis ibi cum praedictis sum∣monitionibus. Et scias quod scire volumus quomodo venerint de Ballivis tuis, & qui venerint & qui non. Et videas quod tu ita effortiate venias cum equis & armis, & haec ita ex∣equaris ne inde ad corpus tuum nos capere debeamus. Et tu inde habeas rotulum tuum ad nos certificandum qui remanserint.
His ergo literis per Angliam divulgatis convenerunt ad maritima in locis di∣versis & Regi magis suspectis, videlicet apud Doveram, Ferversham, & Gipeswi∣cum, homines diversae conditionis & aetatis, nihil magis quam opprobrium Cul∣vertagii metuentes. Sed cum post dies paucos tantae multitudini victus defuisset, re∣miserunt ad propria Principes Militiae ex inermi vulgo multitudinem copiosam, milites solummodo, servientes & liberos homines cum Balistariis & sagitariis juxta mari∣tima retinentes. Venit praeterea de Hibornia Johannes Episcopus Norwicensis, cum militibus quingentis & equitibus multis ad Regem, & ab ipso gratanter susceptus est. Omnibus igitur congregatis ad pugnam, aestimati sunt in exerci∣tu apud Barham donam inter milites electos, & servientes strenuos & bene armatos, sexaginta millia virorum fortium, quibus si er∣ga Regem Angliae et defensionem Patriae cor fuisset et anima una, non fuisset Princeps sub Coelo, contra quem regnum Ang∣liae se non defenderet. Constituit preterea Rex cum adversariis, navale praelium conferre, ut eos pelago submergeret antequam terram occuparent. Habebat nam{que} classem uberiorem quam Rex Francorum, unde maximam securitatem con∣cepit hostibus resistendi.
What, King John in point of prudence, Policy, Valour, Warre, Justice, Conscience, could have done more then he did to protect and defend the invaded Rights of his Crown, Kingdom, people, Church of England against the mani∣fold unparalleld Treasons, Policies, Stratagems, Usurpations, affronts, unjust demands, Interdict, excomunication, dijudication from his Crown and Kingdomes, and intended invasions of this insolent Pope and his Agents, his own perjured Trayterous Bishops, Monks, Clergy, and their domestick confederats; his French and other forraign enemies, with admirable courage, gallantry, prudence, success, for 8. years space together, transcends my understanding to define; the times and circumstances duly considered, for which he really deserved more honour, thanks from the Crown, Church, Realm and people of England, then all of his predecessors, had he still persevered in his former unshaken magnanimous Re∣solutions, and not been decoyed by Pandulphus; must strangly to fail in his last act∣ings, his Army and Navy then raised, through Gods assistance being able to have encountred all the forces raised against him, and dissipated them like a mist be∣fore the Sun.