Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 Beside these reports which yee haue heard, there are other that write,The variable reports of writers, con|cerning the death of king Iohn. how he died of surfeting in the night, as Rafe Niger; some, of a bloudie flix, as one said that writeth an addition vnto Roger Houeden, And Rafe Cogheshall saith, that comming to Lin, (where he appointed Sauerie de Mauleon to be cap|teine, and to take order for the fortifieng of that towne) he took a surfet there of immoderat diet, and withall fell into a laske, and after his laske had left him, at his comming to Laford in Lindsey, he was let bloud: furthermore to increase his other greefes and sorrowes for the losse of his carriage, iewels and men, in passing ouer the washes, which troubled him sore; there came vnto him messengers from Hubert de Burgh, and Gerard de Sotegam capteins of Douer castell, aduertising him, that they were not a|able to resist the forceable assalts and engins of the enimies, if spéedie succour came not to them in due time. Whereat his gréefe of mind being doubled, so as he might séeme euen oppressed with sorrow, the same increased his disease so vehementlie, that within a small time it made an end of his life (as be|fore yée haue heard.)

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 The men of warre that serued vnder his ensignes, being for the more part hired souldiers and stran|gers, came togither, and marching foorth with his bo|die, each man with his armour on his backe, in war|like order, conueied it vnto Worcester, where he was pompouslie buried in the cathedrall church be|fore the high altar, not for that he had so appointed (as some write) but bicause it was thought to be a place of most suertie for the lords and other of his fréends there to assemble, Bernewell. and to take order in their businesse now after his deceasse. And bicause he was some|what fat and corpulent, his bowels were taken out of his bodie, and buried at Croxton abbeie, a house of moonks of the order called Praemonstratenses, in Staffordshire, the abbat of which house was his physician.

¶ How soeuer or where soeuer or when soeuer he died, it is not a matter of such moment that it should EEBO page image 195 impeach the credit of the storie: but certeine it is that he came to his end, let it be by a surfet, or by o|ther meanes ordeined for the shortening of his life. The manner is not so materiall as the truth is cer|teine. And suerlie, he might be thought to haue pro|cured against himselfe manie molestations, manie anguishes & vexations, which nipt his hart & gnawd his very bowels with manie a sore symptome or pas|sion: all which he might haue withstood if fortune had beene so fauourable, that the loialtie of his subiects had remained towards him inuiolable, that his No|bles with multitudes of adherents had not with such shamefull apostasie withstood him in open fight, that forren force had not weakened his dominion, or ra|ther robbed him of a maine branch of his regiment, that he himselfe had not sought with the spoile of his owne people to please the imaginations of his ill af|fected mind; that courtiers & commoners had with one assent performed in dutie no lesse than they pre|tended in veritie, to the preseruation of the state and the securitie of their souereigne: all which presuppo|sed plagues concurring, what happinesse could the king arrogate to himselfe by his imperiall title, which was through his owne default so imbezelled, that a small remanent became his in right, when by open hostilitie and accurssed papasie the greater por|tion was pluckt out of his hands.