This (as not impertinent to the purpose) I haue re|corded, partlie to shew the palpable blindnes of that age wherein king Iohn liued, as also the religion which they reposed in a rotten rag, estéeming it as a Scala coeli or ladder to life; but speciallie inferred to this end, that we may fetch some light from this cléere candle (though the same seeme to be duskish & dim) whereby we may be lead to conceiue in reason and common sense, that the interrement of the king was according to the custome then in vse and re|quest, and therefore by all likelihoods he was buried as the péeres and states of the land were woont to be in those daies, after the maner aboue mentioned.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 But to let this passe as a cold discourse of a cof|fen of bones couered with clods of claie;King Iohns children. you shall vnderstand that he left behind him posteritie of both sexes. For he had issue by his wife queene Isabell two sonnes, Henrie who succéeded him in the king|dome, and Richard; thrée daughters, Ioane married to Alexander king of Scotland, Isabell coupled in matrimonie with the emperour Frederike the se|cond, EEBO page image 196 and Elianor whome William earle of Gloce|ster had to wife. He had also another daughter (as some haue left in writing) called Elianor.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 He was comelie of stature, but of looke and coun|tenance displeasant and angrie, somewhat cruell of nature, as by the writers of his time he is noted, and not so hardie as doubtfull in time of perill and dan|ger. But this séemeth to be an enuious report vtte|red by those that were giuen to speake no good of him whome they inwardlie hated. Howbeit some giue this witnesse of him (as the author of the booke of Bernewell abbeie and other) that he was a great and mightie prince, but yet not verie fortunate, much like to Marius the noble Romane, tasting of for|tune both waies: bountifull and liberall vnto stran|gers, but of his owne people (for their dailie treasons practised towards him) a great oppressour, so that he trusted more to forreners than to them, and therfore in the end he was of them vtterlie forsaken.