[1] King Iohn lieng all this while at Winchester, and hauing knowledge how his aduersaries were dailie occupied in most hard enterprises, as in besieging sundrie strong and inuincible places, sent foorth his commissioners to assemble men of warre, and to al|lure vnto his seruice all such, as in hope of prey, were minded to follow his standard, of the which there resorted to him no small number. So that ha|uing gotten togither a competent armie for his pur|pose, he brake foorth of Winchester, as it had béene an hideous tempest of weather, beating downe all things that stood in his waie,The hauocke which king Iohn made in the possessions of his aduer|saries. sending foorth his peo|ple on ech side to wast the countries, to burne vp the townes and villages, to spoile the churches & church|men. With which successe still increasing his furie, [page 192] he turned his whole violence into Cambridgeshire, where he did excéeding great hurt. Then entring into the countries of Northfolke and Suffolke,Northfolke and Suffolke. he com|mitted the like rage, wast, and destruction, in the lands and possessions that belonged vnto the earle of Arundell, to Roger Bigot, William de Hunting|field, and Roger de Cressey.