[1] Thus the countrie being wasted on each hand, the king hasted forward till he came to Wellestreme sands, where passing the washes he lost a great part of his armie,The losse of the kings carriages. with horsses and carriages, so that it was iudged to be a punishment appointed by God, that the spoile which had béene gotten and taken out of churches, abbeies, and other religious houses, should perish, and be lost by such means togither with the spoilers. Yet the king himselfe, and a few other, escaped the violence of the waters, Matth. Paris. Matth. West. by following a good guide. But as some haue written, he tooke such greefe for the losse susteined at this passage, that im|mediatlie therevpon he fell into an ague, the force and heat whereof,King Iohn falleth sicke of an ague. Matth. Paris. togither with his immoderate feeding on rawe peaches, and drinking of new si|der, so increased his sicknesse, that he was not able to ride, but was faine to be carried in a litter presentlie made of twigs, with a couch of strawe vnder him, without any bed or pillow, thinking to haue gone to Lincolne, but the disease still so raged and grew vpon him, that he was inforced to staie one night at the ca|stell of Laford,Laford. Matth. West. Matt. Paris. and on the next day with great paine, caused himselfe to be caried vnto Newarke, where in the castell through anguish of mind, rather than through force of sicknesse,King Iohn departed this life. he departed this life the night before the ninetéenth day of October, in the yeare of his age fiftie and one, and after he had reig|ned seauenteene yeares, six moneths, and seauen and twentie daies.