o be free of that burden of state, and
himself too true and faithful to imagine falsehood or unfaithfulness in
her that spake it.

Soothly, she played her part full well. She greet plenteously, she
wrung her hands, she tare off the hood from her head, she gripped her
hair as though to tear that, yea, she cast her down alow on the rushes,
and swooned or made believe thereto. The poor young Duke was full
alarmed, and kneeling beside her, he would have cast his arms about her,
but she thrust him away. Until at the last he arose, and with mien full
princely, told the assembled nobles that he would never consent to that
which so mispaid [displeased, distressed] his dear mother, without his
father should himself command the same. She came to, it seemed me, full
soon thereafter.

Then was sent my Lord of Lancaster and other to the King to hear his
will thereon. Of these was my Lord of Hereford one, and man said he
spake full sharply and poignantly to the King, which swooned away
thereunder (somewhat more soothly, as I guess); and the scene, said man
that told me, was piteous matter. Howbeit, the King gave full assent,
and resigned the crown to his son, who was now to be king, he that had
so been being thenceforth named only Sir Edward of Caernarvon. This was
the eve of Saint Agnes [January 20th, 1327], the twentieth year of the
said King.

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Note 1. Better known as Carfax. The exact church is not on record, but
it was likely to be this.

Note 2. Adam de Orleton. He and Henry Burghersh, Bishop of Lincoln,
are the two Bishops whom Thomas de la Moor, King Edward's squire, brands
as "priests of Baal" and "Caiaphases."

Note 3. I have here given the version of events which seems best to
reconcile the accounts of the chroniclers with the testimony of
contemporary documents. See Appendix.

Note 4. This is the character sketched of him by De La Moor, to whom he
was personally known.

Note 5. "For envy they had delivered Him." Matthew, twenty-seven,
verse 18.

Note 6. Kennet, a coarse Welsh cloth, trimmed with stranling, the fur
of the squirrel taken between Michaelmas and Christmas.

Note 7. The idea of some persons that the Church of England began to
exist at the Reformation would have astonished the medieval reckoners
"according to the computation of the Church of England," who were
accustomed to hear Parliaments summoned to debate