ABSTRACT
Now whilest king John was thus occupied in recovering his brothers treasure, and traveling with his subjects to reduce them to his obedience, queene Elianor his mother ... travelled as diligentlie to procure the English people to receive their oth of allegiance to be true to king John .... [So] those lords whose fidelities were earst suspected, willinglie tooke their oaths of obediance to the new king, & were assured by the same lords on his behalfe, that they should find him a liberall, a noble & a righteous prince, & such a one as would see that everie man should injoy his owne, & such as were knowne to be notorious transgressors, should be sure to receive their condigne punishment. [The King's mother] being bent to prefer hir sonne John, left no stone unturned to establish him in the throne, comparing oftentimes the difference of governement betweene a king that is a man, and a king that is but a child. For as John was 32 yea res old, so Arthur duke of Britaine was but a babe to speake of. 1 In the end, winning all the nobilitie wholie unto hir will, and seeing the coast to be c1eare on everie side, without any doubt of tempestuous weather likelie to arise, she signified the whole matter unto K. John, who foorthwith framed all his indevours to the accomplishment of his businesse.
