A.p. 1IC5. ILLNESS OF ARCHBISHOP THOMAS. 263 " There has been no refusal of justice to John in my court ; but he himself (whether by the advice of some one else, or whether of his own free will, I know not,) brought into my court a certain bundle,84 and took the oath upon it, that in consequence of denial of justice he withdrew from my court; whereas it appeared to the justices of my court that it was he who had done the injustice towards me, in thus withdrawing from my court ; as it is one of the statutes of your kingdom which says, ' If any person shall wish to appeal from the court of another person, he must make oath upon the Holy Evangelists.' " However, the king, paying no attention to Thomas, when he had said these words, made oath that he would have both justice and judgment at his hands. The barons of the king's court thereupon sentenced him to be amerced by the king, and although the archbishop endeavoured to appeal against this judgment, still, by the entreaties and advice of the barons he suffered himself to be amerced by the king, in the sum of five hundred pounds, and found security for that sum. Upon this, he retired from the court and went to his lodgings, and, on account of the annoyance and vexation which he felt in his mind, took to his bed and fell extremely ill. "When this became known to the king, that he might annoy him still more, he immediately sent to him, and summoned him by trusty summoners, to appear before him on the following day, prepared to give him an account of the stewardship, which he had held in the kingdom before his consecration. The archbishop, however, being sensible that a heavy sentence of banishment awaited him, if he should hasten to make his appearance at the court, sought every excuse for delay ; both •n the ground of the time given by the summons being extremely short, as also of his severe attack of illness. Upon this, the king seeing that the archbishop would not appear that day, sent to him Robert, earl of Leicester, and Reginald, earl of Cornwall, to be witnesses of his illness. "When they came, they found him lying ill in bed, and at his entreaty granted him a respite from coming to the court until the following morning. On the same day it was told him, and word was 54 The word used in the text is " toper," which does not seem to have any meaning ; it is possible that it may stand for the word " toppuni," which signifies a " bundle."