A.D. 1255. THE NOBLES MEET TS ΡΑΕΧΙΑΜΕΪΓΓ. 347 manship, which in its form exhibited a resemblance to a peacock, and it was covered all over with eyes like a real peacock, made of precious stones, which are called pearls, and gold, and silver, and sapphires. When the king came to Saint Alban' s, he remained there six days, and each day and night he visited the blessed martyr with a large taper, and offered precious vestments, and one choral cape at his shrine. And about the days of the passion of our Lord, the son of a certain knight, by name John of Shelford, belonging to the body of knights of Saint Alban9 s, in order the more speedily to obtain the inheritance of his father, procured his death, and did not leave one canon of those he found with his father alive. And being convicted of this, he was dragged to the gallows in London at a horse's tail, and there hanged with one of his kinsmen, who was his accomplice. The same year, during Lent, according to a relation that has been given us as true, a certain nocturnal vision appeared to pope Alexander, who had been newly created. It was nearly the same as had previously appeared to one of the cardinals, as was recorded in the case of pope Innocent, lately deceased. Therefore, the pious pope ordered alms to be distributed in his name, and masses to be offered. A fortnight after Easter, all the nobles of England met in parliament in London ; to whom the lord the king complained that he was involved in many debts, and that he could not be freed from them without their assistance, entreating them that he might receive a full portion from those baronies which were not included when the tenths were granted to him before. They, therefore, having taken counsel with one another, agreed that they had a right to complain of many points in the observance of Magna Charta ever since it had been granted. Therefore, they demanded that they might have authority to elect, by their joint deliberation, the justiciary of the kingdom, and also the chancellor and the treasurer, as had been the custom of old ; and also that these officers should not be removed without the common deliberation and consent of the kingdom. But they received for answer, that the king would by no means grant that. At last, this business was postponed till the feast of Saint Michael, in order that in the meantime the parliament might test the king's good faith in the matter of the observance of the charter which had