202 KOGE1Î OF WE.N'IIOVF.K. [_Λ.Ι. 1201 . Hoir king J Jin and /lis queen crossed inesca to Xonnandy. After keeping the l'estival of Whitsuntide at Portsmouth, the king with his queen embarked on the following dav. and. after much trouble, arrived in Normandy. Shortly after wards the English and French kings held a conference near the isle of Andelys. where terms of peace were agreed on ; and three days after king .John, at the invitation of the French king, went to Paris, and was entertained in the palace, of that monarch there, who himself took up his resi dence elsewhere. _ After being entertained there honourably and as became a king, he left and went to Chimin. At the same time, in order that the peace between the kings might be more firmly secured, it was determined and confirmed by writings, that, if the French king should in any way violate the terms of the before-mentioned peace, the, barons of the French kingdom, whom he had found as sureties for him, should be absolved of all fealty to him, and should join the king of the English in attacking the French king, and com pelling him to keep the said peace. The same agreement was made on the, part of the king of England. In this year dreadful storms of thunder, lightning, and hail, with deluges of rain, alarmed men's minds and did great injury in many parts. About this time too, at the instance of pope Innocent, the fortieth portion of the incomes of all churches was given in aid of the land of promise; and the nobles and commoners alike, who had laid aside the symbol of tire cross, were with apostolic severity compelled to resume it. this, the professor swelled with pride, and, with eyes uplifted, laughed aloud. ' U my little Jesus, my little Jesus, how have I exulted and eonfirmed your law in this disputation ! Truly, if 1 wished to act tlie malignant and attack your doctrines, 1 could finii still more powerful arguments to weaken and impugn them.' He had no sooner said these words than he became dumb, and not only dumb, but ridiculously idiotic, and never read or disputed afterwards, and so he became a laughing-stock to his former auditors. Within two years afterwards he learned to distinguish the letters, and his punishment was a little mitigated, so that he could with difficulty learn to repeat the Lord's Prayer and the Creed, and not forget them. This miracle checked the arrognnce of many of the scholars. Nicholas de Kuley, afterwards bishop of Durham, witnessed this fact, and communicated it to me. From his high authority 1 have set it down in writing, that the memory of m great a miracle might not he lost to posterity. It is a story altogether worthy to be received."