A. D. 12 10. 



377 



equal to that of England, and the halfpennies and farthings, as Well as 

 the pennies, to be round, ordering that it fliould be current, and receiv- 

 ed in his treafury equally with the money of England. Returning 

 triumphant from his expedition, he afTembled the chiefs of all the re- 

 ligious communities of both fexes in England, and extorted from them 

 one hundred and forty thoufand pounds ; a fum then equal to the va- 

 lue of above two millions of quarters of wheat in years of moderate 

 plenty, and a proof at once of the enormous riches of thofe eftablifh- 

 ments, and of the infatiable avarice of King John. [M. Paris, p. 230.] 

 It is very probable, that this particular act of oppreflion is the principal 

 caufe of the black character of him tranfmitted to pofterity *. 



About this time Zingis-khan, with liis innumerable hoft of favage rob- 

 bers, burft into the fertile and civilized empire of China, the nothern 

 partof which, calledCathay, he fubdued anddefolated. He next turned his 

 deflrudive march weflward, overturned and ruined many powerful king- 

 doms and innumerable cities, adorned by the art and induflry of man, 

 throughout all the northern extent of Afia; and, in a few years, con- 

 quered a larger, and perhaps a more valuable, portion of the globe, 

 than the Romans acquired in a perpetual war of many centuries. But 

 the page of commercial hiflory ought not to be ftained with a recital of 

 the miferies brought upon mankind by fuch a ferocious butcher. 



At this time the city of Campion in the kingdom of Tangut was the 

 feat of a very great inland trade in linens, fluffs of cotton, gold and filver, 

 filks, and porcelain, brought by the merchants of Cathay, and bought up 

 by thofe of Mufcovy, Perfia, Armenia, and all the Tatar countries, who 

 were not permitted to go beyond that city. [De la Croix, Hift. de Genghiz.- 

 can, L.'w, c. 13.] 



1 21 2 — A fire broke out in Southwark, and the flames were driven by 

 the wind to the north end of London bridge, which was immediately 

 on fire ; whereupon the crowd of people upon the bridge, rufhing to 

 the fouth end of it, were there intercepted by the flames, which had 

 now aUb taken hold of it. By this calamity, notwithflanding the aflift- 

 ance from the fhipping and boats, a thoufand, or, according to Mathew 

 of Weftminfler, three thoufand, people loll: their lives, and a great part 

 of the city, as well fis of Southwark, was deftroyed, [M. Paris, p. 233. 

 See above, p. 319.] 



1213 — Philip king of France gathered together all the Ihips of his 

 own dominions, and all that he could colled belides from other coun- 

 tries, and furnifhed them with a copious fupply of provifions and war- 

 like ftores, for an invafion of England, to be undertaken at the defire of 

 Pope Innocent. There was in thofe days no fuch thing as a national navy 



* John could fcarcely be more wicked than Edgar, who was canoniztd and worfhipped as one 

 of the firll-rate faints. But Edgar founded forty-tight inonallen'es, and John onlv four or liivf . 



Vol. I. 3 B ' 



