Diminished ability to think or concentrate

Roger of Coggeshall, a Cistercian monk, records a dateable entry (23–25 Nov 1200; [LOW 2]) that recounts in detail the circumstances surrounding the negotiations of the Abbots of his monastic order with King John. He notes that the king initially deferred their meeting on the 23rd Nov by saying: "precor ne me hodie iratum reddas, quia flebotomari proposui" (Stevenson, 1875)p107. (I pray you, don't make me angry today, because I have agreed to be bled.(my translation)). Bloodletting was a significant medical treatment for a wide variety of ailments but, it would appear, not undertaken lightly.(see Chapter2,p19) So the parties met after Mass on Sunday 26th Nov 1200 [LOW2] :

"...et pace ordinis tractavit. Cumque abbates ingrederentur surrexit, et in secretius cubiculum cum duobus aut tribus tantum proceribus secessit, ibique diutius de illo negotio et stabili pace ordinis tractavit, ac pietatis opera, quae in sacro ordine indesinenter peraguntur, cum eisdem replicavit. ....

Post aliquntulam termporis moram rex ad illos ingressus sonora voce sciscitatur: " Et ubi est dominus et pater noster archiepiscopus? Et accersito illo, mox cum eo et cum episcopis secretius colloquitur, abbatibus seorsim interim in camera illa astantibus. Deinde convocatis coram rege abbatibus, jubet rex archiepiscopum ut abbates alloquatur et consilium eius atque voluntatem eis denunciet. Archiepisopus vero dominum regem precatur ut ipse potius praesentes alloquatur; quo abnuente et se excusante, quod pro pietatis miseratione eosdem alloqui non possit, monet iterum rex ut verbum edicat, cui ex officio paternae sollicitudinis filios alloqui incumbebat."

(Stevenson, 1875)p108. and discussed a peace agreement. Whenever the abbots were engaging he [King John] arose and withdrew to a private inner great room with two or three noblemen, and there a long time he discussed of the arrangement of that business and firm agreement and the onus of responsibilities which are incessantly required by the holy order, he went over and over with the same. After a small pause of time, the king questioning those advancing loud voices, "But where is our lord and father Archbishop?" And summoning him, soon with him and with the bishops spoke privately, at the same time with the abbots

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standing separately in that private room. Then with the assembled court of the king with the abbots, the king announced the appointment of the archbishop that he may speak to and debate with and offer his goodwill to the abbots. The archbishop truly entreated the king rather he in person should be present to speak to, who refused and excused himself, [saying] he was not able for the responsibility with the same pity to speak to, the king reminded again and reiterated his words, driven by duty and [like] a fatherly concern as towards his sons.

(my translation) Coggeshall continues with a brief speech of reassurance by the Archbishop to the Abbots who, when they heard its content, agreed its terms, after which:

mox rex ad pedes eorum se humiliter prostravit ac lachrymis faciem regavit (Stevenson, 1875)p109. "then the king prostrated himself with humility at their feet and tears wet his face"

(my translation)

The Barnwell chronicler, a member of the Augustinian monastic order, also comments on events saying "et rex ipse, Divina inspirante gratia, cecidit pronus in terram ante pedes eorum" (and the king himself, inspired by Divine grace, fell forward onto the ground in front of their feet (my translation)).

This story offers some contextual evidence of diminished ability to think or concentrate with the king discussing the arrangements over and over again before delegating responsibility. The events are bracketed by a significant medical intervention and a surprising personal royal response which was sufficiently unkingly to provoke comment by two chroniclers. It stands in sharp contrast to King John's use of humour to diffuse baronial anxieties, an example of which occurred sometime after the surrender of Rouen (24 June 1204; [HIGH 11] (Powicke, 1913) p262,263) and was recorded by the Anonymous of Bethune:

Un jor assambla tout son consel, si lor moustra les requestes que si baron li faisoient et lor en demanda consel. Bauduins de Biethune, li cuens d'Aubemalle, qui moults estoit preudom et loiaus et boins chevaliers, mais si estoit mehaigniers de la goute artetyque que il ne pooit aler 1 pas ains le couvenoit poerter; et de chou pooit moult peser au roi Jehan car moult l'avoit adies trouve loial et feel. Chil parla premierement devant toz et dist au roi" Comment sire, vos requirent-il que vous lor donnes congie d'aler au roi de France requerre lor tierres que pierdues ont en Normendie et ke lor cors soient deviers le roi de France encontre vous, et lo cuer soient devier vous" " Oil dist li rois, che me requierrent-il" Ciertes che dist lu cuens, je ne sai que vous en feres; mais se jou estoie comme de vous, et los cors fussent contre moi , et lor cuer deviers moi, se jou les cuers dont li cors seroient contre moi tenoie en mes mains, je les jeteroie toz en une orde longagne" De cele parol fe moult ris, et si ne fu pas adont cele chose sommee, por la parole que li cuens dist;

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mais puis donna li rois au conte de Warendem son cousin, la ville d'Estanford qui molt est boine, par eschange de sa terre ke perdue avoit.

(Michel, 1840)p100. The barons held counsel including Baldwin de Bethune who was the pre-eminent knight but damaged by inflamed gout and who was chosen to settle with King John because he had stuck [to King John's cause] and had shown loyalty and fealty. He spoke first in front of all and said to the king, "How Sir, they ask if you would give them permission to go to the king of France and demand your lands that are lost in Normandy and so that their presence might change the king of France to your favour, and your noblemen return to you." "Yes", said the king," they require that of me". "Certainly that", he continued," I do not know how you will enforce that ( lit. in iron); but if this is the game you are suggesting and the argument is against me, and [my] noblemen turning against me, this game where the noblemen who have sworn fealty ( lit: held in my hands) [yet] turned their hearts against me,[then] I throw them all over for such a despicable win." That speech produced many smiles, and if it did not make clear (lit. faire a donner) the main point of the thing, he spoke [more] on the subject to the barons; but then the king gave his cousin the Count of Warren, the town of Stamford, a good deal, in exchange for the land that he had lost.

my translation

Comment

There is evidence from two contemporaneous accounts that suggests that the king was unable to fully undertake his royal duties. The study cannot find any modern reference to King John's prostration and tears and notes that these lines are absent in a published translation. (Hallam, 1995)p266. The dateable account relates to CPA period [LOW2]. A third chronicler describes behaviour that is completely different to the events of November 1200 during a period of opposite polarity.

5.3.3 Change in psychomotor activity with agitation or retardation

Evidence of decreased activity is of course, the basis of the low activity periods identified by CPA analysis.

In addition to Wendover's comment quoted before concerning the king's "incorrigible idleness", he lays full responsibility for the ensuing loss of Normandy with the king: "Videns tandem rex Johannes defectum sum,..." (Coxe, 1841)p173. ("King John at length seeing his fault..."(Giles, 1849)p208) Coggeshall also makes comment, although attributes a different motive: " eo quod suorum proditionem semper timeret" (Stevenson, 1875)p144, (because he feared his own treason (my translation)).

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Indirect evidence of change can also be found from analysis of King John's legal activity. On the 6 Oct 1200 [LOW2] King John returned to England, but in contrast to his previous enthusiasm, he delayed and indeed "[i]t is difficult to come to a decision as to the precise point in the king's itinerary that Curia Regis Roll 21 was begun" , the Curia Regis Roll 21 being the relevant legal documentary source. (Stenton, 1952)Vol1 p96, 97. Despite this, at least one case from Kent, which had been remitted by justices in September 1200 to the 6 November [LOW2]

for a hearing by the King, was subsequently adjourned to the 22 November [LOW2]. Stenton

excuses King John citing his meeting at Lincoln with William of Scotland, the funeral of St Hugh of Lincoln (16th Nov, [LOW 2]) and the negotiations with the Cistercians before concluding that "[I]t seems unlikely that the king with so many preoccupations at Lincoln can have given much thought to the work of the Judges in his train" and that during this period " the [legal] court [is] held where the king is, but only rarely is it held in his presence". (Stenton, 1952)Vol1,p99,100.

Evidence of agitation, the study has postulated, might be found when high volatility occurs during low activity periods.(see Section 4.3.4 and Appendix 7: Bollinger Bands.) The clinical significance of this conjunction of symptoms is that depressed patients may have sufficient "energy" to self harm, rather than being subject to the more usual poverty of movement. The analysis in Section 4.3.4 (see p125) found this pattern at the start of 10 low periods and at the end of 3 others: one period [LOW 14]showed the conjunction at both its start and end. This methodology is unvalidated but suggestive, and is corroborated by evidence from other symptoms as shown in Table 24. In addition, [LOW 2] is associated with public weeping and being bled by his physicians following bereavement (see Section 5.4.6); [LOW 21] is associated with accounts of the king's agitation following bereavement (see Section 5.4.10).

155 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Agitation at start of CPA period ? 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Agitation at end of CPA period? 1 1 1 1 Decreased energy or Increased fatiguability 1 Diminished ability to think or concentrate 1 Change in psychomotor activity with agitation or retardation 1 1 Sleep disturbance of any type

[CPA Low Periods ] SYMPTOM

Table 24:Comparison of Agitation at start of CPA period with other symptoms

Comment

Two contemporary chroniclers note King John's inactivity associated with the loss of Normandy and the subject has attracted an extensive corpus of modern interpretation (See Chapters 1 & 2). There is also indirect evidence from the legal records of low activity which is in contrast to his previous enthusiasm. Evidence of agitation is postulated by an unvalidated methodology but which is corroborated by the association of other symptoms.