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Page 416
as an object lesson to others. In April, he marched into Gascony, repeating his tactics and making all secure in the south at his back. Men did fealty and came themselves or gave John hostages. The king made certain that the tale of the hanging of the Welsh hostages was told and retold, both of the kind care they had had while their kin were faithful and of the ruthless execution when those who gave them as pledges rebelled.
By the end of April, John was ready to turn his attention to Lusignan. First, he let it be known that he was prepared to be conciliatory. He offered his eldest legitimate daughter, also called Joan, to the son of that Hugh who had been betrothed to Isabella as a reasonable palliation of the offense he had given. However, he made it plain that he was not sorry when the offer was ignored. Ian wrote to Alinor and she to Joanna that the king, "felt the hand of God upon him. Since he has settled his differences with the Church and the pope makes everything easy for himeven robbing churchmen and the Church itself so that John's burden should be lessa cloud is lifted from his mind. Never has the king been so sure in war and so surely right. All that he lays his hand to turns to our good."
Although they were ready, John waited a few weeks until the truce he had made with the counts of La Manche and Eu came to an end. Not even in so small a matter would he violate his word, given with holy relics to witness, at this time. Then he marched on Mervant and took itthough it was said to be impregnableby assault. From there they moved to Voucant, but that was a harder nut to crack because Lusignan's brother Geoffrey and two of his sons were in the keep. The defense might be expected to be more determined, and they brought up their siege engines. In three days it could be seen that an assault would soon be possible.
Early in June, Joanna had news of what seemed to be the final outcome of the quarrel with the Lusignans. Alinor wrote, "Ian is here for a few days rest. He had an arrow in the thigh when they took Mervant, but naturally did not regard that as any reason not to go with the king to Voucant.

 
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