A Speciall Priuiledge Licence and Authority is granted by the Kings Maiesties Letters Patents vnto the Author Samuel Daniel one of the Groomes of the Queenes Maiesties most Honourable priuy Chamber for him his Executors Administrators Assignes or Deputies to Print or cause to be Imprinted and to sell assigne and dispose to his or their benefit This Booke intituled The Collection of the History of England with an Appendix to the same hereafter to bee printed Straightly forbidding any other to imprint or cause to be imprinted to import vtter or sell or cause to be imported vttered or solde the sayd Booke or Bookes or any part thereof within any of his Maiesties Dominions vpon paine of his Maiesties high displeasure and to forfeit Fiue pounds lawfull English Monie for euery such Booke or Bookes or any part thereof printed imported vttered or solde contrary to the meaning of this Priuiledge besides the forfeiture of the sayd Booke Books c. as more at large appeareth by his Maiesties sayd Letters Patents dated at Westminster the 11. of March in the Fifteenth yeare of his Raigne of England and of Scotland the one and Fiftith THE COLLECTION of the Historie of England By S. D. LONDON Printed by Nicholas Okes dwelling in Foster-lane for the Author Cum Priuilegio TO THE MAIESTY OF ANNE OF DENMARKE QVEENE OF ENGLAND Scotland France and Ireland QVeenes the Mothers of our Kings by whom is continued the blessing of succession that preserues the Kingdome hauing their parts running in the times wherein they liue are likewise interressed in the Histories thereof which containe their memories and all that is left of them when they haue left to be in this world And therefore to you great Queene of England and the greater by your loue to the nation and the blessing you haue brought forth for the continuation of the future good thereof doe I your humblest seruant addresse this peece of our History which as it is a worke of mine appertaines of right to your Maiestie being for the most parte done vnder your Roofe during my attendance vpon your sacred person and if euer it shall come to bee an intire worke and merit any acceptation in the world it must remaine among the memorials of you and your time as brought forth vnder the splendor of your goodnes Howsoeuer this which is done shall yet shew how desirous I haue beene to lay out my time and industry as farre as my ability would extend to doe your Maiestie and my Country seruice in this kinde And though at high Altares none but high Priests ought to sacrifize yet vouchsafe mighty Queene to accept this poore oblation from the hand of your Maiesties Humblest seruant Samuel Danyel Certaine Aduertisements to the Reader THis Peece of our History which here I diuulge not but impart priuately to such Worthy persons as haue fauoured my indeauors therein should long since haue beene much more and come abroade with Dedication Preface and all the Complements of a Booke had my Health and Meanes beene answerable to my desire But being otherwise I must intreate my Friends to be content to be payd by peeces as I may and accept my willingnesse to yeeld as much as mine ability can performe It is more then the worke of one man were hee of neuer so strong forces to Compose a passable contexture of the whole History of England For although the inquisition of Ancient times written by others be prepared yet the Collection and Disposition I finde most Laborious and I know quam sit magnum dare aliquid in manus hominum especially in this kinde wherein more is expected then hath beene deliuered before Curiosity will not be content with Ordinaries For mine owne part I am so greedy of doing well as nothing suffices the appetite of my care herein I had rather be Master of a small peece handsomely contriued then of vaste roomes ill proportioned and vnfurnished and I know many others are of my minde Now for what I haue done which is the greatest part of our History and wherein I dare auow is more together of the mayne then hath beene yet contracted into one peece I am to render an account whence I had my furniture which if I haue omitted to charge my Margin withall I would haue the Reader to know that in the Liues of William the First William the Second Henry the First and Stephan I haue especially followed William Malmsbury Ingulphus Roger Houueden Huntingdon with all such Collections as haue beene made out of others for those times In the Liues of Henry the Second Richard the First Iohn and Henry the Third Giraldus Cambrensis Rushanger Mat. Paris Mat. Westminst Nich. Triuet Caxton and others In the Liues of Edward the First Edward the Second and Third Froissart and Walsingham with such collections as by Pollidore Virgile Fabian Grafton Hall Holingshead Stow and Speed dilligent and famous Trauailors in the search of our History haue beene made and diuulged to the world For forrayne businesses especially with France where we had most to doe I haue for Authors Paulus AEmilius Haillan Tillet and others without whom we cannot truely vnderstand our owne affaires And where otherwise I haue had any supplyes extraordinary either out of Record or such Instruments of State as I could procure I haue giuen a true account of them in the Margin So that the Reader shall be sure to be payd with no counterfeit Coyne but such as shall haue the Stampe of Antiquitie the approbation of Testimony and the allowance of Authority so farre as I shall proceed herein And for that I would haue this Breuiarie to passe with an vn-interrupted deliuery of the especiall affaires of the Kingdome without imbroyling the memory of the Reader I haue in a body apart vnder the title of an Appendix Collected all Treaties Letters Articles Charters Ordinances Intertainments prouisions of Armies businesses of Commerce withother passages of State appertayning to our History which assoone as I haue meanes to Print shall for the better satisfying of such Worthie persons as may make vse of such Materials accompany this Collection and to this Appendix I haue made references in the Margin as occasion requires For the Worke it selfe I can chalenge nothing therein but only the sowing it together and the obseruation of those necessary circumstances and inferences which the History naturally ministers desirous to deliuer things done in as euen and quiet an order as such a heape will permit without quarrelling with the Beliefe of Antiquity deprauing the actions of other Nations to aduance our owne or keeping backe those Reasons of State they had for what they did in those times holding it fittest and best agreeing with integritie the chiefest duty of a Writer to leaue things to their owne Fame and the Censure thereof to the Reader as being his part rather then mine who am onely to recite things done not to rule them Now for the errors herein committed either by mine owne mistakings or
remaine in the obedience of an excommunicated King and so without The Archd. of Norw forsakes the kings seruice his torture death leaue retired himselfe home and was the first subiect of his maisters wrath Who presently sent Sir William Talbot with force to apprehend him and lay him fast in fetters in a most straight prison and afterward vpon the kings commandement he was put into a sheete of lead wherein with the waight and want of victualls he soone perished This excommunication of the King of England was accompained the same yeare with that of the Emperour Otho his Nephew and are noted to be straines of an vniust nature especially for being both done in cases of the Popes owne particular interrest seeking to extend The Emperor Otho excom a predomination beyond the bounds allowed vnto piety which was onely to deale with means soules and not their Estates For in the aduancement of this Emperour Otho the third the Pope had an especiall hand opposing for his owne ends the Election of Phillip Sonne to the Emperour Frederick Barbarossa And in the vancancy of the Empire had seised vpon certaine peeces in Italy appertayning therevnto which Otho seeking to reuoke procured vndeseruedly the Popes displeasure who sent vnto him diuers messages willing him to desist both from the prosecution of this recouery as also from that which Frederick King of Sicile who was vnder the tuition of the Apostolike Sea had seised vpon The Emperour is said to haue answered the Popes Nuncij in this manner If the Pope vniustly desires to vsurp what apertaines to the Empire let him absolue me from the Oath he caused me to take at my Coronation Which was that I should reuoke whatsoeuer rights were distracted from the same and I will desist But the Pope refusing the one and the Emperour not yeelding vnto the other the sentence of excommunication is pronounced against him And all the states as well of Germany as the rest of the Roman Empire are absolued of their fealty vnto him Thus were these two mighty Princes the greatest of all the Christian world leaft to the mercy of their subiects who though they were by this meanes all vntyed from obedience yet many were not so from their affections or other obligations that held them firme vnto their Souraignes For there are so many ligaments in a state that tye it together as it is a hard thing to dissolue them altogether vnlesse it is by an vniuersall concurrency of causes that produce a generall alteration thereof And it is seldome seene of what temper soeuer Kings are but they finde an eminent party in the greatest defections of their people As this King the first of England we finde put to this straight had yet many noble members of power besides the chiefe officers of the kingdome whom their places confirme that stuck vnto him Whose names are recorded in Mat. Par. and other writers And the better to hold his reputation and his people in action hauing now no imployment abrode hee seekes to secure all other members of the Crowne of England 1210. Anno. Reg. 12. which were vnder his dominion And hauing ransackt great treasure from the Iewes makes an expedition into Ireland vpon intelligence of some reuolt and disorder there And at his first ariuall all the great men which held the maritime Castles and the Champion countries came in and did homage and fealty vnto him at Wublin such as inhabited the remote partes and fastnesses of the Kingdome kept them selues away and refused King Iohn reformes Ireland to come Here to reduce the country into better order he ordaines the same to be gouerned by the lawes and customes of England causes English money to be coyned there and to be of equall valew with that of this Kingdome and currant alike in both With many other orders which had they beene with that care continued as they were aduisedly begun would as wise men deeme haue setled that Kingdome in an intire obedience and saued all that great toyle and expence which the neglect thereof cost this state in succeeding ages And now hauing deputed Iohn Gray Bishop of Norwich Iusticiar there after onely three moneths stay hee returnes into England The Clergy pay to the K. 100000. ster where presuming now vpon his new gathered strength hee summons all the Prelates of the kingdome to appeare before him at London of whom saith Mat. Par. he extorted for their redemption the summe of an hundred thousand pounds sterling And the next yeare being the twelfe of his raigne with this treasure hee reduces Wales that had rebelled to his obedience and takes eight and twentie children of 1211. Anno. Reg. 13. the best famelies for pledges of their future subiection Returning thence exacts of euery Knight that attended not his Army in that expedition two marks and at Northampton is pleased to receiue the Popes Agents Pandolphus and Durandus sent to make peace betweene the Kingdome and Priesthood by whose exhortation and the consideration of the State of his Kingdome hee consented that the Archbishop and the Monkes of Canterbury with all the exiled Bishops should in peace returne to their owne But refusing to make satisfaction for their goods confiscated the Agents depart vnsatisfied to the greater preiudice of the King whom now the Pope finding to be yeelding in any thing falls to bee more imperious to constraine him to all whatsoeuer he desired And absolues all the Kings subiects of what condition soeuer from their obedience strictly forbidding them vnder paine of excommunication his Board 1212. Anno. Reg. 14. Councell and Conference Which notwithstanding preuayled not to diuert the subiect from the seruice of their King Who about this time takes occasion vpon the breaking out of certaine poore Mountainers of Wales that make pillage vpon the Borders to raise another Army to inuade the whole Countrey And being at Nottingham prepared for this action before he would sit downe to dinner caused those eight and twenty children the innocent pledges of the Welsh to be all hanged in his presence But before hee had dyned letters came that gaue him intelligence of a conspiracie intended for his owne distruction and that if he went forward in this warre he would be either slaine of his owne people or betrayed to the enemy Whereupon he returnes to London againe requires and hath pledges of those Nobles he suspected and here Eustace de Vescy and Robert Fitz Walter are accused of the conspiracie who fled the one into Scotland the other into France But now the Pope for the last and greatest sentence that euer yet was giuen against 1213. Anno. Reg. 15. any Soueraigne King of this Kingdome pronounces his absolute deposition from the Royall gouernment thereof and writes to the King of France that as hee looked to haue remission of his sinnes hee should take the charge vpon him and expell King Iohn out of the Kingdome of England and possesse the same for him
was most welcome to his mother who herein had her desier and being wholly bent to reuenge whereof none are saide to bee more eager then women found there besides her great partie in England those who nourished that humour in her amongst whom was chiefe Roger Mortimer Lord of Wigmor lately escaped out of the towre of London a gallant young Gentleman whom shee especially fauoured The Bishop of Exceter perceiuing some plots to be in hand and their The Bishop of Exceter discovers the Queens plots close consultations made without him withdrawes secretly from thence and discouers to the King so much as hee obserued of their courses The King sends presently for the Queene and Prince soliciting withall the King of France to hasten their returne which when hee saw was neglected and delayed hee caused them openly to be proclaimed enemies to the kingdome banishing them and all their adherents out of the The Queene proclaimed enemy to the Kingdome Land and withall causes all the Ports to bee strongly kept and sends three Admiralls to attend on seuerall coasts to oppose their landing The Queene to inflame her the more is informed of a plot laid to murther her and the Prince and either doubting how much the money of England might worke in those should be tempted therewith or else finding little forwardnesse in her brother to aide or countenance her course against her husband withdrawes to the Earle of Haynault being then a Prince of great meanes and likewise Earle of Holland to whose daughter Phillippa she contracts her sonne the Prince and gets aide and mony of him to transport her into England Arriving at Harwich with the Prince the Earle The Queene returnes with forces of Kent the Kings brother whom she brought with her from the Court of France the Earle of Pembrooke the Lord Roger Mortimer and Iohn brother to the Earle of Heynault with 2500 Henowayes and Flemings she was received with great ioy and concourse of all the discontented Nobility and others and especially by the Bishops of Hereford and Lincolne who soone resorted unto her as men who had lost to recover their fortunes The King vpon notice of this sodaine and safe arrivall of the Queene demands aide Reg. 19. Anno. 1326. of the Citie of London which returnes answer That they would with all dutie honour the King Queene and Prince but their gates they would shut against all forreiners and traytors to the Reatme and with all their power withstand them The King with his small Councell The King demands aide of the Citie of London about him reposing no assurance in this answer after Proclamation made that none vpon paine of death should aide the Queene and commandement given to destroy all her adherents onely her own person the Prince and his brother the Earle of Kent excepted and that whosoever brought the head of Roger Mortimer should haue 1000 pounds he leaues the Citie committing the keeping of the Tower to Sir Iohn Weston with the guard of his yonger sonne Iohn of Eltham and his Neece the Countesse of Glocester first wife to Pierce Gaueston now of Hugh Spencer the younger a Lady vnfortunate by the over great fortunes of both her husbands and departs towards the West hoping to finde aide in those partes as formerly he had done against the Barons but he saw the world was altered and no man there to regard him The King departs towards the West The Queene advertised of his course marched after him growing daily greater as she marched and comes to Oxford where the Bishop of Hereford Preached before her and the whole assembly and delivers the cause of her proceeding taking for his The Queene followes Text My Head aketh my Head aketh and concludes most undevinely that an aking 2. King 24. and sick Head of a Kindome was of necessity to be taken of and not otherwise to be cured A most execrable doctrine and repugnant to the Sacred Word which in all corrupted times is evermore produced to abuse mens Credulity and iustifie Impiety in whatsoever Ambition or Malice shall attempt a sinne beyond all other that can bee committed vpon earth And the more to countenance the Queenes proceeding it was noised two Cardinals were seene in her Campe sent by the Pope to excommunicate such as tooke Armes against her and the cause of hers to be for the delivering the kingdome from the misleaders of the King the Spencers the Lord Chancellour and their adherents all others to be safe And here proclamation is made that nothing should bee taken from any subiect without paying ready mony and a penalty imposed on whomsoever The Queenes Proclamation did the contrary as for the value of three pence to loose a finger sixe pence the hand twelue pence the head and that whosoever brought to the Queene the younger Spencers head should haue 2000 pounds Thus is a bad cause defended with shew of Iustice and an vunaturall presumption made to seeme right by power and authority An impotent woman led with passion and abused by wicked counsell is brought to make head against her owne head to conduct an innocent sonne against the father to vndertake an action she knew not how to manage and to put her selfe into their hands who having other ends then hers would work beyond though under her authority what pleased themselues And though the event as commonly it doth in such attempts proue worse then the intention of the vndertaker yet howsoever the infamy of all what was acted lyes foule and open vpon her Memorie and no Apologie extant any way to cover it and therefore we must leaue the same as wee finde it And better had it been for the honour of the state of England to haue beene without her great dowre then to haue had her example the worst of a Queene it ever yet had The miserable King having his reputation the maine support of Maiestie blowne vp with the hurlewinde of his pursuers found few or no hands to aide him So that after hee had put Hugh Spencer the father into the Castle of Bristoll with what defence could be prouided for the guarding thereof hee leaues to trust the Land and commits himselfe to a more vnfaithfull Element the Sea with purpose either to hide himselfe a while in the Isle of Lundie or to passe ouer into Ireland The King betakes him to the Sea but tost to and fro with contrary windes after Sir Thomas Blunt his Steward with others were shrunke from him hee lands in Wales in Glamorgan shire where though hee found not saftie hee found loue and was hidden in the Abbey of Neth The Queene with her Armie from Oxford goes to Glocester where the Lords Percie and Wake with ayde from the North met her and thence to Bristoll assailes and winnes the Castle puts to death the defender Hugh Spencer Earle of Winchester without forme or tryall of Law causing him to bee drawne and hanged on the common
the night and in approaching the walles the Guard asked Who goes there he answered The fortune of France His voyce being knowne the gates are opened and in is hee receiued with the teares and lamentations The French King flyes of his people when yet seekes to comfort all he could The number of the slaine on the place are certified to be 30. thousand The chiefe men were Charles d' Alanson Iohn Duke of Borbone Ralfe Earle of Lorraine Louys Earle of Flanders Iaques The number of the slaine Dauphin de Viennois Son to Imbert who after gaue Dauphine to the Crowne of France the Earles of Sancerre Harcourt brother to Geoffry and many other Earles Barons and gentlemen to the number of 1500. This memorable victorie hapned vpon the Saterday after Bartholomew day being the 26. of August 1346. All the Markes of an intire ouerthrowe rested with King Edward the field of the Battaile the bodies of the slaine and their spoiles The occasion of this great defeit according to humaine coniecture the French attribute to the choller rashnes and precipitation of their King and his brother and sure temeritie and presumption haue euer been the ruyne of great Actions especially in warre King Edward managed this victorie with as great moderation as he wanne it and first hauing imbraced his Sonne commending his valour shewed that day he renders thankes to God after as he had inuoked his ayde before at the beginning of the Battayle and earely in the morning being Sunday he sent out 300. Lances and 2000. Archers to discouer what was become of the enemie who found great Troupes of such as were comming from Abbe-uille St. Requier Roan and Beauvoys ignorant of what had hapned led by the Arch-byshop of Roan and the Prior of France whom they like wise defeited and slew 7000. Our Writers report that of Straglers which were fled from the Battaile or comming on hauing lost their way by reason of a thicke mist which hapned that morning were slaine many more then in the field the day before which sheweth vs the wonderfull losse this afflicted Countrie susteined at one fatall blow But this was not all the victories that fell to King Edward that yeere there was an other of more importance gotten in England by the Queene and his people at home against the K. of Scots who being set on by the French to diuert the warre there entred King Dauid ouerthrowne and taken prisoner vpon this Kingdome with 60. thousand men as our Writers report assuring himselfe of successe in regard as he supposed the maine strength thereof was now gone into France But he found the contrary the Lords of the North as Gilbert de Humfrivile Earle of Angos Henry Percie Ralph Nivile William Dayncourt with the Arch-byshop of Yorke the Bishop of Durham and others of the Clergie gathered so great force and so well ordered them by the animation of the Queene who was there in person as they vtterly defeited this great Armie tooke Dauid their King prisoner with the Earles of Fife Menteth Murry Sutherland the Lord Douglas the Arch-byshop of Saint Andrewes and others and put to the sword 15. thousand Scots This Victorie sell likewise vpon a Saterday and sixe weekes after that of Cressie And as if all concurred to make this yeere tryumphant The aydes sent to the Countesse of Monfert in Brittaine lead by Sir Thomas Dagworth ouerthrew and tooke prisoner Charles de Blois pretender to that Duchie and with him Monsieur la Val the Lords Rochford Beaumanoyr Charles de Bloys taken prisoner Loyacque with many other Barons Knights and Esquires there were slaine in the incounter the Lord De la Val father of him which was taken Vicont Rohan Monsieur de Chasteau Brian de Malestroit de Qnintin de Direval great Lords besides many other worthy men at Armes Knights and Esquires to the number of about 700. Thus all fell before the Sword of England Now King Edward without medling with the great Cities Amiens and Abbeville which were both neere marches on directly and sets downe before Calais a Towne of more importance for England and the gate to all the rest wherein Iohn de Vienne Marshal of France and the Lord d' Andreghen a great man in his time commanded All that Winter King Edward hauing sheltred his people as in another Towne furnished with all prouisions lay without any molestation of the French King who King Edward besiegeth Calais this while was likewise besieged with the affliction of his owne state Misfortune is euer held a great fault both in mightie men and meane and opens the mouthes of those whose hearts are peruerse The people of France were in extreame pouertie yet notwithstanding the necesitie of the Kings affayres must constraine fresh supplyes The ill managing the publique treasure the falshood of the Financiers the decrying of Moneys the deminishing of trafficke augmentation of impostes Subsidies Gabels c. were the causes of this publicke murmur and put the people in dispaire seeing no end of the troubles wherein their King was dayly more and more ingaged And now was no way to helpe him but by an assembly of the States Wherein the Financiers Receiuers and managers of monies are called to render an account and the treasure committed to the disposing of the Cleargy and the Nobles to take away suspition in the people of ill dealing Foure Bishops two Abbots and foure Knights are chosen for that businesse Pierre des Essars Treasurer of France is committed to The State of France prison condemned in a great Fine to the King Other Officers and accountants restore at once what they were long in gathering The Banquiers Lombards and other vsurers are put to the presse for their vnlawfull exactions the Intrests are proued to exceed the Principall which is confiscate to the King and the Intrest giuen to the Debtors Courses wherewith indigent Kings in expensiue times vse to serue their turnes and please their oppressed people Which I haue the rather noted though it lye without our circle to shew that other Kings likewise layd hand vpon what they could fasten as well as ours haue done and made benefite of mens offences onely this of the Vsurer is new to vs but yet like to that practised heretofore vpon the Iewes and might serue a turne with as much content to the people and as faire a shew of a iust correction as theirs did the nature of the Extortors being alike Ayded with this meanes and the ready seruice of his Nobles and ablest subiects the French king in the Spring hath an Army in the field approaches Callais but findes no way open to come to relieue it The King of England was both Maister of the Hauen and possest all other wayes whatsoeuer were passable and had the Flemings his friends who with a huge Army had besieged Ayre and did much mischiefe on the confines of France To oppose them is Iohn Duke of Normandy the Prince sent for out