bonds line 30 and obligations laie by the which they had diuerse of the kings subiects bound vnto them in most vnconscionable sort and for such detestable vsurie as if the authors that write thereof were not of credit would hardlie be beleeued All which euidences or bonds they solemnelie burned in the middest of the church After which ech went his waie the souldiers to the king and the commons to their houses and so was the citie quieted This happened at Yorke on Palmesundaie eeue being the 17. of March and vpon line 40 the 15. of that moneth those that inhabited in the towne of S. Edmundsburie in Suffolke were set vpon and manie of them slaine The residue that escaped through the procurement of the abbat then named Samson were expelled so that they neuer had anie dwellings there since that time Thus were the Iewes vnmercifullie dealt with in all places in maner through this realme the first beginning whereof chanced at London as before ye haue heard and the next at Lin of which I thinke it line 50 good to note some part of the maner therof although breeflie and so to returne to my purpose The occasion therefore of the tumult at Lin chanced by this meanes it fortuned that one of the Iewes there was become a christian wherewith those of his nation were so mooued that they determined to kill him where soeuer they might find him And herevpon they set vpon him one daie as he came by through the stréets he to escape their hands fled to the next church but his countriemen were so desirous to execute line 60 their malicious purpose that they followed him still and inforced themselues to breake into the church vpon him Herewith the noise being raised by the christians that sought to saue the conuerted Iew a number of mariners being forreners that were arriued there with their vessels out of sundrie parts and diuerse also of the townesmen came to the rescue and setting vpon the Iewes caused them to flée into their houses The townesmen were not verie earnest in pursuing of them bicause of the kings proclamation and ordinance before time made in fauour of the Iewes but the mariners followed them to their houses 〈◊〉 diuerse of them robbed and sacked their goods and finallie set their dwellings on fire and so burnt them vp altogither These mariners being inriched with the spoile of the Iewes goods and fearing to be called to accompt for their vnlawfull act by the kings officers got them foorthwith to shipboord and hoising vp sailes departed with their ships to the sea and so escaped the danger of that which might haue béene otherwise laid to their charge The townesmen being called to an accompt excused themselues by the mariners burdening them with all the fault But although they of Lin were thus excused yet they of Yorke escaped not so easilie For the king being aduertised of such outrage doone contrarie to the order of his lawes and expresse commandement wrote ouer to the bishop of Elie his chancellour charging him to take cruell punishment of the offendors The bishop with an armie went to Yorke but the cheefe authors of the riot hearing of his comming fled into Scotland yet the bishop at his comming to the citie caused earnest inquirie to be made of the whole matter The citizens excused themselues offered to proue that they were not of counsel with them that had committed the riot neither had they aided nor comforted them therein in anie maner of wise And in déed the most part of them that were the offendors were of the countries and townes néere to the citie with such as were crossed into the holie land and now gone ouer to the king so that verie few or none of the substantiall men of the citie were found to haue ioined with them Howbeit this would not excuse the citizens but that they were put to their fine by the stout bishop euerie of them paieng his portion according to his power and abilitie in substance the common sort of the poore people being pardoned and not called into iudgement sith the ringleaders were fled and gone out of the waie and thus much by waie of digression touching the Iews Now to returne vnto the king who in this meane time was verie busie to prouide all things necessarie to set forward on his iournie his ships which laie in the mouth of the riuer of Saine being readie to put off he tooke order in manie points concerning the state of the common-wealth on that side and chéefelie he called to mind that it should be a thing necessarie for him to name who should succeed him in the kingdome of England if his chance should not be to returne againe from so long and dangerous a iournie He therefore named as some suppose his nephue Arthur the sonne of his brother Geffrey duke of Britaine to be his successour in the kingdome a yâ—â—ng man of a likelie proofe and princelie towardneâ—â—e but not ordeined by God to succéed ouer this kingdome About the same time the bishop of Elie lord chancellour and cheefe iustice of England tooke vp to the kings vse of euerie citie in England two palfries and two sumpter horsses of euerie abbeie one palfrie and one sumpter horsse euerie manour within the realme â—ound also one palfrie and one sumpter horsse Moreouer the said bishop of Elie deliuered the gouernment of Yorkeshire to his brother Oâ—bert de Longchampe and â—ll those knights of the said shire the which would not come to make answer to the law vppon summons giuen them he commanded to be apprehended and by and by cast in prison Also when the bishop of Durham was returned from the king and coâ—e ouer intâ— England to go vâ—to his charge at his meeting with the lord chancellour at Elie notwithstanding that he shewed him his letters patents of the grant made to him to be iustice from Trent northward the said lord châ—ncellour taking his iournie to Southwell with him there deteined him as prisoner till he had made surrender to him of the castell of Windsor further had deliuered to him his sonnes Henrie de Putsey and Gilbert de la Ley as pledges that he should keepe the peace against the king and all his subiects vntill the said prince should returne from the holie land And so he was deliuered for that time though shortlie after and whilest he remained at Houeden there came to him Osbert de Longchampe the lord chancellors brother and William de Stuteuille the which caused the said bishop to find sufficient suertie that he should not thence depart without the kings licence or the line 10 lord chancellors so long as the king should be absent oâ— Herevpon the bishop of Durham sent knowledge to the king how and in what sort he had béene handled by the chancellor In the meanetime the king was gone into Gascoigne where he besieged a castell that belonged to one William de Chisi
of a thousand archers kept himselfe within the woods and desert places whereof that countrie is full and so during all the time of this warre shewed himselfe an enimie to the Frenchmen slaieng no small numbers of them as he tooke them at any aduantage O worthie gentleman line 60 of English bloud And O Grandia quae aggreditur fortis discrimina virtus In like manner all the fortresses townes and castels in the south parts of the realme were subdued vnto the obeisance of Lewes the castels of Douer and Windsore onelie excepted Within a little while after Will. de Mandeuille Robert Fitz Walter and William de Huntingfield with a great power of men of warre did the like vnto the countries of Essex and Suffolke In which season king Iohn fortified the castels of Wallingford Corse Warham Bristow the Uies and diuerse others with munition and vittels About which time letters came also vnto Lewes from his procurators whom he had sent to the pope by the tenor whereof he was aduertised that notwithstanding all that they could doo or say the pope meant to excommunicate him and did but onelie staie till he had receiued some aduertisement from his legat Gualo The chéefest points as we find that were laid by Lewes his procurators against king Iohn were these that by the murther committed in the person of his nephue Arthur he had béene condemned in the parlement chamber before the French king by the péeres of France and that being summoned to appeare he had obstinatelie refused so to doo and therefore had by good right forfeited not onelie his lands within the precinct of France but also the realme of England which was now due vnto the said Lewes as they alledged in right of the ladie Blanch his wife daughter to Elianor quéene of Spaine But the pope refelled all such allegations as they produced for proofe hereof seemed to defend king Iohns cause verie pithilie but namelie in that he was vnder the protection of him as supreme lord of England againe for that he had taken vpon him the crosse as before yée haue heard But now to returne where we left About the feast of saint Margaret Lewes with the lords came againe to London at whose comming the tower of London was yeelded vp to him by appointment after which the French capteins and gentlemen thinking themselues assured of the realme began to shew their inward dispositions and hatred toward the Englishmen and forgetting all former promises such is the nature of strangers and men of meane estate that are once become lords of their desires according to the poets words Asperius nihil est humili cùm surgit in altum they did manie excessiue outrages in spoiling and robbing the people of the countrie without pitie or mercie Moreouer they did not onelie breake into mens houses but also into churches and tooke out of the same such vessels and ornaments of gold and siluer as they could laie hands vpon for Lewes had not the power now to rule the gréedie souldiers being wholie giuen to the spoile But most of all their tyrannie did appeare in the east parts of the realme when they went through the countries of Essex Suffolke and Northfolke where they miserablie spoiled the townes and villages reducing those quarters vnder their subiection and making them tributaries vnto Lewes in most seruile and slauish manner Furthermore at his comming to Norwich he found the castell void of defense and so tooke it without any resistance and put into it a garison of his souldiers Also he sent a power to the towne of Lin which conquered the same and tooke the citizens prisoners causing them to paie great summes of monie for their ransoms Morouer Thomas de Burgh chateleine of the castell of Norwich who vpon the approch of the Frenchmen to the citie fled out in hope to escape was taken prisoner and put vnder safekéeping He was brother vnto Hubert de Burgh capteine of Douer castell Now when Lewes had thus finished his enterprises in those parts he returned to London and shortlie therevpon created Gilbert de Gaunt earle of Lincolne appointing him to go thither with all conuenient speed that he might resist the issues made by them which did hold the castels of Notingham and Newarke wasting and spoiling the possessions and lands belonging to the barons neere adioining to the same castels This Gilbert de Gaunt then togither with Robert de Ropeley comming into that countrie tooke the citie of Lincolne and brought all the countrie vnder subiection the castell onlie excepted After that they inuaded Holland and spoiling that countrie made it also tributarie vnto the French Likewise Robert de Roos Peter de Bruis and Richard Percie subdued Yorke and all Yorkeshire bringing the same vnder the obeisance of Lewes The king of Scots in like sort subdued vnto the said Lewes all the countrie of Northumberland except the castels which Hugh de Balioll and Philip de Hulcotes valiantlie defended against all the force of the enimie line 10 And as these wicked rebels made a prey of their owne countrie so the legat Guallo not behind for his part to get something yer all should be gone vpon a falkonish or woolnish appetite fleeced the church considering that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and tooke proxies of euerie cathedrall church house of religion within England that is to say for euerie proxie fiftie shillings Moreouer he sequestred all the line 20 benefices of those persons and religious men that either aided or counselled Lewes and the barons in their attempts and enterprises All which benefices he spéedilie conuerted to his owne vse and to the vse of his chapleins In the meane time Lewes was brought into some good hope thorough meanes of Thomas de Burgh whom he tooke prisoner as before you haue heard to persuade his brother Hubert to yéeld vp the castell of Douer the siege whereof was the next line 30 enterprise which he attempted For his father king Philip hearing that the same was kept by a garrison to the behoofe of king Iohn wrote to his sonne blaming him that he left behind him so strong a fortresse in his enimies hands But though Lewes inforced his whole indeuour to win that castell yet all his trauell was in vaine For the said Hubert de Burgh and Gerard de Sotigam who were chéefe capteins within did their best to defend it against him and all his power so that despairing to win it by force he assaied to obteine his purpose by threatning line 40 to hange the capteins brother before his face if he would not yeeld the sooner But when that would not serue he sought to win him by large offers of gold and siluer Howbeit such was the singular constancie of Hubert that he would not giue anie eare vnto those his flatering motions Then Lewes in a great furie menaced that he would not once depart from
maior and the shiriffes and sent them home to their houses setting ouer them notwithstanding a new kéeper or gouernour of the citie and reseruing in his hand all the priuileges of the citie In the meane time on the sundaie next after the feast of the Assumption of the blessed virgin Marie all the wealthiest and worthiest commoners of the citie came to the king and submitted themselues and all their goods to his grace and then did he first receiue and take them into his fauour On the wednesdaie insuing the kiâ—g was purposed to come into London and the citizens in multitudes innumerable met him on horssebacke they â—hat had no horsses went out on foot to welcome him thither women also and infants shewed themselues vnto him likewise the bishop of London with all the clergie no order degree condition estate or sex of ecclesiasticall dignitie being excused went out in procession to meet the king and the quéene with great reioising It was reported how in that procession there were aboue fiue hundred boies in surplisses Moreouer the citizens of London trimmed the outsides of their houses and chambers in euerie stréet through which the king and the queene were to passe from S. Georges to Westminster As for the houses of the welthier sort they were brauelie garnished with â—loth of gold siluer tissue veluet other sumptuous stuffe whatsoeuer by any possible means could be gotten In Cheapside there was a conduit out of the which two spouts ran with read wine white and vpon the conduit stood a little boie apparelled in white like an angell hauing a golden cup in his hand who presented wine to the king and queene to drinke as they passed by In the meane time they offered to the king a golden crowne of great value and another golden crowne to the quéene and a while after passing forwards they presented to the king a golden tablet of the Trinitie to the value of eight hundred pounds and to the queene another golden tablet of S. Anne whome she had in speciall deuotion and reuerence bicause hir owne name was Anne Such and so great and so wonderfull honors did they to the king as the like in former times was neuer doone to anie king of this realme and so going forward they brought the king and the quéene to Westminster hall The king sitting in his seat roiall all the people standing before him one in the kings behalfe as his speaker gaue the people thanks for the great honour and princelie presents which they had bestowed vpon the king and being bidden to fall euerie man to his businesse and affaires it was told them that in the next parlement they should haue their finall answer At the same time the duke of Glocester hauing receiued monie to leauie an armie which he should haue conueied ouer into Ireland of which countrie a good while before that present the king had made him duke was now readie to set forward when suddenlie through the malice of some priuie detractours about the king he was contermanded and so his iournie was staied to the great hinderance and preiudice of both the countries of England and Ireland for euen vpon the fame that was bruted of his comming into Ireland in manner all the Irish lords determined to submit themselues vnto him so greatlie was his name boâ—h loued reuerenced and feared euen among those wild and sauage people This yeare Robert Uéere late earle of Oxenford and duke of Ireland departed this life at Louaine in Brabant in great anguish of mind miserable necessitie which yoong gentleman doubtlesse was apt to all commendable exercises and parts fit for a noble man if in his youth he had béene well trained and brought vp in necessarie discipline year 1393 This yeare after Christmasse a parlement was called at Winchester in which onelie a grant was made by the cleargie of halfe a tenth for the expenses of the duke of Lancaster Glocester that were appointed to go ouer into France to treat of peace betwixt the two kingdomes The courts of the kings bench and chancerie which had béene remooued from Westminster to Yorke either in disfauour onelie of the Londoners or in fauour of the citizens of Yorke for that the archbishop of that citie being lord chancellor line 10 wished to aduance so farre as in him laie the commoditie and wealth thereof were neuerthelesse about this season brought backe againe to Westminster after they had remained a small time at Yorke to the displeasure of manie ¶ This yeare the lord Auberie de Ueere vncle to the late duke of Ireland was made earle of Oxenford ¶ The two and twentish of Februarie Iohn Eures constable of Douer castell lord steward of the kings house departed this life in whose roome the lord Thomas line 20 Persie that before was vicechamberlaine was created lord steward and the lord Thomas Beaumont was made constable of Douer and lord warden of the cinque ports and the lord William Scroope was made vicechamberlaine who about the same time bought of the lord William Montacute the Ile of Man with the regalitie therof for it is a kingdome as Thomas Walsingham affirmeth The dukes of Lancaster and Glocester went ouer vnto Calis and downe to Bullongne came the line 30 dukes of Berrie and Burgognie These noblemen were sufficientlie furnished with authoritie to conclude a perfect peace both by sea and land betweene the two realmes of France and England and all their alies The place appointed for them to treat in was at Balingham where tents and pauilions were pight vp for the ease of both parties They met there twise or thrise a wéeke in a faire tent prepared for the purpose about nine of the clocke in the forenoone This was about the beginning of Maie When they line 40 entered first into communication and had séene each others authoritie one of the first demands that the Frenchmen made was to haue Calis raced in such wise as there should neuer be anie habitation there after that time The dukes of Lancaster and Glocester answered herevnto how they had no authoritie to conclude so farre but that England should hold Calis still as in demesne and true inheritance and therefore if they purposed to enter any further in the treatie of peace they should ceasse from that demand and speake no more thereof When the dukes of Berrie line 50 and Burgognie heard their two cousins of England answer so roundlie they spake no more of that matter Then the dukes of Lancaster and Glocester demanded to haue restitution of all such lands as had béene deliuered either to king Richard or to king Edward the third or to anie their deputies or commissioners and also to haue fullie paid the summe of florens that was left vnpaid at the time when the line 60 warre reuiued betwixt England and France and this the English lawiers prooued to stand with equitie and reason But
Normandie or rather as other write committed to prison where he remained not as a clerke but as a baron of the realme for he was both bishop and earle of Kent The king hauing at length obteined some rest from wars practised by sundrie meanes to inrich his cofers and therefore raised a tribute through out the whole kingdome for the better leuieng whereof he appointed all the subiects of his realme to be numbred all the cities townes villages and hamlets to be registred all the abbies monasteries and priories to be recorded Moreouer he caused a certificat to be taken of euerie mans substance and what he might dispend by the yeare he also caused their names to be written which held knights fees were bound therby to serue him in the wars Likewise he tooke a note of euerie yoke of oxen what number of plow lands and how manie bondmen were within the realme This certificat being made brought vnto him gaue him full vnderstanding what wealth remained among the English people Herevpon he raised his tribute taking six shillings for euerie hide of land through out this realme which amounted to a great masse of monie when it was all brought togither into his Excheker ¶ Here note by the waie that an hide of land conteineth an hundred acres and an acre conteineth fortie perches in length and foure in bredth the length of a perch is sixtéene foot and an halfe so that the common acre should make 240. perches eight hides or 800. acres is a knights fée after the best approued writers and plaine demonstration Those therefore are deceiued that take an hide of land to conteine twentie acres as William Lambert hath well noted in his De priscis Anglorum legibus where he expoundeth the meaning of the old Saxon termes perteining to the lawes But to procéed come a little after the temporals dealing to some of the spirituall affaires It hapned about the same time that when king William had finished the rating of his subiects that there rose a strife betwixt Thurstane abbat of Glastenburie a Norman and the moonkes of that house One cause thereof was for that the abbat would haue compelled them to haue left the plaine song or note for the seruice which pope Gregorie had set foorth and to haue vsed an other kind of tune deuised by one William of Fescampe beside this the said abbat spent and wasted the goods that belonged to the house in riot leacherie and by such other insolent meanes withdrawing also from the moonkes their old accustomed allowance of diet for the which they first fell at altercation in words and afterwards to fighting The abbat got armed men about him and falling vpon the moonkes slue thrée of them at the high altar and wounded xviij Howbeit the moonkes for their parts plaied the pretie men with formes and candelsticks defending themselues as well as they might so that they hurt diuers of the abbats adherents and droue them out of the quier In the end complaint hereof was brought to the king by whose iudgement the matter was so ordered that Thurstane lost his roome and returned vnto Caen in Normandie from whence he came and the moonkes were spred abroad into diuerse houses of religion through the realme Glastenburie being replenished with more quiet persons and such as were supposed readier to praie than to quarell as the other did yet is it said that in the time of William Rufus this Thurstane obteined the rule of that abbeie againe for fiue hundred pounds There be which write that the numbring of men and of places the valuation of goods and substance as well in cattell as readie monie was not taken till about the xix yéere of this kings reigne although the subsidie afore mentioned was gathered about two yeares before of euerie hide of land as yée haue heard and that the certificat hereof being inrolled was put into the kings treasurie at Winchester in the xix yeare of his reigne and not in the xvj But in what yeare soeuer it was and howsoeuer the writers agrée or disagree herein certaine it is that the same was exacted to the great gréefe and impouerishment of the people who sore lamented the miserable estate whereinto they were brought and hated the Normans in their harts to the verie death Howbeit the more they grudged at such tolles tallages customes and other impositions wherewith they were pressed the more they were charged and ouerpressed The Normans on the other side with their king perceiuing the hatred which the English bare them were sore offended and therefore sought by all meanes to kéepe them vnder Such as were called to be iustices were enimies to all iustice whervpon greater burdens were laid vpon the English insomuch line 10 that after they had béene robbed and spoiled of their goods they were also debarred of their accustomed games and pastimes For where naturallie as they doo vnto this daie they tooke great pleasure in hunting of déere both red and fallow in the woods and forrests about without restraint king William seizing the most part of the same forrests into his owne hands appointed a punishment to be executed vpon all such offendors namelie to haue their eies put out And to bring the greater number of men in line 20 danger of those his penall lawes a pestilent policie of a spitefull mind and sauoring altogither of his French slauerie he deuised meanes how to bréed nourish and increase the multitude of déere and also to make roome for them in that part of the realme which lieth betwixt Salisburie and the sea southward he pulled downe townes villages churches other buildings for the space of 30. miles to make thereof a forrest which at this daie is called New forrest line 30 The people as then sore bewailed their distres greatlie lamented that they must thus leaue house home to the vse of sauage beasts Which crueltie not onelie mortall men liuing here on earth but also the earth it selfe might seeme to detest as by a woonderfull signification it séemed to declare by the shaking and roaring of the same which chanced about the 14. yeare of his reigne as writers haue recorded There be that suppose how the king made that part of the realme waste and barren vpon a policie to the intent that if his chance were to be expelled by ciuill line 40 wars he compelled to leaue the land there should be no inhabitants in that part of the I le to resist his arriuall vpon his new returne But to go foorth with our purpose About the same time a rumor was spred in England that Sueine king of Denmarke meant to inuade England with a puissant armie year 1085 hauing the assistance of the earle of Flanders whose daughter he had maried Whervpon king William being then in Normandie reteined a great power of French souldiers both archers
deuise The newes whereof being spred abrode euerie good man reioised thereat Thus through the great mercie of God peace was restored vnto the decaied state of this relme of England Which things being thus accomplished with great ioy and tokens of loue king Stephan and his new adopted sonne duke Henrie tooke leaue either of other appointing shortlie after to méet againe at Oxenford there to perfect euerie article of their agréement which was thus accorded a little before Christmas ¶ But by the way for the better vnderstanding of the said agreement I haue thought good to set downe the verie tenor of the charter made by king Stephan as I haue copied it out and translated it into English out of an autentike booke conteining the old lawes of the Saxon and Danish kings in the end whereof the same charter is exemplified which booke is remaining with the right worshipfull William Fléetwood esquire now recorder of London and sargeant at law The charter of king Stephan of the pacification of the troubles betwixt him and line 10 Henrie duke of Normandie STephan king of England to all archbishops bishops abbats earles iusticers sherifes barons and all his faithfull subiects of England sendeth greeting Know yee that I king Stephan haue ordeined Henrie duke of Normandie after me by right of inheritance to be my successour and heire of line 20 the kingdome of England and so haue I giuen and granted to him and his heires the kingdome of England For the which honour gift and confirmation to him by me made he hath doone homage to me and with a corporall oth hath assured me that he shall be faithfull and loiall to me and shall to his power preserue my life and honour and I on the other side shall maineteine line 30 and preserue him as my sonne and heire in all things to my power and so far as by any waies or meanes I may And William my sonne hath doone his lawfull homage and assured his fealtie vnto the said duke of Normandie and the duke hath granted to him to hold of him all those tenements and holdings which I held before I atteined to the possession of the realme of England wheresoeuer the line 40 same be in England Normandie or elsewhere and whatsoeuer he receiued with the daughter of earle Warren either in England or Normandie likewise whatsoeuer apperteineth to those honoures And the duke shall put my sonne William and his men that are of that honour in full possession and seizine of all the lands boroughs and rents which the duke thereof line 50 now hath in his demaine and namelie of those that belong to the honour of the earle Warren and namelie of the castels of Bellencumber and Mortimer so that Reginald de Warren shall haue the keeping of the same castels of Bellencumber and of Mortimer if he will and therevpon shall giue pledges to the duke and if he will not haue the keeping of those castels line 60 then other liege men of the said erle Warren whome it shall please the duke to appoint shall by sure pledges and good suertie keepe the said castels Moreouer the duke shall deliuer vnto him according to my will and pleasure the other castels which belong vnto the earledome of Mortaigne by safe custodie and pledges so soone as he conuenientlie may so as all the pledges are to be restored vnto my sonne free so soone as the duke shall haue the realme of England in possession The augmentation also which I haue giuen vnto my sonne William he hath likewise granted the same to him to wit the castell and towne of Norwich with seauen hundred pounds in lands so as the rents of Norwich be accounted as parcell of the same seauen hundred pounds in lands and all the countie of Norfolke the profits and rents which belong to churches bishops abbats earles excepted and the third pennie whereof Hugh Bigot is earle also excepted sauing also and reseruing the kings roiall iurisdiction for administration of iustice Also the more to strengthen my fauour and loue to himwards the duke hath giuen and granted vnto my said sonne whatsoeuer Richer de Aquila hath of the honour of Peuensey And moreouer the castell and towne of Peuensey and the seruice of Faremouth beside the castell and towne of Douer and whatsoeuer apperteineth to the honour of Douer The duke hath also confirmed the church of Feuersham with the appurtenances and all other things giuen or restored by me vnto other churches he shall confirme by the counsell and aduice of holie church and of me The earles and barons that belong to the duke which were neuer my leeges for the honour which I haue doone to their maister they haue now doone homage and sworne fealtie to me the couenants betwixt me the said duke alwaies saued The other which had before doone homage to me haue sworne fealtie to me as to their souereigne lord And if the duke should breake and go from the premisses then are they altogither to ceasse from dooing him any seruice till he reforme his misdooings And my sonne also is to constreine him thereto according to the aduice of holie church if the duke shall chance to go from the couenants afore mentioned My earles and barons also haue doone their leege and homage vnto the duke sauing their faith to me so long as I liue and shall hold the kingdome with like condition that if I doo breake and go from the premitted couenants that then they may ceasse from dooing me any seruice till the time I haue reformed that which I haue doone amisse The citizens also of cities and those persons that dwell in castels which I haue in my demaine by my commandement haue doone homage and made assurance to the duke sauing the fealtie which they owe to me during my life time and so long as I shall hold the kingdome They which keep the castle of Wallingford haue doone their homage to me and haue giuen to me pledges for the obseruing of their fealtie And I haue made vnto the duke such assurance of the castels and strengths which I hold by the counsell and aduice of holie church that when I shall depart this life the duke thereby may not run into any losse or impeachment wherby to be debarred from the kingdome The tower of London and the fortresse of Windsor by the counsell and aduice of holie church are deliuered vnto the lord Richard de Lucie safelie to be kept which Richard hath taken an oth and hath deliuered his sonne in pledge to remaine in the hands and custodie of the archbishop of Canturburie that after my decease he shall deliuer the same castels vnto the duke Likewise by the counsell and aduise of holie church Roger de Bussey keepeth the castell of Oxford and Iordaine de Bussey the castell of line 10 Lincolne which Roger Iordaine haue sworne and thereof haue deliuered pledges into the
had taken from the bishop bicause he had shewed himselfe an vnstedfast man in the time of the ciuill warre and therfore to haue the kings fauour againe he gaue to him two line 20 thousand marks with condition that his castels might stand and that his sonne Henrie de Putsey aliàs Pudsey might enioy one of the kings manor places called Wighton After this the king went to Oxenford and there held a parlement at the which he created his sonne Iohn king of Ireland hauing a grant and confirmation thereto from pope Alexander About the same time it rained bloud in the I le of Wight by the space of two daies togither so that linen clothes that hoong line 30 on the hedges were coloured therewith which vnvsed woonder caused the people as the manner is to suspect some euill of the said Iohns gouernement Moreouer to this parlement holden at Oxenford all the chéefe rulers and gouernours of Southwales and Northwales repaired and became the king of Englands liege men swearing fealtie to him against all men Héerevpon he gaue vnto Rice ap Griffin prince of Southwales the land of Merionith line 40 and to Dauid ap Owen he gaue the lands of Ellesmare Also at the same time he gaue and confirmed vnto Hugh Lacie as before is said the land of Meth in Ireland with the appurtenances for the seruice of an hundred knights or men of armes to hold of him and of his sonne Iohn by a charter which he made thereof Also he diuided there the lands and possessions of Ireland with the seruices to his subiects as well of England as Ireland appointing some to hold by seruice to find fortie knights or men line 50 of armes and some thirtie and so foorth Unto two Irish lords he granted the kingdome of Corke for the seruice of fortie knights and to other three lords he gaue the kingdome of Limerike for the seruice of the like number of knights to be held of him his sonne Iohn reseruing to himselfe to his heires the citie of Limerike with one cantred To William Fitz Adelme his sewer he gaue the citie of Wesseford with the appurtenances and seruices and to Robert de Poer his marshall he gaue the citie line 60 of Waterford and to Hugh Lacie he committed the safe keeping of the citie of Diueline And these persons to whome such gifts and assignations were made receiued othes of fealtie to beare their allegiance vnto him and to his sonne for those lands and possessions in Ireland in maner and forme as was requisite The cardinall Uiuian hauing dispatched his businesse in Ireland came backe into England and by the kings safe conduct returned againe into Scotland where in a councell holden at Edenburgh he suspended the bishop of Whiterne bicause he did refuse to come to that councell but the bishop made no account of that suspension hauing a defense good inough by the bishop of Yorke whose suffragane he was After the king had dissolued and broken vp his parlement at Oxenford he came to Marleborrough and there granted vnto Philip de Breause all the kingdome of Limerike for the seruice of fortie knights for Hubert and William the brethren of Reignold earle of Cornewall and Iohn de la Pumeray their nephue refused the gift thereof bicause it was not as yet conquered For the king thereof surnamed Monoculus that is with one eie who had held that kingdome of the king of England being latelie slaine one of his kinsemen got possession of that kingdome and held it without acknowledging any subiection to king Henrie nor would obeie his officers bicause of the losses and damages which they did practise against the Irish people without occasion as they alleadged by reason whereof the king of Corke also rebelled against the king of England and his people and so that realme was full of trouble The same season quéene Margaret the wife of king Henrie the sonne was deliuered of a man child which liued not past thrée daies In that time there was also through all England a great multitude of Iewes and bicause they had no place appointed them where to burie those that died but onelie at London they were constreined to bring all their dead corpses thither from all parts of the realme To ease them therfore of that inconuenience they obteined of king Henrie a grant to haue a place assigned them in euerie quarter where they dwelled to burie their dead bodies The same yeare was the bodie of S. Amphibulus the martyr who was instructor to saint Albone found not farre from the towne of S. Albones and there in the monasterie of that towne buried with great and solemne ceremonies In the meane time king Henrie passed ouer into Normandie hearing that the old grudge betwixt him king Lewes began to be renewed vpon this occasion that whereas king Henrie had receiued the French kings daughter Alice promised in mariage vnto his sonne Richard to remaine in England with him till she were able to companie with hir husband king Henrie being of a dissolute life and giuen much to the pleasure of the bodie a vice which was graffed in the bone and therefore like to sticke fast in the flesh for as it is said Quod noua testa capit inueterata sapit at leastwise as the French king suspected began to fantasie the yoong ladie and by such wanton talke and companie-kéeping as he vsed with hir he was thought to haue brought hir to consent to his fleshlie lust which was the cause wherefore he would not suffer his sonne to marrie hir being not of ripe yeares nor viripotent or mariable Wherefore the French king imagining vpon consideration of the other kings former loose life what an inconuenience infamie might redound to him and his bethought himselfe that Turpe senex miles turpe senilis amor and therefore déemed iustlie that such a vile reproch wrought against him in his bloud was in no wise to be suffered but rather preuented resisted withstood Herevpon he complained to the pope who for redresse thereof sent one Peter a preest cardinall intituled of saint Grisogone as legat from him into France with commission to put Normandie and all the lands that belonged to king Henrie vnder inderdiction if he would not suffer the mariage to be solemnized without delaie betwixt his sonne Richard and Alice the French kings daughter The king aduertised hereof came to a communication with the French king at Yurie vpon the 21. of September and there offered to cause the mariage to be solemnized out of hand if the French king would giue in marriage with his daughter the citie of Burges with all the appurtenances as it was accorded and also vnto his sonne king Henrie the countrie of Ueulgesine that is to say all the land betwixt Gisors and Pussie as he had likewise couenanted But bicause the French king refused so to doo king Henrie would not suffer his sonne
We neuer heard of any king that would not gladlie indeuor to withdraw his necke from bondage captiuitie but ours of his owne accord voluntarilie submitteth himselfe to become vassall to euerie stranger And thus the lords lamenting the case left the king and returned to London as before yee haue heard But the king disquieted not a little for that he was thus driuen to yéeld so farre vnto the barons notwithstanding as much as was possible he kept his purpose secret deuised by what means he might disappoint all that had beene doone and promised on his part at this assemblie betwixt him and the lords a pacification as yée haue heard Wherefore the next day verie late in the euening he secretlie departed to Southampton and so ouer into the I le of Wight where he tooke aduice with his councell what remedie he might find to quiet the minds of his lords and barons and to bring them vnto his purpose At length after much debating of the matter it was concluded by the aduise of the greater part that the king should require the popes aid therein And so Walter the bishop of Worcester Iohn the bishop of Norwich with one Richard Marish his chancellor with all speed were sent as ambassadors from the king vnto pope Innocent to instruct him of the rebellion of the English Nobilitie and that he constreined by force had granted them certeine lawes and priuileges hurtfull to his realme and preiudiciall to his crowne Moreouer sith that all this was doone by the authoritie of the pope the king besought him to make the same void and to command the barons to obeie him being their king as reason required they should There were also sent by him other messengers as Hugh de Boues and others into diuerse parts beyond the sea to bring from thence great numbers of men of war and souldiers appointing them to meet him at Douer at the feast of saint Michaell next insuing He sent likewise vnto all his chateleins and constables of castels within the realme requiring line 10 them to prouide themselues of all things necessarie for defense of the holds committed to their charge if they should chance to be besieged though it were on the next morrow His ambassadours and other messengers being thus dispatched and hauing but few persons left about him or in maner none except such of the bishop of Norwich his seruants as he had borowed of him he fell to take prises as any ships came by suspected not to be his fréends so séeking to win the fauour of line 20 the mariners that belonged to the cinke ports and so lay close in the I le of Wight and there about the sea-coasts for the space of thrée moneths togither In which meane time manie things were reported of him some calling him a fisher some a merchant and some a pirat and rouer And manie for that no certeine newes could be heard of him iudged that he was either drowned or dead by some other means But he still looking for some power to come ouer to his aid kept himselfe out of the way till the line 30 same should be arriued and dissembled the conceit of his reuenge and hart-grudge till opportunitie serued him with conuenient securitie to put the same in execution Wherein he shewed himselfe discréet and prouident and did as in such a case one wiseman dooth counsell another saieng sapiens irámque coërcet Saepè etiam vtiliter cedit placidÃsque furentem Demulcet dictis dulcibus allicit hostem Blanditijs donec deceptum in retia mittat The lords all this while lay at London and began line 40 to doubt the matter bicause they could heare no certeine newes where the king was become for doubting as I said the suertie of his person he conueied himselfe secretlie from one place to another lodging and taking his diet oftentimes more meanlie than was decent for his estate and still he longed to heare how his ambassadours sped with the pope who in the meane time comming vnto Rome and declaring their message at full tooke it vpon their solemne oth line 50 that the right was on the kings side and that the fault rested onelie on the lords touching the whole controuersie betweene them and him who sought with great rigour and against reason to bridle him at their pleasures They shewed also a note of certeine articles conteined in the charter which seemed to make most for the kings purpose and withall declared that the king in open assemblie where he and the barons met to talke of such matters had protested that the kingdome line 60 of England speciallie apperteined as touching the souereingtie vnto the church of Rome whervpon he neither could nor ought without knowledge of the pope to ordeine anie thing anew or change ought within that kingdome in preiudice thereof Wherefore whereas he put himselfe and all the rights of his kingdome by way of appealing vnder the protection of the apostolike sée the barons yet without regard had to the same appeale did seize into their possession the citie of London and getting them to armour inforced the king to confirme such vnreasonable articles as there appeared for him to consider The pope hauing heard their tale and considered of the articles with bending browes in witnesse of his indignation made foorthwith this short answer And is it so that the barons of England doo go about to expell their king which hath taken vpon him the crosse and is remaining vnder the protection of the apostolike sée And doo they meane indéed to translate the dominion that belongeth to the church of Rome vnto another By S. Peter we cannot suffer this iniurie to passe vnpunished Herevpon crediting the ambassadours words by the aduice of his cardinals he decréed that all those priuiledges which the king had granted vnto the lords and barons of this realme as inforced thereto by their rebellious attempt should be accounted void and of none effect Also he wrote vnto the lords admonishing them by his letters that they should obeie their king vpon paine of his cursse if they should attempt anie thing that sounded to the contrarie ¶ At the same time there was in the court of Rome as Hector Boetius saith a cardinall named Gualo or Wallo a verie couetous person and such a one as in that place some are neuer wanting which for monie passed not what he did further anie mans suit without regard either to right or wrong by whose chiefe trauell and means the pope was greatlie induced to fauour king Iohns cause and to iudge with him in preiudice of the lords purposes as before is expressed But to proceed The ambassadours being dispatched and hauing the popes prescript and such other his letters with them as they had obteined of him returned with all spéed into England vnto the king who was come a litle before vnto Windsore castell and there declared vnto him how they sped
like a sharpe rasor 3 Thou hast loued vngratiousnesse more than goodnesse and to talke of lies more than righteousnesse 4 Thou hast loued to speake all words that may doo hurt ô thou false toong 5 Therefore shall God destroie thee for euer he shall take thee and plucke thee out of thy dwelling and roote thee out of the land of line 20 the liuing 6 The righteous also shall see this and feare and shall laugh him to scorne 7 Lo this is the man that tooke not God for his strength but trusted vnto the multitude of his riches strengthned himselfe in his wickednesse On the same daie was Simon de Reading drawne and hanged on the same gallowes but ten foot lower than the other This Reading being marshall of the line 30 kings house had vsed the queene very vncourteouslie giuing hir manie reprochfull words which now were remembred and therefore may serue for an example how dangerous a thing it is to speake euill of the higher powers The common fame went that after this Hugh Spenser the sonne was taken he would receiue no sustenance wherefore he was the sooner put to death or else had he beene conueied to London there to haue suffered Iohn earle of Arundell was line 40 taken on S. Hughs day in the parts about Shrewesburie and the same day seuennight before the execution of the earle of Glocester Hugh Spenser the yoonger as well the said earle who had béene euer a great freend to both the Spensers as also Iohn Daniell and Thomas de Milcheldeure were put to death at Hereford by procurement of the lord Mortimer of Wigmore that hated them extreamelie by reason whereof they were not like to spéed much better for what he willed the same was doone and without him line 50 the queene in all these matters did nothing The chancellour Robert de Baldocke being committed to the custodie of Adam de Torleton bishop of Hereford remained at Hereford in safe kéeping till Candlemasse next and then the bishop being at London appointed him to be brought vp where not without the bishops consent as was thought he was taken out of his house by violence and laid in Newgate where shortlie after through inward sorow and extreame gréefe of mind he ended his life Thus the line 60 quéene and hir companie hauing compassed their businesse in so happie maner as they could wish she with hir sonne and a great companie of lords and gentlemen repaired vnto Wallingford where they kept Christmasse togither with great ioy and triumph the king in the meane while remaining as ye haue heard at Killingworth in a kind of honorable estate although he was prisoner ¶ After Christmasse the quéene with hir son and such lords as were then with them year 1327 remooued to London where at their comming thither which was before the feast of the Epiphanie they were receiued with great ioy triumph and large gifts and so brought to Westminster where the morrow after the same feast the parlement which before hand had beene summoned began in which it was concluded and fullie agréed by all the states for none durst speake to the contrarie that for diuerse articles which were put vp against the king he was not worthie longer to reigne and therefore should be deposed and withall they willed to haue his sonne Edward duke of Aquitaine to reigne in his place This ordinance was openlie pronounced in the great hall at Westminster by one of the lords on the feast day of saint Hilarie being tuesdaie to the which all the people consented The archbishop of Canturburie taking his theame Vox populi vox Dei made a sermon exhorting the people to praie to God to bestow of his grace vpon the new king And so when the sermon was ended euerie man departed to his lodging But the duke of Aquitaine when he perceiued that his mother tooke the matter heauilie in appearance for that hir husband should be thus depriued of the crowne he protested that he would neuer take it on him without his fathers consent and so therevpon it was concluded that certeine solemne messengers should go to Killingworth to mooue the king to make resignation of his crowne and title of the kingdome vnto his sonne There were sent on this message as some write thrée or as other haue two bishops two earles two abbats two or as Tho. de la More and Walsingham haue foure barons and for euerie countie citie and burrough and likewise for the cinque ports certeine knights and burgesses The bishops that were sent were these as T. de la More noteth Iohn de Stratford bishop of Winchester Adam de Torleton bishop of Hereford and Henrie bishop of Lincolne The two earles as Southwell hath were Lancaster and Warwike the two barons Rose and Courtney beside these as he saith there were two abbats two priors two iustices two friers of the order of preachers two of the Carmelits two knights for the commons on the north side of Trent and two for the other on the south side of the same riuer two citizens for London two burgesses for the cinque ports so as in all there went of this message as Southwell saith thrée and twentie or rather foure and twentie persons of one degree and other None of the frier minors went bicause they would not be the bringers of so heauie tidings sith he had euer borne them great good will The bishops of Winchester and Lincolne went before and comming to Killingworth associated with them the earle of Leicester of some called the earle of Lancaster that had the king in kéeping And hauing secret conference with the king they sought to frame his mind so as he might be contented to resigne the crowne to his sonne bearing him in hand that if he refused so to doo the people in respect of the euill will which they had conceiued against him would not faile but procéed to the election of some other that should happilie not touch him in linage And sâ—th this was the onlie meane to bring the land in quiet they willed him to consider how much he was bound in conscience to take that waie that should be so beneficiall to the whole realme The king being sore troubled to heare such displeasant newes was brought into a maruelous agonie but in the end for the quiet of the realme and doubt of further danger to himselfe he determined to follow their aâ—uise and so when the other commissioners were come and that the bishop of Hereford had declared the cause where 〈…〉 were sent the king in presence of them all notwithstanding his outward countenance discouered how much it inwardlie grieued him yet after 〈◊〉 â—as come 〈◊〉 himselfe he answered that he 〈◊〉 that he was 〈◊〉 into this miserie through his owne offensed and therefore he was contented patientlie to suffer it but yet it could not he said but gréene him that he had in such wise runne
wherby after their death the memorie of the founders might haue continuance he added manie sumptuous parts of the palace of Durham In the towne whereof he did also from the ground of most statelie stone erect a new gaole with the gate-house to the same in that place where of old it remained and then by iniurie of time fallen downe and consumed This man inioied the sée of Durham almost the whole time of thrée kings that is about six yeares and six moneths in the time of Henrie the fourth nine yeares and fiue moneths in the time of Henrie the fift and fifteene yeares in the time of Henrie the sixt during the gouernment of all which princes he was all his life time highlie estéemed and reuerenced for his singular wisedome and for the great authoritie he bare in publike betwéene whome and the maior of Newcastell arose great contention about a bridge called Tinebridge in the towne of Gateshed or Goteshed in Latine called Caput caprae But in the yeare of our redemption 1416 and of Henrie the fift the fourth and of his bishoprike the eleuenth this bishop had the recouerie thereof as appeareth by the letter of atturnie of the said bishop made to diuerse to take possession of the same The letter of atturnie wherby the bishop authorised diuerse to take possession of Tinebridge THomas Dei gratia episcopus Dunelmensis omnibus ad quos praesentes litterae peruenerint salutem Sciatis quòd assignauimus deputauimus dilectos fideles nostros Radulphum de Ewrie cheualier senescallum nostruÌ„ Dunelmiae Williamum Chanceler cancellarium infra comitatum libertatem Dunelmiae ac Williamum Claxton vicecomitem nostrum Dunelmiae coniunctim diuisim ad plenam pacificam seisinam de duabus partibus medieâ—atis cuiusdam pontis vocati Tinebridge in villa nostra de Gatesheued infra comitatum libertatem Dunelmiae existentis Quae quidem duae partes medietatis praedictae continent faciunt tertiam partem eiusdem pontis vsque austrum in praedicta villa de Gatesheued Super quas duas partes nuper maior communitas villae Noui castri super Tinam quandam turrim de nouo aedificare caeperuÌ„t quas quidem duas partes cum franchesijs iurisdictionibus iuribus regalibus super easdem duas partes medietatis praedictae nuper in curia domini regis versus maiorem communitatem dictae villae Noui castrire cuperauimus nobis successoribus nostris episcopis Dunelmiae in iure ecclesiae nostrae sancti Cuthberti Dunelmiae possidendas de vicecomite Westmerlandiae praetextu eiusdeÌ„ breuis dicti domini regis sibi directi nomine nostro recipiendas turrim praedictaÌ„ ad opus nostrum saluò securè custodieÌ„dam Ratum gratum habiturus quicquid ideÌ„ Radulphus Williamus Willielmus nomine nostro fecerint in praemissis In cuius rei testimonium has litteras nostras fierifecimus patentes Datum Dunelmiae line 10 per manus Williami Cancellarij nostri 26 Octobris anno pontificatus nostri vndecimo According wherevnto in the said yeare possession was deliuered in the presence of these persons whose names I thinke not vnmeet for their posterities cause to be remembred being persons of good credit and of antiquitie that is to saie Iohn Lomelie Rafe Ewraie Robert Hilton William Fulthrop William Tempest Thomas Suerties Robert Cogniers line 20 William Claxton shiriffe of Durham Robert de Egle Iohn Bertram Iohn Widerington and Iohn Middleton knights of Northumberland Christopher Morslie Will. Osmunderlaw knights of Westmerland and also in the presence of these esquiers Robert Hilton Robert Ewrie William Bowes Iohn Coniers William Lampton the elder Iohn de Morden William Lampton the yoonger Hugh Burunghell Iohn Britlie William Bellingham line 30 Robert Belthis Henrie Talboies Thomas Garbois Iohn de Hutton William Hutton Thomas Cooke of Fisburne and fiue others This bishop also procured certeine liberties from the pope in the church of Durham by vertue of which grant they which were excommunicate and might not inioy the priuilege of any sacraments in other places throughout the bishoprike should yet baptise their children in a font of that church in an especiall place appointed therefore and also receiue the other sacraments line 40 there to be administred vnto them He died the eight and twentith of Nouember in the yeare of our redemption 1437 and was buried in the church of Durham in the chanterie which he had before erected Before whose death at his manour of Holdon he builded all the west gates there of goodlie stone and lime with the chambers thereto belonging on which he placed his armes The duke of Orleance hauing leuied a mightie armie year 1407 had besieged the townes of Burge and Blaie in line 50 Gascoigne meaning with force to win the same but so it fortuned that for the space of eight wéekes togither there passed not one daie without tempest of raine snow and haile mixed with winds and lightnings which killed aswell men as cattell by reason whereof he lost as was reported six thousand men so that he was constreined to breake vp his camps from before both those townes and to get him awaie with dishonor for all his brags and boasts made at his first comming thither The sametime Henrie line 60 Paie and certeine other persons of the fiue ports with fiftéene ships tooke an hundred and twentie poises which laie at anchor in and about the coast of Britaine laden with iron salt oile Roâ—hell wines In this season also billes were set vp in diuerse places of London and on the doore of Paules church in which was conteined that king Richard being aline and in health would come shortlie with great magnificence power to recouer againe his kingdome but the contriuer of this deuise was quicklie found out apprehended and punished according to his demerits ¶ The citie of London this yeare in the summer was so infected with pestilent mortalitie that the king durst not repaire thither nor come neere to it Whervpon he being at the castell of Leeds in Kent and departing from thence tooke ship at Quinburgh in the I le of Shepie to saile ouer vnto Lée in Essex and so to go to Pâ—aschie there to passe the time till the mortalitie was ceassed As he was vpon the sea certeine French pirats which laie lurking at the Thames mouth to watch for some preie got knowledge by some meanes as was supposed of the kings passage and therevpon as he was in the middest of his course they entred among his fléet and tooke foure vessels next to the kings ship and in one of the same vessels sir Thomas Rampston the kings vicechamberlaine with all his chamber stuffe and apparell They followed the king so néere that if his ship had not béene swift he had landed sooner in France than in Essex but such was his good hap that he escaped and arriued at his appointed port The lord Camois that
occupie your lands cut downe your woods and destroie your manors letting your wiues and children range abroade for their liuing which persons for their penanâ—e and punishment I doubt not but God of his goodnes will ether deliuer into our hands as a great gaine and bootie or cause them being greeued and compuncted with the pricke of their corrupt consciences cowardlie to flie and not abide the battell Beside this I assure you that there be yonder in the great battell men brought thither for feare and not for loue souldiers by force compelled and not with good will assembled persons which desire rather the destruction than saluation of their maister and capteine and finallie a multitude whereof the most part will be our friends and the least part our enimies For truelie I doubt which is greater the malice of the soldiors toward their capteine or the feare of him conceiued of his people For suerlie this rule is infallible that as ill men dailie couet to destroie the good so God appointeth the good men to confound the ill And of all worldlie goods the greatest is to suppresse tyrants and releeue innocents whereof the one is as much hated as the other is beloued If this be true as clearkes preach who will spare yonder tyrant Richard duke of Glocester vntruelie calling himselfe king considering that he hath violated and broken both the lawes of God and man What vertue is in him which was the confusion of his brother and murtherer of his nephues What mercie is in him that sleieth his trustie freends as well as his extreame enimies Who can haue confidence in him which putteth diffidence in line 10 all men If you haue not read I haue heard good clearkes saie that Tarquine the proud for the vice of the bodie lost the kingdome of Rome and the name of Tarquine banished the citie for euer yet was not his fault so detestable as the fact of cruell Nero which slue his own mother and opened hir entrailes to behold the place of his line 20 conception Behold yonder Richard which is both Tarquine and Nero yea a tyrant more than Nero for he hath not onlie murthered his nephue being his king and souereigne lord bastarded his noble brethren and defamed the wombe of his vertuous and womanlie mother but also compassed all the meanes and waies that he could inuent how to defile and carnallie know his line 30 owne neece vnder the pretense of a cloked matrimonie which ladie I haue sworne and promised to take to my make and wife as you all know and beleeue If this cause be not iust and this quarell godlie let God the giuer of victorie iudge and determine We haue thanks be giuen to Christ escaped the secret treasons in Britaine and auoided the subtill snares of our fraudulent enimies there passed the line 40 troublous seas in good and quiet safegard and without resistance haue ouergone the ample region large countrie of Wales and are now come to the place which we so much desired for long we haue sought the furious bore and now we haue found him Wherefore let vs not feare to enter into the toile where we may suerlie sleie him for God knoweth that we haue liued line 50 in the vales of miserie tossing our ships in dangerous stormes let vs not now dread to set vp our full sailes in faire weather hauing with vs both God and good fortune If we had come to conquer Wales and had atchiued it our praise had beene great and our gaine more but if we win this battell the whole rich realme of England line 60 with the lords and rulers of the same shall be ours the profit shall be ours and the honour shall be ours Therefore labour for your gaine sweat for your right While we were in Britaine we had small liuings and little plentie of wealth or welfare now is the time come to get aboundance of riches and copie of profit which is the reward of your seruice and merit of your paines And this remember with your selues that before vs be our enimies and on either side of vs be such as I neither suerlie trust nor greatlie beleeue backeward we cannot flee so that heere we stand like sheepe in a fold circumuented and compassed betweene our enimies and our doutfull friends Therefore let all feare be set aside and like sworne brethren let vs ioine in one for this daie shall be the end of our trauell and the gaine of our labour either by honorable death or famous victorie and as I trust the battell shall not be so sowre as the profit shall be sweet Remember that victorie is not gotten with the multitudes of men but with the courages of hearts and valiantnesse of minds The smaller that our number is the more glorie is to vs if we vanquish if we be ouercome yet no laud is to be attributed to the victors considering that ten men fought against one And if we die so glorious a death in so good a quarell neither fretting time nor cancarding obliuion shall be able to darken or rase out of the booke of fame either our names or our godlie attempt And this one thing I assure you that in so iust and good a cause and so notable a quarrell you shall find me this daie rather a dead carrion vpon the cold ground than a free prisoner on a carpet in a ladies chamber Let vs therefore fight like inuincible giants and set on our enimies like vntimorous tigers banish all feare like ramping lions And now aduance forward true men against traitors pitifull persons against murtherers true inheritors against vsurpers the scourges of God against tyrants Displaie my banner with a good courage march foorth like strong and robustious champions and begin the battell like hardie conquerors The battell is at hand and the victorie approcheth and if we shamefullie recule or cowardlie flee we and all our sequele be destroied and dishonored for euer This is the daie of gaine and this is the time of losse get this daie victorie and be conquerors and leese this daies battell and be villaines And therefore in the name of God and S. George let euerie man couragiouslie aduance foorth his standard These chéerefull words he set foorth with such gesture of his bodie smiling countenance as though alreadie he had vanquished his enimies and gotten the spoile He had scatlie finished his saieng but the one armie spied the other Lord how hastilie the soldiers buckled their healmes how quicklie the archers bent their bowes and frushed their feathers how readilie the bilmen shooke their billes and prooued their staues readie to approach and ioine when the terrible trumpet should sound the bloudie blast to victorie or death Betwéene both armies there was a great marish then but at this present by reason of diches cast it is growne to be firme ground which the earle of Richmond left on his right hand for this intent that it should
of the chandrie with seare cloths the yeoman of the skullerie with a pan of fire to heate the irons a chafer of water to coole the ends of the irons and two formes for all officers to set their stuffe on the sergeant of the cellar with wine ale and béere the yeoman of the yewrie in the sergeants stead who was absent with bason ewre and towels Thus euerie man in his office readie to doo the execution there was called foorth sir William Pickering knight marshall to bring in the said Edmund Kneuet and when he was brought to the bar the chiefe iustice declared to him his trespasse and the said Kneuet confessing himselfe to be giltie humblie submitted him to the kings mercie for this offense he was not onelie iudged to lose his hand but also his bodie to remaine in prison and his lands and goods at the kings pleasure Then the said sir Edmund Kneuet desired that the king of his benigne grace would pardon him of his right hand and take the left for quoth he if my right hand be spared I maie hereafter doo such good seruice to his grace as shall please him to appoint Of this submission and request the iustices foorthwith informed the king who of his goodnesse considering the gentle heart of the said Edmund and the good report of the lords granted him his pardon that he should lose neither hand lands nor goods but should go frée at libertie The lord Leonard Greie being indicted of certeine points of treason by him committed as was alledged against him during the season that he was the kings lieutenant in Ireland to wit for deliuering his nephew Girald Fitzgerard brother vnto Thomas Fitzgerard before executed and also for that he caused certeine Irishmen to inuade the lands of the kings friends whome he fauoured not on the fiue and twentith of Iune he was arreigned at Westminster in the kings bench and appointed to be tried by knights because he was a lord by name and no lord of the parlement but he discharged the iurie and confessed the indictement wherevpon he had iudgement and on the eight and twentith of Iune being saint Peters euen he was beheaded at tower hill where he ended his life verie quietlie and godlie This noble man as he was come of high linage so was he a right valiant and hardie personage hauing in his time doone his prince and countrie good seruice both in Ireland France and other places greatlie to his commendation although now his hap was thus to loose his head as conuicted by law and his renowme ouercast with a cloud of disgrace vanished as future chances befell to the abolishing of the present honor which sometime he inioied Howbeit his estimation he might haue preserued vnblemished had prouident circumspection vndertaken the direction of his dooings and that he had borne his eies in his forehead to foresee all afterclaps which a wise man will in no case neglect line 10 Nam sapiens in fronte oculos habet omnia spectans Omnia prudenti cum ratione videns The same daie that he suffered there was executed at saint Thomas Waterings thrée gentlemen Iohn Mantell Iohn Frowds and george Roidon they died for a murther committed in Sussex as their indictement imported in companie of Thomas Fines lord Dacres of the south The truth whereof was thus The said lord Dacres through the lewd persuasion of some of them as hath béene reported line 20 meaning to hunt in the parke of Nicholas Pelham esquire at Laughton in the same countie of Sussex being accompanied with the said Mantell Frowds and Roidon Iohn Cheinie and Thomas Isleie gentlemen Richard Middleton and Iohn Goldwell yeomen passed from his house of Hurstmonseux the last of Aprill in the night season toward the same parke where they intended so to hunt and comming vnto a place called Pikehaie in the parish of Hillingleie they found one Iohn Busbrig Iames Busbrig and Richard Sumner standing togither and line 30 as it fell out through quarelling there insued a fraie betwixt the said lord Dacres and his companie on the one partie and the said Iohn and Iames Busbrig and Richard Sumner on the other insomuch that the said Iohn Busbrig receiued such hurt that he died thereof the second of Maie next insuing Wherevpon as well the said lord Dacres as those that were there with him and diuerse other likewise that were appointed to go an other waie to méet line 40 them at the said parke were indicted of murther and the seauen and twentith of Iune the lord Dacres himselfe was arreigned before the lord Audleie of Walden then lord chancellor sitting that daie as high steward of England with other péeces of the realme about him who then and there condemned the said lord Dacres to die for that transgression And afterward the nine and twentith of Iune being saint Peters daie at eleuen of the clocke in the forenoone the shiriffs of London accordinglie as they line 50 were appointed were readie at the tower to haue receiued the said prisoner and him to haue lead to execution on the tower hill But as the prisoner should come forth of the tower one Heire a gentleman of the lord chancellors house came and in the kings name commanded to staie the execution till two of the clocke in the afternoone which caused manie to thinke that the king would haue granted his pardon But neuerthelesse at three of the clocke in the same afternoone he was brought forth of the tower line 60 and deliuered to the shiriffs who lead him on foot betwixt them vnto Tiburne where he died His bodie was buried in the church of saint Sepulchers He was not past foure and twentie yéeres of age when he came through this great mishap to his end for whome manie sore lamented and likewise for the other thrée gentlemen Mantell Frowds and Roidon But for the sad yoong lord being a right towardlie gentleman and such a one as manie had conceiued great hope of better proofe no small mone and lamentation was made the more indéed for that it was thought he was induced to attempt such follie which occasioned his death by some light heads that were then about him The first of Iulie a Welshman a minstrell was hanged and quartered for singing of songs which were interpreted to be prophesies against the king This summer the king tooke his progresse to Yorke and passed through Lincolneshire where was made to him an humble submission by the temporaltie and confessing their faults they humblie thanked him for his pardon which he had granted them The towne of Stanford gaue to him twentie pounds the citie of Lincoln fortie pounds Boston fiftie pounds that part of the shire which is called Linscie gaue thrée hundred pounds and Kesterne and the church of Lincolne presented him with fiftie pounds At his entring into Yorkeshire he was met with two hundred gentlemen of the same shire in cotes of veluet and foure
how prone the people are to rise by routs vpon occasions of discontentments how hastie and headie to vndertake dangerous enterprises how wilfull and obstinate to persist in their pernicious proceedings how cold-harted and hopelesse when they see the course of their plots of perilous policie line 60 either interrupted vndermined or ouerthrowne and finallie what a reprochfull reward redoundeth both to the ringleaders in rebellions as also what falleth to the shares of all such as shake hands and become confederats to the furthering and strengthening of riots mutinies insurrections commotions and hurlieburlies Wherby the state is disquieted that more is the prince drawne into a conceipt of suspecting his subiects loialties besides a wicked president to posterities without feare of shame remorse of conscience regard to allegiance or foresight of afterclaps to attempt the like Now it resteth that for the further truth and knowledge hereof we adde a new report new I meane in respect of the publication hauing not heretofore béene printed though old enough and sufficientlie warranted by the reporter who vpon his owne notice hath deliuered no lesse in writing than himselfe vpon verie good and infallible grounds obserued and hath left testified in the discourse following wherein there is not one word either added or inuerted but all things from point to point agreeable to the written copie The description of the citie of Excester and of the sundrie assaults giuen to the same collected and gathered by Iohn Vowell alias Hooker gentleman and chamberleine of the same Excester or Exceter is a famous and an ancient citie being the metropole and Emporium of the west parts of England situated and lieng in the prouince sometime called Dumnonia that is to saie the countrie of vallies for whereas are manie hilles as that countrie is full of hilles and mounteins there are manie vallies But neâ—â— corruptlie it is named Deuonia or Deuonshire and not Daneshire of the Danes as some would haue it Of the first foundation thereof by reason of the sundrie inuasions of forren nations who with their hostilities and cruell warres did burne and destroie the same there remaineth no certeine memoriall neither among the records of the said citie ne yet in anie one other writer But most certeine it is that it was first builded and founded by the Britons or Brutes For the names which they gaue and vsed are yet at this present had in remembrance as well among the chronographers of this land as also among the Cornish people who were sometimes one with this prouince but now in a countie of themselues and next bordering to this and in the same diocesse And they are the remanent of the bloud of Brutus For when Cadwallader king of this land by reason of a great famine and pestilence was driuen to forsake the same to flie into little Britaine named Armorica which is now vnder the dition of the French king diuers the most part of his people fled some into Wales and some into Cornwall where euer since they and after them their posteritie haue remained and continued The old chronographers searchers and writers of antiquities doo find that this citie was called Corinia and thereof the cathedrall church of the same was as Bale saith named Ecclesia Coriniensis which name if it were first giuen by Corinus as Leland writeth who after the arriuall of Brutus into this land was made the first duke of this whole west countrie of Deuon and Cornewall which were both comprised vnder the name of Corinia and wherof this citie euer hath beene and is the metropole and alwaies parcell sometime of the kingdome then of the duchie and after of the earledome and now againe of the duchie of Cornwall then out of doubt this citie is of no lesse antiquitie than the said names doo import It was also called Augusta Of this name there were diuerse cities so named by the Romans but this onelie was named Augusta Britannorum and so called as some thinke by the Romans at the conclusion of the peace made at the siege of this citie betwéene king Aruiragus and Uespasian coronell of the Romane armie vnder Claudius Augustus The Britons in their toong or language doo call this citie by sundrie names the first and eldest in remembrance is cair Penhulgoile that is to saie the prosperous chiefe towne in the wood as dooth appeere by Geffreie of Monmouth and Ponticus Virunnius It was also called Pennehaltecaire that is the chiefe citie or towne vpon the hill as dooth appéere in a trauerse betweene the bishop deane and chapiter of this citie of the one partie and the maior bailiffe and communaltie of the other partie concerning their liberties But the names which the Cornish people doo at these presents remember reteine are speciallie thrée Pennecaire Caireruth Caireiske Pennecaire line 10 signifieth and is to saie the chéefe citie Caireruth signifieth the red or reddish citie so called and taking the name of the ground and soile wherevpon it is situated which is a red earth Caireiske is the citie of Iske being so called of the riuer which the Britons name Iske and flotesh fast by the same And of this name Houeden in his chronicle maketh mention saieng thus Anno Domini 877 exercitus Danorum ab Wareham nocte quadam foedere dirupto ad Exeancestre diuerterunt quod Britannicè dicitur Caireiske line 20 Ptolomeus the famous astronomer who was about the yéere of our Lord 162 Coell being king of this land nameth this citie Isca and the riuer Isaca And Bale the searcher of antiquities following the same opinion dooth also name the citie Isca and the inhabitants therein Iscans But vnder correction be it spoken a man maie well thinke that Ptolomeus being in Alexandria and so farre distant from this land was misinformed or the print mistaken For it is most likelie that the riuer should be named Isca according to the British spéech wherein line 30 it was called Isca and which name by transposing of the two middle letters dooth at this present remaine being now named Icsa or Era. But whatsoeuer the censures and opinions of Ptolomeus and of Bale who wrote onelie vpon report be herein it is certeine that the names which the Brutes or Britons gaue were of longest continuance And this citie was called by their denominations by the space of fiftéene hundred yéeres vntill the comming line 40 of the Saxons the Picts and the Scots into this realme which was about the yéere of our Lord foure hundred and fiftie For they where and whensoeuer they preuailed in anie place did for the most part alter and change the names of all places townes accounting it a great renowme as also a perpetuall memoriall of their chiualrie to giue new names either of their owne deuises or of their owne natiue countries for so is it writen of them Picti Scoti Angli Daci Normanni in hac insula rerum
of religion but onelie of that which by their bloud and death in the fire they did as true martyrs testifie A matter of an other sort to be lamented in a christian charitie with simplicitie of words and not with puffed eloquence than the execution in this time of a verie few traitors who also in their time if they excéeded thirtie yeares of age had in their baptisme professed and in their youth had learned the same religion which they now so bitterlie oppugned And besides that in their opinions they differ much from the martyrs of quéene Maries time for though they which suffered in queene Maries time continued in the profession of the religion wherein they were christened and as they were perpetuallie taught yet they neuer at their death denied their lawfull quéene nor mainteined anie of hir open and forren enimies nor anie procured rebellion or ciuill warre nor did sow anie sedition in secret corners nor withdrew anie subiects from their obedience as these sworne seruants of the pope haue continuallie doone And therefore all these things well considered there is no doubt but all good subiects within the realme doo manifestlie sée and all wauering persons not being led cleane out of the waie by the seditious will hereafter perceiue how they haue béene abused to go astraie And all strangers but speciallie all christian potentats as emperours kings princes and such like hauing their souereigne estates either in succession hereditarie or by consent of their people being acquainted with the verie truth of these hir maiesties late iust and necessarie actions onelie for defense of hir selfe hir crowne and people against open inuadours and for eschewing of ciuill warres stirred vp by rebellion will allow in their owne like cases for a truth and rule as it is not to be doubted but they will that it belongeth not vnto a bishop of Rome as successour of saint Peter and therein a pastour spirituall or if he were the bishop of all christendome as by the name of pope he claimeth first by his bulles or excommunications in this sort at his will in fauour of traitors and rebels to depose anie souereigne princes being lawfullie inuested in their crownes by succession in bloud or by lawfull election and then to arme subiects against their naturall lords to make warres and to dispense with them for their oths in so dooing or to excommunicat faithfull subiects for obeieng of their naturall princes lastlie himselfe to make open warre with his owne souldiers against princes moouing no force against him For if these high tragicall powers should be permitted to him to exercise then should no empire no kingdome no countrie no citie or towne be possessed by anie lawfull title longer than one such onelie an earthlie man sitting as he saieth in saint Peters chaire at Rome should for his will and appetite without warrant from God or man thinke méet and determine an authoritie neuer chalenged by the Lord of lords the sonne of God Iesus Christ our onelie Lord and sauiour and the onelie head of his church whilest he was in his humanitie vpon the earth nor yet deliuered by anie writing or certeine tradition from saint Peter from whome the pope pretendeth to deriue all his authoritie nor yet from saint Paule the apostle of the gentils but contrariwise by all preachings precepts and writings conteined in the gospell and other scriptures of the apostles obedience is expresselie commanded vnto all earthlie princes yea euen vnto kings by especiall name and that so generallie as no person is excepted from such dutie of obedience as by the sentence of saint Paule euen to the Romans appeareth Omnis anima sublimioribus potestatibus sit subdiâ—a that is Let euerie soule be subiect to the higher powers within the compasse of which law or precept saint Chrysostome being bishop of Constantinople writeth that Euen apostles prophets euangelists and moonks are comprehended And for proofe of saint Peters mind herein from whome these popes claime their authoritie it can not be plainelier expressed than when he writeth line 10 thus Proinde subiecti estote cuiuiâ— huâ—ane ordinationi propter Dominum siue regi vt qui superâ—mâ—eâ—a siue praesidibus ab eo missis that is Therefore be you subiect to euerie humane ordinance or creature for the Lord whether it be to the king as to him that is supereminent or aboue the rest or to his presidents sent by him By which two principall apostles of Christ these popes the pretensed successors but chieflie by that which Christ the sonne of God the onelie maister of truth said to Peter and his fellow apostles Reges gentium line 20 dominantur vos autem non sic that is The kings of the gentils haue rule ouer them but you not so maie learne to forsake their arrogant and tyrannous authorities in earthlie and temporall causes ouer kings and princes and exercise their pastorall office as saint Peter was charged thrise at one time by his Lord and maister Pasce oues meas Féed my shéepe and peremptorilie forbidden to vse a sword in saieng to him Conuerte gladium tuum in locum suum or Mitte gladium tuum in vaginam that is Turne thy line 30 sword into his place or Put thy sword into the scabbard All which precepts of Christ and his apostles were dulie followed and obserued manie hundred yeares after their death by the faithfull and godlie bishops of Rome that dulie followed the doctrine and humilitie of the apostles and the doctrine of Christ and were holie martyrs and thereby dilated the limits of Christs church and the faith more in the compasse of an hundred yeares than the latter popes haue line 40 doone with their swords and cursses these fiue hundred yeares and so continued vntill the time of one pope Hildebrand otherwise called Gregorie the seuenth about the yeare of our Lord one thousand thrée score and fourtéene who first began to vsurpe that kind of tyrannie which of late the late pope called Pius Quintus and since that time Gregorie now the thirteenth hath followed for some example as it séemeth that is where Gregorie the seuenth in the yeare of our Lord one thousand thrée score and line 50 fourtéene or thereabout presumed to depose Henrie the fourth a noble emperor then being Gregorie the thirtéenth now at this time would attempt the like against king Henrie the eights daughter and heire quéene Elisabeth a souereigne and a maiden quéene holding hir crowne immediatlie of God And to the end it may appeare to princes or to their good councellors in one example what was the fortunat successe that God gaue to this good christian emperor Henrie against the proud pope Hildebrand line 60 it is to be noted that when the pope Gregorie attempted to depose this noble emperor Henrie there was one Rodulph a noble man by some named the count of Reenfield that by the popes procurement vsurped the name of the emperor who was ouercome by the
authorities of this kind the number being so great as that they would fill vp Erotostthenes siue and to saie somewhat of seueritie that by opposition of countrie to countrie in that respect we maie sée the great difference betwéene ours and theirs It is seueritie to flea men quicke to chaine them aliue to a stake in such sort as they maie run round line 60 thereabout the fier inuironing them on all sides it is seueritie to haue collops of flesh pluckt from the bodie with hot burning tongs it is seueritie to be cast downe from a stéepe place starke naked vpon sharpe stakes it is seueritie to be torne in péeces with wild horsses and to haue the bones broken vpon a whéele All these be extremities of torments awarded by law and at this daie practised in forren regions for treason and sometime for crimes of nothing so dangerous a nature Finallie if we confer the seueritie of this execution exercised vpon rebellious and traitorous subiects in a superlatiue degree of disloialtie with that of other nations commonlie vsed namelie in principall affaires which concerne peace and warre and matters of gouernment to accept theseruice of runnagate slaues to place them in authoritie to change or depose at pleasure anie whatsoeuer yea to strangle them vpon the least suspicion or dislike our seueritie is clemencie For in this is ripe reason and iudiciall processe in the other will without wit as commonlie they saie Omnia pro imperio nihil pro officio And therefore we conclude that ingratitude being counted vnnaturall and treason a vice vomited out of hell mouth linked togither with manie knots of other shamefull sinnes and all concurring in the hearts and liues of these outragious conspirators as in a centre whie should it be thought seueritie to haue iustice iustlie administred that traitors should be drawne vpon hurdels strangled in a halter cut downe aliue dismembred their bellies ripped their bowels taken out and burned their heads chopt from their shoulders their bodies clouen in foure quarters and set ouer the gates of London for the foules of the aire to féed vpon at full Unto which fowle end maie all such come as meane anie mischiefe against good quéene Elisabeth the lords of hir highnesse councell the bodie politike of the land the slander or innouation of true religion c wherein God make prince and people of one mind and plant in all subiects a reuerend regard of obedience and contentment of present estate supported with iustice and religion least longing after nouelties it fare with them as with the frogs who liuing at libertie in lakes and ponds would néeds as misliking their present intercommunitie of life with one consent sue to Iupiter for a king and so did Whereat he woondering granted their desires and cast them an huge trunke of a trée which besides that it made a great noise in the water as it fell to their terrifieng so it was cumbersome by taking vp their accustomed passage insomuch that discontented therewithall they assaulted Iupiter with a fresh petition complaining that besides diuerse mislikes otherwise the king whom he gaue them was but a senselesse stocke and vnworthie of obedience wherefore it would please him to appoint them another indued with life Wherevpon Iupiter sent the herne among them who entring into the water deuoured vp the frogs one after another insomuch that the residue séeing their new king so rauenouslie gobling vp their fellowes lamentablie wéeping besought Iupiter to deliuer them from the throte of that dragon and tyrant But he of purpose vnchangeable made them a flat answer that will they nill they the herne should rule ouer them Whereby we are taught to be content when we are well and to make much of good quéene Elisabeth by whom we enioie life and libertie with other blessings from aboue beséeching God we maie sée a consummation of the world before the scepter of the kingdome be translated to another For as the prouerbe saith seldome commeth the better But to the purpose this execution being dispatched and the testimonies thereof dispersed and visible in diuerse places about the citie as at London bridge where the traitors heads were ranged into their seuerall classes manie rimes ballads and pamphlets were set foorth by sundrie well affected people wherein bréefelie were comprised the plot of their conspiracie the names of the traitors and their successiue suffering which growing common and familiar both in citie and countrie were chanted with no lesse alacritie courage of the singer than willinglie and delightfullie listened vnto of the hearer So that what by one meane and what by another all England was made acquainted with this horrible conspiracie not so much admiring the maner of the mischéefes intended as comforted that hir highnesse had the holie hand of God ouershadowing hir the surest protection that prince or people can haue against perill So that England is replenished with faithfull and louing subiects though here and there like darnell among wheate lurke a viper or aspe waiting opportunitie to bite or sting Now to make a complet discourse of all these heauie tragicall accidents hauing thus far continued line 10 much important matter concerning the same the reader is with due regard to peruse the addition following wherein is argument of aggrauation touching these treasons which being aduisedlie read considered and conferred with the former narration will yéeld as sound pithie and effectuall information for the knowledge of the conspirators purposed plot as anie subiect would desire and more than without gréefe or teares anie true English heart can abide to read or heare Where by the waie is to be line 20 noted that Marie the Scotish Q. was a principall It is apparant by the iudiciall confessions of Iohn Ballard preest Anthonie Babington and their confederats that the said Iohn Ballard being a preest of the English seminarie at Rheims in Lent past after he and sundrie other Iesuits and preests of his sect had trauelled throughout all parts almost of this realme labored to their vttermost to bréed in hir maiesties subiects an inclination to rebell against hir he went into France and there treated line 30 and concluded with Barnardino de Mendoza the Spanish ambassador resiant at Paris with Charles Paget Thomas Morgan two English fugitiues and inexcusable traitors for an inuasion to be made by forren forces into this kingdome And because no assurance could then be made vnto Mendoza for the interteining assisting and good landing of those whome the king his maister the pope and the house of Guise should dispatch for that seruice he sent the said Ballard into England at Whitsuntide last line 40 with expresse charge to informe the catholikes that for sundrie important considerations the king his maister had vowed vpon his soule to reforme England or to loose Spaine and for that purpose had in readinesse such forces warlike preparations as the like was neuer séene in
well affected towards some good conclusion by treatie to be had of a full and perfect peace About the same time by the king with the aduise of his councell proclamation was made and published at London that all beneficed men abiding in the court of Rome being Englishmen borne should returne home into England before the feast of S. Nicholas vnder paine to forfeit all their benefices and such as were not beneficed vnder a paine likewise limited The Englishmen hearing such a thunder clap a farre off fearing the blow left the popes court and returned into their natiue soile The pope troubled with such a rumbling noise sent in all hast as abbat as his nuncio vnto the king of England as well to vnderstand the causes of this proclamation as of statutes deuised and made latelie in parlement against those that prouided themselues of benefices in the court of Rome by the popes buls which séemed not a little preiudiciall to the church of Rome in consideration whereof the said nuncio required that the same statutes might be repealed and abolished so farre as they tended to the derogation of the church liberties but if the same statutes were not abolished the pope might not said his nuncio with a safe conâ—â—ience otherwise doo than procéed against them that made those statutes in such order as the canons did appoint Moreouer the said nuncio declared to the king certeine dangerous practises betwixt the antipape and the French king as to make the duke of Touraine the French kings brother king of Tuscane and Lombardie and to establish the duke of Aniou in the kingdome of Sicile Moreouer he gaue the king to vnderstand that if the French king might compasse by the antipapes meanes to be chosen emperour he would séeke to vsurpe vpon ech mans right and therefore it stood the line 10 king of England chieflie in hand to prouide against such practises in time And as for the treatie of peace which the Frenchmen séemed so much to fauour it was to none other end but that vpon agreement once had they might more conuenientlie compasse their purpose in the premisses Furthermore the nuncio earnestlie besought the king of aid in the popes behalfe against the French king if as he threatned to doo he should inuade him in Italie with open force The king séemed to giue fauourable eare vnto line 20 the nuncio and after aduise taken appointed to staie till after Michaelmasse at what time a parlement was appointed to be assembled wherein such things as he had proponed should be weied and considered and some conclusion taken therein About this time or in the yeare 1391 according to Henrie Knightons account there was a prophane statute made against the church churchmen namelie that no ecclesiasticall person or persons should possesse manors glebeland houses possessions lands line 30 reuenues or rents whatsoeuer at the hands of the feoffer without the kings licence the chiefe lords And this statute extended it selfe as well to parish-churches chappels chanteries as abbeies priories other monasteries whatsoeuer likewise to citizens of cities to farmers burgesses hauing such rents or possessions for the common profit For men in those daies that would bestow land or liuelod vpon church fraternitie or conuent and were notable for cost and charges to procure a mortmane vnder the line 40 kings licence and chiefe lords were woont to feoffe some speciall men in whom they had confidence and trust vnder whose name and title churchmen or anie other fraternitie or conuent might inioy the profit of the gift and might haue the commoditie thereof in possession And it was prouided by that statute that all and euerie as well persons ecclesiasticall as parishioners both citizens burgesses and farmers or anie other whatsoeuer hauing such rents possessions manors or anie reuenues whatsoeuer in the hands line 50 of such feoffers without the licence of the king and chiefe lords that either they should obteine and get a licence of the king and the chiefe lords to make it a mortmaine or else set such things to sale raise profit of them on this side or before the feast of Michaelmasse next insuing or the said feast being past and expired that then the king and the chiefe lords in things not ordered and disposed accordinglie may enter and seize vpon the same and them haue and hold at his and their pleasure line 60 About the same time the duke of Glocester went into Prutzen land to the great griefe of the people that made account of his departure as if the sunne had beene taken from the earth doubting some mishap to follow to the common wealth by his absence whose presence they thought sufficient to stay all detriments that might chance for in him the hope of the commons onelie rested In his returne home he was sore tormented with rough weather and tempestuous seas At length he arriued in Northumberland and came to the castell of Tinmouth as to a sanctuarie knowen to him of old where after he had refreshed him certeine daies he tooke his iournie homewards to Plaschie in Essex bringing no small ioy for his safe returne to all the kingdome ¶ On the ninth of Iulie the sunne séemed darkened with certeine grosse and euill fauored clouds comming betwixt it and the earth so as it appeared ruddie but gaue no light from noone till the setting thereof And afterwards conâ—â—nualliâ— for the space of six weeks about the middest of the daie clouds customablie rose and sometimes they continued both daie and night not vanishing awaie at all ¶ At the same time such a mortalitie and death of people increased in Northfolke and in manie other countries of England that it seemed not vnlike the season of the great pestilence In the citie of Yorke there died eleuen thousand within a short space ¶ Henrie Persie earle of Northumberland lieutenant of Calis was called home from that charge and created warden of the marches against Scotland and Robert Mowbraie was sent to Calis to be the kings lieutenant there On friday next after All soules day the parlement began at London in which the knights would in no wise agrée that the statute made against spirituall men for the prouiding themselues of benefices in the court of Rome should be repealed but yet they agréed thus much that it should be tollerated so as with the kings licence such spirituall men might purchase to themselues such benefices till the next parlement ¶ In this parlement aforsaid there was granted vnto our lord the king one tenth of the clergie and one fiftéenth of the people towards the expenses of Iohn duke of Lancaster who in Lent next following went ouer into France to the citie of Amiens for a finall peace betweene the kingdoms of England and France where the king of France met him with a shew of great pompe and honor sending before him first of all to welcome him thither the citizens of
the same citie on horssebacke in a verie great number Then afterwards he sent earles and barons a great manie to the same end then his two vncles last of all went the king himselfe to meet him and saluting him called him by the name of The most worthie warrior of all christendome the inuincible woorthinesse of the king onelie excepted And the duke had seauentéene daies by couenant to compasse this treatie of peace at last he returned hauing attendant vpon him in his traine the bishop of Durham and the sonne of the duke of Yorke the earle of Rutland with a thousand horssemen set foorth in a woonderfull sumptuous sort with goodlie furniture ¶ Also conditionallie a whole tenth and a whole fiftéenth were granted to him if it chanced that he made anie iournie that yeare against the Scots ¶ In this yeare the duke of Gelderland sent to the king of England letters of commendation praise wherein also were prouocations and stirrings vp to warre and warlike actiuitie and to the exercise of kinglie noblenesse the tenor whereof followeth The tenor of the said dukes letter to king Richard MAgnifice princeps innata vobis probitas prudentum consilia vt opinamur simul agerent in officium quòd singula haereditaria iura quae ex natalitio vestram magnificant regiam maiestatem temporibus vestrae discretionis altissima prouidentia munirentur illaesa etsi quaeuis oppugnaret violentia clypeo militari studeat regalis industria fortiter defendere sua iura Et quòd vestram regiam personam coÌ„tingamus in affinitate ni vetet Deus ipse quin semper parati erimus vobis in vestris iuribus defendendis assistere cum duobus milibus lancearuÌ„ quando quotiens disponemini ad bellica conuolare Nec perire debeant iura propter verba aut prâ—missa quomodolibet ad hoc laborat versutia Gallicorum Sanè serenissime princeps in orbem volat fama nec ambigitur quòd propter lanam innumerabilia vestra singularia commoda sine quibus non viuit oriens neque auster regna singula in pecunijs vos salutant In comparatione igitur ad alios reges vobis confert Deus ipse diuitias centuplatas Probitas etiam militaris arcuum asperitas line 10 sine pari taliter huc vsque extulere gentem magnanimam occidentis quòd timor non paruus vestros inuadit aduersarios ad hunc diem impariter victoriosè dimicauit cum Gallicis Angliae gens austera In pusillanimitate igitur potenâ—issime princeps contra naturam non obdormiat cor leonis sed quales vobis contulit vires natura ipsas applicare dignemini actibus bellicosis in defensionem reipublicae iuris haereditarij sustentationem line 20 augmentúmque meriti incomparabiliter chronicabilem probitatem cordis magnanimi tanti regis The same letter in plaine phrase verbatim Englished by A. F. MOst mightie prince your roiall prowesse and the counsels of the line 30 sage should altogither as we thinke moue you in dutie by the most profound deepe foresight of your discretion in time to mainteine and defend all and singular your rights inheritance vnharmed which by birth doo magnifie and make great your roiall maiestie and if anie violence whatsoeuer gainstand assault the same your kinglie diligence should indeuor with the shield of a warrior valiantlie to defend your title line 40 and right And bicause we are neere you doo as it were touch your roiall person in aliance vnlesse God himselfe doo forbid and hinder vs we will alwaies be readie in all your rights to assist and aid you with two thousand pikes when and how often soeuer you shall be disposed to rush out to battell Your right ought not to be lost for words and promises howsoeuer the craftinesse of the French labor to this purpose line 50 Trulie most excellent prince your renowme doth flie into the world neither is it doubted but for your wooll sake and other your singular commodities being innumerable without the which the east and the south can not liue all realmes with their coines doo greet you In comparison therefore of other kings God himselfe hath bestowed vpon you riches a hundred fold Your warlike prowesse also the roughnesse line 60 of your bowes being peerelesse haue hitherto so extolled the couragious nation of the west that no small feare dooth inuade your aduersaries and to this day the sterne people of England haue none like them victoriouslie incountered with the French Therefore ô most puissant prince let not the hart of a lion sleepe in cowardlinesse against nature but what force and valiantnesse nature hath giuen you the same vouchsafe to put in practise with feats of armes in defense of your common wealth the maintenance of your right by inheritance the increase of your desert and the peerelesse prowesse of so great a kings couragious hart right worthie to be chronicled The price of corne that had continued at an high rate almost for the space of two yeares began to fall immediatlie after haruest was got in to the great reliefe of the poore which before through immoderate eating of nuts and apples fell into the disease called the flix whereof manie died and suerlie as was thought the death and dearth had beene greater if the commendable diligence of the lord maior of London had not béene in relieuing the commons by such prouision as he made for corne to be brought to London from the parties of beyond the seas where otherwise neither had the countrie béene able in anie thing to haue sufficed the citie nor the citie the countrie H. Knighton referreth this scarsitie to the yeare 1390 and maketh a large discourse both of the miseries which it brought with it as also of the cause whereby it was procured and of the notable meanes whereby the same in most places was remedied In this yeare saith he was a great dearth in all parts of England and this dearth or scarsitie of corne began vnder the sickle and lasted till the feast of saint Peter ad vincula to wit till the time of new corne This scarsitie did greatlie oppresse the people and chieflie the commoners of the poorer sort For a man might sée infants and children in stréets and houses through hunger howling crieng and crauing bread whose mothers had it not God wot to breake vnto them But yet there was such plentie and abundance of manie yeares before that it was thought and spoken of manie housekéepers and husbandmen that if the séed were not sowen in the ground which was hoordâ—d vp and stored in barnes lofts and garners there would be inough to find and susteine all the people by the space of fiue yeares following But the cause of this penurie was thought to be the want of monie in a great manie For monie in these daies was verie scant and the principall cause hereof was for that the wooll of the land lay a