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A00007 The Cronycles of Englonde with the dedes of popes and emperours, and also the descripcyon of Englonde; Saint Albans chronicle. Higden, Ranulf, d. 1364. Polycronicon. 1528 (1528) STC 10002; ESTC S108645 466,261 386

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Anicetū .ix. yere the whiche decreed that a Nōne sholde not touche the pall of the awter nor put in sence therto And that she sholde were a wymple about her heed And many peryls he sawe about matrymony therfore he ordeyned that no woman sholde be called a lefu●● wyfe but yf she were blissed of the preest ¶ Eleutherus a martyr was pope after Sother .xv. yere the whiche ordeyned that chrysten men sholde refuse no meet reasonable that was mānes meet Nota. Also that no man vnaccused in a cryme sholde be put from his dignite or his degre tyl he were cōuicted through ensample of Chryst that whiche kept styll Iudas Scaryoth not accused Chryst knewe hȳ gylty And what someuer he dyd amonge the apostles for the dignite of his seruyce abode fyrme stable This pope sent also legates vnto Lucye kyng of Britayn the whiche baptysed hym his people And Fagus and Domianus legates the whiche the pope sent fyrst ●rechc● in Englonde And this Chrystendom endured in Brytayne two hondred yere vnto the tyme of Dioclesian the emperour whā saynt Albon was martyred ¶ Marcus Antonius Lucius Comodus were emperours but Marcꝰ dyed anone Lucius Comodus regned Comodus was called profytable in scorne for he was to euery man vnprofytable he was gyuen vtterly to lechery many senatours christen men he made for to be slayne He dampned his own wyfe to deth for age he dyed a sodeyn deth with strouglyng amōge maydens ¶ Helius pertinax after this man was emperour vj. monethes was a man of grete discrecyon whome Iulian the grete lawyer slewe he entred the empyre was slayne the .vij. moneth of Seuerꝰ ¶ Victor a martyr was pope after Eleutheriū .x. yere for the discorde of the pascall tyme he called a coūseyle in Alexander where he was present the tyme many other where he decreed the eester daye sholde be kepte on the sonday but he must kepe the chaūge of the mone of Apryll that was to dyffre fro Iewes for many bysshops of the eest abode the tyme the same daye the iewes dyd halowe that feest Also he ordeyned that in tyme of nede children might be chrystened in euery place in euery water ¶ zepherinus a martyr a Romayne was pope after Victor .ix. yere This man ordeyned that chrystē people of .xij. yere of age aboue sholde receyue his god on eester daye ones in a yere Also he ordeyned that all the vessell of the awter shold be glasse or tynne not tree as in olde tyme the cōsecracyon of the gloryous blode was made in treue vessell And this tyme passed the worshyp of the chirche grewe glasen vessell were forbode vt pꝪ patet de cōse di pri ca. ¶ Origines the noble clarke was this tyme he wrote so moche that saynt Ierome sayd hȳselfe to haue redde of Origenes wer●es .iiij. M. volumes wtout pystles He translated the byble from hebrewe in to greke dyd many other grete thynges And of this Origene Samson Salomon and Traian is a grete questyon amonge doctours yf that they be dampned or saued Therfore those thynges that wtout peryll we be not boūden to knowe nor the chirche is not certyfyed of them therfore let them be all onely cōmytted vnto god ¶ Calistus a martyr a Romayn was pope after zepherinꝰ .v. yere and he ordeyned the c●●●tery in via apia where many a. M. martyrs be buryed Also he ordeyned the fast of the emerynge days to be kepte ¶ Antonius Aurelius was emperour .iij. yere And this man lacked no kynde of lechery at the last he was slayne amonge a grete multytude of people for his myscheuous lyuynge ¶ Antonius Marcus regned after him vij yere This man lyued obstynatly therfore he was slayne as was his predecessour ¶ Alexander was emperour after Antomꝰ regned .xiij. yere This man at the instaūce of his moder a chrysten woman the techynge of Origene the whiche came to Rome to cōuert her was made so good vnto chrysten men that he suffred them to haue theyr coūseyles and theyr prayers by themselfe but neuerthelesse in this tyme the cursed offycers of hym made many martyrs ¶ Anno domini CC .xliiii. VRbanus was pope after Calist viij yere old yonge he was very vertuous And all the halowed vessell of the chirche he made of golde or of syluer This man lefte his poperyche went to Agrippam and .xi. M. virgins with hym And the clargye sayd he left not his dignite for holynes but for appe tyte of those virgyns wrote hym not in the boke of popes And there he a virgyn was martyred with these virgyns ¶ Poncianus a martyr succeded Vrbanus he ordeyned that psalmes sholde be sayd daye nyght in the chirche of god And that a preest sholde saye Confiteor afore the masse ¶ Anteros a martyr was pope after this mā This man ordeyned that a bysshop myght be remeued from one to an other he made the lyfe of martyrs to be wryten he was slayne buryed in the Cimitery of saynt Calixte ¶ Maximianus was chosen emperour at Maguncia of the hoost not by the senatours regned thre yere destroyed the chirche myghtely was slayne for Origene ¶ Gordian regned after hym .vj. yere and of hym is lytell wryten but he was slayne Hijs diebus Celus dux Colchestrie in asclepio regnat in Britannia annis quasi .xxx. vsque ad aduentū Constancij lati M. vacat ¶ Phylyp was emperour after Gordian this Philyp chose to hym Philyp his sone and they regned .vij. yere And they were the fyrst Emperours that were chrystened after slayne of the hoost They bequethed all theyr tresour at theyr deth that it sholde be dysposed to poore men And saynt Laurence at the assygnacyon of his mayster the pope departed this tresour about Rome the whiche was grete cause of his martyrdom vt qidē dicūt ¶ Dec●ꝰ was emperour .iij. yere in all thȳges a tyraūt For he entred the empyre whan he the hoost had slayne the two Philyps his lordes after that he was slayne with his sone ¶ Fabianꝰ a martyr a Romayn was pope after Anteros .xij. yere This was a very holy man for whan chrystē men stode to abyde the elecciō of the pope sodeynly a whyte doue or a culuer descended on his heed sayenge to hym thou shalt be pope of Rome This man ordeyned that creme euery yere sholde be halowed vpō sherthursday Also he deuyded regyons to dekens the whiche shold wryte the lyfe of martyrs And at the last Decius slewe hym ¶ Cornelius a martyr Romayn was pope after Fabianꝰ .iii. yere This man toke vp the bodyes of Peter Paule with grete honour put them in worshypfull places wt●tā Lucina ¶ Luciꝰ was pope after Cornelius .iij. yere of hym lytel is wrytē ¶ Gallus with his sone Volusianus were emperours two yere they
disposed in ydolatry ther fore our lorde suffred him to regne but a lytell tyme. Vt pꝪ patet .iij. regū et .ij. para ¶ Anno mūdi .iiij. M. ij C .xxv. Et ante Christi natiuitatem .ix. C. lxxiiij ASa the sone of Abdias regned xvj yere in the begynnynge of his regne he was a ryght wys man walked as Dauyd dyd he ouercame the Ethyopes destroyed ydolles But after that he was sworne to the kyng of Sirry Benedab for Baasa kyng of Israel than began warre agaynst hym y● whiche displeased god wherfore he sent hym y● prophete Anani whome he put in prison and therfore he had the gowte strongly dyed therof Vt ptꝪ patet .iij. regū .ij. para Azarias sone to Achonias was bysshop ¶ Nadab kyng of Israel regned two yere y● whiche began to regne the seconde yere of Asa kyng of Iewes dyd not as his fader And Baasa ouer threwe hym regned for hym Vt patet .iij. regum ¶ Baasa kyng of Israel regned .xxiiij. yere the whiche began to regne the thyrde yere of Asa kyng of Iewes he walked in the synnes of Iheroboam and slewe Iehen the prophete ¶ Hela the sone of Baasa regned in Israel two yere zamri slewe hym regned .vij. dayes ¶ Amri regned .xij. yere dyd nought as his predecessours dyd ¶ Acha sone to Amri regned on Israel xxij yere aboue all y● were afore hym he was cursed for wycked Iesabel ruled more than he and meued hym to folowe her Vt patet .iij. regum ¶ Of kyng Ebrac the whiche began to regne the .xv. yere of Dauyd and how he conquered fraunce THis Ebrac regned .lx. yere he was a stronge a myghty man through his myght helpe of his brytons cōquered all fraūce wanne there so moche gold sylue● y● whan h●came agayne in to this londe he made a ●●●e after his own name called it Ebrac y● is now called Euery wyk And this kyng made the castell of maydens that now is called Edenburgh This kyng had .xix. sones .xxiij. doughters by diuers womē goten and these sones were called as ye shall here Brute grenesheld Margand Seisell Morghwyth Flengha●● Bladud Iakȳ Kinbar Roselm Spadogh Godeherl Thormnan Gildaugh Iorkanghut Haibor Ketin Rother Kaier and Assaruth And the doughters hyght as foloweth Elegine ymogē Oghdas Guenbran Gnardich Augarel Guent hold Tāgustel Gorghō Michel Medhan Mailour Ondur Cābredan Ragan Renthely Neest Cheghan Skaldud Gladꝰ Heberhyn Abalaghe and Blandau these were the .xxiij. doughters And the bretherne became all good knyghtes worthy in many coūtrees ¶ Of kynge Brute greneshelde the fyrst sone of kynge Ebrac AFter y● deth of kynge Ebrac regned Brute greneshelde his sone xxx yere whiche was Ebracs first sone that well nobly regned whan tyme came he dyed and lyeth at yorke ¶ Of kynge Leyll that was Brute grenesheldes sone ANd whan kynge Brute grenesheld was deed regned his sone Leyll .xxij. yere and he made a fayre towne and let call it Karleyll after his owne name And he was a worthy man and well beloued of his people whan he had regned .xxij. yere he dyed lyeth at Karleyl ¶ And in this tyme regned kynge Salomon in Ierusalē made y● noble temple And to him came Sibelle quene of Saba for to here se yf it were soth y● mē spake of y● grete noble wytte wysdome of kyng Salomon And she foūde it sothe that men had her tolde ¶ Anno mūdi .iiij. M. ij C .lxvj. Et ante Christi natiuitatem .ix. C. xlij IOsaphat kynge of Iewes was a good man a ryche a deuout in the waye of our lord regned .xxv. yere and dyd none yll but to y● cursed kyng of Israel gaue helpe other lytel thȳges And therfore our lorde was with hym Vt pꝪ patet .ij. para ¶ Helyas the grete ꝓphete was this tyme an holy man that was lyfted vp in to paradyse with grete solace in a chayre Marcheas Abdias prophecyed with hym ¶ Ochosias sone of Achab regned in Israel two yere and sente to Belsabub god of Acharan to be heled for the whiche he dyed after y● sayenge of Helye Vt patet .iiij. regum ¶ Of kynge Lud Ludibras that was kynge Leyles sone ANd this kynge Lud Ludibras made the cite of Caunterbury Wynchestre he regned .xxxix. yere than he dyed lyeth at Wynchestre ¶ Of kynge Bladud that was Ludibras sone how he regned and was a good man and a nygromancer AFter this Lud ludibras regned Bladud his son● a grete nygromancer through his craste of nygromā●y he made a meruaylous hote bath as the Iest telleth and he regned .xxj. yere and lyeth at newe Troye ¶ Anno mundi .iiij. M. ij C lxxxxj Et ante Christi natiuitatē .ix. C. viij IOram kyng of Iewes sone to Iosaphat regned .viij. yere this Ioram was a cursed man and had a good fader he slewe his brethern wretchedly lyued as dyd the kynges of Israell therfore he was sore correcked and dyed vnhappely Vt pꝪ patet i● para ¶ This tyme Helyas was tauysshed in to paradyse ¶ Ochosias or Asarias kynge of Iewes regned one yere liued nought as his fader dyd anone was slayne with all the hous of Achab. ¶ Achalia moder to Asarias toke the kyngdome slewe all the kynges blode regned ▪ 〈◊〉 the .vij. yere of Ioiada bysshop she was slayne .iiij. reg This Asarias his so●● Ioas his neuewe Amazia Mathe●e the euāgelyst putteth not in the lyne of Chryst for theyr mysdedes ¶ Ioram kynge of Israel regned .xij. yere y● whiche began to regne the .xviij. yere of Iosaphat for his broder Ochos●e cursedly he lyued was slayne of Ie●●● with al his faders housholde Vt p●z ¶ Iehen anoynted of y● chylde of Hel●se vpon Israel slewe Achariam y● kyng of Iewes Ioram the kyng of Israel Iesabel moder to Iorā .lxx. children of Achab and .xlij. bretherne of Azari and all the preestes of Baal he regned .xviij. yere ¶ Athalia moder to Azari kyng of Iewes doughter to Achab regned on the Iewes v● yere slewe y● kynges blode of Ioram excepte Ioas y● sone of Azari the whiche was kepte amonge shepeherdes and after she was slayne ¶ Anno mūdi .iiij. M. iij C .ix. Et ante Christi natiuitatē viij C lxxxxiij IOam sone to Achazie regned in y● Iewry .xl. yere whome Ioiada y● bisshop crowned king at .vij. yere of age And he lyued well as lōge as he was ruled by Ioiada but after he forsoke god martyred Azarias y● tune bisshop tone to Iaiada for he blamed hȳ y● he forsoke his god Vide pl’a plura ij para ¶ Ioathas sone to Iehen regned in israel .xvij. yere in whose dayes Helise y● prophete dyed he began to regne the .xx. yere of Ioas Vide pl’a plura iiij reg ¶ Ioam
begynnynge vnto the ende Cordeil the quene anone toke gold syluer plente toke it to the squyer in coūseyle that he sholde go in to a certayne cite and hym araye wasshe than come agayn to her and brynge with him an honest company of knyghtes .xl. at the leest with theyr meyny and than he sholde sende to her lorde the kynge feyne that he were comen for to se speke with his doughter hȳ And so he dyd And whan the kynge and the quene herde that they came with moche honour they hym receyued And the kynge of fraūce than let sende through all his realme cōmaūded that all men sholde be as entendaūt to kynge Leyr y● quenes fader in all maner of thinges as it were vnto hymselfe Whā kyng Leyr had dwelled there a moneth more he tolde to y● kynge to y● quene his doughter how his two eldest doughters had serued hym Agampe anone let ordeyne a grete host of frenshmen sent in to Britayne with Leyr y● quenes fader for to conquere his kyngdome agayne And Cordeil also came with her fader in to Britayn for to haue the realme after her faders deth And anone they went to shyppe passed the see came in to Brytayne fought with the felons discōfited them slewe than had he his londe agayn after lyued thre yere helde his realme in peas afterward dyed And Cordeil his doughter him let bury with moche honour at Leycestre ¶ Anno mūdi .iiij. M. iij C .xlix. Et ante Christi natiuitatem viij C .liij. AMasias sone to Ioam regned on the Iewes .xxix. yere after y● whiche y● kyngdom of iewes was wtout kyng .xiij. yere This man worshypped the goddes of Seyr Vt pꝪ patet .ij. para .xxv. ¶ Ieroboam sone to Ioam regned on Israel .xlj. yere y● whiche was manly vyctoryous for he ouercame the kynge of Sirie restored Israel Damaske after the worde of Iono y● prophete but he was not good Therfore sayth saynt Austyn Yf good men regne they ꝓfyte many men And yf yll men regne they hurte many men ¶ Anno mūdi .iiij. M. iij C .lxxxviij. Et ante Christi natiuitatem .viii. C. xj Ozias or Azarias sone to Amasias regned on the Iewry .lij. yere the whiche lyued well afore our lorde of hȳ is none euyll thȳge wryten but that he vsurped the dignite of preesthode vnder Azari the whiche he forbade hym For the whiche cause our lorde stroke hym with a lepre Vt patet .ij. para ¶ Ozee bysshop prophete was this tyme the fyrst of the .xij. that was sent agaynst y● xij trybes Iohel the seconde of the .xij. prophecyed of Iuda Ananias y● thyrde prophecyed agaynst many people Abdias the fourth of the .xij. prophecyed agaynst Edom. ¶ zacharias sone to Ieroboam regned in Israel .vj. monethes the whiche began to regne the .xxxviij. yere of Ozias was nought in his lyuynge as his predecessours were And zellum slewe hym regned a moneth And Manahen slewe hym and toke his kyngdome Vt pꝪ patet .iiij. regū This Manahen regned .x. yere the whiche began to regne y● .xxxix. yere of Osias he ruled hym mischeuously our lord betoke hym in y● power of y● kyng of Assuriorū and he payed to hym a. M. talentes of syluer Vt pꝪ patet .iiij. regū ¶ Phaseia sone to Manahen regned in Israel two yere and he began to regne the .l. yere of Ozias and he was nought in his lyuyng ¶ Phasee slewe Phaseia regned .xx. yere he began to regne the .lij. yere of Ozias dyd as other cursed men dyd Vide pl’a plura iiij regū And after this Israel was wtouten ony kyng .viij. yere ¶ How Morgan Conedag neuewes to Cordeil warred on her put her to deth WHan that kyng Leyr was deed Cordeill his yongest doughter regned y● .x. yere of Ozias kyng of the Iewry And after her regned Conedag the .xv. yere of Ozias And Cordeill that was Leyrs yongest doughter after the deth of her fader had al y● londe fyue yere in the meane tyme dyed her lorde Agampe y● was kyng of fraunce And after his deth there came Morgan Conedag that were Cordeyls systers sones to her had enemite for as moche as theyr aunt had y● londe so y● bytwene them they ordeyned a grete power and strongly warred on her neuer rested tyll they had taken her put her to deth And than Morgan Conedag seased al the londe departed it bytwene them they held it .xij. yere whan y● .xij. yere were gone there began bytwene them a grete debate so y● they warred strongly togyder dyd to eche other moche dysease for Morgan wold haue all y● londe fro beyonde Humber y● Conedag helde But he came agaynst hym with a stronge power so y● Morgan durst not abyde but fledde away in to Wales and Conedag pursued hym toke hym slewe hym And than Conedag came seased al the londe in to his handes helde it regned after .xxxiij. yere than he dyed lyeth at newe Troy ¶ And bycause y● mater cōteyneth most cōmodiously togyder of y● kynges of Britayn now called Englonde for y● tyme of them is not certaynly knowen what tyme of y● worlde these kynges folowynge regned therfore they shall be togyder tyll it be comen vnto Euentolyn kyng of Brytayne now called Englonde ¶ How Reynolde that was Conedags sone regned after his fader and in his tyme it rayned blode thre dayes in tokenynge of grete deth AFter this Conedag regned Reynold his sone y● was a wyse an hardy knyght curteys y● well nobly ruled y● londe was well beloued of all folke And in his tyme it rayned blode y● lasted thre dayes as god wolde soone after there came a grete deth of people for hoostes wtout nōbre of people fought tyll y● god therof toke pite than it cesed And this Reynolde regned .xxij. yere than dyed lyeth at Yorke ¶ How Gorbodian regned in peas that was Reynoldes sone AFter this Reynolde regned Gorbodian his sone .xv. yere than dyed and lyeth at Yorke ¶ How Gorbodian had .ij. sones how the one slewe y● other for to haue y● londe how ydoyne theyr moder slew y● other wherfore the londe was destroyed WHan this Gorbodian was deed his two sones y● he had became stoute proude euer warred togyder for the londe y● one was called Ferres y● other Porres And this Ferres wolde haue all y● londe but that other wold not suffre hym This Ferres had a felonous hert thought through treason to slee his broder but pryuely he wente in to fraūce there abode with the kynge Syward tyll vpon a tyme whan he came agayn to fyght with his broder Ferres but full euyl it happed him for he was slayne fyrst Whan ydoyne theyr moder
after his owne name And whā Westmer had so done he dwelled all his lyfe tyme in that countre of Westmerlonde for he loued that countre aboue all other countrees And whan he had regned .xxv. yere he dyed and lyeth at Karleyll ¶ Of kynge Coyll that was kynge Westmers sone that helde his londe in peas all his lyfe tyme. COyll Westmers sone was crowned kyng after his fader and he was a good man a worthy of good cōdityons well gouerned his londe of all men he had loue and peas And in his tyme was neuer contacke debate nor warre in Brytayne And he regned in peas all his lyfe And whan he had regned .xi. yere he dyed lyeth at Yorke CLaudiꝰ was emperour at Rome nexte after Gayus he regned xiiij yere .viij. dayes This man came in to grete Britayn now called Englond for to chalenge the trybute whiche they dyd deny to y● Romayns And after grete batayles there was bytwene the emperour Claudius Armager kyng of Britayn And after accordement made that this Armager sholde wedde Claudius doughter and after they two shold euer lyue in peas in token wherof this Claudius named the cite where they were maryed after hym called it Claudicestre we call it now Glocestre This Claudiꝰ had .iij. wyues on Petiua the first wyfe he gate a doughter that hyght Antonia The fyrst wyfe decessed and he wedded Messalinā gate a sone y● hyght Britanicꝰ Octauia a doughter The thyrde he wedded Agrippina hauynge a sone that hyght Nero. Claudiꝰ wedded his doughter Octauia to Nero his wyues sone This Claudiꝰ for loue that he had to Agrippina his last wyfe he slewe Messalina his secōd wyfe lest she shold haue helpe Britanicus her sone his to the empyre yet Agrippina the last wyfe of Claudius drad lest her husbonde wolde haue ꝓferred Britanicꝰ haue deposed Nero her sone therfore she poysoned her husbonde Claudius Nero was ꝓmoted to the empyre And this same Nero gaue his moder suche a reward agayn for he poysoned Britanicus slewe his owne 〈…〉 oder his wyfe Octauia ¶ Iames the more y● apostle this tyme was slayne of Herode Agrippa Peter was pryso 〈…〉 d. vt pꝪ patet act .xij. The body of saynt Iames was brought by myr 〈…〉 in to Ga 〈…〉 of Spayne ¶ Nero after Claudiꝰ 〈…〉 s emperour he regne● .xiij. yere vij monethes This Nero was a cursed mā made grete waste in y● empyre He wolde not fysshe but with nettes of golde ropes of sylke A grete parte of the lordes of Rome he slewe He was enemy to good men He slewe his broder his wyfe his moder and his mayster He slewe also Peter Paule He wolde neuer were one cloth two tymes His horses his mules were shod with syluer And at the last he dyd set a grete part of Rome on fyre some saye to se how Troy brent some saye the Romayns cōplayned the stretes were to narowe And whā he had brent a grete parte of Rome Nero sayd there was space to buylde y● stretes wyder Than the senatours with the comyn people came vpon hym to 〈…〉 e hym And he fled by nyght in to the subbarbes of y● cite hyd hym amonge the vynes he herde karles beggers come by hym that sayd they wyst where the emperour were he sholde neuer scape them Nero thought it sholde be grete derogacion to his name he were slayne of karles on a grete stake he ●an hȳselfe to the herte dyed there was buryed deuyls kepte his body many a day after dyd grete hurt to the people tyll by a myracle of our lorde the body was foūde taken away than the deuylles voyded ¶ Seneca was this tyme maister to Nero ¶ Iuuenalis poeta ¶ Lucanꝰ poeta ¶ Iames the lesse y● apostle bysshop of Ierusalem was slayne of the Iewes the vj. yere of Nero. ¶ Marcus the euāgelyst was martyred the fyrst yere of hym ¶ Cir●a annū Christi .lxxiiij. ●Anus ytalicus was pope of Rome .x. yere .iij. monethes xi 〈…〉 dayes This Linꝰ his successour Cl●tus through theyr holy cōuersaciō were made to mynyster the treasour of the th 〈…〉 the to the people Peter beynge alyue 〈…〉 Peter attended to prayer prechynge It is redde of this Cletus that he wrote fyrst in his lettres Salutē et apostolicā vn̄dictionē Afore this tyme was many a dyscyple of Peter slayne vnder Nero. ¶ Galba this tyme was emperour he regned seuen monethes This man was made emperour by the power of spayne in the same londe Nero lyuyng And after the dethe of Nero brought to Rome there was slayne of a man that came with whete to Rome He smote of his heed bare it to hym that was emperour nexte seynge all his meu none of them helpyng hym ¶ In this mannes dayes came the grete Rethorycyen to Rome fro Spayne was the fyrst the euer taught the seyence openly his name was Quintilian ¶ Ottho regned after hym and he regned but thre monethes for one Vitellus that was presydent of Fraūce chalenged the empyre in Ytalye bytwene these two were thre grete batayles in the fourth batayle Ottha sawe he sholde be ouercomen in grete despayre he slewe hymselfe ¶ Vitellus regned after this Ottho .viij. monethes for he was a folower of Nero moost specyally in glotony in syngynge of foule songes at feestes etyng out of mesure that he myght not kepe it ¶ Vaspasianus regned nexte after hym .ix. yere .x. monethes .xij. dayes The well gouerned men of Rome seynge the cursed successyon of Nero sente after this Vaspasyan vnto Palestyn for there he was his sone Titus whiche had besyeged Ierusalem And whan he herde that Nero was deed by whom he was sent to Ierusalem and herde of these cursed men regnynge at the instaūce of these wyse men of Rome not wylfully toke vpon hym the empyre And anone as he was comen to Rome he ouercame the tyraūt Vitellus let hym be drawen through Rome after in Tyber tyl he was died and than let hym sayle wtout sepulture for this the people desyred This man was cured of waspes in his nose anone as he byleued in our lorde Iesu that was the cause why he went to Ierusalem to venge Chrystes deth He fought xxxij tymes with his enemyes And he dyed the yere of grace .lxxix. ¶ Anno domini .lxxxiiij. ●Letꝰ a martyr was pope .xi. yere This Cletus was a Romayne gretly he loued pilgrimages to sayntes sayenge it was more ꝓfyte to the helth of mannes soule to visyte the place the saynt Peter was in than to fast two yere He cursed all those men lettynge suche pylgrimages or coūseylers cōtrary therto At the last was martyred by Damacian the emperour ¶ Titus soue to Vaspasyan was emperour this tyme regned .iij. yere he
and in his dayes was translated the body of saynt Benedicti with the body of saynt Scolastice his syster fro y● hyll of cally● to the monastery of 〈◊〉 nygh 〈…〉 relyan ¶ Constaneyneth fourth was emperour after his fader Constantyne the cursed man This Cōstantyne was a good man he hated heretikes aboue all thynge the chirche he repayred and grace he reconsyled agayne to the chirche of Rome he with the pope gadred togyder the syxth generall sinody in y● whiche was graūted to preestes of Grece to vse theyr lefull wyues to the preestes of the eest for cause of grete heet but not to those of the west party by no meanes for they amytted chastite in the tyme of saynt Gregory And euery man may aduertyse pondre how moche the goodnes of a prynce is worth to the quyete state of the chirche to the promocyon of the fayth And also the cōtrary how moche the malyce of a prynce hurteth the thȳge these two Constantynes the fader the sone shewed openly For in the faders days the chirche neuer had rest in the sones tyme it was quyete Yet neuerthelesse our lorde suffred the sarasyns the vulgars to entre in this emperours londe that he myght not withstande them but that he made his peas with them and payed yerely to them a truage so myghtely preuayled that cursed secte of Machomyte after he dyed blyssedly ¶ Nota. that there were syxe generall synodyes moost pryncypall of the whiche the auctorite is equall to the gospell for the treuth of the gospell is declared by them agaynst the syxe pryncypall heresyes the whiche strongly troubled the chirche for the subtylte of those heretykes to deceyue symple men ¶ Aboute this tyme dyed saynt Cedde of Lychfel 〈…〉 the thyrde yere of his bysshopryche ¶ Demus a Romayn was pope after Adeodatus thre yere of this man lytell is wryten ¶ Bonifacius was pope after hym lytell of hym is wryten but ●hat he lyued lyke a preest ¶ Agatho ●as pope after hym he was a very holy man For on a day whan he kyssed a lepre the lepre a none was made hole Iste et de consensu principis iussit celebrari sextā synodū apud Cōstantinopolī CC .lxxx. ●p̄orū in qua assere● duas naturas et duas volūtates esse in Christo ¶ Leo the seconde was pope after Agatho .iij. yere This Leo was an holy mā suffycyently taught in latyn greke This man ordeyned that the pax shold be gyuen after Agnus dei and dyed a blyssed man ¶ Benedictus the seconde was pope after Leo almoost thre yere This man about all thynges was vertuous his name accorded with his dedes And in his tyme was a grete pestylēce ¶ Iustinianus the seconde was emperour this tyme he was a very good man a prudent a large he encreased the empyre of Rome myghtely but he charged y● offyce of the chirche ouermoche Many lawes he made afterwarde he wexed not good for he entended to haue letted the decrees of the vj. sinody wherfore the .x. yere of his empyre he was takē of Leo the prynce of Patricio Tyberio they cut of his nose his tongue exiled hȳ to Crisonā Than was a grete turbacyon in the chirche for stryfe heretykes And knowe all mē whā variaūce falleth bytwene grete lordes than errours ben multiplied for there is no mā correcketh them therfore that is oft tyme preued in the chirche Than after fell a varyaūce bytwene Leo Tiberio Tiberio preuayled he exiled Leo cut of his nose the thyrde yere of his regne regned for hȳ Iustinyan fled to the sarasyns the bulgars y● whiche restored hym agayne to his empyre slewe Leo Tyberio the whiche fauoured heretikes Than this same Iustinyan reformed hymselfe to the chirche of god had grete repentaūce but he venged hym to cruelly on his aduersaryes so that he wolde haue slayne theyr Innocent chyldren Therfore he was slayne with his sone of Phylyp whome he exiled ¶ Anno dn̄i vj C .lxxxiiij. IOhānes the fyfth was pope after Benedictus one yere He was a good man but he decessed anone ¶ zeno was pope after hym he was a very holy man for he wold not meddle with seculer maters in beaute he was as an aūgell quyete in vertues meke in soule very demure in language of his religyous lyfe This man was chosen at the last with one accorde of the chirche and lay men but there was a grete distinccyon for the clergy entended to haue chosen Pyers the archebisshop and the hoost of lay men wolde haue had Theodorū a preest But at the last the holy ghoost turned the wyll of all this people vnto this holy man ¶ Sergiꝰ was pope .ix. yere This mā was vertuous cōmendable in his lyfe in his eleccyon was a grete discord for one party of the clergy chose Theodorum an other party Pascalem But as our lorde wolde at the last they turned all to this man This man translated the body of saint Leo. He also foūde a grete parte of the holy crosse by myracle And he baptysed Cadwalidus the last kynge of Brytayn He cōmaunded Agnus dei to be sayd or songe thryse at masse decessed blyssedly ¶ Nota. ¶ Saynt Bede the worshypfull preest was this tyme a man of grete fame in Englonde y● whiche was taken the .vij. yere of his age to Benedict the abbot of Gyrwyensis monastery to be taught than after to Colfrido the abbot after the deth of Benedict And at .xix. yere of his age he was made deken of the bysshop of Yorke And at .xxx. yere he was made preest in the whiche yere he began to wryte So he contynued all the tyme of his lyfe in that monastery in gyuynge his labours to wrytyng for scripture to be expowned he made .lxxviij. bokes the whiche he nombreth in y● ende of his englysshe boke This man was euer in labour eyther in prayer or in syngynge dayly in the chirche or to lerne or to ●●che or to wryte For the whiche thynge men may iudge by reason that he was neuer at Rome all though some saye he went to Rome that he myght se that his bokes accorded with the doctryne of the chirche But it was certayne that he was blynde went to preche had a seruaūt that was not good made hȳ to preche to a grete multytude of stones and sayd that they were men whan all his sermon was done the stones answered sayd amen But that he went to Rome thryse foūde wryten thre arres thre effes expowned them it was neuer foūde in no boke of auctorite There was after the talking of the people suche a wrytyng on the gates of Rome RRR FFF And suche an exposicyon Regna Rome Ru 〈…〉 Ferro Flāma et Fame But it is certayne that Bede was desyred to
abbot of saynt Anastasy by Rome came to the churche of saynt Cesary was chosen pope by the cardynals he no thynge knowynge therof and for drede of the senatours he was cōsecrated without the cite This man was an holy man suffred tribulacyon And at the last with moche holynes he decessed and lyeth at saynt Peters And anone after decessed saȳt Bernard ¶ Petrus Lombardus the bysshop of Parys broder to Gracian compyled the foure bokes of the sentence this tyme. ¶ Petrus cōmestor broder to Grarian to Pyers Lombarde made historiā scolasticā other bokes ¶ Frederi●us primus after Conradus was emperour in Almayn and in Rome .xxxiij. yere This man after the deth of Adryan the pope the whiche crowned hym dyd cursedly with Alexander to hym grete preiudyce For he dyd helpe foure the stroue agaynst the apostles sect And he fought mightely agaynst the kyng of Fraūce through power of the danes other nacyons But Rychard the kyng of Englond holpe for to expulse him And he destroyed Medio lanii to the groūde of the whiche circ the walles were hyer than the walles of ony other cite This man at the last after that he had done many vexacyons to the pope he was recōsyled For he dradde lest the lombardes wold haue rebelled agaynst hym he asked forgyuenes of the pope toke the crosse vpon hym went to the holy londe dyd many meruaylous thinges there almoost as moche as euer dyd Ka rolus magnus And there he came by a towne that men called Armeniam in a lytell water he was drowned at Tirū he was buryed ¶ Anastasius was pope after Eugenius .iiij. yere and more This man was abbot of Rufy than he was chosen cardynall after pope ¶ Of kynge Henry the seconde that was the empresse sone in whose tyme saynt Thomas of Caunterbury was chaunceler ANd after this kynge Stephen regned Henry the empresse sone and was crowned of the archebysshop Theobald the .xvij. daye before Chrystmasse And in the same yere Thomas Beket of London archebysshop of Caūterbury was made the kynges chaunceler of Englonde The second yere the he was crowned he let cast downe all the newe castels that were longynge to the crowne the whiche kynge Stephen had gyuen to dyuers men them had made erles and barons for to holde with hym to helpe hym agaynst Henry the empresse sone ¶ And the fourth yere of his regne he put vnder his owne lordshyp the kyng of Wales And in the same yere the kynge of Scotlonde had in his owne handes that is to saye the cyte of Karleyll the castell of Bamburgh the newe castell vpon Tyne the erledom of Lancastre ¶ The same yere the kyng with a grete power went in to Wales let cast down wodes made wayes made stronge the castell of Rutlonde Basingwarke amonge the castels he made an hous of the temple ¶ And in the same yere was Rychard his sone borne that afterward was erle of Oxforde And the fourth yere of his regne he made Gaufryde erle of Brytayn And in that yere he chaunged his money ¶ And in the .vj. yere of his regne he ladde a grete hoost to Tolouse and cōquered it And the .vij. yere of his regne dyed Theobald the archebysshop of Caūterbury And than almoost al the cite of Caunterbury through myschefe was brent ¶ The .ix. yere of his regne Thomas Beket that was his chaūceler was chosen archebysshop of Caūterbury And vpon saynt Bernardes daye he was sacred And in the yere was borne the kynges doughter Elenore ¶ And in the .x. yere of his regne saynt Edwarde the kynge was translated with moche honour ¶ And the .xi. yere of his regne he helde his parlyament at Northamton and fro thens fled saynt Thomas arche bysshop of Caūterbury for the grete debate that was bytwene the kyng hym For yf he had ben foūde on the morowe he had bē slayne therfore he fled thens with thre felowes on fote onely that no man wyst where he was went ouer the see to the pope of Rome And this was the princypall cause For as moche as the kyng wolde haue put clerkes to deth the were atteynted of felony wout ony preuylege of holy chirche And the .xij. yere of his regne was Iohn his sone borne And the xiij yere of his regne dyed Maud the empresse the was his moder The .xiiij. yere of his regne the duke of Saxon spoused Maude his doughter he begate vpon her thre sones the is to say Hēry Othus Willyam And the .xv. yere of his regne dyed the good erle Robert of Glocestre the founded the abbey of Nonnes of Eton. And in the saine yere Marke kyng of Ierusalem cōquered Babylon ¶ And the xv● yere of his regne he let crowne his sone Henry at westmynster hȳ crowned Roger the archebisshop of yorke in harmyng of Thomas the archebysshop of Caūterbury wherfore the same Roger was accursed of the pope ¶ Of kynge Henry the was sone of kyng Henry the empresse sone of the debate that was bytwene hym and his fader whyle that he was in Normandy AFter the coronacion of kyng Henry the sonne of kynge Henry the empresse sone that same Henry the empresse sone went ouer in to Normandy there he let mary Elonore his doughter to the Dolfyn that was kyng of Almayn ¶ And in the .vij. yere that the archebysshop saynt Thomas had ben outlawed the kynge of Fraunce made the kynge saynt Thomas accorded And thā came Thomas the archebysshop of Caūterbury agayn to his owne chirche And this accorde was made in the begynnyng of aduent And afterward he was slayne martyred the fyfth daye of Chrystmasse next folowyng For king Henry thought vpon saynt Thomas the archebysshop vpon Chrystmasse day as he sate at his meet and these wordes said That yf he had ony good knyghtes with hym he had ben many a day passed auenged vpon the archebysshop Thomas And anone syr Willyā Breton syr Hugh Moruyle syr Willyam Tracy syr Reynold fitz vrse beers sone in englisshe pryuely went to the see and came in to Englond vnto the chirche of Caūterbury there they hȳ martyred at saynt Benets awter in the moder chirche And that was in the yere of the incarnacyon of Iesu Chryst M C .lxxij. yere ¶ And anone after Henry the newe kyng began to make warre vpon Henry his fader and vpon his brethern Willyam Othus And so vpon a daye the kyng of Fraūce all the kynges sones and the kyng of Scotlond the gretest lordes of Englonde were rysen agaynst kynge Henry the fader And at the last as god wolde he cōquered all his enemyes And the kyng of Fraūce he were accorded And than sent kyng Henry the fader specyally vnto the kynge of Fraūce and prayed hym hertely for his loue that he wold sende to hym the names by
lettre of them the were the begynners of the warre agaynst hym And the kynge of Fraūce sent agayn to hym by lettre the names of them that began the warre The f●ast was Iohn his sone Rychard his broder and Henry the newe kyng his sone Thā was kyng Henry wonders wrot● cursed the tyme the euer he bega●e them And whyle the warre lasted Henry his sone the newe kynge dyed sore rep●ntynge his mysdedes and moost sore we made of ony man for bycause of saynt Thomas deth of Can̄terbury prayed his fader with moche sorowe of her●e mercy for his trespace And his fader forgaue hym and had of hym p●●e And after he dyed the .xxxvj. yere of his ●rgne and lyeth at Redynge ¶ How the chrysten men lost the holy londe in the foresayd kynges tyme through a fals chrysten man the became a sarasyn ANd whyle this kyng regned the grete batayle was in the holy l●de bytwene the chrysten men the sarasyns but the chrysten men were there slayne through grete treason of the erle ●yrpe the wolde haue had to wyfe the quene of Ierusalem thou somtyme was Baldewyns wyfe but she forsoke hym toke to her lord a knyght a worthy man the was called syr Gnyperches Wherfore the erle Tyrpe was wroth went anone right to Saladyne the was soudan of Babylon became his man forsoke his christē dom all chrysten lawe And the christē men wyst not of his dedes but wende for to haue had grete helpe of hȳ as they were wont to haue before And whan they came to the batayle this fals chrysten man turned to the sarasyns forsoke his owne nacyon And so were the chrystē men ouercomen with the sarasyns And thus were the chrysten men slayne and put to horryble deth and the cite of Ierusalem destroyed and the holy crosse borne awaye ¶ The kynge of Fraūce all the grete lordes of the londe let them be crossed for to go to the holy londe And amonge them went Rychard kyng Hen ryes sone fyrst after the kyng of Fraūce that toke the crosse of the archebysshop of Tours But he toke not the vyage at that tyme for bycause the he was let by other maner wayes nedes to be done And whan king Henry his fader had regned xxxvi yere .v. monethes foure dayes he dyed and lyeth at Founteuerard ¶ Anno dn̄i M C .lvj. ADrianus the fourth was pope after Anastasius .v. yere This pope was an Englysshe man and the voyce of the comyn people sayth he was a bondman to the abbot of saint Albons in Englond And whan he desyred to be made a monke there he was expulsed and he went ouer the see gaue hym to study to vertue and after was made bysshop of Albanacens Than he was made legate in to the londe of Wormacian he cōuerted it to the fayth Than he was made pope And for the woūdyng of a cardynall he enterdited all the cite of Rome And he cursed Wyllyam the kynge of Cecyle caused hym to submyt hym This man the fyrst of al the popes with his cardynalles dwelled in the olde cite ¶ Alexander the thyrde was pope after hȳ .xij. yere This Alexander had stryfe xvij yere the foure stryuers that the emperour set against hym he ouercame them cursed them all dyed an euyll deth This man also accorded Frederyk the emperour Emanuell of Cōstantynople the kyng of Siculorum And this man nourysshed saynt Thomas of Caū terbury in his exile ¶ Nota. ¶ Saynt Bernard was canonysed by this Alexāder his abbot forbade hym the he sholde do no more miracles bycause there was so myghty concourse of people And he obeyed to hym whan he was deed and dyd no moo ¶ Lucius the thyrde was pope after Alexander .iiij. yere and two monethes of hym lytel is wryten In his dayes decessed Henry the fyrst sone to Henry the second this is his epytaphe Ois honoris honos decor decus vrbis et orbis Militie splēdor glia lumē apex Iulius ingenio virtutibꝰ hector Achillis viribꝰ Augustꝰ moribꝰ Ore Paris ¶ Vrbanꝰ the thyrde was pope after Lu cius .ij. yere This mā decessed for sorow whan he herd tell the Ierusalē was takē with the sarasyns ¶ Gregorius the .viij. was pope after hym foure monethes he practysed myghtely how Ierusalem myght be wonne agayne but anone he decessed ¶ Clemens the thyrd was pope after hym thre yere lytell he dyd ¶ Of kyng Rychard that conquered all the holy that chrysten men had lost AFter this kynge Henry regned Rychard his sone whiche was a stoute man a stronge and a worthy and also bolde And he was crowned at Westmynster of the archebysshop Baldewyn of Caūterbury the thyrde daye of September And the seconde yere of his regne kynge Rychard hymselfe and Baldewyn the archebysshop of Caunterbury and Hubert-bysshop of Salysbury and Randulferle of Glocestre and many other lordes of Englonde went in to the holy londe And in that vyage decessed the archebysshop of Caūterbury And kynge Rycharde went before in to the holy londe and rested not tyl that he came forth in his waye vnto Cipers toke it with grete force And after that kynge Rychard went forth toward the holy londe and gate there as moche as the chrysten men had lost before conquered the londe agayne through grete myght saue onely the holy crosse And whan kynge Rycharde came to the cite of Acres for to gete the cite there arose a grete debate bytwene hym the kynge of Fraūce so that the kynge of Fraunce went agayn in to Fraūce was wroth towarde kyng Rychard But yet for all that or kynge Rycharde wente agayne he toke the cyte of Acres And whan he had taken it he dwelled in the cite a whyle But to hym came tydynges that the erle Iohn of Oxford his broder wolde haue seased all Englonde in to his handes Normandy also wolde crowne hym selfe kynge of all the londe Whan kyng Rychard herde these tydynges he came toward Englonde with all the spede that he myght But the duke of Ostryche mette with hym toke hym brought hym vnto the emperour of Almayn And the emperour put hym in prison And af terward he was delyuered for an huge raūsom that is to saye an hondred M. pounde For the whiche raunsom to be payed eche other chalice of Englōd was molten made in to money And all the monkes of the ordre of Cisteaux gaue all theyr bokes through out all Englonde for to be solde for to paye the raunsom ¶ How kynge Rychard came agayn from the holy londe and auenged hym on his enemyes WHyles this kyng Rycharde was in pryson the kynge of Fraunce warred vpon hȳ strongly in Nor mandy And Iohn his broder warred vpon hym in Englond But the bysshops and barons of Englond withstode hym with all the power that they myght gete and toke the
also it is spoken of many tymes ī scripture ¶ Noblenes or gentylmen began about this sayd tyme And this noblenes or gentylmen was ordeyned for many causes ¶ The fyrst cause was necessite for whā mankynde grewe sore men were prompte redy to do hurt domage to other it was very necessary to wtstande the grete malyce of the cursed and wycked people agaynst good ryghtwyse men Therof a man is called gentylman or a noble man as before other in vertues notable wherof saynt Ierom sayth I se nothynge els in noblenes or in gentylmen but that they are boūden in a certayne necessite that they shall not recede fro the vertue the gen tylnes of theyr noble aūcetours ¶ The seconde was the dyuers worshyppyng of the people for no man worshypped thā but as his naturall reason gaue they knewe not veryly what they shold worship for they were so dull of wytte that they coude pondre no grete thynge but that was publysshed by the comyn people Wherfore it was expediēt for theyr peace to be kepte that they sholde haue prynces of noble byrthe ¶ The thyrde cause ꝓcedeth of some singuler strength Many tymes the comynaltees were greued through ennemyes comynge vpon them than they sayd that who someuer wōlde defende them fro those perylles he sholde haue the right of noblenes for hȳm for his heyres for euermore And in this maner of wyse many are redde to be noble men ¶ The fourth cause of noblenes was haboundaūce of goodes Somtyme the people were holden with grete penury of meet drynke than they toke them theyrs to some ryche man that through that couenaūt they sholde tempre the grete straytnes of theyr honger after that they sholde knowe hym as theyr lorde a noble man Also there be foūde certayn noble men by the ꝓuysyon of god though they were but fewe of that whiche som abode ī vertue as Dauyd some fayled anone as Saul and Ieroboam And it is redde that many were noble men by tyrāny of that whiche some were destroyed anone some abode in stablenes as paynyms myght ¶ Anno mundi .ij. M .ix. C .v. Et ante Christi natiuitatē .ij. M. ij C lxxxxiiij S●ruch lynially descended frō our fore fader Adam to Abrahā And Nachor was his sone he lyued an C. and .xlviij. yere And aboute this tyme ydolatry began myghtely And yf ye re uolue loke the hystoryes ye shall fynde that thre thynges princypally brought men to ydolatry that is to wyt● the affeccyon that they had to deed men Drede and flaterynge anenst theyr prynces And the dylygence of crafty men about sculptures or grauynges Wycked spirytes than entred in to ydolles and gaue answeres vnto the people and these wycked spirytes confermed the errour of the people myghtely In soo moche that who someuer wolde not conferme hym to theyr reason he sholde greuously suffre the payne of dethe Also there was added and put to these thynges the deceyuynge laude and praysynge of poetes the whiche wretches and dampned men in to heuen with theyr gaye wrytynges exalted And that same tyme whan deuylles began to speke soo fayrly and so mekely to man the good lorde of his grete mercy sente his aungelles that they sholde speke vnto his electe men in vysyble maner le●st that all mankynde shold perysshe with that myscheuous erroure ¶ Belus sone to Nemroth this tyme was kynge of Babylon he was the fyrst kynge of this worlde And this man was he whome the erroure of the people fyrste byleued sholde be a god Wherfore dyuerse people named hym dyuersly and some called hym Bell some Baall some Baalun some Beelphagor and some Beelsabub And this vnhappy errour stode in mankynde more than two thousande yere ¶ Ninus sone to Belus the seconde kynge of Babylon or of Assuriorum regned .liiij. yere And this Ninus desyred to haue lordshyp worshyp and to that entent that he myght be lorde of all the coūtree aboute hym he gaue batayle to all that dwelled nye aboute hȳ And bycause that tyme the people were rude and had not the cōnynge of fyghtyng nor armure anone he subdued vnto hym all As●am And there was made the fyrst Monarchye in the eest part ye And whā his herte was sory for the deth of his fader Belus he made to be made to hym for his cōforte an ymage of his fader vnto whome he gaue so myghty reuerence that what someuer gylty man had fledde to that ymage there sholde no man do hym no hurte he pardoned him of al his trespace And through his ensample many a man began to worshyp the deed ymage of theyr dere frendes Than these malycyous spirytes seynge the curiosite of the people hydde them within them and gaue answeres vnto the people sayd they were goddes And cōmaunded them to do reuerence to them as vnto goddes Thus that vn happy synne of ydolatry was brought in the whiche repugned myghtely to goddes mageste And in so moche this madnes grewe that he shold suffre the payne of deth that sayd they were men but goddes ¶ Anno mundi .iij. M C .xiiij. Et ante Christi natiuitatem .ij. M .lxxxv. ●Hare sone to Nachor liued ij C. and .v. yere This Thare after the deth of Aram went frō Vr of Calde and passed in to Charram with his chyldren his neuewes And it is sayd bycause he wolde not worshyp the fyre as Nemroth had taught he was banysshed the coūtree And the comyn opynyon of the Hebrewes is Nemroth regned there the whiche was called an other name Amraphel the kyng of Sennaar whome lōge tyme after this Abraham ouercame Vt dici● Genesis .xiiij. ¶ Anno mūdi .iij. M C .lxxxiiij. Et aute Christi natiuitatem .ij. M .xv. ¶ Here begynnth the thyrde age of the Worlde durynge to Dauyd Abraham THe deuoute holy story begynneth here of holy partyarkes that whiche worshipped the very god and in theyr worshyppyng they taught it Vide pl’a plura gen .xij. 〈◊〉 ad finē This Abraham a faythfull louer of god was borne the .xliij. yere of Ninus kynge of Babilon And knowe ye that the .lxxxv. yere of Abraham by goddes goodnes the worde of mercy descēded on mankynde for than began to appere the oraculus of the promesse of god Vide aug .xxj. de 〈…〉 Itē ge .xv. For this tyme appered to vs holy aungels in fourme of mankynde Aram Nachor were Abrahams bretherne Aram gate Loth a rightwyse man an holy And he deserued to be v●sited with aungels as his vncle Abraham was And for this Loth Ibrahā smo●e iiij kȳges for they toke Loth. Genesis xiiij Of whom one was sayd to be N●roth but here he is called Amraphel ¶ This Abrahā had many wyues as Sara and Agar And his chyldren and his bretherne had many chyldren But for vs the wryte crony●ies 〈◊〉 is not necessary to speke of all men but of the noble faders Sed
thȳge in so moche as Lamydon kyng of Troy teceyued not Hercules Iason with due honour as they sholde haue bē receyued of so lytell a trespace how many harmes hurtes grewe ¶ Sibilla delphis ca afore the batayle of Troye prophecyed how a childe sholde be borne of a virgyn wtout manues seed ¶ Lamydon kyng of Troy was slayne and his doughter Eriona was taken in to Grekes londe For that whiche folowed myghty batayle moost ferefull myscheues Vide historiam troianā Hercules with Iason destroyed Iliū or Troy the whiche anone after was buylded of Priamus sone to Lamydon This Hercules dyd many meruaylous thynges many myghty batayles infynyte lesynges ben fayned on hym It y● last whā he had ouertomē moche people he was betrayed by a sherte y● Deyanira his wyfe sent him enuenymed whā he myght not suffre the payne he ranne in to a fyre brente hymselfe whan he was deed he was worshypped of the gentyles for a god ¶ Circa annū mundi .iij. M .ix. C .lxxv. Et an̄ Christi natiuitatē M. ij C .xxiiij. AFter the deth of Iayr Iudge of Israel the people of Israel added newe synnes to theyr olde and our lorde toke them in to the power of the philistiens to the children of Amon .xviij. yere they were gretly oppressed thā they cryed to our lord Thā Iepte was enspyred with almyghty god faught agaynst Amon the sedycyous people of the hyll of Effraym And for an vnprudent voyce he slewe his owne doughter folyshly dyd sacriif●ce to god with her Iudic .xi. et .xij. ¶ Ozy this tyme was bysshop in Israel he was of the seed of Aron by the lyne of Eleazari the whiche deed through the prouysyon of god the bysshopryche turned to the lyne of Ythamar an C. .xx. yere in that whiche lyne Hely was the first hygh bysshop Abiathar was the last ¶ Ebessam was iudge in Israel .vij. yere he was the .xij. iudge he was named otherwyse Boos the whiche wedded Ruth ¶ Abialon ye. xiij iudge of Israel was iudge .x. yere And vnder these tymes the chyldren of Israel were quyete therfore no notable thȳges were done in these dayes ¶ Abdon the .xiiij. iudge gouerned in Israel .viij. yere And about this tyme the hystory of Ruth was wryten ¶ Authamis this tyme was kyng of Assuriorum And Priamus kynge of Troy sone to Laomedon buylded his cyte agayne meruaylously stronge began batayle with the Grekes to his owne hurte he had a sone was called Hector a leyfull goten sone by his wyfe Eccuba This man was faythful wyse incōparable of strength noblenes This Priamꝰ had an other sone that was called Paris the whiche toke away fro the lōde of Grekes Helena wyfe to Menelaus the kyng ¶ Agamenon the kyng broder to Menelaus the leder of al the Grekes host faught agaynst Troy at the last he wanne the cite falsly to the gre kes moost shame sclaūdre that might be For certaynly that myght be called an vnhappy batayle where no man giueth lo uyng to the Grekes but euery man repor teth shame ¶ Eneas was kyng in yta lye .iij. yere And this Eneas after that Troy was destroyed of the Grekes came in to ytalye with .xx. shyppes and dyd myghty batayles there And this man had wedded Priamꝰ doughter Elinsuram And he was made a god through the errour of the comyn people of this man came Iulius cezar Octauianus Augustus ¶ Vlixes an eloquent man amonge all the Grekes after many perylles on the see went home to his Penelopem the moost faythful the moost chaste woman that is redde of And the Grekes perisshed wretchedly after that they had destroyed Troye bothe on the water and on the londe as they wente homewarde agayn And that was the pryncypall date of theyr wrytynge after that vyctory For they wrote theyr hystoryes and other wrytynges thus Anno primo v● secūdo c. post Troiam captam And that was the thyrde yere of Abdon iudge of Israel ¶ Circa annum mundi .iiij. M .xxv. Et ante Christi natiuitatē M C .lxxiiij. OBeth of Chrystes lyne sone vnto Boos is rehersed in Mathewe ¶ Samson the .xv. iudge regned .xx. yere this Sāson was the most strōgest man that euer was he delyuered Israell from the Philystyens for his meruaylous strength men trowed he had ben Hercules Et eiꝰ nurabilia oꝑa vide iudic .xiij. ¶ Anno mundi .iiij. M .lxxv. Et ante Christi natiuitatem M C .xiiij. IEsse sone to Obeth of the lyne of Chryst otherwyse called ysay fa der to Dauid this tyme lyued a notable man in honeste no kyng ne grete gouer nour But of him many tymes is made mencyon in holy scripture For of hym descended Chryst our sauyour ¶ This tyme Hely was iudge bisshop in israel the whiche had .ij. sones Ophni Phi nees for he corrected them not sufficiently he they were punisshed bothe of our lorde for they were slayne of the Philistiēs Hely fell of his sete brake his necke This Hely was iudge next after Samson not of the lignage of Aron that was fyrst bysshop of god electe but of ythamar the lignage dured an C. .xx. yere in that whiche lignage Hely was the fyrst bysshop Abiathar the last Vide plura .j. regum THis tyme Saul was kynge in Israell after the mayster in his hystoryes Iosephus in his .viij. boke This Saul was the fyrst kyng in Israel regned .xx. yere the whiche or he was kynge was a good man electe of god but afterwarde wretchedly he fayled he was slayne and his thre sones on the hylles of Gylboy ¶ In the tyme of Saul Samuel was iudge ꝓphete in Israel an holy man borne of a barayn moder many a daye he mynystred afore our lorde from a chylde to his age and was not hygh bysshop but he iudged Israel all the dayes of his lyfe was the very pro phete of god Two kynges he enoynted Saul fyrst after Dauyd This Samuel alone and Moyses are redde that they prayed for theyr enemyes in all the olde testamēt Of this Samuel Saul ben dyuers opynyons Isoder sayth the Samuel Saul ruled Israel .xl. yere And Iosephus in his .viij. boke the mayster in his storyes sayen Samuel to be iudge .xij. yere alone And after hȳ Saul to regne .xx. yere Vide plura .j. xe guin AScanius the .vij. kyng of ytaly was sone to Eneas buylded the cite of Albion he was called the kyng of Albanon This Ascanius gate Siluius the .viij. kyng of ytaly the whiche Siluius was fader vnto Brute kynge of Brytayn now called Englonde And I leue of the kynges of ytalye for they dyd but lytell noble thynges tyll it be co men to Romulꝰ Remus the buylded Rome than shall those kynges come agayn
vnto other folke of his hoost And they founde in one of the shyppes a fayre damoyfell whiche was kynge Humbars doughter and she was called Estrylde And whan kynge Lotryn sawe her he toke her with hym bycause of the grete beaute and fayrnes that he sawe in her And for her he was ouertaken in loue and wolde haue wedded her These tydynges came to Corin anone thought to auenge hym on Lotryn for as moche as Lotryn had promised hym to wedde Guentolyn his doughter And Corin in haste toke his waye to newe Troy vnto hym sayd thus to Lotryn Certes ye rewarde me full euyll for the paynes that I haue had for your fader Brute wher fore syth it is so I wyll auenge me now on the. And with that drewe his swerde wolde haue slayne Lotryn the kyng But the damoysel went bytwene them and made them to be accorded in this maner that Lotryn sholde take Guentolyn Corins doughter to wyfe And so Lotryn dyd Neuertheles after he was maryed he wente pryuely to Estrylde gate on her a doughter that was called Abram And it befell so that anone after Corin dyed after whan he was deed Lotryn forsoke Guentolyn that was his wyfe made Es 〈…〉 quene And than Guentolyn dep 〈…〉 frō the●s 〈◊〉 grete wrath in to Cori 〈…〉 e there seased all the londe in to her owne ha●ors for as moche as she was her faders heyre toke homage of all y● men of y● londe And afterwarde she assembled a grete hoost a myghty of men for to be auenged vpon Lottyn y● was her lorde gaue hym a stronge but a yle where Lotryn her husbonde was slayne his men discōfyted in the .v. yere of his regne Guētolyn let take Estrylde Abram her doughter bounde them bothe handes fete cast them bothe in to a water so they were dro●●●ed wherfore y● water was euermore after called Abram after y● name of y● damoysell y● was Est●yldes doughter englysshe men call that water Seuerine walshmen call it Abram yet vn to this daye And whan this was done Gu 〈…〉 ol yn let crowne her quene of all y● londe And she gouerned the londe well and wysely vnto th●ty me that 〈◊〉 her sone that Lotryn had goten 〈…〉 was .xx. yere of age that he myght be kyng And so the quene reg●●d .xv. yere And than let she crowne her sone kyng and he regned and gouerned the 〈◊〉 well worthtly And his moder went in to Cornewayle and there she dwelled all the dayes of her lyfe ¶ How Madan reg●ed in peas all his lyfe THis Madan sone to Lotryn regned on the Brytons .xl. yere the whiche began to regne the .xv. yere of Saul And this Madan lyued in peas all his dayes gate two sones Mempris and Maulyn Than he dyed and lyeth at newe Troye ¶ Anno mundi .iiij. M C .xxij. ●t 〈◊〉 Christi na 〈…〉 tatem M. ●xxiiij ¶ Here begynneth the fourth age durynge to the transmygracyon Dauyd _●Auyd the seconde kynge 〈◊〉 Israell regned this tyme 〈◊〉 man chosen after y● desy 〈…〉 god And he was anoy 〈…〉 in his yonge age by Sam 〈…〉 after y● deth of kynge Saul he reg●●d x● 〈◊〉 This D 〈…〉 d was as a 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 mankynde in whome 〈◊〉 was 〈◊〉 so moche power so moche humy●●te so moche noblenes so moche 〈◊〉 so grete a charge of seculer thynges so pure beuoute 〈◊〉 contemplacyon of spirytuall thynges so many men to 〈…〉 e so many teres to ●●epe for his ●●espace ●ide plura 〈◊〉 regum ¶ Ab●athar this tyme was bisshop he fledde fro Saul vnto Dauid he was gloryous with hym all his dayes G●d Nathan and Asoph were prophetes than And Nathan was broders sone to Dauid ¶ How Mempris slewe his broder Maulyn THis Mēpris his broder Maulyu stroue fast for the londe And Mempris began to regne the .xxxv. yere of Dauid for bycause that he was the eldest sone he wold haue had all y● londe and Maulyn wolde not suffre hym so y● they toke a day of loue accorde and at this daye Mempris let kyll his broder through treason hymselfe afterward helde the londe anone let crowne hym kyng regned after became so lyther a man that he wtin a whyle all y● men of his londe And at the last he became so wycked so lecherous y● he forsoke his owne wyfe vsed the synne of sodomye wherfore almighty god was gretly displeased wroth with hym vpon hym toke vengeaunce bycause of his wyckednes For vpon a daye as he went forth on huntyng in a forest there he lost all his men y● were with hym wyst not what he shold do so he went ●p downe hymselfe alone cryed after his mē but they were gone there came wolues anone all to drewe hym in peces whan he had regned .xxiiij. yere And whā his people herde y● he was so deed they made ioy myrth ynough and anone made Ebra● his sone kynge and he regned with moche honour ¶ Anno mundi .iiij. M C .lxv. Et ante Christi na 〈…〉 tem M .xxxiiij. SAlomon the kyng of peas of the gyfte of our lor● had a synguler excedynge aboue all men y● euer was in this world but alonely god in wysdom in tychesse in deyntees in glory ●a miliarite with god And all though Moyses Dauid Peter Paule Ierome Austyn other moo exceded hym in holynes but yet they ex●●ded hym not 〈◊〉 glorye rychesse And this man so excedynge all men wretchedly 〈◊〉 Of this Salomon is redde in an epystle of sa●●● Ierome y● he gate a chylde on y● doughter of Pharao at x● yere of his age V●de psa regū ¶ Sadoch this tyme was bysshop for he deriyned not to y● parte of Adonie Dauids sone but was with Nathan for Salomon Ab●atha● on the other parte was deposed ¶ Anno mundi ●iij M. ij C .v. Et ante Christi nat 〈…〉 tem .ix. C. lxxxx●●●j ROboas succeded Salomō his 〈◊〉 der in his kyngdome but not 〈◊〉 wysdome He was deceyued through y● coūseyle of yonge men lost .x. 〈◊〉 in so moche as he answered no● wysely the people as it is open 〈◊〉 regum ¶ Achimias was bysshop and was y● sone of Sadoth Vt pꝪ patet 〈◊〉 Para●●po ¶ Reges Israel in●●pi●●● I Hero●●as regned kyng in Israel xxij yere he was fyrst of y● hous holde of Salomon and a good man ▪ but whā he was made kyng he was a myschenous 〈◊〉 ydolatry made israel to synne i 〈…〉 ry many grete incōuenyentes 〈…〉 one ▪ almoost to the destru●●yon of 〈◊〉 Israel For he was y● fygure of Ma 〈…〉 ●●de p●a .iij. regū ¶ Abdias y● son● of Rob●as regned in 〈◊〉 Iewry thre yere and other whyle as a good mā holpen by god other whyle wretchedly
in scripture ¶ Elyasib or Elysaphat succeded Ioachym in the bysshopryche Vt dicit Eusebiꝰ et magr̄ histo ¶ Camillus was Dictator at Rome in whose dayes mischeuous playes were ordeyned that the pestylence shold cese at Rome Of these playes saynt Austyn treateth diligently in repreuyng the falshede of the goddes the whiche desyred to be pleased with suche wretched playes So shamefully these playes were vsed with naked men women that honest men and women wolde not be at those playes ne yet behold them Vide p●a in Aug. de ci dei ¶ Darius notus regned on the Perses .xix. yere ¶ Plato the diuyne philosopher Aristotel his discyple were this tyme noble famous clerkes ¶ Tytus quintius was Dictator at Rome and he was a couetous man whome Austyn de ciui dei bryngeth in agaynst couetous proude chrystē men ¶ ●●yus was a senatour under whom was agrete batayle agaynst the kyng of ●us●orum and viij M. mē of them were taken ¶ Marcꝰ Valeriꝰ was an other senatour the whiche with .lx. M. Romayns fought with the frenshmen had the victory slewe many of them ¶ Artharerses kynge of Perses called agayn to his empyre Egypte he put N●●t●●abo the kyng in to Ethiopia many Iewes in to transmygracyon Also he sent Vagosum a prynce ouer Flum Iordan to aske agayne the tribute that was forgyuen to Esdre that was the .vij. yere rent propter sabbā terre ¶ Arsamus succeded hym and regned a yere ¶ Darius the sone of Arsamus regned with y● Perses .xxiiij. yere This Darius was a myghty mā a bolde the whiche asked of the Grekes a trybute that was the cause of the destruccyon of the monarchy of Persarū For it was translated to the Grekes after the prophecy of Danyel For it is sayd that Dariꝰ brought .xv. hondred thousande fyghtyng men whome all Alexander slewe ¶ Iodas the sone of Elysaphat was hye bysshop in Ierusalem in tyme of Matdachij Iohānes his sone succeded hȳ ¶ Aristoteles the moost subtyll famous philosopher lyued this tyme. ¶ Senocrate the moost chaste philosopher was this tyme with dyuers other moo ¶ Bycause the kynges of Britayne nexte after lyued in peas moost parte lytell of them is wryten therfore they shal be set togyder tyll it be comen to Cassybalon kyng of Brytayne the whiche was broder to Lud. ANd whā Cormbatrꝰ was deed Guent holen regned which was his sone a man of good condicyons and well beloued and he gouerned the londe well wysely and he regned .xxvj. yere and after dyed lyeth at newe Troy ¶ How kyng Seysell regned and well gouerned the londe after Guentholen AFter this Guētholen regned his sone Seysell well worthely 〈◊〉 gouerned the londe as his ●ader had done before hym he regned .xv. yere dyed and lyeth at newe Troy ¶ How ●ymor regned after Seysell his fader and he begate How an that regned in peas after his fader Bymor regned after his fader Seisell well nobly .xix. yere in peas And than after hym regned How an his sone .x. yere dyed lieth at Ikaldown ¶ How kynge Morwith dyed through myschau 〈…〉 of a beest MOrwith regned after Howan he became so wycked that vengeaūce fell on hym For ou a tyme as he went by the see syde he mette with a grete beest that was black horrible he wend it had ben a whale of y● see bent an arblast wolde haue slayne y● beest with his quarell but he myght not smyte hym whā he had shot all his quarels y● beest anone came to him deuoured hȳ alyue so he dyed for his wyckednes by gods vengeaūce after he had regned .ix. yere ¶ Of Grandobodyan that was sone to Morwith that made Cambrydge WHan this Morwith was deed y● brytons crowued Gr●dobodian his sone this Grandobodian longe tymed regued in goodnes made temples townes he made y● town of Cambrydge the town of Graūtham was well beloned of ryche poore he had .iiij. sones Arthogaile Hesidur Higamꝰ Petitur whan he had regn●d xj yere he dyed lyeth at newe Troy ¶ Of Arthogasle that was Grandobodians sone how he was made kynge after put downe for his wyckednes AFter Grandobodian regned his sone Arthogaile .v. yere he became so wycked y● the brytons wold not suffre hym to be kyng but put hȳ down made Hesidur his broder kyng he be came so mercyable y● men called hȳ kyng of pite whā he had regned .v. yere he had so grete pite of his broder Artogaile that was kynge before y● he forsoke his dignite and toke his broder y● crowne as gayn made hym kynge agaynst all y● brytons wyll after Artogaile became so good of cōdicions y● all the londe loued hym for his debonayrte doynge right reason to euery man And he regned .vj. yere than dyed lyeth at Graūtham ¶ How Hesidur was made kynge after the deth of his broder AFter the deth of Artogaile y● brytons crowned an other tyme Hesidur but his two bretheru Higamus Petitur had of hym grete spyte scorne ordeyned them helpe for to warre vpō the kyng theyr broder and so they toke hym put hym in to pryson the seconde yere of his regne they departed al the londe betwyxt them bothe but Higamꝰ lyued but .vij. yere thā had Petit al y● londe he made y● towne of Pickering ¶ How the Brytons came and toke Hesidur out of pryson made hym kynge the thyrde tyme. WHan this Petitur was deed the Brytons toke Hesidur anone and made hym kynge the thyrde tyme and than regned he 〈◊〉 peas .xiiii. yere after he dyed and ●●th at Kararleyll ¶ How xxx 〈…〉 kynges regned in peas ●●he after other after y● deth of Hesidur AFter the deth of Hesidur regned xxxiij kynges ●●he after other in peas without ony longe taryenge I shall shewe theyr names how longe eche of them regned as y● story telleth The fyrst kynge was called Gerbodia and he regned .xij. yere and after hym regned Morgan .ij. yere and after hym regned Cighnus .vj. yere after hym Idwalan .viij. yere after hym regned Rohugo .xj. yere after hȳ Voghen .xiij. yere after hym Caril .xj. yere after hȳ Porex .ij. yere after hym Cherin .xvij. yere after him Coyl .xij. yere after him Sulgenis .xiiij. yere after hym Esdad xx yere after hym Andragie .xvij. yere after hym Vrian .v. yere after hym Eliud .ij. yere after hym Eldagan .xv. yere after hym Claten .xij. yere after hym Ouirgunde vilj yere after hym Mortan .vj. yere after hȳ Bledagh .iij. yere after hym Caph .j. yere after hym Gen ij yere after hym Seysell kyng Bled xxij yere kyng Tabreth .xj. yere and after hym Archinall .xiiij. yere and after hym Croll .xxx. yere and after hym regned Rodyngu .xxxij. yere and after hym regned Hertir .v. yere
to the ende of the Worlde Christus natꝰ est WHan our lord Iesu Chryst was borne a well of ayle sprange beyonde Tyber by Rome ranne all the daye ¶ The golden ymage fell the which Romulus had made put in his palays sayenge This ymage shall not fall vntyll a mayde bere a chylde ¶ Whan Herode dysposed hym to slee y● children of Israel he was cōmaūded by the lettre of y● emperour to come to rome to answere to y● accusacyō of his children Alexiū Aristoboli And there were .iij. Herodes gretly spoken of for theyr yll d● des The fyrst was called Ascolonita vnder this mā was Chryst borne the children of Israell were slayne The second was called Antipas sone to y● fyrst Herode vnder whom John baptist was heded and Chryst suffred deth And the thyrde was called Agrippa sone to Aristoboli sone to y● fyrst Herode y● whiche slew Iames prisoned Peter The first Herode whā he sawe his sones Alexiū Aristoboli through y● pretēce of his lettre by the emperour sent stroue for y● succes syon of his kyngdom he disposed made Antipater y● was his first begotē sone to be before them whan they were tal kyng of y● deth of theyr fader he kest thē away they went to y● emperour to cōplayne of y● wronge of theyr fader in y● meane tyme y● thre kynges of Coleyn came by Herode to Ierusalē whan they came not agayn by hȳ he thought they were ashamed to come agayn by hȳ for bicause they were deceyued that they foūde not y● childe as he demed therfore in y● meane season he cessed to slee y● chyldren of Israell than he went to Rome for y● citacyon of the emperour he toke his way by y● cite of Tarsum where he brent y● shyppes in whiche the thre kynges of Coleyne sholde haue sayled in to theyr owne coūtrees Than after a yere certayne dayes this Herode came fr● Rome agayn accorded with his sones for the confyrmacyon of his kyngdome he was made moche bolder thā he slewe all y● children of Bethleem y● were of two yere of age and vnder that had space of one nyght of age amonge these was there one of his owne chyldren And Ari stobolus Alexiū were had suspected in so moche as they promysed a barbour a grete rewarde for to cutte theyr faders throte whan he dyd shaue hȳ And whā this Herode herde this he was greued and there he slewe bothe his sones And Herode Agrippa his sone he ordeyned to be kyng Wherfore Antipater his eldest sone was about to poyson his fader the whiche Herode Agrippa vnderstode prisoned there his broder the whiche y● emperour herde sayd y● he had rather be an hogge of Herodes than to be one of his sones for his hogges he spareth his sones he sleeth And whan Herode was .lxx. yere of age he was stryken with a grete sekenes in his handes in his feet in his membres y● no leche might come to him for stynke so dyed Whan Antipater his sone y● was in prison herd tell of this he ioyed gretly there for y● cause he was slayne Than Archelaus and Herode stroue for the successyon of y● fyrst Herode afore y● emperour The emperour there through coūseyle of y● senatours y● halfe of y● Iury ydumea gaue to Archelaus vnder name of a tetrarche The other parte he deuyded in to two Galile he gaue to Herode Antipas and Ituriam Traconitidē he gaue to Philyp Herodes broder ¶ And y● same yere Chryst came from Egypte And Archelaus was accused many tymes of the Iewes was exiled in to Viennā in to Fraūce And in y● place were set .iiij. Tetrarches to y● repreuynge of y● vnstablenes of y● Iewes ¶ And that same yere Octauian the emperour dyed ¶ Anno Christi .xij. IEsu Chryst our sauyour at .xij. ye re of age herde the doctours in the temple Our lorde Iesu Chryst at .xxx. yere of age was baptysed Crux Christi ¶ Iesu Chryst the lorde of all lordes at xxxiij yere of age and thre monethes dyed for his seruaūtes ¶ Innius Rufus was bysshop in the Iury about this tyme. Valerius Gracius was after hym xj yere This man openly solde the bysshopryche he that gaue moost had it And so there was many in a lytel whyle ¶ Ponciꝰ Pylatꝰ was iudge proctour in the Iury vnder y● emperour And vnder this man saint Iohn baptyst began to preche And our lord Iesu Chryst suffred deth whom Pylate cōdempned to deth wrōgfully for drede of y● emperour ¶ Tyrus a certayn kyng gate a ●hysde on Pyla a poore mannes doughter named Atus this chylde of his med●rs name his belsyre put togyder was called Pylatus This Pylatꝰ the .iiij. yere of his age was sent to his fader y● whiche kyng on his wyse lefully had goten a chylde euen of the age of Pylate And bycause this lefull goten chylde as they proceded in age exceded this bastard Pylatus he was full of enuye slewe his broder the lefull goten childe Wherfore his fader forth with sente hym to Rome for pledge for his tribute y● he payd to rome entendyng he wolde neuer redeme hym In the whiche tyme the kynges sone of Fraūce was pledge for his trybute the whiche exceded hym in strength chyualry also he slewe hym Therfore y● Romayns sent Pylate as a ꝓfytable man for the comyn wele to the yle of Ponto to tame the cursed people y● whiche slewe euery Iudge that came to them And he that cursed man gouerned that vnhappy people what with thretenynge and with promesse with lawe and with gyftes that none of them durst do contrary to his pleasure wherfore he was called Pylate of Ponto ¶ Herode Antipa yonge in his cōuersacions with gyftes and messengers drewe hym to hym and made hym prynce of the Iury vnder hym And this tyme Pylate gadred moche money and Herode not knowynge he went to Rome that he might receyue of the emperour that Herode had gyuen hym Wherfore Herode Pylate were enemyes togyder vnto the passyon of our lorde whan y● Pylate sent Iesu Chryst vnto Herode clothed in a whyte clothe than they were made frendes ¶ Ouidius Naso in Ponto aboute this tyme dyed the fourth yere of his exile ¶ Tiberius this tyme was emperour at Rome and he regned .xxiij. yere and he lyued in the yere that our lord Iesu Chryst dyed somwhat after This man was in all his werkes gretly auysed that there sholde be nothynge sodeynly done wyse in warres studyous in bokes fayre of speche fresshe in wytte saue he wolde oftentymes feyne hȳselfe to do thynges that he wolde not were done of other This emperour vnderstode trusted in Chryst and worshypped hym for god Some men saye at the last he was cruell agaynst the people but it was a grete reason of pyte that
his wyll he came to the empyre but he gouerned hym very well Whan the senatours prayed hym to call his sone emperour after hym he sayd It is ynough to me that agaynst my wyl I haue regned whiche I haue not deserued For the empyre of Rome sholde not go by succession of blode but to suche men as deserue it through theyr merytes Many tymes he regneth vnuertuously that is a kyng borne and vertue shold come before his kyngdome ¶ Eustachius otherwyse called Placidus Therospita his wyfe and two of theyr sones of whome meruaylous thynges ben redde were martyred by the cōmaundement of Adrian This Placidus was mayster of the emperours knyghtes ¶ Ierusalem was restored by Adrian and made larger so that the place where Chryst dyed was within the walles that whiche was without before And this is the thyrde buyldynge agayne of that cyte For it was thryes destroyed that is to saye of Cal dees in the tyme of zedechie of Anthiocus in the tyme of Machabeorum of Titus in the tyme of Vaspasian ¶ Anno domini C .xliiij. ●Elesphorus a Romayn was pope .xi. yere This man ordeyned this aūgelles ympne to be songen in the masse Gloria in excelsis deo c. and the gospel to be redde afore the sakeryng on Chrystmas day .iij. masses to be songen And he ordeyned there shold no masse be sayd afore .iij. of the last he was martyred buryed at saȳt Peters ¶ Ignius a greke was pope .iiij. yere This man ordeyned that a childe sholde haue a godfader a godmoder at baptym cōfyrmacyon Also that no archebysshop excepted the pope sholde condempne his suffrygan but yf that the cause were shewed in the prouyncyall coū seyle of bysshops Than he was martyred buryed at saȳt Peters ¶ Anthonius Pius was emperour .xxij. yere with his sones Aurolio Lucio This man was myghtely wyse naturally fayre of speche the whiche lyghtly in one mā is not foūde Nota. Excedynge men in wysdom comynly are not fayre speched nor peasfull namely of nature Nor contrarywyse Excedynge men in fayre speche comynly are lesse than wyse This mā was meued with bothe these ꝓpertees Therfore many kyngdomes the which receded from other emperours wylfully to this man returned agayne And to chrysten men was none so gentyll He sayd through the ensample of Cipio I had leuer kepe one heere of a man than slee an hondred of myne enemyes And some martyrs were made vnder hym but they were made vnder the cōmaunde ment of the emperours afore And the chrystē people were so hatefull to the bysshops to the preestes of the tēple of the fals goddes that they prouoked the princes alwaye agaynst them For they supposed that the chrystē fayth shold destroye them Ther fore it was no meruayle all though the prynce was yll pleased for they sayd all theyr goddes were deuyls yf lower iudges pursued christē folke martired thē ¶ This tyme .x. M. martyrs were crucifyed in Armenia on an hye hyll called Arath ¶ Pompeius trogus isto ●ēpore historias to●iꝰ orbis a Nino vsque ad Occauianum deduxit ¶ Anno domini C .liiij. PIus ytalicus was pope .xj. yere iiij monethes .xij. dayes This man ordeyned the feest of eester euermore sholde be halowed on the sonday And also an heretyke comynge fro the secte of the Iewes shold be receyued be baptysed Thā he was martyred buryed in fast Peters ¶ Anicetꝰ was pope after Pius almoost .x. yere This man made man● decrees of the Canon for bysshops Vt in ca. violatores c. ¶ Galienus a l●●●e goten in pergamo was in grete fame ●● Rome that whiche not all onely expowned the bokes of Ypocras but he put many of them to his bokes And of this m●●● sayd for his discrete abstinence that 〈…〉 he lyued an C. and. ●l yere be neuer ●● ne dranke his fyll Nota abstinentiā He neuer toke rawe fruytes alway he had a swete breth He dyed all onely through age no sekenes ¶ Martus Antonius the true Lucius Comodus were emperours .xix. yere These two toke the empyre after Anthony the meke And than began two emperours to regue but Iucius Comodus decesed Anthony was emperour alone that whiche was a 〈◊〉 ryous man a noble but that he made the fourth persecucyon to slee chrysten men This Marcus was of so grete sad nes stedfastnes that for no chaūce he neuer laughed ne chaunged no there neyther for gladnes ne for sorowe And whan he was a chylde he was of suche manhode that on a certayne tyme whā he loked his tresour had not that whiche he myght gyue his knyghtes his men whan he went to fyght agaynst the Germayns the Sciauōs Sarmatas he wolde hurte ne greue no body but had leuer to sell his wyues golden vessell her arayment her beddyng all her ryall stuffe than take taxe of the senatours or of his prouynce vnder hym But he gate the victory of his enemyes recouered all agayn releaced the prouynces of theyr tributes And those y● wold sell hȳ his wyues tresour agayne he restored them theyr money those y● wolde not he neuer greued them But the tables of theyr dettes betwixt hȳ them he brent openly in the market place thāked them that they helped hym in his necessite ¶ How kynge Lucie regned after his fader whiche was a good man after he became chrysten AFter kynge Coyll regned Lucie his sone that was a good man to god and to all the people He sente to Rome to Eleuther that than was pope sayd that he wolde become a chrysten man receyue baptym in the name of god turne to the right fayth byleue Eleuther sente two legates that one was called Pagan and that other Elibayn and came in to this londe baptised the kynge all his meyny And after went from towne to towne and baptysed the people tyll all the londe was baptysed And this was in the yere an C. and. lvj after the incarnacyon of our lorde Iesu Chryst And than this kyng Lucie made in this londe two archebysshops one at Caūterbury an other at yorke and many other bysshops that yet be in this londe And whan these two legates had baptysed all this londe they ordeyned preestes for to baptyse chyldren and for to make the sacrament And after they went agayne to Rome And the kynge dwelled in this londe and regned with moche honour .xij. yere and after dyed and lyeth at Glocestre ¶ How this londe was long without a kynge how the brytons chose a kynge THis kyng Lucie had none heyre of his body begoten that was after warde grete harme sorowe to the londe For after this kynge Lucies deth none of the grete lordes of the londe wold suffre an other to be kyng but lyued in warre debate amonge themselfe .l. yere wtout kyng But it befell afterwarde y●
fought with Emilianꝰ were slayne And Emilianꝰ the thyrde moneth was slayn ¶ Valerian was emperour with his sone Galyene .xv. yere This man was vertuous manly in the begynnyng but after he was gyuē to vyce moche wretchednes and so was his sone Galyene This Valerian went to the lond of Perse there for the blode shedynge of martyrs he was taken of the kynge of Perse And whan he had taken hȳ he put out bothe his eyen kepte hym in grete bondage to this entent he kept hym that whan so euer he shold ryde this Valerian sholde lye down he shold set his feet vpō his backe whā he wold take his hors This herde Galiene his sone that was left at Rome that caused hym that he was not so cruell agaynst chrysten men And here was the .viij. persecucyon of the chirche made by this emperour made the Romayns to lese theyr kyngdomes the whiche were neuer recouered agayne to the emperour a generall pestylence was through all the worlde for theyr trespace ¶ Stephanus a martyr after Lucius was pope .iij. yere This man ordeyned that no mā shold vse no halowed clothes but to the worshyp of god ¶ Sixtꝰ a martyr and a Romayn was pope after Stephanus .ij. yere This man ordeyned that the masse shold be sayd vpō an awter the whiche afore was not than he dyed ¶ Dionisius a Romain was pope after Stephanꝰ .ij. yere This man deuyded parysshes chircheyerdes assygned to chirches certayne preestes ¶ Felix a martyr was pope after Dionisius two yere He ordeined that for the memory of martyrs masses shold be sayd Also he ordeyned the Dedicacion of the chirche euery yere shold be said ¶ Claudius was emperour after Valerian This man subdued Gothas nobly than decessed ¶ Anno Christi CC .lxxiiij. EVticianꝰ a martyr was pope after Felix .viij. yere This man ordeyned y● corne benes sholde be blyssed on the awter And he buryed iij C. xliiij martyrs with his owne hādes ¶ Aureliꝰ was emperour after Claudius .v. yere This Aurelius fyrst to christē men was gentyll wherfore he had the vyctory in euery place gloryously whan he was deceyued by cursed men pursued chrysten men myghtely namely in fraūce for there he abode after that he had neuer good fortune but was slayne And this was the .ix. ꝑsecucyon of the christen fayth ¶ Tacitus was emperour after this man he regned but .iii. monethes was slayne in Ponto ¶ Probus was Emperour after hym .v. yere .iiij. monethes This man recouered Fraūce agayne the whiche was occupyed with barbary men And he gaue them Pannonias lycence to haue vynyerdes And whan he had made almoost all thȳges well in peas he sayd Knyghtes within a lytell tyme shall not be necessary And anone after he was slayne at Syrmiū ¶ Carus his two sones Carmꝰ Numerianꝰ were emperours after Probus but soone they dyed theyr fader was drowned the two sones were slayne All these regned but .ij. yere ¶ Dioclesian Maximyan came after these thre emperours the one regned in the eest the other regned in the west The fyrst thynge that Dioclesian dyd he brent all the chrysten mennes bokes that myght be foūde These two tyraūtes dyd more harme to christē men than euer dyd ony other For .x. yere lasted theyr ꝑsecucyon And as we rede wtin .xxx. dayes .xx. M. men were slayne for chrystes cause And in Englonde all the fayth was almoost destroyed in the tyme of Maximyan ¶ Gaius was pope after Euticianus This man ordeyned that no man sholde accuse a bisshop or an other clerke to ony seculer iudge And that a pagan or an heretyke shold not accuse a christē man Also he ordeyned that he that was worthy shold ascende gree by gree to his ordres fyrst benet than ●ollet subdeken deken than preest And at the last he was martyred vnder Dioclesian ¶ Marcell 〈…〉 ꝰ a martyr was pope after Gaius .xi. yere .iiij. monethes This mā was sore ꝑsecuted for drede of deth he offred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nes of encense to the sacrifyce of the ydolles And afterward he openly repented and suffred deth for the fayth of Chryst His body laye vnburyed thre days for drede of the curse of god And after through a visyon of saynt Peter Marcell he was buryed at saynt Peters fo●e ¶ Marcellus was pope after Marcell 〈…〉 ꝰ .v. yere This man ordeyned that a generall coūseyle myght not be ordeyned without the auctorite of the pope vt pꝪ patet .xvij. d● 〈◊〉 sinodū Also he chose .xv. cardynalles in the cyte to bury men chrysten At the last whan he had kepte beestes longe tyme in a hous closed in with them by the commaundement of Maximian he dyed for faute ¶ Eusebius a martyr was after this man two monethes and certayne days This man of a lay man was made pope he ordeyned that no laye man shold accuse his bisshop but yf he went from his fayth V● pꝪ patet .ij .ix. vij .x. lai 〈…〉 s. ¶ Nota. This tyme saynt Albon was martyred in brytayn This Albon whā he was a pagan he lodged a certayn mā the which cōuerted hym to the fayth after was iudged vnto deth and moche people he turned vnto our lorde that were nygh the water the which he made drye through his prayer And he suffred deth nygh the cite of Ve●elom Vide plura in vita sctī Albani ¶ Melchiades a martyr succeded Eusebius foure yere This mā forbode the men shold fast on sondays on thursdays in so moche as pagans fast on those dayes At the last he was martyred as al his predecessours were ¶ And knowe ye that there were xxxiij popes of Rome martyred eche one after other Peter was the fyrst this Melchiades was the last And than it was laudable after Gregory a mā to desyre a bysshopryche ¶ Galerius was emperour after Dioclesian two yere and an other with hym called Constancius so was the empyre in those dayes deuyded This Constancius after he had conquered all Spayne he came in to grete Britayn there he wedded a kȳges doughter on whom he gate grete Cōstantyne And this same Cōstancius dyed in Brytayn lyeth at Yorke as Martin sayth in his cronycles lefte on lyue Cōstantyne that was goten on Eleyne was kynge of Brytayne of Fraunce ¶ Anno Christi CCC .viij. SIluester was pope after Melchiades This was a gloryous confessour many wayes he worshypped the chirche of god what in wrytynge and what in myracles He receyued the patrimony of saynt Peter that is for to saye the kyngdome of Ytalye with the cite of Rome of Constantyne the emperour to the worshyp of the chirche of god he turned it He baptysed Eleyne the Iewes and than he decessed a confessour ¶ Constantyne the myghty was emperour this tyme. This Cōstantyne was a gloryous man and a victoryous in
batayle In gouernyng of the comyn people he was very wyse And in the necessite of the byleue he was without comparison deuoute His pite his holynes be so wryten in the bokes of holy doctours that without doubte he is to be nōbred amonge sayntes And the Grekes saye that in the ende of his lyf he was made a monke And more ye may here of hym in the cronycles of englonde for he was kyng of Englonde ¶ Helena the quent moder to Constantyne repayred agayn the holy crosse this tyme and she made lxx colleges and she gloryfyed the state of all holy chirche ¶ Nycholas the bysshop of Myrre cite an holy mā was this tyme. ¶ Athanasiꝰ was this tyme bysshop in Alexandria a gloryous doctour and made the cymbalū Q uicūque vult saluus esse c. ¶ Marcus was pope after Siluester two yere and .viij. monethes This man ordeyned that the Crede sholde be openly songen in the chirche and that the bysshop of Hostiense sholde consecrate the pope and that he sholde were a pall ¶ Iulius was pope after Marcus .xj. yere This man was exiled x. yere after suffred deth vnder Constantyne the seconde ¶ Cōstantinus with his two bretherne regned .xxiiij. yere in his last ende he was peruerted by the heresy of the arryens by a bysshop called Eusebi he pursued the chirche of god strongly The ende of this mā was this As he sholde go to Constantynople to a grete coūseyle in the whiche counseyle he thought to haue cōdempned the bysshop and the clerkes of true byleue he wente before vnto a chambre to auoyde suche thinges as nature requyreth anone sodeynly his bowelles fell frō hym and so dyed ¶ Libersus was pope after Iulius .xix. yere and .vij. monethes Than was the seconde dyscorde of the chirche bytwene Liberiꝰ Felix for the heresy of the arryens the whiche fauoured Liberius Than Constancius the emperour called agayne Liberius from his exyle bycause he fauoured this heresy And the chirche deiected Liberius toke Felix for pope and the other was expulsed as an heretyke of the chirche But Felix obteyned not for the emperour put in Liberius expulsed Felix ¶ Felix was pope after the deth of this Liberius he declared Cōstancius the emperour an heretyke and anone after he was martyred ¶ And here was the fyrst that euer the chirche of Rome had an infamed pope For all the predecessours of this Liberius were sayntes gaue holy ensamples ¶ Iulianus apostata was after Constancius emperour .ij. yere and .viij. monethes He was called apostata bycause he fledde this Cōstantius whiche slewe his broder for fere of deth was made a chrysten man and a monke But afterwarde by the counseyle of a nygromancer he asked the deuyll wheder he sholde be emperour or not The deuyll sayd that he sholde be emperour vpon a cōdycyon that he sholde forsake his chrystē fayth and be vtter enemy to chrystē men And so he dyd for he gaue leue to the Iewes that they sholde buylde agayn the temple in spyte of the christen men And toke all the goodes the chrysten men had destroyed many of them ¶ Iouinianus was emperoure after hym .viij. monethes For whan Iulian was deed the hoost chose hym emperour he was a christē man And he sayd it was not lefull to a christē man to be lord ouer so many hethen people They answered said Rather than he sholde forsake the empyre they wold be thrystened And thus toke he the dignite But soone he was deed and in meruaylous maner For he was layde in a close hous after his iourney made all of stone newly whyted with lyme in the whiche they made to his cōfort as they thought a fyre of charcole of the ayre of these two on the morowe he was foūde deed ¶ Valentinian with his broder Valent was emperour after Iouinianꝰ x● yere for he departed the empyre gaue his broder the eest kepte hymselfe the west part This Valētinian was a lord with Iulian apostata it happed him on a tyme for to go in to a temple of false goddes for to do sacryfyce mynystres stode there with water halowed after theyr guyse with the whiche they spryncled the lordes This Valētinian smote the mynystre that kest the water vpon hym and sayd he was rather defouled therby than clensed Bycause of this Iulian dyd exile hym But our lord god for his open confessyon of his name rewarded hym with the empyre His broder Valent fell in to the opinyon of the a●●yans and dyed in that heresy This same Valent lyued foure yere after Valentinian with Gracian the emperour ¶ This tyme lyued saynt Ambrose ¶ Anno domini CCC .lxiiij. DAmasus was pope after Felix xviij yere .ij. monethes This was an eloquent man in metre and he wrote many storyes of popes and martyrs He ordeyned that 〈◊〉 patri shold be sayd in the ende of the psalmes and that was at the prayer of saynt Ierom. And through the mocyon of this pope Ierom translated the byble from hebrewe in to latyn than he decessed a cōfessour ¶ Valent with Gracian Valentinian were emperours foure yere In this tyme were chirches opened agayne and chrysten men had leue to renewe the seruyce of god y● was defended afore with emperours infected with heresy as was Valens other wherfore y● chirche had no liberte whan Valens was on lyue ¶ A synodus of an C. and .l. bysshops were gadred vnder Damase pope at Cōstantinople agaynst Macedoniū an heretike the whiche denyed y● holy ghost to be very god And than was the Credo made that is songe on holy dayes in y● chirche ¶ Augustinus a Cartaginen̄ of Affrica was this tyme he was as noble a retho ricyen as myght be in all philosophy poetry incōparable all thynge that ony philosopher foūde in his youth he vnderstode with lytell labour And aboute this tyme he was sent to Milan where he was turned anone of saynt Ambrose and baptysed This man grewe vnto a noble doctour of y● chirche And not longe after that he was bysshop of Yponen̄ there he lyued .liij. yere moche diuinite he wrote vt pꝪ patet in libris suis ¶ Siritius was pope after Damasus .xv. yere He dampned heretykes lytell elles is wryten of hym ¶ Theodosius sone to Gracian with Valētyne his vncle was emperour .xxvij. yere This man was a chrysten man a gracyous in gouernaūce lyke to Traian soone wroth and anone reconsyled This man on a daye whan he wold haue gone to here masse saynt Ambrose forbade hym the entre of the chirche tyll he had done penaunce made satisfaccyon for y● sleynge of y● xxx knyghtes whiche he slewe in angre at Constantinople Wherfore they made a lawe that y● sentence of a prynce shold be deferred .xxx. days of those that shold do execucyon yf they myght fall in y● grace of y●
castell of Tyntagell aske entre there and haue your wyll The kyng toke pryuely all the hoost to gouerne and lede to a knyght that he moche loued toke his waye towarde the castell with hym toke Vlfyn his chamberlayne and Merlyn And whan they came thyder y● porter wende it had ben his owne lord And whā tyme came for to go to bedde y● kyng went to bedde with Igreyne the erles wyfe and dyd with her all his wyl begate vpon her a sone whiche was called Arthur And on the morowe the kyng toke his leue of the lady and went agayn to his hoost And the same nyght that the kynge laye by Igreyne in bedde that was the erles wyfe the kynges men gaue a grete assaute to the castel And the erle his men manly defended them But at the last it befel so that in the same assaute the erle hȳselfe was slayne the castell taken And the kyng anone returned agayn to Tyntagell and spoused Igreyne with moche honour and made her quene And soone after that the tyme came y● she sholde be delyuered had a sone whiche was called Arthur And after that gate on her a doughter that was called Amya And whan she was of age a noble baron that was called Aloth y● was lorde of Leons wedded her ¶ Whan Vter longe tyme had regned there came vpon hȳ a grete sekenes as it were a sorowe And in the meane tyme those that had in kepynge Otta that was Engistes sone and Ossa his broder that than were in pryson they let them goo for grete gyftes that they gaue and wente with them And whan these two bretherne were escaped came agayne in to theyr owne coūtree they ordeyned a grete power of folke began to warre agayn vpon the kyng ¶ How kynge Vter chose Aloth to kepe the londe of Brytayne whyle that he was seke for as moche as he myght not for his sekenes ANd for as moche as kyng Vter was seke myght not helpe hȳ selfe he ordeyned Aloth sone of Eleyne that than was chosen for to be wardeyn and ●heftayne of all his folke And so he anone his Brytons assembled a grete hoost gaue batayle to Otta and to his folke but Otta at the last was discomfyted ¶ It be fell thus after warde that these brytons had indignacyon of Aloth wolde not be to hym attendaūt wher fore y● kynge was wonders fore anoyed and let put hym in a lyttet is the hoost amonge his folke And they ladde hym to Vero●oin that than was a fayre cite where as saynt Albon was martyred and after was that cite destroyed with paynyms through warre and thyder they had sent Otta Ossa theyr people entred in to the towne let make fast the gates there they helde them And the king came besyeged them made a stronge assaute But they y● were win manly defended them The kyng let ordeyn his gōnes his engynes for to breke y● walles y● walles were so strōge y● no thynge myght misdo thē Otta his people had grete despite y● a kyng lyenge in a lytter had besteged them toke coū seyle to come out on the morow gyue batayle to the king in that batayle Otta Ossa were slayne al the other alyue fled in to Scotlonde made Colegrin theyr cheftayne And the saxons y● were escaped brought agayn a grete strength sayd amonge them yf kyng Vter were deed they shold well cōquere the lōd thought to poyson hȳ ordeyned men to do this dede gyuyng them grete gyftes they went thyderward in poore mēnes wede to accomplysshe theyr fals purpose but it auayled not for they myght not come nygh y● kyng Tyll at the last they espyed that the kyng drāke none other ly●our but water of a clere well y● was nigh besyde these traytours on a day priuely went to the well put therin poyson so that al the water was poysoned anone after a● the kyng had dronken of y● water he began to swell soone after dyed as many as dranke of y● water dyed also And anone as this was espyed folke of the towne let stop y● well for euermore Whā the kyng was deed his folke bare hȳ to Stonehenge with grete solempnite of bysshops barons y● were there to bury hȳ besyde Aurilambros his broder after returned agayn euerythone sent after Arthur his sone they made hym king of the londe with moche reuerence after his faders deth .xvij. yere of his regne ¶ How Arthur that was the sone of Vte● was crowned after his faders dethe how he droue out of this londe Coleg 〈…〉 the saxons Cheldrik of Aimayne WHan Arthur was made kynge of the londe he was but yonge of .xv. yere of age but he was fayre and bolde and doughty of body to meke folke he was good and curteys and large of spendynge and made hym wondersly well beloued among all men where it was nede And whā he began to regne he sware that the saxons neuer showe haue peas ne test tyll he had dryuen them out of the londe assembled a grete hoost fought with Colegrin the whiche after the tyme y● Otta was deed the saxons maynteyned And this Colegrin was discōfyted fledde vnto yorke toke the cite there helde hym And the kynge besyeged hym there but he gate no thynge it was so stronge y● cite defended it manly In y● meane tyme Cole grin left y● cyte to Bladud fled hymself to Cheldrik that was kyng of Almayne for to haue socour of hym And he assembled a grete power arryued in scotlond with .v. C. shyppes And whan Arthur wyst of these tydynges sawe he had not folk ynough to fyght with Cheldrik he lefte the syege went to London sent anone lettres to Howell of lytell Brytayn his neuewe his systers sone that he sholde come to hym with all the power that he myght And he assembled a grete host arryued at southampton where king Arthur receyued hym Ioyously with moche honour And those two hostes mette assembled them toke theyr waye to Nichol that Cheldrik had besyeged but it was not taken And they came vpon Cheldrik his people or they wist where that they were assayled thē egerly Kyng Cheldrik his men defended them manly to theyr power But kyng Arthur and his men slewe so many saxons y● neuer was seen such slaughter And Cheldrik his men that were left alyue fledde away and kyng Arthur pursued them droue thē out in to a wode that they myght no ferder passe Cheldrik his mē sawe well that they were brought in to grete disease yelded them to kyng Arthur in this maner wise that he shold take theyr horses harneys all that they had they wold onely go on fote in to theyr shyppes so they
agayn to king Adelbryght y● was king of Kent tolde him y● his folke wold not be to no man obedyent but to y● archebysshop of Carlyon Whan the king herde this he was sore anoyed sayd that he wolde destroye them sent to Elfryde kyng of Northumberlonde y● was his frende y● he shold come to hym with all y● power that he myght he wold mete hym at Leycestre and fro thens they wolde go in to wales there destroye y● archebysshop of Carlyon and all those that had refused saynt Austyn ¶ How kyng Adelbryght kyng Elfry de slewe Brecynall y● was a kyng of bry tons that helde y● coūtree of Leycestre IT befell so that there was a kyng of brytons that helde the coūtre of Leycestre all the countre aboute his name was Brecynall And this bryton herde tell y● those two englysshe kynges wolde mete there at Leycestre for to go in to wales he let ordeyne all the power that he had for to go fyght with these two kȳges but lytel it auayled hym for his folke were all slayne hymself fledde lost his londes for euermore And these two kȳges Adelbryght Elfryde dwel led a whyle at Leycestre departed the londe amonge them and toke homage feaute of the folke of y● coūtree And af ter they went toward wales And they of wales herde tell of y● discōfyture that Brecmal had at Leycestre were won ders sore adrad of those two kynges toke chose amōge them good men ho ly of heremytes mōkes preestes of other people grete plente y● wente bare fote and wolwarde for to haue mercy of those two kynges But y● kynges were so sterne so wycked y● they wold neuer speke with them but slewe them all Alas for sorowe for they ne spared them no more than the wolfe doth the shepe but smote of theyr hedes euerichone And so they were all martyred y● to them came that is to vnderstande .v. C. and .xl. And after they wente fro thens to Bangore for to slee all those y● they myght fynde there of y● brytons And whan y● britons herde that they assembled ordeyned all theyr power for to fyght with them Than was there a baron of wales whi che was called Bledrik of Cornewayle that somtyme was lorde of Deenshyre but king Adelbright had dryuen hȳ out in to wales after there he gaue them batayle at y● batayle was kyng Adelbryght slayne Elfryde sore woūded forsoke y● felde the moost parte of his people slayne And king Elfryd fled in to Northumberlond y● was his owne lōde And after the people of Leycestreshyre made with strength Cadewan y● was Brecinals sone kyng of Leycestre he after regned nobly with grete honour ¶ How Cadewan kynge of Leycestre Elfryde king of Northumberlond were frendes And of the debate y● after was bytwene Edwyn and Cadwalyn that were bothe theyr sones AFter that this bataile was done the britons assembled them and went thens came to Leicestre made there Cadewan y● was Br●●ynals sone kyng of Leycestre of all y● coūtree And he toke homage feaute of all y● folke of the coūtree And after that he assembled a grete hoost and sayd he wolde go in to Northumberlonde to destroye kyng Elfryde slec hym yf he myght And whā he was comen thyder frendes went so bytwene them that they accorded them in this maner That Elfryde shold hold all y● londe from Humber vnto scotlonde and Cadewan sholde haue all y● londe on this syde Humber to y● south And after that they were good frendes all theyr lyf loued togyder as they had ben bre therne And this Elfryde had a sone called Edwyn y● helde all y●●ond of North●berlonde after his faders deth as his fa der had hold al his lyfe tyme. And Cade wan had another sone called Cadwa●● that helde his faders londe as he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whā he was alyue these loued as bre therne the loue insted bytwene them but onely two yere after began debate bytwene them thrugh an euyl enuyous cosyn of Cadwalyns called Bryens so y● they assembled a grete host on bothe par tyes And at y● last it befell y● Cadwalyn was discōfyted Edwyn pursued him and droue hym frō place to place so y● at the lasthe fled in to Irlōde And Edwyn destroyed his londe cast downe castels brent his maners departed all Cad walyns londe among his frendes And lōge tyme after came Cadwalyn agayn from Irlonde with a stronge power in playne batayle slewe Edwyn and all his frendes namely them that withhelde his londes by Edwyns gyfte ¶ How kynge Oswalde was slayne by kynge Cadwalyn Peanda And how Oswy that was saynt Oswaldes broder regned after hym slewe Peanda WHan Edwyn was slayne Offris his sone vndertoke the warre agaynst Cadwalin his vncle so that this Offris dyed duryng y● warre And after the deth of Offris regned a gentyl chrysten man that moche lōued god almygh ty that had all y● londe of Northumberlonde by herytage y● was called O●●ald he was kyng of all y● londe But for as moche as he was frende to Edwin and helde a grete parte of y● londe of Cadwa lyn This Cadwalyn warred vpon him and droue hym towarde scotlonde And whan Cadwalyn sawe that he wold not abyde he wolde no longer pursue hym but toke some of his folk to Peanda his broder in lawe prayed hym to pursue after Oswald tyll that he were taken or slayne And Cadwalyn returned home agayn Whan Oswald herd y●●ydȳges that Cadwalin turned home agayn he wolde no longer flee but abode Peanda gaue hym batayle Peanda was dis comfyted fled came agayn to Cadwa lyn sayd y● wolde neuer holde a fote of londe of hym but yf so were y● he wolde auenge hym on Oswald Cadwalyn let assemble a grete hoost for to fyght with Oswald so that he and Peanda came to Northumberlonde gaue batayle vnto Oswald in y● same batayle was Oswald slayne his heed smyttenof after he was buryed in y● abbey of Bardeney in whiche place god hath wrought for hym many a fayre myracle bothe there and els where And anone Oswy his broder seased all the londe in to his handes y● was this Oswaldes And the folke of Northūberlond loued hym won ders well helde hym for theyr lorde But he had men of his kynne worthy ynough y● wolde haue departed y● londe they warred lōge togyder And for as moche as they were not strōge ynough they came to Pcanda prayed hym of helpe socour pmysed hym of y● londe largely vpon this couenaūt y● he wolde gouerne them helpe coūseyle Peauda herde theyr prayer so spake with king Cadwalyn that he shold ordeyn a grete hoost fast ordeyn hym in to Northum berlonde for to fyght with Oswy And Oswy was a
mekeman moche loued peas charite prayed Peanda of loue peas profred hym of golde syluer grete plente And this Peanda was so proude y● he wolde not graūte hym peas for no maner thynge but for all thynge he wolde fyght with hym So at y● last there was set a day of batayle Oswy euer had trust vpon god Peanda trusted to moche vpon his pryde and vpon his hoost that he had and togyder they smote egerly But Peanda was anone discomfyted flayne And this was after the incarnacion of our sauyour ●esu Chryst vj C. and .lv. yere And this Oswy regned .xxviij. yere a kynge that was called Oswyne that was Peandaes cosyn warred vpon hym and togyder they fought but Oswy had the victory of Oswyne was discomfyted and slayne and lyeth at Cynmouth ¶ How kynge Cadwaldre y● was Cadwalins sone regned after his fader and was the last kynge of Brytons AFter y● deth of Cadwalin regned his sone Cadwaldre well nobly his moder was y● sister of Peanda And whā he had regned .xij. yere he fell in to a grete sekenes than was there a grete discorde bytwene the lordes of y● londe that eche warred vpō other And yet in that tyme there fell so grete derth and scarcete of corne other vytayles in this londe y● a man myght go .iij. or .iiij. dayes fro towne to towne that he sholde not fynde to bye for golde ne syluer breed wyne ne none other vytayle wherw t a man myght lyue But onely the people lyued by rotes of herbes for other lyuynge had they none so moche was it fayled all about fysshes wylde beestes all other thynge so y● yet to this mysauenture there fell so grete mortalyte pestilence amonge the people by the corrupcyon of y● deed bodyes For they dyed so sodeinly both grete small lorde seruaūt in etynge goynge spe kyng they fell downe dyed so y● neuer was herde of more sodeyn deth amonge the people For he y● went for to bury the deed body with y● same deed body was buryed And so they y● myght flee fledde forsoke theyr londes houses as well for the grete hunger derth scarcete of corne other vytayle as for y● grete mor talite pestylence in the londe went in to other londes for to saue theyrlyues lefte y● londe all deserte wasted so that there was no man for to trauayle tyll the loude so that y● loude was ●a●ayne of corne all other fruytes for define of tillers this misauēture duted .xj. yere more y● no man myght ere ne sowe ¶ How Cadwaldre went out of this londe in to lytell Brytayne CAdwaldre sawe grete hunger mortalite pestilence the londe all poore faylynge cornes other vytayles his folke perisshed sawe also the moost party of his lond all wasted voyde of people he apparayled hȳ his folke y● were lefte alyue passed ouer in to lytel Brytayn with a lytel nauy vnto kyng Aleyn y● he moche loued that was his cosyn that his fader had moche loued in his tyme. And as they sayled in the see he made moche lamētacyon so dyd all those that were with hym and sayd Dedisti nos dite tanquam oues estarū et in gentibus dispersisti nos ¶ And than began Cadwaldre to complayne hym to his tolke pyteously and sayd Alas sayd he to vs wretches and caytyues is sorowe for our grete synnes of the whiche we wolde not amende vs whyle we had space now repentaūce is comen vpon vs through mysauēture whiche chaceth vs out of our owne realme propre soyle out of the whiche somtyme Romayns Scottes Saxons nor Danes myght not exple vs. But what auayleth it now to vs that before tyme dyuers tymes haue goten many other londes syth it is not y● wyll of god that we abyde dwell in our owne lode God that is very iudge that all thinges knoweth before they be done or made he seeth that we wolde not cese of our synnes that our enemyes myght not vs nor our lygnage exyle fro and out of our realme he wolde that we amended vs of our folyes and that we sholde se our propre defautes therfore hath shewed to vs wrathe wyll chastyse vs of our misdedes syth that he doth vs without batayle or strengthe of our enemyes by grete cōpanyes wretchedly to leue our realme propre londe Turne agayn ye Romayns turne agayne ye Scottes turne agayne ye Saxons turne agayn ye frensshmen now sheweth to you Britayn all deserte the whiche your power myght neuer make deserte ne yet your power hath not put vs now in exde but onely the power of the kyng almyghty whome we haue oft offended by our folyes the whiche we wolde not leue vntyll he chastised vs by his diuyne power Amonge the wordes lament acyons y● kyng Calwaldre made to his folke they arryued in lytel Gritayn came to king Aleyn And y● kyng receyued hym with grete ioye made him to be serued won ders nobly and there he dwelled longe tyme after The englysshe people that were lefte alyue were escaped y● grete hunger mortalite lyued in y● best wyfe that they might moche people sprang and came of them And they sente in to saxonie where they were borne to theyr frendes for men women and chyldren to restore the citees with people and the townes that were all boyde of people for to labour trauayle and tyll the e●th Whan the Saxons had herde these tydynges they came in to this londe won ders thycke in grete cōpanyes lodged themselfe in the coūtree all about where that they wolde for they foūde no man to with stande them ne lette And so they wexed multyplyed gretly vsed the customes of y● coūtre wherof they were comen and the lawes the language of theyr owne londe And they chaunged y● names of citees townes castelles and boutghes and gaue them names and called them as they now be called And they helde the coūtets the batonages and the lordshyppes countrees in maner as y● Brytons before ryme had compassed them And amonge other grete companyes that came from Germayn in to this londe came y● noble quene that was called Sexburga with men women without nombre arryued in the coūtree of Northumberlonde toke the lond from Albion vnto Cornewayle for her for her folke For there was none that myght them let for all was desolate voyde of people but it were a fewe poore Brytons that were lefte on moūtaynes wodes vutyll that tyme. And fro that tyme forth lost the Britons this realme for all theyr dayes and the Englysshe people began to regne departed the londe bytwene them and they made many kynges aboute by dyuers partes of the londe as here ben deuysed The fyrst of Westsex the seconde Merchenrych the thyrde
dyscōfyted And frō thens a Dane that was called Roynt went to Redyng with his hoost destroyed all that he myght take And kynge Eldred fought with hym but he was so woūded that he dyed And he regned but .v. yere and lyeth at Womburne ¶ Circa annū dn̄i iiij C .xlix. LEo the first was emperour after Marcianus .xvij. yere In his tyme were y● Rogacyon dayes ordeyned afore y● ascencyon of saynt Mamert bysshop of Vienne The pope of Rome at y● tyme hyght Leo a noble clerke with hym had many clerkes ¶ Hilariꝰ was pope after Leo .vij. yere This man ordeyned y● no bysshop sholde ordeyne his successory Vt pꝪ patet .viij. ●x 〈◊〉 ¶ Simpliciꝰ was pope after hym He ordeyned that no clerke shold take no garment to be clo thed in after the secte or maner of a lay man through the reason of his office or of his benefyce ¶ zeno was emperour after Leo .xv. yere this man was an heretyke cruell agaynst chrysten men And in this mannes dayes y● bodyes of saynt Mathew y● euāgelist saynt Bar nabe y● apostle were foūde with them the gospell that saynt Mathewe wrote Aboute this tyme there was a certayn comyn woman bart .vij. children at one byrth of y● whiche one was after made kyng of Lombardy ¶ Felix the thyrde was pope after Simplicius thre yere viij monethes This mā ordeyned y● respyte shold be gyuen to a man that was accused that he myght auyse hym how he sholde auswere And y● the iudges y● accusers sholde be suche y● they sholde take all suspeccion spotte ¶ Gelasius a Romayn was pope after Felix .v. yere This mā ordeyned y● canon of y● masse with the preface ympnes tractes oreysons as saȳt Ambrose made them y● ordres sholde be gyuen foure tymes in the yere ¶ Anastasius was emperour after zeno xxvij yere he was a curfed man an heretyke hatefull to god man he was slayne with lyghtnynge And in his tyme dyed saynt Patryk y● fyrst bysshop of Irlond in the C. and .xxij. yere of his age his felawe was the abbot of Columba saynt Brigida whome saynt Patryk made a nonne they were butyed in one tombe at dyuers tymes And this is theyr Epytaphe Hij tres in gelido tumulo tumulant in vno Brigida Patricius atque Columba pius ¶ Anastasius a Romayn was pope after Gelasius two yere thre monethes He ordeyned that no preest for wrath ne hate sholde leue of to saye his diuyne ser uyce in the chirche excepte the masse he cursed the emperour Anastasius for he was an heretyke And it is writen of him that afterward he turned for drede to the opynyon of the emperour And he is called the seconde yll famed pope that is in Catholico pōtificū And afore hym was Liberius famed in heresy ¶ Anno domini iiij C ixxxxiiij SImachꝰ was pope after hȳ .xv. yere with hȳ was ordeyned an other pope y● was called Laurencius bytwene them was a grete discēcyon they bothe put them to y● Iudgement of Theoboria y● kyng And he iudged that he that was first ordeyned that moost men of the chirche helde with sholde be pope And Simachus preuayles the whiche loued the clergy poore men for Pascalius the deken cardynall helde agaynst Simachus with the parte of Lau rence to his deth therfore he was put to the paines of purgatory to kepe y● baths after his deth as Gregory sayth in his boke of Dialogues This mā ordeyned that Gs●a mexcelsis sholde be sayd euery sondaye and feestes of martyrs ¶ Nota That Englonde was longe tyme chrysten Fraunce CLodouius the fyrst chrystē kyng of Fraūce was this tyme baptysed of saynt Remigio he had a christen woman to his wyfe she meued hym many tymes to y● fayth sayd he shold be fortunable yf he wolde turne so he was neuer afore ¶ Hornusoa was pope after Simachꝰ .ix. yere This mā was of grete mercy grete almes vnto pooremen he gaue many ornamētes to chirches And he reconsyled y● grekes y● were cursed for theyr heresy ¶ Iustinus was emperour after Anastasiꝰ .ix. yere was a very chrystē man And all that euer the emperour Anastasius had done agaynst the chirche he reuoked obeyed the pope Hornusoa and calle● agayne the bysshops that were exiled by his predecessours ¶ Priscianꝰ grāmatieus was this tyme. And this yere the whiche is the .lxxi. fro the comynge of y● saxons began y● kingdom of westsaxon and Cerdico was kynge ¶ Iohannes was pope after Hornusoa thre yere and ix monethes And Theodoricus y● kyng of ytaly an heretyke toke the pope with other senatours sent them to the emperour Iustinyan determynynge that and he wolde not let the heretykes be in peas he sholde 〈◊〉 all the chrysten folke in ytaly And after he ●oke pope Iohn Simachū Patricisi and Boicium the senatours slewe them in pryson But Bois defended hym by the reason of the aurtorite of y● senatours he sent hym to the cite of Papy for perpetuall exyle where he made the boke De ●solatione philosophie And at the last in the coūtre of Mediolanensis he caused Bois throte to becutte and so he dyed ¶ Felix pope succeded Iohn .iiij. yere This man cōmaūded that seke men sholde be an●led afore theyr deth but Chryst ordeyned it fyrst ¶ Iustinianus was Emperour xxxviij yere This man drewe the lawe of the Romayns or of Ciuyll out of almoost .ij. M. bokes and .ccc. M. verses ouer longe yll accordynge in to one volum of .xij. bokes called it Iustinyan He made also the digestes and deuyded them in to thre bokes ¶ Bonifacius the seconde was pope after Felix two yere And lytell of hȳ is wryten ¶ Iohānes the seconde was pope after Bonifacius And this mā had a grete stryfe with Iustinian y● emperour wheder y● Chryst was of two natures or one The pope sayd he had two natures one of god an other of man The emperour sayd eyther cōsent to vs or y● shalte go to perpetuall exyle The pope answered I desyred to come to Iustinyan the moost chrysten emperour but as me semeth I haue founde Dioclesyan y● pursewer of chrysten men but certaynly I drede not thy malyce ne I ●ere not thy thretenynges Than the empetour meked hȳselfe fell downe to the groūde asked mercy absolucion ¶ Anno d●i .v. C. xxxiiij AGapitus a confess●ur was pope after Iohn two yere This Agapitus turned Iustinyan sully from the errour of the Euticetes This man ordeyned that processyons sholde be done on sondayes than he dyed at Constan tynople ¶ Siluerius a martyr was pope after this man thre yere He was exiled fro chrysten fayth slayne by the proctour of Theodory for he wolde not restore the bysshop of Athenes an heretyke to his benefyce agayn ¶ Virgiliꝰ was pope after hym .xvij. yere And he
entred yll in to his benefyce but he gouerned hym well he suffred his perse cucyon pacyently and he was exiled fro Rome And at y● last after grete passions of Theodora in Constantynople dyed ¶ Sinodus quarta Cōstātinopolitana contra Theodorū et oēs hereticos alios fuit isto tēpore Ista sinodꝰ dampnauit heresim Theodori qui dixit aliū esse deū verū et aliū Christū Et quam beata virgo non sit dei genitrix sed hominis tantū ¶ Pelagius was pope after Virgilius foure yere and .x. monethes This man ordeyned that heretykes scysmatykes renegates sholde be punysshed by the seculer power ¶ Iohannes the thyrde was pope after this man .xiij. yere Of this man lytel is wrytē but that he restored y● chircheyerde of y● apostles Philip Iacob ¶ Iustinus the seconde after Iustinian was Emperour .xj. yere This man despysed poore men he robbed the senatours he was gyuen to all couetousnes so that he made chestes of yren for to kepe his money in Than anone he fell in to heresye wexed out of his mynde And than was chosen Tyberius a good man for to gouerne the co myn people ¶ Tyberius y● second was emperour after Iustinꝰ .vij. yere This man was a vertuous man He gaue innumerable good to poore men in so moche that his wyfe often chydde with hym sayd that he kest awaye the goodes of the empyre as stones And he answered agayne sayd I trust in god that our chestes shall neuer lacke of money we put treasure in to heuen And vpon a certayn daye whan he went by his palays at Constantynople he sawe in the marble pauemēt a crosse grauen thought it sholde not be troden vpon comaunded to take it vp For the crosse ought to be put in the hertes of faythfull men there he founde inestymable treasour of golde This man subdued Harsas and dyed blissedly ¶ Benedictus was pope after Iohn .iiij. yere This man suffred grete persecucyon of hunger pestylence and enemyes This man brought many a thousande quarters of where from Egypte whan Rome was besyeged by kyng Albanak almoost lost for vitayle wherfore they wrote on his graue this epytaphe Magnatuis monumēta pater Benedicte reliqis virtutū titulus et de●us atque dolor ¶ Pelagius was pope after Benedictus .v. yere In his tyme Rome was besyeged by y● loinbardes lytel he dyd in his dayes ¶ Mauricius was emperour after Tyberiꝰ .xxj. yere This was a very chrysten man subdued Persas Armenias in y● latter ende of his dayes he dyscorded with saynt Gregory entended to haue slayne hȳ And than there appered a man in Rome clothed in a religyous habyte holdyng a naked swerde in his hande cryed about y● cite in this wyse The emperour shall be destroyed the whiche the emperour herde he correcked hȳselfe of his trespace prayed to god to withdrawe his sentence from hym To whome our lorde appered in his slepe sayd Wylte thou that I spare the now or in tyme to come And he was alouer of wretches sayd Gyue me here my reward Thā he was emperour after many a daye And whā he shold haue correcked his knighttes for theyr extorcyon y● they dyd they asked hym why that he wolde not paye them theyr wages And so they fell at varyaunce chose Foca for to be emperour slewe hȳ his .iij. sones ¶ This tyme saynt Austin came in to Englonde and ordeyned two archebysshops that is to saye of London of yorke by the cōmaūdemēt of saynt Gregory And remēbre y● many tymes is made mencyon of dyuers regyons coūtrees that oftē tymes they haue ben turned to y● fayth For alwaye the fayth abode not in them for dyuers causes So it is of Englonde Fraūce Persia Iewry in this thȳge Rome was preuileged for there y● fayth of Peter neuer fayled ¶ Focas was emperour after Maurici his maister whome he other slewe bycause he began yll he ended nought For in his dayes y● Romayns fought strongly agaynst the Perses the Romayns were discomfy ted lost many a prouynce at the last he was slayne of Heraclius For as he dyd to other men so was he done to ¶ Anno domini .v. C. lxxxiiij GRegory the first a Romayn and a mōke was pope after Pelagius xiij yere This man was called Gregorius magnus for many thȳges that he exceded in he passed other men in power in ryches in vertue in noblenes in wysdom in holynes in fame in experience And vnder this man the yll thynges of cursednes passed seced many a noble boke he wrote to y● incomparable ꝓfyte of all holy chirche He was one of y● pryncypal doctours of all the .iiij. doctours of the chirche This man forsothe alone with sayiit Fabian after saȳt Peter was chosen of god in all the ordres of y● popes of Rome many thynges he ordeyned in y● chirche as is shewed in his regystre Deus in abiutoriū for to be afore y● begynnynge of y● houres he cōmaunded to be sayd He renewed made all the offyces of the chirche in a fayrer a more cō pendyous maner the whiche abydeth yet vnto this daye it is called Gregorianū And shortly to cōclude on this holy man mannes tongue can not expresse lyghtly the louynges of this mā what in wrytynges also in examples of vertuous dedes ¶ Saumianꝰ was pope after Gregory one yere .v. monethes This man ordeyned y● ringyng of belles at the houres of the daye But this man backbyted saynt Gregory for his liberalite that he had to poore men thought he sawe saȳt Gregory rebuke hȳ thryse for it the fourth tyme he lay in his bed thought saynt Gregory smote him on the heed and he waked dyed anone This was the thyrde pope amonge all y● popes y● whiche is noted to dye a dredefull deth ¶ Bonifacius y● thyrde was pope after Sauimanus .viij. monethes He ordeyned y● none but whyte clothes sholde be put on y● awter ¶ Bonifacius the fourth was pope .iiij. yere and .viij. monethes This man purchased of the emperour Foca that the chirche of saynt Peter of Rome shold be y● heed of all the chirches in y● worlde For afore Cōstantinople was y● heed chirche Also he ga●e lycence y● the chirche called Panton the whiche was dedycate to the honour of Neptunus other fals goddes where chrysten men many tymes were slayne of deuyls myght be dedycate to y● worshyp of all sayntes in heuen This man ordeyned y● monkes myght vse y● offyce of prechynge chrystenynge cōfessyon ¶ Heraclius was emperour after Foca xiij yere And in the thyrde yere of his regne Co●●ras y● kyng of Perses brent Ierusalem and other worshypfull places ●achary the patriarke with moche other people he toke put in captyuice The parte of the holy crosse the whiche Cleyn lefte there he toke with hym in to his
coūtre But the .xij. yere of Herachꝰ Cosoras was slayne of Heraclius the crosse was brought agayn the people were delyuered And whan Heraclius wold haue entred y● cite proudly the gates of y● cite by y● power of god shette by themselfe the emperour meked hȳ to god aboue the gates opened And thā was the feest of y● exaltacyon of y● crosse made ¶ Deꝰ dedit was pope after Boniface thre yere This was an holy man For on a certayn daye whan he kyssed a lepre anone the lepre was hole ¶ This tyme a citezin of London through y● mocyon of Ethelbryght buylded a chirche of saynt Peter in the west parte of London in a place y● was called Thorney ¶ Circa annū dn̄i vj C .xliiij. BOnifacius the fyfthe was pope after Deus dedit fyue yere the whiche ordeyned that no man sholde be taken out of the chircheyerde And lytel elles of hym is wryten ¶ Nota Machomitum MAchomyte the duke of sarasyns and turkes was this tyme. And he was the deceyuer of all the worlde a false prophete the messenger of the deuyll the foregoer of Antechryst the fulfyller of heresy and of all false men the meruaylest of whome the dominacyon thus began ¶ There was a certayne famous clerke at Rome and coude not spede in his maters that he desyred to haue spedde in than he receded frō Rome ouer the see and procured many a man to go with hym amonge whome was this fals Machomyte a grete man of wytte And this clerke ꝓmysed hym to make hym duke of his coūtree yf he wolde be guyded after hym There he nourysshed a doue put all y● corne that the doue ete in to Machomytes ere so this doue had neuer no meet but in his ere The foresayd clerke on a daye called the people meued them to chose suche a prynce as the holy ghost wolde shewe to them in fourme of a doue And anone this clerke secretly let this doue flee the whiche after his olde custome came to Machomyte put his byll in his eere And whan the people sawe this anone he was chosen duke of that people And whan he was made duke of this people of Corosame he sayd y● he was the very prophete of god Thā he made a boke of his lawe y● was called Alcaron But he dyd it by the informacyon of thre of his maysters to whom y● deuyll mynistred the auctorite the connynge The fyrst mayster was a iewe a grete astronomer a nygromancer the second was Iohn de Antiochia the thyrde was Sergius an heretyke And these thre made an vn gracyous lawe an vnhappy what someuer was hard of byleue tedyous to do they lefte y● out of the lawe they put that thinge in theyr lawe y● worldly men were prone redy to do that is to saye glotony lechery rapyne suche other And also this Machomyte ordeyned y● a man shold haue as many wiues as he myght occupy fynde and refuse them twyse or thryse or .iiij. tymes take them again And many meruaylous fals thinges he made in his lawe the whiche were to lōge to reherse here but they be playne in his boke of Alcaron euer he wrote i his boke y● our lord spake to Machomyte his ꝓphete sayenge on this wyse or on this Thus by his fals meanes he deceyued y● people And whā his maysters he had made this y● was so delectable he wrote it in a boke with lettres of gold nourysshed a camell secretly in a pryuy place all onely with the hādes of Machomyte was alway fedde And there pryuely he tyed this boke of the lawe y● he had made about y● camels necke put this camell forth on a tyme in to a felde a fore daye and this camell ioyed in his lyberte for he was neuer lose afore And he wold suffre no man to come touche hym And so there was a grete fame of suche a camell and all the people ranne to se hym amonge whom was this Machomyte But whan the camell sawe hym that alway had fedde hym anone he ranne vnto hym And he had taught this camel afore tyme to fal downe on his knees lycke his handes And so he dyd afore all the people The people thā cryed sayd that there was a very ensample that he was the true prophete of god Than they prayed Machomyte to open y● holy boke with his holy handes the whiche was sent frō heuen euermore to be kepte In y● whiche boke is shewed how the people shall worshyp god And Machomyte sayd This boke was wryten with aūgels handes So by these false meanes he turned to his lawe all the londe of Perse all the eest imperyall agaynst Heraclius the emperour And he occupyed vnto the ende of Alexandre and Egypte Libia Arabia Siria Than after he enfected all Affrica but that the grace of god with stode hym he had enfected all spayne fraūce And many other thynges he dyd that were to moche to wryte in this boke COnstantyne the thyrde the sone of Heracli● was emperour .xxvij. yere This Constantyne was a cursed man a grete tyraunt and an heretyke false subtyll obyous to chrysten men nor he gaue no place to pope Martyn he reysed a grete host agaynst the Lombarbes there he lost the felde fledde to Rome And honourably was receyued of the pope Vitellianꝰ and other of the cite And he rewarded them not lyke after theyr merytes as a prynce sholde haue done but vsed forth tyranny heresye wherfore at y● last he was slayne of his owne knyghtes in a bath y● whiche wolde no longer suffre his tyranny And so he wretchedly lyued dyed vnhappely ¶ Martinꝰ the first was pope after Theodorū .vj. yere This Martinus was a very holy man and strongly stroue for the fayth of god And whan he sayd masse on a certayne daye at the awter there pursued hym to slee hym a man whiche was called Spa●arius of Olymphe and whan he wolde haue ●nytten hym he was blynde sodeynly This same man called a Sinody in the cite of Rome and he dampned Syrum Alexandrū Sergiū Pyrum Paulū heretykes Wherfore Constantyne the emperour exiled hym he dyed a saynt ¶ Eugenius a Romayn was pope after Martyn almoost thre yere and was an holy mā but of hym lytell actes ben wryten ¶ Vitellianus was pope after hym .xiiij. yere This mā made y● songe that the Romayns vseth and accorded it also with y● organes And he also had the grace of the emperour the whiche was wroth with his predecessours neuerthelesse afterward he stode not in his cōcorde Ne hytherto I coude not fynde that euer the chirche of Rome had fully after the deth of Cōstantyne y● myghty the lordshyp of the cyte and of other the whiche he gaue to the chirche ¶ Anno dn̄i vj C. x●●iij Adeodatus a Romain was pope after Vi 〈…〉 s .iiij. yere
away with the hylles into the feldes v● mile thens as they stode and the cytees were not broken nor hurte In the londe of Mesopotanyan the erthe was broken by the space of two myle And also there was a mule whiche spake in a mannes voyce Asshes fell from heuen And in the see of Pontico there was yse for grete frost y● was .xxx. cubytes of thycknes And sterres fell frō heuen so myghtely that men trowed that the ende of the worlde had ben comen All these betokened meruaylous thynges to come ¶ Anno domini vij C .xliiij. AFter Gregori zacharias was pope .x. yere This zachary was a noble man arayed with all vertues with all men he was loued for his mekenes And he deposed the kyng of Fraūce Hydery put in his place Pippinū for he was more profytable Here ye may se what power y● chirche had that tyme the whiche trāslated that famous kyngdom from the very heyres to the kyngdom of Pippyn for a lefull cause Vt habetur xv q .v. alius ¶ Stephanus the second a Romayn was pope after zacha ry .v. yere This man in all thynge was profytable vnto the chirche as well in worde as in doctryne And he gouerned the spirytualte the temporalte nobly He was the louer the defender of poore men This man anoynted Pippinū the kyng of Fraūce sent hym agaynst the Lombardes that he sholde cōpell them to restore the chirche of suche goodes as they had withholden from them longe tyme vnryghtwysly the whiche he dyd He also trāslated the empyre of the Grekes to the frenssh men ¶ Paulus a Romayn was pope after hȳ .x. yere This was a very holy man for he dyd grete almes to faderles children prysoners wydowes and other poore men that he myght be a folower of saynt Paule ¶ Constantyn y● second a Romayn was pope after Paule two yere This Constantyn was a lay man sodeynly was made a preest as a tyraūt toke on him the dignite of the pope and with a grete sclaūdre to the chirche was pope a lytell tyme. But the faythfull men put hym out put out his eyen And this was y● fyfthe infamed pope amonge so many hytherto so the holy ghoost that holy apostles seet kepte in all honour and holy nes ¶ Infynyte martyrs were made this tyme by Constantyn the emperour for he was suche an heretyke And men trowe that there was neuer emperour nor no paynym that sleme so many martyrs And this tyme y● chirche was troubled full sore very precyously bought the worshyppyng of y● ymages of sayntes for y● grete shedynge of blode of martyrs And certaynly that cursed emperour was not vnpunysshed For whan he dyed he cryed with an horryble voyce sayd I am taken to a fyre that is vnable to be destroyed and so he yelded vp the ghost to euerlastyng payne ¶ The empyre of Rome was deuyded aboute this tyme. For Stephen y● pope translated ytaly other to Karolus yet a yonge man And Constantyn helde the londe of Grece with other londes ouer y● see with a grete labour and many rebellynge ¶ This tyme Karolus magnus was a noble yonge man he begā for to regne vpon Fraūce was the sone of Pippinus and his moder was called Berta ¶ Stephanus the thyrde was pope after Paulus thre yere he amended all the errours of Constantyne And he degraded all those the whiche Constantyn ordeyned in a gouernall synody ¶ Anno domini vij C .lxxxiiij. ADrianus a Romayn was pope after Steuen .xxiiij. yere This man was myghtely worshypped of the people no man greter afore hym in honour rychesse buyldynge This man set two solempne synodyes The fyrst of iij C. and l. faders The secōde in Rome with an hondred fyfty faders beynge present Charles the kynge of Fraunce to whome it was graunted the lyberte of eleccyon of the pope and to ordeyne y● apostles se et ¶ Leo the fourth regned emperour with y● Grekes .v. yere This Leo was a cursed mā but not so moche as his fader was he was a couetous man he toke away a certayne crowne of a chirche and put it vpon his heed anone he was corrupted with an axes so decessed And he had a cursed wyfe the whiche regned after hym with her sone ¶ Constantyn was emperour after Leo he was a meke man and put awaye his moder fro y● kyngdom that she myght take hede vnto her womens werke But she with a fayned rancour put out his eyen afterwarde his children also and regned agayne thre yere And at the last she was aboute to haue ben wedded And whan the Grekes perceyued that she wold be wedded to grete Karolꝰ they toke her shette her vp in a monastery toke Nichoferū to be theyr emperour ¶ The .v. vniuersall study y● whiche in olde tyme was translated frō Athenes to Rome about this tyme was translated to Parys by Karolus kynge of Fraūce ¶ Nichoferꝰ was emperour after Cōstantyn He was a very nygon was exalted to his empyre by the Grekes but he profyted not for in his tyme all the eest Imperyall was brought to nought For the Romayns put them vnder Karolus magnꝰ ¶ Ierusalē about this tyme was recouered by Karolus with all the holy londe And the secte of sarasyns was destroyed strongly For the destruccyon of wretches came than ¶ Mychaell was emperour two yere And he was a very chryst● man was wel beloued was also conuynge in all scyences And those that Nichoferꝰ had hurte distressed of theyr goodes by his couetousnes this Michaell restored thē theyr goodes agayn ¶ Nota. Karolus magnus the fyrst saynt was emperour after Michaell he was crowned emperour by Leo the pope From y● whiche tyme the empyre was translated fro the Grekes to Fraūce Germany And for the translacyon of y● empyre the Grekes alway were defectyue vnto y● Romayns the Grekes stroue euermore with them but it was more with venymous wordes than with strength more with craft than with batayle For they had so grete enuy at y● Romayns that they wolde not obey the chirche of Rome For certaynly whan y● the popes wold wryte vnto them for to obey the chirche of Rome they wrote agayn and sayd Ye haue taken from our kynrede the empyre therfore we wyll you not obey and we vs take from you And as touchynge this noble emperour Karolus it is to be vnderstande this man whā he was a yonge man he was anoynted kynge in Fraūce by Stephen the pope in the yere of our lorde Iesu Chryst vij C. and .liiij. whan his tader Pippinus lyued vnder whom with whome he regned .xv. yere to the deth of his fader Than after the deth of his fader in the yere of our lorde god vij C .lxviij. this Karolus with his broder Karolo manna regned two yere Than his broder decessed in the seconde yere
after that he had forgyuen Estrilde the quene her trespace bycause that she was cause of kyng Edwardes deth and saynt Dunstan had her alloyled enioyned her penaunce and she lyued after a chaste lyfe and a clene This kyng Eldred wedded an Englysshe woman on her he begate Edmund Iren syde and an other sone that was called Edwyne And after dyed the quene theyr moder And in that tyme came Swyne in to Englonde that was kyng of Denmarke for to chalenge and conquere all that his auncestres had before the tyme And so he conquered and had it all at his askynge For the good erle Cuthbert of Lyndesey all the people of Northumlonde and almoost all the gretest men of Englond helde with Swyne that was king of Dēmarke for as moche as they loued not kyng Eldred bycause that his good broder Edwarde was falsly slayne for the loue of hym and therfore no man set but lytell by hym Wherfore kynge Swyne had all his wyll toke all the londe And Eldred the kyng than fledde in to Normandy and so spake to the duke Rycharde that the duke gaue hym his syster Emme to wyfe vpon the whiche he gate two sones that one was called Alured and that other Edwarde And whan kyng Swyne had cōquered all the londe he regned nobly lyued .xv. yere and than he dyed and lyeth at yorke ¶ How kyng Eldred came agayn from Normādy and how Knoght the Dane regned and of the warre bytwene hym and Edmunde Irensyde AFter the deth of Swyne that was a Dane Knoght his sone dwelled in Englonde wolde haue ben king And thā came agayn Eldred out of Nor mandy with a grete nombre of people a stronge army that Knoght durst not abyde but fledde thens in to Denmark The kynge Eldred had agayne his realme and helde so grete lordshyp that he begā to destroye all those that helped Swyne that was a Dane agaynst hȳ And afterwarde this Knoght came agayn from Denmarke with a grete power so that kynge Eldred durst not fyght with hym but fledde from thens vnto London and there helde hym Than came Knoght and besyeged hym so longe tyll that kynge Eldred dyed in the cite of London and lyeth in saynt Paules chirche And he regned .ix. yere BOnus was pope after Benedict one yere This man abode but a lytell tyme. ¶ Bonifacius was pope after hym fyue monethes ¶ Benedictus was pope after hym .x. yere This man crowned Otto the seconde made many Romayns to be taken he gadered a coūseyle agaynst the kynge of Fraūce where Gylbert the nygromancer was deposed ¶ Iohānes the .xiiij. was pope after hym .viij. monethes he was put in the castell Aungell and was famysshed to deth ¶ Iohānes that .xv. was pope after hym .iiij. monethes ¶ Iohānes the .xvj. was pope after hȳ almoost xj yere This man was taught in armes made many bokes elles lytell of hym is wryten ¶ Gregorius the .v. was pope after this man almoost thre yere This Gregory was made pope at the instaunce of the emperour Otto the thyrde for he was his cosin And whan he had ben a lytell whyle pope and the emperour receded from the cite of Rome Placētinus was put in by Crescencius a consull for money than was stryfe a fewe dayes But the emperour came soone after agayn toke Crescencius the consul stroke of his heed put out the eyen of this man that put out his cosyn of the dignite of the poperyche maymed hym in other membres and his dukes ne his knightes helped hȳ no thȳge For he dyd that thynge that he shold not haue done and he suffred that that he deserued ¶ Nota. This Gregory with the emperour Otto ordeyned there the chosers of the empyre the whiche from thens forth hath abyden vnto this day For the frensshmen nor none other myght not breke the ordynaunce And those chosers of the Empyre by the pope Otto were not made for ony blame of the saxons but to eschewe the petylles to come And theyr names ben wryten in latyn for lerned men in these verses Magun ●inensis Treuerensis Coloniensis quilibet imperij fit cancellarius horum Et Palatinus dapifer Dux portitor ensis Marchio prepositus camere Pincerna Bohemus Hij statuunt dominū cūctis per secula summū Palati●ꝰ est comes Reni Marchio est Brandeburgensis Dux Saxonū Et rex Bohemorū Verū vt quidam dicunt Through this occasyon the Egle hath lost many a fether and in the ende he shall be made naked ¶ Otto the thyrde was emperour .xviij. yere This man was a worthy man all the dayes of his empyre And after the wysdome of his fader he was a very faythfull man to the chirche And in many batayles he ꝓspered bycause he was deuoute to almyghty god his sayntes And gaue myghty worshyppyng vnto the relykes of sayntes And oftentymes he visyted holy places This man was crowned by Gregory his cosyn And at the last he decessed at Rome ¶ Anno domini M .iiij. Nota. SIluester the second was pope after Gregory .iiij. yere he was made pope by the helpe of the deuyll to whome he dyd homage for he sholde gyue hym all thynge that he desyred he was called Gylbert And his enemy gate hym the grace of the kynge of fraūce and he made hym bysshop of Remensis but anone he was deposed And after he gate the grace of the Emperour was made bysshop of Rauennie after pope but he had an ende anone so haue all that put theyr hope in fals deuyls Yet men trust in his saluacyon for certayne demonstracions of his sepulture for the grete penaūce that he dyd in his last ende For he made his handes legges to be cut of dismēbred all his body made them to be cast out at the dore to foules than his body to be drawen with wylde beestes and there to be buryed where so euer they rested as an hoūde And they stode styll at saynt Iohn de Latrans there he was buryed that was signe of his saluacyon ¶ Iohānes the .xviij. was pope .v. monethes ¶ Iohannes the .xix. was pope after hym fyue yere And these two dyd lytel thȳges ¶ Henricus the fyrst was emperour in Almayn xx yere This Henry was duke of Barry and all accordyng he was chosen for his blyssed fame good name the whiche he had And it is redde that many of these dukes of Barry were holy men not all onely in absteynynge them from flesshly desyres but also in vertuous lyuyng And this Henry had a syster that was as holy as he whome he gaue to wyfe vnto the kynge of Hungary And she brought all Hungary vnto the right byleue and chrysten fayth And his wyues name was San●●a Ro●●ogundis with whome he lyued a virgyn all the dayes of his lyfe And he made many a batayle as well in ytaly as in Almayn agayust them
fote had dryuen her out of y● lond through coūseyle of y● erle Godwyn that than was the gretest lorde in Englonde nexte the kynge that had moost rule bycause he had spoused the doughter of kyng Knoght begoten on his fyrst wyfe And whan this quene was dryuen out of Englond came to the erle of Flaundres that was called Baldewyne his cosyn foūde her there all thȳge that her neded vnto the tyme that she went agayne in to Englonde that the kynge Hardiknoght had sent for her that was her sone and made her to come agayne with moche honour This kyng Hardiknoght whan he had regned .v. yere he dyed and lyeth at West mynster ¶ Of the vylany that the Danes ' dyd to the englysshmen wherfore fro that tyme after was no Dane made kynge of this londe AFter the deth of this kyng Hardiknoght for as moche as he ne had no chylde of his body begoten the ●●les and barons asseinbled and made a coūseyl that neuer more after no man that was a Dane though he were neuer so grete a man amonge them he shold neuer be kyng of Englonde for y● despyte that they had done to englysshmen For euer more before yf the englyshmen the da nes happened to mete vpō a brydge the englyshmen shold not be so hardy to mene a fote but stande styll tyll the danes were passed forth And more ouer yf the englyshmen had not bowed down theyr heedes to do reuerence vnto the danes they sholde haue ben beten defouled suche despytes vylany dyd the danes to our englysshmē wherfore they were driuen out of y● londe after Hardiknoghtes deth For they had no lorde y● myght mayntayne them And in this maner auoyded the danes Englonde that they neuer came agayn The erles barons by theyr comyn assent counseyle sente vnto Normādy for to seke those two bretherne Alured and Edwarde that were dwellynge with the duke Rycharde y● was theyr vncle in entent for to crowne Alured the elder broder make hym kyng of Englonde of this thynge to make an ende The erles barons made theyr o the but the erle Godwyn of Westsex falsly traytoursly thought to slee these two bretherne anone as they shold come in to Englond in entent to make Harold his sone kynge the whiche sone he had begoten on his wyfe kyng Hardiknogh tes doughter y● was a dane And so this Godwyn went pryuely to southhamton for to mete there with the two bretherne at theyr landynge And thus it befell that the messengers that went in to Normandy foūde not but onely Alured that was y● eldest broder For Edwarde his broder was gone to Hungary for to speke with his cosyn Edwarde the outlawe y● was Edmund Irensydes sone The messengers said to Aluted how y● the erles ba rons of Englond sent for hȳ y● he shold boldly come in to Englōde receyue the realme for king Hardiknoght was deed all the danes dryuen out of the londe ¶ How Godwyn the fals traytour toke Alured vpon Gildesdown whan that he came from Normandye to be kynge of Englonde how he caused hym to be martyred in the yle of Ely WHan Alured herd these tydȳges he thāked god toke shyppyng with all y● haste that he myght and passed the see and arryued at south hamton there Godwyn y● fals traytour was And whan this traytour sawe y● he was comen he welcomed hym receyued hym with moche ioye sayd that he wold lede hym to London where as all the barons of Englonde hym abode to make hym theyr kynge And so they went on theyr waye towarde London And whan they came on Gyldesdowne tho sayd y● traytour Godwyn vnto Alured Take hepe aboute you bothe on the lefte syde on the ryght syde of all ye shal be kyng of suche an hondred mod Now forsothe sayd Alured I behyght you and yf I be kyng I shall ordeyne make suche lawes wherof god man shall be well apayed Now had the tray tour cōmaūded all his men that were with hym that whan they were comen vpon Gyldesdown that they shold slee all that were in Aluredes company that came with hym from Normādy after that take Alured lede hym in to y● I le of Ely and after put out bothe his eyen of his heed afterward brynge hym to deth And so they dyd for they slewe all y● company that were there the nombre of xij gentylmen y● were comen with Alured frō Normandy after they toke Alured in the yle of Ely they put out his eyen rent his wombe toke y● chefe of his bowels put a stake in to the groūde an ende of the bowels fastened therto with nedyls of yren they pricked y● good thylde so made hym to go aboute the stake tyll that all his bowels were drawen out of his body so dyed Alured there through treason of the erle Godwyne Whan the lordes of Englond had herde and wyst how Alured that sholde haue ben theyr king was put to deth through the fals traytour Godwyne they were wonders wroth swore bytwene them god his holy name that he sholde dye a worse deth thā dyd Edryth of stration y● had betrayed his lorde Edmund Iren syde they wold haue put hym to deth but the traytour fledde thens in to Denmarke there helde hym .iiij. yere and more lost all his londe in Englonde SIluester the thyrde was pope after Benedictus This Siluester was chosen Benedict was expulsed And afterwarde was Siluester expulsed Benedict was put vp agayn And after he was put out Gregory was made pope he was but symple lettred man and therfore he chose an other pope to be cōsecrate with hym And whan many men were dyspleased with this guydyng of two popes the thyrde was brought in the whiche sholde occupy y● place of bothe y● two And so they stroue amonge them selfe But Henry the emperour than came to Rome and deposed them all and made Clement the second pope whome he made anone to crowne hym And he sayd to the Romayns they sholde neuer wtout his assent chose pope And so .v. beynge popes the syxth was put in But many men saye this Grego ry was an holy man ¶ Damasus the second was after Clement .xxiij. dayes This man was an vsurper of y● popery che he dyed sodeynly And anone the Romayns asked to haue a pope that the Almayns sholde haue none for they were so harde herted that they myght not enclyne to the entent of y● emperout the whiche sayd there sholde be no pope chosen but yf he wolde be of counseyle of the eleccyon But for all that they put in this holy man Leo and after he had of that conscyence refused it And anone he was chosen by y● comyn assent This Leo put Chryst in the forme of a lasar in to his owne bedde and on the
to them he made his cōplaynt of his sorowe of his disease And ofte tymes asked of his wardeyns what he hadde trespaced agaynst dame Isabell his wyfe syr Edward his sone y● was made newe kyng that they wold not visyte hym And thā answered one of his wardeyns sayd My worthy lorde dysplease you not y● I shall tell you the cause is for it is done them to vnderstande y● yf my lady your wyfe come ony thynge nye you that ye wolde her strangle slee also that ye wolde do to my lorde your sone y● same Than answered he with a symple chere Alas alas am not I in prison and all at your owne wyll now god it wote I neuer thought it now I wolde y● I were deed so wolde to god y● I were for than were all my sorowe passed It was not longe after y● the kyng through coūseyle of Roger Mortymer graūted y● warde kepynge of syr Edward his fader to syr Thomas Toiourney to y● foresayd syr Iohn Mautreuers through the kinges lettre put out holly y● foresayd syr Moryce of the warde of the kyng And they toke lad the kyng to y● castell of Corf ▪ y● whiche castel y● kyng hated as ony deth And they kept hym there tyll it came vn to saynt Mathewes day in September in the yere of grace M CCC .xxvii. that the foresayd syr Roger Mortimer sent y● maner of y● deth how in what wyse he shold be put to deth And anone as y● foresayd Thomas Iohn had seen y● 〈◊〉 cōmaūdement they made kynge Edwarde of Carnaruan good chere good solace as they might at y● souper and no thynge the kyng wyst of y● treason And whan tyme was for to go to bedde the kynge wente vnto his bedde laye and slepte fast And as the kyng laye slepte the traytoures false for sworne agaynst theyr homage feaute came pryuely in to y● kynges chambre theyr company with them layde an huge table vpon his wombe with men pressed helde fast down the foure corners of y● table on his body wherwith y● good man awoke and was wonders sore adrad to be deed there slayne turned his body tho vp so downe Than toke y● fals traytours tyraūtes an horne put it in to his foundement as depe as they myght toke a spyt of coper brēnynge put it through the horne in to his body and ofte tymes therwith thyrled his bowelles so they slewe theyr lord that nothynge was perceyued was buryed at Glocestre ¶ How kynge Edward spoused Philip the erles doughter of Henaud at Yorke ANd after Chrystmasse than next folowynge syr Iohn of Henaud brought with hym Philip his broders doughter that was erle of Henaud his nece in to Englond kyng Edward spoused her at Yorke with moche honour And syr Iohn of Bothum bisshop of Ely and syr William of Melton archebysshop of yorke sange the masse the sonday on the euen of the cōuersion of saint Paule in the yere of grace M CCC .xxvij. But bycause that the kynge was yonge and tender of age whan he was crowned full many wronges were done whyle that his fader lyued bycause that he byleued the coūseylers that were fals aboute hym to do otherwyse than reason wolde wherfore grete harme was done to the realme to the kyng all men directed it to the kynges dede it was not so almyghty god it knoweth Wherfore it was ordeyned at the kynges crownyng that the kyng for his tender age sholde be gouerned by .xij. of the gretest lordes of Englonde without whome no thynge shold be done that is to saye the archebysshop of Caūterbury the archebisshop of yorke the bisshop of wynchestre the bysshop of Herford the erle of Lancastre the erle Marshall the erle of Kent that were the kynges vncles the erle of Garen syr Thomas wake syr Henry Percy syr Olyuer of yngham Iohn of Roos barons All these were sworne truly for to coūseyle the kyng they shold answere euery yere in the parlyamēt of that that sholde be done in the tyme of theyr gouernall But the ordynaūce was soone vndone that was moche harme to all Englōde For the kyng all the lordes the shold gouerne hym were gouerned and ruled after the kȳges moder dame Isabell by syr Roger Mortimer And as they wolde all thynge was done bothe amonge hye lowe And they toke vnto them castels townes londes rentes in grete harme losse to the crowne of the kynges estate out of mesure ¶ How the peas was made bytwene the Englisshmen the Scottes and also of iustyfyenge of Troylebaston BYnge Edwarde at whytsontyde in the seconde yere of his regne through the coūseyle of his moder syr Roger Mortimer ordeyned a parlyamēt at Northamton And at that parlyamēt the kyng through theyr coūseyle none other of the londe within age graunted to be accorded with the Scottes in this maner That all the feautees and homages that the Scottes sholde do vnto the crowne of Englonde forgaue them for euer more by his chartre ensealed And forthermore an endenture was made of the Scottes vnto kynge Edwarde that was kyng Henryes sone whiche endenture they called ragman in the whiche were cōteyned al the homages feautees Fyrst of the kynge of Scotlonde of all the prelates erles barons of the realme of Scotlonde with theyr seales set theron and other chartres remembraunces that kynge Edwarde and his barons had of theyr right in the foresayd realme of Scotlond it was forgyuen them agaynst holy chirche And also with the blacke crosse of Scotlonde the whiche the good kynge Edwarde conquered in Scotlonde and brought it out of the abbey of Scone that is a full precyous relyke And also forthermore he relesed forgaue all the londes that the barons of Englonde had in Scotlonde by olde conquest ¶ And this peas for to be hold and last the Scottes were bounde vnto the kyng in .xxx. M. poūde of syluer to be payed within thre yere that is euery yere .x. M. poūde by euen porcyons And forthermore aboue all this they spake bytwene the partyes aboue sayd that Dauyd Dritonautier that was kynge Robert the Brus sone the fals tyraunt fals forsworne agaynst his othe that arose agaynst his lyege lorde the noble and good kyng Edward and falsly made him kyng of Scotlōde that was of the age of .v. yere And so through this cursed counseyle Dauid spoused at Barwyk dame Ione of the toure that was kynge Edwardes syster as the gest telleth vpon Mary Magdaleyns daye in the yere of grace M CCC and .xxviij. to grete harme empayrynge of all the kynges blode wherof that gentyll lady came alas the tyme for wonders moche was that fayre damoysell desparaged syth that she was maryed agaynst all the comyns assent of Englonde And fro the tyme that Brute had conquered
than nexte folowynge And aboute Myg●elmasse kyng Edward came agayne in to Englond with a gloryous victory ¶ And in the .xxiij. yere of his regne in y●●est partyes of the worlde there began a pas●ylence and deth of sarasyns pay 〈…〉 that so grete a deth was neuer herde of afore that wasted away the people so that vnneth the tenth persone was lefte alyue ¶ And in the same yere aboute y● south coūtrees there fell so moche rayne so grete waters that frō Chrystinasse vnto mydsomer there was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 daye nor nyght but that it rayned somwhat through whiche waters y● pesty lence was so enfected so ●aboundaunt in all coūtrees namely about y● courte of Rome other places see costes that vnneth there were lefte lyuyng folke for to bury them honestly that were deed But made grete diches pyttes that were wonders brode depe therin buryed them made a renge of deed bodyes cast aly tell erth to couer them aboue than cast in an other renge of deed bodyes and an other renge aboue them And thus were they buryed none other wyse but yf it were so that they were men of grete estate so that they were buryed as honestly as they myght ¶ And after all this in the xxiiij yere of kynge Edwardes regne it was done him to wyte of a treason that was begon at Calays ordeyned to sell that towne for a grete somme of florens to kynge Philip of Fraūce through the falsnes ordynaūce of a knyght y● was called syr Geffrey of Cheruey that was wōders preuy with kyng Philip of Fraūce And Whā kyng Edward herde this he toke with hym y● noblest gentyllest lordes many other worthy mē of armes that were present with him for y● solempnite of y● hygh feest And well wysely in all the haste that he myght as pryuely as he myght he went ouer the see to Calays And y● same yere y● good kynge Edward helde his Chrystmasse at Hauerynge the morow after newe yeres day y● kyng was in y● castell of Calays with his men of armes y● none of the alyens wyst therof And y● fals cōspyratour traytour Geffrey of Cherney syth that he myght not openly haue his purpose of y● castell pry uely stelingly he came helde y● towne with a grete hoost And whan he with his men were comen he payed the foresayd somme of florens as couenaūt was to a Genewey in y● towne y● was keper of the castell consentyng to the same Geffrey in all this falsnes trechery boūde y● Englysshe mynstrels seruauntes that were in y● castell y● they myght not helpe themselfe ne let them of theyr purpose And than wenynge y● they had ben sure ynough they spake al theyr wickednes falsnes openly on hygh y● al mē might here And now shall ye here how they were deceyued for they came in by a preuy posterne ouer a lytell brydge of tree whan they were comen in subtylly priuely y● brydge was drawen vp kepte y● none of them y● came in might go out neno moo come in to them And anone our Englysshe men went out at preuy holes and wyndowes ouer the walles of the towne of y● castel went faught manly with y● frensshmen y● were without had y● better of them the whiche whan they were occupyed by thēselfe on theyr syde the kyng y● was within the towne hauynge with hym scarsly but .xxx. men of armes drewe out his swerde with a loude voyce he cryed on hye A saynt Edward A saynt George And whan the people herde that they came rēnynge to hym gaue to theyr enemyes so grete assaute that there were moo than iij C. men of armes many moo other slayn many fled awaye And so by y● grace of god the victory fell to y● Englysshmen Than the kynge toke with hym this Geffrey y● was fynder of this treason also many other Frensshe prisoners within a whyle after he came agayne in to Englonde And in this same yere in the yere afore in the yere nexte folowynge was so grete a pestylence of men from the eest in to the west namely through botches y● they that sekened as on this daye dyed on the thyrde daye after to y● whiche men y● so dyed in this pestylence had but lytell respyte of theyr lyggȳge Than pope Clement of his goodnes grace gaue them full remyssyon forgyuenes of all theyr synnes that they were shryuen of this pestylence lasted in London fro Mighelmasse vnto August nexte folowynge almoost an hole yere And in these dayes was deth without sorowe weddynges without frendshyp wylfull penaūce derth without scarsete fleynge wtout refute or socour for many fledde frō place to place bycause of the pestylence but they were enfected might not escape y● deth after that y● prophete Isaie sayth Who that fleeth fro the face of drede he shall fall in to the dyche And he y● wyndeth hym out of y● dyche he shall be holden and tyed with a grenne But whan this pestylence was cesed as god wolde vnnethes y● tenth parte of y● people was left on lyue ¶ And in y● same yere began a wonders thȳge that all y● were borne after y● pestylence had two cheketethe in theyr heed lesse than they had afore ¶ How kynge Edward had a grete batayle With Spanyardes in y● see fast by Wynchelsee ANd in the .xxv. yere of his regne about saynt Johns daye in haruest in y● see fast by Winchelsee kyng Edwarde had a grete batayle with men of Spayne where y● theyr shyppes nauy laye chayned togyder that eyther they must fyght or be drowned And so whan all our Worthy men of armes of the see costes fast by winchelse Romney were gadred togyder our nauy shyppes all redy to the warre the Englysshmen mette manly strongly with theyr enemyes tomynge fyersly agaynst them And whan y● spaynysshe vessels nauy were closed in all aboute there myght men se stronge batayle on bothe sydes longe durynge in whiche batayle was but fewe that faught but they were pyteously hurte And after y● batayle there were .xxiij. shyppes taken so the Englysshmen had the better And in y● nexte yere folowynge of his regne y● is to saye the .xxvi. yere the kyng through his coūseyle let ordeyn make his newe money that is to saye the peny the grote value of .iiij. pens the halfe grote of .ij. pens but it was of lesse weyght than the olde sterlyng was by .v. shyllyng in y● poūde And in the .xxvii. yere of his regne was the grete derth of vytayles the whiche was called y● dere somer And the. xxviii yere of his regne in y● parlyamēt hoiden at westmȳster after eester syr Henry erle of Laucastre was made duke of Lancastre ¶ And in this yere was so grete a drought y●
y● vj. dayes ende they yelded y● castell vnto hym And there was taken the lorde of Crowne syr Bursigaud many other knyghtes men of armes mo than ixxx And frothens by Toren Peten fast by Cheney his noble men y● were with hȳ had astronge batayle with frensshmen an C. of theyr men of armes were slayn the erse of Daunce the stewarde of Fraūce were taken with an C. Men of armes In y● whiche yere the xix dayd of September fast by Poyners ●he some pryce with a thousande xxx 〈◊〉 of armes and archers ordeyned a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 John of Feaūce comynge to the prynce warde with .vij. M. thosen men of armes moche other people a grete nombre of the whiche there were slayne the duke of Burbon the duke of Athenes and many other noble men And of the prynces mē of armes a. M. and of other the true accompte rekenynge viij C. And y● kyng of Fraūce was there taken and syr Philip his yonger sone many dukes noble men worthy knyghtes and men of armes aboute .ii. M. And so the victory fell to the prynce to the people of Englond by the grace of god And many that were taken prysoners were set at theyr tausom vpon theyr trouth and knyghthode were charged and had leue to go But y● prynce toke with hym the kyng of Fraūce and Philip his sone with all the reuerence that he myght went agayne to Burdeux with a gloryous vyctory The somme of the men y● there were taken prysoners and of them that were slayne the day of batayle was .iiii. M. iiij C. .xi. ¶ And in the. 〈◊〉 vere of kynge Edward the .v. daye of Maye Fraūce Edwarde with kynge John of Fraūce Philyp his sone many other worthy prisoners aryued gratyously in the hauen of Plūmouth and the .xxiiii. daye of the same moueth about thre of y● clock at after none they came to London by Londōbrydge so went forth to the kynges palays at Westmynster there came so greie a multitude prees of people about them to be holde se y● wonder ryall sight y● vnnethes fromydday tyll nyght myght they come to westminster And the kynges rasisom of Fraūce was taxed set to thre myllyons of scutes of whome two shold be worth a noble And ye shall vnderstande that a myllyon is a thousande thousand And after some in m●lj is ●aun●om was set at thre thousande thousande floryns and all is one effected And this same yere were made solēpne Iustes in smyth felde beynge there present y● kyng of Englōde y● kyng of Fraūce y● kyng of Scotlonde many other worthy and noble lordes ¶ The .xxxiij. yere of the regne of kynge Edwarde at Wyndsore as well for loue of knyghthode as for his owne worshyp at y● reuerence of the kyng of Fraūce and of other lordes y● were there at y● tyme he helde a wonders ryall and a costly feest of saynt George passyng ony y● euer was holden afore Wherfore y● kyng of Fraūce in scor nynge sayd y● he sawe neuer ne herde su che solempne feestes ne ryaltees holden ne done with tayles wout payenge of golde or syluer ¶ And in y● .xxxiiij. yere of his regne the .xiiij. kal. of Iuly syr Iohn erle of Rychemonde kynge Edwardes sone wedded dame Blaunche duke Henryes doughter of Lancastre cosyn to y● same Iohn by dispensacyon of the pope in y● meane tyme were ordeyned Iustes at London .iij. dayes of Rogacyons y● is to saye the Mayre of London with his xxiiii aldermen agaynst all y● wolde come in whose name stede y● king priuely with his .iiij. sones Edwarde Leonell Iohn Edmond other .xix. grete lordes held the felde with worshyp ¶ And this same yere as it was tolde sayd of them that sawe it there came blode out of y● tombe of Thomas somtyme erle of Lancastre as fresshe as that daye y● he was done to deth And in y● same yere kyng Edward those his sepulture and his lyggynge at Westmynster fast by the shryne of saynt Edward And anone after y● .xxvij. daye of October he went ouer see to Calays makynge protestacyon y● he wold neuer come agayn īto Englōde tyll he had full ended y● warre bytwene Fraūce hym And so in the .xxxvi. yere of his regne in the wynter tyme kyng Edward trauay led in the tyne costes about saynt Hylary tyde he departed his ●oost wente to Burgoynward with wh 〈…〉 than met 〈…〉 peasybly the duke of Burgoyn be hygh tyng hym .lxx. 〈…〉 shold spare his men his people And y● kyng graunted at his request dwelled there vnto the .xvij. daye of Marche the whiche tyme came to kyng Edwardes ere y● strōge theues were on y● see vnder y● erle of saynt Paule the .xv. daye of Marche layenge awayte vpon y● townes of Hastyng Rye other places villages on the see coste had entred as enemyes into the towne of Wynch else slewe all that euer wtstode them with●●yd theyr comyng wherfore the kyng was gretely meued angred he turned agayn towarde Parys cōmaūded his hoost to destroye slee with stroke of swerde them y● he had before spared And the .xij. day of Apryll y● kynge came to Parys there departed his hoost i dyuers batayles with iiij C. knyghtes newe dubbed on y● one syde of him And syr Henry duke of Lan castre vnderpeas trewse went to y● ga tes of y● cite proferyng them y● wolde abyde a batayle in y● felde vnder suche cōdicions y● yf y● 〈…〉 ng of Englōd were ouer comē there as god forbede it shold that thā he shold neuer chalenge y● kyngdom of Fraūce And there he had of them but shorte scorneful answere came told it to the kyng his lordes what he had herde what they sayd And than went forth the newe knyghtes with many other making assaut to y● cite they destroyed the subba●hes of y● cite And whyle those thynges were in doynge y● Englysshmē made thē redy to be auenged on y● shame despite y● was done y● yere at winchelse ordeined 〈…〉 y of .lxxx. shyppes of mē of London of other marchaūtes xiiij M. men of armes archers and went serched and 〈…〉 mmed the see and manly they toke helde the yle of Cau● Whe 〈…〉 gand 〈…〉 many other men of y● same coūtre by the 〈…〉 for theyr see costes ▪ And y● king graūted them And on y● morowe after y● 〈◊〉 of cester y● kynge 〈◊〉 ned hym to his hoost towarde Orly 〈…〉 destroyenge wastyng all y● coūtre by y● way as they went thyderward there fel on them suche a 〈◊〉 tēpest y● none of our n●● you neuer herde 〈…〉 suche through y● whiche 〈…〉 of our men theyr horses ●●theyr 〈…〉 as it were through 〈…〉 were slayn perysshed 〈…〉 were full grete 〈…〉 y● kyng not moche
and dyuers other sekenesses toke theyr deth ¶ And also in the same yere in the Marche was seen stella cometa bitwene the north costes and the west whose bemes stretched toward Fraūce ¶ And in the nexte yere folowynge of kynge Edwardes regne .xliii. in Apryl syr Leonel kyng Edwardes sone that was duke of Clarence went toward Myleyn with a chosen meyny of y● gentyls of Englonde for to wedde Galois doughter and haue her to his wyfe by whom he shold haue halfe y● lordshyp of Myleyn But after y● they were solemply wedded aboute y● natiuite of our lady y● same duke of Myleyn dyed And in y● same yere y● frensshe men brake y● peas trewse rydyng on y● kynges groūde lordshyp of Englonde in the shyre coūtre of Poūtyfe toke helde castels townes bare y● englyssh men on honde falsly subtylly that they were cause of brekyng of y● trewse And in this yere dyed y● duchesse of Lācastre and is buryed in saynt Paules chirche ¶ The .xliiii. yere of y● regne of kyng Edward was the gretest pestylence of men of grete beestes by y● grete fallyng of waters y● fell at y● tyme there fell grete hyndrynge destroyenge of corne in so moche y● the nexte yere after a busshell of whete was solde for .xl. pens And in the same yere about y● last ende of Maye the king held his parliamēt at Westminstre in whiche parliamēt was spoken of the othe trewse y● was broken bytwene hȳ the kynge of Fraūce how he myght best be auenged vpon his wronge In y● same yere on y● Assumpcyon of our lady dyed quene Philip of englōde a ful noble lady a good woman at westmynster worshipfully is buryed And about myd somer the duke of Lancastre the erle of Herford with a grete company of knightes wēt in to Fraūce where they gate them but lytel worship for there was a grete hoost of the Frensshmen vpon Calkhull brydge an other hoost of englysshmen fast by y● same brydge y● longe tyme had lyued there many worthy grete men of the englysshmen ordeyned gaue coūseyle for to fight and gyue batayle to the frensshmen but y● foresayd lordes wold not consent therto for no maner thynge ¶ Anone after it happed that the erle of warwik came thyderward for to warre And whan y● frensshmen herde of his coming or that he came fully to londe they left theyr tentes 〈◊〉 pauylyons with at theyr vitayles fled pryuely away And whā the erle was comen to londe with his men he went in all haste toward Normandy destroyed y● I le of Caux with strengthe of swerde through fyre But alas ī his returnynge to Englond agayn at Calays he was taken with sekenes of pest 〈◊〉 dyed not leuyng behynde him after his dayes so noble a knyght of armes In whiche tyme regned warred the noble knyght syr Iohn Hawkewod y● was an englysshman borne hauynge with hym at his gouernaunce y● whyte cōpany afore sayd the whiche one tyme agaynst holy chirche an other tyme agaynst lordes warred ordeyned grete batayles 〈◊〉 re in the same coūtre he dyd many meruaylous thȳges ¶ And aboute y● 〈◊〉 syon of saynt Paule y● kyng whā●e had ended done y● enterynge 〈…〉 grete costes rialtees about y● sepul 〈…〉 and buryenge of quene Philip his wyfe he helde a parliamēt at westmynster in whiche parliamēt was asked of y● 〈◊〉 a thre yeres dyme y● is to say a g 〈…〉 me to be payed .iii. yere duryng And the clergy put it of wolde not graūt it vnto Ester next comyng than they graūted wel y● in .iii. yere by certayn termes that dyme sholde be payed also of y● lay 〈◊〉 was a .iii. yeres .xv. graūted to y● kyng ¶ How syr Robert Knolles with other certayne lordes of the realme went ouer se● in to Fraūce of theyr gouernaūce ANd in the .xlv. yere of kyng Edward in y● begynnynge he w●●h vnwyse coūseyle vndiscrete borowed a grete some of golde of y● prelates lordes marchaūtes other ryche men of his realme sayenge y● it shold be spent in defendyng of holy chirche of his realme Neuertheles it pfyted no thynge wherfore about mydsomer after he made a grete hoost of the worthiest men of his realme amonge whome were some lordes the is to saye the lorde Fitz water the lorde Graunson other worthy knyghtes of whiche knightes the kyng ordeyned syr Robert Knolles a proued knyght well assaied in dedes of armes for to be gouernour and that through his coūseyle all thynge shold be gouerned dressed And whā they came in to Fraūce as lōge as they dwelled helde them hole togyder the frensshmen durst not fall vpon them And at the last about the begȳuynge of wynter for enuy couetyse that was amōge them also discord they sondred them parted in to dyuers cōpanyes vnwysely folisshly But syr Robert Knolles his men went kepte them safe wtin a castel in Brytayn And whan the frensshmen sawe that our men were deuyded in to dyuers cōpanyes places not holdyng ne strēgthyng them togider as they ought to do they fell fyersly on our men for the moost party toke them or slewe them those that they myght take led with them prysoners ¶ And in the same yere pope Vrban came fro Rome to Auinyon bycause that he shold accorde and make peas bytwene the kynge of Fraūce the kynge of Englonde for euermore But alas or he began his treatyse he dyed with sekenes the xxj day of December was buryed as for the tyme in the cathedral chirche of Auin yon fast by the hye awter And the nexte yere after whā he had lyen so his bones were taken out of the erth buryed newe in the abbey of saynt Victory fast by Mar cile of the whiche abbey he was somtyme abbot hymself And in bothe places that he was buryed in there be many grete myracles done wrought through the grace of god to many a mānes helpe to the worshyp of almyghty god ¶ After whome folowed next was made pope Gregory cardynall deken that before was called Piers Roger. ¶ In this same yere the cite of Lymoge rebelled faught agaynst the pryuce as other cytees dyd in Guyen for grete taxes costages raūsoms that they were put set to by prȳce Edward whiche charges were importable chargeable wherfore they turned fro hym fel to the kynge of Fraūce And whan prynce Edward sawe this he was sore chafed greued in turnyng homeward agayn in to Englonde with sore scarmysshes fyghtyng grete assautes fought with them toke the foresayd cite destroyed it almoost to the groūde slewe al that were foūde in the cite And thā for to say the sothe for dyuers sekenes maladyes that he had also for defaute of money
it was ordeyned in the parlyament that all cathedrall chirches sholde ioye haue theyr eleccyons hole that the kyng fro that tyme afterwarde sholde not wryte agaynst them that were chosen but rather helpe them by his lettres to theyr cōfyrmacyon This statute dyd moche ꝓfyte And in this parliament was graūted to the kynge a dyme of the clergy a .xv. of lay fee. ¶ In the .xlix. yere of kyng Edward dyed mayster Willyam wytlesey archebysshop of Caunterbury and the monkes of the same chirche asked desyred a Cardynall of Englonde to be archebysshop therfore the king was agreued purposed to haue exiled the monkes of the same hous And they spent moche good or they myght haue the kynges grace his loue agayn but yet wold the king not cōsent to theyr eleccyon of the cardinall ne of the pope also ne his cardynals ¶ And at the begynnynge of August it was treated spoken at Bruges of certayn poyntes artycles hangyng bytwene the pope the kyng of Englonde this treatyse lasted almoost two yere At that last it was accorded bytwene them that the pope fro the tyme forth sholde not vse ne dele with the reseruacyons of benefyces in Englonde and that the kyng sholde not graūte ne let no benefyces by his wryte that is called Quare impedit But as touchynge the eleccyon abouesayd there was no thȳge touched ne done And that was wyted put vpon certayne clerkes the whiche rather supposed hoped to be auaunced and promoted to bysshopryches whiche they desyred coueyted by the courte of Rome rather thā by ony other eleccions ¶ This same yere about Candelmasse there mette togyder at Bruges many noble worthy men of bothe sydes realmes to treate of peas bytwene the two kynges And this treatyse lasted .ij. yere with grete costes large expenses of bothe partyes And at the last they went departed thens wtout ony accord or effect The nexte yere after the .l. yere of kynge Edward the .iiij. non̄ of Maye beynge yet voyde vacaunt the archebysshopryche of Caūterbury mayster Symond sudbery bysshop of London was made archebysshop mayster William Courtney that was bisshop of Herford was than made bysshop of Londō the bisshop of Bangor was made bysshop of Herford And this same tyme in a certayne treatyse spekyng of peas trewse was takē bytwene Englonde Fraūce fro mydsomer to the nexte mydsomer after And aboute the begynnynge of Apryll the duke of Brytayne with many erles barons worthy lordes men of Englonde went ouer see in to Britayne where he had all his lust desyre purpose ne had the foresayd trewse ben so soone takē whiche letted them ¶ This same tyme the yle of Cōstantyne where that the castel of saȳt Sauyour is in that longe tyme was fought at besyeged of the frensshmen was than yolden to them with all the appertenaūces to grete harme hyndrynge of the realme of Englond And this same yere there were so grete so passyng betes therwtall a grete pestylence in Englonde in other dyuers partyes of the worlde that it destroyed sewe violently strongly bothe men womē wtout nōbre ¶ This same yere dyed syr Edward ȳ lord spencer a worthy knight a bolde in the mynster of Teukesbury worshipfully is buryed And lastȳg this pestilence the pope at the instaunce prayer of an englysshe Cardynall graūted to all people that dyed in Englonde that were sory repentaūt for theyr synnes also shryu● full remyssyon by two bulles vnder lede vj. monethes thā next to last ¶ In this same yere the erle of Penbroke was taken and raūsoned by B●●t●am Claykyn bytwene Parys Calays as he came toward Englond vpon saynt Etheldredes daye the whiche saynt as it was said the erle oftentymes had offended within a lytell whyle after he dyed And in Nouēber nexte after there mette at Bruges the duke of Lancastre the duke of Angeo with many other lordes and prelates of bothe realmes for to treate of peas ¶ Of the deth of prynce Edwarde of the lord Latimer and dame Alyce Pe●s through whom her maynteyners the realme many a day was mysgouerned NOt lōge after the .lj. yere of kyng Edwardes regne he let ordeyn holde at Westmynster the gretest parliament that was seen many a yere afore In the whiche parlyament he asked of the comynalte of the realme as he had done afore a grete subsidy to be graūted to him for defendyng of hym his realme But the comyns answered the they were so of● day by day greued charged with so many talages subsidyes that they might no longer suffre suche burthens charges the they knewe wyst well ynough that the kyng had ynough for sauynge of hym his realme yf the realme were wel truly gouerned but the it had ben so longe 〈…〉 gouerned by yll offyeers that ye●ea●me myght neyther be plenteous of chafer marchaūdyse ne also with rychesse And in these thynges they profred themselfe yf the kynge wolde certaynly to pre 〈…〉 and standeby And yf it were foūde preued afterwarde that the kyng had nede they wold gladly euery man after his power and state hym helpe and l●ne And after this were publysshed shewed in the parlyamēt many playntes and defa●●es of dyuers officers of y● realme namely of the lorde Larimer the kynges chamberlayn bothe to y● kyng oke to the realme And also at the last there was spoken treated of dame Alyce Pers for the grete wrōges euyll gouernaūce y● was done by her coūseyle in y● realme the whiche dame Alyce Pers the kynge had holden longe tyme to his lemman wherfore it was the lesse wonder though through y● fraylte of y● womans excityng her sterynge he cōsented to her lewdnes euyll coūseyle the whiche dame Alyce also y● lorde Larimer other suche y● meued the kynge to euyll gouernaūce agaynst his profyte the realme also al y● comynalte asked desyred y● they shold be remeued put away in theyr stedes wyse men worthy that were true well assayed proued of good gouernaūce shold be put in theyr stedes So amonge al other there was one among the comyns that was a wyse knight true an eloquent mā whose name was Piers de la mare And this Piers was chosen to be spekee for the comyns in y● parlyament And for this same Pyers tolde publysshed the trouth rehersed the wronges agaynst the foresayd dame Alyce other certayn persones of y● kȳges coūseyle as he was bydden by the comyns also trustynge moche to be supported maynteyned in this mater by helpe fauour of y● prynce anone as y● prynce was deed at the instaūce request of y● foresaid dame Alyce this Piers de la mare was iudged to perpetuall prison in y● castel of Notyngham in y● whiche
he was .ij. yere And in y● vj kal. of Iuly lastyng y● same parlyament dyed prynce Edward kyng Edwardes fyrst sone y● is to saye on trinite sondaye in worship of whiche feest he was wont euery yere where y● euer he were in the worlde to hold make y● moost solēpnite that he myght whose name fortune of knyghthode but yf it had bē of another Hector all men bothe chrysten hethen whyle y● he lyued was in good poynt wondred moche drad hȳ wonders sore whose body is worshypfully buryed in Chrystchirche at Caūterbury ¶ And in this same yere y● men y● erles tenaūtes of warwik arose malycyously agaynst y● abbot couēt of Euesham theyr tenaūces destroyed y● abbey y● town woūded bet theyr mē slewe many of them went to theyr maner places dyd moche harme brake downe theyr parkes closes slewe theyr wyld beestes chaced them brekyng theyr fyssh pondes he des let y● water of theyr pōdes stewes ryuers ren out toke y● fysshe bare it with them dyd them all y● sorowe y● they myght so ferforth y● they had destroyed perpetually y● abbey with al theyrmēbres appertenaūces but yf the kyng y● sooner had not holp●● it taken hede therte therfore y● kyng sent his lettres to y● erle of warwik chatgyng cōmaūdyng hȳ y● he sholde siynt redresse amende those euyl boers brekers of his peas so by meanes oflordes other frendes y● peas was made bytwene them for this hur lyng as it was sayd y● kyng wold not be gouerned at y● time by his lordes y● there were in y● parliamēt but he toke made his sone the duke of Lācastre his gouernour of y● realme the which stode so styll as gouernour tyll y● tyme that he dyed ¶ The same yere after Candelmas or y● parlyament was done the kyng asked a subsydy of y● clergy of y● lay le it was graūted hym y● is to say y● he shold haue of euery persone of y● lay le bothe man woman that passed .xiiij. yere of age iiij pens out take poore beggers that were knowen openly for nedy poore beggers And that he shold haue of euery man of holy thirche y● was benefyced or promoted .xij. pens all other y● were not proted iiij pens out take the .iiij. ordres of the freres beggers ¶ This same yere after Mighelmasse Rychard prynce Edwardes sone was made prȳce of Wales to whome y● king gaue also the duchy of Cornewayle with the erledome of Chestre And aboute this tyme the Cardynall of Englonde the fourth daye before Mary Mawdeleyns daye after dyner sodeinly was stryken with a palsey lost his speche and on Mary Mawdeleyns daye dyed ¶ Of the deth of kyng Edward how syr Iohn Monsterwarth knyght was drawen and hanged for his falsnes BYght anone after ī the .lij. yere of kyng Edward in the begȳnynge of October pōpe Gregory y● .xj. brought and remeued his courte with hym from Auinyon to Rome ¶ And the .xij. day of Apryll Iohn Monsterwarth knyght at London was drawen hanged than quartred sent to foure chefe townes of Englōde his heed smittē of set vpon Londō brydge For this Iohn was full vntrue to y● kyng to the realme couetous vnstable for he toke oftentymes grete sōmes of money of the kyng his counseyle for men of armes wages that he sholde haue payed them toke it to his owne vse he drad that at y● last he shold be shent accused for y● same cause fledde pryuely to y● kynge of Fraūce was sworne to hym became his man and behyght hym a grete nauy out of Spayne to cōfusyon and destroyenge of Englōde But y● ryghtfull god to whom no preuite is vnknowen suffred hȳ first to be shent spylte or y● he so traytoursly falsly betrayed his lyege lord y● king of Englonde his people in his realme in the which groūde this same Iohn was borne wyckedly through batayle destroyed or he brought aboute his cursed purpose ¶ In y● feest of saynt Gregory nexte after kynge Edward gaue to Rycharde of Burdeux his heyre that was prynce Edwardes sone at Wyndsore the ordre of knyghthode made hȳ knyght the whiche kyng Edward whan he had regned .lj. yere more y● .xj. kal. of Iune he dyed at Shene is buryed worshyp fully at westmȳster on whose soule god haue mercy This kyng Edward was forsothe of a passyng goodnes full gracyous among all the worthy men of the world for he passed shone by vertue of grace gyuē to hym frō god aboue all his p̄decessours y● were noble men worthy he was a well herted man an hardy for he drad neuer no myshappes ne barmes ne euyl fortune y● myght fall a noble warryour a fortunate for both on lōde see in al batayles assembles with a passing glory ioy he had y● victory he was meke benigne homely sobre soft to al men as wel to strangers as to his owne subiectes to other y● were vnder his gouernaūce he was deuout holy both to god holy chirche for he worshipped holpe maynteyned holy chirch theyr mynistres with al maner reuerēce he was tre table well auysed in rēporall worldly nedes wyse ī coūseyle discrece meke to speke with ī his dedes maners gētyl well taught hauȳg pite on them y● were in disease plenteous in gyuyng e● benefaytes almes besy curyous in buylding lyghtly he bare suffred wrōges harmes whan he was gyuē to ony occupacyō he left all other thynges for y● tyme tended therto semely of body a mene stature hauyng alway to hygh to lowe a good chere And there sprōge shone so moche grace of hym y● what mā had behold his face or had dremed of hȳ he hoped y● daye y● al thynge shold hap to hym ioyfull lykyng And he gouerned his kingdom gloriously vnto his age he was large in gyuyng wyse in expēces he was fulfylled with al honeste of good maners vertues vnder whom to lyue it was as for to regne wherfore his fame his loos spronge so ferre y● it came in to hethynnesse Barbary shewynge tellynge his worthynes manhode in all londes y● no londe vnder heuen had brought forth so noble a kyng so gentyll so blissed or might reyse suche another whā he was deed Neuertheles lechery meuynge of his flesshe haūted hym in his age wherfore the rather as it is to suppose for vumesurable fulfyllynge of his lust his lyfe shorted the sooner And hereof take good hede lyke as his dedes bereth wytnes for as in his begȳnyng all thynges were Ioyfull and lykyng to hym to all people And in his myddle age he passed all people in hygh Ioye worshyp
Cambrydge came home agayn with his people in to Englonde in haste blyssed be god his blyssed gyftes Amen ¶ And this same yere kynge Rycharde helde his Chrystmasse in the manoyr of Eltham ¶ And the same yere y● kyng of Armony fledde out of his owne londe came in to Englonde for to haue helpe socour of our king agaynst his enemyes that had dryuen hym out of his realme And so he was brought vnto the kynge to Eltham there as the kynge helde his ryall feest of Christmasse And there our kyng welcomed hym dyd hym moche reuerence worshyp and cōmaūded all his lordes to make hym all y● chere that they coude And than he besought the kynge of his grace of helpe and of his cōforte in his nede that he myght be brought agayn to his kyngdom londe for the Turkes had destroyed the moost parte of his londe and how he fledde for drede and came hyder for socour helpe And than the kyng hauynge on hȳ pyte and compassyon of his grete myschefe greuous dysease anone he toke his coūseyle asked what was best to do And they answered sayd yf it lyked hym to gyue hym ony good it were well done and as touchynge his people for to trauayle so ferre in to out loudes it were a grete Ieopardy And so the kynge gaue hym golde syluer many other ryche gyftes iewels betaught hym to god and so he passed agayn out of Englonde ¶ And this same yere kyng Rychard with a royall power went in to Scotlonde for to warre vpon the Scottes for the falsnes destruccyon that the Scottes had done to the Englysshmen in y● marches And than the Scottes came downe to y● kyng for to treate with hym with his lordes for trewse as for certayne yeres And so our kyng his coūseyle graūted them trewse for certayne yeres and our kyng turned hym agayn in to Englōde And whā he was comen to Yorke there he abode and rested hym And there syr John Holand the erle of Kentes broder slewe the erles sone of Stafford and his heyre with a dagger in the cite of Yorke wherfore the kynge was sore anoyed greued and remeued thens and came to London And the Mayre with the alder men the comyns with all y● solempnite that might be done rode agaynst y● kyng and brought him royally through y● cite and so forth to westmynster to his owne palays ¶ And in the .ix. yere of kynge Rychardes regne he helde a parliament at Westmynster and there he made two dukes and a markeys and .v. erles The fyrst that was made duke was the kynges vncle sir Edmond of Langley erle of Cambrydge and hym he made duke of yorke And his other vncle syr Thomas of wodstok that was erle of Bokȳgham hym he made duke of Glocestre And syr Leonner that was erle of Oxforde hym he made markeys of Deuelyn And Henry of Balynbroke the dukes sone of Lancastre hym he made erle of Derby And syr Edward y● dukes sone of Yorke hym he made erle of Rutlonde And syr John Holand y● was the erle of Kentes broder hym he made erle of Huntyngdon And syr Thomas Mombray hym he made erle of Notyngham and erle Marshall of Englonde And syr Mychell de la pole knyght hym he made erle of Suffolk chaunceler of Englonde And the erle of the Marche at y● same parlyament holden at Westmynster in playne parlyament amonge all the lordes and comyns was ꝓclaymed erle of the Marche and heyre parent to the crowne of Englonde after kynge Rychard the whiche erle of the Marche went ouer the sce in to Irlonde vnto his lordshyps and londes for the erle of Marche is erle of Vlster in Irlonde and by ryght lygne and herytage And there at the castell of his he lay that tyme there came vpon hȳ a grete multytude in busshmentes of wylde Iryssh men for to take destroye hym And he came out fyersly of his castell with his people manly fought with them there he was take hewen all to peces so he dyed vpon whose soule god haue mercy ¶ And in the .x. yere of kyng Richardes regne the erle of Arundell went to the see with a grete nauy of shyppes enarmed with mē of armes good archers And whā they came in y● brode see they mette with the hole flete y● came with wyne laden frō Rochell the whiche wyne were enemyes goodes there our nauy set vpon them toke them all and brought them to dyuers portes hauens of Englonde and some to London there ye myght haue had a toune of Rochell wyne of the best for .xx. shyllynges sterlynge and so we had grete chepe of wyne in Englōde that tyme thanked be god almyghty ¶ How the fyue lordes arose at Ratcote brydge ANd in y● regne of kyng Richarde the .xj. yere the fyue lordes arose at Ratcote brydge in the destruccion of y● rebelles y● were y● tyme in all the realme The fyrst of y● fyue lordes was syr Thomas of wodstok the kȳges vncle duke of Blocestre The seconde was syr Rychard erle of Arundell The thyrde was syr Richard erle of warwik The fourth was syr Henry Bolynbroke erle of Derby The fyfth was syr Thomas Mombray erle of Notyngham And these .v. lordes sawe the myschefe mysgouernaūce the falsnes of y● kynges coūseyle wherfore they that were y● tyme chefe of the kynges coūseyle fled out of this lōde ouer y● see that is to saye syr Alysaūder Neuell the archebysshop of Yorke syr Roberte Lewer markeys of Deuelyn erle of Oxford syr Mychell de la Pole erle of Suffolke and chaunceler of Englonde And these thre lordes went ouer y● see neuer came agayne for there they dyed And than these fyue lordes aboue sayd made a parliamēt at Westmynster And there they toke syr Robert Tresiliā the Iustyce and syr Nycholl Brembre knyght citezyn of London syr Iohn Salysbury a knyght of y● kynges housholde Vske sergeaunt of armes many moo of other people were taken and iudged to deth by the counseyle of these fyue lordes in that parlyament at Westmynster for the treason y● they put vpon them to be drawen from y● toute of London throughout the Cite and so forth to Tyburne there they shold be hanged and theyr throtes to be cutte and thus they were serued dyed And after that in this same parliamēt at Westmynster was syr Symond Beuerley that was a knyght of the garter syr Iohn Beauchamp knyght that was steward of the kinges houshold syr Iames Berners were foriudged to deth thā they were ledde on fote to the toure hyll and there were theyr hedes smytten of and many other moo by these .v. lordes ¶ In this same parlyament and in the. 〈◊〉 yere of kynge Rychardes regne he let trye ordeyne a generall Iustes that is called a turneymēt of lordes
knightes squyers And these Iustes and turneyment were holden at Londō in smyth●elde of all maner of straūgers of what londe or ceūtre that euer they were thyder they were ryght welcome to them to all other was holden open housholde grete feest also grete gyftes were gyuen to al maner of straungers And of y● kynges syde were al of one sute theyr co●●s theyr armure sheldes hors trappures and all was whyte hertes with crownes aboute theyr neckes chaynes of gold hāgyng thervpon the crowne hangynge lowe before the hartes body the whiche hart was y● kynges lyueray y● he gaue to lordes ladyes knyghtes squyers for to knowe his housholde from other people And in this feest came to y● Iustes .xxiiij. ladyes ledde .xxiiij. lordes of the garter with chaynes of gold all y● same sutes of hartes as it is before sayd frō y● toure on horsbacke through the cite of London in to smythfelde where as y● iustes shold be holdē And this feest iustes was holden generally for all those y● wolde come thyder of what lōde or nacyon that euer they were And this was holdē duryng xxiiij dayes of y● kynges costes these xxiiij lordes to answere al maner people that wolde come thyder And thyder came the erle of saynt Paule of Fraunce many other worthy knightes with hym of dyuerse partyes full worthely arayed And out of Hollande Henaud came the lorde Ostreuaunt y● was the dukes sone of Holland many other worthy knightes with hym of Holland full well arayed And whā this feest iusting was ended the kynge thanked these straūgers and gaue them many ryche gyftes And thā they toke theyr leue of y● kyng of other lordes ladyes went home agayn in to theyr owne coūtrees with grete loue moche thanke ¶ And in y● .xiij. yere of kyng Rychardes regne there was a batayle done in y● kynges palays at westmȳstre bytwene a squyer of Nauerne y● was with kyng Rychard another squyer y● was called Iohn walshe for poyntes of treason y● this Nauerne put vpō this walsh man But this Nauerne was ouercomē yelded hym creaunt to his aduersary anone he was despoyled of his armure drawen out of the palays to Tyburne and there was hanged for his falsnes ¶ And in y● .xiiij. yere of kyng Richardes regne syr Iohn of Gaunt duke of Lancastre went ouer see into Spayne for to chalenge his ryght y● he had by his wyues tytell vnto y● crowne of Spayne with a grete hoost of people he had with hym y● duchesse his wyfe his thre doughters in to Spayne there they were a grete whyle And at y● last y● kyng of Spayne began for to treate with y● duke of Lancastre and they were accorded togyder through bothe theyr counseyles in this maner that the kyng of Spayne sholde wedde the dukes doughter that was y● ryght heyre of Spayne he shold gyue vnto the duke golde syluer y● were cast in to grete wedges many other iewels as moche as .viij. charyottes myght cary And euery yere after during y● dukes lyf the duchesse his wyfe .x. M. marke of golde of whiche golde the auenture charges sholde be to them of Spayne yerely brynge to Bayon to the dukes assygnes by surete made And also y● duke maryed another of his doughters to the kynge of Portyngale y● same tyme. And whan he had done thus he came home agayn into Englonde y● good lady his wyfe also but many worthy men dyed of the flix ¶ In the .xv. yere of kyng Rychardes regne he helde his Christmasse in y● manoyr of wodstok there y● erle of Penbroke a yonge lorde tender of age wolde lerne to Iust with a knyght y● was called syr Iohn of saynt Iohn rode to gyder in y● parke of wodstok And there this worthy erle of Pēbroke was slayne with y● other knyghtes spere as he cast it from hym whan they had coupled thus this good erle made there his ende and therfore the kyng the quene made moche sorowe for his deth ¶ And in the xvj yere of king Richardes regne Iohn Hende beynge y● tyme Mayre of Londō and Iohn Walworth Henry Vanner beynge sheryues of London that same tyme a bakers mā bare a basket of horsbrede into Fletestrete towarde an hostry and there came a yonge man of the bysshops of Salysbury that was called Romayn he toke a hors lofe out of y● basket of y● bakers he asked hym why he dyd so And this Romayn turned agayn brake the bakers heed neyghbours came out wolde haue arested this Romayn he brake from them fledde to his lordes place and the cōstable wolde haue had hym out but y● bysshops men shette fast the gates kepte the place y● no man myght entre And than moche more people gadred thyder sayd that they wold haue hȳ out or els they wold brenne vp y● place all that were therin And thā came the Mayre sheryues with moche other people cessed y● malice of y● comyns made euery man to go home to theyr houses kepe y● peas And this Romayns lorde y● bysshop of Salysbury mayster Iohn Waltham that at y● tyme was tresourer of Englonde went to syr Thomas Arundel archebysshop of Caūterbury chaūceler of Englond there the bysshop made his cōplaynt vnto the chaunceler vpon the people of the cite of Londō And than these two bysshops of grete malice vengeaūce came vnto the kynge at Wyndsore made a grete complaynt vpō the Mayre sheryues And anone all y● cite afterward came before y● kyng his coūseyle they cast vnto the cite a greuous hert wonders grete malyce And anone sodeynly the kynge sent for y● Mayre of Londō the sheryues they came to hȳ in y● castell of Wyndsore And the kyng rebuked the Mayre sheryues ful foule for the offence y● they had done agaynst hym his offycers in his chambre at Londō wherfore he deposed put out the Mayre bothe sheriues this was done .xiiij. dayes before y● feest of saynt Iohn baptyst And than y● kyng called to hym a knyght that was called syr Edward Dalingrigge made hym wardeyn gouernour of y● cite chambre of London ouer all his people therin And so he kepte that offyce but foure wekes bycause that he was so gentyll tendre to the citezyns of London wherfore the kynge deposed hym made syr Bawdewyn Radyngton knyght y● was Controller of the kynges houshold wardeyn gouernour of his chambre and of his people therin and chose to hym two worthy men of the cite to be sheryues with hym to gouerne kepe y● kynges lawes in the cite that one was called Gylbert Mawfelde y● other Thomas Newenton sheryues And than the Mar 〈…〉 two sheryues all y● aldermen wall 〈◊〉 worthy
Pounfret in the North countre to be kepte in prison ryght soone after there he made his ende And than whan kyng Rychard was deposed had ●●sygued his crowne his kyngdom was kepte fast in holde Than al the lordes of the realme with the romyns assent by accorde chose this worthy lorde syr Henry of Bolyngbroke erle of Derby duke of Herford duke of Lancastre by ryght lyne herytage and for his ryghtfull manhode that the people foūde in him before all other they chose hym made hȳ kynge of Englonde amonge them INnocen●● the .vij. chosen pope at two yere And than Gr●gory the .xij. was after hȳ xij yere ●euet was debate Than was Alexander chosen in the coūsoyle of ●ysan he was called syr P●trus de Canadia so was put ryferd s●ryfe euery cho●e of those thre sayd he was pope Than was there a counseyle at ●ys●n where they began to make a cōcorde and there they deposed the two the thyrde stode so was worse diuisyon made than before For that they ordeyned preuayled not ¶ Robert was emperour after Wenselans .ix. yere This mā was duke of Bauary erle of Palatyn a iust man and a good was crowned of Bonifate the. ix This man entred ytaly with a grete hoost of Almayns agaynst Iohn the duke of Galias but he returned with a grete woūde was a thynge iust that he suffred by iustyce diuyne ¶ Iohn the .xxiij. succeded Alexander .iiij. yere fyrst he began well for an vnite he was in the coūsey●e ●● Constance offred hȳ to resigne the poperyche after secretly vntruly he fledde awaye but it ꝓfyted hym not for he was taken cōstrayned to peas was made a cardynall buryed at Florens ¶ Sigismundus was emperour after Robert .xxvij. yere he was sone to Ka●olus kynge of Vngary moost chrysten prynce and he was so deuoute to god that he deserued to be canonysed This man holpe the chirche through his meruaylous prudence and wytte for he spared no labour ne no thynge that he had tyll he had made a full peas amonge the clergy And he had ●x batayles agaynst the Turke euer he had ye●●●●ry And what more all thynge that euer was wryten in ●ouynge to Constantyne Theodosio Kat●lo ●tto may truly be wryten of hym And he was crowned in Vngary and decessed a blyssed man ¶ Circa annū dn̄i M CCCC ¶ Of syr Henry of Bolyng broke erle of Derby that regned after kyng Rycharde whiche was the fourth Henry after the conquest ANd after kynge Rychard the seconde was deposed out of his kingdom the lordes the comyns al●● one assent all other worthy men of the realme chose syr Henry of Bolyng broke erle of Derby sone heyre of Iohn ●uke of Lancastre for his worthy manhode that often tymes had ben founde in hym in dedes preued vpon saȳt Edwardes day the confessour he was crowned kynge of Englōde at Westmynster by assent of all the realme nexte after the depo●●nge of kyng Richard Thā he made Henry his eldest sone prȳce of Wales duke of Cornewayle erle of Chestre And he ma●● syr Thomas of Arūdell archbysshop of Caūterbury agayne as he was before And syr Roger Walden the kyng Rychard had made archebysshop of Caūterbury he made bysshop of London for ye●yme it stode voyde And he made the erles sone of Arundell that came with hym ouer the see frō Calays in to Englonde erle of Arundell as his fader had ben put hym in possessyon of all his londes And he made homage feaute vnto his lyege lorde the kynge as all other lordes had done And than anone dyed kynge Rychard in the castell of Pounfret in the north countree for there he was famysshed to deth by his keper for he was kept there .iiij. or .v. dayes from meet drynke so he made his ende in this world Yet moche people in Englonde and in other londes sayd that he was on lyue many a yere after his deth But whether he were alyue or deed the people helde theyr fals opinyon byleue that many had moche people came to grete myschefe foule dethe as ye shal here afterward And whan kyng Henry wyst knewe that he was deed he let ●ere hym in the best maner closed it in a fayre chest with dyuers spyceryes and ba●o●es closed hym in a lynnen cloth all saue his visage that was left open that all men myght se his persone from all other men And so he was brought to London with torche light brennynge to saint Paules chirche there he had his masse his Dirige with moche reuerēce solempnite of seruyce And whā all this was done he was brought from saynt Paules in to the abbey of Westmynster there he had al his hole seruyce agayn And from Westmȳster he was brought to Langley and there he was buryed on whose soule god haue mercy Amen ¶ And in the fyrst yere of kynge Henryes regue he helde his Chrystmasse in the castell of Wyndsore And on .xij. euen came the duke of Awemarle vnto the kynge colde hym that he the duke of Surrey the duke of Excestre the erle of Salisbury the erle of Glocestre other moo of theyr affynite were accorded to make a mommynge vnto the kynge on .xij. daye at nyght there they purposed to slee the kyng in the reuelyng And thus the duke of Awemarle warned the kyng And than the kyng came to London pryuely in all the haste that he myght to gete hym helpe socour cōforte and coūseyle And anone these other that wolde haue put the kynge to deth fledde in all the haste that they myght for they knewe well that theyr coūseyle was bewrayed And than fledde the duke of Surrey the erle of Salysbury with all theyr meyny vnto the towne of Chichestre And there the people of the towne wold haue arested them and they tolde not stande to theyr arestyng but stode at defence fought manly But at the last they were ouercomen takē And there they smote of the dukes heed of Surrey the erles heed of Salysbury many other moo there they put theyr quarters in to sackes theyr heedes on poles borne on hye so they were brought through the cite of London to London brydge there these heedes were set vpon hygh theyr quarters were sent to other good townes and cytees of Englonde and set vp there ¶ At Oxford was takē Bloūt knyght Benet Cely knyght and Thomas Wyntersell squyer and there were byheded quartred and the knyghtes hedes were set vpon poles brought to London set vpon the brydge the quarters sent forth vnto other good townes ¶ And in the same yere at Prittelwell in a myll in Essex there syr Iohn Holand the duke of Excestre was taken with the comyns of
chirche it wold And there was made a ryall feest a grete iustyng in the reuerence worshyp of them all people that came thyder And whan this maryage and feest was done the erle the bysshop all theyr meyny toke theyr leue of the lorde lady came home agayne in to Englonde in safete thanked be god ¶ And in the .v. yere of kyng Henryes regne the lorde Thomas his sone went euer see the erle of Kent many other lordes knyghtes with men or armes and archers a grete nombre to chastyse the rebelles that afore had done moche harme to our englysshmen marchauntes to many townes portes in Englonde on the see costes And the lord Thomas the kynges sone came into Flaūdres before a towne that is called Scluse amōge all the shyppes of dyuers nacyons that were there after there they rode with theyr shyppes amonge them and went on londe sported them there two dayes came agayn to theyr shyppes toke the brode see there they mette with thre Carackes of Gene that were laden with diuers marchaūdyses well manned they fought togider longe tyme but the englysshmen had the victory brought the Carackes into the Cambre before Wyn chelsee and there they ●anted all these goodes and one of these Carackes was sodeynly brent there And the lordes and theyr people turned them home agayne went no ferther at y● tyme. ¶ And in the same tyme Serle yeman of kynge Rychardes robes came into Englonde out of Scotlonde tolde to dyuers people that kyng Rychard was onlyue in Scotlōde so moche people byleued his wordes wherfore a grete parte of the people of the realme were in grete errour grutchȳg agaynst the kyng through informacyon of lyes fals lesynges that this Serle had made For moche people trusted byleued in his sayenge But at the last he was taken in the northcoūtre there by lawe iudged to be drawen through euery cite good burgh towne in Englōde so he was serued at the last he was brought to London to the gyld hall before the Iustice there he was iudged for to be brought to the Toure of London there to be layd on a hurdell thā to be drawen through the cite of Londō to Tyburne there to be hāged than quartred and his heed smytten of set on Londō brydge his quarters to be sent to foure good townes of Engloude there set vp thus was he rewarded for his fals treason ¶ And in the syxth yere of kyng Heuryes regne the erle of Marre of Scotlōde by safecon duyte came into englōde to chalenge syr Edmond erle of Kent to certayn courses of warre on horsbacke And so this chalenge was accepted graūted the place taken in smythfelde at Londō And this erle of Marte came proudly in to the felde as his chalenge asked And anone came in the erle of Kent rode to the Scotte manfully rode togyder with sharpe speres dyuers courses but the erle of Kent had the felde and gate hym moche worship and thanke of all maner men for his manfull dedes ¶ And in the .vij. yere of kyng Henryes regne syr Richard Scrop archebys shop of Yorke the erle Marshall of Englonde gadred vnto them a stronge power agaynst kyng Henry And the kyng herynge therof in all the haste that he myght came with his power Northward and mette with them at Yorke there were these two lordes taken brought to the kyng And anone the iudges were set these two lordes brought forth there they were iudged to deth bothe theyr hedes smytten of and there they made theyr ende on whose soules god for his pyte haue mercy Amē And whan this was done the kyng came to London agayn there rested hym Anone god of his grete goodnes wrought and shewed many grete myracles for this worthy clerke archebysshop of Yorke that thus was done to deth ¶ And in the .viij. yere of kynge Henryes regne dame Luce the dukes syster of Mylen came in to Englonde so to London there was wedded to syr Edmond Holland erle of Kent in the pryory of saynt Mary ouereys in South warke with moche solempnite grete worshyp The kynge was there hymselfe gaue her at the chirche dore whan they were wedded masse was done the kyng his owne ꝑsone brought lad this worthy lady in to the bysshops place of Winchestre there was a wonders grete feest holden to all maner people that wold come ¶ And the same yere syr Robert Knolles knyght a worthy warryour dyed at his manoyr in Norfolk frō th●ns he was brought to London on a hors bere with moche torche light so he was brought to the whyte freres in flete strete there was done made for hym a solempne feest a ryall enter●ment for those that thyder wold come bothe ryche poore there lyeth buryed by dame Cōstance his wyfe in the myddes of the body of the chirche on whose soule god haue mercy Amē ¶ And in this same yere sir Thomas Rampston knyght Constable of the Toure of London was drowned at London brydge as he came fro Westmynster inwardes to the toure in a ●arge all through lewdnes ¶ And in the same yere dame Philyp the yonger doughter of kyng Henry was ladde ouer see with syr Richard the dukes broder of Yorke syr Comond Courtney bysshop of Norwiche many other lordes knyghtes squyers ladyes gentylwomen that apperteyned to suche a kinges doughter came in to Denmarke And the kyng receyued this worthy lady for his wyfe welcomed these worthy lordes did vnto them moche worshyp and they were brought to a towne that was called Londō in Denmarke and there was this lady wedded and sacred to the kynge of Denmarke Norway Swethen and there was crowned quene of Denmarke with moche solempnite there was made a ryall feest And whan this feest and maryage was done ended these lordes ladyes toke theyr leue of the kynge the quene came agayne in to Englonde in safete thanked be god ¶ And in the. viij yere of kyng Henryes regne there was a man that was called the Walsshe clerke and he appeled a knight that was called sir Percyuall Snowdon of treason there they were ioyned to fight to the vtteraūce within lystes the daye place tyme assigned lymyted to be done ended in Smythfelde at whiche daye those two persones came in to the felde fought sore myghtely togyder But at the last the knyght ouercame the clerke made hȳ to yelde hym creaūt of his fals empechement that he had sayd on hym than was he despoiled of his armure drawen out of the felde to Tyburne there he was hanged the knyght takē to grace and was a good man ¶
Henry the .iiij. besechinge him of his helpe and socour agaynst his deedly enemy the duke of Burgoyne And than the kynge made Thomas his sone duke of Clarence his other sone Iohn duke of Bedforde his other sone Vmfrey duke of Glocestre and syr Thomas Beauford erle of Dorset and the duke of Awemarle he made duke of Yorke And than the kyng ordeyned his sone syr Thomas duke of Clarēce sir Thomas beauford erle of Dorset syr Iohn Cornwyll with many other lordes knyghtes and squyers men of armes archers for to go ouet see in to Fraūce in helpynge and strengthynge of the duke of Orlyaunce And these worthy lordes with theyr retynue shypped at Hamton sayled ouer y● see in to Normādy londed at Hogges And there mette with them y● lorde Hambe at theyr londynge with .vij. M. men of armes Frensshmen thre sergeaūtes of armes with them all were put to flyght of them were takē vij C. men of armes iiij C. horses without those that were slayne in the felde And so they rode forth through out all Fraūce toke castles townes slewe many Frensshemen that withstode them and toke many prysoners as they rode and so they passed forth tyll they came to Burdeux and there they rested them a whyle and set the countree in peas rested tyll the vyntage were redy to sayle And than the duke with his meyny came home in to Englond in safete thāked be god ¶ And in the same yere was the kynges coyne chaunged throughout Englonde by the kynge his coūseyle that is to saye the noble halfe noble ferthynge of golde ¶ And in the .xiiij. yere of kyng Hērpes regne the fourth he let make galays of warre for he hoped to haue passed the grete see so forth to Ierusalem there to haue ended his lyfe but god vysyted hym soone after with infirmite grete sekenes that he myght not well endure no whyle so seruently he was taken and brought in bed at Westmȳster in a fayre chambre And as he lay in his bed he asked his chamberlayne what he called the chambre that he lay in And he answered sayd Ierusalem And than he sayd that the prophecy sayd that he shold make an ende dye in Ierusalē And than he made hym redy vnto god and dysposed all his wyll And soone after he died was caried by water frō Westmynster in a barge vnto Feuersham frō thens he was caryed to Caūterbury by londe with moche torche lyght brennynge in to the abbey of Chrystchirche there he was entered buryed besyde saint Thomas of Caūterburyes shryne And thus ended the worthy kyng Henry about mydlent sondaye in the yere of our lorde a. M CCCC and .xiij. vpon whose soule god haue mercy Amen MArtyn y● .v. was pope after Iohn xiiij yere This mā was chosen by the concyle of Constance the other were deposed y● stroue so came peas in the chirche the whiche longe tyme afore was desyred necessary for y● defence of the fayth This was y● myghtyest pope that euer was of ryches a grete iudge He edifyed townes walles stretes he destroyed heresyes he did moche good through the noble prynce Sygysmund And he gadred moche money for to gete y● holy londe agayn but deth came vpon hym letted hym he made a coūseyle afore his deth for that mater there he decessed ¶ Eugenius was pope after Martyn .xvii. yere This Eugeny was chosen peasybly after the deth of Martyn no man doubted but he was pope But shortly after he was expulsed from Rome for it was so that he fledde naked Also he was cited to the concyle of Basilieus deposed but he charged hym not And for that began the stryfe agayne the whiche stode to his deth those that fauoured him sayd he was worthy moche louynge the contrary sayd those that were agaynst hym but what someuer he was after he had taken the dignite vpon hym afore he was of grete abstynence of good fame that he dyd after that I leue to the iudgement of god ¶ Circa annū dn̄i M CCCC .xiij. ¶ Of kynge Henry the fyfth that was kynge Henryes sone ANd after the deth of king Henry the fourth regned kynge Henry his sone that was borne at Monmouth in Wales that was a worthy kyng a gracyous man and a grete conquerour And in the fyrst yere of his regne for grete loue and goodnes he sent to the f●●res of Langley there as his fader had do bury kynge Rychard the seconde and let take his body out of the erth agayn dyd do brȳge it to Westmynster in a ryall chare couered with blacke veluet and baners of dyuers armes about all the horses drawing y● chare were trapped in blacke and beten with dyuers armes many a torche brennynge by all the waye tyll he came to Westmynster there he let make for hym a ryall and a solempne enterement buryed hym by quene Anne his wyfe as his owne desyre was on y● ferther syde of saynt Edwardes 〈…〉 yne in y● abbey of saynt Peters of Westmynster vpon whose soule god haue mercy ¶ And in this same yere were certayne lollers taken fals heretykes that had purposed through false treason for to haue slayne our kyng for to haue destroyed all the clergy of y● realme they myght haue had theyr false purpose But our lorde god wolde not suffre it for in haste our kynge had warnynge therof of all theyr fals ordinaūce werkyng came sodeynly with his power to saȳt Iohns without sinythfelde anone they toke a certayn of the lollers fals heretykes brought them to the kynges presence and there they tolde all theyr fals purpose ordynaūce how they wolde haue done wrought yf they myght haue regned had theyr wyl there they told whiche were theyr capytayns gouernours than the king cōmaūded them to the toure of Londō than toke moo of them bothe win the cite wtout sent thē to Newgate to bothe Co●ters And than they were brought in examinacion afore the clergy the kynges Iustyces there they were cōuicte for theyr fals heresy dampned before y● Iustyee for theyr fals treason this was theyr iudgemet that they sholde be drawen frō the toure of London to saint Giles felde there to be hanged brent on the galowes Also there was taken syr Roger Acton knyght for heresy eke for treason agaynst the kyng the realme he came afore y● clergy was cōuict for his heresy to be brent dampned before the Iustyces to be drawen from the toure of London through the cite to saynt Giles felde to be hanged brent ¶ And in the seconde yere of kynge Henryes regne he held a coūseyle of all the lordes of the realme at Westmȳster there
quene Katheryn And thus ended and is entered buryed the noble kynge Henry the fyfth on whose soule and all thrysten soules god haue mercy Amen ¶ Of the lawe of kyng Henry the fyfth and what he ordeyned for kyng Richard and for hymselfe after his deth HEre is to be noted that this kynge Henry the fyfth was a noble prynce after he was kynge crowned how be it before in his youth he had ben wylde recheles spared nothynge of his lust ne desyres but accomply●●hed them after his lykyng But as soone as he was crowned anoynted and sacred anone sodeynly he was chaūged in to a newe mā set all his entent to lyue vertuously in maynteynynge of holy chirche destroyenge of heretykes kepyng Iustyce defendyng of his realme subgeetes And for as moche as his fader had deposed by his labour the good kyng Rychard pyteously made hym to dye for the offence done to him agaynst his legeaunce he had sent to Rome to be assoyled therof For which offence our holy fader the pope enioyned hym to make him to be prayed for perpetually lyke as he had done to be taken frō hym his naturall lyfe therfore he sholde do foūde .iiij. tapers to bren perpetually about his body that for the extynccyon of his bodyly lyfe his soule may euer be remembred lyue in heuen in spirituall lyfe And also the he shold euery weke on the daye as it came about of his deth haue a solēpne masse of Requi● on the euen afore a Dirige with .ix. lessons a dole to poore people alway on the daye of .xj. shyllynges .viij. pens to be deled peny mele ones in the yere at his annyuersary his enteremēt to be holden in the moost honest wyse to be deled the daye .xx. poūde in pens to poore people to euery monke .xx. shyllynges whiche all these thinges per●ournted this noble kynge for his fader For kyng Henry the fourth his fader perfourmed it not durynge his lyfe whome as it was sayd god touched and was a lepre or he dyed ¶ And than this noble prynce let do call all the abbottes pryours of saynt Benettes ordre in Englonde had them in the chapter hous of Westmȳster for the reformacion of the ordre wherin he had comynycacyon also with bysshops men of the spiritualte in so ferforth that they doubted sore the he wolde haue had the temporaltees out of theyr hādes wherfore by the aduyse labours procuryng of the spiritualte encouraged the kynge for to chalenge Normādy his ryght in Fraūce to the entent to set hym a werke there that he shold not seke occasyons to entre in to suche maters And al his lyfe after he laboured in the werres in conque ryng a grete parte of the realme of Fraūce that by the agrement of the kyng Charles he had all the gouernaunce and rule of the realme of Fraunce he was proclaymed regent heyre of Fraunce And so notwithstandynge for all this grete warre that he had yet he remembred his soule and also that he was mortall and must dye for whiche he ordeyned by his lyfe tyme the place of his sepulture where he is buryed and there is euery daye thre masses perpetually songen in a chapell ouer his sepulture of whiche the myddle masse and the fyrst the last masse shall be as it is assygned by hym as it appereth by these verses folowynge Henrici misse quinti sunt hic tabulate Que successiue sūt ꝑ monachos celebrate ¶ Die dn̄ica Prima sit assūpte de festo virginis alme Poscit postremā xp̄s de morte resurgēs ¶ Feria secunda Prima salutate de festo virginis extat Nūciat āgelicis laudē postrema choreis ¶ Feria tertia Esse deū natū de virgine prima fatetur Cōmemorat natū sicvl●ia missa mariā ¶ Feria quarta Pria celebret̄ ad honorē pneumatꝭ almi Vltima conceptā denunciat esse mariā ¶ Feria quinta Semꝑ prima coli debet de corpore xp̄i Vltima sit facta de virgine purificata ¶ Feria sexta Concedet vt prima celebret̄ de cruce sctā Atque salutate fiet postrema marie ¶ Sabbato Oēs ad sctōs est prima colenda suꝑnos Vltima de requie ꝓ defunctis petit esse Semper erit media de proprtetate di●i ¶ And yet the noble kyng Henry the fyfth foūded two houses of religyon that one is called Syon besyde Braynford of the ordre of saynt Brigitte bothe of men and women And on the other syde of the riuer of Tamyse a hous of monkes of Charterhous in whiche two places he is contynually prayed for nyght and daye for euer whan they of Syon resteth they of the Charterhous do theyr seruyce in lyke wyse whan they of the Charterhous resteth the other gothe to and by ryngynge of the belles of eyther place eche knoweth whan they haue ended theyr seruyce whiche be nobly endowed do dayly there grete almes dedes as in the Charterhous certeyn chyldren be foūde to scole at Syon certeyn almes gyuen dayly And yet besyde all this he foūded a recluse whiche shall be alway a preest to praye for him by the sayd Charterhous which preest is sufficiently endowed for hȳ a seruaūt Loo here may all prȳces take ensample by this noble prynce that regned so lytell tyme not fully .x. yere dyd so many noble actes as well for his soule to be perpetually prayed for as in his worldly cōquestes he beynge ī his most lusti age despised eschewed synne was a grete iusticer in so moche that al the prynces of christēdom drad hym also of 〈◊〉 ●e 〈◊〉 in him ●●fe yf god 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to haue watred o● ȳ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to knowe the ay●● of other 〈◊〉 all ȳ passages in the iourn 〈…〉 ●nyght of 〈◊〉 named syr Hugh de L 〈…〉 vnto Ieru sall but or he ●etur 〈…〉 he dyed at Boy● de 〈◊〉 in the .xxxvj. yere of his age on whose soul● Ie 〈…〉 haue mercy Amē 〈◊〉 the .v. was pope whan Eugeny was deposed .ix. yere This Felix was 〈◊〉 of Sauoye 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prynce an olde man and he sawe his childes childe This man whā he lyued an holy lyfe was chosen pope of the concyle of Basyle Eugeny was deposed there was stryfe longetyme he had no grete obedyence for the deposicyon of Eugeny And at the last Eugeny decessed than Felix resygned to Nycolas for fauour of peas to be had he was made legate of fraūce cardynall of Sabianꝰ ¶ This was the .xxiij. 〈◊〉 bytwene Eugeny 〈◊〉 i● 〈◊〉 xv● ȳere this was a newe cause 〈◊〉 seen before for the concyle of Basyle deposed Eugeny the very pope the●e was no more for he obeyed not the de●rees of the concyle of Constantynople as they sayd ne he charged not to obey the concyle of Basyle but
Rome bycause of the scysme but after the vnite was had he was crowned with the imperyall dyademe with grete glory triūphe of pope Nicolas the fourth This was a peasyble mā quyete of singuler pacience not hatyng the chirche he wedded the kynge of Portyngales doughter ¶ How the duchesse of Glocestre was arested for treason cōmytted to perpetuall pryson in the yle of Man of the deth of mayster Roger Bolyngbroke IN this yere Elenore Cobham duchesse of Glocestre was arested for certayn poyntes of treason layd agaynst her where vpon she was examyned in saint Stephens chapel at westmynster before the archebysshop of Caūterbury there she was enioyned to open penaūce for to go through chepe berynge a taper in her hande after to perpetual prison in the yle of Man vnder the kepynge of syr Thomas stanley Also that same tyme was arested mayster Thomas Southwell a chanon of westmynster mayster Iohn Hume a chapelayn of the sayd lady mayster Roger Bolyngbroke a clarke vsyng nygromancy one Margery iourdemayn called the wytche of Eye besyde westmynster These were arested as for beynge of coūseyle with the sayd duchesse of Glocestre And as for mayster Thomas southwell he dyed in the Toure the nyght before he sholde haue ben reyned on the morow For he hymselfe sayd that he sholde dye in his bedde not by iustyces And in the .xx. yere mayster Iohn Hume and mayster Roger Bolingbroke were brought to the gylde hall in London there before the Mayre the lordes the●e Iustyces of Englonde were reyned and dampned bothe to be drawen hanged quartred but mayster Iohn Hume had his chartre was pardoned by the kyng but mayster Roger was drawen to Tyburne where he cōfessed that he dyed gyltles and neuer had trespaced in that he dyed for Notwithstādyng he was hanged heded and quartred on whose soule god haue mercy And Margery iourdemayn was brent in smythfelde ¶ Also this yere was a grete fraye in London in Flete strete by nyght tyme bytwene men of courte men of London and dyuers men slayne some hurt one Herbotell was chefe causer of the mysgouernaunce fraye ¶ Also this yere at chosynge of the Mayre of Londō the comyns named Roberte Clopton Raulyn Hollande tayllour And the aldermen toke Robert Clopton brought hym at the ryght hande of the Mayre as the custome is And than certayne tayllours other hande crafty men cryed nay nay not this man but Raulyn Hollād wherfore y● Mayre that was Padysly sent them that so tryed to Newgate where they abode a grete whyle and were punysshed ¶ In this same yere were dyuers embassadours sente in to Guyan for a maryage for the kynge for the erles doughter of Armyna● the whiche was concluded but by the meanes of the erle of Suffolk it was let put aparte And after this the sayd erle of Suffolk went ouer see in to Fraunce there he treated the mariage bytwene the kynge of Englōde the kynges doughter of Cecyle of Iherusalem And the neere yere that mariage was fully concluded by whiche maryage the kyng sholde delyuer to her fader the duchy of Ang●o the erledom of Mayne whiche was the key of Normādy Than departed the erle of Suffolke with his wyfe diuers lordes and knyghtes in the moost ryall estate that myght be out of Englonde with newe shares palfreys whiche wēt through Chepe and so went ouer the see and receyued her sythen brought her in the lent after vnto Hampton where she londed there was ryally receyued ¶ And on Candelmasse euen before by a grete tempest of thondre lyghtnynge at after none Paules steple was set on fyre in the myddes of y● shafte in the tymbre whiche was quenched by force of labour specyally by y● morowmasse preest of y● Bowe in chepe whiche was thought impossyble saue onely the grace of god ¶ This yere was y● erle of Stafford made create duke of Buckyngham y● erle of warwyk duke of warwyk the erle of dorset markys of dorset the erle of Suffolke was made markys of Suffolke ¶ How kynge Henry wedded quene Margarete of her crownacyon THis yere kyng Henry maryed at South wyk quene Margarete and she came to London the .xviij. daye of Maye by the waye all the lordes of Englonde receyued her worshipfully in dyuers places in especyal the duke of Glocestre on the blacke heth the mayre with the aldermen and all the craftes in blewe gownes browdred with the deuyse of theyr crafte that they might be knowen mette with her with reed hodes brought her to London where were dyuers pagentes countenaūces of dyuers hystoryes shewed in dyuers places of the cyte ryally and costly ¶ And the .xxx. day of Maye the foresayd quene was crowned at westmynster And there was Justes thre dayes durynge within the sentwary before the abbey ¶ This yere the pryour of Kylmayn appeled the erle of Vrmond of treason whiche had a daye assygned to them for to fyght in smythfelde the lystes were made and the felde dressed But whan it came to poynt the kynge cōmaunded that they sholde not fyght but toke the quarell in to his hande And this was done at the instaūce labour of certayne prechours doctours of London as mayster Gylbert worthyngton persone of saynt Andrewes in holborne and other ¶ Also this yere came a grete em bassadour in to Englonde out of Fraūce for to haue concluded a perpetuall peas but in cōclusyon it turned vnto a trewse of a yere ¶ About this tyme dyed saynt Barnardyn a gray frere whiche began the newe reformacyon of y● ordre in many places in so moche that they that were reformed ben called Obseruantes whiche Obseruātes ben gretly encreaced in ytalye in Almayne This Bernardyn was canonysed by pope Nicolas the .v. in the yere of our lorde M cccc .l. Ioh̄es de Capistrano was his dyseyple whiche ꝓfyted moche to the reformacyon of y● ordre for whome god hath shewed many a fayre myracle ¶ Also here is to be noted y● from this tyme forwarde kyng Henry neuer profyted ne went forward but fortune began to turne from him on all sydes as well in Fraūce Normādy Guyen as in Englond Some men holde opynyon that kynge Henry gaue cōmyssyon plenarly to syr Edwarde Hull syr Robert Roos dene of saynt Seuerynes other to conclude a maryage for hym with y● erle of Armynakes syster whiche was ꝓmysed as it was sayd cōcluded but afterward it was broken he wedded quene Margarete as afore is sayd whiche was a dere maryage for the realme of Englonde For it was knowē veryly that for to haue her was delyuered the duchy of Angeo the erle dom of Mayne whiche was the key of Normandy for the frensshmen to entre And about this y● sayd Markys of Suffolke asked in playne parlament a .xv. an halfe to fetche her
out of fraūce Loo what a mariage was this as to y● comparison of the other mariage of Armynak For there shold haue bē delyuered so many castels townes in Guyan so moche golde shold haue ben gyuen with her y● all englonde shold haue ben therby enry 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fell wherfore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ought 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bycause of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for maryage of 〈◊〉 〈…〉 rets w 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath 〈◊〉 englōde had by losyng of Normandy Guyan 〈…〉 〈…〉 nge of 〈◊〉 agaynst theyr pry 〈…〉 〈◊〉 lordes what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lordes what murdre sleynge of them what feldes 〈◊〉 〈…〉 many y● 〈◊〉 a man hath 〈◊〉 his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cōclucyon y● kyng de 〈◊〉 the quene wther sone ●●yne to 〈◊〉 in to Scotland from thens in to Fraūce so to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 y● she came fyrst fro Many men dem● that the brekynge of the kynges promesse to the syster of the erle of Armynak was cause of his grete losse aduersite ¶ How the duke of Glocestre the kynges vncle was arested at the parlyament of Bury of his deth and how Angeo and Mayne was delyuered IN the .xxv. yere of Kynge Henry was a parlyamēt a● Bury called saynt Edmondes Bury about whiche was cōmaūded all the comyns of the coūtree to be there in theyr moost best de 〈…〉 syble araye for to wayte vpon the Kynge To whiche parlyament came the duke of Glorestre Vmfrey the Kynges vncle whiche had ben pro●●etour of englonde all the noneage of the kyng And a 〈…〉 〈◊〉 ter as he was in his lod 〈…〉 was arested by y● vycoūte be 〈…〉 of englond who me act 〈◊〉 y● duke of Buckyngham m 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lordes And forthw t all his ser 〈…〉 es were commaūded to departe frō him xxxi● of y● chefe of them were a 〈…〉 sent to dyuers pry 〈…〉 〈◊〉 after this say● arest y● sayd duke was on y● 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on whose soule god haute mercy But how he dyed in what maner th 〈…〉 taynte is not knowē some sayd he dyed for sorowe some sayd he was murdred bytwene two feder beddes some sayd y● a spytte was put in his foūdament but how he dyed god knoweth to whom no thynge is hyd And thus deed he was layde open that all men myght se him so bothe lordes knightes of y● shyre with burgeyses came 〈◊〉 sawe hȳ lye deed but woūdene token coude they not perceyue how he dyed Here may m● marke what this worlde is This duke was a noble man a grete clerke ruled worshypfully y● realme to the Kynges behofe neuer coude be foūde faute in hȳ but 〈…〉 uy of them that were gouernours had ꝓmy sed the duth y of Angeo the 〈…〉 dome of Mayne causen the destruccyon of this noble man for they drad that he wolde haue empesshed y● delyueraunce after they sent his body to saint Albons with certayn lyghtes to be buryed so syr Ge 〈…〉 ays of Clefton had than the charge to cōuay y● corps so it was buryed at saynt Albons in the abbey And fyue persones of his housholde were sente to London there were they reyned Iudged to be drawen hanged and also quartred Of whom y● names were syr Roger chamberlayn a knyght Mydelton a squyer Herbard a squyer Arthur a squier Richarde Nedhā whiche .v. ꝓsones were drawē fro the toure of Londō through che pe to tyburne there ●āged let downe quycke than stryped to haue b●heded quarted than y● Markys of Suffolke she wed there for them y● kynges pardon vnder his grete seal● so they were pardoned of the remenaūt of the execucyon had theyr lyues so they were brought agayne to London and after frely deliuer to Thus began grete trouble in this realme of Englonde for the deth of this noble duke of Glocestre and an the comyns of y● realme began for to murmure for it and were not content ¶ After the pope Eugeny was deed Nycolas the .v. was electe pope This Nycolas was chosen for Eugeny yet hangynge ye●eysme notwtstandyng he gate the obedyence of all chrystē realmes for after he was electe and sacred pope certayn lordes of fraūce of englonde were scut in to Sauoy to pope Felix for to entreate hym to sease of the pap●ry And by the specyall labour of y● bysshop of Norwyche and the lorde of saynt Iohns he seased y● seconde yere after y● pope Nycolas was sacred y● sayd Felix was ma de legate of fraūce cardynal of Sauoy And he resygned y● hole papa●y to Nycolas after lyued an holy lyfe dyed an holy man as it is sayd almyghty god sheweth myracles for him This was y● xxiij scysme bytwene Eugeny Felix dured .xvj. yere The cause was this the generall concyle of Basyle deposed Eugeny whiche was onely pope induby tate for as moche as he obserued not kept the decrees statutes of the concyle of Constance as it is sayd before neyther he cought not to gyue obedyence to the generall concyle in no maner wyse wherfore arose a grete alteracion amōge wryters of this mater pro et cōtra whiche can not accorde vnto this day one party sayth that the concyle is aboue the pope y● other party sayth nay but the pope is aboue y● cōcyle God blissed aboue al thȳge gyue graūte his peas in holy chirche spouse of Chryst Amen This Nicolas was of Iene comē of lowe degree a doctour of d 〈…〉 te an actyf man he reed●fyed many places y● were broken ruynous dyd do make a wall about y● palays made y● wall newe about Rome for drede of y● turkes And y● people won 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gretly meruayled of y● ceasynge 〈…〉 of pope Felix to pope Nycolas consyderynge that 〈◊〉 was 〈◊〉 man of so 〈…〉 ly 〈…〉 was of 〈◊〉 to all t●● m 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chrysten 〈◊〉 wherefore there was a verse publysshed as 〈◊〉 is sayd ¶ How syr F 〈…〉 ys A 〈…〉 to 〈◊〉 Fogyers in Normandye And of y● losse of Constantynople by the Turke IN the yere of 〈◊〉 Henry xxvi● beynge tre 〈…〉 Fraūce Englonde a knyght of the englysshe partye named syr Frāceys Aragonois toke a towne in Normandy 〈◊〉 Fogyers agaynst the trewse of whiche takynge began moche sorow losse for this was the occasion by y● whiche the frenshmen gate all Normādy ¶ About this tyme the cite of Cōstantynople whiche was the imperyal cite of all grece was taken by the Turkes infydeles whiche was betrayed as some holde opynyon the emperour taken slayne and the ryall chirche of saynt Sophia robbed spoyled the 〈…〉 s ymages the rode drawen aboute y● stretes whiche was done in despyte of the chrysten fayth soone after all chrystē fayth in Grece perisshed ceased There were many christen men slayne innumerable solde put in
captiuite By the takynge of this cite the Turke gretly was enhaūced in pryde a grete losse to all christendom ¶ In the .xxviij. yere was a parlyamēt holden at Westmynster and frō thens adiourned to the blacke freres 〈◊〉 London after Christmas to Westmynster agayne ¶ And this same yere Ro●erte of Cane a man of the west coūtree 〈◊〉 a fewe shyppes toke a grete flete of shippes comyng● out of ye●ay laden with 〈◊〉 whiche shyppes were out of prince 〈…〉 ūders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 brought them to H●mpton wherfore the march auntes of Englōde beyng in Flaūdres were arested in Bruges Ipre other places might not be deliuered 〈◊〉 theyr dettes disch ●uged tyll they had made apoyntment for to paye y● 〈◊〉 of those shyppes whiche was payed by y● marchaūtes of the staple euery peny And in lyke wyse the marchūtes goodes beynge in Da 〈…〉 were also arested and made grete amendes ¶ This same yere the frensshmen in a mornyng toke by a trayne the towne of Pount de larche therin the lorde Fauconbrydge was takē prisoner And after y● in D 〈…〉 er Rom was taken lost beynge therin syr Edmond duke of Somerset the erle of Shrewesbury whiche by a poyntment left pledges lost all Normādy came home in to Englonde And duryng y● sayd parliament y● duke of Suffolke was arested sent in to y● Coure there he was a moneth after the kyng did do fetche hym out for whiche cause all y● comyns were in a grete rumour what for the delyueraūce of Angeo Mayn after lesynge of all Normādy in especyall for y● deth of y● good duke of Glocestre in so moche in some places mē gadred made them capytayns as Blewberde other whiche were taken put to deth And than the sayd parlyament was adiourned to Leycestre And thȳder y● kynge brought with hym y● duke of Suffolk And when y● comyns vnderstode y● he was out of the Coute comen thyder they desyred for to haue execucion on them y● were cause of the delyueraūce of Normandy had ben 〈◊〉 of the deth of the duke of Glocestre had solde Gascoyn Guyen of whiche they named to be gylty y● duke of Suffolke as chefe the lorde Saye y● bysshop of Salisbury 〈…〉 yell many mo● And for to appease the comyns the duke of Suffolk was exiled out of Englonde for .v. yere And so duryng the parlyament he went in to Norfolke there toke shyppyng for to go out of y● realme of Englonde in to Fraūce And this yere as he sayled on y● see a shyppe of warre called the Nycolas of the toure mette with his shyppe foūde hym therin whome they toke out brought hym in to theyr shyppe to the mayster to the capytayn there he was examyned at y● last iudged to deth And so they put hym in a caban his chapelayn with him f 〈…〉 to shryue hym And the done they brought hȳ in to Douer rode set hȳ in to y● bote there smote of his heed brought y● body on londe vpon the sandes set the heed therby And this was done the fyrst day of Maye Leo what auayled hym all his 〈…〉 raūte of Normādy c. And here ye may here how he was rewarded for the deth of the duke of Glocestre Thus began sorowe vpon sorowe deth for deth ¶ How this yere was the insurreccyon in Kent of the comyns of whom Iarke Cade an Irysshe man was capytayne THe yere of our lorde M cccc .l. was the grete grace of the Iubile at Rome where was grete pardō in so moche y● from all places in chrystendom grete multytude of people resorted thyder ¶ And this yere was a grete assemble gaderynge togyder of the comyns of Kent in grete nombre made an insurreccyon rebelled agaynst the kyng and his lawes and ordeyned them a capytayne called Iohan Cade an Irysshe man whiche named hymselfe Mortymer cosyn to the duke of yorke And this capytayn helde these men togyder and made ordynaunces amonge them and brought them to the blacke h●th where he made a byll of p 〈…〉 yon 's to the kyng and his counseyle shewed what 〈…〉 tyes and oppressyons the poore comyns suffred all vnder colour for to come to his aboue he had a grete multytude of people And the .xvii. day of Iune the kynge many lordes capytayns men of warte went towarde hym to y● blacke heth And whan the capytayne of kent vnderstode the comynge of the kynge with so grete puyssan̄ce he withdrewe him his people to Seuenoke a lytell village And the .xxviij. daye of Iune he beynge withdrawen gone the kynge came with his army set in ordre embatayled to y● blacke heth And by aduyse of his counseyle sent syr Vmfrey Stafford knyght and Willyam Stafford squyer two valyaūt capytaynes with certayn people for to fyght with y● capytayne to take hym brynge hym his accessaryes to the kyng whiche went to Seuenoke there the capytayn with his felawshyp mette with them fought agaynst them and in cōclusyon slewe them bothe as many as abode wolde not yelde them were slayne Durynge this scarmysshe fell a grete varyaūce amonge the lordes men comyn people beynge on blacke heth agaynst theyr lordes capitaynes sayenge playnly y● they wolde go vnto y● capytayn of kent to assyst helpe hym but yf they myght haue execucyon on y● traytours beynge about y● kynge wher to the kynge sayd naye And they sayd playnly that the lord Saye tresourer of Englonde the bysshop of Salysbury the baron of Dubby the abbot of Glocestre Danyell and Treuilian many ●to were traytours worthy to be deed Wherfore to please the lordes meyny also some of y● kynges hous y● lord Saye was arested sent to y● toure of London And than y● kynge heryng tydynges of the beth ouerthrowynge of the Staf 〈…〉 he withdrewe hym to London 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to ●elyngworth for y● kyng 〈…〉 lordes burst not trust theyr owne housholde men ¶ Than after that the capytayne had had this victory vpon y● Staffordes anone he toke 〈…〉 sallet and his brigandynes full of gylte nayles 〈◊〉 also his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Arayed hym lyke a lorde and capytayne and resorted with all his 〈◊〉 and also moo than he had before to the blacke hethe agayne To whome came the archebysshop of Caunterbury and the duke of Bokyugham to the blacke hethe and spake with hym And as it was sayd they foūde hym wytty in his talkyng and in his request And so they departed And the thyrde daye of Iuly he came entred into London with all his people and there dyd make cryes in the kynges name and in his name that no man sholde robbe ne take no maner of goodes but yf he payed for it And came rydynge through the cite in grete pryde and smote
his swerde vpon Londō stone in Canmyk strete And he beynge in the rite sent to the toure for to haue the lorde Saye so they fette hym brought hȳ to the Gyldhall before the Mayre the aldermen where y● he was examyned And he sayd he wolde ought to be iudged by his peres And y● comyns of Kent toke hym by force fro the Mayre offycers y● kepte hym toke hym to a preest to shryue hym or he myght be halfe shryuen they brought hym to the standard in Chep● there smote of his heed on whose soule god haue mercy Amen And thus dyed the lord Saye tresourer of Englōde After this they set his heed vpon a spere bare it all about the cite And y● same day about myle ende 〈◊〉 mer was vyheded And the daye before at after none the capytayne with a certayne of his men went to Philyp Malpas hous robbed hym toke awaye moche good And from thens he went to saynt Margarete patyns to one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 whiche 〈…〉 of theyr 〈…〉 were 〈…〉 with 〈…〉 her 〈◊〉 〈…〉 man 〈…〉 wyse 〈…〉 London ●●myn 〈…〉 ●●myghty god 〈…〉 is to 〈◊〉 yf he had not robbed 〈◊〉 myght 〈…〉 ferre or he 〈…〉 kynge all the lordes of y● realme of Englonde were ●●parted excepte the lorde Seales that 〈◊〉 the ●oure of London ¶ And the 〈…〉 of a 〈…〉 South werke And the 〈◊〉 after the May●● of London with the ●lderme● 〈◊〉 comyns of y● 〈◊〉 cōcluded to 〈…〉 the capytayn his ●oost sent to the lorde Scales to the Coure 〈…〉 a capytayne of Nor 〈◊〉 that they walde y● nyght assayle the captayne 〈…〉 them of kent And so they dyd came to Londō brydge or the capytayne had any knowlege therof there they fought with them that kepte the bryoge And the 〈…〉 men went to h 〈…〉 came to the bridge shotte and fought with them gate the bridge ●●de them of Londō to 〈◊〉 slewe many of them this 〈◊〉 all the nyght 〈◊〉 fro 〈…〉 the clocke on y● moro we 〈…〉 last they brent y●●awe brydge 〈◊〉 many of 〈◊〉 of London were 〈◊〉 In whiche 〈◊〉 Sutton an 〈◊〉 ●as slayne Roger Neys●nt 〈◊〉 ●ogh many other And after 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of Englonde sene to the capytayne a par●on generall for hym for all his m●yuy And than they departed from South 〈…〉 euery man 〈◊〉 his owne hous 〈…〉 they were all departed gone there were proclamacyons made in ●ent Southsex and other places that what man coude take the capitayn quycke or deed shelde haue a thousande marke And after this one Alexander Iden a squyer of kent toke hym in a garden in Southsex And in y● takynge Iohn Cade the capytayn was slayne and after byh●ded his heed set on London brydge And than anone after the kynge came in to kent dyd do syt his Iustyees at Caunterbury inquyred who were chefe causers of this in s 〈…〉 And there were 〈◊〉 men iudged to deth in one daye in other places ●oo And fro thens the kynge went in to Southsex in to the west 〈◊〉 where alytell before was 〈◊〉 y● bysshop of Salysbury And this same yere were so many iudged to deth that 〈◊〉 hedes stode vpon Londō bridge at ones ¶ Of the felde that y● duke of yorke toke at Brentheth in Kent And of the byrth of prynce Edwarde And of the 〈…〉 st batayle at saynt Alvons where 〈◊〉 duke of Somerset was slayne IN the .xxx. ●ere of y● kynge y● duke of yorke came out of the marche of Wales with the erle of D 〈…〉 shyre and the lorde Cobham and a gr●te puyssaunce for reformacyon of certayne 〈◊〉 tyes wronges also to haue Iustr●e vpon certayne lordes beynge aboute the kynge and toke a feide at Brentheth besyde Dartforde in Kent whiche was a stronge felde for whiche cause the kyng with all the lordes of y●●onde went vnto the blacke heth with a grete a stronge multytude of people armed ordeyn●● for the warre in y● best wyse And whan they had mustred on the beth certayne lordes were tho sent to hym for 〈◊〉 make apoyntment with him 〈◊〉 were the bysshop of Ely the bysshop of W 〈…〉 the erles of Salysbury 〈◊〉 And they concluded that the duke of Somerset shold be had to warde and to answere to suche artycles as the duke of yorke sholde put on hym than the duke of yorke sholde breke his felde come to the kynge whiche was all promysed by the kynge And so the kyng cō maūded y● the duke of Somerfet sholde be had into warde And than y● duke of yorke brake vp his felde and came to the kyng And whan he was come cōtrary to the promyse afore made the duke of Somerset was present in y● filde awaytynge and chefe aboute the kynge and made the duke of yorke tyde before as a prysoner through London after they wolde haue put hȳ in holde But a noyse arose y● the 〈…〉 of Marche his sone was comynge with .x. M. men toward London wherfore the kyng his counseyle feted And than they concluded that the duke of yorke shold departe at his owne wyll ¶ Aboute this tyme began grete dyuysyon in Spruce bytwene the grete mayster the knyghtes of the duche ordre whiche were lordes of y● coūtree for the comyns townes rebelled agaynst the lordes made so grete warre that at the last they called y● kynge of Pole to be theyr lorde the whiche kynge came was worshypfully receyued and layde syege to y● castell of Marienburgh whiche was y● chefe castell of strength of all the lorde wanne it and droue out the mayster of D●nske all other places of that londe And so they y● had ben lordes many yeres lost all theyr seygnourye possessyons in those londes ¶ And in y● yere of the incarnacyon of our lorde M. 〈◊〉 ●iij on saynt Edwardes daye y● quene Marg 〈…〉 was delyuered of a fayre 〈◊〉 whiche was named Edwarde ¶ That same daye Iohn Norman was 〈◊〉 to be Mayre of London And the daye that 〈…〉 the 〈…〉 whiche 〈…〉 that tyme they 〈…〉 ●er in 〈…〉 ¶ 〈…〉 vnderstande 〈…〉 to the promyse of the 〈◊〉 also the conclusyons taken 〈◊〉 y● kyng the duke of yorke at B 〈…〉 th the duke of Somerset went 〈…〉 but abod● aboute y● kynge had grete rule anone after he was made capytayn of Calays and ruled the kynge his ●●alme as he wolde wherfore y● grete lordes of th 〈…〉 alme also y● comyns were not 〈◊〉 For whiche cause y● duke of 〈…〉 of Warwyk y● 〈◊〉 of Salysbury 〈◊〉 many knyghtes squyers and moche other people came to remeue y● said duke of Somerset other fro y● kynge And 〈◊〉 kyng heryng of theyr comyng thought by his coūseyle to haue gone westwarde not for to haue mette with them had with hym the
men call y● men of y● londe Englysshmen ¶ Alfre Than after that the Danes pursued the londe aboute a. ij C. yere that is to saye fro y● foresayd Edbartus tyme vnto saynt Edwardes tyme made y● fyfth maner of people in y● ylonde but they fayled after warde At the last came Normans vnto duke Willyam subdued Englysshmen yet kepe they y● londe they made the syxth people in y● ylonde But in the fyrst kynge Henryes tyme came many Flemynges receyued a dwellȳge place for a tyme besyde Maylros in the west syde of Englonde made the seuenth people in the ylonde Neuertheles by cōmaūdement of the same kynge they were put thens dryuen to Hauerfordes syde in y● west syde of wales ¶ R. And so now in Brytayn Danes Pictes fayle all out and fyue nacyons dwell therin that ben Scottes in Albania that is Scotlonde Brytayne in Cambria y● is Wales but that Flemynges dwell in y● is west Wales And Normans Englysshmen ben medled in al y● ylōde for it is now doubte in storyes how and in what maner they were put away destroyed out of Brytayn Now it is to declare how y● Pictes were destroyed fayled ¶ Gir .j. ca .vij. Brytayn was somtyme occupyed with Saxons peas was made stablisshed with y● Pictes than y● Scottes y● came with the Pictes sawe y● the Pictes were nobler of dedes and better men of armes though they were lesse in nombre than y● Scottes Than the Scottes hauynge therof enuy turned to theyr natural treason y● they haue ofte vsed For in treason they passe other men bē traytours as it were by kynde for they prayed all the Pictes specially the gretest of them to a feest wayted theyr tyme whan the Pictes were mery and had well dronke they drewe vp nayles y● helde vp holowe benches vnder the Pictes the Pictes vnware sodeynly fell in ouer y● hammes in to a wonderfull pytfall Than y● Scottes fell on y● Pictes slewe them lefte none alyue And so of two maner people the better warryours were al destroyed But the other that ben y● Scottes whiche ben traytours all vnlyke to y● Pictes toke ꝓfyte by that fals treason for they toke all that londe and holde it yet vnto this tyme call it Scotlōde after theyr owne name In kynge Edgarus tyme Kynadius Alpinus sone was duke 〈◊〉 der of the Scottes and warred in Picte londe destroyed the Pictes He warred syxe tymes in Saxon toke all y● londe that is bytwene Twede y● Scottysshe see with wronge with strength ¶ Of the lāguages of maners vsage of the people of that londe Ca .xv. AS it is knowen how many maner of people ben in this ylonde there ben also so many languages and tongues Neuertheles W 〈…〉 n and Scottes that ben not medled with other nacyons kepe yet theyr language speche But yet y● Scottes that were somtyme confederate and dwelled with Pictes drawe somwhat after theyr speche But the Flemynges y● dwell in the west syde of Wales haue lefte theyr straunge speche speke lyke to saxons Also Englysshmen though they had fro y● begynnynge thre maner of speches southerne northerne myddle speche in y● myddle of the londe as they come of thre maner of people of Germania Neuertheles by cōmixcyon medlynge fyrst with Danes afterward with Normans in many thynges y● coūtree language is appayred for some vse straūge wlaffynge chyteryng harryng garryng grysbytyng This appayring of y● language cometh of two thynges One bycause y● children y● go to scole lerne to speke fyrst englysshe thā ben compelled to cōstrue theyr lessons in frensshe that hath bē vsed syth y● Normans came in to Englonde Also gentylmens children ben lerned taught from theyr youth to speke Frensshe vplondisshmen wyll coūterfeyte lyken them selfe to gentylmen and are besy to speke frensshe for to be more set by wherfore it is sayd by a comyn ꝓuerbe Iacke wold be a gentylmā yf he coude speke frensshe ¶ Treuisa This was moche vsed tofore the grete deth but syth it is somdele chaunged for syr Iohn Cornewayle a mayster of grāmer chaūged y● techynge of grāmer scole cōstruccyon of frensshe in to englysshe And other scole maysters vse y● same waye now in the yere of our lord M CCC .lxxxv. the .ix. yere of king Rychard y● seconde leue all frensshe in scoles vse all construccyon in englysshe wherin they haue auaūtage one waye that is y● they lerne the sooner theyr grāmer in an other disauaūtage for now they lerne no frensshe nor can none whiche is hurte to them y● shall passe the see And also gentylmen haue moche lefte to teche theyr chyldren to speke Frensshe ¶ R. It semeth a grete wonder y● Englysshmen haue so grete diuersite in theyr owne language in sowne in speking of it whiche is all in one ylonde And y● language of Normandy is comen out of an other londe hath one maner sowne amonge all other y● speke it in Englonde for a man of kent southerne westerne northerne men speke frensshe all lyke in sowne speche but they can not speke theyr englisshe so ¶ Treuisa Neuerthelesse there ben as many diuers maner of frensshe in the realme of Fraūce as dyuers englysshe in y● realme of Englonde ¶ R. Also of the foresayd tongue whiche is departed in thre is grete wonder for men of y● eest with men of y● west accorde better in sownynge of theyr speche than men of y● north with men of y● south Therfore it is y● men of merc 〈…〉 y● ben of myddle Englonde as it were partyners with y● endes vnderstande better the syde languages northerne southerne than northerne southerne vnderstande eyther other ¶ Wilhel de pon .li. 〈◊〉 All y● language of the northumbres specially at Yorke is so sharpe shyteynge fro●●yng vnshappe y● we southerne men may vnneth vnderstāde y● language I suppose the cause be y● they be nigh to y● alyens y● speke straūgely Also y● kynges of Englonde abyde dwell more in y● south coūtree thā in y● north coūtree bycause there is better corne londe more people more noble citees more ꝓfytable hauens in the south coūtre than in y● north coūtre ¶ De gentis huius moribus Gir. in 〈…〉 ere FOr y● maners doynge of walssh men of Scottes ben tofore somwhat declared Now I purpose to tell declare y● condicyons of y● myddle people of Englonde But the Flemynges y● ben in y● west syde of Wales ben now all turned as they were Englisshmen bycause they company with Englysshmen And they be myghty stronge to fyght and ben the moost enemyes that Walshmen haue and vse marcha●dyse clothynge ben full redy to put themselfe in auentures to peryll in y● see londe bycause of grete wynnyng ben redy somtyme to the plowe somtyme
so that no man was so hardy to name god and yf they dyd they were put to straūge deth But the bysshop of London that was tho whiche was called Gosselyn scaped went thens to them of Rome to seke socour to helpe to destroye the sarasyns that had destroyed this londe And the Romayns sayd that they had ben so often anoyed for theyr sendyng of folke in to Britayne all for to helpe the Britons they wold no more so do And so the bysshop Gosselyn went thens without ony socour or helpe And than went he to the kyng of lytell Brytayne that was called Aldroie this was the thyrde kyng after Gowan Meriedok as before is sayd The bysshop prayed this kynge Aldroie of helpe socour And the kynge had pite in his herte whan he herde how the bysshop fledde how the chrysten men were so slayne in grete Brytayne through the paynyms sarasyns he graūted hym Cōstantyne his bro●er for to helpe hym with power of folke And cha● dyd araye hors harneys shyppes all thynge that neded to that vyage And whan all thynge was redy he called the bysshop sayd to hym I take you here Cōstantyne my broder vpon this couenaūt that yf god gyue hym grace to discōfyte the infydelēs that than ye shall make hym kyng And the bisshop graūted it with a good wyll Cōstantyne the bysshop toke leue of the kyng Aldroie betoke hym to god toke .xij. M●inen went to theyr shippes sayled towarde grete Britayn arryued at Totnes Whan the Britons herdethese tydynges that socour came they were glad ordeyned them an huge nō●re of people went receyued them with moche honour ¶ Gowan anone as he wyst of these ty dynges he assembled all his farasyns came agaynst them gaue thē batayle And Cōstantyn slewe hym with his owne handes all the other sarasyns were dyscomfyted slayne that none escaped excepte those that were couerted to god ¶ How Constantyne that was the kynges broder of lytel Britayn was crowned kynge of grete Brytayne for his worthynes ANone after the batayle they went to London crowned there Constantyne kyng of this londe the bysshop Gosselin set the crowne on his heed and a●oynted hȳ as it belongeth for a kyng And thā began christēdom in this londe agayn And anone after whā this kyng Constantyn was crowned he spoused a wyfe through roūseyle of the Brytons begate on herthre sones The fyrst was called Cōstance the seconde Aurilambros the thyrde Vter This Constance that elder broder whā he came to o●● he 〈◊〉 hym a monke at Wynchestre And Constātyne theyr fader was slayne through treason For it befell vpon a tyme that a Pehyte came to hym vpon a daye as it were on a message sayd that he wolde speke with the kynge pryuely in coūseyle The kyng let ●oyde his chambre of the men that were there within and there abode no moo but the kynge and the Pehite and he made a countenaūce as though he wolde haue spoken with the kyng in his eere And there he shewe hym with a longe knyfe And after that he went meruaylously out of that chambre in to an other chambre so that at the last no man wyst where he was b●romen Whan the kynges men wyst that theyr lord was so deed they made than so moche sorowe that they wyst not what for to do For as moche as his two sones Aurilambros and Vter were so yonge that none of them myght be kynge and the thyrde broder was a monke at ●●● chestre as is sayd before But ●o●nger that was erle of Westler thought pryuely in his herte through some subry●e for to be kynge hymselfe And wente to Wynchestre where as Constance was monke sayd to hym Cōstance qued be your fader is deed your two brethern that ben with Gosselyn the bysshop of London to nourysshe be so yonge that neue of them may be kyng wherfore I coūseyle you that ye forsake your habyte come with me and I shall make suche a meane vnto the Brytons that ye shall be made kynge of this londe ¶ Of Constance that was kynge Constantynes sone whiche was a monke at Wynchestre and how he was made kynge after his faders dethe through counseyle of ●o●●ger that was ●●●e of Westser for as moche as Aurilambros and 〈◊〉 his two bretherne were but yonge of age And Vortiger let shee ●ya● for to be kynge hymselfe THis Vortiger coūseyled this Cōs●āce so moche tyll he forsoke his ab●ot and went with hym And anone after he was crowned kyng by the assent of the Brytons This kynge Constance whan he was crowned made kynge he wyll ne knewe but lytell of the worlde nor coude no thynge what knyghthode axed And he made Vortyger his chefe mayster coūseyler gaue hym all his power for to ordeyn to do as moche as to the realme aperteyned So that hymselfe no thynge entermedled but onely bare the name of kyng Whā Vortiger sawe that he had all the lōde in his warde gouernaūce at his owne wyll he thought by preuy treason to slee Cōstance the kyng that he myght hȳselfe be crowned made kyng regne let sende after an hondred knyghtes of Pehytes the worthyest of all the londe them helde with hym for to dwell as to be kepers of his body as he wolde go through the londe to ordeyne thynges that appertayned to a kyng And this Vortiger honoured so moche the hondred knyghtes so moche gaue them of golde syluer of ryche iewelles robes horses other thȳges plente wherfore they helde hym more lord than they dyd the kyng And Vortiger told them yf he myght be kyng ye as it were through treason he wold make them rychest of the londe So at the last through grete gyftes that he had gyuen largely they cryed through the court that Vortiger were better worthy to be kyng thā Cōstance Wherfore Vortiger made semblaūt as he had ben wroth he departed thens from the courte and sayd he must go elles where for thinges that he had to do And so the traytour sayd bycause that they sholde slee kynge Constance Whan this Vortiger was gone it befel soon easter 〈◊〉 those hondred knyghtes of Pe●ites wiche the dores of the kynges chambre there they slewe hȳ smote of his heed ba●e it to Vortiger there as he dwelled And whā Vortiger sawe the heed he wepte full tenderly with his eyen neuertheles he was somdele gladde in his herte of his deth And anone Vortiger let take those hondred knyghtes of Pehites hadde his seruaūtes bynde theyr haudes behynde them lede them to London and there they were dampned to deth as fals traytours And anone after all the Brytons of the londe by the comyn assent crowned Vortiger made hym kyng of the londe ¶ Auno domini C .lxxiiij. SOther a martyr was pope after