Mercy not one of whom he was resolv'd to spare So the next Morning he commanded all to their Arms and to prepare all manner of Machines and Engines for a general Assault and then he attacqued the Besieged with such Fury that the like had seldom been seen For the Men of Arms themselves especially the Bretons waded thrô the Ditches without favouring themselves and so came to the foot of the Walls with shields over their heads and dug at the Walls with Pick-axes and Mattocks that it was wonderfull to behold their Eagerness Till at last thô not without much loss as may well be guessed they got down a great Pane of the Wall whereat they easily made their Entrance and put all within to the Sword without Exception Then the Constable having repaired the Breach and what else was amiss and set therein a strong Garrison of Frenchmen resolved to attack the Castle of Marans but the English there despairing to maintain a place so much less defensible than St. Benoist capitulated with him and yielded on Condition to save their Lives and Goods which was accepted From thence he went to Surgeres resolving to make that Garrison pay dearly for their late Attempt upon him a few Nights before but the English had left the Place void beforehand not daring to expect his Arrival Having set a good Garrison here he went back to Fontenay p Itâ Galâ—â—è sed in Angl. le Comté â—â—attitur le Comté a Castle belonging to the Lady of Sr. John Harpedon an English Knight who was then a Prisoner in Spain Here he laid Siege both to Town and Castle and made many fierce Assaults till at last it was agreed by Composition that the Lady her self and as many as would remain true to King Edward should go to Thoüars their Lives Honours and Goods saved And accordingly thither they were safely convey'd by the Constable's Order the rest turning to the French side and so the Constable took Possession both of Town and Castle and made a new Garrison there And now the Constable resolved to go and lay his siege to Thoüars it self to which Place the greater Part of those Barons that held still for England were retired as the Vicount of Thoüars the Lords of Partenay Puissances and Cors the Lord Lewis of Harcourt Sr. William of Campenac Sr. Geoffry Argentine Sr. James of Surgeres and Sr. Percival of Cologne with many more Thither they went and began immediately to invest the Place having brought from Poictiers and Rochelle several Engines which they play'd Night and Day against Thoüars to the great Trouble of the English and Gascogne Lords Till at last with design to put off the Day of Calamity as long as might be and in hopes of a good Succour by that time they agreed with the Frenchmen for a mutual Respit and Truce for themselves and their Lands till the Feast of St. Michael then next ensuing They in the mean time to send to the King of England their Lord to certifie him of their Condition but so as that if they should not be succoured either by Him or one of his Sons in Person within the said time then they to yield both Themselves and Lands to the Obedience of the French King. This Treaty being agreed to by the Constable and other Lords of France they return'd for that time to Paris whither the Captal of Busche was brought as Prisoner and put under safe Custody in a Tower of the Temple The French King being extreamly pleased at his Taking rewarded the Esquire of Vermandois who took him with 12000 Franks But because the Captal would by no means renounce the English Interest thô it were to save his Life and to purchase his Liberty the French King who feared his Valour would never let him be put to Ransom nor acquitted by Exchange thô the English offer'd q True Use of Armory in the Life of the Captal p. 152. one Earl and three Knights in Exchange for him So that he never had his Liberty more but was confin'd in Prison till his Death which happen'd about four Years after A Prince worthy of a better Fate and of Immortal Memory for he yielded to none in that Age for Valour Courtesie Piety or Conduct and as for his Nobility he was nearly allied to the Kings of Navarre France and England and from his Blood is descended the r True Use of Armory in the Life of the Captal of Busche p. 109 iâ— Titudo ex Bibl. Cotteniana Present Royal House of France and the Glorious King LEWIS the Fourteenth XIX The mean while the Messengers that were sent from the Poictevin Lords in Thoüars came into England and there shew'd unto the King and Prince and their Council the low Condition of Poictou and Sainctogne and the doubtfull Estate of the City of Thoüars and all the Lords and Captains therein together with the Conditions of their late Agreement with the French. When King Edward heard and saw how in a manner without any War he lost all the Lands Cities and Countries that had cost him so much to win he said hastily Å¿ Du Chesne p. 709. How he never knew a King less addicted to Arms than Charles who yet had given him more trouble than his Ancestors that were Warriers And thereupon having studied a little he proceeded saying t Frois c. 305. Gallicè fol. 253. That he would cross the Seas shortly so strong as to be able to give Battle to the whole Power of France and that as for his part he would never return into England till he had reconquer'd what he had lost or together with the rest lost Himself in the Endeavour So presently he commanded the Duke of Lancaster who was just then ready according to former Orders to go to Calais with a Considerable Army to attend now a while for he design'd that he should go along with him into the Parts of Poictou and Sainctogne toward Rochell the greater stress of the matter being judg'd to lie there The mean while the King made an extraordinary Summons throughout his Realm commanding all Men of such and such Age and Degree to come ready Arm'd to Sandwich and thereabouts by a Day appointed there to take the Seas with Him and his Sons the Prince and the Duke None of those who were concerned either would or durst disobey this General Command of the King 's but drew as fast as they might to the Sea-side where lay ready for them 400 great Ships besides other Vessels While these Preparations were making the King call'd his High Court of Parliament to meet at Westminster that so the Affairs of the Nation might be settled before his Departure out of the Realm Especially the King resolv'd to let them know his Mind as to the Succession for before the Meeting of this Parliament the King and the Prince of Wales had upon Consultation agreed that if either the One or the Other should miscarry in this
Almighty preserved all the rest And surely since neither French nor English nor any other Writer are more particular in this Point and it is most c Vt patet ex Dugd. 2 Voll de Baronagio certain that not one of the English Nobility fell that Day it is to be look'd upon as a Remarkable Instance of Divine Favour to King Edwards Arms. XI One d Mezeray ad hunc an p. 26. Author only and He a very late One presumes on his own Authority to Averre that King Edward brought into this Battle Four or Five pieces of Cannon which did no small Execution but scatter'd an Infinite Terrour and Confusion among the Frenchmen for this says He was the First time that ever those thundring Engines were seen in the Wars of Europe Of which Deadly Machines both because they may be menaged by Persons of no Force or Courage and also cannot be resisted or eluded by any Natural Power or Conduct We may justly say as e Plutarch's Apopthegms Archidamus the Son of Agesilaus said of a certain Engine brought out of Sicily O Hercules now is the Valour of Mankind at an End But as my Design is not presently to admit every thing thô back'd with never so great Authority of Person if otherwise the Matter it self is void of truth or probability So neither shall I conceal what I have found as to the Antiquity of this Wonderfull Invention of Guns whatever Use the Reader may make thereof against my self For in such a Case the Love of truth ought to overballance all other Respects And thô the first Publique Use of Guns that We read of hath been generally held to be about the Year of our Lord 1380 as Magius or 1400 as Ramus in a Battle betwixt the Venetians and Genouese fought at Clodia-Fossa in which the Venetians so galled their Enemies that thô they saw Wounds and Death fly among them yet they knew not how it came or how to avoid it as Witnesseth Platina in the Life of Vrban the VI. And thô Laurentius Valla in a Book which as he says himself he wrote in the Year 1438 affirms that the f Nuper inventa est Machina quam Bombardam vocant Gun grew in Use not long before his time yet my g Dr. Hakewili's Apology of the Power and Providence of God c. l. 3. c. 3. p. 322. Author says he hath seen the Copy of a Record that Great Ordnance were brought by the French to the Battery of a Castle or Fort called Outwick near Calais and then in the Possession of the English whereof One William Weston was Captain who in the First of Richard the Second being question'd in Parliament for yielding up the Place doth in his excuse alledge that the Enemy brought to the Battery thereof Nine pieces of Great Cannon whereby the Walls and Houses of the said Castle were in divers places rent in sunder and sorely batter'd And in another place he calls the said Pieces most Huge Grievous and Admirable Ordnance And this his Answer h M. S. Rot. Parl. Sr. Rob. Cotton's Exact Abridgement Ano. 1 Rich. 2. n. 38. c. Sr. Robert Cotton says if it was true as it was not disproved was very Reasonable Notwithstanding he was for the same Surrender adjudged to Death and sent back to the Tower from whence he came because without Commission he yielded up the Place whereas he took upon him the Defence of the same And this Surrender happen'd in the last Year of King Edward the Third Predecessor to the said King Richard the Second And i Fran. Petrarch de Remediâ—s utriusque Fertunae l. 1. Dial. 99. p. 84. Erat haâ— Pestis nuper rara ut cum ingenti Miraculo cerneretur Nunc ut rerum pessmarum deciles sunt animi ita communis est ut unum quedlibet genus armorum Petrarch who died above three Years before King Edward the Third says of these Guns This Pestilent Device was lately so rare that it was look'd on with great Astonishment Now as Mens Minds are very apt to learn the Worst it is as Common as any other sort of Arms. Nay more than so we are credibly informed that a Commission is to be seen for making of Salt-Peter in Edward the Thirds time and another Record of Ordnance used in his Days some Twenty Years before his Death Nay We can go Higher yet and refer to that part of the Record of the k M.S. Rot. Parl. p. 34. §. 40. Sr. Rob. Cotten p. 24. §. 4â— 14 Edw. 3. Vd l 1. c. 16. §. 1. p. 179. 14 Year of this Kings Reign six Years before the Battle of Cressy in which is mention made of Thirty two Tuns of Powder And thô We are able to trace the Original of Guns thus High yet surely it doth not appear by any other Author except Mezeray that King Edward brought any such thing into the Field at this Battle The first time that Old Writers say he used them was at the Siege of Calais where thô he might be allowed to bring such Machines against Walls with more Generosity than Men Yet We shall shew hereafter that he only intended to reduce that Place by Famine and not to win them by Assault or Battery Nor can We find that during at least the greater part of his Reign any such Engines on either Part were brought into the Field or planted against any Castle or Fortress which doubtless would have been had they been well known at that time in these Parts or had either of those Princes been minded to make use of such inhuman Executioners No! Hitherto Men fought like Men and thô those Devillish Engines I grant were invented something about perhaps before this time yet either for a while they were not known or at least not made use of But if these Instruments were so Wonderfull to that Age how much more Admirable is the later Invention of our Days of Guns that are not actuated by Sulpher or any Combustible Matter but only by Wind. Of which a late * Dr. Burnet's Letters p. 265. Letter from Nâ—migen 20 May 1686. Author says thus There is in Basile a Gunsmith that maketh Wind-Guns and he shewed me One that as it received at once Air for 10 shot so it had this Peculiar to it which he pretends for his own Invention That he can discharge all the Air which may be parcelled out in 10 shot at once to give an home blow These are terrible Instruments indeed and it seems the Interest of Mankind to forbid them quite since they can be employed to assasine Persons so dextrously that neither Noise nor Fire will discover from what Hand the shot cometh But to return XII King Philip of France retired as We have shewn out of the Battle under favour of the Night Having not above l Frois c. 130. Giov. Villani l. 12. c. 66. p. 877. sixty Persons in his Company of whom only Five
whom he is Godfather From p. 662. to p. 669. Chap. XIII A Parliament at Westminster wherein notice is taken of the Pope's foremention'd Demand of the King Peter-Pence forbid to be paid The Quarrel between the Fryars Mendicants and the two Vniversities taken up by the King. The Lord of Coucy made Earl of Bedford A Treaty of Marriage between Prince Lionel and the Lady Violantis Daughter to Galeas Duke of Milain Archbishop Islip dies his Foundation of Canterbury College in Oxford now called Christ-Church Dr. Langham Bishop of Ely translated to Canterbury On the French King's Complaint of the Companions King Edward prepares an Army against them But on the French King's being jealous desists The French King and the Pope endeavour to draw off the Companions into Hungary but it will not do From p. 669. to p. 672. BOOK IV. CHAP. I. DON Pedro's Character The Pope excommunicates him and legitimates his Bastard Brother The Companions joyn Sr. Bertram of Clequin and march against Don Pedro who being forsaken of all flies from place to place and absconds in Galizia Don Henry the Bastard is made King of Spain Don Pedro implores the Protection of the Black-Prince and arrives at Bayonne Prince Edward receives him with much Humanity The Reasons Pro and Con why the Prince should or should not assist him The Prince has his Fathers leave to undertake his Quarrel The King of Navarre is won The Copy of a Famous Grant of Don Pedro to King Edward and to the Prince and the Kings of England and their Eldest Sons for Ever Prince Edward sends for his Captains who were then in the Bastards Service The Bastard's surprise at the News of the Prince's Design Sr. Bertram goes back into France to raise Friends Divers Opinions touching this undertaking of the Prince's The Bastard renews his Alliance with the King of Aragon c. The Prince's Zeal for this War. The Lord of Albret engages to bring a 1000 Spears The Companions being besieged in Montabuan beat the French. James King of Majorica comes to Bourdeaux to implore the Prince's Aid against the King of Aragon The Prince by Advice of his Council countermands 800 of the Lord Albret's 1000 Spears From p. 674. to p. 694. Chap. II. A second Son Born to the Black-Prince named Richard. The Prince begins his March is joyn'd by the Duke of Lancaster He passes the Pirenaean Mountains the Order of his Army the Names of his Chief Captains Don Henry sends his Expostulation and Defiance to him The Lord Thomas Felton takes Navaret Salvatierra yields to the Prince The Lord Thomas Felton beats up the Bastard's Quarters and sends Intelligence to the Prince Don Henry goes forward but halts at St. Miguel The Prince expects him at Victoria The Earl of Sancelloni beats up the Prince's Quarters and takes the Lord Thomas Felton and all his Company The Discourse thereupon had in the Spanish Camp. The Prince passes the Ebro and answers Don Henry's Letters Don Henry's Resolution The two Armies move forward The Order and Number of the Spaniards The Lord Chandos made a Banneret The Prince's Prayer before the Fight The Famous Battle of NAJARA in Spain where the Bastard receives a Mighty overthrow The City of Najara taken The time and place of the Battle The Number of the slain on both sides The Prince obliges Don Pedro to grant a General Pardon All Spain comes in and submits to Don Pedro and the Prince The Prince demands his Souldiers pay of the King who goes to Seville but sends none The Great Renown of the Black-Prince after this Victory The Black-Prince returns home without his Money The first Change of King Edward's Fortune The Danish Fleet beaten by the English The Death of Don Pedro King of Portugal sirnamed the Justiceer From p. 695. to p. 718. Chap. III. Prince Lionel is Married to the Lady Violantis He falls sick and dies A Parliament at Westminster The Archbishop of Canterbury made Cardinal A Sea-Woman taken in the Zuyder-zea Sr. Bertram by a Fineness obtains to be ransom'd The Companions wanting their Pay prove troublesome to the Principality But at the Prince's Command they go away and do much Mischief in France The Prince taxes his Subjects which occasions a Revolt From p. 718. to p. 725. Chap. IV. Don Henry the Bastard finding the Prince of Wales embroyl'd returns into Spain surprises the King Don Pedro beats him takes him and kills him with his own Hands The King of France being urged by the Discontented Gascogne Lords Summons the Prince of Wales to appear before him William of Wickham made Bishop of Winchester c. The Prince of Wales falls sick of an incurable Disease He sends the Lord Chandos against the Gascogne Lords The French King surprises Ponthieu and defies King Edward Who in Parliament resumes his Title to France and obtains a Mighty Aid for his Wars The Black-Prince makes the Captal of Busche Earl of Bigorre which Creation is confirm'd by the King his Father From p. 725. to p. 742. Chap. V. The War begins in the Principality Mutual Losses and Gains The two Kings set forth an Account of their several Causes their Rights argued The Pedigree of the Kings of France King Edward's Reasons for his Right and Title to France From p. 743. to p. 758. Chap. VI. The Duke of Burgundy Marries the Earl of Flanders his Daughter Mutual Losses and Gains The Earl of Pembroke's Danger The Death of Queen Philippa The Duke of Lancasters Expedition The Earl of Warwick dies The Duke of Lancaster a Widower The Death of the Earl of Suffolk and of the Bishop of Excester The French King raises a Tax From p. 759. to p. 782. Chap. VII The Death of the Lord John Chandos The War hot in Gascogne The Death of David Bruce King of Scotland The Genealogy of his Successor Robert STUART An Old Error concerning King Robert's Children confuted Sr. Robert Knolles his Expedition into France The Black-Prince sacks Limoges and Sr. Bertram of Clequin made Constable of France Pope Urban dies Maximus Planudes flourishes From p. 783. to p. 812. Chap. VIII The Death of the Lord Eustace Dambreticourt The Danger and Escape of the Lord Raimond of Marvejols The Black-Prince his Eldest Son dies He returns into England sick The War in Gascogne A Parliament at Westminster King Edward beats the Flemings at Sea. James King of Majorica dies The Duke of Lancaster and the Earl of Cambridge Marry the Two Daughters of Don Pedro late King of Spain The Pope's endeavours for Peace The Duke of Lancaster and the Earl his Brother return with their Ladies into England From p. 812. to p. 826. Chap. IX The Death of the Earl of Northampton and the Lord Walter Manny The War hot in Gascogne The Earl of Pembroke taken by the Spaniards Poictiers and Rochelle yielded to the French. Thoüars besieged King Edward sets sail to raise the Siege but the Wind will not serve so Thoüars is lost The Duke of Bretagne made
Earl of Richmond The Black-Prince growing worse and worse resigns Aquitaine to his father The Death of the Earl of Stafford Sr. William Molineux and Sr. John Mandeville the Famous Traveller From p. 827. to p. 848. Chap. X. The Constable of France beats the English before Sivray and Conquers about in Poictou The War hot in Bretagne The Duke of Lancaster's Expedition and March thrô France A Treaty at Bruges A Parliament at Westminster A Prodigious Malady The Death of several Great Men. From p. 849. to p. 864. Chap. XI King Edward enquires into the Livings then in the hands of Aliens A Treaty at Bruges The Earl of Pembroke is redeem'd and dies The Death of Francis Petrarch the Italian Poet and others An account of Madam Alice Perrers said to have been King Edward's Concubine From p. 865. to p. 873. Chap. XII St. Saviour le Vicount yields to the French by Composition Edmund Earl of Cambridge and the Duke of Bretagne Conquer about in that Dukedom But are hindred by an unseasonable Truce from prosecuting their Advantage The Lord Edward Spencer dies A Treaty between King Edward and the King of Scotland Esquire Katrington being challenged of Treason for yielding St. Saviour le Vicount loses the day Some English Vessels taken by the Spaniards The Death of two Earls Two Acts of Charity From p. 873. to p. 877. Chap. XIII The Lord of Coucy's Expedition into Austria A Treaty at Bruges which begets a Truce and that another King Edward offers largely for the Redemption of the Captal of Busche but cannot obtain it The JUBILEE of King Edward's Reign A Parliament at Westminster The Black-Prince dies His Will Character Burial and Epitaph The Captal of Busche takes it to heart and dies The Black-Prince's Praise and Children The said Parliament continued A Censure thereof Who the First Speaker of the House of Commons The Death of an English Cardinal and of the Lord John Peche Pope Gregory returns the Papal Chair to Rome From p. 878. to p. 895. Chap. XIV King Edward Creates his Grandson Richard of Bourdeaux Prince of Wales The Londoners entertain the Young Prince John of Gaunt associated to the King in the Government A Parliament at Westminster with a Copy of the King 's Writ An exact Account of John Wickliff and his Doctrine The Duke of Lancaster for his sake falls out with the Bishop of London The Londoners in a Sedition affront the Duke The Bishop hardly restrains the People The Princess-Mother of Wales puts the City in Mind of their Duty They make their excuse to the King. They and the Duke reconciled Sr. John Menstreworth executed for Treason The Lord of Coucy falls off to the French. King Edward Creates Prince Richard Knight of the GARTER The War open Sr. Hugh Calverley Captain of Calais Outwick batter'd with Cannon yields to the French. Sr. Hugh Calverley's Acts. The English Commissioners returning for England find the King on his Death-Bed He dies A Story of the Manner of his Death refuted The French King commends him His Burial Epitaph Tomb and Character From p. 895. to the End. Errata sunt sic Emendanda PAG. 22. lin 5. read fast-asleep p. 54. l. 44. r. Nobles p. 58. l. 2. r. Turne-tabard p. 76. l. 2. r. tell for call p. 89. for Innocent r. John. p. 177. dele Parag. VIII IX in the Centents p. 270. l. 17. r. neck'd p. 276. l. 35. r. Chancellor of the Church of York p. 286. l. 37. r. strange p. 295. l. penult r. Father was named p. 302. l. 2. dele and. p. 303. l. 32. dele and. p. 354. l. 31. r. 16 years c. p. 356. l. 27. r. 20 in depth c. p. 373. l. 22. for Paragraph r. Chapter p. 402. l. 22. r. Vicount of Rohan sic semper p. 439. l. 46. r. Simon de Burchester p. 466. l. 14. r. no Charms about them took horse and so began c. p. 470. l. 13. r. Peter Lord Mauley the Fifth p. 484. l. 49. r. On the second of November being All-Souls day the King began c. p. 485. l. 12. r. for he could not have been c. ibid. l. 34. r. after his setting forth according to the Records which affirm how he marched forth of Calais on All-Souls day p. 502. l. 34. r. Blew-Silk p. 531. l. 22. r. July p. 707. l. 18. r. keep it p. 721. l. 21. r. William p. 748. l. ult r. and bearing p. 750. l. 45. r. Inno. p. 751. l. penult be accounted the Off-spring p. 761. l. 45. r. having done a pious c. p. 806. l. 49. r. best word c. p. 814. l. 57. r. the Prince and Princess c. SAPIENTIA FORTUNAM EDWARDVS III DEI GRATIA REX ANGLIAE ET FRANCIAE ET DOMINUS HIBERNIA HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE EDWARD III. King of England France and Lord of Ireland He slew Two Kings in One Day routed a Third had Two Kings his Prisoners at one time Upon the Death of Lewâ— of Baitaria He had the offer of the Empire thó he declin'd it He took Calais from the French Instituted the Famous Order of the GARTER haveing Reigned in great Glory for space of 50 Yeares 4. Moneths 28. Dayes He Dyed at his Mannor of Shene in Surrey in LXV year of his 〈◊〉o. Dui MCCCLXXVII lyes Buried at Westminster ICH DIEN QUI SANâ—â—â—â—â— NOBIS HANC PATRIAM PEPERERE SUO POTENTISSIMUS EDWARDUS PRINCEPS WALLAE ET AQUI TANIAE DUX CORNUBIAE COMES CESTRIAE ET CANTIL Honoratiss Viro 〈◊〉 RICHARDO CHANDLER Armig. nuper de Cell Emanuel Aâ—M Amico plurimum Colendo Hanc Invic â—iss Hervis EDWARDI Principis Walliae cogno mento Nigro Imagine Observantiae â—â—mti Iudinis ergo D.D.D. Josua Barnes HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE HOUMONT The most Renowned Prince EDWARD sirnamed the Black-Prince Eldest Son to King EDWARD the Third Prince of WALES of AQVITAIN Duke of CORNWALL Earle of CHESTER of KENT He was in his life time the Flower of the Chivalry of the whole World. He wan the Battle of CRESSY wherein he overthrew King Philip of Valor slew the King of Bohemia also the Famous Batlle of POICTIERS wherein w th an Army of 8000. Men He overthrew the whole Power of FRANCE takeing the King IOHN de Valois Prisoner who was 4 years after Ransom'd at 3 Millions of Crowns of Gold Lastly he triumph'd in the Glorious Battle of NAJARA in Spaine where he overthrew the Bastard Henry Setled Don Pedro in his Throne He died in the 46 yeare of his Age An o Dom MCCCLXXVI lyes Buried at Canterbuâ—â— THE HISTORY OF King Edward IIId. BOOK THE FIRST CHAPTER the FIRST The CONTENTS I. The Circumstances of the Birth of King Edward the Third with his Education and Character II. He is made Prince of Wales and Duke of Aquitain beside the Titles of Earl of Chester Ponthieu and Monstroile He goes into France with the
upon them if they did As for more circumstances of this Martial Sport they are neither fit to be minutely handled nor can I find them any where particularized But this is very likely that the Actions were performed with Gallantry enough and that the Undertakers on both sides were considerable Persons For some say p Holinshead Engl. Chron. p. 893. the Young King himself with 12 more in his Company thô disguised were the Challengers ready to answer all Defendants that should come At least the King Queen and whole Court were Spectators with many thousands of the City But in the height of this Recreation there happen'd an accident which had like to have proved Tragical For the Stage q Stow's Survey of London p. 280. Hist p. 230. R. Baker p. 143. whereon the Queen and her Ladies were placed suddenly brake under them to the great affrightment of all the Company thô by the wonderfull Goodness of God it happen'd that no harm at all was done But the King was thereby so incensed at the Master-Workmen that it would have proved very difficult for them to have avoided a severe Punishment had not the Noble-minded Queen her self upon her knees requested their pardon Which besure the King would never have granted on any other consideration to those who had occasion'd the hazard of a Lady so dear unto him And indeed this vertuous Princess was of a most Generous and Compassionate Nature always desirous to do good but especially to the Afflicted and those who were brought into any undeserved Misfortune so that all along she Reign'd in the hearts of the People whose Welfare and Convenience she continually endeavour'd with all her Power III. About this time the Queen Mother who bore an Inveterate hatred against Edmund Plantagenet Earl of Kent one of the Kings Uncles chiefly for the Earl of Marche's sake to whose Unreasonable pride the Noble Princes Courage scorn'd to yield began earnestly to inform the Young King her Son against him as guilty of matters into which the subtle Mortimer had craftily insnared the Open-hearted Gentlman r Frois c. 23. fol. 13. a. Fox Acts Mon. p. 345. Some say that being the next Heir Apparent he was accused to have conspired the Death of the King his Nephew by poyson which might not perhaps sound so improbable but that at this time and for above six years after the Kings own Brother John of Eltham Earl of Cornwall was ſ Dugd. 1 Vol. p. 146. alive thô Froisard and from him others by mistake say he was then newly dead besides this Earl of Kent had himself an Elder Brother then living which was Thomas of Brotherton Earl of Norfolk and Marshall of England and yet above all this there were two Ladies Joan Queen of Scotland and Princess Eleanor the Kings own Sisters surviving So that he could not by any means pretend to be the next Heir nor even his Enemies with any sense pretend it for him Moreover in the Records we find no mention of Poison nor that he was so much as accus'd of Designing to compass the King his Nephew's Death Unless that was obliquely insinuated as a consequence of his Delivering the Old King which it was lay'd to his charge that he endeavour'd 'T is certain the Poor Prince was first trepan'd into a Sham-plot and afterwards speciously by way of Friendship undermin'd so as to yield to make a confession of matters not seeming Treasonable which afterward his Enemies aggravated much higher upon the Assurance of a Pardon Instead whereof before he was brought to any legal Tryal or confronted by his Accusers a Warrant was suddenly sign'd for his Execution But lest it should be admired how any Man should now be accus'd of endeavouring to deliver the Old King who had been murder'd as appears almost two Years before I will exactly set down by what arts this Innocent Gentleman was train'd on to his utter Ruine Mortimer therefore and his Complotters with a design to make his Enemies obnoxious to him which he could no other way do they were Men of such known Loyalty and Integrity cunningly scatters it abroad that the Old King Edward the Second was still alive notwithstanding the late Rumour of his Death and Burial and that he now resided in the Castle of t Stow p. 229. ◠Corfe in Dorsetshire but was not to be seen in the day time by any means with much difficulty in the Night for fear he should hasten his own Death thereby Now to carry on this incredible Tale the better for those were cauteous and discreet Men whom Mortimer aim'd to catch there were several Knights appointed to make Shows and Masks and other Diversions upon the Battlements and Leads of the Castle which the Country People observing could not but imagin some great Prince or King to be there for whose pleasure and honour those Solemnities were so performed Hence the rumour of the Old King 's being still alive was spread far and near so that at last it came as was first design'd with some kind of Authority to the Earl of Kents Ears who desiring only as he thought to sift the Truth out entangled himself more strongly in an errour To the Castle of Corfe he privily sent one of his Confidents a Preaching Fryer with a charge to dive into the Matter He at last under much caution with a great deal of doe obtaining to be admitted into the Castle was even then out of pretended Fear kept close all the day in the Porters Lodge But at night being for more security as they held him in hand disguised in Lay-habit he was brought into the great Hall where he beheld one cloathed in Royal Habiliments to personate a King so that the Fryer himself either deceived by the glimmering of the Lamps or the Distance which he was forced to keep or the strength of prejudice working upon his Fancy did really take him for the Father of the Young King as he sat with seeming Majesty and Princely Attendants at a Royal Supper This Account the Fryer brought back to the Earl of Kent and whether himself also corrupted or really in mind perswaded did as really perswade the Unfortunate Prince that he had seen the King his Brother alive and well and at supper with his own Eyes Whereupon the Earl declared with an Oath that he would make use of all the Means and Interest he could to rescue the King his Brother from that unworthy Confinement u M.S. vet Ang. in Bibl. C. C. C. c. 220. Now when first this Rumour began to go abroad with some Authority Earl Edmund having some occasions at the Court of Rome held a Discourse with Pope John XXII at Avignion and said How Almighty God had many times for the love of Thomas of Lancaster done many fair Miracles upon severall both Men and Women who were through divers Maladies undone as to this World till thrô his Prayers they were restored unto their Health
such manner as shall be by the Kings of England and Scotland devised 9. Item That the Lord Eustace de Lorrain shall have his Lands and Tenements which he ought to have within the Realm of Scotland and if any man hath trespassed against him he shall have his Recovery by Law. Dat. at St. Johnston in Scotland the 18 of August Anno Dom. 1335. Now whereas it was before remembred that these Commissioners were empowred not only from the Earl of Athol but also from the Lord Robert Stuart himself it is not so much to be admired that so great a Man as Prince Robert who was now sole Governour of Scotland for King David his Kinsman should yield so far as to admit of an Agreement so much to his Masters Detriment with the King of England I say it is not so greatly to be admired if we but consider the extream Necessity that drove him to it in that juncture he himself being very sick at Dumbriton and his late Partner in the Government the Lord John Randall Earl of Murâ—â—y being at the same time prisoner at London and likely to continue in that Condition because he had both before and now also refus'd to accept of King Edwards Peace Thô indeed no great sincerity was on the Scots Party but the wonderfull Streights they were in required a little Dissimulation and outward Compliance till a better Opportunity Nay 't is said by a very e Knighton p. 2568. n. 10. ancient and authentick Historian that the greatest part of the Scotch Nobility among whom the foresaid Lords no doubt are included being wearied out by these continual Harassings and Desolations came in voluntarily and submitted themselves entirely to the King of England on these Conditions That they should obey the Bailiol as their King during his Life the mean while King David with his Queen to live privately but honourably at London and upon the Death of King Bailiol who as yet had no Children to succeed That they would oblige King David to come to the Parliament which was to be at London the next Michaelmas and to stand to the King of Englands Awardment and Arbitration In the mean while they yielded their Homage to him as to their Superior Lord. VIII But the King of France having knowledge hereof out of Envy to King Edward's Glory or because he found it more conducible to his own Affairs to have the Interests of Scotland and England still divided dealt so assiduously with the Scots by promising himself to stand by them that all this came to Nothing nor did King David appear at all in that Parliament as they had engaged he should do The mean time King Edward thô he had great hopes that the Scots would at last stand to this their own Agreement however thought it not becoming the Wisdom of a King to repose himself too much on the Faith of others especially considering the Mutability of that People and their strong Inclinations to France Wherefore he resolves so to strengthen himself that if they should be False they should not be over Dangerous and so having already f Holinshead Scotl. p 236. Ashmole p. 646. fortified St. Johnston he now goes to Striveling where on the plat of ground on which the late Castle had stood he built a strong Fortress called the Pile thence he proceeded to Bothwill where he added much strength and a Garrison to that Castle appointing Thomas Lord Barkley to victual it from Edinburgh who was so good a Convoy to what he brought thither that he discomfited one night the Lord William Douglas who lay in Ambush for him with little or no loss to himself but with such an entire Victory that Douglas himself with only three more could hardly escape and that by the Benefit of the Night too Edinburgh also about this time is rebuilt and committed to the g Buchan p. 297 Dugd. 2 Vol. p. 143. Custody of Sr. John Striveling afterwards a Baron of this Realm And having thus provided for the Peace of Scotland the King returns in Health and Honour into England leaving a good part of his Forces behind him with King Bailiol and other his Captains for the better Security of his Affairs that way A little before which the Famous Warrier the Lord h Dugd. 1 Vol. p. 327. Richard Talbot was Redeemed from his Imprisonment for 2000 Marks by the Favour of Prince Robert Stuart who highly Respected Worth thô in an Enemy IX But the Lord i Walsing Hyped p. 113. Holinshead Scot. p. 236. Buchan l. 9. p. 295 Hector Boeth l. 15. p. 319. David Strabolgi Earl of Athol having now fully obtain'd a Pardon from King Edward as we shew'd before that he might again purchase his good Opinion resolves to be in Action for him with the foremost Having therefore provided himself with competent Forces Horse Foot and other Necessaries he presently lays Siege to the Castle of Kildrummy on the River Done that held still for the Bruceans The mean while certain of the Brucean Lords as Patrick Earl of Dunbar the Lord Andrew Murray William Douglas and others prepar'd to go against him as well to punish his Revolt and Perjury as to Relieve the Besieged Of this the Earl having timely notice seemingly Raises the Siege but indeed Marches directly forth in good Order of Battle to meet the Enemy Both Armies joyned in the fields of Kilblaine where began a very fierce Encounter for generally in Civil Dissentions when mens Minds are mutually exasperated the Animosity wherewith they contend is greater than that of different Nations As the fallings out of old Friends are usually more fierce than those of Strangers But at length the Earl of Athol who was Superior in number and no way Inferior in Skill or Courage to his Enemies had carried away a Compleat Victory had not Sr. John Crab the Captain of Kildrummy Castle instructed either by secret Notice or his own Conjecture issued out of his Castle with 300 fresh Men who coming suddenly on the Backs of the Atholians in the very Instant of their Victory and falling on with great Fury Noise and Clamour so terrified them and added such Courage to the almost Conquer'd Bruceans that the Victory now presently enclin'd the other way Upon this Earl David disdaining to fly or to be taken alive to suffer a Publique Execution or perhaps not dispairing by a Vigorous Opposition to wrest back the Victory again with a Select Troop of his Best Friends makes a Desperate Impression upon the Enemy Where Fighting a while Valiantly he was notwithstanding finally slain by the Hands of Sr Alexander Gurdon There fell with him of the Nobles k Buchan p. 295 Sr. Robert Brady and Sr. Walter Cumin whose Brother Sr. Thomas being taken alive was the next day condemned to lose his Head Some few escaped into the Castle of Camoron with the Captain thereof Robert Menneth who yet were compelled to yield the next day for want
e Knighton p. 25â—5 Easter there to require Aid from King Edward to recover his Right And accordingly we find that this Summer about the Feast of St. John Baptist King Edward sent over with him a considerable Power under the Command of William Bohun Earl of Northampton With whom f Stow p. 239. were John Vere Earl of Oxford Hugh Lord Spencer Richard Lord Talbot and Dr. William Killesby each of them retaining many Men of Arms and Archers With these Forces Earl Montford g Mezeray p. 23. wan and sack'd Dinant and laid Siege to Quimperlay but being suddenly taken with a Calenture or burning Feaver he died about the end of September at Quimpercorentin leaving the Management of his Pretensions to the Conduct of his Virago-Lady and his young Son John who many years after having slain Charles of Blois in Battle obtained together with the Dukedom the honourable Sirname of Valiant One h Gaguin l. 8. p. 140. reports that this Earl died distracted many Devils appearing at his Departure and that at the time of his Death such a multitude of Ravens settled upon the House wherein he lay that 't was thought the whole Kingdom of France could not have yielded such a Number As for his being distracted I shall not stand to question that since in a Burning Feaver many a Good Man may suffer a Delirium and God forbid that we should always judge hardly thereupon But for this horrid Apparition it seems to me not so credible nor could I ever find any great Evil of this Earl except that now he broke his Word with King Philip who yet was his Enemy and extorted it unreasonably and violently from him Nor if I had known him to have been a Notorious Sinner durst I ever give the more faith to this Story I reverence the Judgments of God and think it not fit for Sinners as we are to pry too sawcily into his Counsels concerning our Brethren perhaps no worse than our selves But this I well know that either Superstitious or Prejudiced Persons may enhance common Accidents into Prodigies or invent what they please against those for whom they have no Charity After his Death however the greater Part of Bretagne was for some time in the hands of Charles of Blois for now l Fabian p. 219. most of the English Souldiers return'd into Gascogne to serve the Earl of Darby Except Sr. Thomas Dagworth and those who before were sent to the Assistance of the Countess of Montford But however the English brake not up their Army thus till Winter for the Earl of Northampton hearing that the Lord Charles of Blois presuming on the Death of John of Montford was come to Morlaix with a great Power intending to overrun the Country went forward with all his Forces to meet him In the Champaign Ground near k Lel. Collect. 1 Vol. p. 805. Stow p. 239 c. Morlaix the two Armies of the Lord Charles of Blois and William Bohun Earl of Northampton joyned Battle together with Equal Courage and Bravery And at this time it is said that the two Generals both the French Lord and the English Earl met together by consent in single Combat where they fought so long at Handy-stroaks in the Field that it would have pos'd an equal Judge to have determin'd who had the better For three times that day being both wearied they withdrew to take Breath and as often both return'd to renew the Combat which was fought with Spear and Shield Sword and Target after the manner of that Age. Only at last the most Noble and Valiant Lord Charles seeing his Men begin to fly was obliged also to set Spurs to his Horse and forsake the Field leaving the Victory to the English who yet paid dearly for it having lost almost as many in the Fight as the Enemy But when the Chace began then the Lord Charles his Men were beaten down on every side and the Success of this Day grew more important in that thereby the Earl of Northampton had no more Enemy to obstruct his Progress at that time wherefore presently l Leland ibid. Dudg 1 Vol. p. 185. Fabian p. 220. p. 276 he went and lay before a strong Fortress of Bretagne called la Roche D'Arien about ten French Miles Northward of Morlaix which he took by Assault thô after his Departure it was retaken by the other Party till the Lord Thomas Dagworth took it again from them as two years hence we shall shew When the Earl of Northampton and the other Lords of England with him had thus settled Affairs for the present in Bretagne and had disposed of what Places they had won to the Custody of good Captains with sufficient Garrisons Winter being now well enter'd they all came over into England to the King And the Truce which the Deceased Earl had broken was again punctually observed XI This Year the Scots by the Instigation of the French King enter'd England by Westmorland and passing over the River Vlles burnt Penreth and m Carletonum pro Carleolum apud Walsingh hist p. 156. Nam Carleolum non folum erat satis validum sed etiam ab hec latere nimis distans Quod qui Walsingh secuti sunt parùm prespiciebant Neque ulla de Carleolo combusto per hos dies apud antiques mentio c. Carleton and many other little Towns and Villages thereabouts But John Kirkeby Bishop of Caerlile with the Lord Thomas Lucy of Cockermouth and Sr. Robert Ogle having collected a small Body of Choice Men went about their Host surrounding them in the Night and so terrified them with perpetual Alarms and Noises of Trumpets Clarions and Horns that the Scots could neither take Rest for Fear nor send out their Foragers to seek Provision And now the Lords Piercy and Nevil on the other Part and the Men of Lancashire on a Third had appointed together with the Bishop and those of Caerlile to fall upon the Scots all together who would then be in a manner quite enclosed by the English When Sr. Alexander Straghan being compelled of Necessity to go on Foraging for the Army and going forth for that purpose with some of the most Select Troops of all the Scottish Host was luckily encountred by the Bishop of n Walsingh hist p. 156. Dugd. 2 Vol. p. 262. Stow p. 241. Carlile the Lord Lucy and Sr. Robert Ogle which latter happening upon Sr. Alexander himself fiercely spurred up his Horse against him and ran him quite thrô the Body with his Spear himself also at the same time receiving thrô his Shield a Wound on the Left side but not Mortal In this Rencounter the Martial Bishop also being Cast from his Horse was in danger of being made a Prisoner but having Valiantly recover'd his Saddle he brought such Courage to his Men that most of the Scots of that Brigade were either slain or taken Whereupon the Rest being also informed of the two other
about their Master fighting desperately with Spear and Shield sharp Battle-Axes and Halberds till not above 80 of them remain'd with the King alive He for his part being sensible of the unhappy Event of the Day and not willing to outlive so many of his Nobility and other Loyal Subjects pressed now forward to meet a like Death himself When a valiant Esquire of Northumberland named John Copland who well knew him to be the King step forward with one hundred Men of Arms whom he had retained for that Service and bad him yield himself Here the Scotch Writers say a Hector l. 15. f. 325. n. 80. Buchan l. 9. p. 302. that King David thô wounded in two Places and having his Weapons beat out of his Hands yet thrô Indignation gave Esquire Copland such a Stroke over the Mouth with his Gauntlet that he beat out two of his Fore-teeth But in my Opinion so small an Effect ought not to be ascribed to so great a Cause as the Hand of an angry young Warrier especially when arm'd with a Gauntlet For if Copland's Visor was down the Stroke would not have reach'd his Teeth and if his Face was unarm'd it must have been much more severe if not fatal unto him Wherefore I rather believe what Others also report that King David upon Coplands Summons refused to yield but to some Person of Quality whereupon the Esquire deceived him by telling him that he was a Baron of England on which account perhaps it is that Hector calls him a Knight thô indeed he was not so However King David believing him gave him his Gauntlet in token he was his Prisoner alone and so yielded Yet certainly it surprises me not a little that of all the English Lords there present not one was found to have any Ambition to take so great a King especially when the Matter was so feasible his Men being most either slain or routed but that they all left the Task to a mean Esquire Upon these Reasons I confess that I am rather enduced to believe what is also deliver'd by no mean b Knighton p. 2591. n. 10. Author that seeing all things run to ruine and having received some Wounds himself besides an Arrow in his Head he endeavour'd to escape but in the Chace was taken by this Valiant Esquire at Merington which is the more confirmed by what follows when we shall find how it was some time e're it was known to the Queen of England that this Royal Prisoner was taken IX Now before this Second Battalia of the Scots was thus overcome their Third Battail also as well by their Discouragement from the ill Success of their Fellows as by the Valour of their Opposers was discomfited broken slain and put to Flight Thô few escaped of this Brigade One of the Leaders John c Hector p. 325. Randulph Earl of Murray was slain with a great Number of the Nobility of Scotland beside the Commons and the other Leader William Earl of Douglas was taken Prisoner So that the English gain'd an entire Victory and as one d Walsingh hist p. 158. n. 1. says had they totally joyn'd in a close pursuit and not been distracted in taking Prisoners and Plunder that Day had been the last to the Obstinate Rebellion of the Scots against the English Nation and they might have blotted out their Name from the Land of the Living But it pleased God in his Providence to order it otherwise X. This Cruel Battle thô some e Frois c. 138. by mistake place it near Newcastle and so call it the Battle of Newcastle upon Tyne was fought at Nevils-Cross near Durham whence also it bears the Name of the Battle of Nevils-Cross with most Authors as f Stow p. 243. also it is called the Battle of Durham in the Record it self And as thrô mistake there is some variety among Authors as to the Place where it was fought so neither do they agree as to the time notwithstanding it fell g Tho. Stuâ—bs de Episc Ebâ—r f. 1732. Knighton p. 2591. Ashmole p. 656. Walsing Fabian Fâ—â— Holinsh c. most certainly on the 17 of October or St. Lukes Eve which that Year proved to be Tuesday Thô Froisard in this point is much in the wrong who expresly affirms that it was fought on the Saturday next after St. Michael which that Year was the 30 of September and Du Chesne who generally follows Froisard yet here mistakes him saying that it was the Saturday next before St. Michael which must have been the 23d. of the said Moneth But these differences are nothing so Material as that of Hector Boetius who positively and in Words at length averres that this Misfortune happen'd to their Nation in the Year of our Lord One Thousand Three Hundred Fourty and Eight which is wide two Years and most notoriously false and erroneous as appears not only from the joynt Testimonies of Records and Histories but from all other Concurrences in the World. XI The Fight continued in all three Hours viz. from Nine in the Morning till High Noon and therefore thô h Knighton p. 2591. one says the English lost but four Knights and five Esquires yet that must not be allowed unless we understand that besides them many of the Commons were slain also For we are assured by a good i Frois ibid. Author as well as sound Reason that this Victory was not bought without the Lives of many Men and we find from k Dugd. 1 Vol. p. 579. undeniable Proof that particularly the Lord Ralph Hastings was here Mortally wounded of which hurts he died leaving however a Scotch Prisoner whom he had taken in this Battle to his Nephew Edmund Hastings of Rousby and John de Kirkeby of Wigginthorp a Gentleman of an Ancient Family to be shared betwixt them But of the Scots we are assured there fell no less than 15000 one says above l Knighton p. 2591. Hecter Bett. l. 15. fol. 325. n. 10. 20000 together with many great Lords and an 100 of the best Knights in Scotland Namely John Randulph Earl of Murray the Earl of Stratherne the Lord David Hay Constable the Lord Edward Keth Marshal the Lord Straqutrin Chamberlain together with the Chancellor of Scotland The Lord Philip Meldron the Lord John Stuart and Alan Stuart his Brother Maurice Murray John Crawford William Haliburton Reginald Kirk-Patrick Patrick Herring Sr. Michael Scot Sr. Alexander Gurdon Sr. William Frasier Sr. John Lindesay of Gleenesk Sr. Thomas Vaux Sr. Dengal Campbell Sr. Alexander Ramsey a Valiant Knight who bore that Day the Kings Standard and Sr. Alexander Bodeval who was called by the Souldiers the Flour of Chevalry and would not depart from the Kings side but died there by him Besides these Frenchmen Sr. Humphry Blois Sr. Robert Maltalent Sr. John de la Motte and Sr. John Bonville These are the Names of the slain as many as were found with their Coat-Armours on whereby they were known
of this Place And be assured of this that he intends not to let You and those that are with You go away so easily but that You should all entirely submit your selves to him upon Discretion some to be Ransomed and others to be Punished as they have Deserved For the Men of Calais have so highly provoked him by their Obstinacy and frequent Injuries and Piracies against him and his and have now particularly put him to such Charges and Labour and cost him so many of his Men that he is very much incensed against You indeed Why Truly Gentlemen said the Captain this is something too hard a case for Us We are here within a small parcel of Knights and Esquires who have Loyally and Honestly served the King our Master as You serve Yours and in this our Service We have endured as You know many Hazards and Difficulties But for all that We shall yet further undergo as much misery as ever any Knights did rather than consent that the poorest bad in the Town should surf fer harder Conditions than the very best of Us all Wherefore Lords I beg of You that of Your great Generosity You will go and Intercede with the King of England for Us For We trust his Goodness is so large that by the Grace of God he will remit something of his more severe Determination Upon this Sr. Walter Manny and Sr. Ralph Basset went both to the King and declared unto him all the Captains Words but the King answer'd that he would not receive them unless they yielded simply to his Mercy without any Capitulation at all Then the Lord Manny said Sir saving your Majesties Displeasure in this Point You may be in the wrong For hereby You will set an ill Example to your Enemies to use a like severity against your Subjects So that when You will send any of Us your Servants into any Castle or Fortress We shall not go with a very good Will If You put any of the Calisians to Death after they have yielded for then the French will serve Us in the same Manner as often as We fall into the same Condition These Words many of the Lords of England that were present approved and maintain'd adding further Å¿ Paradin's Ann. de Bourgogne l. 2. p. 333. That the most Noble and Magnanimous Princes made not Wars with Design to exercise Cruelty and to shed the Blood of their Enemies for the sake of Revenge but to purchase Honour and Reputation by being Gracious and Mercifull whereby they obtain more Renown than by being Bloody and Cruel as We may judge by Tyrants who are rendred Odious and Detestable in History Wherefore at last the King said Well my Lords I will not be alone against You all But Sr. Walter You shall go now and tell the Captain that all the Favour they are like to expect from me is this that six of the Chief Burgesses of the Town comeforth to me bare-headed bare-footed and in their shirts with Halters about their Necks and the Keys of the Town and Castle in their hands and upon Condition that six such Men resign themselves in this Manner purely unto my Will the Rest shall all be taken to our Mercy Other Favour than this from Me have they none With this Message Sr. Walter Manny return'd to the Walls where he found the Captain 〈◊〉 waiting for an Answer who having heard the utmost Grace that the King would shew said Well Sir then I only desire You would please to tarry here a little till I declare thus much to the Commons of the Town who sent me hither And with that Sr. John went into the Market-place and order'd the Larum Bell to be rung to call the People together And when the Assembly was full Sr. John related unto them all the Kings last Resolution saying You t Paradin's Annals de Bourgogne l. 2. p. 334. Good People of Calais there is no need for me to put You in mind of the Evils Affliction Distress Necessity Famine and Diseases to which We are at this Day reduced for want of Succour However in this extremity there are two things for our Comfort the One that We have approved our Loyalty both before God and Man even to this time the Other that our Succour from the King failing Us no Man can impute unto Us that We have failed in our Faith or Duty Wherefore following the Resolution taken in Council I went to speak with the Enemy who having Sword in hand and Power without question propounds unto You a Matter most Sad and Lamentable saying this the Tears flow'd from his Eyes in abundance so that he could not presently proceed which is this he Commands That to save the Lives of the Multitude of People within this City Six of the Principal Burgesses of this Town of Calais go forth in their Shirts bare-footed and bare-headed with Halters about their Necks and in that Posture present unto him the Keys of the Town of which Six Burgesses he will dispose at his Pleasure This is the Will of the Conquerour and I would have You to know that I endeavour'd with those who were sent from King Edward to mitigate the Matter and to bring it to a more Favourable Issue But it is not possible for me to draw him from his Resolution He is so fixed and Resolved wherefore my Friends since it will be no otherwise consider of it and make a quick Dispatch Upon this all the People Men Women and Children began such a pitifull Lamentation that it would have melted an heart of Marble into Tears to behold so sad an Object The Captain himself could not refrain from weeping But in the End u Frois ibid. Mezerâ—y ad hunc anâ—um Da Châ—sne p. 66â— c. there rose up the very Richest and most substantial Alderman of the whole City named Eustace de Sanct Pierre who spake thus unto the Heads of the Corporation Gentlemen it would surely be a great Cruelty to suffer so many Christian Souls as are in this Town to perish either by Sword or Famine when there are any means left to save them I am verily perswaded that He or They who could prevent so great a Mischief would do a very acceptable Service in the sight of God. And for my part I repose so much Confidence in the Goodness of our Lord Jesus that if I die in the Quarrel to save the Residue God will receive me into his Mercy Wherefore to save this poor People I will be the First that will offer my Head to the King of England as a willing Sacrifice for my Dear Country When he had thus spoken all the Assembly was ready to adore him and many kneeled down at his Feet with heavy Sighs and condoling Lamentations Then straight arose another Honest Burgess whose name was John Dayre and said I'll keep my Friend Eustace Company in this Honourable Danger After him rose up James of Wissant who was very Wealthy in
Commons required that all Petitions in this present Parliament may be presently answer'd Ans After Easter they shall be so Pet. That all Woolls and other Merchandise may freely pass without any Loans or other Subsidies besides the due and usual Customs Ans The Passage shall be free saving to the King his Due Pet. That no Eires of the Forest or other Inquiries except those of the Peace be kept during the Wars Ans The King may use his Pleasure therein Pet. That none of the Nobles or other Captains of Scotland being the Kings Prisoners be deliver'd upon any account d This Line out and the two following misplaced in the Print of Sr. Rob. Câ—ttens Abridgment the M.S. right Ans The same was answer'd the last Parliament Pet. That all that Aid which is leavied beyond the Trent may be employed in the Scotch Wars Ans The King will allow more for that Purpose if need shall be Pet. That no Appeals be received of any Felonies done in any other Counties than where the Appeals were taken Ans The King is not advised to make such New Laws Pet. That Redress may be had for that the Men of Bruges in Flanders have forbid all Merchants-Strangers to buy any Staple-Ware here Ans The King will talk with the Flemish Ambassadour Pet. That all Enquiries of the Ninths may cease Ans The King will be advised Pet. That the Order made that all Merchants for every Sack of Wooll should bring in two Marks of Bullion may be repealed For that the Exportation of Bullion is forbidden in Flanders Ans The King will learn the Truth of the Ambassadour here It is agreed that the Customs at Easter next stay the receipt of 2 s. of every Sack of Wooll Pet. That remedy may be found that no Accomptant in the Exchequer do run in Issues before he be warned Ans The Process shall be first a Venire facias then a Distringas and after a Writ out of the Chancery to the Treasurer and Barons Pet. That the Common Law may stand as to the Bill of the Navy exhibited in the last Parliament Ans The King will be advised Pet. Then they resum'd with some Alteration the former Petition that no Eires of the Forest or other Enquiries except those of the Peace may be kept for the space of three Years Ans It seems good for the Ease of the Subject if great necessity doth not require otherwise Pet. That the Marshal letting to Bail or at large any Person committed to him for the Peace do answer the Dammages himself Ans The King will be advised Pet. That no Man be barred by Non-claim Ans A Law must not be made suddenly Pet. That the Jurors in every Inquest and Grand Assize may say the Verity of the Fact as in Assize of Novel Disseizin Ans The Law shall be kept as heretofore Pet. That the Purveyors for all Victuals do take by Indenture with two honest Men where they shall purvey Ans The Laws made heretofore in that Case shall suffice Pet. That none who come to the Parliament by Summons be appointed a Sessor or a Receiver of the Fifteens Triennial Ans The King will appoint such as he shall like Pet. That the Erroneous Judgments in the Exchequer be reversed in the King 's Bench. Ans This was answer'd the last Parliament Pet. e Pur lieu Afforest de his Vecab vid. Skinneri Etymeleg Ling. Angl. Then was read a long Complaint against Foresters for Afforesting of Mens Purlieus for undue Trial and for Extortion To which was added a Request that Magna Charta may be observed and that all Men may enjoy their Purlieus according to the Perambulation made in the time of King Edward the First Ans The King wills that Magna Charta be kept inviolable and those that will complain in the Right of their Purlieus may have writs out of Chancery Whereupon Surry and several other Counties by their Representatives shew'd that upon Sute they could not obtain such Writs To which the King answer'd that the Order made the last Parliament should be kept and General or Special Writs should be granted to all such as shall sue for them So as equal Right be distributed both to the King and his Subjects Pet. That the Petitions declared by them in the last Parliament to which the King and the Lords agreed may be kept without Alteration under any Colour or Pretence whatsoever Ans The King with the Assent of his Lords answered that Laws and Process heretofore used could not be alter'd without making New Statutes which at this time they could not tend to do but shortly would at more leisure The f 22 Ed. 3. n. in dorso Worsted Weavers of Norwich and the Merchants there pray that the Letters Patents which the King had granted to Robert Pooley One of his Valets of Essay and One of the Alnage of Worsted in Norwich and elsewhere in Norfolk during the Life of the said Robert might be revoked and that they might have the same To which Petition this Answer was given That it seemed good to the Kings Council that their Request should be granted for the Common Benefit But of this Parliament We shall say no more because it was broken up without any great Effect and g M.S. Record p. 71. §. 4. Sr Rob. Cotton p. 73. §. 4. discontinued for three Years together by reason of a general Mortality that soon after came into England of which we shall speak in its proper Place III. In the Easter-Holy-days King Edward h Stâ—â— p. 245. Hecter l. 15. fol. 325 Euchan l. 9. p. 303. Heliâ—shead Scot. Hist p. 242. held Publique Justs and Tourneaments at Westminster where the Lord William Douglas Earl of Douglas and Sr. William Douglas of Liddesdale who were both taken Prisoners at the Battle of Durham by their Knightly Deportment and Valour gain'd such Favour in the Opinion of the King that having given their Faith and Homage and also an Oath to live peaceably at home they had both leave to depart And Sr. William as well as the other might have liv'd a long and happy Life in his own Country but that his Hands having been stained with Civil Blood could not be washed clean but by his own For as the Scotch i Hecter Bachan ibid. Writers say he had formerly upon Envy caused the Worthy Sr. Alexander Ramsey to be miserably starved to Death And besides that having lately heard that Sr. David Barklay a Knight of Scotland had slain his Brother Sr. John Douglas who was Father to Sr. James Douglas of Dalkeith he was so furiously bent on Revenge that even during his Imprisonment in England because he could not do it himself by Letters he procured Sr. John St. Michael to Murther the said Sr. David Barklay which accordingly one Night was performed at Aberdeen But not long after he himself being then deliver'd out of Prison one day as he was hunting in Ethrick
about Insomuch that at first before the Plague had touched the Christians several Heathen Princes being dismayed above measure at its unexpressible rage and fury were fully resolved to embrace the Christian Faith for as then they heard how the Christians that dwelt on this side the Greekish Sea were not beyond the ordinary manner of Men troubled with any Sickness or Mortality Whereas in those Eastern Parts they found no less than 8000 Å¿ Knighton p. 2â—98 Legic â—ntinet 6730. Legions that is 23840000 Souls had been swept away in the space of one Year as it was reported before the Pope at Avignon But especially a marvellous manner of Death and almost incredible to be told happen'd in Arcaccia t Giev Villani l. 12. c. 83. p. 892. so that Men Women and all living Creatures became in a manner statues at their Decease being rendred almost as hard as marble after they were dead Whereupon the Lords of that Country being honibly amazed at these unaccountable matters propounded to themselves to receive the Gospell till hearing of a like Mortality among the Christians they were content to remain in their Infidelity But the King u Knighton p. 2598. of Tharsis in Comagena supposing verily that this unusual Scourge of Gods Wrath was laid upon him and his People for their Unbelief with a great multitude of his Princes and Nobles began his journey towards Avignon to visit Pope Clement VI and to receive Baptism at his Hands But being about 20 Diets onward of his way when he heard that the Christians also were not free from this Contagion he turned back laying wholly aside the saving Design of Embracing the Faith and so return'd into his own Country an Infidel as he came out But in the way he lost about 2000 of his Company whom the Christians cut off at the Tail of his Army Nor did this impartial Judgment make less havock throughout Christendom for having x Mezeray p. 32. ravaged thrô all Asia and Africk at last it came over into Greece and thence successively to other Parts of Europe till it had run it all over even to the Extremity of the North. In which Countries because we have surer Testimonies to rely upon and a better Account made out thereby we shall be here a little more particular in relating what it did Well knowing what good Use wise and sober Men may make of so ample an Account of a Judgment that ought never to be forgotten thô we are not unsensible that to a great many even this that we have already said may seem both too much and of no great Consequence The Venetians y Cortusiorum Hist l. 9. c. 14. Oder Ramal ad an 1348. §. 30. having lost an 100000 Souls hired Vessels at a great Price and were wafted to the Isles leaving the City almost desolate To Padua there came but one unknown Person infected who so spread the Contagion that hardly a Third remain'd alive in the whole Precinct At Florence there died in one Year of this Plague no less than z Cluverius Epit Hist p. 573. c. D. Anton Archiep. Florent Chron. par 3. p. 353. 60000 Men among whom was that Learned and Diligent Historian a Additio ad finem Giov. Villan p. 929. Giovanni Villani whom we have so often quoted in this present Work and grieve that by his untimely Death we shall not be able in the Progress of our History to make any more Advantage of his Excellent and Authentick Labours For he was certainly a Man that surpassed all the Historians of that Age whether we consider his Universal knowledge or comprehensive Labours or Curious Industrious Elegant and Faithfull Commentaries Yet he died but toward the latter end of the Plague wherefore during this our Description we shall have some recourse to his Golden Book For it seems the Worthy Gentleman laid not aside his Pen till Death snatch'd it out of his Hand And yet b Odoric Rainald ad an 1348. §. 33. ex Matth. Villani l. 1. c. 1. a near Kinsman of his named Matthew Villani as Heir of his Vertues and Industry continued to write where he left off nor without good success The Citizens of Florence this mean while c Giov. Villani l. 12. c. 83. p. 891. were so consternated at these perpetual Alarms of Dying that they made a Publique Decree that none should presume to publish the Number of the Dead nor to sound any Passing Bell in the Churches for fear of driving the living to despair by the frequent noise of Funerals Nor did this Tyrannous Mischief rage less in Pistoia a City between Lucca and Florence in Bolognia Romania Genoa and other parts of Italy as also in Sicily Sardinia Corsica and innumerable other Places But especially it was exceeding grievous at Avignon in Provence where the People died d Stow p. 248. bleeding at the Nose Mouth and Fundament so that Rivers ran with Blood and streams of putrid gore issued forth from the Graves and Sepulchres of the Dead When first it began there no e Knighton p. 2598. less than 66 of the Carmelite-Fryers died before any knew what was the Matter so that at first 't was imagin'd they had murder'd one another Of the English College at Avignon not one was left alive and of the whole City scarce one in five For according to a Bill of Mortality or Computation made before the Pope there died there in one day 1212 and on another more than 400. But all this while the Pope himself f Oder Rainald ad an 1348. §. 32. deny'd all Publique Access to him and made use of many Fires in his Chamber to purifie the Air By which means g Oder Rainald ad an 1288. §. 1. they say Pope Nicolas IV had before that avoided a like Epidemical distemper constantly keeping many fires in his Palace even in the hottest of Summer However Pope Clement did not lock himself up so as to confine his Charity for all this while he h Gesta Clement VI. apud Besqu Odor Rainal ad an 1348. §. 32. allowed wages to certain Physicians to visit the Poor and others he hired to provide them with Necessaries while they lived and upon their departure to give them decent burial He also purchased for a burying-place a large Field wherein he caused to be consecrated a Coemitery able to contain all their Dead And there infinite Numbers from that time were buried and it was called Campo il Florido which name continues to this day In i Knighton p. 2598. Provence there died in Lent only of the Fryers-Preachers 358 and in Montpellier of an 140 of the said Order of Fryers there remain'd but seven alive But at Marseilles of an 140 Predicants and 10 Fryers-Minors there was but only One left to tell the sad Story of his Brethrens Death At St. Dennis this Devouring Monster dispatch'd k Fabian p. 226. Lanquet's
galled and terrified that they were easily opened to the Men of Arms. The Lord James Audely being still followed by his Four Esquires fought all Day among the thickest Ranks of his Enemies not without receiving many Wounds both in the Body and Visage as long as his Strength and Breath would hold but when toward the end of the Battle his Esquires perceived that for loss of Blood he began to faint they carried him by main force out of the Field and laid him under an Hedge hard by where they unarmed him and refreshed him binding up his Wounds as well as they could King John of France for his part is allowed on all Hands to have performed the Office both of a Good Captain and of a Valiant Knight insomuch that it is said how if the Fourth Part of his Men had followed his Example in all Probability the Victory had been his There was f Frois c. 164. He on foot defending himself and offending his Enemies with a weighty Ax of Steel in his Hands which he used with much Praise It is said g Paul. Aemyl p. 287. that Prince Philip his youngest Son also fought at this time so well by his Fathers side and in his Defence like another young Scipio that thô he was taken at last Prisoner yet for his forward Courage in War he obtain'd the Sirname of HARDY Thô surely he must needs be now but of tender Age being the Youngest of four Sons of a Father who was but then h Ano 1364. Ano Aetat 52. ergo hoc an 44. Mezeray p. 66. in the Forty fourth Year of his Age and Prince Charles his Eldest Brother was then but i Natus Anno 1336. Twenty But it might be that his Resolution gave such hopes even now as to obtain the Title of HARDY from that Complementing Age which called Philip of Valois the FORTVNATE and this King John the GOOD and his Son Charles whom no Truce nor Oaths could bind the WISE Yet I have seen another Account much more probable indeed thô not so generally attested how this Prince came by the Sirname of HARDY 'T is said k James Meyer apud Holinsh Engl. Chron. p. 976. that while he was Prisoner in England together with his Father King John being at King Edwards Table with him at Dinner this young Prince Philip among Others of the Nobility of either Nation was appointed to wait And that when a certain young Nobleman of England who attended also served King Edward first and then King John this Philip up with his Fist and gave him a Wherret on the Ear saying What dare you serve the King of England first when the King of France sits at the Table The Nobleman offended therewith drew his Dagger offering to strike the young Prince but King Edward loudly forbad him and commending the Courage of the Royal Youth said to him in French Vous estes Phillippe le HARDI i. e. thou art Philip the HARDY from which that became his Sirname But to return whence we have digressed All this while the Prince of Wales and the Lords about raged like Lions and the Archers so well bestowed their Shot that the Frenchmen were at last broken here also and a miserable Slaughter ensued all the best Men being either taken or slain thô not a few chose to save themselves by Flight among the slain were reckon'd l Frois c. 162. Knighton p. 2614. n. 20. Mezeray c. Peter Duke of Bourbon the Duke of Athens Constable of France the Vicount of Châlons the Marshal Clermont the Vicount of Beause the Lord Geoffry Charny who bore the Royal Standard this Day the Lord Eustace Ribemont whom King Edward had so generously treated at Calais some Years before the Lord Guischard de Beaujeu the Lord m Du Serres p. 22. Fabian Speed. Reginald de Carrian the Lord William Nesle the Lord de la Torre Sr. Guyventon of Chambley or Chably the Lord of Castle Gaillon the Lord of Argenton and Others of the Highest Quality to the Number of n Mezeray ibid. Fifty besides the two Earls of Germany and Others whom we have shewn to be slain before But yet this Battail was not wholly discomfited it was so numerous and the King and some Lords about him fought so couragiously thô several of their Men fled away Among the various Rencounters Chaces and Pursuits made that Day in the Field o Frois c. 163. it happen'd that Sr. Edward Renty a Valiant Knight of Artois who yet had left the Fight when he saw Things desperate was pursued as he fled a private way all alone by a certain Knight of England whose Name we cannot recover The Englishman as he gave the Chace still cried out after him Return again Sir Knight it is a shame to fly away so from a single Man. At last the Frenchman turned indeed seeing it was so that no Body else pursued him and the Englishman thought to have stricken him in the Target with his Spear but he failed For Sr. Edward swerved aside from the stroke on purpose and as he passed on in full Career lent him such a full Blow on the Helmet with his Sword that he was astonished and fell from his Horse in a Swoon Sr. Edward presently hereupon alighting came to him with his Sword drawn before he was fully recovered and said Yield your self Sir and promise to be my Prisoner whether you be rescued or no or you are but a Dead Man. When the English Knight being come to himself saw Death before him and heard these Words he accepted the Conditions and yielded to go along with him and sware himself Prisoner and was afterwards released on payment of his Ransom That same Day another French Gentleman of Picardy an Esquire named John de Helenes having forsaken the Field met with his Page who deliver'd him his Horse whereon he rode away all alone Now there was in the Fight on the English Side the Lord Thomas Barkley Son of Sr. Maurice Barkley who died before Calais for this Story cannot belong to the old Lord Thomas nor to his Son Maurice as we have intimated before tho Sr. William p Dugd. 1 Vol. p. 358. Dugdale thrô inadvertency makes him both young and old and to have won many Prisoners wherewith he built Beverstone Castle and to be a Prisoner himself at the same time this Lord Barkley I say q Frois c. 163. Dugd. 1 Vol. p. 358. being at that time a young lusty Knight who had first reared his Banner that Day pursued the said John de Helenes all alone till having followed him the space of a League the French Esquire turned back upon him laying his Sword in his Rest instead of a Spear and so came running toward the Lord Barkley who the mean while stood ready with his Arm raised to have smote him but the Esquire seeing the stroke coming turned from it and as he passed reached him such a Blow
on the Vambrace of his Sword Arm that the Lord Thomas his Weapon not being chained fell out of his Hand to the ground Whereupon he alighted suddainly from his Horse at the place where his Sword lay but as he stooped to take it up the French Esquire pricked at him from his horse with his Rapier and thrust him thrô both the Thighs in which he was not armed so that he fell down not being able to help himself Then John alighting first seised the Englishman's Sword which lay still on the ground and therewith came to him demanding whether he would yield or no Sr. Thomas said Who are you that I may know whether 't is fit to yield and what is your Name Sir said he I am called John de Helenes and am an Esquire of Picardy but who are you Truly replied the Knight my Name is Thomas and I am Lord of Barkley a fair Castle on the River of Severn in Gloucestershire upon the Marches of Wales Well Sir said the Esquire then you shall be my Prisoner and I shall take care to heal you of your Hurts and bring you to my House in safeguard I am content said the Knight for you have won me by the Law of Arms and so he sware to be his Prisoner Rescue or no Rescue Then the Esquire drew forth his Sword out of the Knights Thighs and the Wounds being open he carefully wrapped and bound them up and set him on his Horse again and so brought him fair and softly to Chastelleraut about four Leagues farther where he tarried above a Fortnight for his sake till the Cure was pretty forward And then he hired him a Litter and so brought him at his ease to his own House in Picardy Here he tarried more than a Year till he was perfectly whole and upon his Departure he engaged to pay for his Ransom six thousand Nobles for the payment of which Summ r Ex Aâ—tographo apud Castrum de Berkley vid. Dugd. 1 Vol. p. 358. Henry Duke of Lancaster and the Lord Frank van Hall became his Sureties and so this Esquire was made a Knight by the Profit he had of the Lord Berkley Surely the Rencounters of Love and War as Froisard observes are very variable But especially this Battle of Poictiers was so full of sundry strange and memorable Circumstances that it is as difficult to recite them as no doubt it would be pleasant to read them But we shall pursue the end of the Matter since we cannot attain to many more Particulars at this Distance but what we have already drawn from Writers of that Age and other Good Authorities All this while the Battle endured thô apparently now enclining to the English for notwithstanding all those Great Men fell in Defence of the King their Master as became Valiant Souldiers and Loyal Men yet still the French King had a Knot of gallant Souls about him who disputed the Point so well as if they alone intended to attone for the Baseness of those who by turning their Backs had lost the Day But now the English and Gascogne Lords by their importunate Valour had beat down the Standard-Royal of France and slain the Bearer thereof as we said before and while many of the Enemies discouraged hereat fled away toward Poictiers they push'd on the Victory so home that now they won the last Stake also In the first Breaking of the Press near the King were taken the Lord James of Bourbon Earl of Ponthieu the Lord John of Artois Earl of Ewe and Charles of Artois his Brother Earl of Tancarville these were taken under the Banner of the Lord John Greilly Captal of Busche and Knight of the most Noble Order of the Garter there were taken also the Captain of Poictiers and the Seneschal of St. Omers the Lord of Bodenay the Lord of Ventador the Earl of Vendosme the Earl of Mons and the Lord Arnold Cervoles commonly called the Arch-priest most grievously wounded and many other Knights and Esquires At which time a great part of this Battail fled away but were closely pursued by a Party of Gascoigners and English even unto the Gates of Poictiers Here many were slain and beaten down Horse and Man for those who defended the City when they beheld the Enemy so near closed their Gates upon their Friends for fear of being lost themselves Wherefore in the street before the Gate was horrible Murther so that the Frenchmen being now neither able to fly nor to resist Å¿ Frios c. 164. yielded themselves as far as they might discern an English Man whereby several Archers had four five or six Prisoners apiece The Lord of Pons a great Baron of Poictou was there beaten down in the street and slain with many other Lords Knights and Esquires The mean while the Kings Battail was grievously handled and there were taken about the Kings Person the Earl of Rochechoüart the Vicount of Narbon the Lord of Xaintogne the Lord of Montendre the Lord John Santerre who had the repute of one of the best Knights in France but he was so very much hurt that he never had his Health after There fell among the Dead the Lord Guischard D'Angle who was afterwards recover'd and leaving the French Side became a Valiant Servant to King Edward and at the Coronation of his Successor was made Earl of Huntington and in King Edwards Time Knight of the Garter But this Day he fought with singular Valour even to the hazard of his Life by the French Kings side But the Lord Geoffry Charny before he dy'd had an whole Tempest of War thundring upon him till he fell beneath it for all the Force of the English press'd upon him because he bare the Kings Standard-Royal and besides he had in the Field a Banner of his own which was Gules Three Eschutcheons Argent But now the French Kings Battail was quite open'd whereby the Frenchmen were so mingled among their Enemies that sometimes one Gentleman of France had four or five Men upon him at once There the Lord of Pompador was taken Prisoner by the Lord Bartholomew Burwash and the Earl of Dammartin was slain by the Lord Reginald Cobham and among 'um the Valiant Lord Geoffry Charny was there wounded to Death with whom the Standard of France also fell to the ground Then every Man press'd hard to take the King and such as knew him cry'd out Sir yield your self or You are but Dead There was then among the English a Knight of Artois retain'd for Wages in the King of England's service called Sr. Dennis of Morbeque who had served King Edward about five Years because in his Youth he was fain to fly the Realm of France for a Murder that he had committed at St. Omers It happen'd so well for this Man that he was near the King when he was e'n ready to be taken wherefore he stept forth into the Preass and by the strength of his Body and Arms made way up to the French King
as lief see him Dead as Alive and so he went thither with the Knights who were about him Being come to the place where he lay cover'd with a Shield he caused his Shield to be taken off and then beheld him with much Compassion and having look'd stedfastly on him a while he burst out in these Words Ah! Sr. Charles my Fair Cousin by your indiscreet Obstinacy how many Evils have fell out in Bretagne And yet so God help me as I am sorry at my Heart to find you in this Condition But now it is past Remedy And with that he began to weep over him not that he was not well satisfied with the Victory he had so hardly obtained but that this cruel and costly Decision of his Quarrel did much affect his Generous Mind considering his own Case might have been the same But Sr. John Chandos quickly drew him out of this melancholy and unseasonable Humour saying Sir pray come away and thank God for this fair Adventure thus happily fallen to You For without the Death of this Man you could never have enjoyed your Inheritance of Bretagne and perhaps he would have been content to have found You here in his stead Then the Earl gave order that the Corps of his Cousin Sr. Charles of Blois should the next Day be conveyed in Great State to Guerande a City of Bretagne where he was honourably interred as he was well worthy For he was a most Noble Courteous and Valiant Knight so that a while after he obtain'd the Reputation of a Saint being reported to have done many Miracles after his Death whatever Bloodshed he occasion'd in his Life-time But 't is a Mistake of Froisard's z Frois c. 226. ad sin where he says how he was Canonized for a Saint by Pope Vrban V. When as the Truth is that thô indeed he had some such Matter in his Mind and there are a Tem. 6. Ep. secr p. 160. Vid. Odor Rainal ad an 1368. §. 11. extant Letters of his to John Duke of Bretagne to that Purpose yet when he understood that by the manner of his Death he was not to be look'd on as a Martyr he was very angry with those who presum'd without the Approbation of the Apostolick See to give such Honours unto his Memory and by his Letters to the Bishops of Bretagne enjoyned them in their several Dioeceses to prohibit that any such thing be done for the future Dat. apud Montem Flasconem XVII Kalen. Octobris Anno Pontificat VI. Which agrees with the Year of our Lord 1368 being the Fourth Year after his Death XI Now when all the Dead were spoiled and the Englishmen were all returned from the Chace the whole Army drew off to their former Camp and unarmed themselves and took their ease having first set a good Watch and secured their Prisoners and caused the Wounded to be well dressed On the Monday in the Morning the Earl of Monford caused Proclamation to be made to the Citizens of Rennes and all the Towns and Villages thereabout that he would most inviolably grant them a Truce for Three Days following whereby they might be emboldened to come forth and gather up the Dead Bodies and bury them in Holy Ground which Christianlike Proclamation was both well accepted and also generally prepar'd the Hearts of the People in his behalf Then the Earl return'd to his Siege before Auray saying that he would not stir thence till he was Master of the Place And soon after it yielded unto him The mean while Fame was very busie in carrying tidings abroad into Divers Countries that the Earl of Monford by the Assistance and Conduct of the Englishmen had won the Day against Sr. Charles of Blois and discomfited slain or taken all the Cavalry of Bretagne such as were against him The Lord John Chandos especially had great Renown every where for all manner of People Lords Knights and Esquires as well Foes as Friends that had been present in the Field agreed together in acknowledging that chiefly by his Conduct and Great Valour his side had got the better But at this News all the Friends and Assistants of Charles of Blois were extreamly cast down and especially the French King for this Loss concerned him very nearly as well because of the Death of his Kinsman Sr. Charles as also because many of the best Knights of his Realm were either there slain or taken as Sr. Bertram of Clequin whom he highly favoured and the Earls of Auxerre and Joigny and all the Barons of Bretagne none excepted Wherefore presently he sent his Brother Lewis Duke of Anjou to the Marches of Bretagne to animate the Country which was utterly dejected and cast down with this great blow and also to comfort the Dutchess of Bretagne as she was called Relict of the Lord Charles who took on so extreamly for the Death of her Husband that it was a great Pity to behold her comfortless Condition The Duke of Anjou had newly Married a Daughter of hers and therefore thought himself the more strongly engag'd to this Office And indeed he promis'd faithfully to afford unto all the Good Cities and Castles in Bretagne his best Counsel Comfort and Assistance in all Cases whereby the Poor Afflicted Lady whom he called Mother and all the Country that held for her had for some while a little Confidence yet to see better times Till the French King to avoid worse Inconveniences took other Measures as we shall see hereafter The Earl of Monford wrote the News of this Victory to his Father-in-Law King Edward of England five days after the Battle was ended His Letters bearing Date from before Auray the Fourth of October were shortly after brought unto the King then at Dover by a Pursuivant at Arms who had been in the Battle And the King was so well pleas'd with the News that immediately in reward thereof he b Frois ibid. Aâ—â—mâ—lâ— p. 703. made him an Herald at Arms by the Name of Windesor But it will not be amiss briefly to declare the Occasion why King Edward was then at Dover XII About Three Years before there began a Treaty concerning a Marriage between Prince Edmund of Langley Earl of Cambridge King Edward's Fifth Son and the Lady Margaret Daughter of Earl Lewis of Flanders To which Match the said Earl had lately given his Consent on Condition there might be a Dispensation obtain'd from Pope c Rot. Fr. nc 38. Ed. 3. m. 8. Walsing hist p. 128. n. 40. Dugd. 2 Vol. p. 154. Fros c. 227. Vrban V because of their Proximity of blood And so a Contract was made between the Parties And on this account the Duke of Lancaster and Earl Edmund his Brother had lately passed over the Sea into Flanders with many Knights and Esquires in their Company to visit Earl Lewis of whom they were received very Honourably and with special Tokens of Peace and Love. Insomuch that upon their Return the Earl of Flanders accompanied them
Duke of Burgundy came thither with his great Army and sat down over against the English between St. Omers and Tournehan in very good Order But he took up a large extent of ground for it was said how he had in his Army more than y Frois ibid. 4000 Knights whereby the Number of the rest may be conjectur'd And in this manner the two Armies lay facing each other without any offer to come to a decisive Battle For thô the Duke of Burgundy did so far outnumber the English that he was z Frois ibid. fol. 169. Seven to their One yet he durst not come to a pitch'd Battle because the King his Brother had commanded expresly to the contrary And no doubt that Circumspect Prince considering that in spite of such disadvantages the English had oftentimes conquer'd in the Days of his Predecessors particularly when they took his Father Prisoner in the Battle of Poictiers thought it best now like Fabius the Cunctator to oppose delay to their Fury which indeed as Matters then went prov'd the best Council As for the English thô being so inferior in Number they thought not good to attaque the Enemy in his Trenches a Fro. s ibid. yet they would not have refus'd him had he come forward for every day they ranged themselves in good Order of Battle to receive him all Men being appointed what to do in their several Offices and Stations However most of the time was entertain'd with Skirmishes between the two Armies now this fide gaining the better and now that as the chance of War is And Lewis Earl of Flanders who very much studied the Welfare of his Son-in-Law the Duke of Burgundy and now lay at a fair Palace of his which he had newly built near Gaunt hearing an account of the State of both Armies by Messengers going too and fro between the Duke and Him would always advise him by his Letters that he should not by any means break the Command of his Brother the French King to present the English with Battle XX. While b Frois c. 264. fol. 169. these two Armies of France and England lay thus idly confronting one another there fell many memorable adventures in Poictou of which we shall now say somewhat For it is not agreeable that any of the Exploits of that Gallant Hero Sr. John Chandos should be forgotten We remembred before how upon the Lord James Audley's not Death but only Retirement into England he was by the Prince of Wales made Grand Seneschal of Poictou and as he yielded in Conduct or Courage to no man living so now especially he desired to adorn his Province and to do some memorable Act upon the Frenchmen Wherefore he soon assembled a considerable Body of Men of Arms in the City of Poictiers saying he design'd to make an Inroad into Anjou and to come back again by Touraine and look upon the Frenchmen in the Marches and Frontiers there Notice of this his Design he sent forthwith to the Earl of Pembroke who lay then in Garrison at Mortagne a Fortress of Poictou lying on the River la Sevre and confining on the Borders of Anjou and had at least two Hundred Spears in his Company The Young Earl was huge glad of this News and very much desired to go along with the Lord Chandos but some Green Heads among his Followers diverted him by saying Sir You are but as yet in the Flower of your Youth Your Honour is yet to come whereof from those early Seeds of Vertue within You We may expect a plentifull harvest But if You put your self in Company of the Lord Chandos his Ripe and High-grown Reputation will choak yours in its very growth So that whatsoever Noble Exploit You shall now perform the Glory thereof will be only his because He is the Sovereign and most noted Captain in these parts Wherefore since You are so great a Lord and nothing Inferior to him either in Birth Alliance or Courage 't is fitter that what You do You build on your own Foundation And e'en let the Lord Chandos do what he pleases upon his own account c Frois ibid. since in comparison to You he is but a Knight Batchelour A Lecture of Ambition is easily received by most Men but especially by Young Persons who apparently hazard their Lives for Honour So that the Earls Eagerness to accompany the Lord Chandos was upon this occasion very much abated whereupon he made his Excuse for that time and declin'd to joyn Issue in the Enterprise Envy is surely the Stepmother of all Brave Undertakings and the Laudable Course of Vertue is never stopt but by the Rubs she flings in her way However the Just God has made her a Plague to her self and in the End all the Mischief she design'd falls redoubled upon her own Head. The Earl of Pembroke will find a time to repent this folly of his and we shall shortly see him to owe his Life to the Assistance of this General under whom He now despis'd to learn the Rudiments of War. Notwithstanding the Lord Chandos would not break his Purpose but made his Rendezvous at Poictiers and then began his March with 300 Men of Arms Knights and Esquires and 1100 Archers in his Company The Chief Noblemen and Captains under him were the Lord Thomas Piercy the Lord Thomas Spencer Sr. Neal Loring Sr. Dangouses Sr. Thomas Banister Sr. John Trivet Sr. Geoffry Argentine Sr. William Montendre Sr. Moubron Linieres Sr. Richard Taunton and many more all who rode forth with their several Retinues and the Archers in good Array and passed thô Poictou into the parts of Anjou their Van-Currours who rode before them ravaging all the Country as they went. At this rate they proceeded and did what they pleas'd in the fruitfull Land of Anjou none offering to oppose them thô they tarried in those parts for 15 days especially in Loudunois After which they return'd again with much Booty taking the way between Anjou and Touraine along by the River Creuse whence they descended into the Lands of the Vicount of Rochechoüart and put all to fire and sword leaving nothing untouch'd except perhaps what was secur'd in strong Fortresses So at last they passed the Vienne at St. Junien and shew'd themselves before the strong Town of Rochechoüart which they attempted but in vain For the Vicount had beforehand well fortify'd the Place and set therein two good Captains Sr. Tibault du Pont and Sr. Helion de Talay whereupon the Lord Chandos would spend no more time there Just then he had notice how the Lord Lewis of Sancerre Marshal of France was at la Haye en Touraine with a considerable Body of Men wherefore being desirous to go thither and yet thinking himself not strong enough he sent once more to the Earl of Pembroke kindly entreating him now that an Advantage was offer'd against the Enemy to come and joyn him with all his Power at Chastelleraut in order to march
St. Julian and Carlonet the Breton saw the English make such haste to recover the Bridge they did so too but the English came thither first and alighted and ranged themselves in good Order to defend the Bridge The Frenchmen also left their Horses and deliver'd them to their Pages commanding them to draw back out of harms way And so they ranged themselves in good Order to go and assault the English who kept close together not at all afraid thô they were but an Handfull in regard of the Enemy While thus the English stood ready to defend and the French consider'd which way best to attack them there came upon the latter at their Backs the Lord John Chandos with his Banner displayed being c Vid. l. 3. c. 11. §. 7. p. 656. Esquire Ashmole Plate 21. Licet aliis Campus sit ex Argento Or a Sharp Pile Gules which William Alleyn a Valiant Man of Arms did bear and he had about Fourty or Fifty Spears in his Company He approached the Frenchmen fiercely but when he was within three Furlongs of the Bridge the French Pages who saw him coming were so affrighted that they ran away with the Horses and left their Masters there on Foot. When the Lord Chandos was come near the Bridge he lifted up the Visor of his Helmet to speak unto the Frenchmen for he was full of Anger and said Hark ye you Frenchmen You are uncivil Men of War You ride about at your ease and pleasure Day and Night all armed you take and win Towns and Castles in Poictou whereof I am Seneschal and you ransom poor Folks without my leave It should seem the Country is all yours But I assure you it is not so You Sr. Lewis and you Carlonet You take too much upon you It is more than a Year and an half since I have made it my chief Business to find you and encounter with You and now I thank God I see you and speak to You Now shall it be seen who are the better Men You or I. It hath been frequently told me that you have much desired to meet with me Now you may see me here I am John Chandos look well on me Your great Feats of Arms wherewith you are so renowned by Gods leave we shall now make a Tryal of Thus much the Lord Chandos said without any Interruption for the Frenchmen were all on Foot and so stood still in the best Order they might pretending themselves desirous of Battle but indeed they were afraid of Sr. Thomas Percy and his Men lest they should come over the Bridge and fall upon their Backs But of all this Matter he knew nothing for the Bridge was high in the Middle so that none who were near it could see over it While the Lord Chandos was arguing thus with the French a certain Breton could no longer forbear but took his Sword and came to an English Esquire called Simkin Dodenhale whom with a Blow on the Breast he reversed to the Earth Sr. John hearing a noise hard by him turn'd that way and saw his Esquire on the Ground and the Frenchman laying on like Mad. Then he grew more chafed than before and said to his Men Sirs how is it that you suffer this Esquire thus to be slain A Foot A Foot And so He and all his Company leap'd on Foot and Simkin was rescued and the Battle begun The Lord John Chandos like a Valiant and Couragious Knight as he was with his Banner before him and his Men in good Order about him stept forth against his Enemies with a massie Battle-Ax in his hand and a rich Surcoat of Arms over his Harness fair and large being a Field Or charged with two sharp Piles Gules One before and the other behind all richly embroider'd on white Sarcenet and on d True Use of Armory in the Life of the Lord Chandes p. 101. his Helmet was for the Crest a large Head of an Armed Man envelop'd with a White Wreath all in proper Colours So that he seem'd sufficiently provided to do notably that Day being thus among the Foremost But all humane Force Wit and Precaution are contemptible when our Stars fight against us and the most unsuspected Occasion can undermine our strongest Supports That Morning there was a great Hoar Frost which had made the Grass so moist that as the Lord Chandos went forward he slid and fell down in the very joyning with his Enemies And as he was rising again there ran to him an Esquire named Jaques de St. Martin who gave him a thrust with his Rapier which entred into the Flesh under his left Eye between the Nose and the Forehead For Sr. John was blind on that side having lost the sight of his Eye five Years before as he was hunting an Hart in the Country of Bourdelois wherefore he saw not the stroke to avoid it and which wholly perfected the Misfortune by reason of his Anger against the Frenchmen he had forgot to pull down his Visor again The thrust was rude and entred 't is thought into his very Brain for it grieved him so sore that he fell again upon the Earth and twice floundred upside down for Pain as one that was mortally wounded And indeed thô he died not then he never spake one Word after His Men at the sight of this Misfortune were extreamly afflicted but his Uncle Sr. Edward Clifford stept over him and bestrode him and defended his Body so valiantly for the Frenchmen would fain have had him and gave such stroaks round about that none durst come near him Sr. John Chambo and Sr. Bertram Case fought like Men distraught of their Wits when they beheld their Master lay groveling on the Earth in the Pangs of Death But the Bretons and Frenchmen were so encouraged when they saw the Captain of their Enemies in such a Condition verily believing he had his Deaths Wound that they advanced themselves as if they had already got the Victory saying You Englishmen yield your selves for you are all ours There the English did Marvels in Arms as well to defend themselves as to revenge their Master whom they saw in so Desperate a condition and particularly an Esquire of the Lord Chandos his having espy'd Jaques of St. Martin who had given his Master that unhappy Wound ran to him fiercely with his Sword in both Hands like a Madman and strack him so violently that he pierced both his Thighs thô the Esquire fought still untill the Wounds began with loss of Blood to cool and smart If Sr. Thomas Percy with his Men on the other side the Bridge had but gain'd the least Inkling of this Adventure he could have given a seasonable Assistance and have offer'd a greater Sacrifice to the Ghost of his Departing Friend But not imagining the least of any such Matter when he heard no more of their Assaulting the Bridge he thought they were returned back again and so took Horse and rode toward Poictiers as one
all the Props that were under the Wall and so by the time appointed the full Effect was wrought as was expected and there fell down a great Pain of Wall of near 30 Foot in length into the Ditch and so fill'd it up Immediately the English Footmen who stood ready ranged in the Field over against the Place gave a Shout and streight enter'd the Breach and ran directly to the Gates and beat them down with Axes and the Barriers also for there was no sufficient Resistance made the thing was done so unexpectedly Then the Prince of Wales high-mounted in his Chariot rode in at the Gates with his Guard of Partizans and Archers on Foot. With him went the Duke of Lancaster the Earl of Cambridge the Earl of Pembroke Sr. Guischard Dangle and the other Lords with their Retinues of Men of Arms after whom follow'd a Party of the Infantry chosen out of every Troop ready to plunder the City and to slay Men Women and Children for so they were commanded by the Angry Prince Three Troops of Men of Arms and Archers stood at the Gates and as many at the Breach and a third Part of the Army remain'd in the Camp So that it was impossible for any Soul to escape out of the City Surely at such a time War is drest up in his most Dreadfull Habiliments and that Heart must be very strongly bair'd against all access of Pitty which would not relent at the sight when Men Women and Children with Hands and Eyes lifted up flang themselves upon their Knees before the Enraged Prince to entreat for Mercy But he was so immeasurably inflam'd with Anger at the false Treachery of the Frenchmen and at their insolent Obstinacy when he summon'd them to return to their Duty that now he would take no Notice of any of those wretched Objects So that his Footmen with their Halberts and Poleaxes dash'd out the Brains of all they met with and all manner of People were put to Death without any Distinction whether armed or naked opponent or suppliant even those that had never done any Treason or other sin of their own Nay there was so little regard to those poor Innocent Souls who could have no share in the Guilt that they had yet a greater share in the Punishment than those Persons of Higher Degree who had been chiefly concerned in the Offence But if ever Justice is blind much more is she so when she commits her Sword into the hands of War and Fury 'T was a Dismal slaughter and able to draw tears of Blood from the Hardest Heart if ever the least Pulse of Religion or Humanity had beat therein For that Day in the City of Limoges before the Prince put a stop to the slaughter there were slain and beheaded besides the Souldiers and Men of War more than k Mezeray 2 Part. 3 Tâ—m p. 87. 4000 Men Women and Children most of whom may well be supposed to have had no share in the Offence against the Prince but they suffer'd for the sins of others As thus the Prince entred the City there was dispatch'd a Troop of English to the Bishops Palace where they found the Bishop himself who had been the Occasion of all this Mischief Him they immediately carried before the Prince who beheld him with extremity of Anger and Disdain and for all his Pleading for Mercy the best that the Prince gave him was how he should lose his Head And so for the present he was hurried away out of his sight Now as for the Captains of the Garrison who were within the City as Sr. John Villemur Sr. Hugh de la Roche and Roger Beaufort Son to the Earl of Beaufort which Three were the Chief Captains of the City when they beheld the Desolation and Misery that so fast approached them they said to one another We are but all dead Men That is certain the Enemy gives no Quarter Wherefore let us resolve to sell our Lives dearly as it becomes Good Knights to do that so our Names may not die with us And therewithall Sr. John Villemur said to Roger Beaufort who was then but an Esquire Roger it is fit that you should now receive the Honour of Knighthood by my hands Sir quoth Roger I have not yet done any thing worthy of that Honour however I thank you for your favourable Opinion But if we survive this Day I shall hope to have deserved it Thus calm were these Worthies at the very instant of Death but no more was said nor indeed had they leisure to speak any more Wherefore they drew together in a convenient place with their Backs against an old Wall and there began to display their Banners being in all to the Number of Fourscore Chosen Men of Arms upon whom immediately came the Duke of Lancaster the Earl of Cambridge and the Earl of Pembroke with their Men who all alighted from their Horses and encountred with these Resolute Frenchmen the Duke of Lancaster was pleased personally to engage with Sr. John Villemur who was a strong and hardy Gentleman the Earl of Cambridge in like manner undertook to deal with Sr. Hugh de la Roche and the Earl of Pembroke fought hand to hand with Roger Beaufort who thô but an Esquire was not easily overmatch'd by a most Valiant Young Prince These three Frenchmen did many gallant Feats of Arms while they fought long and well in single Combat with the Three English Princes their Men at the same time being hotly engaged one with another And the Black-Prince as he was riding by in his Chariot stopt to behold them and much applauded in his Mind their Skill and Courage And he was such a Lover of Martial Gallantry that this agreeable sight began to soften his Obdurate Heart so that for the sakes of these Three Frenchmen he commanded that no more slaughter should be made in the City and that the French Captains should not suffer beyond the Law of Arms. Then the French Captains paid their Reverence to the Prince of Wales and beholding their Swords said with one consent to their Antagonists Lords we are yours you have conquer'd us Do unto us according to the Law of Arms. Sirs said the Duke of Lancaster we expect no less and so receive you as our Prisoners Thus the three French Captains by their own exalted Courage sav'd their Lives but their Men were all slain they could not hold out against such Numbers of English especially their Captains being personally engag'd in that manner After this triple Combat by the Prince's Command an end was put to the Slaughter so that no more died that Day except perchance any one resisted the l Walsingh hist p. 180. n 40. rest were all taken to Mercy But the City was absolutely given up to the Plunder and rob'd and burnt and level'd with the Ground And now we had best to see what became of the Bishop of Limoges the chief Occasion of all this Mischief whom therefore the
a certain Priest began to question them about the Reason of this their unusual rage and concourse He was answer'd by some of them that they sought for the Duke and the Lord Marshal to get them to deliver Sr. Peter de la Mare whom they wrongfully detained in Prison To this the Priest answer'd again more boldly than wisely That Sr. Peter said he is a false Traytor to the King and worthy to have been hanged long since At these words the Rabble cry'd out upon him with a terrible shout saying that he was a Traytor and so falling upon him wounded him to Death VIII Nor in all likelihood had the Tumult thus ceased had not the Bishop of London leaving his Dinner at the first News of this Disturbance come to them at the Savoy and putting them in mind of the solemn season of Lent with much ado perswaded them to go home and be quiet However as they were returning to the City seeing they could do no harm to the Dukes person who was now out of their Reach they began to wreak their Anger on all that they could find belonging unto him and taking his Arms in the most shamefull manner they hung them up Reversed in divers parts of the City as if he had been a Traytor Nay when One of the Dukes Gentlemen came riding thrô the City with a Plate of the Dukes Arms about his Neck these Men not enduring such a sight flang him from his Horse tore away his Cognisance from him and had certainly served him as they had served the Priest but that the Mayor came opportunely to his Rescue and sent him home safe to the Duke his Master So hatefull at that time was the Duke of Lancaster to the Londoners IX When the Princess understood how ill-affected the Londoners stood unto the Duke she sent unto them Three of her Knights Sr. Aubrey de Vere Sr. Simon Burley and Sr. Lewis Clifford to entreat them to be reconciled unto the Duke They for their parts answer'd how for the Honour of the Princess they would obey and with all Reverence be ready to do whatever she should please to require But however this they said and charged the Messengers to tell the Duke as much by word of Mouth that they were resolved that the Bishop of Winchester and Sr. Peter de la Mare should be brought to their Answer and judged by their Peers So that either they might be acquitted If they were Guiltless or if culpable receive their due according to the Laws of the Realm At the same time the Mayor and Common-Council of London sent certain u Daniel's hist p. 359 c. of their Chief Citizens to the Old King to make their Excuse concerning this Tumult protesting that they themselves were no way privy thereto but upon the first Knowledge sought by all means to suppress the same Which they could not do because the whole Commonalty was in a Commotion upon an Information that their Liberties should be taken from them by Parliament The King told them that it never enter'd into his heart to infringe their Liberties it was rather his Desire to enlarge them And therefore he willed them to banish all needless fear occasion'd by too easie Credulity and to return and endeavour to keep the City in Quiet which they did being well satisfied with this Answer We shall not here dwell on the minuter parts of this Story nor shew what Indignation and Grief the Duke conceived hereat nor what means and suit the Londoners were fain to make to the King his Father for their Liberties nor what Rhymes and Ballads were made upon the Duke in London nor how the Bishops at the Duke's instance were obliged to excommunicate all his Defamers nor how at last he was revenged of these contumelious injuries having caused the Mayor and Aldermen to appear before the King where they were sharply rebuked for their Misdemeanor by the Grave Oration of Sr. Robert Ashton the Kings Chamberlain in presence of the King Archbishops Bishops the Kings Children and the Chief Nobility of the Realm nor how they were then and there enjoyned at the Publique Charges of the City to make a Great Taper of Wax which with the Dukes Arms set upon it should be brought in solemn Procession to the Church of St. Paul there to burn continually before the Image of our Lady Nor how at last in the beginning of the next Kings Reign the Duke and the Londoners were fully reconciled together with the Kiss of Peace and the said Reconciliation published in the Churches of St. Paul and Westminster to the great joy of the whole City Nor shall I speak any farther of John Wicklisse x Odor Rainal ad hunc an §. 4. Walsingh hist p. 201 c. how the Pope wrote to the Archbishop of Canterbury and to the Bishop of London to convene him once more and how the Princess of Wales deliver'd him nor how lastly he was fain to retire into Bohemia where he spread his Doctrine For these Matters do neither in their own Nature nor Time agree with our present Design X. All these things I pass over as Matters either foreign or of small Moment so likewise I leave in silence the y Vid. M. S. Vet. Angl. in Bibl. C.C.C. Cantab. c. 238. Riot made between the Earl of Warwicks Men and the Abbot and Monks of Evesham as also z Fox Acts Men. p. 394. the hurlyburly made at Laneham in Suffolk against Henry Spencer the Warlike Bishop of Norwich and other trivial Matters And haste now to an end of King Edward's Life and our Labour About this time Sr. John Menstreworth that false Knight of whose abominable Treason We a Vid. Hujus hist l. 4. c. 7. §. 23. 24. p. 809 c. spake in the Fourty Fourth Year of this King was suddenly b M.S. vet Ang. in Bibl. C.C.C. Cantab. c. 239. Walsingh hist p. 189. Fabian p. 262. Holinsh p. 998. surprised by certain Englishmen in Pampelone a City of Navarre and being presently sent over into England was now tryed before the Mayor and other the Kings Justices in the Guild-hall at London where these things were proved home upon him namely That being entrusted by his Sovereign Lord the King and having received considerable Sums of Money to pay the Kings Souldiers therewith he had falsly and like a Traytor kept the Money to his own use also that he had maliciously occasion'd a Dissention and Discord in the Kings Army and thereby gave the Enemy advantage against them Whereof being accused unto the King and fearing the Punishment due unto him therefore like a false and forsworn Traytor he fled into France unto the Kings Enemies and there was sworn unto the French King and conspired against his Natural Lord and Master undertaking to direct the Spanish Navy and bring them into England to the Confusion and Destruction of his Native Country Of all which he was fully convicted and
departed with all his Men to Calais where Sr. Hugh Calverly seized upon him and sent him into England to answer for the Fact. He was for the present committed to the Tower but during King Edward's Reign was proceeded against no further The Duke of Bretagne q Frois c. 314. s 196. id Gallicè fol. 267. b. who had been more than a Year with his Cousin the Earl of Flanders seeing now the War open again took leave of the Earl and went to Graveling whither there went to meet him the Earl of Salisbury and Sr. Guischard Dangle with a Select Body of Men of Arms and Archers and so conducted him safely to Calais The next Day some of their Retinue r Stow p. 276. to the number of about Fifty suddenly of their own Heads took Ship thinking so to pass securely to Dover But they were presently snapt by some French Gallies and every one of them except two Men and two Women slain in the sight of the Calisians who were not able to give them any help at that time Sr. Hugh Calverley who was then Captain of Calais took this in very ill part especially because the Injury was done to such as being concerned in the Treaty had the French King's Security to come and go without Danger but since it was impossible to remedy the Matter he resolved to revenge it and presently taking with him some Choice Troops he made an Inroad into the French Pale where he slew many Men retook the Castle of Outwick and returned safe with a great Booty of Artillery and Cattle And indeed many Å¿ Vid. Walsing hist p. 199. c. notable Actions were afterwards done by this Valiant English Knight of which notwithstanding We are forbid to speak because they will not fall within the Compass of our History XV. When t Frâ—is ibid. the Duke of Bretagne the Earl of Salisbury and Sr. Guischard Dangle with their Company had tarried now about a Month at Calais having at last got a sufficient Convoy they set Sail for England about the Middle of June and arrived safe at London And from thence the Lords and Knights took Boat and went to Sheen in Surry by the Thame's side where at that time King Edward lay very sick and soon after departed this Life on the XI of the Calends of July that is on the 21 of June being the Day of St. Alban the Protomartyr of England and a Sunday in the Year of our Lord MCCCLXXVII which was the One and Fiftieth of his Reign of England but of France the Thirty Eighth and of his Age the Sixty Fifth In Memory whereof his Anniversary Obit was ordain'd to be held for ever on the u Ashmole's Gâ—rter p. 151. 21 of June in the Famous Chappel of St. George at Windsor And thus by the Death of this Great Conqueror and his Son the Black-Prince we may see that no Worldly Grandeur can secure us from the Reach of Fate But Monarchs althô they bear the Stamp Divine And o'r the World their Awfull Scepters sway Thô Subjects their Commands obey To Death's High Hand must all their Crowns resign The Godlike Heroe that from every Field Reaps a Full Harvest of Immortal Fame To Conquering Fate his sinewy Arms must yield At whose First Frown the Fiercest Warrier's tame Beauty it self her Heavenly Lustre vails And all her dazling Glories die Those Swelling Charms puff'd up with Flattery 's Gales Shrink into Dirt and wound th' offended Eye When Death attacks the once-relentless Fair Cruel to her as she to them whom once she bad Despair But Vertue Heavenly Vertue that can save Th' Owner from wholly passing Lethe's Lake Vertue can even the Dead Immortal make And like some Heaven-born Plant sprouts fresher from the Grave Wherefore now it will become us to clear the Reputation of this Mighty Prince from those foul Reflections which Malice or Ignorance may have cast upon his Declining Age for till then the Fiercest Envy durst not attack him and lastly to sum up his Character and as in a Looking-Glass exhibit Him fully and faithfully to the World. XVI Most of our Historians taking it from one another x Walsing hist p. 189. Stow p. 276. Sr. Rich. Baker p. 145. Daniel p. 260. c. talk very dolefully of his forlorn Condition at the point of his Death and tell us that first his Concubine as they call her Alice Perrers took the very Rings off his Fingers and so left him after whom other Servants went away in like manner with what they could carry That at last only a poor Priest remaining in the Room out of Christian Piety and Loyal Respect to his dying Master went boldly up to him and admonished him to lift up his Heart to God in the Heavens and humbly with contrition to ask Mercy of Him whose Divine Majesty he must needs have grievously offended whereupon the King say they being awaken'd somewhat from his former Lethargy began by Signs for his Voice had by this time almost wholly fail'd him as by taking a Crucifix in his hands and kissing it with many Tears flowing from his Eyes to signifie a Declaration of his Faith and Repentance and so with much adoe making shift to pronounce the Adorable Name JESVS with that Sweet and Salutiferous Word He finished his Speech and Life together Well might the Death of this Monarch be in such a Penitent Manner whose Life had afforded so many Instances of Piety and Devotion But as for Dame Alice Perrers her Rifling him of his Rings from his Fingers it is no way credible not only from what We y I l. 1. c. 11. §. 1â— p. 872. said of her before and that upon her Convention in Parliament in the Year following there was no such thing laid to her Charge by her most inveterate Enemies but also because if she did it before Witnesses it must have come out and then could not but have been faral to her and if not it could not have been known And whereas it is said that this Woman flatter'd the King that He should still live untill his Speech fail'd him whereby he neglected to prepare for his Soul as he ought to have done this savours of a Monkish Lie too grosly and of that Spirit so visible in many of their Writings which either from any Judgment falling upon a Man presently attributes unto him some Failure against the Liberties of the Church or some Saint or else when they find the Person to have in any thing thwarted their Interest is apt to invent some Tale or other which may insinuate his Dereliction of God. And this use only doth z Vid. hujus Hist l. 2. c. 6. §. 3. p. 392. Odoricus Rainaldus make of this Story which none ever had before Walsingham and none since but from his single Authority Whereas not only the Silence of all other Authors before his time as to any such thing may evince the Falshood of this matter
Francis Petrarch the Laureat Poet of Italy of whom We have spoken b Lib. 1. c. 19. §. 14. p. 247. in the former Part of this History in the seventieth Year of his Age wherefore Squarzafichus the Writer of his Life is to be corrected who acknowledges him to have been of that Age and that he was born in the Year 1304 but yet that he died Anno 1364 which is a palpable Mistake Upon the Thursday next after the Feast of the Translation of St. Thomas the Martyr there departed this Life that Valiant Baron Sr. John Charleton Lord of Powis leaving John his Son and Heir at that time 14 Years of Age and another Son named Edward aged about Four Years behind On the c Vid. Thorn's Chron. apud 10. Angl. Script p. 2148. p. 2150. Walsing hist p. 183. Hypod. p. 133. Godâ— Catal. p. 146. M.S. vet Angl. in Bibl. C.C.C. Cantab. c. 236. 5th of July D. William Wittlesey Archbishop of Canterbury departed this Life presently after whose Death the Monks of Canterbury elected for their Archbishop one Adam Easton d Ità Scriptâ—res nostri sed bis térve evolventi Victorellum nullus mihi cecurrit Cardinalis horum temperum Adam nominatus a Cardinal who was an Englishman born but thoroughly Italianated as having lead his whole Life in a manner at the Court of Rome Wherefore King Edward was so offended at this Choice of the Monks that he determin'd to banish them out of the Realm and to confiscate their Goods But then Pope Gregory thô he favour'd this his Cardinal yet to shield the poor Monks from the Danger of this Tempest was content to annull their Election and to bestow the Archbishoprick by way of Provision on Dr. Simon Sudbury then Bishop of London whom he knew the King liked well enough This Man was the Son of Nigellus Tibalds a Gentleman of Suffolk but being born in the Parish of St. George in Sudbury a Town of the said County he took his sirname thence after the manner of many Clergymen in those days He was a Man of Excellent Parts great Knowledge Judgement Wisdom and Eloquence and among many Works of Charity he e Speed's Maps in Kent c. 3. §. 8. built the West-Gate of the City of Canterbury and all the Wall from that Gate unto North-Gate commonly called by the Name of the Long-Wall an Act of no less Advantage to the City than of Expence and Charge to the Builder About seven Years after he yet ended unhappily being barbarously Murder'd together with Sr. Robert Hales Treasurer of England by the Rebels who were headed by Wat Tyler and Jack Straw in the Days of King Richard the Second neither his Age nor Dignity nor Eloquence nor Piety being able to mollifie the Minds of those Wretches who had already cast away the Bonds of their Allegiance X. About this time a certain Lady named Madam Alice Perrers being a Person of extraordinary Beauty f Stow's Survey of London p. 421. was therefore made Lady of the Sun and rode from the Tower of London thrô Cheap-side accompanied with many Lords Knights and Ladies every Lady leading a Lord or a Knight by his Horses Bridle till they came into West-Smithfield where presently began a Solemn Justs which held for seven Days together But because hereafter we shall have occasion to speak further of this Madam Alice Perrers especially since by our Vulgar Historians she hath constantly been misrepresented I shall here once for all make a more particular Enquiry who and what She was That She was not King Edward's Concubine as most of our Writers one taking it from another too boldly affirm may appear not only from the utter Improbability of the Matter it self which we shall shew but also from the Reputation of her Person which was so great that after this She was g Dudg Warwickshire p. 434. taken in Marriage by a considerable Baron of this Realm the Lord William Windsor h Dugd. Bar. 1 Vol. p. 509. who in the Fourty Third of this King was Constituted his Lieutenant of Ireland but afterwards became much more notable Now I say 't is neither probable that King Edward who never else is said to have gone astray even in the Flower of his Age especially while his beloved Queen lived which was within five Years of this time except only that Story of his being enamour'd on the Fair Countess of Salisbury which We have utterly exploded should now in the very impotence of his Age burn in Flames to which he had so seldom indulged And it is as improbable that so Noble a Baron as Sr. William Windsor should afterwards take in Marriage so notoriously infamous a Woman had she been thought at that time such a lewd and impudent Strumpet as many would make her But the i Rot. Par. 1 Ric. 2. n. 41. c. Vid. M.S. Sr. Rob. Cotton's Abridg. p. 158. n. 41. Records themselves are nothing so severe upon the Reputation of this Lady as appears from these Words Dame Alice Perrers was introduced before the Lords and by Sr. Richard Scroop Knight Steward of the Kings Houshold charged for pursuing of Matters contrary to order taken two Years before namely that no Woman should for any Advantage present any Cause in the Kings Court on pain of losing all they had and being banished the Realm for ever That particularly she had procured Sr. Nicolas Dagworth to be called from Ireland whither he had been sent and at the same time procured from the King Restitution of Lands and Goods to Richard Lyon Merchant of London whereas the same Lands having been forfeited by him had been given to the Kings own Sons To all which the said Dame Alice reply'd that she had not pursued any such thing for any Advantage of her own Whereupon divers Officers Counsellours and Servants to King Edward the Third being examin'd prov'd that she made such pursuit and that in their conceits for her own private Gain And so the Lords gave judgement against the said Lady that according to the Order aforesaid she should be banished and forfeit all her Goods and Lands whatsoever But as Sr. Robert Cotton goes on to say truth of the Devil is counted Commendable and therefore surely says he the Record against the said Lady being very long proves no such heinous Matter against her only it shews how she was in such Credit with King Edward the Third that she sat at his Beds head when others were fain to stand at the Chamber Door and that she moved those things unto him which they of the Privy-Chamber durst not And further says he those two Points for which she was condemned seemed very honest Only her Misfortune was that she was Friendly to many but all were not so to her The Record is strange and worthy of perusal Thus much by the by for clearing of injur'd Innocence and stopping the Mouth of Popular Calumny thô this Matter of Record happen'd
after the Death of King Edward I suppose that being very dextrous in humoring the old King and tending him carefully in his sickness she thereby prevail'd so upon him as to be able to influence his Favour more powerfully than others of Higher Condition Whereupon thô she did much good and took thence many Advantages to assist the Oppressed she was in the end only rewarded with these Envious Reflections for her Labour Thô the Year k 2 Ric. 2. n. 36. Vid. Sr. Rob. Cotton's Abridg. p. 177. Dugd. 1 Vol. p. 510. after Sr. William Windsor and his Lady pray'd a Revocation of this Judgement for the Errors therein and at last by their Attourneys Edmund Clay and Robert Brown obtain'd a Reversal of the same CHAPTER the TVVELFTH The CONTENTS I. St. Saviour le Vicount being prest by the French Compounds II. AN. DOM. 1375. An. Regni Angliae XLIX Franciae XXXVI King Edward sends his Son Edmund Earl of Cambridge along with the Duke of Bretagne with his Conquests in those Parts The Duke of Bretagne lies down before St. Brieux III. While the Lords of Bretagne on the French side besiege Sr. John Devereux in New-fort who is rescued by the Duke IV. The Duke of Bretagne having an Advantage over his Rebel Lords is forced by a Truce to lose it and so returns into England V. The Death of the Lord Edward Spencer VI. A Treaty between King Edward and King Robert Stuart of Scotland VII The French take St. Saviour le Vicount notwithstanding the Truce VIII Esquire Katrington that deliver'd it up challenged of Treason loses the day IX Some English Vessels taken by the Spaniards X. The Death of two Earls two Acts of Charity I. ABOUT the Declining of the last Year a Frois Anglicè c. 312. fol. 194. sed Gallicè fol. 264. b. when the Knights of Bretagne and Normandy had taken in Becherel according to the Composition made that if it was not rescued by the Feast of All-Saints it should then be yielded up by the French Kings Command they all went and laid Siege before St. Saviour le Vicount in Coutantin in Normandy which once belonged to the Lord John Chandos but after his Death was given by the King to Sr. Alan Boxhull who was at that time in England having committed the Town of Coutances together with the Fort of St. Saviour to the Custody of an English Esquire named Thomas Katrington He had now for his Assistants two Valiant Knights Sr. Thomas Cornet and Sr. John Burroughs and Three Brethren Mauliverers with about Sixscore other Valiant Men. But Sr. John de Vienne Admiral of France kept the Sea-Coasts near those Parts and about the Mouth of the River Carentan to hinder Provisions from being brought to them by Water while the Lords and Knights of Bretagne and Normandy Besieged the Fort by Land with a very Great Army the Constable himself and Sr. Lewis of Sancerre Marshal of France being there together with the Earl of Harcourt the Dauphin of Auvergne Sr. John Bull Sr. Mouton de Brianville and many other Men of Name The Constable caused his Engines to be reared up against the Fortress and put the Besieged very hardly to it But however the Captain Esquire Thomas Katrington held out Valiantly against them all till about the beginning of March when being much streitned by the continual playing of Engines among which 't is probable that there were Pieces of Ordnance at this time he began to enter a Treaty with the French and in short obtain'd a Truce to endure to Whitsuntide in the Year of our Lord MCCCLXXV b Pasch 22. April Lit. Dom. G. which was about Fourteen Weeks after on this Condition that unless within that term the Frenchmen should be fought withall and the Siege raised they should then yield up the Fort their Lives and Goods saved So the French Army lay still before the Place but committed nothing of Hostility all the while Now Katrington in making this Agreement had respect unto the Duke of Bretagne whom he expected shortly there to raise the Siege for he heard He was preparing then to return into Bretagne with an Army out of England as now we shall shew leaving Esquire Katrington's business to another time II. While the Frenchmen c Frois Anglicè c. 313. fol. 194. sed Gallicè f. 265. lay at Siege before St. Saviour le Vicount and the Negotiators of England and of France were yet at Bruges in consultation about a Peace the Duke of Bretagne who having left his Lady in the strong Castle of Auray was gone over into England as we shew'd before did daily importune his Father-in-Law the King for some Powerfull Assistance against his Enemies At last the King said unto him My Fair Son I know well that the Love of Me hath overballanc'd all your own Concerns and that for my sake only You are cast out of your Lands and Princely Inheritance But rest You satisfied with this that You shall most surely recover all again For I will never make Peace with the French King unless You may be comprised therein and entirely restored to your Dominion The Duke humbly thanked him for this his Gracious Promise and the King resolv'd to do as he had said For he presently fell to raise competent Forces which he intended to send into Bretagne with his Son-in-Law the Duke giving him Commission to act as his Lieutenant and at the same time joyning his Son d Dugd. 2 Vol. p. 154. Ashmole p. 667. Edmund Earl of Cambridge in Commission with him in the Lieuteanncy of France and other Foreign Parts And on the e Rot. Franc. 48. Ed. 3. m. 7.18 Novemb. 18 of November of the preceding Year Commands were sent forth to arrest Ships for the Passage of these Forces into Bretagne to be ready at Dartmouth and Plimouth with all speed thô notwithstanding the earliness of these Preparations they went not till the f Claus 49. Ed. 3 m. 46. Spring of this Year The Rendezvous was at g Frois ibid. Southampton where the Duke found 3000 tall Archers who by the Kings Command were all paid their wages for half a Year besides whom there were no less than 2000 Men of Arms Knights and Esquires the Chief whereof besides the Duke himself and the Earl of Cambridge were these the Lord Edmund Mortimer Earl of March Thomas Beauchamp Earl of Warwick Hugh Stafford Earl of Stafford the Lord Thomas Holland Earl of Kent Eldest Son to the Princess of Wales by her former Husband the Lord Edward Spencer the Lord John Mohun the Lord Michael de la Pole the Lord Hugh Hastings the Lord Thomas Grandison Sr. Nicolas Camois Sr. Richard Pontchardon Sr. John Lascels Sr. Edward Twiford and many more of the English Nobility and Gentry for h 8 May Claus 49. Ed. 3. m. 46. Vid. Ashmole's Garter p. 667. whose Good Success Publick Prayers were appointed to be made With these Forces the Duke of