line 50 and footmen which togither with his Normans he brought ouer into England in haruest season meaning to disburthen himselfe of the charge of their keeping he caused their finding and wages to be borne by the lords and peeres of the realme by the shirifs of shires and other officers Howbeit when he vnderstood that the Danes changed their purpose and would not hold on their iourneie he dismissed part of his power and sent them home againe keeping line 60 the residue all the winter with him in England readie for his defense if anie rebellion or other necessitie should befall The same yeare he kept his Christmasse at Glocester year 1086 and made his sonne Henrie knight at Westminster in Whitsunwéeke insuing Shortlie after calling togither aswell lords spirituall as temporall year 1087 he caused them all to sweare fealtie to him and his heires after him in the possession of this kingdome About this season the people in all places were pitifullie plaged with burning feuers which brought manie to their end a murren also came to their cattell whereof a woonderfull number died At the same time which is more maruellous tame foules as hens géese peacocks forsaking their owners houses fled to the woods and became wild Great hurt was doone in manie places of the realme by fire and speciallie in London where vpon the 7. daie of Iulie a sudden flame began which burnt Paules church and a great part of the citie downe to the verie ground Now when K. William had taken the oth of fealtie and loialtie of all his lords Edgar Etheling who was reconciled vnto his â—auour as you haue heard obteining licence of him to depart the realme for a season sailed into Puglia with two hundred souldiers of whose acts there and returne into England I spare to speake bicause I find litle or nothing of moment recorded And now king William who hauing brought the Englishmen so lowe and bare that little more was to be got out of their hands went once againe ouer into Normandie with an huge masse of mony where soone after he fell sicke so that he was constrained to keepe his bed longer than he had beene accustomed to doo whereat Philip the French king in iesting maner said that king William his cousine laie now in childbed alluding belike to his big bellie for he was verie corpulent and withall added Oh what a number of candels must I prouide to offer vp at his going to church certeinelie I thinke that 100000. will not suffice c. This frumping spéech so moued the king that he made this answere Well I trust when I shall be churched that our cousine shall be at no such cost but I will helpe to find him a thousand candels my selfe and light them too to some of their paines if God grant me life Which promise he bound with an oth and in déed performed For in Iulie next insuing when their corne fruit and grapes were most florishing and readie for the sickle he entred France with a great armie set fire on manie of their cities and townes in the westside of that countrie came at last to the citie of Maunt which he burnt with the church of our ladie and an ankresse inclosed in the wall thereof as an holie closet for the force of the fire was such as all went to wrecke In this heat king William tooke such a sicknesse which was likewise aggrauated by the fall of an horsse as he rode to and fro bicause he was not able to trauell on foot about his palace by reason of his disease that cost him his life so that when he had ordeined his last will and taken order for the staie of things after his decease he departed this life on the 9. day of September in the yeare after the birth of our Sauiour 1087. and 74. as Polydor saith of his age hauing gouerned Normandie about 51. yeres and reigned ouer England 20. yeares ten moneths and 28. daies as all writers doo report Not long before his death he released his brother Odo bishop of Bayeux out of prison Marchar earle of Northumberland and Wilnotus the sonne of king Harold or as some say his brother Moreouer he repented him as some say when he lay on his deathbed of his cruell dealing with the English considering that by them he had atteined to such honour and dignitie as to weare the crowne and scepter of a kingdome but whether he did so or not or that some moonke deuised the excuse in fauour of the prince surelie he was a puissant prince and though his time was troublesome yet he was right fortunate in all his attempts Againe if a man shall consider that in a strange realme he could make such a conquest and so exactlie and readilie assure the same to his heires with new lawes orders and constitutions which are like for euer to endure he would thinke it a thing altogither void of credit Yet so it was so honourable were his dooings in the sight of the world that those kings which succeeded sithens his death begin their account at him as from one that had by his prudence renewed the state of the realme and instituted an other forme of regiment in atchiuing whereof he did not so much pretend a rightfull challenge by the grant of his coosine king Edward the Confessor as by the law of armes and plaine conquest than the which as he supposed there could be no better title Herevpon also those that haue sithens succeeded him vse the same armes as peculiar to the crowne of England which he vsed in his time namelie three line 10 liâ—ns passant gold in a field gewels as Polydor writeth the three floure delices were since that time annexed thereto by Edward the third by reason of his claime to the crowne of France whereof hereafter ye shall heare Among other greeuances which the English susteined by the hard deling of the Conquerour this is to be remembrd that he brought Iewes into this land from Rouen and appointed them a place to inhabit and occupie There be that write how the inconstancie of the line 20 English people by their oft rebellions occasioned the king to be so rough and rigorous against them wheras of his naturall disposition and proper inclination he was rather gentle and courteous than sharpe and cruell But sith he continued his extremitie euen to his last daies we may rather beléeue that although from his childhood he shewed some tokens of clemencie bountie and liberalitie yet by following the wars and practising to reigne with sternenesse he became so inured therewith that those peaceable vertues line 30 were quite altered in him and in maner clearelie quenched He was indued with a certeine stoutnesse of courage and skill in feats of warre which good hap euer followed he was frée from lecherous lusts without suspicion of bodilie vices quicke of wit desirous of
it selfe againe in his due place Moreouer at the verie same time also fire burst out of certeine riffes of the earth in so huge flames that neither by water nor otherwise it could be quenched In the 34. yeare of his reigne his brother Robert Curthose departed this life in the castell of Cardiff It is said that on a festiuall daie king Henrie put on a robe of scarlet the cape wherof being streict he rent it in striuing to put it ouer his head and perceiuing it would not serue him he laid it aside and said Let my brother Robert haue this robe who hath a sharper head than I haue Which when it was brought to duke Robert and the rent place not sowed vp he perceiued it and asked whether any man had worne it before The messenger told the whole matter how it happened Wherewith duke Robert tooke such a greefe for the scornefull mocke of his brother that he waxed wearie of his life and said Now I perceiue I haue liued too long that my brother shall cloth me like his almes man with his cast and rent garments Thus cursing the time of his natiuitie he refused from thencefoorth to eat or drinke and so pined awaie and was buried at Glocester King Henrie remaining still in Normandie rode round about a great part of the countrie shewing no small loue and courtesie to the people studieng by all meanes possible to win their fauours and bring merie amongst them Howbeit nothing reioised him more than that his daughter Maud the empresse at the same time was deliuered of hir second sonne named Geffrey so that he saw himselfe prouided of an assured successour But whilest he thus passed the time in mirth and solace he began soone after to be somewhat diseased and neuer could perceiue any euident cause thereof Wherefore to driue his greese away he went abrode to hunt and being somewhat amended thereby as he thought at his comming home he would néeds line 10 eat of a lamprey though his physician counselled him to the contrarie but he delighting most in that meat though it be in qualitie verie hurtfull to health would not be dissuaded from it so that his stomach being annoied therewith he fell immediatlie into an ague and so died shortlie after on the first day of December being as then about 67. yeares of age after he had reigned 35. yeres foure moneths lacking foure daies His bodie was conueied into England and buried at Reading within the abbey church line 20 which he had founded and endowed in his life time with great and large possessions It is written that his bodie to auoid the stench which had infected manie men was closed in a buls hide and how he that clensed the head died of the sauour which issued out of the braine ¶ Thus we sée that euen princes come to the like end by as base meanes as other inferiour persons according to that of the poet Dant alios furiae toruo spectacula Marti Exitio est auidis mare nautis line 30 Mista senum ac iuuenum densantur funera nullum Saeua caput Proserpina fugit And here we haue to note the neglect of the physicians counsell and that same ill disposition in diet which the king chose rather to satisfie than by restraining it to auoid the danger whereinto he fell But this is the preposterous election of vntoward patients according to that Nitimur in vetitum semper cupimúsque negata Touching his issue he had by his first wife a sonne line 40 named William drowned as ye haue heard in the sea also a daughter named Maud whome with hir sonnes he appointed to inherit his crowne and other dominions He had issue also by one of his concubins euen a sonne named Richard and a daughter named Marie who were both drowned with their brother William By an other concubine he had a sonne named Robert who was created duke of Glocester line 50 He was strong of bodie fleshie and of an indifferent stature blacke of haire and in maner bald before with great and large eies of face comelie well countenanced and pleasant to the beholders speciallie when he was disposed to mirth He excelled in three vertues wisedome eloquence and valiancie which notwithstanding were somewhat blemished with the like number of vices that reigned in him as couetousnesse crueltie and fleshlie lust of bodie His couetousnesse appeared in that he line 60 sore oppressed his subiects with tributes and impositions His crueltie in that he kept his brother Robert Curtehose in perpetuall prison and likewise in the hard vsing of his coosine Robert earle of Mortaigne whome he not onelie deteined in prison but also caused his eies to be put out which act was kept secret till the kings death reuealed it And his fleshlie lust was manifest by kéeping of sundrie women But in his other affaires he was circumspect in defending his owne verie earnest and diligent Such wars as might be auoided with honourable peace he euer sought to appease but when such iniuries were offered as he thought not meet to suffer he was an impatient reuenger of the same ouercomming all perils with the force of vertue and manlie courage shewing himselfe either a most louing fréend or an extreame enimie for he would subdue his foes to the vttermost and aduance his fréends aboue measure With iustice he ruled the commons quietlie and enterteined the nobles honorablie Théeues counterfeiters of monie and other transgressors he caused to be sought out with great diligence and when they were found to be punished with great seueritie Neither did he neglect reformations of certeine naughtie abuses And as one author hath written he ordeined that théeues should suffer death by hanging When he heard that such peeces of monie as were cracked would not be receiued amongest the people although the same were good and fine siluer he caused all the coine in the realme to be either broken or slit He was sober of diet vsing to eat rather for the quailing of hunger than to pamper himselfe with manie daintie sorts of banketting dishes He neuer dranke but when thirst mooued him he would sléepe soundlie and snore oftentimes till he awaked therewith He pursued his warres rather by policie than by the sword and ouercame his enimies so neere as he could without bloudshed which if it might not be yet with as little slaughter as was possible To conclude he was not inferiour to any of the kings that reigned in those daies in wisedome and policie and so behaued himselfe that he was honoured of the Nobles and beloued of the commons He builded diuerse abbeies both in England and Normandie but Reading was the chéefe He builded the manour of Woodstocke with the parke there wherein beside the great store of deere he appointed diuerse strange beasts to be kept and nourished which were brought and sent vnto him from forren countries farre
queene his wife the thirtith daie of Maie being Whitsun éeuen they remooued all togither vnto Paris where the king of England lodged in the castell of Loure and the French king in the house of saint Paule These two kings kept great estate with their quéenes at this high feast of Pentecost but the king of Englands court greatlie excéeded so that all the resort was thither The Parisiens that beheld his princelie port high magnificence iudged him rather an emperour than a king and their owne king to be in respect of him like a duke or marquesse The Dolphin hauing knowledge by espials where the king of England and his power laie came with all his puissance ouer the riuer of Loire and besieged Cosneie a towne situate vpon that riuer a six score miles distant from Paris and appointed part of his armie to waste and destroie the confines of the duchie of Burgognie to the intent to diuide the power of the king of England from the strength of the duke of Burgognie supposing as it came to passe indéed that the duke would make hast towards Burgognie to defend his owne lands In the meane time they within Cosneie were so hard handled that they promised to render their towne to the Dolphin if they were not rescued by the king of England within ten daies King Henrie hearing these newes would not send anie one creature but determined to go himselfe to the raising of that siege and so with all diligence came to the towne of Corbeill and so to Senlis where whether it were with heat of the aire or that he with his dailie labour were féebled or weakened he began to wax sicke yea and so sicke that he was constreined to tarrie and send his brother the duke of Bedford to rescue them of Cosneie which he did to his high honor For the Dolphin hearing that the duke of Bedford was comming to raise his siege departed thence into Berrie to his great dishonor and lesse gaine About the same time the duke of Britaine sent his chancellor the bishop of Maunts with the bishop of Uannes and others of his councell as ambassadors from him vnto king Henrie with full commission to ratifie and allow for him and his people the peace concluded at Troies but by reason of the kings gréeuous sicknesse nothing was then doone in that matter Neuerthelesse the duke himselfe in person came afterwards to Amiens and there performed that which he had appointed his ambassadors at this time in his name to haue doone and accomplished In the meane season king Henrie waxed sicker and sicker and so in an horsselitter was coueied to Bois de Uincennes to whome shortlie after repaired the dukes of Bedford and Glocester the earles of Salisburie and Warwike whome the king louinglie welcomed and séemed glad of their presence Now when he saw them pensife for his sicknesse and great danger of life wherein he presentlie laie he with manie graue courteous and pithie words recomforted them the best he could and therewith exhorted them to be trustie and faithfull vnto his sonne line 10 and to see that he might be well and vertuouslie brought vp And as concerning the rule and gouernance of his realms during the minoritie and yoong yeares of his said sonne he willed them to ioine togither in fréendlie loue and concord keeping continuall peace and amitie with the duke of Burgognie and neuer to make treatie with Charles that called himselfe Dolphin of Uienne by the which anie part either of the crowne of France or of the duches of line 20 Normandie and Guien may be lessened or diminished and further that the duke of Orleance and the other princes should still remaine prisoners till his sonne came to lawfull age least returning home againe they might kindle more fire in one daie than might be quenched in thrée He further aduised them that if they thought it necessarie that it should be good to haue his brother Humfreie duke of Glocester to be protector of England during the nonage of his sonne and his brother line 30 the duke of Bedford with the helpe of the duke of Burgognie to rule and to be regent of France commanding him with fire and sword to persecute the Dolphin till he had either brought him to reason and obeisance or else to driue and expell him out of the realme of France And herewith he protested vnto them that neither the ambitious desire to inlarge his dominions neither to purchase vaine renowme and worldlie fame nor anie other consideration had mooued him to take the warres in hand but onelie that in prosecuting his iust title he might in the end line 40 atteine to a perfect peace and come to enioie those péeces of his inheritance which to him of right belonged and that before the beginning of the same warres he was fullie persuaded by men both wise and of great holinesse of life that vpon such intent he might and ought both begin the same warres and follow them till he had brought them to an end iustlie and rightlie and that without all danger of Gods displeasure or perill of soule The noble men present promised to obserue his line 50 precepts and to performe his desires but their hearts were so pensife and replenished with sorrow that one could not for weeping behold an other Then he said the seauen psalmes and receiued the sacrament and in saieng the psalmes of the passion ended his daies héere in this world at Bois saint Uincent the last of August in the yeare a thousand foure hundred twentie and two This Henrie was a king of life without spot a prince whome all men loued and of line 60 none disdained a capteine against whome fortune neuer frowned nor mischance once spurned whose people him so seuere a iusticer both loued and obeied and so humane withall that he left no offense vnpunished nor fréendship vnrewarded a terrour to rebels and suppressour of sedition his vertues notable his qualities most praise-worthie In strength and nimblenesse of bodie from his youth few to him comparable for in wrestling leaping and running no man well able to compare In casting of great iron barres and heauie stones he excelled commonlie all men neuer shrinking at cold nor slothfull for heat and when he most laboured his head commonlie vncouered no more wearie of harnesse than a light cloake verie valiantlie abiding at needs both hunger and thirst so manfull of mind as neuer seene to quinch at a wound or to smart at the paine not to turne his nose from euill sauour nor close his eies from smoke or dust no man more moderate in eating and drinking with diet not delicate but rather more meet for men of warre than for princes or tender stomachs Euerie honest person was permitted to come to him sitting at meale where either secretlie or openlie to declare his mind High and weightie causes as well betweene men of warre and other he would
aduantage 4 Item it is not vnknowen to you doubted lord how thorough your lands it is noised that the said cardinall and the archbishop of Yorke had and haue the gouernance of you and all your land the which none of your true liege men ought to vsurpe nor take vpon them And haue also estranged me your sole vncle my coosine of Yorke my coosine of Huntington and manie other lords of your kin to haue anie knowledge of anie great matter that might touch your high estate or either of your realmes And of lords spirituall of right the archbishop of Canturburie should be your chéefe councellor the which is also estranged and set aside And so be manie other right sad lords and well aduised as well spirituall as temporall to the great hurt of you my right doubted lord and of your realmes like as the experience and workes shewen cléerelie and euidentlie more harme it is 5 Item in the tender age of you my right doubted lord for the necessitie of an armie the said cardinall lent you foure thousand pounds vpon certeine iewels prised at two and twentie thousand markes with a letter of sale that and they were not quited at a certeine daie you should léese them The said cardinall séeing your monie readie to haue quited your iewels caused your treasuror of England at that daie being to paie the same monie in part of an other armie in defrauding you my right doubted lord of your said iewels kéeping them yet alwaie to his owne vse to your right great losse and his singular profit and auaile 6 Item the said cardinall then being bishop of Winchester and chancellour of England deliuered the king of Scots vpon certeine appointments as maie be shewed presumptuouslie and of his owne authoritie contrarie to the act of parlement I haue heard notable men of law say that they neuer heard the like thing doone among them which was too great a defamation to your highnesse and also to wed his neece to the said king whom that my lord of notable memorie your father whome God assoile would neuer haue so deliuered And there as he should haue paid for his costs fortie thousand pounds the said cardinall chancellour of England caused you to pardon him thereof ten thousand marks whereof the greater summe he paied you right a little what I report me to your highnesse 7 Item where the said cardinall lent you my redoubted lord great and notable summes he hath had and his assignes the rule and profit of the port of line 10 Hampton where the customers béene his seruants where by likelihood and as it is to be supposed standing the chéefe merchant of the wools of your land that you be greatlie defrauded and vnder that rule what wools and other merchandizes haue béene shipped and maie be from time to time hard is to estéeme to the great hurt and preiudice of you my right doubted lord and of all your people 8 Item howbeit that the said cardinall hath diuerse times lent you great summes of monie since the time of your reigne yet his loane hath béene so line 20 deferred and delaied that for the most part the conuenable season of the imploieng of the good lent was passed So that litle fruit or none came thereof as by experience both your realmes haue sufficientlie in knowledge 9 Item where there was iewels and plate prised at eleuen thousand pounds in weight of the said cardinall forfeited to you my right redoubted lord he gat him a restorement thereof for a loane of a little parcell of the same and so defrauded you wholie line 30 of them to your great hurt and his auaile the which good might greatlie haue eased your highnesse in sparing as much of the poore commons 10 Item the cardinall being feoff of my said lord your father whome God assoile against his intent gaue Elizabeth Beauchampe three hundred markes liuelihood where that his will was that and she were wedded within a yeare then to haue it or else not where in déed it was two or thrée years line 40 after to your great hurt and diminishing of your inheritance 11 Item notwithstanding that the said cardinall hath no maner of authoritie nor interest in the crowne nor none maie haue by anie possibilitie yet he presumeth and taketh vpon him in partie your estate roiall in calling before him into great abusion of all your land and derogation of your highnesse which hath not beene seene nor vsed in no daies heretofore in greater estate than he is without line 50 your expresse ordinance and commandement 12 Item the said cardinall nothing considering the necessitie of you my right doubted lord hath sued a pardon of dismes that he should paie for the church of Winchester for terme of his life giuing thereby occasion to all other lords spirituall to draw their good will for anie necessitie to grant anie disme and so to laie all the charge vpon the temporaltie and the poore people 13 Item by the gouernance and labour of the line 60 said cardinall and archbishop of Yorke there hath béene lost and dispended much notable and great good by diuerse ambassadors sent out of this realme First to Arras for a feigned colourable peace whereas by likelinesse it was thought and supposed that it should neuer turne to the effectuall auaile of you my right doubted lord nor to your said realmes but vnder colour thereof was made the peace of your aduersarie and the duke of Burgognie For else your partie aduerse the said duke might not well haue found meanes nor waies to haue communed togither nor to haue concluded with other their confederations and conspirations made and wrought there then at that time against your highnesse whereby you might haue right doubted lord the greater partie of your obeisance as well in your realme of France as in your duchie of Normandie and much other thing gone greatlie as through the said colourable treatie otherwise since the death of my brother of Bedford whome God assoile 14 Item now of late was sent an other ambassadour to Calis by the labour and counsell of the said cardinall and archbishop of Yorke the cause why of the beginning is to me your sole vncle and other lords of your kin and councell vnknowen to your great charge and against the publike good of your realm◠as it openlie appeareth The which good if it be imploied for the defense of your lands the merchandizes of the same might haue had other course and your said lands not to haue stand in so great mischéefe as they doo 15 Item after that to your great charge and hurt of both your realmes the said cardinall archbishop of Yorke went to your said towne of Calis and diuerse lords of your kin and of your councell in their fellowship and there as there was naturall warre betwéene the duke of Orleance and the duke of Burgognie for murther of their fathers a capitall enimitie like to haue indured for euer the said
Feuersham abbeie which she and hir husband had begonne from the verie foundation And bicause the moonkes line 20 of S. Augustine might not celebrate diuine seruice she called thither commonlie the moonks of Christes church to say seruice before hir Thus much for that purpose and now to other matters The lord Henrie Fitzempresse after all these businesses returned into England in the moneth of May with a great companie of men of warre both horssemen and footmen by reason whereof many reuolted from king Stephan to take part with him whereas before they sat still and would not attempt line 30 any exploit against him But now incouraged with the presence of the lord Henrie they declared themselues freends to him and enimies to the king Immediatlie after his arriuall he tooke with him the earles of Chester and Hereford Ranulfe and Roger and diuers other Noble men and knights of great fame beside those whom he had brought with him out of Normandie and went vnto Carleil where he found his coosin Dauid king of Scotland of whome he was most ioifullie receiued and vpon Whitsunday line 40 with great solemnitie being not past sixtéene yeares of age was by the same king made knight with diuerse other yoong gentlemen that were much about the same age ¶ Some write that the king of Scots receiued an oth of him before he gaue him the honor of knighthood that if he chanced to atteine vnto the possession of the realme of England he should restore to the Scots the towne of Newcastle with the countrie of Northumberland from the riuer of Twéed to the riuer line 50 of Tine But whether it were so or not I am not able to make warrantize Now king Stephan hearing that the king of Scots and his aduersarie the lord Henrie with the chéefest lords of the west parts of England lay thus in Carleil he raised an armie and came to the citie of Yorke where he remained for the most part of the moneth of August fearing least his enimies should attempt the winning of that citie But after the one part had remained a time in Carleil and the other in line 60 Yorke they departed from both those places without any further exploit for that season sauing that Eustachius king Stephans sonne hauing also latelie receiued the order of knighthood did much hurt in the countries which belonged to those Noble men that were with the lord Henrie The great raine that fell in the summer season this yeare did much hurt vnto corne standing on the ground so that a great dearth followed In the winter also after about the tenth day of December it began to fréese extreamelie and so continued till the nineteenth of Februarie wherby the riuer of Thames was so frosen that men might passe ouer it both on foot and horssebacke In the meane while Henrie Duke of Normandie after he had returned from the king of the Scots sailed backe into Normandie about the beginning of August leauing England full of all those calamities which ciuill warre is accustomed to bring with it as burning of houses killing robbing and spoiling of people so that the land was in danger of vtter destruction by reason of that pestilent discord This yeare the 23. of Februarie Galfridus Monumetensâ—s otherwise called Galfridus Arâ—hâ—rius who turned the British historie into Latine was consecrated bishop of S. Assaph by Theobald archbishop of Canturburie at Lambeth William bishop of Norwich and Walter bishop of Rochester assisting him Morouer this yeare as some writers haue recorded Geffrey earle of Aniou husband to the empresse Maud departed this life on the seuenth day of September leauing his sonne Henrie onelie heire and successor in the estates of the duchie of Normandie and countie of Aniou The bodie of the said earle was buried at Mans with a great funerall pompe his three sonnes Henrie Geffrey and William being present But king Stephan assaulting the faire citie of Worcester with a great power of men of warre tooke it and consumed it with fire but the castell he could not win This citie belonged to earle Waleran de Mellent at that season for king Stephan to his owne hinderance had giuen it vnto him Now after the men of warre had diuided the spoile amongst them they came backe and passing through the lands of their enimies got great booties which they also tooke away with them finding none to resist them in their iournie In the yeare following Theobald archbishop of Canturburie and legat to the sée apostolike held a generall synod or councell at London in the Lent season where king Stephan himselfe with his sonne Eustachius and other the péeres of the realme were present This councell was full of appeales contrarie to that had beene vsed in this land till the time that Henrie bishop of Winchester vnto his owne harme whilest he was likewise the popes legat had by vniust intrusion brought them in and now at this councell he was himselfe thrise appealed to the hearing of the popes owne consistorie After this king Stephan in the same yeare brake into the citie of Worcester and whereas he could not the last time win the castell he now endeuoured with all his force to take it But when those within made valiant resistance he raised two castels against it and leauing in the same certeine of his Nobles to continue the siege he himselfe returned home ¶ Thus as yee see the kings propertie was to attempt manie things valiantlie but he procéeded in them oftentimes verie slowlie howbeit now by the policie of the earle of Leicester those two castels which the king had raised to besiege the other castell were shortlie after destroied and so the besieged were deliuered from danger This earle of Leicester was brother to the earle of Mellent Thus the kings purposed intention and painefull trauell on that behalfe came to none effect In the meane while Henrie duke of Normandie maried Elianor duches of Guien or Aquitaine latelie diuorsed from the French king and so in right of hir he became duke of Aquitaine and earle of Poictou for she was the onelie daughter to William duke of Guien and earle of Poictou and by hir father created his sole and lawfull heire The French king was nothing pleased with this mariage in somuch that he made sore warre vpon duke Henrie ioining himselfe in league with king Stephan with his sonne Eustace and with the lord Geffrey brother to duke Henrie so that the said Henrie was constreined to defer his iournie into England and applie his power to deâ—end his countries and subiects on that side of the sea For whereas he was readie at the mouth of the riuer of Barbe to passe ouer into England not long after midsummer the French king with Eustace king Stephans sonne Robert earle of Perch Henrie erle of Champaigne and Geffrey brother to duke Henrie hauing assembled a mightie armie came and besieged the line 10
〈…〉 that they would boldlie presume 〈…〉 if after ecclesiasticall discipline no secular 〈◊〉 should follow And likâ—lie it was â—hat they would passe but little for their disgrading and loâ—â—e of their order who in contempt of their calling would not absteine from committing most mischieuous abhominations and hainous 〈◊〉 line 20 Unto these reasons thus propoâ—ed by the king to 〈◊〉 his purpose take effect the archbishop and his 〈…〉 the rest of the bishops answered verie pithilie labouring to proue that it was more against the liberties of the church than that they might with reason well allow Wherevpon the king being moued exceedinglie against them demanded whether they would obserue his roiall lawes and customes which the archbishops and bishops in the time of his grandfather did hold and obâ—ie or not Wherevnto line 30 they made answere that they would obserue them Saluâ— ordâ—â—â— suo Their order in all things saued But the king being highlie offended with such exceptions vrged the matter so that he would haue them to take their oth absolutely without all exceptions but they would none of that At length he departed from London in verie great displeasure with the bishops hauing first taken from the archbishop Thomas all the offices and dignities which he enioied since his first being created chancellor Howbeit after this manie of the bishops séeing line 40 whervnto this broile would grow began to shrinke from the archbishop and inclined to the king But the archbishop stoâ—d stiflie in his opinion and would not bend at all till at length not onelie his suffragans the bishops but also the bishop of Liseur who came ouer to doo some good in the matter and the abbat of Elemosina who was sent from the pope persuaded him to agree to the kings will in so much that being ouercome at last with the earnest suit of line 50 his freends he came first to Woodstocke and there promised the king to obserue his lawes Bona fide Faithfullie and without all collusion or deceit Shortlie after in the feast of S. Hilarie a councell was holden at Clarendon whereto the archbishop and in manner all the lords spirituall and temporall of the land made their repaire Here the archbishop would haue willinglie started from his promise if first the bishops and after the earles of Leicester and Cornewall Robert and Reignald which Reignald was vncle to the king and lastlie two knights templers line 60 had not moued him to yéeld to the kings will But among the rest these two knights namelie Richard de Hastings and Hosteâ—s de Boloigne were verie earnest with him at length preuailed though not for conscience of dutie wherewith he should haue beene touched yet with feare of danger which by refusing to satisfie the kings will he should haue brought not onelie vpon himselfe but also vpon the the other bishops there present These knights séemed to lament his case as if alreadie they had séene naked swords shaken about his eares And indeed certeine of the kings seruants that attended vpon his person after the manner of a 〈…〉 Saluo ordine meo Mine order saued which he had vsed before The like 〈◊〉 did all the bishops sake But the archbishop refused at that 〈◊〉 to seâ—le to the â—â—â—ting that conteined the articles of the oth which he should haue obserued requiring as it were 〈◊〉 to consider of them sith in so weightie a master nothing ought to be doâ—ne without good and deliberate aduice wherefore he tooke wiâ—h him a copie thereof and so did the archbishopof Yorke an other and the third remained with the king Shorâ—lie after the archbishop considering further of this oth which he had taken repenteâ— himselfe greeuouslie therof in so much that he 〈◊〉 from 〈…〉 masse till he had by confession and fruits of penance as saith Matth. Paris obteined 〈◊〉 of the pope For addressing and sending out messengers with all spéed vnto the pope with a certificat of the whole matter as it laie he required to be assâ—iled of the bond which he had vnaduisedlie entred into This suit was soone granted in so much that the pope directed his especiall letters vnto him conteining the same absolution in verie ample and large manner as Matth. Paris dooth report it And thus began a new broile The archbishop in the meane time perceiuing that the liberties of the church were now not onelie embezelled but in maner extinguâ—â—hed and being losh to make any further attempt against his former dealings would now without the kings knowledge haue departed the realme wherevpon comming to Romnie he tooke shipping to haue passed ouer into France and so to haue gone to the popes court But by a contrarie wind he was brought backe into England and thereby fell further into the kings displeasure than before in so much that whereas an action was commensed against him of late for a manor which the archbishops of Canturburie had of long time held now the matter was so vsed that the archbishop lost the manâ—r and was moreâ—uer condemned to paie the arâ—â—rages and thus his troubles increased euen through his owne malaperâ—nesse and brainesicknesse whereas all these tumults â—ight haue béene composed and laid asléepe if he had béene wise peaceable patient and obedient For Vir bâ—nus sapiens quaerit super omnia pacem Vidâ—que minâ—ra pati metuens grauiora 〈◊〉 Ne parus ex igni seelerata incendiâ— surgâ—nt In the end the archbishop was cited to appeere before the king at Northampton where the king vsed him somewhat roughlie placing his horsses at his Inne and laid disobedience to his charge for that he did not personallie appeare at a certeine place before his highnesse vpon summons giuen vnto him for the same purpose Wherevnto though the archbishop alledged that he had sent thither a sufficient deputie to make answere for him yet could he not be so excused but was found giltie and his goods coâ—fiscat to the kings pleasure Now when the archbishop heard that sentence was in such wise pronounced against him What maner of iudgement saith he is this Though I hold my peace yet the age that shall hereafter follow will not hide it in silence for sithens the world began it hath not beene heard that any archbishop of Canturburie hath béene iudged in any of the king of Englands courts for any maner of cause partlie in regard of the dignitie and authoritie of his office and partlie bicause he is spirituallie the father of the king and all his people This is therefore a new forme and order of iudgement that the archbishop should be iudged by his suffragans or the father by his sons The next daie the king required of him the repaiment of fiue hundred marks which he had lent him when he was chancellor Now although he affirmed that he receiued the same by waie of gift and not by waie of lone yet bicause he confessed the receit
side and perceiuing the citie would not be woone within any short time began to wax wearie and to repent himselfe as afore for taking in hand so chargeable and great a warre for another mans quarell Wherevpon he caused William bishop of Sens and Theobald earle of Blois to go to king Henrie and to promise vpon forbearance from warre for a time to find means to reconcile him and his sonnes betweene whome vnnaturall variance rested Whereof K. Henrie being most desirous and taking a truce appointed to come to Gisors in the feast of the natiuitie of our ladie there to meet king Lewes that they might talke of the matter and bring it to some good end The French king so soone as he knew that truce was taken raised his siege and returning home within a few daies after according to the appointment came to Gisors and there communed with king Henrie but bicause he could not make any agréement betwixt him and his sonnes at that time he appointed another time to meet about it King Henrie the father whilest the truce continued with the French king and his sonne Henrie went to Poictou where his sonne Richard whilest his father had beene occupied in other places had gotten the most part of the countrie into his possession But now hearing of his fathers comming and that a truce was taken with the French king and with his brother he considered with himselfe that without their assistance he was not able to withstand his fathers power Howbeit at length choosing rather to trie the matter with force of armes than cowardlie to yéeld he prepared for defense furnishing diuerse townes and castels with garisons of men and assembling togither all the other power that he was able to make câ—me into the field pitched his tents not far off from his father In the meane while which way soeuer his father passed the townes and castels submitted themselues vnto him so that Richard began to despaire of the matter insomuch that he durst line 10 not approch néere his father but kept aloofe doubting to be entrapped At length when he had considered his owne state and weled how vnthankefullie the French king and his brother had dealt with him in hauing no consideration of him at such time as they tooke truce he determined to alter his purpose and hauing some good hope in his fathers clemencie thought best to trie it which he found to be the best waie that he could haue taken For oftentimes it chanceth that latter line 20 thoughts are better aduised than the first as the old saieng is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Herevpon Richard laieng armour aside came of his owne accord vnto his father on the 21. of September and asked pardon His father most courteously receiuing him made so much of him as though he had not offended at all Which example of courtesie preuailed much to the alluring of his other sons to come to a reconciliation For the bringing whereof line 30 to speedie effect he sent this Richard vnto king Lewes and to his other sonne Henrie to commen with them of peace at which time earle Richard did so effectuallie his message that he brought them both in good forwardnesse to agree to his fathers purpose so that there was a daie appointed for them to meet with their father betwixt Towres in Touraine and Ambois King Henrie reioising hereat kept his daie being the morrow after the feast of S. Michaell and line 40 there met him both king Lewes and his two sonnes Henrie and Geffrey where finallie the father and the sonnes were accorded he promising to receiue them into fauour vpon these conditions 1 First the prisoners to be released fréelie without ransome on both sides and their offenses which had taken either the one part or the other to be likewise pardoned 2 Out of this article were excepted all those which before the concluding of this peace had alreadie line 50 compounded for their raunsomes as the king of Scots the earles of Leicester and Chester and Rafe Fulgiers with their pledges 3 It was also agréed that all those castels which had beene builded in time of this warre should be raced and throwne downe and all such cities townes castels countries and places as had beene woone by either part during these wars should be restored vnto those persons that held the same and were in possession of them 15. daies before the departure of the line 60 sonnes from king Henrie the father 4 That king Henrie the father should assigne to his sons more large reuenues for maintenance of their estates with a caution included that they should not spend the same riotouslie in any prodigall sort or maner 5 To the king his sonne he gaue two castels in Normandie with an increase of yearelie reuenues to the summe of 15. thousand pounds Aniouin 6 To his sonne Richard he gaue two houses in Poictou with the one halfe of all the reuenues of the countie of Poictou to be receiued and taken in readie monie 7 And to his sonne Geffrey he granted in monie the moitie of that which he should haue by the mariage of earle Conans daughter and after he had maried hir by licence purchased of the pope he should enioy all the whole liuings and reuenues that descended to hir as in hir fathers writing therof more at large was conteined 8 On the other part king Henrie the son couenanted to with the king his father that he would performe and confirme all those gifts which his father should grant out of his lands also all those gifts of lands which he either had made and assured or hereafter should make and assure vnto any of his men for any of their seruices likewise those gifts which he had made vnto his sonne Iohn the brother of king Henrie the sonne namelie a thousand pounds in lands by yeare in England of his demaine and excheats with the appurtenances and the castell and countie of Notingham with the castell of Marlebrough the appurtenances Also a thousand pounds Aniouin of yearelie reuenues in Normandie and two castels there And in Aniou a thousand pounds Aniouin of such lands as belonged to the earle of Aniou with one castell in Aniou and one in Touraine and another in Maine Thus were the father and sons agréed and made freends the sonnes couenanting neuer to withdraw their seruices and bounden dueties from their father but to obeie him in all things from that day forward Herewith also the peace was renewed betwixt king Henrie and king Lewes and for the further confirmation a new aliance was accorded betwixt them which was that the ladie Adela the daughter of king Lewes should be giuen in mariage vnto earle Richard the sonne of king Henrie who bicause she was not yet of age able to marie she was conueied into England to be vnder the guiding of king Henrie till she came to lawfull
historie written of this prince he shall find that he hath beene little beholden to the writers of that time in which he liued for scarselie can they afoord him a good word except when the trueth inforceth them to come out with it as it were against their willes The occasion whereof as some thinke was for that he was no great freend to the clergie And yet vndoubtedlie his déeds shew he had a zeale to religion as it was then accompted for he founded the abbeie of Beauleau in the new forrest as it were in recompense line 30 of certeine parishchurches which to inlarge the same forrest he caused to be throwne downe and ruinated He builded the monasterie of Farendon and the abbeie of Hales in Shropshire he repaired Godstow where his fathers concubine Rosamund laie interred he was no small benefactor to the minster of Lichfield in Staffordshire to the abbeie of Crokesden in the same shire and to the chappell at Knatesburgh in Yorkshire So that to say what I thinke line 40 he was not so void of deuotion towards the church as diuers of his enimies haue reported who of meere malice conceale all his vertues and hide none of his vices but are plentifull inough in setting foorth the same to the vttermost and interpret all his dooings and saiengs to the woorst as may appeare to those that aduisedlie read the works of them that write the order of his life which may séeme rather an inuectiue than a true historie neuerthelesse sith we cannot come by the truth of things through the malice line 50 of writers we must content our selues with this vnfréendlie description of his time Certeinelie it should séeme the man had a princelie heart in him and wanted nothing but faithfull subiects to haue assisted him in reuenging such wrongs as were doone and offered by the French king and others Moreouer the pride and pretended authoritie of the cleargie he could not well abide when they went about to wrest out of his hands the prerogatiue of his princelie rule and gouernement True it is that to mainteine his warres which he was forced to take in hand as well in France as elsewhere he was constreined to make all the shift he could deuise to recouer monie and bicause he pinched their pursses they conceiued no small hatred against him which when he perceiued and wanted peraduenture discretion to passe it ouer he discouered now and then in his rage his immoderate displeasure as one not able to bridle his affections a thing verie hard in a stout stomach and thereby missed now and then to compasse that which otherwise he might verie well haue brought to passe It is written that he meant to haue become feudarie for maintenance sake against his owne disloiall subiects and other his aduersaries vnto Miramumeline the great king of the Saracens but for the truth of this report I haue little to saie and therefore I leaue the credit thereof to the authors It is reported likewise that in time when the realme stood interdicted as he was abroad to hunt one day it chanced that there was a great stag or hart killed which when he came to be broken vp prooued to be verie fat and thicke of flesh Oh saith he what a plesant life this déere hath led and yet in all his daies he neuer heard masse To conclude it may séeme that in some respects he was not greatlie superstitious and yet not void of a religious zeale towards the maintenance of the cleargie as by his bountifull liberalitie bestowed in building of abbeies and churches as before yée haue hard it may partlie appeare In his daies manie learned men liued as Geffrey Uinesaufe Simon Fraxinus alià s Ash Adamus Dorensis Gualter de Constantijs first bishop of Lincolne and after archbishop of Rouen Iohn de Oxford Colman surnamed Sapiens Richard Canonicus William Peregrine Alane Teâ—kesburie Simon Thurnaie who being an excellent philosopher but standing too much in his owne conceit vpon a sudden did so forget all his knowledge in learning that he became the most ignorant of all other a punishment as was thought appointed him of God for such blasphemies as he had wickedlie vttered both against Moses and Christ. Geruasius Dorobernensis Iohn Hanwill Nigell Woreker Gilbert de Hoiland Benet de Peterburgh William Parnus a moonke of Newburgh Roger Houeden Hubert Walter first bishop of Salisburie and after archbishop of Canturburie Alexander Theologus of whome yee haue heard before Geruasius Tilberiensis Syluester Giraldus Cambrensis who wrote manie treatises Ioseph Deuonius Walter Mapis Radulfus de Diceto Gilbert Legley Mauricius Morganius Walter Morganius Iohn de Fordeham William Leicester Ioceline Brakeland Roger of Crowland Hugh White alià s Candidus that wrote an historie intituled Historia Petroburgensis Iohn de saint Omer Adam Barking Iohn Gray an historiographer and bishop of Norwich Walter of Couentrie Radulphus Niger c. Sée Bale Scriptorum Britanniae centuria tertia Thus farre king Iohn Henrie the third the eldest sonne of king Iohn HEnrie the third of that name the eldest sonne of K. Iohn a child of the age of nine yeres began his reigne ouer the realme of England the ninetéenth day of October in the yeare of our Lord 1216 in the seuenth yeare of the emperour Frederike the second year 1216 and in the 36 yeare of the reigne of Philip line 10 the second king of France Immediatlie after the death of his father king Iohn William Marshall earle of Penbroke generall of his fathers armie brought this yoong prince with his brother and sisters vnto Glocester and there called a councell of all such lords as had taken part with king Iohn Anon after it was once openlie knowne that the sonnes and daughters of the late deceassed prince were brought into a place of safetie a great number of the lords and cheefe barons of the line 20 realme hasted thither I meane not onelie such as had holden with king Iohn but also diuerse other which vpon certeine knowledge had of his death were newlie reuolted from Lewes in purpose to aid yoong king Henrie to whome of right the crowne did apperteine Thither also came Uallo or Guallo the popes legat an earnest defender of the kings cause with Peter bishop of Winchester Iocelin bishop of Bath also Ranulph earle of Chester William Ferrers line 30 earle of Derbie Iohn Marshall and Philip de Albenie with diuerse other lords and peeres of the relme and a great number of abbats and priors who by and by fell to councell togither what waie should be best to take for the good order of things now in so doubtfull and perilous a time as this The péeres of the realme being thus assembled William earle of Penbroke bringing the yoong king into their presence and setting him before them spake these words following line 40 The earle of Penbroks short and sweet oration as it is borrowed out of maister Fox BEhold right honourable and welbeloued
the archbishop replied that if he loued the king he would be loth to séeke to trouble the quiet state of the realme The king perceiuing the archbishop to be chafed taking the tale himselfe made a courteous answer and further aduise had in the matter sent foorth writs to the shiriffe of euerie countie commanding them by inquirie of a sufficient iurie impanelled to make certificat within the quindene of Ester what were the liberties in times line 20 past of his grandfather K. Henrie vsed within the realme of England The same yeare whiles William Marshall earle of Penbroke was busie in Ireland in war against Hugh Lacie Leolin prince or king of Wales as some haue intitled him tooke by force two castels that belonged to the same earle whereof when he was aduertised with all spéed he returned out of Ireland raised an armie and recouered the said castels putting to death all such as he found in the same to requite Leolin with the like damage as he had shewed line 30 him before in his absence This doone he entered into the land of Leolin wasting and spoiling the same whereof when the said Leolin was informed he assembled an host of Welshmen and comming into the field gaue battell but the victorie rested on the earle of Penbroks side so that there were taken and slaine in this bickering to the number of 9000 Welshmen There was in this yeare a conspiracie also begun by the earle of Chester and other Noble men against Hubert de Burgh lord chiefe iustice line 40 of England by whose counsell as it was thought the king was more streict towards the nobilitie and other his subiects in staieng his grant to confirme the charter of liberties than otherwise he would haue beene if the same Hubert and other had not aduised him to the contrarie In this season also Iohn de Bren king of Ierusalem and the lord great maister of the knights hospitallers came into England where they were honorablie line 50 receiued of king Henrie and liberally rewarded The cause of their comming was to require aid of the king for the recouerie of the holie land out of the possession of the Saracens In like maner about the same time Leolin prince of Northwals with certeine English lords as Hugh Lacie and others vpon an hatred which they bare towards king Henrie for his fathers sake supposing that so euill a stocke as they tooke him to be could not bring foorth anie good branch sought by open warres to bring William line 60 Marshall earle of Penbroke and other barons that were faithfull friends to the king vnto their purpose but the whole countrie rising against them they were disappointed to their owne confusion and so they could neuer bring that to passe which they so earnestlie intended In this yeare Philip the French king departed this life and after him succéeded Lewes his sonne vnto whom king Henrie sent in ambassage the archbishop of Canturburie with three other bishops to require that according to his oth made and receiued at his returne out of England he would restore and deliuer vp to him the dukedome of Normandie with other such lands and possessions as his father in times past had taken from king Iohn and still did wrongfullie withhold K. Lewes answered herevnto that he held Normandie the other lands by good right and iust title as he could well prooue and iustifie if king Henrie would come to the parlement in France to heare it And as touching the oth which he had sworne in England he affirmed that the same was first broken by king Henrie both in that his men which had béene taken at Lincolne were put to greeuous ransoms and also for that their liberties for which the warre first began were not obserued but denied to the English subiects contrarie to that which was concluded at the agréement betwixt them at the same time made Moreouer king Henrie sent other ambassadours to Rome who purchased a bull of the pope wherby he was adiudged to be of age sufficient to receiue the gouernement of the kingdome of England into his owne hands thereby to order and dispose aâ—â— things at his pleasure by the aduise of such councellours as he should elect and choose to be about him Wherevpon after the said ambassadours were returned all those earles barons and nobles which held anie castels honors manors or places apperteining to the king were commanded to deliuer and resigne the same to his vse which caused much trouble as after shall appeare For diuerse Noble men whose harts were filled with couetousnesse would not obeie the popes order herein but sore repined yet not so much against the king as against the lord Hubert de Burgh by whose councell the king was most led and ruled And therefore they did put him in all the blame as one that should set the king against them and staie him from suffering them to inioy those liberties which they from time to time so much laboured to haue had to them granted and confirmed Upon this occasion therfore they sued to the king for the restitution of the ancient lawes according to his promise who to pacifie them for the time gaue them a gentle answer assuring them that he would perfourme all that he had promised so soone as opportunitie would permit and suffer him so to doo Howbeit afterwards by the aduise of certeine old councellours which had béene of the priuie councell with king Iohn his father he found a shift to disappoint them of their demands by requiring them on the other side to restore vnto him those things which they had in times past receiued of his ancestors Furthermore bicause he would the more easilie obteine his purpose and make the residue afraid to follow a suit so displeasant and irkesome he thought best to begin with the chiefe authors and first procurers of the said petitions and to take from them whatsoeuer they held belonging to his crowne Herevpon therefore assembling a great power about him year 1224 he demanded of Ranulph earle of Chester the restitution of certeine lordships which ancientlie apperteined to the crowne of the realme which earle not being as then able to resist readilie obeied the kings pleasure and resigned them all By this entrance of the king into the execution of his purpose diuerse of the rest of the barons were brought into such feare that they were contented also to doo the like so that by this meanes the lords being cut short and weakened in power surceased as then from molesting the king anie further with the demand of other lands or liberties The archbishop of Canturburie also threatened them with the dart of excommunication if they went about to disquiet the realme with anie ciuill commotions though no man was more desirous to haue that matter go forward than he as appéered by his diligent trauell therein hoping as now in short processe of time and that
faire companie of Scotishmen and shortlie after his wife the quéene of Scots came thither also Moreouer king Henrie kept a roiall feast at Westminster where he made to the number of foure score knights amongst whome Iohn sonne to the earle of Britaine who had maried the ladie Beatrice one of the kings daughters was there made knight Shortlie after was sir Hugh Spenser made lord line 20 chéefe iustice After Christmasse the K. comming into the towre of London year 1261 fortified it greatlie caused the gates of the citie to be warded sending forth commandement to his lords that they should come to the towre there to hold a parlement but they denied flatlie so to doo sending him word that if it pleased him they would come to Westminster where vsuallie the parlement had béene kept and not to any other place whervpon there rose dissention betwixt him and the barons line 30 After the feast of the Purification at a folkemote holden at Paules crosse where the king was present in person with the king of Almaine the archbishop of Canturburie and diuerse other of the Nobles commandement was giuen to the maior that euerie stripling of the age of 12 yeares and aboue should before his alderman be sworne to be true to the king and his hetres kings of England and that the gates of the citie should be kept with armed men as before by the king of Romans was deuised line 40 About Easter the barons of the land with consent of the péeres discharged sir Hugh Spenser of his office of chéefe iustice and placed in his roome sir Philip Basset without the kings assent he being not made priuie therevnto Wherevpon a new occasion of displeasure was ministred to kindle debate betwixt the king and his lords but by the policie of the king of Almaine and some prelats the matter was quieted for a time till after at Hallowentide next insuing which was the 46 yeare of K. Henries reigne line 50 At that time the barons tooke vpon them to discharge such shiriffes as the king had elected named gardians of the countries and shires and in their places put other shiriffes and besides that would not suffer the iustice which the king had admitted to doo his office in keeping his circuit but appointed such to doo it as it pleased them to assigne wherwith the king was so much offended that he laboured by all means to him possible about the disanulling of the ordinances made at Oxford and vpon the second sundaie in line 60 Lent he caused to be read at Paules crosse a bull obteined of pope Urbane the fourth year 1262 as a confirmation of an other bull before purchased of his predecessour pope Alexander for the absoluing of the king and all other that were sworne to the maintenance of the articles agrees vpon at Oxford This absolution he caused to be shewed through the realmes of England Wales Ireland giuing streight charge that if any person were found that would disobeâ—â— this absolution the same should be committed to prison there to remaine till the kings pleasure were further knowne Suerlie the most part of those péeres which had the rule of the king and kingdome thus in their hand perceiuing the enormitie that dailie grew of so manifold heads and gouernours were minded of themselues to dissolue those prouisions and ordinances so made at Oxford in somuch that there were but fiue which stiffelie stood in defense of the same that is to saie the bishop of Worcester and the earles of Leicester and Glocester with Henrie Spenser and Peter de Montfort the which by no meanes could be brought to confesse that they might with a safe conscience go contrarie to those ordinances which they had confirmed with their solemne oth notwithstanding the popes dispensation whereas the same oth was rather a bond of iniquitie as saith Matth. Westminster deuised to conspire against Christ and his annointed that is to saie their naturall liege lord and lawfull king than any godlie oth aduisedlie taken or necessarie to be receiued of good meaning subiects yea and of such a friuolous oth it is said that In aqua scribitur in puluere exaratur In Iune the king of Almaine tooke shipping and sailed ouer into Dutchland and king Henrie at a folkemote holden at Paules crosse the sundaie after S. Peters day had licence to saile into France and the morrow after he departed from London towards the sea side with the quéene and other lords his two sonnes prince Edward and the earle of Lancaster being at that present in Guien When he had béene a season in France he went vnto Burdeaux and there fell sicke of a feuer quartane by occasion whereof he taried in those parties till S. Nicholas tide next following There were few that went ouer with him that escaped frée without the same disease so that in maner all his companie were taken and fore handled therewith Manie died thereof to the number of thréescore and amongst them as chéefe were these Baldwine de Lisle earle of Deuonshire Ingram de Percie and William de Beauchampe In this yeare died Richard the Clare earle of Glocester and his sonne sir Gilbert de Clare was earle after him vnto whome his father gaue great charge that he should mainteine the ordinances of Oxford In the 47 yeare of king Henries reigne by reason that a Iew had wounded a christian man at London within Colechurch in the ward of cheap not onelie the said Iew was slaine by other christians that followed him home to his house but also manie other Iewes were robbed and slaine in that furie and rage of the people The Welshmen with their prince Leolin made wars against the men and tenants of Roger de Mortimer and tooke two of his castels the one called Kenet and raced them both to the ground The said Roger being sore gréeued herwith got such assistance as he could of other lords there in the marches and watching the Welshmen at aduantage distressed diuerse companies of them sometime thrée hundred sometime foure hundred and other whiles fiue hundred But at one time he lost thrée hundred of this footmen that were entred the countrie and so inclosed that they could make no shift to escape Upon the euen of S. Thomas the apostle the king landed at Douer year 1263 and came to London the Wednesdaie before the twelfe day in Christmasse In this yeare the frost began about S. Nicholas daie and continued for the space of a moneth and more so extreamelie that the Thames was frosen so that men passed ouer on horssebacke ¶ The same winter the kings little hall at Westminster with manie other houses therevnto adioining was consumed with fire by negligence of one of the kings seruants Uariance rose betwixt the citizens of London and the constable of the towre for that contrarie to the liberties of the citie he tooke
but the archers of England sore galled the Scots so that there was an hard battell They began at nine of the clocke and continued still in fight till noone The Scots had sharpe and heauie axes gaue with the same great and mightie strokes howbeit finallie the Englishmen by the helpe of God obteined the victorie although they lost manie of their men There were diuerse line 10 of the nobles of Scotland slaine to the number of seuen earles beside lords The king was taken in the field sore wounded for he fought valiantlie He was prisoner to an esquier of Northumberland who as soone as he had taken him rode out of the field with him accompanied onelie with eight of his seruants and rested not till he came to his owne castell where he dwelled being thirtie miles distant from the place of the battell There was taken also beside him the earles of line 20 Fife Sutherland Wighton and Menteth the lord William Douglas the lord Uescie the archbishop of S. Andrewes and another bishop with sir Thomelin Foukes and diuerse other men of name There were slaine of one and other to the number of 15 thousand This battell was fought beside the citie of Durham at a place called Neuils crosse vpon a saturdaie next after the feast of saint Michaell in the yeare of our Lord 1346. Of this ouerthrow Christopher Okland hath verie commendablie written saieng line 30 haud omine dextro Iam Scotus intulerat vim Dunelmensibus agris Cùm formidandum saeuus bellum instruit Anglus Aggreditúrque hostem violantem foedera sacra Nominis incerti Scoticae plebs obuia gentis Sternitur tristi gladio cadit impia turba Frustrà obluctantur Scotiae comitésque ducésque Quorum pars iacet occumbens pars caetera capta Captiuum corpus dedit vincentibus auro Et pacto pretio redimendum bellicus vtmos line 40 Postulat At Dauid Scotiae rex captus ad vrbem Londinum fidei pendens dignissima fractae Supplicia adductus celebri concluditur arce Exiguus numerus volucri pede fisus equorum Effugit in patriam testis certissimus Anglos Deuicissesuos tristia funera narrant ¶ He that will sée more of this battell may find the same also set foorth in the Scotish historie as their writers haue written thereof And for somuch as by the circumstances of their writings it should séeme line 50 they kept the remembrance of the same battell perfectlie registred we haue in this place onelie shewed what other writers haue recorded of that matter and left that which the Scotish chronicles write to be seene in the life of king Dauid without much abridging therof The Englishmen after this victorie thus obteined tooke the castels of Roxburgh and Hermitage and also without any resistance subdued the countries of Anandale Galloway Mers Tiuidale and Ethrike forrest extending their marches line 60 foorth at that time vnto Cokburnes Peth and Sowtray hedge and after vnto Trarlinlips and crosse Caue The queene of England being certeinelie informed that the king of Scots was taken that Iohn Copland had conueied him out of the field no man vnderstood to what place she incontinentlie wrote to him commanding him foorthwith to bring his prisoner king Dauid vnto hir presence but Iohn Copland wrote to hir againe for a determinate answer that he would not deliuer his prisoner the said king Dauid vnto any person liuing man or woman except onelie to the king of England his souereigne lord and master Herevpon the quéene wrote letters to the king signifieng to him both of the happie victorie chanced to his people against the Scots and also of the demeanor of Iohn Copland in deteining the Scotish king King Edward immediatlie by letters commanded Iohn Copland to repaire vnto him where he laie at siege before Calis which with all conuenient spéed he did and there so excused himselfe of that which the queene had found hirselfe greeued with him for deteining the king of Scots from hir that the king did not onelie pardon him but also gaue to him fiue hundred pounds sterling of yearelie rent to him to his heires for euer in reward of his good seruice and valiant prowes and made him esquire for his bodie commanding him yet vpon his returne into England to deliuer king Dauid vnto the queene which he did and so excused himselfe also vnto hir that she was therewith satisfied and contented Then the quéene after she had taken order for the safe kéeping of the king of Scots and good gouernement of the realme tooke the sea and sailed ouer to the king hir husband still lieng before Calis Whilest Calis was thus besieged by the king of England the Flemings which had latelie before besieged Betwine and had raised from thence about the same time that the battell was fought at Cressie now assemble togither againe and dooing what damage they might against the Frenchmen on the borders they laie siege vnto the towne of Aire Moreouer they wrought so for the king of England earnestlie requiring their fréendship in that behalfe that their souereigne lord Lewes earle of Flanders being as then about fifteene yeares of age fianced the ladie Isabell daughter to the king of England more by constraint indeed of his subiects than for any good will he bare to the king of England for he would often saie and openlie protest that he would neuer marrie hir whose father had slaine his but there was no remedie for the Flemings kept him in maner as a prisoner till he granted to follow their aduise But the same weeke that the mariage was appointed to be solemnized the earle as he was abroad in hawking at the hearon stale awaie and fled into France not staieng to ride his horsse vpon the spurs till he came into Arthois and so dishonorablie disappointed both the king of England and his owne naturall subiects the Flemings to their high displeasure While the king laie thus before Calis diuerse lords and knights came to sée him out of Flanders Brabant Heinault and Almaigne Amongst other came the lord Robert of Namur and was reteined with the king as his seruant the king giuing him thrée hundred pounds sterling of yearelie pension out of his coffers to be paid at Bruges During the time that the siege thus continued before Calis the lord Charles de Blois that named himselfe duke of Britaine was taken before a castell in Britaine called la Roch Darien and his armie discomfited chéeflie by the aid of that valiant English knight sir Thomas Dagworth who had beene sent from the siege of Calis by king Edward to assist the countesse of Montfort and other his fréends against the said Charles de Blois that with a gret armie of Frenchmen and Britains had the same time besieged the said castell of Roch Darien cōstreining them within in such forceable maner that they stood in great néed of
Repingale borne in Lincolneshire a Carmelite or white frier as they called them Christopher Mothusensis a blacke frier Richard Aungeruile borne in Suffolke who was bishop of Duresme and lord chancellor of England Iohn Manduith Walter Heminford a canon of Gisborne an historiographer Iohn Olnie borne in Glocestershire in an I le so called whereof he tooke his surname a Chartreux moonke Thomas Staueshaw a frier Minor in Bristow Robert of Leicester taking that surname of the towne where he was borne a Franciscane or graie frier Iohn of Northhampton borne in that towne and a Carmelite frier an excellent mathematician Adde to the foresaid learned men Robert Worsop borne in Yorkeshire and a blacke frier in Tickill William Bruniard a blacke frier Richard Chichester a moonke of Westminster wrote an excellent chronicle beginning the same at the comming in of the Saxons about the yeare of our Lord 449 and continued it till the yeare 1348 Richard Rolle alià s Hampole an excellent diuine wrote many treatises Iohn Guent a Welshman a Franciscane frier and prouinciall of the order Rodulph Radiptorius a frier Minor Robert Holcoth a blacke frier borne in Northampton excellentlie learned and wrote manie works both of diuinitie and other arguments William Miluerlie a logician or rather a sophister Iohn Teukesburie Thomas Bradwardin borne in Hartfield a towne within the diocesse of Chichester archbishop of Canturburie succeeding Iohn Offord he wrote against the Pelagians Richard Wetherset William Breton a graie frier a Welshman borne as Bale supposeth Iohn of saint Faith borne in Northfolke a Carmelite frier of Brumham Furthermore Iohn Goodwicke borne also in Northfolke an Augustine frier of Lin William Rothwell a blacke frier Geffrie Waterton moonke of Burie Richard Fitz Rafe whom some take to be an Irishman but a student in Oxford and scholer to Iohn Baconthrope profited highlie wrote manie treatises he was first archdeacon of Lichfield and after chancellor of the Uniuersitie of Oxford and at length archbishop of Ardmachan in Ireland Richard Kilington a doctor of diuinitie William Grisant a notable physician surnamed of the countrie where he was borne Anglicus he led the later end of his life at Marseilles in Prouance had a son that was abbat of the regular canons of that citie who at length was aduanced to gouerne the sée of Rome named Urbane the fift Iohn Paschall borne in Suffolke a Carmelite frier in Gippeswich and by K. Edward the third preferred to the bishoprike of Landaffe Adam Woodham a frier Minor Simon Henton a blacke frier William de Pagula of Iohn Wicliffe ye haue heard before Moreouer Geffrie 〈…〉 blacke 〈◊〉 of Leicesâ—eâ— William Bintham Roger Couâ—â—wey a Welshman borne in Counwey a grey â—rier Richard Billingham William Doroch a lawier Iohn Killingworth an excellent philosopher astronomer and physician William of Couentrie a â—rier Carmeâ—ite professed and borne in the same citie Ranâ—lfe Higden a moonke of Chester and borne in thâ—se parts an historiographer Iohn Eastwood alià s 〈◊〉 an excellent philosopher Thomas Ratclife borne in Leicester line 10 and an Augustine frier in Leicester towne Bartholomew Glanuille descended of noble parentage as of the linage of those Glanuilles that were sometimes earles of Suffolke as Bale faith Robert Computista a moonke of Burie Iohn Wilton a moonke of Westminster Simon Wichingham a frier Carmelite of Norwich Iohn Deir a northerne man borne a notable diuine Furthermore Simon Iâ—â—ep founder of Canturburie colledge in Oxenford wrote diuerse treatises line 20 he was archbishop of Canturburie as before yee haue heard George Chadley Iohn of Tinmouth vicar of that towne in the bishoprike of Durham Peter Babion Walter Wiborne or Wimborne Nicholas de Lin borne in the towne of that name in Northfolke a Carmelite frier by profession but as excellent an astronomer as was in those daies Iohn Ridington borne in Lincolneshire a frier minor in Stafford Adam a moonke of the Cisteaux order Roger Wihelpedale a mathematician Simon line 30 de Feuersham parson of Birton in Kent Matthew Westmonasterienses who wrote the booke called Flores historiarum Iohn Elin a Carmelite borne in Northfolke liued in these daies but departed this life in king Richard the seconds daies Thomas de Sturey an Augustine frier Sertorious Gualensis a Welshman borne To conclude Iohn Mandeuille knight that great traueller liued in those daies and departed this life at Liege the seuenteenth of Nouember in the yeare 1372. Thomas of Douer a moonke of the abbeie there Henrie Knighton wrote an historie â—ntituled De gestis Anglorum Iohn Stokes borne in Suffolke an Augustine frier Iohn Hornebie a frier Carmelite of Boston Henrie Bâ—â—â—rike or as other rather will of Burie an Augustine frier Simon Alcocke a diuine Utred Balton borne in the marches of Wales a moonke of Durham William Iordan an Augustine frier Iohn Hilton a frier minor William de Lincolne a Carmelite borne and professed in that citie whereof he tooke his surname Adam Saxlingham a frier of the same order but borne in Northfolke Simon Mepham a prebend of Chichester and a great diuine Iohn Bamton a Carmelite and student in Cambridge Iohn Wichingham a gray frier and diuerse other which for that we are not certeine in what age they liueâ— we here passe ouer Thus farre Edward the third sonne to Edward the second and queene Isabell. Richard the second the second sonne to Edward prince of Wales RIchard the second of that line 40 name and sonne to prince Edward called the blacke prince the sonne of king Edward the third a child of the age of eleuen yeares began to reigne ouer the realme of England the two and twentith daie of Iune in the yeare of the world 5344 of our Lord 1377 after the conquest 310 about the two and thirtith yeare of the emperour Charles the line 50 fourth and in the fouretéenth yeare of Charles the fift king of France and about the seuenth yeare of the reigne of Robert the second king of Scotland he was named Richard of Burdeaux bicause he was borne at Burdeaux in Gascoigne whilest his father ruled there The day before it was vnderstood that his grandfather king Edward was departed this life being the one and twentith of Iune on which daie neuerthelesse he deceassed the citizens of London hauing certeine knowledge that he could not escape his sicknesse sent certeine aldermen vnto Kingston where the prince with his mother the princesse then laie to declare vnto the said prince their readie good wils to accept him for their lawfull king and gouernour immediatlie after it should please God to call to his mercie his grandfather being now past hope of recouerie of health Wherefore they 〈…〉 line 10 and so were they sent home to bring a ioifull answer of their message to the citie The morrow after there were sent to London from the king the lord Latimer sir Nicholas Bond sir Simon Burlie sir Richard Adderâ—urie knights to bring them sorowfull newes of the assured
and lord treasuror of England departed this life and by king Richard his appointment had the honor to haue his bodie interred at Westminster amongst the kings After line 40 this decease Roger Walden that before was secretarie to the king and treasuror of Calis was now made lord treasuror Yée haue heard that in the yeare 1392 Robert Uéer duke of Ireland departed this life in Louaine in Brabant King Richard therefore this yeare in Nouember caused his corps being imbalmed to be conueied into England and so to the priorie of Colnie in Essex appointing him to be laid in a coffine of cypresse and to be adorned with princelie garments line 50 hauing a chaine of gold about his necke and rich rings on his fingers And to shew what loue and affection he bare vnto him in his life time the king caused the coffine to be opened that he might behold his face bared and touch him with his hands he honored his funerall exequies with his presence accompanied with the countesse of Oxenford mother to the said duke the archbishop of Canturburie and manie other bishops abbats and priors but of noble line 60 men there were verie few for they had not yet digested the enuie and hatred which they had conceiued against him In this meane while the duke of Lancaster was in Gascoigne treating with the lords of the countrie and the inhabitants of the good townes which vtterlie refused to receiue him otherwise than as a lieutenant or substitute to the king of England and in the end addressed messengers into England to signifie to the king that they had beene accustomed to be gouerned by kings and meant not now to become subiects to anie other contrarie to all reason sith the king could not sauing his oth alien them from the crowne The duke of Lancaster vsed all waies he might deuise how to win their good wils and had sent also certeine of his trustie councellors ouer hither into England as sir William Perreer sir Peter Clifton and two clearkes learned in the lawe the one called maister Iohn Huech and the other maister Iohn Richards a canon of Leicester to plead and sollicit his cause But to be breefe such reasons were shewed and such matter vnfolded by the Gascoignes whie they ought not be separated from the crowne of England that finallie notwithstanding the duke of Glocester and certeine other were against them it was decréed that the countrie and duchie of Aquitaine should remaine still in demesne of the crowne of England least that by this transporting thereof it might fortune in time that the heritage thereof should fall into the hands of some stranger and enimie to the English nation so that then the homage and souereigntie might perhaps be lost for euer Indeed the duke of Glocester being a prince of an high mind loth to haue the duke of Lancaster at home being so highlie in the kings fauor could haue béene well pleased that he should haue enioied his gift for that he thought thereby to haue borne all the rule about the king for the duke of Yorke was a man rather coueting to liue in pleasure than to deale with much businesse and the weightie affaires of the realme About the same time or somewhat before the king sent an ambassage to the French king the archbishop of Dublin the earle of Rutland the earle Marshall the lord Beaumont the lord Spenser the lord Clifford named Lewes and twentie knights with fortie esquiers The cause of their going ouer was to intreat of a marriage to be had betwixt him and the ladie Isabell daughter to the French king she being as then not past eight yeares of age which before had beene promised vnto the duke of Britaines sonne but in consideration of the great benefit that was likelie to insue by this communication and aliance with England there was a meane found to vndoo that knot though not presentlie These English lords at their comming to Paris were ioifullie receiued and so courteouslie interteined banketted feasted and cherished and that in most honorable sort as nothing could be more all their charges and expenses were borne by the French king and when they should depart they receiued for answer of their message verie comfortable words and so with hope to haue their matter sped they returned But now when the duke of Lancaster had by laieng foorth an inestimable masse of treasure purchased in a manner the good wils of them of Aquitaine and compassed his whole desire he was suddenlie countermanded home by the king and so to satisfie the kings pleasure he returned into England and comming to the king at Langleie where he held his Christmasse was receiued with more honor than loue as was thought wherevpon he rode in all hast that might be to Lincolne where Katharine Swinford as then laie whom shortlie after the Epiphanie year 1396 he tooke to wife This woman was borne in Heinault daughter to a knight of that countrie called sir Paou de Ruet she was brought vp in hir youth in the duke of Lancasters house and attended on his first wife the duchesse Blanch of Lancaster and in the daies of his second wife the duchesse Constance he kept the foresaid Katharine as his concubine who afterwards was married to a knight of England named Swinford that was now deceassed Before she was married the duke had by hir three children two sonnes and a daughter one of the sons was named Thomas de Beaufort the other Henrie who was brought vp at Aken in Almaine prooued a good lawyer and was after bishop of Winchester For the loue that the duke had to these his children he married their mother the said Katharine Swinford being now a widow whereof men maruelled much considering hir meane estate was farre vnmeet to match with his highnesse and nothing comparable in honor to his other two former wiues And indeed the great ladies of England as the duches of Glocester the countesses of Derbie Arundell and others descended of the blood roiall greatlie disdeined line 10 that she should be matched with the duke of of Lancaster and by that means be accompted second person in the realme and preferred in roome before them and therefore they said that they would not come in anie place where she should be present for it should be a shame to them that a woman of so base birth and concubine to the duke in his other wiues daies should go and haue place before them The duke of Glocester also being a man of an high mind and stout stomach misliked his brothers line 20 matching so meanlie but the duke of Yorke bare it well inough and verelie the ladie hir selfe was a woman of such bringing vp and honorable demeanor that enuie could not in the end but giue place to well deseruing About this season the doctrine of of Iohn Wickliffe still mightilie spred abroad héere in England ¶ The schisme also still continued
Robert duke of Bauier and countée palantine of the Rhene had instituted about that season Richard Northall sonne to a maior of London as is said of that name he became a Carmelite frier in the same citie Thomas Edwardson prior of the friers Augustines at Clare in Suffolke Iohn Summer a Franciscane frier at Bridgewater an enimie to the Wickliuists Richard Withée a learned priest an earnest follower of Wickliffe Iohn Swafham a Carmelite frier of Lin a student in Cambridge who became bishop of Bangor a great aduersarie to the Wickliuists Finallie and to conclude William Egumond a frier heremit of the sect of the Augustins in Stamford Iohn Tissington a Franciscane frier a mainteiner of the popes doctrine William Rimston or Rimington a moonke of Salleie an enimie also to the Wickliuists Adam Eston well séene in the toongs was made a cardinall by pope Gregorie the eleauenth but by pope Urban the sixt he was committed to prison in Genoa and at the contemplation of king Richard he was taken out of prison but not fullie deliuered till the daies of Boniface the ninth who restored him to his former dignitie Iohn Beaufu a Carmelite of Northampton proceeded doctor of diuinitie in Oxenford and was made prior of his house Roger Twiford aliàs Goodlucke an Augustine frier Iohn Treuise a Cornishman borne and a secular préest and vicar of Berklie he translated the bible Bartholomew De proprietatibus rerum Polychronicon of Ranulph Higden and diuerse other treatises Rafe Spalding a Carmelite frier of Stamford Iohn moone an Englishman borne but a student in Paris who compiled in the French toong the Romant of the Rose translated into English by Geffrie Chaucer William Shirborne Richard Wichingham borne in Norffolke and diuerse other Thus farre Richard of Burdeaux whose depriuation you haue heard of his lamentable death hereafter to wit pag. 516 517. Henrie the fourth cousine germane to Richard the second latelie depriued WHen king Richard had resigned as before is specified line 40 the scepter and crowne Henrie Plantagenet borne at Bullingbroke in the countie of Lincolne duke of Lancaster and Hereford earle of Derbie Leicester and Lincolne sonne to Iohn of Gant duke of Lancaster with generall consent both of the lords commons was published proclamed and declared king of England and of France and lord of Ireland the last line 50 daie of September in the yeare of the world 5366 of our Lord 1399 of the reigne of the emperour Wenceslaus the two and twentith of Charles the sixt king of France the twentith and the tenth of Robert the third king of Scots After that king Richard had surrendered his title and dispossessed himselfe which Chr. Okl. noteth in few words saieng post breue tempus Exüit insigni sese diademate sceptrum Henrico Lancastrensi regale relinquens King Henrie made certeine new officers And first in right of his earledome of Leicester he gaue the office of high steward of England belonging to the same earledome vnto his second sonne the lord Thomas who by his fathers commandement exercised that office being assisted by reason of his tender age by Thomas Persie earle of Worcester The earle of Northumberland was made constable of England sir Iohn Scirlie lord chancellor Iohn Norburie esquier lord treasuror sir Richard Clifford lord priuie seale Forsomuch as by king Richards resignation and the admitting of a new king all plées in euerie court and place were ceased and without daie discontinued new writs were made for summoning of the parlement vnder the name of king Henrie the fourth the same to be holden as before was appointed on mondaie next insuing Upon the fourth day of October the lord Thomas second sonne to the king sat as lord high steward of England by the kings commandement in the White-hall of the line 10 kings palace at Westminster and as belonged to his office he caused inquirie to be made what offices were to be exercised by anie maner of persons the daie of the kings coronation and what fées were belonging to the same causing proclamation to be made that what noble man or other that could claime anie office that daie of the solemnizing the kings coronation they should come and put in their bils cōprehending their demands Whervpon diuers offices fees were claimed as well by bils as otherwise line 20 by spéech of mouth in forme as here insueth First the lord Henrie the kings eldest sonne to whome he as in right of his duchie of Lancaster had appointed that office claimed to beare before the king the principall sword called Curtana and had his sute granted Iohn erle of Summerset to whom the king as in right of his earledome of Lincolne had granted to be caruer the daie of his coronation and had it confirmed Henrie Persie earle of Northumberland and high constable of England by the line 30 kings grant claimed that office and obteined it to inioy at pleasure The same earle in right of the I le of Man which at that present was granted to him and to his heires by the king claimed to beare on the kings left side a naked sword with which the king was girded when before his coronation he entered as duke of Lancaster into the parts of Holdernesse which sword was called Lancasters sword Rafe erle of Westmerland and earle marshall of England by the kings grant claimed the same office and obteined line 40 it notwithstanding that the attornies of the duke of Norfolke presented to the lord steward their petition on the dukes behalfe as earle marshall to exercise the same Sir Thomas Erpingham knight exercised the office of lord great Chamberleine and gaue water to the king when he washed both before and after dinner hauing for his fées the bason ewer and towels with other things whatsoeuer belonging to his office notwithstanding Auberie de Ueer earle of Oxenford put in his petitions to haue that line 50 office as due vnto him from his ancestors Thomas Beauchampe earle of Warwike by right of inheritance bare the third sword before the king and by like right was pantler at the coronation Sir William Argentine knight by reason of the tenure of his manour of Wilmundale in the countie of Hertford serued the king of the first cup of drinke which he tasted of at his dinner the daie of his coronation the cup was of siluer vngilt which the same knight had for his fées notwithstanding the petition which line 60 Iuon Fitzwarren presented to the lord steward requiring that office in right of his wife the ladie Maud daughter and heire to sir Iohn Argentine knight Sir Thomas Neuill lord Furniuall by reason of his manour of Ferneham with the hamlet of Cere which he held by the courtesie of England after the decesse of his wife the ladie Ione decessed gaue to the king a gloue for his right hand and susteined the kings right arme
friers mendicants and other such religious men as soong for the dead celebrating as they termed it anniuersaries euerie of them gaue halfe a marke in reliefe of other of the cleargie that had still borne the burthen for them before Whervpon now they murmured and grudged sore for that they were thus charged at that present The same time the earle of Northumberland and the lord Bardolfe warned by the lord Dauid Fleming that there was a conspiracie practised to deliuer them into the king of Englands hands fled into Wales to Owen Glendouer This cost the lord Fleming his life for after it was knowne that he had disclosed to the earle of Northumberland what was meant against him and that the earle therevpon was shifted awaie certeine of the Scots slue the said lord Fleming Wherevpon no small grudge rose betwixt those that so slue him and the said lord Flemings friends For this and other matters such dissention sproong vp amongst the Scotish nobilitie that one durst not trust another so that they were glad to sue for a truce betwixt England and them which was granted to indure for one yeare as in some books we find recorded This truce being obteined Robert king of Scotland vpon considerations as in the Scotish historie ye may read more at large sent his eldest son Iames intituled prince of Scotland a child not past nine yeares of age to be conueied into France vnder the conduct of the earle of Orkenie and a bishop in hope that he might there both remaine in safetie and also learne the French toong But it fortuned that as they sailed neare to the English coast about Flambrough head in Holdernesse their ship was taken and staied by certeine mariners of Claie a towne in Norffolke that were abroad the same time and so he and all his companie being apprehended the thirtith of March was conueied to Windsore where though he had letters from his father which he presented to the king conteining a request in his sonnes behalfe for fauour to be shewed towards him if by chance he landed within any of his dominions yet was he deteined and as well he himselfe as the earle of Orkenie was committed to safe keeping in the Tower of London but the bishop got away and escaped as some write by what means I know not By the Scotish writers we find that this chanced in the yeare 1404 that is two yeares before the time noted in diuerse English writers as Thomas Walsingham and other But Harding saith it was in the ninth yeare of king Henries reigne to wit in the yeare 1408. But whensoeuer it chanced it is to be thought that there was no truce at that present betweene the line 10 two realmes but that the warre was rather open sith diuerse English rebels still remained in Scotland and were there succored to the high displeasure of king Henrie ¶ By authoritie of the parlement that all this time continued the Britons that serued the quéene with two of hir daughters were banished the realme Robert Halome chancellor of Oxford as then being in the popes court at Rome was created archbishop of Yorke ¶ Moreouer the same time the pope gaue vnto Thomas Langlie the bishoprike line 20 of Durham which by the death of Walter Skirlow was then void In the summer of this yeare the ladie Philip the kings yoonger daughter was sent ouer to hir affianced husband Erike king of Denmarke Norwaie and Sweden being conueied thither with great pompe and there married to the said king where she tasted according to the common spéech vsed in praieng for the successe of such as match togither in mariage both ioy and some sorrow among There attended hir thither Henrie Bowet bishop of line 30 Bath and the lord Richard brother to the duke of Yorke There was a iusts held at London betwixt the earle of Kent and the erle of Marre a Scotishman also sir Iohn Cornewall and the lord Beaumont against other two Scotish knights whereof the honor remained with the Englishmen In the parlement which yet continued the duke of Yorke was restored to his former libertie estate and dignitie where manie supposed that he had beene dead long before that line 40 time in prison Edmund Holland earle of Kent was in such fauour with king Henrie that he not onelie aduanced him to high offices and great honors but also to his great costs and charges obteined for him the ladie Lucie eldest daughter and one of the heirs of the lord Barnabo of Millane which Barnabo paied to him 100000 ducates in the church of S. Marie Oueries in Southwarke by the hands of Don Alfonso de Cainuola vpon the day of the solemnization of the marriage which was the foure and twentith line 50 of Ianuarie ¶ In this yeare Roger of Walden departed this life who hauing béene tossed vp and downe with sundrie changes of fortune tried in a short time how inconstant vncerteine variable wandering vnstable and flitting she is which when she is thought firmelie to stand she slipperinglie falleth and with a dissembling looke counterfaiteth false ioies For by the meanes of hir changeablenesse the said Roger of a poore fellow grew vp to be high lord treasuror of the line 60 realme and shortlie after archbishop of Canturburie but by what right the world knoweth considering that the lord Thomas Arundell was then liuing Anon after he was deposed from his dignitie and lead the life of an ordinarie priuat man a long time within a while after againe he was promoted and made bishop of London which sée he had not possessed a full yeare but was depriued and Nicholas Hobwith succeeded in his roome So that hereby men are taught not to be proud of their preferment nor to reckâ—â— of them as of perpetuities sithens they may be as soone dispossessed as possessed of them and for that all estates degrées depend vpon Gods power and prouidence whereof the poet diuinelie saieth Ludit in humanis diuina potentia rebus Et certam praesens vix habet hora fidem In this yeare the seuenth of Maie was Thomas Langlie consecrated bishop of Durham after the decease of Walter Skirlow In which place he continued one and thirtie yeares He among other his beneficiall déeds beautified the church of Durham for euer with a chanterie of two chapleines Besides which for the increase of learning wherwith himselfe was greatlie furnished be built two schooles the one for grammar to instruct youth whereby in following time they might be made more able to benefit themselues and serue their countrie and the other of musicke wherein children might be made apt to serue God and the church both which schooles he erected in a parcell of ground coÌ„monlie called The plaie gréene To which buildings for he was one that delighted much therein and like vnto the philosopher Anaxagoras supposed that there was not any more earthlie felicitie than to erect sumptuous palaces
was commanded with certeine ships of warre to waft the king ouer whether the wind turned so that he could not kéepe his direct course or that his ship was but a slug ran so far in the kings displeasure that he was attached indited for that as was surmized against him he had practised with the Frenchmen that the king might by them haue béene taken in his passage Yee haue heard that the pope by vertue of his prouision had giuen the archbishoprike of Yorke vnto maister Robert Halom but the king was so offended therewith that the said Robert might in no wise inioy that benefice and so at length to satisfie the kings pleasure maister Henrie Bowet was translated from Bath vnto Yorke and maister Robert Halom was made bishop of Salisburie then void by remoouing of Henrie Chichellie to S. Dauids The lord Henrie prince of Wales this yeare in the summer season besieged the castell of Abiruscwith and constreined them within to compound with him vnder certeine conditions for truce but the prince was no sooner from thence departed but that Owen Glendouer by subtill craft entered the castell put out the kéepers and charging them with treason for concluding an agréement without his consent placed other in that fortresse to defend it to his vse About the feast of the Assumption of our ladie that ancient warriour and worthie knight sir Robert Knols departed this life he was as before yée haue heard borne of meane parentage but growen into such estimation for his valiant prowesse as he was thought méet to haue the leading of whole armies and the rule and gouernment of large prouinces For not long before his deceasse he being gouernour of Aquitaine incumbred with age resigned his office vnto sir Thomas Belfort a right valiant capteine and therewith returned into England where he died at a manour place of his in Norffolke from thence brought to London in a litter with great pompe and much torch light was buried in the church of White friers in Fleetstreet by the ladie Constance his wife where was doone for him a solemne obsequie with a great feast and liberall dole to the poore Besides the diuerse noble exploits and famous warlike enterprises atchiued by this valiant sonne of Mars he to continue the perpetuall memorie of his name builded the bridge of Rochester ouer the riuer of Medwaie with a chappell at the end thereof he repared also the bodie of the church of the White friers where he was buried which church was first founded by the ancestour of the lord Greie of Codner He also founded a college of secular priests at Pomfret and did manie other things in his life right commendable Sir Thomas Rampston constable of the tower was drowned in comming from the court as he would haue shut the bridge the streame being so big that it ouerturned his barge This yeare the twentith of October began a parlement holden at Glocester but remooued to London as should appeare in Nouember for as we find in that moneth this yéere 1407 and ninth of this kings reigne a subsidie was granted by authoritie of a parlement then assembled at London to be leuied through the whole realme The lord Camois was arreigned the last of October before Edmund earle of Kent that daie high steward of England and by his péeres acquit of the offense whereof he had beene indicted as before yee line 10 haue heard and so dismissed at the barre was restored againe both to his goods lands and offices ¶ This yeare the winter was excéeding sharpe through frost and snow that continued couered the ground by all the moneths of December Ianuarie Februarie and March insomuch that thrushes blackbirds and manie thousand birds of the like smaller size perished with verie cold and hunger The earle of Northumberland and the lord Bardolfe year 1408 after they had béene in Wales in France and line 20 Flanders to purchase aid against king Henrie were returned backe into Scotland and had remained there now for the space of a whole yeare and as their euill fortune would whilest the king held a councell of the nobilitie at London the said earle of Northumberland and lord Bardolfe in a dismall houre with a great power of Scots returned into England recouering diuerse of the earls castels and seigniories for the people in great numbers resorted vnto them Héerevpon incouraged with hope of good line 30 successe they entred into Yorkeshire there began to destroie the countrie At their cōming to Threske they published a proclamation signifieng that they were come in comfort of the English nation as to reléeue the common-wealth willing all such as loued the libertie of their countrie to repaire vnto them with their armor on their backes and in defensible wise to assist them The king aduertised hereof caused a great armie to be assembled and came forward with the same towards line 40 his enimies but yer the king came to Notingham sir Thomas or as other copies haue Rafe Rokesbie shiriffe of Yorkeshire assembled the forces of the countrie to resist the earle and his power comming to Grimbaut brigs beside Knaresbourgh there to stop them the passage but they returning aside got to Weatherbie and so to Tadcaster and finallie came forward vnto Bramham more neere to Haizelwood where they chose their ground méet to line 50 fight vpon The shiriffe was as readie to giue battell as the earle to receiue it and so with a standard of S. George spred set fiercelie vpon the earle who vnder a standard of his owne armes incountred his aduersaries with great manhood There was a sore incounter and cruell conflict betwixt the parties but in the end the victorie fell to the shiriffe The lord Bardolfe was taken but sore wounded so that he shortlie after died of the hurts ¶ As for the earle of Northumberland he was slaine outright so that line 60 now the prophesie was fulfilled which gaue an inkling of this his heauie hap long before namelie Stirps Persitina periet confusa ruina For this earle was the stocke and maine root of all that were left aliue called by the name of Persie and of manie more by diuerse slaughters dispatched For whose misfortune the people were not a little sorrie making report of the gentlemans valiantnesse renowne and honour and applieng vnto him certeine lamentable verses out of Lucane saieng Sed nos nec sanguis nec tantùm vulnera nostri Affecere senis quantum gestata per vrbem Ora ducis quae transfixo deformia pil◠Vidimus For his head full of siluer horie heares being put vpon a stake was openlie carried through London and set vpon the bridge of the same citie in like maner was the lord Bardolfes The bishop of Bangor was taken and pardoned by the king for that when he was apprehended he had no armor on his backe This battell was fought the ninteenth day
Venturum virtutis indelebile lumen Celso animâ— prorsus leni quoque pectore ciues Nâ—n solum at iustos hostes fideÃquâ— probatae Dilexit niueo raro iraâ—undior ore Of learned men and writers these I find remembred by Bale and others to haue liued in the daies of this noble and valiant king Henrie the fift First Alaine de Lin borne in Lin and professed a Carmelite frier in that towne he at length became prior of that conuent proceeded doctor of diuinitie in Cambridge and wrote manie treatises Thomas Otterborne that wrote an historie of England is thought to liue about this season he was a Franciscan or graie frier as they called them a great student both in diuinitie and philosophie Iohn Seguard an excellent poet and a rhetorician kept a schoole and read to his scholers in Norwich as is supposed writing sundrie treatises reproouing as well the profaning of the christian religion in monks and priests as the abuse of poetrie in those that tooke vpon them to write filthie verses and rimes Robert Rose a frier of the Carmelites order in Norwich commonlie called the white friers both an excellent philosopher and diuine procéeded doctor at Oxenford promoted to be prior of his house and writing diuerse treatises amongst all the sophists of his time as saith Bale he offended none of the Wickleuists who in that season set foorth purelie the word of God as maie appeare by his workes Moreouer Iohn Lucke a doctor of diuinitie in Oxenford a sore enimie to the Wiekleuists Richard Caister borne in Norfolke vicar of saint Stephans in Norwich a man of great holinesse and puritie in life fauouring though secretlie the doctrine of the Wickleuists and reproouing in his sermons the vnchast manners and filthie example that appeared in the cleargie Of sir Iohn Oldcastell lord Cobham ye haue heard before William Walleis a blacke frier in Lin and prouinciall of his order here in England made a booke of moralizations vpon Ouids Metamorphôseis comparable to postils vpon Aesops Fables Richard Snetisham a student in Oxenford where he profited so greatlie in learning and wisedome that he was accounted the chéefest in all that vniuersitie in respect whereof he was made chancellor of the same chosen also to be one of the twelue to examine and iudge vpon Wickliffes doctrine by the archbishop of Canturburie Iohn Langdene a monke of Christes church in Canturburie an other of those twelue William Tailor a priest and a master of art in Oxenford a stedfast follower of Wickliffes doctrine burnt for the same in Smithfield at London the second day of March in the yeare of our Lord 1422 last of king Henrie the fift his reigne Furthermore Richard Grasdale student in Oxenford one of those twelue also William Lindwood a lawier excellentlie learned as well in the ciuill as canon lawes aduanced to the seruice of this king and made by him kéeper of the priuie seale sent in ambassage both to the kings of Spaine and Portingale about businesse of most weightie importance It is said that he was promoted to the bishoprike of saint Dauid Bartholomew Florarius supposed as Bale saith by Nicholas Brigham to be an Englishman wrote a treatise called Florarium whereof he tooke his surname and also an other treatise of abstinence in which he reprooueth certeine corrupt manners in the cleargie and the profession of friers mendicants Adam Hemmelington a Carmelite frier studied both in Oxenford and Paris William Batecombe is placed by Bale about the time of other learned men that liued in this kings time he was an excellent mathematician as by the the title of his works which he wrote it should appeare Titus Liuius de Foro Luuisiis liued also in these daies an Italian borne but sith he was both resiant here and wrote the life of this king I haue thought good to place him among other of our English writers One there was that translated the said historie into English adding as it were by waie of notes in manie places of that booke sundrie things for the more large vnderstanding of the historie a copie line 10 whereof I haue séene belonging to Iohn Stow citizen of London There was also about the same time an other writer who as I remember hath followed the said Liuius in the order of his booke as it were chapter for chapter onelie changing a good familiar and easie stile which the said Liuius vsed into a certeine poeticall kind of writing a copie whereof I haue séene in the life of this king partlie followed belonging to master Iohn Twine of Kent who as I was informed meant to leaue to posteritie some fruits of his labours for the due vnderstanding thereof Thus farre Henrie the fift sonne and successor to Henrie the fourth Henrie the sixt sonne and heire to Henrie the fift AFter that death had bereft the world of that noble prince king Henrie the fift his onelie sonne prince Henrie being of the age of nine moneths or thereabouts with the sound of trumpets was openlie proclamed king of England and France line 20 the thirtith daie of August by the name of Henrie the sixt in the yeare of the world fiue thousand three hundred eightie and nine after the birth of our Sauiour 1422 about the twelfe yeare of the emperour Frederike the third the fortith and two and last of Charles the sixt and the third yeare of Mordaks regiment after his father Robert gouernour of Scotland The custodie of this yoong prince was appointed to Thomas duke of Excester to Henrie Beauford bishop of Winchester The duke of Bedford was line 30 deputed regent of France and the duke of Glocester was ordeined protectour of England who taking vpon him that office called to him wise and graue councellors by whose aduise he prouided and tooke order as well for the good gouernment of the realme subiects of the same at home as also for the maintenance of the warres abroad and further conâ—uest to be made in France appointing valiant and expert capteins which should be readie when need required Besides this he gathered great summes of line 40 monie to mainteine men of warre and left nothing forgotten that might aduance the good estate of the realme While these things were a dooing in England the duke of Bedford regent of France studied most earnestlie not onelie to keepe and well order the countries by king Henrie late conquered but also determined not to leaue off warre trauell till Charles the Dolphin which was now assâ—te because king Charles his father in the moneth of October in this present yeare was departed to God should either be subdued or brought to obeisance And suerlie the death of this king Charles caused alterations in France For a great manie of the nobilitie which before either for feare of the English puissance or for the loue of this king Charles whose authoritie they followed held on the English part did now reuolt to the Dolphin with all indeuour
the duke of Glocester in the which monie was assigned to be leuied and men appointed which should passe ouer into France to the aid of the duke of Bedford for the maintenance of the warres bicause it was suspected the truce would not long continue During this parlement Iames the king of Scots sent ambassadors to conclude a peace with the duke of Glocester who bicause the king was absent referred the matter to the thrée estates After long consultation not without great arguments a peace was concluded When the parlement was ended the cardinall well furnished with men monie departed out of England and came to Rone to the king to whome also resorted the duke of Bedford from Paris to consult of things not vnlikelie to follow Herevpon a great councell was kept in the castell of Rone and manie doubts mooued and few weightie things out of hand concluded At length after great disputation with manie arguments ended the dukes of Bedford and Yorke and Edmund late earle of Mortaigne and now by the death of Iohn duke of Summerset leauing behind him a sole daughter and heire maried to the earle and called Margaret after the countesse of Richmond atteined to the name and title of duke of Summerset approoued the reason of those that held it expedient to haue an armie in a redinesse for defense least the Frenchmen suddenlie should attempt anie enterprise to the danger of the Englishmen and losse of those townes and countries that were vnder them When all things were agréed year 1432 king Henrie came to Calis from thence to Douer and so by easie iournies the one and twentith daie of Februarie to London where he was triumphantlie receiued and richlie presented as in the chronicles of Robert Fabian it maie at large appeare After that the king was departed into England the duke of Bedford regent of France and capteine of Calis taried behind in the marches of Picardie where he was informed certeine souldiers of Calis grudging at the restraint of woolles began to murmur against the king and his councell to some danger of the towne The duke vpon due examination had caused diuerse to be put to death and manie banished that towne and marches for euer In the meane time the ladie Anne duchesse of Bedford departed this life at Paris by whose death the fast knot of faithfull freendship betwixt the duke of Bedford and his brother in law the duke of Burgognie began somewhat to slacken Shortlie after to wit about the beginning of the next yeare 1433 the said duke of Bedford being thus a widower through the persuasion of the lord Lewes of Lutzenburgh bishop of Terwine and Elie and chancellor of France for king Henrie agréed to marrie the ladie Iaquet daughter to Peter earle of saint Paule and néece to the said bishop and to the lord Iohn of Lutzenburgh The mariage was solemnized at Terwine with great triumph Which ended the duke with his new spouse being about the age of seauenteene yeares came vnto Calis and so into England from whence in the moneth of August next he returned to Paris The duke of Burgognie though nothing pleased with this new aliance contracted by the duke of Bedford with the house of Lutzenburgh but yet not able to doo anie thing to let it bicause of the mariage consummate yer he could find any power or knowledge to hinder it Whilest these things were a dooing in some places the French souldiers of the Dolphins lacking wages as the time serued tooke both Englishmen and Burgognians ransoming and spoiling them at their pleasure Herewith the regent much mooued prepared for warre after six moneths line 10 the truce had béene taken and so the warre againe was renewed The Frenchmen anon as open truce-breakers raised a crue and suddenlie tooke the towne of saint Ualerie in Normandie néere to the mouth of the riuer of Some An other armie vnder the leading of sir Ambrose de Lore wasted and destroied all the countrie about Caen. The duke of Bedford on his part sent the earle of Arundell the earle of Warwikes sonne the lord Lisle Adam marshall of line 20 France for king Henrie and twelue hundred men of warre with ordinance and munition to besiege the towne of Laignie vpon the riuer of Marne The earle with shot of canon brake the arch of the bridge and got from the Frenchmen their bulworke and set it on fire Diuerse assaults were attempted but the towne was well defended for there were within it an eight hundred men of armes besides other meane souldiers The duke of Bedford herewith gathered an armie line 30 of six thousand men whereof were capteins Robert lord Willoughbie sir Andrew Ogard chamberlaine to the duke sir Iohn Saluaine bailiffe of Rone sir Iohn Montgomerie bailiffe of Caux sir Philip Hall bailiffe of Uernoill sir Richard Ratcliffe deputie of Calis sir Rafe Neuill sir Rafe Standish sir Iohn Hanford sir Richard Euthin sir Richard Harington bailiffe of Eureux sir William Fulthorpe sir Thomas Griffin of Ireland Dauid Hall Thomas Stranguish Leonard Ormstone esquiers and Thomas line 40 Gerard. All gentlemen of courage and as forward to giue the French the foile as the French for their liues to giue them the discomfiture But vnto which side the victorie should befall vncerteine it was before the triall of both their chances had determined the doubt by the euent of the conflict The duke of Bedford furnished with this armie and companie of worthie capteins came to the siege before Laignie where he made a bridge of boats and â—â—ought his ordinance so néere the towne that to all people it séemed not long able to resist But the earle line 50 of Dunois otherwise called the bastard of Orleance with diuerse hardie capteins as valiantlie defended as the Englishmen assaulted At length the French king perceiuing this towne to be the thrée cornerd keie betwéene the territories Burgognion English and French and the losse thereof should turne him to irreuocable damage sent the lord of Rieux Poiton the Hire the lord Gawcourt and six thousand men with great plentie of vittels to line 60 the intent either to raise the siege or else to vittell the towne The Frenchmen made a brag as though they would haue assailed the Englishmen in their campe but when they perceiued the courage of the lord regent and the desire he had to fight they framed themselues so in order of battell as though they could doo all things and yet in effect did nothing but that whilest part of them mainteined a skirmish a sort of rude rusticall persons were appointed to conueie into the towne thirtie oxen and other small vittels But this swéet gaine was déerelie paied for if the losse with the gaine be pondered in equall balance for hauing regard to their 30 leane oxen in the skirmish were slaine the lord Saintreiles brother to that valiant capteine Poiton de Saintreiles also capteine Iohn brother to the lord Gawcourt and fiftie
manie a plage which otherwise might haue béene aucided All which battels togither with those that were tried betweene Edward the fourth after his inthronization and Henrie the sixt after his extermination as at Exham Doncaster and Teukesburie are remembred by Anglorum praelia in good order of pithie poetrie as followeth Nobilitata inter plures haec sunt loca caede Albani fanum Blorum borealis Ampton Banbrecum campis Barnettum collibus haerens Experrectorum pagus fanúmque seâ—undò Albani propior Scoticis confinibus Exam Contiguóque istis habitantes rure coloni Moerentes hodie quoties proscindit arator Arua propinqua locis dentale reuellere terra Semisepulta virûm sulcis Cerealibus ossa Moesta execrantur planctu ciuile duellum Quo periere â—ominum plus centum millia caesa Nobile Todcastrum clades accepta coegit Millibus enectis ter denis nomen habere Vltima postremae locus est Teuxburia pugnae Oppidulis his accedens certissima testis Bello intestino sluuios fluxisse cruoris But now before we procéed anie further sith the reigne of king Henrie maie séeme here to take end we will specifie some such learned men as liued in his time Iohn Leland surnamed the elder in respect of the other Iohn Leland that painefull antiquarie of our time wrote diuerse treatises for the instruction of grammarians Iohn Hainton a line 10 Carmelit or white frier as they called them of Lincolne Robert Colman a Franciscane frier of Norwich and chancellor of the vniuersitie of Oxenford William White a priest of Kent professing the doctrine of Wickliffe and forsaking the order of the Romane church married a wife but continued his office of preaching till at length in the yeare 1428 he was apprehended and by William bishop of Norwich and the doctors of the friers mendicants charged with thirtie articles which he mainteined contrarie line 20 to the doctrine of the Romane church and in September the same yeare suffered death by fire Alexander Carpentar a learned man set foorth a booke called Destructorium vitiorum wherein he inueieth against the prelats of the church of that time for their crueltie vsed in persecuting the poore and godlie christians Richard Kendall an excellent grammarian Iohn Bate warden of the white friers in Yorke but borne in the borders of Wales an excellent philosopher and a diuine he was also séene in the line 30 Gréeke toong a thing rare in those daies Peter Basset esquier of the priuie chamber to king Henrie the fift whose life he wrote Iohn Pole a priest that wrote the life of saint Walburgh daughter to one Richard a noble man of this realme of England which Walburgh as he affirmeth builded our ladie church in Antwerpe Thomas Ismaelit a monke of Sion Walter Hilton a Chartreaux monke also of Shiene either of those wrote certeine treatises full of superstition as Iohn Bale noteth line 40 Thomas Walden so called of the towne where he was borne but his fathers surname was Netter a white frier of London and the thrée and twentith prouinciall gouernour of his order a man vndoubtedlie learned and thoroughlie furnished with cunning of the schooles but a sore enimie to them that professed the doctrine of Wickliffe writing sundrie great volumes and treatises against them he died at Rone in Normandie the second of Nouember in line 50 the yeare one thousand foure hundred and thirtie Richard Ullerston borne in Lancashire wrote diuerse treatises of diuinitie Peter Clearke a student in Oxenford and a defendor of Wickliffes doctrine wherevpon when he feared persecution here in England he fled into Boheme but yet at length he was apprehended by the imperialists and died for it as some write but in what order is not expressed Robert Hounslow a religious man of an house in Hounslow beside London whereof he tooke his line 60 surname Thomas Walsingham borne in Norffolke in a towne there of the same name but professed a monke in the abbeie of saint Albons a diligent historiographer Iohn Tilneie a white frier of Yermouth but a student in Cambridge and prooued an excellent diuine Richard Fleming a doctor of diuinitie in Oxenford of whome more at large before pag. 604. Iohn Low borne in Worcestershire an Augustine frier a doctor of diuinitie and prouinciall in England of his order and by king Henrie the sixt made first bishop of saint Asaph and after remooued from thense to Rochester Thomas Ringsted the yoonger not the same that was bishop but a doctor of the law and vicar of Mildenhall in Suffolke a notable preacher and wrote diuerse treatises Iohn Felton a doctor of diuinitie of Madgdalen college in Oxenford Nicholas Botlesham a Carmelit frier borne in Cambridgeshire and student first in the vniuersitie of Cambridge and after in Paris where he proceeded doctor of diuinitie Thomas Rudburne a monke of Winchester and an historiographer Iohn Holbrooke borne in Surrie a great philosopher and well séene in the mathematiks Peter Paine an earnest professor of Wickliffes doctrine and fearing persecution here in England fled into Boheme where he remained in great estimation for his great learning no lesse wisedome Nicholas Upton a ciuilian wrote of heraldrie of colours in armorie and of the dutie of chiualrie William Beckeleie a Carmelit frier of Sandwich warden of the house there a diuine and professed degree of schoole in Cambridge Iohn Torpe a Carmelit frier of Norwich Iohn Capgraue borne in Kent and Augustine frier procéeded doctor of diuinitie in Oxenford was admitted prouinciall of his order and prooued without controuersie the best learned of anie of that order of friers here in England as Iohn Bale affirmeth he wrote manie notable volumes and finallie departed this life at Lin in Norffolke the twelfth of August in the yere 1464 which was in the fourth yeare of king Edward the fourth Humâ—rie duke of Glocester earle of Penbroke and lord chamberlaine of England also protector of the realme during the minoritie of his nephue king Henrie the sixt was both a great fauourer of learned men and also verie well learned himselfe namelie in astrologie whereof beside other things he wrote a speciall treatise intituled Tabula directionum Iohn Whethamsted otherwise called Frumentarius was abbat of saint Albons and highlie in fauor with the good duke of Glocester last remembred he wrote diuerse treatises and among others a booke as it were of the records of things chancing whilest he was abbat which booke I haue séene and partlie in some parcell of this kings time haue also followed Roger Onleie borne in the west countrie as Bale thinketh was accused of treason for practising with the ladie Eleanor Cobham by sorcerie to make the king awaie and was thereof condemned and died for it though he were innocent thereof as some haue thought he wrote a treatise intituled Contra vulgi superstitiones also another De sua innocentia Nicholas Cantlow a Welshman borne descended of an ancient familie in Southwales as by
gaue the pope to drinke of the same wine which Ualentinois had sent who arriuing while his father was drinking drunke also of the same wine being but iust that they both should tast of the same cup which they had brued for the destruction of others All the towne of Rome ran with great gladnesse to saint Peters about the dead bodie of the pope their eies not satisfied to sée ded and destroied a serpent who with his immoderate line 50 ambition and poisoned infidelitie togither with all the horrible examples of crueltie luxurie and monstruous couetousnesse selling without distinction both holie things and prophane things had infected the whole world And yet was he accompanied with a most rare almost perpetuall prosperitie euen from his yoong age to the end of his life desiring alwaies great things and obteining most often that he desired An line 60 example of much importance to confound the arrogancie of those men who presuming to know and sée perfectlie with humane eies the depth of Gods iudgements doo assure that what happeneth either good or ill to mortall men procéedeth either of their merits or faults as though we saw not dailie manie good men vniustlie tormented wicked persons aboue their deseruings liue in case and honour wherein who makes an other interpretation derogates the iustice and power of God the greatnesse of which being not to be conteined within any scripts or tearms present knoweth how well and largely to discerne in an other time and place the iust from the vniust and that with rewards and eternall punishments In the meane time he powreth out his vengeance vpon the imaginers of mischéefe in this life so prouiding as that they are caught in their owne snares and ouertaken with such destruction as they had prepared for others according to that saieng of the Psalmist Effodit puteum foueámque eduxit ab imo Et miser in latebras incidit ipse suas In verticem ipsius recurrit Pernicies recidúntque fraudes At the same time died Giles lord Dawbenie the kings chéefe chamberleine whose office Charles bastard sonne to Henrie last duke of Summerset occupied and enioied a man of good wit and great experience Soone after the king caused Guidebald duke of Urbine to be elected knight of the order of the garter in like maner as his father duke Frederike had béene before him which was chosen and admitted into the order by king Edward the fourth Sir Gilbert Talbot and the other two ambassadors being appointed to kéepe on their iournie vnto pope Iulie the second elected after the death of the said Pius the third bare the habit and collar also vnto the said duke Guidebald which after he had receiued the same sent sir Balthasar Castalio knight a Mantrian borne as his orator vnto king Henrie which was for him installed according to the ordinances of the order This yeare that worthie prelate Thomas Sauage archbishop of Yorke departed this life at his castell of Cawood a man beside the worthinesse of his birth highlie estéemed with his prince for his fast fidelitie and great wisedome He bestowed great cost in repairing the castell of Cawood and the manor of Scrobie His bodie was buried at Yorke but he appointed by his testament that his hart should be buried at Macclesfield in Cheshire where he was borne in a chapell there of his foundation ioining to the south side of the church meaning to haue founded a college there also if his purpose had not béene preuented by death After him succeeded doctor Benbridge in the archbishops sée of Yorke being the fiftie and sixt archbishop that had sat in that see About this same time Lewes the French king the twelfe of that name who succéeded Charles the eighth that died at Amboise the night before the eighth daie of Aprill of a catarrhe which the physicians call an apoplexie the same rising in him with such aboundance as he beheld a match plaied at tennisse that in few houres he ended at the same place his life during the which he had with greater importunitie than vertue troubled the whole world with great apparance of danger to kindle eftsoones new fiers of innouation and troubles maried his eldest daughter named Clare vnto Francis de Ualois Dolphin of Uienne and duke of Angolesme which ladie was promised vnto Charles the king of Castile wherevpon by ambassadors sent to and fro betwixt king Henrie and the said king of Castile a mariage was concluded betwixt the said king of Castile and the ladie Marie daughter to king Henrie being about the age of ten yeares For conclusion of which mariage the lord of Barow other ambassadors were sent into England from the emperor Maximilian which with great rewards returned ¶ William Browne mercer maior of London this yeare deceassed year 1508 and foorthwith sir Laurence Ailmer draper was chosen and sworne and went home in a graie cloake with the sword borne before him on the eight and twentith daie of March. Item he tooke his oth at the Tower and kept no feast William Capell was put in sute by the king for things by him doone in his maioraltie Also Thomas Kneisworth that had beene maior of London and his shiriffes were sent to the kings Bench till they were put to their fines of foureteene hundred pounds In the moneth of Iune the citie of Norwich was sore perished neere consumed with fier that began in a Frenchmans house named Peter Iohnson a surgian in the parish of saint George Stephan Genings merchant tailor maior of London founded a free grammar schoole at Wlfrunehampton in Staffordshire with conuenient lodgings for the maister and vsher in the same place where he was borne He gaue lands sufficient line 10 for the maintenance leauing the ouersight thereof to the merchant tailors in London who haue hitherto iustlie dealt in that matter and also augmented the building there Maister Nichols who maried the onelie daughter and heire of the aforesaid Stephan Genings gaue lands to mainteine the pauements of that towne Also Iohn Leneson esquier about Anno 1556 gaue lands whereof foure pounds should be dealt euerie yeare on good fridaie to the poore people of Wlfrunehampton and six and twentie line 20 shillings eight pence yéerelie towards the reparation of the church there Moreouer about Anno 1566 sir Iohn Ligh a préest which had serued in that church there the space of thréescore years for fiue pounds six shillings eight pence the yeare without anie other augmentation of his liuing who would neuer take anie benefice or other preferment gaue twentie pounds to purchase twentie shillings the yeare lands the same to be giuen yearelie for euer to the poore of Wlfrunehampton line 30 vpon good fridaie twelue pounds thirteene shillings foure pence to purchase a marke a yeare lands the same to be giuen to the poore of Chifnall in the countie of Salope where the said Ligh was borne This man liued
bound to defend their estates mutuallie and reciprocallie with ten thousand footmen if the warre went by land and with six thousand onelie if the warre were made by sea that the French king should be bound to serue the king of England in all his affaires with twelue hundred lances and the king of England likewise to minister to his seruices with ten thousand footmen the expenses to be defraied by either of them that should haue néed of the men both the one and the other of them named the Scotish king the archduke the empire but Cesar and the king catholike were not named the Swizzers had a nomination but it bare a condition that whosoeuer would defend against the French king the estate of Millan Genes or Ast should be excluded out of the nomination This peace which was made with a woonderfull readinesse was confirmed by the marriage of the kings sister of England with the French king vnder condition that he should acknowledge to haue receiued foure hundred thousand crownes for hir dowrie the contract or handfastings were made in England where the king catholiks ambassador was not in presence for the great hatred the king of England bare to the king his maister And euen vpon the conclusion and resolution of this peace came to the court of France the instrument of ratification which Cesar had made togither with his commission and the king catholiks for conclusion of the marriage that was solicited betweene Ferdinando de Austrich and the second daughter of France not yet foure yeares of age but the practise of that marriage vanished presentlie by reason of the peace that was now established and the French king to satisfie better the king of England gaue order that the duke of Suffolke capteine generall of the lance-knights that were in his paie should depart the dominions of France in whome the honours and recompenses that the king made to him ouercame all occasions of discontentment the bountie and liberalitie of the one being no greater than the affabilitiâ— and disposition of the other In December one Richard Hun a merchant tailor of London that was laid in Lollards tower by commandement of the bishop of London called Richard Fitz Iames and his chancellor doctor Horssie was found dead hanging by the necke in a girdle of silke within the said tower That ye maie vnderstand line 10 the cause of his imprisonment the beginning was this The same Hun had a child that died in his house being an infant the curat claimed the bearing shéet for a mortuarie Hun answered that the infant had no propertie in the shéet Wherevpon the préest ascited him in the spirituall court He taking to him counsell sued the curat in a premunire and when this was knowne meanes was found that Hun being accused of heresie was attached and laid in Lollards tower where he was found dead as ye line 20 haue heard Much adoo was made about his death for the bishop and the chancellor said that he hanged himselfe But manie of the temporaltie affirmed that he was murthered greatlie lamenting the case for he was well beloued and namelie of the poore which cried out against them that were suspected to haue made him awaie He was a good almes-man and greatly reléeued the needie The question of his death was so farre put foorth that vpon the suspicion he line 30 should be murthered twelue men were charged before the coroner After they had taken view of the bodie the same was burned in Smithfield by the bishops appointment notwithstanding the coroners quest indicted doctor Horssie with one Iohn Spalding otherwise called Belringer and Charles Ioseph the summoner of the murthered howbeit vpon his arreignement through great sute and corruption of monie as manie iudged the kings attorneie declared doctor Horssie not to be giltie line 40 This Christmasse on Newyeares night the king the duke of Suffolke two other were in mantels of cloath of siluer lined with blew veluet the siluer was pounst in letters that the veluet might be séene thorough the mantels had great capes like to the Portingall slops and all their hosen dublets and coats were of the same fashion cut and of the same stuffe With them were foure ladies in gowns after the fashon of Sauoie of blew veluet lined with cloath of gold the veluet all cut and mantels like line 50 tipets knit togither all of siluer and on their heads bonets of burned gold the foure torch-bearers were in sattin white and blew This strange apparell pleased much euerie person and in especiall the quéene And thus these foure lords foure ladies came into the quéenes chamber with great light of torches and dansed a great season and then put off their visors and were all well knowne and then the quéene hartilie thanked the kings grace for hir goodlie pastime and disport line 60 Likewise on the Twelfe night the king and the quéene came into the hall of Greenewich suddenlie entered a tent of cloath of gold and before the tent stood foure men of armes armed at all points with swords in their hands and suddenlie with noise of trumpets entered foure other persons all armed and ran to the other foure and there was a great and a fierce fight And suddenlie came out of a place like a wood eight wildmen all apparelled in gréene mosse made with sleued silke with ouglie weapons terrible visages and there fought with the knights eight to eight and after long fighting the armed knights droue the wild men out of their places and followed the chase out of the hall and when they were departed the tent opened and there came out six lords and six ladies richlie apparelled and dansed a great time when they had dansed their pleasure they entered the tent againe which was conueied out of the hall then the king the quéene were serued with a right sumptuous banket On the third day of Februarie the king made a solemne iusts and he and the marquesse Dorset would answer all commers their apparell and barâ—s were of blew veluet and cloath of siluer all to cut in subtill knots richlie embrodered all the seruitours in white blew silke The counterpart which were foureteene in number richlie apparelled in veluet cloath of gold and embroderie euerie man after his owne deuise The king was that daie highlie to be praised for he brake thrée and twentie speares beside atteints and bare downe to ground a man of armes and his horsse the lord marquesse and all other did valiantlie and had much praise for euerie man did passing well which is seldome séene in such a case But the king for a suertie excéeded all other On the fourth daie of October the king remooued to Lambeth and on the morow began the high court of parlement sir Thomas Neuill was then speaker In this parlement were diuerse acts made but in especiall two which were much spoken of the one was the act of apparell and
with sir Thomas Bullen and sir Richard Weston were appointed to go vnto Coniacke to see the Dolphin where they were honorablie receiued and brought vnto the presence of the Dolphin being a goodlie yoong child whome they kissed and imbraced in most louing wise The earle of Worcester and with him sir Nicholas Uaux sir Iohn Pechie sir Edward Belknap year 1520 and diuerse others at the same time tooke leaue of the French king and rode to Tornaie to sée the citie deliuered to the Frenchmen Wherevpon the eight of Februarie the lord Chatillon came thither with one and twentie hundred men and after some controuersie mooued about the deliuerie of his commission and sealing an indenture which the earle had there readie ingrossed conteining the articles of agreement in consideration whereof it was deliuered the capteine sir Richard Ierningham was discharged and the Frenchmen suffered to enter with drumslads and minstrelsie but not with standards nor banners which the Englishmen caused them to roll vp greatlie against their wils Before they came to the gates they sealed the indenture confessing how they receiued the citie as a gift and not as a right and deliuered their commission whereby they were authorised to receiue it which at the first they refused to doo affirming that it was sufficient for them to shew it Thus was Tornaie deliuered in this tenth yeare of the kings reigne on the eight daie of Februarie the Englishmen returned into England sore displeased in their minds For thereby manie a tall yeoman lacked liuing the which would not labour after their returne but fell to robbing pilfering shifting and other extraordinarie meanes of maintenance whereas before they were staied vpon a certeintie of hope so long as they had allowance by the king So that this resignation of Tornaie though it were answerable to the desire of the French king and commodious for his people yet that benefit of theirs bred to the English soldiors detriment and losse who wished in their harts to haue left their liues behind them in defense of possession rather than it should reuert into the hands of them by whome it was surrendred giuen vp to the English power whom bicause they were not able to incounter they let in at their gates by a voluntarie motion and common consent for their better safetie as a late writer witnesseth Angligenas passis intra sua moenia portis Sponte intromittens line 10 ¶ During this time remained in the French court diuerse yoong gentlemen of England and they with the French king rode dailie disguised through Paris throwing egges stones and other foolish trifles at the people which light demeanour of a king was much discommended and ieasted at And when these yoong gentlemen came againe into England they were all French in eating drinking and apparell yea and in French vices and brags so that all the estates of England were by them laughed at the line 20 ladies and gentlewomen were dispraised so that nothing by them was praised but if it were after the French turne which after turned them to displesure as you shall heare After the kings ambassadours were returned and Tornaie deliuered to the Frenchmen vpon the conditions aforesaid the hostages that were here left for the paiment of the great summes and performance of the conditions comprised in the league of the which one was that if the marriage tooke none effect then the citie of Tornaie should be redeliuered line 30 vpon repaiment of the same summes the said hostages knew not in what case they stood but when they knew it they were verie heauie and sorowfull howbeit they dissembled the matter in the best wise they could The king vsed familiarlie these foure hostages and on the seuenth daie of Maie prepared a disguising and caused his great chamber at Gréenwich to be staged and great lights to be set on pillors that were gilt with basons gilt and the roofe was couered line 40 with blue sattin set full of presses of fine gold and flowers and vnder was written Iammes the meaning whereof was that the slower of youth could not be oppressed Into this chamber came the king and the quéene with the hostages and there was a goodlie comedie of Plautus plaied and that doone there entered into the chamber eight ladies in blacke veluet bordered about with gold with hoopes from the wast downeward and sléeues rusted and plited at the elbow and line 50 plaine in the middest full of cuts plucked out at euerie cut with fine camerike tired like the Aegyptians verie richlie And when these ladies had passed about the place in came eight noble personages in long gownes of taffata set with flowers of gold bullion and vnder that apparell cotes of blacke veluet embrodered with gold all to cut and plucked out with cuts of white sarcenet and euerie man had buskins of blacke veluet full of agglets of gold Then the eight men dansed with the eight ladies line 60 all being visarded and suddenlie the men cast off their large gownes and then their vnder apparell was séene And when all was doone euerie lord and ladie put off their visards and then it was knowne that the king the duke of Suffolke and the French quéene were there which were present at the plaie time On the eight daie of March was a solemne iustes the king himselfe and eight yoong gentlemen based and barded in blacke veluet embrodered with gold against the duke of Suffolke and eight of his band all in white satten with drops of gold And that daie they all ran excéeding well which the strangers highlie commended About the end of March the king sent for all the yeomen of the gard that were come from Tornaie and after manie good words giuen to them he granted to euerie of them foure pence the daie without attendance except they were speciallie commanded ¶ And here it seemeth requisit to adde the report of a forreine chronicler touching the league of amitie and conditions of the same knit vp in breuitie and good tearmes as followeth Now saith he the differences betwéene the French and English were also reconciled And for the more stabilitie of which agreement it was confirmed with a contract of parentage and aliance wherein the king of England promised to giue his onelie daughter to whome hauing no sons there was hope of the descending succession of the kingdome to the Dolphin the eldest sonne of the crowne of France adding for a portion foure hundred thousand duckets Both the one and the other bore yet so tender age that infinit accidents might happen before perfection of yeeres would make them able to establish matrimonie There was made betwene them a league defensiue wherin were comprehended Cesar and the king of Spaine in case they would ratifie it in a certeine time The king of England bound himselfe to restore Tornaie receiuing presentlie for defraiments expended vpon that towne two hundred and threescore thousand duckets
compassion wherin she forgat not by degrées vehement and inducing to solicit a negociation of accord by vertue whereof hauing a little after deliuered don Hugo de Moncado shée sent him to the emperour to offer him that hir sonne should renounce and disclaime from all rights of the kingdome of Naples and the estate of Millan with contentment to refer to the censure and arbitration line 60 of the law the titles and rights of Burgundie which if it apperteined to the emperour he should acknowledge it for the dowrie of his sister that he should render to monsieur Burbon his estate togither with his moouablâ—◠〈◊〉 which were of great valour and also the â—ruits and â—â—â—enues which had beene leuied by the commissioners 〈◊〉 out of the regall chamber that he should giue to him his sister in mariage and deliuer vp to him Prouence if iudgement of the interest and right were made of his side And for the more facilitie and spéedie passage of this negociation rather than for anie desire she had to nourish hir inclination to the warre she dispatched immediatlie ambassadours into Italie to recommend to the pope and the Uenetians the safetie of hir sonne To whome she offered that if for their proper securitie they would contract with hir and raise armes against the emperour she would for hir particular aduance fiue hundred lances togither with a great contribution of monie But amid these trauels and astonishments the principall desire as well of hir as of the whole realme of France was to appease and assure the mind of the king of England iudging trulie that if they could reduce him to amitie and reconcilement the crowne of France should remaine without quarrell or molestation Where if he on the one side and the emperour on the other should rise in one ioint force hauing concurrent with them the person of the duke of Burbon and manie other opportunities and occasions it could not be but all things would be full of difficulties and dangers Of this the ladie regent began to discerne manie tokens and apparances of good hope for notwithstanding the king of England immediatlie after the first reapports of the victorie had not onelie expressed great tokens of gladnesse and reioising but also published that he would in person passe into France and withall had sent ambassadours to the emperour to solicit and treat of the moouing of warre iointlie togither yet procéeding in deed with more mildnesse than was expected of so furious shewes and tokens he dispatched a messenger to the ladie regent to send to him an expresse ambassadour which accordinglie was accomplished and that with fulnesse of authoritie and commission such as brought with it also all sorts of submissions implorations which she thought apt to reduce to appeasement the mind of that king so highlie displeased He reposed himselfe altogither vpon the will and counsell of the cardinall of Yorke who séemed to restreine the king and his thoughts to this principall end that bearing such a hand vpon the controuersies and quarrels that ran betwéene other princes all the world might acknowledge to depend vpon him and his authoritie the resolution and expectation of all affaires And for this cause he offered to the emperour at the same time to descend into France with a puissant armie both to giue perfection vnto the aliance concluded betwéene them before and also to remooue all scruple and gelousie he offered presentlie to consigne vnto him his daughter who was not as yet in an age and disposition able for mariage But in these matters were very great difficulties partlie depending vpon himselfe and partlie deriuing from the emperour who now shewed nothing of that readinesse to contract with him which he had vsed before for the king of England demanded almost all the rewards of the victorie as Normandie Guien and Gascoigne with the title of king of France And that the emperour notwithstanding the inequalitie of the conditions should passe likewise into France and communicate equallie in the expenses and dangers The inequalitie of these demands troubled not a little the emperour to whome they were by so much the more grieuous by how much he remembred that in the yeares next before he had alwaies deferred to make warre euen in the greatest dangers of the French king So that he persuaded himselfe that he should not be able to make anie foundation vpon that confederation And standing in a state no lesse impouerished for monie and treasure than made wearie with labours and perils he hoped to draw more commodities from the French king by the meane of peace than by the violence of armes and warres speciallie ioining with the king of England Besides he made not that accompt which he was woont to doo of the mariage of his daughter both for hir minoritie in age and also for the dowrie for the which he should stand accomptable for so much as the emperour had receiued by waie of loane of the king of England he séemed by manie tokens in nature to nourish a woonderfull desire to haue children and by the necessitie of his condition he was caried with great couetousnesse of moniâ— vpon which two reasons he tooke a great desire to marie the sister of the house of Portugall which was both in an age able for mariage and with whome he hoped to receiue a plentifull line 10 portion in gold and treasure besides the liberalities of his owne people offered by waie of beneuolence in case the mariage went forward such was their desire to haue a quéene of the same nation and language and of hope to procreat children For these causes the negociation became euerie daie more hard and desperat betwéene both those princes wherein was also concurrent the ordinarie inclination of the cardinall of Yorke towards the French king togither with the open complaints he line 20 made of the emperour as well for the interests and respects of his king as for the small reputation the emperour began to hold of him He considered that afore the battell of Pauia the emperour neuer sent letters vnto him which were not written with his owne hand and subscribed your sonne and coosine Charles but after the battell he vsed the seruice of secretaries in all the letters he wrote to him infixing nothing of his owne hand but the subscription not with titles of so great reuerence and submission but line 30 onelie with this bare word Charles In this alteration of affection in the emperour the king of England tooke occasion to receiue with gratious words and demonstrations the ambassadour sent by the ladie regent to whome he gaue comfort to hope well in things to come And a little afterward estranging his mind wholie from the affaires which were in negociation betwéene him and the emperour he made a confederation with the ladie regent contracting in the name of hir sonne wherein he would haue inserted line 40 this expresse condition that for the kings ransome and
he would not performe then the line 20 king not to aid him with anie succours That the duke of Guelders and the countie of Zulffe and the principall townes of those estates should promise with sufficient securitie to giue themselues to the emperour after his death That the king should giue no succour to the duke of Wittenberge nor likewise to Robert de la March That he should furnish and rigge for the emperour both when he should passe into Italie and two moneths after being so required twelue gallies foure ships foure gallions all line 30 well munitioned and appointed except men of war the said vesselles to be rendred three moneths after accompting from the daie of his imbarking that in place of the armie by land which the king offered for Italie he should paie him two hundred thousand crownes in monie the one halfe within sixtéene moneths and the other halfe within a yéere after Againe that at the time when the hostages should be deliuered he should be bound to giue bils of exchange for the paie of six thousand footmen for six moneths line 40 immediatlie after the emperours arriuall in Italie that he should also furnish for his seruice fiue hundred lances paied with a band of artillerie That he should saue harmelesse the emperour of his promise made to the king of England by pensions which the French king should paie to him the arerages whereof amounted to fiue hundred thousand crownes or else to deliuer so much in readie monie to the emperour That they should both ioine to beséech line 50 the pope to call a generall councell with all spéed to the end to consult vpon an vniuersall peace amongst christians to aduance an enterprise against the infidels and heretikes and to grant to all the croisade for thrée yeares That within six weeks the king should restore the duke of Burbon in most ample forme into all his estates goods moouable and vnmoouable and fruits and reuenues receiued nor to molest him for anie thing past nor constraine him to dwell or go to the realme of France That it should line 60 be lawfull to the said duke of Burbon to demand by the waie of law and iustice the earledome of Prouence That in like sort all those that had followed him should reenter in safetie into their goods and states and namelie the bishop of Autun and monsieur de saint Ualier Moreouer that the prisoners taken in the warre should be deliuered on both parts within fiftâ—ene daies That there should be restitution made to the ladie Margaret of Austrich of all that she possessed afore the warre That the prince of Orange should be set at libertie with restauration to the principalitie of Orange and all that he possessed by the death of his father which had 〈…〉 from him for following the faction of the emperour That the like should be doone to other barons That there should be made restitution to the marquesse of Saluâ—â—e of his estate That the king as soone as he arriued in the first towne of his realme should ratifie this capitulation and be bound to procure the Dolphin to ratifie it when he should come to the age of fouretéene yeares Manie were named by common consent and cheeflie the Switzers Onelie there was not one of the potentates of Italie except the pope whom they named as conseruator of the accord and that more for maner sake and ceremonie than in effect and true meaning Lastlie it was expressed in the said capitulation that in case the king for anie occasion would not accomplish these matters promised he should returne true prisoner This accord for the parts it conteined brought no small astonishment to all Christendome For when it was vnderstood that the first execution thereof consisted in the deliuerie of the king all mens opinions were that being in his libertie he would not deliuer vp Burgongnie as being a member of too great importance for the realme of France And except a few who had counselled the emperour to it all his court had the same iudgement and namelie the Chancellor who reprehended and detested the matter with so great vehemencie that notwithstanding he was commanded to signe the capitulation according to the office of chéefe chancellors yet he refused to doo it alledging that in such matters dangerous and hurtfull as that was he ought not to vse the authoritie that was giuen him neither could he be altered from this opinion notwithstanding the emperour was angrie with him who séeing him so resolute in his opinion signed it himselfe and within few daies after went to Madrill to confirme the aliance and make a foundation of amitie and good will with the king whom he interteined in familiar and priuat sort Great were the ceremonies and demonstrations of amitie betwéene them oftentimes they shewed themselues togither in places publike and as often did they passe in secret familiar discourses They went togither in one coch vnto a castell not halfe a daies iournie from thence where was quéene Eleanor whom the king married And yet in all these great signes of peace and amitie he was obserued with as carefull and streict gard as before without anie aduantage of libertie So that he was embraced as a brother and garded as a prisoner A matter which made manifest to the world that it was an accord full of discord an aliance without amitie and that vpon euerie occasion their ancient gelousies and passions would be stronger in them than the regard of that aliance made more by force than freendship Manie daies were spent in these offices and ceremonies of amitie when was brought from the ladie regent the ratification togither with the declaration that with the Dolphin of France they would rather giue in hostage the kings second son than the twelue barons Then the king departed from Madrill taking his waie to the frontier of his realme where was to be exchanged his person for his sonnes who bare verie small age There was sent to accompanie him the viceroy the worker and author of his deliuerie to whome the emperour had giuen the citie of Alâ— with other estates in Flanders and in the kingdome of Naâ—les The king of England hearing that the French king should now be deliuered sent to him a knight of his chamber called sir Thomas Châ—nie to signifie to him the great ioy and gladnesse which he conceiued for his restitution to libertie and the conclusion of the generall peace For which kindnesse courteous remembrance the French king thought himselfe much bound as he confesseth himselfe here after to the king of England thanked him greatlie hereafter After much a doo and manie remoouings the French king was come on the confines of Fontarabie a towne apperteining to the emperour standing vpon the Ocean sea and is a frontier betwéene Biskaie and the duchie of Guien And on the other side the ladie regent was ariued with the children of line 10 France at Baion
send as well for the schoolemaster as for his children home to his house for their recreation in that pleasant and honorable feast Then being there the lord their father perceiuing them to be right well imploied in learning for their time he hauing a benefice in his gift being at that time void gaue the same to the schoolemaster in reward of his diligence at his departure after Christmas to the vniuersitie and hauing the presentation thereof repaired to the ordinarie for his induction and being furnished of his instruments made spéed to the benefice to take possession and being there for that intent one sir Iames Paulet knight dwelling thereabouts tooke occasion against him and set the schoolemaster by the héeles during his pleasure which after was neither forgotten nor forgiuen For when the schoolemaster mounted to the dignitie to be chancellor of England he sent for master line 10 Paulet after manie sharpe words inioined him to attend vntill he were dismissed and not to depart out of London without licence obteined so that he continued there within the middle Temple the space of fiue or six yeares and laie then in the Gate house next the stréet which he reedified verie sumptuouslie garnishing the same all ouer the outside with the cardinals armes with his hat cognisances and other deuises in so glorious a sort that he thought thereby to haue appeased his old displeasure line 20 Now after the deceasse of the lord marquesse this same schoolemaster considering himselfe to be but a simple beneficed man and to haue lost his fellowship in the college which was much to his reléefe thought not long to be vnprouided of some other helpe and in his trauell thereabouts he fell in acquaintance with one sir Iohn Naphant a verie graue ancient knight who had a great roome in Calis vnder king Henrie the seuenth this knight he serued and behaued himselfe so discreetlie that he obteined the especiall line 30 fauor of his master insomuch that he committed all the charge of his office vnto his chapleine and as I vnderstand the office was the treasurorship of Calis who was in consideration of his great age discharged of his roome and returned againe into England and thorough his instant labor his chapleine was promoted to be the kings chapleine and when he had once cast anchor in the port of promotion how he wrought I shall somewhat declare He hauing there a iust occasion to be in the sight line 40 of the king dailie by reason he said masse before him in his closet and that being doone he spent not the daie in idlenesse but would attend vpon those whom he thought to beare most rule in the councell the which at that time was doctor For bishop of Winchester secretarie and lord of the priuie seale and also sir Thomas Louell knight a sage councellor master of the wards and constable of the Tower these graue councellors in processe of time perceiued this chapleine to haue a verie fine wit and thought him line 50 a méet person to be preferred to wittie affaires It chanced at a certeine season that the king had an vrgent occasion to send an ambassador vnto the emperor Maximilian who laie at that present in the low countrie of Flanders not farre from Calis The bishop of Winchester and sir Thomas Louell whome the king counselled and debated with vpon this ambassage saw they had a conuenient occasion to prefer the kings chapleine whose wit eloquence and learning they highly commended to the line 60 king The king commanded them to bring his chapleine before his presence with whome he fell in communication of great matters and perceiuing his wit to be verie fine thought him sufficient commanding him therevpon to prepare himselfe to his iournie and hauing his depeach he tooke his leaue of the king at Richmond about noone so comming to London about foure of the clocke where the barge of Graues end was readie to lanch foorth both with a prosperous tide and wind without anie abode he entered the barge Hauing so doone he passed foorth with such spéed that he arriued at Graues end within little more than thrée houres where he tarried no longer than his post horsses were a prouiding and then trauelled so spéedily that he came to Douer the next morning whereas the passengers were readie vnder saile to Calis into the which passenger without tarrieng he entered and sailed foorth with them that long before noone he arriued at Calis and hauing post horsses departed from thense with such speed that he was that night with the emperor and disclosed the whole summe of his ambassage to the emperor of whome he required speedie expedition the which was granted him by the emperor so that the next daie he was cléerlie dispatched with all the kings requests fullie accomplished At which time he made no longer delaie but tooke post horsses that night and rode toward Calis conducted thither with such persons as the emperor had appointed and at the opening of the gates of Calis he came thither where the passengers were as readie to returne into England as they were before at his iournie forward insomuch that he arriued at Douer by ten of the clocke before noone and hauing post horsses came to the court at Richmond the same night where he taking some rest vntill the morning repaired to the king at his first comming from his bedchamber to his closet whom when the king saw he checked him for that he was not on his iournie Sir quoth he if it may please your highnesse I haue alreadie béene with the emperor and dispatched your affaires I trust to your graces contentation and with that presented vnto the king his letters of credence from the emperor The king being in a great maze and woonder of his speedie returne and procéedings dissembled all his woonder and demanded of him whether he incountered not his pursiuant the which he sent vnto him supposing him not to be out of London with letters concerning a verie necessarie matter neglected in their consultation Yea forsooth quoth the chapleine I met with him yesterdaie by the waie and hauing no vnderstanding by your graces letters of your pleasure haue notwithstanding béene so bold vpon mine owne discretion perceiuing that matter to be verie necessarie in that behalfe to dispatch the same And forsomuch as I haue excéeded your graces commission I most humblie require your graces pardon The king reioising not a little said We doo not onelie pardon you thereof but also giue you our princelie thanks both for the procéeding therein and also for your good and speedie exploit commanding him for that time to take his rest and repaire againe after dinner for the further relation of his ambassage The ambassador when he saw time repaired before the king and councell where he declared the effect of all his affaires so exactlie with such grauitie and eloquence that all the councell that
Lanquet wrote an epitome of chronicles and also of the winning of Bullongne Iohn Shepre Leonard line 30 Cox wrote diuerse treatises one in English rhetorike whereof Bale maketh no mention Thomas Soulmon borne in the I le of Gernseie verie studious in histories as by his writings and notes it appeareth Iohn Longland bishop of Lincolne Maurice Chancie a Charterhouse moonke Cutbert Tunstall bishop of Duresme Richard Samson Alban Hill a Welshman an excellent physician Richard Croke verie expert in the Gréeke toong Robert Whittington borne in Staffordshire néere to Lichfield line 40 wrote diuerse treatises for the instruction of Grammarians Iohn Aldrige bishop of Carleill Iohn Russell gathered a treatise intituled Super iure Caesaris Papae he wrote also commentaries in Cantica William Roie Simon Fish a Kentishman borne wrote a booke called the supplication of beggers Iohn Powell and Edward Powell Welshmen wrote against Luther Edward died in Smithfield for treason in denieng the kings supremacie in the line 50 yeare 1540 Iohn Houghton gouernour of the Charterhouse moonks in London died likewise for treason in the yeare a thousand fiue hundred thirtie and fiue Iohn Rickes being an aged man forsaking the order of a frier Minor which he had first professed imbraced the gospell George Bullen lord Rochford brother to quéene Anne wrote diuerse songs and sonets Francis Bigod knight borne in Yorkeshire wrote a booke against the cleargie intituled De impropriationibus and translated certeine bookes from Latine into English he died for rebellion in the yeare a thousand fiue hundred thirtie and seauen Richard Wise Henrie Morleie lord Morleie wrote diuerse treatises as comedies and tragedies the life of sectaries and certeine rithmes William Boteuille alià s Thin restored Chaucers workes by his learned and painfull corrections Iohn Smith sometime schoolemaister of Heiton Richard Turpine borne of a worshipfull familie in England seruing in the garrison of Calis wrote a chronicle of his time he died in the yéere a thousand fiue hundred fortie and one and was buried in saint Nicholas church in Calis Sir Thomas Wiat knight in whose praise much might be said as well for his learning as other excellent qualities meet for a man of his calling he greattlie furthered to inrich the English toong he wrote diuerse matters in English méeter and translated the seauen penitentiall psalmes and as some write the whole psalter he died of the pestilence in the west countrie being on his iourneie into Spaine whither he was sent ambassadour from the king vnto the emperour in the yeare a thousand fiue hundred fortie and one Henrie Howard earle of Surrie sonne to the duke of Norffolke delighted in the like studies with sir Thomas Wiat wrote diuerse treatises also in English méeter he suffered at Tower hill as in the historie of this king before yée haue heard Iohn Field a citizen and lawyer of London wrote sundrie treatises as his owne answers vnto certeine articles ministred to him by sir Thomas More the bishop of Rochester Rastall and others when he was in prison for religion he wrote also a treatise of mans fréewill De seruo hominis arbitrio and collections of the common lawes of the land c Tristram Reuell Henrie Brinklow a merchant of London wrote a little booke which he published vnder thâ— name of Roderike Mors and also a complaint vpon London c Robert Shingletâ—n borne of a good familie in Lancashire wrote a treatise of the seauen churches and other things as of certeine prophesies for the which as some write he suffered at London being conuict of treason in the yeare 1544 William Parreie a Welshman wrote a booke intituled Speculum iuuenum Of strangers that liued here in this kings daies and for their works which they wrote were had in estimation these we find recorded by maister Bale Barnard Andreas a Frenchman borne in Tolouse an Augustin Frier and an excellent poet Adrian de Castello an Italian of Corneto a towne in Thuscaine he was commended vnto king Henrie the seuenth by the archbishop Morton and therevpon was first made bishop of Hereford and after resigning that sée was aduanced to Bath and Welles Andreas Ammonius an Italian of the citie of Luca secretarie to the king wrote diuerse treatises Iames Calco an Italian also of Pauia in Lumbardie by profession a Carmelite frier an earnest defender of the diuorse betwixt the king and the ladie Katharine Dowager disproouing the marriage beâ—wixt them to be in anie wise lawfull Thus farre the right high and renowmed Henrie the eight sonne and successor to Henrie the seuenth Edward the sixt sonne and successor to Henrie the eight AFter it had pleased almightie God to call to his mercie that famous prince king Henrie the eight the parlement as yet continuing and now by his death dissolued the executours of the said king and other of the nobilitie assembling themselues line 10 togither did first by sound of trumpet in the palace of Westminster and so through London cause his sonne and heire prince Edward to be proclamed king of this realme by the name of Edward the sixt king of England France and Ireland defender of the faith and of the churches of England and Ireland the supreame head he being yet but nine yeares and od moneths of age he was thus proclamed the eight and twentith of Ianuarie in the yeare of the world 5513 and after the birth of our line 20 Lord 1547 year 1547 according to the accompt of them that begin the yeare at Christmasse but after the accompt of the church of England in the yeare 1546 about the nine and twentith yeare of the emperor Charles the fift the three and thirtith of Francis the first of that name king of France and in the fift yeare of the reigne of Marie quéene of Scotland Shortlie herevpon the earle of Hertford with other of the lords resorted to Hatfield where the yoong king then laie from whence they conducted him with line 30 a great and right honorable companie to the Tower of London During the time of his abode there for the good gouernement of the realme the honour and suertie of his maiesties person his vncle Edward earle of Hertford was by order of the councell and the assent of his maiestie as one most méetest to occupie that roome appointed gouernour of his roiall person and protector of his realmes dominions and subiects and so proclamed the first of Februarie by an herald at armes and sound of trumpet through line 40 the citie of London in the vsuall places thereof as it was thought expedient The sixt daie of Februarie the earle of Hertford lord protector adorned king Edward with the order of knighthood remaining then in the Tower and therewith the king standing vp called for Henrie Hubbleshorne lord maior of the citie of London who comming before his presence the king tooke the sword of the lord protector and dubbed the said Hubblethorne knight he being the first that euer he
nation onelie beside England speaketh the same language and as you and we be annexed and ioined in one Iland so no people are so like in maners forme language and all conditions as we are shall not he thinke it a thing verie vnméet vnnaturall and vnchristian that there should be betwixt line 10 vs so mortall war who in respect of all other nations be and should be like as two brethren of one Iland of great Britaine And though he were a stranger to both what should he thinke more meet than if it were possible one kingdome to be made in rule which is one in language and to be diuided in rulers which is all one in countrie And for so much as two successors cannot concurre and fall into one by no other maner of meanes than by marriage wherby one bloud one linage one line 20 parentage is made of two and an indefensible right giuen of both to one without the destruction and abolishing of either If God should grant that whatsoeuer you would wish other than that which now not by fortune hath chanced but by his infinit mercie and most inscrutable prouidence as carefull for you he hath giuen vnto you The which thing that you should also thinke to come of his disposition and not by blind fortune how vnlike hath it beene and how suddenlie hath it turned that the power of God might be shewed your last king being a prince of line 30 much excellencie and yoong whom you know after a promise broken contrarie to his honor misfortune by Gods iust iudgement following vpon it God either by sorrow or by some meanes otherwise at his inscrutable pleasure did take awaie from you had thrée children did not almightie God as it were to shew his will and pleasure to be that the long continued warre and enimitie of both the nations should be taken awaie and knit in perpetuall loue and amitie take the two men-children of those babes being line 40 distant the one from the other and in diuerse places both as it were at one time and within the space of foure and twentie houres leauing but one maiden-child and princesse When the most wise and victorious prince late our king and maister king Henrie the eight in other of his mariages not most fortunate had by his most lawfull and most vertuous wife quéene Iane his otther two wiues before that mariage departed line 50 this world and neuer surmise nor question made of that mariage since that time to this daie nor so much as all hir life time name or motion to or of anie other wife one prince of so high expectation of so great gifts of God the right and vndoubted heire of the realme of England and his maiestie onelie of male issue left behind him to succéed the imperiall crowne If nothing else had béene doone what can anie wise or anie christian man that thinketh the world to be gouerned by Gods prouidence line 60 and not by fortune thinke otherwise but that it was Gods pleasure it should be so that these two realmes should ioine in mariage and by a godlie sacrament make a godlie perpetuall and most friendlie vnitie concord whereby such benefits as of vnitie and concord commeth may through his infinit grace come vnto these realmes Or if anie man of you or of anie nation doubteth hereof except you looked for miracles to be doone herein and yet if ye marke all the possibilities of the natures of the two princes the children alreadie had the doubtfull chance least each of them should haue a sonne or both daughters or not of méet ages with other circumstances both of the partie of this realme of England and that of Scotland which hath not chanced in eight hundred yeares it must néeds be reckoned a great maruell and a miracle But let it be no miracle séeing that God dooth not now speake in oracles as amongest the Iewes he did and present prophesies now adaies be but either not certeine or else not plaine what more certeine can be had of Gods will in this case than the before rehearsed dooth bring But if God himselfe should speake what could he speake more than he speaketh in these Call you them prouidences or chances if you be still afflicted and punished Maie he not saie I of mine infinite mercie and loue to your nation had prouided a right heire and a prince to the one and a right heire and princesse to the other to be ioined in my holie lawes and by the lawe of nature and the world to haue made an vnitie concord and peace in the which Isle of both the realmes you refused it you loued better dissention than vnitte discord than agréement warre than peace hatred than loue and charitie If you doo then therefore smart for it whome can you blame but your owne election But because some of those who make therevnto impediments cannot but confesse that there appeareth Gods prouidence herein and oportunitie and occasion giuen to vnitie of both the realmes yet may hereafter say and heretofore haue said that the fault herein is that we séeke not equalitie nor the mariage but a conquest we would not be friends but the lords Although our proclamation at the last warres dooth inough declare the contrarie yet here we protest and declare vnto you and all christian people to be the kings maiesties mind our maisters by our aduise and counsell not to conquer but to haue in amitie not to win by force but to conciliate by loue not to spoile and kill but to saue and kéepe not to disseuer and diuorse but to ioine in mariage from high to low both the realms to make of one Isle one realme in loue amitie concord peace and charitie which if you refuse and driue vs to conquer who is guiltie of the bloudshed Who is the occasion of the warre Who maketh the battels the burning of houses and the deuastation which shall follow Can it be denied but that we haue the great seale of Scotland granted by the parlement of Scotland for the mariage which should be made with assurances and pledges vntill the performance And thus in the time that the late king of most famous memorie our souereigne lord king Henrie the eight did reigne and in the time of the same your gouernour who now is the earle of Arrane who then being a chiefe dooer and laborer therin for the high and inestimable benefit of that realme so soone as he was by the late cardinall of saint Andrews and others with certeine vaine feares and hopes gréedinesse of dignitie peruerted reuolted from his first agréement and put all the realme to the losse of such holds and fortresses as are now taken from you and to the losse of a foughten field for the which we are sorie if otherwise peace might haue bin concluded for his owne priuat lucre and retchlesnesse of that noble realme And what end can you looke for of these manner of
were persuaded than vanquished taught than ouerthrowne quietlie pacified than rigorouslie persecuted Ye require to haue the statute of six articles reuiued And know you what ye require Or know ye what ease ye haue with the losse of them They were lawes made but quicklie repented too bloudie they were to be borne of our people yet at the first in deed made of some necessitie Oh subiects how are ye trapped by euill persons We of pitie bicause they were bloudie tooke them awaie and you now of ignorance will aske them againe You know full well that they helped vs to extend rigour and gaue vs cause to draw our sword verie often And since our mercie mooued vs to write our lawes with milke and equitie how are ye blinded to aske them in bloud But leauing this maner of reasoning and resorting to the truth of our authoritie we let you wit the same hath béene adnulled by parlement with great reioise of our subiects and not now to be called in question And dareth anie of you with the name of a subiect stand against an act of parlement a law of the realme What is our power if lawes should be thus neglected Or what is your suertie if lawes be not kept Assure you most suerlie that we of no earthlie thing vnder the heauen make such reputation as we doo of this one to haue our lawes obeied this cause of God to be throughlie mainteined from the which we will neuer remoue a heares bredth nor giue place to anie creature liuing but therein will spend our whole roiall person our crowne treasure realme and all our state whereof we assure you of our high honor For herein resteth our honor herein doo all kings knowledge vs a king And shall anie one of you dare breath or thinke against our kingdome and crowne In the end of this your request as we be giuen to vnderstand ye would haue them stand in force till our full age To this we thinke that if ye knew what ye spake ye would not haue vttred the motion nor neuer giuen breath to such a thought For what thinke you of our kingdome Be we of lesse authoritie for our age Be we not your king now as we shall be Shall ye be subiects hereafter and now are ye not Haue we not the right we shall haue If ye would suspend and hang our dooings in doubt vntill our full age ye must first know as a king we haue no difference of yeares but as a naturall man and creature of God we haue youth and by his sufferance shall haue age We are your rightfull king your liege lord the souereigne prince of England not by our age but by Gods ordinance not onelie when we shall be one and twentie yeares of age but when we were of ten yéers We possesse our crowne not by yeares but by the bloud and descent from our father king Henrie the eight If it be considered they which mooue this matter if they durst vtter themselues would denie our kingdome But our good subiects know their prince and will increase not diminish his honor inlarge his power not abate it knowledge his kingdome not deferre it to certeine yeares All is one to speake against our crowne and to denie our kingdome as to require that our lawes maie be broken vnto one and twentie yeares Be we not your crowned annointed and established king Wherein be we of lesse maiestie of lesse authoritie or lesse state than our progenitors kings of this realme except your vnkindnes your vnnaturalnesse will diminish our estimation We haue hitherto since the death of our father by the good aduise and counsell of our deare and intirelie beloued vncle the duke of Summerset and gouernor and protector kept our estate mainteined our realme preserued our honour defended our people from all enimies We haue hitherto béene feared and dread of our enimies yea of princes kings and nations Yea herein we be nothing inferiour to anie our progenitors which grace we acknowledge to be giuen vs from God and how else but by good obedience line 10 good counsell of our magistrates and by the authoritie of our kingdome England hitherto hath gained honour during our reigne it hath woone of the enimie and not lost It hath béene maruelled that wée of so yoong yeares haue reigned so noblie so roiallie so quietlie And how chanceth that you our louing subiects of that our countrie of Cornewall and Deuonshire will giue occasion to slander this our realme of England to giue courage to the enimie to note our realme of line 20 the euill of rebellion to make it a preie to our old enimies to diminish our honour which God hath giuen our father left our good vncle and councell preserued vnto vs What greater euill could ye commit than euen now when our forren enimie in Scotland and vpon the sea seeketh to inuade vs to doo our realme dishonour than to arise in this maner against our law to prouoke our wrath to aske our vengeance and to giue vs an occasion to spend that force vâ—on you which we meant to bestow vpon our enimies to line 30 begin to slaie you with that sword that we drew forth against Scots and other enimies to make a conquest of our owne people which otherwise should haue beene of the whole realme of Scotland Thus farre we haue descended from our high maiestie for loue to consider you in your simple ignorance and haue béene content to send you an instruction like a father who of iustice might haue sent you your destructions like a king to rebels And now we let you know that as you sée our mercie abundantlie line 40 so if ye prouoke vs further we sweare to you by the liuing God ye shall féele the power of the same God in our sword which how mightie it is no subiect knoweth how puissant it is no priuat man can iudge how mortall no Englishman dare thinke But suerlie suerlie as your lord and prince your onlie king and maister we saie to you repent your selues and take our mercie without delaie or else we will foorthwith extend our princelie power and execute our sharpe sword against you as against infidels line 50 and Turks and rather aduenture our owne roiall person state and power than the same should not be executed And if you will proue the example of our mercie learne of certeine which latlie did arise as they perceiuing pretended some griefes and yet acknowledging their offenses haue not onelie most humblie their pardon but féele also by our order to whome onelie all publike order apperteineth present redresse of their griefes In the end we admonish you of line 60 your duties to God whome ye shall answere in the daie of the Lord of your duties toward vs whom ye shall answere by our order and take our mercie whilest God so inclineth vs least when ye shall be constreined to aske we shall be two much hardened in heart to grant it
of England This Geffreie Fitzpeter died in the yeare of our redemption 1212 being about the fourtéenth yeare of the reigne of the said miserablie afflicted king Iohn who died in the yeare of Christ 1216 whose death I haue beene the willinger here to mention because I would set downe his epitaph not else before set downe in our English line 60 chronicles as I find the same of ancient report Hoc in sarcophago sepelitur regis imago Qui moriens multum sedauit in orbe tumultum Et cui connexa dum vixit probra manebant Hunc mala post mortem timor est nefata sequantur Qui legis haec metuens dum cernis te moriturum Discito quid rerum pariat tibi meta dierum This Geffreie Fitzpeter maried Beatrice daughter and heire of William lord Saie by whom he had issue Geffreie Mandeuile earle of Essex Mawd maried to Humfreie de Bohuns by whome the Bohunes became earles of Essex William Marshall surnamed the great being erle of Penbroke was made protector of the realme person of the king after that the king being nine yeares of age was crowned in the yeare of our Lord 1216. Which office this William being also marshall of England vsed so honorablie that he recouered a great part of the nobilitie which tooke part with Lewes son of the French king against king Iohn father to this Henrie to assist the yoong king Henrie against the said Lewes who in the time of the said Iohn had obteined a great part of the kingdome of England By which meanes the said Lewes was expelled and the kingdome wholie recouered to the vse of the said yoong king Henrie the third This William Marshall maried Isabell daughter and heire to Richard Strangbow earle of Penbroke who made him a happie father in the multitude of his children For by hir he had fiue sonnes all which were in succession marshals of England and earles of Penbroke and fiue daughters The sonnes were William Richard Gilbert Walter and Anselme who all dieng without issue the inheritance was deuolued to the fiue sisters which were Mawd the eldest maried to Hugh Bigod in hir right earle marshall Ione the second maried to Waraine Monthensie in hir right also earle of Penbroke as hath Nicholas Triuet Isabell the third maried to Gilbert de Clare earle of Glocester Sibill the fourth maried to William Ferrers erle of Darbie Eue the fift daughter maried to William de Berehuse or de Brause This William the great died in the yeare of our redemption 1219 being the third as hath Nicholas Triuet or the fourth as hath Matthew Westminster yeare of the reigne of the said king Henrie the third and was buried at the new temple on Ascension daie being the seuenteenth calends of Aprill of whome was made this epitaph by Geruasius Melckeleie taking vpon him the person of the earle marshall Sum quem Saturnum sibi sentit Hibernia Solem Anglia Mercurium Normannia Gallia Martem Which signifieth that he was a sharpe corrector and ruler of the Irish an honor glorie to the English a councellor and dispatcher of the affaires of Normandie a warlike knight and inuincible capteine against the Frenchmen Petrus de rupibus or Peter of the Roch being bishop of Winchester was after the death of William Marshall earle of Penbroke aduanced to the protectorship of the king because that the yoong king was almost destitute of anie of his owne kindred that might woorthilie haue the rule of his person For his mother quéene Isabell was newlie maried to Hugh Brune earle of March in France This bishop of Winchester who was both a wise and a stout prelat being now in possession of the king and mistrusting that he had entred into a more weightie office than he might well discharge if all things were not doone according to the fansie of the nobilitie procured diuerse graue and honorable men to be preferred to the kings councell and to be associats to him in the administration of the weale publike and so entred into the administration of his new atchiued honor Which yet he did not long inioie But as the bishop was at the first carefull to plant such of the nobilitie about the king for the support of the realme so yet himselfe being a Gascoine did after in the riper yeares of the king prefer to offices about the king such Gascoins as both were of his owne bloud and kindred and by their extraordinarie dealing procured the nobilitie with an hard and vndutifull course to oppose themselues against the king This Peter was aduanced to the seat of Winchester in the yeare of our redemption 1204 being about the sixt yeare of king Iohn After which he went to Rome and being a prelat more fit to fight than to preach for Mars than for the muses did returne from Rome in the yeare of Christ 1205 being about the seuenth yeare of king Iohn He remained bishop about two and thirtie yeares and died at his manour house of Fernham on the fift ides of Iune in the yeare of our Lord as haue Matthew Paris and Matthew Westminster 1238 being the two twentith yeare of Henrie the third Who somewhat before his death about the one and line 10 thirtith yeare of his bishoprike went into the holie land with the bishop of Excester He builded and indued with possessions manie religious houses amongst which he founded Tichfield in Hampshire of which Peter de la Roches or of the rocks Matthew Paris maketh a more large discourse Hubert de Burow conestable of Douer castle earle of Kent and chiefe iustice of England being of great account in the realme for his probitie and goodnesse was made protector of the king and kingdome line 20 in the yeare of our redemption 1221 being the fift yeare of king Henrie the third This man in the yeare of Christ 1221 being the same yeare in the which he was made protector maried at Yorke Margaret sister to Alexander king of Scots And here I thinke it not amisse to saie somewhat touching the issue of this Hubert of Burow who in a certeine namelesse booke caried about in the hands of all men treating of the nobilitie created since the inuasion of William Conqueror is said to die without issue which cannot possiblie be so if that be line 30 true which I haue séene which I am led by manie reasons to beléeue to be most true For I haue read of two children which this Hubert had whereof the one being a sonne was called Richard de Burow who was knighted by Henrie the third as it séemeth to me after the death of his father if this Richard be not the same Iohn of whome Matthew Paris writeth that in the yeare of Christ 1229 Rex Anglorum Henricus in die Pentecostes Iohannem filium Huberti Angliae iusticiarij cingulo militari line 40 donauit tertio nonas Iunij The other child was a daughter called Margaret maried to Richard heire to the
about the feast of the Epiphanie Edward the Blacke prince eldest sonne to Edward the third being about the age of nine yeares was in the twelfe yéere of his father being the yeare of our redemption 1338 or as saith Matthew Parker 1337 made gardian of England in the absence of his father being as then sailed into Flanders to procure the Flemmings to aid him against the French king Under which prince as some write or rather as I for the time take it equall in commission line 10 to him it séemeth that Iohn archbishop of Canturburie had the cheefest rule of the land bicause that king Edward after his returne into England which was about the fouretéenth or the fifteenth of his reigne charged the said bishop with certeine negligences which he vsed in collections of monie whilest he had the chiefe rule of the land when he was in the wars of France Wherefore the words of Matthew Parker in the life of the said Iohn Stratford saieng that the king held a parlement in which Omnem regni line 20 curam gubernationem archiepiscopo cōmisit must néeds be intended that he had that charge vnder or equallie with the said Blacke prince as chiefest councellor to support the tender yeares of his sonne After which also in the yeare of our redemption as hath the same Matthew Parker 1342 being about the sixteenth of the said Edward the third the king committed the care gouernement of the kingdome to the said archbishop whilest the king was beyond line 30 the seas in the warres for thus writeth the said Parker fol. 257. Ac paulo post nulla purgatione indicta speaking of the said bishop vniustlie accused to the king aut recepta omnibus penè parlamenti ordinibus pro archiepiscopo deprecantibus rex eum sua sponte legitimè purgatum excusatum pronuntiauit eúmque multo magis charum quà m antè habuit omnibúsque gerendis in Anglia rebus se in militia absente praefecit Of which archbishop being somtime chancellor and treasuror of England shall be set downe a more large discourse in my large booke of the liues of the chancellors line 40 Lionell third sonne to Edward the third was in the ninth yere of the reigne of the said king Edward the third being the yeare in which the word became flesh 1345 made gardian of England in the absence of his father who as then was sailed into the parts beyond the seas of Flanders Of this man there is more spoken in my following treatise of the dukes of England Henrie lord Persie Rafe lord Neuill when Edward line 50 the third was sailed into Normandie were in the twentith yere of the reigne of the said Edward the third being the yeare of our redemption 1346 appointed to be gardians of the realme in his absence with the archbishop of Yorke the bishop of Lincolne and Thomas Hatfield bishop of Durham Thomas of Woodstocke being verie yoong was made custos or gardian of England in the yere that God tooke on him the forme of a seruant 1359 being the thrée thirtith of the reigne of the said king Edward the third when he sailed into France with a line 60 1100 ships Of this man is more spoken in my discourse of the dukes of England set downe in the time of quéene Elizabeth and in my treatise of the conestables of England set downe in the time of Henrie the eight pag. 867. Iohn of Gant duke of Lancaster fourth sonne of Edward the third bicause the king his father was féeble and sicklie being now about thrée score fiue yeares of age though Bodinus in his Methodo historiae saie that he died in his climactericall yeare of thrée score and thrée for the truth is that the said Edward the third was fourtéene yeares old when he began to reigne and he reigned about one and fiftie yeares which make of his age thrée score and fiue yeares but especiallie for the sorrow which the king inwardlie conceiued for the death of that worthie prince his son commonlie surnamed the Blacke prince This Iohn of Gaunt after the death of the said Blacke prince which died in the yeare of Christ 1376 being the fiftith yeare of the reigne of Edward the third whose death was déemed to be hastned by the said Iohn of Gaunt aspiring to the crowne the plat whereof though it tooke not effect in the life of the said Iohn yet it was performed in his sonne Henrie of Bullingbrooke who deposed Richard the second was appointed by his father Edward the third to haue the rule of the realme vnder him the which he continued during his fathers life which was not a full yeare after that he had made the said Iohn of Gaunt gouernour of England After which death of king Edward the third when Richard the second a child of eleuen yeares of age began his reigne in the yeare of our redemption 1377 in the first yeare of the said Richard the second after his coronation the said Iohn of Gaunt duke of Lancaster Edmund of Langleie earle of Cambridge brother to the said Iohn of Gaunt were appointed to haue the gouernement of the kings person and the administration of the common-wealth But shortlie after in the same yere of the king in the yeare of our redemption 1378 the said Iohn of Gaunt gaue vp the same office Of this man is more said in my treatise of the dukes of England William Courtneie bishop of London but shortlie after his protectorship aduanced vnto the sée of Canturburie in the yeare of Christ 1381 about the ninth of Ianuarie being about the fourth of Richard the second was made gouernor of the realme in this maner After as is before said that the duke of Lancaster had wiselie weied the fickle estate of the realme and considered that by the euill gouernment of the nobilitie and inconstant mind of the yoong king there must néeds fall a change of the estate doubting that if any thing succéeded otherwise than the nobles liked the cause and negligence might be imputed to him as one who cheeflie had the gouernment in his hands and thanks howsoeuer the state was ruled he looked for none did in the end after a few months authoritie wholie misliking the maners of the court which commonlie are not of the best in the minoritie of princes surrender his protectorship and obteined licence of the king to depart and so got him quietlie to his castell of Kenelworth permitting others to haue the whole swaie of the kingdome Notwithstanding all which in the second yeare of Richard the second about the yeare of Christ 1379 being not altogither carelesse of the kings well dooing this duke before his departing to Kenelwoorth caused certeine graue persons with his full consent to be ordeined which should haue the gouernement of the kings person and administration of the common-wealth The names of whome were William Courtneie before mentioned Edmund Mortimer
reuerend a prelat as the managing of the princes affaires by him dooth well witnesse and this present age can yet well remember This man being of a mild condition was borne at Hachaford in Richmondshire and as Leland hath left in writing that he heard the base sonne of one Tunstall an ancient gentleman whose ancestors as I haue read came into England with the conquerour attending on him as his barbar for which cause he beareth in his armes thrée combes as a note to posteritie of the originall of his gentrie Which bishop although he is supposed to haue béene base borne as manie noble capteins and other the valiant persons of the world haue béene whereof six hundred examples as hath the prouerbe might be produced yet was he not base in lerning eloquence grauitie and honorable calling both in spirituall temporall affaires both in seruice of the prince and in charge of his church For besides manie other offices that he exercised he was maister of the rols sundrie time ambassador to forreine princes bishop of London and from thence by vertue of Clement the seuenth his bulles to K. Henrie the eight in the yeare 1530 the fiue twentith of March aduanced to the sée of Durham and by the kings letters elected therevnto the yeare before said In the which function he behaued himselfe as the worthinesse of the estate required and as the doctrine of the church in those daies would permit of which I meane not to intreat neither of his fall or rising but will onlie meddle with méere temporall accidents as one that hath not béene accustomed to die his pen in the bloud of mens consciences nor in the opinions of religion Wherefore to omit all such things I saie of this bishop that he was a man singularlie learned as Caius tearmeth him Literaâ—issimus in the Hebrue Gréeke and Latine toongs and did not onelie erect sumptuous buildings for the mind and inward man in furnishing when he was bishop of London a librarie in Cambridge with manie notable both written and printed bookes compiling also manie other bookes aswell of diuinitie as of other sciences wherof at this daie his arithmâ—tike is of great estimation through Europe but did also for the flesh outward man build from the ground a most beautifull porch or gatehouse with a chapell annexed therevnto of faire stone in the castell of Durham withall adding vnto the said castell certeine gates with iron bars and portcullices supported with strong walles line 10 of stone on each part for the more strength against the enimie not forgetting to make a water-conduit for the ease of washing and to serue the other offices in the house on the left side of the entrance into the said castell To which these sumptuous déeds for they are verie heroicall may be added the gatehouse built at Alnewike and the tolboth in the market of Durham all of stone with the rest of the houses of office next vnto the hinder part of the said tolboth which afterward with other great liberalities line 20 he gaue to the citizens of Durham Lastlie at his owne charge he new repared with stoneworke the third part of Tinbridge which his predecessour Thomas Langleie recouered against the manor of Newcastell and which others his predecessors as occasion was offered therefore did from time to time most statelie repare In the end about the latter reigne of Edward the sixt being by Kinian or Ninian Menuile or Menille accused for that he somewhat fauoured the Romane religion line 30 and was not so forward in furthering of the gospell as that time required he was for that cause depriued from his bishoprike from all other ecclesiasticall gouernment and committed to the tower where he remained all the time of K. Edward Afterward by the benefit of quéene Marie in the first yeare of hir reigne he was reinuested into his sée of Durham which he possessed all the time of hir gouernement during which he was not so seuere an executor of the Romane canons against the protestants line 40 as the other bishops of England were But she not continuing long such are the inconstancies of our estates vncerteinties of our troubles he was againe by the noble quéene Elisabeth depriued of his bishoprike after disputation and conference had at Westminster in which he defended the Roman religion in the first yeare of the said Elisabeth about the truth of Christs gospell and was committed to Matthew Parker bishop of Canturburie who vsed him verie honourablie both for the line 50 grauitie learning and age of the said Tunstall But he not long remaining vnder the ward of the said bishop did shortlie after the eightéenth of Nouember in the yeare 1559 depart this life at Lambeth where he first receiued his consecration being a man of such age as that he atteined to the number of fourescore fiue years when he died He was buried in the queere of the church of Lambeth whose funerall sermon was doone by Alexander Nowell then now in the yeare 1586 deane of Poules Who taking this line 60 theame to intreat vpon Blessed are they which die in the Lord did there deliuer such liberall singular commendation of this man for his vertuous life lerning grauitie and good seruice doone to manie princes of England that more could not be said of anie man being spoken trulie Such force hath vertue that we ought to commend it euen in our enimies ouer whose dead carcase in the said church of Lambeth is laid a faire marble in which is ingrauen this epitaph of his deuised by doctor Walter Haddon Anglia Cutbertum Tunstallum â—â—oesta requirit Cuius summa domi laus erat â—tque foris Rhetor arithmeticus iuris consultus aequi Legatúsque fuit denique praesul erat Annorum satur magnorum plenus honorum Vertitur in cineres aureus iste senex This man was as it should appeare in stories full of contumarie and selfe will vntractable he was and of nature rebellious For saith maister Fox in the reigne of king Edward being cast into the tower for his disobedience where he kept his Christmasse thrée yeares togither more worthie of some other place without the tower if it had pleased God otherwise not to haue meant a further plague to this realme by that man Howbeit he was indued with such excellencie of lerning and that of sundrie sutes that of the learned he is noted for a mirror of that age wherein he liued and albeit a papist yet not depriuable of the praise which it pleased God to prouide for him being an enimie vnto the truth perhaps through feare as manie more by those rare and manifold good means wherewith he was adorned Insomuch that Leland a man of a cleare iudgement and great insight to discerne betwéene substantiallie and superficiallie learned comparing this bishop Tunstall with profound Budeus saith as foloweth Qua te nostra canet Tunstalle Britannia laude
of honor as age hath consumed with the persons which inioied such prehemences in England I will from the first creation of anie duke since the conquest recite the creation descent and succession of all the dukes of England shewing first the time of the creation of such dukes secondlie the descent of all such dukes as are lineallie issued out of that creation which follow as they came in one line Edward the eldest sonne of king Edward the third being surnamed the blacke prince was made duke of Cornewall the eleauenth of Edward the third in the yeare of our redemption 1337 when he was yet but yoong This yoong prince was the first duke in England since the conquest and Cornewall was by that creation the first place that was erected to a dukedome Which duke being the flower of chiualrie in his time died about the fiftith yéere of king line 10 Edward the third in the yeare of Christ 1376 and was buried at Canturburie Henrie Plantagenet alià s Tort Colle bicause his head leaned somewhat to one shoulder like the great Macedone king Alexander whose valure in feats of armes this Henrie did also imitate being sonne to Henrie of Monmouth earle of Lancaster was in like sort earle of Lancaster by descent After which he was created earle of Darbie as some saie in the eleauenth yeare of Edward the third being line 20 the yeare of our Lord 1337 other saie in the fouretéenth yeare of Edward the third in the yeare of our saluation 1340. He was created duke of Lancaster as some haue in the six twentith yeare of Edward the third as other haue the seauen twentith and as the third sort haue the eight twentith yeare of Edward the third He was lord steward of England lieutenant of Guines This man was wise glorious in fortune and full of honor in feates of armes whilest he was yoong he died the fiue and thirtith yeare line 30 of Edward the third in the yeare of Christ 1361 being one of the first knights which were made at the first institution of the honorable order of the garter and the second duke that was made in England He had issue two daughters heires Mawd maried to William duke of Bauare earle of Henalt Zeland Holand which after became mad Blanch maried to Iohn of Gant fourth sonne to Edward the third Iohn Plantagenet surnamed of Gant in Flanders where he was borne the fourth sonne to king line 40 Edward the third was first by his father in the fiue and thirtith yeare of Edward the third in the yeare of Christ 1361 made duke of Lancaster so that he was duke of Lancaster earle of Lincolne Salisburie Darbie and Leicester king of Castile Lirne and steward of England He married thrée wiues the first was Blanch the daughter and heire of Henrie duke of Lancaster earle of Leicester Lincolne Sarisburie Darbie in whose right he obteined all those titles of honor whome he maried in the thirtith line 50 thrée yeare of Edward the third in the yeare of our Lord 1359 and by hir had issue Henrie Plantagenet duke of Hereford Philip married in the tenth yeare of Richard the second in the yeare of Christ 1386 as some saie or rather 1385 as others haue to the king of Portingale and Elisabeth married to Iohn Holland erle of Huntington His second wife was Constance eldest daughter to Peter king of Castile whom he maried in the six fortith yeare of Edward the third being in the yeare of Christ 1372 line 60 by whome he had issue Margaret maried to the king of Castile which Constance died in the yere of Christ 1394 as saith Ypodigma His third wife was Katharine the widow of Otho Swinford and daughter to sir Paien Ruet alià s Guien king at armes whom he maried in the nintéenth yeare of king Richard the second being the yere of Christ 1395 or as some saie 1396 by this woman he had before mariage Thomas Beaufort Iohn Beaufort Henrie Beaufort cardinall of Winchester Iane maried to Rafe Neuill earle of Westmerland all which children were in the twentith of Richard the second being in the yeare 1396 legitimated by parlement at which time the said Iohn of Gant gaue them the surname of Beaufort This Iohn of Gant was also earle of Richmond and constable of France in the time of Richard the second who made him also duke of Aquitaine in the fourtéenth yeare of his reigne being the yeare 1390 This Iohn of Gant died in the two twentith yeare of Richard the second in the yeare 1398 or as saith Ypodigma 1399 was buried in the quâ—ere of saint Paules church of London on the north side Henrie Plantagenet alià s Henrie of Bollinbroke so surnamed of the place of his birth the eldest son of the said Iohn was by inheritance duke of Lancaster earle of Leicester Salisburie Darbie and Lincolne he was created duke of Hereford by Richard the second who made him earle of Darbie in the ninth yeare of his reigne in the yeare of Christ 1386 and after made him duke of Hereford in the 21 yeare of his reigne being the yeare of Christ 1397. Which Henrie of Bollinbroke maried in the 9 yéere of the reigne of Richard the second in the yeare of Christ 1386 Marie the second daughter one of the heires of Humphrie Bohune earle of Hereford Essex and conestable of England which woman died in the yéere of Christ 1394 about the eighteenth yéere of Richard the second This Henrie was after king of England by the name of Henrie the fourth Lionell Plantagenet surnamed Lionell of Antwerpe in Brabant because he was there borne being the third son of king Edward the third was erle of Ulster in Ireland by his wife and created duke of Clarence in the 36 yéere of Edward the third in the yéere of Christ 1462 but other saie he was made duke in the 33 yeer of Edward the third He had two wiues the first Elisabeth some saie Eleanor but rightlie as I doo suppose the daughter of William Burgh earle of Ulster by whom he had issue Philip maried to Edmund earle of March the second wife was Ielant or Uielant daughter to Galeas duke of Millane to whom he was maried as saith the English chronicle in the two and fortith yéere of Edward the third in the yéere of Christ 1368 which yéere the Italians count 1367 by whom he had no issue This Lionell was somtime regent of France died 1368. Edmund of Langleie fift son to Edward the third made earle of Cambridge about the six and thirtith yéere of Edward the third being the yeere of Christ 1361 was made duke of Yorke in the eight or as some haue the ninth yéere of the said king Richard the second He in the six and fortith yéere of king Edward the third in the yéere that the word became flesh 1372 married Isabell one of the daughters of
the yeare of our Lord one thousand fiue hundred fiftie and one Sir William Paulet knight marquesse of Winchester was made lord treasuror vpon the death of the duke of Summerset in the fift yeare of king Edward the sixt and the yeare of Christ one thousand fiue hundred fiftie and one which office he kept by the space of twentie yeares and more a longer time than euer anie other treasuror had done before except the two last dukes of Norffolke This man being a man of extreme age as atteining to the yeares of ninetie seuen died lord treasuror of England the tenth of March in the yeare of our saluation one thousand fiue hundred seuentie and one being the fourtéenth yeare of the reigne of the famous queene Elisabeth at his manor of Basing He in his life time did sée the children of his childrens children growne to the number of one hundred and thrée a rare blessing of God to men of his calling He married Elisabeth the daughter of sir William Capell knight by whome he had issue Iohn marquesse of Winchester Thomas Chidiocke and Giles Alice married to Richard Stowell Margaret married to sir William Berkeleie Margerie married to Richard Waller and Eleanor married to sir Richard Peckshall Sir William Cecill knight of the garter and lord Burghleie was aduanced to the honorable place of lord treasuror of England on the thirtéenth daie of Iulie in the yeare of our redemption one thousand fiue hundred seauentie and two being the fouretéenth yeare of the reigne of our gratious quéene Elisabeth This man was descended of the honorable familie of the Sitsylts of Wales sometime lords of Beauport in the daies of Henrie the first as appeareth by this pedegrée here inserted 1 In the yeare of Christ one thousand ninetie and one Robert Sitsylt came with Robert Fitzhamon to the conquest of the countrie of Glamorgan and after wedded a ladie by whom he had Halterennes and other lands in Hereford and Glocestershires he had a sonne called Iames Sitsylt 2 Iames Sitsylt tooke part with Mawd the empresse against king Stephan and was slaine at the siege of the castell of Wallingford Anno quarto Stephani hauing then vpon him a vesture whereon was wrought in néedle worke his armes or ensignes as they be made on the toome of Gerald Sitsylt in the abbeie of Dore which are afterward trulie blazed in a iudgement giuen by commission of king Edward the third for the ancient right of the same armes This Iames had a sonne called Iohn Sitsylt and foure daughters 3 Iohn Sitsylt the sonne of Iames was after the death of his father in the same warres with Roger earle of Hereford and constable of England and being taken prisoner at the siege of Lincolne Anno. 6. Stephani he paid for his ransome foure hundred marks and therefore sold his lordship of Beauport and all his lands in the countie of Glocester he tooke to wife a ladie called Mawd de Frenes and had issue Eustace 4 Eustace Sitsylt the son of Iohn was wedded to Elianor the daughter of sir Walter Pembridge knight and had by hir Baldwin and Iohn and foure daughters whereof one of them was the wife of sir Thomas Fitzneale knight 5 Baldwin Sitsylt the sonne of Eustace was made knight by king Henrie the second in the warres that the king had against the Welshmen he was also killed in the same warres at the siege of the castell of Cardiffe his father being aliue he tooke to wife the daughter of Maurice de Brompton and had by hir Gerald Sitsylt Eustace Sitsylt Henrie Sitsylt Iohn Sitsylt and Walter Sitsylt and two daughters Catharine and Elianor Catharine was the wife of Hugh Muredake and Elianor was the wife of Walter Wallis This Baldwin Sitsylt knight tooke to his second wife Margerie the daughter of Stephan Radnor knight and had by hir Stephan Sitsylt Roger Sitsylt Hugh Sitsylt and Dauid Sitsylt and thrée daughters the first was Mawd and she was a Nun the second was Ione and she was the wife of Iohn de line 10 Solers the third daughter Anne was the wife of Owen ap Meredith This man gaue certeine lands in the towneship of Kigestone vnto the moonks of Dore and granted vnto the same moonks fréedome of common and pasture and other liberties in his woods 6 Gerald Sitsylt the first sonne of Baldwin Sitsylt knight tooke to wife Mabill the daughter of Sir William Moigne knight and had by hir three sonnes Gerald Sitsylt that died a child Robert line 20 Sitsylt that married and had children and Owen Sitsylt a moonke of the abbeie of Dore. He had also three daughters Catharine that was wedded to sir Griffin ap Yoreford and after to Dauid ap Euan and the third time to Geffreie de Bret sonne of sir Walter Bret knight Anne the second daughter of Gerald Sitsylt was wedded to Robert the sonne of Richard Bromewich And Ellen the third daughter of Gerald Sitsylt was the wife of Iohn Abrahall father of sir Iohn Abrahall line 30 knight 7 Robert Sitsylt the sonne of Gerald tooke to wife Alicia daughter of sir Robert Tregois knight and had by hir Iames Sitsylt his first sonne Gerald the second sonne Thomas the third sonne and Baldwin the fourth sonne and Margaret the first daughter and Elisabeth the second daughter 8 Iames Sitsylt the sonne of Robert tooke to wife Isabell the daughter of sir Iohn Knell knight and had by hir Iames and Gerald twins Iames line 40 died yoong he had also Robert Sitsylt and Iohn Sitsylt and fiue daughters that is to saie Alicia wedded to Walter Monington Grace wedded to Roger sonne of William Blunt Elianor wedded to Thomas Paine Margerie wedded to Morgan ap Meredith and Sislie married to Howell ap Blethin and after to sir Hugh Bruge 9 Gerald Sitsylt sonne of Iames tooke to wife Margaret daughter of Stephan Dalaber and by hir had Iohn Sitsylt and after he wedded Bridget line 50 the widow of sir Simon Ward knight and had by hir Iames Sitsylt and the third time married the daughter of Martine Hopton and had by hir Martine Sitsylt Henrie Sitsylt and Dauid Sitsylt and Ione a daughter And the fourth time the same Gerald Sitsylt tooke to wife Iane the daughter of Robert Emerton and had by hir one sonne named Stigand Sitsylt that was slaine in the warres of Striuelin in the time of king Edward the second and had no issue as the register of the abbie of Dore maketh mention line 60 10 Iohn Sitsylt the sonne of Gerald tooke to wife Sibill the daughter of Robert of Ewyas and had by hir sir Iohn Sitsylt knight George Sitsylt and a daughter named Margaret that was the wife of sir Robert Baskeruile knight who had by hir sir Iohn Baskeruile knight and by his second wife he had sir Richard Baskeruile knight that tooke to wife Iane the daughter and heire of George Sitsylt second sonne of
déepe in the shallowest and otherwise being driuen by the wind verie boisterous in the northeast on banks one ell or a yard a half déepe In the which drifts of snow farre deeper in the countrie manie cattell and some men and women were ouerwhelmed and lost It snowed till the eight daie of that moneth and frised till the tenth and then followed a â—haw with continuall raine a long time after which caused such high waters and great flouds that the marishes and low grounds being drowned for the time and the water of the Thames rose so high into Westminster hall that after the fall thereof some fishes were found to remaine in the said hall The seuentéenth of Februarie an Irishman for murdering of a man in a garden of Stepenheth parish was hanged in chaines on the common called Mile end gréene This common was sometimes yea in the memorie of men yet liuing a large mile long from White chappell to Stepenheth church and therefore called Mile end greene but now at this present by gréedie and as séemeth to me vnlawfull inclosures and building of houses notwithstâ—nding hir maiesties proclamation to the contrarie it remaineth scarse halfe a mile in length The twentith daie of Februarie deceased sir Nicholas Bacon lord kéeper of the great seale of England who was honourablie buried vnder a sumptuous monument or toome by him in his life time erected in S. Pauls church of London on the ninth daie of March This sir Nicholas Bacon in his life time gaue for six scholers to be found in Bennets college in Cambridge to each of them three pounds six shillings and eight pence the yeare for euer ¶ The said sir Nicholas Bacons toome aforesaid bearing certeine representations of his wiues and children in imagerie worke is adorned with a notable epitaph wherein is pithilie described the meanes whereby he grew to be noble as also immortall The same being conteined in these verses following and iustifiable by the verie epitaph whereof this is a true transcription great pitie but it shuld be perpetuall Hic Nicolaum ne Baconum conditum Existima illum tam diu Britannici Regni secundum columen exitium malis line 10 Bonis asylum caeca quem non extulit Ad hunc honorem sors sed aequitas fides Doctrina pietas vnica prudentia Non morte raptum crede qui vnica Vita perennes emerit duas agit Vitam secundam coelites inter animus Fama implet orbem vita quae illi tertia est Hac positum in ara est corpus olim animi domus Ara dicata sempiternae memoriae This yeare in the moneth of Aprill to wit on the line 20 foure and twentith daie fell such a snow betwéene the hours of foure of the clocke in the morning nine of the clocke before noone of the same daie that in London the same snow was found to lie one foot déepe The 25 daie of Aprill sir Thomas Bromleie knight was made lord chancellor of England The chancellors of England collected out of sundrie ancient line 30 histories THe creation of this sir Thomas Bromleie lord chancellor hath occasioned me to treate of the chancellors of England a matter which I haue béene the willinger to set downe because I would minister cause to others who haue long wanted of their cunning in this matter to impart to the world some of their great knowledge herein to the benefit of their countrie But since I doubt that they will line 40 not accept this in good part till that come And as I may perhaps doo in this somewhat more largelie than in the iudgement of others shall seeme answerable to the most receiued opinion touching the chancellors treat of the antiquitie of them so yet I haue no mind to erre or to leade anie other into error Wherefore if things be not in perfection vpon this first rough hewing as nothing is at the first so exquisit as time dooth not after amend it yet disdaine it not sith this may giue more light than line 50 before was knowen And I determine God willing either to amend or to confesse and auoid in the large description of their liues whatsoeuer imperfections haue now distilled out of my pen either for mistaking or misplacing of name person or time and so to the matter It hath beene some question amongst the best antiquaries of our age that there were neuer anie chancellors in England before the comming of Edward the confessor out of Normandie whome they line 60 suppose to haue brought the same officer with him from thense into this realme But sith I am with manie reasons and ancient authorities led to beleue the contrarie I will imbrace the contrarie opinion therevnto and hold in this discourse as the order thereof shall prooue that there were chancellors before saint Edwards time for the confirmation whereof and for the authoritie of them for the etymologie and originall of the name and for the continuance of their office thou shalt find an ample discourse in my booke purposelie written of the liues of the chancellors whervnto I wholie refer thée who I hope shall within these few yeares be partaker thereof and in the meane time giue thee this tast of the age and names of the chancellors and vicechancellors and such keepers of the great seale as serued in place of chancellors For euerie one that was kéeper of the great seale was not intituled chancellor no more than euerie chancellor was intituled the keeper of the greatseale But because the one did serue in the vacancie of the other so that after a certeine sort the kéeper of the great seale was vicechancellor and possessed the place though not the name of a chancellor as in our age sir Nicholas Bacon did we therefore haue set downe the names of the one and the other as they followed in succession of time after this manner Turketill chancellor to Ethelbald who began his reigne about the yeare of Christ 718 which Turketill gaue six manours to the abbeie of Croâ—land as I haue séene noted Saint Swithin bishop of Winchester was chancellor and chiefe of councell to the great monarch king Egbert though some attribute him to Edgar which Egbert began his reigne about the yeare of Christ 802. Wlfinus chancellor to king Athelstan who began his reigne in the yeare of our redemption nine hundred and foure and twentie Adulphus chancellor to king Edgar who began his reigne in the yeare that the world became flesh nine hundred fiftie and nine of this man speaketh Hugo Petro Burgensis and Leland calleth this Adulph Cancellarium archigrammatum chancellor or chiefe secretarie Alsius or Aelsius the second abbat of Elie chancellor to king Etheldred who began his reigne in the yeare of Christ nine hundred seuentie and eight this man being by Ethelwold bishop of Winchester consecrated abbat at the appointment of the said king Ethelred or Egelred
nothing can be cruell and yet vpon whom nothing hath béene doone but gentle and mercifull The execution of iustice in England for maintenance of publike and christian peace against certeine stirrers of sedition and adherents to the traitors and enimies of the realme without anie persecution of them for questions of religion as is falslie reported and published by the fautors and fosterers of their treasons IT hath béene in all ages and in all countries a common vsage of all offendors for the most part both great and small to make defense of their lewd and vnlawfull facts by vntruths and by colouring and couering their déeds were they neuer so vile with pretenses of some other causes of contrarie operations or effects to the intent not onelie to auoid punishment or shame but to continue vphold and prosecute their wicked attempts to the full satisfaction of their disordered and malicious appetites And though such hath beene the vse of all offendors yet of none with more danger than of rebels and traitors to their lawfull princes kings and countries Of which sort of late yeares are speciallie to be noted certeine persons naturallie borne subiects in the realme of England and Ireland who hauing for some good time professed outwardlie their obedience to their souereigne ladie quéene Elisabeth haue neuerthelesse afterward beene stirred vp and seduced by wicked spirite first in England sundrie yeares past and secondlie and of later time in Ireland to enter into open rebellion taking armes and comming into the field against hir maiestie and hir lieutenants with their forces vnder banners displaied inducing by notable vntruths manie simple people to follow and assist them in their traitorous actions And though it is verie well knowen that both line 10 their intentions and manifest actions were bent to haue deposed the quéenes maiestie from hir crowne and to haue traitorouslie set in hir place some other whome they liked whereby if they had not béene spéedilie resisted they would haue committed great bloudsheds and slaughters of hir maiesties faithfull subiects and ruined their natiue countrie yet by Gods power giuen vnto hir maiestie they were so spéedilie vanquished as some few of them suffered by order of law according to their deserts line 20 manie the greatest part vpon confession of their faults were pardoned the rest but they not manie of the principall escaped into forren countries there bicause in none or few places rebels and traitors to their naturall princes and countries dare for their treasons chalenge at their first muster open comfort or succour these notable traitors and rebels haue falselie informed manie kings princes and states and speciallie the bishop of Rome commonlie called the pope from whom they all had secretlie their first line 30 comfort to rebell that the cause of their flieng from their countries was for the religion of Rome and for maintenance of the said popes authoritie whereas diuerse of them before their rebellion liued so notoriouslie the most part of their liues out of all good rule either for honest maners or for anie sense in religion as they might haue béene rather familiar with Catiline or fauourers to Sardanapalus than accounted good subiects vnder anie christian princes As for some examples of the heads of line 40 these rebellions out of England fled Charles Neuill earle of Westmerland a person vtterlie wasted by loosenesse of life and by Gods punishment euen in the time of his rebellion bereaued of his children that should haue succéeded him in the earledome and his bodie now eaten with vlcers of lewd causes as his companions doo saie that no enimie he hath can wish him a viler punishment a pitifull losse to the realme of so noble a house neuer before in anie age atteinted for disloialtie And out of Ireland ran line 50 awaie one Thomas Stukeleie a defamed person almost thorough all christendome and a faithlesse beast rather than a man fléeing first out of England for notable pirasies and out of Ireland for trecheries not pardonable which two were the first ringleaders of the rest of the rebels the one for England the other for Ireland But notwithstanding the notorious euill and wicked liues of these others their confederats void of line 60 all christian religion it liked the bishop of Rome as in fauour of their treasons not to colour their offenses as themselues openlie pretend to doo for auoiding of common shame of the world but flatlie to animate them to continue their former wicked purposes that is to take armes against their lawfull quéene to inuade hir realme with forren forces to pursue all hir good subiects their natiue countries with fire and sword for maintenance whereof there had some yeares before at sundrie times procéeded in a thundering sort buls excommunications and other publike writings denouncing hir maiestie being the lawfull quéene and Gods annointed seruant not to be the queene of the realme charging and vpon paines of excommunication commâ—â—â—ing all hir subiects to depart from their naturall allegiances whereto by birth and by oth they were bound prouoking also and authorising all persons of all degrees within both the realmes to rebell And vpon this antichristian warrant being contrarie to all the lawes of God and man nothing agréeable to a pastorall officer not onelie all the rable of the foresaid traitors that were before fled but also all other persons that had forsaken their natiue countries being of diuerse conditions and qualities some not able to liue at home but in beggerie some discontented for lacke of preferments which they gaped for vnworthilie in vniuersities and other places some bankerupt merchants some in a sort learned to contentions being not contented to learne to obeie the laws of the land haue manie yeares running vp and downe from countrie to countrie practised some in one corner some in an other some with séeking to gather forces and monie for forces some with instigation of princes by vntruths to make warre vpon their naturall countrie some with inward practises to murther the greatest some with seditious writings and verie manie of late with publike infamous libels full of despitefull vile termes and poisoned lies altogither to vphold the foresaid antichristian and tyrannous warrant of the popes bull And yet also by some other meanes to further these inuentions bicause they could not readilie preuaile by waie of force finding forren princes of better consideration not readilie inclined to their wicked purposes it was deuised to erect by certeine schooles which they called seminaries to nourish and bring vp persons disposed naturallie to sedition to continue their race trade and to become seedmen in their tillage of sedition and them to send secretlie into these the quéenes maiesties realmes of England Ireland vnder secret maskes some of priesthood some of other inferiour orders with titles of seminaries for some of the meaner sort and of Iesuits for the stagers and ranker sort
countries and so continued in all ancient times when the seuerall prouinces thereof as Flanders Holland and Zeland and other countries to them adioining were ruled and possessed by seuerall lords and not vnited togither as of late yeares they haue béene by intermarriages and at length by concurrences of manie and sundrie titles haue also béene reduced to be vnder the gouernement of their lords that succéeded to the dukedome of Burgundie whereby there hath béene in former ages manie speciall aliances and confederations not onelie betwixt the kings of England our progenitors and the lords of the said countries of Flanders Holland Zeland and their adherents but also betwixt the verie naturall subiects of both countries as the prelats noblemen citizens burgesses and other communalties of the great cities and port townes of either countrie reciprocallie by speciall obligations and stipulations vnder their seales interchangeablie for maintenance both of commerce and intercourse of merchants also of speciall mutuall amitie to be obserued betwixt the people and inhabitants of both parties as well ecclesiasticall as secular and verie expresse prouision in such treaties conteined for mutuall fauours affections and all other friendlie offices to be vsed and prosecuted by the people of the one nation towards the other By which mutuall bonds there hath continued perpetuall vnions of the peoples hearts togither and so by waie of continuall intercourses from age to age the same mutuall loue hath béene inuiolablie kept and exercised as it had beene by the worke of nature and neuer vtterlie dissolued nor yet for anie long time discontinued howsoeuer the kings and the lords of the countries sometimes though verie rarelie haue béene at difference by sinister meanes of some other princes their neighbours enuieng the felicitie of these two countries And for maintenance and testimonie of these naturall vnions of the peoples of these kingdoms and countries in perpetuall amitie there are extant sundrie authentike treaties and transactions for mutuall commerce intercourse and streict amitie of ancient times as for example some verie solemnelie accorded in the times of king Henrie the sixt our progenitor and Philip the second duke of Burgundie and inheritour to the countie of Flanders by the ladie Margaret his grandmoother which was aboue one hundred fortie yeares past the same also renewed by the noble duke Charles his son father to the king of Spaines grandmoother and husband to the ladie Margaret sister to our great grandfather king Edward the fourth and after that of new ofttimes renewed by our most noble sage grandfather king Henrie the seuenth and the archduke Philip grandfather to the king of Spaine now being and in latter times often renewed betwixt our father of noble memorie king Henrie the eight and Charles the fift emperor of Almaine father also to the present king of Spaine In all which treaties transactions and confederations of amitie and mutuall commerce it was also at all times speciallie and principallie conteined in expresse words by conuentions concords and conclusions that the naturall people and subiects of either side should shew mutuall fauours and duties one to the other and should safelie freelie and securelie commerce togither in euerie their countries and so hath the same mutuall and naturall concourse and commerce béene without interruption continued in manie ages farre aboue the like example of anie other countries in christendome to the honour and strength of the princes and to the singular great benefit and inriching of their people vntill of late line 10 yeares that the king of Spaine departing out of his low countries into Spaine hath beene as it is to be thought counselled by his councellors of Spaine to appoint Spaniards forrenners and strangers of strange bloud men more exercised in warres than in peaceable gouernement and some of them notablie delighted in bloud as hath appeared by their actions to be the chiefest gouernours of all his said low countries contrarie to the ancient lawes and customes thereof hauing great plentie of noble line 20 valiant and faithfull persons naturallie borne and such as the emperour Charles and the king himselfe had to their great honours vsed in their seruice able to haue béene imploied in the rule of those countries But these Spaniards being méere strangers hauing no naturall regard in their gouernement to the maintenance of those countries and people in their ancient and naturall maner of peaceable liuing as the most noble and wise emperor Charles line 30 yea and as his sonne king Philip himselfe had whilest he remained in those countries and vsed the counsels of the states and naturall of the countries not violating the ancient liberties of the countries but contrariwise these Spaniards being exalted to absolute gouernement by ambition and for priuat lucre haue violentlie broken the ancient lawes and liberties of all the countries and in a tyrannous sort haue banished killed and destroied without order of line 40 law within the space of few moneths manie of the most ancient and principall persons of the naturall nobilitie that were most worthie of gouernement And howsoeuer in the beginning of these cruell persecutions the pretense therof was for maintenance of the Romish religion yet they spared not to depriue verie manie catholikes and ecclesiasticall persons of their franchises and priuileges and of the chiefest that were executed of the nobilitie none was in the whole countrie more affected to that religion line 50 than was the noble and valiant countie of Egmond the verie glorie of that countrie who neither for his singular victories in the seruice of the king of Spaine can be forgotten in the true histories nor yet for the crueltie vsed for his destruction to be but for euer lamented in the harts of the naturall people of that countrie And furthermore to bring these whole countries in seruitude to Spaine these forren gouernours haue by long intestine warre with multitude of Spaniards and with some few Italians and Almains line 60 made the greater part of the said countries which with their riches by common estimation answered the emperour Charles equallie to his Indies in a maner desolat and haue also lamentablie destroied by sword famine and other cruell maners of death a great part of the naturall people now the rich townes and strong places being desolate of their naturall inhabitants are held and kept chieflie with force by the Spaniards All which pitifull miseries and horrible calamities of these most rich countries and people are of all their neighbours at this daie euen of such as in ancient time haue beene at frequent discord with them through naturall compassion verie greatlie pitied which appeared speciallie this present yeare when the French king pretended to haue receiued them to his protection had not as the states of the countrie their deputies were answered that certeine vntimelie and vnlooked for complots of the house of Guise stirred and maintained by monie out of Spaine disturbed the good and
earle of March Rafe Ergume bishop of Salisburie and William lord Latimer with others of whome for the most part the people had conceiued a good opinion yet bicause the said bishop of Salisburie and the lord Latimer were associat to the rest and of equall authoritie with them the commons murmured greatlie against them The cause for which they so misliked the lord Latimer was for that he had sometimes bin too much fauouring to dame Alice Piers concubine to king Edward the third to whome the said lord Latimer was chiefe chamberleine therefore was of him best be loued which two persons the lord Latimer and dame Alice were by parlement in the fiftith yeare of Edward the third remooued from the king for that they miscounselled him but especiallie sith much mischiefe grew in the realme by the same Alice Piers. For she being now exalted in pride by ouermuch loue of K. Edward the third would beyond the modestie and maner of women sit in iudgement with the kings iustices be with the doctors in the consistorie turne sentences to what side she would and require manie things dishonest in themselues and dishonourable to the king Of line 10 which woman an old written chronicle belonging to the house of Euesham hath deliuered to me these words Alicia Piers regis concubina supra modum mulierum nimis supergressa sui etiam sexus fragilitatis foemineae immemor nunc iuxta iusticiarios regios nunc in foro ecclesiastico iuxta doctores sedendo pro defensione causarum suadere etiam contra iura postulare minimè verebatur vnde propcer scandalum-petierunt ab illo which was the king penitùs amoueri in parlemento tento anno Domini 1376 50 Ed. 3. Thus that author line 20 And here before I go anie further with my protectors bicause some curious heads that find not all these matters in the records of the tower which they dailie turne with a churlish hand or else thinke that nothing maie be knowne out of the walles of their office will séeme to séeke a knot in a rush and saie that I in compasse of some few lines haue written a contrarietie in saieng that Iohn of Gaunt thirsted after the kingdome and for that cause hastened the death of his elder brother prince Edward the blacke line 30 as Richard the third did the death of his brother George duke of Clarence which intent could not possiblie be in Iohn of Gaunt as appeareth by my owne following words where I saie that he gaue ouer the protectorship of his nephue bicause he would auoid all suspicion of euill gouernement which hée would neuer haue doone if he had so ment that place being so apt for the execution of his purpose and might giue occasion to him that neuer ment anie such matter before to attempt it being in that place line 40 as Richard duke of Yorke did attempt but not performe it in the time of Henrie the sixt and as Richard duke of Glocester being in the same office of protectorship did not onelie attempt it but brought to perfection Wherevnto I answer that all this is no contrarietie but onelie a manifest shew and confirmation the one part of my words to the other For sith he could not in the life of his father Edward the third before the crowning of king Richard the second as Richard the third did atteine the crowne he line 50 would not now attempt it the king being once crowned and in full possession of the kingdome so rashlie and vnaduisedlie as did Richard duke of Yorke against Henrie for which he was in the end slaine least that thereby his part might séeme to carie the face of a rebellion as in truth it should haue doone For whosoeuer either for colour of God benefit to their countrie or for whatsoeuer cause lift vp the sword against a crowned king sitting at the sterne of gouernement being one of the gods of the line 60 earth the same must needs tend vnto a rebellion which Iohn of Gaunt would not seeme to execute for that cause leauing off his purpose at that time he did in the end also leaue the whole matter to his son to performe especiallie sith he afterward perceiued Richard the second so much to fauor and further him with monie munition and men to recouer the kingdome of Castile Arragon in Spaine in the right of the wife of the said Iohn of Gaunt To whom and to his wife as hath Henrie Knighton king Richard the second gaue a seuerall crowne of gold to honour them withall to shew how intierlie he loued them when they both went into Spaine And for these causes the said Iohn of Gaunt refused the oportunitie of time place in the king his nephues minoritie to execute it But did he cease it so No. For that sparke although it were a litle cooled was not vtterlie quenched bicause he hastened the same in his son whom he not onelie persuaded but furthered after the banishment of his said sonne Henrie of Bullingbrooke by Richard the second in the life of said Iohn of Gaunt to returne into England and after his death to chalenge by sword the earldome of Lancaster his right inheritance and vnder the same to reuenge the death of the duke of Glocester and others and by that means when Richard the second was out of the realme of England in Ireland the said Henrie Bullingbrooke sonne of Iohn of Gaunt entered the realme put downe the king and got the crowne which his father sought Thus this much digressing from the protectors and to returne to that course which I haue in hand I will leaue the discourse of policies to obteine kingdoms bicause they be no balles for me to bandie and follow on my former intent as meeter for my simplicitie Thomas Beauchampe earle of Warwike was in the third yeare of Richard the second being the yeare of our redemption 1380 made protector in this sort In the parlement holden the same yeare at the speciall sute of the lords and of the commons the bishops and barons chosen as you haue heard before by Iohn of Gaunt to be protectors of the realme were remoued and the earle of Warwike especiallie elected to that function to remaine continuallie with the king as chéefe gouernor of his roiall person one that should giue answer to all forreners repairing thither vpon what cause soeuer their comming were hauing further as ample gouernment of the kingdome giuen vnto him as the other remoued gouernors had Being placed in that office by the duke of Lancaster he died the sixt ides of Aprill in the yeare of Christ 1401 being the third yeare of Henrie the fourth He maried Margaret the daughter of William lord Ferrers of Grobie by whome he had issue Richard earle of Warwike Thomas Fitzalane otherwise called Arundell bishop of Elie the two and twentith that inioied that seat being two and twentie yeares of age and the son of Richard
Fitzalane earle of Arundell Warren was with others made protector of England in this sort At a parlement holden at London in the tenth yeare of Richard the second being the yeare of Christ 1386 were certeine gouernors of the kingdome elected because the treasure of the realme had beene imbesiled lewdlie wasted nothing to the profit of the king and kingdome by the couetous and euill gouernment of the deposed officers which were Michaell de la Poole earle of Suffolke lord chancellor Iohn Fortham bishop of Durham lord treasuror diuerse other persons that ruled about the king Now the gouernors elected by this parlement were in number thirtéene and by name Thomas Arundell bishop of Elie then made lord chancellor Iohn Gilbert bishop of Hereford made lord treasuror and Nicholas abbat of Waltham at that time made kéeper of the priuie seale William Courtneie archbishop of Canturburie Alexander Neuill archbishop of Yorke Edmund Langleie duke of Yorke Thomas of Woodstocke duke of Glocester William bishop of Winchester Thomas bishop of Ercester Richard Fitzalane erle of Arundell Iohn lord Deuereux and Reinold lord Cobham of Starborow These were thus by parlement chosen to haue vnder the king the whole ouersight and gouernment of the realme as by their commission in the statutes of the tenth yeare of the said Richard the second it dooth in the printed booke appeare Edmund Langleie duke of Yorke vncle vnto Richard the second was in the eighteenth yeare of the said Richard being about the yeare of our redemption 1395 ordeined lord gardian of England in the kings absence in the realme of Ireland This protector caused a parlement to be assembled at Westminster where he dealt so effectuallie notwithstanding the vntowardnesse of the burgesses that a tenth was granted by the cleargie and a fiftéenth by the temporaltie but not without protestation line 10 that those paiments were granted of a méere fréewill for the loue they bare to the king and to haue the affaires in Ireland to succéed the better After this about foure yeares king Richard the second in the two and twentith yeare of his reigne in the yeare of Christ 1399 making another viage into Ireland being the last and most vnhappie that euer was to him for before his returne he had in effect lost his realme which after his comming he lost in deed did againe in his absence substitute line 20 this Edmund duke of Yorke as cheefe gouernor of England Who in the absence of the king assembled a power of men against Henrie of Bullingbrooke now entered into the land to challenge the dukedome of Lancaster after the death of his father Iohn of Gaunt and vnder that colour to vsurpe the crowne Which Edmund passing into Wales in the thrée and twentith yeare of Richard the second was receiued into the castell of Barkleie there remained vntill the comming of Henrie line 30 of Bullingbrooke Whom when he perceiued for the power which the said duke of Lancaster had assembled from all parts of the realme that he was not of sufficiencie to resist he came foorth into the church that stood without the castell and there fell to parâ—ée with the duke of Lancaster after which he did neuer forsake the duke of Lancaster vntill he came to the crowne Who if he had faithfullie stood vnto his nephue might perhaps haue saued vnto him both his crowne and life Of this man is more said line 40 in my treatise of the dukes of England Ione de Namures sometime dutches of Britaine widow to Philip Montfort as saith Hypodigma but Walsingham in his historie casteth him Iohn duke of Britaine being also the widow of king Henrie the fourth was substitute gouernor of the realme by hir son in law king Henrie the fift king of England in the third yeare of his reigne being the yeare from the birth of the Messias 1415 when the said Henrie the fift tooke his iournie into line 50 France to conquer the same This woman in the seuenth yeare of Henrie the fift which was in the yeare of Christ 1419 being suspected as saith Iohn Stow to practise witchcraft against the king was committed to the custodie of Iohn Wellam or rather Iohn Pelham who appointed nine seruants to attend vpon hir and brought hir to Peuenseie castell to be gouerned vnder his prouidence But shortlie after cléering hir selfe she was deliuered This ladie died at Hauering at the bowre in Essex line 60 the ninth of Iulie in the seuentéenth yeare of the reigne of king Henrie the sixt being the yeare of Christ one thousand foure hundred thirtie and seuen and was buried at Canturburie with hir husband king Henrie the fourth Iohn duke of Bedford son to Henrie the fourth brother to K. Henrie the fift was in the fourth yeare of the reigne of the said Henrie being the yeare of our redemption 1416 by parlement appointed regent of the realme to inioie the same office so long as the king was imploied in the French wars Which place he possessed accordinglie and in the ninth yeare of the victorious prince king Henrie the fift being gardian of England he with Henrie Beauford bishop of Winchester vncle to Henrie the fift and Iaqueline duches of Holland remaining then in England were godfathers and godmother to Henrie after king by the name of Henrie the sixt the son of Henrie the fift Henrie Chichleie archbishop of Canturburie baptising the child In the tenth and last yeare of Henrie the fift this Iohn with a strong power conueied quéene Katharine wife to Henrie the fift from Southampton into France This man being duke of Bedford earle of Richmond and of Kendall conestable of England and warden of the marches of Scotland died the fourtéenth daie of September at Rone in Normandie who hauing also béene regent of France a most valiant gentleman and one that kept the parts beyond the seas in great obedience to the crowne of England had for his yearelie pension 20000 crownes at the least After whose death all things went backeward and the English lost all that they had beyond the seas Calis those dominions onlie excepted This man I saie died in the yeare of our redemption 1435 being the thirtéenth yeare of the vnfortunat gouernment of the deposed king Henrie the sixt and was honorablie buried at Rone in our ladie church there Touching whome it shall not gréeue me to set downe the answer of a French king latelie in our age made to one of his nobilitie saieng vnto the king then being in the said ladie church of Rone and beholding the toome of this Iohn of Bedford that it were conuenient that the same toome were defaced and pulled downe since he was the onelie man that wrought the greatest damage that euer happened vnto France To whom the king said Hold thy peace foole God forbid that euer we should doo such reproch to him being dead whome the proudest of our nation durst not looke in the face when he was liuing This