decrées of the old fathers that might be preiudiciall to the authoritie of the archbishop of Yorke at whose appointment those and the like things were accustomed to be doone In this controuersie or the like it is left written that in a court held at Rome the time is not mentioned the pope perceiuing the strife betwéene these two prelats to be but for the highest place or primasie in the church he solemnelie gaue sentence by decree that the sée of Yorke should haue in title Primas Angliae Canturburie Primas totius Angliae which titles doo yet remain to them both But to leaue this and to speake of other things which chanced in the meane time that this controuersie depended betwixt the two archbishops I find that Edwin and Marchar earles of Mertia and Northumberland hauing of late obteined pardon for their former misdemeanor reconciled to the king began now so much to mislike the state of the world againe as euer they did before For perceiuing how the Englishmen were still oppressed with thraldome miserie on ech hand they conspired began a new rebellion but with verie ill successe as shall herafter appeare The king vnderstanding of their dealings and being not onelie armed throughlie with temporall force but also endued with the spirituall power of his archbishop Lanfranke who aided him in all that he might for the suppressing of those rebels wasted the countries excéedinglie where he vnderstood that they had gotten anie releefe minding vtterlie to vanquish them with sword fire and hunger or by extreame penurie to bring them vnder They on the other part make as stout resistance and perceiuing that it stood them vpon either to vanquish or to fall into vtter ruine they raise a mightie strong host and make Edgar Etheling their capteine a comelie gentleman and a valiant in whome also the whole hope of the English nation was reposed as appeareth by this his accustomed by-word Edgar Etheling Englands dearling Amongst other noble men that were chiefe dooers in the assembling of this armie Frederike abbat of S. Albons a prelate of great wealth and no lesse puissance was a principall The king perceiuing his estate to be now in no small danger is in a great perplexitie what to doo in the end he counselleth with the said Lanfranke archbishop of Canturburie how he might remedie the matter who told him that in such a desperate case the best waie for him should be to séeke by faire words and friendly offers to pacifie the English Nobilitie which by all meanes possible would neuer ceasse to molest him in the recouerie of their liberties Wherevpon he made meanes to come to some agréement with them and so well the matter procéeded line 10 on his side that the Englishmen being deceiued through his faire promises were contented to common of peace for which purpose they came also vnder the conduct of the abbat Frederike vnto Berkamsted where after much reasoning and debating of the matter for the conclusion of amitie betwixt them king William in the presence of the archbishop Lanfranke and other of his lords tooke a personall oth vpon all the relikes of the church of S. Albons and the holie euangelists the abbat Frederike ministring line 20 the same vnto him that he would from thencefoorth obserue and keepe the good and ancient approoued lawes of the realme which the noble kings of England his predecessors had made and ordeined heretofore but namelie those of S. Edward which were supposed to be most equall and indifferent The peace being thus concluded and the Englishmen growne thereby to some hope of further quietnesse they began to forsake their alies and returned each one either to his owne possessions or to giue line 30 attendance vpon the king But he warilie cloking his inward purpose notwithstanding the vnitie latelie made determineth particularlie to assaile his enimies whose power without doubt so long as it was vnited could not possiblie be ouercome as he thought and being now by reason of this peace disseuered and dispersed he thought it high time to put his secret purposes in execution wherevpon taking them at vnwares and thinking of nothing lesse than warres and sudden inuasion he imprisoneth manie line 40 killeth diuers and pursueth the residue with fire and sword taking awaie their goods possessions lands and inheritances and banishing them out of the realme In the meane time those of the English Nobilitie which could escape this his outragious tyrannie got awaie and amongst other Edgar Etheling fled againe into Scotland but Edwin was slaine of his owne souldiers as he rode toward Scotland earle Marchar and one Hereward with the bishop of Durham named Egelwinus got into the I le of line 50 Elie in purpose there to defend themselues from the iniurie of the Normans for they tooke the place by reason of the situation to be of no small strength Howbeit king William endeuouring to cut them short raised a power and stopped all the passages on the east side and on the west part he made a causie through the fennes of two miles in length whereby he got vnto them and constreined them to yeeld But Marchar or as others haue Hereward foreséeing the imminent danger likelie to take effect made line 60 shift to get out of the I le by bote and so by spéedie flight escaped into Scotland The bishop of Durham being taken was sent to the abbey of Abingdon to be kept as prisoner where he was so sparinglie fed that within a short space he died for hunger In this meane time and whilest king William was thus occupied in rooting out the English Malcolme king of Scotland had wasted the countries of Theisedale Cleueland and the lands of S. Cutbert with sundrie other places in the north parts Wherevpon Gospatrike being latelie reconciled to the king made earle of Northumberland was sent against him who sacked and destroied that part of Cumberland which the said Malcolme by violence had brought vnder his subiection At the same time Malcolme was at Weremouth beholding the fire which his people had kindled in the church of Saint Peter to burne vp the same and there hearing what Gospatrike had doone he tooke such displeasure thereat that he commanded his men they should leaue none of the English nation aliue but put them all to the sword without pitie or compassion so oft as they came to hand The bloudie slaughter which was made at this time by the Scots through that cruell commandement of Malcolme was pitifull to consider for women children old and yong went all one way howbeit manie of those that were strong and able to serue for drudges and slaues were reserued and carried into Scotland as prisoners where they remained manie yeares after in so much that there were few houses in that realme but had one or mo English slaues and captiues whom they gat at this vnhappie voiage Miserable was the state of the English at that time
distant as lions leopards lynxes and porcupines His estimation was such among outlandish princes that few would willinglie offend him Murcherdach king of Ireland his successors had him in such reuerence that they durst doo nothing but what he commanded nor write any thing but what might stand with his pleasure though at the first the same Morchad attempted something against the Englishmen more than held with reason but afterward vpon restraint of the entercourse of merchandize he was glad to shew himselfe more fréendlie Moreouer the earle of Orkney although he was the king of Norwaies subiect yet did he what he could to procure king Henries fréendship sending such strange beasts and other things to him oftentimes as presents wherein he knew the king tooke great delight and pleasure He had in singular fauour aboue all other of his councell Roger the bishop of Salisburie a politike prelate and one that knew how to order matters of great importance vnto whome he committed the gouernement of the realme most commonlie whilest he remained in Normandie As well in this kings daies as in the time of his brother William Rufus men forgetting their owne sex and state transformed themselues into the habit and forme of women by suffering their haire to grow in length the which they curled and trimmed verie curiouslie after the maner of damosels and yong gentlewomen insomuch that they made such account of their long bushing perukes that those which would be taken for courtiers contended with women who should haue the longest tresses and such as wanted sought to amend it with art and by knitting wreathes about their heads of those their long and side locks for a brauerie Yet we read that king Henrie gaue commandement to all his people to cut their haire about the 28. yeare of his reigne year 1127 Preachers indeed inueied against such vnseemlie maners in men as a thing more agréeable and seemelie for the contrarie sex Wil. Malm. reciteth a tale of a knight in those daies that tooke no small liking of himselfe for his faire and long haire who chanced to haue a verie terrible dreame For it séemed to him in his sléepe that one was about to strangle him with his owne haire which he wrapped about his throte and necke the impression whereof sanke so deepelie into his line 10 mind that when he awaked out of his sléepe he streightwaies caused so much of his haire to be cut as might seeme superfluous A great number of other in the realme followed his commendable example but the remorse of conscience herein that thus caused them to cut their haire continued not long for they fell to the like abuse againe so as within a twelue moneths space they excéeded therein as farre beyond all the bounds of séemelie order as before ¶ In this Henrie ended the line of the Normans as touching the heires male and then came in the Frenchmen by the title of the heires generall after that the Normans had reigned about 69. yeares for so manie are accounted from the comming of William Conquerour vnto the beginning of the reigne of king Stephan who succéeded the said Henrie Thus farre the succession and regiment of the Normans namelie William Conquerour the father William Rufus and Henrie Beauclerke the sonnes Stephan earle of Bullongne STephan earle of Bullongne the sonne of Stephan erle of Blois by his wife Adela daughter to William Conquerour came ouer with all speed after the death of his vncle and tooke vpon him the line 20 gouernement of the realme of England partlie through confidence which he had in the puissance and strength of his brother Theobald earle of Blois and partlie by the aid of his brother Henrie bishop of Winchester and abbat of Glastenburie although that he with other of the Nobles had sworne afore to be true vnto the empresse and hir issue as lawfull heires of king Henrie latelie deceassed line 30 The same day that he arriued in England there chanced a mightie great tempest of thunder horrible to heare and lightning dreadfull to behold Now bicause this happened in the winter time it séemed against nature and therefore it was the more noted as a foreshewing of some trouble and calamitie to come This Stephan began his reigne ouer the realme of England the second day of December in the yere of our Lord 1135. in the eleuenth yeare of the emperour line 40 Lothair the sixt of pope Innocentius the second and about the xxvij of Lewes the seuenth surnamed Crassus king of France Dauid the first of that name then reigning in Scotland entring into the twelfe of his regiment He was crowned at Westminster vpon S. Stephans day by William archbishop of Canturburie the most part of the Nobles of the realme being present and swearing fealtie vnto him as to their true and lawfull souereigne Howbeit there were diuerse of the wiser sort of line 50 all estates which regarding their former oth could haue béene contented that the empresse should haue gouerned till hir sonne had come to lawfull age notwithstanding they held their peace as yet and consented vnto Stephan But this breach of their othes was worthilie punished afterward insomuch that as well the bishops as the other Nobles either died an euill death or were afflicted with diuerse kinds of calamities and mischances and that euen here in this life of which some of them as occasion serueth shall be remembred hereafter Yet there were of them and namelie the bishop of Salisburie which protested that they were frée from their oth of allegiance made to the said empresse bicause that without the consent of the lords of the land she was maried out of the realme whereas they tooke their oth to receiue hir for queene vpon that condition that without their assent she should not marrie with any person out of the realme Moreouer as some writers thinke the bishops tooke it that they should doo God good seruice in prouiding for the wealth of the realme and the aduancement of the church by their periurie For whereas the late deceassed king vsed himselfe not altogither for their purpose they thought that if they might set vp and creat a king chéeflie by their especiall meanes and authoritie he would follow their counsell better and reforme such things as they iudged to be amisse But a great cause that mooued manie of the lords vnto the violating thus of their oth was as some authors rehearse for that Hugh Bigot sometime steward to king Henrie the first immediatlie after the decease of king Henrie came into England and as well before the archbishop of Canturburie as diuers other lords of the land tooke a voluntarie oth although most men thinke that he was hired so to doo bicause of great promotion declaring vpon the same that he was present a little before king Henries death when the same king adopted and chose his nephue Stephan to be his heire
thousand marks which he tooke to his owne vse by way of confiscation for his disloiall demeanor This ingratitude of the king wounded the bishops hart insomuch that taking thought for the losse of his houses and monie he pined awaie and died within a while after The quarrell which was first picked at these bishops rose by occasion of a fraie betwixt the bishops men and the seruants of Alaine duke of Britaine about the taking vp of Inues at their comming to Oxenford In which fraie one of the dukes men was killed his nephue almost slaine and the residue of his folkes sore beaten and chased Herevpon were the bishops first committed to ward and afterward handled at the kings pleasure as partlie ye haue heard ¶ Héere by the way good reader thou hast one example worthie to be marked of fickle fortunes inconstancie whereof the poet speaketh verie excellentlie variat semper fortuna tenorera Diuerso gaudens mortalia voluere cafis Nam qui scire velit cur hunc fortuna vel illum Aut premat aut sursum tollat nimis arduae quaerit Terrarum siquidem est illi concessa potestas Maxima huic illam praesecit Iuppiter erbi For this Roger bishop of Salisburie was in the daies of William Rufus a poore préest seruing a cure in a village néere the citie of Caen in Normandie Now it chanced that the lord Henrie the kings brother came thither on a time and called for a préest to say masse before him Whervpon this Roger comming to the altar was by and by readie and quicke at it and therewithall had so speedilie made an end thereof that the men of warre then attendant on the said lord Henrie affirmed that this préest aboue all other was a chapleine meet to say masse before men of warre bicause he had made an end when manie thought he had but newlie begun Herevpon the kings brother commanded the preest to follow him insomuch that when oportunitie serued for his diligent seruice and readie dispatch of matters when Henrie had atteined the crowne he was by him aduanced to great promotions as first to be Chancelour of England after bishop of Salisburie growing still into such estimation that he might doo more with the king than any other of the councell But to returne to king Stephan who after he had thus imprisoned the aforesaid bishops manned those castles which he tooke from them with his owne soldiers in like maner as he had doone all the rest which he had taken from the rebels that he might the better withstand the empresse and hir sonne whose comming line 10 he euer feared He began also to shew himselfe cruell towards all men and namelie against those that had chieflie furthered his title to the obteining of the crowne ¶ This as manie tooke it came to passe by the prouidence of almightie God that those should suffer for their periuries which contrarie to law and right had consented to crowne him king In déed he wist not well whom he might trust for he stood in doubt of all men bicause he was aduertised by credible report that the empresse sought for aid line 20 on all sides meaning verie shortlie to come into England For this cause also he thought good to procure the fréendship of Lewes king of France which he brought to passe by concluding a mariage betwéene his sonne Eustace and the ladie Constance sister to the said Lewes But within a few yeares after this Eustace died and then was Constance maried to Raimond earle of Tholouse In the meane time namelie on the first daie of September a councell was holden at Winchester line 30 wherein earle Alberike de Ueer pleaded with great eloquence the kings case in excuse of his fault for imprisoning the bishops which was sore laid to his charge by his owne brother the bishop of Winchester being also the popes legat who togither with the archbishop of Canturburie and other bishops had called this councell for that purpose Howbeit they got nothing of the king but faire words and promises of amendment in that which had béene doone otherwise than equitie required which promises were vtterlie vnperformed and so the councell brake vp line 40 In the moneth of Iulie the empresse Maud landed here in England at Portesmouth went strait to Arundell which towne togither with the countie of Sussex hir mother in law Adelicia king Henries second wife wedded to William de Albenay held in right of assignation for hir dower There came in with the empresse hir brother Robert and Hugh Bigot of whom ye haue heard before Some write that the empresse brought with hir a great armie to the intent that ioining with Ranulph line 50 earle of Chester who tooke part with Robert erle of Glocester bicause the same Rob. had maried his daughter she might fight with king Stephan and trie the battell with him Other declare that she came to England now at the first but with a small power as seuen score horssemen or men of armes as we may call them in hope of Gods assurance who seldome faileth those that fight in a rightfull cause and againe vpon trust of aid of fréends who for the line 60 benefits receiued at hir fathers hands would be readie to go against king Stephan Wherevpon hir brother earle Robert leauing his sister in the castle of Arundell rode with all spéed vnto Glocester thorough his enimies countrie not taking with him past 12. men of armes and as manie archers on horssebacke that vpon his cōming thither he might leuie an armie with so much speed as was possible Now when he came to Glocester though the citie was kept with a garison of soldiours placed there by king Stephan yet the townesmen after they heard that their earle was approched to the gates they droue out the garison receiued him into the towne where he remained a time partlie to assemble an armie and partlie to practise with other townes and castels thereabouts to reuolt vnto his sister Amongst all other the earles sonne Brian and Miles of Glocester were right ioifull of the news of the empresses arriuall and gladlie prepared themselues to fight in defense of hir cause In the meane time king Stephan hauing knowledge of the landing of the empresse and other his enimies came strait to Arundell where he besieged hir in the castle and spent his labour certeine daies in vaine about the winning of it Howbeit at that present he did not preuaile for there were certeine with him who in fauour of the empresse bare him in hand that it was not possible to win that fortresse and therefore aduised him to raise his siege and suffer the empresse to be at libertie to go to some other place where he might with more ease and lesse damage get hir into his hands The king not perceiuing the drift of those secret practisers followed their counsell Wherevpon the
This yeare was Thomas Becket preferred to be the kings Chancellor The king holding his Christmas at Worcester in great royaltie year 1158 sat in the church at seruice with his line 40 crowne on his head as the kings vsed in those daies to doo on solemne feasts but as soone as masse was ended he tooke his crowne from his head and set it downe vpon the altar in signe of humblenes so that he neuer after passed for the wearing of a crowne The same yeare also the king altered his coine abrogating certeine peeces called basels In the moneth of August he went ouer into Normandie and came to an enteruiew with the French king neere to the riuer of Eata where they intreated line 50 of a league and of a marriage which was after agréed vpon betwixt Henrie the sonne of king Henrie and the ladie Margaret daughter to the French king at which time Thomas Becket then being the kings chancellor was sent to Paris in great araie to fetch hir who among other furnitures had nine long charrets as Matthew Paris writeth Now when this ladie was deliuered to Thomas Becket the lord chancellor and brought from Paris she was appointed from thencefoorth to remaine in the house line 60 of Robert de Newburge a Noble man of great honor vntill such time as the mariage should be solemnized After the two kings were departed in sunder K. Henrie prepared an armie against Conan duke of Britaine who had seized the citie of Naunts into his hands after the decease of Geffrey the kings brother who was earle of Naunts At length the same Conan perceiuing himselfe not able to resist the king of England vpon the daie of the feast of saint Michael the archangell came to king Henrie and surrendred the citie of Naunts into his hands with all the whole countrie therevnto belonging Soone after which resignation and vpon the 24. of August Geffrey the kings fourth sonne was borne of his wife queene Elianor In December following Theobald earle of Blois was accorded with king Henrie to deliuer to him two of his castels Likewise Petroke earle of Perch surrendred two castels vnto king Henrie which he had vsurped of the demeanes of Normandie in the daies of king Stephan one of which castels the king gaue him againe receiuing homage of him for the same Moreouer king Henrie and Raimond earle of Barzelone met togither at Blaime where they concluded a league by waie of allegiance so that Richard the sonne of king Henrie should take to wife the daughter of the said Raimond in time conuenient and that the king of England should giue vnto the said Richard the duchie of Aquitane the countie of Poictow This earle Raimond had married the daughter and heire of the king of Aragon In the meane time a secret grudge that had long depended betwéene king Henrie and king Lewes of France did still continue and though there was a friendship agreed betweene them as ye haue heard to haue extinguished the same yet was it but a fained friendship for vpon euerie new occasion they were readie to breake againe as it came to passe shortlie after William duke of Aquitane grandfather to queene Elianor married the daughter and heire of the earle of Tholouze and going vnto the warres of the holie land he engaged that earledome vnto Raimond the earle of saint Giles and died before he could returne His sonne William father to quéene Elianor suffered his earledome to remaine still vnredéemed either for want of sufficiencie or through negligence and carelesnesse so that the earle of saint Giles kéeping possession thereof vnto his dieng daie left it to his sonne Raimond who inioyed it likewise Now when king Lewes hauing married the foresaid Elianor demanded restitution as in the right of his wife earle Raimond flatlie at the first denied to restore it but after considering his lacke of power to resist the kings puissance he plied the K. with humble petitions and so preuailed by faire words that in the end king Lewes granted him his sister Constance in marriage which Constance as ye haue heard was married before vnto Eustace the sonne of king Stephan with hir granted him libertie to reteine the earldome of Tholouze as it were by waie of endowment whereto the other accorded Howbeit king Henrie hauing maried the foresaid quéene Elianor after the diuorse had betwixt hir and king Lewes made claime to the said countie of Tholouze in the right of his wife Herevpon earle Raimond trusting now to the aid of his brother in law king Lewes denied to restore it so that king Henrie determined to recouer it by force and entring by and by into Gascoine with an armie he drew towards the countrie of Tholouze began to inuade the same with great force and courage Diuers great lords of those parties ioyned with king Henrie in his war which he attempted against the earle of saint Giles as the earle of Barzelone and the lord William Trencheuile a man of great power in those quarters hauing vnder his rule manie cities castels and townes notwithstanding that he had of late lost many of them by violence of the foresaid earle of Tholouze but now by the aide of king Henrie he recouered them all Malcolme also king of Scotland came vnto king Henrie whilest he was foorth in this iournie to associate him in this businesse The earle hearing of king Henries comming with an armie was put in great feare and therevpon wrote letters to his brother in law king Lewes requiring him with all spéed possible to come vnto his aid King Lewes vpon receipt of the letters vnderstanding the present danger of the earle made such hast in continuing his iournie both daie and night that he came to Tholouze before king Henrie could arriue there Which when king Henrie vnderstood and perceiued how he was preuented he changed his purpose of besieging the citie and fell to spoiling of the countrie thereabouts at which time he line 10 recouered certaine places that latelâ—e before had reuolted from his gouernment amoâ—gst the rest the citie of Cahors which he furnished with men 〈◊〉 on and vittels appointing his chancellor Thomas Becket to the custodie and keeping thereof he forâ—â—fied other places also which he had gotten placing capteines and men of warre to looke vnto the defense of the same Whilest the king was thus abrode on his iournie in the parties of Aquitaine William earle of Bullongne and Mortaine the sonne of king line 20 Stephan and Hannon earle of Glocester departed this life which two earles went thither with him Finallie when he had set things at a staie in those parties he returned towards Normandie and comming to the citie of Toures he gaue the order of knighthood vnto Malcolme king of Scotland and so in the moneth of October he came backe into Normandie and there augmenting his armie with new supplies entred
the place that he might haue them which were within the same at his commandement To be short it was not long yer he had his desire for being such a multitude that they were not able long to continue within so streict a roome for want of vittell they fell to a composition yeelding the castell line 20 vnto the king their bodies liues and lims saued on the 25. day of August There were taken within this castell 80. knights besides yeomen and other common souldiers In like maner and with the semblable good fortune about the same time his capteins in England ouercame his enimies for whereas Robert earle of Leicester that tooke part with king Henrie the sonne had assembled at the towne of Leicester a great host of men in purpose to set vpon Reignold earle of Cornewall and Richard Lucie capteines on the side of king Henrie the father they line 30 vnderstanding his meaning marched streight towards Leicester and by the way met with their enimie earle Robert whome they so fiercelie assailed that they put him to flight and after approching the towne had it surrendered vnto them permitting the inhabitants to depart with bag and baggage and then burned the towne but the castell which in those daies was of great strength by reason of the situation they could not win line 40 Howbeit some write that by vndermining the walles of the towne were subuerted and throwne downe so that the towne was entred by force although they within withdrew themselues into the castell and other strong houses which they defended for a time till at length they surrendered all one parcell of the castell excepted for the which by composition they paied by way of a fine the sum of thrée hundred pounds to the vse of K. Henrie the father The siege began the seauenth day of Iulie and on the 28. line 50 day of the same moneth the armie departed from thence a truce being granted to those that still defended a certeine tower of the castell into the which they were withdrawne William also the Scotish king with an armie of Scots and Gallowaimen inuaded Northumberland and passing by the confines of the bishoprike of Durham did much hurt by slaughter burning and spoiling the countrie Neuerthelesse hearing of a power raised by the English lords in those parts line 60 to resist him he withdrew into his countrie The English armie folowing him wasted the countrie of Louthian till at length by mediation of certeine religious men a truce was granted to the Scots to indure till the feast of S. Hilarie For the which truce happilie some rewards went betwixt and so the English lords with spoiles and gaines returned homewards A few daies after these luckie chances thus happening to king Henrie king Lewes perceiuing fortune to be on that side determined to assaie whether he could obteine his purpose by some means of treatie or at the least put king Henrie in hope of a peace for a time knowing that he would rather suffer all discommodities whatsoeuer than once to trie the matter by battell with his sonnes wherefore he offered to come to a communication with him betwixt Gisors and Trie shewing bread in the one hand as they say and hiding a stone in the other King Henrie was easilie intreated to heare of anie talke for peace and therefore comming to the place on tuesdaie the fiftéenth daie of September made so large offers that he had almost conuerted the yoong mens minds vnto concord First he offered to his sonne Henrie the yoong king the moitie or one halfe of all the reuenues belonging to the demaines of the crowne within England and foure conuenient castels within the same Or if his sonne had rather remaine in Normandie he offered the halfe of all the reuenues of that dutchie with all the rents and profits that were his fathers perteining to the earledome of Aniou with certeine castels in Normandie one castell in Aniou one in Maine and one in Towraine To his sonne Richard he offered halfe the reuenues of Guien and foure conuenient castels in the same And to his sonne Geffrey he offered all those lands that belonged by right of inheritance vnto the daughter of Conan erle of Britaine if he might by the popes good licence marrie hir And further king Henrie the father yéelded himselfe to stand to the order of the archbishop of Tharent and other the popes legats not refusing to giue his sonnes what rents and reuenues soeuer they should say were reasonable reseruing onelie to himselfe the administration of iustice and the power roiall These séemed to be large offers but yet they could not be accepted For certeine sonnes of Beliall set vpon nothing but mischéefe troublers of common peace and quietnesse wrought so with them that no conditions of peace were the same neuer so reasonable could content them so that without effect this communication brake vp but not without contumelious words passed betwixt the parties insomuch that the earle of Leicester who being put from all his aid in England was come ouer to the French king to purchase aid at his hands could not restraine but giuing credit to the old adage Homo extra corpus suum est cùm irascitur after many opprobrious words vttered against king Henrie the father laid hand on his sword to haue striken him but the standers by would not suffer him and so they departed which rash attempt or rather disloiall enterprise Non sani esse hominis non sanus iuret Orestes On the morrow after the French and English skirmished togither betwixt Curseils and Gisors in which conflict Enguerane Chastillone de Trie was taken prisoner by earle William de Mandeuille who presented him to the king of England King Lewes though he iudged it his part to preserue his sonne in law from danger yet he ment nothing lesse than to ioine battell with the English at that present But within a few daies after he sent Robert earle of Leicester into England with an armie of Flemings and others there to ioine with Hugh Bigot that both of them might as well by force as faire promises and gentle persuasions bring the whole realme vnto the obedience of king Henrie the sonne The earle of Leicester therefore landing at Walton the 21. of September passed through the countrie vnto Fremingham where he was receiued of Hugh Bigot earle of Northfolke and after that an other fléet of Flemings were arriued for their aid they went vnto Gipswich where when they had remained a few daies and augmented their forces by certeine bands of men of warre that belonged vnto earle Bigot they went to the castell of Haghenet that belonged vnto Ranulph Broc which they tooke spoiled burned then returned to Fremingham After this hearing that the countesse of Leicester wâ—s arriued at Orreford with an other power of Flemings they went to méet hir and so the earle of Leicester hauing now a strong
armie about him tooke leaue of earle Bigot and ment to passe through the countrie into Leicestershire there to succour his freends and to worke some feat for the behoofe and furtherance of their quarell line 10 In the meane time the arriuall of the earle of Leicester being knowne the people of the countrie were assembled togither Also Richard Lucie lord cheefe iustice and Humfrey de Boun high conestable of England with the kings power of horssemen which latelie before had béene in Scotland and made inrodes there as before is mentioned came with all spéed to saue the countrie from spoile hauing first taken a truce as before is said with the king of Scots till the feast of Saint Hilarie next ensuing or rather line 20 Ester hostages being deliuered on both sides Upon knowledge then had where the enimies were lodged and what they intended to doo the said Richard Lucie Humfrey de Boun came to Saint Edmundsburie whither Reignold earle of Cornewall the kings vncle Robert earle of Glocester and William erle of Arundell resorted In the meane while the earle of Leicester passed forward on his waie so farre as Fornham a little village beside S. Edmundsburie The lord chéefe iustice line 30 the earls before mentioned with a great armie and amongst others the said Humfrey de Boun who had the leading of 300. knights or men of armes at the kings wages came out of S. Edmundsburie hauing the baner of S. Edmund borne before them in a marish ground betwixt Fornham Edmundsburie they encountred with the said earle of Leicester and after long and cruell fight discomfited his people and tooke him prisoner togither with his wife the countesse Petronill after he had doone all that line 40 belonged to a valiant capteine Some write that there were killed on that day of his people to the number of ten thousand and almost as manie taken verelie all the footmen of the Flemings being in number foure or fiue thousand were either taken or slaine the residue that escaped fled towards Leicester that they might both defend the towne themselues from the danger of their foes ¶ But here is to be noted that it séemeth by the report of some writers how the earle of Leicester had line 50 not so great an armie there at that battell as by others account of the number slaine and taken it should appeare he had For at his departure from his companion in armes Hugh Bigot he tooke vpon him to passe through the countrie as some write partlie vpon trust that he had of the force and number of his souldiers being about foure or fiue thousand stout and valiant footmen besides 80 chosen and well appointed horssemen and partlie in hope that manie of those which were in his aduersaries campe line 60 would rather turne to him than fight against him He had a great confidence in the Flemings who indéed presumed much vpon their owne strength so that they made account of some great conquest in such wise that when they came into any large plaine where they might rest they would take ech others by the hand and leading a danse sing in their countrie language Hop hop Wilkine hop Wilkine England is mine and thine King Henrie receiuing aduertisement of the victorie which his capteines had thus gotten in England was maruellous ioifull and commanded that the prisoners should be brought ouer vnto him into Normandie which being doone he went into Aniou and there fortified the towns and castels of the countrie with sure garrisons of men to resist all sudden inuasions secret practises and other attempts of the enimies On the feast of S. Andrew the apostle he tooke the towne of Uandosme by force which Buchard de Lauerdin held against him hauing first expelled his father the earle of Uandosme About this season or rather somewhat before king Henrie the father contrarie to the prohibition of the king his sonne and after the appeale made vnto the pope gaue not onelie vnto Richard prior of Douer the archbishoprike of Canturburie but also to Reignold Fitz Ioceline the bishoprike of Bath to Richard de Worcester archdeacon of Poictiers the bishoprike of Winchester to Robert Foliot the bishoprike of Hereford to Geffrey Ridell archdeacon of Canturburie he gaue the bishoprike of Elie and to Iohn de Oxenford the bishoprike of Chichester But now to our purpose The nobles of the realme of England after the battell of S. Edmundsburie with an infinit number of men went against Hugh Bigot in purpose to abate his pride But whereas they might easilie haue had him at their pleasure by meanes of such summes of monie as he gaue in bribes a peace was granted to him till Whitsuntide within which time hauing gotten togither fourteene thousand Flemings he passed through Essex and so getting ouer into Kent came to Douer where he tooke ship and transported ouer into France King Henrie the father held his Christmasse this yeare at Caen in Normandie about which time a truce was made betwixt him and king Lewes to endure till Easter or as others write for the terme of six moneths For ye haue to vnderstand that the fame of the victorie gotten by the capteines of king Henrie the father against the earle of Leicester being not onlie spred through England but also blown ouer into France put those that tooke part with him in great feare but speciallie king Lewes mistrusting the matter began to wax wearie that he had attempted so far and susteined so great trauell and expenses in another mans cause Whilest this truce indured the archbishop of Canturburie being readie to returne home in despaire of his businesse vpon a feigned rumor spred that there was a peace concluded betwixt the two kings the father and sonne he was called backe and consecrated by the pope the sundaie after Easter and then furnished with the dignities of primat and legat of England and other priuileges according he tooke his waie homewards towards England after he had laid foorth great summes of monie to disappoint the purposes of his aduersaries This yeare in Iune the lord Geffrey the elect of Lincolne the kings sonne besieged the castell which Roger de Mowbray had repaired at Kinard Ferie within the I le of Oxholme and compelling the souldiers within to yéeld he beat downe and raced the same castell vnto the verie ground Robert Mowbray conestable of that castell as he passed thorough the countrie towards Leicester there to procure some aid was taken by the men of Claie and kept as prisoner Moreouer the said elect of Lincolne tooke the castell of Malesert that belonged to the said Roger Mowbray which being now taken was deliuered vnto the keeping of the archbishop of Yorke The said elect also fortified a castell at Topclife and tooke it to the kéeping of William Stuteuille In this meane while the king tooke the strengths and fortresses which his sonne Richard had
fierce assault of the English but were either beaten downe or else constreined to saue themselues by flight The king with a few other who at the first had begun the battell was taken Also manie of the Scots who being far off and yet hearing of the skirmish came running toward the place were taken yer they could vnderstand how the matter had passed This taking of the king of Scots was on a saturdaie being the seuenth of Iulie The English capteines hauing thus taken the Scotish king in the midst of his armie conteining the number of 80000 men returned to Newcastell greatlie reiâ—ising of their good successe aduertising king Henrie the father hereof with all speed who as then was come ouer from Normandie and was the same day that the Scotish king was taken at Canturburie making his praiers there before the sepulture of the archbishop Becket as after it shall appéere In the meane while and somewhat before this time the earle of Leicesters men which laie at Leicester vnder the conduct of Robert Ferreis earle of Darbie as some write or rather of Anketille Malorie line 10 constable or gouernour if we shall so call him as Roger Houeden saith came to Northampton where they fought with them of that towne and getting the victorie tooke two hundred prisoners and slue or wounded néere hand as manie more and so with this good successe in that enterprise returned againe to Leicester from whence they first set foorth The kings horssemen herevpon came streightwaies to Northampton and following the enimies could not ouertake them line 20 Robert Ferreis earle of Darbie being now come vnto Leicester in aid of them that laie there staied not past ten daies but finding meanes to increase his number of horssemen suddenlie made to Notingham which Reignold de Lucie had in kéeping and comming thither earelie in the morning tooke it droue out the kings souldiers that laie there in garison burned the towne slue the inhabitants and diuided their goods amongst his souldiers which thing put the countrie about in such feare that manie of line 30 the inhabitants submitted themselues vnto him King Henrie the sonne being hereof aduertised by letters oftentimes sent vnto him by this Robert Ferreis and other his fréends here in England estsoones conceiâ—ed some good hope to obteine his purpose and therefore determined to prepare for the warre Herevpon he purchased aid of king Lewes who bicause the truce which he had taken with king Henrie the father was now expired thought it was reason to further his sonne in lawes enterprise so line 40 farre as in him laie Wherfore he made his prouision at Graueling and there incamping with his people staied till his ships were readie to transport him and his armie which consisted of certeine horssemen and of a number of Brabanders King Henrie the father being informed both of his sonnes purpose and of the dooings in England with all possible spéed determined to passe ouer into England and therefore got his souldiers a shipboord among whom were certeine bands of his Brabanders line 50 and so soone as the wind blew to his mind he caused the sailes to be hoised vp and the nauie to set forward Being landed he repaired first vnto Canturburie there to make his praiers doubting least the bloud of the archbishop Thomas Becket being shed through his occasion did yet require vengeance against him for that fact From Canturburie he came to London and tooke order for the placing of capteins with their bands in certeine townes about the coast to defend the landing places where he line 60 thought his sonne was like to arriue Then went he to Huntington and subdued the castell there the 19. of Iulie for the knights and other souldiers that were within it yéelded themselues to the kings mercie their liues and lims saued After this assembling his people on all sides he made his generall musters at S. Edmundsburie and determined to besiege the castels of Bunghey and Fremingham which the earle Hugh Bigot held against him who mistrusting that he was not able to defend himselfe and those places against the king agréed with the king to haue peace paieng him the summe of a thousand markes by composition This agréement was concluded the 25. of Iulie Herevpon a multitude of the Flemings which Philip earle of Flanders had sent into England as before is mentioned vpon their oth receiued not afterwards to come as enimies into England had licence to returne into their countrie Also the bands of souldiers that came into the realme with Rafe de la Haie departed without impechment by the kings sufferance The king hauing thus accomplished that which stood with his pleasure in those parties remoued from thence and drew towards Northampton To which towne after his comming thither the king of Scots was brought with his féet bound vnder the horsses bellie Thither also came the bishop of Durham and deliuered to the king the castels of Durham Norham and Allerton Thither also came to the king Roger Mowbraie and surrendred to him the castell of Treske and Robert earle Ferreis deliuered vp into his hands the castels of Tutburie and Duffield and Anketill Mallorie and William de Diue constables to the earle of Leicester yeelded to the king the castels of Cicester Grobie and Mountsorell to the intent that he should deale more courteouslie with the earle their maister Also William earle of Glocester and earle Richard of Clare submitted themselues to the king and so he brought all his aduersaries within the realme of England vnto such subiection as he himselfe wished so that the king hauing atchiued the vpper hand of his enimies returned to London ¶ All this hurlie burlie and bloudie tumult was partlie to be ascribed to the king himselfe who ouer tenderlie fauouring his sonne did deiect and abase himselfe to aduance the other partlie to the ambitious disposition of the youth who was charged with roialtie before he had learned sufficient loialtie else would he not haue made insurrections against his father that himself might obteine the monarchie and the old king doo him homage and partlie to the quéenes discontented or rather malicious mind whose dutie it had béene notwithstanding such dishonour doone hir by the king in abusing his bodie vnlawfullie so little to haue thought of stirring commotions betwixt the father and the sonnes that she should rather haue lulled the contention asléepe and doone what she possiblie could to quench the feruent fier of strife with the water of pacification But true it is that hath béene said long ago Mulier nihil nouit nisi quod vult Et plenum malorum est onus But what insued herevpon euen by waie of chastisement but that which commonlie lighteth vpon tumult-raisers namelie either losse of life or at least restraint of libertie For the king after this happie atchiuement of his warlike affaires being ruled
Long time after the death of this damsell in the said abbeie was shewed a cofer that sometimes was hirs of the length of two foot in the which appeared giants fighting startling of beasts swimming of fishes and flieng of foules so liuelie that a man might woonder at the fine deuise thereof Moreouer king Henrie was noted not to be so fauourable to the liberties fréedoms of the church as he might haue béene For besides the persecuting of the foresaid Thomas archbishop of Canturburie he would not suffer the legats sent from the pope to enter within the bounds of his dominion till they had sworne that they should doo nothing preiudiciall to the customs of his kingdome neither by prescribing orders nor any other maner of act or meanes He was thought to be negligent in aiding the christian common-wealth in the holie land For though he had appointed twice or thrice to go thither in person yet being letted by light occasions he staied at home and sent small reléefe thither though he was earnestlie called vpon for the same His estimation was such amongst forren princes that Philip king of France being newlie entred into the gouernement of that realme after his fathers deceasse committed line 10 himselfe and his kingdome to the disposition and order of king Henrie as if he had béene regent of his realme and gouernour of his person There liued in the daies of this king Henrie the second diuerse honourable personages and capteins of great fame for their approoued valiancie and experience in warlike enterprises as Robert earle of Leicester Hugh Bigot earle of Northfolke Reignold earle of Cornewall Robert Ferreis earle of Darbie Richard Lacie Roger Mowbray Rafe de Fulgiers Humfrey Bohun conestable of England line 20 Ranulfe Glandeuille William Uesey Bernard de Ballioll Also there flourished in his time here in this land men of singular learning in arts and sciences as Nicholas Breakespeare Serlo surnamed Grammaticus William Rheualensis Adam de Euesham Thomas of Munmouth Adelbertus Leuita Geruasius Cicestrensis Odo Cantianus Ealred Rhieuellensis Iohannes Sarisburiensis Clemens Lanthoniensis Walter Daniell Robert line 30 Knought alià s Camtus Robert Folioth William Ramsey Senatus Brauonus Robert the Scribe Odo Miremuth Hugh of Reading Richard of Douer William of Peterburough Cicerciensis Bartholomew Iscanus and Gilbert de Sempringham with others ¶ And here to make an end with this high and mightie prince Henrie the second I haue thought good to make you partaker of an epitaph which we find in Matthew Paris and others written of him as line 40 followeth Epitaphium in Henricum secundum regem mortuum hîc sepultum REx Henricus eram mihi plurima regna subegi MultiplicÃque modo dúxque comésque fui Cui satis ad votum non essent omnia terrae Climata terra modò sufficit octo pedum Qui legis haec pensa discrimina mortis indè line 50 Humanae specula conditionis habe Quod potes instanter operare bonum quia mundus Transit incautos mors inopina rapit Aliud TVmuli regis superscriptio breuis exornaâ— Sufficit hic tumulus cui non suffecerat orbis Res breuis est ampla cui fuit ampla breuis An epitaph vpon king Henrie the second dead and heere intoomed OF late king Henrie was my name which conquerd manie a land And diuerse dukedoms did possesse and earledoms held in hand And yet while all the earth could scarse my greedie mind suffice Eight foot within the ground now serues wherein my carcase lies Now thou that readest this note well my force with force of death And let that serue to shew the state of all that yeeldeth breath Doo good then here foreslowe no time cast off all worldlie cares For brittle world full soone dooth faile and death dooth strike vnwares An other SMall epitaph now serues to decke this toome of statelie king And he who whilome thought whole earth could scarse his mind content In little roome hath roome at large that serues now life is spent ¶ Here may be thought that the reigne of the Normans and French men ouer the realme of England tooke end a hundred twentie two yeares after the comming in of the Conquerour for those that reigned after this Henrie the second we may rightlie estéeme to be Englishmen bicause they were borne in England and vsed the English toong customes and maners according to the nature and qualitie of the countrie Thus farre the succession and regiment of the Frenchmen ouer this Iland namelie Stephan of Bullongne and Henrie the second Richard the first second sonne to Henrie the second RIchard the first of that name and second sonne of Henrie the second began his reigne ouer England the sixt day of Iulie in the yere of our Lord 1189. year 1189 in the seauen and thirteeth yeare of the emperour Frederike the first in the eleuenth yere of the reigne of Philip the second king of France and king William surnamed the Lion line 10 as yet liuing in the gouernement of Scotland This Richard immediatlie after the solemnities of his fathers funerals were ended made hast to Rouen where he was ioifullie receiued and proclamed duke of Normandie receiuing the inuesture according to the custome on the twentith day of Iulie Then studieng to set all things in good order on that side the sea he made search where his fathers treasure was preserued and therevpon attached Stephan de Turnham who was seneschall or gouernour as we line 20 may call him of Aniou and committing him to prison compelled him to make deliuerie of all such summes of monie as he had hid and laid vp in certeine castels by the commandement of the late king his father Whilest he was thus occupied his brother Iohn came to him to whom he ioifullie gaue the welcome and besides all other things which his father had bequeathed vnto him by his testament in England amounting to the value of foure thousand pounds of line 30 yearelie rent with the earledome of Mortaigne he procured a marriage for him being now a widower for his further aduancement with the ladie Isabell daughter to Robert earle of Glocester which earle had appointed the said Iohn to be his heire as before is mentioned although Baldwine the archbishop of Canturburie forbad the mariage bicause they were coosens in the third degree of consanguinitie To Robert earle of Leicester also he restored all his lands which had béene taken from him and such persons line 40 as his father had disherited he restored likewise to their former rights and possessions howbeit those had forsaken his father and taken part with him against his said father he séemed now so much to mislike that he remooued them vtterlie from his presence and contrariwise preferred such as had continued faithfull vnto his father in time of the troubles At length king Richard remembring himselfe of his mother quéene Elianor who had béene separated
as he passed he shewed great crueltie against his aduersaries besieging and taking their castels and strong houses of the which some he caused to be fortified with garrisons of souldiers to his owne vse and some he raced The like feats were wrought by the other armie in the parts about London for William earle of Salisburie and Foukes de Brent with the other capteins which the king had left behind him there perceiuing that the citie would not easilie be woone by anie siege first furnished the castell of Windsore Hertford and Barkhamsted with such strong garrisons of souldiers as might watch vpon occasion giuen to assaile those that should either go into the citie or come from thence they marched foorth with the residue of the armie and passing through the counties of Essex and Hertford Middlesex Cambridge Huntington they wasted the countries and made the townes become tributaries to them As for the houses manour places parkes and other possessions of the barons they wasted spoiled and destroied them running euen hard to the citie of London and setting fire in the suburbs In this meane time whilest the king went forwards on his iournie northwards vpon the 18 of December last past the castell of Hanslap was taken by Foukes de Brent which apperteined vnto William Manduit On the same day also was the castell of Tunbridge taken by the garrison of Rochester which castell of Tunbridge belonged to the earle of Clare Moreouer the foresaid Foukes de Brent comming vnto Bedford wan both the towne and castell for they that had the castell in kéeping after 7 daies respit which they obteined at the hands of the said Foukes when rescue came not from the lord William Beauchampe their maister they deliuered it vnto the said Foukes Unto whom K. Iohn gaue not onlie that castell but also committed to his kéeping the castels of Northampton Oxford and Cambridge The king had this Foukes in great estimation and amongst other waies to aduance him he gaue to him in marriage Margaret de Riuers a ladie of high nobilitie with all the lands and possessions that to hir belonged Moreouer to William earle of Albemarle the king deliuered the custodie of the castels of Rockingham Sawey and Biham To one Ranulfe Teutonicus the castell of Barkehamsted and to Walter Godreuill seruant to Foukes de Brent he betooke the kéeping of the castell of Hertford Thus what on the one part and what on the other the barons lost in maner all their possessions from the south sea vnto the borders of Scotland the king seizing the same into his hands and committing them to the kéeping of strangers and such other as he thought more trustie and conuenient All this while the barons laie at London banketting and making merrie without attempting anie exploit praise-worthie But yet when they heard by certeine aduertisement what hauocke and destruction was made of their houses possessions abroad they could not but lament their miseries and amongst other their complaints which they vttered one to another they sore blamed the pope as a cheefe cause of all these euils for that he mainteined and defended the king against them Indeed about the same time pope Innocent who before at the instant suit of king Iohn had excommunicated the barons in generall did now excommunicate them by name and in particular as these First all the citizens of London which were authors of the mischéefe that had happened by the rebellion of the said barons Also Robert Fitz Walter Saer de Quincie earle of Winchester R. his sonne G. de Mandeuille and W. his brother the earle of Clare line 10 and G. his sonne H. earle of Hereford R. de Percie G. de Uescie I. conestable of Chester W. de Mowbraie Will. de Albenie W. his sonne P. de Breuse R. de Cressey I. his sonne Ranulfe Fitz Robert R. earle Bigot H. his sonne Robert de Uere Foulke Fitz Warren W. Mallet W. de Mountacute W. Fitz Marshall W. de Beauchampe S. de Kime R. de Montbigons and Nicholas de Stuteuille with diuerse other line 20 The armie which king Iohn had left behind him in the south parts vnder the leading of the earle of Salisburie and other laie not idle but scowring the countries abroad as partlie yee haue heard came to S. Edmundsburie and hauing intelligence there that diuerse knights ladies and gentlewomen that were there before their comming had fled out of that towne and for their more safetie were withdrawne into the I le of Elie they followed them besieged the Ile and assailed it on ech side so that although line 30 they within had fortified the passages and appointed men of warre to remaine vpon the gard of the same in places where it was thought most néedfull yet at length they entred vpon them by force Walter Bucke with his Brabanders being the first that set foot within the I le towards Herbie For by reason the waters in the fenes and ditches were hard frosen so that men might passe by the same into the said Ile they found means to enter and spoiled it froÌ„ side to side togither with the cathedrall church line 40 carieng from thence at their departure a maruellous great prey of goods and cattell The barons of the realme being thus afflicted with so manie mischéefes all at one time as both by the sharpe and cruell warres which the king made against them on the one side and by the enmitie of the pope on the other side they knew not which way to turne them nor how to séeke for releefe For by the losse of their complices taken in the castell of Rochester they saw not how it should any thing auaile line 50 them to ioine in battell with the king Therefore considering that they were in such extremitie of despaire they resolued with themselues to seeke for aid at the enimies hands and therevpon Saer earle of Winchester and Robert Fitz Walter with letters vnder their seales were sent vnto Lewes the sonne of Philip the French king offering him the crowne of England and sufficient pledges for performance of the same and other couenants to be agréed betwixt them requiring him with all speed to come vnto their line 60 succour This Lewes had married as before is said Blanch daughter to Alfonse king of Casâ—ile néere to king Iohn by his sister Elianor Now king Philip the father of this Lewes being glad to haue such an occasion to inuade the relme of England which he neuer looued promised willinglie that his sonne should come vnto the aid of the said barons with all conuenient spéed but first he receiued foure and twentie hostages which he placed at Campaine for further assurance of the couenants accorded and herewith he prepared an armie and diuerse ships to transport his sonne and his armie ouer into England In the meane time and to put the barons in câ—mfort he sent ouer a certeine number of armed
thereto that king Iohn had by warre first inuaded his castels and lands in Picardie and wasted the same as Buncham castell and Lienâ— with the countie of Guisnes which belonged to the fée of the said Lewes But these reasons notwithstanding the legat warned the French king on paine of cursing not to suffer his sonne to go into England and likewise his sonne that he should not presume to take the iournie in hand But Lewes hearing this declared that his father had nothing to do to forbid him to prosecute his right in the realme of England which was not holden of him and therefore required his father not to hinder his purpose in such things as belonged nothing to him but rather to licence him to séeke the recouerie of his wiues right which he meant to pursue with perill of life if need should require The legat perceiuing he could not preuaile in his sute made to king Philip thought that he would not spend time longer in vaine in further treating with him but sped him foorth into England obteining yet a safeconduct of the French king to passe through his realme Lewes in like maner purposing by all meanes to preuent the legat first dispatched foorth ambassadours in all hast vnto the court of Rome to excuse himselfe to the pope and to render the reasons that most speciallie mooued him to procéed forward in his enterprise against king Iohn being called by the barons of England to take the crowne thereof vpon him This doone with all conuenient speed he came downe to Calice where he found 680 ships well appointed and trimmed which Eustace surnamed the moonke had gathered and prepared there readie against his comming Lewes therefore foorthwith imbarking himselfe with his people and all necessarie prouisions for such a iournie tooke the sea and arriued at a place called Stanchorre in the I le of Tenet vpon the 21 day of Maie and shortlie after came to Sandwich there landed with all his people where he also incamped vpon the shore by the space of thrée daies In which meane time there came vnto him a great number of those lords and gentlemen which had sent for him and there euerie one apart and by himselfe sware fealtie and homage vnto him as if he had béene their true and naturall prince King Iohn about the same time that Lewes thus arriued came to Douer meaning to fight with his aduersaries by the way as they should come forward towards London But yet vpon other aduisement taken he changed his purpose bicause he put some doubt in the Flemings and other strangers of whome the most part of his armie consisted bicause he knew that they hated the French men no more than they did the English Therefore furnishing the castell of Douer with men munition and vittels he left it in the kéeping of Hubert de Burgh a man of notable prowesse valiancie and returned himselfe vnto Canturburie and from thence tooke the high waie towards Winchester Lewes being aduertised that king Iohn was retired out of Kent passed through the countrie without anie incounter and wan all the castels and holds as he went but Douer he could not win At his comming to Rochester he laid siege to the castell there and wan it causing all the strangers that were found within it to be hanged This doone he came to London and there receiued the homage of those lords and gentlemen which had not yet doone their homage to him at Sandwich On the other part he tooke an oth to mainteine and performe the old lawes and customes of the realme and to restore to euerie man his rightfull heritage and lands requiring the barons furthermore to continue faithfull towards him assuring them to bring things so to passe that the realme of England should recouer the former dignitie and they their ancient liberties Moreouer he vsed them so courteouslie gaue them so faire words and made such large promises that they beléeued him with all their harts But alas Cur vincit opinio verum The rumour of this pretended outward courtesie being once â—ored through the realme caused great numbers of people to come flocking to him among whome were diuerse of those which before had taken part with king Iohn as William earle Warren William earle of Arundell William earle of Salisburie William Marshall the yoonger and diuerse other supposing verelie that the French kings sonne should now obteine the king dome who in the meane time ordeined Simon Langton afore mentioned to be his chancellour by whose preaching and exhortation as well the citizens of London as the barons that were excommunicated caused diuine seruice to be celebrated in their presence induced thereto bicause line 10 Lewes had alreadie sent his procurators to Rome before his comming into England there to shew the goodnesse of his cause and quarell But this auailed them not neither tooke his excuse any such effect as he did hope it should for those ambassadors that king Iohn had sent thither replied against their assertions so that there was hard hold about it in that court albeit that the pope would decrée nothing till he hard further from his legat Gualo who the same time being aduertised of the procéedings of Lewes in his iournie with all diligence hasted ouer into England and passing through the middle of his aduersaries came vnto king Iohn then soiourning at Glocester of whome he was most ioifullie receiued for in him king Iohn reposed all his hope of victorie This legat immediatlie after his comming did excommunicate Lewes by name with all his fautors and complices but speciallie Simon de Langton with bell booke and candle as the maner was Howbeit the same Simon and one line 30 Geruase de Hobrug deane of S. Pauls in London with other alledged that for the right and state of the cause of Lewes they had alreadie appealed to the court of Rome and therefore the sentence published by Gualo they tooke as void At the same time also all the knights and men of warre of Flanders and other parts beyond the seas which had serued the king departed from him the Poictouins onelie excepted and part of them that thus went from him resorted vnto Lewes and entred line 40 into his wages but the residue repaired home into their owne countries so that Lewes being thus increased in power departed from London and marching towards Winchester he wan the castels of Rigat Gilford and Farnham From thence he went to Winchester where the citie was yéelded vnto him with all the castels and holds thereabout as Woluesey Odiham and Beaumere ¶ Whilest the said Lewes was thus occupied in Sussex about the subduing of that countrie vnto his line 50 obeisance there was a yoong gentleman in those parts named William de Collingham being of a valorous mind and loathing forren subiection who would in no wise doo fealtie to Lewes but assembling togither about the number
of a thousand archers kept himselfe within the woods and desert places whereof that countrie is full and so during all the time of this warre shewed himselfe an enimie to the Frenchmen slaieng no small numbers of them as he tooke them at any aduantage O worthie gentleman line 60 of English bloud And O Grandia quae aggreditur fortis discrimina virtus In like manner all the fortresses townes and castels in the south parts of the realme were subdued vnto the obeisance of Lewes the castels of Douer and Windsore onelie excepted Within a little while after Will. de Mandeuille Robert Fitz Walter and William de Huntingfield with a great power of men of warre did the like vnto the countries of Essex and Suffolke In which season king Iohn fortified the castels of Wallingford Corse Warham Bristow the Uies and diuerse others with munition and vittels About which time letters came also vnto Lewes from his procurators whom he had sent to the pope by the tenor whereof he was aduertised that notwithstanding all that they could doo or say the pope meant to excommunicate him and did but onelie staie till he had receiued some aduertisement from his legat Gualo The chéefest points as we find that were laid by Lewes his procurators against king Iohn were these that by the murther committed in the person of his nephue Arthur he had béene condemned in the parlement chamber before the French king by the péeres of France and that being summoned to appeare he had obstinatelie refused so to doo and therefore had by good right forfeited not onelie his lands within the precinct of France but also the realme of England which was now due vnto the said Lewes as they alledged in right of the ladie Blanch his wife daughter to Elianor quéene of Spaine But the pope refelled all such allegations as they produced for proofe hereof seemed to defend king Iohns cause verie pithilie but namelie in that he was vnder the protection of him as supreme lord of England againe for that he had taken vpon him the crosse as before yée haue heard But now to returne where we left About the feast of saint Margaret Lewes with the lords came againe to London at whose comming the tower of London was yeelded vp to him by appointment after which the French capteins and gentlemen thinking themselues assured of the realme began to shew their inward dispositions and hatred toward the Englishmen and forgetting all former promises such is the nature of strangers and men of meane estate that are once become lords of their desires according to the poets words Asperius nihil est humili cùm surgit in altum they did manie excessiue outrages in spoiling and robbing the people of the countrie without pitie or mercie Moreouer they did not onelie breake into mens houses but also into churches and tooke out of the same such vessels and ornaments of gold and siluer as they could laie hands vpon for Lewes had not the power now to rule the gréedie souldiers being wholie giuen to the spoile But most of all their tyrannie did appeare in the east parts of the realme when they went through the countries of Essex Suffolke and Northfolke where they miserablie spoiled the townes and villages reducing those quarters vnder their subiection and making them tributaries vnto Lewes in most seruile and slauish manner Furthermore at his comming to Norwich he found the castell void of defense and so tooke it without any resistance and put into it a garison of his souldiers Also he sent a power to the towne of Lin which conquered the same and tooke the citizens prisoners causing them to paie great summes of monie for their ransoms Morouer Thomas de Burgh chateleine of the castell of Norwich who vpon the approch of the Frenchmen to the citie fled out in hope to escape was taken prisoner and put vnder safekéeping He was brother vnto Hubert de Burgh capteine of Douer castell Now when Lewes had thus finished his enterprises in those parts he returned to London and shortlie therevpon created Gilbert de Gaunt earle of Lincolne appointing him to go thither with all conuenient speed that he might resist the issues made by them which did hold the castels of Notingham and Newarke wasting and spoiling the possessions and lands belonging to the barons neere adioining to the same castels This Gilbert de Gaunt then togither with Robert de Ropeley comming into that countrie tooke the citie of Lincolne and brought all the countrie vnder subiection the castell onlie excepted After that they inuaded Holland and spoiling that countrie made it also tributarie vnto the French Likewise Robert de Roos Peter de Bruis and Richard Percie subdued Yorke and all Yorkeshire bringing the same vnder the obeisance of Lewes The king of Scots in like sort subdued vnto the said Lewes all the countrie of Northumberland except the castels which Hugh de Balioll and Philip de Hulcotes valiantlie defended against all the force of the enimie line 10 And as these wicked rebels made a prey of their owne countrie so the legat Guallo not behind for his part to get something yer all should be gone vpon a falkonish or woolnish appetite fleeced the church considering that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and tooke proxies of euerie cathedrall church house of religion within England that is to say for euerie proxie fiftie shillings Moreouer he sequestred all the line 20 benefices of those persons and religious men that either aided or counselled Lewes and the barons in their attempts and enterprises All which benefices he spéedilie conuerted to his owne vse and to the vse of his chapleins In the meane time Lewes was brought into some good hope thorough meanes of Thomas de Burgh whom he tooke prisoner as before you haue heard to persuade his brother Hubert to yéeld vp the castell of Douer the siege whereof was the next line 30 enterprise which he attempted For his father king Philip hearing that the same was kept by a garrison to the behoofe of king Iohn wrote to his sonne blaming him that he left behind him so strong a fortresse in his enimies hands But though Lewes inforced his whole indeuour to win that castell yet all his trauell was in vaine For the said Hubert de Burgh and Gerard de Sotigam who were chéefe capteins within did their best to defend it against him and all his power so that despairing to win it by force he assaied to obteine his purpose by threatning line 40 to hange the capteins brother before his face if he would not yeeld the sooner But when that would not serue he sought to win him by large offers of gold and siluer Howbeit such was the singular constancie of Hubert that he would not giue anie eare vnto those his flatering motions Then Lewes in a great furie menaced that he would not once depart from
thence till he had woon the castell and put all them within to death and began to assaile it with more line 50 force than before he had doone The barons also which at this season lay at London making a rode to Cambridge tooke the towne and after went foorth into Northfolke and Suffolke as it were to gather vp such scraps as the French had left spoiling those countries verie pitifullie churches and all They constreined the townes of Yermouth Dunwich Gipswich to pay to them great summes of monie by waie of ransoming And at length returning by Colchester they vsed like practises line 60 there From thence they returned to London and shortlie after vnder the conduct of the earle of Neuers vpon a sudden going to Windsore they laid a strong siege about that castell in the which was capteine Ingelard de Athie with sixtie valiant knights other men of war of their suit the which manfullie stood at defense In the moneth of August Alexander king of Scotland came through the countrie vnto the siege of Douer and there did homage vnto Lewes in right of his tenure holden of the kings of England and then returned home but in his comming vp as he came by castell Bernard in the countrie of Haliwerkfolke which apperteined vnto Hugh de Balioll he lost his brother in law the lord Eustace de Uescie who was striken in the forehead with a quarrell as he rode in companie of the king néere vnto the same castell to view if it were possible vpon anie side to win it by assault About the same time or rather in the yeare last past as some hold it fortuned that the vicount of Melune a French man fell sicke at London and perceiuing that death was at hand he called vnto him certeine of the English barons which remained in the citie vpon safegard thereof and to them made this protestation I lament saith he your destruction and desolation at hand bicause ye are ignorant of the perils hanging ouer your heads For this vnderstand that Lewes and with him 16 earles and barons of France haue secretlie sworne if it shall fortune him to conquere this realme of England to be crowned king that he will kill banish and confine all those of the English nobilitie which now doo serue vnder him and persecute their owne king as traitours and rebels and furthermore will dispossesse all their linage of such inheritances as they now hold in England And bicause saith he you shall not haue doubt hereof I which lie here at the point of death doo now affirme vnto you and take it on the perill of my soule that I am one of those sixteen that haue sworne to performe this thing wherefore I aduise you to prouide for your owne safeties and your realmes which you now destroie and kéepe this thing secret which I haue vttered vnto you After this spéech was vttered he streightwaies died When these words of the lord of Melune were opened vnto the barons they were and not without cause in great doubt of themselues for they saw how Lewes had alredie placed and set Frenchmen in most of such castels and townes as he had gotten the right whereof indeed belonged to them And againe it gréeued them much to vnderstand how besides the hatred of their prince they were euerie sundaie and holiedaie openlie accursed in euerie church so that manie of them inwardlie relented and could haue bin contented to haue returned to king Iohn if they had thought that they should thankfullie haue béene receiued In this yeare about the 17 of Iulie pope Innocent died at whose death being knowen in England all they that were enimies to king Iohn greatlie reioised for they were in great hope that his successour would haue rather inclined to their part than to the kings But it fell out otherwise for Honorius the third that succeeded the same foresaid Innocent mainteined the same cause in defense of king Iohn as earnestlie or rather more than his predecessour had doone sending with all spéed his buls ouer into England to confirme Gualo in his former authoritie of legat commanding him with all indeuour to procéed in his businesse in mainteining the king against Lewes and the disloiall English nobilitie that aided the said Lewes But now to our purpose King Iohn lieng all this while at Winchester and hauing knowledge how his aduersaries were dailie occupied in most hard enterprises as in besieging sundrie strong and inuincible places sent foorth his commissioners to assemble men of warre and to allure vnto his seruice all such as in hope of prey were minded to follow his standard of the which there resorted to him no small number So that hauing gotten togither a competent armie for his purpose he brake foorth of Winchester as it had béene an hideous tempest of weather beating downe all things that stood in his waie sending foorth his people on ech side to wast the countries to burne vp the townes and villages to spoile the churches churchmen With which successe still increasing his furie he turned his whole violence into Cambridgeshire where he did excéeding great hurt Then entring into the countries of Northfolke and Suffolke he committed the like rage wast and destruction in the lands and possessions that belonged vnto the earle of Arundell to Roger Bigot William de Huntingfield and Roger de Cressey The barons in the meane time that lay at siege before the castle of Windsore hearing of that hauocke which king Iohn had made in the east parts of the line 10 realme secretlie in the night season raised their camps and leauing their tents behind them with all spéed made towards Cambridge But king Iohn by faithfull espials hauing aduertisement of their intent which was to get betwixt him and the places of his refuge withdrew him and got to Stamford yer they might reach to Cambridge so that missing their purpose after they had taken some spoiles abroad in the countrie they returned to London King Iohn from Stamford marched toward Lincolne bicause line 20 he heard that the castell there was besieged But those that had besieged it as Gilbert de Gaunt and others hearing that king Iohn was comming towards them durst not abide him but fled and so escaped The king then turned his iournie towards the marshes of Wales and there did much hurt to those places that belonged to his aduersaries After this also and with a verie puissant armie he went eâ—tsoones eastwards and passing through the countries came againe into the counties of Northfolke line 30 and Suffolke wasting and afflicting all that came in his waie and at length comming to Lin was there ioifullie receiued Then keeping foorth northwards he spoiled the townes and abbeies of Peterburgh and Crowland where a number of the kings enimies were withdrawne into the church but Sauerie de Mauleon being sent foorth to séeke them found them in the
earle of Winchester being an earnest meane for him that he might so easilie escape About the same time was a generall truce taken betwixt the king and Lewes and all their partakers till the 20 day after Christmasse for the obteining of which truce as some write the castell of Berkehamstéed was surrendered vnto the same Lewes as before ye haue heard After Christmasse and whilest the truce yet dured year 1218 Lewes and the barons assembled at the councell which they held at Cambridge the lords that tooke part with the king met likewise at Oxford and much talke there was and great trauell imploied to haue concluded some agréement by composition betwixt the parties but it would not be nor yet anie longer truce which was also soâ—ght for could be granted wherevpon Lewes besieged the castell of Hidingham the which togither with the castels of Norwich Colchester and Oxford were surrendered vnto him to haue a truce granted vntill a moneth after Easter next insuing And so by this meanes all the east part of the realme came vnto the possession of Lewes For the I le of Elie was woon by his people a litle before the last truce whilest he himselfe lay in siege at Berkehamstéed except one fortresse belonging to the same I le into the which the souldiers that serued there vnder the king were withdrawen But yet although Lewes might seeme thus partlie to preuaile in hauing these castels deliuered into his hands yet being aduertised that dailie there reuolted diuerse of the barons of England vnto king Henrie which before had taken part with him he stood in great doubt and feare of the rest and therefore furnished all those castels which he had woone with conuenient garrisons and namelie the castell of Hertford and after went to London there to vnderstand what further trust he might put in the rest of the English lords and barons for as diuerse had alreadie forsaken him as it is said so the residue were doubtfull what they were best to doo For first they considered that the renouncing of their promised faith vnto Lewes whome they had sworne to mainteine as king of England should be a great reproch vnto them and againe they well saw that to continue in their obedience towards him should bring the realme in great danger sith it would be hard for any louing agréement to continue betwéene the French Englishmen their natures being so contrarie Thirdlie they stood somewhat in feare of the popes cursse pronounced by his legat both against Lewes and all his partakers Albeit on the other side to reuolt vnto king Henrie though the loue which they did beare to their countrie and the great towardnesse which they saw in him greatlie mooued them yet sith by reason of his yoong yeares he was not able either to follow the wars himselfe or to take counsell what was to be doone in publike gouernement they iudged it a verie dangerous case For whereas in wars nothing can be more expedient than to haue one head by whose appointment all things may be gouerned so nothing can be more hurtfull than to haue manie rulers by whose authoritie things shall passe and be ordered Wherefore these considerations staâ—ed and kept one part of the English lords still in obedience to Lewes namelie for that diuerse of the confederats thought that it stood not with their honours so to forsake him till they might haue some more honorable colour to reuolt from their promises or that the matter should be taken vp by some indifferent agréement to be concluded out of hand betwixt them Hervpon they resorted in like maner vnto London and there with Lewes tooke councell what was to be doone with their businesse touching the whole state of their cause ¶ Here ye shall note that before the concluding of this last truce Fouks de Brent the capteine of the castell of Bedford gat togither a number of souldiers out of the garrisons 〈◊〉 the castels of Oxford Northampton Bedford and Windsor and comming with them to S. Albons the 22 of Februarie he spoiled the towne abbie in like maner as he line 10 had doone all the townes and villages by the way as he passed through the countrie from Bedford vnto S. Albons The messengers which Lewes had remaining in the court of Rome signified vnto him about the same time that except he departed out of England the sentence of excommunication which Gualo or Walo the legat had pronounced against him should be confirmed by the pope on Maundie thursdaie next insuing Wherevpon Lewes was the more inclined line 20 to yéeld to the truce before mentioned that he might in the meane time go ouer into France to his father who had most earnestlie written and sent in commandement to him that in any wise he should returne home to talke with him and so about midlent after the truce was concluded he prepared himselfe and sailed ouer into France and as Polydor saith but with what authoritie I know not the king of Scots went also with him After his departure ouer William earle of Salisburie line 30 William earle of Arundell William earle Warren and diuerse other reuolted to king Henrie Moreouer William Marshall earle of Penbroke so trauelled with his son William Marshall the yoonger that he likewise came to take part with the yoong king whereby the side of Lewes and his Frenchmen was sore weakened and their harts no lesse appalled for the sequele of their affaires Lewes returned yet into England before the truce was expired The lords that held on the kings part in the absence line 40 of Lewes were not forgetfull to vse opportunitie of time for beside that they had procured no small number of those that before time held with Lewes to reuolt from him to the kings side they at one selfe time besieged diuerse castels and recouered them out of their aduersaries hands as Marlebrough Farneham Winchester Cicester and certeine other which they ouerthrew and raced bicause they should not be taken and kept againe by the enimie For ye must vnderstand that the going ouer of line 50 Lewes now at that time when it stood him most vpon to haue beene present here in that troublesome season which he ought to haue regarded with singular circumspection and warilie to haue watched for Virtus est vbi occasio admonet dispicere brought no small hinderance to the whole state of all his businesse in so much that he was neuer so highlie regarded afterwards among the Englishmen as before About the same time Ranulfe earle of Chester line 60 William earle of Albermarle William earle Ferrers Robert de Ueipount Brian de Lisle William de Cantlow Philip de Marc Robert de Gaugi Fouks de Brent others assembled their powers and comming to Mountsorell beside Loughborough in Leicestershire besieged the castell there the capteine whereof was one Henrie de Braibroke This Henrie defended the place right manfully and doubting to be in
the kings horssemen they were streightwaies either slaine or taken for the most part of them Amongst other that were there slaine the earle of Perch a Frenchman was one who being gotten into a churchyard manfullie defended himselfe till his horsse was killed vnder him and lastlie himselfe was also beaten downe and slaine There were taken of Englishmen Saer de Quincie erle of Winchester and Humfrey de Bohun earle of Hereford Gilbert de Gaunt earle of Lincolne by the gift of Lewes Richard de Montfichet William de Mowbraie William de Beauchampe William de Manduit Oliuer de Harecourt Roger de Cressie William de Coleuill William de Roos William de Ropeley Ralfe Chanduit and diuerse other so that of knights there were taken to the number of foure hundred beside such multitude of demilances and other horssemen and footmen as could not well be numbered Moreouer all the prouision trusse and baggage loden in carts clothsackes and males belonging to the barons and Frenchmen was taken and the citie was spoiled rifled and sacked This enterprise and discomfiture at Lincolne which was in derision called Lewes his faire chanced the 14 kalends of Iune being saturdaie in the Whitsunwéeke Manie honest matrons of the towne were drowned as they were got into boates to auoid the danger of their persons wanting skill how to guide the same boates The earle of Penbroke the same daie before he receiued any repast rode backe in post to the king whom he had left at Stow and there declared the ioifull newes of his good speed in vanquishing of the enimies On the next morrow newes came to the king that they which had kept the castell of Mountsorell were fled out of the same and had left it void Wherevpon immediatlie he sent in commandement vnto the shiriffe of Notinghamshire that going thither in his owne person he should ruinat the said castell make it plaine with the ground The Frenchmen which escaped with life from the slaughter of Lincolne as the Marshall of France the chateleine of Arras with others made towards London with all possible speed in hope to escape so well as they might but manie of them and namelie the footmen were slaine by the countrie people where they passed and that in great numbers for the husbandmen fell vpon them with clubs and swords not sparing those whom they got at aduantage Two hundred knights or men of armes as we may call them getting to London presented vnto Lewes the sorowfull report of their misaduenture and were of him not moaned but blamed and sore rebuked for that they had fled and shamefullie left the residue of their companies to be distressed taken and slaine by the aduersaries where if they had manfullie stood to it they might happilie haue saued their fellowes and obteined victorie ¶ The chronicle of Dunstable sheweth in déed that Simon de Peschie and Henrie Braibroc perceiuing that Fouks de Brent was entered into the citie and that they were now assailed both afront and on the backes they withdrew and getting togither 80 French knights or men of armes if we shall so call them departed out of the citie and fléeing through the countrie by Lin and saint Edmundsburie at length got through to London How soeuer they were welcomed of Lewes certeine it is that the lords that tooke part with king Henrie were put in no small hope by the atchiuing of this so great a victorie to bring within a short time all the realme to the obedience of king Henrie and herevpon marching foorth into the countrie put the people in such feare that they submitted themselues vnto the gouernment of king Henrie in all places where soeuer they came On the other part Lewes who all this season remained at London being sore dismaied for the losse of his people began to feare euerie daie more and more least by some practise he should be betraied and deliuered into his enimies hands Therefore he went about to make himselfe as strong as was possible fortifieng the citie sent messengers into France to require his father to send him more aid His â—â—â—ther sorie to heare of his sons distresse and loth that he should take the foile caused his daughter the wife of Lewes to prepare a power of men that the same might passe with all speed ouer into England to the aid of hir husband For the French king himselfe would not séeme to aid his sonne bicause he was excommunicated but his daughter in law hauing licence and commission thereto gat togither three hundred knights or men of armes whome with a great number of other souldiers and armed men she sent downe to Caleis where Eustace the moonke had prouided a nauie of ships to conueie them ouer into England But how they sped you shall heare line 10 anon In the meane time the earle of Penbroke approched towards London purposing to assaile the citie now in this opportunitie of time letting passe no occasion that might further his procéedings night and day studieng how to recouer the realme wholie out of the Frenchmens hands and to set the same at libertie so that what was to be deuised he did deuise and what was to be doone that he did not forslowing anie occasion or opportunitie that might be offered line 20 The English barons also calling to mind the benefit which they had receiued at the Frenchmens hands in time of their most need sought now by all means possible some waie how to procure a peace betwixt king Henrie and the said Lewes thinking by that means to benefit themselues and to gratifie him in lieu of his former courtesie bountifullie shewed in a case of extremitie which bicause it was obteined in a wished time was the more acceptable whereas being lingered it had beene the lesse welcome as one saith line 30 Gratia quae tarda est ingrata est gratia námque Quùm fieri properat gratia grata magis Hervpon they caused dailie new articles of agreement to be presented in writing vnto the said Lewes as from king Henrie But while these things were a dooing the earle of Penbroke and other the lords that tooke part with king Henrie hauing aduertisement that a new supplie of men was readie to come and aid Lewes they appointed Philip de Albenie and Iohn Marshall to associat with them the line 40 power of the cinque ports and to watch for the comming of the aduersaries that they might kéepe them from landing who on saint Bartholomews day set forth froÌ„ Caleis in purpose to arriue in the Thames and so to come vp the riuer to London Howbeit Hubert de Burgh capiteine of the castell of Douer togither with the said Philip de Albenie and Iohn Marshall with other such power as they could get togither of the cinque ports hauing not yet aboue the number of 40 ships great small vpon the discouering line 50 of the French fleet which consisted of
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
desires time to consult togither what they might 〈◊〉 there 〈◊〉 â—nd finallie they declared for answer that they would gladlie so doo but yet whereas they were bound by â—aith and oth and in the summe of two millians of â—lorens in the popes chamber not to make nor mooue any warre against the king of France whosoeuer he were on paine to lose that summe and beside to run in the sentence of cursing they besought him that it might stand with his pleasure to take vpon him the title and armes of France as the same apperteined to him of right and then would they obey him as rightfull K. of France and require of him acquittances in discharge of their bonds and he to pardon them thereof as rightfull king of France The king of England though he had iust cause to claime the crowne of France in right of his mother queene Isabell yet to take vpon him the name and armes of that realme before he had made conquest of any part thereof he thought it stood not with much reason but yet after he had caused the matter to be throughlie debated amongst them of his councell as well to satisfie the Flemings as for other respects he saw it should be the best waie that might be taken to the aduancement of his purpose Then he answered the Flemings that if they would sweare and seale to this accord and promise to mainteine his warre he would be contented to fulfill their desire and also he promised to get for them againe the townes of Lisle Dowaie and Beâ—hune Herevpon was a day assigned to meet at Gant the king came thither and the most part of the said lords and all the councellors of the good townes places in Flanders were there assembled and so all the foresaid matters were rehearsed sworne and sealed and the armes of France were then quartered with those of England and from thenceforth he tooke vpon him the name of king of France in all his writings proclamations and commandements This is noted by Christopher Okland where speaking of the mingling of the French and English armes he saith amongst other things vt haereâ— Legitimus regni Celtarum insignia gentis Ille suis immiscet aâ—râ—x quòd auunculus orbus Carolus è vita ad superas migrauerat oras c. ¶ Sith then that we be come to this place it shall not be much amisse to rehearse somewhat of the right and title whereby king Edward did thus claime the crowne of France hauing of purpose omitted to speake thereof till now that he intituled himselfe with the name tooke vpon him to beare the armes also of France vpon occasion before expressed It is well knowne that Philip le Beau king of France had issue by his wife queene Ione three sons Lewes surnamed Hutine Philip le Long and Charles le Beau also two daughters the one dieng in hir infancie and the other named Isabell liued and was maried vnto Edward the second of that name king of England who begot of hir this Edward the third that made this claime The thrée sonnes of the foresaid Philip le Beau reigned ech after other as kings of France First after Philip the father succéeded his eldest sonne Lewes Hâ—tine who had issue by his first wife Margaret daughter to Robert duke of Burgogne a daughter named Ione the which was anon giuen in mariage vnto Lewes earle of Eureux but she liuing not long died without issue Hir father the said Lewes Hutine married after the deceasse of his first wife an other wife named Clemence daughter to Charles Martell the father of K. Robert of Sicill whom he left great with child when he died The child being borne proued a son was named Iohn but liued not manie daies after Then Philip the Long was admitted vnto the croâ—â—e of France though manie stood in opinion that Ione the daughter of Lewes Hutine which yet was aliue ought to haue inherited the kingdome after hir father and namelie Odo duke of Burgogne wâ—â—le to the said Ione was most earnest in that maâ—ter in fauour of his néece But might ouercame right so that he was constreined to be quiet Philip le Long after he had reigned fiue yeares died also and left no issue behind him Then lastlie Charles le Beau tooke vpon him the kingdome and the seuenth yeare after died his wife big bellied which shortlie after brought foorth a maiden named Blanch shal streightwaies hasting to follow hir father liued no while in this world By this means then the bloud roiall in the heires male of Philip le Beau was extinguished in his sonne the line 10 foresaid Charles le Beau whereof the contention tooke beginning about the right to the crowne of France betwixt the Frenchmen and Englishmen which hangeth as yet vndecided till these our daies For king Edward auerred that the kingdome of France apperteined vnto him as lawfull heire bicause that he alone was remaining of the kings stocke and touched his mothers father Philip le Beau in the next degree of consanguinitie as he that was borne of his daughter Isabell. line 20 Therefore immediatlie after the deceasse of the said Charles le Beau by ambassadours sent vnto the peeres of France he published to them his right requiring that they would admit him king according therevnto but his ambassadours could neuer be quietlie heard and therefore returned home without anie towardlie answer which mooued him in the end to attempt the recouerie of his lawfull inheritance by force sith by law he could not preuaile and now by aduise of his fréends to take vpon him both line 30 the title and armes of France to signifie to the world what right he had to the same After that this league therefore was concluded with them of Flanders and that king Edward had taken vpon him the name of king of France with the armes the duke of Gelderland and Iaques van Arteueld went vnto all the good townes and iurisdictions of Flanders to receiue their oths of fidelitie vnto king Edward persuading with the people that the supreme rule belonged vnto him sauing to the townes their ancient lawes and liberties line 40 and to their earle his right of proprietie About the latter end of this thirteenth yeare of K. Edwards reigne the mariners and sea-men of the cinque ports getting them aboord into a number of small ships and balingers well trimmed and appointed for the purpose passed ouer to Bullongne where they tooke land one day in a thicke foggie weather and setting on the Base towne they burnt nineteene gallies foure great ships and to the number of twentie smaller vessels togither with their tackle line 50 and furniture They set fire also on the houses that stood néere to the water side and namelie they burnt one great house wherein laie such a number of oares sailes armour and crossebowes as might haue sufficed to furnish so manie
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
Admerall Iohn Peterson They had beene at Rochell for wine and now were come to the Baie for salt vpon their returne homeward and hearing that the Englishmen would come that waie staied for them and first gaue the onset For yée must remember that by reason that the earle of Flanders had married his daughter to the duke of Burgognie which he had first promised to the earle of Cambridge there was line 30 no perfect fréendship betwixt the realme of England and the countries of the said earle of Flanders Sir Guichard Dangle a knight of Poictou that was come ouer with the duke of Lancaster to procure the king to send some new aid into Aquitaine was for his approoued valiancie and tried truth to the king of England made knight of the garter And moreouer at his instance the king rigged a nauie of ships and appointed the earle of Penbroke as generall line 40 to saile with the same into Aquitaine and there to remooue the siege which the Frenchmen had laid to Rochell The earle according to his commission tooke the sea with a fléet of fortie ships prepared for him but yer he could enter the hauen of Rochell he was assailed by an huge fleet of Spaniards and there vanquished taken prisoner led into Spaine The Spaniards had for capteins foure skilfull warriours Ambrose Bouquenegre Cabesse de Uake or Uakadent Dom Ferand du Pion and Rodigo de line 50 la Rochell who had vnder their gouernement fortie great carrauels and thirteene trim barkes throughlie furnished and appointed with good mariners and mâ—n of warre The earle of Penbroke had with him nothing the like number of ships nor men for as Froissard writeth he had not past two and twentie knights with him or as other haue not past twelue being for the more part of his owne retinue or houshold and yet those few Englishmen and Poictouins that were line 60 there with him bare themselues right valiantlie and fought it out to the vttermost There were slaine sir Simon Houssagre sir Iohn de Mortague and sir Iohn Tuchet and there were taken prisoners besides the earle himselfe sir Robert Buffort sir Iohn Curson sir Othes de Grandson sir Guichard Dangle the lord of Pinane sir Iohn de Griueres sir Iaques de Surgieres the lord of Tannaibouton sir Iohn de Hardane and others This battell was fought on Midsummer euen in this six and fortith yeare of king Edwards reigne The earle had as Froissard writeth treasure with him to haue waged thrée thousand men of warre which neuer did anie man good for as he was informed the ship wherein he was aboord perished with diuerse other being burnt or sunke ¶ The English writers saie that it was no maruell though this mishap chanced vnto him bicause he had in parlement spoken against men of the church in giuing counsell that they might be constreined to paie gréeuous subsidies towards the maintenance of the kings warre and that no lesse heauie paiments and subsidies should be imposed vpon them than vpon the secular sort Wherein he seemed to bewraie a malicious mind against the clergie who as in no age they haue wanted foes so in his time they found few fréends being a generation appointed and ordeined in their cradels to be contemned of the world speciallie of great men of whose fauour and goodwill it is truelie rightlie said Gratia magnatum nescit habere statum By reason of this misfortune thus happened to the English fleet the Frenchmen recouered manie townes and castels out of the Englishmens hands in the countries of Poictou Xaintonge Limosin and other the marches of Aquitaine About the same time the French king sent foure thousand men to the sea vnder the guiding of one Yuans a banished Welsh gentleman the which landing in the I le of Gernesey was incountered by the captein of that I le called sir Edmund Rous who had gathered eight hundred men of his owne souldiers togither with them of the I le and boldlie gaue battell to the Frenchmen but in the end the Englishmen were discomfited and foure hundred of them slaine so that sir Edmund Rous fled into the castell of Cornet was there besieged by the said Yuans till the French king sent to him to come backe from thence and so he did leauing the castell of Cornet and sir Edmund Rous within it as he found him The Frenchmen this yeare recouered the citie of Poictiers Rochell also and the most part of all Poictou and finallie laid siege to Towars in Poictou wherein a great number of the lords of that countrie were inclosed the which fell to a composition with the Frenchmen to haue an abstinence of warre for themselues and their lands till the feast of saint Michaell next insuing which should be in the yeare 1362. And in the meane time they sent to the king of England their souereigne lord to certifie him what conditions they had agréed vnto that if they were not aided by him or by one of his sonnes within the said tearme then they to yéeld them and their lands to the obeisance of the French king Not long before this the capitall of Bueffz was taken prisoner and sir Thomas Percie with diuerse other Englishmen and Gascoignes before Soubise by sir Yuans of Wales and other French capteins so that the countries of Poictou and Xaintonge were in great danger to be quite lost if spéedie succours came not in time Wherevpon king Edward aduertised of that agreement which they within Towars had made raised an armie rigged his ships and in August tooke the sea purposing to come before the day assigned to the succours of that fortresse but the wind continued for the space of nine wéekes so contrarie vnto his intent that he was still driuen backe and could not get forward toward the coast of Rochell where he thought to haue landed so that finallie when the daie of rescuing Towars came he nor anie of his sonnes could appeare in those parts and so to his great displeasure he returned home and licenced all his people to depart to their houses By this means was Towars deliuered to the Frenchmen which ceassed not in such occasions of aduantage to take time and follow the steps of prosperous fortune About this season the duke of Britaine being sore displeased in his mind that the Englishmen susteined dailie losses in the parts of Aquitaine would gladlie haue aided their side if he might haue got the nobles of his countrie to haue ioined with him but the lords Clisson and de la Uale with the vicount of Roan and other the lords and barons of Britaine so much fauoured the French king that he perceiued they would reuolt from him if he attempted any thing against the Frenchmen He therefore meaning by one way or other to further the king of England his quarell and fearing to be attached by his line 10 owne subiects and sent to Paris dispatched messengers
kings absence appeased diuerse riots and punished the offendors the king with a great power tooke shipping at Douer on saint Georges euen within night and landed at Calis on the morrow being saint Georges daie and sundaie by seuen of the clocke in the morning He remained in Calis a good space and from thence he remoued to Rone being there receiued with all triumph He taried in that citie a long time his nobles dailie consulting on their great businesse weightie affaires ¶ In this kings time somewhat about this yeare a certeine Breton whome a good honest widow had receiued into hir house and conceiued well of him in opinion was by hir mainteined of hir owne pursse as Polychronicon saith she found him of almes and for Gods sake This charitable deed of hirs deserued a deuout mind to God ward and a thankfull hart to hir But good soule how was she recompensed Euen murthered in hir bed by the hands of that villaine whome so bountifullie she succoured and motherlike tendered Unto which bloudie fact which was a preparatiue to a further mischeefe bred in his vnnaturall hart he added another offense for when he had dispatched the woman vsing the riddance of hir to his aduantage and as he had obteined oportunitie to his thinking he conueied all that she had awaie with him for his owne releefe Then being persecuted with guiltinesse of conscience which troubleth offendors with ceaslesse vexations and forceth them from place to place to séeke corners of euasion and shift he tooke priuilege of holie church at saint Georges in Southwarke where laieng hands on the crosse as a shield of sufficient safegard he abiured this land and by that meanes thought himselfe frée from afterclaps Neuerthelesse God whose mercifull nature abhorreth the effusion of mans bloud prepared a punishment for the malefactor who passing through the suburbs of London without Algate the place where he had committed the murther the women of the same parish and stréet as it were inraged came out with stones staues kenell doong and other things wherewith they so bethwackt him on all parts of his bodie that they laid him a stretching and rid him quite of life In the wreking of this their teene they were so fell and fierce that the constables with their assistants which were no small number dooing what they could by their authoritie and maine strength were not able to rescue him out of the womens hands who had sworne in their hearts as it séemed by the maner of their reuenge which was void of all mercie to sée the end of such a villaine as most vnnaturallie had slaine a woman a neighbour a widow a pitifull woman a good neighbour an honest widow the wretch himselfe being a fugitiue a stranger borne a begger and he to whome she shewed hir selfe the staffe of his support O singular ingratitude which nature abhorreth law dissalloweth heauen disclaimeth line 10 God detesteth humanitie condemneth and euerie good bodie to the verie death defieth as the old distichon excellentlie and with good sense noteth Lex natura coelum Deus omnia iura Damnant ingratum moerent illum quoque natum But to returne to the affaires of king Henrie who in the moneth of Nouember remooued from Rone to Pontoise and so to saint Denis to the intent to make his entrie into Paris and there to be sacred king of France There were in his companie of his line 20 owne nation his vncle the cardinall of Winchester the cardinall and archbishop of Yorke the dukes of Bedford Yorke and Norffolke the earles of Warwike Salisburie Oxenford Huntington Ormond Mortaigne and Suffolke Of Gascoigns there were the earles of Longuille and Marche besides manie other noble men of England Guien and Normandie And the chéefe of the French nation were the dukes of Burgognie and Lewes of Lutzenburgh cardinall and chancellor of France for king Henrie line 30 the bishops of Beauuois and Noion both péeres of France beside the bishop of Paris and diuerse other bishops the earle of Uaudemount and other noble men whose names were superfluous to rehearse And he had in a gard about his person three thousand price archers some on horssebacke and part on foot To speake with what honour he was receiued into the citie of Paris what pageants were prepared and how richlie the gates streets and bridges on euerie line 40 side were hanged with costlie clothes of arras tapestrie it would be too long a processe and therefore I doo héere passe it ouer with silence On the seauentéenth daie of December he was crowned king of France in our ladie church of Paris by the cardinall of Winchester the bishop of Paris not being contented that the cardinall should doo such an high ceremonie in his church and iurisdiction After all the ceremonies were finished the king returned toward the palace hauing one crowne on his head and another line 50 borne before him and one scepter in his hand and the second borne before him As touching other the roiall seruices and princelie appointments they are verie diligentlie at large set out in the French chronicle of that time This coronation of the king Anglorum praelia as manie other good and memorable matters so this also he hath noted saieng thereof in comelie breuitie and truth as after followeth Aeternae famae paulo post rege sepulto Parisijs diadema vias compita circum line 60 Iunior Henricus portat lepidissimus infans This high and ioious feast passed not without some spot of displeasure among the English nobilitie for the cardinall of Winchester which at this time would haue no man be equall with him commanded the duke of Bedford to leaue off the name of regent during the time that the king was in France affirming the cheefe ruler being in presence the authoritie of the substitute to be cleerelie derogate according to the common saieng In the presence of the higher power the smaller giueth place The duke of Bedford tooke such a secret displeasure with this dooing that he neuer after fauoured the cardinall but stood against him in all things that he would haue forward This was the root as some haue thought of that diuision amongst the English nobilitie where through their glorie within the realme of France began first to decline The next daie after the solemne feast of the kings coronation were kept triumphant iusts and torneis in the which the earle of Arundell and the bastard of S. Paule by the iudgement of the ladies woone the price The king kept open hall the space of fiue daies to all commers and after bicause the aire of Paris séemed contrarie to his pure complexion by the aduise of his councell he remooued to Rone where he kept his Christmasse But before his departure from Paris the noble men as well of France and Normandie did to him homage and the common people sware to him fealtie In this meane time
lodging The duke of Burgognie on the other part being lord and souereigne of the towne iudged it as much vnméet for him to go to the regent where he was lodged Howbeit by intreatie of fréends to meet in a place indifferent betweene both their lodgings was appointed which offer not accepted both parties departed discontent and neuer after saw nor communed togither Thus by the proud disdaine enuious discord of these two high stomached princes Bedford not minding to haue anie péere and Burgognie not willing to abide anie superior shortlie after England much lost and Burgognie greatlie gained not as by the sequeale may appeare The bastard of Orleance called the earle of Dunois the lord Rochford marshall of France with other in the beginning of this thirtéenth yeare tooke the towne of S. Denis by treason skirmished with them of Paris and leauing behind them a great garrison tooke the towne of Howdone and Pont saint Maxence by composition And at the same time was the towne of Pont Meulan taken by the sudden scaling of two fishermen who entered vp at a common priuie standing in the wall Thus warre continuallie lasted betwixt these two mightie nations English and French within the realme of France than which therefore no countrie thought more miserable And though the poore people and inhabitants of the good townes and villages susteined most losse in their substance yet the men of warre oftentimes paied déerest for the bargaine being daily slaine wounded and taken prisoners for warre seldome beareth anie other fruit It may serue verie well here to recount how somewhat before these daies Martin the fift in the fiftéenth yeare of his popedome An. 1431 agreeing vpon a generall councell to be holden at Basill the same yeare did anon after deceasse whom Eugenie the fourth succéeding and liking right well of the time and place by his authoritie signified and sent with Iulian Cesarine his legat did confirme the choise Wherevpon as the councell the ninetéenth of Iulie the same 1431 was there begun and his holinesse soone after aduertised how malapertlie his ghostlie children had imbusied themselues in checking at their holie fathers faults and about reformation of his church at Rome his sublimitie therat highlie offended for great cause it had commanded his legat by and by to dissolue that synod and in his name to appoint a new at Ferrar and so come his waie vnder colour forsooth how that place was méetest for the prelats of the Gréeke church who had to confer with the Latine councell about points of religion wherein they long had remained at square But these Basilien clerks there still fastlie conteining themselues so smallie regarded this summons of Eugenie who then with his prelats as the time was run on vpon prorogation from Ferrar kept an other councell at Florence 1439 as by a confident countermand cited Eugenie all his cardinals to come to them at their solemne set councell at Basill Which his supremasie for so best became it notwithstanding sundrie citations vtterlie contemning to doo they soone after like verie impious imps first for contumacie accurssed his holie fatherhood then depriued him of his papasie and out of hand chose another in his office one Amedeus late duke of Sauoie who afore that time hauing giuen vp his possessions dignitie vnto his children became an heremite in a monasterie of his own building by mount Geuenna in Sauoie nigh the lake Leman where he by title of Decanus militum Iesu Christi and ten more of nobilitie with him had setled themselues to liue The vertuous minded man thus chosen pope by spirituall counsell inueigled lest the holie life such as it was that he had profest tooke the papasie vpon him the same 1439 and called Felix the fift which promotion yet he not long inioied For after by his successour Nicholas the fifts ambition that had suborned emperour Frederike to be a worker in the matter this sillie Amedeus was coosined of his popes golden crowne for a cardinals felt hat Then good man at last could he find whether were néerer to christen profession the life of a vertuous prince ruling in iustice of a solitarie heremite vertuouslie occupied of an imperious pope that may know no péere or of a licentious cardinall to liue as he liâ—t This poore prince had experience of all then knew the best when well might he lament him but too late repent him And in the fift yeare of this Basilien councell that had a continuance of eleuen yeare whereof an eight were run yer Felix was chosen in which Eugenie remaining pope still though of curst hart he neuer came at them motion was made among Sigismund the emperour and other christen kings who for appeasing this schisme betwéene the pope and his prelats were all present by person or proxie that sith such horror of bloudshed betwéene the two nations line 10 continuallie so lamentablie raged in France some mediation might be made for accord whereof one thing seemed to minister occasion of the more hope bicause the duke of Burgognie was willing so that it were not of his owne sute to returne and reconcile himselfe with the French king his mortall enimie and ancient aduersarie Héerevpon by authoritie of this generall councell two graue prelats the one Nicholas Albergat a Carthusian frier intituled a préest cardinall of the line 20 holie crosse the other Hugh Lusignan a Cyprian Gréeke bishop cardinall of Prenest in Italie came to the towne of Arras in Arthois whither were sent from the king of England Henrie Beauford cardinall of Winchester Henrie archbishop of Yorke William de la Poole earle of Suffolke and Iohn Holland earle of Huntington with diuerse other knights and esquiers And for the French king were there present Charles duke of Bourbon Lewes erle of Uandosme Arthur of Britaine constable of line 30 France the archbishop of Reimes and sir Philip Harecourt The duke of Burgognie was there in proper person accompanied with the duke of Guelders and the earles of Estampes Lignie S. Paule Uaudemont Neures and Daniell sonne to the prince of Orange with a great gard and a gallant companie Upon the daie of the first session the cardinall of S. Crosse declared to the thrée parties the innumerable mischeefes that had followed to the whole state of line 40 the christian common-wealth by their continuall dissention and dailie discord exhorting them for the honour of God for the loue which they ought to beare towards the aduancement of his faith and true religion to conforme themselues to reason and to laie aside all rancor malice and displeasure so that in concluding a godlie peace they might receiue profit and quietnesse heere in this world and of God an euerlasting reward in heauen After this admonition and line 50 diuerse daies of communication euerie partie brought in their demands which were most contrarie and farre from anie likelihood of comming to a good conclusion The
deliuered and speaking better English than French after his arriuall in France repaired to the duke of Burgognie and according to his promise and conuention maried the ladie Marie of Cleue in the towne of saint Omers on whome he begat a sonne which after was French king and called Lewes the twelfe Festered sores that rankle inward as they may perchance be palliat by sleight of surgerie so sildome come they to sound cure but often doo burst out againe to greater paine and perill of patient than euer afore and so befell it betwéene these two noble houses of Orleance and Burgognie who for all this mariage and plausible peace that continued a twentie yeares fell out yet after at square vnattonablie their children and cousins to the great vnquieting of much part of christendome speciallie in the times of king Francis the first and his sonne Henrie the second heires of the house of Orleance For Iohn earle of Angolesme vncle to this duke Charles begat Charles father to the said king Francis which earle Iohn had beene as pledge in England for the debt of Lewes duke of Orleance from the last yeare of king Henrie the fourth till that now his nephue being deliuered made shift for monie and ransomed him also and at length restored him to his countrie In the beginning of this twentith yeare Richard duke of Yorke regent of France and gouernour of Normandie determined to inuade the territories of his enimies both by sundrie armies and in seuerall places and therevpon without delaie of time he sent the lord of Willoughbie with a great crue of soldiers to destroie the countrie of Amiens and Iohn lord Talbot was appointed to besiege the towne of Diepe and the regent himselfe accompanied with line 10 Edmund duke of Summerset set forward into the duchie of Aniou The lord Willoughbie according to his commission entred into the countrie of his enimies in such wise vpon the sudden that a great number of people were taken yer they could withdraw into anie place of safegard The Frenchmen in the garrisons adioining astonied with the clamour and crie of the poore people issued out in good order and manfullie fought with the Englishmen But in the end the Frenchmen séeing line 20 their fellowes in the forefront slaine downe and kild without mercie turned their backes and fled the Englishmen followed and slue manie in the chase and such as escaped the sword were robbed by the earle of saint Paule who was comming to aid the Englishmen In this conflict were slaine aboue six hundred men of armes and a great number taken The dukes of Yorke and Summerset likewise entered into Aniou and Maine and there destroied townes and spoiled the people and with great preies line 30 and prisoners repaired againe into Normandie whither also the lord Willoughbie withdrew after his valiant enterprise atchiued as before yée haue heard with rich spoiles and good prisoners The duke of Summerset vpon further valiance entered into the marches of Britaine and tooke by fierce assault a towne named la Gerche apperteining to the duke of Alanson spoiling and burning the same This doone he went to Ponzaie where he soiorned two moneths sending foorth dailie his men of line 40 war to destroie the countries of Aniou Traonnois and Chatragonnois The French king sent the marshall Loiach with foure thousand men to resist the inuasions of the duke of Summerset which marshall intended to haue set on the duke in his lodgings in the dead time of the night but that as by a wise and hardie capteine well foreséene he marched forward and met the Frenchmen halfe the waie and after long fight discomfited them slue an hundred of the marshals men and tooke thrée score and two prisoners line 50 wherof the chéefe were the lord Dausignie sir Lewes de Buell all the other almost were knights and esquiers After this incounter the duke tooke the towne of Beaumont le vicount and manned all the fortresses on the frontiers of his enimies and with rich booties and prisoners returned againe to the duke of Yorke In this meane time the lord Talbot besieging the towne of Diepe inuironed it with déepe trenches building also vpon the mount Paulet a strong and line 60 noisome bastile But at length perceiuing the towne to be stronglie defended and that he lacked such furniture of men vittels and ordinance as was necessarie for the winning of it he deliuered the custodie of the bastile with the gouernance of the siege to his bastard sonne a valiant yoong gentleman and departed to Rone for aid monie and munition The French king aduertised hereof sent his sonne the Dolphin of Uienne with the earle of Dunois and fiftéene thousand men to raise the siege from Diepe Thrée daies they assailed the bastile in the which six hundred Englishmen were inclosed and at length bicause powder and weapon failed them within the Frenchmen wan it and tooke the bastard Talbot prisoner with sir William Peitow and sir Iohn Repleie which shortlie after were redéemed The other English souldiers séeing the bastile woone by the Frenchmen stood all a daie in good order of battell and in the night following politikelie saued themselues and returned to Rone without losse or damage In the assaulting of the bastile the Frenchmen saie they slue two hundred Englishmen and denie not but that they lost fiue hundred of their owne men beside those that were hurt Whilest these things were a dooing Philip duke of Burgognie made sharpe warre against the earle of saint Paule in taking from him his townes and castels that made him to renounce his allegiance sworne and promised to the king of England and returned to the French part The English capteins in Guien besieged the strong towne of Tartas year 1441 belonging to the lord Dalbreth their old and ancient enimie The towne perceiuing that it was not able to resist the force of the Englishmen anie long time tooke appointment that the towne shuld remaine neuter For assurance therof they deliuered Cadet the sonne of the lord de la Breth in pledge vpon this condition that if the said lord de la Breth would not assent to the agreement then he should signifie his refusall to the English capteins within thrée moneths next insuing and he to haue his pledge and they to doo their best The French king at the request of the lords of Guien caused the lord de la Breth to signifie his disagréement vnto the earle of Huntington as then lieutenant to the king of England in the duchie of Aquitaine And therewith to gratifie the lords of Guien he assembled an armie of thréescore thousand men came to Tholouse and so to Tartas to whome the chéefteins of the towne séeing no succours comming from the king of England rendred the towne and Cadet de la Breth which was left there as a pledge was also deliuered The French king after the yeelding of Tartas remooued to saint
kings all the princes of christendome trauelled so effectuouslie by their oratours and ambassadours that a diet was appointed to be kept at the citie of Tours in Touraine where for the king of England appeared William de la Poole earle of Suffolke doctor Adam Molins kéeper of the kings priuie seale also sir Robert Ros and diuers other And for the French king were appointed Charles duke of Orleance Lewes de Bourbon earle of Uandosme great maister of the French kings houshold Piers de Bresse steward of Poictou and Bertram Beautian lord of Prâ—signie There were also sent thither ambassadours from the empire from Spaine from Denmarke from Hungarie to be mediatourâ— betwixt the two princes The assemblie was great but the cost was much greater insomuch that euerie part for the honour of their prince and praise of their countrie set foorth themselues as well in faâ—e as apparell to the vttermost Manie meetings were had and manie things mooued for a fiâ—all peâ—ce but in conclusion by reason of manie doubts which rose on both parties no full concord could be agreed vpon but in hope to come to a peace a certeine truce as well by sea as by land was concluded by the commissioners for eighteene moneths which afterward againe was prolonged to the yeare of our Lord 1449. In treating of this truce the earle of Suffolke aduenturing somewhat vpon his commission year 1444 without the assent of his associats imagined that the next waie to come to a perfect peace was to contriue a mariage betwéene the French kings kinsewoman the ladie Margaret daughter to Reiner duke of Aniou and his souereigne lord king Henrie This Reiner duke of Aniou named himselfe king of Sicill Naples and Ierusalem hauing onlie the name and stile of those realmes without anie penie profit or foot of possession This mariage was made strange to the earle at the first and one thing seemed to be a great hinderance to it which was bicause the king of England occupied a great part of the duchie of Aniou and the whole countie of Maine apperteining as was alledged to king Reiner The earle of Suffolke I cannot saie either corrupted with bribes or too much affectioned to this vnprofitable mariage condescended that the duchie of Aniou and the countie of Maine should be deliuered to the king the brides father demanding for hir mariage neither penie nor farthing as who would saie that this new affinitie passed all riches and excelled both gold and pretious stones And to the intent that of this truce might insue a finall concord a daie of enteruiew was appointed betwéene the two kings in a place conuenient betwéene Chartres and Rone When these things were concluded the earle of Suffolke with his companie returned into England where he forgat not to declare what an honourable truce he had taken out of the which there was a great hope that a finall peace might grow the sooner for that honorable mariage which he had concluded omitting nothing that might extoll and set foorth the personage of the ladie or the nobilitie of hir kinred But although this mariage pleased the king and diuerse of his councell yet Humfrie duke of Glocester protector of the realme was much against it alledging that it should be both contrarie to the lawes of God and dishonorable to the prince if he should breake that promise and contract of mariage made by ambassadours sufficientlie thereto instructed with the daughter of the earle of Arminacke vpon conditions both to him and his realme as much profitable as honorable But the dukes words could not be heard for the earles dooings were onelie liked and allowed So that for performance of the conclusions the French king sent the earle of Uandosme great maister of his house and the archbishop of Reimes first peere of France and diuerse other into England where they were honorablie receiued and after that the instruments were once sealed and deliuered on both parts the said ambassadours returned againe into their countries with great gifts and rewards When these things were doone the king both for honour of his realme and to assure to himselfe mo fréends created Iohn Holland earle of Huntington duke of Excester as his father was Humfrie earle of Stafford was made duke of Buckingham and Henrie earle of Warwike was elected to the title of duke of Warwike to whome the king also gaue the castell of Bristowe with the I le of Ierneseie and Garneseie Also the earle of Suffolke was made marquesse of Suffolke which marquesse with his wife and manie honorable personages of men and line 10 women richlie adorned both with apparell iewels hauing with them manie costlie chariots and gorgeous horslitters sailed into France for the conueiance of the nominated queene into the realme of England For king Reiner hir father for all his long stile had too short a pursse to send his daughter honorablie to the king hir spouse This noble companie came to the citie of Tours in Touraine where they were honorablie receiued both of the French king and of the king of Sicill line 20 The marquesse of Suffolke as procurator to king Henrie espoused the said ladie in the church of saint Martins At the which mariage were present the father and mother of the bride the French king himselfe which was vncle to the husband and the French quéene also which was aunt to the wife There were also the dukes of Orleance of Calabre of Alanson and of Britaine seauen earls twelue barons twentie bishops beside knights and gentlemen When the feast triumph bankets and iusts were ended the ladie line 30 was deliuered to the marquesse who in great estate conueied hir through Normandie vnto Diepe and so transported hir into England where she landed at Portesmouth in the moneth of Aprill This ladie excelled all other as well in beautie and fauour as in wit and policie and was of stomach and courage more like to a man than a woman Shortlie after hir arriuall she was conueied to the towne of Southwike in Hamshire where she with all nuptiall ceremonies was coupled in matrimonie line 40 to king Henrie the sixt of that name ¶ On the eightéenth of Maie she came to London all the lords of England in most sumptuous sort méeting and receiuing hir vpon the waie and speciallie the duke of Glocester with such honour as stood with the dignitie of his person Now when she came to Blackheath the maior aldermen and men of occupations in blew gownes imbrodered with some deuise expressing their art and trades whereby to be knowne did all shew themselues with congratulation line 50 of hir comming from whence they attended hir to London where with goodlie pageants and sundrie gallant historicall shewes in diuers places erected she was verie magnificallie welcomed The maner and order of which pompe in sundrie places exhibited to the high honour of the king queene states is verie amplie set foorth by Fabian pag. 423 424
sides but in the end king Edward so couragiouslie comforted his men that the other part was discomfited and ouercome who like men amazed fled toward Tadcaster bridge to saue themselues where in the mid waie is a little brooke called line 10 Cocke not verie broad but of a great déepenesse in which what for hast to escape and what for feare of their followers a great number was drowned there It was reported that men aliue passed the riuer vpon dead carcasses and that the great riuer of Wharfe whereinto that brooke dooth run and of all the water comming from Towton was coloured with bloud The chase continued all night and the most part of the next daie and euer the northerne men as they line 20 saw anie aduantage returned againe and fought with their enimies to the great losse of both parts For in these two daies were slaine as they that knew it wrote on both parts six and thirtie thousand seuen hundred thréescore sixteene persons all Englishmen and of one nation whereof the chiefe were the earles of Northumberland and Westmerland the lord Dacres and the lord Welles sir Iohn Neuill Andrew Trollop Robert Horne and manie other knights and esquiers and the earle of Deuonshire line 30 was taken prisoner but the dukes of Summerset and Excester fled from the field and saued themselues After this great victorie king Edward rode to Yorke where he was with all solemnitie receiued and first he caused the heads of his father the earle of Salisburie and other his freends to be taken from the gates and to be buried with their bodies and there he caused the earle of Deuonshire and thrée other to be beheaded and set their heads in the same line 40 place King Henrie after he heard of the irrecouerable losse of his armie departed incontinentlie with his wife and sonne to the towne of Berwike and leauing the duke of Summerset there went into Scotland and comming to the king of Scots required of him and his councell aid and comfort The yoong king of Scots lamenting the miserable state of king Henrie comforted him with faire words and friendlie promises and assigned to him a competent pension to liue on during his abode in line 50 Scotland King Henrie in recompense of this courtesie and friendship deliuered to the king of Scots the towne of Berwike whereof he had got possession He faithfullie supported the part of king Henrie and concluded a mariage betwixt his sister and the yoong prince of Wales but the same was neuer consummate as after ye shall heare When king Henrie was somwhat setled in the relme of Scotland he sent his wife and his sonne into France to king Reiner hir father trusting by his aid and succour to assemble line 60 an armie and once againe to recouer his right and dignitie but he in the meane time made his aboad in Scotland to see what waie his friends in England would studie for his restitution The quéene being in France did obteine of the yoong French king then Lewes the eleuenth that all hir husbands friends and those of the Lancastriall band might safelie and suerlie haue resort into anie part of the realme of France prohibiting all other of the contrarie faction anie accesse or repaire into that countrie ¶ Thus ye haue heard how king Henrie the sixt after he had reigned eight and thirtie yeares od moneths was driuen out of this realme But now leauing him with the princes of his part consulting togither in Scotland and queene Margaret his wife gathering of men in France I will returne where I left to proceed with the dooings of king Edward This yoong prince hauing with prosperous successe obteined so glorious a victorie in the mortall battell at Towton and chased all his aduersaries out of the realme or at the least waies put them to silence returned after the maner and fashion of a triumphant conquerour with great pompe vnto London where according to the old custome of the realme he called a great assemblie of persons of all degrees and the nine twentith daie of Iune was at Westminster with solemnitie crowned and annointed king ¶ In which yeare this king Edward called his high court of parlement at Westminster in the which the state of the realme was greatlie reformed and all the statutes made in Henrie the sixt his time which touched either his title or profit were reuoked In the same parlement the earle of Oxford far striken in age and his sonne and heire the lord Awbreie Uéer either through malice of their enimies or for that they had offended the king were both with diuerse of their councellors attainted and put to execution which caused Iohn earle of Oxford euer after to rebell There were also beheaded the same time sir Thomas Tudenham knight William Tirell and Iohn Montgomerie esquiers and after them diuerse others Also after this he created his two yoonger brethren dukes that is to saie lord George duke of Clarence lord Richard duke of Glocester and the lord Iohn Neuill brother to Richard earle of Warwike he first made lord Montacute and afterwards created him marques Montacute Beside this Henrie Bourchier brother to Thomas archbishop of Canturburie was created earle of Essex and William lord Fauconbridge was made earle of Kent To this Henrie lord Bourchier a man highlie renowned in martiall feats Richard duke of Yorke long before this time had giuen his sister Elizabeth in mariage of whome he begat foure sonnes William Thomas Iohn and Henrie the which William being a man of great industrie wit and prouidence in graue and weightie matters maried the ladie Anne Wooduile descended of high parentage whose mother Iaquet was daughter to Peter of Lutzenburgh earle of saint Paule by the which Anne he had lord Henrie earle of Essex one daughter named Cicile maried to Water lord Ferrers of Chartleie and an other called Isabell which died vnmaried The earle of Kent was appointed about this time to kéepe the seas year 1462 being accompanied with the lord Audeleie the lord Clinton sir Iohn Howard sir Richard Walgraue and others to the number of ten thousand who landing in Britaine wan the towne of Conquet and the Isle of Reth and after returned When all things were brought in order and framed as king Edward in maner could wish Henrie duke of Summerset sir Rafe Persie and diuerse other being in despaire of all good chance to happen vnto king Henrie came humblie submitted themselues vnto king Edward whome he gentlie receiued Which clemencie notwithstanding both the one and the other when time serued reuolted from king Edward and betooke themselues to take part with Henrie vnto whom they had béene adherents before bicause they grew in hope that in the end the confederats to whom they so closelie did cleaue both in affection and seriousnesse of labour though they pretended a temporall renunciation of all dutie and seruice for their securitie sake should haue the honor
méet for such a dalieng pastime When this communication was merilie ended the French king intending to shew himselfe like a maister amongst his seruants made all his companie to draw backe from him meaning to commune with the king of England secretlie The Englishmen withdrew them without any commandement Then the two kings communed alone secretlie I thinke not to the profit of the constable of France The French king demanded of king Edward whether the duke of Burgognie would accept the truce King Edward answered that he would once againe make an offer and then vpon the refusall he would referre and report the truth to them both Then king Lewes began to speake of the duke of Britaine whome he would faine haue excepted out of the league To whom the king of England answered Brother I require you to mooue no warre to the duke of Britaine for on my fidelitie in the time of my néed and aduersitie I neuer found a more friendlie sure and stedfast louer than he Then king Lewes called his companie againe and with most lowlie and amiable commendations tooke his leaue of the king of England speaking certeine friendlie words to euerie Englishman king Edward dooing likewise to the Frenchmen Then both at one time departed from the barriers mounted on horssebacke and departed the French king to Amiens and king Edward to his armie To whom was sent out of the French kings house all things necessarie for a prince insomuch that neither torches nor torchets lacked vnsent When the French king was departed from Picquenie he called to him the lord of Argenton saieng By the peace of God the king of England is an amorous and a faire prince he at the first becke would gladlie see Paris where he might fortune to find such pleasant and talkatiue dames which with faire words pleasant pastimes might so allure him to their fantasies that it might breed occasion in him to come ouer the sea againe which I would not gladlie see For his progenitors haue beene too long and too often both in Paris and Normandie On this side the sea I loue neither his sight nor his companie but when he is at home I loue him as my brother and take him as my friend The French king after this departing sore desired to make warre on the duke of Britaine which he could not doo except he were left out of the treatie Wherefore he sent the lord of Bouchage and the lord of saint Pierre to the king of England intreating him by all waies and motions possible to leaue the duke of Britaine for his alie and not to haue him comprehended in the league The king of England hearing them so seriouslie and so feruentlie speake against the duke of Britaine with an earnest countenance answered saieng My lords I assure you if I were peaceablie at home in my realme yet for the defense of the duke of Britaine and his countrie I would passe the seas againe against all them that line 10 either would doo him iniurie or make warre vpon him The French lords nothing further saieng much maruelled why the king of England so suerlie claue to the duke of Britains partie but they knew not or else at the least remembred not that Henrie earle of Richmond was within the power and dominion of the duke of Britaine whome king Edwards phantasie euer gaue him would make once a title to the crowne of England as next heire to the house of line 20 Lancaster For he knew well that if the duke of Britaine would transport him into England where hée had both kinsfolks and friends with neuer so small an aid yea though it were but the shadow of an armie then were he inforced newlie to begin againe a conquest as though he had neuer woone the crowne nor obteined the possession of the realme which was the verie cause why he stucke so fore to the duke of Britains part The same night the lords returned to Amiens and line 30 reported to their maister king Edwards answer who therewith was not the best pleased But pleasure or displeasure there was no remedie but to dissemble the matter This same night also there came the lord Howard and two other of the king of Englands councell who had béene coadiutors toward the peace to the French king to supper The lord Howard said to the French king secretlie in his eare that if it stood with his pleasure he could persuade the king of England to come to Amiens yea peraduenture as farre as Paris familiarlie and line 40 friendlie to solace himselfe with him as his trustie friend and faithfull brother The French king to whom this motion was nothing pleasant calling for water washed and rose without anie answer making but he said to one of his councell that he imagined in his owne conceipt that this request would be made The Englishmen began againe to commune of that matter the Frenchmen politikelie brake their communication saieng that the king line 50 with all celeritie must march forward against the duke of Burgognie Although this motion séemed onelie to increase loue and continuall amitie betwéene the princes yet the Frenchmen hauing in their perfect remembrance the innumerable damages and hurts which they of late daies had susteined by the English nation whereby continuall hatred increased against them in France thought by policie and wisedome with faire words and friendlie countenance to put line 60 by this request and to motion them rather to depart homeward than to pricke them forward to Paris where peraduenture they might be so interteined at this time that they would at another come thither both vndesired and vnwelcomed This peace was said to be made onelie by the Holie-ghost bicause that on the daie of méeting a white dooue sat on the top of the king of Englands tent whether she sate there to drie hir or came thither as a â—oken giuen by God I referre it to your iudgment At this treatie and méeting was not the duke of Glocester nor other lords which were not content with this truce but the duke came afterwards to Amiens with diuerse other lords of England to the French king which both highlie feasted them and also presented them with plate and horsses well garnished King Lewes considering what gaine the Englishmen had gotten by making warre in France and what miserie what calamitie and what pouertie the French nation had suffered and manie yeares susteined by reason of the said warres determined clearelie rather to pacifie and interteine the English nation by faire words and great rewards although it were to his great charge than by too much hardinesse to put himselfe his nobilitie realme in hazard by giuing them battell as his predecessors had vnwiselie doone at Poitiers and at Agincourt Wherefore to buie peace he granted king Edward for a yearelie tribute fiftie thousand crownes to be paied at London which accounting a crowne at foure shillings amounteth to ten thousand pounds And to haue the fauour
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
firsts daughter and the erle of Hereford 311 b 10. Of the ladie Elen king Edward the firsts daughter to the duke of Bar a French man 290 a 60. Of Elisabeth king Edward the firsts daughter vnto the earle of Holland 301 b 50 Of the countesse of Glocester with sir Rafe Monthermer 295 b 60. Of Marie quéene of Scots with Henrie Stuard eldest sonne to the erle of Leneux 1208 b 10. Of the countesse of Artâ—ois married to the duke of Burgundie 401 b 60. Of the countesse of Kent a widow and the prince of Wales note 395 a 50. Betwéene the ladie Iane sister vnto king Edward the third and the king of Scots 347 b 50. Of an earles two daughters to two brethren 322 a 10 Of the ladie Margaret daughter to king Henrie the seuenth to Iames the fourth king of Scots 788 b 30 789 b 10. Of an earles daughter to an errant rascall and traitorous rebell 780 a 40. Of the duchesse of Britaine and Charles the French king 771 b 40. Of the ladie Margaret vnto duke Charles how beneficiall to king Edward the fourth 676 a 10. Of the French ladie Bona to the duke of Millam 668 a 50. Of quéene Marie with Philip prince of Spaine of some liked of most misliked note 1093 a 40 c b 10. Agréed vpon in parlement 1102 b 10 Solemnised with an abstract of the conditions of the same 1118 b 10 40 c 1119 a c 10 1120 a 10. Of king Iohns daughter ladie Iane vnto the earle of March 182 b 60. Of Isabell to king Iohn got him enuie 164 a 60. Of quéen Katharines mother to Henrie the sixt with Owen Tenther 615 a 60. Of the ladie Elisabeth vnto Edward the fourth 615 b 30. Of the quéen of Scots and the Dolphin of France 1056 b 60. Betwéene the ladie Marie Henrie the eights daughter and the king of Scots purposed 883 b 50. Betwéene the ladie Marie eldest daughter to Henrie the eight and the Dolphin of France pretended 848 b 10. Of quéene Katharine and Henrie the eight 801 a 10. Of the ladie Elisabeth now quéene to a Spaniard solicited 1157 b 10. Mooued in the parlement and how answered by hir selâ—e 1181 a 20 40 c Sued vnto out of Denmarke 1185 b 10 20. Of a genâ—lewoman in flight to a king 6 a 30 Mariage forren and first betwéene the king of France and the ladie Margaret eldest daughter to Henrie the seuenth 791 b 10. Betwéene the French kings daughter and Richard the second treated of 485 b 30. Betwéene the Dolphin of France and Edward the fourths daughter treated vpon 703 b 60.704 all Betwéene the French king and the ladie Marie sister to Henrie the eight who should haue béene wife to the prince of Castile 832 a 60 b 10 20 30 40 50 60. Betwéene the French kings daughter and the king of Englands sonne 94 b 30. Betwéene the Dolphin and the princesse of Scots 1141 b 40 60. Of Lewes the French kings sonne and Blanch the néece of king Iohn 161 b 10. Of the French king and the emperor Charles his sister 889 b 40. Made aliance betwéene the pope the French king 847. b 30 Mariage in generall and first of one offensiue note 222 b all Fatalâ— 211 b 60. Confirmed from Rome with monie 222 b 60. Within the degrées of consanguinitie dispensed withall by the pope 392 a 30. Not to be forced note 376 b 40. Malice betwixt great personages as touching the same 774 a 60. One intended another begun and ended note 667 b 60 668 a 10 c. A spirituall thing and how it should be made 726 b 30. Purchased with monie 84 b 10 Wiâ—hin the seuenth degrée of consanguinitie dissolued 30 b 60 31 a 10. Broken off reuenged 636 b 10. Infortunate and vnprofitable to the realme of England 625 a 60. Betwéene children to compose strife and establish amitie betwéene the parents 1062 a 50 Of princes is not a matter to be triâ—â—ed in 980 a 10 20 c. Undertaken without the kings assent made treasonable note 940 b 50 Mariages two roiall 788 b 30. Thrée betwéene honourable estates note 1803 a 60. Mistrusted to sort to an euill end note b 10. ¶ Sée Contracts Mariners of the cinque ports at deadlie debate note 304 b 30. Commended 281 a 40. Cursse the archbishop of Canturburie and the earle of Penbroke 169 a 10. ¶ Sée Seafaring men Marisch the traitor executed note 230 b 10 Marleswine and Gospatrike nobles of Northumberland flie into Scotland 6 a 30 Marquesse of Baden returneth into his owne countrie 1209 a 30. Ualiant in chiualrie 833 b 60. Henrie the eight and hee make a chalenge at iusts 835 b 10. Entreth into Scotland and burneth diuers townes 875 b 60. Recâ—iueth the emperour Charles at Graueling 873 a 60. Forsaketh the earle of Richmond 752 b. 10. Committed to the Towre 766 a 50. Deliuered out of the Towre 768 a 60. Of Excester condemned executed 946 a 20 50. Montacute suffereth Edward the fourth to passe by him 680 b 20. Slaine 685 a 20. Of Northampton sent into Norfolke to represse the rebels 1033 a 20. Maketh shift to escape danger 1034 b 60. Of Suffolks request 625 b 60 Chéefest in fauour with king Henrie the sixt and the quéene 626 b 40. Created duke 627 b 30 Mart of all English commodities kept at Calis 778 a 20. Martine Sward a valiant capteine of the Almans assistant to the erle of Lincolne against Henrie the seuenth a péereles warrior 766 a 60 b 50. Is slaine 767 a 10 Marton college in Oxford built 282 b 60 Martyrdome marke the causes thereof 253 b 20 Martyrs in quéene Maries time the number great that were execuâ—ed 1363 a 40 Martyrs fit for the popes kalendar 1363 b 50 65 1366 a 10 c. Maske 848 b 60. Roiall 806 b 60.812 a 40.835 a 40. Both the kings of England and France 861 a 40. With intended mischéefe 515 b 50. Before quéene Elisabeth at hir being in Norwich 1296 a 40. In the French court of English lords 860 b 30. Of graue and ancient courtiers and likewise of youthfull 852 b 40 c. Of lords and ladies 850 a 50 c. And a banket Henrie the eight in person present at the cardinals house 921 b 60. Statelie to solace the emperor and his companie 861 b 60 Mason knight his fâ—iendlie part towards the duchesse of Suffolke 1144 b 60. Secretarie vnto the French king 1184 a 30 Maâ—â—e from the which a bishop and his deacon could not bée scared by a tempest 211 b 50. Whereat king Iohn gaue a pretie drie iest 196 b 20. Concerning the celebrating of the same c note 484 a 40 c. Abolished 996 b 10. ¶ Sée Iesuits and Priests Mathild ¶ Sée Maud. Matreuers lord capteine of Baieux 560 b 60 Maud borne afterward empresse 30 a 30. Besieged in Oxford 55 a 60. She escapeth b 10. Flieth by night out of London 54 a 10.
Paris The kings impatiencie 〈◊〉 sée himselfe brideled by 〈◊〉 subiects The king departeth into the I le of Wight He sendeth ambassadors to the pope Hugh de Boues Matth. Paris Polydor. The ambassadours coÌ„ming to the popes presence declare their message Matth. Paris The popes answer vnto the kings ambassadours Hect. Boetius Cardinall Gualo Polydor. The ambassadours returne from the pope The popes decrée is declared to the lords The barons will trie their quarel by dint of sword The K. sendeth eftsoons to the pope The king returneth into the I le of Wight Matt. Paris Polydor. The arriuall of forren souldiers to the kings aid Sancrie de Mauleon Ferdinando erle of Flanders Aâ—cubalisters those yâ— beare crâ—ssâ—bowes Walter 〈◊〉 elected arcâ—â— of yorke The arcâ—b 〈◊〉 Canturburiâ— fauoureth the barons parâ— Matth. Paris The barâ—â—â— denounced â—curssed by the popes commandement K. Iohn diuideth his armie in two parts Polydor. Matth. Paris K. Iohn goeth northward Matth. Paris Notingham Beauer castle summoned to yeeld William de Albeney Stodham Charnelles The castell of Beauoir rendered to the king Dunnington castell taken and raced Matth. Parris K. Iohn taketh the castell of Barwike Hugh de Balioll Philip de Hulcotes Robert de Uepount Brian de Lisle Geffrey de Lucie Mountsorell betwixt Leicester Lugborough The earle of Salisburie with his armie inuadeth the countries about London The castell of Hanslap Tunbridge castell Bedford takeÌ„ by Foukes de Brent Will. Beauchampe Castels deliuered to the kéeping of Foukes de Brent Foukes de Brent aduanced by marriage Rockingham Sawey and Biham Barkhamsted Hertfort castell The barons accursed by name Ralfe Cog. The I le of Elie spoiled Polydor. Bernewell The lords send to the French kings sonne offering to him the crowne French 〈◊〉 sent ouer to the aid of the barons The 〈◊〉 after the 〈…〉 Rafe Coâ— Rafe Coâ— King Iohn once agaiâ—â— sendeth to the pope Anno. Reg. 18. Cardinall Gualo Matth. Paris The French kings allegations to the popes legat Gualo Matth. Paris Matth. West Lewes the FreÌ„ch kings sonne mainteâ—neth his pretended title to the crowne of England The priuilege of those that tooke vpon them the crosse Matth. Paris The French kings sonne sendeth to the pope He commeth to Calice He taketh the sea He landeth in Kent The lords doo homage vnto him Matth. Paris Rochester castell woone Lewes commeth to London Noblemen reuolting froÌ„ K. Iohn vnto Lewes Simon LaÌ„gton chancellor to Lewes Cardinall Gualo commeth ouer into England The more part of the strangers depart from the seruice of K. Iohn Castels woon by Lewes William de Collingham a gentleman of Sussex Castels fortifiâ—d by king Iohn The points wherewith king Iohn was charged The French men begin to shew themselues in their kind Iâ—â—en sat 9. The castell of Norwich leâ—t for a prey to Lewes Lin. Thomas de Burgh taken prisoner Gilbert de Gaunt made earle of Lincolne Lincolne woone Holland in Lincolnshire inuaded Yorkeshire subdued to Lewes The legat Gualo gathereth proxes SequestratioÌ„ of benefices Lewes trauelleth in vaine to take Douer Rafe Cog. Yermouth Dunwich Gipswich râ—nsomed Alexander K. of Scots doth homage to K. Lewes This Eustace had married the sister of K. Alexander Matth. Paris The vicount of Melune discouereth the purpose of Lewes The vicount of Melune dieth The English nobilitie beginneth to mislike of the match which they had made with Lewes The death of pope Innocent Honorius the third chosen pope The hauocke which king Iohn made in the possessions of his aduersaries Northfolke and Suffolke The siege raised from Windsor Gilbert de Gaunt fléeth from the face of king Iohn Lin. The abbeies of Peterburgh Crowland spoiled Bernewell The losse of the kings carriages Matth. Paris Matth. West King Iohn falleth sicke of an ague Matth. Paris Laford Matth. West Matt. Paris King Iohn departed this life Caxton Gisburn 〈◊〉 The variable reports of writers concerning the death of king Iohn Bernewell Plaut in Pers. Humf. Lhloyd Dauid Powell Thus in English almost word for word King Iohns children Matth. Paris Polydor. alij Matth. Paris Bale Anno Reg. 1. William Marshall earle of Penbrooke Matth. Paris * Seé pag. 193. col 2. The pride of the Frenchmen procureth them hatred Matth. Paris Hertford castell delâ—â—ered to Lewes The castâ—â—l of Berkehamsâ—â—â—d sâ—rreâ—red Maâ—â—h Pâ—ris Berneweâ—â— A truce Polydor. The perplâ—â—â—â—tie in which the barons stood S. Albons destroied Matth. Paris Noble men reuolting froÌ„ Lewes Matth. Paris The earle of Chester The castell of Mountsorell besieged Henrie Braibroke Saer de Quincie erle of Winchester The earle of Chester raiseth his siege Bernewell The poore estate of the French soldiers Summons to raise an armie for the king The capteins of the kings armie The legat accurseth Lewes his complices Fouks de Brent The Frenchmen put to flight at Lincolne The earle of Perch slaine Noble meÌ„ taken prisoners Gilbert de Gaunt by the gift of Lewes Lewes his faire The K. commandeth the castell of Mountsorell to be râ—ced Milites Chr. Dunsta Lewes sendeth to his father for aid In armie prepared in FraÌ„ce to come to the succour of Lewes Polydor. The diligence of the earle of Penbroke Anson in epig. Matth. Paris Hubert de Burgh assaileth the French fléet The French fléet is vanquished Matth. Paris Eustace the moonke taken and beheaded Richard base sonne to king Iohn Eustace the moonke what he was Hor. lib. 3. car od 2. A rich spoile An accord betwixt K. Henrie Lewes The English chronicle saith a thousand pounds Matth. Paris The prelats are fined Anno Reg. 2. What cheuance the legat made Fouks de Brent Matth. Paris The castell of Newarke restored to the bishop of Lincolne Matt. Paris The earle of Chester goeth into the holie land Sonne to K. Iohn belike Anno Reg. 3. 1219 The deceasse of the earle of Penbroke He is buried in the temple church Pandulph made bishop of Norwich The bishop of Winchester gouernour to the king Quéene Isabâ—ll married to the earle of Marsh. A parlemenâ— and a subsidâ—e R. Fabian The new church of Westm. begun Anno. Reg. 4. Matth. West The earle of Chester returneth home Polydor. The K. crowned the second time Matth. Paris Matth. Paris Ran. Higd. A proclamation to auoid strangers The castles of Chartley Béeston built Ran. Higd. Anno Reg. 5. 1121 Salisburie Matth. Paris The earle of Albemarle The castell of Biham The castell of Fodringhey The castell of Biham yéelded Matth. Paris Old seruice remembred The WelshmeÌ„ begin to stur Polydor. Matth. Paris Reginald de Breuse Mountgomerie castle built â—scuage paid Polydor. K. Henrie requireth restitution of his right of the FreÌ„ch king The French kings answer Matt. Westm. Matth. Paris Marriages concluded Anno Reg. 6. 1222 A councell or synod at Oxford Two dissembling persons apprehended Matth. Westm. They are executed Two women counterfeiting themselues to be the one our ladie the other Marie Magdalene Ralfe Cog. Matth. Paris Matt. Paris Mattâ— West A
together 〈◊〉 mainteâ—◠〈◊〉 warres Great â—â—eapnesse of wâ—rs end scarsitie of monie 1338 Anno Reg. 11. Thom. Wals. Ran. Higd. Polydor. Fabian Creations of noble men Additions to Hen. Marle Croxden An act of arraie against sumptuous apparell An act for restrainâ— of traÌ„sporting ouer wools Adam Meriâ—â—uth Rich. South The castell of Bothuile taken Sir Eustace Maxwell The earle of Warwike inuadeth Scotland The castell of Edenburgh besieged The siege is raised The K. practiseth with the Flemings The bishop of Tournie Ia. Mâ—ir The I le of Cadsant An armie sent by sea into Flanders Foure thousand saith Ia. Meir Froissard Two cardinals come into England Additions to Meri Ri. Southwell The castell of Dunbar besieged Anno Reg. 12. A parlement Croxden A subsidie The cardinals returne Iames or Iacob Arteueld a hommaker of Gant His authoritie among the commons A league betwixt England Flanders Iac. Meir Siger de Curtrey The Fullers of Gant The earle of Flanders fléeth into France He returneth home Dixmue He eftsoones fléeth Flanders wholie at the deuotion of K. Edward K. Edward saileth to Antwerpe Froissard The marques of Gulikeâ— land The earle of Gelderland created â—ukeâ— K. Edwards confederates Lionell that was after duke of Clarence borne Additions to Adam Merimuth A parlement at Northampton A subsidie vpon wooll The cleargie granteth a tenth Great raine 1339 Anno Reg. 13. The Frenchmen inuade the coasts of this land Plimmouth burnt The earle of Deuonshire Rich. South William Dowglas Hect. Boetius A floud CoÌ„missioners sent to treat of peace They cannot agrée Cambrie besieged Ia. Meir The king raâ—â—seth his siege and entreth into France Flaminguerie Fabian Thom. Walsi SouthamptoÌ„ burnt Two English ships taken The French kings armie Iacob Meir Townes burnt by the Englishmen in France The towne of Guise burnt The earle of Heinault The armies approch néere togither Froissard Robert king of Sicill disâ—uadeth the French king to fight with the king of England The armies retire without battell A councell at Brusseâ—â— The motioÌ„ 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 to haue the 〈◊〉 of Englan◠〈◊〉 take vpon 〈◊〉 the title to 〈◊〉 crowne of France The kings answer to the Flemings These toâ—â—â— had béene ingaged to the king of FraÌ„â—â— for monie The quartâ—ring of the armes of England France In Angl. 〈◊〉 sub Edâ—ardâ— 3. Polydor. The issue of Philip le Beau. Lewes Hâ—tine Philip le Long. Charles le Beau. King Edward signifieth his right to the crowne of France Ia. Mair King Edward tooke vpon him the rule armes of the K. of France The Flemings swere fealtie to the King of England Additions to Nic. Triuet Iohn of Gaunt borne Anno Reg. 14. A parlement Hen. Marl. Polydor. A subsidie The citie of London lendeth the king monie The frontiers of France full of men of warre The towne of Asper burnt The erle of Heinault defieth the FreÌ„ch king Townes burnt in Thierasse Flanders interdicted Ad. Merim Adam Merimuth Iac. Meir The earles of Salisburie Suffolke taken The countrie of Heinault inuaded Gaguin A great nauie prepared by the French king The king of England taketh the sea Polydor. Ia. Meir The king of England setteth vpon his enimies Additions to Triuet The victoâ—â—â— of the Englishâ—men at the battell of Sluise Additions to Triuet Merimuth The Iames of Déepe Barbenoir Gaguin Auesburie Tho. Walsi Adam Merimuth Froissard Ia. Meir R. Southw The number slaine Rich. South Rich. South The king 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 Froissard The riuer 〈◊〉 Lestault 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 The Flemings Sir Richard Limosin The armies breake vp The assemblie of the princes at Uilleford The couenaÌ„ts betwixt the k. of England his coÌ„federats Froissard Tournie furnished with a strong power of men Tournie besieged The great number of people at the siege of Tournie Ia. Meir The earle of Richmond The Frenchmen set vpon the Flemings The variable fortune of fights Additions to Adam Merimuth Sil. Ital. lib. 6. Sir Thomas Uthred The earle of Richmond in danger to be slaine The great armie raised by the French king The ladie Iane de Ualois treateth for a peace A truce accorded The Flemings released of debts and of the interdiction Polydor. Restitution of townes to the king of England Gaguin The siege raised from Tournie The earle of Flanders feasteth the K. of England Ia. Meir The king goeth into Zealand Continuation of Triuet Auesburie Iudges and other officers committed to the tower New officers made in place of other that were discharged The K. offended with the the archb of Canturburie 1341 The archbish writeth to the king Anno Reg. 15. A letter sent to the deane of Paules The archbishop refuseth to come to the court A parlement Adam Merimuth The emperor woone froÌ„ the king of Englands fréendship The emperor offereth to be a meane to coÌ„clude a peace The kings answer The deceasse of the lord Geffrey de Scrope of the bishop of Lincolne The quéene brought to bed The commissioners that met at Arras This truce was prolonged about the least of the decollation of S. Iohn to indure till Midsummer next following as the addition to Ad. Merimuth hath The occasâ—oâ— of the war◠〈◊〉 Britaine Mor. lib. caâ— 4 Ode 4. Ia. Meir Froissard The english succour â—riued in good time Archers Charles de Blois Lewes de Spaine Britaine Britonant Edmund of Langley that was after duke of yorke is borne Fabian A iusts and tornie at Dunstable Hanibout besieged 1342 Anno Reg. 16. The countes of Richmond commeth ouer into EnglaÌ„d An armie sent into Britaine Additions to Adam Merimuth and Nic. Triueâ— The earle of Northampton and Deuonshire Genowaies reteined in the French kings wages The Englishmen and Genowaies méet and fight on the Seas Uannes woâ— Additions to Nic. Triuet The king passeth ouer into Britaine Uannâ—s besâ—â—ged Aâ—ditions to Triuet An armie of Frenchmen discomfited by a few Englishmen Naunts besieged The duke 〈◊〉 Normanâ—â—â— commeth downe 〈◊〉 Britaine Additions 〈◊〉 Triuet Commissioners for the king of England Commissioners for the French king A truce 〈◊〉 thrée yearâ—â— The condâ—tions of the truce Anno Reg. 17. The king of England returneth by sea forth of Britaine Shipwracke A parlement The kings eldest sonne created prince of Wales Ambassadors appointed to go to the â—ope Sir Iohn Shordich sent to the Pope The Popes words to sir Iohn Shordich Of benefices inhibited by the king Iusts in Smithfield 1344 Anno Reg. 18. Th. Walsing A chamber built within the castell of Windsore called the round table I. Stow out of Henrie de Leicester The I le of Man Iusts tornies holden at Windsore The order of the garter founded * Looke in 〈◊〉 description Britaine In Angl. praeâ—â— sub Edwardo 3. The occasion that moued K. Edward to institute the order of the garter * The countrâ—â— of Salisburie Additions 〈◊〉 Adam Meâ—imuth and Triuet Coine changed 1345 Anno Reg. 19. Auesburie Ad. Merimuth Polychron Fiue hundred men of armes and two thousand archers saith Froissard Bergerat woone Froissard Additions to
Stâ—adiots â—â—imbed and â—â—â—â—tered 〈…〉 English 〈◊〉 horsseâ—â—â— Watchmen found sléeping serued iustlie Culpeper vnder-marshall of Calis Abr. Fl. ex Ed. Hall in H. 8. fol. xxviij The follie of a couper The emperor Maximilian and the king of England meet The kings harnesse and furniture A letter of defiance sent by the Scotish king to king Henrie The king of Englands speach to the Scotish kings herald vttered without premeditation The effect of the Scotish kings letter to K. Henre Sée historie 〈◊〉 Scotland 〈◊〉 295 and Edw. H. â— in H. â— fol. xxix xxx King Henrâ—â— his answâ—â—â— to the Scotâ— kings letterâ— Sée historie of Scotlanâ— pag. 297. 〈◊〉 Edw. Hall 〈◊〉 He. 8. fol. 30â—â—â— An euill 〈◊〉 to breake the league of peace The king of Nauarre a king without a realme and 〈◊〉 The king of Englands answere to the â—ast clause of the Scotish kings letter An hundred angels to a Scotish herald for a reward Fourtéene hundred men of armes hath Monsieur de Langeie Monsieur de Piennes appointed by the French king to vittell Terwine The emperor Maximilian weareth a crosse of saint George as souldier to the king of England A Fraie beweene the Almans of the kings campe and the Englishmen 〈◊〉 appeased 〈◊〉 the discreâ—â—â—â— of the 〈◊〉 The king and the emperour consult which waies were best to besiege Terwine to preuent the vittelling of it Fiue bridges made in one night for the armie to passe ouer the riuer at Terwine Polydor. The force of sudden chance in warre Edw. Hall Polydor. The king with his battell of footmen The Estradiots mistaking footmen for horssemen fled first A great ouerthrow giuen to the French king Henrie in person being present The emperor â—â—courageth his Almans to plaie the men The battell of spurres Sir Iohn Pechie 〈◊〉 baneret anâ— Iohn 〈◊〉 knight Terwine 〈◊〉 vp to king Henrie The citizenâ— of Terwine sworne to king Henrie The king â—â—â—tereth into Terwine Terwine burnt King Henrie marcheth on with his armie to besiege Tornaie The king gâ—â—eth to Lisle 〈◊〉 visit the yoong prince Castile Sir Henrie Guilford 〈◊〉 of the kings horsse The Palsgraue of 〈◊〉 his traine come to 〈◊〉 the K. of England A false rumor of the kings 〈◊〉 The king and his traine ignorant of the waie to his campe by meanes of a â—â—st Tornaie summoned by Gartier king of armes The prouost of Tornaies words to the distressed townesmen Tornaie besieged by king Henrie Sée Hall in Henrie 8. fol. 37 38. historie of Scotland pag. 297 298. Abr. Fl. ex Edw. Hall in Hen. 8. fo xliiij xlv The citie of Tornaie on all sides besieged The prouosts words to the townesmen The prouost with eleuen more submit themselues yeéld vp the citie to the king The 〈◊〉 taken in the king of Englands behalfe The king 〈◊〉 certâ—â—â—â— gentlemeÌ„ 〈◊〉 their good seruice knights Sir Edward Poinings 〈◊〉 lieutenant of Tornaie Iâ—stes held 〈◊〉 Tornaie for disport of the prince of Castile the duchesse of Sauoie The prince the duchesse returne to Lisle The king returneth into England A mortalitie * Vrbs Tornaci Lord Humes entereth the borders of England Englishmen assaile the Scots Scots put to flight Lord chamberleine escapeth The ill road Norham castell besieged Norham castell deliuered The earle of Surrie lieutenant of the north raiseth an armie The lord admerall ioineth with the earle of Surrie his father The lord Howard admerall capteinâ— of the foreward The strength of the place where king Iames lay incamped called Floddon An herald sent from the earle of Surrie to king Iames. The lord admerals message to the king of Scots Andrew Barton of whom mention before pag. 811. A good policie Ilaie and Yorke heralds The Scotish herald doth 〈◊〉 errand to 〈…〉 Baffulling what it is among the Scots The Scotish herald is detâ—ined of the English The earle of Surrie remooueth his campe ouer the water of Till The lord Howard taketh view of the Scotish armie The earle of Surrie returneth againe ouer the water of Till The valiant determination of the earle to incounter the Scots The ordering of the English armie The Scotish kings thought at the view of the English armie King Iames and all the rest alight from horssebacke The order of the Scotish hoast French â—â—â—teins in the Scotish 〈◊〉 The battell is begun and sir Edmund Howard incountred with the earles of Lenox and Argile Thus hath Iouius although Hall saith that the lord Dacres stood still all day vnfoughten with The Scots put to the worsse in the right wing Sir Edwâ—râ— Stanlie and his archers breake the Scots arrâ—â—â— The left wing of the Scots is discomfited The Scotish kings magnanimitie A sore â—ight The king fighteth himselfe right vaâ—â—antlie The stout stoâ—ach of king Iames. He is slaine Two battels of Scots fought not but gaue the lâ—â—king on Pau. Iouius Edw. Hall Seuen culuerings called seuen sisters why Edw. Hall The English mens ouerrash hardinesse turnes them to hurt The bodie of king Iames found hauing diuerse deadlie wounds Scots flie at the peale of guns The kings thankfulnesse signified to his good seruitors in war Wolsie described Inclosures of the fields about London cast downe ouerthrowne Anno Reg. 6. Abr. Fl. ex I.S. pag. 902. Freé schoole at Walthamstow Edw. Hall in Hen. 8. fol. 46. The king and the new duke of Suffolke defenders at the tilt against all commers A cap of â—â—â—â—â—tenance seâ—â— to the king from the poâ—â— Abr. Fl. ex Guic. pag. 490. Pope Iulie compared to Anteus Guic. pag. 631. The purposes of pope Ioâ—â— the second 〈◊〉 his death The pope â— mal content The king of England inâ—â—tuled Christianâ—sâ—imo by the pâ—pe Against cliâ—ing to the popedome by simonie Madame Felice the popes daughter hir request The descripâ—â—on of pope Iulie and his properties Antith Christ. papâ— pag. 26 28. Brighthelmston in Sussex burnt Prior Iehan capteine of the French galies shot into the eie with an arrow Sir Iohn Wallop in Normandie The French king procureth the pope to be a meane for peace betweene king Henrie and him Abr. Fl. ex Guic. pag 633. Creation of pope Leo the tenth Coronation of pope Leo the tenth Pope Leo a poore prisoner the verie same daie twelue moneth of his election and inthronization A mariage concluded A peace concluded betweene England 〈◊〉 Polydor. The ladie Marie affâ—â—â— to K. Lewes of France Edw. Hall in He. 8. fol. xlviiâ—â— The 〈◊〉 solemnized betwéene the French king and the ladie Marie sister to K. Henrie Abr. Fl. ex Edw. Hall 〈◊〉 H. 8. fol. xâ—â—â—â— English 〈◊〉 disâ—â—â—â—ged of 〈◊〉 places â—nd offices â—â—der the 〈◊〉 The Dolâ—â—â—â— causeth 〈◊〉 â—usts 〈◊〉 be prâ—claâ—ed aâ— Paris English nobiâ—â—tie craue 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 to go 〈◊〉 to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the said â—usts The ladie Marie crowâ—â—â— queéne of France She is receiued into Paris The heralds reward The time horâ— loÌ„g these iusts lasted and the maner therof The duke of Suffolke
80 great ships besides other lesser vessels well appointed and trimmed made foorth to the sea And first coasting aloofe from them till they had got the wind on their backs came finallie with their maine force to assaile the Frenchmen and with helpe of their crossebowes and archers at the first ioining made great slaughter of their enimies and so grapling togither in the end the Englishmen bare themselues so manfullie that they vanquished the whole French fléet and obteined line 60 a famous victorie Eustace the moonke was found amongst the capteins who although he offered great summes of gold for his ransome so that he might haue had his life saued and also to serue king Henrie yet the English capitoins would none of that but Richard the bastard sonne of king Iohn tooke him and cut off his head and sent it vnto king Henrie his brother as a witnesse of this their atchieued victorie This Eustace was a Fleming borne and somtime a moonke but renouncing his cowle to receiue such heritage as fell to him by the death of his brethren deceassing without issue he became a notable pirat and had doone in his dais much mischeefe to the Englishmen and therefore was now rewarded according to his demerits For Rarò antecedentem scelestum Deseruit pede poena claudo The spoile and prey of the French ships was verie rich so that the Englishmen being loden with riches and honour vpon their safe returne home were receiued with great ioy and gladnesse But Lewes after he vnderstood of this mischance happening to his people that came to his aid began not a litle to despaire of all other succour to come vnto him at any time héerafter wherfore he inclined the sooner vnto peace so that at length he tooke such offers of agreement as were put vnto him and receiued furthermore a sum of monie for the release of such hostages as he had in his hands togither with the title of the kingdome of England and the possession of all such castels and holds as he held within the realme ¶ The French chronicle to the which the chronicle of Dunstable and Matthew Paris doo also agrée affirmeth that he receiued fiftéene thousand marks Moreouer the popes legat absolued Lewes and all those that had taken his part in the offense of disobedience shewed in attempting the warre against the popes commandement Then Lewes with all his complices that had bin excommunicated sware vpon the holie euangelist that they should stand to the iudgement of holie church and from thencefoorth be faithfull vnto the pope and to the church of Rome Moreouer that he with his people should incontinentlie depart out of the realme and neuer vpon euill intent returne againe And that so farre as in him laie he should procure his father king Philip to make restitution vnto king Henrie of all the right which he had in the parts beyond the sea and that when he should be king of France he should resigne the same in most quiet manner On the other part king Henrie tooke his oth togither with the legat and the earle of Penbroke gouernour of the realme that he should restore vnto the barons of his realme and to other his subiects all their rights and heritages with all the liberties before demanded for the which the discord was mooued betwixt the late king Iohn and his barons Moreouer all prisoners on both parts were released and set at libertie without paieng anie ransome yea and those which had couenanted to paie and vpon the same were set at libertie before the conclusion of this peace were now discharged of all summes of monie which then remained vnpaid This peace was concluded on the eleuenth day of September not farre from Stanes hard by the riuer of Thames where Lewes himselfe the legat Guallo and diuerse of the spiritualtie with the earle of Penbroke lord gouernor of the realme and others did méet and talke about this accord Now when all things were ordered and finished agreeable to the articles and couenants of the peace so farre as the time present required the lords of the realme when Lewes should depart homeward attended him to Douer in honorable wise as apperteined and there tooke leaue of him and so he departed out of the realme about the feast of saint Michaell King Henrie by this meanes being put in full possession of the relme according to the prescript of that article conteined in those conditions of the peace latelie specified pardoned all those that had aided his aduersarie Lewes during the wars except certeine of the spiritualtie which were put to such fines that they were compelled to laie all that they had to pledge to leuie such summes of monie as they might with the same obteine the kings fauour againe and beside that to sue to Rome for their entier absolution at the popes owne hands Amongst other Hugh bishop of Lincolne returning into England was compelled to paie a thousand marks to the popes vse for recouerie of his bishoprike an hundred marks also to the legat of good and lawfull monie Such cheuance made the legat amongst them of the church as well persons secular as regular that he got togither twelue thousand marks towards his charges whereby it appeared that he lost no time in England But to procéed line 10 The realme now being quiet and in all outward felicitie a number of vnrulie persons such as delighting in idlenesse knew not how to liue in time of peace assembled themselues togither and appointing Fouks de Brent who was a man of great stomach and more rashnesse to be their capteine and ringleder began to make warre against the king and to spoile the townes and countries about them so that their euill dooings might haue caused no small perill to haue insued by some great ciuill sedition if the line 20 earle of Penbroke had not in time preuented their attempts For he assembling the kings power hasted towards the rebels and what by his owne authoritie and by the reuerend regard of some bishops in his companie more than by vsing any force of armes he staid the matter for that time so that no further mischeefe followed of this mutinie Besides the foresaid Fouks de Brent there were other of the Nobilitie also which practised the like disorder as William earle of Albemarle Robert de line 30 Ueipount Brian de Lisle Hugh de Balioll Philip de Marc and Robert de Gaugi the which Robert withheld the castell of Newarke that belonged to the bishop of Lincolne and would not deliuer it till the king with William Marshall erle of Penbroke had laine at siege before it an eight daies in the end of which terme by mediation of fréends the matter was taken vp and the bishop recouered his castell paieng to the said Robert de Gaugi an hundred pounds sterling for the victuals which he left within line 40 the same castell Soone
reason of the exceeding great weat that fell in that season they could not kéepe on their iournie into Douglasdale and to Aire as they had appointed but hauing remained in Scotland twelue daies they returned altogither vnto Carleill Edward Balioll was not with them in this iournie but remained still in England The Scots in reuenge hereof made diuerse rodes into England withdrawing still with their prey and booties before the English power could assemble to giue them battell About Alhallontide the Scots besieged the castell of Edenburgh but the bishop of Carleill the lord Randoll Dacres of Gillesland with the power of the counties of Cumberland and of Westmerland and the king of Scots Edward Balioll with the lord Anthonie Lucie and such companie as they brought from Berwike meeting at Rockesburgh marched foorth vnto Edenburgh and chasing the Scots from the siege tooke order for the safe keeping of the castell from thencefoorth and returned into England In this meane time things happened so well to the purpose of king Edward that by practise he alienated the hearts of the Flemings from the obedience of their earle being altogither an earnest fréend to the French king He therefore vnderstanding the minds of his people sought to winne them by some gentle treatie and so did euen at the first concluding an agréement with them of Gaunt which were fullie at a point to haue entred into league with the king of England as with him whose fréendship by reason of the traffike of merchandize and namelie of the English wools they knew to be more necessarie for their countrie than the French kings Although by the helpe of the bishop of Tournie the earle of Flanders caused them to staie from concluding or ioining in anie such bonds of amitie with the king of England for that time yet he doubted the arriuall of some power out of England and therevpon appointed his bastard brother Guie of Rijâ—kenburgh and certeine other noble men and capteins with a crue of men of warre to lie in the I le of Cadsant to defend the passage there and to see that no English ships should come or go that waie by the seas whereof the king of England being aduertised sent thither the earle of Derbie the lord Lewes Beauchampe the lord Reginald Cobham also the lord William sonne to the earle of Warwike the lord Walter de Mannie an Hanneuier and other lords knights and capteins with a power of fiue hundred men of armes and two thousand archers the which comming to the foresaid I le of Cadsant line 10 found the Flemings about fiue thousand in number readie arranged on the towne dikes and sands in purpose to defend the entrie which they did a certeine space right valiantlie but in the end they were discomfited and three thousand of them slaine in the stréets hauen and houses Sir Guie the bastard of Flanders was taken with diuerse other knights and gentlemen the towne was burnt and the goods with the prisoners were carried into England This chanced on a sundaie the daie before the feast of saint line 20 Martine in Nouember Where the lord Walter de Mannie might haue had 11 thousand pounds sterling for the ransome of the said sir Guie and other prisoners the king bought them of him in the fouretéenth yeare of his reigne for eight thousand pounds sterling as by records in the tower it appeareth About the feast of saint Martine in winter there came vnto London two cardinals sent by the pope to treat for a peace betwixt the kings of England and France ¶ The archbishop of Canturburie with line 30 the bishops of Winchester Elie Chichester Couentrie the coÌ„moners of the citie of London met them on Shooters hill The duke of Cornewall with the earle of Surrie and manie other of the nobilitie receiued them a mile without the citie The king himselfe receiued them at the lesser hall doore of his palace at Westminster and brought them into the painted chamber where they declared their message wherevpon the king caused a parlement to be summoned at London to begin the morrow after Candlemasse line 40 day The king held his Christmasse at Gildford and within the octaues of the same feast he tooke his iournie towards Scotland year 1339 or rather as other haue he sent thither the earles of Salisburie Glocester Derbie and Anegos with three barons the lords Percie Neuill and Stafford the which with twentie thousand men besieged the castell of Dunbar This siege began euen in the beginning of the twelfth yeare of king Edwards reigne and continued for the space of nineteene wéeks with small gaine line 50 and lesse honour to the Englishmen in so much that the same brake vp vnder a colour of a truce when there was no hope of winning the place and that the noble men that laie there at siege hasted to make an end that they might attend the king in his iournie ouer into Brabant The morrow after Candlemasse day the parlement began in which there was a grant made to the king by the laitie of the one halfe of their woolles through the whole realme for the next summer which he receiued and likewise he leuied of the line 60 cleargie the whole causing them to paie nine marks of euerie sacke of the best wooll But after the rate of the one halfe he tooke in whose hands so euer it was found aswell merchants as others After this he tooke a fiftéenth of all the communaltie of his realme in wooll the price of euerie stone conteining fouretéene pounds rated at two shillings The one and twentith of March the two cardinals tooke the sea at Douer and in their companie went ouer the archbishop of Canturburie and the bishop of Durham to treat of a peace if by any good means the two kings might be made fréends But as it appeared their trauell was in vaine for although they abode togither for a time on the frontiers dooing their best indeuor yet their trauell nothing auailed as by that which followeth is most manifest The Flemings that fauoured king Edward were put in such comfort by the late victorie obteined by the Englishmen in the I le of Cadsant that falling to their former practise one Iaques or Iacob â—an Arteueld an hommaker of the towne of Gant was chosen amongst them to be as it were the defender of the people and namelie of the weauerâ— and other clothworkers Finallie his authoritie grew so hugelie amongst all the whole number of the commons in Flanders that he might doo moâ—e with them than their earle and yet the earle to reconcile the people to his fauour ceassed not to vse all courteous means towards them that he could deuise as releasing customes and duties of monie pardoning offenses forfeitures and other such like but all would not auaile him The king of England had so woon them by the meanes of the said
the towne and hauing lost the suburbes to the Englishmen he fled out in the night and so left the towne without anie souldiers to defend it so that the townesmen yeelded it vnto the earle of Derbie and sware themselues to be true liege men vnto the king of England After this the earle of Derbie passed further into the countrie and wan diuerse castels and towns as Lango le Lake Moundurant Monguise Punach Laliew Forsath Pondair Beaumont in Laillois Bounall Auberoch and Liborne part of them by assault and the residue by surrender This doone he returned to Burdeaux hauing left capteins and souldiers in such places as he had woone This yeare the king sent foorth a commission vnto certeine persons in euerie countie within the realme to inquire what lands and tenements euerie man aboue fiue pounds of yeerelie reuenues being of the laie fée might dispend bicause he had giuen order that euerie man which might dispend fiue pounds and aboue vnto ten pounds of such yeerelie reuenues in land of the laie fee should furnish himselfe or find an archer on horssebacke furnished with armour and weapon accordinglie He that might dispend ten pounds should furnish himselfe or find a demilance or light horsseman if I shall so terme him being then called a hobler with a lance And he that might dispend fiue and twentie pounds should furnish himselfe or find a man at armes And he that might dispend fiftie pounds should furnish two men at arms And he that might dispend an hundred pounds should find thrée men at armes that is himselfe or one in his stéed with two other And such as might dispend aboue an hundred pounds were appointed to find more in number of men at armes accordinglie as they should be assessed after the rate of their lands which they might yearelie dispend being of the laie fée and not belonging to the church About this season the duke of Britaine hauing with him the earles of Northampton and Oxenford sir William de Killesbie one of the kings secretaries and manie other barons and knights with a great number of men of armes passed ouer into Britaine against the lord Charles de Blois where they tarried a long time and did little good to make anie accompt of by reason that the duke in whose quarrell they came into those parts shortlie after his arriuall there departed this life and so they returned home into England But after their comming from thence sir Thomas Dagworth knight that had béene before and now after the departure of those lords and nobles still remained the kings lieutenant there so behaued himselfe against both Frenchmen and Britains that the memorie of his worthie dooings deserueth perpetuall commendation Sir Iohn de Heinault lord Beaumont about the same time changed his cote and leauing the king of Englands seruice was reteined by the French king In this ninetéenth yeare of king Edward I find that about the feast of the Natiuitie of saint Iohn Baptist he sailed ouer into Flanders leauing his sonne the lord Lionell warden of the realme in his absence He tooke with him a great number of lords knights and gentlemen with whome he landed at Sluse The cause of his going ouer was to further a practise which he had in hand with them of Flanders the which by the labour of Iaques Arteueld meant to cause their earle Lewes either to doo homage vnto king Edward or else if he refused then to disherit him and to receiue Edward prince of Wales for their lord the eldest sonne of king Edward King Edward promising to make a dukedome of the countie of Flanders for an augmentation of honour to the countrie there came vnto Sluse to the king Iaques van Arteueld and a great number of other appointed as councellors for their chéefest townes The king with all his nauie lay in the hauen of Sluse where in his great ship called the Catharine a councell was holden vpon this foresaid purpose but at length those of the councellors of the cheefest townes misliked the matter so much that they would conclude nothing but required respit for a moneth to consult with all the cōmunaltie of the countries and townes and as the more part should be inclined so should the king receiue answer The king line 10 and Iaques Arteueld would faine haue had a shorter daie and a more towardlie answer but none other could be gotten Herevpon the councell brake vp and Iaques Arteueld tarieng with the king a certeine space after the other were departed promised him to persuade the countrie well inough to his purpose and suerlie he had a great gift of eloquence and had thereby induced the countrie wonderfullie to consent to manie things as well in fauour of king Edward as to his line 20 owne aduancement but this suit which he went now about to bring to passe was so odious vnto all the Flemings that in no wise they thought it reason to consent vnto the disheriting of the earle At length when Iaques Arteueld should returne vnto Gant king Edward appointed fiue hundred Welshmen to attend him as a gard for the preseruation of his person bicause he said that one Gerard Denise deane of the weauers an vnquiet man maliciouslie purposed his destruction line 30 Capteins of these Welshmen were Iohn Matreuers and William Sturine or Sturrie and so with this crue of souldiers Arteueld returned vnto Gant and earnestlie went in hand with his suit in king Edwards behalfe that either the earle should doo his homage to the king of England to whome it was due or else to forfeit his earledome Then the foresaid Gerard as well of his owne mind as procured thereto by the authoritie of earle Lewes stirred the whole citie against the said Arteueld and gathering line 40 a great power vnto him came and beset Arteuelds house round about vpon each side the furie of the people being wonderfullie bent against him crieng Kill him Kill him that hath robbed the tresurie of the countrie and now goeth about to disherit our noble earle Iaques van Arteueld perceiuing in what danger he was came vnto a window and spake to that inraged multitude in hope with faire and courteous words to appease them but it could not be whervpon line 50 he sought to haue fled out of his house but the same was broken vp and so manie entred vpon him that he was found out and slaine by one Thomas Denise as some write But other affirme that on a sundaie in the after noone being the 17 of Iulie a cobler whose father this Iaques van Arteueld had sometime slaine followed him as he was fléeing into a stable where his horsses stood there with an ax cloue his head asunder so that he fell downe starke dead on the ground And this was the end of the foresaid line 60 Iaques van Arteueld who by his wisedome and policie had obteined the whole gouernment of all Flanders This wofull
vnburnt The Englishmen Gauntiners that were withdrawne into Berge got togither all the waggons in the countrie about placing the same vpon the diches and rampiers to fortifie the same against their enimies line 20 Some write that after the breaking of the siege at Ypres the bishop of Norwich would gladlie haue persuaded the lords and knights that were there with him to haue entred into Picardie and there to haue offered the French king battell before his whole puissance had beene assembled but sir Thomas Triuet and sir William Elmham with other would in no wise consent therevnto so that the bishop taking with him sir Hugh Caluerlie that did neuer forsake him bad the other farewell and first making a road line 30 into Picardie he after withdrew into Grauelin whiles the other went to Bruckburge But by Froissard and other writers it appeareth that sir Hugh was certeinlie at Berge with other that were retired thither in purpose to defend it against the French king who still followed them and recouered diuerse places out of their hands by force as Mont Cassell the castell of Crincham and other Also at his comming to Berghen the said sir Hugh Caluerlie and other that were within it perceiuing that they were line 40 not able to defend it against such a puissance as the French king had there with him being greater than euer sir Hugh Caluerlie that ancient capteine wold haue thought that France had béene able to haue set foorth departed and left the towne to be spoiled of the Britons and other French souldiers which executed there all kinds of crueltie The more part of the Englishmen went to Bruckburge but sir Hugh Caluerlie went to Grauelin and so to Calis as one sore displeased in his mind for that his counsell could not line 50 be regarded in all this voiage which if it had béene followed would haue brought it to a better issue than now it was as was supposed The French king following the tract of good fortune that guided his sterne marched foorth to Bruckburge so that the vaward of his armie came before that towne on Holie rood daie in September vnder the leading of the earle of Flanders the duke of Britaine the lord Oliuer de Clisson high constable of France and the lord Ualeran earle of S. Paule line 60 the which demeaned themselues in such sort that although the Englishmen within valiantlie defended the Frenchmens assault yet the third daie after the Frenchmens comming thither the Englishmen by composition that they might depart with bag and bagage yeelded vp the towne which on the ninetenth of September being saturdaie as that yeare came about was abandoned to the French souldiers to rifle and spoile at their pleasure in the which feat the Britons bare the bell awaie dooing more mischeefe vnto the poore inhabitants than with toong can be recited The duke of Britaine holpe greatlie to make the composition that the Englishmen might depart in safetie for the which dooing he was in great hatred and obloquie of the souldiers who affirmed that he was not onelie a friend to the Englishmen but an enimie to his countrie and a traitour to the common-wealth The Englishmen comming to Grauelin set it on fire and departed streight to Calis leauing the countrie of Flanders to the Frenchmen and so returned into England where they were not greatlie commended for their seruice but were put so farre in blame that sir Thomas Triuet sir William Elmham were committed to prison within the tower of London as men suspected of euill dealing in the deliuerie of Bruckburge and Grauelin to the Frenchmens hands for immediatlie after that they had left Grauelin the Frenchmen came thither and fortified it for a countergarison to Calis ¶ There be that write how the French king offered to giue the bishop of Norwich fiftéene thousand marks to race the towne of Grauelin and so to leaue it vnto him the bishop hauing libertie with all his people and goods to depart in safetie The bishop required to haue libertie for certeine daies to make herevnto a full and deliberate answer which was granted and in the meane time he sent into England to aduertise the king in what state he stood and how the French king laie before him with a mightie armie and therefore if he meant euer to trie battell with the Frenchmen now was the time In the same summer the king with the queene went abroad in progresse visiting in their waie the rich abbeis of the realme as Burie Thetford Norwich other going about a great part of the realme And when these newes came to him from the bishop of Norwich he was at Dauentrie in Northamptonshire and being the same time at supper he put the table from him and rising with all hast got him to horsbacke and rode in post that night changing horsse diuerse times with such spéed that he came to S. Albons about midnight and making no staie there longer than he had borowed the abbats gelding hasted foorth till he came to Westminster so that it appeared he would neuer haue rested till he had passed the sea and giuen battell to the Frenchmen But after his comming to Westminster wearied with that hastie iournie he got him to bed and liked so well of ease that he thought good to send a lieutenant in his stead to passe the seas to deliuer the bishop from danger of his enimies Herevpon was the duke of Lancaster sent for that he might with such power as was readie to passe the seas go ouer with the same and giue battell to the French king but he protracted time till the respit granted to the bishop to make answer was expired and so the bishop when he saw no succour come foorth of England raced the towne as the couenant was but monie he would not or did not receiue bicause he thought in so dooing he should offend the councell At his comming backe into England he found the duke of Lancaster at the sea side with a great power of men readie to haue come ouer although some thought that he deferred time of purpose for that he misliked of the bishops whole enterprise and now bicause it had thus quailed he blamed the bishop for his euill gouernement therein but sir Hugh Caluerlie he reteined with him a time dooing him all honour by reason of the old approoued valiancie that had béene euer found in him And this was the end of the bishop of Norwich his iournie The Scots in the meane while sate not still but made roades into England tooke and burnt the castell of Warke Moreouer whilest the siege laie before Ypres the Frenchmen armed certeine vessels and sent them to the sea namelie fiue balengers as well to intercept such as should passe betwéene England and Flanders as also to stop such as were appointed to go ouer into Gascoine that were soldiers also of the croisie appointed thither vnder the leading
sléepe and hoong heauie in some mens hands by the space of two yeares and in others thrée yeares without a chapman For it was enacted in a certeine parlement that the merchants of England should not passe out of the land with wooll and other merchandize but should bring the same vnto twelue places within the realme appointed for the same purpose that the merchants strangers might haue recourse thither with their commodities and so by exchange should transport our merchandize for theirs By meanes whereof the merchants of England did forbeare to buy wooll and other wares vntill the next parlement insuing wherein it was granted them to traffike whither they would with their commodities In these daies wooll was dogcheape for one stone of good wooll of the chosen and piked sort was sold for thrée shillings and in Leicester and Kent at some times for two shillings or two and twentie pence This scarsitie of victuals was of greatest force in Leicester shire in the middle parts of the realme And although it was a great want yet was not the price of corne out of reason For a quarter of wheat when it was at the highest was sold at Leiceister for 16 shillings 8 pence at one time and at other times for a marke or fourteene shillings at London and other places of the land a quarter of wheat was sold for ten shillings or for litle more or lesse For there arriued eleuen ships laden with great plentie of victuals at diuerse places of the land for the reliefe of the people Besides this the citizens of London laid out two thousand marks to buy food out of the common chest of orphans and the foure and twentie aldermen euerie of them put in his twentie pound a peece for necessarie prouision for feare of famine likelie to fall vpon the citie And they laid vp their store in sundrie of the fittest and most conuenient places they could choose that the néedie and such as were wroong with want might come buy at a certeine price so much as might suffice them and their familie and they which had not readie monie to paie downe presentlie in hand their word and credit was taken for a yeares space next following and their turne serued Thus was prouision made that people should be relieued and that none might perish for line 10 hunger On Christmasse day a dolphin that came foorth of the sea vp the Thames vnto London-bridge was espied of the citizens as he plaied in the water and being followed pursued with much adoo was taken He was ten foot long and a monstrous growne fish so as the sight of him was strange to manie that beheld him He was thought by his comming so farre into the landward to foreshew such stormes and tempests line 20 as within a wéeke after did raginglie follow Ye haue heard how the matter for a treatie of peace had béene first broched by the French king year 1392 by sending ambassadors to the king of England to mooue the same Which motion being throughlie considered of the estates assembled in this last parlement it was decréed that it should go forward as before ye haue heard and so about Candelmasse the lord Thomas Persie sir Lewes Clifford and sir Robert Briquet with diuerse other in their companie were sent ouer to the French king and comming to line 30 Paris found him lodgd in his house of Loure where they declared to him the good affection of the king their maister toward peace And the better to bring it to passe they shewed that king Richards desire was to haue some place and time appointed for commissioners to méet with authoritie to treat and conclude vpon articles as should be thought expedient The French king greatlie honored these ambassadors in feasting and banketting them for the space of six daies togither and for answer concluded with line 40 them that he himselfe with his vncles and other of his councell would be at Amiens by the middest of March next insuing there to abide the king of Englands comming and his vncles if it should please them thither to come The English ambassadors said there was no doubt but that either the king himselfe or his vncles shuld be there at the day assigned with full authoritie to conclude anie agréement that should seeme reasonable line 50 and so those ambassadors returned with great gifts presented on the kings behalfe to ech of them sir Robert Briquet excepted vnto whome it séemed the French king bare no great good will for that being a Frenchman borne he had euer serued the Nauarrois or Englishmen and was now one of king Richards priuie chamber The king of England as some write was once minded to haue passed the seas himselfe to haue met the French king at Amiens at the time appointed but finallie the duke of Lancaster line 60 the bishop of Durham and others were sent thither with a traine néere hand of a thousand horsses At their comming into France they were roiallie receiued for the French king had made no lesse preparation for the duke of Lancasters comming than if he had béene emperor The duke of Lancaster verelie was estéemed to be a verie mightie prince and one of the wisest and sagest princes in all christendome in those daies so that it séemed the French king reioised greatlie that he might come to haue conference with him There were with the French king héere at Amiens his brother the duke of Thoureigne his vncles the dukes of Berrie Burbon and Burgognie a great number of earles lords and other nobles of the realme of France Before the Englishmens comming for auoiding of strife and debate that might arise betwixt the English and French a proclamation was set foorth conteining certeine articles for the demeanor which the French men should obserue towards the Englishmen Whilest they there remained all the Englishmens charges were borne by the French king from their setting foorth from Calis till they came backe thither againe As touching their treatie manie things were proponed diuerse demands made and some offers though to small purpose for they tooke not effect insomuch as they departed without concluding anie thing further than that the â—ruce which was to end at Midsummer next was prolonged to continue one yéere more that in the meane time the lords and estates of the realme of England might assemble and with good aduise deliberate whether it were more expedient to agrée vnto a determinate peace or to pursue the doubtfull chances of warre And such was the end of that roiall ambassage to the furnishing foorth whereof the king demanded an aid as well of the abbats and priors as of the cities and good townes through the whole realme Anon after the returne of the duke of Lancaster and other the ambassadors that had béene at Amiens a councell of the lords and chiefe states of the realme was called at Stamford the which as if it had béene vnto
number of them were got to the other side yer the Frenchmen were aduised what had happened When they saw the chance they ran like mad men to haue stopped the passage but it was too late for the most part of the Englishmen were got ouer in so much that they chased their enimies backe and slue sir Guilliam de Chastell nephue to the lord Taneguie du Chastell and diuerse others The Frenchmen séeing their euill hap irrecouerable returned to the French king and told him what had chanced wherevpon he doubting to be assailed to his disaduantage thought not good longer to tarrie but with all spéed remoouing his ordinance into the bastile of saint Martin which he had newlie made dislodged in the night from Maubuisson and went to Poissie leauing the lord de Cotignie admerall of France with thrée thousand men to kéepe the bastile If he had taried still at Manbuisson the lord Talbot which had passed the riuer of Oise in two small leather botes had either taken or slaine him the same night The Englishmen the next daie in good order of battell came before the towne of Ponthoise thinking there to haue found the French king but he was gone and in his lodging they found great riches and much stuffe which he could not haue space for to carrie awaie for feare of the sudden inuasion line 10 Then the duke with his power entred into the towne and sent for new vittels and repaired the towers and bulworks about the towne diuerse times assaulted the bastile of the Frenchmen of the which he made no great accompt bicause they were not of power either to assault or stop the vittels or succors from the towne After this the duke intending once againe to offer the French king battell left behind him at Ponthoise for capteine there sir Geruais Clifton sir Nicholas Burdet Henrie Chandos and line 20 a thousand soldiers and therewith remoouing with his whole armie came before Poissie where he set himselfe and his men in good order of battell readie to fight There issued out some of the French gentlemen to skirmish with the Englishmen but to their losse for diuerse of them were slaine and foure valiant horssemen taken prisoners The duke perceiuing the faint hearts of the Frenchmen and that they durst not incounter in field with the English power dislodged from Poissie and came to Maunt and soone after to Rone line 30 When the regent and the lord Talbot were returned againe into Normandie the French king considering how much it should redound to his dishonour to let rest the towne of Ponthoise in his enimies hands sith he had beene at such charges and trauell about the winning thereof he eftsoones assembled all his puissance And returning suddenlie vnto Ponthoise he first by assault got the church and after the whole towne tooke the capteine and diuerse other Englishmen and slue to the number of foure line 40 hundred which sold their liues dearelie for one French writer affirmeth that the French king lost there thrée thousand men and the whole garrison of the Englishmen was but onelie a thousand Among other that were slaine here of the defendants was sir Nicholas Burdet knight cheefe butler of Normandie After this hot tempest the weather began somewhat to war more calme for king Henrie and king Charles agréed to send ambassadors to commen of some good conclusion of peace so that king line 50 Henrie sent the cardinall of Winchester with diuerse other noble personages of his councell to Calis with whome was also sent Charles duke of Orleance yet prisoner in England to the intent that he might be both author of the peace and also procurer of his owne deliuerance The French king sent the archbishop of Reimes and the earle of Dunois and the duke of Burgognie sent the lord de Creuecueur and diuerse other All these met at Calis where the duke of Orleance courteouslie line 60 receiued the earle of Dunois his bastard brother thanking him greatlie for his paines taken in gouerning his lands countrie during the time of his captiuitie and absence Diuerse communications were had as well for the deliuerance of the duke as for a finall peace but nothing was concluded sauing that an other méeting was appointed so that in the meane season the demands of either partie might be declared to their souereigne lords and maisters and herevpon the commissioners brake vp their assemblie and returned into their countries The Englishmen as the French writers record required not onelie to possesse peaceablie the two duches of Aquitaine and Normandie discharged of all resort superioritie souereigntie against the realme of France the kings and gouernours of the same but also to be restored to all the townes cities and places which they within thirtie yéeres next before gone and past had conquered in the realme of France Which request the Frenchmen thought verie vnreasonable and so both parties minding rather to gaine or saue than to loose departed for that time as yée haue heard After this méeting thus proroged Philip duke of Burgognie partlie mooued in conscience to make amends to Charles duke of Orleance as yet prisoner in England for the death of duke Lewes his father whome duke Iohn father to this duke Philip cruellie murthered in the citie of Paris and partlie intending the aduancement of his neece the ladie Marie daughter to Adolfe duke of Cleue by the which aliance he trusted that all old rancor should ceasse contriued waies to haue the said duke of Orleance set at libertie vpon promise by him made to take the said ladie Marie vnto wife This duke had beene prisoner in England euer since the battell was fought at Agincourt vpon the daie of Crispine and Crispinian in the yeare 1415 and was set now at libertie in the moneth of Nouember in the yeare 1440 paieng for his ransome foure hundred thousand crownes though other saie but thrée hundred thousand The cause whie he was deteined so long in captiuitie was to pleasure thereby the duke of Burgognie for so long as the duke of Burgognie continued faithfull to the king of England it was not thought necessarie to suffer the duke of Orleance to be ransomed least vpon his deliuerance he would not ceasse to séeke meanes to be reuenged vpon the duke of Burgognie for the old grudge and displeasure betwixt their two families and therefore such ransome was demanded for him as he was neuer able to pay But after the duke of Burgognie had broken his promise and was turned to the French part the councell of the king of England deuised how to deliuer the duke of Orleance that thereby they might displeasure the duke of Burgognie Which thing the duke of Burgognie perceiuing doubted what might follow if he were deliuered without his knowledge and therefore to his great cost practised his deliuerance paid his ransome and ioined with him amitie and aliance by mariage of his néece This duke being now
some other the like attempt they seâ—t thither sir William Woodâ—â—â—â— with eight hundred men to strengthen the frontiers and further set foorth a proclamation that all men which would transport anie corne chéese or other vittels thither should paie no maner of custome or tallage which 〈◊〉 caused the countrie of Aquitaine to be well furnished of all things necessarie About this season Iohn the valiant lord Talbot for his approued prowesse and wisdome aswell in England as in France both in peace warre so well tried was â—reated earle of Shâ—ewesburie and with a companie of three thousand men sent agaâ—ne into Normandie for the better defâ—nse of the same * This yéere died Lodowâ—ke 〈◊〉 â—ewes Lischburne bishop of Elie being the fiue anâ— twentith that inâ—oied that place year 1443 who came to the samâ— after this maner After the death of Philip Morgan bishop of that sée the moonks of Elie chose for their pastor Robert â—â—tz Hugh bishop of London but he dieng at saint Oâ—ees before his confirmation neuer possessed the honour thereof Wherevpon the king directed his letters to the couent of Elie to make election of Thomas Rudburne bishop of S. Dauids in Wales for their bishop But they contrarie therevnto taking it now for a custome hauing so often vsed it before as did well appeare made choise of Thomas Bourchier borne of a noble house sonne to the countesse of Stafford chancellor of Oxenford and bishop of Worcester to succeed Philip Morgan Which Bourchier the king offended with the moonkes for the little regard had to his request vtterlie refused and would not admit him vnto that place Wherevpon there were buls procured from Eugenius the fourth then bishop of Rome which were sent into England to confirme the election of the said Bourchier But he wiselie fearing to fall into the dangerous statute of Premumre durst not receiue or execute the tenor of the popes commandement By reason whereof least the see might otherwise remaine void if speedie remedie were not prouided the king did in commendam bestow the bishoprike of Elie vpon this Lodowike Lischburne archbishop of Rone by office Card. 4. Coronat Cancellar Franciae Normanniae and kinsman to the said king Which doone Eugenius when he saw no other remedie did reuoke his buls made before to Thomas Bourchier in the yeare of Christ 1437. This Lodowike remaining bishop six yeares and so manie moneths died in the yeare as before the eighteenth of September at his manor of Hatfield whose bowels were buried in the said church his hart was caried to Rone and there honourablie intoomed and his bodie was committed to the earth in the church of Elie betweene two marble pillors next to the altar of the relikes In this yeare died in Guien the countesse of Comings to whome the French king and also the earle of Arminacke pretended to be heire in so much that the earle entred into all the lands of the said ladie And bicause he knew the French king would not take the matteâ— well to haue a Rouland for an Oâ—â—uer he sent solemne ambassadours to the king of England offering him his daughter in mariage with promise to be bound beside great summes of monie which he would giue with hir to deliuer into the king of Englands hands all such castels and townes as he or his ancestors deteined from him within anie part of the duchie of Aquitaine either by conquest of his progenitors or by gift and deliuerie of anie French king and further to aid the same king with monie for the recouerie of other cities within the same duchie from the French king or from anie other person that against king Henrie vniustlie kept and wrongfullie withholden them This offer séemed so profitable and also honorable to king Henrie and the realme that the ambassadours were well heard honourable receiued and with rewards sent home into their countrie After whome were sent for the conclusion of the marriage into Guien sir Edward Hull sir Robert Ros and Iohn Gralton deane of S. Seuerines the which as all the chronographers agrée both concluded the mariage and by proxie affied the yoong ladie The French line 10 king not a little offended herewith sent his â—ldest sonne Lewes the Dolphin of Uienne into Rouergue with a puissant armie which tooke the earle and his yoongest sonne with both his daughters and by force obteined the countries of Arminacke Louuergne Rouergue and Moulessonois beside the cities Seuerac Cadâ—ac chasing the bastard of Arminacke out of his countries and so by reason hereof the concluded mariage was deferred and that so long that it neuer tooke effect as hereafter it may appeare line 20 ¶ In this yeare was an act made by authoritie of the common councell of London that vpon the sundaie no maner of thing within the franchises and liberties of the said citie should be bought or sold neither vittels nor other thing It was also enacted by the same common councell with full consent and ratified by the authoritie of the law-makers that no artificer or handicrafts man should bring his wares commodities or worke vnto anie person or persons to be worne or occupied on that daie bicause it was line 30 iudged a foule prophanation thereof And peoples minds giuen to couetousnesse make no exception of times or places in a case of aduantage and gaine In consideration whereof and for the suppressing of this abuse this law was ordeined and made the force whereof did principallie extend to tailors and shoomakers who as on that daie bring home their garments and shoos to the parties for whome they are made and likewise to all other occupations and trades But this ordinance saith mine author was line 40 too good for so bad an age and therefore died within a short time after the magistrate had giuen it life ¶ On Candlemasse éeue this yeere by lightning in a tempest that fell with claps of thunder at afternoone Paules steeple was set on fier in the middest of the speare or shaft in the verie timber worke which was quenched by the painfulnesse of diuerse persons and specialie by the diligent labour of a préest of Bow in Cheape Howbeit the same was thought vnpossible to be quenched but that the grace of God was line 50 chéefe worker in the same This stéeple hath diuerse times beene ouerthrowne and defaced partlie by winds and partlie by lightning as may be obserued in the reading of this volume yea when the same hath béene repared by the choisest workemen and of the substantiallest stuffe and all meanes that stood with the déepe deuise of man vsed to make it so sure that it might continue as a monument of perpetuitie for posteritie to woonder at and admire But to returne to the historie line 60 Whilest England was vnquieted as you haue heard and France by spoile slaughter and burning sore defaced a mischeefe in all places much lamented therefore to agrée the two puissant
and good will of his chiefe councellors he gaue great pensions amounting to the summe of sixteene thousand crownes a yeere that is to saie to his chancellor to the lord Hastings his chiefe chamberleine a man of no lesse wit than vertue and of great authoritie with his maister and that not without cause for he had as well in time of aduersitie as in the faire flattering world well and trulie serued him and to the lord Howard to sir Thomas Montgomerie to sir Thomas Sentleger to sir Iohn Cheinie maister of the kings horsses to the marques Dorsset sonne to the queene and diuerse other he gaue great and liberall rewards to the intent to keepe himselfe in amitie with England while he wan and obteined his purpose and desire in other places These persons had giuen to them great gifts beside yearelie pensions For Argenton his councellor affirmed of his owne knowledge that the lord Howard had in lesse than the tearme of two yeares for reward in monie and plate foure and twentie thousand crownes at the time of this méeting he gaue to the lord Hastings the kings chiefe chamberleine as the Frenchmen write an hundred markes of siluer made in plate whereof euerie marke is eight ounces sterling But the English writers affirme that he gaue the lord Hastings foure and twentie doozen bolles that is to saie twelue doozen gilt twelue doozen vngilt euerie cup weieng seuentéene nobles which gift either betokened in him a great liberall nature or else a great and especiall confidence that he had reposed in the said lord chamberleine Beside this he gaue him yearelie two thousand crownes pension the which summe he sent to him by Piers Cleret one of the maisters of his house giuing him in charge to receiue of him an acquittance for the receipt of the same pension to the intent that it should appeare in time to come that the chancelor chamberleine admerall maisters of the horsses to the king of England and manie other of his councell had bin in fée and pensionaries of the French king whose yearelie acquittances the lord Hastings onelie excepted remaine of record to be shewed in the chamber of accounts in the palace of Paris When Piers Cleret had paied the pension to the lord Hastings he gentlie demanded of him an acquittance for his discharge Which request when he denied he then onlie asked of him a bill of thrée lines to be directed to the king testifieng the receipt of the pension to the intent that the king your maister should not thinke the pension to be imbeselled The lord Hastings although he knew that Piers demanded nothing but reason answered him Sir this gift commeth onelie of the liberall pleasure of the king his maister and not of my request if it be his determinat will that I shall haue it then put you it into my sléeue and if not I praie you render to him his gift againe for neither he nor you shall haue either letter acquittance or scroll signed with my hand of the receipt of anie pension to the intent to brag another daie that the kings chamberleine of England hath béene pensionarie with the French king shew his acquittance in the chamber of accounts to his dishonor Piers left his monie behind and made relation of all things to his maister which although that he had not his will yet he much more praised the wisdome and policie of the lord Hastings than of the other pensionaries coÌ„manding him yearlie line 10 to be paied without anie discharge demanding When the king of England had receiued his monie and his nobiliâ—ie their rewards he trussed vp his tents laded his baggage and departed towards Calis But yer he came there he remembring the craftie dissimulation and the vntrue dealing of Lewes earle of saint Paule high constable of France intending to declare him to the French king in his verie true likenesse and portrature sent vnto him two letters of credence written by the said line 20 constable with the true report of all such words and messages as had béene to him sent and declared by the said constable and his ambassadours Which letters the French king gladlie receiued and thankefullie accepted as the cheefe instrument to bring the constable to his death which he escaped no long season after such is the end of dissemblers When king Edward was come to Calis and had set all things in an order he tooke ship and sailed with a prosperous wind into England and was roiallie receiued vpon line 30 Blackheath by the maior of London and the magistrates and fiue hundred commoners apparrelled in murrie the eight and twentith daie of September and so conueied through the citie of Westminster where for a while after his long labour he reposed himselfe euerie daie almost talking with the queene his wife of the marriage of his daughter whome he caused to be called Dolphinesse thinking nothing surer than that marriage to take effect according to the treatie The hope of which marriage caused him line 40 to dissemble and doo things which afterward chanced greatlie to the French kings profit smallie to his About the same season the French king to compasse his purpose for the getting of the constable into his hands tooke truce with the duke of Burgognie for nine yeares as a contractor in the league and not comprehended as an other princes alie The king of England aduertised hereof sent ouer sir Thomas Montgomerie to the French king offering line 50 to passe the seas againe the next summer in his aid to make warres on the duke Burgognie so that the French king should paie to him fiftie thousand crownes for the losse which he should susteine in his custome by reason that the woolles at Calis bicause of the warres could haue no vent and also paie halfe the charges and halfe the wages of his souldiers and men of warre The French king thanked the king of England for his gentle offer but he alledged that the truce was alreadie concluded so that he could not line 60 then attempt anie thing against the same without reproch to his honour But the truth was the French king neither loned the sight nor liked the companie of the king of England on that side the sea but when he was here at home he both loued him as his brother and tooke him as his freend Sir Thomas Montgomerie was with plate richlie rewarded and so dispatched There returned with him the lord Howard and sir Iohn Cheinie which were hostages with the French king till the English armie were returned into England King Edward hauing established all things in good order as men might iudge both within his realme and without was yet troubled in his mind for that Henrie the earle of Richmond one of the bloud of king Henrie the sixt was aliue and at libertie in Britaine therefore to attempt eftsoones the mind of Francis duke of Britaine he sent ouer vnto the said duke one
through Gods fauour and the assistance of his confederats he should be able to resist the malice of all schismatikes and their adherents being by generall councell expreslie excommunicated interdicted trusting in time conuenient to remember his friends requite his foes Moreouer he willed him to set before his eies the example of the king of Nauarre who for assistance giuen to the French king was now a king without a realme And as touching answere to be made to the manifold griefs in the Scotish kings letters surmised if law or reason could haue remooued him from his sensuall opinions he had beene manie times alreadie line 10 answered sufficientlie to the same vnlesse to the pretended griefs therein amongst other comprised for denieng of a safe conduct to the Scotish ambassadour to haue beene lastly sent vnto him Whervnto thus he answered that the same safe conduct had béene granted if the Scotish herald would haue taken it with him And finallie as touching the Scotish kings request to desist from further attempting against the French K. he signified to him that he knew him for line 20 no competent iudge of so high authoritie as to require him in that behalfe and therefore God willing he ment with the aid and assistance of his confederats alies to prosecute his begun attempt And as the Scotish king should doo to him to his realme so it should be hereafter remembred and acquited These letters were written in the campe before Terwine the twelfe of August and giuen vnder the kings signet and therewith deliuered to Lion king of armes who had of the king 100 angels in reward line 30 Then departed he with his letters into Flanders there to take ship to saile into Scotland but yer he could haue a vessell and wind for his purpose his maister was slaine as after ye shall heare In this meane while the Frenchmen being assembled and lodged in campe at Blangie on this side Amiens the French king appointed that all the horssmen to the number of eight thousand as Paulus Iouius recordeth should go with vittels vnto Terwine and put the same into the towne if by anie meanes they line 40 might for that those within stood as then in great necessitie for want of vittels The charge of this conueie was committed vnto Monsieur de Piennes because he was lieutenant of those marches notwithstanding there were amongst the number other noble men of more high degrée in honor and also of great prowesse fame and experience furnished with sundrie bands of men at armes of long approoued valiancie and vsed to go awaie with victorie in manie a dangerous conflict and line 50 battell wanting at this present nothing but their old accustomed good fortune Whilest the Frenchmen were thus prepared to come with vittels to Terwine the emperour Maximilian came from Aire to the kings campe before Terwine the twelfe of August wearing a crosse of saint George as the kings souldier receiuing of him salarie for seruice which Anglorum praelia noteth as noteworthie saieng Subrege Anglorum magnus meret induperator The emperour was honourablie receiued and lodged line 60 in a rich tent of cloth of gold prepared for him according as was conuenient for his estate He taried vntill sundaie being the foureteenth of August and then returned to Aire and on the morrow after came againe being mondaie the fiftéenth of August on which daie there chanced a great fraie betwixt the Almans of the kings campe and the Englishmen insomuch that manie were slaine The Almans ran to the kings ordinance and tooke it and imbattelled themselues and bent the ordinance against the king and his campe The English prepared their bowes and the Almans made redie their pikes but the capteins tooke such paines in the matter that the fraie was appeased Now as this trouble was in hand the emperour came from Aire and saw all the demeanour of both parts and was glad to behold the discréet behauiour of the capteins After that the emperour was thus come to the kings field the king called a councell at the which the emperour was present where it was debated by what meanes they might best constreine them within to deliuer vp the towne and especiallie how to kéepe them from vittels other succours which the French armie as it was knowne meant verie shortlie to minister vnto them Some were of this mind and namelie the emperour that bridges should be made ouer the riuer to passe ouer a part of the armie to besiege the towne on that side where otherwise the French armie might vittell the towne at their pleasures Others were of a contrarie mind doubting what might happen if the armie should be so diuided least the Frenchmen setting on the backe of the one part of the armie and they within the towne to sallie out in their faces some misfortune might happen yer the other part could passe the riuer to the succour of their fellowes Yet at length the former purpose was allowed as most necessarie and therefore commandement was giuen to the maister of the ordinance that in all hast he should cause fiue bridges to be made ouer the water for the armie to passe The carpenters so applied their worke that night that the bridges were made by the next morow and all the horssemen first passed ouer and then the king with his whole battell and the great ordinance followed and passed ouer to the other side of the water This was on the sixteenth daie of August being tuesdaie On the same morning the Frenchmen were comming with their conueie of vittels to refresh the towne hauing appointed one part of their troops to kéepe on that side the riuer where the English armie was first incamped and where the earle of Shrewesburie still kept his field that in offering the skirmish on that side the residue of the horssemen might with more ease and safetie put the vittels and other necessarie things into the towne on the other side Here might a man haue séene of what force in wars sudden chance is oftentimes For the king thus with his battell passing the riuer meaning to besiege the towne on euerie side and the Frenchmen at that same instant hauing also passed the riuer with other carriages laden with vittels purposing to reléeue the towne on that side caused no small doubt to be conceiued of ech others meaning on both parts least that the one hauing knowlege of the others purpose had béene prepared for to hinder the same And yet was it nothing so for neither the king knew of the Frenchmens approch that daie neither they of his passing ouer the water But when the king had aduertisement giuen him by the light horssemen that were sent abroad to discouer the countrie how the Frenchmen were at hand he prepared himselfe to the battell and first set foorth his horssemen and then followed himselfe with his battell of footemen The
found at the taking of the same to the French king And for the sure paiment of the said sums the French king sent into England for hostages and pledges the counte de Anguien Lewes the duke of Uandosme his brother the Uidame of Charters and the duke de Aumale and others And on S. Markes daie next following being the fiue and twentith daie of Aprill about eight of the clocke in the morning line 10 the Englishmen did deliuer to the Frenchmen the possession of Bullongne and the castels and forts in the countie of Bullognois according to the agreements and articles of peace afore mentioned And the fiftéenth daie next following the French king entered into the said towne of Bullongne with trumpets blowne with all the roiall triumph that might be where he offered one great image of siluer of our ladie in the church there which was called our ladie church the which image he had caused speciallie to be made in the honor of the said ladie and caused the line 20 same to be set vp in the place where the like image before did stand the which before was taken awaie by the Englishmen at the winning of the towne ¶ On Candlemasse daie William lord S. Iohn earle of Wilshire lord great maister and president of the councell was made lord treasuror Iohn Dudleie earle of Warwike lord great chamberleine was made lord great maister William Parre marquesse of Northampton was made lord great chamberleine Lord Wentworth was made lord chamberleine line 30 of the household Sir Anthonie Wingfield capteine of the gard was made comptrollor of the kings house And sir Thomas Darcie knight was made vicechamberleine capteine of the gard And the earle of Arundell late lord chamberleine with the earle of Southampton were put off the councell and commanded to kéepe their houses in London ¶ On the 10 of Februarie one Bell a Suffolke man was hanged and quartered at Tiburne for moouing a new rebellion in Suffolke and Essex This time line 40 the lord maior of London and the aldermen purchased all the liberties of Southworke which were in the kings hands Soone after the aforesaid agreement betwéene England and France was concluded vpon the fore remembred capitulations bicause of suspicion of displeasure and hatred that was thought to remaine betwéene the earle of Warwike and the duke of Summerset latelie before deliuered out of the line 50 tower a meane was found that their fréendship should be renewed through aliance and a mariage was concluded betweene the earle of Warwikes eldest sonne and the duke of Summersets eldest daughter the which marriage was solemnized at Shene the king being then present After the solemnitie of this marriage there appeared outwardlie to the world great loue and fréendship betwéene the duke and the earle but by reason of carietales and flatterers the loue continued not long howbeit manie line 60 did verie earnestlie wish loue and amitie to continue betwéene them ¶ About this time was a new rebellion in Kent but it was soone suppressed and certeine of the chiefe were apprehended and put to death namelie Richard Lion Goddard Gorram and Richard Ireland This yeare was a parlement holden at Westminster where among other things by the authoritie of the said parlement priests children were made legitimate and vsurie for the loane of monie forbidden ¶ On wednesdaie in Whitsunweeke at a court of aldermen kept at the Guildhall sir Iohn Aliffe knight and maister of Blackwell hall was sworne alderman of the Bridge ward without to haue iurisdiction of the borough of Southworke and thus was he the first alderman that euer was there who made vp the number of six and twentie aldermen of London whereas befoâ—e that time had beene but fiue and twentie Trinitie tearme was adiourned till Michaelmasse for that the gentlemen should keepe the commons from commotion The eleuenth of Iune being S. Barnabies daie was kept holiedaie all London ouer and the same daie at night the high altar in Paules church was pulled downe and a table set where the altar stood with a veile drawne beneath the steps and on the sundaie next a communion was soong at the same table and shortlie after all the altars in London were taken downe and tables placed in their roomes This yeare was no such watch at Midsummer as had béene accustomed The thirtith of Iulie Thomas lord Wriothesleie erle of Southampton knight of the garter and one of the executors to king Henrie the eight deceassed at Lincolne place in Holborne and was buried in S. Andrewes church there Sir Andrew Iude for this yeare maior of London and skinner erected one notable fréeschoole at Tunbridge in Kent wherein he brought vp and nourished in learning great store of youth as well bred in that shire as brought from other countries adioining A noble act and correspondent to those that haue beene doone by like worshipfull men and other in old time within the same citie of London He also builded almesse houses for six poore almesse people nigh to the parish church of saint Helens within Bishopsgate of London gaue land to the companie of the skinners in the same citie amounting to the value of thréescore pounds thrée shillings eight pence the yeare for the which they be bound to paie twentie pounds to the schoolemaister and eight pounds to the vsher of his free schoole at Tunbridge yearelie for euer and foure shillings the wéeke to the six poore almesse people at S. Helens aforesaid eight pence the péece wéekelie and fiue and twentie shillings foure pence the yeare in coles amongst them for euer About this time there was at Feuersham in Kent a gentleman named Arden most cruellie murthered and slaine by the procurement of his owne wife The which murther for the horriblenesse thereof although otherwise it may séeme to be but a priuate matter and therefore as it were impertinent to this historie I haue thought good to set it foorth somewhat at large hauing the instructions deliuered to me by them that haue vsed some diligence to gather the true vnderstanding of the circumstances This Arden was a man of a tall and comelie personage and matched in marriage with a gentlewoman yoong tall and well fauoured of shape and countenance who chancing to fall in familiaritie with one Mosbie a tailor by occupation a blacke swart man seruant to the lord North it happened this Mosbie vpon some misliking to fall out with hir but she being desirous to be in fauour with him againe sent him a paire of siluer dice by one Adam Foule dwelling at the Floure de lice in Feuersham After which he resorted to hir againe and oftentimes laie in Ardens house in somuch that within two yeares after he obteined such fauour at hir hands that he laie with hir or as they terme it kept hir in abusing hir bodie And although as it was
hée ariueth in Ireland saileth into France all aâ—â—ant returneth vnto the ladie Margaret his first founder named by hir the white rose of England 776 a 10 c. Counterfeteth the duke of Yorke verie cunninglie his true linage his conspiring fautors 777 a 20 40 b 50. Sir William Stanlie his fauourer 778 b 40. He attempteth to land in Kent his men discomfited his capteins taken and executed he reculeth into Flanders 779 b 40 60. Saileth into Ireland and is in sundrie opinions hée marrieth the earle of Huntlies daughter saith that he is Edward the fourth his lawfull sonne telleth the Scotish K. how he was preserued kept aliue calleth the ladie Margareth his aunt craueth aid of the Scotish K. toward the recouerie of the crowne of England from Henrie the seuenth 780 a 20 c. His counterfet compassion 781 a 40. Hée is faine to packe out of Scotland his thrée counsellors hée assalteth Excester 783 b 50 c. He taketh sanctuarie his wife presented to Henrie the seuenth all his partakers in their shirts with halters about their necks appéere before Henrie the seuenth he is assalted in sanctuarie submitteth himselfe to the K. and is strictlie séene vnto 784 a 60 b 10 c. Escapeth from his kéepers his confession as it was written with his owne hand and read openlie vpon a scaffold by the standard in Chepe 786 a 10 20 c. 787 a 10. Hée corrupted his kéepers he is executed at Tiburne 787 a 10 b 30 Periurie punished 46 b 20.680 a 60. By God 1262 a 20. Laid to William Rufus charge by his brother Robert 21 a 40. ¶ Sée Oth Promise Laid to Henrie the fourths charge 524 a 10. ¶ Sée Baffuling Perot sir Thomas knight ¶ Sée Iusts triumphant Persecution in England ceaseth and the protestants returne out of exile 1181 b 50. ¶ Sée Martyr Religion Priests sâ—mâ—â—arie Persie lord sent against the Scots 303 b 60. Put to flight by the king of Scots 315 a 10. ¶ Sée Conspiracie and Erle Persiuall ¶ Sée Maior and Officer Peson ¶ Sée Woonder Pestilence 473 a 20. In Calis 803 b 30. Followeth famine 1049 b 40. In manie places speciallie in London 787 b 60. In diuerse parts of the realme 704 a 60 That deuoured woonderfull multitudes note 703 b 20. Hot in London 1211 b 60. In London 961 a 40.525 a 60. Among the soldiors at Newhauen 1204 a 50. The cause that Newhauen fell into the hands of the French 1205 b 10 20 30. Transported from thense to London 1205 b 50. And what a consumption of people it wroght in the citie and suburbs this was called the great plague b 60. Like to haue increased 1260 a 10 20. In Germanie whereof thrée hundred thousand died 1206 b 10 Peterburrough spoiled 194 a 30 Peter pence forbidden to be anie more gathered in England 397 b 20 Peter Landoise ¶ Sée Landoise Peters William knight deceaseth his charitie 1227 b 50 Petitions thrée that quéene Philip made to hir husband on hir death bed note 404 a 20 30 c. ¶ Sée Demands and Requests Peâ—o cardinall became a begging frier note 1365 b 10 Peuerell William disherited 65 b 40 Philip his preparation to come into England the English ambassadors méete him at saint Iames of Compostella his arriuall in Southhampton receiued of the nobilitie interteined of quéene Marie married vnto hir what nobles were attendant on him the conditions of their mariage 1118 all Installed at Windsor he and she go throgh London to Westminster 1120 b 50 60. Passeth ouer into Flanders to incounter the French king 1133 b 20 1129 b 40. His returne into England 1133 a 40. Philip the hardie and whie so surnamed 401 b 60. Philip of Austrich afterwards K. of Castile or Spaine landeth in west parts of England 792 b 40. His honorable interteinment his bow inuiolablie kept his deth and description 793 a 10 50 60 Philip the French king bribed to procure peace betwéene William Rufus and Robert 21 b 10. Setteth Robert the sonne against his father William duke of Normandie 12 a 30. His iest at duke William lieng sicke 14 b 20. His death 34 b 60 205 a 60. ¶ Sée French king Philip king Richard the firsts base sonne slue the vicount of Limoges 160 b 60 Philip quéene of England ¶ Sée Quéene Philpot a worthie citizen of London and alderman 419 b 60. Discloseth treasons 428 a 60 Physician Lewes sheweth to quéene Elizabeth the whole conceit and deuise of vniting the house of Lancaster and Yorke in one 741 b 50 Physicians counsell neglected dangerous to the death 45 a 10 20 Piemount prince commeth into England 1126 b 10 Piers Exton ¶ Sée Exton Pilgrime his scrip and staffe 123 b 10 Pilgrims robbed and the théefe hanged note 122 a 20 Pilgrimage cloked 183 b 50 The holie pilgrimage 942 a 20 Pilgrimages ¶ Sée Images Pipes of lead vnder the ground to conueie water and when the casting of them was inuented 944. a 60. ¶ Sée Water Pirat Barton ¶ Sée Barton Campbell Pirats on the west seas taken and executed 1258 a 10. Hanged at Wapping 1258 b 40 1271 a 60 1354 b 10 20 ¶ Sée Clinton c. Pirats had like to haue taken Henrie the fourth 533 b 10 Followed so that they durst not péepe out 537 a 30. To the number of twentie and two condemned and iudged to die 1262 a 10 Pittie of Henrie the second to the poore note 115 a 50. Of Henrie the seuenth on a companie of haltered rebels 784 b 40. Of Henrie the sixt notable note 691. b 20. Of king Henrie the fift note 560. b 60 Of Hubert de Burgh toward duke Arthur of Britaine in prison 165. b 10. Of Edward the third towards the poore notable 375. a 20. Of a queene of England vnto six burgesses of Calis note 378. a 20. Of captaine Randoll notable 1205. b 10. Foolish in dearing with pardoning offendors note 1049. a 60. Of one the casting awaie of another note 41. b 30. On the dead pardon to the liuing 688. b 30 40. Procureth perill 423. b. 10.20 ¶ See Charitie Plage called The great plage asswaged in London 1262 a 10. Threefold to the poore citizens 1209 a 20. A natural prognostication therof 1050. b. 30. Great in Essex 480. b 60. In diuerse places of England great 805. a 10. ¶ See Pestilence Plaie pubâ—ike and conference there to further the rebellion in Northfolke but note the issue 1028. b 20.30.1029 1030. Of a tragedie in Oxford with misfortune 1209. b 10. Plaies and enterludes forbidden for a time 1184. a 50. Planets superiors coniunction 484. b. 40. Plantagenet the true earle of Warwike a verie innocent he is executed note 787. b 20.50 Knight deceaseth in the tower the cause of his trouble 955. a 60. b 10. c. The last of the right liâ—e and name 953 a 60. In whome that name rested 703. b 20. A counterfeit of the ladie Margarets imagining 775. a 60. ¶ See Arthur and