the sayde two archebysshoppes was had in coÌ„munycacion For tryall wherof Bedaes story was brought forth â–ª where in it appered that from the fyrste Augu styns tyme to Bedaes last dayes vppon the season of a hundred .xxxix. yeres the archbysshop of Caunterbury had prymacy of all the bysshoppes of England thaÌ„ called Brytayn and of Irlande also and that the archbyshoppes of Caunterbury had kept couÌ„sayles nere vnto yorke and cleped therunto the bysshoppes of yorke and made some byshoppes depryued dyuers from theyr dygnytyes and to this were adioyned certayne pryuyleges that were graunted for this maner of doynge when Thomas had harde all the allegacyons he denyed all and layd for hym the pystle in the whych pope Gregorye demed that the chyrche of yorke and of London shulde be euen perys and neyther of theym subiecte to other To this was answered by Lamfrank that he was not byshop of LoÌ„don nor this questyon was not moued for the chyrche of London But Thomas sayde that Gregory had grauÌ„ted to Augustyne power to haue vnder hym all y e byshoppes of Englande and that London at y e day was the pryncypall see of all Englande All be yt y t the popes mynde was that betwene LoÌ„don and yorke shulde be no dyuersyte of honour because they were archeflamynes and that by theyr vnyte all other myghte lyâ—e vnder dewe obedyence And though Augustyne chaunged y e see from London to Caunterbury yet Gregory wolde not that Augustyne successours shuld be aboue the bysshoppes of yorke For he wolde then haue set in hys epystle these wordes folowynge I graunte to the Augustyne and to thy successours But for he wold y t no such power shuld stretche to his successours therefore he made no meÌ„cyon of his successours Lamfranke to this answered and sayd If that authoryte were graunted to Augustyne alone not to hys successours yt was a symple gyfte y t the pope gaue vnto Augustyne that was so famylyer wyth hym and namely whyle Augustine ordeyned nor sacred no byshoppe of yorke whyle he lyued For y e see was full durynge his lyfe by reason wherof he put not hys authoryte in execucyon But pryuyleges of popes confermeth this dignyte to Augustynes successours of Caunterbury and demeth that yt is skyll and good reason that all the chyrches of Englande shulde take lore and lyghte of that place For of that welle or place proceded fyrst the doctrine of Cristes fayth And where thou sayest Thomas that Gregory myght yf he had wolde haue confyrmed all thynge vndowtably wyth thys worde successours that is soth But yet the lackynge of this worde dothe no preiudyce to the chyrche of Caunterbury For when that Cryste sayde to Peter I shall gyue to the the kayes of the kingdome of heuen he myght haue also sayd yf he wold I graunt the same power to thy successours And though he sayde not so yet he ment the successours of Peter nothynge of reuerence nor yet of authoryte but the dyspensacyon of holy chyrche and offyce of the same was and is holy in theym whyche onely spryngeth by vertue of Cryste into Peter and from Peter into his successours And yf thou can dyscerne betwene false and soth loke what hath strength in all hath strength in the parte and what hath strength in the more hath also streÌ„gth in y e lesse The chyrche of Rome is as yt were all of all chyrches other chyrches ben as membres therof lyke as one man is the kynd of all synguler men and euery synguler man is the kynd of all mankynde so in some maner of wyfe the chyrch and the see of Rome is as yt were the kynde and conteyneth all in comparyson to other chyrches and yet in euery chyrch remayneth the full holenes of Crystes fayth And also the chyrche of Rome is greattest of all chirches and what hath strength in that chyrche shall haue streÌ„gth in lesse chyrches so that the power that is fyrste gyuen to euery chyrche shall sprynge into the successours of the same but yf yt be by some specyall thynge excepted out taken Therfore I coÌ„clude as Cryst sayde to Peter so he sayde to all the byshoppes of Rome and so consequeÌ„tly was sayde to Augustynes successours of Gregorye as was sayde vnto Augustyne wherfore yt muste appere that lyke as Caunterbury is subiecte to Rome so muste yorke be subiecte to Caunterbury whych sent to yorke prechours to teache and preache vnto them the ryghte fayth And where thou sayeste that Gregory wolde that Augustyne shuld haue his see at London yt may not stand wyth reason For who wolde trowe that so noble a discyple as Augustyn was wold wythstande or do agayn hys maysters wyll or agayne holy decrees And yf yt were so as thou haste alledged what is that to me that am not bishop of London as oft before I haue sayd Therfore yf this mater may thus sease wythout more stryfe so be yt ended And yf thou desyrest contynuaunce of plee I shall not fayle the but defende my ryghte and offyce gladly By these reasons other at length Thomas was ouercomen and grauÌ„ted gladly that the farther brynke of Humber shulde be the begynnyng of hys dioces And ouer y t yt was there demed that in all thynges concernynge the worshyppe of god and the fayth of holy chyrch the archbyshop of yorke shuld be subiecte to the archbyshoppe of Caunterburye So that yf the archebyshoppe of Caunterburye wolde call a couÌ„sayll in any parte of Englande the archebyshoppe of yorke shulde be therat wyth all the byshoppes of hys prouynce and be also obedieÌ„t vnto the lawfull hestes And at all seasons when the archbysshop of Caunterbury shuld be sacred the archebyshoppe of yorke with the byshoppes of y e chyrche shulde come to CauÌ„terbury and saker hym there And yf the archebyshoppe of yorke shuld be stalled or sacred theÌ„ shall he come to Caunterburye and ellys where in all Englande where the archebyshop of Caunterburye woll hym assygne and there to be sacred of hym and he shall make to hym an othe with professyon and obedyence when Lamfranke harde this iudgement gyuen thus he reioysed inwardely And for yt shulde remayne of recorde that his successours shuld not newely plede for that cause he caused yt to be regestred in moste substancyall wyse And ouer that sent a pystle for that cause to Alexander forenamed pope of all this doenge wyth the professyon of Thomas the archbyshop foresayd Of this Lamfrank is many notable thynges wryten of diuers writers And after some he is admytted for a saynte THE CCXXII CHAPITER ABoute the .x. yere of kynge wyllyams reygne Roger erle of Hereforde by whose counsayl the kynge as before ys sayde hadde serched all the abbayes of England whyche erle hadde wedded hys syster vnto Rauf erle of eest Angles that is to saye of Norf. and Suff agayne the kynges mynde he wyth the sayde Raufe made conspyracy agayne the kynge caused an other erle by theyr
sayd Policronica sayth And for this Lewys was mylde he was often troubled of hys own men and of other tyll he delte wyth them more sharpely and wysely and ruled the people more straytly It is there also shewyd that when this Lewys had promotyd a yonge man named Frederyke to the see of Utryke and to hym hadde gyuen sadde and good exhortacyon that he shuld folowe the stablenes of hys antecessours and that he shulde purpose the sothe and trouth wythoute excepcyon of persones and punyshe mysdoers as well the ryche as the poore the sayde byshoppe shulde answere to hym and saye I beseche thy magestye syr emperour to take in pacyence that I maye dysclose to the that thynge that hath long walowed turned in my mynde Say thy plesure sayd the emperour I praye thy syr emperour shewe me thy mynde whyther is more accordynge to attame thys fyshe here presente fyrste at the hedde or at the tayle The emperour answered shortely and sayd at the hedde the fyshe shall be fyrste attamyd So yt is lorde emperoure sayd the byshoppe that crysten fayth maye cause the to cease of thyne erroure that thy subiectes be not boldyd to folowe thy mysdoynge wherfore fyrste forsake thou thy vnlawefull wedloke that thou haste made wyth Indyth thy nere kynnes woman By meane of those wordes the kyng was reconcylyd and lefte the company of his wyfe tyll he hadde purchasyd a lycence of the pope And the emperour forgaue the sayde byshop all trespassys but the woman hyred two knyghtes that slewe hym in his vestymentes when he hadde ended hys masse After thys the empresse was falsely accused of wronge cryme and made a menchon But the same yere the emperoure delyueryd her from that habyte when he hadde suffycyently prouyd the sayde cryme to be false Then to retorne where I lefte whā this Lewys had longe lyen in thys agonyous sykenes and knewe well that he amendyd nothynge but feblyd more and more he commaundyd his iewellys to be broughte before hym wherof by hys owne hand he haue a parte vnto the chyrche of Rome and to Lotharius his sonne there presente he gaue his crowne his sworde commaundynge hym straytly vppon his blessynge that he shuld haue in honour hys moder Indith that to Charlis his brother he shulde owe true loue amyte that he shuld hym his lādes deffende to the vttermoste of his power Then the lordes spirituall and temporall and specyally the archebysshoppe of Meaws made a lamentable requeste to the emperoure for his sonne Lewys that he wolde accepte hym to his grace and mercye and to forgyue hym hys insolente and wanton wylde dedys wherof when the emperour harde he fell in suche wepynge that he myghte not speke of a good whyle after And when he hadde refrayned hym therof he remembryd to y e lordes the many and great benefytes y t he had done to hym and the innaturall vnkyndnes that the sayd Lewys had agayn shewyd vnto hym how often tymes he had perdoned his vnkynd sonnes trespasse And finally all this not wythstandyng he was at y e oure in perfyte charite wyth hym and forgaue hym as he trusted to be forgyuen prayenge the lordes there present and specyally chargynge y e sayd byshop that he wold shew vnto hys sayd son that great daunger that he was in agaynst god for the dyspleasures done to him and specially that he was a cause of the abrygement or shortynge of hys dayes Then to brynge this story to effect wherof yf I shuld declare the special tyes therof wolde aske a longe tyme for ye shall vnderstand that these .ii. storyes of the great Charlis and of this Lewys occupye in Frenche of leuys of great scantelyn ouer .lxiiii wherfore I conclude y t he dyed lyke a good crysten prynce when he had ben emperour of Rome and kynge of Fraunce by the terme of .xxvi. yeres and was buryed wyth great solemnyte at Meaws or at Mettis by hys mother Hyldegarde as sayth mayster Robert Gaguyne in the yere of hys age .lxiiii leuynge after hym the foresayde thre sonnes Lothayre Lewys and Charlys the Ballyd Anglia THE CLXII CHAPITER ADeulpus or Ethelwolphus the son of Egbertus beganne hys reygne ouer the westesaxons or Anglys in the yere of oure lordes incarnacyon .viii. hundred and .xxxii and the xvii yere of Lewys the mylde then kynge of Fraunce Thys in his youth was wyllynge to be a preste and was enteryd the order of subdeacon But there after by dyspensacyon of Pascall the fyrst of that name pope he was maryed to Osburga a woman of lowe byrthe By whome he hadde foure sonnes that is to meane Ethelwalde Ethelbert Etheldrede and Alurede the whyche after theyr father reygned as kynges of Englād that one after that other as after shall appere This Adeulphus after he hadde a certayne tyme ben kyng he went to Rome and toke wyth hym his yongest sonne Alurede or Alphrede and taryed there by the space of a yere In the whyche season he repayred the Saxon scole the whyche before tyme was there founden by Offa kynge of Mercia as Guydo sayeth and other but more veryly of Iue kynge of westsaxons as sayth the authoure of the Floure of historyes And for that he graunted of euery house of his kyngdome a peny as in his storye is before shewyd But thys scole was sore decayed and the house therof lately brent the whyche thys Adeulphus newely repayred and sette yt in better order then yt before was vsyd Thys kynge also to refourme the greuouse correccyons that he sawe there executyd to Englyshe men for spyrytuall offensys as in werynge of irons and guyues he graunted of euery fyre house of hys lande .i. d as Iue foresayde hadde done By the whyche sayenge yt shulde seme that by these two kynges shuld be grauntyd vnto Rome .ii. d. of euery fyre house thorough theyr lande But that maye not be so vnderstande for thys Rome scot ys gaderyd of euery house a peny wythout more wherfore yt muste folowe that yt is mysse taken of wryters that allege this dede to that one kynge for that other How be yt yt maye stande by reason that Iue made the fyrste graunte and this kynge after confermyd the same But the authoure of Cronica cronycarum sayth that thys Adeulphus graunted to saynte Peter these sayde Peter pens and spekyth no word of Iue nor of none other It is also shewyd of this kynge by Policronica that he shulde for the acquytynge of the chyrches of Englād of all maner of kynges trybute payed yerely to Rome thre hundred markes That ys to meane to saynte Peters chyrche a hundred markes to the lyghte of saynt Paule a hundred marke and to the popys treasorye a hundred marke And ouer all thys of hys pure deuocyon he offred to god to saynte Peter the .x. parte of hys moueable goodes And also one cronycler sayth that thys kynge founded fyrste the vnyuersytye of Oxynforde whyche was lykely to be
story a marques of Italy For thys Barnarde wyth one Helberde had before tyme taken from the chyrche of Rome certeyne possessyons whyche by meane of thys Lewys the sentence of the chyrche denounced agayne them by the foresayd pope IohnÌ„ were agayn restored and the partyes also reconcyled But now of newe thys Barnarde rebelled agayne wherfore the pope as to Lewys for the defensour of the chyrch of Rome sent for ayde for as before I haue shewed you thys Lewys of the sayde pope IohnÌ„ was authorysed for emperoure But for he was not crowned at Rome wyth the imperyall dyademe he is not accoÌ„pted amonge y e emperours For thys newe rebellyon of Barnarde Lewys assembled hys armye at CoÌ„payne foresayd and froÌ„ thens rode to y e cytye of Troyes in UinceÌ„t where he was taken wyth sodayne malady of y e whyche he dyed shortly after and not wythout suspeccyon of venym whan he had ben kynge of Fraunce fully two yeres leuyng after hym two sonnes that is to saye Lewys and Charlys or after some wryters Charlemayne THE CLXXV CHAPITER LEwys and Charlys the sonnes of Lewys Balbus or Lewys y e stamerer began theyr reygne ouer the Frenchemen in the yere of oure lordes incarnacion .viii. C.lxxx and the .viii. yere of y e reygne of Alurede than kynge of Englande The whyche for they were yonge of age were put vnder tuyssyoÌ„ and gydyng of Barnarde the erle of Auuergii to whom the father by hys lyfe had theÌ„ commytted wherfore the sayd Barnarde wyth other of hys affynyte assembled shortly after at Meaux in Lorayne thyder called vnto them the lordes of the lande to treate maters for the comon weale of y e same In those dayes was a man of grete myght in FrauÌ„ce named GosseleynÌ„ the whyche enuyed the foresayd erle Barnarde other for certayne harmes to hym by them done in tyme be fore passed In auengynge wherof the sayd GosseleynÌ„ intended to putte hym and other from the rule of the land whych he knew well they shuld occupye whyle the sayd two childern had rule of the same And thys euyll purpose to brynge to effecte he went vnto Conrade erle of Parys and shewed to hym moche of his wyll And amonge other thynges lette hym wytte that yf Lewys kynge of Germany myght with hys helpe be made kynge of FrauÌ„ce that he shulde by hym be greatly auaunced By whych meanes he caused the sayde Conrade to take hys parte so that he other of hys affynyte whan they came vnto the foresayde counsayle at Meaux sayde that Lewys kynge of Germany was more apte to rule the lande of FrauÌ„ce than any other was And also after some wryters these Lewis and Charlys afore sayde were not the legyttymate sonnes of the forenamed Lewis Balbê° but gotten in baste of a concubyne of the sayd Lewys Thys mater thus debated and argued amonges the couÌ„sayle lastly by moste in nomber it was agreed that Lewys kynge of Germanye shulde be by ambassade requyred to come and take vppon hym the rule of the lande of myddell Fraunce The whych wyth small request was agreable and in shorte tyme after came vnto the sayd cytye of Meaux and after to Uerdune But as soone as the knowlege was come to Barnarde and other of hys affynyte by counceyle of Hughe and Terry two nobles of Fraunce the bysshop of Orlyaunce with an erle and other were sent to Uerdune vnto the sayd kynge of Germany wyth thys message That yf he were contente to take vnto hym all suche parte of the prouynce of Lorayne as Charlys the Balled kepte from hys fader Lewys wythout more clayme of the lande or realme of Fraunce he shuld gladly haue it And yf nat he shulde abyde the iugement of Mars and hys batayle wyth whyche offer Lewys was well contented and beyng of it in a suertye departed agayne into Germanye Thorough that doynge the forenamed Gosselyne and Conrade with other of theyr freÌ„dê were with yt sore dyscoÌ„tentyd of the departure of Lewys forsayde But the sayd Bernarde with other of his syde in goodly hast after coÌ„ueyed the sayd two chyldren vnto the citye of Ferrer there crowned and proclaymed theym for kynges as wytnessyth mayster Robert Gaguyne But the forenamed Gosselyne and Conrade not leuynge so the mater sente messengers vnto y e quene of Germanye coÌ„playnynge theym vnto her of the vnstablenesse and tymerousnesse of her lorde wherby he had not alonely loste the possessyon of the realme of Fraunce but also he hadde put them and all theyr frendes in great fere and daunger wherof herynge the quene in her mynde was sore dyscontentyd wyth her lorde and husbande and as she durste shewyd yt to hym as his reproche and dyshonour And fynally to satysfye the myndes of the sayde GosselynÌ„ and Conrade she sent into Guyan her brother named Boso by whose aydes and assystence he was of that prouynce proclaymed kynge Endurynge whyche trouble 's the Danys entred the lande and came vnto the ryuer of Lyger and robbed and spoyled the countrey wythoute mercy wherfore the kynges assembled theyr people and gaue to them batayll nere vnto the ryuer of Uyen where they dystressyd the sayde Danys and slewe of them .ix. thousand and drowned of theÌ„ ouer that a grete multytude in the sayde ryuer After whyche vyctory by the kynges obteyned a new vexacyon trouble was to them ascertayned y t Lewys kyng of Germany with a great puysaunce was comen vnto a place called Ducy and to hym was gone the forenamed GosselynÌ„ and Conrade with all the power that they myghte make by theyr ledynge was from thens coÌ„ueyed vnto Rybemaunt But howe so yt was for lacke of performaunce of promyse made by the sayde two erles vnto the kyng of Germany not obserued he herynge of the kynges of Fraunce drawynge towarde hym wyth stronge hoste coÌ„cluded a peas and retourned into Germany And the two bretherne rode to gyder vnto the citye of Damens or Demeus where they deuyded the lande of Fraunce betwene theym So that Lewes held to hym the couÌ„trey nere about Parys with the prouince of Neustria or Normandye and Charles had vnto his part Burgoyn and Guyan with promyse made assured on eyther partye that eyther of them shulde ayde and assyste other THE CLXXVI CHAPITER AFter this partycyon betwene the two bretherne thus made by the meanes of Lewys kynge of Germany the foresayde erles GosselynÌ„ Conrade were vnto the sayde bretherne recouncyled and agreed And for to theym redy worde was brought y â— Bose before named kyng of Guyan hadde wonne the cytye of Uyen therin lefte his wyfe whyle that he occupyed y e hylles and mountaynes beynge there aboute they ioyntly assembled theyr knyghtes sped theÌ„ thyther layde theyr seage aboute the cytye But durynge this syege the Danis often wasted y e land of Fraunce wherfore Lewys the elder brother departed froÌ„ that syege leuynge there his brother Charlys But or the sayde Lewis myght wyn to
and fette there his aimes hys sayde wyfe then lyenge at the castell of warwyke not knowynge of any man what he was tyll lastely he was visited with so sore sykenes that he knew well that he shuld dye wherefore he sente hys weddynge rynge vnto hys wyfe requyrynge her in all haste to come and speke wyth hym whych she obeyed in humble wyse and sped her vnto the sayd Heremytage wyth all womanly dylygence and fande hym deed at her commynge whom she besprent with many a salt tere And as she was enfourmed of the messenger as he dyed she buryed hym ryghte there And more ouer as saith my sayd authour he monyshed her by the sayd messenger that she shulde prouyde for her selfe for she shuld also alter her mortall lyfe the .xv. day folowyng which also she obeyed and made suche prouisyon that she was in that place buryed by hym All whyche mater the sayde Dane Iohn̄ Lydgate affyrmeth that he toke out of the boke of Gerarde Cambres̄ whyche wrote mych of the dedes and storyes of the prynces of Englande as Policronica and other authour testyfyen and as the sayde Lydgate in the ende of his sayde treatyse wytnessyth as by the mater folowynge appereth For more authorite as of this mater This translacyon such as in sentēce Out of laten made by the cronycler Called of old Gerardus Cambrēce whyche wrote the dedes wyth great dylygence Of them that were in weste Saxon crowned kynges Greatly cōmendyd for theyr knyghtly excellence Guy of warwyke in hys famouse wrytynges AL whyche sayde treatyse is shewyd at length in meter of viii stauys after the maner of the precedentes by the dylygent labour of the sayde Dane Iohn̄ Lydgate The whyche I haue here sette in for so mych as yt concernyth mater that was done in the tyme of the reygne of thys Ethylstane The whyche after the accorde of moste wryters ▪ broughte thys lande agayne to one monarchye and reygned as kynge therof by the full terme of .xvi. yeres and was buryed at the monastery of Malmysbury leuynge after hym no chylde wherfore the rule of the land fyll vnto Edmunde his brother Francia THE CLXXXVI CHAPITER LEwys the sonne of Charlis y e symple beganne hys reygne ouer the Frenchmen in y e yere of our lorde ix hundred and xxxiiii and the .ix yere of Ethelstane then kynge of Englande ye haue harde before in the ende of the storye of Charlys y e symple how Elgina the quene wyth Lewys her yonger sonne was fledde into England to her father Edward the elder wherfore y e lordes of Fraūce not knowynge where she with the Chylde was gone chose the forenamed Rauf for theyr kynge After whose deth the said lordes of Fraūce beynge ascertayned of the beynge of the sayd Lewys in England sent vnto hym the archbyshop of Senys Hughe surnamed le graunde desyrynge hym to restore into Fraunce and take therof possessyon Then Elgina herynge the message of the lordes and trustyng vnto thē by counsayll of her frendes made her redy wyth her son sayled shortly after into Fraunce where she was receyued wyth myche honour shortly after crowned her sonne Lewys kynge at the cytye of Laon̄ This Lewys is named y e .v. Lewys In the thyrde yere of whose reygne fyll a scarcytye of corne vytayll by reason wherof ensued a great famyn in so myche that people voyded the realme many dyed for defaut For as wytnesseth the frenche cronycle a quarter of whete was then worth .xx. poūde of y e money which is of value after sterlynge money .l. s. or there about This kyng beryng in mynd the murder and treason done agayn his father by Hebert as before in the storye of Charlis the symple is declared cast and ymagined in his mynde how he myght wythout shedynge of blood reuenge the deth of his fader and after many ymagynacyons and thought is reuolued in his mynde he lastely dyuysed a letter the whych he charged a seruaunt of his to brynge to hys presence when he was sette amonge his lordes in counsayll when kynge Lewys hadde compassed this in hys mynde he for nedes of hys realme called a great coūsayll of his barony at Laon̄ whyther amonges the other the sayde Heberte erle of Uermendoys was warned to come And when the kynge was ascertayned of theyr commynges he apoynted a secrete cōpanye in harnes to be in a secrete chamber nere vnto the place of the sayde counsayll and at conuenient tyme after yode vnto the same and all his lordes wyth hym And when he hadde a season commoned wyth hys lordes of suche maters as hym lyked sodeynly came one to hym and sayd that a man was cōmen wyth a letter dyrected to hys grace oute of Englande the whych he commaunded to be broughte vnto hys syghte when the kyng hadde vnfolde the letter and radde a parte therof he smyled whereof the lordes beynge ware purposed the kynge to haue receyued some iewyllys or ioyous nouellys oute of Englande whyle the kynge was aboute to delyuer this letter to his scribe or secretory one of hys lordes sayde vnto hym Syr we truste ye haue some iocande mery tydynges oute of Englāde that ye haue cause of smilyng I shall shewe the cause to you sayde the kyng There is dwellyngin England a kynnesman of myne named Harman the whych is a man of gret myghte and myne especyall frende He shewyth me by this letter that an husbandeman or a vyleyne badde or requyred hys lorde vnto his howse to dyner and vnder the coloure therof he slewe hys sayde lorde And for the sayde Harman thynketh the law of that lande to fauourable for such an haynous dede hetherfore writeth to me to haue myne aduyse in thys mater wherfore sens ye be all present I praye you shewe to me your opynyons in this mater whych with one voyce sayde y t the murderer was worthy to suffer the moste shamefull and cruell deth to be hanged and strangled in a rope But for y e kynge wolde be certaynely enfourmed of the consentes of theym all he began at the hygest and so pursued theym tyll he came to Hebert erle of Uermēdoys the whych alowed the sentēce as the other hadde done Then the kynge made a token to y e walshemen betwene hym them before appoynted so y e anon they were present sette sure hold vppon the sayde Hebert To whom the kynge sayd Hebert thou art the husbondman or vilayne y t I haue spoken of whych slew his lord vnder colour of byddynge or gestynge hym in hys house For traytoursly thou dydeste requyre my lorde and father vnder thyne house or castell of Peron̄ and there not remembrynge the kyndnes to the by hym before dayes shewyd nor thyne allegyauntes and trouthe that toward hym thou shuldest haue borne kept hym lyke a prysoner and lastely murderyd hym to the greate daunger agayne god to the world shame wherfore accordynge to thy desert and after thyne own sentence and iudgemēt take now
But how it beganne myne authour myndeth not But ye shall vnderstand that at this daye the cytye of London had moste housynge and buyldynge from Ludgate towarde westmester and lytell or none where y e chefe or herte of the cytye is nowe excepte in dyuers places was housing but they stode with oute order So that many townes and cytyes as Caunterbury yorke and other dyuers in Englande passed London in buyldynge at those days as I haue sene or knoweÌ„ by an olde boke somtyme in the Guyldehal of London named Domys day But after the coÌ„quest yt encreaced shortly after passed excelled all y e other About the .viii. yere of this kynges reygne the kynge maryed erle Egbertus doughter named Ethelgina or Elgina Of the whyche in processe of time he receyued a son named Edmunde whyche after was surnamed Ironsyde and .ii. other sonnes named Edwyn and Ethylstane and a doughter named Edgina In this pastyme dyed saynt Ethilwalde byshop of wynchester He was borne in wynchester and noryshed vnder holy Dunstane at Glastenbury and there shorne monke and after was chosen abbot of Abyndon in the tyme of the reygne of kynge Edredus And in the tyme of Edgar he was sacryd byshoppe of wynchester where he made an abbay of nunnes and translated saynt Swythynes body out of the erth After whyche sayde Ethelwalde holy Alphegus abbot then of Bathe was sacred byshoppe of wynchester the whyche after was archebishoppe of Caunterbury and martyred hastely of the cruell Danys as after shall be shewed About the .ix. yere of Egelredus for stryfe y t was betwene the byshop of Rochester and hym he wyth his knyghtes beseged the sayde cytye wherof holy DuÌ„stane sent to y e kyng amonyssynge hym that he shulde refrayne hym of that cruelty suffre y e byshop and his citye in peace oneles that he offended saynte Andrewe patrone of that citye But this message mylded nothyng y e kynges courage Then thys blessed man sent to hym a hundred pounde in gold wyllyng hym to refrayne of that outrage the whyche he receyued and brake the syege Then blessyd Dunstane sente this message to the kyng For thou haste preferred golde before god and syluer before the apostle and couetyse before me right so euyll happes shall come vnto the but not whyle I am in lyfe But the kynge toke lytell regarde to those wordes but contynued in his insolent cursed dedes About the .xi. yere of his reygne dyed that blessed archbyshoppe saynte Dunstane Of whom Ranulff in the xiii chapyter of his .vi. boke of Policronycon maketh rehersall of dyuers of his vertues and myracles the whyche I passe ouer and the rather bycause his legeÌ„de or lyfe is manyfest Siricus was archbyshop after hym after hym wulricus And after wulricus blessed Elphegê° was archbyshop of that see It was not longe after the deth of holy Dunstane but that the Danys perced England in many and sondry places of the lande in suche wyse that the kynge was to seke to which coste he shuld go fyrst to wythstande his enymyes And in conclusyon in auoydynge of more harme he was compellyd to appeace theym wyth great summes of money But when y e money was spent they fyll to new robbynge of the people Then the kynge graunted more money But for all that the Danys robbed and spoyled y e couÌ„trey of NorthuÌ„berlaÌ„d and besyeged London at the laste And for augmentacyon of the kynges sorowe Elfricus that then was mayster or admyrall of the kynges nauy fled as a false traytour And after that recoÌ„cyled fled the second tyme to the Danys wherfore y e kyng in wreche of the father commauÌ„ded the eyen of his sonne Algarus to be plucked or done out of his hedde But whyle this persecucion thus contynued by meanes of the holy byshoppe of wynchester Elphegus a peace was concluded for a tyme betwene the kyng and the Danys And the prynce or chefe captayne of them named Aulaff was so exorted by the said holy byshop y t he became a cristeÌ„ man to whome the kynge was godfather so that after the sayde Aulaff retorned to his owne without doyng of more harme so that for a whyle the warre of Danys seased But whyle that rested the blody flyx wyth a brennynge feuer vexed the people thorough the lande that myche folke therof dyed Contynuynge whyche mysery the Danys agayne assayled the lande dyd in dyuers places great harme so that for lacke of a good hed or gouernour many thynges in the land peryshed For the lordes were at such dyssencyon that one with that other that when they were assembled to speke or treate of peace betwene that one lorde and that other and yf any good thynge were dyuysed for the hurte of theyr enymyes anone the Danys were warned therof by some of the same counsayll wherof were suspected Elfricus and Edricus And to this sorowe was ioyned hunger and penury amonges the commons that eueryche of theym was constrayned to plucke and stele from other so that what by the pyllage of the Danys and inwarde theuys and brybours this lande was broughte in great mysery and myschefe THE CXCVIII. CHAPITER EGelredus then wrapped in misery lefte not to gader of hys subiectes what he myght as well by vnlaufull meanes as otherwyse For as sayth Ranulfe myne authour he wold for fayned or small causes dysheryte meÌ„ of theyr possessyoÌ„s after cause men to redeme theyr owne for great summes of money And ouer that he walowed in lechery gyuyng hym to all vycyous and incontynent lyfe of his body By whych vngracyous meanes he brought this land in such ruyne that what he myght not helpe by streÌ„gth he warred wyth money So y t from the fyrst entre of the Danys as testyfyeth Policronica in the .xviii. chapyter of his .vi. boke also Guydo wyth other authours that from the fyrst trybute of .x. thou sande pounde he broughte yt at the laste in processe of .v. or .vi. yeres to xl thousande pounde The whyche yerely durynge his lyfe and after to the commynge of saynte Edwarde was leuyed of his subiectes and named for the contynuance therof Dane gelt whyche is or was to meane money payde to the Danys or shortly Dane money In this tyme as yt were about the xv yere of his reygne dyed saynt Oswalde the archbyshoppe of Caunterbury And soone after dyed Ethelgina the quene And the body of saynte Cuthbert was translated from holy ylande to Durham in the whyche yle he helde anankers lyfe as yt is before shewyd in the storye of Cadwalader Thus contynuynge this lande vnder the greuous tribute of the Danys and also by susteynynge of many villanyes and iniuryes by the Englyshe men of the sayde Danys as after somdele shall appere this Egelredus by counsayll of his famylyers about the .xxi. yere of hys reygn maryed Emma y e doughter of Rychard duke of Normandy before mynded in the storye of Lewys the .v. and Lothayre hys sonne kynges of FrauÌ„ce The
kynge after hym To the whyche questyon was answered by Peter the kyngedome of Englyshemen is the kyngedome of god wherfore the kynges therof shall stande at goddes puruyaunce And also a nother doctour called Henry of Huntyngdon shewyd that an holy man warned Englyshe men y â— a lorde whyche they thought nothynge vppon shulde come out of Fraunce brynge them ryght lowe In the tyme also of thys Canutê° by agrement of many wryters fyll one thynge worthy mynde and memory In a town of Saxony named Calbis in y e dyocesys of Magburgh and parysshe of saynt Magii xviii men and .xv. women vppon the euen of the Natyuyte of our lorde began a daunce about the chyrche yarde of saynt Magu afore sayd the person or other prestes beyng than at masse wythin y e same chyrche which beyng troubled wyth the noyse of the mynstrellys also the dynne of the sayde men and women sent vnto them in monysshynge them to seace of that doynge But all was in vayne for they wolde not seace of theyr dysport for any commauÌ„dement y t to theÌ„ was gyuen wherwyth the preste beynge dyscontented that they none other wyse reuerenced y e sacrament noryed that solempne season besought god and saynte Magii that they shulde contynue theyr daunce by the space of an hole yere The whyche prayer was harde in suche wyse that they contynued the same songe daunce tyll that daye twelue monethes and neuer eate nor dranke nor rested theÌ„ in all y e season And moreouer dewe nor rayne fyll vppon them in all that yere nor garment nor no thyng that was about them was impayred shoo nor other At the yeres ende Horobertus archbysshop of that dyocesys came vnto y e sayde place and lowsed them of that bonde whych the preste had bounde them in and before the awlter of the chyrche them reconsyled Of the whyche a prestes doughter and two other dyed forth wyth and the remenaunt yode to reste and slepte by the space of .iii. dayes and iii. nyghtes folowynge where after some of them dyed and suche as lyued fell lame of theyr lymmes And one of the same .xviii. men beyng named Ubertus or Hupertus wrote thys wonder wyth hys owne hande for a more recorde of the trowth Then let vs retorne to Canutus of whom it is redde that after hys coÌ„myng from Rome he beganne somdele to presume in pryde set more by hym selfe than good wysdome wolde In tyme of whyche exaltacyoÌ„ of hys mynde he went vnto the Tamys syde and behelde howe the water swelled or flowed And so standynge nere the water the water touched hys fete Than he charged the water that he shuld flowe no hygher and that in no wyse he shulde to wche hys lordes clothes But the water kepte his course and wette at length the kynges thyes wherewyth y e kyng abasshed sterte backe and sayde all erthly kynges may know that theyr powers be vayne and that none is worthy to haue the name of a kynge but he that hath all thynges subiecte to hys hestes as here is shewed by worchynge of hys treature by thys water And for thys as wytnesseth Polycronycon and other he offered hys crowne to y e rode of wynchester and neuer bare it vpon his hed after It is also wytnessed of the sayde authour that Canutus maryed hys doughter hadde by hys laste wyfe vnto Henry sonne of Conradus the emperour the seconde of that name as also it is testyfyed of the authour of Cronica cronicarum And he repayred many monasteryes and specyally suche as before tyme were hurte or throwne downe in the tyme of hys fathers persecucyon And began and ended the monastery of saynt Edmundes Bury endowed it wyth ryche possessyons as before is towched And dyed fynally at Shaftesbury and was buryed at wynchester whan he hadde reygned .xix. yeres leuyng after hym two sonnes of hys wyues the eldest was named Harolde and the yonger Hardykynytus the whyche lyuyng hys fader was made kynge of Denmarke Francia THE CCVII. CHAPITER HEnry the sonne of Robert begaÌ„ hys domynyon ouer the French men in the yere of our lord M.xxix and the .x. yere of Canutus than kynge of Englande To the whyche Henry CoÌ„stantyne the moder was so vnkynde that she by her meanes wolde haue preferred her yonger sonne Roberte duke of Burgoyne to the rule of the lande before thys Henry so that by her meanes bothe cytyes and castels were wyth holden from hym and was by her suche other as toke her parte so ouer lad that he was forced to resorte to Robert than duke of Normandy for to aske helpe of hym to wythstande hys enemyes ye shall vnderstande that this Robert was the .vi. duke of Normandy and sonne of Richarde the seconde and also father vnto wyllyaÌ„ bastard that conquered Englande Thys Roberte was lyberall and noble of condycyon but defamed of y e deth of hys elder brother Rychard the thyrde For the whyche murder as wytnessyth dyuers authours the vii yere of hys dowchery he went to Iherusalem and dyd in that pylgre mage many honourable and liberall actes the whyche in good order ben remembred in the .xix. chapyter of the vi boke of Polycronicon This Robert receyued kyng Henry wyth all honour and gaue vnto hym greate and ryche gyftes sent for hys frendes and knyghtes so y e the kynge had by hys ayde a greate myghty hoste And retorned agayn into Fraunce and in short whyle after recouered from hys sayde moder bothe cytyes townes and castelles that she and her fautours from hym wythhelde And fynally agreed so wyth her that he and she contynued frendes theyr lyfe tymes enduryng After whyche accorde about the .v. yere of hys reygne he made warre vppon Eudo erle of Champayne vppon Baldewine erle of FlauÌ„ders and in processe of tyme wan froÌ„ them certayne cytyes and castelles the whyche Constance his moder hadde before tymes gyuen to them in tyme of dyscencyon In thys warre was slayne Eudo erle of Champayne wherfore hys .ii. sonnes Stephen Thybaud maynteyned the warre agayne the kynge but to theyr bothe harmes in y e ende For Stephen loste therby the cytyes of Chartres and towers and Thybaude y e cytyes of Troyes Maulx wyth other whan Henry hadde ended thys warre set hys lande in some quyetnesse he thaÌ„ buylded a monastery of saynt Martyne called Des ChaÌ„ps besyde Parys and set therin seculer prestes In thys passetyme Robert duke of Normandy moued in conscyence to vysyte the holy sepulture of oure lorde called before hym hys lordes of hys lande wyllynge and coÌ„maundynge them to owe theyr trewe allegaunce vnto hys yonger sonne wyllyam and to take hym for theyr lord and duke yf he retorne not agayne And to thys he caused to swere Robert than archbysshop of Roan with the other of hys lordes and after departed vppon the sayd iourney and dyed in the cytye of Bethenia as he was coÌ„mynge homewarde wherof y e lordes of Normandy beynge assertayned
feuours amonges the people and also great huÌ„ger and barreynes of y e erth Also in this yere great hurt was done in many places of y e lande by fyre and specyally in the cytye of London where vpon the .vii. day of the moneth of Iulii sodayne fyre began the whyche brent a great parte of the chyrche of saynte Paule wyth also a great parte of the cytye Then kynge wyllyam beynge in Normandye was syke and kept his â—hamber at RoanÌ„ a longe time wherfore Phylyppe the Frenche kynge in hys game sayde that wyllyam lay in chyldbeddeâ— and noryshed hys fatte wombe The whyche wordes when they were blowen to kynge wyllyaÌ„s crys he was greuously dyscontent and sayde when I am chyrched I shall offer to hym a thousande candellys lyghte wyth the whyche he shall holde hym smally contented The whyche promyse he after performed For in the moneth of Iuly wheÌ„ Corne fruyt and grapes were moste florishynge he entred Fraunce with a great army and sette on fyre many cytyes and townes in the west syde of Fraunce and lastely came to the cytye of Meaus and fyred yt brent a parte therof wyth the chyrch of our lady wherin he brent a womaÌ„ beyng closed in the walle of the sayd chyrch as a recluse But of this thynge speketh not the cronycle of Fraunce Nor yet for the more parte of any thynge that soundeth to theyr dyshonour done vnto theym by Englyshemen In this hete or as some wryters haue by y e lepyng of an horse kyng wyllyam toke such a dysease or sykenes that yt was the cause of hys deth And when he felt hym thus greued he called his sonnes before hym and exhorted theym in his beste maner that they shulde charytably loue and fauoure euery of them the other and holde to gyder as louyng bretherne after made his testameÌ„t and therin ordeyned wyllyam Ruffus or wyllyam the rede to be kynge of England And Normandye he beset vnto Rober Curthose And to Henry his yongest sonne he bequethed his treasour and mouable goodes And that done he enfourmed hys two eldest sonnes of the dysposycyon of both peoples and warned wyllyam to be louynge and lyberall to his subiectes and Robert to be sterne and sturdy vnto his Then he was moued with myldenes and delyueryd from prison hys own brother the byshop of Bayon Marcharus erle of NorthuÌ„berlande wylnotus the sonne of Harolde or after some the sonne of Goodwyne that was sent to wyllyaÌ„ by Edwarde the confessour to remayne for a pledge for his sayde fader Goodwyn And shortely after these thynges wyth other done he dyed in Normandye and was buryed in y e cytye of CaanÌ„ when he had reygned as kyng of Englande .xxi. yeres and vppon .x. monethes in the moneth of Iuly and the yere of hys duchery the .lii. when wyllyam was dede men spake of hym as they do of other prynces and sayd that he was wyse and gylefull ryche and couetous loued well to be magnifyed and praysed a fayre speker a greatr dyssymuler a man of skylfull stature but somdeale fatte in the bely sterne of face and stronge in armys and therwyth bolde and had therwyth great pleasure in huntyng and in makyng of great festes But he passed al other in leuyenge of taskes whyche condycyon hys subiectes construed .iii. maner of wayes and saydeyt was to the entente that he wolde excell all other in rychesse or ellys for to withstaÌ„de and defende his enymyes or ellys to staunche the appetyte of his couetyse mynde He buylded .ii. abbayes in Englande one at batayl in Sussex where he wanne the felde agayne Harolde and is at thys daye called the abbay of Batail y e other he sette besyde London vppon the south syde of Thamys and named yt Barmoundesay And in Normandye he buylded two also Thys man made the newe forest in the countrey of Southampton the whyche to brynge aboute he caste downe dyuers chyrches by the space of .xxx. myles and replenyshed yt wyth wylde bestes and made harde and sharpe lawes for the encreasyng of them as losyng of eyen and other And he helde Englyshemen so lowe that in hys dayes was almoste no Englyshe man that bare any offyce of honoure or rule But yet somedeale he fauoured the cytye of London and graunted to the cytezens the fyrste charter that euer they had the whych is wryten in Saxon tunge and sealed wyth grene waxe and expressed in .viii. or .ix. lynes THE CCXXIII. CHAPITER Wyllyam Rufus or wyllyam the erede the second sonne of wyllyam Conquerour beganne hys reygne ouer Englande in the moneth of Iulye and the yere of our lorde a thousande .lxxxix and the xxxi yere of the fyrste Phylyppe then kynge of Fraunce Ranulfe monke of Chester sheweth in hys boke of Polycronycon y t Robert Curthose eldest sonne of wyllyam Conquerour was at the tyme of hys fathers deth absent The whyche heryng that his father hadde preferred hys yonger brother to y e kyngdome of Englande was therwyth greatly amoued in so myche that he layde his dukedome to pledge to his brother Henry and wyth that good gatheryd to him a stronge army and so landed at HamptonÌ„ wherof wyllyam hys brother beynge warned in all haste sent vnto hym messangers to whome he gaue coÌ„myssyon to say in maner as foloweth Thy brother wyllyam prayeth y t to take no grefe with y t he hath done for he clepeth hym selfe not kynge but as vnder kynge to reygne vnder the and by helpe of the that arte gretter then he better rather borne And yf thou consyder yt well he hath nothynge mysused hym agayn the. For he hath taken vppon hym for a tyme bycause of thyne absence But for he is nowe in authoryte by thy sufferaunce he prayeth y t he may vnder the so contyue payeng to the yerely .iii. thousande marke wyth coÌ„dycyon that who so ouer lyueth may enioye the kyngdome when Robert had harde that message to the ende he wagged hys hedde as he that conceyued some doublenesse in thys reporte But for he was lyberall and allowed more the honour then he dyd hys profyte as in other thynges folowyng of his dedes yt shall appere therfore he lyghtely assented to all that was desyred and returned shortly after into Normandye wyth pleasaunt wordes wythout profyte Thys wyllyam was crowned the xxvii daye of September vppon the daye of saynte Cosma and Damyan and was well ayded of LamfraÌ„k whyle he lyued He was dyuers unstable of maners so y t betwene hym his lordes was ofteÌ„ dyssencyoÌ„ In y e spryngyng of somer folowyng hys coronacyon Odo byshoppe of BayoÌ„ whych as before ye haue hard was delyuered out of pryson by wylliam CoÌ„querour came into EnglaÌ„d whom the kynge ioyously receyued and gaue vnto hym shortly after the erledome of Kent But he toke vppon hym in processe of tyme to rule in suche wyse as the kynge grudged wyth hys doynge And for thys the kynge and his sayde vncle fyll at vnkyndnesse
so y t he withdrew hym froÌ„ the kynge and alyed hym wyth the byshop of Durham the erles of NorthuÌ„berland and Shrewesbury with other The whyche confederyd to gyder toke partye agayne the kynge and dyd thynges to his dyspleasure and hurte And amonges other damages by theym done Roger de Mount Gomoryk erle of Shrewesbury destroyed the countrey and endes of England vnto worceter town wyth ayde of the walshemen But in the ende thorough the prayer of the holy byshoppe wolstane the walshemen were so weked and febled that a few knyghtes scomfyted of them a great hoste when kyng wyllyam conceyued y e well nere all the Normans toke partye agayne hym he then forced of necessyte drewe to hym the Englyshemen And fauoured them by giftes easy lawes so that by theyr strength he lastely recouered the erle of Shrewesburye and chased some other of hys enymyes and shortely after occupyed the castell and strong holdes in Kent belongynge to byshop Odo hys forsayde vncle and in the ende coÌ„pelled hym to forswere England And y t done he besyeged y e citie of Rochester wherin the byshoppe of Durham the erle of Northumberland and other noble men were gadered and wan yt at length by appoyntement so that hys enymyes were vnto hym reconcyled In the thyrde yere of hys reygne dyed Lamfrank when he hadde ben archbyshop of Caunterburye .xviii. yeres By whose meanes the moÌ„kes of Englande were brought to the vse of theyr holy relygyon the whych before hys commynge lyued more lyke to seculer prestes theÌ„ religious men and exercysed them in huntynge and hawkynge for to auoyde idelnesse dysynge and cardynge in the wynter nyghtes that they myght be redy to kepe theyr howres and nyghtly seruyce And in theyr apparel they were lyke vnto consules and not vnto muÌ„kes wyth many other deformytyes The whych in y e begynnyng of Lamfrank he of policye suffered for a season lest he had brought all in his top atones and therby myght haue caused some scysme or varyauÌ„ce to haue rysen in the chyrche In auoydynge wherof wyth other inconuenyences he lytell and lytell refrayned them of theyr outrage and in ê“cesse of tyme caused and constrayned them to lyue after the constitucyons and rules of theyr relygyon Aboute thys tyme Robert Curthose duke of Normandy enteÌ„dynge to take hys vyage into the holy lande layde his dukedome to wedde to hys brother wyllyam for .x. thousande pounde For leuyenge wherof kynge wyllyam set a taske vpon his commons and subiectes and reysed a farre excidynge some vnder colour of the same so that byshoppes melted theyr vessell and lordes spoyled theyr tenauntes The kynge of Scottes also brake the peace before made with wyllyam Conquerour and wasted and toke prayes ut the countrey of Northumberlande Then the kynge prouyded a nauy and sayled thyther in the wynter tyme. But by y e tempest of the see halfe his nauy or a great parte of yt was drowned and many of his knyghtes were loste for colde and hunger But yet in the ende after dyuers conflyctes and bykerynges by mediacyon of frendes a peace and vnyte was concluded so that Malcolyn then kynge of Scottes shuld be obedyent to kynge wyllyam vnder the same othe that he was before tyme sworne vnto hys father and kynge willyam shuld yerely gyue vnto him in y e way of a fee .xii. markes of gold In the fourth yere of his reygne and the fyft daye of October passyng great tempest of wederyng fell in soudry places of Englande and specyally in y e towne of wynchecome For there by tempeste of thuÌ„der and lyghtenyng a parte of y e steple of the chyrch was throwen downe and the crycyfyx wyth the ymage of our lady also standynge vpon the roode lofte was in lykewyse ouerthrowen and broke and shatered And after folowed a contagye and a fowle stenche y e whych endured tyll the munkes had gone in processyon about the chyrch and all the houses adioynyng to that abbay and other places Also thys yere at LoÌ„don was great harme done by force of the wynde which blewe with such violence y t yt ouerturned or ryued as wytnessyth Polycronycon ouer the noÌ„ber of .vi. hundred houses And y e rofe of saynt Mary Bow in chepe was also ryued wherwith two men were slayne And also at Salesburye was hurte done wyth y e same wynde or y e lyke therof In the .v. yere of wyllyaÌ„s reygne he went into Northumberlande and repayred suche holdes and castelles as the Scottes by theyr warrys had blemyshed and apayred and caused a new castell to be made at Caercol y e cytye or towne whych the Danys of two hundred yeres passed hadde destroyed Then y e kyng returned vnto Gloucester where he was greuously veryd wyth sykenesse so that he wende he shulde haue dyed In tyme wherof he toke great repentaunce ê“mysed yf he myght escape he wold neuer sell mo benefices ouer that he wold ameÌ„de hys lyuyng become a new maÌ„ But after he was restored to helth that promyse was shortely forgoten And in that yere he gaue vnto Anselme the archbyshopryche of yorke But he myghte take of yt but as the kynges pleasure was tyll suche tyme as the kyng hadde taken his trybute therof And more ouer he auouched that the see of LyncolnÌ„ be longed to the see of yorke tyll the bisshoppe of Lyncolne had pleased him wyth a great summe of money as .v. thousande marke after the wrytyng of Ranulfe In the .vi. yere of hys reygne were excedynge floodes wherof the lyke in many yeres passed hadde not ben sene And after that ensued wonderfull frostâ— whych frose the great stremes in suche wyse y e horse and carte passed ouer y e gret ryuers And in the ende when the yse melted and brake the payse therof brake many a stronge brydge bothe of tymber and of stone THE CCXXIIII CHAPITER ABout thys tyme the welshemen with theyr kyng or duke named Rees brake out vppon the Englyshmen in the Bordour where standeth the castell of Brekenocke and there made masteryes for a while But in the ende his people were chaced and slayne and he wounded to deth so that he dyed the .iii. daye folowynge Thys Rees is accompted of wryters to be the laste kynge of walys For after thys daye they were so dauÌ„ted that kynges of Englande had them in suche rule that they were vnder more stedfaste obedyence than they were before tyme. How be it they rebellyd full often as after shall appere And the yere folowyng kyng wyllyam to haue y e countrey in the more quyet hewe downe mych of y e wood and buylded in sundry places strong castels and pyles by meane wherof more and more they were plucked to obedyeÌ„ce But not shortely after but specyally in the dayes of Edwarde y e fyrste and Edwarde the thyrde Malcolyn kyng of Scotland came vnto Glowcester to comon wyth the kynge of dyuers maters and to take a fynall agremeÌ„t But for kyng wyllyam wolde haue demyd
towne toke ê‘tye wyth the duke brake out vppon the nyght and fyred the town and brent a great parte therof In this while dyed and was drowned Eustace the sonne of kynge Stephan and was buried at Feuersham in Kent in the abbay that his father before had buylded Thybaude archbyshop of Caunterbury left not to labour conclude y e peace betwene y e kyng the duke endeuored hym selfe therin so dylygently wyth the assystence of other that in the yere folowynge the peace was coÌ„cluded vppon dyurese condycyons wherof one was that y e kyng shulde contynue as kynge durynge his lyfe and immedyatly after y e conclusion of this peace the sayd Henry shuld be proclaymed in all the chefe cytyes and townes of Englande for heyr apparant be kynge after the deth of the sayde Stephan and that the kynge shulde take hym for hys son of adopcyon and ryghtefull heyr vnto the crowne To the whyche couenauÌ„tes iustly to be holden y e kyng was fyrste sworne and after his lordes spyrytuall and temporall and so yode bothe to London where they were royally receyued And when y e kyng had fested the duke and gyuen to hym ryche gyftes he toke leue of the kynge and so returned into Normandye as affyrmeth the sayde authour the Floure of historyes Howe be yt the cronycle of England sayth that the accorde was made vpon dyuysyon of the lande betwene theym that is to meane that both shuld reygne to gyther and eyther of them to enioye halfe the lande But how that dyuysyon was made or whych parte of the lande eueryche of them shulde hold no meÌ„cion therof is made And the former accorde shuld be as abue is sayde concluded .viii. days folowynge the Epyphanye of our lorde in the towne of Oxenford And y e kyng dyed in the moneth of October folowyng when he had reygned .xviii. yeres full and odde monethes and was enterred in theforsayde abbay of Feuyrsham Of dyuers authours as Ranulfe and other yt is recorded that thys Stephan lyued in great vexacyon and trouble all the terme of hys reygne It is sayde also that thys Stephan maryed Molde or Mawde the doughter of Mary the whyche was the doughter of Henry the fyrst and countesse of Boloyne by whome he claymed the tytle to be crowned as by the yonger doughter of Henry the fyrst and Henry shorte mantell claymed by the elder But after most certenty of wryters this Stephan was sonne of Eustace erle of Boloyne and of Mary syster vnto Molde that was maryed vnto Henry the fyrste whych Molde and Mary were doughters of Margarete wife of Malcolyn kyng of Scottes whyche Margaret was syster to Edgare Ethelynge and doughter of Edwarde the outlawe that was the sonne of Edmunde Ironsyde Then the eldest syster Molde bare Molde the empresse by Henry the fyrste And Molde y e empresse doughter of Henry the fyrst hadde by her second husbande Geffrey Plantagenet Henry the seconde And so by Henry shorte mantell or Henry the seconde returneth the bloode of the Saxons to the crowne of Englande and so it dyd by Stephan but moste conuenyently by Henry the fyrst as by the dyssent of his mother By whych reason yt foloweth that the blood of willyam conquerour continued but .lxx. yeres yf it be accompted from y e fyrst yere of wyllyam Conquerour vnto the laste yere of Henry the fyrste Thys kynge Stephan at the request of Molde hys wyfe buylded in the yere of grace .xi. hundred .xl y e abbey of Coggeshale in Essex and set therin whyte muÌ„kes Also about the same tyme he founded the abbay of Feuersham in Kent where he nowe corporally resteth And the thyrde he founded in Furneys in Lancashyre and all he garnyshed wyth munkys of Cysteaux order dyed as before is sayde wythout yssue of his body Francia THE CCXXXIIII CHAPITER LEwys the .viii. of that name son of Lewys y e great began his reygn ouer the Frenche men in y e yere of our lord .xi. hundred .xxxvi y e fyrst yere of Stephan then kyng of Englande This also is called the yonger Lewys in whose begynnynge Iohannes de teÌ„poribus dyed Thys IohnÌ„ was somtyme a squyer in the house of Charlys the conquerour the whyche lyued ouer .iii. hundred yeres for whyche cause he was named IohnÌ„ of tyme as he y t myght remeÌ„ber thinges done of longe tyme passed This Lewys at y e tyme of his fathers deth was in the countrey of Guyan for to receyue the dower of his wyfe Elyanour as before in the storye and seconde chapyter of kyng Stephan is touched But when he harde of y e deth of his father he sped hym into FrauÌ„ce where after the necessaryes for the weale of his realme ordeyned he maryed his wyues syster named Alys vnto Arnolde erle of Uermendoze After whyche maryage solempnysed tydynges were broughte vnto hym that the crysten people beynge in the holy lande as warryours vppon the Turkes and Sarasyns were dystressed and ouerthrowen and dyuerse stronge holdes from them taken and wonne wherfore by the exhortacyon of that holy muÌ„ke Bernarde whych at this day is called saynt Bernard y e sayd Lewys wyth also Conradus the .iii. of that name then emperour of Almayne wyth Alphon then kynge of Spayne wyth dyuerse other nobles of Fraunce other prouynces toke vpon them the crosse and prouyded for the expedycyon of that iourney in the .iiii. yere of hys reygne after some wryters But of the takyng of hys iourney dyuers writers holde diuers oppinyons so that the doute resteth betwene the yere of our lord .xi. hundred .xl and the yere of .xi. hundred and .l. when all thynges were redy for that iourney the kynge the quene wyth the floure of the chyualry of FrauÌ„ce set forthwarde vppon that iourney and came in processe of tyme vnto Constantyn the noble where he met wyth Conradus the emperour and Alphons kynge of Spayne whom the prynce Emanuell then emperour of Constantyne the noble receyued ioyusly and made to theym by his outwarde contenaunce louynge and frendely chere and promised vnto theym ayde in that iourney bothe of vitayll and also for guydes for the nexte and surest waye But he contrary to his promyse dyd dysapoynte theym and nothynge ayded theym For he delyueryd vnto theym meale myngeled wyth lyme wherof grewe myche harme to the crysten hoste after And also he assygned vnto them suche guydes as brought them into places and couÌ„treys of sterylyte and other daunger so that hastely the Frenche kyng wyth great dyffyculte and losse of his men came vnto the citye of Danas and becleped yt with a stronge syege the whych he assauted and enpayred very sore and was lykely to haue wonne yt yf he had assauted y e place styll where he began But by counsayll of some false crysten men the whyche as wytnesseth Peter Dysroye and other had taken mede of the Turkes the kynge by theyr counsayll remoued the ordynaunce from the weker place vnto y
Andrewe Trollop dysceyued the lordes folio cciii A letter sent by Edward the .iii. vnto the kyng of Fraunce fo xciiii Agrement was made with the Scottes folio lxiii Answere made by the French kynge to kyng Edwardes letter fo xcv Answere made by the French kynge to kynge Henry fo clxxi Ambassade sent by the French kynge into Englande fo lxxxix Ambassade sent agayne by the sayde kynge folio lxxxix Ambassade sent into Fraūce fo lxxxix Ambassade sent frō the pope fo ccviii A parte of London brydge fylle into Thamys fo lxxxix Ayde graunted by kynge Iohan. folio cxxiii Ayde was graunted by the inhabytauntes of the countre of Languedok folio cxxiiii Archebysshoppe of Orleaunce was slayne fo lxx Archbysshop of Caunterbury was slayne folio cxlii Archebysshop of Caunterbury maketh a collacyon folio cliiii Archebysshop of yorke wyth other was taken in batayle fo clxvii Artycles of treason layde agayne syr Roger Mortymer fo lxxxviii Artycles of peace ratyfyed bytwene kynge Edwarde and kynge Iohn̄ folio cvi Artycles of dyspleasure shewed in wrytynge by the duke of Glocester agayne the bysshop of wynchester folio clxxx Archebysshop of yorke ouerturneth the Scottes folio xcix Artycles of peace concluded bytwen the erle of Flaunders and hys subiectes folio cxxxix Assembles made by lordes fo cxliiii Annyuersary honourable was foūden in Poulys chyrche fo cxi Auoutry was espyed fo ccxiii BArons warre began to grow in the .xli. yere of kyng Henry the thyrde folio xxx Barōs warre receyued and of newe kyndeled in the .xliiii. yere of Henry the thyrde folio xxxiii Barons assembled theyr companyes in the marches of wales in the .xlvi yere of the sayd kynge fo xxxiiii Barons entred the cytye of London folio xxxv Barōs dyscorded among them selfe folio xxxviii Barons were chasyd the .xiiii. yere of Edwarde the seconde fo lxxix Batayle of Lewys bytwene kynge Henry the .iii. the barons fo xxxvii Batayle called the whyte batayle loke in the .xi. yere of Edwarde the seconde folio lxxvii Batayle of Burbrydge bytwen king Edwarde the seconde and the barōs in hys .xiiii. yere fo lxxix Batayle very cruell agaynste the Scotte called Halydon fo lxxxix Batayle of Swyn or Sluce vppon the see bytwene the Frenchmen and Edwarde the thyrde in the .xv. yere of hys reygne fo xciii Batayle of Cressey in the .xxi. yere of Edwarde the thyrde fo xcviii Batayle of Potyers bytwene kynge Edwarde the thyrde and the French kynge folio ciii Batayle bytwene kynge Phylyp of Fraunce and the towne of Cassile in Flaunders fo cxvii Batayle of Shrowysbery in the .iii. yere of Henry the fourth fo clxvii Batayle at Blak pole in the .vi. yere of Henry the .iiii. fo clxvii Batayle of Agyncourt in the thyrde yere of Henry the .v. fo clxxii Batayle of saynte Albons fyrste the xxxiii yere of Henry the .vi. fo cc. Blore heth felde apperys in y e .xxxvii yere of kynge Henry the .vi. fo cciii Batayle of Ludlowe as it doth appere in folio cciii Batayle of Northamton as appereth in folio cciiii Batayle of wakefelde apperys and the batayle of sayn Albons fo ccv Batayle of yorke or Towton or Shyrborne fo ccvi Barnet felde fo ccxix Batayle of Tewkesbury fo ccxx Bartrā de Cleycō warred in Spayn and chasyd the kynge fo cix Blasynge sterre apperys in folio .xc. and fo cxviii and fo clix Blanke charters vses in Eng. fo cli Brekyng of peace bytwen England and Fraunce loke in the .xliii. yere of kynge Edwarde the .iii. fo cxi Brest a stronge towne of Brytayne besyeged fo cxiii Benyuolence was fyrste foūded and graūted in Edwarde the .iiii. dayes folio ccxxv Bysshop Groostehede and of his actes apperyth in y e .xxxiii. yere of kyng Henry the thyrde folio xxvi Bysshop of Exceter was beheded apperyth in the .xviii. yere of Edwarde the seconde folio lxxxii Bysshop of Norwyche made warre in Spayne by the popes cōmaundement in the .vi. yere of Rycharde the seconde folio cxliii Bysshop of London hath a memory of the cytesyns of London fo cxlvii Bysshop of wynchester lent to kyng Henry the fyfte .xx. thousand poūde folio clxxvii Bysshop of wynchester foresayd created cardynall folio clxxx Bysshop of Salysbury was slayne in the ende of .xxviii. of Henry the .vi. as more playnly is shewed fo cxcviii Bysshop of Chychester called Reynolde Pecok was abiured of heresye folio ccii Boke of prophecy was founden by a Iewe in Spayne folio xxiiii Blode of Cryste was broughte into westmynster by kynge Henry the .iii. folio xxv Bonifacius pope of hys cōdycyons folio lxxi Bull of the pope manyfested at Poulys crosse folio xxxiii Busshe Baggot and Grene and of theyr actes folio cli Brytōs resyst y e Frenchmē fo xxxix CHarles the .v. of that name surnamed the fayre and brother to Phylyp surnamed the longe sonne of the .iiii. Phylyp began hys reygne ouer the realme of Fraunce in the yere of grace M.iii. hundreth and .xxii and the .xv. yere of the secōd Edwarde kynge of Englande and reygned yeres .vi. folio lxxxiiii Cardynalles that were sent into Englande from the pope were robbed appereth in the .ix. yere of Edwarde the seconde folio lxxvi Caen a stronge towne in Normandye besyeged by kynge Edward the thyrde and won it folio xcviii Calys besyeged and gotten by kyng Edwarde the thyrde folio xcix Cardynall sent from the pope laboured for peas folio ciii Castell of Pount was yolden vp by appoyntement folio cxxv Careckes .iii. were taken by the duke of Clarence and the erle of Kente folio clxvii Charyte of kynge Lewys folio i. Charles de Ualoys brother to Phylyppe le Beawe vncle vnto Charles the .v. foresayd dyed folio lxxxvi Charles de Bloys was slayne in the batayle bytwene syr Iohn̄ Mountforte and the sayd Charlys fo cix Charles the .vi. of that name sonne of Iohn̄ bēganne to rule the French men in the yere of our lorde M.iii. C.lxiiii .xxxviii. yere of the thyrde Edwarde kynge of Englande and reygned yeres .xvi. folio xxxvi Charles the .vii. of y e name a yonge chylde and sonne of the .vi. Charlys began hys reygne ouer Fraunce in the moneth of september and yere of our lorde a thousand .iii. hūdreth and lxxx and the thyrde yere of the secōde Rycharde then kyng of Englande reygned yeres .xlii. folio clv. Charles the .viii. of that name and sonne vnto Charles the .vi. as sayen the Frenche authours but the Englysshe wryters sheweth the cōtrary as in the story of thys Charles shall appere thys began to reygne ouer y e Frenchmen in the yere of our lorde thousande .iii. hūdreth and .xxii and the laste yere of Henry the .v. thenne kynge of England reygned yeres xxxvi folio ccvii Chauntryes foūded in Poulys churche in London fo cxi Cerymonyes for the coronacyon of kynge Henry the .iiii as appereth folio clxiii Creacyō of dukes by kyng Rychard the .ii. fo cxliii Clement pope
chase of them self a capitayn of low byrth called Dauid so wyth wyues and chyldren passed the next countreys wyth robbynge and spoylyng and grew shortly in great strength and after subdued the partes many other vycyne countreys and grewe lastely vnto great domynyon and lordshyppe in the eest partes of the worlde so that lately theyr prynce or souerayne ys called the great Cahan In this yere as wytnessyth Polycronycon the kynge of Scottys dyd homage to kynge IohnÌ„ at LyncolnÌ„ and sware vpon the crosse of Hubert archbishoppe of Caunterbury in the presence of a legate of Rome .xiii. byshoppes to be trew lyege man to hym and to hys heyres kynges And in this yere one Estate called abbot of Flay came into Englande and amonge other myracles by hym shewyd he blessed a well besyde the towne of wye in kent so y e men and women drynkyng of that water were curyd of dyuerse maladyes But lastly he dyspleasyd so the byshoppes of England y t he was glade to leue the lande after sayled into Normandy Anno domini M.CC.ii  Anno domini M.CC.iii  Arnolde  Balliui  Anno .iii.  Rycharde  About the moneth of December in y e thyrd yere of IohnÌ„s reygn in the prouynce of yorke were sene .v. moonys One in the Eest the seconde in the weste the thyrd in the North y e fourth in the South and the fyfte as it were set in the myddes of the other and yode .vi. tymes in compassynge the other as yt were by the space of an howre and vanyshed away soone after Thys yere in the moneth of February kynge Phylyp callyd a parliameÌ„t at Uerdon where yt was amonge other maters concluded that kynge IohnÌ„ as hys lyege man shulde appere at his parlyameÌ„t holdeÌ„ at Paris wythin .xv. dayes of Eester next folowynge But for so myche as kynge IohnÌ„ nor none for hym apperyd to shewe some lawfull impedymeÌ„t the Frenche kynge therfore entryd the duchy of Normandy and toke the castellys of Bounte of Gentelyne and Gurnay and seased into hys handes all suche landes as Hugh de Gurnay held gaue them vnto Arture foresayde duke of Brytayne And more ouer he gaue to the said Arture y e couÌ„tye of Angeou with two hundred prysoners and a certayne of money to defende the sayde countrey agayn kynge IohnÌ„ when kynge IohnÌ„ had vnderstandynge of all the cruell dealynge of kynge Phylyppe he callyd a counsayll and there asked ayde and was graunted a new ayde to wythstande the Frenche kynges malyce And about Lammasse after the kyng with a fayre coÌ„pany sayled into Normandye and so spedde hym into the countrey of Angeou for so myche as he was enfourmed that Arture hys neuew and duke of Brytayne warryd wythin the same and toke hym prysoner with certayne other knyghtes as syr Hugh le Bruns syr Godfrey de Losyngham wyth dyuerse other At whych tyme kynge Phylyppe lay at the syege of the castell of Arques and herynge of thys dyscomfyture brake vp hys syege to the entent to haue rescowyd the sayde duke But when he was warned that he shulde come to shorte he then chaunged his purpose and went vnto the cytye of Towrys and wanne yt by strength And after for that wynter drew nere he returned into Fraunce In which season also kynge IohnÌ„ retourned wyth his prysoners into Englande In this yere by counsayâ—l of the burgeysys of the cytye of London were chosen .xxxv. of the moste substancyall and wyseste myn whyche after some were called the counsayll of the cytye Of the whych yerely the bailyuys were chosen and after the mayre and shryues were taken of the same nomber Anno domini M.CC.iii  Anno domini M.CC.iiii Balliui Normand Blondell Anno .iiii.  IohnÌ„ of Ely  IN thys fourthe yere of kynge IohnÌ„ were sene many wonderfull tokens For ouer the wynter the whyche passyd in length and hardenesse many yeres before gone wonderfull wederynge as of excedynge lyghtenynges thunders and other stormes of wynde and rayne appetyd and therwyth hayle of the bygnesse of hennes egges the whyche perished frute and corne besydes other hurtes and harmes done vppon houses and yong catell goynge a brode Also spyrites were sene in the ayer in lykenesse of foulys berynge fyre in theyr bylles the whych sette on fyre dyuerse houses And soone there after dyed Hubert archbyshop of Caunterbury In whose place was chosen coÌ„trarye to the mynde of y e kynge by the more partye of the couent of CauÌ„terburye mayster Stephan Langton All be yt some there were that accordynge to the kynges pleasure named the byshoppe of Norwyche and some other For thys eleccyon the kynge was greuousely amouyd agayne the munkes and wolde in no wyse alowe or admyt theyr eleccyon wherfore they sent theyr eleccyon vnto pope Innocynt the thyrde y e whyche admytted the sayde mayster Stephan and refused the other and sacryd hym at Uyterb a citye of Italy and sent hym after with letters of comendacyon vnto kyng IohnÌ„ to take the possessyon and frutes of his benefyce Kynge IohnÌ„ wyth thys was sore amouyd in so myche y t he warned hym his lande and dyuers of the munkes of Caunterbury that fauored hys cause Aboute Ester kynge IohnÌ„ sayled into Normandye for the Frenche kynge had recommencyd his warre in the countye of Guyan and wanne therin dayly dyuerse stronge holdes and castellys and alleyd wyth hym the erle of Alenson and hadde great ayd of the Portuyns and Brytons And when he had brought that countrey vnder his subieccyon he then retourned by Normandye and wanne Conket the vale of Ruell and the yle of Audeley In this season the forenamed pope sente the abbot of Casmer into Fraunce to refourme these two prynces with whome was also accompanyed the abbot of Cressons the whyche endeuored theym so that they were nere agreed of a peace But for they wolde that the Frenche kynge shulde repayre and ameÌ„de suche houses of relygyon as he had hurte ouerthrowen in Guyan and other places belongynge to the crowne of Englande therfore he forsoke the peace not withstandyng that kynge IohnÌ„ in lyke wyse shuld haue repayred all lyke houses apperteynynge vnto y e crowne of Fraunce Then the Frenche kynge in the ende of Auguste layde syege to the castell of Raydepount assauted yt by the terme of .xv. dayes contynually But the soundyours wythin defendyd yt so manfully that they slewe many of theyr enymyes so y e kynge Phylyppe was fayne to gyue backe tyll he hadde deuysed newe engynes after the warre fassyon By reason wherof he lastely wanne the sayde castell and toke there .xx. knyghtes and an hundred and .vii. yomen and other and .xxi. arblasters And when he hadde fortefyed that castell wyth Frenche men he then yode to the castell of Gaylarde and layde hys ordynaunce to that as he hadde done to that other But he laye there a moneth or he myghte do to yt any hurte or harme In all whych season kyng IohnÌ„ warryd vppon
pryson at the kynges commauÌ„dement But after by labour of the blessyd byshop Edmunde of Pountenay he was recoÌ„cylyd to the kynges fauour when he had ben prysoned vppon .iiii. monethes and exyled vppon .xiii. monethis And this yere was done grete harme in London by fyre the whych beganne in an house of a widowe named dame Iane Lambert Anno domini M.CC.xxxii  Anno domini M.CC.xxxiii  Henry Eldementon  Andrew Bukerell  Anno .xvi.  Gerarde Batte  IN this .xvi. yere kynge Henry vppon complaynt brought before hym by the frendes of Lewelyn prynce of walys y e willyam le Bruce or Brunze shuld coÌ„spyre agayne the kynge or after some for he kepte vnlawfully the wyfe of the forenamyd Hauylyn he was after longe prysonement hanged And this yere dyed Ranulphe erle of Chester Lyncolne HuÌ„tyngedon And his systers son named IohnÌ„ sonne vnto the erle of Angwyshe as before in y e .vii. yere of this kyng is declared was his heyre and helde that lordshyp after hym This IohnÌ„ of moste wryters is called IohnÌ„ Scot for so myche as his father was a Scotte This foresayd Ranulphe hadde no chylde all be yt he hadde .iiii. systers The eldeste hyght Molde or Mawde and was maryed to Dauid erle of Angwyshe and was moder to y e foresayde IohnÌ„ Scot. The seconde was named Hawys and was maryed vnto the erle of Arundell The thyrd Agnes was ioyned to the erle of Derbye And the fourth named Mabely was maryed vnto the erle of wynchester called Robert Quynacye Thys Ranulphe dyed at walyngforde and was buryed in the chapter house of the munkys at Chester and ordeyned the forenamed IohnÌ„ Scotte to be hys heyre for that he wolde not haue so noble a lordshyppe runne amonge or to be dyuyded betwene so many dystanys And thys yere dyed mayster Rycharde wethyrshed archbyshoppe of Caunterburye whose successour was blessyd Edmunde of Pountenay Anno domini M.CC.xxxiii  Anno domini M.CC.xxxiiii  Symonde fyz Marre  Andrew Bukerell  Anno .xvii.  Roger Blounte  IN this .xvii. yere of the reygne of kyng Henry the forenamed Edmunde of Pountenay or of Abyndon was sacred archebyshop of CauÌ„terburye He was named of Pountenay for so myche as he was buryed at Pountnay in Burgoyne And he was named Edmunde of Abyndon by reason he was borne iÌ„ Albyndon Thys blessyd man as before in the xv yere is shewyd reconcylyd Hubert of Burgth to the kinges grace and causyd hym to be restored to his former offyce as chefe iustyce of this lande In thys yere also the kyng beganne the foundacyon of the hospytayll of saynte IohnÌ„ wythout the Eestgate of Oxenforde In whyche yere also fyll wonderfull wether as thunder and lyghtenynge vnlyke vnto other And theruppon folowed an erthquake to the great fere of the inhabytauntys of Huntyngdon and nere there aboute Anno domini M.CC.xxxiiii  Anno domini M.CC.xxxv  Rafe Aschewy  Andrew Bukerell  Anno .xviii.  IohnÌ„ Norman  IN thys .xviii. yere of kynge Henry the Iewys dwellynge at Norwyche were broughte to fore the kyng at westmynster to answere to a complaynte made agayne them by one callyd IohnÌ„ Toly of the sayd towne of Norwyche that they shuld stele a chylde and yt cyrcumcysyd of the age of a yere and after kepte the same chyld secret to the entent to crucyfye yt in despyte of Crystes relygyon But howe the mater was folowed or howe so the Iewys acquytyd theym selfe by theyr answere trouthe yt is that they retourned vnpunyshed And in thys yere Frederyke the second of that name and emperour of Almayne maryed the syster of kynge Henry named Isabell as testyfyeth Policronica Anno domini M.CC.xxxv  Anno domini M.CC.xxxvi  Gerarde Batte  Andrew Bukerell  Anno .xix.  Robert Ardell  IN thys .xix yere the morow after saynte Hyllary or the .xiiii. daye of Ianuary Edmunde archbysshoppe of Caunterburye spowsyd the kynge and Eleanoure the doughter of the erle of Prouynce in his cytye of Caunterburye And in the vtas of the sayde Hyllary she was crowned at westmynster as quene of Englande where in the felde by westmynster lyenge at the weste ende of the chyrche was kepte royall solempnite and goodly iustes by the space of .viii. dayes And the same yere the statute of Merton was enacted whych is to meane certayn actes made by acte of parlyament holden by the kynge his lordes coÌ„mons at y e towne of Merton where among other actys was ordeynyd a remedy for wydowes that were defrauded of theyr dowers also how heires with in age shuld be intreated remedies for such as were stolen or with holdeÌ„ coÌ„trary y e gardeyns willis But more certaynly yt was ordeyned at a ê‘lyameÌ„t at Merton foresayd which was holdeÌ„ the .xxx. yere of this kyng in y e morowe folowyng the daye of saynt Martyn or the .xii. day of NoueÌ„ber Anno domini M.CC.xxxvi  Anno domini M.CC.xxxvii  Henry Cobham  Andrew Bukerell  Anno .xx.  Iurden Couentre  IN this .xx. yere of kynge Henry IohnÌ„ Scot before named erle of Chester dyed wythoute yssue male whefore the kynge coÌ„syderyng the great prerogatyues belongynge to that erledome gaue vnto his doughters other possessyons toke the erledome into hys own hand Thys IohnÌ„ dyed at Dorondale and was buryed amonge hys antecessours at Chester as affyrmeth Policronycon And also he sayth that he dyed wythout any chylde and that the foresayd exchaunge was made wyth the forenamed systers of Ranulphe before expressyd in y e .xvi. yere of this kyng Anno domini M.CC.xxxvii  Anno domini M.CC.xxxviii  IohnÌ„ Thesalan  Andrew Bukerell  Anno .xxi.  Gerarde Cordwaner  IN this .xxi. yere Octoboon a legate of the .ix. Gregory and pope came into Englande and ordeyned many good ordynauncys for the chyrche But not all to the pleasure of the yonge clergy of England wherfore as he one daye passed thorough Oxenford the scolars sought occasyon agayn his seruauntes and fought wyth them slew one of the same and put the legate in suche fere that he for his sauegarde toke y e belfray of Osney and there helde hym tyll the kynges mynysters coÌ„mynge from Abyndon wyth strength medelyd with fayre wordes deliueryd him and conueyed hym after wyth a competente companye vnto walyngford where he accursyd the misdoers and punyshed theym in suche wyse that the regentes maysters of that vnyuersyte were lastely compellyd to go barefote thorough Chepe to Paulys at London and there to aske of hym forgyues and hadde that trespace wyth great dyffyculte forgyuen Anno domini M.CC.xxxviii  Anno domini M.CC.xxxix  IohnÌ„ whylhale  Rycharde Renger  Anno .xxii.  IohnÌ„ Goundresse  IN thys .xxii. yere a false clerke of the foresayde vnyuersyte of Oxenforde whyche feyned hym selfe madde and beforetyme had espyed the secret places of the kinges court came by a wyndowe towarde the kinges
to the value of a M. marke sterlynge Upon a tuysdaye beyng the fyrste day of Iuly was foughten a batayll at Parys betwene two knyghtes wherof the appellaunte was named syr Foukes Dorciat and the defendauÌ„t syr Maugot Mawbert whych appellauÌ„t was sore vexed with a feuer quarteyne by reason wherof and of the great hete that y e day appered after longe fyght the sayd appellauÌ„t lyght from hys horse for hys refresshemeÌ„t wherfore hys frendes of hym were in great doute But his enemye was also so sore trauayled y t what for hete laboure he was also ouercome was lykely to haue fallen froÌ„ hys horse and or he myght be taken downe he swowned dyed whan syr Fowkes was ware of y e feblenesse of hys enemye anon as he might he dressed hym on fote toward hys aduersary fande hym starke dede whyche by lyceÌ„ce of the kynge was after had out of the feelde and secretlo buryed the sayde syr Fowkes for feblenesse was by hys freÌ„des ladde vnto hys lodgyng In the .xii. yere of kynge IohnÌ„ xxi day of Nouembre Phylyp duke of Burgoyn erle of Artoys of Aluerne and of Boloyngn a chylde of the age of .xiiii. yeres or lesse dyed at a town nere vnto Rome called GuyoÌ„ By reason of whose deth kyng IohnÌ„ as nexte heyre had after possession of al the sayd laÌ„des toke possioÌ„ therof shortly after In the .xiiii. yere of the reygne of kyng IohnÌ„ thyrd day of Ianuary he for specyall causes hym mouyng as for the enlargyng of his sonne the duke of Orleaunce other yet pledges for hys rauÌ„some toke shyppyng at Boloyne so sayled into EnglaÌ„d and arryued at Douer the .vi day of the sayde moneth and after yode to Eltham and from theÌ„s was coÌ„ueyed vnto LoÌ„don as before is shewed in the .xxxvii. yere of kyng Edward In tyme of whose there beyng syr BarthraÌ„ de Glaycon made warre vpoÌ„ the kynge of Nauerne wan from hym the towne of Maunt in Normandy And by the duke of NormaÌ„dy soone after was wonne from the sayd kyng the towne of MeÌ„leÌ„ce within y e which were taken dyuers Parysyens that shortly after for theyr infidelite were put in execucioÌ„ at Parys And thus the warre betwene the kynges of FrauÌ„ce Nauerne was newly begoÌ„ Than kynge IohnÌ„ beyng as before is sayde in Englande a greuous malady toke hym in the begynnynge of Marche of the whyche he dyed at London vpoÌ„ the .viii. daye of Apryll folowynge so wyth great honoure and solempnyte coÌ„ueyed to the sees syde and there shypped thaÌ„ in processe caryed into Fraunce where vpon the .vii. day of May and yere of our lorde god M.CCC.lxiiii he was solempnely enterred in the monastery of saynt Denys whaÌ„ he had reygned .xiii. yeres .vii. monethes and odde dayes leuynge after hym thre sonnes that is to say Charles whych was kyng after hym Lewys and Phylyp CArolus or Charles y e .vi. of that name or .v. after som writers y e eldest sonne of kyng IohnÌ„ beganne hys reygne ouer the realme of FrauÌ„ce the .ix. day of Apryll in the begynnynge of the yere of our lorde god M.CCC.lxiiii and the .xxviii. yere of Edwarde the the .iii. than kynge of Englande and was crowned with dame Iane hys wyfe at Raynes the .xix. day of May folowynge In thys fyrste yere syr Barthran de Glaycon lyeutenaunt of the sayde Charles in NormaÌ„dy fought with a capytayne of the kynge of Nauerne named le Captall de Bueffe nere vnto a place called Cocherell nere vnto the crosse of saynte Lyeffroy in whiche fyght the sayd Captall was scomfited and great noumbre of his people taken and slayne hym selfe chased taken for whome the frenche kynge gaue after vnto the sayde syr BarthraÌ„ the Erledam of Longeuyle And whaÌ„ he had receyued him he sent him vnto a stroÌ„ge pryson called the Merchy in Meaux At Myghelmas folowynge the duke of Brytayne syr Charlys de Bloyes and syr IohnÌ„ de MouÌ„tfort sonne and heyre to the fore named sir IohnÌ„ Mountforde before dede whiche by a longe season bothe father the sonne had holden warre with the sayd syr Charles met in playne batayle in y â— which as before is shewed in the .xxxviii. yere of king Edwarde the sayde syr Charles was slayne dyuers noble men of Fraunce with him In the moneth of Iuny and seconde yere of this Charlys an other accorde was yet concluded atwene this Charles and the kynge of Nauerne By reason of whiche accorde the Captall of Bueffe was clerely delyuered and Maunt and Menlene agayne also to the kynge restored And ouer that to the kynge of Nauerne was geuyn for a recompensement the Erledome of Longeuyle whiche as aboue is sayd the frenche kyng had gyuen vnto syr Barthran de Glaycon for to haue the Captall to his prisoner And also to the sayde kynge of Nauerne was gyuen the lordshyppe of Mountpyller And in the moneth of February began the warre in Spayne where prince Edwarde ayded Peter kyng of y e lande as before is shewed iÌ„ the .xl. and .xlii. yeres of kynge Edwarde In the .iiii. yere the peace atwene the kynges of Englande of FrauÌ„ce began to breke by meanes of the erle of Armenake other as in the .xlii. yere of kynge Edwarde is before shewed And in the moneth of Decembre and the sayd yere the quene was lyghted of a man Chylde in the Hostell of saynt Paule the whiche was after christened with excedynge solempnyte ouer other before passed in the churche of saint Paule in Parys the .vi. day of Decembre of the cardinal of Parys To whome were godfathers the erles of Mountmerency and of Dampmartyn godmother Iane quene of Euroux and bare the name of Charlys after the erle of Mountmerency In the .v. yere of this Charlys he called his counsell of parlyament at Parys Durynge the whiche the appellacyons of the erle of armenake and other purposed ageyne prynce Edwarde were publysshed and radde the answeres of the said prince vpon the sayd appellacyons made whiche I ouerpasse for length of the mater But the conclusyon was that the prince had broken the peas and couenauntes of the same as they there demyd wherfore all suche townes holdes as the frenche kyng had gotten he shulde them retayne make warre vpon the kynge of Englande for the recouery of the other where vpon kynge Charles in the moneth of Iuly folowyng rode vnto Roan and there rygged his nauye entendynge as sayth the frenche historye to haue made warre vpon EnglaÌ„d and to haue sent thyther his yongest brother Philippe than duke of Burgoyne with a stronge armye But whyle he was there besyed about his purpose the duke of Lancastre arryued with a strong power at Caleys and so passed to Tyrwyn so vnto Ayr. wherfore kynge Charlys then chaunged his purpose and sent his sayde brother into those ê‘ties Then by that season that y e sayd duke was prepared with hys people the englysshemen were