soonne was of good kyng Edwarde That wedded dame Blaunch ful of feminytee Duke Henryes doughter and heire afterwarde Of Lancastre by lawe of kynde and forwarde Who gat and bare the fourth kyng Henry That kyng Rycharde deposed wrongfully ¶ Who gatte Henry the fyfth lyke conqueroure Of Normandy and mykill parte of Fraunce That excelled bothe kyng and Emperoure In marcyall actes by his gouernaunce Who gatte Henry the sixte at Gods pleasaunce Of suche symplenesse and disposicion As menne maye se by his discrecion 〈◊〉 For when Henry the fourth first was crouned 〈…〉 ny a wyseman sayd then full commenly 〈…〉 third heyre shuld not ioyse but be vncrouned And deposed of all regalitee To this reason they dyd there wittes applye Of euill gotten good the third should not enioyse Of longe agone it hath bene a commen voyse ¶ Howe the maker of this booke saieth his auyse in briefe for the duke of Yorke ¶ O my lorde of Yorke God hath prouyde In this for you as men sayen commenly So that no slouth you from his grace deuyde But take it as he hath it sent manly And rule well nowe ye haue the remedye But neretheles let euery man haue the right Both frende and foo it may encrease your might ¶ Treate well Percy of marchys lyne discended To helpe your right with might and fortifye By tender meanes to holde hym well contented Remembryng hym by wyttie polycye Howe by processe of tyme and destenye Your right might all bene his as nowe is yours Through gods might make thē your successours ¶ Edmoūde was then the .iiij. sonne at Langlay Borne as knowen was well in the lande A noble prince after as men might say At battayle of Orray that fought sore with his hāde And Iohn of Gaunt his brother I vnderstande That fought ful sore for Ihō of Mountfortright Agayne Charles of Bloys a manly knight ¶ This Edmoūde was after duke of Yorke creat And had a sonne that Edward had to name Whom kyng Richarde made to be denominate In all his writtes exaltyng his fame Kyng of Portyngale his father yet at hame Lyuyng in age I trawe of .lxxx. yere A fayre person as a man might se any where ¶ Thomas Woodstoke the .v. sonne was in dede Duke of Gloucester that tyme made and create By kyng Richarde murdered whom for his mede Kyng Henry quyt with death preordinate By Goddes dome and sentence approbate Who sleeth so shall he be slayne by his sentence Well more murder whiche asketh ay vengeaunce ¶ Who laye afore Paris amoneth daye With hoste royall without any batell Of all enemyes moste dred he was alwaye And Scottes moste hym bred without any fayle For as they trowed by theyr owne rehersaile Of prophecyes he shulde theyr lande conquere And make the kyng to Englande homegere ¶ Nowe haue I made vnto your owne knowlege A remembraunce of Edwardes sonnes fyue Your exampler to geue you a corage So noble princes I trowe were none alyue After my wytte as I can discryue The eldest sonne whose lyfe I haue lefte oute Who that in Fraunce all landes was moste doute ¶ Of the ryghte and tytles that my Lorde of Yorke hath to Fraunce and Spayne with Portingale other landes by yonde the sea Ierusalem and other landes ¶ At batell of Poytiers tooke kynge Iohn With greate honoure triumphe and vyctory By merciall actes and verteous life aloone And in Spayne as made is memorie The kyng Petro by knightly victorie To his kyngdome he did restore again By his brother putte out with muche pain ¶ The appoinctement bytwixt duke Iohn duke Emund who should bee kyng of Castle and Lyon and what the maker of this booke sawe and red at Londō to syr Robert Vmfrewill then lorde Vmfrewill ¶ This kyng Petro to giue hym to his mede Had nothyng els but doughters twoo full faire Whiche he betooke to that prince in deede For his wages for cause thei where his heire With whome he did to Englande so repaire And Constaunce wedde vnto his brother Iohn Emund his brother the younger had anone ¶ Dame Isabell the younger hight by name Bytwene these brethren was appoinctment The first heire male whiche of the sisters came The kyng should been and haue the regiment To you my lorde of Yorke this dooeth appent For your vncle Edwarde was first heire male To whome your father was heire with out faile ¶ So kyng of Spayne and also of Portyngall Ye should nowe bee by lyne of bloodde discent By couenaunt also and appoinctement whole As I haue seen of it the mununent Vnder seale wryten in all entent Whiche your vncle to my lorde Vmfrewill At London shewed whiche I red that while ¶ For Spayne Portyngale beare the renoume And commen name as I haue herde expressed Both to the realmes of Castyll and Lyon And so the kynge of Spayne hath aye adressed His royall style in wrytyng well impressed Kyng of Castill and also of Lyon Accompted both so for his region ¶ Nowe be ye knowe of your title to Englande By consequens to Wales and Scotlande For they perteyne as ye maye vnderstande Of auncient tyme to the crowne of Englande By papall bull ye haue the right to Irelande Gascowe Paitowe and Normandye Pountyf Bebuile Saunxie and Sauntignye ¶ And all the lande beyonde the charente Of Dangolesme Dangolismoys Luyre zyne Of Caoure Caourenō Pyridor Pirygūt coūtre Of Rodis Ronegeauis Dagō Dagenoyse that fine Tharbe Wigor Gaure shoulde to you enclyne With all the fraunchyses and all souerayntie As hath the kyng of Fraunce in his degre ¶ Nō that I Ihon Hardyng maker of this booke delyuered to kyng Henry the syxte the copie of the treatie of this land as kyng Edward the thyrd treated and had them after the battayll of Poytours ¶ Calys Marke Colne Hāmys Oye Wale Sandegate Guysons with all the whole coūtre With all the landes and townes betwene thē all With all fraunchyses and royall souerayntie All those of right be yours in propertie What by treate and what by veraye right As kyng Edwarde them had of mykyll might ¶ To Ierusalem I saye ye haue great right For erle Geffraye that hight Plantagenet Of Aungeoy erle a prince of passyng might The eldest sonne to Fouke and first begette Kyng of Ierusalem by his wife dewly sette Whose sonne Geffray foresaide gatte on his wyfe Henry the seconde that knowen was full ryfe ¶ Yet haue ye more fro Bawdewyn Paraliticus Kyng afterward to thesame kyng Henry The croune sente and his banner precious As veraye heyre of whole auncestrie Descent of bloode by tytle lynyally From Godfray Boleyn and Robert Curthose That kynges were therof and chose ¶ He sente hym also the Sepulture keyes Resygnyng wholy vnto hym all his ryght For to defende the lande from Sarizenes For he was sicke and had therto no might And all the lande destroyed was to sight By the
that countre slewe doune right The kyng then made a lord that Awbryke hight Erle of that countre that durst not Scottes withstande Wherfore he gaue Robert Mowbray that lande ¶ And made hym erle of Northumberland The kyng then sent vnto euery shire Iustices to sitte throughout all the land Of all lordshipis and knightes fees enquere What temporales he had to knowe he had desire And what perteined vnto his royall croune And what the churche had of deuocion ¶ Vnto his soonne eldest then generate All Normandy he gaue in heritage And England whole to Wyllyam nominate His second soonne gaue with all thauauntage And to Henry his third soonne young of age Therldome gaue then of Gloucester sea With the honour of slede for euer in certente ¶ He dyed the yere a thousand four score and ten And of his reigne twenty yere and four tho At Cane buried in thabbey that hight then Sainct StepheÌ„s abbey by Cane that staÌ„deth so His doughter Ade afore had maried tho Vnto therle StepheÌ„ of Bloyes a prince of might Of warres wyse and a full manly knight The C .xxiij. Chapiter ¶ Wyllyam Rufus kyng of England reigned thirtene yere and began to reigne in the yere of our lorde a thousand four score and ten dyed that yere a thousand one hundred three HIs sooÌ„ne Wylliam Rufus as he deuised Was crouned then with great solempnitee But after soone duke Robert was auised To clayme England by his priorite And Normandy also as for his proprete As he that was his eldest soone and heire With hoste full greate in England game repeire ¶ And made greate warre vpon his brother so Three yere all out betwene theim so continued Till at last thei bothe betwene theim twoo Did condiscende as well to theim perteined With whole herte and will nothyng feined The iudgement of kyng Philip of Fraunce To vndergo and bide his ordinaunce ¶ In whiche meane while his brother erle HeÌ„ry The castels all belongyng to the croune As high constable of England properly Then seazed had in his possession As his office by good dereccion Asked of right and of good consuetude To kepe theim sure to the crounes excelsitude ¶ The kyng Philip by his auised parliament Gaue iudgement betwene the brethren twoo As kyng Wyllyam their father full ment All Normandy Robert should haue euer moo And Wyllyam England frendes should bee so And liue in peace without any clayme And either other releace and whole disclayme ¶ Th erle Henry of England then constable Deliuered all the castels and citees right To kyng Wyllyam his brother enheritable As he was bound and fully so had hight Duke Robert then his brother a worthy knight To England came to sport hym with his brother At whiche tyme either was glad of other The C .xxiiij. Chapiter ¶ Howe kyng Malcolyn of Scotland warred in England for his wife 's right pretendyng that she was right heire of England and afterward he did homage to kyng wyllyam Rufus for the realme of Scotland His Malcolin of ScotlaÌ„d greatly claimed T To haue England then by his wifes right Margarete suster of Edgar heire ê“clamed Of England whole that expelled was by might Of kyng Wyllyam conquerour by vnright So for his right the Northland he destroyed And home he went again nothyng annoyed ¶ But then the kyng and his brethren twoo To Scotland rode and wasted sore the land Till Malcolyne came and did his homage By letter wrytten and sealed I vnderstand Whiche Hardyng gaue in to kyng Henryes haÌ„d Without reward or any recompence Of mayne labour his costagis and expence ¶ The duke Robert went home to Normandy And kyng Malcolyne his soonne then Edward Warred again Northumberland in hie But erle Robert that kepyng had and ward Of NorthuÌ„berland with hym then faught full hard Byside Alnwike at Malcolyne well were slain There Malcolyne and Edward his sooÌ„ne certain ¶ WheÌ„ quene Margret so of that tidynges knewe She eate neuer meate for sorowe dyed anone At Dunfermelyn buryed as then was dewe But nowe she is there shryned in fleshe and bone Workyng miracles as sayeth many one Entombed faire and in the firetree translate Of whiche abbey nowe is she aduocate ¶ The Scottes then made Dunwalde so their kyng Malcolynes brother that to it had no right But DunkaÌ„ sonne of Malcolyne that knowyng With helpe of kyng Wyllyam and royall might Of Scotlande so droaue hym awaye to flight And crouned was as chronicles vnderstande And homage made to wyllyam for his lande ¶ Sone after kyng Dunkan of Scotland slayn By treason was and Dunwall restitute Vnto the croune of Scotlande then agayne Whome Edgare then by succoure and refute Of kyng Wyllyam droue out all destitute Of any helpe and crouned was in Scotlande To kyng Willyam did homage for his lande ¶ Of whose homage Iohn Hardyng gaue that letter Full clerely made written well and sealed The whiche also with other letters better That by reason maye not be repeled The whiche yf he would haue enbeseled The kyng Iames vnto his waryson A M. marke hym hight of his discrecion ¶ And in his tyme Roes that Richarde hight The kyng of Wales in battayl strong was slayn Besyde the castell of Brekenham then full right Fro whiche tyme forthe theyr kynges seazed full playn And princes called they were soth to sayn The kyng with hoste on Robert Monbraye rode Who with the kyng faught of his traytourhode ¶ And discomfite helde Bamburgh castell then And the kyng enduryng full .vii. yere Consentyng with the lordes that so began For to depose the kyng of his croune clere And duke Robert his brother with great power To croune and make the kyng of all Englande With Normandy to ioyse I vnderstande ¶ The kynge exiled Anselme of Cauntorbury Tharchebyshop that withstode his wronges Doen to the churche and to the prelacie To the commons also that theim belonges SeueÌ„tene tounes with also many churches amoÌ„ges And abbeys foure he wasted and confounde The newe forest in Hamshire for to founde ¶ He buylded the Newcastell vpon Tyne The Scottes to gaynstande and to defende And dwell therin the people to enclyne The towne to builde and walle as did append He gaue theim ground golde ful great to spend To buylde it well and wall it all aboute And fraunchised theim to paye a free rent out ¶ The rentes frutes to tharchbishop ê‘teinyng And to the byshoppes of Wynchester Sarum And also .ix. abbeys lyuelod conteynyng In his handes leazed and held all and some But for his workes buylynges held eche crome With whiche he made then westmynster hall And the castel of Newecastell withall ¶ That staÌ„deth on Tyne therin to dwel in warre Agayne the Scottes the countree to defende Whiche as men sayd was to hym mekill deer And more pleasyng then otherwyse dispende And muche people for it did hym coÌ„mende For cause he dyd the commen wealthe sustene Of marchers vnnumerable to mayntene The
as the rose in Maye To Raufe was wed that was lorde Mortymer Of whome that earles of Marche become full clere ¶ Then went the kyng and quene to Gascâ—yne And Gwyan to set that lande in pees And so forth then he went to Aragon To sporte them with theyr father there no lees To Gwyan then agayne for his encrees He came anone and set in peace that lande And so came agayne to Englande The C .l. Chapiter ¶ Howe the kyng dyd atteynt his Iustices and sette enquery of peace breakers ryouters oppressours extorcyoners and of the vsurye of Iewes HIs Iustyces all by lawe he dyd attaynt For wrong domes false iudgement For couetyse that false were then faynt To helpe the poore coÌ„mons to theyr entent He set Iustyces in heyre by all assent That called was that tyme Troilebaston For to enquere of all extorcyon ¶ Of Ryouters fyghters and baratours Of market beters that raysed greate debates Of peace breakers and all the susteynours That were with theim of preuy assocyates Of oppressours of all the pore estates And all that were then founde culpable Emprysoned were or by theyr pursse excusable ¶ Of Iewes within this lande that was abidyng Great plaintes were made of Okoure and vsury Howe they dyd waste the folke by suche winning And preuy bondes made without measure In payne of double or elles forfeture The king theÌ„ voided for whiche that church a disme Hym graunted so dyd the coÌ„mons a quindecyme ¶ Rys Ap Madoke a warre in Wales gan take Agayne the kyng that great warres had sustened And prynce hym called of Wales without make Who then at Yorke by lawe full wel mainteyned On galous hye as to hym well apperteyned Was drawen and hanged his hed vpon the towre was set anon as rebell and traytoure The C .li. Chapiter ¶ Howe Edmonde Earle of Lancaster and of Leycester kept Gwyan and wed quene Blaunche of Nauerne the kynges syster of Fraunce and therfore he bare the labell in his armes for dyfference fro the kynges of Englonde euer after KYng Edward sent his brother theÌ„ ful dere To kepe GuyaÌ„ and with him stroÌ„g chiualry Who gouerned there that land without pere To hye honoure as made is memorye In Fraunce sore dred amonge the aduersarye And other landes lyeng there all aboute Aboue all men he was there moste bedoute For euer he put them to the worse in felde In armes ay he had the victorye And in Parys at Iustes vnder shelde Far passyng was and dyd ay notably That for his manhode and famous chyualrye In so ferforth that all landes hym commende For his manhode whiche so in hym they kende ¶ He wed dame Blaunche of Nauerne that was quene King Philip sister that was ful good faire Of whome he gate Thomas of LaÌ„caster I wene And Henry his brother that afterwarde was heire And earles both they were without dispayre Of Lancaster and also of Leycestre As Flores hath expressed well by lettre ¶ For whiche weddyng and noble alyance He and his heyres bare for a difference Englande armes with labell hole of Fraunce By whiche all men maye haue intellygence That Edmonde was yonger in existence Then kyng Edward though some say that coÌ„trary And from the truth yet haue they wyll to vary The C .lii. Chapiter ¶ Howe the fyue portes toke the nauy of Fraunce on the seâ— in batell THe kyng of FrauÌ„ce a nauy great then seÌ„â— Vpon Englande to warre in great aray Which that .v. portes toke on the sea shent And people greate there slewe dreynt that daye Theyr shyppes all by batayl and affraye Were take and brought then into Englande With capitaynes many and lordes of that lande ¶ Kyng Philyp then at Parys in parlyament Somonde Edwarde afore hym to appere Surmittyng hym of robbery felonoment Vpon his flete so done by tymes sere For faute of aunswere foreiuged hym there Destroyed his land in eche place where he might But kyng Edwarde then went to Fraunce ryght ¶ And gate agayne his landes euerychone And sought ay where vpon the kyng of FrauÌ„ce But he fled euer and batayle wolde geue none Sone after so Philyp by ordynaunce A trewce toke by good ordynaunce For all his landes beyonde the sea To set in peace with all tranquilyte The C .liii. Chapiter ¶ Howe Morgan and Madoke his brother were sette in the towre for rebellyon in Wales made by comforte of kynge Phylip of Fraunce IN Wales Morgan made war great distaunce And Madoke also his brother ful vntrew For whiche the kyng with all his ordenauÌ„ce To Wales went faught with them all newe At straytes great whiche tho traytours knewe Yet were they take and put in sore pryson Within the towre for theyr rebellyon ¶ The kyng Philyp had sent then golde to waâ— On England then with sir Thomas Turbiruile Who was espyed by sotell meanes afferre And heded was anon for all his guyle His wyt not holpe hym then ne yet his wyle He dyed with shame repreef and vilany Engendred all of mede and surquedrye The C .liiii. Chapiter ¶ Howe Earle Edmonde was Leuetenaunt of Guyan and warred vpon the kyng of Fraunce and defyed hym by letter for he brake the promyse made to Edwarde his brother kynge of Englande SIr EdmoÌ„d erle of Lancaster theÌ„ ful trewe LeuetenauÌ„t then of Guian all throughout On whom that king Philip then rode al new And brake the trewce with hostes great and stout Wherfore he went to hym without doubte To se howe that it myght be well defende He bade hym thus set to his knee and amende ¶ Wherfore in ire he gaue hym vp homage The whiche he ought for his lande that he helde And aunswered hym agayne of great corage From hens forwarde I shall you holde the felde And at my power eche daye vnder shelde Proue howe ye do vnto my lorde greate wronge The whiche I shall amende or it be longe And so departed withoute more langage And into Guyan came with all his myght And to his brother wrote made hym knowlage And bade hym come with power for to fyght With spere and bowe for other writ of ryght Maye not be got within the courte of Fraunce For to recouer his hye enherytaunce ¶ Eche day theÌ„ce forth with baÌ„ners hole displeyed He helde the felde and kyng Philyp warred And leters sent hym defyals and vmbrayde Of hys suraunce and othe that he had erred And castelles gate fâ—ll many not differred Kyng Edward sent his brother then suppowaile The Frenche partye to warre and assayle The C .lv. Chapiter ¶ Howe syr Roger Mortymer was made Earle of Marche at Kyllyngworthe and set the rounde table of a thousande knyghtes and as many ladyes ANd in the yere a. M. was full then Two hundreth also syxty and nyntene When syr Roger Mortymer so began At Kelyngworth the rounde table as was sene Of a thousande knyghtes for disciplyne Of yonge men after he coulde deuyse Of turnementes and iustes to
mikell of Yorkshire discomfited that archebishop of Yorke his clergy at Milton on swale THe kyng Edward began to siege Berwyk like And wonne it had but false tales it let And tidinges newe that nought the kyng did For Robert Bruys the kyng of Scotlande mette With the bishop of Yorke and hym ouersette Wherfore he loste the siege and went awaye But Bruys had stroyed England in fell araye ¶ To Borough brydge by east and west he brent And home agayne with many a prysoner Without harme or lette of his entent With mykell good but in Myton medowe nere To Swale water laye then with great power Walter Wareyn among the hay kockes bushed Vpon the byshop sodenly with Scottes yssued ¶ And .xv. hundreth Englyshe there he slewe And home he went with kyng Edward full glad With prysoners many mo then men knewe The byshop fled fro the felde full woo bestad With his clerkes that then were full mad For whiche therle Thomas of Lancastre there And kyng Edward depatted halfe in werre The C .lxxiiii. Chapiter ¶ Howe at the nexte parliamente after Thomas of Lancaster and Leycester erle and certayne lordes exiled the twoo Spencers out of the land but then that Spencers made great persecucion with the kyng agayn the lordes and slewe the erle of Lancaster and the other lordes AT the parliameÌ„t theÌ„ at westminster next hold Erle Thomas that then was called ful trewe Th erle Vmfrey of Herford that was bold Th erle of Marche full manly as men knewe The Monbrey also Percy and Clyfford drewe All armed came and two Spencers exiled Out fro Englande neuer to be reconsyled ¶ But sone the Spencers came to that kyng again Syr Hugh the lorde and syr Hugh his sonne And put therle of Marche in great disdayn Roger his sonne that with hym did wonne Appeched hym then of hye treason Agaynst the kyng wherfore the kyng hym sent Into the toure tabyde the parliament ¶ Then went the kyng and Spencers both two With hostes full great to Burton vpon Trent Where the lordes laye and sparled theim then so That north they went then wayes by one assente To rayse mo men they trust in theyr entent The Spencers two fully for to destroye Who all the realme full cruelly did noye ¶ At Borinbrig syr Andrewe Hertlaw met With erle Vmfrey of Herford and hym slewe And toke the erle Thomas without let And to the kyng that then to Pountfret drewe Where then were sette vpon hym iudges newe Th erle Edmound of Arondell for iustice And syr Robert Mapilthorpe his enemyes ¶ There he was headed anone vpon the hyll And buryed was there in a chapell fayre Henry his brother stode at the kynges wyll Whom the kyng graunted to bee his heyre That wedded then Alyce without despayre The doughter and heyre of therle Henry Lacy Of Lyncolne so graunted by the kynges mercy ¶ WyllyaÌ„ fitz Wareyn many another knight In diuers shyres some hanged and some head That hold with hym or with his compeers right Syr Bartholomewe Badelismore without rede Drawen and hanged and put to foul dead Roger Clyfford and Iohn Monbraye barons Headed then were for theyr rebellions ¶ Th erle of Marche syr Roger Mortymer His sonne Roger foriuged were for treason And by the kyng of death pardoned were And put were then in perpetuall pryson Into the towre for that same encheson Fro that tyme forth the Spencers other excede The quene was but an hand mayden in dede ¶ To tyme the kyng to her brother hir sent And also his sonne Edwarde to dooen homage For Guyen so to haue at his entente And for they dwelled so long in that viage The kyng theim had suspecte of theyr message By councell of the Spencers theim exiled As in chronicle pleynly is compiled ¶ The kyng then made and playnly did create Andrewe Hertlawe erle then of Carlele Whiche tyme the kyng Robert full fortunate Rode all the east Marche full proudly and well The byshopryke and Yorkeshire euery dele Andrewe Hertlawe erle of Carlele absent To Lancastre hym drewe in false entente ¶ The kyng Robert was passed home agayn With prayes greate and many prysoners Fro Humber north the people downe were slayn Of whiche the kyng and all his councelers Blamed therle Andrewe and his compeers For he had men enough with hym arayed The Scottes all that might haue slayn frayed ¶ He hight the kyng haue brought to hym great powers Into yorkshyre held nothing his hight Therfore the kyng by counsell of the Spencers Gaue charge to take hym either by daye or night Or kyl hym downe wher they mete with hym might To all shryues was sent this commaundement Fro Trent northwarde by writtes maundemeÌ„t The C .lxxv. Chapiter ¶ Howe syr Roger Mortymer the younger wente oute of the toure of London went into Fraunce to the quene of Englande and to the prince Edwarde hir soonne and also howe the lorde Lucye tooke syr Andrewe Hertlawe erle of carlele and headed hym at Carlele for treason THen â—r Roger the yongest Mortimer Made his kepers dronke and went away Out of the toure by night other in feer And into Fraunce anone he toke his waye Vnto the quene Isabell in poore araye And bode with her at hyr gouernaunce All tyme that she was soiournyng in Fraunce ¶ And then Antony Lucye lorde of Cokirmouth Syr Robert Lowther with other many in feere At Carlele toune as knowe was full couth Toke syr Andrewe Hertlawe with mekill steeâ— They put on hym he toke royall power In truce takyng with therle of Murrey Withouten power in trayterous araye ¶ In wrongyng of the kynges hye estate And of his right full great derogacion And howe he toke greate golde immoderate Of kyng Edwarde through cauelacion To bryng hym power for his supportacioÌ„ Agayn the kyng Robert that then destroyed His lande full foule and had hym self anoyed ¶ And howe he had the people hole withdrawe With hym Westwarde by false confederacie Betwene hym and therle of Marrowe Couened fully before cast traytorie Wherfore they drewe hym first all openly And hanged after and to London sent Vnto the kynge his head for great present The C .lxxvi. Chapiter ¶ Howe the quene Isabell treated mariage of one of the doughters of therle of Henaulde for hir sonne Edwarde to haue to wife by thauice of her brother kyng Charles came to Englande with great power and toke that kyng and slewe his counsell for treason THere by aduise and good consyderacion Of the kyng of Fraunce her brother dere Quene Isabell accorded for supportacion Hir sonne should wed one of the doughters clere Of therle of Henauld that fyue then were Through whose succour she hir sonne Edward Toke then the sea to Englande warde ¶ Erle Edmond of Kent then with her came Kyng Edwardes brother syr Aymer valence Erle of Penbroke whiche came with hir fro hame And Mortymer the yonger in hir presence Henauldes and Frenche with great
Sir Robert then my mayster Vmfreuyle At Redeswyres withoute excusacyon With Richarde Rotherforde fought that whyle And toke the stewarde as I can compyle And Iames Douglas with the lorde Seton And prisoners many for to geue raunson ¶ Two hundreth men vpon that felde were slayne Thre hundreth fled some hole some maymed sore That dyed at home with sorowe and with payne Some died homeward the home they came nomore Where so he fought vnto his men right thore A mery worde he wòlde saye or they met To glad theyr hartes enemyes to ouerset ¶ The .ii. yere of his reygne then he went In haruest tyme so into Scotlande And Edenburgh with the countre brente In whiche tyme the Scottes brent our lande All Bamburgh shyre in Northumberlande For both wardeyns with the kyng were gone No wardeyne there but husbandes by their owne The CC .i. Chapiter ¶ Howe Owen of Glendoure rose in Wales againe the king and made warre on the lorde Gray Ruthin and toke the lorde Graye and syr Edmonde Mortymer THe king came home and to London went At Michelmasse wher thē he had message That Owen Glendoure then felly blent In Englande sore and did full great damage For cause the lorde Graye helde his herytage And to the kyng of it full sore had playned No remedye gate so was he then demeaned ¶ The lorde Gray Ruthin did hym great wrong Destroyed his lande and he did hym the same So both Marches destroyed were full longe But Owen wanne him selfe eche day great name Of vasselrie of gentyls and of fame That he them did for whiche to him they drewe And became his men to him were full trewe ¶ So on a daye the lorde Graye and he met With great power vpon eyther syde Where then they faught in batayle sore bet And toke hym then his prysoner that tyde And there the felde he had with mikyll pryde Greate people toke and slewe home he went The lorde Graye he raunsomed at his entent ¶ Syr Edmonde then Mortimer warred sore Vpon Owen and dyd hym mekyll tene But at laste Owen laye hym before Where in batell they faught as well was sene Where Owen toke him prisoner as then ful kene With mekell folke on eyther syde slayne And set Edmonde in prysone and great payne ¶ He wrote vnto the kyng for great socoure For he had made with Owen his fynaunce To whom that kyng wolde graunt then no fauoure Ne nought he wolde thē make him cheuesaunce For to comforte his foes disobeysaunce Wherfore he laye in feters and sore prysone For none payment of his greate raunsone The CC .iii. Chapiter ¶ The Earle of Northumberlande his sonne Henry Percy stroke the batayle of Hamildon with the Scottes toke syxe Earles and discomfyte .xl. thousande Scottes IN the .iii. yere Th erle of Fyffe Murrey Of Athell and Angos Douglas also And of Menteth with barons fell that daye The nomber was .xl. thousande and mo Had brent the lande by south Northward tho To Homildon where on holy rode daye The earle them met in good stronge araye ¶ His sonne also Henry Percy was there George of Dunbar was in theyr company And with the Scottes that daye fought full sere Discomfyted them and had the victorye Six earles taken and .xl. thousande playnly Some fled some died some maimed there for euer That to Scotlande agayne came they neuer ¶ The kyng Henry thryce to wales went In the haye tyme and haruest dyuers yere In euery tyme were mystes and tempestes sent Of wethers foule that he had neuer power Glendour to noye but euer his caryage clere Owen had at certayne straites and passage And to our hoste dyd full greate damage ¶ The king had neuer but tempest foule raine As longe as he was ay in Wales grounde Rockes mystes windes stormes euer certaine All men trowed that witches it made that stounde The cōmens all then of all Englande grounde Warred his gate to Wales euery yere For haye and corne were loste both two in fere Whiche made greate derth of catell morayne And euen ay in hylles and in mountaynes Kepte him ful strong that king ay wrought in vaine The king might not but euer more held that pleines And waste his owne lord shippes his demaines And full great parte Owen had and occupyed By processe so in Wales and victoryed ¶ Th erle Henry then of Northumberland Brought to the kyng his owne prisoner Th erle of Fyffe was then I vnderstand Heire vnto the duke of Albany clere Regent that was of Scotland without pere But sir Henry his soonne then would not bryng His prisoners in no wise to the kyng ¶ But the kyng he prayed for Mortimer That raunsomed might he been with his frendes so He saied hym nay for he was taken prisoner By his consent and treson to his foo Whom he would not comfort for to ouergoo The prince his landes ne his owne to destroye For ay he had greate trust that he should hym noye ¶ The kyng hym blamed for he toke not Owen When he came to hym on his assuraunce And he aunswered then to the kyng again He might not so kepe his affiaunce To shame hym self with suche a variaunce The kyng blamed hym for his prisoner Th erle Douglas for cause he was not there ¶ And saied he should hym fette but he hym sēde Sir Henry sawe no grace for Mortimer His wifes brother he went awaye vnkende To Berwyk so and after came no nere Afore thei mette at Shrowesbury in fere Wher then thei faught for cause of his entent He purposed had Mortimer his coronoment ¶ The lordes all of England had hym hight And Owayn also on seuerne hym to mete Except therle of Stafford young to fight By their letters vnder their seales mete But in the poinct thei brake all their behete And he was slain and all the cause conselid Why he the feld tooke and the kyng appelid The CC .iii. Chapiter ¶ Howe for therle of Marche his right sir Henry Percy and sir Thomas Percy his vncle erle of Worcester faught with the kyng and were slain at the battaill of Shrewesbury wher all the lordes deceiued them the yere of Christ a thousand foure hundred and thre and of his reigne the fourth yere that were bounde to theim by their seales except therle of Stafford whiche letters I sawe in the castell of Werkeworth when I was constable of it vnder my lord sir Robert Vmfre uile who had that castell of kyng Henry his gift by forfeture of therle of Northumberland ON Madleyn euen was on the Saterdaye After long trete the prince began to fight The yere of Christ a thousād was no nay Foure hundred also and three therto full right When the battaill was streken of mikell might And of the kyng then was the fourth yere Of his reigne accompted well and clere ¶ His vncle dere was with hym there dedde His father came not out of
wrought so laboured to haue peace whiche gotten he went backe to the castell of Barwike that sir Thomas Stanley had wonne a lytell before And the duke of Albany the authoure of this warre for that he had but lytle thankes of England for his so dooing fled into Fraunce there was kylled running at the tylte in Parys After this businesse Edward assembled his counsell together willed theim to prepare batayle againste the Frenche kyng for that he had neyther payde nor woulde paye his raunsome nor yet geue his soonne in mariage to his doughter as he promised to the setting forth of the which batayl certaine mony was exacted of the prestes religiouse men to be payde At the which time the kyng was sodēly sickened shortly after died at Westminster the .ix. day of April then being .l. yeres of age reigning xxiii after the date of oure Lorde a. M .iiii. C .lxxx. and thre whose corps was after conueyghed and had with great pompe and solempnitee to Winde sore and there buried in saint George his chapell Whiche kyng had by his wyfe the quene ten children of theim lefte aliue behinde hym Edward prince of Wales and Richard duke of yorke and one bastarde called Arthure and fyue doughters Elisabeth Cicilie Anne Catherine and Brigyde whiche after were maryed all sauyng that ladye Brigide was a nonne This Edward was a goodly man of personage of stature hyghe of countenaunce and beautee comely of sight quicke brode brested and well sette in euery other parte conformable to his bodye of a pregnant wytte stomake stoute haulte courage of perfect memori of such thinges as he conceaued in his braine diligent in his affaires weighti busines in auentures bold and hardy againe his aduersaries fearce terryble to his frendes liberal bounteous hauing in all his warres most prosperous lucky successe escheuing all pleasure sensualitee to the which he was by nature most proue vnto for the which cause and for the lowlines and humanite that is in hym in gendred by nature most plētifully he bare him self honestly amōg his priuate persons otherwise thē the degre or dignite of his maieste required wherfore the fame ranne that he was poysened A lytell before his death it was saied that he gaue hym selfe to auarice whiche before as you see vsed greate liberalytee Yet the realme whiche thorowe ciuile sedicyon was greatly impoueryshed he made ryche and plenteouse at his death daye Also he gaue spiritual promocions to the moste excellent and famous clerkes and made theim of his councell other of the laye sorte whome he loued he did not enriche with possessions but with monye and other lyke goodes the whiche many prynces hauyng no respecte of the honoure dooe not alwayes obserue By the whiche suche giftes rewardes he had so farre wonne the hartes of the people that after his deathe many menne dyd lamente the losse of his grace ¶ Edward the fyfth WHEN ALMIGHTIE GOD had called to his mercye the noble prince kyng Edwarde the fourth of that name Edward his eldest sonne prynce of Wales began his reygne the .ix. daye of Aprill in that yere of oure Lorde a. M CCCC .lxxxiij. and in the .xxij. yere of Lewes the .xi. then Frenche kyng Whiche younge prince reigned a smal space and lytle season ouer this realme other in pleasure or libertee for his vncle Richard duke of Gloceter within .iij. monethes depriued hym not only of his croune and regalytie but also vnnaturally bereft hym his naturall life and for the declaracion by what craftie engine he first attempted his vngracious purpose by what false colourable vntrue allegaciōs he set forth openly his pretensed enterprise fynally by what shamefull cruell and detestable acte he perfourmed the same Ye muste fyrst consyder of whom he and his brother descended there natures condicions inclynacions and thē you shall easely perceaue that there could not be a more crueller tyraunt appoynted to acheue a more abomynable enterpryse There father was Richard Plantagenet duke of Yorke whiche began not by warre but by lawe to chalenge the croune of Englande puttyng his clayme in the parliamēt holden that .xxx. yere of kyng Henry the .vi. where ether for right or for fauoure his cause was so set forthe and auaunced that the bloodde of the sayd kyng Henry although he had a goodly sonne was clerely abiected and that croune of the realme by autorytee of parliamente entayled to the duke of Yorke and his heyres after the discease of the sayd kyng Henrye the .vi. But the duke not entendyng so long to tary but myndyng vnder the preterte of discencion growen and arysen within the realme and of couenauntes made in the parliament not kepte but broken to preuēte the tyme and to take vpon hym the gouernaunce in kyng Henryes life was by to muche hardynes slayne at the battayle of Wakefylde leuynge behynde hym three sonnes Edwarde George Richard Al these three as they wer greate estates of byrth so were they greate and statelye of stomake gredy of autoritee and impaciēt parteners of rule and autoritee This Edward reuēged his fathers death and deposed kyng Henry the .vi. and atteyned the croune and sceptre of this realme George duke of Clarence was a goodlye and well feautured prince in all thynges fortunate yf ether his owne ambiciō had not set him against his brother or thenuie of his enemies had not set his brother agaynst hym for were it by the quene or the nobles of her bloode which highly maligned the kynges kynred as women cōmenlye not of malyce but of nature hate suche as theyr husbandes loue or wer it aproude appetite of the duke hym selfe entendyng to bee kyng at the leaste wise heynous treason was layde to his charge and finally were he in faute or were he fautelesse attaynted was he by parliament and iudged to deathe and thereupon hastely drouned in a butte of malmesey within the towre of Londō Whose death kyng Edward although he commaunded it when he wyste it was done pyteouslye he bewayled and sorowfullye he repented it Richard duke of Gloucestre the .iij. sonne of whiche I muste mooste entreate was in witte and courage eguall with the other but in beautee and lyniamentes of nature farre vnderneth both for he was lytle of stature euill feautered of lymmes croke backed the lift shulder much higher then the right harde fauoured of vysage suche as in estates is called a warlike vysage and amonge commen persons a crabbed face He was malycious wrothfull and enuyous and as it is reported his mother the duches had much a dooe in her trauayle that she could not be delyuered of hym vncutte and that he came into the worlde the fete forwarde as men be borne outwarde and as the fame ranne not vntothed whether that men of hatred reported aboue the truthe or that nature chaunged his course in his begynnyng which in his life many thynges vnnaturally cōmytted
He eked then by his witte full curious With his lawe called lawe Moluntyne Chargyng all menne to theim fully to enclyne ¶ He graunted vnto the temples euery one And to the plough and all commen wayes To markettes faires wher meÌ„ne should gonne Fraunchesies so greate and liberties alwais That all menne beeyng in theim night or dayes Should not betaken ne troubled in any wyse Neither by lawe nor by no maistries ¶ Sixe temples he made in CaÌ„bre Logres al 's And in the lande also of Albany Of Flamynes as fele to serue their goddes fals A temple also in troynouaunt sothely Of peace and concorde he made verely In whiche when there fell any discorde Emong his lordes there were thei made accorde ¶ When he had stond so kyng by fourty yere He dyed awaye and buryed was full fayre In his temple then of concord full clere At troynouaunt with greate repeir To whome Belyn was eldest soonne and heire And Brenny next was borne of younger age Wherfore Belyn had all the whole heritage The .xxxi. Chapiter ¶ Belyne kyng of Brytain who gaue to Brenny his brother Albany that made hym homage for it and sone after made hym greate warre and was false to hym and after frendes againe in other landes but not in Englande ne in Scotlande BElyn was kyng and sat in royall trone Crowned with all maner of royaltee To Brenny his brother he gaue the lande anone Of Albany for whiche homage feautee He made forthwith as to the souerayntee His man became and kyng of Albany Confirmed was and made full honorably ¶ But after sone his men hym sette to warre Vpon Belyn that fought in batayll sore But Brenny fled and his men discomfite wer For then he went vnto Norwaye therfore And in that he dwelled thore Wher he wedded the kynges doughter fayre That taken wer by sea homewarde in repayre ¶ By the kyng of Denmarke that Cuthelake hight Who by tempest into Logres wer driue And brought vnto Belyn mykell of might Wher he bande hym as chronycles doth briefe Denmark to holde of Belyn to haue leife Home with his wyfe to passe so anone Whom Belyn graunted home agayn so to gone ¶ Brenne anone great hoste of Belyne brought Wher in the forest that tyme of Colatre In batayll strong kyng Brenny all forfought Discomfite fled in Burgoyn for feare To duke Segwyn to whom he gan hym beare So manfully and wisely in all thyng That he hym wedded vnto his doughter ying Sone afterwarde this duke Segwyn dyed So Brenny than was duke by his wyfe That to his brother alwaye full sore anoyed Came with great hoste to fight with hym ful ryfe Conwen their mother by her prerogatyfe Betwyxte theim treated made there wel accorde On her blissyng nomore for to discorde ¶ With wordes peteous and mothers naturesse Shewyng her pappes and woÌ„be with great beautie Lo here the wombe that bare you with syckenesse As womanhode would and femynitee Lo here the pappes as was necessitee That fed you ofte in your tendre age For my loue nowe let be all this outrage The .xxxij. Chapter ¶ These â—i brethren wanne all Fraunce all Italie to Rome and besieged Rome gatte it and wer Emperours of it SO made she theim at one and well accorde And made theim kisse couÌ„celled theim to gone To their laÌ„des lest thei after discord Whiche thei did with hostes greate anone With manly men of armes full greate wonne All Fraunce thei wanne Sauoye and Lunberdy Tuskayne also and all great Italye ¶ Thei sieged Rome wherfore their couÌ„cellours Galbo and Porcenna came it to rescue With hostes greate wher then these Emperours Slewe syr Galbo and Porcenna the trewe And Rome thei wanne that alway was vntrewe Italye throughout obeyed theyr dominacion Without more stryfe or altercacion ¶ Kynge Belyne there no lenger would abyde But lefte Brenny alone with all that lande â–ª And home he came with mykill ioye and pride And Albyon he seased in his owne hand And so kyng and lorde of all Brytayn lande A citee fayre he made that Kaire vske hight Whiche meÌ„ nowe calleÌ„ CarlyoÌ„ by name ful right The .xxxiii. Chapter ¶ He made the hye wayes through out Britayn and he founded three archeflamynes at London one for Logres another at Yorke for Albany that nowe is Scotlande for that tyme fro Humbre north that was that tyme Scotlande the thyrde at Laklion in Wales for all Wales IN Brytayn then he made froÌ„ Cornwel sea Of lyme and stone through all Brytayn That men might ryde and go in al suertee Vnto the sea by northe Catenes certayne Whiche vnto all men was brode and playne Another he made in bredth fro saint Dauid towne Vnto the sea flowynge at Southamptone ¶ Thre archeflamynes he made through al Brytayn As archebyshoppes now in our lawes been There temples all to gouerne and domayne At Troynouaunt on Logres to ouer seen Her fals goddes to serue and to queme At Ebranke another for Albany And at KarleoÌ„ for Cambre on soueraynly ¶ A towne he made ful hie that hight Belyn gate At Troynouaunt his citee moste royall Thyrtene flamynes of bishoppes high estate And temples as many in citees all So that there were in his tyme ouer all With other so afore edificate Xxviii flamynes in temples ordynate ¶ And at his death he bad his corps to be brent Into powder all in a barell of golde To put and sete vpon his toure to represent His body hole who that seen it wolde His triumphes all that enemyes might beholde Well wrought about in ymagerie and scripture Full royally wrought for to refigure ¶ He reigned had then one and forty yere When he thus died and to his God had sent His woofull ghoost out of his corps full clere Emong the goddes euermore to bee present For whiche his people of wepyng coulde not stent There sorowes great in teares bitter thei did stepe Whiche in streames raÌ„ne fro their eyeÌ„ did wepe The .xxxiiii. Chapiter GVrgwyn his soÌ„ne was crowned after him Of Britayn bare then the diademe Who made his lawe vpon lyfe lymme His peace also he kepte as he did deme As his iudges coulde it full well exprime Into Denmarke he went for his truage Whiche kyng Cuthelake graunt him in heritage ¶ He slewe that kyng and Danes great multitude His seruise had and made the lande to enclyne To his lord shyppe and to his altitude There truage paye forthwarde nomore declyne And as he came by sea then homewarde fyne He founde shippes thyrty full of myghty men Accordyng well as many fayre women ¶ At whose request of his speciall grace He gaue to theim the land that nowe is Irelande Wher they did wone make their dwellyng place There gouernaunte so then I vnderstande Was Partheleyn to holde it then hym bande Of kyng Gurgwyn and all his lynage Perpetually by feautee and homage ¶ Neuerthelesse some chronicles reporte That Irelamall their
A man to haue bene in hye felycite And to fall downe by infortune agayne In myserye and fell aduersyte Howe maye a man haue a thyng more contraye Then to haue been well and after woo begone Incomperable to it bee paynes echone ¶ Wherfore good lord the peace euermore mainteine And ryottes all chastyce by prouisyon And lawe vpholde ryghtfully and sustene And ouer all thyng se there bee no deuisyon But reste and peace without discencyon For where a realme or a cytee is deuyded It maye not stand as late was verified ¶ In Fraunce as fell full greate diuision Through whiche that first Henry kyng of EnglaÌ„de Ouer rode their lande by greate prouision And conquered theim thei might not hym with staÌ„de All their citees were yeld into his hande For cause of their cruell descencion Emong theim sustened by contencion ¶ Roome Carthage and many other citees And many realmes as clerkes haue specified Haue been subuert and also many countrees By diuision emong theim fortified Wher vnite and loue had been edified Might theim haue saued in all prosperite Frome all hurt and all aduersite ¶ Whexfore good lord thynke on this lessoÌ„ nowe And teache it to my lorde of Marche your heire While he is young it maye bee for his prowe To thynke on it wheÌ„ that the wether waxeth faire And his people vnto hym dooeth repaire And litill hath theim to releue and pease Then maye it hap with it his people case ¶ For what sauour a newe shell is taken with When it is olde it tasteth of the same Or what kynd of ympe in gardein or in frith Ymped is in stocke fro whence it came It sauourith euer and it nothyng to blame For of his rote frome whiche he dooth out spryng He must euer tast and sauour in eatyng ¶ While he is young in wisedome hym endowe Whiche is full hard to gette without labour Whiche labour maye not bee with ease nowe For of labour came kyng and emperour Let hym not bee idill that shall bee your successor For honour and ease together maye not been Wherfore writh nowe the wand while it is grene ¶ Endowe hym nowe with noble sapience By whiche he maye the wolf werre frome the gate For wisedome is more worth in all defence Then any gold or riches congregate For who wanteth witte is alwaye desolate Of all good rule and manly gouernaunce And euer enfect by his contrariaunce ¶ Endowe hym also in humilitee And wrath deferre by humble pacience Through whiche he shall increace in dignitee And catch alway full greate intelligence Of all good rule and noble regymence And to conclude wrath will euer sette a side All maner of thyng whiche wisedome would prouide ¶ Behold Bochas what prices haue through pride Be cast downe frome all their dignitee Wher sapience and meekenes had bee guyde Full suerly might haue saued bee And haue stand alwaye in might greate suertee If in their hartes meekenes had bee ground And wisedome also thei had not be confound ¶ Nowe foloweth of the Englyshe kynges and Saxones The .xcix. Chapiter THis Cadwalader nowe laide in sepulture That some tyme was that kyng of great Brytain And of Westsex also ther with full sure To whome succedid Iuore his soonne certain Reignyng ouer Brytons that did remain In Wales then without any socour But onely he became their gouernour ¶ With whome Iue his cousin was at nede That warred sore the Englishe and Saxonye Many winters and nought preuayled in deede Sauyng thei reigned vpon the Vasselry That wer out castes of all Brytany But Ingils and Iue his brother dere In westsex reigned which CoÌ„rede his sonnes were ¶ Whom Englishe then and all the Saxonye Theim chose and made to bee their protectours Again Iuor and his cousin Iuy That were that tyme the Brytons gouernours To Wales fled for helpe and greate socours But Ingils and Iue of Englishe bloodde discent Then kept Englande full well by one assent ¶ A yere all whole and then this Ingils dyed And Iue was kyng of Westsex fully cround That reigned then full greately magnified Eyght and thyrty wynter full well and sounde With his brother and what alloen that stouÌ„de In whose tyme Theodore then dyed Of Cauntorbury archebishop signified ¶ Whiche Ingile Iue did call this lande Englande After Inglis as thei had harde afore After Engest it called was Engestes lande By corrupt speach Englande it hight therfore And afterwarde so that name it hath euer bore As Gurmound also afore it had so named Whiche sith that tyme hath been ful hougely famed ¶ Kyng Iue and Ingils in Westsex first began The yere sixe hundred foure score therto nyne So did Iuo and Iue in Wales then Ouer the Walshe that were of Brytons line In muche trouble and woo as fill that tyme Kyng Alfride in all Northumberlande Wittred and Welbard in Kent I vnderstande ¶ In Englande yet were kynges seuen Vnder kyng Iue that twenty battailes smote Vpon Iuor and Iue accompted euen But in the yere as Bede hath saied and wryte That euery manne his debte to kynd paye mote Kyng Iue dyed at Roome then was the yere Seuen hundred and seuen and twenty clere ¶ And at his death he gaue to Roome eche yere The Roome pence through Westsex all about Perpetually to bee well payed and clere For vnto Roome he went without doubt And with theim lordes and gentils a greate route In pilgrymage for Eld and impotence When he might not the lande well defence The C. Chapiter ¶ Etheldred kyng of Westsex protector of Englande that reigned thyrty yere ETheldred in Westsex to hym gan succede And kyng was then and held the royalte Protector was of EnglaÌ„de their in deede And helde his tyme euer furth the souereingtee In heritage and perpetualitee That thyrten yere reigned in good astate Whiche cherished peace and chastised all debate ¶ Wher any wrath was growyng in his lande Emong prelates or lordes temporall In citees or in cuntrees wher he fande Accordid theim in euery place ouer all And in his tyme the kynges inspeciall Vnder his rule and sure proteccion He kept in peace by lawfull direccion ¶ Who dyed so of Christ his incarnacion The yere sixe hundreth fourty accompted tho Entombed at Bathe with sore lamentacion Of all Englande as well of frende as foo Which Bathe citee some tyme was called soo Achamany in Brytain language By Achaman that had it in heritage ¶ In his tyme was Oswyk in NorthumberlaÌ„d And dyed then to whome Colwolphe did succed Edbertpren in Kent I vnderstand And Ethelbald in Mers was theÌ„ I rede In Essex also was then reignyng Selrede And Ethelrede in Estangle that daye All these wer kynges and vnder hym alwaye ¶ So fro that tyme furth fro the Scottish sea To Sulwath â—loud and to the water of Tyne The Peightes had and kept without lee Wher kyng Edwin their kyng was by right line Rulyng that lande in peace and lawe
Without mercy cracked vpon the croune The kyng came home with honour and victorye As Flores saieth right in his memorye ¶ And in the yere eyght hundred fourty and one The Danes watched thest sea cost throughout With diuers hostes for which that king made great mone All helples thē the Danes that were so stout In many places with many dyuerse rout All harmles went without hurt or pain By dyuers tyme that yere home again ¶ In the yere eyght hundred foure and fourtye At Carham then the kyng full sore did fight With Danes fell and had the victorye And at Alnewik he faught again furth right With Danes also wher kyng Redwolf that hight Of Northumberlāde and erle Alffride was slain And full greate parte of their hoost certain ¶ Kyng Athilwolf came to the South contree Wher Danes then in battaile with hym faught In Somersetshire wher he made many dye And gate the feld and sleugh all that he caught Wher great people that daye the death hath raught Tharchbishop with his full wise clergie Bysyde Sandwiche of Danes had victorye ¶ And in the yere eyght hundred fifty and one The Danishe hoost in Thamis did arriue Kent and Southray Sussex and Hāshire anone Distroyed sore and throughe that South gan dryue Wher muche folke thei sleugh bothe māne wife Whiche host the kyng with battaile slewe doune sore That home again retourned thei no more ¶ And in the yere eyght hundred fifty and three The kyng Edmond of Estangle began To reigne after Albert of greate beautee That holy was as his legend tell can But Athilwolf the kyng buryed then The kyng of Mers that had his doughter wed All Wales wan theim thought thei had well sped ¶ This Athilwolf to Roome toke his waye In pilgremage with hym his soonne Alurede Cardinall was of Wynchester that daye Wher then he had the bishoprike in deede A perfecte clerke he was as saieth sainct Bede A philosophier wise and well approued And by the bishop of Rome cōmēdid well loued ¶ And there thei were abydyng ful twoo yere And home thei came vnto the kyng of Fraunce And his doughter Indith ther weddid clere By assent of hym and all his hole puysaunce And so with worship and noble gouernaunce Fro thens he came sone into England With hir and with his soonne as I vnderstand ¶ And in the yere eyght hundred fifty and three The death his soule gan frome his body dryue Vnto the blisse eternall there to bee In heuen aboue wher is euerlastyng life To Peter and Pole he graunted infenitife The Roome pence then of all Englande As Flores saieth as I can vnderstande ¶ He was then buryed at Winchester in royall wise As to suche a prince of reason should affere And with his wife as did full well suffice Foure soonnes he had worthy without pere Sir Athilwold Ethelbert Elfride the dere And Alrude the youngest of echone Afore theim all one bast had Athelston ¶ Athelbold was kyng after hym and heire And protector with all the prerogatif His stepdame wed menne saied it was not faire The churche him gan punishe and chastiue For cause he wed hir so vnto his wife Again the lawe and christen conciense Vnaccordant with his magnificence ¶ That reigned whole twoo yere and no more In greate sikenes and pain inmorderate Greately vexed and punisshed was right sore Menne saied it was for sinne inordinate With his stepdame that was so consociate But then he had as God would repentaunce For his trespas and misgouernaunce ¶ Afore he dyed he did full sore repent And for his synne stode to correccion Of holy churche for his amendement Submitted whole without obieccion And for to liue in clene perfeccion Departed were by lawe and deuorced Afore his soule was passed and vncorced The C .vi. Chapiter ¶ Ethelbert kyng of Westsex protector of Englande that reigned fiue yere SIr Ethelbert his brother gan succede In whose dayes the Danes destroied sore The east parties of England then in deed And home againe they went harmeles therfore Destroyed the people and the lande right sore But sone ther after kyng Ethelbert them mette And sleugh theim downe in bataile sore and bet ¶ An other hoost then newe spoyled all Kent And by treaty wyntred within the Isle Of Tenet then by Kentishe mennes assent But at last thei with a subtell wyle Despoyled all Kent and falsely did beguyle And to their shipis went without delaye Into Denmarke with muche riche araye ¶ This Ethelbert reigned whole fiue yere And dyed the yere of verey Christ his date Eyght hundred whole and therto sixty clere As Flores saieth and hath it approbate But with sykenesse he was so alterate He dyed then and at Shirborne buryed With greate worship and honour laudified The C .vii. Chapiter ¶ Elfride kyng of Westsex protector of Englande reigned sixe yere and dyed in the yere of Christ eyght hundred lxvi ELfride was kyng after his brother then That reigned so with all the dignitee In Westsex whole and mightely began Protector was as was necessitee For Danes then of greate iniquite His lande foule brent wasted and destroyed That all Englande was combred and anoyed ¶ In the east cost of Englande specially In Estangle wher Edmond then was kyng Ther did greate hurte full cruelly In Northumberlande full felly warryng The people destroiyng and the lande brennyng Wher Danes then sleugh the kyng of that lande Byside Yorke so as Flores dooeth vnderstande ¶ Also thei sleugh in Northfolke all about The people doune and in Suffolke also The kyng Edmond thei sleugh without doubt Of Estangland with arowes sharpe tho Was shot to death with muche other woo That is a sainct honored this daye in blisse At Edmondes bury canonyzed I wisse ¶ Hungar and Vbba sleugh hyw full cruelly And brent abbeis throut all England that tyme By North and South and prestes full cursedly All holy folke fled out of that realme Thei sleugh all people that had take bapteme At Colyngham sainct Ebbe that was abbesse Their nonnes putte from theim in sore distresse ¶ For dred of the tyrauntes twoo full cruell And their people cursed and full of malice That rauished nōnes euer wher their herd tell In hir chaptre ordeined again their enemies Should not deffoule their clene virginitees She cut hir nose of and hir ouer lippe To make hir lothe that she might from hym slipe ¶ And counseled all hir susters to dooe the same To make their fooes to hoge so with the sight And so thei did afore thenimies came Echon their nose and ouer lipe full right Cut of anone whiche was an hogly sight For whiche tho fooes thabbey and nonnes brent For thei theim self disfigured had shent ¶ Frō Twede to Thamys abbais then thei brēt And churches hole and people sleugh right doune Wiues maydens widdowes and nonnes shent Through all the lande and the est region People sleyng in euery borough and towne The women euer thei diuiciate In
had reigned full twenty foure yere Buryed he was at Winchester full right As in Flores full clerely dooeth apere Who in his tyme surely had no peere Of wysedome nor manhode as was seen The lawe and peace that could so well sustene The C .xiiij. Chapiter ¶ Athelstane kyng of England reigned fiftene yere and dyed in the yere of Christ nine hundred thirty fiue How Constantyne kyng of Scottes warred again Athelstane but he recouered his homage by myracle of sainct Iohn of Beuerley as sheweth here afterward SIr Athilstane his eldest soonne of age In wisedome euer full sadly well auised At Kyngstō was crouned toke homage Of all the lordes right as he had deuised Agaynste whome all Wales as thei suffised Then he warred but he made theim obeye And made homage his meune to bee for aye ¶ In wohse tyme so y◠yere of Christ nine hūdred And thyrty more and fiue full accompted Robert Rollo his soule and corps asondred His corps to the earth his soule amounted Whiche in knighthod his Danes surmounted That reigned had then duke of Normandy By thirty yere accompted full clerly ¶ To whom succedid his soōne Wyllyā lōgspee That after hym was duke of Normandy But then the kyng of Scottes by cruelte Hight Constantyne hym warred cruelly For whiche kyng Athilstane mightily Stroyed all Scotland till his people dyed For cold and hunger dyed and mortified ¶ But he was so comforted euen by miracle That he faught a none with this kyng Constātyne And had the feld and his habitacle Theim droue through all the lād with muche payne To tyme he was full fain to enclyne To Athilstane for to make his homage For all Scotland that was his heritage ¶ Anlaaf the kyng of Denmark full of pride Cousyn to kyng Constantyne of Scotland With shippis many arriued on Humberside At Burnesburgh and claymed of England For to haue of the kyng as I vnderstand The truage whiche his eldres had afore And with hym brought Colbrōd to fight therfore ¶ And Athilstane at the daye assigned Made hym redy the battaill to haue smitten Again Colbrond armed with hart benyngned But then sir Guy of Warwike as was weten In palmer wyse as Colman hath it wryten The battaill toke on hym for Englandis right With Colbrond in armes for to fight ¶ Wher then he sleugh this Danyshe champion By whiche battaill the truage was relesed By couenaunt made and composicion Betwene the kynges afore and warres cesed Thus kyng Anlaaf home to Denmarke presid Without more warre or conturbacion And sir Guy went to his contemplacion ¶ Kyng Athelston then fraunchesid Beuerley In the worship of God and sainct Iohn Wher in his life is written for euer and aye The miracle of his stroke so in the stone That neuer manne might dooe but Athilston Through grace of God and his direccion Through prayer of sainct Iohn and affeccion ¶ This noble kyng was euer more iust trewe To God his faith and to churches deuocion To poore menne grace on subiectes euer did rewe To preestes and age reuerence in feld and towne In dome sadnes trouth and discrecion And in the yere nene hundred thyrty and fiue When he had reigned sixtene yere with life ¶ His brother Edmōd for kyng thē was crouned Of Englande whole by concent of all estate To whome Dothowe kyng of Scotlāde that stoūde And Howell of Walis the kyng then create As was afore vsed and determinate Feaute to hym made and leege homage For Wales and Scotlande that was their heritage ¶ He sette sainct Dunstan then at Glastenbury Vnder thabbot of monkes and religion That abbot was with hym at Canturbury This kyng Edmond was slain by a felone Whiche of malice and his false treason That forfet had and dampned was to dye For his forfet and for his felonye ¶ At Cauntorbury as y◠kyng hym saw on a daye For yre on hym he ranne and sore hym wounde For whiche he stroke the kyng for aye So they dyed both two ther in that stounde Eche of theim of his mortall wounde Whiche to a prince accorded in no wyse To put hym selfe in drede wher lawe may chastice ¶ He reigned but .vi. yere then all out And died the yere .ix. hundreth fourtye and one At Glastenbury buried without doute For whome the people made then ful great mone For lawe and peace he kept to euerychone And his commons neuer his tyme supprissed And oppressours of hym alwaye were chastised ¶ His brother Edrede after hym had the crowne At London then and tooke royall feautee Of all estates within his region Excepte Scotlande that through theyr vnlewtee Crowned Gilryke a Dane of great beautee Of royall bloodde borne and generate And for theyr kyng hym fully had create ¶ Kyng Edrede went to Scotland w e his power And all the lande wasted sore and brent Wherfore the Scottes by hole consent for feer Put downe Gilryke from all the regyment And droaue hym to Denmarke or they stent And to Edrede came all the Baronage And to hym made feautee and homage ¶ And in the yere .ix. hundreth fourty and nyne He died buried at Wynchester his cytee When that he had his soule made to enclyne Out of his corps to passe awaye and flee Where God of heauen would that it should bee But .viii. yere full he reigned and no more When death hym toke with sikenes great sore ¶ Edwyn his brother resceyued then the crowne Folyshe and proude and of his will maligne And in his wytte was full lytle reason Whom his barons for cause he was vndigne Made hym his crowne for to resigne Deposed hym then out fro his regiment At the parliament by theyr commen assent ¶ Whom saynt Dunstane for aduoutre blamed But it amende he would in no kyn wyse Of whiche he was full openly defamed Through all the realme he was the more vnwise For whiche the lordes and commons all did ryse And droaue hym out awaye wher no man knewe Thus synnes olde make shames come full newe ¶ He reigned had but .iiii. yere and no more When he was depriued of his estate Without thanke of God or man therfore And well worse was of all men moste behate Of his reygne hauyng no lenger date Who dyed the yere .ix. hundreth fyfty and thre Foringed hole from all his magestee The C .xv. Chapiter ¶ Edgare kyng of Englande reigned .xviii. yere died in that yere of Christ .ix. hundreth three score and eleuen HIs brother Edgare by a commē assente Was chosen kyng as chronicles recorde With diademe crowned at his parliamēt And homage toke royall of euery lorde So mercyfull and full of misericorde Was he that saynt Dunstan reconciled Whome kyng Edwyn wrongfully had exiled ¶ Whom archebyshop of Cauntorbury he made With all estate and primates dignitee Of Monkes and nonnes mynsters fayre glad Fourtye founded of religioustee Within his realme of his owne
greate meyne hym mette greate honour As if he had been of Roome themperour ¶ At his commyng again into England He gaue Norway vnto his soonne sir Swayne And to Herold his soonne as I vnderstand England he gaue of whiche he was full fain And to Harknowt Denmarke he gaue certain And so dyed in Christen whole creaunce At Shaftisbury buryed by his ordynaunce ¶ The yere of Christ a thousand so was than And thirty foure also truly written When he had reigned fro the tyme that he began Eightene yere whole as well it was wrytten With the darte of death whē that he was smitten In whose dayes the land was inquiet Full of riches and of welfare whole replete The C .xviij. Chapiter ¶ Herold kyng of England the soonne of kyng Kno wt reigned fiue yere and dyed in the yere a thousand and .xxxix. HErolde his soonne was crouned then in deede By Loofrike that duke of Leiscestre By Londoners in Flores as I reede By Danyshyr also as saieth the letter That strong werre then and of power greater Then other lordes of Englishe nacion At London made was this coronacion ¶ Alurede the soonne of kyng Ethelrede With fifty sailes landed at Southampton Wher kynge Herold with hoste hym met in deede Redy to fight with hym for the croune But certain lordes of Englondes region Betwene theim treated that Alurede went again To Normandy to duke Robert full plain ¶ But afterward as Alurede so rode Fro his mother vnto the kyng Herold The duke Goodwyn on Gyldismore hym bode With people greate of nombre manyfold And slewe his menne downe there as he would And led hym furth to Ely and hym slewe As traitour false that euer had bee vntrewe ¶ Some chronicle saieth he putte out bothe his eyen Fro whiche he dyed sone for pain and woo Some other sayin he slette his wombe full keen The lengest gut to a stacke he nayled tho Led hym about the stack ther with muche wo Till all came out that was his wombe within Thus sleugh thei hym with sobteltie and gyn ¶ His mother quene Eme Edward then sent To Normandy to duke Wyllyam anone That hir cousyn was to kepe he were not shent By kyng Herold of his cruelty alone Warnyng hym of the treasō that Herold had dooen For whiche cause Herold hir exild Out of England and Edward also hir child ¶ To Flaundres she fled then full sore amoued To erle Badwyn hir cousyn nie of bloodde Declaryng to hym howe Herold had distroyed Hir soonne Alurede that heyre of England stood And exiled hir without socour or good And Edward also hir soonne heire of England His brother children also awaye in vncouth land ¶ Wherfore therle to kyng Hardknowt then wrote All hir compleynt and of his socour prayed And he should help with all his might God wote It were amendid of that she was affrayed He came anone in warre full well aryed Into Flaundres his mother for to please Hir for to socour and sette hir hert in ease ¶ In whiche meane while the kyng Herold dyed At Westminster and buried was full feire After he had reigned as it is notified Fiue yere reigned without any heire Of his body gotten after hym to repeire England to gouerne wherfore the lordes by assēt To kyng Hardknowte then into Flaundres sente ¶ To bee their kyng sith Herold was a gone To please hym with and his mother to comfort Who came to England furth with anone And crouned was with all the whole disport That lordes conde as Flores dooeth report Thus kyng Hardknowt was kyng of Englande than Who worthily that tyme to reigne tho began ¶ This kyng began his brothers death to venge On erle Gowyn that erle was then of Kent That peased was for he should not reuenge With riche giftes whiche that he on hym spent With meekenesse lowe swore that he was sent To dooe that thyng on pein of high treson By kyng Herold charged without reason ¶ Through good and giftes mighty hie riches And of his kyn that meekely hym obeyed And by acquaintaūce that thei made then expresse Vpon the holy euangelis sworne vndelayed The kyng graūted hym his grace was well payed To make hym of his coūsell of gouernaūce Without more wrath or any discordaunce ¶ He maried then his sister Gunylde to Henry Themperour that falsly was accused Of synne and cryme vsed in auoutry With a young manne the whiche hir excused After the lawe of the land that was there vsed By battaill of his hand that then their flewe His accusour approuyng hym vntrewe ¶ For the whiche she would nomore come in his bed But lyued sole euer after so hir life For good ne gold for aught that he hir beed For loue ne threte for betyng ne for strife With hym dwellyng forthwarde as his wife In all thynges els euer at his gouernaunce Bothe daye and night in womanly pleasaunce ¶ Kyng Hardknowt then his doughter maryed Vnto a duke of the Danishrie At Lambirgh dyed at his feast magnified Emong his lordes and all his prelacie And putte hym whole in God his high mercye And charged theim his brother Edward to croūe To reioyse the land of Englandes region ¶ This was the yere of Christ then inscriued A thousand whole fourty also and one When that he had reigned as was subscribed The twoo yere whole whē he was thus wyse gone For whom was made that tyme full muche mone At Wynchester byside his father buryed With lordes all thither full well accompaignied The C .xix. Chapiter ¶ Kyng Edwarde the confessour kyng of Englād reigned twenty and foure yeres that began the yere of Christ a thousand fourty and one and dyed the yere a thousand sixty and fiue EDward his brother sōne of kīg Ethelrede was crowned then kyng of Englande The yere of Christ a M. then in dede Fourtye one as Flores could vnderstande To whom the kyng Swayn of Denmarke lande The tribute whiche he had fully relesed And warres all betwene theim ceassed ¶ To sende hym then the hole Englyshe nauy Agayn Magnus that kynge was of Norwaye That helde it so by wrong and tirannie Whiche Edwarde sente anone in great araye With lordes knightes and squiers freshe gaye With archers many by whiche he gate his lande Of Norwaye hole and seazed it in his hande ¶ Erle Eustace of Boleyn that had wed Edwardes suster on his mother syde To Edwarde came at Douer sore bested Where then his men a burges slewe that tyde Wherfore therle Goodwyn set full of pryde Asked the kyng to haue delyueraunce Of therls men to byde his ordynaunce ¶ Notwithstandyng that Burges slewe his knight For that same cause wherfore he it denyed But made peace then as he therle had hight Of Boleyne so his brother in lawe alied For whiche therle Goodwyn sore replied And warred sore vpon the kyng eche daye With his sonnes fyue in full great araye ¶ Not cōsideryng that kyng
all thyng To you present and take this halfe golde rynge Whiche ye gaue hym of almesse and charyte And bade vs say that ryght sone ye should him se ¶ Whiche ryng he set together there anone And that ylke place he called ay after hauerynge And that same place where they it braste alone He called ay after that tyme Claueryng In Essex be bothe fayre standynge Where that he made two churches of saint Iohn Theuangelyst and halowed were anon ¶ Sone after that he dyed and went to blysse But fyrste he made duke Herold protectoure Of his cousyne to gouerne and to wysse Edgar Athelyng full yonge a gouernoure Whome he ordeyned to be his successoure As very heyre to Edmonde Ironesyde But thus Herolde then set all that asyde When he had be kyng .xxiiii. yere He dyed the yere a thousande syxtye and fyue At Westminster canonyzed is full clere All newe he made the churche there in his lyue All were he not ryght heyre as men in stryue A confessoure he is full hye in heuen With God to dwell euermore and beleuen Herolde by strength then crowned was for kynge Forsworne that was vpon the euangelystes For to crowne Edgar Athelynge And hym protecte and defende in all wyse Vnto his age that none the realme suppryse This was his othe of whiche he was forswore All yf he made Edgar an Earle therfore ¶ The earle Tosty then of Northumberlande That brother was vnto the kyng Herolde By kyng exyled out of the lande To Englande came with kyng Herold full bold Of Norwaye then in Chronycle as is tolde But kyng Herolde of Englande with them met At Staūford brydge to death they both wer bet ¶ Besyde yorke was this batayl ful sore smyten Where kyng Herolde of Englande had the felde And slewe Herolde Harngrey as was wryten Kyng of Norwaye and earle Tosty vnder shelde That neuer after myght armes welde And thousandes fell of Danes and Norwayes He kylled there that daye as Flores sayes A yere he reygned whom Willyam Conquerou◠That duke was then of all fayre Normandye Hym slewe in batayle for his ymagyned erroure Agayne hym that he dyd so cruelly And not wolde mende ne yet satisfye The duke Willyan so the felde then conquered With strokes sore for whiche the lande was ferd This kyng Herolde at Waltam whiche he found Of foure score chanons full fayer was buryed At the hye aulter as a kyng was crownde All yf he were intrusor notifyed And in batayl slayne and victoryed Of gentylnesse the Conquerour bad so All yf he were afore his mortall fo ¶ Willyam Conquerour kyng of Englande and Duke of Nor mandye beganne to reygne the yere of Chryste a thousande .lxvi. and reygned .xxiiii. yere and dyed the yere a thousande lxxxx and the sayde Conqueroure founded the Abbaye of Batayle for the soules of the people slaine there the fourenene daye of October in the yere of Chryste a thousande thre score and syxe The C .xxi. Chapiter THe .xiiii. daye of October accompted The duke Wyllyam that was of Normandye At London was crowned and annoynted In trone royall to hauethe Monarchye By his conquest and his victorye Withoute tytle of ryght to hym discente But onely of his tryumphall entente ¶ The yere of Chryste was when Alurede hym crowned Tharchbyshop of Yorke hye primate A thousande hole .lxvi. well founde Quene Mawde his wyfe to hym assocyate He crowned also that tyme in her estate The abbay of batayle that then he bounded And for the soules there slayne he founded ¶ He called it so then for a memorye Of his batayle by whiche Englande he gate In token of his myghty victorye That Englande there he had so well ouerset To praye for the soules slayne as was his det Whiche abbaye is in Sussex in that stede Where the batayle was and the people dede ¶ The South part of England then he rode And dalt it largely vnto his menne The North again hym rebelled then abode With help of Danes in that countre were then And Scottes also that false wer when and whē But kyng Wyllyam that worthy conquerour Discomfite theim with long and sore labour ¶ To Normandy he went then right anone And with hym had Edgar called Athelyng Edwyn and Morkar afore that were his fooen For cause they should not then make more risyng In his absence while he were ther abidyng But at his home commyng with hym again He brough theim all of whiche the folke were fain ¶ Gospatrik that then was erle of Cumberland That not again stode king Malcolin in his werre When he distroyed therldome and his land But hym withdrewe out of waye full ferre Wherfore the kyng as saieth the chronicler Hym disherited and gaue to Rauf Mesthyne His erldo meto whom menne did enclyne The C .xxii. Chapiter ¶ Homage of Scotlande dooen to kynge Willyam conquerour at Birmithi in Scotland and also howe the kyng of Fraunce scorned the kyng Wyllyam he quit it hym after THen rode the kyng into Scotlād anone And brent the land vnto Abirnythy Where kynge Malcolyne submitted hym with great mone And homage leege hym did full humbly And amended there all his iniury Then went he furth to Duram wher he offred And to the churche he gaue great good vncoffred ¶ He thē his lawe and peace alwaye proclaymed Officers made in euery shire about And so held on to London vnreclaymed Wher his iustice he sett that land throughout The kyng of Fraunce thus scorned hym out of doubt That kyng Wyllyam in Gesine had lyen long And tyme hym wer been kyrked with good songe ¶ When he this hard to Fraunce he went anone There to bee kirked he offrid his candill bright A thousand townes he brent as he did gone At theim he prayed the kyng of Fraunce to light His candill then if that he goodly might Whiche at his kirkehale and puryficacion To Mars he thought that tyme to make his oblaciō ¶ Edwyn therle proclamed of Leicester After decesse of Algary his father dere And erle Morcare his brother that after Dyed bothe twoo Lucy their suster clere Of Leicester then and Lyncolne bothe in fere The coūtesse was whome kyng William maried To Iue Tailboys erle of Angeou magnified ¶ To kyng Wylliam then came full glad again At Wynchester he held his parliament Wher he then slewe for wrath and greate disdain The duke Waldiue that no harme to hym ment But onely for he counselled and consent To erle Edgar to gette his heritage Of England whole and made to hym homage ¶ Who duke was then of Northumberland And erle create was also of Huntyngton By chronicles olde as menne can vnderstand Entitled whole as of all Northampton Beheded was at Wynchester towne Whose hedde together grewe to the necke again Buried at Crowland for sainct the soth to sain ¶ The kyng then made as I vnderstand The bishop then of Duresme that Walter hight Erle proclamed of Northumberland Whom at Catteshede
C .xxv. Chapiter ¶ This kyng Willyam Rufus taxed so sore the commons that they'might not mayntene tilthe for whiche fell great derth and great myschiefe and moren of catel for defaute of food for whiche the commons wer glad of his death GReat tallage of England then was raysed In so ferforth that tilthe of land was leyd Of which sued mischiefe nothyng praysed For faute of food morayn of bestiall frayed And death of people for hunger sore arayed A kyng woteth not what harmeth housbandrye Housbande to pill and taxe outragiously ¶ To Godis dome haue no consyderacion Howe that this kyng on huntyng as he stoode Vnder a tree and as writynges maketh mencion Walter Tyrel at his game in that wood Shotyng at a dere of whiche he drewe no bloode But stroke the kyng vnto the dethes wounde That there anone he died vpon the ground ¶ At Wynchester then buried anone The date was then of his reygne .xiii. yere For whome the folke no sorowe made nor moone He hurte theim so with taxe and tallage here Of Christ a thousande an C. and three yere clere Whose death the folke in no wise did complayn Were they all therof bothe glad and fayn The C .xxvi. Chapiter ¶ Henry the first kyng of Englande and duke of Normandy◠reigned .xxxvi. yere and died in the yere of Christe a thousande C. and .xxxix. HEnry his brother that first was of that name was crouned thē with al that honour might be He recōsiled saynt Anselne that cam hame Who crouned Maude his wyfe full fayre free That doughter was full of benignitee To kyng Malcolyne saint Margarete that quene Of Scotlande whiche afore that tyme had been ¶ On whom he gate Willyam Richard Mold Whose goodnesse is yet spoken of full wide If she were fayre hir vertuous manyfolde Exceaded farre and vices she set aside Debates all that engendred were of pride She staunched hole with all beneuolence And visited sycke and poore with diligence ¶ The presoners also wemen eke with childe And in gesene lyuyng ay where aboute Clothes and meate and beddyng newe vnfiled Wyne also and ale she gaue without doubte Where she sawe nede in countrees al throughout These crosses all that yet bee moste royall In the hye wayes with gold she made theim all ¶ Kyng Edgare thē hir brother was of Scotlād That to kynge Henry then made homage The byshop of Duresme then toke on hande The duke Robert to gone in message To make hym clayme Englande his herytage The whiche he dyd anon withoute delaye As they accorded vpon a certayne daye ¶ But Anselne byshop of Caunturbury And also quene Maude then made them well accorde The kyng to paye thre M. marke yerely To duke Robert withoute more discorde And counsayled then the kyng as was recorde To loue the lordes that made the discencyon Betwyxte his brother and hym by conuencyon ¶ The kyng Henry warred Robert Estenuyle The eldest sonne of Roger Mountgomery And his brother that was so called that whyle And create Earle of Shrewysbury Who his castell of Arundell helde for thy And Shrewysbury also and the cytee With other mo castels in his countre ¶ Whiche to the kyng he yelde by conuencyon He and his brother to passe to Normandye With all theyr men without discencyon To theyr father Roger Mountgomerye That earle was there of Bolesmo manly The kyng went then to Caue and to Baxhous Helde them with force and herte full couetous Whiche towres Robert the duke of Normandy Asked of hym to haue delyueraunce And his money of thre thousand marke yerely Whiche he ought hym by the hole concordaunce Whiche he agayne sayde and stode at variaunce Wherfore they fell on warre and toke the felde With hostes greate full sore faught vnder shelde ¶ At Tenarthbray that is in Normandye Where Nigell then of Albany that hyght Toke duke Robert in batayll manfully And brought him bound vnto the kyng with might For which that kyng anone there made him knight And gaue hym landes that were forfet afore By Robert Stutuyle in Englande for euermore ¶ He gate also a castell besyeged longe Whiche he scalyd with noble polycie And to the kyng it gaue though it were wronge For whiche the kyng gaue hym anon in hye The landes all that forfet were only By Robert Monbray earle of Northumberland In his brothers tyme as I vnderstande ¶ The same Nygell that hyght Albanye A sonne had then whome the kyng Henry Roger Monbray dyd call euer after ay Thus Albany was chaunged morally Vnto Monbray for the lyuelod onely Whiche Monbray had afore of herytage These Monbrayes nowe rose fyrst of hye corage ¶ This kynge Henry then seazed Normandye And made his sonne Willyam duke of that lande And home came to Englande then in hye And in the yere of Chryste to vnderstande A thousande hole an C. and ten on hande His doughter Maude he maryed to Henry That Emperour was then of Romanye He put his brother duke Robert in straite warde And many other that were of his cognisaunce Where he released couenauntes and forwarde Afore wryten of his enherytaunce That betwene them myght make any dystaunce And founde hym euer in all royall estate By good auyse and councell ordynate ¶ Whiche duke ordred was so for he forsoke The realme of al the lande of Ierusalem When he was chose therto and nought it toke For couetyse to haue this Englyshe realme For he forsoke that fortune as men dyd deme Agayne goddes wyll and his hye ordynaunce For chosen he was by all chrysten creaunce ¶ For at wynnynge of Ierusalem Where prynces many kynges and dukes were He was the worthyest of any realme And bare hym beste in knyghtly dede of warre At all assautes moste knyghtly dyd hym beare The honoure all and fame he had euermore And chosen was there to be kynge therfore ¶ Men saide that God gaue hym suche punyshmēt His brother to put hym in greate myserye Vnto his death agayne his owne entente For he forsake Chrystes owne monarchye In whiche he was borne for man lyste to dye The chrysten fayth to mayntayne and encrease For couetyse his brother to discreace ¶ The yere of Chryste a thousande was ful cle◠And an hundreth also and therwithall eyghtene When good quene Maude was deed laide on be◠At Westminster buryed as well was sene For heuynesse of whiche the kyng I wene To Normandy then went vnto his sonne The duke William there with hym dyd wonn◠¶ The third yere after to England came agay◠The duke his sonne Willyam of Normandye His brother Rycharde also the sothe to sayne And earle Rycharde of Chester in company With many other lordes in shyppes them bye Vpon the sea were dreynt in greate distresse Of the whiche the kyng had then great heuinesse ¶ Which duke Williā had wed y◠doughter then Of Fowke Tailboys Earle of Angeou had bene With whome a C .lx. knyghtes with many men And
he came vnto his presence Anone he putte hym in sore prisone To tyme he had by his magnificence The castell of Lyncolne vnto his croune And putte hym then to fyne and greate raunsom So variaunt he was alwaye of hight Fro euē to morowe that no man trust hym might The fiftene yere of the same kyng Stephen Th erle Geffrey of Angeou decessid A noble prince as all menne did beleuen Henry his soonne of persone well encressed Of childishe wit also full relesed And of age he was then fiftene yere To Scotland came kyng Dauid to require ¶ Of his socour and of his supportacion England to gette that was his heritage Who made hym then full greate consolacion And with hym came without fee or wage With full assent of all his baronage Vnder baners kyng Dauid made hym knight Vpon the felde again kyng Stephen to fight ¶ But suche treaty was made and good accorde That kyng Stephen to Henry shoulde retourne As very heire without more discorde At his decesse to Henry whole retourne The croune of England without more soiourne Who died then after in his .xix. yere At Feuersham buried he was full clere ¶ Of Christes date was then a thousande yere And an hundreth fyftye and eyght also His wyfe and he there buried both in feer The whiche he found whyles he was lyuyng so And reigned here in muche trouble and wo And had this realme without any ryght For themprise Maude that fayre lady bright The C .xxix. Chapiter ¶ Henry fitz Emprice kyng of Englande and erle of Angeou duke of Normandye and Guyen by .xxxvi. yere and beganne to reygne the yere of oure Lorde a thousande a hundreth .lviii. and dyed the yere a thousande an hundreth and .xciiii. HEnry therle of Angeou was tho In this meane tyme had bē in Normādy And set his rule therin for frende or foo And crouned was at London worthely With all the lordes of his hye monarchie And made hym then theyr feautee and homage The prince of Wales also for his heritage ¶ He wedded then a lady fayre and bright Dame Alianor the dukes doughter of Guyen And heyre therof and lady by all right Possession had with all the profytes then And welbeloued was she with her men Deuorced fro the kyng Lewes of Fraunce That hyr had wed to wyfe of his puysaunce ¶ And on her gatte two doughters fayre gente But for sibrede and consanguinitee They were departed by papall iudgement On whome kyng Henry by Christes decree Gatte sonnes foure of great humanitee Henry Richarde Geffrey and Iohn also Elianor and Ihone his doughters two The C .xxx. Chapiter ¶ Howe Malcolyne the seconde kyng of Scottes made homage for Scotlande for therldome of huntyngdon IN this meane whyle kyng Dauid then so dyed To whō Malcolyn Hēryes sōne was heire Whiche Henry was erle notified Of Huntyngdon without any dispayre Of that erldome bothe good and fayre And sonne was to this noble kyng Dauy That wedded had erle Waldens doughter onely ¶ To enioye therldome by her enheritaunce That gat on her this Malcolyne that was kyng Of Scotlande nowe of mighty hye puysaunce That homage made for his enherityng Vnto Henry that then was of Englande kyng For all Scotlande and also for Huntyngdon Whiche seruices both were due vnto the croune The C .xxxi. Chapiter ¶ This kyng Henrye exiled Thomas becket byshop of Cauntorburye HE maried then his sonne the young Henry To the doughter of the kyng of Fraunce He exiled then Thomas of Cauntorbury Out of Englande and many of his aliaunce For cause of his rebellious gouernaunce And as he came fro Rome by Fraunce awaye With language fel he prayed the kyng that daye ¶ The poyntes to mende and so to Englād went For which the kyng was with hym sore displeased That then he sayd had I had men that ment Myne honeste I were not thus diseased With suche a clerke thus greued and vneased Therfore three knightes Raynold le Fitz Vrsy Hughe Moruyle hym slewe with Robert Tracy ¶ But kyng Malcolyne died that was full true Of his homage at Westchester ensealed To kyng Henry dooen so as it was due For it should not be gaynsayd ne counselled Nor afterwarde of Scottes be repeled To whiche Malcolyne Willyā his sonne heyre Was crouned kyng of Scotlande then full fayre The C .xxxii. Chapiter ¶ Howe kynge Wyllyam of Scotlande wente in to Normandye with kyng Henry of Englande the seconde as his liegeman THis kyng Wyllyam then rode with hoste full stronge The Northrē lād he brent sore distroyed By east and west of both Merches of Englande The lorde Vesty with it was anoyed The lorde Vnfreuyle with syckenesse so accloyed With power great at Alnwike with hym faught Wher he was takē in batayll sore and caught ¶ Whō to the kyng to Londō then thei brought Vnto kyng Henry with great honoure Then had the kyng tydynges he liked nought His sonne Henry by kyng Lewys socoure Besieged Roan with hoste great and rygoure For when the kyng to Normandy then went The kyng Wyllyam with hym his labour spent ¶ And Dauid also his brother with al his might That erle was then create of Huntyngdon And Robert ferers erle of Leycester so hight And Roger clare with theim of great renoume Of Gloucester that erle was in possession With other lordes and the siege sone remeued And his cytee of Roan full well rescued ¶ The siege and saute perdoned and forgeuen At the prayer of kyng Lewys of Fraunce Within fewe yeres in peace and rest to liuen He crowned his sonne without distaunce Kyng of Englande and gaue hym gouernaunce And at the feast of his coronacion He sewed afore hym for his consolacion The C .xxxiii. Chapiter ¶ This yonger Henry reigned but .iiii. yeres and died before his father wherfore he is not accompted as kynge because his father outlyued hym and reigned after his death ANd to hī said sōne thinke I do you honour A kynge to serue you thus nowe at youre meate He aunswered hym full vnthankefully that houre And sayd it was no reproue ne forfete An erls sonne to serue the kynges sonne at meate For whiche the father Henry to Irelande went Tyll young Henry the kyng was dead and spent Then came Henry and had the gouernement The father and kyng was then admytte agayn And reigned then and had the regiment And but .iiii. yere his sonne reygned soth to sayen Wherfore he is among kynges certeyne Not accoumpted by no chronicler For his father was kynge afore and after clere The C .xxxiiii. Chapiter ¶ Howe kyng Wyllyam of Scotlande made his homage to kyng Henry the seconde THe kyng Wyllyam at his daye assigned To Yorke came to do there his homage That made it then nothyng it repugned But for his due dette then for his heritage Of Scotlande whole by veraye due knowlage Of his barons and by his euydence Agayne it founde he then no
trewe defense ¶ The kynge Henry then cōquered all Irelande By papall dome there of his royaltee The profytes and reuenues of the lande The dominacion and the souerayntee For errour whiche agayn the spiritualtee They helde full longe would not been correcte Of heresyes with which they were infecte ¶ He founded then the priory of Newstede Within Shirwod and Waltham founded newe Afore were secular without hede Whiche regular he made in order due And other two houses of order trewe He founded there for his soule to praye Where was holy seruyce kepte euery daye ¶ Geffreye his sonne the thyrde gotten and bore That duke of Britayne was hole create By his wyues right to enioye for euermore Whiche was a prince of royall great estate At Parys dyed that Arthure create To sonne and heyre and Isabell the fayre His doughter was without any dispayre ¶ In the yere of Christ a thousande clere An hundreth and sixty also and one Baudewyn the thyrde died taken priesoner By the Sarysens that were his mortall foone Of his body that yssue then had none To whome his brother Almarike did succede To Ierusalem and there was kyng in dede ¶ By treason of therle Triples then The Christen hoste that had foule betrayed When Bawdewyn was so taken through that false man That great people of Christē had thē reised And on the felde nothyng to be praysed To the Sarysyns went with all his power And discomfyt the chrysten hoost full clere The C .xxxv. Chapiter ¶ Howe Geffrey Plantagenet otherwyse called Plantageneth Earle of Angeou elder brother of Bawdewyne and Almaryk shoulde haue ben king of Ierusalem afore and so by consequens thys kynge Henrye shoulde haue be kynge of it BVt yf ryght had lynally procede Geffray Plantagenet Earle of Angeou The elder brother of Bawdwyn so in dede And of Almaryk with mykell blysse and ioye Whiche Geffray so Earle of Angeou Shulde haue be kyng afore of all that realme Both of Surry and also Ierusalem ¶ When duke Robert Ierusalem forsoke For couetyse to haue and ioyse Englande Godfray Boleyne the realme of Surry toke And of Ierusalem eke I vnderstande And erowned was to be kynge of that lande That duke had bene afore of all Loueyne A noble prynce and a worthy Chyefteyne ¶ A thousande was an hundreth sixty syxtene Withoute yssue of his body cōmynge Dyed to whome his brother as was sene Bawdwin succeded and of that realme was king That ruled the lande as was full well semyng Full worthy accompted amonge all estates That chrysten fayth susteyned without debates To whom his sonne king Bawdewin did succede The seconde was that had so borne that name A noble Prynce of all marcyall dede And in that lande greate honoure had and fame Whiche on his wyfe gate without blame A doughter then had vnto his heyre That lande to haue enheryte and repayre Whom then earle Fowke of Angeou wed to wife And kyng was of that lande then by her ryght On whome he gate thre sonnes in his lyfe Worthy knyghtes and men of greate myght The eldest Geffray Plantagenet hyght That gate this same Henry fytz Empryse Kyng of Englande of noble and hye enterpryse The .ii. sonne of Fowke was Bawdewin that thirde Dyed prysoner as it is expressed afore Without yssue of his body betyd The third sonne then of Fowke laste was bore Hyght Almaryk whiche two were kynges thore Where erle Geffrey their elder brother had ryght That suffred them to ioye that lande by myght ¶ Which Almaryk dyed kyng so of that realme After whome then reygned his sonne Bawdwyn That fourth was of that name of Yerlam That impotent was without medecyn To mayntayne warre he myght no more enclyne Who called was Bawdewyn Paraliticus For with the palsye stryken was he full hydeous The C .xxxvi. Chapiter ¶ Howe that kyng Henry the seconde was very heyre of Ierusalem and by consequens Rycharde of Yorke shoulde be the same Wherfore he sent to kynge Henry his crowne His banner also of his armes full fayre Of Ierusalem that were of great renowne As to hym that was then the very heyre Of earle Geffray eldest sonne full fayre Was to kyng Fowke and to his wyfe the quene Doughter and heyre to Baudewin the .ii. clene ¶ This fourth Bawdewyn called Paraliticus This message sent the yere of Christe a thousand An hundreth ful foure score and thre ryght thus When Henry was requyred to haue that lande Whiche he proroged and sent agayne his sounde He shulde be there yf that the kyng of Fraunce And he myght well accorde of gouernaunce ¶ He went so forth anon to Normandye With hoost full great with kyng Philyp to treat Of that voyage and warre accorded on hye But then the death hym felly ganne reherte Wherfore anon he satte vp in his seate And to his sonne Rycharde greate sōme he gaue Thether to go that holy lande to saue ¶ And then he dyed at Pount Euerard buryed The sorowe of herte and great contricyon A prynce chrysten fully notifyed Withouten pere in all comparyson Of worthy knygthode and manly renowne A thousande yere an C lxxx and fourtene And of his reygne was syxe thirty clene The C .xxxvii. Chapiter ¶ Howe Richard king of England duke of Normādy earle of Angeou reygned .x. yere and beganne the yere of Chryst a. M. an C lxxxxiiii dyed the yere M CC. and .iiii. RYchard his sōne to kīg thē was crowned By Bawdewyn archbyshop primate Of Cauntorbury of England that stound That ruled the churche then by lawe ordynate His brother Geffray of baste so procreate Archbyshop was of Yorke then newe electe The Northren churche vnder him to be protecte ¶ The lorde Lueye that Godfray Lucye hight Afore hym bare a royall pyllyon And Iohn Marshal his spores of gold ful bright Willyam Maundeuile his mighty hye crowne That earle was then of Almarle vp and downe Of his wyues ryght willyam Marshal bolde Earle of Strigeyll the scepter bare of golde ¶ Willyam Patryk that was then Longspee That Earle was then create of Salysbury A staffe of golde for constable then was he Of Englande hole to haue the regeny By ryght of his offyce of constablery For yf the lande were voyde none heire knowe To kepe the realme by his offyce hym owe. ¶ This ylke Willyam was earle also create Of Gloucestre by whiche that offyce grewe To hym of ryght for he was generate Of Roberte Clare earle of Gloucestre trewe Foure Barons bare by theyr seruyce full dewe Aboue his hed then in processyon A cloth of golde by good direccyon ¶ Earle Dauyd then that tyme of Huntyngdon Brother of the kyng Willyam of Scotlande And Iohn the earle of Morten of renowne Kyng Rychardes brother as I vnderstone Ryght worthy lordes that tyme of this lande And Robert Ferrers earle of Leycester tho Thre swordes bare afore the kyng there so Syxe Earls then and Barons of estate A cheker
Ierusalem he reserued the resort to hym to his heires THe Soudā toke a trewce with kyng Richard For thre yere whole to bye all marchandise And sell and passe saufly thitherward To the sepulcre in all maner wyse With entercomen as then it did suffice And home he went for cause his brother Iohn Then purposed had for to bee crouned anon ¶ He sent his mother and wife to Cisile And of Acres he made then capitain The baron bold sir Rychard Vmfreuile Ierusalem to Henry erle of Champein With all Surry to haue and to demain And made hym kyng therof without delay For his susters soonne he was without nay ¶ For the marquis Wyllyam Mountferrate That kyng therof was by his wife enherite Was slain in Tire his citee by debate All sodeinly for cause of greate dispite Vetulo de Mount his brothers death to quite His bretherne twoo to Tire with power hath sent That slewe hym there by Vetulo his assent ¶ Whose wife he gaue to Henry his cousyn For she was heire of Ierusalem He made kepers in euery place full fyne And homeward came then by the sea stream Hoostyng by diuerse countres and realme To Romany Tuskan and Lumberdy In to Oistrich and there was take in hye ¶ Thēperour led home thē to Mēske he brought In strong ward brought to tyme that his finaūce Was fully payed emong his commons sought Of holy churche vnto ful greate greuaunce The marchaūtes also thē made great cheuisaūce Of all the shryues was take full greate riches Through all England to raūsom with his highnes ¶ And home he came Iohn his brother chastised And his fautours emprisoned all full sore To Normandy then went and there supprised The kyng Philip and werred hym euer thore That stroyed his land of Normandy afore Against his othe and his hie assuraunce Whilest he labored vpon the miscreaunce ¶ He then appeled the kyng Philip to fight Thei twoo alone hand for hand in feld That he was false of his promise and hight Whiche kyng Philip graunted but not it held But cowardly with royall hoste hym beld Vpon hym came all sodeinly to fight Within three dayes then for their brothers right ¶ Beside Gysours thei faught with hostes sore Wher kyng Rychard had the victorie Kyng Philip fled fro his baner thore With muche shame reproffe and vilanie Kyng Rychard segid a castell then in hie That Caluce hight not ferre fro Lymosyne Wher hurt he was full sore and dyed fyne ¶ An arblaster with a quarell hym smot As he about the castell went to spie But then he made therto a saute full hote On euery syde about full cruelly And gatte the place so then full myghtely And slewe theim all without any grace Agayn hym so that holden had that strong place ¶ He shroue hym then vnto abbots three With great sobbyng and hye contricion And wepyng teares that pitee was to see Mekely askyng penaunce and absolucion That it might please God at his peticion To forgeue his offences tyll domysday So afterwarde in blysse he might been ay ¶ He quethed his corps then to bee buried Al Fount Euerard there at his fathers feete To whom he graunted and made it notifyed Traytour he was and false of his behete His herte inuyncyble to Roan he sent full mete For their greate truth stedfast great constaunce His bowelles lose to Poytou for deceyuaunce ¶ Whose soule from the body dyd departe And into heauen went where is eternall ioye Because from synne he did conuerte Longyng for that blessed daye To see Christ that for his synne dyd paye That crucyfied was vpon the roode Redemyng his synne by the shedyng of his blode ¶ And of his reigne he died the .x. yere And in the yere of Christes incarnacion A thousande hole two hundreth and .iiii. clere As written is by clere computacion Who in his life had hole dominacion In Normandy Guyen Cypers and Surry Whose honoure shone aboue all other clerely The C .xli. Chapiter ¶ Iohn kyng of Englande duke of Normandy and Guyan 〈◊〉 erle of Angeou began to reygne the yere M CC. and .iiii. and reigned .xvii. yere and died the yere M CC .xxi. HIs brother Iohn was kyng then of Englande And crouned was at westminster ful faire By all estates and lordes of his lande And sone therafter deuorced full vnfayre From his wife wedded that there afore was heyre Vnto therle of Gloucestre full wyse That sonnes had that tyme of great enterprise ¶ For cause of whiche and of consanguinitye Deuorce was made and toke another wyfe Dame Isabell therles doughter fayre and free Of Englande and his heyre knowen ryfe Whiche after made hym ful great warre stryfe For she was wyfe of Hugh Brune of Toreyn The Viscount then toke fro hym a virgyne ¶ Wherfore Hugh Brune nomore of hym wolde hold But warred hym on euery side aboute Tyll he hym toke with other many folde And slewe theim all were thei neuer so stoute In his first yere a taxe he tooke full out Of eche plough land thre shyllynges fully payed For whiche the people bitterly for hym prayed The C .lxii. Chapiter ¶ Howe kyng Wyllyam of Scotlande did homage leege to kyng Iohn at Lyncolne the duke Arthure of Britayne all the lordes of Irelande did the same IN his first yere kyng Wylliā of Scotlād Made hys homage in Lyncolne his citee And Arthure duke of Britayne I vnderstande Sone after made hys homage feautee At London then with great humilitee The prince of Wales there made his homage For Wales then that was his heritage ¶ The great a Neele and Makmurre also And al the lordes and kynges of Irelande Therles also of Vlster did right so Of Ormond and Desmond for there lande And all estates there as I vnderstande Wer sworne to hym and to hym did homage For theyr lyuelodes and theyr heritage ¶ The kyng Philip confedered with Arthure To rebell sore agayne his eme kyng Iohn And graunte hym men power stronge and sure To gette Guyan Poytou and Angeou anon Wherfore kyng Iohn to Normandy gan gone And there he tooke Arthure duke of Britayn In castell Mirable dyed in mykell payne ¶ Dame Isabell the suster also of Arthure In the castell of Bristowe was then holde And died there in pryson then full sure As kyng Iohn hir vncle so it wolde A lady of greate beautee she was hold Beshet in pryson in paynes strong So endeth her life for sorowe liued not long ¶ Thus slewe he both Athure and Isabell The chyldren of his brother duke Geffrey To ioye the croune of Englande as men tell Wherfore moste parte of all his landes that daye Beyonde the sea forsoke hym then for ay Retournyng to the kyng of Fraunce in hye To holde of hym and his perpetually ¶ Bishop Hubert of Cauntorbury tho died Wherfore kyng Iohn vnto the couent sente To chose his clarke whiche they refused denied Wherfore the kyng was wroth in
his entente For they disobeyed the lettre whiche he sent For they had chosen mayster Stephan Langton An worthy clarke of all disposicion ¶ Whom kyng Iohn then wold not admytte For Romayn bull ne for the prelates prayer But prisoned some and some to death commytte Some he exiled and theyr eyen clere And all personnes and prelates in fere He then put out and seazed theyr benefice Through all the lande as his mortall enemyes The Romyshe byshoppe curssed hym openly And all the realme fully did enterdite That sacramentes none therin should occupie And to the kyng of Fraunce without respite He wrote his letters so full fayre endite To take Englande hole in gouernaunce For kyng Iohn his great misgouernaunce ¶ Many erles also and many great barons Vnto the kyng of Fraunce wrote openly To sende his sonne Lewes the rebellions To helpe to whome they promysed sikerly To croune hym kyng of England worthely If that kyng Iohn would not his trespasse amēd Vnto the churche in whiche he had offend ¶ Wherfore that kyng of Fraūce to England sente His sonne Lewes with hoste and power strong With whom many lordes susteyned his entent And other some maynteyned kyng Iohn in wrōg Thus stode this lande Englande Wales longe Hole enterdite frō all holy sacramentes That none was done without priuelegementes ¶ Lewes the sonne of kyng Philip of Fraunce Had castelles fees and citees many one At his good rule and full wyse gouernaunce In Englande then well mo then had kyng Iohn Tyll on a daye to lordes he made his moone By whose coūcel vnto that Romishe bishop he wrote His letters meke as best he could theim note ¶ Besekyng hym of mercy and of grace Of forgeuenesse and absolucion His defautes all to mend and his trespasse And vndirguage all his punysion For to release thenterdiccion For whiche the Romishe bishop as he that letters see Wepte fore hauyng full greate pitee ¶ Thenterdiccion fully he releassed And to the kyng of Fraunce anone sent To ceasse the warre the peace to be encreassed Betwene hym and kyng Iohn bayssent To whiche he would put so all his entent To Lewes then he sent thesame message And of Englande to haue his hole costage ¶ And for Lewes with Lordes of Englande Obeyde not the byshops commaundement He sent Gwalo his legate I vnderstande To cursse Lewes and all of his assent Then died kyng Iohn in Christen hole entent At Croxton abbey and buried was full fayre At Worcester with lordes and great repayre ¶ Some bookes sayen he poysoned was to dead Of plummes so syttyng at his meate In thabbey of Cistews at Swynsheade With whiche a monke there hym did rehete Wenyng of God greate thanke to gette At Newerke died at Worcester sepultured In chronicles as is playnly scriptured ¶ He gate a sōne that Hēry of Wynchester hight And other after and Richarde was his name That erle was of Cornwayle of great might A Worthy knight and of right noble fame These sonnes on his wyfe that noble dame And gate Isabell the wyfe of Frederyk Emperoure of Rome a lorde full poletyk ¶ In his tymes were these earles in Englande Geffry Maundeuile earle of Essex than Syr Quincy as I can vnderstande Earle of Winchester that was a manly man And the earle of Cornewayle that was than Roger of Clare then earle of Gloucester That in Englande was none his better ¶ Roger Bygot earle of Northfolke then That Marshall was that tyme of Englande Henry Bowne then earle of Herforde as I can Conceyue was then Constable of the lande Aryght worthy knyght of his hande And Dauyd then was of Huntyngdon Willyam Marshall earle of Penbroke full boon ¶ Randolfe of Chester the earle of good estate Robert Veer of Oxenforde full wyse Willyam Groos of Almaryk generate Willyam Lōgspee earle then of great enterpryse In actes marcyall a man knyghtly and wyse Of Salysbury a mighty lorde that daye Through all Englande knowen of greate araye ¶ Willyam the earle of Arundell that hyght Awbeny by his surname full well then knowe At Wimondham in Northfolke buryed ryght Father was of Philyp full yonge vnknowe That full curteous was both to hye and lowe That after hym was earle of Arundell As chronycles wryten can clerely tell ¶ This kyng Iohn dyed in hole creaunce The yere of Chryste a. M was then knawe Two hundreth .xxi. by remembraunce In chronycles as I haue red and sawe And full cumbreous bothe to hye and lawe At Worcester buryed in good araye As a prynce royall of reason ought that daye The C .xliii. Chapiter ¶ Henry the thyrde kynge of Englande duke of Normandye and Guyen and Earle of Angeou that beganne to reygne the yere of Chryste a thousande CC. xxi and dyed in the yere a thousande CC .lxxiii. and of his reygne the .lvi. yere ¶ In his tyme was a batayl at Lincolne where Earle Raudolfe of Chester discomfyted Lewys that sonne of kyng Philyppe of Fraunce HEnry his sonne then was of .ix. yere age At Gloucester crowned with the dyademe By the Legate Gwalo the Baronage Stephan of Langton helpyng as did well seme Archbyshop then as the byshop coulde deme The same yere then the kyng with Lewys faught Besyde Lincolne where Lewys was nere caught ¶ Foure C. knyghtes of Lewis there was slaine Th erle of Perche was slayne on Lewis syde And many fled with Lewys soth agayne Th erle Randolf of Chester knowen wyde The felde there gate that daye with mikell pryde And Lewys then all his ryght relesed And home he went with mony well appesed ¶ In the seconde yere he wedded Alyanor Therls doughter of Prouynce good and fayre Whose elder syster kyng Lewys wed afore This earle was then famed amonge repayre The noblest prynce without any dispeyre That tyme alyue through all chrystente Of all honoure and greate nobilyte And Iohn the sonne of Dauyd of Huntingdon That of Huntyngdon Chester earle had bene Without chylde dyed his erldome to the crowne Then sezed were to tyme that it was sene Howe his systers myght them departe betwene The parliament graunted that wardes to the kyng That helde of hym by knyghtes seruyce doyng ¶ To make statutes at Oxenforde ordynaūce By whiche there shulde none alyence enheryte And put the kyngvnder the gouernaunce Of certayne lordes wysest moste parfyte Whiche after made amonge them great dispyte And batayles stronge greate contrariaunce Through all the lande by longe continuaunce The C .xliiii. Chapiter ¶ Of the byrthe of Edwarde his eldest sonne and heyre was in the .xxix. yere of his father and in the yere of Chryste a thousande CC .xxxix. Howe Symonde Mountforte Earle of Leycester was create HIs eldest sonne and heyre that Edward hyghe At Westmynster of Chrystes incarnacyon The yere a thousand CC .ix. and .xxx. ryght Whome the legate Otho by informacyon Baptyzed in funt saynt Edmondes confirmacy 〈…〉 To hym then made as the churche deuysed In his baptime holy then autoryzed
feld ¶ And with the Soudan faught in bataill sore Discomfit hym and putte hym to the flight Wher Edward then was hurt and wouÌ„ded thore Of woundes fiue that mortall werre to sight His brother Edmond also wounded in that fight But as Edward in his bedde sicke then laye A Sarasyne came to hym vpon a daye ¶ To leche his hurtes with salues many one But false he was for with a knife full sore He strake hym foule as thei were then alone But yet that prince the knife fro hym gate thore And slewe hym then with it for euermore At Acres laye he then with woundes fele With medicyns to lech and to hele ¶ The lech so false was by the Soudan sent Hym to haue slain in any maner wyse For cause he had discomfite hym and shent And when he was all whole that he might ryse Message he had fro all the lordes wyse Of England then of his father dedde That praied hym home to come been their hede ¶ Kyng Henry had then made the minster faire Of Westminster as it is nowe at this daye The remnaunt he left vnto his heire To edifie and make in like araye Or els a some of money for to paye The whiche he graunted to the edificacion At his death then bequeth and assignacion ¶ Edward then toke a trewce for tenne yere With the Soudan and to Cisile saylid And landed at Rome wher theÌ„ he had good chere Bothe of the bishop and cardinalles not failed That sore had mourned and greately bewailed That curssed sore syr Guy Mountforte eche daye For the slaughter of Henry his cousyn gaye ¶ The sonne that was of Richarde themperoure Erle of Cornwayle whome at Veterbe he slewe Right in the churche for olde wrath and rancoure In Englande dooen his fathers death to renewe At masse knelyng horrybly hym all to hewe Fro Acres as he came as goddes knight Without cause of reason or of right ¶ But price Edward EdmouÌ„d his brother dere To Sauoye caÌ„ where iustes wer made tournameÌ„t And ther desired thei their knightes in fere With the duke of Sauoye and his there presente To iuste and proue eche other in good entente Theyr knightes younge to learne as dyd suffice In marcyall fete knighthode to exercyse ¶ Wher he foriust the duke full manly His brother also the dukes neuewe And bare hym downe both horse and man egerly And euery knight with other euer iusted newe Daye by daye whyles echeone other knewe By .xiiii. dayes enduryng and conteyned With feast solempne by the duke susteyned ¶ An hundreth ladyes of worthy good estate Were set on hye aboue within a tente By the duke of Sauoye well ordinate To geue the gree and thanke by iudgement Whiche then awarde playnely by hole assent To prince Edwarde erle Edmound his brother That had foriust the duke and many other ¶ The duke hym gaue gyftes of great honoure And to his brother gyftes of hye pleasaunce And to his knightes giftes of great valoure And conueyed hym into the lande of Fraunce Where of the kyng with worthy gouernaunce Receaued he was as prince full excellente And homage made to hym in good entente ¶ For his landes lyeng beyonde the sea The whiche was true as chronicles witnesse And home he came with great felicitee Of whose coÌ„myng the people had great gladnesse Hym to receaue in all kynde of worthynesse And of his brother Edmound also in feer They were full glad at all theyr hole power ¶ But kyng Henry was gone to God afore The yere of Christ a thousande hole accompted Two hundreth hole syxty and thirtene more On saynt Edmondes daye when he amounted This worlde leuyng full of trouble accompted Vnto the blysse of heauen for euer to reste Emong good soules where Christe so liked best The C .xlviii. Chapiter ¶ Howe kyng Edwarde of Englande the first after the conqueste called Edwarde with the longe shankes beganne to reigne on the morowe after saynt Edmondes daye that kyng in the yere a. M CC. and .lxxiii. died the yere M CCC and .vii. the eyght daye of Iulye and the .xxxiiii. yere of his reygne EDwarde his sonne heire first generate With all honour by all the baronage Crouned was in all royall estate And of thestates receyued hole homage Kyng Alexander for his heritage Of Scotlande hole and ysles apperteynyng His homage did right then vnto the kyng ¶ The duke also of Britayne made homage For Britayn hole and there became his man Whiche princes two had wed in mariage His susters two Margarete and Beatrice then Margarete to Scotland Beatrice to Britayne Both two maried and wed in hye estate By their father full wysely ordinate ¶ A marchaunt toke the wife of prince Lewlyn Erle Symonds doughter of Leycester that had ben And to the kyng hir brought full femenyn Wherfore the prince by heste as then was seen To be his man and homage did full clere And led his wyfe to Wales in good entent By the kynges grace and by hole assent ¶ The kyng then did great right and iustice Vpon clippers and peirers of the coyne And newe money made that then might suffice Of syluer plate made out of Boloyne The grote half grote all in newe coyne He coyned fast peny halfpeny and ferthyng For porayll to bye with theyr leuyng ¶ That same tyme he made a newe statute That no man should graunt lande ne tenement To the churche ne geue nor constitute No maner grounde nor no maner rente Without licence of the lorde and his assent Of whome it is holden aboue in chiefe And els that church this realme had put in mischiefe ¶ The prince Lewlyn and of Dauid his brother Made warre vpon the kyng in greate araye The Marche brent and many harmes other In Englande did wherfore the kyng his waye To Wales held in all the haste he maye The lorde Mortimer toke then the prince Lewlyn And to the kyng hym brought for to enclyne ¶ The kyng hym headed and to the toure it sent The Walshemen made Dauid his brother then Prince of Wales by theyr commen assent Wherfore the kyng to warre on theim began And of the Walshemen slewe full many a man And had Dauid vnto his presence brought Hanged and drawen as then he had it sought ¶ Then seazed he Wales for euer into his hande And ordeyned that no prince therin should be But he or els his heyre I vnderstande And that no man of Wales hole countre One night shulde lye in castell nor cytee But voyde out fro sunne to sunne theÌ„ euery night Thus kept he Wales his tyme by royall might The C .xlix. Chapiter ¶ Howe Gladowys Dewy the doughter of Dauyd prynce of Wales was wedded to syr Raufe Mortymer of whom came the Earles of Marche GWenlyan that doughter was of Lewlyne Without chylde dyed a vyrgyne aye In a â—onnery of the order of Gylbertyne And Gladowys Dewy Dauyds doughter gaye Yonge freshe and lusty
couth Full mekill skyll of a woman alwaye That so couth chese a lady that was vncouth And for that mery woordes that came of his mouth Thei trowed he had right great experience Of womanes rule and hir conuenience ¶ Kyng Robert Bruys smitten in lepry dyed To whom his soonne Dauid then did succede And crouned was for kyng and notified His wife also was crouned quene in deede Kyng Edwardes suster she was then as I rede Sir Roger then that was lord Mortimer With Isabell the quene was holden dere ¶ Through hardinesse of whiche he wasted clene The kyng his tresour as was notified For whiche Henry erle of Lancastre for tene Rose with greate hoste as then was fortified To haue withstand and clerely haue replied The wantonnes of Roger Mortymer That was that tyme the quenes playfeer ¶ But treated he was to sitte in rest and peace Notwithstandyng at the coronacion Of kyng Edward chose he was without lees His custode then for good informacion Of the kyng his persone and preseruacion But quene Isabell and the Mortimer Would not suffre ne while that so it were ¶ Edmond Wodstok that then was erle of Kent By kyng Edward of Carnaruan create Whose brother he was by quene Isabelles entēt And Mortimer his mighty and greate estate Arested was and stode repudiate At Winchester foriudged in parliament And hedid there again the common assent ¶ A brother he had hight Thomas of Brothertō Erle of Northfolk and marshall of England That of his death made none execucion For lordes all the greatest of the land Full sory were but nought thei tooke on hand Fro noone till euen without the castell gate He stoode condempned as a repudiate ¶ Whome then at euen a boye of the marshalse Stroke of his hedde for whome the lordes than And commons all displeased were inwardly At Notyngham sone after thei began Wher Mortimer therle of Marche then Arested were and his soonne sir Roger And to the toure of London sent thei were ¶ On sainct Andrewes daye thei wer drawe and hong At London so by dome of the parlyament At Westminster holden by processe long Sir Simond Bedford was of their assent Drawe and hanged therfore thei went And fro the quene his mother he resumed His landes all for she had so consumed ¶ His treasour foule and all his greate riches He putte hir to hir dower and nomore To liue vpon at the frere minours doubtles Wher she had not been brought before And there she dyed and buryed is therfore At London nowe full feire and reuerently Wher she had dwelt long full honourably ¶ Edward Baylioll to claim Scotland thē went And with hym went sir Gilbert Vmfreuile Claimyng to bee erle by his whole entent Of Angeous then as chroniclers compile Sir Henry Beaumont also went that while His heritage to gette and to conquere Therledome of Boughan should bee his clere ¶ Henry Percy with Edward Bailioll went Galoway to claime as for his heritage By shippe thei went all whole by one assent At Rauensporne and landed with greate corage At Kincorne wel in Fyfe by all knowlage Dauid Strabolgy erle of Athellis by right With theim thē went for his landes ther to fight ¶ Thei were accōpted twoo M. fightyng menne And fiue hundred byside the mariners At their landyng their shipis thei brent right then And bored some and sanke at good leysers Thei thought theim self of good strong powers Thei toke none hede of shippis home again But landeway ride for all the Scottes dain ¶ Thei toke none hede nor yet consideracion Of thousandes many ne of greate multitude As lordes dooe nowe of commons congregacion But putte their cause to god his hie excelsitude And in their owne handes solicitude At Kincorne then faught with therle of Fyffe Discomfit hym and fled awaye with life ¶ His menne were slain vpon the feld echeone Thē Robert Bruys the bastard soōne their Guyde The lord Seton with power came anone And newe battaill theim gaue with mekell pryde That noumbred were ten thousand on their side Whiche slain were all for thei would take none Saufe the chiefteynes that fled awaye alone ¶ The kyng Edward Baylioll with his power To Dunfermelyne abbey then furth so went Wher in Glasinore that Scottes then sembled were Fourty thousand full proud in their intent And all were slain without suppowelment Th erle of Marre and therle of Murray Th erle of Carryk and Menth dyed that daye ¶ And after soone at Deplyng More mette Sir Neel Bruys with ten thousand in feer That slain were there and to therth doune beet The Englishe had the feld that daye full clere Their ordinaunce was to take no prisoner Wherfore thei slewe the Scottes without mercie Lest newe bataill came on theim in hie ¶ At these battailles afore that been wrytten Sixty thosaund Scottes slain and mortefied Were more with prees as afterward was weten Then with mānes hand thei were so feel multiplied Echeone on other of pride so reuied Without rule of marcill gouernaunce Thei smored were by their contrariaunce ¶ And but twoo knightes thirty thre squiers Whiche ther were dedde of the Englishe power In foure battailles faught with axe swerd speris At Diplyng Moore fro tyme the soōne rose clere To three after noon as saieth the chronicler Within seuē dayes thei smote these .iiii. battailies As chronicles make full clere rehersailes ¶ Thē wēt thei furth vnto sainct Iohns towne That was replete and full of all vitaile And kept the toune with manly direccion Archebald Douglas and erle Patrik no faile Of Dunbarre then the toune began tassaile With thirty thousand but there thei were well bet With cast of stones and greate defence ouerset ¶ The citees then and tounes to the sea side At their costage to Scotland sent a flete To helpe our lordes and get theim good that tide And with the shippis of Scotland for to mete And so thei did and sore theim all to bete And brought theim home and some with wildfyre brēt In Taye water and some thei sanke shent ¶ Wherfore the Scottes the siege then forsooke Thenglish lordes at Skone the kyng did croune Edward Baliol the soonne was who will looke To Iohn Baliol kyng of that region Whome then afore Henry Beaumount brought Frome Baliol wher he was lord in Fraunce As his aunceters had been of remembraunce ¶ This kyng Edward Baliol his fooes sought And at Rokisburgh faught ▪ with therle of Murrey Discomfited theim in battaill sore ther fought And to Duresme sent hym fro thens awaye Ther to bee kept in siker strong araye Then sir Archbald Douglas and erle Patrike Then of Dunbar their kyng thought to bee swi 〈…〉 ¶ Thei toke with hym a trewce to Candylmasse From October in trust of whiche he sent Thenglishe lordes to England home expresse Trustyng he had been sure in his entente All was falshede that the two erles ment For they vphelde Dauid in tendre age Kyng Robartes sonne
to whom they did homage ¶ Syr Iames Douglas erle Patrike Dūbare With all theyr helpe at the Candilmasse On Edwarde roase the Bailiol or he were ware And slewe all that they found doutlesse That fayn he was to Englande to flee helpelesse At Marche after he entred then Scotlande With thesame lordes then of the north lande ¶ On both sydes they rode and fast destroyed And to Berwike Edwarde Bailol came And sieged it and felly was annoyed To whiche Edwarde of Englonde with great fame Came with his hoost and laye there at thesame The Douglas then and Dunbare with power Northumberlande all through brent full clere The C .lxxix. Chapiter ¶ Of the battayle of Halidon hill and howe Edwarde Bayliol did homage leege to kyng Edwarde of Englande TO Halydon hill they came with their prayes Barwike castell and towne so to rescue Wher to oure hoste ful oft they made frayes Both day euen and morowes or day dewe But then the kyng of Englande to hym drewe The kyng also of Scotland with his might Full sore that daye in batayll did they fight ¶ Where Edwardes two had al the victorye The royaltes of all Scotlande there wer slayn Thyrty thousande with theim liggand by Of men of armes and archers dead certayn Then in the yere next after soth to sayn At newcastell Edwarde kyng of Scotlande His homage did to the kyng of Englande ¶ For whiche that cōmons of Scotlād on hym rose And slewe his men that he into Englande came And gatte an hoste and rode vpon his fooes Through Anand through Kylay Conyngham Carrike and Glascowe slewe al that he foūd at hame The kyng Edwarde of England with power Through Lowthian so did to Stryuelyn clere ¶ And both met there with great gladnesse And home they came destroiyng all the waye Another yere in Iule for to redresse Scotlande agayn with hostes they gan a fraye At saynt Iohns towne they met in great araye And ther they made therle of Athelis regent Whome the commons felly slewe and shent ¶ Kyng Edwarde sent after in another yere In Maye Henry Lancastre a noble knight To Scotlande with an hoste of good power And afterwarde he came with mekill might To saynt Iohns towne on the monthes right Through Murrey to Elgyne Giluernes Rosse Throughout mounteynes woddes myre mosse ¶ Kyng Edwarde then came home into Englāde And proclaymed his sonne Edwarde nominate The prince of Wales thens forth I vnderstande Henry Lancastre the younger he create Erle of Derby to beare the hole estate Wyllyam Mountague erle of Salisbury Of Northampton Wyllyam Bowne full manly ¶ Of Gloucester he made Hugh of Awdely Of Suffolke then he made Robert Hufforth Of Huntyngdon Wyllyam Clinton gay Whiche erles the kyng toke with hym forth With many a worthy knyght bothe of south and north And with the quene so vnto Andwarpe And there abode by all the wynter sharpe ¶ With great people and worthy chyualrye Agayn the kyng of Fraunce to clayme his right And wrote his title vnto that Romishe bishop on hie The duke of Barre and other lordes of might The quenes frendes then socoure had hym hight Where then the quene of hyr sonne Lionell Delyuered was as chronicles do tell ¶ He cherished then Flaundres that they forsoke Theyr naturall lorde and swore feautee To hym and his theyr power they betoke To byde and dwell vnder his souerayntee Because they sawe in hym suche humanitee He chaunged his armes in banners and penons And in his seale quartred of both regions ¶ And in the yere then of his reygne thyrtene His armes chaunged and called kyng of Fraūce He rode in Fraunce on warre as then was seen A thousande tounes he brent by his puysaunce The kyng of Fraunce without variaunce Sent hym worde that he wold with hym fight But at the poynt he did not as he hight ¶ For at that tyme in sonder they were a myle He fled awaye kyng Edward held the felde Two dayes after he sued and Vmfreuile Of hym had sight and then he founde his sheld By whiche he knewe his couenaunt he not held Wherfore the kyng to Brabant went agayn The dukes three of Barre Earle and Brabayn ¶ The parliamēt thē at Westmynster was hold Wher they graūted hym the .ix. lābe flees shaue Of the commons but the churche nomore wold Hym graunt but one dysme of theim to haue For which he graūted generall perdone and gaue The .ix. lambe slees shaue graunt was two yere To helpe the kyng his right to conquere The C .lxxx. Chapiter 〈◊〉 ¶ Howe kynge Edwarde smote the battayle on the sea at Sluse besyde Brydges howe the kyng firste rode into Fraunce and quartred his armes with the armes of Fraunce and sent to kyng Philip to trye the ryght betwene theim two ANd in his yere next after then fourtene At Sluse that kīg faught with the Frēch nauy Fro noone to eue to the morowe as was seen Where all wer drouned slayn myghtely And kyng Edward to Fraunce went hastely With hoste full great destroied the lande brent The cytee of Turnais besieged and shente ¶ Then wrote he to the kyng Philip of Fraunce Not namyng hym kyng of that lande But to Philip of Valoys for greuaunce Willyng alone they two to take on hande To fyght for the cause and for to stande Who hath the better for euer to holde Fraunce Withoute warre or any more dystaunce ¶ Or elles they two eyther with an C. knyghtes And yf these wayes please hym not to excepte Come with his hoste all his strongest wyghtes To the cytee of Tournay none excepte At a certayne daye iustly to be kepte And who the felde maye get brooke well Fraunce Withoute more stryfe or any varyaunce ¶ The kyng then wrote vnto kyng Edwarde agayne That he wolde not for the letters fight Whiche touche not kyng Philyp in certayne But Philyp Valoys as sheweth well to syght To whiche he wolde set neyther daye ne highte But when he thought it were for his honoure He shulde hym chase awaye without socoure ¶ Out of his land which wrongfully he sheweth Agayne his fayth feautye made and homage To his auncesters by letter as it sheweth Vnder his seale of hole and good knowlage For Guyan and his other herytage And fro Turnace into Brabane agayne The kyng Edwarde in wynter dyd remayne ¶ To byde the byshoppes rule and disposicyon Of good accorde for then two cardynalles To take a trewce by good prouisyon Duryng two yere betwene them generals And all theyr frendes that were princypalles Then came the kyng to Edwarde into Englande His offycers newe made I vnderstande ¶ To the trewce then taken at Maltrete The dukes two of Burgoyne and Burbone In the kynges soule of Fraunce swore and hete Truly to kepe for frendes or for foone And duke Henry of Lancaster sad as stone Willyam Bowne Earle of Northhampton And Willyam Mountague full hye of renoune
¶ Earle of Salisbury in kyng Edwardes soule there In lyke maner were sworne and biheste The .xix. daye then of Ianyuere The yere of Christ a. M. then was seste Thre hundreth and two and fourty at leest When these trues were taken so and sealed For afterwarde they shulde not be repeled The C .lxxxi. Chapiter ¶ Howe Henry duke of Lancaster went to Guyan in that yere of Christe a thousande thre hundreth .xlv. And of the batayle of Cressy in the yere of Christe a thousand thre hundeeth fourtye and syxe ANd then Henry duke of Lancaster create Went to Guyen with many bolde baron Where then he gate the cytees of estate And castelles fele many a walled towne And made the lande Englyshe both vp doune And to the kyng Edwarde obeied as they ought And great worshyp and ryches there he caught ¶ And in the yere a thousande and CCC gone Syxe and fourtye kyng Edwarde at Cressy Met with Philyp of Valoyes there anone That kyng of Fraunce was by intrusery At whiche batayle Edwarde had the victorye And with honoure and myght there gate that felde And Philyp fled and caste there doune his shelde ¶ And his eldest sonne with hym went awaye With an hundreth banners in her company The kynges of Beme were slayne that daye And of Maliogres there full manfully The dukes of Alaunson also theim by And of Loreyn slayne were in batayle And earles fyue without any fayle ¶ Of Flaunders Bloys Harcourt Melayne Of gentyls and other without any Essayne And of Guntpre were there in batayle slayne Fyue score thousande the twenty daye certayne And syxe also of Auguste accompted playne The kyng Edwarde had all the victorye The kyng Philyp had all the vilanye ¶ The king Dauid theu of Scotland with power To Duresme brent where on saynt Lukes daye The archbyshop with his clergye clere And syr Gylbert Vnifreuyle in good araye The Lorde Percy the Neuyle then laye With all the north a lytell frome Duresme Wher then they faught on that king Dauid came ¶ And take he was that yere of Christe was then A thousande full thre hundreth fourty and syxe Full sore wounded full lyke he was a man And also of his lordes mo then fyue or syxe Brought to London priuely through Essex For lordes shulde not hym take with greate power From Iohn of Coupland that was his taker clere ¶ And in the towre of London then kept in warde To tyme the king were come home out of Fraūce That then in Fraunce mo castelles to regarde And townes walled goten by his hye puissaunce Then had the kyng Philip in gouernaunce And lyke was then all Fraūce to haue conquerde With his alies he made that lande afferde The C .lxxxii. Chapiter ¶ Of the greate pestylence in the yere of Chryste a thousand thre hundreth fortye and nyne and the yere nexte after the kynge wente vnto Fraunce and the prynce of Wales vnto Guyan ANd in the yere of Christ clerly accompted A thousande hole thre C. fourty nyne The pestilence was in England amoūted That kyng Edward newe warre ganne ymagine The nexte yere after agayne Fraunce fyne Thether he went prince Edward then went With greate power to Guien as Regent ¶ The kyng then put his sonnes yonge of age In Fraunce then forth in mighty gouernaunce Syr Lyonell Earle of Vlster in wage Regent of Fraunce hym made by ordynaunce Syr Iohn of Gaunt to haue hole attendaunce Of all the hoste as hye and greate constable To whiche he was accompte that tyme full able ¶ Sir Edmonde Langeley full of gentylnesse Sir Thomas Woodstok full of corage To their banners them put for worthynesse To haue rule in that worthy viage Whiche prynces fyue approued in yonge age There was no king christen had such sonnes fiue Of lyklynesse and persones that tyme on lyue ¶ So hye and large they were of all stature The leste of them was of persone able To haue foughten with any creature Singler batayle in actes marcyable The byshops wit me thinketh was cōmendable So wel coulde chese the princesse that them bare For by practyse he knewe it or by lare The C .lxxxiii. Chapiter ¶ Howe the kynge of Fraunce was taken prysoner at the batayle of Poyters the yere of Christe a thousande thre hundreth fyftye and syxe IN the yere of Christe a M accōpted right Thre hundreth and syxe and fyfty mo The prince Edward at Poytexs sore dyd fyght The .xix. day of September was tho Where kyng Iohn of Fraunce his sonne also He toke and had the felde with victorye His eldst sonne then fledde fro hym cowardly ¶ The kyng Dauyd died and lette his hostage For his raunsome lygge ay forth in Englande The yere a thousande CCC by knowlage Eyght and fyftye as I can vnderstande And payde not yet ne quyt not out his bonde Ne his hostage he wolde not so displease To delyuer ne putte theim fro their ease ¶ The quene Isabell the quene of Scotlande Her doughter was and kyng Dauyds wyfe Sone after dyed and buryed I vnderstande At the graye Freres in lande knewen full ryfe The whiche that quene Isabell founded in their lyfe Full fayre entombed wrought full rychely Where the two Quenes reste full honorably The C .lxxxiiii. Chapiter ¶ Of the seconde pestylence and the greate wynde and earthquake the yere a thousande CCC lxi ANd in the yere of Christ a. M. wryten Thre hundreth also syxtye and one The .ii. pestylence reigned as was weten Duke Henry dyed for whome was mekyll mone Dame Blaunche his doughter full faire of fleshe and bone His heire was then whom Iohn of Gaūt did wed The duchy by hir had men saied he had well sped ¶ In that same yere was on sainct Maurys day The greate winde and earth quake meruelous That greately gan the people all affraye So dredfull was it then and perelous Specially the wind was so boistous The stone walles steples houses and trees Were blow doune in diuerse ferre coūtrees ¶ And in the yere a thousand three hundred also Sixty and foure kyng Iohn of Fraunce dyed In London then in Sauoy had been sicke The dukes palice of Lancastre edified Full royally as it is notified His boweles buryed at Poules with royaltee His corps in Fraunce with all solempnitee ¶ In that same yere sir Iohn Moūtfort of newe Duke of Brytain was by heritage As heire male his title was act trewe At Orrers faught again the Frenche linage Sir Charles de Bloys that clauned by mariage The duchy whole of Brytain by the might Of his wise wher he was slain by might ¶ Duke Iohn of Gaunt was at that battaile Sir Edmond also of Langley his brother dere Sir Iohn Chaundos treated without faill All daye and faught at eue through his aūswere Whiche treaty is yet oft remembred here For Chaūdos trewce that treted all daye to night And made bothe parties at eue together fight ¶ At whiche battaill duke
it there moste clere Where these fyue lordes came armed by one asseÌ„t Appealed the duke of Irelande of greate entent The archbyshop of Yorke that hyght Neuyle And Michell poole earle of Suffolke that whyle ¶ Sir Nichol BreÌ„byr of London that was Mayre Tresilyan also and syr Symonde Bourley Whiche they exyled some they honge vnfeyre Some they heded that tyme that was full gaye Holt and Belknap exyled were awaye In to Irelande for hye contryued treasone Agayne the kyng and his royall crowne ¶ The earle Douglas the earle of March also Northumberlande by west the newe castell Vnto Morpath norwarde dyd mikyll wo At Otturborne as chronycles dyd tell Henry Percy with small hoste on hym fell And slewe Douglas many put to the flyght And gate the felde vpon his enemyes ryght ¶ He sent the lorde syr Thomas Vmfreuyle His brother Robert also sir Thomas Grey And sir Mawe Redmayn beyond that Scottes that whyle To holde them in that they fled not awaye Wherfore the Scottes releued agayne alway Through which Henry was take there anone To DuÌ„bar led for whom was made great mone ¶ The felde was his all yf that he were take The Vmfreuyle Grey Ogle and Redmayne Helde the felde hole that myght so for his sake And knewe nothyng whetherwarde he was gayn The Earle of Marche with preuy men alane Full priuely to Dunbarre with hym rode And kepte hym there for he was greatly ferde ¶ The Douglas all that many were that daye Laboured full sore with wyles and great wyt Hym to haue slayne for euer and ay For Douglas death so sore they rewed it This batail was on saynt Oswoldes daye coÌ„myt The .xii. yere of the kyng and of Christes date Thirtene C. foure score and eyght socyate The C .xci. Chapiter ¶ Howe the quene Anne dyed and howe kyng Rychard went fyrste to Irelande with his hooste ANd in the yere a thousand .iii. C. and mo Foure score fourtene quene Anne died The .xviii. yere was of the kyng then so And buryed was as well is notifyed Of all vertue she was well laudefyed To womanhede that myght in ought appende At Westminster she is full well commende ¶ At Michelmasse nexte after folowyng In that same yere the kyng to Irelande went With greate power hoste therin warrynge Vpon Makmur with all his hole entente And on the greate Aneell by one ascent Of his lordes where Makmurre greate Aneel To him obeyed and made hym homage leel ¶ The earle of Marche syr Roger Mortymer The kynge made then LeuetenauÌ„t of Irelande That yonge was then and home he came that yere And great hoshoulde helde as I can vnderstand Far passyng kynges of any other lande For whiche the voyce on hym rose and name Through christendom he bare then furth that fame ¶ And in the yere a thousande as was then Thre hundreth eke foure score also syxtene Of his reygne the .xviii. yere was then At Alhalowmasse kyng Rychard as was sene At Calys wed dame Isabell the quene KiÌ„g Charles doughter that then was kiÌ„g of FrauÌ„ce At Christmasse crowned by gouernaunce ¶ And in Smithfelde great iustes tornement Of all realmes and dyuers nacyon Of Englyshe Iryshe and Walshe present Of Scottes also were at the coronacyon And iusted there with greate coÌ„mendacy on By .xiiii. dayes iusted who so wolde Henry of Derby bare hym then full bolde Henry Percy and Raufe his brother gaye Robert Morley and syr Iohn Grene Cornewell Heer Nichol Hauberke and eke syr Mawburney Walter Bytterley syr Thomas Blankeueile Syr Hugh Spencer and Iamco saunz fayle Heer Hans heer Iohn the lorde fitz Walter Blaket Dynmoke and also the lorde Spencer ¶ Vmfreuyle and his brother Roberte Vmfrey Stafforde and syr Rychard Arundell These .xx. helde the felde within full sinert Agayne all other that wolde with Iustes mell Of what nacyon he were that man can tell Of in any lande the knyghtes iusted thare And squyers also without that well them bare The C .xcii. Chapiter ¶ Howe the kyng arest the duke of Gloucester the Earles of Warwyk and Aroundell and foreiuged them for treason and made fyue Dukes a Marquis and foure Earles and watched daye and nyghte with Cheshyre men for drede of insurreccyon THe yere of Christe a. M. was so then Thre C. eke foure score also seuentene At mydsomer the kyng with many a man At Plashe toke Thomas of Wodstoke full kene Of Gloucester the duke that was full clene That smyten was in fell and great syknesse And in the towre hym put in great distresse ¶ Whome sone he sente to Calyce secretely And murthered hym in the prynces inne By hole aduice of his councell priuely And in eche shyre of which he did greate synne His confessyon of treason more and mynne Of .ix. poyntes fayned he then proclaymed To staunche the folke that for hym cryed claymed ¶ He then arest Thomas earle of Warwyke And Earle Rycharde of Arundell no lees The lorde Cobham full trewe and also manlyke Foringed them by strength of men and prees The earle of Warwyk his name for to distresse Vnto thisâ—e of Man in sore prison Of Arundell therle hedded for treson ¶ The lord Cobham in to prisone perpetuall In the towre to abide for euer more At Mighelmasse next so then did bifall The kyng then held his greate parlyament thore At Westminster wher the kyng mustred sore At the Blakeheth an hundred thousand menne To make the commons for to dred hym then ¶ At whiche parlyameÌ„t he made therle of Derby Duke of Herford therle of Rutland also Of Almarle duke therle of Kent duke of Surry Th erle of Huntyngton duke of Excester tho Th erle Marshall he made and no mo Duke of Northfolke thus were there dukes fiue Of newe create and none was substantiue ¶ He made therle of Somerset marques Of Dorset then sir Iohn Beaufort that hight Of poore liuelode that was that tyme doubtles Foure erles next he made in mantiles full right With swerdes girt the lord Spencer on hight That create was then erle of Gloucester Thomas Percy also erle of Worcester ¶ The lord Neuell then erle of Westmerland Wyllyam Scrope erle of Wiltshire create That Chamberleyn was then I vnderstand And tresourer of England ordinate These foure erles were thus consociate Then all these dukes and erles with many mo Of lordes young he had aye with hym ¶ Bishopes thirtyne he held then furth eche daye Barons many and many a worthy knight To greate nombre and squiers freshe and gaye And officers well mo then nedid right In eche office by tenfold mo to sight Then were afore for then he had eche daye Twoo hundred menne of Cheshire wher he laye ¶ To watche hym aye wher so euer he laye He dred hym aye so of insurreccion Of the commons and of the people aye He trusted none of all his region But Chesshire menne for his proteccion Wher euer he rode with arowes and
then therle of Huntyngdon And Somerset the earle his wyues sonne The CC .xx. Chapiter Howe on Easter euen the duke of Clarence smote that batell of Bawgy in the yere of Christe a thousand .iiii. hundreth twenty and in the nynth yere of kyng Henry for that yere the feaste of the Annuncyacyon of oure Lady fell on Ester twysdaye and the date chaunged after that batayle in the Easter weke ANd nere at Bawge came Gylberte Vmfreuyle Marshal of Fraunce with .v. horse no mo And of good wyt counsayled hym that whyle To kepe the churche and goddes seruyce tho And after the feaste to seke vpon his foo And he aunswered hym yf thou be aferd Go home thy waye and kepe the churche yerde ¶ For thou haste bene with the kyng to longe To make me lese my worshyp and my name Thou haste ay gote the worshyp euer amonge And I haue none thus wolde thou lose my fame With suche wordes chidyng he dyd hym blame To whome he sayde yf that thou be afrayde And kepe the churche as thou me nowe hast saide ¶ With that he saide my lorde ye haue no menne With the enemyes thus hastely to fyght Youre men wot not of this ne howe ne whenne To semble to you of power ne of myght For trewly nowe my cousen Graye nowe right And I haue here but ten men and no mo But yet ye shall neuer saye we leaue you so ¶ So rode they furth ay chidyng by the waye Tyll they to Bawgy ouer the bridge were gone Where the enemyes were batayled in araye Where then they light faught with them anon The duke was slayne that day there with his foone With hym were slayne then therle Vmfreuyle And syr Iohn Graye the Earle of Tankeruyle The lorde Roos and syr Iohn Lumley With many other were with hym slayne that daye Whose names I can not wryte nor saye The Earles two of Huntingdon no naye Of Somerset also were taken there I saye For prysoners and put to greate raunson And laye full longe in Fraunce then in pryson ¶ Thenglishe power came when all was done And rescowed then the deed men where they laye And brought that lordes home fro thens theÌ„ ful sone That were there vpon the felde that daye And buryed them in Englande in good araye Echeone in his owne abbaye or colage Afore founded within his herytage ¶ At Cauntorbury the duke was of Clarence Besyde his father kynge Henry buryed With suche honoure costage and expence As the duches his wyfe coulde haue signifyed Whiche neded not to bene modifyed She was so well within her selfe auysed Of greate sadnesse and womanhede preuised The CC .xxi. Chapiter Howe the quene wente agayne to Fraunce lefte the quene in Englande with chylde and wanne dyuerse cytees townes and castelles in somer in the nyngth yere of his reigne THe kyng then let the quene in Englande byde In somer then the. ix yere of his date And into Fraunce agayne he went that tyde With heuy harte to Parys went algate The castell of Perfount soone he gate A royall place of all that men haue sene The greate cytee of Compyne also I wene ¶ The cytees also of Cassons Bray and Crayle Of Owsare also with many cytees moo And to Parys agayne without fayle In his castell of Lowre abidynge tho Tidynges then came to him full glad and mo That of a prynce delyuered was the quene Of whiche all men reioysed as was sene Saynt Dionis then and castell Boys Vynccent Corbell Pount Melanke and full great parte of Fraunce Burgoyne Artoys and Pycardy to hym sent To bene his men without contraryaunce And eche cytee to hym sworne in substaunce Walled townes and castelles euerychone As hye regent of Fraunce by hym one ¶ Then rode he furth to Bawgy and Orleaunce Wynnyng the tounes and citees in his waye And castelles all that were of greate defence Crepy Lawnesse and Milly with greate affraye Nongentle Roy he gatte with greate araye Pount Caranton with many other obeyed To his highnesse and were his menne conueghed ¶ The duke of Brytain then was his manne For fee belaste without rebellion The counte sainct Paule his manne was then The duke of Burgoyn without suspicion With many other his menne without collucion Were sworne theÌ„ whole the couÌ„trees in yâ— same wise Castelles and tounes eke as he couth deuise ¶ In August so of his reigne the tenth yere He toke sickenes and laye at Boy Vincent In pain strong as then it did appere Full like to passe wherfore in his entent The duke of Bedford he made hâ—e regent Of Fraunce and of his other landes all Beyond the sea as chief in generall ¶ And of his soonne Henry he made custode Thomas Beauford his vncle dere and trewe Duke of Excester full of all worthy hode To tyme his soonne to perfecte age grewe He to kepe hym chaungyng for no n 〈…〉 With helpe of his other eme then fu 〈…〉 The bishop of Wynchester of good a 〈…〉 ¶ Th erle then of Salisbury manly That Mountague then hight by surname He sette to kepe then all Normandie Vnder the regent as knight of full greate fame With other lordes full sage and worthy of name Th erle of Oxenford and of Suffolke also Of his counsaill to been with many mo The CC .xxii. Chapiter ¶ Howe the kyng dyed the last daye of August the yere of Christ a thousand foure hundred two and twenty and of his reigne the tenth yere for all his rightwisnes and iustice that he did he had no conscieÌ„ce of vsurpement of the croune THe last daye of August then full clere Of Christ his date a thousand signified Foure hundred and twoo and twenty yere When that this prince of princes so dyed At Boys Vincent with death then victoried That neuer prince in earth might theÌ„ haue dooen But he alone that ruleth sonne and moonne ¶ With whose bones the quene came to EnglaÌ„d The kyng of Scottes Iames with hir also The duke of Excester as I can vnderstand Th erle of Marche Edmond Mortimer tho Rychard Beauchampe then erle of Warwike so Humfrey then erle of Stafford young of age And erle Edmond of Morten wise and sage ¶ O good lord God that art omnipotent Why streched not thy power and thy might To kepe this prince that sette was and consent With themperour to conuert Surrey right And with Christen inhabite it had hight Why fauoured so thyne high omnipotence Miscreaunce more then his beneuolence ¶ Aboue all thyng he keped the lawe and peace Through all England that none insurreccion Ne no riotes were then withouten lese Nor neighbour werre in faute of correccion But peasebly vnder his proteccion Compleyntes all of wronges in generall Refourmed were well vnder his yerd egall The CC .xxiii. Chapiter ¶ Howe through 〈…〉 we and peace conserued was the encreaso of his conquest and els had he been of no power to haue conquered in out landes WHen he in Fraunce was dayly
that dede being very sore moued therwith weÌ„t to the dukes place coming before his grace stode lyke a man strykeÌ„ with some sodeyn dysease very pale holding his head downe the duke maruayling at hym enquyred what the matter was To whom he sayde O moost noble duke my time is at hande thys palenes betokeneth death without remidy That I would God yt had come before this day then it should not haue greued me so much And thys all cometh to me through a deed that you haue done of late which wil ether cause me to lose my life or els to lyue in moost miserie wretchednes as one wery of thys present lyfe The noble actes that you haue doone moost noble prynce haue enhaunsed your fame glory to the fardest part of the world but this one thing me thynke I praye you pardoÌ„me what I saye is a great blemyshe to your dygnitee that forgetting the promyse that you made so faythfully haue geuen the innoceÌ„t erle of Richmounte to be destroyed pitefully killed emonge wretched knau es hangmen Wherfore they that loue you of whom I am one cannot but lamente â—o see you dyshonored by this great fault of periury WheÌ„ he had sayd the duke answered hold thy peace man I praye the ther is no such harme shal chaunce to him Edwarde the kinge woulde haue him to mary his daughter Then sayd Iohn Beleue me mooste excellente and redoubted prynce this Henry is nowe almoste famyshed and loste yf he once goo out of your countree he is but cast awaye and paste all recouerye At these wordes the duke was persuaded through the whych he commauÌ„ded one Peter LaÌ„doson hys receauer to take the same Henry froÌ„ the ambassadours The sayd receauer pursued the Englyshe ambassadours to Maclonium and there holdyng theim wyth long coÌ„munication made him to be conueyed into a seÌ„tuary whych was then almost ded through that feuer and thought whych he was caste in And so after that he was emended broughte hym to the duke The ambassadours then beyng spoiled and deceaued both of theyr pread and mony that they brought desyred that same receauer that they might not goo home in that wyse whyche receauer promised that he woulde eyther kepe hym in sentuary or eles cause hym to be imprisoned at the duke his place so that they should neuer neede to feare hym In all thys tyme Edwarde beynge desyreous to knowe what became of the Earle was enfourmed that he was taken prysoner but after that escaped they re handes where at the kinge was verye angrye but when he knewe that he should bee kepte in holde was well pleased then dyd take no thought And liued after that most welthy sparing no expeÌ„ses nor cost in kepyng his house neuertheles he dyd fall into one great offence in this time For sodeÌ„ly he coÌ„maunded his brother the duke of Clarence to be killed drowned in an hogshhed of malmesey And the cause of hys death was as men report through a certaine prophecie which sayd the after kyng Edwarde one shuld reigne whose name begaÌ„ wyth a. G. which prophecye some sayde was completed fulfilled when the duke of Glouceter the after hym had the kingdome dyd reigne Some holdeth another opinion of this his death saiyng that at what time the olde malice dyd breke out bewixt theÌ„ both the duke through his sisters councel woulde haue maried lady Mary that duke of Burgoyn his only daughter which mariage the kyng did infringe stoppe as one enuiyng of his brothers felicitee or good chaunce After that they both beryng in theyr mindes mortall hatred one of the sayde duke hys seruauntes was accused of wichcraft charming for which offence he was put to death The duke 〈…〉 g that could not but speake resist againste the 〈…〉 g his coÌ„maundement and therfore was com 〈…〉 ted to prison ther beyng was killed and procla 〈…〉 d after as a traytour to the kyng for whose 〈…〉 that the king was verye sory and whan any 〈…〉 kneled to hym and asked pardon 〈…〉 der he would saye O infortunate bro 〈…〉 that noman would aske thy pardon And this duke had .ii. children one lady Margarete that was after maried to Richard Pole an other Edward whome the kyng made earle of Warwyke but this childe folowyng the fate and destenie of his father was after putte in prisone there priuely put to death And these thinges were doone in the yere of oure Lorde a thousand foure hundreth and foure score and the .xix. yere of the reigne of kyng Edward And two yeres then after folowing the kyng died before the whiche yeres he beganne to bee very harde and couetouse in getting monye and also very diligent in marking attaching his lordes that did offend In this time the kyng of Scottes willed his sooÌ„ne Iamy to be maried to the kynges doughter lady Cicile which was the yonger that should haue been maried to Charles the kyng his soonne of Fraunce But it chaunced not thorow Lewes the kyng that brake his promise bothe in geuing his seruice and payeng his raunsome the laste yere of his reigne Likewise the kyng of Scottes seing that Lewes the kyng was false of his promise he thoughte he might bee so bolde too and so breaking league of amite sette vpon the Englishe men At the which Edward was sore vexed and entended batayl against hym yet after that he knewe the it was not by his wyll but thorowe the councell and euell disposed mindes of his lordes woulde haue borne it in good worthe had not kyng Iames owne brother streight vpon that prouoked hym to fighte Furthermore suche was the nature of the Scottishe kyng that when he had sette his minde vpon a thing no manne coulde turne hym and because that no manne mighte reproue hym in any thing he promoted laye people menne of basse bloude to his counsell putting to deathe or banishyng euermore the nobilitee Emong whom this duke of Albanie his brother consydering the condicyons of the king fled to the kyng of EnglaÌ„d at what time he was sent into FrauÌ„ce ther counsailed the kyng to fight against hym The king willing to reueÌ„ge his olde iniuries vpon many consideracioÌ„s gathered enteÌ„ded no lesse by the helpe of the saied duke of Albany then to kepe open warre So that he did send the duke of Gloucestre the erle of NorthumberlaÌ„d syr Thomas Stanley this duke of Albany with a great power of men against the Scottes The king knowing of their coÌ„ming went to Barwyke with his army to kepe theim from the borders but perceiuing that he was not hable so resist their great power fled backe in the night to Edinbrough ther taryed for his enemies And the duke of Gloucestre folowing burned and spoyled all the way when he was somewhat nighe his enemies perceiuing also that none of the Scottishe lordes came to the duke of Albanye mistrusted that some deceyte or crafte was
tyme lo there came Wyllyam Stanley to aide theim with .iii. M. meÌ„ne and euen at the verie same tyme the residue of kyng Richardes men were put to flight TheÌ„ Richard fightyng alone in the middest of all his enemies was ouerthrowne slain In the meane tyme therle of OxeÌ„ford in the foreward after he had fought maÌ„fully a litle while put the residue to flight of whoÌ„ he slewe a greate noÌ„bre But agreate nombre more whiche folowed Richard more for feare then for loue helde their handes from fightyng went awaie without hurte for that thei loked not for his safegard but rather for his destruccion There were slain at this conflicte not many more then one thousand of the whiche these were noble menne Ihon duke of Norffolke Walter Feris Robert Brachyngbury Richard Radcliffe and many other more And within twoo daies after Wyllyam Catisby lawyer with certain other of his felowes was put to death at Leicestre and emonges those the ranne awaie was Fraunces Louell Humfray Stafford with Thomas his brother and other more that ranne into sanctuary at Colchestre in Essex There was of the captiues a greate nombre because that when Richard was slain euery manne cast doune his wepon and yeld hymself to Henry of the whiche the more parte would haue dooen so at the begynnyng if it had not been for feare of kyng Richardes spies whiche theÌ„ waÌ„dered in euery place And emongest these the nobles were the erle of Northumberlande the erle of Surrey of the whiche therle of Surrey was put in prisone this other as a frend was receiued in to fauour Henry at that felde loste not aboue an huÌ„dred menne emongest whom the chief was Wyllyam BraÌ„done whiche bare Henryes baÌ„ner This battaill was fought in the .xxii. day of the moneth of Auguste inthe yere of oure Lorde a thousand cccc .lxxxvi. the conflict indured more then .ii. howres Richard might as the fame went asaued hymself if he would afled awaie for those that were about hym when thei sawe his menne from the begynnyng fight but faintly and that some were ronne awaie vnto the other parte suspected treason and willed hym to flie and when the mater was manifest that all hope of victory was past thei brought hym a swiâ—te horse He puttyng a sied all hope and trust that was in fleiyng made as it was saied this aunswere that this daie he would haue ether an ende of battaill orels of his life suche was his greate audacite and manfulnes whiche because he did se certainly that in this daie he should ob 〈◊〉 the kyngdome quietely all daies of his life or â—â—s lose bothe for euer he entred in emoÌ„gest theim as it was declared before intendyng vtterly ether to lose all orels to wynne all And so the wretehe dyed hauyng the ende that all suche were wont to haue whiche in the stede of lawe honestie and all godlynes folowe their owne appetite vyllanye and all wyckednes And plainly this is an example whiche cannot be expressed to feare theim whiche will not suffer one howre to bee otherwyse speÌ„t then in cruelte mischief and all deuillishe fasshioÌ„s Henry when he had thus obtained the victorye he fell downe on his knees and with many praiers thankes referred all to the goodnes of God TheÌ„ after he stode vp beyng wounderfully replenished with ioye went vp vpoÌ„ alitle hill and there gaue two greate comendacions to his souldyours commaundyng theim that were hurte to be heled and the dede to bee buryed afterward he gaue immortall thankes to his noble capitains promisyng theim that he would neuer forgette their benifite The multitude in the meane tyme with one voyce one mynd proclaimed hym kyng WheÌ„ Thomas Stanley sawe the he toke kyng Richardes croune whiche was founde emongest the spoyle and by by putte it vpon his head as though he had been then created kyng by the eleccion of the people as it was wonte to bee in the olde tyme and this was the first token of his felicite After this kyng HeÌ„ry with his compaignie and carriage went to Lecestre toward night to bed whether after he had refresshed his compaignie well for the space of twoo daies that thei might the better goo toward London Kyng Richardes bodye was brought naked ouer a horse backe the hed and the armes haÌ„gyng on the one side and the legges on the other caried in to the grey freres of Lecester and surely it was but a myserable sight to loke vpoÌ„ yet it was good inough coÌ„sideryng his wretched leuyng and there without any solempnite was buryed twoo dayes after He raygned twoo yeres twoo monethes one daie he was but of a small stature hauyng but a deformed bodie the one shoulder was higher then the other he had a shorte face a cruell looke whiche did betoken malice guyle and deceite And while he did muse vpoÌ„ any thing staÌ„ding he would byte his vnder lippe continually whereby a maÌ„ne might perceiue his cruell nature within his wreched bodie striued and chaffed alwaie with in hym self also the dagger whiche he bare aboute hym he would alwaies bee choppyng of it in and out he had a sharpe and pregnaunt witt subtill and to dessimule and fayne verie mete He had also a proude and cruell mynde whiche neuer went from him to the houre of his death whiche he had rather suffer by the cruell sworde though all his compaignie did forsake hym then by shamefull flight he would fauoure his life whiche after might fortune by sickenes or other condynge ponyshemeÌ„t shortely to perishe ¶ Henry the seuenth HENRY THE SEVENTH OF that name kyng of England First after that he had obteined his kyngdome and heritage by force of armes entended to stablishe all thynges extynguish sedicioÌ„ and before he departed from Leycester caused ser Robert Willoughby knight to bryng the youÌ„g erle of Warwike the duke of ClareÌ„ces sooÌ„ne before his presence whom kyng Richard to that tyme had kept at SheryhuttoÌ„ in Yorke shire fearyng muche least that by this young erle some occasioÌ„ might bee taken of renuyng battaill whiche entended nothyng more then to liue in peace and quietnes And so this erle was brought to hym at his commaundement conueighed to London and there cast in holde In the self same place also of Yorke shire was Ladie Elizabeth eldest doughter to the fornamed kyng Edwarde whom kyng Rychard her vncle would haue maried sore against the mynde and consent of the same ladie In so muche also that the people were sore against it and accompted it not onely as a reproche infamie to the kyng hymself but also to his counsaill the did agre to his naughtie purpose Albeit God of his infinite mercy preserued the ladie whiche shorte tyme after was brought to London to her mother In this time the kyng drawing nighe to London was there accepted of his citezens streyghte after his coÌ„ming moste roially of all parties saluted after the moste louing fassion the they could
deuyse geuing thankes to God with solempne procession for that he had sent theim a king to gouerne the realme which before was ruled by a cruel hateful TiraÌ„t After this gratulacion and thank esgeuing the kyng at a daye appointed assembled his counsail to the ende he mighte marie the Ladie Elizabeth thorowe the which mariage aswell the nobilitee as coÌ„munes of the realme wer brought in good hope that all thinges should bee redressed an end made of all sedicion and strife for euer And at this Parliament holden kept at WestmiÌ„ster he was created kyng the day of October in the yere of oure Lorde a. M. foure C .lxxxvi. Whiche kyngdome he enioyed as of god enointed for as menne dooâ— reporte aboute seuen hundreth foure score and seuentene yeres paste Cadwallader laste Kynge of Englande prophecied that his progenye shoulde beare rule and dominion again So that by this meanes men did fully perswade theim selfes that he was pÌ„â—estinate to it And the rather also they did beleue it because that kyng Henry the sixte did foresaye the same and in like maner prophecy of hym Therfore he being thus proclaimed as true enheretour of the crowne and at the same Parliament created kyng did first cause to bee published that all suche should bee pardoned that would submit theim selfes to his grace as faithful people doo to hym due allegiaunce other that absented theim selfes to bee takeÌ„ as rebelles traitours After the whiche proclamacion hard many the were in holde and sanctuaries came for pardoÌ„ and safetie of life to him which persones so submitting theim selfes â—er pardoned enhaunced to honoure euery man after his owne deserte as the kyng his counsaile thought best And first considering his chiefe frendes and nyghe kinsemen made Gaspar his vncle Duke of Bedforde sir Thomas Stanley knight Earle of Derby Giles Dabeney sir Robert Willoughby and Robert Brooke Lordes Edward his eldest sonne duke of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wholy to all that king Richard had depriued hym of at what tyme he with other wer banished Also actes statutes stablished confirmed by Richard as thought expedient and veray necessary at that time for the publike weale wer by hym aboundoned infringed euery one After these thinges doen he prouided with all scelerite and expedicion to redeme the Lorde Marques Dorcet Iohn Burscher whome he had lefte at Paris as a pledge suertie for certaine money that he had borowed there and Iohn bishop of Ely for like det out of Flaunders Furthermore to the ende the his realme might bee in a better staye he coÌ„maunded that if any maÌ„ had iniury shewed at any tyme the same persone shoulde putte vp his matter to hym of whome he should both haue and finde redresse And for these matters and causes to bee hearde he made of his councell the Erle of Oxford the duke of Bedford therle of Derby the Lorde Strange w e his sonne and william the lorde his brother chief of the priuie chaumber the lorde Broke chief steward and lord graund maister of his house Renould Braye Iohn Morton Byshoppe of Ely Richarde Foxe Iohn Dinham whome after he made treasourer of Englande Giles Dabeney Richarde Gildeforde Lorde Cheiny Richarde Tunstall Richard Edgecombe Thomas Louell Edwarde Poninges with other wise men as Richard ap Thomas a Welsheman aswell circumspecte as wise Morgane Kidnel Lord Gray Marques Dorcet Lord Talbot Erle of Shrewesbury Iohn Risley lord Thomas Earle of Ormonde an Irisheman Henry Warney William Say William Ody Gilbert Talbot Willyam Vdall Thomas Troys Richarde Naufaute Capitaine of Calis Roberte Point Iames Hubert Charles Somerset Thomas Hawarde Earle of Surrey a manne of wisdome grauitee and constantnesse most coÌ„mendable The earle of Essex descending of an high and noble parentage Lorde William Blounte Iohn Burscher Iohn Fineux Peter Edgecombe Hew Conuey Thomas Terell Sir Henry Wiat Robert Throgmorton Thomas Brandon sir Iohn Winkefelde sir Edmond Dudley Edward Belknape Richarde Hemson Also bishoppes Henry Deney bishoppe of Cauntourbury Oliuer kyng byshoppe of Bathe and Welles William BaroÌ„s bishop of London that dyed shortely after he was bishoppe Also William that succeded nexte after Henry Archebyshop of Cauntourbury Richarde of London and Richarde Bishop of Norwiche When the kyng had taken these menne to bee of his councell for the wealth of his realme he maried Ladye Elizabeth doughter to kyng Edward as he had promised for the which he had the heartes of many menne So that afterwarde he had no nede to feare the assaultes of any persones or the coniuracions of rebelles Neuerthelesse considering the chaunce he had before and the falshode the is in many menne from their youth made yomen of the garde for his bodye the whiche he firste of all Englyshe Kynges caused to bee and as it is thought he did take it of the Frenche kyng Also after this he caused a parliament to bee had wher in was made and decreed certayne lawes actes statutes for the wealthe of his realme In this yere a newe sickenesse did reigne and is so sore and painfull as neuer was suffered before the whiche was called the burning sweate And this was so intollerable that men coulde not kepe their beddes but as lunatike persons oute of their wittes ranne about naked so that none almoste escaped the wer infected therwith At the length after the great death of many a thousande menne they learned a presente remedye for the same dysease that is yf he were sycke of that sweate in the daye that he should streyghtelye downe with his clothes and vestures yf in the nighte that he should not rise for the space of .xxiiii. houres and eate no meate at all yf he coulde forbeare and drinke as litle as he mighte This disease reigned throughout all England wherof also ensued a plague as a token and as the people iudged a plaine argument that kyng Henrye shoulde neuer bee oute of feare and dreade of some mischaunce seing that he was in suche great vexacyon at the sedicyous tumulte that was rysen al the claimynge of the crowne WheÌ„ all thynges wer apeaced in London and ordered after his owne mynd he rode Northward in progresse to pacifie all his realme and especially those partes where the firste commocion was and where also wer priuie and cloked frendes of his aduersaries But because it was nigh Easter he tooke his waye to Lincolne and there tariyng was certified that the Lorde Louell and Humfre Stafforde were gone from the sanctuary in Colchester but to what place or whether no maÌ„ could tell whiche message the kyng litle regardyng weÌ„t foorth as he apointed to Yorke and when he came there it was shewed hym that the lorde Louell was at hand with a strong power of menne and woulde inuade the cytie also that the said lorde Stafforde and his brother wer in Glocestre and there had made an insurreccion and set menne on euery parte to defende the gates and walles of the citie At the
sorowe to the Englishe men for thei cried out of the kyng and saied it was not for his honour so to dooe but the kyng as a wise manne moste prudent prince saied it should be the death of many noble puisaunt capitaines if he should continue thesame battaill therefore it might be to his sore reproche if it wer in his power not to tendre as well the health of his coÌ„mons as his owne whiche saiyng did somewhat coule pacifye their grief And after this dooen the kyng returned backe to Calise for because it was enformed hym that one Richard the named hym self the sonne of kyng Edwarde had made an insurreccion in FlauÌ„ders through the counsaill of lady Margarete the quene to fight against hym which thyng kyng Henry consyderyng did the more spedely hasten to conclude a peace And the condicion of this peace to bee made was this that the Frenche kyng should paye to kyng Henry a certain summe of meny the whiche was leauyed by the ambassadours for the cost and charges that the kyng was put to in that battayll and also should yerely for a certain space paye or cause to bee payde to the kyng of EnglaÌ„d for a full recompence xâ—v thousand crounes The whiche Frenche kyng after that beyng in warre with the Italians payd the said tribute to the most noble prince and our souereigne lorde kyng HeÌ„rye the. vâ—â— sonne to Henry the seuenth for a full recoÌ„ 〈…〉 cion and frendship to bee had for euer This was the yere of our Lorde a thousand foure hundreth foure score and thirtene and the seueÌ„th yere of his reigne Also in this inuadyng besiegyng of Bonony whiche we spake of before there was none killed sauyng onely syr Ihon Sauage whiche goyng out of his tent with syr IhoÌ„ Riseley was taken priuely rydyng about the walles of the toune and there because he would not yelde was slain of the Frenche men albeit the other syr Ihon Rysely fled and escaped their daunger After this the kyng went froÌ„ Calis to England again yet that he might not be wtout some trouble or busynes quene Margaret of Spaine whiche euer watched to do hym a displeasure perceauyng that the erle with his coÌ„paignie could not haue suche successe in their businesse as she would haue wished theim she inueÌ„ted a new way to worke treason against him There was a certain youÌ„g maÌ„ of Tornace very beautiful faire in couÌ„tenaunce of a pregnaunt witte whiche youÌ„g maÌ„ was called Peter surnamed Warbecke for his cowardnes nycknamed of the Englishe men called Perkyn which youÌ„g maÌ„ trauaylyng many countrees could speake many laÌ„guages for his basenes of stocke birth was knowen of none almost Therfore the quene thynkyng this youÌ„g man to bee mete whoÌ„ she might feigne to be the duke of Yorke and soÌ„ne to her brother kyng Edward kept hym a certain tyme with her priuely and tellyng hym what he should be that he might the rather persuade meÌ„ to be the kynges sonne did send hym into IrelaÌ„de after what time she knewe that kyng Henry had apointed to fight against the Frenche kyng where he was honorably receaued taken of euery manne as a prynce for whose right they promysed all to fight and helpe hym in all that they could After this it came to the FreÌ„che kynges eare that such an one was in Ireland for whoÌ„ the kyng did send to see caused hym to be brought before him when he came into his pÌ„sence the kyng accepted hym gladly after a princely fashioÌ„ intreteined hym But after the he came in loue with the kyng of England the sayd Charles did dimisse the youÌ„g maÌ„ would no loÌ„ger kepe hym least that some inconueniencie or cause of strife should chaunce thorough it Wherfore the young manne went to Flaunders agayne to the quene Magarete whiche quene did receaue hym with suche gladnesse that she coulde not well rule her selfe for this cause onely she dyd shewe her selfe so ioyfull and merye that menne mighte perswade theim selfe that this was Richard the kynges soonne and vpon that cause truely men did the more reuerence to the younge manne and that more firmely beleue hym to bee the righte heire sonne to kyng Edwarde Also after this rumour blased abrode aswel in England Fraunce as Flaundres there beganne great sedicion to spryng and firste they that were long in sanctuary for the greate offences that they had commytted and other that wer cast in pouertie gathered a compaignie of meÌ„ and sayled ouer into Flaunders to the counterfaicte Edwarde otherwise named Peter also many of the noble men conspired together and to the entent they might bryng their purpose wel about they did send certain to the Quene Margarete to knowe when thesame Edwarde might come conueniently into Englande the thei beyng certified of thesame might the more easely receaue bryng hym into the realme So that by the consent and agrement of theim all syr Robert Clyfforde knight Wyllyam Barley wer sent to shewe all their myndes aduyce as concernyng the newe founde duke to the Quene Margarete Whome the Quene did accepte gladlye and persuaded theim that it was true that was publyshed of Rycharde the duke and streight vpon shewed theim thesame Peter whiche was muche lyke Richarde praysyng his vertues and qualitees that he had wonderfullye The said Robert wheÌ„ he had seen thesame youÌ„g manne beleued surely that he was of the kynges bloode and wrote to Englande to his coumpaignye and felowes of his conspiracie that he knewe hym to bee the kynges soonne by his face euery proporcion of his body And when these letters came vnto Englande the chief capitaynes of this businesse did openly diuulgate and publyshe that it was trewe that was spoken and saied abroad of the Duke but it was dooen by suche a crafte that no manne coulde tell who was the authoure of that rumoure When the kyng perceiued that many men did geue credence to his vaine fable he thought beste for his owne safegard to prouide a remedy for it also mystrusting that some conspiracye had bene made bicause that sir Robert Clifford had fled priuely into Flaundres commaunded certain knightes that were chosen and piked menne of warre with a bonde of menne to kepe the borders surely the no manne might escape or sayle ouer the sea without a pasporte or licence geuen by hym Also that men myghte not contynue in the false perswasion and belefe that they had conceyued of the duke he caused certain spies to search in all the citees of Belgike to knowe of what progenie this mysnamed Richarde was and to geue theim highe rewardes that would shewe the verite and truth of the same matter So that they sailynge into Fraunce euerye manne dyd gooe into a contraye quarter and enquired diligently for hym and at the length certain of theim came to a towne called Tornace and there were certifyed by the testymonye of
many honest menne that he came but of a lowe and course parentage and he was named Peter War becke whiche thing also the kynges frendes certified hym by their letters and writynges to hym more plaine and euidentelye Therfore when the kyng had knowen the matter wholy aswel by his frendes as by his spies sent foorth purposelye for the same he caused it to bee proclaimed openly aswell in other regions countrees as in England that the disceate and deuelish crafte might appere euident to euery manne And firste he sent ambassadours to Philyp the chiefe capitaine in Flaundres and to his councell because he was but of a younge age whiche were sir Edward Poninges knight and sir William Varame preest and lawyer that they might shewe euidently howe falsely the younge manne hath vsurped the name of Richarde duke of Yorke whiche was kylled with his brother Edward in the Towre of London at the cōmaundement and will of kyng Richard his vncle as euery man coulde testifye and affirme most surely Also that he was borne of a poore stocke and an obscure famulie in Tornace and there named Perkin Warbecke and therfore that it woulde please hym his councel not to suffer theim selfes to bee blynded or seduced with suche mere impostures and craftie illusions nor yet to aide hym at any hande to cause sedicion or strife consideryng that he had no iuste title to the enheritynge of the same And that they would the rather bee his frendes nowe because that he helped Maximilian theyr kyng the yere before againste the power and violencye of the Frenche menne where as he of hym selfe was not hable to refyste theyr myghte and stronge power When the Ambassadours had dooen their message they were gentely entretayned of hym and had their request that he woulde not for the loue that he oughte vnto the kynge no nor any of his counsaile helpe thesame Perkin any thinge at all Neuerthelesse yf the quene Margaret would persiste and continewe in her malice towardes the kyng whome the Ambassadour sir William Varame had reproued and checked sore for bringing vp of suche monsters and commune plagues to the publike weale in his oration that he made vnto Philippe and his counsayle it was not in their power to withstande it for because that she might doo in her owne herytage all thinges at her owne wyll and pleasure Whiche quene entended fully to arme this Perkin with a stronge compaignye of menne against kyng Henry After that kynge Henrye dyd heare of this he purposed to pacyfye all this busynesse that was like to chaunce by wytte and policye and streight dyd sende foorthe certaine spies whiche shoulde fayne theim selfes to haue fledde vnto the Duke and by that meanes searche foorthe and knowe the whole entente of theyr coniuracion and after what waye they framed theyr matters Other also shoulde promyse a pardon and remyssyon vnto syr Roberte Clyfforde and Willyam Barley for their offence cōmitted to the kyng And when they had so dooen many of theim returned to Englande and broughte the names of certayne that were chief of the same conspiracye Other taried vntyll suche tyme that sir Robert Clifforde came to Englande agayne And when the kyng had knowen the chief capitaines of this tumulte by his spyes that were there with theim he caused all them to bee attached brought to London before his presēce whose names wer sir Iohn Ratclyffe syr Simon Monforde syr Thomas Thwarte knightes William Dabeney Roberte Ratcliffe Richard Lesey with many other Also certaine preestes and religious menne as sir William Richeford and Thomas Poynes bothe monkes of sainct Dominikes order sir William Sutton sir William Vrseley Deane of Poules Robert Layborne Other that were giltie of the same crime hearing that many of their compaignie wer taken fledde and did take sanctuarye And the other that were taken wer condempned all of treason of the whiche there was heded sir Simon Monford sir Robert Ratcliffe and William Dabeney as authours chiefe capitaines of this busines The other were pardoned and the Preestes also for their order that they had taken Also sir Iohn Ratcliffe was pardoned of his lyfe but after that he came to Calisse there caste in prisone he was behedded because he corrupted the kepers with many promises to haue escaped out of the same Shortly after sir Robert Clifford trusting to find fauour grace at the kynges hande came to England of whose cōming when the kyng was certified he went streight to the towre of London there taryed tyll suche tyme the syr Robert Clyfford came whiche thyng he vsed vnder this pretence that yf sir Robert Clifford had accused any man to hym of the treason that then euerie suche person mighte bee called thether withoute anye suspectiō of anie euel and there streight to bee cast in holde but before I goo furder I wyll shewe the opinion that many men conceaued of the knightes goynge to Flaunders Some men helde this opinion that kyng Henrye dyd sende hym as a spye to Flaunders and therfore he came the soner into his fauoure Neuerthelesse this is not lyke to bee true by diuerse reasōs Fyrst that it tourned to the great infamye and hurt both of hym selfe and his frendes Secondarly that he was not in so greate fauoure with the kyng as he had ben in tymes past for because that he was giltie in that part Therfore the saied sir Robert now comming to the king after his retourne into England kneled mekelye downe at his feet and desired pardō of his grace and after that beyng enquired of the coniuration and examined who wer the authours of this mischiefe he pronounced saied that William Stāly whome the kynge made Earle was one of the chief when he had so saied the kyng was greatly dismayed greued that he should offend whō he had made chief of his priuie chamber considering also that he had founde great kindenes hertofore at his hande and that he dyd ouercome kyng Rychard chiefly by his helpe and meanes So that the kyng coulde not bee perswaded that he was any suche offender had not it bene shewed him after by manifest tokens and apparēt argumentes the it was true as he saied Whom the king thē caused to be taken and examined of the matter after the which examinacion he was proued to be an offender Then the kynge doubtynge what to dooe with him dyd consult and breath a lytle with him selfe for he feared that his brother lord Thomas by whom he had shewed great kyndnesse woulde take it greuously also yf he shoulde remitte that faulte other would abuse his lemtee and trespace more highly Albe it at the laste he wylled that he shoulde suffer for his offence and so caused hym to bee behedded The cause that their loue as mē reporte dyd chaunge into hatred was this The lorde Wylliā consideryng that he saued the kyng and brought hym to this realme to be gouernour thought he could neuer bee recompensed for hys
to mete theim commyng and to kepe theim purposely at Douer vntyll suche tyme that this busynesse were ended that they might not knowe of it in any wise And nowe the Cornyshemenne gooynge from Welles where they had theyr graunde capitayne lorde Audeley went to Saulisbury and froÌ„ thence to Wynchester and so to Kent where they looked for helpe but they were deceaued for the earle of Kent and the lorde of Burgone Poole the lorde Cobham Thomas Burcher Edwarde Ponyng Richard Gilforde Wyllyam Scotte Iames Cromer Ihon Peche Iohn Darel Henry Wyat Rychard Haulte Ihon Fogge and other were ready to withstande theyr power and to cause the people to beare trewe heartes to theyr kynge For the whiche many of the Cornyshe men faynted and had lesse mynde to fight and for feare fled priuely in the nyght from their compaignie But the captaynes perceauyng they coulde haue no helpe at theyr handes trusted to theyr owne power and brought theim to Blackeheath feld nigh London and there pytched theyr tentes in the playn to byd battail to the kyng if he would mete theim or els to inuade the cytie whome the kynge perceauyng to be there readye to fight he caused Henry Burschere erle of Essex Edmunde Polam erle of Suffolke and Richard Thomas three noble warryers to besiege theim on both sydes wyth two wynges and so came hym self in the myddest sendyng before Giles Dabeney with a greate power And after his commyng thus to the felde bothe the erles and Richard Thomas sette vpon theim violently and at the first brunt put theim to flight and killed aboute two thousande that resâ—sied and tooke prisoners more then could bee told and emonges theim the Captaynes which shortely after wer put to death But this Michael Ioseph was a maÌ„ of suche stoute courage valiauÌ„tnesse that he neuer fainted or once gaue backe vntyll such tyme he was stryken downe and kylled openly When this battaile was ended the kynge loste but thre hundreth in all his compaignye that wer kylled at that presente Also the prysoners that were taken he pardoned sauyng the captaynes and first autours of that mischief whose quarters he would haue to bee put on stakes and set in dyuerse places of Cornewell that theyr naughtie dooynges and foolishe entrepryses might bee a document for other hereafter to beware but because there were many of that couÌ„tree that would gladly haue renewed battaile yf they might haue had some Capitayn and that they wer nothyng abashed for the ouerthrowe of theyr late insurreccion he turned his mynd so that thei wer not had thither nor their quarters set vpoÌ„ any stakes there WheÌ„ this busines was in haÌ„d the kyng of Scottes being certified of it by certain spies thought best to inuade Englande againe and burned all the waye as he did before lest that the kyng should prouoke hym to it of force because he had dooen so muche hurte to it before and thus came to Durham and there burned all aboute entending also to wynne Norham Castle whiche the Bishoppe had furnished a litle before with menne and vitaile sufficiently so that he coulde haue none accesse into that castell And this was the bishop Foxe that was bishop of Exeter and for his godlines and verteouse liuing after that made bishoppe of Welles and Bathe Whiche bishop nowe being in this businesse certified the kyng of it in all the haste and also therle of Surrey that was then in Yorke shyre with a greate army of menne To whome the Erle came shortly after with his compaignye and after hym folowed other noble menne of all quarters euery one bringiÌ„g for his habilitee as many as he could to aide the bishop and fight in the defence quarell of theyr kyng And in this compaygnie was there many Lordes therle of Westmerland Thomas Dacres George Graunge Rafe Neuel Richard Latimer George Lumley Iohn Scroppe George Oglie Thomas Baron of Hilton Henry Clifford William Coyners Thomas Dercy Also knightes Sir william Percy and thre other of that name as Percy Bulmery Gascogne Penington Sir Rauffe Bigot Sir Rauffe Bowes Sir Rauffe Elaker Sir Thomas Appar Sir thomas Thwarton Sir Thomas Stranguishe Sir Ihon Constable Sir Ihon Ratcliffe Sir Ihon Sauell Sir Ihon Gouer Sir Musgraue Sir Iohn Waller Sir Iohn Aloder Sir Iohn Euerinham Sir Brian Stapelton Sir Thomas Vortell Sir Marduke Constable Sir Christopher Pikeringe Sir Christopher ward Sir Walter Stringlande Sir Roger BellinghaÌ„ Sir William Heron Sir Rauffe Graye Sir Nicholas Ridley Sir Walter Griffit Sir Ihon Heron Sir Rauffe feneuike Sir Thomas Graye Sir Christo Curwen Sir Robert Varcoppe Sir Rouland Tempest Sir Iames Medcalfe With many other Capitaynes althoughe not so noble in degree yet as valiaunte in martiall feactes and prowesses of warre The Scottes hearing of the Earle of Surrey that he was coÌ„ming and at hande with a greate power then beseging this forenamed Castell whiche they coulde by no meanes ouercome they fledde streighte backe to Scotlande whome the Earle folowed as longe as his vyttailles serued and after that returned backe to Durham theyr abiding vntyll such time he knewe furder of the kynges pleasure And in this meane space one Henrye Hailes was sente Ambassadoure frome Ferdinand vnto the kyng of Scottes for a generall peace to bee had with hym and the Kyng of Englande for he loued hym well and kyng Henrye also to whose soonne the younge Prynce Arthure he woulde haue geuen his doughter Ladye Katheryne in mariage that by affinytee and kyndered of blood their loue might continue for euer So this Henrye entreated hartelye the King of Scottes for a peace and when he had some hope in it he wrote vnto the kyng of Englande that it would please hym to sende one of his nobles to helpe to conclude this matter with hym and the Scottes The kyng because he had been in greate trouble and then veraye desierous of peace he sent the byshoppe of Durham to hym in all the haste So that this Henrye and the bishop reasoned with the Scottyshe ambassadours as concernyng this peace to be had albeit thei could not agree because that kyng Henrye desiered to haue Perkyn Warbecke that was the cause of all this busynes and had so greatly disquieted his realme whome the kyng woulde not delyuer although he might of ryghte consideryng his falsehode and deceyte that he had vsed with hym Therfore after that they had reasoned much of this matter could bring it to no ende yet a truce was taken for certain yeres of this condicion that the same Perkin Warbecke should bee conueyghed oute of Scotland not to tary there longer Whyle this was dooinge kyng Henry caused the Ambassadours of the Frenche kyng to bee brought to hym which as it is shewed before wer stopped at Douer of their iourney vntill suche tyme that the insurreccion of the Eornish men was ceassed and hearing that they came for a peace and league to bee made grauÌ„ted theim it right gladly So that nowe beiÌ„g reconciled with .ii.