woman and captiue to the kyng And the kyng sent her by and by accompanied with a goodly sort of matrons because she was so goodly a young woman to London to the quene as a true and sure token of vyctorie And whiles he taried there at Exeter supposyng with him selfe that he could haue no perfect victory vntyl he had gotteÌ„ Perkin him self which was the beginner of all this sedicion and strife sent forth two companies of menne to besiege the sanctuarye wher Perkin was that by no meanes he myght scape away and sent him worde also by certain trustie messengers that yf he would humblie submit him selfe he should be forgeuen of all that was committed Wherfore Perkin now seynge and ponderynge the state of miserie that he was in weÌ„t voluntarily out of the sanctuary and commytted hym selfe to the kynges pleasure Then was the kyng weray glad and toke his iourney immediatly after towarde London not without the great metyng of people whych came out of euery quarter to se this feloe as he were a monstre because he beyng but an aliente durst bee so bold to come in to this so noble a realme to make battaill and delude noble menne after suche a fassion But wheÌ„ the kyng was come to London he appointed certain menne to kepe hym bothe night daie verie vigilantly to th entent that he might neither conueigh hymself out of the lande ner goo any whether within this realme to make any like perturbacion and disquietnes After this the kyng perceiuyng the there were many as well in Somerset as in DeueÌ„shire whiche were helpers of the rebelles greatly bothe goyng foorth commyng homeward thought it good to punishe theim also least peraduenture thei might be the more bold to dooe a like thyng after And therfore he committed this busines to Amis Paulet knight and Robert Sherburne deane of Poules to be dooen Which in serchyng out all suche thoroweout bothe the shires wer verie exacte and diligent but thei wer fauorable to al such as did it for feare or compulsion Yet were thei to none so fauorable but thei were thought for their defaultes indifferently to be punished So that equitie therin was verie well executed In the same yere of a small matter befell greate strife betwene kyng Henry and Iames kyng of Scotlande whiche strife beganne of this fassion Certain younge menne of the Scottes came armed vnto Duresme castell beheld it wonderous circumspectly as though thei had been desierous to know what was there dooen But wheÌ„ the kepers of the castle could not perceaue that thei went aboute any hurte or displeasure seing theim go awaie of their owne accorde thei made no woordes but let theim alone But when thei came again the nexte daie vieued it likewise the kepers of the said castel demaunded of theim what was their intent Thei auÌ„swered theim like rude and vnmanerlie ientlemenne as frowardly as could bee thought in so muche that at the laste through muche altercacion of bothe parties thei fell together by the eares and there were some of the Scottes slain the residue put to flight Which wheÌ„ thei came home certified their kyng of thesame Wherwith he beyng sore moued to angre seÌ„t woorde to kyng Henry that he would wtout doubt reuenge his querell wherfore kyng HeÌ„ry being verie sorie not so much forfeare as for to liue in quietnes peace in his age made him auÌ„swere that it was not doeÌ„ through his default or couÌ„saill but rather by the rashenesse of his subiectes whiche if thei could bee ê“ued guiltie should be accordyng to the faulte punished Wherfore he desired him moste louingly to be coÌ„teÌ„ted But this was not hable to mitigate or swage the Scottes angre outrageousnesse For the whiche cause Richard bishop of Duresme whiche was more heuie then all other because his seruuÌ„ates were the beginners of this discord wrote many letters to kyng Iames to desire hym to kepe peace bee at quiet With the whiche letters the kynges rage was so quenched that he bothe sent verie kynd letters again to hym and desired hym hartely to come ouer and talke with hym Of the whiche tydynges the bishop was verie glad and went streight to kyng Henry to shewe hym the matter and had leaue of hym incontinenly to go ouer to hym When he came into ScotlaÌ„de he was receiued as louyngly as coulde bee thought of the kyng hymself at an abbey called Melrose and there after that he had complained muche of the crueltie that was vsed toward his menne here in EnglaÌ„de he beganne to commen secretly of other matters and especially of the amitie betwene kyng Henry and hym the whiche to bee for euer stablished and confirmed he desired that kinges doughter Margaret in mariage Of the whiche thyng albeit the bishop was glad in his heart yet he would make no perfect aunswere or sheweforth any sure hope of the same but saied that when he came home he would dooe the best in the matter that laie in hym Wherfore the kyng shortly after dimissed hym and desired hym ernestly to breake the same matter to kyng HeÌ„ry And wheÌ„ he was come home so he did and the proffer pleased the kyng verie well because he was a manne whiche was alwaies more delited with peace quietnes then with the troublesomnesse of battaill And now did approch the death of Perkin Warbeck and of Edwarde erle of Warwicke whiche had so long lyen all readie in the tower But PerkeÌ„ thought that he would saue hymself and therfore on a tyme he tooke his leggues and ranne awaie but so sone as the kyng harde tell therof he made menne after hym with all the spede the might bee with whose clamours and shoutes Perkyn was so feared that of necessitie he was compelled to go to an abbaie which was called BetheleÌ„ ther intreacted the abbot of the place to desire the kyng of his pardon that he might not dye Whiche thyng the abbot did for hym and obteined it Wherfore Perken was brought bounde feitered to Westminster and there stoode an whole daie in the sight of all menne to the great shame and reproche of hym self And after partely because the kyng had promised hym his life and partely because he should no more renne awaie he was coÌ„mitted to the towre Where his wickednes boylong so hote within his breit would not suffre hym to escape the veÌ„geauÌ„ce punishemeÌ„t of God but shortly after was moste iustly worthely put to deathe as herafter shal be shewed Then it chaunsed the a monke whose name was Patricke had a scholer whome he promised if he would folowe his counsaill should easely come to the kyngdome of Englande Whiche scholer when he had ones heard his maisters mynd was verie instaunte in the matter and desired his maister not to forget his purpose but rather begynne it as sone as was possible Wherfore when thei be twene theim selfes had taken deliberacion and counsailled of the thyng how it should be
people on bothe parties wer distressed and taken prisoners and aboue the nombre of thirty M. slaine In the .iiii. yere was Edmond de la Poole behedded and aboute the moneth of Auguste Syr Thomas Kneuet beynge chyefe capytaine of the kynges greate shippe called the regent and a few shyppes mo sette vpon a great Caricke and other shippes of the Frenche kyngs liyng then nere vnto a toune of Britaine named Brest where after a longe and cruell fight thesaide Caricke regent being clasped together with hookes and cheynes as the maner of fyghtinge vpon the see betwene enemies is sodeynly thesaied shippes with other were set on fyre and brent so feruently that before they mighte bee losed or disseuered the shippes with the men vpon bothe parties were consumed with violence therof so that fewe escaped whiche were of the poraill But thesaide sir Thomas Kneuet with many other gentlemen of this land and also of fraunce were brent on whose soules Iesu haue mereyt This yere also after haruest wheate roase sobeinly of pryce for where for the more parte of the yere it was not solde aboue sixe shilliÌ„ges .viii. d. a quarter After haruest for so muche as wheat was so sore blasted and striken was of so smal yelde it was solde for .xii. s. and .xiii. s .iiii. d. a quarter In the .v. yere the kyng besieged Turwin and discomfited the power of Fraunce at Boemy and tooke the citees of Turwyn and Turney But in the meane season the kyng of Scottes espiyng his tyme inuaded Englande with an hoste of an hundred thousande menne with whome the Earle of Surraye beynge the Kynges Leuetenaunte encountred and by the helpe of the Lorde Hawarde his soonne slewe the sayde kynge with a leuen Earles and wanne the felde For the whiche noble facte the kynge created hym afterwarde Duke of Norffolke and his soonne Earle of Surrey In the .vi. yere a peace was concluded betwene Englande and Fraunce And on saincte Denis daye the Frenche kyng maried the Lady Mary the kynges sister And he died on newe yeres daye after And therfore the kyng sente for her againe by the duke of Suffolke and other In this yere in the moneth of Februarye was borne Lady Mary the kynges doughter at Grenewiche In Aprill the Frenche Quene came in to Englande and was maryed to Lorde Charles duke of Suffolke This yere Ladye Margarete quene of Scottes and syster to the kynge fledde into Englande and laye at Harbottell And she was deliuered of a doughter named Margaret And came to London in Maye and taried there a hole yere In this yere was suche a froste that all menne myghte passe with cartes betwene Westmynster and Lambeth This yere on Maye euen was an insurreccyon of younge persones against Aliens of whiche diuers were put to execucion and the residue came to Westmynster Halle with halters aboute their neckes and were pardoned And the .xviii. daye of Mayeyquene of Scottes retourned into her countree againe This yere in Octobre the admiral of Fraunce came into England and Tourney was deliuered to the Frenche kyng In this yere at Frankforde Charles the fyfte was chosen Emperoure And the Earle of Surrey was sent to Ireland In this yere the kyng and the Frenche kynge met at the campe betwene Arde Guines where were greate triumphes And after the kynge and the Emperoure mette and the kyng went to Graueling with the Emperoure And the Emperoure came to Caleys with the kyng had greate chere and the kyng retourned This yere the duke of Buckyngham was beheaded at the toure hyll the .xvii. daye of Maye And in Iune the Cardinall weÌ„t to Calays to entreate a peace betwene themperoure the French kyng and â—aried there to Decembre without any thinge concluded This yere the fridaye before Penthecoste that is to wytt the sixte daye of Iune Charles the emperoure was honourably receiued into the Cytee of London of the Maire Aldermenne and cominaltye oure saied soueraigne Lorde accoÌ„paignieng hym And fro London he went to Windesore and sat in his stall of the Garter And from thens went to Hampton and sayled into Spaine Duringe whiche tyme the Earle of Surrey Lorde Admirall brent Morleys in Brytaine and after landed at Caleys and entred Picardye and brent tounes and castelles and besyeged Hesdyn but because of wynter he reysed his syege and retourned This somer the duke of Albany was entring England with a greate armye but when he heard that the Earle of Shrewisburye was comminge to fyghte with hym he tooke a truce for vi monethes In this .xiiii. yere Christian Kynge of Denmarke came into Englande in Iune Also the Earle of Surrey brent Iedworth and many other townes in Scotlande This yere also the Turke besieged the Rhodes and on Christmas daye he tooke it The Duke of Suffolke wente into Fraunce with ten thousand menne and passed the water of SomÌ„e withoute battayle and tooke and destroyed many townes and in Decembre retourned The same yere the duke of Albanye besieged the castell of Warke and hearing of therle of Surreys comming with a greate armye he cowardely sledde In the .xvi. yere there came oute of Scotlande the byshop of Dunkell and other ambassadours vnto that kynges maiestie And on saynt Mathews daye was the French kyng taken by themperour A mutyng in Norffolk and Suffolke for paymeÌ„t of mony A peas concluded betwene EnglaÌ„d and Fraunce And the French kyng was deliuered in Marche This yere was the coyne enhaunced In the .xviii. yeare the citee of Roome by the viceroy of Naples and the duke of Burbon the same dake beinge fyrste slaine was taken and almost distroied And ClemeÌ„t the .vii. than byshop of Rome diuers Cardinalles there found were taken and broughte in captiuitee and vnder the rule of Charles the Emperoure This yere also the Cardinall went into Fraunce with greate pompe In October the great master of Fraunce came to London with great triumphe In this xix yere was the sweatyng sickenesse for the which cause ther was no watch at midsomer In the .xx. yere was the Cardinall deposed of the chauncellourshyp and a peace betwene the Emperour and the kyng concluded In the .xxi. yere was holden a parlyament wher was refourmed diuerse enormitees of the clargye In the .xxii. yere was a man boyled in Smith feeld for poysoning The cardinal dyed on saynct Andrewes euen In the .xxiii. yere Gryffeth Rice was behedded for treason In October the kyng wente ouer the sea and met the Frenche kyng at Caleis In the .xxv. yere in Apryll was a Nonne called the holy mayde of Kent ii Monkes and two Freers hanged and behedded for treasoÌ„ blasphemye and ypocrysie This yere a peace was concluded wyth Scotlande In this xxvi yere was holden a Parlyamente at Westminster wherin emong other moost godly and necessary statutes it was ther decreed and enacted that the kynges maiestie should be from thensforth
stone That Wynchester is nowe a towne full mery Caire Paladoure that nowe is Shaftesbury Where an Engel spake syttyng on the wall Whyle it was in workyng ouer 〈◊〉 ¶ In whiche citees he made then temples three And flaumes also as nowe these bishoppes been To kepe the rites after their moralytee Of there goddes as in there bookes was seen Of their fals lawes as thei dyd meen When he had reigned by thyrtye yere and nyne The dulful death made hym to earth enclyne The .xxv. Chapiter ¶ Bladud kynge of Britayne had Logres and Albany He made an vniuersitee and a study at Stamforde a flaume and his temple at Bathe his citee whiche vniuersitee dured to the commyng of saynt Augustyne and the byshoppe of Roome enterdited it for heresyes that fell emong the Saxones and the Britons together mixte BLadud his soÌ„ne sone after hym did succede And reigned after then full .xx. yere Cair Bladud so that now is Bath I rede He made anone the hote bathes there infere When at Athenes he had studied clere He brought with hym .iiii. philosophiers wise Schole to holde in Brytayne and exercyse ¶ StaÌ„forde he made that SaÌ„forde hight this daye In whiche he made an vniuersitee His philosophiers as Merlyn doth saye Had scolers fele of greate habilitee Studyng euer alwaye in vnitee In all the seuen liberall science For to purchace wysedome and sapience ¶ In cair bla 〈…〉 m he made a temple right And sette a flamyne theirin to gouerne And afterward a* Fetherham he dight To flye with wynges as he could beest descerne Aboue the aire nothyng hym to werne He flyed on high to the temple Apolyne And ther brake his necke for al his great doctrine The .xxvi. Chapiter ¶ Kyng Leyr of Brytaine gaue away with his doughter all his lande and had it all again and dyed kyng possessid HIs sooÌ„ne was kyng high sette in royaltee Of all Brytaynes by name that hight kyng Leyr Who Laiceter made after hym called to bee Cair Leyr his citee that buylded was full faire He had doughters three to been his heire The first of theim was called Gonorelle The next Ragan and the youngest Cordelle ¶ Emonges theim as Leyr satte on a daye He asked theim howe muche thei hym loued Gonorell saied more then my self ay And Ragan saied more then was after prouid For ioye of whiche the kyng was greately moued I loue you more then all this worlde so fayre He grauÌ„ted theim twoo of thre partes to bee heire ¶ Cordell the youÌ„gest then saied full soberly Father as muche as ye been in value So muche I loue you and shall sikirly At all my might and all my herte full trewe With that he greuid at hir and chaunged hewe Senne thou me loues lesse then thy sisters twain The leest porcion shalt thou haue of Bryteine ¶ With that Maglayn duke of Albaine Gonorell weddid and had the lande all out Euin of Walis and of Cornwayle ther by That duke was of those twoo landes stoute Ragan weddid to whiche twoo dukes no doubte Kyng Leyr gaue rule and gouernaunce Of all Bryteine for age and none puissaunce The .xxvii. Chapiter ¶ Howe Leyr made a temple and a Flamyne to rule at all Laiceter A Temple that in his citee of Kaireleir A Flamyne also as he a bishop were In name of Ianus the folke into repere And then he wente Gonorell to requier Of the greate loue that she aught hym so dere That of hir promyse she failed vnkyndly Wherfore he wente vnto Ragan in hye ¶ She failed also for all hir greate promyse And to Cordell that weddid was into Fraunce Long after that he wente in greate distres To helpe to wynne hym his inheritaunce She succurred hym anon with all plesaunce Bothe with gold syluer of right greate quaÌ„titee To gette his lande again in all suertee ¶ Aganippe hir lorde was kyng of Fraunce That graunt hym menne and goud sufficient And sent his wife with hym with greate puisauÌ„ce With all aray that to hir wer apent His heire to been by their bothes assent For he was olde and might not well trauell In his persone the warres to preuaile ¶ Kyng Leyr thus waÌ„ne his lande with all might again And riegned well there after full thre yere And died so buried at Kairleir menne sayn In Ianus temple in whiche tyme for age clere The kyng of Fraunce Aganype infere Dyed wherfore Cordell his ayre was soo To rule Brytaine alone with outen moo The .xxviii. Chapiter ¶ Howe Cordell quene of Fraunce and doughter of kyng Leyr reigned after the death of hir father COrdell quene of FrauÌ„ce and doughter to kyng Leyr Quene of EnglaÌ„de after hir fathers daye Fiue yeres reigned as for hir fathers heyre And gouerned well the realme all menne to paye His sister soonne then Morgan of Albanie And Condage also of Cambre and Cornewaile In battaill greate hir tooke and putte in baill ¶ For sorow then she sleugh hir selfe for tene And buried was by side hir father right In Ianus teÌ„ple whiche kyng Leyr made I went At Kairleyr so that nowe Laicester hight Thus died this quene that was of muche might Hir soule went to Ianus whome she serued And to Mynerue whose loue she had deserued The .xxix. Chapiter ¶ Morgan kyng of Albanie that claâ—nyd all Briteyne but this Isle of Britayne was departed for this kyng had but Albany MOrgan that eldest sooÌ„ne of Dame Gonorell Clamed Brytein as for his heritage Warred sone of Condage as I spell That kyng was of Cambre in younge age Duke of Cornewaile also for his homage But this kyng Morgan was kyng of Albany Soonne and heire of the eldest soonne varelie ¶ CoÌ„dage was kyng of CaÌ„bre that Walis is nowe And duke of Cornewaile his patrimonye Claymed Logres as soonne and heire to Regawe The myddill sister for his mothers proprete As she that aught to haue hir partourye At Glomorgane with Morgan did he meete In bataill sleugh hym there casten vnder fete The .xxx. Chapiter ¶ Condage kyng of Logres Cambre and duke of Cornewaile gatte all Bryteine againe and made a temple with a Flamyne at Bangor COndage was kyng of all greate Britaine And in his hande he seased all Albanie For his eschete that ought to hym againe Resorte of right and returne verelye He made a Flamyne a temple also in hye Of Mars at Perch that nowe his s Iohns towne In Albany that now is Scotlande region ¶ He made another temple of Mynerue In Cambre which now is named bangour The thyrde he made in Cornwayle for to serue Of Mercury in place where he was bore For his people to serue the goddes there Wherby he reygned .xxx. yere and three In rest and peace and all tranquilitee ¶ Ryueall his sonne that was pacificall Crowned was than easye of gouernaile In whose tyme the greate tempest dyd befall That dayes thre the flyes did hym assayle Enuenoned foule vnto the death
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
with greate disoayne And slewe them downe in batayle with great payne For whiche therle Edryk sent to kyng Knowte To Englande to come with hoost great and stout ¶ This ylke kyng knowte that sonne was to kyng Swain To England cam with host great power Whome Ethylrede then met and faught agayne In batayle stronge droue him home full clere With whome Edryk then fled as dyd apere Into Denmarke as a false traytoure vntrewe Purposyng so to come agayne all newe But kyng Ethelred in the meane tyme then dyed The yere of Chryste a thousande and thyrtene And reygned had as Colman notifyed Thyrtie and eyght in warre and intene Euer ne we and newe vexed as was sene His owne lande fled for drede of en myte Without socoure fro it he was fayne to flee ¶ Thus was he chastysed for his mothers gylt Accordyng well to holy trewe scrypture For cause that she his brother had slain spylt And lyke the wordes of saynt Dunstane full sure That sayde it was a punishyng full pure Oute of the realme to be dryuen and expelled In whiche by syn he had so hye excelled The C .xvii. Chapiter EDmond Ironeside goteÌ„ generate Of his first wife a dukes doughter of EnglaÌ„d After Ethelrede his father was ê“rogate Vnto the crowne of all this royall lande Men called hym so as I can vnderstande Where euer he rode armed was he ay Oppressours all to chastyce in his waye ¶ Kno wt of Denmarke assayled ofte this lande So in this tyme that euer he armed went To vse the feate of armes I vnderstande As to knyghthode full well it dyd appent Thus Colman sayth and Flores that he ment But syxe batayles agayne kyng Kno wt he smote With victorye as Flores hath it note ¶ But then to voyde the greate effusyon Of chrysten bloude they two together accorde To fyght them selfe for full conclusyon Within an yke of Seuerne by concorde Withouten warre or any more discorde And who so then myghte get the victorye Reioyse the realme and all the monarchye ¶ And at theyr daye and place so assygned They armed met with strokes knyghly set With speare and swerd eyther other so repugned With axe and dagger eyther on other bette Eyther of them tryste the ouerhande to gette But at laste kyng Kno wt to hym alayde These wordes there and thus to hym he sayde ¶ Wolde god Edmonde thou were so couetouse As I am nowe and as myne herte now wolde And in this case as glad and desyrous We shulde not longe this batayle thus holde And to our men great gladnesse manifolde Yf thou the halfe of Denmarke had with me And I the halfe of Englande had with the. With whiche they both the wepons fro theÌ„ caste And eyther other in armes gan them embrace That both theyr hostes amarueled were ful faste What it dyd meane to ceasse in so lytell space But when they knewe betwne them the case They kneled all and Chryste they laudifyed With herte deuoute the eche of them so victoryed ¶ Their realmes both they parted then in two By hole accorde betwene them so concorded And loued euer as brethren after so As chronycles haue well hole recorded Fro that tyme forth no more then they discorded This ysle where they faught hyght Clyues Of coÌ„mon langage as then it dyd them please ¶ But Edryk of Lyncolne euer vntrewe Reconsyled home by Edmonde was agayne By subtyll meane this good king Edmond slewe In pryde wyse without wounde or mayne But in what fourme I can not wryte nor sayne When he had reygned that tyme fully .iii. yere Buryed he was but where no man durste spere ¶ But in the yere of Chryste a thousande so He dyed awaye accompte and syxtene Vnknowen to his people and Lordes tho For whom they made great dole as theÌ„ was seen But neuerthelesse it myght no better bene This false Edryk so falsely it couered That openly it was not then discouered The C .xviii. Chapiter KYng Kno wt reigned in EnglaÌ„d theÌ„ anon And wedded had quene Eme of England Ethelrede wife which gate him loue anon In Englande of all the estates of the londe Of coÌ„mons also that were both fre and bonde On her he gate a sonne that harde Kno wt hight On his fyrste wyfe had Swayne Herold ryght ¶ He sent Edmonde and Edwarde that sonnes two Of EdmoÌ„d Ironeside to Swithen to kiÌ„g Kno wt To slee or lowse to kepe in pouerte so That they should neuer haue power in nor oute To claime England neyther with hoost ne route Whome he sent forth then into Hungry To the emperoure with letters worthely ¶ Besechyng hym to noryshe them and saue Declaryng hym whose sonnes that they were The whiche he dyd full worthy and gaue Vnto Edmonde his owne doughter dere Whiche Edmonde then dyed and she in fere Without chylde wherfore Agas his coosyn Doughter of Herry he gaue to Edwarde fyne ¶ Of whiche Edwarde called Edwarde thexylâ— Came Edgare then called Edgar Athelyng But Kno wt it let hym self then crounyng That to London to hold his Christmas With his houshold went then with greate solas ¶ Wher erle Edrik to kyng Kno wt hym coÌ„fessed That he had slain kyng Edmond Ironeside His owne leege lorde with cruell death impressed To gette his loue and with hym dwell and bide For vnlikely it was to goo or ride Twoo kynges together in Englande He saied was not accordyng in the land ¶ The kyng his woordes well herd and coÌ„ceiued And howe he asked a reward for his mede There made hym tell howe he his lorde disceiued Afore the lordes as he had dooen in deed The whiche boldely he did without dreed Hauyng no shame to aske a greate reward For whiche the kyng lordes gaue whole award ¶ To hang hym on the toure duryng his liue To he were dedde that all folke might hym se And his treson there openly to shriue And after that to hang there till he dye For whom then was emong the commons truily A greate biworde as many one that woundre roÌ„ne As did on therle Edryke of Strettoun ¶ The kyng went to Norway and it conquered And droue the kyng O 〈…〉 f out of that land And held it so by conquest of his swerd Full worthily he gouerned euery land To peace and lawe he kept theim as he faund And in his domes was rightwyse and stable And to the poore alway merciable ¶ Kyng Malcom of Scotland theÌ„ did homage To hym and furth became for euer his manne So did the kynges of Wales of hye parage And all the North West Occian For their kyngdonies and for their landes than And in his tyme moste he was redoubted Of all princes and in all londes loaued ¶ To Roome he rode in royall goodly wyse And there was with the bishop greately commed As Christen prince by papall whole aduise The cardynalles foure whiche the bishop had sed At Malburgate foure mile fro Roome extende With
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
his doughter had wed And his treason perdoned had and hyd Of his brothers death when that he murthered had Whom then the kyng Somond coÌ„maunde bid Vpon his legeaunce whatsoeuer betid For to aunswer in his courte and amende Defautes all betwene theim might be kende ¶ At whose summons he would not then apeare But warred sore both he and his sonnes fyue For whiche the kyng theim exiled out all clere But after they landed and did aryue At Sandwiche so the kyng theim met belyue Where lordes then theim treated and accorded And afterwarde nomore they discorded The C .xx. Chapiter ¶ Howe Sywarde duke of Northumberlande slewe in battayle Maclom kyng of Scotlande and crowned Malclome kyng at Scome accordyng to saynt Edwarde the confessoures commaundement whiche Malclome did homage to saynt Edwarde as apeareth by his letters patent DVke Siwarde then was of NorthuÌ„berlaÌ„d In batayle slewe kyng Maclom so in dede Of Scotlande then that false was of his baÌ„d Whiche to the kyng he made who taketh hede Wherfore the kyng in Marian as I reade By his letters charged duke Siward take on haÌ„d To croune Malcolin that was of Comberland ¶ The whyche he dyd full myghtely anon At Skone abbey wher kynges were all crouned Vpon his hed he set the crowne anone And toke homage of hym vpon the grounde In Edwardes name as he of right was bounde For that ylke realme and as his elders dyd Suche fortune then to Englande was betid ¶ The kyng Gryffyn of Wales then was slayn That Herford shire spoyled had and brent His hed set vp at Gloucester full playne For his vntruthe and falshed that he ment And sone therafter his brothers hed was sent Vnto the kyng for his rebellion So wer they both foringed for treason ¶ And as kyng Edward in his palayce of pride Duke Goodwyne then sittyng at his table Sawe the butler on his one fote slyde And lyke to fall that other fote full stable As he was seruyng the kyng at his table Then held hym vp that he fell not to grounde Kyng Edward sayd to Gudwyn in that stounde ¶ As his one fote ye se helpe that other Full well and trewe I fynde it dayly nowe Had ye ne bene thus had helpe me my brother Th erle then to the kyng on side gan bowe And sayd if I wer cause I praye God nowe This breade passe not my throte but dead I bee And straungled here anone that ye maye see ¶ At his prayer anone with that he died For with that breade straungled was he that stound It might not passe his throte as men espied Wherfore the kyng then bad drawe out that hounde Vnder the boorde as he that false was founde On whome God shewed an hasty iudgement Approued well by good experiment ¶ Wher Herolde had therle Algare exiled Fro Leycestre where erle he was so then The kyng Eward agayn hym reconsiled And perdoned hym and toke hym for his man Of Couentre as Flores tell it can The lord he was and there thabbey founde And buried there is with his wyfe that stound ¶ This Algare was the sonne of erle Leofryke Whiche Leofrike was the duke Lofwynes sonne That erles had been there none afore theim like But duke Siwarde as he did wonne Syckenesse hym tooke and sore vpon hym ronne In whiche he dyd hym arme in all degree And had his axe in hand full lyke to dye ¶ He sayd vnto the lordes then hym about Thus semeth well in armes a knight to dye And not in bed to lye loure and loute Tyll death hym kyll with paynes cruelly As would God here were my moste enemye That I myght dye vpon hym nowe in right In armes thus arayed like a knight ¶ With that he died for paynes that he felt Vpon his fete standynge in that arays And shoke his axe while that his hert gan swelt And to the ground he fell in that afraye Who buried was at saynt Marie abbeye At Yorke citee with worshyp and honoure As likely was for suche a gouernoure ¶ The kyng Edward the duke of NorthuÌ„berlaÌ„d To Tosty gaue the sonne of duke Goodwyn Vnder the name of erle as Flores doth vnderstaÌ„d After whiche tyme all haue been erles syne With landes and rentes both fayre and fyne Whiche estate suffice for princes ben both two In euery lande accompted where they go ¶ He disherited erle Waldyue his owne sonne Who erle was then create of Huntyngdon Of Northampton also as chronicles tell can A worthy prince of all this region That rule a realme coulde well then by reason Another prince was Loafrike that daye Erle of Leycestre and Couentry no naye ¶ Whiche Loefrike had a wyfe that Godiue hight That naked throughout all Couentree The tolles sore and seruage agayn right To redeme hole of her femynitee She in her heare hangyng beneth her knee Vpon a daye rode so through all the towne To bye it free by her redempcion ¶ For otherwise therle would not it free But yf that she rode naked through all the towne Vpon the daye that all men might her see Trustyng she would not for no waryson Haue doen it so by suche redempcion But thus by witte she kept her selfe vnshamed And freed the towne worthy was he blamed ¶ Kyng Edwarde sente then into Hungary For his cousyn the sonne of Emond Ironesyde Themperoure sent hym Edwarde gladly His brother sonne and folke with hym to ryde His sonne Edwarde Athelyng by his syde Margarete and eke Christine his doughter dere Whiche kyng Edward receyued with good chere ¶ He maried Margarete mighty with great riches To kyng Malcolyne of Scotland was that daye That on her gatte fiue sonnes of great noblinesse Edwarde Dunkan Edgare Alixander the gaye And Dauid also that kynges were all no naye Eche after other of Scotlande throughout Whose mother is now S. Margrete wtout doute ¶ At Dumfermlyn shryned and canonized On whom Malcolyne a doughter gate also Kyng Henryes wife the first full wel auised Quene Mawd that hight that well loued EnglaÌ„de tho These crosses fayre and roiall as menne goo Through all Englande she made at hic expense And dyuerse good orders throwe his prouidence ¶ Another sustre this same saint Margarete had That Christine hight kyng Edwarde theÌ„ ê“fessed In religion to lyue she was full glad To holy lyfe disposed and adressed An holy woman of lyfe and of god blessed Who at hir death hir soule then vncouered And to our lorde full mekely so it offred ¶ In his forest as he pursued a dere In Essex a palmer with hym met Askyng hym good whome gladly he dyd here He claue his ryng and in sonder it bette The halfe of whiche he gaue without lette To the Palmer that went awaye anone That other good to geue hym there had he none ¶ But after that full longe and many a daye Two pylgrames came vnto that noble kynge And sayde saint Iohn thappostell in pore araye Vs prayed and bad straytly aboue
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
ladyes many were drowned as was sene And then the kyng wed Hadelyse the quene The duke Godfrey daughter that was of Loreyne Of his mournyng to comforte him agayne ¶ And in the yere a thousande fully accompte And an C. twenty and also fyue Themperour Henry the death surmounte And passed to God fro Maude that was his wife Who to her father king Henry came belyfe Abode with hym in Englande then â–ª two yere Maude Empryce was called then full clere ¶ And in the yere of Chrystes incarnacyon A thousande was an C. twenty and seuen When kyng Henry in greate prosperacyon His doughter Maude thempryce to neuen The earle Geffrey Plantagenet euen Earle of Angeou the sone of Fowke Tailboys So maryed had of fame that had the voyce ¶ On whome he gate a sonne that Henry hyght By surname called Henry fitz Empryce Then dyed his eme Alexaunder forth ryghte The kyng of Scottes a priÌ„ce of great enterpryce That homage dyd for Scotlande as suffyce So dyed then to whome Dauyd succede His brother was saint Margarete sonne in dede ¶ That to kyng Henry made his homage And then to Maude the foresayde Empryce By hole assent of all his Baronage By letter wryten and sealed as maye suffyce which Iohn HardiÌ„g in Scotland brought of pÌ„ce with many mo for foure C. marke and fyftye At biddiÌ„g coÌ„maundement of the with king Henry ¶ Cadwalan prynce of Wales at Wadeyet In batayle faught where kyng Henry him slewe And greate people of Wales that there forset Were slayne that daye to hym that were vntrewe Of whiche batayl Wales maye alway rewe The yere a thousande an C. and thyrtye And there tyll two as made is memorye ¶ Then went the kyng to Normandye agayne And there abode and kepte all Normandy To tyme he dyed of whome that lande was fayne But Englande then of it was full heuy When he had reygned so full worthy He dyed in the syxe and thyrtye yere At Boys Leon of his reygne then full clere ¶ Of Chrystes date was then a thousande yere An hundreth also and. ix and thyrtye moo Buryed at Redynge as well it doth appere In the abbaye whiche there he founded so Of monkes blake where euer they ryde or goo That pray for hym for quene Maude his wyfe Who eyther other loued withouten stryfe The C .xxvii. Chapiter ¶ Stephan of Bloys kynge of Englande reygned .xix. yere beganne the yere of Chryst a thousande C. and. xxxix and dyed in the yere a thousande C .lviii. STephaÌ„ of Blois his sister soÌ„ne was crouÌ„d A manly maÌ„ was theÌ„ of great power And king was made of England that stound Withoute stryfe or any maner warre To Normandy he went and seazed all there and gaue it to his sonne syr Eustace And made hym duke therof with great solace ¶ Thus Eustace then duke of Normandy To Parys went to kyng lewys of Fraunce His homage made for his lande so in hye And put oute then with greate contraryaunce The offycers that dyd to Maude pleasaunce And wed the suster of kyng Lewes to wife For supowaill of it without strife ¶ The kyng StephaÌ„ to EnglaÌ„d theÌ„ home came And tidynges had howe kyng Dauid had distroied The North parties dooen full muche harme Wherfore he brent Edenburgh then and noyed And the countree aboute he sore accloyed For wiche Dauid his soonne to Henry then sent To bee his manne thens furth at his entent ¶ To whome kyng Stephan therldoÌ„ of HuÌ„tyngton Then gaue and erle therof hym so create Who then for it by verey due reason His homage did as it was ordinate Whiche HeÌ„ry dyed and neuer had kynges estate For whiche the Scottes seyn thei owe no seruice To Englishe kynges but onely of this wise ¶ Kyng Stephan then bet the castell doune In England so that stode hym to defence His menne thei gaue to their enheritesoun And all foon for cause of their offence He disherite with might violence Diuers erles and lordes he disherite And many other of his frendes enherite ¶ The yere of Christ a thousand was then gone An hundred thirty and eight also Kyng Stephan brake all his othes a none That he had made vnto the barons tho For whiche thei rose full sore again hym so And warred hym felly on euery side And he on them also with mikyl pryde ¶ The yere a thousande an C. thyrty and nyne Maude Empryce in England claymed her right With earle Robert of Gloucestre her brother fine And earle Randolf of Chester with all his might Syr Bygot earle of Northfolke then hyght Awbrey Ver then earle of Oxenforde And Willyam Bawne that then was earle of Herforde ¶ Willyam Legroos earle of Almarle tho Robert Louell Willyam lorde Percy Kyng Dauyd her eine and many other mo Of earls and barons that were full hardy The castell then Lyncolne gate on hye The cytee helde of Lyncolne with also With hoste full greate lyggyng with them so ¶ Where then the kyng yâ— castell seged longe Tyll he it had by treaty and conuencyon And bode therin with power greate and stronge Tyll Maude and he as made is mencyon With stronge batayles and great discencyon Besyde Lyncolne where then she had the felde And StephaÌ„ taken hurt sore through his sheld To Brystowe then earle Roberte Clare hym led And in the towre there kepte in stronge pryson The Empryce Mawde with power that she had To Wynchester then she rode segyng the towne Where the quene Maude as made is mencyon Kyng StephaÌ„ his wyfe it rescowed with batayl sore And toke the earle Clare his eme thore The C .xxviij. Chapiter ¶ Thenterchaunge of kyng Stephan and of tht duke Robert Clare duke of Glocester FOr which cause theÌ„ to haue hir eme again Themperesse and quene Maude accordid To enterchaunge that kyng so then full fain For erle Robert without more concordid This enterchaunge thus made and recordid The kyng hir sued vnto Oxenford Fro whens she went by night to Walyngford ¶ Vpon the frost in the wynter season In her smocke alone with hir vncle dere That none hir knewe of theim without the towne So like hir smocke and the snowe was in feer The kyng knewe not in what place that she wer For Oxenford he gate and Awbray slewe Of Oxenford that was an erle full trewe ¶ The kyng Stephan a castell then began At Wilton where kyng Dauid with power And erle Robert of Glocester that was then Hym droue awaye out of that place full clere And bet it downe to the ground full nere To Walyngford the kyng with power went Themperesse to sech was his entent ¶ Hir partie then droue hym then awaye With greate slaughter of menne and occâ—sion And euery lorde on other made greate affraye And spoyled other through al this region By greate impression and cruell sore raunson The kyng treated with erle Randolf full trewe But false then was his treaty as menne knewe ¶ For when
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
enquired At Westmynster buried in royall wyse As to suche a prince of reason ought suffice ¶ Who was the first of Englyshe nacion That euer had right vnto the croune of Fraunce By succession of bloode and generacion Of his mother without variaunce The whiche me thynketh should be of moste substaūce For Christ was kyng by his mother of Iudee Whiche sykerer side is ay as thynketh me ¶ And of his pedegre vnto the croune of Fraūce With his bloode wherof he is discent Within this booke without any varyaunce Mencion is made only to this entente That reders by all good auysemente The title of his right and heritage May well conceyue and haue therof knowlage The C .lxxxviii. Chapiter ¶ Richarde the seconde kyng of Englande and of Fraunce began to reigne the yere a thousand thre hundreth .lxxvii. and was deposed by parliamente in the yere a. M CCC .cxix. and the .xxii. yere of his reygne RIchard his heyre that sōne of prīce Edward Crowned was then with all solempnitee By all the lordes and barons hole award Obeying hole vnto his maiestee Who that tyme was in tendre iuuensee Of eleuen yere fully accompted of age When he had so his croune and heritage ¶ And kyng was called of Englāde of Fraūce In Iune the .xxii. daye full clene Of Christes death without variaunce A thousande was thre hundreth sixty to neuen And .xvii. yere therwith to beleuen When the two realmes fell to hym by discente As nexte heyre to kyng Edwarde thexellent ¶ And in the yere a thousande thre hundreth mo Sixty adioynt and therwith all nynetene The thyrde pestilence reigned in Englande so So sore that moste parte of the people clene Dyed awaye as through the realme was sene And of his reignes of Eglande and of Fraunce The thyrde yere was by very remembraunce ¶ And of his reigne in Iune then the .v. yere And of our Lorde a thousande then accompted Thre hundreth eke .iiii. score and one full clere The commons rose an hūdreth thousād amoūted Of Kent and Essex whiche that tyme surmounted The kynges power and all the hie estates For whiche the lordes fled then as exulates ¶ And lefte the kyng alone then in the toure With tharchbyshop of Cauntorbury there so And the priour to been his gouernoure Of Clerken well whiche the commons heded tho And brought the kyng forth with theim to go They asked hym all bondmen to bee free And taxe none euer after payed to bee ¶ They asked eke Iake Strawe Wat Tiler To bee made dukes of Essex and Kente To rule the kyng thens forth in peace and warre For they bee wyse of royall regiment Thus tolde they the kyng all theyr entent The whiche he graunte in all thyng by and by For he durste no poynt then theim denye ¶ Afore Iake Strawe that kyng thē stode hodlesse Of which Walworth the Mayre of Londō trewe Areasoned hym then of his greate lewdenesse With a dagger in Smythfelde then hym slewe The citezens with hym then strongly drewe And slewe theim downe and put theim to flight And brought the kyng into the citee right ¶ The cōmons brent the Sauoye a place fayre For eiuill wyll they had vnto duke Iohn Wherfore he fled northwarde in great dispayre Into Scotlande for socoure had he none In Englande then to whō he durste make moone And there abode tyll commons all were ceased In England hole and all the lande well peased ¶ The .xx. daye of Maye nexte folowyng And one therwith as calculers it knowe The date of Christ a thousande then beynge Thre hundreth also foure score two on rowe Th earth quake was whiche that tyme I sawe That castelles walles toures and steples fyll Houses and trees and cragges fro the hyll ¶ And in the yere afore kyng Richarde wed Quene Anne vpon saynt Agnes day that floure That doughter was as I haue sene and red Vnto the kyng of Beeme and Emperoure And suster also vnto his successoure Themperour of Rome that Segemond hight Who to kyng Henry in Englāde came full right The C .lxxxix. Chapiter ¶ Howe kyng Richard wente into Scotlande in the yere a thousande three hundreth and .lxxxvi. and in his reygne the .x. yere and howe he create two dukes of Yorke and of Gloucestre ANd in the yere of Christ a thousande so Thre hūdreth also foure score .vi. ther tyl And of his reigne the .x. yere and mo The kyng Richard with hoste went at his wyl In to Scotlande his corage to fulfyll To Edinburgh and brent the lande also Without lettyng there of any foo ¶ At London so then at his parlyament He made therle of Cambrydge his vncle dere The duke of Yorke to be incontynent And so he was proclaymed there full clere That Edmonde hyght of Langley of good chere Glad and mery and of his owne ay lyued Without wronge as chronicles haue breued When all the lordes to councell and parlyament Went he wolde to hunte and also to hawekyng All gentyll disporte as to a lorde appent He vsed aye and to the pore supportyng Where euer he was in any place bidyng Without suppryse or any extorcyon Of the porayle or any oppressyon ¶ He made also the earle of Bokyngham Thomas Wodstoke that same daye and create His other vncle duke of Gloucester by name Proclaymed hole and so denominate With his brother to be consociate The foxe tayle he bare ay on his spere Where he so rode in peace or elles in warre ¶ The kyng then made that duke of yorke by name Maister of the mewhouse his haukes fayre Of his venery and mayster of his game In what countree he dyd repeyre Which was to hym without any dispeyre Well more comforte and great gladnesse Then bene a lorde of worldly greate rychesse ¶ His vncle Thomas the duke then of Gloucester And wed the doughter then of therle of Herforth By whiche he had by writyng by letter The Constablery of Englande then ay forth Both by South Est West and North By herytage of his wyues lande and ryght Of auncyent tyme by kynges graunt hyght ¶ And in the yere of kyng Richarde elleuen The duke Thomas that was of Gloucester Henry the earle of Derby dyd beleuen With hym by worde and also by his letter The earle Marshall did so then for the better Th erle Beanchampe of Warwyk by his name Of Arundell the earle dyd the same ¶ These lordes fyue together boldely sworne Agayne Robert Veer then duke of Irelande The kinges pleasure one of age both like borne Whom he loued moste as they could vnderstand With batayl stronge at Rotcot bryge toke on hād To fyght with hym where then he fled awaye Ouer Thamis without retourne for ay The C .xc. Chapiter ¶ Of the great parlyament where the fyue lordes foriuged that duke of Irelande and his compeers AT Lenton nexte accompted in the yere At London then the king set his parliamēt At westminster to hold
At Agyncourt so homeward in his waye The nobles there of FrauÌ„ce afore him weÌ„ Proudly battailled with an huÌ„dred thousaÌ„d in araie He sawe he must nedes with theim make afraye He sette on theim and with theim faught full sore With nyne thousand no more with hym thore ¶ The feld he had and held it all that night But then came woorde of hoste and enemies For whiche thei slewe all prisoners doune right Sauf dukes and erles in fell and cruell wise And then the prees of enimies did supprise Their owne people that mo were dede through pres Then our menne might haue slain that tyme no lese ¶ On our side was the duke of Yorke ther slain Th erle also of Suffolke worshipfully And knightes twoo with other then soth to sain And at the siege therle of Suffolke sothely The father dyed of the flixe contynually But mikell folke at that siege yet dyed Of frute and flixe and colde were mortified ¶ On that FreÌ„ch partie that dukes of Barre Lorein And of Alaunson in battaill ther were dedde And take were of Christeans in certain The duke Lewes of Orliaunce their hedde The duke of Burbone in that stede Th erle of Vendom and Arthure also of Brytain And sir Bursigaloâ— marshall of Fraunce certain ¶ And therle of Ewe was taken ther also Fyue barons also that were at their baner And fiftene hundred knightes and squyers mo Were sâ—ain that daye in full knightely maner With woundes so as then did apere As werres would vpon Chrispyn daye And Chrispynian that sainctes in blisse been aye The CC .xv. Chapiter ¶ Howe themperour and the duke of Holand came to the kyng the CouÌ„te palatine the duke of Melayn the marquys Farrar the lorde Mantowe and the marques Mount Ferrete the lorde MouÌ„t Palestrine came with themperour the same tyme and the duke Bauers and Embeir and the prince of Orenge also AND in the yere of Christ a thousand clere Foure hundred also therwithall fiftene When this battaill was smiten as dooth apere In the third yere of his reigne as was seen To Caleice so he came and home bee dene With themperour of Roome sir Sigemond Vnto hym came then in to England ground ¶ With a thousand meÌ„ne that were full clene araied The duke of Melayn the counte Palatyne The marques Ferrer that lord Mantowe wel apayed The couÌ„te Carmeler the counte Palestryne With many lordes of the water of the Ryne And of the Garter was made the secondarye And in it stalled for he would not varye ¶ The duke of Holand then by sea came With .lx. shippes in Thamis that did aryue And to the kyng he went vnto lambe To Themperoure after he went belyue As chronycles then did discryue Then was he made knight of the Garter At his desyre as sayth the chronicler The CC .xvi. Chapiter ¶ Of the battayle of Sayne of the carykes there taken in the sea afore the mouth of Sayne THe kyng sent then that duke vnto the sea Of Bedforde that with four huÌ„dreth sayles To vitayl Hareâ—lete with therle of Marche no lee Th erle Marshall without any fayles With therles armed in plate and mayles Of Orenforde Warrewike and Huntyngdon Of Salisbury Deuonshire many a baron ¶ Of Arondell also these erles all Were in that flote vnto the noumbre of men Twenty thousande Herouldes did theim call On our Lady daye thassumpcion then All these lordes with many worthy men The fyfth yere of the kynge was then expresse WheÌ„ there enemies theim met at Sayn doutelesse ¶ They faught ful sore afore the water of Sayn With carrikes many well stuffed and arayed And many other shippes great of Hispayne Barges Balyngers and galeys vnfrayed Whiche proudly came vpoÌ„ our shippes vnprayed And by theuen there sayles aualed were set Theyr enemyes slayn in battayll and sore bet ¶ And many dryent were that daye in the sea That as our flete rode there then alwaye Vnto the feast nexte of his natiuitee The bodies flete amonge our shippes echedayâ— Full piteous was and to see theim ay That thousaÌ„des were .xx. as they then tolde That taken were in that same batayll bolde ¶ In which meane while whiles our ships there laye It was so calme without any wynde We might not sayle ne fro thens passe awaye Wherfore theyr galeys eche day there gaÌ„ vs fynd With ores many about vs dyd they wynde With wildfyre oft assayled vs daye and night To breÌ„â—e our shippes in that they could or might ¶ The flete came home than at our Lady day FroÌ„ Sayn whiche tyme that kyng then had coÌ„ueied Themperoure then to Caleys on his waye And home agayn was come right well apayed Of the welfare of that worthy flete assayed So well in armes vnto his hie pleasaunce Vpon his foes kepte theim selfe by gouernauÌ„ce The CC .xvii. Chapiter ¶ Howe the kyng weÌ„t into FrauÌ„ce in the .v. yere of his reigne the seconde time and landed at Towke in Constantyne in Normandy THe king theÌ„ in his .v. yere weÌ„t into FrauÌ„ce And landed at Towke and gatte the castell than And so came with all his ordinaunce And layde his siege aboute with many a man Whiche by processe at the last he wan Whiche to Vmfreuile that theÌ„ was erle of Kyme He gaue to kepe for great manhode that tyme ¶ Bayons Falace Cees and Argenton Doumfront Mortyne and Iuory also Musterdeuilers Euerons and Alaunson Caldebeke and Depe Arkes Vnycort tho With other townes and castels many mo Gurnaye Newcastell Gysours Estoutuile Roan Louers and also Vmfreuile ¶ Pountlarge Pountoyes also Pount DorsoÌ„ Maunte Vire Balom and also Aueraunce Castell Galiard with many other toune Bolham in Perche saynt Ioilian in Maunce Merteyn in Perche Chirbroke and eke CoÌ„stauÌ„ce Vernell in Perche Seintlowe and Alauayle Vernon on Sayn without any battayle ¶ All Normandy he gate within two yere And after then he trauayled in Fraunce For mariage and conuencion clere Betwene kyng Charles and hym at instaunce Of duke Philip of Burgoyn of aliaunce In whiche tyme so they were by appoyntment Accorded well and clerely condiscent ¶ That then he wed his doughter Katheryne And proclaymed was then of Fraunce regent And heritour of Fraunce by ryght lyne Of his owne right fro kyng Edwardes discent And Normendy and Guyan as appent Remayn should to hym and to his heyres Kynges of Englande euermore and to theyrs ¶ Then layde he siege to Melon anone right Aboue Paris â—v legges vpon Sayn Whiche by processe and laboure of his might And full sore siege full long with passyng payne He had at laste of whiche he was full fayn And toke it to Vmfreuile erle of Kyme To haue for euer ay forwardes fro that tyme ¶ Sauncer in Burgoyn then gate he mightely And Motreux also where the duke was buried Of Burgoyn then whom he toke vp in hie And at Dugyon as it is notified Hym buried so in Burgoyn vndenyed With high honour and great solempnitee As to
not beleue to the entente that he myghte the more enbouldē certaine of his compaigny then despayryng and geuyng theimselfe to flight beganne to make a newe hoste and with many faire promyses did wowe his brother in lawe Thomas Stanley to take his parte but when that said Thomas would by no meanes fight or rebell agaynste kyng Edwarde then seeyng it was tyme to gooe one waye and he mistrustyng that he was not able to resiste the power of hys enemyes fled wyth the duke of Clarence his soonne in lawe to Excetre and whē he had taried there two or three dayes seyng that he lacked al thynges necessarye for warre purposed to gooe to Lewes the kyng of Fraunce with whom at his ambassate into Fraunce was veraye well acquaynted and beloued trustyng ether to haue some helpe of the kyng or els to incense hym wholy to fight against hym and so toke shippe at Dartmouth both he and the duke with a greate nombre of theyr familie and sayled with the wynde to Normandie where the chiefe lord of that towne entreteyned hym most royally in al the hast certified that kyng Lewes of his cōmyng thither And that kyng meruailyng greatlye at that noble actes that that erle had doen was mynded thorowly to helpe hym in all that he could when he knewe that he was lāded in Fraūce was glad of it sent to hym certayn of his nobles to shewe hym that he did wishe to haue an occasion wherby he might helpe hym at this time would gladly dooe for him desieryng hym to come to Ambassy where the kyng laye which Ambassy is a manour place of that kynges set vpō the ryuer syde of Loire the duke also his sonne in law and that it should not bee for his losse or harme This was that .ix. yere of kyng Edwardes reigne when the erle fled to Fraunce and of our Lorde a M CCCC and .lxxx. But this greued kyng Edward that thei wer fled for because many of the people and cōmunaltee was desyrous to see hym and thought that the sonne had been goone from theim and out of this worlde when he was absent And in suche estimaciō and honour was he had of the people that thei worshipped honoured none but hym or at the least none more then hym In so muche that his only name was euery mannes song voyce especially of the cōmē people when they made triumphe abrode in that stretes Wherby the moste parte helde of the earle his syde and bare hym more fauoure in theyr hartes then kyng Edward Wherby the kyng was in feare and daunger both of his owne countremen that wer in his realme and of theim that were abrode in Fraunce but before all other he did prouide for that erle his cōmyng And first he sente to Charles the duke of Burgom his brother in law desiryng him that he would manashe Lewes the kyng with whom he had made a league of peace not to aide the erle of Warkwike or that duke his sonne in lawe neither with mony nor with mē The which Charles wrote to that kyng of Fraūce thretened hym many thynges if so that he mainteyned or helped theim And when the kyng of Fraūce had red his letter aūswered again saied that he might lawfully would sauyng his league truce helpe his frēds that wer valiaūt noble men as the earle was and settyng nothyng by all his thretenyng braggyng wordes sayd it shoulde bee neither greate peyne nor coste to hym Whē these tydynges came into England that kyng was veraye sorie for that cause searched priuely in his realme who wer frēdes to his enemies And for feare by that reason of the examinaciō of theim that wer prisoners in his hand some did take sentuarie and some came to the kynges side And emonges theim the lord Marques Montacute offered hymself to the kyng again to helpe hym in his warres whom the kyng gladly receaued for because that by him mo would leane to his side In this meane season the erle of Warwike the duke went to Ambassy wher the kyng of Fraūce was by the way the people came veraye thicke to see hym because they harde so muche speakyng of his noblenesse when he came there the kyng receaued hym moste gently to whō shortly after the erle did breake his mynd and shewed the cause of his commyng To whome the kyng promysed all that he coulde dooe for hym to the vttermoste extente of his power Sone after quene Margarete the wife of Henrye that .vi. came to theim with her sōne prince Edward and the earle of Penbruck and also of Oxēforde the whiche a lytle before sayled ouer to her After they cōmuned together as concernyng that safegard of their bodies a league was made thorowe the kyng of Fraunce his counsel And first lady Anne the doughter of the earle was maried and despoused to prynce Edwarde the quenes soonne Also the erle and the duke promysed faithfullye that they woulde not geue ouer vnto suche tyme that kyng Henrye the .vi. or Edwarde his soonne were proclaymed kyng of Englande after kyng Henry that the erle and the duke should ouersee and gouerne the realme by the wyll and apoyntmente of the quene Margarete and her sonne prince Edwarde vnto suche tyme that the forenamed prince wer of lawfull age and habilitee the whiche they promysed faythfully to obserue and dooe as they wer apoynted And besydes these many other condicions were made aswel for that reason did so require as the busynes that was at that tyme. When this league of truth faithfulnes was thus made the kyng Lewes holpe the erle with mēne harnes and nauie that he might the surer go to Englāde And Rhenate also the father of y◠quene Margarete gaue hym mēne harnyse to his power So that he hauyng no small nombre of men did take shippe at Sayne mouth ther tariyng hard word from Englād by letters that he should come ouer in all the haste that there were so many that would take his parte that he shoulde haue no nede to bryng any with hym for they wer redy in harneyse at the water side willyng to helpe hym in al that they could and not they onely but many noble men princes would helpe hym both with mony men harneyse with all that they could dooe When he had receaued these letters he purposed to go forth and take the oportunitee of the tyme. And because that the quene was not redy to set forth he the duke of Oxēford and the duke of Penbruch went before with parte of that hoste nauye to trie what chaūce thei shuld haue that if all thinges should chaunce well the quene and the prynce should folowe and come vnto Englande Therfore the Earle and the Duke thanking the king as highly as they coulde for that he had doone so much for theim dyd take their leaue and sayled vnto Englande with all their
nomore to endeuoure to defende their commune weale but rather to destroy and vtterly extinguishe it Which thing the englishe menne perceiuing and also suffering muche colde were compelled of necessitee within fyue moonethes that their wente thyther to come backe agayne into Englande Then Charles the French kyng maried Anne the Dukes doughter and gat al Britayn by that meanes into hys hādes But of this it shal be spoken more here after It was decreed here in Englande before there were any souldyours sent into Brytayne that for the expence of that warre euery man should paye as thei were hable a tribute whyche the mooste parte of theim that dwelte in the byshopryke of Durhā and Yorke shyre dyd vtterly refuse to pay and complayned of the matter to their Lorde the Earle of Northumberland And he immediately signified to the kyng by his letters that the people dyd greatly lament and was sory saiyng that thei were neuer put to so muche coast as thei had been of late dayes nowe that ther was so much requyred of theim that neither thei were hable to pay so great a summe nor would pay it Yet for al that the kyng cōmaunded the Erle to get it on thē and make theim pay it whether thei would or not least peraduenture it myght be a cause that yf at any time a tribute agayne should bee required of thē to make an insurreccion Which thyng when the people hearde of by and by they ranne vnto the earle and as the authoure of the tribute paiyng kylled hym out of hande And when thei had so done thei chase Ihon Egremonknight a verey dicious personne to bee their captayne and so arraied them selfes and went agaynst the kyng makyng cries in euery towne that thei came to fight for no nother cause but to defēde that cōmon libertie But when the mattier shoulde come to blowes thei waxed colde all the sorte of theim and euerye one wished that this tumulte wer retracted which was nowe alredy begonne so that at the cōclusiō not one scacely scaped without his great discommodite For the kynge assone as he hearde of this insurreccion went downe with an hoost to Yorke wherof these slaues and traitours beyng greatly afraied fledde some hether and some thether and durst not abide and sustaine the power of the kynges army Wherfore thei wer sone taken and punished greuousely accordyng to their deseruyng euery one of theim But Ihon Egremont whiche was their captain fledde into Flanders to Margarete of whome we spake before And the kyng so sone as this busines was quēched tooke his iourny back again vnto London and committed the tribute whiche was in Yorke and about Yorke to bee taken vp holy to Richard Toustal And this was the yere of our lord a thousand foure hundred .xc. and the fourth yere of the reigne of this kyng Henry And in thys yere also the kynge of Scottes was sore vexed For his subiectes roase agaynst hym and made his sonne Iames whiche was as yet but a chylde their capitain Wherfore he sent to the kynge of Englande to the Frenche kyng and to the byshoppe of Roome Innocentius to desire theim to make some end of thys ciuile battayle and contencion whiche was betwene hys people and hym Whiche afterwarde sente theyr ambassadours as they were desired but all in vayne For the rude sort would nedes fight onlesse he would resygne his crowne wherfore shortely after thei fought and in that battayle kylled the kyng and gaue his sonne Iames whiche was the fourth of that name the crowne But the byshoppe of Romes legate Hadrian came to late For whyles he was in Englande with kyng Henry worde came that the kyng of Scottes was slayne in battayle and hys soonne made kyng And therfore he taried here in England for a space and was veray muche made of and hyghly commended to the kyng by Ihon Mortō archbyshop of Canterburie Whereby he came into so high fauour with kyng Henry that he made him bishoppe of Herforde and shortly after that least gaue hym the bishopprike boothe of Welles and Bathe And not longe after he retourned with these honours to Roome and there of Alexander was made Cardinall There beganne also of freshe certayne businesse as concernynge Brytaine before this geare was appeased whiche was that Maximilian beyng at that tyme without a wyfe would haue maried the duke of Briteines doughter and had one that wowed for hym which lady promisyng hym fayth trueth to the entent that she might not go from her word he vsed this way with her when she went to her bed the night after as to the bedde of wedlocke the wower that was hired putte one of his fete into the bed to the knee in the sight cōpany of many noble matrōs ladies for a token testimony that the mariage was consūmate thei .ii. as mā wife But this did nothing auaile for Char the Frenche kyng was desireous to marye her hearyng that Maximiliā was sure to her dyd the more busely set vpon the Britaynes to th entent he might both haue the ladye and the countree also at his wyll for he estemed that mariage to bee of no strength or force Neuerthelesse he feared kyng Henry muche least that he would stoppe his purpose whiche kyng had made a league and Ferdinande also the kyng of Spayne had made the same with the Britaynes to assist theim in all their ieoperdies and perilles that should chaunce to theim by foren countrees wherfore he sent in al post hast Francese Lucemburgense Charles Marignane and Roberte Gaguine to kyng Henry for a peace to bee confirmed and hadde desyrynge hym that their kyng might ordre the mariage of the Ladye Anne as wer thought best without any let or hynderaunce of it by hym but kyng Henry would not agree to theim that the lady should bee maried to hym consyderyng she was made sure to the kyng Maximilian for that it was against all right and lawe bothe of God and manne Albeit the kynge would gladly make a peace betwene theim bothe and so demissyng the kynges Ambassadoures with a large and ample rewarde sent Thomas Goldestone abbot of Cantorbury and the lord Thomas of Ormondye ambassadours streight after theim In this meane space Alexander B. of Rome the sixt of that name after Innocētius sent the bishop of Cōcordiense legate to the Frenche kyng for certayne mattiers and emong other for a peace and vnitee to bee confederate betwyxt hym and kyng Henry the whiche when he had easely obteyned he came to Englande and there beyng entretained moste roially of the kyng had his purpose and desire of hym The Englishe ambassadours then beyng with the Frenche kyng purposed to haue a peace concluded whiche first demaunded certain thynges of the kyng ere that it should bee made albeit the kyng would graūt theim nothyng and was sore moued with their request askyng So the shortly after the Frenche kyng sent to the noble menne of
wealth partely that this Parkyn if his matters goo well forwarde would rewarde theim as thei would desire and enriche their realme moste plentefully by his liberalite partely also that Henry the kyng perceiuyng their kyng to assist hym would gladly paie tribute to hym for a peace and concord to bee had When this counsaill was gyuen the kyng did gladly folowe it and that his loue might bee more apparent to the people he caused ladie Katherine doughter to therle of Hūtley his nigh kinsemā to be maried to hym After this was dooen the kyng willyng that this Perkyn should reigne in Englāde hastened his iourney towarde the borders there cōmyng proclamed openly the all should bee pardoned the would beare with the duke of Yorke fight in his quarell and that mēne might for feare submitte theim selfes thei burned spoyled killed with out all mercie as ferre as thei did go but the kyng perceiuyng that no Englishemen came to aide this young duke that his souldiours wer so loden with praies spoiles that thei would not gladly go further he returned backe to Scotlād cariyng with hym infinite goodes riches And when this duke came to Scotlande again consideryng the greate distruccion and losse of the Englishmen that none came to aide hym to the entēt that his iuglyng of his countrefeict dignite might not be perceiued he saied verie craftely with a loude voice Oh wretch and stonie hearte that I am not moued with the losse and death of so many Englishemen of myne and at that woorde he desired the kyng that he would not molestate his realme herafter with suche cruel tormentyng and fieryng To whom the kyng shaped hym this aunswere right shortely Truely sir me thynke you take charge and thought of an other mannes realme and not of your owne because that I coulde se no manne that woulde take your parte and helpe you with his power whē you were now last emong theim And for this cause the kyng did litle esteme hym after that tyme countyng hym incōstant vnstable and speakyng woordes not agreyng to his promise When the English lordes and captaines hearde of this busines thei wer in greate feare fled for safegade of their life 's euery manne to his castell and holde and gatheryng an axmie to withstand their enemies certified the kyng in all post haste of the Scottes enterprise whiche hearyng prepared an armie in all the hast to fight against theim But the Scottes beyng lodē with their praies and spoiles that thei had were gone backe to their countre ere the Englishe menne could bee readie And this was the first commocion busines of the Scottes against the Englishemen When the Scottes were thus gone and the kyng certified of it he thought not to suffer theim lenger leste that by long tariyng deferryng of the matter thei should take heart and so with more fearsenes inuade the realme again And assemblyng his counsaill together shewed theim that it was for the proffite of the publique weale to warre against his enemies to whom thei all agreed right gladly and for the mainteinyng of this battaill there was leuyed a certain summe or tribute to be paid on euery mannes hed whiche paiment although it was but easie and small yet many of the commen people grudged to paie it At this parliament also and conuocacion there was certain lawes actes and statutes confirmed and made as thought moste expediēt for the publique weale And after this was dooen the kyng prepared to fight in all the haste and gatheryng an armie made Giles Dabeney graund capitain ouer theim and in his goyng to Scotlande there beganne sodenly ciuile battaill in the realme whiche was for the paiment of this money for that the Cornishemen whiche made this insurreccion beeyng but poore could not well paie this tribute And so they gatheryng all together one Michael Ioseph Smyth and Thomas Flāmoke did take vpon theim the gouernaunce of all this compainie And seyng theim greued sore that they should paye so muche did more and more incense theyr myndes againste their prynce Albeit they layde this faulte and cause of exaction to Ihon Mortō bishoppe of Cātorbury and Ruigenald Braye because they were chief of the kynges house Thus they preparyng theim selues to warre whē they had aswell sufficiente viandrye as all other thynges ready they tooke theyr iourney to Welles and from thence entended to go to London When the kyng was shewed of this by his auditours that they wer vp and that the lorde Twychet and the lorde Audely with other of the nobylitee had taken their partes he thought fyrste to scoure his realme of suche rebelles and traytours ere he would fight against the Scottes And therfore he caused Giles Dabeney to returne backe agayn then goyng vpon the Scottes whose armye he encreased and multiplyed with many pycked and freshe warryers that he might the better with lesse laboure ouercome these rebelles Also least that the Scottes might nowe hauyng good oportunite inuade the realme again in this time of ciuile battyle he caused lorde Thomas erle of Surrey a puissaunt and most redoubted warryer whome he had taken prysoner at the ouerthrowe of kyng Richard and a litle before that had set at libertie and made treasourer of Englāde after the death of Iohn Dynham to gather a bond of men at Durham there to kepe of the Scottes yf they should chaunce to come vntyll suche tyme that that Cornyshe menne beyng pacified and subdued he might send to theim the forenamed Giles agayne with all his power and armye When as the nobles hearde of this busynes they came to London euery mā with as many as they could make to ayde the kyng yf nede shoulde be In the which compaignie there was the erle of Essex the lorde Mongey the erle of Suffolke Richard Thomas William Say lorde Haward the erle of Surrey his sonne a noble young man of stoute courage Robert Lytton Thomas Bande Robert Clyfforde Wyllyam Dauers George Verye Thomas Terell Richard Fizlewes Ihon Baynsforth Thomas Mōtigomery Ihon Wyngfilde Roberte Brougthon Iames Terell Iames Huberte Ihon Wyndham Robert Fenys Wylliam Carye Robert Drurye Ihon Audely Robert Wyngfild with his brother Richarde Robert Brandon Thomas west de lauare Thomas Fenis Dacres Dauid Owen Henry Rosse Ihon Deuenysse Henry Selenger Ihon Paulet Ihon Burshere Thomas Woode Mathewe Broune Thomas Troys Wylliam Sandes Edmūde Graye of Wiltone Ihon Verney Thomas Brian Richard Poole Thomas Harecourte Ihon Hampden Edward Barkeley Willyā Bolongue with his sonne Thomas Henry Haydon Robert Clarence Philip Calthorpe Robert Louell Ihon Shaye Thomas Frouwike with many other of lower degree that wer moste noble cunnyng warryers In this meane space Charles the Frenche kyng commyng from the warres that he had at Naples with Ferdinande sente Ambassadours to the kyng for a peace and league of amitee to bee confirmed When the kyng was enformed of their cōmyng and that they were at Caleis he sente certayn of his nobilitie
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.
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
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
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
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