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A12738 The history of Great Britaine under the conquests of ye Romans, Saxons, Danes and Normans Their originals, manners, warres, coines & seales: with ye successions, lives, acts & issues of the English monarchs from Iulius Cæsar, to our most gracious soueraigne King Iames. by Iohn Speed. Speed, John, 1552?-1629.; Schweitzer, Christoph, wood-engraver. 1611 (1611) STC 23045; ESTC S117937 1,552,755 623

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forthwith conuaied him robed in a long blew veluet gown through London vnto the Bishops pallace where a pompous Court was kept vntill the thirteenth of the same moneth vpon which day hee went in procession crowned to the Cathedrall Church of S. Paul the Earle of Warwicke bearing his traine and the Earle of Oxford the sword the people on euery side crying God saue K. Henry 53 Thus farre proceeded and Henry reestablished a Parliament was begunne at Westminster the six twentieth of Nouember following wherin King Edward was declared a Traitor to his country an vsurper of the Crowne and all his goods confiscated the like iudgement passed against all his partakers wherein also it was enacted that all such persons as had taken Armes in his quarrell should bee seuerely punished among whom Iohn Typtoft Earle of Worcester and King Edwards Lieutenant in Ireland was attainted who being found hid in the toppe of a tree in the Forrest of Waybridge not farre from Huntington was brought to London and vpon Tower-hill beheaded Moreouer all Statutes made by King Edward were clearely reuoked abrogated and made frustrate the Crowns of England and France entayled to King Henry and the Heyres-male lawfully begot of his body and for the want of such heires vnto George Duke of Clarence and his heire males lawfully produced and the said Duke to be the next heire to his father Richard Duke of Yorke disabling his elder brother Edward by the vertue of his Atteindor and Iasper Earle of Pembroke Iohn Earle of Oxford with other attainted by the vsurper Edward to be restored in bloud dignities and ancient possessions and finally Earle Warwicke the good common-wealthes man made Gouernour of the Realme in these turbulent times vnto whom was associated George Duke of Clarence this great Earles sonne in Law and Warwickes brother Montacute vpon his submission obtained his pardon which was the easilier gotten for his seruice at Nottingham 54 Queene Margaret appointed to follow into England if fortune did fauour these great Lords successe now hearing of the faire Sun-shine wherein her husband King Henry was set amidst the stormie winter blasts which the season afforded with Prince Edward her sonne set saile from France towardes that wished and temperate climat where the spring of new Regality beganne to bud forth but was met with such tempests and storming seas as shee was forced to returne and deferre her iourney vntill another time to her great griefe and sore discontent In like perplexity was the Burgundian Duke who neither durst giue Edward his outward assistance the French and Warwicke being so mighty opposites nor leaue him in distresse lest the sparkes of discontent should flie from the eyes of his faire wife and therefore to know whether Vawelere the Gouernor of Calleis stood resolute for him according to Couenants he secretly sent Philip Comines the hony-mouth Historian to drop some of his sweet eloquence into his gold-thirsting eare 55 Comines comming to Calleis and obseruing the sequence for which he was sent saw euery man wear the Earle of Warwicks badge for no head could bee gallant that was not adorned with his ragged staffe nor no dore frequented that was not painted with his white Crosse. Insomuch that Vawelere himselfe had a Iewell in his hatte wherein was a white ragged staffe embrodered with gold and others his followers the like wrought in silke gold and siluer and to stampe the print deeper a liking report was brought to the towne that Warwicke had prepared foure thousand valiant men to warre vpon the frontiers of Burgundy But Comine in conference so wrought with the Councell and they againe with Earle Warwicke as he was contented to leaue off the enterprise Duke Charles promising to side with K. Henry 56 King Edward hearing what his brother of Burgundy had done and being dayly solicited from his friends in England thought it no policy long to delay lest Henry should take growth to a bigger steame and therefore repairing to his brother in the towne of Saint Paul required his aide as the onely man on whom hee relied aswell for the bond of alliance in the marriage of his sister as also in regard of the orders which they both ware the King that of his which was the golden Fleece and the Duke the Gartar and Robe of Saint George In the Court of Burgundy at that time lay Edmund Duke of Sommerset cosen-germane remoued vnto Duke Charles a great enemy against the house of Yorke and now set himselfe to thwart King Edwards suite alleadging that it was more honourable for the Duke of Burgundy to side with the Lancastrians from whom he was descended by his Grandmother the daughter of Iohn of Gaunt as also in the vprightnes of King Henries title held good in her brother and his Grandfather and in her Nephew his father without all exceptions 57 The Duke perplexed betweene these great supplicants did then as many doe now speake much and meane nothing lesse or else say little meane to doe much To Sommerset for Henry hee outwardly promised all helpe and assistance but neuer gaue the least and to Edward no comfortable words of supply and yet vnderhand he hired him shippes furnished him with munition and lent him fifty thousand Florences in money And now the season seruing for warre K. Edward with two thousand strong besides his Mariners made ouer for England attempting to take land in Norfolke but those coasts guarded hee waffed more Northward and entring Humber landed at Rauenspur in Yorkeshire when laying aside al claim to the Crown and pretending nothing but his Dutchy of York he shewed the rude multitude the letters and seale of the Earle of Northumberland which as he affirmed made them beleeue was sent for his safe conduct to enioy the same and in euery place where he came proclaimed King Henry himselfe wearing an Estrich feather which was Prince Edwards Liuery and passing to Yorke in no other shew then a Subiect his oath first taken to be true to King Henry entred the City which presently hee surprised and assumed to himselfe 58 Earle Warwicke now hearing that Edward was landed before he had marched very farre in the main sent strait charge to his brother the Marquesse Montacute then residing at Pomfret with a sufficient Army to secure those parts that hee should not suffer his accesse vnto Yorke lest he grew more potent then was to bee wished himselfe making ready with all possible speed to repaire into those parts but whether the Marquesse purposely winked or else and that rather would not see at all hee made no great hast to forelay his way to Yorke neither sought to empeach the passage when Edward from thence marched in a more hostile manner towards Nottingham taking his way not farre from Pomfret and as it were through the middest of his enemies which encouraged many to fauour his designes holding that Montacute
it seemed endure the splendor of his companions glory The chiefe commanders of his Army hearing this shewing themselues true French-men and sensible of their obligation to God and honour with many teares besought him not to forsake that holy affaire ita impudenter so shamelesly In what Prince would not this haue kindled a desire of a better resolution But impotent passions carrying him and miscarrying him he persisted to get leaue of Richard who but two dayes before would haue had him sweare to a stay of three yeeres longer in that seruice but hee who had other cogitations farre more vnworthy of a King would needes depart giuing his oath vpon the holy Gospels without which oath King Richard would not grant his good will That he would well and faithfully keepe the lands and subiects of the King of England and neither doe dammage nor grieuance to them by himself nor suffer it to be done by others * till his returne 34 The King of France thus leauing Accon in the Castle whereof King Richard his Queene and Sister were lodged and the Duke of Burgunaie remaining behind with the French hoast to whome King Philip not without sundry secret instructions had with it committed a great part of his treasure king Richard in the same day set forward vpon a new enterprize but it is true which one writes * that by reason of the dissention betweene the Kings which of them should seeme the greater little or nothing prospered iust cause had King Richard to complaine in his letters that Philip to the eternall reproch of himselfe and Kingdome had fouly forsaken his purpose and vow vnto God 35 But when the Saladine could not by any means obtaine a longer day for performance of the said Articles of composition hee cut off the heads of all his Christian Captiues in reuenge whereof King Richard brought out his Turkish Captiues being about two thousand and fiue hundreth and in the sight of the Saladines hoast caused their heads to be chopt off the Duke of Burgundie doing the same to the like number neere vnto the walles of Acon seuen onelie being kept aliue by the Christian Generals whereof Karakeys Salaadines * foster Father was chiefe But Richard proceeding in his vndertaken action and in his march to Ioppa being set vpon by Sultan Salaadine who had put the Duke of Burgundie to flight and slaine the valiant Iaques de Auennis who onely with a few in the Reregard made resistance so couragiously encountred him that the Salaadine with the losse of three thousand his choisest Souldiers was glad to turn his back and flie whiles therefore this Champion is thus imploied in the Holy-land let vs looke backe a litle how the affaires of his Kingdome are managed at home 36 Iohn the Kings brother making vse in England of such discontentments as the incredible insolencies and intollerable tyrannies of the Chancellour who carried himselfe both like a Pope and a King had bred among the Nobility and people to aduance thereby his owne designes stirred against him though strengthning himselfe like a Generall in the field so powerfull opposition that in the end vpon warrant of a new Commission sent from the King his Brother hee with the rest of the Peeres suddenlie thrust him out of all commaund and shortly after most reprochfully as it happened for he fled and was taken in a Curtesans attire il beseeming a Popes Legate out of the Kingdome also vpon occasion as of other foule demetites so particularly of a sacrilegious and barbarous outrage committed by the Chancellours commaund vpon the person of Geffrey Elect Archbishop of Yorke naturall brother to King Richard and the Earle on pretence that he entred England contrarie to his oath giuen to his brother King Richard where as he then came to take possession of his See to which hee was aduanced by the Kings owne procurement and by Queene Eleanors owne trauaile to Rome in his behalfe And albeit this punishment shame deseruedly followed the Chancellors pride and oppression yet in one maine point of opposing the Earles Ambition who sought to assure to himselfe the remainder of the Crowne which in right of bloud belonged to his Nephew Arthur his seruice to the State had beene very commendable if it had proceeded from loialty of affection and not from a swelling desire of greatnesse which he hoped still to enioy if Arthur a child should succeed in the kingdome wheras he knew Earle Iohns aduancement could not be without his apparant ruine 37 But Philip King of France in all places labouring by wrongfull and vnprincely aspersions to deface the renowne of King Richard though finding small credite to his words because the man had done nothing himselfe deuised after his return how to trouble and endammage his friends dominions and had effected it if the Lordes of France whom he sollicited to that wicked worke vpon pretence of the composition made with King Richard at Messana had not to their immortal glory refused to assist him therein till Richards returne aswel in regard of their owne oathes as because the sentence of excommunication was denounced against all such as did attempt to endammage him in his absence 38 King Richard notwithstanding that the relation of these things greatly troubled him gaue not ouer as yet but after sundry other matters of importance performed did march vp within the sight of Ierusalem where he skirmished with the enemie ouerthrew the Conuoy or Carauan of the Salaadine which came laden from Babylon guarded with ten thousand men whom King Richard valiantlie encountring with fiue thousand selected souldiers put most of them to the sword and took three thousand Camels and four thousand Horses and Mules besides those that were slaine and so gained the rich spoile of all the Carriages 39 After this and many other worthy thinges done as the rescue of Ioppa and repulse of Saladine from thence c. the King indefatigable in his braue attempts desirous to regaine Ierusalem and the City Baruck was abandoned in that enterprise by the Duke of Burgundie who is * said to haue beene apparently corrupted with gifts from Saladine and the regiments of French vnder his conduct wherupon he was the rather perswaded by the Knights Templars and chiefes of the Christian hoast not to refuse Saladines offers for a surceasance from hostility considering that hee had a purpose to returne with re-enforced numbers and meanes that his present powers by diuisions by sicknesse by battales were wasted and that the dangerous estate of his owne Dominions did require his presence the greatest motiue for he had supplies of money for his Souldiers wages from Pope Celestine by reason of some vndue practises at home and the rancour of King Philip his vnreconcilable aduersary abroad Wherupō a truce was taken for three yeers and Saladine repaid such charges as Richard had been at in fortifying Askalon which was brought to
same place Gentleman That hee and his complices did imagine the Kings death at his Coronation The combat was granted and in Smithfield the Duke of Yorke exercising the office of high Constable they fought in lists In the end the Kings name was vsed to part and forgiue them It is a vice to suspect too farre The Duke of Yorke a most subtle man seemes neuer in heart to haue beene a true subiect to King Henry yet no man saith hee was any author in this Henrie the common wealth hauing yeelded to liber all grants of money is now ready to enter Paris England remained vnder the gouernment of the Duke of Glocester 20 There is no doubt that the English there at their Kings presence set forth their greatnes to the full shew The yong King attended vpon with two English Cardinals Yorke and Winchester and great Princes of his blood Dukes Earles Barons Prelates and the flower of our nation with many aswel French and Burgonians as Normans and others excellentlie well appointed makes a triumphant entry into the head City of that most noble Monarchy There was no signe in the People but of ioy and welcome the showes were many and magnificent Vpon the seuenth day of December he was solemnely Crowned King of France by the Cardinall of Winchester his great vncle in the Chiefe Church of Paris called of our Lady The Duke of Bedford entertained the minds of the Assembly with a set speech wherein he declared King Henrie his Nephewes vndoubted title to that Crowne and commended the same to their fidelities adding ample promises of honour and emolument Such of the French Nobilitie as were present did their homage The people had good and gratious words giuen vnto them and certaine quantities of money Corne and wine in the nature of a donatiue liberally distributed among them Proclamations were made that all Frenchmen who came in by a day there named should be protected The Kings Patents and grants touching French matters passed vnder the seale and stile of Henry King of the Frenchmen and of England which Seale for variety we haue prefixed as we found it annexed * to a writing directed by the King to his Court of Requests in his Pallace at Paris but for English affaires he vsed another Seale being in euery point like vnto that of King Henry the fourth and as some thinke the very same stamp which therefore we haue here omitted as likewise some Charters of his there are whereunto he affixed the seale of his father Charles of France esteemed not himselfe the lesse a King for all this but pursues his affaire His people tooke the City of Chartres by a stratagem the Bishop whereof because a Burgundian they also put to the sword with others Neither were the English idle Iohn Duke of Norfolke Thomas Earle of Arundel Richard Beauchamp Earle of Warwicke the Earle of Suffolke and others made vp this losse with aduantage Their actions are placed by some as done before the Coronation which is likely The King hauing thus taken possession of France not long after tooke his farewell thereof His returne was by Roan and so ouer land to Callais from whence vpon the eleuenth day of February hee arriued safe at Douer His vncle the Duke of Glocester was able to giue an honest and good account of the Gouernment during the kings absence The suppressiō of an insurrection beginning at Abingdon in Oxfordshire was not the least seruice A weauer the Baliffe of the Towne was the vlcerous head to which that corruption gathered who had changed his own name and called himselfe Iacke Sharpe of Wigmores land in Wales The speciall colour of his attempt was to haue massacred Priests whose heads he said hee would make as cheape as Sheepes-heads that is two or three or ten for a penny But the mention of Wigmores lands the ancient inheritance of Mortimer then the possession of the fatall Duke of Yorke who afterward in the right of that name challenged the Crowne of England from King Henry insinuates somewhat further The varlet forfeited his head and foure quarters for his attempt It is to be wondred that the Councell of Estate vnder King Henry hearing that title so often glanced at prouided not better against the mischiefe But the eies and hearts of the wise are blinded when God hath a purpose to reserue a scourge or to hide the fire which shall afterward be vsed to consume a nation Vnquiet humors were aswell abroad as at home The souldiers of Callais discontented with their wages as to little began to be mutinously troublesome The Regent comes thither in person in Easter weeke where he exerciseth necessary discipline seuerely Foure the most faulty lost their heads one hundred and ten are cashered and banisht from the Towne as sixe score others had formerly beene Why dwell we vpon so petty accidents The losse of the Kingdome of France is imminent Let vs diligently note the degrees which God found out to depriue our Nation of that honor In this iourney of the Regent King Henries interest was not aduanced The Regent a widdower roade from thence to Turwin where without the Burgundians priuity he married the Lady Iaquet aged about seuenteene yeeres daughter to Peter of Lutzembourg Earle of S. Paul no friend to the Burgundian This was nothing prosperous to the English affaires For Anne the Regents former wife sister to the Duke of Burgundy being while shee liued a strong reason and assurance of amitie weakened the same by her death and this second marriage not pleasing the Burgundian did yet more diminish it These were but degrees In the meane space the accidents of warre between the English and French were manifold and perplext now wee now they leesing or gaining as opportunity serued which vncertainties brought forth their ordinary progenies fearefull outrages and s●…rcitie of all things needfull for the vse of man It would be wearisome and not much necessary to recount the particular lesser actions neitheir indeed is it easie for who can readily tell the sieges surprises skirmishes and the like being so confusedly set down by Authors wherein diuers of both Nations wanne to themselues much honour and serued the vses of those times and their owne The vttermost effect of those great labours was that the English Regency fell not forthwith into nothing Permanent leaders in those publike seruices were the Regent himselfe their maine Pillar and Chiefe life Thomas Earle of Arundel Richard Earle of Warwicke Henry his Sonne the Lord Willoughby the thrice noble Iohn Lord Talbot who was now at liberty the Lord Scales besides Knights Esquires and other valiant Captaines a multitude 21 The fortune of Renate Duke of Barre is not to be omitted for that afterward our King vnluckely married into his house He had to wife Isabell the daughter and heire of Charles Duke of Lorraine by whom he had issue two sonnes
brother 2 Hee beganne his raigne in the yeare of his age twenty two and of our Lord God eight hundred seuenty two being crowned in the City of Winchester the twenty third King of the West-Saxons and the twenty foure Monarch of the Englishmen but of some Historians he is famoused by the stile of the first absolute Monarch 3 His raigne beganne with troubles and wars in defence of the land which the Pagan Danes intended to destroy and though his powers were smal yet was he forced into the field within one month after his Coronation the place was Wilton in the County of Wiltstire on the south-banke of the riuer Wily where the Danes at first gaue backe and fled but seeing the fewnes of their pursuers reenforced their battle and got the field with whom the West-Saxons entred league and compounded for their departure from among them 4 These Rouers then with their associates at Reading got themselues into London where they wintred with whom the Mercians likewise compoūded for their peace which proued shortly to be the destruction of their princely bloud and lastly the lands subuersion to a forraine nation For the Danes hauing got footing in the North the West and the South of this land vnto whose aide many new-come guests from their Easterne countries were arriued vnder the leading of other three Kings Gurthrun Esketel and Ammond all together set their griping tallents with such fast hold vpon Mercia that at Ripendon they constrained Burthred the King with his Queene Elswith out of the land and in his stead placed a King of their owne choise vpon condition to deliuer vp the same againe vnto them when they would demaund it 5 In the fourth yeare of King Elfred their armies diuided themselues into two parts the one of them guided by King Halden returned into Northumberland where hee bestowed that Country among his followers and therein remained for two yeares continuance doing much harmes both to the English and Picts The other part led by the last new-come King came to Granabridge whence they wintered and spoiled the Country and there spreading themselues as Grashoppers vpon the face of the earth eate vp all where they came so that King Elfred was enforced to compound for their departure out of his owne kingdome in West-Saxia to which couenants they promised and swore yet contrary to both tooke into Deuonshire and wintred at Excester vnto whom a further supply by sea sought to ioine themselues but met with such boisterous blasts that one hundred and twenty of their ships were cast away by tempest at Swanwicke vpon our coasts and their land-army marching towards Excester were there welcommed with so sharpe an encounter by King Elfred that they gaue him both pledges and oath to depart with all speed 6 But Fortune euer dallying with them whom shee meanes to down-cast set the chance of losse presently vpon the Saxons side for now the three Kings Gurthrun Esketel and Ammond thought it not good to let Elfred thus rest and thereupon drew their forces westwards towards him where at Chipingham a Mannor of his they wintred and compelled th West-Saxons there either to yeeld or to forsake the Country 7 King Elfred therefore with such strength as he had hasted towards them and seuenteene miles from Bristow pitched downe his tents euen in the face of the enemy where betwixt these fierce nations a great battaile was fought to the infinite losse of bloud on both sides and that vpon such equall departure as neither could challenge to bee masters of the field yet the report went that King Elfred was discomfited which turned greatly to his aduantage for thereupon many of the English hasted to his succour lest the ouerthrow of him should be the bane of them all his strengthes thus renued with an vnexpected supply no time was detracted to stay the Danish rage who were now returned further into the heart of the land and at Abington by Oxford had pitched their standreds for fight 8 Thither the English repaired and the next morning he ordered his Army neither were the enemies vnprepared but with braues stood ready to receiue the encounter The battaile ioyned continued with such losse of bloud that it is accounted one of the sorest that euer betwixt them before had beene fought and onely parted by the approch of the night neither party challenging the honor of the day the losse being so great vpon both sides Seuen of these battailes are reported to be fought in that yeare whereby both their strengthes were much abated and their spilt bloud so cooled their liuers that lastly they concluded vpon a peace one article was this that the Danes should admit no more of their nation to arriue in this Iland but how soone that was broken the sequels did shew 9 For in the yeare eight hundred seuenty sixe saith Simon Dunelmensis Rollo a nobleman of Denmarke with a great Army entred into England with no lesse spoile and destruction then other of those Danes before him had done notwithstanding the truce with whom King Elfred met and gaue him so hoat welcome that hee liked not greatly his entertainement and being warned forsooth in his sleepe that better fortune attended him in France hee left his countrimen to tugge with the English 10 The Danes then accounting the peace to be broken like Bees from the Hiue infect all the land insomuch that this vndaunted King Elfred was ofttimes brought to such extremities that he hid himselfe out of sight and in the Fens Marsh grounds was forced with such small companies as he had to liue by fishing fowling and hunting of wild beasts for his food hauing no more of his great Monarchy left him but Somerset Hamton and Wiltshires only neither yet them free from the incursions of the Danes 11 The solitary place of his most residency was an Iland inclosed with the two riuers Tho●…e and Parret at their meeting in the County of Sommerset commonly called Edelingsey where he in very poore attire disguised was entertained into a Cow-heards house if not into his seruice where on a time as he sate by the fire in trimming of his bow and shafts a cake of dow baking vpon the hearth before him chanced to burn the Cowheardesse comming in and seeing him mind more his bow then his bread in a great fury cast away both his bow and arrowes and checking him as her Groom said Thou fellow doest thou see the bread burne before thy face and wilt not turne it and yet art thou glad to eate it before it bee halfe baked little suspecting him to be the man that had beene serued with more delicate cates 12 But this Prince the very mirrour of Princes more minding the wealth of his subiects then the maiesty of State disguised himselfe in the habite of a common Minstrell and in person repaired to the Danes Campe who lay like sena●… wallowing in
raged a sicknesse till then vnknowne in England which was a strong burning feuer and bloody fluxe as also scarsity of victuals and murraine among cattle This hand of God thus correcting the sinnes of all was receiued as sent for the offences of some few and wholly imputed to the King and his Raisers Dunstan still prophesying further woes to the land when himselfe should be dead 6 The Danes hereupon more boldly assaulted each shore and in so many placcs at once that the English were to seeke where first to withstand In the West they were encountred by Goda Earle of Deuonshire as saith Simon Dunelmensis by whom they were ouerthrowne though with the losse of his life as also of Sternwold a man of great esteeme and valour in those parts who serued there vnder him 7 In the East their leaders Iustine and Guthmond warred with better successe for at Malden in Essex they gaue Brightnod the Earle a great and bloody battaile wherein himselfe with most of his people were slaine The Danes thus prospering more boldly went forward and where they set their tallants there they held fast and lay on the land like vnto Grashoppers These euils King Ethelred could not redresse his strengthes being small and his subiects affections lesse therefore calling to Counsell his Statesmen Peeres demanded their aduice what was best to bee done Some few of these proffered the King their assistance but more of them perswaded vnto a composition whereof Siricius Archbishop of Caterbury was chiefe and in fine ten thousand pounds paid to the Danes for their departure 8 This golden Mine once entred was more eagerly digged into by these still-thirsting Danes who finding the branch so beneficiall at first hoped the veine in following would proue farre more bountifull and therefore regardlesse of promise the next yeere prepared themselues againe for England and with a great fleete dispatched to sea the newes whereof strucke such terror into the English hearts that despairing of hope they accounted themselues the bond-slaues of misery The King therfore with much adoe prepared a Nauie whereof hee made Elfrick Earle of Mercia Admirall who setting from London vnto the seas had power sufficient to put backe the enemy but hee once a traitor could neuer proue true for hauing been banished forgiuen and now taken into fauour found meanes to bee false and to betray his charge and sending the enemy intelligence of his power and intents gaue the way to their escape and another fleete of Danes encountring with the Kings at first hee fainedly and faintly fought against and lastly turned to their side through which treason many Englishmen died and the Kings Fleete and power was greatly weakened but he escaping due punishment himselfe left his sonne to answere the fault whose eyes King Ethelred caused to be put out 9 About which time also another Danish Fleet entring Humber wasted the countries of Yorkeshire and Lyndsey against these King Ethelred sent his power vnder the charge of three valiant but trecherous Captaines namely Frena Godwin and Fredegist for the battle but begun these with their followers fled away which was the occasion of a great ouerthrow of the English notwithstanding the country people not able to disgest their intollerable dealings fell vpon the Danes slew some and chased the rest At what time also other of the Danes with ninety foure ships sailed vp the riuer Thamesis and laid their siege against London giuing it a great assault but the Citizens thereof so manfully defended themselues that they chased the Danes thence to their shame and great losse yet fell they so foule vpon Essex Kent Sussex and Hampshire that the King was enforced to compound a peace with the payment of sixteene thousand pounds for confirmation whereof Ethelred sent to Southampton for Anlaf these Norwegians King and honourably entertained him at Andeuer where the same time he receiued Baptisme King Ethelred taking him at the Font for his God-sonne and with great gifts returned into Denmarke without any further harme done to the English 10 But God and destiny suffering it that would haue the Saxons to fall before the Danes as formerly the Britaine 's had done before them no couenant could be so surely made but was as slackly in thē performed for albeit this Anlaf honourably kept both faith and promise yet others of his Country continued their inuasions and as an other Hydra shewed their still-reuiuing heads 11 For the nineteenth yeare of King Ethelreds most troublesome raigne and of our saluation 997. the Danes with a great fleete sailed about Cornwall and came into the mouth of Seuern robbing as they went Deuonshire Cornwal and South-Wales and marching further into the Continent consumed Lydford and the Abby of Saint Ordulfes at Essingstocke thence passing through Dorsetshire with fire sword found not a man in the way to resist them and wintering in the Wight liued by spoiles gotten in Hampshire and Sussex 12 The next Spring they put into the mouth of Thamesis and so by the riuer Medway arriued at Rochester thither the Kentish with their strengthes repaired but vnfortunately fought and left the field to the Danes who shortly after hoised their sailes with a merry gale arriued in Normandy 13 King Ethelred thus rid of these his vnlooked for guests sought to remoue those leigers that lay in Cumberland whither hee repaired and with sore warre wasted the Country before whose sword the Danes were notable to stand which somewhat encouraged the spirits of his people and bettered their conceits towardes him but farre this sunne past not without a cloud nor was his successe entailde to be fortunate 14 For the next yeare those Danes that departed from Kent came now from Normandy with their full sailes and landing in Exmouth their first and greatest fury was against the City of Exceter which when they fiercely besieged they were so valiantly beaten by the Citizens as that enraged aboue measure with the ignominy of that repulse they thence as a sodaine floud bare downe all that stood in their way and then plainely beganne to appeare the rise of the Danes which euery where lorded it where they had to doe and the fall of the Saxons whose ouertopped Monarchy and weake walles now wanted props to hold vp the weight for the Captains of the English saith Higden wanting lore in deeds of Arms their direction neuer prospered if ships were made they neuer sped well but were either chased of the enemy or destroied by tempest if the Nobles euer assembled to consult of the State that time was rather spent in whetting the spleene each against other then iointly agreeing how to redresse their present danger or to represse the common enemy for most of the Nobles were allianced into the Danish bloud whereby not onely the secret of those consultations were reuealed but being imploied in seruice many of them reuolted
this King 5 But his vices were more and concerned more personnes for a great Epicure hee was and giuen much vnto Cuppes whereby he trained the body to belly cheere and sense to bee subiect to sloth and drunkennesse foure times euery day were his tables spred and plenteously with all Cates furnished euer commanding that his courtiers guests and seruants should rather leaue for superfluity then call for lack which howsoeuer it was in him accounted for Roiall bounty yet it caused in the people who vse to praise the Soueraignes vertues but imitate his vices a riotous loosenesse and the Common-weale to lie sicke of consumptions bred by such excesse of those grosse humours in her body 6 This wrought in him a carelesse neglect of gouernment in State so that ●…he whole managing thereof was committed to his mother Queene Emma a woman extreamely couetous and to Goodwin the rich and politicke Earle of Kent who seeing the present state carried wholy away with present pleasures thought that a fitte subiect for him to worke vpon for the King not married vnlesse it were to his lewd will and Edward likely to succeede of an ouer soft temperature hee thought these both might proue aduantageous to his ambition and therfore bethought him how the crowne might bee worne by him or his 7 Therefore to separate the hearts of the subiects from the Prince then which there can bee no greater a wound vnto both hee caused the King to impose heauy tributes vpon the English onely to pay the Danes in his Fleete appointing euerie common Souldier and Mariner to receiue eight markes in money euery officer and Master twelue which amounted to the summe of thirty two thousand one hundred forty seuen pounds for the payment whereof there was so great a grudge that two of the Collectors Thurstane and Feader were slaine by the Citizens of Worcester which caused their City to be burnt and part of the country spoiled by the Kings commaund and their Bishop Alfred expulsed the See till with money hee had purchased his peace This Bishops hands as was said were deepe in the murther of Prince Alfred the Kings half brother whom we spake of yea and Goodwin himselfe was put to his purgation by oath for the clearing of his suspitions in that treacherous and brutish fact which oath was the lighter vrged and the easier receiued for his rich and bounteous gifts immediately before presented to the King and that was a shippe whose sterne was of gold with fourescore souldiers therein placed all vniformely and richlie suited On their heads they al wore guilt Burgenets and on their bodies a triple guilt habergion a sword with guilt hilts girded to their wastes a battaile-axe after the manner of the Danes on their left shoulders a target with guilt bosses borne in their left hands a dart in the right their armes bound about with two bracelets of gold containing sixeteene ounces in weight 8 Aimundus Bremensis writing the Stories of those times sheweth that the three sonnes of Canute were possessed of the three Kingdomes England Denmarke and Norway though the father by Will had disposed of the first otherwise which moued Hardi-Canute much to maligne the roialtie of Harold whose Crowne by birth and couenant belonged to him and therfore with great preparation intending to recouer his right hee entred the Sea and came into Flanders where hauing notice of the vsurpers death his rage was staied and he peaceably came in and receiued the Crowne 9 And that Swein called the Younger King of Denmarke to assist his vncle Hardi-Canute against Harold the vsurper of Englands Crowne with a great Armie prepared thitherward and taking the Seas were by tempest driuen vpon the coasts of Hadel●… where his Armie doing some hurt was set vpon and discomfited by the souldiers of the Arch-bishoppe himselfe amongst them beeing taken prisoner and brought into the presence of the Arch-bishop was by him most honourably receiued and conueied vnto Breme who there entered a league with him and with gifts and other complements after a few daies suffered him to depart who likewise hearing of the death of King Harold returned backe to his owne Countrey where shortly after he was much molested by Magnus the sonne of Olaf then raigning King ouer the Norwegians 10 Hardi-Canute in England hearing of those stirres thought it his part to aid his Nephew King Sweyn against the inuasions of Magnus and therefore hee sent one Sueno his kinsman with an Armie of the English to reestablish King Sweyn in his Throne These entred Norway and the Field against the Norwegians but by them were so ouerlaied that hee left Magnus the vanquisher and returned againe for England but before hee could arriue the Shore King Hardi-Canute was dead with whom dyed the issue of that warre whose death was suddaine and after this manner 11 At the celebration of a great marriage contracted betwixt a Daenish Lord called Canut-Prudan and Lady Githa the daughter of a Noble-man whose name was Osgot Clappa in a solemne assembly banquet at Lambeth the eight of Iune reuelling and carousing amidst his cups hee suddainly feldown without speech or breath whose losse was the lesse lamented for his excesse riotousnesse and vnwonted exactions but chiefly because a much better was then to succeede him hauing himselfe had neither wife nor child that is read off Yea so farre were all sorts from bewailing him that in regard of the freedome from the Danish yoke which they attained by his decease euer since among the common people the day of his death is annually celebrated with open pastimes in the streetes as the old Romanes kept their fugalia for chasing out of their Kings which time is now called Hoctide or Hucxtide signifying a time of scorning or contempt which fell vpon the Danes by his death His body with all due obsequies was interred at Winehester by his fathers after hee had voluptuously raigned two yeeres lacking ten daies and departed his life and kingdome the yeere of Christ Iesus 1042. 12 With the death of this King died all rule of the Danes in this land and the sacred sparke of the Saxons fire through three of their successions buried in their owne ashes beganne now to take flame and to burne most bright which was Prince Edward now commonly called the Confessor the sonne of King Ethelred and albeit there were others betwixt him and the crowne as namely Edward and Edmund the sonnes of the Iron-side yet the one dying in Hungar●… without issue of body the other there liuing as a banished man by surname the Out-law was neither so well regarded nor thought so worthy of gouernement as this other Edward was whom therfore they sent for and with so great applause and acclamations proclaimed that the present ioy seemed to prognosticate a perpetuall happinesse to the English who had beene most miserably afflicted by the Daenes for the space of two hundred forty
kingdome is now brought to a setled estate and with such loue and liking of the English as that they will neuer admit any more a stranger to rule ouer them And as touching the contract with his yonger daughter hee well seeth that God hath taken away that occasion of alienating the Crowne and surely his Law hath likewise prouided remedy against such rash v●…ws whose precepts I mean to follow and therefore said he will your Duke to weigh my estate with his own both his and mine now in quiet sufficient for two and either of them employment enough for one mans Gouernment and therefore both of them too much to bee well gouerned by one seeing that God himselfe had set a sea betwixt them With these and the like speeches hee shifted off the Dukes Ambassadors without all princely entertainements or courteous regard 18 The messengers returned and Harolds answeres declared William lion-like enraged casteth his thoughts about plotting reuenge and making some oddes euen that might impeach his designes prepared all things for open warre Harold likewise not sleeping his businesse made ready his Fleete mustered his souldiers and planted his Garris●…s along the Sea-coast But in these his procee●…gs behold●… great and fearefull Comete appeared seldom a figne to Princes of fortunate successe vpon the twenty fourth of Aprill and lasted onely seuen dayes which drew the minds of the English into great suspense now ready to enter into a double warre 19 For as 〈◊〉 the Norman for his part claymed England by gift so Harfager the Da●…e did by succession the rumors of both which greatly terrified the heartes of the inhabitants and yet behold a third terrour vnexpected contrary to nature and most mens opinions suddainely arose for Tosto the cruell Earle of Northumberland and brother to Harold expulsed by his people and proscribed by King Edward fled into France where by the instigations of William whose wiues sister hee had married both of them the daughters of Balwine Earle of Flanders he got for his reuenge a Fleet furnished with men at Armes and thus prepared his first fury was shewed in spoiling the I le of Wight then coasting the shore shrewdly endammaged Kent whence hois●…ng saile fell foule vpon Lincolnshire where Morcar and Edwine Earles of Chester and Yorkeshire aided with the Kings Nauie droue him from thence though with some losse of their men 20 Tosto for more succour fled into Scotland where of King Malcolme he had but cold comfort himselfe being busied with ciuill broiles but howsoeuer his expectation there failed yet his purposes were continued with the assistance of Harold Harfager that is the Faire-lockes King of Denmarke who with three hundred shippes had entred the riuer Tyne for Englands inuasion after his conquest of the Iles of Orknes Tosto therefore ioining his Fleet to these Danes in warlike brauerie both of them enter the mouth of Humber and drawing vp the riuer Ouse at Richhall landed their men making spoile of the Country wheresoeuer they came To meet with these the foresaid Earles Edwin and Morcar in a tumultuous hast raised their powers but were so ouerlaid by the Norwegians that many were slaine and more drowned in passing ouer that riuer 21 The enemy grown proud by this late victory hasted towards Yorke the chiefe Citie of the North where planting his siege it was presently yeelded vp and hostages deliuered vpon both parts for the performance of couenants The Danes thus prospering had most strongly encamped themselues for backed they were with the German Ocean flanked on the left hand with the riuer Humber wherein also their Fleete rid at Anker and had on their right hand and afront the riuer Derwent so that it seemed impossible to raise this siege 22 But Harold thinking the coasts cleere from all danger the Equinoctiall at hand and Nauigation now past the victuals in his Fleet spent and notice from Earle Balwin of Flanders that Duke William meant not his voiage that yeere was about to disband his Army When this sudden newes from the North pierced his eare no need it was then to bid him make haste thither the case standing so neere him as it did Therefore recalling his Army posted to Yorke and from thence marched against the Norwegians who lay secured with such aduantage as wee haue said Notwithstanding Harold couragiously ordered his battell and assaied to passe the Bridge called Stamford built ouer Derwent which one onely Dane made good for a time against his whole host and with his Ax slew forty of his men till lastly this Dane was slaine with a dart 23 The Bridge gotten and the English reduced into their rankes Harold most boldly set vpon his enemies euen in their Campe where the battaile with equall valour and fortune was maintained a time till lastly the Norwegians disarraied and scattered were slaine outright and among them the two Chieftaines Harfager and Tosto with may others of worth and account lost their liues Olane the sonne of this Harfager and Paul Earle of Orkeney who kept their Fleet Seas whilest his Father and followers fought vpon land were brought to King Harold and to haue their liues spared abiured the Land and thenceforth to attempt no hostilitie against the English peace and with twenty small vessels to cary away their slaine and hurt were suffered to depart bringing heauy newes into Denmarke of the losse of their King and ouerthrow of his Army 24 By this victory thus happily obtained fell vnto Harold an exceeding rich booty both of gold and siluer besides the great Armado of Tosto and Harfager whereby his mind was soone set aloft and he began to grow both proud and odious vnto his Army the rather for that he diuided not the spoiles vnto them that had deserued it a wrong that the common Souldier doth continually murmure at and commonly endure 25 Now in this current of King Harolds fortunes William the Norman had the more leasure to strengthen his owne and often conferring with his Captaines about Englands inuasions found them euer resolute and cheerefull that way the difficultie onely rested how to prouide money enough the very sinewes whereby the vast body of an Army must be knit strengthned for a subsidy being propounded vnto the assembly of the Norman States it was answered that a former warre against the French had empouerished much of their wealth that if new wars were now raised therein their substance spent to gain other parts it would be thereby so wasted as that hardly it would be sufficient to defēd their own that they thought it more safety to hold what he had then on hazard of their own to inuade the territories of others that this war intēded iust though it were yet seemed not necessary but exceeding dāgerous besides said they the Normans were not by their allegiance bound to Military seruices in forrein parts therefore such paiments could not bee assessed vpon them
of the Cathedrall Church where there remaineth a monument of him with an inscription entitling him a Duke and some suppose of Bologne 70 William the third Son of King William and Queene Maud was borne in Normandy in the 21. yere of his Fathers Dukedom ten yeeres before he was King 1159. hee was surnamed of the Red colour of his haire in French Rows in Latine Rufus he was brought vp vnder Lanefranke the learned Lumbard who was Archbishoppe of Canterbury of whom he receiued both instructions of knowledge and the order of Knighthood he serued vnder his Father at the battaile of Gerbereth in Normandy 1079 wherein hee was wounded and hee alwaies framed his actions so pleasing to his Fathers humor as that hee thought him much worthier then his elder brother to succeed in his Kingdome 71 Henry the fourth and yongest sonne of King William and Queene Maud his wife was borne in England at Selby in Yorkeshire the third yeere of his Fathers raigne and of our Lord God 1070 his childhood was trained vp in learning at Cambridge saith Caius but the ancient Annales of Saint Austins in Canterbury say he was Philosophiâ peregrè informatus instructed beyond Sea in Philosophy where for his notable knowledge in the Liberall Sciences he was surnamed by the French Beauclerk that is the fine Scholler Vpon his return he was made Knight being 16. yeers old by his Father at Westminster in Whitsontide the nineteenth yeer of his Raign Anno 1086. and thogh at his Fathers death he had nothing bequeathed him but Treasure yet afterward he succeeded his Brothers both in the Kingdome of England and Dutchie of Normandy 72 Cecilie the Eldest daughter of King William and Queene Maude his wife was borne in Normandy brought vp in England and carried againe into Normandy where in the ninth yeere of the Kings Raigne and the yeere of our Lord 1075. shee was by her Father on Ester day with great Solemnity offered vp in the Church of Feschampe vailed to be a Nunne in the Monastery there but was afterward elected by the Nunnes of our Lady at Cane to be Abbesse of their Monasterie founded by her Mother which she gouerned and where she died and was enterred 73 Constance the second daughter of King William and Queene Maud was the first wife of Allayne Earle of little Britaigne surnamed in the British Fergent in English Red. In regard of which marriage and his seruice done at the conquest of England his Father in law gaue him all the lands of Earle Edwine whereon he built the Castle and wherof he made the Earledome of Richmond which long after belonged to the Earles and Dukes of Britaigne his Successors although he had his children by an other wife for she died very yong and without issue and was buried in the Abbey of Saint Edmundsbury in Suffolke 74 Alice the third daughter of King William Queen Maud was married to Stephen Earle of Bloys in France and had issue by him William an Innocent Thibaud surnamed the Great Earle of Blois and Champain Stephen Earle of Mortain and Boleine who was King of England Henry a Monke of Cluny after Abbot of Glastenbury and Bishop of Winchester Mary married to Richard Earle of Chester and Emme wife of one Harbert an Earle of France and mother of Saint William Archbishop of Yorke Shee suruiued Earle Stephen her husband and in her widowhood tooke vpon her the profession of Religion in the Priorie of Nunnes at Marciguy in France where she ended her life 75 Gundred the fourth daughter of King William and of Queene Maud was married to William of Warrein a Nobleman of Normandy who was the first Earle of Surrey in England by whom shee had issue William the second Earle Progenitors of the Earles that followed and Rainold of Warren her second sonne who had also Issue Shee died in Child-bed three yeeres before her husband at Castleaker in Norfolke the 27. of May in the 20. yere of her fathers raigne being the yeere of our Lord 1085. and is buried in the Chapter-house of Saint Pancrase Church within the Priory at the town of Lews in the County of Sussex 76 Ela the fifth daughter of King William and his Queen Maud in her Child-hood was contracted in marriage to Duke Harald when he was in Normandy being then a yong Widower Notwithstanding hee refusing her tooke an other wife and vsurped the Kingdom of England after the death of King Edward whereby hee occasioned his owne ruine and Conquest of his Country which afterward ensued when her Father sought reuenge so much as some write to the discontentment of this Lady that for griefe of these mischances shee euer after refused marriage and led a single and solitarie life though others vpon better warrant collect that shee died yong and before William her Father set forth for England Harald himselfe pleading that hee was free from all couenants and promises to Duke William by reason of the death of this his daughter 77 Margaret the sixth and yongest daughter of King William and Queene Maud was in her childhood giuen in marriage to Alphonso King of Gallicia in Spaine that afterward was so renowned for the Conquest of the City Lysbon for his victories against the Mores and for the slaughter of their fiue Kings and was the founder of the Kingdome of Portugall the first King thereof and the first bearer of the fiue Shields of the said fiue Kinges which are to this day the Armes of the same But this Lady being thus contracted deceased before those things hapned and before shee came to yeeres of lawfull consent to the marriage VVILLIAM THE SECOND SVRNAMED R VFVS THE FORTIETH MONARCH OF THE ENGLISH HIS ACTS RAIGNE AND VNTIMELY DEATH CHAPTER III. WIlliam posting for England Archbishop Lanfrank his earnest soliciter by liberall gifts giuen and promises made to abrogate the ouer hard lawes of his Father had the readier passage into the opinions of them that could doe most and the more to notifie his intended mild gouernment with other his noble inclinations to princely vertues as eye-witnesses of his fauours towards the English hee brought with him from Normandy Morcar the stout Earle of Chester and Wilnoth the sonne of King Harold both of them released out of prison and then held in especiall fauour with him But most of the States standing for Robert Curtoise his elder Brother a man deemed of a more liberall disposition and better temperature towards the Subiects their titles had beene tried by swords had not Lanfrank and Wulstan both wise reuerend Prelates by their Counsels and Mediations staied their hands 2 Consent thus gotten and all voices giuen for William he was crowned their King at Westminster vpon Sunday the twenty sixt day of September and yeere of Saluation 1087. by the hands of Lanfrank Archbishop of Canterbury vnder whom he had beene educated
County against him for which cause Godfrey Earle of Gaunt tooke such displeasure that hee entred into that Earledome and marrying the said Helia his daughter kept the County perforce against King Henries great power But Robert de Beliasme that had escaped at Duke Roberts ouerthrow was then taken and committed prisoner to Warham Castle too gentle a punishment for so blood-thirstie a man whose nature was such that he delighted himselfe onely in cruelty an example whereof hee shewed vpon his owne sonne who being but a childe and playing withhim the father for a pastime put his thumbes in the boies eyes and thrust out the balles thereof 31 These warres somewhat asswaged King Henry returned into England where the people conceiued much grudge at his importable taxes and the Clergy no lesse at his reseruation of Church liuings in their vacancies vnder pretence of keeping them for the worthiest but how vnworthily he oftentimes bestowed thē may be gathered by that prety reproof of Guymundus his Chaplain who grieuing to see vnworthymen for the most part aduanced to Bishoprickes and other dignities when on the Rogation day he celebrated diuine seruice in the Kings Chappel being to read that lesson out of Saint Iames it rained not on the earth III. yeares and VI. moneths hee purposely read it it rained not one one one yeares and fiue one monethes All men either laughing or wondring at his reading the King checkt him for it and askt him the reason marry quoth he I see you bestow your preferments onely on such as can read so which secret touch the King well weighing did both presently preferre him to the gouernment of Saint Frideswides in the Vniuersity of Oxford and afterward was more carefull in all other his choices 32 The King had not beene long in England after his returne from Normandy before the Welshmen then a restlesse people were in Armes against such English as had set footing in that Country which were Gilbert Strangbowe Earle of Strygil and others whose lands in the south part Owen ap Cadogan sore molested and spoiled the like did Gruffith ap Conan Prince of North-Wales vpon Hugh Earle of Chesters County and both of them denied King Henry either seruice or tribute These Earles so incensed the King touching these and other outrages of the Welshmen that in a rage he vowed not to leaue one aliue in al North Wales nor in Powys-land and straight repairing thitherward diuided his Armie into 3. parts The first was led by Earle Gilbert against South-wales the second band by Alexander King of Scotland and Hugh Earle of Chester against North-Wales and the King himselfe lead the third vnder whose Standard was the chiefe strength of middle England But the Welsh seeing themselues far vnable to withstand this present preparation tooke into the Mountaines and Woods their surest holds where being followed with great difficulty many of them were slaine and the rest yeelded to King Henry who now as a Conquerour in triumph returned to London 33 Whither immediately resorted vnto him the Ambassadour of his sonne in law the Emperour to haue his wife Lady Maud now marriage-able to be sent vnto him to which request the King most willingly condescended and to furnish her forth accordingly laid a taxe vpon his Subiects taking three shillings for euery Hide of land wherupon shee was presently conducted by his greatest Peares into Germany and at Mentz married to the Emperour Henry the fourth being there consecrated and crowned his Empresse 34 Shortly after King Henry tooke the Seas for Normandy and there created his sonne William about the age of twelue yeeres Houeden saith but eight Duke of that Country causing the people to sweare him fealty whereof grew a custome that thenceforth the Kings of England made euermore their eldest sonnes Dukes of Normandy which done he returned and nothing recorded of his next yeres aduentures but onely that the Sea gaue place to the Sands and by low Ebbes restored some part of her treasures that long had laien hid and buried in her depth the riuers likewise forgat their wonted swiftnes and as it were seemed vnwilling to pay their ancient tribute into that deiected Element and among them Thamesis not the least whose waters so failed for two daies that betwixt London Bridge and the Tower she became passable and scarse two foot deepe 35 King Henry free now from all forraine domesticall trouble onely Gruffith ap Rees somewhat vnquiet in Wales gaue his thoughts to assure the Crowne into his line and to ordaine lawes for the well gouerning of his people for calling an assembly at Salisbury caused the Estates both Spirituall and Temporall to sweare fealty to himselfe and to his sonne Willam the Hope of succession then reforming many abuses and ending certaine contentions both of his Nobles and Prelates laid here the first foundation of our High Court of Parliament for the English Kings in elder times ordered the affaires of the Common-wealth by their Edicts by their officers and by the Gouernours of euerie Country and seldome had the ioint aduice of their people sauing onely at beginning of their gouernment and in time of warre whereas now the Subiect best vnderstanding his owne grieuances hath both liberty in choice of their Knights and Burgesses as also free voice to complaine thereof in that honourable assembly 36 At this time Theobald Earle of Blessis Nephew vnto King Henry vpon occasion of displeasure rose vp in Armes against the French King to whose aid King Henry sent whereat Lewes found himselfe sore agrieued and drew to his side Baldwine Earle of Flanders and Foulke Earle of Aniou who together tooke oath to dispossesse Henry of Normandy and to make William the sonne of the Curtoise Duke thereof to whom it belonged by right and descent to which also many of the Nobles of Normandy consented pittying the wrong of the noble spirited Child and the wretched captiuity of the blind and ouer-borne Father 37 Henry as wisely wrought against their designes and leauying a great taxe vpon his Subiects passeth therewith into Normandy where vniting the aides of the foresaid Theobald as also of the Earle of Britaine with his English hee made a great shew in the field at which time King Lewes with the Earles of Flanders and Aniou being entred Normandy and hearing of King Henries approch and power staid scarsly one night but as mē without hart or courage returned and left the Country for him so that all things seemed well quieted for a yeare or two nothing disturbing King Henries peace excepting only the expectance of the Popes Legate whom hee prohibited to enter England and the death of his Queene Maud the very mirrour of piety humility and princely bounty 38 But coales of displeasure kindled betwixt King Henry and Lewes of France were not quite extinct though they
Normans disliking that and some other his doings sent for Theobald Earle of Bloys Stephens elder Brother offering him both their Dukedome and their swords and liues to defend him in it who comming to Luxonia Robert Earle of Gloucester not vnwilling any way to weaken King Stephen deliuered vnto him vpon composition the County of Falesia himselfe carrying no small summe of money thence out of King Henries Treasurie and very throughly though secretly watching all opportunities to aduance the title and designes of the Empresse 9 Stephen recouered and hearing these stirres prepared himselfe first into Normandy at whose approach after some small attempts the people distracted betwixt feare and sense of their ducty yeelded themselues vnto his power surrendring their fenced Cities and other strong holds This good successe thus fortunately begunne hee hoped further to prosecute by meanes of a league which hee lately had made with Lewis the seuenth King of France and heereupon created Eustace his eldest son liuing Duke of Normandie commanding him to do his homage for the same to Lewis 10 Earle Theobald seeing himselfe thus defeated of his hopes and purposes stormed at the wrongs done by King Stephen for hee his elder by birth and Bloyses Earledomes lawfull heire laide his title both for Normandie and England also now vsurped by Stephen his yonger notwithstanding rage nought auailing without power hee came to a composition and remitted his Claime for two thousand markes annually to be paid Geffrey of Aniou likewise whose title by his Wife was better then them both not able at the preset being so far ouer-matched by the Kings power wealth confederats to do what he would yeelded to necessity and for fiue thousand markes yeerely to be paid suffered Stephen quietly to enioy the Crowne 11 Hauing thus at once swept the two greatest rubbes out of his fortunes way hee well hoped that all cloudes of displeasure and opposition were now ouer-blowne when vnexpectedly newes came that England was intumults the sparkes of conspiracie kindled secretlie before in the hearts of factious Peers now openly breaking foorth vpon aduantage of his absence in Normandie therefore hauing not altogether cōposed his busines in those parts he took ship for England in the depth of the winter and euen in the Vigill of Christs Natiuitie besieged and after tooke the Castle of Bedford that was manned against him in the behalfe of the Scots about which time Dauid their King hauing entred Northumberland in the quarrell of Queene Maude the ruder sort of his Armie as commonly the best gouerned is not emptie of such reuenged too tragically the wrongs of the Empresse in ripping vp the wombes of women with child and tossing their infants vpon the points of their speares slaying the Priests at the Altar and dismembring the slaine bodies in most vnhumane maner 12 Against these King Stephen made hastilie forward affirming it no policie to giue one houres rest vnto the Enemie and threatning more then hee accomplished entred Scotland whence after some small reuenge wrought hee was hastily recalled so many of his Nobles in England now in Armes against him that hee was in a sort besette on euerie side And what other could bee a Vsurper expect from them but Treason whom himselfe had formerly taught to be Traitors to their rightfull Soueraigne But yet as no Rebellion was euer without pretence of Reason and Iustice they alledged that hee had violated his Oath touching their Forrests and other Immunities of Church and Common-wealth but Church and Common-wealth were but publike colours for priuate grudges as Malmesburie who then liued well vnfouldeth which the Great-Ones concerued against their King because he would not grant them such Castles Commands and Lordships as themselues liked and expected of him whom they thought to be so obliged vnto them that he ought denie them nothing The endlesse and shamelesse importunities of these men sometimes hee put off alleadging thereby the impaire of his Crownes reucnewes sometimes hee was faine to satisfie distrusting their fal●…ing from him whose loialtie notwithstanding beeing built on so vn-noble grounds was but coloured and therefore could not long bee permanent Neither was it For Robert of Glocester the Empresses halfe-brother and now her chiefe Counsellor and Captaine finding those particular dislikes apt to be wrought on and made seruiceable for a common behoofe whetted on with the touch of conscience and counsells of religious learned men who vrged him with the hazard both of his credit and soule for neglect of his first and only-lawfull Oath to the Empresse sent threatning messages vnto King Stephen charging him with his Oath of Allegiance vnto Lady Maud his Soueraigne against whom hee h●… shewed himselfe a most perfidious man and had impiouslie drawne him with others to doe the like and so denouncing Stephen an open Enemie to the State and himselfe vnto Stephen made strong his faction with the assistance of many Nobles among whom Milo a chiefe man of warre and High Constable to King Stephen reuolted from him and became a great help to their proceedings 13 Earle Robert whom estsoones the enraged King discharged of his honours and possessions in England tooke into the Castle of Bristow and made good also his Castle of Slede his complices likewise did the like in other places for William Talbot manned the Castle of Hereford William Louell the Castle of Carie Paganell the Castle of Ludlow William de Mount the Castle of Dunestor Robert de Nichol the Castle of Warram Eustace Fitz-Iohn the Castle of Meltune William Fitz-Alain the Castle of Shrewsburie and Walkelinus the Castle of Doure And thus those forts which were erected to defend the Crowne first offended the King some few whereof as he recouered he flatted to the ground and wished the other no higher walls still swearing by Gods Birth his vsuall Oath hee would not so slightlie bee vnseated of his Crowne and wondring what should mooue them who had so readilie aduanced him so speedily to vnstate him One fresh motiue to these Noble-mens discontents was the Kings * seizing on some great men and their lands on bare suspition of their loialtie and on the other side the extraordinarie fauour which Stephen shewed to William de Ypre and his Flemings which they interpreted as a contempt of themselues and their Nation whose counsells he generally followed and chieflie relied vpon In disdaine whereof they sent word to the Empresse that within fiue Monethes shee should haue the Realme at command according to their Oaths made to her Father 14 These turmoiles thus working in the bowels of the Kingdome Dauid King of Scotland had better opportunitie to assaile the sides and skirts thereof and following what hee had begunne with a very great Armie entring Northumberland made great slaughter of the English and destruction of their Countrey
still beating in their faces and there taking horse the same night got to the Castle of Wallingford to the great ioy and also admiration of all that were therein 39 In the meane while Earle Robert with Prince Henrie were arriued in England at Warrhame hauen and presentlie besieged the Castle there so to withdraw the King from siege of his sister but hearing of the happie escape of the Empresse came with young Henry vnto his mother whose sight made her forget the griefe and sorrowes that she had long indured Then was Oxford vpon conditions yeelded to the King and Wilton fired by the bastard Earle Robert The Towre of London with the Castles of Walden Pleises and Lincolne yeelded to Stephen the Castles of Warham and Portland yeelded to Robert The Earles of Chester and Essex surprized by the King William Martell the great fauourite taken and imprisoned by the Earle Thus sundrie yeeres passing with variable successes to and fro and euery yeere heaping on each side fresh calamities to the great ruine of the whole land the Empresse euen wearied with those warres and vncertaineties of successe went into Normandie chusing rather to be vnder the protection of her husband in peace then to raigne in England perplexed with troubles and to the same end she had not long before sent her young sonne Henrie to his father who desired to haue him rather heire of a Dukedome with safetie then of a Crowne with daylie hazard 40 Stephen that by a fresh surprizall of Randall Earle of Chester had got Lincolne and entring thereinto which no King before him durst doe for that certaine wizards had prophesied euilluck vnto such at christmas did there weare the Regall Crowne on his head and after the Empresses departure caused the Barons of England to sweare allegiance vnto Prince Eustace his sonne by which two complements hee supposed all had beene sure on his side and the rather for that the most faithfull puissant and euer-renowned Earles Robert of Glocester and Milo of Hereford the two great and glorious pillars which had by many Conquests supported their Anioueians cause were now conquered by death and the rest of the Nobles applying themselues to the Times kept themselues quiet in the absence of these Competitors all which gaue no little assurance vnto Stephens estate 41 But Henry Fitz-Empresse grown now from a Child thought it best a while to leaue Mercury for it is said hee was Bookish and to follow Mars so knowing his presence would preferre much his purposes for men would bee loth to hazard all for one who himselfe would neglect all hasted againe into England with an Armie of valiant and choice Souldiers to whom ioined the discontented Earle of Chester Roger the sonne of Miles deceased with many more Knights and Gallants of the English hee therefore tooke into the North and met with Dauid his cosen King of Scotland of whom hee was most honourably receiued and solemnely sacred with the Military honour of Knighthood and thence forward sought all occasions to prouoke both King Stephen and his sonne Eustace against him and hauing setled some courses with certain Peeres for the pursuit of his designes in England hee returned into Normandy to compose set forward some other businesses which might be auaileable for these his ends 42 Where long he staied not but that Geffrey his Father departed this life and left him his Heire both of Aniou and Normandy and the yeere following he matched in marriage with Eleanor Dutches of Guien and Aquitane lately diuorced from Lodowicke King of France for consanguinity and adultery saith Paris after shee had borne him two daughters Lodowicke fearing issue-male by this marriage to the disheriting of his said daughters greatly impugned Duke Henry and Stephen suspecting his greatnes now being Duke of Normandy Aniou Aquitane and Guien both of them sought each way to impeach his peace Lodowicke with Prince Eustace in the parts beyond seas and Stephen in England to make sure his succession sought to inuest the said Prince Eustace with the English Diademe both to preuent and vtterly depriue Henry Fitz-Empresse for euer for calling a Counsell at London King Stephen commaunded Theobald Archbishop of Canterbury to consecrate Prince Eustace for their King which hee refused to doe and that by commandement from the Pope whose holy See can deale on both sides as makes most for their aduantage alledging now that his Father was an vsurper and periured Intruder whereupon the honest Archbishop fled into Normandy and the King seized vpon al his possessions It may seeme that one cause of the Popes inclining to yong Henries title was to strēgthen him against his enemy King Lewis of France who had highly offended his Holines for casting the Popes Bulles whereby hee required the fruits of Vacancies of all Cathedrall Churches in France into the fire saying hee had rather the Popes Bulles should rest in the fire then his owne soule should frse in hell 43 King Stephen thus defeated of his purpose and seeing his Title questioned by the Church who had before approued it resolued to make it good by the sword for winning the Castle of Muby fortified Malmesbury and laid a strait siege vnto Wallingford against which hee erected the Castle Cranmerse to stoppe the passages of their reliefe or comming forth But Henry after hee had calmed the boisterous stormes of warre in the parts beyond the seas came ouer into England well appointed vnto whom also resorted many of the Nobility who yeelded vp themselues and aboue thirty strong Castles to the young Duke now well furnished hasted to raise the siege of Wallingford and there vndertooke a great enterprice for hee incircled the Bestegers with a great and deepe Trench whereby hee kept them from reliefe as they did keepe the Besieged 44 Stephen following hastily to succour his men though with the lesse edge for that hee neuer sped well in any assault of that Castle pitched downe his Tents euen neere his enemy and ready on both sides to giue battaile the Winter stormes were suddenly so troublesome that nothing could bee done but those somewhat ouerblowne and the Armies scarse three furlongs asunder as King Stephen was busied in disposing of his hoast and giuing direction for order of the battaile his horse vnder him rising with his fore-feet fell flat vpon the earth not without danger to his Rider and thus did he thrice ere he left which thing his Nobles secretly muttering interpreted for an vnlucky presage when William Earle of Arundell a bold and eloquent man went to him and aduised him to a peace affirming the title of Duke Henry to be iust that the Nobility on both parts there present were neerely linked in Alliances Bloud and how these stood affected was very doubtfull yea that Brethren were there assembled the one
the same estate as in which King Richard found it 40 But the King of England though hee had very far excelled all the Christian Princes in great exploites at that iourney because* he had neither conquered Salaadine nor Ierusalem did mourne and parted pensiue In the holy-land hee left Henry Earle of Champaine who vpon taking the said Baruck was to haue beene crowned King of Ierusalem which Guido had resigned and hee left Guydo de Lusignian the late King of Ierusalem in Cyprus to whom hee had passed it in exchange for the other to aduance his Kinseman the said Earle of Champain which vpon that Title the familie of Lusinian for many descents after did possesse and enioy Thus Richard hauing ordered his affairs in the East parts sets saile homeward The Queenes Berengaria his wife and Ioan his sister with the Captiue Lady Daughter of the Cypriot Emperour vnder the conduct of Stephen de Turnham hearing of the Kings most heauie fortune soiourned at Rome about sixe moneths for feare of Richards enemies afterward came safe by Marsilia in Poictou 41 God whose cause was onely pretended in this voyage of the Christians did not seeme to approue the said truce for hee scattered the English with a terrible tempest and the opportunity of Conquest was so lost that hitherto it could neuer bee regained and the King of England letting it slippe when God had almost put the same into his hands did miserably fall into his enemies hands Certainelie the name of Richard was at that time growne terrible to Saladine who had receiued diuerslosses foiles and ouerthrowes at his haudes Moreouer the Saladines whole estate being endangered by such of his own sect as reputed him a meer vsurper hee could not long withstand the double impression of the Christian Cheualrie and of his owne Allies and Countrimen as indeed not long after* he died leauing his Empire fowly but iustly distracted by ciuill confusions whereas by this Truce the crafty Turke made the world see that the powers of two so potent Monarkes had in a manner effected nothing Richard could neuer haue time to return for accōplishment of his designs for which all Christendome hath at this howre reason to bee sorrowfull and hereofhimselfe* was very sensible so that hee would oftentimes crie out that hee was not alwayes wise alluding to this occasion lost 42 But the noble King hoping to pierce with speed through Germanie in disguise tooke to him the name of Hugo a Merchant the haire of his head and beard growne very long being the fitter to conceale him but in his iourney ouer land was neere to Vienna vnhappily discouered by the profusenesse of his expenses when hee saw he could not escape them in contempt of his fortunes he put on roiall garments and refused to yeeld but onely to the Duke himselfe who came with ioy as to a prey which he sore longed for but the rascall multitude cried things worthy of themselues calling him O barbarisme Traitour and some saying stone-him some cut off his head others hang him and because the inhumanity of this vsage may be suited with rimes as rude and ragged you shall in such heare the cause of this Arch-dukes malice growing first at Accon where the Author speaking of King Richard saith He gate it soone with his great Ordinance And on the walles his Banners full high set The Kings Armes he set vp also of France And King Guyes Armes of Ierusalem well bet The Duke of Oistrich Limpold without let Set vp his Armes after aboue them all Which King Richard did cast downe from the wall 43 And though it is certaine that this Author faines not this fact for that some such matter and told by * some with more disaduantage to Richards cause is by others related yet the grauest Authors agree that next to the common enuie at his vertues the greatest pretence was the murther of the Marquesse Conrad committed at Tyre by two cursed Assasines a* certaine sect in the East liuing vnder a Senior or Ruler whom they honor as a Prophet by whom they are sent forth to murther such Princes as fauor them not promising themselues the reward of immortality by obeying him in all things though with the losse of their owne liues Of which barbarous fact Henrie the Emperour and Leopold the Arch-duke whose neer kinsman Conrad was would seeme to beleeue that Richard was the Author though therin they toucht his princely reputation and integrity * most iniuriously for that the chiefe of that sect by their owne publike * letters written with the bloud of the shel-fish called Murex wherewith Scarlet vsed to be dyed acknowledging the fact declared the true cause thereof which was a particular Act of iniustice in Conrad himselfe There wanted not sundry other pretences as in such cases is vsuall as * that Richard had entred league with Tancred King of Sicilia the Emperours enemy and that hee had thrust the Cypriot their kinsman out of the Empire and kept his onely daughter Captiue But this booty being too great for a Duke the Emperour got into his custody meaning to coine much gold and siluer out of his most vniust affliction by sharpe imprisonment which could not make him in any act or speech or gesture of his shew beneath the Maiestie of a victorious Prince and King of England 44 The dismall newes thereof flying through the world presently disclosed who were sound or vnsure sorrow and dismay was euery where among his owne His carefull mother and other his fast friends sweare the realme to be true to King Richard watch the coasts and prouide for the security of the State with singular vigilancie assuring the Cities good Townes with Bulwarkes Walles and Munition On the contrary Earle Iohn being by the cunning inueigling and suggestions of his brothers professed foes not onely put out of all hope of his releasement but also incensed against him for intending the Crowne to his Nephew Arthur entred into an vnbrotherly attempt against his Soueraigne Lord the summe whereof take in the words of Thomas Walsingham who saith that Iohn with promises allured many to him through the whole Kingdom did carefully and speedily fortifie his holds in England and passing the seas entred into league with the King of the French that he might vtterly put his Nephew Arthur Duke of Britaine from that hope which the Britaines had conceiued of his promotion The Normans giuing any way to his disloiall practises hee swears fealty to Philip King of France his brothers most mortall enemie and also that he would take to wife the Lady Alice King Philips sister though polluted by his owne Father and for that cause reiected by King Richard Out of Normandy he posts into England sollicites Peeres and people and was loyally resisted but hee not quieted so labors to stirre the Scot and Welsh to
his intended way For the King keeping his Christmas at Oxford attended as it seemeth by his Bishoppes meaning not to pretermit any faire means to worke the Popes inclination towards the new Elect he sent for twelue of the Monkes whom with some other of his owne Clerks which carried his letters to the Pope he put in trust for transacting this businesse at Rome allotting them very bountifull expenses out of his Exchequer for their whole iourney They to leaue with the King who knew well the traines of Rome and the ouer-reaching fetches of Innocentius a pledge of their duty and assurance of his hopes entred with him a couenant by oath that no man nor meanes should remoue them from him whom the King themselues had already appointed The Bishops sent the same time their Procurators also to plead their right of Co-election so as foure obstacles stood at once in the Popes way the two elections of the Monkes and the two claims of the King and Prelates hee for his Royall assent they for their ioynt consent in the choice which all must be done and voided before the Pope can haue his full forth But because these will aske long time for contriuing which moued his Holinesse to adiourne the hearing to the very end of the yeare wee will see the while how the King and State of England is imployed 33 The dorre which deceased Hubert did put vpon K. Iohn and his late design gaue both K. Philip aduantage to take surer footing in his new possessions and King Iohn greater stomacke and edge to recouer his old The last taske almost of the one and hold of the other was Chinon a place of great strength but in nothing more then in the euer-trusty valour of her Captain Roger Lacy who if some mistake him not in steed of Hubert de Burgo being redeemed from the French resolued here to giue Philip another taste of his prowesse and King Iohn of his fidelitie had not others faithlesse feare defeated his braue resolution For the besieged hauing no rest night or day from a long and incessant batterie their Commanders inuinceable constancy against yeelding which enheartned the better sort dismayed the baser as more prizing their ease then their faith or fame some of which by night slipping ouer the walles so instructed the enemy of all secret aduantages to possesse the towne that by a sodaine assault both it and Lacy more worth then it was againe surprized Here seemed to haue beene the Garland of Philips conquest had not newes beene thither brought vnto him of some new risings in Brittaine where Guido the husband of Constantia Arthurs Mother sensible belike of the false-grounded wronges offered to King Iohn vnder pretence of Arthur returned gladly both into Amity and a strong league with the English and with him also Sauary Malleon and Almerick Lusignian two Peeres of heroicke valour and great commaund whom King Iohn of his prisoners had made by prudent and louely vsage his trusty friends The French King fuming to see his vniust intrusions thus preiudiced especially by Arthurs owne father in law was hastning from Chinon into Britaine to worke reuenge on them whose exemplar equitie should haue beene his mirrour of amendment Englands King on the other side was no lesse heartned with this new confideration leuying once again a puissant Army which he landed at Rochel being the onely noted place which in all these turmoiles and mutabilities of Fortunes kept her selfe entire from entrance either of enemy or of disloiall thought 34 The King hauing his Army much augmented with great concurses of his best-affected Prouincials marching confidently forward subdued a great portion of that Country till comming to Mount-Alban a Castle of much renowne as being repuputed inexpugnable and now the Rende-uou of his most potent enemies and all their flower of Chiualry hee gaue a terrible assault thereto for 15. dayes together where at last his Englishmens valour was so aduenturous in scaling the walles and both giuing and taking blowes vnportable that in those few dayes hee entred Conquerour into that very place which Charles the great could not get with his seuen yeers siedge The multitude of Nobles therin taken was so great that hee sent into England a bedroll of their names for a memoriall of so great a victory Which auspicious beginnings he seconded with no lesse expedition prouidence and prowesse in the siege of Angiers where on his first approch hee gaue present instructions to his maine Army suddenly to enuiron the whole City by assault to seeke entrance at the walles on euery side whiles himselfe and his selected band with fire and Engines would assaile the Gates where with great celerity and no lesse hazard then hardinesse breaking through he became Lord of his owne But whatsoeuer were the Citizens demerites pittious it was that their offences and the Conquerours wrath lay so heauy on those stately walles as to throw them flatte to the ground which hasty doome it being the cradle of his birth and City of his chiefe delight hee as hastily and very deerly too repented when with excessiue expenses hee encircled it againe with a beautie farre beyond the former These faire successes humbling all the Country before him cleared his passage into Picardy whither King Philip was now conuerting all his power to oppose himselfe against the violence of this Torrent which now more facilly hee might stoppe hauing in his way by laying secret ambushments laid hands vpon Duke Guido Sauary and Almericke King Iohns principall hopes as they were busily aduancing his present affaires by which surprize though the English forces missing their Prouincial aids were greatly impayred yet their great hearts were not much amated as the French-men found when both the Armies neere approaching ouer night the next morning alacriously they addressed to the fight and with great spirits on each side expected the Signall Notwithstanding the day likely to proue dreadfull with expence of bloud vpon earnest interceeding of forraine Prelates and religious persons who vndertook equably to compose all things both Kinges condescended to a two-yeeres Truce King Iohn chiefly out of affection to his Captiue friends whose liberty was formost in the conditions 35 Hauing thus setled those Countries in farre better termes then last hee found them he embarked for England where hee laid not aside a carefull though distastfull prouidence for still bettering those his successes for which ends whiles from his Subiects both Lay and Clergy he gathered money the Sinewes of warre he lost their affections the ioints of Peace whereof Geffry Archbishoppe of Yorke his Naturall and vnnaturall brother was a principal incentiue who solemnly cursing all the Kinges receiuers within his Prouince fled secretly out of the land Which peruicacie a bitter enemie
him this answere Thou dost see ô Hertold that my forces are scarce sufficient to defend my selfe Our Lord and Sauiour was betraied by his Disciple Iudas and therefore who shall be safe Behold the Earle of March whom I tooke and reuerenced as my Father hath giuen a pernicious president I haue trusted in a staffe of reed and the splinters thereof haue wounded my hand Thou art the only man who hast behaued thy selfe honestly whatsoeuer therefore thou doest tossesse of mine by any iust title take it to thee as thine owne I giue it thee Prouide other want could make him forget his magnificence and bountie hee caused the East-part of the great Church at Westminster to bee taken downe and by aduise of expert Workmen newly to bee builded and ioyned to the West The effect of the Kings expedition into Wales was that after he had fortified the Castle of Gannocke in North-Wales vpon the passage into Anglesey and by the Irishmen wasted that fertile Iland hee was himselfe enforced by sharpenesse of the weather and for want of victuals to returne about the end of October hauing taken all courses hee could to sterue the Welsh forbidding the Irish vpon pain of death to bring any reliefe into Wales and left that they of Cheshire or the neighbour parts should giue them any succour hee so spoiled them of all their prouisions that they were scarse able to feed themselues and if the Welsh compelled by famine ventred out of their strengthes or fastnesses in or about Snowdon the Garrison Souldiers of Gannocke were ready to intercept and kill them and on the other side the Lords of Brumfield and Powys though Welshmen held with the King so that they were miserably straitned The King pawnd his Iewels to his brother Richard at this iourney for 3000. Markes which holpe to piece out the charge thereof Paris hath a long list of great names which dying about this time left neither name nor issue to preserue the memory of their Greatnes but none so strange as of the Marshals fiue brethren of them successiuely Earles of Pembroke and all dying issulesse which he attributeth to the iudgement of God for the iniquity of their Father and of themselues who would neuer restore certaine Manours which their Father in warre-time had taken in Ireland from the Bishoppe of Ferus an holy Irish man who often required restitution and for want thereof did put them vnder Gods curse and his One doth indeed obserue that the Irish Saints are vindicatiue but certainely the examples of punishments for Sacrilege and violent extortions are terrible in holy Scripture and most fearefull was the sentence it selfe which Gods Prophet pronounced against Ahab for Naboths vineyard agreeing with the very plague which this yeare fell vpon the house of Marshall 72 The Popes furie was now so much inflamed against King Henry and the English for so disgracing him publikely in the Generall Councell that hee vsed lofry threats if once the Emperour were quelled to tame England also and whetted on the French King to enter on the land promising him all the helpes of the Church and Papall power But the iust King not only refused so vniust an offer as hauing no title to England themselues also knit by kindred and by truce their Queenes being sisters the attempt bloody for Christians c. but further ratified the former truce and enlarged it with the addition of more yeers because King Lewis was prepared to make warre against the Infidels which voyage King Henrie would not hinder but aduance And that nothing might disturbe the peacefull life with which the King of England was most delighted Dauid Prince of Wales departed out of the vale of the dying as Paris elegantly saith into the vale of the dead The King seeing all things quiet and safe about him doth now conuert his whole cares to the reformation of the inward maladies of his dominions calling the estates of the land together for that purpose To whom he there deliuered in writing sundrie Articles of the greeuances and oppressions of his Kingdome and the Church 1. that the Pope extorts great Contributions of the Clergy without the Kings assent against ●…he rightes and liberties of the Kingdome 2. that Patrons cannot bestow Church liuings on fit men but the Pope giues them to his Romans who can speake no English ●…r celebrate diuine seruice nor preath nor keepe hospitalitie nor c●…e for soules c. but only begger the Land with carrying away the Coine 3. that the Popes Prouisions and Pensions are vnsufferable 4. that Englishmen are d●…awne forth of the Land to end their causes 5. that the Pope by his non obstante ouerthrowes Oathes Customs Charters Graunts Statutes Priuiledges Rights c. whereupon the King Bishops Nobles Abbots and Priors did all write their seuerall complaints to the Pope requiring speedie redresse of those infinite wrongs to the King the Kingdome the Clergie the Nobles and the People who would rather die then thus daily endure those oppressions Notwithstanding sundry Prelates either out of ambition or feare vnderhand furthered the Popes desires when secretly he craued an annuall tallage of the Clergie for maintenance of his Souldiers and that the State should take no notice thereof the Pope caused his Agents to make them swear not to reueale this their Contribution to any man liuing for the space of halfe a yeere Yet the King came to the knowledge thereof and sent forth his writs forbidding vnder great penaltie that the money should be carried forth of the Land This the Kings displeasure was much augmented vpon the returne of his messengers from the Councell of Lyons who related how proudlie the Pope reiected the iust complaints of the State saying the King himselfe did Frederize and holding his People as Schismaticks Which incensed the King to publish his Proclamation in Euery Citie and Towne that none of his subiects should dare to contribute any money to the Pope but it came to no effect for that some Popizing Bishops and ambitious Clerks of his Councell fearing the Papall threats where no cause of feare was drew him to leaue his purpose womanly which he manfully vndertooke 73 The Bishop of Worcester a principall worker herein was said to haue had authoritie from the Pope to interdict the land which perhaps was it which the King so greatly feared and which the Monke said was not worth the fearing The Earle of Cornwall also with others who fauoured not the Emperour Fredericks cause laboured to change the Kings minde so that the wonted extortions were as current as euer insomuch that a Cardinall truely told the Pope that England was to the Pope as Balaams Asse which being so often wronged spurgalled and cudgeld it was no maruaile if at length shee opened her mouth to complaine and for themselues and their Romane Court they were like Ismael euerie mans hand against
odious Hugh Bigod brother to the Earle Marshall was made chiefe Iustitiar The people seemed wholy theirs which made the Barons so rough and peremptory in all their conferences that when the Lord Henrie sonne to the King of Almain refused to combine or take their oath without his Fathers consent they roundly bad him know That if his father himselfe would not hold with the Baronage of England he should not haue a furrowre of earth among them And least anie thing which might tend to their securitie should seeme to be omitted they vsing the Kings name commanded London to stand vpon her guard by keeping their Cities gates carefully shut by maintaining strong watches night by night vpon pretence of danger to the Realme through the practises of strangers and after they dispatched thither certaine fit Agents who in the Guilde-hall made known their commission which was directly to vnderstand whether they would i●…utably adhere to the Barons and obey their constitutions by manfully aiding and effectually supplying them in the common cause Whereunto the Citizens condescended binding themselues thereunto vnder the publike seale of London 94 The Barons did as yet forbeare to declare what those reformatorie Prouisions should be because the Earle of Gloucester a principall man among them was in danger of death whose sicknesse did perplex suspend their proceedings the maner of his maladie did put them in doubt of their owne safeties making them grow in distrust of their Cooks their butlers and sewers for the Earle his body breaking out into pustules and his haire nailes teeth and skinne it selfe falling away was as many others of which some died thought to be poisoned But whither they were or no the Poictouines and strangers had the blame laid vpon them to make them the more odious to the Commons But the Earle partly recouered his health in time by the benefit of medicines and diligent attendance The poisons were said to haue beene tempered in the house of Elias a Iew afterward baptized The King himselfe perhaps would not haue beene sorry if that he Simon Earle of Leicester and some few others of the Barons had beene with God for howsoeuer his body was among them yet his heart was not at quiet which in this wise well appeared For being in the moneth of Iune vpon the riuer of Thames in his barge the aier sodeinly grew darke and there ensued a terrible shower with thunder and lightning of which the king impatient commands himselfe to be set on land at the next place which was Durham house whereas then the Earle of Leicester lay The Earle being thereof certified came out to entertaine him saying Sir why are you afraid the tempest is now past whereunto he answered with a seuere looke I feare thunder and lightning aboue measure but by the head of God I doe more feare thee then all the thunder and lightning of the world Whereunto the Earle replied My liege it is iniurious and incredible that you should stand in feare of me who haue alwaies beene loyall both to you and your Realme whereas you ought to feare your enemies such as destroy the Realme and abuse you with bad Counsels The Barons therefore remaining firme in their first purpose send messengers abroad to will all such as had beene wronged by the Kings halfe-brothers and other Poictouines and strangers to present their greeuances to the Barons and to prosecute them Moreouer because sundry other petty-tyrants of the English nation encouraged by their example had exceeded their limits in oppressing their inferiours they procured the King to appoint foure Knights Commissioners in euerie shire to enquire of all such iniuries and certifie the same vnder their seales within a certaine time limitted 95 The Barons in the meane time neglect not their enterprize at whose instance principally of Hugh Bigod the new chiefe Iustitiar Philip Louel the Kings Treasurer for abuses committed in the Kings Forrests and game about Stony-Stratford and many Officers of the Exchecquer were likewise remoued to giue roome to such as the Barons better liked The Sherifs likewise of Shires their practises and extortions were diligentlie seene into and it was ordeined that as well the giuers as takers of bribes should be seuerely punisht The welsh seeing these ●…und proceedings in England the peace reflorishment whereof they feared labored for reconciliation but could not then obteine it 96 Richard King of Romans hauing a desire to see the King his brother and his lands in England not without a purpose to bring an Armie or such a number of men as might greatly strengthen the King against the Barons as they suspected was aduertised that they prouided for his resistance aswell by land as sea This made him his wife and sonne to lay aside that purpose and to arriue in a priuate maner at Douer with a small traine in which there were onely two Earles and about nine Knights The king met him with great congratulation at the Sea side but nor King nor hee could bee suffered to enter into Douer Castle because forsooth it was the principall Key of England for the safegard whereof they openly exacted an Oath of him at Canterburie in this manner The holy Gospels being laide vpon the Pulpet in the Chapter-house of Canterbury the Barons reuerently brought in thither the Kings of England and of Almaine then Richard Earle of Glocester for Simon Earle of Leicester was gone with others into France to deale with the King and States thereof about a perpetuall league standing in the midst openly and in humble sort cals Richard King of Romans vnto him by the name onely of Richard Earle of Cornwall who obeyed accordingly to whom hee distinctly ministred the Oath following Heare all men that I Richard Earle of Cornwall sweare vpon the holy Gospels to bee faithfull and forward to reforme with you the Kingdome of England hitherto by the counsell of wicked men too much deformed And I will be an effectuall Coadiutor to expell the Rebels and troubles of the Realme from out the same This oath will I obserue vpon paine to forfeit all the lands I haue in England On the other side had the King known how to vse it there fell out such dissention between the Earles of Gloucester and Leicester that Leicester departed from England discontented saying he tooke no ioy to liue among men so mutable and deceitfull Neuerthelesse such meanes were vsed that these two chiefe Captaines of the Barons brake not forth into any farther diuision Thus whiles the Barons vsing the Kings name disposed of all things and Simon de Montfort Earle of Leicester was gone with others to transact with the French about an indissoluble league the King himselfe through desire not to be interrupted with forraine matters if warre should rise at home or through want of money or better aduise was induced if not betrayed to an act of little honour though it carried with it the
that name and last of that house who died without Issue male she had also by him two daughters Elenor married to Iames Butler Earle of Ormond and Margaret to Hugh Courtney the first Earle of Deuonshire Shee was this Earles wife foureteene yeers liued thirty three deceased in the ninth yeere of the raigne of king Edward her brother A. D. 1316. and was buried in the Church of S. Iames at the Abbey of Saffron VValden in Essex 69 Beatrice the eight daughter of King Edward and Queene Elenor bare the name of Beatrice Dutchesse of Britannie her fathers sister she is by some Genealogists mentioned to haue liued till she was marriageable but yet no mention being made of her match it seemeth she died vnmarried 70 Blanch the ninth daughter of king Edward and the last of Queene Elenor is so mentioned by Thomas Pickering and some others but not at all by Thomas Ebraham a Monke who made a Pedegree of the Kings of England but shee is by the rest reported to haue died in her childhood 71 Thomas the fifth sonne of king Edward and the first of Queene Margaret his second wife was borne at a little village in Yorkshire called Brotherton Iune 1. in the nine and twenteth yeere of his fathers raigne Ann. 1300. hee was created Earle of Norfolke and Earle Marshal of England which Earledomes the last Earle Roger Bigod leauing no Issue left to the disposition of the King his father He had two wiues of which the first was Alice the daughter of Sir Roger Hayles of Harwich in Suffolk by whom hee had issue Edward who married Beatrice the daughter of Roger Mortimer the first Earle of March but hee died before his father without Issue and two daughters Margaret twice married first to Iohn Lord Segraue by whom shee had Elizabeth Dutchesse of Norfolke wife of Iohn Lord Mowbray from whom the Mowbrayes Howards Dukes of Norffolke and Earles Marshall descended secondly to Sir VValter Manny a Knight of Cambray and by him had Anne wife of Iohn Hastings the elder Earle of Pembroke and mother of Earle Iohn the yonger that died without Issue his yongest daughter Alice was married to Sir Edward Montacute and had by him three daughters Elizabeth and Ioan married to VValter and VVilliam two of the Vffords and Maud that died vnmarried The second wife of this Earle Thomas was Mary the daughter of VVilliam Lord Ros and widow of Sir Ralph Cobham who suruiuing him without Issue by him shee was married the third time to VVilliam Lord Brerose of Brember 72 Edmund his sixt sonne by Queene Margaret was borne at Woodstocke in Oxfordshire August 5 in the thirtieth yeare of the raigne of his Father A. 1301. Hee was created Earle of Kent and married Margaret daughter of Iohn and sister and sole heire of Thomas Lord VVakes of Lydel in the County of Northampton by her he had Issue two sonnes and one daughter Edmund his eldest sonne was Earle of Kent after his father and died vnder age without wife or issue Iohn the yonger was Earle also after his brother he maried Elizabeth the daughter of the Duke of Gulike and died like vise without Issue His daughter was Ioan for her beauty called the faire Maid of Kent first maried to William Mountacute Earle of Salisbury and from him diuorced and remarried to Sir Thomas Holland in her right Earle of Kent and by her father of Thomas and Iohn Holland Duke of Surrey and Earle of Huntington and lastly shee was the wife of Edward of Woodstocke the Blacke Prince of Wales and by him mother of King Richard the second This Earle Edmund was beheaded at Winchester the 1●… of March in the fourth yeere of King Edward his Nephew 73 Eleanor the tenth daughter fifteenth child of King Edward and the last child of Queene Margaret his second wife was borne at Winchester the sixt day of May in the fiue and thirtieth and last yeere of her fathers Raign being the yeere of our Lord 1306. shee deceased in her Child-hood and was buried in S. Peters Church at Westminster by her brother Iohn Henry and Alfons vnder the monument before named with her picture ouer it EDVVARD THE SECOND LORD OF IRELAND AND DVKE OF AQVITAINE c. THE FORTIE-EIGHTH MONARCH OF ENGLAND HIS RAIGNE ACTS AND ISSVE CHAPTER XI THat the Mind is not deriued from Parents certainely the second Edward called of Caeernaruon might if nothing else abundantlie shew being of a most valiant wise and fortunate father an vnlike sonne yet not to beginne our description of his courses with preiudice of his person we will so temper our stile that by his owne actions sincerely related rather then by any verball censures the man may bee iudged This cannot be denied that whereas from the Conquest till his time England though it endured by Gods iust iudgements many bitter sad and heauy stormes through some headinesse ambition or other sicknesses of mind in the Princes thereof yet had she Men to sway and gouerne her and those distempers were as the perturbations incident to vigorous dispositions whereas vnder this Edward who could neither get nor keepe it seemed to endure the leuities of a Child though his yeeres being about twenty and three might haue exempted him from so great infancie of iudgement as his raigne discouered 2 Neuer came Prince to the crowne with more generall applause then he so great hopes of doing well his Victorious father Edward of VVinchester had left vpon him besides the right of succession whose last warning and terrible adiurations you haue heard with the vtter contempt and breach whereof to the destruction of himselfe and his friends hee in a manner auspicated his gouernement 3 After that Edward had in his best maner prouided for the affaires of Scotland where at Domfrees many of the Scottish Lords did their homage to him as they had to his Father the first taske which hee gaue of his future behauiours at home was a rigorous reuenge taken by him vpon Walter de Langton Bishoppe of Chester Treasurer of England and principall Executor of the last Will of the deceased King whose body was not as yet interred but by the care of the Executors conueied with funerall pompe to VValtham and after sixteen weekes to VVestminster where vnder a plaine monument the same at this present rests The Bishoppes crime was a kind of good freedome which hee vsed in the late Kings daies in grauely reprouing the Prince for his misdemeanors and shortning his waste of coine by a frugall moderation and particularly for that he had complained of Peirs Gaueston wherupon ensued Prince Edwards imprisonment and the others banishment and therefore comming now to the Crowne hee arrested the Bishoppe by Sir Iohn Felton Constable of the Tower and imprisoned him in VVallingford Castle seising vpon all his temporall goods and credites there being not a man in the Realme who durst speake a word on his behalfe so
sent her complaints to the king of France her father which concerned iniuries in the highest kind as in her bed the King being drawne by Gaueston to adultery and in her honour and maintenance Whereupon the Peeres of the land animated by the King of France so confidently dealt with Edward that his Earle now the third time did abiure the Realme but the King of France and his enemies making forraine parts vnsure for him to abide in he returned in Christmas to the generall perturbation of the Kingdome and to his owne certaine ruine for that the Barons his aduersaries had gotten him banished with this Prouiso that if at any time afterward hee were taken in England hee should be forthwith apprehended and suffer death But an Angell from heauen could not seeme more welcome then this most faithful friend as that Courtier cals him was vnto King Edward who forthwith aduanced him to be his principall Secretary 11 Vpon report of Gauestons returne the chiefe Lords aswell Ecclesiasticall as temporall Walter Bishoppe of Couentree excepted who allowed the Kings affections towards Gaueston and procured him to breake the former agreements which were made and sworne in the Parliament at London consulted vpon a desperat course of reformation in this point and made choise of Thomas Earle of Lancaster to be their leader This Thomas was sonne of Edmund Earle of Lancaster Leicester and Ferrers second sonne of Henry the third King of England and in right of his wife after her fathers decease which hapned about this time Earle of Lincolne Salisburie and besides many other great Lands in Yorkeshire Cumberland and Wales hee had the Earledom of Artoys in Picardy so that without comparison hee was the greatest subiect of the Kingdome 12 The Issue of which combination before we pursue wee may not here in our way ouerslippe a strange alteration both here in England and in all Christendome by the vniuersall extinguishment of the Order of the Templars wrought about this time by the procurement of the French King who being so gracious with Pope Clement that formerly hee sent Ambassadors to craue of his holinesse with great importunity that the bones of his Predecessor Pope Boniface might bee burnt as being an Heretike so now also he so farre preuailed with him that in the Councel at Vienna this so highly esteemed Order was vpon clear proofe of their generall odious sinnes and scarse credible impieties vtterly abolished through Christendome The French King caused 54. of that Order together with their Great Maister to bee burnt at Paris and though that King hoped to conuert all the Lands of that Societie to his sonnes vse whom hee intended to make King of Ierusalem yet the Pope and Councell annexed their possessions to the Order of the Knights Hospitalers called commonly Knights of the Rhodes Notwithstanding in England where such Papall commands went not alwayes for lawes the heires of the Donours and such as had endowed the Templars here with landes entred vpon those parts of their ancient Patrimonies after the dissolution of the Order and saith our Courtier detained them vntill not long after they were by Parliament wholly transferred vnto the Knights of the Rhodes or of S. Iohn of Ierusalem 13 King Edward was now at Yorke and Earle Thomas according to that which had beene concluded among the combined Lords who resolued to trie all extremities rather then any longer to endure Peirs Ga●…eston as being perswaded while that King-bane breathed peace could neither be maintained in the Realme nor the King abound in treasure nor the Queene enioy his loue sent humble petitions by honourable messengers to their Soueraigne requesting him to deliuer the man into their hands or to driue him from his company out of England But the selfe-wild King preferring the dearenesse of one stranger before the loue of the whole Realme would not condiscend 14 Afterward Peirs whom the Earles pursued with an Armie being entrusted for his safeguard to Aimerie de Valence Earle of Pembrok was left by him but one night at a Village or Manour called Dathington betweene Oxford and Warwicke being a place neither farre enough off nor strong enough pretending to haue conuaied him on the next day to the Castle of Wallingford the said Aimerie in the meane space departing to lodge with his Countesse who lay hard by but the said Aimerie conniuing thereat as our Courtier chargeth him who also writes that hee tooke a solemne oath before the king to doe his best to safe-conduct Gaueston the king purposing in the meane time to labour his peace with the Lords vpon any conditions Guy Earle of Warwicke with his people surprised him the same night and took him to his Castle of Warwicke where in a place called Blacklow afterward Gaueshead his head was stricken off at the commandement and in the presence of the Earles of Lancaster Warwicke and Hereford as of one that had beene a subuerter of the lawes and an open Traitour to the Kingdom In which bold attempt themselues who yet pretended so much standing for the liberties of the land did most vnaduisedly infringe a Capitall branch of the same Franchises in putting to death an Earle and so deare a friend of the Kings without any iudiciall proceeding by triall of his Peeres which caused a lasting hatred betwixt the King and his Nobles 15 There wanted nothing now to King Edward but present meanes to reuenge the bloud of his friend or rather of his halfe-selfe the lacke wherof did encrease the sorrow he tooke for his death which being well knowne to the Lords they resolued not to lay downe Armes till they had prouided for their security and the performance of all such points as concerned the temperament of the Regall power that vnder colour thereof the Nobles themselues might finger some part of the Soueraigne gouernment The King was then at London and the Lords at Dunstaple but by the continuall interdealings of the Prelates and of Gilbert Earle of Glocester who stood neutrall the kindling displeasures were for the present allaied vpon condition that the Lords should restore to the King all such things once belonging to Peirs Gaueston as they had taken at Newcastle which they accordingly did 16 King Edward neuerthelesse as if his soule were ouercast with some blacke cloud continued mourning till it pleased God to enlighten the world with the birth of a young Prince whose noble Acts did afterward redeeme all the blemishes wherewith his Fathers infelicities had darkned the brightnesse of the English name and at this present cleared the mind of the sorrowfull King his father for vpon Saint Brices day Isabel his Queene brought forth her first sonne at Windsor which caused great reioycing through the Kingdome Her French kindred and friends which were there in good numbers of either sexe among them as chiefe the Queens owne brother
13. of Richard 2. which disabled the Alien Religious to enioy any Benefices within England and now fearing to nourish a snake in his bosome King Henry forbad the French from all preferments Ecclesiasticall and those Priors Aliens conuentual who had institution and induction to put in security not to disclose or cause to be disclosed the counsell nor secrets of the Realme and that the French might hold his dealings honourable and open hee sent Antilop his purseuant at Armes vnto King Charles with letters of defiances next making Queene Ioan his mother in Law the Regent of the land he drew his forces vnto Southampton commaunding his followers there to attend him in readinesse by the feast of Saint Iohn Baptist ensuing 30 Charles the French King expecting present inuasion sent his Ambassadors vnto Iohn the sixt Duke of Britain who had married his daughter with an hundred thousand Crowns to leuie forces for his aide and a Iewell worth fiue thousand Crownes more to himselfe which the Duke promised to come in person to performe And as it is reported King Charles sent to Scrope Grey and Cambridge all three in especiall fauour with the King a million of gold to betray Henry into his hands or to murther him before hee should arriue in Normandy These to make their faction stronger though Scroope was Lord Treasurer Grey a Priuie Councellour Cambridge the sonne of Edmund Duke of Yorke meant to draw in Edmund Earle of March the sonne of Roger Mortimer and lineally the heire vnto Lionell Duke of Clarence the next in succession for the house of Yorke and reuealing their intended purpose forced him to sweare to their secresie which if hee refused they threatned his death whereupon he required but an howres respite which hardly granted he went to the King and reuealed the conspiracie euen the night before the day that hee meant to put to sea 31 The parties apprehended and brought before him in presence of many nobles King Henry thus spake With what horrour O Lord may anie true English heart consider that you for pleasing of a forreine enemy should imbrue your hands in our blood as also in the blood of our brethren to the ruine of your owne natiue soile reuenge herein touching my person though I seeke not yet for the safegard of you my deare friends and for due preseruation of the Realme I am by place and office to minister remedy against these Offenders Get you hence therefore you miserable wretches to receiue the iust reward of your deserts wherein God giue you repentance for your so foule sinnes 32 Notwithstanding this their offence their inditement as it standeth in the Record includes matter of other quality that Richard Earle of Cambridge of Conesburgh in the County of Yorke and Thomas Grey of Heton in the Countie of Northumberland Knight for that they in the twentieth of Iuly and third of King Henry the fifts raigne at Southampton had conspired together with a power of men to haue lead away the Lord Edmund Earle of March into Wales and to haue procured him to take the Gouernment of the Realme in case that King Richard the second were dead with a purpose to haue put forth a Proclamation in the name of the said Earle as heire to the Crowne against King Henry by the name of Lancaster vsurper and further to haue conuayed a Banner of the Armes of England and a certaine Crowne of Spaine set vpon a Pallet layd in gage to the sayd Earle of Cambridge into Wales As also that the said conspirators had appointed certaine into Scotland to bring thence one Trumpington and another resembling in shape fauour and countenance King Richard And Henrie Scroope of Masham in the Countie of Yorke was likewise indited as consenting to the Premisses Thus well appeared their purpose though Richard Earle of Cambridge considering the possibility of his owne issue had secretly carried that businesse whose sorrowfull letter of his owne hand writing as it came to ours we thinke not amisse here to insert Most dreadfull and Soueraigne Liege Lord I Richard Yorke your humble subiect and very Leigeman beseech you of grace of all manner of offences which I haue 〈◊〉 or assented vnto in any kind by stirring of other folke egging me vnto wherein I wot well I haue highly offended to your Highnesse beseeching you at the reuerence of God that you like to take mee into the hands of your mercifull and piteous grace thinking yee will of your 〈◊〉 goodnes my Leige Lord my full trust is that you will hau●… consideration though that my person be of none valew your high goodnesse where God hath set you in s●… high estate to euery Leigeman that you longeth plent 〈◊〉 to ●…ue that you like to accept this my simple request for the loue of our Lady and the blessed holy Ghost to whom I pray that they moue your heart euer to all pittie and grace for their high goodnes Notwithstanding this his humble petition vpon the sixt of August following hee with Scroope and Grey were beheaded and his body with head enterred in the Chappell of Gods-house in South-hampton whose apprehensions arraignements and deaths were so followed each after others as the French knew not but that the treason had successe and their returned Ambassadours told it for certaine that King Henry had either dismissed his Army or which was thought more true himselfe was slaine by the Conspirators so easie an entrance hath babling report into the wide eares of credulous desire 33 But King Henrie now ready to embarke his men vpon Wednesday the seauenth of August with fifteene hundred Saile tooke to Seas attended with sixe thousand speares and twenty foure thousand footmen besides Gunners Enginers Artificers and Labourers a great number and the fifteenth of the same month cast Anchor in the mouth of Seyne at a place called Kideaux about three miles from Harflew where he landed his men and falling deuoutly vpon his knees desired Gods assistance to recouer his right making Proclamation vpon paine of death that Churches should be spared from all violence of spoile that Churchmen women and Children should not be hurt abused or wronged then giuing the order of Knighthood to many of his followers hee assigned his Standards to men of most strength and courage which done he tooke the hill neere adioyning and thence sent his spiall to the Towne of Harflew making that the first assay of his fortunes in France But before we enter any further discourse in the affaires of that Kingdome it shall not be amisse to speake of things commenced in England before that King Henry tooke to the Seas 34 The Churches throughout Christendome hauing beene disquieted the space of twentie nine yeers and now growne intollerable through the schismaticall ambitions maintained by three Papall Monarchs mounted into Saint Peters seate each of them grasping the Chaire with so fast a fist that the ioints thereof
blood and euening approaching neere the set of the Sunne the field cleared and no enemy seene the retreate was sounded and all were assembled to giue thankes vnto God which done while his souldiers pillaged the dead King Henry sent for Montioy herault at armes in France and for other heraulds both English and French vnto whom he said we haue not of our selues made this great slaughter which the sword in our weake hands hath laid at our feete but the Arme of God for the offences no doubt of the French hath doneit whose blood let now rest vpon their owne heads and wee guiltlesse in following our right and then demanding the name of the place was answered it was Azincourt then said he to all posterities following this Battell shall be called the Battell of Azincourt Thus dismissing the heraulds he returned to Maisconcelles where he lodged the night before The spoile was great and the pray rich in armours iewels and apparell for which by the Countrey Peasants many left as dead were stripped starke naked who afterward crept from the place but most of them mortallie wounded without reliefe lay in great dolor and died in the ditches so certaine is the calamity of warre and vncertaine the sword till it bee quietlie sheathed 61 King Henry lost his cosen Edward Duke of Yorke and the Earle of Suffolke that day besides some others the Frēch writers say three or foure hundred yet Caxton will haue them but twenty and sixe and Paulus Aemilius addeth to the two slaine Lords two Knights and only ten priuate souldiers without anie more vnto whom an ancient manuscript addeth Dauid Gam an Esquire and twenty eight priuate souldiers affirming confidently that no more of the English died that day 62 A farre larger role is writ of the French slaine at this Battell yet diuers and different among their owne Authors the true Catalogue as wee cannot certainely set downe yet as wee haue many Collections we will deliuer the same in part and referre the rest to be seene vpon the record Only naming the Officers and Leaders in the same field either slaine or taken Prisoners by this famous King Henry in this his triumphant and fortunate day Charles D'Albert high Constable of France Geoffrey Bouciqualt Marshall of France Iaques Chastillon Admirall Guiscard Daulphin of Arragon great Master of the Kings Horse Edward Duke of Barre Anthoine D. of Brabant Duke Alencon Count Neuers Count de Marle Count de Vaudemont Count de Blaumont Count de Grandpre Count de Roussie Count de Farquembourg Lewis de Bourbon Sig. de Preaux Robert de Barre Iehan de Barre Great Lords Sig. de Croy. Sig. de Helly Sig. de Auxi Sig. de Brime●… Sig. de Poix Sig. de Louroy Sig. de Raineualt Sig. de Longue●…all Sig. de I●…che Sig. de Neuf●…ille Sig. de Dampierre Sig. de More●…ill Vidame de Amiens Mes. Alain Mes. de Saueses Mes. de Mocont Mes. de Poix Mes. de Bethune To bee short Iehan Tillet saith that there were ten thousand slaine and almost as many more taken and most of their owne writers account the successe of this Battell to be with the slaughter of foure thousand Princes Nobles Knights and Esquires but the history of Normandy accounted eight thousand to be slaine of that ranke whereof an hundred and twenty bare Banners among whom died foure Dukes nine Earles one Archbishop and ten thousand common souldiers as the Heraulds relation in that behalfe hath reported 27 Prisoners of account taken in this field were Charles the Duke of Orleance and Iohn Duke of Bourbon Arthur Earle of Richmond extremely wounded and left for dead as he lay gasping among the slaine was by the English recouered and reteined their Prisoner Louis de Bourbon Cont de Vendosme was there taken Captiue was Charles Earle of Eu being carried into England where hee remained prisoner twenty three yeres Others of great account were likewise taken and put to ransome as Edward de Rouen Oliuer de la Feild and Iehan Giffart with these and many more the next day King Henry marched to Callais leauing the French to search for their wounded that in ditches and bushes had made their heauy beds In commiseration whereof the Counte Charrolois extre me pensiue for the losse of his vncles and other his friends in charity came to the field and caused the dead to be buried the charge whereof he committed to the Abbot of Roussiannille and the Bailiffe of Ayre who inclosed a peece of ground with a deep ditch of two hundred and fifty yards square fensing it with an hedge of thornes against the rauenings of dogs and wolues Wherein were interred fiue hundred and eight thousand Christian carcases in regard whereof it was sanctified by the Bishop of Esguines and made a Churchyard 28 The Duke of Britaine with his forces was come to Amiens within two daies march of Azincourt to ayde King Charles but the French vpon a conceiued assurance of victory would not stay his comming who now hearing of the glorious day obtained by the English dismissed his troupes and retired to his owne Countrey not meaning any more to intermeddle in the warre betweene England and France Now King Henry vpon Saturday the 26. of October being the next day after Battell tooke his march towards Callis but in passing the field wherein they had fought he caused search for all the English which he caused to be enterred according to their estates But the Bodies of his slaine cosen the Duke of Yorke and of Michael de la Poole Earle of Suffolke hee tooke away thence carrying them both into England and so passing to Guisnes with his Prisoners hee entred Callis whither those left at Harflew resorted to pay their ransomes to them assigned 29 His host now refreshed and courage augmented it was disputable in Counsell whether the King should returne againe into France to pursue his enterprize already begun or else to imbark for England But the time of yeere spent the winter wet and the field Camps very much subiect to fluxes wherewith many of his souldiers were as yet infected and more vnhealed of their wounds it was thought fittest to make for England and the sooner for that victuals became somewhat scarce in Callis These things premised King Henry vpon the sixteenth day of Nouember spread sayles for England and in the passage was met with such stormes that his French Prisoners were in as great feare as they had beene in danger at the Battell of Azincourt but arriued at Douer and all dangers past vpon the three and twenty of Nouember in triumph wise hee made his entrance into London foure hundred Citizens riding before him in red and white hoodes the gates and streetes weere garnished with Pageants and the Conduits plenteously powring forth sweet wines The religious men met him with procession and
foureteene mitred Bishops attended his approach vnto Saint Paules where out of the Censers the sweet Odours filled the Church and the Quier chanted Anthems cunninglie set by note in all which the honour was ascribed only vnto God the King so commanding it And so farre was he from the vaine ostentation of men that he would not admit his broken Crowne nor bruised armour to be borne before him in shew which are the vsuall Ensignes of warlike triumphes The Citie presented him a thousand pound in gold two golden basons worth fiue hundred pound more which were receiued with all Princely thankes 30 And now to doe the last office of a souldier for those two noblemen slaine at Azincourt hee willed the body of the Duke of Yorke to be interred in his Colledge at Fotheringhay in Northamptonshire and the Earle of Suffolke at Ewhelme in Oxfordshire commanding most of his Bishops and Abbots to celebrate the Exequies in London whereunto likewise resorted his vncle Dorset the Gouernor of Harflew whom for his good seruice done he created Duke of Exceter and gaue him a thousand pound by yeere out of his owne Exchecquer but in his absence some attempts were made by the French against the said Towne whereby he was enforced the sooner to returne 31 The calamities of these times by the stirred schismes of the Church and these bloody warres among Christian Princes Sigismund the Emperour a man of great wisdome and integrity much lamented at the Councell of Constance as another Constantine sollicited the three stiffe stirring Popes vnto vnity but failing of that purpose from those farre parts he trauelled into France and thence into England seeking to make peace betwixt these two Westerne Monarchs the better to withstand the common knowne enemie of Christendome the Turke King Charles he sollicited first finding him in words very forward with many faire shewes to imbrace the motion whereupon taking with him the Archbishop of Rheims as Ambassadour from the French King came vnto Callis where he was most honourably entertained by the Earle of Warwicke Deputy of the Towne and diuers other Lords sent thither by King Henry to attend him as also thirtie of his tallest shippes to waft him to Douer gallantlie rigged and manned with a noble traine The Duke of Glocester accompanied with many of the nobility was appointed to receiue him at Douer where they attended his comming 32 The Emperour arriued and ready to take land Glocester and the other Lords with their drawne swords entred the water and thus spake to the Emperour that if his Imperiall Maiesty intended to enter as their Kings friend and a mediator for peace they would receiue him with all willingnes accordinglie but if as an Emperour to claime any authority in England which was a free Kingdome they were there ready to resist and impeach his entrance Which rough demand being most mildely answered by Sigismund he had present accesse and by them was attended towards London 33 This worthy Emperour King Henry greatly respected as well for his owne worths and the amity held euer with the house of Beame as also for that he had married Barbara the daughter of the Earle of Zilie the Kings Cosen Germane remoued His entertainement was Princely and charges altogether borne by King Henrie who the more to honor him at Windsore solemnly enstalled him Knight of the Order of Saint George or Gartar with a most sumptuous fest purposely prepared at which the Emperour sate in his Collar and Robes but not foreslowing the cause for which he came hee instantlie vrged the peace for France wherein he was gentlie heard by the English King but vpon new displeasures for some losse of men in the Territories of Roane the motion at that time was dasht and would not proceed least as King Henrie alleaged the French should suppose that a small losse had weakened his spirits yet the Emperour continuing his intercession for peace had brought it to that passe by his pithy perswasions as had not the French at that verie instant besieged Harflew both by Sea and land it had beene effected 34 For not long before Thomas Earle of Dorset hauing made a roade into the County of Caux was set vpon by the Earle of Armigrace Constable of France with other strong men at Armes neere vnto Vademont who so distressed the English that Dorset tooke into a Garden for defence and hauing had priuate conference there with the Constable early before day departed with the losse of foure hundred men Armigrace puffed vp by his got victory with his French powers followed the English in a hasty march toward Harflew and vpon the sands intercepted their passage where betwixt them a cruell conflict was perfourmed with the ouerthrow of the French and flight of the Constable who retired to Monstreuillier for safety 35 This his vnlucky attempt he tooke greatly to heart and therefore purposing to repurchase again his honor he determined for Harflew where hee set downe his land siege before the English Garrison within were well aware when also the Vicount Narbon Vice-Admiral of France with a Fleete of tall ships entred the hauen so that the Towne was begirt on euery side as we haue said King Henry hearing of these newes called home his Ambassadours which were the Bishop of Norwich and Sir Thomas Erpingham in commission then at Beauuois and in conference for a Peace and the Emperour well perceiuing that the French plaid vpon aduantage and that King Henry was not of temper to turne edge at their strokes saw it vaine to prosecute the peace for France further and therefore sought to enter league with the English himselfe vnto the which King Henry was so willing as he confirmed the same vpon these Articles following 36 That the said Emperour King their heires successours should be friends each to other as Allies and Confederates against all manner of persons of what estate or degree soeuer the Church of Rome and the Pope for the time being only excepted for he was the Master Bee that then lead the swarme 37 That neither themselues their heires nor successours should be present in Counsell or other place where either of them their heires or successours might sustaine dammage in lands goods honours states or persons and that if any of them should vnderstand of losse or hinderance to be like to fall or happen to the others they should impeach the same or if that lay not in their powers they should aduertise the others thereof with all conuenient speed That either of them their heires and successours should aduance the others honour and commodity without any fraud or deceit That neither of them nor their heires or successours should permit their subiects to leauy warres against the others That it should be lawfull and free for each of their subiects to passe into the others Countrey and there to remaine and make
any of aboue fifteene The great number of the slaine is not the measure of a victory but the vse and effects which it drawes The Duke of Alanson himselfe was taken prisoner with about two hundred others of speciall worth The English paid for this noble victory the bodies of about two thousand of their souldiers which lost life there for it was fought vpon faire termes in the open fields and carried by meere manhood That which followeth till the siege of Orleance Paul Aemylius comprehendeth in some few lines The fierce Conquerour besiegeth Mants in Main and with Ordinance beates downe part of the wals It yeelds heereupon The English Garrison left therein after the taking not being sufficient to containe the Towne in due subiection is compelled to flie to a Tower for their safetie the enemies which were admitted into it by the Burgers enioying the rest The Lord Talbot the most noble Captaine of the English presently arriues to the rescue and puts the malefactors to death The English Empire extends it selfe to the Riuer of Loyr Charles they call in scorne the King of Berry Thus roundly he In nine Articles and capitulations drawne and concluded at the yeelding of M●…nts this was one as perhaps it was in euery like occasion That if any persons were found within the City which had beene consenting to the murther of Iohn Duke of Burgoin father to Philip Duke of Burgoin in full reuenge whereof he had hither to adhered to the English that they should simply bee at the Regents mercy 8 The chiefe things which passed in England during these happy proceedings in France were briefly these Iames Steward the young King of Scots hauing beene casually taken vpon the Sea in the reigne of King Henry the fourth and after his fathers death not sufficiently tendered nor respected by the Scots remained still a Prisoner The rather therefore to hinder the Scots that was the hope from aiding the French it was now thought fit by the Councell of England to enlarge him Which was accordingly done vpon pledges Not long after the which he married the Ladie Iane daughter to Iohn Earle of Sommerset neere cosen to King Henry Principall setters forward of this marriage as by likelihood of his liberty also to honour their family with a Kingly alliance were the Earle of Sommerset and the Bishop of Winchester both of them Beauforts who together with sundry other of the English Nobility conducted the new married Couple to the Scottish Borders Much of his ransome was abated and his new kinsemen bestowed vpon him store of plate gold and siluer among other gorgeous Ornaments suit of hangings in which the labors of Hercules were most curiously wrought But this wise King hauing had the benefit of excellent and Princely education in England did not suffer any obligations contracted in the time of his durance to preponderate with him the Generall state of Scotland whose freedome did much depend vpon the fortune of France whereby the maine drift of his enlargers was not much aduanced The reason notwithstanding which lead this action was probable and so much the more commendable for that it was tempered with humanity The forreine mischiefe thus howsoeuer intended hereby to be auoided or qualified Sir Iohn Mortimer a dangerous firebrand at home being Prisoner in the Tower was arraigned for many treasonable speeches vsed to a yeoman seruant to Sir Robert Scot keeper of the Tower of London to draw the said yeoman to let him escape promising him great matters The points of his speeches were as that fellow charged vpon him in open Parliament 1. That the said Mortimer meant to flie into Wales to the Earle of March and with an armie of forty thousand men to enter England and strike off the Protectors head and the Bishop of Winchesters 2. That the Earle of March ought by right to bee King of England and if the Earle would not that then hee himselfe was next heire 3. That if he could not safely reach to the Marches he would saile to the Daulphin of France and there serue with honor which he was assured of For these ouertures of escape and conspiracie the Knight was drawne hanged and headed Of whose death no small slander arose Perhaps he that writes so doth meane that the whole was but a stratageme to rid him out of the way Edmund Lord Mortimer Earle of March the party whom the said knight mentioned was sent not long after with many other Lords and competent numbers of men into Ireland where he deceased without issue whose great patrimony descended to Richard Plantagenet Earle of Cambridge the fatall disturber of the Realme of England vpon the pretence of Mortimers title to the Crowne 9 The amity with the Duke of Burgoin which the English had hitherto found so auailable toward their Conquests hauing otherwise receiued some few slight flawes was now in danger of vtter breaking vpon this occasion Humfrey Duke of Gloucester Protector of the Realme following councell vnworthy of his person and place contracted himselfe with the Lady Iaqueline of Ba●…aria Inheretrix of Holland Zeland Hena●…lt and many other faire dominions in the Netherlands notwithstanding that Iohn Duke of Brabant her former husband was then liuing and that the suit of diuorce commenced by Iaqueline depended still betweene them The Duke of Burgoin held with Brab●…t This bred bitter humor in the Duke of Glocester who being not vsed to meet with any rubs or confrontments and now when in person he came with an armie to take seison of Henault in right of his supposed wife finding himselfe hard set vnto by the aids which Burgoin ministred to the Duke of Brabant he challengeth Combat of the Duke of Burgundy calling him traitour It was accepted and the lie strongly thrust vpon Gloucester who leauing the light Lady at her Towne of Monts in Henault returned into England doing nothing of that for which at that time he came Mediation tooke vp the quarrell afterward betweene the Duke of Burgundy and him Not long after the returne of the Duke of Gloucester into England the first marriage which had beene made and consummated betweene the Duke of Brabant and the said Lady Iaqueline was pronounced lawfull by Pope Martin the fifth Hereupon the Duke of Glocester hauing susteined many losses aswell of friends as treasure in punishment of that great sinne in taking anothers wife forthwith marries Eleanour daughter to Reignald Lord Cobham of Sterborough whereby he made her amends for that vnlawfull familiarity which had formerly passed betweene them Meanewhile the Court of England doth well shew that the King was an infant for it was full of dangerous emulations and sidings the Duke of Gloucester whose high office it was to tender the welfare of the King and State laying sundry grieuous accusations against the Cardinall Beaufort sonne of Iohn Duke of Lancaster Bishop of Winchester and Lord
seat Paris being now lost of the English Dominions in North France as Burdeaux was in the South whether now the Earle of Huntingdon with certaine troupes and companies of Souldiers was sent as Seneschall This new Regent busied himselfe in the generall affaires of his place Vnder him the Duke of Burgoins forces were driuen from Crotoy Abbeuile freed from the danger of a Bastile with which the Duke had pent that Towne in and the English for twentie dayes space together tooke their pleasure in spoiling the Country of Picardy about Amiens and Artois These and some other actions hauing beene worthily carried during this Regents gouernment himself dyeth The Duke of Yorke againe succeedes him Our interest in France was retained not so much by King Henries ministers and Armies as by remissenesse of King Charles whom also Lewis the Daulphin afterward King did greatly trouble by rebellious decessions and absentments of himselfe The feare of the English reconciled the sonne to the father the sooner K. Charles was now fallen into dislike with his people but to redeeme his credite hee attempts the recouery of P●…ntoyse a towne neere to Paris which the Lord Clifford had not long before surprised by stratageme and money an ordinary meanes as then for the expugnation of places and comes in person to the enterprize There attended vpon him for that seruice about ten or twelue thousand men The L. Clifford is within and makes a braue defence 37 The Duke of Yorke lately landed in Normandie as Regent assembleth his maine strengthes being about seuen or eight thousand offers the French King battell Hee keepes himselfe within his trenches The Duke according to the ancient humor and discipline of the English who loue to set all vpon a push desirous to fight vnexpectedly passeth the riuer of oyse which ranne betweene the two Campes King Charles dislodgeth so fearefully that the French doe not ouer boldly excuse him of flying The Duke hauing had the spoile of the French Kings Campe refortifies Pontoyse and assaults a Bastile where Charles had left three thousand Souldiers to maintaine the face of a siege It was held better to pursue the King who was gotten to Poisie There the Duke of Yorke againe very nobly prouokes him to a field It would not be King Charles saw the hazards were not equall and therefore endures his brauado What could the Duke doe more hee is of necessity to returne to the maine of his charge in Normandy and doth so King Charles ran into such obloquie and contempt with his people by this dishonourable retreat but chiefly with the Parisians that if hee had not attempted again and preuailed against Pontoise it might haue ieoparded his whole estate for there was a faction which would haue made vse of his disgrace He returnes in great fury to the siege and finally enters the town not without much bloudshed Serres saith that fiue hundred English left their dead bodies at the breach The King was one of the first that entred choosing rather to be thought temerarious then timerous This exploit established his opinion among the people A satietie of warre filled both sides and the estate of England vnder King Henry whose softnesse and lenitie gaue way to sundry dangerous Court-factions needed quiet Commissioners meet at Callis nothing is concluded but the enlargement of Charles Duke of Orleans for the summe of three hundred thousand Crownes Hee had beene Prisoner in England about twentie and sixe yeeres euer since the Battell of Agincourt where hee was taken The Duke of Burgundie was a speciall Actor in his enlargement with a purpose to secure his owne greatnesse by benefites this high borne Prince for the murther of his father being naturally the head and chiefe of that deadly fewde which had most mortally raged between the houses of Burgundie and Orleance Humfrey Duke of Glocester prudently foreseeing the dangers like to ensue on Orleance his enlargement stoutly opposed himselfe thereunto and that vpon important reasons which hee required to haue registred that they might remaine on Record for a testimony and discharge of his duty in that behalfe 1 First for that the French King wanted discretion and iudgement to order his affaires which defects might bee supplied by the Duke being a man of experience and very subtle if hee should bee set at liberty 2 That the said Duke might procure an vnion of the factions now hotely maintained in France among the Nobility to the preiudice of the Crowne of England and hazard of the losse of the Kings territories in France 3 That the Dutchie of Normandy hauing sustained a great charge in maintaining the warre seeing the Duke of Orleance deliuered and no royall Army on the English part to withstand the common enemy was likely inough to reuolt 4 That if the Duke should be deliuered it might be probably coniectured that he would sooner break his oath which he should being prisoner make to the King of England then the oath of his alleageance to the French King his Soueraigne Lord of whom he holdeth his lands and dignity 5 If the Articles concluded between his Maiesty and the French on the Dukes behalfe should not be performed what remedy might his Maiesty haue or expect 6 That considering his cosen of Huntingdon was to leaue the Dutchy of G●…yenne and for that the alliance betwixt the said Duke and the Earles of Arminack and Foix and the Lord de la Bret was to bee suspected as dangerous it was very necessary that good prouision should be made for defence of that Country being his Maiesties ancient inheritance 7 That his Maiesty hath no allyance with any Christian Prince but onely the King of Portugall being but of tender yeeres and farre off And therfore it was not safe for his Maiestie to deliuer him that was likely to proue his Capitall enemie and to seeke meanes to depriue him of those lands which his noble father had left him 8. That if any of his Maiesties kinred or other Lords on that side the Sea should happen to be taken prisoners the said Duke of Orleance might ransom 4. or 5. of them 9. That it were fit to take aduise of the Lords and other his Maiesties subiects in the Realme of France and dutchy of Normandy whether they thought it expedient that the said Duke should be deliuered or not Otherwise the world might crie shame thereon when men should call to minde the losse of his brethren of Clarence and Bedford and other noble Personages in defending and keeping those Lands 10. If he the said Duke of Gloucester should consent to the said Dukes deliuerance the same being also quite-contrary to the last will of his Maiesties Father such inconueniences as would ensue thereupon should be imputed to him 38 Notwithstanding the weight of so many thousand Crownes ouer peysed all these important and ponderous reasons and the warre eates on still in the body of France but not with
Inuenters of this enterprise shee likewise sent Hugh Conway an Esquire into Britaine with a great summe of money giuing him in charge to declare to the Earle the great loue that the most part of the Nobility of the Realme bare towards him willing him not to neglect so good an occasion offered but with all speed to setle his mind how to return into England and therewithall aduising him to take land in Wales When the Earle had receiued this ioyfull message hee brake to the Duke of Britaine all his secrets aduertising him thathe was entred into a sure stedfast hope to obtaine the Crown of England desiring him of help towards the atchieuing of his enterprise which the Duke promised afterwards performed wherupon the Earle sent back again Hugh Conway Th. Ramney to declare his cōming shortly into Englād 32 In the meane season the chiefe of the conspiracy in England beganne many enterprises which being neuer so priuily handled yet knowledge therof came to King Richard and because hee knew the Duke of Buckingham to be the chiefe head and aide of this combination he thought it most necessarie to plucke him from that part and thereupon addressed his louing letters vnto the Duke requesting him most earnestly to come to the Court whose graue aduise for counsell hee then stood much in need of with many words of kind complements to bee vttered from the mouth of the messenger but the Duke mistrusting those sweet promises proceeded out of a bitter intent and knowing K. Richard to speak most fayrest when he meant foulest play desired the king of pardon excusing himself that he was sickly not wel able to trauel which excuse the king would not admit but sent other letters with checking wordes commanding him without delay to repaire to his presence vnto which the Duke made a determinate answere that hee would not come to his mortall enemy and immediately prepared war against him Whereupon Thomas Marquesse Dorset came out of Sanctuary and gathered a great band of men in the County of Yorke Sir Edward Courtney and Peter his brother Bishoppe of Excester raised another Armie in Deuonshire and Cornwall and in Kent Sir Richard Guilford and other Gentlemen raised a Company and all this was done euen in one moment 33 King Richard rouzed from his pleasures in progresse sent forth commission to muster his men and with a great preparation from London marched towardes Salisbury thinking it not best to disparkle his power into small parts in pursuing his enemies euery way at once and therfore omitting all others with a great puissance went to set vpon the Duke of Buckingham the head of the spring The Duke hearing of the Kings approach made out to meet him before hee came too farre accompanied with a great power of wild Welshmen whom hee had enforced to follow him more by his Lordly commandement then by liberall wages which thing indeed was the cause that they fell off and forsooke him His march was through the forrest of Deane intending for Glocester where hee meant to passe Seuerne and so haue ioined his Army with the Courtneys other Western men which had he done no doubt K. Richard had been in great ieopardie But before hee could attaine the Seuerne side by force of continuall raine the riuer rose so high that it ouerflowed all the country adioyning and was not againe bounded within his owne bankes for the space of ten dayes so that the Duke could not get ouer nor his complices any wise come vnto him during which time the Welshmen lingring idle without wages or victual sodainelie brake vp Campe and departed whereupon the Duke was wonderously perplexed not knowing how to recouer this vnfortunate chance and destitute of power to shew himselfe in field sought to secure himselfe in secret till destiny assigned him a better day 34 A seruant he had in especiall fauour trust brought vp tenderly by him and risen to great wealth and esteeme his name was Humfrey Ba●…ister and place of residence neere vnto Shrewsburie whither the distressed Duke in disguise repaired intending there to remain secret vntil he might either raise a new power or else by some meanes conuay himselfe vnto Britaine to Henry Earle of Richmund but as soone as the others which had attempted the same enterprise against the King had knowledge that Buckingham was forsaken of his Company and could not be found as men strucke in sodaine feare shifted euery one for himselfe many of them taking Sanctuary but the most of the chiefest took into Britaine among whom were Peter Courtney Bishoppe of Excester with his brother Edward Earle of Deuonshire Thomas Marquesse Dorset the Queenes sonne and his young sonne Thomas being a Childe Edward Wooduile Knight brother to the Queene Iohn Lord Wells Sir Robert Willoughby Sir Iohn Bourchier Sir Giles Daubeney Sir Thomas Arundell Sir Iohn Cheinie with his two brethren Sir William Barkley Sir Richard Edgecombe and Sir William Brandon Edward Poinings an excellent Captain and others 35 Richard thus farre proceeded and no enemy seene his hopes were encreased and feares daily lesse yet being a Prince politicke and vigilant he commanded the Ports to be securely kept knowing that Buckingham was not fled with the rest made proclamation for the apprehending of that Duke promising a thousand pound to the man that could bring him forth with pardon of his faults to enioy the Kings fauour and if hee were a bondman presently to bee made free Banister minding the present and forgetting what was past spread his lappe first to receiue this golden shower and in hope of this gaine made no conscience to betray his own Lord who had now laid his life vpon trust in his hands hee therefore repayring to the Shiriffe of Shrewsbury reuealed the Duke who disguised like a poore Countriman and digging in a groue neere vnto Banisters house was apprehended and with a great guard of men was brought vnto Salisbury where King Richard then lay and where without arraignement or iudgement vpon the second of Nouember he lost his head whose death was the lesse lamented for that himselfe had been the chiefe Instrument to set the Crowne wrongfully vpon Richards head and yet the treachery of Banister was most seuerely punished as many haue obserued not onely in the losse of his reward promised which he neuer had and infamy receiued neuer after shaken off but also in himselfe and children as are thus reported his eldest sonne and heire fell mad and dyed so distracted in a Boares Stye his second sonne became deformed in his limmes and fell lame his third sonne was drowned in a small puddle of water his eldest daughter was sodainely strucke with a foule leprosie and himselfe being of extreame age was arraigned and found guilty of murder and by his Clergy saued his life 36 An other Commotion at the same time was in Kent where George Browne
Lady Margaret his eldest daughter as a pledge of indissoluble amitie The Bishoppe promised his best diligence and accordingly after his returne laboured therein with King Henry who most gladly hearkened thereunto Whereupon the Scotish King sent the Archbishoppe of Glasco the Earle of Bothwell and others to demand the Lady in marriage Their entertainement was hearty and princely But when the proposition came to scanning at the Councell table it had not currant passage at first for there were who obiected as an inconuenience That by this marriage the Crowne of England might come to the Scotish line by the issue of Lady Margaret Whereunto it is said King Henry made this answere What if it should for if any such thing should happen which Omen God forbid I see it will come to passe that our Kingdome shall leese nothing thereby because there will not bee an accession of England to Scotland but contrarily of Scotland vnto England as to that which is farre away the most noble head of the whole Iland seeing that which is lesse vseth to accrue to the ornament and honour of that which is much the greater as Normandy heretofore carue to be vnder the dominion and power of the English our forefathers When this was said the whole boord of councell receiued it as an Oracle it went cleare about That Margaret should be married to the King of Scotland With this answere and other instructions the Scottish Ambassadors were sent home who afterward returned into England with full authority satisfaction to all Henries propositions whereupon ensued the before said publishment of assurances at Paules Crosse. It was a principall Article in this agreement That no Englishman should enter Scotland nor Scot into England without commendatory letters from their Soueraigne Which Article was reputed a speciall meane to preserue the peace inuiolable 65 But ere the young Lady her selfe was conuaied into Scotland her brother Prince Arthur died and in * February next ensuing their mother also Queene Elizabeth as shee lay in Child-bed within the Tower of London The King to repaire his mind with fresh consolations in aduancing his onely remaining sonne Henry Duke of Yorke created him suddainely Prince of Wales Earle of Chester Flint within few dayes after his mothers decease Thus was Arthurs losse supplied howsoeuer Henry made Prince espoused soone after though with much reluctation the Lady Katherine his elder brothers widdow vpon the fiue and twentieth of Iune at the Bishoppe of Salisburies house in Fleetstreet And in this wise by prouiding so worthy a wife for him though to say truth her great Dowet was the chiefe motiue the king thought that the estate of England was sufficiently setled wherfore conuerting his cares to the accomplishment of affinity with Scotland hee most sūptuously furnished his deerest eldest daughter for her iourney himself in person trauelled frō Richmund as farre with her as C●…leweston beside Northampton where his mother the Countesse lay after certaine dayes spent in solace the King gaue her his blessing with fatherly counsell and exhortation and committed the guard and conduct of her person principally to the Earles of Surrey and Northumberland and to such Ladies and Gentlewomen as were appointed to that seruice a great company of Lords Knights Esquiers men of Marke attending them as farre as Berwicke At S. Lamberts Church in Lamer Moore within Scotland the King attended by the principall of his Nobles receiued her from the hands of the Earle of Northumberland and the next yeere after married her at Edenborough in the presence of all his Nobility The King gaue great entertainement to the English and shewed them iusting and other pastimes after the Scotish fashion The Scotishmen saith the Bishoppe of Rosse were not behind but farre aboue the Englishmen both in apparrell rich Iewels and massie chaines many Ladies hauing their habiliments set with Goldsmith worke garnisht with Pearle and Stone of price with gallant and wel trapped horses Diuerse Ladies also and young Gentlewomen of England attending Queene Margaret remained there and were well married to certaine Noblemen of Scotland whose progenie liues honourably there euen at these dayes The effect of this marriage is grauely described by the same Bishop in these words There was perfect peace and sincere amity betweene the two Realmes of England and Scotland a long time after And verily during the life of King Henry the seuenth no cause of breach was ministred by either of the Princes but they continued in great loue and friendshippe and mutuall societie contracting of marriages continuall enterchange of Merchandize betwixt the Subiects of both the Realmes as they had beene AL vnder the obedience of ONE PRINCE where through Iustice Policy and Riches did flourish and abound throughout the whole Isle of Albion And of this marriage is Iames the sixth descended being that ONE PRINCE vnder whose obedience AL are now gouerned as vnder the sole and lawfull lineall Monarch of great Britaine for this Iames the fourth had Issue Iames the fifth hee had Issue Queene Mary shee had issue our present Soueraigne the great grandchild of the said Queene Margaret eldest daughter of K. Henrie the seuenth 66 Which effects of peace and riches as they could not but bee comfortable to so wise a King as Henry they being the fruit as it were of his owne iust labours so let vs now obserue the last worldly cares of his raigne and vpon what obiects hee fixed his mind freede from the awe of open challenges of the Crowne and from throwes at his maine which with what art valour and felicity hee at first atchieued and with how great hazards troubles and bloudie businesses he brought it to such passe that neighbour Kinges reputed it safe to entermarry with his family wee haue already heard Two principall points tooke vp the last Scenes of his life for the rest of his time hee wholy employed either in the seruice of Almighty God wherin hee was so diligent that euery day he was present after the deuotions of those times at two or three Masses oftentimes hearing godly Sermons or in building wherewith hee kept his senses busied The one of the two chiefe points was to watch ouer the waies of his wiues kindred the remaining branches of the turbulent and vnfortunate house of Yorke whose growth and greatnesse hee supposed might at some time or other ouertoppe his owne the other was vnder opinion of iustice to encrease his treasure out of the common purses wherby he seemed onerous to many somwhat obscured the brightnes of his former glory at leastwise diminished his opinion with the generality Concerning his courses holden with his wiues kindred the laterall issues and staddles of the Plantagenets it fell out thus which by * occasion of the accidentall landing of Philip King of Spain at this time wherby the Earle of Suffolkes taking was procured we thought it best to handle here together
intended to lay the foundation of his Empire to vsurpe all Italy besought him for the pitty of our Sauiour and by the vertue of his famous ancestors for I vse the words of the Popes briefe that neuer forsooke the Church of God in distresse and by the filiall obedience the strongest bond to enter into the holy league they hauing elected him against Lewis Caput faederis Italici 6 And indeed to speake as it was Lewis much emulated King Henries greatnesse fearing that fortune would giue him occasions to make his claime by sword vnto the Kingdome of France which the sooner hee did by this holy fathers instigations and by his Herauld Clarentius roughly demanded the Dutchies of Normandy Guyen Anion and Maine and with them also the Crowne that king Lewis ware The Scotish king likewise in case of Andrew Barton slaine in his Piracies as the English alleadged by the Admirall of England accounted the truce broken and sought the reuenge vpon the Borders adioining Against these two nations yong Henry at once prepared and happily obtained faire victories against both but the successe of the one though not following precisely the time we meane to relate before wee enter discourse of the other 7 The enterprise great which K. Henry meant to vndergoe hee thought it good wisdome to ioyne amity with Maximilian the Emperour Fardinando King of Spaine and many other Princes holding also correspondency with Pope Iulius the second that busie Pontificall Prelate of Rome then propounding his purposes in Parliament sent ouer certaine Nobles before him into France and afterward followed them himselfe pitching downe his Tents before the Towne of Terwin where he raised his royall Standard of the Red-dragon and begirt the Citie with a strait siege 8 To this place Maximilian the Emperour repaired and to the great honour of Henry entred into his pay wearing the Crosse of Saint George with a rose the Kings badge as his faithfull Souldier and receiued wages by day for euery of his according to their degree The French seeing the Towne in distresse sought the reliefe with victuals and men but were so encountred by the king and his company as that many of their chiefest Captaines were taken and sixe of their Standards wonne the rest for safeguard of life so posted away that this conflict was called the battell of Spurres 9 Then was the battery broght so neer their wals that many breaches were therein made and the Towne by composition yeelded vnto the King whereupon the Earle of Shrewsbury was sent to see all things safe who stucke vpon the highest Turret the Banner of Saint George and tooke the oath of alleagiance of all the French Citizens to acknowledge King Henry their supreme Lord This done the King as a Conquerour entreth Terwine sent thence their Ordinance dismounted the Turrets cast downe the walles filled vp the ditches and fired the Towne excepting onely the Cathedrall Church and Bishops Pallace 10 Then was the siege remoued vnto Turnay about which City King Henry commanded diuers Trenches to bee cast and placed his Ordinance to such aduantage that none might enter in or come out of the same Into this Towne a great number of the French from the Countries adioining had lately fled relying much vpon the strength and safety of the place which indeed had euer beene accounted so inuincible that this sentence was engraued ouer one of the gates Iannes ton me a perden ton pucellage thou hast neuer lost thy maiden-head Notwithstanding it was yeelded vp vnto Henry with ten thousand pounds sterling for the Citizens redemption who to the number of fourescore thousand then tooke their oathes to become his true Subiects and foure of their principall bare vp the Canopie vnder which the King in triumph-wise entred hauing born before him his sword axe speare and other abiliments of warre euery Citizen holding a staffe-Torch for his light The safe keeping of this City the King committed to Sir Edward Poinings Knight of the Order of the Garter whom hee there made his Lieutenant and ordained Thomas Wolsey his Almoner the Bishoppe of Turnay The yeere now spent and season vnfit for the fielde a surcease from warre was determined vntill the next spring whereupon all were shipped for England with full payment and praise but Terwin and Turnay stucke heauily vpon the French mens hearts 11 King Lewis thus endammaged in his owne Dominions thought it best policy to pay like for like to which end at the first attempts against Terwine hee solicited Iames the fourth of that name King of Scotland though brother by marriage vnto King Henry of England to disturbe the peace of his Subiects that so hee might bee drawne out of France which Iames for his part put presently in practise for writing his letters to Henry in the French Kings behalfe charged him with breach of Truce both in the case of his Scots slaine at the sea as also against his Confederates the Duke of Gelder and King of France against which last he desired him to desist otherwise hee should bee forced to reuenge the Frenches wrongs vpon his English and to giue letters of Mart to recouer the losses of his Subiectes 12 King Henry a Prince of a Maiesticall spirite most highly offended at these his brothers requests and threates was so farre ouergone with fury and rage that Lions King at Armes the bringer was thereby somewhat daunted at his present answere which he desired might be sent in writing refusing to carry in words his reply to his Soueraigne This Heralds wise and weighty request was forthwith granted and letters framed to King Iames demands answering those imputations with rough and round words which notwithstanding hee neuer read or saw being slaine in the battell of Flodden before that Lions could come to deliuer the same 13 For Iames King of Scots preparing for war had in the meane while entred the borders and with his Ordinance battered and wonne the Castell of Norham making still forward vpon the English Against whom Thomas Howard Earle of Surrey made the Kings Lieutenant of the North at his going into France assembled an Army of twenty sixe thousand strong vnto whom came his sonne the Lord Admirall of England with a great supply of good souldiers well appointed for warre The Earle from Newcastell came vnto the water of Till and pitched his battell besides a little Towne called Brankeston vnder Flodden hill a mountaine lying in the North of Northumberland betwixt the riuers of Till and Tweed where vpon a rising banke the Scottish hoast had taken the aduantage of the ground vnto King Iames Thomas Earle of Surrey sent Rouge Crosse a Purseuant at Armes with proffer of battell to bee done vpon Friday the ninth of September if so it pleased his Highnesse who withall carryed this message from the L. Admirall that he was come in person to iustifie
gaged on their silence the life of a good hound much lesse mine owne I doubt not may it please your honors to appose them how they came to the knowledge of those matters which they are so ready to depose but you shall find their tongues chained to another mans trencher and as it were Knights of the Post suborned to say sweare and stare the vttermost they can as those that passe not what they say not with what face they say it so they say no truth but on the other side it grieueth mee that your good Grace whom I take to bee wise and sharpe and who of your blessed disposition wisheth mee well should bee so farre gone in crediting these corrupt Informers that abuse the ignorance of your state and Country to my peril Little know you my Lord how necessary it is not onely for the Gouernour but also for euery Nobleman in Ireland to hamper the vnciuill neighbours at discretion wherein if they waited for processe of law had not those liues and lands you speak of within their reach they might hap to loose their own liues lands without law You hear of a case as it were in a dream feele not the smart that vexeth vs. In England there is not a mean Subiect that dare extend his hand to fillip a Peere of arealm In Ireland except the Lord haue cunning to his strength and strength to saue his Crowne and sufficient authority to take theeues and variets when they stir he shall find them swarme so fast that it will bee too late to call for iustice If you will haue our seruice take effect you must not tie vs alwayes to these iudiciall proceedings wherwith your Realme thanked be God is inured Touching my kingdome I know not what your Lordshippe should mean thereby If your Grace imagine that a Kingdome consisteth in seruing God in obeying the Prince in gouerning with loue the common wealth in supporting subiects in suppressing rebels in executing iustice in brideling blind affections I would bee willing to bee inuested with so vertuous and roial a name but if therfore you tearm me a King in that you are perswaded that I repine at the gouernmēt of my soueraign or winke at malefactors or oppresse ciuil liuers I vtterlydisclaim that odious term maruelling greatly that one of your Graces profound wisdom would seeme to appropriate so sacred a name to so wicked a thing but howsoeuer it bee my Lord I would you and I had changed Kingdomes but for one moneth I would trust to gather vppe more crummes in that space then twice the reuenewes of my poore Earledome but you are well and warme and so hold you and vpbraide not mee with such an odious terme I slumber in a hard Cabine when you sleepe in a soft bedde of Downe I serue vnder the Kings Cope of heauen when you are serued vnder a Canopie I drinke water out of my skull when you drinke wine out of golden cups my Courser is trained to the field when your Gennet is taught to amble when you are graced belorded crouched and kneeled vnto then find I small grace with our Irish borderers except I cut them off by the knees At these girds the Lord Chancellor much fretted and finding Kildare to bee no babe deferred the hearing of his cause till more proofes were produced from Ireland then in a great fume hee arose from the Councell board and committed the Earle vnto prison against the minds of most at the Table who knew well that this his accusation was more of hatred borne by the Cardinall then any occasion giuen by the accused late Deputy Whereupon Thomas Duke of Norfolke stept to the King and craued that Kildare might bee his prisoner offering to bee bound in goods and body for his forth comming whom hee obtained though with no great liking of the L. Chancellor who daily entertaind new plaints against him till at last hee pressed him sore with letters sent to Oneale and Oconor to encourage their rebellions against Osorie the Lord Deputy which letters were brought them by his own daughter and their sisters the Lady Elice Fitzgirald wife to the Baron of Slane 59 This presumption being vehement the King suspitious the Cardinall eager and his friends faint Kildare was sent to the Tower where he committed himselfe to God and expected dayly his death but with such couragious resolution as hee being in play with the Lieutenant at slide-groat when the mandate was brought for his execution on the next morning and seeing the Lieutenant strucke into a suddaine sadnesse by Saint Bride Lieutenant quoth the Earle there is some madde game in that scrowll but fall how it will this throw is for a huddle and when the worst was told him now I pray thee quoth he doe no more but learne assuredly from the Kings owne mouth whether his Highnesse be witting thereto or no the Lieutenant louing his prisoner well repaired to the King and shewed him the Cardinals warrant who then controuled the sawcines of the Priest for those were his tearmes and gaue the Lieutenant his Signet for a countermand whereat the Cardinall stormed but Kildare deliuered from his eminent death and not long after from his imprisonment also was sent into Ireland where at his entrance into Dublin he was met with a solemne procession and so brought into the City so welbeloued was this Earle abroad and at home 60 But the French Kings fortunes were nothing so good who was straitly imprisoned at Madrill in Spaine and great suite made for his deliuerance which notwithstanding would not be heard The Queene mother then Regent of France wise of her selfe and forwarded by others saw no better means to free her sonne the King then to enter amity with England which to accomplish she solicited King Henry working vpon the occasions then ministred which was some vnkindnesse growne betwixt the English King and the Emperour the one of them more strange by the greatnesse of his fortunes and the other in iealousie of lessening renowne The sparkes of which Cinders were steared to flame by Wolsey that euer was in the eare of the King alleadging his potency so much esteemed of all Christian Princes a sound very tunable in Henries wide eare would bee lesse regarded by the Emperours late victory who now beganne to carry himselfe with another respect and neuer after that victory gotten subscribed his letters to King Henry according to his accustomed manner your Sunne and Cosen but to the draught of his Secretaries in fixed his hand with the word Charles and no more 61 These dislikes and other intercourses of State drew Henry shortly to a peace with France In the exemplification of which league the Venetians and other Princes were left to their choise whereof himselfe notwithstanding would bee stiled the Protector And to his leaguer Ambassadors sent these instructions to moue the States to consider the Emperours
King the chiefest A better of the Scots whom he euer vpheld to hold him tacke at home least otherwise he should 〈◊〉 with France for his owne right And therefore hauing ioined with the Emperour against the French sent his Herald Garter King at Armes to demand certaine couenants which if he refused 〈◊〉 proclaime defiance vnto open warres but he not suffered to doe his message to the King retur●…ed and 〈◊〉 prepared an expedition into France wherein he imploied the Dukes of 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 the Earle●… of A●… Oxf●…rd and Sur●…ey the Lords R●…ssell Grey 〈◊〉 rers 〈◊〉 and Sain●…-Iohn besides many other seruiceable Knights and Sir 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 appointed high Admirall for the Se●… Of these some 〈◊〉 with the Emperials and shewed their value in the siege of Mattrell 127 The Duke of Suffolke in the meane while strucke downe his Standerds on the East side of Bolloigne and with many sharpe skirmishes entred the base Towne which siege King Henry himselfe in person seconded who hauing passed the Seas from England vpon the sixe twentith of Iuly encamped before Bolloigne on the East-side whence his Canons so rent the Wals and Bulwarke as their mounted tops lay vpon the Ground and his great morter peeces were discharged with so skilfull a Compasse that their bullets falling downe right beate all buildings downe vpon the Enemies heads Whereby saith Sleidane in short time he got that which neither his Father nor the Kings in former times could neuer winne For thereupon the Town was surrendred and cleared of the French souldiers women and children 128 The King like a Conquerour with his sword borne before him entred the Gate where the Duke of Suffolke presented him with the keyes of the Towne the Trumpets still sounding and nothing wanting that might applaud his fame The Towne thus wonne the English meant still to keep for the strengthening whereof the King commanded the faire Church of Saint Maries to be taken downe and in the same place a mount to be raised for the planting of Ordinance to annoy any siege But being thus busied in Bolloignes affaires the Emperour without his knowledge or consent came to a peace with the French King whereat King Henrie was sore displeased and the sooner left France leauing Sir Iohn Dudley Lord Lisle his deputy in Bolloigne and landed at Douer the first day of October to his great honor and ioy of his Subiects 129 The French King chafed with this late and great losse sought to trie fortune in further attempts and that not onely for the recouery of Bolloigne which with twenty thousand well appointed hee assaied but also in assayling the English dominions as the I le of Wight and those parts of Sussex that lay vpon the Seas though with losse of many Captaines and thousands of Souldiers that neuer returned to tell him what intertainement they had as likewise in sending aide vnto Scotland where Monsieur Mungumry of the Order of France with 5000 strong entred to maintaine the breach betwixt them and K. Henry which was so followed on both parts as the English making a Roade towards Gedworth got praise for their valour but reproch for their spoiles and the Scots renowne for killing the Lord Eure Lord Warden of the East-Marches with many other Captaines in defence of their Countrey 130 Hereupon an Army of twelue thousand strong was sent into Scotland whereof the Earle of Hertford was Generall with these he forraged the Borders before him and burnt many Townes in the Middle-Marches with Kelsey Coldingham Abbey the French not hastie to stay the incursion lay still and let them vnfought with depart for England 131 But the warres remoued againe into France the Reingr●…e with a great power came to victuall a Fort built neere vnto Bolloigne to impeach which the Earle of Surrey then Lie●…tenant of the Towne made forth but was discomfited in the enterprize and Sir Edward Poy●…ings Captaine of a Band slaine with fifteene other Captaines besides many Officers and Common Souldiers These Princes wars in these violent proceedings became very fearfull least they would grow to the Common hurt of Christendome and therefore many other potentates whereof the Emperour was first sollicited these Kings vnto a peace which the sooner was heard and imbraced for that they were both of them old and King Henry diseased in body Commissioners therefore appointed certaine articles were agreed vpon the first thereof was that the French King should pay vnto King Henry eight hundred thousand Crownes in eight yeeres space and then to r●…nter vpon Boll●…igne but in the meane time it to remaine vnder the English to accomplish which peace Mounsieur Danebalt high Admiral●… of France was sent into England and Sir Thomas Cheynie Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports to be the Kings Agent at the Font for the Baptisme of the Dolphins new borne daughter 132 Notwithstanding these Complements the sight of Bolloigne was a great sore in the French mens eies insomuch that Monsieur Chatillon Captain of Mountplaisier beganne to make a new Bastilion neere vnto the Towne euen in the very mouth of the Riuer which the Lord Grey of Wilton perceiuing certified the King what inconuenience would happen if that were made strong and the same discussed at the Counsell-Table it passed with one voice that the Peace with France was not to be infringed notwithstanding this French attempt to which end a prohibition drawne whereunto King Henry also set his hand that no let should be made against Chatillon in his Fort. Howbeit the King commanded Sir Thomas Palmer imploied in this busines to bid the Lord Grey to impeach the new worke and to flat so much as was raised thereof vnto the Earth This commission read with the report of Command to the Contrary the Counsell of State thought it most meete to follow their instructions in writing least the words might either be mis-deliuered or mistaken But the Lord Grey causing the messengers words to be writ and subscribed with all their hands that were present at the report suddainely and vnlooked for came to the Fort and in foure houres space cast downe what had beene in raising three moneths before which when the King heard off he asked his Counsellors what they thought of this that Chatill●…-garden was cast downe amongst whom one of them answered the d●…er thereof was worthy to loose his head I had rather said the King loose a dozen of such heades as thine is then his that had done the deed and immediately sent the Lord Grey his pardon with many great thankes 133 But now the d●…te of his time almost run and he preparing towards the way of all flesh the great and faire Church of the Gray Friers London lately suppressed by himselfe he caused againe to be opened and to be made a Parish Church giuing the reuenewes thereof vnto the Citie of London towards the reliefe
West The Princes of Wales doe homage to William Math. Paris Henry Hunt Simon Dun. Will. Malmes Math. Paris Polydor. An D. 1077 Robert warreth for Normandy Will. Malmes Mat. Paris Simon Dun. King William wounded and vnhorsed He bandeth his sonne Will. Malmes An. D. 1708 The Tower of London built Iohn Stow. Regist Epist. Ro●… Stephenide Will. Malmes Florentius Wigor England Suruaie and generall Iudgement Ingulfus Higden Stow calleth that booke Do●…us Dei. Ingulfus Geruasius Tilburiens Robert Glocestrens Englands exactions Iohn Castor Iohn Rowse Englishmens reproch Mat. Paris in G●…d Conq. Simon Dunel Malcolme inuadeth England Cambden in Otta●… Simon Dun. Danes prepare against William Mat. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 ●…ance of in ●…ame 〈◊〉 King Williams depopulations Cambd in Hantshire Gualter M●… King William the father or wild Beasts Iudgements of God ●…n King Williams 〈◊〉 in New Forest Cambden Matth. Paris Calamities falling on the Land All things degenerate Roger Wendouer Marianus Pope Gregories Buls against maried Priests Matth Paris in G●… Conq. Inhibiting of married Priests a new deuice and inconsiderate Popish Continency hypocriticall Odo King williams brother affecteth the Papacy King william condemneth his brothers Ambitions His sacrileges His Oppressions His Trecheries His imprisonment His Auarice Wil. Malmsb. Matth. Paris Some write King William tooke Physicke to take downe his great fat belly Higden William Malmes King Williams Oath Stow saith two Anchorits King Williams last Will and Testament Ex Libro Cadomensis Monast. His last Speec●… on point of death Of his Sinnes Of his Norman troubles Of his Normans qualities Of his friends Kindreds vnkindnesse Of his English Conquest Outward triumphes leaue inward horr●…s His workes of deuotion His Counsell to his Children The dispose of his States Of Normandy Of England King Williams Legacie to his sonne Henry He writeth into England King Williams death With such doctrine was good deuotion abused contrary to the prescript of God Isai. Chap. 33. 16. Princes friends His Corps forsaken of all sorts The qualities of Court-Kites His Hearse also abandoned of al. His buriall place denied him Annoiance at his funerall Hence Stowe notes their report for fabulous who wrot that his Body was found vncorrupt 500. yeeres after his death His description for lineaments and qualities Will. Malmes Rand. Higden Polyc. lib. 7. cap. 4. Stow ex libro Richmond King Williams Charter to Hunter Lambert Peramb Ingulfus Hollins Lamb. Peramb Iohn Leland Wil. Malms Roane Bartel-Abbay so called of a battell there sought against Harold Will. Newbery Math. Paris in Will Conq. Charta de Bello Selby Abbay Exeter Priory Iohn Stow. Saint Stephens in Cane William Malmes King William regardfull of matrimonial agreement Robert A cruell reuenge of one brother on another Henry slaine let his Grādrathers New-forest Richard Richard slaine 〈◊〉 his fathers New-Fo●…est William Rufus or the 〈◊〉 Henry 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Annales S. Augustus Cant●…ar M. S. Cecily She is vailed a Nunne Constan●… The Earldome of Richmond erected Alice Saint William Archbishop of Yorke Gundred Ela. Margaret William Rufus Monarch 40 An. D. 1087 William Rufus comes into England Ypodigma Neustria Simon Dunel The Peeres wish well to his Elder brother Mat. Paris Ypodigm Lanfranke and Wulstane sway the Peeres for Rufus William Gemit Matth. Paris His Coronation His disposition An. D. 1088 Rand. Higden in Polychr lib. 7. cap. 5 Robert possessed of Normandy His disposition Odoes emulation against Lanfrank Polyc. lib. 7. cap. 5. He conspireth against the King Inuireth Robert to try for the Crowne Duke Roberts hopes for England His wants His supply by morgage of his Land Odo the ringlealeader for Duke Robert Rob. Mowbray and other his associates Wil. Malms Simon Dun. Bristow fortified against King William Henry Hunt Duke Robert verie faire for the Kingdome Wil. Genetic King William promiseth to mollifie his Laws He waxeth strong Odo his great heart taken downe Simon Dun. An. D. 1089 * This Castle some lay was built by Odo but it appears to haue been built by William Conquerour Domesday-book Will. Gemet Niding a word of Reproch Camb. in Kent Matth. Paris Odo leaues England Rufus pretendeth submissiuenesse to his brother Polychr lib. 7. c. 3. Math. Paris William Rufus a cunning Time-seruer Faire words appease fooles and often deceiue the wise Lanfranke dieth King William an ill manager of Ecclesiasticall promotions G●…rn Dor. Pope Vrb●… not at leasure then to remedy Church wrongs An. D. 1090 Ypodigma Neustria King William enters Normandy Peace made betwixt the King and Duke Will Gemet Matth. Paris Ypodig Neust. Math. Paris Both Brethren oppugne Henry the younger brother Willi. Gemet King William endangered in a Siege King William preferres him that ouerthrew him Williams Oath Edmerus saith his oath was By Gods face An. D. 1091 Ran. Higden in Polychr lib. 7. c. 5. A friendly Enemie An vn-brotherlie Brother Will. Gemet The three brethen reconciled Ypodigm Neustr. Chron. Wallia Warre bewixt Rise Prince of Southwales and 〈◊〉 Rob. Fiftz-hammon ●…ides 〈◊〉 Rob. Fitz. hammon and his followers possesions in Walles The Knighs who attended Fitz hammon An. D. 1092 Gemet Malcolme King of Scotland enters England with a power King William 〈◊〉 Malcolme meete enter League Ypodigm 〈◊〉 ●…stria Mat. Paris King William and Duke Robert at variance again●… Carleil reedified Peopled with a Southerne Colony Endowed with large Privilegio An. D. 109 King William falleth sicke and voweth 〈◊〉 Matth Paris Henry Hunt Polychron lib. 7. ●…p 6. Ger. Dorob Godwin in his Catalogue of Bishops Hic hum●…lis diues res mira potens paus●… vltor Compatiens●…●…itis cum pateretur erat Ypodig●… Neustri King William regaineth his health and loseth his good purposes Goodwin in the life of Anselme Polychron lib. 7. cap. 7. Rand. Higd. King Malcolme commeth to Glocester Will. Gemet Departeth discontent William Malmes Polydor. Raiseth a power William Gemet Is slaine with his son the Prince Simon Dun. Earl Mowbraies greatnesse suspected by the King Math. Paris Is taken and imprisoned Ypodigm Neustr. Hector B●…s lib. 12. cap. 12. Malcolme slaine vnder shew of submission The name of Percyes ancienter thē Perceing of Malcolmes e●…e Uide Cambd. in North●…m Gemet●…icensis Sa●…nt Margaret Edgar Ethelings Sister dieth for griefe of her husbands death few such Saint-like wiues Hector Boetius Math. Paris The English Monarchs of Wales An. D. 1094 Wil. Malmsb. Ran. Hagd Simon Dun. A breach againe betwixt the two Brethren but made vp for a time King William refuseth the censure of his Arbitrators Bothparts againe in Armes King William preuailes by money Math. Paris The French King leaues his friend for money The warres for the Holy Land Theod. Biblian Duke Robert going to Ierusalem morgageth his Dukedome Henry Hunt Will Thorne Paul Aemil. Will. Gemet King Williams extreame exactions Math. Paris Not sparing Churches and Monasteries Aedmerus An. D. 1095 His expedition for Wales The Welsh fly to their Mountains An. D. 1096 Anglesey inuaded Mat. Paris An. D. 1097 Cruelty
tumults King Stephen returnes into England Roger Houeden Math. Paris The King of Scots against King Stephen Ypodig Neustri ●…ed in Steph. Huntingdon lib. 8. The English Nobles against King Stephen Simon Dun. * Huntingdon 8. Malmes Nouel l●…b 2. pag. 105. Idem li. 1. pa. 102. Idem Earle Robert sends threats to King Stephen Idem Malmesb. No●…el lib. 1. Geruas Dorob Wil. Malm●…b English Peeres fortific against the King Henry H●…t lib. 8. Houeden * De Malt●…na King Stephens vsuall Oath Ma●…es N●…el lib. 1. Melmesb N●…l libro secund●… Ger. Dor. An. D. 1139. The King of Scotland his attempts against Stephen Simon Dun. Houeden Wendouer Hen. Hunting This field was fought in August An. 1138. neere the mouth of Humber Mat. Paris The great valor of Prince Henry of Scotland Mah. Paris Houeden alij Polyd. Uirgil Rand. Higden Earle Robert leaues England A Peace betwixt the King of England and Scotland Math. Paris Henry Hunt Houeden Henry Hunt A. Do. 1140 King Stephen pluckes downe the Castles Malmes Nouel lib. 2. Henry Hun. Houeden A great Councel at Oxford Geruas Dorob Malmesb. loco citato The Kings vsage of his Prelats Idem * I●…ford Paris Wendouer Paris Polychr lib. 7. cap. 18. Roger Houed The Empresse arriues in England Malmesb. Nouel lib. 2. Huntingdon Rog. de Wendouer * At Portsmouth saith Geruas Math Paris Earle Robert brings but 140. men to the winning of the Crowne of England * Malmesb. lib. 2. Stephen ha●…es to the Empresse Her politike excuse Ger. Dor. Roger. Houed Henry Hunt The Empresses power increaseth Geruasius Flemings came to King Stephens aide King Stephen besieges Wallinford Castle Geru Dor. The Bishop of Winchester entraps the Nobles Math. Paris Simon D●…n Roger Houed Malmsb. Nouel lib. 2. Niger Polydor. Nie. Tri●… King Stephen and his aduersaries pitch their Battle R●…n Higden Ranulphs Oration before the Battle Roger Houeden Henrie Hunt Earle Roberts Oration before the Battle Roger Houeden Henry Hunt Polychron Alain Duke of Britane Robert Mellent Hugh Bi-god Earle Albemarle Earle Simon King Stephens addresse to the Battle Math. Paris Simon Dunel Henry Hunt Roger Houeden Earle Robert Earle Ranulph The Welsh The Battles ioin●… Henry Hunt Wil. Par●… Mat. Paris Polydor. Ger. Dor. Mat. Paris King Stephens great valour Huntingdon King Stephen taken prisoner Ypodig Neustr. Malmesb. Nouel lib. 2. * Alias de Kain●… Huntingdon An. Reg. 6. Math. Paris The Empresse absolute gouernour of the Kingdome Charta Matild Imper●…ricis Geruas Dorob Huntingd. l. 8. Geru Dor. The Clergie approoues the Empresses title Wil. Malms Malmesb. Nouel lib. 2. The Empresse receiued into London Normandy falleth from King Stephen Will. Paruus Ger. Dor. Stephen desires liberty and not the Crowne Ypodig Neustr. King Stephen would be a Monk or Pilgrim * Bo●…gne and Mortaine The Empresse not facile to grant suites Her stifnesse incommodious * King Stephens wife The Nobles offended fall off from her Malmes Nouel lib. 2. The Londoners conspire against her Nic. Triuet Roger Houeden Ger. Dor. Malmesb. Nouel libro secund●… Henry of Winchester recalls his Excommunication * Idem loco citato The Empresse maintained at Milo his charges The Bishop of Winchester equiuocateth * Ego parab●… me Will Malmsb. Will. Malmes Geruas Dorob Hee fires Winchester * Alias The Couent at Hyde Malmesb. Ger. Dorob The Bishop of Winchester entrappeth the Empresse Malmsb. lib. 2. The Empresse carried as a dead Corse Wil. Walsingham Ypodigm Neustr. Malmes Ger. Dor. Earle Robert taken Malmes lib. 2. Will. Malmes Wil. Malmsb. An. D. 1142. The King and Earle Robert redeeme each other out of prison Roger Houeden * Malmesb. Math. Paris The warres renewed The Empresse besieged in Oxford Geruas Dorob Nic. Triuet Will. Neub Higden Walsingh Ypodig Ger. Dor. Math. Paris She escapes by a wile Wil. Malmsb. Simon Dun. Ypodig Neustr. Geru Dorob Prince Henrie arriueth Geruasius An. D. 1143. An. D. 1144 An. D. 1145. Math. Paris An. D. 1146. The Empresse and the Prince returne to Normandie An. D. 1147. Ger. Dorobor Kings durst not enter Lincolne before King Stephen Geruasius Earle Robert and Earle Milo die An. D. 1148. Prince Henry returneth into England An. D. 1149 Ger. Dor. Roger Houeden Ger. Dor. Prince Henry returneth into Normandy An. D. 1150 Math. Paris Henry Hunt Prince Henry marieth Eleanor diuorced by K. Iewes An. D. 1151 The Archbishop of Canterbury refuseth to consecrate Eustace King Ger. 〈◊〉 Dorob An. D. 1152. Henry Hunt Geruasius Idem K. Lewes casts the Popes Buls into fire * Fortè Newbery An. D. 1153. Henry Fitz-Empresse comes againe into England Ger. Dorob cap. 14 King Stephen and Fitz-Empresse ready to ioine battaile Henry Hunt Vnlucky presages to K. Stephen A Parley betwixt K. Stephen and Fitz-Empresse Ger●… Dorobor A truce concluded Math. Paris Eustace K. Stephens son like●… not the truce Iohn Textor Polycbr Ger. Dorob Prince Eustace dieth Polydor. Math. Paris The King and Fitz-Empresse accorded Geruas●… An. D. 1154 Prince Henry in danger by treachery Prince Henry goeth into Normandy King Stephen dieth Paris Booke of S. Albanes Iohn Stow. Ger. Do●… * The first Canon Regular in England was of this place Ann. 〈◊〉 and the Prior thereof was Alderman of London Stowes Suruey Stowes Suruey p. 105. Monarch 43. Henry second Ad A. D. 1135. The great expectation of King Henrie Math. Paris Henry Hunt Henry Hunt His accesse and Coronation Ypodig Neustr. Mah. Paris His first actions Mat. Paras Lib. Monast. S. Albeni Polyd. Vir. lib. 13. Ps●…do-Comites saith Mat. Paris Roger Houeden Roger. Houed Math. Paris ad A. D. 1155. Ger. Dorob Lib. Monast. S. Al. Math. Paris * Powel in hist. Camb. p. 222. mistakes a Bridge for a Castle In old Records indeede Bridge-North is called Bruge which caused that errour Powel writes that it was a Welsh man who shot the arrow at the King ibid. Roger Houed Annal. p. 2. Math. Paris ad an Dom. 1561. Polyd. Uirg in H. 2. Rog. Houed fol. 281 pag. 2. Annal. par 〈◊〉 Math. Paris Ypodig Neustri Hector Boetius lib. 13. C. 1. saith it was at London Hist. of Camb. Iohn Stow. Math. Paris * Roger Houeden Math. Paris Ypodigm Neustr. Rog. Houed Guliel Tyr. Houeden An. D. 1158. Mah. Paris ab A. D. 1158. vsque ad A. D. 1163. Rog Houed An. D. 1163. The great contention between the King and Becket Archbish. of Canterbury * Mat. Paris alis Leg end aur in vita Tho. * Polydor. l. 13. but M. Fox denies it * Gal. Wigorniēsis saith he was Doctor Oxoniensis Nubrigensis l 2. c. 16. vt conregnare videretur Geruasius ad An. 1154. Regis Rector quasi Magister * Fox in Acts. p 264. * Nubrig l 2. c. 16. Houcden Chron. de Passione mirac beati Th. MS. Fox p. 287. * Gal. Nubrig l. 2. c. 16. Math. Par ●…ad An. 1163. permissione Regia c. * Nubrig per operam manūque Regiam Geru Dorob The causes of the debate betwixt
a peace Enguerrant de M●…let Vpon an vnexpected assault by the French the King st●…eth further talke of peace A. D. 1415. March 14. * Nichol. Gilles Alain Chartier Secretarie an Roy Charles 7. * Hist. of Normandie saith 800. Rich. Grafton Harflew besieged by the French both by land and sea Enguerrant de Monstrel The Emperour out of hope to make attonement for France entreth league with England * Titus Liui. The Pope might not be opposed Ag●…ino Giusti●…ano V●…scouo di 〈◊〉 Paul Aemil●… Alain Char●…ey Secretarie French Nauy ou●…rthrowne History of Normandy La Mer des Histories The Emperour applaudeth the ●…city of England He prepareth for Germany Denis Sauage Chro. de Fland. The Duke of Burgundy doth homage to the Emperour and taketh a truce with K. Henrie Ioh. Serres in 〈◊〉 Charles 6. That no person should forsake the Towne for being true to K. Henry they should be safe Neither person nor goods of the Castels to be re ceiued into the Towne During the truce no assault to bee made on the Towne 12. Knights and Esquires to bee hostage to King Henry A. D. 1417. Fallais yeelded to the King The Articles agreed vpon That if they were not succoured by the French power to surrender That they should trust to the kings royall promise Geffrey Chasteaux excepted That the gouernour should repaire the wals 8. Gentlemen to be hostages The Castell repaired the Gouernour should be ●…et at liberty * Febru 16. The City of Roane besieged Polyd. Verg. Enguerrant de Monstre●… 15000. Citizens well trained within Roane The Riuer Seine blockt vp with Iron-Chaines Caxton Chron. Denis Sauage Roane besieged sixe monthes 50000. quite famished and 12000. almost starued put out of the Towne The Lady Katherines picture sent to King Henry to moue him to pitty Roane Iohn Serres Denis Sauage Enguerrant Ten thousand of Roane sally forth vpon King Henry and are ouerthrowne King Charles sendeth no succour The Rouennois desire a parley They returne vnsatisfied The Articles of the composition of Roane Denis Sauage Chron. de Flaunders King Henry requireth 356000. Crownes Enguerrant de Monstrel Two principall persons to bee left to his mercy All to sweare fealty to King Henry That their priuiledges should be confirmed to them That who so would might depart but their goods should bee forfeit The souldiers to resigne vp their armes and de●… part promising a twelue months truce The hungry Citizens plentifully relieued from Henries campe A fat mutton sould for 6. souses King Henry roially entreth the City Rouen 15. yeeres before the now winning of it was wonne by K. Philip from King Iohn of England Many Townes yeeld after the sorrender of Rouen Burgogne endeuoreth to make a peace betweene Charles and Henrie Polyd. Verg. The place of treaty was at Melun The French states came first Henry meeteth with a thousand horse Their followers on both parts though enemies demeane themselues ciuilly King Henry dis plea●…d at their retu●…all The Dukes reply Burgogne sideth with the ●…ulphin who after ward slew him Ponthois besieged Enguerrant de Monstrelet The souldiers got great riches in the Towne King Charles vpon the lo●…e o●… Po●… th●… flieth from Paris Enguerrant de Monstrelet Guillart and Rochguien two of the best Forts in Normandy A cunning plot of the Constable Armagnac 2. Sam. 17. Queene Isabell robd of her Iewels and plate The Daulphin drawes the King to suspect Queen Isabell. A●…ls of Burgundy Queene Isabel and her sister imprisoned Shee solliciteth Burgogne for her deliuerance Burgogne sendeth to the Queene The manner of her escape from her keepers Shee is made Regent of France 10. Serres The causes why the French were the easier conquered by king Henry Eccles. 2. 19. The occasion of King Charles distemper Orleance newly married is in loue with another C●… dismist the Court for telling the Dutchesse of the incontinency of her husband King Charles pursueth Craon into Britaine Notwithstanding his sicknes he continueth his iourney Charles in the forrest at Noon-day seeth an apparition His followers thronging confusedly to helpe doe distemper him the more He runneth distractiuely at euery one with his sword Iohn Duke of Burgogne suspected of the State Charles the Daulphin seeketh his remouall Iohn Serres Burgogne repairing to the Daulphin is charged with breach of promise He is slaine by Tanneguy de Chastel and others Queene Isabel incites his sonne to reuenge it and moues Charles to disinherite the Daulphin and adopt King Henry Guil. Parradyn A peace concluded betweene K. Henry K. Charles and the new Duke of Bu●…gogne King Henrie sollicites the Pope to confirme him King of France The Calamities of France for withstanding the right of the English La legende des Flamens The Pope stood for the Daulphin Alain Chartier Enguerrant de Monstrel Ambassadors from King Henry History of Normandy Ladie Katherine attended as Queene of England Henry goeth in person to Troyes History of Normandy The Articles agreed vpon betwixt the two kings Queene Katherines Dowry The Crowne of France intailed to England The gouernment of France assigned to King Henrie The subiects of France sworne to King Henry The tenor of the oath Churches Vniuersities and Colledges to enioy their liberties Normandy to be vnder the Crown of France Letter Grant gifts c. signed by King Charles And by King Henry King Henries stile du●…ing King Charles his life The vnion of the Crownes The vnion of the Subiects No peace with the Daulphin The punishment of the peace-breakers Holinsh. The testies of these Articles Wil. Parradin Annals of Burg. * Titus 〈◊〉 sets downe his Oath verbatim * Enguerrant Nicholas Vigneur Hollinsh King Henry married to Ladie Katheri●… History of Normandy Hollinshed but Polyd. 〈◊〉 a●…th this speech was deliuered before at their swearing of fealty Polyd. Verg. King Henries Oration vnto the States of France Polyd. Verg. The Daulphins counterplots to vphold himselfe Denis Sauage in Chro. de Fland. Enguerrant de Monstrel Monstreau beseeged and gotten Io. Millet Holinsh. Tis. Linius Melun beseeged and gotten Enguerrant King Henry fighteth in single Combat Translator of Liuie Enguerrant The French refuse to submit to their owne King Nichol. Giles Paris yeelded vp to King Henry * Dat. 23. Iuly An 1420. Denis Sauage Picardy sweares fealty to King Henry Enguerrant Enguerrant de Monstrelet Enguerrant A noble example of Iustice. Iohn Millet Iohn Millet The two Kings entred Paris The two Queens enter Paris Denis Sauage Millet Enguerrant de Monstr The two Kings sit personally in iudgement Processe against the murtherers of the Duke of Burgundy Iohn Serres The Daulphin cited to appeere and disinherited King Henry himselfe giues sentence iudicially Holinsh A quirke of Heraldy to ouerthrow a Iudiciall sentence A Parliament at Paris Holinsh. * Where they yet remaine saith Hollinsh p 578. King Henry returneth into England Enguerrant de Monstrelet Ex Antiq. M. S. D. Roberti Cotton Ex. Record Parl. 9. Hen. 5. The King pawneth his Crowne for money Pontus Herterm
th●… Tragicall effects * Polyd. Verg. A counterfeit Earle of Warwick executed * Addit to Fab. * Holinshed The true Earle of Warwicke designed to die * Stowes Annal. Perkin condemned executed A. D. 1499. An. Reg. 15. The Earle of Warwicks ruined by Perkins conspiracie Io. Sotw Annal. The Earle confesseth the enditement * Sir F. B. MS. Edward Earle of Warwicke last Male Plausage●… beheaded * Ioh. Stow. Annal. * Sir Fr. B. MS. * Polyd. Verg. A. D. 1501. An. Reg. 17. The Lady Katherine of Spaine landed in England Polyd. Verg. in Henirc 7. * Add. to Feb. * Res edmirabiles opera 〈◊〉 * Franc. Tarapha de Reg. Hisp. The briefe of 〈◊〉 and ●…bellas greatest actions * Luc. Marin Sic. Lib. 10. Isabella Queene of Spaine descended from our Edward the 3. King of England * Auton Hebri●… Decad I. lib. 1. * Polyd. Verg. 〈◊〉 Hen. 7. * Luc. Marin Sic. Prince Arthur married * Addit to Fab. saith on a Sunday the feast of S. Erkenwald * 10. Stows Annal. Prince Arthur dieth * Bern. Andr. MS. Prince Arthurs bookes and learning A. D. 1501. An. Reg. 17. * The cōtract betweene Iames King of Scots and Lady Margaret published * Ioh. Stow Annal. in Iac. 4. * Polyd. virg Episc. Ross. Bishop Fox his presence desired by the Scotish King * Episc. Ross. ex Polyd. verg King Henries answere to an obiection against the match with Scotland A. D. 1502 An. Reg. 18. King Henry a Widdower and Henry his sonne created Prince of Wales * See in the life of Henry the 8 * 〈◊〉 Stow Ananl K. Henry brings his daughte●… the Lady Margares on the way to Scotland * Epis. Ross. The Earle of Northumberl●… deliuers her to King Iames within Scotland * I●… Iac. 4. The immediate happy effect of this marriage * A. D. 1506 A. R. 21. * Addit to Fab. cals him Duke A Prince of the bloud roiall arraigned for murther of a priuate person The Earle of Suffolke causeth troubles Polyd. Verg. Edw. Hal. Hollinsh * Io. Stow. Annal. * Polyd. Verg. Apprehensions of persons for the Earle of Suffolkes cause * Polyd. Verg. The misery of great subiect and a lesson for thē Executions for the Earle of Suffolkes cause * Stowes Annal. * Add. to Fab. * Addit to Fab. The Earle or Duke of Suffolke and Sir Robert Curson others accursed Antiquit. Britan. in Mortons life names Innocentius and not Alexander * Polyd. Uerg. Antiquis Brit. in vita Morton Antiquit. Britan. Ibidem Philip the first King of Spaine and his Queene driuen by tempests into England A. D. 1506. An. Reg. 21. * Ioh. Stow. Annal. Polydor saith Way●…outh * Io. Sotw Annal. The Kings of England and Spaine at Windsore Polyd. Verg. The Earle of Suffolke deliuered vp and sent to the Tower The ominous fall of the weather cocke of Pauls * Suet. in Ang. cap. 97. King Henries gathering of treasure * N●…n tam seueritatis quam anaritia tela esse clamabant * Sir F. B. MS King Henry giues way to the needlesse molestation of his people * Sir Fr. B. MS Addit to Hard. The foule practises vsed to empouerish the subiect * Cor. Tacit. * Polyd. Verg. * 10. Stow Annals A. D. 1508. A. R. 23. The King falleth sicke Pol. Verg. King Henry seeks to assure his daughter Mary to Charles King of Castile The French King sends for aduise to the King of Scots * Epis. Ross. * Polyd. Verg. The Lade Mary promised to King Charles A. D. 1508. A. Reg. 24. K. Henry the 7. dies * Iohn Stowe Generall pardons granted by the King * Sir Fr. B. MS. Io. Stow. Annal. The yeere of his age and raigne A Saint lost for want of pay * Cambden in Surrey See more Supra in Edward 4. §. 79. 80. * Addit to Fab. King Henry saluted Defensor of Christs Church by three Popes Monarch 58 Henry VIII A. D. 1509. King Henry his birth place Polydor. The most learned King of Christendom●… King Henry and Queene Kathe●… crowned Edw. Hall King Henry vsed to sit often in Councell him selfe in person Dudley Empson Ioh. Stow. Hollinsh pag. 791. Edw. Hall In Yocester Northamptonshire Edmund Dudley condemned Io. Sotw Annal. K. He●…ies iustice and charity commended Holinsh. Henry a goodly man of shape and stature K. Henries great strength The Popes letters vnto King Henry K. Henry demanded France Iohn Lesly Bishop of Rosse A. D. 1510. K. Henry maketh league with many Princes Guiccardin King Henry entreth France An. Reg. 1. Edw. Hal. Sleidans Com. The Emperour serueth K. Henry Anglorum praelia Paulus Iouius Battell of Spurs A. D. 1513 August 24 Terwin wonne and the Cit●…zens sworne vnto Henry Edw. Hall Turnay befieged by K. Henry The strength of Turnay A. D. 1513. Octob. 2. King Henry in triumph entred Turnay Ioh. Lesly K. Iames of Scotland incited by the French King Edw. Hal. Holinsh. See the contents of this letter in Ioh. Leslie Bishop of Rosse dated at Edenbrough the twenty sixt of Iuly in A. D. 1513. Lions terrified at K. Henries answeres See the contents of this letter in Holinshed dated from the Campe at the fiege of Terwin the 12. of August A. D. 1513. Iames King of Scotland enters England Thomas Earle of Surrey King Henries Lieutenant maketh towards the Scots Lord Howard profereth battel vnto K. Iames. King Iames accepteth of battel Iohn Lesly The fight begun Paulin 〈◊〉 The Scots at the first encounter be at the English backe The battels ioin The Scots put to flight The valiant courage of K. Iames. 〈◊〉 king of Scots slaine with 12. Earles and 17. Lords The Honourable receiuing of Cardinall Campiut Matth. 21 9. The Cardinals rich treasures shewed in Cheap side Charles the Emperour cometh into England Iohn Stow. Rich. Turpin King Henrie goeth into France Rich. Grafton Edw. Hall A. D. 1521. An. Reg. 13. Variance betwixt England and France Iohn Stow. R. Grafton Taken out of the Cardinals owne letters dated Ianuary 16. Anno. 1524. Duke Burbon made King Henries Captaine General Instructions of King Henry dated in Anno 1524. Rich. Pace Secretarie The English Embassages into forraine States The wrongs done by the French vnto the English Iohn Lest. The Queenes Dowry vapaid A. D. 1522. A generall muster Io. Stow. Charles the Emperour commeth againe into England Holinsh. in Anno 18. Henrie 8. The Emperour affianceth Lady Mary Iohn Sleidan Com. K. Henry wrote against Martin Luther The Popes Oration at the deliuery of K. Henries booke Ex Original Troubles in Ireland Holinsh pag. 84. Discention betwixt the Lord Deputies of Ireland Kildare accused to the Cardinall The Cardinals speech at the Counsell Table against Kildare Kildare interrupteth the Cardinals tale The Lords tender Kildare He answereth the Cardinals obiection In what ease stand the Noblemen of Ireland with Rebels Kildare committed to prison Kildare accused for suborning of Traitors Kildar committed to the Tower Kildares noble
dismembring others some of their hands some of their eies and some of their feete Egelwine Bishop of Durham hee imprisoned first at Abington then at VVestminster whose diet was either so sparing or stomack so great in forbearance or both for both are reported that ere long he died of hunger 30 Howsoeuer the Monkes of Ely kept their promise with William for betraying of the I le he contrariwise brake his for their preseruation and peace for by no means their praiers would enter his eares t●…l the sound of seuen hundred markes had opened the way to collect which they were forced to f●…ll both the iewels and ornaments of their Church which being brought to his receiuers there wanted whether by error or deceit a groat in weight form those daies greater summes passed by weight not by tale whereof when the King vnderstood hee in greate but captious rage denied them all composition for peace whereupon with much suite he was entreated to accept of a thousand Markes more to raise which they disfurnished their Monastery euen of things of necessary vse 31 But the English Fugitiues who had gotten the Scots to stick to them were not yet pacified but entring into Cumberland they wasted the Country before them vnto the Territories of Saint Cuthbert city of Durham to meet whom King Wi●…am sent Gospatrick who lately reconciled to his fauour and created Earle of Northumberland shewed the like measure of cruelty vpon the Scotish Abetters 〈◊〉 they had done against the English The Conqueror therefore not a little moued against King Malcolme for that his Country was a receptacle of his Rebellious Subiects and himselfe now the cheife Leader of the Male-contents into his Kingdome hasted into Scotland with a desire and purpose to haue done much more then hee was able to accomplish for entring Galloway hee more wearied his Souldiers in passing the Marish grounds and mountaines then with encounter or pursuite of the Enemy so that hee was forced to giue ouer his enterprize and then drew his forces towards Lothiam where King Malcolme and his English late being fully resolued there to end by battaile either his troubles or his life 32 But Malcolme wisely considering the euent of warre and that the occasion thereof was not for his own subiects but for a sort of forraine fugitiues beganne to thinke that the wrongs therein done to another hee could hardly brooke himselfe and sent therefore to William proffers of peace whereunto lastly the English King inclined and hostages deliuered vpon further Conferences what time as I take it vpon Stane-more not far from an homely hostilerie called the Spittle a Stone-Crosse on the one side of whose shaft stood the picture and armes of the King of England and on the other the Image armes of the King and Kingdome of Scotland vpon that occasion called the Roi-crosse was erected to shew the Limits of either kingdome some ruines of which Metre-marke are yet appearing for King William granting Cumberland vnto Malcolme to hold the same from him conditionally that the Scots should not attempt any thing preiudiciall to the Crowne of England for which King Malcolme did him homage saith Hector Boetius the Scotish writer and the English being reconciled to his fauour after hee had built the Castle of Durham returned as cleared from all Northren troubles 33 But his Norman Dukedome stirred somwhat vnto rebellion called King William into those parts where by the prowesse of the English hee soone brought all things to peace and returned for England better conceiting of that Nation especially of Edgar Etheling whom he courteously receiued and honorably maintained in ●…is Court allowing him a pound waight of Silu●… euery day to spend a rare example of a victorious Conquerour shewed vpon a man so vnconstant who twice had broken his oath of fidelity and dangerous to be so neere vnto his person being as he was a Competitor of his Crowne 34 Whiles the King was in Normandy Ralph de Ware Earle of Suffolke and Norfolke tooke to wife Emma the daughter of William Fitz-Osberne and sister to Roger Earle of Hereford cosen to King William and that without his consent by whose affinity he conceiued no small pride and euen on the wedding day when wine had well intoxicated the braine with a long circumstance perswaded his Guests vnto a Rebellion vnto whom yeelded ●…oger Earle of Hereford his Brides brother and Waltheof Earle of North-hampton with many other Barons Abbats and Bishops But the next morning when Earle Waltheof had consulted with his Pillow and awaked his wits to perceiue the danger whereunto he was drawne repaired straightwaies to Archbishop Lanfranke who was left Gouernour of the Land in King Williams absence reuealing vnto him their Conference and Treasons intended by whose aduice he went ouer into Normandie and there with submissiue repentance shewed the King what these Lords and himselfe had intended 35 The Earles therefore of Norfolke and Hereford whose state now lay open to chaunce as desperate men tooke themselues to Arms sought how to vnite their two powers into one This sudden sound of warre soone roused the Subiects so that Wolstane Bishop of VVorcester and Egelwine Abbat of Euesham hauing called to their aide Walter Lacie and Vrse the Sheriffe of Worcester so manfully withstood Earle Roger that he with his Army could not passe ouer Seuerne to joine with his brother Norfolke And he againe was so sore laide at by Odo Bishop of Bayeux and Geffrey Bishop of Constance who had assembled a mighty Army both of English and Normans that they constrained him first to Norwich where in the Castle he bestowed his Countesse and thence fled himselfe into Little Britaine whither shortly shee followed 36 William now returned from Normandy and some reliques of Rebellion remaining in the West he hasted thitherward where with small adoe hee got Earle Roger into his hands and condemned him to perpetuall prison the Welsh his Aiders of whom also were many at the said Marriage he vsed with great seuerity for of some he put out the eies of others he cut off the hands hanged some vpon gibbets and he that scaped best went into banishment neither Earle Waltheof notwithstanding hee reuealed the conspiracie escaped vnpunished for after that the King had taxed him with ingratitude he hauing formerly restored the Earledome vnto him he caused his head to be chopt off at Winchester although he had before promised his pardon and life his great possessions be ing his greatest Enemies for he is reported to haue been Earle of Northampton Northumberland and Huntington thought by the King to be fitter dignities for the Normans his followers and the desire of a new Marriage moued Iudith his wife not a little to set forward and hasten his death 37 These beginnings against the Welsh King William prosecuted farther entering into Wales with
a strong Armie as purposing a finall end of those Domesticall warres hauing so replenished England with his Normans that hee now promised himselfe security and happinesse of State To him therefore the Princes of Walles vnable to resist performed their Homages at Saint Dauids and with their Hostages he returned as a victorious Conquerour But the Seas of these troubles now growne quiet and calme and he at some leasure to thinke on future successe all on the sudden a cloud arose in the North which hastily came on and threatned a storme 38 For Swaine King of Denmarke whose title to his seeming stood firme for the Crowne manned forth two hundred tall Ships whereof his sonne Canute and Earle Hacon were Generals for his brother Osborne he had banished Denmarke that basely tooke money to depart England some few yeeres before notwithstanding his claime he made still though for money still stopped by his Danes For so saith their owne writer Adam Bremensis that continuall contention was betwixt Swaine and the bastard although saith h●… our Bishops by bribes would haue perswaded peace betwixt the two Kings Yea and Malmesbury our writer affirmeth that William gaue bribes to Earle Hacon to begone though Paris and Polydor report that when these Danes heard that their fauourites heere were vanquished they turned their Sailes for Flanders and durst not fight with King William 39 But now a lesse suspected but much more vnnaturall warre arose for Robert his eldest sonne set on by Philip King of France who did greatly dread this so hastie grouth of the Conquerour claimed Normandy by gift of his father promised to him immediatly after his Conquest of England a Noble Gentleman surely but of an ambitious and hasty nature prodigally spending and maintaining his followers aboue the compasse of his priuate estate him Philip his own ill-nurtured Ambition thrust forward Q. Maud his mother supplied vnder hād out of her own Coffers and King Williams Reuennewes so that with banners displaied hee entred Normandy in hostile maner and there by force seised vpon diuers places to his owne vse and so without respect of dutifull patience gained by force the free-gift of his father 40 King William hearing of his sonne Roberts proceedings was not as great cause there was a little offended thereat and with a powerfull Army hasted to Normandy where neere vnto the Castle of Gerbory at a place called Archenbraye he ioined battle with his sonne where the fight was sore and dangerous on both sides the Generals being such men as they were but in the heat of the foot battels that fought it out resolutely Robert commanded a power of horse to breake in vpon the Rereward of his enemies and himselfe valiantly following chanced to light against his owne Father and with his lance thrust him through the Arme bearing him off his horse to the ground King William thus wounded falne called for helpe to be remounted storming to see his bloud spilt in his owne land and against his owne sonne which neuer had beene in battailes of other countries nor drawne by the weapons of forraine enemies and in great rage threatned the reuenge Robert that knew his Father by his voice hastily alighted and in his Armes tooke him from the earth humbly desiring his pardon for this vnknown fact and forgiuenes of his ouer-hastie attempt then mounting him vpon his owne horse brought him in safetie out of the presse who hauing escaped so great a danger and seeing himselfe for the present too weake to withstand the enemie left the honour of the field vnto Robert with the losse of many his souldiers slaine there both in the battaile and chase besides a great number that were hurt wounded among whom William Rufus his second sonne was one a man of a better temper and more filiall regard to his parents and therefore more deseruedly and tenderly beloued then Robert for which dishonour now done to his Father and disloialty for his vnnaturall armes hee bitterly cursed him and execrated the time wherein he begate him how beit others doe write that for his most vndaunted courage at that time issuing and ending in such dutiful and tender care of his fathers safety hee presently forgaue his former offences and euer after had him in better respect 41 These stirres thus qualified and King William returned he went forward with his former determination for setling a further assurance to himselfe and successors of the English crowne to which end first on the east side of London the mother City of the land he laid the foundation of a stately strongly fenced Castle or Magazine of warlike munitions intrenched with a large and deepe ditch now called the Tower of London the surueyor of which worke was Gundulphus Bishop of Rochester about the twelfth yeare of the Conquerours raigne so much is lessened the antiquity of that Citadell credite of such as would haue it founded by Iulius Caesar vnlesse perhaps we would thinke that King William did onely adde some new fort to the former being built saith Fitz-Stephen with morter tempered with the bloud of beasts 42 Then to enrich his owne coffers for hee is taxed by Malmesbury to be exceeding couetous he laid great subsidies vpon the land and that the same might amount to his great benefite though with the greatest grieuance of the people hee caused an exact suruey to be taken of the whole kingdome yea and of euery particular part and commodity therof so that there was not an hide of land lake water or wast but he knew the valuation the owners and possessors together with the rents and profits thereof as also of all Cities Townes Villages Hamlets Monasteries and Religious houses causing also all the people 〈◊〉 England to bee numbred their names to bee taken with notice what euery one might dispend by yeere their substance money bondmen recorded how many yokes of oxen and plough-lands were in the Realme and what seruices they owed who held of him in Fee all which was certified vpon the oathes of Commissioners This done he exacted sixe shillings to be paid him for euery hide of land which amounted to an huge masse of money The Booke thus made of euerie seuerall suruey was commonly called the rowle of Winchester as being there at first kept but for the generality and ineuitable censure thereof is by Authors named Liber Iudiciarius by the English Domesday booke kept to this day in the Kings Exchequer at Westminster of which collection Robert a Poet at Gloucester in ancient time and ryme wrote thus The King William vor to wite the worth of his lond Let enqueri stretlich thoru all Engelond How moni Plou-lond and hou moni Hiden also Were in euerich sire and wat hij were wurth yereto And the rents of each toun and of the waters echone The wurth and of woods eke that there ne