Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	french_a	king_n	normandy_n	3,816	5	11.5544	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A82329	The honour of the cloathworking trade: Or, The pleasant and famous history of Thomas of Reading; and other worthy clothiers of the west and north of England. : Setting forth their merriments, great riches, hospitality to the poor, the favour they gained with their prince, and the privileges granted them. With the unfortunate loves of the Earl of Salisbury's fair daughter, and the renowned Duke of Normandy. The Woful death of Thomas of Reading, murthered by his host; and other matters. Also pleasant songs.	Deloney, Thomas, 1543?-1600.; Clothworkers' Company (London, England)	1680 (1680)	Wing D955A; ESTC R174583	20,562	23

the Welshmen and was returned to his Palace remembring what he had said to them and their Promise to attend him resolved to be as good as their Words expecting Advantage thereby from his Grace and Favour not only for themselves but for the People in general And having drawn up what they thought fit they spruced up themselves and went to cast themselves at his Feet as hearing in a little time he was to go over the Sea with a great Army against Lewis the French King and his Brother Robert thereby to find them Work at home and prevent their Landing in England and leave the Bishop of Salisbury Regent at home they concluded to take the first Opportunity and were soon admitted to the Presence The King knowing they were come placed himself in his Royal Robes with his Nobles about him making a Glorious Shew and Commanding them without fear or favour of any from the greatest to the least boldly and freely to speak what they had to say Thomas of Reading who was appointed to speak for them having made his Majesty a Present of each Man a Hundred Pounds which amounted to Nine Hundred in all praying him to accept of it from his Dutiful Subjects to enable him to def●nd the Realm and carry on the War looking on his Paper said We Humbly beseech Your Majesty that there may be a settled Measure for Cloath throughout the Land to prevent Differences and Difficulties arising in several Cl●ath-working Towns by reason of the uncertainty of Measuring This shall be done said the King and thereupon caused his own Arm to be measured saying This shall be the Standard-measure and so I establish it disannulling all other as unlawful and from that time it has been called the Cloath Yard Then because there was a great deal of crack'd Money in the Nation which many refused and therefore it hindred the Circle of Trade he desired in the Name of his Brethren that the King would be pleased to issue out his Royal Proclamation that it might pass in Payments without controul Nay honest Clothiers replyed the King I will do better than that I will Command by my Proclamation none but crack'd Money shall go and then those that have whole Money will be obliged to track it and then there will appear no difference The next Demand was That such as were taken stealing their Cloath when it was on the Tenters in the Fields might be hanged for though they were at a vast Charge in watching of it yet little fear of the Punishment which was but a Whipping matter made Thieves bold and in great Companies set upon those that watched it and take it by force To this the King promised he would procure such a Law to be made as soon as the Parliament sitting had dispatched the weighty Affairs of the Nation and accordingly it was made but then Hanging was so strange a Death in England that when they took Malefactors and brought them to the Place of Execution they could not get a Hangman for Money or Entreaty no nor by threats of Punishment upon Refusal so that they were forced to let them go unless they would have hanged them themselves which they often did for fear of incurring the hatred of the People by being too cruel to their Fellow-Creatures But Hodgkins losing much and being impatient at their Impunity contrived with a Monk to frame an Engine at Hallifax to cut off their Heads without the help of a Man for their Heads were no sooner in but a Spring running upon their touching it a sharp Iron bore forcibly down and whipt them off and this awed Offenders But to return The King at their Request forbid Commons to be enclosed by Rich Men leaving them to the Poor called Oppressors to Account and punished many of them by Fine and Imprisonment And then ordered the two Princes his Sons viz. William and Robert to treat the Clothiers sumptuously in his Palace saying He should from that time esteem them amongst the best of his Subjects and so they were highly feasted with Wine Venison and other Delicacies But Simon of Southampton being a great admirer of Broth preferred it before all which made one of the Princes jestingly say Sup Simon it 's very good Broth and from thence came the Proverb When they had been well Entertained to their hearts content they took their Leave and rode to the Town that is now called Colebrook from the Murther of Cole as shall be hereafter related As for their Wains they were gone before And here at an Inn they usually made Merry in their coming and returning from London Nor wanted they the Company of the mens Wives of the Town to bear them Company and be Merry with them who were so extreamly taken with Tom Dove 's Merry Pranks that no sooner they heard he was come but they would give their Husbands the slip and run to him like Chickens to a Hen and in praise of him made this Song which was afterwards sung all over the Country 1. Welcome Tom Dove our only Love The merriest Man alive Thy Company we do approve None shall us from it drive 2. Though Husbands fret and pout and sweat We care not for 't a Pin They nothing by the same shall get For we 'll play at In and In. 3. Their Jealousie we do defie And all their Anger scorn If they our Freedom do deny We 'll graft on them the Horn. Having continued their Merriment here as long as they thought fit the Women refusing to leave their Company though their Husbands often sent for them it was thought fit they should return home and at Reading they parted Every one arriving at his House told their Wives how they had been Entertained and what a fine Town London was which set them so agog that they would have no Nay but sent Letters as if they jumped all in a Mind to meet at Cole's in Reading take his Wife with them and hey for London Town To all their Husbands disswasions they turned a deaf Ear thinking a Days and dreaming a Nights of their pleasant Iourney and the Frollicks they expected So their Husbands finding it in vain do what they could to disswade them from their headstrong Humour gave way to it and every one had a stately Palfrey and their best Apparel carrying Letters of Recommendation to Merchants to receive entertain and shew the Bravery of Court and City And though the Husbands Business was urgent that they could not accompany them they had by Agreement every one a Iourney-man Weaver to ride before them and so with full Purses to bear their Expences to Thomas of Reading's they came who highly feasted them and ordering his Wife to Accompany them to London they rode The Merchants upon their Arrival Entertained them with all the Civility and Treatment imaginable their Wives accompanyed them to Court and shewed them what was rare to be seen in the City Shops full of Silks Stuff Plate Iewels c. which made

Fashion of their Country coming behind him with their Maces first knocked him down and then bid him stand and charged him with Arrest This startled him and spoiled his Mirth the thing was so unusual that he knew not what to make of it but thinking they designed to rob him cried out Thieves so that a great Crowd got about them and they had been knocked on the Head had not the Creditors came in and told the Cause and being known Citizens pacified the Multitude However going into a Tavern Tom Dove sent for Gerrard of Gerrard's Hall where he had some Effects lying to come and bail him and he accordingly came and offer'd to be his Bail affirming him to be a very honest Man and though Fortune had now shewed him a slippery Trick to trip up his Heels she would no doubt in a little time be more favourable and raise him again Then they demanded a Groat as their Fee when but Two Pence was their due or else they swore they would not take his Bail but to Goal Tom. Dove must go Hah said Gerrard frowning on them do you come hither to do Iustice and by Extortion would break our Laws To this they instantly replied They would do as they list for the Law was in their hands Then looking on Dove and seeing the Blood trickle down his Forehead he demanded how it came or who had dared to abuse him Why said Dove these two Varlets knocked me down without a Word speaking and broke my Head Nay then said he flauderkins if you are so insolent in this City 't is time to chastize ●●u and not let you reign in your roguery to abuse honest Men. Why replied they it is the Custom of our Country What said he to be Rogues Nay then I 'll shew you the Custom of ours and how we serve them Then in his two mighty Paws he seized them and in vain strugling flung them on his Back as if they had been little Children carried them to the next Horse-Pond and douced them over Head and Ears so long till they were almost drowned then turned them loose to the Rabble who worry'd and kick'd them about like Foot-balls Being got clear they sneaked away into their own Country and gave such an Account of their Vsage that it was some Years before any Flemings could be perswaded to come over again to do this Office nay in some Towns they were knocked on the Head in attempting to Arrest Men and were so generally hated of the People that they were as Egyptian Locust and Plague of the Nation Tom. Dove was not idle all this while but made his Escape left London and went home but b●●nging little Money his Servants who were mostly Poor Mens Children that he had taken from the Parish and brought up from their Infancies at his own Charge first began to murmur for their Wages and though he gave every one as far as his Money would go leaving himself not a Farthing they unkindly forsook him notwithstanding his passionate Intreaties and Beseechings with Tears in his Eyes that they would not leave him in his Distress utterly to undo him by leaving his Work half undone But the Clothiers hearing of his Misfortune and pitying him sent a collected Summ of 800 l. with part of which he pay'd his Debts and employ'd the Overplus in carrying on his Trade receiving again his ingrateful Servants upon their Repentace He became very Frugal grew very Rich marry'd his Three Daughters with great Portions to Knights built Alms-houses and died full of Years beloved by all CHAP. VI. How the Clothiers assisted the King in his Wars with Men and Money by which means he won great Victories and compell'd the French King to a Peace How on his Return he made a Progress to visit them and of his Entertainment to his great Content KIng Henry being in Wars against Lewis the French King and hard put to it for Men and Money in another Country the Clothiers in respect of what Kindness he had done them and for the Honour of England resolved to raise a great Stock of Money and with the Leave of the Bishop of Salisbury who governed the Realm in the King's Absence Five thousand Men cloathing them in white Coats li●●d with red and arming them compleatly sent them over and Ten thousand Pounds to the King to enable him to maintain his Forces The King seeing this highly commended the Clothiers of England saying Never Prince had better Subjects With this Auxilary Force he won many Battles and Towns till the French King tired out was constrained to make Peace allowing our King all the Charges he had been at in the Wars vowing never to assist his Rebels and not to molest him in any thing he was now in Possession of So having setled his Affairs in Normandy and the Frontiers he returned in triumph and as the first Mark of his Favour made the Cloathworkers a Coporation endowing them with large Privileges bestowing many Mannor-Houses on them as proper Places to set the Poor on work for their Advantage and Peace firmly settled he resolved to visit those and Honour them with his Princely Presence that had been so kind to him in his need Spring come he set forward with a Princely Train and the first Visit was made to Thomas of Reading who knowing before hand of his coming made suitable Preparations Feasting him as Richly as if he had been in his own Palace For the King being brought into a great Hall found four long Tables ready covered and passing through that Place he came into a fair large Parlour hung with Tapestry interwoven with curious Devices in Gold Silver and Silk where a Table was prepared for his Highness all the Floor was covered with fine Scarlet Cloath which after Dinner was distributed amongst His Majesty's Attendants The King being sate and the chiefest Nobility a delicate Banquet was served up in Plate and after that Sweetmeats and Fruit in Glass Vessels curiously wrought Wine went freely about and the Attendants were very numerous In the Hall dined the King's Servants attended on by the Apprentices of the House and all sounded with Melodius Musick Cedar-wood and other Perfuming Woods were burnt to make a fragrant smell After Dinner the King went to see the Work-houses where the Cloath was prepared and made in one he found Fifty Looms and Men at Work in them merrily singing in another 100 Wheels with Maids a spinning at them in another 100 Carders of Wool in another 150 Poor Mens Children picking the Wool for which they had two Pence a Day and their Victuals in another 50 Sheermen in another as many Dyers and in the next Trullers which great number of People the King wondred how he could maintain out of one Trade and at his departure he was presented with a fair Golden Cup embossed with many Devices relating to the Cloath-working Trade which he ever used at his Table afterward And for this great Kindness he built an

The Honour of the Cloathworking Trade OR THE Pleasant and Famous History OF Thomas of Reading And other Worthy CLOTHIERS of the West and North of England Setting forth their Merriments Great Riches Hospitality to the Poor the Favour they gained with their Prince and the Privileges granted them With the Unfortunate Loves of the Earl of Salisbury's fair Daughter and the Renowned Duke of Normandy The woful Death of Thomas of Reading murthered by his Host and other Matters Also pleasant SONGS Humbly Dedicated to the Worshipful Company of Cloathworkers Printed for J. Deacon at the Angel in Gilt-spur-street without Newgate The Honour of the Cloathworking Trade OR THE Pleasant History of Thomas of Reading c. CHAP. I How in the Reign of King Henry the First Thomas of Reading and many other honest wealthy Clothiers flourished in the VVest and North. How in their way to London the King met their great number of VVains that stopped him and upon the Speech of a VVain-driver made a Law against treading down and spoiling the Corn. How Thomas of Reading made a Request to him and his Answer c. WHen VVilliam Rufus who succeeded VVilliam the Conqueror in the English Throne was killed as he hunted in New Forrest by an Arrow shot by Tyril one of his Courtiers which aimed at a Deer and glancing on a Tree gave the King his mortal Wound in the Side his Brother Henry sirnamed from his great Learning and Wisdom Beau Clark or fine Scholar winding himself by great Gifts and Promises into the Affections of the English and Norman Nobility got himself crowned King whilst his eldest Brother Robert to whom the Conqueror had left the Dukedome of Normandy was warring against the Turks and Sarazens in the Holy Land and by his Valour won Jerusalem of which City and the whole Country of Palestine the Christian Princes would have crowned him King but he refused it and returning home to lay claim to England a miserable Fate or Misfortune befel him as will appear in this History in due place This Henry called King Henry the First the better to support himself in the Throne made many good Laws confirmed the great Charter of the Nation and did such things as made Trade encrease and his Subjects flourish He instituted the High Court of Parliament which has ever since continued to the great good of the Commonwealth In his Reign the Cloathing Trade very much encreased and our Merchants brought home great Wealth for English Cloth it being highly valued and prized in all Countries so that the younger Sons of Knights and Gentlemen to whom their Fathers could leave no Lands were preferred to be Cloathiers and in Riches often exceeded their elder Brothers And among the Eminentest for Wealth and Good Breeding of this Calling were in those Days Thomas Cole commonly called Thomas of Reading as there born and keeping his Cloth Manufacture it being a very fair Town in Barkshire Grey of Gloucester Sutton of Salisbury Fitzallen of VVorcester commonly called VVilliam of VVorcester Thomas Dove of Exeter in Devonshire Simon of Southam of whose Industry and Riches and the great Number of poor People they employed daily King Henry hearing stiled them The Six VVorthy Yeomen of the VVest and that Epithete they carried to their Graves Besides these there were others in the North who drove the same Trade and did a great deal of good in the Land viz Cuthbert of Kendale Hodgkins of Hallyfax and Martin Bryer of Manchester each of these kept at least Two hundred Servants at work viz. Weavers Fullers Dyers Carders Spinners Sheermen Wool-pickers Rowers c. killing each in his House two fat Oxen beside a great many Sheep Swine and the like for the well feeding their Families so that in House-keeping they outdid the best Gentlemen in the Counties where they lived and these to hold the better Correspondency and settle the Prices of the Cloth made an Agreement under a Penalty of forfeiting 20 Pounds to meet every VVhitsontide at London and had their Warehouse at Gerard's-Hall which was then an Inn and so named from a huge monstrous Fellow that kept it Nine Foot high with Hands like Shoulders of Mutton As they were on their way their Wains laden with Cloth passed before them and made a Train like a huge Caravan or the Baggage of a marching Army still encreasing as the first called the next in the way and so to the last which was Thomas of Reading who having highly feasted them set out with the rest his Wains going foremost and being most in number when so it happened that the King with the Prince his Son and divers of his Nobility were taking a Progress into VVales to quiet the Welsh who upon hearing that Robert Duke of Normandy was arming to invade England began to rise in tumults and making Inroads did much Mischief to the English on the Borders He no sooner perceived this great Train of Wains that reached over Hills and Valleys many Miles but he began to wonder what it should mean thinking that some great Army was behind and these as the Vauntguard were laden with Provision and Ammunition Some of the timerous Nobles perswaded him not to advance for fear of an Ambushment they supposed these were sent before to train him into and so to surprize and make his Royal Person a Prisoner but he being of an undaunted Courage resolved to pass on and meeting the foresmost at the coming out of a narrow Lane then some Miles long for since the ways have been alter'd he demanded what they were and who they belonged to The Drivers answered To Cole of Reading and that they were Laden to London with Woollen Cloath all his own Manufacture and so they answered till Fifty were passed then others came on and every one as they passed declared who they belonged to which made the King wonder England should abound with such Wealthy People which he little thought before it had done yet vexed to be delayed for the Lane being very narrow he was forced to stay two or thee hours before they all passed by when one of the Drivers not knowing him to be the King perceiving him to frown said bluntly Good Fellow what art thou in hast Pray stay and let your Betters be served before you you are I suppose some Country ' Squire going a Hunting to spoil poor People's Corn and a fine pass they are brought to I hope e'er long the King's Grace will be informed of it and Punish such Knaves as trample down the Bread the Poor should eat and so passed by without staying for a Reply But these Words thrown out by the Country Fellow did afterwards a great deal of good to the Nation for the King upon his Return made a Law to limit the times of Hunting and Hawking under great Penalties and that such Exercises should be forborn till the Corn was off the Ground that it might not be spoiled or wasted for the pleasure of any were he never