of March the thirty one yeer of King Edward before Iohn Le-Bloud then Maior William de Leyr Thomas Romain William de Bleton Walter de Finchingfield Henry de Glocester Salamon de Coetellier Iohn de Wengraue Iohn Darments Hugh Pourt Simon de Paris the Sheriffes Aldermen of London and before six men euery ward of London Robert Fitzwalter came and acknowledged seruice and sware vpon the Euangelist to be true to the Citty and that he would vphold and maintain them to his power and that he shall keepe the counsell of the said Cittie of London The King notwithstanding these compositions and agréements with his Barons when all was thought to haue been amended did yet againe vrge his Nobles Barons to rise in Arms against him Insomuch as they sent for Lewis the French Kings sonne promising to deliuer the Crowne and Kingdome vnto him Of those which sent for him I haue read the chiefest were Robert Fitzwalter and Fulke Fitzwarrine which two men hee most had wronged and endamaged the one for his daughters death the other for taking from him his Lordship of Whittington in Shropshire and giuing it away to the Prince of Wales then called Lewis Also Roger Bigot and many others who after King Iohn his death compounded with the French Kings sonne and sent him away out of England as onè that without their aide could not haue what hee desired Of the Bacon at Dunmow Pryory RObert Fitzwalter liued long after this beloued of King Henry the sonne of King Iohn as also of all the Realme He betooke himselfe at his latter time to prayer gaue great and bountifull almes to tht poore kept great hospitallity and reedified the decayed Priory of Dunmow which one Iuga a most deuout and religious woman in her kinde being his Ancestor had builded In which Priory arose a custome began and instituted eyther by him or some of his successors which is verified by a common prouerb or saying videl That hee which repents him not of his marriage in a yeere and a day eyther sleeping or waking may lawiully goe to Dunmowe and fetch a Gammon of Bacon It is most assured that such a custome there was and that this Bacon was deliuerd with such solemnity and triumph as they or the Pryorie and the Townesmen could make I haue enquired of the manner of it and can learne no more but that it continued vntill the dissolution of the house as also all the Abbeyes That the party or Pilgrim for Bacon was to take his oath before the Prior the Couent and the whole town humbly acknowledging in the Church-yard vpon two hard pointed stones which sâ—ones som say are yet to bee seene in the Priory Church-yard His oath was ministred with such long proces and such solemne sâ—nging ouer him as doubtles must make his pilgrimage as I may terme it painfull after he was taken vp vpon mens shoulders and carried First about the Priory Church-yard and after through the towne with all the Fryers and bretheren and all the townes folke young and old following him with shouts and acclamations with his Bacon borne before him and in such manner as I haue heard he was sent home with his Bacon of which I finde some had a gammon and others had a fléeke or flych For proofe whereof I haue from out the Records of the house found the names of thrée seuerall persons that at seuerall times had it Memorandum quod quidam Stevanus Samuell de Aston parua in Com. Essex c. Which beeing in Lattin entred into the booke which belongeth to the Howse I haue thus Englished Be it remembred that one Stephen Samuell of little Asâ—on in the County of Essex husbandman came to the Priory of Dunmow on our Lady day in Lent in the seuenth yeer of King Edward the fourth and required a Gammon of Bacon and was sworne before Roger Rulcot then Pryor and the Couent of this place as also before a multitude of other neighbours And there was deliuered vnto him a Gammon of Bacon Also Be it remembred that one Richard Wright of Badeourgh neere the Cittie of Norwich in the County of Norfolke came and required of the Bacon of Dunmow namely the seuentéenth day of Aprill in the twenty thrée yéere of the raigne of Henry the siixth and according to the forme of the Charter was sworne before Iohn Cannon Pryor of this place and the eduent and many other neighbours And there was deliuered vnto the said Richard one sléech of Bacon Againe Memorandum that in the yeere of our Lord 1510. Thomas Le Fuller of Coggeshall in the County of Essex came to the Pryorie of Dunmowe and required to haue som of the Bacon of Dunmow and on the eighth day of September being Sunday in the second yeere of King Henry the eighth he was according to the forme of the Charter sworne before Iohn Taylor then Pryor of the house and the Couent as also before a multitude of neighbours and there was deliuered to the said Thomas a Gammon of Bacon Heereby appeareth that it was giuen according to a Charter or donation giuen by some conceipted Benefactor to the house and it is not to be doubted but that at such a time the bordering Townes and Uillages would resort and bee partakers of their pastime and laugh to scorne the poore mans paines The order of the Oath YOu shall sweare by custome of confession If euer you made nuptiall transgression Be you eyther married man or wife By house hould brawles or contentious strife Or otherwise in bed or at boord Offend each other in deede or word Or since the parish clarke said Amen You wisht your selues vnmarried agen Or in a tweluemoneths time and a day Repented not in thought any way But continued true and iust in desire As when you ioind hands in the holy quire If to these conditions without all feare Of your owne accord you will freely sweare A whole Gammon of Bacon you shall receiue And beare it hence with loue and good leaue For this is our custome a Dunmow well knowne Though the pleasure be ours the Bacons your own The manner of the murder of Robert Hall in the Abbey of Westminster at the High Alter THe most renowned valient and victorious King Edward the third making claime to the Kingdome and Crowne of France as his proper right and inheritance lawfully descended vnto him by right and title of the Queene his mother made such hot and sharpe wars vpon the then liuing King of France That being seconded by his thrice valient and worthy sonnes especially his eldest surnamed the blacke Prince he draue the French into such a narrow strait and exigent as that they feared the vtter conquest and ouerthrow of their Kingdome and State Neuer was King more fortunate or happy in his children nor neuer did age breede more valient captaines and chiefe commanders then this the châ—efest whereof besides the King and his valient sonnes and the Nobility were Robert Knols
Hugh Cauerley of Cheshire Croker of Oxfordshire Shandoys c. Besides Iohn Hawkewood neuer to be forgotten who after the end of these warres in France tooke with him his companies both horse and foot which were at his commaund And in Italy acted wonders was most highly esteemed and honoured of whose aduentures and worthy deedes the Histories of Italys make large report who at last there died and in Pauia as I remember hath a most worthy monument erected for him of these captaines Hawkewood amongst the Italians was called Io. Acuth These captaines as also many others according to the vse of conquerors had giuen vnto them lands offices and preferments as keeping of Eastles Cities Townes and countries which in the behalfe and right of King Edward they with great and stout resolution held and maintained in despight of all the French or any powre they could make who being wearied and outworne with the terror of these warres their estate still waxing worse and worse solicited the Pope and all the Princes of Christendome to be a meanes vnto King Edward of their peace which was at last graunted and the English forces abated and withdrawne But the chiefest could not so easily be with drawne from such places as with their swords they had conquered nor from those honors and preferments which with expence of their blood were in reward of their valour and seruice giuen vnto them vntill occasion presented a fit meanes of pollicy wherein the French excéed the English as Comineus witnesseth as in field or battaile the English excéed the French It happened at the same very time that Peter the lawfull King of Castile or Spaine was expulsed his kingdome by his bastard brother Henry and in the yéere 1380. came to Burdeaux to the blacke Prince crauing aid and succor against his vsurping brother This matter was furthered by the French who were most desirous of his absence well knowing that the English Captaines and souldiers would follow him as the Flowre of Chiualry and the honor and glory of his time The Prince accepted of Peters request and forthwith obtained licence of his Father to transport or rather lead his Army into Spaine where in a maine battaile fought at Nazers Henry the Fastard was defeated ouercome his Army dispersed and 6000 slaine and 200. taken prisoners amongst which the Earle of Deue and Bertrand Clakyn were most remarkeable and men of speciall note By this means King Peter was restored whose daughter and heire Iohn of Gaunt third son of King Edward and brother to the blacke Prince married and in her right intituled and called himselfe King of Castile Leon and Aragon which now is callâ—â— Spaine of which matter the Chronicles make large report and therefore néedlesse to be repeated and new written but to our purpose Amongst these prisonors the Earle of Dene being as I said the most remarkeable and of chiefest note albeit he was challenged by sundry men whereof some were of the Nobility yet this iust and wise Prince who neuer vsed to suffer vertue and valour vnrewarded nor would not for either fauour or feare doe a meane and priuate souldier any wrong adiudged the said Earle to be the lawfull prisoner of two valiant Esquires Souldiers and men of worth and reputation named Robert Hall and Iohn Shakerley and thereof they obtained his Charter against all others that pretended claime or interest in him The Earle not willing to go with them into England made request to be ransomed which was grauÌ„ced vnto him and the sum agréed vpon which he affirmed hee was not able presently to pay For that those warres had so impouerished both himself and his countrey and people that all their mony goods were wasted and consumed notwithstanding hée would giue vnto them his eldest sonne and heire as a pledge and hostage of the performance of such paiment as hée promised and they were contented to accept of So remained he still in Spaine and the youth who as I can gather was not then aboue 8. or nine yéeres of age came with these two Esquires into England and in short space he learned the ready pronouncing of the English tongue or language and likewise prospered in all vertue and good quallities that he was so well beloued of his said Gaurdians or masters as if he had béene their owne child Hée on the other part behaued himselfe houestly louingly and most kindly towards them with such faith and fidelity in their manifold trobles which for his cause they sustained as was most admirable and hereafter shall be declared His vnkind Father neither regard ng his promis his oath nor his bonds nor hauing any care or father-like affection to his ingaged sonne neuer sent the ran some nor any part thereof but most vnnaturally left him in their hands at the will of his two masters where I will leaue him and returne to King Edward The black Prince the comfort of his Father and ioy of England shortly after this departed this life The good King his Father not able to sustaine the burthen of so great sorrow liued not long after but left the son of Prince Edward his Nephew to succeed him in his Kingdomes and Crownes by the name of King Richard the second In which space King Peter of Spaine was also slaine by his brother and the bastard Henry again repossessed the Crown and dignity Iohn of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster Earle of Darby c. after the death of King Peter called himselfe in right of Beatrix his wife King of Castile Leon Aragon and obtained licence of the King to transport an Army at his owne proper charge into Spain for the recouery of his Kingdome And for that purpose made great and long prouision And knowing well that the Earle of Dâ—ane was in the hands of Hall and Shakerley solicited them to haue him but they vtterly refused to part with him without ready payment of the money for his ransome whereupon he be sought the King to deale with them on his behalf The king pretending yâ— his purpose was to make a marriage betweene the said Earle and his sister a gallant Lady and rich widow late wife to Peter Cortney But this deuise nor nothing else prouailed to obtaine the Dukes purpose so that they were both coÌ„mitted to the Tower of London from whence I know not by what meanes they escaped and after for their further safety they betooke themselues to the Sanctuary at Westminster enrolled themselues and their goods in the protection and priuiledge of that place which was at that time so strong and so reuerend as it was not thought that any man how cruell or tirannous so euer durst once infringe violate or breake it The Duke hauing staid so long in making prouision for his iorney that diuers of his chiefest Followers grew weary of their charges and expences and knowing that the matter of this Earle bred his discontent and was a speciall let and hinderance to his further proceedings determined
to set aside all religion and conscience and make hreach of the sanctuary he wholy soeuer and take from them their prisoner or bring them back to the Tower whereupon fifty or sixty chosen men were armed and secretly placed to break into the Abbay at seruice time and if no perswasions could preuaile then with violence to set vpon them The chiefest of these were Raph de Ferres the Lord Latimer Alan Buxhull and others who at that time of Masse gat into the Church and by craft drew Shakerley foorth of the libertyes of the Sanctuary by a posterne or small doore leading to the Ducens bridge through the old Pailace But as for Hall when they saw they could not intreat nor perswade him they began to bend their weapons toward him but hee hauing a short sword drew it and valiantly defended their assaults coursing about the Abbey yet found no rescue or helpe but acompany of Monkes and Priests naked as it were and vnarmed who cryed to God for vengeance of this horrible sacriliedge I haue béen shewed a great notch which remains in a marble piller reported to bee made with a blow which one of them strook at him and yet mist him Also the stones where he was first deadly wounded retaine yet as is said his blood whether it be so or bée the naturall colour of the stone let Philosophers dispute hee feeling himselfe so wounded raâ— vp to the high Altar where the 〈◊〉 Priests stood amazed at this deathfull accident Due of the Lay bretheren a seruant of the house â—â—â—osing himselfe for rescue was slaine as also Hall himselfe The murderers made away and fled This being performed and they nothing the néerer for their purpose of the Earle of Deane it followed that the Church was suspended the diuine seruices ceased the Quiristers Chorists bells and Organs became mute the Church dores were dammed and 〈◊〉 vp with thornes and bushes at least sixty 〈◊〉 as I haue read And the Authors and doers thereof cursed with Bell Booke and Candle for they were all well knowne this was not onely don in London but in euery Cathedrall Church and parish Church throughout all England aÌ„nd Wales This seuere censure of the Church this curse or ban was denounced ueyther did the Duke himselfe escape it although he faine would haue excused it as neither knowing of it nor consenting to it but hee preuayled not and was also punished by this heauy curse This continued for the space of certaine wéekes in which time the King so wrought with the Duke that hee fell to composition with Shakerley who for the some of fiue hundred markes of present money and a hundred markes by the yéere was contâ—nted to â—art with his prisoner Also that the Duke at his owne charges should build a Chantrey and find fiue priests foreuer to sing for the soule of Robert Hall The money being paid and security put in for performance of the rest the Church the Bells and Church ornaments were new hallowed the seruices againe restored But that which was most to be admirev was that when the prisoner or Earle was demaunded he deliuered his Page who they all knew in all his troubles had most faithfully serued him and his companion All sorts of people wondring at the great fidelity of this straunger who albeit hee well knew that hee was sought for his preferment that his Father was dead yet detesting the vnkindnesse of his father and friends chose rather to be pertaker of his masters troubles than to falsifie the faith oath and promis which he had made vnto them A most rare and memorable example Hall lyeth buried in the Abbey at Westminster not far from Chaâ—sers Tombe vnder a faire monument of a flat Marble stone with his image of brasse in his armour and about the same certaine verses in Lattin which though much defaced with treading and neere worne out may be found in a booke called the Remaines of a greater Worke. set foorth by Mr. Camden al. Clareceaulx King at Armes The Duke of Lancaster with a great Powre went into Spaine where after sundry victories and variable fortunes a great sicknesse attached his people by meanes whereof his successe was not answerable to his expectation nor the height of his minde whereby he yéelded to a composition with Henry the King and receiued of him eight Charriots laden with Gold and Siluer and a yeerely tribute of a thousand Markes with these conditions he departed out of Spaine and returned into England dyed and lyeth buryed in Paules with his wife and Daughter of King Peter whose stile and titles of Honour and Dignity were written and set vppe by it at the cost and charges of one master Robert Hare late one of the Councell to Queene Mary and late Treasurer and writer of the Erchequer Rolles FINIS 〈◊〉 mat 〈◊〉 Miâ—â—raiton 〈◊〉 â—ers 〈◊〉 â—â—tten Vide Io. Stâ—w in Sutuay of London