suncke all their Ships King Edward vanquishes the French Kings great Navie slew 30 thousand men and landed with as great glory as such a victorie the greatest that ever before was gotten by the English at Sea could yeeld Most of the French rather then to endure the Arrowes and sharpe swords of the English or be taken desperately leape into the Sea Whereupon the French Kings Iester set on to giue him notice of this overthrow which being so ill newes none else willingly would impart on the suddaine said and oftentimes re-iterated the same Cowardly Englishmen Iean Tillet Dasterdly Englishmen Faint-hearted Englishmen The King at length asked him Why For that said he They durst not leap out of their ships into the Sea as our braue French-men did By which speech the King apprehended a notion of this overthrow which the French attribute to Nicholas Buchet one of their chiefe Commanders who had armed his Ships with men of base condition content with small pay and refused Gentlemen and sufficient Souldeirs in regard they required greater wages and it osten happens that the Auarice of Commanders haue beene the occasion of great defeits But this losse much abated the power of the French King who notwithstanding in these Martiall times was soone supplyed both out of his owne Dominions and those of his Confederates and makes a mighty head against this victorious powerfull and freshly furnished King of England who suddainely sets downe before Tourney with King Edward and sends hic Challenge to the French King all his owne and his adherents forces And from Chyn a place neere-by where hee lodged sends his Cartell the 17 of Iuly to Phillip de Valois lodging at S. Andrew les Aire with his puissant army Declaring how he with the power of his owne Kingdome and aide of the Flemmings was come to recever his right in the Kingdome of France uniustly detained from him contrary to the Lawes of God and Man and that seeing no other meanes would serue hee was forced in this manner to haue recourse to his sword Notwithstanding seeing the businesse was between them two hee offers for the avoiding of Christian bloud à nd devastation of the Country to try the same by combat in close Campe body to body or each of them accompaned with 100 choyce persons which if the said Phillip refused then to strike battell within ten daies after before the Cittie of Tourney Phillip de Valois returnes answer the last of Iuly in this manner Phillip by the grace of God King of France to Edward King of England Wee haue perused your letters sent to the The French Kings answer to the Challenge Court of Phillip de Valois containing certaine requests to the said Phillip and for that it appeareth hose letters and requests were not written or made vnto vs wee will in no sort answer you But seeing by those letters and otherwise wee understand how you led by Wilfulnesse without all reason haue entred our Kingdome of France with armed power and committed no small dammage in the same and on our people contrary to the duety of a Liegeman having lalely sworne homage vnto us acknowledging us as by right King of France and haue promised that obedience which is due from the Vassall to his Liege-Lord as is manifest by your letters Patents under your great Seale which we haue with us and you likewise ought to haue the same with you And therefore our intention is as becomes our Honour to chace you out of our Kingdome as we firmely hope in Christ from whom we haue our power to do For that by this your warre most wickedly begunne our Iourney undertaken for the East is hindred no small number of Christians there murthered the holy service neglected and the Church dishonoured And whereas you alledge you possesse the aide of the Flemmings wee are assuredly perswaded that they with the Communalty of their Countrie will so beare themselues towardes our Cosen their Earie and vs their superiour Lords as they will not omit to obserue their honour and fidelity whatsoeuer hath beene by some through ill counsell perpetrated for their owne priuate contrary to the common good The French write how King Phillip with this Letter sent worde to King Edward how by his Cartell hee aduentured nothing of his owne but onely exposed the dominion of another which was without all reason If hee would hazard the kingdome of England though it were lesse against the kingdome of France the said King Phillip would enter combate in close campe with him on condition the Victor should enioy both kingdomes But that they say King Edward would not doe Three moneths the siege of Turney had continued and nothing effected but the waste of the Countrie about all the eyes of Christendome bent vpon this action both kingdomes deeply ingaged expecting with anxiety the doubtfull euent thereof when Iane de Valois sister to Phillip widdow of William late Duke of Haynault and mother A mediation for peace to Phillippa wife to King Edward a Princesse of excellent vertue came from Fountenelles where shee had rendered herselfe a Nun vowed to God to mediate a peace betweene these two intaged Kings her brother and her sonne in lawe and labours to stay the sword of destruction lift vp for blood trualying from one to the other stubbornly bent to their intentions and neuer left them though often denyed till shee had with great patience and wise counsell quallified their boyling passions in such sort as she obtained day and place for both Kings to parle together A memorable worke to bee effected by a woman especially in such an age of Iron as that was This parle brought forth a truce for one yeare and both these great Armies A Truce concluded are dissolued The French King returnes home and so doth the King of England with his Queene who had remained in those parts three yeares and had there Anno Reg. 15. brought forth two sonnes Lionell afterwards Duke of Clarence and Iohn borne at Gant who first was Earle of Richmond and after Duke of Lancaster But King Edwards condiscending to this sudden truce had indeed no other motiue thē the want of his supplies of treasure which came short to his expectation notwithstanding those mighty impositions which were laid on his subiects And whereas hee had vpon his last returne into England in great displeasure remoued his Chancellor and imprisoned his Treasorer with other Officers most of them Cleargy-men and still held them in durance Iohn Stratford Archbishoppe of Canterbury on Iohn Strarford Archbishop of Canterbury his Letters to King Edward whom the King laid the blame of his wants writes him a most bolde and peremptory Letter to this effect first shewing him how it was for the safety of kings and their Kingdomes to vse graue and wise Counsailors alledging many examples out of holy Writ of the flourishing happinesse of such as tooke that course and their infelicity who followed the
did the Dutchie of Normandie and doe him homage for the same which would adde a great glory to that Crowne Then was hee before hand with Pope Alexander to make religion giue reputation and auowment to his pretended right promising likewise to hold it of the Apostolique Sea if hee preuailed in his enterprize Whereupon the Pope sent him a Banner of the Church with an Agnus of Gold and one of the haires of Saint Peter The Emperour Henry 4. sent him a Prince of Almaine with forces but of what name or his number is not remembred so that wee see it was not Normandie alone that subdued England but a collected power out of all France and Flanders with the aydes of other Princes And by these meanes made hee good his vndertaking and within eight monethes was readie furnished with a powerfull Army at Saint Valerie in Normandie whence he transported the same into England in 896 shippes as some write And this was the man and thus made to subdue England And now hauing gotten the great and difficult battaile before remembred at 1066. Anno. Reg. 1. Hastings the foureteenth of October 1066. bee marched without any opposition to London where Edwin and Morchar Earles of Northumberland and Mercland brothers of eminent dignitie and respect in the Kingdome had laboured with all their power to stirre the hearts of the people for the conseruation of the State and establishing Edgar Atheling the next of the Royall issue in his right of the Crowne whereunto other of the Nobilitie had likewise consented had they not seene the Bishops auerse or wauering For as then to the Clergie any King so a Christian was all one they had their Prouince a part deuided from secular domination and of a Prince though a stranger who had taken vp so much of the world before hand vpon credite and fame Reason for the yeelding of the Clergie of his piety and bountie they could not but presume well for their estate and so were content to giue way to the present Fortune The Nobility considering they were so borne and must haue a King not to take him that was of power to make himselfe would shew more of passion then prouidence to be now behind hand to receiue him with more then submission was as if to withstand What moued the Nobles to yeeld which with the distrust of each others faith made them striue run headlong who should be first to pre-occupate the grace of seruitude and intrude them into forvaine subiection The Commons like a strong vessell that might haue beene for good vse was hereby left without a sterne and could not moue but irregularly So that all estates in generall either corrupted with new hopes or transported with feare forsooke themselues and their distressed Countrey Vpon his approach to London the Gates were all set open the Arch-bishop of Canterbury Stigand with other Bishops the Nobility Magistrates and People rendting themselues in all obedience vnto him and he returning plausible protestations of his future Gouernment was on Christmas day then next following Crowned King of England at Westminster by Aldred Arch-bishop of Yorke for that Stigand was not held Canonically inuested in his Sea and yet thought to haue beene a forward mouer of this alteration Heere according to the accustomed forme at his Coronation the Bishops and Barons The Coronation and oath of William 1. of the Realme tooke their oaths to be his true and loyall subiects and he reciprocally being required thereunto by the Arch-bishop of Yorke made his personall oath before the Altar of Saint Peter To defend the Holy Churches of God and the Rectors of the same To gouerne the Vniuersall people subiect vnto him iustly To establish equall Lawes and to see them duely executed Nor did he euer claime any power King Williams submission to the orders of the Kingdome of England by Conquest but as a regular Prince submitted himselfe to the orders of the Kingdome desirous rather to haue his Testamentary title howsoeuer weake to make good his successiou rather then his sword And though the Stile of Conqueror by the flattery of the time was after giuen him he shewed by all the course of his Gouernement he assumed it not introducing none of all those alterations which followed by violence but a milde gathering vpon the disposition of the State and the occasions offered and that by way of reformation And now taking Hostages for his more security and order for the defence and Gouernment of his Kingdome at the opening of the spring next he returnes into Normandy so to settle his affaires there as they might not distract him from his businesse in England that required his whole powers And to leaue here all sure behind him he commits the rule of the Kingdome to his brother the Bishop of Bayeux and to his Cosin Fitz * Or Osborne Auber whom he had made Earle of Hereford taking with him all the chiefe men of England who were likest to be heads King William returnes into Normandy with the chiefe Nobility of England to a reuolt As Edger Atheling the Arch-bishop Stigand lately discontented Edwin and Morchar with many other Bishops and Noble men Besides to vnburthen his charge and dis-impester his Court he tooke backe with him all the French aduenturers and such as were vnnecessary men rewarding them as farre as his treasure would extend and the rest he made vp in faire promises In his absence which was all that whole sommer nothing was here attempted against him but onely that Edric surnamed the Forrester in the County of Hereford called in the Kings of the Welsh to his aide and forraged onely the remote borders of that Country The rest of the Kingdome stood quiet expecting what would become of that new world wherein as yet they found no great alteration their lawes and liberties remaining the same they were before and might hope by this accession of a new Prouince the state of England would be but inlarged in dominion abroad and not impaired in profit at home by reason the Nation was but small and of a plentifull and not ouer-peopled Countrey likely to impester them Hauing disposed his affaires of Normandy he returnes towards winter into King William returnes into England England where he was to satisfie three sorts of men First such Aduenturers with whom hee had not yet cleered Secondly those of his owne people whose merites or neerenesse looked for recompence whereof the number beeing so great many must haue their expectations fed if not satisfied Thirdly the people of this Kingdome by whom he must row subsist For beeing not able with his owne Nation so to impeople the same as to hold and defend it if he should proceed to an extirpation of the naturall inhabitants he was likewise to giue them satisfaction Wherein he had more to do then in his battell at Hastings seeing all remunerations with supplies of money must be raised out of the stocke
mutinous Earles and by their instigation was set into that flame as he raised all his vtmost forces to be reuenged on his brother The King touched in Conscience with the fowlenesse of a fraternall war which the world would take he being the mightier to proceed out of his designes stood douotfull what to doe when Pope Paschall by his Letters written with that eloquence saith Malmesburie wherein hee was quicke perswaded him That herein hee should not make a ciuill Warre but doe a Noble and memorable benefit vnto his Countrey Whereby paide for remitting the Inuestitures hee held himselfe countenanced in this businesse Whereon now he sets with more alacrity and resolution And after many difficulties and losse of diuers worthy men in a mighty battaile neere the Castle of Tenechbray his England wins Normandic enemies with much adoe were all defeated Whereby England won Normandy and on the same day by Computation wherein forty yeares before Normandy ouer-came England such are the turnings in the affaires of men And here Robert who stood in a faire possibility of two Crownes came to bee depriued 1106. Anno. Reg. 7. of his Dutchy and all hee had brought prisoner into England and committed to the Castle of Cardiffe Where to adde to his misery hee had the misfortune of a long life suruiuing after he lost himselfe 26 yeares whereof the most part he saw not hauing his eyes put out whereby he was onely left to his thoughts a punishment barbarously Robert Duke of Normandy is imprisoned by King Hen. inflicted on him for attempting an escape He was a Prince that gaue out to the world very few notes of his ill but many of his Noblenesse and valour especially in his great voyage wherein hee had the second command and was in election to haue beene the first preferred to the Crowne of Ierusalem and missed it hardly Onely the disobedience in his youth shewed to his Father which yet might proceed from a rough hand borne ouer him and the animation of others rather then his owne Nature sets a staine vpon him and then his profusion which some would haue liberality shewed his impotency and put him into those courses that ouerthrew him All the Reuenues of his Dutchy which should serue for his maintenance hee sold or engaged and was vpon passing the City of Roan vnto the Cittizens which made him held vnfit for the gouernment and gaue occasion to his Brother to quarrell with him And thus came Henry sreed from this feare and absolute Duke of Normandy had King Henry Duke of Normandy many yeares of quiet gathered great Treasure entertained good intelligence with the Neighbour Princes Scotland by his Match and doing their Princes good hee held from doing him hurt clearing them from vsurpations Wales though vnder his Title yet not subiection gaue him some exercise of action which he ordered with great wisdome First he planted within the body of that Countrey a Colony of Flemings who at that time much pestred this Kingdome being admitted heere in the raigne of King William the first marrying their Country woman and vsing their helpe in the action of England where they dayly encreased in such sort as gaue great displeasure to the people But by this meanes both that grieuance was eased and the vse of them made profitable to the State for being so great a number and a strong people they made roome for themselues and held it in that sort as they kept the Welch all about them in verie good awe Besides the King tooke for Ostages the chiefe mens sonnes of the Country and hereby quieted it For France hee stood secure so long as Phillip the first liued who wholly giuen ouer to his ease and Luxury was not for other attempts out of that course but his sonne he was to looke vnto whensoeuer he came to that Crowne With the Earle of Flanders he had some debate but it was onely in words and vpon 1107. Anno. Reg. 8. this occasion King William the first in retribution of the good his father in law Baldouin the fift had done by ayding him in the action of England gaue him yearely three hundred markes and likewise continued it to his sonne after him Now Robert Earle of Flaunders of a collaterall line returning empty from the Holy warres and finding this summe paide out of England to his Predecessors demaunds the same of King Henrie as his due who not easie to part with money sends him word that it was not the custome of the Kings of England to pay tribute If they gaue pensions they were temporary and according to desert Which answere so much displeased the Earle that though himselfe liued not to shew his hatred yet his Sonne did and ayded afterward William the sonne of Robert Curtoys in his attempts for recouery of the Dutchy of Normandy against King Henry Thus stood this King in the first part of his raigne in the other hee had more to doe abroad then at home where hee had by his excellent wisdome so setled the gouernment as it held a steady course without interruption all his time But now Lewis le Grosse succeeding his father Philip the first gaue him warning to looke to his State of Normandy and for that he would not attend a quarrell he makes one taking occasion about the City of Gisors scituate on the Riuer Epre in the confines of Normandy King Henry quarrels with the King of France whilst Louys was trauailed with a stubborne Nobility presuming vpon their Franchises within their owne Signories whereof there were many at that time about Paris as the Contes of Crecy Pissaux Dammartin Champaigne and others who by example and emulation would bee absolute Lords without awe of a Maister putting themselues vnder the protection of Henry wo being neere to assist them fostred those humors which in sicke bodies most shew themselues But after Louys by yeares gathering strength dissolued that compact and made his meanes the more by their confiscations Now to entertaine these two great Princes in worke the quarrell betweene the Pope and the Emperour ministred fresh occasion The Emperor Henry the fift hauing 1108. Anno. Reg. 9. by the Popes instigation banded against his Father Henry the fourth who associated him in the Empire and held him prisoner in that distresse as hee died toucht afterwards with remorse of this act and reproach of the State for abandoning the rights of the Empire leauies sixty thousand foote and thirty thousand horse for Italy constraines the Pope and his Coledge to acknowledge the rights of the Empire in that forme as Leo the fourth had done to Otho the second and before that The Popes Oath to the Emperour Adrian to Charlemaigne according to the Decree of the Counsell of Rome and made him take his Oath of fidelity betweene his hands as to the true and lawfull Emperour The Pope so soone as Henry was departed home assembles a Counsell nullifies this acknowledgement as done by
the cause of Thomas of Canterbury against the Tyrant of England King Henry sends likewise with all speed Roger Archbishop of Yorke the Bishop of Winchester London Chichester and Excester Guido Rufus Richard Iuechester and Iohn of Oxford Clerkes William Earle of Arundell Hugh de Gundeuile Bernard de Saint Walleric and Henry Fitz Gerrard to informe the Pope of the whole cause and preuent the Archbishoppes complaint The multitude and greatnesse of the Commissioners shewed the importance of the Ambassage and the Kings earnest desire to haue his cause preuaile They finde the Pope at the Citie of Sens to whom they shewed how peruers and disobedient the Archbishoppe had behaued himselfe to his Soueraigne Lord the King of England how hee alone refused to obay his Lawes and Customes which hee had sworne to doe and that by his peeuish waywardnesse the Church and Kingdome were like to bee disturbed which otherwise would agree in the reformation thereof as was fit and necessary and therefore they besought him as hee tendred the peace of the Church of England and the loue of the King their Soueraigne not to giue credit or grace to a man of so turbulent and dangerous a spirit This Information notwithstanding earnestly vrged they found mooued not any disposition in the Pope to fauour the Kings cause so that in the end They besought him to send two Legats ouer into England to examine the particulars of this businesse and how it had beene carried and in the meane time to admit no other information of the cause but referre it to their relation The Pope refuses to send any Legat the commissioners depart without any satisfaction And with in foure dayes after comes the Archbishop and prostrates himselfe at the Popes seete deliuers him a coppie of those Lawes which the King called his Grandfathers Lawes which being openly read in the presence of all the Cardinals Clergie and many other people the Pope condemned them for euer and accursed those who obeyed or any way fauoured them Those Lawes among the Statutes of Clarendon which the Archbishop so much oppugned and most offended the Clergie were as by his owne letter to the Bishop of London appeares these especially That there should bee no appeale to the Apostolike Sea without the Kings leaue That no Archbishoppe or Bishoppe should goe out of the Realme but by the Kings permission That no Bishoppe excommunicate any who held of the King in Capite or interdict any officiall of his without the Kings leaue c. That Clergie men should bee drawne to secular iudgements That Lay men as the King and other should handle causes of the Church Tythes and such like And these were daungerous incrochments vpon their liberties But now the King seeing his Ambassage to take no effect and withall in a manner 1166. Anno. Reg. 12. contemned presently makes his heauie displeasure and the scorne hee tooke knowe by his seuere Edicts both against the Pope and the Archbishoppe that they might see what edge his secular powre had in this case ordayning That if anie were found carrying Letter or Mandat from the Pope or Archbishoppe contayning any The Kings Edicts against the Pope and his agents interdiction of Christianity in England should bee taken and without delay executed as a Traytor both to the King and Kingdome That whatsoeuer Bishop Priest Monke or Conuerser in anie Order Clerke or Layman should haue and retaine any such letters should forfeit all their possessions goods and chattells to the King and bee presently banished the Realme with their kinne That no Clergie men Monke or other should bee permitted to passe ouer Sea or returne out of Normandie into England without letters from the Iustices here or from the King being there vpon paine to bee taken as a Malefactor and put in hold That none should appeale to the Pope That all Clerkes which had any reuenue in England should returne into the Realme within three monethes vpon paine of forfeiting their estates to the King That Peter Pence should bee collected and sequestred till the Kings pleasure were farther knowne Besides this hee banishes all that were found to bee any way of kinne to the Archbishop without exception of condition sex or yeres And withall takes occasion vpon the Scisme which was then in the Church to renounce Pope Alexander and incline to the Emperors faction which stood thus After the death of Adrian the fourth Rouland a Geneuese and a great enemy of the The Election of two Popes Empire is by two and twenty Cardinalls elected Pope by the name of Alexander the third to which election foure Cardinals opposed and made choyce of Octauian a Citizen of Rome that would be called Victor the first The Emperor Frederic Barbarossa summons these two Popes to a Concel at Pauia to vnderstand determin their right Alexander makes the old answere that the Pope could not be iudged by any man liuing refuses to appeare before the Emperour and withdrawes into Anagnia Victor consents to appeare there or wheresoeuer the Emperour would appoint so that he was the man for that side But all the other Princes of Christendom except those of the Emperours faction acknowledge Alexander for Pope as elected by most voyces And especially by the King of France who called him thither and at Cocy vpon Loyr he and the King of England receiued him with all honour and reuerence in so much as they are sayd to haue attended vpon his Stirrop the one on the right hand the other on the left after this he calls a Councell at Tours whether the Kings of England Spaine and Hungarie send their Ambassadors and there are the constitutions of the Councell of Pauia and the Emperours confirmation of Victor nullified so that Alexander hauing his party dayly increasing in Italy was shortly after receiued into Rome Notwithstanding all this the King of England finding him so auers in this businesse Falls off from him renounces his Authority turnes to the Emperours faction seekes to strength himselfe with the Princes of Germanie consents to match his daughter Maude to the Duke of Saxony at the motion of Reginald Archbishop of Collen sent ouer by the Emperour for that purpose and intertaines a motion for another daughter to bee matched with the Emperours sonne But now by reason this contrary faction to Pope Alexander grew to bee but feeble all this working did the King no good but exasperates the Pope and sets him on the more to support the cause of the Archbishop who sollicites the Clergie of Pope Alexanders letter to the Clergie of England England threatnes intreats adiures them not to forsake their hold nor giue way to the inuador of their liberties which sought to confound the Priesthood and the Kingdome and if they opposed not mainely at the first but suffered the least breach to bee made vpon them they were vndone Then excommunicates hee all the especiall Ministers of the King that adhered to the Teutonicque faction or held
ill and threatnes King Henry the Father with warre if it were not presently done which causes him to make more haste backe againe into Normandy leauing the young King in England to satisfie or preuent this quarreling Prince And whilst he remained there meanes was made that the Archbishop of Canterbury who had beene now sixe yeares in exile was brought to haue conference with the King by the mediation of the King of France Theobald Earle of Bloys and diuers great Bishops which the King of England was the more willing to accept in regard hee saw this breach with the Church might much preiudice his temporall businesses whensoeuer they should breake out and how the Archbishop continually was working the Pope and all the great Prelates of the Christian world against him which How much such a party as swayed the Empire of Soules might doe in a time of zeale against a ruler of bodies was to bee considered And therefore discends he from the higth of his will to his necessity and they meete at Montmiriall before the King of France where the Archbishop kneeling at the feete of his Soueraigne Lord the King of England sayd Beckets submission to the King Hee would commit the whole cause in controuersie to his Royall Order Gods honour onely reserued The King who had beene often vsed to that reseruation grew into some choller and sayd to the King of France and the rest What soeuer displeaseth this man hee would haue to be against Gods honour and so by that shift will challeng to himselfe all that belongs to mee But because you shall not thinke mee to goe about to resist Gods honour and him in what shall bee The Kings offer to Becket fit looke what the greatest and most Holy of all his Predecessors haue done to the meanest of mine let him doe the same to mee and it shall suffice Which answere being beyond expectation so reasonable turn'd the opinion of all the company to the Kings cause in so much as the King of France sayd to the Archbishop Will you bee greater then Saints better than Saint Peter what can you stand vpon I see it is your fault if your peace bee not made The Archbishop replied to this effect That as the authority of Kings had their beginning by Beckets reply Degrees so had that of the Church which being now by the prouidence of God come to that Estate it was they were not to follow the example of any that had beene faint or yeelding in their places The Church had risen and increased out of many violent oppressions and they were now to hold what it had gotten Our Fathers sayd hee suffred all manner of afflictions because they would not forsake the name of Christ and shall I to be reconciled to any mans fauour liuing derogate any thing from his honour This hauty reply of a subiect to so yeelding an offer of his Soueraigne so much distasted the hearers as they held the maintenance of his cause rather to proceed from obstinacy then zeale and with that impression the conference for that time brake vp But after this were many other meetings and much debate about the businesse And the King of France at whose charge lay the Archbishop all this while came to another conference with them vpon the Confines of Normandie Where the King of England tooke the Archbishop apart and had long speech with him twice they alighted from their horses twice remounted and twice the King held the Archbishops bridell and so againe they part prepared for an attonement but not concluding any In the end by mediation The King and Becket accorded of the Archbishop of Rouen the matter is quietly ended before the Earle of Bloys at Amboys And thereupon Henry the father writes to Henry the sonne being then in England in this wise Know yee that Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury hath made peace with me to my will and therefore I charge you that hee and all his haue peace and that you cause to bee restored vnto him and to all such as for him went out of England all their substances in as full and honourable manner as they held it three monethes before their going c. And thus by this letter we see in which King the command lay Becket returnes into England The Archbishop returning into England not as one who had sought his peace but inforced it with larger power to his resolution then before Suspends by the Popes Bull the Archbishop of Yorke from all Episcopall Office for Crowning the young King within the Prouince of Canterbury without his leaue and against the Popes commandement and without taking according to the custome the Cautionary Oath for conseruation of the liberties of the Church Hee brought also other letters to suspend in like manner The Bishops of London Salisbury Oxford Chester Rochister Saint Asaph and Landaff for doing seruice at the Coronation and vphoulding the Kings cause against him And by these Letters were they all to remaine suspended till they had satisfied the Archbishop in so much as he thought fit Thus to returne home shewed that hee had the better of the time and came all vntied which so terrified the Bishops that presently hauing no other refuge they repaire to the King in Normandie and shew him this violent proceeding of the Archbishop How since his returne hee was growne so imperious as there was no liuing vnder him Wherewith the King was so much mooued as hee is sayd in extreame passion to haue vttered these words In what a miserable State am I that cannot bee quiet in mine owne Kingdome for one onely Priest is there no man will ridde mee of this trouble Whereupon they report foure Knights Sir Hugh Moruille Sir William Tracy Sir Richard Brittaine and Sir Raynold Fitz Vrs then attending vpon the King and gessing his desire by his words depart presently into England to bee the vnfortunate executioners of the same but by some it seemes rather these foure gentlemen were sent with Commission from the King to deale with the Archbishop in another manner And first to wish him to take his Oath of Fealty to the young King then to restore these Bishops to the execution of their function and thirdly to beare himselfe with more moderation in his place whereby the Church might haue comfort vpon his returne and the Kingdome quietnesse But they finding the Arch-bishop not answering their humor but peremtory vntractable without regarding their Masters message grew into rage first from threatning The murthering of Becket force fell to commit it and that in an execrable manner putting on their armor to make the matter more hideous they entred into the Church whither the Arch-bishop was with-drawn the Monks at Diuine Seruice and there calling him Traytor and furiously reuiling him gaue him many wounds and at length strake out his braines that with his bloud besprinkled the Altar His behauiour in this act of death his courage to
committing rapin and sacrelidge to supply their necessities feed their followers And in the end the young King hauing much strugled in vaine through griefe and vexation of spirit which caused the distemprature of body fell into a burning His death feuer with a fluxe whereof within few dayes he died A Prince of excellent parts who was first cast away by his Fathers indulgence and after by his rigor not suffering him to be what himselfe had made him neither got he so much by his Coronation as to haue a name in the Catalogue of the Kings of England The sorrow of the Father although it be sayd to be great hindred not his reuenge vpon the Barons of Aquitaine whom he now most eagerly persecuted seazed on their Castles and rased to the ground that of Limoges Geffrey vpon his submission is receiued into grace and the yeare after died at Paris Earle Geffreys submission and death hauing in a conflict bene troden vnder horses feete and miserably crushed so that halfe the male issue wherein this King was vnfortunate he saw extinct before him and that by deaths as violent as were their disposition The other two who suruiued him were no lesse miserable in their ends Now the young King of France Phillip the second in whose fate it was to do more then euer his father could effect vpon the death of Henry the sonne requires the deliuery of the Countrey of Vexin which was giuen in dowre with his Sister Margaret but the King of England not apt to let go any thing of what he had in possession was 1184. Anno. Reg. 30. content to pay yearely to the Queene dowager 17050. pounds Aniouin And the more to hold faire with this young King whose spirit he saw grew great and actiue and with whom he was like to haue much to do did homage vnto him for all he held in Fraunce which he neuer did to the Father being the first discent of Maiestie he euer Henry the second doth homage to Phillip King of France made to any secular power And beside tooke his part against Phillip Earle of Flanders who opposed against him and was in those dayes a Prince of mighty power and had euer stood fast vnto King Lewes the father But now Phillip the sonne otherwise led or affectioned quarrels with him and demaunds the Countrey of Vermendois as appertaining to the Crowne of Fraunce and withall vpon allegation of consanguinity repudiates his wife Neece to this Earle of Flanders giuen vnto him by his Fathers choyce a little before his death The Earle followed by Odo Earle of Borgogne the Earles of Champague Hainalt Namur Saint Pol and others warres vpon the King of The Earle of Flanders compels the King of France to compound France and commits great spoyles within his territories so that hee was faine in the end to compound with him to his disaduantage After this the Kings of England and France meete betweene Gisors and Tri where the King of England sweares to deliuer Alise vnto Richard his sonne And the King of France her brother graunts her in dower the Countrey of Velxin which Margueret his other Sister had before But these tyes held them not long together for the yong King of France so wrought with Richard as hee drew him from his Fathers obedience and they liued together in 1185. Anno. Reg. 31. that amitie as on bed and boord is sayd to haue serued them both which so iniealosed the olde King as he called home his sonne and before his Bishops and Nobility caused him to sweare vpon the Euangelists to obserue fealty vnto him against all persons whatsoeuer which hauing done and ready to passe ouer into England hee is informed of the great preparation made by the King of France who gaue out that hee would spoyle and ransacke both Normandie and the rest of the Kings of Englands territories in France vnlesse he would presently deliuer vp his Sister Alice vnto Richard or render Gisors and the Countrey of Velxin into his hands Whereupon the King returnes backe and comes againe to a parle betweene Gisors and Try Where the Archbishop of Tyre sent from the East to call vp ayde for the Holy warre did with that powre of perswation so vrge his message as it let out all the humour of priuate rancor and contention The Kings of England and France accorded and prepare for the holy war betweene these two great Kings altred their whole Councells their pretentions their designes turned them wholly to vndertake in person this laborious action and resolue to leaue their Kingdomes their pleasures and all the things of glorie they had at home to prosecute the same through all the distempratures of climes and difficulties of passages whereunto that voyage was obnoxious so that now no other thing was thought or talked on but onely preparations and furnishments for this businesse And to distinguish their people and followers who all stroue which should bee most forward it was ordred that they who followed the King of England should weare a white Crosse France a red and Flaunders a greene And for a further ingagement in the businesse the King of England writes to the Patriarch of Antioch a most comfortable and pious letter in the end whereof he hath these words Amongst other Princes I and my Sonne reiecting the glory of this world and dispising all the pleasures thereof in proper person with all our strength will God willing visit you shortly Then to rayse money to defray this great enterprise it was ordained by the two Kings their Archbishops Bishops Earles and others in France that all whosoeuer as well Clerke as Lay sauing such as went the voyage should pay the tenth of all their reuenues of that yeare and the tenth of all their Moueables and Chattles as well in gold as filuer And many excellent orders were made for restraynt of licentiousnesse both in apparell and manners as was fitting for the vndertakers of so ciuile and deuout an action The King of England hauing layde this imposition vpon all his Dominions in France comes ouer calls a Councell of his Bishops Abbors Earles Barons both 1186. Anno. Reg. 33. of the Clergie and Layty at Gayntington and by their consents imposes the same taxation vpon his Subiects of England Sub Eleemosinae titulo vitium rapacitatis includens sayth Walsingham and presently sends foorth his Officers into euery Shire to collect the same according as it was done in France But of euery Citie in England he caused a choice to be made of the richest men as in London of two hundred in Yorke a hundred and so according to the proportion of the rest and caused all these at a certaine time and place to appeare before him of whom he tooke the tenth of all their Moueables by the estimation of credible men which knew their Estates such as refused hee imprisoned till they had payde it of which example and exaction we must
Norwich Bath Salisbury Ely Chester and others which came vnto him to Rouen where hee commits the especiall charge of this Kingdome to William Longshamp Bishoppe of Ely vnder the Title of Chiefe Iustice of England and giues him one of his Seales and the Custodie of the Towre of London and confers vpon Hugh Bishop of Duresme the Iustice-ship of the North from Humber to Scotland with the keeping of Windsor Castle which after gaue occasion of dissention to these two ambitious Prelates impatient of each others greatnesse Hugh Bardolph William Marshall Geffrey Fitz Peter and William Brewer are ioyned in commission with the Bishop of Ely And least his brother Iohn whose spirit hee well vnderstood might in England worke vpon the aduantage of his absence hee first caused him to take an Oath not to come within this Kingdome for the space of three yeares next following Which after vpon better consideration hee released leauing him to his libertie and naturall respect But hereby hauing giuen him first a wound by his distrust his after regard could neuer heale it vp againe nor all the Honours and State bestowed on him keepe him within the limmits of obedience For this suspition of his Faith shewed him rather the waie to breake then retaine it whensoeuer occasion were offered and the greater meanes hee had bestowed on him to make him content did but arme him with greater powre for his designes For this Earle Iohn had conferred vpon him in England the The great Estate left to Earle Iohn Earledomes of Corwnewall Dorcet Sommerset Nottingham Darby Lancaster and by the marriage with Isabell Daughter to the Earle of Glocester had likewise that Earledome moreouer the Castles of Marlborow and Lutgarsall the Honours of Wallingford Tichill and Eye to the valew of foure thousand Markes per annum besides the great commaunds hee held thereby which mighty Estate was not a meanes to satisfie but increase his desires and make him more daungerous at home Then the more to strengthen the reputation of his Viceroy the Bishop of Ely the King gets the Pope to make him his Legate of all England and Scotland and to the end his Gouernment might not bee disturbed through the emulation of another hee confines the elect Archbishoppe of Yorke his base brother whose turbulency hee doubted to remaine in Normandie till his returne and takes his Oath to performe the same Hauing thus ordered his affaires hee sends backe into England this Great Bishop furnished with as great and absolute a powre as hee could giue him to prouide necessaries for his intended iourney Wherein to please the King hee offended the people and committed great exactions Clerum populum opprimebat Exactions by the Viceroy confundens fasque nefasque saith Houeden Hee tooke of euery Cittie in England two Palfryes and two other Horses of seruice and of euerie Abbay one of each likewise of euery Mannor of the Kings one of each for this seruice And to shewe what hee would prooue hee tooke the Castle of Windsor from the Bishoppe of Duresme and confined him within his Towne of Howedon questions his Authoritie and workes him much vexation and for all his meanes made to the King ouertopt him The King takes order for a Nauie to conuay people and prouision to the Holy land and commits the charge thereof to the Archbishop of Auxere and the Bishop of Bayon Robert de Sabul Richard Canuile which done both Kings the latter end of Iune with their powres together take their iourney to Lyons where their numbers growing so great as bred many incomberments and distemprings betweene the nations they part companies the King of France takes the way of Genoua by Land the The Kings quarrell in the lsle of Sicile King of England of Merseilles where after he had stayed eight daies expecting in vaine the comming about of his Nauie withheld by tempest hee was forced to hire twentie Gallies and ten other great vessels to transport him into the Isle of Sicilia The King of France takes shipping at Genoua and by tempest was driuen to land in the same Isle and arriued there before the King of England where those mighty companies of both these powrefull Kings fell fowle on each other and themselues taking part with their people enter in quarrell and rancor so that being of equall powre and stomacke and alike emulous of honour and reuenge they began to shew what successe their enterprise was likelie to yeeld The King of France repayring his wracked Nauie and the King of Englands long staying for his forced them both to Winter in Sicilia to the great pesture and disturbance of that people themselues and theirs William late king of Sicile who had married Ioane sister to the King of England was dead which made the intertaynment of the English there the worse and Taneredi base sonne of Roger grandfather to that William was inuested in the kingdome contrary to the will of the late King dying without yssue and the fidelitie of the people sworne to Constantia the lawfull daughter of the sayd Roger married to Henry King of Almaine sonne to the Emperour Frederic Barbarossa by which occasion Tancredi was forced to vse all meanes to hold what hee had gotten by strong hand and had much to doe against the Emperour and his sonne Henry The King of England after great contention with him to make the conditions of his sisters dowre the better enters into league with Tancredi against all men to preserue his Estate and gets in conclusion 20000 Ounces of Gold for his Sisters dowre and 20000 more vpon a match to bee made betweene Arthur Earle of Brittaine sonne to Geffrey his next brother who was to succeed him in the Crowne of England if himselfe died without yssue and the daughter of Tancredi At the opening of the Spring both kings hauing beene reconciled and new Articles The Kings reconciled of Peace and concord signed and sworne the King of France sets first forward to the Holy Land but the king of England stayes in Sicile vntill Whitsontide after And during his abode which might therefore bee the longer his Mother Queene Elionor who in her youth had well knowne the trauaile of the East came vnto him Berenguela fianced to King Richard bringing with her Berenguela daughter to the king of Nauarre who has there fianced vnto him Which done Queene Elionor departs home by the way of Rome and the young Lady with the Queene Dowager of Sicile take their iourney with the king who sets forth with an hundred and thirty ships and fifty Gallies and was by tempest driuen to the Isle of Cyprus where being denied landing he assailes the Isle on all sides subdues it palces his Granisons therein and commits the custody of the same to Richard de Canuile and Robert de Turnham taking halfe the goods of the Inhabitants from them in Lieu whereof hee confirmed the vse of their owne Lawes And here our Histories say hee
to the siege of Ascalon writes inuectiue letters against the King of France for leauing him who likewise defames King Richard amongst his neighbours at home And it may be doubted whether the periurie of these two Kings did not adde more to their sinne then the action they vndertooke for the remission thereof could take away for that a good worke impiously managed meretts no more then an ill Ten moneths the King of England stayes behind in these parts consuming both his men and treasure without any great successe though with much noble valor and exceeding courage finding euer great peruersuesse in the Earle of Borgogne who according to his maisters instructions shewed no great desire to aduance the action where another must carry the honour but willing alwaies to returne home pretending his want drew backe when any businesse of importance was to bee done and at length falls sicke and dies at Acon Conrade who was so much fauoured by the King of France in his title for that Kingdome Conrade murthered was murthered by two Assassini whereof the King of England was but very wrongfullie taxed and the Earle of Champagne martying his Widdow Sister to Queene Sibilla was by King Richard preferred to the Crowne of Ierusalem and Guy of Lusignan the other pretender made King of Ciprus and so both contented During this businesse abroade in the East the state of England suffred much at home vnder the gouernment of Lonshamp who vsurping the whole authority to himselfe without communicating Longshamps traine and pompe any thing either with the Nobility or the rest of the Commissioners ioyned with him did what hee listed and with that insolencie carried himselfe as hee incurred the hatred of the whole Kingdome both Clergie and Lay. His traine was said to be so great and the pompe of attendants such as where hee lay in any religious house but one night 3 yeares reuenues would scarce suffice to recouer the charge Besides being a stranger himselfe and vsing only French men about him made his courses the more intollerable to the English in so much as at length the whole Clergie and Nobility oppose against his proceedings and the Earle Iohn taking aduantage vpon these discontentments to make himselfe more popular and prepare the way to his intended vsurpation ioynes with the state against this B. being the man that had euer crossed his courses hauing an especially eye vnto him as the most dangerous person of the Kingdome both in respect of the kings charge and his owne saftie And now there fell out a fit occasion to ruine the Chancellor by this meanes Geffrey 1191. Anno. Reg. 3. the Elect Archbishop of Yorke base sonne to Henry the 2. to whose preferment in Eng. King Richard was auerse therfore had confin'd him within Normandy during his absence had by great labour to Pope Celestine obtained a powre to bee inuested in that Sea whose comming into England being aduertised to the Chancellor Long shamp Geffrey the Elect of Yorke taken and imprisoned by the Chancelor he was at his landing at Doner apprehended and drawne by force out of the Church which hee had recouered and from the Altar in his Pontificall habit trailed into the Castle in most vile manner Of which violence the Earle Iohn and the Bishop taking notice they command the Chancellor not only to release him but also to answere the matter before the assembly of the Bishops and Nobilite at Pauls where they Article and vrge against him many hainous actions committed contrarie to the Comission giuen him and the Weale of the King and Kingdome The Archbishop of Roan and William Marshall Earle of Striguile shewed openly the Kings Letters pattents dated at Messena in Sicile whereby they were made Commissioners with him in the gouernment of the Kingdome which notwithstanding hee would neuer suffer them to deale in any businesse of the same but by his owne violent Longshamp the Chancellor deposed from his office and headlong will doe all himselfe wherefore in the end hee was by the Assembly deposed from his Office and the Archbishop of Rouen who would doe nothing without the Councell of the State instituted therein The Towre of London and the Castle of Windsor are taken from him and deliuered to the Archbishop And so this great Officer presuming to much in his place hauing enuie so neere him and a maister so sarre off was throwne downe from his State faine to resigne his Legantine Crosse at Canterbury and to take vp that for the Holy warre and priuily seekeing to escape ouer Sea was in the habit of a woman with a webbe of Linnin cloth vnder his arme taken vpon the shore at Douer and most opprobriouslie made a spectacle to the people and conducted with all derision to the Castle whence after He flies and is taken eight daies hee was by the Earle Iohn released and suffered to goe on his iourney wherein being the messenger of his owne misusage he had the aduantage of his aduersaries and preuailed against them with the Pope who tooke very tenderly the powre Legantine should be so vilified The Earle Iohn the Archbishop of Rouen and the other Iustices of the King grant vnto the Citie of London their Common or liberties and the Citizens Swore fealtie to King Richard and his haire and that if he died without issue they would receiue the Earle Iohn for their Lord and King and likewise swore fealty vnto him against all men reseruing their faith to King Richard In this forwardnesse was the Earle Iohn for his brothers Crowne whilst hee is beleagaring Ascalon and grapling with Saladin Sultan in the East But hauing notice of this proceeding in England and how the King of France had taken in Gisors and King Richards departure from Palestina the Country of Vexin contrarie to his Oath hee takes the oportunity of an offer made by Saladin of a truce for three yeares vpon condition that hee should restore Ascalon to the same State wherein hee found it before the siege which hee did by the Councell of the Templars and the whole Armie And presently leauing Wife Sister and people to come after him as they could prouide takes a shippe with some few followers and returnes from this action with as great precipitation as hee vndertooke it hauing consumed therein all that mightie Treasure left him by his father and all that otherwise hee could teare from his subiects and others by violent extortion or cunning practises Pardon vs Antiquitie if we miscensure your actions which are euer as those of men according to the vogue and sway of times and haue onely their vpholding by the opinion of the present wee deale with you but as posteritie will with vs which euer thinkes it selfe the wiser that will iudge likewise of our errors according to the cast of their imaginations But for a King of England to returne in this fashion cannot bee but a note of much inconsideration and had as pittifull
for euer that when by sommons they should come to the Court of the king of England the Bishop of Duresme and the Shriefe of Northumberland should receaue them at the riuer of Tweed and bring them vnder safe conduct to the riuer of Teis and there the Archbishop of Yorke and the Shriefe of Yorkshire should receiue and conduct them to the bounds of that county and so the Bishops and Shriefes of other Shires till they came to the Court of the King of England and from the time that the King of Scots first entred into this Realme hee should haue an hundred shillings a day allowed of guift for his charge and after he came to the Court thirty shillings a day and twelue Wastells and twelue Simnells of the Kings foure quartes of the Kings best wine and six of ordinary wine two pounds of pepper and foure pounds of Cinamon two pounds of Waxe or foure Wax lights forty great long perchers of the Kings best candles and twenty foure of other ordinary and at his returne to be safely conducted as he came and with the same allowance From Northampton both the Kings go to Woodstock and thence to Winchester where the Coronation is sumptuously solemnised And there King Richard resumes the two Resumptions Mannors he sold to the Bishop of Winchester at his going to the holy Warre and likewise the Castle of Winchester and that county with whatsoeuer sales he had made else of the Demaynes of the Crowne alledging that it was not in his power to aliene any thing appertayning to the same whereby his State was to subsist The Bishop of Duresme seeing these reuocations did voluntarily deliuer vp the Castle of Duresme with the County of Northumberland which the King willed to be deliuered to Hugh Bardolph Hugh Bishop of Lincoln gaue for the liberty of his Church one thousand Markes of siluer redeeming thereby the custome of giuing to the King of England euery yeare a cloke furred with Sabells Here all such who had taken part with the Earle Iohn and defended his Castles were sommoned to appeare and all the rich were put to their ransome the poorer sort let go at liberty but under sureties of an hundred Markes a peece to answere in the Kings Court whensoeuer they should be called The King of Scots seeing the King of England vse all meanes for money offers fifteene thousand Markes for Northumberland with the appurtenances alledging how King Henry the second gaue the same to Henry his Father and that after him King Malcom inioyed it fiue yeares This large offer of money tempted King Richard so as againe hee consulted with his Councell about the matter and in conclusion was willing to yeeld the same to the King of Scots reseruing to himselfe the Castles but that the King of Scots would not accept and so with much discontent departs into Scotland yet two yeares after this King Richard sends Hubert Walter Archbishop of Canterbury to Yorke there to treate with the King of Scots of a marriage betweene Otho his Nephew and Margaret daughter to the said king to haue for her dowre all Lynox and he would giue with his Nephew Northumberland and the Earldome of Carlile with all the Castles but the Queene of Scots in the time of this treaty being knowne to be with Childe it tooke no effect From Winchester king Richard departs into Normandy with an hundred ships so that his stay in England was but from the latter end of February to the tenth of May and that time onely spent in gleaning out what possible this kingdome could yeeld to consume King Richord departs into Normandy with 100 ships the same in his businesses of France which tooke vp all the rest of his raigne being in the whole but nine yeares and nine months whereof he was neuer aboue eight moneths in England Nor doe wee finde that euer his wife Berenguela was here or had any dowry or honour of a Queene of England or otherwise of any regard with him how much souer she had deserued And now all affaires that either concerned the state in generall or any mannes particular was to the great charge and trauayle of the Subiects of England to be dispatched in Normandy and that game we had by our large dominions abrode The first action that king Richard vndertooke vpon his comming ouer was the relieuing of Vernoul beseiged by the king of France and there his brother Iohn by the mediation of their mother Queene Elionor is reconciled vnto him and abiures the part of the king of France And to make his party the stronger in those countries hee first giues his sister Ioane Queene Dowager of Sicile to Raymond Earle of Toulouse being the neerest neighbour of power to his Dutchy of Guien and might most offend him Then enters league with Balduine Earle of Flanders from whom the king of France had taken Artois and Vermandois and on all sides seekes to imbroyle his enemy Foure yeares at least held this miserable turmoyle betwixt these two kings surprising recouering ruyning and spoyling each others Estate often deceuing both the world and themselues with shew of couenants reconciliatorie which were euer more broken againe vpon all aduantages according to the mistery of war and ambition King Phillip of France to strengthen himselfe with shipping to oppose the English marries Botilda the sister of Knut king of Denmark but this match made for his ends and not affection turned to his more trouble for the next day after his wedding hee put her away pretending besides other things propinquity of bloud and for this had he long and great contention with the Church and the king of Denmarke The Emperor sends to the king of England a massie Crowne of gold and offers to come and ayde him against the king of France and to inuade his kingdome but the king returnes him onely thankes not willing to haue him stire in this busines and in regard hee suspected the Emperour affected to adde France to the Empire which would not be safe for him or that the King of France dealing with the Emperour might win him with mony and so in the end ioyne both together against him Now to supply the charge of this great 1194. Anno. Reg. 6. worke England was sure still to beare the heauiest part and no shift is leaft vnsought that might any way rayse meanes to the King from hence Witnesse the Commission giuen to the Iustices Itnerants sent into euery Shire of England for exaction vpon pleas of the Crowne for Escheats wardships marriages c. with the improuement of the Demaynes and the order taken for the exact knowing of the Estates of men and especially of the Iewes on whom the King Vide Append. would haue none to prey but himselfe Then the raysing an imposition vpon allowance of Turnements which was for euery Earle twenty Markes of siluer euery Baron ten euery Kinght hauing Meanes vsed for money lands foure and for such as
themselues pleased And now the King of France dayly getting vpon them hauing wonne Lisle Doway Courtray Bruges and Dam and the Emperour Adolph fayling of his ayde and personall assistance as vn-interessed confederates often doe especially hauing receiued their gage before hand as had this Emperour to the summe of 100 thousand Markes draue the King of England into great perplexitie and held him with long delayes to his extreame trauaile and expences which forced him to send ouer for more supply of Treasure and giue order for a Parliament to be held at Yorke by the Prince and such as had the manage of the State in his absence Wherein for that he would not bee disapointed he condiscends to all such Articles as were demaunded concerning the great Charter promising from thenceforth neuer to charge his subiects otherwise then by their consents in Parliament and to pardon such as had denied to attend him in this iourney For which the A Parliament held at Yorke in the absence of the King Commons of the Realme granted him the ninth penny of their goods the Archbishop of Canterbury with the Clergie of his Prouince the Tenth penny Yorke and his Prouince the Fifth so the Kings instant wants are relieued and the Kingdome satisfied for a present shift But it is not well with a State where the Prince and people seeke but to obtaine their seuerall ends and worke vpon the aduantages of each others necessities for as it is vn-sincere so it is often vn-successull and the good so done hurts more then it pleasures The King thus supplied staies all this Winter in Gaunt where his people committing The Gantois take armes against the English many outrages so exasperats the Gantois as they tooke armes made head against them slue many and put the Kings person in great daunger so that doe what the Earle Guy and himselfe could to appease them in satisfying such as had receiued wrong and giuing the rest faire words he hardly could escape safe out of the Country King Edward in danger which rather desired to haue the English commodities then their companies This was the successe of his iourney into Flanders which he leaues at the Spring of the yeare hauing concluded a truce with the King of France for two yeares And Hee returnes into England the poore Earle Gay left to himselfe is shortly after made the prey of his enemy and his Prisoner in Paris where he his daughter both died of griefe And Flanders is reduced to a possession though not to the subiection of the King of France For after they had receiued him for their Lord his exactions oppressions vpon them contrary to their ancient Liberties so armed the whole people being rich and mighty as they gaue France the greatest wound that euer before it receiued at one blow which was at the famous battell of Courtray wherein the Earle of Artoise Generall of the Army Arnold de Neel Constable of France and all the Leaders with Twelue thousand Gentlemen were slaine And to show what this King of France got by seeking to attaine The History of France this Soueraigntie of Flanders as well as we shall heare of the King of Englands getting vpon Scotland for the same title It is recorded in their Histories that in the space of Eleuen yeares this quarell cost the liues of 100 Thousand French men Besides it draue the King likewise to consume the substances of his people as wel as their blood and to loade them with new impositions as that of Malletoste and the Tenth Denier vpon the liure of all Merchandises which in the Collection bred great outcries and dangerous seditions among his Subiects And these were the fruits of these great attempters Now for King Edward of England he presently after his returne falles a new vpon Reg. 27. Anno. 1300. Scotland which in his absence had beaten his officers and people almost out of the Countrie slaine Sir Hugh Cressingham with 6000 English recouered many Castles and regaind the Towne of Berwick And all by the annimation and conduct of William Wallice a poore priuate Gentleman though nobly discended who seeing his K. Ed. prosecutes his Scottish businesse Will. Wallice animates the Scots against the subiection of England Countrie without a Head and thereby without a Heart all the great men either in Captiuity or subiection assembles certaine of as poore and desperate estate as himselfe and leades them to attempt vpon whatsoeuer aduantages they could discouer to annoy the English And hauing therein good successe it so increased both his Courage and Company as hee afterwards comes to be the generall Gardian of the whole Kingdome leads their Armies effects those great Defeits vpon the Enemy and was in possibility to haue absolutely redeemed his Countrie from the subiection of England had not some priuate Emulation amongst themselues the speedy cōming of King Edward with all his power preuented him So much could the spirit of one braue man worke to sett vp a whole Nation vpon their feet that lay vtterly cast downe And as well might hee at that time haue gotten the Dominion for himselfe as the place he had but that he held it more glory to preserue his Countrie than to get a Crowne For which he hath his immortall honour and whatsoeuer praise can bee giuen to meere Vertue must be euer due vnto him And now King Edward to bring his worke neere together remoues his Eschequer K. Ed. remoues his Escheker and Courts of Iustice to York and Courts of Iustice to Yorke where the continued aboue Six yeares And thither calles hee a Parliament requiring all his Subiects that held of him by Knights setuice to be ready at Roxborough by a peremptorie day where are assembled Three thousand men at Armes on barded Horses and Foure thousand other aimed men on Horse without bards with an Army on foot answerable consisting most of Welsh and Irish besides Fiue hundred men at armes out of Gasconie and with this power makes he his second expedition into Scotland The Earles of Hereford and Norfolke notwithstanding their former contempts attend him And although he were thus guirt with all this strength and in the midst of his mightinesse they vrge the ratifications of the Two Charters and their Pardons which they held not sufficient to secure them in regarde the King was out of the Realme at the late granting thereof The Bishop of Duresme the Earles of Surrey The famouse Battell of Fonkirk Warwicke and Glocester vndertooke for the King that after hee had subdued his Enemies and was returned hee should satisfie them therein And so these two Earles with the Earle of Lincolne Led his Vauntguard at the famous Battell of Foukirke The Scots ouerthrowne which the King of England gat wherein are reported to be slaine 200 Knights and Forty thousand foot of the Scots But William Wallice with some few escaped to make more worke And here againe that
to the kingdom Three yeares this affliction held was attended with so great a Pestilence and generall sicknesse of the common sort caused by the ill nutriment they receiued as the liuing scarce sufficed to burie the dead Notwithstanding could all this extinguish the rancour betweene the King and his Nobles but daily one mischiefe or other brake out to holde in and increase the same The wife of Thomas Earle of Lancaster is taken out of his house at Canford in Dorcetshire The wife of the E. of Lancaster taken out of his house at Canford by one Richard Saint Martin a deformed Dwarffe as hee is described a follower of the Earle Warrein claiming her for his wife and auowing how hee had layne with her before she was married to the Earle which the Lady her selfe to her perpetuall ignomy and the shame of honour voluntarily auerred This base creature claymes by her the Earledomes of Lincolne and Salisbury whereunto shee was heire Which with out being supported by great Abbettors hee would neuer haue presumed to attempt The King is noted an Actor herein which beeing in so tender reserued a businesse as mariage added much to his other violations of order gaue The King aduertised of his errots occasion and hardinesse to inferiour persons to reproue his courses as may bee noted by this passage Being at the celebration of the feast of Pentecost at dinner in the open Hall at Westminster a woman fantastically disguised enters on Horse-bake and ryding about the Table deliuers him a letter wherein was signified the great neglect hee had of such as had done him and his father noble seruices taxing him for aduancing men of vnworthie parts c. which letter read and the woman departed put the King into a great rage They who guarded the doore being sharply reprehended for suffering her to enter in that manner excused themselues alleadging it not to be the fashion of the Kings house in times of festiualls to keepe out any which came in that manner as they thought to make sport Search beeing made for this woman shee is found and examined who set her on She confessed a Knight gaue her mony to doe as shee did The Knight is found and vpon examination boldly confessed hee did it for the Kings honour and to none other end and escapes without further adoe Thus while the North parts were not only infested with the Scots but likewise by such of the English as vnder colour of vsing ayde for resistance robbed and spoiled The miserable affiction of the Borderers all where they came to the miserable vndoing of the people Besides Robert Bruce now absolute King of Scots sends his brother Edward with a mighty power into Ireland whereof hee got a great part and the title of a King which hee held three yeares Thus all things went ill as euermore it doth in dissolute and dissenrious times wherein the publicke is alway neglected But these mischiefes abroad was the occasion that a reconciliation betweene the A reconciliation between the King the Nobles A new occasion of trouble King and the Earle of Lancaster is made by the mediation of two Cardinalls vppon such conditions as were soone after vniustly broken by the King A Knight is taken passing by Pomfret with letters sealed with the Kings Seale directed to the King of Scots about murthering the Earle which Messenger is executed his head set vpon the top of the Castle and the letters reserued to witnesse the intended plot Which whether it were fained or not the report thereof cast an aspersion vpon the King Reg. 11. Anno. 1318. and wonne many to take part with the Earle After this vpon an inuasion of the Scots forraging as farre as Yorks a Parlement is assembled at London wherein againe the King by the working of the Cardinalls and Cleargie of England yeelds faithfully A Parlement at London to obserue all the former required Articles Whereupon an ayd is granted him of Armed men to go against the Scots London settes foorth 200. Canterbury 40. Saint Albons 10. and so of all Cities and Boroughs according to their proportion whereby a great Army was leauied Which comming to Yorke through mutenie emulation and other impediments was dissolued and turned backe without effecting any thing The next yeare after vpon the rendering vp of Berwicke to the Scots by the treason of Peter Spalding who had the custodie thereof the King of England raises an Armic Reg. 12. Anno. 1319. beleagers it the Scots to diuert his forces enter vpon England by other waies and were like to haue surprised the person of the Queene lying neare Yorke The siege notwithstanding is eagerly continued and the King in great possibility to haue The L. Hugh Spencer the yonger succeded Gaueston in the office of L. Chamberlaine regained the Towne had not the Earle of Lancaster with his followers withdrawne him-selfe vpon discontent hearing the King say how hee would giue the keeping thereof to the Lord Hugh Spencer the younger who was now growne an especiall Minion the successor both of the Office and priuate fauour of Gaueston and therefore not to be induted by the Earle Those of Yorke and the Countrie adiacent hauing receiued inestimable damages by the Scots collect an Armie of 10000 men incounter them at Milton on Swayle but beeing not well ledde nor experienced they receiued the defeite with the losse of 3000 men Whereof the King being certified and seeing all things to succeed ill with him concludes a truce with the Scots for two yeares and againe returnes with dishonour from those parts In the time of this peace a great flame arises from a Reg. 14. Anno. 1321. small sparke and tooke beginning vpon this occasion A Baron named William Brewes hauing in his licentious age wasted his estate offers to sell vnto diuerse men a part of his inheritance called Powes Humfrey Bohun Earle of Hereford in regarde the land lay neare his obtaines leaue of the King to buy it and bargaines for the same The two Rogers Mortimers Vncle and Nephew great men likewise in those Another occasion of reuolt parts not vnderstanding it seemes any thing of the former bargaine Contract also for the same land with the said Sir William Brewes Hugh Spencer the younger hearing of this sale and the land adioyning to part of his obtaines a more especiall leaue of the King being now his Chamberlaine and buies it out of all their hands The Earle of Hereford complaines himselfe to the Earle of Lancaster the refuge of all discontented men who at Sherborn enters into a Confederation with diuers Barons there assembled taking their oathes intermutually to liue and die together in maintaining the right of the kingdome and to procure the banishment of the two Spencers father and sonne whom they now held to be the great seducers of the King and oppressors of the State disposing of all things in Court at their will and
was most welcome to his mother who herein had her desier and being wholly bent to reuenge whereof none are saide to bee more eager then women found there besides her great partie in England those who nourished that humour in her amongst whom was chiefe Roger Mortimer Lord of Wigmor lately escaped out of the towre of London a gallant young Gentleman whom shee especially fauoured The Bishop of Exceter perceiuing some plots to be in hand and their The Bishop of Exceter discovers the Queens plots close consultations made without him withdrawes secretly from thence and discouers to the King so much as hee obserued of their courses The King sends presently for the Queene and Prince soliciting withall the King of France to hasten their returne which when hee saw was neglected and delayed hee caused them openly to be proclaimed enemies to the kingdome banishing them and all their adherents out of the The Queene proclaimed enemy to the Kingdome Land and withall causes all the Ports to bee strongly kept and sends three Admiralls to attend on seuerall coasts to oppose their landing The Queene to inflame her the more is informed of a plot laid to murther her and the Prince and either doubting how much the money of England might worke in those should be tempted therewith or else finding little forwardnesse in her brother to aide or countenance her course against her husband withdrawes to the Earle of Haynault being then a Prince of great meanes and likewise Earle of Holland to whose daughter Phillippa she contracts her sonne the Prince and gets aide and mony of him to transport her into England Arriving at Harwich with the Prince the Earle The Queene returnes with forces of Kent the Kings brother whom she brought with her from the Court of France the Earle of Pembrooke the Lord Roger Mortimer and Iohn brother to the Earle of Heynault with 2500 Henowayes and Flemings she was received with great ioy and concourse of all the discontented Nobility and others and especially by the Bishops of Hereford and Lincolne who soone resorted unto her as men who had lost to recover their fortunes The King vpon notice of this sodaine and safe arrivall of the Queene demands aide Reg. 19. Anno. 1326. of the Citie of London which returnes answer That they would with all dutie honour the King Queene and Prince but their gates they would shut against all forreiners and traytors to the Reatme and with all their power withstand them The King with his small Councell The King demands aide of the Citie of London about him reposing no assurance in this answer after Proclamation made that none vpon paine of death should aide the Queene and commandement given to destroy all her adherents onely her own person the Prince and his brother the Earle of Kent excepted and that whosoever brought the head of Roger Mortimer should haue 1000 pounds he leaues the Citie committing the keeping of the Tower to Sir Iohn Weston with the guard of his yonger sonne Iohn of Eltham and his Neece the Countesse of Glocester first wife to Pierce Gaueston now of Hugh Spencer the younger a Lady vnfortunate by the over great fortunes of both her husbands and departs towards the West hoping to finde aide in those partes as formerly he had done against the Barons but he saw the world was altered and no man there to regard him The King departs towards the West The Queene advertised of his course marched after him growing daily greater as she marched and comes to Oxford where the Bishop of Hereford Preached before her and the whole assembly and delivers the cause of her proceeding taking for his The Queene followes Text My Head aketh my Head aketh and concludes most undevinely that an aking 2. King 24. and sick Head of a Kindome was of necessity to be taken of and not otherwise to be cured A most execrable doctrine and repugnant to the Sacred Word which in all corrupted times is evermore produced to abuse mens Credulity and iustifie Impiety in whatsoever Ambition or Malice shall attempt a sinne beyond all other that can bee committed vpon earth And the more to countenance the Queenes proceeding it was noised two Cardinals were seene in her Campe sent by the Pope to excommunicate such as tooke Armes against her and the cause of hers to be for the delivering the kingdome from the misleaders of the King the Spencers the Lord Chancellour and their adherents all others to be safe And here proclamation is made that nothing should bee taken from any subiect without paying ready mony and a penalty imposed on whomsoever The Queenes Proclamation did the contrary as for the value of three pence to loose a finger sixe pence the hand twelue pence the head and that whosoever brought to the Queene the younger Spencers head should haue 2000 pounds Thus is a bad cause defended with shew of Iustice and an vunaturall presumption made to seeme right by power and authority An impotent woman led with passion and abused by wicked counsell is brought to make head against her owne head to conduct an innocent sonne against the father to vndertake an action she knew not how to manage and to put her selfe into their hands who having other ends then hers would work beyond though under her authority what pleased themselues And though the event as commonly it doth in such attempts proue worse then the intention of the vndertaker yet howsoever the infamy of all what was acted lyes foule and open vpon her Memorie and no Apologie extant any way to cover it and therefore we must leaue the same as wee finde it And better had it been for the honour of the state of England to haue beene without her great dowre then to haue had her example the worst of a Queene it ever yet had The miserable King having his reputation the maine support of Maiestie blowne vp with the hurlewinde of his pursuers found few or no hands to aide him So that after hee had put Hugh Spencer the father into the Castle of Bristoll with what defence could be prouided for the guarding thereof hee leaues to trust the Land and commits himselfe to a more vnfaithfull Element the Sea with purpose either to hide himselfe a while in the Isle of Lundie or to passe ouer into Ireland The King betakes him to the Sea but tost to and fro with contrary windes after Sir Thomas Blunt his Steward with others were shrunke from him hee lands in Wales in Glamorgan shire where though hee found not saftie hee found loue and was hidden in the Abbey of Neth The Queene with her Armie from Oxford goes to Glocester where the Lords Percie and Wake with ayde from the North met her and thence to Bristoll assailes and winnes the Castle puts to death the defender Hugh Spencer Earle of Winchester without forme or tryall of Law causing him to bee drawne and hanged on the common
Edward arriues with 300. men at Armes and 600. Archers Monsieur Charmy sets out The French circumuented in their practise likewise the same night from Saint Omers with his Forces and sent 100. armed men before with the Crowns to Americo and to possesse the Castle The men are let in at a Posterne Gate the Crownes receiued and themselues layd in hold Which done the gates of the Towne are opened and out marches the King before day to encounter Monsieur de Charny comming on with his forces who perceiuing himselfe betrayed put his people to the best defence hee could and the king of England to a hard bickring who for that hee would not bee knowne there in person put himselfe and the Prince vnder the colours of the Lord Walter Manny and was twice beaten downe on his knees by Monsieur de Riboumont a hardy Knight with whom hee fought hand to hand and yet recouered and in the end tooke Riboumont prisoner Charny was likewise taken and all his forces defeited King Edward the night after which was the first of the new yeare feasted with the prisoners and gaue Riboumont in honour of his valour wherein he honoured his owne a rich chaplet of Pearle which himselfe wore on his head for a New-yeares-gift forgaue him his ransome and set him at liberty The rest pay dearely for what they got not and were well warned how to trafficke in that kinde Yet the English not long after in the like practise had better successe and got the Castle of Guisnes a peace of great importance neere Calais for a summe of mony giuen to one Beauconroy a French man Of which Castle when the French King demanded restitution in regard of the Truce King Edward returnes answer That for things bought and sold betweene their people therein was no exception and so held it Shortly after the French king not borne to liue to see any better fortune dyes leauing that distressed kingdome to his sonne Iohn who found farre worse For An. 1305. Reg. 24. these fore noted wounds were but as scratches to that State compared with those horrible maimes it indured in his and after in the Raignes of Charles 6. and 7. till the sword of England was turned home vpon it selfe to let out the blood of reuenge The French King dies with as tragicall mischiefes on the fuccessours of these great actors who now thus wrought others ruines aboade King Edward the next yeare after is againe in person with a Fleet on the Sea to incounter certaine Spanish shippes passing from Flanders loaden with cloth and other King Edward in action at sea against the Spaniards commodities whom after a great fight and much blood shed on either side hee tooke with all their substance for that the Spaniards the yeare before entered the Riuer Garonne and tooke away certaine English ships loaden with wines and slew all the English His forces in Guien were not idle this while but many conflicts passed betweene the French and them notwithstanding the Truce which was renewed The warres in Brittaine likewise continue and are hotly maintained betweene the two Ladies the widdow of Monfort and the wife of Charles de Bloys whose husband remaynes prisoner in England eager defenders of eithers pretended right Diuerse ouertures of peace had beene made by Legates sent from the Pope and Commissioners often met to the great expence of both Kings but nothing could be cōcluded the winner the loser seldom agreeing vpon cōditions in regard the one wil haue more then the other is willing to yeeld vnto so temporary Truces which Alterations of moneys were but slenderly obserued are onely taken to winne time These actions not only consumed our men but the treasure of the kingdome The warre though inuasiue could not maintayne it selfe The monyes here are altred and abated in weight and yet made to passe according to the former value Before this time there were none other peeces but Nobles and halfe Nobles with the small peeces of siluer called sterlings but now grotes of foure-pence and halfe grotes of two pence equiuolent to the sterling money are coined which inhansed the prices of things that rise or fall according to the plenty or scarcity of Coine Which made seruants labourers to A Parlement raise their wages accordingly Whereupon a Satute was made in the Parliament Anno Reg. 27. now held at Westminster to reduce the same to the accustomed rate which was giuen before the late great Mortality This caused much murmuring amongst them imputing the cause thereof to William Edington Bishop of Winchester the Kings Treasurer whom they held to be the Author of the abatement of the Coyne The King conceiuing displeasure against the Flemmings for being disappointed of the Match betweene a Daughter of his and their yong Earle Louys who was escaped into France and bestowed on a daughter of the Duke of Brabant with-drawes the Mart or Staple of Woolls from their Townes greatly inriched thereby and can The Staple established in England sed the same to be kept at Westminster Chichester Canterbury Lincolne Warwick Yorke New-castle Excester Carmarden Bristoll and Hull Holding it fitter to aduance his owne Townes then Strangers by the commodities of the Kingdome And here are prouident Ordinances enacted for the gouerning and ordering this Staple An Act is also made in this Parliament that all Weares Milles and other stoppages Walsinham of Riuers hindring the passages of Boates Lighters and other Vessels should be remooued An Act most commodious to the Kingdom but it tooke little effect saith my Authour by reason of bribing and corrupting Lords and great men who regarded more their owne then the publike benefite A mischiefe fatall to all good Ordinances and yet is it an honor to that time that so behoufull an Act was ordained For this eafie conuaying and passing of Commodities from place to place to impart the same more generally would no doubt be an infinite benefit to this State And seeing God hath made vs Riuers proper for the same it is our negligence or sloth if we marre them or make them not vsefull in that kinde as other Nations doe with farre lesser Streames There is mentioned also an Act to bee made at the instance of the Londoners that Stow. no common Whore should weare any Hood except rayed or striped with diuers colours nor Furres but garments reuersed the wrong side outward wherein they did well to set a deformed marke vpon foulenesse to make it appeare the more odious After this Parliament Henry Earle of Derby is created Duke of Lancaster and The Earle of Derby created Duke of Lancaster Ralfe Lord Stafford Earle of Stafford and heere Charles de Bloys a long Prisoner in England agreed for his Ransom which was 40. thousand Florins and was permitted to returne into Britagne to prouide the same Great mediation is made by the Pope to accord the two Kings and Commissioners meet on both
they had the Ifle of Thanet allowed them to inhabite then the whole Countrie of Kent was made ouer to Hengist by transaction Hengist and Horsa the Leaders of the Saxons vnder couenant to defend the Land against the Picts and Scots And vpon the mariage of Vortigern with the Daughter or Neece of Hengist an exceeding beautifull Lady brought ouer of purpose to worke on the dotage of a dissolute Prince larger priuiledges were granted so that by this allyance and the fertillity of the Land were drawne in so many of this populous and military nation that Kent in short time grew too narrow for them and Hengist to distend their power into other parts aduised Their first plantation Vortigern to plant a Colony of them in the North beyond Humber to be a continuall guard against all inuasions that way Which being granted he sends for Otha his brother and sonne Ebusa with great supplies out of Saxony to furnish that designe And so came the Saxons to haue first domination in Kent and Northumberland which contained all the Countrie from Humber to Scotland And now became they of seruants maisters to contemne their entertainours and Vortigern is deposed commit many insolencies Whereupon the Brittish nobility combine themselues depose Vortigern the Author of this improuident admission and elect Vortimer his sonne Vortimer elected King of Brittain a Prince of great worth who whilst hee liued which was not long gaue them many fierce incounters but all preuailed not for the Saxons being possest of the principall gate of the Land lying open on their owne Countrie to receiue all supplies without resistance had the aduantage to weare them out of all in the end And besides force they are said to haue vsed treachery in murthering three hundred of the Brittish Nobility at an assembly of peace at Amesbury where they tooke their King prisoner and would not release him but vpon the grant of three Prouinces more Also the long life of Hengist a politique leader of almost forty yeares continuance made much for the settling here of their estate which yet they could not effect but with much trauaile and effusion of blood For the Brittaines now made martiall by long practise and often battailes grew in the end so inraged to see their Countrie surprized from vnder their feet as they solde the inheritance therof at a very dearcrate Wherein we must attribute much to the worthinesse of their Leaders whence the spirit of a people is raised who in these their greatest actions were especially Ambrosius the last of the Romans and Arthur the noblest of Brittaines A man in force courage aboue man King Arthur and worthie to haue been a subiect of truth to posterity and not of fiction as legendary writers haue made him for whilst he stood hee bare vp the sinking State of his Countrie and is said to haue encountred the Saxons in twelue set battailes wherein he had either victory or equall reuenge In the end himselfe ouerthrowne by treason the best men consumed in the warres and the rest vnable to resist fled into the mountaines and remote desarts of the West parts of the Isle and left all to the inuadors daily growing more and more vpon them For many principall men of Saxony seeing the happy successe and plantation here of Hengist entred likewise on diuerse coasts to get Estates for themselues with such multitudes of people as the Brittains making head in one place were assaulted in another and euery where ouerwhelmed with new increasing numbers For after Hengist had obtained the dominion of Kent which from him became to be a kingdome and Otha and Ebuse possest of all the North-countries from Humber The severall entries made by the Saxons to Scotland Ella and his sonnes conquered the South-East parts and beganne the kingdome of the South Saxons contayning Sussex and part of Surrey Then Cerdic and his sonnes landed at Portsmouth inuadeth the South and West parts and began the kingdome of the West Saxons which after contained the Countries of Hamshire Berkeshire Wiltshire Dorcetshire Somersetshire and Devonshire And about the same time Vffa invaded the North-East parts and beganne the Kingdome of the East Angles containing Northfolke Suffolke Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Ely Erkenwin beganne the Kingdome of the East Saxons containing Essex Middlesex and a part of Hartfordshire Having thus in a manner surrounded the best of the whole State of Brittaine they after invaded the inner and middle part And Cridda beganne the Kingdome of Mercna-land or middle Angles contayning Lincolnshire North-hamptonshire Huntingdonshire Rutlandshire Bedford Buckingham Oxfordshire Cheshire Derbie Nottingham and Staffordshire with parts of the shires of Hereford and Hartford Warwicke Shropshire Lancaster and Glocestershire And with all these Princes and Leaders before they could establish their dominions the Brittaines so desperately grappled as plant they could not but vpon destruction and desolation of the whole Country whereof in the end they extinguished both the Religion Lawes Language and all with the people and name of Brittaine Which having beene so long a Province of great honour and benefit to the Roman Empire could not but partake of the magnificence of their goodly structures Thermes Aquaducts High-waies and all other their ornaments of delight ease and greatnesse all which came to bee so vtterly razed and confounded by the Saxons as there is not The Brittaines vtterly subdued by the Saxons left standing so much as the ruines to point vs where they were for they being a people of a rough breeding that would not bee taken with these delicacies of life seemed to care for no other monuments but of earth and as borne in the field would build their fortunes onely there Witnesse so many Intrenchments Mounts and Borroughs raised for tombes and defences vpon all the wide champions and eminent Hills of this Isle remaining yet as characters of the deepe scratches made on the whole face of our Countrey to shew the hard labour our Progenitors endured to get it for vs. Which generall subversion of a State is very seldome seene Invasion and devastation of Provinces haue often beene made but in such sort as they continued or recovered with some commixtion of their owne with the generation of the invadors But in this by reason of the vicinage and innumerous populacie of that Nation transporting hither both sexes the incompatibility of Paganism and Christianity with the immense bloud-shed on both sides wrought such an implacable hatred as but one Nation must possesse all The conquest made by the Romanes was not to extirpate the Natiues but to master them The Danes which afterward invaded the Saxons made onely at the first depredations on the coast and therewith for a time contented themselues When they grew to haue further interest they sought not the subversion but a community and in the end a Soveraignty of the State matching with the women they here found bringing few of their owne with them The
Normans dealt the like with the Province of Nuestria in France who also after they had the dominion what the victorie would yeeld them in England were content to suffer the people here to haue their being intermatched with them and so grew in short space into their body But this was an absolute subversion and concurred with the vniversall mutation The absolute subversion of Brittaine concurred with the generall mutation of other States of the world which about that time happened in all these parts of the world whereof there was no one Countrey or Province but changed bounds inhabitants customes language and in a manner all their names For vpon the breaking vp of the Roman Empire first devided into two and then by faction disioynted in each part imploying the forces of many strange Nations to fortifie their sides were made so wide ruptures in the North and North-east bounds of that Empire as there burst out infinite streames of strange people that over-ranne and laid open the world againe to liberty other formes and limits of State wherevpon followed all these transmigrations and shiftings of people from one Country to another The French and Burgognons dispossest the Gaules and gaue the name of France and Burgogne to their Province The Gaules transplanted themselues on some coasts of Spaine where they could finde or make their habitation and of them had Gallicia and Portugall their name The Hunnes and Auari subdued Pannonia and thereto gaue the name of Hungarie The Longbeards a people of Germany bordering vpon Lumbardie so called of the Longberds the Saxons entred Italy got the greatest part thereof and left there their name to a principall Prouince remayning to this daie The Gothes and Vandales miserably afflicted the rest sackt Rome and after subdued peopled and possest Spaine So that it was not in the fate of Brittaine alone to bee vndone but to perish almost with the generall dissolution of other States which happened about the same age Wherefore we are now here to beginne with a new Bodie of people with a new State and gouernment of this Land which retained nothing of the former nor held other memory but that of the dissolution thereof where scarce a Citie Dwelling Riuer Hill or Mountaine but changed names Brittaine it selfe was now no more Brittaine but New Saxonie and shortly after either of the Angles the greatest people of the inuadors or of Hengist called Engist-Land or England The distance made by the rage of warre lay so wide betweene the conquering and conquered people that nothing either of Lawes Rites and Customes came to passe ouer vnto vs from the Brittaines nor had our Ancestors any thing from them but their Country which they first diuided into eight kingdomes all which continued to the last extermination of the Brittaines vnder Caretius their King with whom they were driuen ouer Seuerne 136. yeares after the first entertainment of Hengist And soone after the Saxons encroching vpon each others parts or States which neuer held certaine bounds and the stronger vsurping vpon their weaker neighbours reduced them to seauen kingdomes that of the Northanimbrains being made one of two and then to sixe the West Saxons taking in the kingdome of Sussex to their dominion And so it continued about 250 yeares At the first by the space of 150 yeares they were meerely gouerned by their owne Lawes without mixture of any other But after Augustine the Monke sent with fortie others by Pope Gregorie had conuerted AEthelbert King of Kent and some other they all shortly after receiued the Christian faith and had their Lawes and Rites ordered according to Ecclesiasticall constitutions Many of their Kings when their sterne asperitie grew molified by humility of the Religion beganne to raise presently so many and great monuments of their piety in all parts of the Land as if they striued who should exceed therein and had no other glorie Diuers of them renounced their temporall dignities for Spirituall solitude and became Monkes as Aetheldred and Kinred Kings of Merena-Land Offa King of the East Saxons Kadwalla and Ina Kings of the West Saxons Eadberte King of Northumbrians c. At length the kingdomes of Merc-naland and West Sax so farre ouer-grew the others in power as betweene them two it lay who should haue all For Ina a martiall wise and religious Prince gouerning the West Saxons first aduanced that Kingdome to a preheminencie and did much to haue subdued Merc-naland but yet Offa afterwards King thereof was in faire possibility to haue swallowed vp both the West Saxons all the rest of the Kingdoms For whilst he liued which was in the time of Carolus Magnus which whom he held league amity he was esteemed as the especiall King of the Land But the many wrongs he did and the murther committed in his house vpon Aethelbert K. of the East Angles comming to him vnder publique faith and a suitor to his daughter were iustly reuenged vpon his posteritie which after him declining in the end lost al. For Egbert discended from Inegild the brother of Ina attayning the kingdome of the West Saxons beganne the way to bring all the rest into subiection And being a Prince who from a priuate fortune wherein he liued below with and not aboue other men had learned sufferance and moderation and by the Estate of an exile experience grew to haue great aduantages ouer the time and others borne-fortunes and rose by these meanes Ina his great Vncle renouncing the world with his kingdome and dying without issue left the succssion imbroiled and out of the direct royall lyne as hee found it So that those foure Kings of the West Saxons who seuerally succeeded him Ethelard Sigibert Kinulph and Britric were rather Kings by election and their owne power then by right of discent And Britric knowing the weakenesse of his title and the much promising forwardnesse of Egbert with his propinquitie in bloud to the former Kings practized to haue him made away which hee perceiuing fled first to Offa King of Mercna-land where finding little security in regard Britric had to strength himselfe married the daughter of the King hee escaped into France and there remayned till the death of Britric and then returning obtaines that kingdome of the Westsaxons subdues Cornewall inhabited by the Brittaines and after sets vpon Bernulph newly inuested in the Kingdome of Mercna-land a State by the rupture of the Royall line likewise growne tottering For Egferth the sonne of Offa enioyed but foure monethes the inheritance of his fathers immanitie whereby that Kingdome discended collaterally to Kennulph who left it to Kenelme a childe after murthered by his sister Quinred Ceolulph brother to Kennulph succeeding after his first yeares raigne was expeld by Bernulph and Bernulph by Egbert who made that Kingdome tributarie Egbert obteyned the kingdome which by him was named England to the West Saxons as he did after that of the South and East Saxons with the Kingdome of Northumberland And by