buyes his peace vpon these yeelding conditions That Louys eldest sonne to King Philip should marry his Ncece Blanch daughter of Alphonso King of Castile and haue with her in Dowre the Citie and County of Eureux with sundry Castles in Normandy and 30 thousand Markes of Siluer Besides promises if hee died without issue to leaue vnto him all his territories in France And that he would not ayde his Nephew Otho lately elected Emperor against Philip brother to the late Emperor Hen. 6. whom the K. of France fauored in opposition of Pope Innocentius who tooke the part of Otho After this Peace made Otho taking it vnkindly to bee thus forsaken by his Vncle Iohn sends his two brothers Henry Duke of Saxony and William Winton so titled for hauing been born at Winchester to require the City of Eureux and the County of Poictou and two parts of the treasure which his Vncle King Richard had bequeathed vnto him besides other moueables but they come to late the obligation of bloud and rendring of dues is held to be of an inferior nature to the present interests of State To this vnkind and vnnaturall act he presently addes another Repudiats his wife daughter to 1201. Anno. Reg. 3. the Earle of Glocester alleadging consanguinity in the third degree and marries Isabell daughter and inheretrix to the Earle of Anglosme fianced before to Hugh le Brun Earle of March a Peere of great Estate and alliance in France by consent of King Richard in whose custodie she then was And hauing finished these distastfull businesses he returnes to giue as little contentment into Eng. where he imposes 3 shillings vpon euery An imposition of 3 shillings vpon euery Plough land Plough-land to discharge the great dowry of 30 thousand Marks he was to giue with his Neece Blanch the collection whereof Geffrey Archb. of Yorke opposes within his Prouice For which and for refusing vpon summons to come vnto this late treaty in France the King causes his Shriefe Iames Potern to seise vpon all his temporalties The Archb. interdicts the whole Prouince of Yorke and excommunicats the Shriefe K. Iohn shortly after makes a progresse with his wife Queen Isabel ouer all the North parts vnto Scotland exacts great fines of offenders in his forests In his passing through Yorkeshire his brother the Archb. refused him wine and the honour of the Bells at Beuerley but by the mediation of 4 B B. and 4 Barons and a great sum of mony a reconciliation is made betweene them with promise of reformation of excesses on either part Vpon Easter day after his returne from the North the King againe is Crowned at His second Coronation Canterbury and with him Isabel his Queene by the Archb Hubert And there are the Earls and Barons of Eng. surnmoned to be ready with horse armor to passe the Seas with him presently vpon Whitsontide but they holding a conference together at Leicester by a generall consent send him word that vnlesse he would render them their Rights and Liberties they would not attend him out of the Kingdome The King saith Houeden vsing ill counsell required of them their Castles beginning with William de Aubenie demanded to haue his Castle of Beauoyr William deliuers his sonne in pledge but kept his Castle Notwithstanding this refusall of the Lords hauing taken order for the gouernment he passes ouer with his Queene into Normandy where his presence with the great shew of his preparations caused the reuolters to forbeare their enterprises for that time and a 1202. Anno. Reg. 4. father ratisication with as strong couenants and cautions as could be deuised is made of the Agreements with King Phillip of France who feasts the King of England and his Queene at Paris with all complements of amitie And here both Kings solicited by the Popes Legat grant a Subsidy of the fortith part of all their Subiects reuenues for one yeare by way of Almes to succor the Holy Land Vide Append. For the leauying whereof in England Geffrey Fitz Peter Chiefe Iusticiar sends out his Writs by way of request and perswasion and not as of due or coaction to auoyde example But many months passed not ere a new conspiracy brake out by the instigation of Hughle Brun who stung with the rapture of his wife a wrong of the most sensible touch in nature combines with Arthur the Barons of Poictou and Brittatne and raised a strong side which the King of France notwithstanding all those tyes wherein hee stood ingaged to the King of England betakes himselfe vnto in regard of his owne interests and aduantages from which no bands could withhold him and againe both these Kings are in Armes The King of France declares himselfe for Arthur to whom he marries his yongest daughter requires King Iohn to deliuer vp vnto him all his territories in France and by a peremptorie day summons him to appeare personally at Paris to answere what should bee layde to his charge and abide the Arest of his Court which King Iohn refusing was by sentence adiudged to loose all he held of that Crown Then is he assailed on one side by the King of France in Normandy on the other by He takes his Nephew Arthur prisoner Arthur and the Barons in Aniou who lay siege to Mirabel defended by Elionor the Queene mother and were vpon the point of taking it when King Iohn with greater expedition and force then was expected came and defeited the whole army of the assayliants tooke prisoner the Earle Arthur Hugh le Brun with the Barons of Poictou and aboue 200 Knights and men of command all which hee carried away bound in Carts and dispersed into diuers Castles both of Normandie and England This victorie which might seeme ynough to haue established his Estate vndid him for by the ill vsing thereof he lost himselfe and his reputation for euer Arthur is shortly after murthered in prison and the deed layde to his charge which with the Arthur mur. thered cruell execution of many his prisoners and Ostages so exasperates the Nobilitie of Brittaine Aniou and Poictou as they all take Armes against him and summoned he is to answere in the Court of Iustice of the King of France to whom they appeale which he refusing is condemned both to loose the Dutchy of Normandie which his Ancestors 1203. Anno. Reg. 5. had held by the space of 300 yeares and all his other Prouinces in France whereof the next yeare after either through his negligence being as they write giuen ouer to the pleasures of his yong wife or by the reuolt of his owne Ministers incensed likewise against him he became wholy dispossessed And in this disastrous Estate he returnes into England and charges the Earles and King Iohn fines the Barons Barons with the reproach of his losses in France and fines them to pay the seuenth part of all their goods for refusing him ayde Neither spared hee the Church or the
Kingdome might seeme as if quite ouercome Most of the estates of the Earles and Barons of Scotland with their titles that had stood out were bestowed on the English Nobility to make them the more egar to maintaine A Parliament at St. Andrewes prosecute this Conquest And a Parliament is called at Saint Andrewes where all the great men of that Kingdome except onely Wallice againe sweare Fealtie to the King of England The Scottish writers here set a wide marke of Tyrannie vpon King Edward in this The Scotish writers inueigh against the tyranny of K. Ed. expedition as not content to carry away captiue all such as might seeme to haue any the least ability to stirre but also endeauours to extinguish if it were possible the very memory of the Nation abolishing all their ancient lawes traducing their Ecclesiasticall rights to the custome of England dispoiling them of their Histories their instruments of State their Antique Monuments left either by the Romanes or erected by themselues transporting all their Bookes and Bookemen into England Sending to London the Marble stone wherein as the Vulgar were perswaded the Fate of the Kingdome consisted and left them nothing that might either encite them to remember their former fortune or instruct generous spirits in the way of Vertue and worthinesse So that he bereaued them not onely of their strength but of their mindes supposing thereby to est ablish a perpetuali Domination ouer that Kingdome This iourney ended a Parliament is called at Westminster wherein the promised confirmation A Parliament at Weatminster of the Two Charters and the allowance of what disforrestation had heretofore beene made was earnestly vrged and in the end with much a doe granted with omission of the Clause Saluo Iure Coronae nostrae which the King laboured to haue inserted but the people would not indure the same the perambulation of the Forrests of England is committed to Thre Bishops Three Earles Three Barons In this little pause of Peace at home a Concord is by the mediation of Pope Boniface Reg. 28. Anno. 1301. concluded with the King of France whose sister Margeret the King of England takes to wife in the Sixty two yeare of his age somthing too late for so young a Match and the Daughter of the same King is likewise affianced to the Prince And thereupon restitution made of what had been vsurped by the French King in Gasconie Burdeaux returnes to the obedience of the King of England to the Merchants of which Citie he paid 150 Thousand poÌ„uds for his brother Edmonds expences in the late wars all is well on that side Besides the same Pope obtained permission for Iohn Baliol the captiue King of Scots to depart and liue in France vpon certaine lands he had there and vndertooke for his obseruation of the Peace and his confinement who shortly after dies hauing had little ioy of a Crowne or scarce leasure to know hee was a King The Decrying and calling in of certaine base Coine named Crocard and Pollard with the new stamping them againe yeelded something to the Kings Coffets which must be emptied in Scotland whither againe hauing beene scarce Eighteene moneths at home he makes his Third expedit but did little besides the regaining of Sterling Castle which held out Three moneths siege against all his power and Ingines reared with insinite charge and labour And in the end not wonne but yelded vp by the Defendant William Oliuer vpon promise which was not kept with him The rest of the Scots made no head but kept in the Mountaines and Fastnesses of their Country whereby the Kings Armie hauing more to doe with barrennesse then men suffered much affliction and many Horses were starued Now vpon this Peace with France the Scots being excluded and hauing none to relieue them send their lamentable complaints to Pope Boniface shewing him the afflicted state of their Countrie the vsurpation of the King of England vpon them and his most tyrannicall proceeding with them contrarie to all right and equity Protesting they neuer knew of any Soueraigntie he had ouer them but that they were a free kingdome of themselues and so at first hee dealt with them vpon the death of their last King Alexander both in the treaty of the mariage for his sonne Edward with Margaret the beire of Scotland and also after her death for the decision of the Title wherein he sought by their consents to be made Arbitror as hee was Howsoeuer afterward they were constrained to giue way to his will yet what they euer yeelded vnto was by reason they were otherwise vnable to resist c. Vpon this remonstrance of the Scots the Pope writes his powerfull letters to the King of England to forbeare any further proceeding against them Claiming withall the Soueraintgie of that Kingdome as belonging to the Church The King answeres the Popes Letters at large Alledging from all Antiquity how the direct and superiour Dominion of Scotland had euer appertained to this Crowne euen from Brute to his owne time And withall the whole Nobilitie write to the Pope auowing the same right And absolutely conclude that the King their Lord should in no sort vndergoe his Holinesse iudgement therein Neither send his Procurators as was required about that businesse whereby it might seeme that doubt were made of their Kings Title to the preiudice of the Crowne the Royall Dignity the Liberties Customes and Lawes of England which by their oath and dutie they were bound to obserue and would defend with their liues Neither would they permit nor could any such vn-usuall vn-lawfull and detrimentall proceeding Nor suffer their King if hee would to doe or any way to attempt the same And therefore besought his Holinesse to intermeddle no more in this matter These Letters subscribed with all their Vid. Apend names were dated at Lincolne where then was held the Parliament Anno Domini 1301. The Pope vpon this answere or rather hauing his hands full of other businesse stirs no more in this The King of France whom hee had excomunicated and giuen away his Kingdome to the Emperour Albert of Austrich shortly after so wrought as his Spiritualty was surprized at Anagne a City of Abruzzo whither he was retyred from the troubles of Rome and so violently treated by Sciarra Colonesse a Banditto of Rome and Nogâ—ret an Albigioye whom he had both persecuted as in extreame rage and anguish within few daies after he ends his turbulenr life And the King of England hauing been supplied with a Fifteenth vpon Confirmation Reg. 32. Anno. 1305. of the Charters againe at the Parliament at Lincolne hee makes his Fourth expedition into Scotland and as it were the Fourth Conquest thereof hauing had Foure times Homage and Fealtie sworne vnto him Which might seeme sufficient to confirme his Soueraingtie whereof now he rests secure and home returnes in triumphant manner Remoues his Eschequer from Yorke Feasts his Nobilitty at Lincolne with all
of all the great men in the West and from other parts comming in vnto him Stephen now resolued to put it to the tryall of a day brings thither all the power hee could make and far ouer-went his enemy in number but flouds and stormes in an vnseasonable Winter kept the Armies from incountring till the Bishops doubtfull of the successe and seeing how daungerous it was for them and the whole State to haue a young Prince get the maistry by his sword mediated a peace which was after concluded in a Parliament at Winchester vpon these conditions 1 That King Stephen during his naturall life should remaine King of England and Henrie inioy the Dukedome of Normandie as discended vnto him from his mother and bee proclaymed heire apparent to the Kingdome of England as the adopted sonne of King Stephen 2 That the partizans of either should receiue no damage but inioy their Estates according to their ancient Rights and Titles 3 That the King should resume into his hands all such parcels of inheritance belonging Resumptions to the Crowne as had beene aliened by him or vsurped in his time And that all those possessions which by intrusion had beene violently taken from the owners since the dayes of King Henry should bee vestored vnto them who were rightly possessed therein when the said King raigned 4 That all such Castles as had beene built by the permission of Stephen and in his time which were found to be 1117 should be demolished c. There is a Charter of this agreement in our Annals which hath other Articles of reseruation for the Estates of particular persons And first for William the second sonne Vide Append. of Stephen to enioy all the possessions his father held before hee was King of England and many other particulars of especiall note After this pacification and all businesse here setled Duke Henry returnes into Normandy and likewise there concludes a peace with the King of France and for that hee would be sure to haue it buyes it with twenty thousand markes And now King Stephen hauing attained that hee neuer had Peace which yet it seemes he enioyed not a yeare after vses all the best meanes he could to repaire the ruines of the State makes his progresses into most parts of the Kingdome to reforme the mischiefes that had growne vp vnder the sword and after his returne cals a Parliament An. 1154. at London to consult of the best meanes for the publicke good After the Parliament He raigned 18 yeares and 10 moneths he goes to meete the Earle of Flanders at Douer who desired conference with him and hauing dispatcht him fals presently sicke dies within few dayes after and was buried in the Abbey he founded at Feuersham with the vnfortunate Princes A man so continually in motion as we cannot take his dimension but onely in passing and that but on one side which was warre on the other we neuer saw but a glaunce of him which yet for the most part was such as shewed him to bee a very worthy Prince for the Gouernment He kept his word with the State concerning the relieuement of Tributes and neuer had Subsidy that we find But which is more remarkeable hauing his sword continually out and so many defections and rebellions against him He neuer put any great man to death Besides it is noted that notwithstanding all these miseries of warre There were more Abbeys built in his Raigne then in an hundreth yeares before which shewes though the times were bad they were not impious The end of the Life and Raigne of King Stephen The Life and Raigne of Henry the Second And first of the Line of Plantagenet THAT short time of peace before the death of Stephen had so allayed 1154. Anno. Reg. 1. the spirit of contention and prepared the Kingdome wearied and defaced with warre to that disposition of quietnesse as Henry Plantagenet though a French-man borne and at that time out of the Land long detained with contrary winds yet a Prince of so great possessions abroad as might make him feared to be too mighty a maister at home or doubtfull where hee would set his seate whither carry England thither or bring those great States to this was notwithstanding generally admitted without any opposition or capitulation other then the vsuall oath to the Crowne of England which he receiued at the hands of Theobald Arch-bishop of Canterbury the twentieth day of December Anno 1154 about the three and twentieth yeare of his age And though he where a Prince Yong Actiue Pawerfull and had all that might make him high and presuming yet the necessity of his owne affaires were so strong raines to hold him in from all exorbitant courses as made him wary to obserue at first all meanes to get and retaine the loue and good opinion of this Kingdome by a regular and easie Gouernment being sure to haue the King of France perpetually awake for all aduantages both in regard of daily quarrels commune to mighty neighbours as also for matching with her that came out of his bed and brought away those mighty Prouinces from that Crowne whereby he comes now to ouer-match him being thus inuested in this powerfull Kingdome of England Where after hauing made a choice of graue Councellors such as best vnderstood the state thereof he began at a Councell or Parliament held at Wallingford with an Act that both serued his owne turne and much eased the stomakes of his people which was the expulsion of Strangers wherewith Expulsion of Strangers the Land was much pestered by reason of the late warres that had drawne great numbers of them and especially of Flemings and Picards whom King Stephen especially trusted in his greatest actions after he grew doubtfull of the English fidelity and had made their Leader Williamd ' Ipres Earle of Kent who likewise was turned home and his estate seized into the Kings hands Then that he might subsist by his owne meanes without pressure of his subiects Resumption of Crowne Lands whose voluntary seruices and contributions would yeeld him more in measure then if exacted He lookes to the State and ordering of his reuenues reformes the Exchequer and reuokes all such Lands belonging to the Crowne as had any way bene alienated or vsurped And though some of the great Lords stood out for the holding what they had in possession as Hugh de Mortimer for his Castles of Clebury Wigmore and Bridgenorth and Roger Fits Miles Earle of Hereford for the City and Land of Glocester Yet the King tooke them by force as appertaining to the Crowne Besides he resumed the Castle of Skarborough which William Earle of Albemarle held and diuers other Lands and Castles in Yorkeshire possessed by priuate men Hugh Bigot resigned his Castles into the Kings hands And more he tooke from William Earle of Mortaine and Warren base sonne to King Stephen the Castle of Pemsey the City of Norwitch with other Townes and Castles
intelligence with the Archbishop of Collen As Iohn of Oxford Richard Iuechester Richard de Lucie Iosslin Balliol Alan de Neuile and with these all such as had entred vpon the goods of the Church of Canterbury which hee called the patrimony of the Crusifex and the foode of the poore and these were Ralph de Brocke Hugh Saint Clare and Thomas Fitz Barnard Thus are both sides busied in this drie warre wherein though there were no sword yet it gaue vexation ynough And yet this was not all the worke that tooke vp the Kings time for during this dissention the Welsh againe reuolt and to supresse them he spent much labour with The King represses the Welch the losse of many great men and was himselfe in that daunger as had not Hubert Saint Clere receiued a wounde for him by an Arrow aymed directly at his person hee had there finished his part In this expedition hee is sayd to haue vsed extreame crueltie After this hee passes into Normandie to bee neere his businesse which now lay all on that side And first to entertaine the opinion of Pictie though hee were falne out with the Pope hee obtaines at an Assembly of his Bishops and Barons of Normandie 1166. Anno. Reg. 13. two pence in the pound of euery mans Lands and goods to beepayde that yeare 1166. and a penny of euery pound to be payde for foure yeares following which was leuied for the reliefe of the Christians in the Holy warre and sent vnto them Then hee raises forces and takes in certaine Castles in the Countrey of Maine and Marches of Brittaine from diuers Lords and Barons that had disobayed him And whilst he was busie abroade Mathew sonne to the Earle of Flanders who had married the Lady Marie Abbesse of Ramsey daughter to King Stephen had by her the Country of Bologne attempted something on the Coast of England either to try the affections of the people or to make spoyle and booty but without any effect at all the King being to mighty for any such weake vndertaker And to distend his powre yet wider falls out this occasion Conan Earle of Britaine dies and leaues one onely daughter which hee had by his wife Constance daughter to the King of Scots to succeed him in his State The King of England being then in armes vpon the Marches of Brittaine deales with the Guardians of the young Ladie to match her to his third sonne Geffry The nobility of that Country being then of a rough and haughty disposition giuen to fewds and perpetuall quarrelling one with another were wrought vpon and a side is wonne of such as could doe most in this businesse which is effected to the great contentation of the King of England This fell out to be in the 13 yeare of his raigne wherein as some write died his Mother Maud the Empresse a Lady of an high and actiue Spirit illustrious by her birth but more by her first match and most by her sonne whom she liued to see established in all these mighty States in the glory of Greatnesse Peace Fertile in issue hauing now The death of Maude the Empresse had 4 sonnes and 3 daughters linkes of loue and strength oftentimes in priuate families though seldome in Princes and shee left him in the best time of his daies before any great tempest ouertooke him Three yeares after this hee imployes most in France about the ordering and cleering the bounds of his Dominions from vsurpation or incrochments of neighbour Lords whom his greatnesse held all in awe and they must haue no more then hee would especially hee settles and reformes the State of Brittaine which was much out of order and in muteny about the late Match which being appeased hee keepes a solemne Christmas at Nants and Royally feasts the Nobilitie of the Countrey 1169. Anno. Reg. 16. Then returnes he into England where least Peace by reason of his long and often absence might afflict and corrupt his subiects he lookes to that Diuine and Almighty worke of Kings the administration of Iustice appoynting certaine commissioners as Syndicqs to examine the abuses and excesses committed by his Officers and grieuously Extortion and Bribety punished punishes the Shriefes of the Land for extortion and bribery His Easter he keepes at Windsor whither repaires vnto him William King of Scots who lately succeeded Malcom his brother and brings with him his younger brother Dauid both to congratulate the King of Englands returne and also continue his claime to those peeces in the North which hee pretended to bee vniustly detained from that Crowne The King entertaines him as hee had done his brother with faire words and tells him How it was not in his powre to doe any thing therein without the consent of the State in Parliament which if hee would attend there should bee that course taken as hee hoped might giue him satisfaction In expectation whereof this King came often into England and once attended the King in an expedition into France as his Predecesor had done But now all this while the wrath of the Church continues and the clowde hangs still ouer him dayly threatning the great thunder-bolt Although it seemes the Pope of himselfe was not verie forward to proceede to that extremity but would gladly haue quieted the Archbishoppe otherwise Who hee sayd had taken an ill time for this businesse the King being mighty and the Church in trouble and therefore writes The Pope writes to the Bishops of England he his letters to the Bishop of London and Hereford willing them to deale effectually with the King and to admonish him to desist from intruding vpon the liberties of the Church and to restore the Archbishop to his Sea and Dignity The Bishops wisely answere the Popes Letter in substance thus Wee haue sayd they done your Holinesse message and as much as was decent for the Maiestie The Bishops answere to the Popes Letter if a King instantly vrged him to satisfie your desire made by vs and if hee had erred from the way of truth and Iustice that hee would not delay to returne thereunto that hee would not inhibit such as were desirous to visit the Church of Rome hinder Appeales oppresso Churches and Churchmen or suffer others so to doe that hee would call home our Father the Archbishoppe c. and persist in the workes of Pietie that hee by whom Kings raigne might preserue vnto him his temporall Kingdome and giue him an eternall in Heauen and that vnlesse hee would yeelde to your Holy admonitions you who had hitherto indured could in patience forbeare no longer Besides we added this of our selues how it was to bee feared if hee amended not his errours his Kingdome would not long stand nor his prosper The King receiued your admonitions with manie thankes much Temperance and Modestie and answeres to euerie point First hee protested that in no sort hee auerted his minde from your Holinesse nor euer purposed so to
appertayning thereunto The King of France answeres that the Kingdome of England neuer was nor is or euer shal be the patrimonie of Saint Peter and that King Iohn was neuer lawfull King thereof and if hee were he had forfeited the same by the murther of Arthur forwhich he was condemned in his Court neither could he giue away the Kingdome without the consent of the Barons who are bound to defend the same And if the Pope would maintaine this error it would bee a pernicious example to all Kingdomes Herewith the Popes Agent departs vnsatisfied Louys hauing first dispatched Commission Quater Vigint Coggis to Rome to declare his right iustifie his vndertaking sets forth from Calice with 600 ships and 80 other vessell and Lands with his Army at Sandwich King Iohn attends him at Douer with purpose to incounter him at his landing but vpon notice Louys lands in Kent 21 of May. of his great powre and distrusting the faith of his mercinaries hauing committed the keeping of the Castle of Douer to Hubert de Burg forsakes the field and with it himselfe retyres first to Winchester after to Glocester and leaues all to the will of his enemy Louys who after he had obtayned the submission of all Kent except the Castle of Douer which he neuer could get he comes to London where he is ioyfully receiued of the Barons and vpon his Oath taken to restore their Lawes and recouer their rights hath homage and fealty done him as their Soueraigne Lord thither came likewise the Earles Warrein Arundle Salisbury William Mareschall the yonger with many other forsaking King Iohn and rendred themselues vnto him Guallo the Popes Agent notwithstanding the sword was out in all the way of his passage got to Glocester shewes King Iohn the Popes care of him and in solemne manner The little effect the Popes Exmunication wrought pronounces the sentence of Excommunication against Louys and all that tooke part with him which though it brought him some comfort for the time yet it tooke little or nothing from the enemy neither could it so confirme his mercinaries but that most of them left him and either returned home into their Countries with such spoyles as they had or betooke themselues to this new commer King Iohn was not yet so forsaken but that he had powre enough remayning to infest though not incounter his enemies and faith he found abroad amongst many of his Ministers that well defended their charge Douer Castle with a small company holds out against all the force that Louys could bring against it Windsor Castle garded but with 60 men could not be won with all the powre of the Barons some other peeces as Nottingham and Lincoln Castles made very resolute resistance But nothing is effected saue the ruine of the Country The most-yeelding and fertill parts of the Kingdome as about Glocester the marches of Wales Lincolnshire Cambridgshire Norfolke Suffolke Essex Kent and all about London are the Stages of this warre and here they act their mischiefes which continued all that Sommer And about the later end of October a burning feuer makes an end of this fiery King which tooke him vpon an extreme griefe conceiued for the losse of his carriages sunke in the Sands passing the Washes betweene Lin and Boston and was augmented by a surfeit of Peaches new Ale taken at the Abbay of Swineshead from whence in The death of King Iohn great weakenesse he is conuayed to Newarke where after he had receiued the Eucharist and taken order for the succession of his sonne Henry hee departs this life hauing raigned 18 yeares fiue monthes and foure daies The Abbot of Crockeston a man skilfull in physique and at that time the Kings Physition disbowelled his body who no doubt would haue giuen notice to the world had his Maister as it was in after ages vainely bruted beene poysoned by a Monke of Mat. Par. Swinshead Abbay but the Writers of those times report no such matter Howsoeuer his death takes not away the reproch of his life nor the infamy that followes him whereunto ill Princes are as subiect as their euill Subiects and cannot escape the brute ofa clamarous Pen. witnesse this Disticque Anglia sicut adhuc sordet foetore Iohannis Sordida foedatur foedante Iohanne Gehenna He had issue by his wife Isabel daughter to Aymer Earle of Angolesme two sonnes Henry and Richard also three daughters Ioane Eleanor and Isabel. Henry succeeded him in the Kingdome Richard was Earle of Cornewall and Crowned His issue King of the Romans and had issue Henry and Iohn that died without issue also Edmond Iohn speed Earle of Cornewall and others Ioane the eldest daughter married to Alexander the second King of Scots died without issue Elianor the second daughter married to Simon Earle of Leicester had issue Henry Symon Almaricke Guy Richard and Elianor Henry slaine without issue Simon Earle of Bigorre and Ancestor to a Famely of the Mountfords in France Almarick first a Priest after a Knight Guy Earle of Angleria in Italy and Progenitor of the Mountfords in Tuscaine and of the Earles of the Campo Bacchi in the Kingdome of Naples Richard remayning priuily in England and changing his name from Mountford to Wellesborne was Ancester of the Wellesbornes in England Elianor borne in England brought vp in France married into Wales to Prince Lewin ap Griffith Isabel their youngest daughter married to the Emperour Frederic the 2 had issue Henry appointed to be King of Sicile and Margaret wife of Albert Landgraue Thurine She died in child-bed after she had beene Empresse sixe yeares He had also two naturall sonnes Geffrey Fitz Roy that transported souldiers into France when Hubert forbad his father to goe thither Richard that married the daughter and Heire of Fulbert de Douer who built Childham Castle had issue by her of which some famelies of good esteeme are descended Likewise one naturall Daughter Ioane married to Lewin Prince of Wales The end of the Life and Raigne of King Iohn The Life and Raigne of Henry the third THE death of King Iohn though it much altered yet it ended not the miserable businesses of the Kingdome for Louys notwithstanding held 1216. Anno. Reg. 1. his hopes and his party though much shaken by the sodaine Coronation of Henry eldest sonne to King Iohn solemnized in a great Assemblie of State at Glocester the 28 of October and committed to the tutelage of the great Marshall William Earle of Pembrooke the maine Pillar of the father and now the preseruer of the Crowne to his sonne a man eminent both in courage Henry the 3 Crowned at Glocester and Councell who with Guallo the Popes Legat the Bishops of Winchester Bathe and Worcester worke all meanes to draw the Barons and as many of powre as they could to their new and naturall King from this excommunicate stranger and his adherents And bred great fluctuation in the mindes of most of
breake the truce made with the King of France who was now too strong for them to doe any good c. Notwithstanding many of the greatest Peeres drawne by faire promises and their owne hopes for recouerie of their Estates so preuaile as the action is resolued on and an Ayde demaunded for the same The very motion for money was so distastefull as presently all the Kings supplies made from the beginning of his raigne are particulerly againe opprobriously rehersed as the 13. 15. 16 and 40 part of all mens moueables besides Carucage Hydage Escuage Escheates Amercements and such like A repetitiō of the Kings supplies formerly made which could not but fill his Coffers Then the Popes continuall exactions with the infinite charge for those who vndertooke the Holy warre are likewise repeated Besides they declare how the 30 leuied about foure yeares past in regard it was to bee layde vp in certaine Castles and not to bee issued but by the allowance of foure of the Peeres was as they held it yet vnspent the King to their knowledge hauing had no necessarie occasion to imploy the same for the vse of the Common-wealth for which it was graunted and therefore resolutely they denyed to yeeld him any more Whereupon the King comes himselfe to the Parliament and in most submissiue manner craues their ayde at this time vrging the Popes letter which hee had procured to sollicite and perswade them thereunto But all preuailed not their vow made to each other not to disseuer their voyces or to be drawne to a disvnion held them fast together In so much as the King is driuen to get what hee could of particular men either by guift or loane and vses such meanes as notwithstanding The King carries ouer 30 Barrells of siluer into France he carries ouer with him thirty Barrells of sterling coyne and taking with him his Queene leaues the gouernment of the Kingdome to the Archbishop of Yorke hauing first for his better quiet at home contracted a match betweene his daughter Margueret yet an infant and Alexander eldest sonne to Alexander 3 King of Scots to whom he commits the gouernment of the Marches This second expedition into France had no better successe then the first For therein The Kings second expedition into France he likewise consumed his treasure vpon strangers discontented the English Nobility was deceiued in his trust by the Poictouines who failed him with his money and after more then a whole yeares stay the Lords of England leauing him was driuen to make a dishonorable truce with the King of France And after hauing beene releeued with much prouision out of England and another imposition of Escuage hee returnes puts the Iewes to another redemption exacts of the Londoners is visited by his An imposition of Escuage with another redemption of the Iewes wiues mother the Countesse of Prouince who bringing with her Zanchia her daughter is to adde to his other expencesses sumptuously feasted a marriage solemnized betweene the young Lady and Richard Earle of Cornewall whose wife was late dead and he returned from the Holy warres The olde Countesse at her returne is presented with many rich guifts hauing besides The Countesse of Prouince mother to the Queen comes ouer into England to the great charge of the Kingdome receiued an annuall pension of 4000 Markes out of England for fiue yeares passed in consideration of a pact made that King Henry should after her discease haue the Earledome of Prouince But shortly after her returne home she disappoints him of that hope and bestowes the same with her youngest daughter Beautrix on Charles the French Kings brother who was after King of Naples and Sicile So that she liued to see all her foure daughters Queenes Richard Earle of Cornwall comming afterward to be elected King of the Romans Meanes now vpon these profusions to haue fresh supplie of Treasure was 1244. Anno. Reg. 28. onely by way of Parliament which is againe in Anno Reg. 28. assembled at Westminster and therein the Kings wants and the present occasions vrged for the necessarie defence of the Kingdome hauing now to doe with Wales and Scotland whose Princes lately reuolting ioyne together to annoy the same but nothing could bee effected 12 Parliament without the assurance of reformation and the due execution of the Lawes notwithstanding the King comes againe himselfe in person as before and pleades his owne necessities Here they desire to haue ordayned that foure of the most graue and discreet Peeres should be chosen as Conseruators of the Kingdome and sworne of the Kings Councell both to see Iustice obserued and the Treasure issued and these should euer attend about the King or at least 3 or 2 of them Besides that the Lord Chiefe Iusticiar and the Lord Chancellor should bee chosen by the generall voyces of the States assembled or else bee one of the number of those foure Besides they propound that there might bee two Iustices of the Benches two Barons of the Eschequer and one Iustice for the Iewes and those likewise to bee chosen by Parliament That as their function was publike so should also be their Election But whilst these things were in debating the enemy of mankind and disturber of Peace the Deuill saith Mat. Paris hindred the proceeding by the comming of Martin a new Legat sent from the Pope with a larger powre then euer any before to exact vpon the State which hee supposed now to haue beene so wrought and ready as the Kings turne being seru'd his likewise should bee presently supplied But making too much haste before the first had passage hee frustrates his owne desire and receiues a most peremptory repulse of the whole Kingdome in so much as his Agent was disgracefully returned home with this displeasing message That the Kingdome was poore had great warres the Church in debt not able to yeeld any more Besides this course was of daungerous consequence to this State which alone seemed exposed to the Popes will and therefore seeing a generall Councell was shortly to bee held at Lyons if the Church would bee relieued it were fit the same should bee done by a generall consent in that Councell Besides at this time the Emperour Frederic by his Letters which were openly read Vide Append. The Empetor Fredericks letters to the King in this Assembly first intreates as before he had oftentimes done that the Pope might haue no supplies out of England which he sayd were only required to ruine him whom contrarie to all Pietie and Iustice hee had oppressed by seizing vpon his Cities and Castles appertayning to the Empire And for many yeares notwithstanding his often submission and desire of Peace proceeded in all foule and Hostile manner against him both by the sword and vniust excommunications And seeing hee could obtaine no due hearing hee had referred his cause to bee arbitrated by the Kings of France and England and the Baronage of both Kingdomes And therefore
of lay Fee were appointed to finde an Archer on horse-backe of 25 pounds a Demilance and so ratably aboue The King himselfe goes in person to confirme and make the Flemings fast vnto him and at Sluce Iaques van Arteuile with other Commissioners from their chiefe Townes repaire vnto him where a motion is made that either Louys their Earle should do homage to the King of England or else be disinherited and Edward Prince of Wales receiued for their Lord for which King Edward promises to erect their County to a Dukedome Arteuile was forward to entertaine this motion but the rest of the Commissioners require leaue to acquaint therewith the Townes that sent them which though they were all desirous to haue the Protection of the King of England yet disliked the disinheriting of their naturall Lord. Arteuile notwithstanding vndertakes to induce them vnto it and returnes to Gant garded with fiue hundreth Welsh which he desired to haue for that one Gerrard Denyse Prouost of the Weauers opposed him and sought his distruction The people whom he had so often led to muteny against others now vpon his returne rose against himselfe and a Cobler with an Axe strake out his braines And so King Edward lost his great Agent which much displeased him and disappointed his businesse in those parts Yet the Townes sent to excuse themselues of this accident laying the fault on the turbulent Gantoys and in all things vowing their faithfull seruice vnto him onely to the disinheriting of their Earle they could not consent But they hoped to perswade him to become his homager and to procure a match betweene the sonne of their Earle and his daughter And thus pacifying his present displeasure the league is renued betwixt them and King Edward returnes to prosecute his other designes But now the warres in Guien grew hot the Earle of Darby Generall of the Army assaults and takes in Ville-Franche Agenois Angolesme Rions Saint Basile with many other Cities and Castles The French King sends his eldest sonne Iohn Duke of Normandie to incounter him who recouers the Cities of Angolesme and Ville-Franche thus is the sword out before the Truce is expired the breach wherof the French King layes on the King of England and hee the same on him for entertayning King Dauid and setting the Scots vpon attempts of inuasion of his Realme So that it seemes both were prepared to breake not able to holde their hands any longer from the fatall worke of destruction It was now the twentith yeare of this mighty and actiue Kings raigne wherein Reg. 20. Anno. 1346. hee had prepared the greatest Fleet that euer yet crossed the Seas for France and ouer hee passes into Normandy in Iuly leauing for Wardens of England in his absence the Lords Percy and Neuile taking the young Prince with him about the age of fifteene yeares to learne him the way of men and what trauell greatnesse was borne The king goes with a mighty Army into Normandy to indure to attaine glory in this world His Army consisted of foure thousand men at Armes and ten thousand Archers besides Welch Irish which followed on foot hee had of Earles Hereford Northampton Arundell Huntingdon Warwicke Suffolke and Oxford of Barones Mortimer who was after Earle of Marche Iohn Louys and Roger Beauchamp Cobham Lucy Basset Barkeley and Willoughbie with diuerse other both Knights and gallant Captaines Hee had of late entertayned Godfrey de Harcourt who had beene as a minion to the French King and became another Robert de Artois vpon some discontent or doubt of some discoueries of fauouring the English party in Brittaine for which cause the French King had a little before executed Oliuer de Clisson Bacon Percy Geffrey de Malestroit men of especiall marke whom hee had there imployed And now insteed of this Harecourt had wonne from King Edward the Lord Iohn de Beaumont who had long serued him was his wiues Vncle and acquainted Iohn de Beaumont when King Edward had made him Earle of Cambridge takes the French Kings part with all his courses Such is the trust of mercinaries who sell their faith for better entertainement Neither did this Harecourt long hold out but changed colours and made his peace with the French King his naturall Lord but in the meane time did him and his countrie much mischiefe For vpon King Edwards landing with his mighty Army in the Isle of Costantine in Normandy by his conduction hee made him one of his Marshals and the Earle of Warwicke the other The Earle of Arundell is appointed Constable He diuides his people into three battailes one to march on his left hand along the Sea coast the other on the right conducted by the two Marshals and himselfe in the midst with his mayne Army The Earle of Huntingdon imployed for Admirall of his Fleete was to take all the shippes hee found on the Sea The manner of King Ed. proceeding with his Army coast The three Armies by land lodged euery night in one field And first he sackes the City of Caranton slew all hee found armed or disarmed therein burnes razes desolates the Citie saying hee sacrificed those oblations to Bacon Percy and others whose heads hee found set vpon the principall gate vniustly massacred by Phillip Thence hee marches forward and tooke Saint Lo a rich Towne of marchandise and pillaged the same Then after some bickring became Maister of Caen and put all that countrey into so great terror as Falaise Lyseaux Honfleur strong walled townes rendered themselues vnto him This done hee spread his power in the Isle of France to draw out Phillip to the combate giuing out that hee would wrastle with him in the eye of all France on the great Theater before his capitall Citie of Paris Phillip this while held not his armes in his bosome but had ramassed one of the The French K. prepares to oppose K. Ed. fairest Armies saith the French History that euer was seene in France composed of French Lorraynes Alemaines Genouoys which hee led towardes Meulan where King Edward was said to haue made a stand and attended him but vpon report of his comming on retyres it was supposed hee fled for feare but the euent shewed that the great God of Armies had destined his victory for another place King Phillip followes and ouertakes him at a Village called Arenes a name remarkeable signifying the Sand to show on what vnstable earth all the trust of humaine forces and the designes of the great are founded This mighty Army of King Phillip hauing the aduantage to be at home where all was theirs made him account the victory certaine King Edward retires to gaine the Riuer of Some at Blanquetaque but the passage was to be disputed by the sword For Phillip had before sent thither Gundemar de Fay with a thousand horse and fixe thousand foot King Edward notwithstanding resolues to K. Ed. goes ouer the riuer of Some defeites the Fren. passe
this meanes in a manner attained to a soueraignty of the whole country But the Danes imbroiling his peace in the end of his raigne held him backe from enioying such a fulnesse of power as that wee may account him the absolute Monarch of the Kingdome nor yet any of his successors so long as the Danes Anno 802. continued vnsubiected For they hauing first made irruptions into the State in the raigne of the late King Britric his predecessor euer after held a part therof and afflicted the whole till they had attained the absolute soueraigntie to themselues The Danes were a people of Germanie next neighbours to the Saxons and of language and manners little different Possessing besides Cimbrica Chersonesus now called Denmarke The discription of the Danes all the Isles adiacent in the Baltique Sea and sometimes the kingdome of Norway A mightie rough and martiall Nation strong in shipping through their exercise of piracie and numerous in people for all suppliments Who perceiuing here the happie successe and plantation of the Saxons were drawne with desire and emulation likewise to put in for a part the coast lying open to inuasion and the many diuisions of the Land with the discord of Princes making them an easie way thereunto So that in a manner as soone as the Saxons had ended their trauailes with the Brittaines and drew to settling of a Monarchie the Danes as if ordained to reuenge their slanghters beganne to assault them with the like afflictions The long the many and horrible encounters betweene these two fierce Nations with the bloudshed and infinit spoiles committed in euery part of the Land are of so disordred and troublous memory that what with their asperous names together with the confusion of place times and persons intricately deliuered is yet a warre to the reader to ouer-looke them And therefore to fauour mine owne paines and his who shall get little profit thereby I passe them ouer After the death of Egbert Aethelwolph his sonne succeeded in the State with the title of King of the West Saxons onely and was a Prince more addicted to deuotion then action as may be seene by his donation of the tenth part of his Kingdome with exemption of all regall seruice for the seruice of God besides an annuitie of three hundred markes to be bestowed in pious vses at Rome whither he went twice in person whiâ—h his yongest sonne Alfred whom he especiall loued and whom Pope Leo the fourth annointed a King at eleuen yeares of age as if deuining of his future fortune Vpon his last iourney and whole yeares stay at Rome Aethelbald his eldest sonne combin'd with the Nobility of the West Saxons to keepe him out and depriue him vtterlie of his gouernment and wrought so as notwithstanding the great loue his people bare him he was brought to yeeld vp the Kingdome of the West Saxons to Aethelbald and retaine onely the Kingdome of the East Angles a State of farre lesse dignitie to himselfe After which raigning but two yeares Aethelbald succeeded in the whole and with great infamy marrying his fathers widow Iudith daughter to Charles le Chauue King of France enioyed it but two yeares and a halfe when Aethelred the second sonne of Aethelulph entred to the gouernment which hee held fiue yeares in continuall conflict with the Daues After whom ALFRED the mirrour of Princes made a King before he had a kingdom at An. 872. two and twenty years of his age in a yeare wherein eight seuerall battailes Alfred had been giuen to the Danes by the Saxons began his troublous raigne wherein he was perpetually in warre either against his enemies or else against vices First after a great danger to lose all he was forced to yeeld vp a part of the kingdome which was that of the East angles and Northumberland to Guthrum leader of the Danes whom vpon his baptization he made his confederate and owner of that by right which before he vsurped by violence And notwithstanding all the continuall and intricate toyle hee indured amidst the clattering and horror of armes he performed all noble actions of peace collecting first K. Alfred first made collection of the Saxon Lawes the Lawes of his predecessors and other the Kings of the Saxons as those of Offa King of Mercna-land and Aethelbert the first Christian English King of which by the graue aduise and consent of his States assembled hee makes choice of the fittest abrogates those of no vse and addes other according to the necessity of the time And for that the wildenesse of warre by the reason of these perpetuall conflicts with strangers had so let out the people of the Land to vnlawfull riots and rapine that no man could trauaile without conuoy he ordained the diuision of shires Hundreds The first deuision of the Land into Shires Hundreds and Tithings and Tithings that euery Englishman now the generall name for all the Saxons liuing legally might be of a certaine Hundred or Tithing out of which hee was not to remooue without security and out of which if hee were accused of any crime hee was likewise to produce sureties for his behauiour which if hee could not finde hee was to endure the punishment of the Law If any malefactor before or after hee had put in suerties escaped all the Tithing or Hundred were fined to the King by which meanes he secured trauailers and the peace of his Country The opinion he had of learning made him often complaine the want thereof imputing it amongst his greatest infortunes to haue been bred without it and to haue his kingdome so vtterly destitute of learned men as it was through the long continuance of this barbarous warre which made him send out for such as were any way famous for letters and hauing gotten them hee both highly preferred them and also as they doe who knowe not to much themselues held them in great veneration Rarenesse then setting a higher price on meaner parts then after Plenty did on more Publique Schooles first erected perfections Grimbald and Scotus hee drew out of France Asser who wrote his life out of Wales other from other parts hee was the first lettered Prince we had in England by whose meanes and incouragement publique Schooles had here either their reuiuing or beginning Those wants of his owne made him take a greater care for the education of his sonnes with whom were bred vnder most diligent masters almost all the children of the Nobility within his kingdome All his owne time he could cleare from other businesse he bestowed in study and did himselfe and caused others to translate many things in the vulgar tongue which he laboured it seemes much to adorne and especially affected the Saxon meeters Mat. Westm. whereby to glorifie that of a King he attained the title of Poet. The naturall day consisting of 24 houres hee cast into three parts whereof eight he spent in prayer study and writing eight in the
seruice of his body eight in the affaires of his State Which spaces hauing then no other engine for it hee measured by a great waxe light deuided into so many parts receiuing notice by the keeper thereof as the seuerall houres passed in the burning With as faire an order did he proportion his reuenues equalling his liberties to all The first suruay of the kingdome his other expences whereof to make the current run more certaine he tooke a precise notice of them and made a generall suruay of the kingdome and had all the particulars of his estate registred in a booke which he kept in his treasury at Winchester And within this circumference of order hee held him in that irregularity of fortune with a weake disposition of body and raigned 27 yeares leauing his sonne Edward a worthie successor to maintaine the line of Noblenesse thus begun by him EDWARD though hee were farre inferiour to him in learning went much beyond him in power for he had all the kingdom of Mercna-land An. 900. in possession whereof Alfred had but the homage some write held Edwardus Senior soueraigntie ouer the East Angles Northumbrians though we finde in the ioynt Lawes that he and Guthrum made together they held the same confederation fore-concluded by Alfred He also subdued the Brittaines in Wales fortified furnished with garrisons diuerse townes in England that lay fit to preuent the incursions of the Danes and was all his raigne of 23 yeares in continuall action and euer beforehand with fortune And surely his father he and many that succeded during this Danicque warre though they lost their ease wonne much glory renowne For this affliction held them so in as hauing little out-lets or leisure for ease luxury they were made the more pious iust carefull in their gouernment otherwise it had been impossible to haue held out against the Danes as they did being a people of that power vndauntable stomack as no fortune could deterr or make to giue ouer their hold And the imbecility of some vnactiue Prince at that time had beene enough to haue let them quite into the whole Which may be the cause that in the succession of some of these Kings were certaine ruptures made out of course in respect of their ablenesse As first after the death of this renowned King Edward Senior his sonne ATHELSTAN of full yeares and spirit was notwithstanding the bracke An. 924. in his birth preferred before his legitimate sonne Edmond vnder age Nor Athelstan a Bastard preferred before the lawfull sonne did Athelstan disappoint the kingdome in this worke but performed all noble parts of Religion Iustice and Magnanimitie after sixteen yeares raigne died without issue EDMOND his brother succeded him A Prince likely to haue equalled An. 940. the worth of his Predecessors had he not vntimely perished by the hand of a base Out-law in his owne house at a festiuall amidst his people that dearely Edmond loued and honoured him And though he left two sonnes yet was EDRED his brother preferred to the kingdome before them who making An. 946. no variation from the line of Vertue continued by his ancestors was Edred or Eldred held perpetually in work by the Danes during the whole time of his raigne which was of ten yeares EDWIN his nephew the eldest sonne of Edmond succeded him an irregular Edwin youth who interrupting the course of goodnes liued dissolutely died wishedly Otherwise had Edgar the other sonne of Edmond continued that rare succession of good Princes without the interposition of any ill which is not in the Fate of a kingdome EDGAR though he were but sixteen yeares of age yet capable of counsell An. 959. was by the graue aduise of his Bishops who in that time of zeale held especially Edgar the raines on the hearts and affections of men put directed in the way of goodnesse and became a most heroicall Prince Amongst other his excellent actions of gouernment hee prouided a mighty Nauy Edgar prouides shipping to secure his coasts from inuasion which now he found though late was the onely meane to keepe out those miseries from within that thus lamentably afflicted the land euer before negligent or not inured to Sea-affaires For when the Romans first subdued the same there was no shipping but a few small vessells made of wicker and couered with hides whereby they and after the Danes both mighty as those times gaue in shipping found that easie footing they had Yet Egbert is said to haue prouided a strong Nauy about the yeare 840. And Alfred thirty or forty yeares after did the A most vsefull progresse like But either now dis-used or consumed by the enemy Edgar re-edifies and sets forth a Fleet consisting as some write of 1600 saile others a farre greater number those hee deuides and places in foure parts of the Realme making his progresses yearly with part of his mighty Nauy round about the whole Isle whereof hee assumed the title of King And to reduce it all to one name Monarchie he was intitled King of all Albion as testifies his Charter granted to the Abby of Maldesmesbury in these words Ego Edgarus totius Albionis Basileus nec non Maritimorum seu insulanorum Regum circum habitantium c. For he hauing first of all other made peace with the Danes and granted them quiet cohabitation through all his dominions had the soueraigntie ouer them And Kenneth King of Scots did him homage whether for Cumberland and Westmerland giuen to that Crowae by King Emond his father or for his whole Kingdome I cannot say And fiue Kings of Wales did the like for their Country and came all to his Court at Cardiffe So that hee seemes the first and most absolute Monarch of this land that hitherto we finde The generall peace that held all his time honoured his name with the title of Pacificus and rendred his Kingdome neuer before acquainted with the glory of quietnesse very flourishing But as if the same had beene giuen to shew and not to vse like a short calme betwixt stormes it lasted but little beyond his raigne of sixteene yeares being too short to close the diffeuered ioynts of a commixed Hee raigned 16. yeares Kingdome which was onely to haue beene the worke of Time and that none of these late Princes who were best like to haue aduanced and confirmed the State of a Monarchie were ordained to haue But all as if things would another way Saint Edward were put off from their ends by their vntimely deaths as was this glorious young An. 975. Prince in the two and thirtith yeare of his age leauing his sonne Edward a child to vndergoe the miseries of nonage to bee made a sacrifice for ambition and a Saint by persecution through the hand of a step mother who to aduance her owne Ethelred brake in ouer the bounds of
it halfe Denmarke and liue Knute BVT by this meanes Knute attained the absolute dominion of the whole An. 1018. Kingdome which hee gouerned with better Iustice then he got it conforming Knute the first Daâ—ique King his natiue roughnesse to a more ciuill and regular fashion of life And to haue England see that now he was hers he sends away his Nauie and stipendary souldiers home to their countries and puts himselfe wholy vpon this people taking the way of mildnesse a better meanes for his establishment then force but the Land paid for the remuneration of 83000. pounds paide to King Knute fot euacuation of Strangers his people this euacuation of Strangers 83000 pounds of sisuer which it rather consented to doe at once then to haue them a daily burthen to pester the State for euer At his first comming to the Crowne he sought to rid himselfe as well of his friends as of those might prooue his enemies Edric who came first to salute him sole King of England as if to tell that he made him so hee caused his head to be set on the highest part of the Towre of London therein performing his promise of aduancing him aboue any Lord of the Land and thereby discharged himselfe of such a debt which though he should haue paide would neuer yet bee held fully cleered giuing a generall satisfaction therby to the people that reioyced to see Treason so iustly rewarded Like compensation had shortly after the Earles Turkil Erick who being banished the Land were executed vpon their arriuall in Denmarke But the loue and high opinion of Iustice he got in these were lost againe in those actions wherein he tooke counsell onely of his feares for the extirpation of all those of the Royall bloud of England As of Edwin and Edward the sonnes of the late King Edmond to whom appertained the moietie of the Kingdome by contract and of Edwin his brother which three he sent to be murthered abroad to beguile the rumor at home But which is strange those times though rough affoorded not yet an instrument for the execution of his desire and all these Princes were preserued and conueyed out of danger by those who should haue made them away The two last were bred by Salomon King of Hungarie where Edward suruiuing his brother married Agatha sister to that Queene and daughter Edward married to Agatha the Queene of Hungaries sister to the Emperour Henry the second by whom hee had two sonnes Emond and Edgar daughters Margaret and Christina Aelfred and Edward sonnes of King Ethelred by Emme were preserued by Richard Duke of Normandie their Vnkle and so lay out of his way This priuate iniustice which often may be more in compassion then hurt to the State hee sought to recompence with all publique satisfactions repairing the naufrage of the common-wealth made by the rage of warre both in ornament and order erecting Churches and Monasteries with large patents of prouisions both for the expiation of his immanities fore-committed and to memorize the places of his victories with his thankefulnesse to God The Constitutions Ecclesiasticall and Ciuile diuulged in the language of that time testifie his tender piety and care of Iustice and are so full of religious admonitions His erection of Churches and of Church gouernment as it seemes he held the best meanes to haue lawes obserued was by hauing them first enacted in the consciences of men Amongst others hee inflicted exact punishment on all intempetances of his people and offences committed against publique manners Seuere he was but not cruell few of his lawes sanguinarie as being not the custome of the time which though rough yet found meanes to maintaine publique order without that luctuall remedie of bloud No punishments capitall vnlesse conspiracies the rest were all pecuniarie mulcts banishments bondage or imprisonment To shew his clemeucy this amongst many is one example there was a law that Whosoeuer had committed theft and the goods found in his house all his family were made bond euen to the child in the cradle This he abrogates as most vniust and ordaines That onely the malefactor and such as should aide him should endure the punishment and that the wife vnlesse the things stolne were found vnder her locke should not be guilty ef her husbands offence Thus was hee to his people with whom hee is sayd to haue so well cleered himselfe howsoeuer he did with God that he became King of their affections as well as of their Countrie And to maintaine this opinion hee did many popular acts as first all Rites of Honor and reuerence to the memorie of the late King Edmond his confederate besides the executing all such as could bee found to haue had any hand in that murther Then married he here at home Emme late wife to King Ethelred though it were more for his honour then hers to accept his bed that had beene the persecutor of her husband and children whereby hee held the Duke of Normandie from attempting any thing for his Nephewes in regard his sister might haue other by him Hauing thus established this mightie Kingdome occasion prepares him another The people of Norway contemning the debilitie of their King and conspiring to depose him grew into faction whereupon hee fastens and with the great forces hee brought out of England the might of money and high estimation of his worthinesse so preuailed as hee soone obteyned that Kingdome and was now the most renowned and potent Prince in all these parts of the world intitled King of England Denmarke Knute King of England Denmarke and Norway and Norway Herewithall grew his magnificence as wide as his power and was especially extended to the Church which hee laboured most to gratifie either for the conscience of his deedes or that his people generally addicted to deuotion might be made the more his And holding it not enough to powre out his immense bounty heere within the land seekes to make Rome also feele the fulnesse thereof whither he went in person and performed many workes of charitie and honour both there and in all his voyage Hee freed the Saxon schoole his predecessors of England had founded from all imposition as he did likewise all Streights and passages where trauailers were with rigor constrained to pay toll Of his entertainment at Rome with the Pope Conrade the Emperour and diuerse other Princes of the Christian world himselfe writes to the Bishops and Nobility of England and withall exhorts them very powerfully To haue an especiall regard to the due administration of Iustice to all his subiects alike without doing the least wrong for The effect of King Kautes Letter his gaine hauing no neede as hee sayd to aduance his reuenue by sinne And also charges them to see all Church-scot Rome-scot fully cleered before his returne The actiue vertue of this Prince being the mightiest and most absolute Monarch that euer yet appeared in this Kingdome the author
of a cloze and first of a new Gouernment Knute the most absolute monarck of this kingdome of any that was before him is such as shewes hee striued by all worthie waies to lay the ground-worke of a State which according to his frame was either to hold good to his posteritie or not And as likely was he to haue beene the roote of a succession spreading into many discents as was afterward the Norman hauing as plentifull an issue masculine as he besides he raigned neere as long farre better beloued of disposition more bountifull and of power larger to doe good But it was not in his fate his children miscaried in the succession and all this great worke fell in a manner with himselfe Harald HArald the eldest sonne of Knute some write by his fathers ordinance An. 1038. others by the election of the Danique Nobilitie in an assembly at Oxford was made King whereas Godwin Earle of Kent and the Nobility of England would haue chosen Hardiknute borne of Queene Emme or else Alfride the sonne of Ethelred who is sayd to haue come out of Normandy vpon the death of Knute to claime the Crowne But Harald being at hand carried it The first act of whose raigne was the banishment and suiprizing all the Treasure of his step-mother Queene Emme Then the putting out the eyes Haroids crueltie of Alfried her sonne his competitor and committing him to a loathsome prison where he died For which deed the Earle Godwyn beares a foule marke as betraying him Queene Emme repaires to Baldouin Earle of Flanders her kinsman where she remained during the raigne of Harald which was but of foure yeares and then with her sonne Hardiknute who came out of Denmarke as it seemes prepared for some thing else then to visit her at Bridges returned into England Hardiknute THis Hardiknute inuested in the Gouernment soone frustrated the hope An. 1041. and opinion fore-conceiued of him and first in like sort beganne with that degenerous act of reuenge wherein none are sayd so much to delight in as women causing the body of the late King to be vntomb'd the head cut off and throwne into Thames Then makes inquisition for such as were guiltie of the death of Alfride his brother by the mother whereof Earle Godwin and the Bishop of Worcester are accused The Bishop is disposest his Sea and the Earle with a rich and rare deuised present in forme of a ship of gold appeased that furie making protestation of his innocency before the whole Nobility with whom in respect his deepe roote had spread so many branches he stood firme and all the blame was layde to the violence and rankor of the late King Besides the offending these great men hee added a generall grieuance to the whole Kingdome by a prodigall largesse giuing to euery Mariner of his Nauy eight Markes and to euery Maister tenne which he imposed to bee paide by the State But after hauing called home Edward his other halfe-brother out of Normandy hee liued not long for farther violences Dying suddenly the second yeare of his raigne in the celebration of a marriage at Lambeth in his greatest iolity not without suspition of poyson And with him ended the Gouernment of the Danes in England hauing onely continued 26 yeares vnder these three last Kings and that without any cracke or noyse by The reason of the extinction of the Danes in England reason the nation had no predominant side that might sway the State in respect of the remission of their power home in the first yeare of Knute and no great admission of others after and that such as were here before were now so incorporated with the English as they made one body and most of them planted in the remote parts of the An. 1042. Kingdome that lay ouer against Denmarke where by that which with all the strugling no power or diligence of man could resist expired of it selfe leauing England to a King of her owne and Denmarke to ciuill discord about the succession Norwey likewise returning obedience to a sonne of Olaue recouered quietnesse and a home-borne King Edward the Confessor EDWARD the sonne of Ethelred is sent for into Normandy and by Edward the Confessor the whole State elected and Crowned King of England at Winchester by Edsine Arch-bishop of Canterbury Anno 1042. being about forty An. 1042. yeares of age Godwin Earle of Kent was a principall agent in his preserment but for his owne ends The Kingdome as hauing deerly paide for the admission of strangers ordained that he should not bring any Normanes with him The first Act he did was the remission of Danegilt imposed by his Father which amounted to forty thousand pounds yearely and had beene payde for forty yeares past He caused the Lawes to be collected out of those of the Mercians West Saxons Danes and Northumbrians and to be written in Latine He was a Prince most highly renowned for his piety and fit for no other then the calme time he had For hauing beene so long brought vp with the Nunnes at Iumieges in Normandy he scarce knew to be a man when he came into England And to shew how little he vnderstood himselfe they note how in a great anger he sayd to a base fellow that disturbed his game in hunting I would punnish thee were I able And asif he had vowed their continencie with whom he was bred he was so farre from knowing other women either through conscience or debility as his owne wife His continencie after his death protested her selfe free from any carnall act done by him and yet liued he for the most part with her in all formall shew of marriage The soft simplicity of this King gaue way to the greatnesse of the Earle Godwin Earle Godwins greatnesse and his children who for that he would seeme the especiall man in his preferment to the Crowne and by matching his daughter Edith to him swayed chiefly the wheele of that time and yet not without opposition For Syward Earle of Northumberland and The Earles Syward and Leofrike men of Noble actions Leofrike Earle of Hereford men of as great State and spirit seeing him most for himselfe became more for the King and had their turne in performing very noble actions Nor did their emulation but much conduce to the present benefit both of the King and State For the Earle Syward would not be behind hand in effecting as braue deeds in the North as Harold Earle of Westsex the sonne of the Earle Godwin performed against the Welsh in the West For thefirst depriued of life and Crowne Macbeth an vsurper and inuested Malcolin in the Kingdome of Scotland the other defeited Ris and Griffine two brothers Kings of Wales and subdued that Prouince to this Crowne Besides the Earle Godwin had to struggle with an Arch-bishop of Canterbury Robert a Norman preferred from a Monke first to London and after to that Sea by the King inwardly affecting
beganne to disturbe his new gouernment was his owne yonger brother Toustayne who in the time of the late King Edward hauing the Gouernment The Kings brother Toustayne banished of Northumberland was for his pride and immanities shewed in those parts banished the Kingdome and now by reason of his former conceiued hatred against his brother easily set on by the Duke of Normandy and Baldouin Earle of Flanders whose two daughters the Duke and he had married assailes first the Isle of Wight and after sets vpon the coast of Kent whence he was chased by the power of Harald and forced to withdraw into the North parts and there seeking to land was likewise repulsed by the Earles Morchar and Edwyn Then craues he aide of the Scots and after of Harald surnamed Harfager King of Norwey being then taking in the Orchades and exercising piracy in those parts whom he induced with all his forces to inuade England And landing at Tinmouth discomfeiting their first incounters they marched into the heart His death with the King of Norwey of the Kingdome without resistance Neere Stamford King Harald of England met them with a puissant Army and after long and eager fight ended the day with victory and the death of his brother Toustayne and the King of Norwey But from hence was he called with his wearied and broken forces to a more fatall businesse in the South For now William Duke of Normandy pretending a right to the Crowne of England by the testament of the late King Edward his Kinsman vpon the This Battell was fought in Sussex 7 miles from Hastings vpon Saterday the 14 of October 1066. aduantage of a busie time and the disfurnishment of those parts lauded at Pemsey not farre from Hastings in Sussex neere to which place was tried by the great Assize of Gods iudgement in battell the right of power betweene the English and Norman Nation A battell the most memorable of all other and how socuer miserably lost yet most nobly fought on the part of England and the many wounds of Harald there slaine with 60 thousand 9 hundred 74 of the English shew how much was wrought The King valor and death to haue saued their Countrey from the calamity of forraine seruitude And yet how so great a Kingdome as England then was could with one blow be subdued by so small a Prouince as Normandy in such sort as it could neuer after come to make any generall head against the Conquerour might seeme strange did not the circumstances fore-noted and other concurrent causes hereafter to be declared giue vs faire and probable reasons thereof Besides the indisposition of a diseased Williā Malmsbury time as it is described by such as liued neerest it may giue vs great euidence in this examination For they say the people of this Kingdome were by their being secure from their former enemie the Dane and their long peace which had held in a manner from the death of King Edmond Ironside almost fifty yeares growne neglectine of Armes and generally debaushed with luxurie and idlenesse the Cleargie licentious William Malmsburie and onely content with a tumultuarie learning The Nobility giuen to Gluttonie Venety and Oppression The common sort to Drunkennesse and all disorder And they say that in the last action of Harald at Stamford the brauest men perished and himselfe growing insolent vpon the victory retaining the spoyles without distribution to his souldiers not inured to be commanded by Martiall discipline made them discontent and vnruly and comming to this battell with many mercinary men and a discontented Army gaue great occasion to the lamentable losse thereof Besides the Normans had a peculiar fight with long bowes wherewith the English then altogether vnacquainted were especially ouerthrowne And yet their owne Writers report how the maine Battallion of the English consisting of Bils their chiefe and antient weapon held in a body so close lockt together as no force could dissolue them till the Normans faining to flye drew them to a disordered a route And so they excuse the fortune of the day The body of King Harald which at the sute of his mother who sent two Monkes of the Abbey of Waltham to intreate the same of the Conqueror was after much King Harold buried at Waltham search amongst the heapes of the dead found and interred in the same Abbey which himselfe had founded He was a King who shewes vs nothing but misery raigned least and lost most of any other He left foure sonnes Godwin Edmond Magnus and His Issue Wolfe the two eldest fled after this battell into Ireland and from thence made some attempts vpon the Westerne coasts of England but to little effect And here ended the line of the Saxon Kings about fiue hundreth yeares after the first comming in of Hingist and their plantation in this Kingdome And thus haue I in the streightest coutse wherein that vneuen Compasse of Antiquity could direct me got ouer the wide and intricat epassage of those times that lay beyond the worke I purpose more particularly to deliuer And now The Life and Raigne of William I. I Come to write of a time wherein the State of England receiued an alteration An. 1066. of Lawes Customes Fashion manner of lining Language-Writing with new formes of Fights Fortifications Buildings and generally an innouation in most things but Religion So that from this mutation which was the greatest it euer had we are to begin with a new accompt of an England more in dominion abroad more in State and ability at home and of more honour and name in the world then heretofore which by being thus vndone was made as if it were in the fate thereof to get more by loosing then otherwise For as first the Conquest of the Danes brought it to the intyrest Gouernment it euer possest at home and made it most redoubted of all the Kingdomes of the North so did this of the Norman by comming in vpon it make a way to let out Englands territories ouershootes the Ocean and stretch the mighty armes thereof ouer the Seas into the goodly Prouinces of the South For before these times the English Nation from their first establishment in this Land about the space of 500. yeares neuer made any sally out of the Isle vpon any other part of the world but busied at home in a deuided State held a broken Gouernment with the Danes and of no great regard it seemes with other Nations till Knute lead them forth into the Kingdome of Norwey where they first shewed effects of their valour and what they would be were they imployed But the Normans hauing more of the Sunne and ciuility by their commixtion with the English begat smoother fashions with quicker motions in them then before And being a Nation free from that dull disease of drinke wherewith their former Conquerours were naturally infected induced a more comely temperance with a neerer regard of reputation and honour For
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
of a thousand saile and was aided with sixe hundreth more by Robert le Frison Earle of Flanders whose daughter he had married But the winds held so contrary for two yeares together as vtterly quasht that enterprize and freed the King and his successors for euer after from future molestation that way But this businesse put the State to an infinit charge the King entertayning all that time besides his Normans Hugh brother to the King of France with many companies 1078. Anno. Reg. 12. of French Finding the English in respect of many great families allied to the Danes to incline rather to that Nation then the Norman and had experience of the great and neere intelligence continually passing betweene them And these were all the warres he had within the Kingdome sauing in An. Regni 13. he subdued Wales and brought the kings there to doe him homage His warres abroad 1079. Anno. Reg. 13 were all about his Dominions in France first raised by his owne sonne Robert left Lieuftenant gouernor of the Dutchie of Normandy and the Countie of Mayne who in his fathers absence tasting the glorie of commaund grew to assume the absolute The Kings of wales doe homage to King william rule of the Prouince causing the Barons there to do him homage as Duke not as Lieutenant leagues him with the King of France who working vpon the easinesse of his youth and ambition was glad to apprehend that occasion to disioynt his estate who was growen too great for him And the profusse largesse and disorderlie expence whereto Robert was addicted is nourished by all waies possible as the meanes to imbrake him in those difficulties of still getting mony that could not but needs yeeld continuall occasion to intertain both his own discontent theirs from whom his supplies must be raised And though thereby he purchased him the title of Courtois yet he lost the Robert of Normandy titled Courtois opinion of good gouernment and constrayned the estates of Normandie to complaine to his father of the great concussion and violent exactions he vsed amongst them The King vnderstanding the fire thus kindled in his owne house that had set others all in combustion hasts with forces into Normandie to haue surprized his sonne who aduertised of his comming furnisht with two thousand men at Armes by the King of France lay in ambush where he should passe sets vpon him defeited most of his people and in the pursuite happened to incounter with himselfe whom hee vnhorsed and wounded in the arme with his Launce but perceiuing by his voice it was his father he hasted to remounte him humbly crauing pardon for his offence which the father seeing in what case he was granted howsoeuer he gaue and vpon his submission tooke him with him to Rouen whence after cured of his hurt hee returned with his sonne William likewise wounded in the fight into England Long was it not ere he was againe inform'd of his sonnes remutyning and how hee exacted vpon the Normans vsurpt the intire gouernment and vrged his fathers promise 1080. Anno. Reg. 14. thereof made him before the King of France vpon his Conquest of England which caused his litle stay heere but to make preparations for his returne into those parts whether in passing he was driuen on the Coast of Spaine but at length ariuing at Burdeaux with his great preparations his sonne Robert came in and submitted himselfe Robert rebels against his father the second time whom he now tooke with him into England to frame him to a better obedience imploying him in the hard and necessitous warres of Scotland the late peace being betweene the two Kings againe broken and after sent him backe 1081. Anno. Reg. 15. and his young sonne Henry with the association of charge and like power but of more trust to the gouernment of Normandie After the two Princes had beene there a while they went to visite the King of France at Constance where feasting certaine dayes vpon an after dinner Henry wanne 1082. Anno. Reg. 16. so much at chesse of Louis the Kings eldest sonne as hee growing into choller called him the sonne of a Bastard and threw the Chesse in his face Henry takes vp the Chesse-bord and strake Louis with that force as drew bloud and had killed him had not his brother Robert come in the meane time and interposed himselfe Whereupon Louis and Henry sonnes of the Kings of France and England they suddenly tooke horse and with much adoe they recouered Pontoise from the Kings people that pursued them This quarrell arising vpon the in-ter-meeting of these Princes a thing that seldome breeds good bloud amongst them re-enkindled a heate of more rancor in the fathers and beganne the first warre betweene the English and French For presently the King of France complots againe with Robert impatient of a partner cnters Normandie and takes the Citie of Vernon The King of England inuades France subdues the Country of Zaintonge and Poictou and returnes to 1026. Anno. Reg. 20 Rouen where the third time his sonne Robert is reconciled vnto him which much disappoints and vexes the King of France who thereupon summons the King of England to doe him homage for the Kingdome of England which he refused to doe saying Hce held it of none but God and his sword For the Dutchie of Normandie hee offers him homage but that would not satisfie the King of France whom nothing would but what King William denies to do homage for England to the King of France he could not haue the Maistery and seekes to make any occasion the motiue of his quarrell and againe inuades his territories but with more losse then profit In the end they conclude a certaine crazie peace which held no longer then King William had recouered a sicknesse whereinto through his late trauaile age and corpulencie he was falne at which time the King of France then yong and lustie ieasting at his great belly wherof he said he lay in at Rouen so irritated him as being recouered he gathers al 1087. Anno. Reg. 21. his best forces enters France in the chiefest timeof their fruits making spoile of all in his way till hee came euen before Paris where the King of France then was to whom he sends to shew him of his vp-sitting and from thence marched to the Citie of Mants which he vtterly sackt and in the distruction thereof gate his owne by the straine of his horse among the breaches and was thence conueyed sicke to Ronen and so ended all his warres Now for his gouernment in peace and the course hee held in establishing the His gouernment in peace Kingdome thus gotten first after he had represt the conspiracies in the North and well quieted all other parts of the State which now being absolutely his hee would haue to bee ruled by his owne Law hee beganne to gouerne all by the Customes of Normandie Whereupon the agreeued Lords and
alteration though in the best kinde with this change of State And to giue entertainment to deuotion hee did all he could to furnish his Church with the most exquisite ornaments might be procured added a more State and conueniencie to the structure of religious houses and beganne the founding of Hospitals Hauing long struggled with indefatigable labour to hold things in an euen course during the whole raigne of this busie new state-building King and after his death seeing his successor in the Crowne established especially by his meanes to faile his expectation out of the experience of worldly causes deuining of future mischiefes by present courses grew much to lament with his friends the teadiousnesse of life which shortly after hee mildly left which such a sicknesse as neither hindred his speech nor memory a thing he would often desire of God William Fiz Auber as is deliuered was a principall councellor and instument in this action for England wherein hee furnished forty ships at his owne charge A man of great meanes yet of a heart greater and a hand larger then any meanes would well suffice His profuse liberalities to men of armes gaue often sharpe offence to the King who could not indure any such improuident expences Amongst the Lawes hee William Fitz Auber Earle of Hereford made Lawes in his Prouince made which shewes the power these Earles then had in their Prouinces he ordained That in the Countie of Hereford no man of or souldiour should bee fined for anie offence whatsoeuer aboue seuen shillings when in other Countries vpon the least occasion of disobeying their Lords will they were forced to pay 20. or 25. shil But his estate seeming to beare no proportion with his minde enough it was not to be an eminent Earle an especiall Councellor in all the affaires of England and Normandie a chiefe fauorite to so great a Monarch but that larger hopes drew him away designing to marrie Richeld Countesse dowager of Flanders and to haue the gouernment of that Countrie during the non-age of Arnulph her sonne of whom with the King of France he had the tutelarie charge committed by Baldouin the sixth Father to Arnulph whose estate Robert Le Frison his Vncle called by the people to the gouernment vpon the exactions inflicted on them by Richeld had vsurped And against him Fitz Auber opposing was with Arnulph surprized and slaine And this was in the fate of the Conqueror to see most of all these great men who had beene the especiall actors in all his fortunes spent and extinct before him As Beaumont Monfort Harcourte Hugh de Gourney Vicount Neele Hugh de Mortimer Conte de Vannes c. And now himselfe after his being brought sicke to Rouan and there disposing The death of William the first his estate ended also his act in the 74 yeare of his age and the one and twenty of his raigne Three dayes the Corpes of this great Monarch is sayd to haue layne neglected while his seruants attended to imbessill his moueables in the end his yongest sonne Henry had it conueyed to the Abbey of Cane where first at the entry into the Towne they His Corps lay vnburied 3. dayes who carried the Corpes left it alone and ran all to quench a house on fire Afterward brought to be intombed a Gentleman stands sorth and in sterne manner forbids the interment in that place claiming the ground to be his inheritance descended from his His interment hindered Ancestors and taken from him at the building of that Abbey appealing to Row their first founder for Iustice whereupon they were faine to compounded with him for an Annuall rent Such adoe had the body of him after death who had made so much in his life to be brought to the earth and of all he attained had not now a roome to containe him without being purchased at the hand of another men esteeming a liuing Dogge more then a dead Lyon He had a faire issue by Maude his wife foure sonnes and sixe daughters To Robert His issue his eldest he left the Duchy of Normandy to William the third sonne the Kingdome of England to Henry the yongest his treasure with an annuall pension to be payd him by his brothers Richard who was his second sonne and his darling a Prince of great hope was slaine by a Stagge hunting in the new Forrest and began the fatalnesse that followed in that place by the death of William the second there slaine with an arrow and of Richard the sonne of Robert Duke of Normandy who brake his necke His eldest daughter Cicilie became a Nunne Constance married to the Earle of Brittaine Adula to Stephen Earle of Biois who likewise rendred her selfe a Nunne in her age such was then their deuotion and so much were these solitary retires affected by the greatest Ladies of those times Gundred married to William de Warrein the first Earle of Surrey the other two Ela or Adeliza and Margaret died before marriage Now what he was in the circle of himselfe in his owne continent we find him of The description of William the first an euen stature comely personage of good presence riding sitting or standing till his corpulency increasing with age made him somewhat vnwildy of so strong a constitution as he was neuer sickly till a few moneths before his death His strength such as few men could draw his Bow and being about 50. of his age when he subdued this Kingdome it seemes by his continuall actions he felt not the weight of yeares vpon him till his last yeare What was the composition of his mind we see it the fairest drawne in his actions and how his abilities of Nature were answerable to his vndertakings of Fortune as pre-ordained for the great worke he effected And though he might haue some aduantage of the time wherein we often see men preuaile more by the imbecility of others then their owne worth yet let the season of that world be well examined and a iust measure taken of his actiue vertues they will appeare of an exceeding proportion Nor wanted he those incounters and concurrencies of sufficient â—â—â—le Princes to put him to the triall thereof Hauing on one side the French to grapple withall on the other the Dane farre mightier in people and shipping then himselfe strongly sided in this Kingdome as eager to recouer their former footing here as euer and as well or better prepared His deuotion and mercy For his deuotion and mercy the brightest starres in the Spheare of Maiesty they appeare aboue all his other vertues and the due obseruation of the first the Clergie that loued him not confesse the other was seene in the often pardoning and receiuing into grace those who rebelled against him as if he held submission satisfactory for the greatest offence and sought not to defeit men but their enterprises For we find but one Noble man executed in all his Raigne and that was the Earle Waltheof who But
one Noble man executed in all the time of this Kings Raigne had twice falsified his faith before And those he held prisoners in Normandy as the Earles Morchar and Siward with Wolfnoth the brother of Harald and others vpon compassion of their indurance he released a little before his death Besides he was as farre from suspition as cowardize and of that confidence an especiall note of his magnanimity as he gaue Edgar his competitor in the Crowne the liberty of his Court And vpon his suite sent him well furnisht to the holy warre where he nobly behaued himselfe and attained to great estimation with the Empetours of Greece and Almaine which might haue beene held dangerous in respect of his alliances that way being graund-child to the Emperour Henry the third But these may be as well vertues of the Time as of Men and so the age must haue part of this commendation He was a benefactor to Nine Abbeys of Monkes and one of Nunnes founded by his Predicessors in Normandy and during his owne time were founded in the same Prouince seuen Abbeys of Monkes and sixe of Nunnes with which fortresses as he His workes of piety sayd he furnisht Normandy to the end men might therein fight against the flesh and the Diuell In England he founded a goodly Abbey where he fought his first Battell whereof it had the Denomination and two Nunneries one at Hinching-Brooke in Huntingdon shire and the other at Armthewt in Cumberland besides his other publique workes Magnificent he was in his Festiuals which with great solemnity and ceremony the formall entertainers of reuerence and respect he duly obserued Keeping his Christmas at Glocester his Easter at Winchester and Penticost at Westminster whither he summoned his whole Nobility that Embassadors and Strangers might see his State and largenesse Nor euer was he more milde and in dulgent then at such times And these Ceremonies his first Successor obserued but the second omitted The end of the Life and Raigne of William the first The Life and Raigne of William the second WILLIAM second sonne to William the first not attending his Fathers funerall hasts into England to recouer the Crowne where by the especiall 1087. Anno. Reg. 1. mediation of the Arch-bishop Lanfranc his owne large bounty and wide promises he obtained it according to his Fathers will to whom by his obsequiousnesse he had much indeered himselfe especially after the abdication of his elder brother Robert He was a Prince more gallant then good and hauing beene bred with the sword alwayes in action and on the better side of fortune was of a nature rough and haughty whereunto his youth and Soueraignty added a greater widenesse Comming to succeed in a Gouernment fore-ruled by mature and graue Counsell he was so ouer-whelmed with his Fathers worth and greatnesse as made him appeare of a lesser Orbe then otherwise he would haue done And then the shortnesse of his Raigne being but of thirteene yeares allowed him not time to recouer that opinion which the errors of his first Gouernment had lost or his necessities caused him to commit For the succession in right of Primogeniture being none of his and the elder brother liuing howsoeuer his fathers will was he must now be put and hâ—â—â— in possession of the Crowne of England by the Will of the Kingdome which to purchace must be by large conditions of relieuements in generall and profuse guifts in particular Wherein he had the more to do being to deale with a State consisting of a two fold body and different temperaments where any inflammation of discontent was the more apt to take hauing a head where-to it might readily gather Which made that vnlesse he would lay more to their hopes then another he could not hope to haue them firmely his And therefore seeing the best way to winne the Normans was by money and the English with liberties he spared not at first to bestow on the one and to promise the other more then befitted his estate and dignity which when afterward failing both in supplies for great giuers must alwayes giue and also in performances got him farre more hatred then otherwise he could euet William the second resumes his owne Graunts haue had being forced to all the dishonorable shifts for raising moneys that could be deuised and euen to resume his owne former graunts And to begin at first to take the course to be euer needy presently after his Coronation he goes to Winchester where his Fathers Treasure laye and empties out all that which with great prouidence was there amassed whereby though he wonne the loue of many he lost more being not able to content all And now although his brother Robert had not this great Engine mony he had to giue hopes and there were here of the Normans as Odon his Vnkle Roger de Mongomery Earle of Shrewesbury with others who were mainly for him and worke he doth all hee can to batter his brothers fortunes vpon their first foundation And for this purpose borowes great summes of Robert of Normandy borrowes summes of his brother Henry to purchase the kingdome of England his younger brother Henry to whom the father and mother had left much Treasure and for the same ingages the Country of Constantine and leauies an Army for England But William newly inuested in the Crowne though well prepared for all assaults had rather purchase a present peace by mediation of the Nobles on both sides till time had better setled him in his gouernment then to raise spirits that could not easily bee allayed And an agreement betweene them is wrought that William should hold the Crowne of England during his life paying to Robert three thousand Markes Per annum Robert hauing closed this businesse resumes by force the Country of Constantin out of his brother Henries hands without discharge of those summes for which hee had ingaged it Whereupon King William obrayds Henry with the great gaine hee had made by his vsurie in lending money to depriue him of his Crowne And so Henry got the hatred of both his brothers and hauing no place safe from their danger where to liue surprized the Castle of Mount Saint Michel fortifies him therein gets ayde of Hugh Earle of Brittaine and for his money was serued with Brittains who committed great spoyles in the Countries of Constantin and Bessin Odon Bishop of Bayeux returning into England after his imprisonment in Normandie Odon for malice to Lanfranc seekes to distract the Kings forces and restored to his Earledome of Kent finding himselfe fo farre vnder what he had beene and Lanfranc his concurrent now the onely man in councell with the King complots with as many Norman Lords as hee found or made to affect change and a new maister and sets them on worke in diuers parts of the Realme to distract the Kings forces as first Geoffery Bishop of Constans with his nephew Robert de Mowbray Earle of Northumberland fortifie themselues in Bristow
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
fell all from themselues and with the same emulation they had in libertie stroue for their seruitude who should be first to receiue a forraine maister From Waterford the King goes to Dublin where hee holds an Assembly of all these subiect Kings with the Lords Spirituall and Temporall of Ireland for the further ratification of their allegiance and the ordering and reformation of the State Which done hee causes the Bishops with the Clergie there to assemble at Cassell and appoints an especiall Chaplaine of his owne with the Archdeacon of Landaff to bee assistants and aduisors vnto them for reformation of Church-businesses which seemes to haue beene Henries reformation of Ireland as disordred as the people for though the Irish had beene long before Christians it was after a wilde and mixt fashion and therefore according to his promise made to the late Pope and to doe a worke pleasing to the present it was decreed That all Church-lands should be free from the exaction of secular men and that from thence foorth all Diuine things should bee ordered and vsed in euerie part of Ireland according to the manner of the Church of England being fit as saith the Cannon that as Ireland hath by Gods mercy obtained a Lord and King out of England so from thence they should receiue a better forme of life and manners then heretofore they vsed His Christmasse he keepes at Dublin where he royally feasts all his Kings great men of the Countrey the rest of his being there he imployes in fortifying and planting Garnisons where most need required he makes Hugh Lacy Iustice of all Ireland giues him the keeping of Dublin and besides confirmed vnto him and his heires by his Charter the Countrey of Meth to hold the same in Fee for the seruice of a hundreth Knights he bestowes on Robert Fits Bernard the keeping of the Townes of Waterford and Weisford which he tooke from Fits Stephen the first inuador with charge to build Castles in them and to humble the Earle Strongbow and leuell him with the rest of his subiects he takes from him all his dependants and makes them his So was it but his winters worke to get a Kingdome which though thus easily won it proued more difficult and costly in the keeping by reason the prosequution of a full establishment thereof was neither by him or his successors hauing other diuertments euer throughly accomplished On Easter monday he sets out for England where he makes no stay but takes the young King along in his company and passes ouer into Normandy to meete other two Legates Theodinus and Albertus who were sent from Pope Alexander but in milder fashion then the last to examine the murther of the late Arch-bishop Becket Foure moneths were spent in debating the matter and in the end the King by his Oath taken vpon the Reliques of Saints and the holy Euangelists before the two Legates in the presence of King Henry the sonne the Arch-bishop of Rouen and all the Bishops and Abbots of Normandy in the Citty of Auranches purged himselfe of either commanding or consenting to the murther Yet for that he doubted least they who committed His purgation for Beckets murther the same might be moued thereunto by seeing him disturbed and in passion he tooke the same Oath that in satisfaction thereof he would faithfully performe these Articles following First neuer to forsake Pope Alexander nor his Catholicke Successors so long as they vsed him as a Catholicke King Secondly That Appeales should freely be made to the Pope in causes Ecclesiasticall Prouided that if any were suspected to worke euill to him or his Kingdome they should then put in security before they departed Thirdly That he would from Christmas next for three yeares to come vndertake the Crosse and the sommer fol lowing in person go to Ierusalem vnlesse he were stayed by the Pope or his Successors or imploied against the Sarasins in Spaine Fourthly That in the meane time he should deliuer so much money into the Templars hands as by their opinion would entertaine two hundreth souldiers in the Holy warre for one yeare Fiftly call home all such as had endured banishment for the Arch-bishop Sixtly Restore his possessions Seuenthly and lastly abolish all such customes as in his time had beene introduced to the preiudice of the Church After himselfe had sworne he caused Both Kings sweare to these Articles King Henry his sonne to sweare to all these Articles except such as concerned his owne person And for a more Memory in the Roman Church he caused his Seale to be set vnto them with that of the two Cardinals So ended this tedious businesse that made more noyse in the world then any he had and bowed him more beeing his ill fortune to grapple with a man of that free resolution as made his sufferings his glory had his ambition beyond this world set vp his rest not to yeeld to a King was onely ingaged to his cause had opinion and beliefe to take his part Which so much preuailed as the King seeking to maister him aduanced him and now is he faine to kneele and pray to his Shrine whom he had disgraced in his person and hauing had him aboue his will whilest he liued hath him now ouer his Faith being dead And yet 48. yeares after this saith the French History it was disputed among the Doctors of Paris whether he were damned or saued And one Roger a Norman maintained he had iustly deserued death for rebelling against his Soueraigne the Minister of God To make the better way to the ending of this businesse and content the King of Henry the sonne is again crowned with Margaret his wife Fraunce Henry the sonne is againe Crowned and with him Margaret his wife with permission shortly after to goe visite Paris where this young King apt inough though not to know himselfe yet to know his State receiued those instructions as made his ambition quite turne off his obedience and conceiue How to be a King was to be a power aboue and vndeuideable And to further the birth of this apprehension fell out this occasion The Father euer awake to aduance his greatnesse takes a iourney in person into Auergnia and so to Monferrato and there purchases a match for the price of fiue thousand Markes for his yongest sonne Iohn with Alice the eldest daughter of Hubert Earle of Mauriena then as it seemes Lord of Piemont and Sauoy with condition to haue with her the inheritance of all those Countreys containing many great Signories Citties and Castles specified in Roger Houeden with all the circumstances and couenants very remarkeable Vide Append. of the contract So vnto greatnesse that easier increases then begins is added more meanes and euery way opens to this actiue and powrefull King aduantages of State 1173. Anno. Reg. 19. in so much as the King of France was euen surrownded with the powre dependances of this mightie King of Eng. whose fortunes most
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
partaker of our ioy and thought fit to signifie to your be louednesse that the Lord the Emperour hath prefixd the day thereof to be vpon Munday after the Feast of King Richards letters into England the Natiuity and the Sunday after we shall receiue theCrowne of the Kingdome of Prouince which he hath giuen vs whereof we send his Letters Patents vnto you and other our friends and well willers and doe you in the meane time as much as in you lyeth comfort those you know loue vs and desire our promotion Teste me ipso apud Spiram 22. Sep. The Emperour likewise writes to the Bishops Earles Barons and other the Subiects of England how he purposed to aduance and magnificently to honour his especiall friend their King and in this Coyne are they payd at home for what they were to lay out King Richard sends after this for his mother Queene Elionor who is still a trauailer and for the Archbishop of Rouen with many others to come vnto him about the time and businesse of his deliuerance for which There is imposed vpon euery Knights Fee twenty shillings the fourth part of all lay mens reuenues and the fourth part of all the reuenues of the Clergie with a tenth of their goods is inioyned to be payd The Chalices and treasure of all Churches are taken to make vp the summe the like is done in all his territories beyond the Seas so dearely cost the returne of this King from his Easterne voyage And this Queene Berenguela had likewise her part of affliction in this iourney for shee with her sister in law the Queene Dowager of Sicilia fearing the Emperours malice were a whole yeare in trauayling from Palestina and at length were conducted vnto Poictou The King of France hearing of this conclusion made betwixt King Richard and The King of France and Earle Iohn proffer great sums to hold King Richard prisoner the Emperour writes to the Earle Iohn how the Diuell was got loose willing him now to looke to himselfe and it vexed them exceedingly both being disappointed thus of their hopes And there vpon the Earle Iohn leauing his Castles in England well defended and incouraging his Soldiers to hold out and credit no reports departes into Normandy where he with the King of France whilest King Richard is yet in the Emperours hands solicites him with the proffer of a hundred and fifty thousand Markes or else a thousand pounds a moneth so long as he held him his prisoner But it preuayled not though it staggered the Emperour for a time who in the end shewed this letter to King Richard that he might see what care was taken for him and then deliuers him to his mother Elionor receiuing the pledges for obseruation of peace and the rest of the ransome vnpayd The Archbishop of Rouen the Bishop of Bath with the sonnes of many principall Earles and Barons And so in February King Richards returne into England one yeare and sixe weekes after his Captiuity in the fourth yeare of his raigne he returnes into England where the Bishops in whose grace especially he was had excommunicated the Earle Iohn and all his adherents and taken in his Castles of Marleborow Lancaster and a fortresse at Saint Michels mount in Cornewall defended by Henry de Pumeroy But his Castle of Nottingham though strongly assailed by Ralph Earle of Chester and the Earle Ferrers and the Castle of Tichill by the Bishop of Duresme held out for the Earle Iohn and found the King some worke to doe vpon his returne who presently without any stay otherwhere came before Nottingham Castle withall the shew of state and greatnesse he could make which yet could not so terrifie the defen dants as to make them yeeld confident either in their owne strength or in opinion that there 1193. Anno. Reg. 5. was no King euer to returne to assault them and supposiing it but a meere shew resolued to hould out for their maister which put the King to much trauayle and great expence of blood before they rendred themselues which was also vpon pardon Those of the Castell of Tichill yeelded to the Bishop of Duresme their persons and goods saued The King assembles a Parlement at Nottingham where Queene Elionor was present and sat on his right hand The first day of the Session he disserseth Girard de Canuile of A Parlament at Notingham the Castle of Lincoln and the Shriefwike of that Shire from Hugh Bardolph hee takes the Shriefwicke of Yorkshire the Castles of Yorke Scarborow and the custody of Westmerland and exposes them all to Sale The Archbishop of Yorke giues for the Shriefwicke of Yorkeshire three thousand Markes with one hundred Markes of annuall rent The second day of the Session the King requires iudgement vpon the Earle Iohn for hauing contrary to his Oath of fealty vsurped his Castles c. and contracted confederacy with the King of France against him And likewise iudgement against Hugh de Nauant Bishop of Couentry for adhering to the Earle Iohn and the Kings enemies And it was adiudged they should both appeare at a peremptory day to stand to the law Which if they did not the Earle Iohn to deserue banishment and the Bishop to vnder goe the iudgement both of the Clergie as being a Bishop and of the Layety being the Kings Shriefe But this Bishop two years after was restored to the Kings fauour and his Bishopricke for fiue thousand Markes The third day of this Session was graunted to the King of euery ploughland through out England two shillings besides the King required the third part of the seruice of euery Knights Fee for his attendance in Normandy and all the Wooll that yeare of the Monkes Cisteaux Which for that it was grieuous and insupportable vnto them they fine for money The fourth and last day was for the hearing of grieuances and accusations and so this assembly brake vp But here either to adde more Maiesty after calamity or else to nullifie his act done to the Eemperour is appointed the Kings recoronation to be solemnised Richard againe crowned at Winchester at Winchester presently vpon the Feast of Easter next following Whilest the king was in these parts William King of Scots repaires to him and required the dignities and honours his predesessors of right had in England and with all the counties of Northumberland Cumberland Westmerland and Lancaster To whom the King of England first answered that he would satisfie him by the aduice of his Councell with shortly after was assembled at Northampton where after deliberation he told him that his petition ought not in reason to be graunted at that time when almost all the Princes of France were his enemies for it would be thought rather an act of feare then any true affection and so put it off for that time with faire promises yet graunts he by the aduice and consent of the Councell vnder his Charter to William King of Scotts and his heires
remaine in the obedience of an excommunicated King and so without The Archd. of Norw forsakes the kings seruice his torture death leaue retired himselfe home and was the first subiect of his maisters wrath Who presently sent Sir William Talbot with force to apprehend him and lay him fast in fetters in a most straight prison and afterward vpon the kings commandement he was put into a sheete of lead wherein with the waight and want of victualls he soone perished This excommunication of the King of England was accompained the same yeare with that of the Emperour Otho his Nephew and are noted to be straines of an vniust nature especially for being both done in cases of the Popes owne particular interrest seeking to extend The Emperor Otho excom a predomination beyond the bounds allowed vnto piety which was onely to deale with means soules and not their Estates For in the aduancement of this Emperour Otho the third the Pope had an especiall hand opposing for his owne ends the Election of Phillip Sonne to the Emperour Frederick Barbarossa And in the vancancy of the Empire had seised vpon certaine peeces in Italy appertayning therevnto which Otho seeking to reuoke procured vndeseruedly the Popes displeasure who sent vnto him diuers messages willing him to desist both from the prosecution of this recouery as also from that which Frederick King of Sicile who was vnder the tuition of the Apostolike Sea had seised vpon The Emperour is said to haue answered the Popes Nuncij in this manner If the Pope vniustly desires to vsurp what apertaines to the Empire let him absolue me from the Oath he caused me to take at my Coronation Which was that I should reuoke whatsoeuer rights were distracted from the same and I will desist But the Pope refusing the one and the Emperour not yeelding vnto the other the sentence of excommunication is pronounced against him And all the states as well of Germany as the rest of the Roman Empire are absolued of their fealty vnto him Thus were these two mighty Princes the greatest of all the Christian world leaft to the mercy of their subiects who though they were by this meanes all vntyed from obedience yet many were not so from their affections or other obligations that held them firme vnto their Souraignes For there are so many ligaments in a state that tye it together as it is a hard thing to dissolue them altogether vnlesse it is by an vniuersall concurrency of causes that produce a generall alteration thereof And it is seldome seene of what temper soeuer Kings are but they finde an eminent party in the greatest defections of their people As this King the first of England we finde put to this straight had yet many noble members of power besides the chiefe officers of the kingdome whom their places confirme that stuck vnto him Whose names are recorded in Mat. Par. and other writers And the better to hold his reputation and his people in action hauing now no imployment abrode hee seekes to secure all other members of the Crowne of England 1210. Anno. Reg. 12. which were vnder his dominion And hauing ransackt great treasure from the Iewes makes an expedition into Ireland vpon intelligence of some reuolt and disorder there And at his first ariuall all the great men which held the maritime Castles and the Champion countries came in and did homage and fealty vnto him at Wublin such as inhabited the remote partes and fastnesses of the Kingdome kept them selues away and refused King Iohn reformes Ireland to come Here to reduce the country into better order he ordaines the same to be gouerned by the lawes and customes of England causes English money to be coyned there and to be of equall valew with that of this Kingdome and currant alike in both With many other orders which had they beene with that care continued as they were aduisedly begun would as wise men deeme haue setled that Kingdome in an intire obedience and saued all that great toyle and expence which the neglect thereof cost this state in succeeding ages And now hauing deputed Iohn Gray Bishop of Norwich Iusticiar there after onely three moneths stay hee returnes into England The Clergy pay to the K. 100000. ster where presuming now vpon his new gathered strength hee summons all the Prelates of the kingdome to appeare before him at London of whom saith Mat. Par. he extorted for their redemption the summe of an hundred thousand pounds sterling And the next yeare being the twelfe of his raigne with this treasure hee reduces Wales that had rebelled to his obedience and takes eight and twentie children of 1211. Anno. Reg. 13. the best famelies for pledges of their future subiection Returning thence exacts of euery Knight that attended not his Army in that expedition two marks and at Northampton is pleased to receiue the Popes Agents Pandolphus and Durandus sent to make peace betweene the Kingdome and Priesthood by whose exhortation and the consideration of the State of his Kingdome hee consented that the Archbishop and the Monkes of Canterbury with all the exiled Bishops should in peace returne to their owne But refusing to make satisfaction for their goods confiscated the Agents depart vnsatisfied to the greater preiudice of the King whom now the Pope finding to be yeelding in any thing falls to bee more imperious to constraine him to all whatsoeuer he desired And absolues all the Kings subiects of what condition soeuer from their obedience strictly forbidding them vnder paine of excommunication his Board 1212. Anno. Reg. 14. Councell and Conference Which notwithstanding preuayled not to diuert the subiect from the seruice of their King Who about this time takes occasion vpon the breaking out of certaine poore Mountainers of Wales that make pillage vpon the Borders to raise another Army to inuade the whole Countrey And being at Nottingham prepared for this action before he would sit downe to dinner caused those eight and twenty children the innocent pledges of the Welsh to be all hanged in his presence But before hee had dyned letters came that gaue him intelligence of a conspiracie intended for his owne distruction and that if he went forward in this warre he would be either slaine of his owne people or betrayed to the enemy Whereupon he returnes to London againe requires and hath pledges of those Nobles he suspected and here Eustace de Vescy and Robert Fitz Walter are accused of the conspiracie who fled the one into Scotland the other into France But now the Pope for the last and greatest sentence that euer yet was giuen against 1213. Anno. Reg. 15. any Soueraigne King of this Kingdome pronounces his absolute deposition from the Royall gouernment thereof and writes to the King of France that as hee looked to haue remission of his sinnes hee should take the charge vpon him and expell King Iohn out of the Kingdome of England and possesse the same for him
executions who vnderstands not as well the Counsailors as the Councell Resolued he is giuen ouer to confusion and reuenge to dissolue this tye and priuily withdrawes himselfe into the Isle of Wight from whence hee sends his Agents to Rome Retires into the Isle of Wight writes to the Pope where now he could doe any thing to complaine of this inforced act to the Pope who by a definitiue Sentence first condemnes and nullifies what was done and after excommunicates the Barons who during this absence and retire of their King knowing the violence of his nature and doubting their owne danger keepe in and about the The Pope excommunicates the Barons Citie of London and there vnder collour of Turnements and exercise of armes inuite those who were abroad to resort vnto them and so retaine themselues together in a combination for their owne defence without seeking farther to interrupt their Kings courses either by surprise of his person which they being of so great strength might easily haue done or vsing meanes to intercept his Agents and take from him those Limbes of his powre that might worke to offend them But this must either argue that their end was onely to haue but what they had obtayned The error of the Barons the restitution of the Liberties of the Kingdome which though thus recouered by violence they seemed desirous to hold with peace or els their negligence which may be thought strange in those wakefull and actiue times to be such as to leaue a displeased King alone to his owne working especially remoued to a place where the sea being open vnto him his outsendings might bee without view or noting vnlesse either they presumed of his little credit abroad or their owne powre at home But during this his retyre in the Isle which was three monthes he slacks no time to put his desires in execution and besides his dispatch to Rome sends the Bishop of Worcester Chancellor of England the Bishop of Norwich and others with his seale to procure The King sends to leauy forraine forces him forraine forces out of such parts beyond the seas as held correspondency with him appoynting them to make their repaire to Douer about Michaelmas next In the mean time without any royall shew or stir attended with some borrowed seruants of the Bishop of Norwich marriners of the Cink-ports whom he intertayned he as they write fell to piracy exercised himself at sea whiles various reports are made of him here on land some giuing out that he was turned Fisher some a Merchant others a Pirate But at the time appoynted he meetes at Douer with those forraine forces drawne He meetes with them at Douer together out of Poictou and Gascony vnder the Conduct of Sauarie de Malleon Geffrey and Oliuer Buteuile brothers with others out of Louayne and Brabant vnder Walter Buck Gerrard Sotin and Godshall all desperate aduenturers leading an excecrable sort of people whose miserable fortunes at home easily drew thē to any mischiefes abroade with these is King Iohn furnished to set vpon his owne people And had not Hugh Hugh de Boues with forty thousand men c. comming out of Flanders drowned de Boues to whom the Countries of Suffolke Norfolk were allotted for seruice to be done setting foorth from Calice with 40 thousand more men women and children beene by sodaine tempest drowned in the Sea hee had made an vniuersall Conquest of the Kingdome far more miserable then the Norman considering that with those hee had he wrought so much as we shall heare presently he did For after he had recouered the Castle of Rochester which William de Albinet with memorable courage held out three monthes against all that mighty powre of his the The King in halfe a yeare recouers all his Castles Barons not able or not aduenturing to succour him hee marched ouer the most of the Kingdome and within halfe a yeare got in all the Castles of the Barons euen to the borders of Scotland and was absolute Maister of all England except the Citie of London on which he forbare to aduenture in regard of the close vnited powre of the 1216. Anno. Reg. 18. Barons that resolutely held and vowed to die together and seperate them hee could not and therefore from Rochester he marches to Saint Albones where the first publication of the Popes excommunication of the Barons is pronounced And here hee deuides his Army consisting most of rauenous strangers in two King Iohn at Saint Albons deuides his armie in two parts parts appoynting his brother William Earle of Salisbury with Falcasius Sauarie de Malleon leader of the Poictouins Briwer and Buc of the Flemings and Brabantines to gard the Countries and Castles about the Citie of London to cut off all prouisions and anoy the Barons by all meanes possible himself with the other part of his forces drawes Northward and layes waste all the Countries before him and both these Armies set onely vpon distruction inflict all those calamities that the rage of a disorderly war could commit vpon a miserable people that made no head at all against them All Countries suffer in this affliction and King Iohn marching as farte as Berwike had purposed to haue carried it farther threatning Alexander King of Scots that hee would hunt the Foxe to his hole alluding to his red haire had hee not beene called from that attempt to come backe to these parts vpon discouerie of new designes practised by the Barons who seeing themselues depriued of their Estates giuen away to Strangers The Barons sollicit Louys the French Kings sonne to take vpon him the Crowne of England their wiues and daughters violated all their substance consumed desperatly fall vpon another extreme making out for succour to Louys the French Kings sonne solliciting him to take vpon him the Crowne of England wherein they promised by their free Election to inuest him and to send pledges for the performance thereof being perswaded that those forces of the French which King Iohn had intertayned would vpon the comming of those aides from the King of France being their Soueraigne forsake him This message is intertayned a Parliament is called at Lions by King Philip the father of Louys the businesse consulted and resolued vpon Louys besides the assurance made of this proffered election relies vpon a title which he claymes by his wife Blanch daughter to the Sister of King Iohn and writes to the Barons that hee would shortly send them succour and not be long behinde to be with them in person The intelligence of this designe is soone intimated to the Pope who presently sends The Pope writes to diuert Louys from the enterprise his Agent to the King of France with letters to intreat him not to suffer his sonne to inuade or disquiet the King of England but to defend him in regard he was a vassall of the Roman Church and the Kingdome by reason of Dominion
them doubtfull what to resolue vpon in regard of the tender youth of Henry and their Oath made to Louys But such was the insolence of the French making spoyle and prey of whatsoeuer they could fasten on and now inuested by Louys contrarie to his Oath in all those places of importance they had recouered as made many of the English to relinquish The confession of the Viscont Melun at his death their sworne fidelitie and forsake his part Which more of them would haue done but for the shame of inconstancie and the daunger of their pledges remayning in France which were great tyes vpon them Besides the popular bruit generally divulged concerning the confession of the Viscont Melun a Frenchman who lying at the point of death toucht with compunction is said to reueale the intention vow of Louys which was vtterly to extinguish the English nation whom he held vile neuer to be trusted hauing forsaken their own Soueraign Lord wrought a great auersion in the hearts of the English which whither it were indeed vttered or giuen out of purpose it was so to be expected according to the precedents of all in-brought farreiners vpon the deuisions of a distracted people And first William Earle of Salisbury mooued in bloud to succour his Nephew tooke Diuers Lords reuolt from Louys away a maine peece from the side of Louys and with him the Earles of Arundle Warren William sonne and heire to the great Marshall returne to the fidelity of Henry after 6 months they had reuolted to the seruice of Louys which now may be thought was don but to temporise and try the hazard of a doubtfull game otherwise a brother would not haue forsaken a brother nor so Noble a father and sonne haue deuided their starres Notwithstanding Louys found hands enow to hold London withall the Countries about it a whole yeare after so that the young King was constrained to remaine about Glocester Worcester and Bristow where his wakefull Ministers faile not to imploy all means to gather vpon whatsoeuer aduantages could be espied at length so wrought as they draw the enemy from the head of the kingdome downe into the body first into Leceister-shire to releeue the Castle of Montsorell a peece apertayning to Saer de Quincy Earle of Winchester a great partisan of Louys and after by degrees to Lincoln where a Noble Lady called Phillippa but of what famely time hath iniuriously bereft vs the knowledge had more then with feminine courage defended the Castle the space of a whole yere against Gilbert de Gant the French forces which were possest of the town The Earle Marshall Protector of the King and kingdom with his sonne William the Bishops of Winchester Salisbury and Chester the Earles of Salisbury Ferrers and Albemarle William de Albinet Iohn Marshall William de Cantelupe Falcasius Thomas Basset Robert Veypont Brent de Lisle Geffrey Lucy Philip de Albinet and many other Barons and marshall men being with all the powre of the young king whose forces as he marched grew dayly greater come to a place called Stow within 8 miles of Lincoln the Legat Guallo to adde courage resolution to the army caused vpon confession of their sinnes the Eucharist to be ministred and giues them a plenary absolution solemnly The forces of Louys ouerthrowne accursing Louys with all his adherents as seperated from the vnity of the Church which done they set forth and with such violence assaile the City on all sides as the defendants after the Earle of Perch valiantly fighting was slaine were soone defeited and all the principall men taken prisoners whereof these are nominated Saer Earle of Winchester Henry de Bohun Earle of Hereford Gilbert de Gant lately made Earle of Lincoln by Louys Robert Fitz Walter Richard Monfichet William Moubray William Beauchamp william Maudit Oliuer Harcort Roger de Cressy William de Coleuile William de Ros Robert de Ropsley Ralph Chandnit Barons besides foure hundred Knights or men at Armes with their seruants horse and foot The number and quality of the persons taken shew the importance of the place and the greatnesse of the victorie which gaue Louys his maine blow and was the last of his battailes in England The spoyles were very great being of a City at that time rich in Marchandize The spoyle of Lincolne whereupon the winners in derision tearmed it Louys his Faire Many of those who escaped and fled from this ouerthrow were slaine by the Country people in their disorderly passing towards London vnto Louys who vpon notice of this great defeat sends presently ouer for succours into France and drawes all the powre he had in England to the Citie of London whether the Earle Marshall with the young King bend their course with purpose either to assaile Louys vpon this fresh dismay of his losse and the distraction of his partakers or induce him by agreement to relinquish the Kingdome The first being found difficult the last is propounded whereunto Louys would not The Peace was concluded the 11 of Sep. be brought to yeeld vntill hearing how his succors comming out of France were by Phillip de Albenie and Hubert de Burgh with the forces of the Cinke-ports all vanquished at sea he then hoplesse of any longer subsisting with safty condiscendes to an accord takes fifteene thousand markes for his voyage abiures his claime to the Kingdome promises by Oath to worke his father as farre as in him lay for the restitution 1218. Anno. Reg. 3. of such Prouinces in France as appertayned to this Crowne and that when himselfe should be King to resigne them in peaceable manner On the other part King Henry takes his Oath and for him the Legat and the Protector to restore vnto the Barons of this Realme and other his Subiects all their rights and heritages with those liberties for which the discorde beganne betweene the late King and his people Generall pardon is granted and all prisoners freed on both fides Louys is honorably attended to Douer and departs out of England about Michelmas aboue two yeares after his first atiuall hauing beene here in the greatest part a receiued King and was more likely to haue established himselfe and made a Conquest of this Kingdome being thus pulled in by others armes then the Norman that made way with his owne had not the All-disposer otherwise diuerted it Such effects wrought the violence of an vnruly King and the desperation of an oppressed people which now notwithstanding the fathers iniquitie most willingly imbrace the sonne as naturally inclyned to loue and obey their Princes And in this recouery the industrie of Guallo the Legate wrought much though what he did therein was for his owne ends the pretended interest of the Pope whose ambition 1219. Anno. Reg. 4. had beene first an especiall cause of this great combustion in the Kingdom but as they who worke the greatest mischiefes are oftentimes the men that can best repaire them
two Charters before And twelue Knights or Legall men are chosen in euery shire vpon their Oath to disparte the old forests from the new and all such as were found to haue Disforrestations beene inforested since the first coronation of Henry the second to be disafforested and disposed at their pleasure who were to posses them wherevpon they were layd open plowed and improued to the exceeding comfort and benefit of the subiect whereby men in steed of wild beasts were sustayned and more roome made for them to vse their industry Two yeares with great quietnesse and generall content the blessing of a state 1225. Anno. Reg. 10. these liberties were inioyed when the King at a Parliament at Oxford declaring himselfe to be oflawfull age and free from custody to dispose of the affayres of the Kingdome cancells and anulles the Charter of Forests as graunted in his Nonage hauing no power of himselfe or of his Seale and therefore of no validitie and causes Proclamation to be made that both the Clergy and all others if they would inioy those liberties 4. Parliament should renew their Charters and haue them confirmed vnder his new Seale for which they were constrayned to pay not according to their ability but the will of the chiefe Iusticiar Hugh de Burgh to whome is layd the blame of this mischiefe which procured him the generall hatred of the Kingdome and bread a new insurrection of The reuoking the Charters of Forrests which bred a new insurrection the nobility who taking aduantage vpon a breach lately falen our betweene the king and his brother Richard Earle of Cornwell about the Castle of Barkhamsted appertayning to that Earledome which the king had committed to the keeping of on Walleran a Dutchman ioyne with the Earle and put themselues in armes For the king mayntayning the cause of Walleran commands his brother to render the Castle which he had taken from him or else to depart the kingdome The Earle answeres that he would neither doe the one or the other without the iudgment of his Peeres and so departes to his lodging leauing the king much displeased with this answere The chiefe Iusticiar fearing the disturbance of the peace aduises the king sodainly to apprehend the Earle and commit him to close custodie but the Earle either through notice or doubt therof flies presently to Marleborough where he findes William Earle Mareshall his friend and consedrate by Oath with whom hee hastes to Stamford and there meets with the Earles of Chester Gloster Waren Hereford Ferrers Warwicke with diuers Barons and men at armes from whence they send to the King aduising him to right the iniurie done to his brother The cause whereof they impute to Hugh de Burgh and not to himself besides they require restitution to be made without delay of the liberties of the Forrests lately cancelled at Oxford otherwise they 1226. Anno. Reg. 11. would compell him therevnto by the sword The King to anoyd this daunger appoints them day to come to an assembly at Northampton where a concord is concluded and to satisfie his brother besides the rendring vnto him his Castle he grauntes him all that his mother had in dowre and s. Parliament whatsoeuer lands the Earle of Brittaine held in England with those of the Earle of Bologn lately deceased and so the Parliament brake vp After this the generall motion 1227. Anno. Reg. 12. for the holy warres intertaines some time Which so strongly wrought in that credelous world as sixty thousand sufficient men are reported to haue vndertaken that voyage of whom Peter Bishop of Winchester and William Bishop of Excester are the leaders The King is sollicited by Hugh le Brun Earle of March who had marryed his Mother and by other great men of Normandy to come ouer into France to recouer his right vpon the great alterations happening in those parts by this occassion Louys the eight who succeeded Phillip the second being lately dead after his great siege of Auignon and his warres made against the Heretickes Albegeois in Prouince leaues the Kingdome to his Sonne Louys of the age of twelue yeares in whose minority his Mother Blanch taking vpon her the regency so discontented the Princes of the French Hist. bloud as they oppose themselues against her holding it both dishonorable and daungerous that a woman and a stranger by the Councell of Spaniards whom she aduanced aboue the Naturalls of the Kingdome should gouerne all according to her pleasure and therefore enter league against her The chiefe of whom were Phillip Earle of Bologne vncle by the Father to the King Robert Earle of Champaigne Peter de Dreux Duke of Britagne and Robert Earle of Dreux his brother and with these Hugh the Earle of March takes part in regard the Queen Regent had erected the Country of Poictou to a Conty and made Earle there of Alphonso her Sonne brother to the young king whereby finding himselfe inclosed within that County he refuses to acknowledge Alphonso for Lord instigated therevnto by his wife a Queene Dowager of England who could not comport a superior so neere her doore in so much as they likewise draw in the Earle of Lusignan brother to the Earle of March who also presuming vpon the greatnesse of his house discended of kings was apt to take their part and these with the Earle of Britagne call in the King of England Who after he hed exacted great sums of the Clergy of the Citie of London for redemption of their liberties and taken the third part of al the goods of the Iewes passes ouer with an Army lands at Saint Mallos is met by many Nobles of Poictou who with the Earle of Britagne doe homage vnto him and great preparations are made to recouer such peeces as had beene obtayned by the late King of France The Queene Regent sets out a powerfull army to stop the proceeding of the King of England and much mischiefe is wrought on both sides in Pocitou Xaintonges Angoumois where their friends and enemies suffer all a like At length seeing no great good to arise by their trauaile both weary of the busines either a peace or truce is concluded The King of England besides an infinite expence of treasure hauing lost diuers of his Nobles and other valiant men in the iourny without any glory returnes home bringging with him the Earle of Britagne and many Poictouins to receiue their promised rewards which notwithstanding all the former expence must be wrung out of the substance of the poore subiect of England Vpon his returne hee intertaines a purpose of Marriage with a sister of the King of Scots against which the Earles and Barons of England generally oppose alledging it to be vnfit that he should haue the younger Sister when Hubert his chiefe Iusticiar had maryed the eldest and the Earle of Britagne by whose Councell he was now much directed disswades him likewise from it To this Earle after supplies obtained towards
North Clifford Percy Scottish Lords come to aide the King of England Basset c. From Oxford withall his forces he marches to Northampton where he took prisoners Simon Monfort the younger with 14. other principall men thence to Nottingham making spoyle of such possessions as appertained to the Barons in those parts The Earle of Leicester in the meane time drawes towards London to recouer and make good that part as of chiefest importance and seekes to secure Kent with the Ports Which hastes the King to stop his proceeding succour the Castle of Rochester besieged Successe and authority now growes strong on this side in so much as the Earles of Leicester and Glocester in behalfe of themselues and their party write to the King humbly protesting their loyalty and how they opposed onely against such as were enemies to him and the Kingdome and had belyed them The King returnes answere how themselues were the perturbers of him and his siate enemies to his person and sought his and the Kingdomes destruction and therefore defies them The Prince and the Earle of Cornewall send like wise The Barons mediate a peace their letters of defiance vnto them The Barons notwithstanding doubtfull of their strength or vnwilling to put it to the hazard of a Battaile mediate a peace send the Bishops of London and Worcester with an offer of 30 thousand Markes to the King for damages done in these warres So that the statutes of Oxford might bee obserued which yeeldingnes the other side supposing to argue their debility made them the more neglectiue and securer of their power which commonly brings the weaker side more watchfull of aduantages to haue the better The Earle seeing no other meanes but to put it to a day being a man skilfull in his worke takes his time to be earlier ready then was expected and supplies his want of hands with his wit placing on the side of a hill nere Lewys where this battaile was The battaile of Lewys fought certaine ensignes without men in such sort as they might seeme a farre of to be squadrons of succors to second those he brought to the incounter whom he caused all to weare white-crosses both for their owne notice and the signification of his cause which he would haue to be for Iustice. Here the fortune of the day was his the King the Prince the Earle of Cornewall and his sonne Henry the Earles of Arundell Hereford and all the Scottish Lords are his prisoners The Earle Warrein William de Valence Guy The K. Prince and others taken prisoners de Lusignian the Kings brethren with Hugh Bigod Earle Mareschall saue themselues by flight Fiue thousand are slaine in this defeit which yet was not all the blood and destruction this businesse cost All this yeare and halfe of the other is Simon Monfort in possession of his prisoners the King he carries about with him to countenance his actions till he had gotten in all 1265. An. Reg. 46. the strongest Castles of the Kingdome And now as it vsually falls out in considerations where all must be pleased or else the knot will dissolue debate arises betweene the Earles of Leicester Glocester about their diuidend according to their agreement Leicester as fortune makes men to forget themselues is taxed to doe more for his owne particular then the common good to take to himselfe the benifit and disposition of the Kings Monsort taxed of wrong Castles to vsurpe the redemption of prisoners at his pleasure to prolong the businesse and not to vse the meanes of a parlement to end it His Sonnes also presuming vpon his greatnesse The Earle of Glocester leaues him grow insolent which made Glocester to forsake that side betake him to the Prince who lately escaping out of the Castle of Hereford had gotten a power about him of such as attended the opportunity of a turning fortune and to reuenge the dishonour of one Battaile by another The reuolt of this Earle brought many hands to the Prince whereby many peeces of strength are regained both in England and Wales The Earle of Leicester to stop the proceeding of this mighty growing Prince being now with his Army about Worcester imbattailes in a plaine neere Euesham to encounter him and noting the manner of the approch of his Army said to those about him these men come brauely on they learnt it not of themselues but of me And seeing himselfe likely to be beset and ouer-laid with numbers aduised his friends Hugh Spencer Ralph Basser and others to shift for themselues which when he saw they refused to doe then said he let vs commit our soules to God for our bodies The Earle Monsort slaine are theirs and so vndertaking the mayne waight of the Battaile perished vnder it And with him are slaine his Sonne Henry eleuen other Barons with many thousands of common souldiers At the instant of his death there hapned so terrible a thunder lightning and darknesse as it gaue them as much horror as their hideous work And so ends Monfort this great Earle of Leicester too great for a subiect which had hee not beene he might haue beene numbred amongst the worthiest of his time Howsoeuer the people which honored and followed him in his life would vpon the fame of his miracles haue worshipped him for a Saint after his death but it would not be permitted by Kings And here this Battaile deliuers the Captiue King but yet with the losse of some of his owne as well as his subiects bloud by a wound casually receiued therein and rid him of his Iaylor Monfort whom he hated had long feared more then any man liuing as himselfe confessed vpon this accident passing one day shortly after the Parliament at Oxford vpon Thames there hapned a sodaine clap of thunder wherewith the King was much affrighted and willed presently to be set on shore at the next landing 1266. Anno. Reg. 50. which was at Duresme house where Monfort then lay who seeing the King ariuing hastes downe to meete him and perceiuing him to be troubled at the storme said that hee needed not now to feare the daunger was past No Monfort said the King I feare thee more then I doe all the Thunder and tempest of the World And now the King with the victorious Prince the redeemer of him and the Kingdome repaires to Winchester 18 Parliament held at Winchester where a Parliament is conuoked and all who adhered to Simon Monfort are disinherited and their estates conferred on others at the Kings pleasure The Londoners haue their liberties taken from them Simon and Guy de Monfort Sonnes of the Earle of Leicester with the disinherited Barons and others who escaped the Battaile of Euesham All who tooke part with Monfort disinherited take and defend the Isle of Ely The Castle of Killing worth defended by the seruants of the late Earle although it were in the heart of the Kingdome endured the Seige of
of the same In the Second Statute of Weminster he defalked the Iurisdiction of Ecclesiasticall Iudges Hee left not here but afterward growing more vpon them he required the Moietie of all their goods as well Temporall as Spirituall for one yeare which though it put them into extreame perplexitie and griefe they yet were faine to yeeld to his demaund And at the first propounding thereof one Sir Iohn Hauering Knight stands vp amongst them as they were assembled in the Refectorie of the Monkes at Westminster and said Reuerend Fathers if any heere will contradict Mat. West the Kings demaunde in this businesse let him stand out in the middest of the Assemblie that his person may bee knowne and seene as one guilty of the Kings peace At which speech they all sate mute So much were the times altered since the late reigne of the father wherein such a businesse could not haue so passed But now this Actiue King being come home and hauing composed his affaires abroad must needes bee working both to satisfie his owne desire in amplyfying his powre and intertayning his people in those times incompatible of rest and therefore some action must bee taken in hand Wales that lay neerest the daunger of a superiour Prince and had euer strugled for An occasion taken for subduing of Wales libertie and the rule of a Natiue Gouernor had alwaies beene the Receptacle and ayde of the Rebellious of England had euer combined with Scotland to disturbe the peace and gouernment thereof hauing neuer her borders without bloud and mischiefe was an apt subiect to bee wrought vpon in this time And occasions are easily taken where there is a purpose to quarrell especiallie with an Inferiour Leoline now Prince of that Prouince who had so long held in the fire of the late ciuile warres of England and deerely paide for it hauing refused vpon summons to come to the Kings Coronation and after to his first Parliament alledging hee well remembred how his father Griffin burst his necke out of the Tower of London for which he brooked not that place and therefore returned answere That in any other vpon Hostages giuen him or Comissioners sent to take his Fealtie hee would as it should please the King bee ready to render it This gaue occasion that King Edward the next yeare after goes with a powerfull Armie enters his Country with Fire and Sword Reg. 4. An. 1276. in so fierce manner as Leoline vnable to resist sues for Peace and obtaines it but vpon those conditions as made his Principallitie little different from the tenure of a subiect And besides hee was fined in fifty thousand pounds sterling and to pay 1000 pounds per annum for what hee held which was but for his owne life But yet the King to gratifie him in some thing that might be a tye to this Peace restored vnto him Elionor daughter to Simon Montfort late Earle of Leicester who with her brother Almericke had beene lately taken prisoners by certaine shippes of Bristoll as shee was passing out of France into Wales to bee made the miserable wife of this vnfortunate Prince Whose restraint and affliction might perhaps bee a motiue the rather to incline him to this lownesse of submission and accord which as it was made by force an vnsure contractor of Couenants so was it by disdaine as ill an obseruer soone broken And either the ill administration of Iustice vpon the Marches the perpetuall Fire-matches of bordring Princes or the euer-working passion of desire of Libertie in the Welsh threw open againe within three yeares this ill infensed closure And out is Leoline in armes surprises the Castles of Flint and Ruthland with the person of the Lord Clifford sent Iusticiar into those parts and commits all Reg. 6. Anno. 1278. acts of Hostilitie With him ioynes his brother Dauid on whom King Edward to make him his finding him of a more stirring spirit had bestowed after the last accord the honour of Knight-hood matched him to the daughter of the Earle of Derbie a ritch Widdow and giuen him in steed of his other lands the Castle of Denbigh with 1000 pounds per annum All which graces could not yet hold him backe from those powrefull inclynations os Nature The ayding his Country the partaking with his Brother and the attempting of Libertie King Edward aduertised of this Reuolt being at the Vize in Wiltshire prepares an Armie to represse it But before his setting foorth hee priuately goes to visit his Mother Queene Elionor liuing in the Nunnery at Amsbury with whom whilst he conferred there was brought into the Chamber one who faigned himselfe being blinde to haue receiued his sight at the Tombe of Henry 3. As soone as the King saw the man he formerly knew him to be a most notorious lying Villaine And wished his Mother in no case to beleeue him His Mother who much reioyced to heare of this Miracle for the glory of her husband grew sodainely into rage and willed the King to auoyd her Chamber The King obayes and going foorth meets with a Clergie man to whom he tells the storie of this Imposter and merrily said He knew the Iustice of his father to be such that he would rather pull out the eies being whole of such a wicked wretch then restore them to their sight The Archbishop of Canterbury to whom the Welsh had before sent a Roll of their grieuances and the causes that draue them to reuolt of himselfe goes and labours Reg. 11. Anno. 1283. to bring in Leoline and his brother to a resubmission and stay the ruine which hee fore-saw would light vpon the Nation But nothing could hee effect certaine pettie defeites Leoline had giuen to the English the instigation of his people the conceit of a Prophecie of Merlin that Ginne of Error how hee should bee shortly crowned with the Diademe of Brute so ouerweighed this poore Prince as hee had no eare for Peace The death of Leoline the last of the Welsh Princes and shortly after no head the same being cut off after hee was slaine in battaile by a common souldier and sent to King Edward Who as if his death were not sufficient without his reproach caused the same to bee crowned with Iuie and set vpon the Towre of London This was the end of Leoline the last of the Welsh Princes betrayed as they write by the men of Buelth Shortly after to finish this worke of bloud is Dauid his brother taken in Wales and iudged in England to an ignominious death First drawne at a horse taile about The execution of Dauid his brother at Shrewsburie the first in that kinde the City of Shrewsbury then beheaded the Trunck of his Bodie deuided his Heart and Bowells burnt his Head sent to accompany that of his brother on the Towre of London his foure quarters to foure Cities Bristoll Northampton Yorke and Winchester a manifold execution and the first shewed in that kinde to this Kingdome in
Magnificense From thence he comes to London and renders solemne thanks to God and Saint Edward for victory Which to make it seeme the more intire shortly after William Wallice that renowned Guardian of Scotland betrayed by his Companion is sent vp prisoner to London adiudged according to the Lawes of England to be drawne hangd and quarterd for his treasons committed against the King whom at his Araignement hee would not yet acknowledge to bee his King protesting neuer to haue sworne Fealty vnto him Thus suffered that worthy man for the defence of his owne in a strange Countrie and remains amongst the best examples of Fortitude Pietie in that kinde And now King Edward being as hee supposed at an end of all his businesse an vniuersall Lord at home strong in Alliance and Peace abroad beginnes to looke more seuerely to the gouernement of this Kingdome and to draw profit out of those disorders which the Licence of Warre and Trouble had bred therein And first amongst The case of Sir Nicholas Segraue other examples of his power which it seemes hee would haue equall to his will is the case of Sir Nicholas Segraue one of the greatest Knights then of the Kingdome who being accused of treason by Sir Iohn Crombwell offers to iustifie himselfe by Duell which the King refuses to grant in regard of the present Warre then in hand Whereupon Segraue without licence and contrary to the Kings prohibition leaues the Kings Campe and goes ouer Sea to fight with his enemy for which the King as against one that had not only contemned him but as much as in him lay exposed him to death and left him to his enemies would haue Iustice to proceed against him Three daies the Iudges consulted of the matter and in the end adiudged Segraue guilty of death and all his moueables and immouables forfeited to the King Notwithstanding in regard of the greatnesse of his blood they added Hee went not out of England in contempt of the King but only to bee reuenged of his accuser and therefore it was in the Kings power to shew mercy vnto him in this case The King hereto in great wrath replyed haue you been all this while consulting for this I know it is in my power to conferre grace and on whom I will to haue mercy but not the more for your sakes then for a dogge Who hath euer submitted himselfe to my grace and had repulse but let this your iudgement bee recorded and for euer held as a Law And so the Knight for example and terrour to others was committed to prison though Mat. West shortly after by the labour of many Noble men of the Kingdome Thirty of his Peers guirt with their swords standing out to be bound body for body and goods for goods to bring him forth whensoeuer hee should be called the King restored him to his estate Shortly after the King likewise sends out a new writ of inquisition called Trailbaston For Intruders on other mens lands who to oppresse the right owner would The inquisiti on of Trailbaston make ouer their lands to great men For Batterers hired to beate men For Breakers of the Peace For Rauishers Incendiaries Murthercrs Fighters False Assisors and other such Malefactors Which Inquisition was so strictly executed and such Fynes taken as it brought in exceeding much treasure to the King So did likewise another Commission the same time sent forth to examine the behauiour of Officers and Ministers of Iustice wherein many were found Delinquents and paide dearely for it Informers here as fruitfull agents for the Fiske and neuer more imployed then in shifting times were in great request Besides these meanes for treasnre aboue ground this King made some profit of certaine Siluer mynes in Deuonshire as is to be seene in Hollingshead but it seemes the charge amounting to more then the benifit they afterwards came discontinued The King likewise now beginnes to shew his resentiment of the stubborne behauiour of his Nobles towards him in times past and so terrefies Roger Bigod Earle-Marshall Reg. 33. An. 1306. as to recouer his fauour the E. made him the heire of his lands though hee had a brother liuing reseruing to himselfe a Thousand pounds pension per annum during his life Of others likewise hee got great summes for the same offence The Earle of Hereford escapes by death But the Archbishop of Canterbury whom hee accused to haue disturbed his Peace in his absence he sends ouer to Pope Clement the Fift who succeded Boniface that he might be crusht with a double power This Pope was Natiue of Burdeaux and so the more regardefull of the Kings desire and the King more confident of his fauour which to intertaine and encrease hee sends him a whole Furnish of all Vessels for his Chamber of cleane golde which great gift so wrought with the Pope as hee let loose this Lion vntied the King from the couenants made with his Subiects concerning their Charters confirmed vnto them by his three last Acts of Parlement and absolued him from his oath an Act of little Pietie in the Pope and of as little conscience in the King who as if hee should now haue no more need of his Subiects discouered with what sincerity hee granted what hee did But sodainely hereupon there fell out an occasion that brought him backe to his right Orbe againe made him see his error reforme it finding the loue of his people lawfully ordered to be that which gaue him al his power meanes he had to know how their subsistances were intermutuall The newes of a new King made crowned in Scotland was that which wrought the effect hereof Robert Bruce Earle of Carrick sonne to that Robert who was Competitor with Baliol escaping out of England becomes head to the confused body of that people which hauing beene so long without any to guide them any intire Councell scattered in power disunited in minde neuer at one together were cast into that miserable estate as they were For had they had a King as well as their enemies to haue led them held them together managed their affaires accordingly that which they did in this distraction shewes how much more they would haue done otherwise And therefore no sooner did Bruce appeare in his designe but he effected it had the Crowne and hands ready to help him at an instant and that before Rumour could get out to report any thing of it Although Iohn Comyn his Cosen german being a Titeler himselfe a man of great loue Alliance in Scotland wrote to haue bewrayed Brucos intention to the King of England in whose Court they both had liued and were his Pensioners But Bruce as great vndertakers are euer a wake and ready at all houres preuents him by speede Bruce murthers Iohn Cumyn in the Church and either to be auenged on him for his falshood or rid of him as a Competitor finding him at Dunfraies sets vpon and
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
hands together betweene the hands of the King of France pronounced the words of the Homage which were these You become Liegeman to the King my maister here present as Duke The forme of the Homage of Guyene and Peere of France and you promise to beare saith and loyalty vnto him Say yea and King Edward said yea and kisses the King of France as the Lord of the Fee in the mouth the like Homage hee then did for the Earle do me of Ponthieu This act of submission performed in the person of a King young actiue hauty and powerfull who held himselfe wronged in doing it to whom hee did bred that rancour in his heart as it had beene better for all Christendome that Ceremony had beene spared at this time and not so punctually beene exacted by King Phillip whom their owne Historians blame for standing so much vpon his Regality with one as mighty as himselfe and more able and likely to shake his new gotten Throne then any other whatsoeuer to whose passion considering the fiery heat of his youth hee should rather haue ministered Oyle then Vinegar and more hospitably intertertained him in his Court comming with that State and Magnificence as hee did attended with the best of all the kingdome of England to shew what he was and to beget a respect of his high estate But these are the errours of improuident Princes who carried with the sway of their owne will imbroyle themselues and their subiects that euer suffer the worst and are sure to pay dearely for others faults And now thus wounded in reputation with a minde swolne for reuenge the King K. Ed. returns out of France intertaines the Scottish businesse of England returnes to settle his affaires at home where Scottish businesses fall out to intertaine him The late peace concluded with them is held so dishonourable as it must not holde and to breake the same followed an occasion begunne vppon their owne quarells The tender age of their King the affliction of kingdomes with the emulation and factions in great men put Edward Balliol sonne to Iohn Balliol sometime King of Scotland thirtie two yeares after his fathers deposition to attempt Ed. Balliol comes out of France defeited his opposers is crowned King of Scotland the recouery of that Crowne and out of France where hee had all that while remained hee comes by the solicitation of his friends into England where hee was permitted vnderhand to get ayde and had all such Scots and English who were of the faction against Bruce to take his part and with them hee sodainely assailes those who had the gouernment of that kingdome during the nonage of the young King Dauid beeing at that time with the King of France and ouercame them in a battayle with the slaughter of many Noble men and Thousands of the common people and thereuppon was immediately crowned King of Scotland at Scone But his party being not so potent as they could maintaine and defend his quarrell against all those which opposed it hee was forced notwithstanding this great defeit to retire him into England to get more ayde of King Edward who now shewes himselfe in the action Berwick recouered ioynes with Baliol against his brother in law king Dauid goes in person with a strong Army to recouer Berwicke which after three moneths siege being valiantly defended The bataile of Halidown hil by the Lord Seton was againe taken in and the Army of the Scots which came to the rescue thereof at Halidowne hill vtterly defeited where were slaine seuen Earles 900 Knights and Baronets foure hundred Esquires and about two and thirty thousand common souldiers as our writers report theirs fourteene thousand And with this effusion of blood is Baliol returned to his miserable kingdome In this oppugnation of Berwicke though my haste bee great I must not so much A memorable act in the oppugnation of Berwicke trespasse vertue as to ouerpasse one memorable perticular recorded by the Scottish writers which is how the Lord Seton seeing all reliefe failing and the assaults so violent as hee could not long holde out conditions with king Edward if rescue came not at such a day to render him vp the towne and for assurance deliuers him two of his sonnes Shortly after king Edward hauing notice of the Scottish Army approaching with greater power and speed then hee expected and likely to bee there before the day sommons the Lord Seton to render the towne presently otherwise he should see his two sonnes executed before his face and withall a Gallowes is made ready within sight of the towne the young Gentlemen brought forth and vnder the hand of the Executioner wherewith the distressed Lord rent betweene those powerfull passions of Nature and Honour standing doubtfull what to doe his wife the mother of those sonnes a Lady more then a woman comes vnto him exhorts him to remember his Fealty sworne to the King his Charity to his Countrie the dignity of his noble Familie that they had other children left though these were destroyed and besides themselues were not so olde but that they might haue more How those if they should bee preserued from death at this time might otherwise shortly perish by some worse occasion And what a staine he should lay on the name of Seton and their posteritie for ever by a base act of yeelding and betraying the place committed vnto him whereby also hee was not certaine whether he should preserue his children or no for how could hee hope that this King who had violated his first promise with him would performe the last And therefore besought him that hee would not prefer an vncertaine and momentany benefite before a certaine and perpetuall ignominy And so recovering her Lords resolution for holding out withdrew him from the walles into some other parts aside that he might not be Spectator of the execution of his innocent children The next yeare after this defeit at Hallidown Hill Edward Baliol King of Seots at 1333. An. Reg. 7. Newcastle doth Homage to the King of England as his superiour Lord and takes his oath of Fealty Binding himselfe and his heires to hold that Kingdome of him and his successors for ever with the inheritance of fiue Countries next adioyning to the Borders So large a part yeelds hee to forgoe rather then to be in danger to loose the whole which Edward Baliol doth Homage for the Kingdome of Scotl. yet could not secure his estate but rather imbroyled it the more by reason of the discontent which most part of the Nobles of Scotland conceived vpon this act of Alienation and subiection of their Country Insomuch as it gaue both Kings continuall occasion of trouble for a long time after with the expence of infinite treasure A Parlement holden at London There was granted to the King of England for these warres a Fifteenth of the Temporalty a Twelfe of Cities and Boroughes and a Tenth of the Clergie in
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
contrary Then wills him to remember how his father led by euill counsell vexed the kingdome putting to death contrary to the lawe of the Land diuerse of the Nobility and wished him to consider what happened thereby vnto him Also to call to minde how himselfe at first through euill counsell about him had almost lost the hearts of his people But afterwards by the great circumspection and care of his Prelates and Nobles his affaires were reduced into so good order as hee recouered them and now possessed them in such sort as they all both Cleargy and Lay haue yeelded their helping hands more to him then to any of his Progenitors whereby hee had gloriously triumphed ouer his enemies the French and Scots and is reputed the noblest Prince of Christendome But now at this present through the wicked counsell of such as affect their owne profit more then his honour or the welfare of his people hee had caused Cleargie men and others to bee arrested and held in prison by undue proceeding contrary to the lawes of England which hee was bound by his oath at his Coronation to obserue and against Magna Charta which whosoeuer shall presume to infringe are to bee by the Prelates according to the Bull of Pope Innocent the fourth Excommunicate So that hereby hee incurred no small danger to his soule and detriment to his State and honour Then hee telleth him how hee doubted that if the King proceeded in this manner he should lose both the hearts of his people and their helpe in such sort as hee should not be able to prosecute his warre in hand and thereby giue his enemies heart and occasion to rise against him to the hazard of his honour and the kingdome And therefore aduises him to assemble the Nobles and prudent men of the Land and to consult with them without whose ayde and counsell hee could not gouerne his kingdome or performe his enterprises concerning what was a misse And whereas said hee certaine neere about you by their adulation and soothing falsly betray and deceiue you wee here denounce them Excommunicate and beseech you as your spirituall Father that you holde them so Besides hee vrges him that whereas through the negligence of some Ministers of his the Citie of Turney was not gotten the matter might bee examined in Parlement and inquiry made to whose hands from the beginning of the warre the Wooles and Monies were committed to bee bestowed and by whose default the Citie of Turney was not subdued but left in such manner as it was and that as an equall and wise Lord hee would chastise such as were culpable and not condemne or misdeeme his subiects without sufficient tryall c. This Letter bare date the 1. of Ianuary Then writes hee also to Robert Bouser Chancelor of England shewing him what contributions the Cleargie had yeelded to the King by their free consents that none other were to be exacted of them Requiring him to doe nothing preiudiciall to the Law of Magna Charta and that if any Writ Commission or Precept had gone out of the Chancerie contrary thereunto or the priuiledges and liberties of the Church or Kingdome hee should within ten dayes after the receipt of these his Letters as hee said the Chancelor was bound to doe reuoke and anull the same This bare date the 28. of Ianuary Another Letter hee likewise sends to the King and his whole Councell declaring that whereas contrarie to the priuiledges and liberties of the Church and Kingdome contained in Magna Chatta Iohn de Saint Paul Michael de Wath Robert Chickwill Iohn Thorpe and Henry Stratford were arrested committed to prison and there detayned without being indited or conuicted of any notorious crime and that whosoeuer were ayding or councelling to this proseeding had incurred the sentence of the Canon which he had caused to be published both in his owne Dioces and in all other of his suffragans And therefore besought the King and his whole Councell without delay to deliuer the saide prisoners otherwise hee Quatenus de iure poterunt excusari plainely writes that according to his Pastrall charge hee must proceed to the execution of the sentence Concluding how notwithstanding it was not his intention to include therin the King Queene or their children so farre as they might by law be excused To this purpose hee likewise sends to the Bishop of London and other his Suffragan Bishops whom after hauing complained of the great exactions and wrongs done to the Church by lay men hee charged him not onely to denounce and publish in their Church but fixe vp in all eminent places the sentence of Excommunication against all offenders in those articles of Magna Charta which are at large added to his Vid. Append. Letter to the end as he sayd that euery man might know the danger and none pretend to be ignorant thereof The King wakened with this clamour of the Archbishop is faine to apologize for himselfe by his Letters written to the Bishop of London wherein after hauing declared King Edward accuses the Archbishop of false dealing how much hee had euer honoured and trusted the Archbishop he accuses him of manifest wrong for that relying vpon his counsayle he was put at first vpon this action against the French King and by him assured hee should not want treasure and meanes for the performance thereof and that hee needed not to care but onely to prouide men to execute the worke And how notwithstanding through the negligence or malice of the saide Archbishop and his Officialls those prouisions granted him by his subiects in Parlement were in so slender proportion leuied and with such delayes sent ouer as hee was prest of necessity to his great griefe and shame to condiscend to the late Truce and through extreame wants charged with mighty debts forced to throwe himselfe into the gulph of the usurers in such sort as hauing iust cause hee began to lookeinto the dealings of his Officers some of whom upon apparant notice of their ill administration of Iustice their corruptions and oppression of his subiects he remoued from their places and some of inferiour degree culpable of the same offences hee committed to prison and there detained them to the ende hee might finde out by their examinations the truth of their proceedings whereof none could so well informe him as the Archbishop to whom of long time hee had committed the whole administration of the kingdome And therefore desirous to conferre with him at London hee had of late sent an especiall messenger his trusty seruant Nicholas de Cantelupe that hee should repaire thither which the Archbishop refuse to doe alledging how hee stood in feare of some about the King and therefore would not endanger himselfe nor depart from his Church Then the King sent Ralph Scafford the Steward of his house with safe conduct vnder his great Seale for the Archbishops security Notwithstanding he refused to come returning worde how hee would
though with much valour leauing behinde him but the fame of a Rebell after hee had serued the English about six yeares King Edward shortly after these supplyes sent into Brittaine goes himselfe in person with more and lying before Vannes lately recouered by the French Iohn Duke of Normandy eldest sonne to the French King sent to ayde Charles de Bloys with an Army of forty thousand came to giue him battaile and being vpon the point of incounter a mediation of truce is made by two Cardinalls sent from Pope Clement the fixt and concluded for three yeares vpon many conditions with a reference to the Pope and the Court of Rome to heare and examine the differences betwixt the two kingdoms but not to determine them without the consent of both Kings This pause againe giues them more time to worke for greater woundes and nothing is left vnpractised that might aduance the same And though the people now seemed to put off their Armour they left not off armes but had diuerse bickrings both in Brittaine and Gascony for which either side accused other King Edward returning makes an expeditiō into Scotland against K. Dauid whom he chased into the Ilands And here the Isle of Man is conquered by William Montacut Earle of Salisbury whom king Edward caused to be stiled King thereof and returning backe solemne Turneaments are held at Dunstable where hee is attended with 230. Knights For now all the pastime and exercise in England were Iustes and Turneaments held in Smithfield Winsor and other places A society of Knights of the Round table in imitation of King Arthur is designed a magnificent Chamber of 200. foot round erected for the same at Winsor and to this society many strangers of other Coūtries are allured The French K. also practises the like martial association in France Reg. 17 An. 1343. And about this time began the order of the Garter instituted at Winsor vpon a solemne feast there celebrated which held for many dayes and serued that time as an The institutio of the Order of the Garter Embleme of a tye and combinement in honour of such as were admitted thereunto which was the end of the constitution thereof Howsoeuer the Garter of the Countesse of Salisbury taken vp by the King in dancing with her was saide to haue beene the occasion But it were some derogation to that noble institution to impute the originall thereof to an act of Leuitie seeing with what a graue and religious ceremony it is performed Although we see oftentimes accidents of little consequence giue beginnings to things of great estimation which time makes venerable But besides these exercises of Armes this great and prouident King during this truce takes especiall care for the Gouernment of the Kingdome and reformation of the abuses thereof which daily grow as diseases in full bodies and must of necessity haue sometimes their cure otherwise there will be no health in a State A Parliament is called at Westminster wherein vpon the grieuons complaint exhibited by the Earles The Nobility write to the Pope concerning his collation of Benifices in England Barons Knights and Burgesses against the collation of Benifices on strangers a letter was sent to Pope Clement 6. in humble manner beseeching him to consider how inconuenient and derogatory it was to the state of the Kingdome of England that such reseruations prouisions and collations of Benifices as had beene formerly vsed should in such sort be continued For that the Churches of England had in times past bene indowed by noble and worthy persons to the end the people might be instructed by such as were of their owne language and how by the vsurpation of some of his Predicessors strangers and sometimes enemies to the Realme were preferred to many of them whereby the money and profits were transported the Cures vnfurnished almes and Hospitality vnused the edifices ruinated the charity and deuotion of the people deminished and many other grieuous inormities contrary to the will of the Founders occasioned which they could not suffer any longer and therefore besought his Holinesse wholly to reuoke such reseruations prouisions and collations that meete and natiue persons might exercise those Cures and without delay to signifie his intention therein otherwise they meant to imploy their dilligence that remedy and redresse might be had according to reason The date of these Letters was in full Parliament at Westminister the 28. of May 1343 with which were like wise sent the Kings letters to the same effect by Sir Iohn Shordich a graue person and of great vnderstanding in the Law whose message made Sir Iohn Shordich sent with these Letters him so vnwelcome to that Court as hee departed without leaue or answer which though the Pope afterward sent yet the King proceeded to the prohibition of all such prouisions collations within his Realme on paine of imprisonment or death to whom soeuer should in time to come present or admit any such person or persons who by the Pope were so preferred to the preiudice of the Kings royall prerogatiue And to this effect were Writs directed to all Arch-bishops Bishops others to whom it appertained inhibiting them in no wise to attempt any thing preiudial to this ordinance Here is the Arch-bishop Stratford with much adoe vpon his submission reconciled The Arch-bishop of Canterbury reconciled to the Kings fauour And much debating there is in this Parliament concerning Wools and the asseasement of certaine prices vpon the same more or lesse according to the seuerall parts of the Realme and concerning customes to be imposed on them as at three Markes and a halfe vpon the transportation of euery sacke but it seemes nothing was done in this businesse Ptince Edward about the age of 13 is created Prince of Wales and Commissioners Prince Edward created Prince of Wales are appointed to be sent to the Pope to treate of Peace betweene the two Kings according to the Articles concluded in the truce which were Iohn Bishop of Excester Henry de Lancaster Earle of Derby Hughle Dispensier Lord of Glamorgan Cousins to the King Rauph Lord Stafford with others The next yeare after another Parliament or the same proroged is held at London Reg. 18. An. 1344. wherin after much altercation a tenth was granted by the Clergie and a fifteenth by the Laytie for one yeate and a certaine Coyne of gold called the Floren of base alloy which had beene for the warres in Fraunce is decryed and Nobles of finer coyned to A Parliament the great liking of the subiects And for their better commodity the exchange of moneys at London Canterbury and Yorke is ordained Shortly after generall Musters are taken throughout the Kingdom and Certificate made of all sufficient and able Bowmen Generall musters and appointing of Armor and of all others fit to beare Armes Besides a Commission is sent into euery countrey to inquire of mens abilities and all of fiue pounds to teu