service for his safety but the factious made use of this to raise the rage and jealousie of the whole City against the King for at midnight there were outcries made in the streets that all people should rise to their defence for the King and his Papists were coming to fire the City and to cut their throats in their beds The King therefore not always to incourage these indignities with his patience resolved by a course of Justice to punish the Authors and Countenancers of these seditious practices so commanded his Attorney General to accuse five Members of the Lower House of High-Treason and one of the House of Peers He also sent some Officers to Seal up their Trunks and Cabinets in their several Lodgings and to secure their persons To this the Commons voted That all those persons were enemies to the Commonwealth that should obey the King in any of his commands concerning them and that it was lawful for any person to assist the said members And because the King came into the House of Commons and there demanded to have the five Members delivered up to him though he left his guard of Pensioners and Lords and Gentlemen without upon the stairs the Commons voted this proceeding of the Kings a breach of the priviledg of Parliament and withal published a Declaration That whosoever should arrest any Member of Parliament by warrant from the King only was guilty of the breach of Parliamentary priviledges and likewise that all they who attended the King when he came to demand the five Members then hid in the City were guilty of a Trayterous design against King and Parliament The Londoners they came thronging to Westminster in a tumultuous sort to Petition for the impeached Members behaving themselves very rudely towards the Bishops And such increase and numbers of the heady common people assembled in a tumultuous manner about White-Hall and Westminster that the King justly mistrusting some danger from them withdrew himself with the Queen and their Children to Windsor The next day after which the five Members were Triumphantly guarded from London to Westminster by water Strange reports were these times given out concerning dangers from the King how that Troops of Papists were gathered about Kingston upon Thames under the command of Colonel Lunsford who was Chararactered to be of so monstrous an Appetite that he would eat Children and other like false and ridiculous stories Petitions were presented the Parliament requiring that neither the Bishops nor Popish Lords should continue to vote amongst the Peers Women also presented a Petition to the like purpose The House of Commons Petitioned his Majesty that they might have the Tower and London-Militia put into their hands which he denyed to grant yet did they place Major General Skippon over that Militia The King in hopes to stay the fury of the faction consented to almost all that they desired Howbeit notwithstanding all his gracious condescentions endeavours were still used to create an hatred of his Majesty Mr. John Pym publickly charged Him with a connivence at least if not with contrivance of the Irish Rebellion and when the King required satisfaction for the calumny the Commons justified Pyms speech to be the sense of their House And now the breach through bad mens practices growing still wider and wider betwixt his Majesty and his two Houses of Parliament His Majesty resolved to withdraw into the North there to abide till he saw what issue this storm would have taking with him the Prince and Duke of York The Queen he had afore sent with the Princess of Orange into Holland When the King was departed the Parliament made preparations both by Land and Sea upon pretext of great dangers at home and more prodigious terrors from abroad pretending that by intelligence from Paris Rome and Venice they were assured of great designs to overthrow the Parliament together with the Protestant Religion and strange unheard-of Plots they said were made to murder the most eminent Patriots A. D. 1642 and April the 23 the King attended with his guard consisting for the most part of Lords and Gentlemen only would have entred into his Town of Hull but Sir John Hotham insolently shut the gates against him and kept him out whereupon the King proclaimed him Traytor and complained to the Parliament of this indignity but they justified Hothams act and authorized him to strengthen the Garison of Hull In short time after this Englands miseries commenced by an intestine War A little before which were strange sights seen in the Air in many parts of England as Musquetiers harnessed-men and horse-men moving in Battel-array and assaulting one the other in divers furious postures The King and the two Houses now began to make all the speediest warlike preparations to defend themselves and offend each other but the two Houses had a great advantage of his Majesty both in respect of moneys and the speedy raising of Men and also Arms and Ammunition for war of all sorts through their having the City of London on their side the Citizens whereof were very free in parting with their Plate upon the publick faith and their Wives were so zealous for the good Cause as that of the two Houses was then miscalled that they gave their very Bodkins and Thimbles towards the maintaining of it and were forward to have Husbands and Children to venture their lives in this Rebellion On August 22. 1642 did his Majesty set up his Standard-Royal at Nottingham His General was the Valiant Earl of Lindsey the Parliaments General was Robert Devereux Earl of Essex and their Admiral the Earl of Warwick The first blood that was spilt in this unhappy war was near unto Hull whither some forces of the Kings forces were drawn upon whom Sir John Hotham and Sir John Meldram sallied taking some and killing others September the ninth 1642 the Earls of Essex set forth with his Army out of London and October the 23 the Caveliers so called which were the Kings party and the Roundheads so called from the custom of the Puritans cutting their hair short to their ears which were the Parliaments party met between Keinton and Edghill in Warwick-shire and there ingaged in fight which was acted with such fury that near 6000 were slain upon the place The King had so much the better of the day as to keep the Field Persons of remark slain on his Majesties side were the Earl of Lindsey and Sir Edward Varney Standard-bearer but Mr. John Smith immediately recovered the Standard for which service he was Knighted in the Field On the Parliaments part were slain the Lord St. John of Bletso and Colonel Essex From this fight at Edg-hill the King marched to Banbury which was surrendred to him then entred Oxford triumphantly and having secured that place he advanced toward London and at Brantford fell upon two Regiments of his Enemies taking about 500 Prisoners The Parliament to encrease their Numbers declared that all Apprentices that would list themselves
than their own Army amounted unto and that was about 12000. The Parliament lost here that daring Martialist Collonel Francis Thornhaigh Shortly after the Battel Duke Hamilton was taken Prisoner and Cromwell to improve this success followed the scattered parties into Scotland where when he was come there repaired to him the Earls of Arguile Lowden Leven and other of the Scotch Covenanting-Nobility who contracted with him for subduing the common Enemy meaning the Loyal party Colchester that had endured a tedious siege and was now brought to such scarcity of provision that they had not Horse-flesh enough to serve them one day longer and on it they had lived almost a Fortnight August the 27th yielded upon Articles The private Soldiers to depart with life the Commanders to remain at the Generals dispose and the City to raise 14000 l. to save it from Plunder Prisoners of quality taken here were the Lords Goring Capel Loughbrough eleven Knights twelve Colonels eight Lieutenant-Colonels nine Majors thirty Captains and sixty-five Gentlemen Three of the Knights were presently condemned by a Council of War two of whom namely Sir Charles Lucas and Sir George Lisle were shot to death dying as they had lived with great courage But whilst these things were managed by the Army the Parliament was busied with Petitions from London and other places for a Personal Treaty The Parliament therefore contrary to the humours of some of their factious Members repealed those Votes they had formerly made for no more Addresses to the King and both Houses voted a Treaty to be with the King in honour freedom and safety And September the 18th the Treaty began at Newport in the Isle of Wight where his Majesty condescended so far unto the Parliaments demands which were the same in substance with those formerly made that both Houses came to this resolve That the Kings Concessions were a sufficient ground for peace But this did exceedingly inrage the factious Members and Commanders of the Army who now resolved to seize the King into their own hands and dispose which they did removing him out of the Isle of Wight and making him Prisoner in Hurst-Castle November the 30th the Army then fell to purging the Parliament apprehending forty Members thereof that were persons of the most known integrity and highest resolution denying admission to 150 more and suffering none to enter the House save such whom they knew would serve their designs Which Army-Members revived those Votes of no more Addresses to the King the Votes for a Treaty with the King and of the satisfactoriness of his Concessions they razed out of the Journal-book And then proceeded to vote That the supreme authority of the Nation resided in themselves That to raise Arms against the Peoples Representatives or the Parliament was High-treason That the King himself took Arms against the Parliament and so was guilty of the blood-shed throughout the Civil-war And therefore this fag-end of a Parliament was resolved to have his Majesty brought to his Trial in order thereto giving their commands for his bringing up to London and January the 19th he was accordingly brought to St. James's When the factious Members whom the Army had licensed to sit proceeded to constitute a Court for the Trial of the King giving it the specious name of the High Court of Justice which said Court they impowred to convene hear judg and execute Charles Stuart King of England These proceedings the House of Lords detested so did the Parliament of Scotland the Judges of the Land affirmed it to be contrary to the known Laws and Customs of England for the King to be brought to Trial and the Presbyterian Ministers did both publickly and privately disswade them from this horrid action though all in vain And the more to animate the Kings Judges in their illegal proceedings that Pulpit-Jester Hugh Peters preached before them on that Text Psal 149.8 To bind their Kings in chains c. such honour have all his Saints when he assured them that they were the Saints there meant often in his prophane Sermon calling them the Saint Judges and professed that he had for a certain found upon a strict scrutiny that there were in the Army 5000 Saints no less holy than those that now conversed in Heaven with God Almighty Afterwards kneeling in his Pulpit weeping and lifting up his hands he earnestly beg'd them in the name of the People of England that they would execute justice upon that wretch Charles and would not let Benhadad escape in safety c. January the 20th his Majesty was brought before the High Court of Justice in Westminster-Hall where he boldly and chearfully took the Seat prepared for him and the Chargâ— was reâ—d against him with all those reproachful terms of Tyrant Traytor and Murderer and impleaded in the name of all the People of England But General Fairfax his Lady from a Scaffold adjoining cried with a loud voice That not half the People of England were guilty of that crime but that 't was by means of that Traytor Cromwell that this wickedness was done The King alledged to the Court that he could not make his defence unless they first produced their Authority for the trial of him their King which they not being able to do except that of the Sword remanded him to the place of his captivity January the 22d the High Court of Justice met again when the King being brought to the Bar Solicitor Cook required that he might be put upon it either to give in his positive answer or else that the charge against him upon his refusal to plead might be taken for confessed The substance of which Charge was That he the said Charles Stuart King of England had been the Occasion Author and Contriver of the Wars and therein was guilty of all the Treasons Murders Rapines Burnings Spoils Desolaâ—ioâ—s damage and mischief to this Nation acted or committed in the Wars or occasioned thereby To the Charge President Bradshaw required the Kings answer but his Majesty firmly persisting in the disowning of their Authority and offering to give reasons why he could not own their Court the Court was adjourned to the next day January the 23d the King was again brought before his fictitious Judges when he was again press'd to give in his reasons why he could not own their Authority alledging that to own this new Court was against the Priviledges of the People and the Fundamental Laws of the Kingdom whereupon the President commanded the Clerk to record the default and the Guard to take back the Prisoner which was accordingly done January the 27th his Majesty was again brought to the Bar where he still refused to own their illegal Court but said he had some matters conducing to the good of the People which he desired to have liberty to speak before the Members of both Houses which the Court would by no means yield unto but commanded the Clerk to read the Sentence against him which was That whereas the
Welsh they made some stirs And one Fitz-Arnulph a Citizen of London attempted to set up Lewis again for the which himself and two others were hanged and many more had their hands or feet cut off The Barons they were high for a confirmation of their Liberties And Lewis of France upon the death of his Father seized Rochel and the whole Country of Poictou which belonged to the King of England into his hands under pretence that K. Henry an Homager for Aquitain was not present at his Coronation nor yet excused his absence by Ambassadors Whereupon Henry summons a Parliament for Aids to recover his losses which being granted he sent over his forces which discomfited the French But the King necessitated for more Monies for the carrying on of his design in Gascoign wrung from the Londoners Five thousand Marks above their Fifteenths alledging that they had to his prejudice given Lewis the like sum The Clergy also were compelled under pain of Papal censure to pay the Fifteenth not only for their temporal but also Ecclesiastical Goods And by advice of Hubert de Burgo Chief Justice the King revoked the Charters of Liberties which for about two years had been practised through the Realm pretending his Non-age when granted Which caused in all a great heart-burning against Hubert Howbeit the King was well furnish'd with money and men which he caused to be transported into Britain and on the same day in which he set sail from England himself in person did visit the poor and feeble dealing large Alms to them and not refusing to kiss the sick and leprous But before that the King had opportunity to effect any thing in those parts considerable the Irish rebelled constraining him to return to reduce then inâ—o order Which when he had done he advanced against the Welsh whom he also repressed though not without considerable loss About this time Hubert de Burgo Earl of Kent was accused by the Bishop of Winchester and others for the committing of many great crimes and he doubting that he should not have a fair Tryal retired himself into Essex whither he was prosecuted by Armed men and in a Chappel at Burntwood was apprehended out of which the rude Soldiers hailed him and sent for a Smith to make Shackles for him which when the Smith understood that they were for him fetching a deep sigh he said Do with me what you please and God have mercy on my soul but as sure as the Lord lives I will never make Iron-Shackles for him but will rather dye the worst death that is For is not this the most Loyal and Courageous Hubert who so often hath preserved England from being destroyed by strangers and restored England to England Let God be judge between him and you for using him so unjustly and inhumanely requiting his most excellent deserts with the worst recompence that can be Notwithstanding all this Sir Godfrey de Crancomb who commanded the party bound the Earl and conveyed him to the Tower of London where he had not long been ere the Bishop of London procured his liberty though shortly after he was again imprisoned In his place the King elected for his Councellor and Confident Peter de Rupibus Bishop of Winchester who displaced the English Officers and in their Rooms placed Poictovins and Britons stuffing the Kings Castles with them intrusting as it were the treasures strength and Realm it self in their hands to the great discontent of the English Peers Who now confederated against the strangers and refused upon the Kings summons to appear in Parliament sending this impudent Message to their Soveraign That if out of hand he removed not the Bishop of Winchester and strangers out of his Court they all of them by the common consent of the Kingdom would drive him and his wicked Counsellors out of it and would consult about creating of a new King Whereupon the King animated by Winchester commanded the Earl-Marshal with all others whom he suspected to appear at Glocester where the King was with an Army Which they refusing to do the King burnt their Mannors and gave away their Inheritances to the Poictovins The Earl-Marshal he contracts strict amity with Leweylyn Prince of Wales and made great spoil on the possessions of the Kings reputed Seducers Shrewsbury he sackt and burnt Gilbert Lord Basset the Earls great Confederate set fire on Alkmundbury not far from Huntingdon But the Earl-Marshal having crossed the seas into Ireland there to recover his Lands taken from him by the fraud of the Bishop of Winchester was there wounded to death for whose loss the King to the wonder of all that saw it broke forth into tears affirming That he had left no Peer about him in the Kingdom And now the Bishop of Winchester hated of the people was commanded by the King not to meddle any farther in State-matters And against Peter Rivallis Lord Treasurer the King was so in raged that he sware he would pluck out his eyes were it not for reverence of holy Orders And by the workings of the Bishops an accord was effected betwixt the King and his Peers and the Poictovins were commanded to depart the Realm Howbeit the Land was not yet eased of its Oppressors and Oppressions for the Pope sent over into England three hundred Romans requiring to have the first Benefice that should become vacant to be bestowed on them requiring also great sums of money of the Clergy for maintenance of the Pope's Wars against the Emperor Which though the Clergy at first opposed yet were forced to yeild unto it at the last The Pope himself had a mind to have come hither in his own person but the King's Councel liked not thereof alledging that the Romans Rapines and Simonies had enough stained England's purity though the Pope himself came not personally to spoil and prey upon the Wealth of the Church About the year 1240 Richard Earl of Cornwall the King's Brother with the Earls of Pembroke Chester Lincoln Salisbury and many other honourable persons departed for the Holy Land and in A. D. 1242 the King passed the Seas to recover Poictou but effected not any thing remarkable though he expended great store of Treasure Upon his return into England he was therefore compelled to be burthensome to his subjects for recruiting of his exhausted Treasure as well by the levy of Escuage as of Loan and otherwise The Jews in especial manner were made sensible of his wants Too much of their money thus rais'd 't is said he expended in Entertainments and Shows though afterward the King reflecting on his former profuseness in gifts and entertainments he shortned the allowances of his houshold and entertainments without any regard to Majesty And to spare his own charge the more he invited himself now to this mans house now to that but no-where contenting himself with his welcome unless himself and his Queen Son Edward yea and chief Favourites were presented with costly Gifts 'T is said that he was sometime
Then the English Army marched over-land to Lisbon where a strong sally was made upon the English but the Earl of Essex chased them back to their very gates And the mean while Admiral Drake with his Fleet were come to Cascais and possessed the Town without any resistance and during the stay there the English took threescore Hulks from the Spaniards laden with Corn Masts Cables Copper and Wax About A. D. 1591 Queen Elizabeth sent Ayds into France in the behalf of Henry IV whom the Popish party would not admit to the Crown of France though his absolute right because he leaned to the Reformed Religion nor was he admitted till he had taken Oath to defend the Roman faith against all oppugners A. D. 1596 and June the first did Charles Lord Howard and the Earl of Essex with a gallant Fleet begin their Voyage for Cadiz which in a short time after their coming to it was surrendred to them The spoil thereof was given to the English soldiers the wearing clothes of the inhabitants only excepted and the Citizens upon the payment of an 120000 Duckets for their ransome had their liberty The Spanish Fleet which lay in the Harbour valued at twelve Millions of Duckets was fired by the Admirals command to the end it might not become a prize to the English The Town the English burnt and spoiled the Island then set sail towards Favo a Town in Algarva where the English landed forraged the Country for about three leagues burnt the Town Lotha and then returned for England But the wrongs which had been offered by the Spaniards seeming far greater to the English than was yet the justice upon them and the wise Queen holding it best to keep the Spanish King employed at home the Earl of Essex was therefore Commissioned with a well-furnished Fleet to sail for the Azores Islands Which Fleet upon Septemb. 15. 1597 fell with the Isles of Flores Evernes Fyall and Pike all which submitted to the Earl Then he sailed for St. Michaels where Sir Walter Rawleigh kept the Seas with the Ships whilst Essex landed and sacked the rich Town Villa Franca but the Winters storms approaching the Earl returned home bringing with him a Brazil-ship of War with three other prizes valued at 400000 Duckets The Pope and Spaniard though they had hitherto been frustrated in all their mischievous designments against the Queen and Church of England yet still they hoped that by one treacherous means or other they might at length effect the ruin of both though praised be God the ruin proved to their own vile instruments Patrick Cullen hired to murther the Queen was executed at Tyburn Philip Earl of Arundel and Sir John Perat were both condemned for high Treason but died by course of nature Roderick Lopez a Spaniard one of the Queens Physitians undertaking to poyson her was with his two complices executed at Tyburn Edmund York and Richard VVilliams hired by one Holt an English-Jesuite were executed for their Treasons Edward Squire was executed for impoysoning the pommel of the Queens saddle and pommels of the Earl of Essex his Chair though by Gods providence the poyson effected not what was intended by it One VVallpoll a Jesuite animated him to the fact by alledging that he might do it without much danger of his life but though he should lose his life for it yet he should be assured that in exchange of this transitory one he should enjoy the estate of a glorious Saint in Heaven So meritorious it seems it is to murder Catholique Princes so they be not Roman-Catholick ones But besides all these Romish-Agents there was the Irish Tir-Oen who used his greatest endeavours to divert subjection from the English Crown against whom that Martial Knight Sir John Norris was sent General who after he had brought Tir-Oen to a submission though as it after proved but a feigned one ended his days The Irish Rebelling again the Earl of Essex was sent thither where in the Province of Munster he became terrible to those wild Irish-Rebels chasing them before him into the woods though with more expence of time and loss of men than was well liked by some statists in England Then the Earl advanced into Leinster-Province against the O Coners and O Moils Then made towards Vlster where he entred into Parley with Tyrone But her Majesty being informed likely by some that envyed the Earls being so highly in her favour that the Spring Summer and Autumn were spent without service upon the Arch-Traytor Tyr-Oen that her men were diminished and large sums of mony consumed without the Earls doing that he was sent for That without her Highness order he entred into Parley with the Rebels Hereupon her Majesty sent sharp Letters unto the Earl upon the receipt whereof in discontent he hasted into England well hoping to pacify the Queens displeasure but after a short verbal welcom from the Queen he was commanded to his chamber and soon after committed to the custody of the Lord Keeper 1599. In the Earls stead Charles Blount Lord Montjoy was sent into Ireland who held Tyr-Oen very hard and forced him to withdraw into his old lurking places But to strengthen the Irish part the King of Spain sent into Ireland two thousand old trained Spanish Souldiers with certain fugitive Irish under the command of Don d'Aquila who strait after his arrival published a writing wherein he stiled himself Master-General and Captain of the Catholique King in the Wars of God for preserving the faith in Ireland Unto these two thousand Spaniards more were shortly sent under the conduct of Alohons O Campo but Alphonso had not long nested in Ireland ere himself and three of his Captains were taken and twelve hundred of his Spaniards were slain And at the siege of Kingsale the Spaniards made suit to the Lord General for a peace which was yielded unto whereupon the Spaniards departed and the Irish submitted themselves to the merciful Queen The Earl of Essex who had been committed to the keeping of the Lord Keeper was by her Majesties clemency quit of that durance and only commanded to his own house but the Earl of a daring spirit and exasperated by his Martial followers likewise presuming upon the Queens high respect towards him resolved by force and violence to have personal conference with the Queen and to remove from about her such as he deemed his enemies To effect which many of his favourers assembled at his house as well Noble-men and Knights as Captains and other Officers but this being understood by the Statists they made it known to her Majesty who thereupon sent four of her Honourable Counsellors to the Earl to offer him Justice and to command the Assembly to depart These Counsellors accordingly went to the Earl to Essex-house where they did their message to the Earl and commanded his followers whom they saw about him to lay down their weapons and depart but the Earl leaving these Councellors under custody in his own house with
reduced to that penury that he was forced to live upon the Alms of the Church This King designed at least pretended to go for the Holy Land when the Parliament granted him large Aids upon this condition That at this time once for all he should submit himself to govern by Law to confirm the Charters of Liberties or Magna Charta Against the breakers whereof a most solemn curse was pronounced The King swearing to keep all Liberties upon pain of that execratory sentence As he was a man a Christian a Knight and a King anointed and crowned Yet notwithstanding the Oath and the Curse the King two or three years after caused the Tenth of all England and Ireland to be collected for his own use and the Popes the Pope having given the Kingdom of Sicily to his Son Edmond but the English subjects were first to win it for him Which the Nobles peremptorily denied the attempting there being occasion enough for money and men at home the Welsh having risen in rebellion Against whom Prince Edward was sent who though he wanted not for Courage St. Edmund of Abingâ—â—n A. B. Caâ—t yet in one field lost 2000 English men and was beaten out of the field In A.D. 1257 was Richard Earl of Cornwall the King's Brother elected King of Romans and was crowned at Aquisgrane having paid a large sum of money for the honour At this time the Earl was reputed to possess so much ready Coin as would every day for ten years afford him an hundred Marks upon the main stock besides his Rents and Revenues in Germany and the English Dominions And now the King relapsed into his profuseness and favouring of the Poictovins and other forreigners The Nobles hereupon came exquisitely armed to the Parliament holden at Oxford with a resolution to inforce the King and his Aliens to their proposals Which were That the King should unfeignedly keep the Charter of Liberties That such an one should be in place of Justitiar who would judg all impartially That the Forreigners should be expelled the Realm And that twenty-four persons should there be chosen to have the sole administration of King and State and yearly appointing of all great Officers Reserving to the King the Ceremonies of Honour Binding themselves by Oath to see these things performed and the King and Prince swearing to observe the ordination of these disloyal Barons who had by an Edict given out high menacings against all that should resist The Poictovins were so terrified by these violent proceedings that they fled into France The giddy people they joined with the Barons as the Assertors of their Liberties Boniface A. B. Cant the Londoners bound themselves under their publick Seal to assist them in the common Cause Richard King of Romans the Barons would not suffer to come into England but in a private manner with a very small train and being landed they exacted an Oath of him and upon pain of forfeiting all his Lands in England bound him to join with them in reforming the State which they factiously had assumed to do having appointed Four Knights Commissioners in every shire to enquire of all Oppressions and to certifie the same to them And the better to strengthen their Cause Simon Montford Earl of Leicester Head of the Factionists with others passed into France there to transact with the King thereof as to an indissoluble League About which time King Henry for want of Money or good Counsel or both was induced upon no very good terms for ever to renounce to the King of France all his right to Normandy Anjou Tourain Main and Poictou But the fire which had been long in blowing did now break out into a flame the King and his Barons taking arms against each other Simon de Montford executes his greatest revenge on the Queens friends who were aliens not sparing the King's who were free-born English-men Yet at length mutual weariness inclines Henry and his Barons to a peace and the King is willing that the Statutes of Oxford should be in force but the Queen was unwilling Which being known to the Londoners it put the baser sort into so leud a rage that she being to shoot the Bridg from the Tower towards Windsor where Prince Edward was ingarison'd they with dirt and stones and villanous words forced her back to the Tower Howbeit at London in a Parliament there held matters were pieced up though shortly after all was rent again both sides making fresh preparations for War King Henry drew towards Oxford where the rendezvous of his friends and forces was appointed from which University he dismissed all the Students being above fifteen thousand of those only whose names were entred into the Matriculation-book Whereupon many of them went to the Barons to Northamptor whither Henry came and breaking in at the Town-Walls encountred his Enemies amongst whom these Students of Oxford had a Banner by themselves advanced right against the King and did more annoy him in the fight than the rest of the Barons Forces Which the King who at length prevailed vowed sharply to revenge but was disswaded by his Councellors who told him that those Students were the sons and kindred of the great men of the Land whom if he punished even the Nobles that now stood for him would take arms against him The King encouraged by this success advanceth his Royal Standard toward Nottingham burning and wasting the Barons Lands wheresoever he came The Barons they sent Letters to him protesting their loyal observance to his person but all hostility to their enemies who were about him Rob. Kilwarby A B. Cant To which the King returned them a full defiance as to Traytors professing that he took the wrong of his friends as his own and their enemies as his At length the two Armies met and ingaged in fight wherein Prince Edward bravely behaved himself putting the Londoners to flight pursuing them for four miles but in the mean while his Father having his horse slain under him yielded himself prisoner the King of Romans and other great Peers were taken and the whole hope of the day lost on the Kings side On the next day peace was concluded for the present on condition That Prince Edward and Henry the King of Romans Son should also render themselves into the Barons hands And now by this advantage the factious Lords gained all the chief Castles of the Kingdom into their power Montford carrying his Soveraign as his prisoner about the Country yet with all outward respect and honour the rather to procure a more quiet surrender of Garrisons So fortunate may Treason and Rebellion for a time be though in the end it commonly speeds as it deserves To tame these Rebels the Pope sends his Cardinal Legate to Excommunicate them but they trusting to the temporal sword made light of the spiritual Howbeit to the Kings great advantage there hapned so irreconcileable a difference betwixt the two great Earls of Leicester and Glocester that the